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Any maintenance schedule for Fixed bottom bracket

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Old 12-03-18 | 12:45 PM
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Any maintenance schedule for Sealed bottom bracket

My new bike seems to have fixed bottom bracket unit. My doubts are if there requires any maintenance like greasing. My rides are just 30 kms per week and I don't ride the bicycle in rains. Will there be any routine maintenance so that I will start buying the BB Removal tool.
Thank you

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Old 12-03-18 | 01:01 PM
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By "fixed bottom bracket," do you mean a cartridge-type bottom bracket? If so, most are not user-serviceable. When they go bad, you simply replace the whole unit.

If you mean something else, please clarify.
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Old 12-03-18 | 01:18 PM
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Originally Posted by JohnDThompson
By "fixed bottom bracket," do you mean a cartridge-type bottom bracket? If so, most are not user-serviceable. When they go bad, you simply replace the whole unit.

If you mean something else, please clarify.
It's written Sealed bottom bracket. I suppose it's cartridge-type bottom bracket. Thanks for mentioning that it requires no servicing but how long it lasts?
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Old 12-03-18 | 01:27 PM
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How long it will last is difficult to predict. Depending on the quality of the cartridge and the conditions in which you ride, it could last one season or several decades. If it starts making gruesome noises or feels rough when spinning the cranks, that's an indication it should be replaced.
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Old 12-03-18 | 02:55 PM
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And I'll add Francis's many times repeated advice about fixed/single chains tensions. That is the right chain tension is no tension.

Why do I mention that here in a thread about BB life? Because a too tight chain will prematurely wear a BB bearing. Andy
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Old 12-03-18 | 03:40 PM
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Andy,
Your response has raised a question for me. On my wife's touring bke she has a Rohloff. What is the proper amount of tension?
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Old 12-03-18 | 03:42 PM
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"It depends" isn't wrong, but for a more useful answer a Shimano cartridge bottom bracket can be expected to last 10,000 miles, and I'd personally expect quite a bit more than that. That would be near 10 years at the weekly mileage you mentioned.

No maintenance on sealed bottom brackets.
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Old 12-03-18 | 04:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Tandem Tom
Andy,
Your response has raised a question for me. On my wife's touring bke she has a Rohloff. What is the proper amount of tension?
None, really.

However: Chainrings are rarely perfectly concentric with the crank so if you put the bike on the work stand and spin the cranks you will notice some difference in chain tension as the crank rotates. Find the place where the chain tension is tightest and adjust it so that it's just barely taut at that point.
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Old 12-03-18 | 04:24 PM
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Originally Posted by jonahmano
It's written Sealed bottom bracket.
It may be a cup and cone type and therefore serviceable. Shimano, Sun Tour and others used to label their cup-and-cone bottom brackets and hubs as "sealed", meaning they had O-ring seals to protect the bearings. They were not cartridges. Have your bottom bracket looked at by someone who can be sure what type it is or post a picture of it.
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Old 12-03-18 | 04:38 PM
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Originally Posted by wphamilton
"It depends" isn't wrong, but for a more useful answer a Shimano cartridge bottom bracket can be expected to last 10,000 miles, and I'd personally expect quite a bit more than that. That would be near 10 years at the weekly mileage you mentioned.
I agree, the Shimano cartridges are a good value and should easily last several seasons. But we don't know that the OP has a Shimano cartridge. It could be one of the less reliable units (I'm looking at you, YST), in which case a much shorter life is likely.
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Old 12-04-18 | 11:58 AM
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Originally Posted by HillRider
It may be a cup and cone type and therefore serviceable. Shimano, Sun Tour and others used to label their cup-and-cone bottom brackets and hubs as "sealed", meaning they had O-ring seals to protect the bearings. They were not cartridges. Have your bottom bracket looked at by someone who can be sure what type it is or post a picture of it.

Hope this helps. Thanks a lot.
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Old 12-04-18 | 12:01 PM
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The photo doesn't add enough to give us real insight yet. Was there a lock ring on this LH side? The BB face paint suggests not. If that's is the case, no lock ring, then the BB is most likely a "cartridge unit" and not a cup and cone user serviceable one. Andy
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Old 12-04-18 | 12:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Andrew R Stewart
The photo doesn't add enough to give us real insight yet. Was there a lock ring on this LH side? The BB face paint suggests not. If that's is the case, no lock ring, then the BB is most likely a "cartridge unit" and not a cup and cone user serviceable one. Andy
No Lock ring. in the other side it is like this...I don't see any lock rings.
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Old 12-04-18 | 12:04 PM
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Originally Posted by JohnDThompson
I agree, the Shimano cartridges are a good value and should easily last several seasons. But we don't know that the OP has a Shimano cartridge. It could be one of the less reliable units (I'm looking at you, YST), in which case a much shorter life is likely.
I will go for the Shimano when this one gets worn out.
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