Seatposts

tackleberry

Just bought a carbon frame.

Do I definitely need a carbon seat post or not?

Also, BB30 difficult to install or what?

T

sungod

you can use a non-cf post...

if you use aluminium it's advisable to put a light cf assembly paste on (tacx pink stuff) as galvanic corrosion can occur between cf and aluminium if moisture gets in there

bb30 install...

piece of cake, you do need some tools to do it and you need to do it right

follow the instructions with frame and crankset to the letter

some manufacturers specify using a compound like loctite 640 or 609, imho this is a sign that their tolerances are iffy, so if your frame requires it do not skip this step!

otherwise just apply grease to all mounting surfaces before assembly (bearings, spindle)

also put grease on the inside of the bearing shields if you will do wet rides

when fitting the crankset, pay careful attention to getting the side load correct, it needs to be only just at the point where there is no play, some cranksets have an adjuster ring, some use plastic shims, follow instructions etc.

if it's the first time you've done it, should take maybe 30 minutes, once you know how it's much faster

if there's any creaking it means something is out of tolerance (cheapo bearings, poorly made/finished bb shell), this needs fixing/replacing, don't ride like it as the affected surfaces can wear fast, it only takes a few microns movement

if the top of your seatpost is open and you ride in the wet, water can enter and run down into the bb shell, here it will get churned up, enter the bearings and eventually rinse out the grease, i used to regrease every 2-3 months due to this, but i started covering the top of the seatpost on wet rides, really not as elegant but works just as well, haven't greased them since april and there've been some epic wet rides

btw any post about bb30 tends to bring out trolls who rant that it is awful, it's not, it just needs doing correctly with in-tolerance components, then you'll get years of trouble free use (like me)

tackleberry

Who'd a thought that BB's brings out the trolls?

Wonder what else excises people.....mechanically speaking?

A cornucopia of sensible advice. Thanks for taking the time.

T