A crank is the part of the crankset that is combined with other components to charge the physical movement of your leg that rotates the bicycle tires.
Unfortunately, most BMX riders don’t give a second thought for the cranks when choosing bicycle parts. After all, it doesn’t affect their performance.
Wait! That’s a wrong thought.
Cranks are a pivotal part of a bike that keeps it moving. It’s something you should pay more attention when buying your bike parts.
With this in mind, you should not take it lightly when searching for the ideal BMX cranks. There are so many things that you have to consider. These include;
1. Arm Length of the Crank
The crank arm length affects the whole performance of your BMX crank. For instance, the shorter arm length brings your feet closer. You can do the preforming spin tricks easily without hurting your ankles. Besides, short cranks are known to be more durable and stiffer than their counterparts.
On the other hand, long cranks are perfect if you are looking for pedal efficiency. They also make your bike sturdy and stable, which brings a sense of comfort. With your priorities straight, you can decide which length fits you comfortably since both have their pros and cons.
2. The Diameter of the Spindle
The diameter of the spindle is typically the thickness of the axle that runs through your BMX bike. On average, the best spindle diameter should be about 22mm.
Though there are other spindles with a thickness of 24 mm, which are more robust and stiffer. The only con with these spindles is that they have small bearings that break easily. This won’t happen to spindles with thinner diameters.
In addition, the best BMX cranks must be heat-treated during production. The heat gives them the strength to persevere the intense beating when in action.
Besides, they must be well galvanized or painted to fight off rust, which is a significant enemy of bicycle parts. Not to forget that the price of your chosen BMX also plays a vital role.
Putting all these factors together, we came with a detailed guide and list of the bests BMX cranks that will ease your search. Let’s check them out.
1. Odyssey Thunderbolt Cranks
Topping on our list is the Odyssey cranks, which has been a favorite to many riders for years. It’s by far the most sought for cranks in the BMX community. But all this love does not come for nothing. It’s heavily equipped to upgrade your riding skills.
First of all, it’s a beneficiary of heat treatment, as we have said above. The thermal processing enables it to have intricate structural integrity and strength that will prevent it from breaking even when riding on the off-roads.
The arm length can either be 165mm, 170mm, 175mm, 180mm, and 22 mm spindle with spacers. These are the recommended measurements that improve performance.
2. Litetop Bike Crank Arm Set
This product works very well. Thanks to the high-quality materials for smooth performance. That’s not all, the most fantastic feature with Litetop Bike crank is that it’s very light and can take you up to 900 miles of both preparation and BMX bike tour. This is pretty amazing, putting in place the price, which pretty affordable.
All the parts are made of pure aluminum with great compatibly and high axial strength. What does this mean? The whole system is very durable and can serve you for the longest time.
They are manufactured in two colors – red and black for color selection. In one set, you will get four pieces of single chainring bots, crake screw, and allen wrench.
This is a complete replacement bouquet that ensures your thrill-seeking never comes to a halt. Although it has many features, the tightly spotted chain ring gives it a red flag.
3. Eclat Maverick Bicycle Crank
This BMX crank first got into the market in 2008, but they have shown significant improvement since then. It came at the time where there were so many ideas for creating new parts.
The manufacturer put all these ideas together, and with the help of experts and developers, they created Éclat Maverick Bicycle crank.
The first thing you will notice about the cranks is that they have a really lovely design. They are not the standard cranks that have only put functionality in the forefront but forgotten the outward appearance.
Plus, the manufacturer has really worked on the strength of every part of the crankset. The arms have taken the burden from the weld to avoid breaking. As recommended, it is RSD and LSD compatible and heats treated for increased strength and durability.
When compared to other products from the company, it’s one of the most potent products the company has made. Not to mention that it’s made of cold-forged 7000 series alloy with a weight of 981 g. This bad boy is something worth trying.
4. Smllow Bike Crank Arm Set
Are you an MTB rider? This is what you need. Smllow Bike crank is a high-quality item made from aluminum alloy with robust shockproof and firmness for extreme BMX off-road racing.
When holding it, you will notice how the product is awesomely light with high axial strength. It’s just these features that riders are looking for, right?
As you know, a good crank is not complete if it lacks the right crank arm length. This has a part to play in the speed you want to achieve. So the manufacturer was right when they put the arm length at about 7 inches with the BCD at 4 inches.
It’s also important to note that the crank weighs 690, the lightest in this review. The bottom bracket with a diameter of 24mm accounts for 103 grams of the overall weight.
You can get the crank in four colors, which are; black, red, blue, and gold. The price is the same, even for the gold color. No need to worry. Overall, this item is of perfect quality and works pretty well for every rider regardless of the skill level.
5. Eastern Bikes 48 Spline Eastern Throttle BMX Cranks
At the time of writing this review, this product has 4.5 stars from the reviews it got from previous users. But do these reviews resonate with the features you get? Absolutely yes.
If you are into BMX or just a casual rider, it fits yours perfectly. Why? They are very reliable, and you can trust them for help as you learn the ropes of BMX.
The good thing is that durability does not add weight. It weighs approximately 1.95 lbs, which is lighter than Eclat above.
The standard length is about 170 mm and 175 mm. Besides, the eastern throttle has unmatched quality, for instance, the forged heads for longevity and the 48 splines that will increase efficiency. What does this hint? You get the right weight to power ratio that improves productivity.
You will discover that the product is a really affordable option taking into account the high-quality and features it has. This gives it a considerable advantage over its competitors.
6. CYSKY Bike Crank Arm Set
This crank is probably the most used by many riders. CYSKY BIKE crank is widely available in many countries at an affordable price. It’s something you can trust if you don’t know where to begin.
And it doesn’t disappoint either when we come to the functionalities. Before we go further, it’s good to note that it’s the best for a mountain BMX bike.
Like many other cranks, it’s made of aluminum, the lightest material available for making cranks. In addition, the classy look gives quenches your desire if you ate into sleek things. You will also love the fact that it has high axial strength and an easy installation process.
The bottom bracket is about 73 mm, pretty okay for most riders. The chain system is both a double chain and a single chain for efficiency.
If you are working on a tight budget but you need something that most riders trust, CYSKY is your guy. You will love the experience with it.
7. XCSOURCE MTB Mountain Bike Crankset
This is another BMX crank explicitly made for mountain bike lovers. You know these bikes are intricate and are built to face the challenging mountain terrain. With XCSOURCE MTB crank, they make a perfect team so that you get a comfortable ride over rocky terrain.
If you have noticed, all the cranks in this review are made with aluminum. Same to XCOURCE, which is a very light material. With the material, you can make some beautiful designs that rhyme with BMX for professional use or if you just want to experience the thrill of BMX.
In dimensions, XCSOURCE Cycling is about 69-74mm, which is pretty high, considering the price it goes for. You will also love the fact that it supports the IXF dental plate more smoothly.
As they say, even the sun has a dark spot. The dark spot here is the cheap aluminum bracket, which may not long last as expected.
8. Animal Akimbo Cranks
Don’t mind the name; it might take us the whole day if we try to uncover its genesis. Anyway, the brains behind this BMX crank is called Ralph Sinissis. He wanted to create a very simple crank with the strength to push the bike further on a single strike.
The cranks are made with sturdy materials that will withstand beatings over a long period. You don’t have to worry if you have used some cranks before, and they got “tired” before their time. In addition, it has very smooth arms with tubular design to prevent your ankles from getting hurt when doing tailwhips.
Another critical thing to note is that this crank is very affordable. You also get a lifetime warranty on such bike parts from the seller. You can put them into good use
Final Word
We have come to the end of our simple but very detailed guideline. We have not taken the time to go deeper into the products. We have just brought out the things that are essential in your search.
Our final verdict on the best BMX cranks is the Odyssey Thunderbolt cranks. It takes the cake when we put factors like durability and price. The choice is still yours, though. If you feel it does not meet all your needs, you can pick any from the list.
All we are trying to say is that you should look for a crank that will give you better performance. We hope you will get a crank that will improve your riding skills.