On an ~'73 Gitane Tour de France that came with French
threaded Sugino cranks, and a Sugino BB spindle/cups that
says "Strongr" on the spindle, is it possible that these
cranks were ISO and not JIS taper? Does anyone know if
Sugino made ISO taper cranks and spindles for this vintage
of French/or Italian bicycles?
I found on Sheldon's page that said Sugino spindles with a
"5" marking were 70mm wide for Italians, but he doesn't say
if the taper is ISO or not, or if this matters.
And I've read some postings by Peter Chisholm and A. Muzi
that say it really shouldn't matter if I use a JIS Shimano
taper with these so long as I snug it up enough. I'm in the
process of buying French Phil BB rings and installing a UN72
to try and match the old Sugino BB due to problems with too
much drive side cup loosening. Anyway, just wondering if
taper should be a concern.
Thanks, Mark Beattie Washington DC