There are lots out there in the 170 range, most notably Shimano product and Race Face DH stuff. Hunt around on QBike.com for the hawt deals. Most SS-specific cranks will be in the 175-180mm range, but there is no reason why you couldn't just run a std mtn crank with 1 ring and a bashguard.Axis II said:
Fixed Gear MTB Crank Recomendations
What are the best options for a good crank to run on my fixed MTB? I'm thinking I'd probably want something with somewhat shorter arms for clearance sake. I run 175s on my current rides. Anyone make a suitable 170mm crank?
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I have several pair of ENO cranks....175mm for the fixies, and one OLD pair of SHizMano XT's (square taper) 175's. They both work well, ENO has the bling factor, but I can't kill these old XT's either!
Been hammering on the XT's for fourteen years now.
Been hammering on the XT's for fourteen years now.
i have 165 cranks on my fixie, and i bash them all the time. i wouldn't dare go higher than 170 myself. you will get better performance if you bash the pedals less often.
I have a broad recommendation for fixed cranks - one-piece crank/spider. A crank with a pressed/splined/in any way separate spider will probably work loose during fixed riding as I've discovered on many pairs of cranks, giving you irritating play and eventually wearing out the spider interface.
The raceface turbines are probably your best bet - you can still get the excellent JIS or ISIS ones on ebay very cheaply and are available in mucho lengthos !
- Joel
The raceface turbines are probably your best bet - you can still get the excellent JIS or ISIS ones on ebay very cheaply and are available in mucho lengthos !
- Joel
Funny you should mention the vintage XTers. I have a set circa 1990 (cold forged quality from Japan) that I'd love to use but they are 175mm. Too long for me. I hate bashing pedals and falling on my head; too many rock gardens and tree roots where I play.xrmattaz said:I have several pair of ENO cranks....175mm for the fixies, and one OLD pair of SHizMano XT's (square taper) 175's. They both work well, ENO has the bling factor, but I can't kill these old XT's either!
Been hammering on the XT's for fourteen years now.
I like the Turbines. That's what I ran on my SS last year. Also run the Next LP on my HT geared. I have an appropriate compact ring so I wonder, are they available anywhere in an arms only form do you think?tomacropod said:I have a broad recommendation for fixed cranks - one-piece crank/spider. A crank with a pressed/splined/in any way separate spider will probably work loose during fixed riding as I've discovered on many pairs of cranks, giving you irritating play and eventually wearing out the spider interface.
The raceface turbines are probably your best bet - you can still get the excellent JIS or ISIS ones on ebay very cheaply and are available in mucho lengthos !
- Joel
RF Turbine LP's here too
from the square-taper, pre-compact, chainring days at that. I run 175's on the East Coast and it's not bad.
from the square-taper, pre-compact, chainring days at that. I run 175's on the East Coast and it's not bad.
tomacropod said:I have a broad recommendation for fixed cranks - one-piece crank/spider. A crank with a pressed/splined/in any way separate spider will probably work loose during fixed riding as I've discovered on many pairs of cranks, giving you irritating play and eventually wearing out the spider interface.
The raceface turbines are probably your best bet - you can still get the excellent JIS or ISIS ones on ebay very cheaply and are available in mucho lengthos !
- Joel
I like the old school square taper Sugino's that are easy to find and available in the shorter sizes. Sheldon Brown's shop has them here:
http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/cranks.html
Rivendell also usually has them.
I have a set of those in 165mm on my Pompino cross fixie and a set of 175mm Turbines on the Matt Chester MTB fixie (realy high BB on that one) but the new MTB fixie will get a set of 165mm Sugino's.
http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/cranks.html
Rivendell also usually has them.
I have a set of those in 165mm on my Pompino cross fixie and a set of 175mm Turbines on the Matt Chester MTB fixie (realy high BB on that one) but the new MTB fixie will get a set of 165mm Sugino's.
I agree with this. Currently have the ENO cranks with a Boone ring and they do tend to work loose. It can get really annoying if you don't keep an eye on tightening the lockring down. I run 175s and don't really feel I need anything shorter. I do run 165s on my road fix and feel the shorter cranks are more of a necessity on road rather than dirt - regional differences, I'm sure, apply.tomacropod said:I have a broad recommendation for fixed cranks - one-piece crank/spider. A crank with a pressed/splined/in any way separate spider will probably work loose during fixed riding as I've discovered on many pairs of cranks, giving you irritating play and eventually wearing out the spider interface.
Sugino XD, 165. Cheap and effective. Not too much else out there this short.
harris cyclery and sheldon brown offer bmx cranks down to 135, i think. i can't imagine any adult needing 135 cranks, but they're out there. i got the 165 model and it works well. cheaper than sugino, also.
Here is a photo of my single speed setup. FMF BMX cranks, come in different lengths, ISIS mounting. This one is 175mm in length. Also comes in black color. Price is pretty inexpensive ($35 range or so.) Added plus is five arm spindle for better chainring support. I'm using a 34T Surly Stainless Steel chainring here.
Only bad news is for the single speed rear hub, I had to go to an ultra wide (128mm) bottom bracket to get chain line right. Also, you can't mount a bash guard.
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Good luck with the build: (Hint: When searching for cranksets on Ebay, look at both mountain bike cranks and at BMX bike cranks. I didn't find a road crank search of much help.)
zip.
Only bad news is for the single speed rear hub, I had to go to an ultra wide (128mm) bottom bracket to get chain line right. Also, you can't mount a bash guard.
Good luck with the build: (Hint: When searching for cranksets on Ebay, look at both mountain bike cranks and at BMX bike cranks. I didn't find a road crank search of much help.)
zip.
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