Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - bottom bracket options

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panasoanic
08-29-03, 09:26 AM
I am in the market for a new bottom bracket and possible set of new shorter cranks. However, I do have some questions. Is there any benefit in using a splined bottom bracket and cranks over a square tapered set? I am a light guy and so I won't be putting down much torque. I just want something very reliable. My friend has had good success with one of those ISIS compatible systems and swears by them. Is splined just another gimmick to part more cash from cyclists or is it a worthwhile investment?

roadfix
08-29-03, 10:31 AM
Is this gonna be for a S/S Mtb or fixed roadie? And if for the fixed road, are you looking for track cranks or standard road?

George
panasoanic
08-29-03, 11:05 AM
George,

The bike that I am setting up is going to be a fixed road bike. I'm leaning towards track cranks as I really wary of pedal strike during cornering, though I am not sure how much of a difference 5mm is going to make with the way that I ride.

All in all, I just want a reliable city bike that can take up some abuse.

riderx
08-29-03, 11:53 AM
Because of the design, splined bottom brackets use smaller bearings and seem to wear out faster than standard (note: the life expectancy has been reported by other people, I don't ride splined).

Regardless of being a light weight rider, if you are riding a lot of hills, single speeding and fixed gear riding is going to put a lot more stress on your bottom brackets than normal riding. I weigh 150-155 lbs. and was going through a Shimano UN72 about every 4 months on my MTB SS. Finally I ponied up for a rebuildable RaceFace and have had better success. My fixed gear has faired better with the UN72's, but it still sees a lot of stress.

Just my $.02