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Thu 12 Jul, 12:00 am UTC

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Shimano's carbon Dura-Ace cranks

By Jez Loftus

We keep spotting this one at the tour, Shimano's carbon Dura-Ace cranks. It can hardly be top secret anymore considering it's been seen on a few of the team bikes. The one pictured was aboard one of the Specialized Gerolsteiner bikes, we've seen others on Rabobank Colnagos.

Even with the cranks on such public display we've still had no further details from Shimano so it's down to guess work on the details. Obviously styled on the current alloy cranks the carbon variant loses the preload cap on the left arm and adopts a preload collar for adjusting the bearings instead. This is identical to the setup used on the current XTR mountain bike cranks. It's a easier to use than the current preload cap and 5mm pinch bolts and it also takes the guess work out of preloading the bearings. The only difference here is that the Dura-Ace collar has been slimmed down to give it a lighter, road orientated appearance. It also looks like the cranks run on the regular Shimano external bearing units.
We've only got the pictures to go on so far but the cranks look very tidy even if they are only prototypes. Round the back of the spider everything looks typically tidy and surgically Shimano with no out of place carbon weave in sight. We're going to try and get hold of one of the team mechanics to see if we can get a weight. It'd also be interesting to know if those arms are hollow and if the spindle is carbon or alloy.


That's the technical details, now we'll open the debate on the looks. No doubt Shimano has been forced into making a carbon crank by its numerous competitors turning out cranks made from the black stuff. It's still the material of the moment and no doubt we'll be seeing carbon derailleur, shifters and brakes in the near future from Shimano. The thing is with all

that carbon around at the moment the alloy stuff looks pretty damn good.

With all of Shimano's history and engineering know, how much better do a set of carbon cranks really perform over the current Dura-Ace model? If it's big weight saving matched with an increase in stiffness then why not. But there's also a certain amount of engineering romanticism about forging and machining a component out of a block of alloy.

So, are you a fan of the new carbon cranks or do you like a bit of shininess in an otherwise dark world?

User Comments

There are 11 comments on this post

Showing 1 - 11 of 11 comments

  • As usual, whatever advantages composites have over alloys are more perceived than real. Much of what has been introduced over the last 5 years in the bike world was heralded as revolutionary when it was usually just more marketing, aimed solely at extracting yet more money from the gullible cycling fraternity. Shimano said "no way" to 10 speed cassettes and that they couldn't see the point in composites when they had foolproof ways of making bombproof (and very light) alu. alloy components. But as ever, they have capitulated and are now on the if-it-says-carbon-it-must-be-better bandwagon.

    As I said, we are gullible. Who ever heard of steel frames with rider weight limits?

  • Quality of external finishing is no indication of the production stage when it comes to carbon based composite materials (I can make mirror-like surface finishes on small parts I make in my garage for instance), and they are incredibly similar in appearance to a crank that Zipp are prototyping at the moment (with Cannondale for the BB30 system). It is interesting to note though that Cannnodale's Si cranks in alloy, and Shimano's Dura Ace cranks in alloy are amongst the stiffest cranks in the world (yes, including steel) - and that unless one looks to the likes of THM it is very difficult to find a carbon composite crank of comparable stiffness. Stiffness isn't everything though as we all know, but when it comes to cranks, it should be the single governing factor IMHO. I'd rather not loose a few grams and keep the pedals sticks as efficient a structure as possible.

  • I think it's cool!!!!

  • the carbon dura ace cranks look fantastic and if similar weight savings as the campag equivalent make to their alloy versions then it is a logical step.

  • Out and out racers will want these but I'm perfectly happy with my Dura Ace triple - at least until I win the lottery!

  • Further details here. I am building a bike for the 2008 season and torn between buying the Alloy dura ace noiw as Wiggle £147 or waiting till Spring when Shimano have suggested the carbon one will be out? I was for Alloy but the carbon one below looks great.

    http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/shimano-launches-carbon-dura-ace-crankset-12255?img=1

  • There is more details of the carbon crank on shimano's own web site and on another featured artical on bike radar, I emailled Shimano is australia and they confirmed no more details but Spring 08 was there suggested time. I am currently building a bike for 08 season and am in two minds, spend £147 on an alloy crank now or wait until spring 08 and buy the flash carbon one????

    can I wait.

    http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/cycle/sac/us/en/news_and_information/news0/dur-ace_carbon_crank.html

  • I like the idea of carbon, but the alloy is still sexier and will be stiffer and more at the moment. Hey, tech heads will get carbon cranks to silly weights with all the stiffness of alloy, but by then the cranks will be costing the GDP of america...Its gotta be alloy, sorry Mr. Shimano

  • Nope - the carbon would clash horribly with my titanium Enigma Esprit so I won't be changing. I'm nervous about having carbon forks - never mind cranks as well. I have to say, I hope Shimano don't go down the carbon brake lever route, they look really fugly in my opinion.

  • I wouldn't say DuraAce alu cranks are bombproof...I snapped mine coming out of a corner in a crit... http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2047/1955400073_8ac0355d07_o.jpg

  • I'b better use the alloy one...

  • 1

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