> kohl57@starpower.net writes:
>
> Did real racing men use crank dustcaps? Or is it uncool and just sissy? I
> ask because after perusing "The TI Raleigh Story" not one of the team
bikes
> had them. Maybe they were already stripping them to sell on eBay if they
> were clarvoyant. But if they didn't use them, any practical reason?
>
>
> <$00.02 worth of side comment: In my racing days in the 70's and 80's,
we
> never had them on the bike. Tossed them away. Felt they were
superfluous.
> Of course, we maintained our race bikes pretty religiously, meaning that
> cranks were pulled and BB's maintained, at the very least once a month,
usually
> more often, so the crank threads were kept clean simply from regular tool
use.
>
> In my later years of riding, lower miles, and longer periods between BB
> maintenance, I have discovered that crank dustcaps are very valuable. In
fact, I
> now actually grease them before installing them. The result is that a
crank
> puller screws into the fine crank threads effortlessly and accurately,
> instead of binding in oxides and dirt, or even crossthreading. Well
worth the
> effort.
>
> Peter Bridge
> DenCO
There's another reason,according to Jobst Brandt:
"Crank "dust caps" have the additional duty to retain loose crank bolts.
Because crank bolts lose preload in use, they can become loose enough to
subsequently unscrew and fall out if there is no cap. If this occurs, loss
of the screw will not be noticed until the crank comes off, after the screw
is gone."
-- from Sheldon Brown's website -
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/
Dan "converted to using crank dustcaps" Christopherson Lopez Island WA