Crankset recommendation for a BB30

Moose!
Moose! Posts: 3
edited July 2018 in Road buying advice
I've got a 2013 CAADX 105. I needed to replace my left crank arm, which apparently means I'm going to have to replace the entire crankset since the current one was made specifically for my bike. My current crankset is a Gossamer Compact BBright Crankset. I'm just getting into riding and use the bike as a commuter for whatever it's worth.

So anyways, I'm looking for advice on a new crank. I've got an FSA BB30 bottom bracket, which appears to be in good condition still, 68mm. I had initially thought about changing the crank to a Shimano 105 FC-5800 crankset to stay in the 105 set, but I'm seeing that this isn't compatible with my bottom bracket. So my question is, would it make sense to get the 105 crankset and get an adapter to go with it? I heard Praxis made some decent adapters, but I was not hoping to spend $80 on one especially since I need the new crankset as well. Are there other adapters to make this work that are less? Or would it just make more sense to get a BB30 compatible crankset? Any recommendations for those? For the crankset, price-wise I'm comfortable with what the 105 costs and wouldn't want to go much higher.

Comments

  • Moose!
    Moose! Posts: 3
    I'm seeing this fall down the page and wanted to bump. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm just learning about bike components and feel like I could really benefit from the expertise here.
  • 964cup
    964cup Posts: 1,362
    I'd be surprised if it was a BBRight-specific crank, as that's a Cervelo "standard". A CAADX should just be BB30, which means any BB30-compatible crank will fit. Anyway, there are lots of FSA Gossamer BB30 cranks on eBay - all you actually need is a replacement LH crank (which is probably the crank that carries the axle). See https://www.ebay.co.uk/b/BB30-PF30-FSA- ... bn_3312232 for a list.
  • MisterMuncher
    MisterMuncher Posts: 1,302
    Any bb30 crank will do, 110 bcd for a CX bike. Could I hazard a guess that the left arm kept working itself loose, and eventually the bolt or the splines gave up the ghost? Common enough issue with FSA cranks, it can be solved by tightening the collar around the bolt, but it's a bit late for that now!

    The "correct" answer is, of course, a Cannondale Hollowgram, but that's expensive. Trawl eBay for an old-shape, 5-Arm FSA SL-K, or SRAM Force/Rival, in BB30 flavour. They pop up regularly enough at about 105 money. FSA BB386Evo cranks are another option, but you'll need spacers/adaptors (about 15 quid).
  • StillGoing
    StillGoing Posts: 5,211
    Rotor 3D30 or 3D+
    I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.
  • akh
    akh Posts: 206
    You could try a simple adapter rather than buying a fancy BB30 bottom bracket which is designed to accept a Shimano 24mm spindle.

    You could try something like this which would allow you to fit a regular external BB cup:

    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/fsa-bb30-conversion-kit/

    Or, simple adapter cups like these for about $/£30:

    https://wheelsmfg.com/products/bb-crank ... ranks.html

    I've used wheels manufacturing adapter cups before for PF30 > 24mm and they seemed to work OK.
  • StillGoing
    StillGoing Posts: 5,211
    AKH wrote:

    Or, simple adapter cups like these for about $/£30:

    https://wheelsmfg.com/products/bb-crank ... ranks.html

    I've used wheels manufacturing adapter cups before for PF30 > 24mm and they seemed to work OK.

    I wouldn't bother with those, absolute load of rubbish. Used them on my frame with Rotor 3D24 until I realised they simply don't work. Installed a Rotor BBright 4624 BB and no problems.

    http://www.velotechservices.co.uk/shop/ ... 70&cat=243
    I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.
  • I wouldn't bother with an "adapter", but you could get a conversion BB to a) allow you to use a 24mm spindle and b) negate any potential BB30 creaks n groans.

    Have a look at Token Ninja which are cheaper than Praxis
  • akh
    akh Posts: 206
    philthy3 wrote:
    AKH wrote:

    Or, simple adapter cups like these for about $/£30:

    https://wheelsmfg.com/products/bb-crank ... ranks.html

    I've used wheels manufacturing adapter cups before for PF30 > 24mm and they seemed to work OK.

    I wouldn't bother with those, absolute load of rubbish. Used them on my frame with Rotor 3D24 until I realised they simply don't work. Installed a Rotor BBright 4624 BB and no problems.

    http://www.velotechservices.co.uk/shop/ ... 70&cat=243

    Not disputing your experience, but what did you find unsatisfactory about the adapter?
  • StillGoing
    StillGoing Posts: 5,211
    If you think about it, its a sleeve in a sleeve. There's too much opportunity for slippage going on. It creaked and squeaked like anything, so something was moving when it shouldn't have. Worse when standing on the way up a hill when you can do without annoying noises.
    I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.
  • sungod
    sungod Posts: 16,434
    Moose! wrote:
    I'm seeing this fall down the page and wanted to bump. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm just learning about bike components and feel like I could really benefit from the expertise here.
    any road bike compact bb30 crankset will do, 10/11 speed doesn't matter, sram is fine

    aside from it being road/compact, you also may want to match the length of the crankarms to whatever your current ones are (having them different is not the end of the world, probably most noticeable if you've shorter than average leg length, but you'd still need to adjust saddle height accordingly)
    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny
  • akh
    akh Posts: 206
    @ philthy3

    Fair enough. That wasn't my experience but maybe I was just lucky. All these parts are made to a tolerance, I guess mine were just in the sweet spot. There's an interesting video on YouTube by a guy called Hambini who goes into a lot of detail on bearings and bottom brackets if anyone is interested.

    https://youtu.be/7gxTmL5m9PU

    I've not way to verify, but he has one video where he claims to have measured the bottom bracket dimensions of various brands with a laser at work (the guy clearly had access to engineering kit from some of the stuff he shows in his videos). Certainly some bottom brackets are better then others in terms of accuracy. Boardman was the worst in his sample, with Look and Time being the best. Apparently even a few one hundredths of a millimetre can be the difference between a good fit and creak inducing movement.
  • andy9964
    andy9964 Posts: 930
    Nothing but good things to say about the Praxxis conversion. The FSA sleeve , on the other hand, (also found on the Cannondale site) was a bit of a disaster
    7th reply down, and a link to my own experience
    viewtopic.php?f=40004&t=13085591&p=20230777&hilit=caadx#p20230777
  • mfin
    mfin Posts: 6,729
    Praxis make a great BB30/PF30 adapter for Campagnolo Ultra-Torque. Of course it won't interest anyone unless they are running Campagnolo or Fulcrum chainsets but it works a treat, fit and forget. I've never had so much as a peep out of BB30 with one of these fitted.