A refined version of last year’s XS ISIS BB, the Signature XS is the perfect high performance, multi use bottom bracket. It is light enough for cross-country use but strong enough to take the hits you’re willing to throw its way.
Features:
ISIS Drive
CNC machined, heat treated, hollow, bored out M15 chromoly spindle
Shot peened finish for strength and nickel plating for corrosion resistance
Double row angular contact bearings
Proprietary non side loading design
Forged and CNC’d aluminum cups and reinforcing sleeve
Heat treated stainless steel crank stoppers
8 independent seals to keep out contaminants
Adjustable cups fit 68 and 73mm shells and allows adjustability of the chain line
Sizes: 108mm 113mm
Shell compatibility: 68 & 73 mm (adjustable)
Submitted by
StuBaDub
a Cross Country Rider
from Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Date Reviewed: May 26, 2009
Strengths: It held the cranks on my bike successfully, crank bolts didn't loosen off. It fitted in the hole provided for it. Didn't develop any play.
Weaknesses: Seal drag, rough feeling from bearings
Bottom Line:
Looks like raceface are trying to improve their bearing seals, by filling thier bottom brackets with rubber. The seal drag on my unit was enormous when it was new, to be joined by a notchy feeling after about 3 months of riding. To my surprise it began spinning more freely after about 3 years of use. If you have to buy one see if you can find a second hand one somebody else has broken in for you, otherwise don't bother.
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Park City, UT
Date Reviewed: August 22, 2005
Strengths: Bearings never failed. Cranks stayed on. Spindle didn't break.
Weaknesses: Insane friction from day one all the way through two solid seasons of XC riding and racing. Bearing held up, but way too much drag. Finally pulled it out and put in a FSA Platinum. Heard their bearings are junk, but at least the spindle turns.
Bottom Line:
Bearings held up great for two years but the friction never went away. Spindle felt stiff when not installed, but after cranking on the cups, it was really tight. Wish King would come out with an ISIS bb.
Similar Products Used: Truvative ISIS in other bike. two years on that one and still going strong.
Bike Setup: full rigid single speed.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Gary White
a Cross Country Rider
from London, UK
Date Reviewed: March 25, 2005
Strengths: Lightweight and uses the ISIS system
Weaknesses: Bearings, bearings, bearings. I forgot to regrease the bearings and the BB was shot within 500 miles.
Bottom Line:
No one likes taking out BBs unless they have to, so why design a BB that needs to be removed and regreased 'every three months'. I have a seven year old Shimano UN72 that is still spinning smoothly! Very expensive too, so sealed bearings should be the order of the day. The RF Prodigy series is much better - and half the price.
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 Atlas crankset c/w 44-32-22 rings; 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. This is my new bike set up after I removed the North Shore cranks and Signature BB
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Richard
a Cross Country Rider
from Northampton, UK
Date Reviewed: March 1, 2005
Strengths: Hmmmm.... No, I can't think of any! Well, the cranks stayed on OK, but they should.....
Weaknesses: Ineffective sealing from water. Quality control?
Bottom Line:
Just as bad sealing as the other ISIS BBs, though the seals look like they should work better. It looks like there is no way to make an ISIS BB that can effectively seal against the elements, as there isn't enough room for the seal (or bearings). My first of these BBs disintegrated on one long ride, it didn't even last 100 miles, though I think there was something wrong with that one from new, and it was replaced by the shop. The second one had the drive side bearing corrode after about 300 miles riding, and that bearing has now been replaced under warrenty. Lets see how long the bearings last this time. I can't be taking the BB apart after every wet ride to clean and dry it out!!!!
Similar Products Used: RF SRX and Truvative gigapipe. Both just as bad....
Bike Setup: On-One EBB Inbred
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Squish
a Weekend Warrior
from Aberdeen
Date Reviewed: September 26, 2004
Strengths: Light weight, stiff, adjustable chain line, ISIS spline over 800 miles (before bike was stolen) and no creaks.
Weaknesses: Cups can work loose, but that's just something that should be on you maintenance list any way
Bottom Line:
Okay, I'm 220lbs about, and usually have trouble with my bottom brackets loosening and creaking. Not the case with this thing, it worked flawlessly for the brief 6 months I got to use it before some one decided they needed my bike more than I did. The only problem I did run into was the cups loosened up on me once, all you have to do is check them once in a while and you'll be okay with that one, but it's still enough to loose one chili over. I did notice initially that the seals were really draggy, but when you consider how many seals there are keeping the crap out it's to be expected. I saw a lot of reviews complaining about the fact that the spindle turned kinda stiff, but it's not something I noticed while I was riding, so it's not a big deal.
In all I really liked the bottom bracket, and will probably be getting another one for my new Turner.
I would definatley recommend this to anyone looking for a light weight, reliable bottom bracket.
Bike Setup: It was a Trek 8000 Frame, Marzocchi Atom Race 100, Turbine cranks, SRAM X.0 Etc.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Manny
from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: September 22, 2004
Strengths: Stiff. Smooth. Reliable. Trick. Well engineered.
Weaknesses: Cups need slight tightening every 2-3 months, or squeaking develops. Price.
Bottom Line:
I've had a RaceFace Signature XS BB installed in my '03 Tracer since I got it new. It always performs well and has never needed replacement or maintinence, aside from a little cup tightening. **I see that it has a lot of bad reviews.... that's too bad! Seems like every manufacturer has had problems with their BB's - ISIS/Octalink splined, and square taper. Unless everyone is switching to Hollow Spindle/External BB type setups, I figure that ISIS is still the best option.
Don't sell yourself that external bb's, and thicker 'hollow spindle' cranks are the only way to go. There's plenty of reviews that rate them at the SAME low level, and discuss many mechanical complaints.
I don't mind a little squeaking, either. Aluminum is brittle, and aluminum cup BB's screwed tightly into aluminum BB housings are bound to start making noise. Frames are pretty stiff nowadays, too!
I just wish that the BB price could come down to more respectable levels.
5 chilis for performance 'cause it's been a great upgrade to ISIS. 4 chilis for value. LOWER the price, man!
Similar Products Used: Shimano Octalink (XT/XTR); Race Face CroMo Tapered.
Bike Setup: Tracers- W/ RaceFace Next LP's (Red & Black), Signature XS ISIS BBs.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
nuno jardim
a Cross Country Rider
from lisboa, portugal
Date Reviewed: August 28, 2004
Strengths: Stiffness,durability.
Weaknesses: maintenance,wheight,price.
Bottom Line:
this review is for the double row angular contact bearings version: after riding hard for about 800 miles on mud and wet condition last winter and 2000 miles total, this thing still work perfect. Ok, reading all reviews here alert me for the maintenance issue (regrease the bearing and crank interface), but unlless you want a component to fit and fogert you should consider this BB. Think for an instant, no company have come up (untill now ) with a decent problem free BB.
Similar Products Used: Snimano XT square and octalink race face square
Bike Setup: moratti ti hardtail, crossmax sl disc tublless, sram xo shifter and rear drailleur, turbine lp issis, thomson seat and steam, hope minis, fox float rl, maxxis larsen tires
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Ron Carlson
from Boston
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2004
Strengths: Good looking, strong axel
Weaknesses: Does not stay tight, bearings shot in three months!
Bottom Line:
I have to say I am really disappointed with this bb. Not only was it pricey but for that price I got a measly 3 months out of it before it started literally falling apart. It made more noise than a jackhammer constantly loosening up. Also the bearings are not sealed as well as RF claims. I like the ISIS concept but for the money nothing out there beats Shimanos cheap UN72 bb. They last forever and stand up to an ungodly amount of abuse. You could by four or more of them for the price of this Canadian made POS and never burn through them all. I have since sold my RF cranks and put my old XTR cranks back on along with the highly reliable square tapered UN72 bb. Not the most sophisticated setup out there but at least it's reliable.
Favorite Trail: Anything you dont have to share with hikers
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At: LBS
Similar Products Used: None. First and possibly last ISIS setup.
Bike Setup: Intense XVP loaded with goodies.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Hobart
a Cross Country Rider
from Salt Lake City
Date Reviewed: June 2, 2004
Strengths: Very stiff, looks bomber, relatively light
Weaknesses: Have to grease and retighten the cups every few rides due to insane creaking and grinding. Spindle is very tight.
Bottom Line:
After a few hundred miles, I noticed a popping/creaking noise that quickly turned into an insanely loud cracking like the frame was broken. Finally decided to give the BB a little more grease and a tighten and the sound was gone. After about 3-4 rides the sound started coming back. I guess the cups just won't stay tight.
Also, when I first installed the BB at my LBS, I noticed the spindle was so tight that you could barely turn it by hand. LBS said it was just new. After several hundred miles, it's just as tight. At least I have an excuse for riding slow.
Stick with the square taper BB's and wait until Shimano and Race Face perfect the external BB. ISIS is a great idea, but doesn't seem to work in real life.
Submitted by
Gizmo Burbank
a Cross Country Rider
from Salt Lake City
Date Reviewed: May 7, 2004
Strengths: Stiff, pretty, light
Weaknesses: Cups come loose. very tight spindle.
Bottom Line:
I am not surprised that I'm disappointed by this bb based on all the crap reviews all of these ISIS bb's have received. Cups started to work loose after 3 months and it sounded like the frame was cracked. God aweful noise. Had to buy the special crank puller and bb tool to tighten it up, but now the cracking and popping is gone...for now. When installing the bb, noticed the spindle was very difficult to turn. Almost couldn't turn it with my fingers. LBS speculated it would free up after a couple hundred mile. Not. When I went to tighten cups, noticed the spindle is still very difficult to turn. What the hell? Like someone else said, Race Face makes great products, as long as they don't contain bearings. My theory is since they increased the diameter of the spindle, there is less room for the bearings. great stiffness, crappy bearings. Figure I'll wait a year and see how their new X-type Deus cranks fare. that external bearing idea sounds like the schaboozle.
Similar Products Used: Various shimano square tapers
Bike Setup: Custom steel single speed, full rigid, 29'er.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jones
a Weekend Warrior
from Somerset, England
Date Reviewed: May 5, 2004
Strengths: Gold cups
Weaknesses: Durability
Bottom Line:
I thought this would be the answer to all my BB problems, how wrong I was. Firstly it was a pig to fit, I had to use so much torque to get it fitted properly. Then after only about 3 months (riding once a week) of use the bearings began to wear out which meant that the axle started to rattle around. Finally, I was gently riding along the road when the splined part of the axle just snapped off. The BB has just been used for light xc use over the winter no jumps or drops. I wouldn't expect this sort of performance from a £15.00 Shimano BB let alone a £90 one. Buy shimano and stay well clear of this cr@p.
Submitted by
Ratt
a Cross Country Rider
from Socal
Date Reviewed: April 29, 2004
Strengths: adjustable chainline, quality build
Weaknesses: lack of support from Raceface, expensive for what you get.
Bottom Line:
Bottom line don't waste money on this one year warranty BB, get the 2 year warranty Evolve XC. I posted the 2nd review of this product 2 years ago and it finally died on me. The BB needed to be lubed every 900 mi and worked fine till last week after about 3-4k miles. I tried to get replacement bearings for it, none of my lbs will order the bearings for me since QPB has a $150 minimium order. My fault i guess for not building a relationship with any of them but they are bozos and price gougers what was i supposed to do? Tried to get Raceface to service or sell me the bearings, pretty much got told to go away, they were polite about it but no help at all.You have been warned, don't waste your money here, buy cheaper disposible BB or one with a better warranty.
Submitted by
Rod Munch
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Rosa, California
Date Reviewed: March 23, 2004
Strengths: Gold cups poking thru BB shell are off the Blingometer. Weight pretty good compared to other ISIS units, but not so hot when you factor in price.
Weaknesses: I was upgrading my '99 Razorback and had the [flawed] notion to go "bargain" on the crank and "sweet" on the BB. I wanted durability 1st, light weight 2nd.
Bottom Line:
I was upgrading my '99 Razorback and had the [flawed] notion to go "bargain" on the crank and "sweet" on the BB. I wanted durability 1st, light weight 2nd. Well the Prodigy cranks made me happy. They were strong and never needed attention. But this $80 BB first came with 2 left cups. My LBS contacted RF and got it sorted out. Once installed, it developed pings & knocks in the frame after a year (that I mostly rode road). After two years, the cranks froze. I took the bike in (afraid of a frame crack I couldn't find) only to discover that the BB was "completely destroyed" per my LBS mechanic. I'm a fast XC rider, no drops, and I don't ride in mud. I expect a BB to simply not give me grief. This puppy cost a lot, failed, and now Race Face says they won't even look at it without a receipt. Well, easy enough. I won't buy Race Face BB's from now on.
Similar Products Used: All Shimano MTB & road, LX-XTR, 105-Dura Ace since '90 or so.
Bike Setup: '99 K2 Razorback, XT, Mars Comp Coil, Prodigy XC, Salsa Shaft, Kore stem, Bontrager Racelite bar, Trek OCLV endz, Colorado Cyclist 517/Revolution/XT wheels, 26.8 pounds with coils
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Tracer
from Montreux CH
Date Reviewed: January 28, 2004
Strengths: stiff adjustable chain line
Weaknesses: bearings cups
Bottom Line:
I had these in my Tracer and they worked well, that's till the bearings locked up. I heard they had redesigned them and decided to give them a try.
First the drive side cup would not go in. Went to the shop they did not dare go on either. So two days later I got a new cup, went in like butter.
After a month the drive side started to develop play. Tightened the cup over and over again but kept on developing play, worse it started to ruin the bb shell. I think the bb shell of the Uzzi is a bit roomy, this does not hold the flange less cups well.
I've changed to an FSA with flange on the drive side and it's holding up for months now. Also much and much cheaper.
Similar Products Used: rf taper lock, fsa, shimano
Bike Setup: Uzzi-SLX, Z1 FR, XT, Race Face bla bla bla
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
adrian
a Weekend Warrior
from cornwall
Date Reviewed: January 26, 2004
Strengths: Stiff, strong, not too heavy, the only BB I've used in the last five years or so that doesn't crumble after any drop off of more than four feet
Weaknesses: None, although the bearings are a little fiddle to re-grease
Bottom Line:
Have heard bad things about these BBs but have now got three bikes with Race Face signature BBs and am well impressed with them. Light, strong, stiff and seem pretty bombproof. Have had two of the BBs in there for approx two years and the bearings are still going strong and I've done soome pretty sick stuff on them. I go thru square taper BBs like they're going out of fashion and had a load of trouble with Octalink which was why I tried ISIS. I'm glad I did, I would recommend them wholeheartedly
