Only a couple months again we noticed German machined aluminum specialists Actofive add a 1/2-price, extra-strong Signature X crankset, and now they’re again with a fair decrease price crankset improve for riders with Pinion gearbox bikes. Final week, we took a fast peek into Actofive’s Dresden workshop to see how the Signature X Pinion Gearbox cranks went from prototype to batch manufacturing…
Replace: An essential word right here and an evidence on our altering of the title we use to refer to those cranks. That is an independant challenge of Actofive and is NOT a collaborative challenge with Pinion. Learn on for extra element.
Actofive Signature X Gearbox CNC-machined crankset
The explanation why Actofive created a Signature X Gearbox improve choice for Pinion gearbox riders primarily boiled right down to… why not!
An increasing number of efficiency mountain bikers are shifting to Pinion gearboxes for his or her added sturdiness, safety from the weather, and distinctive weight steadiness on the middle of the bike. However there aren’t actually many alternatives for personalisation. And everyone knows that the sort of people that purchase a really area of interest Pinion gearbox mountain bike, are in all probability additionally the kind who need their bike to be dripping with customized bits.
Pinion’s inventory cast 6061 alloy cranks are fairly boring. And their black anodized CNC 7075 improve cranks are that a lot cooler trying.
And Simon Metzner of Actofive knew he might merely adapt his current Signature X cranks for one thing with extra shiny bling. After all, they’re additionally constructed robust, are lighter than both Pinion choice, and may be had in a couple of fairly colours, too.
Replace: Clarification on crankset growth
Metzner has knowledgeable us of a little bit of clarification to verify their unbiased position in growing these gearbox-ready cranks is evident. “That is an in-house growth by ACTOFIVE/Metzner Engineering. The cranks aren’t examined and accredited by Pinion. The top person subsequently has no declare in opposition to Pinion when utilizing this cranks. The Pinion assure doesn’t apply. ACTOFIVE/Metzner Engineering additionally accepts no assure or guarantee claims for Pinion gearboxes. ACTOFIVE/Metzner Engineering solely gives a assure for the cranks themselves.“
That every one sounds affordable, as they haven’t intention of representing some relationship with the Pinion firm. Solely that Actofive appreciates the mechanics and craftsmanship of the MTB-ready gearbox, and needed to adapt their confirmed CNC cranks to offer Pinion customers the choice for a possible improve and a few customization.
Tech particulars
Actofive CNC-machines the brand new Signature X Gearbox crankset from 7075-T6 aluminum. And assessments them to ASTM F2043-13 / EN 17406 CAT 4 requirements – for gravel, XC, path, and enduro use.
Like the usual Signature X (which shares the very same profiling), the brand new Pinion crankarms function a one-piece design with a machined out bottom. Meaning low weight however excessive energy and impression resistance. Plus, there are non-compulsory crank boots if you wish to maintain rock strike scratches at bay.
Actofive says the brand new crankset weigh 420g (left & proper arms, together with clamping screws). That’s a 55g financial savings over the inventory cast Pinion crankset. And even 20g lighter than the upgraded Pinion CNC crankset.
The Signature X Gearbox crankarms every use a single M6 titanium clamping bolt as an alternative of two M5 metal bolts on the Pinion arms. Metzner says it gives a cleaner look (nearly invisible when the cranks are horizontal) and stable spline clamping. Q-factor is 174mm with Pinion P-line gearboxes or simply 166mm with C-line fashions.
Actofive will even provide compatibility with Pinion’s Good.Shift digital shifting system, and mixed ON.E Motor.Gearbox.Unit e-drive system for the long run.
Actofive Signature X Gearbox cranks – Prototyping, pricing, choices & availability
Curiously, after we popped out heads into Actofive’s workshop, we obtained to see the transition from prototype growth to manufacturing manufacturing. What’s particularly distinctive about Actofive is that they manufacture every part in-house out of 7075 aluminum on one sensible CNC mill and a whole lot of artistic tooling. All the pieces is machined from one facet out of alloy blanks. Then it will get machined on the second facet with customized fixtures that maintain the elements in place.
To refine the design and machining course of, Simon makes use of leftover materials from mountain bike body manufacturing to work on prototypes. Reuse, earlier than that extra materials can be in any other case despatched for recycling. At varied steps, he go 2 or 3 crank arms out of 1 off-cut from an MTB entrance triangle scrap.
Then, we noticed him make the swap to manufacturing, machining 30 cranksets, tightly nested from one 1m x 1m block of aluminum.
(We’ll dive a bit deeper into Actofive manufacturing within the close to future.)
The brand new Signature X Gearbox cranks have simply began their first machining manufacturing step now and are open for pre-orders. Initially , Actofive plans to only produce the Signature X Gearbox cranks in 170mm size. But when there’s actual purchaser demand, he might engineer options for different lengths, as nicely.
The Pinion-specific improve crankset sells for 369€. Then, decide from 4 commonplace anodized finishes: silver, black, blue, or gray, plus the additional shiny & deeper uncooked choice. Actofive opens pre-order now for the restricted run of Signature X Gearbox cranksets. After which the primary completed batch of cranks ships in March 2024.