i need to buy a new crank (i say ‘need’, i think ‘want’ is possibly more appropriate) and i’ve been lusting after a middleburn setup for some time now..

so, why shouldn’t i? would it be more sensible to just go for XX1, or raceface etc?

i mean, just look at this for utter beauty:

There is absolutely no reason not to go Middleburn in my opinion, I have a set on the Pompino and the Swift. Additionally, I don’t see any reason not to go square taper either, Shimano BBs last for years – truly fit and forget. Enjoy if you decide to do it. Happy Christmas.

Whats the price/weight difference?
If you are going to that level on the crank I’d pair it with a Hope or CK BB though.

price is more or less the same as xx1.. weight.. not sure…

already have a Hope BB installed that can be used with the RS8 crank above

ds3000, you should really work in sales, you’re telling me exactly what i want to hear 😉

Lol. You know you want them , I think you just need a nudge over the finishing line.

I might add, I got both my pairs second hand and they haven’t missed a beat. If you buy new it’s nice to know your supporting a smallish company who make great products.

I’d have no hesitation. I’ve been using their cranks for almost 20 years and have been to see them a few times, as they’re local to me. Go for it.

Very retro. I had something like that on my bike in the 90s

Love my RS8 X types. Mine have been on a couple of hardtails, have been a double, now running a single ring. Do whatever you want with them, lifetime warranty… you’d be silly not to 🙂
Back in the days when I had a DH rig, had the 7s on that, regretted selling them as part of the bike. Lovely bit of kit

I lusted after a pair of Middleburns but when I got them I couldn’t stop the damn things creaking. Got rid in the end as it was driving my OCD mad. Wasn’t the latest model though (might have been RS7- about 2009) and whilst they were renown for the creaks at the time they might have got over it now.

Still running my original RS7s on both of my bikes,fitted to Royce BBs, had them since the 90s, creak free as long as you follow the bedding in procedure, never saw the need to change them until 5 arm rings dried up, at which point I swapped the spiders to 4 arm. Very nice piece of kit.

Yup, tis a nice bit of kit, got them on all of my MTBs, however as an ex employee maybe I’m slightly biased 😀

Support Matt and a small UK company and get a great product too.

Cheers, Rich

Got x types on both my mtbs. Great kit and completely versatile 3x, 2x or SS

Had about 3 or 4 pairs on various bikes over the years and zero complaints, zero creaks, zero problems and would buy again. Mine have all been square taper.

Reason not too-

Because i snapped two in the 1990s and they would’nt warranty them!

Both on the drive side, about fifty mm up from the pedal. Clean in half. Pulling away from some traffic lights and bang; i’m standing on the pedal still, but its now sat on the tarmac 😐

Only reason I have is – XT are cheeper, and so much better.

But I would like some middleburn cranks though TBH. Don’t know why, maybe for the retro looks, but having a set of middleburns on the bike is something to be proud of (just like hope hubs!).

zbonty – your cranks would have been pre RS7, so before they were forged. Machined from extruded bar meant that the grain structure of the material would be strong in one direction, not so much in the other, similar to wood. The machining of the square taper created a concentration of stress and under high load and cyclic fatigue that was the traditional failure method.

Forging aligns the structure of the grains to give a lot more strength, and I am not aware of a single RS7 failing in this manner, and even if they had, we offered a lifetime warranty.

We would offer half-price upgrades to RS7’s from older broken cranks, perhaps that wasn’t available for you, sorry that has tarnished your view of the product 🙁

Cheers, Rich

Another reason to buy – I wanted to try a shorter crank one side and Middleburn obliged. I’m not sure a larger outfit would.

I wanted lusted after a Middleburn Duo (when most people had 3 rings – I know, I’m awesome!). Never had the cash though.

I’ve always been really happy with their aftermarket hardcote rings.

That crank really is beautiful! Buy it and a set of XT cranks too. Put the Middleburn on the mantle piece and congratulate yourself on having an eye for aesthetics*.

*not to say it won’t function well

I wouldn’t use Middleburn rings though. I was told they would last a lot longer than Shimano etc. but not the case, they seem to wear just as quickly if not quicker.

I have a X-type Uno on my singlespeed Swift with a Hope ceramic BB. Now done 5000 miles on the original BB with no creaks at all. Have changed the Uno ring once which is quite expensive but got a new one from the classifieds for £50. Recommended 🙂

Their lovely been running mine 1×10 with no issues:

The only set I have seen of their X-type crank battered off the chainstays on both sides of a steel hardtail with not-exceptional tyre clearance. There was only 1-2mm clearance without a load on them. Every other crank fitted this bike fine.

I had some square taper ones that were fine, though.

The pic in the OP, is that an SRAM ring and spider fitted? Does anyone do thick thin spiderless rings for Middleburns?

Middleburn = Class looks/service 🙂

Put 14 years into my rs7’s and foolishly sold them on a bike last year 🙁

May buy another set just to look at 🙂

That pic is the Middleburn XX1 spider to allow the SRAM XX1 chain ring…

The only real issue is the value. And their rings are rotten but that’s OK, you can use someone else’s. But they are lovely. I bought some scabby XTR instead, which aren’t lovely, but are better at the crank thing.

I do like the Middleburn Bottom Bracket Thing though- for years, people on here banged on about how brilliant it was that Middleburn still used square taper, and external BBs were for mugs. Then the second Middleburn announced their external BB models, most of those guys wet themselves over the new shiny 😆

XTR instead, which aren’t lovely, but are better at the crank thing.

That kind of sums it up for me – the Middleburns look nice and anecdotally work fine (though I’ve also heard about clearance issues) but IMO are expensive for what they are so really you’re buying them for looks and being British made. Which is fine.

It’s just me that thinks they look pants then? The first photo in this thread 😕 Nice, crisp lines of the SRAM chainring and then this lump of alloy that looks like it’s come off a Halfords BSO.

I think they look OK but more suited to a road bike. IMO they look out of place on mtbs, particularly anything remotely modern. Actually I didn’t particularly like RS3s when they came out either and that was what, 1997?

I think my Head would still over rule me on this…

Yes I like the looks of them, partly because they make me hark back to the 90’s, But in a HT2 type crank, I find it hard to look past Shimano for general VFM/function, and if I was buying something square taper, I’d probably end up looking for something else a bit cheaper, generally now I would assume an aftermarket N/W ring from someone else would be order of the day too…

Now’t wrong with Middleburn but sadly the bigger brands do offer marginally better VFM (IMO of course) that’s not the be-all end-all of course…

turboferret- They were indeed RS3s (with a not very fetching alternating red/green spider and rings combo-what was i thinking?). Visually the same as the RS7? but with a more reliable grain structure!

They do look pretty enough and thats what alot of people care about. Been using Shimano ever since it has to be said. I may splash out on some cable oilers though!

I’ve had a few pairs of Middleburn, super lightweight, a work of art, very strong.

The only issue I had was with the ISIS versions where the splines were a little delicate.

When the new X-type one are within my budget on the second hand market, I’ll up for some more.

super lightweight

Are they? I thought that they were maybe just a fraction lighter than XTR which isn’t super lightweight.

scotroutes – Member

It’s just me that thinks they look pants then? The first photo in this thread Nice, crisp lines of the SRAM chainring and then this lump of alloy that looks like it’s come off a Halfords BSO.

Agree with you. I think they look cheap

I’ve got RS8 Xtype with a Uno ring, and love it. Personally love the looks, love it’s made in the UK, yes it’s not cheap, but they aren’t churning out the number of items that shimano/sram are.

It’s just me that thinks they look pants then?

Nope, not a fan at all.

Anyone got the iSIS version, bought a pair without thinking and really not keen on trying a different bottom bracket sytle.

I have an ISIS version on my Tinbred and haven’t had any issues.

Cheers, Rich

BSA 68/73 Complete crank including 32t ring bolts and BB

Weight wise Midleburn will come out at about 740-750g

SLX or XT would come out 760-770g

XTR about 700g

SRAM X0 or X01 or whatver carbon arms direct mount ring will be about 670g

RF Turbine Cinch 720g

RF Next SL Cinch 520g

ordered…