Gear Shots #42
Race Face Atlas FR Crankset
Words and photos by Dan Austin
Race Face is in the business of producing everything from cranks and headsets to wicking layers and gloves, and they have been doing it exceptionally well for years. I was charged with giving their limited edition Atlas FR cranks a bit of a run down, and after eight straight days of epic riding in Moab, I’m sure I’ve succeeded.
Open the box and this is what you get: drive side crank with bashguard and rings, non-drive / spindle combo, bottom bracket and the all-important sticker.
The Low-Down
Race Face has targeted a very specific niche with these cranks: the FR/DH crowd keen on keeping things tough but light. The FRs share the look and some design features of the lighter Atlas AM crank, but have been beefed up and tricked out to take a more serious pounding. Along with thicker crank arms than the AM, the FR uses a thick-walled crank spindle for increased stiffness (the AM uses a medium-walled spindle). Also, the FR has a removable granny ring spider, which the AM does not, allowing for better chainguide clearance. It does share the self-extracting crank bolt as the Atlas AM, which eliminates the need for a crank puller.
With claims of 20% stronger materials (OPTIM-AL) and unmatched strength to weight ratio, a heat treated Cro-Mo spindle, 6mm of chainline adjustability, and removable granny ring spider to ease chainguide compatibility, the FR is definitely directed towards the gravity crowd.
The Atlas FRs: a sweet looking set of cranks, bolted on and ready to fly.
Looking at the specs of the Atlas FR, it is clearly set up to bridge the gap between the Atlas AM and the Diabolous cranks – see the table below. Sizing options, ring configuration, and weight are all smack dab between the two.
| SIZE | WEIGHT | CHAINLINE | RING CONFIGURATION -(not all options available together) | |
| Atlas AM | 170, 175, 180mm & 68/73mm BB shell | 955g (175mm with triple rings & BB) 2.1 lbs | 48-50mm | 22,24,32,36,44, bash |
| Atlas FR | 165, 170, 175mm & 68/73 or 83mm or 100mm BB shell | 1085g (175mm with double ring, bash & BB) 2.4 lbs | 48-54mm / 56-62mm / 64-70mm |
22,24,32,36,44, Bash, DH & Bash, DH ring |
| Diabolous | 165, 170, 175mm & 68/73 mm, 83mm, 100mm |
1295g (175mm with double ring, bash & BB) 2.9 lbs | n/a | 22,24,32,36,44, Bash, DH & Bash, DH rin |
The Results
I was given the 22t/32t with bash ring configuration for this test, which is perfect for my riding style: a big ring usually ends up being my bash ring and the smaller ring made it a tad easier to lug my Bullit around.
Installation of these cranks is very simple. Follow the directions regarding how many BB spacers you need and where you need to put them, tighten the BB cups, slide the spindle through, and bolt on the opposite side – done.
This is what the FR set-up looks like on a Bullit with a 68mm bottom bracket shell: two spacers on the drive side, one on the non-drive, plus the white chainline spacers.
Here are a few of things you need to know about the installation:
* Use lots of grease; it only makes things easier
* It says to tighten the drive side on until it bottoms out – do it. It’s very tight and it feels like you are going to wreck something while you are doing it but once it’s on, you’re good
* The chainline spacers are a bit confusing. Do you know if you have a 49mm, 50mm, or 51mm chainline? If you find out, it will take some of the trial and error out of the installation process. This is where the self-extracting crank bolt was a real plus.
* The bearings feel stiff initially, but break in after a short while
Riding with the Atlas FR was great. Moab offered up some seriously punishing climbs and descents, and the Atlas FR performed as expected. Shifting between rings was flawless under pressure, and I certainly appreciated the lighter weight on long climbs and the security of strength on high speed rocky descents. I didn’t experience any flex in the cranks on landing or laying on the gas for technical climbs.
The author punishing the Atlas FR cranks on Amasa Back. This was just one of about 50 or 60 drops over the course of a week in Moab, plus all the hammering down rocky singletracks and jeep roads. || Photo: Stuart Kernaghan
The BB also performed without incident. Considering the punishment Moab dished out and the powdery dust that gets introduced into every nook and cranny, the fact that the BB was free spinning and quiet the whole time is definitely a vote of confidence for me. Race Face’s choice of Phil Woods’ waterproof grease and triple wiper sealed bearings in the BB may have had something to do with that.
The Atlas FR cranks are definitely up to the task of keeping you rolling in a more demanding environment. Some thoughts, though - Is the difference between the AM and Diabolous really enough to warrant another crankset between them? Are the Atlas AM cranks really too light duty? Are the Diabolous cranks really that much heavier? I can’t answer those questions without doing some serious comparison testing.
The main thing is that the cranks do perform as designed and to top it off, the graphics are sweet. Some of you may recognize the topo and trail map of Mt Fromme etched into the crank arms and bash guard – very cool. I guess if you are ever lost in that part of the world that may come in handy.
Unique graphics on the Atlas FRs. Somebody remind me again - where's the frog pond?
The Bottom Line
To sum up, they are stiff, easy to install, work well, look good, and are 0.5 lb lighter than Diabolous cranks. As a limited edition I suspect RF is testing the waters to see if this is something riders want for our bikes. So if this sounds like something you want to bolt on to your bike, grab a set before they are gone. I’m glad I have mine.
Like most Race Face products, there is a bit of a premium to pay for this level of quality. The Atlas FR cranks ring in at $308, the same as the Atlas AM. Being the same price, the choice between the AM and FR comes down to the freeride features and graphics. For comparison, the Diabolous cranks are priced at only $30 more. The Atlas FR cranks are available in the sizes listed above in either Bad Ass black or Blue Steel.
WTB LaserDisc Trail Wheelset
Words and photos by Stuart Kernaghan
Pre-built wheelsets are very convenient if you need a new set of hoops and don't feel like choosing and sourcing rims, spokes, nipples and hubs. They're also a quick and easy way to ensure your bike looks like the bomb.
WTB, better known in most circles as the saddle and tire company, also offers five complete wheelsets to choose from. They range from XC to DH wheels, so you can choose the right set of hoops for your riding style. I had the good fortune to get ahold of a set of WTB's aggressive XC / trail wheels, the LaserDisc Trails.
The LaserDisc Trails after a few months of use, waiting to hit the trail and get dirty once again.
The LaserDisc Trails combine a number of features that are unique to WTB wheels, as well as some of the tried-and-true standards that you get with all mountain bike wheels.
There are two options for front wheels - standard quick release or 20mm thru-axle. The rear wheel is 135mm quick release only. The LaserDisc Trail rims are 27mm wide, which is wider than an XC wheel but not as wide as DH rims, and they're laced with 28 spokes. Weight for the 20mm front wheel I've been using is a very respectable 900g, while the rear wheel is 1090g.
In order to keep weight down, the front wheel was built with 14/15 gauge butted spokes held in place with alloy nipples; the back get 15/16 gauge spokes and a WTB quick release skewer. The front wheel gets WTB's LaserDisc Super Duty 20mm x 110mm thru-axle hub and the back gets a LaserDisc Lite hub. Black spokes and rims are complemented by silver nipples to keep things from being overwhelmingly black; both wheels are laced in a three-cross pattern.
Fine, great, thanks very much. Nothing particularly special there. Where things do change up from run-of-the-mill wheels is when you look a little deeper.
The rims use WTB's I-Beam technology, which is a vertical support that runs around the entire circumference of the rim between the inner bed of the rim and the edge closest to the hub. It's designed to add torsional rigidity to the wheel, and balance out loads from the spokes.
WTB's rendering of their technological innovations on the LaserDisc rims. || Photo: © WTB
Two other unique features on the rims are what WTB calls the Unbendium Bulge and the IBS. The Bulge is a band of aluminum that runs along the sidewall of the rim where the braking surface would be on a rim-brake rim. It's designed to increase strength. The IBS - the Internal Bead Seat - is a deeper groove combined with two raised lips to ensure tires seat better in the rim.
In terms of the inner workings on WTB hubs, the hubs use a 12-point engagement system (six double-sided pawls) in the aluminum hub shell and alloy freewheel. The rear hub uses four sets of stainless steel cartridge bearings, while the front uses two.
The front and rear LaserDisc hubs. Notice the cut-outs on the hub flanges that reduce weight and give the wheels a distinctive look.
I've been using the Trail wheelset on my all-mountain bike for a few months new, and have been very pleased with the combination of weight and durability. The rear wheel has even seen a few (slower) rides on the Shore without any noticeable wobbles or flat spots.
Thanks to the relatively light weight, it doesn't require much work to get these wheels up to speed. And in the time that I've been running them, there have been no performance issues at all - in spite of the wet conditions we saw this spring. The aesthetics would also be a nice addition to any bike.
These LaserDisc Trails aren't meant for freeriding (check out the LaserDisc FR or DH if you want burlier wheels), but they're a great option if you're in the market for new all-mountain hoops.
US pricing is $260 for the front wheel with 20mm hub, and $320 for the rear wheel. Canadian MSRP is $284 for the front and $368 for the rear, but retailers may sell for less. Wheels are available as a pair or on their own.
Garmin Edge 705 GPS Computer
Words and photos by Stuart Kernaghan
Garmin has been the leader in portable GPS devices for a while now, and they're actively pursuing the mountain bike market. The best evidence of that was the recent release of the new 705 bike-mounted computer / GPS unit.
Riders have been able to purchase basic mapping computers for their bike for a couple of years now, but functionality has been limited. Garmin one-upped itself with the new 705, which has enough features to keep even the neediest techno-geek / calorie counter / route finder completely satiated.
The 705 is the same size as a cell phone, but a little bit lighter. The joystick in the centre allows you to scroll through the different menus, move the location marker on a map, or select certain options in a menu.
The 705 mounts on either your bar or stem and combines standard bike computer features like time, speed, distance and more specialized features like cadence, heartrate and lap times with a built-in training partner and an advanced yet highly compact mapping and GPS device. It's able to measure speed, distance, time, calories burned, altitude, climb and descent; altitude is calculated using a barometric altimeter.
Road riders or XC racer-types looking to get the most out of their workouts will appreciate the heartrate monitor and cadence options, but those might not be the most important features for back-country explorers.
Not surprisingly, the GPS capabilities of the 705 are really what separate it from any other high-end bike computer. The 705 comes with an optional base map of North America that includes standard GPS unit features like highways, streets, services, and restaurants.
The model I'm testing came with road maps for North America (left), but you can skip this option to save cash. Navigating through the menus on the 705 takes a bit of practice, because there are so many different features, settings, and options to choose from.
If you're looking to customize your 705, you can purchase other maps and upload them to the unit via an microSD card. I've been using a topographical map of Western Canada, and it's very useful to see just how much suffering lies ahead on that climb into the back country.
Even if you choose not to purchase optional map CDs, the 705 will still track your route on the trail. Turn the unit on, start recording, and stop when you're done riding. In addition to recording your route, the 705 can handle tasks like taking you to a pre-determined point or bring you back to the start of your ride.
Hardcore-types will like the virtual training options on the 705. You can compete against yourself on a course you've mapped out, or against a virtual training partner. The unit will even provide audio warnings if you're falling behind. Training for endurance events becomes a lot less complicated with this feature, allowing you to concentrate on riding and improving fitness rather than trying to figure out if you're going fast enough to meet your goals.
The standard bike computer screen (left) can display up to eight different read-outs, but I stuck with the three that were most useful. The history mode gives you a brief snapshot of the route you travelled, but you'll have to upload the file to get more details. (Note - the screen is only grainy in the photos, not real life.)
Once you're back from your ride, you can use the standard Garmin software and web interface to analyze your ride or you can go to another GPS data analysis and networking site like MotionBased.com. Upload data to Motion Based, analyze all of the details, and then share it with others who want to experience the same adventure. You're also able download their rides and use them to plan your own excursions. Motion Based also has a Google Earth option, so you can even create a 3D map of your rides.
I've been using the 705 for about a month now, and it's been really handy to see just how much ground I'm covering. It's also been really useful to get the lay of the land in the middle of a ride. Stay tuned for a full report on the unit, which will look at the feature I'm most interested in - uploading a pre-existing route to the unit and navigating that.
There are three different versions of the Edge 705: heart rate only for US$499.99; heart rate and speed / cadence for $549.99; and heart rate and speed / cadence with street maps for $649.99.
Got questions on setting up the Atlas crankset? Wondering just how techno-geeky you can get with the Garmin? Post your questions on the board.
Previous Gear Shots
- Gear Shots #43 - Trek, Giro & Crumpler - 2009 Trek Session 88, Giro Convert sunglasses and the Crumpler Mahoubar messenger bag
- Gear Shots #42 - Race Face Atlas FR Crankset, WTB LaserDisc Trail Wheelset, and Garmin Edge 705 GPS unit
- Gear Shots #41 - 2008 Norco Fluid One LT, Gravity Dropper Turbo Seatpost, and Dakine Step Down and Stitch Jerseys
- Gear Shots #40 - 2008 Norco Shore 1, 2008 Trek Remedy 9, and 2008 Fox 36 TALAS RC2
- Gear Shots #36 - SRAM X-9 shifters and derailleurs, Hayes Stroker Trail disc brakes, SixSixOne Strike full-face helmet
- Gear Shots #32 - The 2007 Brodie Zealot, Harlot Houlihan shorts and Scarlet
X-Knickers for the ladies, Beastgear XXX Unitux long sleeve upper body armour - Gear Shots #22 - eNVy Double E dual , Blackspire Dewlie dual, Blackspire Stinger dual, and Race Face Diabolus single-ring chainguides
- Gear Shots #2 - Roach Rally Shorts, NYC Freeride Blox 1.125 Stem, Pryme AL Full-face Helmet
- Gear Shots #1 - Yakima Rim Roc, SixSixOne Wrist Wraps, and Evil SRS Chainguide
