Cranks
 

I am after a new set of cranks i am not sure which ones i want i have a cross country bike i race with it but also do a bit of free riding so i want ones that are strong but not to pricey which one do people reccomend

I have some shimanos on there now they have been good but i dont think theyre really meant for to much freeriding and they are starting to stuff up.:beer:

You havent mentioned what length you take. This may affect your choice.

I'm using Race Face cranks on my ride. I love how stiff they are and they're almost as light as XTR's (until you factor in the bb). I use them for XC and some light North shore riding.

Depending on how much you want to spend, I see there being a couple different choices. In Hyperdrive sizing (42/32/22 rings) I would recommend Truvativ Stylos or Shimano XT. In Standard ring sizes (46/34/24) I would recommend Shimano XTR.

I strongly prefer the "standard ring" 110/74BCD setup for durability of crains, cogs, and even chainrings. I use 46-38-24 on my son's mountain bike and 48-40-24 on mine, because an 8-tooth drop gives such good gear ratio interleave with a 2-tooth progression in back. I have Sugino cranks; my son, Shimano RSX (if I recall correctly, XTRs are better). The only problem I've had is that the Shimano cranks do not seat fully onto a Shimano UN-72 spindle.

From top to bottom, some of my personal thoughts:

Shimano XTR are light, smooth, elegant and expensive as Heck! Must use a shimano splined bottom bracket! Shift incredibly smooth.

Race Face Next LP's are actually lighter than the XTR and come in cool colors as well! (Also expensive!) Get the ISIS compatible!

Race Face LP's, cool colors, light weight, strong, good shifting and great warranty. I'd also suggest the splined ISIS compatible over the square taper as well.

Shimano XT's are kinda "plain-jane" IMO, but they're light and durable!

TruVatives have impressed the heck out of me. Their appearance, performance and most significantly, their price!

There are many others, but I would recommend getting either a set of Truvatives, or some Race Face LP's w/rings!

L8R

On my bike at the moment I have race face prodigy xc crankset and they are very strong also they have a warranty which says they will last longer than you do. Which is cool.

If you're looking at XTR, don't forget the new XTR is just about to be released with only a 44T top gear, new hollow axle botton bracket etc.

Richard