BB30 Adapters

skaffen

Have pretty much confirmed that the problems I've had with my Cannondale Flash (chain suck and poor front shifting performance) are related to the FSA cranks, everything else has been checked out and I've found a few people online with similar issues.

I'm looking at alternative cranksets and will probably move to 2x10 at the same time, but it looks like it's either SRAM or FSA for BB30 compatible cranks. I've never run SRAM and have always liked Shimano gears in terms of the shifters and the feel of gear changes, but sticking Shimano cranks on means using an adapter. Has anyone run cranks on a BB30 bike with the adapter, and do they cause any problems (failures, flex etc.) compared with running a straight BB30 set?

Thanks.

jon1993

fsa comet strait bb30 2x10 chainset not to pricey and works perfect looks great. use as standard on a boardman pro 2011. if your intrested i have a brand new one for sale atm boxed with recept

skaffen

Thanks, but with the problems I've had with the FSA cranks on there I want to switch to a different manufacturer really and with BB30 the alternatives seem to be limited to either SRAM (which I'm not sure about) or Shimano with an adapter (and I don't know how well the adapters work).

There are some not good reports about some FSA 2x10 cranks on Flash frames either so I'd rather steer clear to be on the safe side.

cooldad

Don't know much about press fit BB's but can't you just use a Shimano one and then fit a Shimano crankset?

skaffen

cooldad wrote:

Don't know much about press fit BB's but can't you just use a Shimano one and then fit a Shimano crankset?

Sadly with the BB30 you need an adapter (like this) to run Shimano cranks. There are other adapters that put a sleeve in the BB30 shell to fit standard bottom brackets, but the Flash frame has an integrated circlip that stops you using those. I don't mind using an adapter if it works OK, and I like Shimano stuff in general, but if the adapters add flex or tend to fail, I'll bite the bullet and go with SRAM who make straight BB30 cranks.

The problem is if you ask people about SRAM vs Shimano it tends to get a little bit heated! I don't know anyone who runs SRAM 2x10, I'm going to ask my LBS about a demo bike with SRAM kit on to see what I think but I've only ever run Shimano stuff, so I'm used to it. It's just whether the adapters work really!

cooldad

skaffen wrote:

the Flash frame has an integrated circlip that stops you using those.

Bugger(s)

The Northern Monkey

Reading through that... doesn't it sound like a frame issue, not a crankset issue?

I may be getting the wrong end of the stick, but it seems more like the frame isn't compatible with the crankset (which is fine on other bikes) rather than the crankset isn't compatible with the frame...

skaffen

The Northern Monkey wrote:

Reading through that... doesn't it sound like a frame issue, not a crankset issue?

I may be getting the wrong end of the stick, but it seems more like the frame isn't compatible with the crankset (which is fine on other bikes) rather than the crankset isn't compatible with the frame...

The crankset is the one supplied with the frame, and it should be compatible, but there's a lot of people on quite a few versions of the Flash that seem to be having the same issues I am with FSA BB30 cranksets (e.g. chronic chain suck). Some have had swapouts by Cannondale for Hollowgram cranks instead, which are fine, and others have moved to SRAM with no issues. The FSA crank is supposed to be the same spec as the Cannondale or SRAM BB30 cranks, but it just seems to be causing problems. There are suggestions in the thread I linked to above that the FSA crank isn't leaving enough clearance between the frame and the smallest ring.

Obviously Cannondale may be partly responsible for the problem in the design of the chainstay on the Flash, but if it's only happening with FSA cranks (which seems to be the case) then the solution is the same from my point of view - fit new cranks.

The problem is that with the BB30 standard it seems to be a case of moving to SRAM (which I'm unsure about) or using adapters to move to Shimano cranks (which I'd be more happy with, but I'm not sure how good those adapters are).

njee20

SRAM 2x10 cranks are good, I'd sooner use a true BB30 chainset than introduce adapters.

A friend uses Rotor 3D+ BB30 cranks on a Flash with no issues, another - lighter - option to consider.

skaffen

njee20 wrote:

SRAM 2x10 cranks are good, I'd sooner use a true BB30 chainset than introduce adapters.

A friend uses Rotor 3D+ BB30 cranks on a Flash with no issues, another - lighter - option to consider.

Thanks, I think I'll have to demo an SRAM 2x10 setup as that's starting to look the most likely. It doesn't seem like many people use the adapters, which isn't instilling lots of confidence in them. The Rotor cranks look interesting as well, will investigate.

njee20

What part are you unsure about? Whether the SRAM cranks will work, or whether 2x10 is for you?

Are you on 3x10 or 3x9 currently?

If you're getting chainsuck with a triple, it'd be very odd to find a double solved it. As the rings are bigger they tend to be closer to the chainstay and more prone to sucking, unless the cranks really are much too 'short' - have you measured the chainline?

skaffen

njee20 wrote:

What part are you unsure about? Whether the SRAM cranks will work, or whether 2x10 is for you?

More whether the SRAM kit will suit me, I've always used Shimano and most people I know, including my LBS, are pretty pro-Shimano in terms of drivetrain. If I could stick a BB30 Shimano on there now, I would, but they don't make one. My initial question was whether anyone had used the adapters, because if they had, and they worked well, I would still go with Shimano. I'll try and get a demo bike with a decent SRAM set on and see how well that works for me.

The chainsuck problem is caused by the cranks, it seems to be a reasonably common problem if you Google it, and seems to be due to some tolerances being a little off (see the thread linked above as one example.). Everything else has been checked/changed fairly repeatedly.

njee20

But all you need is the SRAM chainset. You can use Shimano on everything else, I'm not too sure what a demo on SRAM will tell you.

skaffen

njee20 wrote:

But all you need is the SRAM chainset. You can use Shimano on everything else, I'm not too sure what a demo on SRAM will tell you.

I have been told that the pickup on gear changes is better with 10 speed if the chain matches the chainrings and cassettes (apparently they're more highly shaped and different sizes between SRAM/Shimano). Not sure how true that is, but to be honest with the carry on I've had over the past year with this bike, just having things as a full XTR or X0 set seems like the safest option. I'm moving to 2x10 anyway so there's no extra cost of swapping the lot over as I'd be doing that anyway.

njee20

They're cross compatible, despite what they want to tell you. I had XX last year and XTR this year. Personally prefer the XTR, the price of SRAM is laughable, nice as the xx cassette is it's not worth £300!

Try SRAM to see if you like it, but you can use a SRAM chainsets with Shimano elsewhere.

skaffen

njee20 wrote:

They're cross compatible, despite what they want to tell you. I had XX last year and XTR this year. Personally prefer the XTR, the price of SRAM is laughable, nice as the xx cassette is it's not worth £300!

Try SRAM to see if you like it, but you can use a SRAM chainsets with Shimano elsewhere.

Thanks, that's interesting, one mechanic at my LBS was pretty positive that I wouldn't get good front shifting with SRAM rings if the rest was Shimano. Certainly the chains look a fair bit different between the two makes in 10 speed versions. I'll have a ride of SRAM anyway, worth a look. This has been a pain for the last year and I kind of don't want any more problems with shifting only for them to turn around and do a "Well, we don't recommend...". Keeping it all the same may just be a bit easier from that point of view.

I would prefer Shimano though, I've got a Trail SL2 with a bog standard Shimano set on (Alivio maybe, definitely not SLX or XT) and the front shifting on that blows the Flash out of the water (which is ridiculous given the price difference).

If I did go SRAM it would be X0 anyway, the XX set looks nice but that is nutty expensive. Must admit I like the idea of that cassette though, impressive if that thing really does take 9 hours on a CNC machine!

cooldad

Your mechanic is wrong, end of.

bails87

It almost sounds like the mechanic wants you to buy more stuff. Could it be possible that he's on the payroll of someone who sells bike parts?

Why not just change the chainrings? Seems like the cheap, quick and easy option. Unless the chainline's out.

njee20

Agreed, which is why I asked about the chainline, seems very odd.

The only parts which could possibly not 'mesh' with the rings is the chain, so you could use a SRAM BB30 chainset and chain on Shimano shifters/cassette/mechs.

skaffen

njee20 wrote:

Agreed, which is why I asked about the chainline, seems very odd.

The only parts which could possibly not 'mesh' with the rings is the chain, so you could use a SRAM BB30 chainset and chain on Shimano shifters/cassette/mechs.

Chainline has been checked by two shops and by a mechanic at a race, I've had different chainrings on from three manufacturers and the problem still remained. Really we were out of ideas until I googled "FSA crankset chain suck Flash" and there's just a lot of people with exactly the same story; changing the cranks solves the problem. The general consensus seems to be that the FSA cranks aren't leaving enough space to the frame.

Apart from that I'm pretty sure the shop would make more if they sold me a full SRAM set, so they don't seem to just be after more money. I was just using the opportunity to switch to 2x10, that was my call really seeing as I was going to swap the cranks anyway.

njee20

Apart from that I'm pretty sure the shop would make more if they sold me a full SRAM set, so they don't seem to just be after more money.

Exactly, and they've told you you can't mix and match...

jonnym5

My boss runs a BB30 adaper from wheels mfg on his Felt F1 with dura ace cranks. I centainly felt no such flex when I had a wee shot of that. He is thinking of going sram next year and getting a fully Bb30 chainset though.

rborton

Hi,
I have a Cannondale Flash and a Scaple 3 - both bikes are experiencing the chain suck syndrome with the Scaple being the worst by far!

I am also looking at the SRAM chain set as the FSA 10 speed's have really buggered the chain stay.

I have been in contact with the bike shop I got the bikes from and they have referred the matter to Cannondale who have not been helpful at all.

Which SRAM set are you thinking of getting?[/img]