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How Bike Cranks Are Made

March 23, 2022

Want to see how bike cranks are made?

If you have ever rode a bike, there’s a chance you have probably wondered how the different parts are made. Well, if you have every wondered how bike cranks are made, here’s a video you won’t want to miss! Our BMX caught up with Jim Alley, the owner of Profile Racing, to see how they go from raw materials into a pair of their popular Elite BMX cranks from start to finish! This is a really interesting process from the design to the different machines they use to make everything perfect from start to finish. Take a look!

“Profile Racing‘s Jim Alley explains what it takes to create a pair of bike cranks. Profile Racing has been pumping out cranks since the early 80s and they’ve become one of the most trusted cranks in the BMX industry. Hit play and enjoy this informative look into Profile’s past and present crank-making process.” – Our BMX

[Read more…]

Haro – How To Install 3 Piece Cranks

March 26, 2021

Haro coming through with a fresh video where Kevin Conners teaches you how to install a pair of their new Baseline 3-piece cranks. This process is pretty universal for most cranks, so if you want to learn how to install 3-piece cranks, check out this video!

“In order to be able to shred your BMX till the street lights turn on, your bike needs to be mechanically dialed! And so it is key that you know how to keep your ride in shred-ready shape. Sit down with Haro Product Manager, Kevin Conners, as he walks you through the steps of installing a set of 8 Spline, 3-Piece cranks.” – Haro



Premium BMX – Mike Gray Signature Trestle Crank Promo

June 29, 2020

Premium have released their new Mike Gray signature Trestle cranks. Here’s a fresh promo video featuring Mike putting the cranks to work out in the streets. The Trestle cranks are available through Premium dealers now!

“When Mike Gray set out to design a crankset, he needed something that was strong enough for roof drops yet refined for the most tech grind and manual combos in the game. The results are the all new Trestle Cranks with Premium BMX! The Trestle Cranks meets every need of the savvy street and park rider. Beveled edge design to avoid ankle bite, 24mm hollow spindle design for max strength, and they come with a bottom bracket and crank puller so you have everything you need to shred straight outta the box. Don’t sleep on these cranks, they won’t sleep on you! Available now at PremiumBMX.com” – Premium

RNC Returns With New Titanium Cranks

April 10, 2020

RNC Titanium BMX Cranks

Here’s some news we definitely didn’t expect to see pop up online. RNC have made their return, and they’re coming through with a bunch of products, including this set of new Titanium cranks that look amazing. These cranks are machined out of a solid block of heat-treated 6AL-4V Titanium, which means there are no welds on the arms. There is extra machining to help shave some extra weight in places, but it’s overall a pretty clean an simple looking set of cranks. Based on the video from the testing down below, these things are STRONG. Below are more details as far as sizes available, colors, weight and more.

“One of the lightest and strongest cranksets ever made.

Crank arms are machined from a solid bar of 6al-4v titanium (No welds) and heat treated to make them unbelievably strong and stiff.

Heat treated titanium spindle is 35% stronger than normal 6al-4v titanium.

Flush mount bolts and sprocket bolt are titanium.

Right and left hand drive.

20.4 ounces arms,spindle,flush mount bolts and sprocket bolt in 175mm length and 22mm spindle.

Available in 160, 165, 170, 175, 180mm sizes. If you want custom size contact us we can make it for you for an upcharge.

These cranks are made for whatever abuse you can throw at them. There is no weight limit on them and no they don’t flex due to the triangle design. Look at the video below

the arms went under a 1750 lb load and didn’t even bend.” – RNC

One thing not mentioned in the text, and what most people know is that Titanium is expensive compared to chromoly products, so these cranks are pretty pricey. These new Titanium BMX cranks from RNC will set you back $420.00, but they will likely be the last pair of cranks you will ever run if they’re as strong as they appear to be.

What do you think about these cranks? Do you have any questions? Thinking about getting some? Let us know what you think in the comments down below!

Check out the full range of Titanium products RNC have available on their website. It looks like they have brought back a bunch of their original products like the Titanium sprockets, pegs, seat post clamps, drivers and barends, and have added a few other new products!



Kink BMX – Brace Cranks

March 6, 2020

Kink BMX Brace Cranks Black

Kink have released their new Brace Cranks! These BMX cranks are a traditional style 3-piece crank with oval tapered tubing on the arms, sprocket bosses on both right and left arms, large radius spindle bosses and fully wrapped spindle and pedal bosses for strong, clean looking and ankle friendly arms. Inside you can find a hollow 48-spline, 22mm spindle and bolts that have a 3/8″ ratchet and 6mm broaches to make tightening these cranks down easy. The Brace cranks also have a TruTherm Post Weld heat-treatment that ensures these cranks will be strong and be able to withstand the abuse you’re going to throw at them while cruising street spots, skateparks or trails.

[Read more…]

Odyssey – Broc Raiford and the Thunderbolt + Cranks

December 27, 2019

Odyssey coming through with a short but sweet promo featuring Broc Raiford putting the Thunderbolt + Cranks to work out in the streets. Broc is no stranger to throwing down some heavy moves, so he needs cranks that can hold up to what he’s doing. The Thunderbolt + cranks get the job done. Available through BMX shops and mail-orders like Source BMX that carry Odyssey for around $199.99 now! (Currently $179 on the Source website)

“41-Thermal Heat Treated Thunderbolt+ cranks. Stronger and lighter than typical 3-piece cranks and backed by our legendary no BS Lifetime Warranty. Find them under Broc Raiford and the rest of our crew.

Filmed by Josh Clemens.” – Odyssey

Odyssey BMX Thunderbolt+ Cranks

Features
– Proven 41-Thermal® processed 4130 chromoly
– Legendary lifetime replacement warranty
– Laboratory tested and team proven
– Traditional sprocket interface
– Updated open-ended spindle cap
– New wedge cluster band with greater flexibility
– Never-Wobble™ crank arm and spindle interface guarantee
– Odyssey 22mm Mid BB and spacers included

Specs
– RHD or LHD
– 165mm, 170mm, and 175mm lengths
– 22mm Spindle
– 1 lb. 11.8 oz. (788g)
– US Pat. Nos. 7,267,030
Colors: Rust Proof Black and Chrome
Price: $199.99



What Size BMX Cranks Do I Need?

November 26, 2019

Kink BMX Pillar Cranks

What size BMX cranks do I need? When it comes to shopping for a new set of BMX cranks, it can be a little tricky deciding just what is right for you. Not only do BMX cranks come in multiple lengths, but they also come in three different spindle sizes; 19mm, 22mm and 24mm. Over the years, BMX has evolved and products have been refined over and over again to get to where they are these days. The quality has hit a level that has made it easy to trust that you’re going to be able to put your bike through some heavy riding and it’s going to withstand the abuse. At least this is true if you’re going with a reputable brand and not going with the cheapest option available. Now, there’s probably a lot of newer riders out there that are looking to upgrade their cranks on their bike. The question of “what size BMX cranks do I need?” has probably crossed your mind many times just looking at the options. So, we’ve put together a BMX crank size guide to help you figure out just what is right for you.

Profile Racing BMX cranks19mm Profile Racing Crank Arm Sizes

Crank Arm Length
Crank arm length is more of a preference. Most riders these days run a 170mm or 175mm size, but you could go shorter or longer (Shorter is more ideal for street and flatland riding and longer is more ideal for jumping and racing). That 170mm – 175mm size is pretty ideal for street, park and dirt riding. The length is one of those things that come down to rider preference. We’ve seen a lot of riders swear by shorter cranks saying that it makes some tricks easier and give them foot clearance for their pegs. Then there are other riders that prefer theirs a little longer for more power when cranking or balance. Most cranks come in that 170mm to 175mm size since those are the most common sizes, but Profile Racing for example offer a TON of sizes for every rider out there as you can see above.

Spindle Size
BMX cranks come in three sizes; 19mm, 22mm and 24mm. The size is more about the type of rider you are and the amount of abuse you put on your cranks.

19mm – If you primarily ride ramps or trails and you are a smoother rider, not doing any big drops to flat or rough landings on a regular basis, the 19mm spindle size will be a great option. These cranks will hold up to street as well, especially if you are a smoother rider that isn’t dropping off roofs or something crazy. The 19mm option is going to, in most cases, save you some weight as well.

Odyssey Calibur BMX Cranks

Odyssey Calibur 22mm Cranks

22mm – The larger spindle diameter gives cranks extra strength and make them harder to bend. These are more ideal for the all around rider that likes riding street, park and dirt. They can hold up to drops, grinding and pretty much what most riders are doing on their bikes. The 22mm size has become a lot more common over the years because of the strength benefits, which isn’t a surprise with how wild riding is these days.

Flybikes Dolmen 2 BMX cranks 24mm

Flybikes Dolmen II 24mm Cranks

24mm – The 24mm spindle size has become more popular over the past few years after Fit introduced the first set on their Indent cranks, mostly because these were designed for the street guys who are heavy on their cranks and tend to do a lot of heavy drops and really put a lot of abuse on their bikes. The larger spindle diameter makes it harder to bend, and some, like the Flybikes Dolmen II cranks even come with extra gussets (extra metal plating for strength) to resist bending and damage. The 24mm size cranks are heavy duty, so they will likely withstand what most riders are doing on their bikes. Obviously as the spindle sizes go up in size, weight can go up a bit due to extra material.

Bottom Bracket Size
This is pretty much the most straight forward part to the whole process of deciding what size cranks to get. The Bottom Bracket is the part of the frame where the cranks bearing press in that allow the spindle and crank arms to spin. Since the vast majority of BMX frames come with a Mid style bottom bracket (This is the standard size for all BMX frames these days), you can run 19, 22 or 24mm cranks as long as you change out the bottom bracket bearings to match the spindle size. So, for example right now your bike has 19mm cranks, that means you have a 19mm Mid bottom bracket. If you decided to go with another set of 19mm cranks, you do not necessarily have to change out the bottom bracket bearings and could slide the new cranks on. However, if you decided to go up to a 22mm or 24mm set of cranks, you would need a new bottom bracket to match the spindle size.

Kink BMX Bottom Bracket

So, to sum this all up! What size BMX cranks do I need? Well, it’s a mix of rider preference and the type of riding you are doing. If you’re strictly just a street rider and you’re doing a lot of big grinds, drops and more, then we would recommend a 24mm crank with shorter arms in the 165mm to 170mm range. If you’re a more of a ramp and trails rider, then go with a 19mm set with slightly longer arms in that 175 – 180mm range. If you’re looking to ride a little bit of everything and you are going to send it on some bigger stuff, go with that 22mm size in a 170mm – 175mm size.

This is more of a suggested guide, but works for most BMX riders out there. What do you think? Let us know in the comments!

Also, let us know what cranks you run, the sizes and why! Maybe getting a bunch of feedback from different riders will help out somebody that is on the hunt for the right BMX cranks for themselves!

Note: This post contains affiliate links to Source BMX and we could receive a small commission that supports the site if you were to buy a set of cranks from them. We would never recommend a brand or product if we didn’t think it was quality.

Colony BMX – Venator Cranks

September 5, 2019

Colony BMX Venator Cranks BMX

Colony have released their new Venator cranks for those of you looking for a beefier set of BMX Cranks. These 22mm cranks have been in the works for 18 months now and start off with full chromoly crank arms that have a new welding technique that gives the arms a unique look that helps increase the overall strength. The hallow 22mm spindle is made from 4130 chromoly with 7075-T6 alloy spindle bolts to keep everything tight!

The Venator cranks from Colony are starting to land at BMX shops and mail-orders and come in ED Black and Chrome for colors with 165mm, 170mm and 175mm sizes!

Colony BMX Venator Cranks BMX

What do you think of the cranks? Do you have any questions? Let us know what you’re thinking in the comments below!

Not quite what you had in mind? Check out more BMX Cranks!

Check out more from Colony on the Colony website.



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