Home | Reviews | Drivetrain | Bottom Bracket

Login  |  Register

RaceFace (Duplicate) Taper Lock Chromoly

Average Rating 3.35/5
# of Reviews 17
MSRP $ 69.99
Weight
More Products from RaceFace (Duplicate)



Submit a Review

Description:
Where To Buy


WebCyclery


Other Ways To Shop
  • Buy and Sell the Taper Lock Chromoly from our Classifieds.
  • Shop for Similar Products








    Submitted by Michael Murphy a Cross Country Rider from Mankato, MN, USA
    Date Reviewed: March 6, 2006
    Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
    Price Paid: $40.00
    Strengths:Reasonably light, adjustable chainline, quiet.
    Weaknesses:Everyone but me seems to hate it?
    Similar Products Used:UN72
    Bike Setup:Bontrager Privateer S with 8 speed Deore XT square taper cranks.
    Bottom Line:Installed around '98 or so. I've taken it out once, but just to clean out the shell and put in fresh grease to get rid of a little squeak.

    I'm a finesse- rider, 5'6" and 155 lbs, so that might be why. The trick is to install right the first time. I chased and faced the bb shell, then applied some grease and installed this thing very tight. I also applied a little grease to the spindles and tightened the heck out of the cranks. I checked the crank bolts the first few rides to make sure they didn't loosen up. Since then, no problems, and it's been YEARS.

    I'd buy another.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Jo Dirt a Cross Country Rider from Vancouver
    Date Reviewed: January 17, 2006
    Favoriate Trail:damn near anything
    Duration Product Used:2 Years
    Price Paid: $65.00
    Purchased At:Westpoint
    Strengths:Strong (relative weight), tough as anything I've used, adjustable chain-line
    Weaknesses:at 225g, not as light as some would like
    Similar Products Used:everything shimano has made, old school Syncros gorilla series Ti
    Bike Setup:S-works epic w/F100RLT with all the goodies -built to fly
    Bottom Line:Im not sure what the problem is with this BB? Ive ridden it through hell all across Western Canada for two years now, serviced it once (the internals were pristine after 12+ months), and it still spins absolutely smooth. The recurring issue of soft cups/bad threads seems ot me to be more an issue of user overtightning than a product fault. Yes, they are made from aluminium, and yes aluminium is relatively soft, but using the proper tool and tightning to the specified torque, they should be quite fine.

    In all respects -durability, bearing quality, serviceability, seal quality- this BB passes with flying colours. Not only is it reasonably priced, but it is among the strongest spindles available at a weight that is certainly respectable. Superb value for money, in my mind.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Mikie OOOOOO...... a Cross Country Rider from Wisconsin
    Date Reviewed: September 10, 2005
    Favoriate Trail:Petrified Springs its close
    Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
    Price Paid: $60.00
    Purchased At:online
    Strengths:serviceable
    Weaknesses:Weak cups. Poor threads. After 3 years riding I had to get a new one.
    Similar Products Used:XT, Cook Bros..
    Bike Setup:Waterford 2400, Raceface cranks,Ultimate v's, Sram rear der. XTR front der. Raceface stem, FSA headset,lots of carbon and ti stuf. Hugi hubs on Mavis with ti spokes.
    Bottom Line:Very unhappy . I also had to remove there headset due to poor bearings. If you want to keep costs down go Shimano. Want to spend a little try Phil Wood. Product looks good till you put it to the test. Im going back to XT put it in and forget about it.
    Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by Bart a Cross Country Rider from Turnhout, Belgium
    Date Reviewed: January 24, 2005
    Favoriate Trail:Transardennaise
    Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
    Price Paid: $100.00
    Purchased At:The Barracuda Company
    Strengths:- Adjustable chainline
    - Bearings
    - Seals
    Weaknesses:- Very weak cups and easily damaged threads
    Similar Products Used:Shimano UN72 and UN52
    Bike Setup:Epic Tirant custom titanium hardtail equipped with Chris King headset, 2004 Marathon SL, Race Face Turbine LP cranks, HS33's, XTR derailleurs and Mavic Crossride ceramic wheels
    Bottom Line:First of all, bottom brackets just aren't made to last so keeping that in mind, the important part is how long you are able to use it before it dies. Frankly, nobody knows even with so called high quality bottom brackets. I had UN52's and UN72's that lasted for 3 months, others lasted over 4 years! I bought the taperlock because I hoped to find a reliable and long lasting bottom bracket. At that time I did not switch the old taper style for the ISIS or Octalink types because I was suspicious about the bearing quality due to the wider axle.
    I had no problems with the bearings whatsoever, after three years of riding they still run very smooth, there's no play and they are still filled with the factory grease. So far so good. But this BB is overpriced! The cups are made of cheese and are easily damaged using traditional BB tools. Cup threads are poor and easily stripped. During my last routine maintenance I discovered a serious crack in the re-inforcing sleeve at the drive side bearing (I am a lightweight cross crountry rider)?? It doesn't seem to affect the mechanism though but it was reason enough to swap the taperlock again for the good old UN72.
    In conclusion, this would be an outstanding product if Race Face paid more attention to the details instead of shaving of a few grams. Shame because it really works well. But who cares any longer, square tapers are becoming extinct anyway. For what it's worth and for all you afficionados try to find some spare Shimano BB's, for old times sake!
    Value Rating:2Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by Tyrone Styles a Weekend Warrior from Deep Woods of the NorthEast
    Date Reviewed: June 29, 2004
    Favoriate Trail:Arcadia / URI research loop
    Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
    Price Paid: $60.00
    Purchased At:online, don't recall
    Strengths:strong, keeps on workin
    Weaknesses:um, not meant to last a life time?!?
    Similar Products Used:Shimano, bullseye(BMX days)
    Bike Setup:frame, 2 wheels, front & rear shocks, handlebars, stem, brakes etc.
    Bottom Line:Just on here doing some parts research as I build my new bike and wanted to add my $0.02.

    I have over 6,000 miles on my Raceface cranks & bottom bracket with NO problems. (6'1", 205 lbs. hardcore trail rider with 5/6 trips a year to Killington / Sunday river for some mad downhilling) Considering they probably sell 200,000 bottom brackets a year 57 people with problems cause they ride through knee deep mud and don't have a torques wrench seem like a pretty reasonable failure rate to me.

    Thumbs UP!!
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by brennan a Racer from edmonton alberta canada
    Date Reviewed: June 2, 2003
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $50.00
    Purchased At:hardcore
    Strengths:light weight?
    Weaknesses:horrid bearings, easily stripped and weak cups
    Similar Products Used:shimano
    Bike Setup:cdale f2000 xt
    Bottom Line:i swapped out my stock xt bb for a "better" race face taperloc. after about a year of once-weekly rides (primarily a road racer), noticed a gravelly feeling coming from bb. drive side cup was cracked clear through and non-drive-side bearing was completely seized. I HAD BEEN GRINDING METAL FOR WHO KNOWS HOW LONG! one of the cups stripped so badly upon removal i had to cut it from the frame! Ironically, i put the xt back in and it has been like butter for over 2 years.
    Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by Tom a Cross Country Rider from Waterloo, IA, USA
    Date Reviewed: May 30, 2003
    Favoriate Trail:Ulrich
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Purchased At:Came on bike
    Strengths:Adjustable chainline is nice
    Nickel-plated cromoly spindle
    Rebuildable
    Weaknesses:Aluminum cups are easily chewed up by Park BB tool-female portion is not deep enough to accept tool.
    Ultra-crappy stock bearings, DS went out in less than 1000 miles.
    Similar Products Used:Real BB
    Most of the Shimano stuff-LX and lower
    Bike Setup:Bontrager Race
    Race Face cranks
    Judy XC fork
    Paul Motolites
    Mavic/Hugi wheels
    Bottom Line:I probably would not have bought this BB, but since it was on the bike when I bought it, I used it. The drive side bearing went out very soon after I bought the bike. I do not like using the Park BB tool on aluminum cups that are not Shimano, it just doesn't match as well. I rebuilt it with better bearings and am using it again, but I wouldn't buy another one when an XT is cheaper and just as dependable.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by Oz a Cross Country Rider from Chicago, IL
    Date Reviewed: December 24, 2002
    Favoriate Trail:blue mountains
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $40.00
    Purchased At:Beyond Bikes
    Strengths:Strong and problem free.
    Weaknesses:None so far..
    Similar Products Used:Crappy Shimanos..
    Bike Setup:Mountain Cycle, San Andreas..
    Bottom Line:After a year of aggresive XC/FR riding, no problems whatsoever strong and problem free.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by FritzMan a Racer from Ottawa, Canada
    Date Reviewed: November 26, 2002
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $50.00
    Strengths:Strong, install and forget. No noise.
    Weaknesses:Bearings died after 10 months of use...
    Similar Products Used:Shimano XT
    Bike Setup:SantaCruz Superlight, RaceFace everything except grips, CrossMax UST, Magura Marta discs, SRAM drivetrain
    Bottom Line:I'm quite pleased with the product. Non-drive side bearing starting died and cranks started to get a lot of play. I replaced the bearings with better aftermark units and should easily have another year (or more) of problem free service. Normally 10 monhts could be considered too short, but the BB was submerged on quite a few rides, sometimes for 30 minutes at a time - not good for the bike, but it is mountain biking afterall...
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Mark a Cross Country Rider from Ontario
    Date Reviewed: November 24, 2002
    Favoriate Trail:Radical - Hardwood Hills
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $40.00
    Purchased At:Muskoka Bicycle Pro Shop
    Strengths:smooth, no creaks, durable
    Weaknesses:none
    Similar Products Used:Shimano
    Bike Setup:Rocky Mountain Vertex -
    Race face seat post, stem, crank, bb, bar
    xt/xtr drive
    z2 Bomber
    Bottom Line:Works great. Still turning smoothly after a season of training and racing - more than I can say about the 2 Shimano bb's I replaced with this one.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by peter mccann a Cross Country Rider from Houston, Texas
    Date Reviewed: November 20, 2002
    Duration Product Used:2 Years
    Strengths:Adjustable chain line. Solid design. Not too heavy.
    Weaknesses:None.
    Similar Products Used:Shimano
    Bike Setup:Joker
    Bottom Line:I have rebuilt this BB once in 5000 miles. Now its good to go another 5K. Raceface has excellent CS, and backs their products. There was a cracked bearing, but the bb just kept going. Aftermarket bearings may offer even better durablity than the stock ones.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Rob Fraser a Cross Country Rider from Toronto, ON, Canada
    Date Reviewed: October 13, 2002
    Favoriate Trail:Don Valley, North Shore
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $40.00
    Strengths:It is solid.
    Weaknesses:Had to tighten the crankbolts alot when they are new.
    Similar Products Used:None are quite the same.
    Bike Setup:Rocky Mountain Elevation, Hayes, Marzocchi, Raceface, SRAM, Mavic, Maxxis, Cane Creek, Selle Italia & Swiss DT.
    Bottom Line:Chromoly will last along time as long as you aren't a stupid hack. They are a sweet addition to my bicycle. I am thinking of keeping mine as a back-up to a Ti taper BB since (Blue TI) they were out fast.

    First of all, don't spray water at your crank sideways and the grease will stay in for a little while. Second, don't DH or FR on the thing. Even though they last 20 times longer than LX they are for that.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Bill a Cross Country Rider from Hoboken
    Date Reviewed: September 3, 2002
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $50.00
    Purchased At:Jenson, Beyond Bikes
    Strengths:Fits any bike easily, adjustable chain line
    Weaknesses:THE BEARINGS SUCK. I WILL NOT BUY A RACE FACE BOTTOM BRACKET EVER AGAIN. IF YOU NEED SQUARE, STICK WITH SHIMANO.
    Similar Products Used:Shimano UN72
    Bike Setup:Yeti ASR, Race Face Cranks, Avid disk breaks, WTB wheels, Race Face Bars & Stem
    Bottom Line:I am one of the suckers who bought into the Race Face Hype!! Dont make the same mistake on the taper-lock bottom bracket that I did. After wearing out my 3rd set of bearings in 3 months, I have given up. I am going back to old faithful.

    PS - Bars, Stem, Seat-post, Cranks and the New 02 chainrings are pretty solid, however THE TEAM SL HEADSET IS HORRIBLE, it seems that RACE FACE SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM COMPONENTS THAT REQUIRE BEARINGS!!
    Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by Chris a Cross Country Rider from Boston
    Date Reviewed: July 18, 2002
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $60.00
    Purchased At:Cambria Bike
    Strengths:Easy to Install
    Not too Heavy
    Weaknesses:Bearings Suck
    Noisy
    Cups are easily damaged
    Similar Products Used:Shimano BB's
    Bike Setup:Giant XTC
    Bottom Line:I bought into the Race Face Hype. This bottom bracket was good for about 4 rides, then the bearings decided to break apart and eat themselves. My last bottom bracket lasted 3 years, no problem, stick with shimano.
    Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by Brent a Cross Country Rider from Portland, OR
    Date Reviewed: July 8, 2002
    Favoriate Trail:I have to pick one?
    Duration Product Used:2 Years
    Price Paid: $60.00
    Purchased At:Fat Tire Farm
    Strengths:Good spindle.
    Excelent seals.
    Will fit just about any bike.
    Weaknesses:The stock bearings are junk.
    Cups are easy to damage.
    Similar Products Used:UN-72
    Shimano bottom end heavy junk.
    Bike Setup:Schwinn Moab 2. LX and 9.0 stuff.
    Bottom Line:The stock bearings in these things are junk. I don't know who makes the Enduro bearings, but its not a repuatable bearing company. I took the bearings out and took them to a local bearing distributor to get new ones. They said they were most likely cheap Chinese bearings. I got some new SKF bearings and this thing is supper smooth now. If you've got one of these, replace the bearings and it will be great. The old bearings did not show any sings of the grease being contaminated. The seals on the bearings and the cups do a good job. 2 chills on the value rating since I ended up puting $20 worth of bearings in them (the SKF bearings retail for $43 each). 3 Chills for not putting quality stuff in it in the first place.
    Value Rating:2Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by Bill a Cross Country Rider from Virginia
    Date Reviewed: June 10, 2002
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $60.00
    Strengths:Slight weight advantage
    Weaknesses:durability
    Similar Products Used:Shimano
    Bottom Line:I really wanted to like this product but after 6 months of use it started to feel ruff when when you spun it. I let my bike sit for a month and it seized up. My friend had the same problem with his too. Save the money, ignore the hype and put in a Shimano UN-72 if you need a four sided BB. It is less than half the price and will last 4 times as long
    Value Rating:1Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by Leotis Denetclaw a Cross Country Rider from Waterflow, NM, USA
    Date Reviewed: June 5, 2002
    Favoriate Trail:Pinon Mesa
    Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
    Price Paid: $69.00
    Purchased At:Pricepoint
    Strengths:Color, Looks, well designed fit.
    Weaknesses:Looks...........It is ashame to slam something so pretty.
    Similar Products Used:Shimano XT, Suntour XCpro(ball bearing), and various shimano ones.
    Bike Setup:Schwinn Homegrown, raceface cranks, XTR front & rear deraullers. Ringle hubs, syncros stem and post, monkeylite bar, and gripshifts.
    Bottom Line:This is the best bottom bracket I have ever used. I am 230lbs and was told that I would have to replace bottom brackets and penalty to my size. This bottom bracket changed that. I gone through one frame a recently obtained a new one, the bottom bracket did not need changing. Now if they only came different colors.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5






    What's New
    » Mtbr Videos - View and Share your videos here»
    » Buy Mtbr Jerseys
    Click here to view or buy the jersey and shorts.  Support Mtbr.com and order your set today.

    Buy Jerseys and Swag!
    Latest Articles and Reviews:


    Quick Poll

    (sponsored by Rocky Mountain Bicycles)
    How many bikes do you own?

      1
      2
      3
      4
      5 or more

    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