Am after some new crank arms, now there is no lettering left and the crank ends are getting a bit rough on my ’04 (bought ’08) XT’s I’m getting worried about how much life they have left on my main (FS) bike, I’ve also an XC HT I’m now short of cranks for I want to move them across to
Currently thinking Truvativ Stylo Team for £76 (880g), though I believe they come with the old GXP bottom bracket and the bearings directly on the axle has me slightly worried. I like the look of mirror black though, unless they wear silver a bit quick?
Shimano SLX Triple for £88 (889g), I like the (middle) chainrings, shimano BBs have last me about a year. My brothers set have worn a fair bit over 2.5years though (the square edged raised silver bit has rounded a lot

For the extra ~£50+ and 30something grams saving (most of which would appear to be in the alu/carbon/lighter outer chainrings) I can’t see the point of going upto XT’s, even if I like the colour

Anyone have any input or other suggestions?

Cos they’re a bit scuffed up, and no lettering left they’re on their last legs?

Get a new bb and some fresh chainrings to spruce it up?

Mind you, probably more expensive than all new cranks.

Thats not what I was saying, I don’t trust them enough to use on my main bike when I’ve seen pictures of the cross section of snapped hollowtech cranks

I know people change cranks for more fickle reasons

Besides, I’m a crankset short for another bike, I’d rather buy new ones for my main bike and move the older used ones across to the secondary XC bike

SLX are fine, probably the best value to form ratio of the Shimano groupsets.

SLX are great cranks, and the reinforced middle ring on them lasts a ridiculous amount of time compared to the older non reinforced LX and XT rings.

And for £88 you can’t go wrong really… If you’re planning on sticking with 9spd for the forseeable, that’s what I’d buy. 10spd has landed and is everywhere now, so decent 9spd kit will soon be thin on the ground.

James check out this place

http://www.actionsports.de

Hmm, An XTR shifter and an unused casette/chain/chainrings bought a few years ago (didn’t realise how long the SLX rings last over old LX/XT), if decent kit becomes impossible to find once I’ve got through those (should have another 6 months on the current setup at least) then I could always set them up on the 2nd bike

A 10spd SLX might be an idea just so I’m not stockpiling 9spd rings then (though my mums/sisters MTBs will need them in time)