Jan Heine wrote:
>
> > >From Joel Metz wonderful SPECIALITES T.A. site...
> ><http://www.blackbirdsf.org/ta>
> >"jeux de grain" allen bolt and pin for "criterium" crankarms
> >
> >and Joel's TA Timeline...
> ><http://www.blackbirdsf.org/ta/timeline.html>
> >Criterium crankset introduced in 1959.
>
> From the CR archives:
>
> TA cranks are mentioned several times in Le Cycliste:
>
> Announced around 3/1959, but not yet available (and they didn't say
> it would be cottered!).
>
> January 1960: article on design, with cottered
> pear-shaped axles.
>
> 9/1960: Definitive Rebour article on the TA cranks.
>
> 11/1962: Square taper cranks announced.
>
> I have seen the pear-shaped cranks on 1961 and 1960 bikes.
Going by the serial number on my bubble gum pink A.SiNGER Sportif, I think the frame is late 1959 and it is equipped with TA Criterium (pear-shaped) cranks. Proves everything or nothing as they say. <grin> No way of documenting when it was built up...
Chuck Schmidt South Pasadena, Southern California
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