Was at a shop in Nashville last month that changed how I think about bottom bracket standards

I was helping out at a community bike co-op in Nashville last month. An older guy came in with a 90s mountain bike that had a seized bottom bracket. We spent two hours trying to get it out and ended up having to cut it. Made me wonder if the old square taper standard was actually better for durability or if the new press-fit systems are just easier to manufacture and harder to fix. Anyone else find themselves missing the simplicity of older standards when a repair goes sideways like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

drews557d ago

Changed how I think about bottom bracket standards" - nah man, that seized square taper you had to cut just reminds me why I keep a torch and a big hammer in my garage. Press fit is faster at the factory but a nightmare when it creaks six months later.

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the_sage7d ago

Keep pushing that square taper thing, man. I had a vintage bike where the crank arm was so stuck I had to use a puller and still ended up bending the tool. Ended up just cutting the damn thing off with an angle grinder because I was so over it. Press fit is fine for the first few months but then the creaks start and you're chasing ghost sounds through the whole drive train. Give me threaded all day, even if it takes a few extra minutes to swap.