Are Tacx jockey wheels rubbish?

[Anthony]

I haven't used them before, but I fitted some to my winter mud bike last week, went for a muddy ride and the following morning the tension pulley was seized up. After cleaning and then soaking in oil, it will now turn but with more resistance than normal - and too much resistance to permit any back pedalling, so it's effectively kaput.

So is this normal that a pair of Tacx T4000 costing £16 is useless after one muddy ride?

 

[drystonepaul]

I have had problems with Tacx jockey wheels in the past due to them having cartridge bearings with little tiny ball bearings in them.
As soon a water gets in there they rust up and seize.

Take them off, lift the seals up with a scalpel and really flush out all the crap that's in there. Then refill with a good water proof grease. This should get them working much better and keep them running nicely.

I generally avoid jockey wheels with ball bearings in them for just this reason.
That said I have got some Tacx jockeys on my road bike which are still fine and smooth.

 

[euphras_1]

I think they´re as useless as every pulley wheels with sealed precision industrial ball bearings fitted to an outer cog. Did your wheels loose the sealing rings or were those damaged? Maybe you should look after that.

I have a pair of Tacx Delrin pulley wheels which are in part time use since 1994 and still go strong.

 

[rc200ti]

Take them off, lift the seals up with a scalpel and really flush out all the crap that's in there. Then refill with a good water proof grease.

+1

I don't know what's in there to start with but it doesn't like the wet. I haven't had a problem since doing as DSP last winter.

 

[02gf74]

they should be no better or no worse than any other sealed pulley design.... which are all susceptible to seizure - the solution posted should be ableto revive them.

there are version with ceramic bearings that should not seize in the same way.

 

[xerxes]

I've got some BBB Rollerboys on one of my bicycles, had them about three years, no problems: http://bbbcycling.com/bike-parts/derailleur-pulleys/BDP-01. You can find them for under £10.00 a pair: http://www.google.co.uk/#q=bbb+roll...74c8600ca2fd4&bpcl=40096503&biw=1511&bih=1061

 

[dbmtb]

£16 for the Tacx 4000?

Ouch!

As posted before - it is a problem with sealed bearing units in general.

Hope have stainless steel bearings which might help - but I've not tested mine in extreme winter conditions and have no plans of doing so in the near future.

 

[ajm]

So far I must have been very fortunate then as I've been using the cheapish Toronto Cycles jockey wheels since January in truly filthy conditions with shameful levels of drivetrain cleanliness and haven't had any trouble with them at all.

Of course now they'll be seized solid next time I go out...

 

[alan_d]

interesting to read this - Ive ordered some fancy blue ones for the carbon Scott - I think ill strip them while new and put waterproof lube in there before fitting.
Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Anthony]

I've regreased the thing as Paul advised, and I'll have to see how it goes. I don't see why this should be necessary though. There are plenty of hubs and bottom brackets that run with cartridge bearings and you don't expect to have to prise them apart and put your own grease in them. Surely that's the whole point of cartridge bearings - that you don't have to maintain them.

dbmtb I paid less than £10, but £16 is the Chain Reaction price (discounted from £18 ), and they sell T4020 stainless steel ones for £23. I don't think I've ever paid more than that for a complete XT rm, so it seems ludicrous for a pair of jockeys.

Wiggle has BBB ceramic for basically the same price as Chain Reaction sells the basic Tacx T4000.