Add octalink bb to 90s road bike

[z***@gmail.com]

I have an old fuji, and its time to replace the crank ( the chainrings
are worn, and not replacable). It currently uses a square taper
bottom bracket.

I want a 53t, and i found a nice crankset online, but it is compatible
with an octalink style bottom bracket. I am due for a rebuild of the
bb anyways, so I was thinking of replacing the loose ball bb with a
cartridge octalink.

Is this a good/bad idea? Is it hard to figure exactly which octalink
bb to buy, or any will work if it has the right width?

Thanks,

Dan

[Hank]

Post by z***@gmail.com
I have an old fuji, and its time to replace the crank ( the chainrings
are worn, and not replacable). It currently uses a square taper
bottom bracket.
I want a 53t, and i found a nice crankset online, but it is compatible
with an octalink style bottom bracket. I am due for a rebuild of the
bb anyways, so I was thinking of replacing the loose ball bb with a
cartridge octalink.
Is this a good/bad idea? Is it hard to figure exactly which octalink
bb to buy, or any will work if it has the right width?
Thanks,
Dan

Octalink has 2 versions: V1 was mostly for road cranks. I believe the
only BBs still available in that version are the Dura-Ace 7700 and 105
5500. V2 was mostly mountain bike cranks, although the Tiagra and Sora
octalink cranks used V2 as well. These are the ES-series BBs.

FWIW, Shimano already considers these to be obsolete, and is moving to
outboard BBs on most models. Lower-end stuff is still square-taper.

I'm not a fan of pipe billet splined BBs (Bearings are too small), but
many people like them. If the crank is a good deal, maybe it's not a
bad idea.

FWIW, if it were me, I'd either stick with square taper or switch to
outboard.

[A Muzi]

Post by z***@gmail.com
I have an old fuji, and its time to replace the crank ( the chainrings
are worn, and not replacable). It currently uses a square taper
bottom bracket.
I want a 53t, and i found a nice crankset online, but it is compatible
with an octalink style bottom bracket. I am due for a rebuild of the
bb anyways, so I was thinking of replacing the loose ball bb with a
cartridge octalink.
Is this a good/bad idea? Is it hard to figure exactly which octalink
bb to buy, or any will work if it has the right width?

That's a religious question.

Do you prefer nice smiling Buddhists or crazed hostage-beheading
moslems? Either could possibly work out.

[Tom Sherman]

Post by A Muzi

Post by z***@gmail.com
I have an old fuji, and its time to replace the crank ( the chainrings
are worn, and not replacable). It currently uses a square taper
bottom bracket.
I want a 53t, and i found a nice crankset online, but it is compatible
with an octalink style bottom bracket. I am due for a rebuild of the
bb anyways, so I was thinking of replacing the loose ball bb with a
cartridge octalink.
Is this a good/bad idea? Is it hard to figure exactly which octalink
bb to buy, or any will work if it has the right width?

That's a religious question.
Do you prefer nice smiling Buddhists or crazed hostage-beheading
moslems? Either could possibly work out.

What group is the equivalent of an Ashtabula crank?

[JeffWills]

Post by Tom Sherman

Post by A Muzi
That's a religious question.
Do you prefer nice smiling Buddhists or crazed hostage-beheading
moslems? Either could possibly work out.

What group is the equivalent of an Ashtabula crank?

Cro-Magnons!

Oh, wait... that's not a religion. Nevermind!

Jeff

[Michael Johnson]

Post by z***@gmail.com
I have an old fuji, and its time to replace the crank ( the chainrings
are worn, and not replacable). It currently uses a square taper
bottom bracket.
I want a 53t, and i found a nice crankset online, but it is compatible
with an octalink style bottom bracket. I am due for a rebuild of the
bb anyways, so I was thinking of replacing the loose ball bb with a
cartridge octalink.
Is this a good/bad idea? Is it hard to figure exactly which octalink
bb to buy, or any will work if it has the right width?

Since it's a Fuji it almost certainly has an English-threaded bottom
bracket shell in a 68mm width. So an Octalink bottom bracket for such a
shell should thread right in, no problem.

Shimano's Octalink bottom brackets only come in a few widths, to work
with their Octalink cranks. If you're putting on a double Octalink road
crank, you'd want a 68x109.5mm English Octalink bottom bracket. Be
warned that Shimano has two versions of Octalink, V1 which is the
105/Ultegra/Dura-Ace design and V2, which is /not/ compatible with V1,
that is used on some mountain groups and the newer Tiagra and Sora
groups. Don't try to use a Tiagra or Sora Octalink bottom bracket with a
105/Ultegra/Dura-Ace Octalink crank or vice versa.

On the other hand, you could if you wanted to use a Tiagra or Sora crank
and matching bottom bracket. But considering that Nashbar frequently has
the Octalink V1 road cranks on sale for big discounts (trying to move
their 9-speed stock, I'm guessing) you'd probably pay less for an
Ultegra crank.

As usual, the late Sheldon Brown has the goods on Shimano bracket types:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bbsize.html#shimano

Mike Johnson

[RS]

Post by Michael Johnson

Post by z***@gmail.com
I have an old fuji, and its time to replace the crank ( the chainrings
are worn, and not replacable). It currently uses a square taper
bottom bracket.
I want a 53t, and i found a nice crankset online, but it is compatible
with an octalink style bottom bracket. I am due for a rebuild of the
bb anyways, so I was thinking of replacing the loose ball bb with a
cartridge octalink.
Is this a good/bad idea? Is it hard to figure exactly which octalink
bb to buy, or any will work if it has the right width?

Since it's a Fuji it almost certainly has an English-threaded bottom
bracket shell in a 68mm width. So an Octalink bottom bracket for such a
shell should thread right in, no problem.
Shimano's Octalink bottom brackets only come in a few widths, to work
with their Octalink cranks. If you're putting on a double Octalink road
crank, you'd want a 68x109.5mm English Octalink bottom bracket. Be
warned that Shimano has two versions of Octalink, V1 which is the
105/Ultegra/Dura-Ace design and V2, which is /not/ compatible with V1,
that is used on some mountain groups and the newer Tiagra and Sora
groups. Don't try to use a Tiagra or Sora Octalink bottom bracket with a
105/Ultegra/Dura-Ace Octalink crank or vice versa.
On the other hand, you could if you wanted to use a Tiagra or Sora crank
and matching bottom bracket. But considering that Nashbar frequently has
the Octalink V1 road cranks on sale for big discounts (trying to move
their 9-speed stock, I'm guessing) you'd probably pay less for an
Ultegra crank.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bbsize.html#shimano
Mike Johnson

Above information is pretty complete, I'd go with it. About a year ago I saw
new Ultegra V1 109.5 English going for $39, its a solid sealed unit. The DA7700
octalink will need more maintenance, the bearings are on races that come out.
And its more suceptible to water.

[d***@mac.com]

Post by z***@gmail.com
I have an old fuji, and its time to replace the crank ( the chainrings
are worn, and not replacable).  It currently uses a square taper
bottom bracket.
I want a 53t, and i found a nice crankset online, but it is compatible
with an octalink style bottom bracket.  I am due for a rebuild of the
bb anyways, so I was thinking of replacing the loose ball bb with a
cartridge octalink.
Is this a good/bad idea?  Is it hard to figure exactly which octalink
bb to buy, or any will work if it has the right width?

I'm not a bike shop owner or employee, nor do I pretend to be one on
the wwweb. However, I heard, and had no problem believing, that
Octalink is obsolink, and is not being "supported"; further, that what
was left over from old production was getting scarce.

So I googled and picked the first likely source, just to have some
reference-don't-blame-Lickton's of what is going on:

http://www.lickbike.com/productpage.aspx?PART_NUM_SUB='0229-15'

N'octalink seems to be the coming thing. And it's a Fuji. Hmmm...
some kind of nice square-taper (Superbe?) NOS crank, that at least you
could buy a Phil BB for (ever), scarce as the Grease Guard items are?
I believe those fine Japanese cranks were made in 144bcd (tracl and
road) as well as 130bcd (?) --D-y

[datakoll]

I ride a cheap asian improt, '87 ?
Replaced one new Shimano ball and cone with a cheap shimano Octa and
a cheap Shimano 105 touring Crankset ($39?).
I YAM ARMSTRONG. spinnerrrooooo!
perfect circles everytime.
then go for a Specialized saddle and side pull brakes mounted on Al
adapter plates.
then you can spin and stop.