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Trek BB90 R.I.P.

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Trek BB90 R.I.P.

Old 07-17-20, 10:53 PM
  #1  
colnago62
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Trek BB90 R.I.P.

https://www.bikeradar.com/news/2021-trek-madone-slr/
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Old 07-18-20, 03:33 AM
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Which BB standard is best?

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Old 07-18-20, 03:52 AM
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Originally Posted by datlas
Which BB standard is best?

The next one, of course.
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Old 07-18-20, 04:51 AM
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Good news. I'll consider getting a Trek again in the future.
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Old 07-18-20, 07:03 AM
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Good riddance. Threaded is the way to go.
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Old 07-18-20, 08:46 AM
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Emonda also: https://www.bikeradar.com/news/2021-trek-emonda/
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Old 07-18-20, 09:52 AM
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Originally Posted by znomit
The next one, of course.
I've toyed with the idea of replacing the crankset on my Bianchi - an ISIS-drive FSA Gossamer compact from 2006 with what feels like a really wide Q factor - but as soon as I started looking I realized I'd also have to replace the BB, and I have NO IDEA what BB goes with what crank! I know the BB shell is English threaded. I may just fob the entire job off on my LBS, just tell him "something compact that won't make me feel duckfooted" and be done with it.
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Old 07-18-20, 11:40 AM
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And the Domane. Pretty much all BB standards have their compromises but IMO, BB90 was the worst of all of them (excluding square taper of course...)
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Old 07-18-20, 11:41 AM
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Originally Posted by datlas
Which BB standard is best?

That's up for much debate but BB90 is one of the worst...
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Old 07-18-20, 12:04 PM
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I'm not sure I see the problem with press fit per se. I mean, even a threaded BB has to meet certain - likely the exactly same for an internal thread - tolerances to not creak and eat bearings, never mind be buildable. I think this is either poor QC, or QC rejects making their way into the hands of unsuspecting customers - who then find them impossible to build. Switching to threaded anything sounds like a marketing response to a problem caused by poor manufacturing.
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Old 07-18-20, 12:10 PM
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Originally Posted by sfrider
Switching to threaded anything sounds like a marketing response to a problem caused by poor manufacturing.
Bingo.

There was another thread: https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycl...-brackets.html where I posted all the reasons why BB90 sucks. But that doesn’t mean PF standards like BB386EVO are bad. Most people don’t know that BB386EVO and BB90 are fundamentally different designs. They just see “press fit”.

3T is a company that’s doing things right. They could have gone threaded on their new Exploro but they instead chose to go with BB386EVO (the superior PF standard) and thread-together BBs, which gives you the best of both worlds.

Also. You are right that trek had manufacturing problems. But so do many other manufacturers. It’s normal, sadly. What’s different is that poor QC is catastrophic with BB90.
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Old 07-18-20, 12:17 PM
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Originally Posted by sfrider
I'm not sure I see the problem with press fit per se. I mean, even a threaded BB has to meet certain - likely the exactly same for an internal thread - tolerances to not creak and eat bearings, never mind be buildable. I think this is either poor QC, or QC rejects making their way into the hands of unsuspecting customers - who then find them impossible to build. Switching to threaded anything sounds like a marketing response to a problem caused by poor manufacturing.
It isn’t so much pressfit, but how BB90 accomplishes the pressfit by pressing directly into the frame itself. It then becomes a balance of quality control vs profit margins.
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Old 07-18-20, 12:44 PM
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Originally Posted by genejockey
I've toyed with the idea of replacing the crankset on my Bianchi - an ISIS-drive FSA Gossamer compact from 2006 with what feels like a really wide Q factor - but as soon as I started looking I realized I'd also have to replace the BB, and I have NO IDEA what BB goes with what crank! I know the BB shell is English threaded. I may just fob the entire job off on my LBS, just tell him "something compact that won't make me feel duckfooted" and be done with it.
Each crank will either come with a bb or tell you whats needed. Just buy the bsa/threaded bb.

Praxis crank = praxis threaded bb.
Shimano crank = shimano threaded bb.
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Old 07-18-20, 01:44 PM
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Originally Posted by colnago62
It isn’t so much pressfit, but how BB90 accomplishes the pressfit by pressing directly into the frame itself. It then becomes a balance of quality control vs profit margins.
I've not have any issues with my Emonda but then it's a SLR with Ceramic Speed bearings so i'd assume the QC is better and i'm paying for it.
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Old 07-18-20, 01:48 PM
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If you have trouble with a BB90, then it's no good. If you don't, it will do. I ride a Trek domane , 2018 model with a 90. So far, no problems.
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Old 07-18-20, 10:11 PM
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Originally Posted by GlennR
I've not have any issues with my Emonda but then it's a SLR with Ceramic Speed bearings so i'd assume the QC is better and i'm paying for it.
I had a P1 6 Series Madone that the BB totally failed. Trek repaired it and then it failed again. I have a P1 Domane SLR that the BB failed after 1,600 miles. Trek repaired the frame. My P1 Madone nine has been problem free for 4 years. I think it is just luck of the draw. Trek takes care of their P1 customers. That’s why I always buy P1 Treks.
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Old 07-19-20, 05:49 AM
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Originally Posted by colnago62
I had a P1 6 Series Madone that the BB totally failed. Trek repaired it and then it failed again. I have a P1 Domane SLR that the BB failed after 1,600 miles. Trek repaired the frame. My P1 Madone nine has been problem free for 4 years. I think it is just luck of the draw. Trek takes care of their P1 customers. That’s why I always buy P1 Treks.
24,000 trouble free miles and never a problem.
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Old 07-19-20, 08:16 AM
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Originally Posted by GlennR
24,000 trouble free miles and never a problem.
Luck of the draw.
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Old 07-19-20, 08:18 AM
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Originally Posted by GlennR
24,000 trouble free miles and never a problem.
same here, but it's time to replace the bearings. I hope it remains trouble free.
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Old 07-19-20, 10:56 AM
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Originally Posted by noodle soup
same here, but it's time to replace the bearings. I hope it remains trouble free.
Check out BB Infinite bearings. They are about the same price as Trek’s but seem to be smoother, to me.
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Old 07-19-20, 12:41 PM
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Originally Posted by colnago62
Luck of the draw.
"Better to be lucky than good"
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Old 07-19-20, 12:42 PM
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Originally Posted by noodle soup
same here, but it's time to replace the bearings. I hope it remains trouble free.
I replaced the original Trek Project One ceramic bearings with Ceramic Speed and no trouble.
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Old 07-19-20, 09:25 PM
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Originally Posted by GlennR
I replaced the original Trek Project One ceramic bearings with Ceramic Speed and no trouble.
I'm not really worried about the quality of the bearing(there are many good ones available), but getting the bearings seated perfectly is my concern. I've done it a few times for others, but not on my own bike.
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Old 07-20-20, 05:58 AM
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Originally Posted by GlennR
24,000 trouble free miles and never a problem.
38,000 miles on my P1 Domane, I'm on my 2nd set of bearings, no problems.
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