Just picked up a Nervar Star double alloy crankset which according to the Internet was original spec on Schwinn Superiors and possibly Sports Tourers in the mid/late 70s. I picked it up to do a lightweight town bike build on a very clean Continental frameset in my size, which means I'll be using a 1-piece to square taper adapter. However, I ran across a reference to the fact that this Nervar crank may require a special taper profile for the spindle (and therefore that the regular YST adapter spindle would not work). Any ideas as to the truth of this or any workarounds?

Those are great cranks, very elegant and classy, beautiful.

Going to say upfront, proceed with caution. In my experience most square tapers will work with each other despite being ISO, JIS, etc. Many disagree on this. They may sit in a different installed position if they are not matching and may rub each other the wrong way depending on stretch, age, wear, fatigue, etc. You might want to seek out a bike co-op for help and guidance. YMMV

Have you considered an adapter like this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Silver-Bott...e/221233824438

I've had good luck with this particular one, since some Schwinn BB shells have a ridge which other adapters can run into - this one is tapered in just the right spot, though you mention the YST, I have no experience with it.

This adapter would allow you to use a standard bottom bracket, perhaps like this:

https://planetcyclery.com/campagnolo...english-thread

The Nervar Stars may take ISO / Square Taper ... and may need a 115mm spindle ... have also seen it as 117mm (might be able to add spacers to a 115mm)

VeloBase.com - Component: Nervar Star (earlier version)

Schwinn Sports Tourer Bottom Bracket

Another option which might work though these are a little long at 118mm (these are somewhat rare, and this is a good price IMHO),

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Schwinn-one...e/223307716110

should allow you to keep existing Schwinn cups and bearings, etc. though the taper is JIS.

I'd probably opt for the first suggestions (though the original BB cups can be a challenge to get out, a little PBlaster and leverage are helpful).

Another thing to be aware of, make sure you have the correct puller for this crank, it's possible it takes a slightly different one, as does the TA Pro 5 Vis ... or it may be standard.

Looking through my Sutherland's 4th edition, I see no indication that Nervar taper would be a concern. The five-arm Nervar double crank uses a 117mm spindle. And the arms use a standard 22mm puller.

I am using mine with a (JIS) Shimano cartridge, my main cheat on the 1960 Capo. Works like a champ.

I have the 128mm BCD ring sizes I currently want, but in the past I have easily fabricated them from standard road 130mm rings by elongating the mounting holes 1mm inward.

I love the look of these cranks, and I was fortunate that a prior owner had already replaced the original cottered steel Agrati units with the Nervars.

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I found the Sugino Mighty MW-68 to be an excellent fit and is of a bit better quality than the Peyrard original.

So I would expect the comparable Specialized to be good as well since these were done by the same maker.

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So how are you liking the set up with 130 mm rings that you've fabricated to work with the 128 bcd. That looks like a good solution for the otherwise unobtainium 128 bcd rings.

This is cool. Sugino did make good spindles and it doesn't surprise me that they work nicely with an old French crank. Didn't the Japanese copy the taper off old French cranks?

It worked out well, although for aesthetics I recommend it for an inner ring, where the spider will hide the five 1 mm gaps. The nice thing about this treatment is that it still leaves the ring usable for a 130mm spider.

Mine came with the usual 52-42, but I wanted a 44, to provide a better 1.5-step with my freewheel. It is very easy to do, using the countersink as a guide.

I have since accumulated several genuine 128mm rings on eBay, so my current 47-38 or 46-38 setup uses the "real deal," no mods necessary. (47-38 works great with 14-16-18-21-24 as a 10 percent lower variation on the classic 52-42/14-24; 46-38 is better if you run a tighter block in back, such as the 13-15-17-19-22-25 I am currently cobbling together from two Regina Americas.) This will give me a perfectly adequate (for me) 96 gear-inch top end, just like the 50/14 on my Binachi, and a low of 41,and still work well with my Campag. 980. Watch for Nervar Star rings -- they do occasionally still appear on eBay. Also, let me know what size(s) you want, in case I decide any of mine are surplus. (My 38 is a keeper, though!)

Does the 128 Nervar Star take a regular puller? Post 4 suggests this is the case. Velobase, though, isn't clear on this.

I think so. Lemme check tomorrow to be sure. (I have a Stronglight, a TA, a Campag., and a Park, and I am pretty sure I have used the latter two with the Nervar Star.)

Mine seems to have the best spindle engagement with ISO taper spindles, but a JIS taper looks like it would work without harm.


Yep, a regular 22mm puller is nice and snug. 23mm doesn't even try to start.

Mighty Sugino, cool, tough, easily one of if not the best in the business.

[MENTION=450850]MightyTour[/MENTION]- The 1972ish Bottecchia purchased several years ago came with a Nervar Star which used the standard Park puller. I have no clue what the BCD is. I swapped it for a Campy.

Checked it out, 128 BCD. Didn't know that! The set I have is 54/40.

..."or fight!" for you President Polk fans.

I am using a Shimano UN-72 cartridge. I had assumed it was JIS; is it ISO?

I have used it with a Campag. Veloce triple (road double with long stack bolts) and the Nervar Star double -- no problems with either.

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In my experience ALL Peyrard cotterless sets employ the standard 22mm remover thread.

In case it may help some readers -

Peyrard revised to cosmetic appearance of the Star series chainsets (both the five arm and the five pin) in 1975 but all pre and post revision small parts interchange.

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The Mighty (or Superbe) taper is in fact identical to any Campagnolo cartridge bb taper, all are ISO.

What was copied by what and when I have no idea!
But a typical early-70's Stronglight bb taper is small enough to be more similar to ISO than it is to a Campagnolo pre-cartridge bb taper.

When mixing JIS spindle taper with any old Euro crank, expect the crankarms to rest about 2mm further out on each side, with a total increase in "effective" spindle length of perhaps 5mm. It's not a huge difference and it's not anything like 5mm on each side as is sometimes suggested!

When in doubt about spindle taper fitments, usually the most relevent thing to check is the comparitive spindle taper width of the JIS and "other" spindle that is being replaced.


One can also lock their caliper's jaw to the dimension that positions the jaws flush with the end of the wider spindle, and then apply the locked caliper to the smaller spindle to see clearly how much further that the jaws (and hence the crankarms) will slide over the smaller spindle (and vice-versa when the thicker JIS taper is used).

Be aware that when buying a tapered bb assembly that is intended for use in Schwinn/Ashtabula bottom bracket cups that almost all of these heavy units are extremely long, even for a mountainbike with a triple. It makes me wonder what crankset they were intended for, and makes me suspect they were perhaps designed for use around very wide tires.