Which press fit BB to buy?

[Milzy]

Looks like I’m going down the Dolan E’taupe SL route. Will be running Ultegra mostly.
Which press fit is reliable? C-bear look good but silly money. Maybe hope? Links welcome.

 

[Cycleops]

Press fit is a technology developed by Cannondale with the help of the devil. Avoid it if you can.

 

[cyberknight]

Press fit is a technology developed by Cannondale with the help of the devil. Avoid it if you can.

although when it works it great after the fiasco i had with the LBS replacing mine if i was looking at a new bike i would personally not going PF

 

[Milzy]

If the frame is aligned properly should never be an issue. A bigger BB area gives you more stiffness. Many builders are going back to BSA now though.

 

[Milkfloat]

What's wrong with chucking a Shimano BB71 in?

 

[Milzy]

What's wrong with chucking a Shimano BB71 in?

Good idea £25.

 

[T4tomo]

None

 

[Milzy]

None

Give over, I had one in my giant TCR & it was perfect for 5 years. Yes I do prefer BSA but some really good frames are not BSA.

 

[T4tomo]

Give over, I had one in my giant TCR & it was perfect for 5 years. Yes I do prefer BSA but some really good frames are not BSA.

How can it be a really good frame if it has a fundamentally flawed design in its BB interface?
No one should buy such frames

 

[Venod]

You only hear about the failures, how many are running with no problems ? well maintained looked after press fit are no problem IMO, I have had three, they are very simple to look after, and you can't mess up the threads, although I have never had a problem with BSA brackets either.

I have only used Cannondale & Trek so can't recommend any others.

 

[Alex321]

How can it be a really good frame if it has a fundamentally flawed design in its BB interface?
No one should buy such frames

They don't have a "fundamentally flawed" design.

Many of the early ones were problematic. And done badly they are certainly not great.

But good ones, done well are perfectly fine. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with the concept.

 

[Milzy]

How can it be a really good frame if it has a fundamentally flawed design in its BB interface?
No one should buy such frames

I’ve seen titanium frames on eBay for peanuts because some novice has stripped out the threads.
Many race in the pro peloton on press fit with no issues.

 

[davidphilips]

Getting back to the main question of which BB to fit, Agree %100 with Milkfloat, Shimano BBs are good value and can be seen on sale at times.

Only have press fit BBs on my Genesis Volares and never had a problem or worn one out but when i do need to replace one will try and just replace the bearing its self with a top grade bearing and reuse the shimano casings as i do with threaded BBs?

After watching Hambini on utube (hes very straight to the point with no back doors) he recommends press fit but points the problems at frame alignment caused by poor quality production.

Personally i avoid press fit apart from my genesis bikes but they are made from Stainless steel and hopefully have not the issues that show up on lots of carbon frames.

Only my view but as cycleops said The Devil helped design press fit, Press fit has and does give many cyclists a little bit of hell but when you think about it most BBs even threaded BBs the bearings are press fitted into a shell and then threaded or fitted into the the bike frame?

 

[Big T]

Anyone who has never had a creaking press fit BB is welcome to come and have a ride on my Cannondale (or should I say Creak’n’Fail) CAAD 8 with a BB30 Press fit. Creaks like hell, I changed the BB bearings and guess what? It still creaks. Avoid, Avoid,Avoid.

 

[Alex321]

Anyone who has never had a creaking press fit BB is welcome to come and have a ride on my Cannondale (or should I say Creak’n’Fail) CAAD 8 with a BB30 Press fit. Creaks like hell, I changed the BB bearings and guess what? It still creaks. Avoid, Avoid,Avoid.

As far as I can make out, they stopped manufacturing the CAAD8 in around 2015. Things have changed a bit since then.