BIKE: Creaking bottom bracket

[Librik or Babich]

Patrick Goetz wrote:

> If 
> you don't already have experience doing this and/or haven't closely 
> observed someone else doing this several times, you're just going to 
> make a huge mess and will end up having to gather up all the pieces and 
> taking them to a trained bike mechanic get it fixed.  Save yourself the 
> intermediate headache and just take to the bike to one of the several 
> bike shops in Austin that have excellent bike mechanics on staff.
> 
> And if you bought an off-the-shelf bike that cost less than $600, 
> consider replacing the bottom bracket with one that is slightly higher 
> quality.  This is not terribly expensive and will make a huge 
> difference in the performance of your bike.

Two good pieces of advice here above.

For one thing, if you are going to all the trouble of extracting the 
BB, this is a good time to consider an upgrade. Good quality BBs do 
not cost all that much, and it does give you quality down deep in the 
bike. External items like rear derailers and cranks are more "sexy" 
items and are usually from a fancier group than the BB. Since the BB 
is pretty much invisible, it is often of lower quality, but it does an 
important job.

Also, working with BBs involves high torque, which make the process 
more dangerous without correct preparation and technique. The spline 
tools required to turn these pieces require proper technique to avoid 
tool slippage.

Following other comments, if by chance the bike frame is anything 
other than steel, it may be a good idea to take it to a shop.

-- 
Mike Librik, LCI #929
Easy Street Recumbents
(512) 453-0438
45th and Red River Streets, thereabouts
Central Austin
info
www.easystreetrecumbents.com
www.urbancycling.com