Bottom Brackets - which is best?

TGR

Old School Grand Master
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Morning all,

Could anyone enlighten me to the different BB types - i know cup and cone and cartridge are there any others?

Also, could i have some enlightenment as to the differences between the various types of cartridge BB - why are some £12 and others £100. Where is the cost? Do more expensive ones mean they are better?

This post is badly worded - apologies but it is 0530 and i am tired, i may edit it when i am more awake.

Thanks all,

Richard
 
Richard, cup and cone is the oldest style - easy to retreads and adjust, and they need to be because they generally get full of muck and need lots of maintenance. Cartridge bbs are more modern (90s generally, some were earlier) and are more or less fit and forget. More modern ( last 10 years aprox) stuff has a thousand standards or so it seems - I know little about these as my most modern bb is a now out dated campag ultra torque.

For anything retro, cup and cone or cartridge. The differences are due to bearing grade, seals, spindle material, etc.

Hope this helps!
 
Andy, you are up early - i am heading to bed shortly!!!

Any ideas which is the best cartridge and why? That is really what i am getting at.

I have a Mavic BB for the Rossin and it is a bit odd as it has bevelled lock rings and can be adjusted - it can be used without a threaded BB of on one with defective threads too. I bought it as i think that my BB was designed for it or something similar as the shell has a bevelled edge. The problem may be that as the cables pass through the shell i may have to use a DA cup and cone but i am quite a bit away from that at the moment!!

Richard
 
I don't think there is a "best" cartridge bb, as the frame and chainset will determine what you need. Be careful with the mavic bb as they can make a mess of the bb shell, but you say yours is already bevelled so you might be ok. I'd use a threaded one if possible though. Campag for campag cranks, shimano for shimano. Shimano don't make their really good ones any more, but the ones they do make are decent enough. Make sure you get one with alloy cups, not plastic!
 
Andy,

Thanks but what is the differnence between these -

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=71369 SHIMANO UN55 and

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... odelID=962 SHIMANO 7700DA

I know the DA is Octalink but what i am wondering is why the difference of £53 in price.

Again, i realise i am not explaining this well - an example might help - which is the very best bottom bracket i could but for use with my Tricolour cranks? And why is it the best.

Try that ^^ and i will go back to bed,

Richard
 
I think the DA probably has better bearings and is lighter. The other one is probably perfectly fine too - maybe not as "good", but perfectly good enough!
 
TGR":9kphv7m7 said:
I know the DA is Octalink but what i am wondering is why the difference of £53 in price. Richard
Because the manufacturers know there are suckers out there who will buy the 'extra dear ones'

You don't have to get the 'best' matey! After all if you just use the bike for leisure and not for racing, a decent branded name will do.
 
Thanks all -

Bagpuss - you are getting to what my query is - 'quality comes at a price' - could you explain where the quality is, this was the basis for this post.

Richard
 
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