Re: Steel cotterless cranks - was: [CR]Campag 3-arm cranks

(Example: History)

In-Reply-To: <421B79B7.5050906@uoregon.edu>
References: <421B79B7.5050906@uoregon.edu>
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2005 12:58:56 -0800
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
From: "Jan Heine" <heine93@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: Steel cotterless cranks - was: [CR]Campag 3-arm cranks


>>Well, I have a set of Campag 3-arm cranks, mine are steel arms, cotterless
>
>Did any others make steel cotterless cranks? Are there any
>particular advantages or disadvantages for using steel instead of
>aluminum?
>
>Jack Fortune
>Eugene, Oregon

Stronglight made a model similar to the 49D in steel, both in a cottered and cotterless version. Baumann used the cotterless version to win Paris-Brest-Paris in 1956 (see Vintage Bicycle Quarterly Vol. 1, No. 2). He had broken some aluminum cranks, and René Herse knew that reliability was key to coming first in Paris-Brest-Paris, so they figured a few grams extra weren't going to slow him down. And they didn't.

Then there were the Italian Gnutti splined steel cranks, which also were cotterless, albeit not with a square taper-fitting.

Also, in the late 1980s/early 1990s, most cheap German bikes that previously used cottered steel cranks, switched to cotterless ones. (But these aren't kosher on the CR list!)

How about cottered aluminum cranks? I know of only two models: The Duprat "Maxiplume" of "Maniplume" (the exact name eludes me right now) from around 1947, and the first TA with the "pear-shaped" spindle. Any others? -- Jan Heine, Seattle Editor/Publisher Vintage Bicycle Quarterly c/o Il Vecchio Bicycles 140 Lakeside Ave, Ste. C Seattle WA 98122 http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com