My xt Black m780 cranks look about 10 years old silver showing through every where, probably not the greatest idea for peak grit having black

Looking at the triple new style slx cranks the finish looks like it wouldn’t wear the same, the finish looks totally different to how the black ones are

So anybody running them and If so for how long?

My xt ones are just two years old and most of the black has worn off now on either side ie, they look shite!

heels in or heels out, i managed to wear away large amounts of the aluminium on a set of middleburn RS7 cranks.

In direct answer to your question, they may look abused in a few weeks or never. The older SLX were bare metal on the outside so had half a chance of not looking trashed in days. How you ride, whether you use overshoes in the winter, how much mud cakes your shoes, etc all matters.

Personally, i would never get black cranks!

Yeh in hindsight black cranks wasn’t the greatest idea but look great new! Well for about 2 rides anyways!

I think it’s my winter boots that did the most damage tbh, summer shoes I don’t really have a problem with heels in certainly when I look down in summer shoes they don’t touch any where near!

I used to have the older m770 silver cranks and although they looked used as they were silver you never got paint rubbing off like these black ones so in photos etc it didn’t really look bad, but these ones look shocking in the flesh and in pics!

Tart I know!

Tart I know!

as an unashamed tart who rides slightly duck-feet (and is obsessive about looking after stuff) my Saints have these

http://www.slikgraphics.com/collections/protective-decals

They score, scratch and mark with some ease I’m afraid. They function quite well, but I’ve just changed out this season’s SLX for this season’s XT in silver, partly for the looks but also because there’s a noticeable difference in performance. The current SLX crankset is gopping though. The older versions are much less offensive.

Hmmmmm I may just go straight for silver xt then! I reckon my old m770 looked reasonably well after 2 years use before, may try and put some thin heli tape on from new next time

I’ve got the older SLX, heli taped the face of them and they’re still mint, I have to refresh heli tape occasionally.

Running the same as you OP, m780 on FS for 2 years and with new SLX on my HT for 6 months.

Only rubbed the shimano logo off one crank on the fs and finding the SLX really keeping its finish (and doesnt look gopping IMO).

Unless youre a tart…i’d go SLX. Good performance,decent weight and good price.

But think of the weight you shave off your bike every ride

Just get those stickers. They are brilliant. Pity my cranks are standard deore.

The stickers look ok but they don’t cover the whole crank and mine baterred everywhere not just where the sticker goes

I actually think the slx crank design looks better than the xt ones tbh, I think like they look like a step down from xtr, but a step up from xt