Strengths: Strong and stiff. Shifts very well. Looks great on my bike. Price was great because I bought it during a sale.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
This crank has been a nice change of pace for my bike and my wallet. For a long time I was running XT level products on my bike for the durability and performance, but it was costly to replace for a rider on my budget. At first I was like, "what is going on with this odd middle child groupset". After using the products on my 29er and riding it all over the mountains in WV, NC and pounding our local trails in VA I can say I'm stoked. I love Shimano's trickle down concept. You can see the XT and XTR pedigree in this crank and the other products. If you are a budget rider/racer or want a nice crank to upgrade your ride this is an awesome place to start.
Submitted by
frdfandc
a Cross Country Rider
from Elkton, MD USA
Date Reviewed: June 21, 2011
Strengths: Good looks, nice weight, only 40 grams heavier than the XT due to the steel inner chainring. Stiff and strong, has classic Shimano crank shifting - smooth and precise
Bottom Line:
This is one of the best cranks on the market. Being in the bicycle industry (not a Shimano employee), this crank from Shimano puts other manufacturers on notice. Great price, great looks, good weight. Switch out the chain rings and its lighter than XT. I've put over 500 miles on this piece and has not given me an ounce of trouble.
I recently switched out the standard triple setup for a 26/36/bash setup and I am thoroughly enjoying it. I think the only crank that Shimano makes that looks better than the SLX is the XTR, but you can't beat the price of the SLX.
Unless XT gets a huge design change looks wise, the SLX will be my go to crank on my next build.
Bike Setup: 2009 Giant Rincon
-Crankset Shimano SLX FC-M660
-Eastern neon blue bearclaw pedals
-Mavic ex721 rims, Blue :)
-the rest is currently all stock
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
nickav21
a Cross Country Rider
from Bartlett, TN, USA
Date Reviewed: January 21, 2011
Strengths: Very stiff, really nice looking, very light, cheap!
Weaknesses: Not as light as XTR?
Bottom Line:
I picked this crankset up on eBay for dirt cheap brand new. I figured it would suit my needs, but had no idea it would go above and beyond what I was expecting! It is very light. Light enough to really make you question shelling out the extra $$$ to jump up to XT. I really can't think of anything bad to say about this crankset. It's really just the best price:weight:performance ratio on the market! Only giving it 4 chilis for overall, because of course there are better cranksets out there if you got another $200 to drop!
Bike Setup: 1x9 drivetrain, bunch of other stuff, but doesn't matter
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
funnyjr
a Weekend Warrior
from canada
Date Reviewed: September 7, 2010
Strengths: light/well designed. shifts superb. couldnt ask for a better crankset at this price.
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
I dont see why anyone would get a XT when this SLX one does the same job and is only a few grams heavier. Looks better than XT because its styled more like the XTR. Its like the younger brother of XTR. I want to change my SLX crank to a double and use it with a 2 x 10 set up.
Bike Setup: Kona Hei Hei 29er, Tora Soloair 100mm, Shimano HG-61 cassette
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
charvey9
a Weekend Warrior
from Beaverton, OR, USA
Date Reviewed: May 22, 2010
Strengths: Price, performance, stiffness, style.
Weaknesses: No performance weaknesses. Would be nice if it had a removable bearing seal for maintenance like the XT cranks.
Bottom Line:
After being out of biking for around a decade, this was my first Hollowtech II type crank. I was delighted at how easy these are to install during my bike build. Since I ride in some very muddy conditions I have also got in the habit of taking my crank arms and chain rings off for inspection/cleaning every month and am very impressed with the wear and ease of removing and reinstalling the crankset. I do wish the bottom bracket had a removable seal like the XT cranks so you could easily service the BB bearings. As far as performance goes, this crank is great. I use it on my XC hardtail and FS all mountain bike. Although I am a light rider at 5'11" 170, I often find myself riding in difficult conditions and prefer the strength and durability over the weight savings. Styling is nice too. The satin black finish looks great on any bike, is very durable, and will stay looking good for a long time. Bottom line is that you will not find a better crankset for the money.
For the price nothing else compares. I was very close to just dropping the coin on XTR, then I saw the sale price from Blue Sky, read a few reviews and went for it. Maybe someday I'll drop the extra $300.00 on XTR to save that precious 115 grams, but for now I couldn't be happier.
Dead reliable and stiff. Look great and the bottom bracket is super smooth. Shifting has been spot on with no dropped chains when dumping to the granny. I dig.
Submitted by
stephenoraw
a Weekend Warrior
from Johannesburg, South Africa
Date Reviewed: February 17, 2010
Strengths: Price, Stiffness, har wearing finish
Weaknesses: None - maybe weight if you are overly concerned
Bottom Line:
I had these on my Niner for 7 months and they still look brand new - they have worn much better than the XT and XTR kit on my other bikes. I swapped the SLX cranks for the stock M542 that my Specialized came with after one ride - they are waaaay better than the stock cranks. I rate them higher than my XT. The proof of the pudding - I had a choice of putting XTR, XT or SLX cranks from my other bikes onto the Spesh and I chose the SLX. In my view, the SLX cranks will make the XT's obsolete.
Bike Setup: Spesh Epic 29er Comp, Rock Shox Reba 29, Shiman0/Dt Swiss Wheels, Avid Elixir Brakes 7 X9 rear D/shifters.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
myke2241
a Cross Country Rider
from minneapolis, MN, USA
Date Reviewed: February 5, 2010
Strengths: Looks good, strong, light for the price, price.
Weaknesses: Chainrings and bolts
Bottom Line:
Dont think there is a better crank on the market for the price. The SLX is a very strong reliable crankset. Great for XC and All Mountain riding. the only short coming this crankset has is the rings and bolts. i switch the rings out with Blackspire rings and lighter bolts.
Strengths: Well built, strong, good design, smooth shifting, trustworthy.
Weaknesses: Can´t see any weakness, but weight weenies may collaps.
Bottom Line:
A racer recommended me this crankset. At first I was sceptical about a combo of high end parts and this one, but I gave it a try. Good choice! If your bike is already light enough, your wheel set is low in rotating mass and your body weight is good (´cause you´re in a good shape), why not?
Bike Setup: 2008 Trance 2. SLX cranks, SRAM X.9 grippers and rear der. other wise pretty much stock.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Morpheus239
a Weekend Warrior
from Glendale Hts, IL
Date Reviewed: May 25, 2009
Strengths: Strong. Much lighter than the cranks that came with my bike and STRONG!.
Weaknesses: Some will say the weight but I will nothing
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is that these are strong! I am just getting into the whole MTB thing again after almost 15 years. I bought and entry level Diamondback and have been upgrading it for almost a year. These cranks rock for the price. I am a heavy rider at 200 lbs and I care about strength more than weight because I like to jump. With these you will find the best of both worlds. They are not XC race light but they are All Mountain bike strong. I might be looking for a new frame but I am NOT looking for new cranks!!
Hello,
I am currently going from an 8spd to a 9spd. I am trying to decide on which crank to get. I only do recreational XC on my bike and nothing else. I am a masher and weigh 1 Read More »
Hi,
Well.. Obviously the latter is better, I can get the Deore M590 for almost half price and I'm wondering if the SLX is good enough to pay twice as much.
As far as I've see Read More »
I keep reading that this crank is as stiff and weights almost the same as xt with a ring swap.
I run 1x9 and am looking for a better crank than my firex. Read More »
I have an SLX FC-M665 double ring crank 36-22T bash 9 speed
[IMG]http://i853.photobucket.com/albums/ab92/bendik55/m665crank.jpg[/IMG]
I have been looking for an SLX FD-M665 9 spe Read More »
