Post #1213074
2026-04-15 00:37 UTC
Replies (4)
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@isol@mastodon.au 2026-04-15 01:32
@brianb You can also look at upgrading to a cartridge bottom bracket, instead of those bearings. If it's a cheaper bike, it's probably a BB68, but measure the length of the axle, and the width of the frame across the bottom bracket. #BikeTooter
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@erikcats@dice.camp 2026-04-15 04:21
@brianb I feel as if anything I say from here, a country where bikes are so ubiquitous that everything is available everywhere, is going to be a lie in a car-centric country such as yours, but yeah there are many standards so measuring it with calipers should do the trick. The most common standard is BB86/89 (ignore that first bit, that's for racing bikes) which has a crank housing width of 89.5mm. This does require non-imperial calipers tho, or some math 😬
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@pete@masto.hypertelia.com 2026-04-15 08:05
@brianb What's the crankset that goes with this? There are perhaps better BB options than replacing like-for-like.
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@smellsofbikes@mastodon.social 2026-04-15 15:38
@brianb if this is a basically cheap bike, it will either have a bsa 68 or 73mm wide bottom bracket (you can tell by measuring the width on the frame) or it will have an Ashtabula bb, which has pressed in shells. Most likely bsa 68. You also need the spindle length, end to end, in mm. Often stamped on the spindle, like 68-124. If you can find an intact bearing ball to measure, you can repack with just them, use grease, skip the retainer ring, add 2 extra balls, available online.