The fact that this crank is cold forged, CNC machined and has a 6Al/4V titanium axle helps pare full weight down to a shade over 800g. That’s only 27g heavier than the £40 more expensive Shimano XTR.
Shifting was almost as slick as XTR, with the chain pickup architecture on the backs of Race Face's machined alloy Turbine rings doing its job to ensure clean delivery from ring to ring.
Stiffness is good for such a super-light crank but a non-ti axle would likely have lent even more rigidity – a suspicion confirmed by our experiences with Race Face's SIXC crank, which shares a similar design (in carbon fibre rather than aluminium) but comes with a steel axle.
Riders looking for a super-light triple crank with near Shimano levels of shift performance will be attracted to the Deus SL. There’s a compact double on the way too, so if you fancy the sound of it but want 2011-style close, low gearing, then you’re in luck.
Also consider: The non-ti axle XC version of this crank is a blinding bit of kit, stiffer than the Deus SL and just 55g heavier despite being £100 cheaper.