Was just about to order a Deore chainset for £60 when I saw this for £30 – anyone got any experience? If so I assume it is an external bottom bracket like shimano and uses the same tools? Cheers

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=35721&PartnerID=2562

careful, the £30 one os only 170mm crank length. You'll open up the "does 5mm make a difference?" debate again.

It uses a Mega Exo BB, are they not differenct to the new shimano ones ?

MegaExo is the same diameter as Shimano if I remember correctly, I think it's GXP that's a different size but I could well be wrong 🙁

mega exo are same as shimano . I have an fsa mega exo chainset with an xt bb at the moment

wooly hat shop are (I think) doing older deore chainset for £34.95

Bargain that. On-one shop has the FSA V Drive at £65 which retails at £140. I've had one 2 years and rate it above the Race Face Evolve XC and Shimano LX I've used for performance (they either work or don't I can't notice flex and stuff) and ring wear.

These are better than the Deore for £60:

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain-bike-chainsets/shimano-lx-chainset-26-36-48-rings.html

These are better than the Deore for £60:

Weird ratios though.

Bugger, didn't notice that. Also have Alu middle ring, so not that durable. Ignore me.

I really rate the Truvativ stylo crank which I bought a few months ago for £60ish

Merlin have em for £70.

Factor in a new bottom bracket soon though because GXP ones are proper cack. You can get some adaptors made by hope which enables you to run Shimano style BB's.

😯

48T outer! Brings back memories…

Bugger, didn't notice that. Also have Alu middle ring, so not that durable. Ignore me.

Good for a SS speed though, wish i had seen em before i forked out £90 for an SLX !!

Techie note; The Hope GXP adaptors work with Hope BBs, not Shimano BBs.

The Shimano ones, and Acros too, run a placky top-hat inside the bearings, so the adaptors won't fit properly.

Techie note; The Hope GXP adaptors work with Hope BBs, not Shimano BBs.

The Shimano ones, and Acros too, run a placky top-hat inside the bearings, so the adaptors won't fit properly.

Thanks for that reggie – I was about to make an expensive-ish mistake

If you do buy the Hope adaptors then I'd suggest grinding/filing a little notch out of one of them before you fit them, so that you can remove them in the future.

Without the notch it's a but tricky to get a screwdriver between them to tap the first one out. With the notch it's a doddle. Are you listening Hope?

The bearings in my Hope BB started to go rough so I've had to remove the adpators, regrease the brearings, then refit the adpators. This is on a Sram red chainset on the roadie.