Think of Shimano cranksets and you probably imagine today's shiny black anodised alloy designs, perhaps with a hint of polished alloy. Look back a couple of decades, and Shimano cranksets were always polished silver alloy.
But for a (very) brief period between the two, Shimano sold the 10-speed Dura-Ace FC-7800-C crankset – the C signifying 'carbon' – alongside its standard 7800 silver crankset, which it had launched in 2003.
Produced in exceedingly small numbers, we’ve found one of these near-mythical carbon cranksets for sale on eBay for £1,200 at the time of writing – a price that would net you a modern Dura-Ace 12-speed power meter with change to spare.
Almost mythical
We were very excited back in 2007, when we spotted the carbon crankset on a Specialized bike ridden by the Gerolsteiner pro team at the Tour de France grand départ in London.
Some of the Rabobank team’s Colnagos were also kitted out with the crankset – naturally paired with a threaded bottom bracket because this was in the time before press-fit took over.
Also, note the alloy pedals and external mechanical groupset cables – a different era, indeed.
Despite the attention it garnered, the Dura-Ace FC-7800-C crankset was made in a run rumoured to be between only 500 and 1,000 units.
Shimano has never sold another carbon crankset, with the 10-speed Dura-Ace 7900 reverting to alloy when it was launched in 2008.
Complicating matters slightly is the existence of some prototype versions of the cranksets, which have occasionally been offered for sale.
Noted Cannondale and cycling tech esoterica collector, Marcel – who goes by Nikeshox3000 on Instagram – told us he was sceptical when he saw one of these cranksets for sale: "I did a couple of hours of research before I bought it because I thought it was fake."
In a post about the cranks, he says they were ridden in 2007, a year before their official release.
"I don‘t know how many prototypes exist(ed), but in more than half a decade I have only come across this pair, apart from the ones shown in news articles from back in 2007," he adds.
"They did not have logos, the chainrings looked like regular 7800 rings, and the carbon quality and layering is really rough."
Shimano's competitors have gone big on carbon cranks, though, with both Campagnolo and SRAM fabricating their cranks from carbon for their pro-level groupsets.
According to Marcel, despite their outward appearance and some reports to the contrary, "the cranks are true carbon cranks, not alloy wrapped in carbon as some sources state".
"Shimano, however, used an alloy core for the spider to stiffen the construction," he adds.
There’s also a steel spindle, and the crankset weight is quoted at 609g. By comparison, a modern Dura-Ace R9200 crankset weighs around 690g.
The specific crankset listed on eBay ships with 52/39T chainrings – the only option Shimano offered – with 172.5mm cranks.
The seller says it has been ridden for around only 500km.
It’s described as being in reasonable condition, with a scratch on the left arm’s screw cap and some scuffing on the right arm. It’s complete with its box, installation tool, instruction manual and certification.
