Description:Sharing many design features as our Deus crank, the Atlas is a beefed up version of our Turbine LP, designed for All Mountain riding. If you want a crank that's light enough for XC climbs but strong enough for light freeride use, the Atlas crank is the perfect choice.
A true all mountain crank -light enough for climbs and strong enough for descents.
Built in our BC manufacturing facility
Manufactured from 7050 aluminum
Near net forged and fully CNC machined
Stiffer and stronger than our Turbine LP - the original all mountain crank.
Built in Spacers allows the use of shorter bolts, providing an additional weight savings.
medium walled, heat treated CrMo spindle
Also available in ISIS Drive
Built for: All Mountain
Size: 170,175, 180mm
Warranty: Lifetime
Colours:
Anodized: Bad Ass Black and Shiny Silver
Powder Coated: Shred Red and Team White (175mm only)
Submitted by
acroy
a Cross Country Rider
from TX Date Reviewed: August 20, 2008
Favorite Trail:
dodging cars
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$225.00
Purchased At:
online
Strengths:
cool looks
stiff
not Shimano
stout rings
good shifting
Weaknesses:
bearings
bearings
bearings
Similar Products Used:
various Shimano, Sugino, Kooka
Bike Setup:
Fetish Discipline set up for "urban" duty
Bottom Line:
Disappointed overall…
I use these cranks on my commuter “Best of Burden” bike: 4000+ miles per year of commuting & towing a trailer with kiddies & groceries.
I have previously broken cranks & munched BB’s. After the last crank broke, Kokka Bonnie Forged, I decided to go “all out” with a f/r rated crank for safety / reliability. Don’t want no crank failures while towing my 2 kids through traffic! It came down to Saints or Atlas.
The crank cost around $225, installation was fairly complex but smooth if you can read & follow directions, cranks are very stiff, shifting is good, rings are very solid. But the bearings became a bit loose after 2k miles. This is ON ROAD in TEXAS, not much mud or water or 12ft hucks or anything… bearings finally munched themselves after 6k miles.
Repair is a matter of installing $20 Shimano bearings.
So this is a good crank with bad bearings. Beware, be prepared, or just buy Saints & forget about them. These look cool though :p
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Submitted by
Wonko
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle, WA Date Reviewed: June 26, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Dnalrag
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$160.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Design, shifting quality
Weaknesses:
Bearings, chain rings, Q-factor
Similar Products Used:
Truvativ Stylo, Shimano XTR
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Nomad, SRAM drivetrain
Bottom Line:
On the second ride I found that one of the teeth on the middle chainring was bend. Not a big deal since I could just bend it back with a pair of pliers (at home, not on the ride). After a bit less than three months the bottom bracket bearings run very roughly. The crankset is a 2007 model and my understanding is that the initial issue with the hygroscopy of the grease used in the bearings is supposed to be solved. Not so in my case. Finally the drive-side crank passes so close to the chainstay that it rubs on the chainstay protector.
These cranks replaced a considerably cheaper set of Truvativ Stylos which performed flawlessly for one and a half years. Of a crank that retails for $200-$300 I expect better reliablity than that and after not even three months I am considering of changing them again. I have used other Race Face products before and was very happy with them. However, I do not expect to find cranks of that brand on any of my bikes in the near future again.
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Submitted by
cannon 16
a Weekend Warrior
from northumberland uk Date Reviewed: April 19, 2008
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$300.00
Strengths:
stiff, strong, good 'rings
Weaknesses:
trial and error setup, very poor bearings
Similar Products Used:
deus, diabolous, xt, xtr
Bottom Line:
This review equally applies to other x-type cranks, as I've owned them all and they all have the same strengths and weaknesses. They are all really nice cranks - well machined with very good chain rings (much better than shimano, but not Middleburn) which survive harsh uk conditions well. they are light (well, not Diabolous) and strong and have stood up without complaint despite pretty hard use (6'drops to flat with deus/atlas and regular 15' to tranny with diabolous). Atlas could be used for downhill so don't think you need them unless you really rip it up (regular 6'-10' drops)- save the weight and get Deus, they are super strong, but I sold my bike with them on. Deus are mad strong for the weight - go for these if you generally don't exceed the 5' mark for drops. They all resist rock dings, crashes and scrapes well. They are stiff. All good? Hmm, no.Fitting is a chore, especially if using a chain guide. Even without, finding the correct chain line for your bike can be a bit trial and error. I'm always left with the feeling that spacers and pre-load washers are not the most elegant engineering solution. However, once set up right they work well and only one set of atlas cranks has come loose/creaked continuously. Bearings however are complete junk. 6months max in uk. Replace with shimano (if on budget) or better, Hope. Both make proper bearings. I've never (in 5 sets of x-types) had any problems with stripping or excessive looseness.
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Submitted by
Teamfubar
a Weekend Warrior
from Colorado Springs, CO, USA Date Reviewed: September 3, 2007
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
Greenfish Sports
Strengths:
Great strength to weight ratio, stiff, good looking.
Weaknesses:
Chainrings are a bit wimpy.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano XTR (M-952), Bontrager
Bike Setup:
Moots Cinco, Sram X.0, Chris King.
Bottom Line:
After reading these reviews, I had to chime in. I have been running these cranks for almost 2 years with no bearing issues at all. The deal is, with Race Face, or any other external bearing BB, the BB shell HAS to be faced before installation or the bearings will seize. I think if most people will take the time to set them up right, you will have no issues at all. Mine spin smoothly, don't creak, don't loosen up, and keep rockin' ride after ride. The only issue that I have had is a tooth broke off of the middle ring during a sloppy shift. Never had that with any XTR rings, so we'll see how this works out.
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Submitted by
Lande Edmiston
a
from Calgary, Alberta, Canada Date Reviewed: August 21, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Fernie!
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Stiff crank with great shifting ability and strength for any mountain use.
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Bontrager, Shimano
Bike Setup:
Rocky Mountain Slayer SXC 70
Bottom Line:
Great Crank all around. Works for any part of mountain biking, downhilling or XC.
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Submitted by
Andy
a Weekend Warrior
from Horsetooth Mountain Colorado Date Reviewed: July 10, 2007
Favorite Trail:
the one I'm on
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$229.00
Purchased At:
PRICEPOINT WHERE PRICE IS THE POINT
Strengths:
Stiff, easy to install, shifts well, stiff, stiff, very stiff
Weaknesses:
Hard to call this one weak...
Similar Products Used:
All of them - swapped out for a Truvativ Stylo Team
Bike Setup:
Nomad XO AM - one spacer on each side of the crank.
Bottom Line:
The stock Stylo started creaking and occasionally backed out on its own. It constantly needed fresh grease and tightening so I upgraded to the ATLAS . What a HUGE difference - like standing on a cement slab vs a piece of balsa wood. Even though this crank is a couple of ounces heavier, I'm actually riding and climbing faster due to better power transfer. Increases confidence and downhill speed as I can surf the bike without the flex of the Stylo. A great crank - couldn't be happier.
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Submitted by
Keith Schoon
a Weekend Warrior
from Pittsburgh, PA Date Reviewed: July 9, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Bavington (Hillman State Park)
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$219.00
Purchased At:
Speedgoat
Strengths:
Stong and Durable
Weaknesses:
Directions are slightly unclear. They specify to crank down the crankbolt until it stops and "bottoms out". Is this even possible. I crank and crank and it never stops, but after I get it too tight it drags so I have to back it off a couple turns and all is good. Nice and tight.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano Deore Crank included woth old Trek
Bike Setup:
2007 SC Heckler w DHX 5.0
Bottom Line:
So far so good. as put up with everything I have thrown at it sa far. A couple 2-3' drops and a few small jumps here and there and everthing is still copasetic. Other than the directions it rocks and not as expensive as the Shimano XTR. THOSE ARE WAAAAAAY OVERPRICED! 500???? Is it made out of gold, or does it give me a reach around after a long hard ride? NO? Then why do I want to spend 500 on it when I can get a kick ass Atlas for 219. Hell yeah.
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Submitted by
Smellygoon
a
from Anchorage, AK, USA Date Reviewed: April 16, 2007
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Smooth and reliable under the right conditions
Weaknesses:
External bearings prone to failure under wet conditions
Bottom Line:
Previous post was a bit harsh and unwarranted. This crank was used continuously in a very unforgiving environment (snow, rain, glacial silt, mud, muck, etc.) without regular TLC. Nothing with bearings would have survived for long. RaceFace makes top-notch components, and the Atlas is no exception. Unbeatable for normal trails and summer use.
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Submitted by
Les Takacs
a Weekend Warrior
from Anchorage, AK, USA Date Reviewed: April 14, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Johnson Pass
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$230.00
Purchased At:
Beyond Bikes
Strengths:
Looks cool. Stiff arms. Canadian-made.
Weaknesses:
External bearings, chainrings.
Bike Setup:
2003 RM Slayer
Bottom Line:
I'm going with Shimano XT next time. This crankset did not live up to the hype. Drive side bearings went out after about four months of regular use. Replaced them with Phil Wood cartridge bearings. Several teeth from the middle chainring broke off somewhere between trail rides. Got another five months of use before the non-drive side was shot. No help from RaceFace tech support. Fortunately, I did not pay full price, or else I'd be really pissed. This crankset has been a big disappointment. I don't abuse my bike that much and I expect some normal wear, but for the price, I expected a lot more. I need reliable components for transportation and trail use. The Atlas did not deliver.
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Submitted by
Clark
a
from Squamish Date Reviewed: March 31, 2007
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
light, stiff, strong, no slop
Weaknesses:
bearings are terrible extra drag (worse than most external bb types)
Similar Products Used:
saint, xt, truvativ stylo
Bike Setup:
heckler
Bottom Line:
great stiffness-to-weight ratio. have gone through 5 sets of bearings in 2 years. even the fancy "enduro" ones haven't lasted more than a couple months. very poorly sealed i suppose. lots of drag. as much as i'd like to support a solid canadian company, i'd suggest looking elsewhere for cranks. my truvativ stylo's have been solid, and they're cheap.
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Submitted by
Steve Jones
a Weekend Warrior
from Cardiff Date Reviewed: November 25, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
ProBikeSport
Strengths:
Awesome cranks - stiff, light, strong, great shifting, trick looks
Weaknesses:
None at all
Similar Products Used:
Shimano, FSA, Truvativ
Bike Setup:
Rocky Mountain Slayer 50
Bottom Line:
Upgraded the cranks on the Rocky Slayer 50 to Atlas cranks upon purchase - have been well impressed from day one. Pretty hardcore cranks considering the light weight and perfect for drops and jumps by a clumsy oaf like myself. Very rarely land smoothly but didn't want to run heavy DH cranks. Have held up well - stiff, bearings have lasted real well, shifting has been flawless despite a muddy welsh winter, and still look in good condition. Will definitely buy again - I've got my eye on something with a bit more travel next time around
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Submitted by
John Gump
a Cross Country Rider
from Westminster, CA , USA Date Reviewed: November 12, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Big Bear
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$125.00
Purchased At:
e-bay
Strengths:
Very sturdy, has held up for me just fine. Super Stiff arms, don't feel like I lose any pedal power at all. Looks great too. Well built product.
Weaknesses:
Maybe a little heavy, but unless you're a real weight weenie it's no big deal. I use them for both XC and downhill so I am more than willing to trade the little extra weight for strength and durability.
Light enough to get up the moutain quick, strong enough to handle going down the rough stuff. A little expensive but what do you expect for a good product. I'd buy again.
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Submitted by
John
a Weekend Warrior
from UK Date Reviewed: November 9, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Fort Bill
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
None
Weaknesses:
Come loose every couple of miles
Similar Products Used:
Diabolus, Dues, XTR, Saint
Bike Setup:
SC Nomad XTR (cranks again), XTR, Hadley, Thomson etc.
Bottom Line:
These are cr@p, mine will not stay tight, and I am having a nightmare with the warranty as I bought in the states and live in the UK. Buy Shimano, they warranty there products exceptionally well. Nice that I have the most expensive paper weight I have ever bought here now. (It could be the UK importers though as what they say does not agree with what RF are telling me).
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Submitted by
Erik
a Racer
from Ladera Ranch, CA, USA Date Reviewed: October 25, 2006
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
The Path Bike Shop
Strengths:
Long lasting bearings. Stiff. Available in 180mm.
Weaknesses:
Not available in compact 94bcd. Not available in 182mm or 185mm.
Similar Products Used:
XT, Middleburn, LX, RF Turbine
Bike Setup:
29er geared hardtail, 29er full-squish 4" and 5"
Bottom Line:
great all-around cranks. bummer they are only 104bcd though.
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Submitted by
Miika Luolajan-Mikkola
a Racer
from Helsinki, Finland Date Reviewed: September 25, 2006
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$390.00
Purchased At:
Chainreaction Cycles
Strengths:
Light and strong
Weaknesses:
Crankarm gets loosened resulting with horrible creak
I thought it was a dry bushing that made the irritating noise when pressing on the left side crankarm. Regreasing them didn't help, and suddenly I noticed by hand a little free movement within the left crankarm and axle. The bolts were tightened well and the same play occurs when pulled out of bb. The arm is loosened like a child's milk tooth, and I don't have any other idea to get that fixed than Warranty. Well, a guy I know ordered these for me from a webstore (at that time we had no distributor in Finland), and now he seems to be unwilling to forward this faultreport to them. He said the Atlas only has "one-year-warranty"... Now I'm waiting and don't know if anything has happened.
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Submitted by
Article 48
a Downhiller
from Somewhere, USA Date Reviewed: September 18, 2006
Favorite Trail:
that one over there
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$175.00
Purchased At:
don't recall, doesn't matter
Strengths:
smoothness, quietness, direct power transfer, light weight
Weaknesses:
some people can't seem to figure out how to install them, other people wash their bikes with high pressure water jets, both of these cause problems in the long run, and they blame the problem on the crankset.
Similar Products Used:
RF Turbine LP, RF Diabolus, Shimano Hone
Bike Setup:
Turner 6-Pack
Bottom Line:
Excellent crankset for all applications under my 155 lbs. Stiff enough for rough trails and DH. Light enough to ride all day. Smooth. Great power transfer, noticeably stiffer/less flexy than ISIS BB setup. I would run these on a DH race bike without any questions or concerns. Those who have had issues with these cranksets are doing something wrong, IMO. Trickier setup than the Shimano external BB models, but still work as well if not better if you take the time to set them up correctly. 5/5 on both categories.
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Submitted by
Jorgex
a Weekend Warrior
from Almada, Portugal Date Reviewed: September 18, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$230.00
Purchased At:
barracuda.be
Strengths:
-good stiffness/weight ratio -great XC, enduro, all-mountain.... -two possible colors
Weaknesses:
-bearings doesn't last for long(8, 9 months tops before squeaking) -middle chainring(32t)doesn't last at all -small chainring(22t)is made of steel!!!
Giant escaper'92 (hardtail), Manitou Axel 100mm(oem),Hope M4 disc brake, x-lite, Roox, Time pedals, Avid Flak Jacket, Rohloff chain... RF Atlas Cranks + 3 Tiso chainrings(22t,32t,44t)+ original left bearing/new shimano XT right bearing
Bottom Line:
Everything was ok after my lbs mechanic solved the "fitting" problem that many of us(RF users) complain. Ok for next 8,9 months, after that my bike sounded like clock, 3 "clacks" and 1 "click" per revolution. Plus, alot of mis-shiftings on front derailleur. I thought it was time to visit the lbs. Now my RF Atlas has Tiso chainrings(22t,32t,44t), original left bearing/new shimano XT right bearing. Personally i didn't enjoy very much RF middle and small chainrings. The right bearing was tottaly trashed, why not try another brand like shimano XT(cheaper than RF).
The original Atlas was better than LX octalink in stiffness but more heavy. The new setup for Atlas was lighter and improved my speed.
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Submitted by
Chuck
a Cross Country Rider
from Boise, Idaho Date Reviewed: September 17, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$210.00
Purchased At:
online
Strengths:
Looks good, light, silent, good shifting, smooth.
Weaknesses:
I'm concerned about what some reviewers have said about squeaking bearings and what water can do to them.
Bike Setup:
Steel hardtail
Bottom Line:
It's been 3 months and these cranks have been everything I hoped for so far. It's been very dry here so I haven't gotten them wet or ridden through any creeks. I noticed that most of the people who have bad things to say about these cranks installed their own. I had a professional do mine and no problems so far. They'll get wet eventually. We'll see how that goes.
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Submitted by
Matt Falkenstein
a Weekend Warrior
from Durango, CO USA Date Reviewed: August 30, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Little Molas to Cascade
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
Mountain Cyclery
Strengths:
works great when it works great!........see weaknesses
Weaknesses:
After a good dousing, seriously wet ride, the spline on the cranks loosens and makes a horrible creak. My friends can hear me coming from a mile a way. I have to take it to my mechanic and get him to beat the spline apart and then anti-seize it. That worked for 3 months, then it happened again. This time he place a loc-tite type product on it. It's only been 2 weeks, so we'll see.
Race Face says this part does not come apart.....at least that's what they FIRST told my mechanic. You know, the old, "gee whiz, no one else has had that problem." My mechanic now has several riders with the same cranks and the same problem. This is either a poorly engineered connection or not made to specifications properly.
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Submitted by
Ben
a Cross Country Rider
from The Dirty Glove, MI USA Date Reviewed: May 24, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Treasure Trail
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$220.00
Purchased At:
Speedgoat
Strengths:
Purdy, stiff as all get-out, nice chainrings, great weight-to-toughness ratio, and (power)user serviceable bearings.
Weaknesses:
Installation requires reading, looking at pictures and following directions. . . my square taper BB's didn't make me do that!!
Crappy bearing grease and aluminium crankbolts
Similar Products Used:
First foray into X-type cranks
Bike Setup:
Karate Monkey- sometimes single, sometimes geary
Bottom Line:
All in all a great crank for an under-served market: clydes who like blingy "light weight" parts. (I'm 200 lbs and let my part selection let everyone know how awesome I am)
Granted, you need to follow the directions carefully- especially the part about getting your BB faced within RF's tolerances. Keeping the cups perfectly parallel and properly spaced is the key to long bearing life and smooth spinning. Also, you want to wrap your head around how these cranks are held together before installing. If you do, you'll realize this: easy on the cups and 10mm bolt, hard on the 8mm. And don't forget your spacers.
On the trail these things are a dream. Zero flex, super-efficient power transfer, and smooth shifting. Keep an eye on the crank bolts though. Mine started to loosen and deform a bit. Switched to steel w/ a litte Loctite and haven't looked back.
At the end of the day, I love my Atlas cranks. Sure they require some skill to install (maybe you should leave it to the pro's), but the payoff is worth it. Most of the complaints about external bearing cranks stem from improper installation, so if you're going to drop this kind of cash for a crankset, what's another $25 to your mechanic.
As such, I go 5 chilis overall because if they don't work, it's probably your fault. And I ding it one chili for value because the $350 retail price is redonkulous, but who pays retail anyway?
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Submitted by
Guy
a Weekend Warrior
from Manchester, CT Date Reviewed: November 11, 2005
Favorite Trail:
the one covered in leaves
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
cambria
Strengths:
Strong, light, easy to adjust the spacing.
Weaknesses:
none at all!!!!
Similar Products Used:
Hussefelts (crappafelts), Shimano junk
Bike Setup:
FS with sturdy gear.
Bottom Line:
I HATE TRUVATIVE more than anyone can know!!!!
I mashed my way through a brand new set of hussefelts in about three months, had them replaced and mashed through them again in one month. I bought these cranks and haven't had a single problem. I had my LBS install them, and I was a little worried about changing the spacing myself, but it couldn't have been easier. They are relatively light, and I can still pound on them without worry. I would buy them again, but the trouble is, they have a lifetime warranty.
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Submitted by
Phil
a Weekend Warrior
from Lac-Beauport, Québec, Canada Date Reviewed: September 28, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Mange-ma-bite
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$220.00
Purchased At:
Price Point
Strengths:
Stiff, Strong, Look (black one), Weight
Weaknesses:
None so far
Similar Products Used:
Spech Strongarm, flexy creaky wavy ugly piece of crap
Bike Setup:
2003 Spech Enduro, changed big ring for RF bashguard.
Bottom Line:
Very happy with my purchase. Works flawlessly. Very trick looking with the RF bashguard. If you're a serious trailrider, or week-end warrior and need to upgrade your crankset, this one is really to consider over Shimano XT. It's couple grams heavier, but it's not a Shimano, and it got a lifetime warranty.
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Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Truckee, CA Date Reviewed: July 14, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
123bikes
Strengths:
strong and stiff, they look good.
Weaknesses:
pain to set up, bearings don't last, creak like crazy!
Similar Products Used:
turbines, north shores, xt, xtr, lots o' others.
Bike Setup:
5spot w/ nixon elite.
Bottom Line:
When I got these cranks I was stoked. It seemed like they could handle some abuse and they weren't too heavy. Well I've had them for a year now and they are about to be tossed in the trash. I have had to replace the bearings three times, and have had to re-space the bb/spindle assembly countless times. Sometimes it gets real tight and binds, other times it gets so loose you can feel play in the cranks. It seems like every other ride I need to do something to keep them happy. All of this I was willing to put up with (I don't know why? Maybe because I have been using Race Face components for years without a problem, maybe I really didn't want any more Shimano than necessary on my bike... I don't know) Then the creaking began. We had a wet spring and after a few rides in the rain, they began to creak BAD! The worst creak I have ever heard from a bike! I've tried everything short of another set of new bearings (they still feel fine, and i don' really feel like investing any more $$$ into these cranks) Everything has been taken apart, cleaned, greased and re-torqued, and they still creak!! It is
$
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