I've been riding 170/172.5mm cranks for a long time and decided to try shorter cranks and go with 165mm. Oh my, what a difference a few millimeters makes. Before, I always felt that my top leg was coming up very high and did not necessarily hit my elbow, but it was uncomfortable. If I raised my seat to adjust and make a longer distance between my upper leg and my torso, then I would really have to stretch/reach for the bottom of the pedal stroke.
With the shorter cranks, I feel engaged 100% during the pedal stroke and feel that my legs are doing a faster RPM than with the longer cranks. I must also confess that at the tender age of 64, I also know that my body is starting to shrink. Yes, shrinkage happens to all of us. With the longer cranks, I was starting to feel discomfort in my hip joint. With the shorter cranks, there is no pain at all in my hip joint.
For comparison, I have two tri bikes - a Cervelo P3 and an old Kestrel KM-40. I changed to the shorter cranks on my Cervelo and now have a hard time riding the Kestrel - "Old Bessy". Old Bessy has been with me for 20+ years, but she's collecting more dust in the garage.
With the shorter cranks, I feel engaged 100% during the pedal stroke and feel that my legs are doing a faster RPM than with the longer cranks. I must also confess that at the tender age of 64, I also know that my body is starting to shrink. Yes, shrinkage happens to all of us. With the longer cranks, I was starting to feel discomfort in my hip joint. With the shorter cranks, there is no pain at all in my hip joint.
For comparison, I have two tri bikes - a Cervelo P3 and an old Kestrel KM-40. I changed to the shorter cranks on my Cervelo and now have a hard time riding the Kestrel - "Old Bessy". Old Bessy has been with me for 20+ years, but she's collecting more dust in the garage.