The Atlas crank was one of the first components designed for tough XC 'All Mountain' bikes, and it's still a super tough, premium piece. The stiff 'I Beam' arms are fully CNC machined from 'Optim-Al' alloy with crisp, clean edges giving the unique Race Face look.
A medium walled cromo axle is fixed into the offside crank for an impressively stout feel underfoot and we've beaten the crap out of them without any worries. They are a real strain to install/remove though, so have your spinach before any spannering.
>The chainrings shift fast and last reasonably well, while the CNC outer ring has taken a massive amount of log/rock hammer on big rides without breaking or bending teeth.
>Sadly, bottom bracket life is at best average, and like most external setups, accurate frame facing is an essential for good fit/wear. They're not cheap either.
