FSA Afterburner MegaExo 22-32-44 175 Gray Crankset: FSA Afterburner Crank/Bottom Bracket Set features hollow forged crankarms resulting in superior strength and stiffness and a higher strength-to-weight ratio compared to solid arms.
Good cranks, nothing special. Could be lighter, but good overall for what they are and the price. No chainsuck issues at all. I have the 2011 Dynasys version (24/32/42). The design makes it a little harder to clean the teeth on the non-big rings than others but no big deal really.
Similar Products Used: XT crankset, Shimano Hollowtech
Bike Setup: 2008 Orbea Alma 29er
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
chucko58
a Cross Country Rider
from Silicon Valley, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: December 12, 2009
Strengths: Durable. No shifting issues. No play in crank when properly (re)installed. Good availability of overhaul parts from FSA.
Weaknesses: Granny ring wore out after a year and a half, causing major chain suck in damp conditions - what do you expect from aluminum? Crank arms scuff easily.
Bottom Line:
Get a steel granny ring when the original wears out, don't look at the crank arms too closely, and ride the Afterburner into the sunset.
Submitted by
Cyco-Dude
a Cross Country Rider
from Dayton, OH, USA
Date Reviewed: September 5, 2009
Strengths: shifts fine
neat looking chainrings
crank has never given me any problems
Weaknesses: heavy
expensive
scuffs easily
Bottom Line:
overall, these are decent cranks, but i probably would've gotten something else if i had to do it over. the cranks i got weighed in at 980 grams, which makes them heavier than shimano lx. together with the high price tag (almost as much as shimano xt), you could do better.
also, you need to periodically check the crank arm, as it has a tendency to come loose over time.
Similar Products Used: RaceFace Deuss, Shimano LX, Shimano XT
Bike Setup: Kona Leroi. XTR front and rear
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Submitted by
lesoudeur
a Cross Country Rider
from UK
Date Reviewed: September 26, 2008
Strengths: Ease of installation (though frame bb shell had been machined), stiffness, smooth bearings, now have decent allen key chainring bolts (instead of torx), value at price paid
Weaknesses: A little heavier than some competitors and 100 gms more than taper set up (FSA Ultimax titanium) but really none so far, but the overall design of external bearings makes chainline adjustment very restricted
Bottom Line:
Strong, smooth and easy to install. If bearings last then I will be happy with this set up. Nearly did not buy FSA as previous Ultimax Ti BB bearing failed prematurely and they are NOT user replaceable.
Strengths: Looks cool, Fairly Light, Strong, Durable, Precise, could be used for some FRing
Weaknesses: Color wears off quickly.
Bottom Line:
I bought this crankset as an upgrade to Shimano Alivio. What can I say? The difference between the two is like day and night. FSA Afterburner Megaexo does what its meant to do, without a question. Cranks stay tight, bearings dont make any sound. I'm doing 4 feet to flat with these, they look strong so far. I'm 170 lbs and I'll be using them for some freeriding this summer.
Aside from those, color on crankarms wears off quickly. Because it looked kinda bad, I removed all the color with a color remover :) Now they look super sexy (the outer chainring desing and color adds to this sexyness).
Strengths: Very smooth shifting, not too heavy, not much flex, splined so not as prone to creaking as tapered. Looks OK too.
Weaknesses: The black finish wears off easily.
Bottom Line:
Fitted after the supplied square taper BB and Shimano M440 cranks finally gave up, the Afterburner made a huge difference in performance. Shifting is much more immediate and far smoother. They are also noticeably stiffer than then old Shimano cranks (but then they are 4 times the price).
The black finish on the crank arms quickly wore off where my shoes rub so it looks a bit scruffy but the chainrings themselves remain neat and still have all their teeth despite some close encounters with logs etc. They aren't showing any significant signs of wear yet either and shifting performance remains good.
The supplied Mega-Exo bottom bracket was easy enough to install but be careful not to over-tighten or the spacers could easily buckle.
Use of a pressure washer has been careful for fear of forcing muck through the seals but they've been through a dusty summer and muddy winter, totalling 700 - 800 miles, and survived without problem (so far).
For the price, I am more than happy with them, and they're even cheaper now than when I bought them making them better value.
Similar Products Used: Shimano M440 (square tapered), Bontrager Race GXP.
Bike Setup: Giant XTC 850, Reba Team fork, Giant MPH discs, Easton EC70 CNT bars, Sumo titanium post.
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Value Rating:
Submitted by
Richard
a Cross Country Rider
from Canada
Date Reviewed: July 22, 2006
Strengths: Very strong, durable. By moving the bearing to the outside of the frame it has taken the flex out of bottom bracket. They shift extremly smooth. The come with aluminum chainring bolts to reduce weight. but why are they torx?
Weaknesses: None so far.
Bottom Line:
This is an exellent crankset for the money. When you install these make sure you leave a very small gap between the left crank arm and the bearing spacer. If you try to make it snug you will place too much preasure on the bearings and they will make a snaping sound. By backing off the left arm they run perfectly quiet and will perform great. They also include washers that go between the crank arm and the pedals. This will stop the pedals from cutting into the aluminum crank arms. This crankset is intended for XC riding and not freeride or downhill.
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