Press-fit Bottom Brackets Are BETTER Than Threaded

Press-fit bottom brackets are better than threaded ones. That may horrify you, but allow Simon Bromley, BikeRadar’s Senior Technical Writer, to make the case for press-fit systems.

After a decade or so of press-fit bottom brackets being the dominant system on high-end road bikes, there has – to almost universal acclaim – been a notable return to threaded bottom brackets in the last few years.

Specialized ditched its press-fit OSBB 61 bottom bracket standard in 2020 in favour of a traditional BSA threaded bottom bracket on the Tarmac SL7. Even Cannondale recently specced a BSA threaded bottom bracket on its 2022 Synapse endurance road bike.

It’s hard to find many who’ll stick their neck out for press-fit these days.

Perhaps controversially, we think that despite the often reported difficulties of press-fit bottom bracket systems, we should pause for thought before we consign them to Room 101.

What do you think? Are press- fit bottom brackets an elegant engineering solution? Or are you threaded through and through? Let us know in the comments!

Raoul Luescher’s video on Press-fit Bottom Brackets:

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[ktakashismith]

I'm still laughing at Hambini's comment about Cannondale switching to threaded BB's being "an admission that they can't manufacture a round hole".

[paulhyland]

As a bike mechanic I prefer to work on thread bbs. Far less hassle

[NCrdwlf]

The real problem is lack of QC in frame sets . I see huge inconsistencies within a brand and model . One bike will be fine, the next one, same make and model a damn disaster that ends up going back ( after a prolonged fight with the rep ) " our bikes are all in spec "

[Hogdog]

It’s only better if the manufacturer is capable of manufacturing them to adequate tolerances. The vast majority of manufacturers have proved time and time again that they aren’t.

[danc]

Press Fit has never been the issue.

Press fit is VERY reliable and used in vehicle engines and hubs etc...

The issue is the manufacturers that can't make a round hole.

[chriscope]

It has been proven by many engineers on multiple occasions that Mass Produced bicycle frames do not maintain the tolerances needed for a secure and trouble free Press Fit BB solution. Customs, one offs, sure. Not mass production. So, unless you're planning to change the industry in some way to make them increase QC on BB tolerances...

THREADED WINS EVERY TIME!

[GokkunGuru]

Threaded is more user friendly if you remove the BB often. PF requires special tools and I’m not sure if the frame can tolerate frequent install/removal of the BB.

[Hambini]

I am quite shocked that despite my considerable expertise in the subject and basically market dominance. I didn't get referenced once. I wonder why that is.

[paulr]

Interesting, I've always had issues with press fit BB's and surprisingly never had an issue with threaded. Pressfit BB are not worth the headaches IMO. I will never own a pressfit bike again. I ride because I enjoy riding no pressfit BB is worth the time, or weight saving and hassle of the constant hassle. Cheers

[PuffinPass]

Pressfit on a properly QC controlled frame is indeed better....but we have seen time and time again that QC and their ability to create a truly round opening is far beyond many (if not most) manufacturers abilities.

[hawgietonight]

PF was a good idea on paper. Execution was (and is) the problem. My current bike had, among other requirements, to have a threaded bb.

[MJarthur]

After riding a Canyon Aeroad with a pressfit bottom bracket I will never switch to a bike with a pressfit again.
The bike was creaking so much I just stoped mid ride and had a friend pick me up, if you can hear the creaking through your music or when you're enjoying a beautiful scenery ride then it's just not worth it.
It eventually puts you off to want to even ride the bike.

SO THREADED IT IS!

[cliffsangelsphotography]

I had a PF on my Trek Procaliber; creaked every other month. My Ibis Ripley has Chris King threaded BB; its been 5 years without service and still running strong

[thegrowl]

I watched the parktool video for how to take apart a pressfit bottom bracket, got half way through, and immediately thought that pressfit was introduced to keep bike mechanics in a job.

[stephenshaw]

The meme reference in the thumbnail is to die for, kudos to y’all

[marekbabal]

Thanx for the video, this topic interests me a lot recently. For the last decade all my bikes had PF. I changed them by myself at home as needed when time came. Those were aluminium frames. Problems came last year as I had to change BB PF on my Procaliber 2017 – carbon frame. New PF was creaking terribly, I replaced them with other ones, same issue. I probably even permanently damaged my frame in the process of replacing them so many times. Then I tried threadfit PF from BBB and it is perfect. No creaking or any issues since then and they roll fantastic. Unless the carbon frames do not have a metal sleeve in the BB shell as mentioned, it will always be difficult to get the PF bearings perfectly aligned. On my gravel bike (Marin Headlands) I have threaded BB, external bracket cups. I wanted to change cranks from shimano to SRAM, no problem, just unscrewed the hollowtec II and screwed in the GXP cups. I thought great, I could never do that with PF so easily. Threaded BB is more user friendly and much easier for maintenance. Now after watching this video, if my gravel bike had PF instead of threaded external cups and due to that it could have more rear tire clearance, I would take that!

[markowsley]

Not only am I old school but old enough to remember when my top of the line Dura Ace crankset was on a square tapered bottom bracket. I never had issues with it or the steel frame it was in. The silence was golden. I will never have a creaking carbon frame and press fit bottom bracket. The press fit bearing used in the automotive and motorcycle industry are pressed into highly machined metal not crappy quality control carbon frames.

[johns]

Most of us aren’t looking for the lightest, stiffest BB possible…we are looking for something that is easy to service, will last a long time, be straightforward to find a replacement for in 10, 15, 20 years, and has the potential to be moved from bike to bike. All that means threaded BSA is the way to go!

[acousticgearhead]

TL;DR: Press-fit is technically superior/the only correct way to go, but threaded is the way more robust and easy to work with option until frame manufacturers get their sh*t together.

An engineers perspective: a press-fit is the only correct way to install a high-load bearing like a bottom bracket. But a press-fit needs to be an actual press-fit with tightly controlled tolerances for roundness, cocentricity and surface roughness on both the bearing outer as well as the bearing seat in the frame. Bike frame manufacturers have been failing at all of those things consistently since the "introduction" of press-fit. To bikes, because the technique has been around forever, essentially, and working pretty well in other industries.

Aside from that, as a user, I'd add the caveat that a bearing either needs to last (close to) the life of a bike (aka needs to be a high-quality, fully sealed bearing in a proper bearing seat as described above) or be easily servicable/replacable by a user regardless of where they are. Since most manufacturers can't provide the former, the latter is the only viable option until manufacturers get their sh*t together.
And this is why most riders will only accept a threaded bottom bracket at this point. It's far from technical perfection, but it has multiple layers of frame tolerance compensation, anyone with a big enough wrench or even just a towel/piece of cloth can install or pull them and they are pretty hassle (read: creak) free in use, if installed correctly. Even in a very badly controlled frame.
And when talking about "installed correctly" the only thing you need to take care of are clean threads, some grease in those threads and the basic brains not to keep turning when there's obvious, high resistance due to cross-threading. The start of the threads will compensate for slight misalignments, decent technique (turn the "screw"/BB cup in the opposite direction first until the threads settle into each other before screwing it in) will compensate for the rest. Unlike press-fit BBs where you need expensive, specialised tools to make sure the bearings go in absolutely straight to prevent the already bad bearing seats getting completely destroyed, ruining the whole frame.
And as for the drawbacks of threaded BBs: as someone commented below, T47 adresses the most relevant concerns mentioned in the video.

[Sergio_Math]

I have 2 press fit and 3 threaded bikes. I haven’t had problems with either system. Even though I do some work on my bikes, I haven’t had to do anything on BBs, so I haven’t had to cope with the problems associated with PF. Still, I think Simon brings up a good point.