Jan/group-
Honestly, I'm not quite sure, but this makes sense. However, wouldn't the BB Spindle length accomplish this?
As for the Catalogue, I recently sold it. Recently as in a couple of days ago it went in the mail. Definitely one of those Murphy's law situations- as it sat, unused for some time. My fatal mistake is I should have photocopied it. However, I can ask the buyer to check into the part numbers when it arrives.
I would think though, that if there were specific pista arms, the cranks would have been marked somehow. For example, TA track chainrings all carry a "3" stamp to designate the thickness and that they were for track use.
I have owned several pairs of both pro 5 and pro 3 cranks and the only marking on the reverse of the arms was the length.
Sean Flores San Francisco, CA
on 10/20/07 8:53 PM, Jan Heine at heine94@earthlink.net wrote:
> At 11:16 AM -0700 10/20/07, Sean Flores wrote:
>> I think the answer was pretty much covered, but just to add...
>>
>> I recently got a hold of a an old TA/Tevano catalogue. It does have a page
>> titled "Pista" and somewhat 'deceivingly' lists crank arms for both Pro 3
>> and Pro 5 crankarms, along with the "3" stamped chainwheels, "pista"
>> chainring bolts and a BB.
>>
>> However as everyone else noted these are the same crankarms used for all the
>> other configurations. But at first blush, it does make them seem 'track
>> specific'.
>>
>> Sean Flores
>> San Francisco, CA- Who currently has a set of TA 'Pista Cranks' for sale on
>> ebay. :)
>
> Could it be that they are track-specific, even if they look the same?
> In the days when tread (Q factor) was a major concern, I am told that
> Stronglight offered their cranks with several different distances
> between chainring and crankarm:
>
> - smallest for single-speed and track
> - intermediate for front derailleurs (you need clearance between
> chain and arm for the derailleur cage)
> - large for full chainguards.
>
> I haven't been able to check this - does anybody have a 1940s
> Stronglight catalogue or something other info?
>
> I do know that TA made arms with extra clearance for Alex Singer.
> This was easy to do, as that gap is machined after forging.
>
> Of course, the standard "Pro 5 vis" arms had so little clearance that
> you couldn't go much closer even for track use...
>
> If your catalogue lists part numbers, they will tell whether they are
> the same arms or not. I'd be interested to know.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jan Heine
> Editor
> Bicycle Quarterly
> 140 Lakeside Ave #C
> Seattle WA 98122
> http://www.bikequarterly.com