Is there any future at all for the 26 wheel?

[tintin40]

I feel like I'm one part failure away from the bike being done, the Kooka BB finally gave up and it took me a year to get a Race Face cromo axle BB in to replace it. I have a few old UN-52's but the bike deserves better than that. With kids and a fleet of 10 bikes (just for me) it's hard to justify spending big money on replacement parts knowing something else may wear our next.

If your worried about replacing parts!! then don't ride and have a garage queen. SJS cycles or spar cycles have a large range parts of all types for speeds/wheel size. Perhaps reduce the number of bikes? Or just ride and enjoy. I'm told we only live once?

 

[Baulz]

I feel like I'm one part failure away from the bike being done, the Kooka BB finally gave up and it took me a year to get a Race Face cromo axle BB in to replace it. I have a few old UN-52's but the bike deserves better than that. With kids and a fleet of 10 bikes (just for me) it's hard to justify spending big money on replacement parts knowing something else may wear our next.

I'm puzzled about what you say: the Kooka BB I have uses stock industrial bearings, available from any bearing factor for around £5. Likewise the Shimano UN91 can be repaired in the same way. UN72s seem to last me upwards of 10,000 miles.

I've swapped to Phil Wood and Superstar hubs on my main ride, which take stock bearings, although I had to retire the Hope rear hub on my singlespeed after I bent the axle...but it was 25 years old.

The bearings are still fine, where the drive and non-drive cups press against each other must have worn and the BB will always have play. I'm sure with some Loctite I might be able to make it hold, but the BB tool interface got stripped on one side years ago so I don't want it in too tight.

 

[Baulz]

I feel like I'm one part failure away from the bike being done, the Kooka BB finally gave up and it took me a year to get a Race Face cromo axle BB in to replace it. I have a few old UN-52's but the bike deserves better than that. With kids and a fleet of 10 bikes (just for me) it's hard to justify spending big money on replacement parts knowing something else may wear our next.

If your worried about replacing parts!! then don't ride and have a garage queen. SJS cycles or spar cycles have a large range parts of all types for speeds/wheel size. Perhaps reduce the number of bikes? Or just ride and enjoy. I'm told we only live once?

It's no garage queen, I have ridden the sh*t out of this bike for years. Every part has been replaced several times, it's has been an evolving build for 20 years. 4 frames, 2 forks, 4 headsets, 4 stems, 5 seatposts, countless wheel builds, 10+ pairs of tires, etc.

I broke down and bought a 29er in 2015, and it sat for a couple years while I continued to ride my favorite bike.

Reducing the number of bikes is very possible, and this one is a possibility. The other is another 26er with leftover parts built specifically for towing the kids in the trailer which they have outgrown.

 

[dyna-ti]

Any1 want to buy a pile of nos 26" rims ?

 

[Takingabreak]

Re:

maybe, do you have something interesting?

 

[fearfactoryüberalles]

I'm puzzled about what you say: the Kooka BB I have uses stock industrial bearings, available from any bearing factor for around £5. Likewise the Shimano UN91 can be repaired in the same way. UN72s seem to last me upwards of 10,000 miles.

I've swapped to Phil Wood and Superstar hubs on my main ride, which take stock bearings, although I had to retire the Hope rear hub on my singlespeed after I bent the axle...but it was 25 years old.

Hmm, could you be a bit more specific about overhauling the bearings on UN91 BBs, please? I've only met with "bearing balls located directly in axle'groove" type Shimano old-school cartridge sq.taper BBs so far, thus redering these parts FUBAR/broken when opened by any special method on earth.

Maybe the UN90 series used generic, removable cartridge bearings?

 

[k-rod]

Any1 want to buy a pile of nos 26" rims ?

What kind of rims? :?:

 

[legrandefromage]

Any1 want to buy a pile of nos 26" rims ?

What kind of rims? :?:

Round ones will be a good start.

 

[tintin40]

Round ones will be a good start.

But they roll down hill carry on Cleo

 

[Cheshire1980]

Any1 want to buy a pile of nos 26" rims ?

What kind of rims? :?:

Round ones will be a good start.

made me chuckle