Surely to Christ it isn't beyond the wit and wisdom of some manufacturer to produce a ****ing bottom bracket that doesn't ****ing lunch itself after a few months. Normally for no apparent reason whatsoever.
We can discount isis as a sick joke obviously, but I've tried the lot, Apart from the ridiculously expensive stuff, and a few months is the most I can get out of one.
I've recently resorted to a Howitzer Bottom Bracket, paired with some Holzfeller cranks. I thought, wrongly as it turns out, that seeing as its a ****ing enormous piece of Cromoly with the the biggest ****-off external bearings known to man, and it weighs the same as the rest of the bike, that it might at least make a passable attempt at longevity. But alas no.
Its just let go with an almighty CRUNCH while leisurely pootling down the road. Its now flapping around like a maxi-dress in a typhoon! And sounds like 10 skeletons having an orgy in a biscuit tin!! The frame was faced properly at the LBS when it was fitted so its not that. I ****ing well give up!
Is there anything out there that actually works? Its costing me a ****ing fortune. And Its driving me up the ****ing wall.
I suspect I'm going to be pointed in towards the door marked 'very expensive'
my howitzer lasted for ages. you've obviously spazzed yours up.
Blimey. Have you got legs like Roberto Carlos?
Learn to spin a bit more?
I feel your frustration. After renewing my GXP cups on my Meta about 3 months ago, I thought that would be me for another 18 months or so. No, they shat themselves about 2 weeks ago. Now on Shimano externals. Lets hope they fare better.
I don't have this problem.... btw the best one I found was Arcos, also available in ceramic. Are you doing something wrong maybe?
Top ranting effort!
I think many of us share that particular pain, especially those who've used bottom brackets manufactured by a certain well known recently reanimated Canadian brand.
Blimey. Have you got legs like Roberto Carlos?Learn to spin a bit more?
My guess is half of stw will not get this referrence.
Why not get a hope one where you can change your own barings and buy in a job lot of them?
High five for the rant!
I've been havin' massive trouble with mine, 3 times they've gone back, not sure pushfit BB's are that great. I got told by the mechaic that water had got in and brought in dirt with it which grinds away the seals which is what let go.
i suspect that a combo of degreaser then GT85 spray is probably eating away at the factory sealants causing the BB to fail,
my advice would be to clean the BB with a damp sponge, keep pressure washers and hoses well away and don't coat in GT85, WD40, etc and be careful when degreasing the chain and chain rings
good luck,
Binners, this won't help at all, but that's why I'll tell you anyway; my super-lightweight Ti axled ISIS BB is still working after 8 years or so. Recently seemed a bit worn, bit of play in it, so I packed it with grease and it's fine. Should be able to get 10 years out of it I reckon.
Worst is, I'm younger, better looking and a better rider than you. 😐
Sorry mate, but that's how it is. For you, life's crap. Hey ho...
Console yourself by torturing Hora. That'll make you feel better. 🙂
Hope ones can just have the cartridge bearings swapped out for a few quid for steel ones. A guy I ride with has ceramic Hope BB and its lasted 18 months and he is a big lad.
Elf, a slip of a boy such as yourself can't generate enough torque to trouble even an ISIS BB - this is no help to those of us better endowed in the muscle department.
Sorry, I'm showing my age
http://www.independent.ie/multimedia/archive/00387/robertocarlos_indo_387190t.jp g" target="_blank">
There you go. He's a big lad in the thigh department.
Mol my power-to-weight ratio is phenomenal. But then so are my bike skilz dem. I float over things, rather than just crash through them with all the grace and finesse of a hippopotamus on Ketamine.
Binners doesn't want to hear this, but he needs to.
User error?
You lot wanna get upgrading - everyone knows that the the future is square taper 😀
just buy an acros, yes they are £70 but they have a 2 year warranty as seem to just go on and on.
Buy cheap, buy twice (or 4 or 5 times with BB's)
Binners, this won't help at all, but that's why I'll tell you anyway; my super-lightweight Ti axled ISIS BB is still working after 8 years or so. Recently seemed a bit worn, bit of play in it, so I packed it with grease and it's fine. Should be able to get 10 years out of it I reckon
Pah - I've had my lightweight cromo axle ISIS BB for 16 years and it's still going strong. Clearly I'm a far better rider than you.
I use Royce. Never had a problem. Don't jump much though 😯
Got an XTR BB from Rose for £20 recently.
WOW! Trashing a Howitzer in 3 months is impressive.
You're not cleaning you BB with loads of degreaser and a high pressure hose on a regular basis are you?
I float over things, rather than just crash through them with all the grace and finesse of a hippopotamus on Ketamine.
I can float over things too Fred. A bit like the Hindenburg
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Bluebird. I rarely clean my bike. So overdosing on GT85 definitely isn't the issue. Perhaps being caked in mud 24/7 might be though. Hmmmmmmmmmm
Pah - I've had my lightweight cromo axle ISIS BB for 16 years and it's still going strong. Clearly I'm a far better rider than you.
🙁
I think the facts speak for themselves. I bow down to your superior greatness...
Or I would, had ISIS actually been around that long. 😉
It's a little known fact that I invented ISIS and Chris King stole the idea from me a few years later.
It was you who invented ISIS? I feel a lynch mob coming on. Grab your pitchforks folks!!!
Any limitations to the warranty and has anyone used it? £70 is a LOT for bearings but 2yr warranty I'd be tempted to have a go on my SS slop slurry and winter bike. Oh and does 2 year warranty means 2 years form me dropping £70 or 2yrs per BB? ie if the first one fails after 1 year do I get another 2 years on the second or just 1 more year?richc - Memberjust buy an acros, yes they are £70 but they have a 2 year warranty as seem to just go on and on
And sounds like 10 skeletons having an orgy in a biscuit tin!!
PMSL proper loud laugh Superb
No suggestions tbh I am nowt but a slip of a lad and i reckon on 12 mths absolute tops and rarely get that they are rubbish. About to get an expensive one then go back to square taper if it does not work
I'm a lumbering oaf with no finesse on a bike. I'm baffled by your BB failures. Please tell me what I am doing wrong and help me biff more parts so I too can rant!
Hope here - new bearings aren't that much, haven't needed any yet.
Could it be to do with the threads on your frame being wonky/not faced or something?
OP said already faced, what frame binners?
Can't find where to even buy acros, balfa the distributors appear to have had a server meltdown - or are out of business, anyone know? Or which shops stock acros?
Isis isn't that bad, the one I had lasted ages and I'm quite lazy with maintenance.
Its an Intense 5.5 Frame. Its been faced and properly fitted. I've just ordered another Howitzer BB. No choice really. If I go with anything other than a Howitzer then I'll have to junk the cranks. And thy're nearly bloody new.
65 effing quid!!! I'm going to sit in the corner and sulk for the rest of the afternoon. Harumph! ;(
Cyclopedia in Cardiff 🙂
Acros would be your best bet for the warranty questions, I've had one 18 months and its been faultless so I don't know about the warranty.
Prior to the Acros BB, I was changing them every 3 months, as was a mate who has also switched, and never looked back.
Surely to Christ it isn't beyond the wit and wisdom of some manufacturer to produce a ****ing bottom bracket that doesn't ****ing lunch itself after a few months. Normally for no apparent reason whatsoever.
My old square taper Shimano XT is over 10 year old and on my sons bike now, it's third home.
My external BB's needed replacing (again) and I needed new chain rings too really so I went and bought a Middleburn crank and rings and shimano square taper BB.
Much happier. its dead smooth too.
Got fed up of Raceface ones falling apart after 6-9 months and bought Superstar (there I've said it!) Aerozine HTII 2 years ago. Forgotten it is there, which is the best recommendation I can make for a BB
What you need is a BB that can be re-lubed, with a protective disc to help keep crap out too 8)
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I thought my bike was getting harder to ride up hills in Feb/March. After putting it away and not being able to go out on it due to impending baby etc it sat for about 8 weeks.
I went out to use it and thought it felt even harder to pedal than before. ON examining it, I found that the bottom bracket was only allowing the pedals to turn if i had my full weight on them.
ROsebike sorted me out with an xtr one. Hopefully it will last another year or so as well.
I feel your pain binners. I used to trash external b/b with BETD bearings every 3 months or so. I moved up to Hope ceramic a year ago and I've been impressed but I think it's now dying based on the creaking - it gets one more clean and grease and then it's getting a rebuild.
How simply super. LBS just phoned. Howitzer bottom brackets presently out of Stock with the distributor. Not to worry though, there are some due in at the end of July. Jolly good.
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ORDER ONLINE!!!!!
Open it up, pop the seals, stuff them ful of grease, rebuild and ride. ?
It pains me to say it, but Chris King and their grease tool. Mine's survived around two years of Peak District abuse now and is still going strong. Meanwhile it's outlived around four sets of Hope bearings on a friend's, less ridden, bike.
I don't think it's remotely affordable, but with an occasional de-crank and two minutes with a grease gun, it seems to do exactly what it's supposed to in a pretty brutally abrasive environment which tends to kill bearings fast.
I'd take it over the Acro equivalent every time, killed one of those a couple of years back in a matter of months.
Middleburns and Shimano Square taper here, which has just replaced a 5yr old Deore Crankset and matching Octalink BB.
The Octa BB has only just started to feel a bit gritty.
I recommend you ride a bit more singlespeed to improve your spinning,works for me.
yes, they are absurdly heavy. Mine was also great though, when i sold it on for some much lighter xt's (I am not a breaker of components) the bearings were still well smooth and there was loads of lovely clean blue grease behind the outer bearing covers never mind worrying about the seals on the actual cartridge bearings inside.
Had a look at the bearing sizes? (wider than usual ht2 types iirc) You might be able to press new ones into the cups, a lot of your absurd replacement cost will be for outer seals with the stubby aluminium rings on, the cups and that mofo of a spindle, all of which are presumably fine on your broken one.
binners, just get an old set of raceface, fsa or hope cups and run some of my performance bearings.
Tell you what, get the cups off someone on here and I will give you some of my bearings 2x, then just buy some bb bushes from superstar, I've been running these bearings in bb,s for over 18 months on a lot of my friends bikes and my own and they last ages.
The problem is simply rusting, ever 12 to 18 months open up the bearings and regrease them!