Current Projects chat and miscellany

^ Well when I got it, the crank extractor threads stripped so I cut the axle apart with an angle grinder. Didn't have a spare axle so I bought a cartridge BB. I just stuffed the old cranks back on because I needed it to get to work the next day.

They gave me a Shimmy UN54 BB (off the top of my head)... which didn't go in exactly straight, NDS is about 2mm lower than it should be and didn't rotate freely for a few miles (presumably the axle rubbing on the plastic shell). It's never bothered me because it's just a cheap hack - I always assumed that I had just cross-threaded it, but actually your suggestion makes sense.

Anyway, the BB is still slightly stiff (although probably wouldn't notice it when pedalling) and the enormous chainring is a bit of a sod (have torn two pairs of trousers on it). If I do get around to replacing it, and if it is 26tpi, then I'll probably get a YST threadless BB and whack on any cheap old singlespeed crankset. YSTs aren't the smoothest BBs, but it's a hack, so I'm not spending money on it.

I might re-frame it if I find a suitable and suitably cheap frame, it's a tad small for me.

If you do take the bb out then you wouldn't be able to measure the threads accurately as you sound like you've mashed them! If I were you I'd leave the bb in and just sort another frame when you've found the right thing. I quite like my bike and it runs really well but I'm starting to get annoyed with all of the little bits that make Raleighs so bloody awkward! I may well end up replacing the frame, or even the whole bike if I see something I like.