Ok, bottom brackets (BBs) are far from the sexiest parts of a bike. But they man well be the hardest component to shop for. First off, there are, seemingly,
a gazillion different types with at least one new one to be introduced by the time I finish typing this. Then, there is the price range. One can pay nearly $250 for a Campy BB or about $25 for low end Shimano or Sun[Foo] BB.
For the novice bike mechanic, just figuring out which BB type one needs is challenging. Then, it is necessary to pick from the order of magnitude range of compatible parts. I'm hoping that someone could put together a little shopping checklist to help with that part of the decision. What makes a Campy Centaur ISO square-taper better than a Chinese or Tiawanese ISO square taper that is a tenth the price? What factors make that so? Weight, durability, low-maintenance, lower friction? Are there different value judgements on BBs for crits, tri, loaded touring, various mountain disciplines, commuting?
As an example, I can pretty easily figure out -- reading forums like this, reading Sheldon Brown, etc. -- that Continental Gatorskins or Schwalbe Duranos are excellent choices for training in goathead country or commuting on roads filled with potholes and broken glass. I can easily discover that a steel frame with pretty lugs and a boatload of braze-ons might be perfect for a touring ride while it is less than ideal for a competitive triathlon. Within the first few Google results, I can find YouTube videos showing exactly how to measure ischial tuberosities so I can pick a perfect width saddle.
Can someone help novice mechanics make the same kind of choice with regard to replacing or upgrading bottom brackets?
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Originally Posted by
SkyDog75
- Phil Wood is a boutique brand. Really high quality stuff, but you pay a substantial premium for the workmanship. Sugino's inexpensive bottom brackets are decent quality, but utilitarian.
- If you're racing, you'll probably want something light. In general, the lighter, the costlier.
- For loaded tours, you'll want something reliable because you don't want to be stranded in the middle of nowhere. You don't need light, you need durable.
- If you're a clydesdale, you don't need to pay a price premium for a high-end racing-oriented bottom bracket. Kinda silly to spend a bunch to save a few grams when you're carrying extra pounds.
- If there's a benefit to ceramic balls, I'm sure it would be too small for me to notice. Maybe if someone's looking to shave a thousandth of a second off their race time...
- It's probably easier to identify a known decent inexpensive part than to identify all the ones that aren't up to snuff. Shimano's inexpensive square taper bottom brackets like the UN-55 have a solid reputation.
Originally Posted by
headloss
- Longevity, bearing grade, sealing, and in some cases, rebuild-ability. I suspect that a Phil Wood or SKF BB would long outlast other cartridge style square taper BBs, given the same use. Hard to say with any certainly since no objective 3rd party tests exist to my knowledge.
- One of the reasons that I like outboard bottom bracket cups is that you can just replace the bearings when necessary without buying an entire assembly, which is why I'm not really looking back to square taper, ISIS, or Octalink with any fondness. The only exception is if I can't find a crank that I like which works with outboard style bearing cups (some of the Sugino touring cranks, for example, which are square taper only).