FSA ISO or Campy bottom brackets for my Record Cranks?

[Geoff Raynak]

My current campy chorus bottom bracket finally gave up the ghost and i am in the market for a new
bottom bracket. The shop i deal with said that i have the option of getting an FSA ISO taper to
replace the (more pricey) campy BB.

Here is what i found online:

part MSRP shell size spindle length weight campy record 80$ 102 190g campy chorus 45$ 102 220g

FSA ultimax carbon ~90$ 71 ISO 103 170g FSA ultimax ti ~75$ 71 ISO 103 168g FSA ultimax chromoly
~40$ 71 ISO 103 215g

in short, if it works, i can shave 5$ and 22grams using an FSA ti bb over a record. is this worth it
in the long run?

I combed the faq and newsgroup archives, but couldn't find any reports on the FSA
performance/longevity of the ISO taper the only thing i saw was some trouble with an oclv fitting a
shimano bb.

fyi, the bb is going into my '02 s-works

thanks in advance

geoff

 

[Sheldon Brown]

geoff raynak wrote:
> My current campy chorus bottom bracket finally gave up the ghost and i am in the market for a new
> bottom bracket. The shop i deal with said that i have the option of getting an FSA ISO taper to
> replace the (more pricey) campy BB.
>
> Here is what i found online:
>
> part MSRP shell size spindle length weight campy record 80$ 102 190g campy chorus 45$ 102 220g
>
>
> FSA ultimax carbon ~90$ 71 ISO 103 170g FSA ultimax ti ~75$ 71 ISO 103 168g FSA ultimax chromoly
> ~40$ 71 ISO 103 215g
>
> in short, if it works, i can shave 5$ and 22grams using an FSA ti bb over a record. is this worth
> it in the long run?

Saving weight on bottom brackets by using exotic materials has always seemed pretty scary to me. If
your bottom bracket axle is gonna bust, it's gonna happen when you're pushing extra hard on it, and
you're gonna go down hard and fast.

Sheldon "Not Unless You're A Flyweight" Brown
+----------------------------------------------------------+
| I wouldn't try to save weight on handlebars or stems, | or anyplace you body contacts the bike. |
| Breaking something there always hurts. -Peter Chisholm |
+----------------------------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton,
Massachusetts Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041 http://harriscyclery.com Hard-to-find parts
shipped Worldwide http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

 

[Geoff Raynak]

thanks sheldon, i guess i biased my query a bit too much toward the weight savings issue. as a 170lb
sprinter... i am anything but a featherweight

a follow up question would be ... will the FSA work? it is not the isis one you show busted in a
zillion pieces on your site...

does the small spindle length difference matter? sure, it uses a ti spindle (which could be
considered exotic in some circles) it also has 4.8mm bearings versus the 2 ??mm driveside bearings
that campy has. i know tech can complicate things a bit.

any thoughts?

geoff 'are bigger balls better than more balls' raynak

ps. the 'scales' are tipping toward FSA since in can now get them at a wholesale price
through my team.

"Sheldon Brown" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> geoff raynak wrote:
> > My current campy chorus bottom bracket finally gave up the ghost and i
am in
> > the market for a new bottom bracket. The shop i deal with said that i have the option of getting
> > an FSA ISO
taper
> > to replace the (more pricey) campy BB.
> >
> > Here is what i found online:
> >
> > part MSRP shell
size
> > spindle length weight campy record 80$ 102 190g campy chorus 45$ 102 220g
> >
> >
> > FSA ultimax carbon ~90$ 71 ISO 103 170g FSA ultimax ti ~75$ 71 ISO 103 168g FSA ultimax chromoly
> > ~40$ 71 ISO 103 215g
> >
> > in short, if it works, i can shave 5$ and 22grams using an FSA ti bb
over a
> > record. is this worth it in the long run?
>
> Saving weight on bottom brackets by using exotic materials has always seemed pretty scary to me.
> If your bottom bracket axle is gonna bust, it's gonna happen when you're pushing extra hard on it,
> and you're gonna go down hard and fast.
>
> Sheldon "Not Unless You're A Flyweight" Brown
> +----------------------------------------------------------+
> | I wouldn't try to save weight on handlebars or stems, | or anyplace you body contacts the bike.
> | | Breaking something there always hurts. -Peter Chisholm |
> +----------------------------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton,
> Massachusetts Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041 http://harriscyclery.com Hard-to-find parts
> shipped Worldwide http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

 

[Paul Southworth]

In article <[email protected]>, geoff raynak <[email protected]> wrote:
>thanks sheldon, i guess i biased my query a bit too much toward the weight savings issue. as a
>170lb sprinter... i am anything but a featherweight
>
>a follow up question would be ... will the FSA work? it is not the isis one you show busted in a
>zillion pieces on your site...
>
>does the small spindle length difference matter?

I don't think so, not unless chain line is already marginal.

>sure, it uses a ti spindle (which could be considered exotic in some circles)

I have no gripe against FSA and have not used their BB, but Ti spindles have been broken aplenty.
The results are usually painful and messy and involve a long walk with plenty of road rash, if not
worse. I'll pass on that.

I think the Chorus BB is pretty good and not painfully expensive, I would choose Chorus BB for
either a Chorus or Record bike based on value/dollar.

--Paul

 

[Sheldon Brown]

geoff raynak wrote:
> thanks sheldon, i guess i biased my query a bit too much toward the weight savings issue. as a
> 170lb sprinter... i am anything but a featherweight
>
> a follow up question would be ... will the FSA work?

Certainly, BUT IT MIGHT BUST AND PUT YOU IN THE HOSPITAL!!!

> it is not the isis one you show busted in a zillion pieces on your site...
>
> does the small spindle length difference matter?

Nope.

> sure, it uses a ti spindle (which could be considered exotic in some circles)

Yes, I consider a Ti BB spindle exotic AND DANGEROUS!!!!

> it also has 4.8mm bearings versus the 2 ??mm driveside bearings that campy has. i know tech can
> complicate things a bit.

Bigger bearings, same outside diameter, implies the spindle is THINNER!!!!!

> any thoughts?

I expressed my thoughts in a quiet, reserved way in my previous message, but I guess I wasn't
vehement enough to get my opinion/advice across clearly.

170 pound sprinter? YOU"D BE A FOOOOOOLLL TO RIDE A Ti BB!!!!!!!!!

Sheldon "Hope I Made Myself Clear This Time" Brown +------------------------------------------+
| Light, cheap, durable. Choose any two. | -- Keith Bontrager |
+------------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts Phone
617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041 http://harriscyclery.com Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

 

[Geoff Raynak]

yes

thank you

i always cower a bit when you use all-caps

geoff

"Sheldon Brown" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> geoff raynak wrote:
> > thanks sheldon, i guess i biased my query a bit too much toward the weight savings
issue.
> > as a 170lb sprinter... i am anything but a featherweight
> >
> > a follow up question would be ... will the FSA work?
>
> Certainly, BUT IT MIGHT BUST AND PUT YOU IN THE HOSPITAL!!!
>
> > it is not the isis one you show busted in a zillion pieces on your
site...
> >
> > does the small spindle length difference matter?
>
> Nope.
>
> > sure, it uses a ti spindle (which could be considered exotic in some circles)
>
> Yes, I consider a Ti BB spindle exotic AND DANGEROUS!!!!
>
> > it also has 4.8mm bearings versus the 2 ??mm driveside bearings that
campy
> > has. i know tech can complicate things a bit.
>
> Bigger bearings, same outside diameter, implies the spindle is
THINNER!!!!!
>
> > any thoughts?
>
> I expressed my thoughts in a quiet, reserved way in my previous message, but I guess I wasn't
> vehement enough to get my opinion/advice across clearly.
>
> 170 pound sprinter? YOU"D BE A FOOOOOOLLL TO RIDE A Ti BB!!!!!!!!!
>
> Sheldon "Hope I Made Myself Clear This Time" Brown +------------------------------------------+
> | Light, cheap, durable. Choose any two. | -- Keith Bontrager |
> +------------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts Phone
> 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041 http://harriscyclery.com Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
> http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

 

[Sheldon Brown]

geoff raynak wrote:
> yes
>
> thank you
>
> i always cower a bit when you use all-caps

I hardly ever do that. I think I used up my January/February quota of exclamation points, too...

Sheldon "Occasionally Emphatic" Brown +----------------------------------------------+
| My mind is aglow with whirling, transient | nodes of thought careening through a cosmic | vapor
| of invention! --Mel Brooks |
+----------------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts Phone
617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041 http://harriscyclery.com Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

 

[A Muzi]

> geoff-<< a follow up question would be ... will the FSA work? it is not the isis one you show
> busted in a zillion pieces on your site

"Qui si parla Campagnolo" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The taper is larger in millimeters than the Campagnolo BB taper. It will
'work'
> but will not go onto the spindle as far and as properly as Campagnolo
102mm
> tapered one.
>
> Also look at Phil, who i think makes a Campagnolo taper ti spindle BB...
>
> But i will go on record as saying ti spindles can sometimes be
'problematic'-

After Sheldon's clear and compelling statement yesterday and Peter's affirmation, please allow me to
chime in: Titanium spindles (pedal, BB) are not dependable enough for a human. Weigh those 23 grams
against a broken face/hip/collarbone and it isn't quite so attractive.

--
Andrew Muzi http://www.yellowjersey.org

Open every day since 1 April 1971