If weight is important to you then I can quickly state that these cranks from e*thirteen should probably be at the top of your shopping list
- Brand: e*thirteen
- Product: Helix Race Carbon Cranks
- Price: £419.95
- From: ethirteen.uk
- Tested by: Benji for 6 months
Pros
- They just work; I haven’t had the need to mess with them at all since installation despite abuse and neglect
- 160mm arm option
- Compatible with SRAM O-Chain
Cons
- Low weight costs high money
- I don’t like the look of the rubber booties (but would advise using them)
Our rating
First off, let me make it clear that there is no real functional argument for carbon cranks. Yes, they are lighter… and quite a bit lighter than similar cost high end cranks… but I’m on record as saying that weight really doesn’t matter on most bike components.
That said, if weight is important to you then I can quickly state that these cranks from e*thirteen should probably be at the top of your shopping list. They certainly look ‘very carbon’ which, let’s be honest here, is one of the main reasons to buy anything carbon.
The Helix Race Carbon cranks have been on a couple of my bikes now (Pace RC629 initially with an e*thirteen chainring and then Orange Switch 6 shown here with a SRAM O-Chain device) and they’ve been flawless really.
Easy to install. Easy to remove. Easy to swap chainrings. No creaking or clicking. They’ve taken some whacks (more on this later). I’ve never had the need to nip up the bearing preload collar or anything. I would say something meaningless like “excellent stiffness” but I’ve never had a crank that wasn’t as stiff as any other crank so I won’t say that.
They aren’t just rated for XC racing duties either. They’re rated for “All Mountain”, which I think we can all just agree is “normal MTB riding really”.
And yes, they will accept the new SRAM-era O-Chain should you so wish (the new O-Chain only fits cranks with SRAM/8-bolt interface). I will be reviewing the O-Chain pretty soon by the way.
As you can see in the pics below, the cranks do come supplied with rubber botties to protect the ends of the cranks. And if you have sense as well as money you should probably use them. I have neither sense nor money and I removed them. Principally because I don’t like the way they look (ugh) but also because I had a pair of pedals with flared out axle ends that slightly fouled the rubber. You won’t have this issue (and if you did, you’d probably find a workaround).
Because these were on a mountain bike, I did whack the ends a few times on rocks and stuff. You can see the cosmetic damage to driveside crank in the pic above. I can live with it. I like battle scars.
On a related note, the cranks do come with protective wrap for the majority of the outer-facing crank panel. But I do think you’re on a hiding to nothing if you think any mountain bike crank is going to stay scratch-free for very long. Part of me is tempted to peel the protective tape off because counterintuitvely I think it possibly makes the cranks look less pretty. Thoughts?
On a final note, I am very pleased that e*thirteen offer these cranks in short lengths. I tested a set of 160mm arms. And they felt extremely… normal. No issues here. Just extra ground clearance. Good.
Overall
For those folk who scroll straight down to the verdict before reading the review: there’s arguably no performance reason to get carbon cranks but if you just want some ‘because whatever’, then the e*thirteen Helix Race Carbon cranks will be a sound choice. They’ve behaved very nicely and just got on with the job of cranking just fine without needing any babysitting or maintenance.
Product Specification
- Chainring: Helix Race 8-Bolt Chainring for Boost 55mm Chainline (sold separately)
- Colour: Graphite
- Compatibility: All frames with a 68/73mm BB shell
- Included: Crankset, Crank Boots (x2), Chainring Bolts (x8), Sticker, User Manual
- Length: 160mm (tested), 165mm, 170mm, 175mm
- Material: Carbon
- Spindle: Aluminum 30mm Diameter
- Weight: 366g (Cranks 355g + Boots 11g)
