Hope launches new gravel crankset – the RX

As gravel riding has grown in popularity, it’s been interesting seeing companies develop products to meet the needs of riders. Hope Technology is a case in point – it has taken its mountain bike and cyclocross knowledge and experience and applied it to gravel. We were impressed with the RX4 brake calipers – add power and modulation over stock SRAM hydraulic brakes for example.

RX Crankset

There was a gap though – the Barnoldswick-based company wanted to develop a gravel crankset to complement its other components. It wasn’t a huge surprise, and we have spotted the odd prototype on the likes of Paul Oldham’s ‘cross bikes for a while. Hope is infamous for only releasing a product when it is completely happy with it though. The cranks needed to be light, but give nothing in terms of durability in comparison to its mountain bike cranks. So, for the first time ever, Hope created a two piece, hollow construction crank. Enter the RX Crankset.

According to Hope it is “a gravel crankset designed for the perfect balance of stiffness and weight. It is still tested to the same standards as our MTB cranks for confidence on or off road use.” It has worked hard to make sure the 30mm axle is compatible with virtually every BB system – easier when you offer your own extended range of bottom brackets.

To keep weight low, the RX crankset is compatible with direct mount chainrings. Direct mount chainrings are available in 38, 40, 42 and 44 tooth (narrow/wide) options. There is also a five arm spider with a 110BCD as an additional option. While the RX cranks are optimised for a single ring, the spider is apparently compatible with double chainrings.

How it’s made

The crankarm is CNC machined in two pieces. According to Hope, this allows highly accurate and optimised removal of unwanted material from the middle of the crankarm. The two pieces are then assembled together and joined using a structural adhesive. The adhesive is injected under controlled parameters to ensure the perfect bond everytime. Finally, the crankarm has a CNC machining process to achieve the final shape – and that distinctive “Hope look”.