I'm looking to upgrade the Truvativ Elita (heavy!!!) crank on my cross bike and I have been looking at the FSA cranks as an upgrade. I've been thinking about getting the FSA K-Force compact 36/46 for a nice little weight reduction. Looks like the crank/BB will be about 660g....is there anything lighter (other than the K-Force Light)? Any thoughts or suggestions?

What about carbon cranks? Consider the $$ over advantages and go from there?

Does 100gm matter in a cross race?

You should read about some issues some of the lighter FSA cranks have with regards to durability.

Does 100gm matter in a cross race?

I would say that weight matters just as much if not more than other cycling disciplines. Like most cyclists, my arms are pretty scrawny and lifting that bike over barriers can be exhausting! 4 barriers at X amount of laps equals quite a few lifts. I would be saving about 3/4lbs from my existing crank and am hoping to drop another pound with a new wheel set. With a few other 'minor' modifications, I am hoping to shed a little more than 2 lbs. Will it make me faster? Maybe so, maybe not but it's all part of this horrible addiction!!!

What are the issues that FSA is having with some of their cranks? Yikes!

Just get the Dura-Ace cranks and be done with it. Light, stiff, problem free.

have had issues in the past, however they have made great strides in the last year and a half or so. Most of the issues reported were in the very first generation of carbon cranks. I personally been rocking the SLK's for the last year and a half with no issues. I'm 6'4" and 200lbs and exert a bit of force on a crank arm. If you are still worried about the durability of carbon for cross, do what Jeremy Powers does and use the Energy crank. Only the K-Force(by 5 grams), the K-Force Light (by 150 grams) and the SLK Light (by 40 grams) are lighter. It comes in with BB at 780 grams and uses a pinch bolt system for securing the crank arm like Shimano.

FSA carbon pro elite (compact?), paired with a light ISIS BB, is pretty light, don't recall exact numbers.

plus, they're cheap on the 'bay.

Edited to add: I've been running a set for ~1yr and had no problems - IIRC fsa's crank problems have been attachment/installation w/ external bearing BBs.

have had issues in the past, however they have made great strides in the last year and a half or so. Most of the issues reported were in the very first generation of carbon cranks.Earlier this year Cannondale recalled a bunch of FSA made carbon cranks.

Just get the Dura-Ace cranks and be done with it. Light, stiff, problem free.

I agree with wunlap, just get shimano and be happy. It's boring, but it works and works good! No non drive crank arms falling off, no cheap self extracting bolts stripping out, just well made goodness.

jay

I swapped a 9 speed Dura Ace for a Truvativ Rouleur Carbon with external bearings on the Sachs. I was pretty amazed at the _perceived_ difference in stiffness at the BB, which I attribute to the outboard bearings, especially noticable, to me, on a small diameter steel bike.

The carbons were 149 on ebay, new.

Then this summer I put on a Dura Ace 10 speed crank on my (steel) road bike and now I want one for the Sachs too. I think the DA setup is the lightest out there? Have to double check weight weenies. But anyway, the fit finish and function is impossible to beat. Its perfect. Perfect I say.

I got a scratched one for 140 bucks on the bay, I see them going for about 200 complete.

Jerry