BarracksSi

After just 600 miles, the Truvativ Elita crank that came on my CAAD8 started creaking a lot and getting some side-to-side flex/rocking. Took it in, and the LBS mechanic said that the spider came loose from the spindle and helped wreck the bearings in the bottom bracket. Similar problems are mentioned in the Mechanics subforum:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...truvativ+elita
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...truvativ+elita

My LBS has replaced several of these under warranty so far, and they're expecting to do the same with mine. They've also said that they might be able to give a credit towards a different crank instead of replacing it with another Elita. I should know more on Monday or Tuesday.

So, I'm thinking maybe a SRAM Rival crank, although I really wonder if its construction is any different (being made by Truvativ and all). There's also Shimano 105 (the RD and shifters are 105 already) or Ultegra, of course. Any preference between those three? Any others?

Just looking for something stiff, durable, and smooth-shifting.

ridethecliche

Just get the shimano R600/700 crank if you want a compact or the 105 if you want a 53/39.

markhr

Powercranks of course

https://www.powercranks.com/v4pages/videos-list.htm

AEO

anywhere from tiagra to ultegra/R600 would be your best bet.
At least I haven't been able to tell the difference between a tiagra and R600 crankset. Both have similar shifting performance.

ridethecliche

AEO means Ultegra/R700. The R600 is the compact between the tiagra and 105 levels and the R700 is the ultegra/dura ace level compact.

lolzorz

105 or ultegra

AEO

no, I mean Ultegra/R600 because R700 is a waste of money for what you get.
Tiagra 45xx : $70
R600: $100
105 56xx: $110
R700: $140
Ultegra 66xx: $145

4550 tiagra compact is plenty stiff, not light though.

BarracksSi

Hmm, alright;

The mechanic was trying to talk me away from a compact, or at least the idea of switching to a compact without changing anything else on the bike -- he says it won't shift well. I haven't spun out the 53/12 yet, but haven't been sucking wind on the slopes around here with the 39/25, either, so I could go either way. I'd probably want to change the cassette to one with a wider range if I got a compact crank.

Besides the Powercranks (appreciate the recommendation, though ), it sounds like Shimano would be the way to go, then?

mrbubbles

Wrong. Shimano has 3 level of compact cranks. The R4550, R600, and R700. Basically, the Tiagra/105, Ultegra, and Dura-Ace of compact cranks for Shimano.

markhr

no problem - it's kind of a knee jerk thing

...by the way, did I mention Powercranks?

nitropowered

R700 has hollow arms nice 10speed ring, r600 has solid arms 10speed rings of lesser quality, r4450 have the same arms as the r600 but 9speed rings

ridethecliche

Yeah, last I checked, tiagra was still 9 speed so the R4550 isn't going to be 105 level since it's 9 speed...

AEO

Shimano cranks FTW.

And you're all wrong
It goes...
4550/Tiagra
R600 - Only the NDS crank arm and inner chainring is shared with the 4550, drive side crank is not the same as 4550
5650/105
R700
6650/Ultegra

They might not be listed on the website, but they do exist as actual products for sale.
9/10sp cranks are fully compatible with each other and saying that "9sp is crap compared to 10sp" just shows that you haven't even tried to mix them. They're all called "Hollowtech-II" BTW.

ridethecliche

I never said they were crap, shimano just advertises them as 9 speed. I'm going to go with the manufacturer on this one. The 105 and ultegra cranks don't come in compact (not counting Ultegra SL) If they do, my google search didn't turn up anything and neither does pbk... So I'm not sure what your point is.

P.S.- I'm running a mixed shimano/campy drivetrain, so please don't tell me that I don't try to mix things.

AEO

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...?ModelID=26658
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...?ModelID=26215

BarracksSi

What's the difference, then, between the 105 and Ultegra cranks? The only feature difference that Shimano seems to list is that the Ultegra has a "reinforced spider".

jemoryl

Go Shimano or even Campy. SRAM is just Truvative in drag.

mrbubbles

AEO, where can you find a R4550 for a $70?

BarracksSi

Regarding standard vs. compact --

I took out a Specialized Roubaix with a 50/34 (and what appeared to be an 11-28 cassette) to see for myself, and I found some things that I liked and others that I didn't.

I think I'll go with a standard 53/39. Well, maybe...

I liked the stump-pulling bailout low gears. On the same hill, at what felt like the same pedaling effort, I still had two more cogs I could drop to. That makes numerical sense now that I check the gear ratios -- the 39-25 combo is nearly identical to the 34-22, and I could still drop to 34-25 and 34-28.

I didn't get a good downhill run, so I didn't get a good chance to see if I could spin out the 50-11. But, it would be no different than the 53-12, either.

What I didn't like was the wider gaps between ratios in the two chainrings. When shifting the standard crank, I could change just three cogs and get close to the same ratio; on the compact, I needed to change at least four or sometimes five cogs to get close to the same.

About that "maybe" --

What if I changed the compact's small ring to a 36? Running that through Sheldon's gear calculator, it looks like it'll slightly reduce the amount of shifting I'd have to do in back when I shift the front, making it more like the 53/39.

My choices for setups:

1) Stick with 53/39, and either keep the 12-25 cassette
2) Stick with 53/39 and change the cassette out to a 12-27
3) Go with a 50/34 and keep the 12-25, and possibly be able to spin out the 50-12
4) 50/34, and 11/26 (or maybe even 11/28)
5) 50/36 (probably have to order the 36 ring separately) and 11/26 or 11/28

I might actually like option #5. Can I get a 36 ring for a Shimano crank, or would I have to go with SRAM/Truvativ (I see a Rival crank in 50/36)?

SushiJoe

SRAM owns Truvativ.
Try some Fulcrum Racing Torq cranks. Those look sweet!

BarracksSi

Jeezus, at $500-ish? I'll spend less & replace the RH-550 wheels on the bike before spending that much on cranks...

ridethecliche

Do you want to go with a crank that has outboard bb's or not?

I bought a campy centaur compact crank on performance for like 70 bucks. I think they had 50/36. Not sure though. It'll take a bb instead of an outboard setup though.

Or you could go ultra torque.

The shimano cranks are great. If you go compact, get a SRAM 11-26 cassette and you'll be golden. I like having the option of having a bail out gear, though I've found that I climb even the toughest hills in the area in the middle of my cassette when using the little ring...

SushiJoe

Yeah, the Racing Torq RS cranks are pricey at around $500.
The Racing Torq R cranks are around $300. I think it's like the difference between Chorus and Record.
Either way; still a chunk!

Jynx

Get the 105 double.

BarracksSi

What's the difference in everyday use? (honest question)

Most of the parts I see in the shop are Shimano, Sram, and some Campy, and I've been leaning towards Shimano just because of the consensus that it'll shift smoother (the Elita wasn't awful, but it could have been better, too; sometimes it wouldn't engage on the downshift, and I never figured out why).

They had an R700 compact sitting in a display case, too, so its availability wouldn't be any problem.

No matter which compact I go with, I'd want a different cassette with a wider range, although one of the shop guys said that he could see going with a narrower cassette instead. But, that would eliminate one of my reasons for a compact, which would be the lower low end.

For now, I'd ideally like a 50/36 with an 11/26, or probably 11/28. Can I get a compact Shimano crank with a 36T ring?