Submitted by
Timur_j
a Weekend Warrior
from Almaty, Kazakhstan Date Reviewed: March 12, 2010
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
lbs
Strengths:
Cheap, light, nice look
Weaknesses:
BB fail after one ride in rain,
crank anod-layer corrosion after winter riding.
Similar Products Used:
Stylo-isis, Shimano LX octalink
Bike Setup:
Ti-rigid SS
Bottom Line:
Good choice for the money.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jSatch
a Weekend Warrior
from SoCal Date Reviewed: June 26, 2008
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
BicycleWarehouse
Strengths:
Strong rings, smooth shifts, take abuse and still pretty light.
Warrantee!!
Weaknesses:
after 2 years the chrome on the rings was peeling off
Similar Products Used:
shimano
Bike Setup:
SC Heckler
Bottom Line:
Already posted for this when new, but regarding TruVativ warrantee:
Had this on my old Spec Stumpy XC Pro and mercilessly wore down the drivetrain. Frame welds gave way so went with a new bike.
Built up a SC Heckler- new drivetrain, except the cranks. The rings were shot, but as the chrome on the rings was peeling off I took it into BicycleWarehouse to see what they could do for new rings. They contacted TruVativ and put on a brand spanking new set of rings. Cost- nada. NADA!! Still within the 2 year warrantee period. Way cool, and lookin' good too.
The bb was getting a little scratchy. Typical here in SoCal with all the very fine powder that lines all the trails (except after a rain- ha, ha). Almost 2 years is darn good. Got a new one for nearly half the price of a comparable Shimano XT bb.
I think TruVativ made a good choice when compromising weight vs strength on these cranks. No complaints.
Sweet all around.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Antonio
a
from Madrid(Spain) Date Reviewed: January 4, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Cercedilla
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$130.00
Purchased At:
ChainReaction
Strengths:
Nice, Lightweight, Cheap, and Strong
Weaknesses:
crank bolt kept coming out until i called truvativ and they said to put a couple of washers on the bolt. this solved the problem.
Bike Setup:
Lapierre X-Control 310 Norco Six 1
Bottom Line:
This as good as some shimano Xt but cheaper. I use the cranks with Qrings
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ribaldmanikin
a
from Edmonton, AB, CA Date Reviewed: August 1, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At:
River Valley Cycle
Strengths:
Stiff, improved shifting, lightweight.
Weaknesses:
Aluminum crank bolt. Sheared off at the beginning of a ride on a 4 day riding vacation, 2.5 hours from the nearest bike shop.
I've loved these cranks since the day they were installed. I've never been happier with cranks on any bike I've ridden. Having a trip ruined because of a cheap aluminum crank bolt sure made me rethink the love. I've replaced the bolt with a steel bolt. I'll take the weight penalty.
I'm not hard on my bikes, and spend as much time taking care of them as riding them. Everything is torqued according to specs.
This review is for Truvativ Stylo Team GXP crankset. I think they are 06's.
I'd give them a 5/5 if it wasn't for that cheap aluminum bolt. However, a $3 fix isn't going to hurt the rating. Just pick up an extra steel bolt for your camelback.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Russell
a Downhiller
from Boise, Idaho Date Reviewed: July 29, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Super-G
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$125.00
Purchased At:
www.blueskycycling.com
Strengths:
Lightweight, Cheap, and Strong
Weaknesses:
Left arm used to come loose a lot (but that was probably my fault for not tightening it)
What more can I say? These have not failed on me yet, and they have taken a ton of abuse.
BUY THEM
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
mnh
a Cross Country Rider
from San Jose, CA Date Reviewed: June 12, 2007
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
Jenson
Strengths:
affordable, smooth precise shifting. 2+ years of hard riding, crashes, log hits and still going strong.
Weaknesses:
crank arm finish wore quickly. Blue crank arms from ankle rub lost their finish within a couple of weeks.
Similar Products Used:
XTR, race face
Bike Setup:
97 superlight, xtr hubs, mavic 717 rims, monkey light, fox float 100 RLC, xt rapid fire, xt front/rear, stylo team crankset - blue crank arms
Bottom Line:
I bought these to replace a set of worn out xtr cranks. Originally I was going to replace the bike and just wanted a cheap crankset for the occasional ride. A couple years later I still haven't replaced the bike, it's just too much fun. The cranks have done really well, holding up to a fair amount of abuse.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Pablo
a Weekend Warrior
from Quito-Ecuador Date Reviewed: May 5, 2007
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Very stiff
Weaknesses:
In two years I changed the second ring once
Bike Setup:
Jamis Dakar comp fox float, XT shifters and rear derailleur, manitou black elite, XTR rims, monkey lite handlebar.
Bottom Line:
I made mainly cross cowntry an couple good races. And the last 8 months I started doing FR until my frame got broken. My crankset NEVER gave me problems, what else can I say?
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nicolas Le Clerc
a Weekend Warrior
from Singapore Date Reviewed: April 11, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Any
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Stiff, dependable Affordable
Weaknesses:
Not the lightest
Similar Products Used:
Truvativ Stylo carbon, Crank Bros Cobalt
Bike Setup:
Turner 5 Spot, Pike 454 air u-turn
Bottom Line:
I like these cranks. They used to be on my Flux. I temporarily retired them when my upgraded my Flux to the lighter Crank Bros Cobalt and I got the more recent Truvativ Stylo carbon cranks on my 5 Spot. However I hated the carbon Stylos from the first minute I rode them, I found them way too flexy. I pulled my older aluminium Stylo Team out of retirement and installed them on the 5 Spot where they fit perfectly: the right balance of stiffness, dependability and weight for a trail bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Russell
a Downhiller
from Boise Date Reviewed: January 19, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Super-G at Tamarack
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$125.00
Purchased At:
Blueskycycling
Strengths:
Cheap, Strong, light. Simple.
Weaknesses:
Chainrings are way soft. You need a bash and should buy new chainrings.
Similar Products Used:
Cheap truvativ cranks
Bike Setup:
Trek session 7.
Bottom Line:
I'm using these for downhill running 22/38/bash. They work great. No complaints at all. They don't have any play like my old ones did and feel very smooth. The one piece gxp is genious.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jSatch
a Cross Country Rider
from SoCal Date Reviewed: October 12, 2006
Favorite Trail:
the one leading to the pool
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
bicyclewarehouse (LBS)
Strengths:
smooth shifts strong rings stiff bb
Weaknesses:
they don't pedal for me
Similar Products Used:
the bendy junk they stocked on the XC bike
Bike Setup:
two wheels
Bottom Line:
a huge improvement over the junk that came on the bike (old stumpy fsr pro) they take a pounding up hill, and remain stiff with the external GXP bb. i can now beat the he** out of myself and not blame the bike for not making the hill rings a lot stronger than the stock junk- still true but this is still an XC design- not made for jumps :-( i have not had a problem with anything coming loose (newer 1 piece design, as mentioned by Foho), least not yet after reading some of the problems here i had it professionally installed and correctly torqued, just in case anything fell off, it would go back so far, no worries, just riding also, lots of dusty trails in the canyons hereabouts in SoCal- as of yet, no sign of the bb crapin’ out like the last one so if you actually work for a living, i think this is a very good value as the prices increase exponentially for the someone else will pay for it team gear
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Patrick Warner
a Weekend Warrior
from Needham, MA Date Reviewed: August 18, 2006
Favorite Trail:
my backyard
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
When they are tightened and not coming apart (which is not very often) they are smooth, relatively stiff cranks. Shifting is smooth and chainrings are quality.
Weaknesses:
Where do I even begin? I can't ride these cranks for more than 10-15 minutes without the bolt working it's way loose. No joke. If I ride for an hour, I have to get off my bike and work these things tight about 4 or 5 times. Seriously, if I get one pedel secured on a tree and put all my weight to get these things wicked tight it might last about 20 minutes tops.
This product leaves me baffled at how a company could possibly have put these things on the market. It's definitely the worst designed bike part I've ever come across.
Similar Products Used:
Truvativ FiveD ( which also sucked but surprising less than the more expensive Shytlo)
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Heckler, DHX 5.0, Fox F140 RLC, Sram X9
Bottom Line:
A true disappointment. This product is the worst, most annoying bike part I've ever encountered. I want Truvativ to give me my time back that I've spent trying to fix these things on the trail instead of being able to actually ride my bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Foho
a Cross Country Rider
from Bay Area, California Date Reviewed: November 15, 2005
Favorite Trail:
XC trails anywhere
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
Used
Strengths:
Light weight, Stiff
Weaknesses:
Two piece spider/crank arm combination
Similar Products Used:
Race Face Evolve
Bike Setup:
Blur - mixed group
Bottom Line:
I bought this crankset used and have been basically happy with it. The crank is relatively lightweight and stiff.
The one exception is the spider attachment design. The drive-side crank arm is not one-piece. It consists of three pieces - the spider, crank arm, and a spanner nut. The spider registers against the crank arm with some tabs, which keep the spider from slipping with respect to the crank arm. A thin spanner nut keeps the spider and the crank arm tightly together. If this nut were to loosen up (as it will with use and time), the crank will spice up your ride with very melodious and utterly intolerable squeaking and creaking. The chain rings, spider, and crank arm will all slip with respect to each other - with every pedal stroke - causing an amazing symphony of noise. The way to overcome this of course is to tighten up the spanner nut providing you have a special spanner wrench. The problem is that even if you have a special wrench, the very few threads on the nut can be stripped very easily rendering the crank useless.
This loosening and stripping of the spanner nut of course happened to my crankset (probably something to do with the crankset being used) and I ended up spending a good part of an afternoon making parts and chasing threads. The final cure was to reverse the nut and use one-ton epoxy to mate all the pieces back together. It now works well and quietly too.
The newer version of this crankset is one piece and the above problems do not apply. Inspect the crankset carefully to be sure.
I would give it five chilis for a one-piece version but for this one, unfortunately three chilis will have to do.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jay li
a Weekend Warrior
from san jose, ca, usa Date Reviewed: July 8, 2005
Favorite Trail:
fremont older
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$99.00
Purchased At:
cambria bike
Strengths:
Price is low. Shifts better than original Suntour crank that came with the bike. With over 500 miles on fire trails, single track and a few crashes I have not bent the chainrings. Lighter than original Suntour.
Weaknesses:
For the price I see none.
Similar Products Used:
Suntour
Bike Setup:
2001 GT Agressor 1. Original frame. Everything else upgraded.
Bottom Line:
A great value and good performer. So good that I bought another one for my custom built Giant NRS.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
gary
a Cross Country Rider
from sacramento, ca usa Date Reviewed: July 6, 2005
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Shifted well and chainrings were durable
Weaknesses:
Snapped drive-side crank like a twig.
Bike Setup:
Cannondale MTB XC
Bottom Line:
I thought I had bent my pedal spindle until the crank snapped when I came over a rise. Customer service has been completely unresponsive. Come on SRAM/Truvativ at least give me some kind of word.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Earthfoote
a Racer
from Oklahoma City, OK Date Reviewed: April 17, 2005
Favorite Trail:
anywhere the wheels can roll.....
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$159.00
Purchased At:
Webcyclery
Strengths:
Light, strong, good styling, nice rings
Weaknesses:
Cheap anodizing for the finish, TruVativ customer service (or lack of)
Great crank, but for non-crank reasons, I'm not sure I'd buy it again.
I have no complaints about the product itself, other than the oh-so-fragile finish. Shoe-rub will rub off the finish fast, let alone normal trail dust...and not just on the ends of the arm, either. They looked pretty rough not long after I installed them.....only got worse over the last year, but hey, that's a sign of a happy mountain biker!
They shift very well, crisp. The rings seem to be pretty durable, too. Lightweight and handles my 185# aggressive riding just fine. At the prices they're moving these cranksets for now ($99 online) it'd be worth your while to get a set and maybe a couple bb's cheap.
I'm not happy with either the ISIS bb durability, or with TruVativ's apparent "new generation" of customer service since SRAM bought them. They do NOT return emails or phone follow-ups, and don't make it easy to contact a person in the first place. When I got them on the phone, they weren't exactly bending over backwards to be friendly or offer assistance. Big difference from just a short time ago. Shops I've talked to aren't all that pleased with the service they get either. Oh well.....I guess now it's cool to imitate the Big S instead of working so hard to improve upon them. lol Woe to the end-user.
I froze a GigaPipe Team-SL bottom bracket (purchased with the cranks) within 3 months of pretty easy non-race riding, no wet stuff. Seems to be the norm for ISIS to die early, though, so I wasn't surprised. TruVativ now requires dealer involvement, which takes time and is an extra hassle....but ok, the whole bike industry is going that direction. Well, in a slow fashion, they replaced my "performance" bb with the cheaper SLLT version. I called them direct to inquire why and they just said they wanted to get me riding as soon as possible, they didn't have any Team-SLs and weren't expecting any. Nice gesture, I suppose, but they didn't ask and weren't willing to do anything about it when I said that wasn't acceptable to me. So hey, TruVativ, why not just let me wait for the next batch to arrive from overseas? How about offering refund me the purchase price since you can't deliver on the warranty replacement of the same product, or maybe step me up to the next higher quality like other companies would do? How about refunding me the retail difference between the two? I could use that $15 to put toward a better company! lol :)
I'm much happier with the FSA bb that I'm using for the time being....seems smoother and hasn't developed play like the TruVativ did early on. I'll put the TruVativ replacement in when the FSA wears out. Probably stick to RaceFace bb's in the future unless a better design comes on the market (unlikely).
But the Stylo cranks are great!! Good stuff.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tom
a Cross Country Rider
from San Jose, CA Date Reviewed: April 15, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$109.00
Purchased At:
Jenson
Strengths:
Light weight, self-extracting bolts, finish
Weaknesses:
I think the Race Face chain rings shift a little smoother
Similar Products Used:
Shimano, Race Face, Specialized
Bike Setup:
Klein Attitude XV, XTR, Truvativ cranks, American Classic BB
Bottom Line:
This is a great value; Truvatic Stylo's mated to an American Classic bottom bracket gets you an efficient crank set that weighs ~775 grams for a couple hundred less than XTR or carbon cranksets. On the downside, I've found that my shifts are not as crisp as I had with Race Face chainrings.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Graham Beyers
a Cross Country Rider
from South Africa Date Reviewed: April 14, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$160.00
Purchased At:
Flying Ball Bicycle Company
Strengths:
Weight and Chain rings and price.
Weaknesses:
Bottom bracket lasted only 2 rides before bearings seized solid. There are no BB spares available for GXP cranksets at any stores. The bearings/cups are not compatible with any other products (Race Face/Shimano)
Similar Products Used:
Shimano XT
Bike Setup:
Yeti ASR 575 - Full Shimano XT Gruppo
Bottom Line:
Will never buy a Truvativ product again, based on availibilty of spares and response from the technical helpdesk. Have sent numerous requests to the service e-mail address and still waiting for a response.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andro Galero
a Weekend Warrior
from Butuan City, Philippines Date Reviewed: February 22, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Malalag Trail
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$70.00
Purchased At:
Genuine Cycle
Strengths:
-light -cheap -faster shifting
Weaknesses:
-none so far
Similar Products Used:
shimano xt
Bike Setup:
sram x.o shifters and sram 9.0 front derailleur
Bottom Line:
better than my previuos cranks
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andrew
a Weekend Warrior
from Warrenton, VA, USA Date Reviewed: November 11, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$109.00
Purchased At:
Green Fish
Strengths:
Cranks seem plenty strong for normal trail riding/XC racing, and have no problem handling my 200lbs. Shifting is smoother than with the other cranks I've tried recently.
Weaknesses:
Gloss finish rubs off where my shoes rub against the crank arms. No big deal.
Similar Products Used:
Truvativ FireX, Race Face Evolve, yadda yadda.
Bike Setup:
'04 Mtn Cycle San Andreas, Stylo Team cranks, X.0 shifters & rear mech, XT front mech, Rhyno Lite rims, yadda yadda.
Bottom Line:
Very light, plenty strong, crisp shifting, and nice looking (for a while, at least). WELL worth the money.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike L
a
from Canada Date Reviewed: November 2, 2004
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$160.00
Purchased At:
Jensonusa
Strengths:
This crank must be the best aluminum crank I had. It is light, yet very strong. I weigh 150 lbs and it doesn't flex at all. The gloss black doesn't go away with wear either. It also shifts very well and doesn't miss a gear.
Weaknesses:
I can't think of any.
Bottom Line:
I had this crankset for a couple of years now. Took a few jumps with it (nothing big of course), pedaling up hill or anyways. Never saw flex or felt it flex. It's very strong, let me tell you that. I only weigh 150lbs too, so if you weigh 200+ don't expect to get the same results as I did. But I'm very happy with this crank.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark
a Cross Country Rider
from Ontario Canada Date Reviewed: August 29, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At:
Beyond Bikes
Strengths:
Super light (lighter than XTR), no creaking like XT, excellent "noiseless" shifting, cheap, very stiff.
Weaknesses:
Black finish rubs of crank arms quickly. Should have bought polished...
Similar Products Used:
STX, LX, XT, XTR
Bike Setup:
Giant AC Air Lite
Bottom Line:
These smoke my XT crank, which was creaky, shifted crappy, and cost as much or more.... and they weigh in at 612 grams. Not bad for $120.
I think Shimano has stood still in their R&D, while companies like Truvative are blowing by quickly.
I noticed an immediate difference compared to my XT, and my XT had new rings on it.
Buy it, you'll be happy.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
tom
a Cross Country Rider
from frisco, CO Date Reviewed: July 30, 2004
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$110.00
Purchased At:
colo. cyclist
Strengths:
shift well, look good, stiff, ISIS, high value
Weaknesses:
probably too light for riders into jumping, too wide-like every other crank out there
Similar Products Used:
XT octalink, many old square-BB cranks
Bike Setup:
Devinci Moonracer, SRAM drivetrain, UST, Formula discs
Bottom Line:
I haven't had a single problem with these. The black finish shows dings and scratches, but the rings shift as well as the XTs I had before, and they seem as solid as anything when standing on the cranks. I have to laugh when people claim to feel big stiffness differences in cranks- huh? If you can bend these in a crash you need heavier cranks. Other than that, the pedal-to-pedal distance on every friggin crank that exists is too damn wide. Except maybe Ritcheys. Try a narrower crank sometime, especially if you have knee problems.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
edouble
a Weekend Warrior
from L.I.,NY Date Reviewed: May 19, 2004
Favorite Trail:
dupont forest and pisgah,nc
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$109.00
Purchased At:
cambria bicycle outfitters
Strengths:
180mm arms (im 6ft 2in)isis drive, looks great.
Weaknesses:
crank bolt kept coming out until i called truvativ and they said to put a couple of washers on the bolt. this solved the problem.
took my bike to asheville,nc right after putting washers on crank bolt so needless to say i was nervous. well the bolt never came out and the cranks performed perfectly. 5 days climbing mountains with 245lbs (without gear!)of uncut funk is a tough test for ANY crankset. this one passed with flying colors. have to deduct a point for previous problems though.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Cliff
a Cross Country Rider
from City of Lights Date Reviewed: May 19, 2004
None, but I did take some time and dissamble/reassemble with locktite. THANKS to all the riders for posting info on the Stylo Team.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano stuff, Low end generic
Bike Setup:
Trek Y small frame and a Y large frame, Raceface XC BBs, XTR shifter/derailleur, XT shifter/derailleur
Bottom Line:
So far have been great cranks. I bought them new after reading comments here on mtbr. I ride intermediate XC, weight about 180lbs, and try to take it easy (not always successful) on the shifting under heavy power/climbing. Not all that much use but both setups work flawlessly and so far not a single problem. I did disassemble new out of the box, clean all the parts in alcohol, wipe down thoroughly, and use a liberal coat of locktite from a new bottle during reassembly.
I called TruVativ during installation on the bike as the crankarms didn't seem to be fully seating on the BB and the tech said to stay with the recommended torque settings but remove and retighten. Worked like a champ and no problems with the arms loosening.
I do crash and thrash the bikes, they're mountain bikes after all, and have had no problems with chain suck or shifting. I use Sram chains, the 69 and 99, and clean and lube after every ride. Shifts are quick and positive, up and down, both with the XTR and XT derailleurs/shifters. Along with the RF ISIS XC BB, there is an incredible improvement in stiffness especially noticeable in climbs, technicals, and sprints.
I can't vouch for their durability and strength for racing or real high mileage, but for my use, they're great. And the price/value is almost too good.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steven Gordon
a Racer
from Warrenton, Va, USA Date Reviewed: April 15, 2004
Favorite Trail:
O'Hill at UVA
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$135.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Cheap,Light
Weaknesses:
Not Durable
Similar Products Used:
Specialized, Bontrager
Bike Setup:
Trek 98
Bottom Line:
After about 6 months and 2 races, the spyder has a noticable irregularity. All the rings are out of line now. Go with FSA or Shimano.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
duh huh
a Cross Country Rider
from SC Date Reviewed: January 2, 2004
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$109.00
Purchased At:
price point
Strengths:
At the time of purchase in 02.2001, lighter and cheaper than anything else. Probably still real close.
Weaknesses:
Middle and big chainrings are hard to find and pricey, but this is true of all cranksets these days. Basically cranksets are sold as disposable parts.
Truvativ released MANY cranksets with loose, alloy chainring bolts on small ring, which consequently caused big problems. Caught mine early, complained and got warrantied replacement on rings and hardware pronto. Put these suckers back on with blue locktite and you're done.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano, CODA (sugino)
Bike Setup:
na
Bottom Line:
I do not thrash gear like a lot of reviewers seem to, so bear that in mind as you read.
I have over 11,000 miles on one Stylo crank, weigh up to 210 lbs, do lots of out of saddle climbs on steep hills in a not very stylish manner. No failures. Haven't even chipped a c.r. tooth yet.
The anodized crank arm finish is super hard. I know, because i took my old sorta scratched up stylos and sanded/polished the scratches/logo out to brilliant finish. Hardest frickin metal refinishing project ever. Don't even try it.
Excellent value in a bike component. Wish I could find some chainrings and maybe wider availability of 170mm cranks (everyones legs are NOT the same length...).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brad
a Weekend Warrior
from Lawndale Date Reviewed: November 25, 2003
Favorite Trail:
South Mountain
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$130.00
Purchased At:
Online
Strengths:
Lightweight, Looks, Price
Weaknesses:
None so far
Bike Setup:
Mongoose NX8.1, everything upgraded
Bottom Line:
I got the 180mm length cranks with Isis drive. I was a little concerned about the mirror black finish wearing off/getting ugly, and durability due to low weight and price. Two years later and the finish still looks great (except on the very end from slamming over rocks), and not so much of a grimace out of these cranks. I did make sure I checked ring bolt tightness before heading out due to other reviews here. I highly recomend these cranks, they are the lightest out there, great price, and look good too.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Collin
a Cross Country Rider
from SC Date Reviewed: November 7, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Black Mountain Pisgah NC
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Strengths:
Light, strong, cheap,
Weaknesses:
Big ring nickel plating peeled off
Similar Products Used:
Cheap Shimano
Bike Setup:
C-dale super v
Bottom Line:
I ride quite a bit and have put lots of miles on these cranks. I am on my second Stylo team in about 3 years. I replaced the first set because I needed a new BB it was square taper and I wanted to update to splined. The 1st crankset had come loose a couple of times and because of this, was wearing out. The second crank is as awesome as the 1st. The nickel coating peeled off of the big ring, I e-mailed Travativ and they sent me a new one no questions asked.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bob Fink
a Cross Country Rider
from Park City, UT Date Reviewed: October 28, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Park City Mountain Resort Trails
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
Performance
Strengths:
1000 miles later the chainrings are still in excellent shape. Shifting speed /ease is the same as the previous XTR crank.
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
XTR
Bike Setup:
Ellsworth Truth
Bottom Line:
Superior crankset. I have had no issues with this crankset. It has performed as good or better than the XTR set I removed. The pricing is an excellent value. The weight of the crank/bottom bracket beats the competition. I was hesitant to purchase, as the price was so significantly less than an XTR crank. Positive feedback via Mt Bike Action convinced me to give it a try. I highly recommend this Tru Vativ Product.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ah Chong
a Weekend Warrior
from Malaysia Date Reviewed: October 9, 2003
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$100.00
Strengths:
Good, strong alternative to XT, XTR still the one to beat
Weaknesses:
Chainrings not as strong as they should be
Similar Products Used:
White Industries, Ritchey Comp
Bike Setup:
Giant NRS Team
Bottom Line:
Good cranks for the money. Due to extremely muddy conditions over here in the tropics, the chainrings seem to wear out faster than friends I know cranking XTRs. No other major complaints tho, have served me well for the last year or so
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Pat G
a Cross Country Rider
from Warrenton, VA Date Reviewed: September 5, 2003
Favorite Trail:
chutes & Ladders
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$130.00
Purchased At:
Pricepoint
Strengths:
light, cheap, has rings, BB is good
Weaknesses:
Flexy, rings bend easily, chainring bolts snap when you tighten them, almost like plastic
Similar Products Used:
EVERYTHING OUT THERE
Bike Setup:
Turner XCE/5spot
Bottom Line:
I weigh 230, and don't really abuse equipment. Noticeable flex in the crank arm. First week I bent the big ring rolling across a log...this didn't happen with my XTR rings.
Snapped the chainring bolts when I tightened them for the 1st time.
Cranks aren't junk, you get what you pay for, they are o.k., but I bent the crank on pretty severly my first crash. Hand to bend it back with a rock just to get home.
For the same approximate price, you can get the new FSA Afterburner with is SUPER RIGID, and has much better rings. They are a tight fit, but they rock. Email Wlarson@stdairy.com for the best deal on em.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Juan
a Cross Country Rider
from Anaheim Date Reviewed: August 28, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Fullerton Loop, Aliso Woods, El Moro, Chino Hills
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
Perfomance Bike
Strengths:
Weight, Stiffness, Shifting, LOOKS!, This crank is great holds up well, the AL Bolts are ok just tighten them before you install the crank, they have never come loose on me
Weaknesses:
none, the paint come off where my shoe rubs, but I don't considere that a weakness since I am riding off road and I care about how it works, not if the paint comes off.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano Deore,
Bike Setup:
2002 Mongoose Pro Sommet, Cane Creek rear shock, Manitou Skareb super fork, XT Drive Train/shifters, FSA Platinum Pro TI BB, CC ZS2 headset, Thomson Post and stem, Answer taperpro Carbon bar, 2003 egg beater S pedals, mavic X3.1 rims laced to xt disc hubs, avid disc/Mag levers and Stylo Team Crank
Bottom Line:
This crank is great, you ride and ride it hard and it will keep up, make sure you keep them up though, I check everything for tightness every now and then and nothing fails me, I do my own work on the bike, so I make sure these cranks get thight and stay tight and they have never given me any problems, I ride them trough water, mud, sand, you name it and they hold up well, I will be getting another set once this one gives in, like in a few years or so, but if the hold up as well as they have it might be longer than that. For those of you that bought the cranks from price point and have had problems with them, well if you would have checked out the Truvativ website and noticed that they carried no warranty, you shouldn't have bought them there. I got a great deal at performance bike, at $100.00 for the 2002 model I can't complain, they are lighter than the XT and Cheaper than the XTR and XT. I figured it was Win, Win situation.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian Snyder
a Cross Country Rider
from New Jersey Date Reviewed: June 3, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Hartshorne/Huber
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At:
pricepoint
Strengths:
price, i got the crankset w/ chainrings and bottom bracket for less than the price of XTR
Weaknesses:
I had the parts installed by my local bike shop, tightened them after the first couple of rides and the bolt still loosened up causing one of them to drop out. the 22t blew apart and jammed into my frame hard enough to gouge it. I have e-mailed Truvativ and am waiting to hear back from them. Please note! If you buy your Truvativ parts through pricepoint you have NO WARRANTY!!!
Similar Products Used:
XT, LX, Specialized
Bike Setup:
I.F Deluxe, sid race carbon, XT, bontranger race lite wheelset with conti. explorers.
Bottom Line:
I am waiting to see what Truvativ will do for me, if anything, and I will let everyone know the deal as soon as I find out. At the time of this posting I am not Happy! I expect a " top of the line " part to last and this part had less than 15 hours of use. I am not alone in having this kind of problem, as noted by other reviewers at this site.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
e
a Downhiller
from honolulu hi Date Reviewed: February 17, 2003
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
jensonusa.com
Strengths:
stiff, tight, well geared, price, low maint, good shifting
Weaknesses:
chainring bolts,
Similar Products Used:
XTR
Bike Setup:
fetish, dorado, hayes, fox rc, MRP and FR Dr, mav 321, FSA TI BB, intense sticky, XTR Easton carbon bar+post, 545 pedals.
Bottom Line:
I have ridden the stylos xc, DH, 3 chain ring, MRP, I have beaten them and the FSA TI BB constantly. Hit rocks at speed again, and again, and again, and again, and again for 2 years. They Rock! I love the way my XTR looks on my other bike, but my next crank will be a stylo.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Taylor
a Weekend Warrior
from Houston, TX Date Reviewed: February 9, 2003
Favorite Trail:
always looking for it...
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At:
West U Schwinn, Rice Village, Houston, TX
Strengths:
lighter than XTR or Race Face, STIFF, strong, easy on the checkbook
Weaknesses:
not really a weakness (save for the minds of people who DON'T check their bolts or install cranks properly) BUT yes, you DO need to torque your chainring bolts when you receive them (who just throws a major component on their bike ASSUMING everything's to spec?)
Similar Products Used:
XT- it's da crap-ola, Race Face
Bike Setup:
Psycle Werks Wild Hare, Zoke Z1, and a smattering of light, affordable, durable parts like THIS one
Bottom Line:
My cranks are the 1999 jobs with the matte finish on the cranks, and while it seems like Tru Vativ still doesn't torque their chainring bolts in the factory, it also seems like people are still just slapping them on their bike without checking them out. Ironic, in a karmic sort of way, eh? Jeff, who owns WEST U SCHWINN always checks stuff like that when he services my rig, and Alex, who built my rig, checked that stuff as well seeing as how it IS a semi-major component. Yes, my bolts were loose then. I torqued them up without the aide of Locktite, they have stayed tight for years. Go figure.
Okay, they're light and stiff and strong and lickety-splickety shifting. Groovy black color means they won't clash with my tires. I ride a long travel Psycle Werks, and while I'm no downhiller, I abuse my oh-so-groovy bike. Ledges and stairs for the urban runs, anything gnarly for the trails. I did some downhilling in Nor-Cal last year (and hoping to more in New Mexico this year) and the extent of my maintenance in 2.5 years has been next to nil. No bull. I have Jeff clean the BB shell and grease and clean things up before reassembly. No creaks, no sqeaks, no shifting gremlins. I'm running an old-skoo Race Face cro-mo BB, but a new ISIS drive is on the agenda this Summer. I'm not trying to bag on anyone (too much), but this isn't a handlebar stem or a seat we're talking about here. The BB/cranks are what holds us up and what makes us go, so proper installation is a must! Before you commit the sin of mailordering, spend the extra 5 or 10 clams and have your LBS do the job FOR YOU. Peace.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
spinjunkie
a Racer
from Indian Hills, CO Date Reviewed: February 8, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Winter Park
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Performance for the price. Shift well. Replacement rings are available and inexpensive.
Weaknesses:
Powdercoating on back of cranks is not as shiny as front. ISIS system?
Similar Products Used:
XT, XTR, Raceface, Cooks, Kooka - many other over my 16 years....
Bike Setup:
Let's focus on the cranks. Shall we?
Bottom Line:
I wont deny the AL bolts break. Any AL bolt is fragile - replace w/ TI for the outers and steel for the inner rings when they go.
The ISIS system has its limitations. I seem to go through BB's like underwear. Mind you I don't "baby" them - they get dunked in H20 and get the crap spun out of them during the season. But I've abused UN-72's and XTR bb's under the same conditions and they've at least lasted longer than a couple of rides (FSA - namely).
But back to the cranks - they shift well and they work for their intended purpose. I refuse to spend big bucks on cranks - they get beat around, glanced off rocks, etc. I would cringe if I had a set of $400 Next LP's that were getting beat around to the same extent.
I wish Truvativ would fully powdercoat the crank. No it wouldn't help it perform better, but with the satin finish on the back and the high-gloss on the front, it seems like they didn't "finish" the job.
One flaming poop deducted off the overall for the limitaions of the ISIS system - Someone needs to develop better bearings....
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve D
a Weekend Warrior
from San Francisco Date Reviewed: February 2, 2003
This post is to help anyone who are having issues with this crankset.
If your cranks are creaking: Clean and grease the spindle! Cranks do not creak, BB's do!
If your chainring bolts break: What do you expect, they're ALLOY! Change these to some steel bolts before they break on you.
If your crank arms come loose: The crank arm washers are backwards! Make sure the rounded side of the washer is facing the BB. After you correct this, you can hand tighten the crank bolts and your crankarms will never come loose. And no...you wont need lock-tite or a torque wrench either!
I don't know about other people but I had very good customer service from TruVativ. I contacted them via email and they replaced my BB at no charge. In fact, they upgraded the XR BB I returned for the DH version. Though, I would NOT recommend using a TruVativ BB. Mine broke within a few rides. I've replaced the BB with a Raceface Evolve FR which has been holding up very well for about a year now.
I would recommend the Stylo Team Crankset to anyone who wants a quality crankset. The crankrings have held up very well for about a year now, the crankarms are stiff, and the shifting is smooth to this day. Compared to the Shimano LX crankset that my bike came with, the TruVativ is far better. I completely demolished my LX crankset. I lost teeth on the large ring and small ring in about a year and wore the LX teeth down to little nubs. On the other hand, the TruVativ teeth are in very decent condition after the same amount of use. If you want a great crankset, get the Stylo Team!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jason Ford
a Racer
from Scottsdale Date Reviewed: January 28, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Bartlet Wash
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At:
Online
Strengths:
Stiff, good bottom bracket combo
Weaknesses:
Quality of metal used, chainring bolts, durability
Similar Products Used:
XTR, Raceface, Bontrager
Bike Setup:
XTR brakes, front and rear derailer, Sid Fork, Ti Dean Frame
Bottom Line:
I have been on these cranks for over a year now. I race quite a bit and very much enjoyed this product from the very beginning. They are very stiff and felt as good as my XTR ever did. However, and here is the rub, After about 6 months they started to creek on me. I have lost bolts in the middle of a race twice and a couple teeth have just popped off for no apparent reason. There was no excessive torque and or no other circumstances which would have warranted this.
I don’t know if I got a new product that had corks or if I just received a defective one, but I am now pretty unhappy with the over all performance when it is truly put to the test on the tour.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Knuckles
a Cross Country Rider
from Ashland, OR Date Reviewed: January 22, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$109.00
Purchased At:
pricepoint
Strengths:
cheap, light, look good, STIFF!, strong, shift well
Weaknesses:
none, except i found out that pricepoint in NOT an authorized truvativ dealer and my cranks hold no warrenty. something procepoint forgot to mention.
Similar Products Used:
racface turbine lp, specialized son of a strong arm
Bike Setup:
giant xtc, mavic 219's avid discs, judy sl
Bottom Line:
i haven't had these cranks long so this isn't a long term review, i just wanted to say a few thing about the cranks. people have complained (below) that the crankring bolts come off, and that the crankbolts loosen and that they squeak. my cranks don't do any of this. i was aware of the carankring bolt problem so i checked mine before installing them. the big/middle ring bolts were so tight i didn't take them off. the small ring bolt were not quite as tight so i loc-tighted them and have had no problems. as for the crank bolts, the instructions said to grease the threads, spindle and stops which i did before intalling. i put on the cranks rode the bike around and retightened them, twice, as you should with ANY crank (i check them evey one in a while and they are still tight) . since then i've had no problems. as for creaking, your SUPPOSED to grease the spindles, unlike tappered cranks, grease on the spindles should stop the cranks from squeaking. my guess is that ignorent people just don't read instructions (or the mojority of the reviewers are 14 yrs old). this is my first splined interface and i am just amazed how stiff the combo is! (i have a raceface srx bb, cuz i read the truvativ ones suck)i don't know if its the cranks or the bb or the combo but i love how they feel. they're stiffer than my tappered raceface lp cranks by far. i think these cranks are awesome i cannot believe how cheap they are too. you can get the truvativ top of the line crank for half the priced of raceface's. sounds good to me.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Will
a
from Davis CA Date Reviewed: January 5, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Price Paid:
$100.00
Strengths:
I bought these cranks because they are light and fairly inexpensive, after riding them for less than 100 miles I found that there is areason they are light and cheap.
Weaknesses:
Won't stay tight creak like a motel 6 matress bend on XC riding
Similar Products Used:
Shimano XT-way better (what replaced these cranks) Shimano STX-RC (what these cranks were supposed to replace)
Bike Setup:
Chameleon with white bros and hayes
Bottom Line:
These cranks are terrible. They creaked all the time and I could not keep them tight. I was tightening them before every ride, and sometimes during. I could not keep them tight, then the drive side fell off during a XC race. I hated this, but it is not the worst part. The worst part is that these cranks, which are supposed to be truvativ's high end XC crank, bent after about 100 miles of light XC riding. They bent so bad that they were smacking into my chainstays. I gathered all of my reciepts and began the process of getting them warranteed. The "warrantee guy" was out, so I had to deal with some other guy. I had trouble getting in touch with him (emails were not responded to except with the generic response, and I had trouble reaching him on the phone). anyhow, I finally did get to talk to this guy, and he tells me that because I had crashed (an over the bars spill I explained to him) in the period that I had owned the cranks, that it was MY fault that the cranks were bent and that TRUVATIV's product was not defective. This shirking of responsibility angered me. To make repremands I was offered a "bro deal," which he explained was better than a pro deal: I could get new cranks for $90. thanks bro. There was no way I was going to fork over $90 for a product that had a lifetime of about 100 miles. If these cranks were not defective, and truvative claims that they weren't, spending money on them is a very foolish endeavor. Not only would I never recommend these cranks to anyone, after my bout with their warrantee department I will not ever purchase a truvative product again. their costomer service was terrible, and their product was just junk. I would recommend donataing $100 to charity rather than buying this product, at least that way you can feel good about yourself.
So to summarize, NOBODY should buy this product because 1 - It does not stay tight 2 - it creaks all of the time 3 - It is totally wuss, I am 175lbs and I bent it on about 100 miles of XC. (I never dropped or jumped these pieces of ....) 4 - Truvativ has terrible customer sevice, they pretend everything is your fault and offer to take more of your money rather than standing by thier product. I am surprised to see this company growing rather than going under 5 - you would be ripping yourself off, buy raceface or shimano, anything else. use sticks if you have to, but don't buy this.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andy
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix Date Reviewed: December 19, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
Colorado Cylist
Strengths:
Finish, Nickle Rings, Super Stiff, and the ISIS Bottom Bracket design is WAY better than the Shimano Spline design adding to the strengths.
Weaknesses:
NA
Similar Products Used:
Shimano XT, Specialized, White Bros
Bottom Line:
XTR Quality and Stiffness without the $300 Pricetag, Just follow the MFGs instructions and there will be no creaking and they are stiff. The great deal on the BB and crankset from Colorado Cyclist make them even better.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Eryk
a Cross Country Rider
from East Rutherford Date Reviewed: December 13, 2002
Favorite Trail:
all trails that are fun
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$125.00
Purchased At:
Price Point
Strengths:
Light, inexpensive, stiff, nice finish.
Weaknesses:
Several, mainly related to the chainrings, but not the cranks themselves. 1) chainring bolts come loose - lost one completely. 2) middle chainring ghost shifts while the bike is in the stand!! 3)cosmetic - chain rings were nickel plated - so it started coming off!!
Similar Products Used:
Kooka, Race Face
Bike Setup:
Titus Loco Moto 2003, X-vert Air - 2001, Avid Mech disc Brakes, Hayes hubs, kore, bontrager, ringle, ritchey, onza, panaracer, Sram, XTR, Race Face...
Bottom Line:
Actually, I've been unhappy with the shifting performance - especially middle ring. The problem wouldn't go away, so I replaced the chain ring with Race Face 32t ring - no problems since. The big chain ring started corroding after 1 year of use - strange since the chainrings were "nickel plated". When I turned to Truvativ, I found out that this is purely cosmetic issue with the anodizing (I swear, it says nickel plated on their web site!!). In all my contacts with this company, I've encountered a dismissive attitude towards any issues relating to the quality problems with their product. Thankfully, Race Face has a line of solid components, and as soon as I have some cash I will purchase a solid crankset from them that I don't have to worry about when riding the trails of NJ.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dan
a Racer
from Lafayette Date Reviewed: November 29, 2002
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$165.00
Strengths:
Looks great, stiff, light, pretty cheap for a great component.
Weaknesses:
Bolts loosten a lil bit on the first couple of rides. (Not a big deal).
Similar Products Used:
Some horrible stock Specialized cranks. This was a much needed improvement
Bottom Line:
Great cranks.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tracker
a Cross Country Rider
from Holland Date Reviewed: November 9, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Cannonsburg Game Area, MI
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$109.00
Purchased At:
JensonUSA
Strengths:
Crisp Shifting. Stiffer than Previous Version, Cheaper than Shimano XTR and mere closeness in quality.
Weaknesses:
Could be a little lighter But already lighter than others.
Similar Products Used:
Specialized Strongarm II, LX Crankset
Bike Setup:
Modified 01 Stumpjumper Comp, S-Works wheelset, Avid Mag Brakes, Wellgo Ti Pedals, XT Shifters and levers, XTR Derailuers
Bottom Line:
You just wont find a better crank for the price unless you steal it. New XT is just way to EXPENSIVE to be considered a benefit.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jake
a Cross Country Rider
from seattle, washington Date Reviewed: October 31, 2002
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
Jenson
Strengths:
Great price and a solid performer. One of the stiffest setups I have ever run. Shifts are crisp and clean even in the wet NW conditions. So far very durable.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano LX, XT, XTR cranks and bottom brackets, Race Face Cranks
Bike Setup:
Stumpjumper, X-vert, Avid Disc
Bottom Line:
Great product for the money. Much better than Shimano in almost every respect, and for much less.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve D
a Weekend Warrior
from San Francisco, CA Date Reviewed: October 29, 2002
Overall, I am very happy with these cranks. The crankarms are stiff, shifting is smooth, and the over all price is very reasonable.
There are many good reasons to buy this crankset: -light wieght -low price -Isis drive -low cost of replacement rings -TruVativ has good customer service
The only defect I can find with this crankset is the strength of the chainring bolts. These bolts are made of alloy and will always come loose or break off. I replaced these bolts with the steel ones I took off my old Shimano LX and have had no problems with loose rings since.
I had a good experience dealing with TruVativ customer service. I was able to get a replacement for an 11 month old TruVativ Isis Drive XR BB without any problems. The BB was still under the 1 year waranty. Customer service was very friendly and replaced the BB with the DH version. The XR BB was pretty weak and made lots of noise from the start. I expect the same from the DH replacement. The DH BB uses the same bearings with a stronger casing. Because of this, I decided to install a Raceface Evolve BB which has been much smoother and has held up very well over the last 6 months.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Pete
a
from Phila, PA, USA Date Reviewed: October 28, 2002
Favorite Trail:
N/A
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$90.00
Purchased At:
performance
Strengths:
Price, Stiffness, ISIS.
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Shimano LX
Bike Setup:
tires w/metal stuff and stuff
Bottom Line:
Had pretty low end crank, after reading MTBR review on this and other cranks decided to go/w the truvativ, glad I did! Climbing seems easier (less fatigue) way smoother shifts on the uphill. Truvativ seems to be up and coming. Me like crank, me glad me bought crank, me say you buy now! me give 5 flamin chilis.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ziggy Bruu
a Cross Country Rider
from New Zealand Date Reviewed: September 9, 2002
An excellent upgrade for someone wanting to go to ISIS, wants a change from shimano, and requires value for money.
I had loads of problems with my stock Bontrager crank, so chucked it out. All my problems went with this set up. Make sure you torque the crank, I thought you didn't relly have to, but once I did, it ran smooth as silk. Excellent up and down shifts, chairings have handled some bad gear changes no problem. Mirror black finish isn't too bad.
ISIS is light, stiff and strong.
Overall, I would recommend this product, well done to the team at Truvativ, keep up the great work!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John Markley
a Cross Country Rider
from Concord MA Date Reviewed: August 12, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$139.00
Purchased At:
Price Point
Strengths:
weight, price ($140 w/ ISIS BB), stiffness
Weaknesses:
have to say the black crank arms are not that sweet looking
Similar Products Used:
Deore LX
Bike Setup:
Trek Y22, XTR rd, XT fd, Tru Vativ Crank & BB, XTR Cassette, SRAM chain, x-vert fork, fox air w/ lock-out rear shock
Bottom Line:
How could you possibly beat being able to buy a crankset, ISIS bottom bracket, XTR cassette with Titanium cogs, and a PC-68 SRAM chain for the price of just a race face crank??? Sure the RF may be better and if you have the $$$ def. go for it. But for the rest of us this thing is sweet. I absolutely noticed a difference in shifting over my Shimano Deore XT, and side by side you can tell the difference in weight too. The ISIS is such a huge differnce in climbing right off the bat and soooo smooth. Absolutely 5 flamin tards for both value and overall.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris H
a
from Doylestown, PA Date Reviewed: August 8, 2002
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Light, stiff, shifts well, does what it's supposed to. No problems and the sweet ISIS BB.
Weaknesses:
I really wanted it all black but only the heavier ones came in all black. I learned to live with it. :)
Similar Products Used:
RaceFace Prodigy
Bike Setup:
Rocky Mountain Element Race
Bottom Line:
They're light, they're strong, they have the ISIS bottom bracket, they work like a champ. Not much else to say other than I recommend them.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian
a Racer
from Grass Valley Date Reviewed: July 22, 2002
The 2002 models have much improved shifting as the large ring has been beefed-up. I've run these cranks for the past two years and have not had any problems. I would definately recommend these to anyone looking for XTR performance at a much more reasonable price and without the extra weight.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
J. W. Gacy
a Racer
from California Date Reviewed: June 30, 2002
hardtail with: WTB, Sram, Manitou, Thomson, Easton, Chris King, etc...
Bottom Line:
I wasn't sure about these cranks at first. For the price and the weight I had to give them a try. I've had them for almost a year now and they are outstanding. The ISIS Drive is the future of cranks. I'm an aggressive xc racer weighing close to 200 lbs and I haven't had any issues. I would strongly recommend these for any rider! Thanks TruVative!!!!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bill Liu
a Weekend Warrior
from Hongkong Date Reviewed: June 28, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Kam Ma Leun Trail
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$140.00
Purchased At:
May Wah Bike Store
Strengths:
Stiff, beautifull, light, good shifting
Weaknesses:
Nothing yet
Similar Products Used:
Shamino XT
Bike Setup:
Trek 8000
Bottom Line:
Buy it, you can feel the difference. The Truvativ crank sets are cheap, stiff and is cool looking. Instalation is easy. I immediately feel a big difference when going up hill or paddle hard. You can feel the bike is really going. I read the MTB review and know its chain ring screws may loose but I don't experiment with that for the pass 3 month. However, I check every screws on the chain ring when ever I wash my bike. This seems work out great. I use FSA bottom bracket and they matched perfectly together. I like them. Check out with Raceface crank set, they are a lot more and the Truvativ is out performed the Shamino XT crank set(Spline). The shifting is good to me. I believe buying the Truvative crank set is the right choice.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bill
a Racer
from Temecula, CA Date Reviewed: June 13, 2002
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
CBO
Strengths:
Strong, stiff, shiftings, ISIS Drive compatible. Price and weight too: it weighs less than an XTR crank and costs a fraction. Customer service.
Weaknesses:
Still looking...
Similar Products Used:
XT
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Superligt, Tru Vative Stylo Team, Tru Vative SL BB, SRAM X0, Mars Elite
Bottom Line:
I've had these cranks for over six months and they've been the best cranks/BB I've used. I was looking at other offerings from RaceFace and Shimano too but they were way overpriced. The only problem came when I installed them. They creaked bad so I called Tru Vative's warranty guy, who promptly returned my call and explained that you have to use grease on both the BB and crank splines to prevent creaking. It really pays to read the instructions that came with it, which I threw away promptly before I put the cranks on. I read some other posts below about poor customer service--my experience with Tru Vative was very good. They called me back the same afternoon, offered to fax me a new owner's manual (I downloaded one from their website instead), and went over my installation. After going to the Big Bear NCS and Sea Otter, I'm amazed at how many people are riding Tru Vative--its not just XC people but downhillers too. It looks like for serious riders the first choice is Tru Vative. I didn't see a single FSA crank at either race!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Daniel
a Cross Country Rider
from Atlanta GA Date Reviewed: April 17, 2002
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$115.00
Purchased At:
cambria
Strengths:
Light strong looks good (Black on a black bike) shifts good inexpensive better than XT and a lot cheaper than XTR
Weaknesses:
Bolts for chainrings do come loose so check them regularly or put thread lock on them
Similar Products Used:
XT
Bike Setup:
01 Kone Cinder Cone frame XT/XTR 8spd tranny, Thomson seatpost, Fizik nisene, Sun Rpm-lite hoops, Avid Arch-rivals Kore lite 3 stem Ritchie pro lite bar, shimano 858 pedals
Bottom Line:
Good xc cranks. I don't feel any flex or hear any creaks. They shift pretty fast and smooth. They're light and good looking. Just watch for the bolts going loose. For the money spent I'm satisfied.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from Spokane, WA, USA Date Reviewed: April 16, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
ISIS drive and self extracting crank arms. Very light.
Weaknesses:
None so far
Bike Setup:
Fisher Sugar 2
Bottom Line:
These cranks came on a used bike that was beat to hell by UPS in shipping. The spider arm/chain rings were bent when I got the bike. I sent them to Truvativ for repair and they replaced the spider arm and chain rings for free no questions asked. Truvativ stands by their products and has incredible customer service. Oh ya, the cranks are perfect for cross country riding. What more could you ask for!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jeff Wu
a Racer
from Boulder, CO Date Reviewed: April 8, 2002
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At:
Excel
Strengths:
cheap light shifts fairly well easy to install(ISIS) pretty stiff
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
Shimano LX, XT, XTR FSA Carbon Pro
Bike Setup:
Dirt Works Cannibal
Bottom Line:
There is no other crankset better than this for the price. Unlike the FSA carbon pro, these slide on the ISIS spline BB no problem. Probably the best ISIS compatible crankset.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mikko
a Cross Country Rider
from Helsinki Finland Date Reviewed: March 26, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Any xc
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
ET-Sport
Strengths:
-Sweet looking -light -stiff -shifts great -price and it is not SHIMANO
Weaknesses:
The chainring bolts are definitely an issue. I checked 'em before my first ride and sure enough they were all loose. One even broke after applying moderate torque. Slapped in the old chainrings bolts from my shimano setup and off I went. No problem. Also, chainrings were a bit out of true.Crank bolts are weak.
Very good crankset after new crank bolts,chainring bolts and TA-rings!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Pat G
a Weekend Warrior
from Warrenton VA USA Date Reviewed: March 8, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Greenridge GW Forest
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$99.00
Purchased At:
PricePoint
Strengths:
Light, cheap, looks good
Weaknesses:
Crank will bend if you throw your bike, kept falling off when new.
Similar Products Used:
Race Face Next LP, XTR, XT, Kooka (sucks)
Bike Setup:
Racer X, Vicious Cycles Team hardtail
Bottom Line:
Bought three of these cranksets because the were so friggin' cheap. I have the ISIS units. When new, one of the crank arm sets kept coming loose, like constantly. I torqued, over torqued, and finally brutalized the thing on. Always hit the stops, now it stays on. I bent on of the cranksets when I got pissed about my 3rd 9 speed chain break in two days (SRAM). Anyway, I bent it back with a rock on the trail.
Grease the ISIS threads really heavily, and torque the crank arm on with a pipe, it'll stay put.
My Next LP crank is stiffer, but it's wayyyyy too expensive. XTR is the best precision crank I've used, BUT, I don't like the XTR BB.
Trying the FSA Afterburner soon. More on that later.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve Knight
a Weekend Warrior
from Kingwood,Texas Date Reviewed: February 1, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Eastend/Crooked Spoke
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$125.00
Purchased At:
Bike Source
Strengths:
No creaking or popping.jumping out of gear.
Weaknesses:
None so far
Similar Products Used:
First set on bike
Bike Setup:
Gaint Reiner SE.Avid Disc Brakes Montiou Mars C Shocks on Mavic 317 rims with Xt hubs front/rear
Bottom Line:
Great product for price. Easy product to install and to work on.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Evan
a Racer
from Glendale, AZ, USA Date Reviewed: January 11, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Like just about everything I have riden in Arizona
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
-Sweet looking -light -stiff -shifts great
Weaknesses:
The bolts came loose really easily. When I was tightening one of the bolts down I broke one of the bolts clean off (but I was just torquing it down, paying no attention to recomended torque). Other than that I have scrached the cranks moderatly due to riding they are great.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano Alivo: (eh, they were okay on my first beater bike) CODA: They were not terriable, but they worked and shifted well enought to race a full season on
Bike Setup:
Cannondale 2001 F1000 CAAD 5 frame (which was a warrenty replacement to my original 2000 CAAD 4, 2000 Fatty DL, Chris King Disco Mavic 317 wheelset, Truvativ Stylo Team crank, Race Face XS Isis, Shimano XT: Disc brakes, casset, shifters, rear derailleur, LX front derailleur, Selle Italia saddle
Bottom Line:
Really impressed with the stiffness of the cranks. When I first got the crank I locked out my fork and almost scared myself with how much I flexed my frame (as compared to the CODA's). They shift really nicely as soon as I had tuned up my drive train (I ended up getting new shifters for Christmas) and I am really pleased with there overall performance of the whole crank (minus the bolt that I broke)
Overall I am really happy with the crank and how it is performing on my bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jeff
a Racer
from stevens point, WI Date Reviewed: January 11, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Flower trail (nine mile forest)
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$109.00
Purchased At:
pricepoint
Strengths:
Very strong, very little flex. Shifts great when tuned right. Light, and inexpensive. Excellent customer service.
Weaknesses:
Chain ring bolts. Had one come out and the others loosen up.
Similar Products Used:
Various Shimanos
Bike Setup:
Two bikes: Klein Pulse comp xt, xtr, avid etc. and Santa Cruz Superlight: xt, xtr, bomber, egg beaters........
Bottom Line:
I am very happy with the crank. It has performed flawlessly other than losing a chainring bolt. Locktite fixed it right up. I lost the ring bolts after the warranty period and called Tru Vativ. I had two in my hand a day later. Nothing like shipping 25cent bolts overnight. I was very surprised. There are a lot of high end parts suppliers who should take notice. I recently bought another crankset for my superlight. I see they have upgraded it to have self extracting bolts. Even better. I put 1-2000 miles on this set including 12 races. The rings are still in good shape, although I will replace them for the new season. Great job Tru Vativ...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Zaskar X
a
from SF, CA, US Date Reviewed: December 19, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Skegg's Point
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At:
Ocean Cyclery, San Francisco
Strengths:
Light weight, Stiff, looks good, and best of all...CHEAP PRICE!!!
Weaknesses:
I noticed some noise in the Tru Vativ ISIS BB. The noise is like the bearings are not smooth. It only happens when pedaling fast under some load. I havent really heard the noise lately though, maybe it just needed breaking in.
On the other hand, I've had absolutely no problems with the crankset and chain rings.
Tru Vativ Stylo's are a bad a$$ crankset.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano LX Hollowtech
Bike Setup:
GT Zaskar X, Tru Vativ Stylo crankset and BB, Mavic 317's, WTB SST.98 saddle(you have to buy this saddle!!), all other parts are factory parts.
Bottom Line:
I'd recommend this crankset to anyone who wants good quality, light weight (I believe these are the lightest crankset out, only 619 grams!), nice looks, and best of all...LOW COST!!!
In fact, pricepoint.com has them for only $109.00 right now!
One more thing to keep in mind, this crankset uses the ISIS standard. This standard was created by Tru Vativ, Race Face, and Chris King. So far, Tru Vativ and Race Face make BB's for this standard. I'm just waiting for Chris King to come out with some BB's to fit this standard.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
zzzwalker
a Cross Country Rider
from north carolina Date Reviewed: December 7, 2001
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At:
beyondbikes
Strengths:
Very stiff...an amazing difference from my last setup. Hardly any noticeable flex in this product.
Weaknesses:
The chainring bolts are definitely an issue. I checked 'em before my first ride and sure enough they were all loose. One even broke after applying moderate torque. Slapped in the old chainrings bolts from my shimano setup and off I went. No problem. Also, chainrings were a bit out of true.
Similar Products Used:
STX RC; LX
Bike Setup:
Trek 7000, XT stuff with Marzocchi atom bomb up front.
Bottom Line:
Overall the crankset gets a thumbs-up because of it's incredible stiffness and light weight. It shifts very well and has a good clean look to it. However, I would replace the chainring bolts with something a little beefier, lighter isn't always better in some respects. Be prepared to true the rings up, I had to.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Duggie
a Racer
from A-town California Date Reviewed: December 3, 2001
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At:
K man cyclery
Strengths:
Where do i start? Shifts great, dosnt creak, you can rub the truvativ logo off, Just plane sexy! There is not one defect you can find in these cranks. If you think of one, You e-mail me and i will prove you wrong. If you want the vranks for cheep, go to www.cambriabike.com and get some. there is nothing that raceface has on truvativ. The are so much better in every aspect. Definatly check them out
Bottom Line:
Best product on the market.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike
a Weekend Warrior
from Salt Lake City, UT Date Reviewed: November 28, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Wasatch Crest
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Pricepoint.com
Strengths:
Very stiff, light, and inexpensive.
Weaknesses:
None.
Similar Products Used:
XT
Bike Setup:
Giant ATX-890, all XT, Truvativ cranks and BB, Avid Arch Rival 50 Brakes, etc, etc.
Bottom Line:
These are a great find. I was hesitant to switch over from my beefy old style XT cranks, but in the interest of weight savings, I did it. Boy, was I surprised. These things are much stiffer than my old setup and just as light as any other quality crankset out there. I didn't think I would notice a difference, but I really do. The ISIS system is great too, and really lessens any BB spindle flex.
I too had the small ring bolts loosen, but I didn't bother to check the ring bolt torque like the instructions said. My fault. No big deal, though.
I'm 215lbs. and have been using these things for months with no problems. For the price, they can't be beat.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
duh hih
a Cross Country Rider
from georgia Date Reviewed: November 19, 2001
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$109.00
Purchased At:
pp
Strengths:
this is a followup to my earlier review, and pertains to my new 2002 model, not my older 2001 model Stylo Team crank.
Weaknesses:
WARNING - CHECK CHAINRING BOLTS ASAP - MY INNER CHAINRING FELL OFF TODAY, AND I HARDLY EVER USE THE D.A.M.N THING. THEY MUST NOT BE USING LOCTITE OT TORQUING THESE THINGS DOWN RIGHT AT THE FACTORY.
Bottom Line:
LOST A POINT FOR FALLING APART AFTER ALMOST NO USE.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
dave
a
from tampa, fl Date Reviewed: November 16, 2001
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$110.00
Purchased At:
pricpoint
Strengths:
splined fairly light stiffer than my old lx
Weaknesses:
the shiny black paint gets scratched when I ride through rock gardens (waahhh)
shifting is less than super duper excellent (thank you whoever decided 9 speed shi* was the way to go)
Similar Products Used:
shi*ano stx-rc, lx
Bike Setup:
xc hardtail
Bottom Line:
these were a pretty good price, they are reasonably light, and are very stiff. i really like them. the features (nickle plated rings, self extracting bolts, SPLINES) compare to the best from any other manufacturer, at a good price.
i have never used any 9 speed crank that shifted as well as the 8 speed stuff, so i do not think these are any worse than xt or lx.
the big ring bent early on, but when you actually ride your bike, ON TRAILS, with rocks and roots, these things happen. it took a little time, a big wrench, and som a** to straighten it it. works as good as the 9 speed stuff ever has or will.
i weigh 165 #, and have yet to have the flex and bolt problems others have described. i have taken this crankset apart once or twice (due to failed truvativ bb - other review), and have had no problems with dust covers, or crank bolts, or pedals (swapped times for wtb stealths -- other review).
you can always sand and repaint the scratched areas, nancy
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Maryland Date Reviewed: November 2, 2001
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$79.00
Purchased At:
www.Pricepoint.com
Strengths:
Quality...stiff...light...good lookin
Similar Products Used:
Icon,Shimano Alivo (bent two pairs)
Bottom Line:
Stiff...but Im only 136lbs....However better than my old set of Icon cranks that were heavy! Lighter cranks make a difference... the rotational force goes way down and makes a noticleble difference. So far I have not expierenced any loose crank/ring bolts or anything...I check em every now and then...because some have warned aginst it. Im also running the square taper version....because I diddent want to spring for the ISIS....and these were CHEEP!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
duh huh
a Cross Country Rider
from Georgia Date Reviewed: October 29, 2001
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$109.00
Purchased At:
Price Point
Strengths:
Attractive, strong, lightweight, works great, cheaper than the competition
Weaknesses:
can't hink of any
Similar Products Used:
Shimano
Bottom Line:
I read some of the other reviews - i don't know how you guys break these things - i'm 210 lbs and i routinely climb a steep grade standing on center ring and 14t on rear, no problems. I've broke SRAM chain but not these cranks. They're a better deal than Shimano or RF IMHO.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Justin
a Cross Country Rider
from Boston Date Reviewed: September 14, 2001
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$90.00
Purchased At:
pricepoint
Strengths:
Light, stiff (for me at 165lbs at least), cheap
Weaknesses:
required a wider BB spindle, got it cause it was square taper and didn't want to replace the BB, wound up having to do so. Although local shop gave me a straight up swap.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano LX-XTR
Bike Setup:
DNA Ti frame, XT combo shifters, Manitou SXR, Rockshox Suspension post, Sun RPM Lite, XT Deraileurs
Bottom Line:
I've had no problems with it, it's light, it works. I don't know what else there is to say. Some heavier riders complain of flex, I have none. For a reasonble price I got a very light crankset that performs flawlessly for me. It's great.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Veljko
a Cross Country Rider
from Houston, Texas Date Reviewed: August 24, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Ant Hills
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
As in my prior post
Weaknesses:
As in my prior post
Bottom Line:
This is a follow up to my post about the nickel finish peeling off on the chainrings. I wrote customer service via email and had the problem resolved very efficiently -- I now have middle and outer chainrings.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
dave chase
a Racer
from Lyons, CO Date Reviewed: August 24, 2001
All in all, this is a good crank. It's not the stiffest beast in the world, but I never expected it to be at this price/weight. In either case, I'd liken it to a Ritchey crank. Not quite as stiff as the XT spline version. The rings shift ok, but not quite as snappy as Shimano or Race Face. It's a bummer that they're painted because that fresh black doesn't look too fresh for very long.
Never had problems with chain rings or bolts, but I check 'em periodically. Nothing outside of the ordinary. It's a nice touch that they use pedal washers to reduce fretting (not that it's proved to work anyway, but a nice touch none-the-less).
Overall, I'd say it's a nice crank, especially at this price and weight. If you're not huge or really strong, the flex shouldn't be an issue. A good alternative to what's been out for a few years.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sean O'Neil
a Cross Country Rider
from Missoula, MT Date Reviewed: August 20, 2001
Outstanding XTR/RaceFace killer. Best crank value on the market, bar none. Several people complain about the crank ring bolts being loose. The simple solution is to do what every mechanically knowledgeable mtb rider does -- check bolts when new and before each ride. It's that easy.
Some complain about the chainrings not holding up under brutal conditions -- hey, that's why companies make ring guards! Buy one and quit using the 46-tooth ring for a bash guard. No chainring can hold up to repeated bashing.
Truvativ makes the best cranks for the money. Every one of their cranks is bomber for its intended purpose. The Stylo Team ISIS is an excellent fork for cross-country riders & racers, and for lighter-duty freeriding. Don't be dissuaded by people who complain about loose crank bolts. Tighten them regularly, or use blue Loctite on them.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Gary
a Cross Country Rider
from Pennsylvania Date Reviewed: August 19, 2001
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Stiff cranks, light weight, good shifting performance
Weaknesses:
rings
Similar Products Used:
Shimano LX and XT
Bike Setup:
steel Bontrtage hardtail, Judy XC, LX/XT mix
Bottom Line:
I read the reviews and bought the cranks anyway almost 2 months ago. I checked all of the crankbolts before installation but 5 minutes into my second ride the chain ring bolts backed out and the small ring fell off! In 5 years of riding Shimano rings I never had one come loose let alone fall off. Put my Shimano bolts in and haven't had a problem since. 3 weeks later I'm riding down an open trail and cross a flexible 2 inch branch suspended about a foot off the trail. No problem, done it a million times. The big ring shattered on contact, snapping off one of the main supports where the ring is pinned! I couldn't believe it. My LBS is checking warranty now so I'll report on service soon. The crank arms are light ( whole package weighed 637 grams as measured on a certified laboratory scale )and wicked stiff compared to my old LX and XT cranks. They rank a 5. The rings shifted great but if they can't hold up to non rigid objects how long will they last in eastern riding with log crossings, rocks, rocks, and more rocks? Give them a 1. That makes three overall, unless they don't help with service. Stay tuned.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Henry
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto, Ontario Date Reviewed: August 16, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Seaton or The Rouge
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Some reviews claim that these cranks aren't very rigid but I haven't found any flex in them at all. I weigh 165 and I don't get any flex. Other qualities include: -Reasonable Price (remember price is in Cdn funds) -Nice paint job -Incredibly light (619g) -Shifts great
Weaknesses:
-Chips in the paint on the crank really show (if that even matters to you).
Similar Products Used:
Icon Onyx Race Face Turbine LP's Shimano XT Cranks
Bike Setup:
2000 Klein Attitude Comp -Truvativ Cranks -Race Face XS BB -Stock Icon and XT products (A work in progress)
Bottom Line:
These are really good cranks. I would recommend that anyone who's looking for quality at a reasonable price buy these cranks.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David Smith
a Cross Country Rider
from Independence, MO USA Date Reviewed: August 16, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Landahl trail 10
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$130.00
Purchased At:
Bike Stop - Kansas City
Strengths:
Good Value. Presents viable alternative to Shimano and RaceFace. Strong and stiff. Good shifting in front.
Weaknesses:
Poor factory assembly. Questionable Customer Service
Similar Products Used:
Shimano LX, XT, XTR RaceFace Next LP, Suntour el cheapo
I bought this splined crank because it offered a good alternative to Shimano (proprietary), and RaceFace (expensive). The quality of the components has been good so far. It shifts fast and crisp.
My only complaint is that the 22T ring came loose and bent within the first 4 rides. The spider was completely destroyed in the process. I do 80% of my riding in the 32T ring so the 22T had very little use. I emailed TruVativ and got quick response saying they would "help me out". In the end, they really didn't. They charged me $50 for the 22T ring, spider and bolts . I asked them to make me a deal (if not replace for free) because the crank was less than 30 days old. They refused to cut me a break or discount the parts. On top of that, they also gouged me on shipping. They made the comment that they have only seen this two other times and have sold thousands of these cranks. There are already two reviews on this board noting the same problem, and I own two Stylo Team cranks and the same thing happened to both. I caught the other crank in time to tighten the bolts before the crank or rings were damaged. Poor effort in my opinion.
Bottom line is I'm satisfied with the quality of the product, but probably won't buy TruVativ again because I don't feel they are willing to provide great customer service. I must take a degree of responsibility for not disassembling the crank and rings, and putting it back together with locktight. I just think they could have made a better effort to help me out.
4 flaming chili's for value, but only three because of less than stellar customer service and warranty claim procedure.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Saucy
a Cross Country Rider
from Webster, NY USA Date Reviewed: August 16, 2001
Favorite Trail:
All of them
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$109.00
Purchased At:
Jenson USA
Strengths:
Strong, stiff, light, shifting is awesome
Weaknesses:
Chainring bolts come loose at first
Similar Products Used:
XT, RaceFace LP
Bike Setup:
Hardtail
Bottom Line:
These are without a doubt the best deal in mountain biking. I can't understand why anyone would ever get XT/XTR or RaceFace any more, when you can get these for 1/2 to 1/3 the price. The shifting is just as good as Shimano and better than RaceFace. They are stiff and light. Sweet!!
If you get them, do yourself a favor and take the rings off and put them back together nice and tight with some blue loctite, because they do come loose. But that's not enough of a bad to take chillies away because people should check that kind of sh1t anyways!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Keiko
a Cross Country Rider
from Iceland Date Reviewed: August 15, 2001
The cranckset came fully assembled, so I just put it on and started riding. After a short tour with my kids in a trailer, i came to a steep hill and shifted down to the 22t ring, only finding out (the hard way), that there was one bolt missing and two loose, resulting in bent chain ring and bb. changed every thing, but when trying to tourqe the bolts as recomented i destroyed the threads in the spider. new spider and bolts, (not Truvativ) on and now its great. allthough I got great pride in the first place, I have spent more money on it than on the most expensive RF cranck set. If you get it fully assembled, take out the bolts that hold the 22t ring and replace them with something else. that way you will get a great cranckset for XC riding relativly cheap. I have sent two mails to Truvativ customer service department, and not recived any feedback yet.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Veljko
a Cross Country Rider
from Houston, Texas Date Reviewed: August 9, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Ant Hills
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$109.00
Purchased At:
Tom Neuse
Strengths:
Weight, stiffness, ISIS drive, smooth shifting
Weaknesses:
Nickel finish wears off.
Similar Products Used:
Sugoi, XT
Bike Setup:
Kona steel hardtail, Z2 Bam, full XTR, Bontrager Valiant Rims, SRAM PC-69, TIME Atac Carbons
Bottom Line:
Great for all around riding and racing. A great value. Really help you accelerate faster. After the wheels and tires, you'll see the best weight-to performance improvements by changing to a lighter crankset such as this one. It's all about reducing your rotating weight. Only one big complaint: the brushed nickel finish is peeling off the chainrings. Will contact the company and see what they will do -- they're only a few months old.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
G Man
a Cross Country Rider
from Boulder Colo. USA Date Reviewed: July 24, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Monarch Crest Salida CO
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$130.00
Purchased At:
Excel Sports
Strengths:
stiff, smooth shifting, trick looks, great price
Weaknesses:
black paint finish quickly shows scrapes
Similar Products Used:
Shimano XT
Bike Setup:
the bad boy--- Fat Chance double butted Ti frame, XTR der's/cassette, grip shift , rebuilt Specialized/Roxshock FSX Ti front shock (1"headset!), syncros post/stem, kooka levers, king headset, flite saddle, Mavic 217s w/ White Ind. ti hubs (22lbs)
Bottom Line:
amazing cranks (and isis SL BB) for the money. Smooth, stiff and trick. Bike shops around here (Boulder Colo) selling these cranks like hot cakes, and some have discontinued carrying Raceface cranks in favor of these. All my teammates are running these on their $3,000-4,000 bikes and love them, blows away Shimano XT and competes favorably with XTR cranks at half the price (if you prefer a micro drive crank). Steal of the season! I would run these on any bike,irrespective of the price.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Beandog
a Weekend Warrior
from Vancouver Date Reviewed: July 24, 2001
Favorite Trail:
The Bean
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Lightweight, ISIS compatible, shifts well.
Weaknesses:
Powdercoat or paint wears off quickly, alloy chainring bolts.
Similar Products Used:
XT
Bike Setup:
SC Bullit, Psylo XC, Magura Louises, SRAM 9.0
Bottom Line:
Good alternative to the name brands without the hefty price tag. Lightweight without being flexy (although I only weigh 160), but the alloy chainring bolts seem a little dicey. ISIS is a solid system.
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Bike Press Camp - See the latest 2011 bikes, parts and gear featuring Scott Sports, Cannondale, Mongoose, Fox, WTB and more»
$ 164.99
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