Categories: Interview

Insight: Mutiny Cinch Cranks

All photos: Cody Nutter
Note: Cranks in photos are RHD, but Gaz is running them LHD. That’s why it looks backwards.

The past few weeks, Mutiny have been dropping some sneak peeks of their new products that will be dropping in a few months. I’ve been keeping a close eye on what they have cooking and the other week I got a glimpse of something that really caught my attention; their new cranks. I got ahold of the man in charge over at Mutiny, Gaz Sanders, to talk about these new two-piece cranks that they will be releasing soon. The Cinch cranks really have a unique shape and overall design to them, so I’m excited to give you guys a closer look at ’em. Check out this interview with Gaz about the whole process of creating the cranks from start to finish along with some shots of the final production samples…

All right, so let’s start this off at the beginning. When did you guys decide you wanted to start working on these new cranks?
I’m always open to working and developing new ideas for any products. The idea for cranks came up around 1.5 years ago. Within 6 months we had our first samples, we are now on our final round of production samples.

Going into it, I’d imagine you had some ideas of things you wanted to feature with the Cinch cranks. What were some of the ideas you had? What about the team? Were there any weird ideas going around?
The goal was to come up with a simple looking set of cranks that were incredibly durable for todays riding demands. Have you seen the shit people jump down nowadays? We also wanted something that was simple and easy to work on, removing as much clutter as possible but without losing any strength.

How long did it take to go from idea to drawings? What programs do you guys use when you design something new like this? Who handled the design process?
Around 3 months give or take. It all starts with good old pen and paper, from there it goes into Auto Cad. A little back and forth with our factory on the drawings and design. Then it’s time for physical samples and testing. Design duties came down to me on this one.

Approximately how many different designs did you go through before you locked down the one you wanted to test? How long did it take to get the prototypes made?
I had a very clear idea of what we wanted for the shape of the arm from the start. The rectangular shape of the arm is great for those who like to crank arm grind as you have more surface to slide on. Also the shape allows for a good balance of flex and stiffness. Which I feel with crank arms is very, very important. Our first round of samples showed up about 3 months after we had our first finished drawing.

Who came up with the name? Any reason for why you went with Cinch?
As with many things Mutiny that was me. The reason for the name? They are cinch to install. One bolt for the whole assembly!

How long did you guys test the Cinch cranks and who on the team gave them the test?
We’ve been testing various versions for the last 18 months. By the time we got to the 2nd round of samples the crank arm shape and axle were pretty much finished. The idea for the spline drive only came later….. Currently testing samples are; Josh Bedford, Robbo, Mikey Luplow, Matt Houck and Kyle Davenport. Pretty eclectic mix of styles. Josh and Mikey are both super harsh on cranks!

Did you make any changes from the prototypes to what will be going into production here soon?
As I said the current batch are production final samples, these are the very same that will go into production. There have been 4 incarnations of the cranks from start to finish. By the 2nd round of samples I thought we were finished with tweaking the design but then I discovered the spline drive system which I wanted to be part of the design. This means less welding on the crank arms, less material due to not having to have the boss for the sprocket bolt and no sprocket bolt. You have one 6mm hex steel bolt that holds the whole assembly together.

Start to finish, how long did it take for you guys to create the Cinch cranks?
I’d say about 2 years by the time they finally hit shops. Which will be October 2012.

Can you take us through all the final specs, sizes, color options and materials you will be releasing the cranks with?
We wanted to keep these as simple as possible and easy for shops to stock. So the first run are only available in 175mm crank length and Black only.

When will these finally be available? Do you have an estimated retail cost yet?
They should start showing up at the start of October 2012. Pricing is as follows – Crank Set Only – $160 As they are spline drive only we wanted to offer a great price for those who wanted a new sprocket at the same time too. So cranks with either our new Octad Sprocket in 25, 28 or 30t sprocket – $185

What kind of a warranty does Mutiny offer these days?
All information on product warranties can be found here — Mutiny Warranty Info — Outside of the after market warranty we will also replace any product at a reduced cost to the original owner.

How can shops and distributors get these in their stores and warehouses?
All our international distributors will be receiving these October 2012. Shops should speak to their sales rep to pre-order them! A list of all our international distributors can be found here – International Distributors.

Do you guys have any hints at some of the items you have cooking? I’ve been seeing a lot of sneak peeks popping up on your website lately…
I guess anyone that follows us via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram will know that we put a lot of sneak peeks up. So go follow us to see what else is coming up or check our feed on the site – Mutinybikes.com/instagram.html

Is there anything I missed you want to say?
Every interview needs a thanks list, so here goes. I’d like to say thanks to you Kurt for the interest in the cranks, all our amazing international distributors around the world, all the shops that carry us, Frank Bertke at Dans, all our amazing supporters and finally all my family and close friends who make my life just that little bit sweeter.

For more information on Mutiny Bikes, visit their website — MutinyBikes.com