RaceFace Aeffect CINCH Crank Arm Set: 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.

Reliable, strong, and affordable. What more can you ask for in a crankset? For under $150, you can fit your bike with a RaceFace Aeffect crankset. That is exactly what our customer Blane did in this review. Read on to learn more!

Overview

I am now on my third set of these cranks. This last time around, I considered switching things up a bit….try something a little fancier perhaps? After doing tons of research I decided to stick with my good old reliable Aeffects because I really have no reason to switch.

The Good

These cranks are aluminum forged and are quite light. At 200 lbs with gear I don't sense any sort of flex. At 6’1” I run 175 lengths and it feels perfect. I am running a non-boost 28t Wolftooth elliptical chainring with a boost frame and it works flawlessly (something I obsessed about for nothing). This crankset has a 24mm spindle that works with my Shimano bottom bracket. They have CINCH direct mount for (relatively) easy ring swap out and look great with minimal graphics and have a nice flat black finish.

The Bad

I have only two qualms with these cranks. One is that the threads for the removal tool are very wimpy and the insertion angle is a bit weird making it really easy to strip- so be careful when removing these. The second is that the black finish tends to wear off pretty easily if you care about superficial crap like that.

Final Thoughts

All in all, great crank set for the money. I highly recommend these cranks for those who want the most bang for their buck.