Lightweight Square Taper BB
 

The old loose ball bearing BB in my fixed conversion has had enough abuse so I'm looking to replace it with something higher quality and lighter weight (Sugino Super Maxy cranks). It's a 1981 Schwinn Voyageur that I built, I'd post pics but it looks like I'm not yet allowed so you'll just have to use your imagination ;) Thank you for the help!

You're not going to find a great deal of weight savings in a bottom bracket unless you go to exotic titanium units from Zeus, Stronglight, O.M.A.S., etc., which would be serious overkill matched with a Maxy crank.

Save your pennies for a full-bike upgrade and replace the current bottom bracket with an inexpensive cartridge unit.

Very negligible difference in weight in the bigger picture. 100% what John says.

There's other cheaper ways to save grams though!

Having the pennies for a complete bike upgrade isn't the issue. The issue is that I really love this bike :) That being said I have no qualms about spending the money for an overkill BB.

I understand there isn't a lot of weight savings to be gained with a BB, but I've just about run out of places to cut weight that wouldn't drastically alter the aesthetics of the bike (that's why I've kept the Maxy cranks, they are right for the bike, weight be damned). A BB upgrade is hidden weight savings, and I like that. So, let's change the question slightly. How about a high quality BB that also happens to be lighter?

Hard to make a recommendation without knowing what spindle length and square taper interface you need.

Have you considered the Sugino 75 crankset? I know you only want a BB, but the 75's have a retro look to them, so they may be of interest to you.

Dave

Should I do a measurement without the threaded portion? Thinking back now, most of the spindles I've seen use bolts.

Getting off topic here but... I also just noticed a big chunk missing from my rear Gatorskin, so time to try out those Compass 32's. I'm estimating that I did somewhere between 1,000-1,400 miles (1,600-2,200km) in about three and a half months. Is that reasonable tire life?

...You're running those wheels and trying to shave grams from your bottom bracket?

edit - my bad, didn't notice the updated version. Still, going for a lighter bottom bracket is only going to take it from being a heavy bike to a heavy bike with a light bottom bracket.

Yep, what's your point? I think I've ran out of places to cut weight that won't drastically alter the aesthetics. I need a new BB anyway, so why not go light(er)?

Since that photo I've also swapped to Ti eggbeaters.

Point is just that it's a practically insignificant consideration. Just figure out what kind of BB you need and buy one.

Tires, ditch the Gatorskin boat anchors. That will transform your ride for the better in every a lighter bottom bracket never can. I'm reading FSA Titanium is 211g, a Campagnolo Record Track is 220g, and a Shimano UN55 is 300g.

People worrying about the weight of a ****ing bottom bracket.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6f5ddbf31c.gif

the name of the game in weight savings, is and always will be rotational weight. Your bb spindle is probably the absolute least important part.

Its a nice enough old frame, so if that along with whatever money you waste...errr...throw at it to make it lighter, is what makes you happy...enjoy! There are plenty of good, and even somewhat light, new modern sealed 68mm, JIS BBs for you to choose from, at decent prices.

But...you have got to get the right spindle length and that is going to be rough for you. That 147mm length on your current BB that you mentioned, however you got it, makes no sense. I'd say you should use the Google to check out what BB length your Super Maxy was originally specced for. However IIRC there were several versions so it might be hard to come up with a single, exact number, but at least that gives you a starting point.

Unless you can measure your existing BB better, you are not going to have it easy. Good luck - you are going to need it ;)

Here are good quality ones that may or may not be lightweight: Phil Wood, IRD Defiant/QB-95, SKF and White Industries. Those are all high quality square taper BBs and I will take better bearings and longer life then weight anytime.

If you want to save weight, remove the Tuggnuts, grab a carbon fork from say Wound Up Composites because they still make a 1" threaded carbon fork. Or you can do a conversion and get a 1" threadless headset from say Cane Creek or Chris King or Phil Wood and then do a Ritchey Comp fork (I think IRD or Soma or Tange basically one of the companies related to Merry Sales Co. also makes a 1" threadless carbon fork). This will allow you to use a lighter weight threadless stem (you might need to shim it if you are using a 1 1/8 stem) then maybe look at a shallower section wheel, a lighter seatpost and maybe a lighter bar either carbon or titanium.

If you wanted to keep the current set up then I would find a lighter weight quill stem and seatpost and swap out bars and of course shallower section wheels.

However me I would probably keep the set up as is and ride the damn bike. It is a good looking set up. I would change wheels and tires for myself to like a H+Son TB14 or similar rim and a tan wall tire and maybe some polished hubs (Phil Wood would look the best but Paul are just fine by me)