The Radavist

After months of leaks, spottings, and speculation, SRAM unveiled their newest wireless mountain groupset, Eagle Transmission, along with a collection of Stealth Brakes. This hefty product launch encompasses derailleurs, cranksets, cassettes, shift controllers, and more across XX SL Eagle, XX Eagle, and XO Eagle levels along with power meter and e-bike-specific components. SRAM also released an all-new Stealth lever body for their Level and Code brake lineup. As such there’s a lot to unpack here, which we expect to dive deeper into during the next few months of Transmission-equipped bike reviews. Today, however, let’s take a look at product highlights and some initial thoughts about these new components after a few rides on a Santa Cruz Megatower test bike that SRAM sent us a couple of weeks ago.

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

Modern tech, bikes, and components were lost on me over the previous few years. Sure, I talk about all that here at “work,” but in my personal life, I have spent more time looking backward, not forward, with bikes. Maybe it was because all the major manufacturers wanted journalists (if I can even call myself that) to review new gear that wouldn’t hit consumers for another year or so. Or perhaps I felt like there was inherently more to learn from the past than new tech and its marginal gains mantra.

Having spent a lot of time curating a few vintage builds, re-evaluating my own stable, and pouring over old bike catalogs, there’s something about the aesthetic found in the 1980s and early 90s mountain bike components that hits the nail on the head. Be it the eeWings cranks, those nifty Cyber Cranks, or these Engin Cycles Port Royal cranks, what’s old is new again in terms of design silhouette.

When I first saw these cranks, I immediately felt like they were an homage to the first gen M700 Deore cranks by Shimano, which did in fact come in black. (Ritchey Commandos were specced with an all-black Deer Head group!) Yet, the thing I liked about them the most was the slim profile, 30mm spindle, and the fact that Engin Cycles, a framebuilder I hold in deep regard and respect for, machines these in Philly!

I’ve had the Engin Cycles Port Royal Cranks ($575) on my Starling Murmur for a while now and finally have some thoughts I can share with y’all, so read on below for a quick review…

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

Ignite Components designs, tests, and manufacturers its cranks in-house here in the USA. Allamuchy, New Jersey to be exact. At this year’s Philly Bike Expo Ignite unveiled its two crank models: Catalyst MTB cranks (pictured) and Inferno Road cranks. These cranks are CNC’d in house and come in 155-175mm lengths, a plethora of custom anodizing or cerakote color options, and have a lifetime warranty. The Catalyst mountain cranks are shipping now and the Inferno road cranks are currently available as a pre-order. Head to Ignite Components for more!

Boone Technologies, makers of the 1990s “Twist” cranks and other cycling components, have been making titanium singlespeed cogs and rings for a while now but they just announced their new aerodynamic Cranx! machined aluminum cranks. Here’s the product blip from Boone:

These are a new set of cranks that we’ve developed that are CNC machined out of billet aluminum. The unique curve of these cranks not only provides excellent aerodynamic drag reduction but also looks great on any bike. They are available in polished finish These cranks weigh in at 245 grams per arm and measure 175 mm (6.89 in) in length. The internal spline attachment we machined for these cranks is compatible with BB30 standard bottom brackets.

While these cranks aren’t as wild looking as the Twist cranks, they are a very unique design. The price? $495 direct from Boone Technologies…

Rene Herse knows many people enjoy the simplicity of a 1x setup and they also know that square taper bottom brackets allow for fine chainline adjustment, something modern 1x cranks do not offer. These are the reasons for their new 1x cranks. A 113mm BB will give you the same chainline as modern road cranks. If you need extra room because your bike has very wide chainstays, go to a 116 mm spindle, or even wider, all the way to 126 mm. These options will keep your chainline happy and minimize wear and tear on your components.

It doesn’t stop there. These cranks come in a dedicated 1x setup or cranks that can run a 2x or 3x rings as well.

See all the info at René Herse.

When the return of Chater Lea was announced last year, we honestly had no idea what to expect from one of the UK’s most famous names in component manufacturing. Like you, we had a lot of questions. Well, today we’ve got answers to those very questions, with full product spec and high res photos of the finished product and even a retail price, so read on below for all the details…

Cane Creek’s eeWings titanium cranks epitomize a true balleur upgrade for your gravel or mountain bike and now they come in black, or as I like to call them “goth”. The name, “Raven”, is so fitting, as these indestructible cranks have received a durable, glossy black finish. They’re not available at Cane Creek but I hope you saved your stimulus check! These will set ya back $1,049.00.

The thing I love seeing is a modern road or ‘cross drivetrain with vintage-inspired or straight-up vintage silver cranks. If you’ve wanted to mix up your SRAM or Shimano built bike with something classier than the supplied cranks – which are designed to look good with carbon bikes, not steel frames, IMO – then check out this tidbit of information Jan from Rene Herse just announced.

In designing the Rene Herse chainrings, they anticipated the arrival of 12-speed, so the ramping design on these rings and the ring’s teeth width themselves have been engineered and now confirmed to work with 12-speed systems. I’m not talking “shift and it’ll eventually drop, ‘work'” I mean shift and it’ll smoothly engage.

Read more over at the Rene Herse blog.

-Low Q factor (142 mm for a double)
-Weight (598 g)
-High strength – pass the highest ‘EN Racing Bike’ test for fatigue resistance
-Available as single, double and triple, even for tandems
-Three lengths from 165 to 177 mm, each based on a dedicated forging
-Chainring choices from 52 to 24 teeth
-No worries about spare parts in the future

If you love the look of Cane Creek’s ma EE Wings cranks but wanted to know what they’d look like covered in LSD-induced unicorn pee, well, today is your day. These cranks look insane. $1,100 insane but wow. I love that the team at Cane Creek had this epiphany. Head on over to Cane Creek to see more details and if you’re a big balleur, to order.

Today Race Face announced two budget products, that look like appealing options for those building out a MTB. The new Aeffect R cranks ($129.99) are made from 7075 aluminum and weigh only 632 grams, while the new Aeffect Dropper ($199.99) is cable actuated and weighs 540 grams. The dropper does not come with a lever, but Race Face sells a compatible one for $39.99. Both product weights very based on spec. These new products, along with Race Face’s entire lineup are available for order from your local dealer, so hop over to Race Face to see more specs.