Changing (back) to square taper from Hollowtech..?

Recall selling a 1994 Orange Clockwork frame a few years ago; it still had the original square taper BB in it – and it still spun sweetly despite (if I recall) no maintenance in the 12yrs I had it. Can’t say I’m exactly overwhelmed with Hollowtech BB’s. Shimano do the M442 square taper crankset for £40 or so, and the BB’s half that or so. Am sorely tempted! Middleburn or the likes not in the budget at the moment.

How many folk have gone (back) to square taper?

Shimano do the M442 square taper crankset for £40 or so

I got one for half that last summer, and the (steel) rings are still fine 🙂

Me, got fed up with getting though so many sets, faced and fitted correctly so can only think my grinding style don’t suit them.

Dug out an old square taper and it seems to up to the task of my ss grinding..

I’ve had the M442 cranks on my ss for years and they’re fine.

HT1 [Octalink] works well for me with reasonable time before failure on the BBs

Used basic square taper (M440) cranks for years now – never a problem. In fact the new frame i am building will have square taper, UN54 with M442 cranks. If it aint broke, etc

HH – forks arrived BTW – cheers! 😀

I only “upgraded” to HT2 cos the sq taper was creaking alot (presumably due to jumps etc, htough I am no big jumper)

Do they still support HT1?

Managed to get ‘As New’ Shimano XT M750 chainset for under £30 and then got a UN54 BB: both going strong after well over a year of cycling…top stuff.

Rose tinted glasses?

i surely cant be the only one who rmembers SQ tapers bending?

and IME they only lasted 10-11 months, which doesnt seem to far from, if not sorter than external ones.

i surely cant be the only one who rmembers SQ tapers bending?

only if you’re a fat knacker 🙁

I realise its not an MTB, but my road bike came with a square taper. Fine I thought. Nope, it flexed like a fecker so swapped to a HT2 Tiagra number – loads better.

And I’m not a fat knacker. Maybe.

Yeah to me the current system is much better. I was constantly rounding off crank arms with square taper.

Yeah your’ll tell me Im doing something wrong but no problems after 1 1/2 years with HT2 BB.

I also mad a Octalink + HT1 combo for many year with out problem.

But square taper no thanks.

sq taper on all 3 mtbs.
done the HT2 and ISIS thing, and nothing suits me better than sq taper. never had issues with the tapers rounding or anything…
plan to carry on using them for as long as i can get BBs for them 🙂

The original Octalink was great – splines but ‘internal’ BB – mine ran for 4 years a pop on a daily used FS bike….

£9.49 at http://www.DirtyJobikes.co.uk

I have never left square taper. I see all those around me with crappy exernal bb sets not lasting 6 months. I had a hope square taper in my old ti frame and after 8 years was only replaced (with a Royce) cause one of the cups had seized and had to be cut out. Hope could not supply a replacement as they stopped them years ago.

The Royce bb Now in both bikes will spin 20 full revs with a firm tap (and the chain off of course)

Stoney – surely you’re comparing a ‘bling’ STBB to a standard shimano HT2 BB. The cheaply made Shimano units aren’t gonna compare with a precision engineered unit.

My money says we’ll all be waxing lyrical about Chris King external BB’s in 10 years time when the ‘next big thing’ comes along!!