Originally Posted by Pete Hamer
You just trying to confuse the issue with the facts
Touché
A dura ace b.b. cost around $60. An FSA ceramic b.b. can be found on line for $184. If you are already in the market for a b.b. then this is a $124 upgrade. If the more expensive b.b is more durable then it might be as good of a value in the end. Even if it's not more durable but is a little bit more efficient it would be worth it to some people (usually very rich people). That's for each individual to decide.
No one is debating that wind resistance isn't a larger factor than bearing resistance. The first question is; is the more expensive b.b. better? The second question is; is it worth buying? The problem with all your science is that you forgot to use common sense. If a one bearing is better than another and doesn't cost more in the end, buy the better bearing. Whether or not this applies to the FSA ceramic b.b. I can't say for sure because I haven't tried it but I'd definatley give it a shot before I dismiss it.
Sure, if the FSA BB lasts 3X longer than the DA BB, then maybe it's worth it! But I've seen no evidence of that, not even from FSA, who would surely hype that benefit for all it's worth if they thought it existed. Most sealed bearing BBs are supposed to last ~30,000 miles, not sure how different that is for ext bearing BBs.
The issue I was arguing was only whether the BB could possibly deliver 4% improved OVERALL power efficiency. Summary: IT CAN'T! I agree that there might be other issues that would make one BB better or worse, primarily longevity as you suggest, but have seen no evidence one way or the other on that point.
Oh yeah.....I think the red annodized b.b. does look cool.
I think it looks cool too! But how often do you notice a bike's BB. Maybe you occasionally glimpse the left side of it, but not that often. You want flashiness for $200, get a custom pain job
