FSA Gradient Crankset Review: Performance & Features
There exists, in the particular geography of mountain bike components, a region where engineering meets intention. It is a place where the theoretical meets the trail, where marketing copy encounters the reality of thousand-foot descents and the physics of human-powered ascent. The FSA Gradient crankset occupies this territory with the quiet confidence of a component that has outlasted several generations of industry hyperbole.
The story begins, as many stories do, with a company trying to find its way back to relevance.
The Archaeology of Full Speed Ahead
Full Speed Ahead emerged from the cycling industry’s primordial soup in 1993, when mountain biking was still figuring out what it wanted to be when it grew up. The company built its reputation on road components—the SL-K and K-Force lines became familiar names in the peloton, trusted by riders who measured success in watts and marginal gains. But the mountains presented a different set of problems.
FSA’s early mountain bike offerings—the Afterburner, the Comet—were competent but unremarkable. Mechanics installed them without complaint. Riders used them without fanfare. They occupied that vast middle ground between catastrophic failure and inspired design, a place where most components live their entire lives.
The Gradient, first introduced in 2013, represented something different. It was FSA’s declaration that they understood what mountain biking was becoming: longer, steeper, more brutal. The component wasn’t just another crankset; it was an argument for modularity in an industry increasingly seduced by proprietary solutions.
The Modular Thesis
The principle of modularity runs counter to the bike industry’s natural tendency toward integration. While manufacturers pursued ever-more-specific solutions—bottom brackets that fit only certain frames, chainrings that marry only particular spiders—FSA chose a different path. The Gradient system acknowledges that riders change bikes, upgrade components, and occasionally break things in spectacular fashion.
The Gradient has been raising the standard on strength and lowering the weight of their trusted components since 2013, but the real innovation lies in its adaptability. The BB392EVO spindle system, built around a 30mm diameter shaft, accommodates 68/73/83/92/157mm bottom brackets through a carefully engineered collection of adapters and spacers. It’s a system that treats compatibility as a feature, not an afterthought.
This philosophical position becomes practical when you consider the modern rider’s relationship with their bicycle. Frames change. Standards evolve. What seemed permanent in 2020 becomes obsolete by 2023. The Gradient’s modular design acknowledges this reality without surrendering to it.
The Substance of Things
The current Gradient crankset emerges from the machine shop as a study in purposeful engineering. Forged from AL7050 aluminum and hollow-core CNC machined, it carries the weight of intention—literally. At 670 grams, it strikes the balance between strength and efficiency that defines modern mountain bike components.
The finish—a hard-anodized matte black with etched logos—suggests durability rather than delicacy. This is not a component designed for the showroom floor. It’s built for the moment when your line choice proves optimistic and the consequences prove immediate.
FSA’s Megatooth chainring technology represents the company’s approach to chain retention without the mechanical complexity of guides or tensioners. The very long, asymmetric teeth in a thick-thin alternation create a tremendously quiet and secure engagement. It’s a solution that works because it addresses the fundamental problem: keeping the chain where it belongs when physics argues otherwise.
The direct-mount system offers chainrings from 30 to 36 teeth, accommodating everything from steep technical climbs to the generous ratios favored by gravity-focused riders. The crankset is compatible with Shimano and SRAM drivetrains, in both 11- and 12-speed variants, a compatibility that extends the system’s practical life beyond the typical product cycle.
The Economics of Performance
At an MSRP of approximately $243 the Gradient occupies the sweet spot between adequate and aspirational. This is the price range where engineering meets reality, where the marginal gains of exotic materials begin to yield diminishing returns.
Compared to SRAM’s GX Eagle or Shimano’s SLX/XT offerings, the Gradient provides comparable stiffness and durability while offering greater flexibility in chainring selection and chainline adjustment. The modularity that defines the system becomes its primary competitive advantage—not because it’s cheaper, but because it lasts longer across multiple bike configurations.
The Practical Considerations
The Gradient system comes in three crank lengths: 165mm, 170mm, and 175mm. The choice matters more than marketing materials suggest. The 165mm option appeals to riders who’ve learned to calculate pedal clearance in millimeters rather than assumptions. Enduro racers, in particular, have embraced shorter cranks as a practical response to increasingly technical terrain.
The 175mm option serves riders who prioritize leverage over clearance, typically those focused on cross-country efficiency or riders whose physical dimensions favor longer cranks. The 170mm represents the compromise position—adequate for most riders, optimal for few.
Chainline adjustment between 52 and 56mm provides the flexibility necessary for modern frame geometries and wheel standards. The Gradient range of products has been developed with pro riders, but the real test comes from weekend warriors navigating bike park rock gardens and alpine singletrack.
The Experience of Use
On the trail, the Gradient performs its function with the invisibility that defines good engineering. Power transfer feels immediate and direct. The hollow forged arms provide stiffness without the weight penalty of solid construction. The system’s 30mm spindle resists the lateral forces that plague smaller-diameter alternatives.
Chain retention proves reliable across the system’s intended range of applications. Riders report minimal chain drop, even in technical terrain where suspension movement and impact forces challenge conventional retention methods. The thick-thin tooth profile works as advertised, holding the chain through compressions and extensions that would defeat simpler designs.
The direct-mount interface simplifies chainring changes and chainline adjustments. FSA’s modular spider tool—part number FS-0294—provides the mechanical advantage necessary for proper installation and removal. It’s a proprietary solution, but one that serves a legitimate engineering purpose rather than creating artificial barriers to service.
The Suitable Applications
The Gradient finds its natural habitat on aggressive trail bikes, enduro racers, and downhill machines. It’s a component sized for the consequences of modern mountain biking—the places where equipment failure means more than inconvenience.
For cross-country racing, the Gradient represents overkill. The weight penalty, while modest, becomes significant when multiplied by the repetitive nature of XC climbing. The system’s modular flexibility matters less when racing demands maximized efficiency over adaptability.
Gravel applications prove similarly inappropriate. The Gradient’s 30mm spindle standard and direct-mount chainring system don’t align with the component choices that define gravel racing. The system works, but it solves problems that gravel riding doesn’t present.
E-bike compatibility requires careful consideration. The solid forged AL7050 crank arms with 30mm BB392 spindle can handle the torque loads of electric assistance, but frame clearance and spindle compatibility vary by manufacturer. The modular system’s flexibility becomes crucial when adapting to e-bike specifications.
The Broader Context
The Gradient exists within the larger evolution of mountain bike cranksets, a progression from simple steel arms to complex modular systems. The industry’s movement toward 1x drivetrains simplified the mechanical requirements while increasing the importance of chainline precision and chain retention.
FSA’s approach acknowledges this evolution while maintaining compatibility with existing standards. The BB392EVO system represents the company’s attempt to bridge the gap between proprietary innovation and universal compatibility. It’s a careful balance that serves both manufacturers and riders.
The refresh of the Gradient line is the first update since 2021, suggesting a product mature enough to resist the industry’s appetite for annual reinvention. This stability benefits riders who prefer evolution over revolution, improvement over replacement.
The Maintenance Reality
The Gradient’s modular design simplifies service and replacement. Chainrings wear independently of crank arms. Spindles can be serviced without replacing the entire system. This modularity reduces long-term ownership costs while providing flexibility for changing bike configurations.
The system’s standard thread patterns and familiar installation procedures reduce the specialized knowledge required for maintenance. Shop mechanics appreciate components that work with existing tools and established procedures. The Gradient succeeds because it integrates with existing workflow rather than requiring specialized equipment.
Bearing replacement follows standard procedures for 30mm spindle systems. The cartridge bearings can be serviced independently, extending the system’s practical life. This serviceability matters more than initial cost when calculating long-term component value.
The Verdict of Experience
The FSA Gradient crankset succeeds because it addresses real problems with practical solutions. The modular design provides flexibility without sacrificing strength. The price point makes performance accessible without demanding compromise. The engineering prioritizes function over fashion, durability over marketing appeal.
It’s a component for riders who understand that the best equipment performs its function invisibly, allowing the rider to focus on the trail rather than the bike. The Gradient doesn’t demand attention; it simply works, consistently and reliably, across the range of conditions that define modern mountain biking.
In a marketplace increasingly dominated by proprietary solutions and marketing-driven obsolescence, the Gradient represents something different: a component designed to last, to adapt, and to serve the rider’s needs rather than the manufacturer’s product cycle. It’s engineering in service of cycling, rather than cycling in service of engineering.
The trail will provide the final verdict, as it always does. But early returns suggest the Gradient understands the assignment: turn the pedals, transfer the power, and get out of the way. Everything else is just noise.
