I am currently working on a 70s peugeot road bike frame conversion to a fixie. to show how dumb i am i didnt even take that into consideration when i originally ordered a bb. yeah learned that lesson fast. My question is what bb will fit french threads and the sugino messenger crank i got for it.

the bb needs to be 68x103 and have french threads and fit the i believe JIS square taper.
i was hoping for a cartilage bb but im open to any ideas, and preferable as cheap as possible.

https://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_bo-z.html#bottom

There are no cheap options right now unless you happen upon something in the parts bin at your lbs or co-op. Even the compatible spindles that would let you use the original cups are practically gone. But Velo Orange has ordered new production on French bb's slated to arrive late May. I don't know what spindle length, but you could check in with them. Phil Wood is an option, but a very spendy one.

I so want to see those bb's from Velo Orange.

A Sugino #5 spindle will fit a Peugeot if you re-use the cups but they are hard to find.

phil wood

Best bet is prolly to wait for the Veloorange model. Keep in mind it'll be reversable, even as a cartridge unit; if the drive side sticks out more than the non-drive, just flip it to move chainline in. This is due to the threading being the same direction on both sides.

Other than that, cruise ebay for Sugino, Sakae, or Shimano cup and cone BB cups. Then find a proper spindle. The last is the hard part.

Phil Wood is very pricey, "5" spindles are all but impossible to find, and the VOs should be here soon. I hear 35-40$.

From VO imports blog:
"- Our threadless headset was delayed due to an expired licensing agreement between Velo Orange and Cane Creek, much to our surprise. I expect them to be here May 1, along with the French thread BB's and fill in BSA thread BBsets, including a 103mm length spindle for the now ubiquitous 'fixxie' conversions."

Dunno if this means you can expect a French thread 103 or not.

Cheap as possible?

Stick the original bb back in there.

If i had the old parts itd be simple. When i got the frame it was in pretty bad shape. the bottom bracket had made soup of itself and spread through the tubes of the bike. I have the original caps but thats it.

I work on a great number of old French bikes and seeing this makes me very happy... the bottom bracket issues with Peugeots are probably the biggest reason so many of them are collecting dust as other than that, they are very nice bicycles.

i agree with sixty fiver about peugeots being nice bikes that unfortunately have rare parts.

the cheapest thing you can do is probably get another bike... seriously...

That is like saying you have to buy a new car because you have a flat tire. I can't remember what is type of bb is in mine (running square taper + triple crank on a 196?)... works just fine.

it is like saying that, provided the car is old and beat up and the tires are rare and expensive.

that's great that your BB works just fine, even though you don't know what it is. he has a peugeot with an incomplete BB, he will need either a new BB or a new frame. until veloorange gets their stuff in, his only BB option is a $117 phil wood. it would be cheaper to buy another $50 frame with ISO cups...

Your bike was most likely upgraded back in the day when the needed parts were readily available and probably installed to accommodate the triple.

If it is a high end Peugeot it would have come with a Stronglight crank (cotterless) and will still have French cups and a French spindle.

When it comes time to replace them you will really appreciate the fact VO has reognized that there was a need for someone to manufacture a modern French threaded bb.

For folks that have Pugs that are still cottered and needing work, they can find themselves in a hard place.

I have been unpacking parts at my shop and am quite happy to have a good collection of French cups and spindles... I have been collecting these for some years and although there are plenty of salvageable Peugeots from which to acquire cups, there are no proper spindles out there.