With the new BB Alpha line, CeramicSpeed have challenged themselves again, raising the bar further, to come up with a product which is even better than before.
The BB ALPHA project didn’t arise from a need to fix any product issues, but rather from CeramicSpeed’s foundational desire to constantly improve in their pursuit of perfection.
This new bottom bracket is lighter, more reliable, and easier to install.
Lifetime warranty.
BB Alpha Sealing
Even though the previous generation was a benchmark of reliability, CeramicSpeed still believed there was room to improve. They started by inspecting bottom brackets which were previously replaced under warranty, to understand what elements had resulted in failure.
They found that the most common cause was dirt or water ingress into the bearing. The bearing seal, dust cover and interface between the cup have all been revised.
The bearing seal is custom made for CeramicSpeed, resulting in an improvement of 500%.
CeramicSpeed tested 28 different interations of dust covers before deciding on the optimal design, whilst maintaining the super low friction.
During development 90 bottom brackets were in real world testing; such as world tour road races, mountain bike races, and gravel races. Between the lab and the real world, it all adds up to over 1,000,000km of testing.
Images: Tobias Kongstad (PAS Racing) winning ride at The Traka 360, where he raced a prototype BB ALPHA.
Bearings and Races
CeramicSpeed bearings are the benchmark bearing on the market, but the engineers felt they could improve further.
The previous generation bottom brackets used hardened steel races, in two options; coated, or standard. The new BB alpha is available in one option only; stainless steel races with CeramicSpeed balls, to be absolutely sure they remain free of corrosion.
Weight Saving
CeramicSpeed have managed to save weight, without comprising strength. This has been achieved firstly by lightening the spacer tube, and secondly by shaving material off the cups and manufacturing them from a different grade of aluminium.
Compatibility and Simplification
Spacer tube options have been simplified. The BB Alpha has fewer options, with wider compatibility.
Also, when installing the BB Alpha, fewer spacers are required compared to its predecessor. Again, this simplifies installation.
The tool interface remains the same, so there is no need to purchase new tools.
The new BB ALPHA product range sets an unprecedented industry standard in terms of bottom bracket performance. It’s the result of a complete overhaul of our previous BB design, where each product element has been meticulously examined and optimized to create the best bottom bracket on the market.
The BB ALPHA in essence:
- The entire BB ALPHA range is covered by CeramicSpeed’s lifetime warranty.
- New Hardened Stainless Steel race material paired with CeramicSpeed ball bearings (one option across the range).
- Updated dust cover, seal and interface for better bearing protection.
Available now.
