Phil Wood BB

[Larry]

What are the differences in the Phil Wood bottom brackets?
Is the titanium a better ride than the steel?
They last a lot longer than Campy Record BB. Is this correct?
I may need to replace the Campy on my CSi.

Larry

[christian]

Bottom brackets vary by type (Italian/English), taper (ISO/JIS), and spindle length (102mm-130+mm).

Titanium spindle bottom brackets are lighter than steel spindle bottom brackets. They are also more prone to failure.

Phil Wood bottom brackets typically last 20,000 miles or more before needing a rebuild, and when they do, you can send them back to Phil and they will rebuild them for a nominal fee.

That said, there are lots of other fine bottom brackets on the market, at lower prices than a Phil. The Campagnolo Record bottom bracket is nice, as is the TA Axix Pro.

- Christian

[Too Tall]

Larry, the steel BB is the stiffest if that matters and I believe the propietary Ti is a close second. I've swapped back and forth between a mag ti version and the regular SS version and can't tell the diff. using same cranks.

There are several old threads on the forum you may want to review.

[csm]

the fsa is another fine choice. I have the platinum ti pro. 4k miles and still going. it's light and a square taper. it was pretty cheap too if i remember correctly.

[CalfeeFly]

You have to be careful to get the second version of the FSA bottom bracket. The first had bearing issues and they redesigned it.

[csm]

how do you know what version you have?

[bcm119]

Phils have incredibly good customer service as well as longevity. As for other options, I think the mid-range models last the longest, such as Ultegra and Campy Daytona/Centaur. I had a Daytone BB (the ones that need the funky tool) last about 20k miles, although they are boat anchors.

[mls]

i have one w/very very low miles in 102mm
make me an offer

[Michael Katz]

I had a long chat with the folks at Phil Wood about the differences between their 3 BB models. In a nutshell, all 3 have the same bearings, tolerances, smoothness, durability and ease of spinning. The primary difference between them is weight. While technically the propietary ti spindle in the mag/ti unit will flex a bit more than the stainless spindle and the standard ti more than the proprietary ti, in standard spindle lengths for a double Campy or Shimano crank (102 mm for the Campy), there is no real world flex difference. If you need to use a longer spindle for a triple or some other special need, then the spindle material can make a difference in flex depending on rider weight and riding style. When I was buying a BB for a double Campy, I was told that the only real difference would be weight and the question was really how much I was willing to spend to be a weight weenie. Well, I decided to be a weight weenie and the mag/ti bottom bracket is the most gorgeous piece of bike jewelry that no one will ever see.