# Sugino XD2/XD700 compact crank?



## akatsuki (Aug 12, 2005)

I am contemplating a switch from a pure Ultegra triple setup to a mixed setup with a compact double. Thinking SRAM Red shifters (getting rid of those damn flying cables) and a compact crank of some sort...

Anyone know anything about these Sugino XD2/XD700 cranks? The Sugino's I have for my fixie are well made and seem comparable to the DA/Ultegra cranks I have had in the past.


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## rcnute (Dec 21, 2004)

I think the all silver Sugino compact is the classiest. I put one on my Bridgestone XO-1.


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## akatsuki (Aug 12, 2005)

Haven't really decided on color. But definitely trying to decide whether anyone has anything bad to say about them. They seem well made and the weight seems to be just around Ultegra SL stuff.


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## rcnute (Dec 21, 2004)

I think what I like best about them is that they're simple. Ergo, less prone to problems. I've used Sugino cranks for the last couple years on a few bikes with no problems.


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## akatsuki (Aug 12, 2005)

@rcnute- How is stiffness on them? I may just wait for DA compact cranks to hit the market, but the Suginos are pretty cheap and seem to be very competitive, but nobody talks about them in a road bike context, I have only seen mentions of the triple in touring bikes.


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## LadyDog (Jan 22, 2004)

I have the Alpina model. Very nice crank and I notice no flex issues.

Not much of a weight weenie myself, but my Alpina with a dura ace octalink bottom bracket weighs less than my dura ace 7800 crank and bottom bracket.


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## rcnute (Dec 21, 2004)

akatsuki said:


> @rcnute- How is stiffness on them? I may just wait for DA compact cranks to hit the market, but the Suginos are pretty cheap and seem to be very competitive, but nobody talks about them in a road bike context, I have only seen mentions of the triple in touring bikes.


Hmm, not sure. They seem plenty stiff.


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## ispoke (Feb 28, 2005)

I just got one of these cranks for my next bike project. It is drop dead gorgeous. The machining on the rings is fine, and the geometric cutouts striking. I remember looking at weights last year and concluding that in round numbers a Sugino forged double crank was about the same weight as Ultegra (before they switched to outboard bearings).

The guys at Bike Sport Michigan did a scientific test a few years ago and concluded that most cranks are stiff enough and they felt the difference was mainly marketing and the customers aesthetic preferences. Sorry I cannot give you a link but my browser is acting up so I cannot cut-and-paste and cannot use apostrophes! But google it and you will see it.


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## akatsuki (Aug 12, 2005)

ispoke said:


> I just got one of these cranks for my next bike project. It is drop dead gorgeous. The machining on the rings is fine, and the geometric cutouts striking. I remember looking at weights last year and concluding that in round numbers a Sugino forged double crank was about the same weight as Ultegra (before they switched to outboard bearings).
> 
> The guys at Bike Sport Michigan did a scientific test a few years ago and concluded that most cranks are stiff enough and they felt the difference was mainly marketing and the customers aesthetic preferences. Sorry I cannot give you a link but my browser is acting up so I cannot cut-and-paste and cannot use apostrophes! But google it and you will see it.


Cool. It is hard to get reviews from a road biking perspective of a lot of different cranks like the Sugino XD/Alpina, especially comparing them to FSAs or Ritcheys or Shimanos.


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## ispoke (Feb 28, 2005)

*crank rigidity continued*



akatsuki said:


> Cool. It is hard to get reviews from a road biking perspective of a lot of different cranks like the Sugino XD/Alpina, especially comparing them to FSAs or Ritcheys or Shimanos.


We saw Ben Serotta give a talk about his bikes and the business last year. Took lots of audience questions and was very informative. Someone asked about the rigidity of cranks, and he said that they never had any rigidity issues documented on any of his metal/alloy frames (I'm assuming his customers were always using at least 105 or better quality kit). Anyway, it wasn't until they started making carbon frames and making them super stiff at the BB that they could prove that crank and BB stiffness became a concern.


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## akatsuki (Aug 12, 2005)

ispoke said:


> We saw Ben Serotta give a talk about his bikes and the business last year. Took lots of audience questions and was very informative. Someone asked about the rigidity of cranks, and he said that they never had any rigidity issues documented on any of his metal/alloy frames (I'm assuming his customers were always using at least 105 or better quality kit). Anyway, it wasn't until they started making carbon frames and making them super stiff at the BB that they could prove that crank and BB stiffness became a concern.


It seems to be mostly about durability (witness the Pulsion problems), subjective feel (some people say that DA is far stiffer than FSA for example), shifting and weight. The Sugino XD2s seem to be pretty light for their cost, people have complained that the backs of the cranks and other non-visible parts aren't smoothed as finely as more expensive sets, but basically they seem to be a much better deal than Ultegra SL.

The TA Zephyr (now not made) was another crank that didn't seem to get much attention from road-racers.

I probably wouldn't bother going compact on my road bike from the triple if I was not planning a touring rig that would use the triple anyway...


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

How is the shifting on the Sugino cranks? :idea:

...


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## ispoke (Feb 28, 2005)

Two of our road bikes use the XD600 crank, which has ramps and pins on the rings. One's a 48/36/24 with Ultegra triple FD. The other's a 48/34 on a 107BB (103 was too short) with IRD compact FD. IMHO both setups shift fine, although I suppose the upshift isn't fast. We're not "on the rivet" types, although we both hold fast cadences at recreational paces.

As an aside, I'm running a TA Pro-5-Vis crank with 46/32 rings and an FSA C16 FD on my rando bike. That setup is fast on the upshift. Of course the BB, chainline, rings and FD are different so it's not really apples-to-apples...


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

^ Thanks, ispoke. 

...


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