outboard BB's, whats the verdict?

mididoctors
mididoctors Posts: 18,909
edited June 2010 in Workshop
OK so we have all been using these for a fair few years now...

is it me or do the bearings go more often than sealed units?

there's a sealed athena square taper unit on one of my old steel steeds that is over 10 years old and still going fine
"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm

Comments

  • Old Tuggo
    Old Tuggo Posts: 482
    mididoctors wrote:
    OK so we have all been using these for a fair few years now...

    is it me or do the bearings go more often than sealed units?

    there's a sealed athena square taper unit on one of my old steel steeds that is over 10 years old and still going fine
    They have a short life on MTB's and they do not spin as fast as the older types.
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    yes

    although the sealing is getting better.
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  • paul64
    paul64 Posts: 278
    So the main advantages of outboard BBs are lighter weight and easier to change?
  • pastey_boy
    pastey_boy Posts: 2,083
    paul64 wrote:
    So the main advantages of outboard BBs are lighter weight and easier to change?
    also lighter and stiffer bb spindle. a new taper roller has just started to appear from taiwan that looks to sort out the longevity and the new unit is fully serviceable very easy to maintain aswell as being offered with a 5 year warranty in some cases
    http://www.burls.co.uk/shop/kcnc-taper- ... p-890.html
    or
    http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_ ... a21287c4cb
    also
    http://clee-cycles.co.uk/cc/catalog/pro ... 8ee4e077fb
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  • satanas
    satanas Posts: 1,303
    The main advantage is that they can be hyped as new and improved and so gullible people think they need to buy them = more income for manufacturers when people replace perfectly good stuff because of fashion.

    To be fair, some of them are lighter than the older types, but on the flipside ankle clearance is invariably worse, Q factor is usually higher, bearing life may be worse, and chainline adjustment is usually impossible. Much quicker to replace cranks or BBs, so that's good for pro teams.

    I have a collection of old cold-forged low Q cranks, and prefer to avoid EBB types. FWIW, I still have loose bearing BBs in use dating back as far as 1982...

    Having said that, BB30 and Pressfit30 offer all the good points of EBBs, but with the bearings inside the shell, and more stiffness, less weight, plus better ankle clearance. This is where I'd go now, given the choice. So far, not all that many bikes are available with BB30/PF30 BB shells, but this may well improve since Sram, FSA, Bianchi and Cannondale are all promoting the system, amongst others. Specialized are using a proprietary version of BB30 on their MTBs, with a wider than normal shell.

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