# Short crank supplier you might be interested in



## othello (Apr 10, 2012)

The question of short cranks often comes up in threads, and quite rightly too.

I found a supplier of short cranks a while back and thought others might be interested in the details. I'm fairly new to the forums, so apologies if you already know of them.

Utah Trikes sell a 152mm triple chainset Utah Trikes Catalog - Trikes, Upgrades & Accessories

Price is pretty good, and they are OK weight-wise. Not the lightest, and you have you run a heavy square taper bb. But not too terrible and the main thing is the short crank lengths.

I've used these on both of my childrens 13" MTBs.


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## thesmokingman (Jan 17, 2009)

Hey, thanks for sharing that. The prices are rather reasonable too.


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## cyclo-phile (Jun 22, 2013)

Thanks for sharing that. I just bought a set of short Truvativ cranks from BikeSmith, but I searched for days for alternatives for short cranks with replaceable rings. I wish I had seen these.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

While I'm please with the cranks on my son's bike that I got from BikeSmith, I too wish I had know about these when I purchased.

FYI, nice to know Cannondale seems to be getting a kids bike close to right for a reasonable price.

Just bought my daughter the race 24 for $500. Air fork, 152mm cranks


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## othello (Apr 10, 2012)

Glad to hear people are finding the link useful. The only problem is I'm in the UK, so I get charged import duty and an unfavourable dollar to pound exchange doesn't help! Still, better to have the option of short cranks than not at all.

I have also picked up a pair of these 155mm cranks for my sons CX bike. 110 BCD though, but still hard to find usually and really good value Lasco Junior Short Crank Set - Black


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## thesmokingman (Jan 17, 2009)

In the future you can try Thorn from Sjscycles which is in the UK as well. They have cranks from 150mm and up.


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## thesmokingman (Jan 17, 2009)

I just got my thorn cranks and put some rings and a saint bash on. A few minutes with a dremel to mod the slx 32t ring and it looks good as stock.


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## IdahoLee (Apr 7, 2014)

Check out Sinz cranks as well. 125mm and up.


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## thesmokingman (Jan 17, 2009)

A 1x setup is fine for up to 20" but when you get to 24" a 2x crankset is really needed because the kids are capable of some real climbing. Thus BMX cranks even though they are easy to acquire and cheap, they're typically 110bcd, ie. single ring only. Climbing is a lot easier with double/triple rings (ie. 64/104 bcd) and thus worth the hassle to source the bits.


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## POAH (Apr 29, 2009)

what did you have to do to the rings to make them fit.? I'm thinking about getting a the crank for my son and putting my slx rings on as I've switched to a 1x10


thesmokingman said:


> I just got my thorn cranks and put some rings and a saint bash on. A few minutes with a dremel to mod the slx 32t ring and it looks good as stock.


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## clarkrw3 (Feb 21, 2011)

Those are great!! One of the best things about them is they are 104bcd. I am a big believer in short cranks but also 1x setups for kids. Both my kids are now running narrow wide 30t with 11-42 in the rear and they work great. You can try out Bombshell cranks they work well for the application. My daughters bike needed to have a 24mm spindle and the only one I could find was the bombshell spinnergy cranks.


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## thesmokingman (Jan 17, 2009)

POAH said:


> what did you have to do to the rings to make them fit.? I'm thinking about getting a the crank for my son and putting my slx rings on as I've switched to a 1x10


If you look closely at the 32t ring, you can see how I ground the molded plastic covering the ring flat so that it could fit on the thorn crank.


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## POAH (Apr 29, 2009)

thesmokingman said:


> If you look closely at the 32t ring, you can see how I ground the molded plastic covering the ring flat so that it could fit on the thorn crank.


cant see it wit my old eyes and iphone 

what BB width did you use? chain line for boys bike needs to be 50mm on middle ring


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## thesmokingman (Jan 17, 2009)

When you set the ring onto the crank, you will see how there is excessive plastic molding preventing the ring from "setting" into the spider arms. I basically ground the plastic down to a mil or two of the visible metal leaving just a hair of plastic. 

BB... I used a 113mm. The crank is a double so it doesn't have to be 50mm. However a 113mm would give you 50mm or so if you went with triple.


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## POAH (Apr 29, 2009)

cheers helps a lot


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## IAmHolland (Jul 8, 2010)

Huge pictures! The web page goes nuts when in "wide" mode.

I used the Utah Trikes 152mm crank (Lasco) on my son's 24" bike. I replaced the rings with RaceFace Turbine rings. Well used now, but still ticking with no problems at all. I would probably use 36/22, if you could, though my son has no problems with 32/22, a bit higher top end on flats would be nice.

http://forums.mtbr.com/families-riding-kids/sons-24-bike-779684.html


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## POAH (Apr 29, 2009)

thesmokingman said:


> When you set the ring onto the crank, you will see how there is excessive plastic molding preventing the ring from "setting" into the spider arms. I basically ground the plastic down to a mil or two of the visible metal leaving just a hair of plastic.
> 
> BB... I used a 113mm. The crank is a double so it doesn't have to be 50mm. However a 113mm would give you 50mm or so if you went with triple.


got the crank, clipped the plastic off fitted my old rings. just waiting on BB arriving.


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## thesmokingman (Jan 17, 2009)

Looks good. Did you weigh yours? Iirc the thorn setup as 2x (22/32 with slx bash) ended up over 300g less than the stock parts. The stock crank/bb was ludicrously heavy. I weighed everything while during the swap but forgot to write it all down, doh.


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## POAH (Apr 29, 2009)

its make a significant impact on his cycling. well worth it for smaller kids.

old
BB - 312g
Crank - 938g

new
BB - un55 304g
crank - 766g


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## thesmokingman (Jan 17, 2009)

That's a sweet looking bike!


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## thesmokingman (Jan 17, 2009)

I ordered a set from Utah Trikes just to give it a try. I've gotta say, they are on their game shipping wise. I got the crankset two days later. The crank itself looks nice enough, though its a lil heavier than the Thorn (although I don't recall the Thorns bare weight atm). Iirc after costs, the Thorn is around 10 bucks more overall. If I had to choose between the two, I think I would go with the Thorn for its fit and finish, seeming to me at least to be a better made crank. In time I will convert the Thorn on my sons bike from a 2x to 1x as well.

808g stock









528g stripped









575g setup with Raceface 30t 1x


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## POAH (Apr 29, 2009)

changed it to a 1x and saved 200g on the rings alone. bike is down to 24.75lb as is. just waiting for his new wheels so I can fit the 10sp rear. will save at least a lb with the wheels not including making them tubeless


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## othello (Apr 10, 2012)

POAH said:


> changed it to a 1x and saved 200g on the rings alone. bike is down to 24.75lb as is. just waiting for his new wheels so I can fit the 10sp rear. will save at least a lb with the wheels not including making them tubeless
> 
> View attachment 902018


Removing the rear mech protector will save a chunk of weight. Those things weigh a ton!


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## POAH (Apr 29, 2009)

not sure about that it serves a purpose giving the scrapes he has already lol


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## thesmokingman (Jan 17, 2009)

POAH said:


> changed it to a 1x and saved 200g on the rings alone. bike is down to 24.75lb as is. just waiting for his new wheels so I can fit the 10sp rear. will save at least a lb with the wheels not including making them tubeless


Nice, new wheels too. I just built a set as well. The bike is at my friends shop atm, we're milling some rear disc brackets for the frame.

Are you using going to use a 11-36t?



othello said:


> Removing the rear mech protector will save a chunk of weight. Those things weigh a ton!


They hardly weigh anything. And as mentioned, bikes that come with them come with them for a reason, ie. no replaceable drop outs.

Although I had to remove the protector on my son's bike because the protector interfered with the shadow+ mech. I just hoped I trained him well enough to never drop it on the right side lol.


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## POAH (Apr 29, 2009)

yeah 11-36 XT cassette with SLX clutch medium cage with zee shifter. 

took mud guards and mech protector off - now 24.15lb 

bike has replaceable dropouts

mech hanger was 106g


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## thesmokingman (Jan 17, 2009)

What a coincidence, I'm using the exact same drivetrain. Hi-5. 

I went with a 30t chainring front and have a wolftooth 42t (from their sale last month). Not sure if its needed just yet.


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## POAH (Apr 29, 2009)

I didn't bother, Lewis needs to learn to use gears rather than pedal frantically up hill in the lowest gear possible


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## ladljon (Nov 30, 2011)

Really, 152... I'm an adult and decided that I like 125mm on my road bike, my MTB and cross cranks are now at the Machine shop getting cut down to 130mm. Did a 4000 ft hill climb time trial race on 127.5 and beat most of the peeps 20 yrs younger. And I had a torn Perenal tendon in my ankle.....


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## sloonz (Apr 15, 2012)

Wow, you're a unicorn my friend!



ladljon said:


> Really, 152... I'm an adult and decided that I like 125mm on my road bike, my MTB and cross cranks are now at the Machine shop getting cut down to 130mm. Did a 4000 ft hill climb time trial race on 127.5 and beat most of the peeps 20 yrs younger. And I had a torn Perenal tendon in my ankle.....


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## sloonz (Apr 15, 2012)

Just purchases a set for my son's bike. He outgrew his 145mm cranks I got from Bikesmith. They'll be up for sale once I get them swapped out for the 152's.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

sloonz said:


> Just purchases a set for my son's bike. He outgrew his 145mm cranks I got from Bikesmith. They'll be up for sale once I get them swapped out for the 152's.


PM sent


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## ladljon (Nov 30, 2011)

*short cranks*

No I'm not a unicorn....just s/o that knows the same thing bike manufactories have known all along.....too expensive to make a whole line of different lengths of crank arms....so they just make a handful....165,167.5,170,,175.... Just like when I got started in MTBiking...they did not make a 15" or a 16.5" only 17.18,19, and 21"....Why should s/o who is 5' ride the same length cranks as a person who is 6'? Sure, U can adapt to riding longer cranks, but at what cost in the long run.....Dean bike with 125mm cranks....


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