'73 Peugeot U08 as fixed gear?

bikerjaz said:

I'd like to convert my old clunker to a fixed gear.

These make pretty decent fixers once you get around bottom bracket issues.

Quoted message said:

Would it be possible to upgrade the bottom bracket? Can I replace the old axle with one that will
accommodate modern cranks (the original ones have cotter pins).

Yes. You'll need a long (5**) series spindle, or else a French one such as TA. See:
sheldonbrown.comfrench cranks.htmlOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

Better yet, will the frame threads accept a BB cartridge?

Phil Wood makes French-thread retaining rings. These work with the Phil Wood bottom brackets, but
those cost more than your frame is worth. The rings also work with the recently discontinued Shimano
UN-72 cartridge BBs if you can find one.

We've got some Stronglight cartridge BBs in French thread, but they're rather long, 124 mm, so they
won't give good chain line with most newere cranks.

Then again, you could just keep the cottered cranks, they work OK, even if they are a bit heavy.

Sheldon "sheldonbrown.comcarapace.htmlOpen ↗" Brown +------------------------------------+
| France, France...if not for you, | the world would be alone! | --Victor Hugo |
+------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts Phone 617-244-9772
FAX 617-244-1041 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
captainbike.comcaptainbike.comOpen ↗ sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗

Because of the cold snowy winter I have started a conversion of several parts of old bikes to a
fixed gear bike. Like you I had a 70's model bike, a FUGI Special Tourer with cotter pin pedals. I
also had some nice parts (cranks and wheels) from an Austro Domplier bike (to bad the frame was
bent). I don't know if what I did will work but this is it.

I took the bottom bracket from the FUJI out and noticed that if I swapped out the spindle and
bearings with the cups and the bearings from the Austro Domplier bike I could use the nice Cranks
from the Austro. Everything seems to match up OK with the Bottom Bracket. The chainline even seems
OK. My question to Sheldon is "Do you think this will work?" I have not "tightened" everything up
yet. I thought that I would take the bike to my LBS and get it check out to make sure that I don't
kill myself. However I am such a cheap SOB that I would like to do everything myself.

PS.

Sheldon I used the method (from your web page) of a track cog with a bottom bracket lock ring on the
back old 5 speed free wheel hub and it seems to work just fine. I guess I have two questions
(1.) Will the bottom bracket retro work or should I go and buy a new bottom bracket? (2.) How should
I measure and pick out the new bottom bracket if necessary?

Thanks in advance to any helpful comments.

TOM D............................... (bike mechanic in my dreams)

"Sheldon Brown" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

bikerjaz said:

I'd like to convert my old clunker to a fixed gear.

These make pretty decent fixers once you get around bottom bracket issues.

Quoted message said:

Would it be possible to upgrade the bottom bracket? Can I replace the old axle with one that

will

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

accommodate modern cranks (the original ones have cotter pins).

Yes. You'll need a long (5**) series spindle, or else a French one such as TA. See:
sheldonbrown.comfrench cranks.htmlOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

Better yet, will the frame threads accept a BB cartridge?

Phil Wood makes French-thread retaining rings. These work with the Phil Wood bottom brackets, but
those cost more than your frame is worth. The rings also work with the recently discontinued
Shimano UN-72 cartridge BBs if you can find one.

We've got some Stronglight cartridge BBs in French thread, but they're rather long, 124 mm, so
they won't give good chain line with most newere cranks.

Then again, you could just keep the cottered cranks, they work OK, even if they are a bit heavy.

Sheldon "sheldonbrown.comcarapace.htmlOpen ↗" Brown +------------------------------------+
| France, France...if not for you, | the world would be alone! | --Victor Hugo |
+------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts Phone
617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
captainbike.comcaptainbike.comOpen ↗ sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗

Tom DiMauro said:

Because of the cold snowy winter I have started a conversion of several=

Quoted message said:

parts of old bikes to a fixed gear bike. Like you I had a 70's model b=

ike,

Quoted message said:

a FUGI Special Tourer with cotter pin pedals. I also had some nice par=

ts

Quoted message said:

(cranks and wheels) from an Austro Domplier bike (to bad the frame was bent). I don't know if what
I did will work but this is it.
=20
I took the bottom bracket from the FUJI out and noticed that if I swapp=

ed

Quoted message said:

out the spindle and bearings with the cups and the bearings from the Au=

stro

Quoted message said:

Domplier bike I could use the nice Cranks from the Austro. Everything =

seems

Quoted message said:

to match up OK with the Bottom Bracket. The chainline even seems OK. =

My

Quoted message said:

question to Sheldon is "Do you think this will work?"=20

Yep. The Fuji, like all Asian bikes, uses a standard ISO bottom=20 bracket, 68 mm. There's no
problem finding parts for that, any standard =

ISO 68 mm bottom bracket will fit.

The Peugeot referred to in the "Subject:" heading uses the obsolete=20 French threading system for
the bottom bracket and headset. That system =

was pretty much abandoned for better-quality bikes in the late 1980s,=20 and is now
virtually extinct.

Quoted message said:

PS.
=20
Sheldon I used the method (from your web page) of a track cog with a bo=

ttom

Quoted message said:

bracket lock ring on the back old 5 speed free wheel hub and it seems t=

o

Quoted message said:

work just fine. I guess I have two questions
(1.) Will the bottom bracket retro work=20

Yes.

Quoted message said:

or should I go and buy a new bottom bracket?=20

No.

Quoted message said:

(2.) How should I measure and pick out the new bottom bracket if necessary?

Standard ISO 68 mm bottom bracket. Spindle length required will depend=20 on the crankset chosen.

Sheldon "Ice-O" Brown +-------------------------------------------------+
| I=92ll be appearing with the Sudbury Savoyards | In Gilbert & Sullivan=92s _Patience_ | February
| 21-March 1, Sudbury, Massachusetts | sudburysavoyards.orgsudburysavoyards.orgOpen ↗ |
+-------------------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts Phone
617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
captainbike.comcaptainbike.comOpen ↗ sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗

Thanks for the help.

TOM D.................

"Sheldon Brown" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

url='news:'news:/url... Tom DiMauro said:

Because of the cold snowy winter I have started a conversion of several parts of old bikes to a
fixed gear bike. Like you I had a 70's model

bike,

Quoted message said:

a FUGI Special Tourer with cotter pin pedals. I also had some nice parts (cranks and wheels) from
an Austro Domplier bike (to bad the frame was bent). I don't know if what I did will work but
this is it.

I took the bottom bracket from the FUJI out and noticed that if I swapped out the spindle and
bearings with the cups and the bearings from the

Austro

Quoted message said:

Domplier bike I could use the nice Cranks from the Austro. Everything

seems

Quoted message said:

to match up OK with the Bottom Bracket. The chainline even seems OK. My question to Sheldon is "Do
you think this will work?"

Yep. The Fuji, like all Asian bikes, uses a standard ISO bottom bracket, 68 mm. There's no problem
finding parts for that, any standard ISO 68 mm bottom bracket will fit.

The Peugeot referred to in the "Subject:" heading uses the obsolete French threading system for the
bottom bracket and headset. That system was pretty much abandoned for better-quality bikes in the
late 1980s, and is now virtually extinct.

Quoted message said:

PS.

Sheldon I used the method (from your web page) of a track cog with a

bottom

Quoted message said:

bracket lock ring on the back old 5 speed free wheel hub and it seems to work just fine. I guess I
have two questions
(1.) Will the bottom bracket retro work

Yes.

Quoted message said:

or should I go and buy a new bottom bracket?

No.

Quoted message said:

(2.) How should I measure and pick out the new bottom bracket if necessary?

Standard ISO 68 mm bottom bracket. Spindle length required will depend on the crankset chosen.

Sheldon "Ice-O" Brown +-------------------------------------------------+
| I’ll be appearing with the Sudbury Savoyards | In Gilbert & Sullivan’s _Patience_ | February
| 21-March 1, Sudbury, Massachusetts | sudburysavoyards.orgsudburysavoyards.orgOpen ↗ |
+-------------------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts Phone
617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
captainbike.comcaptainbike.comOpen ↗ sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗

"bikerjaz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'd like to convert my old clunker to a fixed gear. Would it be possible

to

Quoted message said:

upgrade the bottom bracket? Can I replace the old axle with one that will accommodate modern
cranks (the original ones have cotter pins). Better

yet,

Quoted message said:

will the frame threads accept a BB cartridge?

If at all possible, get a classic Sugino or Shimano crank which uses a loose-ball BB. You can use
that spindle with your existing French 35mm cups in most cases ( use loose balls, not retainers in
your Peugeot cups). If the BB width is insufficient, which is possible, you can swap the spindle
from a type 3 to a type 5 of the same length.

Other routes involve more pain and/or more money.

Modern cranks are designed for disposable cartridge BBs that are way too short for loose-bearing
setups. That type of spindle was discontinued as the trend to ultra-short legths got rolling. Your
Metric frame won;t accept either of the two redaily-available cups.

It is indeed possible to get everything on earth from Phil Wood, but your bike ( and I love
Peugeots, but still. . . ) is hardly worth it. You can have the BB filled and rethreaded to but
again not within a normal commuter bike project budget.

So find a classic crank, move the spindle into your cups and go for a ride!

--
Andrew Muzi yellowjersey.orgyellowjersey.orgOpen ↗ Open every day since 1 April 1971

"bikerjaz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I'd like to convert my old clunker to a fixed gear. Would it be possible to upgrade the bottom
bracket? Can I replace the old axle with one that will accommodate modern cranks (the original
ones have cotter pins). Better yet, will the frame threads accept a BB cartridge? Thanks!

Calling on my detailed knowledge of the thread pitches of 1973 Peugeot
U08s...I say try it. You can't loose trying to spin it in there. My 1972 Coppi frame had a cotter'd
crank as well, but it's running a standard Athena BB now as my fixed. Most of the bikes I've
seen from that vintage have nice long horizontal rear drop outs which is really nice to have.

-a

bikerjaz said:

Quoted message said:

I'd like to convert my old clunker to a fixed gear. Would it be possible to upgrade the bottom
bracket? Can I replace the old axle with one that will accommodate modern cranks (the original
ones have cotter pins). Better yet, will the frame threads accept a BB cartridge? Thanks!

A misinformed poster offered some very bad advice:

Quoted message said:

Calling on my detailed knowledge of the thread pitches of 1973 Peugeot
U08s...I say try it. You can't loose trying to spin it in there.

You certainly can, 'cause you'll likely wreck the threads. The French threading on the Peugeot is 35
mm diameter, 1 mm pitch (25.4 tpi)right hand thread on both sides.

Standard ISO bb size is 1.37 inches, 34.8 mm with a coarser 24 tpi pitch. You might be able to
shoehorn the left side (adjustable) cup in.

The right side (fixed) cup, however is threaded in the opposited direction, so there's absolutely no
chance of getting it in without wrecking the thread.

Quoted message said:

My 1972 Coppi frame had a cotter'd crank as well, but it's running a standard Athena BB now as my
fixed. Most of the bikes I've seen from that vintage have nice long horizontal rear drop outs
which is really nice to have.

The Coppi would be Italian thread, 36 mm x 24 tpi (yes, the Italians mix units) with right threading
on both sides. Campagnolo bottom brackets continue to be offered in this size, but French is just
about extinct.

Sheldon "Beware!" Brown +--------------------------------------------------+
| For every complex problem, there is a solution | that is simple, neat, and wrong. | --H. L.
| Mencken |
+--------------------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
captainbike.comcaptainbike.comOpen ↗ sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗

no imitations available?