CX season is almost here. (Some races have already started, but Tokai Cross begins on November 4th.)
Physical conditioning is important, but so is bike maintenance.
You’re running out of time to get everything sorted—like bike fitting to match the body changes you've experienced over the summer or ordering new parts—so please hurry.
Perhaps because the season is almost upon us, I’ve been getting asked this question a lot lately:
"Which parts should I change to see a real difference?"
It’s a tough question that gives mechanics a headache.
First, you might think about looking at the points of contact with your body:
・Handlebars
・Bar tape / Grips
・Saddle
・Pedals
・Shoes
Refining these areas—where you and the bike physically connect—often significantly changes the way the bike feels when you're handling it.
Alternatively, you could try changing parts where you can truly feel the difference.
That’s a tall order.
It’s surprisingly difficult to find parts where you can immediately feel the change, but I can state with certainty:
It’s the BB (Bottom Bracket).
Because most of this part is hidden inside the frame, it surprisingly doesn't get much attention, yet its role is incredibly important. It accounts for a full third of the rotational components that keep you moving forward.
Despite that, I feel the lineup of parts available from companies like Shimano or SRAM is remarkably small compared to other components.
Why is that?
The answer is likely that, as a bicycle part, it’s under constant heavy load, is located closest to the ground, gets dirty easily, and requires significant maintenance effort, so it’s sold with a "disposable" mindset rather than a "maintenance" one.
You can sense this just by looking at the price.
Special cases like ceramic bearings aside, even a world-class Dura-Ace bottom bracket from Shimano costs around 4,000 yen. SRAM is about the same. As a choice for a rotational part—just like hubs—the variety and price range seem quite limited.
In the midst of this, what about our beloved Chris King BBs?
First, regarding effectiveness: if you’re a regular rider, you will feel the difference the moment you swap it out. (Please note that individual results may vary.)
And above all, they are fully serviceable.
This is the best part.
It aligns with Chris King’s policy that it's important to value your gear and use it for a long time. No matter how muddy it gets, you can disassemble, clean, and maintain it to keep it performing at its best. This is exactly what sets them apart from other manufacturers.
Now, let’s take a look at a Chris King disassembly and cleaning.
First, remove the dirty BB from the frame. (If you’re just regreasing, you don’t need to remove it.)
Let’s check the grime.
You can see from the exterior that it’s quite dirty.
Looking more closely:
Oil, dust, sand, and mud have mixed together to form black gunk.
Let’s zoom in even further.
The gaps in the bearings are completely filthy.
Instead of waving a magic wand, we carefully wash every nook and cranny, and look—it's sparkling clean.
We also clean the seals and snap rings that were dirty earlier until they shine.
After a thorough cleaning, of course, comes the regreasing.
Chris King BBs have a dedicated grease injection tool, so it’s very easy.
By the way, the grease we use is SimWorks / Sim Grease.
Just inject the grease, and in no time, it's back to its best, with that supreme rotation restored.
Well, we’re always happy to handle your Chris King BB replacements and maintenance, so feel free to ask.
A grease injection tool exclusively for CHRIS KING bottom brackets.
You can easily regrease the bottom bracket while it’s still installed on the frame.
Make sure you get the right size for your threaded or press-fit BB model.
At the Chris King Tech Service department, they use a DUALCO grease gun combined with the BB injector tool as a dedicated BB overhaul tool. Because it can inject a large amount of grease at once, it improves work efficiency and offers excellent maintainability.
A dedicated nipple for joining the aforementioned DUALCO grease gun to the Chris King BB injector tool. That's right—without this, nothing can begin!
