# Lightweight MTN AL crankarm set?



## verrocchio100 (Jan 20, 2004)

Fellow WW, besides the Cdale Hollowgram crankset; whom else makes a lightweight AL mountain crankarm set?

NEXT SL, SixC, e13 TRS Racing, Easton are the shizznit but out of budget range.

Thoughts?


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

What is wrong with Hollowgram?

Cheap, light, stiff, readily available, use the same spindle pattern/interface as RaceFace.

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## verrocchio100 (Jan 20, 2004)

Nothing wrong with the Hollowgram stuff Duke, just pricey as heck, at least the set up from P321.

Just researching options.

You mention light, cheap, readily available; I am all ears to your suggestions.


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

verrocchio100 said:


> Nothing wrong with the Hollowgram stuff Duke, just pricey as heck, at least the set up from P321.
> 
> Just researching options.
> 
> You mention light, cheap, readily available; I am all ears to your suggestions.


Check eBay. I got my last set of Hollowgram for $150.

There are a couple on there for $175 right now. Road cranks; unbolt the spider, put a direct mount ring on, and buy a RaceFace or Cannondale spindle.

Some 175mm SLs:

Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/322359965781

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## verrocchio100 (Jan 20, 2004)

So using road cranks, ah!

As an example with the link you sent, the spider just unbolts and just bolt on a direct mount chainring from AB, WTC, etc?

And a spindle from RF, Cdale?

Can you post a pic of a set up please?


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

There is no "road" or "MTB" Hollowgram. The crankarms Cannondale's EWS racers use are the same ones used on the XC bikes of their WC XCO racers, and their WorldTour road bikes. Just a different spindle length and spider. Literally the same product.










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## verrocchio100 (Jan 20, 2004)

Sweet Duke!

Is that a WTC or AB ring?

What spindle length are you using there?

My frame is Boosted so I am thinking a longer spindle is in order for chainline since there arent any Boost corrected DM chainrings?

Thx!


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

It's the standard RaceFace 68/73mm spindle. 

The ring is a Garbaruk Melon 34t. My frame isn't boost. But, with RaceFace and Cannondale spindles, you have a bit of adjustment. I.e., if you take one 1mm spacer from the drive side and put it on the NDS, you move the chainring 1mm to the left. You have quite a bit of adjustment capability with the RF spindles; they have very broad bearing shoulders that interface with inner race of the bearings. The Cannondale spindles have narrower shoulders.

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## rumblytumbly (Jun 5, 2013)

Very intruiging news, always assumed the Cdale crank arms only worked with their frames like Specialized and had the spindles pressed in. Thanks for the info.

So, I have a normal 68 mm BSA bb with a Raceface Ride crank in it with the one arm pressed in. So i could pick up any Hollowgram crank arm set, purchase a cinch spindle like this https://www.raceface.com/products/details/cinch-spindle-kit-68-73mm keep my existing bb and bolt them right up? Are there any certain years or models of Hollowgram arms to stay away from, or anything missing before anyone hops on ebay and makes a purchase?


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## verrocchio100 (Jan 20, 2004)

Yup, rumbly beat me to it...


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

So, you would need this:

https://www.raceface.com/products/details/cinch-bsa30-bb

To convert from BSA to 30mm spindle. Then, you will be able to use a RF spindle, and a set of RF or Cannondale crank arms.

Unfortunately, nothing from your current configuration would work; your RF Ride cranks use a different spindle interface and a BB that has 24mm inner bearing races as opposed to 30mm. Can't put a 30mm spindle in a 24mm hole, obviously.

The only Hollowgrams to stay away from are the older carbon ones; these have integrated, non-removable spiders. Most of the ones I see on eBay are for road bikes. The aluminum ones, (SL, SiSL, SiSL2) are all good.

The great thing about the Hollowgrams is how easy they are to work with. To remove them from the spindle and remove/attach a new ring or spider, you need the following tools:

Park Tool BBT-18 Bottom Bracket Tool > Accessories > Tools > Bottom Bracket Tools | Jenson USA

(The official Cannondale tool is more expensive, but this works)

And these:

Cannondale SI Crank Arm Removal Tool in Tree Fort Bikes Crank / BB Tools

I've seen some eBay crank sets come with these. I picked mine up from a local Cannondale shop for $20. Also, I ***believe*** that the RaceFace tool *might* work (it comes with the RaceFace spindle) but I haven't tried it.


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## rumblytumbly (Jun 5, 2013)

Very cool. Since it's going to be mostly Raceface parts other than the arms, any idea on actual weight savings vs going with another alu crank with 30mm alu spindle like this Race Face Turbine Cinch Cranks > Components > Drivetrain > Cranksets | Jenson USA

It's so difficult getting crank weights off the online retailer sites. My assumption is most savings is from upgrading to the 30mm spindle vs arm weight?


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## verrocchio100 (Jan 20, 2004)

I would venture to guess the Cdale arms will be lighter, but how much is unknown to me.

Being the crank arms are used on road bikes as well, feathery comes to mind.


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

Quite a bit is arm weight. That's a 34t AB ring. Mine were pretty close to what is shown below.

Just do a google image search and you can find weights for most bike parts on a scale.


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## verrocchio100 (Jan 20, 2004)

So the hunt begins....stupid PF92 BB is gonna kink my plans....aaarrggghhh!


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

Lots of guys using a PF92 to 30mm BB for Next SLs. No reason you can't do the same with Hollowgram.

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## rumblytumbly (Jun 5, 2013)

Thanks Duke for the walkthrough, and thanks OP for bringing up the subject. I found some scale shots showing crankarm weights between Next SL and Hollowgram to be about 1 gram so if an ebay deal can be had for something not beat to heck this could be an excellent option.
I grabbed my Rides for $59 last year just to complete my build and haven't been able to justify the cost of any upgrade cranks based on weight (except for the Next at $$$) until now.
Looks like RF makes a PF30 adapter too so OP shouldn't have a problem.


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

verrocchio100 said:


> So the hunt begins....stupid PF92 BB is gonna kink my plans....aaarrggghhh!


See linked item:

BB92 TO BB30 BOTTOM BRACKET KIT

This or similar is what people use on Treks, etc. with BB92 to use RaceFace Next SLs or Hollowgrams.


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## verrocchio100 (Jan 20, 2004)

Thx Duke, got in contact with RWC about the BB.

Now I need to be sure the spindle is long enough to allow shims to fit and compensate for BOOST frame when using a DM ring.

BTW Duke is the YETI pictured above BB30 or PF92?

Thx


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

Its PF30.

But, as I said before, there are plenty of people with BB92 frames running RaceFace cranks. Notably Trek frames (the originator of BB92, IIRC).

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## RS VR6 (Mar 29, 2007)

I'm a bit late to the conversation. So to double check...I can run a Hollowgram crank on a B frame with the Race Face spindle and bottom bracket?

Last time I searched Hollowgram cranks was 2013. They were going for crazy amounts on eBay.


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

Assuming "B" means BB92 or similar, yes, you could.

I see plenty of pictures of RaceFace Next SL cranks on Yeti SB4.5s, 5s, and 6s. There are a few PF92/Boost bikes that come stock with them, like my all-time favorite bike, the 2016 Trek Fuel EX 9.9. All of which use PF92 shells. If you search the forum, there are plenty of other frames that use PF92 and Next SLs as well.

I'm about to put a set of 175mm SISL2s on eBay when I get back to VA after our winter break. In great shape, but I bought them for what was attached to them: an SRM power meter. They are just too long for me.

Just an FYI: the RaceFace spindle, if I'm remembering correctly, is like 134.5mm long, and the Cannondale spindles are 131mm or 132mm. If you look at images of each, you can see that RF spindles have wider bearing shoulders (polished/hardened sections), which allow for more adjust-ability and use with PF92 shells.


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## super_stein (Mar 2, 2004)

MTB Crank Sets - MTB Cross Country | B.O.R - Germany


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

Cannondale Hollowgram Si crankset, 175mm with 130mm axle. | eBay

175mm cranks, $190.

Cannondale Si Hollowgram Crank Set Tt Aero 11 Speed 55/42 172.5 | eBay

172.5mm, $199.

Both are Buy it Now.


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

Also, there are some chainrings that can be flip-flopped on Hollowgrams to held with chainline or frame issues (a la Boost).

I'm using a Garbaruk ring, which has 3.3mm offset in the 34mm size. With a Boost, BB92 frame, you could flip the ring so it's dished away from the BB.

Cannondale Hollowgram Oval Chainrings - Garbaruk Lightweight Components


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## rumblytumbly (Jun 5, 2013)

I won an auction on an arm set so guess I'm going this direction!
The whole package comes together at about $375ish then which is in the ballpark of a RF Turbine Cinch setup or a Hope setup but at significant weight savings and about $150 less than a NEXT setup.

Question for LeDuke - are the RF Cinch chainrings compatible with the Hollowgrams or do I need chainrings specific to the Hollowgram?
The spiders look pretty different, but rings appear very similar.


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

No. You need a Hollowgram specific ring. AB and Garbaruk make both round and oval rings. WolfTooth makes a round ring.

Or, a Hollowgram spider. WolfTooth makes a CAMO spider, or you can find a 104bcd spider. 

I love my Garbaruk ring. It's been incredibly durable.



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## rumblytumbly (Jun 5, 2013)

Yeah, sorry that was a stupid question. I keep expecting standardization but this is the bike industry.
I went with Wolftooth CAMO since they're in my hometown. Doing a spider seems like moving backwards in technology/weight but Wolftooth claim theirs is within 5-10 grams of direct mount so not bad.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

rumblytumbly said:


> Yeah, sorry that was a stupid question. I keep expecting standardization but this is the bike industry.


You are buying a pretty obscure part from a manufacturer that specializes in proprietary parts. This should be obvious.


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

Jayem said:


> You are buying a pretty obscure part from a manufacturer that specializes in proprietary parts. This should be obvious.


So obscure, 30mm spindles are a de facto standard, and Race Face copied their spindle interface.

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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Le Duke said:


> So obscure, 30mm spindles are a de facto standard, and Race Face copied their spindle interface.
> 
> Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk


Tell me again what the chainring interface standard is?


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

Jayem said:


> Tell me again what the chainring interface standard is?


Wasn't aware there was one. 104mm BCD rings are easy to come by, though.

So, let's go with 104mm BCD. Every manufacturer I'm aware of makes one. I'd imagine you'd be able to walk into any bike shop, and the one NW chainring you're most likely to find is a 32t, 104 mm BCD.

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## RS VR6 (Mar 29, 2007)

Le Duke said:


> Assuming "B" means BB92 or similar, yes, you could.


Sorry, I mean BSA.


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## jestep (Jul 23, 2004)

If you do have a normal BSA BB, it was unclear whether you're dealing with BB92 or BSA, but I would look at the Hope 30mm or another non-RF one. I absolutely love RF products, but those 30MM BSA BB's are garbage. There's a ton of bad reviews on them but I took a chance since I'm typically a low impact rider and can make just about anything last. Nope, blew through one from a handful of mellow rides in a little more than a month. I don't know if there is some defect or what the deal is but the reviews seem to be pretty much accurate for that one. They're fairly cheap but if you're replacing a BB every other month, you're far better off getting a good one from the start.


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

Disclaimer: I've never used this product.

But, I was looking through RaceFace tech docs and found this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/182210347809

131mm "BMX" spindle. To me, it looks like a viable way to get a slightly narrower q-factor than the standard 134mm spindle.

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## rumblytumbly (Jun 5, 2013)

Nice find. One thing I miss from the square taper days is to be able to get a variety of spindle lengths.
I should have all my parts in tomorrow and will take some scale shots for everybody fwiw.


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## rumblytumbly (Jun 5, 2013)

Le Duke, looking for some guidance here. Everything is going together well other than I don't have a wavy washer like would be stock on a Cdale setup. RF uses a preloader, but that wouldn't work with these arms. I do have multiple BB spacers and an old cassette with several cassette spacers. What is the best technique to get proper bearing preload using spacers? Seems I've either got it too loose or over torqued. What do you use?


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

I use a wave washer. Or two.

Do you have any spacers that are thinner than what you're using now? 

I'd bet that any local C-Dale shop would give your a wave washer, or sell it to you for pennies.


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## rumblytumbly (Jun 5, 2013)

Yeah, I've got metal and plastic of all sizes some even are spring washers that should work similarly but not quite the right tension. I'll just pick up some wavy washers. Thanks.

Also, I have one of these Compact Universal Crank Puller | Park Tool and it's a perfect as a crank puller if you just put an american copper penny against the spindle. Perfect fit.
The RF spindle kit does come with what looks like a self-extracting bolt cover and bolt. The bolt itself threads right in and seems to be a copy of the C'dale bolt, but the self-extracting cover seems to be a different thread than the Hollowgram crank. Doesn't make a lot of sense, but the RF arms must have different threading.


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

If I was at home (I'm on winter break, grad school) I'd mail you one. I have a bunch floating around.


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## rumblytumbly (Jun 5, 2013)

*some weights*

Some scale shots. Everything without chainring/bolts but including full BB, spacers, and spindle comes to 520 grams. My RF ride set up was 771, so overall savings of 251 g.
In "ready to ride" format with chainring and bolts I went from 870g to 617g for total savings of 253g.
Consider as well that I use a 36 tooth ring and the Wolftooth CAMO setup does add 17g over a cinch ring, but good flexibility with CAMO and I'm supporting a local company.


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

Nice. Glad it worked out for you!

Also, remember to liberally grease the inside of the bearing races before you put the spindle through them. This will help with both assembly and disassembly later on. Same with spindle/crank interface, bolt threads, etc. Any place metal meets metal.


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

rumblytumbly said:


> Some scale shots. Everything without chainring/bolts but including full BB, spacers, and spindle comes to 520 grams. My RF ride set up was 771, so overall savings of 251 g.
> In "ready to ride" format with chainring and bolts I went from 870g to 617g for total savings of 253g.
> Consider as well that I use a 36 tooth ring and the Wolftooth CAMO setup does add 17g over a cinch ring, but good flexibility with CAMO and I'm supporting a local company.


Thx for all the shots. BTW, what's the 3g item pictured above?


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

phlegm said:


> Thx for all the shots. BTW, what's the 3g item pictured above?


It's the lock ring that holds the spider to the drive side crank arm.

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## rumblytumbly (Jun 5, 2013)

Thanks for all your help Le Duke.
Further info on chainline/Q factor. I got my spindle here https://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=67411 and got the 134.5 standard. Loose measurement (arms hand tight on spindle) I measure 150mm inside arm/inside arm and 170mm outside arm/outside arm (traditional Q factor measure). Probably subtract a few mm for when they are properly torqued to the spindle.
For my older chiner carbon cross country frame (barely clears 2.2 tires) I'd prefer narrower, but it is about the same as my old cranks so the set up is fine - I just have room to go narrower if I wanted to go with that BMX spindle. For those with a Boost frame, etc. looks like you have plenty of options from RaceFace.
I don't mind being different and now I've got a more future-proofed set up so this is great. Looks to be within 40g of a Next SL G4 based on scale shots of arms + spindle seen on the internet. I'll take that.
Timing is everything when shopping for deals but I'd say if someone can find a set of these arms for ~$200 or less on eBay they're an excellent option. Looks like I can re-sell the road spindle that came with mine for $50 so all told this project has been a pretty good bargain. I won the auction at $204 w/shipping for "new/take off" arms plus spindle/bolts and a few stock spacers. Can't complain.
Oh, and Universal Cycles sells 10 packs of wavy washers and spacers in various thicknesses for pretty cheap so there's a source.


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

If anyone is looking to further tune their chainline and/or Q-factor using Hollowgram or RF cranks, these guys have a wide range of options for you.

Bottom Bracket BB30 - Dr. Cannondale


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## aosty (Jan 7, 2004)

Le Duke -

Do you know, off-hand, the minimum chainline of a Hollowgram crank + outboard bearing cup + 68mm threaded shell?

Thanks.


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

Unfortunately, no. Although, I think frame design, spindle length, space configuration and ring size/shape would all have to be considered.

For example, a 26t round ring could have a chainline significantly lower than a 34t oval. Or the same.

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## nunokas (Aug 12, 2014)

You definitely can have light and reliable alu cranks.

My Sisl2 with road spindle (109mm) and 44t spidering:









And my heavier but very reliable and modular BOR:









:thumbsup:


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## aosty (Jan 7, 2004)

aosty said:


> Le Duke -
> 
> Do you know, off-hand, the minimum chainline of a Hollowgram crank + outboard bearing cup + 68mm threaded shell?
> 
> Thanks.


Following up on my own post.... this combination provides a chainline of roughly 49mm. For a Boost frame, it's slightly biased inboard and works great.

- frame with 73mm BSA threaded shell
- RaceFace Cinch spindle - 134.5mm
- RaceFace outboard bearing cup
- 2.5mm cup spacer on the drive-side
- Hollowgram crank
- Hollowgram spider - 104mm BCD 4-arm
- 32t chainring in the "middle" position

The spindle is just barely long enough with room for only ~3mm of spacers (on the non-drive-side)... it can likely be nudged to 52mm but I had unrelated clearance issues.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

rumblytumbly said:


> Some scale shots. Everything without chainring/bolts but including full BB, spacers, and spindle comes to 520 grams. My RF ride set up was 771, so overall savings of 251 g.
> In "ready to ride" format with chainring and bolts I went from 870g to 617g for total savings of 253g.
> Consider as well that I use a 36 tooth ring and the Wolftooth CAMO setup does add 17g over a cinch ring, but good flexibility with CAMO and I'm supporting a local company.


I know I'm really late to this but just wondering.

If I didn't miss anything this adds up to 531g, I'm just trying to understand the advantage over XTR cranks that come in at 520g?


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

TwoTone said:


> I know I'm really late to this but just wondering.
> 
> If I didn't miss anything this adds up to 531g, I'm just trying to understand the advantage over XTR cranks that come in at 520g?


Most XTR M9000 1x cranks I've seen come in at around 575g or so.

Example: https://www.google.com/imgres?imgur...N_UAhVhlFQKHYGVAWMQMwhhKAMwAw&iact=mrc&uact=8

Whereas some Hollowgrams with direct mount rings can be most of 100g lighter.

Example: https://goo.gl/images/hCXbvp


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

Le Duke said:


> Most XTR M9000 1x cranks I've seen come in at around 575g or so.
> 
> Example: https://www.google.com/imgres?imgur...N_UAhVhlFQKHYGVAWMQMwhhKAMwAw&iact=mrc&uact=8
> 
> ...


XTR without rings: Add a 50g ring 10g bolts - Forgot about the bolts. I was specially asking about the setup posted as he went to a lot of trouble for an exotic cranks that weighs the same as XTR. Even from what I've seen I don't see any


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

My Hollowgrams weigh less than that with the chainring mounted.

Not particularly exotic. Common on Cannondale road and mountain bikes. You can swap spindles with RaceFace cranks.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

Le Duke said:


> My Hollowgrams weigh less than that with the chainring mounted.
> 
> Not particularly exotic. Common on Cannondale road and mountain bikes. You can swap spindles with RaceFace cranks.


You probably have the SISL2. But going back to my question the poster I quoted's setup is 531g and costs more than a set of XTR- so that's why I ask if I was missing something.

YES they are exotic as in you don't find them off a bike just anywhere and if you pay retail, well...


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## rumblytumbly (Jun 5, 2013)

TwoTone said:


> You probably have the SISL2. But going back to my question the poster I quoted's setup is 531g and costs more than a set of XTR- so that's why I ask if I was missing something.
> 
> YES they are exotic as in you don't find them off a bike just anywhere and if you pay retail, well...


Per this listing at Jenson Shimano XTR FC-M9020 1X Cranks > Components > Drivetrain > Cranksets | Jenson USA the arms+spider+spindle for an XTR single ring is 508g. It looks like if you're going to go with One Up chainrings instead of Shimano you can remove the bolt cover (as in your picture posted) to shave off 35 grams. The lower level SI set I have is still a little lighter.
The Cdale SI I have arms+wolftooth spider+spindle is 456g. That would be apples to apples. Skipping the WT spider and going with a direct mount ring would save another ~12 grams all told. With SISL2 arms would be about 50 grams lighter total from scale shots found online. SISL2 are about 25g per arm lighter than SI.
Readily available on Ebay for half the cost of XTR. Advantage over XTR would be standard 30mm spindle and non-proprietary chainrings for sure.
I've been out of touch with biking for a while so it was more of a learning curve for me on this, but in the end a pretty simple set up.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

rumblytumbly said:


> Per this listing at Jenson Shimano XTR FC-M9020 1X Cranks > Components > Drivetrain > Cranksets | Jenson USA the arms+spider+spindle for an XTR single ring is 508g
> The Cdale SI I have arms+wolftooth spider+spindle is 456g. With SISL2 arms would be about 60 grams lighter total from scale shots found online.
> Readily available on Ebay for half the cost of XTR. Advantage over XTR would be standard 30mm spindle and non-proprietary chainrings for sure.


I'd love some links to Hollowgrams for $100


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## rumblytumbly (Jun 5, 2013)

Only the 180s are $189, 175 and 170 are $299 @25% off. Easy to find Hollowgrams for $150.


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## jestep (Jul 23, 2004)

TwoTone said:


> I'd love some links to Hollowgrams for $100


I literally watched ebay for months when I was doing my SS build and I never found any SiSL2's for close to the $100 mark, especially ones with a MTB spindle. I'd say $250 is close to the floor with the exception of a rare low auction. I ended up getting a set of Next SL's for about $125 with a new NW chainring.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

rumblytumbly said:


> Only the 180s are $189, 175 and 170 are $299 @25% off. Easy to find Hollowgrams for $150.


post some links- seriously.

I've searched. If you aren't using retail and using Ebay, I bought my XTRs new with Oneup 32t oval and XTR BB for $250 shipped.

Not trying to be argumentative, but your set you posted weigh more than my XTR set up. Even if you used a direct mount ring your set up only loses 13g. I looked forever before buying my XTR because I wanted SLs, but when it came down to the cost to weight ratio I didn't see it.

Right now on Ebay there are some beat SLs for $300 plus and the clean ones are $600+. The Cheapest SI is $210 for just arms and road rings, no spindle.

Again I'm was just trying to see if I missed something. Unless you go with SLs for a fortune- it's apparent I didn't.


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## rumblytumbly (Jun 5, 2013)

Well, 456g is still less than 472g (with bolt cover removed) so....

I guess I didn't have the frustration you've had finding a deal. I was the only bidder on a NOS arm+spindle set for $175 from a bike shop seller. My whole purchase journey lasted 24 hours. Maybe I just got lucky, but it sounds like others on here were able to find similar/better deals without hassle. I don't like hassle, so if that were the case I certainly would have gone another direction. We all know Ebay can be a complete dumpster fire of sellers trying to get retail+ for junk, but I was able to find a deal quickly.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

rumblytumbly said:


> Well, 456g is still less than 472g (with bolt cover removed) so....
> 
> I guess I didn't have the frustration you've had finding a deal. I was the only bidder on a NOS arm+spindle set for $175 from a bike shop seller. My whole purchase journey lasted 24 hours. Maybe I just got lucky, but it sounds like others on here were able to find similar/better deals without hassle. I don't like hassle, so if that were the case I certainly would have gone another direction. We all know Ebay can be a complete dumpster fire of sellers trying to get retail+ for junk, but I was able to find a deal quickly.


If you got arms and spindle for $175, you were insanely lucky.


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## vqdriver (May 8, 2009)

i've been watching ebay and craigs as well. i haven't been paying much attention to the hollowgram si cranks tho. is there a big difference between the si and sisl2? is it worth the premium for the sisl2 if they take the same spiders/rings?


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

vqdriver said:


> i've been watching ebay and craigs as well. i haven't been paying much attention to the hollowgram si cranks tho. is there a big difference between the si and sisl2? is it worth the premium for the sisl2 if they take the same spiders/rings?


When I researched them. there was about 45g difference per arm.


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## rumblytumbly (Jun 5, 2013)

vqdriver said:


> i've been watching ebay and craigs as well. i haven't been paying much attention to the hollowgram si cranks tho. is there a big difference between the si and sisl2? is it worth the premium for the sisl2 if they take the same spiders/rings?


Should be only 22-23 grams per arm difference between SI/SiSL2

What to watch out for is the non-Hollowgram SI cranks they've had out for a few years which are just basic forged lower end cranks. They're labeled SI, but without the Hollowgram in the name.

correction: the newest Hollowgram SI are 165g per arm (averaged), so about 40g per arm higher than SISL2. The older SISL were about 140 so somewhat lighter.
Current iterations are SI (non-Hollowgram) @ "who knows, heavy", SI Hollowgram @ 165, SISL2 Hollowgram @ 123ish


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## Crossmaxx (Dec 2, 2008)

So, I really need some help with buying the right parts to assemble my Hollowgram Si crankarms...

Frame: Ibis Mojo 3 (boost frame - but I've read that many people have recommended non-boost cranks for a better chainline)
BB Shell: 68 mm BSA
Crankarms: Hollowgram Si 
Bottom bracket: Ideally, I would like to run the Chris King ThreadFit 30 if it will work with the Hollowgrams.
Axle: ? Have seen Le Duke recommend the Cinch spindle, but which width would I need? 134.5 mm?

Really appreciate any input I can get. Cheers!


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

The "standard" RaceFace 68/73mm spindle (which is, as you said, 134.5mm), plus a pack of BB30 spacers.

There are a lot of different thicknesses, obviously. It will depend on the exact measurements, once installed, of the BB. As my frame is a PF30 model, I can't really help you there, but this gives you an idea of what's out there.

BB30 Shims + Spacers

If you're OK with having your right or left crank further or closer to the frame than the other side, you can move spacers from side to side to adjust chainline. Additionally, there are a LOT of companies that offer different offsets for direct mount chainrings.

Looking at my eBay purchases, I've purchased two pairs of SISLs. $139 and $204.50.

I also have some SISL2s, but those were on an SRM spider, so I'm not going to include the price in this discussion.


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## Braga (Apr 4, 2017)

I really like this thread...will try this either on my yeti sb4.5 (pf92) or on the Niner air 9 (pf30). Parts started arriving today, will post some pics once is done (and works!)


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## rumblytumbly (Jun 5, 2013)

Crossmaxx said:


> So, I really need some help with buying the right parts to assemble my Hollowgram Si crankarms...
> 
> Frame: Ibis Mojo 3 (boost frame - but I've read that many people have recommended non-boost cranks for a better chainline)
> BB Shell: 68 mm BSA
> ...


What LeDuke said, and just order a pack or 2 of these https://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=64724 .5mm and 1mm spacers.
Plus a pack of Wave washers https://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=64726

I just used the RF BSA30 bottom bracket with their cinch spindle and it has worked great. Looks like with the CK it requires this too https://www.fanatikbike.com/products/chris-king-threadfit-30-conversion-kit-mtn to go along with the Threadfit 30 BB. Not sure what the conversion kit is for, but seems to be necessary.
Either way, it is nice to be able to dial in your chainline to the half millimeter using spacers. Takes some playing around to dial it in, but no more than any other system.


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

Once you get it dialed in, write the spacer combo down. X number of spacers on each side.

You should take almost all of the waviness out of the wave washer during compression. 

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## Boosted GP (Mar 10, 2007)

My sis's cranks with sram/hollowgram 76bcd spider, 32 or 34 ( can't remember) xsync ring, carbon to bolts, cannondale 137mm AI spindle and all spacers and bolts to mount onto scalpel Si. Could of been slightly lighter 20g or so with direct Mount ring.










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