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Newbie Style Hollowtech 2 Q


barrybaines

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Sorry if this has already been covered chaps, BUT I just spent 20 minutes searching and came up with not a lot.

I have a MTB fully fitted with roadie gearing etc with a 105 hollowtech 2 crankset and BB.

Now I am about to build my first trials machine (Stock) and am so happy with the quality and feel of the hollowtech kit was wondering if there was any reason this should not be done? I mean this stuff is super smooth SUPER stiff and relativley cheap, this said I was stunned to see people buying and selling square taper and isis so please could you all point out the obvious that I must be missing?

Barry

EDIT: something like this looks like a good choice..... HONE what do you think?

Edited by barrybaines
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The first reason why people don't use them in trials is FFW. Then for the rest it may be a matter of aestethics (sp?) - you have to use big ugly bashring to cover a 22t chainring. Also in hollowtech 2, when you break the axle you cannot just go to a lbs and buy another bottom bracket as their axles are a part of cranks not bbs - hollowtech 2 bbs are nothing but just cups with bearings.

IMO as for trials (ab)use, a better solution would be the hollowtech 1 - those cranks are already hollow but still separated from bb axles which can be easily bought at any bike shop. I'm currently using LX hollowtech 1 cranks that are tuned so they accept either screw-on sprocket or freewheel. The crank arms weigh 400g only (175mm).

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I don't know if they are the same these days, but I had some hollowtech cranks a few years back. The spider was held onto the crank with splines and a press-fit which was fine for MTB use, but as soon as you start putting a lot of torque through it and bashing it, the spider worked loose and rattled. So if they're still like that, avoid at all costs. Plus like Zordon says, you have to use a spider + bashring (= more money) and it doesn't look as nice etc.

Bear in mind, for that price (plus the price of a decent bashring) you could get TWO sets of second-hand square taper ISIS middleburns, or brand new Middleburns/Tensiles etc.

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OK so for me that will be probably run gears on the back and am new to cycle trials and unlikely to shear a axle the Hone looks OK? I mean the inner ring is a 22t as standard so thats not a problem? As for the BB's one comes free with that crankset for 90 squid but alone are only about 30 for the specific one and as cheap as 15 for the 105 like on my road bike.

Again thoughts welcomed

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Alot of the problem is that they don't have an adjustable chainline really, and they are all 4 arm. This means the smallest you can go on the front is a 22t, which is small normaly, but by trials standards pretty big. This means to cleatr most frames designed around the average 20/18t used in trials, you need a long BB spindle to bring the chainline right out. With hollowtech 2, you can't bring the chainline out, so you can't stop the chainring contacting the chainstays.

Like people have said, machined hollowtech 1s with a screw on sprocket are a really nice option, and are awesomely stiff and light still. Or if you dont like the idea of machining them look around and find some oldschool XTR hollowtech 1s with the removable spider and get the 5-arm CD spider and a 20t ring (Y).

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OK I should perhaps mention that I am building a bit of an old school bike Planet X Zebdi with an 8 or 9 speed cassette so perhaps I could get away with it?

In that case yeah, you shoud get away with it, you'll want a nice close block though to keep the chainline as good as posible, as you'll be using the granny, so you'll want the 18/19t to be as far over as possible, like a 12-21 block would probably be your best bet (Y)

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for the price it will cost you i would still be inclined to pick up a set of second hand burns for half the price, proven for trials etc

you can prob pick up most of the trials specific cranks forless than your going to spend on the hone cranks,

thats my opinion anyway lol

Steve

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