Bearing smoothness

Hi guys,

Bought some new road wheels off eBay - Bontrager Race X Lite. Tested the hub by spinning the hub spindle by hand, and compared the pair I have currently - The Bontrager Race Lite from two years ago - which is a model down. I noticed that while the RXLs were smooth, but noticeably not as smooth as the RLs.. especially the front. Surely it should be the other way round, seeing as they are brand new and slightly more 'high-end'..?

Is it because of the new grease, which needs to be 'broken in'? What are your experiences of purchasing brand new factory wheelsets, have you noticed this too?

Also, how could I make it more smooth - change of bearings/ grease.. which ones would you recommend for low friction?

Thanksies!

I don't have bearings in my wheels, bearings are for nonces.

bearing can feel rough when spinning in your hand but you won't notice it when on the bike. Unless they feel horribly grindy and hardly spin that is. It's movement in them you want to be wary of, if the axle wobbles, they're fucked.

nonce sense really

Test them again in a week or so.

ride em for a week.

then recheck. Could be the bearings are slightly over tightened hence the notchy'ness.

I see... thanks for all advice so far. I shall see what they're like after a week, and report back.
Merci.

bearings behave differently under load....spinning them unloaded means nothing.

bearings behave differently under load....spinning them unloaded means nothing.

This. All it means is the machining tolerances in the bearing seat are a little tighter in the newer hubs.

May just need running in, may have been assembled too tight.