the Spa cycles ultra-compact doubles are triples with a chain guard instead of the big ring. A neat idea for people unwilling or unable to use a triple.
alternatively just by up old campag/shimano triple spiders with non-mashed up tapers, put in single chainring bolts, and dont use the outer ring. I've never had a problem with chains getting jammed between the rings as suggested in the video. But the question persists: why can't a Taiwnese manufacturer make a simple, inexpensive, square taper spider for doubles, with a standard, small BCD which takes aftermarket rings?
Yay, go Spa!!! I have one of these on my do-everything bike and they're great. Running 39/24 at the moment, which is low, but fine for me since I'm old and fat.
Hi Russ, Well done for reviewing the Spa Cycles cranks. I’ve used these, in both versions, on my bikes over the last ten years and more. My bespoke 853 tourer has the Sugino Alpina 2 copy (the one you didn’t fit) set up as a triple in 44/34/24 with a Dura Ace 7700 triple front and rear derailleur and an XTR 11-34 rear cassette. This gives me a gear range from 19 inches through 108 inches. Shifts flawlessly all of the time. BTW you can buy the rings in black as well as silver, and the spyder in black. Spa sell TA rings that fit and Stronglight rings.
ha! You’ll have a great trip if you do. Good cycling in Yorkshire. I’ve got 3 pairs of these cranks - two with 46/30 and one with 36/26. Like a lot of Spa’s own stuff it’s not the best finish in the world but it just works.
I took the guard off the outside of the chain and was able to gets mine shifting properly with an 11 speed chain. Just added some nice red Dia Compe chain bolts 🎉
I did this way before Spa started offering "Super Compacts" off the shelf by custom building their triple for a 42/24. Worked a treat with Suntour Cyclone MkII FD.
100% agree with you. The bike industry needs to offer more silver components and more compact double options. Microshift Sword Black is great, but I wish they'd offer a silver version of it.
Oh no! I found Spa Cycle last year. Now have 2 cranks on different bikes. 44/28 and 46/30. Love them. I'm sure you're going to send business their way. Good for them. 😉 just hope the prices don't go up. By far, the best budget option for cranks. Bonus, lots of ring options.
Wow, I fitted one of these a few days ago looking for an alloy crankset at 165mm that wasn’t £300+ on my training bike. Spa Cycles were really helpful and it fits perfectly.
If you don’t want the chain guard, you can also order the crank with spacers on the outside of the outer ring bolts instead..looks a lot neater in my opinion, but less practical if you wear trousers often!
This is a perfectly timed video for me. I have a touring bike with a Deore triple and I want shorter cranks, but I can't find any option to stay with a triple and have anything shorter than 170mm cranks. So it's great to see I can swap to cheap wide range double and go a bigger rear cassette. Spa for the win!
I've got the Sugino AT on a couple of bikes. It's sort of the father (grandfather?) of the XD2, and 8 speed chains can get jammed between the two 110mm BCD rings if you aren't careful. Some of that is because I'm running it as a half-step-plus-granny on one bike. Not an issue on the bike where the 110mm rings are 34-50, with no small ring. The 110-74 cranks are extremely versatile! I've got a XD2 on another bike, set up with typical 26-36-46. Very useful!
I got all my things from spa cycles to build my wheelset, great company. Square taper style cranks need to make a comeback, some of the best looking cranks imo (sugino/campag/mavic)
I have the Spa Cycles triple TD-2 with Stronglight rings on my old Raleigh Super Course that I've turned into a semi-gravel bike. The crankset is a great value and a very nice product. It looks to me like a Sugino private label product. Also note that Spa focuses on tourist cyclists and has a fantastic product selection...a great shop.
Well, what's old is new again. My Takagi Tourney crank (110/74 BCD), an analog to the Spa Cycles offering, is still going...40 years later. 50/34/26 rings. There were occasions when I considered replacing and "upgrading" the crankset but it just made too much sense to keep it. Don't fix what ain't broke was the right course.
8:20 i once bought a thomson seatpost that had those weird bumps on it. I figured out that some previous owner used it las a leverage extender with a small allen key
I've built a triple 10 speed with the XD2 (8/9 speed) and found it regularly got the 10 speed chain slipping between chainrings. It's not pleasant under load. Not a criticism but it's not designed for it. I suspect there's a sensitivity to the chainring design and size too. The plan was to reuse parts so I tried it out. FWIW they were TA Specialites rings. The TD2 works fine and I was able to buy the crank set and swap rings over. Spa do a lot of interesting stuff. Them and SJS Cycles in Somerset get most of my component orders for my touring and shiny bikes.
All cranks should look like that, not being sarcastic. If there is a single basic design for a part, companies can offer subtle. functional variations to meet anyone's needs instead of wacky reinventions of the wheel.
Silver is better than black almost every time. The XD2 style cranks have always been some of the best looking moderately priced cranks available. Very glad Spa is resurrecting them at even lower prices than when they sold under the Sugino brand.
"Nobody talking about" Spa-cycles cranks? They're a default choice for a lot of people (here in the UK). My own "Wide-range double" is a HT2 R563 (130/74 BCD) with 46/30 chainrings, also using a 4700 Front mech. The Main advantages of the Spa cranks are being able to use Square taper BB to properly adjust Q-factor and/or chain line and having a 110BCD large ring gives a few more options. Of the two I'd choose the TD-2 just because of easier bolt access (the arm behind the crank is always annoying and fiddly).
Absolutely true that XD cranks can't handle multiple rings with more than 10 speeds. Tried running one as a 3x11 with 11s FSA rings, and the chain kept getting stuck between rings. Found the only 3x11 crank I'm aware of (Campagnolo Athena) and have been fine ever since. I can see that using it as a 2x without a big ring would probably work with the spacers on the 110mm ring. I'm currently running a New Albion branded XD with a single 36t on my Fog Cutter, and the 48-36-24 XD600 I have on my Long Haul Trucker works great with a 10-speed chain.
I have 2 pairs of the XD2 mold cranks and noticed the same - the chainring spacing is pretty wide - like 8/9 speed and shifted terribly with my 10 speed setup. Perhaps using thick chainring spacers would do the trick, but I gave up and bought the Dixna la crank and works great with the same chainrings I had on the XD2's
For my gravel bike I specifically sought out the Shimano MT60 cranks because there are no built in spacers on the 74 inner ring like a lot of the other old 110/74 cranks designed for triples so I could run the rings closer together to avoid the gap problem mentioned in this video. They're relatively plentiful on ebay, but hard to find in shorter lengths.
Run Spa chainrings 42-26T on a 105 5703 triple crank as a double. To get the shifting for 11-speed right I needed to shim the 26T granny ring in by 0.6 mm with chainring spacers. The original 105 39T middle ring is spaced slightly further outboard than non-shimano rings. Shifting is fine with a road 105 front derailleur. A 32T max cassette sprocket lets me use the 105 rear derailleur with the 105 shifters. As its my gravel bike I didnt want the road 50-34 compact. Still running cantis so couldn't use GRX.
When 1x first became a 'thing' on the MTB scene we often left the granny ring on the triples but without a front mech. Needed a 'manual' change but at least for the long climbs (before cassettes went bigger than 42) it was a worthwhile manual task.
Great stuff, thanks. I can confirm your findings about a narrower chain: I've been running the XD2 in 160mm on my mtb with a 10 speed chain for a few years and it has been absolutely fine. Also agree about front mechs: I use 105/Ultegra triple mechs to work with 44/28 doubles. No probs. Keep up the great work.
Thank you for sharing this! The world definitely needs more compact cranks! I have a note that might be helpful, though: the real test should be done outside while pedalling on the bicycle. With resistance from the support (gravel, road, you name it) and the greater force applied while you are pedalling, the chain might not have the time to transit freely from a chainring to the other, and therefore, fall in between the two. On the bike stand everything works because the drivetrain is stressed far less. Unfortunately I’ve experienced this on my skin trying to convert an old 9s triple to a compact double, using a 10s chain 😢
I’ve been looking at Spa & these cranksets as a way to get reduced gears on my 2012 Brompton H6R (I’m already on a 44T with 16/13 sprockets on a BWR). I’d like to run a 20T ring behind my 44T to give 3 extra low gears shiftable on the hub with the 16T rear sprocket. The other option is remove the dork disc and add an 18T sprocket and thinner spacers and a modified circlip (all cheaper and lighter but likely to be fiddly to give a 3x at the rear) making the crankset option simpler but heavier as Brompton already fit 119mm BB (mine is still square taper). I’d need to modify the shifter but already have a Sunrace M90 friction shifter I could fit instead. I watch a lot of cycling YT channels who frequently say “nobody has short cranks for sale”. Wrong. Spa has stocked them for years. Too many people are caught up in the latest-greatest sram red and all that bollox.
I have Spa 46-36-26 on my Homer and 38-24 on my Atlantis. No issues in 5 years with 10 speed. You always need a longer BB spindle than provided by Riv. I recommend taking staff advice and the Stonglight square taper. (They also do many Spa brand components, such as a reasonably priced - but stiff- range of their own leather saddles.)
My bike guy didn’t want to upgrade my ride with a 2x. I went with his recommendation which produced a smooth easy change 1x with gears enough to climb any hill. I’m happy.
Spa Cycles sell some great stuff. Mainly known as a touring specialist. Always worth checking new stock. Managed to get a Zefal HPX frame pump a couple of years ago when the whole world had sold out. Great drivetrain choices.
@steveschurr5967 very true. My shoe laces gey stuck more than my pants. Especially with a triple on the big ring. Uk is windy so it happens very often to me, too. It's just insane 95% of cranks don't have one. With 1x cranks usually the problem is you get dirty pants.. Not to consider the safety issue. When you get stuck you you could potentially loose your balance
Hi, Muchas gracias for your tests. In fact it looks like a triple crankset with the right/biggest chainring remplaced by a chain guard. You should look at Stronglight Impact triple crankset (french brand), not that expensive and whith a very good finish (square JIS axle). Because I need (very ?) small gears I thought to use one with the big chainring removed on my road bike with Ultegra R8000 just because you can not find R8000 with triple crankset (actually I use chineese 46/30 senicx). On my gravel bike I have a Stronglight Impact Triple 46/34/24 with Micronew 3x11 levers, a R7000 rear mech et an old Ultegra triple front mech. It works fine
I’ve currently got these on my rat bike set up as a 1x…bash ring on the outer ring and 38t on the middle. This gives me the option to go ultra wide 2x if I need it!
If you like those crank sets you should try a spa cycles frame, they are unbelievable value I’ve been running mine for two years now, their service is great as well.
You got sponsored by omm? Sweet, just received and installed my pizza rack today! Thing looks insane, getting a wire basket to go with it. On that topic - check out muji ss wire baskets if you're in the market for one, lots of dimensions to choose from and not only lighter but cheaper than the wald 137. Hopefully will hold up as it is a kitchen item, so not gravel specific ahah
I have one of these... It's "alright" but "good" for the money. The non-drive side crank arm didn't pull onto the spindle the same amount as the drive side and subsequently didn't clear the chainstay. I had to buy a different arm that luckily did the job. Finish is ok, just how good do cranks need to be? There's some unnecessarily fancy expensive stuff out there for sure.
I was watching an old video, Insane 2X gear range, I had a bicycle from Panorama cycles, the Forillon bicycle, originally it was 46/30 front, 42/11 cassette, I was able to run 46/30 front with 46/11 cassette by adding two links to the chain, shifting was perfect, I now I'm looking at the Boreal from Panorama with 36/22 front and 45/11 cassette. it would be nice to see if a 46/10 cassette would work.
@@PathLessPedaledTV Its kinda ironic that we're calling 46/30 a typical roadie ratio. When I bought my first 46/30 double it was a rare combination and considered pretty radical.
Russ, did you put a tape or a ruler to the cranks and measure the spacing between rings on them to see if there was any significant difference in spacing?
i think you can find that crank with different brand in romania. These cranks produced with many other names. my dealer is also import them with their names and they have an office in romania too. (because they ship first china to romania then romania to turkey for very complicated tax reasons). any way search for asli bisiklet(asli cycle) or search for dss110-ce2wr(item name)
Fabulous ratio. I think a lot of people have converted to external bearing BB's already, not that either are massively superior AFAIK. Any chance of a hollowtech style chainset in the future? Id ride this. BTW is international shopping available and where to buy from?
Curious you think a wide range double could have less issue of chain dropping in between rings compared to triple. Cannot quite understand how that can be. Is it about the chain line angle in 3 rings vs 2? I'm using a triple Spa with Specialites TA rings on my commuter/traveller, with 10-speed Shimano (Tiagra + XT), pretty smooth shifting so far.
On my last bike tour I was happy to have a 3x because there were some inclines where I could look ahead and realize I could run through all 8 rear gears (I was running 3x8 with friction shifting) but stay in my middle chainring, whereas if I was running 2x, I would have had to shift both rear and front gears. What do you see as advantages of a 2x over 3x?
Russ, are there any 24mm axle 155mm crank arm chain sets on the market now?. I tried a set from Aliexp and the Q Factor was comical, I had all the spacers mounted to the BB and I was still unable to tighten down without any play. I have a square taper 155 setup on another bike and going shorter has been a absolute revelation, I just need to find something that will work with my other bike that has press fit..
The big drag is that from EU the shipping costs and taxes are… huge ! Otherwise I love the cranks. It seems pretty tough now to find some (small) chain guard and here its all there.
Someone, maybe JTEK, sells an offset shim which I have used to move the chainline of a MTB front mech inboard to create a road chainline for use with road chainsets and particularly 2x chainsets on 3x cranks. It works great if your shifters are compatible with the MTB front mech.
I HATE OMM racks. Not because they're not functional, but because they charge £160 for the rack and £70 for the fit kit. So a £230 investment before you've even thought about Bags. Also because you have to take the rack off partially to take the front wheel off (bizarre and stupid) I'm fairly sure my entire bag setup cost that. I got a custom frame bag, for £150, a saddlebag and rail for £60, and a double ended dry bag with straps for £14. Any more than that and the mountain bike becomes a valley bike. Digging those cranks however, I used to use a 38/22, 11-36 and was always just slightly limited on top end. almost never needed the very bottom end. I think a 0.75 ratio is all you'd ever really need. Spicepacking: 46/30 with 11-40, or partypacking: 42/26 with 11-36
the Spa cycles ultra-compact doubles are triples with a chain guard instead of the big ring. A neat idea for people unwilling or unable to use a triple.
alternatively just by up old campag/shimano triple spiders with non-mashed up tapers, put in single chainring bolts, and dont use the outer ring. I've never had a problem with chains getting jammed between the rings as suggested in the video. But the question persists: why can't a Taiwnese manufacturer make a simple, inexpensive, square taper spider for doubles, with a standard, small BCD which takes aftermarket rings?
Yay, go Spa!!! I have one of these on my do-everything bike and they're great. Running 39/24 at the moment, which is low, but fine for me since I'm old and fat.
I'd probably remove the big ring. 😊
Hi Russ, Well done for reviewing the Spa Cycles cranks. I’ve used these, in both versions, on my bikes over the last ten years and more. My bespoke 853 tourer has the Sugino Alpina 2 copy (the one you didn’t fit) set up as a triple in 44/34/24 with a Dura Ace 7700 triple front and rear derailleur and an XTR 11-34 rear cassette. This gives me a gear range from 19 inches through 108 inches. Shifts flawlessly all of the time. BTW you can buy the rings in black as well as silver, and the spyder in black. Spa sell TA rings that fit and Stronglight rings.
Spa are my LBS! I hope the prices don’t go up after this… 😂
Ha. Tell them hi. I want to visit and make a video but can’t tell if they’re cranky or not :)
If I quote you on that,will you stand by that or will you back pedal ?😮@@PathLessPedaledTV
ha! You’ll have a great trip if you do. Good cycling in Yorkshire. I’ve got 3 pairs of these cranks - two with 46/30 and one with 36/26. Like a lot of Spa’s own stuff it’s not the best finish in the world but it just works.
@@PathLessPedaledTVBoss can be...staff are great!
@@PathLessPedaledTV You can probably take the train all the way there :D
I took the guard off the outside of the chain and was able to gets mine shifting properly with an 11 speed chain. Just added some nice red Dia Compe chain bolts 🎉
I did this way before Spa started offering "Super Compacts" off the shelf by custom building their triple for a 42/24. Worked a treat with Suntour Cyclone MkII FD.
100% agree with you. The bike industry needs to offer more silver components and more compact double options. Microshift Sword Black is great, but I wish they'd offer a silver version of it.
I have two of these cranks: a 38-24 on my ATB, and a 44-28 about to be installed on my road bike! They look great and work great so far.
Oh no! I found Spa Cycle last year. Now have 2 cranks on different bikes. 44/28 and 46/30. Love them. I'm sure you're going to send business their way. Good for them. 😉 just hope the prices don't go up. By far, the best budget option for cranks. Bonus, lots of ring options.
Wow, I fitted one of these a few days ago looking for an alloy crankset at 165mm that wasn’t £300+ on my training bike.
Spa Cycles were really helpful and it fits perfectly.
Russ...ever forward. Another great, complete tech how-to with extra bottom bracket tool ASMR goodness at no extra cost :-)
That British crankset seems to tick most boxed for me. Thanks Russ.
You had me at alt crank. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for all the time you put into these videos. Appreciate it 😊
Curmudgeon Luddite here.
Imho, nothing in the BBB dept has bettered the good 'ol square taper....
Agree.
Outboard BB's are handy on break apart bikes "demountable?" All my bikes are square taper except the one.
I have been using these for five years. Incredible value. Great company. They are very versatile with plenty of ratios
If you don’t want the chain guard, you can also order the crank with spacers on the outside of the outer ring bolts instead..looks a lot neater in my opinion, but less practical if you wear trousers often!
Square taper is the way to go.
This is a perfectly timed video for me. I have a touring bike with a Deore triple and I want shorter cranks, but I can't find any option to stay with a triple and have anything shorter than 170mm cranks. So it's great to see I can swap to cheap wide range double and go a bigger rear cassette.
Spa for the win!
its nice how short cranks make chainrings look massive
Used SPA many times, always good service at a good price.
Ive used them in the past. They gave great advice, would always recommend them.
Using a Spa cycles chainguard to help keep the belt drive tracking straight on the tandem, they also sell a 33tooth 110bcd chainring. 👍
Good to see new silver polished square tapered stuff. Over time I've become dork disc neutral but chain guards still get to me.
I've got the Sugino AT on a couple of bikes. It's sort of the father (grandfather?) of the XD2, and 8 speed chains can get jammed between the two 110mm BCD rings if you aren't careful. Some of that is because I'm running it as a half-step-plus-granny on one bike. Not an issue on the bike where the 110mm rings are 34-50, with no small ring. The 110-74 cranks are extremely versatile! I've got a XD2 on another bike, set up with typical 26-36-46. Very useful!
Spa cycles kit is so good, I’d like to see more chainsets that allow a wider range of chainrings
Check out radplan delta (German bike shop ) focused on crank sets with a wide gear ratio for climbing . Saves you the vat when ordering in Europe .
I was about to point out to MM or radplan delta. Fully recomendated
I got all my things from spa cycles to build my wheelset, great company. Square taper style cranks need to make a comeback, some of the best looking cranks imo (sugino/campag/mavic)
Ideal crank is Shimano 400CX/700CX (not 500cx!) you have 110/58bcd combo and you really can do anything with it. I'm running 40/22t right now.
Bam, this is the kind of stuff I'm into. Please more!
I have the Spa Cycles triple TD-2 with Stronglight rings on my old Raleigh Super Course that I've turned into a semi-gravel bike. The crankset is a great value and a very nice product. It looks to me like a Sugino private label product. Also note that Spa focuses on tourist cyclists and has a fantastic product selection...a great shop.
Spotted 'em once but were only in black back then. The silver once look gorgeous
I guess the conclusion of the video is we should look for 9 speed sqaure taper triples, either new or second hand
Look no further than the beautiful Shimano XT FC-M730
@@marcusathome But does it come in 160mm and shorter?
@@Korina42 I'm afraid it is not.
Well, what's old is new again. My Takagi Tourney crank (110/74 BCD), an analog to the Spa Cycles offering, is still going...40 years later. 50/34/26 rings. There were occasions when I considered replacing and "upgrading" the crankset but it just made too much sense to keep it. Don't fix what ain't broke was the right course.
I’ve got the double and triple crank. As they sell Individual TA chainrings I can run 46-34, 46-36-36, 44-28, 40 depending on the need.
Couldn't agree more about "bike components should be silver"!
Love Spa cycles,been using them for years.
I just hope the price doesn't sky rocket now you've made this Russ! But yeah, I've been running these for a while. They're great
8:20 i once bought a thomson seatpost that had those weird bumps on it. I figured out that some previous owner used it las a leverage extender with a small allen key
I've built a triple 10 speed with the XD2 (8/9 speed) and found it regularly got the 10 speed chain slipping between chainrings. It's not pleasant under load. Not a criticism but it's not designed for it. I suspect there's a sensitivity to the chainring design and size too. The plan was to reuse parts so I tried it out. FWIW they were TA Specialites rings.
The TD2 works fine and I was able to buy the crank set and swap rings over.
Spa do a lot of interesting stuff. Them and SJS Cycles in Somerset get most of my component orders for my touring and shiny bikes.
Great shop Spa…good practical stuff and great frame sets aswell!
Spa! Check the Ti frames too
All cranks should look like that, not being sarcastic. If there is a single basic design for a part, companies can offer subtle. functional variations to meet anyone's needs instead of wacky reinventions of the wheel.
Silver is better than black almost every time. The XD2 style cranks have always been some of the best looking moderately priced cranks available. Very glad Spa is resurrecting them at even lower prices than when they sold under the Sugino brand.
"Nobody talking about" Spa-cycles cranks? They're a default choice for a lot of people (here in the UK).
My own "Wide-range double" is a HT2 R563 (130/74 BCD) with 46/30 chainrings, also using a 4700 Front mech.
The Main advantages of the Spa cranks are being able to use Square taper BB to properly adjust Q-factor and/or chain line and having a 110BCD large ring gives a few more options. Of the two I'd choose the TD-2 just because of easier bolt access (the arm behind the crank is always annoying and fiddly).
Please link to another video about the cranks then? 🤣
@@PathLessPedaledTVWhy no buzz? Not in the Nerd Crank Database! Thanks for the video - now have a word with your nerd.
Thank for another great video, Russ! I love getting your take on alt bike parts, and I really love shiny silver components! Whoo hoo!
P.S. the seatpost for extra leverage trick was cool. Gonna have to try that.
Absolutely true that XD cranks can't handle multiple rings with more than 10 speeds. Tried running one as a 3x11 with 11s FSA rings, and the chain kept getting stuck between rings. Found the only 3x11 crank I'm aware of (Campagnolo Athena) and have been fine ever since. I can see that using it as a 2x without a big ring would probably work with the spacers on the 110mm ring. I'm currently running a New Albion branded XD with a single 36t on my Fog Cutter, and the 48-36-24 XD600 I have on my Long Haul Trucker works great with a 10-speed chain.
I have 2 pairs of the XD2 mold cranks and noticed the same - the chainring spacing is pretty wide - like 8/9 speed and shifted terribly with my 10 speed setup. Perhaps using thick chainring spacers would do the trick, but I gave up and bought the Dixna la crank and works great with the same chainrings I had on the XD2's
Very cool. This sort of testing is exactly why I come to this channel. Shiny and silver for me too, thanks.
For my gravel bike I specifically sought out the Shimano MT60 cranks because there are no built in spacers on the 74 inner ring like a lot of the other old 110/74 cranks designed for triples so I could run the rings closer together to avoid the gap problem mentioned in this video. They're relatively plentiful on ebay, but hard to find in shorter lengths.
Run Spa chainrings 42-26T on a 105 5703 triple crank as a double. To get the shifting for 11-speed right I needed to shim the 26T granny ring in by 0.6 mm with chainring spacers. The original 105 39T middle ring is spaced slightly further outboard than non-shimano rings. Shifting is fine with a road 105 front derailleur. A 32T max cassette sprocket lets me use the 105 rear derailleur with the 105 shifters. As its my gravel bike I didnt want the road 50-34 compact. Still running cantis so couldn't use GRX.
When 1x first became a 'thing' on the MTB scene we often left the granny ring on the triples but without a front mech. Needed a 'manual' change but at least for the long climbs (before cassettes went bigger than 42) it was a worthwhile manual task.
Spa Cycles RULES! And silver cranks... WooHoo!
Great stuff, thanks. I can confirm your findings about a narrower chain: I've been running the XD2 in 160mm on my mtb with a 10 speed chain for a few years and it has been absolutely fine. Also agree about front mechs: I use 105/Ultegra triple mechs to work with 44/28 doubles. No probs. Keep up the great work.
Thank you for sharing this! The world definitely needs more compact cranks!
I have a note that might be helpful, though: the real test should be done outside while pedalling on the bicycle. With resistance from the support (gravel, road, you name it) and the greater force applied while you are pedalling, the chain might not have the time to transit freely from a chainring to the other, and therefore, fall in between the two. On the bike stand everything works because the drivetrain is stressed far less.
Unfortunately I’ve experienced this on my skin trying to convert an old 9s triple to a compact double, using a 10s chain 😢
Nice to see you partnered with OMM. Used their racks for a good bit now.
That silver crank looks sssoooooo good on the Soma.
I’ve been looking at Spa & these cranksets as a way to get reduced gears on my 2012 Brompton H6R (I’m already on a 44T with 16/13 sprockets on a BWR). I’d like to run a 20T ring behind my 44T to give 3 extra low gears shiftable on the hub with the 16T rear sprocket. The other option is remove the dork disc and add an 18T sprocket and thinner spacers and a modified circlip (all cheaper and lighter but likely to be fiddly to give a 3x at the rear) making the crankset option simpler but heavier as Brompton already fit 119mm BB (mine is still square taper). I’d need to modify the shifter but already have a Sunrace M90 friction shifter I could fit instead.
I watch a lot of cycling YT channels who frequently say “nobody has short cranks for sale”. Wrong. Spa has stocked them for years. Too many people are caught up in the latest-greatest sram red and all that bollox.
I have Spa 46-36-26 on my Homer and 38-24 on my Atlantis. No issues in 5 years with 10 speed.
You always need a longer BB spindle than provided by Riv. I recommend taking staff advice and the Stonglight square taper.
(They also do many Spa brand components, such as a reasonably priced - but stiff- range of their own leather saddles.)
My bike guy didn’t want to upgrade my ride with a 2x. I went with his recommendation which produced a smooth easy change 1x with gears enough to climb any hill. I’m happy.
Spa Cycles sell some great stuff.
Mainly known as a touring specialist.
Always worth checking new stock.
Managed to get a Zefal HPX frame pump a couple of years ago when the whole world had sold out.
Great drivetrain choices.
Plus they come with a chainguard-the most underrated bike component? I like my wide pants in one piece
And shoe laces. I add a chainguard whenever I can. Plastic doesn't weigh much and does the job.
@steveschurr5967 very true. My shoe laces gey stuck more than my pants. Especially with a triple on the big ring. Uk is windy so it happens very often to me, too.
It's just insane 95% of cranks don't have one.
With 1x cranks usually the problem is you get dirty pants..
Not to consider the safety issue. When you get stuck you you could potentially loose your balance
Oh, thanks for this. I was just wondering the other day what that crankset was.
How did I never think of usung the seatpot for leverage?! Genius!
Hi,
Muchas gracias for your tests. In fact it looks like a triple crankset with the right/biggest chainring remplaced by a chain guard. You should look at Stronglight Impact triple crankset (french brand), not that expensive and whith a very good finish (square JIS axle). Because I need (very ?) small gears I thought to use one with the big chainring removed on my road bike with Ultegra R8000 just because you can not find R8000 with triple crankset (actually I use chineese 46/30 senicx). On my gravel bike I have a Stronglight Impact Triple 46/34/24 with Micronew 3x11 levers, a R7000 rear mech et an old Ultegra triple front mech. It works fine
I believe spa cycles also sell stronglight as I bought a chainring from them.
I’ve currently got these on my rat bike set up as a 1x…bash ring on the outer ring and 38t on the middle. This gives me the option to go ultra wide 2x if I need it!
If you like those crank sets you should try a spa cycles frame, they are unbelievable value I’ve been running mine for two years now, their service is great as well.
You are right. Hi Yo Silver..Away 👋
You got sponsored by omm? Sweet, just received and installed my pizza rack today!
Thing looks insane, getting a wire basket to go with it.
On that topic - check out muji ss wire baskets if you're in the market for one, lots of dimensions to choose from and not only lighter but cheaper than the wald 137.
Hopefully will hold up as it is a kitchen item, so not gravel specific ahah
I have one of these... It's "alright" but "good" for the money. The non-drive side crank arm didn't pull onto the spindle the same amount as the drive side and subsequently didn't clear the chainstay. I had to buy a different arm that luckily did the job. Finish is ok, just how good do cranks need to be? There's some unnecessarily fancy expensive stuff out there for sure.
I was watching an old video, Insane 2X gear range, I had a bicycle from Panorama cycles, the Forillon bicycle, originally it was 46/30 front, 42/11 cassette, I was able to run 46/30 front with 46/11 cassette by adding two links to the chain, shifting was perfect, I now I'm looking at the Boreal from Panorama with 36/22 front and 45/11 cassette. it would be nice to see if a 46/10 cassette would work.
I could have sworn I've watched you use a digital caliper... so useful for checking drivetrain spacing.😉
These are excellent value. Spa are v.helpful also.
looks like a classic Sugino GP.... old is gold baby
Love Spa Cycles
I think the Sugino XD2's drive side arm is stamped XD2R and the left one is stamped XD2L. But I could be wrong.
Spa cycles are awesome
Nothing wrong with square taper, even with lots of watts. Square taper gets used all the time on track bikes.
They don't charge VAT when shipping to North America. Great cranks, I have one on my Bassi Hog's Back
Are you calling it an alt crank? Why, and what is an alt crank?
Because it diverges from the typical roadie crank ratios of 50/34 and 46/30.
@@PathLessPedaledTV Its kinda ironic that we're calling 46/30 a typical roadie ratio. When I bought my first 46/30 double it was a rare combination and considered pretty radical.
Russ, did you put a tape or a ruler to the cranks and measure the spacing between rings on them to see if there was any significant difference in spacing?
Spa Cycles don`t ship to Romania. What a bummer!
i think you can find that crank with different brand in romania. These cranks produced with many other names. my dealer is also import them with their names and they have an office in romania too. (because they ship first china to romania then romania to turkey for very complicated tax reasons). any way search for asli bisiklet(asli cycle) or search for dss110-ce2wr(item name)
I thought i was weird and out of touch. Reading the comments, i found my peeps.
Inspired by you, also by alee denham, i have resorted to self-made 38-19 and 42-20, on my two bikes, with sugino impel and old sr crankarms.
Spa seems to be a great source for many items though I know for years they wouldn’t ship to Canada, don’t know what the current situation is.
You may have already answered this, but will the new alt cranks work with grx 11 spd?
Yes
I have a 46/30 with a 11 spd 11/40 cassette on my Midnight Special A 42/26 would give me better climbing gears.
Fabulous ratio. I think a lot of people have converted to external bearing BB's already, not that either are massively superior AFAIK. Any chance of a hollowtech style chainset in the future? Id ride this. BTW is international shopping available and where to buy from?
Like I said our ALT Crank with merry sales will use the external BB.
Curious you think a wide range double could have less issue of chain dropping in between rings compared to triple. Cannot quite understand how that can be. Is it about the chain line angle in 3 rings vs 2? I'm using a triple Spa with Specialites TA rings on my commuter/traveller, with 10-speed Shimano (Tiagra + XT), pretty smooth shifting so far.
Sad that the new alt crank doesnt go down to 22 on the small ring. Im rocking a vintage silver der. and it cant take a cassette bigger than 34.
Are those cranks available in longer lengths? What’s the deal with 165s or 160s!??
What lenght is the sealed BB?
On my last bike tour I was happy to have a 3x because there were some inclines where I could look ahead and realize I could run through all 8 rear gears (I was running 3x8 with friction shifting) but stay in my middle chainring, whereas if I was running 2x, I would have had to shift both rear and front gears. What do you see as advantages of a 2x over 3x?
With a 42/26 and an 11-42 cassette, you get the same low with fewer shifts and no cross chaining.
I think this the first time I’ve seen a sponsored video here.
is it possible to mount a chainguard on the new (prototype) crankset?
In theory if you really wanted to you could, but it would look weird and you'd have to do some grinding.
@@PathLessPedaledTV sounds like a chalange😁
Which Old Man Mountain Rack would work well for a Crust Evasion Light? I’m guessing I’d have to go through-axle
You can run it off the eyelets also. That’s what I did on the Bombora.
OMM has a good CHAT on the site. Probably they can clarify your needs
Russ, are there any 24mm axle 155mm crank arm chain sets on the market now?. I tried a set from Aliexp and the Q Factor was comical, I had all the spacers mounted to the BB and I was still unable to tighten down without any play. I have a square taper 155 setup on another bike and going shorter has been a absolute revelation, I just need to find something that will work with my other bike that has press fit..
Dixna La Crank. I've covered it on this channel as well.
The big drag is that from EU the shipping costs and taxes are… huge ! Otherwise I love the cranks. It seems pretty tough now to find some (small) chain guard and here its all there.
Someone, maybe JTEK, sells an offset shim which I have used to move the chainline of a MTB front mech inboard to create a road chainline for use with road chainsets and particularly 2x chainsets on 3x cranks. It works great if your shifters are compatible with the MTB front mech.
After a long search I found a used Shimano cyclo-cross front mech which works with my brifters
Are you going to sell this crankset in Europe ?
Hello from France !
Sweet!
I HATE OMM racks. Not because they're not functional, but because they charge £160 for the rack and £70 for the fit kit. So a £230 investment before you've even thought about Bags. Also because you have to take the rack off partially to take the front wheel off (bizarre and stupid)
I'm fairly sure my entire bag setup cost that. I got a custom frame bag, for £150, a saddlebag and rail for £60, and a double ended dry bag with straps for £14. Any more than that and the mountain bike becomes a valley bike.
Digging those cranks however, I used to use a 38/22, 11-36 and was always just slightly limited on top end. almost never needed the very bottom end. I think a 0.75 ratio is all you'd ever really need. Spicepacking: 46/30 with 11-40, or partypacking: 42/26 with 11-36