Mark Adams The 3DF bridges the gap between our 3D and 3D+ cranks, designed for all around performance. The 30mm UBB axle and trinity drilled forged crank arms offer balanced and extreme rigidity, plus compatibility with almost all bikes.
The newer version of Rotor 30mm axle cranks, these forged cranks are the cranks of choice for many brands including, FOCUS, TIME, RIDLEY, FUJI and LOOK. 3DF can be fitted to any 30mm BB system including BBright using the selection of Bottom brackets from the Rotor range. Also compatible with BSA threaded frames using Rotor BSA30mm BB Cups. These cranks have all the features of 3D+ but are part forged, this process leaves more material on the cranks than CNC machining.
Rotor 3d Crank Review:
I typically don’t like buying things online, but sometimes, you just have to bite the bullet and trust that if you research your product well, you ought to be fine. I was in the market for a road crank set. On a whim, I checked out the Rotor 3d 30 crank set, and I was interested by the specs and by the ability of the company to boast about manufacturing the crank set with their own hands in their factory in the Czech Republic.
This 30 mm axle crankset can also be used with their BB30 bottom bracket.
I bought one. I wasn’t even sure I was going to have it for long at first, because i was getting a lot of conflicting opinions in the various comments of people who had bought the product. Some said it worked perfectly and was flawless. Others said it was a disaster and didn’t work.
I decided to give it a shot. I went to my LBS (local bike store), and asked them to install the Rotor 3d 30mm axle crank for me. It was a bit complicated, but they managed.
The first time I rode it, I was shocked. The difference was noticeable. I felt like I had gone 25% faster immediately.
The Rotor 3d 30 crank set is light, seemingly durable, and I have had no problems with it. Using it, I have seen a noticeable “upper” extension of my range on my downstroke (when I pedal the crank and the pedal goes over the top of my foot), with a relative improvement in my steady cadence. My friends have noticed an increased speed in my pedaling, and we all believe that the Rotors are a fantastic investment.
The price is simply not that bad. I bought the crank set for around $250, but to be fair I didn’t have to pay for it myself. My local bike shop owner bought it for me, and then I bought it from him. He is a great guy, and I have no problem with him making money off of me. He does good work.
The product review for the Rotor 3d is all around positive. If there is anything negative to say about the product, it is probably that it does not work with a square taper bottom bracket. I would recommend getting a bottom bracket from Rotor as well. I have used a BB86 bottom bracket before and it was nice. You can also use it with the R2A square taper bottom bracket.
Rotor 3d Crank Review:
Over the years, they have improved this system. The 3d 30mm crank set has always balanced more weight towards the non-driveside, and there is a pretty noticeable improvement in my pedaling. My legs feel a lot lighter, and I have seen increased speed and power through all of my gears, and when I am sprinting. I don’t know if it is because of the fact that the weight is balanced towards the non-driveside, or if it is because of the fact that the cranks are light and therefore there is less
resistance. I do know that they deliver.
Zondas makes a product called the Zonda crankset, which is similar to the Rotor 3d 30mm cranks. It is not as light. The Zonda crankset is around $700, which to me is a lot of money. If I were you, I would probably just get the Rotor, because it is around the same price. Your jmmyhillbicycles.com post has some good points about how to buy a bike for flat pedal riding.
The 3d 30mm crank set is not the only one from Rotor, but it is the one I have been using. I have had another Rotor crank set that I have used on my cross bike that has a 32 mm axle, and I did not like it. It felt like the weight was balanced towards the driveside a bit too much. I could feel my legs getting tight, and it was harder to put myself into a sprint.
