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Shimano XT ES-70 Pipe Spindle

Average Rating 3.25/5
# of Reviews 20
MSRP $
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    Submitted by Martin a Weekend Warrior from Nottingham
    Date Reviewed: June 2, 2006
    Favorite Trail:Black route at Glentress
    Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
    Purchased At:alpine bikes
    Strengths:Smooth
    Weaknesses:Creaks
    Similar Products Used:Shimano square taper, raceface evolve xc, dmr cheftain
    Bike Setup:Cove stiffee with deore/xt and MX pro
    Bottom Line:I've had this for 5 years now! Thats 5 years of 6 4" 14 stone clumsy bloke hashing it about. It is still turning nice and smoothly. It has creeked since it was installed despite grease, plumbers tape and various other attempts to stop the creak.
    The creek hasn't stopped it spinning so top marks all round
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Pete Cresswell a Cross Country Rider from Paoli
    Date Reviewed: August 22, 2004
    Favorite Trail:Valley Forge Bridle Trails
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $20.00
    Strengths:Cheap. Available on short notice.
    Weaknesses:The non-drive-side cup is plastic. Instructions call for torquing both sides to 50-70nm. No way Jose'...that plastic cup will strip out for sure at 50....I could feel the threads deforming as I approached 48.

    That's a beeeeg range of torque...and 70nm is a lot...

    Not real hopeful for being able to thread it in there again after removal for whatever reason.
    Similar Products Used:FSA ISIS, TruVativ ISIS
    Bike Setup:Maverick-type FS, Rohloff hub, disk brakes, BMX flats.
    Bottom Line:This was a short-notice purchase/install. Wouldn't have done it except for the immediate desire to be able to ride after toasting my existing crankset through my own stupidity.

    Maybe it'll last for years and years with no problems....but looking at it and looking back at my own history (220# rider) with far more robust-looking setups I'm not hopeful.

    I guess this sounds unfair - knocking something without having ridden it very much....but the torque specs....and the plastic cup....just plain nasty...
    Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by Loganbrew a Cross Country Rider from Houston
    Date Reviewed: June 4, 2004
    Favorite Trail:Tyler State Park, Rocky Hill
    Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
    Price Paid: $30.00
    Purchased At:jensonusa
    Strengths:Never have to think about it; as it should be.
    Weaknesses:None
    Similar Products Used:Whatever came in Trek years ago; Campy Chorus for the road.
    Bike Setup:BB has 3 years on a Jeckyl, now in Scalpel.
    Bottom Line:With regular maintenance, this BB never gave me a single problem. After 3 years use on trails from Tahoe to Louisiana and 2 years of racing throughout Texas, I've transfered it over to a new frame (which I broke from just good ol' hard use). It will need replacing this year I suspect, but I have no quams with that. BTW, I'm 6' tall and weigh 200 lbs.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Paul Marra a Cross Country Rider from Boston, MA USA
    Date Reviewed: October 6, 2003
    Favorite Trail:Vietnam
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $25.00
    Purchased At:pricepoint
    Strengths:Inexpensive, easy installation.
    Weaknesses:Octalink is a Shimano marketing ploy. Sure, it is supposed to be stronger, but I'm 6'3" and 250lbs and I've never had a square taper BB creak and moan like this thing.
    Similar Products Used:Shimano LX and XT square taper BB's.
    Bike Setup:Surly Cross Check.
    Bottom Line:The shame is that this BB goes with an extremely nice (for $90) XT crankset. I'm using it as a singlespeed setup. The chainring bolts continually loosen as do the crank bolts. Don't let anyone tell you these tiny ball bearings are better than the ones speced in square taper BB's. Maybe they work better in fishing reels.
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by mark a from indy
    Date Reviewed: May 31, 2003
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $15.00
    Purchased At:jensonusa.com
    Strengths:spins very smooth..light weight
    Weaknesses:none
    Similar Products Used:deore es-30 splined....upgrading to the es-70 was a great decision..its an upgrade you can notice....much better than the es-30 that came stock with my stumpjumper fsr
    Bike Setup:2003 specialized stumpjumper fsr,fox float rl shock w/fox remote lockout shifter,manitou axel fork w/lockout,hayes hfx comp hydraulic disc brakes,xt shifters,derailers,crankset,b.b,cn7701 xtr chain,lx hg50 cassette,mavic 221,deore disc hubs,selle italia tt saddle,wtb weirwolf 2.1's,specialized stock 6066 AL riserbar,seatpost,stem & headset
    Bottom Line:its a noticable upgrade from the stock deore es30 bottombracket..spins real smooth and very light
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Steff a Weekend Warrior from Brunsviek
    Date Reviewed: May 23, 2003
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $25.00
    Strengths:lightwights (i don't know how light you think, one can go?
    quite stiff in comparison to the old BB-ES71
    Weaknesses:this one is bent like a banana now!!!!!!!!
    Similar Products Used:XT 98
    LX 96
    XT 92
    Bike Setup:Zaskar! Sram 9.0, XTR a.s.o
    Bottom Line:Well I only rode my newly biuld up bike for two weeks, some woodracing and some trial. Some jumps failed, landing only on one pedal (about one meter high -only-) and i had one chainsuck. Then the creaking started and i took a look at my cranks - they're bent! i thought, loosend them to fix the problem with some special lockltide stuff, but as said before the bottom bracket was "im Arsch". My weight is about 84 kilogramms, so that should'nt be the problem.
    My rating: this one suck's a lot (altough the old XT lasted for 5! years)
    Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by clay a Weekend Warrior from orono, me
    Date Reviewed: April 19, 2003
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $25.00
    Purchased At:online
    Strengths:stiff, easy to remove and set up
    Weaknesses:snapped(yes, literally) in two pieces within a few months of small jumping and trails
    Bike Setup:2002 kona stinky deelux
    Bottom Line:I was stupid to buy the shimano crank cuz i'm stuck with these junky BB's now. I do not recommend to anyone that puts abuse on their cranks.
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by Alex a Cross Country Rider from Portland, OR, USA
    Date Reviewed: March 24, 2003
    Favorite Trail:Mount Hood and city streets
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $24.00
    Purchased At:E-bay
    Strengths:Relatively cheap and smooth bottom bracket.
    Splined interface is much better than conventional square taper.
    It's easy to install and remove it from the bike.

    Weaknesses:This BB has developed noticeable side play just after 800 city streets commuting miles. I thought it would last longer than that.
    BB rubber gaskets wear very fast and let water and dirt in.
    It's not serviceable and can't be rebuilt.
    Similar Products Used:Shimano LX square taper, other serviceable BBs
    Bike Setup:Custom built rigid commuter bike. Leader LD-515 MTB aluminium frameset, rigid Surly fork, Shimano LX center pull cantilever brakes, Dia Compe PC-7 levers, all Shimano XT drivetrain (crankset, both derailleurs, cassette), Bontrager rims, Shimano LX hubs, Topeak Expedition rear rack.
    Bottom Line:For a such cheap price it's a medium quality bottom braket to ride a bike in preferably dry weather conditions. I've never tested it on the mountain trails, but my assumption is that it won't sustain high loads due to its design flaws.
    However it's suitable for non demanding commuter usage.
    It's always better to keep another one as a spare.
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by eirc a Cross Country Rider from portland, OR
    Date Reviewed: March 24, 2003
    Favorite Trail:Lewis River
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Purchased At:Came with bike
    Strengths:It works without much resistance. More difficult to ovalize crank interface with poor installation. The ads make you think it is stiffer, so you pedel a little harder.
    Weaknesses:Soft like your mama's saggy arms. Require frequent maintenance (think grease) to prevent creaking and popping.
    Similar Products Used:Xt/LX Shimano square taper.
    Some 15 year old Campi BB that has been so bomber compared to anything in the Shimano line.
    Bike Setup:Schwinn Rocket 88 disc, Hayes, XT drive train minus LX shifters and front dr.
    Bottom Line:Hard to tell if it was the crappy 2001 LX cranks or the bottom bracket, but the last set of cranks I had came loose after a year's use (1200 - 1500 miles). The soft LX splined interface had disintergrated. Retightend and reused until I could get XTs (Jenson rocks, by the way). With the new cranks I had a BB failure where the threads stripped and the non-drive crank came off. I have had this product for a year and a half at this point.
    So:
    > The XTs were not over toqued on installation but the OEM LXs were when I tried to compensate for the mangled interface.
    > Interface noice (creaking or popping) and BB failure is more often due to improper installation and maintanence than a manufacturer defect. This is true and is what Shimano will tell you if you complain. However, they say that about everything. Their customer dis-service sucks.
    > The ES-70 bottom braket that came with my bike sucks. I am my own mechanic, and I have a Shimano square taper BB on my hardtail (1500-2000 miles a year) that has seen more non-defective no-serviced dirt riding and curb jumping during its life span of 3.5 years than my splined es-70.

    PS. The splines are a gimick. They may work to transfer more energy for bigger riders (180+ #) and powerful racers. But let's be honest with ourselves here. You and I are not that heavy (average rider wieght is ~ 155#) nor that powerful. Do not waste the money if you do not have to.
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by Steve a from Mountain View CA
    Date Reviewed: March 17, 2003
    Favorite Trail:Henry Coe
    Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
    Price Paid: $23.00
    Purchased At:performance
    Strengths:Strong
    Quiet
    Weaknesses:Short Lifespan
    Similar Products Used:Shimano Square Taper
    Bike Setup:LX Crankset
    Bottom Line:These pipe billet style doesn't loosen up like the old style Shimano BB's, but it doesn't last nearly as long - 1900 miles for the first one - 2400 for the second. Overall though, it's a bit improvement over the old style BB's, and they are cheap and easy to replace.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by DTC a Cross Country Rider from New York
    Date Reviewed: August 28, 2002
    Duration Product Used:2 Years
    Price Paid: $25.00
    Strengths:Stiff, smooth, cheap, trouble free
    Weaknesses:Limited crank choices (LX and XT Hollowtech), not the lightest BB out there
    Similar Products Used:XTR, variety of square tapers
    Bike Setup:Hammerhead 100X Ti
    Bottom Line:Outstanding BB overall and fantastic value. The Hollowtech cranks are light and stiff and the BB is smooth.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by K-man a Racer from San Diego
    Date Reviewed: August 28, 2002
    Duration Product Used:2 Years
    Price Paid: $24.00
    Purchased At:Supergo
    Strengths:Stiff, reliable, and pretty much trouble free.
    Weaknesses:It finally blew out.
    Similar Products Used:Square tapered bb's
    Bike Setup:Gunnar Rock Hound, Xt everything, Zoky Atom-80's, WTB Laserbeam rims, Thomson stem, Kore Elite Scanadium post, Litespeed bar,Serfas Arc DD Kevlar Pro seat, what a great bike!
    Bottom Line:Well, 6,000 miles later it finally gave out. I think Cowle's Mt. here in San Diego did 'er in. It is a 1.5 mile death ride with a constant 15- 20 grade. Figure no other way, it was the mountain. Bottom line is this piece of hardware did its job very well. It lasted two solo races, three 24 hour races, and constant climbing with other race buddies. So I'm gonna give 'er 4 flames of cactus fuel!
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by BW a Racer from Arkansas
    Date Reviewed: August 18, 2002
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Strengths:stiff and stayed tight,no odd creaks or sqeeks.
    Weaknesses:none
    Bike Setup:2001 XT group,Ibis Ripley.
    Bottom Line:Lasted about a year,it withstood a years race/training schedule with few days off.Looking at the competitions products its a winner all around, hell it's a bargin at 25 bucks.The crankset also has been without complaint, I really doubt there is a better set-up out there for the cash....period.Who could ask for more?
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Steve a Weekend Warrior from Nanticoke
    Date Reviewed: August 11, 2002
    Favorite Trail:Montage Mount.
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $23.00
    Purchased At:JensonUSA
    Strengths:cost
    Weaknesses:does not last long at all.
    Similar Products Used:stock BB on my 02 Rainier.
    Bike Setup:full XT on 02 Giant Rainier.
    Bottom Line:I may have been unlucky, but this BB performed terribly for me. I have ridden maybe 5 times w/the new BB and it is shot. I rode it yesterday and it was making so much noise I stopped riding after 2.8 miles. The insides sounded as if everything came loose and was being thrown around like clothes in a dryer. I dropped off the bike at mi delaer. Hopefully he can fix it, if not i will call JensonUSA and Shimano. I bought XT crankset, so i kinda have to go w/this BB. Not happy to say the least.
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by adrenaline junkie a Downhiller from mesa az usa
    Date Reviewed: August 3, 2002
    Favorite Trail:hawes loop
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $24.00
    Purchased At:jensonusa.com
    Strengths:SUPER STIFF, it beats anything else i've tried hands down, did i mention it was stiff? zero rub on the derailleur
    Weaknesses:Heavy? only if you are a gram counting retard....


    Similar Products Used:raceface, truvativ, blah blah
    Bike Setup:changes as i break parts, i've even cracked a fsa headset, but the hollowtech crank and bb keep on ticking
    Bottom Line:Look it is a bit on the heavy side but the hollowtech cranks even it out, it's super stiff, and NO square taper can compare, I jump and huck on this thing all the time and after a year of HEAVY ABUSE it's still going strong. PLZ NOTE:the hollowtech cranks are a pressed on fitting, you do not need to overtighten this setup past manufacturers specs, you will only damage it, in fact I took the crank nuts out and rode 20+ miles to prove a point to a friend... props to shimano
    PS the only people that will complain about this thing are gram counting retards or cross coutry racers, if you want a reliable and CHEAP product that will not fail you go buy one, if you want something with a big price tag,go ahead and waste your money....
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by spinjunkie a from colorado
    Date Reviewed: July 24, 2002
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $25.00
    Purchased At:www.excelsports.com
    Strengths:Octalink, price
    Weaknesses:Weight
    Similar Products Used:FSA Ti ISIS, Race Face JIS, Specialized JIS
    Bike Setup:Santa Cruz XT/XTR, Fox Forx
    Bottom Line:Works better than the FSA I had. Yeah it may blow out, but it's only $25.....ISIS isn't a proven system yet, so I don't think that its better.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by Mrklein a Cross Country Rider from Tampa FL
    Date Reviewed: May 11, 2002
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $95.00
    Purchased At:SuperGo
    Strengths:Lighter than my old XTR BB. Cranks are light too. Price!!
    Weaknesses:If I tighten the bolts up the pedal arms rub the BB shell.
    Similar Products Used:XTR bb with LX crankset
    Bike Setup:Klein need I say more :o)
    Bottom Line:I bought the XT (wannabe ISIS) crankset and BB $95 and $20. The whole point is to get stuff cranks and a consistent chain line. The cranks are stiff but everything is for the few months. The chain line is anything but consistent. If I tighten up the bolts the arms rub the BB shell. Every thing is the same size as my old stuff just fit my bike like A$$. Time to see how good SuperGo's return polices is. Buy them if you want you might get lucky. I'm going to try out RaceFace next time.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by Chris a Cross Country Rider from Boston, MA
    Date Reviewed: April 30, 2002
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $20.00
    Strengths:Dunno.
    Weaknesses:3 rides and the bearings are shot.
    Similar Products Used:Assorted Shimano square taper BB's
    Bottom Line:I hope that this was a fluke thing. I am hoping to get more than 3 rides out of my next one. Does anyone know if you can use a Tru Vativ or FSA splined BB with the LX Hollowtec?
    Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by bigcat a from hawaii
    Date Reviewed: April 11, 2002
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Strengths:cheap, cheap
    Weaknesses:Heavy!!
    Bottom Line:If you buy the current Shimano LX crank, you have no choice but to buy this bottom bracket. It's the only one you can use, no other choice is available! The good part is that this bottom bracket is cheap; you can often find them hovering around $20 or so. The bad part is that it's a heavy part, 260g, which sort of offsets the lightweight aspect of the hollowtech crank. It would be nice if Shimano developed a titanium version of their hollowtech spindle, or at least license it out to other manufacturers.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by Paul Friedman a Cross Country Rider from Israel
    Date Reviewed: March 11, 2002
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Strengths:Very stiff - noticably more stiff than my previous square taper bottom brackets when hammering in the big ring.
    Price!
    Weaknesses:I'd hoped that the oversize spindle would mean that I'd get more life out of it, but in less than a year there is already some slop in the crank side bearings.
    Similar Products Used:Other Shimano square taper BB's
    Bike Setup:Stump Jumper Hardtail - Chris King Headset - Ritchey Wheels & bar - XT
    Bottom Line:I'll have to replace this one soon as I've worn it out already. Can't say I'm not a little disappointed, but to be fair, it's lasted as long if not longer than my previous BB's., and at the price it doesn't hurt too much. And it is very stiff, my chain doesn't rub on the front derailler cage when I'm honking in the big ring.
    I guess at the price I can't really complain too much.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4






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