Race Face

Aeffect EXI Crankset

Fresh off the press, the new Race Face Aeffect EXI Crankset is designed for the hard-hitting trail riders and aggressive XC racers who want light weight without breaking the bank. The Aeffect EXI is modestly priced, compared to some of its siblings, so you don't have to blow through all of your upgrade savings in order to achieve the modular crankset that you want. It's built to be tough, with forged 6066 aluminum construction, which is dependable, though admittedly a little less burly than its sibling, the Atlas, though still lands at a respectable strength for all-mountain trail riders and aggressive XC racers.

Like the Atlas, the Aeffect comes along with compatibility with a huge array of bottom bracket standards, but unlike the Atlas, it runs a slimmer spindle, at just 24mm, as opposed to the 30mm Race Face implements on many of its cranks. This interface is compatible with 10 or 11-speed drivetrains, and makes for easy swapping between chainring sizes, so you can dial in the best gear range for you. This particular model comes as a one-by, with a 32-tooth chainring, but is easy to swap around to larger or smaller chainrings, or beyond, if you prefer. Perhaps one of our favorite parts of the adaptability of the crankset is the ability to run it as a direct-mount, one-by, or add a spider mount to convert it to double, or even triple chainrings if you like having a huge range of gears to choose from. The Aeffect EXI reminds of us Race Face's prowess in the world of modular cranksets, and shows us that it's just as capable of creating an affordable version that is still built with solid construction.