Submitted by
lnter1908
a Cross Country Rider
from Malta (Europe)
Date Reviewed: June 7, 2011
Strengths: lightness
Weaknesses: non
Bottom Line:
I got this crankset on my Trek 8000. Its my first hollow crankset so i cant compare this crankset with other hollow set models but i can say that between this and the deore model there is lightyear ! i highly recommend this crankset
Submitted by
mtbfan2
a Weekend Warrior
from Redmond
Date Reviewed: April 17, 2011
Strengths: None.
Weaknesses: Everything. This crankset was better than the OEM crankset(40 dollar FSA internal) I had in that you could feel the power of your legs transfer through your bike into actual power..wooopty doo..after 1 week this product creaked literally up any little hill, I tried over tightening, over lubing, over cleaning and had absolutely no luck. If your an MTBer who can handle a very basic jump and your not a fat sal who thinks he/she wants to try something new to lose weight I recommend never buying this product.
Submitted by
jeffrey j
a Weekend Warrior
from Jacksonville, FL, USA
Date Reviewed: November 17, 2010
Strengths: Cranks are light, stiff, and strong. Look great too IMO!
Weaknesses: Finish gets kind of messed up easily. No biggie though...
Bottom Line:
Took the stock SLX cranks off the bike and put these on. Was surprised to find them even stiffer and better at transferring power to the rear wheel than the SLX. Definitely worth the small price difference (plus I already had the cranks so no outlay of $ to me!).
Would certainly get the 10 speed set up if I was starting from scratch, just can't justify on this bike changing everything over (have a 2011 Specialized Epic 29er with SRAM 10 speed and it is a nice setup).
Submitted by
XSL_WiLL
a Weekend Warrior
from Naperville, IL, USA
Date Reviewed: June 4, 2009
Bottom Line:
Well, I can't offer any insight to the longevity or shifting of the rings since I am using the crank as a single ring.
But I can say that the cranks are fantastic. I've always been a fan of the crank/spindle interface that Shimano uses. The bearing preloaded can be adjusted, and then the pinch bolts are torqued down. The spindle won't wear out and constantly come loose or make noise.
Though you should use a torque wrench to tighten the pinch bolts. Too much torque could distort the interface and cause the cranks to loosen.
The bottom bracket is good. Make sure the shell is faced and chased. Do not crank down on the little end cap on the spindle. Only snug it up so that all the play is removed from the system.
I am not using the arms for their intended purpose. I ride dirt jump, street, slalom, etc. And they have held up beautifully. I was worried about the lack of a pedal insert, but I figured that I could always insert a helicoil if I snagged a pedal hard enough to destroy the threads.
These cranks are great for XC and AM riders. And I would recommend them to smoother or lighter gravity riders as well.
Similar Products Used: Shimaro deore, FSA power drive
Bike Setup: Giant Anthem X1, full xt/xtr, rockshox team, rp2, avix elixir R 160/160...
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
strglide
a Cross Country Rider
from Long Island, NY
Date Reviewed: April 4, 2009
Strengths: Stiff, strong and lightweight. Two-piece design means there is less chance of it loosening up. External bottom bracket is wider than the ISIS BB I replaced which adds to stability and strength. Looks cool!
Weaknesses: Haven't found any yet.
Bottom Line:
This has been a very nice upgrade to my bike. It now seems to accellerate and climb easier, probably due to the overall strength of the crankset. I would highly recommend this crankset. Shimano's SLX appears to be the same but has a steel granny gear instead of the XT's alloy granny gear.
Similar Products Used: Shimano Deore cranks and older XT 3 piece cranks.
Bike Setup: Specialized Epic
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
fast_ticket
a Cross Country Rider
from Monterey, CA
Date Reviewed: January 9, 2009
Strengths: Strong, light, nice machining, it works
Weaknesses: Installation directions - check with your frame builder
Bottom Line:
It was time for an upgrade and I ended up skipping over the Isis phaze. For years I used Raceface Turbines, but the reviews on mtbr cause me to shy away from the Deus. The new outboard bearing & oversized spindle made sense to me and looks to be the new industry standard. The new design is easy to maintain (as long as u have the correct tools). Caution: check with your frame manufacture about install. Shimano recommends putting the bearing/cup spacer on the drive side. On the Salt this creates a lot of cross over in the larger cogs (easier gears) putting more lateral strain on the chain. This creates noise/shifting/wear issues. After confiring with Sherwood at Ventana, I put the spacer on the non-drive side and voila no issues.
Similar Products Used: None, other than older Shimano & Raceface tapers
Bike Setup: Ventana El Saltamontes, Fox F Series, Juicy's, Mavic Crosstrail, XT everything else
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Erik Kaziska
a Weekend Warrior
from South Carolina
Date Reviewed: December 31, 2008
Strengths: Made outside of America!!! Proves that other country's are doing it right and using their heads...more thought, passion, and expertise put into this design.
Weaknesses: Middle business level Americans adding 300 percent markup on price to line pockets. Find your own outsource provider and buy this item new for $40. This is still 10X more than the laborers get paid to make it.
Bottom Line:
Save your money and buy into a political position! According to our US capitalist mindset, the environment can wait for the next generation...build it bigger, waste more and use it up quickly before someone else gets their grubby paws on it...
Oh yea, on a conservative Blond perspective... "It's pretty and shiny!"
PS: I really doubt this will get posted, nobody wants to share insulting, political humor!!!!
Similar Products Used: Others that turn a chain...
Bike Setup: Two wheels, seat, handle-bars, pedals etc...
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
ieatfood
a Weekend Warrior
from nashville, tn, usa
Date Reviewed: August 10, 2008
Strengths: strong, lightweight.
Weaknesses: none found
Bottom Line:
i used these cranks in new zealand on many all mountain/freeride trails and they held up just fine. i did not have one problem with them. they are super stiff, light weight, and pretty good looking as well.
Submitted by
Swift Rider
a Cross Country Rider
from CA, USA
Date Reviewed: May 29, 2008
Strengths: power transfer is seamless, cranks are smooth and do not harm your shins if you crash, angle of crank arms puts them out of the way of your feet, lightweight
Weaknesses: third chain ring is useless (as always), polished aluminum wears easily so surface scratches are easily visible, easy to dent
Bottom Line:
Get this if you only do XC. These cranks are not suited for DH, you need something stronger. They are very lightweight and responsive for transferring power to the chain.
Bike Setup: Merida Sub 60 Hardtail, Syncros rims / DT Swiss spokes / XT Hubs, XT gruppo, Maxxis crossmark tires
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Aaron Martin
a Cross Country Rider
from Escondido
Date Reviewed: May 8, 2008
Strengths: Light, Stiff, durable finish, easy to setup.
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
At this price point they are unbeatable with regard to durability and performance. Shimanos chainrings shift quicker and smoother than most others. They can be had really cheap on Ebay and at performance when you catch a sale. Shimano has finally made a more durable finish and moved the logo to a position where it is not worn off by your shoes. unlike the older XTR they don't look like they have a million miles on them after a few rides. Installation and initial setup was very easy just make sure you follow the instructions and torque the bolts right. I have found the chainring to be very durable. I have bashed it into a rock and a log without bending it and I have hit one rock hard enough to bend my pedal spindle with no damage to the crank.
Similar Products Used: Race face deus, older shimano xt and XTR
Bike Setup: Turner Flux, Salsa Dos Niner
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Rome
a Weekend Warrior
from Yigo Guam
Date Reviewed: March 22, 2008
Strengths: Light weight; well built; well finished
Weaknesses: Takes a little more work to install. Getting you bottom bracket shell faced made add to the cost, do it or you will be replacing you bearings sooner than later.
Bottom Line:
This crank is awesome. It may not make me much faster as far as the massive weight savings go, but with this set up the shifting has been flawless even with five pounds of Guam's famous red mud caked on my bike (Alabama clay has nothing on this stuff, it eats the wax off your car!). The price of this crank included bottom bracket shell facing, installation, and a new front derailleur. Even though I recreationally race I am careful not to beat my bike around. This Crank is made for light weight/racing applications and will hold up to the rigors of race conditions but will not suffer abuse from a hard rider. Bottom line; If you take care of your stuff this crank will be good for you. If you like to bounce your bike from rock to rock with no regard for your rig, this crank not is for you.
Similar Products Used: Stock Shimano crank that came on the bike.
Bike Setup: Stock '04 Fisher Marlin with the following upgrades; LX M580 shifters, XT M770 crankset, XT M770 front derailleur, XT M760 cassette, HG93 chain
