I recently got an old mixte gitane from a guy who recycles rebuilds and fixes bikes. It is in fairly good shape except the paint was seriously faded and the rims and cottered cranks rusted to bits. I can't really tell what age or model but not high end. It was a brilliant orange at one time and has the fun funky rainbow stickers. He said he would fix it up so I picked it up yesterday. He had replaced the rims and the cottered crank. While I knew something about the evilness of french threading, he did not .
As I biked home I quickly found the pedals were all wonky. Finally at home I inspected and he had put a sugino cottered crank on and it is not compatable nor does it work. My husband spent hours taking it out and trying other cottered cranks we have and was freaking out over cottered cranks. He is also working on an old peugeot and a bottechia which both have messed up cottered cranks.
We must get rid of the cottered cranks, especially now that Velo orange has sealed french threaded bottom brackets! If I keep the simplex derailleurs can I put 3 chainrings up front and change the rear cogset or do I have to stick with 2 front and 5 rear gears? What are the limits of the simplex derailleurs? Are they worth keeping other than their frenchness? I want it to be a fun fast road bike.
merci beaucoup.