Who are the yo-yo's who've listed reviews for RSR cranks & original E cranks. Folks THOSE are different animals! Know what product you're talking about P-a-h-lease! You do no one a service when you review the wrong product!
Who are E2 cranks for: Trail riders, XC racers, Roadies & anyone who loves bike-art.
Who E2 cranks are not meant for: Clydesdales or if you like going big - jumps/hucks.
If you're below 200 lbs. and or are easy on your gear you've probably had a good experience. If you're a monster who's hard on components these aren't for you. Sometimes nice looks don't pay.
E2 cranks are equally at home on a road bike as they are on an MTB - killer! With the proper BB chain line isn't an issue. Those that complained about this need to look up Shimano's specs (measure from middle of bb shell to mid chain ring - with crank pressed on). If buy the wrong BB of course you'll have a bad shifting experience!
The real weakness of this crank is the interchangeable spider. The spider must be COATED with anti-seize, then locked on super tight with a locking ring. If you don't use TONES of anti-seize you'll creak like an SOB!
This "weakness" is true of many 2-piece cranksets, so I can't hold it against CBR. And for the record the anodize does wear off, but that's due to it being decorative clear anodize as opposed to a hard-anodize finish(like on rims) You either get shiny or you get strong... can't have both.
One of the most beautiful cranks made. Just wish it were stiffer!
Strengths: WOW!! I cant say enough good things about these cranks. The are BOMB PROOF!! I have had them on my Cannondale since 1999 and I have road of ledges, jumps and all kinds of crazy terrain on them and they never have failed me!! I am selling my bike they are on, and would take them off but they go well with the seat and QR (also Cook Bros) and I wanted to get a new set for my new bike. They dont make them any more!!! TO bad cause i would SWEAR by these cranks!! They are SWEEEEET!! I might add that they are the older E cranks that came before the E2. (I think) I really which Cook Bros still made the MTB cranks...oh well.
Weaknesses: Yes, they creek a bit, and they color is warn on them, but that doesnt bother me that much!!
Bottom Line:
Sweeeeeet cranks make a sweeet impression on any ride!! Will turn heads!!
Pretty awesome cranks on the whole - but anoyingly creaky.
I've had these a LONG time - longer than I can remember. At least 8 years. Many thousands of tough miles. I don't get you guys who are "heavy" at 160lbs (Que? I'm the lightest guy I know at 165!) or think 2000 miles is a long time!
They have always creaked a bit and they're getting worse. Time to replace them. Cooks Brothers told me a long time ago I needed an XTR BB (rather than XT) but at the time it wasn't made in the right shell width/spindle length combo.
I've always complained about the creaks, but the bottom line is that these things have been to hell and back many times with no breaks or performance problems whatsoever. Just an anoying creak every pedal stroke!
Bike Setup: Dean Aluminum, mish-mash of high-end components
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Submitted by
steve wilchek
a Weekend Warrior
from pottstown, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: August 6, 2002
Strengths: they are strong nice ano finish (there still the same color, just a little faded by peddles, it actually looks cooler with the bare alluminum)
Weaknesses: ? well i dont know whether to blame the creaking on the stupid week a$$ XT bb, or the cranks themselves, im getting a rf bb in a couple weekends, so ill find out then
Bottom Line:
these are some of the originals, there not E2's, but they are cooks bros. The finish on all of your cranks must be a defect or sumpin, cause mines hardly worn, and i ride 2 hours a day at least, and at least a nice 30 minute free riding session in the back woods. so i dont know how yours are sooo weak... hmm... riding technique? nah, i abuse my bike more than most people because i have a lousy riding position (i dont bunny hop 2 feet high like people with spd's and what not, i use flats, and sometimes i dont hop high enough and the friggen peddles and cranks bang into rocks at full speed) well i still make it through any trail at least... o well, good luck with ur cranks, go out and ride at least 2 hours a day... every day, rain or shine, or hurricane. and if yours break under those conditions.... MORE POWER TO YA'!! l8r, im out
Similar Products Used: LX cranks, Truvativ's, bontregers... blah..
Bike Setup: sweet (dare i say) Cannondale, like a '95 or sumpin, very pimped out, and trick
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Submitted by
Miguel G.-D.
a Cross Country Rider
from Hoyo de Manzanares
Date Reviewed: June 16, 2002
Strengths: Light
Weaknesses: A bit flexy
Bottom Line:
Yes, these cranks may be a bit flexy, a toll that you pay for being that light, I believe. That is something you really don't notice anymore after getting into them. I haven't had a problem. Shifting is fine because I use Shimano chainrings. Shifting quality is independent of the cranks you use I can say that I have abused them in terms of XC use, not freeriding or DH, obviously. The conditions of the area where I ride (I am not a heavy rider: 155 lbs.) are very rocky, a bunch of loose granite stones, irregular and mostly dry packed terrain. I believe that most of the previous problems commented related to these cranks may have been caused by an improper installation: those individuals did not follow torque-setting recommendations from manufacturer. Or, maybe, the cranks have been used for other than XC. I am confident with these cranks and can recommend them to any hardcore XC rider. I have had them for over 3 years and several thousands of km. (miles too) on them. I am not that techno-weenie person aware of extragrams. I just bought these cranks because my previous experience with CookBros (those old SRS). In fact I have just gotten another set on sale for the new bike I am building. Last and why not, they have an "elegant" look.
Bike Setup: I have these cranks installed on a Yeti ARC and on a Turner XCE
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Submitted by
Chris Snell
a Cross Country Rider
from Huntsville, ON, Canada
Date Reviewed: December 8, 2001
Strengths: Very Light.
Weaknesses: Very flexy. Pricey. And they creak.
Bottom Line:
These would be a great crank for lighter riders, but at 160 lbs I found them too flexy, causing chainsuck problems and lots of creaking. Course I am stronger than most. Great for flat courses, roadies, wimps, and little girls. Seriously, of the three desireable qualities for a crank (light, strong, cheap), this one only gets one right for most riders.
Submitted by
Richie Rich
a Cross Country Rider
from Wisconsin
Date Reviewed: August 6, 2001
Strengths: I bought these cranks way back in '95,for my Fat Chance Wicked(which I still own and love,by the way).As I recall,they were good-looking and very stiff.Those are all the strengths I can think of.They are hanging on my wall now with my broken Darkside frame,because they ARE very pretty.
Weaknesses: Lots and lots of problems that you would not expect from an expensive boutique crank.First off,I had a ton of chainline problems.The darn things shifted terribly,even with the Real rings.I tried bb lengths from 110-117 mm and none of them worked.Second,the very attractive black anodizing wore off where my foot rubbed the crankarm(not a real big deal,but annoying nonetheless).Last,and most frustrating of all,they cracked at the spider after only 3 months of riding.I didn't abuse them--I ride XC,weigh about 170,and don't do many drops or jumps at all.Admittedly,Cooks Brothers' service was very good.They gave me a complete refund 4 days after I mailed the cranks back to them.
Bottom Line:
I was terribly dissapointed by my E-series crank.I don't understand why such a good crank would break under normal conditions.Granted it was the spider,and not the crank arm(which is actually very stiff),but still 3 months is only 3 months.On top of that,no crank should ever have these Q-factor problems.I've never experienced these problems with any Shimano crank.The Cooks shifted so terribly.There was grinding in literally every gear.The 113 mm bb worked the best,but it still didn't completely solve the problem.
Judging by a lot of the positive reviews of 5-6 yr. old Cooks,I might have gotten a defective set.My friend rides on a new set of(heavily discounted)E2's,and loves them.To their credit,the Cooks are very attractive and stiff cranks,and are backed by excellent customer service(kudos),but after all the grief these cranks gave me,I'm not taking chances.I'm strictly a Shimano customer.
Submitted by
Bicky
a Cross Country Rider
from montana
Date Reviewed: August 6, 2001
Strengths: beautiful and stiff
Weaknesses: broke
Bottom Line:
I bought these in '97 and loved them. I was under growing suspicion that they would need to be replaced soon. Well my suspicions are confirmed as of today. The left arm snapped off about one inch above the pedal. I heard and felt it snapp and I crashed hard. My pedal along with part of the crank was lying on the ground about ten feet from me. Over-all, considering their light weight, my excessive weight, and repeated beatings against rocks at high speed does justify the breakage and 4 years is a long time for any aluminum crank.
Submitted by
Patchito
a Cross Country Rider
from Costa Mesa, CA....USA
Date Reviewed: June 25, 2001
Strengths: -light -stiff -polished silver looks really boss
Weaknesses: the E Cranks I bought aren't compatible with splined bottom brackets
Bottom Line:
A friend at a bike shop who noticed these cranks and commented, saying something to the effect, "you haven't had a bunch of problems with these have you? I heard they break all the time. I think they were even recalled." A perfect illustrating testament on the ability of anecdotal information to root, take hold, and spread.
If my E cranks have a propensity for breakage, hey, that's news to me. I bought my E Cranks in August of 95...that goes back a while. Since that time I've raced xc(and am racing on them again this year), gone on countless hairy technical rides, and even took an epic 2000 mile bike tour down the Pacific Coast from Vancouver BC back home to Southern California that took six weeks and spanned inumerable hills. If I couldn't break these thinks lugging a 100lb fully loaded touring bike uphill all day for six weeks, I don't know how you break 'em.
Whenever you read a negative review, it invariably always begins like this...."Yo man, I did this gnarly 20 foot drop and, I don't know, they just broke! Man, what pieces of s*$t, 'n' stuff! These slack jawed, multi tattooed and multi pierced, functionally illiterate yahoos should not be allowed to breed, let alone ride with light weight, xc designed equipment.
Submitted by
steve doe
a Cross Country Rider
from santa rosa ca, usa
Date Reviewed: June 8, 2001
Bottom Line:
these cranks are as stiff as a morning wood. yeah the finish does wear off but i'm not too picky about that kind of thing anyway. they where pretty spendy but they're a kick ass set of cranks.
Submitted by
Adnrew
a Cross Country Rider
from baltimore
Date Reviewed: April 10, 2001
Strengths: light & stiff, beutiful look.
Weaknesses: none really, weak warranty compared to others(raceface).
Bottom Line:
very light, pretty stiff, took me four and a half years to break an inner chain ring bolt threaded tower(???). Loved them up til then, tried to get a warrenty for defect in materials, I called twice and they gave me two different length warranty lengths. 1 year, adn 18 monthes? They should get there stories straight. Replaced them with a pair of raceface, broke them in 6 months, if their lifetime warranty doesn't come through, I'm buying a new set of Cook Bros. again.
Submitted by
Brendan
a Cross Country Rider
from Haines falls
Date Reviewed: March 15, 2001
Strengths: I have used them for 5 years with no problem.
Weaknesses: On year 6 they snaped
Bottom Line:
I did brake these cranks but it took 5 years to do it. I liked them so much that I got a new set. They look great and are verry stif. If you ride DH/Freeride go for the F but it XC is your game use the E its a great crank.
Bike Setup: Was on a STS With a X-vert R. Now on a I-Drive with Psylo.
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Submitted by
E
a Cross Country Rider
from South Bay, Los Gatos
Date Reviewed: March 7, 2000
Strengths: Looks, Weight, Stiffness
Weaknesses: Read on and you'll see
Bottom Line:
I spent a great deal of time and money on my new bike. Three rides later I ripped the pedal out of the non drive crank after landing from a jump. First off the jump was not that big, and second, I only weigh 145lbs. I would think the cranks would be able to withstand more abuse than that. The result was that the outer threads were ripped out (stripped). My local bike shop said they could rethread. I called Cooks to see what my options are. Their customer service is great. They said that I could send back the cranks if I chose to but wouldn't be gaurenteed a replacement and was also informed that if the bike shop rethreaded the crank that it WOULD NOT void the warranty. They also said that if that didn't work I could send it back and would be sold a left hand side crank only at 25% off. I feel that is pretty fair. Besides, there is a real, real good chance that the pedal had backed its way out before I landed that jump. Disapointing event but I'm impressed with how Cooks has handled the situation. Four chilis just for customer service, it goes a long way.
Submitted by
Justin Kuo
a Cross-Country Rider
from Lithonia, GA
Date Reviewed: November 29, 1999
Strengths: I've had these cranks for almost three years and it's time for me to retire them. They reliably held me through two race seasons without failure but they've reached the end of their useful life because the drive side has a tendency to loosen now and they don't sit at 180 degrees anymore. I would have replaced them long ago with another pair of E cranks but the last set my local REI had didn't have a fully threaded hole for the spider to thread in with.
Weaknesses: The chainring bolt under the crank arm is hard to tighten without removing the crank from the bike. Also the anodizing wears off.
Bottom Line:
The cranks have outlasted any other cranks I have owned and they've looked better too. My LTS setup has the crank running extremely close to the chainstay so rubbing occurs when I crank hard. I'm probably going to get a set of Raceface since I can't find anyone that still sells these around here. They're good cranks, just install them properly.
Similar Products Used: Sugino, Shimano XT, Shimano LX, Sakai
Bike Setup: Zaskar LE and LTS 2
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Submitted by
QP
a Cross-Country Rider
from Mill Valley, Ca
Date Reviewed: September 13, 1999
Strengths: I've had these for over 3 years they are still going strong. They are light and stiff..and pretty cool looking. Anodized parts will not look new forever! Get over the finish wearing off.
Weaknesses: The only weakness these cranks have is user error.
Bottom Line:
Between me and my 4 riding buddies we have 6 sets of cook cranks, we ride hard the cranks are still going strong. Had two warranty issues, one was my brother over tightening the bolts that hold the spider on, his fault. I've replaced my chainrings not my cranks. I'd get these again. By the way nothing shifts like Shimano rings, you can blame the cranks for bad shifting. My reals shift pretty darn sweet.....and they last! Oh yeah while I'm at it the creaking is usually the bottom bracket or you frame. Properly installed these cranks are very silent.
