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Average Rating
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4.17/5
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# of Reviews
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30
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MSRP
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Description:Sharing many design features as our Deus crank, the Atlas is a beefed up version of our Turbine LP, designed for All Mountain riding. If you want a crank that's light enough for XC climbs but strong enough for light freeride use, the Atlas crank is the perfect choice.
A true all mountain crank -light enough for climbs and strong enough for descents.
Built in our BC manufacturing facility
Manufactured from 7050 aluminum
Near net forged and fully CNC machined
Stiffer and stronger than our Turbine LP - the original all mountain crank.
Built in Spacers allows the use of shorter bolts, providing an additional weight savings.
medium walled, heat treated CrMo spindle
Also available in ISIS Drive
Built for: All Mountain
Size: 170,175, 180mm
Warranty: Lifetime
Colours:
Anodized: Bad Ass Black and Shiny Silver
Powder Coated: Shred Red and Team White (175mm only)
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Submitted by
acroy
a Cross Country Rider
from TX
Date Reviewed: August 20, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | dodging cars | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$225.00 | | Purchased At: | online | | Strengths: | cool looks
stiff
not Shimano
stout rings
good shifting | | Weaknesses: | bearings
bearings
bearings | | Similar Products Used: | various Shimano, Sugino, Kooka | | Bike Setup: | Fetish Discipline set up for "urban" duty | | Bottom Line: | Disappointed overall…
I use these cranks on my commuter “Best of Burden” bike: 4000+ miles per year of commuting & towing a trailer with kiddies & groceries.
I have previously broken cranks & munched BB’s. After the last crank broke, Kokka Bonnie Forged, I decided to go “all out” with a f/r rated crank for safety / reliability. Don’t want no crank failures while towing my 2 kids through traffic! It came down to Saints or Atlas.
The crank cost around $225, installation was fairly complex but smooth if you can read & follow directions, cranks are very stiff, shifting is good, rings are very solid. But the bearings became a bit loose after 2k miles. This is ON ROAD in TEXAS, not much mud or water or 12ft hucks or anything… bearings finally munched themselves after 6k miles.
Repair is a matter of installing $20 Shimano bearings.
So this is a good crank with bad bearings. Beware, be prepared, or just buy Saints & forget about them. These look cool though :p
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Wonko
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle, WA
Date Reviewed: June 26, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Dnalrag | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$160.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Design, shifting quality | | Weaknesses: | Bearings, chain rings, Q-factor | | Similar Products Used: | Truvativ Stylo, Shimano XTR | | Bike Setup: | Santa Cruz Nomad, SRAM drivetrain | | Bottom Line: | On the second ride I found that one of the teeth on the middle chainring was bend. Not a big deal since I could just bend it back with a pair of pliers (at home, not on the ride). After a bit less than three months the bottom bracket bearings run very roughly. The crankset is a 2007 model and my understanding is that the initial issue with the hygroscopy of the grease used in the bearings is supposed to be solved. Not so in my case. Finally the drive-side crank passes so close to the chainstay that it rubs on the chainstay protector.
These cranks replaced a considerably cheaper set of Truvativ Stylos which performed flawlessly for one and a half years. Of a crank that retails for $200-$300 I expect better reliablity than that and after not even three months I am considering of changing them again. I have used other Race Face products before and was very happy with them. However, I do not expect to find cranks of that brand on any of my bikes in the near future again. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
cannon 16
a Weekend Warrior
from northumberland uk
Date Reviewed: April 19, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Strengths: | stiff, strong, good 'rings | | Weaknesses: | trial and error setup, very poor bearings | | Similar Products Used: | deus, diabolous, xt, xtr | | Bottom Line: | This review equally applies to other x-type cranks, as I've owned them all and they all have the same strengths and weaknesses. They are all really nice cranks - well machined with very good chain rings (much better than shimano, but not Middleburn) which survive harsh uk conditions well. they are light (well, not Diabolous) and strong and have stood up without complaint despite pretty hard use (6'drops to flat with deus/atlas and regular 15' to tranny with diabolous). Atlas could be used for downhill so don't think you need them unless you really rip it up (regular 6'-10' drops)- save the weight and get Deus, they are super strong, but I sold my bike with them on. Deus are mad strong for the weight - go for these if you generally don't exceed the 5' mark for drops. They all resist rock dings, crashes and scrapes well. They are stiff. All good? Hmm, no.Fitting is a chore, especially if using a chain guide. Even without, finding the correct chain line for your bike can be a bit trial and error. I'm always left with the feeling that spacers and pre-load washers are not the most elegant engineering solution. However, once set up right they work well and only one set of atlas cranks has come loose/creaked continuously. Bearings however are complete junk. 6months max in uk. Replace with shimano (if on budget) or better, Hope. Both make proper bearings. I've never (in 5 sets of x-types) had any problems with stripping or excessive looseness. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Teamfubar
a Weekend Warrior
from Colorado Springs, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: September 3, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$250.00 | | Purchased At: | Greenfish Sports | | Strengths: | Great strength to weight ratio, stiff, good looking. | | Weaknesses: | Chainrings are a bit wimpy. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano XTR (M-952), Bontrager | | Bike Setup: | Moots Cinco, Sram X.0, Chris King. | | Bottom Line: | After reading these reviews, I had to chime in. I have been running these cranks for almost 2 years with no bearing issues at all. The deal is, with Race Face, or any other external bearing BB, the BB shell HAS to be faced before installation or the bearings will seize. I think if most people will take the time to set them up right, you will have no issues at all. Mine spin smoothly, don't creak, don't loosen up, and keep rockin' ride after ride. The only issue that I have had is a tooth broke off of the middle ring during a sloppy shift. Never had that with any XTR rings, so we'll see how this works out. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lande Edmiston
a
from Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Fernie! | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Stiff crank with great shifting ability and strength for any mountain use. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Bontrager, Shimano | | Bike Setup: | Rocky Mountain Slayer SXC 70 | | Bottom Line: | Great Crank all around. Works for any part of mountain biking, downhilling or XC. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy
a Weekend Warrior
from Horsetooth Mountain Colorado
Date Reviewed: July 10, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | the one I'm on | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$229.00 | | Purchased At: | PRICEPOINT WHERE PRICE IS THE POINT | | Strengths: | Stiff, easy to install, shifts well, stiff, stiff, very stiff | | Weaknesses: | Hard to call this one weak... | | Similar Products Used: | All of them - swapped out for a Truvativ Stylo Team | | Bike Setup: | Nomad XO AM - one spacer on each side of the crank. | | Bottom Line: | The stock Stylo started creaking and occasionally backed out on its own. It constantly needed fresh grease and tightening so I upgraded to the ATLAS . What a HUGE difference - like standing on a cement slab vs a piece of balsa wood. Even though this crank is a couple of ounces heavier, I'm actually riding and climbing faster due to better power transfer. Increases confidence and downhill speed as I can surf the bike without the flex of the Stylo. A great crank - couldn't be happier. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Keith Schoon
a Weekend Warrior
from Pittsburgh, PA
Date Reviewed: July 9, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Bavington (Hillman State Park) | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$219.00 | | Purchased At: | Speedgoat | | Strengths: | Stong and Durable | | Weaknesses: | Directions are slightly unclear. They specify to crank down the crankbolt until it stops and "bottoms out". Is this even possible. I crank and crank and it never stops, but after I get it too tight it drags so I have to back it off a couple turns and all is good. Nice and tight. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano Deore Crank included woth old Trek | | Bike Setup: | 2007 SC Heckler w DHX 5.0 | | Bottom Line: | So far so good. as put up with everything I have thrown at it sa far. A couple 2-3' drops and a few small jumps here and there and everthing is still copasetic. Other than the directions it rocks and not as expensive as the Shimano XTR. THOSE ARE WAAAAAAY OVERPRICED! 500???? Is it made out of gold, or does it give me a reach around after a long hard ride? NO? Then why do I want to spend 500 on it when I can get a kick ass Atlas for 219. Hell yeah. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Smellygoon
a
from Anchorage, AK, USA
Date Reviewed: April 16, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Smooth and reliable under the right conditions | | Weaknesses: | External bearings prone to failure under wet conditions | | Bottom Line: | Previous post was a bit harsh and unwarranted. This crank was used continuously in a very unforgiving environment (snow, rain, glacial silt, mud, muck, etc.) without regular TLC. Nothing with bearings would have survived for long. RaceFace makes top-notch components, and the Atlas is no exception. Unbeatable for normal trails and summer use. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Les Takacs
a Weekend Warrior
from Anchorage, AK, USA
Date Reviewed: April 14, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Johnson Pass | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$230.00 | | Purchased At: | Beyond Bikes | | Strengths: | Looks cool. Stiff arms. Canadian-made. | | Weaknesses: | External bearings, chainrings. | | Bike Setup: | 2003 RM Slayer | | Bottom Line: | I'm going with Shimano XT next time. This crankset did not live up to the hype. Drive side bearings went out after about four months of regular use. Replaced them with Phil Wood cartridge bearings. Several teeth from the middle chainring broke off somewhere between trail rides. Got another five months of use before the non-drive side was shot. No help from RaceFace tech support. Fortunately, I did not pay full price, or else I'd be really pissed.
This crankset has been a big disappointment. I don't abuse my bike that much and I expect some normal wear, but for the price, I expected a lot more. I need reliable components for transportation and trail use. The Atlas did not deliver. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Clark
a
from Squamish
Date Reviewed: March 31, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | light, stiff, strong, no slop | | Weaknesses: | bearings are terrible
extra drag (worse than most external bb types) | | Similar Products Used: | saint, xt, truvativ stylo | | Bike Setup: | heckler | | Bottom Line: | great stiffness-to-weight ratio. have gone through 5 sets of bearings in 2 years. even the fancy "enduro" ones haven't lasted more than a couple months. very poorly sealed i suppose. lots of drag. as much as i'd like to support a solid canadian company, i'd suggest looking elsewhere for cranks. my truvativ stylo's have been solid, and they're cheap. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve Jones
a Weekend Warrior
from Cardiff
Date Reviewed: November 25, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | ProBikeSport | | Strengths: | Awesome cranks - stiff, light, strong, great shifting, trick looks | | Weaknesses: | None at all | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano, FSA, Truvativ | | Bike Setup: | Rocky Mountain Slayer 50 | | Bottom Line: | Upgraded the cranks on the Rocky Slayer 50 to Atlas cranks upon purchase - have been well impressed from day one. Pretty hardcore cranks considering the light weight and perfect for drops and jumps by a clumsy oaf like myself. Very rarely land smoothly but didn't want to run heavy DH cranks. Have held up well - stiff, bearings have lasted real well, shifting has been flawless despite a muddy welsh winter, and still look in good condition. Will definitely buy again - I've got my eye on something with a bit more travel next time around | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Gump
a Cross Country Rider
from Westminster, CA , USA
Date Reviewed: November 12, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Big Bear | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$125.00 | | Purchased At: | e-bay | | Strengths: | Very sturdy, has held up for me just fine. Super Stiff arms, don't feel like I lose any pedal power at all. Looks great too. Well built product. | | Weaknesses: | Maybe a little heavy, but unless you're a real weight weenie it's no big deal. I use them for both XC and downhill so I am more than willing to trade the little extra weight for strength and durability. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano | | Bike Setup: | Psycle Werks Wild Hare, Marz all mtn. SL fork, Sram drivetrain, BB7s, Azonic wheels, Thompson stems, WTB seat, FSA Pig Downhill. | | Bottom Line: | Light enough to get up the moutain quick, strong enough to handle going down the rough stuff. A little expensive but what do you expect for a good product. I'd buy again. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Weekend Warrior
from UK
Date Reviewed: November 9, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Fort Bill | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | None | | Weaknesses: | Come loose every couple of miles | | Similar Products Used: | Diabolus, Dues, XTR, Saint | | Bike Setup: | SC Nomad XTR (cranks again), XTR, Hadley, Thomson etc. | | Bottom Line: | These are cr@p, mine will not stay tight, and I am having a nightmare with the warranty as I bought in the states and live in the UK. Buy Shimano, they warranty there products exceptionally well. Nice that I have the most expensive paper weight I have ever bought here now. (It could be the UK importers though as what they say does not agree with what RF are telling me). | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Erik
a Racer
from Ladera Ranch, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: October 25, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | The Path Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Long lasting bearings. Stiff. Available in 180mm. | | Weaknesses: | Not available in compact 94bcd. Not available in 182mm or 185mm. | | Similar Products Used: | XT, Middleburn, LX, RF Turbine | | Bike Setup: | 29er geared hardtail, 29er full-squish 4" and 5" | | Bottom Line: | great all-around cranks. bummer they are only 104bcd though. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Miika Luolajan-Mikkola
a Racer
from Helsinki, Finland
Date Reviewed: September 25, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$390.00 | | Purchased At: | Chainreaction Cycles | | Strengths: | Light and strong | | Weaknesses: | Crankarm gets loosened resulting with horrible creak | | Similar Products Used: | XT | | Bike Setup: | Turner 5-Spot, Minute:3, Crossmax XLDisc, Hope MonoM4, SRam X9 Thomson, FCF, Selle.. | | Bottom Line: | I thought it was a dry bushing that made the irritating noise when pressing on the left side crankarm. Regreasing them didn't help, and suddenly I noticed by hand a little free movement within the left crankarm and axle. The bolts were tightened well and the same play occurs when pulled out of bb. The arm is loosened like a child's milk tooth, and I don't have any other idea to get that fixed than Warranty. Well, a guy I know ordered these for me from a webstore (at that time we had no distributor in Finland), and now he seems to be unwilling to forward this faultreport to them. He said the Atlas only has "one-year-warranty"...
Now I'm waiting and don't know if anything has happened. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Article 48
a Downhiller
from Somewhere, USA
Date Reviewed: September 18, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | that one over there | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$175.00 | | Purchased At: | don't recall, doesn't matter | | Strengths: | smoothness, quietness, direct power transfer, light weight | | Weaknesses: | some people can't seem to figure out how to install them, other people wash their bikes with high pressure water jets, both of these cause problems in the long run, and they blame the problem on the crankset. | | Similar Products Used: | RF Turbine LP, RF Diabolus, Shimano Hone | | Bike Setup: | Turner 6-Pack | | Bottom Line: | Excellent crankset for all applications under my 155 lbs. Stiff enough for rough trails and DH. Light enough to ride all day. Smooth. Great power transfer, noticeably stiffer/less flexy than ISIS BB setup. I would run these on a DH race bike without any questions or concerns. Those who have had issues with these cranksets are doing something wrong, IMO. Trickier setup than the Shimano external BB models, but still work as well if not better if you take the time to set them up correctly. 5/5 on both categories. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jorgex
a Weekend Warrior
from Almada, Portugal
Date Reviewed: September 18, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$230.00 | | Purchased At: | barracuda.be | | Strengths: | -good stiffness/weight ratio
-great XC, enduro, all-mountain....
-two possible colors
| | Weaknesses: | -bearings doesn't last for long(8, 9 months tops before squeaking)
-middle chainring(32t)doesn't last at all
-small chainring(22t)is made of steel!!! | | Similar Products Used: | LX Octalink Crankset, FSA Alpha Drive square, Alivio Crankset '98
Chainrings: FSA, RaceFace, Tiso | | Bike Setup: | Giant escaper'92 (hardtail), Manitou Axel 100mm(oem),Hope M4 disc brake, x-lite, Roox, Time pedals, Avid Flak Jacket, Rohloff chain...
RF Atlas Cranks + 3 Tiso chainrings(22t,32t,44t)+ original left bearing/new shimano XT right bearing | | Bottom Line: | Everything was ok after my lbs mechanic solved the "fitting" problem that many of us(RF users) complain. Ok for next 8,9 months, after that my bike sounded like clock, 3 "clacks" and 1 "click" per revolution. Plus, alot of mis-shiftings on front derailleur.
I thought it was time to visit the lbs.
Now my RF Atlas has Tiso chainrings(22t,32t,44t), original left bearing/new shimano XT right bearing. Personally i didn't enjoy very much RF middle and small chainrings. The right bearing was tottaly trashed, why not try another brand like shimano XT(cheaper than RF).
The original Atlas was better than LX octalink in stiffness but more heavy.
The new setup for Atlas was lighter and improved my speed. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chuck
a Cross Country Rider
from Boise, Idaho
Date Reviewed: September 17, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$210.00 | | Purchased At: | online | | Strengths: | Looks good, light, silent, good shifting, smooth. | | Weaknesses: | I'm concerned about what some reviewers have said about squeaking bearings and what water can do to them. | | Bike Setup: | Steel hardtail | | Bottom Line: | It's been 3 months and these cranks have been everything I hoped for so far. It's been very dry here so I haven't gotten them wet or ridden through any creeks. I noticed that most of the people who have bad things to say about these cranks installed their own. I had a professional do mine and no problems so far. They'll get wet eventually. We'll see how that goes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt Falkenstein
a Weekend Warrior
from Durango, CO USA
Date Reviewed: August 30, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Little Molas to Cascade | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Mountain Cyclery | | Strengths: | works great when it works great!........see weaknesses | | Weaknesses: | After a good dousing, seriously wet ride, the spline on the cranks loosens and makes a horrible creak. My friends can hear me coming from a mile a way. I have to take it to my mechanic and get him to beat the spline apart and then anti-seize it. That worked for 3 months, then it happened again. This time he place a loc-tite type product on it. It's only been 2 weeks, so we'll see. | | Similar Products Used: | XT, XTR cranks | | Bike Setup: | Ventana X-5, Maverick 6in fork, Romic coil rear....other XTR | | Bottom Line: | Race Face says this part does not come apart.....at least that's what they FIRST told my mechanic. You know, the old, "gee whiz, no one else has had that problem." My mechanic now has several riders with the same cranks and the same problem. This is either a poorly engineered connection or not made to specifications properly. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ben
a Cross Country Rider
from The Dirty Glove, MI USA
Date Reviewed: May 24, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Treasure Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$220.00 | | Purchased At: | Speedgoat | | Strengths: | Purdy, stiff as all get-out, nice chainrings, great weight-to-toughness ratio, and (power)user serviceable bearings. | | Weaknesses: | Installation requires reading, looking at pictures and following directions. . . my square taper BB's didn't make me do that!!
Crappy bearing grease and aluminium crankbolts | | Similar Products Used: | First foray into X-type cranks | | Bike Setup: | Karate Monkey- sometimes single, sometimes geary | | Bottom Line: | All in all a great crank for an under-served market: clydes who like blingy "light weight" parts. (I'm 200 lbs and let my part selection let everyone know how awesome I am)
Granted, you need to follow the directions carefully- especially the part about getting your BB faced within RF's tolerances. Keeping the cups perfectly parallel and properly spaced is the key to long bearing life and smooth spinning. Also, you want to wrap your head around how these cranks are held together before installing. If you do, you'll realize this: easy on the cups and 10mm bolt, hard on the 8mm. And don't forget your spacers.
On the trail these things are a dream. Zero flex, super-efficient power transfer, and smooth shifting. Keep an eye on the crank bolts though. Mine started to loosen and deform a bit. Switched to steel w/ a litte Loctite and haven't looked back.
At the end of the day, I love my Atlas cranks. Sure they require some skill to install (maybe you should leave it to the pro's), but the payoff is worth it. Most of the complaints about external bearing cranks stem from improper installation, so if you're going to drop this kind of cash for a crankset, what's another $25 to your mechanic.
As such, I go 5 chilis overall because if they don't work, it's probably your fault. And I ding it one chili for value because the $350 retail price is redonkulous, but who pays retail anyway?
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Guy
a Weekend Warrior
from Manchester, CT
Date Reviewed: November 11, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | the one covered in leaves | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | cambria | | Strengths: | Strong, light, easy to adjust the spacing. | | Weaknesses: | none at all!!!! | | Similar Products Used: | Hussefelts (crappafelts), Shimano junk | | Bike Setup: | FS with sturdy gear. | | Bottom Line: | I HATE TRUVATIVE more than anyone can know!!!!
I mashed my way through a brand new set of hussefelts in about three months, had them replaced and mashed through them again in one month. I bought these cranks and haven't had a single problem. I had my LBS install them, and I was a little worried about changing the spacing myself, but it couldn't have been easier. They are relatively light, and I can still pound on them without worry. I would buy them again, but the trouble is, they have a lifetime warranty. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Phil
a Weekend Warrior
from Lac-Beauport, Québec, Canada
Date Reviewed: September 28, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Mange-ma-bite | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$220.00 | | Purchased At: | Price Point | | Strengths: | Stiff, Strong, Look (black one), Weight | | Weaknesses: | None so far | | Similar Products Used: | Spech Strongarm, flexy creaky wavy ugly piece of crap | | Bike Setup: | 2003 Spech Enduro, changed big ring for RF bashguard. | | Bottom Line: | Very happy with my purchase. Works flawlessly. Very trick looking with the RF bashguard. If you're a serious trailrider, or week-end warrior and need to upgrade your crankset, this one is really to consider over Shimano XT. It's couple grams heavier, but it's not a Shimano, and it got a lifetime warranty. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Truckee, CA
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | 123bikes | | Strengths: | strong and stiff, they look good. | | Weaknesses: | pain to set up, bearings don't last, creak like crazy! | | Similar Products Used: | turbines, north shores, xt, xtr, lots o' others. | | Bike Setup: | 5spot w/ nixon elite. | | Bottom Line: | When I got these cranks I was stoked. It seemed like they could handle some abuse and they weren't too heavy. Well I've had them for a year now and they are about to be tossed in the trash. I have had to replace the bearings three times, and have had to re-space the bb/spindle assembly countless times. Sometimes it gets real tight and binds, other times it gets so loose you can feel play in the cranks. It seems like every other ride I need to do something to keep them happy. All of this I was willing to put up with (I don't know why? Maybe because I have been using Race Face components for years without a problem, maybe I really didn't want any more Shimano than necessary on my bike... I don't know) Then the creaking began. We had a wet spring and after a few rides in the rain, they began to creak BAD! The worst creak I have ever heard from a bike! I've tried everything short of another set of new bearings (they still feel fine, and i don' really feel like investing any more $$$ into these cranks) Everything has been taken apart, cleaned, greased and re-torqued, and they still creak!! It is so bad that I have not ridden this bike in two weeks, opting instead to pedal my DH bike on xc trails or suck it up and ride my single speed. I've come to the conclusion that the Shimano system with the pinch bolt is better than the Race Face system where the crank must bottom out on the spindle. The spacing thing is way to fiddly. So I've got some XTs on the way for now, but I hope that Race Face can get things straightened out for '06. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bob Breaux
a Weekend Warrior
from Houston, TX, USA
Date Reviewed: June 23, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Greenbelt, Austin; Memorial, Houston | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | greenfishsports.com | | Strengths: | Stiff, wasn't expensive, isn't Shimano, lifetime warranty, awesome quality at an affordable price, built to last. | | Weaknesses: | I haven't had them long - haven't seen any yet. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano LX, Truvativ Husselfelt | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale F-300, Sram X.0 twist shifters and front derailleur, X.9 back, mostly stock Cannondale w/above mentioned upgrade, Shimano clipless and The Race Face Atlas smokin' cranks. | | Bottom Line: | I can't believe that I paid such a low price for such a boost in performance. I started out with the Truvativ Isoflow crankset that came with the bike and would have gotten their Stylo if it wouldn't have been for the bad reviews about their chain rings. I wouldn't consider Shimano as pretty much every bike that I've been able to afford or that I've ridden under $2k with Shimano cranks had their sub-level cranks. I don't know which ones because it's so hard to keep up. I got a pair of Dura Ace for my bmx set-up when I was a kid (racing on the weekends) and they did 2 things really nicely - squeak and flex.
I got tired of what was either my Truvativ Isoflow cranks slipping or the back cassette slipping when I was involved in critical climbs. I replaced the crap Shimano cassette with a SRAM at the same time that I replaced the cranks and I'm rolling like a tank over anything now. It's amazing. I can accelerate quickly and the precision of the spinning is noticeable.
I took the Atlas over the Deus because I figured on my level, I'm not gonna notice a few grams difference. I'm a weekend warrior but I'm going to probably enter some races in a few. You won't regret buying the Race Face Atlas. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael
a Cross Country Rider
from Chandler,az,usa
Date Reviewed: June 23, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | greenfishsports.com | | Strengths: | Stiff, lightweight for a freeride crank, Spins really nicely. Very tough. X-type bearings are smooth and easy to install. Instructions are very clear. Took less than 10 minutes, a spanner and an allen wrench to move between bikes. | | Weaknesses: | None. | | Similar Products Used: | XT,LX,Strongarm cranks. | | Bike Setup: | Titus Switchblabe, minute 1:00 fork, Sram x.9, crossmax enduro wheels. | | Bottom Line: | Great heavy duty crank. Very stiff and easy to work on. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Olof
a Cross Country Rider
from Sweden
Date Reviewed: June 22, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | e-bay | | Strengths: | Stiffness | | Weaknesses: | Plastic bearing cover | | Similar Products Used: | XTR, Turbine LP & many more | | Bottom Line: | The increased stiffness of the crank improved my riding more than expected. Powertransfer is higher and more consistent than square/splined versions making it easier to keep traction ans also makes landing more confident. The bike feels more stable when the cranks are so much stiffer. If you need new bearings buy Shimano - it´s more reliable. One of the best upgrades I have ever made on a bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jordan
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Angeles
Date Reviewed: June 7, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Very strong, reasonably light, great machining | | Weaknesses: | Interface between bottom bracket spindle and drive-side crankarm | | Similar Products Used: | Turbine LP, 750-series XT, Truvativ | | Bike Setup: | F |
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