What happened?

[sfscott]

So I am cruising along on a flat road and boom, I can't pedal. My crank is stuck. Won't move more than a cm forward and back. There is nothing obvious nor anything loose. What gives?

It's a campy record 11 ultra torque crank/bb.

[Ken Robb]

dropped the chain and it's jammed between the BB and the crank/ring?

[David Kirk]

Sounds like a bearing let loose and jammed. Have you pulled the crank out yet?

Dave

[avalonracing]

Unless this is a riddle I would think that your BB has a serious issue.

[sfscott]

No riddle. And not a dropped chain. That would fall under the obvious category.

[ultraman6970]

You don't do your own mechanics, do you?

[firerescuefin]

Solar Flare :help:........see Dave Kirk's post

[Louis]

You don't do your own mechanics, do you?

And you still have lots to learn about decent behavior when interacting with your fellow forum users, don't you?

[sfscott]

Nope, I don't do mechanics as they aren't my type nor would my wife approve. I don't do my own repairs on the drive train.

[sfscott]

Thanks, Dave.

I don't have the tools to remove it, but will see what the LBS has to say.

Can sealed bearings come loose? I guess so.

[ultraman6970]

Not, really, simply asking :D. If the chap rode the bike in the morning and is asking at 11 pm maybe he doesn't have the tools or idea how to open the BB maybe? If you notice w/o opening that there is no way to know what is wrong, unless he already opened the BB and his question was more like a riddle question, but he stated wasnt a riddle. So maybe the chap doesnt do his own mechanic maybe? is it? I mean... at 11 pm if he effectively does his own mechanic the question would have turned into a tale, right? :)

I'm intrigued too anyways because even could be the rear wheel freehub that is stuck maybe?

[ultraman6970]

If you took the rear wheel out, and the rear is working fine then something happened in the BB, bearings can fail but since i never seen a campy bearing actually fail that bad to just crack and get the ball bearings stuck in there is something to check.

Seen pictures of titanium UT axles cracked tho, that could be the root of the problem... the wavy washers get old but wont crack or anything to get this failure.

I'm really intrigued because if it happened to you can happen to another person.

Just in case just take the central bolt out and pull the non driver side crank out, the driver side wont fall off because have the clip. Will take you like 1 minute to do it and check, doubt wifey will be looking what are you doing this late hehe :) Maybe you have a 10 mm allen between your tools?



Thanks, Dave.

I don't have the tools to remove it, but will see what the LBS has to say.

Can sealed bearings come loose? I guess so.

[Jaq]

No riddle. And not a dropped chain. That would fall under the obvious category.

I volunteer at a local bike co-op a few hours each week. You might be surprised at the number of obvious problems people overlook.

Do yourself a favor: pull the chain off the chain-rings and see if the crank's still stuck. If it is, then it's probably something in the BB.

If the crank spins freely, though, then it's probably something in the rear derailleur.

Or do like you're doing and take it to your LBS.

[Columbus SLX]

Nope, I don't do mechanics as they aren't my type nor would my wife approve.

:beer:

If you get the crank isolated I'm sure you will find one of the bearing balls split clean in half.

[oldpotatoe]

So I am cruising along on a flat road and boom, I can't pedal. My crank is stuck. Won't move more than a cm forward and back. There is nothing obvious nor anything loose. What gives?

It's a campy record 11 ultra torque crank/bb.

Take chain off..crank not turn? Them BB..installed correctly?

As some above this post said, altho these are simple, it's amazing how many self proclaimed 'wrenches' goon these up. No wavy washer, too many, no clip, no grease, extra washers here and there, replacing bearings w/o the clip..blah, I really doubt it's a 'broken ti spindle', besides, it's Record-steel.

I'm guessing one of the bearings failed..replace(correctly, hopefully) and re-install.lots of grease..AND grease inside BB shell when cups back on, back in TIGHT..Perhaps one of the cups backed out...

[Daveyk]

You shifted to big ring on the cassette to big ring in the front and the chain is tight.

[Chance]

What ever happened to idiot-proof stuff?:confused:

It’s hard to screw up a 9-speed Ultegra BBKT. You just screw each side in and tighten. What’s really gained with all this additional crap the average rider won’t ever notice when riding? Yeah, we all get that 11 speeds is better than 9 speed and a 15 pound bike is better than a 17 pounder when everything else is equal, but reports like this confirm everything else really isn’t equal when viewed at detail level.

The message that seems to keep coming up is that the more high-tech the bike the more everything has to be done “just right”. For guys who enjoy or obsess working on bikes that’s fine, but for guys who just want to ride there has to be a better solution than stocking up on old parts or switching to a fixed.:no:


Take chain off..crank not turn? Them BB..installed correctly?

As some above this post said, altho these are simple, it's amazing how many self proclaimed 'wrenches' goon these up. No wavy washer, too many, no clip, no grease, extra washers here and there, replacing bearings w/o the clip..blah, I really doubt it's a 'broken ti spindle', besides, it's Record-steel.

I'm guessing one of the bearings failed..replace(correctly, hopefully) and re-install.lots of grease..AND grease inside BB shell when cups back on, back in TIGHT..Perhaps one of the cups backed out...

[sfscott]

Cassette lock ring backed out and pushed up against dropout. Wheel could not turn when cogs/ratchet engaged.

Not sure how that one worked loose, but better than the alternatives.

[Shiversolitude]

Cool that you figured it out... you should look into doing your own repairs a bit. Lots of people think that bike maintenance is rocket science. Its not. The vast majority of repairs even things like taking apart your hubs, installing cranks, headsets etc. is little more than common sense. Granted Ive been doing it for years... but I learned how to start wrenching when I was an idiot 15 year old... so if I could learn it.. anyone can.

You can get into a decent tool kit and repair stand for under $200 and probably save yourself a ton in the longrun in repairs. FYI youtube is your friend. "how to I fix... insert part here"

[fogrider]

What ever happened to idiot-proof stuff?:confused:

It’s hard to screw up a 9-speed Ultegra BBKT. You just screw each side in and tighten. What’s really gained with all this additional crap the average rider won’t ever notice when riding? Yeah, we all get that 11 speeds is better than 9 speed and a 15 pound bike is better than a 17 pounder when everything else is equal, but reports like this confirm everything else really isn’t equal when viewed at detail level.

The message that seems to keep coming up is that the more high-tech the bike the more everything has to be done “just right”. For guys who enjoy or obsess working on bikes that’s fine, but for guys who just want to ride there has to be a better solution than stocking up on old parts or switching to a fixed.:no:
things don't need to be idiot proof! 9 speed is fine, so is 10 and 11 speed...it all works...things should be designed to work well for it's designed for. if an idiot got a hold of my bike, I hope he goes over the handlebars! idiots need not apply!

[oldpotatoe]

What ever happened to idiot-proof stuff?:confused:

It’s hard to screw up a 9-speed Ultegra BBKT. You just screw each side in and tighten. What’s really gained with all this additional crap the average rider won’t ever notice when riding? Yeah, we all get that 11 speeds is better than 9 speed and a 15 pound bike is better than a 17 pounder when everything else is equal, but reports like this confirm everything else really isn’t equal when viewed at detail level.

The message that seems to keep coming up is that the more high-tech the bike the more everything has to be done “just right”. For guys who enjoy or obsess working on bikes that’s fine, but for guys who just want to ride there has to be a better solution than stocking up on old parts or switching to a fixed.:no:

I hear ya brother but I've seen gooned up SuperRecord(old, not new) and completely destroyed Suntour Superbe or first gen 7s DA.

More than one V2 crank crammed onto V1 BBs(octalink), cross threaded BBs, wrong ders for shifters, really wierd wheel lacings, even one Look pedal forced into the wrong side crank-honest, saw it, wrong BB spindle for a crank, ISO or JIS or the opposite, cranks hitting cups, crank arms falling off...all sorts of things.

It's still pretty straight forward. Things you do, things you shouldn't do..things that are compatible, things that aren't.

BUT the BB30/PFBB30/BB86/BB90, blah, blah /foolishness is vexing as are tapered headtubes and all the other 'crap' that are done on road frames in the name of 'performance', where it's in the name of 'marketing'..plain and simple. Seatmasts, BB30, 44mm headtubes, what folly.

[zap]

BUT the BB30/PFBB30/BB86/BB90, blah, blah /foolishness is vexing as are tapered headtubes and all the other 'crap' that are done on road frames in the name of 'performance', where it's in the name of 'marketing'..plain and simple. Seatmasts, BB30, 44mm headtubes, what folly.

Spud man, you must be the only one who has no mojo with bb30.

[Chance]

things don't need to be idiot proof! 9 speed is fine, so is 10 and 11 speed...it all works...things should be designed to work well for it's designed for. if an idiot got a hold of my bike, I hope he goes over the handlebars! idiots need not apply!

Wasn’t trying to be that literal.:)

Just saying that 50 years ago a 10-year-old kid could start learning how to work on his bike based on intuition and a little common sense. Today an adult can ruin a frame before he even gets started by clamping it wrong in the bike stand, unless of course he first reads the 50-page owner’s manual containing dozens of warnings and or goes on the Internet to figure out what not to do.

Not arguing that bikes are not far better today. But performance has gradually come at a cost (beyond monetary) we seldom stop to think about. Or maybe care about.

[oldpotatoe]

Spud man, you must be the only one who has no mojo with bb30.

What does that mean? I work on them all the time and most frame builders who are honest, all say BB30/PFBB30, at least on metal bikes, make joining big tubes to big tubes easier(read cheaper also), samo for 44mm headtubes.

They call it 'creaky30' for a reason. Another answer in search of a question, BB30 in general. I tire of the 'lighter/stiffer' mantra where, like threadless headsets, was done for ease of construction and painted as 'performance'..

BUT frame makers/marketeers see the 'standard set' today and have to have these...oversized headtube, sloping tope tube, BB30 or some other 'standard' BB, seat mast, internal routing, and now, yeegads, hidden 'way aero' brakes. And don't forget wet discs on road bikes. Brilliant!!

So, do ya think Cadel would have been even farther behind yesterday w/o those hidden brakes?

Somehow I don't think so.

[rodcad]

Wasn’t trying to be that literal.:)

Just saying that 50 years ago a 10-year-old kid could start learning how to work on his bike based on intuition and a little common sense. Today an adult can ruin a frame before he even gets started by clamping it wrong in the bike stand, unless of course he first reads the 50-page owner’s manual containing dozens of warnings and or goes on the Internet to figure out what not to do.

Not arguing that bikes are not far better today. But performance has gradually come at a cost (beyond monetary) we seldom stop to think about. Or maybe care about.

It's just evolution I think. I used to be able to work on my old Chevy truck. Back then you had a carburetor and a distributor and no smog crap. You could damn near crawl into the engine compartment. Nowadays I rarely raise the hood.

[Chance]

It's just evolution I think. I used to be able to work on my old Chevy truck. Back then you had a carburetor and a distributor and no smog crap. You could damn near crawl into the engine compartment. Nowadays I rarely raise the hood.

Exactly; great example. Thanks.

My dad could also do just about anything on his cars. Today reach under the hood of a modern hybrid and you may end up electrocuted.

Yeah, they are far better. Better mileage, more reliable, and much cleaner. But it has come at the cost of complexity.

To me bikes seem to be following the same path. In time only trained mechanics will be able to work on them. And in a way that's a pity because it's unnecessary. A simple bike can still do almost anything a complex bike can because it's mostly up to the rider.