Slowman and few others here have recommended shorter crank length with smaller gears, to allow a more open hip angle etc.
If I read well, Rappstar used 172.5mm cranks with 53 big chainring and may go to 170mm.
Who has tried shorter cranks? Feedback? How did you modify gearing?
Given that Jordan is hmm…one or 2 inches taller than me, I’m thinking I would need to use something like 165 or 167.5mm and get rid of the 55T for something smaller…
you do that you may actually get up to 70 rpm one day.
I hate spinning.
Given that Jordan is hmm…one or 2 inches taller than me, I’m thinking I would need to use something like 165 or 167.5mm
very odd thing to say for someone of your academic background. because if you accept that any guideline for crank length should be proportional (and logic says that it should be), than take jordan’s inseam and 170mm, and then take your inseam and an unknown, and then set up equivalent fractions. my guess is that you will come up with a number far smaller than 165mm.
Very funny. How many manufacturers make cranks of length smaller than 165mm? Or do you recommend BMX cranks?
Slowman and few others here have recommended shorter crank length with smaller gears, to allow a more open hip angle etc.
If I read well, Rappstar used 172.5mm cranks with 53 big chainring and may go to 170mm.
Who has tried shorter cranks? Feedback? How did you modify gearing?
Given that Jordan is hmm…one or 2 inches taller than me, I’m thinking I would need to use something like 165 or 167.5mm and get rid of the 55T for something smaller…
Well, I am 6’2" and currently experimenting with 165 cranks (as short as my cranks will go and my big chain ring is a 58). Before this I was experimenting with 182.5. I find the shorter cranks demonstrably “easier” in the aero position and I think my speed is actually up some. It took a day or two to get used to the little bit “harder” pushing but I have no problem now. I see no reason not to try the shorter cranks and I see no reason to go to a smaller big ring.
Slowman and few others here have recommended shorter crank length with smaller gears, to allow a more open hip angle etc.
If I read well, Rappstar used 172.5mm cranks with 53 big chainring and may go to 170mm.
Who has tried shorter cranks? Feedback? How did you modify gearing?
Given that Jordan is hmm…one or 2 inches taller than me, I’m thinking I would need to use something like 165 or 167.5mm and get rid of the 55T for something smaller…
how does using smaller gears open up your hip angle?
I must have missed that one
Very funny. How many manufacturers make cranks of length smaller than 165mm? Or do you recommend BMX cranks?
Well, soon all of our cranks are going to go as short as 155mm and our long adjustable cranks have always gone as short as 85 mm.
Slowman and few others here have recommended shorter crank length with smaller gears, to allow a more open hip angle etc.
If I read well, Rappstar used 172.5mm cranks with 53 big chainring and may go to 170mm.
Who has tried shorter cranks? Feedback? How did you modify gearing?
Given that Jordan is hmm…one or 2 inches taller than me, I’m thinking I would need to use something like 165 or 167.5mm and get rid of the 55T for something smaller…
Now that is some funny shit right there.
Francois,
Go here to see a thread I started on my wife’s experiement with shorter cranks - 165’s in her case:
The thread turned a bit ugly after a while, but the key finding is that we found it was very helpful for her to go to the shorter cranks.
Solved some low back issues
Allowed her to ride aero more
Solved some issues she was having at 12:00
The net results has been faster bike rides/splits all year.
Based on some models, it would seem that she could go even shorter, but the 165 cranks were easily found and the results have been very good.
Sorry mate, I blame it on not knowing US units well 
.
Sorry for the short cut…Less closed angle in the aero position, when on top of the crank.
Good stuff there. Going to try 165mm with 53-39.
Good stuff there. Going to try 165mm with 53-39.
Why do you think the 53 is necessary?
My joints will like it.
actually i was being serious. for jordan, 170mm may be slightly small, but for you (if you use logic and proportionality, and few people do around the issue of crank length), realistically, you’re going to have to go a lot smaller, very likely smaller than 165mm. how much smaller? i don’t know exactly how long your legs are, but the bikes you have posted are small. set up an equation as i suggested and at least you will have a ballpark target. you don’t have to go with bmx cranks. there are some custom crank companies that will make cranks whatever length you want.
that said, while you may want to experiment, i personally am not so sure “short cranks for triathlon” is really the way to go. while i do think you gain something with short cranks, you also lose something with short cranks. there is no free lunch …
Because my logic tells me there is really no reason to use proportionality here.
steve, i think you are missing something pretty important. 165mm long cranks for your wife are not by any stretch of logic, “short”.
actually, they are normal, proportional cranks for her. “short” would be more like 150s or 140s.
Because my logic tells me there is really no reason to use proportionality here.
very odd. i guess you don’t believe in similar triangles and euclidean geometry. you are the one talking about “opening up your hip angle”, right?
well, perhaps not all mathematicians believe in logic.
so, then what will the basis for you to pick any length? how will you know whether to pick 130mm cranks, or 160mm cranks, or 170mm cranks?
steve, i think you are missing something pretty important. 165mm long cranks for your wife are not by any stretch of logic, “short”.
actually, they are normal, proportional cranks for her. “short” would be more like 150s or 140s.
Greg,
Thank you. My choice of words may not have been the best. Yours is better - they are proportionally right for her.