Shimano’s flagship crankset is a striking and sweet-shifting unit. None of our test cranks obviously lost spin smoothness during our test period.īest road cranksets Turn Zayante – editor’s choice (1)
Bearings: As well as different axle diameters, different bearing shoulder dimensions mean most cranks will only run in bearings from the same brand or specific aftermarket options, though converters are reducing the number of ‘impossible’ combinations. 
Carbon wraps on alloy armatures look good but don’t always perform well and even ‘full’ carbon cranks have to use alloy pedal and axle interfaces. Drilled or hollow moulded alloy cranks then follow in the fashion (but not necessarily function) hierarchy.
Material: Solid forged alloy cranks are the cheapest option but generally the heaviest. Shimano’s ‘blended’ chainring/spider design demands specific replacements to keep aesthetic and functional form. In many cases brands are interchangeable or replaceable with aftermarket options. Chainrings: Most chainrings are made from a single-piece reinforced disc with teeth cut into the edge. Standard (53/39) chainrings generally have a 130mm bolt circle diameter (BCD – the fitting pattern for the rings), compact (50/34) 110mm. Some are moulded into the arms, some made separately but permanently attached, others are removable. Spider: The four or five-arm piece that connects chainrings to axle. Most come with 24mm steel axles or 30mm alloy ones. Some brands still use a separate axle, while Campagnolo uses two half axles that join in the centre on its Ultra Torque designs. Axle: Most cranksets use an axle permanently fixed to the driveside crank and a left crank that bolts/clamps into place. The average is 172.5mm but 170 and 175mm cranks are relatively common on complete smaller and larger bikes respectively, and you can get as short as 160mm or as long as 180mm. Crank length: Cranks – the ‘arms’ – come in different lengths to match different length legs and leverage preferences. Conversely, a lightweight crank that flexes so much it feels like your feet are bending under your bike is really demoralising when you’re trying to claw your way up a climb. This makes their weight the least obvious of any component in dynamic or handling terms, and it’s why most pro bikes use torque meters or even extra heavy axles to bulk their weight up to the minimum legal lever. While they look fancy, don’t assume that carbon cranks are automatically stiffer than alloy ones either, as both materials use a range of manufacturing methods for a wide spread of results.ĭon’t get hung up on weight either – cranksets sit in the most central, lowest point of your bike possible. Overall stiffness is governed by the entire structure, from the chainrings, through the spider and crank then across the axle to the offside crank. Don’t assume that bigger axled cranks are stiffer, either.
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