rogerzilla
Legendary Member
The Astabula type? They're very robust but they weigh about as much as a whole road racing frameset!
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Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
You’ve really opened a can of worms here Alex.
All you need to know is that one day the devil sat down with the technicians at Cannondale and like Charlie Daniels they agreed to sell their souls, not for a golden fiddle but for a new BB system. Avoid.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
You can't beat the Shimano UN71 and UN91 cartridge BB's - been going 30 years on my two road bikes.
Currently made of 'unobtanium'.
Currently made of 'unobtanium'.
matticus
Guru
Which is always always always the best material - no matter what fancy stuff they're trying to sell us today, you mark my words young man!Currently made of 'unobtanium'.
Juan Kog
permanently grumpy
I’m still using a UN 71 , UN 91 ? never knew they existed.You can't beat the Shimano UN71 and UN91 cartridge BB's - been going 30 years on my two road bikes.
Currently made of 'unobtanium'.
rogerzilla
Legendary Member
XTR grade. Not many ever bought due to their extra cost.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Yep, it was the XTR/Dura Ace cartridge. I don't think they were sold for long. UN71 was Ultegra. From what I can remember, the UN91 was something like £60 over 25 years ago. I swapped out the Dura Ace loose bearing BB
Silly money but it was on my best bike. That bike was no money spared. Top everything. Despite it being all Dura Ace, it does have Campag Record look pedals as Dura Ace wasn't ARC (float). Those pedals cost £130 used.
davidphilips
Veteran
- Location
- Onabike
Only my view, any thing after square tapper is a solution to a problem that did not exist and has created its own set of problems.
Press fit BBs can be great but only if the bike frame is %100 sadly not the case in many bikes more so with carbon frames.
Some Manufactures are reverting to threaded BBs because of the problems caused by poor production processes that leave the BB alignment out far enough to cause either noises or poor bearing life.
Which one is best? Like asking how long is a piece of string my own view is Unless you are a professional racer a square tapper is all you need, but an external set up more so a press fit is just a bit lighter and stiffer and if the bike frame is %100 (sadly not always the case) then the more up to date the version the better.
Press fit BBs can be great but only if the bike frame is %100 sadly not the case in many bikes more so with carbon frames.
Some Manufactures are reverting to threaded BBs because of the problems caused by poor production processes that leave the BB alignment out far enough to cause either noises or poor bearing life.
Which one is best? Like asking how long is a piece of string my own view is Unless you are a professional racer a square tapper is all you need, but an external set up more so a press fit is just a bit lighter and stiffer and if the bike frame is %100 (sadly not always the case) then the more up to date the version the better.
byegad
Legendary Member
- Location
- NE England
Yes, my Hollowtech II last about that long.
I've never had a press fit bottom bracket but from reading about issues with creaking etc it would put me off buying a bike with one.
As I say I've never had one and I'm sure loads of people have them and have no issues and I know you can't believe everything you read on the internet!
Anyone with experience of press fit bottom brackets?
Is the bad press justified?
As I say I've never had one and I'm sure loads of people have them and have no issues and I know you can't believe everything you read on the internet!
Anyone with experience of press fit bottom brackets?
Is the bad press justified?
rogerzilla
Legendary Member
Square taper has one big disadvantage: chainline is "suck it and see" dependent on manufacturing tolerances, taper wear and crankbolt torque. I have many pairs of Sugino XD2 cranks, and the chainline varies by 4mm on the same BB.
davidphilips
Veteran
- Location
- Onabike
Anyone with experience of press fit bottom brackets?
Is the bad press justified?
[/QUOTE]
Have cycled many thousands of miles with a Genesis 931 steel bike fitted with a press fit BB (bought the frame and built the bike myself and fitted a cheap Shimano BB) and have not had any noises or problems but theres one cyclist in the same club as myself who has a BB86 (same BB as mine) press fit in his good/summer bike and hes told me that hes lucky to get 1,500 miles with out needing to replace the BB no mater what type/make of BB he has fitted?
Quite outrageous really as when we worked out the average club run at 50 miles and it costs over £3 every time he uses his good bike in BBs?
Is the bad press justified?
[/QUOTE]
Have cycled many thousands of miles with a Genesis 931 steel bike fitted with a press fit BB (bought the frame and built the bike myself and fitted a cheap Shimano BB) and have not had any noises or problems but theres one cyclist in the same club as myself who has a BB86 (same BB as mine) press fit in his good/summer bike and hes told me that hes lucky to get 1,500 miles with out needing to replace the BB no mater what type/make of BB he has fitted?
Quite outrageous really as when we worked out the average club run at 50 miles and it costs over £3 every time he uses his good bike in BBs?
Have cycled many thousands of miles with a Genesis 931 steel bike fitted with a press fit BB (bought the frame and built the bike myself and fitted a cheap Shimano BB) and have not had any noises or problems but theres one cyclist in the same club as myself who has a BB86 (same BB as mine) press fit in his good/summer bike and hes told me that hes lucky to get 1,500 miles with out needing to replace the BB no mater what type/make of BB he has fitted?
Quite outrageous really as when we worked out the average club run at 50 miles and it costs over £3 every time he uses his good bike in BBs?
[/QUOTE]
I reckon I'd be getting rid of that bike. I couldn't be doing with replacing a BB every 1500 miles!
Juan Kog
permanently grumpy
I brought a Dura Ace loose bearing B/B out of retirement last year, it seemed appropriate for the revival of my Raleigh 531 competition . When I put it in , I thought it’s 25 years since I last fitted an old style cup and cone B/B.Yep, it was the XTR/Dura Ace cartridge. I don't think they were sold for long. UN71 was Ultegra. From what I can remember, the UN91 was something like £60 over 25 years ago. I swapped out the Dura Ace loose bearing BB
Silly money but it was on my best bike. That bike was no money spared. Top everything. Despite it being all Dura Ace, it does have Campag Record look pedals as Dura Ace wasn't ARC (float). Those pedals cost £130 used.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
Some stats. Just 3 data points ...
My BB just died. It's a Shimano external one BBRS500.
I posted above that I'd never had problems, but I just reminded myself by going back to my maintenance log. It was not correct, I was forgetting the death of my SRAM GXP one.
Here is my experience of screw-in external BBs since I bought my fancy modern bike and started keeping records
SRAM GXP - seized solid after only 2,625 km (1,631 miles)
Something else (I forget what - think it was another SRAM GXP) Lasted fine for 18,690 km (11,613 miles) . Replaced while doing other stuff.
Shimano BBRS500 Went totally wobbly and grindy after 8,348 km (5,187 miles)
That's not actually very good really. Not terribly bad either (apart from the first one which was obviously crap) but hardly fit'n'forget.
My BB just died. It's a Shimano external one BBRS500.
I posted above that I'd never had problems, but I just reminded myself by going back to my maintenance log. It was not correct, I was forgetting the death of my SRAM GXP one.
Here is my experience of screw-in external BBs since I bought my fancy modern bike and started keeping records
SRAM GXP - seized solid after only 2,625 km (1,631 miles)
Something else (I forget what - think it was another SRAM GXP) Lasted fine for 18,690 km (11,613 miles) . Replaced while doing other stuff.
Shimano BBRS500 Went totally wobbly and grindy after 8,348 km (5,187 miles)
That's not actually very good really. Not terribly bad either (apart from the first one which was obviously crap) but hardly fit'n'forget.
