Bottom Brackets

[isitafox]

Gotta order a bottom bracket later for my zenith but not sure what to get.

I currently have a try all isis in my heavy tools but if i take that out it wont be going back in as the teeth are sheared off which has put me off it a bit as it happened a bit too easily, the question is what should I get?

Are the Echo TR isis ones any good? I know its only a £2 saving but it comes with echo alloy bolts which I can use on the pyhton when that gets built up, or should I stick with the tryall.

I'm running a ffw and bashring if that helps!

[Sponge]

Gotta order a bottom bracket later for my zenith but not sure what to get.

I currently have a try all isis in my heavy tools but if i take that out it wont be going back in as the teeth are sheared off which has put me off it a bit as it happened a bit too easily, the question is what should I get?

Are the Echo TR isis ones any good? I know its only a £2 saving but it comes with echo alloy bolts which I can use on the pyhton when that gets built up, or should I stick with the tryall.

I'm running a ffw and bashring if that helps!

On paper, I believe the Echo TR ISIS BB is one of if not the overall best internal Euro bb. I'd definitely take it over stuff like the Trialtech/Neon/Viz/ generic rebrand models because of the larger bearings in the Echo unit and the nice crankbolts.

I've one sitting in my apartment at the moment, and it's a pretty neat piece of kit.... (for a BB...)

[isitafox]

On paper, I believe the Echo TR ISIS BB is one of if not the overall best internal Euro bb. I'd definitely take it over stuff like the Trialtech/Neon/Viz/ generic rebrand models because of the larger bearings in the Echo unit and the nice crankbolts.

I've one sitting in my apartment at the moment, and it's a pretty neat piece of kit.... (for a BB...)

Could be a winner then, cheers!

[craigjames]

I'm using a Try-all in my stock and a Truvativ Gigapipe Dh in the 24" and was using an SKF BFR-300 in the stock before. Can imagine the Echo is more than up to the job but i can only vouch for those three, all of them have been solid.

Can i ask how you managed to chew up the Try-all?

[Franksx2005]

Gotta order a bottom bracket later for my zenith but not sure what to get.

I currently have a try all isis in my heavy tools but if i take that out it wont be going back in as the teeth are sheared off which has put me off it a bit as it happened a bit too easily, the question is what should I get?

Are the Echo TR isis ones any good? I know its only a £2 saving but it comes with echo alloy bolts which I can use on the pyhton when that gets built up, or should I stick with the tryall.

I'm running a ffw and bashring if that helps!

im using the viz, it works fine for me, may be a bit pricey though.

[rab shropshire]

someone correct me if i am wrong but i believe the echo tr has open bearings, i would go for something with sealed bearings.

[isitafox]

Well I've gone for the TR now so will see how it goes, hopefully be up to the job at hand!

[Sponge]

I'm a self-confessed fuss-pot hard-to-please when it comes to choosing bits for my bike.

Out of all the Euro ISIS BBs, the Echo TR one (made by First) is the best for various reasons. I wouldn't think of running or ever spending my money on a generic ISIS BB rebrand like Viz or the current T-Tech one. There's a picture on Echobike.com when you click 'Urban' on the left menu, that shows you cut-aways of various ISIS BBs..

[Mark W]

I wouldn't think of running or ever spending my money on a generic ISIS BB rebrand like Viz or the current T-Tech one.

Out of all the Euro ISIS BBs, the Echo TR one (made by First) is the best for various reasons.

But nah, they seem reasonably good. Get a set of Echo SL crank bolts with them which is pretty handy.

Out of them all though, the Try-All seems pretty good though if only for the bearing replacement setup...

someone correct me if i am wrong but i believe the echo tr has open bearings,

Nein.

[Sponge]

Haha, got caught out

However, key word: "generic"

Actually also I've always wondered this: BB threads: Threadlock vs Copper grease. Nearly all threaded BBs seem to have a strip of dried threadlock on them, and there are some places that recommend using threadlock. However, I've always always been hearing copper grease is best, and that's what I've been using for every BB. It's like polar opposites: one to lock the BB in tight, and one to prevent it from seizing. So what's the actual deal here?

[craigjames]

Out of them all though, the Try-All seems pretty good though if only for the bearing replacement setup...

Exactly the reason i bought one, reasonably light set up, but normal replacable cartridge bearings; ideal as isis BB's are reknowned for having tiny little bearings that die easily.

[stunt man t]

Out of them all though, the Try-All seems pretty good though if only for the bearing replacement setup...

can be used on other BB's aswell

[Mark W]

grease

Usually thought that was to prevent it creaking as much as anything...

[konstant]

Can't say I was particularly impressed by the Neon. It was pretty scuffed up out of the box and not that smooth.

The Try-All was actually very nice and dead smooth, but was damaged by the LBS during fitting as the ends of the splines were covered by the alloy spacers meaning that the spacers were forced into the bearings by the cranks as they were tightened... sent it back to Tarty yesterday. Maybe they fitted the 128mm spacers to the 122.5 model in the factory?

In the end I just went for a Trialtech which is light, has replaceable bearings and seems pretty decent though not to the standard of the Try-All.

Thanks to Tarty for their patience and service.

Edited May 25, 2010 by konstant

[Mark W]

Can't say I was particularly impressed by the Neon. It was pretty scuffed up out of the box and not that smooth.

I can't really comment much on how 'scuffed up' it was, although it seems to look virtually identical to every other BB we send out from most other manufacturers (e.g. the threadlock on the threads is the same as every other BB we sell, rather than it being a sign of it being fitted before), but quite a lot of BBs don't feel particularly smooth straight out of the box. They tend to wear in, and equally when you've got cranks on you wouldn't notice any slight roughness of bearings anyway...

In the end I just went for a Trialtech which is light, has replaceable bearings and seems pretty decent though not to the standard of the Try-All.

...hence the difference in price.

[konstant]

I can't really comment much on how 'scuffed up' it was, although it seems to look virtually identical to every other BB we send out from most other manufacturers

I'm sure you have infinitely more experience with BBs than I have, but the Neon did look like it'd had a rough life considering it was new. The other BBs I've received from Tarty have both been in excellent condition. I can post the pictures I sent Adam if you're interested.

...hence the difference in price.

Absolutely - I'm very happy with my Trialtech BB (and also how helpful Tarty is being with all this)

Edited May 25, 2010 by konstant

[Mark W]

I can post the pictures I sent Adam if you're interested.

I opened the box with the BB in, and flash photography doesn't flatter stuff

[Alex Dark]

someone correct me if i am wrong but i believe the echo tr has open bearings, i would go for something with sealed bearings.

Nerp, the Echo uses IRB ( integrated race bearings ) alowing for larger ad thus stronger ball bearings to be used.

Nein.

I use an FSA Platinum and it seems fairly good.....if i was to get another one it'd be the Superstar Components IRB one though.....similar to echo.

[Matt Vandart]

Used to use reset but they suck with tryall cranks, they don't go right on the splines.

I now use FSA Platinum because they last ferever, also they can be found cheap as chips.

[ogre]

it's like the echo one but cheaper

[Mark W]

Cheaper 'cos it doesn't come with awesome crank bolts, and also doesn't come in a 128mm length according to that site?

[isitafox]

Looking forward to seeing how this Echo one rides, should be here today with the rest of my kit needed and my frame (if I'm a very lucky boy) will be powder coated for the weekend so I can get everything swapped over!

[Mark W]

Used to use reset but they suck with tryall cranks, they don't go right on the splines.

Some don't, it seems. Cranks stretch over time too so they'll sit on further after a while. My Trialtechs didn't sit fully up to the stoppers on my Try-All BB when I first got it, but they're nearer there now.

[isitafox]

Some don't, it seems. Cranks stretch over time too so they'll sit on further after a while. My Trialtechs didn't sit fully up to the stoppers on my Try-All BB when I first got it, but they're nearer there now.

I had the same problem with my trialtech/tryall combo on my heavy tools when I first put it all together.

Ended up buying the echo BB bolts as the tryall standard ones were too short cause you couldn't get the cranks on far enough, think they tightened on an extra 6-7mm over the course of the first 2 weeks I rode it!

[Matt Vandart]

Some don't, it seems. Cranks stretch over time too so they'll sit on further after a while. My Trialtechs didn't sit fully up to the stoppers on my Try-All BB when I first got it, but they're nearer there now.

Agreed.