Shimano XT Cranks M780

While the 2012 buzz may be around the double M785 crankset, Shimano are continuing to provide their wide-range triple Deore XT crankset for riders who frequent steep terrain. For most riders, there is no going past a 3x10 drivetrain and the ease of having a 32t middle chainring. While a 2x10 drivetrain may work for some, you only have to look at how many 2012 bikes are coming with a triple crankset to realise that for the majority of us out there that aren't XC World Cup Pro's, the versatility of a 3x10 drivetrain provides all the right gears you could ever need off road. As part of Shimano's Dyna-Sys technology, the 3-ring XT cranks provide a the middle chainring that may full suspension bikes are designed around, so your suspension work smoother with less feedback through the chain. Featuring trickle-down technology from the incredible XTR groupset, the latest Deore XT crankset gets you within a whisker of its bigger brothers performance, at a fraction of the cost.

For dependable performance, it's hard to go past Deore XT. With lightweight HollowTech crank arms and the latest SG-X chainrings, you won't find a better performing crankset for the monies. Year after year, Shimano mountain bike parts have once again proven they are amoungst the worlds best. Shimano XT cranks address the needs of today's riders just like it did when it was first introduced back in 1982 as the world's first MTB group. The latest M780 crankset features redesigned crankarms that reduce weight over last years model, while still utilising the stiff HollowTech design. A 24mm pipe billet hollow steel axle is fused to the driveside crankarm and is attached to the non-drive crank with a simple preload cap and pinch bolt arrangement, giving the XT cranks their "2-piece" denomination. Like the 9 speed version, the M785 cranks get the latest external bottom bracket that features upgraded sealing and better quality bearings than older Shimano BB's, so your cranks will spin smoother for longer.
Compared to the 9 speed model, the DynaSys XT Cranks get a tighter ratio to work optimally with the latest wide-range cassettes. The 42-32-24t chainring combination reduces the gap between each gear resulting in faster and more accurate shifting as the front derailleur has to do less work to shift the chain.