Originally Posted by
JohnDThompson
Would replacing a cartridge bearing bottom bracket every couple years also be "constant maintenance?" I've replaced plenty of cartridges at that service interval on customers' bikes over the years. Granted, some high quality cartridges can last far longer, but the same can be said for high quality loose-bearing bottom brackets. I've had the same Campagnolo Nuovo Record bottom bracket in one of my bike since 1981 and it's still going strong with maintenance only every five years or so.
Based on my own cartridge bottom bracket replacement rate and on the replacement rate for my co-op where we see every kind of bike possible in every kind of condition possible, I'd say that you are way overestimating the replacement interval of cartridge bearing BBs. The cheapest Shimano or even the cheapest Shimano knockoff lasts much longer than 2 years in my experience, even under heavy useage.
And, while high quality loose bearing bottom brackets can last quite a while, those are rarities. Most loose bearing bottom brackets are very poor quality to start with. I'm somewhat surprised that DEW21's has a loose bearing bottom bracket at all. I bought a 1990 HardRock new and I'm reasonable certain that it had a cartridge bearing BB