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Do new hubs usually come adjusted, or one needs to adjust them prior to use. I have a new Shimano Claris hub, and it does not seem to be as smooth rolling as my previous Tiagra hub. Should I try to adjust it, or leave it as is?

Davorin Ruševljan
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    I would expect them to come properly adjusted from the factory, but you never know. (But note that, properly adjusted, new bearings will have a slight "preload", meaning they will feel ever so slightly "grainy" when you twist the axle by hand.) – Daniel R Hicks Apr 27 '15 at 02:07
  • It seems I feel very slight vibration/tremor in handlebars and pedals when pedaling or cruising. Maybe I should just wait until it smooths out. – Davorin Ruševljan Apr 27 '15 at 06:34
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    I can't speak for all brands, but I recently bought a set of wheels and thought the bearings felt tight. I adjusted them and with in 15 miles they felt loose. So I guess a little tight when new is acceptable. – mikes Apr 27 '15 at 10:33
  • What do you mean by "vibration"? Loose or tight? If it's loosen, you must adjust it. If it's a little tight , vibration is from friction between tighten parts like Daniel wrote, it's very good for new hub. Thou as a mechanic, I'm always check new hubs for good adjusting. – Alexander Apr 27 '15 at 18:22
  • tight, bicycle seems harder to pedal than before, and slows down faster when cruising. – Davorin Ruševljan Apr 27 '15 at 21:17

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Most lower end hubs do not come perfectly adjusted from the factory. A quality LBS will have a step in a bike build process that checks and/or adjusts the hubs accordingly. It can be hard to adjust a hub that is unbuilt and between that and machine assembly, they are often close, but not as good as they can be.

If you are feeling vibration, I would guess they are too loose and look into adjusting them as soon as possible to prevent damage.

Deleted User
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