Sealed hubs vs non sealed? (Giant)

[scubes]

So I bought a new bike and the specs of the bike online said the front hub is a sealed Giant unit. In the bike shop I checked all specs except the hubs for some reason (trusted the web specs). Then I see the front hub is not a sealed unit and not a Giant hub either. (The rear hub is also not a Giant hub, different to the web specs)  Dragons sports are the guys to contact and Gavin Salt tells me they made a running change and on dragon's website it is stated that the front hub is a non sealed unit and not a Giant hub. I didn't even think to check dragon's site beforehand to check for specs. Kinda disappointing. 

Gavin basically said it makes no difference and if I want a sealed hub I must wait until next year and then there may be rotor compatibility issues. 

Any thoughts on this from anyone who knows more than I do?

And how much better is a sealed hub? 

 

[DieselnDust]

very hard to comment without specifics like brand and models of hubs under discussion

[dasilvarsa]

Shimano Cup and Cone Bearing Hubs are Easy and Cheap to Service but Offer Less Protection for Wet Riding and Bike Washing and Need to be Serviced more Often.

Sealed Bearing Hubs are Better for Wet Riding and Bike Washing but are more Difficult to Service but Last much Longer Between Services.

With Sealed Bearing Hubs, Sometimes the Whole Hub has to be Replaced if parts such as the Shaft Cannot be Sourced.

[scubes]

1 hour ago, DieselnDust said:

very hard to comment without specifics like brand and models of hubs under discussions

So specs should be- 

F- Giant Tracker Performance Boost 15x110, sealed bearing

 [R] - Giant Tracker Giant Sport QR141, loose ball 

What I got instead is:

F- shimano FH-MT410 

R- Shimano FH-MT401 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Alouette3]

Shimano's spec sheets shows those hubs to be fitted with sealed cartridge bearings? Where is your info from indicating "non-sealed" cup and cone?

Also the Giant rear you mentioned it's supposed to come with say "loose ball" which is cup and cone.

Personally I'd prefer the Shimano over Giant unit, as spares will be much easier to find, freewheel units etc. as you won't have to rely on the Giant supply and support chain but rather get the universal coverage of Shimano.

Edited July 18, 2021 by Alouette3

[Alouette3]

[BenReaper]

As mentioned above sealed bearing hubs tend to outlast and outperform cup-and-cone, but the cost more to maintain. 

Also with OEM branded parts such as hubs there are many instances where parts become unavailable after a period of time. For instance with the first 29er Giants you had OEM sealed bearing hubs in the higher spec models. Every so often you would have a freebody fail and there were no replacement parts available. You would then have to replace the entire hub. 

With Shimano cup-and-cone hubs you will rarely struggle to find parts and they tend yo last forever when maintained properly. 

If you do want to upgrade to sealed bearing hubs I'd recommend something aftermarket rather than OEM, and do enough research on parts availability for whatever brand you decide on.

[BenReaper]

Just now, BenReaper said:

As mentioned above sealed bearing hubs tend to outlast and outperform cup-and-cone, but the cost more to maintain. (Between service intervals I must ad)

Also with OEM branded parts such as hubs there are many instances where parts become unavailable after a period of time. For instance with the first 29er Giants you had OEM sealed bearing hubs in the higher spec models. Every so often you would have a freebody fail and there were no replacement parts available. You would then have to replace the entire hub. 

With Shimano cup-and-cone hubs you will rarely struggle to find parts and they tend yo last forever when maintained properly. 

If you do want to upgrade to sealed bearing hubs I'd recommend something aftermarket rather than OEM, and do enough research on parts availability for whatever brand you decide on.

 

[scubes]

35 minutes ago, Alouette3 said:

Shimano's spec sheets shows those hubs to be fitted with sealed cartridge bearings? Where is your info from indicating "non-sealed" cup and cone?

Also the Giant rear you mentioned it's supposed to come with say "loose ball" which is cup and cone.

Personally I'd prefer the Shimano over Giant unit, as spares will be much easier to find, freewheel units etc. as you won't have to rely on the Giant supply and support chain but rather get the universal coverage of Shimano.

Okay thanks that is helpful- I wasn't able to find that information

So it seems I'll be okay sticking with these hubs, thanks guys for the comprehensive info!

[Alouette3]

Think they have actually done you a favour ????