Never knew that bit about the Lyotard models, though perhaps even with my less than perfect French it should have been obvious. I guess that is how the steel 45A got its name versus the dural caged 45CD. Would that mean the earlier 45CA had a steel cage? Maybe that's why I've never heard of a 45CB or 45CC. I agree about the mod 23. It is in my opinion a perfect design, even if the execution (occasional detached plates and bent axles) is imperfect. Kind of like Frank Lloyd Wright's "Falling Water", a brillant and inspired design cantilevered over a waterfall, even if imperfect materials and construction techniques in the 30's mean the cantilevered section is now requiring reinforcement.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Sheldon Brown wrote:
> Hilary Stone wrote:
>
> >These were made from at least 1935 onwards* though I don't think there's any
> >evidence that they were made as early as 1923. The earlier ones had a
> >different style pedal cap with light knurling. Lyotard pedal models were all
> >numbered - 460D were the double sided aluminium pedals so favoured by
> >cyclo-crossers for many years. The numbers don't have as far as I can see
> >anything to do with dates unlike some other French bits of kit.
>
> One bit of "code". Lyotard pedal models ending int "D" have
> alumin(i)um bodies, "A" for steel. ("D" for "Dural" and "A" for
> "acier" respectively.)
>
> >The allen bolt/hexagon axles were a pretty late mod - probably from
> >the early 80s. The
> >earlier style of axle had two lengths of thread introduced sometime I think
> >in the 70s to be used with either steel cranks (short) or aluminium cranks
> >(long).
>
> The latest models required a 17 mm wrench, rather than the usual 15.
> In the '70s, Schwinn was distributing these pedals with 1/2"
> thread...could have bought a whole raft of these cheap a few years
> ago, but let the opportunity slip.
>
> > One problem that arose quite often in use was the top flat plate
> >becoming loose or detached from the rest of the body due to the riveting
> >being a bit duff.
>
> This is true. Despite that, I consider the Lyotard #23 to be one of
> the most nearly perfect designs I've ever encountered. Even though
> they were steel, they were lighter than anything Campagnolo made. I
> always found them much more comfortable than anything else, and far
> easier of entry than any other toe-clip type pedal.
>
> Sheldon "Vingt-Trois" Brown
> Newtonville, Massachusetts
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