i’ve got a superstar chain device which mounts on the bb shell. the current bb is a shimano BB-ES51 internal cartridge jobby in a 68/113 width.

the bb has some play in it, so i’m going to replace it. should i buy a 118mm instead and run a spacer on the opposite side? this would keep the cranks even (even though we are only talking about a couple of mm in total)… sounds a bit anal, but it does seem logical? should i also then get a 73mm bb as with a spacer either side, it would take the theoretical bottom bracket shell width from 68-73mm?

also… is there really a difference (other a bit more weight) between the cheap and chearful BB ES-25 (chain reaction have them for £13) and the more expensive BB-ES51… the only obvious difference is the metal thread on the drive side of the BB-ES51

cheers

no need. The chain guide just replaces one of the spacers so everything remains the same.

You need an E-Type BB. Keep the axle length and BB width the same, just make sure you get the appropriate one!
The E-Type BBs are offset slightly as they assume that you will be sticking either a chain device or E-Type mech in there.
Hope that helps!

Rickos, I think it is an octalink BB so there are no spacers? Whatever you do to the BB it will now stay slightly towards the driveside thanks to the spacing provided by the chain device so any spacers on the non drive side will just mean less thread is engaged on the supporting “thing” on that side.
Or, I don’t know in other words 🙂

Schmiken, couldn’t you have posted a little earlier and saved me the trouble of my incomplete and not that helpful post! 🙂

Oops! Aye, if it’s octalink you’ll need to do what he said.

Unfortunately, CRC haven’t got any in E-type, so you could use a 73mm in the same width, the spacer on the drive side’s not needed as it butts up against the cartridge, not the frame. The downside is you won’t have quite as much thread engaged as on an E-type.

right… i’ve bitten the bullet and ordered a replacement e-type ES51 from wiggle for the princely sum of £35 (they seemed to be the only place to have them in stock.

this should hopefull bring the chainline back to the 5th sprocket and the chain device clear of the chain (without having to use spacers)

if i was smart, i would bit the bullet in a slightly bigger fashion and replace the bb and the crankset with something a little more abundant (rather than the now-dropped octalink concept) which will become more and more difficult to source over time.

to really make things more unique, i have also cancelled my order for a e*thirteen 35t g-ring to go on my 175mm deore lx cranks (which have the granny ring tabs ground off) and have now ordered a blackspire 5-bolt 34t ring to go with a set of 170mm blackspire cranks i had knocking around the place… they are slightly heavier (by about 100g) than the surprisingly light lx hollowtech cranks, but should suffer zero flex, which once i’m up out of the saddle and climbing, should outweigh the weight disadvantage.

all good fun! (if not expensive)

i’m now at approx £570 all-in for the build which reads as follows:-

2002/3 Cannondale Caad 5 frame (F900 SL) – very light indeed)
2004(ish) MX Comp oil forks (surprisingly light)
Deore XT hubs on Mavic 717 Disc rims
Continental Speed King tyres
Deore XTR rear mech (older style) with KCNC gold jockey wheels
Deore XT 9-speed shifter with new XT-spec cable
Avid Juicy 5’s with gold 160mm Alligator rotors and Clarks sintered pads
Blackspire 5-bolt octalink freeride cranks (170mm)
Blackspire 34t single-speed chain ring
Gold cranks bolts (shallow!)
Superstar XCR upepr chain device
SRAM 11-34 9-speed cassette with SRAM 9-speed chain
Gold cassette lock ring (shallow)
Halo allen-key skewers
FSA carbon riser bars
Superstar lock-on grips (brown/gold)
Easton EA50 stem (110mm 6-degs rise)
Gold headset cap (shallow!)
FSA carbon seatpost
Charge spoon saddle (brown)

phew… just hope it works

i reckon it’s cost me more to go 1×9 on this bloody thing than if i had just bought a SLX groupset from that shop in Germany and got 30 speed!