Bontrager Race

Price Paid:  $125.00 at LBS

Favorite Ride:
Open road

Summary:
Finally wore out the original crank on my Dad's old Fuji royal and was looking to make an upgrade to external bearings. The local shop had these in stock cause they pulled them of an new Gary Fisher Presideo due to a customer wanting shorter crank arms. They are basically a Truvativ crank with bonti badge. The price was rightso I bought and had them put on. No complaints after 3 months and 1000 miles.

Strengths:
Fairly stiff. I am 6'4' and 220 riding an old 27 inch Fuji steel frame. Got tired of the flex in old crank so went to these with external bearings. Made a big difference in stiffness and power transfer. Plus the black crank set doesn't look to bad on the old school frame.

Weaknesses:
Nothing major yet. I have none of the loosing or bearing issue of the other posters.

Similar Products Used:
Truvativ Firex

Price Paid:  $160.00

Favorite Ride:
K2 race in New Zealand

Summary:
Rubbish!
These cranks came OEM on my bike. In the five months I've had them, I've done 8 or 9 rides over 10 miles, and probably 30 rides to the shops. I've had the following problems.

1) pedal wasnt put in tight enough at the bikeshop, and within 5 miles of the shop it'd worked loose and destroyed the left crank. The shop gave me a new one.
2) the left crank keeps working loose. We're talking between 5 and 15 miles after being tightened, it'll be loose. When it's loose it rocks about on the axel and is wearing the splines on the crank arm out. So now I need another left crank, although I dont think I'll bother, as I still can't go for a ride without taking along an 8 and 10mm allen key, which are bigger than any on multitools.

I will be replacing these with shimano ultegra or dura-ace. The shimano system uses a pinch bolt to secure the crank arm, a system that actually works ... set and forget, none of this stupid tighten before every ride stuff that is Bontrager Race.

Strengths:
None. Seriously this crank has been designed/built too cheap to work, and a crank that doesnt work is useless. If it flexed or something, then I could say it's fine for weaker riders, but the cranks not staying on the bike, just useless for anyone

Weaknesses:
As in summary, the retention system for the left crank arm just doesnt work.

Similar Products Used:
Shimano 105 (9spd), Ultegra (10spd), XT 750 (mountain bike), Sugino, XT (old square taper), Deore (old square taper).

Price Paid:  $0.00 at The Bicycle Place

Favorite Ride:
Haines Point (Road) / Rosaryville (Mtn.)

Bike Setup:
2007 LeMond Alpe D'Huez - 56 - mostly stock except for saddle and now 105 crank/bb (double 53/39)

Summary:
This came as OEM equipment on my 2007 LeMond Alpe D'Huez. It used the Bonti GXP bottom bracket. Within 1500 miles of use, the spider/driveside crankarm began migrating inward on the spindle, crushing the driveside bearing and creating a tremendous amount of noise/flex in my BB/Cranks. Needless to say, I think it is weak that this thing lasted only 1500 miles / 6 months....

Strengths:
It lasted for 1500 miles...no strengths on this one...except for Trek Warranty - they replaced with a 105 crank & BB (apparently I'm not the only one...)

Weaknesses:
Quality

Similar Products Used:
105, ultegra

View Comments (1)

Would you like to Comment?
Join RoadbikeReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.