[bdamschen]

Last august I got me a sweet XT build Transition Spire. Flogged it on some local trails, took it to some bike parks, pretty much had a good time on it. Then one day I'm pedaling out of one of my favorite local trails that actually has rocks when all of a sudden my non-drive XT crank arm left the chat. Pinch bolts were good, even the little shimano tab that it supposed to help hold the crank arm in place was still down, but bent as the crank pulled off. Turns out the splines on the inside of the crank stripped out. I talk to some bike shop homies and this apparently has happened on a few other non-drive side shimano cranks. Shimano agrees to warranty. This was about 2 months ago. I ask around and find out xt 165 mm crank arms from Shimano probably won't show up til August. No bueno.

So now I'm over here trying to justify buying some new cranks that don't suck so I can actually ride my favorite bike park bike during bike park season this summer. Looking for something that's a decent weight, will hold up to some DH type riding with my 200 lb ass on board, and preferably is compatible with shimano bbs and maybe chainrings so I don't have to buy a bunch of stuff I already own. I don't mind spending a bit of money on some decent cranks, but I'm also not going to be buying something crazy like those fancy cane creek ti jobbers that are like $1k.

What does the ridemonkey brain trust recommend?

 

[StiHacka]

Canfield cranks.

 

[6thElement]

What speed drive train? Shimano 12 will need a compatible ring if running 3rd party cranks.

Edit: is it just the nds arm which is fubar?

If it is, can any Shimano arm work while you wait for warranty. Instead of a while new crankset? Not sure if the splines a different, haven't had Shimano cranks newer than 10spd.

 

[jonKranked]

what part exactly needs to be shimano compatible? the spindle (for the BB)? the chainring?

 

[bdamschen]

Canfield cranks.

Didn't know they were making cranks. A little heavier than my XTs, but I might go that route.

What speed drive train? Shimano 12 will need a compatible ring if running 3rd party cranks.

Edit: is it just the nds arm which is fubar?

If it is, can any Shimano arm work while you wait for warranty. Instead of a while new crankset? Not sure if the splines a different, haven't had Shimano cranks newer than 10spd.

12 speed shimano. nds arm is done, everything else looks ok all things considered. Searched around for both slx and xtr 165mm nds crank arms, but haven't found any. If anyone knows where to find anything like that, I'm open to suggestions.

 

[jonKranked]

universal cycles has a set of 165 zees on sale for $85, but they are for an 83mm bb width

Shimano FC-M645 ZEE Crankset

Shimano FC-M645 ZEE Crankset :: 83mm BB :: From $79.99 :: Shimano Single Ring Cranksets

www.universalcycles.com

 

[bdamschen]

what part exactly needs to be shimano compatible? the spindle (for the BB)? the chainring?

It would be rad if whatever cranks worked with a 24mm bb spindle so I didn't have to buy a new BB as well. I think whatever cranks I use will have to work with shimano 12sp chain rings? Haven't really messed with this stuff in a while. My last few bikes I've just been buying complete and running whatever parts spec came on them.

 

[jonKranked]

cambria has 165 zees in 68/73 for $135.

Shimano Zee M640 10 Spd Crankset - Black

Shimano Zee M640 10 Speed Crankset Durable, reinforced crankset - the thick wall aluminum construction on the Zee two piece cranks and reinforced steel axle translate to additional confidence on the trail. With an axle 30% stronger than comparable trail cranks and smooth running, accurately...

cambriabike.com

edit also comes with a BB

 

[jonKranked]

It would be rad if whatever cranks worked with a 24mm bb spindle so I didn't have to buy a new BB as well. I think whatever cranks I use will have to work with shimano 12sp chain rings? Haven't really messed with this stuff in a while. My last few bikes I've just been buying complete and running whatever parts spec came on them.

supposedly 12 speed chains will work will work on any chainring 9spd and higher, IIRC the inner width of those chains is all the same. someone please correct me if i'm wrong.

 

[StiHacka]

It would be rad if whatever cranks worked with a 24mm bb spindle so I didn't have to buy a new BB as well. I think whatever cranks I use will have to work with shimano 12sp chain rings? Haven't really messed with this stuff in a while. My last few bikes I've just been buying complete and running whatever parts spec came on them.

The Canfield cranks use 24mm GXP BB but i think it's included, iirc.

 

[6thElement]

Do you have access to any other random Shimano cranks that you can test?

Then if it works just pick up anything 165mm and cheap from ebay/craigslist/bookface while you wait for the warranty one.

 

[Fool]

These were my pandemic compromise, in fact I am still waiting on XT stock alerts from a year ago. They've been fine for me, albeit a lil' boat-anchory

Race Face Aeffect

Race Face Aeffect Cinch Crank Arms

Race Face Aeffect Cinch Crank Arms :: From $119.99 :: Race Face Crank Arms Only

www.universalcycles.com

 

[bdamschen]

Found a dude on pinkbike selling nds 165mm saint crank arms for $50. If he doesn't come through, I think my backup is going to be going with new praxis cranks and bb: https://praxiscycles.com/product/cadet-m30/

 

[Dogboy]

These were my pandemic compromise, in fact I am still waiting on XT stock alerts from a year ago. They've been fine for me, albeit a lil' boat-anchory

Race Face Aeffect

Race Face Aeffect Cinch Crank Arms

Race Face Aeffect Cinch Crank Arms :: From $119.99 :: Race Face Crank Arms Only

www.universalcycles.com

These or the Aeffect R would be a good, reasonably priced option.

Those Saints would probably be good, but I wonder what chainline they are built around. Whatever you go with the Wolftooth 12s Shimano compatible rings are all good.

 

[djjohnr]

supposedly 12 speed chains will work will work on any chainring 9spd and higher, IIRC the inner width of those chains is all the same. someone please correct me if i'm wrong.

Negative, learned this the hard way

 

[englertracing]

If you can find some sram carbon cranks in 30mm or dub, nsb makes chainrings to use a shimano chain

 

[jonKranked]

Negative, learned this the hard way

Was it the other way? The lower speed chains work on higher speed chainrings?

 

[6thElement]

Was it the other way? The lower speed chains work on higher speed chainrings?

Shimano 12spd is "special" I believe.

 

[canadmos]

Was it the other way? The lower speed chains work on higher speed chainrings?

No, higher speed chains will work on lower speed drive trains.

But the Shimano 12 speed chain will make some awful noises on the wrong chain ring. It works, but yeah...

 

[canadmos]

Will this fit? They have 165mm arms..

Shimano Deore XT M8000 Left Crank Arm

Shimano XT Left Crank Arm - Spindle Interface Type: Hollowtech II

www.thebikeshop.com

If they won't ship to Freedom Land, I could receive it and then forward to yourself?

 

[djjohnr]

Was it the other way? The lower speed chains work on higher speed chainrings?

Shimano 12 speed chain would not sit on an 11 speed Shimano chainring. Didn't try other brands of 11 speed chainrings, wound up getting a Wolf Tooth 12 speed chainring so I could keep running my M8000 cranks.

 

[StiHacka]

Shimano 12 speed chain would not sit on an 11 speed Shimano chainring. Didn't try other brands of 11 speed chainrings, wound up getting a Wolf Tooth 12 speed chainring so I could keep running my M8000 cranks.

Would a 11sp chain rattle on a 12sp chainring?

 

[HardtailHack]

Canfield cranks.

If you are someone that does a bit of crank rubbing with shoes........... do the little ridges on those cranks chew shoes out?

 

[HardtailHack]

cambria has 165 zees in 68/73 for $135.

Shimano Zee M640 10 Spd Crankset - Black

Shimano Zee M640 10 Speed Crankset Durable, reinforced crankset - the thick wall aluminum construction on the Zee two piece cranks and reinforced steel axle translate to additional confidence on the trail. With an axle 30% stronger than comparable trail cranks and smooth running, accurately...

cambriabike.com

edit also comes with a BB

I really regret giving away my Zee cranks, they are the best cranks I have ever run on a hardtail regardless of price.

 

[jonKranked]

I really regret giving away my Zee cranks, they are the best cranks I have ever run on a hardtail regardless of price.

i still have a super old set of SLX m660s going strong.

 

[StiHacka]

If you are someone that does a bit of crank rubbing with shoes........... do the little ridges on those cranks chew shoes out?

I haven't noticed anything like that, but I also don't really rub my shoes against the cranks either. The ridges don't have sharp or pronounced edges - they are very smooth, I think you'd be fine.

 

[bdamschen]

Will this fit? They have 165mm arms..

Shimano Deore XT M8000 Left Crank Arm

Shimano XT Left Crank Arm - Spindle Interface Type: Hollowtech II

www.thebikeshop.com

If they won't ship to Freedom Land, I could receive it and then forward to yourself?

Ooh, good find. If the dude with the saint crank arms falls through, I might give that a try.

 

[bdamschen]

Update on this one. Wife gave me the go-ahead to not cheap out on cranks. Bought some praxis girder HD cranks and their chainring(despite some people saying the shimano praxis chainrings suck). Slightly lighter than my xt cranks and seems to be working well so far. This was definitely not the budget option though.

Figure I'll just sell my shimano cranks and BB whenever they warranty them.

 

[two-one]

These were my pandemic compromise, in fact I am still waiting on XT stock alerts from a year ago. They've been fine for me, albeit a lil' boat-anchory

Race Face Aeffect

Race Face Aeffect Cinch Crank Arms

Race Face Aeffect Cinch Crank Arms :: From $119.99 :: Race Face Crank Arms Only

www.universalcycles.com

I'm a big fan of those aeffect cranks, they are only 20gr heavier than the more expensive Turbine crank, Shimano bb compatible, and the cinch chainring makes it a lot simpler than Shimano millionbolt™ solution.
Very underrated, and therefore cheap secondhand...

 

[dump]

Update on this one. Wife gave me the go-ahead to not cheap out on cranks. Bought some praxis girder HD cranks and their chainring(despite some people saying the shimano praxis chainrings suck). Slightly lighter than my xt cranks and seems to be working well so far. This was definitely not the budget option though.

Figure I'll just sell my shimano cranks and BB whenever they warranty them.

View attachment 176623

Never heard of those cranks. The product page has a warranty section, and preemptively states “nothing lasts forever”… made me smile
Hope they work out for you.

 

[sethimus]

just get some purple ano 5dev

 

[bdamschen]

Never heard of those cranks. The product page has a warranty section, and preemptively states “nothing lasts forever”… made me smile
Hope they work out for you.

They're local-ish to our area and a few engineer friends from specialized and fox around here are also friends with some of the engineers there. They seem to agree they're decent. Spesh is spec-ing a lot of their ebikes with praxis cranks.

To be honest, they don't have a very high bar to clear in the reliability department since my XTs lasted less than a year.

So far they seem very solid and everything fit well AND is working great with the shimano 12 sp setup I've got. Downside is their bottom bracket required a proprietary tool to install that I had to buy for $16: https://praxiscycles.com/product/m30-socket-tool/

It is a pretty slick tool however and made installing the bb a breeze.

Now we wait and see if my hack riding dad bod having jump casing self can break them or not.

 

[bdamschen]

just get some purple ano 5dev

At the time they didn't have purple, or that would have been sweet. The price to weight however, isn't that impressive. I was able to get the praxis cranks with BB and tool to install it for less than just the 5dev cranks alone.. and the weight is about the same.

 

[dump]

At the time they didn't have purple, or that would have been sweet. The price to weight however, isn't that impressive. I was able to get the praxis cranks with BB and tool to install it for less than just the 5dev cranks alone.. and the weight is about the same.

You don’t buy 5dev for their price to weight ratio! Get with the program. Bling!

 

[bdamschen]

You don’t buy 5dev for their price to weight ratio! Get with the program. Bling!

Heh, it is sweet. Unfortunately I'm not going to have much time standing around in lift lines for people to be impressed with my sweet bike this season, so I had to go with low key cabron instead