[Dogboy]

Sonny, Shimano doesn't have any original thoughts period - the crank system was around 10 years before Shimano had them on the market...

Sweetparts had their steel 2-piece version (sweetwings) in the mid nineties with external outboard bearings - they weighed 5 grams more than "innovative" "new" xtr (haha, shimano innovate - yeah right!). They were some of the stiffest cranks you could buy then - I had a pair on my 95 Marin Indian Firetrail. I traded them to a LBS owner in 97 or 98 for free brand new interloc tubular steel cranks when I got a frame they wouldn't fit. They also had a ti version, but I don't remember the weight. They were very labor intensive, had some teething issues, and Sweetparts went out of business

ummm, you should get some more knowledge before posts like this. Shimano has innovated more in the bike biz than any other company, period. I'm not a Shimano fanboy, but have you ever heard of index shifting? You know, like when you shift and it clicks and you are in the next gear. Shimano. Or trigger shifters or integrated brake/shift levers (road and mountain) or cassette hubs or hollow-forged cranks, etc. Now the Hollow Tech 2 cranks aren't original and they surely didn't borrow design from the POS sweet wings cranks. It mostly came from Bullseye cranks.

 

[syadasti]

ummm, you should get some more knowledge before posts like this. Shimano has innovated more in the bike biz than any other company, period. I'm not a Shimano fanboy, but have you ever heard of index shifting? You know, like when you shift and it clicks and you are in the next gear. Shimano. Or trigger shifters or integrated brake/shift levers (road and mountain) or cassette hubs or hollow-forged cranks, etc. Now the Hollow Tech 2 cranks aren't original and they surely didn't borrow design from the POS sweet wings cranks. It mostly came from Bullseye cranks.

I'm sorry man, but I've grown up mountain biking as it evolved from the late 80s. The Sweetwings were the first 2 piece cranks with external bearings and they were the stiffest on the market at the time. They were way ahead of their time. They were so good that the owner of the LBS I used traded me a brand new pair of cranks and BB he did not have in stock so he could put the sweetwings on his road bike...

 

[yeehaarider]

id go for diabolous

 

[Turd Ferguson]

He is sort of right. Shimano will warrenty anything. But on the other hand its a big company. I thought I heard that people had problems with the Diabolus getting loose....

Both are quality cranks and many people have never had problems with even XTs. It all depends on how you ride.

I'm sorry, I thought I made myself clear. Let me spell it out. Shimano knows it has a flawed product. In 2000 they came out with the hollow tech cranks(+or- a year for those that know all). These cranks failed. A lot. So they redesigned them for '01 with a threaded nut so you could replace the spider WHEN it fails. This process was not cost effective for them so they changed back to a pressed spider in '03. Right aroung this time I was fed up with their crap--proprietary designs(Saint hubs and deraileurs, the introduction of rapid fire brake levers, and discs that only work with their hubs.) Then the Saint came. I thought it was a good design until I found out about the pressed spider. They know that it is not as strong and yet they sell it to us because ? I don't know.

Hey enough of the bs. Most of my facts are based on assumption. But I do have experience with Shimano and Race Face and do know the difference.
If you want good strong cranks-buy R/F.

Guys, don't take this sh!t personally.
It's just a discussion. All hail the big S

 

[skajumper]

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but why are you upgrading. In my humble, non super-gnar core hucker opinion, the hussafelts cope well with most downhill applications. Is there something so wrong with saving money and riding till it breaks?

 

[arboc!]

well cranks breaking is kind of a bad one, you could fack up the bb shell, or bb it self, you could get your pedals stuck in them forever (this happens any ways if youve got husselfelts), and not to mention the huge blow to the testicals you could suffer when you snapp you cranks off.

 

[me89]

Is there something so wrong with saving money and riding till it breaks?

yeh there is kinda. well your 5 miles into a 10 mile ride. ohh **** your cranks just snap in two, or just come flying off. ohh well theres no way to fix that problem on the trail looks like your walking. thats a major concern. and also dude when cranks break you will break. plain and simple.

ohh and Turd im sure you dont mean harm but dude just lighten up a little. calm down and discuss things ratioally without getting pissed.

 

[Kntr]

The idea of RF (cranks and spider) being one piece is far more superior than the Shimano cranks being two piece. All XT, XTR, and Saint cranks eventually creak. The crank and spider just make noise. Its that simple. We have had numerous riders in our area warrenty XT and Saint cranks.

 

[syadasti]

^^^Uh-oh, real world feedback instead of e-spec :devil:

 

[Kntr]

^^^Uh-oh, real world feedback instead of e-spec :devil:

My buddy only ran his Saints 3-4 months and they started to creak terribly. Shimano warrentied them. On numerous rides out of state and talking to people, Saints creak after only a few months. Everyone knows that XT and XTRs creak. I have had XT on a few bikes and they all creaked between the cranks and spider after only a few months. They might not be weak but they sure make a lot of noise.

RF ALL THE WAY!!!!

 

[syadasti]

My buddy only ran his Saints 3-4 months and they started to creak terribly. Shimano warrentied them. On numerous rides out of state and talking to people, Saints creak after only a few months. Everyone knows that XT and XTRs creak. I have had XT on a few bikes and they all creaked between the cranks and spider after only a few months. They might not be weak but they sure make a lot of noise.

RF ALL THE WAY!!!!

I usually can't tell if its my ****ty (but comfy) WTB saddle or my XTs that are creaking. Does not bother me much though and I prefer my XTs over my Atlas cranks so far

 

[Kntr]

What was wrong with your Atlas cranks?

 

[syadasti]

What was wrong with your Atlas cranks?

No problems so far. One bike has Atlas (had them for about a year) and another has XTs (usage about 1.5 months). Just prefer the pinchbolt mount. I think the creaking on my XT bike is just the saddle honestly, but I haven't bothered to check carefully. I know the saddle rails are very loose within the mounts on the saddle...

 

[Kntr]

I hate creaks. It usually means something is loose, rubbing, or about to go wrong.

 

[MtnbikeMike]

My XTR's don't creak. But then again, the only thing pressed is the axle

 

[TtotheJ]

...the coolest city in the world ? Are you buying products based on the city in which they are made ?

No I would never buy parts based on where they were made. Sorry, saying the coolest city in the world was not a good explanation on why I would buy RF. I do know that RF tests their stuff on the shore and I can't think of a more extreme enviroment to tests components. So I guess I make my buying decisions based on knowing the company that made them tests them in the same conditions I ride in.

 

[arboc!]

I hate creaks. It usually means something is loose, rubbing, or about to go wrong.

i know its a sh1tty crank, but my husslefelts have taking way more of a beating then they have any right to. they're still totally solid, and im hard on my bike

 

[MtnbikeMike]

No I would never buy parts based on where they were made. Sorry, saying the coolest city in the world was not a good explanation on why I would buy RF. I do know that RF tests their stuff on the shore and I can't think of a more extreme enviroment to tests components. So I guess I make my buying decisions based on knowing the company that made them tests them in the same conditions I ride in.

Well, Shandro does R&D for the Saint stuff, so I'd venture to guess that the Shimano stuff is tested on the shore as well.

 

[TtotheJ]

Well, Shandro does R&D for the Saint stuff, so I'd venture to guess that the Shimano stuff is tested on the shore as well.

I know Shandro does R&D on the shore and I'm sure other companies have riders doing R&D on the shore as well. With RF though everything they produce is tested on the shore not just their hardcore components, so I feel they just make a better product all the way around.

 

[Kntr]

ya WORD

 

[theFOOT]

i havent ridden either of them, but basing totally on looks, dude, the race face kick @$$, and since i had a diabolis stem on my old bike and loved it, i would go with diabolis, even though stems and cranks arew toally different, pluys i like the compatability of race face

 

[stinkyboy]

i havent ridden either of them, but basing totally on looks, dude, the race face kick @$$

 

[MtnbikeMike]

I know Shandro does R&D on the shore and I'm sure other companies have riders doing R&D on the shore as well. With RF though everything they produce is tested on the shore not just their hardcore components, so I feel they just make a better product all the way around.

Personally, I'd rather have a company test their products in the evironment of their intended usage. Testing everything in the same environment(in the case the shore), regardless of intended usage, is dumb(if what you say is true).

"Dude, my XC cranks can hold up on the shore." :nuts:

 

[habitatxskate]

diablous

 

[LokiLopez]

Sorry to bring this topic back up, but I'm still a bit undecided since I'll run my cranks on a hardtail(P2). Specialy because of the price here:
Diabolus - 403 USD
Saint - 260 USD

If they where in the same price range I would go RF, mostly because of the lifetime warranty. But since the Saint are alot cheaper they become more appealing. Still, I'm kinda of a newbie and from time to time I tend to put my cranks under severe stress(stupid mistakes on a hardtail make you pay the price).

The question is, has anyone been running Saint on a hardtail and abused them? Any problems/concerns?


Thanks

 

[SXtrailrider]

go with the diablos if you don't car aobut weight and you want a more compatable component saint if you have alot of money and wouldn't min paying more for a weeker but lighter parts

 

[Kntr]

Every set of saint cranks where I live creak. Many have warrentied them and then they creak again after a few months. GO RF!@!!@##!!

 

[LokiLopez]

Looks like I'll have to kiss the NS Leg Eaters goodbye at least for a while then... more 143usd kills my bugdet!

 

[J5ive]

My saints dont creak- 8 months dh.

 

[boostindoubles]

for what its worth, when i bought my bike they came with the husselfelts, and they've taken more abuse than i ever thought they could.

And another for what its worth (probably not much) a friend of mine who used to race single-A bmx, and makes frames and such for bmx/mtn bikes now, tells me that the new 'thing' in bmx racing is to run the saint series cranks on the bikes. but racing bmx and DH are alittle different. peace!

 

[brony15]

aye aye there
I really like your Specialzed P.2 homemade bike, it's ace!!!!
I was just wondering if you or any one out there knows how to get the older P.2 bike from 2005 as for I am keen to buy one. There is none on ebay and was wondering if there is any shops in GB that may possibly have them.

Thanks

Calum