BSA DUB non-SRAM alternative BB

[Joe Soap]

Looking for some advice please.

I have a DUB crank set and a frame that takes BSA threaded BB.

Obvious choice is to use SRAM's BB, which I have.

I am not very impressed with the service life of the SRAM BB. Are there perhaps other options available that is comparable with this setup?

If not, what is considered the "best" crank standard to use with threaded BB's?

[Steady Spin]

Wheels MFG - https://www.summitbikes.co.za/index.php?id_product=1167&controller=product

You won't look back. Fully rebuildable as well. 

[droo]

+1 for WheelsMFG. Bearings and seals all available individually.

 

I've never had an issue with the SRAM ones though, so maybe check your installation and adjustment or you might end up eating bearings in the Wheels one as well.

[Steady Spin]

Was about to say the same. Swopped a BB out last night after 2 years and it was smooth as butter. 

[BaGearA]

Hope BB and raceface cranks(30mm) have been absurdly reliable to me 

[DieselnDust]

The SRAM BB is a pretty simple and robust piece of kit, especially the DUB unit. AS Droo says, check the installation.

Otherwise wheelsMfg

[Joe Soap]

Hmmm... Surprised that some of you are very happy with your SRAM BB's.

Might have a dud or fluke piece rubbish that found its way in.

Will re-verify installation

Thanks for the input

[DieselnDust]

14 minutes ago, Joe Soap said:

Hmmm... Surprised that some of you are very happy with your SRAM BB's.

Might have a dud or fluke piece rubbish that found its way in.

Will re-verify installation

Thanks for the input

I currently don't have a SRAM BB but when I eventually had to replace them CCS didn't have stock of the right type for my bike (BB386EVO) and I opted for a WheelsMfg unit. I've never had an issue with the SRAM units that have been correctly installed. They do wear out but I got at least 2yrs out of a GXP unit without ever servicing it. They're pretty fit and forget if the frame bb shell is aligned and faced. Frame prep is everything.

 

[MORNE]

7 hours ago, Joe Soap said:

 

If not, what is considered the "best" crank standard to use with threaded BB's?

if you follow a '5year old' engineer on youtube (Hambini) lol, he'll explain why he thinks anything bigger than shimano 24mm standard is absolute (insert Hambini expletive here).

He does slag off SRAM a lot though. He hates on them publicly for being design and engineering numpties. He thinks their cranks are the worst, from the way they are designed, to the way they are fixed and preloaded. GXP considered the worst of them all in his eyes haha.

His theory is that the bigger the crank spindle gets, the thinner the bearing interface gets...the less reliable naturally becomes. 

There are other things you need to consider when you have BB's failing faster than normal...and thats one of the main themes on his channel and why he designs and makes his own BBs. And that is the fact that it is SUPER rare for any frame to have a perfectly round or aligned bb shell...and bb cups exaggerate this problem even more.  

[Trashy]

11 minutes ago, MORNE said:

it is SUPER rare for any frame to have a perfectly round or aligned bb shell...and bb cups exaggerate this problem even more.  

I'm curious about this statement.

Is this with aluminium or carbon frames?

Where does this data come from and what is the sample size?

Having personally reamed and tapped hundreds of aluminium frame bb's, I find it hard to believe that modern bikes are not properly aligned, especially on the higher end of things.

[MORNE]

2 hours ago, Trashy said:

I'm curious about this statement.

Is this with aluminium or carbon frames?

Where does this data come from and what is the sample size?

Having personally reamed and tapped hundreds of aluminium frame bb's, I find it hard to believe that modern bikes are not properly aligned, especially on the higher end of things.

All of them.  You'll be shocked. 
He has had some of the most expensive and well known bikes you can imagine on his channel with out of true BB shells. Some of them have wanted to take him to court haha.
 

Its not so something you’ll see just from reaming and tapping. He uses micrometers and perfectly lathed shell tools to measure and show these ‘defects’. he’ll measure a press fit frame for instance and the right side will be 45.90mm and the left will be 45.4 and slightly oval as in 46mm on a different axis.
Then  left and right BSA threads will be at different angles as much as 1*. Stuff like that. 

I anything, carbon seems worse, but he’s had plenty of titanium bikes with BSA bbs on there too that had BB shells as much as 1mm out of round or out of true on one or both sides…with cranks unable to make 3 rotations around due to friction in some cases.

basically then once the shells are screwed in or pressed in on both sides….the holes for the crank shaft are not perfectly aligned or in plane…which manifests in unnoticeable ‘wobble’ in rotation and friction…destroying bearings.

He solves these problems by making custom one piece bb’s  that compensate on either side of the frame to the crank spindle running true and as close to perfect as possible. 
 

His products are expensive since they solve a unique-to-your bike-problem….so you dont get people sending him cheap bikes really.

pS: he’s an mechanical/aeronautical engineer himself, and although purposefully childish haha, uses sound mathematical and engineering principles to measure, test and correct these things. The big bike industry hate him, but he’s our robin hood for all intents and purposes…he calls them all out on there bullch1t. His episodes where he debunks the aero claims some of these marketing departments make are also hilarious. 

Edited March 29, 2022 by MORNE