With regards the axle breakages, If you assume constant torque from the rider. A steel axle at 24mm Outside Diameter and an aluminium axle at around 29/30mm outside diameter has a comparable shear stress in the side wall. When the axle diameter is made smaller but the material is not compensated ie 24mm aluminium - you may run into some problems. It should be noted that you can usually alleviate these by making the side walls thicker but then you add weight. I'd be more worried about hardened steel bearings going into 30mm axles which is why I prefer 24mm (shimano axles) with a delrin spacer and then the bearing - basically it protects the expensive component which is usually the crank.
I know that cranks are designed to take the full weight of someone stood on them, but did anyone else flinch on the stiffness test? Lovely videos, great work! Thanks for taking the time to create, edit, and share! 🥖🥖🥖
Cheers Dave, glad you liked it! But yeah that stiffness test didn't really show much tbh, crank arms army really designed to be stressed in that direction, but was interesting regardless I think.
More than just standing on them I hope. When taking off from a standing start, one might pull up on one toe clip while pressing down with more than full weight on the other peddle.
No rider weight limit means Race Works didn’t do any testing. As always Chinese groupset makers tend to release products early and use early adopters as product testers. Future product revisions fixes of the design are only done once failures are publicly reported.
How many brands can we spot ripped off in this? Lets count: 1. Shimano for the axle standard/IP 2. Rotor aldhu chainrings 3. Sram branding 4. Raceface branding 5. Sram packaging. Utterly frustrating because they clearly know-how to make something. Just needed 20 more mins at the design desk to make it original. Will that mindset ever change? Who likes this stuff? Also wouldn't touch a 24mm Alu axle with a barge pole!
Exactly the video I've been waiting for. Was holding out for skypivot carbon crank, but that doesn't look like it will ever materialize. Very good to see an alternative to skypivot. Thank you Luke.
As ever, a great and entertaining vid!👍 Good price on those cranks. If the alloy pedal inserts turn out to be a well engineered fit into the carbon fibre there isn't much to go wrong really. As you say, the rings are easy and cheap to replace too. So yeah, if the pedal inserts hold up that's a damn nice budget CF crankset.
Yeah I was certainly impressed for the price. I have seen some comments saying the carbon has cracked for some around the non drive side axle clamp, so definitely going to keep an eye out for that, but overall, I'm very impressed!
The only thing that worries me with this racework one is the construction of the axle. Few years ago these aluminum axle with Shimano standard diameter tends to snap. Hope this one uses the 29mm standard that are used for Sram crankset in the near future. Anyways still great video as always Luke 🥖🥖🥖🥖
The problem isn't the shimano axle diameter, its the material choice for the axle. Aluminum is way less sturdy than steel and thusly not optimal for axles for several reasons. Hambini could tell you all about it :)
Cheers Brad! Yeah it's definitely something to bear in mind. It's all well and good chasing grams off the bike, but you need to be sensible and understand the limits of your gear at the end of the day. I've shown failures of cheap carbon parts before, so it pays to be conscious of these sort of things!
Another concern here might be the aluminum inserts in the carbon arms, carbon doesn't change form in different temperatures, but aluminum does. So whatever they use to adhere that inserts into the arms, might potentially fail at some point.
Very true. I will say though, all the BSA BB shells in my carbon frames have been fine over the years. But definitely see your point, one to keep an eye on for sure!
Nice one Luke, interesting development , keep us posted after you put the miles into it. Take care and when you go to the bakery "keep bagging your baguette " 🥖🥖🥖🥖
I've been running these Racework carbon cranks for about 5 months and was an early adopter. I'm using them on both a 2x and 1x setup. So far I'm quite happy with them due to the weight savings and performance. Neither the Racework Store or any other store selling these cranks knew the bolt torque settings on the non-drive side crank arm. I've been torquing the bolts to 8nm and I check periodically to make sure they stay secure. I think torqued any higher and you run the chance of stripping the bolts. Unfortunately these cheaper AliEx cranks seem to use M5 hex bolts which aren't as sturdy as M6 bolts that Shimano uses.
I have it for two week, not yet have a long ride on it. And I also asked the torque setting for left crank. The seller said 5 nm. A lot less than 12-14 nm normal shimano crank. But I use it anyway, consider this is my first carbon crank. any info on the torque setting from other carbon crank ..?
@@Gerus2000 5nm? I was initially torquing these Racework cranks at 6nm and on an out of saddle climb, the left crank arm fell off! 5nm to me would be risky. Just make sure to install the fixing bolt prior to torquing the pinch bolts and incrementally tighten each bolt carefully.
@@TraceVelo I weigh about 68-69kg, so I figure I'm well under the weight to stress the carbon crankset out. Also I do own that hollowed out alloy crankset as well. I did find they creaked in my PF BB carbon bike. Though when I mounted it to my BSA threaded alloy gravel bike the creaking disappeared. I'm not sure if it has something to do with the BB type, frame material or both?
I think you're mistaken about most of us using steel chainrings. Steel chainrings are mostly found on very low model bikes. The odd exception is that at the Tiagra (or so) level, the small chainring will be steel but the big one will be aluminum.
I was using aluminum alloy rings, inner and outer, over 40 years ago. Even though I generated a great ddeal of torque on take-off, those rings never let me down.
100% correct. ALL mid-level and higher road groupsets will have 7000 series, aircraft aluminum, chainrings. Only the very lowest level road chainrings and 1x mtb chainrings will be steel.
The reason why SRAM DUB can get away with aluminum axles is that they are thicker than the standard 24mm axles used on most cranksets like Shimano. The did it to compensate for the flex that you get from smaller 24mm standard crankset axle diameter; since aluminum is softer than steel (as you mentioned) and thus it flexes more under load.
Hi Luke, I really like your videos. I am a little concerned about the combination of a 24mm diameter axle and a material like aluminum that is subject to fatigue. As Hambini pointed out aluminum axles are usually 30mm or at least 28.95 for Dub. I think it is no accident that nobody else uses 24mm aluminum axles. Obviously the torque load is the same that snapped your other 24mm aluminum axle... I had a nasty crash once caused by a chain slip in full power acceleration and still remember how first my foot fell through and then the bike took off... The failure mode would be similar in your case. I have never written a comment to any CZcams video. I am only doing it now because I don't want you to get hurt. I learn a ton from your videos and want you to be able to continue with all body parts intact...😊
I bought three. Two have been fine, but one was consistently coming loose. Came off on the non-drive side twice, causing a crash both times. Was torqued WAY past the mfr's specs the second time, and just came off still attached to the cleat. Tossed that one in the bin, but am (I know) still riding the other two, which have been great.
Thats a great Video, i'm still searching for a budget crankset especially carbon and i came to the same issue to find one... i think i gonna order this for my upcoming mtb build. ... thanks your again!
Hours ago I've just received a set of Fovno Aurora crankset (presumably the lightest alloy Chinese-made crankset) bought on Taobao, haven't opened the package yet, and I'm here watching your carbon crankset. The algorithm scared the shit of me... 😂 By the way, I don't want to gamble on the durability of 24mm alloy axle, either steel 24mm or alloy 29~30mm would be better IMHO.
Sensai Luke, ...........another exquisite oriental component review and test. I think as your experience has brought all of us great entertainment and joy over the months i believe its time to upgrade your diet to Chinese Sir, so here are a few noodle/rice boxes, a man of your wisdom cannot survive on baguettes alone!🥡🥡🥡🥡🥡🥡 we all like the "cut of your jib" and what you do to educate and entertain us at the same time! Keep up the good work.
The most critical issue with carbon-metal cranksets is… the gluing of both materials ! I experienced this issue even with Specialized crankset on my Tarmac SL6… Sometimes, it will also be the consequence of a fall...
I'm happy to see the alloy chainrings. I was waiting to cringe when the rings were revealed to be forged carbon. Carbon chainrings are a cute idea on paper, but too brittle to be economically smart to purchase unless you're swimming in money or on a pro team where your bike is rebuilt between stages. lol
I'm around 5'11" and around 15 stone, I'd be better going on a diet before spending £140 trying to save 200 grams, I'd imagine the same could be said of yourself .
Hello, Luke! Thank you very much for doing this amazing work! your videos are very helpful when choosing good spare parts, and your humor really lifts the mood in the evening after work) Can you tell more about your hip joint and how you came to the decision to lengthen the axle of the pedals? maybe you have articles about bikefit in your memory or some of your observations. I suffer from the problem of narrowing the gap of the left hip joint and I can’t adjust my position on the bike so that my left knee does not ache and I sit straight on the saddle.
So I used to feel a tightness in my groin area, especially when getting the power down when I was in the saddle. I didn't really know what it was until I watched a video from Cam Nichols where he sat down with a bike fitter and chatted about it. There are some really easy tests you can do at home to check if you have any hip impingement, so I would just have a quick Google around the topic. The pedals extenders I use are definitely not a sliver bullet to eliminate knee pain, but they have helped me enormously. They are not particularly expensive either, so might be worth experimenting to see if it can help you balance your pedal strokes.
@@TraceVelo Thank you! I just have a few washers under the pedals, I'll try to use them. I found out about my problem after an x-ray and then you released a video about 5 useful things that gave me an idea)
6:50 Looks awesome with the LTWOO gold color groupset. Hey Luke, any latest about the LTWOO electronic groupset? Hope to see another follow up video about it.
a shimano r8000 crank is 674g with 50/34. that is about 100g heavier but you will have - a steel axle which will not break or wear out, a design that is more aerodynamic, most probably better shifting quality (btw. I myself ruined a di2 fd by having bad chainrings which made the chain stuck now and then- and bending the fd), a quality control and warranty, chain rings that will in any case last at least 20 000k, pleanty of power meter options and so on.. most probably it will be as stiff as well- at least the axle will most probabably be stiffer though. well it does not look "carbon" but aside that...
Excellent video as always. I think we all needed to see your camping/bikepacking? Can I get a link for the chain please? Do they do an 11 speed? Ngl, the gold has me suckered in 😂
Love your vids! It would be cool to see you have a look at some bike tools, maybe offer some advice/guidance on what us mere mortals need to buy and learn to have a crack at maintenance and builds.
Imagine the scene: you standing up on that Chinese crank putting 1000 watts of power on it... then... it breaks apart and you hit you calf on the chain ring's sharp teeth and fall face on the ground... NICE! ................................I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!
Those Goldix one piece chainrings you have on those flexy cranks are lighter if you really want to chase those grams. So annoying they don't do these in 165 though. 😢
User feedback. Bought it about 5 months ago. Don't do it. First, those products never come with torque specs, so, you need to start low, and see the outcome (by low, really low, the bolts are very slim) - I started with 5Nm. After some rides, it was loosen, the crank arm started to separate from the spindle. I went to 6Nm, this did the trick for a while. About a month ago the cranks started to creak a lot, I opened it, did a proper grease/cleanup and put it back together (6Nm), went well, but 1 week ago, it was loosen after a ride, tighten it to 7nm, and after 2 rides, it was loosen again, tighten again, and below 6Nm I heard a crack, the area around the bolts has collapsed. My impression is that the carbon on the non-drive side arm started to fail from day 1, up to the point it colapsed. This crank arm is badly designed, the bolts are too close, they are too small in diameter, the way the clamp is designed is inadequate (the carbon is supposed to press the aluminum C clamp into the spindle, the C clamp should have extended latches to reinforce the carbon where the bolts should be placed, pressing just the carbon to keep the arm in place is just stupid, that aluminum piece where the bolts are threaded is a joke, if you take it apart, the shape of the piece does not distribute the bolt pressure evenly.
Great vid Luke. 🥖 Be interesting to see how it turns out after a proper few miles!! You said they could easily last 5000 miles. Now you've told the Mrs you're a full-time CZcamsr and sent her out to work instead, so you could easily do a 1000 miles a week! So we'll lookout for the results first week of June then eh??😂😂😂🥖🥖🥖
But at least it’s cheap and lasts for literally only 20 hours in average 😂😂😂 i already had some of those. There is a reason why established brands are pricier and heavier.
I just wish Racework would allow replacing the small ring, to allow better climbing performance. That is the reason I will stick with Shimano. I am 70 and need all the help I can get.
@@EastGermanyCycling Nope experience, I have seen that video so it's nice to know that I'm not the only one to have wasted my money on "upgrades" that turn out to be rubbish. I bought Biopace back in the day only to discover later that it's actually probably making me slower.
I was sold the older hollowtech design, where these are also notorious for creaking. Had a decent run despite the constant servicing and retightening of bolts. But finally today the non drive crank arm cracked while being tighten up, only got to 4nm. I guess over time fatigue finally got to it. Wrote to Raceworks, who took a day to offer $20 coupon off if I bought their current model. 😂 What a joke.
Those unbranded cranks look very much like my FSA carbon crankset. I got them used, so no idea how old that design is. I won't be surprised if a new alloy set is actually lighter. 1:00
I'm using the same chainrings as you. I've found that they're really thin chainrings for a 10 speed chain, the chain doesn't quite sit on the chainring too well laterally. I think they made them thin to accommodate 12 speed chains as they have the same pitch but thinner width.
I took my bike to the shop a few days ago because my chain was popping off whenever I stomped on the pedals. The mechanic said I needed a new chain, rear cassette, and front big chain ring. The crank is Dura Ace(Covid shortages => no Ultegra with power meter to be found), and the rear cassette and chain are Ultegra. (12,000 miles and two years for all components). It is costing me $550. I don't mine paying more $ for premium stuff but when it wears out so fast it sucks. I might go the Ali Express route for my next bike.
@@xtremegopher I have taken it to the bike shop numerous times in two years. I don't do mechanical stuff. I wash it and keep the chain lubricated. That's it. It worked fine right up to the end. My last ride it popped off four times in 60 miles.
Can you tell me if they come in different color schemes? That yellowish gold decal just wouldn't go with my paint scheme at all. Also, I'll look forward to you (hopefully) updating us on these cranks 6 or so months down the road.
These look a really good budget option. It would be good if you could a do a video on road bike rotors - preferably centre lock rotors. I have Shimano rotors on my road bike, they are starting to wear down (stock) so I went to purchase replacements... £65 for Dura Ace rotors!!! I purchased Brembo discs and pads for the rear axel of my car which cost £102, to change just the rotors on my bike would £130! Surely we cannot keep letting the bike industry get away with their super inflated prices? No wonder we can only afford baguette and water!
@@michaelmechex thanks for the heads up, they look good. Price is £14 for two rotors which looks a bargain. Min wear is 1.5mm. Do you know what thickness they start off at?
@@lpoolck17 I have a brand new pair here, so I bust out my micrometer and they measure up as 1,85mm. That's a pretty typical thickness for road bike rotors.
@@michaelmechex that's pretty much identical to Shimano's max and min thickness. Thanks for measuring them - I'll defo try them. I notice they also have some 6 bolt rotors with heat dissipation for MTB that look decent too. Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it. I bought the ridenow and YBN chain which trace velo recommended, not tried either yet, but both look of good quality.
Note that Sigeyi makes a power meter for 3-bolt SRAM cranksets like this (even though SRAM no longer offers Quarq for 3-bolt AFAIK). They're like $335-$355 USD and are available in both 5-bolt and Shimano 4-bolt. And with the Sigeyi you could use decent chainrings like Shimano or Praxis. Those included chainrings look like they will shift poorly since they have no ramps.
I think i m riding the same rings, just branded different. If i were racing i'd ask myself the question, for for general use (i'm let's say in the top 15% of the general cycling population, performance wise), they're fine. My bias is i'll do a lot to avoid paying the price rackets from Sram & Shimano, But honestly with my eyes closed i dont think i could tell the difference. I also ride Shimano & Sram red stuff.
🥖🥖Hey Luke. As always, amazing video! Will you be doing an upgrade for this carbon crank set? I'm really looking forward to it! Keep up the great work 🥖♥️🚲
With regards the axle breakages, If you assume constant torque from the rider. A steel axle at 24mm Outside Diameter and an aluminium axle at around 29/30mm outside diameter has a comparable shear stress in the side wall. When the axle diameter is made smaller but the material is not compensated ie 24mm aluminium - you may run into some problems. It should be noted that you can usually alleviate these by making the side walls thicker but then you add weight.
I'd be more worried about hardened steel bearings going into 30mm axles which is why I prefer 24mm (shimano axles) with a delrin spacer and then the bearing - basically it protects the expensive component which is usually the crank.
Looks like the pen is working.
The ultimate crossover ... Hambini and Luke.
Needs more hairdresser
@@lucky.youtube just need project farm to chip in as well.
My hairdresser approves this.
@@carlosgaspar8447 how fast can these cheap chinese cranks spin before exploding? let's find out
SRAM looking cranks with Rotor looking chainrings built to a Shimano standard.
If you are going to steal, steal from the best
@@kondor4920 It’s not stealing if the patents have already expired after 20 years. Then the design is free for anyone to copy.
What's not to love?
@@iMadrid11 those Rotor chainrings that look like that are not 20 years old. That is their current design.
Would I be able to stick a Shimano left crank power metre on this crankset?
I know that cranks are designed to take the full weight of someone stood on them, but did anyone else flinch on the stiffness test?
Lovely videos, great work!
Thanks for taking the time to create, edit, and share! 🥖🥖🥖
Cheers Dave, glad you liked it! But yeah that stiffness test didn't really show much tbh, crank arms army really designed to be stressed in that direction, but was interesting regardless I think.
@@TraceVelo it certainly was! And you certainly shot things well enough that you could see things
More than just standing on them I hope. When taking off from a standing start, one might pull up on one toe clip while pressing down with more than full weight on the other peddle.
@@surferdude4487 indeed, or the shock load from when you drop off a curb
No rider weight limit means Race Works didn’t do any testing. As always Chinese groupset makers tend to release products early and use early adopters as product testers. Future product revisions fixes of the design are only done once failures are publicly reported.
There are carbon parts that don't have rider weight limits on them, but they are typically more expensive ones ha
racework is a taiwanese brand dude!!!no chinese
seeing they only come in 170mm, this is very, very early stage
Luke is getting good at spending my money... I mean by making me want things I didn't think I wanted before lol
This is the way
How many brands can we spot ripped off in this? Lets count:
1. Shimano for the axle standard/IP
2. Rotor aldhu chainrings
3. Sram branding
4. Raceface branding
5. Sram packaging.
Utterly frustrating because they clearly know-how to make something. Just needed 20 more mins at the design desk to make it original. Will that mindset ever change? Who likes this stuff? Also wouldn't touch a 24mm Alu axle with a barge pole!
Add up those 5. That is a lot of $$$. No way of getting anywhere near the retail price if they had to develop in-house.
Sram force arms, shimano spindle and rotor chainrings! What’s not to love!!
Exactly the video I've been waiting for. Was holding out for skypivot carbon crank, but that doesn't look like it will ever materialize. Very good to see an alternative to skypivot. Thank you Luke.
No problem Li, glad you liked it !
Hi Luke, hope all is well with your new adventure. The contents you produced were top notch, keep up the good work. 🥖
Thanks C'est moi!!!! Yeah really enjoying the full time gig, hopefully I can make it work in the long term! 🥖🥖🥖
To me, “Clavicula” always sounded like the bone you’re likely to break when you snap your cranks while winding up for a sprint. 🙃🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖
As ever, a great and entertaining vid!👍 Good price on those cranks. If the alloy pedal inserts turn out to be a well engineered fit into the carbon fibre there isn't much to go wrong really. As you say, the rings are easy and cheap to replace too. So yeah, if the pedal inserts hold up that's a damn nice budget CF crankset.
Yeah I was certainly impressed for the price. I have seen some comments saying the carbon has cracked for some around the non drive side axle clamp, so definitely going to keep an eye out for that, but overall, I'm very impressed!
@@TraceVeloAny feedback on this?
@@adambrickley1119the design has changed, just got some which use a threaded axleala hollow tech but with an allow nut without the pimchbolts
@@justineseiferth8010 wish i had read this last night. Literally just bought a 2nd hand dura ace dual sided power meter crank on ebay.
The only thing that worries me with this racework one is the construction of the axle. Few years ago these aluminum axle with Shimano standard diameter tends to snap. Hope this one uses the 29mm standard that are used for Sram crankset in the near future. Anyways still great video as always Luke 🥖🥖🥖🥖
The problem isn't the shimano axle diameter, its the material choice for the axle. Aluminum is way less sturdy than steel and thusly not optimal for axles for several reasons. Hambini could tell you all about it :)
Thanks! As someone who has had 1 crank arm break and toss me over the bars and broke my thumb,etc.
Its good to keep limits of light parts in mind.
Cheers Brad! Yeah it's definitely something to bear in mind. It's all well and good chasing grams off the bike, but you need to be sensible and understand the limits of your gear at the end of the day. I've shown failures of cheap carbon parts before, so it pays to be conscious of these sort of things!
Did you do some research on those cracks? I've read about multiple breaks
Great video! 🥖🥖🥖🥖But I just found the SRAM, full carbon, Red, new 52/36, BB30, 554g. EBay awarded my $130 bid with a win! No Ali for me on this one.😅
Another concern here might be the aluminum inserts in the carbon arms, carbon doesn't change form in different temperatures, but aluminum does. So whatever they use to adhere that inserts into the arms, might potentially fail at some point.
Very true. I will say though, all the BSA BB shells in my carbon frames have been fine over the years. But definitely see your point, one to keep an eye on for sure!
@@TraceVeloTo say nothing of all the carbon forks with aluminum crowns and fork ends that are out there
I LOVE IT!! now lets hope it doesn't break. Cant wait for the 2nd review!. Great Job Luke! 🥖🥖🥖
Nice one Luke, interesting development , keep us posted after you put the miles into it. Take care and when you go to the bakery "keep bagging your baguette " 🥖🥖🥖🥖
AHH that's the real dream, to open a small Parisian bakery, and serve baguettes to the masses... Maybe I'll get there one day 😂
I've been running these Racework carbon cranks for about 5 months and was an early adopter. I'm using them on both a 2x and 1x setup. So far I'm quite happy with them due to the weight savings and performance. Neither the Racework Store or any other store selling these cranks knew the bolt torque settings on the non-drive side crank arm. I've been torquing the bolts to 8nm and I check periodically to make sure they stay secure. I think torqued any higher and you run the chance of stripping the bolts. Unfortunately these cheaper AliEx cranks seem to use M5 hex bolts which aren't as sturdy as M6 bolts that Shimano uses.
I have it for two week, not yet have a long ride on it. And I also asked the torque setting for left crank. The seller said 5 nm. A lot less than 12-14 nm normal shimano crank. But I use it anyway, consider this is my first carbon crank. any info on the torque setting from other carbon crank ..?
@@Gerus2000 5nm? I was initially torquing these Racework cranks at 6nm and on an out of saddle climb, the left crank arm fell off! 5nm to me would be risky. Just make sure to install the fixing bolt prior to torquing the pinch bolts and incrementally tighten each bolt carefully.
@@jonathan_f2 I will increased to 8nm, considering that you already use the torque for 5 months. Thx broh...
Awesome cheers Jonathan, glad to hear they are still going strong!
@@TraceVelo I weigh about 68-69kg, so I figure I'm well under the weight to stress the carbon crankset out. Also I do own that hollowed out alloy crankset as well. I did find they creaked in my PF BB carbon bike. Though when I mounted it to my BSA threaded alloy gravel bike the creaking disappeared. I'm not sure if it has something to do with the BB type, frame material or both?
As always, video well worth a 🥖. That crankset looks very interesting, let's see how it holds up.
Thanks Jesper, have some baguettes on the house 🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖
I think you're mistaken about most of us using steel chainrings. Steel chainrings are mostly found on very low model bikes. The odd exception is that at the Tiagra (or so) level, the small chainring will be steel but the big one will be aluminum.
I was using aluminum alloy rings, inner and outer, over 40 years ago. Even though I generated a great ddeal of torque on take-off, those rings never let me down.
100% correct. ALL mid-level and higher road groupsets will have 7000 series, aircraft aluminum, chainrings. Only the very lowest level road chainrings and 1x mtb chainrings will be steel.
And this is the reason why the "lowest level" is the go to for me. It is far more durable.
Have run these since the new year. No issues to report. I am a smaller rider and dont make mega power, but they look good and have held up fine.
Nice, good to hear Chuck, thanks for the comment!
Be aware, it will fail at some point, the non-drive side arm is badly designed, and will crack. Check it before every ride.
The reason why SRAM DUB can get away with aluminum axles is that they are thicker than the standard 24mm axles used on most cranksets like Shimano. The did it to compensate for the flex that you get from smaller 24mm standard crankset axle diameter; since aluminum is softer than steel (as you mentioned) and thus it flexes more under load.
So nice to see these companies coming in & eating the big guys lunch! Hope it continues !!
That whip is looking pretty nice with the gold chain and accents, and the weight is 🥖🥖🥖👌 (French chef’s kiss)
🥖 Excellent engineering flex testing on those cranks!
A quality video and comment from Hambini, well done 🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖
Always good to arrive home and have a new trace velo video to watch ❤
Hi Luke,
I really like your videos.
I am a little concerned about the combination of a 24mm diameter axle and a material like aluminum that is subject to fatigue. As Hambini pointed out aluminum axles are usually 30mm or at least 28.95 for Dub. I think it is no accident that nobody else uses 24mm aluminum axles.
Obviously the torque load is the same that snapped your other 24mm aluminum axle...
I had a nasty crash once caused by a chain slip in full power acceleration and still remember how first my foot fell through and then the bike took off...
The failure mode would be similar in your case.
I have never written a comment to any CZcams video. I am only doing it now because I don't want you to get hurt.
I learn a ton from your videos and want you to be able to continue with all body parts intact...😊
That looks stunning. 7.4kgs for a large disc brake framed bike. Spot on. Carbon cranks for that amazing. Your bike looks ace. Almost like a Canyon
Cheers Chris. Yeah the OG Evkin frame was definitely 'inspired' by some of Canyons designs thats for sure 😂
Been watching most of your reviews and I think you are underappreciated. Keep up the good work!
u are the only one i trust about these chinese products m8 ty for making these vids
Commenting for the algorithm! Hope you great fortune in the youtube career!
I bought three. Two have been fine, but one was consistently coming loose. Came off on the non-drive side twice, causing a crash both times. Was torqued WAY past the mfr's specs the second time, and just came off still attached to the cleat. Tossed that one in the bin, but am (I know) still riding the other two, which have been great.
Love videos from Luke/TraceVelo better than watching gcn imo, - Luke does absolutely brilliant stuff on CZcams ✌️ 🥖
I had the same crankset and it worked well as what Luke mentioned in the video.
It will fail. Check the non-drive side arm every ride.
Congrats on the career switch. Love the channel.
Thats a great Video, i'm still searching for a budget crankset especially carbon and i came to the same issue to find one... i think i gonna order this for my upcoming mtb build. ...
thanks your again!
Hours ago I've just received a set of Fovno Aurora crankset (presumably the lightest alloy Chinese-made crankset) bought on Taobao, haven't opened the package yet, and I'm here watching your carbon crankset. The algorithm scared the shit of me... 😂
By the way, I don't want to gamble on the durability of 24mm alloy axle, either steel 24mm or alloy 29~30mm would be better IMHO.
Sensai Luke, ...........another exquisite oriental component review and test. I think as your experience has brought all of us great entertainment and joy over the months i believe its time to upgrade your diet to Chinese Sir, so here are a few noodle/rice boxes, a man of your wisdom cannot survive on baguettes alone!🥡🥡🥡🥡🥡🥡 we all like the "cut of your jib" and what you do to educate and entertain us at the same time! Keep up the good work.
Racework have some familiar looking crank set from
Racework XT & XTR
Can't wait to see long term usage and how it performs, thanks for the review 🥖🥖
Cheers for the comment NoName, have some baguettes on the house 🥖🥖🥖🥖
The most critical issue with carbon-metal cranksets is… the gluing of both materials ! I experienced this issue even with Specialized crankset on my Tarmac SL6… Sometimes, it will also be the consequence of a fall...
I'm happy to see the alloy chainrings. I was waiting to cringe when the rings were revealed to be forged carbon. Carbon chainrings are a cute idea on paper, but too brittle to be economically smart to purchase unless you're swimming in money or on a pro team where your bike is rebuilt between stages. lol
This is the content i am here for. Keeping going! I can really vibe with your kind of humor.
Ive been waiting for this crankset to be reviewed ...thanks luke
Man you are the one i trust in these chinese products Godbless to you 🔥
Fascinating. I will be interested to see the long term follow up. Thanks Luke!!
Hi.. Ltwo is cooking a new groupset, I heard.. I think you already knew it.. Waiting to be features it here😉
Great video! As a heavier rider, I am bummed about the weight limit. Please update us if they happen to get back to you with the exact number.
He made up that weight limit completely on his own😂 The company doesn't list one so his number isn't even a company estimate
If you are a heavier rider, these lightweight component make no difference to your total system weight.
@@mjokffsgfjs so if you're heavy and buy light parts, your total weight isn't decreasing?🤣
@@veganpotterthevegan do the math, few hundred grams, to a system weight of 80-90kg, it's not even half a %. Comon.
I'm around 5'11" and around 15 stone, I'd be better going on a diet before spending £140 trying to save 200 grams, I'd imagine the same could be said of yourself .
Karma at work here. I just sent you a message yesterday about getting one of these to review and here it is! Lol. Great reviews as always
Hello, Luke!
Thank you very much for doing this amazing work! your videos are very helpful when choosing good spare parts, and your humor really lifts the mood in the evening after work)
Can you tell more about your hip joint and how you came to the decision to lengthen the axle of the pedals? maybe you have articles about bikefit in your memory or some of your observations. I suffer from the problem of narrowing the gap of the left hip joint and I can’t adjust my position on the bike so that my left knee does not ache and I sit straight on the saddle.
So I used to feel a tightness in my groin area, especially when getting the power down when I was in the saddle. I didn't really know what it was until I watched a video from Cam Nichols where he sat down with a bike fitter and chatted about it. There are some really easy tests you can do at home to check if you have any hip impingement, so I would just have a quick Google around the topic. The pedals extenders I use are definitely not a sliver bullet to eliminate knee pain, but they have helped me enormously. They are not particularly expensive either, so might be worth experimenting to see if it can help you balance your pedal strokes.
@@TraceVelo Thank you! I just have a few washers under the pedals, I'll try to use them. I found out about my problem after an x-ray and then you released a video about 5 useful things that gave me an idea)
3:44 the legendary pan lid makes a return
This would be so nice for my 80s Centurion carbon tube frame... Too bad the square taper bottombracket is stuck in there forever :(
The stiffness test doesn't meam that much, it isn't designed in that load direction
Have a set of Raceworks brakes - 6500km - no issues, neat stuff.
Hi Luke, 16lbs thats amazing 😮😮, would u bless & share us your full bicycle parts, brand, etc we would love to replicate your ride 🙏🏼🙏🏼
6:50 Looks awesome with the LTWOO gold color groupset. Hey Luke, any latest about the LTWOO electronic groupset? Hope to see another follow up video about it.
This is me camping 😂 (when did the funky intro get dropped? Just noticed)
Could you do XC content as well please? Cranks, rims/wheelsets and frames… love your content!
They fail to mention what type of BB they use it would be appreciated if someone did including Racework.
Wow, gravel bike that weights as a road bike! This carbon racework crankset looks amazing! 😍 🤩
I think the blue bike is the gravel bike, and this one is the road bike.
a shimano r8000 crank is 674g with 50/34. that is about 100g heavier but you will have - a steel axle which will not break or wear out, a design that is more aerodynamic, most probably better shifting quality (btw. I myself ruined a di2 fd by having bad chainrings which made the chain stuck now and then- and bending the fd), a quality control and warranty, chain rings that will in any case last at least 20 000k, pleanty of power meter options and so on.. most probably it will be as stiff as well- at least the axle will most probabably be stiffer though. well it does not look "carbon" but aside that...
Excellent video as always. I think we all needed to see your camping/bikepacking?
Can I get a link for the chain please? Do they do an 11 speed? Ngl, the gold has me suckered in 😂
Amazing video as always Luke enjoyed it a lot!
when a new video come up i just watch it :) thats all
@trace velo - Chris Miller Cycling mentioned you their NERO Show episode #33. You should see if you can be a guest on that show! Take care Luke!
Love your vids! It would be cool to see you have a look at some bike tools, maybe offer some advice/guidance on what us mere mortals need to buy and learn to have a crack at maintenance and builds.
What an interesting mash up copy of different brands mixing Shimano, Rotor and Sram cranksets to arrive at this one.
Also, the logo resembling Race Face lol
Speaking of inspiration, the font looks like Raceface
The chainrings really resemble the Rotor Aldhu ones. You don't even have to squint!
Big week coming up as the Shanghai Bicycle Show is this week.
My fridge is full of red bull...
You will definitely need it! Jia you!
Imagine the scene: you standing up on that Chinese crank putting 1000 watts of power on it... then... it breaks apart and you hit you calf on the chain ring's sharp teeth and fall face on the ground... NICE! ................................I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!
Those Goldix one piece chainrings you have on those flexy cranks are lighter if you really want to chase those grams. So annoying they don't do these in 165 though. 😢
User feedback.
Bought it about 5 months ago. Don't do it.
First, those products never come with torque specs, so, you need to start low, and see the outcome (by low, really low, the bolts are very slim) - I started with 5Nm. After some rides, it was loosen, the crank arm started to separate from the spindle. I went to 6Nm, this did the trick for a while. About a month ago the cranks started to creak a lot, I opened it, did a proper grease/cleanup and put it back together (6Nm), went well, but 1 week ago, it was loosen after a ride, tighten it to 7nm, and after 2 rides, it was loosen again, tighten again, and below 6Nm I heard a crack, the area around the bolts has collapsed.
My impression is that the carbon on the non-drive side arm started to fail from day 1, up to the point it colapsed.
This crank arm is badly designed, the bolts are too close, they are too small in diameter, the way the clamp is designed is inadequate (the carbon is supposed to press the aluminum C clamp into the spindle, the C clamp should have extended latches to reinforce the carbon where the bolts should be placed, pressing just the carbon to keep the arm in place is just stupid, that aluminum piece where the bolts are threaded is a joke, if you take it apart, the shape of the piece does not distribute the bolt pressure evenly.
thank you for those info
hopefully you will makme a episode for carbon seatpost upgrade. thank you
Great vid Luke. 🥖
Be interesting to see how it turns out after a proper few miles!! You said they could easily last 5000 miles. Now you've told the Mrs you're a full-time CZcamsr and sent her out to work instead, so you could easily do a 1000 miles a week! So we'll lookout for the results first week of June then eh??😂😂😂🥖🥖🥖
Love your videos Luke.. Keep them coming.
this crankset had a lot of structure failure in China as another brand Neutron(but same product), so good luck to you.
But at least it’s cheap and lasts for literally only 20 hours in average 😂😂😂 i already had some of those. There is a reason why established brands are pricier and heavier.
Which crankset should we buy Fukai?
@@Stoffendous For Chinese carbon, cyberi or xxe. But if you could get sram red(quarq d1) with reasonable price, it is still the best.
hi did you review the 3d printed saddle or did i miss it ?? keep up the great vids 🥖🥖
I just wish Racework would allow replacing the small ring, to allow better climbing performance. That is the reason I will stick with Shimano. I am 70 and need all the help I can get.
me2. 70yo. 52/34 is the go.
Thankfully the chainrings are alloy. Don't buy carbon chain rings as they won't last more than 100 miles or so.
carbon fibre chain rings are another scam.
@johnmcgovern5372 from the jourdain Coleman video?😅
@@EastGermanyCycling Nope experience, I have seen that video so it's nice to know that I'm not the only one to have wasted my money on "upgrades" that turn out to be rubbish. I bought Biopace back in the day only to discover later that it's actually probably making me slower.
01:56 those drilling on the inside, saving weight and also making it stronger too
Can't wait for a L-Twoo eRX review
How are you liking the 3D printed saddle?
9:13 that camper looks more 🥖 than happy
I was sold the older hollowtech design, where these are also notorious for creaking. Had a decent run despite the constant servicing and retightening of bolts. But finally today the non drive crank arm cracked while being tighten up, only got to 4nm. I guess over time fatigue finally got to it. Wrote to Raceworks, who took a day to offer $20 coupon off if I bought their current model. 😂 What a joke.
Those unbranded cranks look very much like my FSA carbon crankset. I got them used, so no idea how old that design is. I won't be surprised if a new alloy set is actually lighter. 1:00
I'm using the same chainrings as you. I've found that they're really thin chainrings for a 10 speed chain, the chain doesn't quite sit on the chainring too well laterally. I think they made them thin to accommodate 12 speed chains as they have the same pitch but thinner width.
Are they not meant to be for 12spd set up...at least that's what Luke is using
you say truth. the VG chain is no no list. first stand pedaling on uphill snap right away on the chain link.
I took my bike to the shop a few days ago because my chain was popping off whenever I stomped on the pedals. The mechanic said I needed a new chain, rear cassette, and front big chain ring. The crank is Dura Ace(Covid shortages => no Ultegra with power meter to be found), and the rear cassette and chain are Ultegra. (12,000 miles and two years for all components). It is costing me $550. I don't mine paying more $ for premium stuff but when it wears out so fast it sucks. I might go the Ali Express route for my next bike.
If you actually put 12,000 miles on a single chain, this is 100% your fault. Get a chain checker.
@@xtremegopher 12000??? how on earth. I checked my chain today. 0,75 wear after 1100miles 60:40 road/gravel
@@xtremegopher I have taken it to the bike shop numerous times in two years. I don't do mechanical stuff. I wash it and keep the chain lubricated. That's it. It worked fine right up to the end. My last ride it popped off four times in 60 miles.
The arms are shaped like SRAM, the font looks like Raceface and the axle is Shimano lite.
hello luke, i sudjest you to try and find some ybn chains, ybn chains are durable and it will last you a long time
And gotta love the RACE FACE "inspired" logo
Can you tell me if they come in different color schemes? That yellowish gold decal just wouldn't go with my paint scheme at all. Also, I'll look forward to you (hopefully) updating us on these cranks 6 or so months down the road.
Great these come with the GXP standard as you can then pair with sub compact doubles from Senicx.
Second pronounce of Clavucila is the right one
These look a really good budget option. It would be good if you could a do a video on road bike rotors - preferably centre lock rotors. I have Shimano rotors on my road bike, they are starting to wear down (stock) so I went to purchase replacements... £65 for Dura Ace rotors!!! I purchased Brembo discs and pads for the rear axel of my car which cost £102, to change just the rotors on my bike would £130! Surely we cannot keep letting the bike industry get away with their super inflated prices? No wonder we can only afford baguette and water!
it's absolutely mad that car brake components from Brembo cost less than bike ones!
@@michaelmechex thanks for the heads up, they look good. Price is £14 for two rotors which looks a bargain. Min wear is 1.5mm. Do you know what thickness they start off at?
@@lpoolck17 I have a brand new pair here, so I bust out my micrometer and they measure up as 1,85mm. That's a pretty typical thickness for road bike rotors.
@@michaelmechex that's pretty much identical to Shimano's max and min thickness. Thanks for measuring them - I'll defo try them. I notice they also have some 6 bolt rotors with heat dissipation for MTB that look decent too. Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it. I bought the ridenow and YBN chain which trace velo recommended, not tried either yet, but both look of good quality.
@@lpoolck17 I'm really glad to help! I'm dealing with absurd bike part prices myself, I'm happy to share some tips!
Note that Sigeyi makes a power meter for 3-bolt SRAM cranksets like this (even though SRAM no longer offers Quarq for 3-bolt AFAIK). They're like $335-$355 USD and are available in both 5-bolt and Shimano 4-bolt.
And with the Sigeyi you could use decent chainrings like Shimano or Praxis. Those included chainrings look like they will shift poorly since they have no ramps.
I've got an unramped un pinned 54t paired to a 36t and it shifts flawlessly with a di2 Dura FD. It's slightly slower but works.
I think i m riding the same rings, just branded different. If i were racing i'd ask myself the question, for for general use (i'm let's say in the top 15% of the general cycling population, performance wise), they're fine. My bias is i'll do a lot to avoid paying the price rackets from Sram & Shimano, But honestly with my eyes closed i dont think i could tell the difference. I also ride Shimano & Sram red stuff.
LUKE, great video as always. When will u share the outcome after using it for a while now. Thanks in advance.
Considering the price to weight ratio vs the big names, might be worth it for hill climbers, or those of us outside of the wattage bazookas. 🥖🥖🥖
🥖🥖Hey Luke. As always, amazing video!
Will you be doing an upgrade for this carbon crank set? I'm really looking forward to it!
Keep up the great work 🥖♥️🚲