cyclintom

I bought a FSA Gossamer MegaEVO crank only to discover that they do not make Italian threaded bottom bracket cups. That takes an awful lot of nerve if you ask me.

Someone referred me to Roto cups but these cost more than twice what the new cranks cost and that's preposterous.

Does anyone know if the 30 mm Campy cups will work? Also none of these cups seem to come with bearings. Back before I discovered that there aren't any Italian cups I bought a set of bearings but they are very narrow laterally.

Does anyone have any sort of fix for this problem?

Slash5

I think you need to provide model numbers and more details for a definitive answer - but they show an Italian FSA BB-6000 Gossamer Mega Exo BB here.

FSA BB-6000 Gossamer Mega Exo BB | Chain Reaction Cycles

Never heard of someone selling a BB without bearings.

markg

MegaExo was the bottom bracket for the older 24mm dia cranks. The OP needs a MegaEVO bottom bracket, which adapts the 30mm diameter FSA BB386 cranks to standard threaded bottom brackets (BSA68). I am surprised there isn't an Italian-thread version, as I don't see why it wouldn't work - just different cups and a spacer change.

cyclintom

I contacted FSA and they're the ones that told me that they don't make Italian threads. A Campy distributor told me that Campy cups only work with Campy.

Another suggested to look under Rotor, THM, Extralite, and Tune. I couldn't find anything there. I think a while back I saw a Rotor unit but it was almost $200 for a set of cups!

Someone else said that the MegaEVO fits 30 mm Shimano cups but I contacted someone about the Shimano DuraAce 9000 cups and they said they are not for 30 mm shafts.

To say the least I'm not happy with FSA.

rgconner

Upset with FSA?

Why? Did they sell them to you claiming they would work with an Italian BB and now it turns out they don't?

Maelochs

It might be possible to get a set of Italian BB cups which fit and have a local machine shop bore them out to whatever diameter you need.

Slash5

https://www.endurobearingsonline.com.../bb-italian-30

For use with a 30 mm crank spindle and a threaded Italian bottom bracket shell.

However it's $239

Moose

Takes alot of nerve?!? Really? Seems pretty silly not to have a compatible bottom bracket in mind when shopping for a crankset. Especially when you have an oddball issue of compatibility like an Italian threaded BB which has long since been dropped as a reasonable standard... at least for use with modern components.

Why don't you just return the crank?

cyclintom

So what you're saying is that component manufacturers should only make components for new bikes and not a couple year old one?

ksryder

I think the problem is not enough people want a Gossamer crank to make it worth their while.

There's plenty of other BBs that offer italian-threaded products. Thing is, the Gossamer is at best a mediocre crank, so even though you might eventually be able to source a third-party italian-threaded solution, you have to decide whether it's worth the time and effort. I ran a Gossamer for a couple of years before upgrading to a Shimano 105 and I have no complaints.

My experience with the MegaEVO bottom bracket was that it was reasonably stiff, but it couldn't handle adverse conditions (like winter gravel riding) very well -- after just a couple months of riding it would get stiff and crunchy, despite regular servicing. I replaced a couple and they were higher-priced than I thought they should be, and had the same issue, before I swapped to shimano Hollowtech II and have been running that with no problems for a couple of years.

Sucks that you have to deal with this. Crank/BB compatibility issues are a huge PITA due to the approximately eleventy bajillion different standards.

cyclintom

My point exactly. The Gossamer crank cost around $60.

cyclintom

FSA also makes MegaEVO carbon cranks. The 30 mm crank is becoming the standard. Having bearing problems has nothing to do with the cranks. Mechanics have told me that the press in 30 mm bearings are not that great because they begin to work their way out after a short time. And new bearings don't help because the old ones have reamed out the BB. So they are making these screw-in contraptions that have use a smaller OD bearing.

Everything seems to be built with the lightest possible weight in mind regardless of the reliability.

Spoonrobot 

I wanted to quote this as it has been my exact experience as well.

ksryder

FSA: First in parts that immediately get upgraded.

Moose

FSA's bread and butter is making OEM gear for the big brands...no they shouldn't be expected to make their bottom shelf components for some boutique or independent builder's frame who insists on using outdated standards like Italian threaded bottom brackets, a setup that is inherently flawed to begin with and has been forsaken by almost everybody.

Anybody that insists on using Italian threads should really just stick with period specific hardware or be prepared to pony up the dough for custom made stuff if they want their bike to interface with modern equipment.

Moose

Anyhow...here is your bottom bracket. Italian threaded MegaEVO.

You're welcome.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/bottom-brac...e/263302480566

cyclintom

Italian manufacturers:

Abici
ALAN
Atala (company)
Bianchi (company)
Borile
Bottecchia
Emilio Bozzi
Moser Cicli
Cinelli
Colnago
De Rosa (bicycle company)
Di Blasi Industriale
Frera
Guerciotti
Iride Bicycles
Italvega
Kuota
Masi Bicycles
Dario Pegoretti
Pinarello
Pogliaghi
Prinetti & Stucchi
Somec
Stelbel
Tomasso
Tomasini
Wilier Triestina

You are aware that many of these companies still make steel bikes aren't you?

Moose

I never implied that Italian framebuilders were extinct.

Most of those listed in your post are boutique brands, those that aren't have probably abandoned Italian threading.

Look, I personally love Italian steel bikes but I am just saying that you shouldn't be aghast that a component manufacturer may want to phase out old and unnecessary standards. Especially when they really haven't. FSA seems to be making the bottom bracket you need but primarily for the European market. Did you see the link I posted above?

cyclintom

You can STILL buy steel Colnagos, DeRosa's in Titanium, Aluminum and Steel, Tomassini in Steel these are not boutique bikes and they are italian threads. While some Italian makes such as Alan have changed to BSA threads most Italian manufacturers have more national pride than that.

I emailed directly to FSA and they emailed back that they do not make their MegaEvo BB's in Italian threads. Your reference was to a MegaExo - a 24.5mm cup.

Moose

No...click the link, that is a MegaEVO. Maybe they meant they don't make them for the USA market.

If you don't think Colnago or DeRosa are boutique, you have too much money. They are not common in the mainstream retail market which, to me, makes them boutique since they are only available through exclusive shops.

cyclintom

My mistake, that IS a MegaEVO but FSA told me specifically that they didn't make that item. Anyway I immediately ordered one.

Thanks.

BTW, I don't have too much money but I happen to believe that if you are going to pay $10,000+ for a bike you might as well make it better than a Specialized.

OwO_colnago

i ordered a italian bb on ebay just recently
but i cant send the link cos i havent got 10 posts

Metieval

It's a free market supply and demand. IF there is a hole, that sounds like a PRIME business opportunity for you. Oh wait.... people don't like to pay the high premiums that comes from a niche product. Never mind.

maybe that's why there is a hole in the market**********????

RiceAWay

Gossamer cranks are a crank on the same value as an Ultegra crank so my question to you is - what in the hell are you talking about? Furthermore the MegaEVO is about as stiff as the Campy Record crank which while a bit lighter scratches very easily because of the crank arm shape. Where are you getting your opinions from? When this thread was started MegaEVO was new. So how could you have been running it for a couple of years?

I had a very bad start of the year so only have 3,000 miles and 125,000 feet of climbing for the year but that surely shows I'm not sitting around and NONE of the FSA parts have even worn a little. The teeth on the crank hardly show any wear. FSA sells chain rings for a very nominal price. You can't even find replacement rings for Campy unless you want to go to the distributor and pay more for a set of replacement rings than you would for an entirely new crank off of Amazon.

I do not like the FSA carbon cranks which still use a metal shaft despite using sealed bearings.

RiceAWay

Again I'm wondering where you're coming from - niche products are the ones with excessive pricing. Surly touring bikes, Shimano touring groups, touring wheels etc. Top end super-light racing parts. You seem to have fixed opinions. That is your business, but don't for a second think that others agree with you in any manner. Eventually I got an Italian threaded 386 bottom bracket cups because the FSA service guy didn't know what he was talking about - they cost three times as much as English threads at the time but the pricing has come down.