First Look: Hope's Carbon Crank and TR Stem
Nine years after unveiling their first crank, Hope has a new carbon version. It's designed for Trail/All mountain use and has a claimed weight of 422g without a chainring or 487g with a 32t chainring. That's around 140 g lighter than their alloy crank.
Alternatively the RaceFace Era crank has a claimed weight of 483 grams including a 32 tooth chainring, so very similar. The Hope is considerably more expensive though, at £550 / €690 / $695. The Era is $499 US, and Hope's alloy cranks cost £255 / €320 / $320 - that works out to about $2.67 per gram saved.
However, like with their alloy cranks, Hope offers their carbon crank in 155, 165 & 170mm lengths. If you're after a shorter crank, these are among the lightest on the market.
In addition, Hope say they have "tuned stiffness characteristics for optimum ride feel", and that their "foam core helps to absorb impacts and dampen vibrations." I'd take that with a blood-pressure-raising pinch of salt, but they are implying that the carbon construction allows some flex to attenuate vibration much like a handlebar.
They're made from T700 fibres, which Hope say optimises the strength-to-weight ratio, and they're made with a "unique carbon construction method", though details are scarce for obvious reasons. The 7075 aluminium pedal thread inserts are replaceable if they become damaged and the hardware is available in black, blue, red, silver, purple and orange. They use the same 30mm 7075 aluminium alloy axle as their other cranks and play nicely with Hope's notoriously reliable bottom brackets. Oh, and they're still designed, tested and manufactured in Barnoldswick, UK.
Available from April 15th.
TR Stem
Hope's new TR stem replaces the AM, and is said to be both stiffer and lighter. It also adds a 40 mm length option (previously only 35 or 50 mm were available). There are 32, 40 and 50mm lengths in Ø31.8 mm clamp diameter and 35, 40 and 50mm lengths in Ø35 mm.
Claimed weights are 123g, 131g and 150g, respectively, in Ø31.8. A 2-piece front plate design with a “no gap” clamping system should simplify handlebar installation and adjustment.
They're available in black, silver, red, blue, purple, orange and a new bronze colour (shown), which is also available on other Hope products.
RRP: £105 / €135 / $135
Available from March 1st
For more, head to hopetech.com
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Yes, it can mean "famous" but the usual meaning for most people is "famous for bad reasons" and it makes your description sound sarcastic. I'm no longer sure if I should want one of Hope's "notoriously reliable bottom brackets" or not!
Lol. Glad the 3 amigos reference wasn’t missed.
Pinkbike’s backend developer needs a QA person
Just remember....I "paraphrased", although the gist is pretty close.
People like nice things, the bikes we ride are all luxury non essential items we don’t need to buy or own, make your choice, if you don’t care then don’t buy it, they won’t make you
@justanotherusername got it right, thanks.
You have a pretty weird view here, you seem to think you know they are no stronger or more durable using your eyeball engineering?
BTR’s are super expensive compared to some other frames, the difference is looks and price (and maybe strength and durability) …. Derp
The term beauty in the the eye of beholder springs to mind as they're just cranks
The most impressive display of filament winding I have ever seen was during a presentation by Achim Menges. Check out his work if you haven't seen it yet. And still he is only using these common and versatile robot arms.
Can't think of any other frame I would like to have rather than this one, which is obvious considering it's been made to spec. Curtis Racelite 26" could be fun. Considering I'd rather have the seat and top tube low than high, prefer my chainstay short and custom top tube and head angle are included in the price, it should be possible to make something that's close. I just wouldn't be too sure whether Brian would still be melting tubes together by the time my current frame is due for replacement. I obviously hope he keeps going for a very long time but so do I hope for this frame
$700 is insane, and cranks are the worst place to use carbon fiber
You can also get a bash guard mount for a BB. … but what you really need is a new bike
Sram are you listening?
I'm riding my 1994 mtb, and totally happy with it. Titanium frame, so still going strong after 30 years, full rigid, so no suspension setup and stuff to worry about. Whatever part I trash, I can replace it for under €50.
You know what they say about assumptions.
@forsinapu Sram owning it or not, Hope are made by folks with Western pay scales. Taiwan is one of the best places in Asia for manufacturing and living standards for sure, but the point is they are not paid on the same scale as Western countries. I ride Sram on two bikes and have a set of Sram carbon cranks on one of them (until I break them) Not anti Sram at all, but calling out decaf's comment
Is this just your bro capitalist view of things?
You do realise its literally a business job to occupy sector of a market and do that well, don't you, or are you silly enough to think Hope should be able to compete against SRAM and Trickstuff at the same time?
Hopes main market is their components, they do very well with them and if they occupy the ficticious 'grey zone' you seem to believe exists it seems to be quite large market and many, many people like and use their parts for reasons beyond just being made in the UK on some very nice bike builds around the world.
No they aren't comparable to brands like garburak, ingrid and Intend aesthetically - Hope outsell them considerably and its likely most of their parts are as well / better engineered and are much cheaper too.
Hey, you have an opinion, and just like arseholes everyone has one, the facts say you are wrong though - While other companies shed staff and scramble for funding Hope are as solid as ever.
I don't ride it for nostalgia, I ride it because it's super fun to ride and all I need (and easy and cheap to maintain etc.).
It's a Dyna-Tech Torus Ti, the cheapest model of that series, and it was parent's company Raleigh's attempt to bring affordable titanium bikes to the market.
It's a moot point however, as even it it was a eight thousand dollar Merlin, I'd say if you ride it for 30 years that counts as a pretty damn cheap bike.
I'd had to look it up, but I was 2495 Dutch guilders, the currency we had back then. It would be about 1250 in Euro's, that's 1348 American dollars.
It's a Dyna-Tech Torus Ti, the cheapest model of that series, and it was parent's company Raleigh's attempt to bring affordable titanium bikes to the market.
I'd say $1348 counts as cheap.
Also, you can try to downplay it as a toy, I don't care, but I'd say after 30 years of continuous use it has proven itself as one hell of a dependable apparatus.
Most current mtb's will struggle to ever get to ten years of usage.
Soon our comments will be privet and invisible I guess , as they will remove them when article will be uploaded with photos.
That's what happened when my friend commented on privet photos about Raceface pedals...
I do admit they look killer, though.
I'll keep bashing my Aeffect R with a cheap heavy long wearing steel ring
No doubt, it is small savings compared to the whole system, and a relatively good place to carry extra weight. All I can say is that my bike felt quicker to accelerate when I changed to lighter cranks. And isn't that what we're all chasing when we ride bikes - enjoyable sensations?
Pricey AF, but I'm psyched to see a lightweight option in sub 160mm lengths. And a replaceable pedal insert is a really nice touch too.
“Hold our beer.”