Hello,

Is my GF’s Bianchi Nirone frame italian of english BB threaded?

The internet will not give me a definative answer (again). Does anyone know what it is? Is it a case of all itialian frames = Italian BB or some other method of identifying types??

Many thanks

Rhid

To start with, italian BB shells are 70mm wide, so measure it

Dunno about your specific frame, but my Carraro, which apparently comes from Italy has an English BB thread. It came with a sq taper and I’ve since stuck a HTII on it.

So no, not all bikes from Italy have italian BBs standard.

Its going to be a hollowtech external style BB so width shouldn’t be an issue….

Measure the width of the shell.

rhid – Member
Its going to be a hollowtech external style BB so width shouldn’t be an issue….

Yeah, but I think the point is that if you measure the BB shell and it is 70mm, the chances are it will be Italian thread….

See here, and scroll down to the ‘bottom bracket threading’ table…

http://sheldonbrown.com/bbsize.html

Italian BBs have a right hand thread on the drive side instead of the left hand thread on English BBs.

I measured it as 68mm the other day. this is backed up by the spec on the Bianchi website saying its a 68mm x 103 square taper BB. So does this point towards it being English thread?

68mm = English thread

Brilliant. Nice, straight forward answers are what the internet is missing these days!

I measured it as 68mm the other day. this is backed up by the spec on the Bianchi website saying its a 68mm x 103 square taper BB. So does this point towards it being English thread?

Yes.

Bits ordered. Thanks for all your help!

So no, not all bikes from Italy have italian BBs standard.

And not all Italian BBs are on italian built bikes <shakes fist at Eddie Merckx>

Until you have had the “experience” of an Italian BB unwinding itself mid-ride you cant experience the craziness of Italian BB. In the middle of the Brecon Beacons for me 🙂