Road Cycling - Duraace bottom bracket

Is there a way one can tell the difference between a duraace bottom bracket and a ultegra / or other makes just by looking at it without removing the cranks and bb ?

Splined or square-taper here?

From what I have heard and read, the bottom bracket that needs to be serviced first, is the Dura Ace ;)

hmm i'm not too sure =|

What Bruco said.
The dura ace has adjusting and lock ring's on the outside similar to old style BB's. I have one. Don't get it, rather suffer teh additional weight and get an Ultegra. It's more reliable and costs less

I just overhauled my Dura Ace bb. It is not a true sealed bearing but more like the older cup and cone type. It has both roller and ball bearings. Despite the fact that it is not a true sealed type, the weather protection is very good on it.

I have always liked the cup and cone type over the sealed cartridge type. They spin better! Seals always slow things down. But you do have to clean them more often.


The dura ace has adjusting and lock ring's on the outside similar to old style BB's
This may give some people installation problems because you have to adjust the distance from the cup to the bearings. On a cartridge type you just put it in and do not need to adjust.

D/A is not a cartridge like the Ultegra. Many people do not like it but mechanics like me love them as we can tune them better and actaully lube/grease them.

HOme mechanics, like myself, might find the need to rebuild twice a year a bit much, but it does perform really well. That said, I'll be putting an Ultegra in my bike in the next month or so.

But, I think the original question has been answered, so I'll just shut up.

The Dura Ace will be the one that is ~60 grams lighter...;)

ps. 1,400+ miles on my Dura Ace BB (in Maine no less) without a problem.

I can usually get a season out of mine without having to rebuild it, which, for me, is usually around 3000 miles. I don't get any slop or anything in the BB, but when I pull it out it's pretty obvious that it's time for a rebuild.

how long do you guys service the BB ? any milege to clock before each service?

depends onthe milegae and your riding conditions, lot s of wet riding I service every 3 months. otherwise it should be done once a yr.
I don't go on mileage becasue Grease starts to break down when exposed to air anyway so timebased maintenance is better IMO.