I am wanting to install a Wheels Mfg thread-together PF30 BB in my frame. The shell hits the FD cable guide inside the BB shell. The bike is a CX bike, and has never had a 2X system. In fact, I’m in the process of converting from 1x11 to 1x1 (i.e. singlespeed). Am I doing something dumb if I carefully cut out that cable guide (see photo) so the BB can fit? Seems like there’s no issues, either with the frame having had this surgery, or the future of setting up the bike (as in, worst case being I or a future owner wants 2X, I’d think it’d still work). Thoughts?
Can you not just bend it around the WM tube? It looks snug so I doubt it would rattle.
If not you could chop it, it’s not structural and front mechs, especially cable operated ones, are a dying breed offroad.
What are you supposed to run inside the red guide? If it is just bare metal gear wire then I doubt it will be esy to get a front mech running again if you chop it out. If it is cable outer then maybe.
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No, can’t bend. The guide is carbon, and so as rigid as it gets. The BB shell is aluminum, so also no chance. (The default BB is the SRAM PF30 with plastic cups, so it must fit either because it’s slightly smaller diameter, or it can flex around the guide.)
Good point that even if a FD were used in the future, it probably wouldn’t have a cable.
Yes, just bare metal derailleur cable is what runs in that guide. I was thinking if I cut out the guide, and later want a cable through there, it would just be an exposed cable running through the frame there. So harder to route, but once installed functions just fine. All that said, near zero chance it’ll be ever needed, so I think I’ll break out the dremel!
Off with it’s head!
1x1 and ride it to death… (Not that cutting that out will do anything other than make it lighter)
Done! Cut off.
However, the BB still doesn’t fit, as the cut out for the cable guide under the BB shell means there’s frame material pushing up into the space 
Whatever, back to the plastic cups.
On a related note: anyone want to buy a Wheels Mfg. PF30 thread-together bottom bracket? 
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How much material is pushing up? Could it not be removed?
Unfortunately not. .
What’s the frame? Maybe someone else had the same issue on another forum/reddit.
As you see in my expert diagram below, the blue is a “normal” SRAM BB, and yellow is where a non-tapered BB like the WMfg would fit. The frame cut out in the bottom is to hold the frame guide for the RD and FD cables, shown in purple. I don’t need the cable guide for single speed, so it can be unscrewed and removed. But if I cut out the frame material so the BB fits, I now have a big hole in the frame 
I ended up switching to a Squid Bikes Oner BB. (Was hoping to not have to spend that money, but it’s a better solution than using my on-hand parts, which involved a chain tensioner.)
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