Home | Reviews | Drivetrain | Bottom Bracket

Login  |  Register

Race Face Evolve FR

Average Rating 2.4/5
# of Reviews 20
MSRP $ 57.00
Weight
More Products from Race Face



Submit a Review

Description:Features:
  • ISIS Drive
  • CNC machined, heat treated, hollow M12 chromoly spindle
  • Shot peened finish for strength
  • Forged and CNC’d aluminum cups and reinforcing sleeve
  • Single row, double sealed cartridge bearings
  • High-pressure contact lip seal in conjunction with low friction labyrinth cup seal keeps out contaminants and increases bearing life.
  • Features TWO bearings on the drive side to accommodate higher torque load on drive train.
  • 96 ball bearings in each bottom bracket
  • Adjustable cups fit 68 and 73mm shells and allows adjustability of the chain line
  • Proprietary non-side loading design

    Built For: The performance driven Freerider looking to pimp out their ride.

    Size: 113 mm
    Shell Compatibility: 68 & 73mm (adjustable)
  • Where To Buy


    JensonUSA



    WebCyclery


    Chain Reaction Cycles


    Other Ways To Shop
  • Buy and Sell the Evolve FR from our Classifieds.
  • Shop for Similar Products








    Submitted by Stuart a Downhiller from Abbotsford, B.C.
    Date Reviewed: December 28, 2005
    Favorite Trail:dirt merchant
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $50.00
    Purchased At:lbs
    Strengths:It worked nice for a few months......i guess.....
    Weaknesses:I was riding along one day after a good ride, and i was climbing a particularly large hill, when i heard a crack and my cranks stopped turning. A crack is NEVER a good thing on a mountain bike. Turns out, the bearing housing cracked open and the ball bearings were falling out. WHAT THE HELL?!?!
    Similar Products Used:raceface prodigy, truvative gigapipe
    Bike Setup:morphine with freeride spec
    Bottom Line:The bottom bracket should be the most dependable thing on a bike. THERE ARE WAL-MART BIKES that have had bottom brackets that lasted longer than this!!!!!! Never mind a raceface product...I mean, COME ON! I dont think I'll be buying a new raceface bottom bracket again. As soon as my prodigy wears out, i'm going x-type or something similar
    Value Rating:2Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by Greg a Weekend Warrior from Canada
    Date Reviewed: December 24, 2005
    Duration Product Used:2 Years
    Price Paid: $55.00
    Purchased At:Bike Canada
    Strengths:Strong, Smooth, Longest lasting BB yet
    Similar Products Used:Truvative
    Bike Setup:2003 Norco Team NS, 2005 888VF, Doublewides, Kona Buldge Cranks,Kenda Kinetics
    Bottom Line:I've had this BB since 2003, started feeling rough in 2004, roughness went away, have done many jumps and drops, lots of flat landings still going strong, Best BB I've ever used.

    I don't ride in alot of wet conditions which is probably why its lasted so long.

    I would recommend this for all types of riding, unless your a weight weenie
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by isis go bye bye a Cross Country Rider from Parts Unknown
    Date Reviewed: September 23, 2005
    Favorite Trail:503 spurs
    Duration Product Used:2 Years
    Price Paid: $55.00
    Purchased At:Pricepoint & Speedgoat
    Strengths:Was better than a lot of other ISIS BB's I've purchased, but product life was still short.
    Weaknesses:I've been through about 10 of these things and have finally given up on them- they lasted about a month of XC riding in the midwest. The creaking is unbelieveable- I blow $3,000+ on a mountian bike and the only, and I mean ONLY problem I've been having is with the ISIS system on the thing- I have finally learned (the hard way) about the ISIS hype (I think the manufacturers of the isis BB's are more interested in repeat business than desingning a quality BB-that's my personal opinion). Race Face can be happy though, they got a lot of business out of me, but they will get no more, I've switched to a square taper set up and am running a Shimano now with no problems, and the good thing is the Shimano rides like a Cadillac (nice and smooth) in comparison to the Race Face.
    Another weakness of this product is, that when I use it and the creaking is doing it's thing, the little kids on the Wall Mart bikes look at me like... "what's wrong with your bike"?. What's wrong with it? I was smart enough to spend the $$ for quality components and get the desired results, but not informed enough to know that any ISIS system is not a quality component.
    Similar Products Used:Truvative, FSA, others
    Bike Setup:Blur, fox shocks, easton bar, thompson post & stem, Mavic- all good stuff (except for the BB when it was isis)
    Bottom Line:THANK GOD isis is out of my life! Man what a freaking head ache! I'm sorry, but the concept of spending thousands on a mountian bike and then having the pleasure derived from it decreased substantilly because of a (in my opinion) part that is designed to have a short life, sucks! Jesus, the thing is a $50 part and it makes my bike creak like a freaking ROCKING CHAIR- GIVE ME A BREAK!!
    I think the isis "syndicate" should redefine their marketing strategy and not put so much focus on "measured failure & repeat sales" and give the consumer a little more respect... this is mountian biking... I thought we were a group of people that were above taking advantage of "situations". ISIS guys, you know how to design a quality BB, so please do it.
    Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by Gary White a Cross Country Rider from LONDON, UK
    Date Reviewed: March 25, 2005
    Favorite Trail:Old Springs Trail, Marin, Ca
    Duration Product Used:2 Years
    Price Paid: $50.00
    Purchased At:Cycle Surgery, LONDON, UK
    Strengths:Fit-and forget, strong, not too heavy, ISIS system
    Weaknesses:Some people say premature wear but I haven't experienced that after 3 years on 3000 miles.
    Similar Products Used:RF Signature XS & FR, Prodigy
    Bike Setup:Cove Stiffee FR 17” frame (2002 model); Mavic F618FR rims with Hope Bulb hubs; Panaracer tyres (various, change with seasons); Hope C2 brake system; Race Face Turbine LP crankset 44-32-22 and RF Prodigy ISIS BB; Shimano 12-32 XT cassette; Sachs PC69/99 chain; Shimano M636 DX pedals; Fox Float RLC forks (set@ 100mm travel); Race Face Prodigy seat post, Easton EA50 Monkey riser bars, Easton EA50 stem (90mm, 10 degree rise), Koobi SI saddle; XT shifters (non-rapid rise) and front mech, XTR rear mech (non-rapid rise), XTR cable set; Chris King headset.
    Bottom Line:Much better than their twice as expensive and now discontinued Signature series (see my review for XS BB). Fit and forget, very strong. NB Spacing washers are used for a 68mm BB shell width. The drive side needs to be tight and bottomed out on the washer when fitting, otherwise it will work loose after 100miles, leading to crank wobble and shifting problems. I tighten the drive side first and then tighten the non-drive side until it bottoms out. I don't jet wash around the BB area and I have two Prodigy BBs on two bikes and I have had no premature wear problems.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Chris a Downhiller from Sussex, England
    Date Reviewed: January 30, 2005
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $80.00
    Purchased At:Chain Reaction Cycles
    Strengths:Strong axles
    Weaknesses:Bearings
    Similar Products Used:Many $himano units
    Bike Setup:Santa Cruz Bullit
    Bottom Line:Have used these cranks for about 9 months and the bearings are completely shot. Having to send back for a replacement under warranty. In comparison i have used a $himano UN72 for over 5 years before buying this and i swapped it to my hardtail as it still spins smoothly.

    Come on RaceFace sort your act out with your bottom brackets.
    Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by gonzostrike a Downhiller from missoula MT
    Date Reviewed: November 13, 2004
    Favorite Trail:yo mammy
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $50.00
    Purchased At:Bike Doctor
    Strengths:price, smooth bearings
    Weaknesses:early failure
    Similar Products Used:Truvativ Sealex DH
    Bike Setup:Ventana X-5 w/ Turbine LP crankarms; Curtlo custom SS w/ Turbine LP crankarms
    Bottom Line:great smooth BB that fails too early. I had this BB on two bikes and on each one it lasted less than one year. I ride lots of miles, but I spread my riding among 4 bikes. true, the 2 bikes I ride most are the 2 with these BBs, but... come on, Race Face. you can do way better than this.
    Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by Greg a from Brandon, Manitoba, Canada
    Date Reviewed: August 24, 2004
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Strengths:Strong axel, 2yr warranty
    Weaknesses:Has developed a small amount of play in bearings.
    Similar Products Used:Truvative sealex(had play in bearings from day one)
    Bike Setup:2004 Giant AC, 2003 JR.T, Kona Buldge crank
    Bottom Line:This is the best ISIS bottom bracket I have used, I don't ride in a lot of wet conditions, which may explain why I have had better results with bearing life, it was feeling rough in the springtime, but has smoothed out since and only has enough play in the bearings to be noticed. I recommend it to trail riders/freeriders, crosscountry riders will probly want something lighter.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Chris a Weekend Warrior from New Zealand
    Date Reviewed: July 4, 2004
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Purchased At:Jenson USA
    Strengths:Looked Like a good deal with cranks and rings
    Weaknesses:Non-servicable, Poorly sealed, Poor bearing quality
    Bottom Line:I bought this as a package deal from Jenson including prodigy cranks and rings. Overall I cant complain too much because the price I paid was way less than what I would have had to in New Zealand.

    I've been using this for about 9 months, and the non-drive bearing is about stuffed. I stripped my BB and found it full of grit / dirt, and with the BB's design, no way to replace or even adequately regrease the bearings. I could have tried for a warranty repair, but instead have drilled a small hole in the casing between the bearings and have forced grease in with a syringe to regrease the bearings. The play is still there, but it runs a lot more smoothly. I will be needing a new BB sometime soon.

    When I bought hubs I specifically looked for user-servicable ones with replacable bearings. It would be noce to be able to do this with this bottom bracket.

    I wouldn't recommend this BB as a stand-alone product.
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by russ ranney a Cross Country Rider from Boone, Nc, USA
    Date Reviewed: June 29, 2004
    Favorite Trail:sink hole
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $40.00
    Purchased At:pricepoint
    Strengths:nothing
    Weaknesses:creeks, weak, too expensive for what it is
    Similar Products Used:shimano stuff
    Bike Setup:rocky mountain flow: dh parts
    Bottom Line:piece of crap. This trinket creeked like hell for the first month. After the 2nd month it had tons of play in it. I mostly ride xc, some light DH, so there is no excuse for this piece to to fall apart so soon. I've outfitted my bike with all heavy dh parts to avoid breaking whimpy xc stuff. This thing is weaker than shimano xc brackets.
    Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by Tommy a from Northern NJ
    Date Reviewed: May 10, 2004
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $75.00
    Purchased At:LBS
    Bottom Line:Just an update to previous review. I returned broken BB to LBS and they shipped it back to raceface. Kudos to raceface and LBS. They sent me a new one within one week and all I had to pay was $8 for shipping. They told me they would warranty BB for 2 years. My recommendation if you purchase this BB is to hold onto receipt and return it for a new one when it breaks. It's only a matter of time before I kill the new one and off it will go again. Still 1 chili for poor value on a $75 BB, but overall is now a 3 since they stand behind product and warranty no questions asked.
    Value Rating:1Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by Erik a from British Columbia
    Date Reviewed: May 4, 2004
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Strengths:ISIS Drive.
    3 Bearings.
    Weaknesses:Bearings
    Similar Products Used:Various Shimano square-tapered & Truvativ ISIS
    Bottom Line:RaceFace + components w/ bearings = problems.

    I've heard this time and again, and now I have personal experience. I went with this BB over the SRX because I tend to ride more aggressive XC and will take my XC hardtail over drops and jumps. I thought this BB would be able to stand up to it since the hits we're talking about are not really all that big. Creaking and bearing play is issue #1 these days. Not recommended for harder riding conditions. Should be fine for LIGHT trail riding (i.e. beginners) but NOT for any type of freeriding at all.
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by Tommy a Cross Country Rider from Northern, NJ
    Date Reviewed: May 2, 2004
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $75.00
    Purchased At:LBS
    Strengths:Very stiff when first installed, but that will change
    Weaknesses:creaking, bearings, overall product life
    Similar Products Used:bontrager, shimano
    Bike Setup:SantaCruz SL, marzocchi, truvativ, hayes discs....etc.
    Bottom Line:Do not buy this product is you are truly a freerider. I purchased the FR version because I ride aggressive XC and I usually destroy other weak XC products. I've only ridden this product for maybe 6 months and a maximum of 500 miles. The bearings began to get very tight and make strange noises. It still spins, but it feels like you're riding with the brakes on. Not sure what the warranty is on this product? Currently running spare bontrager BB with no problems at all. Could somebody please make a BB that will last more than a year.
    Value Rating:1Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by henry green a Weekend Warrior from boulder, co
    Date Reviewed: February 2, 2004
    Favorite Trail:keystone, co, or maverick jumps
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Purchased At:$55
    Strengths:works well for some time, very little flex, light
    Weaknesses:falls into a little pile of crap after a while, starts to squeak loudly, bearings stiffen up, and the threads holding the cranks on strip out and bolt won't tighten
    Similar Products Used:first "high end" bb
    Bike Setup:02 kona stinky primo, 02 jr. t, race face prodigy dh cranks, xt rear derailleur
    Bottom Line:don't get this if you aren't going to buy another bb in, like, a month. it works like a dream for a short time, but requires lots of maintenance, and basically just gets really crapped out. now i have to get another bb because the bearings squeak/rattle and the threads inside that the bolts screw into are totally jacked. not good.
    Value Rating:2Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by joe petruso a Cross Country Rider from las vegas, nevada
    Date Reviewed: October 26, 2003
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $50.00
    Purchased At:mail order
    Strengths:nothing...
    Weaknesses:Creaks like crazy.
    Similar Products Used:Square Taper Shimano.
    Bike Setup:nrs air
    Bottom Line:I do not recommend the purchase of this product. I rode it only twice, and it started to creak. Also it seems to have lost its stiffness too. I took it to the local bike shop and they regreased and tightened. I took it out for a joy ride with my girlfriend and it started to creak again. The left crank arm makes the majority of noise. I am going to try a FSA BB and see if it helps. For 50 bucks you would expect a BB to last longer that 3 rides...
    Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by dd dd a Weekend Warrior from Oxon, Uk
    Date Reviewed: October 17, 2003
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Strengths:It worked ok for a while.
    Weaknesses:Poor design and materials.
    Short life / poor quaility bearings.
    Bearing seals cause a lot of friction but don't work too well.
    Massive shell that is just small enough to fit in the bbshell and make lineing up the bb threads difficult.
    Other products don't have these problems
    Similar Products Used:fsa \ shimano etc.
    Bottom Line:It was never very smooth, the seals in the bearings cause a lot of friciton. After 3-4 months it started to make the strangest groaning and creaking noises I have ever heard a bb make. Then all of a sudden a week later the noise stoped and the cranks begain to turn a lot more freely. The only problem was the axel now had about 5mm of play. I ordered a replacement and when it arrived removed the bb. The left hand bearing outer ring had snapped in half and the rest of the bearing was ground and smashed to pieces. The worst thing about the situation was that the bb was a lot smoother and freemoving when metal was running on metal than when there was a bearing.

    I won't be buying another raceface bb again.
    Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by Brandon a Weekend Warrior from Netherlands
    Date Reviewed: September 26, 2003
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Strengths:Ummm... strong?
    Weaknesses:Bearings suck
    something else, but i don't know what it was, maybe bearing again
    Similar Products Used:Stank ass FSA bb
    Bottom Line:When i first got it i was really happy with it. It ran smooth and silent. However after about a month i started hearing grinding noises from the drive side. Then, the drive side part of the bb began to unscrew itself and the non-drive side began screwing itself further into the bike. When i took the drive side crank arm off in an attempt to fix the problem the bb stripped my crank bolt and the bb itself stripped so now i have to get a new one. Boo! Race face, learn how to make a proper bb. It was expensive too.
    Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by Martin S a Weekend Warrior from Edmonton, AB, CA
    Date Reviewed: April 15, 2003
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Purchased At:RVC
    Strengths:Very stiff, stong, generally excellent except....
    Weaknesses:Bearing seal quality,a problem Raceface has always had since day one
    Similar Products Used:Prodigy Isis, lasted 4 months before bearing play, it was warrantied no prob, square taper BBs' shimano, raceface, syncros, white ind, suntour etc, etc
    Bike Setup:Joker, chris king hs, 321s, Z1 QR20,RF NShore cranks,XT thumbies.
    Bottom Line:So far a well behaved bb, although starting to get some grinding in the drive side bearings. I discovered this while the bb was out of my frame so it is definately the bearings. I shouldn't be surprised as many years ago I swore to never use a RF bb after working in a bikeshop and having to deal with customers and their expensive bbs'(and headsets) bearings going south. However I decided to give it a try, mainly because I liked the ISIS concept and the only bb avail when I bought my cranks was RF Prodigy which was a MUCH crappier bb. At present the bb still runs okay, but probably won't last until fall...
    Value Rating:2Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by Lance Lowry a Cross Country Rider from Fullerton
    Date Reviewed: April 2, 2003
    Favorite Trail:Fullerton Loop
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $30.00
    Purchased At:priepoint.com
    Strengths:Very Strong. I have not even begun to test this bottom bracket due to the crappiness of my bike(Warp Ds3) and this is for fear of my frame braking not the BB. Maintenence free. I ride through loose sand and don't really have to mess with it- Only tune ups once in a whle
    Weaknesses:Probably not as great as signature series
    Similar Products Used:Stock Giant BB
    Bike Setup:Giant Warp DS3, titec handlebar stem, Raceface prodigy DH cranks.
    Bottom Line:Got these in a deal for the BB and Prodigy DH raceface cranks(splined). Cranks won't come close to loosening and the BB is nearly maintenence free. Can't wait to get a better bike to put it to a real test. 5 foot drops have been no problem so far. I am more afraid of cracking my stupid frame. Will have to get a real frame to push this baby. Recommend it for someone who can't afford the pricy signature series. Very big and beefy. Go get one!
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Brizzad a Downhiller from Virginia, USA
    Date Reviewed: October 21, 2002
    Favorite Trail:Squaw Peak in Provo UT
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $20.00
    Purchased At:Prodeal from RF
    Strengths:Fat, strong, ISIS.
    Weaknesses:Body is HUGE and i had to take off the sticker to make it fit into my DS frame. Still fit though, its just a no-name!
    Similar Products Used:Shim XT.. its my first ISIS BB and its totally rad!
    Bike Setup:DB Reactor Dual with MRP BMX BB cup adapters with RF Prodigy DH red cranks (very trick) and fat RF Bashring.
    Bottom Line:This is the same BB as the Evolve DH, just in a 113 spindle. ISIS is easy to work with getting arms on and off and fitting snug, no more rounded out square taper junk. Its so beefy, wont bend or snap and I've had it for a while. It might weigh a little bit but its better than carrying a spare BB! Thats why the Signature costs 3 times as much.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Sverre a Weekend Warrior from Norwaii
    Date Reviewed: September 2, 2002
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Strengths:Workin fine for a few days..
    Weaknesses:Bearings no good!
    Similar Products Used:Shimano LX, Icon ++
    Bike Setup:02 Bullit w/Z1 QR20, Freeride - R Kit ++
    Bottom Line:Race face really have to learn how to make better bearings. Seems like lot's of people is experiencing the same here... ask Shimano how to do it :p
    Value Rating:1Overall Rating:2






    What's New
    » Win a Set of Michelin Reinforced Tires! Enter Here»
    » New Bike and Gear Reviews! read pro review articles on the latest hot products now»
    » Browse User Reviews by Brand - New Feature: Browse and research user reviews by your favorite manufacturers»
    » Mtbr Videos - View and Share your videos here»
    Latest Articles and Reviews:


    Quick Poll

    (sponsored by Rocky Mountain Bicycles)
    Did you watch the Olympic Mountain Bike race(s)?

      yes
      no
      they have mtn biking in the Olympics?

    Photo Caption Contest

    (sponsored by Maxxis)

    Enter here

    Contact Us  •   About Us  •   Terms of Use  •   Privacy Policy  •   Advertising
     MtbREVIEW.com  RoadbikeREVIEW.com  OutdoorREVIEW.com
     PhotographyREVIEW.com  VideogameREVIEW.com  ComputingREVIEW.com
     AudioREVIEW.com  CarREVIEW.com  GolfREVIEW.com
    Copyright ©1996-2008 All Rights Reserved.ConsumerREVIEW.com, a business unit of Invenda      RSS Feed