Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Octalink wasn't that good
It’s an early 30 year old design. Not HT2 at all. It wasn’t even external bearing cups,. It was internal to the BB shell, just like square taper.
Octalink wasn't that good
Yes indeed.
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/what-have-you-fettled-today.87079/page-1184#post-7569643
Thoroughly soaked today, all seems well. Might just go check crank bolts now you've reminded me.
Ofcourse, if you don't tension a crank enough, you don't use the benefit of the taper of the square taper...


Were you waiting for the rain to wash the crud off ?![]()
Well it was Shimano's first hollow axle aluminium technology (invented by the Priests of the Light Religion) axle and splines attempt to get rid of the too cheap and too reliable square taper attempt.It’s an early 30 year old design. Not HT2 at all. It wasn’t even external bearing cups,. It was internal to the BB shell, just like square taper.

It’s an early 30 year old design. Not HT2 at all. It wasn’t even external bearing cups,. It was internal to the BB shell, just like square taper.
Well it was Shimano's first hollow axle aluminium technology (invented by the Priests of the Light Religion) axle and splines attempt to get rid of the too cheap and too reliable square taper attempt.
That first attempt failed (hellooow where's my crank) under loads the square taper had no problems with.
Also, in order to have sufficient contact surface, they had to design the spindle bigger, thus leaving less room for bearing and thus smaller balls and thus shorter lifetime.
They tried to solve the hellloooow... with longer splines and then they gave up, and instead redesigned the hollow axle technology, with of course, just like political parties, another name to make people forget the Octalink failures: "HollowTech".
First, HollowTech 1, was made alike their earlier Octalink from aluminium and as 3 pieces. But that was still too reliable and too cheap, so they moved to HollowTech 2, made from the then latest Light Religion's Carbon Fiber, and 2 of the parts (driveside + hollow axle) CarbonBlended to 1, so that when you left their shop, your wallet also joined the Light Religion.![]()
Well it was Shimano's first hollow axle aluminium technology
HollowTech 2, made from the then latest Light Religion's Carbon Fiber
The pre cartridge bearing ones were a faff.
No nostalgia for cotter pins though.
To be honest, old loose bearings BBs are probably my favourite. But only for nostalgic reasons.
No nostalgia for cotter pins though.
It's you that started and keeps talking in terms of all or nothing in order to achieve and maintain some denial tone concerning more the poster than the posted.Don’t forget to give it a whack with your hammer and chisel.
Again an interpretation outside the obvious:The axle was steel, as it is in HT2.