Announced just before Interbike last year, e*Thirteen’s new lightweight TRS All Mountain cranks have been stretched to accommodate what else, but fatbikes. We asked if the announcement of SRAM’s fatbike cranks would have any impact on e*Thirteen’s sales – the answer was yes, some, but e Thirteen feels that the advanced features of the TRS line will set their cranks apart. Fatbikes will get all but the highest TRS R (race) cranks with the base and + models which feature the new APS bottom bracket preload adjuster and removable spiders.
Thanks to the new removable spider, e*Thirteen is able to offer a one piece, double ring set up as well as a forthcoming XX1 ring.
Cranksets will include the needed tool to remove the spider lock ring, which holds on single or double chainrings with an e Thirteen proprietary design – which means you can’t run other spiders or one piece rings. Of course with the traditional spider (included with the Plus model) for the TRS cranks, you can run other rings with the right BCD.
Initially, the one piece doubles will be available in 20/34 and 24/36T with more options possibly down the road.
Finally, new for this year is a Ti-Nitride coating on the angular contact bearing races for the Plus Level bottom bracket which should help to further bottom bracket durability. The base model will still have stainless steel bearing races, and there is no specific Race bottom bracket. While they didn’t have anything to show at Frostbike, apparently e*Thirteen is working on an XX1 compatible chainring for their replaceable spider design. Like SRAM, e*thirteen is using a special tooth profile for chain retention and will be offereing the rings possibly late 2013 in even number rings only.
