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Updated! Cannondale’s 484g Hollowgram SiSL2 Crankset Back Online!

2013 Cannondale SiSL2 Hollowgram 484g lightweight crankset with one piece spider and chainrings for SuperSix EVO road bikes
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2013 Cannondale SiSL2 Hollowgram 484g lightweight crankset with one piece spider and chainrings for SuperSix EVO road bikes

…and we’re back. After posting it a bit too early on Tuesday, here’s the official post with some cleaned up photos and more tech info. Cannondale’s set the benchmark again for mass production lightweight cranksets.

Their new SiSL2 cranksets are 100% CNC machined in a clamshell design that’s bonded together. Each half of the crank arm is machined as a single piece, then they’re bonded together to create a hollow, extremely light crank arm. For the SiSL2, they’ve machined out even more material than ever to save precious grams.

The spindle has additional machining, too. For both parts, the shaping and location of material removal during machining, as well as where to leave more metal, was tweaked, which resulted in increased stiffness. The result is a crankset that claims to be both lighter and stiffer.

2013 Cannondale SiSL2 Hollowgram 484g lightweight crankset with one piece spider and chainrings for SuperSix EVO road bikes

The eye-catching new Spidering is 3D forged then machined into a one piece double chainset. Their forging process pushes all the grains outward from the center for improved stiffness. By eliminating the bolts, Murray Washburn, global director of product marketing, says there’s no deflection during shifting.

The design was inspired by race car’s wheels, which often use many thin arms. What’s surprising is that they were able to incorporate a full set of ramps and pins into the very thin spiders. Washburn says the profiling and pin placement is very similar to regular chainrings and that shifting performance is close to Dura-Ace (though he did acknowledge that Shimano’s top rings remain the benchmark).

2013 Cannondale SiSL2 Hollowgram 484g lightweight crankset with one piece spider and chainrings for SuperSix EVO road bikes

Washburn says the combination of the SiSL2 crankarms/spindle and the Spiderings provide incredible power transfer. They’re available in standard 53/39 and a 50/34 compact with either 10 or 11 speed tooth profiles and chainline. The one-piece chainring combo is a separate piece from the crankarms, so you’ll be able to swap between standard and compact without replacing the rings crankarms.

Claimed weight for the Spidering, SiSL2 crankarms, bolts and spindle is 484g for the compact 172.5.

This crankset combo will come on the new Women’s EVO, with a new 165mm length on the 44cm frames, and on the top three men’s 2013 SuperSix EVO road bike models. They’re likely to make it available aftermarket, but not immediately.

2013 Cannondale Si 3D forged hollow alloy crankarms

There’s also a new Si 3D Forged Hollow Cranks. It’s a one piece crank, not a clamshell design like their SL models. Washburn says they’ve invested a lot in forging technology over the past couple years to develop their OPI (One Piece Integration) Lefty legs and stems. This tech is now used on these new cranksets, which will let them put their crank arms on more bikes while using chainrings from FSA and others. Weight is 609g for this crankset with FSA compact chainrings (excluding BB). Spider and arms are separate, so you’ll be able to switch between standard and compact rings simply by swapping the spider.

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Evan
Evan
11 years ago

Amazing what manufacturers have done with aluminum. I’d hate to have to buy a new set of rings, though. Also excellent that they made the crank arms compatible with both compact and standard rings.

WhatsThat
WhatsThat
11 years ago

“The one-piece chainring combo is a separate piece from the crankarms, so you’ll be able to swap between standard and compact without replacing the rings.”

Huh? Isn’t it the chainrings that make a crankset standard or compact? Do you mean without replacing the cranks?

Danno
Danno
11 years ago

Hawt. That Cannondale would look great on my Specialized.

VeloBelo
VeloBelo
11 years ago

Is that white blue and black a 2014 paint scheme? Viewing on my iPhone.

Tom
Tom
11 years ago

Nice!!! and hopefully they will make a 180mm cranklength to! otherwise i need to stick with my specialized crank.

racefacejas
11 years ago

WhatsThat

A Standard Double (53-39t) has a 130mm BCD (Bolt Circle Diameter) while a compact double(50-34t) has a 110mm BCD. You need to switch the spider in order to change the BCD allowing you to use the different chainring combinations.

MTB
MTB
11 years ago

$900 for a aluminum crank? Anyone else see what’s wrong with that?
That’s almost two times more than a XX crank.

Seriously, can anyone tell the difference in stiffness bet. a XX, XTR, or SI crank?
I sure can’t.

Dan
Dan
11 years ago

@MTB, it’s always harder to tell which crank is stiffer when you’re always pushing your bike up the hill.

jeremy
jeremy
11 years ago

So essentially the spider and rings are all one piece? Compatible with previous generations?

mario
mario
11 years ago

This system has existed since 2009, the first plateau monolithic system is the “OMC-ITALIA”, an Italian company

http://www.omc-italia.com

mario
mario
11 years ago

OMC-ITALIA also has a page on facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/OMC-ITALIA/246638164815?ref=ts

GRITSinNYC
GRITSinNYC
11 years ago

It doesn’t look like it, but I want to confirm…will the SiSL2 crank be able to take a Quarq/SRM power meter?

Seraph
Seraph
10 years ago

Oh good, two chain rings connected together. So when I wear out one I have to replace both. That’s exactly what I have always wanted to do.

Auriel Forrester
9 years ago

The Si SL2 WILL fit an SRM powermeter HOWEVER you will need to fit chainrings as the one-piece jobbie won’t fit ! So you can use the crank arms plus the powermeter plus say Rotor chainrings.

jim
jim
9 years ago

Performing my first bearing replacement on this system revealed poor tolerance and poor factory assembly. The spindle is locked in the inside race of the bearings since there wasn’t any grease on the surface. Poor machining and worse assembly. Its really a shame to take out the BFH for a job on components this expensive.

Hiro Noguchi
Hiro Noguchi
9 years ago

I am very happy with the new Si 3D Forged Hollow Cranks described above. It came with my CANNONDALE SUPERSIX EVO Hi-Mod 2 DuraAce. Now I am wondering if I can replace the chain rings with those of SiSL2.

Alex
Alex
9 years ago

Question: If I currently have the Cannondale Si FSA crankset can I simply buy a spidering and install it on the cranks? This would mean I would taking off the FSA rings and installing the spidering in its place. Is this possible? or do I need to take off the enitre cannondale SI FSA crankset and install a entire SISL 2 crankset?

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