Round Up: 6 Made in the USA Cranksets
We love to write about exciting handmade bike frames and the builders behind those creations, but let's not forget the other essentials that make a bike a bike. A great frame, after all, is just a piece of neat wall art until it's fitted with the parts that make the bike go. Therefore, today we're highlighting six small and medium-sized brands that make cranks in the USA.
There are small-scale operations all over the world that make high-quality components, but the USA loves to pride itself on its industrial roots, and lately we've seen a few exciting new names break into the American-made parts world - especially those that make cranks. There's something to be said for the grit and creativity it takes to start locally manufacturing bike parts, so here's a list of those brands, new and old, that are doing things their own way and powering ahead with their USA-made cranks.
Ignite Catalyst Cranks
Ignite's Catalyst cranks are available in silver, black, purple, or just about any custom colors and designs to suit your fancy.
Custom anything.
Ignite says these cranks are enduro strong and road bike light.
Ignite, a New Jersey brand that makes aluminum cranks and other components in-house, released its Catalyst mountain bike cranks earlier this year, cranks that seem equally at home on a carbon wonderbike and an all-metal cruiser. The cranks are available in lengths from 155mm to 175mm in 5mm steps, but if you need something different, engineer Ian Colquhoun is happy to work with customers to figure out the right custom options, both in terms of length and colors. The stock colors are silver, black, and purple (of course), but customers can choose to personalize their orders with custom base colors and hardware. Starting at 510g, they are a bit lighter than most mass-produced aluminum cranks, too.
 | Catalyst Cranks laugh at rock strikes and 1400w sprints. Strap on some bags and bikepack the world knowing a drop off the front of a bus in Nepal won't leave you with shattered parts. |
Details
• Made in Allamuchy, New Jersey
• 30mm spindle
• Custom lengths, anodizing, and ceramic coatings available
• 30mm spindle
• Custom lengths, anodizing, and ceramic coatings available
• 510-550g - arms, spindle, and hardware
• 3-bolt splined chainring mounting
• Pricing starts at US$399
• More info at ignitecomponents.com and @ignitecomponents
• 3-bolt splined chainring mounting
• Pricing starts at US$399
• More info at ignitecomponents.com and @ignitecomponents
Boone Technologies Twist! V2.0
Need a crank that doubles as a mirror?
These Twist! V2.0 have the same 90-degree twist as the originals.
The styling is from the '90s, but these have been modernized.
I'm pretty jazzed on the sci-fi look, even if Boone has stepped back from the full futuristic craze and returned to its '90s Twist! roots with the Twist! V2.0. The Twist! V2.0, while seeming more sensible than the Cranx! linked above, still bring plenty of retro flair to the domestically-manufactured cranks game, and are Boone's return to the mountain bike industry after 25 years away, during which the brand instead made titanium wedding rings. These new Twist! cranks are available for BB30 or old-school square taper interfaces, weigh in at about 175g per arm (170mm), and are available with both polished and raw finishes. As for those other ones that look like they're either from 1950 or 2050? They don't appear to be available on Boone's website at the moment, but for the sake of all the reckless hearts out there who lean into the weird and wonderful, I hope they stick around.
Details
• Made to order in Kennesaw, Georgia
• Available for BB30 or square taper interface standards
• The same nostalgic 90-degree twist you remember from the '90s
• Available for BB30 or square taper interface standards
• The same nostalgic 90-degree twist you remember from the '90s
• Boone also makes titanium Adapt-Rs to fit Boone's chainring spline system to existing chainring interfaces
• US$395
• More info at booneti.com & @boonetechnologies
• US$395
• More info at booneti.com & @boonetechnologies
White Industries M30 Crank
The White Industries cranks are sleek and industrial.
Want a chainring, too? White has you covered.
Want a colorful extractor bolt? You can have that, too.
White Industries, based in California, makes aluminum parts for mountain, gravel, and road bikes, and its M30 cranks are a go-to for anyone looking to build up a metal bike using locally manufactured parts without breaking the bank. The crankarms come in lengths ranging from 165mm to 180mm, mostly in 5mm increments but with a 172.5mm length thrown in for good measure. The cranks come with a 30mm spindle and work with BSA, T47, and PF30 bottom bracket systems. The cranks are available in silver or anodized black, with colored extractor bolts available to add some personality.
Details
• Made in Petaluma, California
• 165mm-180mm
• Available in black or silver with red, blue, pink, purple, black, gold extractor bolts
• Available in mountain, gravel, and road versions and BSA, T47, and PF30 BBs
• 165mm-180mm
• Available in black or silver with red, blue, pink, purple, black, gold extractor bolts
• Available in mountain, gravel, and road versions and BSA, T47, and PF30 BBs
• 570g for arms, spindle, and hardware at 175mm
• 2024 aluminum
• White also offers compatible narrow-wide chainrings
• US$320
• More info at whiteind.com (website currently undergoing maintenance) & @whiteind
• 2024 aluminum
• White also offers compatible narrow-wide chainrings
• US$320
• More info at whiteind.com (website currently undergoing maintenance) & @whiteind
5 Dev
The beauty contest has been won.
5 Dev is quite new, but the system already seems dialed.
At 550g and $499, the cranks are a little on the pricey side, but are also meticulously-tooled and seem to be where art meets functionality.
If we're giving out awards for bike part beauty, 5 Dev deserves at least a nomination for the 7075 cranks. The new cranks from the California brand are CNC-machined from 7075 aluminum, as the name suggests; are available in a wide range of lengths; and come with an aluminum preload ring, a trend we are thankfully starting to see take off. They weigh 550g at 170mm long with a 30mm spindle, putting them on par with some of the other highest quality aluminum cranks, and it's great to see them using the SRAM interface to make brand compatibility easier.
5 Dev is a branch of 5th Axis, a sophisticated machining company that's exciting to see enter the bike industry.
Details
• Made of lightweight 7075 aluminum
• Available in 155mm-175mm lengths
• Compatible with SRAM direct-mount chainrings
• Available in 155mm-175mm lengths
• Compatible with SRAM direct-mount chainrings
Lightning Cycle Dynamics
Weight weenies rejoice.
This might be the most carbon-y of all carbon cranks.
There are both old-school and modern configurations.
If you thought this list would only contain metal cranks, you thought wrong. Lightning has been in the bike industry since the dawn of time, or at least since 1977. The California brand was started by a rocket scientist who prefers recumbent bikes over upright ones and so began making the eccentric pairing of high-performance recumbent bikes and lightweight carbon cranks. The cranks come in a variety of lengths and BB standards to fit everything from everyday road and mountain bikes to recumbent and tandem ones. They are fitted with removable aluminum spiders to be adaptable between chainring standards, and come in XO and XX1 versions that start at 420g (including Lightning's BB and spider).
Details
• Made in Lompoc, California
• Available for all kinds of bikes
• 160mm to 190mm length range in 2.5mm increments
• Available in gloss or matte finish, with or without the Lightning logo
• Available for all kinds of bikes
• 160mm to 190mm length range in 2.5mm increments
• Available in gloss or matte finish, with or without the Lightning logo
• Comes with bottom bracket of choice, variety of standards available
• US$890
• More info at lightningbikes.com
• US$890
• More info at lightningbikes.com
Profile Racing
Sturdy, stiff, stylish. Check, check, check.
There are both white and black powder coat options.
The whole set comes in a decorative gift box.
Profile Racing actually started as a racecar chassis shop in Flemington, New Jersey, but the brand has become known for its BMX parts in the half century since its inception. The brand's focus has remained on making sturdy steel, aluminum, and titanium parts that will withstand the test of time, and it now manufactures not only for BMX bikes but for mountain and even road bikes.
The product we'll focus on is Profile's Elite cranks, which Profile says are the stiffest cranks the brand has ever made. The steel crankarms are burly, weighing in at more than 300g per arm, but Profile acknowledges that they're oversized, and the focus clearly is on making them strong, not svelte, and the brand backs up that confidence with a lifetime warranty to the original owner.
Details
• Made in St. Petersburg, Florida
• Made of 4130 Chromoly with titanium spindle
• Available in smaller increments than most crankarms: 170mm, 172mm, 175mm, 177mm, 180mm, and 182mm
• Crankarms available in chrome, black, and white
• Made of 4130 Chromoly with titanium spindle
• Available in smaller increments than most crankarms: 170mm, 172mm, 175mm, 177mm, 180mm, and 182mm
• Crankarms available in chrome, black, and white
• 311g per arm, plus another ~176g for spindle
• Lifetime warranty to original purchaser
• US$466.99 – $497.99
• More info at profileracing.com & @profile_racing
• Lifetime warranty to original purchaser
• US$466.99 – $497.99
• More info at profileracing.com & @profile_racing
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246 Comments
Just like 650B just takes the rest a while to catch on to it.
My 2017 rig also had 165mm cranks so ...
My current bike the 161 Privateer can get pretty low so I like to have short cranks. Because I could not get a replacement fast I had to change 29" to 650b with + size tires for the rear wheel because of a dead carbonara wheel. I immediately have hit the cranks after I had to change it on a trail upwards.
They are thinking Outside the box...
That test is tough!
Cranks fixed @ 45 degrees, 600lbs(?) applied at the pedal interface, 50,000 cycles with no damage. I don't remember the force exactly, but it's not low...
Not interested in satellite vibration testing.
For me, aesthetic its 5-Dev but longevity it's Profile. Those lightening carbon cranks just look scary.
BTW, my shop has a large inventory of 5th Axis work holding........keep up the great work.
The cranks look awesome but if someone suggests testing to a recognised standard, the best answer is not 'go and buy the other stuff then' - We develop a few non-bike parts ourselves and in-house test beyond CE standard but we do use it as a baseline.
Thats all you really need to say - 'Our cranks will be tested to exceed CE/ISO etc whatever applicable standards' - job done.
Want to shut up a smart ass, answer the question directly as I said and they melt away.
Seeing how you conduct yourselves here, along with social media is interesting. For this, I am out; Machined or not marketing wise it would have made more sense for you to explain why this crank is dependable and worth my money versus sram or whatever other mfg
If you don't understand why using Carbon is risky go watch the Pinkbike test where the Praxis carbon crank failed, or go find any video where a carbon bars fail at the clamp. Sounds like you made a crack at these blokes and they chirped back with some wit. Suck it up buttercup, this sports not cheap.
Vast majority of people who run sram carbon cranks have not had failures. Add that to the list of people who own GX aluminum and dont have failure. These ones in particular from 5dev have holes machined into them. It is more than reasonable to question the integrity of these and ask about testing.
And your point about cost is wack. Yeah the sport isn't cheap, but as a middle class guy I can definitely effectively question price point and performance. Why would I spend 10/12K on a specialized ebike when a YT decoy is around 6k? That goes for mountain bike anything. Guess you guys down in south Africa are rollin in dough eh buttcup
If you don’t ask you probably don’t have any common sense so wouldn’t be able to afford it either.
Also it should be pointed at that the first point of failure on a bike is the person using it not any part. Next is the wheel. How many people ride a bike off the showroom floor at a bike park without checking the whole thing over first? pinkbike comments section always delivers. I already pre ordered these cranks.
Didn’t know it was JP Morgan, guess he had enough money not to have to ask though, but it’s obviously just a weird flex used when buying things you know you can afford - otherwise total bullshit.
Cost=quality. Nope
For a company of that size / capability that’s a pretty odd answer to someone asking about industry recognised laboratory fatigue testing.
And yet again, I’ll state I love the look of the cranks and love their work holding products, I am certainly not a ‘hater’ and their crank likely far exceeds any required specifications.
'And yet again, I’ll state I love the look of the cranks and love their work holding products, I am certainly not a ‘hater’ and their crank likely far exceeds any required specifications'
Amongst all of the other praise I have given to the cranks and 5axis other products, of which I personally own?
Its not being an ass to disagree with something or to suggest adhering to a universal standard of testing is a good idea.
"Its not being an ass to disagree with something or to suggest adhering to a universal standard of testing is a good idea."
You do realize that World Cup level racers use prototype parts, custom parts, limited 1 off parts or race stock parts that will never ever be tested by some universal standard lab test? No one gives a crap about universal standards. I have a Deity stem. I have never once thought "i wonder if this meets the universal standard"
Prototypes are just that, made for testing, either by test riders aware of potential shortcomings or other methods and are not for sale to the public.
Nobody gives a crap about universal standards? - That would be complete and utter bullshit, how do you think products are tested before being put to market (some before they are legally allowed to be put to market) - You dont care if your car tyres meet universal safety standards for example?
And these 'standards' are the lowest level a product needs to adhere to, nothing stops a manufacturer going further, as many do.
That is literally the biggest load of shit I have ever seen written and your Deity stem probably went through the same testing that most big brand stems have - Here is a pic of an Industry 9 stem going through some 'nobody gives a crap' testing for you: bikerumor.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/A31Eight-Stem_Testing_6_WEB.jpg
By the way, I still like 5th axis products and think their cranks look amazing and will probably exceed any testing standards.
These are “affordable”
I'm big fan of the SRAM concept with DUB and Direct mount (probably will be downvoted for that)
Also majority of this cracks heavier then SLX/GX and do not even look too good to be honest
Spawn Cycles also offer their Brood cranks in 160mm. Not sure if they are designed for adult weights but they look pretty beefy.
You can add them to the list of short cranks to keep an eye out for
Oh, there's a block function... excellent!
I did say reduce. Not eliminate. Thank YOU for the douchey reply. I guess basic reading comprehension is to much to ask in this digital age? LoL
Also, some of these cranksets would be a real upgrade, but solid CNC aluminum cranks are inferior to a forged SRAM GX crankset, let alone any hollow core (SLX or above) Shimano crankset.
I’m all for blingy parts, but if you’re going to charge a premium, make sure your product is functionally superior to the cheaper mass produced items it’s competing with.
They are based on the original Grove Innovations Hot Rods from the 70s or the 80s. Rody (Groovy Cycleworks) who worked for Bill Grove now makes them in steel and titanium. There's an old blog post from when he started the project: groovycycleworks.blogspot.com/2008/06/grove-hot-rodsthe-time-has-come.html
I'm not claiming they are all that, but www.mirandabikeparts.com/en/products-solutions/mtb/crank-models has many options in multiple lengths, interfaces and q-factors.
Fortunately did not make contact with the sheered end, as it would have sliced through my leg pretty easily.
I can go 69% faster, with 69% more effort
Need tight pics before Xmas
I'd buy one... for the Mrs. ofc... wait wut?
I still have my Specialized Lightning-licensed carbon cranks on my 2012 Stumpjumper HT. They're bulletproof. Ugly af, but bulletproof.
They only come 175mm unfortunately
Pass me a towel - gotta dry my brow now....
When you buy something from overseas, you sorta spread the same dollars across lots of people and industries. The retailer makes a few cents, the shipper makes a few cents, the cargo company makes a few cents, the manufacturer overseas make a few cents, the material supplier makes a few cents, the brand makes a few cents, the shareholders make a few more cents.
When you buy from a smaller, more local company, more of your dollars are going into the pocket of the guy working the machine, because in a lot of cases, he's also the one who designed the parts, he's also the marketing guy, the shareholder, the brand, etc. That guy, in turn, shops within your economy too - he might buy the products or service you sell. There is more incentive for the owner/machinist to make a good product when he gets your hard earned bucks in his hands vs the whole supply chain getting a few cents each.
I think it also helps during times of disruption too. Like right now with all our parts shortages and logistical issue, buying local can get you the parts you want without the wait. In some of these cases, the parts are pretty competitively priced, too. Yea, it might come with some compromises, they might not be perfect, but in my opinion there are a lot of benefits to keeping it more local.
So, we can produce crap in America, but we can also produce good stuff at competitive prices. Why we build parts for Airbus AND Boeing (and others).
If baffles me that people don't get this.
I'm not for isolating ourselves inside our borders, but like every time the "get cheap stuff made overseas" has gone too far.
Also @suspended-flesh: "Buy a 20yo Toyota"
Either way all good!
If I wasn’t worried about another change in crank standards, I would “invest” in a set for long term.
I bought them because they were on sale (pre-pandemic) but they ended up 3 bikes and years later being probably my best upgrade ever.
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