Engineered for the Wide Wheel

Today SRAM announced two new X9 and X5 level cranks for fat bikes. If you are a sharp visitor of the Mtbr Fat Bike Discussion forum, this might not come as too much of a surprise since there was some discussion of this back in late December.

The SRAM X9 and X5 cranks have been re-engineered to fit and perform on a fat bike. Combined with a 100mm wide spindle and using SRAM’s own 2X10 chainrings, they have eliminated much of the tire-to-chain clearance issues often found on fat bikes. The X9 and X5 cranks are lighter than most current fat bike crank offerings and the 36/22 gearing gives riders fast access to the right gear range. SRAM is promoting their cranks as “lightweight, stiff and always reliable. Whether you’re powering over snow or tackling an all-day, all terrain epic, your best ride starts with SRAM.”

These cranks feature:

SRAM 2X10 Shifting Technology

36/22 Gearing

GXP 100mm Bottom Bracket

Super Stiff and Durable

Faster, Lighter and More Efficient

The SRAM X9 Cranks for Fat Bikes (and GXP Bottom Bracket with 100mm spindle made for 2×10 drivetrain) is available in 175 or 170mm length cranks and 36-22 gearing come in grey and will retail for $314.

The SRAM X5 Cranks for Fat Bike (and GXP Bottom Bracket with 100mm spindle made for 2×10 drivetrain) is also available in 175 or 170mm length cranks and 36-22 gearing come in grey and will retail for $169.

The fact that these cranks are in production just add to the notion that the Fat Bike category is the real deal and not just another passing niche. There has been some speculation (courtesy of Guitar Ted) as to whether the production of these cranks means that one of the “big” mountain bike manufacturers (Trek, Specialized, Giant) is making a forth coming production Fat Bike.

Is it true? At this point, it’s hard to tell but it is definitely a step in the right direction!