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review
2021 FSA MegaEvo Road Bottom Bracket 1.jpg£65.95
VERDICT:
Smooth-running fit and forget bottom bracket that stands up well to the elements
Easy to install
Smooth running
Cheaper alternatives
Weight:
90g
Contact:
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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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
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.
About the tester
Age: 42
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,
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.
Latest Comments
- Legin 44 min 59 sec ago
The tory party will oppose anything that might restrict their tanks rolling at the next election.
- EraserBike 50 min 38 sec ago
I'm sure this (and other 3D printed models) are made where labour costs are cheap also. Nobody is making these in Europe. There's only so much ...
- quiff 55 min ago
I did start asking myself why there is a legal limit for a class A drug, until I read this bit: "In the UK, cocaine is classified as an illegal...
- chrisonabike 1 hour 1 min ago
Don't forget the trains when you get there also...
- mdavidford 1 hour 15 min ago
Especially since the similarly priced Tickr X did have that functionality.
- anke2 1 hour 55 min ago
CX is brutal in terms of forces acting on the chain. A single, technical kick at 40 RPM by Iserbyt with a small chainwheel might put more load on...
- chrisonabike 2 hours 20 min ago
Perhaps some of the difficulty here is in the language - what we're comparing with what?...
- Andrewbanshee 2 hours 33 min ago
I experience this quite often when out running. I follow the guidelines, running towards traffic and keep hard right. I am very visible too but...
- mctrials23 2 hours 47 min ago
Not enough to warrant having the role exist at all would be my guess.
Add new comment
5 comments
Whats the point/value of a 30mm BB shaft?
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.
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).
Campy chainsets use 25mm inner diameter bearings. This is unusually sensible of Campy as it is a standard bearing ID (6805).