Originally Posted by redxj

Was the Stronglight 49 D first or was that just a copy of another crank. Bike companies have been "borrowing" others designs since the first bike. The 50.4mm BCD 5 pin crankset has been around for decades and was copied by many companies. Similiar 50.4mm cranks include: TA Cyclotouriste, TA Criterium, Stronglight 49D, Nervar 631/633, Magistroni (cottered), Lambert, Sugino Pro Dynamic, Sugino PX, and the Shimano Deore FC-DE20/21/30/31. All used the similar 50.4mm arm to ring attachment and some had different ways to attach the other rings to each other. Most of the rings can be interchanged between different brands as well. Both the VO and Electra design can use original TA and Stronglight rings if one chooses.

TA or Stronglight isn't making them now so I have no problem with someone else doing it. TA still makes the rings for them, but not the cranks. They did a anniversary run and weren't a set of arms only a few hundred bucks! The Electra hubs were made thicker at the flanges because of the original's exploding flanges.