Sealed Cartridge Bearings and Why Pawl Count Matters

Bearing counts appear on every hub and headset specification and almost nobody explains them. They are not marketing numbers - each one corresponds to a decision about where load is carried and how often the part needs servicing.

Cartridge against loose ball

A loose ball bearing runs steel balls directly against races cut into the part. It works, it is cheap, and it needs stripping and regreasing regularly because the races are open to water. A sealed cartridge bearing is a self-contained unit with its own races and seals that presses into the part. When it wears, you press it out and fit a new one instead of replacing the whole component.

Why our headsets specify two

Both the external VH-01 headset and the semi-internal headset run two sealed cartridge bearings, one at the top of the head tube and one at the bottom. That is the minimum for a headset and also the correct number: the steering load is carried at two points and adding more would do nothing.

Why our hubs specify two and four

The mountain bike hub set runs two sealed bearings in the front hub and four in the rear. The front hub only has to support the wheel. The rear hub has to support the wheel and carry the drive load through the freehub body, which is a separate rotating assembly with its own bearings. Four is not generosity, it is what a driven hub needs.

Pawls and engagement

Our hubs specify six pawls. A pawl is the spring-loaded tooth that catches the ratchet ring when you pedal. With three pawls there are fewer catch points per rotation, so there is more dead movement before the drive engages. Riders feel this most on a technical climb, where you need the pedal stroke to count the moment you push. Six pawls halves that gap.

Freehub noise is a side effect

The clicking of a freewheeling hub is the pawls dragging over the ratchet. More pawls means a busier sound. Some riders like it and some do not, but it is not an indicator of quality in either direction.

Servicing

Sealed cartridges eventually fail, usually by feeling gritty when you spin them by hand with the wheel out. Replace rather than regrease: the seals are not designed to be opened repeatedly. Pawl springs are a separate service item and are the part that usually fails first on a rear hub.