FSA K-Force Megaexo Crankset Review - BikeRadar

OK, forgive the stupid name and actually look at what's on offer here - carbon fibre mountain bike cranks designed to be tough enough to take a proper thrashing and give good performance yet light enough to make weight weenies cry with joy. A tall order, so can these FSA cranks deliver?

Well, yes and no. They're definitely tough enough - our Megaexos show the scars from numerous rock strikes (it happens when you're nailing a low BB XC bike through rocky sections) and the arms are scuffed after hours powering through West Country grinding paste. However, the damage is only cosmetic.

At 850g, including an external bottom bracket and 22/32/44-tooth rings, this set weighs 10g less than the benchmark light Shimano Deore XT2 Hollowtech crankset so, yes, it's light enough. That said, we have a Middleburn Duo crankset that weighs 780g with the same crank/BB/ring structure.

However, the Megaexos fall down slightly when it comes to stiffness. They feel slightly more forgiving than the XT2s, although without you feeling like your effort is being wasted. In fact, once we'd been using them on their own for a week the forgiving feeling was almost unnoticeable. Most XC riders (who these cranks are clearly aimed at) will actually find the Megaexos quite comfortable when fitted to a stiffly sprung, short travel bike. We're still in love with our set and the carbon cranks increase the bling factor of your bike, which has to be a plus.

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