Another iteration of the XT crankset has been released with this new 25th anniversary Shimano Deore XT group for 2008. The most obvious difference in the Shimano FC-M770 XT Crankset is a reduction of 10g in weight while stiffening up the design. Hollowtech II arms are super stiff, something you can appreciate most in those high-power, high-torque situations. The right arm is swaged to the pipe bottom bracket spindle and the left arm pinches the spindle with two bolts.

What we like most about the new crank is the aesthetic improvement. We felt that the older spider design looked like two separate sets of two arms bolted to the right crankarm. And that aesthetic didn't seem strong, especially when the outer ring seemed to keep this design theme going. The new four-arm spider appears to be one solid unit, and the mills and cutouts on the outer ring back up this image. The cool factor for these cranks is the carbon-encasing-steel sandwich for the middle chain ring. Shimano says that this stiffens up the ring and helps it last longer. We don't know if this will hold true yet, but if it can add stiffness and life while adding some flair, we're all for it.

The Shimano Deore XT FC-M770 Hollowtech II Crankset comes with a 104/64mm bolt circle diameter. It includes 44/32/22-tooth chain rings and the external Hollowtech bottom bracket. The outer two rings are ramped and pinned for easier shifting. The bottom bracket is included with the crankset. The crank is available in 165-180mm lengths in 5mm increments. 850g. MSRP $269.99.