Originally Posted by
SoSmellyAir
Koyote and
mstateglfr I thought a cup and cone bearing system has loose ball bearings so if someone inexperienced (like me) opens one up, the ball bearings would just fall out, roll away, and some of them would disappear forever? To me, the advantage of the DT Swiss 350 hub is that there are detailed instructions for both its assembly and disassembly, and if I somehow mess up the cartridge bearings during maintenance (which seems quite a bit harder to do so compared to a cup and cone setup), replacements and/or upgrades are readily available at reasonable costs. Not to mention there is no preload to adjust.
Koyote explained it all well, but Ill just add that if the balls literally roll away when you remove the axle, then the hub itself is probably shot because that means there is 0 grease in the cup, the races are probably wrecked. Grease in the hub, even contaminated grease, will hold the balls in place. You just fish them out with needlenose pliers or the end of a ziptie and place them aside in a small bowl. Once everything is clean, toss em back in(or replace with new ones).
This really is a 'to each their own' sort of scenario because it isnt right to want one type of wheel and isnt wrong to want another type of wheel. Many enjoy the maintenance side of cycling and many dont. Totally cool either way. I remembered you built up a bike from a frame last year, so I just assumed you had interest/confidence in basic hub maintenance. Again though, totally cool either way as there is no right or wrong way to do things.
...Though by Shimano's gradual move to cartridge bearings, the market for aftermarket wheels will be like 96% cartridge and 4% Campy cup and cone loose ball.