Race Face has always had a lightweight crank in its programme with the Next SL crank. With the latest version of the carbon crank, however, the Canadians were able to shave a few more grams off the crank arms. The Next SL G4 comes in at just 430 grams, with a direct mount chainring and 32 teeth. That's light - but the Next SL is not the lightest crank on the market, as Race Face claims. But it is certainly one of the most stylish. The new crank arms have no aluminium internals, are more angular and should also be laterally stiffer than those of the predecessor. This is important because there is a lot of tension on the chainring, especially with 1x11 systems. A special highlight is the new carbon spider, which fits seamlessly into the design of the crank and is compatible with the Chinch system. The spider can be removed and replaced with any existing chainrings.
The Next SL G4 will be available in two lengths, 170 and 175 millimetres, and for the most common bottom bracket systems. Race Face specifies chainring sizes of 28, 30, 32 and 34 teeth. The lightweight crank will also be available in five different colour designs.
Stefan Frey
Editor
