I was very fortunate to get
these cranks at the price I got them for, I'm not going to get into the whys and
wheres about it, but suffice to say that these are the best cranks I have ever bought
for £100 (which included the rings, self extracting bolts, spider and chainring
bolts).
When I got these, the first thing I noticed was how light the whole package was,
it was surprising to compare the whole package to a Shimano LX or even XT - these
2 chainsets were compact drive and still weighed considerably more than these.
As you can see from the photograph, I was able to get a red anodised spider, red
anodised chainring bolts and red self-extracting bolts. So far the whole package
has held together very well, but I did discover after about 20 miles the chainring
bolts needed a tickle just to make sure evrything was nice and tight.
After a very easy installation (as almost all chainsets are!), I went for a spin
on them. I noticed almost immediately how stiff they felt (although I'm also putting
this down to an alloy frame), with very little flex felt at all.
I set the front mech as close to the rings as possible as I've found that this helps
create a very fast shift, so I was very surprised to note how fast the shifts were
- I hadn't got through a half push on the shifter before the chain was already on
the next ring - downshifts were just as fast (I've found setting the mech spring
to a stiffer position helps with the downshift).
The chainset has now had about 500 miles use and in all fairness it has been primarily
middle and big ring use, the shifting isn't quite as crisp as it was - which I'm
putting down to cable stretch - as the shifting is still more than adequate, although
the inside of the middle and big rings are showing some scuffing.
As is the case with most things off-road I have had a couple of scrapes of the big
ring on the usual suspects - rocks and roots but I can honestly say that the rings
have sustained no damage at all and are still running very straight - which I'd hope
to be the case with all chainsets with only 500 miles on them!
I'm using Shimano SPDs and the installation was a breeze, the threads seemed to be
very sharp and smooth and the pedals have stayed tightly on the cranks since they
were first installed. I have noticed however that the non-drive side crank is making
a creaking noise when I apply pressure on it, I think a simple removal, clean of
the taper with some meths and re-install should do the trick - if not I'll apply
a very thin film of Cooperslip to the taper and hope for the best!
I have spoken to Middleburn about the creak and they were surprised it was the non-drive
side as most of the calls have been from the spider creaking - the remedy according
to Middleburn is to tighten the spider - I've had no problems whatsoever with the
drive side crank. Middleburn suggested some PTFE tape or Copperslip on the taper
as they said that machined cranks sometime don't mate 100% with 'normal' Bottom Brackets
(in this case a Shimano UN-72) but they get a 99.9% mating. Middleburn also recommended
a 107mm axle length but I am using a 110mm axle and find that the rings wouldn't
clear my frame if using the 107mm length.
So overall I'm really impressed with these cranks and rings, the cranks look very
nice from a distance - they are shaped and really stand out (in a crank arm sort
of way!) and in close-up inspection you notice the scalloped inside and realise what
lovely works of art these are. Both cranks and rings seem to be very durable, stiff
and long-lasting (going on the face value of appearance after 500 miles as well as
other riders feedback on them). I have heard of some really heavy riders i.e. dirt
jumpers, breaking them but for normal riders - folk who ride whatever is out there
without too much slant on heavy landings or silly amounts of air, these cranks are
superb.
In summary, I would recommend these cranks and rings to anyone and everyone, however
I do think the price puts them out of reach of the 'younger' riders who crave hand
crafted bits of kit but don't have the wallets to match their taste. However as every
youngster finally grows up, these should be on the wish-list of evryone who has a
wallet that can afford them.
If you are interested in these products, Middleburn can be reached on - 01420 23832,
or visit their website at - www.middleburn.co.uk
I'm going to give this product 4.5 out of 5 as the price is quite high - comparable
to other high-end cranks/chainsets but still not in the reach of everyone (which
does allow a certain element of exclusivity!). Nice cranks that seem to be performing
no matter what the conditions are.
I was very fortunate to get
these cranks at the price I got them for, I'm not going to get into the whys and
wheres about it, but suffice to say that these are the best cranks I have ever bought
for £100 (which included the rings, self extracting bolts, spider and chainring
bolts).
