Boardman BB30 problems
Comments
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I've just had what is obviously the same problem. Bought a Boardman Road Team about 3 weeks ago. Have only done 2 rides, totalling no more than 25 miles. During the course of this it developed a horrendous clicking or grating noise from the bottom bracket, in time with pedal rotation, but not dependent on how hard I was pushing, i.e. it would make the noise with the back wheel off the ground, and even with the chain off the chainwheel. It got so loud that people I was approaching would look round with a "what's that?" expression on their faces.
I've just taken it back to Halfords, and they say the bottom bracket has "collapsed" and needs to be replaced. Since I've only just bought this bike, it's unlikely to be from the supposed faulty batch in 2011, so I deduce that this is a design problem in the bottom bracket and/or the frame.
Does anyone know exactly what the problem is - what has broken/moved/bent, and what makes that noise?
Can anyone suggest a permanent solution, that will not allow the fault to recurr? Can I fit a different type of bottom bracket to this bike?
Thanks - Rowan0 -
rowan.bradley wrote:Can anyone suggest a permanent solution, that will not allow the fault to recurr? Can I fit a different type of bottom bracket to this bike? Thanks - Rowan
Don't buy a BB30 bike that is poorly constructed. :shock:
The BB30 system relies on the interface of the BB and the frame and requires the frame to be well constructed to ensure a good fit between the components. The BB30 Boardman issue is well known and despite supposed improvements is not reliable.
You can fit an adapter to take a non BB30 but that will mean added costs to fix a manufacturers shortcomings.
If you want BB30 that works get a Cannondale.
Yellow is the new Black.0 -
I got my local bike shop to sort this, though they say it might not be "permanent". The problem is well-known. Ask Halfords for one of the bearing sets. Turn it by hand and put your ear close by - and you'll hear the grinding. This is a result of the bearing not sitting in the centre of the BB shell. It will wear even if only out by the smallest of measurements. The repair cost me £52 but Halfords have picked up the bill after some negotiation. The bike runs like a dream now. So stick with it!0
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The Halfords mechanic has just told me that the problem is that the guy who assembled the bike (presumably one of his colleagues) didn't put any grease on the shaft, and it was catching "ever so slightly". He says he has now greased it and it's running fine. I asked whether this had damaged anything, and he claimed not.
Personally it seems to me that the noise I was hearing (very similar to this but worse) cannot possibly be caused by a lack of grease. Something in there is repeatedly catching on or fouling something. Also it seems to me that it's pretty unlikely that nothing has been damaged by riding the bike like that for 20 miles. We will see when I collect the bike tomorrw.
I'm still puzzled as to what's the root cause of this problem:- Is it poor quality bearings (in which case I can fix it by fitting better quality BB30 bearings from a different manufacturer).
- Is it poor manufacture of the frame, e.g. inaccurate boring of the bottom bracket (in which case fitting better bearings will be pouring good money after bad - I'm not sure what can be done if this is the problem, other than demand my money back)
- Is it bad workmanship by the guy who assembled the bike?
- Is the whole BB30 bearing concept fundamentally flawed (in which case maybe I can find a way of using a different type of bearing? Or get my money back...)
I do find it quite staggering that this problem should affect a bike costing over £800, and that this is obviously a long standing and recurrent problem...
Rowan0 -
It's the last one. The press fit concept works in expensive, well constructed frames. Get your money back or resign yourself to an adapter and new cranks.0
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im just about to take my boardman comp back with this problem. clicking bb. i was told on the phone it just needs re greasing but iv got no hope after reading all this.Boardman comp 20120
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rowan.bradley wrote:I'm still puzzled as to what's the root cause of this problem:
- Is it poor quality bearings (in which case I can fix it by fitting better quality BB30 bearings from a different manufacturer).
- Is it poor manufacture of the frame, e.g. inaccurate boring of the bottom bracket (in which case fitting better bearings will be pouring good money after bad - I'm not sure what can be done if this is the problem, other than demand my money back)
- Is it bad workmanship by the guy who assembled the bike?
- Is the whole BB30 bearing concept fundamentally flawed (in which case maybe I can find a way of using a different type of bearing? Or get my money back...)
I do find it quite staggering that this problem should affect a bike costing over £800, and that this is obviously a long standing and recurrent problem...
Rowan
Personally - I have a De Rosa on a SRAM BB30 (standard not ceramic) I am so pleased with it that I would never go back to standard BB. So the concept work IMHO.
I do believe that if you have these bearings though you should be willing to put in a bit of time of maintenance. This I think should also be the case with Boardman bikes - I give mine a re-grease every 2,000 miles - I bought a bearing press as well - the reason for this is - I love my bike like no mechanic in a bike shop will!
So if I had a Boardman bike (I am considering the CX for a winter bike right now) I would straight away put in SRAM bearing and grease them and install them myself - I am guess that would be a big improvement - I cannot believe it can be the quality of the frames BB drilling!0 -
It is. Can't imagine many people wanting to buy the tooling and doinga re-grease every three months.0
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I would hazard a guess that when numpty mechanics are doing the PDI checks on the bikes they are over tightening the crank bolts putting to much side load on the bearings pushing the center race to hard and forcing issues with the balls running out of track sort of thing.
I bought a Boardman team and took it boxed,I spent the afternoon building it and its a very nice second bike.
Well chuffed with it and a lot of the guys at the club run gave nice comments too!!0 -
A few weeks ago I got my Boardman Hybrid Pro back from Halfords having replaced the crank & bearings, it has improved dramatically from the clunk and subsequent creaking following a regrease. However I am now concerned that the bearings do not feel as silky smooth as my 10 year old Shimano cartridge bottom bracket, the bearings feel very slightly notchy (a bit like the second hand of a watch, if that makes sense). Is this normal for a BB30 system or is it time for another trip to Halfords0
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That would be because the fool has over tightened the chainset placing to much side load on the bearings ruining them.cartridge bearings are not designed to with stand high side loads and that is the problem here.Baz8755 wrote:A few weeks ago I got my Boardman Hybrid Pro back from Halfords having replaced the crank & bearings, it has improved dramatically from the clunk and subsequent creaking following a regrease. However I am now concerned that the bearings do not feel as silky smooth as my 10 year old Shimano cartridge bottom bracket, the bearings feel very slightly notchy (a bit like the second hand of a watch, if that makes sense). Is this normal for a BB30 system or is it time for another trip to Halfords
when Halfords staff unbox bike they are told to tighten all bolts for the pdi checks.so some of the Monkeys are over tightening them ruining them before they are even spun.Its nothing to do with grease as cartridge bearings leave their manufactors readily greased.IT`s over tightening thats the problem.0 -
The first paragraph here says it all:
http://www.bike-components.de/bedienung ... g-info.pdf0 -
Over tightening stuff at Halfords? Blimey, they didn't tighten my headset or handle bars at all, in fact if I hadn't checked the bike over myself the damn things would have come off.0
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OK, so where exactly does this leave me?
To recap:-
- A few months ago after less than 500 dry miles the bottom bracket on my Boardman Hybrid Pro started to knock under moderate/heavy cycling effort.
- Halfords regreased the bearings and it immediately started to constantly creak.
- Halfords then replaced the bearings but this made no difference.
- Halfords have now replaced crankset and it is better but slightly notchy (the suggestion is overtightened)
So is the consensus that the bearings are overtightened, if so what damage would this have caused to the crank, bearings, frame etc (over approx 100 miles)?
Baz0 -
Look on other forums - its not just a Boardman bikes issue.
I got my GF a Canondale Caad10 - horrendous BB30 problems - sorted using loctite and a torque wrench, which i did after the lbs couldnt, their solution was ever increasing amounts of grease that just attracted grit and caused more issues.
Seems that some are ok and others not, however even if its ok, you are limited to very expensive FSA/Canondale cranksets - knowing what i know now, i d never touch BB30, a pxxx poor solution to a problem that never existed.0 -
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mamba80 wrote:Seems that some are ok and others not, however even if its ok, you are limited to very expensive FSA/Canondale cranksets - knowing what i know now, i d never touch BB30, a pxxx poor solution to a problem that never existed.
BB30 is a standard size and you can get all major brands that do that size chainset.0 -
I noticed that this has been a problem for at least a year on their bikes, why haven't they changed their bikes?0
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[/quote] BB30 is a standard size and you can get all major brands that do that size chainset.[/quote]
Do they? i think you ll find that Shimano dont and neither do Campag - that leaves FSA and Sram (of the mainstream brands) - both are expensive compared to Shimano and the Canondale Si cranks require a small mortgage to purchase and few BB30 cranksets are ever discounted.0 -
The new boardman's are so cheap because you have to spend £10 replacing the bearings every mile.
I know, I have one.0 -
I still want to know exactly what the noise is which is made by these failed BBs. Mine (which failed after less than 20 miles from brand new) was a heavy clicking sound, made by the bottom bracket. It did it irrespective of how hard I was pushing. It did it without the chain on the chainwheel, so it is nothing to do with the chain or the gear changer. It did it when pedalling either forwards or backwards. In my opinion, this noise could not possibly be made by a misaligned bearing, or a worn one, or one that was too tight or too loose, or one that had no grease on it. Something in there was repetitively catching on something - the bearing cage? But if so, what was catching on it? Does anyone know how many balls there are in one of these bearings, i.e. how many clicks there would be per revolution if this was the cause?
I will not believe that we have the right explanation of this problem until we have an explanation for what causes this noise. And I don't see how we can come up with the right solution unless we fully understand the cause...
Of course this doesn't help to explain why on earth Boardman/Halfords have not come up with a solution for this one problem, which obviously affects a lot of purchasers of this otherwaise excellent bike.
Rowan0 -
That is exactly what's up - the bearing housing is misaligned in the frame, causing undue wear on the BB.rowan.bradley wrote:In my opinion, this noise could not possibly be made by a misaligned bearing, or a worn one, or one that was too tight or too loose, or one that had no grease on it.0 -
Now sorted0
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I'm pretty new the bike scene but wanted something good and lightweight. I went for the Boardman Team Carbon and was chuffed to bits with it for a short time. The left crank arm fell off on the 4th ride and since taking it back to Halfords, the BB has made a horrible creaking/cracking noise when I apply pressure to the pedals. They replaced the BB for me the other week but it's still making the noises. I even changed the pedals in case it was them. Reading the above, it sounds like it is a totally flawed design? I'm no bike mechanic and don't have any specialist tools, so even if I can get Halfords to sort this, what do you advise I do to look after it.0
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smidsy wrote:rowan.bradley wrote:Can anyone suggest a permanent solution, that will not allow the fault to recurr? Can I fit a different type of bottom bracket to this bike? Thanks - Rowan
Don't buy a BB30 bike that is poorly constructed. :shock:
If you want BB30 that works get a Cannondale.
except my Cannondale Supersix which is on its 3rd bearing since January (2500 miles approx). :evil:
And this one sounds as though it is not going to last long.....0 -
and my caad8 that clicks like mad. Iam about to purchase an adapater for standard cranks.0
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It's pretty simple to run Shimano type bearings and cranks on a Cannondale. This adapter can be had for as little as £12 if you shop around.
http://www.westbrookcycles.co.uk/compon ... or-p2026830 -
Sorry I should have said 'A proper Cannondale Hand Made in the USA'.
The modern ones are just as likely to have issues as every other mass produced brand due to their far east origins and 'large corporate' margins.Yellow is the new Black.0 -
This is the definitive answer if you want peace of mind and no noises down below. Get your local bike shop to fit a Praxis adapter and an external BB. A new crankset is likely to be needed. I had the lot done for £108. Expensive considering you have just bought a £1,300 bike but it's done the job after several unsuccessful fix attempts. Total peace of mind.0
