Nnesseth

My girlfriend and I are working on a fixed gear conversion for her and we found this 80's Peugeot Mixte frame that is in pretty decent shape. We're in the painting stage and needed to take off the crankset and the forks. The forks came off ok, but the BB on the crankset burst when we took it off so we now have to throw down some more cash for a BB. This is all fine and dandy, except that the threading is the silly french style with both threads going to the right.

This is where I need help, because i'm not 100% sure what bracket I should purchase or really even where to start looking. I know that the width of the shell is 68 mm and the old bracket is something like 150 mm. I was wondering if I could just buy a french threaded BB that fits the 68 mm or if I need to stick with the same exact length that the old BB was.

I'm looking at some of the velo orange spindles, but i'm not sure which length to get or if i should be looking at something else.

I already posted this thread in the classic/vintage forums, but was redirected here under the assumption that one of you hardened veterans has probably done this conversion at least a couple times =]



Thanks!
Nick

Nnesseth

More info/questions:
The frame came with cottered cranks.
Is there a standard size for shell width? I only see an option for length when i'm perusing through different spindles so i'm assuming as much.
My favorite color is purple.

Squirrelli

Good news, Only pre 80's Peugeots are French threaded, the one you have uses English/ISO bottom brackets.

Buy a crankset first before you're hunting for a bottom bracket, different cranksets use different spindle lengths and different types of interface. 68mm is the width for most road bikes, and length varies from crankset to crankset.

Nnesseth

I assumed 80's on the frame, thanks for the clarification =]

As for the crankset, we bought one from comcycleusa.com, which says that it's made for a 107mm square taper BB.

https://store.comcycle-usa.com/Produc...spx?id=5149523

I feel as though i'm about to answer my own question.

Nnesseth

This is the BB i'm looking at: https://www.velo-orange.com/grcrufrthbob.html

Squirrelli

You should have someone confirm that it is indeed an 80's Peugeot.

If it is indeed an 80's Peugeot, then this is the want you want for that crankset. The first one, 68x107mm.
https://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...4&category=268

Nnesseth

The mechanics at the local bike shop were the ones that informed me that the BB is french threaded. The link that you posted says english, i'm assuming that's not french for one or two obvious reasons.. >.>

Correct me if i'm wrong, i would love to spend 25 rather than 50 ><

Roy G. Biv

I've got an old Pegueot beater that I'm considering buying one of these for:

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...#ht_725wt_1139

It's threadless so theoretically it should work on any bottom bracket.

Sixty Fiver

If both sides are right hand thread then you have a French bottom bracket in a 68mm width and will probably need a 107 - 110mm spindle width but you will have to factor in what crank you are using.

The VO bottom brackets are solid and a great problem solver.

Nnesseth

Roy G. Biv-> Is that an option in this situation? Buying a threadless bb and just shoving it in there?

Sixty Fiver-> Both sides are right hand threaded, thanks for the VO bump.

Squirrelli

Screw my mumble jumble then...
Seems like the Grand Cru is the perfect candidate here.

Roy G. Biv

Like I said in theory it should work. I don't know anyone personally who is using one.
I have read about people having some trouble fitting them tight and also that they don't last a very long time.

But for $20 what do you expect.

Nnesseth

Well, at least i've got some options now. Thanks for all the help folks =]

xavier853

If it is indeed french threaded, just buy the Velo Orange French thread bottom bracket and problem solved.

If its is english, just buy a cheap bb and good to go.

Both ways are easy

What I did for a french thread bottom bracket was a little more expensive and did work. I bought the Shimano UN72 bottom bracket which has removable cups, and bought the Phil Wood french thread cups. This was of course 3 months before Velo Orange released their french thread BB that I didnt know about.

Sixty Fiver

A BB primer...

Italian and French bottom brackets are right hand threaded on both sides but you would never confuse them as the Italian BB is so much larger than a conventional BB that one of those will pass right through.

Swiss bottom brackets have the same metric threading as a French BB but the drive side cup is a reversed thread... these are quite rare but were fitted to mid eighties Peugeots.

English (not to be confused with Raleigh and the most common) bottom brackets are 24 tpi thread with a reversed drive side and come in 68 and 73 mm widths.

Raleigh bottom brackets are 26 tpi and their bikes had bb shells that ranged from 68 to 76mm in width.

zeerobb

I'm rebuilding a 77 peugeot to a singlespeed right now as I type..and I too was really confused over these BB's.I agree with Vixtor, I went to www.universalcycles.com and ordered a new crank and BB to fit, this will replace the stronglight that has 2 chainrings anyway. I stripped the frame down today, using aircraft stripper (tal-strip II) worked great!! I will paint it with an air gun metallic red with gold lugs. A friend of mine gave me a set of Dia-Compe brakes and levers. I will add 700c wheels alum to replace the heavy steel 27's. I will singlespeed it with a DMR Rovolver conversion kit and I purchased a Pake track crankset in gold to go with the 68 X 110mm BB.

Roy G. Biv

If you have a 77 peugeot it's most likely french threaded in which case that BB from universal wouldn't work

x136 

Don't forget the occasional Chater Lea threading, and the press-in style used by Fat Chance and the like.

Like Roy G. Biv said, confirm the threading on the frame before you even take the new bottom bracket out of its packaging, if you haven't already.

Sixty Fiver

And Thompsons...

Odds are you won't find any of these obscure bottom brackets on a mid seventies Pug.

zeerobb

Yeah, the threads are both right, I canceled the order from universal and order the one from velo-orange, I had the bike shop take it apart and they told me I was in luck, that I had european threads, well, after reading all this information I tested it out, sure enough, the cups thread toward the rear. still hope the new cranks will fit, it is a tapered iso style. anyway here is a pic. before, I will post one after or as I progress,

Thanks

cnnrmccloskey

Lookin nice

Nnesseth

Got the Velo Orange BB in and it fit like a gloveee..or a bottom bracket..whichever is more snug >.>

anywho, the ride is extremely smooth and most definitely worth the 50 bucks shelled out for it! I'll post a pic as soon as we get around to taking one

VitaDiStrada

since BB's are atopic here i will post my problem. i have an unmarked frame that i can not figure out the bottom bracket for. The person who sold it to me told me it was a Torelli. i can fit a common english threaded BB in if i reverse the drive and non-drive side. any ideas on what the threading could be?

JohnDThompson 

Torelli should be Italian thread (36mm x 24tpi, RH thread on both sides). If you can fit an English BB set backwards something is seriously amiss.