Description:The Saint cranks are completely trustworthy, drop after drop, run after run. Its Hollowtech II design integrates crankarms & bottom bracket into a single unit with a beefy spindle, large-diameter bearings and ultra-wide bearing spacing for maximum rigidity and strength.1114g
Submitted by
hora
a Weekend Warrior
from Mancland, England Date Reviewed: June 17, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Glentress V trail
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Strengths:
I actually cant remember when I bought the Saints (I think 4 or 5years ago when they first came out?). I also dont think about them much. They are there and they do what they are supposed to with no problems. I've been through a fair few BB's though.
Weaknesses:
Severe heel rub on the driveside crank- possibly due to me running with my DX's totally screwed open though for maximum float
Similar Products Used:
Err everything!
Bike Setup:
The Saints have been on everything I've owned.
Bottom Line:
Fitted them myself with no prior knowledge- a true fit and forget crankset for heavier riders (bar the BB's bearings of course)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Scrapps
a Racer
from Brooklyn Date Reviewed: December 12, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$190.00
Purchased At:
Jenson
Strengths:
Strong and, wel hell, STRONG! I'm a big dude who beats the living crap out of my ride on NYC streets.
Weaknesses:
The plastic end cap. What a piece. I had to get an aftermarket metal one. Also, careful with the fastening bolts, torque them only to spec and nothing mo'
Bike Setup:
Cona Cowan DS '07, Mavic 717 with Hope Pro hubs, R7 elite up front and Fox Float RP in the rear, BB7 disks.
Bottom Line:
A good crank for jumps and running over pigeons and rats.
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Submitted by
Trace
a Downhiller
from Shoreline, WA Date Reviewed: September 16, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$149.00
Purchased At:
Jenson
Strengths:
Strong
Weaknesses:
Non-drive fixing and pinch bolts.
Similar Products Used:
Race Face Evolve DH, Truvativ Hussefelt
Bike Setup:
Transition Dirtbag, 888
Bottom Line:
I've had these for about a year now, and since July they have developed a delightful habit of losing the left side crank arm. This is very inconvenient at, say, Whistler or halfway down CBC. I have tried many things, replacing the lost fixing bolt with the aluminum one and cranking down on the pinch bolts, loctite...now I see why they were such a bargain. Time to complete my Diabolus group, since the Evolve DHs on my Coiler are trouble-free and sturdy.
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Submitted by
Pertti
a Weekend Warrior
from Finland Date Reviewed: August 16, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Chainreaction
Strengths:
strong, stiff, simple, ... looks good too.
Weaknesses:
Had to tighten the BB a couple of times when new.
Similar Products Used:
LX Hollowtech 2 comes closest
Bike Setup:
AS-X, 34T Saint, E.13 SRS, ...
Bottom Line:
Shimano knows how to make cranks. These just do what you expect tough cranks to do. Mine were installed at the LBS and they made sure the BB shell is square. When new, the BB tended to get a little loose. Apparently the ISCG adapter was partly to blame. Tightening was easy using the Shimano tools but reading the instructions is a must if you have not dealt with Hollowtech 2 before.
Great crank if you are heavy and/or ride hard. Overkill if not.
They are not exactly cheap but that varies depending on where you buy. My value rating reflects Chainreaction's pricing.
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Submitted by
dan
a Weekend Warrior
from rugby Date Reviewed: August 15, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$240.00
Purchased At:
chain reaction cycles
Strengths:
big burly super stif and not to heavy fair price and just keep on going
Weaknesses:
errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr i dont think there are any
Similar Products Used:
shimano deore ( not that its similar at all ) made of chees
Bike Setup:
azonic evo 2 frame, magura phoan fork, hope mono m4 203mm floting saw disks, titec dh bar and stem, saint cranks single 32tooth, dmr chain guid, ex721 rims laced to deore hubs, deore rear meck
Bottom Line:
great cranks for any think good for free ride and for dirtjumping good value for money product its a put on and forget crank and thats about it
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Submitted by
Matt Jones
a Downhiller
from canada Date Reviewed: July 30, 2007
Favorite Trail:
c.o.p.
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
work
Strengths:
Its way lighter then my old crank. makes my bike look nice with my e.thirteen stuff, no problems at all cause its set up right. i dont have to wory about them falling off like i did with tru vativ, once a tru vativ crank falls of, it will alwayse fall off. truvaiv sucks.
Weaknesses:
none at all
Similar Products Used:
tru vativ
Bike Setup:
norco 6, 66vf, codes, dhx5.0
Bottom Line:
so far its my favorite.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Brooklyn, NY, USA Date Reviewed: July 20, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$190.00
Strengths:
STRONG. Period oh, and they take the standard 4-104 BCD so there are a lot of ring options.
Weaknesses:
Weakness? Nah
Similar Products Used:
Many
Bike Setup:
KONA COWAN DS, FULL CUSTOM
Bottom Line:
Strong and reliable. Replacement bearings are relatively cheap. Love 'em
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Submitted by
Kyle
a Racer
from Utard, UT, USA Date Reviewed: July 16, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$160.00
Purchased At:
Jenson USA
Strengths:
Stiff, strong and looks oh so good.
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
XT, Bontrager, Truvativ, Cannondale
Bike Setup:
Giant Trance w/ full saint, Fox 36
Bottom Line:
This is one of the best products Shimano has ever come out with. Nothing bad about it. Strong and Stiff.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brad
a
from Bellingham, WA Date Reviewed: May 13, 2007
Favorite Trail:
not really
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Strong, they haven't bent yet Smooth bb interface and bearings Light for what they are
Weaknesses:
They fall off mid-ride
Similar Products Used:
RaceFace Diabolus (awesome)
Bike Setup:
lots
Bottom Line:
These cranks have been great for the past year, until they fell off. I like them better than my Diabolus cranks because you can tighten them "just enough".
They fell off mid ride last week. They were installed with a torque wrench according to spec. Turns out that the side cap bolt stripped out and the two pinch bolts proved worthless.
I sent them back to Shimano. While waiting for them to be fixed, my riding bro had the same thing happen to him, mid ride. Now his come loose all the time, like every other ride.
Shimano sent me a brand new pair of cranks in about 3 weeks, but they didn't come with the cap bolt. I'm wondering if they are thinking that I can come up with something better. Who knows?
Overall, these are quite good, but I can't ride cranks that fall off. I guess I'll try the loctite technique and hope for the best. Seems like for a crank designed around hucking and dh they wouldn't fall off.
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Submitted by
Dan
a Cross Country Rider
from Adelaide, Australia Date Reviewed: November 18, 2006
Favorite Trail:
The Chambers Gully/ Wine Shanty Track/ Horsenell Gully Loop
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Phat. Black.
Weaknesses:
They alloy arms seems to accumilate rock gouges more easily than I might have expected.
Similar Products Used:
XTR M-960, others
Bike Setup:
Bullit, 01 Monsters, XT/XTR
Bottom Line:
Simply the phattest, blackest cranks on the market. I just kept staring at them on ebay until I couldn't stand it any longer. Then they became the justification for building-up a Bullit, which I must say has turned out brilliantly. 50% heavier than XTR, but they're 'freeride', right? Can't wait to see what marketing gimmickry Shimano's billion dollar R&D expenditure delivers next.
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Submitted by
Matt
a Weekend Warrior
from Essex, UK Date Reviewed: November 15, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
Wades Cycles (Price in GBP)
Strengths:
Stiff, stiff, stiff and super strong! Also look pretty smart and bearings are really smooth
Weaknesses:
None as yet
Similar Products Used:
Truvatix Firex Team, Shimano Square taper things
Bike Setup:
Banshee Scirocco - Freeride/Trail build
Bottom Line:
Awesome cranks, super stiff - you can really get the power to the ground with these (not that you'll notice if your riding a full susser!) Despite what people say these are not heavy, they may look it, but they are not - 1114g including BB. Highly recommended
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andrew
a Weekend Warrior
from toronto Date Reviewed: November 11, 2006
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$150.00
Strengths:
these cranks are bulletproof, absolutely no flex, i would never buy another type, saints for life
Weaknesses:
cant think of any, theyve been great so far, and all the people i know love them too
great parts, you can get them at excellent prices on ebay, they will last forever. if youre just learning to bike buy them, they will never break no matter how hack you are
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave
a
from Vancouver, BC Date Reviewed: October 12, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Looks great, stiff, very easy installation and maintenance.
Bottom Line:
Another great product from Shimano. The Saint cranks are easy to install (and with proper torque on the pinch bolts, the left-side crank will not fall off), and they look fantastic.
Apparently, early versions of the external bearing BB didn't last, but after a year of hard riding, including plenty of rainy days, my BB bearings are still smooth. However, my LBS informed me that improperly prepped frames can lead to accelerated wear on the bearings.
The cranks are about 1/2 lb heavier than an XC set-up, as expected they are super stiff but they're probably overbuilt for anything but the most extreme kind of riding (or really heavy riders).
The plastic bashguard is light and durable, it is also more forgiving than an aluminum one.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Iva Maggot
a Downhiller
from Rugely UK Date Reviewed: September 30, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Deep bumhole
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$149.00
Purchased At:
Leways
Strengths:
Stronger than an a mule, sick n filthy looks, fat axle that'll never snap, choice of rings
Weaknesses:
Paint wears off quicker than I shoot. A bit pricey.
Similar Products Used:
FSA power pro(total waz) shimano hone(awesome and light)
Bike Setup:
Kona stinky(weighs a funkin ton) fairly standard
Bottom Line:
These cranks are waisted if yo ay got big plums cuz you'll never damage the **stards apart from that shabby **ss poor paint. I've had mine a while and they dow creak and I've took a spanner to me woman more times than me saints, for real! Like said, if yam a poser snap em up they look sick and if yam a big mutha hucka then they're made for ya. See ya ova da cop !!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
NoXx
a Downhiller
from Front Range, Colorado Date Reviewed: September 20, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Paid n Full
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Real stiff and strong. Lighter than my '05 Holzfeller Cranks. Easy to install and service. Pedal thread inserts are a great Idea.
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
'05 and '06 Holzfellers, Diabolus, XT, XTR
Bike Setup:
Giant Reign, '07 Fox 32 Vanilla RLC, Juicy 7's, e.13 DRS, Diabolus Bars and Stem, '05 Sram Drivetrain, Single Track wheelset.
Bottom Line:
I don't understand how anyone could give this crankset a bad rep. From my understanding you are supposed use loc-tight on the left arm. I for some reason use loc-tight on a lot of parts on my bike. I have personally rode a set of '05 Holzfeller with a DH giga-pipe BB and my partner has a set of hollowtech 2 XT cranks on his bike and they rock too. I have not been the biggest fan of Shimano components (but the '07 stuff is looking sick) but their cranks are the best. BUY THEM
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Submitted by
Framebreaker
a Weekend Warrior
from Lynnwood, WA Date Reviewed: September 5, 2006
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Awesome strength with no perceivable flex.
Weaknesses:
Friggin' left side keeps coming off.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano LX, XT, etc
Bike Setup:
Foes Fly with all the good stuff.
Bottom Line:
Yes, this is a great crankset but the only way I've been able to keep the left (non-drive) side crank from floating off is to put on blue Loctite. Ok, this is perhaps a bit nit-picky but I've had that thing rotate off at least 5 times during rides. I've had to get 2 different caps b/c the other ones are lost on the trail somewhere. Each time I'd patch it up, limp back to the trailhead, shlep the bike back to the garage, clean the drive and crank and cinch up. Only after using the Loctite does it stay on reliably. For the money this kind of annoyance should not be there.
But it is the best crank out there.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
liam
a Downhiller
from york Date Reviewed: August 29, 2006
Favorite Trail:
unknowen
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$230.00
Purchased At:
the bike outlet
Strengths:
very strong takes all kinda abuse i droped a 15ft ledge 2 flat on my hardtail and the cranks were not even showing any signs of breaking where as other products ridden such as truvativ would have just given up and died
Weaknesses:
NONE!!! and people r stupid for saying they have one expect the paint waring but what crank doesn't
Similar Products Used:
all truvativ
Bike Setup:
pikes, hitman frame (pink the best color), avid juiceys, hope pro 2 mavic 721 saint crank g.i bars and stem
Bottom Line:
the best cranks for the money don't bother buyin expensive race face these r better by along way every for any pupose should buy these cranks i use my bike for every thing and am yet to fine any weekness
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Phil
a
from Spokane Date Reviewed: June 10, 2006
Favorite Trail:
anything in moab
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$175.00
Purchased At:
jensonusa.com
Strengths:
Very strong and sleek. Also extremely easy to install, took only a few minutes. No flex to them at all. they are also very smooth.
Weaknesses:
I cant find any
Similar Products Used:
Holzfeller, Shimano XT
Bike Setup:
Haro extreme X1, Manitou sherman flick, hayes HFX-9, Sram X.9 shifters and derailier.
Bottom Line:
This is an great set of cranks for anybike from trail riding to downhill. they are also relativly light, so even the weight weenies cant compain too much. i would sugest this crankset for anyone who wants a strong smooth reliable crank that will never fail them.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jake
a Downhiller
from Forest of Dean , UK Date Reviewed: May 31, 2006
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$130.00
Purchased At:
price in GBP
Strengths:
light, strong, cheap, look amazing, and better than raceface by miles
Weaknesses:
no tool included, but get a bike shop to fit them for you anyway!
Similar Products Used:
Raceface diabolus, Raceface Evolve DH
Bike Setup:
Norco Team DH, special shivvers, mavic ex729s on burgtec hubs, hayes hfx9 8" brakes
Bottom Line:
theyre the shizzle, bought these after trouble with raceface and these things are the best. these are better than diabolus in my opinion, and half the money!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Seth
a Downhiller
from Paris, France Date Reviewed: May 28, 2006
Favorite Trail:
napoleons last stand
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
from a friend
Strengths:
looks good, very strong, lasts long, shifts well under load, backed by Shimano warranty..........excellent.
Weaknesses:
rings wear out pretty fast.
Similar Products Used:
Holzfeller double, Race Face Prodigy DH.
Bike Setup:
Commencal Supreme with DHX 5.0 coil, Fox 40RC, Shimano Saint group kit with brakes, deemax wheels, kenda nevegals other pro racing kit.
Bottom Line:
Damn good crankset.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Axl
a Racer
from Canada Date Reviewed: February 23, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Bottom Line:
The Saint cranks are fantastic for what they are: a burly set of cranks that you can slap on your bike and never have to think about again. If you are looking for light weight downhill race cranks, these might be overkill. If you are looking for a solid product with topnotch performance capable of taking anything you can dish out, then the Shimano Saint cranks are just what you need.
Submitted by
Brian
a Downhiller
from Buellton, CA, U.S. Date Reviewed: February 11, 2006
Favorite Trail:
tunnel
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
airbomb.com
Strengths:
insanely strong, not too heavy, hollowtech is sweet, replaceable threads for the pedals, they look sweet
Weaknesses:
hollowtech BB doesn't work (or at least isn't reccomended on some bikes ie. V10)
Similar Products Used:
holzfeller, hussefelt, diabolous
Bike Setup:
Balfa 2step DH, juicy carbon, stratos, marzocchi, saint, chris king, e. 13
Bottom Line:
These are the best cranks I have ever used, don't waist your hard earned money on anything else BUY THESE CRANKS
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Gabe Levy
a Downhiller
from Tel Aviv, Israel Date Reviewed: January 17, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Manara
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$280.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Easy installation, few parts. Arms are very stiff due to their shape.
Weaknesses:
Badly designed arm interface, cheap plastic preload screw. Low quality pinch bolts
Similar Products Used:
Truvatic Holzfeller, XT
Bike Setup:
Big hit dh, monster T
Bottom Line:
The bottom line? If you are a either a heavy rider, or a person who hammers out of the saddle very strongly, you will undo the left arm. Not only is the preload screw made of plastic, but the arm splines are thin aluminium, contacting a hardened steel axle. Needless to say, this isnt very optimal and shreds the aluminium splines very easily.
Second of all, the crank was never made for people who hammer hard, or lead with the left foot. My left crank arm simply came off the axle in middle of a ride, and it was not the cause of bad bike setup nor landing a big drop.
Shimamo could have easily and effortlessly used a larger spline interface such as ISIS drive, or their XTR splines.
The hype around these cranks is simply wrong. It is a badly designed product. period. For less cash one could get a proper safe and reliable crank such as : dmr, profile, or holzfellers.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Alex Cheney
a Weekend Warrior
from Lansing, MI, USA Date Reviewed: December 20, 2005
Favorite Trail:
A-line
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Trek dealer
Strengths:
The saint crank set is overall a really nice crank. It's very stiff and beefy. The best part about it is, that it is very easy to disassemble. Having the hollow tech bottom bracket makes taking the crank apart a breeze. The external BB also gives you a very smooth range of motion.
Weaknesses:
The paint scratches easily but, it's a freeride product and if it doesn't get scratched then your not riding hard enough.
Similar Products Used:
Truvativ hessefelt
Bike Setup:
2005 trek sessions 77
Bottom Line:
If your looking for a crank that is tough, smooth and easy to maintain then look no further then the saint.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Vance Peterson
a Downhiller
from Tucson, AZ, USA Date Reviewed: December 19, 2005
Favorite Trail:
A Line
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Various
Strengths:
Stiff cranks, bullit proof DR
Weaknesses:
Crap axle, pricey.
Similar Products Used:
Old D321 rims w/XT hubs
Bike Setup:
Bullit, Saint, Deemax
Bottom Line:
The cranks are awesome,the rear DR is awesome, I racked it on concrete urban riding and it's still kickin', don't buy the Saint levers, get XT, cheaper and better. Calipers are good, aftermarket rotors are thicker. Biggest complaint-the Mavic Deemax/Saint combo. The axle isn't really a 10mm solid. Where the non-drive retention nut flange goes into the dropout, the axle is reduced to about 7mm, and where the nut goes on the axle, it is hollowed for a keyway. My first axle bent at the thickness reduction, the second snapped off just outside the non-drive dropout where the hollow section begins. The biggest problem is that the nut has a small contact area, and it is eating my Bullit dropout so it is tapered and my wheel won't stay straight. Mavic says it's Santa Cruz's fault, and Santa Cruz is reviewing it. Bottom line-not a bad wheelset, too much light weight, not enough tough, and Mavic sucks in the dealing with issues department. My recommendation is if you can afford it, go Chris King with Saint cuz Mavic won't back the product.
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Submitted by
dimitri hon
a Downhiller
from london Date Reviewed: November 24, 2005
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$65.00
Purchased At:
cycle surgery
Strengths:
stupid stiffness, they look beastly and are easy to remove for spring-cleans
Weaknesses:
some people say theyre too heavy but its never been an issue. "argh, im going so much slower because my cranks are 300 gramms heavier than my old ones". that should put it into perspective.
$
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