Rotor

3D30 Road Crankset

When we're shopping for a new crankset, our demands are relatively simple. We want things to be stiff, reliable, light, and it doesn't hurt if they're pocket friendly, too. While carbon cranks may seem like an obvious choice, there's still something to be said for aluminum, and when it comes to machining from aeronautic grade alloy, Rotor sure does take the cake. The 3D30 Road Crankset offers a workhorse crank with lightweight aluminum construction that claims carbon level stiffness, without the carbon price tag. They scale in just a bit heavier than the 3D+ flatship cranks, but the difference is negligible at just 29g heavier, while maintaining just as much stiffness and reliability. This model comes ready to ride with a 52-36t set of rings, offering semi-compact gearing to get you through just about any terrain that could be in your neck of the woods.

So the obvious question here is: what about the weight difference with carbon? It's negligible, at best. Rotor brings all of its tech-geekery to bear on these puppies in the form of a proprietary CNC-machining process called Trinity Drilling System (TDS). It involves mapping and removing as much material as possible without compromising the crank arms' structural integrity or stiffness. Maybe Rotor could've shaved off more weight, but we're assuming restraint won out because—like us—those crafty Spaniards were unwilling to make sacrifices in how the crank feels under the pedal stroke in order to score points on the scale. To which we say gracias. Grams are shed but the stiffness-to-weight ratio remains in the green.