Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Classic & Vintage
Reload this Page >

V-O french-thread BB....

Search
Notices
Classic & Vintage This forum is to discuss the many aspects of classic and vintage bicycles, including musclebikes, lightweights, middleweights, hi-wheelers, bone-shakers, safety bikes and much more.

V-O french-thread BB....

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 06-20-22, 08:36 AM
  #1  
ehcoplex 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,683

Bikes: '38 Schwinn New World, ’69 Peugeot PX-10, '72 Peugeot PX-10, ‘7? Valgan, '78 Raleigh Comp GS, ’79 Holdsworth Pro, ’80 Peugeot TH-8 tandem, '87 Trek 400T, ‘7? Raleigh Sports, ‘7? Raleigh Superbe, ‘6? Hercules

Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 760 Post(s)
Liked 1,562 Times in 756 Posts
V-O french-thread BB....

OK, I just want to make sure I'm not missing something here...... Recently got a V-O French BB for a build. Labeled French on the box, on the body of the BB, the flange of the drive side says "FRENCH 35x1 REMOVE COUNTER CLOCKWISE", but....... the threading on that side of the BB is left-handed. It should be right-hand threaded on both sides, right? Will contact V-O, but just want to be sure I'm not somehow confused...
ehcoplex is offline  
Old 06-20-22, 08:40 AM
  #2  
noobinsf 
Senior Member
 
noobinsf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Oakland, CA
Posts: 3,265

Bikes: '82 Univega Competizione, '72 Motobecane Grand Record, '83 Mercian KOM Touring, '85 Univega Alpina Uno, '76 Eisentraut Limited

Mentioned: 57 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1088 Post(s)
Liked 1,205 Times in 701 Posts
Yes, French is right-hand threaded on both drive and non-drive side, and it should be removed by turning counter clockwise. Which bike is this for? Are you sure the bike is French threaded?
noobinsf is offline  
Likes For noobinsf:
Old 06-20-22, 08:43 AM
  #3  
ehcoplex 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,683

Bikes: '38 Schwinn New World, ’69 Peugeot PX-10, '72 Peugeot PX-10, ‘7? Valgan, '78 Raleigh Comp GS, ’79 Holdsworth Pro, ’80 Peugeot TH-8 tandem, '87 Trek 400T, ‘7? Raleigh Sports, ‘7? Raleigh Superbe, ‘6? Hercules

Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 760 Post(s)
Liked 1,562 Times in 756 Posts
Yup, Valgan Vitus 971 frame. The Stronglight BB that came out of it (tragically very pitted...) is right-handed on both sides. Seems like maybe there's been a factory error with the BB.....
ehcoplex is offline  
Old 06-20-22, 09:19 AM
  #4  
oneclick 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 2,813
Mentioned: 49 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1105 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,326 Times in 782 Posts
Swiss threading is 35x1 and fixed cup left-hand.

Check that the adjustable cup fits, if it does, Swiss is what you need.
oneclick is offline  
Old 06-20-22, 09:45 AM
  #5  
ehcoplex 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,683

Bikes: '38 Schwinn New World, ’69 Peugeot PX-10, '72 Peugeot PX-10, ‘7? Valgan, '78 Raleigh Comp GS, ’79 Holdsworth Pro, ’80 Peugeot TH-8 tandem, '87 Trek 400T, ‘7? Raleigh Sports, ‘7? Raleigh Superbe, ‘6? Hercules

Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 760 Post(s)
Liked 1,562 Times in 756 Posts
Originally Posted by oneclick
Swiss threading is 35x1 and fixed cup left-hand.

Check that the adjustable cup fits, if it does, Swiss is what you need.
Threading in the BB shell is right-handed on both sides, so yes, the right-hand-threaded NDS/adjustable cup fits (both sides). Problem is the labeled-as French BB from V-O is left-hand-threaded on the drive side.
ehcoplex is offline  
Old 06-20-22, 01:49 PM
  #6  
balindamood
Wrench Savant
 
balindamood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: 61 Degrees North
Posts: 2,304

Bikes: Yes

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 42 Post(s)
Liked 93 Times in 38 Posts
You might be the only person in history to "mistakenly" get a Swiss-threaded bottom bracket. One of the 17 people on the planet with Swiss-threaded frames may hunt you down.
balindamood is offline  
Likes For balindamood:
Old 06-20-22, 04:36 PM
  #7  
polymorphself 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 2,040
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 837 Post(s)
Liked 1,080 Times in 521 Posts
Originally Posted by balindamood
You might be the only person in history to "mistakenly" get a Swiss-threaded bottom bracket. One of the 17 people on the planet with Swiss-threaded frames may hunt you down.
This happened to me two years ago.
polymorphself is offline  
Old 06-20-22, 05:55 PM
  #8  
ehcoplex 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,683

Bikes: '38 Schwinn New World, ’69 Peugeot PX-10, '72 Peugeot PX-10, ‘7? Valgan, '78 Raleigh Comp GS, ’79 Holdsworth Pro, ’80 Peugeot TH-8 tandem, '87 Trek 400T, ‘7? Raleigh Sports, ‘7? Raleigh Superbe, ‘6? Hercules

Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 760 Post(s)
Liked 1,562 Times in 756 Posts
Originally Posted by polymorphself
This happened to me two years ago.
Also from Velo Orange?
ehcoplex is offline  
Old 06-20-22, 06:09 PM
  #9  
balindamood
Wrench Savant
 
balindamood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: 61 Degrees North
Posts: 2,304

Bikes: Yes

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 42 Post(s)
Liked 93 Times in 38 Posts
Originally Posted by polymorphself
This happened to me two years ago.
How is it possible that the only two remaining Swiss BB cups on the planet BOTH went to the wrong place?

Wait! Maybe it is the same set of BB cups...
balindamood is offline  
Old 06-20-22, 10:01 PM
  #10  
repechage
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 20,305
Mentioned: 130 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3464 Post(s)
Liked 2,827 Times in 1,995 Posts
The VO French threaded BB I bought a while ago was correct, "RH" thread both sides.

I tried to use it but on TA cranks - the cranks walked in too much. The spindle is polished and plated on mine. I prefer coarser machined.

I never took it up to torque, 45 nm
repechage is offline  
Old 07-05-22, 03:18 AM
  #11  
ehcoplex 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,683

Bikes: '38 Schwinn New World, ’69 Peugeot PX-10, '72 Peugeot PX-10, ‘7? Valgan, '78 Raleigh Comp GS, ’79 Holdsworth Pro, ’80 Peugeot TH-8 tandem, '87 Trek 400T, ‘7? Raleigh Sports, ‘7? Raleigh Superbe, ‘6? Hercules

Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 760 Post(s)
Liked 1,562 Times in 756 Posts
As a follow up- contacted V-O and they sent a correct BB & return shipping label for the mis-marked, wrong one.

In both cases, however, the bearings seem really stiff. Like, really stiff... Is that normal for sealed bearings in a BB?

Last edited by ehcoplex; 07-05-22 at 06:02 AM.
ehcoplex is offline  
Old 07-05-22, 04:57 AM
  #12  
El Chaba
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 586
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 191 Post(s)
Liked 564 Times in 196 Posts
This whole ordeal is not an atypical Velo Orange experience, unfortunately….
El Chaba is offline  
Old 07-05-22, 07:03 AM
  #13  
JohnDThompson 
Old fart
 
JohnDThompson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Appleton WI
Posts: 24,779

Bikes: Several, mostly not name brands.

Mentioned: 153 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3583 Post(s)
Liked 3,395 Times in 1,929 Posts
Originally Posted by ehcoplex
In both cases, however, the bearings seem really stiff. Like, really stiff... Is that normal for sealed bearings in a BB?
Not unusual for new bearing cartridges. Until the seals wear in, they can feel stiff. But unloaded stiffness from seal drag really has no effect on loaded performance.
JohnDThompson is offline  
Likes For JohnDThompson:
Old 07-05-22, 08:16 AM
  #14  
ehcoplex 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,683

Bikes: '38 Schwinn New World, ’69 Peugeot PX-10, '72 Peugeot PX-10, ‘7? Valgan, '78 Raleigh Comp GS, ’79 Holdsworth Pro, ’80 Peugeot TH-8 tandem, '87 Trek 400T, ‘7? Raleigh Sports, ‘7? Raleigh Superbe, ‘6? Hercules

Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 760 Post(s)
Liked 1,562 Times in 756 Posts
Originally Posted by JohnDThompson
Not unusual for new bearing cartridges. Until the seals wear in, they can feel stiff. But unloaded stiffness from seal drag really has no effect on loaded performance.
That's what I was hoping/thought.
ehcoplex is offline  
Old 07-05-22, 09:52 AM
  #15  
repechage
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 20,305
Mentioned: 130 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3464 Post(s)
Liked 2,827 Times in 1,995 Posts
Originally Posted by JohnDThompson
Not unusual for new bearing cartridges. Until the seals wear in, they can feel stiff. But unloaded stiffness from seal drag really has no effect on loaded performance.
think of all those lost watts in the seals scraping.
repechage is offline  
Old 07-05-22, 11:26 AM
  #16  
SurferRosa
señor miembro
 
SurferRosa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Pac NW
Posts: 6,602

Bikes: '70s - '80s Campagnolo

Mentioned: 92 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3869 Post(s)
Liked 6,461 Times in 3,194 Posts
Originally Posted by balindamood
One of the 17 people on the planet with Swiss-threaded frames may hunt you down.
17? I bet there are thousands of pre-'79 Motobécanes out there.
SurferRosa is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.