Hope e-bike crankset review

After some badgering, Hope has brought out an e-bike specific version of its impressive Evo crankset, with shorter crank arms and a narrower Q-factor (pedal stance width).

• Best electric bike
• Hope Evo crankset review

It’s designed to fit systems that use a splined ISIS axle/arm interface, as you’ll find on Bosch and Brose motors, so won’t work with Shimano drive units.

I bolted my cranks onto a Specialized Turbo Levo with a Brose-built motor, where they were a few grams lighter than the Praxis set-up they replaced, at 477g.

What was immediately apparent was the ease of installation and extraction, which calls for only a single 8mm Allen key – a real plus if you need to carry out any trailside maintenance.

The tolerances are so good that the whole operation is smooth and hassle-free. Hope has paid similar attention to the pedal threads, underlining the quality of its engineering. I’ve been using these cranks for a while now and have had zero problems, with nothing coming loose.

At 165mm, the arms offer plenty of ground clearance – helping to avoid pedal strikes when tackling long, rough climbs – without skimping too much on leverage. They’re plenty stiff enough too.

Hope has just announced it’ll also be making a version of the crankset with even shorter 155mm arms, but I feel the 165mm length balances clearance and efficiency well.