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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
If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website
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,
As part of the Tech Hub here at F-At Digital, our senior product reviewer Stu uses the knowledge gained from putting well over a 1,000 products through their paces (including hundreds of bikes) to write in-depth reviews of a huge range of kit. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 160,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. Although, as he spends a fair bit of his time reviewing ebikes these days he's becoming an expert in letting the motor take the strain. He's also waiting for 23mm race tyres to make a comeback!
Latest Comments
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"It's great to drive, there's always a clear road ahead but behind a sea of traffic." "But folk don't tend to mind," he adds....
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I have the top metal bit of one of those cheap almost cylindrical bells that come on new bikes bolted to the rack mount on one bike, doing the same...
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Journalists seem to think that there job is to inform the public. In reality their job is basically the same as everyone else's, it is to make...
- chrisonatrike 29 min 53 sec ago
As others have said some self-reflection may be in order....
- philsinclair 1 hour 6 min ago
With 50/34 and 34/11, commonly used and needed where I live. The argument falls apart for a 1X.
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Cycle in the primary position all the time - especially when there are parked vehicles.
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Good plan, painting them red would hide all the blood too!
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https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/save-our-safer-streets-in-tower-hamlets/
- Freddy56 10 hours 57 min ago
I 'er indoors buys me this again for christmas I will scream.
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).