Bottom bracket and going through water

[ericrobo]

Happy Christmas to all, and here's to good riding and adventures in 2015...

I did the HT430 (that was 453 for me) in May solo, leisurely... sort of, on my Cannondale Lefty.

Not ridden it an awful lot since 'cos I have two other bikes, but at my bike shop yesterday where I took it in - it seems like the BB bearings are knackered.

It was a new BB in March to be ready for my HT trip.

Anyway the conclusion is that wading through 50 yards of thigh deep river just after Shenavall does not suit the BB ! It must have got water in...

Anybody else had similar experiences ?

(that river would be a bit difficult carrying the bike above your head )

[Chew]

Depends on the bottom bracket really.

I've had Shimano ones last just 6 months, whereas the hope in my 456 has 18 months and over 2,000 miles on it and its still good as new and not been used any differently.

Being underwater isnt going to do it any good, but at £20 a pop i'd just see them as consumable parts.

[gairym]

That sounds terrible!

You should definitely buy the lefty front wheel I'm selling over in the classifieds just in case those bearings go too!!!

(Many apologies for the shameless sales pitch but you never know )

[ZeroDarkBivi]

Is it a press-fit BB? Most modern bikes are; fine for road use, but I have had all sorts of problems on both my Cannondale (BB30) and other MTBs with both BB30 and Shimano PF BBs. They might be salvagable if you strip down the BB immediately after it gets exposed to water ingress, dry out the bearings (with a HP air hose or a water displacer spray) and re-grease, but once they have been lying around long enough to go stiff, they will never be the same again. High end ceramic BBs (bearings and race) should fare better, but are very expensive. I have used SRAM PF BBs with ceramic bearings only, and they where only slightly more durable than the standard BB. I have heard that it might help to load more grease behind the seal when fitting a new BB, but never tried this myself.

I long for a return of old-school threaded BB, but not many manufacturers have stood by them, following the fashion for something new as usual. Santa Cruz are a notable exception - I can always dream...!

There are many people on this forum with far more experience than me - perhaps they can offer a solution?

[Bearbonesnorm]

I drill a small (3mm) hole in the BB shell to let any water out ... and Hope BB seems to help too.

[RobMac]

Is it a external B/B?

[slarge]

I can recommend the uberbike ceramic bottom bracket. It is £50, but the bearings are serviceable and replaceable - one side of mine seized and a quick strip and dowsing in WD40 and it spins better than ever. Don't need to grease, just a really light oil and it will last years with minor maintenance.

[FLV]

If you submersed it. Then stood it for 6 months. Not many bearings would fare that well

[duncdan]

The Shimano BB state do not disassemble. But if you do you can replace the bearings for just a few £. I have started using the real cheap ones on ebay but you can get ceramic bearings the right size for £10. It may not be worth the effort for saving but I am tight so I do.