Suntour xct crank upgraded to alivio crank

Question

is this an upgrade? or about an even swap?

Answer 1

Ummmm, I have this chart that lists most cranks and their relationship with other brands and models.

According to this (it was developed by SRAM/Truvativ), the Alivio is actually a bit of a downgrade. Now, this refers to crank only and not bottom bracket... a Shimano ES25 bottom bracket is better than most stuff used with Suntour which is probably a TH Industries item.

So, assuming a third party would be objective about comparing products not associated with their own then, well, the Suntour would be the better choice.

Let me double check here....

Yep, the XCT and the Alivio are within $2 at OEM (about $10- 12 at retail) of the same price so if you figure in the "brand upcharge" for Shimano it looks realistic that the XCT is the better crank.