So are the cheap ones good or what? I am going to pull the trigger here today and was going to get the 14 dollar variety from Jenson. I figure if it last a year on the grocery getter it wil have been worth it.
I think the $14 BBs are ES-types with the V2 splines (long) for mountain bike cranks. For your 105 crank you need the 105 or Dura-Ace BB with the V1 splines (short). Recommend the 105—I've got one running for two years now with zero problems. But Jenson's $60 seems like a typo, they should be more like $40.
Looks like this whole Singapore debate was about cheap mountain/hybrid crank BBs, oh well.
I think the $14 BBs are ES-types with the V2 splines (long) for mountain bike cranks. For your 105 crank you need the 105 or Dura-Ace BB with the V1 splines (short). Recommend the 105—I've got one running for two years now with zero problems. But Jenson's $60 seems like a typo, they should be more like $40.
Looks like this whole Singapore debate was about cheap mountain/hybrid crank BBs, oh well.
They make the top-end Octalinks (from Japan), such as Ultegra and Dura Ace, to the top-end specs, the complaints have been focused on the cheap ones coming from Singapore. I'm surprised you haven't caught wind of this yet. On the positive side of the coin, the Dura Ace BB's don't cost that much more than the lower-end models. So the going trend is to buy the Dura Ace, etc, and be done with it.
I just pulled an Octalink out of my Trek 7.5 FX. Installed a Hollowtech II BB and Ultegra triple. It's like night and day. I called the Octalink the "Ice-Cream Churn." It felt like I was stirring concrete. The Hollowtech II is almost as smooth as my old-style Campy Record BB on my vintage bike.
I actually thought about going back to cup-and-cone square taper BBs. I've got documented proof (time trial results, road race placings) that I was much faster on square taper BBs than on Octalinks, ISISes and even outboard bearings. :wink:
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