Originally Posted by
southpawboston
Yeah, the UN54 is a really nice example of the "sweet spot" in bicycle parts, dependable and decent quality, for very little money. Too bad they come with the plastic NDS cup. I'd gladly spend $5 more if Shimano supplied them with an aluminum one.
Myself on flips, I usually just use the UN26 BB instead. OK, they are heavier than a UN54, but they cost half as much, and functionally, I consider them equivalent.
On longevity, in my unscientific research, I have found the following:
On neglected bikes with cartridge BB, at least half are toast.
On neglected bikes with spindle/cup/loose ball bearings, less than 5% are toast.
This is with a sample of 200+ neglected bikes.
Does a $10 price difference between a UN26 and a UN54 matter? On one bike, no. On 200 bikes, yes.