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Long story short: I recently bought a second-hand bike (good condition), but the guy who sold it to me screwed the pedals in the wrong sides. After two months of riding, the thread on the inside of the crank arms (where it connects to the pedals) is completely stripped away, and can't hold the pedals in place. My understanding is that I have to replace my whole crankset, but I'm at a loss as to which one I should buy.

The crankset I currently have is the Shimano FC-2203, my derailleur is the Shimano FD-R443, and the bottom bracket is a Shimano BB-UN25. (Specs available online, sorry I can't link them).

I can't seem to find a Shimano FC-2203 crankset online, so I assume they are no longer produced. Am I correct in thinking I'd need to buy a new crankset with the following specs? Which are important and which are not?

  • Crank length of 170-175mm (the best is 170mm based on my height, but I'm currently riding a 175mm with no issue, so any number in that range should be fine).

  • Triple crankset for a road bike (my current chainrings are 52-42-30, so something close to that is ideal).

  • No more than 22 teeth diff. between top and bottom chainrings, and no less than 10 between the top and intermediate (derailleur requirements).

  • Compatible with my 68mm, square-tapered bottom bracket.

  • Compatible with an 8-speed chain and 9/16" pedals.

  • Chainline of 45mm (or close) to match the derailleur.

  • Spindle length of 113mm (or close) to match what I've currently got.

  • Are there any other specs I should be worried about? Let me know if more information is needed.

The cranksets I've currently found are:

Shimano Tourney 7/8 Speed TX801. This looks close, but it appears to suit a spindle length of 123mm and a chainline of 50mm. Am I right in thinking this won't fit with my current setup, and could grate against the frame?

Shimano M131. This appears to use a shorter spindle than what I have, so could that also be an issue?

Shimano Tourney FC-A073. Looking through the Shimano specifications list, this appears to be my best bet. It meets all the specifications above, so will this fit my bike properly?

Sorry about the long and confusing question, but I just want to know whether I'm on the right track to finding a replacement crankset, and what I need to look out for when buying.

Thanks so much for the help.

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    You're on the right track -- You can also use non-Shimano cranksets (e.g. SRAM, FSA, etc.). The FSA ones might be a bit cheaper than the Shimano ones. The crank you had is cheap enough its not worth helicoil-ing, but your bike shop probably has something that fits in its parts bin, so I'd check there.
    – Batman
    May 6, 2017 at 1:04
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    As the chain rings could be transferred to another crank, its could be worth looking at you local recyclers / bike coop and seeing what they have.
    – mattnz
    May 6, 2017 at 3:58
  • You don't need new parts for a used bike. Cranks generally don't wear out, so try find a local bike co-op to help out.
    – Criggie ♦
    May 6, 2017 at 10:47
  • The cheaper shimano cranksets use rivets to attach the chainrings to the cranks. If that's the case with yours then transferring to new cranks as @mattnz days may be more trouble and cost than it's worth
    – Chris H
    May 6, 2017 at 15:40

2 Answers 2

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You're doing the right things. Since that crank was made, Shimano basically has completely dropped 30/42/52 all across the board in favor of the more practical 30/39/50, which is good in many ways (most people using a triple have no need for the 52). The A073 will work but the gearing will be different. It's also a non-replaceable chainring crank, and personally I think it's always a little sad to put such cranks on bikes that actually get ridden, although it's not a huge deal because the steel rings will last a long time.

If you wanted a crank that was a) Shimano, b) a 100% drop-in replacement including ring size, c) has replaceable rings and d) still real cheap, that would be FC-2303, still available on ebay. (Also this isn't a likely-to-become-outdated recommendation, because that model will probably remain the last one Shimano ever made that fits all those criteria).

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You could keep the cranks you have. You'd need to have your local bike shop bore and tap them for helicoil as but then they'd be (almost) good as new - depending of course on how much the actual chain rings are worn.

I'd expect this to be roughly a 40-75 eurodollar job, so it might be cheaper than a new set.

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  • Not quite good as new because of the ring wear.
    – Nathan Knutson
    May 6, 2017 at 23:18

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