What does a bottom bracket do?

What does a bottom bracket do?

What is a bottom bracket? Your bottom bracket connects your cranks to your bike in such a way that they can rotate freely as you pedal and put power into the drivetrain. It is located in the bottom bracket shell which is where your frame’s down tube, seat tube and chain stays all come together.

What does BB mean in bikes?

bottom bracket
The bottom bracket is a bicycle component used to connect a bicycle’s crankset to its frame, allowing it to rotate independently of the frame itself.

Do bottom brackets make a difference?

(Click here to read BikeRadar’s complete guide to bottom brackets.) According to Friction Facts’ latest report: “No statistically significant difference exists showing a general advantage or disadvantage of a standard type under similar loading conditions.

How do I know which bottom bracket I need?

To find out the size of bottom bracket needed, measure the inside of the bottom bracket shell in your frame, it will be 73mm, 70mm or 68mm. Some older frames may have Italian threaded bottom brackets, instead of the more modern English.

What does old stand for bike?

Over-Lock-nut Dimension
The hub spacing is measured from the outside face of the lock nuts (or equivalent), this is commonly called the “O.L.D.” (Over-Lock-nut Dimension)

Why do bottom brackets fail?

The fail by water and grit entering the bearing and causing the cartridge bearings to get loose. This is felt by poor shifting or chain rub, and finally the bearing can get very stiff if the balls jam up inside. External bearings can be cleaned and adjusted. Most have some sort of seal that can also be replaced.

How often should you change a bottom bracket?

First, you should know when it’s best to service or clean your bottom bracket and crankset. At the very minimum, I do it about each season change, but normally more. Every three months or so I’ll take the cranks out and if it’s a threaded bb, I’ll remove the bb and do the full service.

What does boost mean MTB?

What is Boost? Boost is the latest and greatest axle platform which all performance mountain bike frame and fork manufacturers are adopting. Boost widens the rear axle by 6mm and the front axle by 10mm. So what does Boost do for you? A wider axle means that the spacing between your hub’s flanges can be increased.