The Hub of my grief...

Late last summer I did the 24 Hours of Great Glen mountain bike race with some of the good folks at MRC. It was a great time, if not wet. It's been great to get back on the trails more the last two years because that's where my passion for bikes began. Amethyst Brook in Amherst, MA, senior year in college on a borrowed rigid hardtail is how this affair all started...



In any event, once upon a time I was an absolute bear about maintaining my mountain bike...these days, not so much. It probably doesn't help that my bike is older than my marriage, and parts are tough to come by. But being the rather frugal yankee I'm trying like hell to keep this limping along. A fancy 29er or full suspension rig just ain't in the budget this year.



As it turns out, I really should have done a better job of cleaning my bike after Great Glen last year....I didn't and one of the cartridge bearings in my circa 1996 Hugi/Coda rear hub has completely seized....

That's about 14 years of trail grime built in there....the seal really wasn't sealing anything at all! I really can't remember if I've seen a sealed bearing actually seize. I mean that inner race has ZERO movement in it! While the other bearing seems to be in terrific shape, it looks like I can get both of them for about 40 bucks shipped. Considering what they are that seems expensive, but assuming I can figure out to press these back into the hub body, it's cheaper than a whole new rear hub. Plus I have been taking a certain amount of pride in keeping this old steed still bouncing off the rocks and roots...

Now if I can just get that god-damned creaking sound out of the bottom bracket (yep, an old White Industries Ti square-taper beauty, same vintage...), all will be well!