Race Face Turbine Crankset Review

The Race Face Turbine Cranks have been in the Race Face range for a fair old time and are designed as a no nonsense, do everything crank.

• Brand: Race Face
• Product: Race Face Turbine Crankset
• From: Silverfish UK
• Price: £199.00 cranks, £66.95 chainring
• Tested: by Ross Demain for 6 months

First featuring in 1993, the now 30 year old cranks are designed to be tough, durable and stiff but without a huge weight penalty.

The new ones then. Manufactured from 7050 aluminium, the turbine cranks are forged for strength and then have excess material machined away to keep the weight as low as possible without affecting stiffness or durability. They’re designed to be light enough for XC, but durable enough for trail and all mountain riding. 

Available in three different lengths – 165mm, 170mm and 175mm – and either 52mm or 55mm chainline options, the Turbines come with a black anodised finish, and we’ve had a set of 165mm cranks on test since February to see how they perform. 

Along with the cranks we were also sent a matching chainring and BB. The chainring is made from forged 7075-T6 aluminium and connects to the cranks using Race Face’s direct mount Cinch system. Available in 30, 32 and 34 tooth options, this test set was supplied with a 30 tooth ring. The arm threads onto the spindle using an 8mm hex and then any slack is taken up with a preload collar. Weight for cranks, spindle, chain ring and preload collar is 588g on my trusty kitchen scales.

The supplied bottom bracket bracket is a Race Face BSA CINCH 30mm. Designed to fit RF’s own cranks, the BB uses 6806 retainer bearings that are packed with waterproof grease and also have wiper seals to keep water, mud and dust out. The machined cups come supplied with all the spacers you might need and there is an internal plastic guide sleeve for additional weather proofing.

Installation

If you’ve ever fitted a set of cranks in the past then installing the Turbines is nice and straightforward. Thread the BB on with the required amount of spacers,  install the chainring, get the non-drive side crank arm in position then tighten everything up with an 8mm hex. Once you have this tightened to the correct torque, you then wind the preload collar on to take up any play and then tighten in position. Simple. The Turbines were fitted to a Deviate Claymore and I had no issues whatsoever with getting them fitted.  

Performance

I’d been looking to try 165mm cranks for a while so when the Turbines turned up I was keen to give them a go. Who wouldn’t want extra crank clearance for techy climbs and getting the power down in rough sections?! So first things first, how do they feel compared to my usual 170mm’s? Well, in a nutshell, different but the same. 

There is a slight difference in pedalling the smaller circles, but it’s not huge and unless you’re swapping between bikes with different lengths all the time then it’s pretty much fit and forget. Have I noticed any particular loss in power? No. Have I noticed any extra clearance? Definitely yes. Pedalling in ruts or over obstacles where I’d expect to clip a pedal / crank arm, I’ve carried on pedalling along without issue way more than with my previous 170mm cranks. 

In day to day use the Turbines just get on with what they need to do. There is no perceived flex whether landing sprinting, grinding up climbs or when landing drops and jumps. They give a good direct feel for getting on the gas and so far are still going strong.. 

They were fitted back in February and have been ridden anything from two to seven times per week since then in all weathers and the BB is still spinning nice and free, with the sum total of maintenance being re-tightening the preload slightly as the lock screw had loosened a bit so there was a tiny amount of play.

The chainring is showing signs of wear but no more than to be expected and despite having a good few rock strikes , the cranks are still looking pretty good. The only real wear is on the drive side crank where due to the angle I run my front foot, the anodising has been worn off  and angled alloy of the crank has worn and become a smoother radius.

Overall

There’s not really much to fault with the Race Face Turbine crankset. It offers plenty of options, is well priced, a decent weight and has so far proven to be dependable and durable. If you’re after a new crankset, or fancy a change from the big two drivetrain brands then it’s well worth a look. 

Review Info

Ross Demain

Ad Sales Manager

Ross pairs his childlike excitement for bikes with a complete disregard for the wellbeing of his ribs, or his rims. Best known for riding cheeky trails, his time is also spent trail building in his local woods, drinking beer, eating pies and entertaining his two children.

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