Obviously riders who hail from Send City will need heavy-duty cranks, bottom bracket, and a bashguard. Here’s what to look for:

• Forged aluminum, not carbon
• Oversized axles
  
• Steel-reinforced pedal threads
  
• Bashguard
• Oversized bearings

Then there’s an assortment of cranks for those who don’t want to bother with broken parts, don’t want to lug around extra weight, and do appreciate performance. We all want our cake, and to eat it too. Here’s what the majority looks for:

• Forged aluminum
• Steel pedal thread inserts
• 3x9 or 2x9 drivetrain
• Chainrings
  
  • Tooth profiling
  • Shift Pins
• Optional bashguard, dual-ring chain guide
• Chro-moly axles

XC racers have a bit more than strength to consider. They need their cranks to be light, as they are a significant source of rotational weight, and chainrings need to handle additional shifting. What a twinkle-toe XCer looks for:

• Forged and machined aluminum
  
• Carbon fiber arms
• Latest tech such as SRAM XX 2x10 group
  
• Chainrings
  • Tooth profiling
  • Shift pins
  • Stiff construction
  • Alloy bolts/hardware
    
• Quality grease

Short Crank Arms:

• Pros
  • Good for spinners, short riders
  • Higher obstacle clearance
  • More clearance when cornering
  • High cadence
• Cons
  • Low torque

Long Crank Arms:

• Pros
  • More torque
• Cons
  • Lower obstacle clearance

What about ceramic bearings? Will Freds actually benefit from them? Independent lab tests have proven that ceramic bearings spin faster and longer. So yes, Fred will be faster with a set of ceramic bearings. If you want the greatest performance and can stomach the associated costs, then ceramic bearings are a step in the faster direction.

Want to simplify your drivetrain? Ditch your outer chainring and think about running a two by nine. With 36/24 tooth chainrings you won’t sacrifice your high end too much, but you will gain ground clearance and protection in the form of a bashguard.

Sizing a bashguard is not complicated; thanks to industry standards, most mountain cranks are four-bolt with 104mm bolt circle diameter (BCD), but there’re other options such as the five-bolt with a BCD of 110mm—so check your cranks first.

To find your BCD measure from the center of one bolt hole to the center of the adjacent one. A measurement of 65mm equals a BCD of 110mm for five-bolt chainrings (found by multiplying 65mm by 1.7). Four-bolt chainrings measure 104mm; no equation is necessary as you’re measuring the actual diameter. Make sure your bashguard will cover the teeth of your chainring; for example, a bashguard for a 32T ring will not give adequate coverage for a 36T ring.

Bashguards do a stellar job of keeping your teeth intact and straight—but they don’t help much when it comes to retaining your chain. That’s why companies offer chain guides such as the Race Face D2.

To make installation easier, manufacturers decided on a standard mount for chain guides: ISCG. However, manufacturers ran into suspension/frame design constraints and developed a new industry standard, ISCG 05, introduced in 2005 (hence the “05” moniker). Now all frames with a chain guide mount have ISCG 05 tabs.

But what if you want to run a chain guide and do not have tabs on your bottom bracket shell? You’re covered, as most guides come with a universal adapter. These, however, are not as sturdy as ISCG 05 tabs, and tolerances can be a pain to deal with. There are also options for running chain guides with a dual ring setup, such as the Race Face Atlas dual ring—only compatible with ISCG. Make sure you know what international standard your bike has.

• ISCG measures 47.8mm from Bolt Hole Center to adjacent BHC
• ISCG05 measures 56mm from BHC to adjacent BHC

One of the most innovative products to come along since disc brakes and platform shock valving is the Truvativ HammerSchmidt two-speed planetary crankset. Two-speed bliss made in two flavors: all-mountain and freeride. The benefits of the HammerSchmidt are numerous.

• Shift without pedaling—don’t worry about timing your pedal stroke around trail obstacles
  
• Highest ground clearance of any crankset makes clearing rocks and logs a breeze
  
• Integrated chain guide keeps the chain positively engaged at all times
  
• Integrated bashguard slides over logs and protects from impact
  
• Frame designers are free from constraints like front derailleurs and chainrings
  
• Makes a cool sound
  
• Friends will be envious

Truvativ approached the mountain crankset from a fresh angle and has come up with one of the more innovative products in recent mountain bike history. One that’s not going to do cross-country or downhill racers much good but will make rides more enjoyable and rewarding for everyone in between.