New XTR features the Hollowtech II® crankset that integrates the bottom bracket and crankset into a single unit. This design reduces the number of parts, significantly cuts down weight, and increases rigidity. The crank is 80-grams lighter than the M950 series crank and bottom bracket combination. The new Hollowtech II® design allows the bottom bracket bearings to be spaced more widely.
Submitted by
cjk133
a Cross Country Rider
from state college, PA
Date Reviewed: July 21, 2009
Strengths: light, pretty, easy in and out for maintenance.
Weaknesses: lasted less than 2000 miles
Bottom Line:
After an estimated 500 hours and 2 BB bearing replacements, the crank spindle exploded while pedaling hard. I weigh 170 lbs and I do not have a remarkable history of component breakage. Coupled with the extreme price of chainrings available for these things, these cranks should not be considered as an option: Fortunately they are now discontinued. These cranks are part of one of the worst grouppos shimano has released.
Submitted by
navid
a Cross Country Rider
from Saopaulo Brazil
Date Reviewed: January 3, 2009
Strengths: Light and strong and look good too. I can't even imagine how those guys at shimano can hollowcast this beautifuly. No a sign of CNC mill anywhere except the screw holes. Is this art?!
Weaknesses: The replacement chain rings are expensive and I am not sure for how long they will keep manufacturing them just for those few of us who do not want to replace their old XTRs for new ones.
Bottom Line:
Has a good and positive shift feel with a SRAM chain (990), however not as smooth as that of Shimano I used before. Had the chain rings replaced twice already (at the cost of an arm and a leg). Each time I was tempted to just forget about the rings and buy a XT or a Raceface Evolve or something. But these are the best cranks I have used and are just light enough for you not to regret buying them.
I also think with the SRAM chain, the rings seem to wear a bit faster, But not sure yet.
Similar Products Used: Race Face Deus, Evolve, and an old, beat up LX.
Bike Setup: XTR crank with SRAM chain and sprokets. X9 rear and Xt front.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Zachariah
a Cross Country Rider
from Palm Desert, California USA
Date Reviewed: October 23, 2008
Strengths: Light, looks very bling, easy to install, high resale value.
Weaknesses: Finish scratches too easy.
Bottom Line:
The XTR M960 crankset is almost too easy, to install. They are very stiff, and you will notice that on the very first turn of the cranks.
I got these because I was not able to use Cannondales' uber-light(620 gram + BB) Hollowgram Si BB30 crankset(need BB30-compatible frameset for that = $2,500+!!!). They work absolutely beautiful for light XC trail riding. Once you come across highly-technical obstacles and steep jumps- you will have problems. The all aluminum chainrings are NOT designed for being bashed around at all. The hollow BB spindle will warp, if you huck around 5 foot drops. If you can simply remember that lightweight bike parts are INCOMPATIBLE for Freeride/Dirt Jump/Downhill.....you will never be dissappointed.
I got mine second-hand, and still paid a premium for them! But they are well worth it, if you ride XC and light All-Mountain. You can mash the cranks all you want uphills, and the chainrings will still deliver. Until SRAM comes out with a better competing MTB crankset......I'm afraid Shimano XTR is still the king!
Favorite Trail: Hurkey Creek Park(24Hrs/Adrenalin Course)
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At: eBay
Similar Products Used: Shimano Deore M542 Hollowtech II, Race Face Diabolus.
Bike Setup: 19-pound Cannondale XC hardtail
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
smmcpherron
a Cross Country Rider
from Sandy, utah, USA
Date Reviewed: June 26, 2008
Strengths: Light, Strong, Durable. I weigh 205 lbs and I bought this in 2003 when they 1st came out. I have done quite a bit of riding, and they have worked great with no issues. I just had them installed in a new bike, and the bearings are still good, but, I did finally buy a new middle and small chain ring.
Weaknesses: they are beautiful when new, but, scratch up pretty good.
Weaknesses: rings are weak and shimano replacements are way too high
Bottom Line:
The rings wear quickly, at least the middle rings. Other than that, such a nice crankset. I roached two Shimano center rings fairly fast (3 months) on both my cranksets. Been using some Blackspire Super Pro for about 3 months and they seem to be holding up alot better.
Hands down the best cranks on the market. Worth the extra money (if any). Stiff, look good, lightweight. Function as a $250+ pair of cranks should. You can buy the M960 (older version) for the same price as most of the competitors top of the line models. Do yourself a big favor and do not stray from Shimano or you will be asking for trouble. I replaced a shoddy pair of Race Face Dues cranks with the M960 XTR and could not be happier. The Race Face never worked properly from day one and the Shimano XTR's have worked perfectly from the very beginning.
I've had my bike for 14 months, including a brutal winter that saw my bike shelved for several months, and i'm on the third set of chainrings. Those things are not inexpensive to replace.
My outboard bearings were completely shot, too, and had to be replaced.
I really do like this crankset's performance when everything is functioning, but it's turning into a money pit.
Submitted by
Phantomtracer
a Cross Country Rider
from Philly, PA
Date Reviewed: June 21, 2007
Strengths: Weight, Shifting, Design, High Quality
Weaknesses: None yet
Bottom Line:
I have put sever hundred miles on this crankset and have not had to adjust it once. It spins as smooth as the first day I put it on. I can't say the same for the Race Face that I used for a few seasons. I'm not sure why these have such a low score. Compared to the Race Face this crankset is AWESOME. I guess they are stiff, I really cannot tell. No complaints, just smiles. 5 chilis for value at the great price I bought them for.
Strengths: light, strong, durable and I think it is much easier to service the external bearing style cranks than the old style.
Weaknesses: I would complain about the weak finish but its a Mt Bike drive chain part. Your a nut if you expect it to stay perfect.
Bottom Line:
I was really concerned about installing this crankset, considering what the rest of the folks here had to say. I'm a 6-4, 200lb, agressive trail rider and have trashed many lesser cranks. After thinking it through, I decided to take a chace on the 960 as the 2007 models were too high. So far, so good! I'm careful to clean my bike well, especially the drivechain, after every ride. I will completely tear down the drive chain after muddy rides or every couple of weeks. I never wash my bike with a hose but use multiple sized brushes and damp shop rags instead. I was very mindful of the chain line when setting it up. The combination of these things has allowed almost no sign of visible wear (other than the pewter colored finish of the arm) after 6 months of hard bashing. The BB is still smooth as the 1st day it was installed. For me, propper instillation, regular maintenance and smart cleaning techniques have proven this to be a 1st class crankset.
Bike Setup: custom litespeed with a bunch of pricey parts hanging off it
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Submitted by
Scott
a Weekend Warrior
from Knoxville, TN
Date Reviewed: January 19, 2007
Strengths: This is one light crankset that looks sharp on the bike. Performance is great very stiff and spins like butter. If you have high end XC or All Mtn setup you can get a pretty good deal on these now.
Weaknesses: Chain rings are made out of tin or something not quite as hard. Mine looked lke they had been through a shredder after about 6 months of mostly singletrack riding. I noticed that the drive train would ghost shift when climbing in a lowere gear. Now granted I am no lightweight but my last bike had XT and zero issues with the chain rings. I also lube my chain at least every other ride and change it twice a year. I also use a park chain cleaner whenever the drive train starts to get dirty... SO bottom line it aint a maintenance issue
Bottom Line:
Well.... After you trash the stock chain rings which won't take long order you a set of Blackspire chain rings and you will be set. The difference in quality between the Blackspire and stock XTR rings is night and day and the Blackspires are about half the price...
Bike Setup: Ellsworth Epiphany, Rockshock Pike 454 dual, Fox RP23, Mavic Crossmax UST, SRAM XO w/Twist Grip Shifters, SRAM 990 Cassett w/991 chain, Formula Puro DIsk (200 MM front - 180 rear), Kore IBeam Seat Post/Seat, Maxis UST Tires
I've since moved to Denver. The rides have gotten longer and more technical. I have demanded more of my bike and the XTR setup then ever. I'm happy to report that everything still performs admirably. There have been no problems whatsoever with this 2004 XTR setup. The shifts are still smooth and crisp. The crank arms still feel solid and flex-free. XTR has really lived up the hype for me. Solid cranks through and through.
Bike Setup: Full XTR drive train and brakes on 4.5" dual sus mtn bike
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Submitted by
Chris O
a Weekend Warrior
from Brookline
Date Reviewed: December 7, 2006
Strengths: stiff, light and pretty
Weaknesses: none yet, and so far no chainsuck
Bottom Line:
These are very sharp looking cranks with a really cool design. Oh, yeah, they work great, too; they're very stiff and very responsive. But if you’re trying to decide between these and XT, save your money. My old 952’s were totally worth the premium because they had the bigger chain rings I prefer; I always thought that the micro drive rings spec'ed in the past on everything up to XT were cheesy. Now that XT and XTR have the same gearing and bottom bracket design, the performance difference, whatever it is, probably isn’t worth the price increase. But I love these and have had no problems with them after one season. If you're going to drop the kind of cash these babies require, be sure to get them installed right.
Submitted by
Dan
a Cross Country Rider
from Adelaide, Australia
Date Reviewed: November 18, 2006
Strengths: Stiff, and of course... **BLING!**
Weaknesses: chainrings wear out quickly
Bottom Line:
Nice cranks. The most expensive, coolest and by far the tightest/snappiest I've tried yet. Light too. Pity the chainrings are made of cheese. If I remember correctly, I think the 'dudes' at my LBS said Blackspire make a superior aftermarket replacement, so I'll be looking out for them.
Bike Setup: Heckler, 36's, X.0 (gripshift is back!)
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Glen
a Weekend Warrior
from Lower Hutt, New Zealand
Date Reviewed: May 8, 2006
Strengths: Look superb! Super stiff, shift perfectly everytime! Super light
Weaknesses: The finish tends to scratch easy, but hey, who cares?
Bottom Line:
Basicly all the people who have had problems, most likley, haven't spent the time to set these cranks up properly. First of all you NEED to get your bb shell faced! Also the chain line needs to set up correctly. The bolts need to be tightened to the specified torqe, i tend go a little bit tighter, but only slightly. I'm a big guy, on the wrong side of 100kgs, and i ride agresivly, and i've had no problems. yes, the chain rings are expensive, but what do expect when buying XTR?
To sum up, these cranks are brillant. If you can afford them, buy them. But make sure you get a decent mechanic to install them and get the BB faced!
