Yearly Maintenance. (The Bottom Bracket)

This is the time of the year when the workshop is full of bikes waiting for their annual check up. Mixed in with the bikes that we see every year are the bikes that have just been dragged out of the barn for the first time in 5 years and were put up wet in the first place. Those bikes are always interesting to pull apart and really highlight what can happen to bikes that have suffered some neglect. However, it is just not neglected bikes that have problems; any bike that is ridden regularly and hard throughout the year desperately needs that overhaul before the new season starts. Recently, we had just such a bike in the workshop. This bike is one that has been overhauled by us before, not yearly. I think we did a frame up rebuild on it 3 years ago. However, the bike always is cleaned and lubed on the outside by the owner and kept inside. Below is a picture of what we found inside the bottom bracket shell, once we had used a breaker bar and 2 of us to get the cartridge out! Our diligent team was able to handle the intricate task and ensure the bike was given proper attention and care for a smooth riding experience…

Keep in mind that this is an aluminum frame so that is not rust from the frame itself that you are seeing however aluminum does create a powder like substance under the right conditions. This is a mixture of sweat and moisture that finds its way down the seat tube and also the cartridge itself being steel bodied can supply some rust to the mix as well.

Moral of this story is. "If it looks good and clean on the outside, it doesn't necessarily mean everything is cool inside..."

This is a bottom bracket tap. The threads were so damaged after removal we had to re-cut them. Not an ideal scenario but the only option at this point. This is the material that was removed in the re-tapping.