SRAM's Red-caliber GXP bottom bracket gets an upgrade to BlackBox ceramic cartridge bearings. Ceramic bearings offer outrageous hardness and roundness in comparison to steel, which substantially reduces the mechanical drag of the bottom bracket as the crankarm spindle rotates through it. After aerodynamic drag, mechanical drag is the leading culprit in consuming the power you put into the pedals. It's why people are willing to pay nearly $200 for ceramic bottom bracket upgrades for their Record and Dura-Ace cranksets. Here, the upgrades come stock, and they're factory-installed.

The GXP Ceramic bottom bracket is what comes standard with a Red crankset, and it's also an ideal upgrade if you're currently running a SRAM Force or Rival crankset with the GXP Team bottom bracket. The Ceramic version is 100% compatible with all SRAM cranksets -- Red, Force, and Rival. Available in both English (68) and Italian (70) threads.