costellomj

I have an old 70's Puegeot PX-10 and I need to replace the BB with a square tapered BB.

Has anyone done this before? I heard the old french bikes have their own threading and sizes that are hard to come by.

Thanks

Rabid Koala

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/velos.html

Lots of good info about French interchangeability. Not just bottom brackets.

Dostoy

I just did this....

Go here and scroll down slightly to the Sugino cup set. You can put these in and then use normal, 68mm square taper spindles.

Bam. Problem solved. I wish I had a PX-10.

Grand Bois

Here's a nice one:
https://cgi.ebay.com/Zeus-2000-Titani...QQcmdZViewItem

John E

That's precisely what I did with my since-departed (cracked chainstay) first UO-8. I am using TA cups and spindle with Sugino cranks on my current UO-8.

spunkyruss

I really want this, but I have to admit that my bike fund is empty right now. You want this one. It's the same thing, from the same seller, but it's a "super sale." The buy-it-now price is $89, plus $5 shipping to the U.S.

I've noticed this seller offer similarly deep discounts on other items. This is purely conjecture, but I think that the seller realizes that nobody is buying at a higher price, and does this to see what the market will bare. From what I have observed, bidders fail to take advantage of the buy-it-now option, and the item sells for far more than the original buy-it-now price.

Poguemahone

"I have an old 70's Puegeot PX-10 and I need to replace the BB with a square tapered BB"

All the advice you have gotten here has been spot on. Agreed on the Sugino cups, I'll need to order a couple more, didn't know they were being made again... I've been hoarding them for awhile. Part of owning old Frenchies, I suppose.

A PX would have come standard with a square tapered Stonglight bottom bracket. Are you certain yours is a PX? If you have cottered cranks it's likely another model. The PX is one of the most commonly misidentified bicycles out there; I'm constantly seeing non-PXs called a PX. Post a pic. Until 1979, all PXs were half-chromed in the rear triangle, and the rear dropouts were maked "Simplex". An "inoxyadable" sticker would likely have been on the seat tube.

When you install the fixed cup, be sure to crank that sucker on tight. Since it's not reverse threaded, it can work loose. Some swear by loctite on the fixed cup, but I've never used it nor have I ever had one work loose...

Bokchoi Cowboy

How about replacements for the Swiss thread bottom brackets on the early 1980's PX bikes? Any line on stuff other than the Phil cups listed on Sheldon Brown?

Poguemahone

"How about replacements for the Swiss thread bottom brackets on the early 1980's PX bikes?"

A (very) compentent shop should be able to re-tap the Swiss to English. I know at least three folks who have done this, and there a motobecane on the porch I keep meaning to try this on.

costellomj

Thanks guys, this is a ton of help.

I'm actually not sure if its a PX-10 or not. It kind of looks like a green UO-8, but has a full chrome fork, and the shifters are on the down tube, and its got late 60's early 70's decals. I'll post a pic when I get one.

Grand Bois

That Zeus titanium bottom bracket is beautiful and it would save significant weight, but didn't Campy stop offering the titanium SR spindle because they had a habit of snapping in two?

You can still find new Campy NR French bottom brackets. I have one on my Gitane. I couldn't find a complete set, so I bought the spindle, cups and lock ring separately. I know I didn't pay much because I never pay much for bicycle parts. I'm patient. Sometimes I wait years for a part I want to come along at the right price.

John E

You can try force-threading aluminum English-threaded cups into your Swiss BB. (With a steel BB shell versus an aluminum cup, there is little or no risk of damaging your frame.) For several years I have been running my PKN-10 with an English-threaded Sugino fixed cup and a French/Swiss-threaded Stronglight adjustable cup and a Sugino mountain triple crankset and spindle.

nickw

I went with a Phil Wood, spendy at $150 for BB and french cups though. I took this option because I am running fixed and wanted a good chainline without fuss, the PW BB can move +- 5mm in the cups for alignment.
With the PW you have nearly unlimited spindle options (lenghts/tapers) so you can run modern cranks or vintage stuff.
Here is a rear end of a PX10 for comparison purposes, unless the bike has been repainted it should have chrome stays-

costellomj

Do you guys think I could get away with keeping the same cups that came on the peugeot and just replacing the old spindle with a squared one?

CV-6 

This, and your comment about the frame being green and chrome only on the fork, would imply that the original is a cottered crank. If that is the case, you will need the correct cups to go with your new spindle. I seriously doubt the cups for a cottered crank will work. Get the complete BB.

Poguemahone

CV6 is largely correct. Sugino spindles will work with the stock cups on the UOs, but you have to get a '5' series spindle, for Italian BBs. The more standard 3 spindle will not work; due to the stock cups on the UO being thin walled, the adjustable cup will simply thread all the way into the BB shell, leave no room for a lockring.

Nick W is correct about the Phils being workable, but his bike is a PX (note rear stays). I would not drop that kind of change on a UO8, much as I love mine. The SUgino cups should be fine. A cheaper option than full Phil is to combine the Phil Cups with a Shimano un72 BB.

Here's a long thread about French BB cups, as I'm too lazy to retype most of this stuff:
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...il+wood+French

Bokchoi Cowboy

Do you mean you can sandwich one of the Shimano sealed cartridge style bottom bracket sets inbetween the Phil cups? This works?

John E

I am glad to see that you did not remove the deraileur tab from the right rear dropout.

That is one incredibly clean-looking early 1970s PX-10. My UO-8 of the same vintage is really showing its age and use.

Grand Bois

It only works with the UN-72, Not the UN-73. Harris Cyclery has them. They also have the Phil rings and the tool you'll need. If you add up the cost of all of those, the titanium Zeus for $88.99 looks like a pretty good deal.

Poguemahone

^^^^ What DD says, he's right on target. For longer winded explanation, read the thread linked in post #16. Works great with the UN72, even did it with pictures in the linked thread... alas, the pics are now gone... you can get the works on ebuy cheaper than the zeus, but as with all things french, it pays to be patient.