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The Ultegra Press Fit BB on my gravel bike has started to occasionally squeak so was wondering how easy they are to service/regrease?
Would it simply be case of carefully removing the seal with a pick, flushing with some degreaser and then packing in some fresh grease?
It still spins nicely and there's no creaking so I'd prefer not to replace it and would also prefer not to remove the BB from the frame as I know the plastic shell can be prone to damage.
You should follow the official shimano service protocol - lash in bin, buy new one for £20.
You should follow the official shimano service protocol - lash in bin, buy new one for £20.
Fair enough if they had play, a flat spot or were creaking but it seems defeatist for a squeak😀
trouble with trying to service them is that the rear bearing seal is still in place so you cannot get the muck out the back or flush properly. Also tricky to regrease for this reason
I just replaced my BB and called it a day - the plastic axle sleeves were impossible to remove without mangling them.
Felt smooth AF pedalling afterwards. Glad I replaced it.
Replacement time it is then.
In that case, go with another Shimano or something like UberBike or Token Ninja?
I don't want to pay Hope/WheelsMFG money as it's not my main bike.
Replacement time it is then.
In that case, go with another Shimano or something like UberBike or Token Ninja?
I don't want to pay Hope/WheelsMFG money as it's not my main bike.
YMMV - but my Shimano BB lasted 4500 miles on my gravel bike. My dusty, wet, muddy hack bike. I'm a big Shimano fan based on what I've seen over the years.
Just removed a Token Ninja from my road bike after 750 miles - not impressed.
Could well be user/install error (insufficient preload), but a Shimano BB wouldn't have worn the crank axle down like that. Those shiny bits are where the axle has been worn down - you can feel it step down in the areas of wear, so the chainset is toast. Shimano use plastic/delrin for a reason.
Also, that bit of corrosion is probably due to the metal sleeves they use. There's an o-ring on the inside... so it doesn't stop moisture from collecting between the sleeve and the axle.
POS IMO.
There's an o-ring on the inside... so it doesn't stop moisture from collecting between the sleeve and the axle.
Edit - there are two seals. One on the outside of the sleeve, and one on the inside. Regardless, it's not good enough IMO.
Replacement time it is then.
In that case, go with another Shimano or something like UberBike or Token Ninja?
I don't want to pay Hope/WheelsMFG money as it's not my main bike.
YMMV - but my Shimano BB lasted 4500 miles on my gravel bike. My dusty, wet, muddy hack bike. I'm a big Shimano fan based on what I've seen over the years.
Just removed a Token Ninja from my road bike after 750 miles - not impressed.
Could well be user/install error (insufficient preload), but a Shimano BB wouldn't have worn the crank axle down like that. Those shiny bits are where the axle has been worn down - you can feel it step down in the areas of wear, so the chainset is toast. Shimano use plastic/delrin for a reason.
Also, that bit of corrosion is probably due to the metal sleeves they use. There's an o-ring on the inside... so it doesn't stop moisture from collecting between the sleeve and the axle.
POS IMO.
That doesn't look good! I think I'll rule out the Token BB in that case, and the UberBike BB86 as it appears to be metal on metal too.
The bike came with a Tiagra PFBB which lasted around 1500-1800km before developing a creak. The bike was ridden in all weather though, including commuting to work on salty winter roads and it also gets ridden quite hard off road. The replacement Ultegra hasn't lasted as long despite the bike being used mostly in the dry these days. Could be overuse of degreaser that's caused the squeak though. As I said, it still spins nicely and there's no play or creaking.
The funny thing is, I'll replace the BB only to discover the squeak was coming from somewhere else 😀
I've been happy with my airbike PF BB that wasn't much more than a tenner if that.
I've been happy with my airbike PF BB that wasn't much more than a tenner if that.
Sold out sadly.
What is the motivation for anything other than Shimano? They are cheap, well sealed and use of plastics means they are more tolerant of imperfectly aligned frames.
What is the motivation for anything other than Shimano? They are cheap, well sealed and use of plastics means they are more tolerant of imperfectly aligned frames.
Just curious if other brands would be any better for gravel bike use.
A cheap Shimano does appear to be the way forward though. Even Dura Ace level are cheap on BikeTart but I might just go with Tiagra as originally supplied.
An alternative that I would suggest is pay a bit more for the WheelsMfg thread fit BB. Torque to spec and forget.
I watched this recently which made me think I might stick with Shimano BB when my road bike on eventually goes.
It's a fairly detailed engineering look at what is good about shimano BBs - I think he focuses on a Dura Ace BB but I'm sure much of the design is carried down the groupsets.