Any Opinions on Truvativ Cranks?

Triathlon Forum
1

I am considering the Rouleur Compact crankset. Price is around 200 bucks. I have DA now but would move that to a Saber I am building up soon. This would go on my Specialized Allez which will be for shorter races and hilly races/riding. I have no experience with Truvativ, but they are the only ones who make a compact in a 180mm. Any opinions on quality? Should I just stick with the DA 53/39 and get a 12-27??? I am talking about Horribly Hilly Hundreds and IMWI kind of stuff as I live in Madison.

2

I’ve sold, installed and serviced plenty of Truvativ cranks.

I recommend them without hesitation. I would stop short of comparing them to a Dura-Ace 7800 series crank, but they are very good cranks.

A key component to a crankset are is the chainrings. The rings on the Truvativ cranks shift from small ring up to large ring (any bike’s toughest shift) dependably and repeatably. No issues. The chainrings are not the lightest in the world, and that is part of their secret. They are built like a Russian tank: Sturdy and simple. Other cranks may be lighter, but none will be more dependable.

Be sure to follow bottom bracket installation instructions and double check your front derailleur adjustment, especially the vertical proximity of the derailleur cage to the large chainring- hold that to the Shimano standard of 2 mm.

I think you’ll like those cranks. nice stuff. Best of luck My Friend.

3

Stronglight makes compact cranks with 180mm crankarms. Look on xxcycle.com for the Stronglight Z Light Compact. In black or silver with lots of combinations of chainrings (50/34, 50/36, 48/34, etc.). I’ve used them briefly and liked them a lot.

4

I’ve had those compacts on my tri bike for about 1yr- work fine, but the surface finish is already bubbling/cracking. Have compact FSAs on my road bike and would recommend spending the extra $$ on those.

5

I have the Rouleur compact on my bike. Had it for about 1 year and 3000 miles. No problems so far. I like the crank. FWIW, my wife has the FSA Gossamer compact on her bike and they both seem to be faring the same, but if price were the same I would choose the Truvativ.