New crank.

"Bill Davidson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:a600g.327$Qz.93@fed1read11...

Quoted message said:

I while back, my left pedal started to feel weird, like it had a
little extra play in it. My pedals are old so I figured they were
just wearing out and didn't think much of it. Unfortunately, it
wasn't the pedals, it was my square tapered crank coming loose and
since I didn't recognize this in time, the damage was done and there
was no way to get it tight enough to make it stay. Sigh. I tried
several times including putting lock-tite on every metal to metal
contact point. It lasted about 300 miles that way.

So, I decided to get a new crank and bottom bracket. I went with
a compact ISIS crank from Nashbar for $80 (cheapest compact I could
find) and the cheapest italian threaded ISIS bottom bracket I could
find (FSA platinum $33) and a couple of cheap ISIS tools (Pedros ISIS
bottom bracket tool and the Park crank puller that includes an 8mm
hex). Total cost <$150. Nashbar had a cheaper ISIS BB ($25) but
it was only available in english thread. Somehow, I seem to have
gotten the right side of the BB tight enough the first time unlike
the last time I replaced the bottom bracket.

This is my first crank with ramps/pins and I have to say wow! I
really notice a difference in the up shifting. It's easier to go
up 16T on the new crank than 10T on the old one. I move the
shift lever and it just pops right up. I should have done this
years ago.

I also picked up an 11x28 7 speed hyperglide freewheel from Harris
so that I could maintain somewhat similar gearing range to my old
triple setup. Thanks to Harris for carrying these. They're not
exactly easy to find at local bike shops. Of course, neither are
$80 compact cranks so thanks to Nashbar too.

It's good to be back on the road.

--Bill Davidson

Many here will say that ramps and pins don't do anything to help shifting or
actually hurt. My experience is also to the contrary.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

I notice you said nothing about changing your front derailleur. Other
readers take note - the "standard" ones work just fine with a compact!

Some day, I'll replace the $25 Nashbar ISIS BB with the $33 FSA. Hey,
the Nashabar was on sale for about $15 at the time! (Included
instructions consist of a small piece of paper that says "Instructions -
take this to a bicycle mechanic".) The Nashbar I think runs rough, that
is, pedalling doesn't seem as smooth as on my all FSA other bike.

Bill Davidson said:

I while back, my left pedal started to feel weird, like it had a
little extra play in it. My pedals are old so I figured they were
just wearing out and didn't think much of it. Unfortunately, it
wasn't the pedals, it was my square tapered crank coming loose and
since I didn't recognize this in time, the damage was done and there
was no way to get it tight enough to make it stay. Sigh. I tried
several times including putting lock-tite on every metal to metal
contact point. It lasted about 300 miles that way.

So, I decided to get a new crank and bottom bracket. I went with
a compact ISIS crank from Nashbar for $80 (cheapest compact I could
find) and the cheapest italian threaded ISIS bottom bracket I could
find (FSA platinum $33) and a couple of cheap ISIS tools (Pedros ISIS
bottom bracket tool and the Park crank puller that includes an 8mm
hex). Total cost <$150. Nashbar had a cheaper ISIS BB ($25) but
it was only available in english thread. Somehow, I seem to have
gotten the right side of the BB tight enough the first time unlike
the last time I replaced the bottom bracket.

This is my first crank with ramps/pins and I have to say wow! I
really notice a difference in the up shifting. It's easier to go
up 16T on the new crank than 10T on the old one. I move the
shift lever and it just pops right up. I should have done this
years ago.

I also picked up an 11x28 7 speed hyperglide freewheel from Harris
so that I could maintain somewhat similar gearing range to my old
triple setup. Thanks to Harris for carrying these. They're not
exactly easy to find at local bike shops. Of course, neither are
$80 compact cranks so thanks to Nashbar too.

It's good to be back on the road.

--Bill Davidson

richard said:

I notice you said nothing about changing your front derailleur. Other
readers take note - the "standard" ones work just fine with a compact!

Well, at least most of then do. It's worth a try before ponying up for
a "compact" front derailer.

Quoted message said:

Some day, I'll replace the $25 Nashbar ISIS BB with the $33 FSA. Hey,
the Nashabar was on sale for about $15 at the time! (Included
instructions consist of a small piece of paper that says "Instructions -
take this to a bicycle mechanic".) The Nashbar I think runs rough, that
is, pedalling doesn't seem as smooth as on my all FSA other bike.

If you remove the chain and spin the cranks, what happens?

Bill Davidson said:

I while back, my left pedal started to feel weird, like it had a
little extra play in it. My pedals are old so I figured they were
just wearing out and didn't think much of it. Unfortunately, it
wasn't the pedals, it was my square tapered crank coming loose and
since I didn't recognize this in time, the damage was done and there
was no way to get it tight enough to make it stay. Sigh.

Quoted message said:

So, I decided to get a new crank and bottom bracket.

Quoted message said:

Total cost <$150.

Wouldn't a replacement left crank have been a lot cheaper -- like $10?

richard said:

I notice you said nothing about changing your front derailleur. Other
readers take note - the "standard" ones work just fine with a compact!

I'm still using an old Shimano 600 front deraileur. It was made for a
double but I was using it with a triple for the last several years. It
seems to work fine.

Peter Cole said:

Wouldn't a replacement left crank have been a lot cheaper -- like $10?

It was my understanding that this problem damages both the crank
arm and the bottom bracket. The square taper on my old bottom
bracket doesn't look pretty. I suppose a new crank arm might
have held. Then again, it might not.

--Bill Davidson

Squid-in-Training said:

Many here will say that ramps and pins don't do anything to help shifting or
actually hurt. My experience is also to the contrary.

What hurts front shifting is indexing -- with a real shifter you just push
the shifter a bit over so it forces the chain on the ring and then back a
bit. The ramps and pins are needed to compensate for that. That said, I
prefer the new to the old myself.

Jasper

On Sat, 15 Apr 2006 10:08:05 -0700, Bill Davidson <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Peter Cole said:

Wouldn't a replacement left crank have been a lot cheaper -- like $10?

It was my understanding that this problem damages both the crank
arm and the bottom bracket. The square taper on my old bottom
bracket doesn't look pretty. I suppose a new crank arm might
have held. Then again, it might not.

Well, after you screwed around with keeping riding on it and then
attempting to glue everything together with loctite, I'm not surprised the
BB didn't look too good. Even so, square-taper italian BB plus left crank
would have been under 40 bucks -- but wouldn't have gotten you the nice
new crank and rings on the right, of course.

Most of the time, with a steel BB spindle and an alu crank, that's not
ridden for ages after discovery, a new crank will hold fine. For that
matter, if you replace it soonish, even with a steel crank against a steel
spindle it'll be the crank that mostly gets reamed out.

Jasper

Bill Davidson said:

Peter Cole said:

Wouldn't a replacement left crank have been a lot cheaper -- like $10?

It was my understanding that this problem damages both the crank
arm and the bottom bracket. The square taper on my old bottom
bracket doesn't look pretty. I suppose a new crank arm might
have held. Then again, it might not.

--Bill Davidson

Cranks are usually aluminum, BB spindles usually steel. A loose crank
will lose squareness of its bore, but aluminum won't deform steel. Left
cranks are a readily available replacement part. Somebody gave you a bum
steer.

Even if your BB was shot, cartridge BBs are cheap (~$20), spindles, even
less.

Bill Davidson said:

Quoted message said:

Wouldn't a replacement left crank have been a lot cheaper?

Quoted message said:

It was my understanding that this problem damages both the crank
arm and the bottom bracket. The square taper on my old bottom
bracket doesn't look pretty. I suppose a new crank arm might
have held. Then again, it might not.

What did the loose aluminum crank do to the steel spindle that made it
look not pretty? Don't throw that spindle away. You might need it
some day and I can't imagine that it has any flaws other than if the
bearing races were shot.

Jobst Brandt

Bill Davidson said:

... [summary] My left size crank failed ...

Quoted message said:

So, I decided to get a new crank and bottom bracket.

Wow, did you consider spending $8 for a shimano left side crank arm?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7125214527

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

Peter Cole said:

Cranks are usually aluminum, BB spindles usually steel. A loose crank
will lose squareness of its bore, but aluminum won't deform steel.

Agreed, if i remember correctly, anodized aluminum, while 7x harder
than regular aluminum is still something like 2x or 3x softer than
high carbon steel from a spindle.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

Jasper Janssen said:

Squid-in-Training said:

Many here will say that ramps and pins don't do anything to help shifting or
actually hurt. My experience is also to the contrary.

What hurts front shifting is indexing -- with a real shifter you just push
the shifter a bit over so it forces the chain on the ring and then back a
bit. The ramps and pins are needed to compensate for that. That said, I
prefer the new to the old myself.

Does indexed shifting not overshift too?

Lou
--
Posted by news://news.nb.nu

On Sun, 16 Apr 2006 09:17:16 +0200, Lou Holtman <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Jasper Janssen said:

Squid-in-Training said:

Many here will say that ramps and pins don't do anything to help shifting or
actually hurt. My experience is also to the contrary.

What hurts front shifting is indexing -- with a real shifter you just push
the shifter a bit over so it forces the chain on the ring and then back a
bit. The ramps and pins are needed to compensate for that. That said, I
prefer the new to the old myself.

Does indexed shifting not overshift too?

Not my Deore pod, at least. Unless maybe if you hold the lever down until
the chain engages the next ring? Have to try that.

Jasper

Jasper Janssen said:

Well, after you screwed around with keeping riding on it and then
attempting to glue everything together with loctite, I'm not surprised the
BB didn't look too good. Even so, square-taper italian BB plus left crank
would have been under 40 bucks -- but wouldn't have gotten you the nice
new crank and rings on the right, of course.

I do really like the new crank. I was never really happy with the old
one anyway.

The spindle appeared to have marks but I suppose it could have just been
gunk that looked like marks. I'll have to try and give it a good cleaning
at some point. Maybe the spindle is fine.