HeartCoppi Posted June 17, 2009 Posted June 17, 2009 Some insight please?? for a road bike What are the variables to consider when selecting cranks with respect to their length?Is there a relation between your height and your crank length?Are longer cranks better for climbing?When would you specify a 180mm crank?Why do some really small riders use 175mm cranks?
levett Posted June 17, 2009 Posted June 17, 2009 Tarboy - It seems like a bit of a 'black art' to me, with everyone having an opinion!As far as I can establish, it is 'sort of' related to your height, but is actually related to your leg length and, even more specifically, your femur (I think) length, and then a bit of personal preference thrown in!I'm 1.78m, but have comparatively short legs, and a long body - I ride 175mm cranks on my MTB, and 172.5mm cranks on my Road Bike, but one of the web-sites with a 'formula' said I should be riding 160mm or less!Longer cranks = more leverage, but a more acute knee angle
Christie Posted June 17, 2009 Posted June 17, 2009 As far as power goes, some research done made by using crank lengths from 140mm to 220mm found that power output were affected very little by crank length. So most sensible thing to do would be to use a crank that feels comfortable to you. I have ridden on 170, 172.5 aqnd 175s, can't say that I noticed a difference in performance.(Saddle height has to be adjusted for different crank lengths)
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