Help,
I have bought a second hand Bianchi Via Nirone which is equipped with Campagnolo Veloce 39/53 square taper chainset.
I want to change to a 34/50 chainset and from my searching of the internet square taper set ups are hard to find it all seems to be power torque cartridge BB’s.
Then I find they talk about italian and english thread.
Coming from an MTB background where everything seems to be compatible i’m getting confused.
Can I tell if I have an itialian thread or english thread from an external examination of the BB or do I have to take it out?
Can I assume that given that it is an Italian bike it will have an Italian thread?
If I buy a new Power Torque BB set up i’m assuming that these also come in English and Italian threads and do they go straight in as a direct replacement for the square taper BB?
All advice gratefully accepted.

Coming from an MTB background where everything seems to be compatible

blimey!

Can I tell if I have an itialian thread or english thread from an external examination of the BB or do I have to take it out?

Italian b.b shell is 70 mm wide, British / ISO are 68 mm wide.

It only tends to be older Italian bikes that have an Italian b.b

Can you not just buy 2 new chainrings? Or will the crank not fit them?

http://www.cyclesportsuk.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=8190

Just take the old one out and have a look and measure the BB shell width and axle length if not?

I would expect you need this one:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/BasketAdd.aspx?AddToBasket=true&StockID=81525

new to road biking?

You’ll do well to stop calling it that and refer to it as “darkside”, people seem to love that on here. 😯

You could try using something like a TA Alize square taper chainset as an alternative to an increasingly unavailable Campagnolo one.
Otherwise the UT chainsets seem quite reliable from my experience – I have 3 sets, the oldest of which dates back to 2007 and is still running fine.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=35737

You might also need to check that both your front and rear mechs can handle the new chainrings.

Standard Campag front mechs work perfectly fine with what is now called compact gearing and have done since the mid 90s (when it wasn’t called compact gearing). The only issue with the rear mech is if you end up putting a big block on with a short cage mech.

Thanks Guys

If your drive side cup loosens toward the front (i.e. “is reverse threaded”) then it’s likely english thread, if it is not reverse threaded then it is likely italian. Also BB width as mentioned in other posts.

The power torque is campags new system for low and mid range groups, the ultra torque cranks are still better if you can stretch to one of those.

if you want to save cash you can get a shimano sora comnpact chainset for £35 http://www.parker-international.co.uk/7351/Shimano-Sora-3450-9-Compact-Chainset.html and a bottom bracket like this http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=19209 available in both 68 &70mm fittings
The sora chainset is fine for day to day use.

It only tends to be older Italian bikes that have an Italian b.b

Really? Are you sure?? 😐

My brand new Carbon CX has italian thread BB..

As does my DeRosa Merak Roadbike…