Dale Brown wrote:
item 7102456799 Stronglight bb
Currently $677.00
++++++++++++++++ I won't comment on price or value (beyond saying that I'd love to have this on my shelf of Neat Stuff), but a few comments on the unit itself might be of interest.
First, I've never seen this one in cottered crank configuration. Ever. Actually, I've never seen one of these BBs "live". You may infer that it is a Rare Beastie.
Second, I think it is a really elegant solution in search of a problem. Its contribution was to separate the radial load response (roller bearings) from the axial load (tapered bearings) response. Of course, we think the latter is pretty minor on bbs. So, the effect is to use two sets of bearings to do what (conventional) angular contact ball bearings do with only one. And, Stronglight did this w/o even giving any side-by-side adjustment.
Third, in the sixties the conventional wisdom was that this kind of Stronglight was a Bad Idea in British or Swiss threads. The thought is that these designs are much more sensitive to misalignment of the bb treading on the two sides than are angular ball set-ups, and the only way one would be pretty sure that he was within specs was to use an Italian or French BB that had been bored and threaded straight through, in a single pass.
So, if you have a spare, I'd love it for eye candy, but mounting it and riding it are not high on my list of priorities. Why, I'd pay up to $25 (but it does not have to be NOS or with box). Including shipping.
Your priorities may vary.
harvey sachs
mcLean va