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PF30 BB crank options

- seb

Turbo Monkey
Apr 10, 2002
2,924
1
UK
I need some new cranks for my Demo, and it has one of those press-fit 30mm bottom brackets.

I feel that I've read/heard that BB30-to-normal-BB adapters have a tendency to creak/move? So I'd be better off getting some bonafide BB30 cranks?

If so, what good options are there? The only two that spring to my mind are the e-thirteens and SRAM X0 carbons. Any other options?

Thanks!
 

wood booger

Monkey
Jul 16, 2008
668
72
the land of cheap beer
I would go w/ some of the e*13 offerings. I've got a set of the cheaper matte black ones on a Demo and they look good!

The latest e*13 BB/cup system is dialed. The left & right cups thread together inside the shell, super bomb-proof and sealed to be hella smooth for days. http://bythehive.com/e-thirteen/components/pf30-bb/

Stay away from adapters for sure. Not made for real DH use & abuse unless you like your cups backing out of the frame.
 

- seb

Turbo Monkey
Apr 10, 2002
2,924
1
UK
If I buy a set of e13 cranks, do they come with the BB or do you buy the BB separately?

If the latter, is it necessary, or can I use whatever PF30 BB is currently in the frame? I know nothing about these PF30 things, no idea if they're all interchangeable or not. I assume they are...
 

NAYR

Monkey
Jul 13, 2009
109
0
Truckee
I have nothing but good things to say about the e13 crank/bb set up on my Demo. I remember buying the BB and cranks separately, but that may not be the case now. The e13 pf30 bb is much better than the plastic pf30 adapter that comes with the frame. There is no creaking at all, and the BB inserts aren't self extracting.

I think the e13 cranks have a thicker spindle than other brands, so your current adapters might not work with the new cranks. I'd just call them and ask to be sure.
 

- seb

Turbo Monkey
Apr 10, 2002
2,924
1
UK
Is there any difference between the LG1+ cranks and the LG1R cranks? The hive's website claims the same weight for both, so is it just a rebranding/new colour?

edit: ah no, I see, 60g lighter apparently. They must just have got the weight on that page wrong. Slack.
 
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buildyourown

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2004
4,832
0
South Seattle
The issues I've seen with the Demos, had cracked plastic adapters. Ironically, they pushed PF30/BB30 as a way to get around having to thread frames. Then they realized they couldn't keep the dimensions consistent so they have to use a malleable plastic bushing. Yeah!

Enduro makes BBs that interface directly with the frame, yet allow you to run whatever crankset you want. GXP, Shimano, e13, etc.
Not cheap, but they bearings are replaceable and those are cheaper than new cups from Sram/Shimano.
 

BMCarter

Monkey
Oct 10, 2007
297
0
Santa Barbara
+1 for the LG1R.

Fantastic crankset. I have had zero issues with mine over 2 seasons. They are surprisingly strong. I half expected them to bend as easily as my old gravity lites. Not even close. I've probably taken 3mm off the bottom of each arm from repeated rock strikes. Slide sideways, pedal first, into a tree? No problem. Didn't see that stump sticking out of the ground? That surely bent the cranks, nope.

Even the spider is strong. I bent the spider on my Saint 810's. I've definitely hit the bash on these cranks much harder, and more sideways than the Saints. Still perfectly straight.

Also the new preload system is awesome. I have it on my TRS+ cranks and it's bloody brilliant. I'd say it's as near as makes no difference, as simple as the Shimano/FSA preload system.
 

Carraig042

me 1st
Apr 5, 2011
732
353
East Tennessee
I have had the E13 LG1 cranks for about 2 years now on my Demo. They have been very good and I cannot complain about them. Their new PF30 bottom bracket is a big improvement from even their older one since it threads in the middle now.

Their cranks do NOT come with a BB, you have to get that separately.

-Brett
 
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Sugar_brad

Monkey
Jun 20, 2009
328
6
Sram X0 pf30. I ran Saint cranks with the apapters for two seasons and had zero issues. A lot of people with gxp cranks had issues because the crank bolt doesn't preload the bearings the same way shimano cranks do.The e13 cranks are sweet also.