BB30 Spindles and Compatibility

BB30 Spindles and Compatibility

UNDERSTANDING SPINDLES

When we initially launched the first generation of Stages Power meters, we had difficulty finding compatible options for many 30 millimeter (like BB30) cranksets. While the splined portion of 30mm spindles (the hollow section that connects the left and right sides of a crankset) is a standardized design, the implementation varies significantly. Different brands used different length spindles and attached them in different ways.

In our quest to find a way to add Stages Power to more 30mm cranks, we sought out a flexible option that could take these variables into consideration and result in one simple solution that can be adapted to various cranksets. Our solution? Offer a range of spindles that will allow our customers to mate the new Stages Carbon power meter with a range of SRAM road, cross, and mountain cranksets.

For all SRAM cranksets, the spindle is required to add Stages Power since these cranksets have their own spindle attached to the left crank arm. The Stages Carbon Power meter will, however, work with FSA BB386EVO cranksets without any additional parts.

WHAT DO THE DIFFERENT SPINDLES DO?

All of the Stages Carbon for 30mm spindles are designed to align the Stages Carbon power meter arm with a SRAM drive side crank.  By having several different models, we can offer compatibility with various cranksets and ensure that the Stages Carbon Power meter still puts your pedal in the same position as your stock crank arm did.

One of the key components of this is q-factor. Q-factor is the distance between both pedals when they’re installed on your crankset. Think about it as if you oriented your cranks in the same direction and measured the distance from the outer edge of your left crank and your right crank.  Different cranksets are designed around different widths depending on their intended use and our spindles accommodate this change by using lengths specific to each crankset model.

HOW DO I KNOW WHICH SPINDLE TO USE?

We’ve made a basic compatibility chart to offer clear options for which cranksets work with which spindles when purchased along with our Stages Carbon Power meter.

Currently we have 5 different lengths spindles and with these spindles we are compatible with the following cranksets:

Note on compatibility with Spindle C:

Spindle C is not compatible with OEM-specific versions of SRAM cranksets that come stock on certain bikes. These cranks use a longer spindle that will not be compatible to be switched out with Spindle C. We will be adding an upcoming model, Spindle D, to address this compatibility. To check if your crank is the OEM version, measure the size of your non-drive side space. 

  • If your spacer is 9mm, you’re good to go with Spindle C

If you’re not sure which version you have on your bike, feel free to submit a ticket with Stages Support for help on compatibility.

You can purchase Stages Power for SRAM BB30 here.

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