Versatile platform gets tough carbon treatment
Built around a 30mm spindle, RaceFace’s Cinch system works with interchangeable spiders or spiderless chainrings allow for countless combinations of single, double, and triple chainrings and bash guards. Because both left and right arms can be removed, bottom bracket spindles can also be swapped- accommodating 68mm/73mm (standard), or 83mm (downhill) bottom bracket shells. For 2015, RaceFace’s burly-but-light SixC carbon fibre crankset gets the Cinch treatment, alongside the featherweight Next SL (reviewed in Issue 89) and the more accessible alloy Turbine.
Despite being designed for all-mountain, enduro, and downhill riding, the SixC is claimed to weigh as little as 540g (for stubby 165mm arms with a 36t direct-mount chainring), plus ~90g for the dedicated Cinch bottom bracket. Despite being targeted at more aggressive riders, the SixC’s combination of light weight and extra strength will likely appeal to riders who consider the Next SL a little too light for the outlay.
SixC arms are hollow, with all unnecessary material being removed from their core. Like RaceFace’s other carbon cranks, they are hand made in Canada using US-sourced carbon. US/Canadian pricing is in line with the Next SL- which should mean that the cranks should be close to the Next’s £390 for the arms plus £55 for a narrow/wide chainring and £39 for a bottom bracket.
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Love the idea of the Cinch system and the sixc look amazing, just wish it worked with the 24mm standard axle diameter. The dedicated Cinch bottom bracket puts me off.