Gotte

I'm wondering because I've got an old peugeot that I've fixed up. It would make a really nice tourer, but for the fact it has a non standard BB (the old cup and ring kind). If anything were to happen to the BB, I'd be pretty much high and dry. But in my experience of cycling - about 30 years - I've never had a BB go. Then again, about the only thing I've ever had go is spokes and chain, which in itself doesn;t mean things don't happen to other components.

Thulsadoom

I've never had one go bad on tour, but I've had them go bad.

Probably someone, somewhere will sell you a replacement, but you'd likely have to order it. (Harris Cyclery carries a lot of older stuff)

Many older bottom brackets are completely servicable. You should be able to get in there and check everything out before you go. They aren't very complicated. Or have a shop look it over.

jtgotsjets

Velo Orange probably has your replacement part. If it's really bothering you, get it replaced now. Otherwise just check it out and if it looks good, it's probably good.

Bacciagalupe

I have an older road bike (80s) where the BB developed some issues in the middle of a century ride. I finished the ride, and had a shop repack the BB.

I agree it's unlikely, but if it does seize up in mid-tour you'll be delayed by a few days, more if the BB actually needs to be replaced. I'd get a good shop to give your bike a thorough tune-up anyway prior to going on a tour.

wahoonc

I have had a BB go bad in the near the end of a race, but it was under duress due to using oil rather than grease. I have never had a BB that is properly serviced go bad.

Aaron

LeeG

I've seen a conventional ball bearing one self-destruct on a mtn. bike ride but it was on a bike owned by a fellow known for slipshod work. No reason for it to happen and not know it was maladjusted.

Tourist in MSN

I assume you have a square taper bottom bracket. The advantage of the older bottom bracket is simplicity, you can pull the bearings and repack it with a bit of grease and some paper towels. If I was traveling to the far corners of the earth, I might consider installing one of those on my bike.

On the other hand if you have a cotter pin bottom bracket, I would look for a different crankset and bottom bracket. The difficulty of removing crank arms and the possible need for a replacement cotter pin or two makes that quite a chore if it needs to be done. If you have a french thread, options may be limited.

A lot of the older bikes with cup and cone bottom brackets did not have a tubular plastic seal to protect crud from getting into the ball bearings and some of those bikes had a seatpost that did not seal off particulate matter from getting into the frame at the top of the seatpost. If you repack the bearings and if it does not have the plastic tube to protect the bearings, try to find a seal to protect the bearings from any crud that gets into the frame. Some bike mechanics have never done this type of work, if you have not done it yourself, you might want to learn how to do it.

jharte

The only thing I've had problems with is the bottom bracket developing a 'tick' under a full load. I do have an older BB with the square taper. When I got home I just pulled the BB, re-grease the bearings and re-installed the BB. Always check the cups and races for wear. My tourer is 21 years old with lots of miles. When I developed that 'tick', I hurried up and found a replacement BB. After re-greasing and re-installing the old BB, I really didn't need the new one.

Jerry H

scozim 

+1 check the cups and races for wear. If ok just regrease and go.

The bigger issue you'd have if the bike is older than the mid-80's is the threading - could be Swiss (pretty tough to find replacement these days) or French (most likely). You can find new replacement cups and bearings online if French thread for around $20. I have a late 70's Peugeot I built up this spring that ended up having Swiss threads. I ended up using the Velo Orange threadless cartridge bottom bracket and it's worked great. They also have new French thread cartidge bottom brackets for $40 or $50.

Gotte

Thanks for that. I'm not sure if it's French or Swiss. It's Mid 80s, I think, if that means anything. I've cleaned and repacked many an old BB, and short of actually getting the damn thing open, which I seem to remember is a lot of sweat and swearing, I should be okay.
There is a slight tick to it, but if anything it feels just a little lose - there's no grind like there's any major dirt in it. I'll probably give it a go this week, see how it's looking.
Thanks for the help.
Phil

fietsbob

Pitted axles show up on overhauls. , replacement cup and cone axles have gone out of production, years back..
replacement will be a problem worsening over time..

Phil Wood BB's are another way to go, you just specify different mounting rings , French, 35mm both RH thread .

Swiss is also 35mm thread but they use a left hand thread on the frame's right side.. still RH for the left side ..

scozim 

My 1984 Peugeot and Gitane road bikes are both english thread bb's. Anything after '85 and you should be fine. If english thread a lot of people just go with a sealed Shimano bb and call it good.

There are replacement cups and bearings being made now - there was just a thread on them in the C&V thread this past week. Phil Wood you can still get in French thread but they're pricey.

I'm working on a late 60's Gitane and the cups are in really good shape but the spindle is badly pitted so I'm waiting on a replacement.

Camel

My BB went while on tour. Kind of a bummer.

The only cost effective way to replace it was to change the crankset as well. This was in Russia (BB which fit, but was made of cheese), then again in Kazakhstan (no compatible BB to old crankset, so new BB w/New crankset).

My old crankset was a really nice Shimano Triple. I gave it away to a shop.

BigBlueToe

I had a bottom bracket that was developing a ticking noise with every hard pedal stroke. I rode it like that for many a ride before I got it checked out and got it replaced. If that had happened on tour I probably would have been able to keep riding it to the next bike shop.

Ranger Dan

I once lost my bottom bracket while on tour. It was an older style, non-sealed bottom bracket. I had ridden across the US and then up to Newfoundland and had just re-entered the US in northern Vermont when one of the bearings in the bottom bracket sheared in two. The race was destroyed by the metal fragments, so there was more to fixing it than just replacing the bearing. It had been well maintained, although I had never replaced the bottom bracket bearings. Since I was pretty low on cash by that stage of my trip, I ended up catching a bus in St. Albans and going home. I only had $1 left when I got off the bus in Oregon, so I guess it all worked out okay.

fietsbob

If you are concerned start the trip preps with a complete overhaul of the bike..

professorbob

I had a cartridge BB loosen up on the last day of a tour. I didn't know what was wrong-only that it was making noise. The tech said he could turn it with his finger. All he had to do was tighten it up. If you can get a cartridge BB to go in, I recommend it. They basically require no maintenance. Mine wasn't damaged, only loose, but needed a special tool to torque it back down.

Gotte

Thanks for that, guys.
In the end, I decided to go with my old bike. I stripped her down and gave her a respray, then built her back up, and she feels and looks like new.

Again, many thanks.

avatarworf

Yes, mine died the other day. We were able to get it to a bike shop to fix it though, another 15km down the road.

Rollfast

I had a ten-speed separate at a good clip out on the edge of town, while going to visit my prom date and her family. My pedaling pushed the sleeve from the (up) tube and when it hit the road it was pulled back drastically until it resembed a drag motorcycle!

It was toast to me and I got a cruiser. Mind you, I was about 175 lbs compared to 260 now so it wasn't so much my weight.

You know it's a very small town when your prom date drives you home in a small pickup with three dead lambs in back...

Oh yeah, Tempest's seat tube pulled free twice as some of you might recall and until a friend welded in two braces across it I thought she was a goner. Same guy built my custom rear rack with it's stabilizer bars for the panniers. I haven't gone anywhere else really for metal fabrication...he's good!

cyccommute 

I've never had a sealed unit...aka Shimano (damn them)...go bad. I've owned lots of cup and cone bottom brackets that have been pitted and gone bad but never a sealed unit.

You can replace the cup and cone with a sealed unit (done it many times) for peace of mind.

Your idea of 'simplicity' is very different from mine. What could be simpler than threading in a unit that you don't have to...and can't...mess with? Cup and cones are a pain to work on, they aren't sealed all that well and are incredibly futzy. Taking out the fixed cup is an experience...and not a good one! A cheap sealed unit will outlast any cup and cone with zero maintenance. A good Phil Wood sealed unit will out last a bike with zero maintenance.

Chris_in_Miami

The worst BB I've encountered was a cartridge unit on a late model Diamondback Response. It wasn't a Shimano, I believe it was a Chin Haur brand, and it sounded like a coffee grinder.

NoReg

Normally the clicks I have had have been loose square taper cranks, just need to be pulled, greased, and put on with the BIG wrench. Though it certainly could be the BB.

unterhausen

I don't know about Shimanos, but Phil bb fail on people on a fairly regular basis. I have had 2 go out on me. Granted, neither one was catastrophic, although the one where the crankarms were at different angles to each other was not something I would want to deal with while on tour. I have one with bad bearings now, Phil wants $30 for their bearings. I don't really need it, but I don't think I'll replace the bearings with whatever "special" bearings PW uses. Bearings should never fail in this application.

CCrew

I've got a FSA MegaExo going on my Cross bike now. 8k miles on it, they're known for not being the best. Popping like Orville Redenbacher under load.