Mountain Biking - XC crank selection

ok, so now that i have a Freeride bike ('03 RM Slayer!) I can set my Specialized FSR up more for XC racing (my BIG goal this year is the 8-day MTB stage race in July, the TransAlp Challenge so a relatively light/durable setup would be good although i've never been a weight-weenie - usually ride LX/XT mix)...

anyhow, my big chainring is toast (LOTS of broken teeth from Freeriding last year before i got a bash-gaurd) and last week i snapped my Bottom Bracket...

i have an LX crank (oh, wait... i may be confusing my bikes here, i think i have/had a Truvativ that came on the FSR in 2002 -- or did i replace it with an LX last year? i'm out of town on business so can't check) --- in any case it's mid-level, nothing lightweight with a fair amount of use but with about 1/2 year old middle and small chainrings that i replaced last summer. should I
1) just buy a new BB (around $30) and a new big ring ($35?) and call it ok?
2) or upgrade for lighter weight?

if i upgrade i think XTR is probably too pricey and not *really* that much better... so my choices wuold be:
* Shimano XT
* Race Face -- probably Prodigy or Evolve XC --- i think the others are too expensive (> $150)
* Truvativ --- i have/had one on my FSR but i really know nothing about which are good, etc.

anyhow, i've searched the forum and gotten some comments on the RF and the XT (new 04 XT looks pretty good)...

any opinions. one negative is mail-order from the US is probabaly not a good possiblity as i will have to pay 16% import tax + shipping + customs processing --- i should have done this when i was back for xmas... oh well.

my BIG goal this year is the 8-day MTB stage race in July, the TransAlp Challenge....


I'm bowing right now - I'd love to do that race. It does not get too much tougher than that one.

For cranks, I'd go with XT. I do many off road miles and they just seem to last.

I'm bowing right now - I'd love to do that race. It does not get too much tougher than that one.
yeah, we're stoked! we officially started our training this week (i had a pulled my knee skiing 2 weeks ago, but pretty much better - rode 1 1/2 hours last night and the knee is no worse today!!!)

the best thing about the TransAlp Challenge: it's a 2-person team and we're racing Mixed and my team partner is my girlfriend (Alexandra)! we registered in January. plus 2 of our best friends, another couple here in Munich, are also racing the Challenge - the guy is also a MTB guide (as my girlfriend and i are) and he and i are leading another TransAlp 8-day tour in August (we did one together last August that was awesome! actually that's how i met my girlfriend - she was on our tour!)...

I'd go with the RF Evolve, only about 35g heavier than the Next for a fraction of the price, plus it looks great imo.

if i upgrade i think XTR is probably too pricey and not *really* that much better... so my choices wuold be:
* Shimano XT
* Race Face -- probably Prodigy or Evolve XC --- i think the others are too expensive (> $150)
* Truvativ --- i have/had one on my FSR but i really know nothing about which are good, etc.

anyhow, i've searched the forum and gotten some comments on the RF and the XT (new 04 XT looks pretty good)...

any opinions. one negative is mail-order from the US is probabaly not a good possiblity as i will have to pay 16% import tax + shipping + customs processing --- i should have done this when i was back for xmas... oh well.


Your right, no matter how good it looks, XTR is too expensive. I run a mix of mainly XT on my bikes, but with a bit of LX. That bit of LX is the crankset. It's far cheaper than XT but very little difference in quality. If you look around you may be able to find the older square taper set at a reduced price, and with the BB thrown in. I have a set on my bianchi, and it has done 3,000 miles of Offroad riding and can't fault it yet. Bottom bracket is still perfect, and the only parts to require attention at present are the rings. They are a bit worn and will need replacing shortly. Problem is, it is cheaper to get a complete new crankset from a mailorder in the UK, than to buy just the rings.

How much would it cost to replace your crappy LX rings with some high quality Specialities-TA chainrings. You should be able to get them mail order within Euro-zone.
I use an LX cranks, and apart from the rings, it is a good piece of kit.

How much would it cost to replace your crappy LX rings with some high quality Specialities-TA chainrings. You should be able to get them mail order within Euro-zone.
I use an LX cranks, and apart from the rings, it is a good piece of kit.

The crappy LX rings have lasted 3,000 miles, and that is offroad, in all conditions. They change perfectly all the time, and the only disadvantage is that they may be heavier than some of the other after market rings. The only other rings I have tried to use, were not as good, did not last as long, did not change as good and were a bit fragile. Even my tandem now runs LX rings as the originals were showing signs of wear after only 500 miles. Not done enough distance on them to say they are better than the Middleburns that were fitted originally but time will tell.

If you want to talk Quality, then we are in a different ball game, and a different price range, and Yes there are better quality rings and cranksets, but unfortunately they cost a lot more, and yes there are more expensive cranksets that are nowhere near as good or no better than LX.

Nathan, I ve built a FR bike recently, a specy SX, i was about though to get RF turbines for my previous bike but since i got the SX i moved to north shores. My advice is to keep clear from shimano as she changes standards every 1-2 years. The 2003 XT crank for example lasted 9months in the market. Anyhow you can get RF Turbines for 200$ now with 3rings. That would be my choice definately, or the Evolve XC.

hey thanks for the comments...

i ended up going for what was easy -- they had 04 XT in the shop for an OK price... the RaceFace stuff i would have to order and i still don't know any good European mail-order outlets... and the Customs/Shipping from the US can be a problem -- i had to pay 14% plus charges for my last order :(

anyhow, the 04 XT have the external bearings and are pretty light (much lighter than 03 XT and many of the RF stuff) -- so the middle shaft is much longer than "traditional" cranks which is supposed to be much stiffer. the LBS said it is similar to the RF Dueces system but that is not available in Europe until April.

P.S. in the last few years i too have been using LX cranks/rings with good luck. i am VERY hard on my stuff (last year i added a bash-guard to help save my big ring which i kept destroying) and the few grams have not been so important. now that i have a freeride bike i hope to beat-up the FSR a little less, and with the TransAlp Challenge race coming i do want to save a little weight so i figured XT was worth an extra $100, but not an extra $300 or whatever for XTR...

oh, additonal question: obviously i won't use it while racing, but for training, should i use the bashguard on the FSR racebike or the Slayer freeride?
+ the Slayer i will ride more agressively, BUT the crank is so much higher it rarely hits
+ the FSR i *PLAN* on riding less agressively, BUT the crank is low AND as i know me, i will still ride agressively when the situation warrants...

they are both 4-arm 44t so i think it should bolt-on to either --- i have RF Prodigy on the Slayer but the Salsa Chaingaurd should fit, yeah? or should i buy a 2nd one and ride both bikes with a bolt-on chainguard?

P.P.S. math2p14 - good points... shimano does change a lot... oh well, whatever...

A quick question, so are the LX cranks the same design as XT? do they also come with a BB as standard and the bearing on the outside??
I was thinking of getting XT, I've seen 04 XT with BB for £110 thats less than RF Evovle cranks with no BB!!! And the LX is cheaper still but I thought you had to buy the BB seperate??

Evo

I would go ahead and run the bash guard. Unless you do a lot of riding in the big ring (I personally DON'T), just put it on for your races. I would not move the front derailleur, just screw in the stop to avoid over shifting. The whole change should take no more than 15 minutes. Well worth it to me.

L8R

A quick question, so are the LX cranks the same design as XT? do they also come with a BB as standard and the bearing on the outside??
I was thinking of getting XT, I've seen 04 XT with BB for £110 thats less than RF Evovle cranks with no BB!!! And the LX is cheaper still but I thought you had to buy the BB seperate??
well, i'm not so knowledgeble here... but my understanding is that this is NEW for 04 XT and the LX is as before -- which, yes, means you buy the botton bracket separately, but the LX should still be a lot cheaper. and yes, the 04 XT "comes with" the bottom bracket as it's integrated into the spindle or whatever it's called...

I would go ahead and run the bash guard. Unless you do a lot of riding in the big ring (I personally DON'T), just put it on for your races. I would not move the front derailleur, just screw in the stop to avoid over shifting. The whole change should take no more than 15 minutes. Well worth it to me.
i've got a bolt-on so that i can still run 3 chainrings - it takes very precise front-deraileur adjustment but i've been running it happily since i got it in September...

but yeah, it's pretty easy to put on on/off with only small tinkering with the FD adjustment... i think if i can find an inexpensive one, i will pick up another and ride both bikes with the chainring guard...