Review from
What MTB
Race Face claims its flagship Next cranks are the lightest strongest carbon cross-country cranks ever made. At 755g, they're certainly featherweights on the scales - so do they perform?
Let's start with how easy Race Face's new EXI system is to fit. Although most outboard bearing cranks are straightforward enough 9don't forget to face the bottom bracket shell), Next goes one step further by gene-splicing a conventional ISIS drive spline with an outboard bearing set-up.
Apart from the pedal inserts, the cranks are 100% carbon, with an oversized, hollow construction to maximise stiffness and trim weight down - an impressive 755g all-in. The carbon used was developed by boeing for its Dreamliner plane. Not that this is reflected in the price - the complete crankset with bottom bracket comes in at £369, a reasonable price in the world of mass-produced carbon cranks.
Shifting is excellent, ramping up and down faultlessly, and CNC machined aluminium chainrings(22/32/42) promise plenty of miles of wear-free riding.
In conclusion...
If you want a superlight, stiff and easy to fit carbon crankset that will stand out from the crowd, without breaking the bank(relatively speaking) the Race Face Next XC will be ideal for you.
Rating: 9/10