One of the most stressed parts of a bike is the crank. In addition to the pedalling motion, the bike crank has to withstand the rider's weight, which puts many times more strain on the crank when riding through tough terrain. In enduro and downhill, additional peak loads occur during jumps and tricks.
Modern bike cranks convince with a low weight and maximum stability. Due to the different standards of bottom brackets, you can choose from a variety of cranks for your bike.
Complete sets - light weight
With a modern crankset you not only save weight, but also money due to the sophisticated design. With a crankset you get a complete package consisting of chainrings and crank arms. The number of chainrings depends on your preferred range of use. Three chainrings ensure a wide range of action when touring. Short gear ratios allow you to climb every mountain, while long gear ratios allow for fast downhill rides.
As a graveler, downhiller, dirt biker or enduro racer, you only need one chainring. For optimal riding efficiency, many bike cranks are offered with different crank lengths.
Fixie cranks are available in a variety of lengths.
Fixie crank - The great choice for singlespeed
The extremely stressed parts of a fixie are the chain and the crank. In addition to the body weight on the crank arms, the bike crank has to withstand the braking and pedaling force. The crank is more stressed on singlespeeders and fixies. Due to the different standards of bottom brackets you can choose from a wide range of cranks for your fixie. Singlespeed cranks are also used on BMX and dirt bikes, where the load is also high. Jumps and other tricks demand a lot from the cranks, so they are designed to be incredibly robust.
What to look for when buying a crank?
What standard do you need?
If you decide against a complete crankset and only want to replace a crank on your bike, you should definitely pay attention to what kind of bottom bracket is installed in your bike, because there are different standards used by manufacturers. There are among others Hollowtech II, BSA, press-in bearing or Howitzer as bottom bracket standard.
What kind of mount do your chainrings have?
In case you don't want to buy a new chainring, you have to consider the mount. Do you need a 3-arm, 4-arm, 5-arm crank, or is your chainring mounted with a Center Lock system?
How long do you want your crank to be?
There are different crank lengths that affect power transfer and ground clearance on your bike. Ground clearance is especially important to consider on mountain bikes. In rough terrain with stones and roots it happens quickly that you get stuck with your pedals.
What material should the crank have?
Hollow forged aluminium crank arms offer a low weight combined with maximum stability and stiffness. Bicycle cranks come in a variety of materials. Most are milled from aluminum and have a high stability and low weight. However, if you really value every gram, you can also reach for high-quality and expensive carbon cranks.
The most important questions in brief:
- What material should the crank be made of?
- How long should the crank be?
- What kind of intake do you need?
- What standard do you need?
When buying a crankset, be sure to check the mounting width and compatibility with your derailleur and your frame! Depending on the chainring or chainrings you may need a special bicycle chain, which is specified in the item description of the crank. In our shop you will find the ideal crank for every application and the right accessories!
