Cinelli Track Frame - Crankset & BB spindle length recommendations

[denvervig]

I picked up a really nice vintage Cinelli track frame last fall and I'm starting to think about the components - in particular, the crankset, BB and spindle length. I happen to have a Phil BB that was on a 2000's era Cannondale track bike that I tore down and sold and would need to pick up Italian threaded cups. So I measure the spindle then started surfing... I'm assuming Campy but any recommendations and should I care about the spindle length differences relative to the crankset (i.e. do I need to pair crankset and BB vintages)? I'm not a serious rider and merely want to build this up as a nice piece that I'll ride occasionally.

[ultraman6970]

U have guys that like everything to the T where everything needs to be super perfect, im not... and i was a tracker.

If you crankset is tad off from the centerline because the BB is a little bit longer than it must, you can just put a spacer behind the cog, that will bring the cog out and the center line will run more parallel and you wont have any problems with that.

How do you know you are off?? well very simple, the guys that like everything to the T will measure... IMO and IME, just from hear the chain you will know if the thing is off. Same from looking at it.

Im Sugesting you to test with what you have 1st, then go the spacer (is the same MTB bikes use for the BB cups) because is easier to find one of those in a shop than a new BB you know.

If you measure it (center line) because you have every perfect because you have OCD :P and you are off a couple of milimiters, nothing will happen, chains flex a little bike, again... look and hear it because a badly off center chain line will sound like hell and obviously something is wrong.

Usually since in my country some stuff are hard to find (BB axles), we put the bike with what he had in hand then we tweaked the issues with what we had in hand like swapping spacers in the hubs axles to help the centerline, ingenuity. The nice about track bikes is that you can get creative to solve the problems. Stuff doesnt have to be OCD level you know. In modern road stuff is different but with track bikes and fox gears you can use ingenuity to solve the problems.

Hope this helps you and gives you more confidence.

ps: no u dont need a vintage pair of cranks, as long as the BB cups match the frame and you dont have the crankset touching the chain stay u are ok IMO, you cant move the crankset more because is tad far? move the hub or the cog outward so fix the problem.

[denvervig]

Thx