5DEV AV3: Asa Vermette's Signature Crank, Price, Specs and Which Spindle Fits

The 5DEV AV3 is Asa Vermette's signature crank: the 165mm alloy arms he raced through his first Elite World Cup season, now on sale for $299.99. 5DEV released it on October 2, the same week he clinched the 2026 downhill overall at the Lake Placid finale.

He first ran a prototype at Red Bull Hardline Tasmania, and it stayed on the bike all season. It was there when he won in South Korea, his first ever Elite World Cup start, and again when he won Whistler.

The $299.99 buys the arms only. You also need a 5DEV spindle and a chainring, and the spindle is the part that decides whether it fits your bike.

what the 5dev av3 actually is

Two 165mm arms, each forged from 7050 aluminum and then CNC machined to shape. Forging means a hot chunk of aluminum is pressed into a rough crank shape before the machine touches it. 5DEV's R-Spec cranks are billet, carved out of a solid block, which takes far more machine time. Forging is how 5DEV got this one to its most affordable crank yet.

The shape is what Asa asked for. The edges are rounded so the arm sits comfortably against the inside of your shoe, and the faces are textured for grip when you pinch the bike: pressing the insides of your feet against the crank arms to hold on with your legs through rough sections. The texture grips without the sharp edges that chew up shoes.

165mm is the length Asa runs on his race bike. Shorter arms keep your pedals higher off the ground at the bottom of the stroke, so you clip fewer rocks and ruts, which is why 165 has become a common length on gravity bikes. It is the only length the AV3 comes in. If you want 150 or 155, 5DEV's Cam Zink crank comes in both.

The rest: a lifetime warranty, an AV3 logo Asa drew himself, and a SRAM 8-bolt direct-mount chainring interface, which means the chainring fits straight onto the drive-side arm with no separate spider in between.

what $299.99 actually gets you

The AV3 is sold as a pair of arms. The spindle that joins them and the chainring are separate, so the real price looks like this (5DEV's prices on October 4, 2026):

Any SRAM 8-bolt direct-mount ring works, so if you already have one you can skip that line. 5DEV's own ring is a T-Type ring, built for SRAM's Transmission chain, so if you run a regular Eagle or Shimano chain, make sure the ring you order matches it. Add a bottom bracket too if your bike has Shimano cranks right now. The next section explains why.

which 5dev spindle do you need?

The spindle is the axle that runs through your frame and joins the two arms. 5DEV spindles only fit 5DEV arms, and you pick two things: diameter and length.

diameter: 29mm or 30mm

Diameter has to match your bottom bracket, the bearings in the frame that the spindle spins in.

• ›Your bike has SRAM DUB cranks now. You have a DUB bottom bracket. Get the 29mm spindle.
• ›You have an aftermarket bottom bracket (Cane Creek, Chris King, Kogel and so on). It is usually 30mm. Get the 30mm spindle.
• ›Your bike has Shimano cranks now. Your bottom bracket is 24mm and no 5DEV spindle fits it. Swap it for a DUB or a 30mm aftermarket bottom bracket that fits your frame, then buy the matching spindle. Older SRAM GXP cranks are in the same boat: GXP is not DUB.

length: match your frame

Length sets how far apart the arms sit and where the chainring lines up with your cassette. That line is the chainline, measured from the center of the frame out to the chainring. These are the mountain bike lengths 5DEV sells, with what 5DEV says each one is for:

The 30mm version comes in 130, 139 and 145 only. The 136 is 29mm only.

Our read: a trail or enduro bike with a threaded 73mm shell and a Boost rear end takes the 130. A frame with a 73mm shell and a SuperBoost rear end takes the 139, and 5DEV says that is the length on the Frameworks team bikes, so it is the closest you can get to Asa's setup. 5DEV does not say which shell the 145 is built for, so if you have a downhill frame with any other shell (83mm is the common one), email 5DEV your frame model before you order.

Not sure what shell your frame has? Every frame card in the Builder lists its bottom bracket shell, and our guide to building a bike from parts covers how the shell, the bottom bracket and the spindle fit together.

the heavy metal spindle

The two longest lengths also come in steel. During the 2025 season Neko Mullaly, who founded Asa's Frameworks team, asked 5DEV for a batch of stainless steel spindles that add about 500g low and in the middle of the bike. For 2026, 5DEV started selling them as the Heavy Metal spindle.

Weight down low in the bike keeps it planted when the ground gets rough, and Neko says it has become common on World Cup downhill teams. On a bike you pedal uphill, it is 500g you carry to the top every time. This is a downhill part.

It is $199.99, 29mm only (so you need a DUB bottom bracket), and comes in 139mm (616g) or 145mm (649g). 5DEV says it fits any 5DEV crank and no one else's. It is made in San Diego.

is the 5dev av3 worth it?

All in, you are looking at about $460 with an aluminum spindle, and the arms alone weigh 645g before the spindle or chainring. It is not a light crank and it is not a cheap one. A mainstream alloy crank from SRAM or Shimano turns a chainring for less.

What the extra money buys is the crank the World Cup champion actually raced, 165mm arms shaped for pinching the bike, a lifetime warranty, and a route to the steel spindle if you are building a downhill bike. 5DEV does not say where the AV3 is made, which is worth knowing if American manufacturing is part of why you buy 5DEV.

Our call: if you are building or refreshing a downhill or bike park bike, you want 165s, and Asa's season is why you are reading this, buy it. It is the crank he raced, and the warranty covers it for life. If you just need new cranks for a trail bike, or you are on a Shimano bottom bracket and do not want to replace it, your money goes further elsewhere.

Ready to go: 5DEV AV3 at ride5dev.com, $299.99, plus a spindle sized for your frame.

common questions

Does the 5DEV AV3 crank come with a spindle?

No. The $299.99 price is for the pair of crank arms only. You also need a 5DEV spindle, $99.99 in aluminum or $199.99 for the steel Heavy Metal version, and a SRAM 8-bolt direct-mount chainring.

Which spindle do I need for the 5DEV AV3?

Diameter matches your bottom bracket: 29mm for a SRAM DUB bottom bracket, 30mm for most aftermarket bottom brackets. Length matches your frame: 5DEV says the 130mm spindle suits most 73mm trail and enduro shells, the 139mm is for SuperBoost+ with a 73mm shell, and the 145mm is its downhill length. If your frame is not an obvious match, send 5DEV the frame model before ordering.

Will the 5DEV AV3 work with a Shimano bottom bracket?

No. Shimano cranks use a 24mm spindle and 5DEV spindles are 29mm or 30mm. You need to replace the bottom bracket with a SRAM DUB or a 30mm aftermarket bottom bracket that fits your frame, then buy the matching 5DEV spindle.

What chainring fits the 5DEV AV3?

Any SRAM 8-bolt direct-mount chainring. 5DEV pairs it with its own T-Type aluminum rings in 30, 32, 34 and 32 oval. T-Type rings are built for SRAM Transmission chains, so check the ring suits your chain before ordering.

What lengths and colors does the 5DEV AV3 come in?

165mm only, in black or raw aluminum. 5DEV's Cam Zink crank is the option if you want 150mm or 155mm.

How much does the 5DEV AV3 weigh?

5DEV lists 645 grams for the pair of arms. That does not include the spindle or chainring.

Did Asa Vermette actually race the AV3?

Yes. 5DEV says Asa first raced a prototype at Red Bull Hardline Tasmania and kept it on his bike through his first Elite World Cup season, including his wins in South Korea and Whistler. He won the 2026 downhill World Cup overall at the Lake Placid finale.