Is there a shimano bottom bracket other than a V2 octalink that will fit the Vitus? Crank sets with V2 compatible are hard to find for road bikes. I have shimano 105 cranks but are octalink V1. Any help would be great.

Thanks,

Doug

Mine is the exceedingly common 68mm English thread, it would be difficult to find a BB that does Not fit.
If you need Shimano 5500 BB V1 octalink they are "out there", took me 27 seconds to find one.

-Bandera

Do they make them with Italian threads?

Thanks,

I am not your personal shopper, good luck w/ your search.

PS
It would have been informative to have included the BB spec. on your personal 979 in your initial post.

-Bandera

Sorry, I wasn't asking to search, just thought you might know if shimano actually made one with Italian threads. The bottom bracket and crank has been the biggest hang up so far. I got lucky and the rear spacing is 130 mm so I have a wide range of new rear choices.

thanks

I am not entirely sure what you are attempting but just keep a few things in mind. V1 and V2 Octalink BB are NOT compatible with each other at all. I am pretty sure there aren't many V2 Octalink road cranks, seems like there were many more V1 road cranksets made compared to V2. I think you are aware of this, I just wanted to put it out there just to make sure.

Also what is so unusual about the Vitus BB? I think my V1 Octalink BBs were 73mm but came with spacers to work with 68mm shells.

Bandera is rights, that the vast majority of Vitus 979 frames are standard English threading. But they did come in French and Italian as well. A standard English/ISO Shimano BB should work, but we can't say what kind of BB you should use unless you indicate what kind of BB threading you have on your Vitus.

This actually sounds unlucky. I know people will come out and say they've used 130mm rear wheels on their Vitus without any problems, but most mechanics/framebuilders will tell you it's a bad idea to cold set aluminum frames.

Of course Shimano made V1 bb's with Italian threading, and of course they are available through the usual Amazon, ebay, etc.

Cold-setting a Vitus would be a very bad idea, but I suppose some could have been made at 130mm, seems likely, or at least 128mm.

Most 130mm 8,9,10-speed rear hubs can have 1mm taken off of each side's axle spacers, provided narrow chain is used and that the frame doesn't have any unusual protrusions where the stays meet the right dropout.
So a modified-to-128mm hub would install without significant risks if the frame is 126mm.

It is indeed a bad idea to cold set aluminum frames to 130mm.

That being said my '92 979 is 130mm from the factory, lucky me.
Pic w/ a "modernish" wheelset & 10 speed set-up installed, no muss no fuss.

Pic of what the Vitus 979 was designed to do:
Paris-Roubaix in all it's bone jarring filthy glory & Sean Kelly putting it down.

-Bandera

I finally finished my 979 Vitus this past weekend. I went for a two hour ride and nothing fell off, so we must have did something right. I want to thank all the members from the threads, it helped immensely. I have attached a couple of photos.