One thing about bicycles is that they are only as good as the parts are. If a bike has faulty, substandard parts, it will undoubtedly break down quickly. In this review, we will look at the best bike track cranksets; they are the part responsible for moving your wheels.
The track bike crankset is one of the important parts of the bike, and we’ll go through some of the best track bike cranksets on the market.
Best Bike Crankset Reviews
There are several makers and brands of cranksets you can choose from. To make things easier and save you the effort of finding the best track cranksets, we have taken it upon ourselves to carry out extensive research and compiled road bike crank reviews of what we know to be some of the best bicycle cranksets.
1. SHIMANO M361 Hybrid Crankset
What we have here is a Shimano product. Shimano is one of the most renowned names in the biking industry. They are known for making some of the best bikes and bike parts.
It’s safe to say that the Shimano track crankset M361 is one of the best track cranksets, if not the best. The features and design make it very easy for you to ride your bike; it’s probably the best crankset for mountain bike as well.
You can use this set with almost any type of bike. Its compatibility is one of the features that makes it one of the best and you can easily put the set together. You don’t need any special knowledge or professional assistance; you can immediately set up your crankset and start enjoying your ride.
This crankset features a hyperdrive system unique to only Shimano. This system makes riding significantly smoother. And if you’re using a multiple gear bike, it makes it easier for you to change gears. The crankset isn’t just highly-functional and unique, but the price is also good. For a product with so much to offer, it’s very affordable.
2. SRAM S300 Review
If your bicycle is a single-speed bike, then the SRAM S300 Track Crankset will work great with it. This crankset allows you to ride on difficult terrain with relative ease. It’s easy to use and set up.
This best cheap crankset model considers the diversity of the market. We don’t all ride the same size of bicycles, and one size of crankset may not work for all sizes of bikes. So, the SRAM S300 Courier Crankshaft comes in three sizes that satisfy all the ranges of bike sizes.
The crankset is quite strong, but it’s still light. You can work your bike hard with this crankshaft without fearing damage anytime soon. It comes with a rigid bottom bracket, making your ride even more comfortable.
The crankset also has an appealing look. With this set, you’ll get a crankset appealing to the eye, functional, and worth it.
3. CYSKY Store Single Speed Crankset
The CYSKY Single Speed Crankset is one of the top cranksets for your single speed bike.
It’s made from quality materials and will surely last you a long time. This set has a lot to offer you; it’s both appealing to the eyes and very functional.
The crankset is constructed with aluminum alloy. This material makes it very durable and light as well. It has 48 teeth, and the crank arm is 170mm long. It’s compatible with pedals of 9/16 inches.
You will have to install it yourself and it’s easy to do so. Buy it, set it up, and you’re good to go.
4. State Bicycle Crankset Review
If you own a track bike and need a new crankset, the Black Label series is a worthy option.
The crankset is designed to meet the specifications of track bikes; it is the ideal track bike crankset. The set is also fashion-oriented, and you can pick out a design you want when you get your set.
This crankset is made from CNC alloy; it’s super light and strong. With this set, you can take your bike on long rides without any fear of your crankset breaking down. It’s also easy to set up. With this crankset, you won’t need any special help when arranging.
It features a 48T chainring and a CNC machined crank. It’s stiff and perfect for track bikes. The Black Label series doesn’t just give you functionality. It also offers you aesthetic value. It’s one of the elegantly designed cranksets on our list; you’ll get both beauty and functionality with this set.
5. Retrospec Fixed-Gear Crank
We’ve been discussing different crankset fit for different bikes, we talked about multiple speed bikes and single-speed bikes, and we’re not going to leave out fixies.
The Retrospec Fixed-Gear Crank is a good crankset for fixed gear. It’s compatible with any fixed-gear bike; it’s one of the most diverse crankset forms.
If you have more than one bike that needs a crankset, this one can serve more than one. Like most of the other cranksets, it’s designed to be light and strong.
These features are important for a crankset; it will reduce the amount of stress required to ride your bike. The arm of the set is unique, and it’s 170mm long. You can get it in different colors.
6. CDHPOWER Single Speed Crankset
This is one of the best road bike cranksets for the money. It is suitable for road bikes because most of them are single-speed bikes. This crankset is specially designed for single-speed bikes.
The crankset is efficient and simple. It gives you exactly what you want without the added complexities that you see in most cranksets.
The crank arms are made of alloy, the chainring is made of solid carbon steel and has a diameter of 132mm. The materials used to build this crankset are high-quality materials; they offer you both strength and lightness. The crankset’s light weight is another added advantage, and it’s very easy to ride for a long time.
The crankset has a weight between .57 kg and 1.257 pounds, and it supports pedals that are 9/16 inches. You can also return the product within the year if you’re not satisfied with it.
7. Vuelta Pista Crankset Review
The Vuelta Pista Track is a cost-effective and functional crankset. It will work great for everybody, and also has a nice look. If you don’t have a lot of money budgeted for your crankset, you should look into this one. It comes with a few disadvantages, but it still provides you with high functionality.
The crankset is made of aluminum alloy, which makes it not just light, but also durable. This feature is important because the lighter the crankset, the lighter your bicycle will be.
The set is equipped with 144 BCD and has 46 teeth. It’s also designed to accommodate crank arms of 170mm, and square taper bottom brackets of 108mm. You can use the best mountain bike crankset with a bike having pedals of 9/16 inches.
The crankset is extremely cheap and easy to get. Although this doesn’t reduce its functionality, some parts don’t come with it, like ball bearings. You’ll have to acquire your ball bearings yourself, and the set can accommodate bearings between 107 mm and 110 mm.
How to Find the Best Track Cranksets
As we’ve said earlier, the crankset is a very important component of your bicycle. You can’t risk getting a low-standard crankset or one that doesn’t fit your bike.
Here are some tips that will help you pick the best road bike crankset for the money.
Design
There are three crankset designs you’ll observe; the entry-level crankset, the black budget, and the silver cranksets. Each of these has a disadvantage.
The black budget crankset isn’t suitable for the sun. It starts to turn brown if it stays under the sun for some while.
The silver crankset is prone to scratches, and the entry-level crankset isn’t very strong. So you’ll have to choose which one you prefer. Also, cranksets with high prices usually have higher quality.
Quality
Like I said before when it comes and their components, the more expensive it is, the higher the quality.
If you’re not a regular biker or ride occasionally, it’s better to go for a crankset that’s not too expensive. Since you won’t be using it frequently, it will last you for a long time.
On the other hand, if you’re really into riding, it’s better to get one that’s high-quality.
It will last you longer, and it will make riding easier for you. You can look into popular bike part makers to know the best type to get.
Chainring
The type of chainring you’ll get is dependent largely on your budget. In the world of bikes, high-quality products are usually more expensive.
If you want something not too expensive, you’ll have to accept that it will most likely have a problem.
The more expensive chainrings are more efficient than the budget track cranksets. If you get a chainring at a low price, it will most likely have uneven teeth.
You can get the 130BCD if you don’t mind the quality. But if you want a chainring that’s high-quality and you have the money, you should definitely get the 144BCD.
Performance
Performance is a huge factor to consider when getting your crankset. You’ll notice that one of the features common to most of the products we discussed is their stiffness. Most cranksets possess a certain degree of stiffness.
This feature greatly affects your bike’s performance. If the crankset is stiff, it will make it easier for you to ride your bike. It will make it easier for your pedals to transfer power to your wheel, so the little effort you put in will yield great results.
Another thing that affects the performance is the material used to make the crankset. Aluminum is the best material to use for a crankset; it’s light and durable. The lighter the material, the easier it will be to operate your crankset.
Price
We’ve made it clear that the price of your crankset will affect quality. If you’re not an avid rider, you don’t need to spend much.
You can easily get something reasonable at a low price, and it will last you for a while.
What Are Cranksets?
The crankset is the part of your bicycle that converts your pedals’ motion into a force that rotates your wheel with the help of the chain. The crankset consists of the crank arms and the chairing.
Every time you turn your pedal, the belt will rotate, and, in turn, it rotates the crankset, causing your wheels to move. Without the crankset, your bicycle won’t go anywhere.
How to Install New Track Cranksets
Here are the steps you need to take:
1. Before you can fix a new crankset, you need to take down the old one
2. Clean the parts where you just removed the old one
3. Fix the new crankset in its appropriate position and use the correct bolts to attach it
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best brand of track cranksets?
There are several crankset models and brands but we have to say that Shimano makes the best track cranksets.
Are expensive bike cranksets worth the money?
We can’t overemphasize that the more expensive it is, the higher the quality. It all depends on you. If you want a crankset of high standards, you can invest a lot in it. But if you’re not into serious riding, it will be a waste.
What’s the disadvantage of buying an expensive track crankset?
If you get the most expensive track crankset on the market, you’ll have to bear the equally high cost of maintaining it. The fact that it’s expensive doesn’t make it indestructible. The crankset will still get damaged at some point, and the cost of repairing it or getting new parts may even be more than the original cost of the crankset. So ask yourself, is it worth it?
Conclusion
We’ve been able to establish the importance of your bicycle’s crankset and the cost of getting a crankset, and how it affects your bicycle.
With all the factors that we’ve considered, the SHIMANO M361 Hybrid Crankset makes our top pick from the best track cranksets we’ve listed.
Shimano is a well-known brand in the biking world. They produce some of the best bikes and bike components, and the M361 crankset is one of them. It comes with a hyperdrive system that allows you to shift gears with ease.