This has been in development a LOOOOONG time now. We are confident this bottom bracket is the best threaded BSA 30mm bottom bracket you can buy due to several unique and patent-pending features.
Why hexagon?
The shape of this bottom bracket is unique, but it's not to be different looking. There have been a few bottom brackets through the years that have utilized weird outer perimeters. Function drove form entirely on this one.
Here's the story: I was sick of throwing out bottom brackets every time the bearings got crappy. Some allow you to knock the old bearing out from the backside and replace, but it requires special tools, or is a complete pain in the neck. While wrenching on a jalopy with rear drums, I noticed they used a threaded bolt in the drum to drive the crusty old drum off the hub and the proverbial lightbulb ignited in my head. (Dad jokes are stronger by the day over here)
When the bearings get just a little too crunchy, simply use the included blunt-nosed hardened M5x.8 threaded set screws to drive the bearings out of the nicely anodized cups from the backside. We needed room to fit these threads and the BSA shell simply doesnt allow this to be internal like on our T47 bottom brackets. The "ears" of the hexagon allow us to place the required threaded portion directly inline with the outer races of the 6806 bearing.
Why the crazy price?
Simply put, we use very expensive bearings and machine everything in-house to best-in-class bearing housing fits/tolerances. Did you know that even a thousandth or two out-of spec on a bearing housing can wreck even the best bearing in the world in short-order? These are machined to M7 fits for you engineers, which is the fit specification recomended by NTN.
NTN LLB (low drag seals) or LLU (keep that crap outa my balls seals) bearings are widely considered to be among the best if not the best bearings in the world outside the bicycle industry. Dont settle for cheaply made bearings that last a few rides (or less) or a cup thats machined with less-than stellar housing fit. I'd recomend the LLU seals 99% of the time. They feel a little draggy when you first spin them by hand but will absolutely not be noticed on the bike and cannot be beat for keeping out the muck, grit, and crap. LLB can be used on a road bike that sees fair weather or racing, but you'll need to pop seals off and repack the bearings if that local gravel KOM calls your name.
Further, stainless steel is great for a LOT of things, but anything to do with bearings it's not. If you have enough standing water inside your bearings for long enough to cause them to rust, you're already way past the point of those things spinning freely. Bearings, whether inner/outer races or the rolling elements need to be hardened steel. The harder the better in most cases. Stainless is soft and brinells and you don't want that ever.
Videos will be up on youtube shortly showing how to service these but for the most part it's very easy. The bearing press IS the socket to remove/install the bottom bracket into the frame. The washer is threaded to keep those setscrews from getting lost. The torque values are engraved into the socket. This is a well-thought-out complete bottom bracket setup geared toward many many many trouble free miles ahead.
Specs:
-Cups machined from 7075-t651 aluminum
-Bearings are NTN 6806 LLU (great seals, a little intitial drag) OR 6806 LLB (less drag, don't seal as well) Go LLU imho
-stainless setscrews cover rear extraction holes while BB is installed
-socket/press/bolt/washer/seat are all included for easy servicing
-105g installed weight with spindle washers/dust shields
-No washers to be used behind these (and farme) on 68,73,83,100mm shells when paired with our cranks. These sit the bearings as far outboard as possible.
-BSA (english) thread 1.37x24 LH thread DS (right) and 1.37x24 RH thread NDS (Left) engraved into cups