Just got myself a new road frame with a PF30 BB. I want to avoid any creaking/walking bearings. Been looking into PF30 to 24mm BB converters so I can use my Ultegra cranks. Looks to me like the obvious options are Praxis works and Wheels manufacturing. Looks like the Praxis uses a collet to tighten against the inside of the BB shell, however its my understanding the collect tightens only from the DS and the NDS can become noisy in some instances. The Wheels manufacturing appears to thread into each other, therefore possibly reducing opportunity to creak. Anybody any realworld experiences, with a good number of miles to boot?

I also understand there are “sleeves” available which will fit in the BB to accept a standard HTII BB, however they appear to be more permanent, and if a creak does develop I imagine its more of a ball ache to remove this and fettle?

any thoughts opinions much appreciated.

I had the Praxis on my Last bike. It worked really well. No noise, bearings lasted pretty well. I wouldn’t hesitate to get another. The Wheels Manufacturing version is also supposed to be pretty reliable but needs a special tool, I think.

Wheels Manufacturing screw-together every time for me. Think I’ve fitted them to three or four press fit frames now. On at least two of those occasions I thought “nah, I will persevere with press fit THIS time” only for it to start creaking after about 100km or so…

Have done many thousands of kms on these BBs now, can say from first hand experience that they are a good solution for my needs. Others may prefer the other solutions (eg. Hope) but WheelsMfg needed fewer fancy tools IME (an outsized HTII type spanner, MegaExo I think, not expensive, plus a press maybe to get one of the cups in, although that’s not always essential I gather).

I have the Wheels manufacturing on both my FS specialized bikes and also the gravel bike.
Haven’t creaked at all. I take ’em out a grease them once a year, but all on the original bearings too, at over 4 years for one of them.

Not used a Praxis tho’

I used a press in FSA converter, not sure if they fit a road BB. Once in it ain’t coming out. Involves hair dryer and freezer to get it in and its supplied with a permanent Loctite type stuff but its not moved or creaked on my Cannondale F29 hardtail ( original BB is a PF30 alloy insert into carbon frame) with a M970 XTR crank fitted and its had some stick and been used as a singlespeed which has involved lots of low cadence grinds stood up.

I used the wheels manufacturing one on a fatbike when it, inevitably, started to creak. Good enough that I wasn’t put off buying my gravel bike by the press fit BB. Only thing to watch is that it (or at least, the one I used) uses a funny size BB spanner to tighten it up. I had to buy a new one as my HT2 ones didn’t fit.

Looking into it some more I thjink I’m leaning more towards the wheels mfg.