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What are my options? Middleburn went bust just as my RS7 crank arm snapped. I like to use square taper bbs on my commuter as they last forever, but it seems that Shimano Acera is the only square taper crank I can find out there (apart from White Industries which is very lovely but way too pricey!).
I have tried a track crankset but it interferes with my chainstay (it's a mountain bike, after all! 🙂 )
So what's out there? Steel would be ideal, as that is less likely to fatigue 🙂
"I have tried a track crankset but it interferes with my chainstay"
Try using a longer BB axle. I'm assuming you just want a single chainring, if you've tried a track chainset?
Some Middleburn stuff around at reasonable prices, if you look around (SJS seem to have plenty of stock; no-one buying at their greedy opportunistic doubling of prices). Or just look around for a decent s/h chainset. You could even find something like an old XTR M900 crankset, if you're lucky! Or Suntour XC Pro, old Shimano Deore XT M730, stuff like that.
SJS even have NOS M730 crank arms!
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/cranks/shimano-deore-xt-fcm730-11074-pcd-crankset-silver-175-mm/
Expensive though, imo.
Steel would be ideal, as that is less likely to fatigue
Heavier and/or more flexy.
Spa Cycles, numerous Stronglight, Sugino, and own brand options in triple or double for sensible money, they don't look blingy but they're very decent forged arms.
Those NOS XT cranks do look lovely! 5-arm spider though, that sounds like it might be awkward to buy chainrings for though...
110/74 BCD is ubiquitous on road bikes and tourers, literally dozens of options for rings, again, look around SJS and Spa Cycles sites!
Those NOS XT cranks do look lovely! 5-arm spider though, that sounds like it might be awkward to buy chainrings for though...
You'd be wrong. Plenty available.
Paul do some spangly ones.
I have a set of these and really like them, proper engineering.
http://www.whiteind.com/mountain-cranks
Charlie does WI stuff and the guys in Alsager so one of those might have them or be able to get them in.
Yep here
http://www.sidewayscycles.co.uk/products/index.php?id=121&clid=12
On reflection a damn expensive way of doing it, two/three of the other bikes are running 2nd hand Shimano square that will have cost 25 notes ish...
I'll have a look in the workshop on Thursday night if you want 2nd hand I can probably find you a pair for for a fiver...
The XT cranks are nice, but maybe a little overpriced for what they are. Having said that, it's cranks and spider together, so no further expense like Middleburn etc. I have a set of the very similar Deore cranks (same as the XTs but without such refined finishing, so functionally identical) and a brand new RS7 set, and the Middleburns are so much nicer. But I doubt they function any better. Actually, if I wanted a new set of square taper cranks right now, those XTs would be perfect really.
If you look around though, you could find some old XTR M900s as above. Clean them up, and if you really want to go mad, you could polish them up like new (very simple shape with no awkward nooks and crannies), and they'd be beautiful. Same 110/74mm BCD. As above, plenty of rings available. Or a set of Deore/Deore II (M650?) cranks wold also polish up really nicely. The XTRs were made from a slightly higher grade of alloy than the XT/Deores. So slightly lighter but function equally.
You could also, if you want, delve into the world of 'compact' ATB, 94/56mm BCD cranks. Shimano M737, Sugino Mighty 900, Suntour XC Pro Microdrive, and many more. Still lots of chainrings available for these. I've got a set of M737s languishing somewhere, I need to find a use for them.
, MT60s? I've still got a pair of them, 1987 vintage and still going strong on an audax bike now, can be picked up on eBay or at jumbles for ~£10-£15 if you hunt around, just like most decent but unfashionable ST cranks...Or a set of Deore/Deore II (M650?)
FWIW OP, 110/74 BCD is a sweet spot for ring options for general use (ie: not road racing and not hardcore offroad 1x drivetrains) from 26/24t on the granny upwards to 52t on the outer with everything in between so it's a very versatile format.
MT60s, those are the ones. 🙂
Nerdy Googling suggests there might have been a difference in the forging/casting between the Mt60s and the M730s, but having owned both and seen them side by side, they seemed identical and weighed virtually the same, but the M730s had a more 'luxurious' finish (I understand they were barrel polished then clear anodised). I believe the differences are purely cosmetic.
I would go 110/74 personally, but then I want larger chainrings for these Middleburns (probably going with a 48/34t combo) and the larger BCD is a bit stiffer for larger rings. For 44t and under, 94/56mm is fine.
Tried to find examples of decent 4-bolt square taper cranks, but there aren't many. I think Shimano started getting all weird with 4-bolt stuff, and often chainrings from one set/brand don't fit other stuff properly. There does seem to be a fair bit of s/h Middleburn kit about at good prices; probably a good time to buy before everyone catches on that Middleburn stuff can't be bought new any more, and the prices go up. 😉
For 44t and under, 94/56mm is fine.
Agreed, the only annoyance being that there are fewer options for rings, dno;t get me wrong there's still enough, but mostly at the TA end of the cost spectrum or the bargain basement, less decent mid-range stuff like there is for 110.
Tried to find examples of decent 4-bolt square taper cranks, but there aren't many. I think Shimano started getting all weird with 4-bolt stuff
There's quite a lot of STX-RC and LX 4-bolt 104BCD stuff kicking around which is robust enough, and rarer but they do exist, XT arms with a removable 104Bolt spide, so they are a good shout if you cna find them. There's also some ST Race Face Turbine models but harder to find as they were swapping over to ISIS at that point.
I've got a few sets of Middleburns, some with 104BCD 4 bolt spiders, and a couple of 5arm 94BCD, have run a 46/30 double on that to good effect, and I've actually got a Homebrewed Components 29t 94BCD ring here I've not yet used so again a pretty versatile format especially if biased towards the smaller gearing end.
For 110BCD Spa Cycles' own brand rings are actually very very good for not a lot of money.
Go on ebay/classifieds. From the Shimano stable anything above alivio quality is decent IMHO. I have snapped acera and sugino crank arms though.
Well, given that they are cheap (yet overpriced) copies of old Campag cranks, from a business selling cheap mass-produced stuff, I'd say they're probably ok for a cheap commuter build or something, but I'd rather have a decent s/h set of quality cranks. I've seen a few of these cheap copies crack, so I wouldn't put any on any of my bikes.
assumed you were joking but it does indeed look like they've whacked the prices right up - iirc I was looking at their stock last week when the middleburn closure news came out.SJS seem to have plenty of stock; no-one buying at their greedy opportunistic doubling of prices
😯
Checkmouy Spa cycles. Their own brand sq taper cranksnare £20
Thanks for all the help peeps! Some great advice there 🙂
I probably should have mentioned at the start that it's for an Alfine set up, which narrows down the options a little because the sprocket dictates the chainline, meaning that anything much over 36t at 42cm will start to rub against the chainstay. Which is great for all mtb stuff and it looks like compact road stuff will work well if I remove the big ring and get a slightly longer axle but track and singlespeed stuff (like that Holdsworth up there) prob won't work..
I've actually ended up buying an Acera chainset from Rose bikes, which was £33 with the postage but uses steel chainrings so it should last. Not the most exciting looking chainset though! Would have much prefered something in shiny silver 🙂
Just checking... do you have the dished sprocket flipped on the Alfine to bring the chainline out?
If you do then any MTB cranks should be OK, or as you say, compact road with the ring in position appropriate to whatever BB length you choose.
amedias - Member
I'll have a look in the workshop on Thursday night if you want 2nd hand I can probably find you a pair for for a fiver...
Thank you for your very generous offer! If I had seen it before I bought the Aceras I would have definitely have taken you up on it! 🙂
Just checking... do you have the dished sprocket flipped on the Alfine to bring the chainline out?
I use Nexus sprockets, I can't remember why I think they may be cheaper or have more options. I use them with the dish outboard, not sure if they'll work without removing the dust cover the other way! 🙂
The Nexus ones should all be dished I think... and yeah flipped so dish outwards (ie: teeth further out from hub centre) puts the chainline in a more MTB friendly location, most people running Alfine on MTBs pop the plastic bit off and flip them for precisely this reason.
Easy to see in the flesh or with pics, harder to describe!