Praxis Cadet crankset review
The Praxis Cadet cranks offer excellent value for the money.
What is it
The Praxis Cadet is a solid forged aluminum crankset. It’s intended for 1x specific drivetrains and uses a SRAM compatible 3-bolt direct mount interface. Crankarms are available in either 170mm or 175mm lengths. There is no boost specific version. Depending on your chainline, you order a chainring with 49mm or 52mm spacing. Both options are compatible with Shimano and SRAM 10/11/ and 12-speed drivetrains.
Pros
- Great price to weight ratio
- Easy to follow install instructions
- No dropped chains
- Creak free
- They just work
Cons
- Possible to mount chain “incorrectly”
- Requires Praxis M30 BB and install tool
The Praxis cranks are lighter and less expensive than most competitors.
Mtbr’s Take
If you’ve purchased a mid- to high-end mountain bike in the past few years, there’s a good chance your bike came equipped with Race Face cranks. There’s a good reason for that. They’re easy to install, modular, and require little maintenance.
So how do you dethrone the king? How about starting with a product that’s lighter and less expensive. That’s the theory behind the new Cadet M30 crank from Praxis. Coming in at $220 as tested for the crankset, chainring, bottom bracket, and install tool, the Cadet is more affordable than most competitors in this segment.
Check out the Project Alloy bike these cranks were mounted to.
On our scale, the 175mm cranks weighed 556g. The 32T chainring added another 58g. Total weight for the crankarms and chainring (sans BB) was 625g. For comparison, the Race Face Turbine Cinch cranks retail for $200 and do not ship with a chainring or BB. Claimed weight for a 170mm Turbine crank with a 32T DM chainring is 630g.
Instead of a preload ring, Praxis uses a wave washer on the Cadet.
However, the value of a component can’t be derived from weight and price alone. Features like ease of installation and durability are equally important. The Cadet uses a slightly different install process than most. Instead of the preload ring you find on Shimano cranks or Race Face bottom brackets, the Cadet uses a wave washer. This eliminates any guess work from preloading the bottom bracket. The only bummer is you need their M30 tool to install the BB. Luckily it’s included free when you order from their website.
In terms of performance, we have zero complaints. There’s no noticeable flex from the cranks, they’re creak free, and the finish has proven to be resilient. The Praxis chainring has also done a remarkable job holding our chain securely, even when the clutch mechanism on our derailleur failed.
The tooth profile on the Praxis varies drastically from the narrow/wide system employed by SRAM.
The Praxis chainring is special because it uses MRP’s Wave tooth pattern rather than SRAM’s X-Sync. Unlike a standard narrow/wide, the Wave system employs an alternating pattern that pushes against the inner links. They claim this design allows the drivetrain to better shed debris and curtails wear by reducing concentrated loads. We didn’t scientifically verify those complaints, but have no reason to doubt them. One thing we did find is that if the chain is not properly clocked, the drivetrain can creak. To fix it, you simply adjust the chain forward by one link. A diagram is printed on the chainring to make things easy.
We mounted this test crankset on our Project Alloy build.
If you’re looking to upgrade your current crankset, the Praxis Cadet is worth a look. It offers an almost unbeatable combination of performance and weight at a price that’s hard to argue with.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers 
Price: $175 (Includes chainring, BB extra)
More info: www.praxiscycles.com
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