Headsets & Bottom Brackets What to Get?
07-05-08, 03:30 PM
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Headsets & Bottom Brackets What to Get?
Well I've decided to take my new Centurion all apart and build back up with a combination of the original 105 group and I found Ultegra RD & FD, DA 9 speed Cassette, and set of Vuelta Wheels on the cheap and they all look new so I grabbed them all.
So I took my Centurion Ironman into a LBS that specializes in vintage rides and happens to have a guy working there that is a custom frame builder. I brought it into him for spacing of the rear dropouts and then asked him if he knew of a good place to have the bike sand blasted. The long and the short of it is I got better deal on everything through him than I'd found by taking it in myself to the places I've found so I'll pick up my freshly spaced and powder coated frame in 2 weeks.
In striping all the components off the frame I came to the conclusion I'm going to need a new bottom bracket with a square spindle for my 105 crank set. So can I get any BB with a square spindle or what? What specifically do I need?
I'm also going to need a new headset. Since I'm building this bike with a combo of Vintage and Modern parts The guy in the shop suggested a get a Chris King headset. However that headset is more then I have left to spend. Is there anything just as good, but not as expensive? Is something the quality of a Chris King overkill and should I just get something inexpensive like a Tange Levin?
So I took my Centurion Ironman into a LBS that specializes in vintage rides and happens to have a guy working there that is a custom frame builder. I brought it into him for spacing of the rear dropouts and then asked him if he knew of a good place to have the bike sand blasted. The long and the short of it is I got better deal on everything through him than I'd found by taking it in myself to the places I've found so I'll pick up my freshly spaced and powder coated frame in 2 weeks.
In striping all the components off the frame I came to the conclusion I'm going to need a new bottom bracket with a square spindle for my 105 crank set. So can I get any BB with a square spindle or what? What specifically do I need?
I'm also going to need a new headset. Since I'm building this bike with a combo of Vintage and Modern parts The guy in the shop suggested a get a Chris King headset. However that headset is more then I have left to spend. Is there anything just as good, but not as expensive? Is something the quality of a Chris King overkill and should I just get something inexpensive like a Tange Levin?
Last edited by TomWilson; 07-05-08 at 05:36 PM.
07-05-08, 05:25 PM
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Chris King = bling overkill.
Measure the length of your old BB spindle and get a new one to match.
see: https://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_bo-z.html#bottom
Measure the length of your old BB spindle and get a new one to match.
see: https://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_bo-z.html#bottom
07-05-08, 05:39 PM
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The Stronglight A9 headset has a fantastic reputation for durability, and it's also very light. Tracking one down may be the harder part. I also run a very cheap 105 cartridge bearing headset on a couple of my bikes, and it works just fine.
07-05-08, 07:11 PM
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Tange Levin - about $18 and well built.
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07-05-08, 07:45 PM
#5
Disraeli Gears
Be careful about buying a headset that is at or smaller than the stack height you have available. Stronglights and Campagnolos and some Shimanos are all pretty tall, in the 39-42 mm range. The Tange Levin is an excellent headset, but there are more than one model/stack height that are/were sold as Tange Levin. The one with plain rounded outer races is fairly short 33-34, while the one that's a Campy knock-off, with annular groove in each of the outer races and engraved lettering in the groove is more like the Campy stack --39.5 or so.
You measure stack capacity by measuring the headtube (frame only, excluding any headset parts), and then measuring the distance from fork lower headset race seat (where the pressed-on race sits) to the top of the steerer tube. The difference between them is the stack height. You can always shim up a too-short headset, but you can't shim down one that's too tall.
On the bottom bracket, the Tange/IRD sealed bearing units are nice, and inexpensive, available in several lengths. Need a 20-tooth ISIS socket to install them. They have JIS squares, which should fit your 105 crank. Soma sells two types, the lighter, more expensive, hollow axle one, and the standard, cheaper one; I assume that the bearings are the same. They're also available on eBay, for less money. Velo Orange sells a JIS BB too, either the Tange or a Shimano unit, their choice apparently (whatever's on the shelf).
You measure stack capacity by measuring the headtube (frame only, excluding any headset parts), and then measuring the distance from fork lower headset race seat (where the pressed-on race sits) to the top of the steerer tube. The difference between them is the stack height. You can always shim up a too-short headset, but you can't shim down one that's too tall.
On the bottom bracket, the Tange/IRD sealed bearing units are nice, and inexpensive, available in several lengths. Need a 20-tooth ISIS socket to install them. They have JIS squares, which should fit your 105 crank. Soma sells two types, the lighter, more expensive, hollow axle one, and the standard, cheaper one; I assume that the bearings are the same. They're also available on eBay, for less money. Velo Orange sells a JIS BB too, either the Tange or a Shimano unit, their choice apparently (whatever's on the shelf).
