Hi,

I'm trying to figure out if sealed bearing are really better than loose. I'm looking at the Phil Wood or the Sugino Superlap for bottom brackets and Miche Track or Shimano Dura Ace of hubs. I'll be riding every work day rain or shine. Basically, I don't want to spend a bunch of money on some sealed bearing only to find out they aren't sealed very well and have been damaged buy dirt and water. Thanks for your help and experience.

Adam

If you are riding this on the road rain or shine then your only smart choice for a bb is Phil wood because it has extremely well sealed cartridge bearings. The same goes for hubs, get the Miches.

Running the dura ace hubs on the road voids their warranty becauser they were designed with the minimal of seals because they are supposed to be ridden on the track. Ride it on the road and watch the required maintenance interval reduce to zero, especially if you ride in rain/sleet/snow. Same goes for the bb.

If you don't want to be overhauling your **** regularly and doing maintanence and wasting time that could be better spent drinking be then get phil bb + miche hubs.

Overhauling loose bearing BBs and hubs isnt too hard but if you dont like working on your bike sometimes then get the sealed stuff.
For a full fledged commuter bike, the only reason youd want those NJS track parts is for fashion IMO.

If you like *riding* bikes: Sealed
If you like **working* on bikes: Loose

Ok, that's just stupid.

No, just experience.

personally i find bearing overhauls to be extremely therapeutic. it's unfortunate that i don't currently have any to work on.

Always sealed for BB's. Overhauling BB's just seems like more of a pain and you only have so many times you can take off those cranks and put them back on square taper before you're deforming ****.

Hubs, either or. Depends on how much work you want to put in. Personally I'd rather spend time truing my wheels or something. Bearing overhaul isn't that hard per se, but readjusting the cones after the repack is tedious and a pain. Plus if you care about such things as drag, sealed bearings can get damn smooth if you're willing to pay the price. That Phil carbonyte bearing stuff is looking buttery.

But yeah, if you also like to say, wash the dishes, you might like overhauling your bearings.

Loose. So much more fun to take apart, clean, and put back together. I love working on my bike. I love riding my bike.

Loose is so smooth and gives me a reason to spend more time with my bike.

Who needs girls when you have a bike?

Er, that's pretty much what you said. And I was going to agree with you.

Damn, you a playa!

Thanks everyone. Sounds like I need sealed. I like working on my bike, but I don't want to have to repack bearings every month either.

Thanks for the info on the seals for the Dura Ace hubs. I didn't know that.

loose for me.....

live in the tropics where every rain drop us equivalent to a bucket of water. don;t have nay problems with my DA's . love working on 'em and it's not really that hard to take apart and repacking 'em.

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