I spent some time looking around, but I haven't seen any really good answers to these questions, so I am going to go ahead and spam the board.

Question 1) My cranks are about 25 years old, and I am looking to replace them on my Frankenfixie build-up. I know that many people feel that the Sugino 75s are the cat's meow for cranks, but they are pretty expensive AND they will require me to get a new bottom bracket and a new chain ring. Ideally, I'd like to get 165 mm cranks and I'd like them to have a 130 BCD, and it would be nice if they were square taper (I know, I know, I want everything, "Could I have a bike with a carbon-fiber frame, and kevlar disc brakes, and oh, I'd like it to cost under $200!"). I have an old Shimano bottom bracket in an Italian threaded frame, and I would prefer to be able to use it as-is. To horribly twist Maslow, my hierarchy of needs, from most to least desirable, looks like this:

i) 165 mm road crank that can use my current bottom bracket and chain ring. This means it is 130 BCD and takes square taper. Hopefully less than $150.

ii) 165 mm road crank that can use my current bottom bracket, but not my chain ring. This would probably be 110 mm, but might be 144 mm. I am figuring that the cost of this will be cranks ~$100 and chain ring $40~$90, total less than $200.

iii) 165 mm road crank that can use neither my bottom bracket, nor my chain ring. At this point, I might as well go with the Sugino 75s with the Phil Wood bottom bracket. Probably around $500.

Any recommendations? Or should I just bite the bullet and get the 75s and the Phil Wood?

Question 2) I just got a White Dos Eno 17/19 freewheel. When I put the chain on the outer 17 tooth cog, there was a horrible amount of rattling, and the chain kept catching. Switching it over to the 19 tooth cog resulted in a perfectly smooth, silent operation. Does anyone have any idea what the problem might be? Are these freewheels perhaps not meant to be used with a 1/8" chain? I couldn't find anything about chain sizes on the website, but I am beginning to wonder now.

Anyway, thanks for the attention.

David

Are these freewheels perhaps not meant to be used with a 1/8" chain? I couldn't find anything about chain sizes on the website, but I am beginning to wonder now.

Dos Eno needs a 3/32" chain—doesn't like 1/8" as you suspect.

Re the crank/BB: In my view, trying to use your existing BB complicates your quest a lot. The crank you choose sets the requirement for spindle length and type of square taper, so trying to hold on to your BB seems like going at this backwards just to save a few bucks.

Fair enough. What crank/bb combos are available that are good for an Italian threaded bike? That has really been the limiting factor for me so far. There is a nice Sugino road crankset with 130 mm BCD and 165 mm crank length, but the bottom bracket is only available in English threading, not Italian.

David

As good a place to start looking as any http://www.businesscycles.com/trcomp.htm Keep in mind that there's a JIS and an ISO square taper. Crank taper and spindle taper must (some would say should) match. Agree—Italian is a real limiter.

Fair enough. What crank/bb combos are available that are good for an Italian threaded bike? That has really been the limiting factor for me so far. There is a nice Sugino road crankset with 130 mm BCD and 165 mm crank length, but the bottom bracket is only available in English threading, not Italian.

David

Why not go with a double road crank and just use the inside ring? I've used Shimano double cranksets, using the inside ring position and single stack bolts, and it gives an almost perfect 42mm chainline..don't make it harder than it is. you don't need a track crankset to run single speed/fixed gear.

If you must go track crank, I'm almost postive that the Miche cranks has an Italian threaded BB availible

don't make it harder than it is. you don't need a track crankset to run single speed/fixed gear.

There you are, djharr—my replies were complicating things too. :D What Dave says.

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/cranks/130-single.html

The Sugino crank is a reasonably priced nice piece but the matching bb is English only. It can be made to work with a 107mm bb - I know because that's what I did on my Raleigh. With a 3/32" cog it's very quiet. But good luck finding a JIS taper Italian threaded bb in 107mm.

I'll "third" Dave. Use a standard double and the inside ring position. An old Shimano 600 with a 112mm bb gave a perfect chainline on my other conversion.

http://www.businesscycles.com/trcomp.htm#crankset

Miche Italian threaded bb, crank and ring of your choice will run right around $230 at Business Cycles

What about the Sugino 48? It's a fine single speed crank with 130 bcd for about $75. That price includes a chainring, IIRC. Should fit on your existing BB, too.

Well, after looking at all the replies and trying several combinations, it turns out that the Italian threading pretty much defeated all my efforts at trying to run a cheaper crank. Finally, in capitulation, I picked up the 165 mm Sugino 75s. I was planning to get a Phil Wood bottom bracket, but the local bike shop (Orange20 in LA, fantastic place, if you are near midtown LA), had a $30 Italian bottom bracket with an Italian threading. I was able to put the whole thing together in about two hours when I got home. I have been riding on it for over a week now, and it is fun.

In any case, that is how things turned out. I got the good cranks, but was able to get away without paying the $150+ for the Phil Wood bracket.

David

Well, after looking at all the replies and trying several combinations, it turns out that the Italian threading pretty much defeated all my efforts at trying to run a cheaper crank. Finally, in capitulation, I picked up the 165 mm Sugino 75s. I was planning to get a Phil Wood bottom bracket, but the local bike shop (Orange20 in LA, fantastic place, if you are near midtown LA), had a $30 Italian bottom bracket with an Italian threading. I was able to put the whole thing together in about two hours when I got home. I have been riding on it for over a week now, and it is fun.

In any case, that is how things turned out. I got the good cranks, but was able to get away without paying the $150+ for the Phil Wood bracket.

David


Cool...Glad it worked out..... and Orange20 rocks...... it is one of the best shops I've visited