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Coming from 172.5mm crank arms on my road bikes, I started using 165mm crank arms on my TT bike a year ago and am very happy with it. I'm thinking of switching over to 165mm cranks on my road bikes as well.
Has anyone else done the same? Or can give reasons why I shouldn't make the switch? I'm curious why I don't hear of more people switching to shorter cranks on their road bikes. I am fine with either crank length, really - but the shorter crank length on my TT bike really helps to reduce my frontal area (i.e. makes me faster at the same power output). The same logic should apply to the road bike as well, correct?
I'm 6'1" with a 34" inseam. I use 165 cranks on both timetrial and road bike setups. My knees have never been happier...
The reasoning is that on the TT bike, a limiter for riding lower (for some people) is decreased hip to thigh angle at the top of the stroke. A shorter crank helps open the angle a little.
On the road bike, most people are not trying to ride with a flat back, and so stick with longer cranks. Since these "longer" cranks are generally standard equipment, most people just don't invest in making them match their TT bike.
2015 USAT Long Course National Champion (M50-54)
go for it. i've been using 165 on my road bike since late 2011.
I made the same switch, first on the TT bike then on the road. The former for aerodynamics/open hip angle. The latter for (supposedly) lower shear forces on my knees. I was rowing at the time and wanted to minimize the chances of hurting my knees (without giving up either rowing or cycling). I couldn't come up with any reason not to make the switch so I did it.
Only other comment is it took a bit more fit adjustment post switch on my road bike than it did on the TT bike. But once that was over with I was quite happy with the change.
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All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. ~Gandalf
I personally don't think short cranks on a roadie are necessarily needed either. Unless you ride very low a lot it's easy to maintain a similar hip angle at the top of the stroke with longer cranks as it is with short cranks in a low TT position. I'm currently on 172.5 on my road bike coming off 175's that I just didn't like in the drops. I'm on 165 on the TT bike and my top of pedal stroke feels similar on each. It's a work in progress, but for now I think I like it.
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I personally don't think short cranks on a roadie are necessarily needed either.
Ya, the main reason to use short cranks for TTs isn't true for road bikes. If you like very short cranks on your TT bike though, it makes sense to have your road cranks close to the same for adaptation reasons. I think having road cranks 5-10mm longer is fine though.
Last edited by:
rruff: Feb 10, 16 16:35