illdrag0n

Hello,

Looking for a reliable and strong crankset to replace the stock FSA gossamer on my Focus Mares.

Bottom bracket is a FSA BB-6200 Mega Exo.

the crankset is a 46/36 paired up to all Shimano 105 running gear - 11-28T

Recommendations for a direct swapout would be great.

Thanks

dr_lha

You don't really say what your goals are here, or why you are replacing the FSA crank (broke, something wrong with it, you don't like it?)

However, how about this, which is Shimano's 105 level CX crankset:

Amazon.com : Shimano CX50 10-Speed Double Road Bicycle Crank Set - FC-CX50 : Sports & Outdoors

EDIT: I would suggest getting a replacement bottom bracket to go with that, which adds another $30 (+tools).

fietsbob

Yea , want 105, get the whole set, crank & BB, resell the FSA, crank & BB as a set, too.

(probably on the bike build as economic pick , so you would buy the Bike at the lower selling price)

illdrag0n

Thanks guys,

Was hesitant to swap the bb because of my noobishness in the matter, but the external bb replacements look easy enough on YouTube.

Can anyone confirm if the following gear is comparable with my existing setup?

Shimano Ultegra 6800 Double CX 11 Speed Chainset | Chain Reaction Cycles

Shimano Ultegra 6800 Bottom Bracket | Chain Reaction Cycles

CafeVelo

Still doesn't explain why you're switching. That crank is quite good, why bother switching?

illdrag0n

Basically for these reasons:

Does FSA Gossamer alloy crankset creaking

https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/198618/

I've tried regreasing the crank splines and re-torquing to manfac spec. The bikes only 5 weeks old which is whats bothering me.

I'f im going to remove the BB i may as well go the whole hog and remove everything FSA - which is why i am contemplating the Ultegra setup above pending confirmation my chain and front derailleur are compatible.

Bike is;
Focus - Bikes | 2015: MARES AX 2.0 Disc |

Thanks

SkyDog75

You can probably find forum posts about creaking from just about every crankset made since the dawn of the World Wide Web. It's not just FSA, nor does every FSA crankset creak. And those links you posted are years old, so they may not even be applicable to your new crankset. Regardless, if the bike's only five weeks old, it should be covered by warranty. Take it back to the shop and let them make it right at no additional cost to you.

CafeVelo

If it's only five weeks old tighten your crank and bb. With press fit bottom brackets especially, when the crankset settles and loosens up it creaks. It's like cable stretch. Chances are a new bike will come with a free service interval for this reason.

cale

Did this 5-week old bike fall from the sky or is there a bike shop behind it? I think a crank replacement has to be near the bottom of the list of upgrades I'd make. Ultegra is almost all bling with little extra zing.

illdrag0n

Yeah its going to have to go back. Ive just pulled it out all and slathered it all in grease and put it back together. Still noisy as anything under load, but not at cruising speed or when freely rotating the crank on the bike stand.

Sigh... I would think these sorts of things wouldnt be prevalent in a $2000 bike.

CafeVelo

Is it press fit? It could be the bearings, not the crank

cale

Meh, all bikes go through a period of "sorting out". Good luck and write when you've got it back.

dr_lha

Those will work also.

illdrag0n

Bikes back at the shop. See how we go

Dave Mayer

Ah, crankset creaking. I have run almost every brand of crankset ever made, and a subset of all them creaked, at some point in time. So it is not just FSA.

And through diagnosis, I have found that most of the time it was actually one of the following:

• Chainring bolt(s)
• Pedal at threaded crankarm interface
• Bearing(s) within pedal
• Loose BB at interface with frame
• Loose Bearings within BB
• Something loose within frame that settled near the BB
• Seatpost clicking
• Cassette - defective cog or alu spider
• Freehub
• Seatpost bag rubbing on seatpost
• Valve stem on front wheel.

Seriously. Some of these took a long time to figure out.

wroomwroomoops

All those should be divided in two distinct categories: noise that is in sync with pedal rotation and noise that is in sync with wheel rotation. This distinction makes diagnosis much easier. For the record, seatpost clicking belongs to the former, since it's activated by the quads/glutes movement of the cyclist. Freehub belongs to the latter. Etc.

Dave Mayer

Good idea. Yes, some clicks occur with a pedal stroke and some with each wheel rotation. This is a good starting point for diagnosis. However, some problems are more complex, such as a freehub that only clicks when torque is applied from the chain.

Or my front wheel valve stem problem that nearly drove me mental. For 3 weeks. It would only click against the hole in the rim when I was humping on the pedals, which led me to believe it was a drivetrain problem. A 2" piece of electrical tape to secure the stem solved the problem.

Anyway, you may require a friend to ride close to you to diagnose the problem. Someone who is flexible enough to get his/her ear close to your bike to have a listen to the clicking.

And if your bike shop tries to convince you that your current crankset is not 'strong' enough and needs a complete changeout, then consider a changeout of your shop. Such a recommendation is misleading and self-serving. They would just want to needlessly sell you a bunch of new stuff.

Eric S.

I like my cranks long (180mm) and have SRAM Apex on one bike; they're the least expensive way to go long. They're often available for about $100 and free shipping from good eBay sellers with both compact and standard rings.

illdrag0n

Feeling like a bit of a pin prick. Fault lied with not suitably tensioned through axle on the rear wheel. All fixed.