There was a collective "Wait, what?" when Cane Creek released their 400-gram, all-titanium crankset last April, and then more of the same when we scrolled down and saw the $999 USD price tag.
It's not completely out of left field - Cane Creek does have a history from way back with a similar looking design - but most of us associate the North Carolina company with stout suspension forks and four-way adjustable Double Barrel shocks.
Cane Creek's eeWings (say ''/ee/-wings'') sport titanium everything; arms, 30mm spindle, pedal insets, and even the fixing bolt and washer are made from the pricey metal. That explains the MSRP, then, with the brushed silver setup going for around twice the price of many carbon fiber cranksets. If you want to be this different, it's going to cost you. Some of those carbon options come pretty close to the eeWings' 400-grams weight, too, but not many get the go-ahead for enduro use like these.
Cane Creek eeWings Details• Intended use: trail / enduro
• Grade 9 Ti-3Al-2.5V titanium arms
• Grade 5 Ti-6Al-4V titanium spindle, Hirth joint, chainring interface, pedal inserts
• 30mm titanium spindle
• BB compatibility: BSA 73mm, PF92, PF89.5, BB30 (external bearing only), PF30 (external bearing only), 392EVO
• Chainring compatibility: X-Sync
• Lengths: 170mm, 175mm
• Warranty: 10 years
• Weight: 400-grams (arms, spindle, preload assembly, fastening bolt and washer, 1.75mm spacer)
• MSRP: $999 USD
•
www.canecreek.com Much titanium, very little weight. At just 400-grams, the eeWings are very light. At $999 USD, they're also very expensive.
Why Titanium?Can I take a stab at what you're thinking? How about, "Why would someone pay twice as much money for something that's not carbon fiber and, while very light, only weighs tens of grams less than other airy arms?" Because titanium. And according to Cane Creek, that fact makes them much less likely to end up in multiple pieces when you clang them off of rocks and whatnot. ''
Titanium just brushes those hits off, so the eeWings can withstand a lot more abuse than other high-end cranks and not end up structurally compromised or broken,'' said Sam Anderson, product manager for Cane Creek.
''At the same time, they are incredibly stiff, so more of the energy you put into each pedal stroke makes it to the back wheel and helps push you up and down the trail.''
Also, look at them. Look.
There are all sorts of other feathery cranksets to choose from, but let's consider two common options: Race Face's Next SL G4 arms and SRAM's XX1 Eagle DUB SL cranks. The former is said to weigh 430-grams, including a 32-tooth direct mount chainring but no bottom bracket, while the carbon Eagle arms come in at a claimed 420-grams with a chainring. XTR? The Race 1x crankset weighs a claimed 474-grams (without any hardware), so they're all in the same ballpark when talking about the scale. But all of those cost around half as much. Oof, they're probably more robust than carbon cranks, sure, but these things are something that you buy with your heart, not your brain.
Except for the alloy preload collar, everything is titanium, even the 30mm spindle.
ConstructionThe arms come in either 170mm or 175mm lengths and are made using Grade 9 Ti-3Al-2.5V titanium, while Grade 5 Ti-6Al-4V was chosen for the 30mm spindle, chainring interface, pedal inserts, and the impressive looking Hirth joint. What the hell is that? I didn't know until my buddy, Google, helped me out, and it's apparently a way to join two ends of a shaft, usually via tapered, radial teeth.
Roadies out there might have seen a Hirth joint at the center of Campagnolo's spindle (they've been using it for eons), and the two sides are joined by applying an axial load (from the crank bolt) to cause the radial teeth on each end of the spindle to interlock.
The left and right arms use the time-proven Hirth joint to connect.
At this point, it'd be silly if the crank bolt (left) wasn't titanium. Chainrings mount via SRAM's X-Sync spline (right).
The preload assembly is the only part of the entire crankset that isn't titanium, but it ain't plastic, either, unlike what's used on some other high-end options. The machined aluminum adjuster sits on a threaded ring up against the non-drive side arm, and it requires a 2.5mm hex to adjust.
The preloader can also be used on SRAM or Race Face 30MM cranks, and Cane Creek sells it separately (with a titanium bolt, of course) for $29.99 USD.
I briefly considered a bare titanium hardtail frame for the eeWings but then realized that I'd be building a bike around a crankset. Instead, I put them on the Linkage Larry where they've been trouble-free.
PerformanceIf I were to blindfold most riders and send them out on a bunch of different cranksets, I bet there's very little chance that any of them would notice a real performance difference between the arms. Same goes for these silver beauties, too. They're light as hell, sure, and they're going to feel flex-free to anyone who has less horsepower or less weight than Richie Rude. That's probably you, at least on the watts front.
It's worth noting that Cane Creek says they're 20 to 30-percent stiffer (presumably compared to some carbon cranks), and that they come with a 10-year limited warranty, too.
So the eeWings aren't going to do anything better for you when it comes to outright performance, but I have no trouble believing that a chunk of titanium is going to brush off a pointy piece of granite much easier than so and so's carbon arms covered in a sticker and some clearcoat. I can't recall breaking a carbon crankset, but I've seen it happen and can understand why some riders might be a little gunshy about the whole carbon splinters in their legs thing. That said, I'll happily run carbon cranks (or handlebar) - I don't share the same fear - but I can see why you might not.
Anyway, I've had the eeWings on the trail since April of last year, and on a few different bikes now as well, all without a hint of trouble. They're still dead-straight, and while they certainly look used, I like the matte finish that's developing. You can easily turn up the shine with some Scotchbrite, too. Can't say that about your plastic cranks, can you?
Cane Creek recommends a good slathering of ti-prep, which I did during the quick and simple installation, and both the Hirth joint and the direct-mount chainring interface have been groan-free since the first day. The titanium crank bolt calls for a big ol' 10mm hex key instead of the 8mm that you'd usually see, so you'll probably want to pick one of those up if you don't have one in your toolbox. Either way, the bolt stayed snug.
As with any crankset, you can get some heel rub if you're cleats are positioned a certain way, but I didn't have any contact with my ankle bones. That hurts like hell when it happens, so I'm always happy when it doesn't.
Cranksets are a tough one to review if I'm completely honest. You know, they didn't bend, they're stiff, and I trust them more than carbon arms. I could say the same thing about a few other cranks out there, however, so you're going to really want some titanium in your life to justify these gorgeous things.
Pinkbike's Take:  | I'm going on eleven months with the eeWings and haven't had an issue, but given their price, I'd be massively disappointed if anything did come up. They seem to be essentially flawless, but that $999 USD sticker looks absolutely batty next to cranksets that are within a handful of grams and cost half as much. But look at them. Look. Do you hear your brain talking, or is it your heart?— Mike Levy |
241 Comments
Then with the new inners, all year long without a touch
On the other hand Fox had also many troubles and I don´t see so many complaints about (on PB, here in Czech we make fun of the local official service point mostly) and people are still getting back to them.
Or drives that car...
1.thesharkman makes a pun using trust Message fork
2.It goes over Mkotowski's head (ruining the potential)
3.I wanted to save the pun train by joinin a carriage where I joke about their warranty catastrophe with In-Line shocks.
4.bok-CZ wonders whether I mean anything bad about Cane Creek.
5.I explain to him it was a joke in fact I like the company.
Is anything unclear? I am happy to help
To paraphrase Ferris Bueller, "I LOVE owning them. They are SO choice. If you have the means I highly recommend picking some up"
The new XTR look sexy when new but I saw some on a bike check article and they were pretty scuffed.
Those that for an unknown reason seem to last forever (I have one on a 2008 hardtail still going strong without a creak or any play).
And those that die every couple of months (seem more frequent). Sometimes worsened by improper torquing, after which no amount of torquing or superglue can fix them.
Maybe i am just lucky, my other bike had RF Aeffect and then Atlas, in either case splines gave up after a season of riding. Crank bolts were torqued according to spec.
@WAKIdesigns:
Swapping bb every two years beause the bearings develop small play, and i can get new bb for $15 anytime. If only i could lay my hands on imperial sizing bearings used in Howitzer... And the sealing quality in the newer BB’s ia nowhere near Howitzer - uou can find fresh bits of grease (a fine calcium grease i might add) the bearings even after a year full of mud riding and pressure washing.
I had a few years on xo carbon cranks. Ends of the arms all bamged up from many many rock strikes, and wore into the carbon a mm or two from shoe rub, they were hucked plenty and went through a few bb’s but the arms held up till i retired them.
but hey, don't let me or facts get in the way of your outrage!
If you want the MT900 I would suggest you get one sooner rather than later because the price is sweet. It looks like basically an M8000 with a DM ring. Still has the pinch bolts even.
This groove would make taping more difficult but I think with several thin layers it could be done to an acceptable standard.
The reason is because I have gashed my ankle bones too many times.
I had a set of huzzefelt cranks before and the huzzefelt writing was forged in with a very sharp square edge, about 2mm proud of the surface. Very much like the blade on a horizontal miller or in an industrial juicer. Thoose cranks carved chunks off both ankles. Never again!
Most likely because, when riding blindfolded, my cranks would be the last thing I was concentrating on.
here is what you are looking for! www.greubelforsey.com
Or am I missing something entirely?
No one offers that kind of service, these are cranks for a bike, there for many bikes you might own over the years...
It’s a shit tonne of money but over 10 years a lot of ppl will have spent more on cranks fir there bikes
Love the look of profile, but over twice the weight
I think more people want 165mm than 170mm anyway
Welp, forward foot is closer by 5mm to the BB and farther from the front of the bike (closer to the point of rotation i.e. the rear wheel), so that would theoretically make it easier to manual, but the rear foot too moves, but forward 5mm, and CLOSER to the front of the bike (and farther from the point of rotation, i.e. the rear wheel) so they cancel each other out. Manualing difference will be imperceptible.
I don't think light cranks provide a massive boost to pedaling efficiency, but I do like really long rides / races (60+ miles of Pisgah) and think any minuscule boost in efficiency / power adds up to a significant amount over the long run.
The internal strain energy storage efficiency of the material is what determines the lost pedal energy, a crank that flexes simply stores the energy in the crank strain then releases it.
Thumbs down on this hype train...
Long term test for ti crank should be 5+ years, however it is good they have lifetime warranty.
Since they went trough the trouble to copy the Campagnolo spindle,-which is the best- I am not sure why they did not split the spindle in the middle? Better pre-load, cranks spin more freely, longer bearing life, stiffer/less torsion, more durable? I change my bb bearing on Campy cranks every 20/25k km.
I think this style preloader is better in nylon/plastic. Rotor preload is metal as well (and should work with RF) and it is harder to adjust than the RF.
The CF Sram cranks break occasionally (they have lasted about 4 years for me).
The aluminum Shimano cranks are probably the most common sense choice.
But the Eewings really are nice and can be purchased on sale quite easily, making them maybe the last set of cranks you'll need. I have a set and am definitely a fan.
Signed, your Dentist.
That said, the Stages Power meter option won’t clear some frames. Bummer
Cant loose many watts either..
That is a trustifarians rig if ever there is one, rock on Levy.
While I'm certainly not a pro rider who pushes a bike to its structural limits and does 1000 situps in my spare time, I've been doing my best to ride my 2015 Rocky Mountain Edge into the ground, and it simply won't quit. It's become a bit of an experiment of sorts lately, where aside from chain lube I've been doing no maintenance of any kind at all to it and it's still silent. I've ridden it daily all winter (and obviously for the rest of the year) long for 4 years now, have foolishly taken it downhilling in Squamish and at Silver Star in Vernon, as well as the almost daily trip up and down Knox Mountain in my backyard in Kelowna.
Maybe I just lucked out and got a fantastically built bike or something, but I can't imagine spending $1000 on cranks when my budget level ones are still going strong....
BRING BACK SWEET WINGS....
No Brainer
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP_ze_vmlj8
Neg prop away...
A $2,700. fork and a $999.00 crankset.
MTB is beginning to look like a spoiled rich man's hobby. Do they think about average median income people like me? Damn!!!!!
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