Peek the Geek

I just had a shop build up a bike for me with Ultegra 10-speed triple setup, and I'm wondering how freely the cranks should be rotating. It seems like there's too much resistance.

If I give the cranks on my other bikes a good twirl, the cranksets will rotate very smoothly, making at least 10 revolutions before coming to a gradual stop. On my new bike, if I spin the crankset with the same force, it only makes 2 or 3 revolutions before coming to a stop.

Also, my other bikes make almost no sound when I turn the cranks. On the new bike there is a constant rubbing sound when the cranks are turned.

I'm familiar with making adjustments to older style bottom brackets, and I would just assume this was too tight of an adjustment and go from there. But this new BB/crank style is a new animal to me. Do they require adjustment?

I appreciate any help.

mtbikerinpa

Newer units would more than likely be cartridge type. Not adjustible. That still does not sound like the normal ammount of new-rubber-seal drag common to those. Check with the shop you purchased from. Sometimes you can help it with a few drops of light oil to the seal rings(very minimal, as it will alter the grease if it creeps too much). Check with the shop first.

genericbikedude

ditto mtbikerinpa.

...is it just me, or is anyone else annoyed with the fact that everything from bikes to computers is becoming less and less adjustable for diminishing returns of increased performance, with ever-increasing disposability? I use sealed cartride BB's, but I wouldn't if they made nice weatherproof adjustable ones, maybe with an internal greaseguard or something.

seely

Sounds like they need to be broken in to me. I got a set of used 105 cranks with low miles that would spin about 5x tops with a good hard spin, now they spin longer than I care to sit and watch after about 1,000 mi.

seely

Funny, I was just pondering this today thinking how sweet it would be if someone made a good BB with replaceable cartridge bearings that was user serviceable and adjustable. I'd even settle for a loose ball setup like my old Sugino compact triple perhaps.

Peek the Geek

Thanks, mtbiker. Going back to the shop would have been my first course of action, but the place I bought the bike from is an hour away. I'm gonna follow your advice, though, and take it in to one of shops here in town.

And also, since you seem to know quite a bit about frame finishes and such... is there an easy way to tell if the inside of a frame is treated with some sort of framesaver/rust protection? This shop told me I didn't need to worry about it because Gunnar bikes (what I bought) are treated at the factory. But some info I've come across says otherwise, unless the buyer ponies up some extra dough. I just want to know if the thing's really been treated or not.

mtbikerinpa

Most decent level frames will have a phosphate etch primer coating applied before the paint process takes place. The better companies will even apply it internally. This coating will prevent or hinder rust formation better than the paint/primer itself, primarily when scratched. This will give a darker hue to the metal, sometimes even a purple tint.

Shine a light inside the seat tube into the top tube. In steel the untreated color will be a silverish gray.