8 Speed Rear Hub w/ Sealed Bearings

Can anyone here recommend something for my Hybrid. I'm not looking for
strongest or lightest, more like most competitively priced. Also what
kind of life are people getting from their sealed bearings in hubs in
normal road use. Cheers

Alun Thomas wrote:

Can anyone here recommend something for my Hybrid. I'm not looking for
strongest or lightest, more like most competitively priced. Also what
kind of life are people getting from their sealed bearings in hubs in
normal road use. Cheers

What do you mean by "sealed"? Shimano hubs are impervious to most muck
and water because they have both contact and labyrinth seals. they're
also relatively cheap and easily serviceable. If you meant cartridge
bearings, I can't think of any cheap ones right now, but lots of
expensive ones like Phil Wood and Hugi...

Alun Thomas wrote:

Can anyone here recommend something for my Hybrid. I'm not looking for
strongest or lightest, more like most competitively priced. Also what
kind of life are people getting from their sealed bearings in hubs in
normal road use. Cheers

What do you mean by "sealed"? Shimano hubs are impervious to most muck
and water because they have both contact and labyrinth seals. they're
also relatively cheap and easily serviceable. If you meant cartridge
bearings, I can't think of any cheap ones right now, but lots of
expensive ones like Phil Wood and Hugi...

Also what
kind of life are people getting from their sealed bearings in hubs in
normal road use. Cheers

I got 30 years of use from my unsealed Campagnolo Tipo hubs. They were on
their 4th set of rims. Then I sold them. Still going strong as far as I
know.

My current favorites are 1970's vintage Campagnolo Record hubs with the
center grease injection port. After you get caught in the rain, inject some
grease, wipe up the excess at both end of the hub, and its good as new.
With "sealed" hubs whatever water and muck gets in, stays in.

Finally, keep in mind that the single rubber seal in cartridge bearings
hardly represents an adequate water barrier.

Anyway, Shimano hubs are the best deal going. Anything Deore/Tiagra and up
should last for the life of the bike. Whatever you do, don't buy cartridge
bearing hubs. You have to wonder about the manufacturing capability or the
engineering depth of company that puts cartridge bearings into hubs. I have
all varieties of expensive boutique cartridge bearing hubs in boxes unused.
Not even worth the time to lace them into wheels when I can just grab a
superior Shimano LX hub from the next bin.

Also what
kind of life are people getting from their sealed bearings in hubs in
normal road use. Cheers

I got 30 years of use from my unsealed Campagnolo Tipo hubs. They were on
their 4th set of rims. Then I sold them. Still going strong as far as I
know.

My current favorites are 1970's vintage Campagnolo Record hubs with the
center grease injection port. After you get caught in the rain, inject some
grease, wipe up the excess at both end of the hub, and its good as new.
With "sealed" hubs whatever water and muck gets in, stays in.

Finally, keep in mind that the single rubber seal in cartridge bearings
hardly represents an adequate water barrier.

Anyway, Shimano hubs are the best deal going. Anything Deore/Tiagra and up
should last for the life of the bike. Whatever you do, don't buy cartridge
bearing hubs. You have to wonder about the manufacturing capability or the
engineering depth of company that puts cartridge bearings into hubs. I have
all varieties of expensive boutique cartridge bearing hubs in boxes unused.
Not even worth the time to lace them into wheels when I can just grab a
superior Shimano LX hub from the next bin.