FSA 2010: Lighter gears for Cross Country

The Taiwanese crank specialist FSA is launching the new "386" standard for mountain bike cranks with two chainrings for the coming year. Thanks to a new mounting system with just three bolts, it is possible to fit smaller sprockets and therefore ride a wider gear ratio.

Thanks to the new "386" development, it is possible to ride a small chainring with only 27 teeth on double cranks. For cross-country riders on steeper terrain, this offers the advantage of a wider gear ratio. With previous double crank systems, the larger bolt circle diameter for the chainring attachment meant that 29 teeth was the limit.

In order to reduce the gear ratio, FSA has reduced the bolt circle diameter from 94 to 86 millimetres and dispensed with a crank bolt. As a pleasant side effect, this makes the crank arm stiffer and also somewhat lighter.

FSA is offering the new "386" standard on two cranks for 2010. The top model K-Force Light 386 with a hollow carbon crank arm is available from a weight of 630 grams, the aluminum crank Afterburner 386 from 750 grams. Both cranks are available with 42/27 or 40/27 chainring combinations. They are optionally available for integrated BB30 bottom brackets or the bolted Megaexo bearing shells.

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