M5 crankset is coming up

Last year M5 ligfietsen, a dutch company owned by Bram Moens, announced a new crankset with a claimed weight of 238g. The concurrently developed bottom bracket has a target weight between 120g to 140g including cups & bearings. The market launch was targeted for January 2007.

Now we have almost September 2007 and it has become quiet around the product. But for not raising fears that this crank will be delayed over and over again, as it actually happens to the Zero Gravity crank, Bram ensured in a short interview, that the cranks will be available this year. He pointed out, that M5 did additional laboratory tests to sustain the high quality standards other M5 products are known for. Within the last months, the crank prototypes finally hit the road and have collected several thousand of miles.

Bram also gave a rough estimate for the price, which he sees around 750 Euro ( including BB, chainrings and tools for the installation ). Compared to other cranks in the top-notch segment, obviously meaning the THM Clavicula, the price seems to be competitive. In particular when bearing in mind, that the M5 crank claims to have 20% less weight but simultaneously a 10% higher stiffness than the THM pendant, which hopefully will proven to be valid.