I'm doing some winter projects and I've got my super up on the stand. I found some vintage white Carlton hoods that have cleaned up nicely. While there, I've changed the synthetic tape to cork in a darker shade brown, closer to the catalog. I still want to do a leather wrap, but I need to justify by riding it more.
I'm at a fork in the road, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to take it*. I tuned up the bottom bracket cup that had become snug. While spinning the crank (no chain) I find myself annoyed by a slight wobble in the chain ring. It causes a clicking in certain gear combinations and may have caused a dropped chain or two. This is the original steel Stronglight that has seen better days. When refurbishing the bike, I had to stake the spider-crankarm join to eliminate some play. I've had to bend a couple of teeth into alignment. I might be able to bend the ring flat I'm not entirely sure the wobble is the chain ring or the spindle, but if I have to remove that cotter pin again, it will be the last time. I've got my eye on some used cranksets and BBs on eBay.
Should I be looking at spindle lengths of 110, 111, 112? Or something other? (Assume a double crankset, perhaps Campy like the higher-end Raleighs came with.)
My true dilemma is that if I pull the BB apart, the bike is begging for me to pull the fork and headset and to do a fresh coat of paint. I guess with tapered square BB, it's less hassle to strip the frame down, so I could do a paint job later without a great amount of additional effort. Just thinking aloud here...
*apologies to Yogi Bera.
Last edited by davlafont; 01-26-18 at 02:37 PM.