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Shimano Alivio

MSRP $ 40.00
# of Reviews 70
Average Rating 2.64/5
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Submitted by RC a Weekend Warrior from Lancaster, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: October 20, 2009
Favorite Trail:XC
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Price Paid: $40.00
Purchased At:came with bike
Strengths:Cheap, somewhat functional
Weaknesses:Weak, low-quality, only somewhat functional
Similar Products Used:Suntour, Sugino
Bike Setup:Factory GT Backwoods hardframe.
Bottom Line:You get what you pay for, and you won't pay much for these cranks. If you're broke and/or do slow easy rides on beach boardwalks, then they are adequate. If you want cranks that can do anything more than that, get something better.

They were stock on my bike, so I used them. I do mostly mountain riding on smooth roads and trails; no hard impacts, g-outs, or drops at all. Despite that, the left crank arm still managed to fatigue and break completely off above the spindle while I was pedaling, the jagged stub of which slashed the back of my leg quite handily. They had been creaking and slowly self-loosening for years prior to that.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:1

Submitted by swanny81 a Cross Country Rider from Sydney, NSW, Australia
Date Reviewed: August 26, 2008
Favorite Trail:All
Duration Product Used:3 months
Purchased At:Came with bike
Strengths:Price
Weaknesses:Strength
Design
Weight
Square taper
Similar Products Used:Cheap, low-end Truvativ cranks
Bike Setup:Trek Fuel 70 with a few bits and pieces
Bottom Line:Used these cranks for a little while, approx 3 or 4 months.

They look reasonable, and you can pick them up for next to nothing, but Id very, very, VERY strongly recommend that you steer well clear of them.

The crank arm and spider that bolts to the chainrings is, for some ridiculous reason, not one piece. As such, mine has come loose so the chainrings have free play relative to the crank, and this has stretched my chain (and obviously means the cranks are 100% stuffed).

For reference I am not especially heavy - I weight 75kg, and whilst Im reasonably tough on cranks, I havent done *any* notable drops (2ft at absolute most?) on this bike - pretty well exclusively cross country riding.

The design is a massive flaw, and they really arent worth bothering with. Even for a casual rider, spend a little more and get something that will last indefinitely. These are utter junk.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Sinisa Kovac a Cross Country Rider from Osijek, Croatia
Date Reviewed: April 26, 2007
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $30.00
Purchased At:Volf servis
Strengths:Cheap, reliable, looks OK.
Weaknesses:Little heavy, teeth worn out after a year of hard riding.
Similar Products Used:Ritchey comp crank, shimano XT Hollowtech II
Bike Setup:04 GT Avalanche 2.0
Bottom Line:Its a good, entery level, inexpensive crankset for XC riding. Yeah it is a little heavy, but for the money what can you expect? Mine never left me out and i did whit Alivio more than 4000km.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by John a Weekend Warrior from Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: February 12, 2007
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Purchased At:Stock on my 1996 GT Ricochet
Strengths:Did the job of what a crankset is supposed to do.
Weaknesses:Chainrings can not be removed/swapped for other chainrings, Rings are in a smaller tooth size then the usual 44/32/22, Weight a little heavy.
Similar Products Used:Whatever came on my 1994 Raleigh Matterhorn, Sugino 44/32/22 crankset (replaced my Shimano Alivio) and my Bontrager Comp. 44/32/22 crankset that came stock on my 2001 Trek Fuel 90 Disk.
Bike Setup:1996 GT Ricochet.
Bottom Line:These were a good stock item on my 1996 GT Ricochet, but they were a liltte heavy, inexpensive crankset as you could not swap-out the chainrings, gear ratios were a little smaller at 42/32/22 & I needed to buy a $15 Park crank puller to remove and then install a Sugino 44/32/22.
Bottom Line: Good for 1yr until I started to do 80-120km roundtrip rides.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Anthony willetts a Weekend Warrior from bunbury
Date Reviewed: July 21, 2006
Favorite Trail:Mt Leonard
Duration Product Used:3 months
Purchased At:Came With Bike
Strengths:Cheap, fairly stiff and look cool
Weaknesses:not very strong in either the pedal thread or BB connection
Similar Products Used:RPM, Shimmano Hollowtech, Truvativ ISOflow, Truvativ Hussefelt
Bike Setup:Shogun Floater, Truvativ hussefelt cranks, Gigapipe BB, Alex DM18 rims, Suntour XCR forks
Bottom Line:these crank lasted me about 2 weeks before they started breaking, first it was just a case of the square hole at the BB conection wearing out and the bolt consistantly soming loose then after presoviering with that for a couple of months and having to replace the BB the pedal thread on the driveside crank gave way and stripped out! ofcourse i used these cranks for a few jumps/drops which wasnt very smart but if you need sum cranks that can take it, go sumthing a bit stronger!
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Chris McKendry a Cross Country Rider from Melbourne
Date Reviewed: September 27, 2005
Favorite Trail:Woodlands National Park
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $40.00
Purchased At:Cecil Walker Cycles
Strengths:Lasted 5500 KM of on-off road use. I heavy rider at 98Kg but these cranks lasted well throughout that time. I am only replacing them now with the new look 2005 Shimano Alivio cranks because the chain stretched thus ruining most of the drivetrain componets. However for the money, cant go wrong.
2005 Alivio looks good.
Weaknesses:The weight is quite heavy at around 1kg but then again its a relatively cheap crank.
Similar Products Used:Suntour
Bike Setup:2001 Giant Iguana SE, Deore running gear
Bottom Line:I believe its a very good crank for the money. Having riden around 5000km with these cranks i have the testing behind it to say they are worthy of using.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Hui Chuen Chuang a Cross Country Rider from Penang, Malaysia
Date Reviewed: April 21, 2005
Favorite Trail:anywhere
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Purchased At:cane with bike
Strengths:cheap...
Weaknesses:cannot withstand jumps...heavy...doesn't look good
Similar Products Used:Deore
Bike Setup:2005 trek fuel 70, manitou axel comp, rock shox bar
Bottom Line:cheap to buy but not satisfying...
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Grant a Weekend Warrior from Whitehouse Station, NJ
Date Reviewed: November 23, 2004
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Bike Setup:gt tempest frame, Indy XC, STX shifters, Decore rear mech, decore Vs, some cheap light bars, everything else crappy stock
Bottom Line:this came on my bike when i bought it 100 years ago in 1997. they seemed fine till they broke. unfortunatly i was poor at the time, just like now, and replaced them with teh same thing but they have held out thus far. i'll give them 3 for value because they aren't the absolute worst, but only 2 overall because i wasn't doing anything very rough when they broke.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

Submitted by sam a Weekend Warrior from perth, western australia
Date Reviewed: October 21, 2004
Favorite Trail:john forrest/mundaring
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Strengths:....was ok while it lasted....looks ok
Weaknesses:pretty flexible, not very strong
Similar Products Used:truvativ hussefelt, entry level truvativ, ac forged
Bike Setup:avanti montari + rhino mammoth rims + truvatuv hussefelt dh cranks & gigapipe dh crank etc
Bottom Line:crank seemed ok at first. im fairly heavy - ~95kg (190pounds) and it didnt seem to flex too much for a cheaper crank. started doing some drops and it started to bend. first bent at about 1m (only a little) and then bent heaps over a 1.5m drop onto grass...was only 3wks old. no good if youre heavy and do relatively hard riding
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Rubén García a Cross Country Rider from Madrid (Spain)
Date Reviewed: May 1, 2004
Favorite Trail:Every XC
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Price Paid: $30.00
Purchased At:Zweirad Staedler Nurnberg
Strengths:Price, looks, rigidity
Weaknesses:Weight…really heavy
Similar Products Used:Some Taiwan Crap, Old LX, Acera and Deore
Bike Setup:My old self-made Chromoly Tange bike, with a mix of Shimano Alivio, STX-RC and Deore
Bottom Line:I am very pleased with them; they are an effective component, with a good compromise between rigidity and shift effectiveness. With the Shimano STX RC I had never a shift problem. The have done their work.

I’m a bit heavy, 75 Kilos; nevertheless I don’t have problems with their rigidity, even by powerful climbing.

For me, they have only a weak point, they are very heavy, around 900 grams. For me it is the only reason to change them. Highly recommendable, four flaming chillies for them.

Sorry for the writing mistakes!
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Lexa Doig a Cross Country Rider from Philippines
Date Reviewed: January 7, 2004
Favorite Trail:Slipstream
Duration Product Used:Tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:Will probably make a good defensive weapon
Weaknesses:Everything
Similar Products Used:Specialized cranks, hollowtech cranks, sugino cranks, altus crap cranks, etc
Bike Setup:Alu hardbutt, deore alivio sugino RST blah blah blah
Bottom Line:Don't buy this crankset! Heavy heavy heavy! Poor styling, poor design, crank/spider is not 1-piece typical shimano crap crank.

Here's a tip, Get Sugino Impel Cranksets! They're not trick... but have a utilitarian beauty. Most of all you can't go wrong with them!
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Dan a Cross Country Rider from London
Date Reviewed: November 12, 2003
Favorite Trail:Redlands
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Purchased At:Leeds UK
Strengths:Cheap
Weaknesses:Heavy, Bends
Similar Products Used:Deore DX, Mountain LX
Bike Setup:Orange Gringo, Manitou Black Comp
Bottom Line:This crank came as standard on a bike setup with a good frame and cheap components. The Crank Lived happily through 2 years of very light use but recently its taken some reasonable XC riding. The result is the middle ring bending under peadling pressure, with one symptom being it now changes to the big ring on its own. I will try and hammer it back, but at the end of the day its lasted thtough only 200 miles of real use

Value Rating:2Overall Rating:1

Submitted by JC a Weekend Warrior from Ottawa
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2003
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $38.00
Purchased At:Tommy And Lefebvre
Strengths:Gets the job done, shifts well
Weaknesses:non so far
Bike Setup:Stock CCM Cliffrunner with Hellbent XC handle bars and Kore stem with a [redish] Shimano derailure.
Bottom Line:My old cranks died along with the bottom bracket, so far these cranks are lasting and its a decent price and so i'm gonna give it 5/5 for now. I'll repost later when it breaks.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by kenif a Weekend Warrior from australia
Date Reviewed: May 12, 2003
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $40.00
Strengths:hell cheap
Weaknesses:pretty heavy
Bottom Line:pretty heavy but nice and cheap. gets the job done. shifts well and still going strong after a beating on the rocks.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:3

Submitted by ron a from austin
Date Reviewed: January 30, 2003
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Strengths:Stiff enough, shifts good enough
Weaknesses:So damn heavy you could beat the crap out of someone with the left side crank arm
Bottom Line:What are you people doin with your bikes? Its a cheap crank, treat it as such. Dont do stupid sh*t with it and it will be fine. Its still workin great and puttin up with my 235 lbs. Yeah, its heavy but who freakin cares. Loose a pound of fat and get the same results all while you save money from not eatin at Mcdonalds.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by adam foster a from NS Canada
Date Reviewed: October 20, 2002
Favorite Trail:everywhere
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $35.00
Purchased At:cyclesmith
Strengths:if ur talkin about the 2002 alivio it is awsome i went off a 9 foot roof and 10 foot stair gap wit em on a hardtail. on a hardtail!!! and never bent. but if you mean the older one where the 3 chain rings are all together the chain rings were tough they were bashed on god knows how many rocks and concrete ledges and never bent
Weaknesses:for the 2002 a little heavy i guess but i ride wit sun rims mammoth and ryno lite to i cant complain. for the older one all the chainrings were together. o and the thing bent and the inside went from square to oval.
Similar Products Used:shimano acera, sugino, deore
Bike Setup:1999 norco bigfoot with juddy tt sunrim mamoth in the back and ryno lite up front deore and alivio drivetrain
Bottom Line:the 2002 alivio crank is pretty nice it has all replacable chainrings and it looks awsome in black. dont listen to all those people who say they bent it in crosscountry wossey stuff cause i can go off roofs and 10 foot stairs wit mine and not bend it and on a hardtail!!!!!
the older alivio is ok it took all my drops but i bent it once on a jump but i bent er back wit a pipe wrench with a big ol pole on it but then i bent it again doin sumthin stupid goin off my friends garage which bent it and rounded out the inside of it it also left me a nasty bruse above my eye where my head hit my handlebars.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by brad a Weekend Warrior from halifax
Date Reviewed: July 19, 2002
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Strengths:NOTHING
Weaknesses:EVERYTHING!!
Similar Products Used:no name cranks ect they lasted 4 years b4 they seized up and broke my arm and I had to get these now lousy ones
Bottom Line:These things where put on to just convert my old bike into a travel bike I take them on ONE XC trail and then there bent and creaking and not shifting with 2 missing teeth and several damaged teeth WTF! I coughed over like 100 cdn bucks to get this thing fixed and the next day its broken big time. I dont reccomend anyone buying these things and now im stuck waiting for my new bike for another wekk or so BAH!
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Jim a Weekend Warrior from State College, PA
Date Reviewed: April 20, 2002
Favorite Trail:Blue Marsh, Reading PA
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Purchased At:came with bike
Strengths:Strong, took a beating
Weaknesses:On the old five bolt model: the three rings are welded together as one unit.
Similar Products Used:Shimano STX
Bike Setup:'96 Giant Iguana SE, stock set-up
Bottom Line:It was a great long-wearing crankset...got 6 good riding years out of it before a replacement was neccessary.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Aaron a Cross Country Rider from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: April 4, 2002
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $1.00
Purchased At:Came with bike
Strengths:its strong
Weaknesses:heavy?
Similar Products Used:shimano biopace
Bottom Line:These came stock on my 2001 Raleigh M60 and they seem very solid. Im sure these are heavy compared to others, but who cares. I like the term the reviewer below used: "weight nazis." I like good old steel. Its strong and cheap. I would probably be riding a new bike with a steel frame (Fisher Wahoo), but I found this M60 for super cheap so aluminum I went. Anyways, I digress, these are good cheapo cranks. All you "weight nazis" look elsewhere. Im sure people who buy the best will never read this review because they know better, but still, these arent for racing but for recreational mountain biking. I give them 5 chilis because they perform very well for what they are. You do get what you pay for and that doesnt necessarily mean that you have to rate something low because it doesnt give you XTR performance for alivio prices.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by dennisd a Cross Country Rider from Cornwall, Ontario
Date Reviewed: January 22, 2002
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Strengths:-inexpensive
-good, though not spectacular performance
-Strong, because of steel construction
Weaknesses:-HEAVY
-steel rings can bend
Similar Products Used:XT, LX, Sugino, Specialized, etc.
Bike Setup:Tricked out GT Backwoods
Bottom Line:What can I say? I was looking for a replacement for the crappy Sugino cranks that came stock on my GT. I was short on cash that day, so I picked the Alivio. They are still on my bike two years later. This ia a very good XC crank. Big hitters and Downhillers will probably be looking for something else though. Also racer types and weight nazis won't like them. So what?

Alivio cranks compare favourably with a lot of the junk out there. They aren't performance oriented though. So know what you're getting. I like them because I'm 230 and these things are tough: I have yet to break them and I ride hard. They aren't the stiffest cranks out there, but will do the job as far as the average trailrider goes.

So anyone looking for a budget crankset and isn't too obsessed with weight might want to consider Alivio.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Brendan a Weekend Warrior from Australia
Date Reviewed: November 26, 2001
Favorite Trail:Doongala
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Purchased At:Bicycle Superstore
Strengths:Cheap, Looks Nice, Fairly Sturdy, Alloy Chainrings
Weaknesses:Alloy Chainrings
Similar Products Used:The only other cranks I have used were Shimano Altus (on my old bike)
Bike Setup:Norco Bigfoot 2001 (6061 Aluminium Frame), Down Hill Handlebars, Alivio Crankset, STX-RC Hubs, STX-RC Rear Derailleur, Alivio Front Derailleur, Alivio Shifters and Brake Levers, Deore Brake Calipers, Alex Double Wall Rims, Kenda Kinetic Tyres, Rock Shox Jett.
Bottom Line:After about 4 hours solid X-Country riding using mainly the middle chainring it was stuffed. The middle chainring is bent to the max. I am now investing in Shimano Deore Hollowtech, I hope theses will be a fair upgrade. I would suggest this crank for the rider who uses their MTB on the road only or the rider who has a lot of money to be replacing chainrings as needed.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3

Submitted by weather expert a Weekend Warrior from iowa
Date Reviewed: October 26, 2001
Duration Product Used:6 months
Purchased At:oem on a 96 trek 850
Strengths:cheap, strong for its purpose, turns, shifts.
Weaknesses:heavy. rings are kinda soft
Similar Products Used:sugino, lx, suntour crap, raceface prodigy
Bike Setup:trek 850
Bottom Line:this crankset is oem on my old trek (guess both are 96 model). for the duration this trek worked as my only functional bike, i had to say it's a pretty impressive piece of equipment for the money. it delivers your power to the rear wheel with good efficiency. shifting performance (with alivio front der) is surprisingly good compared to old lx with lx front der. the chain rings are a bit soft though, but i am yet to bend any beyond repair.

i feel like to remind some of the riders that this is an economic crankset that's NOT designed for DH, DS, jumping or trials. also, for you newbies, you have to learn to use your equipment properly. mountain bikes and its components are built tough, but not for misuse.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Brad Toy a Cross Country Rider from Greenville, South Carolina
Date Reviewed: October 18, 2001
Favorite Trail:any thing around Isequena
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Purchased At:Great Escape
Strengths:umm, its works for a while
Weaknesses:its weak, bent so easyily
Bike Setup:Trek 6500 w/ Avid Arch Rival 50's and Speed Dial & levers
Bottom Line:This crank set came on my bike when I got it, but I really just started to ride the bike a little over a month ago, so I would say the crank really doesnt have much milage on it. The thing is toast already the 2 biggest gears are so bent and out of round. I can remember hitting a log with it once, but it was a soft log and i didn't hit it hard at all. I wouldnt get this crank unless you like to replace them often.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:1

Submitted by R J a Downhiller from BC Canada
Date Reviewed: September 7, 2001
Duration Product Used:6 months
Purchased At:stock
Strengths:Haha, I guess they are good for XC... Nothing else though.
Weaknesses:Everything. I used them stupidly for drops and high speed stuff.... The pedal thread thingies stripped out, I bent the middle chainring to hell when my chain skipped when I was powering uphill, and the first ring has a wobble. How does my third ring stay fine?
Similar Products Used:Low end stuff.
Bottom Line:Get these if you ride paths or XC. Why do bike companies spec these crappy cranks on "freeride" bikes? My cranks are toast, nothing can save them. On to some 3 pc Cro mo! 4 for value cause they are so cheap and they lasted about 6 months before they died.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Cody Whynot a Cross Country Rider from Liverpool
Date Reviewed: August 13, 2001
Favorite Trail:Cow Road
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $25.00
Purchased At:Bike Barn
Strengths:*Strength
*changable chain rings
*price
Weaknesses:not too many so far.... paint has come off where shoes rub against it
Similar Products Used:lx, race face
Bike Setup:trek 6000, lx bb, judy xc fork, bontrager rims/tires
Bottom Line:This is a good crank for the price payed, I have put 310 k on them in less than three weeks and they still work like new, only problem is that the paint is wearing off. The gram counters might not want to try this crank, its not aluminum, but its sure as he|| stronger. Most say thats its not good for more than a four foot drop, but I weigh 150lbs and it still works fine after a five footer. I will upgrade to a higher quality crank when my funds are enough, but in the mean time im happy with what I have!!
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Brian Widentrack a Downhiller from Springfalls
Date Reviewed: August 7, 2001
Favorite Trail:you break it, you buy it
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $1.00
Purchased At:Garage sale
Strengths:It appears to have the proper shapes required to be a crank.
Weaknesses:These are cheap alivio cranks, what more can you ask for, they spec these babies weak. That's their selling point.
Alivio - the weak just got weaker! Flex for me!
Similar Products Used:Truvativ, Raceface, profile.
Bike Setup:VPS 1
Bottom Line:I didn't have this on my VPS incase you were wondering. But I did use this on my hard tail for a week, I needed a quick replacement, and found this one for a buck (with BB). I must say it really is cheap, but you can't complain, it is a cheap crank put on cheaper bikes.
Now I don't know about all of you, but I give this sh!t kicker 5 chill smokes for value, wooooooooooo hooooooo
and a dog pile 1 for overall, aleast in my case.
Now the crank is molten melt somewhere, a friend cast metal thongs (yes underwear, J/K). He melts metal and makes things so he has them alivio's.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Ruefus a Racer from Akron, OH
Date Reviewed: July 6, 2001
Favorite Trail:The Knob
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Purchased At:Y-Not Cycling
Strengths:Cheap, no nonsense
Weaknesses:For what they cost, they really have none. Ok, they're heavy.
Similar Products Used:LX, XT, Sugino, White Industries
Bike Setup:Trek VRX, Marzocchi
Bottom Line:These came stock on a bike I bought last year. I've done nothing but clean them. They work as well as any other crank I've used. The chainrings may be wearing out after a year of hard riding, but what do you want? They aren't sexy, but they work and work and work. I've jumped them hard on the VRX without problems.

I woudn't buy them as an upgrade, unless you're really strapped for cash, but I wouldn't use them as a reason not to buy a bike that comes with them.

Much better performance than I ever expected.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Steve Power a from Newfoundland
Date Reviewed: June 25, 2001
Duration Product Used:3 months
Strengths:Anti-Flex, Beefy, Can take just about anything.
Weaknesses:WWWWhhhhhaaaaatttttttt???????? How???
Similar Products Used:Raceface XS, Truvative DH
Bike Setup:Vps 1 frame,Complete Aveilo system, Noleen Chubby Lt, Mavic 132 Xc rims(beefy).
Bottom Line:I was given a Vps1 frame for my birthday so I took the components off my Giant Rock.(Ridged $150). I rode the bike for 3 months really hard and never had a problem. I had a Truvative Dh Crank but snapped it on a 25 footer. Didn't have money so bought Avilo Cranks. This was the best downgrade I have ever made. I think they may be even stronger than that race face cr@p. Best value out there. Can buy them at your local corner store. Paid $10 brand New.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Charlie a Cross Country Rider from FL
Date Reviewed: April 28, 2001
Favorite Trail:Nunya
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $16.00
Purchased At:JensonUSA
Strengths:Inexpensive & last longer than any aluminum ringed crankset that I've used. Chainrings are steel.
Weaknesses:Require slight modification to work with 9spd chain.
Similar Products Used:XTR, XT, LX, Sugino's, SunTour.
Bike Setup:Habanero ti with Manitou SX-R w/lockout, Velocity Deep-V rims, XT hubs, Alivio crankset, SRAM cogset, SunTour thumbshifters, STX-RC rr der, XTR fr der, SH-545 pedals, CODA brake levers, OnZa Raw barends, Selle San Marco Regal suspension seat & homemade ti seatpost.
Bottom Line:Don't know where reviewers are coming up with aluminum rings because both my MC-16 & MC-18 Alivio cranksets are steel-ringed. It's why I bought them. Got tired of zipping thru various aluminum ringed cranksets so decided to try the Alivio crankset instead. I've been very happy with my decision. Definitely can't beat the price! I've never had a problem with the chainrings either & I'm on my 2nd crankset. As for weight -- the only thing I have to say is that most weight weenies are poseurs. Get off your fat asses & just ride!!!
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Rob a Cross Country Rider from Essex, VT
Date Reviewed: April 17, 2001
Favorite Trail:Costco
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Strengths:Keep pedals on and turn chain.
Weaknesses:Weak rings, Flex
Bike Setup:99 Fisher Kaitai
Bottom Line:These cranks were stock on my Fisher. I spent a lot of time hammering the middle ring back into shape. When I replaced my chain after approx 200 miles, the middle ring was toast and jumped with my fresh chain. Since the Alivio is low-end, my LBS did not carry the right ring. (LX/XTs will NOT fit!) Replaced with Sachs 8sp, but I have only ridden those twice as they were a late season replacement, and the snow flew early and often in VT.

If these come stock on your bike, use 'em, but expect them to be one of the first things to wear out. If your are thinking of buying them as an "upgrade"...I'd put the $$ into a better pair.

Shimano has differnt levels because not everyone can affort (or needs) a full XT/XTR setup. But I'm very disapointed in the durability of the low end parts on my Kaitai (crank, Alivio front der, LP-27 BB).
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Frog a Cross Country Rider from Severna Park, MD, USA
Date Reviewed: March 11, 2001
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $38.00
Purchased At:Performace
Strengths:Cheap
Good Shifting
Weaknesses:Crank arm flex
Very weak Alumium rings
Similar Products Used:Suntour
Bike Setup:Gt Outpost
Bottom Line:These cranks are decent. If you ride them lightly on bike paths and the street you wont have any problems. If you try to ride trails or your not a flyweight then look else where.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:2

Submitted by rubootensteinburgerosi a Weekend Warrior from somewhere in africa
Date Reviewed: December 13, 2000
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Strengths:looks cool
Weaknesses:every thing eles as weak as sh*t broke in a week middle chain ring wreaked you know the normal problems people have with these cranks
square bit broke NO JUMPS OR DROPS
Similar Products Used:nothing this bad
Bike Setup:gt palomar set up as a fat tank
Bottom Line:do not i repeat do not buy these cranks i am 16 year old and only weight about 60kg a i broke these in a week
it freaks me out to image what you fat 200lb guys could do to these cranks
do not buy them
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Yan a Weekend Warrior from Midlands UK
Date Reviewed: November 25, 2000
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Price Paid: $30.00
Purchased At:Local bike shop
Strengths:They work! Shift well when set up with compatable front mech and chain. Nice high polished finish.
Weaknesses:Soft materials used in construction. I have opened the left hand crank square section, plus I have bent 2 middle rings. (granted the second one was from a 99 4arm LX that I used to replace my folded one, so it could just be me)
Similar Products Used:Sugino Rudd, on Sunn XC bike which developed stress fractures very quickly.
LX, FSA sidewinders.
Bike Setup:"Handbuilt in my shed" play bike. Middle range drive train, ALIVIO, ACERA, STX.
Bottom Line:Reasonable quality cranks. These get the job done to the level they were designed for, ie: Recreational Cycling. If you are a Chunky monkey, or a hard man then go for something tougher like LX XT XTR.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Daniel M a Downhiller from Montreal,Quebec,Canada
Date Reviewed: October 26, 2000
Favorite Trail:Banzai at Bromont
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Purchased At:Local shop
Strengths:Came on bike. Hasn't broken - yet. Iguess they look better than anything in the price range.
Weaknesses:Both me and another person have badly bent thier middle rings. God known how strong they are.
Similar Products Used:LX, STX, Icon, Specialized, lots of curved metal.
Bike Setup:Giant ATX 840
Bottom Line:Lately, I have been jumping and dropping. I live with the constant fear of my cranks snapping, and cracking my nuts on my seat. If you get these cranks OEM, use them 'till they break, but do not buy these cranks aftermarket. Although they're worth $20, resist the temptation. Its not worth is.
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by funky winkerbean a Cross Country Rider from 8th ave.
Date Reviewed: October 3, 2000
Duration Product Used:6 months
Strengths:cheap, comes on bike, makes wheels go.
Weaknesses:none if you don't ride it past its limits (drop offs over 4ft., etc...)
Similar Products Used:moved up to stx/rc, then lx, then xt
Bike Setup:caad4 frame, lx/xt, x-vert, xt/mavic517, etc...
Bottom Line:if you wanna be hardcore get hardcore parts, i'm tired of people on this site hating on entry level s*&t because it doesn't perform like xtr, these cranks came stock on my first mtbike 3 years ago rode then for 6mths learned to ride hard on them w/ no problem
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Mike Orr a Weekend Warrior from Redfield
Date Reviewed: October 1, 2000
Favorite Trail:any
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Strengths:Good for the money
Weaknesses:Not good for the weight
Similar Products Used:xt cranks, race face, icons
Bike Setup:Both on a 6000, because I broke those cheap arsed suginos, and on a 6500 i later got
Bottom Line:You guys are dissing them, but you are also comparing them to xt, lx, xtr, straight deore, race face even! These aren't that high quality, they are near entry level. They are designed to get you buy till you wear them out and buy a better pair, if you can wait that long. They were good when I raced them. And I did race with them..ended up in third place too, got beat by a kid that was running mostly stx, and another that was running lx. Why does everyone worry so much about high quality when you can do almost the same stuff with lower end...just a bit heavier. I give it a 5 by 4...good value and pretty good performance for the money.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Eric Lee a Downhiller from Richmond, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: September 30, 2000
Favorite Trail:North Shore
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $70.00
Strengths:Cheap
Weaknesses:Bendable, heavy
Similar Products Used:XT cranks
Bike Setup:Trek VRX 300, Full XT with avid brakes
Bottom Line:Cheap, great crank for the beginner. Oh, and never do drops(MORE THAN 4 FEET) on the Alivio crank arms
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Andy a Weekend Warrior from Winston-Salem, NC
Date Reviewed: August 15, 2000
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Strengths:NONE!
Weaknesses:Poor construction
Bike Setup:1999 Gary Fisher Kaitai
Bottom Line:These cranks came on my new Gary Fisher Kaitai and after only a week they are now in my trashcan. I went off a small 5 foot drop, when i landed i heard a pop. I bend the crank and ripped out the treads that held in my peddles. I say they should stop making those cheep cranks, and im on my way to buy a new Race Face crank set.
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by GAOO a Weekend Warrior from Quebec
Date Reviewed: July 13, 2000
Favorite Trail:Bromont
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Strengths:arms are pretty solid for a NORMAL use,
Weaknesses:Rings aren't enough tought for real off-roading, burnt after half year, some noises
Similar Products Used:Shimano Deore
Bike Setup:Trek 6500 ZX orange, LX brake system, XT rear derailleur
Bottom Line:Worked well at start but ring are used too rapidly in muddy conditions, after two weeks, middles chainring began to skip teeth!!! Good for people you are using for road bike, the 5 arms model was more strengh! Really thinking about upgrading to new LX hollowtech
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Joe a Cross Country Rider from Chula Vista, Ca
Date Reviewed: June 25, 2000
Duration Product Used:6 months
Strengths:??? Cheap I guess, but mine came w/ my bike.
Weaknesses:Cheap. Heavy. Weak Chainrings.
Bottom Line:CHEAP. Good for you if your cheap, but bad if your not and want a quality crankset. Mine came stock on my bike. I am replacing them ASAP. Bent the chainrings under easy to moderate cross country riding. Middle chainring is basically unusable. If it comes stock on your bike, either swap it w/ a quality one when you get your bike or plan on upgrading in the near future.
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Pokey a Weekend Warrior from Kingston, Ont, Can
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2000
Favorite Trail:fort
Duration Product Used:3 months
Strengths:strong, no probs at all,
Weaknesses:weight can be a prob, if you are worried about grams then don't eat that one last burger
Similar Products Used:STX limited, race face, Deore
Bike Setup:99 rocky vapor, fairly stock, race face post, ritchey handlebars etc
Bottom Line:Hey this crank owes me nothing, 10' drops haven't hurt it, smashing the chainring on logs hasn't messed up the rings at all. What creaking? lubricate. negligible flex. tough as balls. I could see where experts may want something flashier or lighter, but it works for me (fairly rough on my bike hitting rocks, logs, getting my money's worth for sure)
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by bladteth a Cross Country Rider from Lodz, Poland
Date Reviewed: June 9, 2000
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Strengths:+ price
+ acceptable strenght and durability
Weaknesses:- low quality chainrings
- a bit heavy
- all chainrings come in one piece, problems with replacing
- rather flexy
Similar Products Used:Tourney, LX, Sachs Neos
Bike Setup:Giant Terrago '98 with upgrades
Bottom Line:This cranks are not superb but what can you expect from a low cost product. Chainrings can cause serious problems - they canot be disassembled to pieces and the material used is of rather low quality. The whole thing bends easily under heavy load on steep uphills and sprints. However, for this price it is hard to find a better solution.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Brian a Cross Country Rider from Knoxville
Date Reviewed: May 30, 2000
Favorite Trail:Haven't found it yet
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Strengths:4 arms
Made by Shimano
Weaknesses:I weigh 205 lbs. and this crank sucks! The inside that hold the taper of the bottom bracket spread so much that the crank wobbles and won't stay on. Don't get this crank.
Similar Products Used:XT LX STX-R
Bike Setup:Marin Bolinas Ridge w/ RST fork
Bottom Line:Don't but this fork!!!!!! It sucks.
I'll give it 1 chili for having 4 arms.
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Shehryar Burney a Weekend Warrior from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2000
Duration Product Used:6 months
Weaknesses:Heavy
Very Weak Rings
Similar Products Used:LX
Bike Setup:Cannondale F400
Bottom Line:I've had a similar experience to what was reported by many
other reviewers. Somehow I bent the small and middle
rings without hitting anything noticable. The big ring, which you would expect would contact a rock first,
is fine. Replaced with an LX. This crankset also seems very heavy.
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Berit Gudrunson a Cross Country Rider from Sweden
Date Reviewed: May 7, 2000
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Strengths:If you remove the sticker it looks similar to a very expensive syncros crank I saw in a magazine.
Weaknesses:THE ENOURMOUS FLEX!
Similar Products Used:-
Bike Setup:Lx rear, alivio front, Alivio shifters. LX v brakes with LX levers.
Bottom Line:Don't buy this thing!
The flex is annoying as hell!
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Mike a Weekend Warrior from Buxton ND
Date Reviewed: April 27, 2000
Favorite Trail:Silver Top
Duration Product Used:6 months
Strengths:Real strong and cheap
Weaknesses:none
Similar Products Used:suntour race face
Bike Setup:Haro ES
Bottom Line:this crank is strong and you can't get any cheaper.I got it while my Race face was being replaced under warrenty.I still haven't installed the new race face crank.The alivio crank is much stronger and no flex.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by kevin a Weekend Warrior from Colorado
Date Reviewed: April 26, 2000
Duration Product Used:6 months
Strengths:runs smooth
Weaknesses:have to tune often
Similar Products Used:none
Bike Setup:All Alivio, XT copy brakes
Bottom Line:great for a beginner, not so great for an expert
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Robert a Cross Country Rider from Phoenix, Az
Date Reviewed: April 26, 2000
Favorite Trail:Estrella
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Strengths:The cranks arms are tough, I have smacked many rocks and only scratched the crap out of them. Don't have to pay for them, they are spec'd on bikes.
Weaknesses:The rings bend really easy and are almost impossible to bend back into shape. The weight. Flexs under extreme load.
Bike Setup:98' Trek 930, '00 LX cranks, LX der's, XT cassette
Bottom Line:Great intro crank, don't replace till you need to, then go to LX hollowtech.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by George a Weekend Warrior from NJ
Date Reviewed: April 25, 2000
Favorite Trail:various fire trails and single track
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Strengths:Strength and affordablility
Weaknesses:Weight (835 grams according to my scale). Shimano should have installed an alloy large ring instead of a steel one.
Similar Products Used:Alivio,LX and STX-RC
Bike Setup:2000 Giant Yukon hardtail, Alivio drivetrain.
Bottom Line:This crank is strong and shouldn't wear out prematurly. The beefy crank arms don't flex like some higher groupo's cranks do. The steel chainrings provide some of the smoothest shifting but do wish that Shimano would at least installed an alloy large ring to save weight. Bottom line, if you want something dependable and cheap, get Alivio. If you want to light weight get something else.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Frank burrito a from San Jose, CA, USA!
Date Reviewed: April 14, 2000
Duration Product Used:6 months
Strengths:Absolutely nothing
Weaknesses:Every aspect of this product is utter sh!te
Similar Products Used:Coda, TruVativ Stylos
Bike Setup:Trek 6000 w/ a whole bunch of mods
Bottom Line:Where can i begin? The rings are warped, the square sockets that connect to the spindle are stripped round, the cranks are super flexy and creak like hell. These cranks never worked well from day one. This unit never shifted well and with only moderate off-road use they have become trashed. The rings look like they are made out of tin and wear just as well too. Sure they are cheap, but they also look and function cheap. After a couple of mild wrecks they have become grindy and loose. Even after retightening, they are still notchy. A complete and total waste of time--I'm happy that these cranks have finally died, so that I may replace them with something better....Not even recommended for a commuter. Cranks are a high wear item--not a good place to save your money....-5 chilis
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Matt a Weekend Warrior from Klamath Falls
Date Reviewed: April 13, 2000
Duration Product Used:6 months
Strengths:It worked for the first five months of daily riding just fine.
Weaknesses:After 6 months they started squeeking and havent stopped. I took the cranks off ad cleaned the spindals to no avail. At this point either the cranks are somewhat shot or the spindal is really not long enough. Either way the cheep shimano bottom-end setup is not winning to many chilis from me.
Similar Products Used:no-name 3 piece cranks off Costco bike which never squeeked in 8 years of riding.
Bike Setup:Gary Fisher Kaitai w/ alivio cranks and similarly cheep bottom bracket and bearings
Bottom Line:These cranks i would not even recamend to a casual rider because of their short lifespan. The squeeking is horrible and since it didn't start for 6 months i am assuming that it is a wear/fatigue problem. Bottom line is: splurge for a little nicer cranks or get a huffy with one piece action. I guess if you want the cheepest cranks available you could go with this but they might give you fits later.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:1

Submitted by JAMES STAUBER a Weekend Warrior from STATEN ISLAND, NY, USA
Date Reviewed: March 29, 2000
Favorite Trail:Green Belt
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Strengths:Low cost
Weaknesses:Poor quality
chain rings easily bent
heavy
The metal used for the chain ringsis of very low quality,... it reaaly doesn't have any place on a Mt bike
Similar Products Used:just ordered a turvativ, I'll let you know what I think of it when it comes in
Bike Setup:Trek 6500, with Nashbar clipless pedals and Noleen LT front shocks
Bottom Line:Ok for riding on pavement, but not for much else. Do not use this product for anything else.
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Fran Conroy a Racer from Hyannis, MA
Date Reviewed: March 21, 2000
Favorite Trail:OTIS
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Strengths:Cheap. Strong
Weaknesses:Heavy.
Similar Products Used:Cook Bros. RaceFace
Bike Setup:Ted Wojick
Bottom Line:Ok they're cheap and some of them break, the bottom line is that I ride harder than everyone and I have the same set on my bike from 2 yrs ago. The situation was that my RaceFace cranks got wrecked and I needed a rep quick. All there was was this, I decided to use until destroyed, well, I'm still burnin everyone with these. People who've had problems with them shouldn't look to the crank they should look at the way they're riding. Especially if the thread comes out with the pedal.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Jody a Cross Country Rider from Fredericton, NB, Canada
Date Reviewed: March 8, 2000
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Strengths:cheap, arms are ok
Weaknesses:heavy as sin, soft rings
Similar Products Used:Shimano LX, XT
Bike Setup:97 Trek 6500, '99 manitou spyder R, mostly upgraded to LX now.
Bottom Line:This crank SUCKS. I bent the chainring like nothing, didn't have a lot of cash, so I put on another one. Big mistake. Within two weeks I bent the new one. Going to go for the LX now.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:1

Submitted by AirKnight a Cross Country Rider from Buffalo, NY
Date Reviewed: March 6, 2000
Duration Product Used:6 months
Strengths:makes a very good substitute for chain whip when you have an old chain
Weaknesses:everything from heavy, to short life
Similar Products Used:'00 LX, the LX is surpurb!!!
Bike Setup:GF Kaitai, '99 Z2 Superfly, '00 LX crankset, Shimano M-535 Clipless, Sachs P-51 chain, Michelin Wildgripper Lite S tires, Icon Stem
Bottom Line:They came with the bike, so I used it for half a year. ALL the chainrings were bent after less than 1000 miles of mostly pavement riding. They are also very heavy! I hate them! Don't buy them unless you want to do ghost riding! If you have them, don't feel bad. You can save youself money for a chain whip. I'm using my alivio crank as chain whip (with an old chain) now. Get the new Hollowtech LX, they worth way better.

AK
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Buzz a Cross Country Rider from NY
Date Reviewed: February 14, 2000
Favorite Trail:Brookfield
Duration Product Used:6 months
Strengths:???????
Weaknesses:Weight
One Piece Rings
Similar Products Used:LX
Bike Setup:95 GT Timberline
XT Group
Manitou Spyder R
Green Michelins
Bontrager Mustangs ASYM
Bottom Line:These Cranks suck. I had them for less than an year and they were nothing but trouble. I thought the arms had a considerable amount of flex. I went to change my pedals and when I took them out the treads on the arms came out with them leaving me a nice smooth hole. Nice S*** Shimano. Bring on the Cook Bros.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Jay a Cross-Country Rider from Denver
Date Reviewed: December 28, 1999
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Arms are strong
Weaknesses:
Rings suck
Similar Products Used:
Many
Bike Setup:
GF Kaitai
Bottom Line:Keep the arms if you want bullet proof cranks, dump the POS rings. But for 30 bones you really can't complain.
Overall Rating:1

Submitted by J. Bailey a Cross-Country Rider from Seattle
Date Reviewed: December 25, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Local trails
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Weaknesses:
Heavy
Similar Products Used:
LX XT race face
Bike Setup:
Giant W/manitiou and a air cardridge equiped JudySchwinn Moab 3 99'
Judy C
Bottom Line:THere are good strong cranks that are better than any shimanos except the XTR's. good to train with because they are heavier than the crank I use to race with. They are also a good crank to get whe rebuilding a bike when you are short on cash. Like em 10 times better than the cheep flexy LX and XT junk.
Overall Rating:4

Submitted by bikemike a Cross-Country Rider from sydney
Date Reviewed: November 26, 1999
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
cheap
Weaknesses:
cheap price, cheap quality
Similar Products Used:
99 LX cranks, 99 XTR
Bottom Line:Well, for someone who very rarely jumps, these cranks might look tough, but aren't really. Half a year of trail riding and these things (combined with an LP27 BB to make life sheer hell), are creaking and clicking like crazy, indicating that they have worn out. A year later, after light riding and commuting stuff, and they are just unuseable. But if you insist, they are cheap, and if you do use them, get an IG 90 chain and it will shift beautifully.
Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Andrew Rowson a Cross-Country Rider from Tonbridge
Date Reviewed: October 13, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Cheap
Weaknesses:
Heavy
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
GT Tequesta (rigid at the moment)
Bottom Line:Basically, a good part. You get more than what you pay for but not by a lot!!
Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Eric a Racer from Saratoga, CA
Date Reviewed: September 29, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Mammoth Kamikaze
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
The main strength is strength! and CHEAP!!!
Weaknesses:
Extremely embarassing since i have it on a 2000 dollar slalom bike
Similar Products Used:
XT, RaceFace, White Industries, Strongarm
Bike Setup:
Stumpjumper M2
Manitou X-Vert R
Mavic 121 DH rims
Full XT/Sram Plasma
ALIVIO CRANK!!!!
Bottom Line:These things are cheaper than anything and well worth the cheapness. Once i'm done with em i just throw em out and get a new one right away. they make good weapons.
My advice to downhillers/slalom riders... for training (on some non-DH bike), take off your Race Faces and put on alivios. These cheap POS can stand up to tons of abuse and you won't wear em out before the race.I would put em on my DH bike but you can't put MRP chain guides on this crap. But for 20 bucks at certain stores... 5 flaming POS X 2!!!
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by p34 a Cross-Country Rider from Charlotte, NC
Date Reviewed: September 27, 1999
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
cheap
Weaknesses:
rings
Bike Setup:
GT Backwoods
Bottom Line:I've only had my bike since mid-August. So far everything has worked as expected, except I somehow managed to bend the middle chainring enough that it is unusable. Getting waranteed at the LBS as I write this. Looks like XT cranks for Christmas this year!! (if the current cranks last that long) BTW, any idea how I bent only the middle chain ring? I didn't crash or bang it. It just bent.
Overall Rating:2

Submitted by stephan a Cross-Country Rider from Ridderkerk(Holland)
Date Reviewed: September 13, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Schoorl (Holland)
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
cheap,
looks
Weaknesses:
weight
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
Giant ATX
Mavic Crosslink
Deore xt/lx
Bottom Line:It was the standard crank on my bike but I think I'm going to replace it by an XT'99
Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Joel Bermel a Cross-Country Rider from New Braunfels, TX
Date Reviewed: August 29, 1999
Favorite Trail:
muleshoe bend
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Cheap, attractive
Weaknesses:
rings, weight
Similar Products Used:
Came stock on my Schwinn
Bike Setup:
Schwinn Moab 3
Bottom Line:Bent the middle ring four different ways some how during the last month; I weigh 200 and ridely fairly hard--good excuse to tell the wife I need to upgrade
Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Oliver Storz a Racer from Stuttgart, Germany
Date Reviewed: August 26, 1999
Favorite Trail:
steep streets in stuggi-town
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
cheap, fine-looking
Weaknesses:
not found yet
Bike Setup:
giant chicago 1993, hardtail
Bottom Line:After my first 20.000 km on a suntour crankset were done, bike dealer suggested to change all the drivetrain parts. the alivio crankset was a good decision regarding the bikes original price (but there's nothing original but the frame and seatpost). already made long tours (no offroad) with frequent gear shifting - never had problems. for an everyday-in-use-bike it's okay.
Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Alex a Cross-Country Rider from HI
Date Reviewed: August 18, 1999
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Cheap
Strong (at least for me)
Cheap
Stiff enough
Did I mention Cheap?
Weaknesses:
Weak rings
One piece rings- can't upgrade
Kinda Heavy (esp. the rings)
Lame 42t big ring
Similar Products Used:
Shimano '98 XT
Bike Setup:
Jamis HT
Acera/Alivo BB
Alivo and IG90 (XTR) chains
Bottom Line:These are some seriously cheap cranks. I weigh about 200 lbs (well I did when I had these), ride hard, and have had no problems with the *crank arms* while *riding*. The one piece rings suck though, they're heavy and you can't change them. Once I was JRA (on the sidewalk) and the rings just folded over on me! Luckily my LBS bent them back into perfect shape after a lot of work, and they never bent again (which is pretty weird considering my weight and riding stle, ie, to mash on the cranks all the time). Last year I was in a 37 mph crash on hardpack which severley bent a Kalloy seatpost and Avid brake lever (I was more or less OK though =)), well the left crank bent inward until it put a 1/6 deep dent in my frame (a cheaper cro-mo Jamis with fairly beefy chainsays). Considering the force applied I think most cranks would have bent. I think I don't need to say that I got more than my money's worth out of them. Great cranks considering their cost.
Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Jester a Cross-Country Rider from Poland
Date Reviewed: August 2, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Anywhere Muddy
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
Cheap!
Weaknesses:
Chain rings
Bike Setup:
Trek 6500
clipless pedals
Bottom Line:It sucks!!! I busted it after 100 miles!
But it good if you're short on cash and need a new part!
Overall Rating:2

Submitted by keith abel a Racer from stpete florida
Date Reviewed: July 15, 1999
Favorite Trail:
hard rock
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
cheep which is nice when you just need to ride but busted the good stuff
Weaknesses:
where do i start heavy week but in all farness i'm not so nice to them ither
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
amp reaserch b3
with f4 shock setup with carbon fiber legs
Bottom Line:hey if your in a jam like i was and and need somthing that worked but dident have much cash this is the crank for you other then that stay away RACE FACE ROCKS!!!
Overall Rating:1

Submitted by aubrey theall a Cross-Country Rider from stamford, ct
Date Reviewed: June 17, 1999
Favorite Trail:
mianus river park
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Cheap, reasonably stiff
Weaknesses:
Weak rings, heavy
Similar Products Used:
LX, XT, Raceface
Bike Setup:
Rocky Mtn. Soul, Judy C
Bottom Line:Came stock on my Rocky Mtn. Soul- The middle and small rings are bent all different ways and I can't figure out why- I haven't whacked them. The big one is still straight- go figure. Wrecked 'em in a month and then upgraded to LX- we'll se how long these hold on.
Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Manuel Garcia a Weekend Warrior from Sintra - Lisboa
Date Reviewed: June 4, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Stiffness
Weaknesses:
Weight
Size (22,32,42) small
Similar Products Used:
sachs centera
Bike Setup:
Marin Palisades Trail
RST 381 SM
Bottom Line:OK for a start but, weights a lot when climbing...
Try buying a Sachs for a better performance...
Overall Rating:3






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