BB on my Zesty has gone (as they all do!). Lasted a year though which is not bad apparently… 😯

Anyway – anyone replaced one of these in the time honoured “bit of wood and a hammer” method rather than the “expensive bearing press” method favored by those of a less bodgetastic persuasion?

Planning on having a go but wondered if this is unrealistic?

Wood and hammer is OK for putting the cups back in. You will destroy the cups and sleeve if you hammer them out with a drift.

I went for the middle ground between “bit of wood and a hammer” and “expensive bearing press” and bought a £30 headset press which does the job and is useful for other things.

This one; http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cyclus-headset-press/

As above. Though I have also used a couple of bits of wood and a clamp before I had the headset press.

Its a lot of bashing and swearing and cursing using wood or other drifts.

You destroy the whole bb essentially, but if you’re fitting a new onw it doesn’t matter.

I used:
– a chunk of broom handle – the bb cup split the wood before it budged.
– a screwdriver – this bent the cup edges but didn’t budge the cup in the shell
– a socket extension – hard to pick up on the internal edges of the bb shell but eventually managed it

Its not pretty. Internal BB’s might be stiffer, give bigger weld area etc etc but they’re no better sealed and they’re harder to change at home. A crap design.

Just such an annoying niggle to an ace bike like the Zesty!

Had a zesty for 3 years – got through a few bb. I used a headset press to get it in, actually found getting them out more of a ball-ache. Ended up buying the shimano tool for getting them out.

Thanks everyone. Just the info I needed, and no comments on the state of my lawn. Top service from the STW hive mind. Off to the shed to find a broom handle…