Originally Posted by
AnkleWork
Where's your empathy? You completely ignore the larger issues, which have nothing to do with bearings. Anyone who selectively responds more to "someone here wrote" than to the mountain of non-anonymous qualified literature realistically reporting the merits of S hubs (as well as the OP's own experience) will not be "assured" by more words or simple facts. And they have created a psychological construct without a clear solution, with no completely right or "wrong" answer: simultaneously doubtful of replacement cones and "can't bear de-spoking"...
And what are the chances that ANY random cones will be better than original? -- not a rhetorical question. Why not let the OP pursue a path to permanently satisfy their concerns and relieve their anxiety. Let them be done with it so they can sleep well.
OP: get a hub with cartridge bearings so you can forget all about cones, etc. Have someone else lace it, or just get a whole wheel. That will put you back on the road quicker so you can get some exercise to reduce your anxiety and you'll be much happier.
Haha. Lots packaged in the above. Thanks. I should have cited the cone poster I quoted (FYI he/she had thousands of posts, bore a little yellow jersey logo next to his/her handle and, incidentally, justified said opinion deeper into the quote). And while I don't much enjoy de-spoking or lacing hubs to wheels, I do have a fondness (like many tinkerers) for disassembling hubs and greasing loose-ball bearings. I sleep better knowing what's inside.