I bought a used Raliegh Mountain bike and tuned it up to work nicely and rode that for about 2 years, then last year before winter I stripped it down to the frame and spraypainted it blue bcause the paint was chippng. now to make it ridable again I need to put on a new crankset and bottom bracket, new cables, and both deraileurs. I think I know the answer to this question already, but I want to double check before I order parts. My question is, can I buy ANY crankset/spindle/bottom bracket combo set and install it on my bike? The reason I ask is that there are different sizes for the headtube and different sizes of headsets you can get. Mine is the old wedgebolt and ballbearings small size. That made me unsure in ordering my crankset and bottom bracket because they didn't specify size so I assumed they were all universal, but I don't want to get it wrong and have to ship it back, the bike stores around here SUCK. The bike is a raliegh circa 1990. Help me out please! :)
Don't trippppp. Take it down to the bridge over the riverbottom and droppppittt. Buy a new one. And do some resurch first! Look for G. F. (Marlins are fine as h_ _) H.D.
Odds are good that you have a JIS (Japanese International Standard) bottom bracket. You will buy a 70mm bottom bracket, but then you need to figure out how wide the axle needs to be, that will be a number like (but not necessarily) 122mm or 110mm. It will depend on the style of crankset you choose. THere are COMPACT cranksets (where the face of the crankset is flush with the second gear or STANDARD where the crankset is flush with the first gear. Look at the OLD stuff. Use it as your guide. That stuff fit so if you get stuff the same it will fit. You can change things up but you will have a hard time making sure that you get stuff that will match the bike AND the gear you buy. Start by measuring the distance between the two edges FURTHEST away from each other on the old axle and then buy a bottom bracket designated by that number in millimeters. like this 70 x 110 It is not an EASY answer. There are so many permutations for axle width and crank style that I am so sorry that the bike shops are shitty because this is really a situation where a pro can help you choose which sizes will be best. good luck kt
