Quarq compatibility

Taxuser1

i'm having conflicting advice from manufacturer and bike shop as to bottom bracket compatibility, any advice would be appreciated

i've an argon 18 gallium pro with an integrated BB86 bottom bracket. The Quarq Elsa runs a BB30 crank. The manufacturer says I can use a Rotor Press-Fit bottom bracket which allows compatibility.

Is this accurate ? the lbl doesn't seem to think so but reading around, it seems it would.

slow

I ran a BB30 SRM on a PF86 bike this season. I got bearings to do the job from Chris McCann from Inspired Cycling. It requires the proper tool to remove the bearing with the 24mm inner diameter and replace it with a bearing with the wider 30mm diameter.

Taxuser1

i thought this could be done.

are all the BB86 24mm in diameter ? with so many cranksets running bb30, I thought this would have been a major issue ?

so, in essence, i need the tool to remove the existing bb shell, a new bottom bracket compatible with the quarq and away I go ?

the manufacturers said a rotor pf4130 could be used ??

Chips Lovell

I've a Canyon Ultimate Al, which has a BB86 bottom bracket shell. I use a Rotor 3D+ crankset, which has a 30mm spindle. I use a Rotor PF4130 bottom bracket.

Having said that, I've no experience with Quarq cranksets and if there's any issue with compatibility with the Rotor BB.

Have you already bought the Quarq?

Taxuser1

Jep Gambardella wrote: »

I've a Canyon Ultimate Al, which has a BB86 bottom bracket shell. I use a Rotor 3D+ crankset, which has a 30mm spindle. I use a Rotor PF4130 bottom bracket.

Having said that, I've no experience with Quarq cranksets and if there's any issue with compatibility with the Rotor BB.

Have you already bought the Quarq?

I'm in line to buy it. I'm wary having already been burnt on an SRM compatibility issue.

The advice to use the rotor bb came from Quarq themselves. I've no reason to doubt them yet the bike shop seems to think otherwise ? From what you're outlining, there shouldn't be an issue, simply buy the new bottom bracket?

Chips Lovell

If it's one of those cranks where the spindle slides into pressed-in bearings, then I reckon it should work, but I haven't tried it myself with a Quarq.

Having said that, I wouldn't buy a crank with a 30mm axle. BB86 is really designed for a 24mm spindle and, while you can make it work it a 30mm, it means compromising on the size of the bearnings. Long story short, the bottom bracket gets knackered quicker and you'll end up replacing it more often.

clog

The rotor will work I have fitted a pressfit bb to an Aragon 18 and if it is the same shell the rotor 4130 will allow you to run a bb30 crank.

This is the one

http://www.bike24.com/p234356.html

Taxuser1

Jep Gambardella wrote: »

If it's one of those cranks where the spindle slides into pressed-in bearings, then I reckon it should work, but I haven't tried it myself with a Quarq.

Having said that, I wouldn't buy a crank with a 30mm axle. BB86 is really designed for a 24mm spindle and, while you can make it work it a 30mm, it means compromising on the size of the bearnings. Long story short, the bottom bracket gets knackered quicker and you'll end up replacing it more often.

have you had to replace the bearings much running your set up ? any creaking or noticeable groaning down there ?

so it definitely works with ROTOR and Quarq say it runs the same as rotor - the uncertainty is driving me nuts.

clog

Jep Gambardella wrote: »

If it's one of those cranks where the spindle slides into pressed-in bearings, then I reckon it should work, but I haven't tried it myself with a Quarq.

Having said that, I wouldn't buy a crank with a 30mm axle. BB86 is really designed for a 24mm spindle and, while you can make it work it a 30mm, it means compromising on the size of the bearnings. Long story short, the bottom bracket gets knackered quicker and you'll end up replacing it more often.

The bearing size comprimise is not that much of an issue bb30 to bb86 ( 42mm v 41mm). The real difficulty is putting a bb30 into a standard bsa threaded shell where you have to drastically reduce bearing size to make it fit.

Hmmzis

Is the Quark that much cheaper than a power2max? You could keep the existing BB without any issues by just going with a 24mm spindle on it. If your cranks are removable from the spider (like all SRAM 11s cranks) then p2m should be even easier with compatibility.

Taxuser1

Hmmzis wrote: »

Is the Quark that much cheaper than a power2max? You could keep the existing BB without any issues by just going with a 24mm spindle on it. If your cranks are removable from the spider (like all SRAM 11s cranks) then p2m should be even easier with compatibility.

power2max was my initial route and there will be no problems there with the 24 mm spindle. i think that will be the preferred route now.

Leroy42

Sorry to ask what be silly questions but the BB30 is the new type of BB right? What is the older, standard called? The other option seems to be Sram GPX, is that compatible with normal Shimano?

From what I can see the Quarq Elsa RS is standard only, ie not compact, is that correct? Opps, just reread the stuff and see its the new Shimano 4 hole system so can fit any of them. So would current Ultegra 6700 chainrings fit?

When you buy it it doesn't come with chainrings and you put your current chainrings onto the crankset?

slow

BB30 means that the axle is 30mm diameter. It's been on the go for around 10 years now. It's normally an internal press-fit (non-threaded) bottom bracket.

The standard used to be the threaded bottom bracket with a 24mm axle hole. If you buy an Ultegra groupset, you get a BSA 1.37 x 24 bottom bracket. This has British threads. Both threaded sides of the axle are tightened by turning them in the direction that you pedal.

The Italian threaded version (used on Pinarellos) is different on the non-drive side. It tightens as you would close the cap of a bottle. So, you have to put Loctite on the threads to prevent the pedalling action loosening it.

GPX is another standard. It's similar in size to the 24mm, but you must buy GPX if it says the powermeter is GPX.