Cranks

The latest mountain bike cranks almost exclusively use single front chainrings directly mounted to the drive-side arm. This negates the need for a clumsy and heavier front derailleur, cable and shifter, and with drivetrain advances stabilising the chain and increasing gearing range at the cassette, the benefits of this development are extensive.

Crank materials range from traditional aluminium to lighter weight and more expensive carbon fibre and, in the case of one product here (with an eye-watering £1,000 price tag), also welded titanium.

It’s possible to spend well under a 100 quid on a decent set of cranks, right up to the aforementioned grand for Cane Creek’s, blinging eeWing numbers. In crude terms, the more you spend, the more weight you save, but beyond this there should be more sophisticated benefits such as extra durability and stiffness with pricier products.

The two main crank players are Shimano and SRAM; bolstered by the fact these brands offer complete drivetrain packages that put their products on many bikes as original equipment.

Race Face cranks also get plenty of OEM action, and E*thirteen, Hope and Cane Creek feature on some complete builds too, but these brands really concentrate on aftermarket upgrades, where their shiny products add extra bling factor.

Cranks should be a fit and forget product, so any issues with loosening, creaking or material failures are unacceptable in a market this mature. So, let’s dig in to what options are out there for your cash, and what are the pros and cons of the various systems and materials.

CANE CREEK EEWINGS

£999 arms only

SPECIFICATION Compatible with X-Sync direct-mount chainrings • Weight: 404g arms only, 460g including Absolute Black Oval chainring • Lengths: 170mm, 175mm • Contact: extrauk.co.uk

One of a kind, Cane Creek’s eeWings are hollow titanium arms welded (on one side) to an oversized 30mm titanium axle. They pack plenty of unique features and look incredibly cool, but come with a whopping price tag of £1,000.

This high-end product weighs about the same as leading carbon cranks, but enjoys the advantage of superior impact resistance, stiffness and durability. The huge arms are seriously chunky, but grab the eeWings