Hi all.
I am looking for some 170 mm ISIS cranks for a new muni build. If anyone knows where I can get some in the UK please let me know, or if you have some to sell ( as new ) please let me know. The nearest I can find in the UK is Miranda and or Hope cranks that are made for e-bikes. These cranks all have built in collars/spacers and I am not sure they would fit anyway. Any help or advice would be appreciated.
I tried uniuk for a set of there Nimbus VCX and said they might have some in 2022 and getting them ( in stock ) from the USA was going to cost an arm and a leg.
I was surprised to see how low the supplies are… And 170mm is not very trendy so choice is low even when shops have stock.
Your idea to look into (e-)b*ke cranks is a good one as they should be simpler to find and hopefully reasonably priced. If the spider on the right side bothers you, you can cut and file it away
I have a set of Qu-ax 170mm that I never used but depending on how hard you plan to ride, how long shipping would take to do FR-UK and how import rules are now the UK is officially a moon
I used 170s on both my 36er and my 27.5 muni for awhile. I liked them on the 36er and I think they climbed better than the 150’s I have on it now. On a 36er they work well.
On the 27.5 I didn’t like them so much. I climb better on 145’s than I did with 170’s and I think the 145’s are better for difficult sections of trail as they allow me to hit them with a little bit more speed. What they did do well was brakeless descents. With a smaller wheel and 170mm cranks you can just lock it up if you choose to. They also were great for idling. When I switched back to 145mm’s I discovered the number of idles I could do was cut about in half.
I have 170mm Ventures on my G26. I have to consciously point my toes inward, so not to accidentally shift gears on these low-Q cranks. They feel fine in high gear, but when I down-shift, they feel awkward and oversized.
Look for Trials bike cranks. Your have Tartybikes.co.uk that would be a good place to look for. Trials cranks usualy range between 160 and 175mm, most of them were ISIS back when I was following bike trials.
Thanks for the tip. I just had a look on there site and as the cranks are made for a bike they require some offset or Q factor to cleat the rear chain stays, about 35mm on most of them. Not normally needed for a uni unless you have an issue that requires it. It’s a shame as there are some nice cranks there.
Personally, I find that a higher Q gives me more control at slow or stationary speeds and that’s when I’d want longer cranks. 170mm ebike cranks felt kind of awkward for most things on my 27.5 muni, but they were awesome for idling.
I don’t notice hardly any difference in feeling between 0 Q and a fair bit of Q. What I do notice is that my heal doesn’t hit the cranks at all with a fair bit of Q in the cranks and I have a bit more peace of mind because a heal slamming into the crank is a pretty abrupt upd.
How urgently do you need them?
I’m coming to the UK in mid December and could bring an unused good as new pair of Nimbus 170s to sell you.
I understand if that’s too far away.
