I see lots of topics about this kind of thing but struggling to make sense of the different standards.

Firstly – All my bikes have a standard external BB shimano cranks? Whats this standard called?

Next up – where the BB bearings are inside the frame, is this a pressfit BB? What is this standard called? I’m thinking of getting a planet x carbon sl frame for the road, is this the type I need?

I notice different cranks need compatible BBs, ie sram, campag etc. I’ve seen a chainset that needs a campag ISO BB. Can this be fitted to any bike? And would it be compatible if the rest of the drivechain including chain and cassette are shimano. ie this???

Any pointers would be much appreciated

ta

Holy crap….you’ll need longer than 5 minutes.
Worms,can,of

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottom_bracket

Google to the rescue )

I like to think of myself as reasonably intelligent, played with bikes for many years, built them from scratch etc. etc. and I’ve no idea about the whole host of bb standards. 😥

The Campag ISO question – this is a square taper bottom bracket, but a different taper to the JIS ones that Shimano use. If you have the correct ISO bb and chainset then they should be able to be fitted to any bike with a standard threaded (i.e. old school, not pressfit) type bb shell on the frame. No problems with drivetrain compatibility after that.

See also http://sheldonbrown.com/cribsheet-bottombrackets.html

The trouble is, at the end of those 5 minutes, there’ll be another standard – so you’ll have to start all over again 😉

(Nice link there, Rorschach!)

Beaten to the reply!
This post was only duplicating what’s already above, so I’ve removed it… 😉

I have to deal with so called bike ‘standards’ everyday….I’m a nerd and I still can’t keep up (in my defence I’m thick as pig poo though….hence the job).

http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/categories/bottom-brackets

and thats if its a new frame, if its an old frame there used to be four different thread ‘standards’ as well.
ie, english french swiss italian.

There’s at least four different press fit BB ‘standards’ aren’t there?
BB 30
BB 91
BB 90
BB 71

More?

BB 86 as well

Any more?

BB30 isn’t the same as PF30 btw. The latter is purely press fit, with a plastic retainer, whilst the former may press fit (as in interference fit), but not in the same manner as the latter. Different standards you see. BB30 places the bearings in the correct location via a circlip constrainer; PF30 places the bearings in the correct location via the holder dimensions.

It is a mistake to call BBxx press fit when PF is the nomenclature applied to press fits.

And what about BB right?

more confused than ever now!

Me too.

Help.

loads of bb info here 🙂
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bbsize.html

BB 86 as well

Any more?

BB386.. the one that could replace a few others but as usual no-one agrees on what’s best.

The FSA OE tech book / CD may be the best guide, the image above comes from FSA. Dimensions, adapters, cross-compatibility are all covered. If anyone has somewhere to host a pretty big file, PM me a link and I can upload a copy of that section if you’re dull, interested, bored, need it for work etc.

Oh, I’d love to see that. Yes I am a geek 🙂

have we forgotten about the old school stuff? square taper, octolink, truvative splined (power drive?),cotter pin, dura ace and xtr oct0link,

also with all of them you have shell length and axle length.

ENDLESS