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.
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
There are two kinds of people in the world, "Those who help themselves to people, and those who help people!"
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.
Nigel
Hi, I found a serial number that said: C524185
I'm attaching some pics.
Looks like my old Bianchi.
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.
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.
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.
Nigel
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
There are two kinds of people in the world, "Those who help themselves to people, and those who help people!"
I have a strong feeling that this is it! What year is your bike?
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
There are two kinds of people in the world, "Those who help themselves to people, and those who help people!"
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.
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.
Good maintenance to your Bike, can make it like the wheels are, true and smooth!