| How To Choose Your FSA MTB Crank |
|
|
|
|
How To Choose A FSA MTB Crank The Finer Points of FSA’s CranksetsShifting à With nicely machined ramped and pinned chain rings, some of the teeth are crafted specifically for shifting while others transition the shift by degrees, and yet others are designed to bear the majority of the weight load. The immaculately ramped and pinned chainrings result in greater accuracy and speed, both vital to your ride. With such precision, FSA shifting is unmatched in my opinion. Strength à Always concerned with weight, yet more so with stiffness and strength to make the crank perform better for longer. With incredible strength to weight ratios, rest assured that if you find a crank at equal weight, the FSA is stiffer to transfer more of your leg power to turning those wheels. Weaker cranks simply bend and flex with added force instead of getting you up the hill faster. Value à With every price category that FSA cranks fit into, I guarantee that each FSA crank will outperform all of its price/intended use contenders in shifting capabilities and overall stiffness and strength. The result is an obviously better value. Just keep in mind that FSA is not a closeout or discount brand, so you will almost never see their MTB cranks at end of the year or overstocked sales. V-Drive MegaExoThis is your LX level crank, with a little more stiffness and better shifting. Although a tad heavier than the Shimano LX 580 crank, the V-Drive MegaExo will outperform the LX in every aspect of performance. At this price point the rider should be first and foremost concerned with solid performance and value, which is why this crank is designed to be uncompromising in strength, durability and shifting. Don’t buy if you:
Buy it if you:
This is your XT level crank, with a little less weight and more efficient shifting, all while maintaining the same level of strength. Like the Shimano XT, this crank is cold-forged as a hollow crank. The process of shaping a crank by means of cold-forging, as opposed to pouring liquefied alloy into a mold, requires immense amounts of pressure, in the tens of thousands of pounds of pressure per square inch. This makes the crank arm stronger because now the atoms have been compressed together, and are therefore in a tighter arrangement than they would be if the liquefied alloy had been poured into a mold. Think of this process as being much more effective than but similar to Mavic’s hammer-hardening process. The Afterburner is manipulated well for further added strength and aesthetic appeal that you just can’t capture in a photograph. As for strength, FSA engineered the Afterburner Xtreme with only slight modifications, such as a steel pedal insert and a bashguard. As for shifting, light years ahead of the Shimano XT 760 that I owned previous to my own Afterburner. So let’s sum it up for the folks who haven’t been paying attention. In comparison to the Shimano XT, it is just as strong but lighter at the same time, plus it gives you smoother shifting capabilities all at a cheaper price tag. Wow, so why aren’t you riding this crank? Oh, I see, you just needed someone to tell you more about it, but now your excuse is all used up. Don’t buy it if you:
Buy it if you:
|
