Specialties TA crank help

hamster":1g8je948 said:
It could be that the left one is off a tandem, where there would have been a ring for a timing chain.

That's a thought. If the pedal thread is 'normal' for a left hand crank then it will be. Always a point to look out for when buying a set of TA cranks, they may have come of the front of a tandem in which case the threads will be 'the wrong way round' if using them on a solo. Not a major problem as a pair of pedals will fit but not in the recommended way as they will tighten if the pedal bearings seize up instead of slacken. This can result in an injured ankle!
 
Interesting fact alert about double chainsets:-

The great Canadian kilo rider Jocelyn Lovell (a bloke, Commonwealth Games kilo champ, IIRC) once experimented with a double chainwheel to improve his start in a kilo event. Bike had two chainwheels, one on either side, both with the same sized ring.

However, the rear wheel had a (again, IIRC) 15-tooth single freewheel mounted backwards on the left side and a fixed 14-tooth sprocket on the normal side, but only slightly screwed on. It worked like this:-

He started off with the 15-tooth one as the drive and after about 3-4 revs, the 14-tooth fixed one wound onto the hub. This then became the drive with the freewheel just ticking as the lower gear, like feather pedalling.

The purpose of this was to allow a smaller gear for the starting effort for a few revs. This didn't last long because of the extra weight and also the UCI probably outlawed it as well!

For those who don't know, Lovell was run over by a truck at the height of his career and is now a quadraplegic.
 
Steve, I was only reading about that quite recently - but can't remember where!

Bit spooky :twisted:
 
Spookier that you think, Ned. One of my CTC lot today mentioned his name as being the first person to bolt his shoes to pedals, something that I never knew! :shock:
 
google is your friend as ever

Jocelyn_Lovell_2cranks_600.jpg
 
Steve Kish":o2hq8for said:
Spookier that you think, Ned. One of my CTC lot today mentioned his name as being the first person to bolt his shoes to pedals, something that I never knew! :shock:

Wasn't this done at Leicester when the worlds was held there? If so, I might have seen it!
 
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