Question: Just got new frame, which Bottom Bracket to use?

[MrVo]

Hi,

I just bought a new Vintage 1980s bike frame. How do I know which Bottom Bracket to use for the new frame? Sorry, I'm new so I may ask some stupid questions.

[Painkiller]

never a stupid question! pics would be nice and the question would be what crankset you plan to use. the crankset determines the proper Bottom bracket to use. and you need to measure the shell width of your frame where the bottom bracket goes also.
More than likely the frame originally came with a spindle/bearing/cup style. But I would recommend a newer cartridge style replacement.
which will require proper tools to install too

[nfmisso]

Hi MrVo;

Please spend time on Sheldon Brown's website, he goes into a great deal of detail on this matter. There are at least four possibilities. If you tell us all about your frame, we can probably narrow it down to 1 or 2.

[MrVo]

Hi, I found a serial number that said: C524185

I'm attaching some pics.

[1FJEF]

Looks like my old Bianchi.

[MrVo]

OK so I measured the BB. Found it to be 68mm by 34mm. I also measured the space between the rear dropouts. Found them to be 126mm. Well, I guess a part of me want to know what was the model of this frame.

[nfmisso]

The paint does not look original to me.

Scroll down to Bottom Brackets on this page:
http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_bo-z.html

I'd bet the threads are: 1.375" X 24 tpi

Take a look at the threading on each side. Is one right handed and the other left handed?

I think that it is very late '80's, and more likely early '90's based on the bottle cage mounts, tubing size and shape of the fork. Of course I could be wrong.

[DaveM]

Looks like a decent frame. But that seat post clamp is scary. The left side looks bent in. Is the clamp bolt threading directly into the frame or is there a separate nut? Could be nothing, but you may want to check it out, get a seatpost, and make sure this is working before you start collecting other parts.

[nfmisso]

AAAHHHHH !!

Seat post clamp looks like my Miyata 310; but the serial number does correspond as a Miyata with the time frame of other features of the frame.

[MrVo]

I took it to a LBS today and it's a Univega. The mechanic from the back can tell it out right away.

(01-10-2013, 06:36 PM)nfmisso Wrote:  AAAHHHHH !!

Seat post clamp looks like my Miyata 310; but the serial number does correspond as a Miyata with the time frame of other features of the frame.

[Painkiller]

It is similar to my Univega Arrowpace. the lugs are real close but my headtube is much longer and Mine does not have brazed cable guides under the BB shell. Mine is roughly a 58cm frame and has 27in wheels

[MrVo]

I have a strong feeling that this is it! What year is your bike?

[Painkiller]

well MrVo, I wish I could tell you exactly but I think it to be somewhere like 81' to 85'ish. It is indexed rear shifting 12 speed.
I took it on trade back around 1992. Hybrids were just hitting the scene and i sold the original owner a Hybrid and he sold the Univega to a guy that traded it in for a hybrid. I used it as a loaner to help keep people mobile while I was repairing their bike. I used to slam it around a bit myself, loved the ride and just kept it around.
There are some subtle differences between yours and mine and i suspect the headset on yours is not original. I do not think that yours is an Arrowpace but I do believe it to be a Univega. So keep searching, they had lots of models. It could be an Arrowspeed

[MrVo]

What a great story, and I like the way you tell the tale. I googled Arrowspeed and it came up with a whole bunch of good looking bike photos. This gives me a starting point to know what I want to do with this frame. Thank you.

[Bill]

Yea I love those stories, always good to hear them. At first I said schwinn to myself, but now looking at some other pictures on google images for comparison I can see.

[redfoxglove]

(01-10-2013, 09:28 PM)MrVo Wrote:  I took it to a LBS today and it's a Univega. The mechanic from the back can tell it out right away.

(01-10-2013, 06:36 PM)nfmisso Wrote:  AAAHHHHH !!

Seat post clamp looks like my Miyata 310; but the serial number does correspond as a Miyata with the time frame of other features of the frame.

I thought it was a Univega, looks so familiar. Nice paint, it's not original though?

[redfoxglove]

(05-24-2013, 12:07 AM)redfoxglove Wrote:  

(01-10-2013, 09:28 PM)MrVo Wrote:  I took it to a LBS today and it's a Univega. The mechanic from the back can tell it out right away.

(01-10-2013, 06:36 PM)nfmisso Wrote:  AAAHHHHH !!

Seat post clamp looks like my Miyata 310; but the serial number does correspond as a Miyata with the time frame of other features of the frame.

I thought it was a Univega, looks so familiar. Nice paint, it's not original though?

Replying to my own post, how OCD is that? I thought I recognized Univega don't ask my how I knew, it's a woman thing, and that ring around the head tube that says Shimano 105 marks this as one of the upline models. Saw last night on craigslist somewhere a model called Specialissimo with this ring. Also saw this ring on some other upline models elsewhere on the internet, a blog called Cycle Thru has a few...seeing this ring has me thinking I want Shimano 105 on my own rebuild of my own original Univega. More later.

BTW if you type Univega blog into the search engine you get incredible comeback. Never knew Univega would be a cult, just knew my bike was "special" (say it with a twist)

[MrVo]

I really don't know if it is a Univega or a Bridgestone. The two are quite similar to one another. I'm almost done with my project, given that I've never built a bike before. I bought a bent and broken mid 80s Schwinn Le Tour and swapped out the parts into this frame. I was able to salvage some of the parts, but not all. It's almost done...

(05-24-2013, 01:42 AM)redfoxglove Wrote:  

(05-24-2013, 12:07 AM)redfoxglove Wrote:  

(01-10-2013, 09:28 PM)MrVo Wrote:  I took it to a LBS today and it's a Univega. The mechanic from the back can tell it out right away.

(01-10-2013, 06:36 PM)nfmisso Wrote:  AAAHHHHH !!

Seat post clamp looks like my Miyata 310; but the serial number does correspond as a Miyata with the time frame of other features of the frame.

I thought it was a Univega, looks so familiar. Nice paint, it's not original though?

Replying to my own post, how OCD is that? I thought I recognized Univega don't ask my how I knew, it's a woman thing, and that ring around the head tube that says Shimano 105 marks this as one of the upline models. Saw last night on craigslist somewhere a model called Specialissimo with this ring. Also saw this ring on some other upline models elsewhere on the internet, a blog called Cycle Thru has a few...seeing this ring has me thinking I want Shimano 105 on my own rebuild of my own original Univega. More later.

BTW if you type Univega blog into the search engine you get incredible comeback. Never knew Univega would be a cult, just knew my bike was "special" (say it with a twist)