New cranks

[DirtBag]

Put on a pair of MacNeil Conjoined cranks to replace my Shadows. Overall the cranks are the same weight but fit tighter/closer to the BB with a lower profile. Results in less spacers and more spindle/crank interface...

Now I can get a 5.75" Ti spindle and drop the 1/4lb I wanted to originally.

Pics:

(Epic BMX pic)
http://www.epicbmx.com/images/crankmacneilconjoin.gif

On the bike:
http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/4364/dcp2281uw8.jpg
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/8813/dcp2282ip6.jpg

[mosplat]

they look tight!
let us know how they do after you have some time on them.

[DirtBag]

Will do. 1st ride will be Wednesday night.

Just noticed that the bolt looks brown... Camera flash I suppose. They don't look like that in real life...

[BikeSATORI]

cool.

yeah, I've been running the same cranks for a few weeks now too.
Heavier than the Demo Medials I've got, and the hardware isn't as good (the crank bolts are LOOONG for some reason). I like them so far, no problems, straight forward. Running them with an old FSA ti spindle and tree spline, actually very similar to your new set-up there Dirt bag.
http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/4623/newdealandmanitouvintagqq0.jpg

[DirtBag]

Wow very similar set-up. I was wondering why the bolts were so long too. The bolts/spacers are similar to the Shadows but longer. I figured they would hold better if they are longer??

How are they holding up for you?? I like the profile of them much better... IMO my pedals look better against them than against the Shadows due to the tapering...

[Tetreault]

i keep flipping back between these, medial lt's, and profiles, and i was all convinced on the profile and was going to send in an order 2 days ago and now i cant make my mind up again

[BikeSATORI]

i keep flipping back between these, medial lt's, and profiles, and i was all convinced on the profile and was going to send in an order 2 days ago and now i cant make my mind up again



having used all three, I'd probably recommend the Demolition Medials actually. Nothing against the Conjoined or profiles, but I guess overall the medials just impressed me most with their lightweight and nice hollow chromo hardware, as well as the clean looks.... much cheaper than profile ti too.

[DirtBag]

The Medials and Conjoined are about the same weight, no? I like the hollowed spindle though. Just looked up weights online:

Medials - 9.8oz arm, 9.2 oz spindle = 28.8oz total
Conjoined - 9.5oz arm - Total weight from site is 28.7oz

Of course not factoring in hardware. I like the looks of the Demolitions too.

[Tetreault]

what i like about the medials is the lites come with a ti spindle for only an extra $40. but id like to support a good ol'canadian company liek macneil

[colton]

Sorry to revive a long dead thread, but i was curious as to how the cranks are holding up for you DirtBag and BikeSATORI. These cranks are on the top of my crank list right now, but i want a first hand review so i dont buy a bad pair of cranks.

[DirtBag]

Well I actually sold my Conjoined cranks. I had hurting knees right after I installed them and it went away right after I took them off.

May all be in my head, but I think they were really stiff and contributed to the knee issue. Other than that they were fine while I had them.

[v-digit]

woah weird!
so you're saying that your knee started hurting with these cranks?
that is sooo strange! how did they hurt?

[ServeEm]

Maybe from a pedal slipping and thwacking him on the knee? j/k, were they a similar crank length that you usually run?

Side note: I was thinking these conjoined cranks look and seem sweet but a couple prev. purchases Macneil left me not liking the company quality.

I had the prev id forks and the dropouts started bending and their full guard sprocket is so damn soft. I know I ride hard but damn...

[Bryan67]

Its funny how things come around. That Macneil crank design is nothing new. Diamondbak did the same probably 20 years ago. Except their design used a regular 4 sided tapered spindle and wasn`t nearly as succesful.

[DirtBag]

There is a thread called "hurting knees" somewhere that I put up.

Basically the patella tendon area, right below each knee, was bothering me. It really happened after installing the cranks. I thought maybe I needed to stretch more, loosen up more ect or I thought I was just needing a break.

Then I took about 2 weeks off and rode them again. Next day felt the same slight ache. So I put back on the Torrids and it went instantly away.

Nothing else was different in my riding except the cranks. I think they are just really stiff and maybe it affected my riding. Maybe I was subconsciously compensating for the stiffer crank in some way? Who knows. But in the end I sold them.

[BikeSATORI]

mine are still rocking strong. Taken quite a few bail crashes on throw-away spins landing on the side of the bike and they are fine.
I guess I'm not that picky about cranks though. I switched them on my bmx from WTP royals and I honesly feel no difference unless I'm looking down. Both 175mm. Don't notice any difference between them and my Fly's either.
Quality seems good to me, nothing out of step on them that I can see visually anyway....