Field Test: Enduro and eMTBs Get Hucked to Flat in Ultra Slow Motion

Sep 23, 2021
by Mike Levy  


PINKBIKE FIELD TEST

5 Enduro Bikes and 4 eMTBs Hucked To Flat

Bottom-Out Bonanza



You've watched all of the review videos, you've seen Matt tackle the Impossible Climb, and you even pressed play on the Efficiency Test for some reason. After all that, it's time to close down the summer Field Test the best way possible: the Huck to Flat. Our five enduro bikes and four eMTBs faced the same modest take-off as previous episodes, as well as the same pancake-flat landing.

We've seen some unexpected carnage in previous Huck to Flats and, unfortunately for Jason Lucas, it was no different this time around. The Specialized Turbo Kenevo SL's non-drive-side Praxis crankarm said, ''Hey, I've had enough of this Field Test shit,'' and decided to split. Thankfully, @jasonlucas rolled away with only a very sore ankle and a request that we get someone else to huck the bikes next time.

After the failure, we boxed the crank up and shipped it back to Praxis for them to have a look. This is what they said:
bigquotesOur team received the damaged Carbon SL M30 170mm E-Crank back for inspection, but unfortunately due to the damage, it is too difficult to say exactly what the root cause was.

We cross-checked with our Global Warranty History on these Carbon SL M30 E-Cranks and of the thousands we've made/delivered to Specialized in the last 19 months, there have been very few warranties reported. This is also reconciled against our "Ultimate Load" strength test (highest load a crank can handle) we built which is above and beyond a typical load that would happen in a Huck. So yes, this leaves us scratching our heads a bit.

Our team here feels that most likely one of two things most likely happened: Either during prior ride testing of the Kenevo SL there was some type of rock-strike or blunt hit that created an internal fracture that didn't show itself until your test... or two, there was some type of unfortunate manufacturing flaw that showed itself at your test. - Praxis


Previous Huck to Flat videos
12 Bikes Hucked to Flat in Gratuitous Slow Motion
13 Bikes Hucked to Flat at 1000 FPS
8 Value Bikes Hucked to Flat in Super Slow Mo
9 XC Bikes & the Grim Donut VS the Huck to Flat
10 Trail and Enduro Bikes Hucked To Flat at 1,000 FPS
10 Value Bikes Hucked to Flat In Slow Motion at 1,000 FPS




Pinkbike Huck to Flat presented by CushCore

photo



The 2021 Summer Field Test was made possible with support from Dainese apparel and protection, and Sun Peaks Resort. Shout out also to Maxxis, Garmin, Freelap, and Toyota Pacific.



Posted In:
Reviews and Tech eMTB Field Test Huck To Flat Enduro Bikes


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232 Comments
  • 195 1
 Next field test can you guys please film the drive side? It’d be especially interesting to see what the chain does on the idler-equipped bikes.
  • 5 1
 yES YES , incomparable to forces exerting on "k"ranks vs chain on hi pivot your body relaying on four points; hands and legs;
if you using three then you are extraordinary...
  • 21 0
 im gonna spoil this and ruin all the fun: the chain does exactly what it does on a non-high-pivot bike
  • 3 0
 You still will not be able to see it, because Jason hucks right foot forward.
  • 18 0
 @pyromaniac: Sounds like he needs to toughen up his gooch and go for no foot landings.
  • 157 0
 Some grip on those five tens.. pedal still attached to them even when it's no longer attached to the bike!
  • 23 0
 really cool how the pedal gets flung out of the picture - could be out of a movie
  • 14 1
 I snapped a pedal earlier this year. It was a well abused Shimano XT flat that broke in the spindle inside. When I looked down after the landing the pedal was also stuck to the bottom of my 5-tens. Amazing soles on those shoes.
  • 5 0
 The pedal got sandwiched between the tire and his foot as he ran them both over! Ouch!
  • 37 23
 Five ten soles are amazing the 21 riding days they last for
  • 3 0
 @Bro-LanDog: Went ahead and got the prime blues… finally a 510 shoe thats uppers last as long as the sole does!
  • 8 4
 @Elkulp: I just want the 6 people who downvoted me to let me in on their secret of making these things last more than a fraction of a season
  • 1 0
 @Bro-LanDog: buy the old ones, and buy them in Leather.
  • 3 4
 @Bro-LanDog: Or get the new Specialized 2FO - grip is the same or better and mine show no bigger signs of wear after one season.
  • 3 0
 @optimumnotmaximum: I’ve never had 2F0s last more than a season before falling apart.
  • 1 0
 @royalsrule: after owning countless five tens i bought the current 2FO ( unlike 5.10s its a totally different shoe compared to the previous 2FO) - and as i said mine holds up very well and better than the five tens before. On the other hand, if you ride every day and not like me 1-2 times a week, the shoe will most likely be done faster.
  • 4 1
 @Bro-LanDog: I don't understand how everyone ruins 5 tens so quickly...if used only for riding (and not going shopping in lol) the treads and uppers easily last me 2 seasons or more....(I changed them for fresher ones then but still have a few old pairs that get pull into service for bad weather use if the others haven't dried out yet) I do on average 50 off-road mile's a week
  • 1 0
 @rabidmonkfish: they would've lasted a whole lot longer if I didn't use them for riding. The pins dug trenches so deep the entire sole delaminated and there's legit 1cm deep chunks missing where the pins land underfood. I've rode in non mtb skate shoes for years and never had a sole fail like that. I too ride 50 miles a week. About 1500ft vert a ride, dirt jumps on the weekend. Didn't last a month. There are a lot of other failures like mine if you research. I seriously don't understand how they last.
  • 2 0
 @Bro-LanDog: what is your secret for doubling their useful life. The soles fell off mine almost instantly. The skin of a banana is better attached to the banana than the sole is attached to a Five Ten shoe.
  • 1 0
 @mccarthyp: I wish that was hyperbole but it genuinely isn't. The soles lifted immediately. I glued down what I could, then the pins just ate thru the rest. The rubber people fawn over is thinner then a banana peel as well, and behind it cheap foam that's dollar store flip-flop quality. Never been more dissatisfied with a shoe purchase.
  • 1 0
 @optimumnotmaximum: I have been using the 1gen 2fo shoes for the last 4 years , some wear on the soles but the uppers are still top notch , a bit scruffy but no way worn out , just bought a pair of roost shoes and yes the grip is on par with wil 510 , may last pair of those free rider pros lasted 3 months before a big holes in the sole , have never bought another pair!
  • 1 0
 @royalsrule: I've been wearing 2fo shoes exclusively on and off the bike for 3 years and I've purchased 4 pair. I alternate wearing my 3rd (which are worn down but still good for walking) and my 4th pair which I bought a year ago and are still in good shape.
  • 112 16
 Carbon cranks are not cool
  • 31 5
 Just cracked XX1 cranks on my enduro from pedal clipping a tree at relatively low speed...replaced them with Shimano Saints.
  • 17 14
 This was the first time I've heard of Praxis? Am I just oblivious or are they new, or just new to mtb?
  • 4 3
 I stopped using carbon cranks about two years ago and will never go back. A friend of mine is releasing a US built aluminum crank setup for both regular bikes and eBikes. Super stoked and can't wait to mount them up hopefully next week. Ti setup is being finalized now as well. Can't wait to mount them up next week.
  • 10 0
 @kcy4130: Praxis have been around for a few years - you'll see them primarily on OEM MTB specs, though their lightweight road bike cranks are pretty competitive weight-wise.
  • 42 6
 bruh, you should see my last two sets of XX1 cranks. thoroughly abused, still going strong. huge chunks missing, hucked to flat hundreds of times from higher, rock strikes that flung me off the bike at death speeds(luckily missed the death, as is obvious by my typing). still rock solid.

it depends on which carbon cranks you run. avoid Race Face and apparently Praxis.
  • 1 3
 @conoat: yup
  • 22 0
 Didn't Gwinn have a catestrophic carbon crank failure a year or two ago? The ankle/foot injury he got took him out for a few rounds if memory serves.

Found it.

www.pinkbike.com/news/interview-aaron-gwin-and-john-hall-on-aarons-ankle-injury-broken-cranks-and-more.html

And yeah, because of stories like these, I'm not even considering carbon cranks at this point. I'm not a racer, so dropping a couple hundred grams low down on the bike isn't worth the potential downsides (let alone the cost).
  • 14 7
 Shimano makes all cranks with weight of sram carbon, why do even bother? rigidity?
  • 13 2
 @nickmalysh: XX1 is 100g lighter than XTR and also a 30(well, 28.999999999999999999. lol) mm spindle vs a 24. so yes, weight and stiffness(both spindle and crank arm).
  • 16 3
 @kcy4130: as others have said, they've been around for a few years. Founded by Sinyards kid but as an independent stand alone company (not associated with specialized). However, they pretty much get all their business as OEM placements on specialized bikes, so kinda still riding daddy's coattails.
  • 6 1
 Yep, I just cracked my XX1 carbon crank too. A pedal/crank strike must have fractured the carbon, then the threaded piece holding the pedal to the crank ripped out of the carbon arm when landing a step down feature. It was a bit dicey. Will not be getting another set of carbon cranks, no thanks.
  • 8 0
 @conoat: That's cool, but it still doesn't change the fact that carbon cranks can catastrophically fail. And when they do, the results for you as a rider can be quite severe. That bodily injury can mean weeks or months of not riding, plus medical bills. Assuming you don't irreversibly injury yourself.

No bodily injury > saving some grams.
  • 11 0
 It all depends on design, manufacturing, quality control, and most importantly how people use them TBH. BMX style steel cranks are known to be strong but I actually snap them the most throughout my 26 years of bike riding life while I majorly only bent aluminum cranks, but as a matter of fact most of my steel cranks snapped because of bad welding and internal rusting because I rode in rain as well. With good enough and well sorted out design and manufacturing process I do believe there will be carbon cranks that are just as strong and long lasting or perhaps even better than aluminum or steel cranks.

That being said... The actual problem comes when it comes to evaluate if the cost of having a set of really well sorted out carbon cranks is worthy? My personal answer so far is no. Why bother spending double or even triple the money on something that's not 100% figured out by most of the companies just to save 100g on something you barely notice the weight difference? If you're like a tech nerd who's always in pursuit of the newest and hottest then by all means but I just simply don't think we're at the point where carbon cranks are good enough for most of the people, roadies maybe but definitely not for MTBers.
  • 7 0
 @conoat: the Shimiano 24mm is steel
  • 3 0
 @conoat: unless you are racing, and have fresh pair of xx1 every other race, I would choose XTR/Whatever SRAM have as an alu for enduro/park bike
  • 3 1
 @conoat: great. And swap some of the best bearings in the industry for some rubbish sram ones? I ‘ll take 100g on. Even more as I went for XT.
  • 8 27
flag rivercitycycles FL (Sep 23, 2021 at 12:09) (Below Threshold)
 @salespunk: I never started just use the tried and true Shimano cranks. What is your buddies website?
  • 2 0
 They're cool, but they're not for everyone.
  • 14 1
 eewings ftw
  • 4 0
 @nickmalysh: I've bent a handful of XT cranks, but maybe anything would have bent as I've killed a lot of pedal spindles as well. I've also broken a couple carbon RF cranks. Just give me basic 7000 series aluminum and I'll accept that all bike parts break eventually. Ideally not catastrophically.

I suspect reliable and durable carbon cranks would need to be like carbon rims; just as heavy as alum. But there's not the durability upside you have with carbon rims. Riders who area easier on parts have a different calculation than some of us.
  • 2 1
 @Trudeez: His son is praxis? I thought he was supacaz. I can't find any record of a sinyard involved with praxis.
  • 1 2
 @JDub713: Ha, something to make even XX1 look cheap
  • 12 0
 @conoat: nobody who's riding XTR says they're flexy because of the 24mm spindle.
  • 7 0
 Cranks are one of the things that I won’t run in carbon; way too many rock strikes where I ride.
  • 3 0
 Saw a drive side X01 dub crank have the aluminum insert delaminate and fail after 3 rides leaving the rider with a hematoma on his quad and an AC injury. Nope. M8000 for me.
  • 3 1
 Like 8 years ago I broke 2 XO cranks. I didn't pedal strike them, I separated the metal thread insert from the carbon, on both the new ones when I built my bike, then the new warranty ones. The third time with the 2nd warranty set, I just sold them. Maybe I produce all the torquezzzzz (unlikely)... or maybe they just suck a bag of dicks. Went to Race Face Atlas after that on both my 29er and DH bike and never looked back. XT on the newest bike. Eff carbon cranks, piles of garbage...
  • 1 0
 @alexsin: or complain that 100 g heavier or brake them, also bb last forever
  • 5 0
 @conoat:
Just had a catastrophic failure with my XX1 cranks in Mammoth. I’m about 185lbs and hit a ~6-7 foot drop and the drive side arm tore right off of the aluminum core. They were great cranks until they weren’t lol

I found some new alum GX cranks to replace them and I won’t look back.

It really depends. All of our input is anecdotal.
  • 1 0
 @Billjohn6: …at a 300 gram weight penalty of course. Whether that actually matters to you or not is a different question.
  • 2 1
 @zachcalton:
quick goggle says Dave Blanchard
Co-Founder & CEO at Praxis
  • 4 0
 @Jaystey: XX1 cranks are not intended for DH/park riding. . . just saying. I've broken 3 cranks in my 20+ years of mtb non of which were carbon. I have a set of 2014 XO carbon cranks that have been on 4 different trail bikes and I'm a 220 bulldozer. If one was to compare a XO DH crank to a XO xc crank there is a good difference to them. . .
  • 1 0
 @sunringlerider: yeah definitely. Plus I’m on a “down-country” bike. I’m honestly probably riding my bike above it’s pay grade. I’m on a Marin Rift Zone carbon and I love it. It plays way above its weight class and loves to get in trouble lol
  • 1 0
 @ocnlogan: wasn’t that also the start of all his misfortune?
  • 3 5
 @nickmalysh: Shimano hollowtech cranks fail too. In my experience from what I see around here more than any carbon crank. Even on road bikes.

singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/xt-crank-fail
  • 2 0
 @Vindiu: 8 years old thread?
  • 2 0
 @nickfranko: This guy has clearly never snapped a crank in his life. Last 2 steel cranks I snapped failed catastrophically just like the 1 set of carbon cranks I've snapped. Both steel cranks caused 'bodily injury' when they snapped - you're argument makes zero sense based on reality.
  • 1 0
 @salespunk: company name…?
  • 3 10
flag jimschulze (Sep 24, 2021 at 13:36) (Below Threshold)
 @kcy4130: I have praxis cranks on 3 bikes. Lyft xc cranks on my Epic and Stumpjumper. Zayante carbon on my Tarmac. They are super light weight and stiff. Never had an issue, but they are very light. Bought them for that reason.
  • 2 0
 @nickfranko: AL cranks can and do crack and fail in a very similar manner.
  • 1 0
 @nickmalysh: That's one example. Google something like "Shimano crank failure and you'll get examples ranging from old to just posted.
  • 1 0
 @ocnlogan: Yep, I had a customer who snapped an E-thirteen crank arm in half on a jump landing.
  • 2 0
 @the-burd: two of my bike shop work buddies snapped their e13 cranks at whistler within an hour of each other. One of them was on the g-out run up of a jump which caused a huge crash.

While they were in one of the bike shops in whistler, a third, non related rider came in with broken e14 cranks.
  • 1 0
 *e13
  • 1 0
 @MaplePanda: I hate losing stiffness and adding 300+ grams, but if those XX1 cranks had cracked on the 5+ meter drops planned later that ride I'd be toast. I'll take potential of bent saints > cracked carbon
  • 2 0
 @Billjohn6: comparing XX1 cranks to Saints is completely apples to coconuts. That’s like saying man I really couldn’t hit that road gap the same on my top fuel as I could on my session. If you are putting xx1 cranks on a dh bike then you should rethink what you are doing.
  • 1 0
 @sunringlerider: i run XX1 cranks on my enduro bike, that sees plenty of DH duty. 3 bikes and 2 sets of cranks over the last 5 years. never an issue with them. tons of abuse, rock solid cranks.
  • 1 0
 @mfoga: Lol, you found the CEO of Praxis Labs instead of Praxis Works.
  • 1 0
 @conoat: @sunringlerider XX1's were on my pedal (enduro) bike. Took a chance. They aught to last more than a few months at least, had no big rock strikes. Oh well. Warranty they shall go onto my hardtail!
  • 3 0
 @Billjohn6: can you guys stop talking about this it's been a week
  • 42 0
 I was skeptical about having that extra battery in a water bottle holder... the huck confirmed my suspicions and the battery became dislodged and unplugged itself. I don't think I would trust it there without a more secure solution, losing that on the trail would be a bad day.
  • 16 1
 I find that more interesting than the crank snapping.
  • 5 24
flag Chuckolicious (Sep 23, 2021 at 10:18) (Below Threshold)
 No, it didn't disconnect, watch again. Though it looks like wire did keep it from falling out of the cage. I've now ridden Santa Cruz trails with Specialized crew on several occasions where they are on SLs with extenders. Fast riders for sure. And not a hint of losing one. That connector is actually so solid it's sometimes almost impossible to disconnect when you actually want to. On my loaner I was convinced I was doing something wrong, but it was just that solid.
  • 12 0
 Check again, it unplugs. Quite worrisome actually!
  • 8 0
 I was so focused on the crank fail I didn't even notice that. Before they showed it I had speculated that the external battery was what failed. I was expecting it to have fallen completely off tho. All in all, not a great showing for the weight weenie ebike!
  • 2 19
flag Chuckolicious (Sep 23, 2021 at 13:38) (Below Threshold)
 @Caiokv: No, it quite literally does not. Are you sure you are ok?
  • 3 18
flag Chuckolicious (Sep 23, 2021 at 13:39) (Below Threshold)
 @kcy4130: I can't disagree with that! Kinda strange that I'm getting downvotes for simply pointing out a fact. Peoplez be weirdz.
  • 2 14
flag Chuckolicious (Sep 23, 2021 at 13:48) (Below Threshold)
 @singleandluvinit I just want to confirm. You see now that the battery does dislodge from the cage, but never unplugs the connector, right?
  • 10 0
 @Chuckolicious: for fear of being dragged into something meaningless, it definitely appears that as the battery moves forward in the "could come out-of it, but doesnt quite" direction from the holder the cable connection gets popped out at the top of the battery, but not at the motor.
  • 28 0
 @tkrug: Oh snap! You and the rest are correct! I was totally focused on the bottom connector as that's the one I've only ever used or seen used. Thanks for clarifying and helping me see what was clearly right in front of me!
  • 6 0
 @singleandluvinit See my mea culpa above!
  • 1 0
 @Chuckolicious:Have another look

www.pinkbike.com/photo/21363840

Edit: Not sure how to do links in here but you get the idea
  • 1 0
 Range extenders come with a thick rubber strap to keep that from happening. Either forgotten by Pink bike or they didn't receive one from Specialized.
  • 37 2
 I get its small companies and all. But the response from Praxis of "welp, we don't know, we think they're probably fine" doesn't really inspire me much. That said I can see where they're coming from, when your fracture surface doesn't oxidize, I'm sure its way harder to analyze. Count me in for over built rather than lighter any day though. Ill take that healthy factor of safety for a few more grams.
  • 6 1
 When was the "impossible climb" done relative to the huck to flat,

at 15:12 in the impossible climb video there is a really nice close up of that left crank arm without a SCRATCH on the leading edge where a serious rock strike could happen.
  • 19 2
 @Mikevdv: The Impossible Climb was filmed first, but I don't think that shot of the arm is good enough proof that it wasn't damaged prior to the HTF. Not saying it was or wasn't, just that we don't know Smile
  • 13 0
 Take a look at the right crank arm flex just before the left one breaks, you can see the bottom side of the right pedal, nothing like his happens with the other cranks. It's no accident, they are just that weak.
  • 1 4
 @Czlowiekzkili: that could be the pedal flexing
  • 7 1
 @gserrato: The pedal axles are pretty hard, I don't think they could bend like that without breaking, besides, from what I can see they use the same pair of pedals in each test, at the beginning of the clip all the bikes are lying without pedals.
  • 2 1
 I had a set of Praxis (Lyft HD) cranks that had zero issues (on a 140mm trailbike) and in about year 3 they developed a "click" I could feel - like there was some movement. I contacted Praxis hoping maybe for some technical tips or perhaps a deal on a replacement as they were a year out of warranty - they didn't know what the issue was, and offered a warranty replacement despite being a year past the warranty date. I'm a regular average rider with no crazy hucks and for me, with their customer service / response, I'm happy riding the replacement Praxis cranks... (although to be fair they are not the model in the video.).. @mikelevy - for reference
  • 1 0
 @Czlowiekzkili: Good eye! To be fair though, when the left crank snapped, not only did the all the weight transfer to the right one, but forcefully so. That's quite significant.
  • 1 0
 @chaoscacca: If you freeze-frame at the moment before the left arm snaps, you can indeed see way more of the underside of the right pedal than you should be able to. It's easy to identify the instant of the pedal snapping because the outside edge of the pedal suddenly moves away from the shoe (you can frame-by-frame in Youtube by using the comma and period keys on your keyboard).
  • 26 7
 Carbon cranks are not necessary unless you are riding XC or light trail imo
  • 10 9
 The only crankset I've ever had fail was an aluminum FSA on the non-drive side and it was on my cyclocross bike. All my carbon cranks have been bulletproof on all my mountain bikes. I'm a 170lb XC racer though so probably not the hardest on equipment.
  • 5 3
 @jonemyers: i'm using acera level cranks from shimano, hollowtec 2, and are the just bombproof so far. Trail riding with some 3 feet plus drops to flat.
  • 9 0
 Yup. Outside of XC, you’d have a hard time convincing me that the 1/4lb weight saving from aluminum to carbon is worth it. And as a Clydesdale, I generally want the strongest stuff I can get at the contact points on a big trail/ enduro bike. And I’d rather spend that money on better brakes. I’ve even gone back to aluminum Renthal bars for a little more piece of mind. E-bike rated stuff is also nice for us bigger guys.
  • 10 0
 @Notmeatall: please be careful
  • 4 9
flag jonemyers FL (Sep 23, 2021 at 11:26) (Below Threshold)
 In 30+ years of mountain bike racing and riding along with a lot of gravel and road this is what I have broken: 1 steel road frame, 2 aluminum mtb frames, 1 aluminum tandem frame, 1 aluminum cyclocross crankset, numerous spokes, a and a couple of titanium seat rails. I don't think any of the failures were crash related. They all had signs of long term fatigue failure. I now ride carbon frames exclusively and have carbon bars and cranks on all my mountain bikes. Carbon has great fatigue properties unlike aluminum. None of my frames have rust or bubbling paint with corroded aluminum underneath. Once again keep in mind I am a 170 pound XC guy. I regularly ride pretty rough downhills but my main goal is making sure I can show up to work on Monday instead of getting the fastest time on a downhill.
  • 8 2
 @jonemyers: You're comparing old tech to new tech? Cool. So, 90s tech frame fail buy 2020 frames don't? Amazing.
  • 2 1
 @nickfranko: He's talking about carbon vs. alloy........ not that hard to read.

I didn't know alloy fatigue properties were weaker back in 1990? Amazing.
  • 4 0
 @hipposauce: to be fair, early aluminum frames did have a pretty high failure rate. So much was focused on weight savings vs steel, that they under built them, especially before the days of hydro forming the tubes. Cannondale didn’t end up with the nickname crack-n-fail for no reason.
  • 6 0
 In thirty years of MTB I've learned this: when aluminium fails people blame the manufacturer; when carbon fails people blame the material.
  • 3 0
 @iamamodel: Yep. People intuitively believe carbon is fragile, so they interpret the world to match. But in both cases the manufacturer is responsible for building a product that can withstand the application, and either material is capable of handling the stresses if put together correctly. And both materials are regularly misused by an industry with a stratospheric warranty rate.

It's really time to expect more out of the industry, not make excuses.
  • 12 0
 It's amazing how "Jason Lucas" could do that to his ankle and his alter ego "Loic Bruni" then goes on to win a world cup. He really is Super Bruni
  • 8 0
 Dr Lucas and Mr Bruni ?
  • 10 0
 I'm really not sure I want to see 'that' scene again.. but I'm still going to watch it..

"My ankles are ready..." or so you thought!
  • 2 0
 for more enjoyment, set playback speed to 0.25x on youtube and prepare to puke. It takes an eternity.
  • 19 1
 Some unexpected foreshadowing there.
  • 3 0
 On second watch he's lucky it didn't stab him in the shin! I'm done now.
  • 2 0
 @jasonlucas: Why is nobody talking about the fact that you literally ran over your own foot with the rear wheel???!!!
  • 3 1
 @srjacobs: I did that on a dirt bike 20 years ago and it still hurts, he’ll feel it later
  • 1 0
 He was just trying to match what he did to his other ankle
youtu.be/HffopSLCX1U
  • 1 0
 @Victoriamike: Oh god, why did you have to remind me of that video. Gruesome.
  • 8 0
 Seems like tire pressure and sidewall flex is more of a tuning parameter than one might think! The initial action of the suspension is more prominent from the tire compression and rebound. Would be interesting to see a huck to flat with the same bike but running a series of pressures from 18-34 at 4 psi increments with exo+ to DH sidewalls.
  • 3 0
 and with/without cushcore
  • 8 1
 Ok so I have SRAM XO carbon cranks. Regularly ride drops about that size(I thought the huck to flat drop was much bigger then that). I weigh 160lbs. Should I be worried?!?! Anyone experience a failure with that specific crank?
  • 30 1
 Given the carnage in this episode, I think we wanted to make sure that everyone saw that the Huck to Flat isn't that much of a huck. I think the Sender ramp is under two feet tall, although Jason does get some good pop and the landing is as flat as it gets.

I'm not taking the carbon cranks off of my bike and I'm not worried, but I think this video is a good reminder that it doesn't hurt to take a few minutes to look for damage every now and then. Not that that's what happened here - we're not sure. If you're going to be thinking about your cranks all ride, every ride, you're probably best to take 'em off Smile
  • 2 1
 Keep in mind also that most drops aren't to flat, nor to surfaces as unforgiving as concrete. If you're not regularly bottoming out your shock too, there should be not much cause for concern. Nonetheless it'd be interesting to see failure rates on the X01 cranks, though i doubt we'd ever be privy to that.
  • 4 0
 @Jordansemailaddress Had only 700 miles on my XX1's when they cracked from a minor pedal strike... X01 has additional foam insert which may have helped? I switched to Saint's (full pound heavier though...).
  • 3 0
 Should you be worried? No, but personally I will not buy carbon cranks anymore. I have broken a few sets and am over it now. The failures are too unpredictable and I no longer worry about smashing my crank ends into rocks.
  • 2 0
 Huck to uphill, thats where its at…we have a few of them and 8 year old carbon cranks are still hucking as my ass gets heavier too
  • 8 0
 @mikelevy: Thanks for hucking your meat on our Sender Ramps Pink Bike! www.sender-rampsusa.com
  • 1 0
 I have a pair of xo1 CR cranks and I’ve abused them at big bear, wilson, and bootleg canyon and they’re perfect, so don’t sweat it
  • 2 0
 I have abused the shit out of X01 carbon cranks. They've got tons of impacts from rocks strikes and ext, even a few that threw me otb at 20+ mph. Anyways, X01 cranks are totally fine, especially at your weight. XX1 is where SRAM starts skimping on materials.
  • 4 0
 @cgreaseman: my experience with X01 reflects yours. Huge abuse, zero issues. Destroyed multiple pedals though, chipped off half of the material at the pedal tip, the cranks are still okay. Talking about 2 pairs, on 2 bikes, 8 years span, huge (DH) mileage.
  • 4 0
 If you look hard enough you can most likely find at least one failure of pretty much every bike component ever released. Just because Pinkbike broke 1 carbon crank, that doesn't mean every carbon crank on planet Earth is going to break in half. I wouldn't worry.
  • 3 0
 @chaoscacca: These are all great points. Particularly the shock and fork bottom out. I regularly hit drops and jumps in the 3-8ft range and dont bottom my suspension out.

In these huck to flats, they always completely blow threw the travel and at that point the force on the pedals is amplified. I'm surprised they havent had crank or spindle failures in the past.
  • 3 0
 Thanks for all the replies! I don’t bottom the shock out, and I hadn’t thought about that. It’s reassuring to know there’s a bunch of you hard hitting shredders out there that have beat up XO cranks and seen them survive without issue. Keepin em on!!
  • 9 0
 Googling for chrome-vanadium steel crankarms, forged by the Dwarves in a full moon night.
  • 2 0
 The dwarves moved to North Carolina. And they upgraded to fluorescents now--moonlight was too fickle. canecreek.com/product/eewings
  • 6 0
 Interesting, on the 2 high pivot bikes, the derailleur on the Norco doesn’t swing nearly as much as the GT. Mabe 50 degrees vs 70 degrees?
  • 8 1
 How you bottom out 180mm bikes from such small ramp? almost all of them use all travel from 2 feet hack
  • 7 0
 Not having a transition turns it into a high-speed compression. You don't need much height if the landing is flat. Forks and shocks were setup correctly for Jason's weight.
  • 2 2
 They must be pretty soft to bottom out both ends from that height. My guess is they open compression all the way to help.
  • 2 0
 @zyoungson: The bikes are setup ready for him to go for a ride, nothing too soft Smile
  • 2 0
 @mikelevy: i was not able to bottom out lyric 180 mm with 2 tokens from 5 feet kicker no matter what, everything was open , even without tokens, only hard gouts with braking use almost all travel, but never last 10-15 mm, that’s why for me it is super surprising how easy all travel being used;

Even on dirt jumper with 90mm of travel and simple motion control dumper i never used last 10 mm never ever, on the same kicker
  • 5 0
 Interresting to see that all of the suspension systems seem like a dual-stage affair. At first it seems to compress half way and some time later it compresses completely. Probably due to the tires, right?
  • 1 0
 Also notice the only fork that doesn't do that is the Fox 38
  • 3 0
 Yes it’s the tyre rebounding as the fork is compressing.
  • 2 0
 @whippsb: he doesn’t lad the same consistently.
  • 6 0
 Maybe it's time to update the old axiom for e-bikes: "cheap, light, durable - pick one"
  • 8 1
 eBikes hucked to destruction should be a theme.
  • 6 0
 Such a great series of reviews and tests, thoroughly enjoyed every one..Really GREAT job PB team!!
  • 3 0
 "...of the thousands we've made/delivered to Specialized in the last 19 months, there have been very few warranties reported"

In other words: Once these delivered cranks get put on bikes and ridden, they will have more to go by!
  • 5 0
 It seems more difficult to bottom out forks on the bikes with steeper HTAs. Is there any truth to this?
  • 2 0
 i think you mean slacker but yes, I've definitely noticed that longer/slacker forks seem to bind easier.
  • 1 0
 @gtill9000: Yep, slacker*. whoops
  • 2 0
 Its logical that there would be more stichion
  • 2 0
 I would love to see Huck to Flat with a 250lb+ person to see if any part of the bike break, other than carbon crank arms. It's pretty impressive for the e-Mtb's to take that much abuse given their weight is twice as much as traditional bikes. Love these vids! Keep it up!
  • 1 0
 This seems timely after just watching a Norm McDonald (RIP) video on the setup being the same as the punchline....

"When asked why the failure occurred, they replied - its a carbon crank!"

I've run plenty of carbon no worries, but when it comes to cranks, the thing along with pedals that cop the most abuse, I simply just don't get it.
  • 5 0
 Meanwhile….

….at Specialized HQ


“FUUUUUUUUUUUJUUUUJJJUUJJK”
  • 4 0
 I doubt it, like all of their self inflicted bad press, they will blame and deflect
  • 3 0
 @FarmerJohn: let me tell you something all product managers love, reviewers showing just your product failing
  • 3 2
 well that was awesome. can you guys do speed hole huck to flats where you set levy loose with a cordless drill and tell him to save weight on some bikes than have an intern or some sort of robot ride it off a loading dock. id like to see some more destruction .
  • 7 2
 could we get some slow-mo vids of e-bikes being thrown off a pier?
  • 4 0
 What does the huck to flat test tell us about a bike?

Who cares, it is just fascinating to watch.
  • 1 0
 I'm not sure I could be any more consistent but slow motion cameras really show the variation in landing slightly front wheel first vs. rear wheel first when likely trying to land on both simultaneously for this test. The way the front vs. rear of the the bike compresses first was significant.
  • 1 0
 How about 2 Hucks per bike. Wanna see the two wheel landing and a back tire first slap landing. I know when I send to flat it’s always a bike tire first landing. Would be interesting too see how the forks and such flex compared to a normal 2 wheel landing.
  • 4 0
 Lets see some 2000's free ride machines on this test. They were the real huck to flat machines.
  • 1 0
 Great idea!
  • 1 0
 @mikelevy Is this the end of this years content on this test? Disappointed that there has been so little referencing of the Spesh Enduro as anticipated. The comparison was something I was looking forward to. The new bikes are not necessarily best bikes.
  • 2 0
 Yup, this wraps everything up. I agree - in hindsight, I would have liked to talk about the Enduro a bit more, but time constraints made it difficult. We were literally filming our last take minutes before we left haha. We do talk about how the new bikes compare to the Enduro a bit in the roundtable discussion (and I think Matt even picks it as his fave bike over the new stuff), and we also cover it a bit in the podcast.

Moving forward, we'll probably include more of last year's favorite bike in the Field Tests Smile
  • 1 0
 @mikelevy: Sounds like a good plan. Do any of the sponsors care that you planned on pitting their products against something "outdated"?

I don't really know what the humility of a bike manufacturer is like. All industries have some kind of benchmark that other companies take years to match. But most companies are probably loathe to admit that, even to themselves.
  • 2 0
 @Eiriksmal: None of the Field Tests are sponsored by bike companies, and the brands that do send us test bikes don't get a say. The Enduro is a damn good bike, but one of the main reasons we wanted it on hand is because so many people have owned one or still do - it's a relatively common bike. Since people know what that it's like, it's a good one to compare the others to. We just needed to do more of it haha Next time!
  • 1 0
 I have a set of Raceface Sixc carbon dh cranks for sale. Well actually only the non drive side is functional, but I still have both arms. Carbon is the ultimate crank material! Message me your offers on this highly desirable crank arm. This is sarcasm just in case it wasn't obvious. But for real I have a non drive side crank arm with blue logos for the low low.
  • 1 0
 That crank arm could have so easily ripped his leg open, putting CF fibres into his blood stream, etc... let alone the almost broken ankle there.

Seriously unimpressed and wouldnt be recommending this bike to anyone (these bikes are offroad bikes that are designed to cop a flogging, the pre existing damage excuse on the cranks is BS, cranks cop a hiding, they should be designed to cop ridiculous levels of damage and high impacts (eg using kevlar fibres etc) as a usual design environment.
  • 4 0
 No carbon cranks for me thank you.......
  • 3 0
 Anyone know what the white bits that seem to come out of the crank arm when it failed are?
  • 2 0
 Looks like the EPS insert that is used in the manufacturing process
  • 7 0
 Probably foam from inside the arm used during the molding process.
  • 11 0
 @mikelevy: Missed marketing opportunity for "VibrocoreTM".
  • 4 0
 praxis not make u perfect.
  • 3 0
 i guess, they sent a prototype crank by accident
  • 2 0
 @jasonlucas @mikekazimer What we’re the bikes you would have brought home if you were doing this field test?
  • 3 0
 All I did was film them this time around but based on our tester's feedback I'd go Norco Range.
  • 7 0
 @jasonlucas: Says the guy who gets free bikes from Norco lol.


I agree though. I love my sight. Range looks awesome.
  • 1 0
 @jasonlucas: perhaps Katz can answer this. Spesh Enduro or Norco Range if you were going to take a bike home for the summer
  • 1 1
 Is it just me or does the Fox 38 compress way smoother than all of the ZEB and Fox 36 forks? The 38 seems to just have stage compression where the other forks have a two stage, similar to the rear shocks.
  • 3 0
 None of my weight bearing contact points will ever see carbon.
  • 2 0
 Perhaps Jason could wear ankle supports next time. Really hate to see him get hurt.
  • 1 1
 So what if he landing big hit into rugged terrain... Not parking lot smooth ride out? What i f trees on either side? What if that failure kill him?! They need recall that garbage.
  • 1 0
 @mikelevy so I swapped out the Praxis carbon cranks for Praxis alum on my new KSL after watching this. The alum bent on like the 3rd jump. Praxis has issues.
  • 2 1
 Good job it what was the left side that snapped not the right, I remember the back to front right ankle video... Eugh.
  • 1 0
 Looks like on the Transition Spire , that the piggy back on the shock looked very close to touching the downtube !!!
  • 2 0
 Watching that crank explode in 1000FPS was oddly satisfying.
  • 2 0
 was just about to buy some carbon praxis, glad i seen this, hard pass !!!
  • 2 0
 Carbon cranks will become the new Pole I guess
  • 1 0
 Every time I hear a creak from my headset area I cringe that my carbon bars will break, please no thanks.
  • 2 0
 Thanks for the massive effort in the field test guys! Love watching these
  • 1 0
 If I was forced to ride car on cranks the only company I'd go with is sram.
  • 3 0
 Best 5-10 ad evah!
  • 1 0
 Dumb question, but... Didnt the boyz ramp over a mini cooper for huck to flats? Now we buffing some candy ass sh×××.
  • 5 0
 We did jump over my old Mini! We've downsized since then, though.
  • 1 0
 For a not-so-big huck to flat...is it proper that the bikes should be bottoming out forks every time?
  • 4 0
 Not having a transition turns it into a high-speed compression. You don't need much height if the landing is flat. Forks and shocks were setup correctly for Jason's weight.
  • 1 0
 Man I haven't cringed that hard in quite some time. Press F to pay respect to Jason's ankle.
  • 1 0
 That ankle roll was a rough looking one. He is lucky he is not sitting out the fall riding. Good ole’carbin fibuhh.
  • 1 0
 How about a Huck to flat of every Norco/specialised from the last 20 years for every generational change that's occured.
  • 1 0
 My left ankle is held together by screws and cables - so if you need a reinforced ankle for the next HTF test let me know!
  • 1 0
 This is why I just bit the massive bullet and bought a Cane Creek eeWings crankset.
  • 1 0
 @jasonlucas How do you like your knee pads?
  • 1 0
 Prices goes up and quality goes down. The bane of popularity.
  • 1 0
 Digging the Game of Thrones sound track. Big Grin
  • 1 0
 RIP @JasonLucas ankles and wrists
  • 1 0
 Please make it a 1h loop video !
  • 1 0
 Just say no to Carbon Cranks!!!
  • 1 0
 *Casually slips in the fall field test announcement*
  • 1 0
 I hucking love this part of every field test
  • 1 0
 YAY!!! I needed something to cheer me up today.
  • 3 3
 Let's all take a minute to pay our respects to the incredible service of Matt's ankles.
  • 1 0
 Cheers!
  • 1 0
 (I should have watched the WHOLE video before posting this, haha)
  • 2 5
 If I've said it once I've said it a million times. Carbon is NOT stronger than metal in the real world. This is bloody proof of that. How many times do I have to tell you! You are being ripped off for a weaker over rated product. Always have been! Deny it all you want but this is a fact.
  • 2 0
 You could pay a grand for Ti cranks...
  • 1 0
 Jason Lucas is killing it on Kill Tony! hahahahahah
  • 1 0
 Sorry I made a mistake its David Lucas! ahhahhaha Thank you for another huckster's to flat!
  • 1 0
 I'll never buy a Kenevo SL
  • 1 0
 Looks like 38’s did sweet FA for fore/aft flex.
  • 1 0
 Give @jasonlucas a space brace sponsorship!
  • 1 0
 WOW! BERRY AMAZING!
  • 1 0
 Finally!
  • 2 2
 Looks like the piggy back hits the frame on the Spire when bottomed out!
  • 8 0
 Just the angle - there's plenty of clearance.
  • 3 0
 The Transitions have a channel in the downtube around the shock so there's more room there than it appears.

Have a look here: www.transitionbikes.com/images/2020FrameFeaturesGallery_Bearings.jpg
  • 1 1
 So true! Few will account for this!!!
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