American bicycling was built on the one piece crank with press fit bearing cups in the frame. Frames were steel as were the bearing cups. Having serviced many of the older style (still being manufactured today) bottom brackets the steel frame to steel cup is integral to the quietness of this design. The cups are pressed into the frame or beat in with a rubber hammer so their is a total interference fit. Nice quiet bottom bracket. Such a simple successful design. The American bottom bracket standard is still bigger diameter than all the other bigger bottom bracket standards out there. It is sad that in this day and age a bottom bracket patented in the 1890's is better thought out and engineered than these noisy new comers. At my age I hear the creaking and and god awful clunking before they pass me on the bike trail on their carbon fiber super bikes. I personally can't stand little mechanical creaks and clunks coming from my bike, they drive me batty. I should say more batty than usual. Can't we just graft the steel bottom bracket off a mid 60's Schwinn Varsity onto these carbon wonders and quiet them down please.