Originally Posted by
soul05
if you really want to change the bottom bracket while spending a small bit of money...heres the trick i learned when i wwas converting my peugeot:
keep the stock french threaded cups and find an italian bottom bracket spindle. the french cups are thin, the italian spindle will make up for it. had one that was 68x110 and it worked perfectly.
or you can find a shimano un52 i think...or maybe 54. and replace the cups with phil wood french cups....a lil more expensive, but bomb proof.
or you can wait for velo orange like poguemahone suggested...but i was waiting for that to come out a year ago...by then i sold my french bike.
Clarification: You need a Japanese made spindle for an Italian bottom bracket. Slightly wider between the races. But, truth to tell, a nice set of Japanese made French thread cups is easier to find than such a spindle, and signifigantly widens your spindle choices...
The Shimano UN72 is the BB that works with the Phil cups. It's long out of production, although findable, but the Phil cups will likely cost more than the VO French thread BB.