Used Wheels and Bearing Life

[HillSlugger]

What might be the normal lifetime for wheel bearings, in particular, the bearings in Mavic Ksyrium Elites? How much do you think a Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheelset with 5000 miles on them are worth? How much does it cost to replace bearings?

Thanks, Nicole

[Grog]

I can only answer your first question: I think they're good for a really long time since they seem to be very well scealed. I have had mine for over 12 000 km so far and my mechanics was confident they didn't need anything special done to them. Keep in mind that this includes about 3000 km in the winter-time in BC.

To replace the bearings you have to send the wheel back to a Mavic facility I believe (not 100% sure - DebW or others will know better I'm sure).

This being said I don't know how much you'd get for it. I would assume they have lost more than 50% of their value. It also depends if you can sell them yourself or if you sell them through your bikeshop or something similar.

[HillSlugger]

This being said I don't know how much you'd get for it. I would assume they have lost more than 50% of their value. It also depends if you can sell them yourself or if you sell them through your bikeshop or something similar.

Actually, I'm looking to buy new wheels as an upgrade from my stock wheels. I'm on a tight budget right now. Help me, I have serious wheel lust!

[DebW]

I'm not familiar with modern wheelset so can't answer any specific questions on Mavic Ksyrium Elites. I do think good quality sealed bearing cartridges could take well over 5,000 miles in most cases. The other issue with resell value is the wear on the rims. Rims get beat up, especially on pot-holed roads, and they can't be trued forever. They also wear thin from braking, especially with sand and grit on the roads.

[Rai Sue]

Deb,

I feel kindof bad about it, but even with changing the bearings out, my wheels are not so smooth to turn. Of course, they have over 10,000 miles on them by my estimate. They are trued, but the rims are getting worn down by braking and years of urban commuting and touring. Please tell me that it might be okay to just let them go, without feeling wasteful!

These are about 30 year old alloy rimmed wheels with japanese hubs, but nothing too fancy or name-brandy. Wait, I think the rims are belgian, but I can't remember the brand right now.

Rai Sue
(who is currently using the wheels off of a project bike someone was giving away in the neighborhood--a yummy but rusty old Trek 520 circa 1984)

[indysteel]

I don't know what your budget is but maybe it would be worth it to save your pennies a bit longer and then spring for custom wheels. In my opinion, you generally get more bang for your buck with custom. Better quality, easier to service, less weight for the money, and most importantly, built with you and your riding style in mind.

[DebW]

Deb,

I feel kindof bad about it, but even with changing the bearings out, my wheels are not so smooth to turn. Of course, they have over 10,000 miles on them by my estimate. They are trued, but the rims are getting worn down by braking and years of urban commuting and touring. Please tell me that it might be okay to just let them go, without feeling wasteful!

These are about 30 year old alloy rimmed wheels with japanese hubs, but nothing too fancy or name-brandy. Wait, I think the rims are belgian, but I can't remember the brand right now.

Rai Sue -
Yes. Let those rims go. They will fail eventually, and that won't be pretty. Eden had a rim explode recently because the metal was worn so thin from gritty braking. A wheel can also simply collapse when the metal is too fatigued around the spoke holes. I replace rims every 6-10 years, though I've gotten 30 years from the same hubs. I assume your Japanese hubs are not sealed bearings? The cup and cone surfaces wear over time even if you repack them diligently. Cones are easy to replace if the parts are available, but when the cup surface inside the hub is worn it's time to replace the hub.