Review: Race Face Next SL G5 Carbon Cranks

Feb 27, 2020
by Daniel Sapp  
photo


Race Face have had the Next SL crank in their line for quite some time now. Currently, the cranks are in their fifth design generation. The 428-gram crankset sells for $429.99 USD.

Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Race Face is a stone's throw away from the famed North Shore and surrounded by some of the best mountain biking in the world. The Next SL cranks are made by hand, in house, with carbon that is sourced from the United States.

The cranks use Race Face's Cinch BB interface and are available in 170mm and 175mm crank arm lengths. They are compatible with both Race Face's SRAM and Shimano 12-speed chainrings which are available separately.
Race Face Next SL G5 Details
• Intended use: XC / Trail
• Carbon construction
• Spindle sizes: 134, 136, 149, 170, 174, 190mm
• BB Compatibility: BB92, 68/73 BSA, PF30 (across various spindle lengths)
• Chainring compatibility: Cinch Direct Mount, 64/104mm Cinch Spider, SRAM and Shimano 12-speed.
• Compatible with Race Face's Cinch power meter.
• Lengths: 170mm, 175mm
• Warranty: 3 years
• Weight: 450-grams (arms, spindle, preload assembly, lockring, 32t chainring, boots)
• MSRP: $429.99 USD (arms only)
• www.raceface.com


photo
Light weight, but at a price - $430 isn't exactly cheap.


Construction

This fifth generation of the Next SL is said to be lighter, stiffer, and better in every way from the previous version. Race Face say that they updated and improved the carbon layup and manufacturing process for better power transfer and more stiffness. Riders can run a variety of spindle lengths and have the option of different chainrings/offsets including using a ring from Race Face designed for Shimano's new 12-speed drivetrains.

Race Face say that the design intent for their latest cranks wasn't solely focused on being lighter than the G4 Next SL, but also stronger. The G4 had some issues with strength, especially with the pedal thread inserts pulling through at times and impacts on the ends of the crank arms - this is coming from my personal experience so, logic would indicate that this issue has been addressed in some manner.

The carbon layup in the crank arms now consists of more layers in higher stress areas and according to Race Face, every single designed piece of carbon used in laying up the G5 is new compared to the G4 with the volume of carbon fiber in each zone varying to achieve what Race Face have determined to be the best overall performance. The curing process for the cranks was also changed to increase strength and fatigue performance.

In this development, Race Face made some changes to their testing methods to ensure that the updates to the crankarms netted positive results in real life. In the end, while the weight from the G4 to the G5 only decreased by a couple of grams, the strength of the cranks has substantially increased.

Shimano doesn't make a carbon crankset so the Race Face cranks have become a popular combination for those wanting to use a Shimano drivetrain and then also have carbon cranks. They've also been a common spec from companies recently as Shimano have had issues with delivery of their XTR crankset, something worth noting.

photo

Installation

Installing the cranks is a very straightforward process. Riders choose the appropriate Race Face Cinch bottom bracket to fit their bike and follow the instructions. Spacers are included to get the correct spacing for whatever spindle/bb/offset combo is needed.

It is worth noting that you do need a Race Face or 30mm BSA bottom bracket tool if you're installing on a threaded BB, and you'll need the appropriate BB tool for the chainring lock ring as well. While these aren't hard to find tools by any means, they are not necessarily in the toolbox of every home mechanic.

photo
photo
Race Face's Cinch system allows the use of different length spindles and different chainrings for maximum compatibility with different preferences, drivetrains, and chain lines.


Performance

The cranks installed and set up as advertised and I've had no issues with creaking, popping, or any untimely bearing wear. There were instances in previous generations where several riders, including myself, had issues with the pedal thread inserts coming loose from the carbon or coming out. This has not been an issue with the latest generation and everything is holding up as it should be.

Deciding that one high-end set of cranks is stiffer than another is a job better left to Olympic athletes and calibrated testing equipment. The Next SL cranks seem every bit as stiff as they need to be, certainly no less stiff than the previous generation, and I have had no complaints with them in that or any regard during my time using them.

Looking at the G5 Next SL compared to SRAM's flagship XX1 Eagle DUB SL cranks, the numbers are close. The Next SL G5 cranks, chainring, and crank boots assembly weighs in at 450 grams, this is a little bit more than the SRAM XX1 Eagle DUB SL kit which tips the scale at 436 grams, also with a chainring. The G5 Next SL cranks cost $430 for the crank arms only. A chainring is going to run you an additional $65,for the 12-speed NW SRAM style chainring or $78 for a 12-speed Shimano ring, and then the BB is about $60. This brings the package total up to a price of $555. The SRAM DUB SL cranks include a chainring and sell for $515 and a BB will cost you $38 more, bringing the total for the SRAM kit to $553...a mere $2 less than the Race Face Next SL in price but with a 14-gram weight savings. At this point, we're splitting hairs and it comes down to brand loyalty and cosmetics.

photo


Pinkbike's Take:
bigquotesAfter months of riding in wet and muddy conditions, I've had zero issues with the Race Face Next SL cranks. They are no doubt a premium product with a premium price tag, but the price and weight are within a few grams of SRAM's DUB SL crankset. For Race Face loyalists and those who want a product handmade in Vancouver, the Next SL cranks are good candidate.—Daniel Sapp






Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Reviews Drivetrain Race Face Race Face Next Sl


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279 Comments
  • 162 36
 So... has Race Face prolonged the period before the pedal insert falls out? Possibly the most warrantied Crankset in MTB history. They even made the R version, where R surely stands for 'Replacement'
  • 8 9
 I almost bought a second hand set of the ‘R’s glad I thought better of it
  • 33 17
 Come on dude... I owned 2 et had zero issue while riding over Vallnord's rock gardens.
  • 43 23
 @Vandermouten: your experience differs from experience of every single bloke I personally know who owned one... sorry, some of them owned two, they sold the second replacement. The chances are that majority of people never experienced problems but the failure rate is high.
  • 37 6
 No other brand or component has disappointed me as much as RF carbon cranks. The only thing worse than the durability of them is the RF customer service/guarantee. I have had two pedal incerts fail an numerous of my friends have also. Shame on you Race Face!
  • 24 0
 I'm on my third, free, no-quibble, complete replacement set of cranks!!
  • 6 4
 (I weigh 75kg/155lbs)
  • 19 6
 Surely not more than e13 cranks.
  • 11 5
 @captainian: 165 lbs = 75kg
  • 2 4
 @WAKIdesigns: What are you next set of cranks going to be?
  • 8 4
 @Trudeez:

The e13 cranks didnt break, just needed an angle grinder to remove them!
  • 5 2
 @WAKIdesigns i think you may be the @protour of carbon cranks
  • 28 4
 @dtax: pfff... 150g around BB (XT compared to Next SL) in return for being virtually indestructible and 3 times cheaper? VS high risk of damage and high price?
  • 12 2
 @WAKIdesigns: i agree with you that white wales can be very mean, but it doesnt mean you have to try to hunt them down every time you seem them like @protour did to the Demo
  • 8 2
 I've had Next SL, Next SL G4 and now Next R over the past 5 years. Pedal inserts have been always been fine but the left crank arm developed some play on the first two pairs - Next SL after two years and G4 after one year. Race Face's French distributor's service has been excellent including the second set out of warranty and a bump up to the Next R offered by them before I even asked for it. I did all communication with the distributor myself but had to do the shipping both ways through a local shop. I kept the original metal preload ring from the Next SL - don't like the idea of the plastic one they have now. 80kg rider, on mostly rough natural alpine terrain and some park. Would buy XTRs if I was paying my own money for something new next time but for now I'm not concerned about the Next R. Race Face's BSA30 bottom bracket is fine; change the bearings yourself (for me about once a year which is similar to what I used to get from cheap Shimano BBs), would do the same again rather than Hope/etc.
  • 6 3
 @erikskon: i second the lack of backing up their warranty. It actually used to be pretty good and with proof of purchase I was able to warranty various generations of Next carbon cranks. Then something happened and for whatever reason they weren't replacing Next carbon cranks (within warranty period and with proof of purchase). After 20 years of buying RF, I stopped and will never buy their products again. Bars, cranks, stems, rings, dropper posts, no more Race Face. Bye bye.
  • 13 1
 @WAKIdesigns: I'm among these "blokes" who did not have any single issue with my Race Face Next SL crankset in 4 seasons of riding. So, that makes two, at least... Wink
  • 5 0
 @cool3: make that three here.
  • 4 0
 @Ian713: Yep 165.35! #fatf*ck
  • 12 1
 @Vandermouten: Ah yes the typical I never had a problem so all the other complaints are BS logic.

Sample size of 2 is statistically huge.
  • 3 0
 @captainian: yeah, but you're on your THIRD REPLACEMENT...
  • 5 0
 Can also say I’ve ridden last gen Next SL’s and at a whopping 225lbs never had an issue (surprisingly) I figured the X.O carbon cranks would have been up there for most failures, but perhaps you are only speaking about the crappy pedal insert issue
  • 2 0
 I had a FSA carbon crankset, where the insert was moving. Tried to get it under warranty, they refused, saying it was a clone because the stickers were gone.

Carbon crankset, never again for me.

Now I went for Fovno CNC alloy crankset:

www.aliexpress.com/item/32949231717.html
  • 10 7
 @WAKIdesigns: never seen someone go so hard in the paint over a product only their “blokes” have owned but yet no personal experience? I have had a set of the R version for 2 seasons 0 issues. You want to ride a SL crankset as though it’s a DH rated crank, expect to replace it often.
  • 14 9
 @Branmuffin: I don’t need any persona experience, this comment board is a proof on its own. Many testimonies. Something costing this much shouldn’t fail this often. I am checking out
  • 1 0
 What do you think of the 6 cranks? Are they alright for freeride?
  • 3 0
 Yep. I snapped some SL's like toothpicks....at the insert. To be fair though RF replaced them with a set of Rs which are nice with the exception that the y keep loosening up over time especially when riding rowdier trails. It's super annoying. Next crankset will be XT again. Simple and good.
  • 2 0
 @WAKIdesigns: itsnot about cheap waki its all about bling in this game..
  • 4 4
 @bohns1: that’s like telling Jeff Cavaliere to do Synthol
  • 3 0
 @Trudeez: Way more for me. Went through 2 sets of RF in 6 months before getting E13 TRSr. E13 have been solid for well over a year now...
  • 2 0
 my dad had some of these and then they completely broke off the top third of the crank when he was racing
  • 1 0
 @zoobab2: wow did they really say that?
  • 1 0
 Yup, I think carbon cranks + flat pedals are especially prone to this issue. I sold my warranty replacement NextR and went with TurbineR, which have been fine for 2 years. I just picked up RF Atlas 165mm cranks for my new Spec Enduro, $175.
  • 1 0
 I got through 2 sets of Next SL cranks on my last bike, on the second return they sent over G4s as they were meant to be 'heavier duty'. Never got to see if the inserts came loose as I flogged them and kept the alloy turbines I'd been using during those 'crankless' spells. I do have Carbon Truvativ cranks now...they've been fine for a year and I ride a lot.
  • 17 4
 I think it's worth mentioning that several of the users here claiming they broke a lightweight XC crankset were riding them on rather not XC bikes or trails. Next SL is a trail group at most, and yet I've seen them on tons of 160mm bikes over the years. Get the right cranks and you will likely see less failures.

We have a dude on our race team who's pushing 270lbs, absolute beast of a man, and he's been on a set for well over three years. The difference? He's an XC dude, not a enduro shredder. Be realistic about your riding.

Also that said, Sram carbon cranks do come on everything from XC to enduro bikes and seem to hold up, are lighter, and are less expensive. Seems like an obvious choice.
  • 4 5
 @sherbet: carbon is not a material for a crankset outside of XC racing... ai have personally seen 2 different SixC cranks. If this was an article about SixC I would make the very same comments. X0 cranks incl X0DH suffer from exactly same problem. It’s undeniable...
  • 5 2
 @StraightLineJoe: three sets in one day @ Whistler. Aaron Gwin, Mick Hannah. . . . Yeah e13 cranks (and most of their components) are made of cardboard.
  • 5 2
 @Trudeez: f*ck e13 and their expensive paperweight excuse for cranks
  • 4 0
 @Branmuffin: as a counter example, I had the DH rated SixC cranks. Lasted less than four months before the insert failed. Only carbon cranks I’ve ever owned, only cranks I’ve ever had fail. I’m glad to hear yours have been fine - but unfortunately there are so many stories to the contrary and I hope that RF have sorted it out properly this time.
  • 4 0
 They do make the SixC which are apparently much tougher. Apart from the toughness thing. I sold my third replacement set, couldn't trust them, broke them all trail riding. Friend is also on his third set, same deal.
  • 5 0
 @cool3: I work as a mechanic for large scale enduro and XC events. It’s not unique to race face, they’re a wear item essentially and it’s just a matter of time. Just seems a shorter life with race face than sram.

If it wasn’t a problem, they wouldn’t have mentioned it in the press release lol.
  • 1 0
 @sherbet: I worked the pioneer race here in NZ for a few years, 450+ XC whippets, was pretty common on those.
  • 3 8
flag mtbjuky (Feb 27, 2020 at 13:57) (Below Threshold)
 ANNND they wont warranty if you cant provide proof of purchase. Eye came loose on mine. Lost me for life RF.
  • 4 2
 Anybody on here claiming anything like "counter example, etc...." are missing the point. Just because you haven't broken yours, doesn't mean others are doing anything wrong. There's definitely an aspect of confirmation bias, so I'd like to see failure rates from RaceFace. If they relaxed their replacement policy, while requiring return of old cranks, they'd have a greater ability to gather data on failure modes. Pedal inserts are difficult to execute for heavy use, but that doesn't excuse marketing composite cranks for those uses. As a safety issue, your pedals should fail first, unless you're simply abusing them.
  • 1 2
 @maxc: They haven't and don't give AF
  • 1 3
 Everything breaks eventually.
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: We leave that to Gregg Valentino! Haha
  • 4 0
 @terribleone1982: love the turbines... Have been rock solid since 2016 for me.
  • 2 0
 @sherbet: xc at 270lb...God damn son!
  • 2 0
 @bohns1: Dude's like 6'6" and pretty large. Honestly more of a pinner than most would assume. Got legs that us mere mortals can't even comprehend.
  • 3 0
 Not just the Nexts either. I broke the insert on my SixC cranks and they told me that "lifetime warranty only means our expected lifetime of three years". Granted, they did last just over three years, but that's still an awful long while short of "lifetime" for any normal person's expectations.

And yeah, I am just going to run a boring set of Shimano XT cranks from now on. Boring, light-enough, and I've never broken a pair of Shimano cranks.

Anybody remember the bad old days of square taper cranks? Raceface are just as fragile, but on the opposite end of the crankarm.
  • 2 0
 @StraightLineJoe: ....so I'm not the only one.
  • 3 0
 @erikskon: Sorry you have a bad experience with your RF cranksets. We have DM'd you to discuss further.
  • 1 0
 @captainian: not sure if that’s a selling point...
  • 4 1
 @JDFF: Hey there. Would love to discuss your experience with our warranty department further as we did not make an policy change to block any legitimate crank warranty claims. Will send you a DM to talk further - hope you can take some time to talk this through so we can make things right for you.
  • 3 1
 @WAKIdesigns: Agreed. Mess up and land one footed or catch a pedal and the inserts pop out. Carbon cranks, bars and wheels are just stupid. Absolutely no benefits and a whole load of negatives but you can sell it for three times the price a alloy so let’s not let the truth get in the way of making a profit.
  • 1 1
 @enki: to be fair raceface and middleburn are two companies that got the square taper to work somehow.

I’ve never actually broken a set of hollow tech cranks but I’ve bent every single pair I’ve owned granted I’ve not owned a set for a few years now but they’re super cheap and you don’t notice you’ve bent them until you get on someone’s bike with straight cranks so it doesn’t really matter. Ha
  • 2 3
 @Dustfarter: Hey there. Glad the Next R cranks are treating you well. Drop an email to our support team and we can sort you out with some new hardware which should take care of that loosening issue. Email - service@raceface.com . If you do not see a reply quickly then message us here. Thanks for riding Race Face.
  • 2 0
 @thenotoriousmic: What now? I run x01 on my indoor park/dj bike (because I can) and have landed literally hundreds of unsmooth footplants dropping down 6+ feet back into quarters where I didn't get my foot back on right or at all.. the cranks are absolutely fine. I weigh 220 lbs.

This whole comment thread makes me feel like I must ride smooth as shit because I have no idea what you guys are doing to break all this stuff
  • 2 4
 @mtbjuky: Sorry to hear that you had a poor product support experience. Would really want to talk more on the what went on with this warranty process for you. Will DM you and hopefully we can talk this through and find a way to make things right!
  • 7 1
 @raceface: Heyo guys, kinda wanna bring one up that you never fully acknowledged. During your release of the Aeffect R crankset, you made the claim that the cranks are forged per length, and not drilled out of a stock length of 180 with extra meat hanging off the end. A user on this forum called you out when he found that was false, and it never seemed to have any conclusion.

Did y'all send that kid the cranks he was after with the correct configuration, or was the claim incorrect from the get go?

Here's a link to the comment chain and the company claim, as well as the user's profile proving the claim to be incorrect; www.pinkbike.com/news/race-face-launches-aeffect-r-cranks-dropper-post-and-lever.html#cid2342377

I love your company and want to support you desperately, but instances like this really make me rethink purchases as there seems to be a disconnect. Pretty please guys, you're capable of the dopest shit!
  • 3 0
 You're obviously not familiar with the original F[all] S[traight] A[part] cranks.
  • 3 2
 @raceface: you probably should of done this when i had the issue a year ago when you left me standing there with my broken cranks up my ass. Its pretty clear you're only reaching out now because your getting hammered in the PB comments #toolateRF #movedon
  • 2 1
 @WAKIdesigns: I’ve got next r cranks. Zero issues with all 240 pounds of me riding them
  • 6 2
 @onemanarmy: where did I say they all fail? I meant that fail rate on carbon cranks from RF is higher compared to other carbon cranks and much higher than alloy cranks.
  • 2 2
 @WAKIdesigns: where did I say you said that? Get off ur soap box.
  • 2 1
 @raceface: You blocked my legitimate warranty claim, and it was only after extended arguments with the distributor that I eventually got my replacement. You had the gall to claim that your cranks never fail, except in extreme crash scanrios, even though mine had crumbled after a couple of days trail use.

Funnily enough, when replacement set failed in exactly the same way, they were replaced without issue
  • 2 0
 @raceface: Thanks for that! Highly appreciated!
  • 1 1
 My comments on my experience with SIXC crankset got a lot of attention, now it might be late, but I should just make some clarification to mye story: I have had one spindle brake (old sixc), that warranty was ok. Then I have had one pedal insert brake, that was not replaced since the warranty was only walid for the first crank and not the replacement. So when i said that I have had two inserts fail, that was not true. That I have several friends and contacts that have had their inserts brake is still true.
  • 1 0
 The spindle is also a bad design. Cranks will eventually start to creak.
  • 1 0
 @sherbet: 270 lbs on an XC race team??
XC is pretty big here, and the chill dudes that go without teams here are pretty shredded, and you have people pushing 270 lbs on race teams over there?
Gad daym!
  • 2 1
 @Losvar: I thought fat shaming was forbidden in Norway...
  • 1 0
 @HaggeredShins: put broken xo crank into google images and You’l see they’ve all broken in the same way. Insert ripped out of the crank arm. They’re ok until they get hit in a way they’ve not been designed to, land one footed with the pedal at 6 o’clock or the pedal hangs up against something and your forward momentum rips out the insert. I saw two break during last years World Cup coverage alone.
  • 1 0
 @thenotoriousmic: in reality there's probably more cases of inserts just getting loose which may simply be prelude to them being ripped off for folks who didn't notice it at first because the outer face of the crank was keeping the pedal in place with minimal play. by average 100g of weight saving (X0>XT) in place where it least matters.
  • 4 0
 @mtbjuky: who exactly is providing warranty coverage without proof of purchase?
  • 2 0
 @mtmc99: Sram and Shimano when/as soon as their brakes go to crap. It goes on serial nr. alone. Some companies acknowledge design&manufacture errors leading to profound failure rates of (some of) the stuff they make. That doesn't mean they fix it in the factory. Accounting solves that via Warranty dept.
  • 1 0
 @sherbet: 6'6" and 265 lbs was my prime fitness numbers. Beast mode for many outdoor sports. Wish I was still that tall and light.
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: but why should a company warranty anything for a second or third user? If the original user never registered their warranty information when they bought the bike/product how would a company know that person is the original buyer without out the sales receipt.
  • 3 2
 @lifeofloon: Normally, for virtually every case I would agree with you (I even get the legal reasoning behind this - purchase is a contract between a particular seller and a particular buyer) but what is the case here is more of a recall rather than warranty. Let's say failure rate is 10% - is this enough? In case of Sram and Shimano brakes, failure rates are surely much higher.
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: fair enough.
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: I would agree with that. Despite my positive experience with my Next crankset it does seem to be reaching the level to what could/should be a recall issue.
  • 1 0
 @mtmc99: Shimano, Sram, Enve... I don't have time to list all the others zillion companies that do. Warranty the product , it shouldnt matter where or who bought it.
  • 1 2
 @lifeofloon: Why would a company need to know who the original buyer is? That’s irrelevant. If a product has a five year warranty it should be covered in that five years no matter who owns it or where they bought it or whether they have a receipt. this is standard with most reputable companies like Shimano and Sram and Enve. Plus most people don’t keep sales receipts for small items.
For big ticket items like wheels forks and frames, yes.
  • 3 0
 @thenotoriousmic: Well of course the broken ones all broke at the pedal boss--as it turns out bonding carbon to metals is a feat of engineering and likely will always present the weakest point in the assembly. You can break anything when you apply force in a way something wasn't designed to absorb. I've twisted alloy cranks in the situation you described and completely snapped a Profile Elite hanging a pedal up on coping. In use I currently have the xo's, a few sets of Sixc's, and as many carbon wheel sets and bars, but I've yet to break anything made out of this material while over time I've managed to bend, fold and completely destroy almost every category of alloy or steel bicycle component short of headset spacers. What does that tell me? Breaks are situationally dependent, not a factor of a single material being inherently flawed for mtb applications. Bear in mind I'm responding to your earlier knee jerk "zomg carbon is stoopid haz no benefitz, always breakzz" comment, which is comically false.
  • 1 0
 Truth, no more carbon cranks for me. Replaced 3 or 4 Next and 2 SixC as well as a set of SRAM Reds on the Cx bike. XT/XTR from now on.
  • 2 0
 eewings for me. Can't see the pedal insert failing there!
  • 2 0
 @HaggeredShins: it’s way safer bending a alloy or steel crank than the catastrophic failure you get with a carbon crank. I just don’t see the point. I see and hear off them breaking all the time. I can’t remember the last time someones alloy crank broke like that and for what? Slightly less weight?
  • 1 0
 @HaggeredShins: it’s way safer bending a alloy or steel crank than the catastrophic failure you get with a carbon crank. I just don’t see the point. I see and hear off them breaking all the time. I can’t remember the last time someones alloy crank broke like that and for what? Slightly less weight?
  • 1 0
 @sherbet: They are certainly the best but I recently discovered one problem with them... they are TOO stiff of a lever and cause my Starling bb to flex to a point where the drive side arm can clash with the chainstay. I guess I have to hold out until they drop 165's or crimp my stays Confused
  • 1 0
 @thenotoriousmic: I hear you on that--I think I have a bit of a biased perspective being that I've had a few alloy catastrophic failures and also having worked in a shop for my whole younger life, I got to see all those broken parts that conventional wisdom might dictate should be impossible. Carbon cranks like most carbon parts can save a huge amount of weight and I personally feel are a stiffer and more stable platform that transfers power better than alloy, but perhaps in much less of a meaningful way for us mere mortals. Nevertheless, I can't break em, so I run em.
  • 4 3
 Stop wasting time on pink bike ever time they do a piece on you and everyone complain your products break Just make good stuff instead @raceface:
  • 3 2
 @freeridejerk888: If they weren't posting trying to be helpful you'd be posting about how they don't interact with their customers and don't GaF. LOL!
  • 3 2
 Nope I wouldn’t. What matters to me is your product not the one guy you pay $13 bucks an hours to answer Pinkbike comments once every 6 months @onemanarmy:
  • 1 0
 @freeridejerk888: so you think the person answering these comments came off the production line?
  • 1 0
 @StraightLineJoe: Once I helped a friend (a very good bike mechanic...) to remove an e13 cranks wile he was checking my bike. He was afraid to broke the CF frame,so I take the frame in my hands and put various pillows absorbing the hits of the rubber mallet. Inside was totally rusted/corroded,totally stuck. The crank set was straight to the garbage can. My bike is a Cannondale with a Cannondale Si crank set and I was always on top of the maintenance of the PF30 bottom bracket (everybody knows Cdale lack of quality),3 years later they look like new,bearings are like new and never saw dirt inside of it or any rust. That bike was a few months old and the cranks were totally stuck.
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: The only issues with cranks that I've ever had were with my Nexts' pedal inserts crapping out. I've had cheap and expensive Shimanos and SRAMs; Praxis Lyfts and Zayantes; Specialized Lightning and S-Works ... and the loser has always been ... two sets of Next SLs I had on my Enduro and Stumpjumper.

Anecdotal? Yes. Presumptive? Somewhat? Validation of ineptitude for me? Definitely yes.
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns:
Hi can I ask you you say you know someone that had the Race Face SL G5 or the G4 is that came apart I'm looking at getting the G5 due to they say they fix them any help you could give would be grateful
  • 1 0
 @Vandermouten:
Hi can I ask you you say you had good walk with these pedals the SLG fives or the G4S I was thinking of getting the G5 due to they say they're not having a problem with them coming apart but I see a lot of people here complaining do you have any input on that or do you know anyone that has that a problem with the five eyes
  • 1 0
 @captainian:
  • 1 0
 @captainian:
Hi sorry I accidentally hit send can I ask you a quick question about your pedal I am thinking about getting the SL v v I know a lot of people had problems with the fours I see you had problems was that with the fives or the fours and he helped on the five this would be grateful not sure if you know anyone that has had issues with the pies
  • 1 0
 @Lornholio: I can I ask you a question I see you had the fours the SL fours did you ever have the sl5 Zin did you have any problems or do you know anyone that's had any problems I see a lot of people had problems with the fours here but didn't know about the five any info you could give would be grateful a little scared to buy these due to the fours may try to look into xtrs
  • 1 0
 @lifeofloon: can I ask you a question would you say make that three here did you have a problem with the fives or the fours on the SLS I was thinking of getting the fives but with all the problems with the fours I'm thinking about maybe XTR can you give any info on the fives that you heard of anything would feel would be grateful thank
  • 1 0
 @Pat36: Welcome to pinkbike.
  • 68 15
 If you’re considering buying any after market crank that doesn’t say Shimano on it...don’t.
  • 35 9
 I had no issues with Sram.
  • 16 4
 Same here, using Sram/Truvativ Gxp bsa, for more than 10 years now
  • 13 2
 No problems with my SRAM crankset, but 48-54nm from a pocket tool, trailside, is a bit much.
  • 12 5
 @fiatpolski: same here. 6 years on an carbon XO1 crankset with zero issues. Plus no fu#king around with pinch bolts.
  • 5 1
 Hope works great, and comes with the tools,
  • 34 1
 The only problem with my Shimano cranks is that they don't say Shimano on them anymore
  • 6 0
 My Hopes are running great still
  • 4 2
 My SRAM XO carbon cranks imploded on a rock. Carbon cranks...never again...
  • 6 1
 @MTBSPEC:
Shimano letters exists
Shimano cranks: aight imma head out
  • 12 2
 @StraightLineJoe: You must really love setting up your stem. I never thought of pinch bolts as complicated.
  • 2 1
 The current Gen ethirteen cranks have been treating me great.
  • 2 1
 Cane Creek makes a pretty nice set of titanium cranks... but yeah, shimano does a stellar job
  • 2 0
 @mattbrown9: and seat clamps
  • 7 4
 Heh, GXP is crap Just like RF there is no denying it. I had issues with mine in the past, now got on it again and after only 3 months, it is creaking more snd more. BB is faced, preload... oh it doesn’t exist

Hope? It is a 30mm axle it works only with outboard bearings, for PF it’s a big no no. System is stupidly overcomplicated, heavy for the money. DM mount is stupid Had it. Never again.

Shimano pinch bolts - fiddling?! Try to install Hope!

HadXX1 cranks, they were wearing out at horrific rate in my area. Lost plenty of paint on them, then they all require

All current alloy sram cranks are pile of crap, horrible quality not worthy even alivio, and they have29mmsli dlikeHope. No go for PF.

The only thing Sram got right is introduction of NW and their dm chainring interface
  • 5 0
 @StraightLineJoe: You mean the one time you do them up when installing Shimano cranks? They only come loose if preload cap fails. I've seen plenty of SRAM crank bolts come loose. Most is user error not installing properly.
  • 1 0
 @BenSandle: and once you ride them as they loosen, the splines are shot, and the arm will continue to loosen until replaced.
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: I bought my hope cranks as a replacement for a pair of BSA30 next SLs that had the pedal inserts come out, and for that they worked great. I can’t say anything about using them with other bikes and systems, but if you’re stuck with 30mm threaded BBs, they’re a good option.
  • 1 0
 @StraightLineJoe: nope, you get a stupid bearing adjuster instead.
  • 1 0
 @medievalbiking: I loved my carbon XO1s but couldn’t keep them as new bike is dub. I thought they were bombproof but saw a picture on a Wellington Facebook group this week where on had snapped.

I found NZ easy on cranks. I had more pedal, crank and ring strikes on my first ride on the East Coast of Canada than I did in 8 years in Wellington.
  • 2 0
 @Ron-C: Why are you torquing your crank arm fixing bolt trailside? Eek
  • 2 1
 @homey78: If you've got $1000 sitting around for a set of cranks, I envy your disposable income.
  • 1 0
 @KiwiXC: I need to update my bio! Moved back to chch and did it in the bike park. Agreed that Wellington is fairly easy on bikes
  • 1 1
 @fiatpolski: Same here. No problems w Descendant cranks. They might be low end of the spectrum but they do their job for me. 6’5”, 240# on the bike w about 200 rides on em.

Sweeping generalizations are still a scam.
  • 2 1
 @fiatpolski: no issues with my alloy turbines from 2016 either... Rode hard and put away wet.
  • 25 1
 Four hundred and something dollars and it still works just like a crankset (if your pedals don't fall off). In the meantime, Shimano's SLX cranks just shrug their shoulders...
  • 4 5
 They also stand on the bathroom scale and sigh sadly while looking down at their shame. Meanwhile, the Next SL cranks look down and grin.
  • 25 4
 Their bottom brackets have a bad rep (short life span) where I am from. What do others think?
  • 13 12
 Having have had 4 of them, ISIS, external 24, external 30, BB92 yes... the bad rep is deserved. They do creak long before they die (although BB92 one started creaking instantly for me), as compared to my experience with Shimano where they sometimes die without creaking but overall life span is rather short, GXP level at best.
  • 5 0
 I've had to replace my pressfit RF BBs after one season of riding. Swapped them for Hope BBs and they have been great for 3 seasons so far.
  • 5 12
flag WAKIdesigns (Feb 27, 2020 at 0:21) (Below Threshold)
 @kopaczus: my BB92/30 creaked from almost day one, died in 4 months. And I Don't even ride! To give it some slack Hope BB92/30 started creaking by the end of the summer of same year. Run Shimano BB92 24mm now since 2 years, no problems, very occasional creaking, half the price of RF, quarter of Hope.
  • 1 1
 @kopaczus: Yup, the Hope BB is the answer. You have to be careful with shell widths though...
  • 4 0
 Been positively suprised with my BSA30 RF bbs. Compared to their shitty rep anyway. They last me about a year in pretty sloppy conditions. (For reference Shimano lasts me about 6 months).

I've had trouble with the cinch interface creaking and chainrings working themselves loose though, even when using loctite read on the threads...
  • 3 1
 At least they are expensive for no reason.
  • 1 1
 Yep. My experience also.
  • 3 2
 @WAKIdesigns: check out Hambini's channel on Youtube. All you need to know about bottom bracket.
  • 7 8
 @Euskafreez: I almost got a f*cking Heart attack! HELLOOOOOOO! Thanks for that Big Grin

The reality is 30mm spindles are much more likely to fail than 24mm spindles. It greatly depends on how frame is built and whether you face them. i know that. Nothing explains 24mm shimano for 20€ no probs for a year+ on every damn frame I owned, time and time again, then RF, creaking after a month or less. I mean... nevermind
  • 1 0
 Yup, got a few months out of the Raceface bb's. Last season I switched to Wheels MFG and the bearings went after about 9 months of riding. Wheels MFG advertised a lifetime warranty on stuff, and then in fine print states "except Enduro BB bearings". My mistake there. I think there is a fundamental design issue with having the 30mm ID bearings being protected by the lockring preload against a seal. I'm on my fourth BSA 30 BB in two years. Those fancy Chris King bbs make a lot of sense in this case.
  • 12 1
 @WAKIdesigns: 30mm were a bad idea right from the start when Cannondale came up with it. But it's another story … at least there was a technical reason behind it back then.
That 30mm aluminium made spindle craze is stupid. Why on earth the two most experienced companies in cycling (Campagnolo and Shimano) still use 24 and 25mm spindle ?
There is no way to make a BB86/92 frame works great with a 30mm spindle, harsh reality here folks!

@blast-off: The problem ain't Wheels MFG or Enduro BB Bearings here. And to the same extent, a CK bottom bracket will not make more sense. Even worse, a CK won't make any sense at all because it's too expensive for what it is and it won't fix your issue. Using a grease gun to make it noise-free doesn't fix anything at all.
Keep your Wheels MFG. Resurface and re thread your frame with the proper tool. Then instead of wasting your money on CK, replace the Enduro Bearings with some NTN bearings.
If you want to spend money, just go back to a 24mm spindle crank.
  • 2 0
 @Euskafreez: ...but 28.99 is perfect ????
  • 1 0
 @ReformedRoadie: 28.99 is a perfect waste of time and money. But as long as it's not mine … whatever floats your boat!
  • 8 0
 I second the bad rep, riding in PNWet conditions RF BBs seem to last 3-6 months. 30mm spindle leaves little room for bearings, so the bearings are tiny and any contaminants will kill them in a hurry. Had similarly poor luck with high-end aftermarket BBs from Real World Cycling and others for 30mm spindles. Shimano 24mm spindles and cheap BBs with big bearings seem to last forever.
  • 1 0
 @ReformedRoadie: So far so good with the threaded dub bb. Mine has seen a lot of mud.
  • 2 0
 I've had 2 1500 mile seasons on my threaded RF bottom bracket with no issues. No noise and still spins freely. I did break a set of SL G4 crank arms though. Replaced with a set of alloy Turbine cranks for a little bit of weight penalty but a lot of cost benefit Smile
  • 3 2
 @Euskafreez: that is why Hope has let me down with 30mm. It makes zero sense.
  • 9 1
 I put about 5000 miles of hard riding on my mountain bikes a year. Go through a ton of fork seals and frame bearings, chains and cassettes, but if you set the preload right on your crank, the bottom bracket should last a long time. I got two entire seasons on my PF92 RF BB and there is no noise or indexing. The BB went through two broken frame replacements in that time. The only reason I put a new one in was because I thought maybe it was time, but the thing was still trucking. Proper installation is everything. Like preloading a Shimano crank, be VERY LIGHT on the preload. And stop spraying your bikes down with heavy jets of water, no matter how satisfying it is to watch the mud and dirt peel away from the frame. Folks will want to downvote me because "they did everything right"...you probably didn't.
  • 4 1
 @bicyclelifestyle: Another I'm the only one that knows how to set up BB preload, so all the failures are user error.
  • 1 1
 @TheOriginalTwoTone: the moment you say “I am the only one who X” is the moment you Should know you are fkd Smile You will never see critical comments like these above under article/review on Shimano cranksets/ Bottom bracketsz
  • 2 1
 @bicyclelifestyle: Counterpoint: If you need the skills of a safe cracker to get the preload JUST PERFECT or else the BB fails in 3 months, the design sucks.
  • 1 0
 Praxis
  • 1 0
 @Euskafreez: You know, I noticed the BB shell could use a facing and I'll check out NTN, cheers man.
  • 1 0
 I've had a few of their BSA and BB86 Cinch bottom brackets. They've held up just fine in my part of the world.
  • 3 0
 @Drew-O: Counter-counter point? For useless internet ego points.... If you don't set the timing belt or chain JUST PERFECT in your car, if will also fail in three months, or three seconds. Mechanics is equal parts finesse and logic. If you understand how the parts are engineered and designed to work, the installation procedure will make sense and go very quickly and easily without being ham-fisted. Hardly the effort cracking a safe. Highly engineered parts require higher attention to detail during install.
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: Some BB designs are terrible,but as I learned watching Hambini videos, only a few bikes have a good BB. By a good BB I mean it is not very f*ck up in any way. Many bikes have serious misalignment issues due poor manufacturer processes. Shimano BB put all the load in the plastic shell,so it can compensate to some degree a shitty frame/BB,that´s why it is less prone to creak and run good. Nothing to do with the axle diameter or Japanese magic. Other BB are more rigid or just are designed by the "anus of humanity" in words of mr Hambini,mix that with a bad frame and you have a nightmare. That is the cancer of many road bikes even with shimano parts. Good thing shimano BB is cheap and quick to replace,but in many cases the problem is the bike. I have the same PF30 shell since 3 years and they are totally fine and my bike is a Cannondale,0 creaks so I think 1 I was very lucky and 2 my frame has a good BB,very rare in a Cannondale bike.
  • 1 0
 @homerjm: I always face my Bbs... always. Because it takes 10minutes at my friends workshop. And BB bearings of certain brands still fail more than of others. His description matches EVErYTHING I wrote.
  • 1 0
 @Trailsoup: shimano bottom brackets are the worst they’re good for 6 months and then they fall to bits like most things shimano but they’re super cheap so it doesn’t really matter.
  • 1 0
 @Euskafreez: The problem is not the spindle diameter. Real problem is most frames are cheap made,by hand and the processes to made the BB not ideal. Campagnolo and Shimano made the shit to work from ages,so they design a BB to accommodate more tolerances. BB30/PF30 is more rigid,but it need a good BB to work,not something close with misalignment in all the axes. It is hard to made a good BB the way almost any brand do it,so we have crappy working parts in our bikes.
Shimano BB runs over a plastic shell,that why it can work better whit worst tolerances in the frame.30mm spindle/interface is more rigid by design,so it works very bad if the BB holes are not perfectly machine&position. It is that simple. Cannondale BB are bad cos their bikes in general sucks,it is a poorly made product low quality control.
  • 19 5
 There are no worse cranks in history than RaceFace Next SL.

I've ridden G2, axle interface started to get play in a few months. Got warrantied, sold the replacement, guy who bought them got pedal insert failure soon after.

I never had issues with any of my cranksets ever (Shimano, SRAM either carbon or aluminium).

Why wouldn't you match Shimano drivetrain with SRAM cranks? XSync2 is great and very long lasting teeth profile not to mention you have plethora of chainring options with SRAM and you can get great, cheap rings from aliexpress.

I'm currently running SRAM X1 DUB carbon cranks, they're very light (total weight including everything and 32t chainring is 550gr) and cost me 150€ as a take off.
  • 7 6
 Sram also has issues with inserts falling out and their pre DUB bearings were crap. I am told their DUBs are better. Not sure why they wouldn’t just fix their sht instead of increasing the diameter of the spindle...
  • 2 0
 You got a deal of a lifetime on those cranks. Them bitches run $500 new.
  • 8 5
 Raceface in general is pretty horrible, I think the only thing of theirs I've had that hasnt just fallen apart within months is an aluminum handlbar. All their clothing explodes, their components are crap their stems take the clearcoat off their carbon bars, and the pads are super fragile. I've had multiple of their turbine hub shells come apart and their rims are made of tinfoil.

Working in a shop we had to warranty so many of these cranks, and each time we had to warranty something we could expect at least a dozen emails with their department. Asking for photos, then videos, then a differnt angle, then asking if we were sure. Seriously... we're sending back the product, its not like were after anything for free, we just need to replace customers' stuff, we're professionals, we know when something fails, we especially know if we've seen it fail a dozen times in the exact same way.

TL;DR don't buy raceface. anything.
  • 3 0
 @thetruejb: Agree 100%.. Local shop here that caters to a solid group of shredders has been making decorations out of warrantied SRAM brakes and Race Face Cranks.
  • 3 2
 @thetruejb: I wish experienced bike mechanics came together and made a black list. Nobody else has more insight into reliability than you folks. I guess Race Face stuff, Sram Levels and Guides, Shimano brakes, Commencal bearings...
  • 1 2
 @WAKIdesigns: This is an outstanding idea! Add Press-Fit BB's to that list. lol
  • 2 2
 @thetruejb: Thanks for sharing your experience. We are committed to supporting our trusted dealer network and riders. We have taken steps over the past season to improve our warranty experience, including lessening the 'red tape' for opening warranty claims and shortening the overall warranty process to get riders back on their bikes quicker.

Since you seem to be local to our facility in Vancouver maybe you would love to come through and see how we produce our carbon cranks in-house and we can also discuss your opinions on RF products and how we can do better in your eyes.
  • 1 1
 @WAKIdesigns: anything e13. Don't forget anything YT and Acros headsets and bottom brackets that are made of tin.
  • 3 0
 @raceface: Be wary...ITS A TRAP!
  • 1 0
 @ebikesruinedmylife: Thanks for the heads up Wink
  • 1 0
 @thetruejb: Hey let’s not forget the Atlas flat pedals! Two different sets fell apart on me on the trail. Their design means if the outboard bearing fails the f’ing pedal body FALLS OFF. Contacted RF in both cases and got absolutely no response of any kind in either case despite multiple emails. To hell with those guys.
  • 1 0
 140lb rider here on a 110mm bike, first set of Next SL's had pedal insert failure, replaced with G4's then pedal insert failure, replaced with Next R's and now axle interface loose (yes, I tried to tighten). They have been parked in the garage for 9 months because dealing with a warranty is a huge hassle and it's not like they are giving out refunds.
  • 16 3
 Cane Creek Ti eeWings for the win. Buy once, ride forever. Well, or until "standards" change down there. Yeah, I'll never be able to pay for my kid's college tuition, or braces, clothing or grocery bill... but hey, priorities.
  • 11 3
 Lmao what do they do that my base deore cranks don’t do? Nothing and cost 10 times as much
  • 5 2
 @freeridejerk888: Lighter, stiffer, stronger. Worth the price? For most people, no.
  • 1 0
 lmao for .03 percent of riders sure! If that’s how you justify spending 900 more on cranks! @serathestaii:
  • 1 0
 @freeridejerk888: The look like old school Redline Flight cranks- if you were BMXing late 70's early 80's then you'll understand.
Just need to get the kids out of the damn house so I can afford a pair.
  • 18 2
 I don't understand why carbon cranks exist except for use by XC weight wieners (who's existence I also don't understand)
  • 1 0
 The weight savings for those long climbs is quite significant, the flatter profile is far safer for ankles, they damper pedal strikes excellently, and in my experience, they make less noise. I've never worn one out (I use SRAM X01). For me, aside from the cost, it's all win.
  • 2 0
 @tripleultrasuperboostplusplus:

I would say taking a dump before a ride would have more weight saving benefits. As for safer ankles, I just don't know, I've never hit mine on my burly atlas alu cranks that I pedal for hours at a time.
  • 6 1
 Have had raceface cranks on 3 bikes.

The early(ish) 2014/15 Next SLs (G3?) which came on my 2015 Jeffsy Pro died 2.5 years in, and were warrantied with no quibble - I received a set of Next R 48hrs later.

These Next R have been solid for 2.5 years now.

I also have Next SL G4 cranks on my hardtail, these are now over 2 years old and are solid still.
  • 7 2
 Excellent, time to vent about my OEM Raceface product.

So, the Cinch preload collar, omg. Please make it stop backing out. Oh wait, nobody can because it's pressing against the seal which occasionally binds against the BB and steadily backs-out that collar. Good thing it's nylon and uses a 1.5mm screw, otherwise you might have been able to prevent friction from backing it out. Nevermind the occasional bashguard stall.

Also, their Cinch BSA BB-cup ovalized. Coming from HTII that was something new to me. A bit of the ol' clik-clak fix-it goop seems to have resolve that (for now).
  • 4 0
 I replaced the preload collar on my turbine cranks with the metal one from Cane Creek for the eewings. The Raceface one was coming loose every other ride. The Cane Creek one has never moved. Highly recommended.
  • 2 0
 @tubby1536: Yup... RF used to come with metal preload collar but no longer, the CC ewings is $20ish and even has a Ti bolt included. Wink
  • 5 1
 We think we could help you get that crank set-up dialed a bit better so you would not see those issues with a preload collar backing out.

The ovalized BB cup sounds a bit weird....would also suggest chatting that through with our dedicated service team as there may be other things in play here .

Send them a message at service-ca@raceface.com and they will work on getting you stoked on RF again!
  • 1 0
 @raceface: Yeah, I thought it was weird too... Thanks for your offer.
  • 8 0
 Make mine metal and make mine Shimano.
  • 3 0
 These are a tough sell for me. I had 2 sets of Next SL, both failed at the pedal insert. RF sent me the Next cranks when they were available as a warranty but it wasn't long before the Cinch chainring insert became loose. It was warrantied but once again it was not long before a pedal insert came loose. RF did not want to warranty the last failure, claiming that it happened after the original warranty period had expired but thanks to pressure from my LBS they agreed to warranty. I told them I did not want their Carbon cranks so they sent me new Turbine set with a SixC handlebar. In the end the warranty was ok but the product was garbage. I have always been a RF fan and still am but not with their cranks.
  • 1 0
 Try White Industries.
  • 1 0
 I should add the first set that failed was Next SL, then Next G4 then Next R for the final 2 failures. I did have a set of the original Sixc cranks on an older bike with a 24mm spindle and they seemed to be bullet proof. No problem with them over 4 years and I ride a lot.
  • 1 0
 @bansheeridermike: My last set of White's went 12 years before finally cracking. Needless to say, I bought another set to replace them. :-)
  • 2 1
 Sorry to hear of the experience you had with our Next cranks. We always will stand by our products and the riders that choose to ride them. With every new crank or any other RF product we are always striving to put out the best product possible with the design emphasis being to maximize the riders mtb experience. We are making moves with our warranty program to speed up the process from warranty claim submission to getting parts out quickly to get riders back on trails. Warranty interactions in the past have trended toward being to adversarial - we want to change that to being a more of a partnership with our riders. Hopefully you will give our cranksets another tree down the road - in the meantime thanks for your support of Race Face.
  • 7 0
 The failed carbon cranks in the comments section is always a good read.
  • 3 0
 My first generation SL’s failed at the insert where the cranks attached to the spindle. Not that dissimilar to many other stories. The impact of which was that my bike-centric vacation to Steamboat was ruined. That happened on Labor Day (early September). Despite being able to show proof of purchase, Race Face’s warranty department refused to honor the warranty until January (5+ months). The worst company I’ve ever dealt with. I ended up buying lunch for the mechanics who fought the good fight on my behalf.

BTW - the replacement cranks eventually failed at the pedal insert. The second warranty scenario resulted in RF sending me the “R” cranks - which are much heavier.

Don’t even get me started on the POS RF dropper. I blame myself for giving RaceFace a second (third and fourth) chance.
  • 4 2
 I have owned about 4 different sets of carbon cranks from Race Face myself and never had a problem with the pedal inserts. I have had to do some warranty work with RF and they have always came through for me. I've always loved their products but the inconsistency seems to be a problem. Either way I have thousands of miles on my original Next SL cranks and I have loved every pedal stroke.
  • 3 3
 ... well look, there’s ONE happy customer.
  • 2 0
 Thanks for riding Race Face!
  • 6 0
 Save your bucks and ride aluminum cranks. Shave weight elsewhere
  • 3 1
 I have a set of G2's and a set of R's. I'm 225lbs before kitted up. Have not had a single issue with either set of cranks or BB's. I love my RF Next Cranks. However, I have finally seen the benefit of DUB...those 14G difference has to be coming from the 28.99 axle vs. the RF 30mm axle.
  • 2 0
 3 of my riding buddies have destroyed a set of these. Only one set was warrantied. I have an older set of Next SL cranks, but am too scared to run them ony MTB so I put them on my commuter. Carbon is a great material for a lot of things, but cranks aren't one of those things. A good set of alloy cranks will save you a bunch of money and never let you down.
  • 4 0
 I really like raceface products. My saint cranks are getting really worn out so I might grab a new atlas crank when it’s toast
  • 1 0
 My last set failed with ye olde pedal insert issue just after the warranty ran out and also about the same time as 2 sets of carbon SRAM cranks failed Frown I managed to get one set of SRAM cranks warrantied (even though they were slightly out of warranty) but no joy on the RacFace ones Frown I have invested in Shimano alloy cranks as replacements. www.instagram.com/p/B5lMk3inTOu to see my woes. Anyone after an X01 crankset brand new, boxed get in touch...
  • 1 0
 I've had a set that were replaced under warranty and replacement failed and suppliers charged me $150 dollars for a new right side crank.they barely had any Hours riding and very well looked after and obviously faulty. Won't be buying any more race face products and selling any that i've got before they crap out again.
  • 4 3
 So, loads of people complain about failure of the crank or the bottom bracket. Just wondering, has anyone actually experienced some kind of advantage of running lightweight cranks? I haven't so I can only speak from theory, no proper experience. To me it seems like the cranks are close to where you'd like your bike COM to be so a little bit of extra weight there doesn't matter all that much. I realize some people like to save on "rotating mass" so that matters mostly for wheels. But for cranks which are much smaller and spin slower, does it matter all that much? I can see it matter most for those who need to pedal fast out of the gate (like BMX and 4X racers) but yeah, do people even experience an advantage for just general trail riding? Also if it is about rotating mass, why do people focus on the absolute weight instead of inertia? A carbon crank may be lighter than say an aluminium XTR crank, but as the carbon crank gets a steel insert and a rubber bumper near the tip, is inertia even that much lower?

On my own bike I run Truvativ Ruktion cranks on a Howitzer bb which replaced 2004 LX cranks (and a left non-series crank from 2008 or so). I think the Truvativ cranks are heavier but I haven't experienced any downsides. That said, I don't do gate practice. On level or descending sections I typically put in a few short stomps and pumps but nothing continuous. I do pedal continuously on the climbs but that is a much lower cadence so I'd say rotating mass wouldn't matter that much.

References to reports proving that so much lighter cranks will save you so and so much power are welcome too.
  • 3 1
 This one time I bought a set of White Eno's, they lasted 12 years. THIS other time, in '02 I nabbed a set of profiles for the park bike, still using them. Cheap, light, strong, pick two.
  • 5 1
 I love a good pick 2 comment
  • 1 0
 Great until they break. Testing a part for a few months doesn’t cut it. It’s likely to fail after a few years. I’ve got scars on my body from the last time a crank from RF failed (Sixc) and no, it wasn’t covered under warranty.
  • 2 0
 Hey there. Sorry to hear about that issue. We direct messaged you to dig into your RF crank experience a bit more. Would love to discuss and work on making things right!
  • 5 4
 I'm gonna chime in here re: Race Face carbon cranks. I am currently on a set of SixC cranks that are nearly 5 years old. I don't know if I got the best set ever made, but these cranks have been absolutely problem free for me (knocks on wood). I think I've replaced the bearings once in 5 years. I ride hard, and I'm pretty heavy these days. These cranks have not had an easy life either - North Vancouver and WBP are my usual zones.

I can't speak too much about the pedal inserts coming loose, but I'm convinced that a lot of the failures that occur in the middle of the crank arms might be caused by the outer face of the crank arms being ground away by shoe rub. If you've ever seen a cross section cut-away of the SixC crank, it's pretty ridiculous how thin the wall is. Because of this, I've been pretty religious about keeping the 3M tape scuff guard intact on the crank arm. I've made a simple template of the original shape, and when I notice that the tape is damaged or wearing off, I replace it right away. Takes a few minutes, and I probably do this about once a year. I've seen some other Race Face carbon cranks where the 3M tape is completely gone, and the rider's shoes have worn through a considerable amount of carbon on the outer face.
  • 5 0
 Having to use tape to prevent a break is exactly the kind of reason I don't understand this material for this application. Front triangles of frames, maybe even rims for some people, but for an area with guaranteed friction and a $hitload stress I just don't see the benefit of a carbon crank over a good aluminum option. Happy to hear yours have performed well, but I've seen chill riders rip the pedal right out of RF cranks so I could never ride them.
  • 2 0
 @jesse-effing-edwards: No worries. Not trying to sell anyone on these cranks - just more of a PSA for current owners on how to keep them intact. I seriously don't know how I've gotten so lucky with the pedal inserts, BB bearings and Cinch collar. I smash rocks quite frequently with big, wide flat pedals, and am constantly riding in mud and slop - hose off the bike almost every ride. Never had any creaks either.
  • 2 1
 Totally agree. I keep good tape on my SixC's along with crank boots and they've been bulletproof. No complaints at all. Having said that I've sure seen a lot of the other brand's pinch-bolt crank arm's fall off in mid-ride.
  • 1 0
 Does a shoe really wear away the carbon? Its never crossed my mind that something like that could even happen. I've never run carbon cranks but obviously see the shoes rub wear away the finish on my aluminum cranks but always just assumed that a shoe would only wear away the cosmetic finish, not even wear through any type of material itself.
  • 2 0
 @sino428: Absolutely - mostly from the lapping action of dirt, sand and water thrown into the mix. I've seen carbon and aluminum cranks worn down from this.
  • 1 0
 @dh-walters: Crazy stuff, my aluminum cranks usually end up with a nice bare polished aluminum look, but its never gotten to the point of taking actual material off.
  • 1 0
 @dh-walters: I'm sure the reality is that the majority (maybe slim?) of carbon crank users don't have them break , otherwise I can only assume that they pretty much would have been canceled. I'm slightly paranoid so have always been happy to use over built metal stuff as right or wrong I feel it's more dependable. Maybe now that you've had this converstation you should take those cranks off your bike, haha
  • 2 1
 I've had 3 RaceFace carbon crank arm failures where the metal inserts fell out. Because they were mailordered I wasn't able to get them warrantied. Needless to say, i'm not happy with RaceFace. They're great cranks until they fail. Should you still buy them? You make the call.
  • 1 0
 Why didn't they honor the warranty? What would mail ordering have to do with anything?
  • 2 1
 Hello there. Sorry to hear about the issues with those RF cranksets. From what mailorder company were you purchasing the cranks from? If the mailorder company was selling genuine RF product we certainly would 100% be available with our usual warranty coverage against manufacturing defects. Let us know and we will try to help you out!
  • 1 0
 The problem is that I don't have a sales receipt or a record of which online retailer I purchased the cranks from. As stated on the race face website: "DO NOT send product directly back to Race Face without having contacted your original dealer. Warranty returns need to be issued an RA# by Race Face. Any product shipment arriving at Race Face without a proper RA# will be returned to sender." And... "Yes you will need to produce a proof of purchase for the Race Face product you want to have considered for warranty coverage (either for the product directly or for the complete bike). Race Face warranty coverage is extended to the original owner of the RF product, so the proof of purchase helps to prove your original ownership of a genuine Race Face product."

Granted it is my fault for losing the email which contained the sales receipt. But it still sucks to be out this many hundreds of dollars.
  • 1 0
 @dfiler: Filer you should be on metal cranks, you ride rowdy af where there are rocks. Save plastic for the flatlanders.
  • 2 0
 honestly, kudos to them for providing at least SOME technical detail for why the G5s are better. can't fault them for owning that improvements were needed and make the necessary changes.
  • 1 0
 RF “chincy” preload collar sucks along with their crappy BB’s. Much cheaper Aeffect R with Shimano XT BB for me. Solid, simple and lasts for a long time. I do have almost 4 years on Next SL crank arms no issues (older ones stronger?), but forever done with 30mm axle/BB set up.
  • 1 0
 Is there still some appeal about carbon cranks that I'm (still) missing? Sure, slightly lighter and shiny, but still... my old RF Atlas (2011, heavy-ish) and my Turbines work great, and I don't have to put cute little shoes on them to protect them.

Had some creaking in with the Turbines, 5 minutes and an allen key made short work of it.
  • 1 0
 I have the 2015 Next SL cranks (G2 or G1 I think) on my HD3 and they've been solid, taken a tremendous amount of punishment. Spin like butter with a Hope bottom bracket.

My hardtail, on the other hand, is on its third set of Next SL cranks. First set failed/developed severe play at the spindle. Second set had the pedal insert come loose. Warranty service the first time was a pain and took two months plus many follow-ups just to replace an obviously broken crankset. Third set is holding so far. RF needs to work better with their distributors on that.
  • 3 1
 I also have the 2015 RF Next SL cranks and Next bars on my Scott Spark SL. There are many steep mountains here that require the hardest pedals strokes to climb and many rocks to hit your pedals on, and I have still not had any problems with my Next SL cranks. Although I am only 150lbs, I like to try and get some air off of everything, so not sure why others are having problems? These pedals are made for XC only, but have stood up for me riding much past this style of riding. Maybe just certain models/years were faulty? Yes, I would buy from RF again...

I also respect Race Face on this forum for attempting to take responsibility and help rectify and solve any problems people have had with their product(s). They are a good Canadian company trying to make very cool MTB stuff.

I also have about 6 months on SRAM XO1 cranks on my 2019 Trance Advanced Pro 29 and no problems either.
  • 3 0
 @RowdyAirTime: they are taking responsibility? Where were they when they were denying everyone’s warranty claim. This is DAMAGE CONTROL. They reached out to me and I’m sorry I’m not taking any free swag to cheer me up. Don’t buy these cranks folks, too much bad mojo. No sour grapes here, I’m saying this 1 mountain biker to another. If you have a loose pedal insert and you keep riding you likely deserve to crash. When cranks snap under load regularly people need to be made aware. For what it’s worth, mine were Sixc, and they snapped above the pedal insert.
  • 2 0
 Brand loyalty and cosmetics as the deciding factor is pretty accurate for most apples to apples comparisons these days !!!
(Granted there are a few lemons and outliers)


Nice honest review... Thank you!!
  • 1 0
 Had a set of Next R cranks that uses the next SL spindle. It’s thin as plastic and sheered right off. Luckily wasnt in anything too gnar and they did replace it for me.

I went straight out and sold that replacement, bought X01.

F*** that.
  • 3 2
 My X01 laste less time than the RaceFace Frown
  • 1 0
 I managed to pick up a set of the originals for £150 in a bike shop closing sale. They lasted a year and were replaced by G2's due to a pedal insert failing. Silverfish UK carried out the warranty no problem. The G2's failed almost a year later after the crank arm developed play in the axle interface. Silverfish swapped the axle over to a set of the Next R crank arms. I decided to not risk putting them on the MTB (instead using shimano XT) and these have been used to 1X a road set up. MTB bb is slightly wider than road but the chainline is fine with a 142 back end and Wolf Tooth components make a big ring (meant for the Easton version of these cranks) that works with the Cinch interface. 14 months on they are still holding up well and the minimal weight makes more sense on the road. I've been through a few threaded RF cinch BB's - they don't deal well with the UK grime at all.
  • 2 0
 This is great news! Hopefully when my current set (4th replacement set) fails, they will be replaced with these improved cranks and I can be done with the regularly scheduled trips to my local bike shop.
  • 4 0
 reckon the pedal inserts will stay put ?
  • 6 3
 Warning. RF carbon cranks are known for failing pedal inserts and their guarantee is shit. Buy something else! Anything!
  • 4 2
 Found some at ebay, one Aaron G sells E*thirteen carbon cranks, slightly used. Can anyone recommend those?
  • 2 0
 The responses on this topic are really informative. They let some of us know what's up or what to expect from our cranks. I honestly thought one set was as good as the other.
  • 2 0
 You can message us to discuss any questions you have with cranks, getting the right crankset to suit your riding, fitting questions, or anything else you may want to know!
  • 3 0
 I wonder if the pedal threads will stay where they should?
  • 4 1
 $430? You must be yanking my crank.
  • 2 0
 100 grams lighter than my gx dubb cranks. $300 more!
They look like a sweet piece of kit though.
  • 3 4
 These cranks are perfect for dentists. The teeth will fail early and often. Oh yeah, and so will the inserts ,bottom bracket, and everything else.

RF chainrings have never been good (and I'm going back to Turbines on a square taper bb on this assertion), their bottom brackets have never held up (remember ISIS spindle threaded bb's anyone?) and their carbon cranks seem to be made of papier mache (but more layers-yet somehow lighter??).

If you want Gucci cranks-get Hopes. Otherwise, both Shimano and SRAM make better options for less money than RF (or anybody else).
  • 5 1
 Thanks for sharing your opinions. We design, test and ride all our products on the trails of North Vancouver, we strive to make gear to last and have been doing so since 1993. Sorry your experience has not been good, but your overarching generalizations seem a bit simple. Our carbon cranks have been proven on the upper levels of racing around the globe - not something that paper mache can claim.
  • 2 0
 I’ll never buy carbon cranks again. Period!
  • 2 0
 I also came here to ask about the pedal inserts
  • 3 2
 They're up to gen 5 because they still can't figure out how to stop them breaking.
  • 3 0
 RF lookin' smooth AF.
  • 1 0
 Is 165 mm cranks are past? why all made 170 + only?
And yeah carbon cranks could not beat Shimano
  • 1 0
 Hey there. The Next SL cranks are a XC/Trail crankset so we only offer them down to a 165mm length. Our more burly, DH orientated SixC cranks are available in a 165mm length option.
  • 2 0
 @raceface: thnx! for the reply, appreciate that!
  • 1 0
 When making larger, longer parts or panels etc, carbon fibre wins hands down. When it comes to stems and cranks, no thanks!
  • 2 2
 Every set of Raceface carbon cranks I owned failed. Never had a set of carbon SRAMs fail.....
  • 1 1
 SAME!!!
  • 1 1
 Two editions of Trans Madeira that I participated in took a toll of 3 snapped SRAM Carbon cranksets. Not mine though.

So far, I have not seen the 2019 versions snap though (The DUB versions).
  • 1 0
 Yup! Me too
  • 1 1
 I almost bought a pair of these. After reading all these comments, I am so glad I didn't.
  • 2 1
 These Next SL cranks are a industry leading XC/Trail crankset. There are thousands of riders on our cranks that have had season after seasons of fun, trouble free performance.
  • 3 0
 @raceface: count me as one. I've had the sl G4, many turbines, 2 sets of the sl G5s and never had an issue with with anything to do with the cranks, or any other race face product for that matter.
  • 1 0
 @raceface: Eh, my 2 month old G5s just got replaced because of a creaking pedal insert (that replaced my G4s that had the insert die but wouldn't get covered by warranty). I'm 160 lb racing a XC bike. If it wasn't for owning a cinch power meter and a crap-ton of chainrings they would be gone. Replacing the BBs every 4-6 months also gets tedious. It really is a poor design (at least with a PF92 BB).
  • 1 0
 Good call. RF has the WORST customer service and warranty department. My eyelets went bad, and they wouldn't replace them EVEN though they were STILL under warranty.
  • 2 3
 i don't care about these cranks... I do care about the cranks i sent in 18 months ago for warranty and haven't heard back. RACE FACE=FAIL LAME @raceface
  • 1 0
 Hey there. Will slide into your DM's to talk about this crank warranty and get things sorted out!
  • 1 0
 Nope no carbon on my cranks....
  • 2 1
 Are the inserts still made of biscuits? Mine died after about 3 rides
  • 1 1
 Cotton candy
  • 1 0
 I am still waiting for a replacement sixc crank with loose insert
  • 2 0
 Will slide into your DM's to discuss whats up with your SixC warranty.
  • 2 0
 @raceface:
Thanks!

For anyone wondering, they did not leave me hanging. I was told I didn't qualify for warranty under current policy. I'll be pleasantly surprised if they make an exception and convert me to back to RF again!
  • 2 1
 @zeeman: Dont hold your breath
  • 1 0
 so it's looking like you have a 50/50 chance of busting these cranks.
  • 1 0
 Ocean fill?
  • 1 0
 Is that a GG bike?
  • 2 0
 Nope, appears to be a Revel.
  • 4 4
 We need the grimm donut review......
  • 1 1
 Or we all can just buy Sram cranks????‍♂️
  • 2 3
 If only Raceface quality was as good as their Fox suspension products.
  • 2 6
flag bubbrubb (Feb 27, 2020 at 7:23) (Below Threshold)
 Fox QC is terrible though haha
  • 1 3
 @bubbrubb: I have had more than 1 brand new fork from fox come dry for the lower leg baths.
Will not sell one now without pulling the lowers and redoing the oil.
  • 1 0
 @Tvaneijk: I have heard about that too.







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