Help Me: Pick a New Crankset

[PeachesN'Cream]

I'm getting to the end of my tolerance with my Race Face Evolve DH cranks. They have served me well for 3 years, but the damn crank bolt keeps working itself loose almost every ride and it refuses to stay tight (even with lockitie).

So I'm between going Saint, XT or Gravity Lite. I have a line on a pair of 3 ring Saints for $260, XT or Gravity Lites would be standard retail -10%.

The crankset is going on my 07 Heckler built up on the Burly AM/Light FR side (Float 36, DHX 5). I run it 1x9 with a Gamut P20 Guide and a 32 tooth ring. Might go back to 2x9 at some point aka good rings on the new crankset are a plus. This is my only bike thus built as a do it all machine.

I'm a 230lb adult male starting to ride the flow park and some FR type stuff as well as AM type trail riding.

I'm tempted to go Saint because it's a burly crank yet not crazy heavy for what it is. XT's and Lites seem good, but there are reports of bending, or so say the MTBR review nerds. Since I'm a good sized human crank strength seems important.

Thoughts on which I should throw my money at?

[Phill]

I don't know shit about bikes but I can manage some hook ups for you if you ever need them.

[justcuz]

I don't know a ton about cranks............I just have them on my bike.


But, I do know that it doesn't seem like adding a couple ounces on the cranks would make all that much of a difference, and you wouldn't be bombing down that flowy freeride line wondering if your cranks will hold.....go stiff and bomber.....save weight on a seatpost.......

[mrryde]

@245+ I rode XT cranks for years and never had any issues with durability.

[powwrangler]

I'd go for the saint cranks, stiff and burly.

[Mr. Altagirl]

One thing to keep in mind is if you will be swapping pedals back and forth a lot (from flats to clipless). I have all three types of cranks you are looking at and have really liked the Gravity Lites. They have a steel pedal insert, something that I have had an issue with on my XT's (went through two crank arms last year, one so far this year due to smacking pedals hard enough to strip the pedal either all the way out or at least ripping out a few threads). The XT metal is pretty soft in the pedal insert and won't last through a huge amount of pedal swapping. If you are just going to run one pedal, not as much of an issue. I switched to Saint's on my DH bike and have not had an issue since (over a year). I think by the end of the year, I will have Saint's on DH bike and Gravity Lites on AS-X and Prophet (both running two rings with DRS's). As normal, the price you can buy them at may dictate what you get, they are all great and will serve you well.

[shirk]

Maybe wait a bit for the new style Saints to hit the shop. I was going to say just get the XT, but you are alot bigger than I am so my experiences wiht old XT's being bomber might not apply. Just to toss a wrench into things what about Hone's?

New Saints for bling, Hone's for budget.

[PeachesN'Cream]

I have drooled at the thought of the new saints, but I have a feeling they are gonna be crazy expensive. CBO has em for $450 :eek:

Mr. AG. Good to hear the Gravity Lights are treating you well. I think I'm between the Saints and Gravity Lites. Maybe availability from the LBS will help determine my direction.

Thanks dudes!

[flyby]

I have drooled at the thought of the new saints, but I have a feeling they are gonna be crazy expensive. CBO has em for $450 :eek:

Mr. AG. Good to hear the Gravity Lights are treating you well. I think I'm between the Saints and Gravity Lites. Maybe availability from the LBS will help determine my direction.

Thanks dudes!

XT's sound like a good match. pretty pimp for an AM build

or:

new (mounted once never ridden) diabolus = 200 + ship (IIRC 100g heavier than saints)
new-ish MRP bones = 170 + ship
really nice Ride DH's = offer + ship

Let me know.

[tigerstripe40]

I've been riding on a FSA Maximus crankset. It's an ISIS bottom bracket.
Pretty inexpensive, and has the cromo inserts. I can't really complain about them, and are pretty stiff for my 220lbs.

[NlytendOne]

I'd go Saint, but I like to overbuild shit. What's a few ounces of bomber?

[PeachesN'Cream]

new (mounted once never ridden) diabolus = 200 + ship (IIRC 100g heavier than saints)

Thanks for the offer. I'm trying to stay away from the RF X-type crank bolt system. Trying to stick to FSA/Gravity or Shimano for this reason alone.

[Wasatch_Expat]

Maybe wait a bit for the new style Saints to hit the shop. I was going to say just get the XT, but you are alot bigger than I am so my experiences wiht old XT's being bomber might not apply. Just to toss a wrench into things what about Hone's?

New Saints for bling, Hone's for budget.

I'd avoid the Hone. It's basically LX, and I don't think it's built as well as even the XT cranks. My XT's have been pretty bomber, but the saints are in a whole different league.

[flyby]

Thanks for the offer. I'm trying to stay away from the RF X-type crank bolt system. Trying to stick to FSA/Gravity or Shimano for this reason alone.

Fair enough. More to satisfy my own interest (I'm currently using this system), what did you find dissatisfactory about the RF external BB system vs. the Shimano/FSA renditions? They seem to be rather similar and I would wager the RF is better built than the Shimano, at least.

[PeachesN'Cream]

Fair enough. More to satisfy my own interest (I'm currently using this system), what did you find dissatisfactory about the RF external BB system vs. the Shimano/FSA renditions? They seem to be rather similar and I would wager the RF is better built than the Shimano, at least.

It's not so much the external BB as it is the 8 and 10mm allen drive side bolts that keep loosening up on me. It's gotten to the point where I snug the main 8mm bolt to the point it's bottomed out and can't get any tighter. The outer 10mm cap can't be snugged against the 8mm to lock it in place, so it has the chance to loosen up. I ride with a big ol 8mm and 10mm allen wrenches with me full time so I can snug everything back down on the regular. I've had loosening issues for the life of the crankset, but only recently has it gotten to the point where I gotta tighten it down about every ride.

Asking around this seems to be a typical problem with RF cranks. So while the Diabolus crank seems quite nice and quality they can and do have the same issue as my current setup. This isn't a problem with Shimano / FSA.

Really I'm just tired of having to carry around two big ass allen wrenches all the time and want to be free of this issue with my next purchase. Shimano / FSA seems the way to go.

Glad to hear your setup hasn't given you this kind of flack.

[Gowboy From Hell]

So I am a bit limited to my selections since I need to run a fairly wide 56mm chainline, I was going to go with XT, but can't get them that wide. I looking at the RF Atlas FR, Saint, and Gravity Lite's, but after Mr. AG said he runs the gravity Lite's on his ASX, I am sold, since he rides that bike harder than I ride my big bike.
Mr. AG if I drop your name at Go-ride, will they give me a discount? ;)