Anyone else ever need new BB external bearing cup replacement after 2k of dry road miles? This seams to me like a manufacturing defect and not a wear issue because I have never had to replace one or am I talking out my butt.

REI CO-OP AD1.1 just 12 weeks old

They should replace it. 2K miles is no where long enough life for that BB.

Because they are external the crud you rode through, over those many miles, will contaminate the bearings sooner..

Does your bike have full mudguards with a long front low mudguard flap to reduce the wheel spray?

The bike has only seen a single 20 min shower in those 2k mikes, I hand wash and dry no power washer, it's been dry here for a while looking forward to real soak this Sunday.

I like the way you think

What symptoms lead you to believe the bearings are bad?

2k for external shimano octalink bearings is way to soon...... not sure if this could happen if the pre-load is too high bike looks nicely specced https://www.rei.com/product/122462/c...kaAuzoEALw_wcB

Ok, now that you voiced your complaint what are you going to do ?

Did you ask REI Customer/member services yet?

It started with a creek when L pedal was at 7 O'clock when under load on every rotation if no pressure applied to R then no noise or if very light pressure applied, flats and genital downhills or if only pedaling with L foot clipless then nothing. Every item was removed and cleaned greased replaced or outright swapped out, pedals, saddle, thudbuster, cranks, cages, fenders etc. If you hand load the R and then press the L you get the creek without even rotation just standing there. All torque settings were in line with specs. And with added miles it got louder and longer in duration.

If your bike is like the one in the link it's not an external bearing, rather the older cartridge type Octalink. It would be unusual for one to die in 2000 miles. Suggest you have REI look at it and keep an open mind. Something else may be going on.

Sounds like interesting terrain!

https://www.rei.com/product/122462/c...es-adv-11-bike

to my reading they say an Octalink* , which is not what they fit. see : "specifications subject to change without notice"

frame not having a perfect machined/ aligned BB shell ? so bearing cartridges went in 'cattywampus' ..




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Dropped it off there yesterday Don't know how fast they can get to it. Fingers crossed This was not meant as a complaint just a question about BB failure.

Many possibilities . 20 questions is done a lot here..

I personally have only internal bearing Style Cranks...

all square taper but for 1 with Octalink splined BB/ arm interface




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Highly relevant, as usual.

you a clairvoyant expert? did you solve it? No.

REI fully guarantees their bikes for one year, I believe. You should have no problem, if you're able to bring it back to them.

Yep. And I agree with shelbyfv that it is probably something else.

Is the only issue with the bearings the creak? I wouldn't call that "gone". To me, "gone" means the bearings are shot, perhaps accompanied by a grinding sound. Creaks can be the devil to find and silence but many bottom brackets have lasted 10s of thousands of miles after creaks started.

I haven't used an external BB yet, but I hear they can have very hard to chase down creaks.

Ben

I'm pretty sure the "Octalink" spec on the REI webpage is an error. It's Hollowtech II.

I was gonna post this because I couldn't resist. Glad you got to it first)

Yep, grab that low hanging fruit....

That is definitely some low hanging "fruit"...I'm glad it's Friday...if it doesn't rain, even better...

Glenn

Case closed bearing replaced no charge. Manufacturer defect in installation of BB. The BB is a Shimano Hollowtech II MTB BB not the spec Octo that they have on line. Thank you for the responces and the humor due to auto spell check and my lack of proofreading. Enjoy the weekend!

As far as I know, Octalink bottom brackets do not have external cups. Must be an error on that spec sheet