Do these Super Sports take the same size bottom bracket as "normal" lightweight road bikes or are they bigger? Can one put any "normal" crank in a Super Sport?
cheers,
Rod Kronenberg
Fort Collins, CO
<charliepedal@verizon.net> Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2008 11:23 PM Subject: Ashtabula vs [CR] Fillet-Brazed Schwinns
> Doug Fattic wrote, but I <snip> to get to the cranks stuff:
>
> That said, the 1 piece steel Ashtabula crank makes them heavy. They have
> a kind of solid, steady feel. It is what I would use on a 3 to 5 mile
> commute where I would go at a slower pace. I remember helping a pastor in
> the bike boom of 1971 get a Super Sport. He loved it and decided
> bicycling was worth investing in as a hobby. <snip>
>
> I did my first century ride on my Super Sport in 1966 in Vermont down
> highway 110 (and other roads). So you can see I like them because they
> bring back memories from when I was young and because they are nicely made
> to work on. Take away the emotion and they are kind of heavy clunkers.
>
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Couple of notes about the Ashtabula (one-piece) cranks.
> 1) I believe that the Super Sport got a better grade of crank than the
> lowly Continental-Varsity-Suburban-Collegiate models. Looks different.
> FWIW, I never bent one of the better ones, but didn't ever crash one,
> either.
> 2) Ashtabulas are just a dream to work on, once you understand them. Huge
> bearings, in retainers, set up quickly, etc.
> 3) the bolt circle, if I recall correctly, was very close to Nervar and
> perhaps others. It was possible to upgrade the rings with judicious use
> of a file here or there. Because of the generous clearance to the outside,
> I once set up a (Twinn tandem) with 4 cogs on an Ashtabula - three to the
> back and the fourth for same-side transfer.
> 4) If all else fails, conversion units are available, via BMX sources, to
> convert Ashtabula BB to tapered cotterless cranks. I've done this once, I
> think, and have some spare parts around for kicks.
> 5) The top fillet-brazed Schwinn that I remember, the Sports Tourer (aka
> Sport Tractor) used a conventional English-cup BB, with TA (or Nervar?)
> cotterless cranks.
>
> Your mileage may vary, mine will be at Cirque.
>
> harvey sachs
> mcLean va
> (and just back from riding on the American River Parkway in Sacramento)