I love it. We will blast folks who train on race wheels…what about training on ceramic bearings? Every manual I have found calls for a cleaning/lube/overhaul if the bearings get into wet weather. So, are you really going to do this every time you ride your bike in the rain? Best I can tell is that caramic BB’s are race day toys only, unless that is you are willing to maintain ghem to the level that they are supposed to be taken care of. These systems dont have the double seals that many other BB’s out there have (DA ST Cart an exception).
So, you going to pay all that money to save .11111 watts until the first time you ride it in the rain, or you going to make it a weekly thing to over haul your bearings?
I love it. We will blast folks who train on race wheels…what about training on ceramic bearings? Every manual I have found calls for a cleaning/lube/overhaul if the bearings get into wet weather. So, are you really going to do this every time you ride your bike in the rain? Best I can tell is that caramic BB’s are race day toys only, unless that is you are willing to maintain ghem to the level that they are supposed to be taken care of. These systems dont have the double seals that many other BB’s out there have (DA ST Cart an exception).
So, you going to pay all that money to save .11111 watts until the first time you ride it in the rain, or you going to make it a weekly thing to over haul your bearings?
I have been riding the same Ceramic Hybrid bottom bracket on my daily use time trial bike without any difficulties whatsoever (I ride 12,000+ miles per year) for over a year now. While they may make close to no difference with regards to wattage, the very idea that modern cranks / bottom brackets spin so poorly when compared to Campy bottom brackets of 20 to 30 years ago irks me.
I only have a ceramic BB on one of my bikes, which I’ve thus far successfully avoided riding in the rain. (knock wood) It does rain a lot around here, so I have different set-ups more appropriately equipped for just that.
Maybe if swapping out or overhauling a BB was anywhere near as quick and painless as swapping out wheels, that idea might gain some traction. I have both the tools and know-how to do it all myself, but time & effort-wise it’d probably be more worth it for me to just buy a new replacement BB once every few years if/when the need arises (which is exactly what I’ve done with several BBs on my rain & mtn bikes).
I installed a ceramic Velocarbon bottom bracket last year in June. I did this because 1) my Enduro BB wouldn’t fit my SRM, and 2) my Dura Ace bottom bracket sounded like a kettle of boiling squirrels after exactly 4 days in the rain. After 2 weeks with the D/A BB, the crank was noticeably clunky while pedaling.
Normally, I wouldn’t care. Historically I was riding free plastic bikes that made noises from everywhere anyway–so what’s the big deal with a noisy BB? Last year I was on a steel bike and it was strangely quiet; no aluminum inserts in the BB or headset making noise, no ticking from the cable ends/cable stops–nothing–except the damn bottom bracket.
On a lark, I tried the expensive BB. I paid retail for it and I have no affiation with the company. I used it through a Seattle winter, thinking ‘I’ll buy the Chris King when this thing craps out’. I’ve done zero maintenance (if it came with instructions, I did what I normally do with them…). It spins perfectly, with zero friction (unloaded and yes, under load), and more importantly, zero noise.
I’m back on a free plastic bike, so now I have squeaks from everywhere again–but the bottom bracket is whisper quiet. It seems that almost all of my riding is in the rain (except for a wheek of snow riding), and I would have destroyed 3 or 4 DA BB’s over the last year (at least), so if it breaks in half tomorrow, it’ll have been worth the $$.
I have been riding the same Ceramic Hybrid bottom bracket on my daily use time trial bike without any difficulties whatsoever (I ride 12,000+ miles per year) for over a year now. While they may make close to no difference with regards to wattage, the very idea that modern cranks / bottom brackets spin so poorly when compared to Campy bottom brackets of 20 to 30 years ago irks me.
I also miss adjustable BBs. Years ago, when I installed the brand new cranks on my track bike (Record) I adjusted them and spun the crank and walked over to the water fountain at the shop and took a drink. Walked back and all the other mechanics were laughing as I got back to the workstand because the cranks were still spinning.
As for maintenance, nearly every Tri bike that passes my old butt when I am out riding (and I assure you they ALL pass me) is creaking, squeaking and sounds like it’s about to die. What maintenance?
I love it. We will blast folks who train on race wheels…what about training on ceramic bearings? Every manual I have found calls for a cleaning/lube/overhaul if the bearings get into wet weather. So, are you really going to do this every time you ride your bike in the rain? Best I can tell is that caramic BB’s are race day toys only, unless that is you are willing to maintain ghem to the level that they are supposed to be taken care of. These systems dont have the double seals that many other BB’s out there have (DA ST Cart an exception).
So, you going to pay all that money to save .11111 watts until the first time you ride it in the rain, or you going to make it a weekly thing to over haul your bearings?
That is true, I have the sram red BB on my race TT bike, it is only for racing. I used a SRAM red BB on my road bike for a race of about 90 miles, ended up getting rained on, they werent working as well so I had to pop the seals off and grease em up. Now I just use them for racing.
And I thought I was crazy. Had not seen anyone else make this statement before. So that’s two of us. Have you heard of anyone else that had similar issues?
And I thought I was crazy. Had not seen anyone else make this statement before. So that’s two of us. Have you heard of anyone else that had similar issues?
yeah–I’ve heard it from one other guy as well. I thought it was the tolerance of my SRM–but at this point, I’m inclined to say ‘it doesn’t fit’.
As I’ve said, my Velocarbon cheapo ceramic has been great, but I’d like the give the Chris King a try (last bottom bracket you’ll ever buy and all that) when it does eventually crap out, but I’ve yet to hear from anyone who’s used it with an SRM?
I just moved the 7800 wireless over to a 7900BB… it’s not quite as smooth as my 7800 BB but still heaps bettah then the enduro. I do love the bearings on the enduro tho.
Is this an issue with 7800 SRMs or with 7800 cranks in general?
no, it’s just the SRM’s–the plastic disc on the SRM rubs the BB cup. Even on the ones that ‘fit’, the tolerance is damn close with the plastic disc and the BB.
I’d like the give the Chris King a try (last bottom bracket you’ll ever buy and all that) when it does eventually crap out, but I’ve yet to hear from anyone who’s used it with an SRM?
Anyone???
No idea but it’s supposedly compatible with the new Shimano standard, so I imagine that it would work just fine.
I’d love to see a shootout between the new Chris King and the old Phil Wood - an old skool vs new school deathmatch!