Derivation of "Bottom Bracket"?

Why is a bottom bracket called that?

Gary Jacobson Rosendale, NY

> Why is a bottom bracket called that?
>
> Gary Jacobson Rosendale, NY

Honey, change the channel. I already seen this here picture.
--
Jerry Falwell

Thanks. I see that it was discussed in early December 2003. See what happens when you take a few
weeks away from this NG?

Gary Jacobson Rosendale, NY

<jfalwell@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:jfalwell-
2D3F46.19562703012004@news06.west.earthlink.net...
>
> > Why is a bottom bracket called that?
> >
> > Gary Jacobson Rosendale, NY
>
>
> Honey, change the channel. I already seen this here picture.
> --
> Jerry Falwell

Gary Jacobson wrote:

> Why is a bottom bracket called that?

We discussed that in November, I think. In nineteenth-century British English it's the assembly
"bracket" at the bottom of the bike.

In Italian it is the assembly in the center "movimento centrale" of the bike although recently I
hear Italians say simply "movimento".

In French, the game of pedalling "jeu pedalier". OK, that's literal, "jeu" is also idiomatically an
assembly or mechanism.

I think in modern American English "crank bearing assembly" or just "crank bearing" is clear and
unambiguous. We use "crank bearing" with customers until or unless the customer uses the term
"bottom bracket". When I was young it was a called a "hanger", not a "bottom bracket" anyway, which
was no better.

We are seen, as many service businesses, as conniving deceiving crooks until proven otherwise --it
is in my interest to be clear, honest and open and to communicate as clearly as possible. Using
unfamiliar jargon when the chip's already on the shoulder is just asking for trouble, IMHO.

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971

"Gary Jacobson" <gjacobson-remove-this-bit-@hvc.rr.com> wrote in message news:<aFLJb.111019$JW3.26228@twister.nyroc.rr.com>...
> Why is a bottom bracket called that?
>
> Gary Jacobson Rosendale, NY

Dear Gary,

Here's the start of the thread that wondered about bottom bracket etymology last month:

http://groups.google.com/groups?selm...&output=gplain

Carl Fogel

"A Muzi" <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:

> In French, the game of pedalling "jeu pedalier". OK, that's literal,

Not quite so literal as all that. Pedalling would be *pédalage*, from *pédaler*, to pedal. The
*pédalier* is what you or I might call the crankset or chainset, and would normally include
*manivelles* and *plateaux*, and sometimes the *jeu de pédalier* (*cuvettes, roulements, et axe de
pédalier*, or *boîtier*).

> "jeu" is also idiomatically an assembly or mechanism.

It translates pretty well as English "set" - or German "satz" - jeu de direction, headset,
steursatz. It's also the (undesirable) play in such an assembly.

James Thomson