Terrabit
Key Veteran
Location: Seattle, WA - USA
My Posts This: Topic Forum | Relatively speaking, ball bearing retainer rings are new. I think it was 30 years ago or so that they appeared in automobiles. Before that, all bearings were packed free. I was a bicycle mechanic for a Seattle messenger service in another life. In my relentless persuit of perfection (cough cough, uh OCD) I removed the rings and added bearings. It does make a difference - especially in the old-school bottom brackets, headsets, and hubs of messenger bikes who see an average of 30 to 50 miles and more each day in every kind of weather (mostly rain).
I routinely performed minor miracles on a fleet of over thirty bikes in some unconventional ways. Even so, my little shop still moved more parts annually than any other bicycle shop in the city.
Good times!
To answer your question, yes. It does increase performance - provided you do it correctly. Conversely, it increases the margin for error. The retainer ring is idiot proof. If you free pack you bearings you just have to make sure they're properly seated. Once they are in there they can't come out on their own.
Esprit Model Flight Team |
