I’ve got a GF Ferrous which has a fairly basic EBB that uses a wedge to jam the BB carrier into the frame’s BB shell.

It’s a nightmare to adjust as I end up having to remove the BB and whack the thing with a block of wood and a mallet to free it up.

Despit being a pig to move in the workstand it does seem to slip ‘a bit’ when riding which leaves the chain a bit slack.

Wonderign if replacing it with something a bit more sophisticated (and maybe lighter…) would help with reducing slippage and aiding adjustment?

If not Phil Wood is the Carver one any good (and available in uk)?

Where should I buy one – Sideways?

Phil Wood will only work if your frame has set screws, not sure about the Fisher, but if it’s got an expandy wedge type thing then the answer is no.

Take it out, clean it up and smear a bit of grease here and there wvery now and again – they’re all much of a muchness.

Tim.

Hi Luke

Will your frame work with a Phil Wood? My Love/ Hate has one – but the frame has holes in the BB shell, and 2 big screws which go through the holes and clamp the BB in place.

I think your frame has to be ‘phil wood ready’

Tim

ah, no set screws Tim – just a big tube it sits in.

I’ll persevere with it for now.

Hopefully the chain’ll stop stretching or the EBB rotating and I’ll be ok for a while. I’ve marked the EBB and the frame so I can see if it is slipping now or if it’s chain stretch.

Using a Gusset half-link chain currently (bought for another bike where I needed a halflink) – is it worth switching to a ‘normal’ Singlespeed chain – do they stretch a bit less over time?

(as an aside I was just thinking the other day that you don’t post on here much anymore!)

Edit – above orginally for sidewaystim, not greivous tim (although most of the same comments apply!).

Chains don’t actually stretch, they do wear over time, but after the initial settling of a brand new chain, they’ll not make a significant difference.
Half link chains are all toss ime, fine for BMX’s when you’re grinding, but other than that they are a big old pile of ****. Just use a decent 8spd chain and all will be well.

EBB’s do need to be tight and if you can set it up so the BB is in between the junction of seat tube and down tube, then your weight will naturally try to make the chain tighter if the eccentric moves.

I lurk on here most days, but rarely post as everything has already been said most of the time 🙂

Tim.

No comment on the PW EBB but if your existing one is slipping, it’s worth checking where it’s adjusted to. If you can set it so that your weight on the BB axle will tend to add tension (eg move the bb further from the rear hub) then it typically won’t loosen off. This means that of the 360 degree rotation, you can use two 90 degree sections (looking from the drive side, the positions where the BB is offset to the top right or bottom left quarters.

The Niner EBB is another alternative design to consider:
http://www.ninerbikes.com/fly.aspx?layout=bikes&taxid=105&technology=true

Think it’s only for 68mm shells though.

cool, thanks – I’ve got a middleburn uno chainring and on-one groove armada cog so 8 speed chain should be ok.

you’re right, I’ve got the BB where it will loosen the chain if it moves rather than tighten, currently. I’ll move it – it’ll raise the axle about an inch but probably not a bad thing.

Older Middleburn rings were 1/8″, so try an old chain first, before shelling out for a new one.

Tim.

will do. think I’ve got one somewhere saved ‘just in case’.

Got one on me Love/Hate- fantastic bit of Kit…

Smooth as you like… 8)

there’s an EBB in there somewhere;

Sliding dropouts FTW 😎

You’ve got your half link chain on backwards too…

Tim.

Rather than hitting it to free it up, just undo whatever holds the EBB in place and ride up a hill.

My PW jammed after repeated river crossings and no TLC. I did exactly that to loosen it, then regreased when I got home. It’s been super-slick since then.

You’ve got your half link chain on backwards too…

ah, the instructions weren’t thatr clear 🙁

*wanders off to sort everythign out*

Chain changed and EBB position moved (riding around didn’t loosen it up but I’ve found a ‘**** it with a hammer’ approach that doesn’t involve crank removal). Now worried chain too tight (although there’s half inch of play mid chainstay).

Now worried chain too tight (although there’s half inch of play mid chainstay).

Sounds perfect.

How can a chain be directional Tim, or was that a wind-up?