If you’re prematurely wearing out HT2 bearings, it could be due to ‘brinelling’. So the answer is to keep those cranks turning, even while coasting.

In the case of headset bearings, try to turn the bars more.

“brindling”

It’s what you get with old ball bearing surfaces if the headset isn’t tightened up enough and they’re sustaining impact. Feels all notchy – like indexed steering 🙂

Swap to hope worked for me, much better idea than people thinking your riding a fixie

Turn the bars more? Like doing a few extra laps of roundabouts or maybe zigzagging everywhere? Might work like tacking into a head wind . . . . But may annoy other ‘road’ users

In the case of headset bearings, try to turn the bars more.

I tend to reserve that for going round corners.

Am I doing it wrong ?

If you’re prematurely wearing out HT2 bearings, it could be due to ‘brinelling’. So the answer is to keep those cranks turning, even while coasting.

Which would also apply to every other design of BB, some of which have smaller bearings, which therefore carry more load per ball, which would therefore be more susceptible to this.

Edit: The only cure is to have a motorised constantly rotating outer race on both BBs and headsets. You read it here first!

I tend to reserve that for going round corners.

Am I doing it wrong ?

Yes it’s handy for avoiding trees too.

I tend to reserve that for going round corners.

Am I doing it wrong ?

Yes – turn more…

DrP

Which would also apply to every other design of BB, some of which have smaller bearings, which therefore carry more load per ball, which would therefore be more susceptible to this.

Dont smaller bearings carry less load because there’s more of them?

try to turn the bars more

Do more tailwhips

We need some proper research done to prove this theory.
Do BB bearings last longer on fixies ?

Deveron53 – Member
If you’re prematurely wearing out HT2 bearings, it could be due to ‘brinelling’. So the answer is to keep those cranks turning, even while coasting.

Stop jumping then bb ball bearings will not be hammered into outer race

For headsets, remove bearings and turn 1/4 turn every now and again 💡

Dont smaller bearings carry less load because there’s more of them?

I was talking about the whole bearing. A large bearing might have 40 2mm balls, a smaller one might only have 12 2mm balls. Of course it might be the large one just has 12 larger balls, I don’t know.

Do BB bearings last longer on fixies ?

I have an HT2 Shimano external BB on my fixie.
It’s lasted about 18 months of 15 miles a day on the road so far. I’ll let you know when it kronks.

It it is brindling, it’s due to corrosion when the bearings are static.

So just service them more.

TuckerUK – Member
Edit: The only cure is to have a motorised constantly rotating outer race on both BBs and headsets. You read it here first!

That’s what Spartacus was up to all along.

Brakes, that sort of experiment is no good without a control.
Have you got an identical twin who can ride alongside you with a freewheel ?

Sounds like a load of old steel balls to me

MTG, I’ll ask my Mum.

Blimey – why bother. Replacement sealed bearings are cheap. My headset ones cost £13.

They last 3+ years, and I ride 3/4 times a week in UK conditions all year.

BB Shimano ones over a year or two.

(and I jet wash my bike)

“brindling”

Brinelling:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brinelling

Actually, I think I meant false brinelling! The action of sustained vibration that pushes the lubricant away from the contact faces. If you coast over rough surfaces, this will happen. So try and keep the cranks rotating.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_brinelling

Given how much it would cock up my riding to have to turn the pedals when negotiating fast complex terrain, I think I’ll just put up with having to replace the bearings every few years.