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Cook
Brothers Racing F-Series
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Submitted by
zouch
a Cross Country Rider
from Berkeley, CA
Date Reviewed: July 27, 2009 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | previously owned | | Strengths: | beautiful form in a demanding function. | | Weaknesses: | creaks if not lubed regularly, and not easy to get reassembled so that the spider is properly aligned and the rings are properly centered. | | Similar Products Used: | White Industries, XT (various generations), Cook Bros. Racing RSRs, Specialized, Sugino, Campy, etc.,... | | Bike Setup: | Ibis Hakkalügi, in 'Fire Road Bike/all-'rounder' trim; Dura-Ace 9-speed Triple drivetrain with Specialite TA rings, Phil 'Magnium' Bottom Bracket, and (usually) Nuke Proof carbon hubs. | | Bottom Line: | Jack (Witmer, of the late Cook Bros. Racing) recommended i use a 111mm BB spindle with these, and the chainline has worked out fine with the 135mm rear axle spacing of the 'lügi.
while i love the look of these cranks and they don't seem to flex inordinately under my 215lb lard'ness, they're the only cranks i have that require periodic lubing where the spider attaches to the arm in order to keep them from creaking annoyingly. i've tried various grease and anti-seize products, but nothing lasts for as long as i think it should.
additionally, it seems more difficult than it should be to get the spider reassembled to the drive-side arm so that the rings don't wobble around the the BB spindle causing the rear Derailleur to bob slightly.
undeniably beautiful (and they polish up nicely with a little Simichrome, if you care about that sort of thing), but like so many beautiful things, more High Maintenance than they really should be with regard to something that simply shouldn't be an issue at all. sadly out of character with my experience with most other CBR products. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
gunner01
a Cross Country Rider
from August, GA, USA
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | Folks Area Trail System | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | Cycle Works Lincoln | | Strengths: | Bomb strength, light weight and great power transfer. I've put these cranks through everything. I'm 6'4" and weigh 220 lbs, so I even if I rode soft the pressure is tough. | | Weaknesses: | I've read elsewhere that they are short crank arms, and this may be true (I've done no due diligence) but I don't notice any power loss nor have I had issues of clearance for my ankles. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano XT | | Bike Setup: | Klein, with XT, Flight Control | | Bottom Line: | I'm not sure what you could complain about? Perhaps I need to ride some other cranks, but I've had these for 10 years and I can't fault them. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jabo None
a Racer
from Ohio
Date Reviewed: December 1, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | any | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | STIFF, STRONG, Cool! | | Weaknesses: | 2-piece design requires maintnance to keep from creaking | | Similar Products Used: | XT, XTR Sweet Wings | | Bike Setup: | Moots YBB OR Turner Burner | | Bottom Line: | Near Net Forged Cranks are STRONG! They look decent too... Not elegant bike art like my E2's, but still nice.
After 5 years riding these I have nothing but praise for them. When I first got them I was swapping out from a 2-peice XT crank. The XT were good, but not as stiff, and the XT CREAKED! Not as stiff as my Sweet Wings, but great for an AL crankset.
While the F-cranks didn't creak at first, I found they needed annual maintenance to stay creak-free. This required removing the locking ring on the back of the crank arm, cleaning & re-applying anti-seize. This has kept the F-cranks rockin!
Who are F cranks for:
Trail riders, XC racers, DH guys, Dirt jumpers. If you like to go really big or you regularly land flat you'll probably want a crank that allows the use of a larger diameter BB - ISIS options.
As with any crank good shifting is a function of chain-line. Buy the wrong BB & suffer the consequences. I use a 104mm BB in my Moots & all is fine. Measure twice, buy once!
Those that complained about chain-line need to look up Shimano's specs (measure from middle of bb shell to mid chain ring - with crank pressed on). Make sure everything lines up. There are some crank/frame combinations, which just don't work well. Recognize that this is the combination - not the fault of either individual product.
The only weakness of this crank is the interchangeable spider - Read my comments about maintenance above. Caveat: The CBR specific locking ring is a PAIN to get on or off. Thankfully an old XT lock-ring fits, and is now in use on my cranks.
I wish CBR were still making bike-stuff, their cranks ride well & look good on a bike. In contrast XTR is nice & functions great, but looks...? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jeff
a Cross Country Rider
from West Greenwich, RI USA
Date Reviewed: November 14, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Rena's trail, Arcadia | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | cambria bike | | Strengths: | Great crankset. Very stiff and durable. | | Weaknesses: | none. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized, TruVativ | | Bike Setup: | Jekyll 600 disc | | Bottom Line: | Great cranks. No fatigue at 1,000 miles, still look good. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rich Cast
a Cross Country Rider
from Big Bear, Ca
Date Reviewed: April 23, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Portal Trail, Moab | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$185.00 | | Purchased At: | Factory, Santa Ana. | | Strengths: | Unbelievably strong. Amazingly stiff. ALL your lag power goes to the chain. | | Weaknesses: | Time consuming to set up. | | Similar Products Used: | SR,TA,Shimano,Suntour.
| | Bike Setup: | `84 Cook Brother`s Bonzo Fury. | | Bottom Line: | Some peolple say they`re heavy. That`s subjective. My ex-wife is heavy. I logged over 25,000 miles all over United States, Europe, Canada and Mexico on my Bonzo Fury that regularly wieghed over 100 pounds with these cranks. On the same bike, I won a national trials championship and numerous state championships on them.
I broke forks, wheels, pedals,handlebars and hearts. I did not break the cranks. My friends laugh and tell me to upgrade.
"Sure," I say, "When they come out with something better"
Anybody know where I can get replacement TA chainrings? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jen W.
a Weekend Warrior
from Atlanta, GA, USA
Date Reviewed: January 24, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Looks like a well built, sturdy crank (with one major "flaw") | | Weaknesses: | Nowhere near the amount of offset as most cranks (e.g. Shimano, RaceFace, TruVativ, etc.) | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano LX | | Bike Setup: | GT Zaskar, Welgo pedals. | | Bottom Line: | These are very nice cranks. Their design is not only unique, but even intuitively, it seems like a very sturdy, rigid design. The back surface (i.e. the surface that faces the bb) is concave, thus making the crank appear to be like half an I-beam in cross section. The build quality is very nice.
Two problems I have with this crank. The first is that the place where the dust caps screw in are not centered around the point of rotation, thus, when you spin the cranks fast, the dust caps appear to wobble slightly. Although this has no functional consequences, it does indicate somewhat of a lack of precision.
The second problem is a major one. These cranks have almost an inch less of offset than most cranks, meaning that the end of the crank (where the pedal spindle inserts) is closer to the chainstays than most other cranks. Furthermore, Cook Brothers recommends that you use a bottom bracket with a short spindle, a 107mm!! If I do that, these cranks would clear my chainstays by about 2mm! That's way too close! If you use a longer spindle, my chainline is off and I have shifting problems.
The verdict? I have to dump these cranks and get something else. They are incredibly nice cranks, especially if you have a frame where the chainstays are pulled inward a little. But because they have much less offset than the industry standard, which renders them nearly incompatible with some frames, I'm gonna give them two flaming turds. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Racer
from San Antonio, Tx
Date Reviewed: September 27, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Crownridge | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$150.00 | | Purchased At: | forgot | | Strengths: | Look cool, very stiff, ok weight, work very well with shimano gruppos | | Weaknesses: | none so far | | Similar Products Used: | XT cranks | | Bottom Line: | I've had these cranks for a while now. First, I had shifting problems with my chainrings. Then I replaced them with Shimano chainrings (also have a Shimano rear derailleur). Now my bike shifts super solid. If you run these cranks with shimano chainrings and stay away from mixing up your shifting components, these cranks work beatifully. Try to get em on sale though. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy
a Cross Country Rider
from Columbia, MO
Date Reviewed: February 3, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$104.00 | | Purchased At: | Direct | | Strengths: | Stiff, Looks, Design, Looks, Looks, Looks (hint, hint) | | Weaknesses: | A little heavier than comparable models, but it LOOKS better. | | Similar Products Used: | Cheapie cranks, anything anfd everything | | Bike Setup: | Kona (Race): XTR, RaceFace, Time, Onza, Avid
Univega (Daily): XT, Other assorted | | Bottom Line: | This has got to be the best crankset I have ever used. I work at a bike shop and so get to try all sorts of cranks, from cheapie to expensive, and these by far are the best. I have two pairs, one on my daily ride and my race bike, and they both hold up wonderfully. I got the special gray set as a special deal, and they look even cooler than the black set I have on my Kona. They even cost $30 less to boot. These are definitely worth the money even at full retail of ~$200, and I would get them at that price if I had to. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Hoss
a
from Ohio
Date Reviewed: June 27, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | dirt trails | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Stiff, looks, stiff, price, quiet & stiff | | Weaknesses: | Like all anodized products the color wears off, but that shows you ride. | | Similar Products Used: | xt, lx & stx | | Bike Setup: | Bontrager Race, Superfly, xtr, Valiant/NukeProof | | Bottom Line: | These are very nice cranks at any price and the fact that I can throw on Shimano chainrings is bonus. I would recommend these to anyone looking to spiff up their ride. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alvin
a Weekend Warrior
from San Francisco, CA
Date Reviewed: June 5, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | China Camp | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Looks, Quality, Racing History (BMX) | | Weaknesses: | None yet. Possibly weight. See below | | Similar Products Used: | Race Face Turbine LP, Specialized Son of Strong Arm | | Bike Setup: | Dean Oscar, XTR build, Mavic 217s, SDG Saddle, Rock Shox SID XC | | Bottom Line: | These can be had for very little money through Cambria Bikes at $149. They are awesome and I've always wanted them. I wanted them back when I had a BMX bike and when I heard that they were making cranks for mountain bikes, I knew I had to have them, but waited almost a year before I got them. These cranks are the most artworthy piece on any bike and they're as boutique as you can get. People do complain about their weight vs. RaceFace Turbine LPs, but I have a theory on this one: I weighed both my turbine lps and cook bros. F cranks on my company's digital postal scale. The Cook Brothers came in at 1 pound 1.6 oz. The turbine lps came in at 15 oz. That's a difference of 2.6 oz. Now here's where RF manages to beat Cook Bros on weight. They don't include the spacers for middle and outer chainrings into their crank arms. You have to get these large spacers separately. On Cook Bros. and most other cranks these spacers are part of the forged process so that all you need is the chainring bolt to secure the middle chainring and outer chainring. I'll bet these spacers (which are usually steel) weigh at least 2.6 ozs. Further, the chainring bolts are also larger and probably weigh a couple ounces more than standard chainring bolts. Conclusion: there is no difference in weight between RF and Cook Bros F cranks. I say this not to detract or criticize either cranks. I have both, but I want to clarify to Cook Bros. fans that you can buy these cranks and not experience a weight penalty vs. your trusty RF Turbines LPs. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alan
a Cross Country Rider
from Colorado Springs
Date Reviewed: March 31, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Strong, snappy looking, no creaks and get lots of envious comments. | | Weaknesses: | None, maybe a little heavy (but that's not much of a trade off for the strength). | | Similar Products Used: | topline(snapped),xt (stress cracks) | | Bike Setup: | Salsa ala carte, xtr, ampf3, mavic 217 ceramic w/hugi hubs,blah blah blah | | Bottom Line: | All in all, I gotta say that I really like these cranks-
just got back from the annual trip to Moab where I pushed as hard as I could and boy are they stiff. Aaron @ Cooks really came through and I take back my previous comments about customer service. You won't be unhappy with these cranks! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alan
a Cross Country Rider
from Colorado Springs, CO
Date Reviewed: January 20, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | columbine | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | stiff, look kinda cool | | Weaknesses: | customer service- manufacturing probems | | Similar Products Used: | shimano xt, topline Sl | | Bike Setup: | Salsa, Xtr, Amp f3 | | Bottom Line: | Got these when the toplines broke. spindle holes machines wrong, chain line was screwy, bought a 103 bb, couldn't get onto big ring, bought a new xtr front Derailleur(more throw), still no go. Sent them back to cooks may 1998, still haven't been sent back to me. On top of that, they don't even answer my e-mails wondering what's going on. I'll never buy anything from them again. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Someone
a Racer
from Palo Alto, Calif.
Date Reviewed: September 11, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Skeggs point | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
they're strong and stiff. | | Weaknesses: |
They might have killed my bottom bracket | | Similar Products Used: |
White Industries/Sugino mocks (piece of shit don't get'em they're only 50$ but they suck) | | Bike Setup: |
I have them on my 15.5 Specialized Stump Jumper Trials bike, XTR/ESP 9.0 | | Bottom Line: | So far I have taken them of a 7 foot drop at Stanford University and the only thing that happened was my bottom bracket went out (XT) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
singletracker
a Cross-Country Rider
from pa
Date Reviewed: September 4, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
lamb,s gap | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
nice craftmanship, colors, strength, looks, name | | Weaknesses: |
price | | Similar Products Used: |
shimano lx & xt, coda 502 crank | | Bike Setup: |
cannondale caad3 w/ fatty sl (srictly xc) | | Bottom Line: | looks sweet , havent had long enough to know of strength but they feel rigid and strong enough for xc riding. not happy with shimano products and thought to give this a try. i love the colors whether thwey stay on or not doesnt matter. if they work i am happy. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greg Beech
a Downhiller
from England
Date Reviewed: May 24, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Nantmawr Quarry | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
They look nice and are very stiff | | Weaknesses: |
They break easily | | Similar Products Used: |
White Industries (currently), Shimano XT and LX | | Bike Setup: |
Single Middleburn 42T ring. | | Bottom Line: | These cranks look great, but they break. I only used them for 3 months cos that's how long it took me to crack them at the spindle. It is posible that because they are so stiff, they crack easily. Probably OK for XC boys, but I broke them riding my SantaCruz Heckler full-sus frame and I only weigh 11 stone.2 stars because they are so good for power transfer, but they break. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
muddy spice
a Cross-Country Rider
from canada
Date Reviewed: May 19, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Similar Products Used: |
shimano xt, lx, alivio
race face
syncros | | Bike Setup: |
dekerf, amp f3 | | Bottom Line: | they hold the chainrings and pedals, and they attach to the bb spindle, what more can you ask? they look good but that's all a matter of opinion. when it comes to cranks it's all just bragging anyways, but hey i like them and i'm the only guy in town with them | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Justin Jeffries
a Weekend Warrior
from bolingbrook il
Date Reviewed: April 19, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
off-roads | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Stronger than most | | Weaknesses: |
not as weak | | Similar Products Used: |
lx vs xt (old xt rules looks and strength) raceface | | Bike Setup: |
tntc (medical types might know) | | Bottom Line: | This review process is getting long and people seem to tell the truth on the cranks. Just stiffer than oems suginos shimos lx's new xt's for 175$ buy them stiff colors I hear now thats good not if it rubs off but ?? get face rings not cooks cooks cost more and arn't more if you get it I like um but going with the new race face if I can | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
TC
a Weekend Warrior
from Hawley, TX
Date Reviewed: April 17, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Porcupine Rim, Moab | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
fairly light, stron, good looks | | Weaknesses: |
none yet | | Similar Products Used: |
XT,S of Strongarm,Caramba | | Bike Setup: |
Trek Y-33, Specialized FSR | | Bottom Line: | Lighter that the XT and Specialized they replaced. No complaints, works great, no flex, good looks. Cranks are one of those items that if they're working well, you don't notice them except for their looks. Well, they look good. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Karl
a Cross-Country Rider
from PA
Date Reviewed: March 29, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
The crankset is stiff, perhaps more so than RaceFace, and functions well. | | Weaknesses: |
I haven't weighed these, but they feel heavier than RaceFace.
Ano wears off! | | Similar Products Used: |
Cook RS, RaceFace LP, Shimano LX | | Bike Setup: |
Obed/XTR/SuperFly/CrossMax | | Bottom Line: | Stiff, not light, and getting uglier every ride. 5 for function, 3 for weight/aesthetics make a 4 chili crank. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a cross-country rider
from Hawaii
Date Reviewed: March 2, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
Well, they are heavy. weighed in around 530 grams for the pair (175mm 110/74).
Heavier then listed in various catalogs and dealer catalogs. Stiffer then the E series. Matte finish that sucks up dirt. Okay cranks. Not my favorites, not my least favorites. Should have stuck with the 110/58mm pattern of the E series. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a racer
from New Mexico
Date Reviewed: February 25, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I have had a pair of these for some months now and love them. They are very stiff and a fabulous upgrade from the Sugino Impel (Flex Master) cranks that I had to use before. The detachable spider allows for mere mortals to change bolt patterns and you don't have to worry about finding somebody with four bolt chainrings to go with your Big S cranks. These things are better than the LX, XTR and Dura-Ace rings that I have used. There is no creaking or anything. Cosmetically they are nice too. They have a good finish, but it seems to be falling prey to the problem of the other Cook cranks, which is that it rubs off a bit. But if your worring about keeping your bike parts pretty you aren't riding. four starts beacuse I rarely give 5. | | Overall Rating: |
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