Hot take: Press-fit bottom brackets are a nightmare to work with

I keep getting creaks from press-fit bottom brackets no matter how clean I make the frame. Even with the right tools, they often come loose or make noise after a short ride. What am I missing here, or are they just bad from the start? I'm about to swap every one I see to threaded.

3 comments

3 Comments

the_simon1mo ago

You mentioned creaks no matter how clean the frame is. Are you using glue or grease when you press the BB in? Some frames need a bit of paste to fill small gaps and prevent movement. Have you measured the BB shell to see if it's the right size? Out of spec shells can cause constant issues no matter what you do.

paulperry1mo ago

See this all the time with small problems people just live with. A door that sticks, a cabinet that won't close right, a phone charger that only works at a certain angle. They'll put up with the daily annoyance instead of taking five minutes to figure out the real problem, which is usually something simple and fixable, like a loose screw or a bit of dirt.

jake7181mo ago

My friend's BB shell was out of spec, creaked until he got it faced.