Hi all,

Thank you everybody for your ideas/input. It seems to me there are plenty of options, including external or cartridge bottom brackets.

The SKF option is intriguing. I'd hate to drop $150 on a BB, but if it is guaranteed to last 100,000 km it might be the way to go for s long trip.

To answer cyccommutes's question... my Shimano 105 BB worked well from Alaska through Mexico. But torrential rains in British Columbia and lots and lots of sand in Baja did slow it down. When I tore the bike apart after the trip there was definitely some stickiness in the BB. I probably could have gone another 1000 miles without a problem, but it's definitely time to replace it.

I'm skiing in Argentina right now and will be in Uruguay next week. If I come across any bike shops I'll ask about what type of BB is most common in small South American towns.

Again, thanks for your help everybody.

Pat