fbagatelleblack said:
You might want to do the bb and the crankset together so you get a set that goes together well (especially if you go with a splined bb/crank rather than a square-taper). Check the Rivendell catalog.
Thanks, and thanks for the affirmation there too. I occassionally wonder how silly I might look asking questions on the behalf of my $300 13-year-old hybrid -- not that it would stop me or anything, obviously!
I've done some surfing and decided to just lay down a C-note with Nashbar on this one after a thread I posted in the components section came back to say they produce adequate house brand components. Going to replace the bb, cranks, cassette and chain all in one pop. I figure if I do this all the components will break in to each other and the bicycle gods will smile down upon me yet some more. The derailleurs work as well as the day I bought the bike so far as I can tell with friction shifters (the indexed rapid fires it came with were struggling on occassion, but I think that was their own fault and they had to go for the drop bars anyway), but these pieces are worn and weather-lorn, especially the cassette. Plus it still has the original chain with around 4-5K miles on it - which apparently is a particularly bad thing and might be why my chain tool has recommended the hack saw.
I was going to hold off a little longer, but I could finally feel it in the pedalling (the bb) yesterday and decided to place my order this weekend. The bike has all MTB drivetrain (excepting the 700C wheels, of course), so Nashbar's parts marketed as replacements for old MTB's and hybrid fits the bill perfectly here. And they're mostly silver instead of black, so even my sense of aesthetics is happy with the idea.
Other than that, the wheels come 99% true even after extensive off-roading through stuff a cross bike had no business mucking around in 12 years ago (actually got a surprised look from an LBS guy back then in Ohio, who upon hearing of where I'd been on it speculated that be that as it may, a MTB would hold up to a crash better maybe but "wow, glad the knobbies I sold you are working so well for ya!"), so I think they're sticking around. Anyway, no more changes are warranted until I maybe get a new sleek, sexy bike for fast group rides, etc, and switch this over to fenders, wide-ish Panaracers and mount some big ol' Baggins bags from Rivendale for credit card touring a year or two down the road!
Oh, and I'll keep my existing bottom bracket nonetheless. From your post on my other thread, sounds like it can be restored and from Nashbar's site, their stuff will fit it. But I like the idea of keeping it on hand as a spare when their sealed one breaks.
