Good time to buy 2nd hand racers on ebay

[flickerx]

Either of those drop outs are fine for a fixie.

Cool. Cos I just won this frame on eBay for 20 quid sterling

and it has the first type of dropouts. There's no bottom bracket on it though, I hope the frame is OK. I'll need to buy a headset and a stem for the forks as well...

But anyway, here we go - my first ever bike building project is off the ground.

 

[flickerx]

Another question. I'm probably going to buy cranks from the States cos the dollar is nice and weak. The set doesnt come with the required bottom bracket though (118mm), which I have to buy separately.

Are all bottom brackets the same? (apart from the size)
i.e. I dont need to buy a specific 'track' or 'fixed' one?

Thanks (yet) again, I know this is getting embarassing by now...

 

[big eejit]

I've got an old Reynolds 531 frame - part of knackered bike. Does anyone want to take it off my hands?

The bike got a bit mangled but I think the frame's ok.

Must collect in Bristol.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Another question. I'm probably going to buy cranks from the States cos the dollar is nice and weak. The set doesnt come with the required bottom bracket though (118mm), which I have to buy separately.

Are all bottom brackets the same? (apart from the size)
i.e. I dont need to buy a specific 'track' or 'fixed' one?

Thanks (yet) again, I know this is getting embarassing by now...

Bottom brackets are either BSA/ISO (described as 'British') or Italian threaded. Really only Italian frames are Italian threaded, and even then many Italian framemakers choose British threading.

For fixed you are ideally looking to use a shorter BB than 118mm, probably either 107mm or 110mm. Shimano square taper UN series BBs are cheap and unbreakable. Cranks? Why are you buying from the states Why not just buy a double chainset and remove the rings and fit a 1/8th chainring...or if you really want a track crankset something like a sugino 75 won't be much cheaper than buying in the UK.

http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_bo-z.html#bottom