The hubs of most bicycle wheels revolve around one of two types of bearing system: a disposable cartridge bearing, or a cup-and-cone system, which can be serviced.

We’ll look here at the cup-and-cone system: its pros and cons, and a series of simple steps for maintenance.

We spoke to Jon Hayes, mechanic at independent bike shop, Ride, to get the inside line on servicing technique for a system still favoured by the world’s largest cycle component manufacturer, Shimano, and a host of smaller brands.