The Easton Cycling BSA68 30mm bottom bracket is a fit and forget option. The bearings run smoothly and the seals do a good job of keeping the water out. What more do you want from a BB?

While Shimano has stuck with a 24mm axle diameter for its cranksets, many others have gone down the 30mm route for increased stiffness. Easton is one of them, and this is what this BB has been designed for.

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Easton says it has developed a seal that achieves low levels of drag while still retaining excellent protection qualities from the elements. Keeping the water out has allowed Easton to use a thinner, low-viscosity bearing grease which offers more durability at high speeds than a thicker one. Its testing found that a thicker grease was being thrown to the outer bearing under the centrifugal force when spinning at high speed, and sticking, so it wouldn’t return to the inner race at lower speeds. This would mean increased wear of the inner race bearings. Using a thinner grease allows for the bearings to be protected at a range of speeds.

It’s hard to quantify in the real world without knowing exactly which greases Easton is using, and what other manufacturers use.

What I can say is that I’ve been using this bottom bracket on my winter bike over the last couple of months, so it’s seen plenty of wet weather and rubbish road conditions, and everything is still running smoothly and, more importantly, silently.

Admittedly, that is quite a short period for a full test, but I have been running the PF86 version in my other bike for well over a year now, and that is still running as smoothly as the day it went in, after about 5,000 all-weather miles.

Aside from this BSA version, the majority of frames are catered for: BB86, PF30, BB386 and BBRight. There are also spacer kits available.

At £59.99 the Easton is more expensive than many other 30mm compatible bottom brackets on the market. The Praxis Works M30 which is used on my gravel bike is hardwearing and also smooth. That has an rrp of £35, although you’ll need a specific tool to remove or install it, which lifts the price a touch. The Race Face Cinch BSA30 is £39.95.

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Overall, I’ve been seeing good results from Easton’s bearings on both versions that I’ve been running on my bikes. They are pricier than some rivals, but if you want a fit-and-forget product then it’s possibly worth the outlay.

Verdict

Smooth-running bottom bracket that shows no signs of being affected by rotten weather

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Easton BSA68 30mm Bottom Bracket

Size tested: 68mm

Tell us what the product is for and who it’s aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Easton says, “Bottom Brackets are an essential part of the bicycle that is often overlooked and forgotten, but we saw the BB as another opportunity for performance gains and improved efficiency. For our BB we have developed a seal that achieves a very low level of drag while still retaining excellent protection qualities. Its thinner and low viscosity bearing grease with the correct fill level offers higher durability at high speeds. If you’re running the best crankset on the market, you should have the performance BB to match.”

It’s a smooth running bottom bracket which looks to have good durability.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Easton lists:

Thinner and lower viscosity bearing grease for higher durability at high speeds

In-house testing procedure includes developing a 24-hour continuous water invasion test

BSA 68 BSA (English) Threaded BB, 30mm Spindle 91gm 68mm

Other available versions are:

PF30 68 46mm Press fit, 30mm Spindle 117gm 68mm

BB86 41mm Press fit, 30mm Spindle 66gm 86.5mm

386 EVO 46mm Press fit, 30mm Spindle 103gm 86.5mm

BBRIGHT 46mm Press fit, 30mm Spindle 91gm 79mm

BB30/OSBB alloy spacer kit 42mm Press fit, 30mm Spindle 19gm 68mm

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10
Rate the product for value:
 
4/10

Both the Praxis and Race Face options I mention in the review offer similar performance levels for less money.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

It’s easy to fit and offers minimal resistance.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Smooth bearings remain smooth.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

It’s a bit pricey.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Possibly

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

On the whole the Easton BB runs very smoothly and looks to do a good job of keeping the weather out. It’s on the pricey side, though, against some of the opposition.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 42  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month’s test bike  My best bike is: B’Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I’ve been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,