Back to threaded BBs?

ugo.santalucia

I've noticed Specialized is going back to 68 mm threaded BB for their newer Roubaix... is it the beginning of a trend due to press fit being in essence crap?

redvision

I hope so but don't think it will. The new venge and tarmac continue to be press fit, and don't forget that pinarello have been using threaded bb's on their top end bikes yet other manufacturers continue to resist.

I think specialized have made an exception for the roubaix but don't think it's the start of a trend unfortunately.

joe_totale-2

Anyone who makes a metal bike frame without a threaded BB should be ridiculed.
From what I understand though, it is trickier to put threads in a carbon BB area, hence I feel that press fit will remain on cheaper carbon frames for the foreseeable future due to cost.

lakesluddite

Joe Totale wrote:

Anyone who makes a metal bike frame without a threaded BB should be ridiculed.
From what I understand though, it is trickier to put threads in a carbon BB area, hence I feel that press fit will remain on cheaper carbon frames for the foreseeable future due to cost.

Not necessarily: https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FRPXPCEVO ... o-frameset

I think most PX carbon frames are now threaded BB, my EC130 certainly is.

whyamihere

LakesLuddite wrote:

Joe Totale wrote:

Anyone who makes a metal bike frame without a threaded BB should be ridiculed.
From what I understand though, it is trickier to put threads in a carbon BB area, hence I feel that press fit will remain on cheaper carbon frames for the foreseeable future due to cost.

Not necessarily: https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FRPXPCEVO ... o-frameset

I think most PX carbon frames are now threaded BB, my EC130 certainly is.

Carbon frames with a threaded BB use an alu insert to hold the threads. If they're for a press fit BB, then the shell can be left as just carbon. The alu inserts add a bit of weight and cost and tend not to be used on higher end bikes (though exceptions obviously exist to this).

I do generally prefer a threaded BB, but in some circumstances such as trying to build the lightest bike possible, I can see the arguments for press fit. My bikes are about 50/50 in terms of press fit or threaded, where for the bikes that are more likely to be used in grotty conditions and therefore potentially need BB replacement sooner I made sure they had threaded shells. The press fit ones I own are not through choosing press fit, but through it not being a deal breaker for the frame I wanted.

Matthewfalle

Really hope so - so much better/easier than press fit and all the random configurations.

ugo.santalucia

whyamihere wrote:

I do generally prefer a threaded BB, but in some circumstances such as trying to build the lightest bike possible, I can see the arguments for press fit.

We are talking 100-200 grams difference if not less. A lot more could be saved elsewhere without compromising the functionality of the bicycle.
People make me laugh... they buy a 6kg bike, then they carry around 2kg of water to do a 50 mile ride (which more often than not has a cafe' stop in the middle).

drlodge

I always thought WM Massive Attack frames had an alu threaded insert (mine does), but their SL version is only about 800g in weight so I guess they must use a push fit bit of carp in that to keep the weight down. It is indeed a bit silly to buy a light weight frame then carry around 2kg of water, not to mention a large spare tyre around one's waist.

mrfpb

ugo.santalucia wrote:

whyamihere wrote:

I do generally prefer a threaded BB, but in some circumstances such as trying to build the lightest bike possible, I can see the arguments for press fit.

We are talking 100-200 grams difference if not less. A lot more could be saved elsewhere without compromising the functionality of the bicycle.
People make me laugh... they buy a 6kg bike, then they carry around 2kg of water to do a 50 mile ride (which more often than not has a cafe' stop in the middle).

"Is it worth the calories" as Prue Leith likes to say.

For pretty much everyone who is not a pro racer the long term convenience and reliability of a threaded BB surely earns the extra grammes on the bike.

Moonbiker

For pretty much everyone who is not a pro racer the long term convenience and reliability of a threaded BB surely earns the extra grammes on the bike.

If people wanted reliability over saving a few grams should of stuck with sqaure taper BB's also that can last decades.

Ben6899

All threaded BSA BBs here. Well except one... that's Italian threaded.

Matthewfalle

Moonbiker wrote:

For pretty much everyone who is not a pro racer the long term convenience and reliability of a threaded BB surely earns the extra grammes on the bike.

If people wanted reliability over saving a few grams should have stuck with sqaure taper BB's also that can last decades.

and there is absoloutely nothing wrong with a good old square taper bb.

pinno

Thankfully, I have never had a press BB fit frame.
...and I never will. But square tapered BB's? Sod that for a game of soldiers. My campag BB's with their overboard cups are virtually maintenance free anyway.

Praxis do make a good alternative to the usual press fit BB from what I hear.

craigus89

I do hope so, we have two bikes with press fit BB’s, I’ve not had to do anything to them yet which is surprising.

cycleclinic

Ah but press fit BB's allow for a stiffer frame apparantly. I'll get my coat.

Most of my bikes have threaded BB's and many still have square taper BB's. May we'll go full circle and go back to cottered cranks.

With htreaded BB's shimano really have to come up with something less crap that hollow tech II. Even a press fit BB last me longer than one of these things.

ugo.santalucia

on the other hand the latest SHimano HT2 BB seem to last a lot longer than previous incarnations. I have had the same 6800 BB for 2 years and roughly 10 K miles on my road bike... in the past they rarely made half of that mileage

Alejandrosdog

I’ve had Cannondale’s and never had a problem with creaky bottom brackets, I’ve had Specialized and never had a problem.

I thought the bb30 which I first had on a caad6 or caad7 was quite a good solution though not as obvious as threaded. Once I had a bearing that creaked almost immediately so I replaced it with one that didn’t, it took ten minutes.

The only gripe I’ve had is they don’t last anywhere near as long as the cartridge bbs in my experience. On the other hand I enjoy maintaining my bikes almost as much as riding them.

I’ve moved to a best of both worlds solution now and use a wheels mfring bb and a Shimano crank on all bikes.

A combination of tolerances and shoddy assembly is I’m sure the biggest issue. But they are real issues that affect people’s enjoyment .

Alejandrosdog

At the end of the day, these things are consumable items. They won’t last for ever.

mercia_man

Alejandrosdog wrote:

At the end of the day, these things are consumable items. They won’t last for ever.

Quite true. But I wonder whether I will outlive my Campag Athena triple cartridge BB
I fitted to my tourer in the late 1990s. It’s still going fine.

bondurant

You're not nineteen forever

Pull yourself together

cycleclinic

Maybe they have improved ugo. I gave up on shimano BB's for my own road bikes about 4 years ago when I got 3000km out of a ultegra BB. I have been using there MTB BB's continously and only get 1500km out of those sometimes less. thats the XTR BB's too. Utter shite. Campagnolo external BB's regularly last at lot longer.

I am just a square taper fan. I cant help it. What exactly can better a Royce bottom bracket?

pinno

thecycleclinic wrote:

Campagnolo external BB's regularly last at lot longer.

This.

Hendrix2430

I think Wheels Mfg makes a threaded adaptor to BB30a for cannondale. Also for other std of press fits. Could be the solution because I get a bit sick of my CAAD12's bottom bracket getting clicky every few months...

Alejandrosdog

Hendrix2430 wrote:

I think Wheels Mfg makes a threaded adaptor to BB30a for cannondale. Also for other std of press fits. Could be the solution because I get a bit sick of my CAAD12's bottom bracket getting clicky every few months...

Yes they do a bb30a which fits the caad12.

So do cbear if you love your bike very very much

bigmat

Mercia Man wrote:

Alejandrosdog wrote:

At the end of the day, these things are consumable items. They won’t last for ever.

Quite true. But I wonder whether I will outlive my Campag Athena triple cartridge BB
I fitted to my tourer in the late 1990s. It’s still going fine.

I had to change the square taper BB on my Ridgeback, I'd only had it 16 years. Has been fine the last 10 years though.

Run ultratorque on my "proper" bikes (except the track bike...), wouldn't say it was maintenance free but the bearings do last pretty well and are easy to change once you've invested in the tools.