Tell me of your experiences and any problems you’ve had (or not).

Had three bikes with them; no problems at all. Not even sqeaking/creaking.

Are we talking ones that come as part of a frame or ones that you add to pf30 and bb30 frames.

Ones that come as frame, had a singlespeed cannondale, nice bike but the bottom bracket wasn’t that God to adjust, and required regular adjustment.

In the pf30 had a problem solvers, which was ok, but the bearings have now seized and finding replacement is a nightmare and it runs silly plastic inserts in the bearings. Now using a wheels manufacturing one, bearings seem good, starting tight seems better in the frame, but it’s a lot snugger in the frame than the problem solvers.

Got a couple – if you set them up properly, they’re great.

CX race bike has a BB30 shell with a BEER Components eccentric. Just about done a full race season, dead easy to adjust without removing cranks or anything, no creaking or other noises so far.

29er has a Bushnell-type wedge BB, slightly trickier to adjust (was a bit hesitant the first time when it became clear it needed whacked hard with a mallet!) but no issues.

Neither of those requires any special tools. I know some other EBBs do.

Also got an slot dropout Inbred set up single with a normal BB and a White Ind freewheel. It is a pain in the ass to change a rear puncture compared to an eccentric, as there’s a chaintug involved. Also, when the chain slackens off after a while you need to realign the rear brake – not the end of the world, but again much less convenient than with an EBB.

3 singulars with Phil Wood EBBs – grub screws. All work perfectly, no creaks.

1 normal English thread with Philcentric. Does what it does perfectly. No creaks or movement. But still needs a half link, and adjustment could be a bit finer.

Spotty Dog on my Love/Hate IMHO..
Again, no creaks, slips, or anything really.
Great bit of kit.

Had one of the set screw type for getting on for 9 years now with no issues at all. It would always be my choice of chain tensioning as i think it looks the neatest. Down side for some might be that it slightly alters bb height and seat angle, i do adjust saddle height to compensate but I for one can’t detect any difference in the ride. It does though preserve chainstay length.

avdave2 – Member i do adjust saddle height to compensate but I for one can’t detect any difference in the ride. It does though preserve chainstay length.

Being pedantic, it has the potential to alter chainstay length in the same way it alters saddle height. In my opinion, not enough to be worth bothering about.

I’ve had three singlespeeds with three different tensioning mechanisms (four if you count the geared frame I ran a spring loaded one on, but I’m not counting that one)

I had a Tinbred with a Bushnell EBB and it was the best system I’ve had. Took a bit of working out to start with, seemed like you’d set tension and then tighten the bolt and the chain would then be too tight (or too loose, I forget) but once you realised to allow for the slight change it was no hassle. No creaks, no loosening, no seizures, although would note that I’m usually quite good in terms of maintenance, using coppaslip, etc. And I suppose it’s a bit heavier.

I’ve also had a slot dropout with chaintugs, and while easier to set up initially, adjusting the disc brakes when you adjust the tension is a pita, and changing a puncture also a minor annoyance.

And now have a slidey dropout Pace. Which I find the hardest to set up (getting the chain tension right, then adjusting the other side so the wheel’s straight, and then finding that moving the axle even just slightly has messed up the tension so you have to do it all again in an iterative process). But the fact the wheel drops in and out easily, and the brake mounts on the non drive dropout so doesn’t need adjusting makes that aspect better than the slotty.

If I had the choice to spec on a frame – it’d be a Bushnell EBB every time

Have a 456 with a carver ebb, chain needs a tighten every year or so.

I like it, fit and forget.

My Ti Pipedream SS had a split shell with ebb. Never had any issues, the same with the Stooge and 2 bolt locator, which I changed for stainless grub screws and yet again, not an issue in 450 or so miles of mud and grime.

Niner here.
Creaks, unless plastered in coppaslip.
Slips, unless bone dry.
Looks nice & tidy, but not great given the price tag of a Niner.
The new one is supposed to be better.

This is all useful, thanks. I’m looking at new frames when the current one goes. The Singular Swift is a contender but I’ve always been a little wary of EBBs.

I had one on a single speed GT Peace 9r. Worked flawlessly (and silently). I now have a horizontal dropout Inbred (still regret selling that GT).

/Johan

I have an old niner and have had no problems with it at all.

Theres a set screw secured one on my Thorn 853 Raven. Works fine, never had an issue.
The sliding dropouts on my Voodoo Wanga were fiddlier to adjust but not by much.

The one in my Sanderson Soloist works perfectly. No issues at all.

I needed to modify the lock ring spanner to clear the HT2 BB though. 5 minute job with an angle grinder. Not moved in 6 years.

montgomery – Member
This is all useful, thanks. I’m looking at new frames when the current one goes. The Singular Swift is a contender but I’ve always been a little wary of EBBs.

Like nedrapier I’ve got 3 Singulars with the Phil Wood and they’ve all behaved flawlessly. Wouldn’t give it a second thought if you’re after a Swift.

Had a singular and a cannondale in the past both with ebb’s.
No issues with the singular at all. The cannondale was a pain to adjust / tension but was creak free.

The set-screw ones are not that tolerant to people who like to tweak things to be just right. If the dents that get put into the shell are too close together they’ll pull through and you’ll not be able to use the shell in that position anymore without slippage. Mine was on a Thorn Raven. Worked fine if you weren’t too hamfisted or fettled it too much.

I had a goddawful one on a Cannondale SS. It failed for the final time. about 60miles from home, on the way round the capital trail. The wee circlip pulled out of the shell and it was unable to be tightened in a new position OR loosened. Awful thing. AND it creaked! euuugh!

Had two Bushnells: the new style AND the old. They were faultless.

Being pedantic, it has the potential to alter chainstay length in the same way it alters saddle height.

Does it actually do that Andy? I’d thought it would give a change in seat angle rather than chainstay length. After all the wheelbase of the bike remains unchanged. Anyway as you say the change is slight enough to be unnoticeable.

Slight hijack – how well do ‘singulators’ or sprung tensioners work. I’m wondering how they fare in mud, how noisy they are and how much risk there is of chain slip while honking up a climb and potentialy smashing a knee.

Currently using a Bushnell light which is best I have used. Easy to adjust and stays put with no creaks.

Have had a few EBBs
The one used on a Sanderson frame which didn’t creak but was more fiddly
The one that cam with with a Dialled love hate which had two bolts in BB shell. Creaked a bit.
The one that came with Cannonade 1FG which was awkward to setup (had to remove crank arm) and creaked

All my other single speeding has used track ends of varying sorts.

2 bikes with Bushnells here, faultless over 1000s of miles of use inc loaded riding. Another has a split-clamp shell, also no bother, no noise etc but it does let a little more grit in between shell and insert after a while.

Set-screw types have plenty of happy users but I’ve never liked the way they work. In that area of the bike I want something that can be done up hard without anything being forced out of shape.

Does it actually do that Andy? I’d thought it would give a change in seat angle rather than chainstay length. After all the wheelbase of the bike remains unchanged.

Chainstay length is BB centre to rear axle distance so it does change as you move the EBB, wheelbase stays the same as the front-centre also changes. Seat angle does change a little as you say. My experience with an EBB bike after having a slider/track end SS is that I notice the changes at the BB end less somehow, generally I don’t fuss about moving the EBB or adjust the saddle to match as it’s moving in a small range usually.

Thanks for all that. Re: tensioners above, I’ve used Surly and Rohloff tensioners in the past (living in the Lakes) and, so long as you had the chain wrap right, they were fine.

I’ve had no problems with Phil Wood EBB’s on three Singulars but Sam specifies proper cup point grub screws – a friend of mine has a Dialled Love/Hate, also with a PW EBB but, for some reason, the grub screws are point type (and M8 x 1mm pitch) which means that the previous owner has scarred the insert beyond redemption.
At least with cup end screws a quick run over with a file gets rid of most of the clamping marks – and you can do this because the clamping area of the insert has a slightly reduced diameter anyway, so you’re not affecting the fit in the shell.

Slight hijack – how well do ‘singulators’ or sprung tensioners work. I’m wondering
A: how they fare in mud,
B: how noisy they are and
C: how much risk there is of chain slip while honking up a climb and potentialy smashing a knee.

I’ve got a simple spring loaded Superstar one on one of my SS bikes (and another on MTB commuter). Apparently discontinued now that I checked but this type:

A: Never had any problem but I rarely ride in very muddy conditions.
B: Dead silent. Always
C: I’d say none (if you trim your chain to shortest possible to get good tension and wrap around rear cog properly). Or at least not worse than using a regular derailleur.

/Johan

Ive used EBBs in all sorts for frames and formats, fisher, chumba, salsa, Jones,stooge, singualr, Trickstuff EBB converters etc..

The only one that a bit of a shit was the chumba as it used to seize like a bagstard even with 4 tonnes of copper slip. Much prefer them to the slot drop outs, alternator style or paragon sliders.

never had a squeak out of them only slippage has been when I’ve not tightened them up enough if fitting new chain or cogs

I have the much aligned Cannondale one and I was starting to get the same frustrations as the other users, however a bit of fiddling and I seem to have solved it.

1 – Bin the original 5mm bolt and and put the head on the non drive side by reversing the chips. Purchase new bolt and washer.
2 – Completely dry and degrease the shell and the outside of the EBB.
3 – Liberally coppaslip the interface between the chips and the main shell.
4 – Enjoy an easy to adjust (mostly) creak free and non slipping EBB.

It was definitely one last go before I bin it territory.

I had a a Swift, by far the easiest to adjust and most secure SS system I’ve used.

Never had it slip, never struggled to adjust it perfectly. Only downside over horizontal dropouts, is it does weigh a fair bit. But that’s not that important i the grand scheme of a bikes weight, it was still a relatively light frame.

I’ll buy another when Sam finally relents and fits a tapered headtube, or I have so much money I can afford a SS and an XC hardtail.