# Trek Emonda SL BB?



## SundayNiagara (Apr 17, 2014)

I've posted in the Trek forum with no response. Since Trek is having a sale, with some very attractive pricing, I am considering an Emonda SL and would like to hear about BB problems in the Emonda SL frame, if any?

Thanks in advance for your help.


----------



## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

BB90 is a press fit system that uses the bearings you'd normally see in Shimano or SRAM, or Campy bottom bracket cups. It works w/ 24mm axles, so no BB/PF30 cranks. I've been working on them and have owned them for years. No problems if they're installed correctly. If they're not, and the shell is slightly loose there is always the 'V2' bearing available that is .1mm oversize. I'd love it if manufacturers went back to threaded shells, but the Trek BB90 works fine in my opinion.


----------



## SundayNiagara (Apr 17, 2014)

cxwrench said:


> BB90 is a press fit system that uses the bearings you'd normally see in Shimano or SRAM, or Campy bottom bracket cups. It works w/ 24mm axles, so no BB/PF30 cranks. I've been working on them and have owned them for years. No problems if they're installed correctly. If they're not, and the shell is slightly loose there is always the 'V2' bearing available that is .1mm oversize. I'd love it if manufacturers went back to threaded shells, but the Trek BB90 works fine in my opinion.


Good to know.


----------



## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

SundayNiagara said:


> Good to know.


I can say w/ total honesty that considering all of the different 'press fit' type systems out there the BB90/95 has been pretty damn trouble free from my experience. :thumbsup:


----------



## SundayNiagara (Apr 17, 2014)

I just wish I could get more people to respond.


----------



## Lelandjt (Sep 11, 2008)

I owned a Scott with the same system and echo everything CX said. If you want Shimano or Sram cranks it's fine and lighter than BSA. The only downside is you can't use most 30mm axle cranks and the ones you can use (Lightning on my bike) have tiny bearings that wear out quickly. This isn't too much of a concern though since if your priority is performance the Sram Red GXP crank is pretty light and stiff.


----------



## SundayNiagara (Apr 17, 2014)

Lelandjt said:


> I owned a Scott with the same system and echo everything CX said. If you want Shimano or Sram cranks it's fine and lighter than BSA. The only downside is you can't use most 30mm axle cranks and the ones you can use (Lightning on my bike) have tiny bearings that wear out quickly. This isn't too much of a concern though since if your priority is performance the Sram Red GXP crank is pretty light and stiff.


Thanks, I was wondering about SRAM cranks.


----------



## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

ANY crank you get from ANY 'major' manufacturer will more than stiff enough for your needs. Weight...? You can make that decision.


----------



## SundayNiagara (Apr 17, 2014)

Anyone else?


----------



## Corey213 (Jan 11, 2013)

I have a Madone and my friend has an emonda. No troubles with ours. He hasn't changed his out since he has had it, that i know of. Mine i changed twice. Easy to do and no troubles with all three sets


----------



## SundayNiagara (Apr 17, 2014)

Corey213 said:


> I have a Madone and my friend has an emonda. No troubles with ours. He hasn't changed his out since he has had it, that i know of. Mine i changed twice. Easy to do and no troubles with all three sets


Why did you change it?


----------



## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

I have the Madone with BB90 and using Shimano crank. No problem, no creaking. I also have another bike with BB90 and Shimano crank, and no issues here too. Of all the various pressfit bottom bracket systems out there, BB90 is probably one of the better ones, better then the BB30, PF30, Specialized pressfit.

Having said that, I have 4 other bikes with threaded bb, and I'd say threaded BSA bb is still king when it comes to minimizing creaking noise. Recently I did have one of these bikes develop a creaking noise bb after 4 years of hard use in the mountains (it's my climbing bike), so I put in some new Shimano Ultegra bottom bracket, cheap and easy to replace, creaking noise gone. It don't get much easier


----------



## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

My current Domane frame has 12,000 miles on it and the BB90 has never been serviced - still smooth with no creaking. Previous Domane frame had the BB DS bearing replaced around 4000 miles due to it getting a bit rough, not creaking.


----------



## GeojeRider (Mar 2, 2018)

SundayNiagara said:


> I've posted in the Trek forum with no response. Since Trek is having a sale, with some very attractive pricing, I am considering an Emonda SL and would like to hear about BB problems in the Emonda SL frame, if any?
> 
> Thanks in advance for your help.



So, I know this is an old thread but just to ensure the feedback goes in the right place on this huge WW web....Just for the record:

My 2016 Emonda SL6 with approx. 4500 miles (i'm 6' x 180lbs) has developed a problem and I think Trek has agreed to warranty it, although I don't have a new frame in hand yet. The problem is a small crack growing around the drive side of the BB. Also the bearings were already in need of replacement, which is what led me to look close enough to find the crack. Non drive bearing was indexing and the drive side bearing is loose fitting now. Replacement bearings were $50.


----------



## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

GeojeRider said:


> My 2016 Emonda SL6 with approx. 4500 miles (i'm 6' x 180lbs) has developed a problem and I think Trek has agreed to warranty it, although I don't have a new frame in hand yet. The problem is a small crack growing around the drive side of the BB.


Not uncommon with recent Trek OCLV frames. Good luck with the warranty.


----------



## Lelandjt (Sep 11, 2008)

Since we're updating I'll update my two year old post where I said very few BBs exist that fit a 30mm crank (BB386 size) in a Trek BB90 shell and my experience with Lightning's was not great. Since then Raceface and others have come out with BBs that do this and while still having small bearings the durability of my Raceface has been good. I've been running a Next SL G4 crankset in a Scott MTB with BB86 for a year now and it still feels like new.


----------



## Notvintage (May 19, 2013)

SundayNiagara said:


> I just wish I could get more people to respond.


A guy I work with had his BB90 shell un-bond from the frame. He also ate bearings for lunch. I'd forget Trek.


----------

