Shimano Deore Crankset Review - BikeRadar

Shimano's mid-range Deore crankset does a good job for two-thirds of the price of the company's more expensive SLX kit. 

We were gutted when the everlasting Octalink bottom bracket version of the Deore crankset was discontinued but longevity of Shimano external bottom brackets has improved a lot since then. Ours is showing no signs of wear despite dusty and snowy conditions.

The increase in stiffness from the fixed axle, external bottom bracket setup compensates for any rigidity lost with the switch from hollow to solid, scooped-back arms. It's easier to fit too – just be sure to have the bottom bracket shell faced so the bearing cups are perfectly parallel.

Steel middle and inner rings mean you’ll wind out plenty of miles before they wear out, and the Deore chainset is still lighter than its competitors.

Ramped and pinned shifting is swift and efficient, and the new double-chainring-and-bashring version adds steel pedal inserts for extra protection to create a very useful low-cost chaos crankset. We’d go for the silver option rather than the black tested here to avoid rapid cosmetic wear on the crank arms.

Deore kit has proved popular with tourers as well as mountain bikers. The downside of the new design is that finding parts in developing countries will be harder. That said, the cups are very light and simpler tools are needed, so carrying spares is an option.

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