I know most people know this/do this, but just in case: After wet rides and washing, remove seat and pour out any water sitting inside the frame!
Bike Forum
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Fit and Forget Bottom Brackets
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Posted 1 year ago #
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Had a Hope Stainless one for 18 months, still fine, cleaned/regreased it once, I reckon it should be alright for another 18 months, then around £20 for some new bearings. I'm happy with that.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I have an ht2 that came with the new slx cranks I bought last july. I ride most weekends in the peaks and lakes and there's nowt up with it. That said I do look after my bikes.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I have several octalink bbs - they just work. The only ht11 I have swas a race face - failed very quickly and replaced with a hope. If that fails then the bike is being converted to octalink,
ht11 is a horrible bodge with the plenty of opportunity for flex and misalignment and very difficult to protect the bearings.
Posted 1 year ago # -
iv been on my one23 unit for about 6 months now and the bike never gets cleaned still smooth after bristol clay/mud
Posted 1 year ago # -
+1 for the hope stainless...have them on both bikes since nearly 2 years..still smooth and going strong
Posted 1 year ago # -
Im not sure there can be a fit and forget solution for bb's in their current design as the fundamental problem is failure through ingress of water and mud, leading to premature bearing wear. Until the BB design changes Im not sure there will be much improvement.
If you look at great engineering companies, producing proucts for the mtb world like ChrisKing and Hope their basic design is the same (has to be or it wont fit) but the difference will be the sealing of the bearings from the crap we ride through.
I think the bearings are so small so the seals cant be sealed sufficiently - crud gets in and they must be replaced. Stainless and ceramic might last a bit longer but as soon as that grease turns to grinding paste your days are numbered. I know they are quite different but look at the crap that car bearings go through and how often are they changed? Reason? They are huge and well sealed.
Get some designers on the case and make us an everlasting BB!
Im all for regular maintenance of a cheap BB shell with regular changes of decent grade bearings from a bearing supplier.
I guess that doesnt go with the OP query but just my 2p.Posted 1 year ago # -
TandemJeremy - Member
"I have several octalink bbs - they just work. The only ht11 I have swas a race face - failed very quickly and replaced with a hope. If that fails then the bike is being converted to octalink,"
To be fair, raceface external BBs are absolutely awful. I reckon an internal BB made to the same standard would be pretty awful too.
Posted 1 year ago # -
min0rtheat
I think the bearings are so small so the seals cant be sealed sufficientlyOctalink has nice big balls and is well sealed. Thats why they last. I took an old one apart - they really are well engineered
Posted 1 year ago # -
Hope Ceramic here
Posted 1 year ago # -
TJ - you're obviously a big fan of Octalink, but I had a couple of them and they had the old problems of square taper (thread loosening from NDS cranks if you're goofy-footed, leading to rounded tapers) without really solving the issues. As all the people who use UN73s can point out, if you get on with them, the sealing and bearings are pretty much bulletproof in square taper BBs.
Plus Octalink are getting scarcer to find, no?
In the end, after spending a packet on decent cranks, BBs and getting them fitted properly, I just gave up and went to HTII. I've not ridden it much yet, but so far no rounded tapers*
*I know, the axle's round already, so there.
Posted 1 year ago #
Topic Closed
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