Submitted by
XSL_WiLL
a Weekend Warrior
from Naperville, IL, USA Date Reviewed: June 4, 2009
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Bottom Line:
Well, I can't offer any insight to the longevity or shifting of the rings since I am using the crank as a single ring.
But I can say that the cranks are fantastic. I've always been a fan of the crank/spindle interface that Shimano uses. The bearing preloaded can be adjusted, and then the pinch bolts are torqued down. The spindle won't wear out and constantly come loose or make noise.
Though you should use a torque wrench to tighten the pinch bolts. Too much torque could distort the interface and cause the cranks to loosen.
The bottom bracket is good. Make sure the shell is faced and chased. Do not crank down on the little end cap on the spindle. Only snug it up so that all the play is removed from the system.
I am not using the arms for their intended purpose. I ride dirt jump, street, slalom, etc. And they have held up beautifully. I was worried about the lack of a pedal insert, but I figured that I could always insert a helicoil if I snagged a pedal hard enough to destroy the threads.
These cranks are great for XC and AM riders. And I would recommend them to smoother or lighter gravity riders as well.
They are light and durable.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
reinaldogt
a Weekend Warrior
from Miami, FL, USA Date Reviewed: April 11, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Oleta River
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$3000.00
Strengths:
I have been using it for about 2 months, its very reliable and the BB its one of the best...
Weaknesses:
None so far...
Similar Products Used:
Shimaro deore, FSA power drive
Bike Setup:
Giant Anthem X1, full xt/xtr, rockshox team, rp2, avix elixir R 160/160...
Bottom Line:
If u have the money to spare and want to upgrade the bicycle, get it!!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
strglide
a Cross Country Rider
from Long Island, NY Date Reviewed: April 4, 2009
Favorite Trail:
White House front lawn
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$160.00
Purchased At:
used on ebay
Strengths:
Stiff, strong and lightweight. Two-piece design means there is less chance of it loosening up. External bottom bracket is wider than the ISIS BB I replaced which adds to stability and strength. Looks cool!
Weaknesses:
Haven't found any yet.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano Deore cranks and older XT 3 piece cranks.
Bike Setup:
Specialized Epic
Bottom Line:
This has been a very nice upgrade to my bike. It now seems to accellerate and climb easier, probably due to the overall strength of the crankset. I would highly recommend this crankset. Shimano's SLX appears to be the same but has a steel granny gear instead of the XT's alloy granny gear.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
fast_ticket
a Cross Country Rider
from Monterey, CA Date Reviewed: January 9, 2009
Favorite Trail:
All
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$165.00
Purchased At:
Blue Sky
Strengths:
Strong, light, nice machining, it works
Weaknesses:
Installation directions - check with your frame builder
Similar Products Used:
None, other than older Shimano & Raceface tapers
Bike Setup:
Ventana El Saltamontes, Fox F Series, Juicy's, Mavic Crosstrail, XT everything else
Bottom Line:
It was time for an upgrade and I ended up skipping over the Isis phaze. For years I used Raceface Turbines, but the reviews on mtbr cause me to shy away from the Deus. The new outboard bearing & oversized spindle made sense to me and looks to be the new industry standard. The new design is easy to maintain (as long as u have the correct tools). Caution: check with your frame manufacture about install. Shimano recommends putting the bearing/cup spacer on the drive side. On the Salt this creates a lot of cross over in the larger cogs (easier gears) putting more lateral strain on the chain. This creates noise/shifting/wear issues. After confiring with Sherwood at Ventana, I put the spacer on the non-drive side and voila no issues.
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Submitted by
Erik Kaziska
a Weekend Warrior
from South Carolina Date Reviewed: December 31, 2008
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Price Paid:
$40000.00
Purchased At:
Buddy of Sumter
Strengths:
Made outside of America!!! Proves that other country's are doing it right and using their heads...more thought, passion, and expertise put into this design.
Weaknesses:
Middle business level Americans adding 300 percent markup on price to line pockets. Find your own outsource provider and buy this item new for $40. This is still 10X more than the laborers get paid to make it.
Similar Products Used:
Others that turn a chain...
Bike Setup:
Two wheels, seat, handle-bars, pedals etc...
Bottom Line:
Save your money and buy into a political position! According to our US capitalist mindset, the environment can wait for the next generation...build it bigger, waste more and use it up quickly before someone else gets their grubby paws on it...
Oh yea, on a conservative Blond perspective... "It's pretty and shiny!"
PS: I really doubt this will get posted, nobody wants to share insulting, political humor!!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ieatfood
a Weekend Warrior
from nashville, tn, usa Date Reviewed: August 10, 2008
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
strong, lightweight.
Weaknesses:
none found
Bottom Line:
i used these cranks in new zealand on many all mountain/freeride trails and they held up just fine. i did not have one problem with them. they are super stiff, light weight, and pretty good looking as well.
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Submitted by
Swift Rider
a Cross Country Rider
from CA, USA Date Reviewed: May 29, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Skeggs
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At:
Performance Bikes
Strengths:
power transfer is seamless, cranks are smooth and do not harm your shins if you crash, angle of crank arms puts them out of the way of your feet, lightweight
Weaknesses:
third chain ring is useless (as always), polished aluminum wears easily so surface scratches are easily visible, easy to dent
Specialized Enduro Pro XC build with XTR/XT drivetrain, Fox float front and rear shocks.
Bottom Line:
Get this if you only do XC. These cranks are not suited for DH, you need something stronger. They are very lightweight and responsive for transferring power to the chain.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
lach
a
from toronto, on, canada Date Reviewed: May 28, 2008
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
i dont know, bent it before finding out any of its strengths.
Weaknesses:
bends if you do a 4ft drop
Bottom Line:
i would be a nice crankset if it didnt bend. wish i didnt waste my money. oh well, time for another race face diabolus.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
JohnV
a Cross Country Rider
from Alabang, Muntinlupa, Philippines Date Reviewed: May 24, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Santa Rosa Bike Trails
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
Egay Reyes Bikes Makati
Strengths:
This thing just cranked up speed whether XC trailor road. It keeps going, and going, and going!!! What a crank.
Submitted by
Aaron Martin
a Cross Country Rider
from Escondido Date Reviewed: May 8, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Noble Canyou
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$190.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
Light, Stiff, durable finish, easy to setup.
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
Race face deus, older shimano xt and XTR
Bike Setup:
Turner Flux, Salsa Dos Niner
Bottom Line:
At this price point they are unbeatable with regard to durability and performance. Shimanos chainrings shift quicker and smoother than most others. They can be had really cheap on Ebay and at performance when you catch a sale. Shimano has finally made a more durable finish and moved the logo to a position where it is not worn off by your shoes. unlike the older XTR they don't look like they have a million miles on them after a few rides. Installation and initial setup was very easy just make sure you follow the instructions and torque the bolts right. I have found the chainring to be very durable. I have bashed it into a rock and a log without bending it and I have hit one rock hard enough to bend my pedal spindle with no damage to the crank.
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Submitted by
Rome
a Weekend Warrior
from Yigo Guam Date Reviewed: March 22, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Mt. Tenjo, Channel ten area
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
Hornet Sports
Strengths:
Light weight; well built; well finished
Weaknesses:
Takes a little more work to install. Getting you bottom bracket shell faced made add to the cost, do it or you will be replacing you bearings sooner than later.
Similar Products Used:
Stock Shimano crank that came on the bike.
Bike Setup:
Stock '04 Fisher Marlin with the following upgrades; LX M580 shifters, XT M770 crankset, XT M770 front derailleur, XT M760 cassette, HG93 chain
Bottom Line:
This crank is awesome. It may not make me much faster as far as the massive weight savings go, but with this set up the shifting has been flawless even with five pounds of Guam's famous red mud caked on my bike (Alabama clay has nothing on this stuff, it eats the wax off your car!). The price of this crank included bottom bracket shell facing, installation, and a new front derailleur. Even though I recreationally race I am careful not to beat my bike around. This Crank is made for light weight/racing applications and will hold up to the rigors of race conditions but will not suffer abuse from a hard rider. Bottom line; If you take care of your stuff this crank will be good for you. If you like to bounce your bike from rock to rock with no regard for your rig, this crank not is for you.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Josh
a Cross Country Rider
from Lake Ozark Date Reviewed: November 23, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Old Glory
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Stiff, Smooth Shifting (paired with xtr frt. der), light wieght, good value, durable, good bearing seal
Similar Products Used:
LX
Bike Setup:
full xt drivetrain
Bottom Line:
I dig shimano drivetrains for their suppleness and smooth shifts thanks to HG. This crank is nice and stiff, spins niceley, shifts great. I have ridden it through all kinds of conditions. Rain, slop, dry dusty, cold, hot. Nothing has penetrated the bearing seals. I wish there was slightly less seal drag on the system, however, but still I love the crank !
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from LA, CA Date Reviewed: September 23, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$249.00
Purchased At:
excel sports
Strengths:
Looks good, easy to install. Smooth solid spinning.
Weaknesses:
Weak rings and/or spider arms.
Similar Products Used:
Old XTR 951
Bottom Line:
I bent this on my first ride out. I didnt ride over any logs or anything and the only knock that I recall is a small size stone flying up and hitting somewhere around the chainring/BB area during a downhill section. When I got to the bottom I noticed the chain scraping the Front Der when the bent part of the large ring passes through. So now I have a brand new bent crankset. Tried bending it back with wrench but I didnt want to break anything or make it worse, so it is still bent.
Sooo, I really want to like this crankset but I bent it on the first ride and didnt even hit anything extreme so I dont know if it was just bad luck or if this CS is fragile.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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