Some bikes are easier than others, but more importantly, some bikes protect their bearings better than others.
Santa Cruz uses dust covers that prevent debris from getting into the bearing. A layer of grease protects from water intrusion. The lower link, you can attach a grease gun and shoot grease around the bearing to protect it. Their bearings have consistently lasted the longest for me and required the least maintenance, outside of one demo bike I owned that had been pressure washed many times by the shop.
Transition (SBG) has a metal ring on their bearings that provides a minor amount of protection from grit buildup, aside from the lower main, which has nothing and exposes the face of the bearing to a 2mm or so gap. Post SBG models (e.g. new Scout) has the bearings recessed better into the frame and covered with a small seal.
Specialized uses a rubber seal that presses around the outside of the bearing, along with greasing the face of the bearing. It's more minimalist and less protection than what you get with Santa Cruz, but so far has worked for me.
I don't know what Giant does, I've taken some of my wife's link apart, but not the entire linkage. Every time I do, the bearings are perfect. I could be mistaken, but I think they use wheel bearings, which are better sealed, for their pivots. I'll check next time I disassemble her bike to be sure.
The point being, ease of maintenance is nice, but some brands do an absolute pisspoor job of protecting their bearings, which requires more tedious maintenance. I've had brands that I went years of riding in nasty wet muddy conditions and never required maintenance outside of greasing axles, while others required maintenance or work every few months. IMO there is no reason these bearings shouldn't be protected and require more maintenance than once a year.
How brands set up their bearings in the pivot has become a purchasing decision for me. If they are exposed and poorly sealed, then it's a no go for me. The next question for me is how easy it is to do (e.g. are the bearings in a link or frame? how many? are they blind?), but it's less important to me as avoiding having to do it at all.
March 10, 2020, 7:44 a.m. - Shinook
Some bikes are easier than others, but more importantly, some bikes protect their bearings better than others. Santa Cruz uses dust covers that prevent debris from getting into the bearing. A layer of grease protects from water intrusion. The lower link, you can attach a grease gun and shoot grease around the bearing to protect it. Their bearings have consistently lasted the longest for me and required the least maintenance, outside of one demo bike I owned that had been pressure washed many times by the shop. Transition (SBG) has a metal ring on their bearings that provides a minor amount of protection from grit buildup, aside from the lower main, which has nothing and exposes the face of the bearing to a 2mm or so gap. Post SBG models (e.g. new Scout) has the bearings recessed better into the frame and covered with a small seal. Specialized uses a rubber seal that presses around the outside of the bearing, along with greasing the face of the bearing. It's more minimalist and less protection than what you get with Santa Cruz, but so far has worked for me. I don't know what Giant does, I've taken some of my wife's link apart, but not the entire linkage. Every time I do, the bearings are perfect. I could be mistaken, but I think they use wheel bearings, which are better sealed, for their pivots. I'll check next time I disassemble her bike to be sure. The point being, ease of maintenance is nice, but some brands do an absolute pisspoor job of protecting their bearings, which requires more tedious maintenance. I've had brands that I went years of riding in nasty wet muddy conditions and never required maintenance outside of greasing axles, while others required maintenance or work every few months. IMO there is no reason these bearings shouldn't be protected and require more maintenance than once a year. How brands set up their bearings in the pivot has become a purchasing decision for me. If they are exposed and poorly sealed, then it's a no go for me. The next question for me is how easy it is to do (e.g. are the bearings in a link or frame? how many? are they blind?), but it's less important to me as avoiding having to do it at all.