FSA Gossamer chainset

[jpembroke]

<ends up ordering new Dura-Ace chainset to match bottom bracket>

 

[jpembroke]

So, I bought the FSA Gossamer 46/36 chainset from CRC for £39.99, opened the box and guess what? They've thrown a BB in too. £39.99 for a chainset and a BB!!!!!!! Bargain!

 

[lukesdad]

Threw my gossamer in the bin.

 

[jpembroke]

Threw my gossamer in the bin.

Well, whilst I accept it's not the best chainset on earth, at that price it's probably worth it for the chainrings alone. I don't hold out much hope for the BB though, which apparently is made out of putty and cardboard.

 

[John the Monkey]

Well, whilst I accept it's not the best chainset on earth, at that price it's probably worth it for the chainrings alone. I don't hold out much hope for the BB though, which apparently is made out of putty and cardboard.

Putty?

You were lucky (etc).

 

[jpembroke]

I think the cheap ones are made out of cardboard, the mid-range have some putty, and the ceramic ones are made of broken dinner plates.

 

[Dave5N]

Buy it. You'll sell it for more on ebay.

I got one on my new 'cross bike. Only ridden it once. Chainset did what it needed to. Can't say I paid it a lot of attention.

 

[jpembroke]

yes, I did buy it. £39.99 for a chainset and bottom bracket is a bonkers price. Looks nice and functions fine (friction in comparison to my old square taper stronglight is extraordinary though).

 

[jpembroke]

FSA Gossamer update: Oh my word! What a pile of junk:

1) LH crank bolt rounded off - replaced by CRC
2) Bottom bracket lasted 5 months - replaced with 105 BB (slight difference in diameter meaning I had to hammer the chainset home with a rubber mallet)
3) Creaking/grinding continues due to knackered crush washers - To their credit, FSA are sending replacements free of charge.

So, this week I'll be removing this crudely designed CSO (Chainset-Shaped Object) and refitting my stronglight compact with UN54 square taper BB, which I should never have removed in the first place. Just glad I didn't sell it.

Oh, and I'll probably put it on ebay. Take note CCers: don't buy it!

 

[gbb]

IIRC my Bianchi has a Mega Exo chainset/BB on, no problems at all in the 18 months ive had it. Still feels as good as the day i got it. Chainrings have worn and been replaced tho...

 

[buddha]

When new my Gossamer BB made an awful tinkling/grinding noise. After around 100 miles the noise had almost gone. A year later and it is silent. Even after all the snow, salt and my lack of maintenance.
The chainset's going well too.

 

[jpembroke]

Hmm, so it may get better? Not sure if I can wait to find out; it's driving me mad.

 

[gouldina]

FSA Gossamer update: Oh my word! What a pile of junk:

1) LH crank bolt rounded off - replaced by CRC

<snip>

Hmm, interesting. See THIS thread. Guess the crankset.

Yup, you got it! The crank bolt seemed very soft indeed. Wassatallabouten?

 

[jpembroke]

The problem here is that the LH crank bolt is not designed to be tightened up very much; it's just supposed to be tight enough to preload the bearings. Shimano have been clever here in that their LH crank bolt has an odd star shaped hole, which requires a proprietary tool - a small disk of plastic. This means you can't tighten it up much as you can't get much torque using the tool. FSA however supply a crank bolt that has a standard 5mm allen fitting. It is therefore very easy to overtighten the bolt, which causes the whole unit to bind during rotation and also knackers the crush washers.

In short, my problems with this crankset are due, in part, to my original lousy installation. Still reckon it's a pile of junk though.

Just refitted my Stronglight chainset with UN54 BB. It may not look as cool (and weighs 100g more) but it'll still be going strong after another couple of 'cross seasons I bet.