Originally Posted by
ZeCanon
The RF cranks are nice, but their BB's are crap. I went through 3 last season, on a bike I race and train on maybe 2 or 3 times a week. My brother went through 2 in less time. If you get those cranks, sell the BB and pick up an XT BB, you'll be glad you did.
Mo bettah option:
http://www.enduroforkseals.com/id180.html
I've got two RF crank/bb setups: one with the bearings swapped to the plain steel bearings, one to the ceramics. Problems solved. I'll not buy the ceramics again; maybe a measurable difference in the lab, or if I raced, but for my trail riding I can't tell a damn bit of difference between the two when pedaling.
Anyhow, most of the problems I've seen with RF outboard bearings have been from overdoing things with the spacers and putting too much preload on the bearings. The only thing wrong with their system otherwise as I see it is the stupid little plastic sleeve bits. The enduros use a smaller I.D. on the bearings, meaning you no longer need that part.