These do look lovely. Money no object then why not, absolutely nothing wrong with buying boutique parts.
Plenty of other hobbies and sports have elements and kit which cost considerble money.
You can buy a complete X01 Eagle Groupset for the same money or XX1 Eagle Groupset for a bit more though. Pretty sure the XX1 chainset is lighter or at least the same weight when accounting for the chainring too.
I don't see the price vs performance of the eewings delivering improved functionality over XX1 rather it's about that boutique aesthetic value.
But for bikes, nice things have to offer a material benefit, or we have to accept that they’re just jewellery – and I’m not ready to accept that’s happening in MTB yet. When things just become expensive without a performance benefit then MTBing has jumped the shark.
Seriously, are you new here? Like not just to MTB but to planet Earth?
See, this I can actually understand. I mean, I think you’re wrong about carbon cranks but the logic checks out.
I've been riding MTB's since the mid 90's. I've broken absolutely everything in that time. I have never, in my life seen a metal crank arm snap in half but I've seen dozens of broken Sram cranks just from pedal strikes and small crash/bike dropping incidents. They're junk and completely worthless at any price.
I'd have some ee-wings and Trickstuff brakes if I fancied them. It would be because they're beautifully made products that can be passed down from bike to bike, not to draw admiring glances at the trail centre. I'd buy a T6 and 20" alloy wheels for that.
no discernible benefit
The knowledge that I owned tie dye titanium cranks would keep me warm at night = benefit 😎
Having fitted a set or 2 – they’re not perfect though. 30mm axle is suboptimal IMO, and you need to copperslip the **** out of them or the big bolt joining the 2 halves together can seize. I also know people who’ve had no end of issues with them coming loose.
Phew, thanks, you've just saved me £1000, I like pretty, but I also like fit and forget. GRX with some PVD Absolute Black Chainrings will have to do...
My eeWings are a long term investment (I plan on having them for the rest of my riding life). I also own other boutique gear like an Intend Edge fork and custom Curtis frame which I will never ever sell.
I don't see any issues with buying boutique gear for cycling as if you've got the money and you love what you are doing then why not.
I window shopped for eeWings for two years - I dismissed XTR 9100 on the same premise as mentioned above - they're going to de-bling rapidly. Carbon cranks with bonded pedal inserts not up for that.. Anyway I pulled the trigger on eeWings. I'm so stoked. Never had super posh cranks and I've lusted after some ever since I was a kid roaming the pits at BMX meets when I'd see American Pro riders with Redline flight cranks or Profiles - Cranks have to be silver with silver chainrings - Nothing looks as good !
I sprayed my eewings black. Guncote Black.
