Ryrog

So tomorrow I have a chiropractors appointment and the weather is calling for 12-18 inches of snow. i have no choice but to ride and i'm a bit concerned about the snow. I have dura ace hb7600 hubs laced to mavic open pros. My concern is excessive amounts of water getting inside the hub and, possibly damaging it in some way. Are there potential problems this could cause, or am I probably worrying too much? thanks to anyone who has a positive reply.

jdgesus 

ride the bus?

Leukybear 

Nah don't worry about damage; the worst scenario could be a repacking of the hubs, no damage involved. Unless you wreck of course in the snow.... hopefully not... just ride on the plowed road. Trust me, I think the only difference between my set of open pros are the sapim cx rays spokes.

seau grateau

+1 You won't be riding through 18 inches of snow on any track wheels, sir. Also kudos on having a chiropractor appointment, luxury problems for the win. My chiropractor is a low-backed chair.

FastJake

It's a bike, it won't melt. If you're that worried about it just walk. If you really have 12-18" of snow on the ground you'll be carrying your bike more than riding it anyway.

Squirrelli

Compared to other shields, Shimano's shields does a good job keeping water out but you could always repack the hubs when spring is here.

Check to see if your hubs spin smooth and make sure your hubs are properly adjusted.

FastJake

+1

I crack my own back. I don't need to pay someone an extraordinary amount of money to do it wrong and send me to the hospital.

Squirrelli

Ah...why not?

I don't think anyone should cheap out when it comes to health.

Leukybear 

Ryrog

like i said, i'd appreciate any positive
replies.. i would crack my own back but thats not the issue. i was in a car accident and insurance is completely covering the cost thank you very much. so, if anyone has anything to say on weather or not snow will damage my hubs, thank you. If not, don't waste my time letting me know how much of an ass you are.

Ryrog

and just so nobody has to wonder, for about the last two months i've had extreme sciatic nerve pain.. so i really don't appreciate your sarcasm, I'm really fed up with this pain, hence the chiropractor..

so i suppose if you also have something, POSITIVE, to say on that subject, I'm all ears.

seau grateau

I think we did already answer your question, so congrats on being in a car crash. You're still not going to plow a track bike through a foot of snow. So lighten up, pup.

Leukybear 

Do you think it's from your bike riding? Bad saddle/ bar position possibly?

evilcryalotmore

+1 on repacking

stryper

I ride my dura ace hubs through the rain all winter long. it's not snow, but water is water. Repack them right as winter starts around november, check them halfway through winter repack if needed, and no matter what repack around may after the rains have stopped. I'd usually replace the balls when I repack them in may. New balls are cheap and will help increase the life of your hubs

rogwilco

If your bike if too fragile/precious to ride, you probably need another bike that you feel more comfortable using in such situations.

I'm not sure what exactly Ryrog expected with the question, "wrap the wheels in tinfoil and duct tape" or something?

Mr.Dan

Ride those hubs into the ground. Isn't that why you bought them?

soyboy

with proper maintenance(repack once or twice a year, new bearings every year or few years) riding them into the ground could take a lifetime

carleton

If these guys can ride them in the rain and they not melt, you can too.



(FYI: Keirin is raced rain or shine)

rustybrown

...maybe it's time for risers.

And yes, I've got a set of 7600s without the dust caps. Still running hard like it's '06. You're hubs'll be fine, bro.

TL179

I had this EXACT problem/conundrum. And weather the mid-coast haters believe it or not, you can ride a track bike through a foot of snow. Being that there is never (rarely) actually an un-plowed foot on a city street.

My winter wheels weren't ready to go one day so I had to ride my "nice bike" which had newish DA hubs on it. We got about 8 inches of snow that melted fast and left a bunch of nasty slush mixd with salt. I rode the bike for one day of work. I got home, pulled the wheels and put them aside. I immediately noticed the rear hub had some grittiness that it hadn't had just a week earlier.

That weekend I decided to re-pack the sort of gritty DA hubs and put them away for the winter. Upon disassembling them I noticed the grease had some dirt in it, and the bearings had begun to rust lightly. The cones on my rear hub had pitted slightly and stained. After cleaning and re-packing the pits were noticeable when the axle was spun by hand.

So yeah, DA is not "bombproof". Its about as durable as any other old, poorly sealed, road hub. The won't take abuse like a formula

seau grateau

So you can ride a track bike through a foot of snow, provided that the foot of snow is not on the ground you're riding on. Thanks for clearing that up. Have you been to Philadelphia recently? It snowed two weeks ago and streets in my neighborhood are still dangerous.

ianjk

Hah.

I do all my own sutures with a crochet hook and barbed wire, have drilled out my own cavities with a hand-drill and mirror, set my own broken leg after a crash halfway through a century (still finished under 5 hours running 50x13 with 30,000' of vert. at -30F temps). One time my friend ditched his plow truck in a blizzard, I pulled it out with my track bike while slamming a 40oz. and flicking off the camera. My town doesn't have police or fire department because I take care of it, riding fixed, brakeless of course.

Oh, and the OP's hubs should be fine.

silver_ghost

Chuck Norris?

Das Stig

way too much effort went into this post...