What else can cause a rear (road) wheel to have play whilst in the frame? It’s just had new bearings, I’ve put it in, all is tight and I still have 2-3mm of play.

?

Are you sure your cones are not loose?

Ok, I know nothing about wheels, they have cartridge bearings, so that means no cones?

What wheels are they? Some Mavic wheels, for example, incorporate an adjustable bearing preload even with cartridge bearings.

4ZA (Ridley) Cirrus.

Could this be the hub not adjusted properly – and if so, why would the LBS have had had to do that after they changed the bearings? Surely, they would have had the whole thing apart?

Edit: hold on though, if they are cartridge hubs with new bearings is non adjustable right? So hubs knackered….?

Bump…?

Ride it to your LBS and show them.

If its worn bearings thats easy and cheap – personally Id do that myself. Bearings can cost as little as £13 each.

Adjustable preload – again, simple. Its a hub, not a rocket engine. Google for a diagram, and fix it yourself.

The Fulcrum 3’s on my road bike developed a bit of play after the first couple of hundred miles they’re supposed to be cartridge bearings AFAIK but they have a preload adjustment, I nipped them up and they’ve not needed touching since.
I used to find the same with XTR hubs, nip them up after the first hundred mile settling in period and they’d go for thousands of miles without attention.

Check the axle is not snapped, had that a few times.

Take wheel out of frame, and see if axle moves, also try turning each end of axle different direction while holding the other end, it shouldnt move.