Ever bent a crank arm on purpose?
12-18-13 | 10:41 AM
#26
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2011
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From: CID
Bikes: 1991 Bianchi Eros, 1964 Armstrong, 1988 Diamondback Ascent, 1988 Bianchi Premio, 1987 Bianchi Sport SX, 1980s Raleigh mixte (hers), All-City Space Horse (hers)
my bike polo bike has a BB which is too short for the frame.. the current crankset just barely clears the chainstay. one night at polo something happened so the arm wouldnt clear the stay any more. i tried to bend the crank arm using a lot of brute force but in the end i just borrowed a file and ground it down until it cleared again
On my fixed-gear, I run double cranks with a shorter-than-spec BB in order to mount the chainring on the outer position (one wonders why I don't just buy a SS crank). I've had to file a little off the inner end of the NDS arm to clear the chainstay, but running 165mm cranks helps.
12-18-13 | 10:52 AM
#27
All Campy All The Time
Joined: Nov 2013
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From: Richmond, Virginia
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Bending cast aluminum parts, such as crank arms or stems, is a bad idea. Cast aluminum is grainy and will break easily - when bending, or later, at a bad time.
You might try twisting the FD clamp (counter-clockwise, while looking downward at it) a few degrees on the seat tube so the rear part of the FD cage picks up the chain sooner so you won't need as much outward travel of the cage - keeping the CPSC lip a little farther from the arm.
It's amazing how many changes the CPSC effort brought to bike things to remove imagined dangers that didn't exist. Now if they could do something about steak knives.
You might try twisting the FD clamp (counter-clockwise, while looking downward at it) a few degrees on the seat tube so the rear part of the FD cage picks up the chain sooner so you won't need as much outward travel of the cage - keeping the CPSC lip a little farther from the arm.
It's amazing how many changes the CPSC effort brought to bike things to remove imagined dangers that didn't exist. Now if they could do something about steak knives.
