Originally Posted by
glassman83
I honestly think they're grade 300 bearings, which Wheels Manufacturing lists as Ultegra quality. We use them as replacements, lube them accordingly, and have few problems. Grade 25, which is Campy Record or Dura Ace rated, are more costly and will work better, but are overkill for most of our repairs.
Decent bearings cost a little bit of money. But grinding serviceable ones don't cost
that much more than pretend ones - it's a quite mature technology.
Most of the
actual cost difference between good and bad is probably in supplier supervision and sample testing production lots to make sure they meet specs, vs. someone passing off garbage that used the wrong steel or heat treat because they know no one is looking - doing it right doesn't cost that much more, what's needed is to prevent cheating.