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Bottom brackets
FSA MegaEvo Road Bottom Bracket2021 FSA MegaEvo Road Bottom Bracket 1.jpg

FSA MegaEvo Road Bottom Bracket

7
by Stu Kerton
Tue, Mar 15, 2022 15:45
5
£65.95

VERDICT:

7
10
Smooth-running fit and forget bottom bracket that stands up well to the elements
Easy to install
Smooth running
Cheaper alternatives
Weight: 
90g
Contact: 
www.windwave.co.uk
How we test

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FSA's MegaEvo Road Bottom Bracket has been working hard through the last few winter months and is proving to be durable and resistant to the elements. The bearings came well packed with grease, and everything is running smoothly. There is some tough opposition on price, though.

The MegaEvo bottom bracket allows you to run a crankset with a 30mm axle diameter (Shimano, for instance, uses a 24mm) on a frame designed to work with a BSA threaded shell. I've been using it to test FSA's Powerbox chainset.

> Find your nearest dealer here

> Buy this online here

From what I've found, the MegaEvo is a bit of a fit and forget item. The bearing cups threaded into the frame smoothly and the whole setting up was achieved in a matter of minutes.

The quality of the finished components looks to be good, and the anodised aluminium sleeve is a nice touch over a black plastic one – it's just a shame that you won't see when it is inside the frame.

Behind the dust shields on each cup you'll find a steel bearing; these were well packed with grease, not something that is always seen straight out of the box.

> How to fit a threaded bottom bracket in 9 easy steps

Everything ran smoothly from the off, and while it has only been around three months of testing so far, the weather has been wet for a lot of it, and the roads frequently covered in that liquid salt sludge you find after many a frosty morning.

And everything is still running just as smoothly – and quietly too – with a peek behind the dust shields showing not much in the way of contamination. I will keep you posted if things change quicker than expected as the miles continue to increase.

> Bottom brackets – get the insider info on your bike’s beefiest bearing

Price-wise, the £65.95 RRP is bit more expensive than Easton's BSA68 30mm BB at £59.99. And Rotor's BSA 30 BB was £47, currently £41.99.

Overall, the MegaEvo has been delivering a good performance over the winter months, with very few signs of trouble to come. It's pricier than some on the market, although not by a huge amount.

Verdict

Smooth-running fit-and-forget bottom bracket that stands up well to the elements

road.cc test report

Make and model: FSA MegaEvo Road Bottom Bracket

Size tested: n/a

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?

FSA says, "MegaEvo is a threaded BB that allows a 386Evo crank on a standard frame with BSA shell."

That's what it does, nothing else to add really.

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

FSA lists:

Black anodized Alu cups

For road carbon 386Evo crank

Steel bearing

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

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

So far so good in terms of coping with the wet weather.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Smooth running.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Cheaper alternatives available.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

It's a bit pricier than some, as mentioned in the review.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

Overall, it's a good product with decent performance, though there's some tough competition on price.

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,

FSA MegaEvo Road Bottom Bracket 2022
FSA MegaEvo Road Bottom Bracket
FSA 2022
FSA
Stu Kerton

Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit, and hundreds of bikes.

With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.

He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999, primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.

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5 comments

Avatar
Secret_squirrel | 2 years ago
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Whats the point/value of a 30mm BB shaft?

Avatar
Miller replied to Secret_squirrel | 2 years ago
0 likes

From an engineering standpoint, a 30mm diameter shaft can be made both stiffer and lighter than a 24mm shaft. It's an aftermarket thing, Shimano does fine with 24mm. Campag experimented with Overtorque chainsets which had a 30mm spindle but they didn't catch on so they too stick with the 24mm diameter.

Avatar
Stebbo replied to Miller | 2 years ago
0 likes
Miller wrote:

From an engineering standpoint, a 30mm diameter shaft can be made both stiffer and lighter than a 24mm shaft. It's an aftermarket thing, Shimano does fine with 24mm. Campag experimented with Overtorque chainsets which had a 30mm spindle but they didn't catch on so they too stick with the 24mm diameter.

But what value does a lighter and stiffer shaft offer in reality? Next to nothing, if I may be so bold. 

Avatar
Jbnuts replied to Stebbo | 2 years ago
0 likes

I doubt when taken as a system and measured at the pedals that there is a noticeable difference in stiffness between 24mm steel axle and a 30mm aluminium one. There's a lot more 'floppy lever' in the crank arms and out of plane forces when pedalling that will mask any torsional or lateral effects on the spindle. I suspect the aluminium one can be made lighter. There are more advantages to the narrower axle made of steel in my opinion (more durable, smaller bearing therefore less friction for given load rating) than 30mm aluminium (weight). 

Avatar
Jbnuts replied to Miller | 2 years ago
0 likes

Campy chainsets use 25mm inner diameter bearings. This is unusually sensible of Campy as it is a standard bearing ID (6805).

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