Tom A. wrote:
Anyway...I agree with Eric above...why not just put in a BB in the new bike that can take the 30mm spindle? Seems to be the easiest choice...
The BB86 standard uses a 41mm shell ID and is intended to use reducing cups pressed into the shell to fit 24mm cartridge bearings. To run 30mm spindled cranks requires some means of fitting standard cartridge bearings into the shell or the use of proprietary bearing assemblies made just for this use. Some have fitted smaller 37mm OD/30mm ID bearings with spacers to allow insertion into the 41mm shell, but these are typically 4mm wide and much less durable. So sometimes these bearings are then doubled up to provide more durability. Wheels Mfr makes a conversion with proprietary double row bearings that press in directly. This option costs nearly as much swapping to the Force GXP crankset. And when it is time to replace the bearings it will be much more costly than with standard off the shelf cartridge bearings.
Some of these smaller bearing options may work fine, but I can see where just using a standard BB86 BB and a 24mm spindle crankset would be preferable.