(dianne_1234) wrote in message news:

But I'm certain most "sealed" Superbe Pro hubs used a precision
bearing whose inner race ("cone") was threaded directly onto the axle.
These are not cartridge bearings, though they have seals and precision
races reminiscent of cartridges. Of course I'm not talking about the
hubs from the seventies with ordinary cup 'n' cone bearings, nice as
they are.

This one surfaces on this NG every couple of years and it's my
distinct pleasure to inform you that you are all correct except
possibly for Mr. Muzi's reference material where the dates are
concerned.

The last Superbe Pro hub and a corresponding high end hub product from
Specialized used a variant of the standard 6001 cartridge bearing
where the inner race and seal came out with the cone. Then you could
clean and regrease the ball bearings like any standard cone and cup
hubset, from one side at least. When this bearing wore out it was
indeed possible to replace it with a standard cartridge bearing of
that size. I did this proceedure exactly once and while it appeared
that you could seperate the original inner race from the threaded
"cone" I had a pair of the standard Specialized Hub "cones" at my
disposal so I didn't try. These hubs were being sold at least as far
back as 1988 and I'd place their introdution with the Cranksets
changing over to Shimano Bolt Circle dimensions. Before that the
Superbe Pro hubs were rebadged Sunshine Pro-Ams.

I have no idea how any of this applies to the still collectable
Superbe Pro Track Hubs, but I'd love to find out. Even more elusive
than this tidbit was the structural role of the grey plastic plugs
that went into the Sante' downtube shifters.