Swiss thread BB?

Susan Rosenblatt said:

I have an old Gitane (beater bike) with a Swiss thread BB,
and I would like to install a triple crank. I have on hand
a six year-old Campy crank and bottom bracket.

Only if the bottom bracket is Swiss thread...I never saw a
Campagnolo BB in that threading.

Quoted message said:

Would it be possible to use this crank?

The crank can certainly be used, but you might need a
different length BB spindle.

Quoted message said:

Other advice very welcome.

My advice is to try installing the Campagnolo crank, and see
how the chainline works out.

There's a decent chance that it'll work OK with the
present spindle.

See also sheldonbrown.combbsizeOpen ↗

Sheldon "Try It And See" Brown +--------------------------------------------------------
+
| As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, |
| they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, |
| they do not refer to reality. --Albert Einstein |
+--------------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts Phone 617-244-
9772 FAX 617-244-1041 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-find
parts shipped Worldwide captainbike.comcaptainbike.comOpen ↗
sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗

29 Mar 2004 02:18:10 GMT 'Susan Rosenblatt said:

I have an old Gitane (beater bike) with a Swiss thread BB,
and I would like to install a triple crank. I have on hand
a six year-old Campy crank and bottom bracket.

Are you sure it is Swiss, and not French? I would expect
French Campy cups to be possible to find, but Swiss Campy
should be impossible.

The only difference between the 2 standards is that French
is RH/RH while the Swiss is RH/LH threads. The adjustable
cup in both cases is RH.

-
-----------------------------------------------
Jim Adney [email hidden] Madison, WI 53711 USA
-----------------------------------------------

Susan Rosenblatt said:

I have an old Gitane (beater bike) with a Swiss thread BB,
and I would like to install a triple crank. I have on hand
a six year-old Campy crank and bottom bracket.

Would it be possible to use this crank? Other advice very
welcome.

No worries about shifters, as I am still using friction
downtubes on this particular bike.

I don't know of any Swiss threaded Gitanes and I sold them
for a long while. It is possible someone changed the
threading but not likely.

Are the cups marked m35xp1 with a prominent "G" on the right
side cup? That would be Swiss.

French cups are the same but not reversed (gauche) on the
chain side.

First, if the BB is in good shape, try your new crank on it.
If the spindle seems long, many classic spindles may be
reversed (short side on the right) for use with newer
cranks. (The trend is to ever-shorter spindles).

Failing that, Phil Wood makes mounting rings in all threads
( even obsolete sizes!)and his spindles are made in every
imaginable dimension so that is always an avenue , albeit
not cheap.

Most modern BB cups are not available in French or Swiss at
all. Classic loose-ball type spindles are not available in
the very shortest lengths for some very modern cranks.

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1
April, 1971

Quoted message said:

Are you sure it is Swiss, and not French? I would expect
French Campy cups to be possible to find, but Swiss Campy
should be impossible.

The only difference between the 2 standards is that French
is RH/RH while the Swiss is RH/LH threads. The adjustable
cup in both cases is RH.

Pretty big difference. The only currently available Swiss
thread BBs are Phil Wood. Phil Brown

Sheldon Brown <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Susan Rosenblatt said:

I have an old Gitane (beater bike) with a Swiss thread
BB, and I would like to install a triple crank. I have
on hand a six year-old Campy crank and bottom bracket.

Only if the bottom bracket is Swiss thread...I never saw a
Campagnolo BB in that threading.

Sheldon, I *think* I laid my hands on Swiss-thread Campy
BB cups when I was at Euro-Asia. Knowing EAI, they're
still there, in the deep, dark, dusty recesses of the
Campy small parts.

Personally, I'd put in a Phil BB and be done with it.

Jeff

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Would it be possible to use this crank?

The crank can certainly be used, but you might need a
different length BB spindle.

Quoted message said:

Other advice very welcome.

My advice is to try installing the Campagnolo crank, and
see how the chainline works out.

There's a decent chance that it'll work OK with the
present spindle.

See also sheldonbrown.combbsizeOpen ↗

Sheldon "Try It And See" Brown +--------------------------------------------------------
+
| As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, |
| they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, |
| they do not refer to reality. --Albert Einstein |
+--------------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts Phone 617-244-
9772 FAX 617-244-1041 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-
find parts shipped Worldwide captainbike.comcaptainbike.comOpen ↗
sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗

On 29 Mar 2004 11:04:29 -0800 (Jeff Wills) said:

Personally, I'd put in a Phil BB and be done with it.

Yes, but find out first what thread it really is, because
I doubt that it is actually Swiss. It is most likely
actually French.

-
-----------------------------------------------
Jim Adney [email hidden] Madison, WI 53711 USA
-----------------------------------------------

Jim Adney <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

On 29 Mar 2004 11:04:29 -0800 [email hidden] (Jeff

Wills) said:

Personally, I'd put in a Phil BB and be done with it.

Yes, but find out first what thread it really is, because
I doubt that it is actually Swiss. It is most likely
actually French.

-
-----------------------------------------------
Jim Adney [email hidden] Madison, WI 53711 USA
-----------------------------------------------

I agree. Andy Muzi covered the identification of the cups.

OT: My first car was a '71 VW Squareback- then I acquired a
'61 Type 2 crewcab. I was going to try to get a '51 split
window before I regained my sanity and started collecting
bikes. Bikes are a *much* cheaper hobby.

Jeff

A Muzi <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Susan Rosenblatt said:

I have an old Gitane (beater bike) with a Swiss thread
BB, and I would like to install a triple crank. I have
on hand a six year-old Campy crank and bottom bracket.

Would it be possible to use this crank? Other advice
very welcome.

No worries about shifters, as I am still using friction
downtubes on this particular bike.

I don't know of any Swiss threaded Gitanes and I sold them
for a long while. It is possible someone changed the
threading but not likely.

Are the cups marked m35xp1 with a prominent "G" on the
right side cup? That would be Swiss.

French cups are the same but not reversed (gauche) on the
chain side.

First, if the BB is in good shape, try your new crank on
it. If the spindle seems long, many classic spindles may
be reversed (short side on the right) for use with newer
cranks. (The trend is to ever-shorter spindles).

Failing that, Phil Wood makes mounting rings in all
threads ( even obsolete sizes!)and his spindles are made
in every imaginable dimension so that is always an avenue
, albeit not cheap.

Most modern BB cups are not available in French or Swiss
at all. Classic loose-ball type spindles are not available
in the very shortest lengths for some very modern cranks.

Many thanks for all of the help. I originally bought this
bike, a Gitane 600, in 1976, and so I know that the bottom
bracket threading has not been changed.

Although the bike says that it was made in France, it came
with Shimano 600 gears, SR stem, and other Japanese parts. I
had always thought that the BB was English (in many
overhauls, no mechanic ever disabused me of this
impression).

When I took the bike and Campy cranks to a new (young!)
mechanic, he informed me that the bb was Swiss, and that
the Campy crank would not fit. I don't think he even tried
to fit it.

The current (original) cranks are marked Tourney, and the BB
cups are, so far as I can see, marked 35xp1, but I cannot
find a prominent "G". They also say Tange Japan.

Given your expert knowledge of Gitanes, do you think they
are really Swiss?

Think I'll try another (older) mechanic for a second
opinion. Who is good in the SF Bay Area?

Again, Thanks

Susan Turn cold to hot to reply

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Susan Rosenblatt said:

I have an old Gitane (beater bike) with a Swiss thread
BB, and I would like to install a triple crank. I have on
hand a six year-old Campy crank and bottom bracket. Would
it be possible to use this crank? Other advice very
welcome. No worries about shifters, as I am still using
friction downtubes on this particular bike.

Quoted message said:

A Muzi <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I don't know of any Swiss threaded Gitanes and I sold them
for a long while. It is possible someone changed the
threading but not likely.

Are the cups marked m35xp1 with a prominent "G" on the
right side cup? That would be Swiss.

French cups are the same but not reversed (gauche) on the
chain side.

First, if the BB is in good shape, try your new crank on
it. If the spindle seems long, many classic spindles may
be reversed (short side on the right) for use with newer
cranks. (The trend is to ever-shorter spindles).

Failing that, Phil Wood makes mounting rings in all
threads ( even obsolete sizes!)and his spindles are made
in every imaginable dimension so that is always an avenue
, albeit not cheap.

Most modern BB cups are not available in French or Swiss
at all. Classic loose-ball type spindles are not available
in the very shortest lengths for some very modern cranks.

Quoted message said:

Many thanks for all of the help. I originally bought this
bike, a Gitane 600, in 1976, and so I know that the bottom
bracket threading has not been changed.

Although the bike says that it was made in France, it came
with Shimano 600 gears, SR stem, and other Japanese parts.
I had always thought that the BB was English (in many
overhauls, no mechanic ever disabused me of this
impression).

When I took the bike and Campy cranks to a new (young!)
mechanic, he informed me that the bb was Swiss, and that
the Campy crank would not fit. I don't think he even tried
to fit it.

The current (original) cranks are marked Tourney, and the
BB cups are, so far as I can see, marked 35xp1, but I
cannot find a prominent "G". They also say Tange Japan.

Given your expert knowledge of Gitanes, do you think they
are really Swiss?

Think I'll try another (older) mechanic for a second
opinion. Who is good in the SF Bay Area?

My bet is French, just like every one we sold here until
Gitane went ISO (in about 1981 or so). The "Swiss" comment
is a red herring.

I'd try your new crank on that spindle (or on that spindle
reversed). If it's suitable, clean up your nice Tange BB
with fresh grease and new bearings.

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1
April, 1971

On 1 Apr 2004 14:21:00 -0800, [email hidden]

() said:

Think I'll try another (older) mechanic for a second
opinion. Who is good in the SF Bay Area?

You might call The Bike Nook, in SF. 3004 Taraval. 415-731-
3838 They deal with lots of older road bikes, and might know
where to send you if they can't help you.