Paint Job Steve

I was taking a sharp corner this morning and I clipped my pedal and put it at a funny angle. Got the pedal off thinking I just needed a new one, but nope the crank threads are stripped out. I do not know about cranks what's going to fit or what and I need help. Like to keep it vintage and whatever I get the bike shop is putting it on. What's cool???

branko_76 

That's a really nice frame and deserves a better crank than the cheap swaged Silstar. I'm guessing it's not original and was installed for the low gearing it provides.

Do you need that small chainring?

Narhay

The nice thing is you can buy just the left side crank arm in the correct length if the other side is fine.

Paint Job Steve

I don't know what I need. Thanks for the complement tho I've had the bike since October last year you're only the second guy to give it positive review.

Paint Job Steve

That is nice but what would be a nice upgrade? Didn't know it until just a minute ago but apparently Silstar.is crap.

branko_76 

Will you be riding the bike on flat roads or hilly roads ?

Paint Job Steve

Both I get around.

branko_76 

Here's one option, it's a SR (Sakae) forged crankset that has a 86 BCD (bolt-circle-diameter).

Forged means that the crank-arm and spider are one piece. Your current crank is swaged, meaning the arm and spider are two pieces pressed together, this is okay but not as strong as forged.

The BCD of this crank is rather small allowing for smaller inner chainrings. This is important if you will be riding longer distances on hilly roads.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-SR-...0AAOSwExVezbQn

Narhay

It looks like a Mercier 300 to me. A very nice French bike but it has some french specific components including bottom bracket threading. The original crank would have been a stronglight 93. Be careful replacing the crank as different cranks require different spindle lengths and tapers. Because your bottom bracket is likely using the original stronglight thin bottom bracket cups with a 5 series JIS taper spindle it may be difficult to find the right spindle for any old crank.

branko_76 

It looks to me like he has a Japanese spindle, if that's the case, there should be no problem with a Japanese crank like the SR (Sakae) I posted earlier....

Narhay

Yes, if it takes the same length spindle.

Paint Job Steve

Good info everyone thank you.

It's a Mercier 200. You got me going on a stronglight 93 hunt.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Stronglight...gAAOSwJD1etExT

Steelman54 

Stronglight 93's are great cranks, I have one; however, chainrings are not commonly available anymore as the 93 has a 122 mm BCD. Only Stronglight rings will fit and availability of common sizes such as 40, 42 and 48 are not easy to find. Just something to consider if you are riding hills.

Narhay

That is a nice crank. The teeth look a bit pointy to me, and the pedal threading is french metric.

branko_76 

The Stronglight crank would be the obvious choice for a restoration. If you go that route, you'll spend a little more but you will also learn much more about vintage bikes.

Considering the quality of the frame, a restoration would be the way I would go.

Paint Job Steve

On the stronglight 93 the seller says "I can retap the crank arms to English 9/16" pedal threads at no charge."

Smart thing to have done? I'm looking at French thread pedals now and it seems like a big pain in the ass.

branko_76 

That would make finding pedals much easier. You may find that you like a particular type of pedal in which case British threading would make it much easier to fit the pedal to your foot.

Restoring vintage bikes is a big pain in the ass but that never stopped me...

Piff 

I dunno, the guy is happy with his bike (are you, Steve? Brakes and shifts fine? The drivetrain doesn't run rough?). No need to throw hundreds of dollars at this bike to do a restoration if it's running fine as it is. I say new cranks, and possibly a new shimano catridge bottom bracket if the old one hasn't been properly cared for.

Though, it might not be a bad idea to swap out the old brake pads for some kool stops. They're well regarded and will improve your braking. If you take a few close-up picture of your brakes we could help you choose the right replacements. There's, uh, quite a few options....Kool Stop International - High Performance Bicycle Brake Pads Since 1977

edit: What's your budget?

edit2: There should be a little number on the inside of the crank that says its lenght. Should be a number like 165, 170, 171, 172.5, 175...I agree with Narhay that the simplest, easiest, and cheapest option would be to simply replace the left cranks.\

edit3: I hope your cranks are 165mm: cranks ebay link

edit4: This one's even cheaper. It isn't NOS, but it looks to be in pretty good condition. more cranks

dmark 

VeloBase.com - Component: Sakae/Ringyo (SR) SAX-5TG, APEX-5 Touring

branko_76 

Keeping it simple is an option and what you're suggesting can be easily solved by a trip to the local bike shop.

It may "ride fine" but that doesn't mean that it rides properly.

The OP has a basis for a very nice vintage bike and an oportunity to learn how to actually restore, repair and maintain it. If he's not interested in doing this, then as I said, a trip to the local bike shop will avoid some headaches.

Insidious C. 

Stronglight TS is a good fit for this bike.

Paint Job Steve

You're peppering me with a lot of questions but you make a lot of sense. I love the way my bike rides and I'd be happy to keep the Silstar. They say 170.


I think this would work, just use one arm off it, $20 shipping is a F in the butt tho.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Sil...AAAOSwRXxe0A3m

I know about Kool Stops too. Unfortunately I didn't find out about them until after I bought some other no name pads. Gonna brake hard and wear the crap out of them so I can have Kool Stops in my future.

branko_76 

We need a sub-forum dedicated to C&V Restorations.

Whenever I see a classic vintage bike that is begging to relive its glorious past I get my hopes up, but far too often they just get band-aids.

Putting my money (actually, mostly time) where my keyboard is...

https://www.bikeforums.net/search.php?searchid=8300416

Piff 

If you're going to go for a completely new crank I would recommend something with a standard bcd. If I'm not mistaken those Silstar cranks have a 118 BCD. 118 BCD chainrings simply aren't common at all. I'd recommend some cranks that are 110BCD, they allow for a pretty wide range of rings. A new crankset and shimano cartridge bottom bracket shouldn't be too expensive, maybe $100 or a bit more. You likely wouldn't have to invest anything into your cranks for years, so the price isn't terrible if you think about it like that. I'll look around a bit on ebay.
edit: Duh, forgot it's french threaded. Might be best off overhauling the bottom bracket and getting some cranks that fit the bottom bracket spindle length properly.


I'd like to see the bike restored too, but I don't think that makes sense for him. He likes the bike and enjoys riding it, and I doubt he's interested in spending $1000 (more or less) on the necessary tools and components and paint for a full restoration. Best option is to get the bike on the road. I think that's reliving its past better than some bikes posted here that aren't much more than wall art.

Paint Job Steve

I feel your pain. If I had money to burn I'd lose all the hodge·podge and go glory days too.