Thoughts on bottom brackets?

[12boy]

Cartridge bearing headsets, BBs and hubs are what I like. While it is true my campy hubs and BBs when freshly lubed and properly adjusted are smooth and might work better, never worrying about those components easily trumps that. for me.

 

[Ajax Bay]

unlike the old square taper UN55 which can go on for intergalactic mileages.

In your universe, clearly the galaxies are rather close together. My UN55, installed about 2 years ago, needs replacing, and has only done about 20,000 km. Quite happy with that, though, and a new one is in the sideroom/workshop ready for installation.

The snag with sealed bearings is that once water gets past the seals it can't easily get back out so the bearing goes rusty.

Edited to add: Has been through a flooded Devon road about 600mm deep (in the dark btw so didn't realise till too far in and needed to keep pedalling!) and whereas I serviced the hubs immediately (and emptied the rims and frame of water) I did not remove the UN55.

 

[Blue Hills]

Cartridge bearing headsets, BBs and hubs are what I like. While it is true my campy hubs and BBs when freshly lubed and properly adjusted are smooth and might work better, never worrying about those components easily trumps that. for me.

+1 to cartridge (as in ST or at a push Octalink) but - 1 to cartridge hub bearings. Much prefer standard loose balls in my hubs.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

+1 to cartridge (as in ST or at a push Octalink) but - 1 to cartridge hub bearings. Much prefer standard loose balls in my hubs.

Never, ever Octalink. It is only one better than BB30 PF, and that's like saying that Gregorian chant is one better than ecclesiastic pan flute.

 

[raleighnut]

To be fair to cartridge units, the old cup and cone BBs generally fail because of water ingress and rust-pitted races; they are never very well sealed, because they have to be maintainable. If water doesn't get past the perfunctory lip seals on the axle, it comes down the seat tube and ruins the bearings that way. The UN55-type cartridge units have smaller bearings and may not last as long under ideal conditions, but that's irrelevant if you ever ride the bike in the rain.

The snag with sealed bearings is that once water gets past the seals it can't easily get back out so the bearing goes rusty.

 

[Blue Hills]

Never, ever Octalink. It is only one better than BB30 PF, and that's like saying that Gregorian chant is one better than ecclesiastic pan flute.

I do prefer square taper - though have not had mega issues with Octalink on two bikes - my excellent Ridgeback Expedition 26 inch tourer came with Octalink - I guess because of availability of Shimano chainsets when they launched it - I may change it to square taper in time.

Can I ask what you think are the issues with Octalink compared to square taper? Bearing size? An open question I stress, not argument seeking (always best to stress on here )

I did have an ISIS BB on a dahon sports bike - that was a total piece of ****.

will pass on your gregorian flute analogy

 

[Yellow Saddle]

I do prefer square taper - though have not had mega issues with Octalink on two bikes - my excellent Ridgeback Expedition 26 inch tourer came with Octalink - I guess because of availability of Shimano chainsets when they launched it - I may change it to square taper in time.

Can I ask what you think are the issues with Octalink compared to square taper? Bearing size? An open question I stress, not argument seeking (always best to stress on here )

I did have an ISIS BB on a dahon sports bike - that was a total piece of ****.

will pass on your gregorian flute analogy

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/square-taper-v-octalink.182341/#post-3758099

There's no need to apologise when asking questions - ever. But, stay away from those chanting flutes.

 

[Blue Hills]

cripes - a thread I started! maybe senility is approaching

will read and digest.

thanks