Why "bottom bracket"?

Just had the "bottom bracket" on my bike go bad, the symptom being noticibly
higher effort in peddling and back-peddling. OK, this is after some 6,000
miles and the fix is not too expensive.

Got to thinking about the name, though. The part that went "bad" is really a
spindle or axle assembly with sealed bearings that the crank arms attach to.
Single piece assembly, so the damaged part (bearings) cannot be replaced
alone.

So why the heck is it called a bottom bracket? Does not look like a bracket,
nor does it function as one.

Sounds like sloppy and misleading jargon.

Anyone know the origin of the term?

- 303sq

303squadron wrote:

: Got to thinking about the name, though. The part that went "bad" is really a
: spindle or axle assembly with sealed bearings that the crank arms attach to.
: Single piece assembly, so the damaged part (bearings) cannot be replaced
: alone.

Cartridge brackets are a rather new invention anyway.

: So why the heck is it called a bottom bracket? Does not look like a bracket,
: nor does it function as one.

I think it should be called a boom bracket on recumbents, as it's
not in the bottom but it's in the front part of the bracket
boom...

Did you try reading sheldonbrown.com yet?

--
Risto Varanka | http://www.helsinki.fi/~rvaranka/hpv/hpv.html
varis at no spam please iki fi

Yep. He says it's:

The part of the frame around which the pedal cranks revolve, also the
bearings and axle assembly that runs through the bottom bracket shell of the
frame.

It would be a stretch, but his first definition kinda sorta makes sense (and
would make better sense if it were a bottom axle tube or bottom spindle tube
or bottom bracket shell or some such). The second definition is what
everyone actually seems to use, but it makes, of course, little sense. He
gives no clue as to origin.


- GRL

"It's good to want things."

Steve Barr (philosopher, poet, humorist, chemist,
Visual Basic programmer)
wrote in message
...
303squadron wrote:

: Got to thinking about the name, though. The part that went "bad" is
really a
: spindle or axle assembly with sealed bearings that the crank arms attach
to.
: Single piece assembly, so the damaged part (bearings) cannot be replaced
: alone.

Cartridge brackets are a rather new invention anyway.

: So why the heck is it called a bottom bracket? Does not look like a
bracket,
: nor does it function as one.

I think it should be called a boom bracket on recumbents, as it's
not in the bottom but it's in the front part of the bracket
boom...

Did you try reading sheldonbrown.com yet?

--
Risto Varanka | http://www.helsinki.fi/~rvaranka/hpv/hpv.html
varis at no spam please iki fi