That chainring is very interesting. With 1/2 of the teeth being thicker than the rest it means that you need to clock your chain on the ring properly so that the outer plates go over the thick teeth.not a big deal really but the chain better stay on through rough trails or it might be a pain getting it back on in a race.

I bet it costs $25-$30 just for manufacturing, shipping parts from suppliers, handling, assembly, packaging, and shipping to distributors. This doesn't include mark-up (need to make $$), design costs, marketing costs, warranty costs and other overhead.Throw those in there and you've easily doubled this amount. Now the distributor needs to make some money and crazy as it sounds, the shop needs to make some money. Yes it is expensive but not all that crazy when you look at what goes on to manufacture it then get it in the consumer's hands.

It is called a Quick Clamp by most of the english speaking world.

@Willie1, your argument is very poor at best. If you had your derailleur out of tune by however many millimeters it wouldn't work properly and you'd know it right away. And having a derailleur take out spokes in a wheel is also a very poor comparison because you're talking about one component wrecking another. If Crank Brothers expects their parts to be installed, used and serviced by the general riding public they should use proper design and testing protocol to ensure that the product is suitable for its intended use. If the post is installed correctly it will work and last, if it isn't then it shouldn't work. This is very common in any industry. As an experience design and manufacturing mechanical engineer it is clear that this design is terrible and will fail. I mentioned this in my post during the press release of this seatpost. Nobody with any good experience in materials and mechanical engineering would think this is a decent design. Crank Brothers must hire recent graduates and industrial designers to design their products because they look nice but just don't last. Why do you think they're rebuilding their pedals for free at the Sea Otter and giving out free bearing kits?

I ride year round in Vancouver which is primarily rain and grit. The weather is on par, if not worse than the UK, and the Shimano stuff is bombproof. As with any bearing, don't blast it with a hose or pressure washer and you'll be fine. I have XTR hubs and Shimano pedals that are many years old and are perfect. Once a year service does the trick. I agree that cartridge bearings are easier for most people but the increased friction and weight don't outweigh any benefits for me (and obviously for the Shimano designers and riders).