We at BikeRadar are smitten with Praxis Works' fantastic conversion bottom bracket, which adapts cranks with 24mm-diameter spindles for use inside BB/PF30 shells with no creaking or additional spacers. However, anyone using something other than a Shimano or FSA-standard crank has been out of luck, but Campagnolo users will soon get their own version.
As with the current Praxis conversion bottom bracket, the new Campagnolo-compatible version will completely replace the stock BB30 bearings or PF30 cups with a machined aluminum cartridge unit that pushes the bearings back out to the native spacing to better support the longer axle.
A trick collet system on the central sleeve expands up against the inner walls of the shell as the two halves of the bottom bracket are threaded tightly into each other, too, making for a rock-solid fitment and a virtual guarantee against creaking.
Instead of having the cup flanges directly sandwich either side of the frame, only the driveside cup sits up against the shell. Praxis fits a small rubber spacer behind the other flange. As such, the two cups – and, more importantly, the bearings – are always in alignment with each other even though the two bottom bracket faces aren't perfectly parallel.
The Praxis Works conversion bottom bracket uses its own bearings
Praxis should have the new Campagnolo-compatible conversion bottom bracket ready some time this summer, and retail price should be slighter cheaper than the current version's US$80 price tag since there are no bearings included (they're attached to the spindle halves on Campagnolo cranks).
According to Praxis Works sales and marketing director Adam Haverstock, the company will soon have a conversion bottom bracket ready for SRAM/Truvativ GXP cranks, too.
A Turn for the better
Praxis Works also has its own crank division, called Turn. As with Praxis Works chainrings, Turn cranks are forged rather than machined, for improved durability. Coming soon is a new hollow-forged arm design for road and mountain bike cranks – and because the forgings are done in-house it will be easier for Turn to produce these in healthy volumes.
The new hollow-forged cranks from Turn will soon be released
Price-wise, Haverstock expects complete hollow-forged Turn cranks to compete with heavier solid-forged models from the likes of Shimano, SRAM, and FSA. Oval Concepts – the component division of Fuji parent company Advanced Sports International – will use rebranded versions of the new Turn cranks OEM on new bikes; other makes might follow.
For more information see praxiscycles.com.