Topline Cranks, anybody broke one?
JLFranklin
rider weight limitation. I'm at 175 and and wondering if I'll just end up
breaking it and smash my nuts! Are their any heavyweights out there that
have tried one?
Larry Kuxhausen
der and haven't been able to break one yet. Go for it. You'll do fine. Standard disclaimers apply.
Larry Kuxhausen
Larry Little
(JLFranklin) wrote:
> I'm thinking about getting a Topline crank but am scared about their 180lb
> rider weight limitation. I'm at 175 and and wondering if I'll just end up
> breaking it and smash my nuts! Are their any heavyweights out there that
> have tried one?
I have them on a QR. Used them for two years with no problems. My wife has
another year on the same cranks with two Ironman distance races.
--
Thanks Larry
Clint Kronenberger Sr.
I have a pair of TopLine 180mm cranks that I have been riding for
about 1yr with no problems! I have approx 10,000 mi on them and no
signs of failure! Hope this helps!
The BikeDoc
Dan Empfield
(Mark Hickey) wrote:
> For example, it seems that QRman's 2.2lb steel frames do just fine
> under the fine readers of r.s.t., but I have a hard time imagining a
> 2.2lb steel criterium frame getting glowing reviews.
Our 2.2lb frames are #7005 aluminum. Our 2.2 lb. aluminum road frames (as
opposed to tri frames) actually do get glowing reviews. Personally,
though, our 3.5 lb. *steel* road race frames are my personal favorite for
that particular application.
>
> I'd think long and hard about buying a flexible crank to save a little
> (very little by the time you add rings and hardware) weight. There are
> better ways to lose the same weight without compromising your drivetrain
> or risking your 'nads.
Toplines did originally have problems at both the pedal spindle, and the
BB. Over a year ago they were beefed up in these areas, and I've seen
fewer problems since. IMHO, well-designed CNC cranks are fine, except
when they are overtightened. Even the beefiest CNC will crack at the BB
when the crank bolt has too much torque applied.
QRman
Rolf Arands
>I'm thinking about getting a Topline crank but am scared about their 180lb
>rider weight limitation. I'm at 175 and and wondering if I'll just end up
>breaking it and smash my nuts! Are their any heavyweights out there that
>have tried one?
Well, I am no heavyweight (170-175 lbs normally), but I have broken
Topline cranks before. In my opinion, this part of the bike is
subjected to ALOT of stress. Thus, lightweight parts really do not
belong here. They are better placed elsewhere (stem, seatpost, etc.).
I reinstalled the beefy Shimano 600 Ultegra cranks and have not had
problems since over several thousand miles of riding.
Just one rider's opinions...
-Rolf
--
Rolf "Ironman" Arands, Ph.D. (Chemical Engineering)
Dept. of Chem. and Biochem. Eng'g, Rutgers University
--These are my highly opinionated views, not Rutgers'--
Mark A. Jenkins, M.D.
jlfra...@aol.com writes:
>Subject: Topline Cranks, anybody broke one?
>From: JLFranklin, jlfra...@aol.com
>Date: 27 Jan 1996 13:59:23 -0500
>>I'm thinking about getting a Topline crank but am scared about their 180lb
>rider weight limitation. I'm at 175 and and wondering if I'll just end up
>breaking it and smash my nuts! Are their any heavyweights out there that
>have tried one?
Last year I got the "new and improved, really shouldn't break" variety,
and they cracked. (I am not familiar with any info from the company about
a weight limitation.)
I weigh 195 lbs. and the cranks (177.5 mm) cracked after about 5000
miles. The break occured gradually as a fracture through the attachment
onto the bottom bracket. It was not a sudden snap. I noticed that the
cranks were getting "loose" and discovered the break.
The company was very nice and replaced them without charge, although I
was a little annoyed with having some down time off my bike. Apart from
this one incident, I have been very happy with the cranks and I would
recommend them. Follow the companies upkeep instructions about how many
ft-lbs of torque you should have, and frequency of tightening.
Mark A. Jenkins, M.D.
je...@rice.edu
http://riceinfo.rice.edu/~jenkins
Mark Hickey
> JL,
> I have a pair of TopLine 180mm cranks that I have been riding for
> about 1yr with no problems! I have approx 10,000 mi on them and no
> signs of failure! Hope this helps!
>
> On 27 Jan 1996 13:59:23 -0500, jlfra...@aol.com (JLFranklin) wrote:
>
> >I'm thinking about getting a Topline crank but am scared about their 180lb
> >rider weight limitation. I'm at 175 and and wondering if I'll just end up
> >breaking it and smash my nuts! Are their any heavyweights out there that
> >have tried one?
Maybe you should ask someone other than a tri-person. Almost anything
will hold together in a time trial, since you are putting out steady,
smooth power (or should be), as opposed to the road racing crowd, who
tend to beat up their equipment a lot more (due to the all-out sprints
and climbs).
For example, it seems that QRman's 2.2lb steel frames do just fine
under the fine readers of r.s.t., but I have a hard time imagining a
2.2lb steel criterium frame getting glowing reviews.
I'd think long and hard about buying a flexible crank to save a little
(very little by the time you add rings and hardware) weight. There are
better ways to lose the same weight without compromising your drivetrain
or risking your 'nads.
Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
Km40
Sampsons too..........I have had great luck with Grafton.
cheers
Sam
SBRMJM
But at 180-185lbs, I decided to stick with a pair of 175 Dura Ace
cranks...heavier than the usual tri setup but stiff and tough as all get
out. I think I've seen both the Toplines and the Sampsons being
discounted a bit lately by some of the catalogs and that usually means
something....
good luck!
Clint Kronenberger Sr.
wrote:
>
>Well, I am no heavyweight (170-175 lbs normally), but I have broken
>Topline cranks before. In my opinion, this part of the bike is
>subjected to ALOT of stress. Thus, lightweight parts really do not
>belong here. They are better placed elsewhere (stem, seatpost, etc.).
>I reinstalled the beefy Shimano 600 Ultegra cranks and have not had
>problems since over several thousand miles of riding.
>
>Just one rider's opinions...
>
Just a note to perhaps clarify some of the problems with cranks and
crank breakage! Most of the cranks that I have seen broken ( and I
have seen lots of them) were caused by inproper installation!!! Most
people torque them excessively and that will cause the cranks to crack
at the spindle or the same pertains to the pedals! The pedals only
need to be tightened enough to stop them from backing out not so tight
that you need a 3 ft extension on a pedal wrench to remove them!
Again, I am not saying that this always the case but I will say that
its usually the case! As for the Topline crank usage I am a road rider
who does approx 10-15 K of training per year and I have been using
Topline cranks for about 1yr or better with no problems! I also know
10-15 other racers who have been using the same cranks without a
problem! I have broken campy c-180 record cranks when they were
stamping there logo on the cranks! They failed right at the Campy logo
that was stamped onto the arm of the crank! Obviously, Campy has gone
to laser etching to remedy the problem now! Oh! My cranks are also
180's which should futher complicate the problem but with the Toplines
so far they have been great! Another good piece of advice would be to
always check your cranks at the spindle and pedals before taking off
on a training ride! Only takes a few seconds but might save a lot of
skin!!
The BikeDoc
Clint Kronenberger Sr.
wrote:
>In article <4edsmb$d...@newsbf02.news.aol.com> JLFranklin,
>jlfra...@aol.com writes:
>>Subject: Topline Cranks, anybody broke one?
Follow the companies upkeep instructions about how many
>ft-lbs of torque you should have, and frequency of tightening.
>
>
> Mark A. Jenkins, M.D.
> je...@rice.edu
> http://riceinfo.rice.edu/~jenkins
Mark,
Oh! You mean the little piece of paper that topline packs in all its
boxes that everyone immediately throws in the trash beacuse "who
doesn't know how to put on a pair of cranks"! Hmmmmm! :)
The BikeDoc
Mark Hickey
> In article <emh008-2901...@199.3.160.82>, emh...@email.mot.com
> (Mark Hickey) wrote:
> > under the fine readers of r.s.t., but I have a hard time imagining a
> > 2.2lb steel criterium frame getting glowing reviews.
>
> opposed to tri frames) actually do get glowing reviews. Personally,
> though, our 3.5 lb. *steel* road race frames are my personal favorite for
> that particular application.
Oops. I usually like stopping misinformation rather than spreading it.
One of the salespeople in a local shop told me the Kilo was steel, and I
always wondered how you could make a steel frame that light that didn't
collapse regularly. Now I know.....
Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
Diana Mclaughlin
When did they first come out? Well, he weighs in at 175 and has never
had a problem with them. On the other hand, my friend Pippa Cribb weighs
about 130 lbs and broke hers. She called topline and they sent her a new
pair right away.
Diana McLaughlin
Pat Brug
(Diana Mclaughlin) wrote:
I raced / trained on 172.5 mm Toplines for two years with no problems (I'm
160 lbs). Just the thought of either a crank arm or BB breaking, in a
sprint / group ride makes me shiver...
---------------------------------------------
__-------__
W.Patrick Brug, Ph.D. _- -_
Los Alamos National Lab -__ __-
\ /
internet: br...@lanl.gov | |
cis: 72410,3372 / \
-----------------..-^--^--..-.- --^.-----
---------------------------------------------
Julio Neves
>I'm thinking about getting a Topline crank but am scared about their 180lb
>rider weight limitation. I'm at 175 and and wondering if I'll just end up
>breaking it and smash my nuts! Are their any heavyweights out there that
>have tried one?
I am 160lb and broke mine . They replaced it more than a year ago and
did not brake anymore.
Brazilian Tri-DOC
Founder and Pope of the Eros Witness Church
juln...@svn.com.br
Luis Vargas
my topline and I weight 165 to 175 during the year.
Luis Vargas
GeorgeBall
about 3000 miles on mine last year without a problem. I even did a
two-day, 210 mile ride called the Columbus (Ohio) Fall Challenge that was
nothing but hills, some of which were really brutal thigh busters.
Doug McLerran
> Just a note to perhaps clarify some of the problems with cranks and
> crank breakage! Most of the cranks that I have seen broken ( and I
> have seen lots of them) were caused by inproper installation!!! Most
> people torque them excessively and that will cause the cranks to crack
> at the spindle or the same pertains to the pedals!
I agree - 99% of breakage is improper installation.
I've been riding a set of Topline's since Jan 1992 with no problems. Well, one problem but I doubt if it will affect triathletes:
I originally bought the crank for a track kilo/pursuit bike (fixed gear) because of the low weight. The spider is a separate piece
from the crankarm unlike the more standard DA or Campy one-piece forged arm/spider. The topline spider flexed enough that it
caused my chain to come off when standing thru the first turn of a kilo on a steep track. Ouch. I traded it with the DA crank
on my road bike, with no problems on either bike. You won't notice the flex on a road bike with a front derailleur.
Doug McLerran
David Roo-It Kemp
: In article <4edsmb$d...@newsbf02.news.aol.com> JLFranklin,
: jlfra...@aol.com writes:
: >Subject: Topline Cranks, anybody broke one?
: >Date: 27 Jan 1996 13:59:23 -0500
: >>I'm thinking about getting a Topline crank but am scared about their 180lb
: >rider weight limitation. I'm at 175 and and wondering if I'll just end up
: >breaking it and smash my nuts! Are their any heavyweights out there that
: >have tried one?
I have broken two sets of the Super-lightweight (road) version of the
Topline cranks over the past 2 years. I weigh 160lbs. Both times the
crack was at the ball joint where it attaches to the BB spindle on the
chainring arm. I followed Topline's specs on using a torque wrench when
installing the cranks both times. This time, they replaced the cranks with
a new Heavy-Duty road version. Have not had any problems yet. But,, both
times I have had to wait 4 weeks for replacements cranks... the downtime has
been very frustrating. If I break this set, I will be asking for a refund
and moving to something else.
David S. Kemp
ke...@pioneer.uspto.gov