A moment of silence, please, for Phil Wood, inventor of the first sealed bearing bicycle hub, who passed away today on his farm in Baxter, Iowa, at the age of 84.
Phil started his bicycle component manufacturing company in 1971, making primarily hubs but also branching out into components like bottom brackets, cogs, bearings and tools. The company, which was sold in 1991, now makes over 200 different hubs for everything from road to track to mountain biking.
He lived long enough to see the company he founded celebrate its 40th anniversary (check out the special edition bike built by IF to commemorate it).
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