Square Taper Road Cranks

Price range: $320.00 through $336.00

The VBC is our square taper road crankset. “VBC” stands for “Variable Bolt Circle” and describes the 2X chainring system this crank was originally designed around, hence the VBC name being used for both the crank and the chainring system. The 2X VBC chainring system is also an option on all the other cranks we make so it can be a bit confusing. On top of that, the VBC crank can be run with a single ring so if we get down to it, calling this crank the “VBC crank” is just crazy. Oh well.

Now that we’ve cleared that up, the VBC crank has been the go-to crank for thousands of road, track, cross, and gravel builds where riders were looking for a simple, proven system that would perform year in and year out. It’s easy to overlook our square taper cranks these days but in reality they’re as relevant today as ever.

Like our other cranksets, the VBC is made from U.S. sourced 2024-T6 aluminum, and can run our 1X TSR/singlespeed chainrings or 2X VBC chainrings. Run it with our BSA square taper bottom bracket and you’ve got yourself a winner.

SKU: sqrtprrdcrnks Category:

Product Details

This is our "Old School" road crank designed for J.I.S. square taper bottom brackets.  Made here in our shop, the Square Taper Road Crank draws on over 30 years of crank manufacturing experience with a focus on all the White Industries hallmarks; functionality, durability, and clean design. This has been and continues to be the go-to crank for thousands of road, track, cross, and gravel builds where riders are looking for a simple, proven system that performs year in and year out.

Specs

  • Arms made in our shop from 2024-T365 aluminum
  • Available in black anodize or polished silver (not anodized)
  • Extractor caps
    • Anodized aluminum: black, blue, gold, pink, purple, red, and silver
    • Bronze (actually made out of bronze)
  • Lengths
    • 165mm, 170mm, 172.5mm, and 175mm
  • Weight
    • 473g (170mm length, with hardware, w/o bottom bracket or chainring)

Compatibility

  • Fits J.I.S. (Japanese Industrial Standard) square taper bottom brackets
    • Shimano UN52/54/55 bottom brackets not recommended and will void our warranty
      • These are super cheap with funky tapers and can cause our crank arms to crack
  • Not compatible with "ISO/Campy" bottom bracket spindles
  • Designed to fit 68mm/73mm BSA threaded bottom bracket shells
  • Compatible White Industries chainrings:
    • Square Taper ENO series TSR 1X chainrings
    • Square taper series v1 VBC 2X and v2 VBC 2x chainrings
    • Square Taper ENO series "Double Double" 2x rings
    • Square Taper ENO series "Bashguard" 1x rings
  • Not compatible with other brands of chainrings
  • Chainlines

Square taper 

spindle length

 (ENO/Square Taper Road Cranks)

1x TSR chainring   

2X VBC chainrings

(measured between the 2 rings)

108mm

45mm

40.5mm

 (2x VBC not recommended on 108mm spindle)

113mm

47.5mm

43mm

121mm

51.5mm

47mm

 

Tools

  • Crank arm mounting bolts
    • Torque wrench (min 30 ft lbs or 40 Nm)
    • 8mm hex bit socket
  • Chainring lockrings with 3 notches and outside spline, use either:
    • Park BBT-19.2, Enduro BBT-015, or any 16 notch/44mm tool
    • White Industries LRTOOL (3 notch tool)

Torque

  • Chainring lockring 30 ft lbs (40 Nm)
  • Crank arms 30 ft lbs (40 Nm)
    • We recommend retorquing arms after the first ride

What's in the box

  • Two crank arms
    • Includes crank bolts and extractor caps (installed)
    • Includes chainring mounting lockring
  • Does not include bottom bracket or spindle
  • Does not include chainring

FAQ’s

  • I want a Square Taper Road Crank with a White Industries chainring and bottom bracket.  What parts do I need?
    • You will need our Square Taper Bottom Bracket available on the Bottom Brackets page.  But note they only fit BSA threaded 68mm and 73mm bottom bracket shells.
    • The chainring depends on 1x or 2x set up.  We make four different styles which are available on the Chainrings page.  Refer to the "Chainlines" chart above to see what spindle length you'll need to match your intended chainline.
      • Square Taper ENO series TSR 1X chainrings
      • Square taper series v2 VBC 2x chainrings
      • Square Taper ENO series "Double Double" 2x rings
      • Square Taper ENO series "Bashguard" 1x rings
  • How can I figure out if the Square Taper Road Crank will fit my bike?
    • Generally speaking, if you have a BSA threaded bottom bracket shell and are replacing a SRAM or Shimano road or gravel crank, the Square Taper Road Crank will fit fine.  Your frame’s manufacturer should have some basic guidelines on what type of crank you need, i.e., “Mountain”, Road”, or “Gravel”.  If they say it will fit a Shimano or SRAM road or gravel crank, you’ll be fine.  Refer to the "Chainlines" chart above to see what spindle length you'll need to match your intended chainline.
  • What bottom bracket do I need to fit the Square Taper Road Crank?
    • Our Square Taper Bottom Bracket available on the Bottom Brackets page.  But note they only fit BSA threaded 68mm and 73mm bottom bracket shells.
  • Can I use a different brand bottom bracket with the Square Taper Road Crank?
    • Yes, as long as is has a J.I.S. square taper spindle. Our cranks are not compatible with "ISO/Campy" bottom bracket spindles
  • Can I use a different brand of chainring with your crank?
    • No.  No other brands of chainring swill fit.
  • Can I use the Square Taper Road Crank on my gravel bike?
    • Yes.  The Square Taper Road Crank has a similar chainline to Shimano and SRAM road cranks as well as Shimano GRX and SRAM gravel cranks so most of the time the Square Taper Road Crank works great on road and gravel bikes.  Just make sure you choose the correct spindle length on the bottom bracket to match your intended chainline.  Refer to the "Chainlines" chart above.
  • How can I restore that shiny silver finish on my polished raw aluminum White Industries cranks?
    • Use “Mothers Mag and Aluminum Polish” with a microfiber rag.  Start with heavy pressure and lighten up towards the end
  • Where can I find replacement parts for my cranks like extractor caps and mounting bolts?
    • Go to the Parts>Crank Parts page
  • Can I use a power meter with the Square Taper Road Cranks?
    • It's certainly possible if you can find one that is compatible with our crank, but as of now we're not aware of any that are compatible.

Technical documents

 
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