Offering a more wallet-friendly entry into ceramic bearings, C-Bear’s BSA/ITA SRAM DUB bottom bracket brings smooth and efficient pedalling at a fraction of the cost of its key competitors. Thanks to its G2 design, it’s ingeniously simple to fit and, after a short break-in period, it spins with little friction. However, even with the increased sealing of its AC bearings, grit has ingressed during the test period.
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C-Bear BSA/ITA SRAM DUB bottom bracket - Technical details
Coming with two options to cover the needs of road, cyclo-cross, gravel and mountain bike riding, C-Bear offers its ceramic ball bearings to fit Shimano, Race Face, Rotor 3D, SRAM GXP, Campagnolo, Easton and Cane Creek bottom bracket standards. Additionally, the brand offers both press-fit and threaded options.
Those two options, dubbed R, for road and race applications and AC (all conditions) for everything else, feature differing levels of sealing, with the latter benefiting from more protection to keep grit and moisture from ingressing. Although directed more to the off-road market, C-Bear recommends the AC bottom bracket for particularly wet conditions.
With its ceramic bearings positioned within CNC-machined aluminum cups, the BSA/ITA size is designed to work with 68-, 73-, and 70mm and DUB Wide BB shells. Those aluminium cups are where the bottom bracket begins to stand out from the market as on the SRAM DUB model (pictured here) they’re shaped to take the place of spacers, so when it comes to installation, all you’ll need is to wind the cups in, bolt on your crank and you’re good to go. There’s no need to head towards a spacer guide, no trial and error, thus, no frustration when fitting.
That said, picking up C-Bear’s 2in1 tool is a wise choice as this BB uses a relatively rare 10-notch interface. C-Bear uses ceramic ball bearings in stainless steel races.
The unit weighs 111g which is understandably weightier than options from CeramicSpeed owing to its pre-spaced design.
C-Bear BSA/ITA SRAM DUB bottom bracket - Performance
Fitted to my 2021 Canyon Spectral with a SRAM GX T-Type crankset, the C-Bear bottom bracket saw a proper test through the entirety of the autumn and winter, where it was ridden through only the worst conditions.
Upon fitting, the bottom bracket was noticeably stiff, but any friction was freed up after a ride – a common occurrence on fresh bottom brackets. Once broken in, pedalling remained smooth with only some friction apparent due to the extra sealing provided. And there is extra sealing – underneath the external seals, there is a healthy dose of grease between the external seal and the bearing itself. During the test period, the grease stayed in place, though nearer the end of the period, it needed a clean and a top-up. C-Bear recommends a periodic clean after every three months or 1,000 to 2,000km, so I’ve exceeded that space of time.
Under pedalling, the BB remained smooth and displayed an increase in efficiency, which is what ceramic bearings are all about. It’s not quite as friction-free as alternatives from CeramicSpeed, for example, but C-Bear’s offering is less than half the price.
However, after a rigorous run through the UK’s nastiest conditions, dirt has ingressed into the bearings with only a small sign of increased friction – that's after four months of weekly riding. I would expect it to last a little longer before grit found its way in.
I am a big fan of the quality of the CNC-machined cups and the pre-spaced design. It makes installation simple and removes all the guesswork. It does mean that you’re committed to that particular BB spacing, though, but the chances of moving the bottom bracket from bike to bike and shifting crank standards are incredibly low.
C-Bear says that this design also boosts stiffness around the bottom bracket and, in turn, improves power transfer, although in practice any clear advantages are certainly marginal.
C-Bear BSA/ITA SRAM DUB bottom bracket - Verdict
A ceramic bearing-equipped bottom bracket at £150 is pretty hard to come by, and while performance is mildly watered down compared to much pricier options, the benefits the bottom bracket provides are well worth the price, if you’re looking for the enhanced smoothness of ceramic bearings.
CeramicSpeed will be most people’s go-to option when it comes to ceramic cycling products and, while its BSA bottom bracket for SRAM DUB MTB is mighty efficient and incredibly smooth, it’ll set you back £350. Kogel’s offering is a little easier on the bank account at £260.
Granted, it’s not quite as cost-effective as more standard bottom brackets from SRAM and such, where I’ve managed to run one for a year before noticing any adverse effects.
If you’re looking to explore the benefits of ceramic bearings but not keen on making the usual investment, the C-Bear BSA/ITA SRAM DUB bottom bracket is a great place to start. It’s seriously easy to install, and brings nearly all of the smoothness and efficiency you’ll find with those more expensive options. If you’re riding through winter, it’ll require extra attention, and it’s certainly not the lightest bottom bracket.