#!markdown
Pressfit is interesting. As Ken mentioned it has a lot of positives from a
design perspective namely more space to play with when optimizing stiffness
and for mountain bikes suspension design. I get why frame designers/engineers
like it.
From a shop perspective I can use the same press I have for installing
headsets instead of having 50x different tools or adapters for BSA (really, we
couldn't just have one f'ing tool that every BSA for 30mm axle BB uses?… Don't
get me going again on Shimano changing the size of HT2 or King/Campy having to
have an ever so slightly different shape to their interface). It doesn't
matter because I have all those tools but if all the bikes at my house were PF
there'd be a lot more room in my toolbox.
The big negatives of Pressfit from a bike company perspective is that some
people simply will not buy your bike if it doesn't have a threaded BB (whereas
no one is not buying a bike because it's BSA)… And you have to make sure
tolerances are SPOT ON.
Creaking? I've dealt with lots of creaking BSA BB's as well (bearing in cup,
cup in frame) but the advantage is you can take the BB out to inspect, relube,
swap the bearings, etc without putting a wear cycle (press-out/press-in) on
the frame or having to buy a new BB.
I still maintain most the hate for Pressfit BBs comes down to too many frames
with bad tolerances turning people off the system.
Anyways, I'm still generally in the preference for threaded BBs camp but I
have to say the BSA evangelism you read a lot these days as if the system is
faultless is a bit hard to take. It certainly wouldn't be a defining criteria
of my next bike purchase.
The points others have made about preferring no DT protector in favour of
Shelter tape are interesting. The moulded DT guards are expensive to make and
a lot of them are fairly hokey.
Aug. 30, 2016, 8:10 a.m. - DrewM
#!markdown Pressfit is interesting. As Ken mentioned it has a lot of positives from a design perspective namely more space to play with when optimizing stiffness and for mountain bikes suspension design. I get why frame designers/engineers like it. From a shop perspective I can use the same press I have for installing headsets instead of having 50x different tools or adapters for BSA (really, we couldn't just have one f'ing tool that every BSA for 30mm axle BB uses?… Don't get me going again on Shimano changing the size of HT2 or King/Campy having to have an ever so slightly different shape to their interface). It doesn't matter because I have all those tools but if all the bikes at my house were PF there'd be a lot more room in my toolbox. The big negatives of Pressfit from a bike company perspective is that some people simply will not buy your bike if it doesn't have a threaded BB (whereas no one is not buying a bike because it's BSA)… And you have to make sure tolerances are SPOT ON. Creaking? I've dealt with lots of creaking BSA BB's as well (bearing in cup, cup in frame) but the advantage is you can take the BB out to inspect, relube, swap the bearings, etc without putting a wear cycle (press-out/press-in) on the frame or having to buy a new BB. I still maintain most the hate for Pressfit BBs comes down to too many frames with bad tolerances turning people off the system. Anyways, I'm still generally in the preference for threaded BBs camp but I have to say the BSA evangelism you read a lot these days as if the system is faultless is a bit hard to take. It certainly wouldn't be a defining criteria of my next bike purchase. The points others have made about preferring no DT protector in favour of Shelter tape are interesting. The moulded DT guards are expensive to make and a lot of them are fairly hokey.