Originally Posted by
jimmuller
Just a quick note on crank weight - I recently replaced the original cottered crank with a VO compact double, and the steel bar with a nice AVA alloy bar of similar dimensions. It saved about one pound, not the six that has been tossed around here half in jest. (Measured with a scale that displays a precision of 0.1 pounds; whether it is accurate is debatable but it is at least consistent.) Those pieces are heavy, sure, but not all that heavy.
And the money could be better spent elsewhere on that bike. A cottered to cotterless swap is not for beginners and it can get expensive. Chances are you'll never have to worry about wearing out steel chainrings.