Litepro 56T Crank Review (updated 12-16-15)

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I recently upgraded the stock crank from my Tern Link D8. The stock crank is steel which has a lot of flex that eats up the power you apply on the pedals. It also has a cartridge type square tapered bottom bracket that is really heavy.

I was contemplating between a Shimano 105 and Litepro.  I decided on the Litepro because of easy sourcing.

Specs:

  • Outboard bottom bracket
  • 170mm crank length
  • 56T chainring
  • Aluminum crank for stiffness
  • One piece CNC chainring with integrated bash guard
Weight

Weight is definitely a big change with this upgrade. The outboard bottom bracket and aluminum cranks reduced the weight of the bike by around half a kilo.

Performance

The stiffness of the cranks definitely improved the pedaling feel. It felt lighter to pedal even with a higher tooth count. The jump from 52T to 56T increased the top speed of the bike but the climbs suffered. The effect was minimized because of the increase in pedaling efficiency brought by the stiff cranks.

All in all, this was definitely an upgrade thats value for money. Although, I loved how the 105 crank looks, this Litepro does its job plus the bonus of a built in bash guard. My only worry for now is shoe rub which will etch the nice paint job on the cranks. I'm thinking of putting those crank skins available on the market.

UPDATE. (12/16/15)
I lost the crank arm cap fixing bolt during my bike commute. I only noticed it when the left crank arm felt a bit wobbly. The pinch bolts are also loose. Litepro bolts did not come with the blue thread lock common in Shimano parts.

Another disappointment is the lack of replacement part for that. It is not the usual size as the Shimano cranks. I measured the inner diameter and it came out to be 15mm. Shimano uses 20mm. Availability here of those parts are difficult. The store where I got the crank did not bother when I asked if they can order one for me. It's really a pain in the head looking for this part.

I am now thinking that I should have gone with the Shimano 105 crank for availability of spare parts and how it looks so cool.

Comments

  1. MandoiJune 1, 2016 at 4:07 AM

    Is the shimano 105 compatible with the link d8? If so, what bottom bracket should I go for, the MTB one or the road one? Is the 105 ok to be used with a single chainring?

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJuly 1, 2016 at 3:33 PM

    As far as I know, It would fit the d8. You should use the included BB when you get the crank. I'm not sure if an MTB BB has the same diameter opening as a road BB.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownJuly 13, 2016 at 1:20 AM

    The Litepro looks great! Despite the situation with the cap fixing bolt, are you happy with the performance you have probably gained? Where did you by the LitePro? Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownJuly 14, 2016 at 8:46 AM

    Performance wise, it was up to my expectations. The 56T and 11T cog combination is the highest gear you can achieve which takes care of the flats well. I got the LitePro from a bike shop in Las Pinas (Folding Bike South) but unfortunately it's shut down already.

    ReplyDelete

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