I recently installed a new Chorus BB and have noticed around a gap of around a millimetre or so between the drive-side BB flange and the BB shell. I can't remember if this was there when I installed it or whether it's developed over the 150 or so miles I've cycled since then. I couldn't find a socket big enough to use my torque wrench with the BB tool when I installed it so I used a 12" adjustable and did it up tight-ish -- to the point where it nipped up and a nudge more, I suppose. It certainly wasn't loose but I didn't want to go crazy given the grief I had getting the old one out.
I've just moved and don't have a crank puller and BB tool handy to tighten it and I can't get to an LBS before I want to ride next. Am I risking damage/injury/financial ruination/etc by riding it?
I recently installed a new Chorus BB and have noticed around a gap of around a millimetre or so between the drive-side BB flange and the BB shell. I can't remember if this was there when I installed it or whether it's developed over the 150 or so miles I've cycled since then. I couldn't find a socket big enough to use my torque wrench with the BB tool when I installed it so I used a 12" adjustable and did it up tight-ish -- to the point where it nipped up and a nudge more, I suppose. It certainly wasn't loose but I didn't want to go crazy given the grief I had getting the old one out.
I've just moved and don't have a crank puller and BB tool handy to tighten it and I can't get to an LBS before I want to ride next. Am I risking damage/injury/financial ruination/etc by riding it?
The Chorus type right cups I've fitted fitted flush with the shell on installation and didn't come undone at all even when they weren't fitted especially tightly. (My left cups did themselves up a bit but that's another story).
Being slightly loose shouldn't do any harm but I wouldn't ride it in case it got worse and knackered the bearings. It is a £32 BB afterall. Paint a mark on the cup and shell to track any movement if you do want to risk it. I suppose it'd have to be terrible before injury resulted.
I recently installed a new Chorus BB and have noticed around a gap of around a millimetre or so between the drive-side BB flange and the BB shell. I can't remember if this was there when I installed it or whether it's developed over the 150 or so miles I've cycled since then. I couldn't find a socket big enough to use my torque wrench with the BB tool when I installed it so I used a 12" adjustable and did it up tight-ish -- to the point where it nipped up and a nudge more, I suppose. It certainly wasn't loose but I didn't want to go crazy given the grief I had getting the old one out.
I've just moved and don't have a crank puller and BB tool handy to tighten it and I can't get to an LBS before I want to ride next. Am I risking damage/injury/financial ruination/etc by riding it?
The Chorus type right cups I've fitted fitted flush with the shell on installation and didn't come undone at all even when they weren't fitted especially tightly. (My left cups did themselves up a bit but that's another story).
Being slightly loose shouldn't do any harm but I wouldn't ride it in case it got worse and knackered the bearings. It is a £32 BB afterall. Paint a mark on the cup and shell to track any movement if you do want to risk it. I suppose it'd have to be terrible before injury resulted.
It doesn't appear to be loose as such -- there's no discernable play when giving the cranks a waggle but I'll try to get it tightened up.
It doesn't appear to be loose as such -- there's no discernable play when giving the cranks a waggle but I'll try to get it tightened up.
By loose in this case I mean the cup not being fully home. With these cartridge bearings there isn't any discernable play until the bearings are knackered! However, the spindle doesn't turn as freely as normal* when a cup is /much/ too loose, just as it doesn't when the left cup is too tight. I would expect the bearings to wear quickly if used in this state
* Increased friction is felt when spindle is turned by hand with no cranks fitted. Too difficult to tell when cranks are on.
I've just had a closer look at my bike with a brighter light! There is a tiny gap afterall, less than 1mm in my case. Probably just to do with the shape/squareness of flange and shell (maybe your shell is slightly different?). I know mine was done up snug and hasn't moved as I marked it straight after installation.
So I'll change my advice to: Make a mark on flange & shell, ride the bike but keep an eye on the marks, get cup checked for tightness when convenient.
It doesn't appear to be loose as such -- there's no discernable play when giving the cranks a waggle but I'll try to get it tightened up.
By loose in this case I mean the cup not being fully home. With these cartridge bearings there isn't any discernable play until the bearings are knackered! However, the spindle doesn't turn as freely as normal* when a cup is /much/ too loose, just as it doesn't when the left cup is too tight. I would expect the bearings to wear quickly if used in this state
Ah, okay. I didn't realise that the cups would have such an impact on th bearings; I thought they just held the BB in the right place and that was it, though I didn't have time to look at it closely when I installed it.
Ah, okay. I didn't realise that the cups would have such an impact on th bearings; I thought they just held the BB in the right place and that was it, though I didn't have time to look at it closely when I installed it.
That is it when everything is just right, but side effects result when the cups aren't fitted correcty or some fault with the shell or thread puts one side out of paralel.
The problem I had with mine (one Record and one new-style Centaur, both v similar to Chorus) was binding before I could get the left cup tight. Fortunately, Loctite has done the trick.
Good luck with yours... not that I think you'll need much luck.
