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Until Hambini finishes his, what are the best options under $100?
Looking for replaceable bearings, lower drag than my ultegra BB to save those critical 2 watts, longer bearing life and if possible higher stiffness for my >3000 watt sprints..
And it needs to be black, or at least dark grey.
BBinfinite $80 (-$20 with the abandoned cart discount)
6805 25*37*7mm Steel ABEC-7 BBinfinite brand bearings
Aluminum sleeve - could it add to stiffness??
Threatened to sue Hambini, boo.
Only ships from the US for $15, so expect to pay customs + VAT.
Miche Supertype Evo Max $50
6805 25*37*7 mm steel SKF! bearings
Aluminum sleeve, designed for cyclocross (AL 7075-T6 cups)
Praxis Works $35
Enduro 2437 probably ABEC-3 steel 24*37*7 mm
Could upgrade to ABEC-5 or Angular contact bearings. Notice that the seal doesn't go into the BB center due to its 1 mm narrower opening.
Plastic sleeve (T7075 alloy cups)
Hambini future superbb: At least £195, might not come in black.
Wheels Manufacturing disqualified for making theirs in light grey only.
Hope would also be an option, but they use proprietary bearings?
Chris King. Bearings aren’t replaceable as such, but I’ve never need to and one of mine is 9 years old.
Hope. Mines done thousands of miles and is still very smooth.
Chris king is above budget unfortunately.
Hope: So looks like they use 24377 bearings 24x37x7 mm same as Enduro, but good quality INA ones. Shell/tube is aluminum? Does it need a custom tool?
Looks like they're low friction!
Always used to be INA bearings, Aluminium centre tube.
Home do need a specific tool, yes. My LBS fitted it for free as I bought it from them, might be worth doing.
Home do need a specific tool, yes. My LBS fitted it for free as I bought it from them, might be worth doing.
A Hope BSA 24mm bb needs a standard* HTII bb tool to fit
*okay, I know nothing is standard any more, especially as Shimano now use 3 different sizes of HTII external cups.
I have 3 bloody sizes of shimano hollowtech bb tools so I SHOULD be ok.
So Hope then?
I've a Hope threaded bb on my winter road bike, it's done 25,000 miles on the same set of bearings, make of that what you will.
Don't put much preload on the bearings as that will lead to a premature death, that applies to every bearing and HT2 cranks though.
Sounds good, ordered the Hope, and you use both 1 mm spacers for the road version? Instructions aren't clear.
Would just be doing them up hand tight with the shimano tool as per usual.
Hang on hang on hang on - what is the third Shimano size? There's the original one (MTB and road), and then the smaller road one... what's the other?
Hang on hang on hang on – what is the third Shimano size?
Original 44mm OD
XT / Ultegra 41mm OD
XTR / Dura Ace 39mm OD
Im pretty sure someone on here strongly recommends a Token bb as being identical to the Hope one.....
Buy British where possible, keep our economy from going under
I can't watch that Hambini fella. He's like the bloke with a can of Special Brew ranting on a bench in the middle of town...
Uberbike? £32 for the BB, £15 for replacement bearings. Mine's on it's merry way to me as I type!
pretty sure someone on here strongly recommends a Token bb as being identical to the Hope one…..
Yeah but they are wrong. It's not identical at all.
You could argue that most 3rd party BB's are basically identical to each other? They're all a cartridge bearing behind some sort of plastic shield.
TBH I bought a £220 FSA Ceramic BB last month for my road bike, partially because it's the road bike and stuff always lasts a long time so it seems like a good investment. Mostly because it was reduced on sale to £35 🤣 It spins for ages compared to the stainless one it replaced. But more importantly it's really well sealed, the outer shield actually cups around the bearing into a grove in the shell.
I've also got some generic ceramic bearings for my cross bikes BB30, they're noticeably lower friction than the normal ones too.
So on that flimsy evidence, get a ceramic BB.
In light of the above, Uberbike ceramic bbs are £60. Bearings £32.
I've a Hope BB on my road bike, into its eighth year now. Replaced one bearing last year. Averaged 5-7000km a year on it.
Hope BBs for a 24mm spindle use the original "standard" HT2 tool, dunno about their 30mm spindle BBs.
You could argue that most 3rd party BB’s are basically identical to each other? They’re all a cartridge bearing behind some sort of plastic shield
Bit like saying all bikes are the same as they all have 2 wheels.
TBH despite having had a couple of Hope BBs on my MTB and being reasonably happy with them I don't think I would bother for the road bike as shimano HT2 road BBs seem to last very well for the price (IME). and by the time you've sourced and replaced the bearings I a hope BB you could just as easily and probably more cheaply bought and threaded in a complete replacement shimano unit.
If drag reduction is the name of the game I don't think it's something that you can easily do on the cheap with modern 2 piece cranks, it's mostly a bearing alignment issue (in amongst the ranting Hambini does make this point) and that's part of the reason for the plastic tophats in shimano HT2 BBs.
@trailrat I agree. They are all different.
I use hope, I also have the tools and I press them out, clean, degrease and put back. It extends the life.
I have a ceramic one that's been amazing and still going. Do hope still do ceramic bb? And replacement ceramic bearings?
TBH I bought a £220 FSA Ceramic BB last month for my road bike, partially because it’s the road bike and stuff always lasts a long time so it seems like a good investment. Mostly because it was reduced on sale to £35 🤣
Where was the psa for us all?