Why would you want aftermarket cranks on your bike? Maybe the mainstream groupset makers don’t provide the features and spec you need, or perhaps you want something that feels more special.
QO cranks are relatively new to the market, but the brand already has a range covering road, gravel and MTB, with models named Race, Grava and Rocks respectively.
QO’s USP is premium carbon crank arms married, via direct-mount, to CNC-machined aluminium chainrings.
Notably, they’re available in lengths down to 160mm for road and 165mm for gravel and MTB – in keeping with a trend towards shorter cranks that some bigger brands have been slow to embrace.
QO’s cranks are also seriously light, with the Rocks weighing only 444g for a 170mm set with a 34T chainring.
Why carbon?
“Carbon lets us control fibre orientation, layup density and local reinforcement, so stiffness is placed exactly where power is applied, while unnecessary mass is removed elsewhere,” says QO’s Julio Madrigal (CEO).
That exacting control comes with a host of other advantages over aluminium: a higher stiffness-to-weight ratio (especially in torsion), better vibration damping (something that’s largely ignored for cranks) and the freedom to produce more complex aerodynamic detailing, in this case the distinctive dimpling that’s reminiscent of a golf ball.
“The result is a crankset that feels direct under power, smooth over rough surfaces, and visually distinctive without adding weight,” says Madrigal.
There’s one point Madrigal stresses in particular: “QO cranksets aren’t carbon versions of alloy products. They are designed from the ground up around carbon’s strengths.”
Making better cranks
QO is the brainchild of Pablo Carrasco and Ignacio Estellés, a duo whose back catalogue includes founding Rotor – itself a brand beloved of bike jewellery enthusiasts.
QO’s range draws on that depth of experience and, according to Madrigal, the principle underpinning QO’s range is that “a crankset should behave as a system, not just a pair of arms holding chainrings”.
The brand’s development process employs Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to “model real-world pedalling loads, not just lab standards” and iterative layup testing, “adjusting fibre orientation and resin content to tune stiffness and damping”.
Design and manufacturing happen in tandem at QO, something Pablo Carrasco cites as an advantage over bigger competitors. “That short feedback loop allowed us to prototype, test, revise and validate far faster than brands relying on third-party suppliers,” says Carrasco.
Nobody’s going to buy aftermarket cranks that don’t play nicely with their existing components, so drivetrain compatibility is a key focus for QO.
“Each model is optimised around Shimano chainring formats but also engineered to perform seamlessly with SRAM Flattop chains and front derailleurs,” says Carrasco.
The result of this tightly controlled design and manufacturing process is a highly refined and optimised end-product, cranksets that “riders notice not only on a scale or spec sheet, but on the road or trail: immediate response under load, smoothness at cadence, and confidence when pushing hard”.
Status QO
While QO has already established a full range, the brand is “still at the beginning of its journey” according to Estellés.
There are plans to expand and refine the range, further optimising specs and broadening compatibility.
“You’ll also see deeper integration between cranksets and chainrings, with more rider-specific gearing solutions,” says Madrigal.
“Our goal isn’t to release more products quickly, but to release fewer products done properly. Components that earn their place on exceptional bikes, not because they’re trendy, but because they work.”
Meet the QO cranks range
QO Race
- Price: €749.60
- Discipline: Road, triathlon
- Crank lengths: 175mm, 172.5mm, 170mm, 165mm, 160mm
- Chainring sizes: 54/40, 52/36, 50/34
- BCD: 110×4
- Groupset compatibility: Shimano 12s, SRAM 12s
- Q-Factor: 149mm
- Chainline: 54/40, 52/36, 50/34
- Material: Carbon, aluminium 7075 T6 CNC
- Weight: 624g (170mm & 50/34)
- Bottom bracket compatibility: SRAM DUB
QO Grava
- Price: €699.80
- Discipline: Gravel
- Crank lengths: 165mm, 170mm, 172.5mm
- Chainring sizes: 40t, 42t, 44t
- BCD: Direct Mount
- Spindle diameter: 28.99mm
- Q-Factor: 153mm
- Chainline: 47mm
- Material: Carbon, aluminium 7075 T6 CNC
- Weight: 478g (170 mm & 40T)
QO Rocks
- Price: €649.79
- Discipline: MTB
- Crank lengths: 165mm, 170mm, 175mm
- Chainring sizes: 32t, 34t, 36t, 38t
- BCD: Direct Mount
- Spindle diameter: 28.99mm
- Q-Factor : 174mm
- Chainline: 55mm
- Material: Carbon, aluminium 7075 T6 CNC
- Weight: 444g (170mm & 34T)
