Most beautiful Crankset - a discussion thread

I have a pair of these languishing in the shed somewhere. I believe they had a habit of snapping, but this isn't the criteria for the thread after all!

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DA 7800 were really sexy. I mind when they first came out, that colour. Tidy.

Not the best picture but these gold cranks from my old Raleigh record sprint fitted in rather well with the black and gold colour scheme.

Always loved the Tioga Revolver

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Simple cannondale ex/px

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7800 FTW

7800 hubs were nice too. Last attractive, and serviceable, hubs they made

7sp chorus!

if you disagree, you're wrong

Guess we're all wrong then eh?!

I think that for bmx cranks there's not much beats the simple lines of Profiles

That said, it's a set of pre pedal insert Powerbites that are on my bike and they definitely look best in slightly battered silver.

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that new 2 piece and splined design can do one though (i'm so out of touch with BMX i didn't realise that was a thing till i google imaged them)

Powerbites and hollowbites will always be butters

.

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Factory 5 Lattice Chainset

Nice bait

And now for something completely different:

BSA/TA Cyclotouriste

Sorry it's upside down, but you should be able to get the idea. It's really the BSA cranks which I'm particularly fond of. The TA rings are (or were) a very common sight.

I believe this five pin pattern was an original BSA design which dates from 1904 but was adopted by other manufacturers and must be one of the longest lasting designs in the bike game.

It must be admitted that steel cranks are heavier than ali, but for me nowadays (post racing) the difference is so small I prefer to put up with the weight in favour of the elegance, as I see it, of the steel. In a moment I will post a shot of the left hand crank.

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BSA Left:

You will notice these cranks have seen a great deal of use - enough for the steel to be worn away in places, and yet the chrome is still quite good.

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The five-bolt/six-bolt and ring/crank arm misphasing is extremely distressing

Here is a side view of the BSA crank compared with a Chater Lea competitor. Ignore the fact that the Chater crank has gone rusty - it may have been abused in the past, but note that the expensive and prestigious CL crank is much chunkier that the BSA and is significantly heavier.

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Chater Lea did a lighter hollow crank :)

Finally a Williams/TA set up. I have always liked the simplicity of this TA pattern.

However, I've thought for many years, as fashions have changed but my taste has remained the same, that for most of us the design we like best is the one we grew up with, and therefore Chacun a son gout, and De gustibus non disputandem or 'One man's meat is another man's poison.'

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Yes, I know what you mean, but I think it is fitted like that to even out wear. You will notice that the Willams/ TA (above) is more symmetrical and I've even got the screw head slots to line up as neatly as possible.