A Detailed Comparison of eeWings, Atherton, 5Dev, Moots/White Industries, Sturdy, Alugear, and Starling.

Looking for the ultimate crank upgrade for your bike? For most of the past decade, the high-end titanium crank category has been largely owned by a single product – our very own Cane Creek eeWings. That changed in 2025 and 2026 with new releases from Atherton, 5Dev, Moots, White Industries, Sturdy Cycles, Alugear, and Starling Cycles. This guide breaks down what titanium cranks are currently on the market across mountain, gravel, and road categories. We’ll take a look at independent test data to determine how the options stack up on weight, stiffness, durability, sizing, and more.

Why Titanium for High-End Cranks?

Titanium has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any metal on earth. It’s the perfect choice for bicycle parts because of this property and often a far more resilient material than carbon fiber or aluminum. Furthermore, titanium aligns with how high-end cranks actually fail in the field:

• Fatigue resistance. Titanium has effectively no fatigue limit at the stress levels typical of pedaling. Aluminum does have a fatigue limit, even when input forces are low. This is why aluminum cranks eventually crack or develop play after enough hours of hard use.
• Impact resistance. Carbon fiber tends to fail catastrophically when struck by a rock at speed. Titanium dents but does not delaminate or shatter.
• Refinishable surface. One of the reasons we chose a natural ‘brushed’ finish for eeWings is that it can be easily refinished. Small scratches or abrasions can be polished out using a simple Scotchbrite pad to return the cranks to their original beauty. A scratched carbon or aluminum crank stays scratched until it’s replaced. If you want cranks that will look as good on day 1,000 as they did on day 1 — there’s no other choice than eeWings.
• Welded pedal nut. All carbon (and some aluminum cranks) use a separate, threaded pedal nut that is bonded (glued) into the end of the crankarm. This joint is one of the most common points of carbon crank failure. On a fully welded titanium crank like eeWings, the pedal threads are welded to the crank arm, forming a single, solid structure that cannot fail in this common way.
• Welded spindle. It’s a similar story with the spindle. The crank spindle is the horizontal shaft that connects the two crankarms through the bottom bracket. Typically, this component is a separate piece that is either pressed, bonded, or bolted to the crank arms. This joint, like all joints, can have the potential to creak over time as grit and corrosion make their way inside. If bolted, the involved hardware always has the potential for threads to strip or fail. eeWings are one of the only titanium cranks that have the spindle welded to the non-drive side arm. Similar to the welded pedal nut, this makes two parts one and removes another weak point from the system.

However, you can’t get these durability-focused qualities for free; the tradeoff with titanium is a very high cost. Titanium is expensive to source and exceptionally difficult to weld correctly, which is why even the cheapest titanium crank in this comparison starts north of $900.

Independent Test Data: Fair Wheel Bikes

Fair Wheel Bikes is the only third party that has independently tested the stiffness of a wide variety of high-end cranks using a consistent jig and protocol. They have published two tests, both that include eeWings:

• The Road Bike Crank Stiffness Test, using the original 3-bolt All-Road eeWings
• The 2025 Mountain Crank Test, using the current 8-bolt Mountain eeWings

In 2025, when we updated eeWings to offer 8-bolt chainring fitment, we worked hard to preserve the exact stiffness and strength properties of the original 3-bolt crank. For all intents and purposes, the two generations are the same from a performance standpoint. Though two different generations of eeWings were used in these tests, both tests reach the same conclusion: eeWings are simultaneously the lightest and the stiffest of any crank in their respective fields (Road vs. Mtn).

2025 MTB test results, eeWings at 170mm with a 32T chainring:

• Drive-side deflection: 6.84mm
• Non-drive-side deflection: 9.07mm
• Average deflection: 7.96mm
• Total weight with chainring: 480.3g

How that compares against the rest of the 24-crank field:

• Only two cranksets in the entire test had lower deflection than eeWings: Sturdy Cycles’ titanium crankset (660g, $1,985) and FSA Gradient (643g, $400). Both are roughly 35% – 50% heavier than eeWings.
• Among cranks under 500g, eeWings is the stiffest by a clear margin. The next-stiffest sub-500g crank measured was QO Rocks at 8.20mm average deflection.
• eeWings is the only titanium MTB crank in the test.

A note on metrics. Many crank reviews lead with “stiffness-to-weight ratio.” That number is easy to game: a very light but very flexible crank can post an excellent ratio while still flexing too much under power to be useful on a bike. The more meaningful framing is the combination of absolute weight and absolute stiffness. By that measure (lightest among the stiff cranks, stiffest among the light cranks), eeWings sits alone in the field.

None of the other titanium cranks discussed below have been submitted for testing under any independent protocol. Manufacturer-published stiffness numbers exist but use different methodologies and are therefore not directly comparable.

Brand-by-Brand Breakdown

Cane Creek eeWings

The original modern titanium crank, released in 2018 and updated to a more modern chainring fitment in 2025. eeWings use formed, tubular arms that are hand-welded to a number of precisely machined components. Grade 9 titanium tubing (3Al-2.5V) is used for the arms while Grade 5 (6Al-4V) billet is used to machine the spindle, hirth joint, and pedal nuts. The current version uses SRAM’s 8-bolt direct-mount chainring interface, which makes them compatible with SRAM Transmission setups and direct-mount power meters from SRAM, Quarq, SRM, Sigeyi, and others.

Weld quality is one of our favorite aspects of these cranks. eeWings’ joints are hand-laid TIG welds on titanium tube, and the bead consistency is part of what long-term owners describe when they call eeWings “bike jewelry.” Each crank’s welds are unique, speaking to the high level of craftsmanship that goes into each crank. The brushed titanium finish has become an identifying mark across nearly a decade of production. When riders see eeWings at a trailhead, they recognize them. That cultural recognition is something competitors are only beginning to build toward.

eeWings are designed, engineered, and tested by Cane Creek in Western North Carolina. Cane Creek is a 30+ year old, employee-owned company. The age and reputation of the brand is not to be overlooked, especially when it comes to products that boast lifetime warranties. A warranty is only good so long as its issuer is around to stand by it, right? When it comes to consistency and staying power, Cane Creek is here to look after its customers for the long haul.

Strengths

• Lightest production titanium crank in this comparison at ~400g (165mm), confirmed in independent testing
• Stiffest sub-500g crank measured by Fair Wheel Bikes
• 8 years of real-world use (and abuse), documented in multi-year, multi-bike reviews including BIKEPACKING.com’s 5-year, 18,000-mile review
• The only ti crank with peer-reviewed independent stiffness data, in two separate tests (road and MTB)
• Full titanium construction including the spindle
• Exceeds the international fatigue test standard (ISO 4210) for cranks by 2x!
• Backed by an employee-owned company with 30+ years of cycling component history
• Lifetime warranty
• Iconic brushed titanium finish that has become a recognized identifier of the product across a decade of riding
• Limited edition finishes (Galaxy, Aurora, Tie-Dye, Raven) released periodically for riders who want something distinct
• Compatible with 52mm and 55mm chain lines using Cane Creek’s matching chainrings.
• 8-bolt chainring interface, compatible with SRAM and Quarq 8-bolt power meters.
• Includes a 160mm length option
• In Stock: Cane Creek keeps a complete inventory on-hand in their North Carolina facility, ready for immediate shipping.
• Easy accessibility: Available globally through bike shops and online retailers. Available direct-to-consumer via canecreek.com in USA, Canada, and Mexico.

Considerations

• Three production lengths for each category. (160/165/170mm for Mtn and 165mm/170mm/172.5mm for Road & Gravel) This is fewer than Atherton’s eleven or 5Dev RGXC’s five. Riders whose fit demands an unusual length will need to look elsewhere.
• No DH-compatible spindle widths. While eeWings have a long field history with enduro and bike park use, Cane Creek does not currently offer them with a spindle wide enough to fit common DH bike bottom brackets. (83mm) Riders who require DH bike compatibility may prefer Atherton or 5Dev’s MTB offering.
• Premium pricing aligned with the rest of the high-end Ti category

Atherton A.GR.TI

Released March 2026, the A.GR.TI is Atherton’s first crankset. They use the same 3D printing process they apply to their frame lugs: laser powder bed fusion of Grade 23 (aerospace) titanium with internal ribs and variable wall thickness. The arms are then bonded to a 7075 aluminum spindle.

Strengths

• 11 lengths in 2.5mm increments from 150 to 175mm. The widest production size range of any high-end titanium crank in this comparison
• Three chain line options (52mm Trail, 55mm Trail Wide, 56.5mm DH)
• Two spindle diameter choices (DUB 28.99mm or 30mm)
• ISO Category 5 / EFBE Category 5 certified for downhill
• Lifetime warranty for the original owner
• Three finish levels available (raw, burnished, tumbled)
• Cheapest titanium option in this comparison at $922 for raw, ~$972 for tumbled
• Designed and produced in-house in Wales

Considerations

• 506g for a 165mm set with axle and hardware. With a chainring, ~565g — roughly 100–150g heavier than eeWings
• Aluminum spindle, not titanium
• 4 to 8 week lead time
• No independent stiffness testing yet
• New to market in 2026; no long-term field history
• Internal lattice structure cannot be inspected by the buyer or refinished if internally damaged

5Dev RGXC Titanium

5Dev’s road, gravel, and XC offering is CNC-machined from solid titanium billet and laser-welded by an in-house robotic welding system in San Diego, CA. They are lighter than the heavier 5Dev MTB and a more direct competitor to eeWings on weight. Available in three finishes (LSD Black, Raw Ti, Nitride Gold).

Strengths

• 446g (170mm with 68mm spindle), one of the lighter Ti options on the market
• Five lengths (155 / 160 / 165 / 170 / 175mm)
• Modular spindle system swappable at no cost: 118mm Road, 122mm Road Wide, 130mm XC
• 8-bolt SRAM chainring interface, compatible with all Quarq 8-bolt power meter spiders
• Diamond-coated titanium hardware
• Lifetime warranty
• Made in San Diego with full domestic supply chain
• Three finish options at launch

Considerations

• Designed for road, gravel, and XC. The low-profile crank tip is designed to reduce rock strikes on technical terrain, but this is not an Enduro/DH-rated crank — riders who want a Ti crank for aggressive trail or bike park use should look at Cane Creek eeWings, 5Dev’s MTB offering, or Atherton’s A.GR.Ti.
• Spindle is sold separately when buying arms-only at $1,100; full crankset with spindle is $1,199.99
• Not in any independent stiffness test
• 5Dev recommends against pairing their Ti cranks with titanium pedal spindles (galling risk)

5Dev MTB Titanium

5Dev’s heavier-duty offering, also CNC-machined and laser-welded in San Diego. Distinguishable by its deep machined pocketing, these cranks look far out – desirable to some but polarizing for most.

Strengths

• Three Q-factor options via swappable spindles: 168mm Boost, 177mm Super Boost, 183mm DH
• Diamond-coated titanium hardware
• Lifetime warranty
• Range expansion in progress to seven lengths (155 / 157.5 / 160 / 162.5 / 165 / 167.5 / 170 / 172.5mm)
• Distinctive aesthetic
• Made in San Diego with full domestic supply chain

Considerations

• ~596g claimed (167.5mm with chainring), making this the heaviest of the premium titanium options by a meaningful margin
• $1,499 is the highest production price point for titanium cranks
• Not in any independent stiffness test
• Heavily machined surfaces have a larger area exposed to chainstay rub and rock strikes than tubular designs
• Many sizes still listed as “in development” rather than in stock

Moots / White Industries T30

A three-way collaboration between Brunk Industries (titanium forming, Wisconsin), White Industries (precision machining, California), and Moots (welding and finishing, Colorado) this new entrant to the titanium crank market was released in early April 2026. The same crankset is sold under both Moots and White Industries names at the same price.

Strengths

• 420g claimed for 165mm (arms and spindle, no chainring) — one of the lighter options if the published number holds in real-world use
• All-American manufacturing supply chain across three established brands
• Both founding companies have long, durable reputations (Moots since 1981, White Industries with decades of crank manufacturing)
• 8-bolt or White Industries MR30 chainring compatibility
• 29mm or 30mm spindle options on the WI version

Considerations

• Real-world weighed examples are reported at 20–30g over the published 420g figure
• Aluminum spindle, not titanium
• Three lengths only (165/170/175mm). No 160mm option, which is increasingly popular as riders move to shorter cranks for ground clearance and pedaling fit
• Weld aesthetic along the length of the crank arm may not be desirable to some riders
• Brand new product. No long-term field data exists yet
• Not yet in any independent stiffness test
• Warranty terms are not explicitly published. Buyers should verify with retailers before purchase
• 4-week lead time
• Pricing is in the same range as eeWings without the multi-year track record or independent test data

The T30’s clearest advantage is its fully USA-based manufacturing supply chain. Buyers for whom Made in USA is a primary purchase criterion have a legitimate case for the T30.

Sturdy Cycles Printed Titanium

Sturdy Cycles is a small UK-based custom titanium frame builder in Frome, Somerset. Tom Sturdy designed the printed titanium crank originally to complement his frames, and now offers it as a standalone product. The arms are 3D-printed from Grade 5 titanium with an internal lattice structure, then CNC-finished with titanium spindle and preload ring.

Strengths

• Custom crank lengths available, including very short (125mm and up). The most flexible length offering on the market for riders with extreme fit requirements
• Internal lattice tunable for stiffness — Tom can build a stiffer or more compliant crank to spec
• Full titanium construction including spindle and preload ring
• Distinctive 3D-printed aesthetic with optional anodizing or polishing
• Direct relationship with the maker; bespoke build process

Considerations

• 485g for the MTB version at 170mm without chainring; the road version is 445g. Heavier than eeWings but custom-tunable
• Made-to-order with significant lead time
• Premium pricing (~£1,200–1,250 per crankset, plus titanium chainring at extra cost)
• Single-builder operation; warranty support depends on Tom’s continued operation rather than a corporate structure
• Better suited to custom builds where the rider is involved in spec decisions than to off-the-shelf purchases

Sturdy Cycles Machined Titanium

A newer Sturdy product, released in late 2025. These cranks use solid titanium arms with CNC-machined pocketing to reduce weight. These are manufactured entirely in-house at Sturdy’s Frome workshop. The Sturdy Cycles machined crank was designed to deliver a stiffer, higher-performing option compared to their original, hollow 3-D printed design.

Strengths

• 15% stiffer than Sturdy’s printed version (per Sturdy’s published claim)
• Fully in-house manufacturing
• SRAM 8-bolt interface
• Same custom-fit philosophy as the printed version

Considerations

• 565g per set — heavier than the printed Sturdy and substantially heavier than eeWings
• Same single-builder support and lead-time considerations as the printed version
• New product without independent testing or established field history

Alugear Stellar Ti

A 3D-printed, single-piece, hollow titanium crankset designed by Alugear (Poland) and printed by Materialise in Bremen, Germany. The single-piece approach eliminates welds and is technically distinctive — the crank arms are printed and finished with no joining operations.

Strengths

• Lightest published claim in the category at 345g for the smallest size
• Single-piece hollow construction with no welded joints
• Meets ISO 4210 standards
• Multiple lengths available
• Unique design language with sharp CNC-finished lines
• DUB modular spindle system, 8-bolt SRAM chainring compatibility, multiple Q-factor options for XC through DH

Considerations

• Limited Western distribution; mostly sold direct or through European retailers
• Few independent reviews exist outside of manufacturer marketing materials
• Newer entrant to the Ti crank market without an established track record
• Warranty support and replacement logistics are less established than larger brands

Starling Bingo-Wing

Starling Cycles is a steel mountain bike frame builder based in Bristol, UK. The Bingo-Wing is a titanium crank designed primarily for compatibility with Starling’s Beady Little Eye singlespeed frame, which uses a 73mm × 24mm bottom bracket — a less common standard than the 30mm or DUB spindles used by most modern Ti cranks. The crank is meant to offer similar appeal to the original Cane Creek eeWings. Unlike the original though, which was designed from the ground up by Cane Creek, this crank is an off-the-shelf model designed and manufactured by Ora Engineering in Taiwan. The crank is branded and sold in Starling livery.

Strengths

• 24mm steel spindle compatibility for older or singlespeed-specific BB standards
• 8-bolt SRAM chainring interface
• Brushed titanium finish
• A reasonable option for Starling owners with 73mm × 24mm BB frames
• Comparable weight to eeWings

Considerations

• Designed and manufactured in Taiwan, sold under the Starling brand
• Steel spindle, not titanium. The trade-off here is durability of an inexpensive replaceable part versus full-titanium construction
• Two lengths only (165 and 170mm)
• Designed primarily for Starling frames; compatibility with other framesets is limited by the 73mm × 24mm BB standard
• Limited production. Stock availability is intermittent
• 5 year warranty rather than lifetime
• New to market in late 2025 with no independent stiffness testing or long-term field history

Lewis Titanium MTB Crank

Lewis Brakes offers a Chinese-made CNC titanium crank at ~$999 – $1,019 in 1–2 sizes. 659g for the 160mm version, roughly 250g heavier than eeWings, with a limited warranty primarily covering hardware. It is a relatively new entrant with limited Western market presence.

What eeWings Have That No Spec Sheet Captures

eeWings have been out in the world on bikes for over eight years. In that time, they’ve moved from being a curiosity to being one of the most recognized aftermarket components in cycling. Riders who’ve invested in them tend to keep them. They get pulled off retiring frames and installed on the next build. They develop a patina that becomes part of the bike’s character. They get noticed at trailheads. They get mentioned in long-term reviews — not as a featured product — but as a part of the writer’s personal kit.

That kind of cultural recognition can’t be designed into a product. It accumulates over years of field use, owner stories, and word-of-mouth in the cycling community. Atherton, 5Dev, Moots/WI, Sturdy, Alugear, and Starling are all making interesting products. Some of them may eventually accumulate the same standing. But none of them have it yet, and it’s the kind of moat that doesn’t show up in a comparison table.

This matters for two practical reasons beyond brand affinity. First, recognized components have stronger resale and transfer value. eeWings hold their value across multiple bikes and multiple owners better than newer entrants whose long-term durability and support are still being established. Second, recognition is itself a quality signal. The reason eeWings get passed from frame to frame is that owners trust them after years of riding. That trust has been earned in the field, not promised in marketing copy.

Why eeWings Remain the Benchmark

Three things separate eeWings from the rest of this list, and none of them are subjective.

The only peer-reviewed lab data in the category, twice over. Fair Wheel Bikes has measured eeWings in both their road and mountain crank protocols. Both tests reach the same conclusion: eeWings is the lightest of the stiff cranks and the stiffest of the light cranks. No other titanium crank in this comparison has been submitted for testing on the same fixture. Until that changes, performance claims from competitors are self-reported and use different methodologies.

The longest field track record in the category. eeWings have been on bikes since 2018. Multiple long-form reviews now exist documenting 10,000+ miles per set across multiple frames, including a BIKEPACKING.com review at five years and 18,000 miles. The most known mileage on a single eeWings crank belongs to bicycle touring legend Erik Binggeser (@truemarmalade) who just surpassed 50,000 miles on his eeWings – that’s twice around planet Earth! Atherton, Moots/WI, Sturdy’s machined version, Alugear, and Starling are all new to the market since 2024. Field data for them does not yet exist in meaningful ways.

The strongest case for durability. No independent test currently measures crank durability across brands. There is no Fair Wheel Bikes equivalent for impact resistance or fatigue testing. However, the components of a durable crank are knowable: full titanium construction (including the spindle, where eeWings is one of only a few options in this comparison that uses titanium throughout), welded pedal-thread interfaces (rather than bonded inserts that fail on carbon and many aluminum cranks), and a structure that exceeds the international fatigue test for cranks by 2x. eeWings hit all three.

The company behind the warranty matters too. A lifetime warranty is only as good as the company offering it. Cane Creek has been designing and supporting cycling components for over 30 years and is structured as an employee-owned business, which gives the warranty meaningful continuity. (More on what warranty terms actually mean.)

For riders who want the lightest, stiffest, and most durable production titanium crank — the only one with independent test data, the longest field track record, and a place in the cycling community that no newer entrant has yet earned — eeWings remain the answer.

Further Reading

• Cane Creek Updates Legendary eeWings Titanium Cranks with Better Compatibility — full Gen 2 spec details
• Being Frank: The History of Cane Creek Cycling Components — 30+ years of company background
• Being Frank: Warranty Versus Guarantee — how warranty terms actually work
• Being Frank: To Hellbender With Bottom Brackets — 30mm spindle BB compatibility
• Fair Wheel Bikes 2025 Mountain Crank Test — full data set for 24 cranksets
• Fair Wheel Bikes Road Bike Crank Stiffness Test — original All-Road eeWings test
• BIKEPACKING.com: Cane Creek eeWings Review – Five Years of Patina — long-term field review