All Arround MTB

WHEN WE STARTED riding these ridiculously light carbon cranks we tiptoed round waiting for them to explode when we rode off a kerb.

OFFERING ALL THE single-ring essentials for 60$ less than the nearest competition, our Value Award winning crankset was obvious right from the start of the test.

CONSIDERING THE HUGE amount of experience some of the other brands here have when it comes to making cranks, DMR have done an amazing job producing the set that consistently impressed us most.

SHIMANO’S NEWXT crankset is even more mechanically durable than its legendary forebears but it looks scruffy faster than ever.

SRAM’S GX-LABELLED cranks offer great all-round performance at an affordable price.

DURABILITY KINGS PRAXIS have joined up their BB and chainring offerings with these bomber cranks.

THE REX 2.1S are impressively stiff, lightweight and multi frame compatible, even if you don’t buy into Rotor’s asymmetric chainring concept.

RACE FACE’S TURBINE cranks share the same pocketed back casting as the super-sturdy Atlas but with more metal machined off the front to achieve a more trail friendly weight.

THESE LONG-RUNNING Canadian cranks have been updated with Race Face’s excellent Cinch system to create a versatile and user friendly hardcore crankset.

SHIMANO’S FLAGSHIP TRAIL cranks are mechanically ultradurable and biomechanically versatile but heavier than the carbon competition.

FSA’S NEWFLAGSHIP single-ring crankset is a great choice for powerful riders wanting to save weight.

THE HOLLOWFORGED, rectangular section arms of the new GRID cranks are permanently fixed to a deep 3D sculpted, square tipped spider.

HOPE’S METICULOUSLY UK machined cranks are big on long-term durability and security but low on stiffness and dependent on proprietary tools.

AEROZINE’S SINGLE-RING cranks are a useful option for less aggressive riders looking to save some weight and money.

SRAM DESERVE A ton of credit for freeing the MTB world from front shifters, mechs and chain guides. Unfortunately their carbon crank arms are off-pace compared to the best in the category.

We've had a few months on several sets of Shimano's new flagship mechanical groupset so what do we think and where does it rank in the drivetrain charts?

SRAM has led the way in drivetrain innovation for allmountain riding ever since they introduced their radical 1x11 XX1 group in 2013. since then, 1x11 has almost taken over the market, although the wider gear range of a 2x system still has lots of appeal to certain riders, usually depending on local geography. This year, SRAM is releasing a completely new group called GX that trickles down 1x11 to lower price points and also adds flexibility by giving the riders the option to run 2x11 or 2x10 shifting setups.

Hope Technology has been working its “eternal crank project” for years. Not content with the conventional system of a tapered spindle to hold the crank arm in place, Hope engineers developed an expanding spline axle/arm interface intended to improve longevity and stiffness. Their use of Finite Element Analysis during development claims to ensure long-term durability and minimal weight – our sample weighed 587g with no chainring or bottom bracket versus Shimano M9000 XTR at 472g.

THE NEW XTR is Shimano's lightest groupset to date and also their first to boast an 11-speed cassette. While the 11-40t spread isn't as wide as SRAM's 10-42t X-DOME block, it has the major advantage of fitting on a standard freehub rather than needing a proprietary driver body.

Flagship groupset goes high-tech for 2015