Originally Posted by
Campag4life
A counterpoint tho fst is...when just English and Italian BB's existed, cranks weren't nearly as evolved. Cranks are much better today.
The biggest problem with the variants mentioned is improper set up. BB30 is simple and much less expensive then cartridge BB's of years past. They are also much lighter and much stiffer. When the average guy tries to set one up, he could well fall short of what is required. This also pertains to the low training level of local bike shop techs. No it isn't easy to keep up with all the std's for those that aren't tech heads. As it turns out the new BB's are all highly derivative of one another and have similar installation practices. BB30 and PF30 derivatives take 30 minutes to service and good bearings can be attained for less than $20 a set.
Sorry, I have an Ultegra 6700 crankset on my Roubaix SL2 with Outboard bearings (68MM threaded) and an Ultegra 9 speed Octalink crankset with the older style BB on my Jamis Aurora. I can't tell the difference between the two other than one is a tad lighter than the other. I think BB30 and all its cousins are a simple marketing ploy to get people to upgrade. Luckily, there are still companies producing bikes with the older/proven BBs. For the non-racer market, I think the older style is a better choice.