Friday, October 23, 2009

Race Face Ride XC...hmmmm

So I received the Race Face Ride XC crank the other day. It seemed like a lightweight crank when I first got it out of the box, and seemed well put together. Following the instructions, I installed it on the bike, and took it for a spin around the block. The first thing I noticed, this crank was NOISY! It chattered and clicked like crazy- the chainrings did not match up to the settings I had on my Deore, and the chain rubbed noisily on the front derailleur. I thought that messing around with the derailleur would help matters, but the noise persisted. I noticed the worst noise on the largest chainring, and it was unbearable.
I was so disppointed in the crank, I sent it back to Jenson USA today for a refund. I guess I shouldn't have expected much for an $80 setup.
I put my Deore back on; night and day difference in quality for sure. I think from now on I won't plan on spending any less than $150 for a crank- or at least stick with the higher end Shimano setups.

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