You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
I’ve started amassing parts for a new(ish) SS build 🤗
I’ve got a lovely pair of square taper Middleburn cranks with a Homebrew chainring ready to roll.
I need a BB though.
73x113
Royce stuff has always appealed but at over £200 for BB, Tool and special grease it’s about 15 x more expensive than a UN54 🤨
Anyone with any experience of them?
Sadly all the UN72 and UN91 BBs I have are 68mm shells 🤬😫
So cough up or go basic?
I had one 25+ years ago in my blinged-up Orange E2 (also with Middleburn cranks), back when I was single and had disposable income. It's just a BB, and it won't perform any better than a Shimano at a fraction of the price, but there was something wonderful about driving down to Hampshire and buying it from Cliff, the bloke who made it. It was a thing of beauty, even if no one could see it...
Still running 2 on my bikes, very happy with them, but ultimately they do pretty much the same as Shimano, just that bit lighter, and with replaceable bearings. Nice stuff to have, but not a necessity.
Had a few and they work well but won’t change your life.
I've used Royce for years now. A (very) big initial outlay but afterwards it is just a case of replacing bearings very periodically. Where are you? I have all the tools if you are local and need to borrow.
Do it!
Spend it on cake.
I'm about sell a set of white industry cranks which are more beautiful than a more beautiful thing.
But they do exactly the same job as any other cranks and the monies are better spent elsewhere.
And you can't even see a bb!
Royce are nice but in my experience it’s Phil Wood for the win. For and forget, no adjustment necessary and easy to adjust chain line . A bit on the heavy side but well worth it. Beautifully made too, it’s just a shame to hide them away. If you go that route, buy 2 tools as it does make installation easier.
My friend fitted one to his zaskar when he bought it.
That was 1996 , it's still in there and ridden daily.
Lovely bits of kit, but of the two I've owned, I could never stop one of them creaking. It was frustrating as hell, but it may just have that particular combo of frame, crank and BB.
Personally I'd save £175 and buy a un52/72 or whatever model is now available. They are nigh on indestructible, and you could buy some other nice bling with the leftover money.
Same as above; beautifully made but no better than a standard Shimano unit and probably better sealed because mine used to suffer from the constant wet and grit of riding all year round and when I sold it on the cups were in quite an advanced state of oxidation, sadly.