SHIMANOALFINE CRANKSET 170mm 42T BLACK

Great paired with an Alfine 8 speed hub.Chain guard: while it may not work for everybody, I never worry about my pants getting dirty on this crankset. This was the main criterion for my crankset search.Perfect chain line: The nexus/Alfine sprockets are dished so you can flip them either way to adjust the chain line. Flipping my sprocket closer to the center of the wheel produced a perfect chain line with this crankset.Styling: I think I would have preferred a polished aluminum / retro look, but honestly this was the cheapest option that had a chain guard, and I’m not such a retrogrouch that it ruined the look for me.Gearing: paired with the smallest sprocket that fits on my Alfine 8 speed hub (16T) I get a gearing setup that works for me (36, 44, 51, *58*, 68, 83, 96, 110 gear inches on my bike). My goal was to find myself frequently using the direct drive gear (gear 4 at 58 gear inches), or at least start out in it often. And this more or less is what happened. I started out with a 20T sprocket (29, 35, 41, *47*, 55, 67, 78, 88 gear inches) and the granny gear was awesome for going up hills carrying a full load of groceries and commuter gear, but it left me cruising in top gear way more than was comfortable. I guess if you want to go fast on an IGH with limited range, you may want to go for a larger chainring than 42, but at that point you really may want to drop the big bucks for the 11 speed.

A bit on the hefty side and bottom bracket bearings are not good at all. Replacing supplied BB is a must. My solution was Shimano Ultegra BB (pictures). Which made it spin much smoother. Chainguard makes it look like a child's bike. So that must go. Even after BB and Removal of Chainguard its still hefty. Good thing its on my wife's bike hehe.

I actually really liked the look of this crankset and hoped it would work on my bike. In the end I'm glad it didn't because I ended up with 53T which was a better setup on my single speed. But still, it's a beautiful piece. The thing to be aware of is the spindle comes with it so if it's not the right length for your bike it won't work. I was trying to put it on a Sondors Thin and it wasn't going to work out. Unless you know exactly what you're doing I'd consult a bike tech before buying.

I mated this crankset with the Shimano Alfine 8-speed internally geared hub with great success. Easy assembly and a clean look. My first trip was over the Great River State Trail (Wisconsin along the Mississippi) for 50+ miles on fine crushed gravel. I'm planning 100 miles on the Root River State Trail (Minnesota) for my next test and have no doubt this will work perfectly for me.

Great experience, would buy again

Light and stiff crankset. Also great looking at a good price.

If you’re reading this, you likely already realize this is a no-frills, dependable crankset. I used it to build up a singlespeed with an 18t rear cog to minimize chain wear.