Re: [CR]Zeus Crank ID...?

(Example: Framebuilders:Brian Baylis)

Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 08:27:20 -0500
From: Jerry & Liz Moos <moos@penn.com>
To: Joseph Bender-Zanoni <jfbender@umich.edu>
CC: renaissance-cycles <info@renaissance-cycles.com>, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR]Zeus Crank ID...?
References: <9CE7CEBC1555D4118FCD006008279E684C7DB4@mppmail.mpp.cpii.com> <3A6A1F94.C9601A07@penn.com> <3A6A2266.F436C638@penn.com> <001201c0834e$f4beb300$084d53d4@chello.nl> <3.0.5.32.20010120225123.012ba160@j.imap.itd.umich.edu>


Actually, the Stronglight works fine, though it is a very snug fit, checked it again just now on the Zeus road bike I bought from Dave Martinez last year. I have several bikes with Zeus cranks, and I've never owned a Zeus crank bolt tool. One definitely needs some special tool, though - the typical 16mm ratchet socket will be too thick. Zeus probably should have used 15mm bolts, since they had the smaller Campy-type 22mm extractor thread. But it's partly these flakey design details that ad mystic to old marques, like old Allegros that use French threaded steerers but 22.2mm stems.

Regards,

Jerry Moos

Joseph Bender-Zanoni wrote:
> I remember the Stronglight toool as being a marginal fit to remove the Zeus
> bolt because the remover threads are a smaller diameter on the Zeus. The
> Stronglight tool just barely engages the top of the Zeus boltI have only
> seen the Zeus tool once and it has a very thin wall. Kind of dopy really.
>
> Joe "Wish I had more Zeus" Bender-Zanoni
> At 09:19 PM 1/20/01 -0500, Jerry & Liz Moos wrote:
> >Actually, BC, I'm cool, since, as a true Francophile, I have several
> Stronglight
> >crank extractors, the lever arm of which was also a 16mm crank bolt wrench.
> >(Non French folks may not understand this, but they must trust me on this).
> >
> >Regards,
> >
> >Jerry "Zeus, like rock & roll, will never die" Moos
> >
> >renaissance-cycles wrote:
> >
> >> Hey Jerry!
> >>
> >> Is the 16 mm hard to remove because you might not be using a 16 mm
> >> crank-bolt
> >> wrench but a 16 mm socket?............If so, and if you might be in need of
> >> a ''Zeus''
> >> 16 mm crank-bolt tool!..I know where I can get a ''NEW'' one for you, just
> >> not sure
> >> on the price!...Anybody else, let me know?!?
> >>
> >> Sorry Dale! I know I'm over the ''line'' with the pricing of this
> >> tool........I just don't
> >> have a......clue....on my suppliers price, been looking at them for the
> last
> >> year!!!
> >>
> >> BC, Baron Corpuz.......Buying up Europe!!
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: Jerry & Liz Moos <moos@penn.com>
> >> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> >> Sent: Sunday, January 21, 2001 12:42 AM
> >> Subject: Re: [CR]Zeus Crank ID...?
> >>
> >> > Sorry, the cranks bolts are 16 mm, not 116, 16 is already hard enough to
> >> remove at
> >> > times.
> >> >
> >> > Regards,
> >> >
> >> > Jerry Moos
> >> >
> >> > Jerry & Liz Moos wrote:
> >> >
> >> > > So Brad, care to speculate where our mysterious Cosmos gruppo fits into
> >> the
> >> > > picture? Crank profile is more rounded than old Criterium, but less so
> >> than New
> >> > > Racer, one long single-level flute like Criterium. Arms are polished
> >> but rings
> >> > > more satin. Rings are not drilled and have webbing like later "aero"
> >> cranks.
> >> > > Logo on arms is the "Z", but enclosed in a circle that says "Zeus
> >> Spain". The
> >> > > BB spindle is chromed steel and says "Zeus 114-55", the calipers
> verify
> >> the
> >> > > 114mm length. The crank bolts are chromed "Zeus Spain" and are the
> >> classic Zeus
> >> > > 116mm, which Zeus had in common with Stronglight. Ever seen this
> stuff?
> >> > >
> >> > > Regards,
> >> > >
> >> > > Jerry Moos
> >> > >
> >> > > Stockwell, Brad wrote:
> >> > >
> >> > > > To All:
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Holy Cow! I recently got back from vacation and have noted that
> >> > > > apparently there is a post-millenial Zeus 'Anschluss' in progress -
> >> there's
> >> > > > been tons of stuff on Ebay and elsewhere lately and I've been going
> >> nuts!
> >> > > > There is no more room in my garage! There is no more money in my
> >> pocket!
> >> > > >
> >> > > > REGARDING IDENTIFICATION OF ZEUS CRANKS:
> >> > > > From about '74 to '79, all Zeus crankarms have the same shape. If
> >> you
> >> > > > check the Zeus parts page on 'le Rendezvous', the photo of the crank
> >> with
> >> > > > the reddish background (below the photo of the hubs) is from the 1977
> >> Zeus
> >> > > > 103 catalog and although this photo particularly depicts the 2000
> >> model, it
> >> > > > shows the generic topology.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Starting with this image, you get yourself a Criterium crank by
> >> deleting
> >> > > > the slots in the arms, the holes in the rings, and the black coating
> >> on the
> >> > > > chainring bolts. From there, you get you a Gran Sport crank by
> >> deleting the
> >> > > > milling in the spider arms, using a softer grade of aluminum, and
> >> replacing
> >> > > > the Zeus-in-an-oval logo with the older Zeus-world logo.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > In a manner which mimics Campy, 1977's Gran Sport crank is twins
> >> with
> >> > > > 1971's Criterium.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > There were at least 5 versions of the 2000 crank. The early one
> >> (version
> >> > > > 1, I don't know when it premiered but It was before I joined the
> party
> >> in
> >> > > > '75) had 3 equal-length slots milled all-the-way-through the arms. A
> >> later
> >> > > > one (v2) had 3 through-slots which tapered in length (shortest one at
> >> the
> >> > > > pedal end). By '77 (v3), Zeus had stopped putting the slots all the
> >> way
> >> > > > through, despite the fact that the picture in the 103 catalog still
> >> showed
> >> > > > them. By '79 the Zeus 104 catalog showed the design pictured in the
> >> second
> >> > > > crank photo on the Zeus Rendesvous parts page (with the 'sand'
> colored
> >> > > > background - I call this version 5). In this model the rings are
> >> beefier,
> >> > > > the arms have a different aspect ratio, and look! We've changed the
> >> logo
> >> > > > again! In '78 there was a hybrid (v4) that had the '79-style
> rings on
> >> the
> >> > > > '77-style arms.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Circa '80, there was a 'Supercronos' crank which was the Criterium
> >> arms
> >> > > > with the 2000 rings. (There was an early Supercronos parts group
> which
> >> was a
> >> > > > cocktail of criterium parts mixed with the flashier 2000 derailleurs
> >> and
> >> > > > chainrings, and the 2001 sidepulls.)
> >> > > >
> >> > > > After '80, the criterium crank had the beefier rings mentioned
> above
> >> but
> >> > > > without the holes.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Sometime before '86 Zeus changed the arm design to get the
> >> 'Aero-look' in
> >> > > > the new Supercronos and New Racer (think updated Gran sport) cranks.
> >> The
> >> > > > aero crank style is shown in the New Racer ad at the bottom of the
> >> Zeus
> >> > > > Rendesvous parts page. The Supercronos had drilled rings, the New
> >> Racer
> >> > > > didn't. The Supercronos arms can be distinguished from the New Racer
> >> arms
> >> > > > by checking out the finish: if it's satiny anodization, it's
> >> Supercronos; if
> >> > > > it's shiny polished aluminum, it's New Racer.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > All the '70's cranks used a 118mm spindle (like stronglight) and to
> >> the
> >> > > > best of my measurement ability have 119mm chainring bolt circle
> >> diameters.
> >> > > > I suspect that some people call it 120mm because they distrusted
> their
> >> > > > senses and picked the closest round number. In '79, the titanium in
> >> the
> >> > > > 2000 BB (and elsewhere in the 2000 series) was replaced with another
> >> metal
> >> > > > referred to as Titanox, which I can now confirm is magnetic (via
> >> testing
> >> > > > with 28MGO Samarium Cobalt) and I'll guess that it is some form of
> >> stainless
> >> > > > steel since it is uncoated.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > The later cranks use a 110 spindle with the same 55mm flange
> spacing
> >> and
> >> > > > cups as the 70's models.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Brad Stockwell
> >> > > > Palo Alto (year 2000 final tally: 6210 bike miles - only about a
> >> factor
> >> > > > of 3 less than Lance!)
> >> > > >
> >> > > > -----Original Message-----
> >> > > > From: Harvey M Sachs [mailto:sachs@erols.com]
> >> > > > Sent: Saturday, January 20, 2001 6:58 AM
> >> > > > To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> >> > > > Subject: [CR]Zeus Crank ID...?
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Lads & Lassies -
> >> > > >
> >> > > > I'm trying to identify a Zeus Crank set (so I can
> sell
> >> or
> >> > > > trade it).
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Classic-looking 5-arm, with Zeus-pattern bolt circle
> >> > > > (slightly smaller than
> >> > > > Campy).
> >> > > > Arm looks like Criterium at
> >> > > > http://www.cyclesdeoro.com/zeus_crit_cranks.htm
> >> > > > but forged arms, not a 5-pin adapter as shown. Arm
> >> has
> >> > > > groove and slight
> >> > > > elevation for the pedal hole, as shown there.
> >> > > > No metal-worming (drilling) on the rings.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Definitely NOT New Racer chainrings as shown in
> >> > > > http://www.cyclesdeoro.com/Zeus_N_rac.htm - has shape
> >> like
> >> > > > the 2000 rings.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > (Gee, thanks, Dale, for the wonderful photo albums
> >> that give
> >> > > > us reference
> >> > > > instead of just trying to drool words).
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Harvey Sachs
> >> > > >
> >> > > > _______________________________________________
> >> > > > Classicrendezvous mailing list
> >> > > > Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> >> > > >
> >> http://www.bikelist.org/mailman/listinfo/classicrendezvous