Home Cycling Gnashing Of Enamel – Bike Snob NYC

Gnashing Of Enamel – Bike Snob NYC

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Gnashing Of Enamel – Bike Snob NYC

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Irrespective of how properly one thing works, the bicycle business appears decided to reinvent it. Contemplate the short launch, an totally dependable part which lets you connect and launch a wheel in seconds that has now all however vanished from the efficiency bicycle, solely to get replaced by the thru-axle…which for all sensible functions works the identical manner because the previous nut system that impressed Tullio to invent the short launch within the first place. Whew!

Nevertheless, one normal that has to this point resisted this “innovation”–or no less than continued to thrive within the face of it–is the common-or-garden English threaded backside bracket shell. Positive, there are all method of press-fit methods on the market right this moment, however individuals hate them, and so even a $13,000 S-Wanks comes with a standard threaded backside bracket:

See?

However whereas right-minded individuals know that the threaded English backside bracket shell was, is, and all the time can be one of the simplest ways to connect a crank to a bicycle body, there are nonetheless varied bearing methods to select from, every with its personal benefits and downsides. The “traditional” one makes use of sq. taper spindle, which might be both be a part of a sealed cartridge system, or else it might probably run on the older free-ballin’ setup:

Both manner, it’s good as a result of it’s dependable, it’s ubiquitous, and in case you’re a tinkerer or kludger you may combine and match tapers and lengths and all the remainder of it to mess along with your chainline or “Q-factor,” the latter of which is essential to some individuals, however which I’ve determined I don’t even discover. The principle disadvantage is that bearing set up is usually a bit time consuming–free-ballers require varied instruments and have to be adjusted fastidiously, and cartridge ones have recessed splines that may be just a little annoying. On prime of that you simply usually want a crank puller on prime of no matter different bearing-related instruments are mandatory on your explicit bearing set-up, and in case your crank is under-tightened or over-tightened or put in and eliminated steadily you may mess up the crank arm gap, and probably spoil the crank.

I like sq. taper cranks–they work, backside brackets are low-cost, and extra importantly, they give the impression of being good on metal bicycles. Nevertheless, from a purely sensible standpoint, I don’t assume you may beat the Shimano Hollowtech II system:

Sure, by the point Shimano launched it, the cranks themselves had change into ugly, and solely obtained uglier. (See above.) Nevertheless, they’re extremely straightforward to put in and modify, they by no means make noise (except you don’t tighten the bearing cups or one thing, although pulling the crank and snugging them is a couple of 5 minute job), and so far as I can inform the bearings final primarily eternally. If you’d like traditional appears to be like and/or the flexibility to fine-tune your chainline, by all means, go together with sq. taper. However if you need boneheaded simplicity that even a ham-fisted fool like me can’t appear to mess up, go together with the Hollowtech IIs.

After all, there are additionally different outboard bearing crank methods on the market, and whereas I’ve come throughout some that suck, I’ve additionally encountered some that work fairly properly. Usually, those that fall beneath the latter class work like Shimano, and use the identical spindle measurement and non-drive pinch bolt setup. (The DUB crank that got here on my Jones works in a different way from Shimano, nevertheless it has additionally been completely high quality, and I’ve by no means needed to take away or reinstall it…although due to that I don’t know if it’s as straightforward to work on because the Shimano system.)

Then there’s Campagnolo, and their “Extremely-Torque” system:

I bear in mind when Shimano launched Hollowtech II; apparently they did so after a patent owned by this firm expired, and having coveted these cranks in my youth I used to be predisposed to embrace the idea on my highway bike:

[Photo from here.]

Moreover, I noticed straight away how easy it was, and as somebody with poor mechanical expertise and an especially low tolerance for creaking and/or ticking backside brackets I discovered the design very promising.

In the meantime, Campagnolo was nonetheless utilizing a sq. taper, and there was completely nothing incorrect with it. I do know this as a result of I used to be utilizing it on the time, and as a lot as I appreciated the look of the Hollowtech II I used to be completely content material with my pretty hidden-arm 10-speed Report crank. However, Shimano had pressured Campy’s hand. Furthermore, sq. taper backside brackets are virtually utterly invisible when put in, so no one might inform Campy’s was crabon!

[Photo from eBay. Why the Sharpie? Is it to show scale? Does anybody shopping for a bottom bracket not know how big they are? “I hope that’ll fit in the truck of my car!”]

When Campagnolo answered with Extremely-Torque I used to be horrified. Being Campy, they didn’t do an exterior bearing crank the simple manner; as an alternative, it appeared like they made it as sophisticated as doable. That bizarre joint within the center particularly actually freaked me out, however there was additionally a retaining clip and a wave washier, each of which additionally troubled me, because it appeared just like the system is perhaps susceptible to growing noise and play. My issues appeared to be borne out, too, since after they’d been out awhile I’d usually see individuals complaining about simply that, and even that Mavic components man sells a shim equipment for this supposedly frequent drawback. So I resolved to steer clear of it, as a result of like all uptight individual I are likely to reject issues out of hand.

Alas, destiny had different plans, and in 2019 my Litespeed got here to me with an Extremely-Torque crank. Between the weirdo spindle and the crabon I used to be prepared to alter it on the slightest provocation, however after all it turned out to be completely high quality, so I shortly made my peace with it. Someday early on it did begin squeaking throughout a moist experience, so I took it aside and put some grease in there; truly engaged on it cured me of my fears for good, and it was completely quiet for the subsequent 4 years. Then this previous Sunday I obtained caught in a heavy rain, and yesterday I heard a faint chirping sound. So I finished and eliminated the chain from the chainring:

Sadly I didn’t have a Swiss Military Knife:

However I persevered:

Spinning the crank, I confirmed the sound was coming from the underside bracket:

Feels like a whimpering pet.

As I say, regardless of being a slob, my tolerance for noisy backside brackets is kind of low. So upon my return I instantly set about remedying the state of affairs, and I’m documenting it right here for anybody on the market who want to know what’s occurring inside these items, despite the fact that there isn’t any scarcity of educational movies on the market made by individuals who truly know what they’re doing, in addition to by Campagnolo themselves, who might or might not know what they’re doing. Regardless, in case you’re questioning how these items come aside and return collectively, I’m gonna inform you tips on how to do it. First, ensure you have an Extremely-Torque crank. In case your crank is gorgeous, it’s not Extremely-Torque:

If it’s ugly and it says “Extremely-Torque” on it then it’s undoubtedly Extremely-Torque:

If it’s ugly and it doesn’t, it could nonetheless be Extremely-Torque…although it might be Energy-Torque, wherein case God make it easier to.

Anyway, when you’ve decided it’s an Extremely-Torque, first you take away that retaining clip by pulling it out of the bearing cup with needle nostril pliers:

Right here it’s:

If there’s one factor Campy’s good at, it’s making stuff that requires plenty of tiny spare components.

I do know individuals love Campagnolo as a result of it’s rebuildable and there are spare components, nevertheless it’s essential to needless to say Shimano doesn’t want rebuilding or spare components. (Although all that is now moot, as they each want batteries. In 5 years they’ll every be judged solely by their apps.)

Subsequent, you undo the bolt that holds the spindle collectively:

All the time use a torque wrench, and bear in mind when eradicating a bolt that you simply need to torque all of it the best way all the way down to zero or else it gained’t come out:

It it’s at a torque of -1 N-m you’ve turned it too far.

After you get the bolt out it’s a easy matter of pulling the 2 halves aside:

In addition to the retaining clip and the deeply recessed bolt it’s probably not all that rather more sophisticated than Shimano. Nevertheless, the true distinction is that Shimano’s bearings are a part of the cup, whereas Extremely-Torque bearings reside on the crank, and if it is advisable substitute them they must be eliminated with a particular bearing puller from Vicenza or one thing:

Luckily, these are nonetheless smoother than a marble countertop coated in olive oil, so I doubt I’ll have to fret about that anytime quickly. They’re additionally noticeably smoother than Shimano’s, although I doubt that issues in observe. General, Shimano’s setup is loads less complicated, although I suppose it’s considerably handy that on the Extremely-Torque you by no means must hassle with eradicating the cups. And sure, within the spirit of being rebuildable, Campagnolo permits you to swap the bearing and maintain the cups, whereas Shimano treats all of it as a single disposable unit. This would seem to work out in Campagnolo’s favor, till you think about that the bearings alone value far more than a whole Dura Ace backside bracket, and that’s not even together with the particular instrument. (Although in my case it doesn’t matter, as these bearings stay good as new.)

Right here’s the wave washer on the non-drive facet:

It’s Campy spare half #841851871/1171/4181.

Additionally, on both facet, between the bearing and the crank itself, you may see just a little rubbery seal:

I’m guessing that is most likely what was causing the whimpering pet noise, since there’s nonetheless loads of grease all over the place else:

Sure, there’s just a little grit in there, however that solely occurred after I eliminated the crank.

Anyway, as soon as all the pieces was aside I wiped it down, re-greased it, and put some of these items on the rubber seals:

Looking back I most likely might have simply dripped some in there with out eradicating the crank in any respect, however typically it’s good to get in there and see how issues are doing.

Then I put all the pieces again collectively utilizing the suitable quantity of torque:

That zoomed-in photograph will not be on your profit; I’ve formally reached the purpose at which I want to make use of my telephone as a magnifying glass no less than a number of occasions a day, and it was the one manner I used to be in a position to learn the numbers on the bolt.

I’m guessing the Extremely-Torque design is much less tolerant of body imperfections than the Shimano system, nevertheless it appears completely blissful on this bike, and general it’s fairly straightforward to reside with. Additionally, it’s smoother than Shimano in a manner that doesn’t matter, whereas being barely extra sophisticated in a manner that does–which is finally what Campagnolo is all about.

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