here's a cool article on wheel types... rims are just a part of a wheel Assembly..

https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-adv...125bc40088694b

Lets not forget Continental Ride Tour - Great all-around, including ravel, and GOAT HEADS!

Look for a 54 or 56cm road frame. You definitely do not want too small, the saddle to bar drop gets excessive, and reach gets shorter as you try to raise them up.

Novice rebuild lesson 2: After taking the bike apart down to the bare frame, as I cleaned the fork, I noticed that I had forgotten to remove the crown race...so I went ahead and removed it and cleaned what little dirt was hiding under it but then I had some difficulty getting it back on it its original position (too much resistance). I finally got it work with a 1" ID PVC pipe (the fit was surprisingly perfect!). Then I got to thinking. As far as I could tell, there was no need for me to have taken it off the steerer tube in the first place other than my geriatric onset OCD. Am I right in thinking that I need not have removed it?

Yes, the only reason to remove it is if you're fitting a new headset, likewise the parts that press into the frame (unless they're loose and you're adding seating compound). But you managed to replace it using the standard tool, a length of pipe, and now you know how to do it should you ever need to.

So once again I will offer to do some mentoring here in my shop in Bloomington. But the shop works by appointment only so you will have to do some scheduling. Smiles, MH

I would love to be able to avail myself of your expertise, but the only thing is the distance. I am not much of a driver and Bloomington is quite a ways (for me). I used to drive with my wife to that place when my boys were in college, but I never liked the commute except I was eager to see my guys. :)

Novice rebuild lesson 3: When I took apart the BB, I found to my surprise that the hex nuts locking the cranks in were of different sizes...the DS was 14mm and the NDS was 15mm...wonder why...

Also, I love the simplicity of this BB...Just a sq. taper spindle with bearing cages, respective cups on either side, a lock ring, etc, and the cranks. But I do anticipate some prolonged adjustment on one side or other, since both sides are open. I am just guessing that at this point, but will find out when I assemble the darn thing after cleaning up the pieces.

both should be 14mm hex.

Your response prompted me to look further into the weird discrepancy...the spindle threads on both ends were the same, but the hex bolts were 14 and 15 mm...Probably a quality control issue during mfg (I say since mfg b/c the amount of crud I found inside the shell and bearing cups and the cages suggests decades of laissez faire maintenance).

"15mm hex" is mostly a euro thing... the standard nuts used are serrated flange nuts, with shallow 14mm hexes.
if the spindle is the drilled/threaded style, the bolts are shallow hex with a washer in between the arm and bolt head.

You are right, the nut that came off with a 14mm wrench is shallower than the one that came off with a 15mm wrench and, as you said, the latter was not shallow at all. However, I did scavenge a shallow 14mm nut from another old bike...so I have two 'proper' 14mm shallow nuts (don't laugh).
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...035749b041.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...945073ea70.jpg

that tall one looks like a bunged up axle nut to me... !!! Yikes!
it also looks like the flange portion was reduced via grinding to "make it fit"... that probably saved the crank arm puller threads from damage.

Unless you have a special attachment to loose bearing adjustments and re-greasing, feel free to throw the whole old BB in the recycling bin and buy a modern Shimano BB-UN300 with maintenance-free sealed ball bearings. $16 shipped. Nobody is going to judge you.

Novice rebuild lesson 4: Another novice question - I notices an ever so slight wobble/play in the DS crankset, which is a 42/52/165. Sakae Japan. The spider/ring assembly wobbles about 3 to 4 mm when jiggled as I hold the crank arm firmly. Does it matter? I am really getting to know a lot of things about bikes and how they work! I had no idea! And I am determined to see this project through even if it costs a little cash, which I am probably saving by not spending on other gadgets/electronics/new cell phone/movies, etc. Thanks for all your input.

Are you forcing them over that much with pressure while you jiggle? Or are they loose? That seems like something you should easily be able to tell. If they are loose, then the bolts are loose, something is installed wrong, or perhaps the wrong rings or bolts for that crank spider.

Or do you have the wrong spindle and BB combination and there is play. Though that doesn't seem to be what you are describing.

If you were rotating the cranks and saw the rings move closer and further from the frame, that is normal. But only a mm or two. Especially if lower end crank. I didn't read back to see if you stated what you had.

To all the advice I got about the loose BB - I hear you and understand the issue, I think. For now though, I wanted to get a "feel" for things, so I went ahead and put the BB together with the loose pieces. It wasn't very difficult, except that I had to improvise with a hammer and flat head screwdriver as I was putting on the lock ring and NDS cup (or is it the cone? I am confused). The end result seems to be doing well as hoped (no wobble in the spindle and free rotation). But as luck would have it, right after that, I ran into the wobbly crankset issue posted above.

The crankset is not installed yet. I just finished cleaning it and as I was doing it I noticed the wobble.

getting the BB spindle and bearings adjusted just right can take a few tries... when it seems "right" before the final snugging, it is actually a bit too tight, and if it's a tiny bit loose before snugging up that lockring, it might be perfect once snugged... etc...

good luck.. :thumb:
and remember to just set down the tools, then take a break, if you get angry.
i had a coffee table, with a 19mm box end wrench-sized hole thru it, for a couple decades :D... certain XR250 engines have an odd quirk of the shift shaft not engaging the end of the shift drum correctly as the case halves slip back together... the wrench thing was after three fails.. and three sets of gaskets... and three disassem... oh, you get the idea.
a dental mirror and bright lights helped with attempt #4.. and i waited until the next day.

Thanks. Making progress, I think. I have a clean frame with the headset, bottom bracket, handlebars, front fork, shifter installed all clean. Just mounted the clean RD just for practice..it was a pain hanging it there, since it is supposed to attach to the wheel hub (no separate mounting slot on the dropout!).

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e777f61662.jpg

That's a nice old bike, albeit not high end, Suntour gears and centerpull brakes both work well. Back in the '80s I wanted an excuse to use those shifters on one of my bikes, but they were all too "serious cyclist" for it to be appropriate. I recently used one on a recumbent trike, but as a parking brake lever.

Thanks! The canterpull brakes and the shifters were indeed made by Suntour on this bike. I was able to take the shifter (which was quite stuck) completely apart, cleaned up the umpteen bits inside, lightly lubed, and reassembled...just needed steady hands. It seems to operate normally now, with the clicks and all for the RD side (5 speed). Fingers crossed.
One other thing...not that I am going to get one at this time, but what would be a good quality (used) lightweight steel frame for my future project? Perhaps I am opening the Pandora's box here, but there are so many names out there it is mind boggling. Can you give me a couple of names? I can look them up and drill down based on the budget available at that time. Cheers.

look for a good straight frame made of Columbus SL or Reynolds 531 tubes, with the correct, matching fork.
Reynold 501 tubing is stronger, less expensive, but heavier.
watch your local craigslist "bicycles" and "Bicycle Parts" sections for bargains... don't just run out and buy the first nice frame you see...
garage sales can also be a source of bargains...
complete bikes for low prices come up in CL.. they go quickly.
a buddy recently found a 1985 Trek 520 sport touring bike, with 501 Reynolds tubing... for $50, complete and rideable, new tires and brake pads, with almost zero paint damage, a few tiny chips.. the brake levers are incredibly undamaged...... the undamaged Shimano 600 parts group is worth at least $150 !
i found my Gitane Criterium bike on CL ... the ad simply said "old french bike, good shape $90".. the bike has Panaracer tires, a spare set of wheels, the original parts that had been swapped to fit wider gearing, and a free pair of size ten riding clip-in shoes... the rare Stronglight drillium crankset is worth at least $100.. The wheel hubs are ultra-rare, high end Normandy Red Bands... It's not for sale. I added minor chamfers to the drillium holes to make them glisten... The "test ride" turned into two hours of smiles............. i didn't even have to move the seat height, but the drop bars got rotated forward some. :D

Warning: some Raleigh Bikes have decals that look Very Similar to Reynolds Decals.. Raleigh was being VERY deceitful... the tubing is Actually basic Chrome Moly, and not light.
And Peugeot "CarboLite 103" is not light at all.... the metal tends to bend easily, and the frames weigh too much.

Read the Classic and Vintage section of the forums for a while and see what we think about all sorts of old bikes. And contrary to maddog34's opinion, bikes made with Carbolite and other high-tensile steels can be a treat to ride. I'm a big fan of older French bikes in particular; they knew how to make low end bikes that rode very well. For now, tho, stay away from bikes with steel wheels and cottered cranks.