Originally Posted by pacman76
[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!
Praying probably won't hurt. I am in the midst of a similar conversion (and got thoroughly pummeled in the mechanics section, as well). Here's what I have learned:
--You can get new cups for the BB, and a spindle too. Get french threaded cups, and then get an Italian spindle (sounds crazy, i know, but I think this is right) which fits it and can take modern cranksets. Go to Harris Cyclery's French parts section, it sounds like you know it well.
http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/frenc...ks.html#bottom.
If you go this route (and someone PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong) you can run a good new crankset, clipless pedals, the whole bit.
(Revision: I thought Harris sold Sugino french threaded cups. But now I can't find them on the site, only the much-more-expensive TA cups. Ack?)
--To use a modern splined system you'd have to get the BB shell rethreaded. Probably not worth the expense. edit: er, I didnt' know about the Phil option, so I stand corrected, and it is also probably not worth the expense.
--Cups and cones are cool. Know them, love them. Or maybe it's to know them is to love them. I think R-dub was working on a pixie-dust lube system for a while there. Seriously though. Not a problem.
--Tell me more about these self-threading BBs? Uh?
good luck, and wish me the same, and keep us posted of your progress. Those peugeots are too sexy for their own good, if you ask me.
