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0 pointsalistairSH3y ago0 comments

Yep. A few…

Threaded external (Sram GXP)

BB30 (plus a few offset/asylum variants)

PF30 (Bb30 but bearing is in a plastic carrier instead of pressed directly into frame)

SRAM DUB

And most have 2-3 widths (road, mountain, e-bike/DH bike/fat bike)

0 comments

c0nsumer3y ago

DUB is a crank spindle standard, and fits in lots of different bottom bracket shells. GXP is also a spindle standard that fits in different shells, most typically English threaded.

But to your main point, that there's a handful of modern standards, yep. There seems to be a good reason for each to exist, at least.

alistairSHOP3y ago

Which makes it worse. Not only does a consumer need to figure out the specs for the BB shell on the frame, but also the specs for the crank spindle.

On the plus side, at least Shimano has, so far, mostly stuck with a single spindle. Where SRAM has produced GXP, BB30, and Dub at overlapping points in time and within the same group of components.

And whoever invented BB30 (Cannondale?) needs a kick in the shin. I’ve never been happy with a BB30 frame - they’re all destined to squeak and creak and pop at some point. Maybe a good standard for a race bike that gets torn down frequently, but just terrible for a consumer bike.

oriolid3y ago

I think it's a part of the problem that consumers keep buying race bikes even if they're really not good for all around riding without support from a team mechanic. It wouldn't be difficult to make a reliable and affordable road bike with 95% of the performance of a race bike (disclaimer: I just made up the number) but selling it would be a challenge.

Matthias2473y ago

T47 (threaded) also joined the club more recently as a more reliable PF30 successor.

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