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I have come to the conclusion that my XTR m9000 cranks are bent, well, the chainring mounting 'arms' at two points are, from numerous rock/cranks interfaces.
Which is good, as the proprietary chainrings and annoying mounting method suck.
Replacements....
Those hope evo silver ones look great, but i'm not too fussy about looks. new XTR are tasty but spendy, XT are the 'old' xtr design right? 55mm for boost spacing yes? slx?
want 170mm or possibly 165
Can’t beat XT’s for weight and durability. I have some in 165mm too.
Can’t see why anyone would spend more, unless you’re looking for the Rolex of cranks.
You can pick up xtr m9000 and xtr m9020 cranks on ebay in decent condition for about £75 to £100. But if you don't like the system then maybe look at hope.
Personally I can't see past xtr at that price, quality and weight.
unless you are gram counting then XT/slx arms are the best value.
unless you are gram counting then XT/slx arms are the best value.
130 grams going by info on Google.
[url= https://i.postimg.cc/7LYFDD25/Shimano-XTR-M9000-mechanical-actual-weights-cranksets02.pn g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/7LYFDD25/Shimano-XTR-M9000-mechanical-actual-weights-cranksets02.pn g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= https://i.postimg.cc/QtKnxMxd/shimano-xt-crank-1-speed-fc-m8000-1-without-chainring-4.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/QtKnxMxd/shimano-xt-crank-1-speed-fc-m8000-1-without-chainring-4.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
52 for boost unless you are running plus tyres in which case 55.
I'd go SLX - the Xt and xtr ones get rubbed to hell within a ride. SLX seems to stay looking good for a lot longer.
All my bikes have old XTR on them- they work great and they last forever. (though they're all from before they went to the asymetric boltholes and were just 104bcd). Only downside is I can't put a really little ring on them.
The Hopes are pretty much comparable to XT not to XTR- the arms are lighter because they're spiderless, but the weight difference in rings balances that out. They do look nice though.
Not sure about weight but the Raceface Turbines I’ve been running for the last 2.5 years have been pretty faultless. Cinch system been good, not that pricey and bling-ish.
Just got some of the new direct mount M9120 XTRs. They're bloody lovely. I've been running M970s for donkey's years, but the Q factor meant they wouldn't clear on my new frame. The faces are a smokey chrome, so shouldn't look too horrible when they scuff up (unlike the black XTs). Tool free preload adjustment too (similar to Raceface or the M970s).
The Hope cranks seem pretty pointless, even in EVO format. Heavy, expensive and a bit agricultural.
Money no object, I'd go with Cane Creek EEwings, but the cost difference is phenominal.
I have some older Raceface turbines 104bcd and they have been faultless in the couple of years I have had them,don't seem to scuff up like Shimano cranks
Does anyone put helitape (or invisiframe) on their new cranks to keep them looking nicer for longer?
rascal - Member
Not sure about weight but the Raceface Turbines I’ve been running for the last 2.5 years have been pretty faultless. Cinch system been good, not that pricey and bling-ish.
Hate to agree with @rascal but I really like my Turbine's as well. The Cinch system works well, I think they look nice and they seem pretty tough as well.
Not the lightest but like my DMR AXE cranks. A good solid fixing to attach the crank arms together. Plus not expensive as not so in demand.
JonEdwards
The Hope cranks seem pretty pointless, even in EVO format. Heavy, expensive and a bit agricultural.
Evo ones are lighter than XT, about same weight as Raceface turbine. Not sure what you mean by agricultural, they're simple to install, self extracting, rock solid, and finish doesn't wear. The older models were a pain to install/remove, but the EVO totally solve that.
Not as light as XTR, but not as expensive either. I guess it depends on whether you like the look of them or not.
honourablegeorge
MemberEvo ones are lighter than XT
Because they're spiderless while XT aren't. Once you even out the extra weight of the chainring for the spiderless cranks, they're within about 10g of each other.
Evo ones are lighter than XT
Nope.
R2 Bike have some "on scales" shots Hope Evo crankarms only - 582g. XT M8100 crankarms only, 516g. XTR 9100 are 472g, so nearly 20% lighter
Hope cranks are £211 on CRC, I paid £235 for my XTRs a couple of weeks ago (also CRC), so not much different (although they seem to have gone up now).
Had loads of sets over the years. Can't remember a set of cranks that "didn't work". I'm sure the super gifted among you can detect a greater or lesser degree of flex however however despite being really fussy about suspension and brakes I have never really felt any difference.
About 4 years ago the Mrs got me a set of Hope cranks as a suprise for Christmas. They are now on their second frame and the original BB is still totally smooth. Are they technically betterer than the other options....? Probably not. Are they the most cost effective per gram saved??? I suspect not. However when I moved them onto a box fresh carbon frame plus fork about a year ago did it feel like a shame not to put a new set on (like it did with the drivetrain)??? Not at all! They still look and feel first rate. I just don't get that 3 years in with the competition.
I bought some new XT cranks a while back. What @slackboy said is very true. Within three rides they were scuffed to bits! Wish I'd done what @prezet asked and helitaped them. I did it with my frame. Should I buy another set of cranks, irrespective of the manufacturer, I'll definitely be taping them.
I always put like an invisiframe type tape in my cranks , wears through anyway just delays the inevitable
I invisiframe mine, makes sense, so why not.
Run XX1 Eagles - they were on CRC a while ago now for crazy cheap. Been running SRAM forever, they are (I think just) lighter than XTR, loads of direct mount ring options & tend to just work.
I don't like the self extracting bolt design & the crazy torque to do them up, the old Shimano pinch bolt system was so simple, it was great, but the new XTR don't use that anyway.
If & when there is a bigger aftermarket offering of spare rings for XTR, I would consider swapping over as I have taken chunks out of cranks in the past with rocks, and fancy my chances with Alu rather than carbon 🙂
Yeah carbon cranks, that’s a negative ghostrider
Another option
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rotor-Hawk-Crank-Arms-CLEARANCE/184069664437?hash=item2adb682eb5:m:mWir0vAdUS4V6RupqoxH8xQ
http://www.chickencyclekit.co.uk/show_product.php?cat=0&p=12144
https://specialites-ta.com/paire-de-manivelles/262-926-paire-de-manivelles-specialites-ta-horizon-noir-phantom-sans-etoile.html
https://www.hopetech.com/products/drivetrain/cranksets/rx-crankset/
Can’t beat XT’s for weight and durability.
I seem to remember some Shimano interview many moons ago explained the robustness to weight description of XTR was lighter than XT, but not as robust, and LX were heavier than XT and considerably more robust, and they considered the LX groupset to be the best for longevity. Or something like that.
The new 8100 series XT cranks come with protection tape pre applied.
45 grams. Kind of defeats the reason for buying lightweight cranks. I either sand them down and polish them or put clear tape across them.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/293125666007
Eewings