wheel bearings

[Grog]

I don't have alot of experience with them, but I think they should last several years, maybe 3-5 years or more. Maybe others have some direct experience.

Thanks Deb for the precious info.

Mine are a cause of no problem so I'll leave it at that!

[DebW]

I do have a set of cheap Performance sealed bearing hubs. They've been used mostly for commuting off and on over the last 15 years and they still feel super smooth. 3-5 years is probably a low estimate even for someone who puts lots of miles on their wheels. The good thing about the cartridges is that when they go bad, they won't damage any other part of the hub. If you ignore a servicable hub long enough for the bearings to get pitted, it will pit the bearing surface of the hub body, and then the whole hub needs to be replaced.

[mimitabby]

To my everlasting relief, the older gentleman at the LBS is working on my bike. He called me last night and told me the bearings were great but the cones were shot. He does not have campy parts, would i find another shop that does? (he could order them but would have to buy a dozen or more... etc)

The whole reason I took my bike to him is that he is easy to get to and a great mechanic. Sigh.. now i have to go to ANOTHER LBS and get the parts and bring them back to him. DH said. Well, you know he's not a Bianchi dealer... argh!! (good old DH gets another I told you so)
I thought
good mechanic=good mechanic. RIGHT?

I also told him, "if the front cones are shot, since the rear wheel is as old as the front wheel, maybe you could look at it too?"
he said, "yes, that's a good idea"

[DebW]

Mimi,

Yup, that's why you repack your hubs periodically or at the first sign of non-smoothness - so you don't have to replace parts. The cones go first, then they will wear pits into the bearings, then the bearing will wear pits into the cup surface of the hub body. If the hub body gets damaged, you have to replace the whole hub.

You might be able to mail order some cones if you can't find them locally. This place looscrews.com has a few Campy cones. I've also gotten brand new Campy cones on eBay.

[mimitabby]

Mimi,

Yup, that's why you repack your hubs periodically or at the first sign of non-smoothness - so you don't have to replace parts. The cones go first, then they will wear pits into the bearings, then the bearing will wear pits into the cup surface of the hub body. If the hub body gets damaged, you have to replace the whole hub.

You might be able to mail order some cones if you can't find them locally. This place looscrews.com has a few Campy cones. I've also gotten brand new Campy cones on eBay.

Now for the evil question. how do I know what kind of cones I need?
(this is why i am probably going to have to hand carry the old parts to the LBS in the most congested part of the city on Sunday)

[DebW]

Do you know the hub model (Record, Super Record, Chorus, etc) and the year it was made? Many Campy hub models share the same cone dimensions, so they're not too hard to find. Also, I believe you will find engraved on the flat outer surface of the cones some numbers which will specify a diameter (inner and/or outer, not sure if both) and a tpi (threads per inch). If it's says Campy and matches those numbers, you should be good. Also a good idea to take the axle with you to be sure the threads match.

[mimitabby]

thanks for the suggestions, Deb, I do know it's a 2002 veloce,
and i have tons of specs for the bike but (sorry) i have no idea which are for the wheels. I will cut and paste here:

This bike has a great steel ride and has all
italian campy components. The bike is currently for sale on ebay
please go the following address to bid! The following is a list of the
components on the bike: Type: 18/27-speed road Size: 49 Colors:
Celeste; Dark Blue/ Yellow Frame: Bianchi Reparto Corse SL Chromo
Lite: Double-butted chrome-moly steel alloy, TIG-welded and
heat-treated. MegaPro down tube with variable section; ZFS (Zero-Flex
Stay) rear-triangle design. Vertical dropouts. Fork: Bianchi carbon,
CrMo steerer Headset: YST G-Force Threadless Bottom Bracket:
Campagnolo Veloce cartridge, 111mm Handlebars: Salsa short and shallow
Stem: ITM Forged, 90-degree on 27-speed Crankset: Campagnolo Veloce,
30/42/52 Chain: Shimano Hubset: Campagnolo Veloce Spokes: Stainless,
double-butted Rims: Mavic CXP-21, 32 Saddle: Bontrager Tires: blue
verestein fortezza tires F. Derailleur: Campagnolo Centaur R.
Derailleur Campagnolo Veloce, 9-spd Shift Levers: Campagnolo Veloce
ErgoPower Casssette: Campagnolo Veloce, 13-26, 9-spd Brakes/Levers:
Campagnolo Veloce; Veloce ErgoPower levers Seatpost: Bianchi alloy,
27.2mm Grips/Other: cork grip with specialized gel inserts