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Chris King Bottom Brackets!


Tomm

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So, in shocking news that won't really affect any trials riders, Chris King are making bottom brackets. But only for Shimano cranks. Does anyone even use that kind of BB on a trials bike? Oh well.

The other slightly more useful bit of information is that they are now doing everything in a cool brown colour.

www.ChrisKing.com

$130 from here, although unfortunately you can't buy one yet: http://www.aspirevelotech.com/Merchant2/me...Code=CK_BB_73MM

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i do like the chocolate brown colour, but wont it be better off for chris king to make bbs for normal cranks not just a very small amount of people?

The number of people in other forms of MTBing that run Hollowtech cranks is actually quite high. Shimano and Raceface Hollowtechs are excellent cranks and really widely used in DH, freeride, XC, pretty much everything. They are much more rigid than conventional cranks and the external BB means longer lifespans with bigger bearings.

Not many trials riders use them due to them being 4/5 bolt spider configuartion, rather than our preferred method of screw-on sprockets.

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the external BB means longer lifespans with bigger bearings.

I agree with everything except this. I don't think the bearings are bigger, because the axle is fatter so the bearings are still pretty small. Shimano BBs are absolutely rubbish. They seize up after a matter of a few rides, and mine has started grinding and squeaking really badly - it's only 3 months old. Cynics call this 'inbuilt redundancy' - I.e. they are made to wear out so you have to buy a new one every 6 months. I think it's quite brave for CK to bring out a bottom bracket. I guess they've done their testing, but even if it lasts 3 times as long as a Shimano one, that's still not really long enough, considering they make headsets and hubs that are made to last 10 years or more... Time will tell I suppose.

looks like you need a new tool to install them =/

I wondered that, and I couldn't work out if it was just the normal shimano Hollowtech tool you'd need. It looks very similar to me.

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Do you reckon? I would have said they'd be bigger bearings. I didnt think the axel was that much fatter on my Saints, compared to a normal ISIS axel.

Dont know really, thinking about it now. I thought the whole reason behind having the bearings externally was to allow the use of larger bearings, increasing lifespan.

The RaceFace ones I had in my Scott lasted me ages, but they were about £60

Edit - I think its the same as the Shimano hollowtech tool, although being Chris King I wouldn't be suprised if it was slightly different.

Edited by that NBR dude
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Dont know really, thinking about it now. I thought the whole reason behind having the bearings externally was to allow the use of larger bearings, increasing lifespan.

Yeah you're right about that, I'm sure. But even with external bearings, Hollowtech BBs are still rubbish. I was comparing external BBs to square taper. Not sure which one has the bigger bearings (and it's a pretty useless comparison on my part since barely anyone even uses square taper any more), but the bearings in square taper BBs are definitely a lot better. Even ISIS is better than Shimano Hollowtech, and they have smaller bearings.

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The number of people in other forms of MTBing that run Hollowtech cranks is actually quite high. Shimano and Raceface Hollowtechs are excellent cranks and really widely used in DH, freeride, XC, pretty much everything. They are much more rigid than conventional cranks and the external BB means longer lifespans with bigger bearings.

Not many trials riders use them due to them being 4/5 bolt spider configuartion, rather than our preferred method of screw-on sprockets.

i think that needs changing to only method - I for one would be all over a splined or bolt on interface for sprockets ...

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  • 3 weeks later...

its quality not quantity. you could have a bearing the size of the earth and it be absolutly CRAP and it last 5minutes.

chris king, like hope they will use a much higher spec bearing that costs more to start with, shimano are a worldwide company and things need to wear out for buisiness to carry on, they dont make things these days as they used to.

but to give you an idea the hope bearing they use in the external b/b they do is very VERY similar spec to the bearing they used in their old Ti square taper b/b. ok a tad bigger internaly diameter and outer, but the overall depth of the bearing is very very similar yet they last alot longer and look alot cooler, PLUS there only £65. or summit. and i thinnk you can just knock the bearings out and replace them with new ones at like £7/8 per bearing.

Wayne.

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'burns ftw :D

That just made me think...

You could simply make some kind of axle to go in the external BB that basically turns it into an ISIS bb.

Think about it... Hollowtech cranks and BBs are two-piece, but you could make the axle seperate, and on each end put ISIS splines.

Thus, giving you the ability to use external BBs with any ISIS cranks. It wouldn't be limited to just ISIS either, you could make a square taper one too.

If only I was an engineer, I'd whip one up!

Edited by Revolver
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  • 5 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
That just made me think...

You could simply make some kind of axle to go in the external BB that basically turns it into an ISIS bb.

Think about it... Hollowtech cranks and BBs are two-piece, but you could make the axle seperate, and on each end put ISIS splines.

Thus, giving you the ability to use external BBs with any ISIS cranks. It wouldn't be limited to just ISIS either, you could make a square taper one too.

If only I was an engineer, I'd whip one up!

LISTEN TO THE MAN. f**kING GENIUS.

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  • 3 weeks later...

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