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 +------------------------------------+
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