We’ve been waiting for the new e*thirteen Helix 24mm alloy crankset for a few months now, promising that sweet spot balance of lightweight, modular design/compatibility, affordability, plus enduro-ready strength. Now the Helix cranks are ready, and they deliver a killer value – less than 1/3 the cost of an LG1 carbon crankset and almost as light as either of the more expensive LG1 or TRS alloy cranks…
e*thirteen Helix 24mm alloy MTB cranks
e*thirteen says they’ve developed the new forged Helix 24mm alloy cranks for all those trail, all-mountain & enduro riders looking for strength and dependability, without having to shell out big bucks or bolt a boat anchor to their bottom bracket. Light for the climbs, worry-free on the descents.
Tech details
What you get are a set of 6066-T6 forged crank arms that are then CNC-machined to trim away the fat, and bolted-up to a 24mm heat-treated chromoly spindle. By going with steel, E13 can use the smaller spindle diameter (vs. the 30mm alloy spindle of their other cranks) without sacrificing strength or stiffness; and the added benefit is larger, more dependable BB bearings!
The modular crank arms are of course designed to fit e*thirteen’s Helix Direct Mount chainrings, which “perform equally well with both SRAM and Shimano 11 and 12-speed drivetrain systems”. But, they use the 3-bolt SRAM standard so you’ll have plenty of options if you want to use any other rings. The Helix cranks use the e*thirteen-specific Direct Mount interface, the same as on their classic LG1, TRS, & XCX cranks, but not the SRAM standard.
The alloy Helix crank arms come in two lengths – 170 & 175mm – with a single spindle compatible with 68 or 73mm bottom brackets.
All that, and the weight is just 589g with 170mm arms (compare that to 532g for the TRS Plus or 553g for the TRS Plus alloy cranks without rings.)
e*thirteen Helix cranks – Pricing & availability
The new e*thirteen Helix crankset sells for $119 and are available now in black ano only – 170mm of 175mm. Customize your look with the reversible Helix R or Helix rings in five colors and sizes from 28-34T.
