Bike built from new parts is now 5 months old and have just had to replace headset lower (Cane Creek 40), BB (SRAM GXP Team) and lower pivot bearings (6000 2RS unbranded). For the former two items, I’ve not replaced bearings, instead I’ve bought entire new Hope headset and BB (having lost all faith in Cane Creek/SRAM). Obviously should have paid for Hope in first place (by cheap by twice etc..)

All 3 sets of bearings were way beyond serviceable. I’d already removed bearing seals, cleaned up, inserted new grease etc… but that didn’t last long. Most riding has been dry-ish, and never used anything like a jet-wash and never had issues like this on all the other bikes.

The failed bearings weren’t particularly corroded inside, e.g. no brown rust. The drive-side BB bearing had completely seized up – I couldn’t even turn it using a chisel and hammer (crank axle had been spinning round on plastic top-hat seal all this time !). Same with pivot bearings – feel like they’ve got square ball bearings inside. And headset lower bearing inner race had completely pitted up, despite plenty of grease.

Cane Creek 40 isn’t exactly cheap rubbish…or so I thought.

Lower pivot bearings use a steel 10mm OD thru-axle, and very sturdy, and all other pivot bearings are perfect still. So not exactly something you expect to fail quickly.

SRAM BB….well, I didn’t expect much given the bad reputation, but for the bearing to complete fail just due to load (and not rust) is very poor.

Suppliers of all parts all state that warranty doesn’t cover such items…

Am I just unlucky, or can certain bearings really not last half a year. I’m ‘only’ 73kg btw….

I’m well aware that expensive stuff will last (I’ve got 240s hubs, CK headsets etc.. and they’re like new after many years). But I didn’t realise how crap cheaper stuff could be.

rant over 😉

I’m not sure it’s all bad luck – some of it is in the design.

For the first decade of my riding I changed the bearings in a frame exactly once, 4 years after I bought it and even then it was mostly for something to do.

My Intense on the other hand shits it’s bearings about every 6 months or so – VPP lower linkages don’t seem to lend themselves to British weather – mine used a grease port in the bottom like Santa Cruz use, but again it’s not really up to a wet winter in Wales – under instruction from the guy who sold me it I changed them from open bearings to sealed and they’re much better – but still don’t last forever.

If I had to guess it’s designers and consumers chasing ever more racy bike – lower weights, more room for bigger tyres etc – seem the one place that gives is the bearing sizes – the bearings on my old Cove were massive and lasted forever, the ones of my Intense are pretty small the the ones on the upper linkage are the thinnest I’ve ever seen!

Doesn’t surprise me about the Cane Creek, I’ve had similar experiences when they come with a new bike. Soon as they go, like you I swop for Hope, problem sorted.