Race Face just introduced a limited edition crankset into the freeride market that once again raises the bar for other companies to follow. Dubbed the Atlas FR, they are designed for long travel bikes that will be raced on the downhill course or put through some serious aggression at your local ski hill. They share many design characteristics with their little brother, the Atlas AM, however they are beefed up to handle the rigors of larger impacts and deep stress from heavy-duty riding.

The Atlas FR crankset is made out of Optim-Al, an aluminum alloy which is over 20% stronger than the standard 7050 Al that is typically used in FR/DH cranksets.  They are available in “Bad Ass Black” or “Blue Steal”; therefore there’s a color available to match your custom ride. They are offered in a ton of different ring options so you can choose the exact application for your use, and not waste any money buying rings that you won’t use. You can choose from 165mm, 170mm (Tested), and 175mm crank arm lengths, all of which are available in 68/73mm or 83mm (Tested) BB spindle length. Basically you can mount this crankset to any bike from your Super D machine all the way up to your big fat race rig!

If you take a look at the laser etched graphics you will notice some squiggles and random numbers… pretty cool eh? It’s actually a topographical map of Mt. Fromme in British Columbia, so if you’re ever in need of some directions while you’re in that area, you will know where to look. The attention to detail in these graphics is second to none—they truly are a work of art.

The threaded pedal interface isn’t a Cro-Mo insert like that found on the Diabolus crank arms. Race Face did this because the weight coupled with pressing in the insert wasn’t needed, not to mention there isn’t a significant strength advantage associated with the insert. I’ve never had any issues with stripping out X-Type Race Face products in the past, so I can understand why they went this route…

The non-drive crank arm is pressed into a thick walled, heat treated Cro-mo spindle. This gives the rider a spindle that won’t bend, snap, or break under heavy impacts or after years of abuse. After all, Race Face has one of the best warranties in the business, and there’s a reason they extend this to their customers – they stand behind their products.

The BB spindle is attached to the drive side crank arm just like any other X-Type product. The X-Type system has many advantages over other crankset styles. I feel the most important advantage is that the entire system only uses one bolt to tighten everything up. Doing so eliminates the loosening of the non-drive side crank arm, as it is often overlooked when working on your bike…  Not to mention that the X-Type system is very stiff and reliable when it’s setup correctly, and you don’t need to buy a crank-puller to remove your crank arms like other designs. I’ve been using Race Face cranks for almost 5 years now, and I literally set them and forget them – I’ve had no issues.

Race Face has designed a removable granny ring spider that increases chainguide clearance for when you’re frame doesn’t give you a ton of room to work with. With the Atlas FR crankset you can adjust your chain line by 6mm, once again contributing to more room and ease of setup with your fancy chainguide…

The bottom bracket features Race Face’s triple wall seal that eliminates moisture from getting in where it matters most. But, if you think about it, the triple wall seal doesn’t just seal out contaminants, but it also seals in the Phil Wood’s waterproof grease that extends the life of ball bearings. The BB cups are also anodized gold to add extra bling factor to your ride!

You would think that these cranks would be heavy in order to keep strength high since they are advertised as a DH/FR crank, but surprisingly they are not! You get typical Race Face strength at a reduced weight which will be a huge hit among racers looking for a strength oriented crankset without the weight that is typically associated with it. The reduced crank arm weight helps a rider turn the cranks over quicker since there is less weight to move, thus giving them an advantage over someone that is riding a heavier crankset—you’re burning less energy while putting out more power!

The Atlas FR crank arms with BB weighted in at 850 grams (170mm length, 83mm BB spindle, bad ass black) with all spacers and the BB cup spacer. I was shocked to see how light these were compared to other designs on the market that are supposed to be used for the same purpose.

Since Race Face has a factory located in British Columbia it’s easy to get a hold of the company if you have any questions or concerns about any Race Face products—something that the competition cannot always offer.

Race Face also manufactures high performance DH chain rings that are burly enough to withstand the torque of some of the fastest racers in the world. So when it was time to mount up a chain ring to the Atlas FR crankset, the choice was obvious to go with a tried and true Race Face 38 Tooth DH chain ring.

So what are you waiting for? Go to your local shop and check out a set of the new Race Face Atlas FR crankset, or go to www.raceface.com to learn more.

Thanks for reading!

mitch@painincorporated.com