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With bikes getting faster and lower, we want a bit more clearance.
It seems that whether you get the RaceFace Aeffect cranks in 170 or 175, the distance from the bottom bracket axle to end of the crank is the same. They just put the pedal threads in a different place.
Does everyone do this or just RaceFace? Never noticed before but 5mm difference has become important.
It could also be the deciding difference between Aeffect and Shimano XT. All else being equal, it could be the deciding factor.
Same length? Surely Not!
Your cranks might be just as long but the pedals are 5 mm further out of the way.
XT cranks definitely get shorter - the pedal is the same distance from the end on my 170s and my 165s.
Interesting. Thanks guys. So far then, Race Face make one size while shimano make size specific versions.
I assume that the aeffect and turbine are the same arms with different axles so it would apply to both models.
Shimano seem to have 2 dies
( http://bikesmithdesign.com/Short_Cranks/hollow.html )
165-170 is one die and 172.5-175 is another...
However the pedal is more or less the same distance to the end.
However XT (at least 780 series) doesn't have a steel insert vs SLX (600) or Deore that does... on XT the alloy itself is tapped so their may be some small difference (If its that important I could go and measure)
If pedal strikes are an issue for you I'd though consider SLX over XT ... I have Saint pedals on my XT cranks and I'm sure they would rip the threads before the pedal got damaged! (and replacing cranks vs pedals is a no brainer)
Cheers stevextc. I wonder if that applies to Shimano MTB cranks as well.
I'm pretty certain it doesn't - the last time this came up I had a look at all my cranks. Sadly I'm too ill to go and double-check... But 5mm or 10mm is a pretty big difference when you look at the amount of material around the pedal axle hole in the end of a crank arm. Google image search suggests the XT arms all vary in length - but if you look at Raceface cranks you can see ones where there is more material at the end of crank than to the sides of the axle hole.
Would that be known as the A-hole?
Well it isn't the C-hole!
Had a response from RaceFace yesterday. All their 30mm Cinch cranks are adjusted per size. I guess that means the Turbine gets an extra machining operation.