Hello All,

I just picked up a frame at the Trexlertown swap meet and I'm planning on building up a single speed.

Its an '81 Raleigh Super Record, Ive done some research (from Sheldon Brown) and I'm almost positive that the bottom bracket is english thread for raleigh thread because it is the standard 68mm.

I was looking up the charts on Sheldon and I'm having trouble figuring out what bottom bracket to use to get a proper chain line for a single speed.

Im looking most for an a decent but not expensive solution, any suggestions?

It depends on the crank that you will use. Pick out the crank that you want and it will usually have a recommended bottom bracket.

depends on rear hub chainline and crankset.

Thanks for the tips,

I have worked on my bikes extensively but have never built one up from scratch.

I always thought that the BB was one of the first components to get to help determine everything else, but from what you guys are saying, its the other war around. So once I get a wheel set and crankset, those will determine the length of the BB spindle I need.

Thanks again, Im sure I will have more questions as I assemble the bike.

Or you could do it backwards. Buy any bottom bracket and then see what crank options are available to you. This approach, however, is generally not recommended.