Francis- I don't doubt the goals in perfect worlds but we both know that bike manufacturing has been less then perfect since it's beginnings. This too, is why i like angular contact bearings. However when i feel a radial contact cartridge in the shell after I've removed the axle, rotating the inner race with my finger and feel roughness. Then remove the bearing and feel no roughness what am i to deduce? With the axle removed I often can feel the slight end play between the outer and inner races yet still feel grittiness. In my understanding this is a roughened bearing surface. When, as I say, the installation preload is gone (the bearing is out of the shell) this roughness reduces or is gone. Am I missing something? Andy.