[i originally posted this in "mechanics"... my mistake. please, fixie folks, humor this plea from a soon-to-be new fixie rider]

so, i've been all over the net and i've read all kinds of - like woah - detail on myriad websites, and my head is spinning. so i want kind, firm, and specific recommendations here... cast your opinions upon me! please!!

i got a really nice looking peugeot UE-8, and i want to convert it to a fixed gear bike (my first, thank you! ). i want a new bb/crankset because the existing one is nasty. what do i go with? i'm well aware of the whole french threading issue. just... tell me what to do. i'm drowning in information. i've found bbs that thread to themselves, so the threading in the shell is bypassed. i've also found contemporary parts that will fit the threading of the shell. i've also heard i can get it re-thread to italian style. i'm sure there are more ideas. so what's the best thing to do?

in the end, i'd like a new crank set-up that is light, and that i can run clip pedals from. i'd also like to be able to run a modern spline system, if that's at all possible. is there any way to run a modern system like that out of the UE-8 bb shell? if not, i'll live. but i still want something on the pretty nice, reliable, and low maintenance. a sealed cartridge would be hot (whereas i think cup and cones are thumbs down with me). is this all an actual possibility or just a prayer?

this type of question has probably been asked 100 times. if so, sorry. but if you have made a conversion like this, tell me exactly what you used. at this point, you could tell me it was pixie dust and butterflies, and i'd believe you.

thanks!