Press-fit bottom bracket standards create a direct interface between bearings and frame material—no threading, no intermediate shell. The DUB BB86.5 from SRAM seats into 86.5mm-wide bottom bracket shells using a press-fit installation that puts the bearings right against the frame's aluminum or carbon structure. This direct contact eliminates the threaded cup as a potential source of creaking and loosening, though it also means the frame itself needs to hold tight tolerances.

DUB stands for "Dub" as in the sound, not an acronym—SRAM's unified spindle diameter that works across their road and mountain cranksets. The 28.99mm spindle diameter sits between the traditional 24mm and 30mm options that previously required dedicated bottom bracket standards. If you're running a DUB-spindle crankset (Force, Rival, Red, or their mountain equivalents), this is the bottom bracket that matches your shell standard.

The BB86.5 shell width covers frames designed around the wider press-fit standard, which you'll find on many road frames that needed clearance for wider tire compatibility or internal cable routing. Installation requires a press-fit tool that drives the cups evenly into the frame—going in crooked creates problems that compound over time. The cups include seals on both the inboard and outboard faces to keep contamination away from the bearings.... Read More