HOPE 155MM EVO CRANKS
£255 without chainring
SPECIFICATION Weight: 555g including axle (602g with chainring) • Colours: Black, red, orange, silver, purple and blue • Options: Axles to suit a range from Boost, fat bikes and Super-Boost • Contact: hopetech.com
Hope initially made short EVO cranks for extra clearance on e-bikes, and ended up experimenting with even shorter lengths after seeing some additional benefits. The brand settled on 155mm as a sweet spot, using the same second-generation, self-extracting, 7150 alloy arms and oversized 30mm splined 7075 axles across a variety of fitment widths.
Being shorter means the cranks are lighter and stiffer, but Hope also champions extra ground clearance, a more centred rider stance, extra stability and faster cadence as additional benefits. The stability is due to more centred feet having less rotational force/leverage to deflect the bike from pointing dead forwards when pinballing through rough stuff.
The extra ground clearance is undeniable, and I found that extra 15mm over a typical 170mm crankarm makes a huge difference. Being able to pedal almost everywhere without ever clipping the floor is a big deal; especially smuggling cranks over rough ground. This could be an advantage in certain racing scenarios, and it increases safety by reducing the potential for clipping rocks and stumps.
The tighter stance, where your leading and trailing feet are closer together, feels a bit more like being stood on skis, and is actually quite noticeable. Although hard to get used to at first, I found it easier to tip side-to-side from the hips when driving and threading the bike along trails. The flip-side, however, is less leverage from (especially) the back foot to steer the bike when cutting into turns or initiating Scandi flicks.
Longer cranks exert more of a calming force on the suspension, by stabilising bike and rider weight through the chain. It was only when running the 155mm cranks that I realised the significance of this effect. With the shorter cranks there’s more of a chainless feel, where the suspension is slightly freer, but there’s less drive to pump hollows and stay supported in deep berms. I added compression to the shock to counter it, but the bike still didn’t feel exactly as I wanted.
The main thing I really didn’t like with Hope’s stubby cranks is the pedalling action. I tend to stomp the downstroke to get up steep
