# 2016 Tarmac BB30 Issues?



## jcgill (Jul 20, 2010)

Hello everyone,
I am interested in purchasing a new 2016 Tarmac Comp with Ui2. 
I have a few questions for those of you that have experience with Tarmacs and BB30's...

Have you experienced any issues/noises/creaking from your BB30 on your Tarmac?

Have you kept the bb30 and crank stock or did you use a praxis works or wheels mfg adaptor and different crank? 

What is the best setup for a tarmac bb/crank wise? Or is the bb30 a deal breaker in your eyes and should i look for another frame? 

Thanks, 
Jon


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## FeltF75rider (Feb 10, 2012)

I have never had a real issue with BB30. I have owned three bikes with it (still have 2 of the 3). My Tarmac is a little over 4 months old and flawless. Running bike with original crankset and no issues. Thought about changing it but wy mess with it if it works.


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## 11spd (Sep 3, 2015)

Specialized made a big change in 2015. After years of struggle, they discontinued their narrow version of PF30 they called carbon OSBB. They made this exclusively for their top Sworks frames across many models and honestly shame on them for building and selling it as long as they did. PF30 is the absolute worst and they finally shamelessly abandoned it as a selling point for their most upscale Sworks bikes which was a huge deficit and not a benefit. Marketing at its worse.

OP, you are very smart to ask. The BB is the centerpiece of any bike. Good news is...Specialized latest default BB is BB30 which is light years more reliable than PF30 but not as rock solid as English threaded with an external bearing crank like Ultegra or DA...latter is the most bullet proof and dependable combo in the industry.

But...BB30 'with loctite' is very good with average maintenance and one of the cheapest BB's to own. I prefer it to Praxis. The book on Praxis with BB30 is..it can creak depending on build tolerances. Metal on metal interface not unlike BB30. Creaking Praxis collet sleeve BB's can be quieted with Loctite however. But what's the point of a more expensive BB you have to use Loctite on even though Praxis doesn't spec it? Just stick with BB30. BB30, with clean and greased bearings, steel bearing outer races loctited to alloy BB30 cup bores and correct mechanical or wave washer preload, won't creak. It almost can't by design...nothing to creak when set up properly.
For 2016, the Tarmac from Expert up...definitely go 10r carbon...and try to avoid the $1K price penalty of the Sworks 11r for a handful of grams saved and a different paint job...they are all BB30.

Now, if you want a new fast bike with similar qualities to the Tarmac but a bit steadier handling and 20mm taller head tube...remember you can size down on the Roubaix and run a flat long stem, consider a 2016 Roubaix SL4 Expert which is also 10r and has an English THREADED BB. Thanks to Specialized for making the Roubaix Expert for 2016 with a threaded BB...which btw is also spec'ed with an excellent Ultegra crank and BB...bulletproof.


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## 1Butcher (Mar 15, 2011)

BB30 has had it's issues, but most of them are solved and many times they are caused by incorrect installation.

11sp [aka Roadworthy'] is knowledgeable about this issue, but is too opinionated to give an unbiased opinion. A Roubaix would not be an acceptable type of bike to replace a Tarmac. Two different bikes for two different goals.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

BBinfinite is another really good option. They make external and pressfit systems for all kinds of bottom bracket standards. I highly recommend checking them out:

BBInfinite Bottom Bracket Ceramitech Ceramic Bearings


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

Here's their OSBB product:

Specialized OSBB (62mm) - DirectFit Shimano - BBInfinite


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## 11spd (Sep 3, 2015)

Rashadabd said:


> BBinfinite is another really good option. They make external and preffit systems for all kinds of bottom bracket standards. I highly recommend checking them out:
> 
> BBInfinite Bottom Bracket Ceramitech Ceramic Bearings


Aside from being very pricey, most 'adapter' style BB's including BBinfinite, Praxis etc have a down side. Let's face it, they were not design intent and supposed to be a better mouse trap, but many have tradeoffs. For example for BBinfinite and carbon OSBB aka 62mm PF30 aka carbon OSBB, the one end of the sleeve, pushes thru 'both' bores of the bike BB shell. In the case of carbon in particular, this isn't good for the BB shell. Carbon has very poor abrasion resistance in shear. Carbon fiber is not a good bearing surface and an underlying problem of PF30 in fact and why BB30 with insert molded alloy cups is much more reliable. The fact that BBinfinite uses an adhesive..undisclosed in the video as to what it is...however should make it quiet...it just isn't a BB I would use because of not only the high price but what I mentioned above.

OP, back to BB30. BB30 is solid if you Loctite it and use a BB30 crank without adapters. I urge you to avoid a Specialized S-works frame with carbon OSBB to avoid its issues and of course you will save money by opting for their 10r carbon frame which is excellent.


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## robt57 (Jul 23, 2011)

MMsRepBike said:


> There's no problems or issues with Praxis and the OSBB setup.


I still never got anyone at Spesh to say if the after market BB would specifically void the frame warranty or not.

I see that as a highly problematic issue potentially...


I personally has OSBB issues on a SL4. I have read a lot of posts how folks have had OSBB for years now w/no issues. 

Either there are a lot of full of sheit folks [imagine that] or there are an awful lot of aftermarket products filling a non need. . . observationally. [I know, not a word]


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## 1Butcher (Mar 15, 2011)

MMsRepBike said:


> ************************
> 
> There's no problems or issues with Praxis and the OSBB setup.


I could not say that better.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

I haven't heard one person complain about bbinfinite either. I guess it's possible, but...

BBinfinite Smooths Intolerances, Perfects PressFit Bottom Bracket Performance - Bikerumor

Review: BBinfinite's amazingly smooth one-piece pressfit bottom bracket - Bikerumor

BBInfinite Bottom Brackets - Performance Skeptism : Triathlon Forum: Slowtwitch Forums


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

MMsRepBike said:


> ************************
> 
> There's no problems or issues with Praxis and the OSBB setup.


FWIW, I'll add to this that the good folks at Fuji Bikes, who I assume know a thing or two about bbs and frame materials, are including Praxis units on a number of their bikes for MY 2016 (stock).

Fuji Bikes - Bikes List


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## rcb78 (Jun 15, 2008)

11spd said:


> I urge you to avoid a Specialized S-works frame with carbon OSBB to avoid its issues and of course you will save money by opting for their 10r carbon frame which is excellent.


Nothing wrong at all with the new S-Works frames. I've got a 2015 that I've been on since Oct 2014 and the BB hasn't made a peep. The frame is still PF30, but they epoxy in Al BB30 cups for a straight BB30 install. I did yank the bearings when new and re-install with sleeve retaining compound to be safe, but like i said silent since it first hit the road.


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## salesguy (Sep 8, 2005)

I have a 2015 frame as well, haven't done a thing to the BB bearings. Silent and smooth.


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## TricrossRich (Mar 26, 2014)

11spd said:


> Specialized made a big change in 2015. After years of struggle, they discontinued their narrow version of PF30 they called carbon OSBB. They made this exclusively for their top Sworks frames across many models and honestly shame on them for building and selling it as long as they did. PF30 is the absolute worst and they finally shamelessly abandoned it as a selling point for their most upscale Sworks bikes which was a huge deficit and not a benefit. Marketing at its worse.
> 
> OP, you are very smart to ask. The BB is the centerpiece of any bike. Good news is...Specialized latest default BB is BB30 which is light years more reliable than PF30 but not as rock solid as English threaded with an external bearing crank like Ultegra or DA...latter is the most bullet proof and dependable combo in the industry.
> 
> ...


Aren't BB30 and OSBB the same exact thing? Its my understand that BB30 was invented by Cannondale, so obviously Specialized wasn't going to call it that and came up with their own name, OSBB, but they're the same in reality.


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## TricrossRich (Mar 26, 2014)

To the OP, I have 2 Specialized bikes, both of which are OSBB... I'm running Shimano cranks in both, using Praxis bb conversions. I can't say that I have been creak-free because I have had a creak 2 times (once in each bike) after many, many thousands of miles (approximately 5000 on each bike). The fix was just pulling the cranks, giving the Praxis 1/2 a turn applying some new grease and re-installing the cranks.


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## shoerhino (Aug 13, 2004)

Based on advice from a fitter, I recently went from a 54cm 2006 Madone 5.2 to a 49cm 2014 Tarmac comp with mechanical 6800 Ultegra. I really wanted a bike with full Ultegra DI2 but because I was able to pick the Tarmac on a pretty good clearance sale, I bought an Ultegra DI2 groupset and a Praxis BB adapter and just finished installing them today. 

I was originally worried too about the use of BB30 but from what I've read, people have good luck with the praxis bottom bracket. I just installed on and I thought it was pretty easy for what its worth. 

I considered the same bike you're looking at but the 2014 I found was an awesome deal.


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## goodboyr (Apr 19, 2006)

Hahaha.......just found this thread........welcome back RW!


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## dcgriz (Feb 13, 2011)

No personal attacks will be tolerated! 

Feel free to express your agreement or disagreement with the views of others however you must do it in a civil manner otherwise you will not be allowed to do it! Period!

Incidentally, I do have a 2014 SWorks with an OSBB retrofitted with the Praxis and Shimano cranks. No creaking, no issues.


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## goodboyr (Apr 19, 2006)

Huh? Not sure what I did to warrant that.


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## 1Butcher (Mar 15, 2011)

????? [only cause I could not post 1 ?]


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## shoerhino (Aug 13, 2004)

I'm confused too. What's welcome back RW mean?


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

They believe 11spd is a former member Roadworthy posting under a new name.


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## J-Flo (Sep 30, 2015)

Not exactly the same question, but I have a 2012 S-Works Stumpjumper, which I believe uses (a different version of?) the "OSBB" (i.e., 46mm BB bore, 42mm bearings each with its own small cup). I learned the hard way that PF30 would not work properly; the cups kept working their way out and creating excessive preload. I switched it to the Praxis BB with RaceFace Next SL crank -- problem solved. I have never had a better-spinning BB. The only downside is the Praxis BB assembly adds about 50g over the PF30, but I lost more than that switching to the ultralight cranks, so still a net win.

My son has the PF30 on his 2014 Tarmac and has had no issues in about 7,000 miles.


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