Jan Heine wrote:
>
(snip)
> 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!). 1/1960: 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. Whether
> they were original equipment, I don't know. However, little else on
> the 1960 bike appears to have been changed...
Jan,
Maybe T.A. didn't say the mod. Criterium crank would be cottered but
what else could it be with a hole though the crank identical to any
other cottered crank and the allen bolt device shown in this photo:
http://homepage3.nifty.com/
Supposedly you could remove the cranks with a 5mm Allen wrench as your only tool, a real advantage when touring. But that's not been my experience with the Criterium cranks on my '61 A.SiNGER Sportif. In addition to the 5mm Allen you'll need a hammer and a drift as the "cotter" gets wedged in there REAL good!
That they were replaced with a true cotterless design after approx. two years speaks volumes.
Chuck Schmidt South Pasadena, Southern California
.