older sakae cranks
12-15-20, 08:34 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
older sakae cranks
I have a couple sets from '80s road bikes that are in really nice shape. Are they comparable in quality to modern cranks such as Sram rival or other manufacturers?
12-15-20, 09:44 AM
#2
Full Member
They can be. Some of the old forged cranks are really nice quality pieces.
On the other hand, and not to open a can of worms, but even some big-name modern cranks have questionable build quality and engineering. So just like you shouldn't automatically assume anything old is junk, don't assume everything new is great.
On the other hand, and not to open a can of worms, but even some big-name modern cranks have questionable build quality and engineering. So just like you shouldn't automatically assume anything old is junk, don't assume everything new is great.
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12-15-20, 03:07 PM
#3
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Thread Starter
They can be. Some of the old forged cranks are really nice quality pieces.
On the other hand, and not to open a can of worms, but even some big-name modern cranks have questionable build quality and engineering. So just like you shouldn't automatically assume anything old is junk, don't assume everything new is great.
On the other hand, and not to open a can of worms, but even some big-name modern cranks have questionable build quality and engineering. So just like you shouldn't automatically assume anything old is junk, don't assume everything new is great.
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12-15-20, 03:18 PM
#4
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The question would be whether the new cranks are comparable in quality, not the other way around.
12-15-20, 03:30 PM
#5
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Sakae Ringyo made a whole range of cranks, from low-end cast (aka "melt-forged") units to high-end cold forged, polished and anodized comparable to the best of anything out there. They offered a bewildering number of models, sometimes cranks seemingly sharing the same model name (e.g. "Custom") being available with several different bolt-circle diameters and arm styles. That makes it difficult to definitively answer your question without knowing more about your specific crank.
12-15-20, 04:33 PM
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Velobase.com is a great resource for helping pin down year of manufacture and specific model. And I concur about "older" cranks. I own several vintage bikes that have some beautiful and durable cranksets on them.
12-15-20, 06:18 PM
#7
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SR Apex small BCD (86?) versatile triple and very high quality.
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12-15-20, 08:21 PM
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I haven't been able to get on VeloBase for a bit...apparently they are moving servers but I keep checking and it keeps being down. Hopefully things turn out well.
12-16-20, 01:51 PM
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I’m using a set of Sakae cranks on my SS vintage MTB. I can’t speak to comparisons with new cranks, but they seem unphased by SS duty on this bike, which involves the usual large amount of standing and hard pedaling. The arms are single piece construction and holding up fine under that workload.
I like Ike to keep the tread factor down, so using old road cranks like these and just the right length of BB to let the arms clear the chain stays helps.
The only downside is that it has the obsolete 118 mm BCD, so about the only chainring compatibility is old stock SR rings, mainly 40 and 52 teeth plus a handful of others in 42, and maybe 45. I’m glad to have found a NOS 42t ring.
Otto
I like Ike to keep the tread factor down, so using old road cranks like these and just the right length of BB to let the arms clear the chain stays helps.
The only downside is that it has the obsolete 118 mm BCD, so about the only chainring compatibility is old stock SR rings, mainly 40 and 52 teeth plus a handful of others in 42, and maybe 45. I’m glad to have found a NOS 42t ring.
Otto
12-16-20, 06:58 PM
#10
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Thread Starter
I’m using a set of Sakae cranks on my SS vintage MTB. I can’t speak to comparisons with new cranks, but they seem unphased by SS duty on this bike, which involves the usual large amount of standing and hard pedaling. The arms are single piece construction and holding up fine under that workload.
I like Ike to keep the tread factor down, so using old road cranks like these and just the right length of BB to let the arms clear the chain stays helps.
The only downside is that it has the obsolete 118 mm BCD, so about the only chainring compatibility is old stock SR rings, mainly 40 and 52 teeth plus a handful of others in 42, and maybe 45. I’m glad to have found a NOS 42t ring.
Otto
I like Ike to keep the tread factor down, so using old road cranks like these and just the right length of BB to let the arms clear the chain stays helps.
The only downside is that it has the obsolete 118 mm BCD, so about the only chainring compatibility is old stock SR rings, mainly 40 and 52 teeth plus a handful of others in 42, and maybe 45. I’m glad to have found a NOS 42t ring.
Otto
12-17-20, 01:46 PM
#12
Clark W. Griswold
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Yeah people love to use odd BCDs for whatever reason. Campy did it on their Triomphe and Victory gruppos with the 116 BCD, Sakae did it for Apex with 118. Shimano did it a bunch I have some whacky XTR cranks that piss me off daily every time I see them as the BB works perfectly the crank arms are in decent shape but I need a new out chainring which is a spider for other chainrings and I can't deal.
58, 74, 104, 110 (5 bolt), 130, 144 is really all we need and if we could standardize down to those probably everyone would be mighty happy
58, 74, 104, 110 (5 bolt), 130, 144 is really all we need and if we could standardize down to those probably everyone would be mighty happy
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12-17-20, 04:09 PM
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With Sakae Ringyo, it seems the name on the arm designates how the arm was made and may be found with different bolt-circle diameters; e.g. "Custom" and "Signature" arms are melt-forged and tumble-polished, and can have 86mm, 110mm, or 118mm BCDs. "Apex" arms are cold-forged, polished, and anodized, and can be found with 86mm or 118mm BCD. "Royal" arms are also cold-forged, polished, and anodized, but AFAIK only came in 144mm BCD. There could even be other variants I haven't encountered or can't recall.
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