I’ve been doing my best to look after my MTB bike over the last couple of years. Been cleaning and greasing headsets, doing lower leg services,sending the rear shock off for services, staying on top of drivetrain wear(replacing when needed) , bleeding seat post& brakes, etc. But last night I thought I never touch my wheel bearings! they will be two years old at Christmas. What does everyone else do with wheel bearings?

Depends on what hubs you’ve got, share that info and someone will be along to help 🙂

Sram Roam 50.
I did a but of googling earlier and looking at the sram service guide they tell you to get a DT swiss service kit with specific tools. So assuming the sram hubs on the rail and roam – 50 & 60 models use DT swiss internals

Hope here, I leave them alone until they need doing, (4 years and waiting)

I am still on the original bearings for a Hope Pro 2 hub, dating from February 2009. This was on one of my MTBs until 2014 and has since been on my commuter – it’s done at least 10,000 miles with only external cleaning!

I have 4 Hope hubs and 2 XTs in service with some big miles. The XTs are much more “graunchy”.

OK I have ROAM 40s and the bearings felt fine for about 14 months but when they did start to go it was almost instant. I had my LBS swap out the bearings which cost £25 inc bearings for both wheels, the ‘proper’ tools are a bit specific I think.

Hope here too and they get left until they wobble at which time the bearings get replaced. The only thing I’ve heard about Sram wheels is that it’s hard to get parts for them, I’d be having a look to make sure you can get hold of the bearings easily enough before you do need to do something

Hope Pro2’s here – second set of bearings after 8 years of regular use under a fatty…
eldest_oab however is eating a set a bearings every six months in his WTB front hub – compared to a set in Hope Bulb rear yet to be changed in 18 months.
little_oab has Mavic hubs – two freewheels down in 4 years, but only one set of bearings…
Shimano cup n cone for rest of family_oab – cleaned and greased once a year.

2008 pro2s front never changed, rear done maybe 4 times

K thanks for the replies. I’ll just leave till they are spent. And I think I’ll be taking it to the shop, as the DT swiss service kit with the specific tool is near £200 😯

The XTs are much more “graunchy”.

You fitted them and forgot about them?

Only time i find shimano hubs go is if they get left for more than 12 months without a clean, grease and adjust.

With a clean and a grease they’ll go forever. Still got some original 9 speed XTs somewhere (on a bike obviously) still on the original hub bearings. (they have had 3 or 4 freehubs though!)

hope pro 2

front pop the seals off each year and a little grease. 4 years so far.
rear one set of bearings it didnt need. Should have regreased.

Chris Kings here – 11 years, same bearings working perfectly. I clean and re-grease when I change cassettes as it’s only a 15 minute job.

You fitted them and forgot about them?
Only time i find shimano hubs go is if they get left for more than 12 months without a clean, grease and adjust.

Yes! They’re now on my wife’s bike, which only does around 4-500 miles a year. A job that I never quite get around to. 🙂