CeramicSpeed Ceramic Race Coated Bottom Bracket - EVO386 to 24mm (Shimano)

CeramicSpeed Ceramic Race Coated Bottom Bracket - EVO386 to 24mm (Shimano) Info

When the BB386 EVO standard first came out, users were limited to purpose-built FSA cranks. With this CeramicSpeed Coated Race Ceramic Bottom Bracket you can adapt your BB386 EVO bike to work with 24mm-spindled cranks from Shimano and FSA and Rotor.

BB386 EVO is a newer standard that was devised by FSA and Wilier. FSA has long supplied cranks to manufacturers in whatever size they wanted, but this allowed them to have their own design input. BB386 EVO marries the extra width of BB86 (the 86 in the name) with the greater diameter of BB30 (the 3 of BB30 in the name). This way, you have a wide 86.5mm shell and have the ability to run cranks featuring a 30mm diameter spindle. The inner diameter of the shell is 46mm and the interior of the shell is smooth  The cups are similar to what you’ll find on PF30 bottom brackets. However, with this you’re mating 24mm cranks, so the bearings are larger to leave a 24mm diameter opening in the middle.

CeramicSpeed utilizes Grade 3 Silicon Nitride balls that possess the best possible surface finish and roundness. In testing, the balls are 400% smoother, 128% harder, and 58% lighter than standard steel balls found in most bike components. They’re more than 100% smoother and 15% harder than standard ceramic balls. The balls are installed into hardened steel races in dust-free clean rooms and then checked again before assembly is complete. Not only is low friction the result, but so is increased bearing life. Like three to five times longer than standard bearings.

The CeramicSpeed bearings are pressed into aluminum cups that themselves are on the inside of aluminum sleeves. Rotor of Spain machines the pieces. And the bearings are pressed into place at CeramicSpeed in Denmark.

Tech geeks who are also speed fiends obsess over ceramic bearings because the right design can have dramatically less frictional resistance than standard steel bearings. CeramicSpeed is an innovator in bearing technology. They mastered the use of ceramic ball bearings pressed into hardened steel races for both reduced friction and improved durability. You can go faster with less maintenance. Great things both. These are the reasons why pro teams seek out ceramic bearings. CeramicSpeed has the pro teams coming to them, begging for bearings. Even the ones they don’t sponsor might well be buying them in order not to be left behind.

If you replace all your bike’s bearings with CeramicSpeed, you could be looking at a savings of 25 seconds in 40km if you’re riding at 48kph. The savings goes up to two minutes if you’re riding at 32kph. Extend that to an Ironman-length ride, and the savings could vary from 1:50, if you’re going 48kph to nine minutes if you’re going 32kph.

Another step they take in assuring the lowest-possible frictional drag is using grease they designed as lubricant. It comes in the bearings and a syringe comes with the bearings as well.

Part of CeramicSpeed’s commitment to having the lowest-friction bearings on the market is keeping up their research and development. That led them to a special metallic coating that can be applied three microns thick on the races. It makes the treated surface 80% harder than hardened steel. In terms of friction, the already low-friction CeramicSpeed bearings with the treatment see friction reduced by over 50%. In terms of service life, these coated bearings last even longer, like over 60% longer, than the standard CeramicSpeed bearings. Better yet, the coating means the races better resist contamination from water, dirt, degreaser, etc. Aka, the risk of bearing failure due to corrosion has been reduced to near zero. They can even run without grease or oil, though CeramicSpeed recommends their blue all-around grease for regular use, and their TT grease for achieving the lowest-possible friction.

The kit comes with the bearings, cups, grease, dust cover, spacers, and sticker sheet.

The CeramicSpeed Coated Race Ceramic Bottom Bracket that converts BB386 EVO bottom brackets to work with 24mm spindled cranks gives you more choices (Shimano and FSA and Rotor) for your BB386 EVO frame.