# Cranks: anodized, old school, and retro?



## laffeaux (Jan 4, 2004)

I'm beginning to think that I have a crank fetish!

It's not every day you see a set of green anodized cranks. These are still looking for a bike to call "home."


More "traditional" anodized cranks.


These arrived (via eBay) just today. They might be on a bike before the night is out. Old school design...


And these mud covered cranks are the latest and greatest, but based on the Bullseye design. I guess the design makes them retro?


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## Shaun K (Mar 23, 2004)

laffeaux said:


> I'm beginning to think that I have a crank fetish!
> 
> It's not every day you see a set of green anodized cranks. These are still looking for a bike to call "home."


yum yum, I love green anodizing  . I almost got a green King headset this week, but the orange/mango looked better on the frame. got any other cool green stuff?


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## Boulder Pilot (Jan 23, 2004)

I have a set of red anodized Grafton Joy Sticks on my Boulder Defiant. Excellent cranks.


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## neveride (Feb 7, 2004)

*Here's two of mine*

Not anodized (unless you're counting silver  ), but classics in my book.

The second picture is a Topline Superlight. Toplines were my first non-Shimano crank way back in 91, and they were the cranks I ran till 94 or so (and by then I was running blue superlights), this guy now resides on my 91/92/93 Klein Attitude.

The first picture is a Titus Crank, made no doubt in the same place as the AC crank. This crank I got back in 95 or so, to replace a Hershey crank that cracked on me. I've ran it on numerous bikes, and its still going strong, despite the naysayers who told me it would break any day due to the machining.


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## laffeaux (Jan 4, 2004)

neveride said:


> The first picture is a Titus Crank, made no doubt in the same place as the AC crank. This crank I got back in 95 or so, to replace a Hershey crank that cracked on me. I've ran it on numerous bikes, and its still going strong, despite the naysayers who told me it would break any day due to the machining.


No doubt the Titus cranks and the AC came from the exact same machine shop. I wonder if AC made both, or if Titus made both.


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## lucifer (Sep 27, 2004)

Call me an old timer but bike parts were just far sexier in the early to mid 90s.
I wouldn't trade my anodized colors and CNCing for any of the boring black crap available today...


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## neveride (Feb 7, 2004)

*For me its also the nostalgia*



lucifer said:


> Call me an old timer but bike parts were just far sexier in the early to mid 90s.
> I wouldn't trade my anodized colors and CNCing for any of the boring black crap available today...


I had anodized parts of every color, and now I'm pretty much back to black and silver, save for my Blue Paul's Stoplight Cantis on my Klein, which I wish were black or silver.

But I look at(or ride  ) my Toplines, and I think back to when I was 18 and replacing the boring stock shimano crank with those sleek Toplines. I remember riding in shorts and tees and discovering new trails. These days, I do a lot of solo rides, as trying to hook up with others who have jobs and families that interfere, as well as my wife and newborn. But back in the day the hardest part was trying to fit everyone who wanted to go into my 77 Plymouth Wagon, as well as fitting the bikes. We'd be 6 or 7 strong regularly, and we were all in shape, without trying. Now, I'm lucky to get out 1 day a week, let alone once a month sometimes, and though I'm only 31 I haven't felt like I've been in shape since I was 25.

Sad, but these parts make me feel both young and old at the same time, and I'm not that young or old.


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## lucifer (Sep 27, 2004)

neveride said:


> I had anodized parts of every color, and now I'm pretty much back to black and silver, save for my Blue Paul's Stoplight Cantis on my Klein, which I wish were black or silver.
> 
> But I look at(or ride  ) my Toplines, and I think back to when I was 18 and replacing the boring stock shimano crank with those sleek Toplines. I remember riding in shorts and tees and discovering new trails. These days, I do a lot of solo rides, as trying to hook up with others who have jobs and families that interfere, as well as my wife and newborn. But back in the day the hardest part was trying to fit everyone who wanted to go into my 77 Plymouth Wagon, as well as fitting the bikes. We'd be 6 or 7 strong regularly, and we were all in shape, without trying. Now, I'm lucky to get out 1 day a week, let alone once a month sometimes, and though I'm only 31 I haven't felt like I've been in shape since I was 25.
> 
> Sad, but these parts make me feel both young and old at the same time, and I'm not that young or old.


Your post could just as easily have been mine. 
We are the same age and I too ride mostly by myself these days.


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## scant (Jan 5, 2004)

theres been a few green cranks, cook E cranks, grafton road cranks, TNT. not that I can actually find any myself of course!


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## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

Ahh anodized...I feel ya' on that EL.

I regret selling these the most....who did I sell them too? Tucker....


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## Jeroen (Jan 12, 2004)

Topline...

I have a set for the road. Polished and all. Looks reall trick. 

What is there to be known about Topline...? I actually do not know a lot about them?


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

Rumpfy said:


> Ahh anodized...I feel ya' on that EL.
> 
> I regret selling these the most....who did I sell them too? Tucker....


I wonder if there's anyone on here who hasn't sold something to tucker...


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## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

*laffeaux...*

I have the 94 Bridestone headbadge you're looking for. It's still attached to a MB 6 frame that has been sitting for a while. Other old stuff in the same pile of old stuff is a set of chrome plated Bullseye cranks(excellent con.), a set of 93 IRD Vortex cranks(great con./minor shoe marks) and a set of hot rodded Magura HS 22's with blue Altec lever blades and immpossible to find 14mm master cylinders (as opposed to the stock 16mm masters) These are leak free and have the alloy bolt kit. E mail me if interested.
Cheers, Vader


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## el Turtlehead (Dec 31, 2003)

*Well, AC got their start doing brake boosters...*

...for original RS and Manitous. They were started by my then Accountant's brother-inlaw or cousin (I forget which) and the guy apparently got into it because, like those guys who rebuilt Steve Austin, they had the technology (recently laid off aerospace guys, I suspect ) and they had these flexy forks to stiffen up, so....

I just don't see them having farmed out their work at that point, given that that kind of work was all they did. So I'm willing to bet that if anyone built those cranks it was AC.



laffeaux said:


> No doubt the Titus cranks and the AC came from the exact same machine shop. I wonder if AC made both, or if Titus made both.


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

You might say I own a few vintage cranks...

1st generation Kooka Kranks









2nd generation Kooka Kranks (own 2 sets of these)









Topline Superlights









Topline Mountains









Cook Bros RSRs









my housebrand Raceface clones


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## Shaun K (Mar 23, 2004)

DeeEight said:


> You might say I own a few vintage cranks...
> 
> Topline Superlights
> 
> ...


Those Topline Superlights are beautiful...if only I used Shimano road components, I'd look for a set.

Did you build the wheelset there with the twist spoke pattern yourself? I had a set like that back in 95, built with Nuke Proof hubs. They would only twist the front wheel though...something about the dish in the rear combined with the higher tension on the twisted spokes causing instant tacos.


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## Shayne (Jan 14, 2004)

*Toplines came in 135mm BCD as well*

They show up on eBay from time to time.


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## jasonwa2 (Oct 28, 2004)

Hey Dee eight,
Do you know the weight diffence between the first generation kookas and the second?
I am just curious. Years ago i broke one of the arms of my first generations. I sent them back and they sent me the second generations. In my mind the second generations were twice as heavy as the first. And my pedals were farther away from the bike. I didnt like that. I forgot the technical name for it. Q-factor? It made me wish i had kept the unbroken arm. THey did send me a kooka t shirt, unfortunatly it was too small for me.


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## Shaun K (Mar 23, 2004)

Shayne said:


> They show up on eBay from time to time.


Good point, I'll have to add that to my eBay search list. I found 2 sets just now with 130mm BCD, maybe I'll just give up and convert.


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

Nothing wrong with twisting the rears, i've gone years of riding on twisted wheels and the only spoke failure to date, has been a SINGLE rear DT Revolution that snapped in the spot where it was first bent severely by a 2" diameter tree branch that tore thru the derailleur, and then a few weeks later I crashed and dropped the bike on a huge rock and that spoke happened to be the point of impact (and it went SNAPPO). The wheel was straightened in 5 mins with the spoke wrench and I did the rest of the ride of jumping and steep roll ins and drops without any problems so IHMO twist-lacing is best for durability. 

As to Kooka weights, my first generation 180mm length cranks are 385 grams for 180mm arms/spider alone. The second generation 175s are 435 grams.


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## Shaun K (Mar 23, 2004)

DeeEight said:


> Nothing wrong with twisting the rears, i've gone years of riding on twisted wheels...


Good to hear...now if I could only find someone who was willing to build them again! You should see the looks I get from some people when I ask them about twist lacing.


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## Shaun K (Mar 23, 2004)

laffeaux said:


> I'm beginning to think that I have a crank fetish!


I'm beginning to think I am getting the same fetish...I just won some Toplines on eBay and I don't even have a use for them (yet).


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

ummm, my blue superlights are mtb cranks, not road cranks. That entire titanium bike is a mountain bike. The only part slightly roadish on it is the bar tape.


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## Shaun K (Mar 23, 2004)

DeeEight said:


> ummm, my blue superlights are mtb cranks, not road cranks. That entire titanium bike is a mountain bike. The only part slightly roadish on it is the bar tape.


The rear derailleur, big chainrings, and slicks also looked a little roadish to me


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

Its a DX short cage derailleur, thats standard fare for a 92/93 era mtb. As I already explained its a DH chainring, and the wheels are 26".


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## Shaun K (Mar 23, 2004)

DeeEight said:


> Its a DX short cage derailleur, thats standard fare for a 92/93 era mtb. As I already explained its a DH chainring, and the wheels are 26".


Actually, you never said it was a DH chainring, but ok...

Sorry to have offended you in any way. I hope you find your panties again soon.


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## AKamp (Jan 26, 2004)

Jeroen said:


> Topline...
> 
> I have a set for the road. Polished and all. Looks reall trick.
> 
> What is there to be known about Topline...? I actually do not know a lot about them?


Topline origionally machined the these cranks for Grafton before Grafton changed the design. Apparently there was quite a fall out between the guys at Grafton and Topline so they went their separate ways. You can tell if it is an origional grafton if the spider has an allen bolt or just a sheerbolt which was changed when topline started produceing them with their own name. I had a crank arm stolen off of my bike once while it was sitting on top of my car and the good guys at Topline sent me a replacement free of charge. They were a pretty cool company.


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## vdubbusrider (Jul 28, 2004)

i know it's not aluminum anodized but i would love to see some Grove Innovations cranks. who has em'. i would love to get a set. hint-hint.


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## Tende (Dec 12, 2004)

Cool. I like colored cranks too. Here is the Race Face on my commuter bike. In my 8 speed collection Ive got new blue Cook Bros, and a mango Race Face.


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## lucifer (Sep 27, 2004)

Tende said:


> Cool. I like colored cranks too. Here is the Race Face on my commuter bike. In my 8 speed collection Ive got new blue Cook Bros, and a mango Race Face.


Could I see a pic of the mango race faces? Do they match the king stuff? Man if they did I'd love a pair. I'm thinking an orange and black halloween theme for my new ride.


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## GoodOldMountainGoat (Jul 17, 2004)

lucifer said:


> Could I see a pic of the mango race faces? Do they match the king stuff? Man if they did I'd love a pair. I'm thinking an orange and black halloween theme for my new ride.


OK?


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## J Ro (Jan 13, 2004)

vdubbusrider said:


> i know it's not aluminum anodized but i would love to see some Grove Innovations cranks. who has em'. i would love to get a set. hint-hint.


Hey VDBR

I got my 2nd set recently. If I could only find another Grove frame to put them on.


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## tl1 (Dec 21, 2003)

I remember one year that was supposed to be the "year of mango" according to the local Cannondale rep. I recall talking to. It was 1996 maybe? A lot of bike companies specced mango colored stuff on their bikes but it kind of fizzled out and it ended up not being that popular, at least around here. I love the color but only in moderation. Those cranks look _really_ nice.


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

*1996 sounds about right...*

this frame dates from that period.


















































One of these days i'll get around to assembling it too. Have some orange/black continentals for it, and a black headset. Wish I still had an orange tange bigfork.


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## whoarrior (Jan 10, 2005)

Cook Bros. Racing Road Cranks & Race Face I-Beam


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## phils (Mar 25, 2005)

I think these are Toplines. Anyone know for sure?

Just picked them up off ebay


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## Master Shake (Mar 6, 2005)

phils said:


> I think these are Toplines. Anyone know for sure?


 That they are. Toplines all the way. Careful on those. Time hasn't been kind to that design.


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## phils (Mar 25, 2005)

Master Shake said:


> That they are. Toplines all the way. Careful on those. Time hasn't been kind to that design.


What do you mean? Are they fragile or more of a collectors item? Do you know what year(s) they were produced?


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## vdubbusrider (Jul 28, 2004)

master shaker means that they break quite regurally. down at the bottom bracket area the cranks tend to split from the BB axle out. the square taper has one of the corners that faces opposite the crank arm, from this corner the crack will start. you might want to check yours. half the time i see a set at a swap meet it is cracked.

also, they had a rider weight limit of 165lbs. i was 150lbs when i broke a set. the cook bros. cranks have a similar look but they hold up very well.

i'm not sure what years they were made but i would guess 92 to 96.


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## Ottoreni (Jan 27, 2004)

Does anyone know where I can find the spider for the AC crank? Isn't attached to the crankarm by four bolts?
 _ Thanks for the help!_

It's not every day you see a set of green anodized cranks. These are still looking for a bike to call "home."


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## vdubbusrider (Jul 28, 2004)

is that first bike a Chuck? i had some buddies that races for the Chuck when they first appeared.


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## vdubbusrider (Jul 28, 2004)

Cook cranks:










AC crank:










IRD cranks:










Sampson cranks:










cook cranks:


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## scant (Jan 5, 2004)

"It's not every day you see a set of green anodized cranks"
so very true, took me ages! eventually tracked down a set of green toplines. Although cooks also did the e cranks & TNT also did green cranks


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## steveit (Jan 25, 2004)

*two piece kookas*

yea i know, big deal huh? dunno what gen they are


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## farley325 (Apr 2, 2004)

*AC Spider*



Ottoreni said:


> Does anyone know where I can find the spider for the AC crank? Isn't attached to the crankarm by four bolts?
> _ Thanks for the help!_
> 
> There is an AC compact spider currently on Ebay, check it out
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=56193&item=7154569491&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW


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## sylvain (Mar 19, 2004)

Ti cranks advertised in MBA in the early '90s:


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## holden (Jul 27, 2004)

*Matrix + Rhino cranks*

Most of the cranks I have are readily documented on MTBR except these two:

The Matrix 176mm is a NOS crankarm produced by CQP which then means Topline (yes?). The only info I have found was off firstflightbikes; they were fitted on the 1990 Trek 8900. I included some images which compare it to a CQP 171 and the key differences are the notch on the back of the driveside arm and the granny ring holes are threaded.

The Rhino crank has very little background info. All I know is that they are somehow connected with Dean.


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## rutteger (May 6, 2005)

Just picked up these off e-bay with some old steel marin



















I reckon they're topline sl. Anybody care to back me up or differ?

Wasn't there a weight limit on these?


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## geoffss (Mar 23, 2004)

*F-yea!*

This is a rad idea! I have a Carumba non-drive crankarm that had the taper rounded out. i cant use it again on a bike, but now i know what to do with it. it shall be a $75 bottle opener!

i guess you just sawed, chopped and filed it until it opened bottles like butter?

geoffss

AC crank:


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## erkan (Jan 18, 2004)

If they are Topline SL, (I think they are coz they got holes in the spider) they weight under 400 grams, I think it was 356g if I remember the CBA ad right.


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## its-all-good (Sep 9, 2011)

holden said:


> Most of the cranks I have are readily documented on MTBR except these two:
> 
> The Matrix 176mm is a NOS crankarm produced by CQP which then means Topline (yes?). The only info I have found was off firstflightbikes; they were fitted on the 1990 Trek 8900. I included some images which compare it to a CQP 171 and the key differences are the notch on the back of the driveside arm and the granny ring holes are threaded.
> 
> The Rhino crank has very little background info. All I know is that they are somehow connected with Dean.


I also would like to know a little more about the Rhino products. Like you said I saw some thing about they were produced by Dean? 95-96ish?? 
I have a red set of the cranks.


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