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Bottom Brackets

Started by Cletus Lee · · Last activity · 12 posts · 892 views

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Recumbent bicycles
Published
9 September 2003
Last activity
10 September 2003
Original author
Cletus Lee
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  1. Last month while in Denmark, I noticed after about the 5th day on the road that my Bottombracket was
    starting to make some noise under load. That got me to thinking that:
    1. I did not do any maintaince on the BB before I left for my trip. I can not say if my LBS has ever
    performed maintenance on the BB. I have not used my LBS for maintenance for over two years.
    2. The Voyager is still running with its original BB form LCD.
    3. I now have over 10 000 km on the BB.
    4. Maybe I should think about replacing the BB.

    Well, Bottombrackets are sized with numbers like below: 68 x 107 68 x 110 68 x 113 73 x 107 73 x
    110 73 x 113

    I can figure out that the 68 represents the width in mm. I can measure that. What is the other
    value? And how do I determine which I need for my triple crank set?
    --

    Cletus D. Lee Bacchetta Giro Lightning Voyager clee.orgclee.org
    - Bellaire, TX USA -

  2. Cletus Lee wrote:

    [snip]

    Quoted message said:


    I can figure out that the 68 represents the width in mm. I can measure that. What is the other
    value? And how do I determine which I need for my triple crank set?

    Try sheldonbrown.combbsize.html

    Peter

  3. Cletus Lee must be edykated coz e writed:

    Quoted message said:

    Last month while in Denmark, I noticed after about the 5th day on the road that my Bottombracket
    was starting to make some noise under load. That got me to thinking that:
    1. I did not do any maintaince on the BB before I left for my trip. I can not say if my LBS has
    ever performed maintenance on the BB. I have not used my LBS for maintenance for over two
    years.
    2. The Voyager is still running with its original BB form LCD.
    3. I now have over 10 000 km on the BB.
    4. Maybe I should think about replacing the BB.

    Well, Bottombrackets are sized with numbers like below: 68 x 107 68 x 110 68 x 113 73 x 107 73 x
    110 73 x 113

    I can figure out that the 68 represents the width in mm. I can measure that. What is the other
    value? And how do I determine which I need for my triple crank set?


    The 68mm is the diameter of the shell and the 107mm is the length of the tube.

    --
    Ian

    catrike.co.ukcatrike.co.uk

  4. "Cletus Lee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    Well, Bottombrackets are sized with numbers like below: 68 x 113

    I can figure out that the 68 represents the width in mm. I can measure


    that. What is the other

    Quoted message said:

    value? And how do I determine which I need for my triple crank set?

    Hi Cletus.

    - Unmount the crankarms
    - Bring out your vernier calliper gauge
    - Measure the axle (mm)

    I have a 127mm for the Acrofobia - it's more than wide enough for a triple. It should be simple to
    determine what you need once you have the width of the original.

    I hope you got home without a cold.

    Regards, Torben

  5. the other number is the outside length of the crank, the overall length. It determines "Q factor".

    The obvious is to measure, but to measure accurately requires disassemble.

    How about call Lightning?
    --
    Miles of Smiles,

    Tom Blum Winter Haven, Florida Homebuilts: SWB Tour Easy Clone Speed Machine Clone High Racer Clone
    www.gate.net/~teblum

  6. Ian must be edykated coz e writed:

    Quoted message said:

    Cletus Lee must be edykated coz e writed:

    Quoted message said:

    Last month while in Denmark, I noticed after about the 5th day on the road that my Bottombracket
    was starting to make some noise under load. That got me to thinking that:
    1. I did not do any maintaince on the BB before I left for my trip. I can not say if my LBS has
    ever performed maintenance on the BB. I have not used my LBS for maintenance for over two
    years.
    2. The Voyager is still running with its original BB form LCD.
    3. I now have over 10 000 km on the BB.
    4. Maybe I should think about replacing the BB.

    Well, Bottombrackets are sized with numbers like below: 68 x 107 68 x 110 68 x 113 73 x 107 73 x
    110 73 x 113

    I can figure out that the 68 represents the width in mm. I can measure that. What is the other
    value? And how do I determine which I need for my triple crank set?


    The 68mm is the diameter of the shell and the 107mm is the length of the tube.


    OOPS, I mean length of the axle.

    --
    Ian

    catrike.co.ukcatrike.co.uk

  7. In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

    Quoted message said:


    - Unmount the crankarms
    - Bring out your vernier calliper gauge
    - Measure the axle (mm)

    I hate it when I have to take something apart just to find out what I need to order to replace
    it.

    Quoted message said:

    I hope you got home without a cold.

    Cold free. My wife Becky (and me too) thought your 'little cherubs' were adorable. I'm trying to get
    some pics posted on the web this week-end.
    --

    Cletus D. Lee Bacchetta Giro Lightning Voyager clee.orgclee.org
    - Bellaire, TX USA -

  8. Ian,

    The 68mm is the BB shell width of the assembly (not the diameter). The 117mm is the length
    of the axle.

    R. Horwitz http:/www.helbentcycles.com

    "Ian" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    Ian must be edykated coz e writed:

    Quoted message said:

    Cletus Lee must be edykated coz e writed:

    Quoted message said:

    Last month while in Denmark, I noticed after about the 5th day on the


    road

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    that my Bottombracket was starting to make some noise under load. That got me


    to

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    thinking that:
    1. I did not do any maintaince on the BB before I left for my trip. I


    can not

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    say if my LBS has ever performed maintenance on the BB. I have not used my LBS for


    maintenance

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    for over two years.
    2. The Voyager is still running with its original BB form LCD.
    3. I now have over 10 000 km on the BB.
    4. Maybe I should think about replacing the BB.

    Well, Bottombrackets are sized with numbers like below: 68 x 107 68 x 110 68 x 113 73 x 107 73
    x 110 73 x 113

    I can figure out that the 68 represents the width in mm. I can measure


    that.

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    What is the other value? And how do I determine which I need for my triple crank set?


    The 68mm is the diameter of the shell and the 107mm is the length of the tube.


    OOPS, I mean length of the axle.

    --
    Ian

    catrike.co.ukcatrike.co.uk

  9. Ian said:
    Quoted message said:

    The 68mm is the diameter of the shell and the 107mm is the length of the tube.

    OOPS, I mean length of the axle.

    No, the 68mm is the length of the bottom bracket shell on the bike, and the 107mm is the length of
    the spindle. The diameters are determined by the threading, which on modern BB's is either English
    or Italian (or Cannondale's larger size on some of their high-end bikes), and in both cases is a lot
    less than 68mm.

    The earlier advice to see Sheldon Brown's website is good.

    Dave Lehnen

  10. Cletus Lee <[email hidden]> wrote:
    : Last month while in Denmark, I noticed after about the 5th day on the road that my Bottombracket
    : was starting to make some noise under load. That got me to thinking that:
    : 1. I did not do any maintaince on the BB before I left for my trip. I can not say if my LBS has
    : ever performed maintenance on the BB. I have not used my LBS for maintenance for over two
    : years.
    : 2. The Voyager is still running with its original BB form LCD.
    : 3. I now have over 10 000 km on the BB.
    : 4. Maybe I should think about replacing the BB.

    So? Do you really pay the LBS for maintaining your cartridge BB?

    If you are lucky you only need to tighten the lock rings of your BB, you need a LBS or a special
    tool for that.

    I never had a problem with BB for 10 000 km (even the Shimano crankset blew up in that time, BB
    still going strong) but on the trike, the cranks developed a little wobble so I had to tighten the
    BB after just 500 km.

    --
    Risto Varanka | helsinki.fihpv.html varis at no spam please iki fi

  11. Cletus,

    My P-38 has a 68-118 BB. That is what i always use with triple cranks. Ben Fox
    <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    Cletus Lee <[email hidden]> wrote:
    : Last month while in Denmark, I noticed after about the 5th day on the


    road that my

    Quoted message said:

    : Bottombracket was starting to make some noise under load. That got me


    to thinking that:

    Quoted message said:

    : 1. I did not do any maintaince on the BB before I left for my trip. I


    can not say if my LBS has

    Quoted message said:

    : ever performed maintenance on the BB. I have not used my LBS for


    maintenance for over two

    Quoted message said:

    : years.
    : 2. The Voyager is still running with its original BB form LCD.
    : 3. I now have over 10 000 km on the BB.
    : 4. Maybe I should think about replacing the BB.

    So? Do you really pay the LBS for maintaining your cartridge BB?

    If you are lucky you only need to tighten the lock rings of your BB, you need a LBS or a special
    tool for that.

    I never had a problem with BB for 10 000 km (even the Shimano crankset blew up in that time, BB
    still going strong) but on the trike, the cranks developed a little wobble so I had to tighten the
    BB after just 500 km.

    --
    Risto Varanka | helsinki.fihpv.html varis at no spam please iki fi

  12. In article <[email hidden]>,
    [email hidden] says...

    Quoted message said:

    Cletus Lee <[email hidden]> wrote: ...I can not say if my LBS has
    : ever performed maintenance on the BB. I have not used my LBS for maintenance for over two years.

    So? Do you really pay the LBS for maintaining your cartridge BB?

    If you note my original comment, I have not paid my LBS anything for maintenance for two years (when
    I decided I could do as good if not better). In the two years before that when the LBS was doing
    routine maintanance for me, I do not know if that ever included servicing the cartridge.

    Quoted message said:

    If you are lucky you only need to tighten the lock rings of your BB, you need a LBS or a special
    tool for that.

    After talking with my other P-38 buddy with an even older P-38 with even less attention, I think I
    can probably manage to get by with a little service on the BB. Buying the special tool is usually
    cheaper than letting the LBS do the work.

    --
    Cletus D. Lee Bacchetta Giro Lightning Voyager clee.orgclee.org
    - Bellaire, TX USA -

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