veganbikes

Really someone actually paid money to advertise for a 1990s recall? Jeez I want to be that bike shop rolling in enough money for that. I get safety is important but I wouldn't advertise something that old unless that shop is an epicenter for those cranks and sees so many it was worth an advertisement?

WizardOfBoz

Yer missing the point I think. An ad (and I admit, the story may be apocryphal) would be meant to indicate the depth of commitment and the wealth of NOS parts. Like, for example, genuine 1970s issue Campy brake hoods. As in "Look at us! We have everything you need in stock, no matter how old your bike!".

I don't think that the point is to corner the lucrative 1994 crank warranty market.

madpogue 

Roger does have a huge used parts inventory, but he's NOT doing these ads in order to sell you parts to replace the ones being recalled. The recall includes FREE replacement NEW parts from Shimano. He's doing these ads to get people to bring their old bikes into the store. Every new person (and every old bike) coming into the store is an opportunity.

And no, there's nothing apocryphal about the ad; it's very real.

WizardOfBoz

Cool! I remember visiting the store when I was in school (my house was right on Lake Mendota, a short walk from the Union Terrace, and with a direct view one winter morning as below.)

Later I remember him having genuine campy record gum rubber brake hoods. For, like, 100 dollars or something. But an amazing stock. Enjoy it, because not everyplace has a shop like that. It's kind of a unicorn.

Papa Tom

Update (March 31, 2021): Shimano STILL doesn't have the parts. They are now estimating that they will be available in "four to six months."

cannonride15

@PaPa-Tom, Thanks for bringing this recall to my attention; picked up (off recycling pile!) a Specialized Crossroads that I'm building up for my great nephew that has this crank. I was surprised that as a triple the largest ring was only a 38, geared pretty LOW! Guess I'll give Shimano a shot, with diminished expectations, as you've been in the que for a long time! Good luck!

John Valuk

Last summer, I woke up my '95 Trek 730 after a long slumber so that I could start riding again. While looking up something else related to the bike, I ran across information that made me aware of that recall. For my 730, the recalled cranks were FC-MC12.

After talking to someone at Shimano to get some details about what the recall repair would involve, I started looking for only-slightly-newer components. I bought a used FC-MC16 crankset, which visually appears to be very much the same design. Since my original chainrings were in better condition, I moved them over to the FC-MC16 arms. It's all good, and working fine, and it retains the original appearance.

(After I purchased that, but before it arrived, I also purchased a complete FC-MC16 crankset that appeared to be in like-new condition. Someone had a bunch of them on eBay. Since they weren't in original Shimano packaging, I would guess that they might have been taken off of new bikes back in the day. That seller has sold at least 13 of those cranksets on eBay, and still shows having 4 available.)

Depending on how you feel about the situation, desired outcome, and timing, you might consider doing something similar to try to find a replacement for the recalled FC-CT90. I think that might mean an FC-CT91 if you wanted to still have the same 38/32/24T chainring configuration. I think that the FC-CT92 and FC-CT93 use a 42/34/24T setup.

If I'm waiting for something like that to turn up on eBay, I set up some "saved searches" so that I get email notifications. If I specify in the search that it should only include listings that have been started within the previous 24 hours, that avoids some duplicate notifications. Since not all sellers will be thinking about Shimano part numbers, you might need to look for Altus cranksets, and then visually scan the results.

If you were considering this route, I see one active listing now that might be of interest: Shimano Altus Hyperdrive -C Crankset, Mt. Bike/Road, 38-32-24 Chainrings, 170mm. I have no connection to that seller, and can't personally vouch for them or the listing.

oldbobcat

The cheapest cranksets that will work for this BB interface are triples, by Shimano and SR SunTour. See if your local shop can get you an SR SunTour XR-T or XCC, about $35, or a Shimano Tourney FC-TY501, $25-37, depending on model. These may or may not be compatible with your current bottom bracket spindle length.

Papa Tom

OK, done. I bought a Shimano Acera (FC-M361) for $52, installed it in less than five minutes, and that's that. I didn't have to swap out my brand new bottom bracket or my derailleur. I know the Acera is the bottom line MTB crankset, but it appears to be more rugged than the one I replaced.

When my recall kit comes in from Shimano, i guess it will be for sale.

Thanks,all, for your help.

oldbobcat

Tourney is bottom of the line, and what was on there was sub-Tourney. You've installed yourself a worthwhile upgrade.

Papa Tom

Cool. It does look a little beefier than the CT-90 that was on there. Thanks for making me feel OK about my purchase.