mtb_addict

Hi,

This cheap wheel is less than a year old. Proby a few hundred miles on it. The hub is steel I think.

i rotate the axle with my fingers. it feels like there is a rough spot. So i now servicing the bearings. on one side of hub, the grease had failed (dried and black). The other side ok.
i noticed two or three small dimples on the cup of the dry side.

so, what happens if i keep riding this dimpled cup?

the issue is (not money) i just hate to throw away stuff if it is minor blemish.

but if it will get worse in the next few months, then i might as well give up on this wheel right now.

Amt0571

Keep riding it. The bike I use for getting around town has been like this for years and no issues so far. It feels rough if I spin the wheel with my hand, but it's unnoticeable when riding at any speed.

I just pack the hubs once a year with fresh grease and call it a day.

andrewclaus

I agree, keep riding it, certainly okay for casual use. It will get worse, but how much more life is in it depends on how much you ride it, future maintenance, and what the bike is used for. Keep eyes open for a new or better salvaged wheel.

Andrew R Stewart 

"Dimples", as in indentations or growths? I suspect indents. That's a common wear issue. The bearing will no longer roll smoothly and likely need a slightly loose adjustment for the axle to spin w/o binding. This is not a safety issue but some will be bothered by the feel. That's for the rider to find out. Do know that many bikes are in use in the same condition, just that most riders don't yet know as they haven't done the work to find out yet.

BTW as we age and get weaker, bent over and eventually die most won't describe it as "failing", maybe "aging out" but we don't fail when we get old. That's what happened to the grease. The only failure is that of who owns the bike in not doing the maintenance to replenish the grease as it ages out. Andy

Sy Reene

Some makers charge a premium for dimples on their wheels. If you add a lot of them, you might have something valuable

Koyote

Clean it out, pack it with fresh grade 25 bearings and a lot of good grease, and put it back together. If my cheapie commuter bike's wheels are any indication, they'll feel silky smooth.

Amt0571

The bike I have with hubs in this state has been like this since I bought the wheels second hand a couple of years ago (I needed a pair of 26" wheels and these were cheap). When I bought them I thoroughly cleaned them (they had mud and water inside) and applied grease.

I mainly use it to move around town, go shopping, or carry my son on a kid's seat on easy unpaved roads. It's not hard usage, but the rear wheel definitely carries significant weight when I carry my son.

I keep it decently greased and, so far, it has not worsened.

hokiefyd 

I've never owned an expensive hub, and most of my hubs would feel like described here -- with a moderately "tight" bearing adjustment, you'll feel all the little (even microscopic) variances in the bearing cups or cones. As suggested earlier, keep the bearings adjusted on the "loose" side. Not enough for it to wobble, but just BARELY enough to keep it from wobbling. I find this is enough for the axle to spin relatively smoothly, and for there to be no noticeable "index" points if the wheel is spun in the bike on a stand and let to come to a stop on its own. I adjust mine so I can feel just the faintest bit of axle play with the wheel off the bike. Cinched in a quick release, that seems to get be dead-on.