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IB17: New BBinfinite one-piece BB30 bottom bracket fits 30mm spindles

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If you’ve ever had a true BB30 bike, where the bearings are pressed into the frames without any BB cups, then you know why this matters. Those frames require absolute precision in their molding (for carbon) or machining (metal bikes), but also require a clip to hold the bearings in. And every time you replace the bearings, which is needed far more often than with other BB standards, you end up removing material whether you wanted to or not. That means things move out of alignment, bearings can creak, and drag happens. Here’s how they did it…

They took a standard BB30 6806 bearing, which has a 42mm outside diameter, and reengineered the outer race to have a 40.5mm OD, which lets it fit inside their sleeve. That lets them bring their creak-free, perfectly aligned design to a frame design that’s plagued with reliability and tolerance issues. But it keeps the 30mm inside diameter, so you can still run your BB30 cranks.

The other improvement is the inner sleeve bushing between the bearings. This prevents any preload wave washers or out-of-tolerance frame widths from stressing the bearings.

Retail is $150 for steel ABEC7 bearings, and $205 for ceramic hybrid bearings with lifetime warranty. Available now. They also offer this model with a direct fit for 24mm Shimano, Campy’s UltraTorque and SRAM GXP.

BBinfinite.com

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21 Comments
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Foolcyclist
Foolcyclist
6 years ago

If only they had PF92 for 30mm spindles. Race Face, Rotor cranks seem to be popular these days.

TYler durden
TYler durden
6 years ago
Reply to  Foolcyclist

They have an article on their site staunchly against this. not enough bearing.

Pierre-Yves Facomprez
6 years ago
Reply to  TYler durden

I’d tend to agree with that article they wrote !
But not they are getting so close with that BB30 version of their BB… BB30 is 42 OD and 30 ID to begin with and is narrow, BB86 is 41 OD and 30 ID (if one wants to use Rotor 3D+, etc.) and is much wider.
Anyway I think I’m going back to 24mm spindles anyway… you can do everything with 24mm axles and in the end for a same crankset SRAM GXP is probably better than SRAM “30”, Rotor 3D24 is probably better than Rotor 3D+ and Shimano cranksets work great… steel axles are great and no direct contact between crankset axle and steel bearing inner race is often better too (though with anti-seize grease, good alignment, et. it’s possible to prevent that contact from making any noise).

typevertigo
typevertigo
6 years ago
Reply to  TYler durden

I saw that article, too, and it’s got a good point.

Praxis seem to have cracked it, though. They offer BB86/BB92 bearings for their M30 cranks, which are basically 30 mm spindles stepped down to 28 on the non-drive side, SRAM GXP style.

Cycleofaddiction
4 years ago
Reply to  typevertigo

Praxis haven’t cracked it at all. I’m on my 5th BB in less than 12months for my Zayante and one only lasted one wet ride before it started creaking! The bearing is very poor quality and from what I heard Praxis weren’t interested in making it and only relented because customer’s asked for it!

AlexK.
AlexK.
6 years ago
Reply to  TYler durden

– thanks for the heads-up on the article. Interesting read:
https://www.bbinfinite.com/blogs/news/116078787-30mm-madness

TimE
TimE
6 years ago
Reply to  Foolcyclist

Rotor makes the 4130 BB for 30mm axles to fit into a PF92 frame. Its not one piece though but it seems to hold up well if the frame is properly prepared (faced) and bb fitted correctly

Amigoamigo
Amigoamigo
6 years ago
Reply to  Foolcyclist

Hope and Wheels mfg have 30mm bb92 bearings. Machined with a lip they press directly into the frame

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
6 years ago
Reply to  Amigoamigo

I’m running the Hope cranks on a PF92 frame. Never any issues, even with the ultra light dust we have in Utah

VeloKitty
VeloKitty
6 years ago

What if every brand of computer had different types of USB ports that weren’t compatible? May all these different bottom bracket variations die a horrible death.

Mr. P
6 years ago
Reply to  VeloKitty

My phone is USB 3, which is incompatible with USB 2. Type A USB is not compatible with type B USB. Mini type A & B are not compatible with standard A & B. The mini versions are not compatible with each other… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB#Connector_properties

Dominic
Dominic
6 years ago
Reply to  Mr. P

And then there’s USB Micro which makes me want to kill people. How many godd*mn cables, how many bizarre phone propping arrangements…

D
D
6 years ago
Reply to  VeloKitty

Why won’t these Honda parts fit on my Yamaha!

Greg
Greg
6 years ago

I’m not much for that paper thin outer race. If modifying races, I’d rather go with making the ID 31mm and being able to use SRAM’s top hat plastic bearing shield that protects from metal bearing/metal spindle contact.

iiwas
6 years ago

Not sure I get this? Do I put this thing in between my Cannondale SuperSix Evo frame and my Hollowgram crank to eliminate supposed creaking?

Carl
Carl
6 years ago
Reply to  iiwas

That seems to be the idea–though in the end it is another high-end pressfit system that will likely end up with its own pressfit issues, but at least it eliminates the issues of a full-blown BB30.

iiwas
6 years ago
Reply to  Carl

Thanks. Had creaking on this bike once, turned out one of the BB bearings died after around 3000km. 🙁

Aubz
Aubz
6 years ago

C-bear B.B. give the best results

AlexK.
AlexK.
6 years ago

and yet again – at the end of the day: what do any of these designs offer over good ‘ol BSA shells? I have options to run any of my cranksets with BSA shells. In the world of pressfit – there are simply fewer options for 30mm cranks that don’t have creaking issues (i.e. have threaded shells or something else to hold the BB more firmly in place than pressed in bearings)

Ryan
Ryan
6 years ago

I’m no expert…but this seems like a blatant rip-off of the One-piece Hambini Bottom Bracket design.

See:
https://www.hambini.com/hambini-racing-bottom-bracket-black.html

Which is funny, because rumor has it that BBInfinite claimed Hambini infringed on their two-piece BB patent a few months back.

Pete
Pete
6 years ago

Another approach would be to machine a custom outer race that is wider and extends inward, with fine threads machined, so each bearing could screw together as one, but the bearing size itself is still standard.
Any takers?

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