5DEV Components R-Spec Crankset [Rider Review]

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for.

5Dev cranks are one of the more fancy looking cranksets on the market. They don't look like the standard crankset. Not only do they have an appealing look, their crank length options allow riders to fine tune their bike fit more. See what our customer thinks!

Intro

It all started with a downtime YouTube hole at work… I have had some problems with bike fit leading to some chronic problems with low back, hip flexor, and saddle issues. I’ve been mountain biking for 20 years and have worked through these issues before with mobility and strength training, but that wasn’t cutting it this time. Some videos discussed crank length so I dove in to that and found that for a 5’2” guy based on my inseam and tibia length I should be riding 145 mm cranks! When WWC had some on sale I hesitantly ordered a pair of 155mm 5Dev R-Spec cranksets , as 145 seemed like too big a jump and I was concerned about the further diminished leverage of 145s.

Overview

I was expecting to dislike the way these looked on my bike as I’m all about black and simple, but I’m not willing to pass up a deal for cosmetics and I think they look good! The instructions were so simple (a sticker stating pedal washers are required was it). Install and fit were no problem. I threw them on the scale just to see and they are about 200 gm heavier than the Sram X01 they were replacing.

My first ride I really didn’t notice much of a difference in seated pedaling until it got steep. When it was steep I for sure felt like I needed to hold a higher cadence to keep the power up, but that higher cadence felt more natural given the smaller arch. Tech climbing felt good even though I feel like it’s a touch more effort for the same power. I’m pretty decent with timing/pistoning and have high engagement hubs, but I do notice that I have more wiggle room for rock strikes. The biggest difference I noticed was downhilling when I’d have a chance to get a few pedal strokes in between turns/tech sections. Standing and putting the power down was strange, it felt like I was riding my kid’s bike (awkward short pedal strokes) but I was also able to get more strokes in and be set up for the next section. The awkward feeling is gone now that I’ve been on them a month or so.

At the end of the ride I thought about how my body felt. The hip flexors felt fine as did the lower back, way better after a ride than they had in months! I went home and ordered another set of cranks for my other bike. On that bike (heavy enduro bike that doesn’t climb efficiently) I notice the leverage more but still prefer these cranks, although I might drop to a 30 tooth chainring.

Final Thoughts

I’m happy with the product. They appear to be very well made and I expect them to be durable. For me, they made a huge difference in how my bikes fit me. As I rode 170s for many years, I expect that I’ve simply lost some mobility and that shorter cranks are a part of the answer for me. I think in general these would be a good product for people wanting to improve bike fit and aren’t terribly concerned with a minor weight and leverage penalty. The titanium version would be awesome for some weight savings but aren’t worth the price tag for me as I ride for fun and exercise with very minimal racing.