Re: [CR]TA CRANK TIMELINE

(Example: Framebuilders:Brian Baylis)

In-Reply-To: <47F3B093.3080606@gmail.com>
References: <47F3B093.3080606@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2008 12:37:10 -0800
To: Jack Fortune <jfortune52@gmail.com>, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
From: "Jan Heine" <heine94@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]TA CRANK TIMELINE


At 9:13 AM -0700 4/2/08, Jack Fortune wrote:
>>>>Group -- I have one of the old TA cranksets that has the strange axle
>>>>that
>>>>>>is half round and half right-angle square, with the unique cotters.
>>>>>>Does a nybody know what dates this would be from? No, I'm not
>>>>>>fishing and I don't want to sell it... :-) Thanks for your help.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Nelson Miller Seattle, WA
>>>>>USA
>>
>>The timeline is in the TA history, Bicycle Quarterly Vol. 6, No. 1, p. 8.
>>
>>The TA cranks were introduced in 1960 with the pear-shaped axle. In 1962,
>>they were replaced with the square-taper cranks (standard design). The
>>earlier model was not a success,
>
>Can anyone elaborate more on why these cranks were not "successful"?
>Were they less durable or harder to set up than their successors?
>Were they just more expensive?

Ernest Csuka of Cycles Alex Singer told me: The first TA looked like steel cranks with cotters, which are a pain to set up. Even though the design was different, they came on the market just as cottered cranks were falling from fashion, and everybody was switching to square taper spindles. So they were perceived as outdated.
>While having absolutely no personal experience with using these
>cranks, I find the design to be very appealing - cranks can be
>removed with an hex key, have variable tread (q-factor), and look
>nice - what was the down-side?

You need a TA BB to go with it (or later, one of the Phil Wood BBs with the same axle shape). Beyond that, I can't think of any disadvantages, either. In fact, I am considering putting one on my next bike.

Jan Heine
Editor
Bicycle Quarterly
140 Lakeside Ave #C
Seattle WA 98122
http://www.bikequarterly.com