Cannot remove the cassette even with the right tools

[wildeny]

I checked Sheldon's site and learned the name of that part: cone.



I wonder whether this is due to the poor adjustment applied by the manufacture or the over-tightness on the quick release skewers by the lbs.

The first time when I tried to take out my wheels, it took me lots of effort to bend the handle of the QR.

[OakLeaf]

It should take a lot of effort to open and close the QR. You don't want it coming open spontaneously, or easily when you brush up against something. The rule I usually hear is that closing the QR should leave a mark on your hand.

Loose bearing assemblies need to be kept in adjustment and re-greased periodically. Generally, the cheaper the assembly, the poorer the tolerances it was built to, and the more fiddling it's going to need. It's definitely possible they were over-tightened at the factory, but it's a lot more likely that the locknut came loose over time. How many miles on the hubs? How many years (years would only matter if it's getting up over 5-ish; most grease will degrade over time, but slowly). Did they have a lot of miles in heavy rain, or is it possible you or someone else washed the bike with pressurized water and got water into the hubs?

I would expect the mfr would want the whole wheels back to see for themselves the type of damage to the cones (pitting, scoring, something else) and also whether the cups were also damaged. And also, as you say, because if it's going to be a warranty claim, the LBS doesn't want the mfr claiming that you disassembled it and overtightened it yourself.

[wildeny]

I also learn that rule of closing QR in Richard Ballantine's book.

It's definitely possible they were over-tightened at the factory, but it's a lot more likely that the locknut came loose over time. How many miles on the hubs? How many years (years would only matter if it's getting up over 5-ish; most grease will degrade over time, but slowly). Did they have a lot of miles in heavy rain, or is it possible you or someone else washed the bike with pressurized water and got water into the hubs?

I bought this bike in the end of Jan in 2009 and only have put 2100 km (~ 1300 miles) on it. I didn't ride it in the rain nor washed it with water (I only wrapped it with a cloth)

This wheelset (Alx-200) is not in Alex's category. I guess it should be very low-end, but it shouldn't be worn out so soon, right? (Besides, I'm a light rider)

Before I took this apart, I just bought a hand-built wheelset (1380g in total). Wow, what a big difference, especially on climbing For the record, my bike is Fuji Finest RC.

[Eden]

I had a Fuji for a while - those stock Alex wheels are seriously cheap. I don't think I had that bike for more than 2 years before selling it and just before I did, I decided to service the rear hub because it was starting to grind a bit. I got it all apart no problems, but when I re-greased every thing and put it back together, it was so worn that there was no way I could adjust the cones to be tight enough to not wobble without making them bind. I just replaced the rear wheel before selling it. The stock one wasn't worth fixing. OTOH, the ultegra hub I have on my rain bike has survived its first rim and a ton of nasty dirty riding without even feeling gritty.

[Cataboo]

I had a set of those alex wheels (I don't know it's the same model, I could go check, but whatever, they were cheap alex wheels...) on a bike that I just couldn't seem to go that fast on it, kept calling it my slow bike & my slow wheels. The bf thought it was all in my head.

I replaced the wheels, and gave him the rear one to use on his trainer as a trainer wheel... For whatever reason (he probably noticed it was slow), he took about the rear hub and found it completely full of grit. I really hadn't put much mileage on those wheels. I then used them on a commuter I built for a while, but I crashed and killed the rear wheel somehow. I still use it as a trainer wheel.