wrote:
Hello

I just bought a new Phil Wood BB to go with a set of Sugino AT triple
cranks I found on eBay. I have had this set-up on another bike for many
years and like the narrow Q factor (146mm). The new Phil retaining
rings (I bought both the stainless and alloy sets to try) will not fit
over the shoulders of the cartridge bearings. The inside of the rings
measures about 0.001 inch smaller than the outside of the bearing
shoulder. Since the bike I'm installing on has aluminum threads, I am
very concerned that going forward with the installation will just ruin
the threads. On my older BB, the rings have always slipped easily over
the BB cartridge. I'm posting here because this group has such depth of
experience, yet also because I have found the Phil Wood company to take
between 1 and 2 weeks to respond to e-mail or phone inquiries (you
never get a person when you call, it's a message machine.)

I never have a problem contacting Phil Wood. Brent has always been
quite responsive. And I always contact by e-mail or phone - not by
bugging him on his morning commute (we commute along the same road in
large part ...).

- rick