I have just killed a shimano deore bottom bracket in about 100 miles.So what is better but not pricey? or do I go back to square taper which lasted a couple of years?

My Hope ceramic is 2 years old and cost £50 off ebay

hope bb's are currently on offer at cr.

Raceface this ones very good.Works lasts longer than Shimano type too..
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=6201

I've just given the betd stainless ones a go so far so good…

Buy quality, cry once. Chris king for me. 8 months in and faultless.

truvativ howitzer. I dare you to break it/wear it out. Nearly 2 years running it on a Soul.

trailmonkey – won't work with anything but truvativ chainsets tho!!

Deore's not great, very basic seals, but if it died in 100 miles something's gone wrong, mine is way over a thousand and still in good shape. I'm not sure if I believe in facing, but I do believe in other ways to kill a BB…

how do people go through a bb in a few months??? ive had a square taper shimano one that's 14years old and still running smooth its outlived numerous cranksets

Could be shell facing, could be bb shell width, could be the pre-tension screw was overloaded. But no bottom bracket should die in 100 miles.

are you blasting it with a power-wash?

Hope steel bb here going well despite several truly grotty rides

My Hope stainless one is 2 years old and showing no sign of play or any damage. I'm hoping to get another year or 2 out of it before it gets serviced!

When people ask, "are you blasting it with a power wash?" – is blasting when you are a foot and a half away, or a couple of inches?

ta, thebunk

Crag – Member
Buy quality, cry once. Chris king for me. 8 months in and faultless.

I'll buy cheap and cry none 🙂

Any use of a power wash is blasting it unless you're standing 20ft away (and even then…)

I thought RaceFace had a pretty bad rep re. BBs?

racing ralph – oh yeah 😳

+1 with poppa, RF use max compliment which is blamed for their lack of durability (nowhere for crud to go is the theory) but RF are almost universally considered worse than shimano.
I got some bearings for a fiver of fleabay (loads of threads on this) and will be replacing mine when they die (RF on one bike, shimano on another) interested to see how long they last.

not using a power wash ,and all my square taper ones last years as well.68mm shell and not over tensioned by the way

hope ceramic, ages old, been under water and all sorts. i swear i could tell the difference over an xt one. for about 200 yards anyway, then it was just as hard to pedal as it always was!

highly unscientific test: if you take the chain off the front 'rings and spin the cranks at a slowish speed, with a ceramic bb the cranks will do about 8 revs, whereas the xt one will do about 3.5/4

Edric, could be BB trueness, old square taper cartridge are tolerate due to they way they fit, but external cup bearings rely on the bb shell faces being square and parallel to each other to align them.. If that is out the they will wear quicker, but even then 100miles is madness…

I have managed to get the old bearings out and change them but have buggered the crap seal that fits over the top.I thinkIwill grease it and run it like this until I get another old bb and tke the seals off ,probably from the inside this time.The bearings are less than 5 quid a pair off ebay