Designed to be light enough for losing weight off big bikes but strong enough to take a beating, the Atlas FR crank is a limited edition crank from RaceFace, intended to sit between the Atlas AM crank and the Diabolus.
In use, they’re very stiff. They don’t have the girder stiffness of the Diabolus, but that’s no bad thing for such a well rounded, burly crank. Like most RaceFace products they also have that fit and forget feel about them.
The bottom bracket spins smoothly in Phil Wood grease, but British winters and overuse of Muc-Off can wreak havoc – so care should be taken to keep it spinning smoothly.
Designed especially with downhill, freeride and enduro racing in mind, they weigh in at 1,085g with a twin-ring, bashguard and BB – 210g lighter than their burlier Diabolus big brother. Available in 165, 170 and 175mm lengths, and 73 or 83mm shell widths, they’ll fit all bikes and the chainline can be adjusted up to 6mm – making them perfect for use with chainguides.
The Atlas doesn’t feature a steel pedal thread insert, which points them – along with the lighter build – to the rider with more finesse than out-and-out burliness.