Believe it or not, my RF bottom bracket is still fine after over a year.
I know this is luck rather than quality.
When it goes, what’s the best I can replace it with?
Immediately to mind for comparison are:-
Chris king, hope’s steel and ceramic, and XT.

I am quite liking the Chris King BB’s. They seem to last just fine – although I did need to take the seal off and re-grease after 2012 Mayhem.

Has anyone had any problem with the phil wood?

Best mainstream (ie not king, hope, wood) I’ve used is saint

been running phil wood bearings 4 or so yrs, probably got the best seals though they are not stainless so are prone to rusting if not looked after. had to regrease a couple of times but they are still running.

Hope Ceramic BB for me > 3 years on and still spinning smooth with no play.

I would also look at Chris King, based on reputation.

Just for the record my Race Face Duce XC BB is running like the day it was installed. It’s a 2008 bike although has only seen circa 3 years of solid use. I have never serviced it as I don’t have the tool to remove it (never needed to). I have heard of the RF issues but certainly not my experience, you might just want to keep what you have got.

Another vote for the Chris King. I know the BB & the grease tool are expensive initially, but do work superbly & a re-grease is so easy.

I suspect the RF ones are just very susceptible to over-tightening, hence if well installed it will last. I’m not sure on the quality RF use either.

I have Hope ceramic, and haven’t required any maintenance in 2 years. With ceramic bearings, there will be no rusting, so if it does run dry I will lift the seals and regrease.

I recently got a great deal on a token tiramic bb, for my 2nd bike, which I doubt will be the same quality as the Hope but should be serviceable.

Define best?
Cheapest?
Nicest looking?
Longest lasting?

For the price of a Chris King you can get 5 XTs for similar money! Will a King last 5 times as long as a correctly installed XT?

Based on my previous experience with Chris King bearings – YES! I’ve got some King hubs that I bought back in late 2000 – still running smooth. Lets say on average an XT last 2years, coupled with the above if the King BB bearings are as good as the hubs, then a King BB will be worth the money.

But you also have to factor in the price of the tool.

Horses for courses!

Yes King bearings are pretty dam good, but its the execution of the whole BB setup.
I’ve read of a few people who actually admitted thier king BB wasnt any better than XT.

As somebody ^ said, saint (he longer driveside threads). Pack it with decent grease before fitting, don’t overtighten

I don’t ride as much as many here seem to but the above lasts me ages (3yr and counting)

But you also have to factor in the price of the tool.

You don’t need the tool to service a King BB, just makes it quicker/easier. You can service it in the same way as you would a King headset.

I pack my shimano BBs with grease twice a year (before winter and after) and they have lasted very well.

Hope ceramic for me. 17 st, ocasional solo 24s and big days out plus the odd Alpine trip. If it’s gritty lift the plastic seal and hey presto quick wipe and we’re off again. Not ha the probs some have had with Shimano.

I’ve got a 5 year old Hope Stainless that is on its second frame. Still spins like new.

I went through 1 race face and 2 Shimano in 2 years before this. So the Hope is pretty good

For the price of a Chris King you can get 5 XTs for similar money! Will a King last 5 times as long as a correctly installed XT?

yeah but at my first choice online store, XT is €18 and CK is €145, so the question is, will a Chris King last 8 times as long as an Shimano BB?

Perhaps you need to look at different shops / outlets.
XTs can be had new for ~£15, Chris King ~£90, so 6 times the cost = 6 times the life?

I bought both of my recent King brackets for ~£70

Brand new?
That’s still as good as 5 times the price!

Phil woods and Hadley.

Paid £35 for my King BB S/H. (It is pink mind).
LBS charged me £7 to purge the grease a year or two back.
Damn thing just keeps spinning away happily.
I’d buy another, but not at £100+. They’re not that good.

I’ve had no trouble from an RF XC BB – one of the later ones with the redesigned seal and Phil Wood grease though.
They are pretty much unserviceable – I’ve seen guides involving cutting seals with Stanley knives and ordering Enduro bearings that cost more than a whole BB but I think this is not a procedure most would attempt.

Prolly go Hope stainless for my HT2 / X type bikes when I need to and keeping an eye on the Hope pressfit for my big bike when the XT BB92 dies…

5/6/7/8 times longer is a good question though…