I decided to start a new thread instead of trying to hijack the trackstar argument. I've noticed and kind of been ignoring a slight bit of play in the front hub on my Masi, (Joy Tech sealed bearing.) I spent some time tonight reading up on all of this (I'm relatively new to the maintenance side of riding) and still have a few questions.
1) it seems there are cartridge style bearings like a skateboard uses that are commonly referred to as sealed bearings, but also loose ball/cone bearings that are sealed. How do I tell whether I really have a cartridge bearing and not the a ball/cone hub with a similar looking shield?
2) if it is a cartridge style bearing then
a) how much would it typically cost to have a shop replace them?
b) how much of a risk is it to continue riding it? I haven't had any problems but it seems to be a big issue in the other thread. I was planning on doing ~100 ride/camping trip, but don't want to take unnecessary risks likely to strand me miles outside of any town.
3) I've read various places that a common cause of bearing wear is overtightening, I've seen numerous places just how tightly you should fasten a QR, but how tightly does everyone tighten down tracknuts? What is a good way to tell if you are cranking it down too tight?