Chinertown
Chinese Carbon Road Bikes => Road Bike Frames, Wheels & Components => Topic started by: panel on April 22, 2026, 09:06:01 PM
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Has anyone been swayed to go with another manufacturer because they prefer a T47 instead of a BB86?
While on the topic what is better ?
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I'm never buying press fit again. Serviceability is a top priority
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I prefer BB86 over anything else. Super easy to install at home, and pressfit is my personal indicator that the frame won't be a noodle.
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I have a Token thread-together BB86 BB. I think it’s a great combo, easy to install, easy to service.
https://www.tokenproducts.com/bottom-brackets/ninja/bb841t-41 (https://www.tokenproducts.com/bottom-brackets/ninja/bb841t-41)
Was quite cheap and very smooth, even with the lowest tier bearings.
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Unfortunately PF was unfairly given a bad rep, in reality there is absolutely nothing wrong with the system.
T47 isn’t a standard and it’s annoying with the internal/external 12/16 mess they’ve created - absolutely no advantage over BSA, but people were kinda forced into it by manufacturers.
BBs are literally the last thing I’m worried about when choosing a frame.
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I was a fan of BB86, until I hit a bad frame from Giant.
I was also a fan of T47 with 86.5/85.5mm width, until the 2mm flange slipped and scratched the frame, even using the cup tool from parktool.
Although after brought a retaining tool for T47 cups I haven't yet slipped the flange yet, it's still a trauma.
Now I am a fan of BSA, no matter the spindle diameter it just works.
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I was repelled by BB86 even though it is a very good design - the choice of high quality 24 mm axle crankset was pretty much limited to Shimano, but then you could only get pedal-based PM...
With the advent of Cybrei-like cranksets this is no longer an issue and I would choose BB86 if there is an option for that.
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Has anyone been swayed to go with another manufacturer because they prefer a T47 instead of a BB86?
When choosing which bike or frame will become my next n+1, the type of BB does not influence the decission at all.
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One thing to note: aliexpress sells 165 carbon cranks with 29mm spindles, mostly, not 24mm. All else equal, if you want that, get a T47, because BB86 should not take spindles wider than 24mm.
My own frame is BB86 w a 24mm spindle and 170 carbon cranks. That SKU doesnt exist in 165, so i'm kind of stuck, because i refuse to pay 300 odd $ for an OEM / Chinese carbon crankset. I can do 150, but not 300.
More simply: T47 gives you more crank options.
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One thing to note: aliexpress sells 165 carbon cranks with 29mm spindles, mostly, not 24mm. All else equal, if you want that, get a T47, because BB86 should not take spindles wider than 24mm.
My own frame is BB86 w a 24mm spindle and 170 carbon cranks. That SKU doesnt exist in 165, so i'm kind of stuck, because i refuse to pay 300 odd $ for an OEM / Chinese carbon crankset. I can do 150, but not 300.
More simply: T47 gives you more crank options.
I have BigRock cranks. 160/165 mm options, 24 mm Ti axle, no issues.
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I have BigRock cranks. 160/165 mm options, 24 mm Ti axle, no issues.
Exactly. I see them at 240 eur without chainrings, that's well above 300$ w rings. How cheap can you get them, and how?
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Exactly. I see them at 240 eur without chainrings, that's well above 300$ w rings. How cheap can you get them, and how?
210 USD without discounts, and I've seen them under 180 last autumn...
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I have BB86, T47 (internal) and threaded BSA frames. In regards to serviceability and now the availability of 24mm titanium axles, I prefer threaded BSA. It makes all the other BB standards back to being a moot point. You get durability and less weight with ti axles.
Between T47 and BB86, T47 somewhat pisses me off because of the different variations: external cup, internal cup, internal/external cup and even different thread sizes which require additional tools! >:( BB86 is straight forward with a bearing press, but the tool is a bit cumbersome if traveling.
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BB type hasn't been much of a deciding factor for me. My main bike is BSA and my gravel bike is T47. I suppose in theory the T47 is supposed to have certain advantages, but none that I've been able to notice in practice. My BSA was lighter and has more room for the BB tool, so honestly I'd prefer it if I had the choice of two equal frames for the same price.
I rode PF30 for 10+ years and never had any issues with it. It's light, bearing replacements were cheap, and it's not that difficult to install after you learn how to do it. Bearings did tend to wear out quickly, but I still wish that it was a common standard today.
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Great feedback ! When using the BB86 , are you guys using Loctite green retaining compound ?
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I used to not paying attention to BB specs while shopping for frames, until I bought a Tantan XC frame which has BB86/92 BB. Thing is I wanted to used SRAM DUB crankset which has 29mm spindle. I couldn't find any thread-together BB for that combo. So I'm using a pressfit BB, which gets loose very easily with high torque pedaling of mtb-ing. No more BB86/92 for me.
So now I'm looking to replace my Tantan mtb frame, I skip any frame which has BB86.
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I am basically fine with every BB spec except for BB86. Not only was it designed by Shimano to restrict crank options, but it also leaves the least room to run hoses for fully internal routing, making it a pain on some frames.
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Great feedback ! When using the BB86 , are you guys using Loctite green retaining compound ?
Yes, with the activator. But if unfortunately the frameset is really screwed then retaining compound may not help.
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I'd take BB86, given the number of 24mm axle crankset options that have recently shown up. T47 is a very problematic standard.
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T47 allows DUB spindles, that allows for light carbon cranks. Given the reputation (delamination) and cost (high) and weight (high) of Shimano cranksets, a carbon crankset is an excellent way to drop real weight off a build, for a good price (you can find a crankset for c.150$).
I was wondering why we almost stopped seeing 24mm spindles on carbon cranks, seems to be materials science: Shimano uses steel for a reason: aluminium at that diameter is problematic (flexy). The 28.99mm on the other hand lets you use aluminium (or better).
While it is possible to find 165mm cranks w 24mm spindles, you'll find 10 cranksets w a dub spindle for every 24mm spindle.
From that, for future proofing, i'd go with T47. My own BB is BB86 and i wish it were T47 exactly to try 165mm carbon cranks.
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T47 allows DUB spindles, that allows for light carbon cranks. Given the reputation (delamination) and cost (high) and weight (high) of Shimano cranksets, a carbon crankset is an excellent way to drop real weight off a build, for a good price (you can find a crankset for c.150$).
I was wondering why we almost stopped seeing 24mm spindles on carbon cranks, seems to be materials science: Shimano uses steel for a reason: aluminium at that diameter is problematic (flexy). The 28.99mm on the other hand lets you use aluminium (or better).
While it is possible to find 165mm cranks w 24mm spindles, you'll find 10 cranksets w a dub spindle for every 24mm spindle.
From that, for future proofing, i'd go with T47. My own BB is BB86 and i wish it were T47 exactly to try 165mm carbon cranks.
Rotor uses steel for their Aldhu24 axles and aluminium for their 30mm axles. That said, I started with 30mm axles and PF4230 bottom brackets for my Aldhu-crankset. That caused me to change bottom brackets too often and it has worn out the bottom bracket shell on my Velobuild VB-R-177 frame. I like to do some maintenance from time to time and don't want to worry about wear anymore. Apart from the drivetrain of course. That's why I'm choosing t47 for my next frame. BSA would also be fine but that's just not the standard anymore.
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The Chinese carbon cranks are changing the game with titanium 24mm axles which are now coming in at less weight than DUB carbon cranksets. Easier to swap cranksets across different framesets and not worry about axle size. At this point I'm more than fine completely ignoring the DUB standard.
I guess I can see a place for T47 as a more universal mount, but I hate the non-standardized cups and sometimes different thread tooling. Ideally I'd prefer T47 to just settle on external cups with a standard thread size tool. It would just be a bigger threaded BSA bottom bracket in that configuration. The only difference being either 24mm or DUB sizing. That would make life so much easier!
Unfortunately it currently feels like there are a dozen T47 configurations right now! T47 internal cups are just as cumbersome as trying to use a BB86 pressfit thread together BB, with a thin ass wrench that can sometime slip and scratch your BB shell. I f**king hate that s**t!
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Serviceability is something that's important to me. I like to be self-sufficient if possible, and the last thing I need is a proprietary interface or some weird part.
It's why I'm on here to build up my own bike. I get to pick and choose how I want my bike built on a budget.
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BB86 will die though, pressfit was killed, in part by opinions rather than facts and BB86 is the last one standing.
IRL, at least in North America, SRAM is rapidly gaining on Shimano, and at the high end, shops seem to be doing a lot more custom builds with SRAM, and even for full bikes are selling >50% SRAM. This, IMO, means Dub is likely here to stay.
The 24mm Ti axles seem to work just fine, but they are a niche product and can't defy basic physics. An aluminum alloy 29mm axle will be lighter while maintaining the same stiffness. It's also cheaper.
The combo of Dub staying around + cheaper than 24mm Ti + the hate towards pressfit means BB86 is going to fade away eventually. That doesn't mean T47 will win, though. BSA works fine for Dub as well.
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fwiw, on installing T47 BBs w narrow lips: https://youtu.be/nejkHx0TnHw. In the comments, some guy also wrote: "You can also use the flat wrench you showed and clamp it to the bb with any headset press (18eur on ali), then back it off slightly whilst uncrewing the bb."
On 24mm titanium spindles: the internet says that's a better material at that diameter than alu, it's not just vibe. But it remains that because a larger diameter tube is exponentially (?) stiffer than a smaller one of the same weight, dub > 24mm. Also, road frames have been getting beefier BB areas (stiffness, aerodynamics, looks...), and so there's more space for a T47 down there.
T47 offers more optionality: if one isn't tied to one groupset / brand, T47 makes it easier to find the "right" crankset.
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exponentially (?) stiffer
Polynomially, I believe, as in terms of physics, bending and twisting stiffness involves an area/polar moment of inertia, which is based on the tube diameter to the fourth power (d^4). This doesn't invalidate your main point regarding weight, of course (and 'exponentially' sounds more impressive).