Rich's Tongfamily

_Hat tip to the folks at roadbikerider.com for this one_
Uncle Al’s Rant: Campy Record Bottom Bracket
Dear Uncle Al: Uh oh! I’ve read how much you don’t like the Campy Record bottom bracket. I have 5,000 miles on my 2003 Record Carbon crankset so would be interested to know specifically what’s wrong with it. — Larry S.
Uncle Al Fires Back: The short answer is that it’s the most over-designed bottom bracket I’ve ever seen. There are twice as many parts as needed, and many of them are made of
materials (carbon fiber and aluminum) that do not stand up well to the terrific loads we exert on them.
Trying to make a bottom bracket light with gee-whiz materials is fine when the design gives us something that is reliable and long-lasting. But my experience with Record bottom brackets is that they will barely last a season, let alone many seasons like I think they should.
The more surfaces that interface, the greater the chance for slop in the system, which accelerates bearing wear. In terms of added durability, Campy’s dual bearings on the drive side accomplish nothing that a well-designed, two-bearing cartridge system can’t.
I’ll bet if you pull both crankarms and turn your BB spindle by hand, you’ll notice it’s not very smooth after only 5,000 miles.
Solution? All three Phil Wood bottom brackets have a simple design that’s executed with extreme precision. There is no unwarranted movement, and under hard use they will last for many, many years. When play is finally detected, you can send them back for refurbishing for a nominal fee.
The stainless-steel Phil BB is as light as the Campy record at 192 grams. And it has a lifetime guarantee — an offer no one else makes.
If you want the ultimate, install Phil’s proprietary Ti/Magnium BB. At 135 grams, there’s nothing lighter or finer. Try one. You’ll never use anything else.
_”Branford Bike”:http://www.branfordbike.com/bottombr/bb3.html or “Phil Wood Online”:http://www.philwood.com/pproducts.htm has these in stock, here are the prices. Amazing thing is that they’ll last 20,000 miles without maintenance. Wow, for me that’s about 8 years of riding, so although expensive, very economical with pricing and when it wears out you send it back to Phil Woods and he puts new bearings in for $30. The generic Titanium with the Alloy rings seems like the best buy:_
| Part | Price | Weight | Comment |
| Stainless Steel Campy | $99 | 198 grams | Same weight as Record |
| Titanium Campy | $159 | 137 grams | Generic Titanium |
| Magnium Campy | $249 | 134 grams | Some magnesium/titanium composite |
| Teflon/Alloy Mounting Rings | $38 | 11 grams | British threads |
| BB Mounting Ring Tool | $14 | n/a | Really need two to adjust easily |