eThirteen TRS+ Race Cranks

Durability

The TRSr’s long-term durability is something I’ve been able to test, since I’ve ridden them consistently for the last six months.

The teeth on the chainring have held up well (on their second chain right now) with no gouging or misshapen teeth, which can occur with softer, cheaper chainrings. The finish on the arms still looks new, even though my heels sometime rub when I’m using flat pedals and sneakers. I’ve even bashed the drive-side arm on a rock or two, and you can hardly notice.

And while it’s hard to compare stiffness between cranks given wheel and frame flex, I will say that these cranks provide just what you’d hope: solid power transfer, easy installation and maintenance, and a competitive weight.

Gripes

While this isn’t much of a complaint, it’s still worth mentioning. When I first installed the TRSr cranks I wasn’t running a chainguide or retention device. eThirteen claims the GuideRing M tooth pattern is designed to work best with 11-speed drive trains (narrowest chain available), which may explain why I experienced dropped chains since I had been running these cranks 10-speed (a little less narrow). I decided to toss on a top guide for added insurance, and honestly, I like the placebo effect of having a top guide anyway.

I found the APS preloader would back off a turn after an especially jarring descent, loosening the cranks a smidge. The cranks were still bolted on securely, mind you, and weren’t going anywhere, but a noticeable amount of play became apparent while pedaling back to the parking lot. Again, no big deal, just a quick reach down to re-tighten the plastic collar, and off you go.

The real gripe I have with these cranks is this: eThirteen went above and beyond to re-invent the crank arm interface using military science to attach two parts together. BUT, in doing so, they stepped back in time by forcing owners to use a crank arm puller to remove the damn thing. I’m all for added stiffness and cool new ways of making things work better, but I also appreciate simplicity and the ability to use fewer tools (and time and effort) to maintain the stuff I use.

I’d like to see eThirteen add a self-extracting bolt in future versions, or maybe even a retro-fitted bolt for current owners who have the same issue. Furthermore, these things are almost entirely proprietary, requiring specific tools and eliminating the options for bottom bracket upgrades. And while they do look pretty and don’t weigh a lot, they could be a hassle to work on without the correct tools.

Bottom Line

eThirteen experimented with exotic metals, proprietary interfaces, and updates to their previous products to create a lightweight robust crankset that gets the job done.

If you like one-off products, supporting small, creative companies, eThirteen’s TRS+ Race cranks are a great option that are marketed towards the enduro / 5-6” travel segment. And since these cranks are light and reasonably stiff, I think they’d work great on pretty much any bike where weight and pedaling efficiency are a consideration, regardless of whether or not you’re planning on enduro-ing about on it.