Andiroo99

Hi All

I dont suppose anyone has a spec sheet or any other design related docs for a pair of T.A. Specialities quill pedals. I am interested in the needle bearings and how these worked to give such a nice smooth feel.
See Good old TA quill pedals - My Bicycle and I

Many thanks

A.

bertinjim 

Andiroo99-

Blackbird has a site here on all things TA. The info on the pedals is extensive and may be helpful. For those unfortunate enough not to own a pair of TAs or know whereof we speak, please check these out.

juvela

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One item not mentioned in blog post cited is that they are an orthopaedic pedal in that differing heights of the cage were offered to give a better fit to riders of unequal leg length.

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Andiroo99

I had no idea such an ortho oedal existed. Amazing. Thanks to all for theinfo

bertinjim 

One variety of the ortho pedal looked like this:

T-Mar

Long after TA lost their OEM popularity you would still see advertisements for the orthodpedic pedals. However, I don't ever recall seeing the orthopedic cages/plates for the quill pedal, only the track version. However, you could convert them from road to track or orthopedic by simply changing cage/plate styles.

I don't believe there is any secret to the needle bearings. IIRC, they were simply an unsealed, standard, industrial bearing. Needle bearings are excellent for handling pure radial loads, which is the prime operational mode for a pedal. Any non-radial loads are handled by the ball bearings of the outer race.

Grand Bois

I just wish I could find the tool needed to remove the end cap.

JohnDThompson 

I'd think something like this might work:



https://www.amazon.com/Spanner-Adjus...Spanner+Wrench

Grand Bois

It just might!

Thank you.


Velo Orange sold both the track and touring versions for a while for $150. I bought mine used.

Skateklister

[QUOTE=Grand Bois;19663300]It just might!


That's the tool I use, and yes it works. A hook spanner.

cdmurphy

Funny coincidence, there was just a discussion over on iBob about a German framebuilder, Ulrich Vogel, who appears to have made a pile of those wrenches.

Here is a link to the photo on his flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/vogel-...in/dateposted/

I have no idea if they're for sale, or if he'll ship to the US, but it's worth investigating.

Grand Bois

[QUOTE=Skateklister;20064818]
You joined just to tell me that? How nice of you!

non-fixie 

Thank you for that link. That is a very nice tool. Beautiful, even. And yes, you're invited to contact Uhlrich if you'd like one. His e-mail address is right there.

Grand Bois

The hook spanner is only $11 and I may even find other uses for it.

After looking at Ulrich Vogel's Flickr pages, I'm sure I can't afford anything he has made. That is some of the most beautiful metalwork I have ever seen.

Grand Bois

[QUOTE=Grand Bois;20065205]
I take it back. The tool does not fit the narrow slot in the pedal cap without modification and the pedal cage interferes and must be removed. The tool will leave marks in the soft aluminum unless you put leather or something between the tool and the cap.

fietsbob

maybe fabricate a tool that engages all 3 notches.. Maybe VAR made something, being French..

Seems Mel Pinto Imports was a VAR tool importer.. May only sell to Bike Shops , so go thru your LBS.

HeikoS69

A good example for a selfmade wrench can be found here:
www.flickr.com/photos/coelcanth/2200587419/

VAR did not make a dust cap wrench / spanner for Specialites TA pedals. I have been looking for such a tool for years now. Some years ago I remember someone saying in a forum, that he rememders such a tool had been sold some more years ago on Ebay for a few hundred dollars.
In a german bicycle magazine was mentioned that no such wrenches were made. I read that about 25 years ago. I don't know if it's true or not.

End of last year I ordered a randonneur frame at Ulrich Vogel Rahmenbau in Bamberg, Germany. I am a great fan of these TA pedals and wanted my bicycle being equipped with them. As I knew that Mr. Vogel works a lot with CAD and has a good relationship with a professional lasercutter (person, not machine), I asked him to make me such a dust cap wrench. When I visited his workshop end of July this year, he showed me a prototype. This prototype had a VERY close fit on the TA pedal dust caps with smooth edges, which he had in his workshop. My pedals have dust caps with knurled edges, which have a very little larger diameter. The prototype did not fit.
So the final version had to be a little larger. I also suggested to make a few more of them to make some more TA pedals fans happy. I had a number of 10 to 20 in my mind. Now he has fabricated so many more and I feel a little responsible for the fact that all tools can be sold. So you may regard this posting as an ad

@Grand Bois
Mark Bulgier posted following informations over at iBOB
Mr. Vogel
- speaks English
- accepts Paypal
- ships to USA
- charges US-Dollar 27,-- for one pedal cap wrench incl. shipping
- his E-Mail address can be found here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/vogel-r...7674256454063/

I think it is a fair price.
=====================
Edit Feb. 06, 2020: today I received information from third parties that Ulrich Vogel is working full-time again in his previous profession, as an architect.
=====================
Two further links on topic:

www.flickr.com/photos/custom_pedals/24305781443/
An exploded drawing (Daniel Rebour) of a early first version TA pedal

blogs.yahoo.co.jp/velodureve2007/36519086.html
Some photos of disassembled TA pedals

Edit:
Pedros Grease Gun works fine for lubricating. It may be hard work if the grease in the pedal is old and not soft anymore. In my case it was hard work. The grease pressed out the cranksided sealing ring. But it was easy to bring it back to the right position.

Another edit for further information regarding the question of the thread opener:
TA used Nadella DL1210 needle bearings.
Specs:
"Full Complement Needle Roller Bearings: Of similar construction to the common HK and TA series needle roller bearings but having no cage and twice the number of rollers occupying the same space to permit greater load carrying capacity. Often referred to as crowded roller construction.
Benefits: Compact space saving design, High load capacity.

Brand / Quality: Nadella - High Quality
Inside Diameter: 12mm
Outside Diameter: 18mm
Width: 10mm"

fender1

In this thread is a builder who is making the wrench. I am sure it costs a lot.

https://groups.google.com/forum/?fro...c/geMq7wjPCQAJ

Force 

Good information on this thread. I just ordered the tool from Vogel to use on my TA track pedals and will report back when I receive it.

HeikoS69

The TA pedals dust cap wrench made by framebuilder Ulrich Vogel is now available via Ebay:
As the forum software prevents me posting a link:
Search Ebay for "Specialites TA pedal dust cup wrench"

Mashyp25

“In a german bicycle magazine was mentioned that no such wrenches were made. I read that about 25 years ago. I don't know if it's true or not.

End of last year I ordered a randonneur frame at Ulrich Vogel Rahmenbau in Bamberg, Germany. I am a great fan of these TA pedals and wanted my bicycle being equipped with them. As I knew that Mr. Vogel works a lot with CAD and has a good relationship with a professional lasercutter (person, not machine), I asked him to make me such a dust cap wrench. When I visited his workshop end of July this year, he showed me a prototype. This prototype had a VERY close fit on the TA pedal dust caps with smooth edges, which he had in his workshop. My pedals have dust caps with knurled edges, which have a very little larger diameter. The prototype did not fit.
So the final version had to be a little larger. I also suggested to make a few more of them to make some more TA pedals fans happy. I had a number of 10 to 20 in my mind. Now he has fabricated so many more and I feel a little responsible for the fact that all tools can be sold. So you may regard this posting as an ad

@Grand Bois


Mark Bulgier posted following informations over at iBOB
Mr. Vogel
- speaks English
- accepts Paypal
- ships to USA
- charges US-Dollar 27,-- for one pedal cap wrench incl. shipping
- his E-Mail address can be found here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/vogel-r...7674256454063/

I think it is a fair price.

Two further links on topic:

www.flickr.com/photos/custom_pedals/24305781443/
An exploded drawing (Daniel Rebour) of a early first version TA pedal“

hi heiko, I saw you had personally ordered from Ulrich Vogel before. Care to share more on your experience and the process etc? I can’t help but smile reading your threads because I fully agree that his work is beautiful. It has been my dream to order a bike from him. However, I have been trying to reach him via his email and phone but have not been able to get a reply over the past months. Was hoping you could help. Many thanks.

regards, mashyp25 / meishi777@gmail.com

RobbieTunes

Peter White cycles may have the tool. He has a lot of the TA-related and TA stuff.

mpetry912 

these are awesome pedals, maybe the best ever. There was a grease injector that fit the zerk on the end cap. Do you really need to open them up ? Maybe just shoot more grease in there and purge out the old stuff.

These pedals have a euro thread form and some problems have been reported attempting to thread them into Campagnolo crankarms even tho both the pedals and arms are 9/16-20.

Don't force anything.

Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA USA

Mashyp25

Thanks Robbie and Petry. However, I am looking to contact Mr Ulrich Vogel personally to make a custom bike order. Have been unable to contact him and was hoping HeikoS69 or someone with useful information would be able to help.

Cheers.

francophile 

I searched for his location and German word for bike (fahrrad vogel bamberg) and was able to find the Vogel bike site.

Try to make contact through the website here and report back if successful, I'm sure others are interested also. Link: info

Google Chrome has built-in translation so you can easily navigate the pages.