I have seen more than one thread on this forum about replacing cottered cranks with cotterless, which usually means replacing the entire bottom bracket and then some. Other than the fact that most cottered cranks are made of heavy steel vs aluminum alloy, are there REALLY enough advantages to cotterless to make it worth someone's while?

Well, from what I understand, cottered cranks are a ***** to service if needed.

It seems to me that you're most likely to be servicing cottered cranks only if you're replacing them though.

With the right tool, a cotterless crank is easy to service. Otherwise, you can't do it at all.

Similarly, with the right tool, a cottered crank is also easy to service. The difference is that you can service a cottered crank without the proper tool; unfortunately it is a *****. I don't recommend it.

For many many years, the best bikes came with beautifully made, heavily chromed cottered cranks. They are excellent cranks. Then, for a short time, only the best bikes came with cotterless cranks; but as cotterless cranks trickled down the product line, cottered cranks became the sign of a cheap bike. A cotterless crank became something desirable in its own right; the quality of cottered cranks fell sharply, and became something to be avoided.

Today all bikes come with cotterless cranks, so the debate is effectively over, as far as new bikes go.

I recently serviced the BB on my 1950 Norman Rapide. The cranks are Williams, nice but not top-of-the-line. While I had the left crank arm off, I put it on a scale: it weighed seven ounces. Then I weighed a cotterless crank arm, a Shimano 105, ca 1995, very beefy looking: also seven ounces. To be fair, the Williams arm is 165 mm, the Shimano one 172.5.

Almost 60 years old, the Williams chain ring is like new; the teeth have not worn down at all.

All things considered, I don't see that a cotterless crank is necessarily better than a cottered one.

That said, there certainly are situations where a cotterless crank is better than a cottered one. If you're looking at a mid 70's Raleigh, for example, the one with the cotterless crank is sure to be a better bike than the one with the cottered crank. But don't fool yourself: changing the crank does not make a Super Course into an International; and even with its original cottered crank, the Super Course was a fine bike.

Cottered cranks are just fine. All you need to know is that that there are horrible thick steel ones, and very nice tapered, or fluted even (hollow even, hexagonal...) steel ones. The cottered alloy are beauties. Usually they come from parted out Gnome et Rhone bikes...

And on the correct bike, nothing looks better than a nice shiny (or even patina'd) cottered crank. They have their own style. I like looking at both, and I know that with a cotter press, most cottered cranks are no more difficult to work on than a cotterless.
-Gene-

IMO cottered cranks get a bad rap. They aren't terrible to service and in general they have a nice narrow tread. Yes they are a little more work than a tapered Crankset to remove, but its hardly that much worse. The guts inside the cup & cone BB are all the same whether its cottered or cotterless, so there is no advantage to be had in that respect from changing to cotterless.

They do look pretty cool...being all skinny-armed and all.

TA manufactured cottered cranks with alloy arms at one time - the spider handled their Cyclotouriste chainrings.

that would be a nice find on ebay.

I've heard that it's sometimes easier to find the chainring that you're looking for with a cotterless crank. if I ever upgrade to bike that's got the cotterless I'll let you know how they compare.
Hey, RHM,
If I put a cotterless bottom bracket on my Surercourse and chrome the lugs, Then will it be an international?

I replaced this one with a Stronglight 93 just to save weight. The steel Simplex rings are hard to find and expensive when you do, but they last pretty much forever. I'm saving it for a suitable 60's bike. I have the small ring for it.

IIRC, the early Shimano 105 cranks were cast aluminum instead of forged and needed that beefy look to be as strong as the slimmer looking forged ones. Out of curiosity, I weighed a forged SR 165mm crank arm and it was six ounces; so a bit lighter than the Williams cottered one above, but not by that much.

I've got a Peugeot that has steel cotterless cranks..I find them weird but cool!!

I have the Campagnolo version of this crank. Chromed steel and heavy as sin. I also have a Chater Lea chainring to go along with it. I got it because it had the look of a skinny cotterless chainset with the convenience of square taper. Not sure what I will be putting it on just yet.