Got some M442 square taper cranks, with a UN54 73 x 113mm BB, fitted to a Pipedream Sirius frame im about to build up. However, the clearance between the chainrings / chainstay ‘looks’ very tight.

Anyone using this set up without issues? Dont fancy building it all up to get chainsuck on the first outing.

Don’t mean to alarm you, your’s may be ok, but I only know 2 people who bought one of these frames, both couldn’t get *any* size bb to fit, both ended up going to lbs for advice.

In both cases, the lbs advised that there was a problem with the manufacturing of the frame, as they couldn’t get anything to fit either.

When my mate finally got a hold of someone from pipedream (quite an achievement btw) they immediately sent out a new frame, and didn’t ask for the old one back. The other guy who had the same problem still has his frame lying in his garage too.

As I say, your’s may be nothing to do with this, may have been a bad batch or whatever, just to let you know. I know my mate is very happy with his now.

Hmmmm – anyone else?

Never had a problem with mine. It has always had the HTII system though.

I am having trouble imagining what the problem was with the BB on the frames mentioned. Were they too wide? Not finished off properly? For it to be an issue maybe they were too narrow, ie no clearance. If thats the case then wont HT spacer work?

I had a 73x113mm UN93 BB kicking about but I had to get a 73x118mm UN54 to get my middleburn cranks to fit and for the chain to drop into granny reliably.

If the 113mm axle BB won’t work, I’d suggest you get a 118mm axle BB. Worked fine for years.

The frames are perfectly fine. If you’re fitting HTII you’ll need them faced that is all. It sounds like that LBS was talking tripe. It’s pretty well established that different frame designs need different length square taper axles to fit properly, that is why they are (or were) availible in a multitude of different lengths …

I was initially running mine with LX HTII, but once the bearings went tits up I put my old Raceface Evolve XC cranks on – these run with a 73 x 108 mm ISIS BB, which is a bit of an odd size but are specified for these cranks to get the right chain-line.

‘The frames are perfectly fine. If you’re fitting HTII you’ll need them faced that is all. It sounds like that LBS was talking tripe‘

If the frames were perfectly fine, why did they not ever ask for them back? Can small companies like this chuck money down a drain? I spent 2 days and every size of bb I could get my hands on and couldn’t get a workable chainline, then took it to Walkers cycles in Kilmaurs, mechanic posts on here as spannerman, and he was tearing his hair out!.

Trekster will let you know the other guy’s story, IIRC he is from carlisle and he had the exact same issue.

Some folk on here….

The other guy will be me nobeerinthefridge.

That was a ovalised headtube. Again a new frame was posted out before i sent the old one back

Measure the chainline, what is it?, should be plenty of room with a 50mm chainline.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainline.html