'73 Peugeot U08 as fixed gear?



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Bikerjaz

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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!
 
bikerjaz wrote:
> I'd like to convert my old clunker to a fixed gear.

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

> 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:
http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/french-cranks.html

> 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 "http://sheldonbrown.com/carapace.html#uo8" 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 http://harriscyclery.com Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com
 
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 protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> bikerjaz wrote:
> > I'd like to convert my old clunker to a fixed gear.
>
> These make pretty decent fixers once you get around bottom bracket issues.
>
> > 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:
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/french-cranks.html
>
> > 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 "http://sheldonbrown.com/carapace.html#uo8" 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 http://harriscyclery.com Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
> http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com
 
Tom DiMauro wrote:
> 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 b=
ike,
> a FUGI Special Tourer with cotter pin pedals. I also had some nice par=
ts
> (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
> out the spindle and bearings with the cups and the bearings from the Au=
stro
> 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?"=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.

> PS.
>=20
> Sheldon I used the method (from your web page) of a track cog with a bo=
ttom
> bracket lock ring on the back old 5 speed free wheel hub and it seems t=
o
> work just fine. I guess I have two questions
> (1.) Will the bottom bracket retro work=20

Yes.

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

No.

> (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 | http://sudburysavoyards.org |
+-------------------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts Phone
617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041 http://harriscyclery.com Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com
 
Thanks for the help.

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

"Sheldon Brown" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]... Tom DiMauro wrote:
> 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?"

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.

> 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

Yes.

> or should I go and buy a new bottom bracket?

No.

> (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 | http://sudburysavoyards.org |
+-------------------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts Phone
617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041 http://harriscyclery.com Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com
 
"bikerjaz" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> 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?

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 http://www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April 1971
 
"bikerjaz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> 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" wrote:
>
>>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:

> 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.

> 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 http://harriscyclery.com Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com
 
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