Hey,

Doing a budget single-speed flip, but am having trouble finding a cheap crank that is still aesthetically pleasing. I had the Retrospec 44T from Amazon on there ($47), but despite proper torque and bottom bracket alignment, the taper succumbed to damage after about 10km of easy riding. Tried shimming it with some aluminum (*EDIT* I now know that this was an unacceptable solution) and used loctite on the bolt, but the damage was done... Amazon customer service is incredible, so I got my money back at least.

I'm now looking for a replacement... On the short-list are the Pure (Fix) Cycles, clocking in at $54.18, the OLizee at $49.24, and (dare I say) the same Retrospec at $47 (maybe the one I got was just faulty?)... All are aluminum with steel chainrings and generally identical measurements. Which of these do you think is the least evil? I would like it to last at least long enough that the buyer forgets who I am! <---SARCASM

Thanks!