Did Peugeot ever use shimano type bbs, if so, when were they introduced, and how can I tell if mine is the french standard or Shimano?

As far as I know, Peugeot used French BB threading (35x1 mm) through the 1970s and switched to Swiss in 1980. Canadian-build Peugeots from the 1980s and 1990s use ISO (1.375x24 TPI) threading. SunTour made French as well as ISO bearing cups, but I don't know whether Shimano ever bothered with the French.

There are definitely French Shimano cups out there -- I have a set of Shimano 600EX cups that are French threaded. Sugino made them too (I have several of those as well).
If the cups are Shimano, they should be marked 35 x 1 (French/Swiss) or 1.37 x 24 (English) on either the fixed cup, or the adjustable, or both. Telling French from Swiss might be a bit harder, since the right (fixed) cup is right-hand threaded (loosen CCW) for French, and left-hand for Swiss.

What year is your Peugeot?

Sometime around '85-ish Peugeot switched over to BSA/British (or what your referring to as Shimano) BB's.

My 1993 Peugeot had a cartridge Shimano bb.

Thanks for that. It's hard to tell what year. I would put it late 80's early 90s. I suppose the easiest way is to strip it and see.

Again, many thanks

The easiest way is to post a picture of it. Next would be a full description of its color scheme, chrome details, decals and serial number.

If you are estimating the vintage properly, I can guarantee the fixed cup is left-threaded, and I am nearly as certain that you will have standard ISO (SAE/English system) threading, rather than metric. If the cups are Japanese, there is probably a 1.37x24 or a 35x1 marking somewhere on the outside face of each one, perhaps, but often not, hidden by the crank. The Europeans were less generous with the size markings.

Already stripped, resprayed and rebuilt. I only ask as when I took her out, I noticed a bit of play in the BB, and wondered about replacing it, or rather, how difficult it would be to replace.

Here's a pic of it rebuilt, not that it's much help, but it's a nice bike.





I don't suppose this is of any help, is it?

It is the left side of the BB, despite the funny angle.

Nope. How about a pic of the other cup......

Based on the design off the adjustable side I can almost gaurantee its not British/BSA/ISO

It doesn't look like a Shimano cup either, to me.
Is that a Shimano 600 EX ("Arabesque") crank that has had the arms painted? I've never seen one like that.
I'd be interested to know what make the spindle is. Do you remember what is was, from having it apart while painting/relubing?

Arabesque looks like this.

It helps a little. I can see that it is a Stronglight bottom bracket, but not whether it is English or French. What does the other side look like? If English, it will be octagonal, with 2 rings etched in the face. French would be octagonal with one ring, and Swiss octagonal with no rings.

Thanks for the input, chaps. Here's the other side.

By the late 80's Peugeot had fully adopted ISO standards but prior to that they briefly used Swiss and French cups (at the same time)... any pre-80's Pug is going to have French threaded cups.

Your bike appears to be an early to mid 80's model with a French threaded cup (?)... the lack of lugs points a later build as well but the repaint and lack of badges and decals makes an id harder.

If can recall the colour scheme before the repaint or have a pre-rebuild pic that would really help pin down the year.

The nice thing is that these cups were well made and can often be re-used with new bearings and a cotterless spindle to allow the use of modern cranks.

When and if you remove the fixed cup you will know exactly what you have... as already stated, French and Swiss cups have the same threading but have reversed threads.

And finally... that is a fine looking bike you have there...well done.

Swiss. The thin line around the circumference indicates Swiss threading.

What the serial number?

I got the bike as a wreck a couple of years ago, and took it apart and resprayed it around that time. I've just had a look around the seat tube, and found some of the original paint under a chip from the Quick release bolt. The original colour appeared to be metallic gold. It was a five speed with none indexed downtube shifters (the shimanos in the pic are some I had lying around). I do remember that it had a series of off-colour (tilted?) squares on the toptube, if that's any help. It looked to be pretty cheap (standard tubing), and had alloy sidepull brakes. It's got a Sollida 2000 crank, which is made in France, and I've never heard of (it also looks pretty cheap), and a simplex rear deraillier, which is also pretty cheap.
It's a nice bike to ride, though those bars take a bit of getting used to. I had them hanging around for ages, and thought I might as well put them to some use.
And downtube shifters - I used to used them though the 70s and 80s, but now, wow, I'd forgotten how hands on cycling used to be. not surprisingly, I tend to select a central gear and stick with it.

The Swiss bb and 5 speed (if original) puts it in around 80-81 but identifying the model may still be difficult although the lack of lugs points to it probably being a PH8.

Thanks for that info.

The serial number, as best I can make out after the respray, is 43052728.

Can someone remind me the benefits or otherwise of a Swiss BB.

Also, which way to I turn the locking ring to release it?

Many thanks

The threads on non-drive side will be normal right-handed threads. So lefty loosey for the lock-ring. The drive side fixed cup will be left-handed threads, so that side is 'backwards', just like a modern ISO BB.

The advantage of the reverse threads on the drive side is that the friction from the BB bearings tends to tighten the cup rather than loosen it so you don't need to put it in so tightly to keep it in place.

A Swiss BB is the same threading as French except the drive side threads are reversed. The big advantage of this type for you is that it fits your frame! Take care of it, they are hard to find and getter rarer by the day.

Nice bike, BTW!

I hope your cups are okay! Swiss cups are actually as hard to find as people who don't know what they're talking about say French cups are.

Thanks for the info, chaps. I'm going to take the BB apart in the next few days, so I'll let you know.

One more question. If everything is okay, how reliable do you think the system will be in the future. I'm tempted to turn this bike into a tourer. It's got a nice ride, and with a pair of porteur bars it'll look a treat. I only ever go for a week or so, so it's not like the back of beyond, but I am wary of something happening while abroad. Anyone ever had anything catastrophic happend to a BB?

Its lasted for 25 years so its safe to assume it'll be OK for awhile longer. BB's dont catastrophicly fail. They go gradualy. If you were out on the road and for some odd reason needed a replacement a BSA may be temporarily substituted....(may or may not fit tightly)

Swiss threads are 35mm X 1 while British/BSA are 34.798mm x 1.058

Thanks for that info. Much appreciated.