# Has this ever happened to you?



## Josie 2 Shrimps (Mar 20, 2021)

I was cranking up a hill full power and then BOOM! The bottom fell out. Literally. I’m amazed I was able to maintain control. When I looked back my crank, pedals and sprocket were laying on the road. Has this ever happened to anyone else?... Guess I’m looking for another prewar crank.


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## Superman1984 (Mar 20, 2021)

Josie 2 Shrimps said:


> I was cranking up a hill full power and then BOOM! The bottom fell out. Literally. I’m amazed I was able to maintain control. When I looked back my crank, pedals and sprocket were laying on the road. Has this ever happened to anyone else?... Guess I’m looking for another prewar crank.
> 
> View attachment 1376528
> 
> ...



No but I am skinny boy compared to some at about 160 lbs. I have never broke a crank riding but I have had to cut pedals off in them.


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## catfish (Mar 20, 2021)

No.


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## fordmike65 (Mar 20, 2021)




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## cyclingday (Mar 20, 2021)

Yep!


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## fordmike65 (Mar 20, 2021)

cyclingday said:


> Yep!



I was just gonna tag you! It coulda been a real "nut-cruncher"!


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## Superman1984 (Mar 20, 2021)

fordmike65 said:


> I was just gonna tag you! It coulda been a real "nut-cruncher"!



Funny you should say that! That has happened once. Loose seat bolt & slid forward when it tilted; "Crunch"


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## tacochris (Mar 20, 2021)

Totally happened to me but i also jumped off a curb.  Lol.


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## Superman1984 (Mar 20, 2021)

tacochris said:


> Totally happened to me but i also jumped off a curb.  Lol.



See I could understand that! How in the hell do you bust 1 going up hill; especially a vintage Schwinn crank? I thought those guys bragged on vintage Schwinn metal....


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## 1817cent (Mar 20, 2021)

I broke the crank arm off one of the 95 repops once and ended up on the ground with dislocated fingers and cracked ribs.


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## tacochris (Mar 20, 2021)

Superman1984 said:


> See I could understand that! How in the hell do you bust 1 going up hill; especially a vintage Schwinn crank? I thought those guys bragged on vintage Schwinn metal....



I could see that!  Haha. Depends on the hill and how hard im puttin the screws to the ol girl!


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## Josie 2 Shrimps (Mar 20, 2021)

1817cent said:


> I broke the crank arm off one of the 95 repops once and ended up on the ground with dislocated fingers and cracked ribs.



Wow! I consider myself extremely lucky. Could have gone way worse.


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## WES PINCHOT (Mar 20, 2021)

YES!
THIS HAPPENED TO MY SON MANY YEARS AGO,
WHEN SCHWINN MADE GOOD ON REPLACING THE CRANK
FOR AN EARLY FIFTIES BIKE GUANTEED FOR LIFE!


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## IngoMike (Mar 20, 2021)

I try to avoid full power uphill for just this reason, you never know when these hundred year old drivetrains are going to fail. I like to keep all my old friends on the flats and just cruise.....


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## Superman1984 (Mar 20, 2021)

If you ride'em that damn hard just convert'em to euro 3 piece cranks; If You Break even a Taiwan crank 3 piece arm or crank shaft then I say you need more than a bicycle! If you're exceeding the 250 lb limit most bikes are rated for nowdays .... the Admin doesn't like me


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## ballooney (Mar 20, 2021)

Yep...


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## GTs58 (Mar 20, 2021)

ballooney said:


> Yep...
> View attachment 1376673




Lets get the lawyers involved in this situation! Class action lawsuit baby!    .....   ......


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## Superman1984 (Mar 20, 2021)

GTs58 said:


> Lets get the lawyers involved in this situation! Class action lawsuit baby!    .....   ......



Get you a new Taiwan made crank for your Schwinn if you're lucky. Mayyybe


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## Goldenrod (Mar 21, 2021)

It's a Schwinn with a lifetime guarantee?  Let's dig up the old German and wave it at him?


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## Josie 2 Shrimps (Mar 21, 2021)

Superman1984 said:


> If you ride'em that damn hard just convert'em to euro 3 piece cranks; If You Break even a Taiwan crank 3 piece arm or crank shaft then I say you need more than a bicycle! If you're exceeding the 250 lb limit most bikes are rated for nowdays .... the Admin doesn't like me



I’m right at 200lbs and I prefer to enjoy them the way they were meant to be enjoyed. That crank lasted 80 years which is a lifetime for most people. I’m sure it hade a good life. I found it in a bin at a swap meet, and paired it back with a 41 DX. I’ll find another. It went out being ridden and  not in a pile of rust. I’ll keep it as a paper weight now.


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## Superman1984 (Mar 21, 2021)

Josie 2 Shrimps said:


> I’m right at 200lbs and I prefer to enjoy them the way they were meant to be enjoyed. That crank lasted 80 years which is a lifetime for most people. I’m sure it hade a good life. I found it in a bin at a swap meet, and paired it back with a 41 DX. I’ll find another. It went out being ridden and  not in a pile of rust. I’ll keep it as a paper weight now.



I understand that original look mentality & even riding them but what I was saying is; if you know you're hard on them frequently then why not save an OG vintage part (valuable or not) for a reasonably cheap but durable undo able setup. A 68mm to Euro adapter $26 or less, a cheap single speed chain ring & 165-175mm arms can be snagged from various box store bikes. You may trash the ring but you're a little safer as well. Just a suggestion. Glad you didn't get hurt & hopefully the bike didn't either


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## Josie 2 Shrimps (Mar 21, 2021)

Superman1984 said:


> I understand that original look mentality & even riding them but what I was saying is; if you know you're hard on them frequently then why not save an OG vintage part (valuable or not) for a reasonably cheap but durable undo able setup. A 68mm to Euro adapter $26 or less, a cheap single speed chain ring & 165-175mm arms can be snagged from various box store bikes. You may trash the ring but you're a little safer as well. Just a suggestion. Glad you didn't get hurt & hopefully the bike didn't either



I totally respect that advice. Really l just didn’t think the crank would fail that way. I ride a lot of different bikes so changing the set up on all doesn’t  make sense. I feel like the odds of that happening again are pretty small. I’ll just have to keep that experience in the back of my mind.


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## Superman1984 (Mar 21, 2021)

Josie 2 Shrimps said:


> I totally respect that advice. Really l just didn’t think the crank would fail that way. I ride a lot of different bikes so changing the set up on all doesn’t  make sense. I feel like the odds of that happening again are pretty small. I’ll just have to keep that experience in the back of my mind.



I haven't ever had it happen to me & back as a kid & teen I never thought about it either; we jumped across cars, ditches, & curbs over hills etc on bmx 1 piece box store stuff. Only thing I ever trashed other than rims, spokes, and pedals was an aluminum frame once but I Knew it wasn't built to be doing the stupid stuff we did. I was just suggesting maybe dedicate that 1 bike you know you'll beat down on going up hill for that set up. 2 nuts, some threads & 3 allens & you're back to cup n balls      bearings. Hahaha


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## Schwinny (Mar 21, 2021)

I never imagined that would happen. That would probably be the end of me, Im precarious enough on a bike as it is.
And look where they break (two pics of different breaks on this post) Power side inside the bearing race. makes sense, that is where the most stress would be, but I imagined these to be much stronger than that.
I guess to think they have had the same forces inflicted on them all these years, but still...
I am going to have to re-think my Stealthy Taiwan 175mm one piece cranks that weigh less than OE.


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## dirtman (Mar 24, 2021)

I never broke one like that but years ago I pulled the crank out of Typhoon I used to use to deliver papers with that all of a sudden bent while powering an overloaded bike up a hill to get to my route. 
I felt a spongy feeling and for the rest of the ride the cranks were out of phase.  It wasn't the first time I bent cranks so I just assembled that I'd be pulling the cranks when I got home to bend them back into place. 
When I got home, I went to pull the cranks but something sharp caught my hand. I didn't give it a second thought and just figured  there was a loose thread off the crank or a bit of peeling chrome. I went ahead and pulled the crank, I wiped it down real quick and I took them over to my dad's super sized work vise to straighten them out. As I was setting up the cranks in the vise with two blocks of wood, I saw something odd at the bend on the left side, there was a fingernail sized crack opened up on the one side and around the bottom. They weren't bent, they were breaking in half. 
We didn't have a Schwinn dealer around but I took them to a local bike shop who dug around and found me a used pair for $3 or so.
I have broken several road bike cranks over the years, usually the right arm. Two broke at the square drive end, one broke about and inch above the pedal. I also broke two crank axles. 

At a bit over 6ft 3in tall and over 300lbs most of my adult life, I was always tough on bikes. Surprisingly the two biggest failures have been sprockets and frames. I've busted a few bb loose and broke a couple of chainstays over the years on various bikes. Surprisingly I've never had wheel problems though, even on some pretty light road bikes, which is what most of the frame and crank failures I did have were on. 

I can't count how many one piece cranks I bent though, I've always just put them in a vise and bent them back. 
Usually its a case of stand up and coast over a pothole or bump or powering up a hill in the wrong gear.


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## Jesse McCauley (Mar 24, 2021)

If I had to guess I would put $1 there was a fracture there caused by someone else jumping a curb or laying the bike down too hard in the wrong place and you put it through just enough strain to snap. 

I love cleaning the old hardware and finding those itty bitty life threatening hazards that some other rider had pushed right to the limit. 
Sometimes I replace them, sometimes I retire the bikes altogether but thats easier to rationalize with the century old stuff.


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## Xlobsterman (Mar 24, 2021)

Josie 2 Shrimps said:


> I was cranking up a hill full power and then BOOM! The bottom fell out. Literally. I’m amazed I was able to maintain control. When I looked back my crank, pedals and sprocket were laying on the road. Has this ever happened to anyone else?... Guess I’m looking for another prewar crank.
> 
> View attachment 1376528
> 
> ...




Never broke a steel crank, but I twisted some alloy 3 piece cranks arms when I did my short stint racing on a BMX track back in the early 80's


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## Autocycleplane (Mar 24, 2021)

All the time. Also at the pedal threads.


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## phantom (Mar 24, 2021)

No, however, I did stick my foot into the front spokes while going at a pretty good clip. I had a balloon tied to the fender brace ( for that motor sound ) I stretched out my toe to flip it in the spokes. My foot went in to far and it bent about 8 or 9 spokes and ruined one PF Flyer.


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## SKPC (Mar 24, 2021)

Yes, once standing up off the seat with feet at 3 and 9 o'clock JRA through a sharp gutter transition....similar location. Jessie is correct, most likely there was existing fracture evidence you just missed when you put all that clean grease in there. @cyclingday  can attest to this.  Happens to new stuff also, depending on how many miles you put on the crankset. Here is my JRA evidence...that required a long one-pedal ride home from deep into the backcountry...


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## tacochris (Mar 24, 2021)

phantom said:


> No, however, I did stick my foot into the front spokes while going at a pretty good clip. I had a balloon tied to the fender brace ( for that motor sound ) I stretched out my toe to flip it in the spokes. My foot went in to far and it bent about 8 or 9 spokes and ruined one PF Flyer.



Not to derail the thread but this reminded me of the time I was cruising thru the neighborhood as a kid, feeling good, no bills, no responsibilities etc....I decided to put my feet against the back of the fork legs to cruise and I slipped and the wheel yanked my foot and leg all the way thru up to my mid shin.  Had to pick up the bike and hop home on one leg so my dad could remove the wheel and get my leg out.


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## THE STIG (Mar 24, 2021)

to much NOS


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## Josie 2 Shrimps (Mar 24, 2021)

Jesse McCauley said:


> If I had to guess I would put $1 there was a fracture there caused by someone else jumping a curb or laying the bike down too hard in the wrong place and you put it through just enough strain to snap.
> 
> I love cleaning the old hardware and finding those itty bitty life threatening hazards that some other rider had pushed right to the limit.
> Sometimes I replace them, sometimes I retire the bikes altogether but thats easier to rationalize with the century old stuff.



I tend to agree with you on this one. Probably a crack somewhere.


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## Rides4Fun (Mar 24, 2021)

Wow, that’s crazy and I’m glad you made out ok!  I had that happen to a pedal once when I was pushing it and my foot planted to the ground, which caused an abrupt rolling turn to the ground.  All I could think of was keep holding on to the bars, keep holding on to the bars, and don’t put your hand out as I hit the pavement.  Fortunately, I made it through with just a few scrapes. Afterwards, I was telling my wife about it and said “Can you believe what happened?” And she said “Can you believe that that old pedal lasted that long, they just don’t make things like that anymore”


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## AndyA (Mar 27, 2021)

Ouch! Just looking at that crank makes various parts of my anatomy hurt. I think we need a metallurgical failure analysis.


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## ZOOK (Mar 27, 2021)

Dang Wheaties


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## rickpaulos (Mar 27, 2021)

My sisters ex boyfriend snapped of a Schwinn crank in his 1970s Typhoon.  I could see part of the break was discolored. A forging flaw that took 20 years to fail.  I put another crank in for him.


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## dirtman (Mar 29, 2021)

SKPC said:


> ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,",...that required a long one-pedal ride home from deep into the backcountry..."




You got lucky if you actually found the broken crank and now missing pedal. 
I broke a Campy Record crank many years ago, we were riding in farm country at night. The shoulders of the farm roads were drainage ditches, briars, and sometimes rows of privet bushes. I stood up to get up a short hill and the right arm snapped, about two inches from the pedal. The pedal and broken end of the crankarm went bouncing off the road into the ditch. This was 1970 somthing and all we had were two small pocket flashlights and a couple small battery lights on the handlebars. After about 20 minutes of searching we gave up. (I knew the cranks were done, but would have liked to find the missing right pedal, but no such luck. It either went into the soup in the ditch and sunk or it was lost in the briars along the edges of the ditch. Either way I wasn't digging around in the dark looking for it and hoping not to find a snake instead in the dark. I even went back the next day in the car with a rake and couldn't find it.


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Mar 29, 2021)

IngoMike said:


> I try to avoid full power uphill for just this reason, you never know when these hundred year old drivetrains are going to fail. I like to keep all my old friends on the flats and just cruise.....



Exactly.... remember folks, they are kids bikes after all..


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## razinhellcustomz (Mar 29, 2021)

Superman1984 said:


> See I could understand that! How in the hell do you bust 1 going up hill; especially a vintage Schwinn crank? I thought those guys bragged on vintage Schwinn metal....



When these old cranks get rode hard and put away wet their is always the chance of metal fatigue and this happens at almost any time. Good luck finding a replacement crank. Razin.


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