Can anyone recommend some good cranks for my new build.

Currently running some XT cranks that I have taken off my other bike.

The one thing I like about them is the axle is fixed to the drive side crank and you tighten the non drive side crank on to the spline by pinching the bolts up.

I’ve had race face atlas on an older bike and wasn’t that impressed at the axle was fixed to the non drive side.

I guess I’m after something a bit more bling than XT, maybe carbon but if nothing is that much better than XT I might as well stick with what I know.

I guess the options are XTR, XX1, X01 or XT?

What’s wrong with your current cranks? Personally I’d run them to the ground and save the money towards a trip or something. I doubt you’d notice much difference.

EDIT: And by that I mean that XT are already great cranks.

xt cranks have a winning weight strength and price ratio.

They are one of the few things which I think break the ‘strong light cheap pick two’ rule.

If your after something a bit bling for your nomad it’d have to be something carbon. RaceFace Next SL or something from Sram. Be carful about chainring and bash guard compatability!

Race Face Next SL’s lighter than XX1, very nice cranks easy to fit. SRAM stuff same thing good and easy to fit. Pair either up with a Hope BB and your onto a winner.

Anything you like really, but running X0 DH (dh just basically means a single ring spider) on my Nomad. Bling and carbon. Performance, they’re cranks, nothing really to say other than they go round and drive the chain.

I prefer the gxp system myself. One centre 8mm hex bolt which draws the two sides together, and self extracting to remove. Hell of a torque ensures it’s not falling off.

tinytimbo – Member
I’ve had race face atlas on an older bike and wasn’t that impressed at the axle was fixed to the non drive side.

Why?

It doesn’t any difference in engineering terms.

xx1 for the bling i’d say

Got xx1 on mine. As said above, they’re cranks, they attach the pedals to the bike and drive the chain, and they do it well.

What’s wrong with your current cranks? Personally I’d run them to the ground and save the money towards a trip or something. I doubt you’d notice much difference.
EDIT: And by that I mean that XT are already great cranks.

Nothing wrong with them. I have borrowed them from my other bike so whatever I go for I need some new ones.
I do quite like them, I tend to take them off a fiat bit especially when it’s muddy to make sure everything is clean.

I only do this because of the pinch bolt setup, I wouldn’t like taking cranks off that are a tight fit as they’d probably wear keep taking them off and on.

What are XTR like, do they use the same pinch bolt method to tighten the non drive side crank arm on the spline?
Looks like the SRAM cranks are just a tight fit.

what do you mean by a “tight fit” you do the bolt up to a bottom out/stop. Compared to fitting shimano they are much much simpler.

Next SL for weight saving

Slx just as light and stiff as xt and have a polished finish so look nicer

[/quote]tinytimbo – Member
I’ve had race face atlas on an older bike and wasn’t that impressed at the axle was fixed to the non drive side.
Why?
It doesn’t any difference in engineering terms.

Maybe with the setup of my current bike it won’t matter (single ring with no chain device)

But on the bike I put the race face cranks I ran a chain device and found it a pain to line the guide up as I had to install the cranks to see there the chain line would be. Then take it off, adjust my guide and repeat until the chain ring when perfectly in the middle of the guide.

If however the axle was on the drive side I could have simply slid the drive side on, I wouldn’t have to install the other arm and tighten it.

I guess the options are XTR, XX1, X01 or XT.

😀

2 issues I had with RF cranks-
-fouled on a Blackspire stinger (and yes the crank was correctly shimmed/spaced, on new models theyve introduced additional shims possibly to accommodate chain devices)
-the splines in the crank are alloy (shimano has steel insert in the arm to match the steel axle). Mine eventually developed play making them fit only for scrap.

What are people’s thoughts on these.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/truvativ-x0-dh-10-speed-chainset/rp-prod74774

Reading reviews on the regular X01 and XX1 it’s sounds like a lot of people are having issues the the pedal inserts coming loose.

I have those exact X0 DH 10 speed cranks, and also have converted another X0 to 1x with a DH spider. Originally was a 2x.

Not had any issues with them. They do the job, and know a few others with them, and no issues.

ps, The X0 DH spider is standard 104 bcd (unlike some of the 2x cranks, and the X01/X11 which are proprietary bcd). It’ll work for 11 speed also with many of the available narrow/wide chainrings out there as most should be fine for both 10 and 11 speed, plus you can get spiderless rings which will fit any GXP based crank with removable spiders, whether it’s 1x, 2x, whatever.

Are we talking BSA 73 bb here?

Yes I have a standard 73mm BB shell

Well then I guess if you don’t want RF and Shimano isn’t bling enough then SRAM it is.

SRAM XO Crank arms 460g without spider £160
Hope BB 110g £90
Works NW bling ring 70g £50

That will be 640g £310

XT or SLX with NW is 760g

XTR

527g for arms
90g for BB
20g for bolts
40g for ring

XTR 680g total £245

Decisions decisions, still can’t make my mind up.

Are the XTR a strongish crank, at least as strong as XT?

I don’t ride that hard but want something with reasonable strength.
XT has always felt solid enough and I’ve had zero problems with them.

Well after considering all the above I have now switched my attention to shimano Saint.
Not much of a weight penalty, string and reasonably priced plus is single ring specific.

Will a crank like the saint being single ring only provide a better chain line than running a shimano double crank using the outer position?

I would suggest a Saint is complete overkill for a Nomad build, considering your definition of use.

I wouldn’t use a double to run a single front ring, do as others and use a triple with the chain in the middle ring position. So yes, by default, running the Saint will be a better if that was your plan.

140g weight penalty is huge on a crank.

Saint are really DH cranks, pure gravity stuff. Of all the choices so far they wouldn’t be anywhere near my list. Things like the race face (new ones in the news section) have a removable spider so you can have single/double or triple specific chain lines.

XTR

527g for arms
90g for BB
20g for bolts
40g for ring

XTR 680g total £245

A total XTR set of kit for £245 …

I guess 140g is a lot especially as you are turning it constantly.

Do XTR do a single ring specific crank or would I have to go double or triple and compromise
The light weight of the XTR does make them very tempting.

a bit different but how about Middleburn x types with a wolf tooth ‘uno’ ring?

wolf tooth link

blingy and the middleburns have held up well at herts shore with my 100kgs on my nomad

I checked the middleburn thanks but think I’ll stick with XTR.

A quick question as I’m hoping I can make this more cost effective.

Now there doesn’t appear to be a specific XTR single ring setup so I will need to buy either the triple or double and put my Race Face narrow wide ring on.

I have an old Race Face atlas chainset and all three rings are completely worn.

Thinking of buying the XTR triple. Strip the rings and put them on my Race Face chainset then use the XTR cranks on the Nomad. That should work right? 104 BCD.

Yep, that would work fine. That’s what I did with mine.

The new XTR stuff that’s coming out in August time has a single speific option.

I had seen the new XTR line up and personally I don’t think the M9020 cranks look as good as the M980 from the pictures I’ve seen.

It is tempting that it will be available in 1x only.
The M9020-1 in 165mm would be perfect for the nomad I reckon.

Can’t seem to find the M980 triple in 165mm so may have to wait for the new one to come out.

EDIT: Looks like the triple is available in 165mm length crank arms just not on CRC