To answer your question at 21:15 If you have a preload tube and then swap between a C3 and A CN bearing, you'll find that you would need a slightly different length of preload tube for it to work. A change in bearing clearance (within the tolerance or even by wear) will make the preload tube stop working. It's okay for pure radial loads but in a bottom bracket, the pedal is trying to turn in towards the centre of the bike.
Interesting. So it´s expectable to see "BB´s with preload tube" owners having some issues in the future if they aren´t on top of their bearing maintenance.
@@wsbygt Maintenance is irrelevant. The bearing will wear and the clearance will get bigger. The tube should get shorter to compensate, it doesn't, so you'll end up with insufficient preload.
@@wsbygtno BBs have a ‘preload’ tube, only rear hubs for example. This is a spacer between inner races of two bearings that when clamped in the frame by the end caps allows the inner race clearance of both bearings to be taken up so there is no axial or radial play. Edit: just seen the bikone BB, il be damned 😂
Thank you Mapdec for taking the time to discuss this topic in the workshop and to be so open in front of the camera. It is really refreshing to listen and learn from your opinions after no doubt many tireless hours spent installing BB's. I recall using the lubricants you mentioned from many years ago as an engineer when I was woking in the textile industry - Kluber comes to mind instantly. Please keep up the great work and sharing your thoughts on all things cycling. "Chapeau Mapdec"
I took the square taper BB out of my 40 year-old Raleigh last year because I thought it must be worn by now. No rust and negligible wear, so I put it back.
There are some strong points to cartridge square taper bottom brackets. Long lived, but lose stiffness relative to modern 2 piece bbs. The difference in stiffness is there, but to a world class athlete, it would be really obvious. Shimano really blew their reputation with the flawed Dura Ace and Ultegra crank arms and chainrings .
@@davidburgess741 actually i was talking more about 2 piece BB than square although that construction was problem mostly on race bikes because bigger chain rings and narrow front deraileur those cranks are really unfortunate but it happens to all producers from time to time as i know the story that mostly happens in hot and humid climate when glue holding both parts together gets compromised but i guess that will happen more often with all high tech applied during construction proces,old hollow tech cranks mostly last for ever,at least i didn't destroy any of them i changed chain rings after 30K KM on one now with 40K KM they are going strong Shimaano is still in my eyes best product for money invested
@@Mapdec * i must add context - there was a company called "ABEC 11" skate bearings at ABEC3 but they also advertised theirs and other companies advertised theirs "rated to ABEC11" . But at £30 a set and watching your video they can't have been more than ABEC5 and certainly not as tight as abec9. What a scandal haha
Just thinking the same. Very gimmicky time. Legit ABEC 5 were noticeably faster down hills on blades(16 bearings) than ABEC5-11 fakes. Grease choices could be the major factor.
I really like your contents. Here in S.Korea there are almost none, or very very few number of shops that actually do a reasonable service on bicycles.
Great vid! Enjoyed learning more about bearings in this way - made it feel a lot more accessible. Looking forward to check-ins every now and then to see how these do...I also thought they sounded like the best out of the bunch.
I threw a set of BBInfinite bearings in as replacements for a WheelsMFG(BB86 for Shimano). The tophats had to be slightly shaved because they interfered with the Wheels cups, but once done the setup has been flawless for over 6000 miles. I also agree with Jake about the frame stiffening - while threaded together rather than one-piece, the effectively continuous alloy sleeve makes a difference you can feel. Highly recommend.
I have the opposite experience with BBinfinite bearings. barely last the first ride, were toast (grinding) after about 160 km. I replaced with enduro bearings and they have been going strong ever since.
@@pinkyfull Wow! Sorry to hear that. I bought a set of BBInfinite derailleur pulleys to replace a worn set and found they were loud. Popped them open and found no grease. Fixed that, and they've been dead silent since. I wonder if they are hit-or-miss on production?
All the bearings I fit to my bike go through the following process. Pop the dust cover off, add a small blob of marine grease, refit the dust cover and fit to the bike. I’ve never had rusty bearings and they usually last twice as long as any fitted direct out of the box.
Thanks again for top work!.. I'm back on the tools again and just wanted to add my thoughts. Price / life of bearings dependant on weather conditions/ performance demands / perceived value. Worked on a pro tour team where bearings seals are removed then bearings are spun in a drill fixture in a hot oil bath to leave them as drag for as possible. Raced for 1 stage then replaced. I Have also built 2 stroke karting engines that need a set of main bearings every 15 mins...everything is relative...Cotter pin cranks rule😂
I like working on my bikes so I appreciate a bearing that's going to wear and need changed annually. It also gives me the opportunity use my expensive specialized tools. Why by tools for a one time use?
Great video guys, if you’re going to the trouble of doing any job. Do it as near perfect as possible. Anything after that doesn’t really matter. Like the T-Shirts by the way 😊
I have done similar. Sources in USA for quality bearings BOCA and VXB which cater to many industries but also a focus on cycling. Running an Enduro Maxhit now as a trial. Smooth and quiet with excellent seals.
@@Mapdec you guys have a great channel and as a guy who has done all his own wrenching on bicycles, motorcycles, cars, outboard engines and 30 years utility work all at a high level for 30-40 years when I compliment an outfit on their high standards it means something. Keep up the good work. Oh I tried an Enduro angular contact ceramic balls BB years ago. Was great except for the weak snaprings that held all together. In service was fine but pulling a crank spindle out always pulled snapring out on that drive side. Not sure about newer ones. But I kinda resist buying 300usd BB. 200 or less is usually my limit. But took out my Chris King to try the Maxhit which says something.
Great video! You guys keep on surprising me with the amount of interesting subjects. On the subject of tools needed for these things. I've been 3d printing bearing receiving, pressing cups, pushing rods and even the plates you insert into your hubs to pull a bearing. To my surprise its more than strong enough, pretty cheap and designing them is a matter of minutes since its always a bunch of circles. Combine that with a cheap chinese press set to get the thread and handles ( and use it to press bearings). For home mechanics this is a really cheap way to get exactly what you need. And maybe even for a workshop if you need a specific press/cup and want to continue.
@@Mapdec I can imagine. Its a bit of a learning curve but being able to make things this easily is really great. Give it a try software like onshape have made it a lot more accessible.
Two words, the first is HORSE and you can guess the other. The aluminum tube in the Hambini BB noticeably stiffened up the rear end of the BICYCLE? Did I hear that wrong? Reminds me of what a component engineer once told me - they sent their test riders out with a new component only to have 'em all come back shrugging their shoulders. But when they had 'em go out agan AFTER being told of the wonderful properties of this innovation...they all came back raving about it and how they could feeel it. It's all in your head. Campagnolo is very serious in their BB installation instructions that the BB shell have a drain hole for moisture/condensation to drain out - do ANY of these installations that "eat" the bearings so quickly have such a thing? I laughed at the "science" involved with the two blokes holding bearings in their hands while turning 'em and pronouncing some better than others...same with the plastic bits. No matter how smooth your freshly-installed BB FEELS, unless you're gonna take it apart and freshen it up with every ride...all that really matters is if it turns freely for a reasonable service period once installed and used regularly. Without a way for moisture/condensation to escape I don't think any of the fancy bearings are gonna last much longer than the cheaper ones unless maybe their seals are far better?
Also, how relevant is spinning the bearings on your fingers? Won't the installation and preload remove a lot of that looseness and free spinning action?
I'm perfectly happy if a bottom bracket spins only 2 or 3 times then cranks stop , shimano press fit have always been that way but feel smooth and have a bit of weather resistance.
Coat the back of the bearings in grease before putting them in. No grit will get there but water will, and works as a great waterproof layer. Nothing can beat the sealing of a plastic housed shimano pf86. Question for Jake. Tarmac and 24mm cranks… why not just use a shimano bsa BB?! Or was this frame before they went to threaded again. IMO that 125 bearing is a joke. They’re relying on people not being arsed to claim enough times to go into negative revenue. Probably costs them 5-10 quid max a bearing thats 26 or 13 warranty cycles before they make a loss 😂
Oh. If you coat grease on the back of the bearing it’s almost impossible to not contaminate the retaining compound and for it not to cure. Those surfaces need to be perfectly clean.
@@Mapdec if the fit is press fit is correct you dont need retaining compound. Ive been designing bearing assemblies most of my career 😀 if you have a true interference fit, where does the retaining compound go? It gets squeezed out - there is no physical space for it. The only time i would use it is if the housing was loose. Then theres a void to fill.
Interesting about the preload tube. Bridgeport style knee mills have the spindle bearings installed with effectively a preload tube. You can assemble them with a pipe and a mallet, even though a press is saner. The tolerances are way tighter, but the bearings are way bigger...
Interesting video, I’ve tried various brands and BB designs over the years but the best and most reliable is the Shimano push fit for about £30. They are lasting a couple of years including riding daily through the winter and are doing on average 20K km’s.
Yep. For Bb86 to Shimano continue as you are. Sadly Shimano don’t make that BB for every frame and not every frame is well made to allow the carefree use of those £30 units. Count yourself lucky and carry on. 👍
Hi. Thanks. Extremely useful video. These 6805 bearings discussed here are 25x37x7 mm dimension bearings that are pressed into a separate bottom bracket -- and that bottom bracket is pressed into the BB30 shell of the bike right? Isnt it better to use 6806 bearings directly pressed into the BB30 shell and some adapters for Shimano cranks or 30mm spindle cranksets directly with 6806 bearings?
Well yes, in a perfectly machined world. Trek did this with BB90. The carbon shell did not last long. Cannondale did this with BB30. Alu frames were often not that round after welding, carbon frames with Alu inserts would suffer galvanic corrosion. So the solution emerged of adding a one piece tube insert to house the bearings. Hope that helps.
@@Mapdec thanks. And any views on Praxis BB30 bottom brackets? The BB30 M30 bottom bracket with Praxis M30 cranks (30mm drive side and 28mm non-drive side spindle) or the Praxis BB30 Shimano bottom brackets with the rubber seal non-drive side and the orange rubber collet + plastic compression sleeve on the other side? What's your experience with them? THey seem to require specific Praxis tools to install/remove...which is not ideal
Interesting video, nice work. I would be keen to see something similar on headset bearing options. These are actually harder/more annoying to change than a BB now with internal routing and hydraulic cables IMO. I was considering something like the SLT option from CS - we really need a bulletproof solution for HS now.
@@Mapdec Do they make one for Time ADHX? My lower bearing is all rusted already :( I just serviced it today and it's a pain to service that with an integrated cockpit, not much space to work. I cleaned it with WD40 and repacked it with the XHP 222 . Still rough but no play, at least it won't deteriorate further. I think the water came from the crown, mine had no crown seal seal in the frameset box, but I see they provide one with the replacement bearing set.
hello, i am enjoyng your channel, and i think you doing a great work helping us with knowledge. moreover what about a video of servising press fit bottom brackets. that will help the rest of us.
I've had both Enduro (on a Pinarello Grevil) and Ceramic Speed (on an S-Works Roubaix) and the difference is not that noticeable. But they both are a vast improvement over standard USD 10 bearings. I'm having a year old low end Diverge looking at and the bearings are noticeably worn.
If you training and race like jake does and some like me who also rides to work everyday, you just go through stuff eventually even with regular maintenance and purchasing high quality components
A serious question. Has anyone ever undertaken a carefully measured test comparing heart rate, speed and distance for a fixed power output (pedal power meter) for a Shimano Octalink Vs Hollowtech BB-RS501 Vs Square Taper? I know that wider bearing placement should be stiffer and more efficient but by how much? Is it enough difference to make a difference below 200w average?
NSK sealed angular contact bearings are excellent for freestylers who want to run tons of preload to stop cranks moving while doing tricks, if you can find them on time for your application 😅
In all honesty bearing drag you feel in your hand means absolutely nothing, its all a gimmick. For example a stiff pedal that requires 160 grams of force 5cm away from the axle to start moving it only equates to 1.3 watt power loss @ 90 rpm. That drag you feel in the bearing you consider stiff probably requires 1-5 grams of weight to move it from 5cm away which basically means you are losing 0.05 watts of drag per bearing 🤣
Now go down the rabbit hole of regular vs max type bearings on 6806 series bearings. With standard 6806 bearings, there is a point within the rotation where you may only have six 5/32" sized balls handling >80% of the load in a 800 watts sprint.
Is there a BB with larger balls that fit in modern bikes? My fauber cranks from the 80s still spin like butter, and the balls are like twice the size of those NTN ones.
Great video. I'm owner of Trek Domane 2019 and replaced original BB with Token Ninja and I was very impressed with it. Have you seen their BB's or bearings?
You can always run a full contact seals and marine grade grease. But everything considered - bearings are wear items. The only ceramic hybrid I would consider is X-15 because of the race construction.
Excellent vid, and the Enduro XD-15 does look very appealing vs the other options, but how much does the lifetime price increase once you have to factor in re-greasing it regularly? potentially still less hassle and cost than replacing bearings?
I’ve been using NSK 6903 VV bearings recently in my hubs. NSK are very high quality, I would put them on the same level as NTN. They are not so easy to get though.
@@MapdecI’ve moved away from muc off to peatys and degrease infrequently. A shimano bb I would get 6 months and hopetech 10 months. MTB cyclist all year round which requires washing after every wide during winter.
@@Mapdec I quite enjoy vehicle cleaning and detailing…..I’ve started using those products on my bikes, in particular a post wash ceramic snow foam or a spray on wipe off sealant……keeps the bike super shiny and the water repellency is amazing. Much cheaper than bicycle “specific” nonsense products from the likes of Rip-Off….I mean Muc-Off. 😬
Never used NTN bearings But I can say that kinetic bearings are in my suspension linkages (3 trek remedy's I serviced) previously used enduro abec 3's and 5's so far the kinetics have lasted longer against the typical British weather. Also switched BB from race face (3 of them) to nukeproof with replaceable bearings and the feel and seal protection from water and mud ingress/ corrosion is night and day. You get what you pay for I guess. Any chance you could share a link or details of the bearing extractor you used please Keep this stuff coming it's great 👍 Cheers 🍻 Ste
I had a T47 BB basically explode and seize. The bike it was on was mainly on my Wahoo Kickr (indoors). Suspect it was sweat that caused it. I do ride with a towel over the bars.
Oh My God, You Guys & Gals Just Don't Get It! Premature BB bearing and rear hub bearing failure is basically caused by people who clean their bikes too much and apply degreasing solvents directly onto their drive systems while still attached onto their bikes! The number one culprit of premature BB and rear hub bearing failure are those stupid hand held chain cleaners which only help distribute powerful degreasing liquid via the chain. What they do is soak the chain with solvent which then wets the Chain Rings, which then runs down the crank spider and onto the BB sealed bearings. The moment the crank turns on those seals the solvent easily goes past the seals and all it takes is a drop or two, and the damage starts. What people don't understand is these degreasing solvents have a very powerful capillary action that will easily go past any seal and all it takes is a drop or two to go past the seal and it attacks and dissolves that tiny thin layer of grease that's in between the ball and the raise. Suddenly the balls (either ceramic or steel), start to ride dry on the raises which then causes rust. Sure there is a lot of grease on the sides but it just stays there now collecting rust which is the reason that grease turns brown from the rust dust. BINGO, you now have a premature BB & rear hub bearing failure. At the same time the cassette also gets soaked which then easiy runs straight into the rear hub and ruins those bearings too. I know for a fact that a BB bearing set, no matter if it's super high quality or so, so quality bearing will last for years of normal use if they are left alone without being contaminated by powerful wash soaps or cleaning solvents. FYI power washers are also bad news. I suggest that Hambini and all other top Bottom Bracket makers should void their warranties and or guarantees if consumers use hand held chain cleaners or clean their drive trains directly on their bikes or use power washers. I know, I've been a professional mechanic and worked inside the bike industry for over 50 years. As proof I have a graveyard of practically brand new bearings ruined by people who applied degreasing solvents on their bike's drive trains, especially when using the handheld chain cleaners. Or used power washers. For a bit of my BG Google Dan Sotelo onZa . TRUE STORY: Summer 2023 I assembled a new, top of the line Canyon road bike with all ceramic bearings. Two months later the customer stopped by the shop complaining that his bike is making strange noises when coasting and when pedaling hard. I noticed his bike and drive-train were sparkling clean, which made my heart sink. I asked him "how do you keep your bike and drive train so sparkling clean"??? He proudly said "I use a top of the line ParkTool chain cleaner and it works great"! Sure enough, I checked his hub and BB bearings and they were toast... I felt so bad cause as a new customer I failed to warn him never to use hand held chain cleaners or apply any solvents directly on his bike. When I told him about the chain cleaning tool he was so raging mad at ParkTool he just wondered how can they sell such a stupid tool that just ruined his brand new bike!!! I felt so bad that I installed all new ceramic bearings at my cost, with no labor charge... It's been almost two years now and he has had Zero problems. Sincerely Dan Sotelo
@@Mapdec Hello, Yes I would definitely love to work on a video with you showing how to properly clean a road bike to look like new with out doing any damage either to the bearings and or the paint finish. From the looks or your videos it seems you are located in Europe, while I'm located in the Pacific Northwest in Seattle USA, so that would be a stretch. Anyways, I'm just a little surprised by your comment that you are a "soap shop", please explain??
@@danielsotelo3942 means we just just a simple soap detergent to clean bikes. Any degreaser that gets used is on separate parts that are to be fully serviced. You won’t find any muc off or chain cleaner widgets here.
11:05 Not if you add more preload, you MUST add more preload, according to their instructions. Preload is mandatory. And once they’re broken in and readjusted, they spin quite well. They’re designed with preload in mind, and they’re not as “soft” as you make them out to be. I had a set of them on my BB90 Madone and they held up for many years. Why any bb bearing is radial is beyond me. No one rides and pedals a bike with the load perfectly straight up and down. There are always side loads, especially when out of the saddle. To me, AC seems like it should be the default.
Yes. I often wonder too. In practice I can’t say there is a noticeable difference. Corrosion usually kills before wear and stainless 440 does hold up well.
Climate have the biggest impact. I have a BMC in a dry climate, I haven't touch a single bearing at 23,000km (even with the infamous bb86 with a SRAM dub). I have a Time ADHX in a tropical climate and bearing keep failing, when it's not the bb, it's the headset, then the wheels, jockey wheels, etc. They last max 4000km.
The same with me - I built up my Look 461 frame with Shimano Dura Ace Octo-link chainset and BB 20 years ago - all untouched and good after 45000 miles.
Depends on your dealer. For us, if we have it in stock we would just replace on the spot and deal with the return later. If you bought online you would be at the mercy of postmen and admin.
Will be interesting to see how this pans out under test 🤔. Correct me if I’m wrong but Enduro now appear to have changed the fine print on the ‘limited lifetime guarantee’ . Previously I believe annual servicing was mandatory to preserve the lifetime guarantee. Now Enduro’s product warranty page states “ XD15 Ceramic Hybrid Bearings : while not required to preserve the Limited Lifetime Warranty, these bearings should be serviced annually by a professional mechanic to optimize performance” . It then sets out the service protocols (basically don’t remove it, just flush and re-grease in situ). It expressly excludes dirt intrusion from the Limited Warranty. But interestingly states that if grit does enter the bearing get it serviced or simply continue riding until the noise goes away and the bearing spins like new again (their phrasing not mine). That in itself raises more than a few Q ‘s. If bearings are capable of lasting a lifetime (🤣) wonder why it isn’t widespread in applications more advanced than bicycles……….
Yeah. That’s about right. The ceramic balls would eventually grind down dirt. These XD15 bearings were actually designed for things like jet engines. It’s massive overkill for a bicycle.
Coincidence! Just did a deep(er) clean on my bike today, and thought my BB sounds bad… and now TH-cam presents me this, and my BB sounds like 1:10 😉 Will ride it at least through the winter…. (Trek Checkpoint, T47 Praxis BB, 4500km all year with mud and dirt. Idk if it should be dead now or not…)
Totally depends. An easy external nipple that turns freely probably £30. For some seized up internal nipples on a tubeless wheel could easily be £90 or more.
re the BB stiffness chat, I wonder how much it costs to get time on the pedalling efficiency rig at Silverstone!? assuming it's even possible to get access. Potentially an interesting collab or two with some TH-camrs like Hambini & PT? Shootout between some BBs, maybe new Scylon vs 795 vs V4RS vs one of the usual suspects vs a Chinabike?
Informative but I didn't think bearing rubber seal should be relied upon for keeping dirt and water out, the BB should have a dust cover as a first line defence. I would like to see a similar video on wheel bearing choices now.
Yeah. I am with you. It’s nice to see an additional seal on BB for climates that need it. It’s ok to not have it on performance units. Wheels bearings is pretty similar really.
@@petersouthernboy6327 exactly, when pedalling it's like butter. old bearings were great at spin test, but at the end of their life sounded like a jazz band.
@@super8hell and nothing spins better under load than NTN or SKF. Bearings are service replacement item. I either replace them or inspect, clean and grease every winter. Headset, wheels, bottom bracket. No biggie.
Can you wear out a set of BB ball bearing in a month? Even if they aren't the best quality. Have been using cheap Shimano ones for years. They last 8000 to 10000 Km with minimum maintenance. If you're very powerful, and put huge load to the bottom bracket when springing. Doing a few thousand kilometer a month. I guess you can wear out that ball bearing in a month.😅
Hambini is right about preload spacer precision, I lost a set of bearings on a new Sunringle wheel because the tube was too short. And a preload spacer would be out of the question for BSA, PF92 etc where the frame has little precision anyway.
the bearing used is well worth the cost if you plan to keep the bike for a few years. If one flips his bike every year or 18 months...maybe not worth the cost.
1:26 they are not 40 quid, you pay them 40 quid. There is a big difference here. Industrial bearings are mass produce and if you have the luck of seeing the distributor price list (neighbor working at Motion Canada), there is huge, but huge profit margin on those bearings. If you let someone else buy them at retail and then buy them from that person, that's how they end up 40 quid. P.S. My 4 quid NTN LLU are still going strong after lot of wet ride, so far so good. I will see how long they will last compared to the original rotor ceramic bearing. (I just checked, and they already have outlasted the ceramic bearing, so far so good)
Top technical content starter guide: - pick bunch of bearings with different and mostly unknown grease filling and sealing - don't press them into frame/cups into conditions where they're are meant to work - don't preload them - leave them with excessive clearance - don't load them in any way - do a spin test with your finger and decide which spins well and which not - decide which one is too loose, when out of the frame and with no preload ... And that's it.
Look forward to seeing results of road test of XD15 in 6 months. No bearing is indestructible ………simply various choices as you demonstrate. Enduro warranty for XD15 interesting to say the least (check for yourselves) summarised as ‘Limited Lifetime Warranty’ annual professional bearing service not mandatory to preserve the LLW but recommended to optimise performance. Dirt ingress expressly excluded from LLW but apparently if you do continue to ride with grit in the bearing it will (after a period ) “spin like new again”. So based on my understanding of what is written Enduro expressly exclude warranty cover for dirt ingress but if grit gets in the bearing if you carry on riding it will magically sort itself out with no detriment to bearing performance. Simple Q if that claim is true why not warrant it in the first instance and state ‘if grit gets in it will have no impact upon bearing performance’ ?……….now that would be a thing
Bearing friction gets increasingly worse under load when: grease gets washed out, dirt gets in and the bearing expreiences high wear. Keeping the oil in and the dirt out is the most important feature in a bottom bracket bearing you can use the free spin test to check if your bearings are well aligned and the pre-tension is right. and of course it will spin faster if you remove the seal and the graese lust like in the famous ceramic speed pulley wheels The Bottom bracket runs at 60 - 120 RPM on high load for comparison: pulley wheels run at least 10X the speed with no load In addition, just to get the wattage loss in perspective: do the spin test with the chain on and try to tell the difference to a low drag seal and a high contact weather proof seal in you bottom bracket. @Mapdec Cycle Works Please do not spupport this hype Please dont make people think they gain actual perfomance buying expensice bearings that are designed for high speed applications in a clean envireonment
Also.. Has anyone ever tested different BB bearings with a power meter (spinning the crank with a drill as it'll be a constant torque). I bet there'll be zero difference.
To answer your question at 21:15 If you have a preload tube and then swap between a C3 and A CN bearing, you'll find that you would need a slightly different length of preload tube for it to work. A change in bearing clearance (within the tolerance or even by wear) will make the preload tube stop working. It's okay for pure radial loads but in a bottom bracket, the pedal is trying to turn in towards the centre of the bike.
Interesting.
So it´s expectable to see "BB´s with preload tube" owners having some issues in the future if they aren´t on top of their bearing maintenance.
@@wsbygt Maintenance is irrelevant. The bearing will wear and the clearance will get bigger. The tube should get shorter to compensate, it doesn't, so you'll end up with insufficient preload.
@@Hambini Jesus, even worst then, its flawed... designed to fail!
@hambinijesus
@@wsbygtno BBs have a ‘preload’ tube, only rear hubs for example. This is a spacer between inner races of two bearings that when clamped in the frame by the end caps allows the inner race clearance of both bearings to be taken up so there is no axial or radial play. Edit: just seen the bikone BB, il be damned 😂
Thank you Mapdec for taking the time to discuss this topic in the workshop and to be so open in front of the camera. It is really refreshing to listen and learn from your opinions after no doubt many tireless hours spent installing BB's. I recall using the lubricants you mentioned from many years ago as an engineer when I was woking in the textile industry - Kluber comes to mind instantly.
Please keep up the great work and sharing your thoughts on all things cycling. "Chapeau Mapdec"
Thank you 🙏
I took the square taper BB out of my 40 year-old Raleigh last year because I thought it must be worn by now. No rust and negligible wear, so I put it back.
Epic
good boy
let it there and make parts factories weep
There are some strong points to cartridge square taper bottom brackets. Long lived, but lose stiffness relative to modern 2 piece bbs. The difference in stiffness is there, but to a world class athlete, it would be really obvious. Shimano really blew their reputation with the flawed Dura Ace and Ultegra crank arms and chainrings .
@@davidburgess741 actually i was talking more about 2 piece BB than square although that construction was problem mostly on race bikes because bigger chain rings and narrow front deraileur
those cranks are really unfortunate but it happens to all producers from time to time as i know the story that mostly happens in hot and humid climate when glue holding both parts together gets compromised
but i guess that will happen more often with all high tech applied during construction proces,old hollow tech cranks mostly last for ever,at least i didn't destroy any of them i changed chain rings after 30K KM on one now with 40K KM they are going strong
Shimaano is still in my eyes best product for money invested
Square taper for the win! I just took my 22 year old one out last week as I am getting a modern group set. BB still in perfect condition.
Great video, best explanation of bearings and the differences I have seen to date. Love this educational content
Jake is a great addition to the channel 👍
I used to have ABEC 11s back in the day on my downhill skateboards. Forgot all about them until this video! Cheers!
Mental!
@@Mapdec * i must add context - there was a company called "ABEC 11" skate bearings at ABEC3 but they also advertised theirs and other companies advertised theirs "rated to ABEC11" . But at £30 a set and watching your video they can't have been more than ABEC5 and certainly not as tight as abec9. What a scandal haha
Just thinking the same. Very gimmicky time. Legit ABEC 5 were noticeably faster down hills on blades(16 bearings) than ABEC5-11 fakes. Grease choices could be the major factor.
I really like your contents. Here in S.Korea there are almost none, or very very few number of shops that actually do a reasonable service on bicycles.
Excellent video and as usual, extremely informative!
Great vid! Enjoyed learning more about bearings in this way - made it feel a lot more accessible. Looking forward to check-ins every now and then to see how these do...I also thought they sounded like the best out of the bunch.
I threw a set of BBInfinite bearings in as replacements for a WheelsMFG(BB86 for Shimano). The tophats had to be slightly shaved because they interfered with the Wheels cups, but once done the setup has been flawless for over 6000 miles. I also agree with Jake about the frame stiffening - while threaded together rather than one-piece, the effectively continuous alloy sleeve makes a difference you can feel. Highly recommend.
I have the opposite experience with BBinfinite bearings. barely last the first ride, were toast (grinding) after about 160 km. I replaced with enduro bearings and they have been going strong ever since.
@@pinkyfull Wow! Sorry to hear that. I bought a set of BBInfinite derailleur pulleys to replace a worn set and found they were loud. Popped them open and found no grease. Fixed that, and they've been dead silent since. I wonder if they are hit-or-miss on production?
All the bearings I fit to my bike go through the following process. Pop the dust cover off, add a small blob of marine grease, refit the dust cover and fit to the bike. I’ve never had rusty bearings and they usually last twice as long as any fitted direct out of the box.
Thanks again for top work!..
I'm back on the tools again and just wanted to add my thoughts.
Price / life of bearings dependant on weather conditions/ performance demands / perceived value.
Worked on a pro tour team where bearings seals are removed then bearings are spun in a drill fixture in a hot oil bath to leave them as drag for as possible. Raced for 1 stage then replaced.
I Have also built 2 stroke karting engines that need a set of main bearings every 15 mins...everything is relative...Cotter pin cranks rule😂
I wonder what the hot oil does? I have defo worked on pro riders bikes that just use a light sewing machine oil. They hardly last a 150km stage.
I did _not_ see the cotter crank ending coming round that bend...😂😂😂😂
MAPDEC, please talk about Motorex Fett 2000!
I like working on my bikes so I appreciate a bearing that's going to wear and need changed annually. It also gives me the opportunity use my expensive specialized tools. Why by tools for a one time use?
Great video guys, if you’re going to the trouble of doing any job. Do it as near perfect as possible. Anything after that doesn’t really matter.
Like the T-Shirts by the way 😊
Thank you. 🙏
I have done similar. Sources in USA for quality bearings BOCA and VXB which cater to many industries but also a focus on cycling.
Running an Enduro Maxhit now as a trial. Smooth and quiet with excellent seals.
Those maxhit BB are excellent and so overlooked.
@@Mapdec you guys have a great channel and as a guy who has done all his own wrenching on bicycles, motorcycles, cars, outboard engines and 30 years utility work all at a high level for 30-40 years when I compliment an outfit on their high standards it means something. Keep up the good work.
Oh I tried an Enduro angular contact ceramic balls BB years ago. Was great except for the weak snaprings that held all together. In service was fine but pulling a crank spindle out always pulled snapring out on that drive side. Not sure about newer ones. But I kinda resist buying 300usd BB. 200 or less is usually my limit. But took out my Chris King to try the Maxhit which says something.
@@richroberts8238 thank you 🙏
Great video! You guys keep on surprising me with the amount of interesting subjects.
On the subject of tools needed for these things. I've been 3d printing bearing receiving, pressing cups, pushing rods and even the plates you insert into your hubs to pull a bearing. To my surprise its more than strong enough, pretty cheap and designing them is a matter of minutes since its always a bunch of circles. Combine that with a cheap chinese press set to get the thread and handles ( and use it to press bearings). For home mechanics this is a really cheap way to get exactly what you need. And maybe even for a workshop if you need a specific press/cup and want to continue.
I keep looking at 3d printing but get hung up on the software.
@@Mapdec I can imagine. Its a bit of a learning curve but being able to make things this easily is really great. Give it a try software like onshape have made it a lot more accessible.
Just ordered XD15 bearings for my winter bike, fascinated to see how they go.
Keep in touch with it.
Need to do a Project Farm on all these bearings, or get a bunch of them sent to him at the very least!
Can't wait for the lifetime feedback on Jakes BBs 😎💯👍
Another great show, cheers guys.
Two words, the first is HORSE and you can guess the other. The aluminum tube in the Hambini BB noticeably stiffened up the rear end of the BICYCLE? Did I hear that wrong? Reminds me of what a component engineer once told me - they sent their test riders out with a new component only to have 'em all come back shrugging their shoulders. But when they had 'em go out agan AFTER being told of the wonderful properties of this innovation...they all came back raving about it and how they could feeel it. It's all in your head.
Campagnolo is very serious in their BB installation instructions that the BB shell have a drain hole for moisture/condensation to drain out - do ANY of these installations that "eat" the bearings so quickly have such a thing? I laughed at the "science" involved with the two blokes holding bearings in their hands while turning 'em and pronouncing some better than others...same with the plastic bits. No matter how smooth your freshly-installed BB FEELS, unless you're gonna take it apart and freshen it up with every ride...all that really matters is if it turns freely for a reasonable service period once installed and used regularly. Without a way for moisture/condensation to escape I don't think any of the fancy bearings are gonna last much longer than the cheaper ones unless maybe their seals are far better?
The Hambini would defo benefit from a drain hole like the BBinfiniate and Bikone models do. As for your other points. Maybe. 🤔
Also, how relevant is spinning the bearings on your fingers? Won't the installation and preload remove a lot of that looseness and free spinning action?
@@mattkavanaugh5623 depends on the clearance and the housing. The feel ‘test’ is more about grease fill and seal drag.
I'm perfectly happy if a bottom bracket spins only 2 or 3 times then cranks stop , shimano press fit have always been that way but feel smooth and have a bit of weather resistance.
Coat the back of the bearings in grease before putting them in. No grit will get there but water will, and works as a great waterproof layer. Nothing can beat the sealing of a plastic housed shimano pf86. Question for Jake. Tarmac and 24mm cranks… why not just use a shimano bsa BB?! Or was this frame before they went to threaded again. IMO that 125 bearing is a joke. They’re relying on people not being arsed to claim enough times to go into negative revenue. Probably costs them 5-10 quid max a bearing thats 26 or 13 warranty cycles before they make a loss 😂
True that non sworks SL6 is bsa, yet sworks SL6 is 42x68
depending on the grease, the plastic shimano housing will get messed up after a while. they get really brittle and hard
The frame is OSBB. Stand by for bearing life feedback. The way Jake eats NTN bearings it won’t be long until he’s cost neutral, or not.
Oh. If you coat grease on the back of the bearing it’s almost impossible to not contaminate the retaining compound and for it not to cure. Those surfaces need to be perfectly clean.
@@Mapdec if the fit is press fit is correct you dont need retaining compound. Ive been designing bearing assemblies most of my career 😀 if you have a true interference fit, where does the retaining compound go? It gets squeezed out - there is no physical space for it. The only time i would use it is if the housing was loose. Then theres a void to fill.
Great explanation! I like this nerdy stuff! Thank you very much!
Interesting about the preload tube.
Bridgeport style knee mills have the spindle bearings installed with effectively a preload tube. You can assemble them with a pipe and a mallet, even though a press is saner. The tolerances are way tighter, but the bearings are way bigger...
Interesting video, I’ve tried various brands and BB designs over the years but the best and most reliable is the Shimano push fit for about £30.
They are lasting a couple of years including riding daily through the winter and are doing on average 20K km’s.
Yep. For Bb86 to Shimano continue as you are. Sadly Shimano don’t make that BB for every frame and not every frame is well made to allow the carefree use of those £30 units. Count yourself lucky and carry on. 👍
Hi. Thanks. Extremely useful video. These 6805 bearings discussed here are 25x37x7 mm dimension bearings that are pressed into a separate bottom bracket -- and that bottom bracket is pressed into the BB30 shell of the bike right? Isnt it better to use 6806 bearings directly pressed into the BB30 shell and some adapters for Shimano cranks or 30mm spindle cranksets directly with 6806 bearings?
Well yes, in a perfectly machined world. Trek did this with BB90. The carbon shell did not last long. Cannondale did this with BB30. Alu frames were often not that round after welding, carbon frames with Alu inserts would suffer galvanic corrosion. So the solution emerged of adding a one piece tube insert to house the bearings. Hope that helps.
@@Mapdec thanks. And any views on Praxis BB30 bottom brackets? The BB30 M30 bottom bracket with Praxis M30 cranks (30mm drive side and 28mm non-drive side spindle) or the Praxis BB30 Shimano bottom brackets with the rubber seal non-drive side and the orange rubber collet + plastic compression sleeve on the other side? What's your experience with them? THey seem to require specific Praxis tools to install/remove...which is not ideal
Interesting video, nice work. I would be keen to see something similar on headset bearing options. These are actually harder/more annoying to change than a BB now with internal routing and hydraulic cables IMO. I was considering something like the SLT option from CS - we really need a bulletproof solution for HS now.
Enduro 440c headset are now lifetime warranty. However sizes are quite limited.
@@Mapdec Do they make one for Time ADHX? My lower bearing is all rusted already :( I just serviced it today and it's a pain to service that with an integrated cockpit, not much space to work. I cleaned it with WD40 and repacked it with the XHP 222 . Still rough but no play, at least it won't deteriorate further. I think the water came from the crown, mine had no crown seal seal in the frameset box, but I see they provide one with the replacement bearing set.
Why am I glued to this video 😂. What a nerd
hello, i am enjoyng your channel, and i think you doing a great work helping us with knowledge. moreover what about a video of servising press fit bottom brackets. that will help the rest of us.
Thank you. Here you go. Bottom Bracket installation for best performance and durability
th-cam.com/video/_VPgwQ_NX2I/w-d-xo.html
I've had both Enduro (on a Pinarello Grevil) and Ceramic Speed (on an S-Works Roubaix) and the difference is not that noticeable. But they both are a vast improvement over standard USD 10 bearings. I'm having a year old low end Diverge looking at and the bearings are noticeably worn.
If you training and race like jake does and some like me who also rides to work everyday, you just go through stuff eventually even with regular maintenance and purchasing high quality components
Looking forward to seeing what it looks like in 6 months of winter time rideing hopefully rod most days 😊
Yep. So are we.
I own a Aethos and heard you mention it when talking about helping with stiffness with a hambini. I’m interested to hear more 😊
A serious question.
Has anyone ever undertaken a carefully measured test comparing heart rate, speed and distance for a fixed power output (pedal power meter) for a Shimano Octalink Vs Hollowtech BB-RS501 Vs Square Taper? I know that wider bearing placement should be stiffer and more efficient but by how much? Is it enough difference to make a difference below 200w average?
There have been a few studies like this. Some academic papers some media, mostly marketing or brand case studies.
NSK sealed angular contact bearings are excellent for freestylers who want to run tons of preload to stop cranks moving while doing tricks, if you can find them on time for your application 😅
In all honesty bearing drag you feel in your hand means absolutely nothing, its all a gimmick. For example a stiff pedal that requires 160 grams of force 5cm away from the axle to start moving it only equates to 1.3 watt power loss @ 90 rpm. That drag you feel in the bearing you consider stiff probably requires 1-5 grams of weight to move it from 5cm away which basically means you are losing 0.05 watts of drag per bearing 🤣
Exactly
Now go down the rabbit hole of regular vs max type bearings on 6806 series bearings. With standard 6806 bearings, there is a point within the rotation where you may only have six 5/32" sized balls handling >80% of the load in a 800 watts sprint.
shouldn't ~0.08 newtonmetres (800 gram-centimetre) and 90 rpm be ~756 milliwatts, rather than ~1300?
They will say to you, "it all adds up - 0.05w adds up over a 6hr race" 🥴🔫
ONLY 1.3 watts 😂
Is there a BB with larger balls that fit in modern bikes?
My fauber cranks from the 80s still spin like butter, and the balls are like twice the size of those NTN ones.
Enduro Max hit. Much depends on your frame to axle combo.
Great vid. boys👍🏻. Very comprehensive👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks 👍
Great video. I'm owner of Trek Domane 2019 and replaced original BB with Token Ninja and I was very impressed with it. Have you seen their BB's or bearings?
Yes. They do a great fix for Trek BB90
You can always run a full contact seals and marine grade grease. But everything considered - bearings are wear items. The only ceramic hybrid I would consider is X-15 because of the race construction.
Excellent vid, and the Enduro XD-15 does look very appealing vs the other options, but how much does the lifetime price increase once you have to factor in re-greasing it regularly? potentially still less hassle and cost than replacing bearings?
I hope we can report back on this one day. For the ceramic speed it is certainly quite regular.
this duo should do a stand up comedy together
I’ve been using NSK 6903 VV bearings recently in my hubs. NSK are very high quality, I would put them on the same level as NTN. They are not so easy to get though.
Interesting video. Lovely bike too, what kind of wheels are those?
Reynolds.
I think bike washing is a big factor, what cleaner do you use and do you use degreaser frequently
Jake probabaly uses all sorts of different cleaners. He is very proud of that bike and cares for it well.
@@MapdecI’ve moved away from muc off to peatys and degrease infrequently. A shimano bb I would get 6 months and hopetech 10 months. MTB cyclist all year round which requires washing after every wide during winter.
@@Mapdec I quite enjoy vehicle cleaning and detailing…..I’ve started using those products on my bikes, in particular a post wash ceramic snow foam or a spray on wipe off sealant……keeps the bike super shiny and the water repellency is amazing. Much cheaper than bicycle “specific” nonsense products from the likes of Rip-Off….I mean Muc-Off. 😬
Never used NTN bearings
But I can say that kinetic bearings are in my suspension linkages (3 trek remedy's I serviced) previously used enduro abec 3's and 5's so far the kinetics have lasted longer against the typical British weather.
Also switched BB from race face (3 of them) to nukeproof with replaceable bearings and the feel and seal protection from water and mud ingress/ corrosion is night and day. You get what you pay for I guess.
Any chance you could share a link or details of the bearing extractor you used please
Keep this stuff coming it's great 👍
Cheers 🍻 Ste
Made by Cyclus tools.
How long till GCN talk about the Merits of a waxed bottom bracket bearing..
Thanks for the video.
You are welcome!
I had a T47 BB basically explode and seize. The bike it was on was mainly on my Wahoo Kickr (indoors). Suspect it was sweat that caused it. I do ride with a towel over the bars.
Very helpful!
Do luv the idea of XD15 Bearings/bottom bracket , But cost V a standard BSA sized Shimano or Dub BB is where I'm struggling .
For sure. You have to be at point where you are riding in all weathers so much that swapping out bearings becomes an annoying chore.
Race day performance, or long term durability. Hambini explained all this. Price, performance, or duability. Choose two!
What strength loctite do you use when installing your bearings
depends on the size of the gap, and the materials. We have a vid on this. look for the 'Perfect Pressfit' vid
Oh My God, You Guys & Gals Just Don't Get It!
Premature BB bearing and rear hub bearing failure is basically caused by people who clean their bikes too much and apply degreasing solvents directly onto their drive systems while still attached onto their bikes! The number one culprit of premature BB and rear hub bearing failure are those stupid hand held chain cleaners which only help distribute powerful degreasing liquid via the chain. What they do is soak the chain with solvent which then wets the Chain Rings, which then runs down the crank spider and onto the BB sealed bearings. The moment the crank turns on those seals the solvent easily goes past the seals and all it takes is a drop or two, and the damage starts.
What people don't understand is these degreasing solvents have a very powerful capillary action that will easily go past any seal and all it takes is a drop or two to go past the seal and it attacks and dissolves that tiny thin layer of grease that's in between the ball and the raise. Suddenly the balls (either ceramic or steel), start to ride dry on the raises which then causes rust.
Sure there is a lot of grease on the sides but it just stays there now collecting rust which is the reason that grease turns brown from the rust dust. BINGO, you now have a premature BB & rear hub bearing failure. At the same time the cassette also gets soaked which then easiy runs straight into the rear hub and ruins those bearings too.
I know for a fact that a BB bearing set, no matter if it's super high quality or so, so quality bearing will last for years of normal use if they are left alone without being contaminated by powerful wash soaps or cleaning solvents. FYI power washers are also bad news.
I suggest that Hambini and all other top Bottom Bracket makers should void their warranties and or guarantees if consumers use hand held chain cleaners or clean their drive trains directly on their bikes or use power washers.
I know, I've been a professional mechanic and worked inside the bike industry for over 50 years. As proof I have a graveyard of practically brand new bearings ruined by people who applied degreasing solvents on their bike's drive trains, especially when using the handheld chain cleaners. Or used power washers. For a bit of my BG Google Dan Sotelo onZa .
TRUE STORY:
Summer 2023 I assembled a new, top of the line Canyon road bike with all ceramic bearings. Two months later the customer stopped by the shop complaining that his bike is making strange noises when coasting and when pedaling hard. I noticed his bike and drive-train were sparkling clean, which made my heart sink. I asked him "how do you keep your bike and drive train so sparkling clean"??? He proudly said "I use a top of the line ParkTool chain cleaner and it works great"!
Sure enough, I checked his hub and BB bearings and they were toast... I felt so bad cause as a new customer I failed to warn him never to use hand held chain cleaners or apply any solvents directly on his bike. When I told him about the chain cleaning tool he was so raging mad at ParkTool he just wondered how can they sell such a stupid tool that just ruined his brand new bike!!!
I felt so bad that I installed all new ceramic bearings at my cost, with no labor charge... It's been almost two years now and he has had Zero problems.
Sincerely Dan Sotelo
Excellent points. Reminds me we should make a vid one day about bike cleaning. We are a simple soap shop.
Did not know this about the chain cleaning tools. Thanks for the useful info.
@@Mapdec Hello, Yes I would definitely love to work on a video with you showing how to properly clean a road bike to look like new with out doing any damage either to the bearings and or the paint finish. From the looks or your videos it seems you are located in Europe, while I'm located in the Pacific Northwest in Seattle USA, so that would be a stretch. Anyways, I'm just a little surprised by your comment that you are a "soap shop", please explain??
@@danielsotelo3942 means we just just a simple soap detergent to clean bikes. Any degreaser that gets used is on separate parts that are to be fully serviced. You won’t find any muc off or chain cleaner widgets here.
What Cyclus bearings extractor is that? 🙏
I think they only make one, that doesn’t involve a hammer r
11:05 Not if you add more preload, you MUST add more preload, according to their instructions. Preload is mandatory. And once they’re broken in and readjusted, they spin quite well. They’re designed with preload in mind, and they’re not as “soft” as you make them out to be. I had a set of them on my BB90 Madone and they held up for many years. Why any bb bearing is radial is beyond me. No one rides and pedals a bike with the load perfectly straight up and down. There are always side loads, especially when out of the saddle. To me, AC seems like it should be the default.
Yes. I often wonder too. In practice I can’t say there is a noticeable difference. Corrosion usually kills before wear and stainless 440 does hold up well.
Climate have the biggest impact. I have a BMC in a dry climate, I haven't touch a single bearing at 23,000km (even with the infamous bb86 with a SRAM dub). I have a Time ADHX in a tropical climate and bearing keep failing, when it's not the bb, it's the headset, then the wheels, jockey wheels, etc. They last max 4000km.
Yep. Corrosion is the fastest bearing killer.
Tarmac SL rim brake!….purple haze!❤️
Super useful video. Thanks
27:00 Fully sealed bearings and that's your spin test.
Did you notice that the cranks stopped! Maybe too much tightening of the crank arms?!
the cranks are supposed to stop, the crank is light & there's grease in the bearing
I still ride my Shimano Ultegra sealed BB's (Octo-link). Indestructible becsuse of no contamination or moisture seepage.
The same with me - I built up my Look 461 frame with Shimano Dura Ace Octo-link chainset and BB 20 years ago - all untouched and good after 45000 miles.
If you want to make the Hambini fans angrier, make a video inspecting Hambini's bike and take a look at the top cap first.😀
How does the Enduro lifetime warranty work? Am i going to be without a BB for weeks?
Depends on your dealer. For us, if we have it in stock we would just replace on the spot and deal with the return later. If you bought online you would be at the mercy of postmen and admin.
Ive been treating the metal of my bb bearings upon install with a bonding agent and they never rust or corrode anymore.
Will be interesting to see how this pans out under test 🤔. Correct me if I’m wrong but Enduro now appear to have changed the fine print on the ‘limited lifetime guarantee’ . Previously I believe annual servicing was mandatory to preserve the lifetime guarantee. Now Enduro’s product warranty page states “ XD15 Ceramic Hybrid Bearings : while not required to preserve the Limited Lifetime Warranty, these bearings should be serviced annually by a professional mechanic to optimize performance” . It then sets out the service protocols (basically don’t remove it, just flush and re-grease in situ). It expressly excludes dirt intrusion from the Limited Warranty. But interestingly states that if grit does enter the bearing get it serviced or simply continue riding until the noise goes away and the bearing spins like new again (their phrasing not mine). That in itself raises more than a few Q ‘s. If bearings are capable of lasting a lifetime (🤣) wonder why it isn’t widespread in applications more advanced than bicycles……….
Yeah. That’s about right. The ceramic balls would eventually grind down dirt. These XD15 bearings were actually designed for things like jet engines. It’s massive overkill for a bicycle.
I need a review on Jake’s sl6….need
Coincidence! Just did a deep(er) clean on my bike today, and thought my BB sounds bad… and now TH-cam presents me this, and my BB sounds like 1:10 😉
Will ride it at least through the winter….
(Trek Checkpoint, T47 Praxis BB, 4500km all year with mud and dirt. Idk if it should be dead now or not…)
Regards bearing top hats, Hamburgers are £30 each, CeramicSpeed £16 inc grease (Pair of).
lol
What do you charge for wheel truing please
Totally depends. An easy external nipple that turns freely probably £30. For some seized up internal nipples on a tubeless wheel could easily be £90 or more.
Top video, now on 4K!
6 months life span and such price?
that is why i don't use stupid overpriced bearings and just put in Shimano,cheap and durable
Where can I get the grease syringes?
Our website.🙏
Ceramic speed are great at marketing! Just that.
What about the Enduro MaxHit?
Diffent thing. Just talking ISO bearings here. We have discussed Maxhit in the channel a few times before.
re the BB stiffness chat, I wonder how much it costs to get time on the pedalling efficiency rig at Silverstone!? assuming it's even possible to get access. Potentially an interesting collab or two with some TH-camrs like Hambini & PT? Shootout between some BBs, maybe new Scylon vs 795 vs V4RS vs one of the usual suspects vs a Chinabike?
Informative but I didn't think bearing rubber seal should be relied upon for keeping dirt and water out, the BB should have a dust cover as a first line defence. I would like to see a similar video on wheel bearing choices now.
Yeah. I am with you. It’s nice to see an additional seal on BB for climates that need it. It’s ok to not have it on performance units. Wheels bearings is pretty similar really.
Please more vids with Jake ….
I installed definitely genuine SKF 6805 2RS recently. They do not spin freely at all. Everything else is great. They'll outlive the frame though.
How smooth a bearing spins *under load* is much more relevant and useful than free spinning.
@@petersouthernboy6327 exactly, when pedalling it's like butter. old bearings were great at spin test, but at the end of their life sounded like a jazz band.
@@super8hell and nothing spins better under load than NTN or SKF. Bearings are service replacement item. I either replace them or inspect, clean and grease every winter. Headset, wheels, bottom bracket. No biggie.
Awesome video, specially for us the shop rats. 👍👍👍
I'm riding the XD15s on my gravel bike right now, mainly to reduce the time spent fiddling with my bike. Thus far no notes and worth the price I paid*
Thanks for sharing your experience. Please keep reporting back.
Can you wear out a set of BB ball bearing in a month? Even if they aren't the best quality.
Have been using cheap Shimano ones for years. They last 8000 to 10000 Km with minimum maintenance.
If you're very powerful, and put huge load to the bottom bracket when springing. Doing a few thousand kilometer a month. I guess you can wear out that ball bearing in a month.😅
It’s highly unlikely Jake would wear out the cheaper bearings in a month. They would likely last about the the same time as the NTN.
Fairweather cycling and inside on the Wattbike in bad weather works for me.
Hambini is right about preload spacer precision, I lost a set of bearings on a new Sunringle wheel because the tube was too short. And a preload spacer would be out of the question for BSA, PF92 etc where the frame has little precision anyway.
You would only find it on one piece BB like square taper, octalink, BBinfinate, Bikone etc. Where the distance between bearings is set.
bottom bracket I find are like trainers, try as you might they always wear out.
the bearing used is well worth the cost if you plan to keep the bike for a few years. If one flips his bike every year or 18 months...maybe not worth the cost.
Great point. Make it someone else’s problem.
1:26 they are not 40 quid, you pay them 40 quid. There is a big difference here. Industrial bearings are mass produce and if you have the luck of seeing the distributor price list (neighbor working at Motion Canada), there is huge, but huge profit margin on those bearings. If you let someone else buy them at retail and then buy them from that person, that's how they end up 40 quid. P.S. My 4 quid NTN LLU are still going strong after lot of wet ride, so far so good. I will see how long they will last compared to the original rotor ceramic bearing. (I just checked, and they already have outlasted the ceramic bearing, so far so good)
Tange Seiki square taper which are the same as the old Shimano are looking better and better all the time.
Top technical content starter guide:
- pick bunch of bearings with different and mostly unknown grease filling and sealing
- don't press them into frame/cups into conditions where they're are meant to work
- don't preload them - leave them with excessive clearance
- don't load them in any way
- do a spin test with your finger and decide which spins well and which not
- decide which one is too loose, when out of the frame and with no preload
...
And that's it.
Well. This was about corrosion and cost. We can do all that another day.
I don't know why the NTN Bearings are so damn expensive in your country. I initally got the Hambini Ones, they rust, I just keep reusing the seals
Shimano UN sq taper series...
Look forward to seeing results of road test of XD15 in 6 months. No bearing is indestructible ………simply various choices as you demonstrate. Enduro warranty for XD15 interesting to say the least (check for yourselves) summarised as ‘Limited Lifetime Warranty’ annual professional bearing service not mandatory to preserve the LLW but recommended to optimise performance. Dirt ingress expressly excluded from LLW but apparently if you do continue to ride with grit in the bearing it will (after a period ) “spin like new again”. So based on my understanding of what is written Enduro expressly exclude warranty cover for dirt ingress but if grit gets in the bearing if you carry on riding it will magically sort itself out with no detriment to bearing performance. Simple Q if that claim is true why not warrant it in the first instance and state ‘if grit gets in it will have no impact upon bearing performance’ ?……….now that would be a thing
I am not sure. I don’t think XD15 is all that widely used and tested right now. It hasn’t yet earnt a reputation like Chris king has for example.
The bearings are NTN.
Only Use BananaWax Bike Bearing MolyGrease Wax. No Issues on My Bottom Bracket.
Bearing friction gets increasingly worse under load when:
grease gets washed out,
dirt gets in
and the bearing expreiences high wear.
Keeping the oil in and the dirt out is the most important feature in a bottom bracket bearing
you can use the free spin test to check if your bearings are well aligned and the pre-tension is right.
and of course it will spin faster if you remove the seal and the graese lust like in the famous ceramic speed pulley wheels
The Bottom bracket runs at 60 - 120 RPM on high load
for comparison: pulley wheels run at least 10X the speed with no load
In addition, just to get the wattage loss in perspective: do the spin test with the chain on and try to tell the difference to a low drag seal and a high contact weather proof seal in you bottom bracket.
@Mapdec Cycle Works
Please do not spupport this hype
Please dont make people think they gain actual perfomance buying expensice bearings that are designed for high speed applications in a clean envireonment
Thanks. I don’t think we mentioned performance in this. Sure it’s nice to have a drive train that operates quietly and smoothly though
btw
i really like watching your videos
especially in HDR
Finger tight is a bit subjective.... Keep getting in trouble with the family after i put juice bottles back, Swear I don't do them tight though haha
If ever there was a machine to work on to prove road bikes with rim brakes are still cool well that Tarmac is one of 😎
Also.. Has anyone ever tested different BB bearings with a power meter (spinning the crank with a drill as it'll be a constant torque). I bet there'll be zero difference.
i have that bearing press
would have been good to start at the cheapest on Jakes bike, on the basis we're likely to get quickest results and look at them in say 3 months.
Yeah. I guess we already have lots of experience with those though. I think we are both intrigued by the XD-15 claims.