Boca Bearings Bike Bearing Installer
The recent trend of oversized bottom brackets on the road bike has been both a blessing and a curse to road bike riders of the present day. Bikes of the 90’s had virtually two choices: English thread or Italian thread (the name signified the type of threading that held the bottom bracket or bb in place). These components were essentially maintenance free.
By increasing the size of the bottom bracket area, that area of the bike is thus stiffened. Since the bottom bracket is where the majority of forces occur, an increase in size makes the bike much more efficient than previous designs. This modification, however, can cause problems. The bearings of the bottom bracket are no longer internal but rather external, a design that many bike mechanics will tell you causes a multitude of problems.
“The location of these external bearings makes them more susceptible to water, dirt, and sweat. Bearings that are exposed to these conditions suffer premature wear and must be replaced on a more regular basis. Despite being sealed, the bearings become contaminated and fail. Unless the rider wants to completely take them apart and rebuild them, the bearings will have to be replaced,” said Wess Irons of Winter Garden Wheel Works bicycle shop.
I personally have two bikes with an oversized bottom bracket, and I replace the bearings 2 to 3 times a year. Not only is this expensive, but it involves a trip to your local bike shop. As luck would have it, I discovered a bottom bracket alternative to the OEM parts: the Boca Bearing.
Having secured a set of ceramic bearings and their propriety Boca Bearing Press Kit, I installed the new bearings in less than 30 minutes without ever having to leave my home. I have been riding them now for a few weeks and I will post a report on their performance in the months ahead.
