5Dev will soon offer a diamond-coated version of its titanium road/gravel cranks, potentially promising a heel-scuff-free finish for life.
Spotted at the Sea Otter Classic show in California, the new coating is, as far as we’re aware, a first for a crankset.
The diamond-like coating (DLC) is applied to the cranks via vapour deposition. This is a very similar finish and process to that used on diamond-coated drill bits and saw blades.
The cranks are manufactured in-house by 5Dev in San Diego, but the coating process is carried out by a third-party contractor.
A spokesperson for 5Dev said the brand was unable to damage the slightly matt coating with a laser, and is confident the coating could make heel rub a thing of the past.
5Dev is best known for its radical lattice-like mountain bike cranks, which promise reduced weight and fewer pedal strikes.
These new cranks look more conventional, but hide some interesting tech. They’re hollowed out from the rear, with a plate seamlessly laser-welded over this to seal the crank.
Claimed to weigh 440g for 175mm cranks with a road spindle, they’re also available with gravel or XC mountain bike spindles.
The 5Dev cranks use SRAM’s 8-bolt mount. This means they can be adapted to work with 2x drivetrains, a wide range of 1x chainrings – including 5Dev’s neat aero chainrings – and Quarq spider power meters.
The diamond-coated version of the crankset is expected to be available in the next two months with final pricing TBD. The non-coated cranks are available for pre-order now at $999.99.
