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Rotor Kapic MTB crank goes carbon with lightest and stiffest crankset to date

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How do you celebrate seven victories of Rotor sponsored athletes at the Cape Epic? How about the introduction of your first carbon crankset for mountain bikes? That’s exactly what Rotor is doing with the all new Kapic Carbon, calling it their lightest and stiffest crank ever at just 429g (175 mm, 32t w/o BB).

Rotor Kapic MTB crank goes carbon with lightest and stiffest crankset to date

Rotor Kapic MTB crank goes carbon with lightest and stiffest crankset to date

While the crankset was developed with Rotor’s elite athletes in races like the Cape Epic, it’s designed to be strong enough to use on all mountain bikes as well. This is apparent when you consider the fact that they’ll have versions for both Boost and Super Boost chainline spacing, and 165, 170, and 175mm crank lengths. Rotor points out that with modern mountain bike frames, the cranks have to flare out at more dramatic angles in order to clear the chainstays which played into the design and layup of the Kapic Carbon.

Rotor Kapic MTB crank goes carbon with lightest and stiffest crankset to date

Rotor Kapic MTB crank goes carbon with lightest and stiffest crankset to date

Using the same modular design as their current aluminum cranks, the Kapic Carbon uses their proprietary spline interface with an aluminum axle. It also uses their OCP or Optimal Chainring Position mounting design which allows for direct mount chainring installation with a single bolt. More importantly, it allows for micro-adjustment of their Q Rings to find your ideal positioning. Cranksets will be offered with either round or Q Rings in 26-40t single ring sizes.

Rotor Kapic MTB crank goes carbon with lightest and stiffest crankset to date

Rotor Kapic MTB crank goes carbon with lightest and stiffest crankset to date

Available in July, the cranksets will sell for $499 for the cranks, oval or round rings, and axle.

rotorbike.com

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13 Comments
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Klaster_1
Klaster_1
5 years ago

Why prefer this over e*13 XCXr, which is 37g lighter and USD100 cheaper?

Cheese
Cheese
5 years ago
Reply to  Klaster_1

Made in Spain, maybe?

Marc L
Marc L
5 years ago
Reply to  Cheese

Are the carbon Kapics made in Spain?

TimE
TimE
5 years ago
Reply to  Klaster_1

Because they don’t break?

Gee
Gee
5 years ago

How about : quality,quality control and after sales service

Johnny
5 years ago
Reply to  Gee

That hasn’t been my experience with Rotor, but I’m glad to hear that’s been yours. They hit exactly none of those things for me…

Jan (@mtbxcjan)
5 years ago

Bike looks nice – what is it?

VeloFreak
VeloFreak
5 years ago

I´m in the market for one of these carbon light cranks for XC. I just bought the shimano 900, but I plan on replacing them, as soon as I know which one of these doesnt break. The old race face break, the new ones are new, the e*13 are new, the easton also break. the only ones tested that doesn’t break are the sram ones. Looking forward to see these ones properly tested.

Swangarten
Swangarten
5 years ago
Reply to  VeloFreak

Cane Creek ti..

Pinko
Pinko
5 years ago
Reply to  VeloFreak

The only ones that don’t break are sram? Ever been to any race? Sram carbon cranks are notorious for snapping. If you have xtr9000 there is nothing better – if you want something light, reliable and that does not need adjustment all the time.

Matthias
Matthias
5 years ago

It’s easy to see how carbon makes a big difference for a crankset in terms of weight. But to anyone who thinks they can feel the kind of flex in a regular crank, basically a solid chunk of aluminium with several cm² of cross section, that would make the attribute “stiffest” for this one at least marginally meaningful: I have a nice bridge you might be interested in. Some carbon-free, helium-filled copper HiFi brake cable while we are at it?

Greg
Greg
5 years ago
Reply to  Matthias

Agreed. From solid arms with square taper bottom brackets to big section hollow arms with Shimano Octalink, there was a noticeable difference. From then on, there are some benefits, but extra stiffness was much lower on the list

pm732
5 years ago

propriety DM spline is a big fail. Would seriously consider them otherwise. nobody wants to be locked in to one CR supplier and i doubt the CNC shops are gonna tool up for Rotor, given their limited marketshare.

Q-factor is 1.5mm too wide as well IMHO.

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