First Look - Hope Technology Cranks
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The long awaited cranks from the aluminium specialists in Barnoldswick have arrived. No word yet on the name but we hope it doesn't take an Eternity to name them like their seatpost. After numerous spy-shots, mysterious sightings and rumours over the years, these beautifully sculpted cranks are finally available to the public. Notable features are the classic Hope finish, whopping 30mm axle and the Patent-Pending expanding axle interface. As mentioned in the recent interview with Hope owners "We make it so it’s gonna last, and you don’t want to get anything back through the door." After many years of prototyping, I'm sure these will match up to Hope's strict standards.
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 Hope have created a forging for the cranks rather than machining them from a huge block of billet which benefits stiffness and strength. This also cuts down on production time, which is could be important for all the impending purchases from Hope's worldwide following. |
Here's what Hope have to say about the cranks, straight from the CNC machinists mouth:
"Developed over many years the Hope crank has been designed using the latest FEA (Finite Element Analysis) tools and extensive multi discipline field testing. The cranks feature a unique expanding spline axle/arm interface (pat pending). Previously, cranks using splines often used a taper to ensure a snug fit. These cranks worked fine the first time they were fitted to the axle, but once they’d been taken off and on a few times, the spline became worn, so they’d suffer from the inevitable movement and annoying creak. Hope felt there must be a better way. After many years of testing they think they've found it in the form of an expanding spline. The cranks are pulled onto a conventional spline, then a tapered plug is fitted inside the axle which can be tightened up each time the arm is refitted – giving a perfect fit every time. Added to this Hope CNC machine the arms from forgings which gives them immense stiffness and strength. The arms also have a splined mounting for spiders and direct mount sprockets giving excellent versatility. The cranks are compatible with the majority of bottom bracket systems via Hopes expanded range of bottom brackets."
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| 802g including the 36t Retainer ring, pedal washers and BB30. The patent-pending, expanding axle interface is a new take on this problem area. |
The detailsMaterial - Forged and CNC machined 7000 series aluminium alloy crank arms
Length - 165, 170 and 175mm
Q-Factor - 167mm
Chainline – 49mm
Axle Diameter – 30mm
Expanding spline crank arm/axle interface (pat pending)
3-piece construction
Versatile Spline mount for chainring/spider
Chainring mounting: -Spiderless Retainer chainrings 26T to 36T
-Spider Single 104BCD and Double 64/104BCD
Colours: Initially black, with red, blue, silver, gunsmoke and purple following in March
Weight: 641g (arms, axle and 34t spiderless ring)
Prices: - Arms, Axle and Spider £245/€300/$429.50
Arms and Axle £215/€265/$375
Spider £40/€50/$70
Spiderless Retainer Chainring £55/€68/$95
www.hopetech.com @hopetech
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| Being the nice bunch they are a Hope Tech, a tool kit is provided to take care of any installation and maintenance. If their hubs are anything to go by, you won't be needing these very often. |
The cranks look very simple to fit. Use the tool provided to ease the crank arms on the the spindle, then insert the tapered inner bolt to spread the splined axle in to the interface, screw the outer bolt to hold everything in place and use the washer/lockring to tension the bearings, easy. Spiderless retainer rings will also be arriving soon, to knock off a few more grams and add simplicity. Hopefully these beauty's will be on my bike within the next few days, ready to take on the rest of the winter and beyond. Expect a full Pinkbike review soon.
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| Hope only have a small Factory team, but Sam 'Flange' Flanagan is one of the guys that has been testing the cranks to their limits throughout the prototyping process. |
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"Used left testicle from 1987, many miles but still completely functional and in great 'like-new' condition. Price is firm. Need money for a new Yeti."
It is good to know however that Hope have a tool set ready and would be even nicer if they drop this in with every cranks purchased.
I purchased the RF Cinch recently and to my my surprise there was neither the BB cups or the installation tools included. I understand now why these were missing cranks being multi BB compatible, but that bloody tool and standard BB cups alone are $$.
For the money and overall reliability I do not think cranks like SLX or XT can be beaten though. They are also a tad lighter I believe.
Bottom line is I would love to praise this crank but frankly Shimano builds great cranks at varying price points, its hard to justify, unless you have cash to burn.
Is Hope's solution any better?
Hope: 802g with BB30 (~69g) (on the scale in the image above)
Turbine: 675g with BSA BB (89g) (website claimed weights)
Does that seem right?
I did get a hussefelt crank on the non drive side of a stylo (took so effort) and it seemed to hold up. Then the bearings developed play.
I have had great luck with shimano slx and deore, but I have heard people say they break so maybe I'm just lucky.
My cousin kept it going by snugging his he bolt.
Between that and gay rhino sex (my other conversation today) I wonder if I have some underlying issues.
@tsheep Really!!!!?
I have never even had the crank push on the end cap. That thing isn't meant to keep it on. It is just to push it in place. . . The pinch bolts hold it great for me. What are people doing differently?
Fitted properly there should be no issues
-many damage the bearings by over tightening the nylon pre load cap: aftermarket metal caps and metal cap tools have no place in shimano's ht2 design
-many don't set torque 12-13nm on the twin pinch bolts with a torque wrench, causing damage to the splines and loosening of the arm
Best cranks. Period.
Cranks with carbon will be light as they can specifically construct it so it is hollow while countering the massive twisting forces applied when peddling, great stuff ut what about that which it is not designed for? Such as being smacked full force into a large rock? I know my bike will tell me what happened and when I look it will be not much more than a small gouge on the bottom among others. I have serious doubts at the ability for soft carbon to withstand this. Another is as simple as heal rub essentially cutting through the soft carbon over time. It has happened but won't with much cheaper and proven alloy.
Honestly, I like Hope because they tend to manage to produce their products in the UK and source Euro bearings when they could get far cheaper bearings from Asia. They seem to use quality anodizing that doesn't look shit in a year and do it at reasonable prices. Their designs have a solid record of reliability.
I, being Canadian, wish Race Face had stuck with this philosophy rather than aggressively pursue the market with Canuck designed but Taiwan made products.Perhaps I am just a retro grouch that misses the glory days of a BC bike industry when we had so many great companies like Rocky, Kona, Synchros, RF, and Roach making some cutting edge stuff, most of it here.That is impossible nowadays I guess.
Well, considering this was being developed at the same time that XX was dropping, specialized probably shelved it to help promote the new SRAM 2x10 system... Then low and behold, 3 years later XX1 drops... Coincidence? "Follow the money..."
We all vote with our money everyday. Regardless of what they told you, you matter
Imagine a case where both an Asian and a local product would be exactly the same quality, but the local product is €300, while the Asian is only €150, I would be stupid to spend all that extra money on the local one for nothing. That's like walking into your local supermarket and handing them €150 without buying something, just saying "this is to help the economy". That one transaction won't help anything.
I could spend that money much more effectively. Give it to charity or to someone who really needs it. That would be much more helpfull than spending more than twice as much for a product that's nothing better.
Even if you buy the Asian product you are still supporting local economy: import taxes, distribution, the bikeshop, VAT.... The biggest part of the profit per product is made in the country where it's sold.
I'd have more negative effect from spending extra myself, than the positive effect it would give from supporting the economy.
I appreciate your intelligent response/comments.
Let's face it, most of us riding SLX cranks did not give 150 to charity. But I like the idea.
How do you think a product can cost half as much as another of equal quality? Are you ok with that?
Do
As you can clearly see there's more than just the laser etched logos that is blank on those cranks
Not saying that its the end to this problem, only that they thought of it too.
only use for crank extraction..... what about right end of this tool??? looks like it has at least one more useful function....
encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSBQxeq7VcbA-ULF6s_DzBJFpIaMPApNA0KNmg8Zzplh_T4FtIxQg
www.profileracing.com/2012/09/2363
Cranks look good, I like my R.F. Cinch.
There's no doubt that they'll be at least decent, just because they're from Hope.
I'd certainly be willing to consider some silver ones though.