I am done with FSA cranks. I can't seem to get any more than 500 miles or so out of the bearings before they start to pick up slop. Not enough to cause problems riding but they should not get sloppy so quick. Does anyone have reccomendations on an external bearing crank that will go a season or two trouble free? I've been looking at the time ASX and the Record ultratorque but don't want to end up back where I am now.

I am done with FSA cranks. I can't seem to get any more than 500 miles or so out of the bearings before they start to pick up slop. Not enough to cause problems riding but they should not get sloppy so quick. Does anyone have reccomendations on an external bearing crank that will go a season or two trouble free? I've been looking at the time ASX and the Record ultratorque but don't want to end up back where I am now.

FSA sucks. I don't know why it all sucks so bad, but it does.

That aside, I just got a pair of the new Chorus cranks. They're pretty sweet, but I can't comment on the long term durability. It's Campy, so I'm hoping it's safe to assume the durability is great. Weight on mine, including fixing bolt, BB cups, and 53/39 rings and bolts, was 729g. Lighter than Dura Ace, and a whole lot lighter than anything FSA.

I'm running a set of FSA Carbon Pro Elite Compact cranks with the titanium MegaQuad bottom bracket, which is ISIS and supposedly has extra bearings. In any case, the crankset the FSA replaced was a Shimano Dura Ace 7800.

The FSA crankset and bottom bracket have now been through three bikes and about 4000 miles with absolutely no problems. I had intended to keep the Dura Ace, but to my amazement, the FSA shifted more smoothly and the compact gearing gave a better chainline for the gearing I use most frequently. Weight of my crankset and BB (by my fairly accurate scale) is a hair less than 695 grams.

YMMV, but I wouldn't say that FSA sucks.

Have you had your BB faced?
500 miles out of even crap bearings, is very suspect.

Echo Grumpy, and it'd be worthwhile to check that the spindle isn't bent.

Barring problems like that, you could run the FSA cranks in Shimano bearings and cups.

I've been riding a set of FSA SL-K MegaExo cranks for a year. No problems so far.:thumbsup:

I'm running a Phil Wood square taper Ti bottom bracket and Storck carbon cranks on my Trek going on seven years now. I'm sold on the quality of Phil Wood's BBs.

Those Megexo FSA cranks have issues with the crank arms loosening up. I think it has something to do with the crush washers creaping with use which reduces the clamp load on the threads.

The obvious answer is to get a Shimano crank. Bullet proof, light enough, and reasonably cheap. Of course this suggestion won't do if you are a Campy guy. :)

I've got 2000 miles on an FSA SLK external bearing carbon crank with absolutely no problems. Of course it does pay to periodically check the crank arm fixing bolt.

I did have problems with an early Bontrager Race X Lite as there was slop between the spindle and the the sealed bearing sleeve on the non-drive side. Trek replaced the BB cups and no problems since.