Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Road Cycling
Reload this Page >

BB30 or adapter?

Search
Notices
Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

BB30 or adapter?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 04-11-13 | 07:29 AM
  #1  
deepakvrao's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,387
Likes: 21
From: Bangalore India
BB30 or adapter?

Done a search, but as usual opinion seems divided, and I know zero about bottom brackets.

Getting a new frame with BB30. They also give an adapter for the reg BB. So, should I get the Force GXP or the BB30 crank?

Is the actual crank different for BB30 bottom brackets? I don't see that as an option when you order a groupset, or am I missing something?

Edit: the more I read, the more I dread the creak that BB30 can supposedly develop. So if I get the adapter and a GXP crank, can I totally avoid the disadvantages of the BB30? I read somewhere that even with the adapter you need the BB30 bearings? That didn't sound right at all.

Last edited by deepakvrao; 04-11-13 at 07:53 AM.
deepakvrao is offline  
Reply
Old 04-11-13 | 07:40 AM
  #2  
M_Wales's Avatar
Retired USAF, C-130 Guy
 
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 867
Likes: 5
From: Cape Carteret, NC.

Bikes: Shopping

If the brand of equipment your wanting to use offers a BB30 crank, I would go with that. If you already have a non BB30 crank use the adaptor
M_Wales is offline  
Reply
Old 04-11-13 | 07:44 AM
  #3  
LowCel's Avatar
Throw the stick!!!!
Titanium Club Membership
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 18,150
Likes: 93
From: Charleston, WV

Bikes: GMC Denali

Originally Posted by M_Wales
If the brand of equipment your wanting to use offers a BB30 crank, I would go with that. If you already have a non BB30 crank use the adaptor
Yep, there is the answer.
__________________
I may be fat but I'm slow enough to make up for it.
LowCel is offline  
Reply
Old 04-11-13 | 07:47 AM
  #4  
rpenmanparker's Avatar
Senior Member
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 28,682
Likes: 63
From: Houston, TX

Bikes: 1990 Romic Reynolds 531 custom build, Merlin Works CR Ti custom build, super light Workswell 066 custom build

In general there is a significant weight savings (100g?) without loss of stiffness when using the BB30 crank because it has an oversize aluminum spindle instead of a smaller diameter steel one. If you have the BB30 bottom bracket, you might as well take advantage of the weight savings. FSA offers BB30 cranks and is very well respected. The SL-K Light model is very good value for the price and comparable in weight to SRAM Red. The K-Force Light is the premium model. Very, very light especially in BB30.
rpenmanparker is offline  
Reply
Old 04-11-13 | 08:07 AM
  #5  
WhyFi's Avatar
Senior Member
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 39,726
Likes: 9,738
From: TC, MN

Bikes: R3 Disc, Haanjo

I have a Force BB30, no complaints - for the price you can find them for, I think that they're tough to be in the BB30 world (there's a reason that there are tons of FSA Gossamer take-offs on ebay). Took me two tries on the install to avoid the creak, which was annoying but not a deal-breaker.
WhyFi is offline  
Reply
Old 04-11-13 | 09:12 AM
  #6  
deepakvrao's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,387
Likes: 21
From: Bangalore India
Buying a new Force groupset, so I guess I should go BB30? Don't think that loctite is even available in India, so I better order online.
deepakvrao is offline  
Reply
Old 04-11-13 | 09:32 AM
  #7  
Campag4life's Avatar
Voice of the Industry
 
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 12,572
Likes: 8
Originally Posted by deepakvrao
Done a search, but as usual opinion seems divided, and I know zero about bottom brackets.

Getting a new frame with BB30. They also give an adapter for the reg BB. So, should I get the Force GXP or the BB30 crank?

Is the actual crank different for BB30 bottom brackets? I don't see that as an option when you order a groupset, or am I missing something?

Edit: the more I read, the more I dread the creak that BB30 can supposedly develop. So if I get the adapter and a GXP crank, can I totally avoid the disadvantages of the BB30? I read somewhere that even with the adapter you need the BB30 bearings? That didn't sound right at all.
OP,
This is pure philosophy call. A good question and you will get a divided response from knowledgable bike builders.
I will tell you if you use a Praxis conversion BB and a external bearing crank like Ultegra or DA, your BB will be utterly reliable.
BB30 is good...but only if the set up properly. This escapes some but not all bike mechanics. BB30 is just more sensitive to set up but many love BB30.
Campag4life is offline  
Reply
Old 04-11-13 | 09:40 AM
  #8  
deepakvrao's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,387
Likes: 21
From: Bangalore India
^^^^Indian bike shops don't even have tools for BB30 [I think - have to check]. I think I might be better off with threaded.
deepakvrao is offline  
Reply
Old 04-11-13 | 09:51 AM
  #9  
Campag4life's Avatar
Voice of the Industry
 
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 12,572
Likes: 8
BB30 doesn't take extraordinary tools to install. A local hardware store is all you need. You can make your own bearing press.
What BB30 takes is basic knowledge...proper seating of bearings with loctite...and proper lateral crank preload with proper spacing that
keeps some preload on the inner race of the bearings and keeps the bearings seated. This takes basic skills which again escapes some but not all.
If you go external bearing crank, you can do it on the cheap and maintain BB30 bearings with Wheel Mfg spacers. A Praxis BB would be likely your most reliable route if going with an external bearing style crank.
Campag4life is offline  
Reply
Old 04-11-13 | 10:07 AM
  #10  
Nagrom_'s Avatar
Fixie Infamous
Titanium Club Membership
10 Anniversary
 
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 10,480
Likes: 28
You can get all the tools needed to service BB30 for under 40 dollars on eBay.

Bearing Press.
Bearing Tap.

These are what I use. They work flawlessly. Use Loctite 609.
__________________
Originally Posted by seau grateau
No offense but you're an idiot.
PedalRoom

Last edited by Nagrom_; 04-11-13 at 10:11 AM.
Nagrom_ is offline  
Reply
Old 04-11-13 | 11:10 AM
  #11  
pdedes's Avatar
ka maté ka maté ka ora
 
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 4,423
Likes: 4
From: wessex

Bikes: breezer venturi - red novo bosberg - red, pedal force cg1 - red, neuvation f-100 - da, devinci phantom - xt, miele piste - miche/campy, bianchi reparto corse sbx, concorde squadra tsx - da, miele team issue sl - ultegra

And the replacement bearings are ridiculously cheap
pdedes is offline  
Reply
Old 04-11-13 | 12:07 PM
  #12  
Elduderino2412's Avatar
Tour De French Fries
 
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,251
Likes: 2
From: Salt Lake City

Bikes: 2010 Cervelo R3 SL & 2013 Airborne Goblin

Originally Posted by M_Wales
If the brand of equipment your wanting to use offers a BB30 crank, I would go with that. If you already have a non BB30 crank use the adaptor
This
If you can get the BB30 b/c it's lighter. Also as others have said make sure you read up on how to install, so you don't get the BB30 squeak.
Elduderino2412 is offline  
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
baj32161
Road Cycling
298
03-16-16 03:26 PM
bbqpork
Road Cycling
48
05-23-15 09:49 PM
tkm
Bicycle Mechanics
5
12-14-12 11:35 PM
i killed judas.
Bicycle Mechanics
2
04-23-11 12:15 AM
Athlete, Joe
Road Cycling
8
03-01-10 09:23 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.