I'm thinking about upgrading my 2001 Litespeed from 9 speed to 11 speed because its getting to be impossible to find new 9 speed components.
Does anyone know of a website that can educate me about bottom brackets? My bike has a sealed cartridge (octalink) bearing. I have no idea what BB I can/should use.
Thanks.

You won't be able to keep using the Octalink BB with an 11-speed crank, that's for sure. Pick your crank first, and the manufacturer will tell you want BB to use with it.

there is a minor difference in tooth profile between 9 and 11 speed chain rings... the cranks are the same... you can swap a set of 11 speed rings onto your present crank, and keep the octalink BB, if you wish.

the front der. will need to be an 11 speed specific unit for crisp, accurate shifts... same thing with the rear der., and some 8, 9, or 10 sp. rear ders. will have enough swing available, but the cages and rollers may not like the 11 sp. chain.

11 sp. specific cranksets are mostly a "hollowtech" variant... the spindle is incorporated into the right side crank/spider... there is also a minor realignment so that the chain line is corrected for the wider rear freehub/cassette... a mixed setup may find you experiencing extra noise, and possibly occasional false shifts when cross chained.

so... your present crankset will work if you install the 11 sp. rings... and will kinda work with the present rings... best situation will be an all 11sp. group, including the appropriate BB to match your 11sp. crankset.

Octalink , remove it. (I have one its fine ..I don't feel the need to upgrade that you did.)

New stuff is external bearing, so 'Hollowtech' spindle can get bigger, they're 24 and 30 mm tubes attached to the right crank arm..





.....

The chances of 11 speed rings fitting an old 9 speed crank and shiftly properly are slim to none. Shimano rings certainly won't fit as they are all 4 bolt rings vs. 5 from the 9 speed era. You might be able to find third party rings intended for a 5 bolt crank (whose, I don't know) and maybe it will work. One thing is for sure is that it will cost more than a Shimano 105 or Ultegra complete crankset out of the UK.

A 2001 Litespeed nearly certainly has a BSA threaded 68mm wide BB shell meaning that bog standard Shimano outboard bearing cups will fit perfectly. If you order a groupset just be sure to get the BSA cups and not Italian threaded cups or cups meant for a press fit BB shell.

Shimano drastically changed the cable pull for front and rear derailleurs when they went 11 speed. You absolutely must use 11 speed derailleurs with 11 speed shifters (kludgey converter 'solutions' aside).

and we hear of all too many "kludgeys" on here, eh? sigh.

110 bcd....
NEW SRAM Red Yaw 34T 10 and 11 Speed 110mm Chainring | eBay

130bcd....
NOS Ritchey 53T 9/10/11 speed chainring 130 BCD | eBay

many more options for rings.... these were in the first 5 that popped up.... and apparently, 10/11 are the same as to tooth profile... at least according to these two manufacturers... 9/10/11 is listed as applications on several options...

to the OP... your original crank is well worth a try, it seems, eh? i'd bet it may work just fine... damn the rumors, full speed ahead!

the ders will need swapped to 11 sp.... unless you're an expert "Kludger"... i kinda like that term... probably a british or aussy term... cool!

Or this: https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/shima...nset-11-speed/

...and done (ideally purchased as part of a groupset to save even more money.

It isn't the tooth profile that changed when changing speeds, it is the ring spacing and design of the ramps and pins for the narrower chain. When good cranksets are so inexpensive it makes little sense to experiment with random Ebay chainrings which might, if you are lucky, save you $20.

I see no reason for buying "11 speed" crank - you can keep using the one you have.

As BB choice goes - your frame, if it has an Octalink, can house any of the (old) threaded BBs - Square tapper, Octalink 1 & 2, ISIS (didn't sound so bad when it was introduced), or Hollowtech II. The last one does come with "11 speed" ranks I believe.

.
...if finding stuff to fit your current 9 is the essence of your problem, it's probably cheaper and easier to drop your setup back to 8 in the rear. Pretty sure an 8 cogset will fit your current freehub, because 8 and 9 are often interchangeable. 8 speed stuff is still readily available when I search the internet.

9 speed stuff is readily available, too: SORA R3000

If I am not mistaken the OP asked whether there was a source where they could learn about different bottom brackets. There are several. Try Complete guide to bottom brackets - BikeRadar USA

Bottom brackets and cranksets used to have very few standards, which allowed for a lot of mix and matching parts from different manufacturers. But in the last 10+ years the manufacturer have rolled out multiple standards saying theirs is the best. Unfortunately, no one knows how long the standard you pick will be supported. Case in point is your existing Shimano Octalink crankset. It was advertised as the best at the time, now you are told its no good (i.e., its not supported any longer), and you need to change the whole thing.

The link will be helpful, but the only real thing for you will probably be the bottom bracket threading which is likely to be BC1.37x24 and the width which is probably 68mm or 70mm and the Shimano makes BBs that work with both widths for Shimano HollowTechII and older Shimano crank axles.

So as others suggested, pick your crankset first. If you stick with one manufacturer for everything you will probably have no issues. Your existing stuff is Shimano? Stay with Shimano and you'll have the fewest things to consider.

You can put an 11 speed on it and you will probably love it. I just put a full Shimano 105 5800 group on a 1991 Paramount and I am cursing myself for not doing it years ago. I've only been 7 speed with downtube shifters till now.

IMHO, ebay stuff is typically overpriced. You can find brand new for less from online retailers. Nashbar and Jenson are two of the four I frequently use. There are British sites that offer cheap prices too.

Thanks for the link. Very helpful.

FYI: I'm stripping the bike down to the frame. When I say new 11 speed, I mean new derailleurs, cassette,brifters, cranks, chain, BB, etc. Maybe even new brakes if the old ones don't look "right".

+1 Litespeed used standard English threaded 68 mm bottom bracket shells at least through 2006. I don't know when they changed but their current Ti frames use a PF30 bb, which I consider a downgrade.

If you go with 11 speed, Shimano changed the brake cable pull pretty drastically on those levers so you'll want the matching calipers. Good news is that they are packaged with the groupset which is how I'd recommend buying everything as it will be far cheaper than buying piecemeal, unless you don't mind spending hours scouring the internet.

Probably not a bad idea to upgrade everything at one time; you arer guaranteed compatibility among teh components and few if any headaches. You may have to upgrade your rear wheel (hub) to accept an 11 speed cassette. It seems that the general consensus is that you get the best price buying a complete group from one of the European websites, such as Wiggle or Ribble. ENjoy your "new" bike when its all done.

best deal for something like this is getting a group from a british bike shop.

$382 for 105 full group (BB, crank, chain, front and rear deraillers, brakes, brake/shifter levers, cassette) https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/shima...uble-groupset/

$630 for ultegra https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/shima...uble-groupset/

[MENTION=915]RonH[/MENTION] Since we're getting into the details of the build now, what are your plans for the rear wheel? 11 speed cassettes need a wider freehub than 8/9/10 speed, and freehub swaps aren't always possible. If you are lucky enough to be running Mavic wheels all you need to do is remove the ~2mm spacer behind your cassette and voila, 11 speed freehub. Any other brand hub won't be as simple.

Thanks for all the info.

I measured the width of the freehub and it looks like it's a 10 speed according to this picture.



I had the wheels hand built in 2010/2011 and the ride is VERY comfortable. Plus I don't want to spend the extra money for new wheels, so now I'll be shopping for a new 10 speed groupset.

Thanks for all your help.

Which rear hub? You may be able to swap the freehub for an 11 speed one. Also note that 11 speed MTB cassettes (like the new Ultegra 11-34) fit on 8/9/10 speed freehubs. If you are willing or wanting to use a wide range cassette you can use your rear wheel as-is.

Or not. I can't find anything but Tiagra and I don't want that. I had 10 speed 105 on my 2014 CAAD 10 that was destroyed in a car-bike incident 4 months after I got the bike. The 105 was crap. I didn't like the way it shifted.

10 speed Tiagra is really nice. It isn't as light as 105 (which is also really nice and goes to 11) but fit, finish, and shifting are all top notch with proper tuning which goes for any group). If you can't easily swap freehubs or simply really want to stick with your wheels as-is I wiuld not hesitate to recommend Tiagra. If you makes the changes necessary to use 11 speed stuff, 105 will not disappoint.