I've been following Hambini since I saws his video on bearings on GCN. I've got one of his threaded BB's on my 2007 Cervelo SLC-SL and a pressfit on my 2022 Wilier 0SL. Both with Ultegra groupsets and both cranks as smooth as butter. And as a Brucie bonus when I ordered I discovered he lived only a few miles away so picked them up from his front door. Legend.
I wish Hambini all the success. One hurdle he has is that many will see him as a youtuber that makes bottom brackets, and not a bottom bracket manufacturer that does youtube. Hope also has that gloss on their marketing. And we all know that isn't what makes a product good, but it makes many of us desire it. We cyclists do love glossy marketing wankery. The fact the he's only 5 years old is quite amazing though
If you have a press fit frame Hambini is a must have in order to have the best quality BB. I have a hawk BSA on my Pegoretti which uses German stainless steel bearings. It spins forever with no drag.
Each time I buy a bike, before I receive it, I've already ordered a Hambini. The NTN bearings ARE why I buy his BB. A NTN 6806 LLU is next to impossible to buy anywhere and the ride experience on them is amazing. A Hambini is a system and it's the best you can buy. Considering the cost of carbon frames, I think his hand machined BB's are a good price point on a part that is the heart of a bike. Keep up the great work Hambini 👍
NTN 6806 LLU are super easy to find airevelobearings sell them for a start. And the only time you will get a "hand machined" Hambo is if he has to make/mod one to fit a crap frame.
I like Hambini stuff because I'm a nerd for tech. The fact I can talk about it with the weird beards is fun and there's no branding to attract the Freds. I have one of his bottom brackets and it was a cake install and it's needed nothing so far. Rain, snow, gravel... nothing but admirable, quiet spinning.
I wouldn’t change enduro bearings for NTN ones in my Hambini bb30 in order to cut costs. Having NTN bearings is a big part of the quality of Hambini BB’s imo.
I’ve found Hambini to be so helpful. Amazes me how he always comes back to me when I ask him a question. The T47 on my Trek is smooth and best of all quiet. My 20FIVE Wheelset, well my gravel and winter bike, now they’re Pro4 hubs and are bomb proof😊👍
4:36 Actually this is one of the few times that I would disagree with you on: I actually think it's a huge plus. Branding is so overdone on everything, especially anything cycling related. I actively find myself looking for things with as minimal or no branding at all as part of my considerations when buying a product because often the logo or branding just looks unsightly and takes away from the product itself. Of course this is a personal preference and some people do like the recognition and bling as you say, but it's worth acknowledging that some do actually prefer the understated look.
I think that can still be a huge part of the branding though. Essentially your style is understated. Hope is the opposite. It’s pretty 1990’s mtb still and so maybe just maybe the colour, the brand of hambini needs to match. I think the video is right, but the way you go about that can be very different. It’s essential for any brand to have a brand identity to build a loyalty with a wider audience and Hambini needs a way to be recognisable to reach that point. Apple are a good example. Tesla. Simple but identifiable.
@@llewellynpavey9160 No, I disagree with the colour statement: having a standard silver or black colour on a product such as this suits me just fine as part of the minimal/understated look. Anything else would not look right and could potentially clash on bike builds. However, on packaging I would absolutely agree.
Yeah i dont buy a product solely because it has huge brandign on it. Hambini might even come to the conclusion that the etching of his logo on the product might weaken it or something liek that. Most of us like brands but dont buy it base don if it has a logo on it. My hambini 386 EVO BB is burried in its shell with only a slight lip visible. No amount of branding on that shell is going to be visisble. So why bother.
Yes Hambini all the way!! Agree with you.......-Have been on the waitlist for months now. Would like to see him get to distributing to the US as well, He is well known in the circles I run in. Want him to grow as fast and as far as he wants to go. Much success to him.!
I believe thta Hambini "brand" is "No Brand" philosophy, his ID is his name and pure perfect products, he is not aiming to mass market or even thousands of cyclist, he is selling to smaller group of enthusiast and professional cyclist. As a professiona designer myself, I know how much time, effort and money costs for design, packaging, print, laser etching and additional people and processes (sub-contractors) to be involved. It would have to be very minimalistic, recycled cardboard, black print with QR code for instructions online.
Did you not bother to catch the entire premise of the video, that Hambini wants to be the largest BB maker in the UK. Yes, he is aiming at hitting large market.
Hambini's BB are on a different league to Hope. I very gladly bought one (for a brand new bike build) and willing paid the price asked because: 1. the quality is the best 2. you can actually get one - in AU there is no supply for Ceramic Speed or Chris King 3. the performance is amazing - there is no drag at all - it doesn't flex 4. it won't start to creak and crack after 6 months 5. I don't have to strip is every 6 month A recent trend in UK and US media, and it's a continuous complaint that everything costs too much (in contrast to some magical period in the past). Products like this might be expensive, but to obtain something made by hand to precision means it costs someone their time. This is expensive. Also material costs are not what they were 10 years ago - everyone in the chain is being paid more. Plus shipping goods is no longer cheap - the cost to send a produce from the UK to AU can be 50gbp if you want it inside 1 month. @mapdec - understand what you mean by the shims on SRAM now!
Got a Hambini on my Time ADHX. Not to solve any problems but to probably have the best made BB on the market. Which is also how I see Time. Possibly the best made CF frames on the market. Not necessarily from a performance point of view, but from a manufacturing and hopefully durability point of view. Chose both as I want this bike to last a very, very long time and I’d make the same choice again tomorrow. Fact that it’s made in Europe / UK is a nice bonus. I do think the BB is expensive for what it is, but I guess the tooling required for the manufacturing will not be cheap either and need to be offset against presumably lower production numbers. Went with the 24mm 386 and rotor ALDHU cranks and couldn’t be happier with that combo. The whole drivetrain is buttery smooth and quiet. One thing though - these Hambini BB’s - as fantastic as they are, are probably not for the weight weenies among us.
Again, thank you for your detailed analysis and explanations. I also appreciate how you are so passionate about your local homegrown companies! I really like to support the smaller (relatively) companies here in the US and I support them whenever I can.
As a mechanic for decades a standout memory usually came from privateer type competitors. As bottom brackets go (bad) I had a racing customer who sought out RaceFace for using with a 24mm Shimano crankset. When asked why he quickly told me how fast bearings were trashed and he had figured out that he could remove the bearings from the cups with ease. I know Chris King was a good option and that a tool was around for greasing-purging. Also CK makes their bearings and uses stainless for all the materials (same for headsets). The goal for that rider was ease of field servicing. This applies to needs for long distance bikepackers and tourists. A Hambini engineering mind may hear design and build compromises in wanting a product like this description. That self-mechanic racer made a good point. Bearings alone are cheap easy to carry as spares - he had figured out how to replace them easily and it couldn't be done with stock Shimano BBs. Is there a marketable product in this story?
Hambini every time!!!! The color and website doesn't matter!!!! What matters is the honesty of the product and being the absolute best it can be! And that is what Hambini does
I can definitely tell when I'm using a Hope bottom bracket, because not all my bikes have one, and my daily driver, a Surly Straggler, does have one as well as a rear Hope hub. That bottom bracket was new about a year ago and the hub is 15 years old, a Pro 2, and it works as it should. I've got other Hope hubs in other bikes too. Hope make excellent product and I'll forever use them. I live in Australia and I haven't noticed Hambini as being available here and this channel is the first place that taught me about them.
I have three hambini BB's. Am a fully trained expert in machining and have engineering/physics expertise. His units are the best I have seen to date over 20 years.....they just are. I show up at pro shops and the staff all agree....and this is after 10's of thousands of miles are on them. They are insanely well made and nothing I'll likely ever see will be better...one can only hope to make something equal.
I have a Hambini Ti BB on my F12 and fit it on my Force DUB crank without a hitch. Not to fix a problem but replace a worn out SRAM BB. Night and day difference between the two BBs. These are without a doubt the best BB I have ever used. yes they are expensive but you get what you pay for . I loved this BB so much I installed a Hambini BB on my Litespeed Gravel bike as well. I don't need a label just performance and this is where Hambini outshines everyone else!
I just did a new build and considered going with Hambini, but as you noted cost was steep and his availability for what I needed, SRAM Dub into a BB386EVO, wasn't available. I agree somehow getting the Hambini Beaver etched on the exposed lip would be a good idea. I think he would need to find volume production in order to bring the price down and getting reliable volume production is a full time job and I'm not sure he wants to give up his existing job.
I have a Hambini bottom bracket shell in a Factor to stop creaking. First class product, works perfectly, I installed myself, his instructions are perfect. Not a bad word to say, he even Emails replies if you have questions. ❤ absolutely 💯 would byy again.
That was a nicely put together and open discussion you have shared there. I would like to add that cycling has always been an expensive hobby, or it is a hobby that the individual makes as expensive as they want to make it. Based on this fact I believe both Hope and Hambini offer customers solutions to suit their needs and their pockets. We can all see a Hope product from 20 paces as you pointed out with the jazzy colours etc which instantly add that bling effect to your bike which in my opinion can transform any bike into a head turner but Hambini's approach is more for the connoisseur where the price the quality and the unassuming and unbranded appearance makes it stand out for totally opposite reasons, not forgetting it has been designed to negate problematic manufacturing tolerances. You have hit the nail on the head though with how Hambini would maintain the quality of the product at a competitive price to then flood the market so to speak. I'd like to see him create his own bespoke aero frames and give the whole cycling industry a lesson in what a quality build should be.
With a properly made BB shell, the standard shimano 20 quid job will do, every time. The best sealed units out there too. Got one 7 years in and still feels new 🎉 🎉🎉
Western nations IMHO need more highly skilled entrepreneurs, particularly those who understand mechanical engineering and industrial design to begin MAKING more super high quality material goods. At the school I taught at there used to be a thriving small engines and machining workshop classrooms but in the 1980s they disappeared as the jobs these programs fed into left our city and went to the East and Mexico. It was thought at the time developed nations would become service oriented economies that no longer made THINGS. My city made high quality clocks, watercraft motors, aviation parts, electrical motors, large scale electrical generators, precision measurement devices and medical tools to name just a few of the industries that just vanished along with the high skill well remunerated labour pool. Hats off to Hamini and his aspirations. I hope his commitment to precision can be scaled up while maintaining the level of quality that he is famous for. My only reservation is that this may mean no more, or fewer, Hambini videos!
I have a Hope Pressfit BB fitted to my Giant TCR for about 7 years and I've only changed the bearings once which was to fit NTN contactless bearings this year. Tools wise only the 30mm bsa bottom bracket requires a special tool, so for most people with 24mm spindles they are just a standard tool.
I've used Hope brakes and hubs (and more recently BB's) for 28 years, about 5000Km a year offroad, so 140,000 Km offroad, in Scotland and around the world, all year round. I've had one hub with a manufacturing defect - replaced FOC, one brake master cylinder with a failing surface treatment in the piston - replaced FOC way way outside any warranty, and one broken master cylinder in a crash - replaced FOC. Hambini has a long way to go to compete with Hope, if he even wants to.
Great exploration Paul. You hit the nail on the head when you said that Hambini BBs are seen as problem solvers and, IMO, to become a more established brand he needs to move that perception to where his BBs are specced/requested on new builds. He'll always be slightly niche I suspect, because of the uncompromising quality of what he offers but including some more 'stuff in the box' would help. Not sure he's ready to move away from NTN bearings though, because they're part of his quality differentiation.
The real credit goes to the machine shop making these BB’s. Does Hambini make them himself or does he design them and then subcontract it out to a local machine shop somewhere? Either way kudos goes to the person operating the machine and the machine itself. Good tooling is imperative in manufacturing.
I have a Hambini T47 with NTN bearings which I love. His communications throughout my purchasing process what great (I had several questions). If I'd received a small sticker for my top tube that would have added some subtle bling. I do NOT want Enduro bearings. My Cervelo came with Wheels Mfg BB and when the bearings go, I'll be replacing with NTN. A fit kit would be great. BBInfinite includes the retaining compound, that'd be nice for Hambini to include.
I think you hit a few important points in there. TH-cam voices seem so loud, I would have thought that one would have fitted hundreds of bottom brackets, but 20-30 I'm thinking, seriously? Probably what is happening, is that everyone who has or had a problems with their bottom brackets are collectively on Hambini's and your channel, trying to solve their problem, everyone else is just going about their business cycling away, I never had a bb problem I couldn't solve myself but like you said, I also look at Hambini's bb solution as a problem solver bottom bracket, if I ever have a problem like that I can't solve, that's where I would go, even though they are crazy expensive, maybe not as a problem solver, but as a regular bottom bracket yes. As for the branding, if it's done in a classy, understated way, not so in your face like Hope, then yes totally. Hambini's brand does suffer from lack of visibility in the branding space, how he'll pull that off is a whole other matter. I always felt like Hope, is such an ugly name for a bike brand and I hardly ever bought their products for that reason, over branded, somewhere between hoping your bike will be ok with this, or something religious of halfway house type. Anyway, thanks for the video as always, I've already been a subscriber to Hambini's channel for a few years. 100k, not bad for a foul mouth 5 year old with a working pen is.
Thanks, yes been watching some of your other videos, pretty good stuff. I do like Hambini in many ways, but like everything needs to be taken with a grain of salt, he doesn't even clean his bikes :)@@Mapdec
That was a heck of a well thought out response. I'm sure Hambini will give it a think. I personally like his inability to compromise on quality but price point is a thing. Almost certainly the current owners of Hambini kit will be anti brand and highest quality BUT mass market appeal takes more than being the best.
Hambini BB is a great solution for a problem most of us don't have, and even if you have it, it's a very expensive solution. I'm convinced they are great but they are only worth as much money as you're willing to spend, and most who are happy spend it because they have been frustrated and desperate to get their BB creak-free. I'm one of those that (knock wood) haven't had any issues with any BB in any of my bikes, but then again, most of my bikes have BSA threaded BB.
Sadly you’re in a comment section full of people falling over themselves to worship the guy. Sure it’s cool to see stuff made to tight tolerances, but at that price it better be. Realistically good engineering is making something really good for not much money rather than something that’s perfect for a LOT of money. He also seems to be an awful manchild as well, I’d rather send money to ISIL rather than him tbh.
I used hope bb and headset for 12 years never replaced any parts just service yearly on headset and maybe twice yearly BB, average 5000 mile yearly, recently changed to Campagnolo for the last 2 years headset still working as good as new. I hope Hambini all the successes as well as all other uk brands
No idea about Hambini's BB's but I've a Hope ceramic bearing BB on my Cotic FS. Originally bought for a Spesh Enduro in 2006, then moved thru a few bikes including nearly 10,000 miles on a 456Ti and onto my Cotic. Wet & muddy UK.
It's a self perpetuating industry > as long as there are dodgey frames & crappy bottom bracket assemblies, there's plenty of Hambini & Hope BBs to be made = win-win
How good do bb bearings really have to be though? They're not high speed? Good seals and good tolerance. And able to take the load. Skateboard bearings take way more punishment, and they're only 20 quid for 8 bearings and last for years.
I’ve had Hope bearings out of a BSA68 BB to replace them and the seals were marked Ina (Schaeffler). In the aftermarket space it seems Enduro are the readily available parts, trying to get hold of OEM spares that you can be sure are A-grade stock is challenging. Certainly when I got some supposedly genuine Ina spares from the local bike shops they were garbage and were taken out two weeks later and replaced with Enduro fully sealed (winter/commuter bike). I also have a Hambini PF30a on another bike with NTN bearings and Delrin inserts. It’s only used in better weather conditions but after 10k km it’s still running fine.
The thing about hamini bottom brackets is that they are heavy. What manufacturer can't make something to spec when it's dumb heavy? The challenge in engineering is to make it lighter with no downsides.
Yeah, it’s easy to make something expensive with tight tolerances. It’s being able to make something that works for a tenth of the price is actual engineering.
I think wheels manufacture has an unreal demo and website setup. I would love to see this with Hambini products would be fun. Love my hambini BB, hope he reache his goals. I want him to use 1980 hairdressor stereotypes for his branding. It would be a good laugh.
First time I have watched your channel (immediately subscribed) and fantastic review! Incredibly thorough and focused on a lot of seemingly minor details (like instructions) that add a lot of value. And yep Hambini does need branding - love the squirrel logo idea.
Having bottom brackets in stock would be one way he could improve. I'd really like a Hambini BB86 press fit BB but it's just a question of getting hold of one!
I've installed quite a few Hope BSA BB's with a normal tool. Not aware I was supposed to use a Hope specific tool, and never had a problem over 1000's of kms on multiple bikes.
4:40 Yes, the lack of branding is exactly what indicates quality. Something of quality doesn't need to have it printed on there - people with a bit of knowledge on the subject immediately recognize quality. Branding is for products that have proclaim themselves as "great products" while they're actually not (like the sweatshop t-shirts made by kids that get "supreme" printed on them). A craftsman who's confident of their quality doesn't need their products to be like advertisement signs, the product speaks for itself.
Bearings inside Hambini's BB are very well aligned because is the same shell. Maybe there is no need to put top quality bearings inside them as design is the best it can be. It is OK to have quality stuff of course but there is no need to have far too good things. Good stuff can be sufficient. I would rather have bearing with very good seals, maybe with more drag but more adapted to bicycle lifespan. Also the rotationnal speed of a crankset is not very high so a little bit of drag is not noticeable. Maybe there is some money to save here. But this guy is making very good stuff. We need more people like him in this industry.
@@Mapdec ntn do make cheap bearings that would more than half the cost even at retail prices. Hambini even sells some. It's not about the brand it's the type that makes them expensive.
Love Hope components. Been using their hubs since early 90’s..My Mountain bike has Hope hubs..Mono Mini (early 2000’s) brakes..Hope headset,bottom bracket,seat clamp..brilliant. HOWEVER Hambini is next level. Engineering good as it gets. Love his approach,honest comments,precision,intolerance to bullshit….
Nah, hambini don't compromise bro, that will absolutely change the quality. Tons of cheap bottom brackets out there, if people want cheap there's plenty of choice. Hope didn't make any compromises, also not cheap by any stretch of imagination, for what they offer.
You could make the best product in the world but if I am not keen on the owners/employees of a company I won't buy it. Hambini unfortunately, for me, falls into that bracket. I do appreciate he has many fans though.
@@nwebbfreelance I am expecting to get flamed for my comments but time will tell and I have broad shoulders! But yes that is one of the few things and his general unprofessional attitude, great for being a YT content maker, not so great if you want to be taken seriously.
You don't know *anything* about the owners/CEOs/etc. of basically any big brands nowadays. More important to me is what the actions say about them. For example any company who gives clear and helpful information about their products scores a lot of points for me, or even better if they make it easy for potential buyers to ask questions. Hambini *is* very approachable for example, whereas most big brands build up big barriers to actually asking any direct questions, and you are often left getting information only from the vendors who sell the product.
@@imrevadasz1086 with research you can find an awful lot out... And hambini isn't a big brand. I choose where to spend my money and who I support the best I can. We live in a system that is imperfect but where I can make the best decisions (in my opinion) I will.
Another slight correction, For 24mm BSA, Hope use a standard tool (same as Shimano MTB) its the 30mm BSA (and others) that use the proprietary type, although I think now others like ROTOR or PRAXIS (I always confuse those 2) might use it too, but they do now sell a machined socket (£22 and I believe stainless steel) It has a 19mm hex rather than a square ratchet, which I love because on internal T-47 it allows you to put a threaded bar through the middle to hold the tool in place and prevent slippage on the narrow lip I use a Crows foot to bring it to torque.
I have Hambini BB86 on my endurance bike and Ceramicspeed BB30 on my aero bike. Love both, but Hambini for last 3 years doubled the price. Before Ceramicspeed I had Kogel on my aero bike.
Have a @Hambini in my first gen Scott foil. Measured everything before buying and it was clear the frame was in spec size wise, (not sure on alignment), never had issues with creak before. But it was a great decision, and an upgrade worth getting. The cranks felt smoother after, quieter, stiffer even. Tho placebo is strong. The issue hambini will come up against will require himself to reckon with his own demon. Essentially what is said in this video is that hambini needs to market himself better. All the things mentioned, in a typical org, are the real of marketing... The packaging, the instructions, the website and so on. How will hambini fair as he becomes those he despises.
My Look Blade RS don't need Hambini BB (same as my Time VXS) All of my bikes have Token BBs and enduro bearings in the wheels. After few years, still smooth without problems. BTW , all of my bikes are running Rotor cranks, some with steel 24mm spindle and some with 30mm alloy spindles.
Currently the only problem is that every time i looked the items were out of stock. No point to join a waiting list if you need your cranks spinning right now ( or at least in a couple of days, not weeks ).
The issue I see with Hambini is that BBs are a second job for him. Whatever one's dreams there is only so much you can do in a day, especially when it comes to business. Hambini would need a team behind him to grow, but maybe that's not what he wants. With such inconsistency in the industry he is placed perfectly keeping his product bespoke and low volume. Supplying someone like Time and/or Look would be kudos enough for the brand.
The NTN bearing is a standard size, any bearing supplier can get it for you. (or at east could in 1980's and 90's) I've been out of trade too long so don't know which bearing manufacturers are still in business (and can't be bothered to look it up), but, there used to be several better and a few about equal to NTN which was a 'cheap Japanese bearing' fitted to everything coming out of Japan. Lubrication varies NTN do use a very good grease but if you want less drag for 'race use only', wash them out and use synthetic gear oil
Bravo Mapdec and Hambini. Thanks for honest information. How about a look into Chis King bearings and such. I always understood most bearings are designed for high-speed, low-load. Whereas King produces high-load, low speed. Thanks 🔨
Again another well thought out video carefully exploring the topic. Very very informative. 👍 . Many decades ago I used to do a lot of engineering work for Rolls Royce - in Derby and Barnoldswick (where Hope are based) on the RB211 and Trent Engine fan blades (I am a metallurgist). Never thought about it then but nowadays I wonder if Hope engineers started at Rolls. When I get back home in the spring I will be building up my Pipedream and will be using Hope BB, I would have used their headset but already have the Cane Creek one needed. I'm using DT Swiss rims and hubs.
Maybe I misunderstood something but I don’t see the point in buying a Hambini BB for it not to have the best bearings. If you want a budget BB then there are plenty of options.
Please git rid of the slat wall.. Your channel is full of awesome information that's true... especially for mechanics that don't make decisions on media Pressing the support of local/small business is truly a factor. The industry is becoming something very different than the past. We take your information given as premium advice. Would love to see more episodes on classic tech. Love to come see your shop..very cool stuff
@@Mapdec As far as Trek goes with the big "Shrink", look at private equity and future buyouts. It's an absolute nightmare here in Uncle Sam's country...let alone the world. Good to see small business thriving.
Ah HAMBINI...😂 Going big? I believe his bottom brackets are without doubt the best available. But aged 5 he has some personality issues he needs to fix. Upscaling from handmade one offs to mass production is no small feat. His products seem to be for professional bike mechanics and not for home players. But you do have a good point about diagrams and tables. The way his business comes across is really aged 5 and that has it's charme. It's very funny and different to other manufacturers but most of all very personal. Just wait and see what will happen.
Once Hambini compromises on quality then it’s not the same product. That being said for Hambini he can improve manufacturing quality and tolerances further and invest further in the kind of shim/spacer precision manufacturing to work better for his product across a wide range of Different manufacturers poorer tolerance interfaces of course that is difficult once you get down to a certain level of accuracy other problems are going to be thrown up. There are inevitable compromises you have to make the question is are you going to be happy with that. Clearly at some point hambini needs to make other bike parts with the same higher tolerances. Larger manufacturing and economies of scale would bring the cost down but repeatability of fine tolerances is next level manufacturing very expensive.
Let's be honest, for cycling application all of them are unnecessarily precise. Generic, most probably made by one or another daugther of Einhell Group, are good.
Just a heads up, all bearing tables used in engineering school is from the big bearing brands. Never have I heard of using Enduro tables in school. So you will understand that in engineering we have our bias because we are taught that way. Why go for something you are not familiar with?
"The ONE thing we want from a Hambini bb is quite and durable" - hate to tell you, but that's 2 things. lol Maybe Hambini should do "Budget" and "Premium" lines ? Maybe with the budget upgradable to premium. Not sue he will, as he is an engineering perfectionist.
Interesting, I think that your suggestions are valid to increase market share over Hambinis traditional customer base. Many of the comments are from his traditional customers rather than those that you are talking about especially those saying that he shouldn’t change. BTW I always thought quality is fit for purpose, does a BB bracket need a low RA surface finish on all surfaces?
I agree with you that if indeed Hambini wants to become #1, then he also needs to offer different price points, and in terms of growth... that is what will make his business grow. Quite often I find that if a customer moves into something a bit more expensive than their normal range and they are happy with it, then the opportunity to encourage someone to move up another price point is now on the table, otherwise it's generally not an option. Although there has been plenty of discussion about bottom brackets and all the sizes, I still think that it needs to become something that most can understand. The field is too large, and once it hopefully becomes more mainstream, I do think folks may want to spend more money on a BB rather than simply fixing a problem.
I can't imagine he'd want to be the #1 supplier of BBs. Seems like he's a problem solver and would move to the next problem when BB shells are made and prepared properly enough.
Good work - as always. May I suggest you guys to do something about the serivce life and sustainability of high priced parts like derailleurs like SRAM Red AXS and the likes ... THANKS
I feel the price comes down to magnitude of scale, I'd imagine hambini bbs are made in much smaller batches than hopes, also made from a more exotic material which is more difficult to machine, for me I could see price dropping significantly if they are machined in much bigger batches. I used to work at a company that machined components and machine set up costs heavily outweighed material and machining times on small batch runs. But only hambini can confirm this
@@dsdf_fdp1858 I cant really explain that uplift in cost unless there is any material difference vs yours or possibly moving from doing them as a hobby to trying to make a buisness from doing so?
Hmmm, that goes to answer why on the first day of my new bike I was feeling and hearing some unexpected creaking in my BB area. I have the sram dub crank and stock bottom bracket. I took it back to the bike shop and they couldn't find anything wrong. I'm no engineer but I'm a finish carpenter and I pay close attention to detail and have the mentality of "every cause has an effect" and I can notice things are off when they are off.
I wanted a Hambini bb but could not justify the expense. I went with wheels manufacturing with enduro bearings. The bearings might not be as good as the ntn, but are a lot better than the stock bearings that came with the Shimano bb. I can always upgrade to ntn at a later date.
If Hambini wants to start raising his profile, he could start by including a free chainstay sticker, instead of charging separately for them. Hope does 🤷♂️ I have been using his Race PF30>24mm BB for 2-3 years now and been very happy.
I replaced my bottom bracket on my 1991 steel bike last Summer. Since then I have been learning about them. The square taper bottom bracket on my bike held up for many years. It wasn't the cartridge type. I replaced it with a Shimano cartridge type. Back in the day they didn't seem to have so much trouble with bottom brackets. I guess all the bottom brackets were of the square taper type. I guess Hambini has found a good niche. There are people who spend a lot of money on bikes. These expensive bikes have the newer types of bottom brackets which seem to have more problems than the old type. They are willing to spend big money on replacement parts that hold up like the old square taper bottom brackets. Hambini si performing a good service. He makes entertaining videos. I wish him well.
I've been following Hambini since I saws his video on bearings on GCN. I've got one of his threaded BB's on my 2007 Cervelo SLC-SL and a pressfit on my 2022 Wilier 0SL. Both with Ultegra groupsets and both cranks as smooth as butter. And as a Brucie bonus when I ordered I discovered he lived only a few miles away so picked them up from his front door. Legend.
I wish Hambini all the success. One hurdle he has is that many will see him as a youtuber that makes bottom brackets, and not a bottom bracket manufacturer that does youtube. Hope also has that gloss on their marketing. And we all know that isn't what makes a product good, but it makes many of us desire it. We cyclists do love glossy marketing wankery. The fact the he's only 5 years old is quite amazing though
Support your local 5 year old engineer 👍
and his hairdresser!
😂
If you have a press fit frame Hambini is a must have in order to have the best quality BB. I have a hawk BSA on my Pegoretti which uses German stainless steel bearings. It spins forever with no drag.
I have because he has a hot hairdresser.
@@KNURKonesur yes keep banging your hair dresser
Each time I buy a bike, before I receive it, I've already ordered a Hambini. The NTN bearings ARE why I buy his BB. A NTN 6806 LLU is next to impossible to buy anywhere and the ride experience on them is amazing. A Hambini is a system and it's the best you can buy. Considering the cost of carbon frames, I think his hand machined BB's are a good price point on a part that is the heart of a bike. Keep up the great work Hambini 👍
A gentleman and a scholar.
Hand machined, good one
NTN 6806 LLU are super easy to find airevelobearings sell them for a start. And the only time you will get a "hand machined" Hambo is if he has to make/mod one to fit a crap frame.
@@chris1275cc I've seen the way he handles tools, you don't want him hand machining anything. CNC yes, hand tools no. Typical engineer.
I like Hambini stuff because I'm a nerd for tech. The fact I can talk about it with the weird beards is fun and there's no branding to attract the Freds. I have one of his bottom brackets and it was a cake install and it's needed nothing so far. Rain, snow, gravel... nothing but admirable, quiet spinning.
Hambini is fixing what shouldn't need fixing so it's a a win for him
I love and appreciate this channel. Unbiased opinions and a mechanic giving back like this is unheard of. I’ve learned so much in such little time.
Me too👍.
I wouldn’t change enduro bearings for NTN ones in my Hambini bb30 in order to cut costs. Having NTN bearings is a big part of the quality of Hambini BB’s imo.
That's right.
Bearings are comsumables. You can change them out afterwards with whatever you want.
@@gammelgemse Like selling Porsche cars with Chinese Lingling tyres. You can replace them whenever you like. Way to go, Porsche!! Rgr
@@gammelgemse yeah but ntn bearings are cheap, so why would i change it for a costlier one that is worse?
I’ve found Hambini to be so helpful. Amazes me how he always comes back to me when I ask him a question. The T47 on my Trek is smooth and best of all quiet. My 20FIVE Wheelset, well my gravel and winter bike, now they’re Pro4 hubs and are bomb proof😊👍
4:36 Actually this is one of the few times that I would disagree with you on: I actually think it's a huge plus. Branding is so overdone on everything, especially anything cycling related. I actively find myself looking for things with as minimal or no branding at all as part of my considerations when buying a product because often the logo or branding just looks unsightly and takes away from the product itself. Of course this is a personal preference and some people do like the recognition and bling as you say, but it's worth acknowledging that some do actually prefer the understated look.
This!
I think that can still be a huge part of the branding though. Essentially your style is understated. Hope is the opposite. It’s pretty 1990’s mtb still and so maybe just maybe the colour, the brand of hambini needs to match.
I think the video is right, but the way you go about that can be very different. It’s essential for any brand to have a brand identity to build a loyalty with a wider audience and Hambini needs a way to be recognisable to reach that point.
Apple are a good example. Tesla. Simple but identifiable.
@@llewellynpavey9160 No, I disagree with the colour statement: having a standard silver or black colour on a product such as this suits me just fine as part of the minimal/understated look. Anything else would not look right and could potentially clash on bike builds. However, on packaging I would absolutely agree.
Yeah i dont buy a product solely because it has huge brandign on it. Hambini might even come to the conclusion that the etching of his logo on the product might weaken it or something liek that. Most of us like brands but dont buy it base don if it has a logo on it. My hambini 386 EVO BB is burried in its shell with only a slight lip visible. No amount of branding on that shell is going to be visisble. So why bother.
Yes Hambini all the way!! Agree with you.......-Have been on the waitlist for months now.
Would like to see him get to distributing to the US as well, He is well known in the circles I run in.
Want him to grow as fast and as far as he wants to go. Much success to him.!
Customer support from hambini is incredible as well. Will be paying up for his bottom brackets on all my bikes now.
I believe thta Hambini "brand" is "No Brand" philosophy, his ID is his name and pure perfect products, he is not aiming to mass market or even thousands of cyclist, he is selling to smaller group of enthusiast and professional cyclist.
As a professiona designer myself, I know how much time, effort and money costs for design, packaging, print, laser etching and additional people and processes (sub-contractors) to be involved.
It would have to be very minimalistic, recycled cardboard, black print with QR code for instructions online.
Did you not bother to catch the entire premise of the video, that Hambini wants to be the largest BB maker in the UK. Yes, he is aiming at hitting large market.
This is the way.
My hambini was simply a fit and forget. Never had any issues with the hambini bracket in my S Works for a couple of years.
Great suggestions. Maybe Hambini branding could include the Princess blanket.
That would be a great theme in either an instruction booklet, or a workmat.
Never had any problems with Hambini products, fantastic bb
Hambini's BB are on a different league to Hope. I very gladly bought one (for a brand new bike build) and willing paid the price asked because:
1. the quality is the best
2. you can actually get one - in AU there is no supply for Ceramic Speed or Chris King
3. the performance is amazing - there is no drag at all - it doesn't flex
4. it won't start to creak and crack after 6 months
5. I don't have to strip is every 6 month
A recent trend in UK and US media, and it's a continuous complaint that everything costs too much (in contrast to some magical period in the past). Products like this might be expensive, but to obtain something made by hand to precision means it costs someone their time. This is expensive. Also material costs are not what they were 10 years ago - everyone in the chain is being paid more. Plus shipping goods is no longer cheap - the cost to send a produce from the UK to AU can be 50gbp if you want it inside 1 month.
@mapdec - understand what you mean by the shims on SRAM now!
Got a Hambini on my Time ADHX. Not to solve any problems but to probably have the best made BB on the market. Which is also how I see Time. Possibly the best made CF frames on the market. Not necessarily from a performance point of view, but from a manufacturing and hopefully durability point of view. Chose both as I want this bike to last a very, very long time and I’d make the same choice again tomorrow. Fact that it’s made in Europe / UK is a nice bonus. I do think the BB is expensive for what it is, but I guess the tooling required for the manufacturing will not be cheap either and need to be offset against presumably lower production numbers. Went with the 24mm 386 and rotor ALDHU cranks and couldn’t be happier with that combo. The whole drivetrain is buttery smooth and quiet. One thing though - these Hambini BB’s - as fantastic as they are, are probably not for the weight weenies among us.
Again, thank you for your detailed analysis and explanations. I also appreciate how you are so passionate about your local homegrown companies! I really like to support the smaller (relatively) companies here in the US and I support them whenever I can.
Thanks for watching!
Hambini all the way. Product is amazing, he is amazing and bends over backwards to help.. Worth every penny..
As a mechanic for decades a standout memory usually came from privateer type competitors. As bottom brackets go (bad) I had a racing customer who sought out RaceFace for using with a 24mm Shimano crankset. When asked why he quickly told me how fast bearings were trashed and he had figured out that he could remove the bearings from the cups with ease. I know Chris King was a good option and that a tool was around for greasing-purging. Also CK makes their bearings and uses stainless for all the materials (same for headsets).
The goal for that rider was ease of field servicing. This applies to needs for long distance bikepackers and tourists. A Hambini engineering mind may hear design and build compromises in wanting a product like this description.
That self-mechanic racer made a good point. Bearings alone are cheap easy to carry as spares - he had figured out how to replace them easily and it couldn't be done with stock Shimano BBs.
Is there a marketable product in this story?
Hambini every time!!!! The color and website doesn't matter!!!! What matters is the honesty of the product and being the absolute best it can be! And that is what Hambini does
Hambini is actually a janitor at a municipal airport.
I can definitely tell when I'm using a Hope bottom bracket, because not all my bikes have one, and my daily driver, a Surly Straggler, does have one as well as a rear Hope hub.
That bottom bracket was new about a year ago and the hub is 15 years old, a Pro 2, and it works as it should. I've got other Hope hubs in other bikes too.
Hope make excellent product and I'll forever use them. I live in Australia and I haven't noticed Hambini as being available here and this channel is the first place that taught me about them.
I have three hambini BB's. Am a fully trained expert in machining and have engineering/physics expertise.
His units are the best I have seen to date over 20 years.....they just are.
I show up at pro shops and the staff all agree....and this is after 10's of thousands of miles are on them. They are insanely well made and nothing I'll likely ever see will be better...one can only hope to make something equal.
Very enjoyable and informative video , I couldn’t help wincing every time your hand reached over that lovely coffee mug .
I have a Hambini Ti BB on my F12 and fit it on my Force DUB crank without a hitch. Not to fix a problem but replace a worn out SRAM BB. Night and day difference between the two BBs. These are without a doubt the best BB I have ever used. yes they are expensive but you get what you pay for . I loved this BB so much I installed a Hambini BB on my Litespeed Gravel bike as well. I don't need a label just performance and this is where Hambini outshines everyone else!
I just did a new build and considered going with Hambini, but as you noted cost was steep and his availability for what I needed, SRAM Dub into a BB386EVO, wasn't available. I agree somehow getting the Hambini Beaver etched on the exposed lip would be a good idea. I think he would need to find volume production in order to bring the price down and getting reliable volume production is a full time job and I'm not sure he wants to give up his existing job.
Fyi, I bought two so called "unavailable" hambini bb by just emailing him. You may want to try also.
I might do that after Xmas, explaining why I "need a new $300 BB" might be better done after New Years. :)@@frankyfung6491
I have a Hambini bottom bracket shell in a Factor to stop creaking. First class product, works perfectly, I installed myself, his instructions are perfect. Not a bad word to say, he even Emails replies if you have questions. ❤ absolutely 💯 would byy again.
That was a nicely put together and open discussion you have shared there.
I would like to add that cycling has always been an expensive hobby, or it is a hobby that the individual makes as expensive as they want to make it.
Based on this fact I believe both Hope and Hambini offer customers solutions to suit their needs and their pockets. We can all see a Hope product from 20 paces as you pointed out with the jazzy colours etc which instantly add that bling effect to your bike which in my opinion can transform any bike into a head turner but Hambini's approach is more for the connoisseur where the price the quality and the unassuming and unbranded appearance makes it stand out for totally opposite reasons, not forgetting it has been designed to negate problematic manufacturing tolerances.
You have hit the nail on the head though with how Hambini would maintain the quality of the product at a competitive price to then flood the market so to speak.
I'd like to see him create his own bespoke aero frames and give the whole cycling industry a lesson in what a quality build should be.
Am absolutely loving your channel.
Thank you.
Glad you enjoy it!
With a properly made BB shell, the standard shimano 20 quid job will do, every time. The best sealed units out there too. Got one 7 years in and still feels new 🎉
🎉🎉
Yeah agree. Spending £300 on a BB is ludicrous I think Hambini has started a religion based on the number of people who have splashed the cash.
@@paulappleyard5832 i have one and it is top notch, for T47, there is no off the shelf Shimano unit available unfortunately.
key words here are "with a properly made BB shell"..... which seems to be an ever increasing rarity....
Western nations IMHO need more highly skilled entrepreneurs, particularly those who understand mechanical engineering and industrial design to begin MAKING more super high quality material goods. At the school I taught at there used to be a thriving small engines and machining workshop classrooms but in the 1980s they disappeared as the jobs these programs fed into left our city and went to the East and Mexico. It was thought at the time developed nations would become service oriented economies that no longer made THINGS. My city made high quality clocks, watercraft motors, aviation parts, electrical motors, large scale electrical generators, precision measurement devices and medical tools to name just a few of the industries that just vanished along with the high skill well remunerated labour pool.
Hats off to Hamini and his aspirations. I hope his commitment to precision can be scaled up while maintaining the level of quality that he is famous for. My only reservation is that this may mean no more, or fewer, Hambini videos!
I have a Hope Pressfit BB fitted to my Giant TCR for about 7 years and I've only changed the bearings once which was to fit NTN contactless bearings this year. Tools wise only the 30mm bsa bottom bracket requires a special tool, so for most people with 24mm spindles they are just a standard tool.
I’ve got a hope ceramic BB in my Giant defy . It’s be in 10 years rode at least 50 000 miles , the bearing are still super smooth
I've used Hope brakes and hubs (and more recently BB's) for 28 years, about 5000Km a year offroad, so 140,000 Km offroad, in Scotland and around the world, all year round. I've had one hub with a manufacturing defect - replaced FOC, one brake master cylinder with a failing surface treatment in the piston - replaced FOC way way outside any warranty, and one broken master cylinder in a crash - replaced FOC. Hambini has a long way to go to compete with Hope, if he even wants to.
Great exploration Paul. You hit the nail on the head when you said that Hambini BBs are seen as problem solvers and, IMO, to become a more established brand he needs to move that perception to where his BBs are specced/requested on new builds. He'll always be slightly niche I suspect, because of the uncompromising quality of what he offers but including some more 'stuff in the box' would help. Not sure he's ready to move away from NTN bearings though, because they're part of his quality differentiation.
A solution for a problem that shouldn't exist. Pay your money take your choice
@@markrushton1516 'shouldn't' is a very important word there Mark.
The real credit goes to the machine shop making these BB’s. Does Hambini make them himself or does he design them and then subcontract it out to a local machine shop somewhere? Either way kudos goes to the person operating the machine and the machine itself. Good tooling is imperative in manufacturing.
Good review. I own 2 Hambini BB's. Like you I wish him huge success. He deserves it and the NTN bearings are top top drawer.
I really do like the Hope documentation for install.
I have a Hambini T47 with NTN bearings which I love. His communications throughout my purchasing process what great (I had several questions). If I'd received a small sticker for my top tube that would have added some subtle bling. I do NOT want Enduro bearings. My Cervelo came with Wheels Mfg BB and when the bearings go, I'll be replacing with NTN. A fit kit would be great. BBInfinite includes the retaining compound, that'd be nice for Hambini to include.
This channel as always is cycling gold
🙏
I think you hit a few important points in there. TH-cam voices seem so loud, I would have thought that one would have fitted hundreds of bottom brackets, but 20-30 I'm thinking, seriously? Probably what is happening, is that everyone who has or had a problems with their bottom brackets are collectively on Hambini's and your channel, trying to solve their problem, everyone else is just going about their business cycling away, I never had a bb problem I couldn't solve myself but like you said, I also look at Hambini's bb solution as a problem solver bottom bracket, if I ever have a problem like that I can't solve, that's where I would go, even though they are crazy expensive, maybe not as a problem solver, but as a regular bottom bracket yes. As for the branding, if it's done in a classy, understated way, not so in your face like Hope, then yes totally. Hambini's brand does suffer from lack of visibility in the branding space, how he'll pull that off is a whole other matter. I always felt like Hope, is such an ugly name for a bike brand and I hardly ever bought their products for that reason, over branded, somewhere between hoping your bike will be ok with this, or something religious of halfway house type. Anyway, thanks for the video as always, I've already been a subscriber to Hambini's channel for a few years. 100k, not bad for a foul mouth 5 year old with a working pen is.
We usually try and fix bb issues without needing a Hambini. Have you seen our other vids? Fitting a one piece BB is a last resort
Thanks, yes been watching some of your other videos, pretty good stuff. I do like Hambini in many ways, but like everything needs to be taken with a grain of salt, he doesn't even clean his bikes :)@@Mapdec
That was a heck of a well thought out response. I'm sure Hambini will give it a think. I personally like his inability to compromise on quality but price point is a thing. Almost certainly the current owners of Hambini kit will be anti brand and highest quality BUT mass market appeal takes more than being the best.
Hambini BB is a great solution for a problem most of us don't have, and even if you have it, it's a very expensive solution. I'm convinced they are great but they are only worth as much money as you're willing to spend, and most who are happy spend it because they have been frustrated and desperate to get their BB creak-free. I'm one of those that (knock wood) haven't had any issues with any BB in any of my bikes, but then again, most of my bikes have BSA threaded BB.
Sadly you’re in a comment section full of people falling over themselves to worship the guy.
Sure it’s cool to see stuff made to tight tolerances, but at that price it better be.
Realistically good engineering is making something really good for not much money rather than something that’s perfect for a LOT of money.
He also seems to be an awful manchild as well, I’d rather send money to ISIL rather than him tbh.
@@306maxievo2 the thing is: once someone has a creaking BB they will pay much more than is rationally defendable. It’s a mental thing.
I used hope bb and headset for 12 years never replaced any parts just service yearly on headset and maybe twice yearly BB, average 5000 mile yearly, recently changed to Campagnolo for the last 2 years headset still working as good as new. I hope Hambini all the successes as well as all other uk brands
No idea about Hambini's BB's but I've a Hope ceramic bearing BB on my Cotic FS.
Originally bought for a Spesh Enduro in 2006, then moved thru a few bikes including nearly 10,000 miles on a 456Ti and onto my Cotic. Wet & muddy UK.
It's a self perpetuating industry > as long as there are dodgey frames & crappy bottom bracket assemblies, there's plenty of Hambini & Hope BBs to be made = win-win
How good do bb bearings really have to be though? They're not high speed? Good seals and good tolerance. And able to take the load. Skateboard bearings take way more punishment, and they're only 20 quid for 8 bearings and last for years.
Good bearings can pulverize sand, others will wear out.
I’ve had Hope bearings out of a BSA68 BB to replace them and the seals were marked Ina (Schaeffler).
In the aftermarket space it seems Enduro are the readily available parts, trying to get hold of OEM spares that you can be sure are A-grade stock is challenging.
Certainly when I got some supposedly genuine Ina spares from the local bike shops they were garbage and were taken out two weeks later and replaced with Enduro fully sealed (winter/commuter bike).
I also have a Hambini PF30a on another bike with NTN bearings and Delrin inserts. It’s only used in better weather conditions but after 10k km it’s still running fine.
The thing about hamini bottom brackets is that they are heavy. What manufacturer can't make something to spec when it's dumb heavy? The challenge in engineering is to make it lighter with no downsides.
Yeah, it’s easy to make something expensive with tight tolerances. It’s being able to make something that works for a tenth of the price is actual engineering.
Great video. You’ve convinced me to buy some Hambini bottom brackets.
I think wheels manufacture has an unreal demo and website setup. I would love to see this with Hambini products would be fun. Love my hambini BB, hope he reache his goals. I want him to use 1980 hairdressor stereotypes for his branding. It would be a good laugh.
First time I have watched your channel (immediately subscribed) and fantastic review! Incredibly thorough and focused on a lot of seemingly minor details (like instructions) that add a lot of value. And yep Hambini does need branding - love the squirrel logo idea.
Having bottom brackets in stock would be one way he could improve. I'd really like a Hambini BB86 press fit BB but it's just a question of getting hold of one!
Hambini make performance bottom bracket that nobody else does, so the price I would love cheaper but I understand why is that price.
I've installed quite a few Hope BSA BB's with a normal tool. Not aware I was supposed to use a Hope specific tool, and never had a problem over 1000's of kms on multiple bikes.
I have bought equipment from Hambini ! He´s the very best with BB. I´d recommend him anytime !
Interesting video! Waiting for 5 years old here😄
I have a feeling hambini doesnt want to get too big anyways.
Appetite comes with eating. He's going into lubes and grease territory too, as far as I know - somewhere you can't run small numbers.
4:40 Yes, the lack of branding is exactly what indicates quality. Something of quality doesn't need to have it printed on there - people with a bit of knowledge on the subject immediately recognize quality.
Branding is for products that have proclaim themselves as "great products" while they're actually not (like the sweatshop t-shirts made by kids that get "supreme" printed on them).
A craftsman who's confident of their quality doesn't need their products to be like advertisement signs, the product speaks for itself.
Bearings inside Hambini's BB are very well aligned because is the same shell. Maybe there is no need to put top quality bearings inside them as design is the best it can be. It is OK to have quality stuff of course but there is no need to have far too good things. Good stuff can be sufficient. I would rather have bearing with very good seals, maybe with more drag but more adapted to bicycle lifespan. Also the rotationnal speed of a crankset is not very high so a little bit of drag is not noticeable. Maybe there is some money to save here.
But this guy is making very good stuff. We need more people like him in this industry.
You are going to love the video we are working on right now.
How does a Hambini compare to my go to manufacturer, Chris King?
I absolutely love Chris King quality and durability.
Would ditching the NTN bearings really save that much cost? I was under the impression, that what makes his bbs so expensive is the machining.
Depends on the seal type, but no they're not that expensive at all
The NTN would be about £50 of the cost, a cheaper alternative might half that.
@@Mapdec ntn do make cheap bearings that would more than half the cost even at retail prices. Hambini even sells some. It's not about the brand it's the type that makes them expensive.
Love Hope components. Been using their hubs since early 90’s..My Mountain bike has Hope hubs..Mono Mini (early 2000’s) brakes..Hope headset,bottom bracket,seat clamp..brilliant. HOWEVER Hambini is next level. Engineering good as it gets. Love his approach,honest comments,precision,intolerance to bullshit….
Nah, hambini don't compromise bro, that will absolutely change the quality. Tons of cheap bottom brackets out there, if people want cheap there's plenty of choice.
Hope didn't make any compromises, also not cheap by any stretch of imagination, for what they offer.
You could make the best product in the world but if I am not keen on the owners/employees of a company I won't buy it. Hambini unfortunately, for me, falls into that bracket.
I do appreciate he has many fans though.
Yeah, the misogyny did it for me.
@@nwebbfreelance I am expecting to get flamed for my comments but time will tell and I have broad shoulders! But yes that is one of the few things and his general unprofessional attitude, great for being a YT content maker, not so great if you want to be taken seriously.
I'd agree that's his biggest drawback .
You don't know *anything* about the owners/CEOs/etc. of basically any big brands nowadays. More important to me is what the actions say about them. For example any company who gives clear and helpful information about their products scores a lot of points for me, or even better if they make it easy for potential buyers to ask questions. Hambini *is* very approachable for example, whereas most big brands build up big barriers to actually asking any direct questions, and you are often left getting information only from the vendors who sell the product.
@@imrevadasz1086 with research you can find an awful lot out... And hambini isn't a big brand. I choose where to spend my money and who I support the best I can. We live in a system that is imperfect but where I can make the best decisions (in my opinion) I will.
Another slight correction, For 24mm BSA, Hope use a standard tool (same as Shimano MTB) its the 30mm BSA (and others) that use the proprietary type, although I think now others like ROTOR or PRAXIS (I always confuse those 2) might use it too, but they do now sell a machined socket (£22 and I believe stainless steel) It has a 19mm hex rather than a square ratchet, which I love because on internal T-47 it allows you to put a threaded bar through the middle to hold the tool in place and prevent slippage on the narrow lip I use a Crows foot to bring it to torque.
I have Hambini BB86 on my endurance bike and Ceramicspeed BB30 on my aero bike. Love both, but Hambini for last 3 years doubled the price. Before Ceramicspeed I had Kogel on my aero bike.
I'm in the States and the best BB is BBinfinte. Not sure who came first Hambini or BBinfinite but they look very similar.
BBinfinte is better. They have actual engineers on staff and don’t use seals that are too light for the application like Hambini does.
@@bigboybikerare BBinfinite manchildren? If not they’re already better.
This man knows his stuff💯
No one NEEDs a Scambini BB . there are plenty of reasonably priced BB that will last a very longtime with proper maintenance
Hambini was and will be a performance part. Cannot compromise on the bearing. The bottom bracket serves the bearing, not the other way around
Have a @Hambini in my first gen Scott foil.
Measured everything before buying and it was clear the frame was in spec size wise, (not sure on alignment), never had issues with creak before. But it was a great decision, and an upgrade worth getting. The cranks felt smoother after, quieter, stiffer even. Tho placebo is strong.
The issue hambini will come up against will require himself to reckon with his own demon. Essentially what is said in this video is that hambini needs to market himself better. All the things mentioned, in a typical org, are the real of marketing... The packaging, the instructions, the website and so on. How will hambini fair as he becomes those he despises.
My Look Blade RS don't need Hambini BB (same as my Time VXS) All of my bikes have Token BBs and enduro bearings in the wheels. After few years, still smooth without problems. BTW , all of my bikes are running Rotor cranks, some with steel 24mm spindle and some with 30mm alloy spindles.
Currently the only problem is that every time i looked the items were out of stock. No point to join a waiting list if you need your cranks spinning right now ( or at least in a couple of days, not weeks ).
The issue I see with Hambini is that BBs are a second job for him. Whatever one's dreams there is only so much you can do in a day, especially when it comes to business.
Hambini would need a team behind him to grow, but maybe that's not what he wants. With such inconsistency in the industry he is placed perfectly keeping his product bespoke and low volume. Supplying someone like Time and/or Look would be kudos enough for the brand.
The NTN bearing is a standard size, any bearing supplier can get it for you. (or at east could in 1980's and 90's)
I've been out of trade too long so don't know which bearing manufacturers are still in business (and can't be bothered to look it up), but, there used to be several better and a few about equal to NTN which was a 'cheap Japanese bearing' fitted to everything coming out of Japan.
Lubrication varies NTN do use a very good grease but if you want less drag for 'race use only', wash them out and use synthetic gear oil
Bravo Mapdec and Hambini.
Thanks for honest information.
How about a look into Chis King bearings and such. I always understood most bearings are designed for high-speed, low-load. Whereas King produces high-load, low speed.
Thanks 🔨
Great suggestion!
Agreed, I would be interested to see where the cost vs performance puts Chris King ahead of Hope in certain people eyes.
Again another well thought out video carefully exploring the topic. Very very informative. 👍 . Many decades ago I used to do a lot of engineering work for Rolls Royce - in Derby and Barnoldswick (where Hope are based) on the RB211 and Trent Engine fan blades (I am a metallurgist). Never thought about it then but nowadays I wonder if Hope engineers started at Rolls. When I get back home in the spring I will be building up my Pipedream and will be using Hope BB, I would have used their headset but already have the Cane Creek one needed. I'm using DT Swiss rims and hubs.
They were Rolls Royce trained. They even kept the naming convention for all their soares. HB is Hope Barnoldswick
What an interesting video, thank you so much
Maybe I misunderstood something but I don’t see the point in buying a Hambini BB for it not to have the best bearings.
If you want a budget BB then there are plenty of options.
5 yo Indian child mogs UK luxury product engineers. What a ledgend
Please git rid of the slat wall..
Your channel is full of awesome information that's true... especially for mechanics that don't make decisions on media
Pressing the support of local/small business is truly a factor. The industry is becoming something very different than the past.
We take your information given as premium advice. Would love to see more episodes on classic tech.
Love to come see your shop..very cool stuff
Sadly the slat wall belongs to the landlord. Thanks for the kind words.
@@Mapdec As far as Trek goes with the big "Shrink", look at private equity and future buyouts. It's an absolute nightmare here in Uncle Sam's country...let alone the world.
Good to see small business thriving.
Ah HAMBINI...😂 Going big? I believe his bottom brackets are without doubt the best available. But aged 5 he has some personality issues he needs to fix. Upscaling from handmade one offs to mass production is no small feat.
His products seem to be for professional bike mechanics and not for home players. But you do have a good point about diagrams and tables. The way his business comes across is really aged 5 and that has it's charme. It's very funny and different to other manufacturers but most of all very personal.
Just wait and see what will happen.
Once Hambini compromises on quality then it’s not the same product. That being said for Hambini he can improve manufacturing quality and tolerances further and invest further in the kind of shim/spacer precision manufacturing to work better for his product across a wide range of Different manufacturers poorer tolerance interfaces of course that is difficult once you get down to a certain level of accuracy other problems are going to be thrown up. There are inevitable compromises you have to make the question is are you going to be happy with that. Clearly at some point hambini needs to make other bike parts with the same higher tolerances. Larger manufacturing and economies of scale would bring the cost down but repeatability of fine tolerances is next level manufacturing very expensive.
Since I am from engineering. No Enduro bearings for me. NTN, SKF or FAG are my bearings.
Let's be honest, for cycling application all of them are unnecessarily precise. Generic, most probably made by one or another daugther of Einhell Group, are good.
Waaaaaay wondered how long it would be before we had an engineer in the house. Welcome
Just a heads up, all bearing tables used in engineering school is from the big bearing brands. Never have I heard of using Enduro tables in school. So you will understand that in engineering we have our bias because we are taught that way. Why go for something you are not familiar with?
"The ONE thing we want from a Hambini bb is quite and durable" - hate to tell you, but that's 2 things. lol
Maybe Hambini should do "Budget" and "Premium" lines ?
Maybe with the budget upgradable to premium.
Not sue he will, as he is an engineering perfectionist.
I'm no expert but is it not usually the bike housing rather than the actual bottom bracket causes the problems?
Interesting, I think that your suggestions are valid to increase market share over Hambinis traditional customer base. Many of the comments are from his traditional customers rather than those that you are talking about especially those saying that he shouldn’t change. BTW I always thought quality is fit for purpose, does a BB bracket need a low RA surface finish on all surfaces?
I agree with you that if indeed Hambini wants to become #1, then he also needs to offer different price points, and in terms of growth... that is what will make his business grow. Quite often I find that if a customer moves into something a bit more expensive than their normal range and they are happy with it, then the opportunity to encourage someone to move up another price point is now on the table, otherwise it's generally not an option. Although there has been plenty of discussion about bottom brackets and all the sizes, I still think that it needs to become something that most can understand. The field is too large, and once it hopefully becomes more mainstream, I do think folks may want to spend more money on a BB rather than simply fixing a problem.
I can't imagine he'd want to be the #1 supplier of BBs. Seems like he's a problem solver and would move to the next problem when BB shells are made and prepared properly enough.
Bottom bracket is the one part of the bike I've never had any issues with.
Good work - as always. May I suggest you guys to do something about the serivce life and sustainability of high priced parts like derailleurs like SRAM Red AXS and the likes ... THANKS
Disagree with everything you said, doesn’t need branding for a start
I feel the price comes down to magnitude of scale, I'd imagine hambini bbs are made in much smaller batches than hopes, also made from a more exotic material which is more difficult to machine, for me I could see price dropping significantly if they are machined in much bigger batches. I used to work at a company that machined components and machine set up costs heavily outweighed material and machining times on small batch runs. But only hambini can confirm this
@@dsdf_fdp1858 I cant really explain that uplift in cost unless there is any material difference vs yours or possibly moving from doing them as a hobby to trying to make a buisness from doing so?
That orange squirrel logo on bb (e.g on adapter between the bearing and crank axel) would be fantastic.
Hmmm, that goes to answer why on the first day of my new bike I was feeling and hearing some unexpected creaking in my BB area. I have the sram dub crank and stock bottom bracket. I took it back to the bike shop and they couldn't find anything wrong. I'm no engineer but I'm a finish carpenter and I pay close attention to detail and have the mentality of "every cause has an effect" and I can notice things are off when they are off.
I wanted a Hambini bb but could not justify the expense. I went with wheels manufacturing with enduro bearings. The bearings might not be as good as the ntn, but are a lot better than the stock bearings that came with the Shimano bb. I can always upgrade to ntn at a later date.
If I had the money, I'd buy a titanium one for my titanium bike, but not fussed about being. HamBBini BB Yes please!
If Hambini wants to start raising his profile, he could start by including a free chainstay sticker, instead of charging separately for them. Hope does 🤷♂️
I have been using his Race PF30>24mm BB for 2-3 years now and been very happy.
I replaced my bottom bracket on my 1991 steel bike last Summer. Since then I have been learning about them. The square taper bottom bracket on my bike held up for many years. It wasn't the cartridge type. I replaced it with a Shimano cartridge type. Back in the day they didn't seem to have so much trouble with bottom brackets. I guess all the bottom brackets were of the square taper type. I guess Hambini has found a good niche. There are people who spend a lot of money on bikes. These expensive bikes have the newer types of bottom brackets which seem to have more problems than the old type. They are willing to spend big money on replacement parts that hold up like the old square taper bottom brackets. Hambini si performing a good service. He makes entertaining videos. I wish him well.