Thread: Uncaged bottom bracket bearings?
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Old 06-13-19, 12:47 PM
  #40  
d_dutchison
Classic, Vintage Mechanic
 
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Bikes: '65 Legnano Gran Primeo || '76 Holdsworth Mistral || '82 Specialized Stumpjumper

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@SamSpade1941, Thanks for the interesting reply, and ensuing lively discussion.

Originally Posted by SamSpade1941

all cages provide a number of benefits, including:
  • Minimizing metal-to-metal contact
  • Ensuring orderly ball movement
  • Improving high-speed performance
  • Retaining grease for longer lifetime

While I believe the first 3 points that your authority lists are not a factor in a very low speed application like a bottom bracket, their last point about retaining grease certainly is, and one I hadn't considered. I've opened hundreds of BB's and finding a row of completely dry ball bearings running between two walls of grease is pretty common.

Add to this a point made later...

Originally Posted by 63rickert
Bicycles are not light load applications. Stand a 200# rider on a 6-3/4" crank arm and that is a lot of torque. At super low rpm, which is worst case for maintaining lubrication...
...and yes, I will concede that there is an advantage to using a precisely made set of full-count caged bearings in a bottom bracket.
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