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Aerozine Road Bottom Bracket

8
£19.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Expensive looking, value for money bottom bracket that keeps the rain out; smooth running too
Weight: 
81g
Contact: 

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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Aerozine have produced one of the lightest bottom brackets we've ever had in on test and thanks to smooth-running bearings there is no bedding in period. It's available in lots of pretty colours too.

The Aerozine BB-05-RD-68, to give it its full name, uses external bearing cups which are forged from aluminium before being finished on a CNC machine to give tight tolerances for a snug fit in your frame. Using alloy also means the weight is kept down to just 81g. The overall finish is very good indeed with no burrs on the thread or machined faces. Installation is therefore easy; you only need to screw it in with your fingers before a little nip up with a spanner. The notches in the cups are the same as Shimano's and almost everyone else's so if you've already got a bottom bracket spanner it'll work fine.

The bearings are the important part though and the sealed steel units used here are beautifully smooth straight from the first pedal stroke, smoother than the Shimano 105 (200 miles) unit it replaced. The caps are plastic and upon removal of the cups they do seem to be keeping the moisture at bay working in partnership with the plastic shell and o-rings.

We've had plenty of wet weather over the test period and the unit is still creak free even though it is coated in grit and mud thanks to my lackadaisical stance on bike maintenance.

Aerozine offer it in both BSA or Italian threading with the option to go ceramic on the bearing front. The anodising looks smart and comes in a range of six colours which make the Aerozine bottom bracket look much more expensive than its actual twenty quid price tag.

Overall the Aerozine Road BB is a cracking value for money unit that looks smart and so far is offering impressive durability. The bearings may not be replaceable but for £19.99 you're not going to mind replacing the whole thing when they wear out.

Verdict

Expensive looking, cheap bottom bracket that keeps the rain out; smooth running too

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Aerozine Road Bottom Bracket

Size tested: 68mm - Steel Bearings - Blue

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

A road use external cup BB unit thats priced around Shimano's mid-range offerings though the performance feels better.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Forged & CNC'd alloy cups

Sealed steel cartridge bearings

Plastic sleeve

68mm shell width

anodised finish (silver, black, blue, red, gold, pink)

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

Seems impressive so far, we'll keep you posted should things change.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Easily installed and smooth from the off.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The expensive looks and smooth bearings.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The alloy can mark quite easily if you need to be a little forceful with the spanner.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Yes.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 35  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: Whatever needs testing or Genesis Flyer, fixed of course!  My best bike is: Kinesis T2 with full Centaur Red

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

 

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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7 comments

Avatar
PpPete | 8 years ago
0 likes

Durability pretty poor IME.
Bearings rough after 9 months ~ 5000 km

Shoulda gone with first instinct which was Hope.

Avatar
ficklewhippet | 9 years ago
0 likes

Hmmm yes sounds like a faff...think I'll just buy, fit, forget - until the next time.

Cheers all

Avatar
pedalpowerDC | 9 years ago
0 likes

Trying to shim a tapered GXP spindle to fit in a straight 24mm Shimano BB is a horrible idea that will fail.

There are countless GXP BB options from both SRAM and aftermarket producers.

Avatar
Turnernoir replied to pedalpowerDC | 9 years ago
0 likes
pedalpowerDC wrote:

Trying to shim a tapered GXP spindle to fit in a straight 24mm Shimano BB is a horrible idea that will fail.

There are countless GXP BB options from both SRAM and aftermarket producers.

GXP is stepped which is why reducer shims like hope will always work. I have used hope bb for several years with both SRAM force and apex cranks with no creak issues except when bearings died, then changed bearings. I went to hope when got fed up changing truvativ bb every few months. I have also used reducers on Shimano bb with success as well. I can see no reason why they would not work with this bb as well, but why spend extra £8 for something that probably only lasts as long as SRAM version?

Avatar
GrahamSt | 9 years ago
0 likes

Just been asking in "the other place" about a more durable GXP replacement for my SRAM Force groupset.
The option suggested there was a Hope BB with SRAM/Truvativ adapter. Pricey compared to this, but apparently durable and has replaceable sealed cartridge bearings.

See http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/replacing-sram-gxp-team-bb86-roa...

Avatar
ficklewhippet | 9 years ago
0 likes

So is that something I can replace my ageing GXP unit with? Or is the chainset (Sram Rival) constrained to a GXP replacement?

Avatar
joemmo replied to ficklewhippet | 9 years ago
0 likes
ficklewhippet wrote:

So is that something I can replace my ageing GXP unit with? Or is the chainset (Sram Rival) constrained to a GXP replacement?

you might be able to use it with a shim, if such a thing is available but GXP has 2 different internal size bearings where as shimano uses the same size both side.
Probably best to get another GXP to be on the safe side. I found the first units (all black) pretty crap but the newer grey ones seem pretty reliable. the non-drive bearing always goes first though.

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