PeteHski

I think this is what is driving the move back to threaded BBs. They have become a major selling point with PF gaining such a bad reputation. Be interesting to see if the industry remains divided or if the other big brands will return to threaded BBs simply because of customer demand.

Ghazmh

I dislike press fit BB’s but I have a Trek with a press fit with over 6000 bad weather and winter miles and its as quiet and smooth as day 1.

avalanche00

Have 3 GIANT bikes with PF BB. First one, thousands of miles, 11yrs, still no issues. Second 2014 TCR, not as many miles, used only in summer, no issues. Third one brand new TCR Advanced pro disc 1, horrible creaking from BB. LBS could not address issue so he said he submitted a warranty claim. So disappointed.

I have seen hambini's videos and I thought that buying giant would be better off since they control the manufacturing. Not sure if I just got unlucky. However, this is an admittance of failure to build frames according to specs from big brands. As I said, PF has been around for more than a decade. And Specialized started using threaded BB only on lower end frames. S WORKS still gets PF BB. This shows that as a technology it is superior and my experience with my 11 yo Defy proves it can be quiet and reliable as well.

smashndash

a) no, the SL7 has a threaded BB at all levels
b) no, S-Works bikes using pressfit (or threaded) BBs indicates diddly squat about the superiority of the technology. As evidenced by point a.

Engineering truths are not defined by marketing. Or even what consumer demand makes economically viable. It simply is what it is. I say this as someone who also believes in the theory of pressfit but I'm also capable of admitting that the industry simply does not care enough to execute it correctly.

avalanche00

You are correct. Maybe I saw an older sl6 model or maybe I was so eager to prove my point that if PF is executed correctly, as you mentioned, are superior.
Anyway, contacted today by LBS and seems I am due for a frame replacement.

bigredgrad01

I ran a Wheels Manufacturing BB30OUT BB30 outer to Shimano 24mm inner BB that threads two sides together in the middle. So it wouldn't deter me if that was an option on the bike. But probably would probably avoid some of the wider press fit standards where that isn't an option.

avalanche00

I got my Giant frame replaced due to BB creacking. Brand new bike

phrantic09

I’ve only been riding for 10 years, but in those ten years I’ve only had bikes with pressfit bottom brackets. Only one ever even made a peep, and that was an aluminum Felt with BB-30. My Cervelo has been flawless, despite what Hambini may say.

I don’t care about the BB standard because I’m not going to change the bearings myself if needed anyway.

sean.hwy

How many people have bottom bracket issues with bikes built before 2019?

I have bought three brand new bikes since march 2020. Maybe it was just bad luck or I bought a bike at the peak of the shortage and bike mfg was not doing the QA that they used to do.

cannondale systemsix aero road bike : no problem
cannondale topstone gravel bike : bottom bracket and crank set replaced
giant revolt adv 2 gravel bike : bottom bracket replaced

Maybe because I rode the gravel bikes a lot harder they had issues that the road bike never did.

My next bike will have a threaded bottom bracket. I torn between upgrading my Giant with a Hambini bottom bracket which should resolve any future issues or sell my bike and buy a ibis or stigmata gravel bike which both have threaded bottom brackets and are a tad lighter.

phrantic09

The Felt I had an issue with was 2014

Troul 

The more often I rode in areas that contained a lot more dirt covered areas/construction activity the more I found myself servicing the BB. Which then got me thinking about the what ifs... What if the BB used a set of needle bearings on each side rather than ball bearings?

KJ43

Stigmata is a great bike and I highly recommend it.

I just got a 2022 Cannondale Synapse (not delivered yet) and part of my decision to get it was because they moved back to threaded bottom brackets.

prj71

2015 Specialized Fatboy with PF BB...constant issue with creaking...Fixed with Wheels Manufacturing thread together cups.
2015 Giant Road Bike with PFBB......constant BB issue with that bike...Wheels manufacturing didn't make a fix for this model
2016 Cannondale Bad Habit with PF...constant BB issue with that bike...Wheels manufacturing didn't make a fix for this model
2016 Niner Air9 with PF BB...constant issue with creaking...Fixed with Wheels Manufacturing thread together cups.
2018 Specialized Fatboy Carbon with PF BB...One issue with creaking a few months after ownership...covered under warranty and so far hasn't been a problem.

I still own the 2016 Niner and the 2018 Fatboy Carbon. Sold the others. The rest of the bikes in my household...Trek road bikes, FS Spot mountain bike, Specialized Sirrus, Kona Woo Fat bike...all threaded BB...Zero issues.

Overdraft

I'm new to this game, but I've wrenched my own motorcycles for years and I only know about press fit bearings... if they fail you bang them out and press the new ones back in. If they go into a threaded housing once you've undone it don't you still need to bang them out? Or does the threaded cap somehow take up the slack? That seems sketchy... I guess I'd better do some research as I think I've got pressed on my new Madone...

prj71

If you have a newer Madone you have a threaded T47 bottom bracket.

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/e...cket/p/593089/

Overdraft

Not new enough! It's a new old 2021 SL6 and is listed as having the dreaded BB90

prj71

Bummer. 2022 has threaded.

Overdraft

yup. the things we'll do to save $1,600...
although the reality is that there were no 2022's in my size available

prj71

Weird because my 2021 Domane is threaded. They must have had some frame inventory to work through before switching over the Madone to threaded.

Overdraft

yup. 2021 Domane threaded, 2021 Madone pressed, according to the Canadian website.

sean.hwy

I used to be an auto mechanic and know what you mean. Never had issues with pressed in bearings. From what I have read and watched on youtube it's mostly the carbon frames. They can't make the holes the perfect size and aligned perfect with both sides. It causes some bottom brackets to not fit perfect and then over time creak when you apply power.

Metal bikes, steal, alloy, Ti they can machine or drill perfect circles and in alignment with each other. So no issues or very little issues with those bikes.

prj71

The majority of bikes on the market are aluminum or carbon. Since aluminum is malleable it's actually worse than the insert used in the carbon frames. Over time you get poor fit and misalignment due to the poor manufacturing tolerances.

Going forward I will never own a PF BB again and I'm glad to see the major players slowly switching back to threaded.

ratell

Here’s an argument for pressfit. Lays out the issues

prj71

Problem with that video is he is trying to say that PF BB is the same thing as head set bearings, wheel bearings, and suspension bearings. He couldn't be more wrong since those bearings are not subjected to the same forces, loads and rotations as BB bearings. The BB is the bearing assembly that allows your cranks to spin (a lot) and withstand loads and abuse regularly. Think about all of those times you get off the saddle to hammer down while cranking up a hill or to get some more speed...that's a lot of radial loading on the system. There is also a lot of side forces applied to the BB bearings from jumps, drops or riding rocks and roots. Then there is all the moisture, mud, dirt, or grime that you ride through that the BB is subjected to. Headset bearings, wheel bearings and suspension bearings live an easy life compared to the BB bearings. Head set bearings and suspension bearings don't continually spin either....they rotate on an arc an average 90-120 degrees..maybe a little more on the suspension bearings depending on design. Also head set bearings are only subject to axial loads not radial loads. And even though hub bearings spin a lot, the loading is more uniform.

ratell

None of those things are arguments for external bearings. In fact pretty much all of them should be better with pressfit bearings that are inside the bottom bracket. For me the main point of the video is that the problem with pressfit is poor manufacturing tolerances. Bike brands are going back to threaded not because it is the better solution but because it's easier than fixing the manufacturing problems. Given what carbon frames cost it seems reasonable to expect the better manufacturing especially given there are probably other misalignments that don't creak so go unnoticed.

Ultimately, if threaded bottom brackets is important to someone when buying a bike more power to them.