Rear wheel vs. Front wheel spin

jsull14 said:

When I flip my bike over and spin the wheels, I notice that the front wheel will spin forever (it seems), but the rear wheel will come to a stop much quicker. Is this normal? The wheels are brand new. Could I have damaged a hub putting on the cassette? Is it possible to screw something on too tight in the rear wheel area?

Thanks for any info.

Normal. Ratchet and pawl system that provides drive has significantly more drag than bearings alone in front wheel.
When you install the cassette you don't vary the bearing preload. When you put the chain on the cassette you engage the ratchet and pawl system. Usually the rear wheel has more bearing drag because there are more bearings (one pair per axle + one pair per freehub).

yeah, what he said^ 🙂...there's friction in the cassette.

For a more even comparison, take the chain off the cassette so the wheel spins freely.

Plus, you have to remember that spinning unloaded bearings doesn't mean squat. So spinning a wheel, in your hand, means absolutely nothing and gives you zero insight into the quality of the hub/bearings. But, as the others have said, the rear hub will have greater friction than the front hub, if both are optimally designed.