http://road.cc/content/review/214587-specialized-roubaix-expert-2017

“One detail many people will get on board with is the externally threaded bottom bracket. Press-fit bottom brackets have lost a lot of fans over the years, and Specialized must be applauded for listening to its customers and acting on this feedback.”

Is this not a clear admission by specialized that push fit BBs were a bad design and should never have been released.

I have had my Praxis BB out of my Diverge Comp Carbon 4 times in a year and it’s started ticking again today.

I suspect I am not alone in saying that if what a pain push fit BB’s are I would have looked around for a different make of bike.

Just reading on here how many base their decisions on new bikes and the BBs would convince me if i were making frames.

All my bikes have threaded BBs…. Unless someone forces me as no frames have threaded, they always will.

I wish I had done some research before I handed over my cash. My 2012 Argon 18 has a threaded BB and I never have any problems with that frame.

It’s cr!p and in all honesty I am surprised they have not had a raft of “Not fit for purpose” consumer right claims. There seems to be enough evidence from disgruntled cyclists to warrant such a statement.

Can we have 26 back now too?
🙂

They’re moving some (maybe all, in time) of their bikes to 31.6 seatposts instead of accursed 30.9 as well- Specialized, Champion Of Proper Standards? Well it could happen.

TBH I’ve never had any real bother with the pressfit in my Trek (BB92 I think) but I’d definitely rather have a threaded one. It all seemed to be about making things easier for the manufacturer.

Hopefully, other’s will follow.

I’d not buy a bike with a press fit BB.

Mind you, I’m getting rid of HTII for square taper on all the bikes too.
It just doesn’t work in the mud round here.

This years spesh enduro also had a threaded BB.

When I got my 2015 enduro I looked at the problems people had with push fit, and went for a hope one and never had a problem with it. However I think the problems lie with a) cheaper plastic BB’s that fail quickly b) The complexity of swapping a push fit compared to the easy job with a threaded.

I prefer threaded but been running a bb92 for over 3 years now had to change twice (as good as. Got with ht2) and it was very quick and easy

Standard seatpost sizes more important IMHO

Hilariously, the threaded BB in my Specialized Sequoia had just started creaking/grumbling…

I’d heard a rumour a while ago about Spesh doing this.

Going to pressfit was a financial decision not an engineering one: it means they can make the frames a little bit cheaper since there’s fewer processes to perform. Then they came up with all the marketing spiel about it being “stiffer, yada, yada, yada”.

Always been good fun going into a bike shop and asking about bikes “but nothing with PressFit BB” and watching them splutter 😆

What’s an

externally threaded bottom bracket.

Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer my threads on the inside of the shell. 😀 Press-fit BB would definitely be on the pro/con list if I was replacing a bike, not a deal breaker on it’s own though as my experience is that they are about as reliable as HTII types, but you need the expensive tool.

but you need the expensive tool.

my hammer and bit of dowling + large threaded bolt and some big washers havent failed me yet!

I squished mine in with a vice but I’d happily hammer it. That said, there’s various different “standards” and maybe they’re not all so tolerant.

(and that’s another thing, OK you want to do pressfits, fine, but at least agree on what they look like. When I wanted to find out what BB was in my Trek, I asked them and they went “Well we don’t know, we’ve used about 37 different standards and we can’t keep track”

Has anyone fitted a Shimano HTII BB lately? I had to buy a special adapter because they’ve changed the shell and the size of the install tool! 👿

Why!! The new BB are a smaller external diameter now, which saves weight but you’ve got to think that the smaller bearings wont last as long as the older ones…

Ironically, the BB30 in my Demo has actually been OK and lasted better than my RF Cinch BB on my hardtail.

Saying that I much prefer threaded BB’s – they’re just easier than beating out bearings etc.

Has anyone fitted a Shimano HTII BB lately? I had to buy a special adapter because they’ve changed the shell and the size of the install tool!

The XTR ones have been like that for a while although they did include a plastic adapter so my existing tool worked. Despite the small bearings, they did last well enough.

Threaded BB in my 4 week old Bronson is creaking, though I just realised last night, the dustbowl that is our local trails atm is making everyones bike creak like a champion!.

Deore are still big, I think it’s XT up that are smaller.

Saved me £15.

Shame. I was hoping they’d eventually crash and burn with their endless support of new standards. Wonder if their lawyers sued the design team.

Threaded BB in my 4 week old Bronson is creaking, though I just realised last night, the dustbowl that is our local trails atm is making everyones bike creak like a champion!.

😆 so British! You moan if its too wet, and moan if its too dry.

so British! You moan if its too wet, and moan if its too dry.

😆

In all honesty, our local built stuff is like ice atm, so hardpacked it’s tough keeping the front end on corners!

We need rain!

Bought my XT BB on from Chainreaction… No tool, just the BB in a bag. Was a bit of shock, especially as my old BB had been removed in anticipation the night before and I want to go out on the bike.

about time..

I ran workshops in 2 Specialized Concept stores and am “familiar” with press-fit problems, to say the least 😉

I also owned 4 tarmacs (3 with press fit) and 4 stumpjumper (all with press fit), cannot say much good about the BB30/PF30/OSBB press-fit experience from a personal level

seems to be luck of the draw with many press fit frames, whether tolerances were in range or hopelessly out, and out of range cannot always be solved with Praxxis and fibre grip 🙁

Ironically, the BB30 in my Demo has actually been OK and lasted better than my RF Cinch BB on my hardtail.

Binners will back me on this. It will start to make a noise after that statement, you have just cursed your own bike!

I’m suprised it’s taking this long. Some others have gone back to threaded (T47 or BSA). Some have never specified them for this reason.

tbh if I wasn’t happy about a creaky PF BB I’d be initially wary of a bike with a steerer and seat tube damper system for road miles. Might work fine but bigger tyres can do a better job there.

Has anyone fitted a Shimano HTII BB lately? I had to buy a special adapter because they’ve changed the shell and the size of the install tool!

Why!! The new BB are a smaller external diameter now, which saves weight but you’ve got to think that the smaller bearings wont last as long as the older ones…

Bought my XT BB on from Chainreaction… No tool, just the BB in a bag

The adapter tool is suplied with the BBs as long as it’s not OE stock. Oddly 2 new M8000 XT bbs I bought have both lasted since August on high-use bikes inc one on the SS – never had a Shimano BB last a full winter yet so whatever they’ve done, so far it seems to be a big improvement.

Has anyone fitted a Shimano HTII BB lately? I had to buy a special adapter because they’ve changed the shell and the size of the install tool!

The XTR ones have been like that for a while although they did include a plastic adapter so my existing tool worked. Despite the small bearings, they did last well enough.

Nope, they’ve changed the size AGAIN, there are now 3 Shimano sizes. 🙄 We know this as we brought two adaptors to Llandegla and still had to borrow one from the the nice people in the shop, in their words, ‘standards are now beyond ridiculous’

The new BB are a smaller external diameter now, which saves weight but you’ve got to think that the smaller bearings wont last as long as the older ones…

I’m using a newer shape/size Ultegra BB on my rigid 29er and so far its smoother and lasting longer than the old shape/size XT BB it replaced.

And for the curious as to why I’m using a road BB,
the reason is the outer bearing cups are slightly wider than MTB ones so I only need to use a single 2.5mm spacer either side of the bb shell and get a better chain line.

Wish they’d done it before the Enduro 29 I’m trying to build at the mo.

My simple checklist for any bike companies reading this….

External BB
External cable routing (including option for external dropper)
Standard, decent size bearings
No funny business with the shock mounting
And you can forget that integrated headset too (I want the option of running a slackset)

HTH

Never had a problem with the BB30 on the Specializeds we have. Thought we had standardised but the 2017 Enduros have gone back to the old ones so its another spare that we need to keep. Still got one from my old Enduro. The new carbon Enduros also have a shim for the seat post so that the Command post will still fit. I think all the bearings are the same size. Not had to change one yet.

And for the curious as to why I’m using a road BB,
the reason is the outer bearing cups are slightly wider than MTB ones so I only need to use a single 2.5mm spacer either side of the bb shell and get a better chain line.

That’s interesting, I’ve interchangeably used road and MTB cups, and only ever had to reuse the centre tube to take account of the different number of spacers. I’ll keep an eye out for that next time.

All pivot bearings on the new Enduro are the same size too

I like press fit but if I was a manufacturer I wouldnt sell them because many customers are not very good at maintenance.

Ever since the cartridge BB came out they have been seen as throwaway items . Who does any maintenance on their BB these days ?

Press fit BB on my Specialized Crux must have been in and out of there 6 times now. Replaced with a sleeved joint but that’s clicking now. Whole thing needs a complete strip down really.

I wouldn’t buy another PF BB.

Who does any maintenance on their BB these days ?

I did loads on my King BB … Had to, water and dirt got in on every wet ride 😀

All BB’s Seem to last a year no matter what standard so I don’t mind press fit or threaded. In fact press fit cost £30 to replace and is easy as to do by yourself. Compared to the £100 hope bb that needed facing and lasted the same amount of time.

Have a look at this pity you can’t get in the UK

Stop the creak

Threaded BB in my 4 week old Bronson is creaking, though I just realised last night, the dustbowl that is our local trails atm is making everyones bike creak like a champion!.

There’s Boutique Brands for ya…….. 😀

Santa Cruz is most definitely not a boutique brand, There’s more of them round here than any other manufacturer.

😀 aye, fair point, good on our LBS for helping promote them. One day I may get one too !

Good move, as the statement on the SC website said when others were going PF – we are not, it’s not worth it (summary version 😉 )

Some interesting changes going on – Rocky Mountain with the Maiden and Slayer were doing universal bearing sizes on pivots I think and big ones too.
Somebody was on about external cables – unless you have particularly unreliable brakes I can’t see the attraction it’s much neater and protects the cables/hoses much more and the frame from a lot of rub. A good frame will have proper guides inside that make the job simple.

My last 2 bikes have had press fit Shimano (BB92 I think). Both of which work fine, and seem to last just as long as a normal HT2 BB.

Compared to the total junk of BB30 I had in Specialized, which lasted weeks at a time before it creaked.