# Ceramic or standard BB for Cannodale's Hollowgram SL Road



## dimmy123 (May 26, 2009)

I plan to upgrade the crankset from "FSA Carbon Pro Team Issue ISIS double" to "Cannodale's Hollowgram SL Road" for my Supersix. It was said in some forums that the Hollowgram's ceramic BB was not worth because it was expensive and less durable in comparison with the standard BB. 

1) I can't decide if I should buy the ceramic BB or standard BB for the crankset 'Hollowgram SL Road'. 
2) Have you got any problems relating to the Hollowgram SL Road?
3) Is the latest model called "Hollowgram Si SL Road" that weighs 580 grams in total (including the ceramic BB)?

Thanks a lot for your kind advice.

Dimmy


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## s2ktaxi (Jul 11, 2006)

i have the 2008 SI SL on both my bikes. If you are ordering the parts, you can order without the Cannondale BB bearings and just get a set of Enduro Ceramics with the larger ceramic balls.


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## dimmy123 (May 26, 2009)

s2ktaxi,

Thank you for your information.
Sorry, I have very limited knowledge about ceramic bearing. Do you mean that the Enduro Ceramics is better than Cannodale's BB bearing due to use of the larger ceramic balls ? What is the weight of the Enduro Ceramics bearing and how much will it be in US dollars ?

Thanks a lot again for your help.


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## CHL (Jun 24, 2005)

dimmy123:

Early Cannondale ceramic bearings = poo (paraphrasing Starnut here).
Recent Cannondale ceramic bearings = honestly I don't know.

Agreed with s2taxi, get the Enduro Zero bearings. They have better longevity than the Cannondale counter parts. For price, look at Superfly Cycles. Weight difference is negligible. Have 6500 with DA700 crank and Hollwogram SL with Enduro. I would be lying if I said there was a huge difference in smoothness between the two setups. 

CHL


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## dimmy123 (May 26, 2009)

CHL,
Thank you for your update.
Sorry, I haven't used BB30 before. Do you mean that I need to buy all of the following:
1. Enduro Zero Road Bottom Bracket, 
http://www.superflycycles.com/servlet/-strse-330/Enduro-Zero-Road-Bottom/Detail
2.Enduro Zero Grade 3 Ceramic Bearing BB30 Bottom Bracket Kit
http://www.superflycycles.com/servlet/-strse-455/Enduro-Zero/Detail

Thank you.
Dimmy


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## CHL (Jun 24, 2005)

Hi Dimmy123:

So you're using an ISIS bottom bracket, which was meant to be used with a threaded bottom bracket shell. The BB30 bottom bracket shell of your Super Six does not have threads. It has a smooth surface to allow bearings to be directly pressed into the frame. You'll need to remove the adapter(S) that allow the ISIS bottom bracket to be used in your Super Six. Next you'll directly press your brand new Enduro Zero 6806 bearings into the frame. Install the spindle/axle through and then install the crankset. 

The Cannondale Hollwogram SL crankset does not come with the spindle/axle. You need to purchase that separately. If you haven't checked with your local shop, you may wish to do so. There "was" a fair amount of waiting time to acquire the crankset or spindle/axle.

CHL


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## dimmy123 (May 26, 2009)

Thanks for your information, CHL.

I checked with the local dealer for Cannodale. It was said that I needed to buy the following (one by one, individually) for having "Hollowgram SI SL Road" on my Supersix: 

Hollowgram SI SL Road crankset at US$706
spindle at US$129
Enduro Zero Grade 3 Ceramic Bearing 6806 (two bearings) at US$129
=> Total cost: US$964

The guy added that the latest model should be named as "Hollowgram SI SL Road" though the label printed on such crankset was "Hollowgram SL Road".

The cost is not low, a little bit higher than what I estimated. The guy didn't tell me the pros and cons of Hollowgram SI SL but he suggested me to consider other carbon crankset at a cheaper price such as Easton EC90, Dura Ace 7800C or Aluminum crankset like Dura Ace 7900. 

If you were me, what would you buy in terms of the cost-effective decision. I am not sure if I 'll upgrade the EC90 or DA to Hollowgram SI SL after using them for a while. If yes, I would prefer to save more money and then buy Hollowgram SI SL.

Thanks again.

Dimmy


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## Devastator (May 11, 2009)

There is not compromise IMO, DA 7900 cranks cost almost the same as Hollowgrams. Just man up, I had no idea it was gona cost me near 1k but decided to go no matter the cost. I like my Hollowgrams way better than DA 7800.


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## Dan Gerous (Mar 28, 2005)

You can get cheaper bearings too. Most people can't tell the difference between ceramic and regular bearings once everything is installed and on the road. In many cases, the bearing's own sheilds negate the smoother balls and races. You could save around $100 by going with non-ceramic bearings and still end up with a better crankset than pretty much everything else out there.


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## CHL (Jun 24, 2005)

Hi Dimmy:

The Hollowgram sl are not expensive compared to 7900 or Record.
Since many of us have bought & enjoyed them, we find them a good buy.
Will they turn you into Cavendish or Contador? No! They are
More efficient than the others but is the gain worth the cost? You decide.
If you want to reduce cost, get steel bearings. That I doubt you could tell
The difference.

CHL


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## dimmy123 (May 26, 2009)

Thanks for all your advice. 
I decide to do more savings for a while so that I can buy Hollowgram SI SL and Enduro Zero Grade 3 Ceramic Bearing later. I don't want to get regretted and then spend more to buy Hollowgram again after buying other crankset. 
Thanks again, guys.


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## STARNUT (Jun 19, 2005)

dimmy123 said:


> The cost is not low, a little bit higher than what I estimated. The guy didn't tell me the pros and cons of Hollowgram SI SL but he suggested me to consider other carbon crankset at a cheaper price such as Easton EC90, Dura Ace 7800C or Aluminum crankset like Dura Ace 7900.


Turn your ass around and walk away. The DA crank ain't all that much cheaper with a ceramic BB and the Easton will come unbonded from the spindle. Efficiency is splitting hairs here as the others are plenty stiff _BUT_ the SISL's can be 1/2 a pound lighter at the same or greater stiffness. They are stiff, yes, but they are also wicked light.

Let's all say it together............... deep breath...........



Just 'cause it's carbon don't make it better.



See, you feel better right? 


Starnut


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