GXP vs UT cups - random thoughts

[AngryScientist]

i recently installed my first GXP bottom bracket on for a Force crank on the cross bike. my other bikes run campy UT cranksets.

it's interesting to me that the GXP cups utilize the "tube" in between the cups, is this to keep water that gets into the frame and BB shell out of the bearings? if so, it seems like a great idea.

i love campy, but having the bearings pressed into the cups, making them much more easily replaceable without the need to use a bearing puller and press, just seems like the right idea. kill bottom bracket bearings, simply toss the $35 BB cups, install new ones and be on your merry way.

it just seems like a better system. how do the new powertorque cranksets work, is the bearing pressed into the cups or the crank spindle?

also, how have outboard bearing bottom brackets been holding up in adverse conditions, like cyclocross. ? better or worse than cartridge bb's??

[oldpotatoe]

i recently installed my first GXP bottom bracket on for a Force crank on the cross bike. my other bikes run campy UT cranksets.

it's interesting to me that the GXP cups utilize the "tube" in between the cups, is this to keep water that gets into the frame and BB shell out of the bearings? if so, it seems like a great idea.

i love campy, but having the bearings pressed into the cups, making them much more easily replaceable without the need to use a bearing puller and press, just seems like the right idea. kill bottom bracket bearings, simply toss the $35 BB cups, install new ones and be on your merry way.

it just seems like a better system. how do the new powertorque cranksets work, is the bearing pressed into the cups or the crank spindle?

also, how have outboard bearing bottom brackets been holding up in adverse conditions, like cyclocross. ? better or worse than cartridge bb's??

PT has the bearing onto the spindle on the RH side like UT. Then the left cup has the bearing in it, like the other external bearing systems.

Some of the most unreliable bearings I've seen are the sram ceramics. I'm guessing they don't use hardened steel in the cups/races so the very hard ceramic plus some gunk and they go south really quickly. At least they're expensive.

Of the ones out there, FSA, Truvative/sram and shimano, shimano seems the most long lasting.

For Campagnolo, yep, the interior sealing isn't great but ya gotta install with lots of grasso inside the cups, around the bearings, even on ceramics, to help seal them. As for getting the bearings off/on, really no big deal, much easier than getting the bearings out of the shimano/FSA cups with the Phil toolkit. sram are just throwaway like too much of their stuff.

[FixedNotBroken]

PT has the bearing onto the spindle on the RH side like UT. Then the left cup has the bearing in it, like the other external bearing systems.

Some of the most unreliable bearings I've seen are the sram ceramics. I'm guessing they don't use hardened steel in the cups/races so the very hard ceramic plus some gunk and they go south really quickly. At least they're expensive.

Of the ones out there, FSA, Truvative/sram and shimano, shimano seems the most long lasting.

For Campagnolo, yep, the interior sealing isn't great but ya gotta install with lots of grasso inside the cups, around the bearings, even on ceramics, to help seal them. As for getting the bearings off/on, really no big deal, much easier than getting the bearings out of the shimano/FSA cups with the Phil toolkit. sram are just throwaway like too much of their stuff.


The SRAM ceramics do not last very long at all..especially for the price you put out there.

Do you know if the 2010 11 speed Record cranks are ceramic bearings?

[fatallightning]

The SRAM ceramics do not last very long at all..especially for the price you put out there.

Do you know if the 2010 11 speed Record cranks are ceramic bearings?
records are ceramic, super record is nicer ceramic. i like the UT design because it doesn't preload the bearings and cause drag as much as the GXP design. i've put a lot of tough miles on a number of UT cranks from mirage to carbon athena, and they've held up better then the gxp crank on my track bike.

[oldpotatoe]

The SRAM ceramics do not last very long at all..especially for the price you put out there.

Do you know if the 2010 11 speed Record cranks are ceramic bearings?

No, called ESB..Extra Smooth Bearings but not ceramic ala SR but ceramic-esque.

I replace with Wheels double sealed bearings..no longer made, I got their last batch, local sale. When gone, gotta get Campagnolo. Using ceramic here or anywhere is dumm, IMHO.

[toaster]

I've been thinking of this for quite a while and it's led me to try a possible solution.

What about putting a small bag of silica gel inside seat tube or inside of seat post to deal with moisture? It could be suspended by string or line from seatpost so as to be above BB.