Short Cranks ?

ilnadi

ilnadi

Well-Known Member
So. If it is good enough for Pogacar. . .

Everything I read says if you're a spinner (cadence rather than power) you should use shorter cranks. Being a slave to fashion, I must follow.

I also read, on different places, that going to shorter cranks, one should use: same / smaller / bigger chainring. Isn't the Internet beautiful?

Anybody have experience on this?
 
I didn’t go super short. I did 175 to 170. It helped my hips by not opening up as much. Don’t forget to lower your seat post.
It’s definitely noticeable on the MTB with less crank strikes. You’re also able to keep spinning the cranks through turns. ( applicable to road too)
 
Yes, as a tall person I was running 175 on my XL bikes forever until I bought an XXL bike last year and it came with 170’s. I was skeptical at first but I’m also a spinner and it works very well.
 
I used to use 175 on everything, but now am split about 50/50 between 170 and 175.

I find 170 is nicer for avoiding pedal strikes on a lower BB bike and more comfortable for longer rides, but for putting power down, 175 still feels better to me TBH. 🤷‍♂️
 
pkovo said:
I used to use 175 on everything, but now am split about 50/50 between 170 and 175.

I find 170 is nicer for avoiding pedal strikes on a lower BB bike and more comfortable for longer rides, but for putting power down, 175 still feels better to me TBH. 🤷‍♂️
Click to expand...
Well, I ain't got no power so ...
 
I have ridden as long as 180 and as short at 160.

My personal belief is that with enough time, most people can adapt to most any size cranks within reason.

I have settled on 170 for pedal bikes and 160 for pedal assist.
 
I have 165s on my main bike and 170s on my higher-bb bike, both down from 175s. I'm not sure I noticed a difference, but I also changed to a larger oval chainring at the same time. It's maybe a little harder to climb, but I'm also in worse shape than I used to be so ... 🤷‍♂️

Whatever the reality is, my perception is that this is normal now.
 
People calling 170 cranks short 🤣🤣🤣. 150 on gravity bike and pedal bikes on 160 . Didn't change gear ratio. I split difference on saddle height so when going 170 to 160 I only raised saddle 5 mm just felt more comfortable.
 
Analysis on crank lengths from the road perspective. I wonder if someone has done something similar for MTB.

 
170mm on the Spot (what it came with)
165mm on the Santa Cruz bikes, although I'm planning to get 155 cranks for the Heckler.
still 172.5 on the road bikes.

I'm sure it varies depending on how sensitive you are, but I've read/heard one of the main benefits of shorter cranks is they reduce the angular motion of your knees as you go through the pedal stroke. I'm fortunate in I don't really have knee problems, so I've not felt that much of a difference there. I've mainly switched to shorter cranks for the minor improvement in pedal clearance.
 
Winner winner chicken dinner
145 on my wild and 150 on my rise.
Worst thing that you can do to an ebike motor is pedal strikes. My knees thank me as well. Someone mentioned pedaling through the turns 💯%
 
I went from 165 to 155 on my Trance X. I am 5’5 and I also splint the difference in seat high post because 10mm was too high for my hips. Also changed out a 30T oval chainring to a 28T round.

Pros:
More stability for going downhill or riding tech.

Knees feel significantly better and my knees are in decent shape thankfully.

Cornering at speed is also more stable now especially with rocks and roots.

Massively less pedal strikes.

In general my legs don’t feel stretched, more natural standing position.

Cons:
In the lowest gear it requires MORE power and less spin when climbing tech.

Frequent gear changes, especially on flat ground.

In all honesty I am still getting used to it. I haven’t adapted as quickly as the internet will have you believe. In some ways it’s much better in some ways it’s similar to the longer cranks.
 
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