Cranksets receive more abuse than any other part of the bicycle. In short, cranksets are responsible for 100% of the power transfer from a rider to the bike. All of the energy you produce must go through the crankset to produce forward momentum. As you might imagine with a part so crucial to the performance of the bicycle, manufacturers offer a seemingly endless array of cranksets, all claiming to improve performance. In reality, only so much can be done to improve a crankset, so here is our attempt at cutting through some of the marketing noise to help our customers pick a crankset that suits their riding style. At WesternBikeworks we carry cranksets made by Campagnolo, Shimano,FSA, Deda, SRAM. and Leopard.

Crankset Parts

While manufacturers continuously claim to reinvent the crankset, they remain fairly simple components. Cranksets are composed of three primary parts: Cranks arms, Chainrings and a bottom bracket. The first two items are fairly self explanatory, bottom brackets are the cartridge that fits into the frame itself and houses the bearings which facilitate the pedaling motion.

When purchasing a crankset, you are essentially getting crank arms with chainrings attached. Bottom brackets are sometimes included, but that varies from brand to brand. Chainrings are removable and able to be replaced when worn, which generally takes several years. Different size chainrings can also be swapped, though sizes are limited by the size of your crank arm spider, which we'll get to when we discuss compact cranks.

A good crankset should be light and stiff. Bike parts are generally ruled by the 2/3rds rule. Pick two: light, durable(stiff), cheap. It can be light and durable, but not cheap; if it's durable and cheap, it's not light, etc.

Carbon vs. Aluminum

As with all bike components these days, high performance cranksets can be made from aluminum or carbon fiber. In general, carbon cranks run a bit lighter than aluminum. Aluminum cranksets are generally more rigid.

Campagnolo makes beautiful cranksets out of carbon and aluminum. Their high end Campagnolo Record 10 Ultra Torque Carbon Crankset and Campagnolo Chorus 10 Ultra Torque Carbon Crankset are now only made with carbon fiber crank arms, though we still have a small selection of aluminum Record and Chorus cranks from past years. Note: Only Campagnolo Ultra-Torque parts are compatible with the outboard bottom bracket introduced in 2007. Earlier versions utilize Campy's square taper bottom brackets.

Shimano has been the last holdout in the carbon crank wars. For years, Shimano maintained that they would not produce a carbon crank that lacked the stiffness of their flagship aluminum Shimano Dura-Ace FC-7800 Double Crankset. Finally, the much rumored carbon Dura-Ace crank was unveiled for 2008, with a price tag that looks like a month's rent in some fairly swanky digs. A certain Texan did okay at the Tour de France on aluminum Dura-Ace cranks. Shimano Ultegra FC-6600 Double Crankset and Shimano 105 FC-5600/5650 Double Crankset level cranks are perfectly adequate for all but the most competitive cyclists.

FSA is a relative newcomer to the component game, but especially visible in the pro peloton over the past several years. Their cranksets run from the high end FSA SL-K MegaExo Carbon Crankset to the everyday FSA Omega Compact Road Crankset. Before anybody tells you to spend $500 on a featherweight crankset, check out what Fabian Cancellara rode to the yellow jersey during the first week of the 2007 Tour de France. Yes, that's an FSA Gossamer Crankset decked out with FSA Super Chainrings.

SRAM Red Carbon Crankset is the most eagerly anticipated crankset in recent memory. It's a light, stiff top quality crankset that looks very pro. SRAM Force Carbon Crankset and SRAM Rival Crankset & Bottom Bracket are also excellent cranksets that made their debut in 2007.

Most every crankset will get the job done. Lighter cranksets will tend to be more expensive. If your main concern is durability and stiffness, go with aluminum. If your goal is a light, sexy, eye-catching ride, carbon cranksets will get you there.

Triple vs. Compact

Traditionally, recreational and touring riders often chose a crankset with three front rings rather than the standard two. This provides more low end gears for comfortably getting over climbs, while maintaining a 53-tooth large ring for powering across the flats. Shimano 105 FC-5603 Triple Crankset, Campagnolo Race Triple 10 Speed Crankset and FSA SLK MegaExo Triple Carbon Crankset provide triple options for all price points. Triples are especially useful for touring riders carrying large loads, but for the average rider, triples give a much wider gear ratio than necessary and add quite a bit of weight. Enter compact cranksets.

Compact cranksets have provided one of the more useful component innovations in the past decade. Essentially, compact cranksets provide smaller, easier to push front gears. Compact cranksets typically provide 53-39 front rings while compacts utilize 50-34. But compacts provide much more than just "Granny Gears".

FSA was a pioneer in the field of compact cranks and offers the widest selection. FSA SL-K MegaExo Carbon Crankset can be found on bikes at cycling's highest levels. Deda D-Power Compact Carbon Crankset is an ultra-light carbon crankset. Leopard Cycles Carbon Crankset provide the carbon look at a very reasonable price.

With proper cassette selection (usually 11-23), compact cranks actually provide more "useful" gears than standard cranksets. While powerful pro's and competitive racers rely on Their 53x11 gearing for intense sprints, most riders have little use for anything above a 53x14. Compact cranks provide a wider range of the small and mid-range gears used in climbing and tempo riding while only giving up the largest gears. Compact cranks provide more efficient gearing and generally weigh less than standard cranks, and much less than a triple crank.

There is a significant mechanical difference between standard and compact cranks. It lies in the length of the crank arm spider. Crank spiders are measured by BCD, the "bolt circle diameter". Standard cranks utilize a 130mm BCD while compacts use a 110mm. Chainrings fit one or the other, not both. Compact cranksets also often utilize a special front derailleur, the FSA Compact Front Derailleur is designed to accommodate compact cranks. Campagnolo Record QS Front Derailleur offers a compact option, while the 2008 Campagnolo front derailleurs will be compatible with both. Shimano front derailleurs are compatible with either. With the recent introduction of SRAM Red Group Set, we have yet to see a compact crankset.

We highly recommend compact cranks to all but the most accomplished racers. Compact cranks provide versatile gearing where you need it most, reducing muscle fatigue and making your ride more comfortable. Feel free to contact us at Sales@WesternBikeworks.com or 1-800-651-4050 with any questions regarding crankset selection and compatibility.