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Old 12-06-07, 01:16 PM
  #14  
11.4
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Everyone thinks stiffness is great, but it doesn't necessarily translate into speed on the track. Just the opposite at times. A Grand Mighty isn't going to lose anyone a race. Nor will a Superbe Pro, for that matter. There's a lot of FGF hype around 75's, but they aren't all that special. The Grand Mighty gets three times the number of forging steps that the 75 does, which makes it tougher and also more breakage resistant. The 75 isn't all that stiff compared to some of the road cranksets out there, or compared to DA 7710 arms. But again to the point that stiffness isn't really the top objective, if everything is extremely rigid, any slight bobble in your pedaling (or any slight bobble on the track) can upset your speed. For someone who rides a lot, rigidity theoretically gives better power transmission but also beats you up. If you've ridden on most of the tracks in the US and on many Japanese tracks, you know that they aren't really this glass smooth surface that people think they are. You can wish for a softer saddle, softer wheels, and more comfort in your transmission system if you actually ride this stuff. It's one reason why track riders like more slack in their chain (see other posts on this issue).

The Grand Mighty is an absolutely superb crankset and I love it. At 1600 watts it doesn't feel quite as stiff as a Dura Ace 7710, but it has a slight springiness that actually seems to help my pedal stroke at high cadence, just like a really nice steel frame has. A 75 doesn't feel noticeably stiffer, marginally less comfortable, and if I'm in a kilo start or something where I'm really applying the hardest effort I couldn't say it's as stiff as a 7710. Japanese like to buy what they buy but you'll also notice that in the UCI track world cup, the vast majority of riders are on a DA 7710 in nearly every event. I'd definitely say that the Superbe Pro crankarms are noticeably less stiff than others, to the point that I've had them actually clip the chainstays when pulling up in a start. If I was in a massed-start event, or riding the road, I actually like them. I happen to ride 7710s because I focus on sprint, team sprint, and 500m, and those are the highest power events, but also because they are the most common on the US and European tracks I ride the most, and it's important to be able to get parts, tools, etc. if you need them.

I wouldn't sweat all this stuff so much. Frankly, nobody on a road fixie is going to be testing a set of crankarms to the limit and even if you were putting out a lot of watts, you still aren't in a race. This is a place to buy something you like, that's reliable, looks good, and is a price you can afford. It's like parts for your car -- buy according to your car and your usage.
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