Bottom brackets are one of the things we all tend to abuse, neglect and forget about in the bike world. That is until it starts to make noise (and you can’t ignore it) or you buy another frame only to discover your crank/bb combo is incompatible with your new frame. For this review we will focus on the dreaded creaking noise from the Pressfit30 bottom bracket and all its cousins.
Like most things, necessity is the mother of invention and the guys at BBInfinite started their company after having issues with all the adapters necessary to use a Campagnolo crank with the PFBB386 bottom bracket on one of the founder’s bikes. Fast forward from that original project to making bottom brackets for friends by using a hand lathe, then to a successful Kickstarter campaign and finally BBInfinite was born. Their latest is the GXP specific model, reviewed here, which securely fits a SRAM GXP crankset into a PFBB30 frame…
Tech nerds should click over to the technology section of BBInfinite’s website and check out all the videos and diagrams relating to issues with frame misalignment, bearing drag and premature bearing wear. These guys have a unique take on these issues and they set themselves apart from the other brands of BBs in the market place by housing both bearings in a single shell. This allows them to precisely control the placement of the bearings in relation to each other, ensuring perfect alignment between the bearings, regardless of any frame misalignment. Having been a victim of a poorly aligned frame and the subquent destruction of the bearings on my Campagnolo Record cranks I can attest to what happens when things are misaligned by as little at 1/1000th of an inch.
More recently, I was having issues with the Delrin Pressfit30 adapter cups on my Niner JET9. So I jumped at the chance to try the BBInfinite unit, which also included fancy ceramic bearings (bonus!).
The install process is very easy using the included tools. Grab your favorite beverage, sit down, read the simple directions first (and check out the install video). If you do not own or have access to a headset press then take the time and spend the coin to have a reputable shop press the BB into your frame. Remember, this is all about accuracy – a hammer and a block of wood does not cut it here. Don’t be that guy, do it right and you will be rewarded with a smooth, quiet BB for years to come (Tyler rocked his on his ‘cross bike for several seasons, only pulling it off because he had to test other stuff).
The graphic-heavy instructions are concise and easy to follow.
Make sure to clean any dirt or grease from this area.
Notice the light-duty thread lock on the non-drive side of the BB. There is also some inside the frame on the drive side.
Installation was very easy, so how does it ride? Did it measure up to the claims and quiet the creaking PF30 monster that lives in my frame?
Yes. The monster has been vanquished and the battle for a quiet bottom bracket has been won! After a summer of abuse the bottom bracket still spins just as freely as the day it was installed. I wish I had more to say, but it’s pretty simple really: There’s no more creaking, the cranks spin light and smooth and fast, and I’ve had zero problems. It’s a helluva upgrade over the plastic-sleeved stock pressfit bottom brackets out there. Sure, there are upgrades that add more bling to your bike, but few will offer the peace of mind and performance upgrade this one does.
Weight for the BB is 5.0oz (141g). Retail is $205 for the CeramiTech model ($150 with ABEC7 steel bearings) and is available in both black and red. Since the bottom bracket is removable and reusable, an extraction tool is available separately.
