Specifically bottom brackets. I am used to Campy, Suntour and others with shell width markings, 68,70. I keep seeing Zeus marked (spindle length) x55? Like 118x55. What is the 55? Shell width for the bearings? Velobase didn't elaborate so trying to figure out what's up. French, Swiss?
Thanks
Tom.

Zeus is Spanish made, so it is probably not any of those.

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the 55 marking refers to the distance apart of the bearing centres as measured in mm

it indicates a spindle intended for use with 68mm shells


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Spanish math!

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Zeus spindles marked with a 57 are intended for use with 70mm shells

spindles of 109 length marking are intended for use with with single plateau drive trains

spindles of 114 and 118 length markings are intended for use with two plateau drive trains

spindles of 123 length marking are made for use with three plateau drive trains


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Thanks. I also ask on a different forum and found out Zeus marks theirs different, the 55 instead of 68, etc. Of course I then measured a couple of spindles I have and amazing! Also, and please correct me if, they mark the cups with a bcs for English, 36x24F for Italian, and just Zeus for French?
This gets tedious sometimes.

Yes.

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the set imaged above looks to be a Criterium series example

the marking shown was employed for a fairly long period

later on they went to writing it out in full as on this Italian dimension 2000 serie set -




CH dimension sets were not offered

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Yes, that one is a "Criterium" model.

I have a couple "2000" model bottom brackets; both marked B.S.C. Curiously, I have "ZEUS 2000" marked crank mounting bolts in both steel and titanium.

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the 2000 series components launched in 1974 so one can see how there would be examples with the earlier thread marking format


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Those are great examples. I have looked at several on the bay and most seem unmarked, guessing French. Just bought a used BB marked bsc so hoping the races and such are good. Headsets seem a little harder, any markings on those? Once again most sellers don't know what they have concerning threading. Not sure how much I want to gamble.

Tom.

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the most common Zeus steel headset is a model termed the Gran Sport - it is very good

on this model the thread is marked in two places:

a) on one of the spanner flats of the locknut

b) on the "cheek" of the adjustable race

the catalogue states it was offered in metric and in BSC, not in Italian

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here are shown the thread markings on models 2000, New Racer and Cosmos:

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The Zeus headset I have is marked "B.S.C." on both the locknut and the threaded cup:

My sons headset doesn't have any markings, other than 'Zeus', and an M on the washer.



The spindle is marked 118x55c

Is it perhaps metric (25mm x 1mm) thread?

Yes. These parts are from my sons 1977 Zeus.

Hi,
You seam to know quite a lot about Zeus bikes. I'm trying to bring back to life a Torrot bicycle from late '70s. It has been tweaked up a bit. It came with two different types of cranks, Stronglight on the driveside and Arregui on the left. The left one (Arregui) it leaves a gap of 5mm between the end of the spindle and the crank's outer side square hole ( I suppose the crank is ISO and the spindle JIS) The Stronglight fits deeper and leaves a gap of 3mm. The spindle is 118x55 GS. Do you know which standard Zeus complied with? JIS or ISO? Thanks a lot.

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Arregui designed their cotterless chainsets a good two or three decades prior to the existence of ISO

have no experience of mixing Zeus with other brands so cannot comment there

no one in europe was designing to JIS standard back when Zeus tapered square chainsets were first created

other readers are sure to be able to give a better answer to your very reasonable question

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sidenote on Verot-Perrin -

they performed a major reworking of their range in 1977

new models were introduced which employ a 22.0mm puller thread and which have their dentition cut from both sides of the stock rather than one as is found on older models

this new cutting of dentition means lands need to be thinner

mention this as there may have been other changes as well...


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juvela knows quite a lot about quite a lot, not just Zeus bikes!

This goes up for sale, on the G
For Sale forum, in the Spring, when I get back to Canada...

Arregui crank
Thanks!

My Zeus spindle looks more like an ISO type. Zeus is supposed to have copied Campanglo a lot so maybe they tapered their cranks like it. However pre '94 Campy it was closer to JIS than ISO. This would explain the fit gap if Arregui crank is added later and it is ISO. But being Arregui and Torrot both basque companies it appears to me more natural have used originally Arregui cranks and not Stronglight. I tryed upload a few pics but I need to have 10 post done for that.


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The forum has had a few threads on Torrot cycles.

If you have not done so already you could use the on-site search function to bring them up.

Torrot marque history is interesting. It issues from what was originally the Terrot agent of Espana. For some reason the manufacturer wished to take it away from them so they responded by creating a new marque one letter away from Terrot.

By this time Terrot may have ceased their manufacture of motorcycles. The marque was acquired by Peugeot in 1958 who kept it alive for several years by manufacturing Peugeot built cycles bearing the Terrot name. AFAIK Peugeot allowed the Terrot name to close by 1965. There is a France based club for the owners of Terrot products; they have a good deal of historical material archived at their web site.

Will look forward to seeing your Torrot whenever you are able to begin a thread on it.


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So typically Zeus. The knuckles are what you would expect to see on a pre-1967 Campy bronze derailleur, the cage and body like restyled copies of the then-current Nuovo Record, drill some holes, slather on some extra (and better) chrome, and give it a futuristic name and you have a winner -- especially when you discount the price,

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LXXI, MM or MMI ?

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Yes, "55" appears to be the spacing of the race shoulders on the spindle. "118" is the overall length, and would be appropriate for a double, or a single-ring cyclocross crank with chain guards.