Product news: At the Sea Otter Classic in the USA, Cane Creek presented the eeWings, the first crank in the company's history. The special feature: cranks and shaft are made of titanium, are extremely light at 400g and are said to be more robust and significantly stiffer than the carbon competition. However, all of this has its price.
Titanium isn't exactly the first material people associate with bicycle cranks. It used to be steel, but now probably 90% of the cranks out there - whether on MTB, racing or trekking bikes - are made of aluminum or carbon. The high price range, where every gram of weight counts for many, is firmly in the hands of carbon fiber cranks.
The traditional American manufacturer Cane Creek is now breaking new ground in two ways with its eeWings crank: It is not only the manufacturer's first crank, but the exotic material titanium is also used here. In the 90s there were already one or the other crank made of the noble metal material, but at least in the recent past no real titanium crank was available.
So why the decision? Why not rely on proven materials that have been tried and tested thousands of times over? Brent Graves, the CEO of Cane Creek, says that the intention was to push the limits of what is possible with the first crank. It's no coincidence that it's the second component in the classy ee series from Cane Creek - the extremely light eeBrakes were already presented last year.
[testimonial name=“Brent Graves“ title=“Cane Creek CEO“ font_size=“16″ background=“#“ color=“#“ border=“#“ img_border=“#“ name_color=“#“ title_color=“#“]“When we decided to build a crank, we wanted to create something special from the start, something that would push the boundaries of what was possible and thus deserve the ee designation […] We selected the best materials and made no compromises and spared no expense.”[/testimonial]The crank was developed together with component guru Craig Edwards - the brains behind the eeBrake and part of Cane Creek since summer 2016. In the 90s, Edwards had already set new standards with their Sweetwings cranks. Now he would like to repeat this with the eeWings.
Cane Creek eeBrake El Diablo - New Limited Edition Coming Soon
The eeWings were designed for tough use on mountain bikes: you don't have to worry about any damage in enduro races either. The manufacturer grants a full ten-year guarantee on its first crank offspring. The arms are made of titanium like the 30mm shaft. Without the chainring, the weight should be around 400g, but up to 30% stiffer than the carbon competition. For comparison: what is probably the lightest carbon crank on the market at the moment, the Race Face Next SL G4, is only slightly lighter at just under 370g.
However, the light weight of the eeWings is not bought with windy constructions, but relies on stability. "When you're out and about on a mountain bike, you inevitably hit rocks or other obstacles with the crank every now and then. With carbon cranks, such impacts can lead to structural damage and breakage. Titan can only laugh about such scratches and can therefore tolerate significantly more than other high-end cranks," says Sam Anderson, product manager at Cane Creek.
The 30mm axle is compatible with all common bottom bracket standards (BSA 68/73mm | PF92/89.5 | 392EVO | PF30/BB30). The bearing preload is adjusted via a robust aluminum ring, which is also available separately and is said to be compatible with other 30mm cranks. It can also only be equipped with a chain ring via Direct Mount - but the choice is plentiful thanks to compatibility with Sram's X-Sync Standard.
Does it all sound too good to be true? The big but is ultimately the price: In the USA, it is sold for a hefty $999 over the counter – it is unlikely to be available cheaper in this country.