Jeff Widman wrote:
>Speaking of 122 BCD old Stronglight cranks, I have a
>1980 Peugeot with these components. Anyways I'm
>looking for a crank puller that works with the old
>Stronglights, as well as some chain rings. I'm not
>particularly concerned on teeth numbers, but rather
>price. Sheldon Brown has some chainrings, as does
>Loose Screws, but I don't really want to pay sixty
>bucks. Can I just flip the rings over? Anyone got some
>older barely used/unused rings they'll sell?
>Anyone got a crank puller? Sheldon Brown has the VAR
>model, but once again, $25?
Jerry & Liz Moos wrote:
>>There used to be a lot of the original Stronglight pullers
>>around, I think they probably came with the cranks at one time. These
>>are smaller and simpler than the VARs, you may still stumble across one
>>at a swap meet.
Harvey M Sachs wrote:
>The one I have looks exactly like a TA puller. However, I don't
>think that the threads are quite the same. Am I wrong?
>harvey sachs
>
>From my French Bicycles page http://sheldonbrown.com/
"Crank extractors
"Older French cotterless cranks used different threading for the crank extractor. In particular, older TA and Stronglight cranks each had their own unique thread for this purpose, and you will need to get the correct puller for the crank you are working on. TA used a 23mm extractor, Stronglight used 23.35mm until 1982, when they converted to the standard 22mm diameter."
The small "home mechanic" type 23.35 extractors are no longer in production, only the more elaborate, double-ended "pro" model is still available. This is rather expensive, but VAR is the only remaining source for anything that will fit these cranks.
I go to the trouble of stocking and listing these, and probably sell one every 2-3 months. I sell them at a normal retail markup, despite the low turnover, because I want to keep them available to those who need them.
Selling oddball stuff like this is not an easy business. Pricing needs to take turnover into account. Tying up a finite amount of capital in slow-moving products doesn't make economic sense unless the dealer can make enough profit on each sale to warrant the investment.
Loose Screws is, indeed cheaper on a number of items than Harris Cyclery...and what happened to Loose Screws?
Another well-known supplier of out-of-the-way bike parts who undercuts prices on a number of items we sell is constantly going in and out of business, presumably because he's having a hard time making a go of it. I think there's a lesson there...
Sheldon "Hope To Be Here For The Long Haul" Brown
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| The poet Henry O'Meara (1848-1904) was my great-grandfather |
| I've put his book "Ballads of America and Other Poems" |
| on the Web at: http://sheldonbrown.com/
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