[CR]bottom-bracket question

(Example: Production Builders:Frejus)

From: <themaaslands@comcast.net>
To: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org (Classic Rendezvous)
Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2004 22:07:26 +0000
Subject: [CR]bottom-bracket question

Charles asked, among other things about Campagnolo BB's:

"It was only the early Super Record that used the different bearing size, right?"

Actually, Campagnolo started with 1/4" balls, then switched to 3/16" balls in about 1963 for perhaps a year and then back to 1/4" balls once again. The 3/16" balls reappeared in the second generation Super Record titanium spindle BB. I believe this was a technical requirement brought about by the need to reinforce the titanium as the original female version was shown to be subject to breakage.

As far as thick and thin cups, I have seen them successfully mixed and mismatched with all spindle combinations. Often it is a question of trial and error. If you were to measure it, I would suspect that the difference of tightening a used crank, as opposed to a brand new one onto a spindle can likely make up as much as the difference in the thickness of the cup.

For information about the markings of the spindles and their 'official' interchangeability, check out the Campagnolo USA Record News Vol. 1 No.2 newsletter pages 5-7 (Also included in Chuck Schmidt's Campagnolo Catalog reprint compendium).

--
Steven Maasland
Moorestown, NJ