Charles Wahl

35 mm = 1.378 in. so I agree you have a French threaded BB. English should be a bit loose?

Here's a Campy NR thin fixed cup on eBay
CAMPAGNOLO Bottom Bracket Fixed THIN Cup FRENCH THREAD 35 X 1 BB26 | eBay

Looks pretty good, and I assume that for a 70s bike you need a thin cup, rather than thick/rifled.

I have a NOS Campy NR Strada BB set, French, but I don't want to break it up; sorry. Looks like a great project, and welcome back.

noglider 

Put French cups in to see how well they go in. Whichever goes it more happily, use that. @styggno1 is probably right that it was and is French, so give French cups a chance. If you have reason to believe it's been tapped with a non-drive side English thread tap, then maybe it's best to stick with English adjustable cups and lockrings on both sides.

Duke7777

My first racing bike back in about 1980 was a used Crescent, and I still have a soft spot for them. The geometry is odd and the workmanship is crude, but they handle well and look great. Here is one I still own:

Assuming that French cups will still thread properly into the bb shell, I would recommend looking for a French-threaded Campy bb. I recently bought a NOS one for $52 on ebay, and they aren't too difficult to find.

These Crescents have a slack seat angle and forward bb position. I find that to get my preferred seat-bars-bb setup requires a more forward seat position and slightly longer stem than most other bikes. The toe overlap may scare you occasionally, but isn't really a big problem I find. They really do have a nice feel to them and are oddly stable on a fast downhill.

If you want to get the most out of riding this bike I would recommend spending a bit more on tires and getting something handmade and more supple. You could see what's on sale at probikekit, wiggle and others.

khatfull

I'll try to pull a locknut and check there but thus far the only date code is the '73 on the RD.

Fully understood now, thanks.

I will do so...

So assuming the crank is pre-73 and the RD is 73...for a bike purchased new in 1979 that seems odd. I did just fire off an e-mail to the previous owner to see if he could clarify. The stem, bars, and everything else point to 1974 as shown in the catalog at Velo-Pages. The RD points to 73/74, the crank pre-73. If the bike was bought in 1979 and parts replaced sometime later I doubt they would have been that much older?

Honestly, this will be very occasional use...every once in a while for fun or to pop out for the odd club ride to get some sideways looks. When comes time to actually get tires I will look and see if anything a little better might be available for not a lot more.

Thanks folks for all the help!!!!

Charles Wahl

St Sheldon's BB crib sheet page says that French threading should have a slightly larger OD than English, and a few sample measurements I took on both cups and BBs seem to agree with that. So "French-fit" is the way to go.

I once bought a Motobécane Grand Jubilé frame that arrived with two Tange (but French-thread) adjustable cups and a Tange Swiss-threaded fixed cup, all loose. The spindle was a Japanese stud-end type. I was confused for a bit, but it turned out to be French threaded.

khatfull

Ok, I pulled a locknut, lo and behold:

2017-09-09 16_05_45-Photo - Google Photos.jpg

1973.

So....

1) PATENT-73 RD
2) No date code on the crankset.
3) 73 date code on the locknut.
4) Stem and bars correct for 1974 per the catalog.

We'll see what the PO says if he replies about whether or not he got it used or if he thinks it may have "been around" the shop for a while.

I gotta have a 1974 right?

khatfull

This afternoon I did hit the paint with a little ScratchX 2.0. And, it got just a tad darker and became an even better match to the powder I chose. Yay!

khatfull

So the PO/OO responded, he built the bike out of the factory box...he's prepping more info for me. Wow.

rootboy 

I think I have a NOS BB fixed cup in French thread, Keith, but I'll have to look see if it is thick or thin. Can't remember.
Might have the adjustable cup too.
I'll send you a PM so you can email me.

rootboy 

That's a beauty,

khatfull

Well, an update:

- Decals on the way from Cyclomondo, frame, rims, stem/bars.
- Spokes on the way from childhood_dreams on eBay (Lee is a great guy).
- Last parts to polish: hubs and one more go around on the rims.
- Hopefully I'll get my BB issues fixed with rootboy's help.

I told my powder coater that I had some leftover paint stripper from another project. He said I could cut a little of the cost by making it quicker for him to bead blast. Well, the stripper vaporized the brown "overcoat" immediately. The orange Crescent paint however....hoo boy. Guess he's gonna blast it all

I'll hopefully get the wheels rebuilt this coming week and hopefully the decals will show too. Oh crap, I can't do the wheels until the decals come as one of the rim decals goes around the stem hole. Crap. Haha!

Here's all the pretty bits off the bike:



I also picked up a really nice pair of the plastic covers for Mafac levers. Though not stock I thought they'd be cool?

3speedslow

Nice work! Cool is right on those lever covers. I have a pair on my Belgique.

Hudson308 

YOU'RE the guy!!! I missed getting that bike by... THAT MUCH!!! I'm so glad this one didn't end up in the hands of a stripper-flipper looking to cash in on all that Campy!!! Also happy you're sharing the resto on bikeforums. Congratulations!

khatfull

Since you replied I figured I'd shove the things on the levers. I did have to warm them up in boiling water to get them more pliable but they went on fairly easy. Once cooled they're solid.

These levers were from a local co-op (cleaned and polished of course). They came with black half hoods and adjusters. I'm going to get the white half hoods from VO and move the adjusters over to them. Should make for a snazzy front end

khatfull

Amen, and thanks. I wondered if I had beat any of the Twin Cities BFers on this one.

I saw it about 10 minutes after it was posted and e-mailed. The seller got about 9 responses. And I'm quite sure you and I were probably the only non-stripper-flippers looking at it.

It's right at the upper limit of my frame size but I really do like the "fist of seatpost" on a steel frame so it'll work out ok.

Ping me off-line, maybe I can let ya see it in person when it's done.

khatfull

Wow, on the plus side, the boiling water treatment seems to have lessened some slight discoloration on the covers!

juvela

There seem to have been two geometries for these MCB 319 & 320 machines at this time. I would say count yourself fortunate that you have the "normal" one. The other is a design favoured by the factory sponsored racer Gosta Pettersen. It has a short weelbase, toeclip overlap and heavy gauge seat stays for climbing/sprinting. A "sports-recreation" geometry it is not. Owned a '71 Monark 320 with this latter design.

No doubt @styggno1 will be able to put me right if I am at all off here.

@khatfull - very much looking forward to following your progress with this.

@Salamandrine spot on regarding shell spec.

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3speedslow

What I noticed was how clean they became with just a little work. I took some Clorox wipes to them and they brightened right up. Then put the pair in some fairly hot water, on they went.

Prowler 

Thank you for this info. I've read several mentions of a big toe overlap problem but have NO such problem with my 59cm frame. And I would judge my seat stays as not heavy gauge - more like pencil stays. And I have 2 or 3 cm gap tween the R tire and the ST. Not a short WB. Very comfortable ride.

juvela

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Thanks for your response. This is what I would have guessed going by the photos of your example. Note on the colours - my local Monark dealer explained to me that the factory sponsored two teams, one professional and one amateur. One rode the orange bikes and one the blue. The 319 and 320 models were also offered in white at this time, a colour for the "independents."

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styggno1

Before Monark and Crescent merged (1961 circa):
Monark = blue
Crescent = orange
(different bikes)

Both amateur.

White for "independents" I have never heard of or believe in. Anyone could buy a blue Monark or orange Crescent. The ones riding for teams got them as "fabrikscykel" (sponsored with a bike/company bike) though. Later (after merger and both brands being the same bike) when riding professionally the bikes might have looked like Crescent and Monarks but were Masi-bikes. An official secret in those days.

edit. post-merger amature bikes were still Crescents and Monarks.

Prowler 

You two are the experts. I have just one example. On the blue color: I understand about blue being the Monark color but, of all the blue Monark photos I've seen, Monark blue looks lighter than the blue on my Crescent. Monarks look more robins egg blue. BUT, computer screens do honk up the actual colors, sometimes. So

Are you two saying Monark blue and the blue Crescent used in 1974 are the same, or just in the same family?

BTW I also like the flat dark red Crescent used for the striping. A color I don't see on other bikes.

obrentharris 

Weren't Crescent bikes sold in the U.S. by REI in the seventies?
Brent

styggno1

I am no expert but I have seen my fair share of these bikes and owned 17 of them - 50ies to 70ies.
The "Monark blue" were many different versions of blue thru the years. In the 50ies they were a dark transparent blue, 60ies a very light solid blue, 70ies a metallic "middle" blue. With overlapping periods of course. Monark also had other blue colours in their line up - I am only talking about the "competition" blue.

50ies dark blue
Monark Special Racer

60ies light blue
Monark racer 1960-62

70ies metallic middle blue
Monark Racercykel 90320


"Are you two saying Monark blue and the blue Crescent used in 1974 are the same, or just in the same family?"

If you mean the colours - I have to check some old brochures. If you mean if the bikes they were the same - they were in 1974. Made at the same place.

"BTW I also like the flat dark red Crescent used for the striping. A color I don't see on other bikes."

I have never seen a Crescent with red striping. Only white. Monark on the other hand used red as an accent on lugs or as lug and box lining.
I am sorry - but I do not believe I have seen your blue Crescent - could you direct me to where I can find pictures?

juvela

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That's affirm.

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Regarding colours -

Purchased a new Monark model 320 in 1971 from my local dealer. The store stocked model 319 and model 320 but not model 318. Both models were available in a choice of three colours that time. Blue with dark red trim, white with blue trim and orange with white trim.

In addition to being sold as Monark and Crescent brands the same cycles were also sold as Skandia brand, fairly rare.

Regarding the drop bolt needed to mount Campag brakes - I found that the standard Campag drop bolt did not give enough drop and the dealer was used to this so they had a local person make up drop bolts with a greater drop.

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