Revamped wheels, and lots of other all-new products for 2012
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Crankbrothers has an impressive collection of 26" and 29" mountain bike wheels these days.(Image credit: James Huang)
Crankbrothers' top-end Mallet 3 gets a new two-piece aluminum and polycarbonate body, a slimmer profile, and upgraded seals for 2012.(Image credit: James Huang)
Also new from Crankbrothers for 2012 are the messenger-style Alley and the Gutter backpack, both with ventilated backs.(Image credit: James Huang)
The Crankbrothers Opium 3 drops 127g off of last year's model.(Image credit: James Huang)
Crankbrothers left 2.3mm of additional thickness at the valve and weld seam to lend greater durability to its alloy rims.(Image credit: James Huang)
Crankbrothers' new saddle bag features a simple strap arrangement that won't snag your shorts.(Image credit: James Huang)
Saddle rails are easily replaced by removing the locking wedge up front.(Image credit: James Huang)
Crankbrothers adds two saddles to its range for 2012.(Image credit: James Huang)
Crankbrothers adds an entry-level seatpost for 2012 with a bonded aluminum head.(Image credit: James Huang)
The investment cast stainless steel tool bits on Crankbrothers' new Pica+, Pica, and Pixl mini-tools are detented so they won't annoyingly flop around when you're trying to use them.(Image credit: James Huang)
The Pica+ includes 8mm and 10mm sockets.(Image credit: James Huang)
Styling is decidedly sleek on Crankbrothers' new mini-tools.(Image credit: James Huang)
Crankbrothers keeps 29" wheels in its lineup for 2012, even shaving a few grams, too.(Image credit: James Huang)
All-new for 2012 are three redesigned Mallets.(Image credit: James Huang)
The smaller Ascender is meant more for cross-country journeys with more minimal pockets.(Image credit: James Huang)
Crankbrothers has also given its wider bars more sweep for 2012, too.(Image credit: James Huang)
Widths grow across the board for Crankbrothers' handlebar lineup. (Image credit: James Huang)
The new Crankbrothers Cobalt 11 wheels use tubeless-compatible carbon rims to hit an impressive 1,380g claimed weight.(Image credit: James Huang)
Love it or hate it, the new Crankbrothers Cobalt 11 hubs get an eye-catching black and gold anodized finish. Front hubs are convertible between 9mm and 15mm standards.(Image credit: James Huang)
Spoke-anchoring tabs on the Crankbrothers Cobalt 11 wheels are integrated into the mold instead of an extrusion like with the aluminum models.(Image credit: James Huang)
The solid outer rim wall on the new Crankbrothers Cobalt 11 wheels makes for easier tubeless compatibility.(Image credit: James Huang)
All-new freehub bodies supposedly withstand ten times the static load of previous versions.(Image credit: James Huang)
142mm thru-axle rear hubs are convertible to 135mm quick-release but unfortunately, not the other way around so choose wisely. (Image credit: James Huang)
Crankbrothers shaved a lot of weight off of various aluminum models thanks to aggressive rim machining. (Image credit: James Huang)
Crankbrothers' new gear bag is seriously large.(Image credit: James Huang)
The Descender is the larger of Crankbrothers' two hydration packs, featuring external pockets for pads and a full-face helmet plus a removable tool organizer.(Image credit: James Huang)
Just as we gathered during the sneak peek at NAHBS, Crankbrothers has infused its new Mallet and 5050 pedals with much of the same DNA as its revamped Candy and Eggbeater models. In particular, both ranges benefit from new slimmer, two-piece press-fit bodies and greatly improved sealing – in fact, Crankbrothers is so confident of the latter that the warranty period is now a generous five years on most models.
The top-end Mallet 3 gets a two-piece aluminum and polycarbonate body with adjustable 8mm traction pins, investment cast wings, forged chromoly spindles, and a combination of needle and cartridge bearings for a silky smooth spin. Claimed weight is a competitive 435g for the pair and pricing is very reasonable at US$120.
The US$90 Mallet 2 downgrades to stamped steel wings and an inboard bushing while the entry-level Mallet 1 uses a polycarbonate body for just US$60.
Differences between the US$100, 433g 5050 3 and US$80, 428g 5050 2 are similarly small. Both use two-piece aluminum and polycarbonate bodies, forged chromoly spindles, 10mm adjustable traction pins, and outboard cartridge bearings. The 5050 3 uses a smoother-spinning inboard needle bearing, though, while the 5050 2 makes do with a bushing.
New freehub bodies for all wheels plus all-new carbon-rimmed cross-country model
Crankbrothers' new Cobalt 11 flagship wheelset retains the unique paired spoking and rim attachment method as the company's other wheels but upgrades to 19mm-wide (internal width) tubeless-compatible carbon fiber rims that drop the complete claimed wheelset weight down to just 1,380g – assuming you can stomach the US$2,200 price tag (and the love-it-or-hate-it anodized black and gold finish).
Crankbrothers has also taken weight out of the second-tier US$950 Cobalt 3 thanks in part to more aggressive rim machining. 26" versions now weigh 1,550g (a loss of 40g from the 2011 model) while the 29" variant boasts a claimed weight of 1,670g (a drop of 89g). New for 2012 is the entry-level 1,690g Cobalt 2 (1,773g for the 29er version) with less rim machining and cheaper hubs for US$650.
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The Iodine 3 all-mountain and Opium 3 downhill wheelsets have also been put on diets, dropping 138g and 127g of mass, respectively – claimed weights are now 1,765g and 1,935g.
All Crankbrothers wheels get much-needed freehub body changes, too, with all-new designs that are said to withstand over ten times the static load of previous models. Cobalt and Iodine models also feature convertible 9/15mm front hubs and 135/142mm rear hubs, though the latter comes with a caveat: only 142mm thru-axle wheels can be converted to quick-release as the 135mm models get extra internal machining that saves an extra 35g but then prevents the use of an oversized axle.
New saddles, multi-tools, and bags, too
Crankbrothers moves into yet another product category with the introduction of two new saddles for 2012: the Iodine 11 and Iodine 3, both made in Italy by fi'zi:k and featuring relatively flat upper profiles, genuine leather covers, and slight central channels to help alleviate pressure. The US$170, 239g 11 gets tough-and-light k:ium rails while the US$110, 283g 3 substitutes hollow chromoly rails instead.
Both sets of rails are uniquely replaceable, too, via clever aluminum wedges that are bolted into the front end of the saddle. According to Crankbrothers, this will make for easier (and cheaper) saddle repairs in the event of a bad crash – just unbolt the wedge, slide the damaged rails out, insert the new ones, and bolt the wedge back into the shell.
Crankbrothers also moves a bit further upscale in the tool department with the new Pica+, Pica, and Pixl, all with sleek 6061-T6 aluminum bodies, keen styling with rounded edges and sculpted lines, and detented investment cast stainless steel bits that conveniently hold their positions during use. Prices range from US$60-70.
Finally, Crankbrothers is even moving into the soft goods arena as well with two hydration packs, two messenger-style bags, a saddle pack, and even a big gear bag.
This article first appeared on Bikeradar. All CN's Sea Otter 2011 content can be found here.
