Rotor are a Spanish firm who brought us their dead spot-eliminating cranks some time ago. More recently they've turned their attention to conventional two-piece designs which, thanks to an aluminium axle, are around an impressive 200g lighter than a Shimano Ultegra crankset.
The Agilis cranks are CNC machined from solid billet aluminium. They're compatible with FSA and Shimano bottom bracket bearing units, but we used their self-aligning SABB bearings.They're a bit fiddly to set up though.The crank arms slide on to the B/b axle, with their final position determined by double-threaded end bolts that engage simultaneously with the two components.
Turning the bolt clockwise moves the arm closer to the bearings so that play can be eliminated, and locking bolts are used to fix their position on the axle.We used both standard Shimano-fit chainrings and Rotor-Q chainrings (shown) which we tested last year and found were good for cyclocross, though they flex a little more than a traditional chainring.
The SABB bearings are available separately for £49 per pair and, after a settling in period, they run smoother than any other bearing we have come across.If you're looking for a crankset that stands out from the crowd, consider the Agilis. It's strong, good looking and well made, and worth the money.