Crank Length (A Four Step Checklist for Road Cyclists)
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
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Crank length for road bikes is quite a deep and interesting topic. Yet most of us skim over it and accept what the bike comes with. If you ride a medium or large, you'll often find 172.5 cranks on the stock bike and off you go. However, there are four critical considerations for crank length which could have you riding at a more comfortable and faster pace. Assuming you nail the right length. That is what Neill Stanbury and I discuss in this video.
#Cycling #crank #length
As a shorted rider, I after 30 years of riding on 170 mm cranks I changed to 165 about a year ago. What an improvement. Just makes everything fit better. What I find really frustrating is that while looking for a new high end bike, it is almost impossible to order different size cranks. MyOrbea, Willier..etc. can customize almost everything (multiple colors, wheels, seats handebar width) but one of the more important parts for getting proper fit can't be customized. Once they are offering the option of custom painted bikes, it really shouldn't be more difficult to add the option of different crank sizes.
how tall are you and what is your inseam? I am 167cm tall and have a 77cm inseam (my ape index is big, long legs and arms but short body) I am 50 years old this year and have been riding for decades on 170 cranks, I sometimes toy with the idea of going down to 165 as I age and my body becomes a bit less able to take the punishment. but I think my legs are a bit long and so shorter cranks would be of no benefit.
@@jonathanellis1842 Hi! 163cm and 75 cm inseam. Not that different.. sadly cranks aren't cheap enough that we can just go out and buy a bunch of different sizes.
I’m 5’7”, 170lbs. Ride a 54cm Emonda. It came with 172.5 cranks. My 165mm arrive Friday. So excited
@@NoahStephens how has the change worked for you?
@@NoahStephens any feedback on the new crank length?
After 8 years being on 172.5 'because that's what the bike came with' I made the change to 165s last year after watching one of your uploads. It has been one of the biggest noticeable changes I've made on a bike. Thanks for making a positive difference to my riding enjoyment.
Great to hear that and thanks for sharing on the thread. While I have 172.5 still on some bikes, my preference is definitely 165s. Cam
I don't believe you. I'd bet my house you can't tell the difference.
Hi, what's your inseam and height? I was thinking to go from 172.5 to 170 but you took it quite further :)
Yes what's your height mate?
height 183cm (6ft / 72in), inseam 84cm (33in)
@ Donald Winston sorry to disappoint but my situation fell in line with Neill's point #2, right leg hip impingement. It was Cam's upload last year which was the first time I'd heard about this scenario and I noticed the difference straight away after changing length.
almost everybody today says "go shorter" and promotes 165mm cranks for everybody... you are the first one I hear for a long time who does different recommendations for different riders - and with understandable reasons! I almost feel like a dinosaur with my cranks because everybody makes jokes about those 180mm cranks I have on all my bikes - but everytime I try shorter ones it feels totally weird; I have 172.5 and 170 cranks from the bikes of my son and ex-wife, they don't fit my legs at all! Despite my 90cm inseam length and though I feel comfortable with the 180 cranks people are totally convinced that I should ride 165s - that's what science prove they say. In my area I don't know of any bike fitter who makes his recommendations so reasonable like Neil - they all seem to have dogmas they want to press everybody in!
I've changed from 170 to 165 about a year ago, I have hip impingement (especially the left) and the improvement was insane.. no more pain, which by itself is already worth the change, but also a much more fluid and stable pedalling, and able to increase my cadence comfortably. I think maybe was the most significant change I made on my bike, both for comfort and performance, and at a pretty fair cost
can u slam the stem after it?
@@Dralbastaki the idea of going to a shorter crank is to reduce the angles of hip flexing and therefore stress less the area, so to slam the stem would actually worsen the situation. But it also depends on each one's body, fitness and elasticity. With time I'm being able to lower the stem in steps and keep the comfort avoiding pain
@@stefanobellote I think u have convinced me. Well said man 👏
I'm 167cm short with increasing knee and back problems as I got older. For many years my road and MTBs had 172.5 to 175mm cranks as the norm. I tried 165mm cranks on my commuter with no more aches and pains, and feeling fresh at the end of the day with the same average speed. Also tried swapping out my 165mm cranks from my dirt jump bike to test on my MTB and the difference is huge. Now that I know what works for me, I'll be machining my own custom 165mm cranks for all of my road/MTB fleet.
Another quality video gents. I made the switch to 165’s last year because of hip impingement and it’s made a huge difference. 👍
i switched to 165 crank last November after using the 170's for 2 years.. i must admit that it is by far the most comfortable length and the most consistent. at first i was too worried about the power output but being so comfortable after 6+ hours of riding is a joy in cycling.. im happy about the changes i made, thanks to your earlier video mate🤗 it helped me a lot to better understand the benefits.. ciaooo!
Thanks for sharing. How tall are you?
@@mr2law i am 167cm tall
@@polinae11202010 thanks. I'm 167 as well . Great ! I must try them now😀
@@mr2law ull love it specially the comfort .. goodluck
Thanks for the video. At 198cm I’m a big advocate of long cranks. I had a custom build (zinncycles) and was measured to have 200mm cranks and it feels so right. Getting on bikes with smaller cranks feel ridiculous. I’m going just on feel but I love it. I put 190mm on my gravel bikes. Clearance can be a concern but the custom build has a slightly higher bottom bracket to account for the tree trunks I’m pushing.
I am 201, and looking for my first road bike) What bike and which frame size you use?)
I'm 193cm - just can't seem to get a decent feel with 165mm- I feel like the front of my knees simply want to stretch out a bit. 170 is a sweet spot
Changed to 165 mm from 175mm. Don't know why it took me so long to do that being a shorter rider . Loved it so far
927mm inseam, switched to 180mm Cranks two years ago love it. Just got the Durace. Run a 85 cadence average on a ride.
I think you missed a more important factor (more than overall height or leg length) in overlooking the proportion of the bones of the leg. This is important across the entire spectrum of human morphology.
For example, I'm almost 6'2" but I need to use
Galen is always dropping knowledge. Love you!
I'm the opposite... I'm only 180 cm but my inseam length is 90 cm (with relative long femurs) so most cranks felt too short for me. The longest I could get where 180 mm, so I bought them for all my bikes and it was definitely a huge improvement
@@fiddleronthebike haha I have a 177.5mm crank in my parts bin to sell you 😅
Another quality video that really explains the varying tradeoffs in potentially downsizing your crank length. I'm one of those short, stocky grinders and when I was working getting myself fitted a few years back and tweaking my different bike setups, my fitter had me drop down from 172.5 to 170's. He did this after watching my pedal fluidity and pedal data on a computer screen as I pedaled. Once I dropped down to 170's my cadence became much smoother. But after watching this, I'm now curious as whether going to 165's might be even better. I think after seeing your comments here Neil that I should definitely experiment. Thanks Cam for such informative and helpful videos. I learn something every time I watch your channel. The content you provide is absolutely top notch.
I'm reasonably tall at 6'1" (185cm) and I was riding 175mm cranks for years, but was struggling to maintain my cadence and my hips were swaying. Just stepping down to 172.5mm cranks actually made a huge difference for me. So yeah, for some of us, just a small change can actually help a lot.
The limit on crank length is something you’ve touched on in your series of videos, but I have yet to see one video that explains it all. It starts with saddle height, which changes with crank length. Your video about finding saddle height by avoiding the loss of control at the knee does the job. From there you have saddle height and crank length (saddle setback does play a role, but I’m going to over simplify it), now the question is if the top of the pedal stroke is within the riders range of motion. The simple test for that is to clip out of one side and slowly bring the pedal around. If the rider can do that without moving the hip, in their lowest riding position (angle at the hip counts here), the cranks aren’t too long.
The part you don’t cover is timing. One thing that changes with cadence is the amount of time the rider can put effective force into the pedal. The body has a few defense mechanisms that work against the pedal stroke, the biggest one being the tendency of pushing longer instead of harder. Having done the research using force vector power meters, I know that higher cadence with shorter cranks sometimes lowers efficiency at high intensity, because much of the force comes at the bottom of the pedal stroke.
I'm 6' 4" and have ridden 175mm cranks for 30 years. I used to grind a bit but not as low as 60 rpm. I switched to 165mm cranks over a year ago and the improvement in comfort and performance has been nothing short of miraculous.
Not believable.
@@donwinston Really? Then what's the point of this video?
Upgrading my gravel bike groupset and going from 172.5 to 165. Thanks for the advice
From what I’ve seen the newer Ultegra and Dura ACE range from 160-180. That seems reasonable in terms of what the demand is. For myself I need to maintain a very steep pelvic angle, so even with 89-90cm inseam at a mere 178cm my hips won’t accommodate more than a 175 crank max. The funny thing is I can’t tilt my pelvis enough manually. I have to use the right saddle and a healthy amount of stem. Lots of funny body types out there xD
I’m 5’7. I have a sz 51 Cervelo with 170mm which I’ve ridden a while. Bought a used trek sz 49 and it came with 165mm. SO COMFORTABLE.
Triathlete here. Shorter cranks for me have been great. 165mm. I am 6' 4" but not actually too long in the legs. Definitely praise the shorter cranks for benefits of running of the bike. I noticed the difference the first training day (many years ago now).
I actually run 170s on my road bike. But I never sprint or do crits.
Also 193 cm, but only 90 cm inseam. I'm fine with 165 and 175 actually seems a bit long. Natural cadence for me is 80-90.
On the other hand...If you're a crit racer, you're also pedaling through corners and the final sprint often comes down to positioning in the final lap rather than the raw power you put out.
Ditched 172.5 after a lifetime. Went to 165 and never looked back. I ride in mountainous terrain.
For short end cranks, my bike fitter started selling CRODER crank arms. They seem to offer till 140mm.
Charles Ouimet does a great comparison on 175 and 165 cranks. Shorter cranks results in higher wattage.
I'm 193cm - 6'4" just can't seem to get a decent feel with 165mm- I feel like the front of my knees simply want to stretch out a bit. 170 is a sweet spot. In fact, after trying 165 I had all types of knee, lower back pain for days- which i never had on 170- that was with adjusted saddle and stem accordingly.
Im 6’2 and was convinced to switched to shorter cranks….of course going 10mm shorter means 10mm higher saddle…I really didnt like having to tilt the saddle to reach the ground at traffic lights and felt my saddle post was really stretched out. Went back to to the stock 175mm and feels fine.
A very nice looking black bike behind you 👍👍 very proporsional in any measure
Thank you for the video. I definitely feel the difference for the good when racing on flats with a longer crank at 6ft and now I know why.
I wish 160mm cranks was more widely available
@fc7424 hardly in stock unfortunately
Interesting, thanks for your insight. I am 6'4" (193cm)+ ALL stock bicycles purchased came with 175mm cranks. Downsized to 170mm for MTB for pedal clearance but found beneficial for pedal stroke. Was more conservative with road, only downsizing to 172.5.. Regret not downsizing to 170 or 165mm as I now have 170 cranks on my all-road/gravel bike and I am able to achieve a more aerodynamic position w/out hip impingement. I've noticed ZERO reduction in peak power (1400-1600w, 5-sec 1300-1400).
I am similar to you. I've tried 195 down to 160 and really have settled on 170 being the ideal length for me. I too tried it in MTB and loved it. No more sore back or knees.
my knees go inward, and this helps with impingement. And the 175mm is no doubt a factor. The fore and aft saddle position makes a big difference. I am considering trying 170.
Rider - "I am 5' 11" tall."
Manufacturer - "175mm is just about perfect for you! Our bikes in your size come with 175mm cranks"
2nd Rider - "I am about 5' 4"."
"175mm is just about perfect for you! Our bikes in your size come with 175mm cranks"
What would be sweet is if some manufacturer would offer a low budget testing crank with all the holes from 160 to 180 or so for us to buy and be able to try out temporarily on all our bikes. Look had three interlocking holes from 170 to 175 on their super expensive carbon cranks
I was thinking the same over a year ago while experimenting with crank lengths. There's adjustable cranks out there but hard to find and would be so expensive. I modelled some different solutions based on the R8000 crank/BB to machine my own cranks with adjustable inserts for the pedal, but again it's not viable with material and production costs considering how low the demand would be.
Why not have something that can attach to the end of the crank arms using the screw hole for the pedal and brace against the crank arm. That could have a bunch of holes in it to try different crank arm lengths as offsets of whatever you are using now. Sure, bulky and heavy but if only used for testing...
Buy a 2nd hand left crank arm (new 105 one costs less than 50 euros). Try it out on your current crankset and feel the difference between right/left legs. Obviously not perfect (saddle height, asymmetry and so on) but it's the best way to actually feel the difference (torque vs longer rotation) otherwise it is very hard to distinguish such a tiny change between two rides on two different days.
Croder recently released a pair of crankarms with variable crankarm lengths, primarily for bike fitting.
Make that product.
Flexibility is another. I am short and flexible so when in the drops, with anything longer than 165mm my knees bump my chest and I lose power coming over the top of the stroke.
Neil is the truth!!!! Love these vids
So I had a gut. And at 172.5 my knees were hitting my belly when I went into the drops. When I upgraded my cranks I went with 170 and it was much more comfortable in that department. Got rid of the gut thankfully and I just stick with 170 as it feels right overall.
I have six bikes, I've changed all of them except one to 165mm cranks (the odd one out is a SS MTB that I use as a get about the shops bike so didn't bother), gets kind of expensive and sometimes hard to source the shorter cranks, but worth it for me. On my XC MTB the extra ground clearance is another bonus, thought this would apply for criterium racing as well.
Interesting to hear Greg, thanks for sharing. I have ridden many crits on 165s. They're great. I am not a sprinter though, however jumping onto a wheel etc, I have had no issues. I think it's only noticeable if sprinting is your jam. Cheers, Cam
@@roadcyclingacademy Sprint with cadence, you need to pre-empt those who are about to jump with the longer cranks. Build to 110 to 130 rpm before shifting. Takes training to spin that high with a solid core w/o bouncing on the saddle.
Great video; looking trim Neil!
Sounds like 172.5 is perfect for me, which is what I have. I'm just under 6'3" and enjoy doing triathlon so no need to change.
Rotor offers a wide range of sizes. I run 150-155mm depending on the bike as it has helped with knee issues and they are the only ones that offer reasonably light power meter cranks that I've seen.
We're glad you found benefits from the shorter cranks!
-RCA Team
@@roadcyclingacademy they have saved my ability to cycle. Knee injury limited my range of motion in one of my knees and the shorter circle allowed me to stay within that ROM at the top of the pedal stroke.
Thanks Cam. Can you go too short?. Is there a downside to going too short? At what point will one notice their cranks are too short? (Apart from losing instantaneous power in a crit) cheers to you both once again for bike fit gold!🤙
I think there are studies looking into this, and it was something as low as 130 before a noticeable drop in power (or something like that, it's google-able), which is pretty extreme!
i think it should be fine when your crankarm length no shorter than the chainring LOL
I'm 6ft 1 tall and run 172.5s on one bike and 165s on the other (got the 165s out of curiosity a year ago) and, obviously this is purely subjective, I do find myself feeling less fatigued in the hips with the 165 which makes complete sense. However with that said I feel the longer pedalling arc of the 172.5 cranks makes me feel more... stable, connected almost, with the bike. Again, purely subjective but wonder if that's a common thing or not.
Gearing also makes me feel more connected because for a given distance I have turned slower cadence and in a way like on a long stroke engine it delivers more torque and tactile sensation(excitation of muscle fibers). The other way you can spin faster but since there is less resistance that way your balance is less. To a certain extent it is good to stretch the hips according to a PT. I had hip surgery so I have to take it easy but do feel varying the angles help.
I have 87 cm legs, and when I calculated (with the different formulas out there) my optimum crank length, it returned 173,75 mm, smack dab in the middle with 172,5 and 175 mm.
In the 80's, I made the swap from 170mm (which were the goto cranks, and often the only ones available readily without waiting a long time) to 175mm , right away everything improved for me. So I'll stay with 175mm, and I have no problem spinning my legs well over 100 RPM, indoors & outdoors.
Yet another awesome video Neil/Cam. I'm not sure if I need 0mm cranks as my knees and hips are knackered or 200mm cranks as I grind away and think I peak at about 50rpm at times.
I went from 170's to 135mm on mtb and gravel bike, and 125mm on the road bike, about 10 years ago...
I'm 188cm with an 85.2cm inseam, so my legs are relatively short for my height. I ride a 58cm bike and just switched form 175mm to 172.5mm cranks for the simple reason that I could get hold of the new Ultegra with that crank length. I can't say I've noticed the difference. I generally ride at a cadence in the 90s and have no impingement, so I definitely don't need to go shorter. My seat is at teh right height, but will not go lower, so I can't ride longer cranks, unless I get a shorter seatpost (can't cut it, because it's carbon).
Hey Charles thanks for the comment!
Carbon seat posts can be cut if they need to go lower! Take it to your local bike shop and they'll be able to help you out!
-RCA Team
I’m convinced. Now if you could let me know where to find some 165mm Ultegra 11 speed cranks, or good alternative, that would be great…
Some alternatives are Rotor ALDHU (take the 24 mm version, but you won't be able to run the ALDHU Carbon crankarms) and Croder Spirit. Both of these are modular cranksets, but the ALDHU is noticeably more expensive.
@@yonglingng5640 Thx, will check them out
Geez, I have a 90cm inseam and use 175mm cranks (I think it's good), my girlfriend has 70cm (which is a lot considering she's tiny 155cm) and her "small" bike came with 170mm cranks, seriously considering buying some 152mm cranks for her
I'm 6' 2" and 200lbs with a 33" (84cm) inseam. I usually ride 175's. I see so many people riding shorter cranks that I kind of feel like trying it myself, BUT most of the people I see going to 165mm cranks are also about 4-5 inches shorter than me..... wish someone would make a video for average tall guys like me about crank length.
I'm 195cm tall and run 200mm cranks. No plans on going back to my 180s.
As with all changes at contact points this could also be symptomatic and your fit is just off. I tended to grind a lot on my commuter bike until I once sat down to dial in the fit and noticed my saddle was a little low. Now I spin totally effortlessly although the 175mm cranks may just be on the large side for someone with 87cm inseam. Also people that see big improvements in different crank lengths while forgetting to adjust saddle height make me think it was more of a fit issue. I find it quite challenging to find the correct seat height while having my saddle far forward because it is harder to measure the seat height (little bit offset from the seat tube) and the knee to spindle thing also is often a bit off with that position
size 48 feet and 190mm cranks and my heels would hit the derailur. I already have enough trouble with toe overlap and chainstay depending where I seat my cleats.
I’m thinking about changing to 165 just for the extra seatpost I get.
I get that!
@@roadcyclingacademy Gotta get that pro look cam! That long seatpost and slammed stem ;)
@@0RANGOTANG how is that opening the hip angle going shorter when the front end is going slammed?
I'm shortish (169cm) and suspected my 170mm cranks were too long, as when my seat is set using the bottom of stroke reference, my knees get too high at top of stroke.
I wish I got the budget to go 185mm or 200mm as 195cm tall bloke with hip impeachment🙈
6 feet tall. Back in the 1980s and 90s I rode 177.5 cranks. Very difficult to find these days.
Hi im 183 tall, my bike came with 172.5, switched to 165 due to hip impigement and im riding much better now, the question is, Those 7mm diference should be aplied to the saddel height? what about fow and bwards? Can u addvice please?
Thanks
Keep the good Job, help me a lot
my hip rocks like a snake with 172.5, gonna try out 165 next week, i hope it will stop dancing because low back pain sucks
It’s a 165 crank shortage in my country 😅
So assuming you're properly fit to begin with, and on a 175mm crank, and you switch to a 165, in theory, seat goes up 1cm to keep knee angle the same at extension, and most likely seat goes forward a tick (maybe 3-4mm or so depending on seat tube angle), or is it more complicated? Also, would your front end have to go up to compensate for the new saddle to bar drop number? I know, I know, can of worms all around with this stuff...... Great videos as always, love watching.
Yes, if you want to maintain your saddle-to-handlebar drop, the cockpit contact points can be elevated too.
I'd say if you're a "leggy" body shape have a "leggy" crank length, else have a shorter one. "Leggy" length is typically 175/172.5 shorter lengths are typically 170/165, long legs go with long crank, short legs go with short length. Also with the long crank for crits, I have long legs but go short (170) on my crit bike solely for cornering concerns. Good riding y'all.
Had a bike fit a few years ago and was suggested to move to 180mm, didn't make the change as they are hard to come by but always wondered if it was worth trying
Hook them up if you can. I Run 180mm Durace. Its expensive but a way better upgrade than wheels or other silly stuff.
I am 6’3 (190cm) and I had issues with my right knee after 40 minutes ride. So I went from 175 to170 and that was definable a right choice as for now I do not have those issues at all.
It's great to see you fixed your issues! No one wants pain while riding!
-RCA Team
Another great bike fit video.
Just installed 155mm cranks for a 1.6m rider. The whole next season will be for trial.
165 ftw! That's the first thing I change when I get my bike now. Sadly the grx groupset only offers 170mm as the shortest length atm
Grx 600 11 Speed is available in 165mm
Just changed from 175mm 810 crankset because hip ipingement
About to make that exact swap for that exact reason (but I’m 194cm).
This bike was really easy to assemble ruclips.net/user/postUgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA and required very few adjustments out of the box. The wheels did not require any truing/adjustments. The frame had some small scratches, but nothing major.I did replace the seat though - the seat it came with was very uncomfortable. The tires need to be re-inflated every 4-5 days, but this appears to be quite common for the narrow 700x25 tires.Overall, in my opinion, this bike looks and rides like a much more expensive bike.
I moved from 175mm (Mountain bike) to 170mm (first rode bike) and it drove me mad for months, felt like I just could not get the power down on hills, quads working alot harder etc.. But used to it now and cadence increased somewhat.. Have a feeling overall geometry probably a bigger factor between bikes mind you..
Hey Thomas,
As power is a combination of force x velocity (torque x cadence) you could actually have an increase in power with the feeling of less fatigue! Increasing cadence is a great way to increase overall power output.
-RCA Team
Oh how I wish Shimano would listen.
So 2023, in the UK and I am looking for a 165 Shimano crank and the cranksets that are compatible with my current setup are only sold here in 170 to 175. Even my LBS who order direct from Shimano can't get them imported here, yet on the continent (Europe) and everywhere else in the world you can get the 165 version. Yes if I switch my entire groupset to say 105 I can get a 165 here but even then most sellers only stock 170 and above.
Bloomin' nightmare.
Please Shimano, pretty please 😔
Ps if anyone has experience of importing from the EU since Brexit please help me understand the additional costs of importing a 165 from abroad, ta.
little addon idea for a future video: crank length doesn't only affect how far up and down the foot, knee and so on moves, but how far forward and back the foot moves. what implications does that have?
Thanks for the idea Leon, we’ll put it on the list.
(I am typing this w/limited time thus no proof reading) I am 5ft 11inch, have been racing since 1987, 1987 to 2008 always used 180mm cranks. 2008 to present I have been using 210 mm cranks and love them. You are right that longer cranks risk developing bad pedaling technic of low RPMS >85RPMS. But with consistent training you will natural ride at
Opposite to the Scenario #1 you mentioned: most of the time I ride 100RPM+ - could this be an indication of crank _too short_? I'm 186 cm on 172.5 mm
I’ve got 165-175 between all my bikes and don’t notice a difference between any of them
A 10 mm difference should be noticeable. I ride 165 mm and the moment I tried 155 mm, I can feel my hips opening up more than with 165 mm.
My road bike has a seatpost which I feel is 5-10mm lower than it should be. Im using a 170m at that time then decided to change to 175mm. Felt much better. Still dont know if there are any powerloss but cadence remains same avg 90+
Hopefully you used this guide and the longer cranks suit your needs!
-RCA Team
If anyone watching this has a hip impingement, get your Psoas and Illiacus released and they might be tight due to quad dominance
A very good friend of mine bought a seka after watching the video about seka. What do you guys think of oval chainrings like rotor q and or osymetric
Great video. I am 6'1" with a 865mm inseam, currently on 175mm. Reckon it's worth going to 172.5?
Thanks once again for the info. I'm 173cm. I use 172.5 cranks. what I've noticed was when I started feel fatigue that my cadence goes immediately down. That with going to a easier gear. I've noticed this also during climbs. I thought that I needed to go for a shorter crank. but what I did instead was changing the big chainring from 53 to 52. I now feel the difference....
Maybe I'm wrong. Could this also be an option/solution?
tanks in advance
As someone with a low hip range of motion from an accident at least a year ago, I am currently riding 145mm cranks on my rehab bike. Keen to know if Neil has any recommendations for 11 speed short cranks.
Awesome, this is something I’ve considered! I’m 6’8 with a 950mm inseam, but I’m more lean/lanky than super powerful-would you still recommend a longer crank towards 200mm?
It's super hard to recommend anything like this with any degree of certainty, as the occasional rider will unexpectedly do worse whilst the majority do better. I'd say at that height though that yes, you'll probably do well with some 185's or 195's if you can find them. - Neill
What about a skinny 65kg 185cm long legged rider? I'm on 175mm cranks.
its a shame at 5'4" (162cm) I am limited to 165 cranks. also i usually end up with the smallest size frame having short legs and long torso. does not equate to say, someone that is 5'10 or even 5'7 using 165s. what does this do for me exactly? does not allow for an aggressive aero position. I wish shimano would expand the crank length range to as low as 155, I would love to see how that feels or whether it would make a huge difference.
Maybe heading down the custom crank length option is something worth considering!
-RCA Team
Croder does manufacture a modular crankset with crankarms that short. One person I know runs it.
thank you guys so much. I was going to follow up with inquiry on how to obtain such a thing.
As a hip surgery veteran, I can recommend you also try warm water bath or shower followed by easy warm up before road riding and do some stretches. Our whole body gets so stiff so we have to try and push through the decay via smarter exercising and stretching including the hips, knees and all associated hardware(muscles and ligaments)
Long cranks, ask Hanseeno!
Would you recommend shorter cranks for cycle touring in general?
lol where i can find 165 cranks ? Iam 172cm-79inseam and ride 172.5 cranks. Can i say to my bike brand your cranksets are wrong and ask for 165 ? (ultegra 8000 cranks costs 200 euros, its ridiculus to pay that just to check if 165 are better) :D
What size should a 4'11 person get?
I am not that short but ordered a new crank from rotor at the beginning of spring 2021 and was sold on 160mm cranks. I am 5'4" with 27" inseam and I am super happy with how my cadence increased with this length.
@@nathanielmartin4800 I have been looking at getting 155mm rotor cranks but wondering did you need to change the BB out to accommodate the rotor cranks?
@@missdee9228 I did not have to change anything else. If you have a square taper bottom bracket I would say you will need to change it out but if you have a 24mm or 30mm you are good to go.
@@nathanielmartin4800 awesome info, thanks I’ll ask my LBS 👍
Went for a bike fit in Perth and the new seat I have is amazing. I have patellar tendonitis/tendinopathy in my left knee which is why I went.
I have a question that needs an answer/guidance.
I wear mountain bike shoes because they are easy to walk in while cycling. Changing them would mean a change of pedals and shoes which gets expensive. He suggested I might possibly change from these shoes to road as the surface area of the connection of the shoe to the pedal is larger and would thus put less strain on my knee. This didn't make much sense to me as the same force is going up my leg to my knee. It's not like I have foot pain. I'm interested to hear your thoughts. Ultimately I just want the pt to go away. I'm a fast twitch muscle build if that helps (always came 1st in 100m/200m sprint in multi schools) and 167.5cm.
He did change my seat height and seat which has helped (I can actually feel the sitbones on the seat now and less soft tissue pressure).
The tech he used for the bike fit was a pressure pad to measure my sitbones and a gyro on the lower part of my back to measure my hip swap and a recording device to record me on the bike. He also measure my height and the bike up.
Cheers for the video. After changing the cranks from 175 to 170, would you need to increase saddle height by 5mm aswell? Thanks cam
Yes, the shorter the crankarm, the higher your saddle has to be.
@@yonglingng5640 thanks matey!
Can stack height be increased to get a feel for shorter cranks before one one ? Will that be a good test?
In addition to low RPM, I have also heard that if you tend to get out of the saddle when you start climbing up, your cranks are probably too long. Any thoughts on this?
I have a couple used bikes I have purchased and I really ride better in flat races with longer cranks but I do much better with a shorter crank when its a rolling or hilly course. My power numbers match this. From my experience it is a yes to your question.
It mainly means that you don't have enough gears and get out of the saddle just to be able to produce the torque required at that low rpm. Shorter cranks would then worsen the problem by decreasing your torque even more. If however you have all the gears needed to spin comfortably, it comes down to your physiology just as when you ride on the flat, nothing changes.
what about mixing crank lengths? should l ride one length on all bikes? (167 reasonably flexible, 172,5 mm without pain or cadence issues, some power so maybe 170s may be better ...)
Hey Leon,
Your type of riding you are trying to achieve should dictate the length of cranks you need with consideration your height/flexibility etc.
Hope this helps!
-RCA Team
@@roadcyclingacademy Sure thank you, the best way is to just try it out ...
What if I'm a crit racer, but also have some hip impingement?
You'll need to find your sweet spot in the middle to allow your hips to move while also not sacrificing peak power
-RCA Team
This is why I personally changed (dang...I thought I was the only one so I made a video) : ruclips.net/video/CQvLIyOiYGs/видео.html
Story of my life 😂
Do oval rings have any bearing on crank length?
Good question Robert, and one best for Neill. Possibly a topic for upcoming content. Cheers, Cam
I've been researching all year about ovals. There's definitely no free power, but at bottom of the stroke you can spin/cadence faster. Whether you can use this as a cooldown or to get onto the next power stroke is up to you.
I'd say ovals would only get better with longer cranks.
Im still confused,
You can always watch the video again!
-RCA Team
Hi , number 4 , I am 6 foot 4 inches tall , weight 68kg , what the crank length recommend??
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