First, op, sorry for the bb threadjack.
Originally Posted by
icemilkcoffee
loose bearing BB as found on these old mid-range bikes, would be over 300g. A modern cartridge would be 250g.
I'm down with that ... on a not so special bike. But if this Miyata were an upper-mid-level 912 with an original bb hollow spindle, those 50 grams aren't that big of a deal. I much prefer the unit actually engineered for that particular crankset. I know the spindle is the correct taper standard, perfect length on both sides, I trust it, and I'm usually confident it won't be a problem to overhaul, maybe several times during the bike's life.
... an easy place to save weight without ruining the looks of the bike.
Sometimes, originality is important. When it's a keeper, period correctness is almost always important. I chose a new $35 Taiwanese bb for my Miyata with its first gen Chorus crank. But if I could have easily found a Chorus loose ball bb -- even if it's another 50 more grams -- I would have grabbed it in a heartbeat ... just for the perfectly measured offset spindle. Plus, you can see the cup from the nds, and the original vintage one always looks better.
Same with the steel headsets.
Yeah, if I can have my choice between Super Record and Record, I'll probably take SR every time. I like that the upper race is drilled and the threaded pieces are aluminum. But at the same time, it's not that big of a deal, and steel units tend to keep their appearance longer.