Quickly establishing itself as a big player in the crank space, 5Dev rose to fame not only for its high-end, uber-blingy cranksets but also as a key advocate for shorter crank lengths. The brand’s R-Spec Trail Enduro crankset brings the brand’s stellar build quality and some of the looks to a more accessible price point while packing stiffness and durability. That said, they are still rather spendy and not the lightest.
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5Dev R-Spec Trail Enduro crankset – Technical details
5Dev is a brand brought to life by its parent company’s (5th Axis) desire to take advantage of its patented tooling system, usually reserved for aerospace and medical use. It’s best known for its impressive five-axis CNC-machined titanium cranks and infamous triangular support structure. However, that fancy machining and the material itself ask a high price, £1,500.
The R-Spec Trail Enduro crankset brings that price to a friendlier point and, while it’s still fairly pricey, it benefits from the full might of 5Dev’s CNC-machining prowess but reaches that lower price through the use of more cost-effective materials. Namely, that’s 7050 aluminium. The preload collar is built using 7075 aluminium, the self-extracting crank bolts are cut from Chromoly steel, and the spindle is made of 7075 aluminium.
Compatibility and standards are a large overarching story of the R-Spec cranks as they’re both modern but take advantage of the more readily available and easy-to-use standards. For example, the crankset is built to accommodate three-bolt chainrings made common by SRAM. There are two spindle diameters available, 29mm to fit DUB bottom brackets and a 30mm diameter. It can also work with 68 -73mm bottom bracket widths and be picked up in super boost in certain sizes. The standard spindle is compatible with 52 and 55mm chainlines, but there’s also a DUB Wide spindle. However, if none of those spindles work for you, 5Dev offers access to its whole spindle range without an additional charge, so if you wanted, you could fit these cranks onto a gravel or road bike.
The crank arms can be picked up in Matte Raw and Matte Black colours.
The other key point is there’s a huge range of crank lengths. Starting at 135mm, potential customers can pick 145, 155, 160, 165, and 170mm crank lengths. There’s nothing larger, but if you’re after longer cranks, that’s not 5Dev’s bag. For this test, I went for the 160mm crank, moving down from my usual 170mm.
As for weight, 5Dev claims a 165mm crank with a 29mm spindle comes in at 610g, whereas my 160mm crank with a DUB Wide spindle weighs 634g. In all honesty, the weight is not impressive, being heavier than a standard 170mm SRAM GX T-Type crankset by 51g. However, there’s more at play than weight alone.
5Dev R-Spec Trail Enduro crankset – Performance
A large part of what makes the R-Spec crankset so exciting is how it looks. It benefits from 5Dev’s CNC machining experience as it’s incredibly tidy, so much so that the track marks left by less sophisticated CNC machines have been shaved away. It’s then finished with a matt finish. The lines that are present are sharp and uniform – it’s an excellent-looking crankset that’s nothing short of unique, despite clearly being a lesser-priced option in 5Dev’s range.
The matte-raw colour pictured here is certainly a product that stands out, but the point to take from that colour is that it resists wear. I always rub my heels on my cranks, which always results in some of the finish wearing away but on the Raw R-Spec crank, that simply hasn’t occurred – or at least not that I could see. There’s no doubt that eventually, some could become more visible but if that happens, it’ll be a long way down the line. I cannot speak for the matte-black finish, however.
The only thing that’ll hurt the crank’s look is a serious hit from a rock but that’s the case with any competing product. The important thing is that it shrugs off heel rub and continues to look great even after filthy winter rides. Something to note, however, is that it does require a little bit more attention when it comes to cleaning, as dirt does get into the hollow bits.
The crankset has been flawless. Under power, there has been no creaking and it’s mated well with the C-Bear ceramic BB I’ve been running over the past couple of months.
As you would expect from the triangular reinforcement, it’s a stiff crankset but not so much that it destroys a ride. Flex is minimal so there’s marginally more vibration than you would expect of something carbon-flavoured, which can certainly be bought for a similar price, if not cheaper.
Installation is fairly simple, too. it’s like many aftermarket cranks where both arms bolt onto the spindle. This means that both arms can be accessed quickly without having to remove a crank and a spindle as you would with single-sided self-extracting bolts such as SRAM’s cranks. The three-bolt chainring interface is simple and doesn’t require any fancy tools and is reasonably quick to use.
5Dev R-Spec Trail Enduro crankset – Verdict
While the performance of the R-Spec crankset is great, a few aspects might turn potential customers off – the foremost being the cost. £550 is a lot of cash to spend, especially when there are lighter carbon cranks available for similar money. These include Hope’s Carbon Crank in its 155mm length claiming to weigh 422g.
Race Face’s Era crank will set you back £450, but you’ll need to buy the spindle separately. These claim to be super strong for the weight, and get a handy skid plate to fend off heel rub.
While the Hope and Race Face cranks are carbon fibre and lighter, neither gets that unique design that makes the 5Dev cranks stand out.
The 5Dev R-Spec Trail Enduro crank boasts superb build quality, all-out strength and durability – all the while looking rather unique. It’s compatible with modern standards and bikes, but be prepared for the extra cash outlay and added grams.
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Product purpose:
Build extra:
Chainline: Our Standard Boost Spindle works with 52 and 55mm Chainlines. New DUB Wide Spindle Available.
Bottom Bracket Width: 68 – 73mm for Boost | SuperBoost Available in Select Sizes
Spindle diameters: 30mm and 29mm (need help determining what spindle size? CLICK HERE)
All of our cranks are compatible with any of our spindles. You can swap spindles out at no cost by emailing info@5DEV.com after you place your order.
If you have questions on what spindle you need please email us at info@5dev.com
Lengths: 135mm, 145mm, 155mm, 160mm, 165mm, 170mm
Material: 7050 Billet Aluminum
Crank bolts: Chromoly Steel
Hardware: Self-extracting Hardware
Preloader: CNC’d 7075 Alloy
Chainring: Compatible with SRAM 3-Bolt Direct Mount Chainring Interface
Weight: 610g (165mm length 29mm spindle)
Warranty: 5 Year Warranty
Includes Chainring Mounting Hardware
Made in San Diego, California
Patent Pending
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