Bottom brackets

Why Square Taper Bottom Brackets?

Square taper bottom brackets may seem like anachronisms dating from the last century, and yet they remain the best option for metal cranks. Here is why our Rene Herse cranks use square tapers and will continue to do so in the future. Modern bottom brackets have larger spindles, so they can...

SKF Bottom Brackets Back in Stock

Bottom brackets are almost invisible, and you only notice them when something goes wrong. When the bottom bracket in my Firefly started to bind after just a few hundred miles, I put in an SKF, and that was the last I thought about it. When the bike was overhauled, the...

ISIS Bottom Brackets

When we took over the distribution of SKF bottom brackets, we didn't have high expectations for the ISIS bottom brackets. We were surprised when they became one of our more popular products. We sell them to customers who haven't heard of Bicycle Quarterly, supple tires or any of the other...

SKF Bottom Brackets after 5 Years

It's been five years since Compass Bicycles started selling SKF bottom brackets, and three years since we became the world's exclusive distributor. At that point, we extended the warranty to 10 years, since we had great confidence in the quality of these bottom brackets. They have patented labyrinth seals, and...

Bottom Brackets Demystified

Replacing a square taper bottom brackets can seem a bit daunting. What threading do I need? How long should the spindle be? Which taper? It's really quite simple, and here is how to figure it out. Threading The bottom bracket screws into your frame. If your frame was made in the last...

To grease or not to grease?

Should one grease the tapers of bottom bracket spindles before installing the cranks? Few topics spur as much controversy among bike mechanics as this question. In the old days, Campagnolo not only recommended mounting the cranks dry, they even suggested degreasing the tapers. The concern was that grease might facilitate the...