Bicycle Mechanics - Shimano square taper cranks on Campy Spindle

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percy484
11-24-06, 08:43 AM
I have a really nice 80's vintage Italian road frame, with Campangnolo cranks of course. It has a lowish BB however, and I'd like to switch to shorter cranks. Of course, the largest variety of cranks can be found in the "Shimano type" square taper, and I'm wondering if I'll need to swap the BB or spindle?

Retro Grouch
11-24-06, 09:29 AM
Yeah. The taper angle is the same but Campy bottom brackets start with a smaller cross section. A Shimano crank will slide too far onto the spindle.
Sheldon Brown
11-24-06, 09:42 AM
Yeah. The taper angle is the same but Campy bottom brackets start with a smaller cross section. A Shimano crank will slide too far onto the spindle.
They will indeed slide "farther" on, but whether it is "too far" is not necessarily clear.

I've done this on some of my own bikes with no problem.

Sheldon "Try It" Brown

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