Sixty Fiver

If they are ridden regularly oiled hubs and bb's need a weekly oiling (I use QS 5-30 synthetic) which takes no time at all... a lot of folks will just fill them with grease... you can never have too much of that.

Sixty Fiver

Phil Wood waterproof grease is good stuff save for the fact it's horribly overpriced (400-500% more) and like their bearings, are outsourced.

Marine grease is far cheaper, equally effective, and is of course, waterproof.

Phrases like "stiff and responsive" and "smooth" are ways we try to quantify certain characteristics.

dobber

are ways we try to justify certain expenditures

If you want it, can afford it, buy it.

andre nickatina

jokes on you, i run clipless.

mattface 

No way man! That **** is totally made by elves in Phil Woods' secret basement workshop, and sprinkled with fairy dust when they squeeze it into the bearings.

Seriously though, I'm not sure what their super secret magical "specs" consist of, but I feel like it's largely hype. The grease they sell in those pretty green tubes isn't even always the same color. Sometimes it's green (like Castrol GTX) Sometimes brown. It looks to me like they buy batches of bearings and Grease from whoever they feel like (probably hoever has the best price) then repackage it and sell it as their own special magical stuff. I can't complain about their products. They always use high quality stuff, but the hype surrounding it is unwarranted. You can get the exact same product somewhere else for less money.

sp00ki

question for those who've done it:
i'm building up a wheelset for the rain/lockups (alex da28 to hollow dimensions, 32 dt swiss revolutions, radial frt/3-cross back) this evening and tomorrow.
should i consider going with the phil wood bearings? i'll probably be riding this bike three-five times a week, no more than ten miles a trip, esp. when it's wet out. i don't expect to get a big performance gain (it's a nishiki conversion with risers), but will they hold up to elements more? I've never actually worn out sealed bearings before, so i don't know how long this usually takes. will there be a real-world (noticeable) reduction in rolling weight?

mattface 

Ride em 'til they're toast, and then replace them. Chances are the "Phil Bearings" are the same stuff you already have. The NSK bearings in my pocket that I just pulled out of my winter bike last night are still rideable after 15 years and 4 winters, and the Phil bearings I replaced them with are the exact same brand and model. If there is a difference in grease fill or whatever I don't expect to ever be able to tell discern it. Save yourself money and time, and don't replace perfectly good parts based upon hype.

sp00ki

ok, i'm trusting you with my life.

jot that down.

Cyclist0383

As has been mentioned several times in this thread the bearings PW sells differ from OEM bearings in that PW bearings are filled 100% with waterproof grease and OEM bearings are filled 30% with regular grease. This will make a big difference over time when riding in very wet conditions.

As for replacing bearings, when the stock bearings on my bike (hubs, BBs) die they get replaced with PW ones.

diff_lock2

What about servicing sealed bearings, you could just pop open the side shields and clean it out, then grease it like there is no tomorrow, if you wanted better weather proofing.

Cyclist0383

Perhaps you could, but is it really worth it when PW bearings aren't that much more expensive?

diff_lock2

I have no idea on the prices on the bearings, but lets say you bought a formula hub, you might as well fill the bearings with tons of grease.

Cyclist0383

Not really, as the stock bearings in Formula hubs are only sealed on one side. I got about nine months use out of mine, if I repacked them maybe I would have gotten a month or two more use. Maybe.

diff_lock2

Ok, I didn't know it was only sealed on one side. I read some skate boarders do the same, they remove one side cover when they re-lube, and don't bother putting it back on.

LóFarkas

hahahahaha

Cyclist0383

Jaa, they have a rubber seal on one side and a metal shield on the other.

mattface 

As I've already mentioned several times in this thread the 15 year old bearings in the Suntour hubs on my inexpensive mountain bike wheels Have lasted through 4 Vermont winters riding daily in the slush and snow. These conditions kill drivetrains and bottom brackets in short order both sealed and cup and cone. The spokes on my rear wheel were so rusted that 6 of them broke when I trued the wheel, but the bearings were only starting to get mildly crunchy, and the bearings on the front wheel are still perfect. IF the additional grease in the Phil Bearings makes them last longer that's fine. I used phil bearings in my hubs because I was able to get them for a good price and they were 75¢ more then the alternatives. I know they are good bearings, but I sure wouldn't replace good bearings with Phils just because they last longer, especially not when I can expect several years of service out of those bearings. That would be seriously false economy.

Cyclist0383

Who ever suggested replacing bearings which aren't dead yet? I certainly didn't.

mattface 

Spooki did, and the post of mine that you quoted was my response to him saying essentially that there is nothing to be gained by replacing new bearings before they wear out.

Cyclist0383

I guess you missed this part of my reply.

mattface 

I think I'm going to try that with the ones I just knocked out. They still spin pretty good. I could have used them as they are for a while longer, cleaned out with fresh grease I think they would likely have a LOT more miles in them, and I've got nothing to lose by trying it. then again I also don't have a hub to use them in right now, but I guess I can save them for future use.

mattface 

Well so did mine, because I know they are at least as good as or better than the ones they replaced, but so far I've got no evidence that they are any better, and considering how long it took the rear bearings to go, and at the rate the front bearings are going I might have to wait a really long time to find out. Are they worth an extra $1.50 a wheel? Sure why not. Are they worthy of the hype? I don't think so.

Cyclist0383

What hype? The hype that they are affordable bearings that last a very long time and are extremely well sealed against the elements? I seriously haven't seen any hype about them at all.

mattface 

No the hype that they are something special made to special secret Phil Wood specs with a blend of 11 secret herbs and spices and putting them into your brand new Formulas will make them spin like Phils. That's the hype I'm talking about. I don't deny they are good bearings, but Spooki was not the first person I've seen suggest that replacing new bearings with Phils might make their hubs spin better. In my experience most bicycle hubs use high quality sealed bearings on par with Phils. Suntour, Miche, Suzue Promax, and even the new Dimensions I have all use high Quality Japanese made bearings from the same manufacturers Phil apparently uses.

More grease is always a good thing for bearing longevity, but it also slows a bearing down marginally. Light grease or oil is faster, so if a 30% fill will last for more than 4 years of hard use in snow and slush, I'm not sure 100% fill is an improvement. Then again I'm also not sure Suntour didn't also spec a higher fill of waterproof Grease. All we have is Phil Woods claims that their bearings are special. They certainly aren't doing something no one else could do. Finding the exact same bearing in my 15 year old hub sort of made me think the Phils really aren't that special. That's OK, I'm very happy with the bearings I had, and I'm happy to have more of the same.

TRaffic Jammer

NSK's FTW!!! Couple years ago I took the NSK's from my 20yr old street deck (with at least 12 years hard use) and put them into my daughter's skateboard. They spin smoother and faster as they age, and they can put up with a hell of a lot of lateral punishment as well. The seals can be removed if one wants to do such things in a pinch.