Deus is the lightest aluminum crank ever made by Race
Face. It's machined from 7050 aluminum in Race Face's British Columbia manufacturing
facility and designed just for Race Face X-Type bottom brackets.
Submitted by
Mountainfrog
a Downhiller
from Phoenix, AZ, USA Date Reviewed: October 17, 2009
Favorite Trail:
100
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$220.00
Purchased At:
Pricepoint
Strengths:
Super light, easy to install, external bearings.
Weaknesses:
rubber coated spacers
Similar Products Used:
RaceFace Evolve XC X-type, built hell-for-stout also, no problems.
Bike Setup:
'06 Reign, all the sh*t.
Bottom Line:
I've been abusing this crank for three years now with absolutely no problems. However, my ex-girlfriend rider managed to toast the crank arm spindle on hers somehow, I can only attribute this to improper maintenance, crankbolt locknut check. On the plus side, her crankbolt locknut actually holds it together. I'm buying her a silver replacement for her birthday, even though she's a princess pain in the crank! She's my favorite riding partner and rides the same bike set-up.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
BigJ
a Weekend Warrior
from Tucson, AZ Date Reviewed: September 27, 2009
Favorite Trail:
50 Year Trail
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$260.00
Strengths:
Light weight. Strong. Slick look.
Weaknesses:
Chain suck. Chain suck. And more chain suck.
Similar Products Used:
Truvativ. Bontrager. Shimano.
Bike Setup:
Niner Air 9. Rockshox reba fork. Race Face Deus cranks. Chris King headset. Ritchey stem/bars. Thompson post. Mavic C29SSMAX wheelset.
Bottom Line:
Worst chain suck I've ever experienced. When shifting from small to middle chainring, chain catches outer rivets on large chainring causing suck. We'll see if the replacement ring will fix the problem...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
NCDirtRider
a Weekend Warrior
from USA Date Reviewed: September 23, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Dark Mountain
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$197.00
Purchased At:
PricePoint
Strengths:
Light and Strong
Weaknesses:
Loosens
Similar Products Used:
Shimano LX, Truvativ Stylo
Bike Setup:
SID fork, XTR shifters, BB7 brakes
Bottom Line:
I bought this crank because of the weight and price. I understood the reviews about the crank loosening so I took it to my LBS for installation. I then took it back for retightening several times after it loosened on the trail. The crank would loosen every time I rode, no matter the distance. I finally used locktight and cinched it down. Now it does not get loose but I know I will probably have to cut it out if I ever have to change the BB. Buy this product if you want. I hope you are among the few it works for the first time.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Yeti Guy
a Cross Country Rider
from Calera, AL, USA Date Reviewed: September 17, 2009
Favorite Trail:
All Trails
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$259.00
Purchased At:
Performancebike.com
Strengths:
Stiff, light, strong, precision quality and looks, shifts excellent.
Weaknesses:
None what so ever.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano stuff.
Bike Setup:
2008 Trek 6700.
Bottom Line:
Was kinda worried about getting these cranks with the bad reviews about crank arms loosening. Got em because my other bike came stock with the evolve dh cranks and I have never had the first problem with those. Glad I made this purchase decision!
Got around 900 miles on these and haven't had any problems, once developed a slight creak and re tightened the crank bolt and creak was gone. In re tightening I didn't feel like I got it any tighter as it wasn't loose. Any crank would require this.
No problem with bottom bracket either. Broke a chain yesterday and had the chance to spin the crank freely and it was silent and smooth as butta.
Shifts are superb, crank and the team rings are quality and look like jewelry. Just great stuff and I will buy again.
They are really stiff and put the power down that I could feel on the first few pedal strokes.
I say these cranks are easily on par with Shimano XTR's at a much cheaper price.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
DezB
a Weekend Warrior
from England Date Reviewed: September 2, 2009
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$180.00
Purchased At:
UKBikeStore
Strengths:
Light, strong, great looking, excellent shifting
Weaknesses:
Fitting is hit and miss
Similar Products Used:
Shimano XTR, Truvativ Stylo
Bike Setup:
Yeti 575
Bottom Line:
Chose this crank as I've always been impressed with Raceface gear in the past (my 1999 square taper cranks are still going strong!), it is less common than XT and looked perfect on my Yeti. The weight, strength and stiffness were also perfect for my riding
That was a year ago and I wish I had heeded the warnings about BB life and gone for a Shimano. NOT because the BB bearings didn't last well, but because now they do need replacing I cannot remove the crank.
The self-extractor cap sheared off when I undid the 8mm bolt. Now, with the extractor threads ruined by this, there is no way to remove the crank as it appears siezed on. Yes, I greased as per the instructions.
I've read many reports of the crank not being secure and coming undone when riding, but mine won't budge. Seems to be a very hot&miss design, which is maybe why RF have changed it for 2010. I certainly have been put off RF products for life.
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Submitted by
Leonnolen
a Cross Country Rider
from Birmingham, Alabama, USA Date Reviewed: August 17, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Doctors Park, Crested Butte, CO
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Chain rings shift great
Weaknesses:
bb brgs are awful. Swapped to ceramics and did much better. Could never keep the arm tight. I like the new Shimano pinch style.
Similar Products Used:
Truvative
Bike Setup:
DEAN Scout 26" shifty
Bottom Line:
Going back to Shimano with new pinch type retainer.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
mattmac
a Cross Country Rider
from Crested Butte, CO, USA Date Reviewed: July 27, 2009
Favorite Trail:
That's a secret
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
stock on bike
Strengths:
Affordable
Weaknesses:
creaks and bearings are terrible. I have heard from local shop that the right crank arm is notorious for failing.
Similar Products Used:
shimano
Bike Setup:
Yeti 575
Bottom Line:
becareful in purchasing. If you ride hard, this is not the best crankset for you.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bike Bloke
a Cross Country Rider
from UK Date Reviewed: July 19, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Glentress
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Stiff, Light, Shifts Great, Looks
Weaknesses:
Race Face Bottom Bracket is garbage! (If they lasted, value would be 5)
Similar Products Used:
Shimano, Truvativ
Bike Setup:
Custom Scott Hardtail
Bottom Line:
I picked these cranks up brand new for £100 so for the price I paid these are phenomenal. They're super stiff and you can really put the power down, shifting works flawlessly and the weight reduction is very nice too! The only problem is the race face bottom bracket which is seriously bad. Incidently i've replaced it with a superstar bottom bracket and that's still as smooth as it was a year ago - despite gloopy muddy UK conditions. If you're looking for top end performance and cant justify XTR, these are the cranks to choose!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
just a guy
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver Date Reviewed: July 1, 2009
Favorite Trail:
The one Im riding.
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$189.00
Purchased At:
colorado cyclist
Strengths:
Strong for XC, light, stiff, quiet.
Weaknesses:
For the price, none.
Similar Products Used:
Lots of other Raceface, Truvativ, and Shimano cranks. These replaced an older Truvative Stylo Team.
Bike Setup:
Turner 5 spot. Running it 22/34/Bash, raceface rings.
Bottom Line:
Great crank for the price. Don't let the first review fool you, these cranks won't make a sound if installed correctly. Facing the bottom bracket shell may be necessary for any type of BB to install correctly. Im 185 lbs or so with gear, and ride fairly agressively for XC, and these cranks are plenty strong. I've beaten them for almost 3 years and besides scrapes and scratches, they work like new. For under $200, you can't beat them. They aren't the lightest or the strongest, but a good compromise between the two.
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Submitted by
baha_boater
a Weekend Warrior
from Knoxville, TN Date Reviewed: June 18, 2009
Favorite Trail:
One in front of me
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
Internet
Strengths:
Light weight, stiff, shifts great, standard chain ring bolt pattern, price.
Weaknesses:
Finish a bit less durable than that of some others. The design is sensitive to bottom bracket width, D Mount bracket clearance (on the ML8) requiring you to "bottom out" the crank arm bolt..
Took some effort to get it mounted up on my Maverick due to the fact that the chain ring bolts on the small chain ring hit/rubbed the D-Mount bracket. Had to remove some material from the D Mount bracket (read bench grinder) to get enough clearance. After that all was well. You need to pay close attention to the installation instructions to make sure you have the right spacers (if any) for your frame and front derailleur setup. The Shimano cranks I've used on the same frame all worked with no clearance issues whatsoever.
All that aside a very stiff and functional crank once installed and a steal for the money. It shifts better than the XTR 960 I replaced and cost less than half as much. I would buy another one without question, a great crank for the price and worth dealing with a few minor installation isues. You may want to stick with XT or Deore if you have a D Mount bracket vs frame mount for your front Derailleur and your not fairly mechanical.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
panzer07
a Cross Country Rider
from Fremont Date Reviewed: May 1, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Toads
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$275.00
Purchased At:
Colorado
Strengths:
Light, stiff, and strong. Can be purchased for less than $200 online if you know where to look.
Weaknesses:
May bend spindle if doing light freeride. Race Face bearings do not last very long .
Similar Products Used:
XT
Bike Setup:
SC Nomad - freeride/allmountain build.
Bottom Line:
These are nice cranks for the money and are pretty light and can be paired up with King bottom bracket for reliability. I bent my spindle doing 5' drops but the Race Face boys at the Sea Otter gave me a new pair with no problems - thats service!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
milkmanmarce
a Downhiller
from Vanouver Date Reviewed: April 23, 2009
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$250.00
Strengths:
Very strong and light. Chainrings are second to none. Easy to install
Weaknesses:
None yet
Similar Products Used:
XT
Bike Setup:
Knolly Delirium-T, Race Face Deus cranks, Atlas AM bar and stem. XT drivetrain, Syncros wheels
Bottom Line:
Bombproof little crank. I've been putting these through the paces on the North Shore and Whistler for a year and haven't heard a peep. BB is still perfect as well. LOL at the guy who says they creak. Might be the bb, but if you install everything correctly these are smooth as anything. Don't give a part a bad review because of poor maintenance. Install correctly and you'll have 0 issues.
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Submitted by
az1jeff
a Weekend Warrior
from Prescott, Arizona, USA Date Reviewed: April 19, 2009
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Weaknesses:
Creaks
Similar Products Used:
CODA 900
Bike Setup:
5.5 full suspension (coil).
Bottom Line:
It Creaks. It creaks loud.
Race Face advertising says it's made in Canada. Only the chain rings are made in Canada. The rest is made in Taiwan. It creaks.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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