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Help BB30 with Shimano

macrophotofly

Maximum Pace
Aug 27, 2012
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I'm about to order the Boardman 9.8 frameset. It comes with a BB30 and I would like to either put D-A mechanical or Ultegra Di kit on it (mainly due to finding the hoods most comfortable for my hands). However I'm looking for advice on what to do about the crank. Shimano doesn't do a BB30 and there seems to be a lot of problems with adapters? My default idea was going to be to get an FSA K-Force Light crank as they are 70% off at chainreactioncycles at the moment (or perhaps a 2012 Sram red black crank - the bike will be black). Any thoughts? Any experience of FSA? Or experience of SRAM cranks with a shimano front dérailleur?
 
You will have no problems.

Just get a BB30 to Shimano BB. I had one in my Evo until I got my new chainset.

I was running a Dura Ace 7900 chainset, into a Rotor BB30 to Shimano BB with zero issues.

The BB30 to Shimano BB's just have BB30 sized cups, and Shimano sized bearings, and conform to the width of a Shimano BB. Just press it in, slide the Shimano crankset through and fix as normal. Couldn't be easier.

OR...

Get a BB30 crankset, and put in a normal BB30 BB and do it that way.

Loads of choices and totally easy.
 
In fact, I am selling my Rotor ceramic BB30 to Shimano BB. You can have it for next to nothing, to give you the option of using a Shimano crankset.

PM me for a price. It will be next to nothing.
 
Our team bikes run BB30 yet funnilly enough nobody uses a BB30 crank. We are all using the Token adapter with ceramic bearings. Absolutely no issues at all.
 
All good suggestions, but IMHO the best option for you would be SRAM Red Exograms sticking with native BB30. They're super light and super stiff!

Here is a Goole link: LINK
 
I'm down with FE on these - I used the Token adpater for our CX frames - no issues whatsoever. I know if you're in the Shinjuku hood that Y's Maniac (custom) stocks these (and several other adapters). Other parts of Tokyo - probably no different. Then you're free to use pretty much any Shimano / SRAM (and many other) compatible cranksets. But I do think that new CD crank like Owen got is well worth a peek!
 
I do think that new CD crank like Owen got is well worth a peek!

The Cannondale Hollowgram SISL crankset that I have & the SISL2 that Owen has are lighter and stiffer than the Dura Ace cranks, and are considered by those in the know to be the best crankset in the market. That being said they are going to set you back 80,000-90,000 yen. The SRAM Red Exograms that I referenced are going to give you 98% of the performance/benefit of the Hollowgrams for less than half the price. And, if you really want to get the most bang for the buck the previous SRAM Red cranks are only about 20,000 yen and are damn good! IMHO, unless you already have cranks in hand, you are best served by one of the two SRAM Red cranks in native BB30. Anyways... just my 2 cents! Good luck with your selection.
 
Yeah, you could be an utter rudeboy and get the ultimate BB30 set up, with the ultimate cranks, but like Pete said, they are well expensive.

I put Dura Ace cranks into my BB30 frame when I got it, because those were the cranks I had, and I didn't want to buy any new ones. The BB30 to Shimano BB worked fine, and it seems that the Token adapter also works great, so you are cool to go with Shimano if you want.

Completely out of character, I woke up one day and decided I was going to drop 100,000yen on some cranks, and got the SiSL2 BB30 setup, and had that fitted to my bike. If I did things again, I would have just gone straight for a BB30 crankset in the BB30 frame and be done with it. Reason; well, they are made for eachother.

So, if you have a BB30 frame, and you have not already got some cranks to use, I personally would go for something designed for the job, ie, BB30 cranks and a BB30 BB. I think Pete's suggestion of the SRAM cranks is best if you want to spend mid-range money. If you want to completely go mental, get the SiSL2 with Spider Ring; that little combo shifts as good as a Dura Ace chainset (I am running Dura Ace 7900 mechs and shifters) and is so stiff, I am honestly scared I am going to snap my legs in half when pedalling. I have seen a few other non-Cannondale race teams using the SiSL2 now too, which is testament to how mentasm it is. The SRAM will be very close though, and not silly money. I have seen loads of people using them with Shimano shifting and they don't seem to have any problems.
 
If I did things again, I would have just gone straight for a BB30 crankset in the BB30 frame and be done with it. Reason; well, they are made for eachother.

So, if you have a BB30 frame, and you have not already got some cranks to use, I personally would go for something designed for the job, ie, BB30 cranks and a BB30 BB.

Totally agree with this - the team already had groupsets from when we were racing Fuji's that were not 30's otherwise I would also be rocking the BB30 cranks.
 
Do I 'SR' or do I 'NR' . The 1961 Ferrari 250GT California. Less than a hundred were made. My father spent three years restoring this car. It is his love, it is his passion.

Ferris: It is his fault he didn't lock the garage.

Lesson - buy the best you can, especially if it's an 'iconic' model. (Or just borrow it)

P.S. there are no issues with interchange of nearly any chainset these days. Especially the 10sp versions. If you're looking for all out durability and crashability then I'd go for the Dura Ace or other alloy sets.







The Cannondale Hollowgram SISL crankset that I have & the SISL2 that Owen has are lighter and stiffer than the Dura Ace cranks, and are considered by those in the know to be the best crankset in the market. That being said they are going to set you back 80,000-90,000 yen. The SRAM Red Exograms that I referenced are going to give you 98% of the performance/benefit of the Hollowgrams for less than half the price. And, if you really want to get the most bang for the buck the previous SRAM Red cranks are only about 20,000 yen and are damn good! IMHO, unless you already have cranks in hand, you are best served by one of the two SRAM Red cranks in native BB30. Anyways... just my 2 cents! Good luck with your selection.
 
In my opinion BB30 is a gimmick.

Just another new thing to get you to justify buying a new frame.

Sure the frame is stiffer if the bottom bracket area is larger.

The flex you get from a crank is in the arms not the axle.

I really do not believe that if you put a standard Sram Red crank using BB30 adapters on a BB30 frame you would notice a difference from a Sram Red BB30 crank. I only use Sram Red as this has both options available and it would be great if someone had experience using both.

I use adapters for my Campagnolo cranks as they did not make a BB30 crank that run. They work great. I am worried about removing them some day. They compression pressure it took to install them I can only imagine what a year of riding on them has done.

If I were you I would keep your Dura Ace Crank and get a ceramic bottom bracket adapter or use Owens rotor cranks with Sram Red Black chain rings (black bike would look nice with that).

I am not on the boat with the oval chain rings due to the shifting inefficiency of the front derailleur.
 
I don't have Rotor cranks. I have a Rotor BB30 to Shimano ceramic bottom bracket for sale.
 
Guys,
Many thanks for all the advice. I don't have the groupset yet so I have time to make the right choice. Frame is on its way though!

One thing that did worry me with an adapter on BB30 - by using a Shimano crank + adapter (vs a natural BB30 crank like the SRAM Red) am I going to miss out on the pedals being closer (Q) together? My current hybrid bike has a BB30 crank and I like the pedal width today

Also second question, none of you have mentioned FSA cranks.... Should I take that as a negative view on them compared to shim/SRAM/cannon?
 
Also second question, none of you have mentioned FSA cranks.... Should I take that as a negative view on them compared to shim/SRAM/cannon?

Another Yes from me. The bonding on my FSA-made cranks failed between the carbon and the aluminium pedal thread insert.
It was a good excuse to get the Cannondale SiSL crank!
 
Cannondale SiSL>Everything else out there>FSA.

hmmmm, if you are prepared to drop that amount on a set of cranks then yes I'm not suprised you feel that way - however Dura Ace are tested and proved as the go to cranks for price, power and durability.
 
Still the SiSL are bloody nicem, although I would be very worried about flex. Which could be why Sagan isn't using them.
 
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