Quantcast

so what are people running for cranks these days?

  • Come enter the Ridemonkey Secret Santa!

    We're kicking off the 2024 Secret Santa! Exchange gifts with other monkeys - from beer and snacks, to bike gear, to custom machined holiday decorations and tools by our more talented members, there's something for everyone.

    Click here for details and to learn how to participate.

Cooter Brown

Turbo Monkey
May 30, 2002
1,453
0
Snow Hall, tweakin on math
I've got a set of FSA V Drive Xtremes on the P.2, and some Truvativ Holzfellers on the pig bike, love em both, had the V's on the big bike for 2 years, never a prob, either one and you're golden mang
 

MMcG

Ride till you puke!
Dec 10, 2002
15,457
12
Burlington, Connecticut
I'll add another vote for XT hollowtechs.

Oh yeah and the old school syncros revolutions that are on my Ted Wojcik kick major ass too! They just feel great to me. Just have to watch em to make sure they are on nice and tight. Thanks again Narlus!!
 

ioscope

Turbo Monkey
Jul 3, 2004
2,002
0
Vashon, WA
I can tell you some obviuos things.
Sugino=bend
Shimano Alivio=bend
RF forged=bend and round out
Truvativ Isoflow= bend + round ou

I am happy with my v-drives though!
 

-dustin

boring
Jun 10, 2002
7,155
1
austin
here it is, 8 months later, and i still don't know what to run for cranks. i have decided, though, that the tapered Middleburns will be finding a home on my Inbred. as well as some Paul Motolites (if 'los decides to sell them).
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
43,075
15,163
Portland, OR
I have run hussefelts without issue on every one of my bikes besides my Bullit (Deore Hollowtech) since 2000. The only issues I have had were bottom bracket related. Once I ran a buff bb, I have not had an issue. They are stiff, strong, and best of all, CHEAP. (You may recall, I'm a cheap bastard).
 

-BB-

I broke all the rules, but somehow still became mo
Sep 6, 2001
4,254
28
Livin it up in the O.C.
Squeak said:
I have Truvative Stylo Teams on one bike, and Race Face Turbines (1996 vintage or so) on my other.

I also have not had a problem with the ISIS non outboard bearings.

Ditto on the Stylo Team cranks. Light, Stiff, fairly cheap... what's not to :love:
I'm pretty tough on my stuff, and I regularly ride DH runs on my 7Point. These cranks are holding up great though.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
43,075
15,163
Portland, OR
stinkyboy said:
Hussefelts suck, Get some Saints for 175.
Give me 2 GOOD reasons I should ditch cranks that have never given me issues and spend $175 on a pair of Non-Standard cranks?
 

stinkyboy

Plastic Santa
Jan 6, 2005
15,187
1
¡Phoenix!
jimmydean said:
Give me 2 GOOD reasons I should ditch cranks that have never given me issues and spend $175 on a pair of Non-Standard cranks?
I had a pair that caused me grief, and a buddy is now wrestling with his as well. I know several people running Saints and have never had any problems. I'm a big guy who's hard on his bike, and I need to trust my components, if that ain't you stay with the Hussefelts. Please post when they fail though.
 

BuddhaRoadkill

I suck at Tool
Feb 15, 2004
988
0
Chintimini Bog
M950's [that will probably out live me] on the trail bike. LX on the hardtail. Waiting for Jenson to blowout their M760's - probably still got a year or two for that to happen.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
43,075
15,163
Portland, OR
stinkyboy said:
I had a pair that caused me grief, and a buddy is now wrestling with his as well. I know several people running Saints and have never had any problems. I'm a big guy who's hard on his bike, and I need to trust my components, if that ain't you stay with the Hussefelts. Please post when they fail though.
I am between 235 and 245 and as smooth as a brick. What issues have you had? The only issue I had was my crank arm came loose when I first bought my Rigid One and that was my fault for not checking the bolts (I was excited and jumped on it right after I got it out of the box).

I have busted cheap bb's, but the crank arms have never caused me issues. I would NEVER run Saints because I hate Shimano non-standard crap and try to not support it. They are nice, but until I have something fail, I will buy $45 cranks and be happy.
 

-dustin

boring
Jun 10, 2002
7,155
1
austin
i've narrowed it down to RF Deus, Atlas, or another pair of Middleburns with a RF Taperlock bb.

the Deus XC is the revamped Turbine LP, right? that what i currently have on my Inbred, and I really dig them. nice and stiff for 5yrs.
 

ito

Mr. Schwinn Effing Armstrong
Oct 3, 2003
1,709
0
Avoiding the nine to five
jimmydean said:
Give me 2 GOOD reasons I should ditch cranks that have never given me issues and spend $175 on a pair of Non-Standard cranks?
Well from a mechanics stand point the Truvativs are built quite cheaply and it really shows when you have work on them. The pedal insert is something I've never liked, causes more problems than it solves and FSA and Shimano have a better version of it. The seals are more or less crap on those bearings. I have yet to see a pair that isn't flawed in some way, usually with things fitting a bit too tight or too loose. And the rings (if you are running a triple) are terrible compared to shimano.

I have yet to experience any problems while working on Shimano cranks. They also seem to be lasting longer on the bikes we sell.

As for non-standard, what about any X-type crank is standard? Besides, Shimanos "non-standard" bits work better than most of the stuff out there. If you are running the Truvativs and like them that is fine, but if I was buying a new set of cranks there is no way I would consider anything but Shimano. I've ridden, worked on, and sold just about every crank mentioned in this thread and Shimanos are the ones with the least problems and best track record. No one is saying you need to replace your stuff, but when you grow unhappy with the current setup you should know there are better options out there.

The Ito
 

Skookum

bikey's is cool
Jul 26, 2002
10,184
0
in a bear cave
i've got the Race Face NorthsoreDH on the Bullit and i've most recently ran the LX and XT externals on my trail bikes. Hey as long as they are stiff and don't break i'm a fan of any crank, there's not much to what i want out of them other than durablity.
 

boostindoubles

Nacho Libre
Mar 16, 2004
8,412
6,939
Yakistan
i sheered an lx crank arm off at the bolt before, ridden a set of profiles through 3 bikes, and currently riding a pair of husselfelts that came on my kona 2 1/2 years ago. i didn't like em at first, but they've taken a lot of abuse. I don't know about the pedal inserts, i've never had to take the pedals off. I've gone through 3 bottom brackets though.
 

Skookum

bikey's is cool
Jul 26, 2002
10,184
0
in a bear cave
boostindoubles said:
i sheered an lx crank arm off at the bolt before.
Yah my old internal bb LX cracked near the bolt too, i rode it like that for a few rides just thinking the noise was my bottom bracket acting up from me not greasing it good enough haha.
 

zmtber

Turbo Monkey
Aug 13, 2005
2,435
0
im running hones, they are strong and stiff like saint (maybe not completly like saint cranks, but almost) and they are lighter aqnd cheaper, and still look kick asse, but holzfeller were my second choice and right now jenson and pricepoint is selling them pretty cheap.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
43,075
15,163
Portland, OR
ito said:
Well from a mechanics stand point the Truvativs are built quite cheaply and it really shows when you have work on them. The pedal insert is something I've never liked, causes more problems than it solves and FSA and Shimano have a better version of it. The seals are more or less crap on those bearings. I have yet to see a pair that isn't flawed in some way, usually with things fitting a bit too tight or too loose. And the rings (if you are running a triple) are terrible compared to shimano.

I have yet to experience any problems while working on Shimano cranks. They also seem to be lasting longer on the bikes we sell.

As for non-standard, what about any X-type crank is standard? Besides, Shimanos "non-standard" bits work better than most of the stuff out there. If you are running the Truvativs and like them that is fine, but if I was buying a new set of cranks there is no way I would consider anything but Shimano. I've ridden, worked on, and sold just about every crank mentioned in this thread and Shimanos are the ones with the least problems and best track record. No one is saying you need to replace your stuff, but when you grow unhappy with the current setup you should know there are better options out there.

The Ito
I have never had issues with the peddel inserts and I have swapped many a peddal on these. As for the BB, that was swapped out for a Race Face BB of some sorts, I think it was like $40-$60 range and has held up very well.

My Rigid One is bone stock as far as the cranks and I have not had a single issue in over 2 years with them. I oculd bet the bb on that bike is "el-cheapo ISIS" for sure.

I like the Deore/LX/XT setups, but I look at Saint as bling and nothing more. It might be what someone other than me needs, but when I bought my last set of Hussefelts used off ebay for $22 and have run them without issue, I will save my $170 for beer.
 

jacksonpt

Turbo Monkey
Jul 22, 2002
6,791
59
Vestal, NY
I've got the non-exo Vdrives and I'm very happy with them. I beat the crap out of them on the rocky trails in Jim Thorpe last year. They have some battle scars, but never missed a beat. If the weight doesn't bother you, I highly recommend them.
 

narlus

Eastcoast Softcore
Staff member
Nov 7, 2001
24,658
65
behind the viewfinder
i have square taper race face on my trail bike, xtr on my street, and race face north shore on my DH bike. cranks are cranks, imo. i'd rather spend the $ on better suspension.