The single speed I'm getting a couple weeks has gotten less than great reviews reguarding the crank. It's just a house brand crank that apparently has a weak chainring. So, what should I look for in a crank?
Ah, and when all is said and done, it will be a 1x9 setup. Thanks!
Jon

JensonUSA has LX cranks for 100 bucks on clearance. That would work very well, though you may not need any of the stock chainrings, depending. I have a TruVativ stylo singlespeed on my 1x9. It comes with a 34 or 32 tooth ring and a bashguard, but no granny bolts if you ever decide to run a traditional drivetrain setup. No complaints so far.

Why worry about changing something you haven't even ridden yet? Ride it 'til it bends. Same goes for the chainring: ride it 'til it goes haywire then get a nice, stout DH chainring.

Go with Doug's advice. And if it does end up needing a total replacement, Truvativ Stylo is an excellent lightweight crank for the price (can usually get them around $100).

damn you and your relentless logic. good idea I suppose.

people dont give bike components the credit they deserve sometimes. crank interfaces strip out from insufficient torque on install so make sure the crank bolts are tight. rings bend because chainring bolts are loose. tighten them.