I wish Cannondale would ditch bb30 for HT2 in 2015

apreading

I think the general conclusion is that if you are lucky and get one manufactured within the very fine tolerance requirements which is also fitted with a high degree of precision then they can work very well.

Unfortunately, either alot dont meet the required tolerance or arent fitted very well, or probably both.

The whole thing just requires more precision and manufacturing accuracy than is practical. So they need to come up with something better.

Serious Cat

I had a look at the Cannondale website to view the road bikes for 2015, here is a question, the alloy Synapse Sora for 2015 comes with a triple crankset (which id obviously replace with a compact double if I bought one of those bikes) but I cant find anywhere if the bottom bracket shell is threaded type or threadless. If I bought a 2015 synapse sora it would need to be threaded at the bottom bracket so as I could fit 105 5700 Hollowtech II bracket , I wouldn't consider pressfit, square taper and definitely not bb30. Would anybody know by the crank fitted if that bike would be threaded or not ?

TheHound

DavidJB wrote:

The Mechanic wrote:

My Felt Z4 has a BB30 BB. I have recently completed a 1000 mile Dover to Cape Wrath ride on it plus about 500 miles before that. The BB is totally silent. We only had one day of rain on the D-CW epic but it was heavy rain. I guess the biggest issue if you decide to change is having to buy a new chainset, i.e. one with a 24mm spindle. Changing to a different bearing system is the cheap bit.

1500 miles isn't really enough mileage to make any conclusion.

About 800miles before the bearings in my bb30 were shot. Had them serviced and another 200 - 300 before they went again.

MisterMuncher

Firstly, Square Taper and Hollowtech use the same shell size and threading. So if you disregard square-taper compatible bikes, well...

Cannondales below Tiagra spec have threaded BB shells, fitted with a cartridge/square taper BB. You'd have to remove it before fitting your Hollowtech chainset. They're 68mm wide, and English threaded.

The way the Bottom Bracket is listed as "FSA Cartridge" and not "FSA BB30" on the spec sheet is something of a subtle clue.

lawrences

You guys just sound annoyed that your bearings wear out, you replace them with the cheapest you can get your hands on and suddenly you're annoyed they've worn out again.

As for creaking, buy a bike from a manufacturer who knows how to machine a BB shell to a decent tolerance. BB30 is a non issue and anyone who says it is is a drama queen or is buying some cheapo dodgy kit that would fail whether it is bb30 or not.

Tjgoodhew

BB30 on a Caad8 - bearings gone after the first 600 miles.

Mine seemed to echo the above statements about being fitted with precision. Im guessing mine was assembled poorly out of the factory as after a new set of bearings and the LBS stripping, refitting and regreasing etc.. iv not had any problems and it has gone through all weather.

dixie1978

I've had my SuperSix for 2 years now and about 4000 miles in all weather. I've had to replace the bearing once (which I did myself, it's really pretty easy.) The new bearings so far have been fine and they were mucho cheapo ones at that.

I assume the more you spend on the bearings the better quality you get and the longer they should last. HT2 would certainly appear to be the better solution but it wouldn't sway my decision on a bike purchase.

davem399

I guess I am one of the lucky ones! I have a Boardman CX with BB30 bottom bracket. This is my "wet weather" bike which has done almost 5,000 miles and the bearings are fine. This has surprised me somewhat as Boardman's have had a bad press for BB30 failures.

Serious Cat

dixie1978 wrote:

. HT2 would certainly appear to be the better solution but it wouldn't sway my decision on a bike purchase.

(imo) HT2 makes infinitely more sense than bb30, you apply a fix to something when there are problems and HT2 didn't need anything whatsoever. Look at BB30 for what it is, its a shoddy replacement for a system that worked and had remarkable reliability. BB30 isn't a cycling improvement, it was seen as a way to manufacture bikes at a lower cost, realise more cash for those who made bikes that used it and profit was counted whilst users agonised over the creaking, dry bearings , bringing bikes with creaking issues back to the shop and those who are wise getting shod of them and getting something a heck of a lot more reliable whilst they still can, whilst resolutely never buying another one.

BB30 wont last as too many riders are scratching heads whilst owning expensive bike that creak and groan in no time whilst the cranks are spun. Those with BB30 that aren't creaking (yet) can count themselves very luck,y but there are many instances of riders who wished they had never bought a bb30 bike.

rolf_f

dixie1978 wrote:

I've had my SuperSix for 2 years now and about 4000 miles in all weather. I've had to replace the bearing once (which I did myself, it's really pretty easy.) The new bearings so far have been fine and they were mucho cheapo ones at that.

Again, that's really poor. The Campag Ultratorque bearings I use seem to last about 7000 miles in all weather - and that isn't much good either! People seem to have very low expectations!

robbo2011

Serious Cat wrote:

(imo) HT2 makes infinitely more sense than bb30, you apply a fix to something when there are problems and HT2 didn't need anything whatsoever.

I don't know why you think HT2 is so fantastic. My HT2 bearings went after 7000 miles which isn't that great either.

You should be looking for a bike with a square taper bottom bracket if you really want it to last.

Serious Cat

robbo2011 wrote:

Serious Cat wrote:

(imo) HT2 makes infinitely more sense than bb30, you apply a fix to something when there are problems and HT2 didn't need anything whatsoever.

I don't know why you think HT2 is so fantastic. My HT2 bearings went after 7000 miles which isn't that great either.

You should be looking for a bike with a square taper bottom bracket if you really want it to last.

I don't need to as my HT2 at the moment has over 10k on it and still going strong, delighted with that bottom bracket system and when it needs replaced its 5 mins work, no fuss and £9.99 and that's just fantastic.

diplodicus

Serious Cat wrote:

I don't need to as my HT2 at the moment has over 10k on it and still going strong, delighted with that bottom bracket system and when it needs replaced its 5 mins work, no fuss and £9.99 and that's just fantastic.

I think this is the main point. I have a CAAD8 with HT2 which was my first road bike and now my winter bike. I can change the bb in mins and cost is minimal.

Now bought an Evo for best and am frightened to touch the bb :oops:

letap73

Serious Cat wrote:

I had a look at the Cannondale website to view the road bikes for 2015, here is a question, the alloy Synapse Sora for 2015 comes with a triple crankset (which id obviously replace with a compact double if I bought one of those bikes) but I cant find anywhere if the bottom bracket shell is threaded type or threadless. If I bought a 2015 synapse sora it would need to be threaded at the bottom bracket so as I could fit 105 5700 Hollowtech II bracket , I wouldn't consider pressfit, square taper and definitely not bb30. Would anybody know by the crank fitted if that bike would be threaded or not ?

Considering most manufacturers high and medium specification carbon frames at present have employed non threaded bottom brackets then I hope you will not be looking for a medium or top end carbon frame in the future. I believe for example the canyon frames and the colnago frames have started to move away from the traditional threaded bottom bracket in the last year or so.

Serious Cat

letap73 wrote:

Serious Cat wrote:

I had a look at the Cannondale website to view the road bikes for 2015, here is a question, the alloy Synapse Sora for 2015 comes with a triple crankset (which id obviously replace with a compact double if I bought one of those bikes) but I cant find anywhere if the bottom bracket shell is threaded type or threadless. If I bought a 2015 synapse sora it would need to be threaded at the bottom bracket so as I could fit 105 5700 Hollowtech II bracket , I wouldn't consider pressfit, square taper and definitely not bb30. Would anybody know by the crank fitted if that bike would be threaded or not ?

Considering most manufacturers high and medium specification carbon frames at present have employed non threaded bottom brackets then I hope you will not be looking for a medium or top end carbon frame in the future. I believe for example the canyon frames and the colnago frames have started to move away from the traditional threaded bottom bracket in the last year or so.

Time will tell, bb30 is a cr@p system and the more bikes that are brought back to retailers with creaking bottom brackets, hopefully buyers will vote with their pockets and just stop buying and make the manufacturers offer something better.

MisterMuncher

It apparently hasn't happened in the 14 years since BB30 has been commercially available. How much time has to tell before we can say time has told?

Diplodicus, there's no real need to worry. BB30 is a very simple system really. It doesn't take a particularly long time to service or replace BB30 bearings, so long as you're of reasonable intelligence and in possession of the right tools. It might take all of ten minutes.

robbo2011

diplodicus wrote:

Serious Cat wrote:

I don't need to as my HT2 at the moment has over 10k on it and still going strong, delighted with that bottom bracket system and when it needs replaced its 5 mins work, no fuss and £9.99 and that's just fantastic.

I think this is the main point. I have a CAAD8 with HT2 which was my first road bike and now my winter bike. I can change the bb in mins and cost is minimal.

Now bought an Evo for best and am frightened to touch the bb :oops:

Well lucky you. one of my old HT2 bearings is seized in the frame and I cannot remove it. So much for 5 minutes work.

Ouija

Surely you mean one of your cups is seized in the frame?

Blacktemplar

DavidJB wrote:

The Mechanic wrote:

My Felt Z4 has a BB30 BB. I have recently completed a 1000 mile Dover to Cape Wrath ride on it plus about 500 miles before that. The BB is totally silent. We only had one day of rain on the D-CW epic but it was heavy rain. I guess the biggest issue if you decide to change is having to buy a new chainset, i.e. one with a 24mm spindle. Changing to a different bearing system is the cheap bit.

1500 miles isn't really enough mileage to make any conclusion.

Perhaps, perhaps not. I would reckon 15,000+ would be though - which is what I've covered on my CAAD9 without a single creak, squeak or problem. Most of those miles were in a wet, cold miserable Scotland......

Bear in mind the fact that someone who has a bad experience is likely to tell far more people about it than those who have a good one, and the 'instant complaint' effect of the Web just magnifies that very human trait. See if you can find any interweb footage entitled "Wow! My BB30 Bracket is Awesome!"

DavidJB

Blacktemplar wrote:

DavidJB wrote:

The Mechanic wrote:

My Felt Z4 has a BB30 BB. I have recently completed a 1000 mile Dover to Cape Wrath ride on it plus about 500 miles before that. The BB is totally silent. We only had one day of rain on the D-CW epic but it was heavy rain. I guess the biggest issue if you decide to change is having to buy a new chainset, i.e. one with a 24mm spindle. Changing to a different bearing system is the cheap bit.

1500 miles isn't really enough mileage to make any conclusion.

Perhaps, perhaps not. I would reckon 15,000+ would be though - which is what I've covered on my CAAD9 without a single creak, squeak or problem. Most of those miles were in a wet, cold miserable Scotland......

Bear in mind the fact that someone who has a bad experience is likely to tell far more people about it than those who have a good one, and the 'instant complaint' effect of the Web just magnifies that very human trait. See if you can find any interweb footage entitled "Wow! My BB30 Bracket is Awesome!"

I've ridden BB30's for a good while...one was awful and creaked every 5 minutes and one was fine. My new bike is BB 386 Evo but I've not done enough miles to say if it's any good noise wise.

mamba80

lawrences wrote:

You guys just sound annoyed that your bearings wear out, you replace them with the cheapest you can get your hands on and suddenly you're annoyed they've worn out again.

As for creaking, buy a bike from a manufacturer who knows how to machine a BB shell to a decent tolerance. BB30 is a non issue and anyone who says it is is a drama queen or is buying some cheapo dodgy kit that would fail whether it is bb30 or not.

Bought a new Cannondale Caad10, hardly from a manufacturer who doesn't understand how to accurately machine? :roll:
within a few 100 miles, terrible creaking - bike not used in rain - various fixes applied by LBS, non of which really lasted, got some Wheels M adaptors and a new crank, problem disappeared.
Sold frame and built a Dolan Ares SL with a FSA PF adaptor, HT2 bearings installed, 10k later and still silent.

I don't know anyone who hasn't had issues to varying degrees with BB30, anecdotal maybe but to say BB30 hasn't got QA problems at the very least, shows you don't know what you r talking about.

as for PF BB's, the BB71 I got on a Canyon MTB, lasted 18months, bike used in all weathers and reg hosed down, Very easy to swop out and i used a vice with HT2 spacers to ensure pressure is applied on outside of new BB, I fitted a BB91 as it is supposedly better quality, £18 from Bike-discount.
The plastic sleeves fitted to inner and outer races, means any machining issues on BB or crank spindle don't really matter.