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Throughout the opening stage of the 2025 Tour de France, sharp-eyed observers famous {that a} spare bike on one of many Bahrain Victorious staff vehicles was fitted with ELILEE carbon cranks, most definitely with the XXE X310. This can be a notable second, because the staff’s important sponsor for drivetrain elements stays Shimano, with all race bikes formally outfitted with the Dura-Ace Di2 groupset.
Why the ELILEE Cranks?
I can solely speculate, however my guess is that the ELILEE XXE X310 cranks provide distinct benefits over the usual Shimano Dura-Ace crankset, notably in two key areas:
Decrease Weight: The X310 crank arms weigh roughly 310g, in comparison with about 554g for the Dura-Ace equal—a discount of roughly 244g. Full with spider and rings, the X310 setup can weigh as little as 520–530 grams, relying on configuration.
Increased Stiffness: ELILEE’s in-house testing confirmed the X310 withstanding as much as 420 kg in destruction assessments, whereas most rivals, together with Shimano, sometimes attain solely 350–360 kg. This ends in a best-in-class stiffness-to-weight ratio.
The X310 is on the market with a 24mm titanium spindle, guaranteeing compatibility with customary Shimano backside brackets. This makes swapping cranks easy for groups experimenting with marginal positive aspects.
Though these cranks have been solely seen on spare bikes—not the principle race bikes—their use reveals Bahrain Victorious is open to testing new efficiency upgrades, even exterior their important sponsor’s lineup. Primarily based on the obtainable info, ELILEE and Bahrain Victorious don’t have a proper sponsorship. So it’s possible the staff needed to pay for the cranks themselves.
That is extra excellent news for the Chinese language biking business. Chinese language manufacturers are actually getting examined extra usually on the highest stage. In 2024, Winspace turned the primary Chinese language model to seem in a Grand Tour. Nonetheless, the actual breakthrough got here this yr, as Crew Astana is now sponsored by XDS, one of many largest bicycle producers in China.
ELILEE XXE X310 Crankset Specs
Under are the technical specs of the XXE X310 cranks.
ELILEE XXE X310 Specs
Weight: 310 grams (arms + spindle), about 520–535 grams with chainrings and energy meter
Spindle: 24mm titanium (matches Shimano) or DUB aluminum (matches SRAM)
Crank Arm Lengths: 155, 160, 165, 167.5, 170, 172.5 mm
Q Issue: 149 mm (DUB), 151.5 mm (24mm)
Chainline: 44.5 mm (for 2x setups)
Compatibility: Works with Shimano and SRAM backside brackets, direct mount for chainrings
Energy Meter: Suitable with Sigeyi, Xcadey, Power2Max, SRM (solely particular SRM model)
