merziac

Tx, actually, after double checking, the WA's are the correct length as you would expect, the washers were used with the MKS all steel version I had on it before I got the WA's.

They were an excellent aesthetic although far from correct.

file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Van%20Smith/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/CTM,%2058%20+%20AVBS/CTM,%2058%20+%20AVBS%20078.jpg

Bibi001

nice bike

3alarmer 

...if you need more range on the gearing, it was mostly done back then with different chain wheels. It was common to buy them in in an easily mountable pair, like these. The originals on this bike were more criterium half step in range, and it was a prettier Simplex set. But if you're willing to look around through a lot of old junked cottered cranks at the bike co-op, or used online, you can usually find something that will bolt right up onto the BCD for the crank spider arms. A lot of them used the same dimensions.

Not many people are looking for cottered crank chain wheels these days, so the competition is sparse, and you might have some luck.

juvela

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Prior discussion threads on machine abideth here -

https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/19...d-help.161853/

https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/st...-crank.163753/

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bikemig 

yeah this is a good idea. I have a TA triple and BB sitting in my parts bin, though. This seems like the perfect bike for that crank.

3alarmer 

...no one I know will think less of you, as long as you keep the old one to pass along with the bike. And youi will have an excellent adventure fitting the new crank to this bicycle. Truth be known, I swapped out a 151 BCD Record crank to a 144 BCD New Record on the Carlton Flyer I bought here, because I couldn't deal with the 54 tooth gearing on it and couldn't find 151 rings any smaller. Whoever used to ride it must have been a real man, but the guy I bought it from had it on a trainer.

I just looked at some of the cottered cranks in my parts box for cottered cranks, and one of them is a 52/36 (Stronglight). Not sure what you'd need on the front to shift it, but that's a lot wider and better range for me than anything I could put together on some of the older alloy cotterless cranks I ride. Once the TA triple is on there and riding around, nobody is ever gonna notice except you, and you won't care. If it keeps you awake, you can always change it back.

I read one of those CABE threads, so I guess it turns out it really was too big for the other guy. Heck, you might ride it for a while and discover you don't like the ride/fit/whatever. But you probly will. I just think it's a shame to give up on that crank it came with, mostly because I'm a fan of nice cottered cranks. They seem to work well, and last forever. You need the tools to work the cotters, (press or vise/grinder or file if you need to extract or fit new ones), but once you have them you have them.

Stronglight, Nervar, Magistroni, and Williams cranks are all pretty in their own way.

bikemig 

I like cottered cranks fine. If I could find a 52/36 combo, I'd keep the stronglight crank. I'll do a bit of digging in the local shops for 116 bcd chainrings. Still the TA cyclo tourist is period correct and gives you a heck of a lot of gear possibilities. I plan on riding this bike so I'll get the gear ratios I need to climb in hills.

sworley

Previous owner here - how'd this bike end up turning out, bikemig ?

bikemig 

I still need to rebuild it, . I don't really have the heart to change anything out since it is pretty much original. The gearing is not what I'd like for the hills and rollers I like to ride on though which is why I haven't gotten around to rebuilding it but I will. I did pick up a sweet '73 Schwinn Sports Tourer which has all the gearing I need. I rebuilt it and I'm riding it:

sworley

Nice! Thanks for the update!

tkamd73 

Wow, nice find, love the lemon yellow color, smooth ride and all the gears you’ll ever need. Bought that same bike new, one size larger, back in 73, wish I still had it.
Tim

bikemig 

I don't know if there was a production bike with 2 x 5 gearing that came with wider gearing than the Schwinn Sports Tourer. The one downside of the bike is that I sometimes get the urge to buy a really ugly pair of 70s era lemon yellow or orange shorts, an equally ugly shirt, and wear white socks pulled all the way up when riding this bike. So far I've managed to resist! You have to credit Schwinn's engineers on the gearing though; no easy feat to eke out this wide a range of gearing with 70s technology:

tkamd73 

Agreed, and looking at some of the old Schwinn catalogs will give you those weird clothing urges, so as to look correct on the bike. I get it. My 71 Sports Tourer was just a very used frame when I got it, had it been as nice as yours, I would have left it pretty much as originally built.
Tim