Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

G'day there.

So the FSA cranks on my wife's Salsa Rangefinder Deore 11 29 Bike kicked the bucket at under 100kms today.

One pedal popped off whilst at the beginning of her ride today... Inspected the other and it seems it's somehow worked itself 50% of the way out too. She's using 45NRTH Heiruspecs Pedals with the bike. The pedal bearings look pretty good but the bearings for the cranks are just munched. Smooth as...

So what can I replace the FSA Alpha Drive with so I don't have to even think about this in the future? This doesn't seem like the easiest task in the world. If I get her new cranks it might mean a new bottom bracket or whatever too... I obviously don't want a replacement FSA either. This thing didn't even last 3 months. Yeah...

It's a new bike and of course it's under warranty but I'd have to send it back to USA for that. It's cheaper to let my insurance handle it, get something else and just frisbee the existing FSA crank into the nearest landfill. Besides, we want to ride asap.

I'm by no means a seasoned biker. I have my own Salsa Mukluk Carbon XT and the cranks and pedals are in great condition even 3 years later and I've beaten it to death. Only thing I've had to replace is the chain. Please don't bully me for getting my wife a Rangefinder either , I know it's entry level but it's my wife's first MTB and she liked that it was orange!

Here's a photo of the cranks. Yikes! Would appreciate any advice at all. Especially links where I could just buy something to have the local chopshop put it together. Thanks mates!

Hiya, I would suggest that given your description, they were never attached properly hence the threads undoing themselves.

Just about any crank would work, but not sure what the BB specs are

Maybe try a new set of FSA Alpha Drive cranks and fit the pedals on the correct crank arm side they designed for...


https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/ ... -wrong-way

Looks like the thread is damaged, along with new cranks I'd get new pedals as well.

Thanks for the replies.

The pedal threads are in next to perfect conditions. At least compared to the threads on the crank arms. I'm not sure she'd need new pedals. We checked them both. The threads on the other crank aren't doing too well but they definitely aren't as bad as the side pictured above.

Salsa has this model here: https://www.salsacycles.com/bikes/2022_ ... eore_11_29

MichaelB wrote: ↑

Fri May 24, 2024 8:17 am

Hiya, I would suggest that given your description, they were never attached properly hence the threads undoing themselves.

Just about any crank would work, but not sure what the BB specs are

Sorry, I should have included them.

The original munted crank: FSA Alpha Drive, 30t,
The BB is: FSA 124.5 mm

The problem is I am having trouble finding a decent crank to replace it with. I'm also not sure do I need to buy another bottom bracket too when I get a new crank or what?

Almost all of the decent cranks I can find from Shimano and SRAM et. are all 32T. Not 30T like the original FSA.
Then there's these "chainline" sizes. I have no idea what that is and Youtube isn't helping me much either.
I'm also not sure does she need 175mm or 170mm or what. My wife is pretty short.

One of the stores I contacted got back to me and said they had nothing in stock which fit the model but they recommended me this: https://bike.shimano.com/en-US/product/ ... 000-1.html

It looks pretty good but has the 2 extra teeth. Not sure we need that when bikepacking but I don't think 2 extra teeth is going to matter much.

Sorry if I am a bit confused. The options are kind of overwhelming and the shop didn't really give me any advice on how to select a new crank.

The pedals were not sufficiently tightened in the crank, which is why the threads stripped. Just get a replacement crank of the same model so it'll fit the existing bottom bracket. If the chainring is a different size, just swap it with the existing one. And tighten the pedals properly!

Duck! wrote: ↑

Fri May 24, 2024 10:10 pm

The pedals were not sufficiently tightened in the crank, which is why the threads stripped. Just get a replacement crank of the same model so it'll fit the existing bottom bracket. If the chainring is a different size, just swap it with the existing one. And tighten the pedals properly!

Many years ago at a bike shop I worked (1979-81) in Collingwood (long ago defunct Aussie Cycle Works in Johnston Street), Austin the owner/mechanic filled cranks that had stripped threads with some sort of paste by Dow-Corning (?), waiting overnight for it to work its wonders before reinstalling pedals next day — the right way around. Left and right pedals transposed were very often the bread and butter of the shop caused by mums and dads not clued up to left and right pedal thread differences!

I ended up getting: https://bike.shimano.com/en-US/product/ ... 000-1.html

and the shop put it and her pedals on for $15 extra on top of the yearly service. The existing bracket was compatible.

Both frames looking great and she said the cranks and pedals feel fantastic.