How much to spend on jockey wheels?

chris_bass

I think i need to get some new jockey wheels, I havenet replaced them since I got the bike and they dont spin with their usual vim or vigor these days!

having looked at some they seem to range from very cheap to stupidly expensive!

can anyone recommend some that are better than the standard ones you get but not £100s of pounds?

I have shimano ultegra.

ugo.santalucia

If you take the time to remove them, clean them properly and grease them, they will spin as well as the day you bought the bike.

chris_bass

ugo.santalucia wrote:

If you take the time to remove them, clean them properly and grease them, they will spin as well as the day you bought the bike.

I have alrady done this but they are still a bit worse for wear, and wouldnt they need replacing due to wear like the rear cassette does? and given their sizer and the fact they are always in use wouldnt they wear out pretty quickly?

chrisvanderkaap

I believe that Tacx makes pretty good jockey wheels for all kinds of manufacturers.
You can buy the ones that have sealed bearings which roll a little better and the ones that run of (ceramic or metal) bushings. The ones one bushings are fine as well but like Ugo said need to clean and lube them a little more carefully. Personally I don't see the need for ceramic sealed bearings in jockeys since they don't carry any load like for example hubs or bottom brackets do.


Responding to you question about wear, yes they do wear but not as rapidly as metal on metal contacts. Keeping them clean will stop sand, grease and grime from grinding them down and will make them last very long. I usually replace them after replacing a drivetrain (cassette, chain, chainring) for the second time..

rolf_f

BBB ones with sealed bearings will probably cost less than replacement bushed Shimano ones. Should cost less than a tenner.

chris_bass

excellent thanks

makes sense about the wear now you've said it!

ugo.santalucia

If you really want some new ones, get those without bearings... it's not a good place to fit crappy sealed bearings... they will die in no time... bushings are just fine and allow for some lateral play, which in turn means fewer shifting problems

keef66

My 105 jockey wheels were getting a bit draggy even after wiping them down and lubricating them in situ. So I took them out one at a time,* dismantled and properly cleaned and relubed the bushings. Lots of internal muck in there. Much better now.

* If you do them one at a time it keeps the rear mech cage together and you cannot possibly put them back the wrong way round

rolf_f

ugo.santalucia wrote:

If you really want some new ones, get those without bearings... it's not a good place to fit crappy sealed bearings... they will die in no time... bushings are just fine and allow for some lateral play, which in turn means fewer shifting problems

Swings and roundabouts. The BBB ones on my MTB last pretty well. On the other hand, bushings often sieze and you end up with the jockey wheel spinning outside of the bushing (if I got that the right way round). Admittedly that doesn't stop the bike working (which is really a commendation for the bushings) but I suppose it puts extra drag in the drivetrain.

And, of course, jockey wheels with bearings are also designed to allow for lateral play so that isn't really a benefit specific to bushings.