KCNC’s cross-country cranks are super-light but stiffness suffers, shifting is slightly slow and careful assembly is essential.
The hollow, CNC machined arms bolt on to a separate splined scandium alloy axle with long self-extracting bolts. Generous greasing is essential to avoid creaking, and correct micro spacer use is vital to stop the bearings and external shield seals being displaced when tightened. The distinctive K3 Cobweb rings sit on a spline-attached four-arm spider with 38/24, 38/26 and 40/26t options, and the whole set-up is lighter than most single-ringers.
There’s noticeable flex in the cranks when you’re giving them full gas though, and the upshift between rings needs nursing more than the Shimano benchmark.