Anyone use sram red cranksets?

[Cataboo]

Did you get the rival because of the price differential or did you decide that they were in someway better?

[aicabsolut]

A friend of mine runs the 52/36 Red cranks and loves it. She used to use a Campy (not sure which level) 50/34 compact.

I wouldn't worry about the BB. External BBs hold up just fine. The BB30 cranks are supposedly better (at least, they are lighter...stiffness probably has more to do with the frame design at the BB there).

[Cataboo]

Yeah, I'm talking myself into them... I've been watching my max speeds on various bikes... I definitely like a compact to climb, but the bike I manage to go the fastest on is the one with the worst wheels, but has the 53 outer chain ring. Average speed, I do better with the compact - which is probably just I climb better with them.

So I think the 52, 36 is a good compromise.

[celerystalksme]

Did you get the rival because of the price differential or did you decide that they were in someway better?

Rival is stiffer and cheaper...Red is lighter.

Rival is among the stiffest cranks on the market regardless of price point or weight or anything. It's just stiff! I had Rival on my Specialized Roubaix Expert. It was fine, it worked great. I got Red...and it also works fine, it's great.

Unless you're an absolutel BEAST pushing a bazillion watts on a climb or sprint in the pro peloton, you won't noticed Red being any less stiff than Rival. Similarly, while riding, most people can't really tell that Red is a lighter crankset than Rival either.

If money is in good supply, just get Red...it's lighter, very stiff, and has bling factor. It might make you faster just via the psychological effect of knowing you have one of the stiffest light weight cranks.

[Cataboo]

Unless I find a great deal on the rival - I'm looking at a $60 price difference between the 2, and for $60, I'd be tempted to go for the carbon bling. I haven't looked whether rival comes in the 52 /36 compact.

[Mr. SR500]

I just switched to a compact red crank, not sure about chainrings since I run Rotor Rings, but I really like the crank. I just used my old GXP bottom bracket, I may still upgrade to the ceramic. I don't ride the Madone often in poor weather, but it does happen occasionally, and the ceramic BB is a little more fussy in poor conditions.

That said, Red is clearly the best value in a high end crank.

[Cataboo]

Thankfully you guys are convincing me that I should cave & buy one.