Campagnolo crankset on a Sam

[Cormac O'Keeffe]

Hi, 

I have a bit of a technical question.

I'd like to put a double 8 speed Campagnolo crankset on a Sam Hillbourne (2024 model). I've done some research and apparently I need a 102mm ISO bottom bracket for this kind of crank. This seems a bit narrow though. I'm pretty sure that the frame came with a 110mm spindle. Has anyone done something similar?

Thanks in advance, 

Cormac

[Jim M.]

Sam has 135mm rear spacing, so a 102mm is probably too narrow. Anyone recommending 102 is probably assuming rear spacing is 130.

jim m

walnut creek

[Joe Bernard]

My memory is mid-level double Campys of that era used a 111mm spindle. A quick search of Campagnolo Centaur square taper BB shows a bunch of them out there, I think it's worth a try. 

Joe Bernard 

Clearlake CA 

On Friday, August 14, 2026 at 8:06:07 AM UTC-7 okeeffe...@gmail.com wrote:

[Joe Bernard]

Adding to my weak-menmory data, the 111 may have been spec'd for Campy Racing T (triple) cranks on 130 bcd frames. Might work on your double with 135 spacing. 

[Ron Mc]

I have Centaur crank on '98 Moser Forma, 2x8 - 130-mm OLD is only 2.5-mm narrower on each side than 135.  

Also sure I'm running 110-mm-spindle SKF bottom bracket.  I have perfect chainline, and this is by far the smoothest bike I own.  

Daytona FD, Chorus brakes, RD and DT friction shifters.  

[Suntour Jim]

Cormac,

Just to add to what Joe and Ron said, Campy cranks in the 9-10 speed square taper BB era (2000-2014-ish) were tiered with Record and Chorus requiring 102mm spindles for doubles and 111mm for triples but Centaur (Daytona), Athena, Veloce, Xenon, and Mirage had 111mm spindles and 114mm spindles for the triple cranks. And, IF you're running one of the compact CT cranksets with 50/34 or 48/34 chainrings you may be fine with the standard width spindles. 

Also, if you run JIS bottom brackets (Shimano, Tange, IRD, etc.) these will automatically place your cranks 4mm wider than the ISO standard used by Campy. As long as you don't over-torque your crank bolts (which you shouldn't do, regardless) this works fine, as the late Sheldon Brown espoused and many I-bob listers have done.

For decades I've played around with spindle lengths and standards (ISO/JIS) on many cranks to get a workable pairing and lower q-factor on my Rivendells and similar bikes. Right now I'm running a TA Carmina on my Sam with a shorter-than-recommended Shimano BB to get the chainline and Q-factor I wanted. Most often you don't even have to tighten the crank bolts to see if it's going to work - that inner chainring starts creeping toward the chainstay and an alarm goes off in your head that your paint is in danger.

I hope this helps.

Jim Bailey, Knoxville, TN

[Cormac O'Keeffe]

Hi,

Thanks for the advice and the insights on what's worked well for you. It's all very helpful. 

I have a 50/39 combo so I'll try a 111mm bb. The Sam has pretty wide chainstays so I'll see how that goes. 

Thanks again!

Cormac