Donald Gillies wrote about this bike [snipped]:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/
> The TA cyclotouriste-type crank arms are very unusual, and I have
> heard about these but forget the brand? They have tapers on 2 sides,
> and a semi-circle on the 3rd and 4th side.
That's the TA Criterium crank, their first entry into the manufacture of
cranks. Made from about 1960 I think, until it was replaced by the "Pro
5 vis", 1963 according to Joel Metz's TA timeline
http://www.blackbirdsf.org/
There's nothing tapered about the axle/crank interface, the surfaces are parallel and the arms slide right on/off when the pinchbolt is loosened (that's the thing that looks like a cotter but is not).
I do believe that Carlton is late-60s, so the cranks were old when they were put on that frame.
BTW the seller has posted the following regarding serial number on the frame: "i've checked on the bottom bracket and there's two serial numbers...the one on the drive side is 030432 and on the other side its f2162". Any Carlton experts here who can attach a date to those numbers?
I also wonder, any chance the NR rear derailleur is the elusive first-gen one, made only in 1967 if I remember right? The pictures given don't let me see the one detail that I know is first-gen, the lack of a cage-rotation stop bolt. Are there other details in the visible parts in the photos that can let us determine if it's first-gen?
Mark Bulgier
Seattle WA USA