Dura-Ace vs. Nature
 

Four years ago, a messenger buddy was complaining to me about how his DA track hubs went to sh*t much faster than he expected, despite the specially machined races and high grade bearings. He was telling me this as we rode through a salty, slushy Chicago night, snow and grime coating our bikes. Gratuitus as his abuse of equiptment may have been, I remember the lesson and do not ride my DA equipped bike in the snow, or rain for that matter. I've always wondered though, how much weather can those things take? They are incredibly smooth, low-resistance, fairly inexpensive hubs, but how long do they last under regular street use? I wanna hear some testimonials!

Here's the diagram that from Shimano's website, looks like there's not really a seal....

http://bike.shimano.com/product_imag..._7710-R_EV.pdf

does the word "track" ring a bell?

Since they are not, in the true sense, sealed bearings, they will require more attention. Life span can be very long if that attention is given. Otherwise, ride em till the wheels fall off......

a quick aside...i was at my lbs yesterday, and i overheard someone pronounce dura-ace like it was some sort of italian word- durrachi. have i been saying it wrong all along?

yes. it is properly pronounced "SIR- LEE"

oh. i thought it was i...r...o.

I usually say "Soo-zoo"

Super-Bee?

Can someone help me figure out what spot in the line up my brake caliper is. It's older and says, I think, Shimano GOO. I've searched and searched and can't find any information on it. Please help! :cry:

Shimano 600, good brakes, basically Ultegra before it was called Ultegra.

like these?


http://images.andale.com/f2/115/106/...600_brakes.jpg

Gosh peoples, I'm just kidding. Shimano GOO, SHEESH! Mine look a little older than those sohi. GOO! HAHA!

I got it. :)

like this?


http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0...CMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

GOOd album. I like to pretend I'm a Cool Thing.

Pretend is right, it's "Kool Thing". :eek:

No **** man...Track equipment is made for the TRACK - short distances, smooth surfaces, no dirt or water, frequent maintenance.

Sooooo, let's ride the thing all day long during winter on the streets of CHICAGO, leave it parked outside in the rain, probably don't overhaul...what the fsck do you expect?

So a lot of people shouldn't be riding track bikes on the street then, right?

no. but no hubs without seals in harsh winter conditions. or no track frames in a half pipe etc.

I miss your old avatar sohi

tada..

Where can I get one???

sold out...

i've had the same dura ace wheel for a little over 6 years now. last year, i had to replace the bearings because they had all developed a nice wear trench around the outside. i put some of the basic, low-grade bearings in there and they roll just fine. the next time i replace the bearings, i'll put the higher grade bearings in.

they actually come with little seal rings that you can slip into the cones to keep crap out of there, but they create a ton of drag when you first put them in. so much, that i decided it was better to just leave them as they are. i'm sure after a while, they'd loosen up.

the guy who pronounced it "durache" was probably joking around. it's a common joke. sort of like pronouncing cannondale as ca-NON-dalay.

that's just BS. my DA hub lasted 4 years in boston without an overhaul, and the worn out bearings was something that one would expect after riding a wheel through 3 bikes, every day for 5 years. when i opened the hub, the only stuff that was in there was the bearings and the grease, and the grease was pretty much clean.