Pre-1987 (Eroica Compliant)

Cap Type - we refer to the classic cycling cap type as summer/under helmet, although they can of course be used all year round. When worn under a helmet they provide comfort, sun protection and are sweat-wicking too. Winter hats will usually cover the ears and are referred to as 'Belgian' caps. Baseball caps were often worn by support teams or sold as branded merchandise.

Construction - the number of panels the cap body is made up of, not including the peak.

Cap Type - we refer to the classic cycling cap type as summer/under helmet, although they can of course be used all year round. When worn under a helmet they provide comfort, sun protection and are sweat-wicking too. Winter hats will usually cover the ears and are referred to as 'Belgian' caps. Baseball caps were often worn by support teams or sold as branded merchandise.

Construction - the number of panels the cap body is made up of, not including the peak.

Cap Type - we refer to the classic cycling cap type as summer/under helmet, although they can of course be used all year round. When worn under a helmet they provide comfort, sun protection and are sweat-wicking too. Winter hats will usually cover the ears and are referred to as 'Belgian' caps. Baseball caps were often worn by support teams or sold as branded merchandise.

Construction - the number of panels the cap body is made up of, not including the peak.

Valve Type - there are 3 types of valves; Presta are thin with a little knurled nut on the end, Schrader are wider (the same as you would find on a car), and the less common Woods (aka "Dunlop"). Pumps designed for Presta valves can be used on Woods valves. Some pumps use hose connectors, these are available for all valve types.

Pump Mount Type - 'peg fit' pumps require pump pegs or 'umbrella' clips to fit to the frame, 'frame fit 'pumps are designed with curved ends to mount between two tubes (although these often have holes for pegs too). If mounting directly you'll need the correct length to fit your frame, or a clip/peg to hold one end.

Mount Location - frame fit pumps usually mount to the seat tube with the ends compressed between the top and down tube, they can however be mounted on other tubes as long as there's something supporting the handle end. Some head tubes have a little nipple or a small enough gap for under top tube mounting (this can be replcated with a simple strap or cable tie), and of course pump pegs or clips can be fitted anywhere!

Length (Min-Max) - the length of the pump fully compressed and uncompressed, measured at the points of support. The space you to intend to mount the pump should be within 1 cm of the minimum or maximum length to allow the pump to be securely mounted and dismounted.

Valve Type - there are 3 types of valves; Presta are thin with a little knurled nut on the end, Schrader are wider (the same as you would find on a car), and the less common Woods (aka "Dunlop"). Pumps designed for Presta valves can be used on Woods valves. Some pumps use hose connectors, these are available for all valve types.

Pump Mount Type - 'peg fit' pumps require pump pegs or 'umbrella' clips to fit to the frame, 'frame fit 'pumps are designed with curved ends to mount between two tubes (although these often have holes for pegs too). If mounting directly you'll need the correct length to fit your frame, or a clip/peg to hold one end.

Mount Location - frame fit pumps usually mount to the seat tube with the ends compressed between the top and down tube, they can however be mounted on other tubes as long as there's something supporting the handle end. Some head tubes have a little nipple or a small enough gap for under top tube mounting (this can be replcated with a simple strap or cable tie), and of course pump pegs or clips can be fitted anywhere!

Length (Min-Max) - the length of the pump fully compressed and uncompressed, measured at the points of support. The space you to intend to mount the pump should be within 1 cm of the minimum or maximum length to allow the pump to be securely mounted and dismounted.

Valve Type - there are 3 types of valves; Presta are thin with a little knurled nut on the end, Schrader are wider (the same as you would find on a car), and the less common Woods (aka "Dunlop"). Pumps designed for Presta valves can be used on Woods valves. Some pumps use hose connectors, these are available for all valve types.

Pump Mount Type - 'peg fit' pumps require pump pegs or 'umbrella' clips to fit to the frame, 'frame fit 'pumps are designed with curved ends to mount between two tubes (although these often have holes for pegs too). If mounting directly you'll need the correct length to fit your frame, or a clip/peg to hold one end.

Mount Location - frame fit pumps usually mount to the seat tube with the ends compressed between the top and down tube, they can however be mounted on other tubes as long as there's something supporting the handle end. Some head tubes have a little nipple or a small enough gap for under top tube mounting (this can be replcated with a simple strap or cable tie), and of course pump pegs or clips can be fitted anywhere!

Length (Min-Max) - the length of the pump fully compressed and uncompressed, measured at the points of support. The space you to intend to mount the pump should be within 1 cm of the minimum or maximum length to allow the pump to be securely mounted and dismounted.

Valve Type - there are 3 types of valves; Presta are thin with a little knurled nut on the end, Schrader are wider (the same as you would find on a car), and the less common Woods (aka "Dunlop"). Pumps designed for Presta valves can be used on Woods valves. Some pumps use hose connectors, these are available for all valve types.

Pump Mount Type - 'peg fit' pumps require pump pegs or 'umbrella' clips to fit to the frame, 'frame fit 'pumps are designed with curved ends to mount between two tubes (although these often have holes for pegs too). If mounting directly you'll need the correct length to fit your frame, or a clip/peg to hold one end.

Mount Location - frame fit pumps usually mount to the seat tube with the ends compressed between the top and down tube, they can however be mounted on other tubes as long as there's something supporting the handle end. Some head tubes have a little nipple or a small enough gap for under top tube mounting (this can be replcated with a simple strap or cable tie), and of course pump pegs or clips can be fitted anywhere!

Length (Min-Max) - the length of the pump fully compressed and uncompressed, measured at the points of support. The space you to intend to mount the pump should be within 1 cm of the minimum or maximum length to allow the pump to be securely mounted and dismounted.

Shifting system - friction means your gear levers don't click when you change gear, when they do click it's referred to as indexed shifting. If you have indexed gear levers they must use the same system as the rear derailleur, if you're using friction levers you can mix and match.

*Speed - the number of cogs at the back the derailleur was designed to be used with. This is important with indexed shifting, but with friction shifters you can in theory run any rear mech with any number of cogs, but you are more likely to have issues running high numbers of cogs with mechs from earlier eras.

Max cog size - the amount of teeth on the largest cog of your freewheel/cassette can be no greater than this to work with this derailleur.

Chain wrap - subtract the size of your smallest rear cog from your biggest, then do the same with your chainrings, add the 2 numbers together and you have your chain wrap.

Chain width - generally speaking, derailleurs designed for more than 3 speed use will fit a standard 3/32'' chain, the exception being some Cyclo & Simplex models from around the mid 1900s.

Axle Type - for square tapers, the ISO introduced a standard for European makers in the early 90s, JIS then did the same in Asia. Before then it was not so simple, and although there is a degree of interchangeability, the best way to make sure you have the right axle is to stick to the same brand from the same era, ideally the proprietary model.

Axle Length (D) - your crankset dictates the axle length you need and the recommendation should be used to avoid issues with chainline. If you're replacing an axle that works perfectly then this can be matched, otherwise you'll need to check the manufacturers spec, a good resource for older bikes is Velobase.

Centre (B) - measured from the outside of the 'shoulders' of the bearing races, as seen in the diagram.

Drive Side (C) - the right side (with any logos etc on the axle facing you), your right crank and chainrings will mount to this side.

Non-Drive Side (A) - the left side, where the left crank arm will be mounted.

Shell Width - the width of the bottom bracket shell the axle was designed to fit, measured at its widest point.

Seatpost Diameter - this needs to match the internal diameter of your frame’s seat tube closely, it should be possible to insert the seatpost without force but the fit should be tight enough so it doesn’t just drop in, with no play once inserted. If you have a post that fits the measurement should be stamped somewhere near the bottom, if not you’ll need to measure with a caliper or seatpost sizing tool as the sizes go up in 0.2 mm increments.

Length (Centre of Rails to Base) - measured from where the centre of the saddle rails will sit once installed, all the way to the bottom of the seatpost. Normally there’s a mark to tell you how much of the seatpost needs to be inserted in the frame, however this isn’t always the case so we’d recommend allowing a minimum of 6 cm.

Skewer type - quick release skewers allow you to remove the wheel without any tools, whereas allen key and security skewers require a tool to allow the wheel to be removed.

*Spacing - this should be within a few milimetres of your frame's outer dropout spacing (measured from the outside where the skewers clamp down). The measurement provided was taken with the exiting hole of the end nut flush with the end of the skewer. There will be some wiggle room to allow a narrower or wider dropout spacing to fit, we've provided the threaded section and end nut measurements to give you an indication of how much.

Threaded section - the amount of thread on the skewers for the end nut to be threaded onto.

End nut length - the total length of the nut from end to end.

Chainring Count - the number of chainrings on the chainset. Fixed gear track bikes, single-speeds and some geared bikes use a single chainring, road bikes commonly use a double (two rings) and most touring bikes and mountain bikes will use a triple chainset (three rings).

Tooth Count - the number of teeth on the chainring(s), the higher the number the harder the gear.

Bottom Bracket Type - ‘square taper’, as the name suggests have a square shaped axle that slots into the chainset and ‘cottered’ axles are round and secured by pins - pretty much every bike up until the 1990s would use one of these, cottered being the much earlier system. Since then, different manufacturers have introduced their own systems that are not interchangeable so you must use a chainset that matches.

BCD - stands for Bolt Circle Diameter (sometimes referred to as PCD - Pitch Circle Diameter) and is only really needed when changing chainrings. To calculate the BCD, measure the distance in millimeters from the centre of any chainring bolt to the centre of an adjacent one and multiply it by 1.709 (you’ll likely need to round the resulting number up or down a little to get your BCD measurement).

Crank Arm Length - this is measured from the absolute centre of the bottom bracket hole to the centre of the hole for the pedal.

Chain Width - this is mostly only relevant for chainsets with a single chainring - if this is ⅛” then you must use a ⅛” chain. Almost all double and triple (and some single) ring chainsets will use a standard 3/32” chain, the only exception being old chainsets designed for 3 or 4 speed freewheels.

Pedal Threads - this must match the thread of your pedals and is usually stamped on the pedals themselves, most bikes use a standard thread of 9/16” x 20 tpi. The exceptions being older French bikes, bikes with cheaper one-piece type chainsets and Shimano’s Dyna Drive system (easily identifiable as the pedal holes are about an inch wide!).

*Intended Speed - the number of cogs at the back the chainset was designed to be used with. We refer to it as ‘intended’ speed as most double and triple chainsets will actually work with different speeds than originally intended, but the further away you get from the intended speed the more likely you are to experience minor setup issues. The exception being some chainsets intended for 10 speed use or higher, with these it’s better to stick to the intended speed.

*Bike Type - this is just a guide, any chainset can technically be used on any bike as long as everything's compatible.

*Matching Bottom Bracket(s) - if known, based on standard rear spacing of the period. For square tapers, ISO and JIS standards were introduced in the early 1990s; earlier cranks were designed to fit the proprietary taper. Alternatives can achieve the same chainline and clearance if the axle has the same taper and dimensions, and sticking to the same manufacturer and era will help. Mixing tapers is not recommended, as it can damage the cranks.

NB: “ITA” refers to Italian-threaded frames (70 mm BB shell).

Rim Size - this should match the size your bike frame is designed to fit. Standard/full size tubulars only come in one wheel size, these are often referred to as 28" or 700c (sometimes even 27"). These are all the same size, the next size down is 26", so any rims larger than 26" will be standard/full size tubulars.

Bike Type - this is really just a guide, as technically any wheels can be used on any bike as long as everything's compatible. Within reason of course - we wouldn't recommend riding a set of skinny tubular road wheels down a mountain!

Drilling (F/R) - the number of spokes in each wheel (front/rear).

Spacing (O.L.D.) (F/R) - the width of the hubs measured at their widest point, from the outside of the locking end nuts (O.L.D. = Over Locknut Dimension), not including the hub axle. These measurements need to match the inside of your frame and fork’s dropouts. Steel frames can be stretched or squeezed a few mm but it's always best to avoid this if possible, aluminium or carbon frames should never be stretched.

Speed - the number of cogs the rear hub was designed to be used with.

Sprocket Fitting - for cassette hubs this refers to the spline pattern (the shape of the cogs where they slide on to the hub) and this must match the cassette you intend to use. With freewheel hubs it refers to the thread, ISO is the modern standard and is almost exactly the same as older English/British and Italian thread, allowing you to mix and match between these thread types as long as it's not going to be under extreme force, in which case it's best to stick to an exact match. Freewheel hubs with a French thread must be used with a French threaded freewheel.

Seatpost Diameter - this needs to match the internal diameter of your frame’s seat tube closely, it should be possible to insert the seatpost without force but the fit should be tight enough so it doesn’t just drop in, with no play once inserted. If you have a post that fits the measurement should be stamped somewhere near the bottom., otherwise you’ll need to measure with a caliper or seatpost sizing tool as seatpost diameters go up in 0.2 mm increments.

Length (Centre of Rails to Base) - measured from where the centre of the saddle rails will sit once installed, all the way to the bottom of the seatpost. Normally there’s a mark to tell you how much of the seatpost needs to be inserted in the frame, however this isn’t always the case so we’d recommend allowing a minimum of 6 cm.

Thread Type - this must match the bottom bracket thread on your frame. The 3 common thread types on classic and vintage bikes are English (also known as British or ISO), Italian & French, and are usually (not always!) found on frames built in their respective countries. If you're replacing a bottom bracket the cups should have the thread type stamped on one of them, if not there are a couple of things to look at; bottom bracket shell width (English & French = 68 mm, Italian = 70 mm) & drive side cup thread direction (English = left, Italian & French = right). The only curveball to watch out for here, although pretty uncommon, are Swiss threads (also found on some French frames, Motobecanes being one) which will have the same shell width & thread direction as an English thread frame but the actual thread pitch will be different. If none of the above matches what you have, there are a few lesser known varieties that will require some further research.

Axle Length - your crankset dictates the axle length you need and the recommendation should be used to avoid issues with chainline. If you're replacing a bottom bracket that works perfectly then this can be matched, otherwise you'll need to check the manufacturers spec, a good resource for older bikes is Velobase.

Axle Type - you can tell which type of axle you need just by looking at the shape of the bottom bracket hole in your crankset. The square taper axle came in two variations; JIS which was produced for cranksets made in Asia and ISO for cranksets made in Europe, these taper down to a slightly smaller end than JIS axles. There are a few exceptions such as some Sugino cranksets that required an ISO axle and some older Dura-Ace cranksests which used a shorter 'low profile' variation of the JIS taper. Ofmega/Avocet also had their own variaton of the ISO taper which is not compatible with any other type.