BB servicing

[Speed Devil]

How does a person know when a BB with external bearings needs to be serviced?

My bike seems to have developed a ticking noise when standing and pedalling and I suspect it could be the BB bearings, but am not sure as it is a different type of bearing to the older sealed BB's.

I haven't serviced mine since it was installed on my bike about 3 years ago.

[Johan Bornman]

But, but but, but, I thought you had an old Peugeot, now you come and flaunt your fancy pansy external bearings here? [insert smiley here before someone kaks me out again].

 

Clicks are very seldom caused by worn bearings. Clicks at once per crank revolution are usually at the BB shell and BB cartridge interface. A remove, cleanout of the thread and replace usually does the thing.

 

But that's not your question. To gauge the condition of your BB bearings, you need to take off your chain and put in a mouth guard, of the type that rugby players wear.

 

Now hang your bike from a sturdy stand and spin the cranks. Put your ear against the seatpost or top-tube and listen to the bearing's sound. A whoosh indicates good bearings, a rumble indicates bad.

 

If you can't distinguish between woosh and rumble, take several bikes and repeat the exercise. You'll hear the difference quickly and know which ones are fresh and which are shot.

 

This is just one of the many interesting tricks you'll learn on a Yellow Saddle bicycle maintenance course.

 

Why the mouth guard? People are known to misjudge the distance between their chins and the spinning cranks when placing their ear against the top-tube. It makes a better sound when the pedal hits a mouth guard than without.

 

 

Johan Bornman2009-04-06 10:27:16

[IanJ]

 

Why the mouth guard? People are known to misjudge the distance between their chins and the spinning cranks when placing their ear against the top-tube. It makes a better sound when the pedal hits a mouth guard than without.

 

 

 

 

[Speed Devil]

But' date=' but but, but, I thought you had an old Peugeot, now you come and flaunt your fancy pansy external bearings here? [insert smiley here before someone kaks me out again'].

 

Clicks are very seldom caused by worn bearings. Clicks at once per crank revolution are usually at the BB shell and BB cartridge interface. A remove, cleanout of the thread and replace usually does the thing.

 

But that's not your question. To gauge the condition of your BB bearings, you need to take off your chain and put in a mouth guard, of the type that rugby players wear.

 

Now hang your bike from a sturdy stand and spin the cranks. Put your ear against the seatpost or top-tube and listen to the bearing's sound. A whoosh indicates good bearings, a rumble indicates bad.

 

If you can't distinguish between woosh and rumble, take several bikes and repeat the exercise. You'll hear the difference quickly and know which ones are fresh and which are shot.

 

This is just one of the many interesting tricks you'll learn on a Yellow Saddle bicycle maintenance course.

 

Why the mouth guard? People are known to misjudge the distance between their chins and the spinning cranks when placing their ear against the top-tube. It makes a better sound when the pedal hits a mouth guard than without.

 

 

 

I have never ever had the misfortune of owning a Peugeot! And I never said I did

 

I have a nice shiney Eddymerckx

 

Thanks for the tip JB. As usual you always a solution for finding a problem. Don't you have a safer way that meets the requirements of the OHSACT?

 

Is there anyone that has a spanner that they could lend me so that I can remove my BB and give it a good cleanout?....Pretty pleez

 

 

[Johan Bornman]

Oh, sorry. Then it is some other guy with the same avatar. Slavesomething???

All these nicknames and avatars confuse me.

 

Anyway, the advice is sound even if I am dislexic with personalities.