Actually with steel it's fatigue is forever, provided you stay within it's limits. Titanium has a propensity to develop cracks from scratches. Carbon fibre is great, provided you have an excellent frame builder and don't damage the laminate by scratching it.

As for 953, it sounds great, huge UTS, good elongation( at least 10%) etc. But then you read about how the previous wonder metal, another maraged steel from the same manufacturers - Carpenter, had severe problems when cutting and mitring the tubes, the tubing was so thin (953 weighs the same as cr-mo, you just use less of it) the tubes tended to crush, and they're claiming it has good dent resistance?!
Maybe they have solved the problems, but I'm remaining sceptical for now.

I know I am advertising my ignorance when I write this, but......why is XT wrong on BMX?

XT is Shimano's higher level cross county MTB gear. Odd choice for BMX, since there are much better cranks available at better prices too.

Yes, I have Shimano XTR on my mountain bike, and I really like it. Nevertheless, what are the differences between the optimal mountain bike cranks and the BMX? I understand the teeth would be different, but do the materials/thicknesses vary dramatically? Hence, I am in essence asking what would constitute a better BMX crank, and why doesn't the XT fit into this category?

Please dont tell me this is a stupid question, as I already know it is.

The xt cranks do look stout, but the downfall with the 2 peice xt cranks is that if you use them for street or downhill, they start creaking badly within a week. That intense would look sick with a diabulous or saint crankset though.

XT and XTR are designed to be stiff, yet light. But they're designed for people that ride for hours at a time, or 24 hour racers. The bias would be towards lighter weight, rather than maximum stiffness, and lots of spinning.

BMX cranks have to stand up to the snap of the gate, and max power for 40-50 seconds. XT just seems a really still choice.

Back from the dead. It seems to be carbon is more then alive in racing. It is the future of BMX racing.

Anyone want to comment on the DXR group? Intense Carbon Frames? Chris King hubs? All the advancements in racing since '05?
There really is a lot to talk about!

hey guys im new to this site and its my first time on a forum. i have a question. i have this old pacific bike made of cromally steel and i thought it was aluminum cause of its weight. i do like to jump my bike and nothings happened to it yet. but i was gonna ask, what about just a plastic rim. woould that actually work?

This thread has been dead for three years..............and to answer your question, plastic wheels don't necessarily hold up to abuse as well. On a track bike, very common. But really, how many BMX bikes have you recently seen with anything like that?

not many. just a couple of crappy mongooses. and i was looking for the lightest possible. and im a weight freak. i thought if it held up it would be fine and light. and i ended up getting another aluminum bike. its lighter and better quality.

Aluminum? Unless you're racing, that thing has a fairly good chance of folding up on you and breaking. And being a weight weenie, did it not occur to you to rebuild the wheels? Ti spokes and some new, lighter hubs, and lighter, stronger rims would certainly do the job.