I was checking a wheel in the truing stand last night and as I spun the wheel, I felt something strange, like a slight grinding. Could only be the hub bearings, but the hub has much less than 1000km worth of riding, and comes from a fairly high-end bike. Oh well, let’s take a look.
Both bearing cones were pitted like you see in the pic and there very little grease in the races. The effects of cost-cutting by bike manufacturers.
The lesson here is early investigation and diligent maintenance, especially if you buy a bike off the shelf.
I installed a new axle assembly and bearings and the hub is all buttery-smooth. Better than new.
