[Closed] Good cranks for running with a single chainring.

shimano zee at merlin cycles.

Middleburn RS7 here, currently using a 4 arm spider, but the UNO combined ring/spider is avaialble for a really clean look. Not the lightest but bombproof. And they look lovely.

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I use a set of Sram cranks with an absolute black spiderless ring. Looks really tidy.

I use Middleburn RS 8 X-type cranks. I had a double on there, now run a single ring, can change spiders for whatever you need and the lifetime warranty is amazing... stiff enough to run on a DH or jump rig, light enough for XC.

Can get them from [url= http://activesport.co.uk/ ]Activesport[/url]

XT triple.

buy new from wherever (I bought a new set from Wiggle on Sunday for £97.50 delivered) then remove the rings and sell (I've just sold two unused sets of XT rings for £35 a set).

this leaves you with a brand new set of XT cranks with the right chainline for single ring including new bottom bracket for £62.50.

do this twice (which i did as i bought a silver set of cranks and then realised that i wanted black) and by the time everything has been sold (i had no problems with selling the chainrings @ £35 and the cranks for £75, as most people get greedy and ask for more) and it ends up costing you £50 all in.

I was quite tempted to go down the XTR route as there is a lady on pinkbike who has a brand new set of 160mm triple XTR cranks inc. bottom bracket and rings for £200, but figures that i was already on to a good thing with the XT cranks @ £50 and after selling the XTR rings, I would probably be in at closer to £135.

just waiting for my crank skins to arrive from the US now so i have a fighting chance of my shiny black cranks staying that way.

oh... and zee is cheap for a reason... they are glorified deore cranks and pretty heavy to boot.

great value though if you are not bothered about weight.

Pretty much anything tbh. Just stay away from stupid bolt spacings and anything trying too hard to look interesting.

I've got a RaceFace Dues XC but it's not sticky out ankle friendly so will be put in the classifieds as soon as get round it.

campfreddie - Member
oh... and zee is cheap for a reason... they are glorified deore cranks and pretty heavy to boot.

great value though if you are not bothered about weight.

Forgive me, but the op did say he wasn't bothered about weight, and there's nothing wrong with deore kit.

If you're hard on kit then I'd stay away from Deus cranks. I (with all my 10.5 stone) totalled a set a couple of years back. In comparison, my Atlas cranks from the same era were absolutely bombproof. I only changed them as they'd seized onto the axle so had to cut them off.

I run XTs (the older shape) on my Five and they're a great mix of strength and relative light weight. Have Middleburn Unos on my Curtis and so far, they've been spot on. Given the choice again I'd probably run XTs on both bikes...

Sram x9 cranks, drop the spider and rings off and put an absolute black or similar ring on.

Went for some double ring Deore cranks late last year for my DH bike (I'm not that hard a rider). I think they look great as the finish between the spider and the single ring is just that, finished.

Cheap too and the rings will fetch a modest amount unused on the classifieds.

@ nobeer

Keep you knickers on old girl. It was a statement of fact. Zee cranks are based on Deores which are great cranks but built using a different (heavier) process than SLX and upwards cranks. For non-DH duties where you perhaps might not need the heavy-duty pedal inserts, it might be cheaper to consider Deore or perhaps SLX cranks, especially if you can sell the rings to offset the initial cost.

I view the above as useful general information, not just for the OP, but I'm sorry if you took it as otherwise.

SLX triple here, for the reasons campfreddie gives, but I prefer the look of the SLX arms.

but I'm sorry if you took it as otherwise.

😆

I'm running a second hand X9 with spider less wolf tooth narrow/wide setup. Not the cheapest by the time you get stung with import tax (lesson learned there) much very nice and light.

Deore and Zee are non hollowtech I think. Be interesting to see if it made any difference in deflection or testing to destruction.

Those middleburns ^^^ up there are sweet looking!. I prefer the look of a double ran single, over a triple ran single, as there is more of a 'finished' look.

I got a double XT chain set from wiggle for 108 last week, sold chainrings for 25 quid. Not a bad price.