Alternatives to FSA MegaExo BB

Hi - ground a FSA Mega Exo external cup BB to dust in 1 1/2 cross
seasons.Not terribly impressed with it overall - drag was pretty high
even when new and properly installed. Just to get up and running, I
replaced it with another of the same. Are there alternatives ? Will a
SRAM or Shimano or better yet, the new Chris King external BB cups/
bearings work with these cranks (FSA Energy) ? If so, are any of them
any better in terms of bearing drag / durability ? The King are at
least user-serviceable.

TIA for replies.

On Nov 21, 9:27*pm, wrote:
Hi - ground a FSA Mega Exo external cup BB to dust in 1 1/2 cross
seasons.Not terribly impressed with it overall - drag was pretty high
even when new and properly installed. Just to get up and running, I
replaced it with another of the same. Are there alternatives ? Will a
SRAM or Shimano or better yet, the new Chris King external BB cups/
bearings work with these cranks (FSA Energy) ? If so, are any of them
any better in terms of bearing drag / durability ? The King are at
least user-serviceable.

TIA for replies.

If ya want durabilty switch back to traditional cranks and BBs with
decent sized balls.,

On Nov 21, 9:47*pm, landotter wrote:
On Nov 21, 9:27*pm, wrote:
If so, are any of them any better in terms of bearing drag / durability?

You can replace the bearings with Phil Wood bearings, which is the
best idea in my opinion. The cups are most likely fine, which means
it's the bearings which need replacing. Phil bearings are widely
hailed as some of the best for quality, durability, and reputation.

If ya want durabilty switch back to traditional cranks and BBs with
decent sized balls.,

Actually, the Mega EXO BB has more balls than a regular Shimano BB and
probably has bigger bearings too.

Chris

Chris wrote:

landotter wrote:

If ya want durabilty switch back to traditional cranks and BBs with
decent sized balls.,

Actually, the Mega EXO BB has more balls than a regular Shimano BB and
probably has bigger bearings too.

Not bigger balls, but definitely more of them. They are more subject
to contamination in an external BB, for sure-- the seals are right
where filth can sluice across them constantly if you are ill-mannered
enough to ride a bike in liquid filth.

Landotter is right when he suggests that traditional, which I take to
mean square taper, BBs would have a better shot at remaining clean and
functional in such conditions. I'd be more specific and say that
_sealed cartridge_ square taper BBs are the best in that regard; most
cup-and-cone square taper BBs are not nearly as well sealed.

I'm no fan of square taper cranks, which have cost me a mess of teeth
and sorrow, but for a lightweight rider they are probably fine. They
are not nearly as stiff as tube-spindle cranks, but I doubt that has
any measurable impact on efficiency or rider performance. If BB
contamination is the most critical consideration, there is probably no
better unit to use than the Shimano BB-UN73. Note that it is about as
non-rebuildable a bike part as ever there was.

Chalo

On Nov 22, 12:17*am, Chalo wrote:
Chris wrote:

*landotter wrote:

If ya want durabilty switch back to traditional cranks and BBs with
decent sized balls.,

Actually, the Mega EXO BB has more balls than a regular Shimano BB and
probably has bigger bearings too.

Not bigger balls, but definitely more of them. *They are more subject
to contamination in an external BB, for sure-- the seals are right
where filth can sluice across them constantly if you are ill-mannered
enough to ride a bike in liquid filth.

Landotter is right when he suggests that traditional, which I take to
mean square taper, BBs would have a better shot at remaining clean and
functional in such conditions. *I'd be more specific and say that
_sealed cartridge_ square taper BBs are the best in that regard; most
cup-and-cone square taper BBs are not nearly as well sealed.

I'm no fan of square taper cranks, which have cost me a mess of teeth
and sorrow, but for a lightweight rider they are probably fine. *They
are not nearly as stiff as tube-spindle cranks, but I doubt that has
any measurable impact on efficiency or rider performance. *If BB
contamination is the most critical consideration, there is probably no
better unit to use than the Shimano BB-UN73. *Note that it is about as
non-rebuildable a bike part as ever there was.

Chalo

Yeah, I building a new bike and opted for a Turvativ GigaPipe BB
because there were no cranks that I wanted in square taper. I have an
Octilink, and it's crap compaired to sqwuare taper. I've owed it the
least ammount of time of all the bikes I own, and it's come loose more
than all my other six bikes combined. I am suspect of Isis bottom
bracket/cranks for the same reasons.

Tubes for me...

Chris

By the way, good to see you here Chalo. How's TX?

C

Chris wrote:

Chalo wrote:

I'm no fan of square taper cranks, which have cost me a mess of teeth
and sorrow, but for a lightweight rider they are probably fine. *They
are not nearly as stiff as tube-spindle cranks, but I doubt that has
any measurable impact on efficiency or rider performance. *If BB
contamination is the most critical consideration, there is probably no
better unit to use than the Shimano BB-UN73. *Note that it is about as
non-rebuildable a bike part as ever there was.

Yeah, I building a new bike and opted for a Turvativ GigaPipe BB
because there were no cranks that I wanted in square taper. I have an
Octilink, and it's crap compaired to sqwuare taper. I've owed it the
least ammount of time of all the bikes I own, and it's come loose more
than all my other six bikes combined. I am suspect of Isis bottom
bracket/cranks for the same reasons.

Yep-- my short experiment with ISIS resulted in self-loosening left
cranks. I was not amused.

Tubes for me...

I have had pretty happy results from Bullseye cranks (the original
tube-spindle two-piece crank) for about twenty years now. The
bearings are lousy, but they crap out almost without consequence. It
does make me wonder if the spindle on mine is long enough to allow
external BB bearings with 22.2mm reducer sleeves.

The mainstay of my fleet of bikes is the Primo Powerbite crank,
followed closely by the Profile Racing crank. The former has a 22.2mm
chromoly spindle; the latter uses a 19.05mm chromoly spindle. These
spindles are not tubular, though-- they are both solid.

http://bmxmuseum.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=410720
http://profileracing.com/profileraci...5?productid=43

By the way, good to see you here Chalo. How's TX?

Swell. It's good to be home, and it's good to live in such a
likeable, bikeable place. I've affiliated myself with Austin Bike
Zoo: http://austinbikezoo.org/

Chalo

While I appreciate all the editorial replies (and I agree that the old
square taper Campy cartridge BB's were the best and UN-73 pretty
good), the MegaExo came on a team bike and I actually like the
crankarms themselves.Does anyone have an answer to my original
question ? Are Shimano/SRAM/King bearings and cups interchangeable
with the MegaExo?

Thanks

On Nov 21, 8:27*pm, wrote:
Hi - ground a FSA Mega Exo external cup BB to dust in 1 1/2 cross
seasons.Not terribly impressed with it overall - drag was pretty high
even when new and properly installed. Just to get up and running, I
replaced it with another of the same. Are there alternatives ? Will a
SRAM or Shimano or better yet, the new Chris King external BB cups/
bearings work with these cranks (FSA Energy) ? If so, are any of them
any better in terms of bearing drag / durability ? The King are at
least user-serviceable.

TIA for replies.

Phil bearings or King external BB cups. FSA stuff, from bearings to
chainrings, are a disappointment.

On Nov 21, 11:49*pm, Chris wrote:
On Nov 21, 9:47*pm, landotter wrote:

On Nov 21, 9:27*pm, wrote:
If so, are any of them any better in terms of bearing drag / durability?

You can replace the bearings with Phil Wood bearings, which is the
best idea in my opinion. The cups are most likely fine, which means
it's the bearings which need replacing. Phil bearings are widely
hailed as some of the best for quality, durability, and reputation.

If ya want durabilty switch back to traditional cranks and BBs with
decent sized balls.,

Actually, the Mega EXO BB has more balls than a regular Shimano BB and
probably has bigger bearings too.

Chris

BUT not 1/4 inch, which used to be the 'standard' and still works well
with a square taper crank.

On Nov 22, 4:30*am, wrote:
While I appreciate all the editorial replies (and I agree that the old
square taper Campy cartridge BB's were the best and UN-73 pretty
good), the MegaExo came on a team bike and I actually like the
crankarms themselves.Does anyone have an answer to my original
question ? Are Shimano/SRAM/King bearings and cups interchangeable
with the MegaExo?

Thanks

Replace the bearings with Phil bearings or get the King cupset.