If a crankset is ISIS compatible what does that mean?
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Is it only compatible with Campy?
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Does it require an Italian Bottom Bracket shell frame?
I just purchased an Isaac Joule and need to pick out a crankset, thanks!
Dave from VA
Oh, you wil like that Isaac. Those are nice.
ISIS is its own bottom bracket spline standard. In other words, if you have an ISIS bottom bracket it must be used with an ISIS splined crank, FSA makes good ones as does Truvativ.
You can argue some distinct advantages to the ISIS spline pattern and there is pleanty of product out there to support it. It has become the “new standard” in the industry alongside Campagnolo’s fine, traditional square taper and the Shimano Octalink systems.
Geez, sorry for the ramble, I hope that was some help…
So it doesn’t matter if you’re running Shimano or Campy, as long as you get an ISIS compatible crank with an ISIS bottom bracket your ‘good-to-go’?
“If a crankset is ISIS compatible what does that mean?”
as far as i know ISIS is a standard irrespective of BB thread type, that is, i can conceive an ISIS bb to be either english, french, swiss or italian, tho i’ve only seen it in english.
ISIS is a spline standard. a spline bb is distinct from a square hole bb (older style). the spline bb was popularized by shimano, and its hollowcranks are all built to engage its spline bb. the shimano kind of spline is termed “octalink.” the other standard is ISIS.
certainly companies are licensed to build a crank or a bb in the octalink standard by shimano. others build only ISIS. i believe, tho i’m not sure, that truvativ cranks are only ISIS. it was truvativ’s then president micky kozuchek, who was the champion of the ISIS standard (truvativ just got sold to SRAM a couple of months ago).
otoh, FSA will send its compact drive cranks out as either octalink style of ISIS style. it also builds ISIS bottom brackets and i assume, tho i don’t know, that it must also build octalink bottom brackets, since its crank is available in an octalink standard.
so, you should have no problem. with your isaac joule and your crank.
I don’t know their reliability in the road bike world (I have still have a square taper bb) but in the mt. bike world they are considered disposable. The Race Face and the FSA ISIS BBs have a life measured in months. Square taper BBs by the same companies last quite well and Shimano’s octalink are alright. I think it is some combination of poor seals and perhaps smaller bearing size (my theory, never taken one apart). Pet peeve of mine because I have ISIS mtb cranks and am constantly riding on a burnt out bb.
If you want to use a new(er) Shimano brand crankset, you need an Octalink bottom bracket.
If you want to use a Campy brand crankset, you need a square taper bottom bracket. The Campy bottom bracket (square taper) can be purchased with Italian or English threading (as can most all bottom brackets).
If you want to use an FSA crankset, you need to have either an Octalink or and ISIS bottom bracket.
For other non-Shimano and non-Campy manufacturers (Ritchey, Truvative, et cetera), I’m not sure if most sell both Octalink and ISIS compatible cranksets.
A simple question yet tough to answer.
If a crankset is ISIS compatible what does that mean?
The ISIS compatible crankset needs to be used with an ISIS compatible bottom bracket.
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Is it only compatible with Campy?
No, in fact Campagnolo’s square taper is a different “standard” than the ISIS interface, a 10 sided splined design. -
Does it require an Italian Bottom Bracket shell frame?
That depends on the frame, not hte crankset, However, some cranksets that use Octalink BBs cannot be used on an Italian threaded frame, they’d bottom out on the wider 70mm BB shell that houses the 109.5mm spindle. I’ll assume that your Issac is a English BB.
You can get FSA and Truvative Italian Threaded ISIS BB’s however FYI Dan.
Truvative builds ISIS spined cranks as well as other spindle attachments including the new external bearing, 2 piece designs. Perhaps as many as 4 different attachment interfaces.
Noboday is licensed to build Octalink BBs, just Octalink compatible cranksets. Again, to be safe, do not use an FSA Octalink crankset on an Italian threaded frameset.
ISIS BBs are also not entriely interchangeable also. When ISIS was first introduced, two of the major players “F” and “T” both had BBs that were the ISIS standard, produced within spec, however you couldn’t used a “F” BB on a “T” crank and vice versa. It was a big mess. The bearing diameter is quite small on those BBs which is why they do wear quickly in a MTB environment and why companies have quickly accepted the larger external bearing designs now taking over or devleop their own size BB shell like Cannondale and Pinarello.
There is much to know about the different BBs and their benefits. I wish I knew more.
-SD
I am becoming a big fan of the outboard type design dura ace is using which ultegra will share for 2005. I am currently using the off road xt version of this design and have not found any problems with it.