Motobecane conversion
05-12-08, 10:54 PM
#1
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Motobecane conversion
so i bought an old 1970s Motobecane not knowing what i was getting myself into. right now i am having trouble with the swiss threading on it. i still have the original bb (cottered), but the crankset is too old and i was advised to replace them. i was thinking i have a few options...
1. get a threadless bb and get any kind of crankset
- iv'e read that threadless bb's aren't very reliable and installing it might be troublesome
2. keep the original bb and find a new cottered crankset
- can't seem to find any on ebay or craigslist
3. keep the original bb and crank arms and find a 48t chainring that has the old 3-bolt pattern to match up with the crank arms.
- can't seem to find any of these either
i've already gotten so far and put a good amount of money into it $_$, so i don't want to give up. any suggestions on what to do?
1. get a threadless bb and get any kind of crankset
- iv'e read that threadless bb's aren't very reliable and installing it might be troublesome
2. keep the original bb and find a new cottered crankset
- can't seem to find any on ebay or craigslist
3. keep the original bb and crank arms and find a 48t chainring that has the old 3-bolt pattern to match up with the crank arms.
- can't seem to find any of these either
i've already gotten so far and put a good amount of money into it $_$, so i don't want to give up. any suggestions on what to do?
05-13-08, 02:38 AM
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Phil Wood makes bottom bracket cups in the swiss threading...they ain't cheap but they may be better than the alternatives.
Aaron
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Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
05-13-08, 05:03 AM
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What about reusing everything (cups, bearings, etc) of that old BB except for the spindle???? That's what I did with my Peugeot since everything is french on it. I just used a different spindle and now I have a cotter less crank on that mug.
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Ese dicho que me han dicho que tú has dicho que yo he dicho, ese dicho no lo he dicho, porque si lo hubiera dicho, ese dicho estaría bien dicho por haberlo dicho yo.
Ese dicho que me han dicho que tú has dicho que yo he dicho, ese dicho no lo he dicho, porque si lo hubiera dicho, ese dicho estaría bien dicho por haberlo dicho yo.
05-13-08, 11:44 AM
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First, are you sure it's Swiss and not French? I would have thought Moto wasn't using any cottered cranks by the time they switched to Swiss threading, but I could be wrong. "Too old" doesn't seem like a reason to ditch the crankset. Are the teeth worn, or are you just trying to get the gearing right? You say you're looking for a 48; what ratio are you going for? Can you accomplish it with a different cog or freewheel and keep the current cranks? My guess is you don't like the Phil Wood option on the BB but it's probably about your only hope other than re-using the current one, unless you have a couple years to sit around shopping Ebay. That said, some folks manage to use Phil Wood cups on modified Shimano cartridge units, which is a less expensive option than a full Phil unit.
05-13-08, 12:10 PM
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Velo Orange is selling a cottered crank with a bottom bracket and rings for $55. You could use it with your cups if they're in good shape. Cottered cranks are cool.
