Gents,
There are a couple more reasons we went with the PFBB30 route on our road, mountain and cross offerings...let me explain:
PFbb30 allows the use of the larger diameter bearing of course....along with this you get to use the larger diameter crank spindle, that is: stiffer, lighter and has a narrower Q-factor. Remember Q factor? Yes, it's a good thing to have the option of not running outboard bearings along with wider and wider crank systems that make you feel like you've mounted a saddle on a horse. While it's not that drastic, it does factor in.
We also us the PFbb30 because it isolates the bearing from the metal shell. Our initial prototypes used the standard BB30, where the bearings pressed directly into the shell, which gave us metal on metal contact...in this case stainless steel on ti.....you want to talk about creaking! No lube/paste/anti-seize can stop that issue.
Diameter....We also choose PFBB30 for its large outside diameter, which allows us to use bigger diameter down tubes, seat tubes and chain stays and not have to ovalize the tube to make them fit.... Foot-print is king when you want to increase stiffness and by using the PFbb30 shell, we are able to keep the tubes large, thus increasing the stiffness of the drive line.
PFBB30 is easy to maintain, has a good life span and if and when you need to replace it, won’t break the bank either. My testing ground has been the Psychlo X RSL that I've ridden and raced for over a year...power washers and ugly mud races...yes, I've gone through some bearings, but most any bearing out there will not hold up to that...
Yes, there are many bb's coming into the market, not all of them are perfect and it will take some time to sort out exactly what will stick and what will not....but in the end we felt the PFBB30 to be our best avenue to accomplish our goals with the RSL family. Stiff, light and durable, while maintaining the Moots build quality we are known for.
I’m biased, yes…I live, work and breath Moots…but I’m also one of the first to be skeptical of changes to our bikes without reason, and trust me when I say, we have good reason to build like we do…..also, after spending over a year and a half going back and forth on a PFBB30 to standard English thread bb, I can say I’m a convert….
That's my .2
Thanks,
Jon@Moots