KOGEL BEARINGS bottom bracket BSA | CR - Corrosion Resistant | Road Seals | Ceramic | SRAM DUB
In 2013, Ard Kessels founded the Kogel Bearings brand in El Paso, Texas, with the aim of producing high-end bearings that fit a premium bike.
If you want to build the best bearings, there is no way around silicon nitride. This material has a number of material properties that make it almost perfect for bicycle bearings.
The material is extremely hard, wear resistant, can be perfectly molded into balls with minimal tolerances and can be polished smoother than any metal.
Kogel Bearings is aware that ceramic bearings have a poor reputation for durability. This is usually due to sub-optimal bearing quality being sold as high quality.
A bearing must be designed and manufactured in a balanced way: the hardness of the balls must be combined with equally smooth and hard bearing races. The bearing cage, seals and greases must be matched in order to work perfectly.
If one of the components does not fit perfectly, it reduces the performance of the entire bearing. The result is increased resistance, a shortened service life or even total failure of the bearing.
Road vs. cross seal
Kogel Bearings is the only major brand to offer two different seal options. Road Seals, a minimal contact seal designed to run as smoothly as possible.
Cross Seals, on the other hand, are designed for extra protection from the elements: Dust, water and mud. They are ideal for gravel, MTB or road bike use where maximum durability is important.
Kogel CR ceramic bearings - Corrosion Resistant
The special features of Kogel bearings are their high durability and low friction. However, one point bothered the team around Ard Kessels: rust, i.e. corrosion.
Seals not only have a job on the outside, they are also supposed to keep the grease inside the bearing. But with heavy use, especially when wet, a little water can make its way inside. This leads to surface rust on the outside of the bearing. Although this does not affect performance, it does not look good.
Bearing rings are made of either chrome steel (also known as bearing steel) or stainless steel. The former is extremely hard and is perfect for the increased hardness of ceramic balls, but it is not particularly resistant to corrosion. Stainless steel is much better at this, but is around 20% softer than chrome steel, which means that the bearings wear out more quickly.
The solution is therefore to combine the resistance of chrome steel with the rust-proof properties of stainless steel, and this is exactly what Kogel has done. The new Kogel CR bearings are the result of two years of development work that has resulted in a specially treated and hardened stainless steel race that has the same strength and toughness as the original Kogel bearings.
Quality
To prove that Kogel Bearings believes in its products, they guarantee that the bearings will run flawlessly for at least 2 years.
If something breaks in the first year, Kogel will repair or replace the product, no questions asked.
After the first year, a service must be carried out. If the bearing is serviced by a qualified mechanic, i.e. cleaned, relubricated and the seals replaced,
the warranty is extended by a further year. When servicing the bearings, it is important to replace the seals. They are a wearing part, similar to tires and handlebar tape. It is also very convenient that you don't have to worry about damaging the old seals when removing them. Kogel recommends changing the seals to the cross version in the fall for riders who also ride in winter and in adverse conditions.
With this bottom bracket, cranks with a 28.99 mm shaft (SRAM DUB) fit in frames which are designed for BSA bottom brackets.
Technical data:
Sealing: Road Seals
Application: Road, Gravel
Bearing shell material: Stainless steel (specially treated and hardened)
Bearing material: Ceramic hybrid
Bottom bracket type: BSA (threaded)
Bottom bracket shell width: 68 or 73 mm
Crank shaft diameter: 28.99 mm
Bottom bracket shell frame: BSA
Compatibility crank: SRAM DUB
Bearing: Kogel Bearings corrosion resistant
suitable tool: bottom bracket wrench with 12 cams (like this)
Color: black
Weight according to manufacturer: n/a
Weight as weighed: 95g
Scope of delivery: 1x KOGEL BEARINGS bottom bracket BSA | CR - Corrosion Resistant | Road Seals | Ceramic | SRAM DUB
Bottom Bracket OverviewInstall Bottom Brackets Like a Boss
Installation ManualService Manual
KOGEL BEARINGS Grease Low Friction Grease by Morgan Blue | 200 mlavailable from stock
KOGEL BEARINGS Oversized Derailleur Cage System Speed Kolossos | Shimano GRX 2x 11-speed / 12-speed | blackavailable from stock
HOPE Bottom Bracket Conversion Kit #1 BSA 30 | PF30/PF46 to SRAM DUB Spindlein about 3 - 4 weeks
SRAM RED Chain 12- / 13-speed Flattop | HollowPin 126 links | rainbowavailable from stock