Peter Jon White wrote:
>
> The offset does provide some ankle clearance. But the reason Mavic made
> the
> change was that the straight arm was so close to the outer chainring
> that
> there was no room for any modern front derailleur. Once Simplex shut
> down,
> Mavic had no supplier of a FD with a thin outer plate. So they flared
> the
> arms to make them compatible with Shimano FDs.
The 631/2 crank is outside the time limit, being from the mid 90s, but...
The catalog mentions that it will take a 44 tooth outer ring with the shortened spider arms and also that the front derailleur adjustment is easier with 8 speed (clearance issue), but Mavic's front derailleur was available until Mavic stopped offering a group, so I don't believe the change in the crank arms was a result of Simplex's demise.
Chuck Schmidt South Pasadena, CA
.