Originally Posted by
guru
You know... I've heard that ceramic BB is a scam... but this is like the third or fourth real person testimonial that swears they are legitimate. I've beginning to believe the hype. Just may pick one up. Thanks!
Believe it. I think the OP probably put too much side-loading on the bearings by over-tightening the cranks.
I have the ABI bearings in my BB and they are simply amazing. The materials engineer at my office drooled over one for a couple of days before slicing it in half (took the reciprocating micro-saw all weekend to cut through the 67+ hardness races) and examining the balls under the electron microscope.
Wow... just wow...
edit: Brian, there is merit to using ceramics. It may not be much, but there is certainly much less friction in a ceramic than in a steel - by a little better than an order of magnitude. I agree that the bearing lifetime argument is more profound, but there is certainly some degree of energy savings in the ceramic application.