tkm

So in this thread, I was trying to figure out what adapters I needed to run a SRAM GXP crank on a BB30 CAAD9:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-Red-GXP-Crank


However, I unwrapped the frame to take a look and noticed something odd...

Seems Cannondale already has some English adapters in the BB30 bottom bracket (and they are in there dang good). I'm assuming this was normal for 2010 (last year made in usa) and the BB30 was more for marketing as it functioned as a normal english BB?

Maybe I'm way off base. Hopefully the pics will help out. The last pic is with a GXP BB screwed in the one side.

ultraman6970

THat shell doesnt have any threads, are you sure about ".. has some English adapters " ???

tkm

What are you asking? As you can plainly see in the pics, there is something there with threads that a GXP BB will thread into perfectly. And clearly you can see the "BB30" printed on the bottom of the frame.

I unwrapped this frame new, so I don't think the seller put these in there. Who knows though. That's why I'm asking what Cannondale did in 2010 with this frameset.

moralleper

I believe it depended on what level of CAAD9 you got to if you got BB30 crank or not. The BB was still BB30 though with an adapter added at the factory. I have a '10 CAAD9 4 which came with a Sram force Crank so it had the BB30 bearings.

Vince Canepa 

I have the same frame - 2010 CAAD9 - Race Red. Your BB shell does not look like mine. Looking at the first photo, judging by the wall thickness of the shell it looks like some sort of aluminum insert has been placed in the normal bore for the BB30 bearings.

reptilezs

you need to press out the sleeve/adapter

well biked

That's probably true, we see this in a couple of brands we carry regarding the newer pressed-in bottom bracket bearings. The same frame might come equipped with one level of parts at one price point, and with another level of parts at another price point, etc. With BB30 or PressFit30 frames, the only time I've seen a bike come equipped from the factory with a pressed-in sleeve to accept a threaded bb is on entry level models, probably equipped with a square taper bb. If it's equipped with a crankset that has a 30mm spindle (typically SRAM or FSA), the bike will of course use the large pressed-in bearings. If it's got nicer components but comes with a crankset that has a 24mm spindle, it will typically be equipped with the Wheels Mfg adapters that serve as a shim and allows use with the larger bearings.

cycle_maven

If you can... Some red locktite, and that thing is welded in there for eternity.

fietsbob

Its not factory fresh NOS is it?, you bought a2nd hand frame and it may not be
what it was said to be, .. Cope.

Vince Canepa 

The 2010 Cannondale catalog is on their website. The bottom of the CAAD9 range, the CAAD9-6, is the only model not spec'd with a BB30 bottom bracket. I am guessing that Cannondale did not build a special frame for the 9-6, but inserted the BB30 shell with sleeves. Although the Race Red frame only came as a 9-4 spec'd with the BB30 bottom bracket (and that probably explains the BB30 sticker), perhaps when ordering a frame only it could have been spec'd with factory inserts for a threaded BB. Some dealers have told me Cannondale was more "flexible" with spec and colors when production was coming out of the US.

fietsbob

typical small print: specifications subject to change..

ksisler

I'll stick one toe in between you two and then step back;

I looked at the pix also and there aren't any threads showing just as the UltraMan pointed out. If you are meaning that in the other pix, which has the bearing bit in place, that that means therefore there must be threads for it to be there... well ok. So I will give you a quarter point for potential ultimate accuracy by illusion, but Ultman gets a full point for stating the obvious facts based on actual evidence you provided...

I am out of here! Please don't fight about it!

ultraman6970

Not questioning the decal or the cups but i cant see a single thread in the 1st picture... thats why i imply sort of thing...

well biked

I agree, the threads aren't apparent in the photo, but I think it's safe to say they're there since the OP reports threading the bearings in.

In my opinion, and it's just an opinion (but based on experience with BB30), if the threaded insert is secure and in good shape, this is the best situation you could ask for with this frame. You can treat it like any other conventionally threaded frame and put whatever type of conventionally threaded bottom bracket you want in there. BB30 bearings, while large, are problematic. They end up making noise, and it drives people crazy. Not every time, but in most cases. The vast majority of the bikes our shop has sold over the last few years with BB30 bearings in them (at least a couple of different bike brands) have come back in a relatively short amount of time with the customer complaining about bb noise. It's become routine, and we have a fairly standard way we deal with it to make the noise go away. I am not impressed with BB30 for this reason.

Interestingly, and I just realized this as I typed this, we do not have a single new bike in our shop with BB30 now. We do have dozens of bikes with similar, but in our opinion, better, pressed-in bottom bracket bearings. The Shimano pressed-in system(s), BB86/91, and PressFit 30 (same size bearings as BB30 but with a larger bore in the frame to accomodate the nylon shell encasement of the bearings w/ no circlip) are what we have now, and they're better because they aren't nearly as prone to noisiness, probably because of the bearings being encased in a nylon shell. I've got PressFit 30 on my own road bike, equipped with Wheels Mfg adapters (shims a 24mm spindle so that it can be used with the large 30mm bearings) and Ultegra cranks, and I've had very good luck so far.

tkm

I assure you...the threads are there. Cellphone pic, lighting and subsequent .jpg compression probably made the image too blurry to tell. And they are in the BB nice and tight.

This is my thought. I contacted the dealer I purchased it from and he said he bought out a few remaining '10 CAAD9 framesets from Cannondale. And yes, it is a race red CAAD9-4 with BB30, plainly marked (and complete with warranty tag with matching SN, UPC and Product code). He said he never really checked and assumed BB30 only, so however you look at it I either got lucky or unlucky. Honestly, I'll call it lucky because I don't need to buy a new crankset or BB adapters to run what I already have.

Thanks to all those who helped. Can't wait to get this built up.

Vince Canepa 

I should have looked at my Cannondale technical documents before but I didn't. I stumbled across the answer to your question when I was looking for something in my file this morning. My bad. Cannondale makes an adaptor sleeve to convert their BB30 frames to English threaded standard. Looking at your first picture I am certain that is what your frame has installed. See page 86 of the document in the link (page 88 if using the Acrobat Reader page count)

https://media.cannondale.com/media/Ma...ual_124451.pdf

gilaasepeda

this the 1st time i look bb30 with English threaded did you got the other side to? try to put the crank together and give us info

Vince Canepa 

The OP has a 2010 CAAD9 frame with the BB30 bottom bracket shell, but a threaded sleeve has been installed to adapt it to be able to install an English threaded bottom bracket. Go back to post #1 for a better understanding of his question.

tkm

Thank you for the follow-up. And if it will help anyone else, I can take a hi-res pic of the part in question (from both sides).