Triples have to go back a ways as Jerry says.
What is significant to nail this down in the USA is a Schwinn Sierra circa 1963 or 1964. The premise of that model above a Continental was the triple crank.
So that's a run of the mill bike using the ubiquitous 116mm 3 arm cranks, in that case based on Ashtabula type arms. I would guess the rings were from Nervar.
I suppose in France the only limitation was flexible 3/32" chains starting from the early 1950's although you can imagine an attempt to get off the bike and engage a low gear by hand with a 1/8" chain on a small inner cog if the need arose.
Joe Bender-Zanoni
Great Notch, NJ
<hayesbikes@nls.net>; <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2003 7:25 PM Subject: Re: [CR]Dates of triple cranks
> Lots of French touring bikes from the 50's and 60's had triples, well
before
> the era of the Campy NR. These often used TA Cyclotourist rings, but I'm
> told the Cyclotourist arms still made today only go back to the late 60's
or
> early 70's, so they are not as old as the rings. Maybe that's why you
often
> see 50's and 60's bikes with Cyclotourist rings attached to Stronglight
mod
> 49 arms.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
> Houston, TX
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Linda Price" <lindaprice4@comcast.net>
> To: "Tom Hayes" <hayesbikes@nls.net>; <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2003 6:08 PM
> Subject: Re: [CR]Dates of triple cranks
>
>
> > Don't have a definitive answer but I've got a couple 1938 Le Cycliste
bike
> > mags that show ads for various triple cranks. I have a feeling they go
> back
> > a lot further though. Interestingly one was shown with the largest
> chainring
> > in the middle.
> >
> > John Price
> > Denver CO
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Tom Hayes" <hayesbikes@nls.net>
> > To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> > Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2003 5:37 PM
> > Subject: [CR]Dates of triple cranks
> >
> >
> > Does anyone know approximately when triple chainwheel cranks came into
> > existence and which manufacturer developed them? Was there such a thing
> as
> > a triple cotterred crank? And was there a corresponding rear derailleur
> to
> > the introduction of the triple?
> >
> > The earliest I know is the Campagnolo NR triple matched to Shimano GT,
but
> > I'd like to you know if there were others, earlier than the Campangolo
and
> > which rear derailleur went with it.
> >
> > Thank you.
> >
> > Cheers.
> >
> > Tom Hayes
> > Chagrin Falls, Ohio