Miche cranksets considered harmful?

Wonder if their newer cranks suffer the same fate. I've got a Pistard Air that I'd like to not explode

I presume it’s a flaw in the shape of the casting so should be limited to Primatos?

That said, Miche Supertype seatposts are known to be cracky so perhaps they are using a subpar alloy or something?

Have anybody had some problems with the Miche Pistard Air or 2.0 crankset? Been thinking to upgrade my crankset to Miche until I found this forum, now I don’t k oe what to do, have around $200 for a new crankset

$200 for a new crankset

Does it have to be new? That's used Dura Ace/Campag/Omnom money.

The only reason I have found for running Miche stuff is because it's cheap. The cranksets I had, I got very cheap.

If I was looking at a £/$200 spend then Miche would not even enter my mind.

The old forum joke of anything Miche being made of cheese has it's roots in fact.

Think it's time to remove the question mark from the title of this thread.

I've had no issues with Miche Pistard 2.0. (Or the Miche Primato Advanced - but I am only about 60kg.) It's a very nice crankset; quite similar to SRAM Omnium. It was only about £130 when I bought it in 2018 (which is about what the Miche Primato Advanced is selling for now.) By the way, if you are looking for 170mm cranks, the Pistard 2.0 is at a very good price (£118.99) here (as are the Pistard Air).

I've also had no problems with Miche sprockets, bottom brackets, and hubs. Perhaps I am just lucky...

I've also had no problems with Miche sprockets, bottom brackets, and hubs. Perhaps I am just lucky...

I think you might be.

Sprockets - the ones with the carrier can get in the sea. Pointless invention, solution to a problem that doesn't exist. Work loose on the street and require use of a lockring so pointless for track.

That said, we are using their standard threaded cogs at work now and no complaints.

Bottom brackets - the old ones that could float a bit so you could adjust the chainline were useless, wouldn't stay tightened up where you wanted them for love nor money. Seen a few frames trashed because they loosen and float themselves over to the nds and the ds crankarm hits the chainstay, usually happens during a race or some other inopportune moment.

New ones are better as they have a flanged driveside cup to tighten down onto the frame but it can be fiddly lining the nds cup up with the other half during installation meaning they jam up half way in. Probably not an issue when you are fitting one but when you have 79 to do...

Also they use the cassete lockring tool instead of a standard bb tool. Why?!

Hubs - I find the hardware rusts up super quick and the axles are just threaded rod with no central shoulder to support the inner race of the bearing.

Italian or whatever lockring threads so you have to choose between spending £££ for a Campy or Phil (I think) replacement or use the Miche one and while the cranks and seatposts could be made of Parmesan, the lockrings are full on squidgy ricotta.

While we are on wheel components, the rims are wrong uns. Spoke holes drilled too large or too near the edge of the central well so you have to be really careful about rim tape selection and application to avoid constant mystery punctures.

Where do you guys buy used stuff, I seem not to be able to find used things of eBay

This poor guy came into our bike shop recently with a busted up hand because the Primato on his Cinelli Mash Work fully snapped on the non-drive side. We're sending it off under warranty. This is not the first time we've had to do this. I'm currently riding one and have been following this thread and I'm scared. Even did a race on it recently, I should probably stop.

Those have been waiting to fail a while. Interesting that it’s a different point of failure than the other reports though.

That bi-tone alu?

Makes me think user didn't seen a crack and kept using them?

Makes me think user didn't seen a crack and kept using them?

Still shite that they cracked in the first place.

If they’re sold in the UK isn’t there a consumer protection concern at this point? This many cracked and broken cranks deserve a recall.

i had a really horrible experience trying to get them to replace mine through warranty. they were adamant there must have been some 'external impact' i wasn't telling them about. only mentioning this cos this thread might serve as good evidence to use to make your case if you have to

This seems to be the route the rep was going with ours.

I don't see how an 'external impact' could crack the cranks in behind the spider anyway, it'd put that area in compression which I would have though would be the opposite of what was required to crack them.

Maybe not the best place to ask but I have these on both my bikes so I’m probably gonna die soon anyway. What’s the right bottom bracket length to use with these? Some sites say to use a 110mm and some say to use a 107mm. I’m guessing that the length has changed over the years as on my bike with the older (safer?) primatos I’ve got a 110mm campag bottom bracket and the chain lines bang on. I’m looking to put a new bb in on my other bike with the newer black primatos on as there’s a creaking noise seemingly coming from the bb that came with the cranks (second hand, can’t see marking on the shell to denote size) and the chain line on this frame seems a little off. If the creaking persists with a new bb I’m just gonna assume death is knocking on the door and my cranks are about to give way.

a creaking noise

Good chance its the crack in the crank arm not the bb.

107mmm jis taper bb is where its at though.

You’d also think that any external impact strong enough to break a crankset would also damage the frame or rider in some way...not the sort of thing you wouldn’t tell them about. Accusing your customers of dishonesty doesn’t seem like a particularly good business model to me but what do I know eh!

Here's another.

This put me under a bus and very nearly cost me a considerable amount more than just a new crankset.

I'd had a very minor fall 5 or 6 weeks prior, but judging by the colouring on the break (and the analysis earlier in this thread) this looks like something that could have been brewing for a while longer than that.

Cannondale Capo? I hope it lives. Yeah don't buy more miche parts.

Yup. Fingers crossed, seemed okay on initial inspection…

FFS I've been living under a rock. Got Miche cranks on and due to go out for a longish ride tomorrow.

I mean, I’d go out on a limb and say it’s still statistically unlikely they’re going to spontaneously break…

But I’d definitely use this as a prompt to give them a good inspection before you head out.

I gave them a thorough inspection when I put a new BB in about 250kms ago, few heel rub marks but all looked structurally sound to my untrained eye...

Will check them again but SG 75s have definitely climbed to the top of the shopping list.