Hi all,

I recently rediscovered an old Austro-Daimler AD Inter-10 in my garage and have been thinking of resurrecting it as a fixed-gear commuter/urban bicycle. Thankfully, the original paint and chrome is still in great condition, along with the seat and stem and headset.

Since it's a nice frame and I have some time coming up where I'll be able to work on it, I wanted to spend some time giving it a little TLC and fitting some quality components to it. What's irking me now is trying to figure out the correct bottom bracket/chainring/crankset thing...and dealing with the issue of proper chainline.

I'm interested in a Sugino 75 crankset and I've been watching Ebay trying to pick one up on the cheap(er), but am wondering if one has to use the expensive 75 BB or can get away with something else, something cheaper? Something sealed?

I see the 75 has a 109mm spindle for a proper 42mm chainline; would it be possible to use something like a Shimano UN-54 with this crank? I figure for that one extra mm I could shift the hub slightly and re-dish the wheel, since I'll need to do that anyway after I lose the cassette hub that's currently on there... Is there any reason why this wouldn't work? Has anyone done this?

One: The Shimano BB is a lot cheaper
Two: It's sealed (rain, snow, dirt, salt, egh...)
Three: I already have the tools to work with the Shimano style BB, but not those for the 75

Thoughts? Suggestions? I've seen some things about a Sugino "MS-68" BB, but haven't been able to find them for sale anywhere, nor any info about them on the Sugino site.

Do you really need a high end track crankset on a commuter conversion?

Miche
Phil
Sugino 75

Do a search. This topic has been covered ad nauseum

Do I really need a high end track crank? No, but I do like the look of the 75's and feel that if I'm going to spend the money on something, I might as well make it worth it and chip in an extra buck to have it last for as long as I need it do; these components may or may not remain affixed to my Diamler forever.

Second: I've searched, yes, and I've come up with a lot of that -- 75, Phil, Miche... I've also heard about using a Campagnolo Centaur BB with the 75 crank... I'd like to know, specifically, if anyone else is using a Shimano UN-54 in this application?

this was covered earlier this week in the 75 vs RD thread. just think ISO taper vs JIS taper... general consensus is that if you aren't going to get the 75 bb, stick with whatever taper you use first. DO NOT SWITCH BETWEEN THE TWO.

No one is using a Shimano BB on any Sugino 75 crank. You claim you read the threads, but you didn't pick up any knowledge from them. The whole point is that Sugino 75 is ISO taper, so it's wise to use an ISO tapered BB.

You are wrong.

I use a campy 111 on an RD.

I know the old "the taper is only different length so you need a different length JIS BB" line. The bottom line is if a taper is ISO, use an ISO BB. Theres no good reason not to.

I would just get some nice dura ace road doubles second hand. Cheaper and more fitting for the conversion.

Yeah, unless you want a sealed BB which anyone using a 75 on the road would, unless they're into overhauling their BB several times a year. The 75BB is not ISO, as has been gone over a zillion times. Neither a ISO or JIS taper is going to be completely correct, but will work fine as long as you stick with one, including the UN54 which I'm using.

You're still not going to see any of the advantages of a stiff crankset with a flexy old frame, but whatever - you're better off buying better parts and moving them to a better frame than buying garbage parts that you'll throw away. I would personally go for andel / kazane / alien cranks though - comparable quality, and much cheaper.

Miche, which is adjustable, and Campy Veloce. Both are dirt cheap.

Jesus Christ people. We've been over this 1000 times. Stop worrying about tapers, chainlines, and spindle lengths and just get the BB thats made for the cranks. People have been riding unsealed BBs for more than a century without problems. I haven't overhauled my 75bb in over a year..its as smooth as the day I installed it.