Phil Wood has and still will make bb's with the pear-shaped spindle for
those cranks--talk about taking care of a niche market!
David Feldman
Vancouver, WA
>
> Stevan Thomas wrote
> (re cottered alloy cranks)
>
> > I believe T.A. made a set like that.
>
> The TA 1500 is often called a cottered crank and I don't mind that
> terminology, but it should be pointed out that they are fundamentally
> different from cottered cranks in that the "cotter" (really a pinch bolt)
> doesn't take any of the pedaling forces. The unique pie-shaped axle-crank
> interface is pretty much rideable with the cotters out, except the arms
can
> drift side-to-side.
>
> The precision of the fit between the axle and crank is amazing - this must
> be one reason they stopped making them; it can't be easy to maintain such
> tolerances. Any cottered crank is quite crude by comparison. Loosen one
> allen-head bolt and the crank slides off! You don't have to take the
cotter
> all the way out, just loosen it, if you file a little catch off the end of
> the axle as I did on mine. (The catch would keep the crank from falling
off
> if the bolt were loose, but it would have to drift so far before it fell
off
> that you would notice it in time unless you were very oblivious - and
these
> bolts don't loosen up.)
>
> For pictures and good explanations check out Joel Metz's site,
> http://www.blackbirdsf.org/
>
> Mark Bulgier
> Seattle, Wa
> USA