What’s not changed about the Hope Evo cranks is it being made in Britain at Hope’s Lancashire factory and available in six funky anodised colours. Crank arms are CNC machined from forged billets of 7150-series aluminium chosen for its strength. The oversized 30mm alloy spindle uses a different, 7075-series alloy and has a series of knurled grooves (splines) to interface with the driveside arm. Hope now uses a more common self-extracting Allen bolt that massively simplifies fitting and removal. The Evo therefore no longer requires specific tools, multiple installation stages and a huge 75Nm tightening torque rating. You do need a specific tool to install Hope’s BB though, and it’s not that common.

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When any brand claims significant extra stiffness, our scepticism is triggered, but, in the Hope Evo case, its FEA analysis of where to increase stiffness and where to shed material has worked, and its latest crank is noticeably stiffer and more solid. The 15 per cent extra claimed will be most apparent for users of flat pedals, and where the older-generation arms twisted under bigger platform pedals’ extra leverage when stomping, and on hard landings, these Evos are hard to separate from SRAM or Shimano. Hope’s CNC’d direct-mount chainring is available in matching hues, uses an alternating tooth pattern for chain retention and seems to last well. With 28-36t sizes, buying it at the same time as the cranks saves you money. Finish quality and machining is as good as you’d expect, and another neat touch is machining away anodising on the most outwardly protruding points to stop the inevitable shoe-rub abrading crank colour and finish.

A further bonus is that the profile of the crank tip is very squared off. So, with the pedal eyelet sitting tight to the ends, this improves ground clearance at equivalent lengths over most rivals, resulting in fewer rock strikes.