bearings, whats easier for maintenance ?rubber or Metal shielded ?
 

has anyone used the rubber shielded bearings?

Are they easier to maintain with regards to removing the sheilds off?

Theres really no point it maintaining your bearings. It is best to just get a bunch of cheap rubber sealed bearings and replace them pretty regularly. If you take the shield off, only to put back on after re-lubing them, you will destroy the tight seal and allow dirt or sand to get into the bearing causing them to fail or break into a million pieces.

Rubber shielded bearings are supposed to have a longer life span than metal shielded ones. In theory by the time the need servicing with cleaning/relube they are near the end of their useful life anyway. I'll still clean-out and relube a gritty rubber shielded bearing. Certainly sometimes this means you'll go to the effort only to find out the bearing is shot, other times the bearing can be re-used. You still want to have fresh spares around in-case it turns out the bearing is done or if you mangle the shield too much trying to get it out! Rubber shielded Bearings can be purchased on-line like from Avid RC so it is definitely worth ordering up a bunch before you actually need one. Bearings from the LHS are usually way overpriced, like a pair for $10! Online youre looking at like $1 each!

Sometimes I can't remove a metal sheild at all. Sometimes I spend a lot of time trying to get under the retaining ring/spring. I think the rubber seals are easier to get out. Of course sometime I mangle a rubber shield.

Oh...and "re-use" is the sincerest for of recycling. Now go hug a tree. Ha ha!

thanks, I'm just the sort of person who is anal about reducing friction and lubing the bearings when I got nothing to do haha.

I'll go and order some rubber shielded bearings from fleebay. They are only about $6 for a whole set.

There are bearings with a metal shield on one side and a rubber one on the other. Allows you to easily relube and also if necessary remove the rubber shield, cleand and relube.