Hello everyone!

I am thinking of swapping my Omnium crank with Sugino 75 crank. I had a look on the suginos and hatta bb, I am struggling to understand the difference between Sugino 75 Super Lap BB and Hatta R9400 BB except both are equipped with mirror ball race. Is there anymore differences that cause the differences in price (Sugino Super Lap for $119 and Hatta for $95)? Anyone been using these BB now or before? Any (good and bad) feedback on those? Cheers! Thanks!

They are both very high quality, but completely unsealed and really only intended for track use. If you plan on riding on the road, then I'd get a sealed cartridge BB like a Tange-Seiki instead.

Hello! Thanks for your reply. I dont really understand "completely unsealed and really only intended for track use", could you explain it more further? Cheers and thanks!

Rain, dirt and mud can get into the bearings from the gap between the spindle and the cups. They leave out the seal* to reduce friction.


By seal, I mean the little rubber or plastic bit that prevents water intrusion. NOT a semi-aquatic marine mammal. You can't get one of those with a BB for less than $200.

Oh and certainly not Seal, the British singer and song writer. You don't get that either.

LOL! Does Sugino manufactures any sealed BB? Or do I really need to stick with Tange-Seiki as Trackie mentioned above?

I use that Tange, it is an excellent piece of equipment. You can get it from Retrogression.

You can also use a Phil Wood cartridge BB.

ISO spindle length options are 108mm and 110.5mm. Both will work with Sugino 75 arms depending on how much chainstay clearance you need or want to have.

so if I use that bottom bracket I won't get a "kiss from a rose"?

I have an unsealed Sugino bottom bracket with loose bearings. I ride the bike in Seattle in the wet but I do dry my bike off after rainy rides.

If you use thick marine type grease (I use Lucas red) and just periodically check your bottom bracket for dirt/water, you'll have a lot better luck with catching any potential issues. Inspecting your bottom bracket can be done quickly with the right tools...maybe it's the masochist in me but I find it fun being able to visually check everything/repack the bearings.

Only downside is that you can wear the taper on your cranks over time from pulling them off/re-installing them.

You will need some tools to do it but like I said before, I find it enjoyable pulling everything apart the non-drive-side, checking the bearings (possibly having to repack them), tightening back up, checking the spindle play, loosening/tightening until you get that perfect spindle feel that doesn't have excess play but still spins smoothly.

I'm also someone that recently converted their threadless fork/stem to threaded/quill so I might not be the right person to give advice.