Bike/BB/Crankset Compatibility

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Right, I've finally had enough replacing crappy FSA BBs. My chainrings have done 11,000 miles now so, although there's plenty of life left in them I figure it's time to cut my losses and get a new crankset so I can be rid of this terrible bottom bracket.

I have my eye on teaming up this crankset -
https://tinyurl.com/y3knkzmv

With this bottom bracket in 68/73mm -
https://tinyurl.com/y5udetsz

My bike is a 2015 Genesis Equilibrium Disc 10; current BB is one of these (avoid at all costs!) -
https://tinyurl.com/y3jof6v7

I think the 105 crankset and Hope BB will fit my bike (and each other) but would appreciate confirmation from those more knowledgeable on here.

I'm also open to suggestions of other replacement parts if the components I've selected could be improved upon within a similar price bracket.

Cheers,

Andy
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
Can't get your link to work on the crank set but the BB doesn't specify what diameter of crank spindle it takes. Seems very expensive when you could buy a Shimano Hollowtech crankset which comes with a BB for similar money.
 
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Pale Rider

Legendary Member
I can't help with compatibility, but I wonder if a £70 Hope bottom bracket is money well spent.

There are cheap and nasty bottom brackets, but the 'standard' Shimano ones are reckoned to be good quality.

I had a no-name creaking bottom bracket changed for a Shimano one on my pushbike at a cost of about £15.

Unlikely I will ever wear it out, but it seems to me a competent mechanic can change a bottom bracket in 10 minutes, so doing so every couple of years is no hardship.
 

iluvmybike

Über Member
I'd spend more on getting a pucker Shimano crankset than spending out on a Hope BB and a cheaper crankset like that - as said above usually come with the bb cups - there is nothing wrong with Shimano bb cups - you could 3 or more for the price of a Hope
 
OP
OP
EasyPeez

EasyPeez

Veteran
I had a no-name creaking bottom bracket changed for a Shimano one on my pushbike at a cost of about £15.
Wow - I assume the £15 was labour charge and you supplied the BB yourself? I hope so anyway...I was charged £70 for a new FSA one fitted by my LBS (£40ish part, £30ish labour) last year. It's since gone again after only 1100 miles, hence my loss of patience with the part and decision to change crankset.

a cheaper crankset like that
Unless I'm missing something the one I've linked to is a Shimano 105 spindle and crank arms with better quality TA rings replacing the Shimano rings. So if anything an upgrade on a standard Shimano 105 set, certainly not inferior/cheaper? The seller has said I can have it at £99 rather than £119. I'm struggling to find a 10 speed Shimano 105 crankset at less than that....

I wonder if a £70 Hope bottom bracket is money well spent.
There are cheap and nasty bottom brackets, but the 'standard' Shimano ones are reckoned to be good quality
you could 3 or more for the price of a Hope
Points taken; I was eyeing up the Hope BB to match my other orange Hope components but if Hollowtech are definitely good and around 1/3 price then maybe I would be paying over the odds and should stick to the Shimano. Is the consensus that the Hollowtech ought to be good for just as many miles as a Hope BB?

Cheers.
 
Location
London
I can't help with compatibility, but I wonder if a £70 Hope bottom bracket is money well spent.

There are cheap and nasty bottom brackets, but the 'standard' Shimano ones are reckoned to be good quality.

I had a no-name creaking bottom bracket changed for a Shimano one on my pushbike at a cost of about £15.

Unlikely I will ever wear it out, but it seems to me a competent mechanic can change a bottom bracket in 10 minutes, so doing so every couple of years is no hardship.
A shimano un55 square taper will last way way longer than two years.
Of course a very limited range of cranksets for them these days.
But spa cycles will sort folks.
Un55 often available for a fair bit under £15.
No labour charges - do it myself.
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
I don't think the OP's bike/crankset takes square taper.

Hope might last longer than Hollowtech, but Hollowtechs are a quarter of the price and can also be serviced, although I doubt anyone bothers given new ones can be had for as little as a tenner.

I'm not always against the premium product (Rohloff hubs as an example) but in this case I reckon budget is the way to go.
 
Location
London
I don't think the OP's bike/crankset takes square taper.

Hope might last longer than Hollowtech, but Hollowtechs are a quarter of the price and can also be serviced, although I doubt anyone bothers given new ones can be had for as little as a tenner.

I'm not always against the premium product (Rohloff hubs as an example) but in this case I reckon budget is the way to go.
Fair point - had a feeling I was jumping in too quickly but maybe led astray by your tales of BB changing and assumed that bike would.
Agree about budget sometimes being better, at least for general non TDF pedalling - as soon as a I source a ST crankset, new or a second hand Deore (no new ones I think), the external BB Mr Hewitt put into my Hewitt is coming straight out. It may well last until I pedal off the planet.
 

Svendo

Guru
Location
Walsden
I had a hope hollowtech bb in my commuter bike, lasted three winters.
I ride everyday through snow and grit so chew through components.
The bearings are replaceable but are non-standard and cost £20ish from Hope plus fitting at the LBS if you don’t do it yourself. For that you can buy a 105/Ultegra level Hollowtech BB, which is what I have now.
 
OP
OP
EasyPeez

EasyPeez

Veteran
I had a hope hollowtech bb in my commuter bike, lasted three winters.
I ride everyday through snow and grit so chew through components.
The bearings are replaceable but are non-standard and cost £20ish from Hope plus fitting at the LBS if you don’t do it yourself. For that you can buy a 105/Ultegra level Hollowtech BB, which is what I have now.

Thanks for the input @Svendo

It sounds like your Hope BB served you very well. That being the case I wonder why you decided to switch to a Shimano - cost of bearings, presumably? Have you had the chance yet to compare the two for durability?

If new bearings are around £20 for the Hope BB (and presuming these are the only part of the component that needs changing semi-regularly) then, once the initial outlay on a Hope BB has been made the on-going costs work out at about £20 every couple of years for Hope vs. what, £6 or £7 every couple of years for standard bearing to fit the Shimano - is that right? And it's only ever really the bearings that need replacing?

Sorry, as you can probably gather, I don't really understand the inner workings of bottom brackets very well! I'm now wondering why I paid £40 for a new BB (plus £30 on top of this for labour) last time my crap FSA job packed in? At that price, does that mean the LBS would have replaced the whole component? Surely could have just advised me I needed new bearings in it? Or am I missing something?

Cheers.
 

iluvmybike

Über Member
The Hope bb is very good and yes it is serviceable too - if you have the right tools to do a decent job. The bearings are not non-standard they are available from lots of bearing suppliers prob pay no more than £10 tops - Hope ones are expensive as they are stainless steel and you pay extra for the name too.
 

Svendo

Guru
Location
Walsden
I fitted a Shimano one as I had it spare from a group set that went on my good bike but which has a press fit bb. In looking at prices I saw it was 6 of 1 1/2 dozen of another which bb to use. Quick look at wiggle shows Hollowtech II BBs from 8.95-39.99 depending on level.
On the bearings I’d not really looked into it but know the Hope ones have a 24mm inner diameter which is less common than the 25mm inner diameter ones with a 1mm shim that Shimano & others use. Glad it turns out they’re still available from 3rd party suppliers. I might get some and have a go at fitting them for a spare BB.
 
OP
OP
EasyPeez

EasyPeez

Veteran
Sorry to labour the point, and also for my ignorance, but just to clarify - @Pale Rider has mentioned above that the standard procedure with Hollowtechs is to replace the BBs themselves (rather than just the bearings) when the bearings start to go, because of their relative inexpensiveness.

But with a more expensive BB such as the Hope is it fair to assume that so long as the bearings are serviced and replaced when necessary there is no need to ditch the BB itself (and thereby have to shell out another £80)? i.e that on-going costs after the initial outlay should just be for new bearings every few years and the BB itself should give many years of life? Or would most LBS' expect to swap the whole BB when the bearings have gone?

I do most of the work on my bike myself but 2 jobs and 2 kids makes it unlikely I'll find the time and tools to become proficient in changing my own BBs any time soon, so I'd be reliant on the LBS for swapping bearings/BB when the time comes.

Cheers.
 
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