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All City 612 Track Crank

8
£109.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Super stiff crankset for strong legs or heavy landings, and it adds a dash of colour
Weight: 
759g
Contact: 
www.ison-distribution.com

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I could sum up this review of All City’s 612 Track Crank in one word: solid. The thick arms of this cold forged crank grip every bit of the square taper on the bottom bracket axle, and the slight hollowing in the back of the arms not only saves a bit of weight but also improves the crank arms’ resistance to torsional flex, making this a very stiff crankset indeed.

At 730 grams for a single ring crankset, this is about 100 grams heavier than a Miche Primato, a track favourite. What you gain is dependability and punishment resistance away from the track – when jumping off steps, for example. The 612 is a crank designed for the new urban fixed-wheel rider, who wants to ride fast on a bike that can take a hammering.

The chunky spider has the common five-arm 144 BCD pattern and it holds a fairly thick CNC'd 46T alloy chainring. This is tough enough to klonk on a few ledges without too much bother. It’s designed for traditional 1/2" x 1/8" track chains, so don't try and fit a standard 3/32" chain.

The gold anodising is super thick and tough, and it made the rest of my bike look lack-lustre and in need of a polish from the moment it was installed! A couple of months on and this chainset is still looking shiny and new, and it is still as tight on the bottom bracket as when it was installed. I put it on a Kinesis Convert, in place of a generic alloy unit, and it made a noticeable difference in power delivery. The bike felt even stiffer, and the drivetrain felt taut and efficient.

The 612 is a good-looking crankset that is built to take more abuse than most 700C framesets could handle. It would be ideal for big, powerful riders, for the new wave of urban trick riders, and for hipsters looking for the right colour match – it’s available in red, blue, silver, white, black and gold. It comes in 165mm and 170mm crank lengths.

Verdict

Super stiff crankset for strong legs or heavy landings, and it adds a dash of colour

road.cc test report

Make and model: All City 612 Track Crank

Size tested: Yellow

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

"It is a blue-collar hardworking crank that you can ride the heck out of without worry. Day in day out, on the job or just for fun, the 612 will get you there with maximum efficiency and style, and a price that won’t blow your budget." - That could have been my review right there!

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Cold forged alloy crank.

Recommended Spindle Length: 110mm

Spindle Interface Type: Square Taper JIS

Chainring BCD: 144

Bolt Pattern: 5-Bolt

46T CNC Alloy chainring

Chain Compatibility: 1/2" x 1/8"

Weight: 730g w/ring and bolts

Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10

It has a nice, consistent finish.

Rate the product for performance:
8/10

These cranks are stiff and strong but at the cost of a bit of extra weight.

Rate the product for durability:
9/10

The union between

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
7/10

To gain strength, more material has been used. These definitely aren't skinny looking.

Rate the product for value:
7/10

These are great all round cranks and are best suited to aggressive or heavier riders (or those who are looking for a sweet looking crank).

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

These are stiff. Replacing a generic OEM crank could transform the way your bike feels under acceleration and make your frame feel more lively. If you ride your fixed gear bike hard, these will serve you well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

They look nice and they are solid.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

1/8 inch chain ring only as stock, and the added 100 grams over say a Miche Pimato

Did you enjoy using the product? yep

Would you consider buying the product? I would

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Probably

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 37  Height: 180  Weight: 80

I usually ride: Bike that I am testing at the time  My best bike is: Giant CFR pro. Old school carbon converted to fixed. Kinesis Convert 2 fixed. Shorter cafe racer

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed, bare back

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1 comments

Avatar
IHphoto | 13 years ago
0 likes

Looks solid for sure - and it's probably a (very very hard - used for powertool bits) Titanium nitride coating as it's wearing so well  3

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