Sub Compact Chainsets

I haven't found this topic elsewhere, but seems a gap filling component in between the compact 50/34 and the 1x.

As far as I understand manufacturers are just starting to explore this, as demand for gravel/road adventure bikes increases.

Few examples I could find are:

Praxis Works Alba
FSA SL-K Modular adventure
FSA Omega Megaexo
White Industries VBC
Sugino OX601

Good topic, I'm about to get one too

It's worth mentioning the gearing on these is usually 48/32 or 46/30 or even lower (Sugino). There's also Sugino OX901D, which is a higher-end option.

Praxis are available from bike24, suginos are available from alexscycle and nice carbon SL-K modulars from FSA are about to become available from bike24 as well.

An old 110/74 mtb triple is a great cheapo way of getting a sub compact double. Square taper BB lets you dial-in chainline also. Spa Cycles offer an OTP (albeit with a outer alloy chainguard). I got some single chainring bolts and ditched the chainguard)...

http://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s109p3383/SPA-CYCLES-TD-2-Super-Compact-Chainset-with-Zicral-Rings

Expect a slew of direct mount/separate spider solutions later this year (a la new Easton/Middleburn) as road category looks to borrow current mtb - cheaper and more economical for manufacturers (one crankarm/multiple spiders giving diff. chainlines, bcd's, etc).

Just spend £20 on a Spa Cycles chainring. Or any CX chainset.

Issue generally being not being able to go smaller than 34t on and a std 110bcd (Praxis squeezed a 32t by clocking the ring).

Ones I know of, some of them mentioned above -

Sugino OX601D - Available in black & silver, most chainring combos and crank arm lengths. Hubjub, Alexcycle, Dolan, Soma. 110/110 and 110/74 chainrings, 24mm Hollowtech II compatible.

Sugino OX901D - Available in black & silver, most chainring combos and crank arm lengths. Hubjub, Alexcycle, Dolan, Amazon.co.jp. 110/110 and 110/74 chainrings, 24mm Hollowtech II compatible.

White Industries VBC. Available in black & silver, most chainring combos and crank arm lengths. Bike24. Variable BCD, only compatible WI chainrings (inc internal ring??). Now available square taper and 30mm spindle (compatible with which BB standards??).

Dixna ラ・クランク - Available in black & silver, most chainring combos and crank arm lengths. Available in Japan only (amazon.co.jp et al), 110/74 bcd. Crank arms from 140 to only 170 in length. Hollowtech II BB compatible.

IRD Defiant Wide Compact - Available in silver, limited chainring combos, awkard bcd iirc, many lengths. Available from Soma, IRD, others? Square taper.

SunXCD Exceed - Available in silver, 50.4 chainrings sold separately (e.g. TA). Multiple lengths. Square taper. Also available in triple - 130/74 and 110/74 but who cares about that.

Velo Orange 50.4 BCD crankset - Available in silver, only 46/30. From any VO reseller. Square taper. Square taper.

FSA Tempo Adventure - Available in black, limited chainring choices - maybe only 46/30. Square taper. CHEAP! Could be great if only due to the low price. Odd BCD though - 110/80. Why?

FSA SL-K Modular Adventure BB386EVO - Available in black, only two chainring choices. Custom BCD/Spider. Expensive.Bet on bike24 in the future.

FSA Omega Mega Exo. Available in black, 46/30.Unsure the BCD. Mega Exo BB compatible. Multiple arm lengths. No one has available yet. Bet on bike24 in the future.

Praxis Turn - 48/32 available on (somewhat) standard 110BCD spider. Bike24. 30mm spindle Praxis BB compatible.

Other options: Specialites TA 33 tooth inner chainrings. SRAM 11V spider swaps (4-arm MTB spiders on road cranksets.

That's all that comes to mind at the moment!

Edit: more...

Ene Ciclo crankset - 3 arm silver crankset, seems only available in compact combos with a 34 or 36 inner but it's capable of taking down to a 30.

Andel 3-Pin Classic Double Chainset - Similar to the Ene, available in 46/30 combo. VeloVitality.co.uk. Square taper.

Rene Herse/Compass? Inner ring goes down to 24; retro looks, low q-factor, very lightweight, jewel-like finishing, square taper only, eye-wateringly expensive... Available from velo vitality in the UK.

30mm spindle (compatible with which BB standards??

T47, BSA30, probably BB386, probably BB/PF30

Also worth noting for anyone considering second hand 601Ds: There was a recall due to cracking of the spindle where the LH arm is bolted down. So check the details before buying a second-hand set, or against the set you already have.

Not only that but they messed up the torque specs on the leaflet that came with them previously and issued new ones (for both M6 and M5 bolts depending on your version) to stop LH cranks dropping off while riding.

Yeah it's this 'probably' which is a bit infuriating for such a pricey part. Perhaps their site is now updated, but no mention of what DS/NDS spacers would be required to properly fit them last I looked.

If it's the R30 crank, then WI says:

This R30 is compatible with BSA, T47 and Press Fit 30 systems.

You can see the spacers required here:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/53cd4a66e4b0216897ed1b86/t/5824cf2437c5811416711579/1478807333141/MR30+Crank+and+BB+chart.pdf

Cool thanks. I wasnt able to find that link when I searched last.

Yeah it's kinda buried.

Just noticed Rotor are doing this too:

Wow, this is pretty cool! And it's also already available on Bike24.
Although I have very little understanding on Rotor direct mount crankset systems, and their BBs, can someone please enlighted me/us here? thanks

all rotors have removable spiders, requires a special tool though

Currently torn between these options:

1. Order Sugino OX901d directly from alexcycle right now. Pros - available, I have a bb for them. Cons - on the expensive side, not the coolest looking one
   
2. Wait for FSA modular. Pros - best looking option, also carbon. Cons - available God knows when, need a bb with them
   
3. Try to source rotors with new spiderring as above. Pros - appears to be available. Cons - need new bb, need to sort out which crank/bb to get in order to work with spiderring, expensive, also made need to source from different places
   
   

Hmmmm...

Power2Max Gravel cranks do 46/30 combo:

https://www.power2max.com/en/ngeco-gravel-power-meter/
https://www.power2max.com/en/ng-gravel/

https://power2max.cc/collections/gravel/products/gravel-ng-rotor-power2max-ed-24mm-w-cranks-2x-chainring-package
https://power2max.cc/collections/gravel-ngeco/products/gravel-ngeco-rotor-power2max-ed-24mm-w-cranks-2x-chainring-package

There's also the FSA Gossamer 386 cranks that are 48/32 (and might have lower offerings but I can't find them). They use a non-standard, asymmetric bolt pattern ("ABS") to get down to 32T on a 110bcd.

I'm looking for something down to 28T or 30T for the missus but there's not much available once you exclude square taper and cranks >£250.

FSA Energy Modular 386EVO Road Crankset do 46/30 combo:
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.FSA-Energy-Modular-386EVO-Road-Crankset_204796.htm

I bought one of these second-hand. Lovely chainset but replacement big ring prices are painful. All it needed was a sub-compact spider and it would have been a near perfect chainset. Cranks remove easily on self-extracting bolts and it looks like different length axles could be used, if available.

FSA Energy Modular 386EVO . . .

I am going to have a 46/33 square tapered silver crankset available soon - I believe from Spa cycles and 172.5mm if anyone is needing one

Why not GRX 600?

That post was 2 years ago. I can't remember what I was trying to do but probably keep a powermeter on my bike and give her bike lower gears.

For what its worth, she has GRX cranks on both her bikes now and I took her old FSA cranks for the Tripster in Poland.

I've also bought myself a GRX 1x crank for the Surly to replace the 32T Middleburn cranks that are on there but a bit low geared for what gets mostly road use.