Hi Tom,
Campy "Pista" cranks were specifically built for track use and have different shapes to save weight and allow closer mounting to the frame. This is also why Pista axles are narrower that Strada axles - to save weight.
There are some resellers who claim that OEM manufacturers like Bianchi purchased large "lots" of Campy parts like these cranks in large bins and mixed various Pista and Strada components by luck of the draw. I cannot vouch whether this claim is true or not... it seems odd that relatively expensive parts would be dumped in a bin for mix and match setup!
Anyway as a side note, in the early 1980s Campy attempted to enter the BMX market and realized that classic Pista alloy cranks and chainwheels could be used for for 1/2" chains. The Pista line (without markings) also became BMX line and colored in Gold or Blue shades. The product line failed within a couple of years, prehaps Campy finally realized that Campy crank spiders really break easily and alloy crank components were not the best choice for grinding BMX bikes!
I hope this helps...
Regards, Steve Neago "Enjoying sunny breakfast time in Cincinnati, OH"
> Is the left arm of a Campagnolo Pista crankset (undated) supposed to be
> marked Pista as the right side is? And if it is, what is the difference
> between a Pista left arm and a "regular" one?
>
> Thank you.
>
> Cheers.
>
> Tom
>
> Tom Hayes
> 18585 Munn Road
> Chagrin Falls, Ohio 44023
> hayesbikes@nls.net
> hayes@jcu.edu