[...]Unfortunately, had a crank arm snap[...]
@
mev Horrified by the picture :/ I'd never imagine that this was a possibility. IIRC from your book, you are a powerful rider. Still....
1. Did it fail under extreme load (i,e, climbing a steep grade standing on the pedals)
2. Any early warning sign that the part had become unreliable vs sudden and totally unexpected? (you write without warning. On closer examination, still no indication that failure was imminent?)
3. What about the part itself? Was is a low-end component?
I've read here and there about cranks failures. Looks like there might have been a faulty batch of Ultegra a few years ago. Reports that this is a fairly frequent occurrence with no-name components. And a blurb about a heavy pro who would routinely break cranks, But for the amateur crowd, Shimano XT/XTR and Saint above all, are said to be bombproof.
Specific questions would read: (1) should we preventatively replace cranks (say, every 2 chainrings replacement) (2) Is it worth investing in XT/Saint groupsets to essentially eliminate the risk of sudden failure?