Home | Reviews | Manufacturers | Shimano | Crankset

Login  |  Register
Shimano Hone Hollowtech II M601

MSRP $
# of Reviews 6
Average Rating 4.67/5
More Products from Shimano

Submit a Review









Submitted by tacubaya a Downhiller from Mexico City
Date Reviewed: June 3, 2009
Favorite Trail:El Chico
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Price Paid: $150.00
Purchased At:Red Barn Bicycles
Strengths:Shimano Home M601 is a light, durable and great looking crankset that has external bottom bracket, steel pedal inserts and steel spindle. With the hollowtech design Shimano achieved low weight and a lot of stiffness which you can feel as you pedal with this crankset for the first time. Chainrings are quiet and smooth and the bashguard included is light and very resistant. Installation is definitely the biggest strength as it is very quick and simple. I love this crankset!
Weaknesses:The paint used by Shimano isn't very good and with some months of use the Hone lettering and the black paint in the toe contact area will start to fade a bit. I would say that 22-32 is not a great combo and should be 22-34 pr 24-34 instead. Finally the plastic bolt that tightens both arms together is quite fragile and although it is designed for low torque specifications, it should be made from a stronger plastic or even aluminum.
Similar Products Used:Shimano Saint, FSA Alpha Drive, Truvativ Hussefelt.
Bike Setup:Duncon Tosa Inu 6.7 in of travel, 729 rims, Marzocchi 66 SL and Marzocchi Roco WC, Avid Juicy 7 brakes.
Bottom Line:The best cranks for your money. Relatively cheap, very strong, light, grat looking, almost no maintenance and easy to set up. If you are a light (150lbs or less) or very smooth Downhiller you should consider them as an option!
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by stompeinator a Racer from Marin, CA
Date Reviewed: January 21, 2009
Favorite Trail:peg
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $190.00
Purchased At:pricepoint
Strengths:Super strong, pretty light, smooth
Weaknesses:need weird tool to screw in BB cap, had to makeshift a tool
Similar Products Used:shimano lx hollowtech 3 ring
Bike Setup:2007 enduro expert, 2009 rockshox lyrik soloair, 2008 dhx air, saint brakes
Bottom Line:This crank is pretty awesome. Most of the time there is no use for a third chain ring up front, at least on the mountain, so why not shed the weight? Before this i was runnin three rings and a big-ass blackspire bashgaurd and it weighed in at way more than this. If you consider yourself an all-mountain rider this crankset is the way to go
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by cobym2 a Cross Country Rider from San Juan, Philippines
Date Reviewed: July 23, 2008
Favorite Trail:all of them
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Price Paid: $90.00
Purchased At:Ross Cycles
Strengths:Strong, reliable, excellent shifting
Weaknesses:Looks exactly like an LX crank, only black
Similar Products Used:Old Shimano square tapers, XT HII, Truvativ, Deore HII, Race Face, etc.
Bike Setup:Heckler 4 all mountain. Van36, DHX coil, Hope ProII with Mavic F219 rims, 2.35 nevegals, X9, X0, etc.
Bottom Line:When I bought these cranks, I noticed the shifting was more precise and consistent than previous cranks I had. But, I did not expect to stay with them long. I thought I would either be upgrading to a lighter crank, or a full-on All mountain/DH crank like the Atlas or Diabolus. The thing is, upon close inspection, they look exactly like the LX cranks, only black, and with a DH outboard BB. I cant really tell if the Hone was stiffer than others (except the old ones), but it was stiff enough for me.

Lo and behold, after two years and 2000 kms of our typical trails with long uphill grunts followed by extremely rocky and steep descents, some drops and occasional air, the thing is still going strong.

I've had to change the worn out middle ring, the arms are all scuffed and "polished" from shoe contact, but the BB is still smooth and solid. The crank axle/spindle is now scored from contact with the left bearing, but it seems to be structurally sound.

In all, a very reliable crankset for great value.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Carl a Downhiller from New Zealand
Date Reviewed: April 27, 2008
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $90.00
Purchased At:Vorb.org.nz
Strengths:Looks mean, chunky, strong, light,
Weaknesses:None as of yet
Bike Setup:Hardtail DH bike
Bottom Line:Awesome crankset. Shimano's step down from the saints. Awesome crankset. Use it for anything, and it'll keep coming back for more.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by rhydr a Downhiller from england
Date Reviewed: October 27, 2007
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $100.00
Strengths:everything about it.
light
rigid
strong
looks
Weaknesses:absolutly none.
Bike Setup:custom dirt jumper/freeride.
Bottom Line:This crankset is lighter than the saint version and if you feel that you dont need to go overboard with saints these will do fine, they are very smooth like new after 6 months!
make sure you face you frame and install properly and it will serve you well. Good, strong and light enough for any type of rider.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by chad pwoell a Downhiller from isle of wight
Date Reviewed: September 5, 2007
Favorite Trail:lymington buckland rings
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $140.00
Purchased At:Wight Mountain
Strengths:Quite bulky and looks very smart, i love the hollowtech part :)
Weaknesses:none really
Similar Products Used:fsa jump crank
Bike Setup:Gary Fisher Opie Frame, Marzocchi dirt Jumper 3 2007, Azonic double wall handlebars, Outland stem, DMR dirt saddle, DMR moto tyres, Diamondback grips, Shimano deore hydro disc, Single Speed, DMR v8's, shimano hone hollowtech cranks

Bottom Line:very nice crankset but if u have the money to go the full way get the saints
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4






What's New
» BEST OF MTBR - Check out the highest rated bikes, parts, & gear!
» LED BIKE LIGHT SHOOTOUT 3 - We test all the newest products and latest light and battery technology in this comprehensive guide»
» INTERBIKE - See all the latest 2010 bikes, parts, and gear in our extensive Tradeshow Coverage»
Latest Articles and Reviews:


Quick Poll
(sponsored by Moots)
Do you own a GPS?

  yes, dedicated GPS
  yes, smart phone w/GPS
  not yet, but looking to buy
  no

Photo Caption Contest

(sponsored by Maxxis)

Enter here

Contact Us  •   About Us  •   Terms of Use  •   Privacy Policy  •   Advertising
 MtbREVIEW.com  RoadbikeREVIEW.com  OutdoorREVIEW.com
 PhotographyREVIEW.com  VideogameREVIEW.com  ComputingREVIEW.com
 AudioREVIEW.com  CarREVIEW.com  GolfREVIEW.com
Copyright ©1996-2009 All Rights Reserved.ConsumerREVIEW.com, a business unit of Invenda      RSS Feed