Can somebody enlighten me as to the mysteries of BB30?

I ride a Cannondale RZ120 2, 2011, which was advertised as a BB30 bb. Now the frame has BB30 decals on it, but it came with a set of Deore cranks and a Hollowtech External BB.

I recently purchased a set of X0 BB30 cranks, which didn’t fit my old bb. I have since sent them back, and will be running a Hope bb with X0 GXP cranks, with the little converter thingies. My Hope bb screws into the frame fine, but the diameter of the frame is bigger than the diameter of the Hope washers on the bb, so a ring of shiny Aluminium is visible – is this an issue?

What BB did I need to run these X0 BB30 cranks?

Clear as mud???????

You need to take out the adaptor that was fitted to allow the deore cranks to work.

Does the bottom bracket shell have some converters installed to take external bb cups? If it does,.. Then if you remove them and install bb30 bearings then bb30 cranks will fit or leave them in and use normal cranks
If it hasn’t then I have no idea..

This may help.

Sounds like you frame has an insert pressed in (the shiny Aluminium bit) to allow the running of a standard threaded BB (ie the Deore one supplied). You may be able to get it pressed out by a bike shop but you need them to check with cannondale first to make sure its ok.

If your happy to stick with what youve bought then dont worry about the aluminium bit being visable, as long as you have the right spacers on in terms of width (follow instructions from BB and cranks) then everything will be fine.

STATO, that sounds like it – seems a bit of a mess really!!! I’ve got a hope bb withX0 GXP/hopeconverters now – if they ever turn up from CRC (Grrrr!!).Iit has the spacers as per instructions so hopefully all fine.

Thanks everybody.

I’d send them back and get back your BB30 cranks! Take the adapter out and do it properly!

I did one today (out of one super 6-snapped!- and into another).Although not impossible without the right tool it’d be a PITA without them.There’s not much to choose between the bb30 and gpx chainsets TBH.Fitting/removing BB30 bearings can be a pain compared to external bbs and nearly every cannondale bb30 I’ve dealt with has ended up creaking at the bearing/BB shell interface (BB30 relies on very tight framebuilding tolerances and I don’t think cdale post heat-treat ream the shells).
Its why pressfit BB30 has become so popular all of a sudden.

BB30 chainsets are lighter and stiffer, and you save the weight of the adapter. I’d expect them to be as likely to creak from the adapter too!