Just learned again that finding correct parts for an older bicycle can be challenge.
Even parts for the here ubiquitous Dutch city bike can get hard so source when the bike is over 10 years old. Sadly the manufacturers either go for planned obsolescence, make it hard to repair or simply just not sell parts to consumers directly. Next time I will not buy this brand again. Note that the Batavus, Gazelle and Sparta brands are all in the same holding company I think, the Accell Group and suffer from very similar problems.
In this case I needed to replace a worn chain, the rear chainwheel and the drive chain wheel. The right cranks are fused to one piece with the front chainwheel, and are usually sold in a set.
Finding a replacement crankset was a bit of a headache.
The square taper of the bottom bracket axle can be in two sizes, ISO and JIS. It has a minimal difference of maybe a tenth of a millimeter, but the 2 degree taper could result in a few millimeter difference when it is mounted. However, to my understanding, most parts now sold will have a JIS size taper. (Japan Industry Standard)
Another important measurement is the chain width. The classic Dutch city bike from before the late 90s all used the 1/8 inch. Compatible with the classic German Wippermann Rotstern
chain. (still sold!)
However newer Shimano drives mostly use thinner 3/32 inch chains, and thus introduced thinner chainwheels on the crankset. A thicker chain could be run over a thinner one, though may increase the chances of the chain to run off. Alternatively, one could also try to mount a thinner rear chainwheel. However this was a bit against my taste and tried to stick to 1/8 inch.
This narrowed down my options to basically one crankset, this one:
It is actually for a transport bicycle of the brand Cortina, the Cortina Milo.
However there is a third important measurement I wasn’t sure how to deal with or to get clarity on, the chain-line. This is the line of the chain over the wheels, and that should be as straight as possible.
It can be influenced by installing a new bottom bracket axle, but in my case this is press fit into the frame. (again planned non-serviceable)
The position of the chain wheel or cog on the right crank is rarely mentioned in online shops are sometimes mentioned as “crank depth” in either negative (inward to the frame) or positive amount of millimeters.
After I ordered I started to understand this measurement a bit, and seemed my old one must be about -10mm (quite extreme), and the new one was just a few millimeters minus. This will surely impede a proper rotation of the chain. Thus I’m selling this new part on Marktplaats or here, and just accept the current wear and tear.
The rear chain wheel I did replace. It was a bit hellish since it was badly seized in place and needed a lot of WD40, a heat gun and patience to get it off the hub.
Today some new wheel rim liners will arrive. The front wheel had a too cheap and worn liner, resulting in a flat.
Quite frustrating, that most LBSes (Local Bike Shops) I have tried here use such inferior quality components, many times against my explicit wish. I always ask for Schwalbe tires, including the inner tire, but only the half of the time they actually listen to me.
And they surely cheap out on the more hidden parts like the rim liner. But this surely can lead to punctures as well! (as proven now!) Schwalbe ones cost 3,90 euro a piece, the dead cheap ones 1 euro or even less in volume. Great job, dutch cheapness.
Even parts for the here ubiquitous Dutch city bike can get hard so source when the bike is over 10 years old. Sadly the manufacturers either go for planned obsolescence, make it hard to repair or simply just not sell parts to consumers directly. Next time I will not buy this brand again. Note that the Batavus, Gazelle and Sparta brands are all in the same holding company I think, the Accell Group and suffer from very similar problems.
In this case I needed to replace a worn chain, the rear chainwheel and the drive chain wheel. The right cranks are fused to one piece with the front chainwheel, and are usually sold in a set.
Finding a replacement crankset was a bit of a headache.
The square taper of the bottom bracket axle can be in two sizes, ISO and JIS. It has a minimal difference of maybe a tenth of a millimeter, but the 2 degree taper could result in a few millimeter difference when it is mounted. However, to my understanding, most parts now sold will have a JIS size taper. (Japan Industry Standard)
Another important measurement is the chain width. The classic Dutch city bike from before the late 90s all used the 1/8 inch. Compatible with the classic German Wippermann Rotstern
chain. (still sold!)
However newer Shimano drives mostly use thinner 3/32 inch chains, and thus introduced thinner chainwheels on the crankset. A thicker chain could be run over a thinner one, though may increase the chances of the chain to run off. Alternatively, one could also try to mount a thinner rear chainwheel. However this was a bit against my taste and tried to stick to 1/8 inch.
This narrowed down my options to basically one crankset, this one:
 |
| Cortina steel, 38T 1/8 inch crankset |
However there is a third important measurement I wasn’t sure how to deal with or to get clarity on, the chain-line. This is the line of the chain over the wheels, and that should be as straight as possible.
It can be influenced by installing a new bottom bracket axle, but in my case this is press fit into the frame. (again planned non-serviceable)
The position of the chain wheel or cog on the right crank is rarely mentioned in online shops are sometimes mentioned as “crank depth” in either negative (inward to the frame) or positive amount of millimeters.
After I ordered I started to understand this measurement a bit, and seemed my old one must be about -10mm (quite extreme), and the new one was just a few millimeters minus. This will surely impede a proper rotation of the chain. Thus I’m selling this new part on Marktplaats or here, and just accept the current wear and tear.
The rear chain wheel I did replace. It was a bit hellish since it was badly seized in place and needed a lot of WD40, a heat gun and patience to get it off the hub.
 |
| Installed new chainwheel. |
Quite frustrating, that most LBSes (Local Bike Shops) I have tried here use such inferior quality components, many times against my explicit wish. I always ask for Schwalbe tires, including the inner tire, but only the half of the time they actually listen to me.
And they surely cheap out on the more hidden parts like the rim liner. But this surely can lead to punctures as well! (as proven now!) Schwalbe ones cost 3,90 euro a piece, the dead cheap ones 1 euro or even less in volume. Great job, dutch cheapness.
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