Whats the difference – Isis / Octalink – and are they compatible?

Need to replace the Octalink BB on my road bike which is now TEN! years old (if only MTB parts lasted that long).

Is Isis the same thing or do I need to stick specifically with an Octalink BB?

Octalink only.

Isis is not the same thing.

Also, some road Octalink stuff was not the same as other road and MTB Octalink stuff, so be careful when ordering a replacement.

they’re different

and there are even 2 octalink standards/versions – sheldon has a page somewhere
edit: Sheldon

I asked a question about Octalink BB’s a few days ago as my MTB one has just about given up the ghost (not quite 10 years old but still done a good few years), and I wasn’t sure which one to go for.

It seems the world of Octalink is a bit of a minefield compared to the simpler HT2 options.

Best advise I took from the thread is that you’d be better off taking the old one out and reading the model number from the BB itself before ordering a new one.

FWIW, I’ve just ordered mine from Rose bikes for about £17.

Isis has ten splines. I’ll let you count them on the octalink stuff. 😀

Scaredypants – thanks for that link. As the bike is 2002 Dura-ace thats almost certainly a V1 Octalink. I’ll check when I take it apart, but guess I may have trouble finding a replacement for that.

with enough application of the persuasion stick all splines are ‘compatable’….

but guess I may have trouble finding a replacement for that.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=11727