[Electric_City]

I'm helping a guy throw together a budget friendly bike. He's 5'-2" tall, 140lbs and has no real mountain biking experience. I recommended Zee shifters and derailleur. But that got me wondering about the cranks. Anyone with real world experience? Pros/cons? How about for someone with his skills/weight?

 

[Gary]

Zee was quietly discontinued.
Zee shifter and mech are good. if you can find them. and you only want to run an 11-28 or 11-36 with the FR version or extender link.
Nothing special about zee cranks. so just pick any shimano crank deore or above.

 

[Redwood Mulch Chucker]

Much like the brakes, Zee cranks were "budget Saint".
Way stouter/stiffer than XT or anything else other than Saint. Pretty sure they had steel pedal thread inserts just like Saint.

Overkill for a new rider unless it's a full DH bike.

 

[Gary]

RE: nothing special about them what I meant was rather than hollowtech Zee were a solid forging.
It doesn't sound like he'll need particularly stiff/strong cranks so Deore should do fine and not break the bank

 

[Electric_City]

The frame is an Airborne Pathogen (wonder why they didn't sell post 2019?). Being a 26" wheeled frame and only small sizes left, Airborne had a sale on the frame- X-fusion rear shock, 3 springs for the shock, headset and Maxle for $300. I thought it was a great deal, so he bought it.

 

[mykel]

The frame is an Airborne Pathogen (wonder why they didn't sell post 2019?). Being a 26" wheeled frame and only small sizes left, Airborne had a sale on the frame- X-fusion rear shock, 3 springs for the shock, headset and Maxle for $300. I thought it was a great deal, so he bought it.

If the geo will support it, consider a mullet. A 27.5 on the front of a 26 makes a very noticeable improvement.

 

[Westy]

 

[HardtailHack]

I really regret giving away my Zee cranks, for me they were the perfect AM hardtail crank, bit more flex than a Saint or Profile but way less flex than a Middleburn, loved 'em.

 

[Gary]

If the geo will support it, consider a mullet. A 27.5 on the front of a 26 makes a very noticeable improvement.

Does it, aye?

 

[jonKranked]

Zee was quietly discontinued.
Zee shifter and mech are good. if you can find them. and you only want to run an 11-28 or 11-36 with the FR version or extender link.
Nothing special about zee cranks. so just pick any shimano crank deore or above.

came here to post this. nothing wrong with them, but being a DH/FR group the rear its a short cage derailleur that can only take a 32T max cassette size. also 10 speed only.

 

[Gary]

So long as its the FR version or has the FR link fitted it'll do 36t sprocket nicely. Ive run (and still do) 11-36 with a zee mech on many bikes.
As will Saint with the same link.
#Ihatemassivecassettes

 

[jonKranked]

I was just going by what Shimano has posted in their literature.

 

[Gary]

rule no 1
Trust no one in the industry

 

[Electric_City]

Just posting this here since it relates to the same bike-

2011'ish Boxxer r2c2 fork, 35mm stanchions, 26" wheels. What brake mount is this set up for? 160, 180, 200 or 203mm? Any help is appreciated.

 

[Gary]

Fairly sure it's 180 PM

 

[jonKranked]

Spaghetti!