# Who makes modern cranks for tandems



## Stuartfleming (Dec 8, 2010)

I wonder if someone here can help me. 

The company I work for is getting involved in the development of a unique stationary bike which due to the design will require a chain ring to be mounted on both sides of the bike. We want to avoid making custom parts where possible so my first thought was to use a set of cranks designed for the rear of a tandem however Im not sure who actually makes cranks for tandems. Ive been to Shimano and Srams websites and cant find anything there. 

Does anyone know who is making these cranks? Im not looking for something exotic or fancy, Deore level would be perfect. I would prefer to avoid anything with a square taper if possible.


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## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

Middleburn?

$$$ though.

-F

edit: oooo, maybe not


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## hroom (Apr 3, 2021)

If your company is looking into large-scale production, you can take a look at what Alibaba marketplace has to offer.


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## wschruba (Apr 13, 2012)

Due to the somewhat unique constraints, tandem cranks are beyond niche. Usually you see Sugino cranks on them, now (square taper, incidentally).

If you were so inclined, you could buy thread inserts from Unior, and use Cinch cranks, for instance, which mount symmetrically on either side of the spindle. You would buy two right sides, and drill out the "new" left crank threads, rethread with the appropriate tap, install the threadsert, and cut/grind the extra flush once it had setup completely.

The above is a pretty "normal" thing for repairing/building out a tandem.


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## John232629 (Oct 11, 2005)

Conte's Bike Shop | Since 1957







www.contebikes.com


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## JackOfDiamonds (Apr 17, 2020)

You can just use a right crankarm on both sides, and either helicoil the pedal or just loctite it. Plenty of people have used normal threads on the left side and done just fine, even without locktite but just cranking the pedal down good. But if you are selling a product the customer probably expects the left pedal to be LH threaded, so you would have to helicoil it. 

However, "modern" is almost a synonym for "poorly compatible, even with itself". I'm not sure what "modern" cranks exist that will actually let you put a right crank on the left side...usually the spindles have different splines.

Just define "modern" as square-taper and use square-taper cranks. Hey, it's way more modern than cotters. Problem solved.


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## david.p (Apr 11, 2011)

My tandem has an SRAM/Truvativ Elita tandem crankset using GXP bottom brackets (the front one is "flipped" by reversing the eccentric BB/insert). I'm not sure if SRAM is still making them.


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

I used my tandem with 3 right arm cranks and a left crank on my Ventana El Testigo for years. Of course 2 of the drive side crank were on the left side and the non drive crank was on the right side. I just swapped pedal spindles in my Time pedals. I never had a pedal unscrew itself using it this way.


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## Stuartfleming (Dec 8, 2010)

Thanks everyone. Ive done some googling and FSA seems to be the only brand that comes up. I was hoping for a larger selection. I'll look into Sugino as well. If I need to use square taper cranks I can, I would just prefer not to.

Ideally I dont want to modify threads for pedals with helicoils or have play with swopping pedal axles, etc. For a personal bike it would be fine but since we are aiming to have a sell-able product I want spares to be sort of redily available and for customers to be able to fit their own pedals.


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