# black cranks are ugly.



## revert (Dec 8, 2011)

Black cranks, whether of the plastic or painted variety, are ugly and suck. Yes, you might believe that such an evaluation is subjective and dependent on personal taste, but, actually, you're wrong- black cranks are truly absolutely irrefutably butt ugly. Good job shimano staying shiny- although, I do have to add, shimano cranks are as ugly as my wife's buck-toothed sister. Oh, c-record- return and save me! 
Can I anodize black cranks?


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

revert said:


> Black cranks, whether of the plastic or painted variety, are ugly and suck. Yes, you might believe that such an evaluation is subjective and *dependent on personal taste, but, actually, you're wrong-* black cranks are truly absolutely irrefutably butt ugly. Good job shimano staying shiny- although, I do have to add, shimano cranks are as ugly as my wife's buck-toothed sister. Oh, c-record- return and save me!
> Can I anodize black cranks?



My personal taste says your personal taste is irrefutably wrong and butt ugly.


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## revert (Dec 8, 2011)

oh- i see- well, what would you say is a beautiful crank produced in the last few years? (i hope its not black)


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

Alloy cranks painted black are indeed fugly. Carbon cranks can be cool-looking, however.

But coolest of all are polished alloy cranks... at least when they have that 'classic' look, and not some abomination like the 'Shimano buzzsaw' look of recent years.

Just my opinion, a'course. :smilewinkgrin:

Prettiest crank of all time, also ATMO? Still Campy C-Record.










.


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## cs1 (Sep 16, 2003)

SystemShock said:


> Alloy cranks painted black are indeed fugly. Carbon cranks can be cool-looking, however.
> 
> But coolest of all are polished alloy cranks... at least when they have that 'classic' look, and not some abomination like the 'Shimano buzzsaw' look of recent years.
> 
> ...


Agreed, without a doubt Campy makes the most beautiful parts period. I can't say their performance equals their beauty though. But I think those who buy them aren't buying for that reason. BTW, that is a nice crank.


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## moschika (Feb 1, 2004)

I agree. The best looking cranks IMO were the last 9sp DA cranks before shimano went all "aero" looking.


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

revert said:


> oh- i see- well, what would you say is a beautiful crank produced in the last few years? (i hope its not black)


It doesn't matter what I say, because your personal bias and blatant "my word is gospel" attitude will invalidate anything I say.

But, to humor you, Campy Super Record and THM Clavicula are beautiful cranks. YMOV


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## jtimmer1 (Mar 28, 2009)

Black cranks suck, carbon looks awesome.


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

I kinda like these


















these were also nice though


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## 180 (Jan 10, 2009)

I have the ugly black aero shimano cranks on my Cannondale Quick. The black doesn't bother me but the aero is dumb. Its funny you mention this because I was thinking quite a bit about them on my ride today - they felt weird. My seat is too low so that may have something to do with it.


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## Unknown Arch (Aug 17, 2011)

Meh, I think my FSA SL-K light carbon cranks look alright. To each his own.


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## Nater (Feb 7, 2003)

revert said:


> oh- i see- well, what would you say is a beautiful crank produced in the last few years? (i hope its not black)


Campy Athena and Veloce are still available in silver.

IRD and Velo Orange make silver fluted 70s style cranks.


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

This one's ok methinks. Would I buy an "alloy" painted carbon crank? Njet.


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## aengbretson (Sep 17, 2009)

Anodized black? The beefy arms don't match the aesthetic of a smaller-tubed steel frame like those (admittedly very beautiful) c-record ones do, but a hollowgram crankset gets my heart beating...


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## vontress (Jul 19, 2009)

IMO the black carbon cranks look great and most black cranks look great when the bike color combo calls for it.


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## Kinetic (Dec 8, 2011)

I have black cranks on my Kinesis T2 build which is a black & white frame. Silver cranks would look crap on it in my opinion.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

...only 3-ish months till spring ...


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

Nater said:


> Campy Athena and Veloce are still available in silver.
> 
> IRD and Velo Orange make silver fluted 70s style cranks.


The VO cranks are gorgeous. Yebit the Shop Rat has a pair on her old road bike.





Salsa_Lover said:


> I kinda like these
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I always loved those Record cranks. Never had any, unfortunately.
Dura Ace cranks were nice looking until they went to the "dead octopus" design.





kbwh said:


> This one's ok methinks. Would I buy an "alloy" painted carbon crank? Njet.


That's what I have on my Cyfac. Shiny Campy FTW!

I also like these two:










Sugino Super Mighty. I'll put them on something someday...











Old Veloce is 'purty', too.


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## revert (Dec 8, 2011)

*white industries vbc cranks*

Those cannondale cranks look great- too bad they're black. okay- my moser has a black carbon campy crank- but I'm thinking of changing it out for some silver. Lots of single speed cranks are polished aluminum, but next to no road cranks are. Athena cranks are beautiful. Can't decide what I think of white industries cranks. Or sugino mighty comp road cranks. But here's the future: carbon cranks that aren't black. I just can't see black carbon being a style that will stick around forever.


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## hawker12 (Oct 19, 2003)

Silver will eventually be back, it's all marketing. Gotta create an urge in people to have someting "new and updated".


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## 180 (Jan 10, 2009)

I think silver would look dumb on mine too..


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

hawker12 said:


> Silver will eventually be back, it's all marketing. Gotta create an urge in people to have someting "new and updated".


I dunno. I think it's more expensive to polish a crank than to just paint it black. Which is probably a lot of how the 'black' trend got started in the first place.

Ugly = cheaper, so ugly'll be around for a long time to come. 
.


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

SystemShock said:


> Ugly = cheaper, so ugly'll be around for a long time to come.
> .


This. Judging from the posts on RBR, the sport is populated with cheap-arses for the most part. Everything has to be the cheapest, even if it's a high-end item. Plus, Shimano is the most-sold brand of components, and they have the patent on ugly.


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

kbwh said:


> This one's ok methinks. Would I buy an "alloy" painted carbon crank? Njet.




Excellent choice. :thumbsup:

I do dig how the alloy Athena crankset looks, have thought about buying one. It's between that and Velo Orange for me.

Some TA, Stronglight, and Sugino cranks are absolutely gorgeous as well. Though Suginos never seem to have a real good Q-factor, for some reason. 
.


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## Ppopp (Jun 20, 2011)

Unknown Arch said:


> ... To each his own.


Not according to the OP.


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## carlislegeorge (Mar 28, 2004)

my silver cranks turned black, does that mean it's time to clean them?


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## JustTooBig (Aug 11, 2005)

revert said:


> Black cranks, whether of the plastic or painted variety, are ugly and suck. Yes, you might believe that such an evaluation is subjective and dependent on personal taste, but, actually, you're wrong- black cranks are truly absolutely irrefutably butt ugly. Good job shimano staying shiny- although, I do have to add, shimano cranks are as ugly as my wife's buck-toothed sister. Oh, c-record- return and save me!
> Can I anodize black cranks?


you might want to brush up on your sock puppet/troll technique.

vehemently adopting an adversarial, "I'm right, everyone else is wrong" stance on something as subjective -- and more importantly, so totally unimportant to cycling performance -- as crankset color isn't likely to evoke the strong emotional responses that successful trolls really thrive on. 

But we're a patient group here, maybe you can try again?


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## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

revert said:


> Black cranks, whether of the plastic or painted variety, are ugly and suck. Yes, you might believe that such an evaluation is subjective and dependent on personal taste, but, actually, you're wrong- black cranks are truly absolutely irrefutably butt ugly. Good job shimano staying shiny- although, I do have to add, shimano cranks are as ugly as my wife's buck-toothed sister. Oh, c-record- return and save me!
> Can I anodize black cranks?


And your wrong....


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## redondoaveb (Jan 16, 2011)

revert said:


> Black cranks, whether of the plastic or painted variety, are ugly and suck. Yes, you might believe that such an evaluation is subjective and dependent on personal taste, but, actually, you're wrong- black cranks are truly absolutely irrefutably butt ugly. Good job shimano staying shiny- although, I do have to add, shimano cranks are as ugly as my wife's buck-toothed sister. Oh, c-record- return and save me!
> Can I anodize black cranks?


My black crank can beat up your shiny crank! ut:


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

redondoaveb said:


> My black crank can beat up your shiny crank! ut:


I'm just surprised that no one's said, "Once you go black, you don't go back" yet. 

Though Tina Turner, J-Lo, and a bunch of others kinda disprove the notion.
.


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## bghill (Apr 5, 2010)

Don't know what your problem is. I bought the black Rival group to replace my silver Shimano group on a red bike. I liked it so much I even changed the brake callipers to black. I really don't give a sh*t what colour car you drive either. Now, your buck toothed boyfriend though.......


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## Drew Eckhardt (Nov 11, 2009)

revert said:


> Black cranks, whether of the plastic or painted variety, are ugly and suck. Yes, you might believe that such an evaluation is subjective and dependent on personal taste, but, actually, you're wrong- black cranks are truly absolutely irrefutably butt ugly. Good job shimano staying shiny- although, I do have to add, shimano cranks are as ugly as my wife's buck-toothed sister. Oh, c-record- return and save me!
> Can I anodize black cranks?


I agree that black aluminum cranks are an abomination.

It's like plastic laminate floors pretending to be wood. From a distance you might mistake it for the real thing (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) but up close it looks a little goofy especially once you get some dents and dings in it that allow the underlying material to show through.


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## Mr. Scary (Dec 7, 2005)

PlatyPius said:


> This. Judging from the posts on RBR, the sport is populated with cheap-arses for the most part. Everything has to be the cheapest, even if it's a high-end item. Plus, Shimano is the most-sold brand of components, and they have the patent on ugly.


Agree with this, every new product is met with the same stupid comment "It's too much money". If you don't like it don't buy it. If you want silver cranks and nobody offers them then buy your own forging press and associated equipment and make them.


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

bghill said:


> Don't know what your problem is. I bought the black Rival group to replace my silver Shimano group on a red bike. I liked it so much I even changed the brake callipers to black. I really don't give a sh*t what colour car you drive either. Now, your buck toothed boyfriend though.......


Don't know why you're going after me (in threaded mode, you're replying to my post specifically)... I'm not the one who started the thread.

Far as your last sentence goes, I'd call you a child molester, but I know you're trying to stop...
.


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## Pirx (Aug 9, 2009)

aengbretson said:


> but a hollowgram crankset gets my heart beating...


Huh? You got to be kidding: That Hollowgram [email protected] is by far the planet's ugliest crankset, bar none. I wouldn't want to be found dead with something like that.

P.S.: Oh, and those Hollowgrams are butt-ugly no matter what color they come in. They manage to be as ugly in black as they are in silver.


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## Samac (May 7, 2011)

That is one beautiful crankset. I hope to someday find out how sweet it would look on my black Synapse.


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## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

D/A 7410. Not the stiffest but oooh la la.


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

Perhaps the OP should stop watching certain kinds of porn if he doesn't like looking at black cranks....


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

PlatyPius said:


> Perhaps the OP should stop watching certain kinds of porn if he doesn't like looking at black cranks....


"Mus spread rep..."


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

SystemShock said:


> Alloy cranks painted black are indeed fugly. Carbon cranks can be cool-looking, however.
> 
> But coolest of all are polished alloy cranks... at least when they have that 'classic' look, and not some abomination like the 'Shimano buzzsaw' look of recent years.
> 
> ...


These.


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## pro from dover (Jul 5, 2010)

Campy Athena ( old school )


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## revert (Dec 8, 2011)

Can't carbon cranks be other colors?- like that white carbon bianchi that was around about 5 years back? Oh- and my buck-toothed boyfriend and I like all porn except for that which includes black cranks (luckily there isn't much of that kind of filth out there). I've looked at my bank account and have decided that I can afford a metal press!! i mus spread rep!! (what does that mean?) Oh- i just live in the shiny polished past- i'm old and in the way. I'm going trolling.


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## vagabondcyclist (Apr 2, 2011)

moschika said:


> I agree. The best looking cranks IMO were the last 9sp DA cranks before shimano went all "aero" looking.


Yes or the C-Record. Still have a bike with the 9 speed DA on it and the crank is nice looking.


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## Hooben (Aug 22, 2004)

After 27 years on silver colored cranks, it's about time. I'm happy to see my carbon bike in a black crank, brakes, and rims. They are awesome.


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## TomH (Oct 6, 2008)

The only thing uglier than silver cranks are square taper cranks!


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

TomH said:


> The only thing uglier than silver cranks are square taper cranks!


Sorry, but I can't hear you over the sound of this crank's awesomeness...

.


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## Quattro_Assi_07 (Jan 13, 2006)

TomH said:


> The only thing uglier than silver cranks are square taper cranks!


Them's fighting words! :lol:


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## latman (Apr 24, 2004)

In polished silver i really liked 7410s edco , mavic starfish and stronglight 107 cranks and the pictured "colnago" ones look awesome too


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## bike-md (Dec 6, 2011)

C'mon boys...give peace a chance:

The silver cranks that systemshock posted are absolutely gorgeous.

AND

Some black cranks are equally nice if the bikes colour scheme calls for it.

I know that colour doesn't equate bike performance...but in certain builds, silver would look awkward at best, and the black cranks would tie the build together.

Everyone just hug it out


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## revert (Dec 8, 2011)




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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

I bought a campy Athena group for an Eddy Merckx steel bike I was building up specifically because it came in silver. I was originally going to go with Chorus until I saw the Athena group. I'm so sick of black/carbon everything. And Shimano truly has a patent on ugly.


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## nightfend (Mar 15, 2009)

If you are old and stodgy and rode bikes back when there were downtube shifters, then I suppose silver looks great to you. But personally, carbon fiber black is the best looking to me. A dark black carbon bike, with deep carbon wheels and a black groupset is what I crave.


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

nightfend said:


> If you are old and stodgy and rode bikes back when there were downtube shifters, then I suppose silver looks great to you. But personally, carbon fiber black is the best looking to me. *A dark black carbon bike, with deep carbon wheels and a black groupset is what I crave.*


Just like every other snot-nosed punk out there. "We're all being different together!"


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## nightfend (Mar 15, 2009)

Black everything does seem to be the flavor-of-the-month doesn't it? That is until Shimano or whomever goes back to silver or white or something else.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

nightfend said:


> If you are old and stodgy and rode bikes back when there were downtube shifters, then I suppose silver looks great to you. But personally, carbon fiber black is the best looking to me. A dark black carbon bike, with deep carbon wheels and a black groupset is what I crave.


I am old and stodgy. I was riding when bikes had down tube shifters. I was also riding a monocoque carbon fiber bike in 1992 and getting crap about it from my steel is real friends. I guess after you've been doing this for a while, you tire of the marketing and hype. Every year there's some new "innovation" you have to buy. The latest rave seems to be carbon wheels, which really don't make you go faster, require brake pads that wear pretty quickly, and don't stop very well -- especially in wet conditions. What's next? Carbon fiber cassettes and chains? The real reason its all black, carbon and made in China/Taiwan is because its more profitable. It's up to the marketing guys to make it look more desirable.


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## baker921 (Jul 20, 2007)

Its not the black that I don't like but the fake, black paint pretending to be carbon. Personally I like polished aluminium for wheels and drivetrain. Why pay more to have ss spokes painted black? If it's carbon of course let it show off the beauty of its construction. Black painted parts show up every scratch.


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

pmf said:


> I am old and stodgy. I was riding when bikes had down tube shifters. I was also riding a monocoque carbon fiber bike in 1992 and getting crap about it from my steel is real friends. I guess after you've been doing this for a while, you tire of the marketing and hype. Every year there's some new "innovation" you have to buy. The latest rave seems to be carbon wheels, which really don't make you go faster, require brake pads that wear pretty quickly, and don't stop very well -- especially in wet conditions. What's next? Carbon fiber cassettes and chains? The real reason its all black, carbon and made in China/Taiwan is because its more profitable. It's up to the marketing guys to make it look more desirable.


Shhhh. Exnay on the truthay. I think I see some bike industry-dispatched black helicopters heading towards your house. 
.


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## flatlander_48 (Nov 16, 2005)

revert said:


> Black cranks, whether of the plastic or painted variety, are ugly and suck. Yes, you might believe that such an evaluation is subjective and dependent on personal taste, but, actually, you're wrong- black cranks are truly absolutely irrefutably butt ugly. Good job shimano staying shiny- although, I do have to add, shimano cranks are as ugly as my wife's buck-toothed sister. Oh, c-record- return and save me!
> Can I anodize black cranks?


Depends upon the color scheme of your bike. My BreakAway is black and white. Originally I spec'ed it with a double Centaur drivetrain. It was all polished. Then it was a triple Centaur/Chorus mix; still polished with the exception of the rear derailleur which had some carbon bits. As of 2 weeks ago, it is now Chorus 11sp. This group is all black (including the carbon crank and some derailleur bits) and complements the bike MUCH better than the polished look.


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## qatarbhoy (Aug 17, 2009)

I like to have choices. I've got shiny alloy on one bike and black carbon on the other. Both bikes would look less pleasing if they had the other colour.

If some people out there think C'dale Hollowgrams are beautiful, there really is no accounting for taste, and no point arguing over it.


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## Special Eyes (Feb 2, 2011)

Oh, you're gonna love this one:


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## revert (Dec 8, 2011)

Okay- here's my real *****- there are next to no shiny cranks out there- yes, there are used cranks, there's campy athena, there's sugino (good luck buying a reasonably prices new road sugino crank), there's 105 (they're still shiny I think?). That's about it. What do I put on my lugged moser? Oh, and that pic with the black sugino track crank looks pretty sweet.


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

Special Eyes said:


> Oh, you're gonna love this one:


I are blind now. 
.


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## ultimobici (Jul 16, 2005)

Guess Campag got it wrong too, eh?


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

ultimobici said:


> Guess Campag got it wrong too, eh?



Yeah, but that's not truly black... closer to the 'third option', the 'anodized/ice grey' look.

Shimano had a non-octopus-looking Ultegra crank (6600?) out in that color, looked pretty good aside from a needlessly funky outer chainring.

And gun to my head, anodized or black chainrings _can_ look pretty good on a silver crank. It's 'painted all black' that I find 'meh' and cheap-looking.












.


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

revert said:


> Okay- here's my real *****- there are next to no shiny cranks out there- yes, there are used cranks, there's campy athena, there's sugino (*good luck buying a reasonably prices new road sugino crank*), there's 105 (they're still shiny I think?). That's about it. What do I put on my lugged moser? Oh, and that pic with the black sugino track crank looks pretty sweet.


Who determines what a reasonably priced Sugino crank is? Does your willingness/unwillingness to pay that amount mean that it's unreasonable?

Yes, Sugino is more expensive than some others. Sugino is made in Japan. FSA is made in China. Campy is made in Italy. FSA is (mostly) cheap, Sugino is mid-priced, and Campy is expensive. That seems as it should be.

Shimano Dura Ace, on the other hand, is more expensive (wholesale, at least) than any of them with no apparent reason. I would call Shimano unreasonably expensive, not Sugino.


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## oldcannondale (Jul 23, 2011)

Great thread guys. I definately prefer polished, but for you guys stuck with those black cranks if you send them my way I promise not to whine!


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## GotCat6 (Dec 11, 2011)

+1 
The fact that I find them ugly actually directed my bike purchase decisions twice in the past. In both cases I paid couple hundred more to get the full shimano groupset in order to avoid the black OEM (or FSA) crank on a cheaper alternative


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

GotCat6 said:


> +1
> The fact that I find them ugly actually directed my bike purchase decisions twice in the past. In both cases I paid couple hundred more to get the full shimano groupset in order to avoid the black OEM (or FSA) crank on a cheaper alternative


Yep. 'Painted all black' is cheaper to do than polishing, so you tend to find it on cheap cranks and on cheap bikes.

NTTAWWT. Sorta.
.


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## revert (Dec 8, 2011)

I'm saying good luck finding a sugino road crank for less than some ungodly import price. But it seems that if a guy wants classic-looking parts he's gotta go with japanese parts like sugino, or get a single speed. Or hang out on ebay alot. If anyone has any ideas on finding a new polished road crank I'd love to hear em.


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

revert said:


> I'm saying good luck finding a sugino road crank for less than some ungodly import price. But it seems that if a guy wants classic-looking parts he's gotta go with japanese parts like sugino, or get a single speed. Or hang out on ebay alot. If anyone has any ideas on finding a new polished road crank I'd love to hear em.


Velo Orange -Cranks - Cranksets - Components
.


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## minutemaidman (Jun 14, 2010)

revert said:


> Black cranks, whether of the plastic or painted variety, are ugly and suck. Yes, you might believe that such an evaluation is subjective and dependent on personal taste, but, actually, you're wrong- black cranks are truly absolutely irrefutably butt ugly. Good job shimano staying shiny- although, I do have to add, shimano cranks are as ugly as my wife's buck-toothed sister. Oh, c-record- return and save me!
> Can I anodize black cranks?


Is that your final answer? Did you phone a friend or use a 50/50?

Heres a crank that is beautiful:









And heres a crank that is beautiful:









so...I guess youre wrong.


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## sneakyracer (Dec 1, 2007)

These look pretty nice!


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

sneakyracer said:


> These look pretty nice!


If you regularly wear your sisters jeans, drink PBR, and smoke Newports....

(Those are QBP's cheap-ass house-brand, BTW...)


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## tihsepa (Nov 27, 2008)

That all-shitty crank proves the OP's point.

Thanks alot.


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## revert (Dec 8, 2011)

That yellow quattro assi is beautiful. That other one.....well- look's okay I guess. But honestly it could be a giant or some other taiwanese bike. What can I say- I look at old pictures of race bikes, whether it be in the 1940s or the 1990s and they're machines brazed by hand, with polished jewelry for parts. Now I just see plastic machine-made bikes with plastic parts that look like they're made for women or children. Whatever- if you're into that. Tradition is dead-


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

revert said:


> What can I say- I look at old pictures of race bikes, whether it be in the 1940s or the 1990s and they're machines brazed by hand, with polished jewelry for parts. Now I just see plastic machine-made bikes with plastic parts that look like they're made for women or children. Whatever- if you're into that. Tradition is dead-


You obviously have no idea how much manual labour there is in laying up a carbon crank. Or frame. Or stem. Or handlebar. Or rim.


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

revert said:


> That yellow quattro assi is beautiful. That other one.....well- look's okay I guess. But honestly it could be a giant or some other taiwanese bike. What can I say- I look at old pictures of race bikes, whether it be in the 1940s or the 1990s and they're machines brazed by hand, with polished jewelry for parts. Now I just see plastic machine-made bikes with plastic parts that look like they're made for women or children. Whatever- if you're into that. Tradition is dead-


Not all of us can be retro grumpy all the time. 

I love a lugged steel masterpiece as much as anyone, but I also appreciate the design and labor that goes into making a carbon masterpiece as well.


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## DIRT BOY (Aug 22, 2002)

Another nice example of Black cranks being very nice looking:


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## DIRT BOY (Aug 22, 2002)

robdamanii said:


> Not all of us can be retro grumpy all the time.
> 
> I love a lugged steel masterpiece as much as anyone, but I also appreciate the design and labor that goes into making a carbon masterpiece as well.


Well said and I agree. :thumbsup:


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

DIRT BOY said:


> Another nice example of Black cranks being very nice looking:





I like the traditionally-shaped chainrings/spider. But I'm not sure about the 'ribbed for her pleasure' crankarms.  
.


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## 180 (Jan 10, 2009)

revert said:


> Now I just see plastic machine-made bikes with plastic parts that look like they're made for women or children. Whatever- if you're into that. Tradition is dead-


Speaking of a "dead tradition" I think you need to reconfigure your derogatory views of "women and children." There are plenty of them that are unhappy with the black cranks as well these days 

Back on topic: I think ultimately this is probably just another fad. They will have new shiny versions again at some point. They always do. Probably not without the price tag but that will succumb to the knockoffs eventually as well.


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## TomH (Oct 6, 2008)

Shiny plain looking ugly cranks were just as much of a fad as nice looking black cranks


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## DIRT BOY (Aug 22, 2002)

PlatyPius said:


> Those are QBP's cheap-ass house-brand, BTW...


And they are nice and great for their intended purpose.


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## humanbeing (Dec 4, 2009)

I've just built up a steel frame with 2010 Alloy Athena so I could have shiny Ultra Torque cranks and derailleurs on my lugged frame.
Any one think of anything I'm missing out apart from carbon by not having Chorus?
Cheers,
Peter


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## kiroskka (Mar 9, 2008)

nightfend said:


> If you are old and stodgy and rode bikes back when there were downtube shifters, then I suppose silver looks great to you. But personally, carbon fiber black is the best looking to me. A dark black carbon bike, with deep carbon wheels and a black groupset is what I crave.



Har har

Not only am I not old and stodgy, but I prefer downtube shifters.

Of course, personally, the carbon fiber that you have a lust for looks so atrotious to me--just about all of it

all blacked out is so...boring. I need shiny things that sparkle in the sun.


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## redondoaveb (Jan 16, 2011)

kiroskka said:


> Har har
> 
> Not only am I not old and stodgy, but I prefer downtube shifters.
> 
> ...


Then you'll love this.


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## John Cyr (Oct 12, 2011)

Now I don't care who you are, That's funny!


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## minutemaidman (Jun 14, 2010)

redondoaveb said:


> Then you'll love this.


seats too low...bro


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