The bearing removal bolts are fitted on the left, whereas the blank grub screws are featured on the assembled unit on the right.
Whether press fit or threaded, bottom brackets have got better in recent years. Things have definitely improved in terms of reliability, duration, quietness, sealing, or ease of sourcing the right replacement and fitting. In fact, the BSA threaded standards seem to have undergone something of a resurgence, with brands and riders sometimes preferring the easy installation and removal process.
Although it's hard to imagine a completely fresh take on the bottom bracket, given the limitations of having an axle running through two bearings, Ignite Components have come to the task with an open mind and a design that tackles one of the main problems of the modern BB - the whole assembly being consumable and not just the bearings.
No matter what style of BB you use, you often have to chuck the whole assembly and sleeve when all you really want to do is replace the bearing itself. Ignite Components have provided at least part of a solution, with the option of driving out the old bearings with pre-installed threaded bolt-holes. The two bolt holes mean that you should also be able to push the bearing parallel to its sleeve, meaning that the new bearings should be housed more securely with less chance of play and greater shelf life.
The dust seals and centre sleeve are not shown in the pictures. The center sleeve is optional.
The bottom bracket can use either NTN or SKF bearings. The outer interface is hex-shaped, hopefully meaning the end user needs one less special tool. With the bearing extractors built in, removal should be simple, and Ignite even provide a press to install the new bearings.
There is a US patent pending and Ignite says the bottom bracket will be available at the back end of 2022 and will retail for around $200, which, regardless of the ease of service or longevity is expensive for a BB. However, small-batch manufacturing of bespoke parts will always have an associated cost. There will also be a heavy-duty version called the "FFP" using larger thicker 6906 bearings.
A bearing extractor and you can replace bearings in a Hope BB, it will last just as long as this one as it has similar quality bearings, costs half as much and doesn’t require a 44mm socket or wrench to install.
the bottom bracket kit will come with a proprietary tool that will allow you to install the bearings into the cups using a good ol’ hammer that won’t damage the cups or the bearings. And, this same tool can also be used to install the loaded cups into the frame’s bottom bracket shell by encompassing the whole bottom bracket (including the hex), allowing you to use a 3/8″ socket wrench to thread it into the BB shell and torque it down.
Or. New bearings in the freezer. BB Shells in oven at @200 DegC. They'll drop straight in, no press required. At least they do for Hope BB.
Says my smart friend!
Granted, I've got a Gen 1 Kona Process 153SE that uses a Wheels Manufacturing threaded pressfit BB and have replaced the bearings before. They just came out with a slight tap of a screwdriver from the opposite side, so I'm still in denial about ever needing a bearing extactor.
I also have a friend up the road who has a full set of extractors and have never had to work in the nightmare world of a bike shop beating and pounding on seized little metal bits.
This is a part designed by a bike shop employee secretly begging for the world to adopt it as the standard so his nightmares will end.
Are they made of titanium? I mean seriously, I have to be missing something unless some SKF bearings are $100 now days or something.
And a parent on a bloody threaded hole to remove the bearing?!
This is peak bike industry right here.
That’s a pair of bearings for under $40 retail.
Peak bike industry isn’t it, drill and tap a hole and call it innovation.
I’m just waiting for someone to say it’s ‘precision machined’ next.
Lot of stuff can alter the price tag. Especially if it isn't "about" bb size.
Trade price will be much lower - Ignite will pay 40% less than this if they buy at any volume.
one is 40 years old and the other is 39. Both bikes have their original cup and cone BB's and both bikes still have the original bearings....
But like I mentioned, it's another special tool you'd need for extraction. So not ideal for cost or manufacturing when you want to price for consumers to want to buy.
I do like seeing new ideas though because from them can stem even better ones. Keep the ideas rolling to make it easier for us that do our own bike work!
Also the "extractor bolts" they use are button head which is pretty silly, Just use a socket head that can take much more torque especially since they are using them to push a pressed in bearing out.
Then when you change BB or the bearings in this they’ll all go in the recycling anyway, so not particularly wasteful.
Why wouldn't it be able to take any bearing of appropriate size and tolerance?
What's wrong with a bearing from:
FAG
TIMKEN
IKO
KOYO
NACHI
INA
etc, etc, etc... bullshit is bullshit and this $200USD bottom bracket is bullshit! lol
HOPE
Remove BB cups
Place in Hope tool and hit once with soft hammer
Out comes the bearing
Put over cup tool and place Hope drift in and hit twice with a soft hammer
There we go
False. BB30 and BBright consumables are nothing more than just bearings.
I'll take my Wheels Mfg DUB compatible BB's all day long as high-quality but not stupid expensive. Quality kit.
UK folks - Same design with punch holes, but in ti, and cheaper! £165.00
www.instagram.com/p/CVqenbOsHX1 launched in Oct 2021
Video for you dumb friends... www.instagram.com/p/CiiIgeRA8YO
So instead of a Shimano BB tool (or similar) that's available at any bike shop, a huge socket or wrench is needed that isn't available anywhere except a specialty tool shop?
I have a press fit RaceFace bb that came on my 2016 YT.
The cups have never been removed, I just tap the bearings out of the cups with a drift/punch and then press new bearings back in, all whilst leaving the bb cups in the frame.
My bb has never made a noise or been any trouble.
Or dynamite!
right, you just need a giant hex socket which you don't have because there are no bolts in your life that big, and which costs more than the BB tool you probably do already have by this point.
Maybe that argument would have made sense in 2004, but now?
Thanks anyway.
If $200 isn’t expensive for a BB, what the hell is?$300? $600?