Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - anyone run < 160mm cranks?

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krucial
06-13-07, 08:05 AM
I am entertaining thoughts of building up a crankset with short short bulletproofs. Technically, reducing crank length and also decreasing gear-inches, proportionally, should produce the same amount of energy expended per gear inch right?

dutret
06-13-07, 08:12 AM
energy per gear inch?

It will keep the gain the same if that is what you mean. You foot will move the same distance compared to how far the bike moves forward. You will have to spin very fast and not move your leg much though which is likely to be incredibly inefficient.

Why do you want to do this?
vee_dub
06-13-07, 08:15 AM
pedal strike??? low bb??

doofo
06-13-07, 11:12 AM
small femur id say
jankon73
06-13-07, 01:02 PM
I run 140's (bulletproof), believe it or not. Been riding on them for about 3 years.
I like it because I can fall off of curbs and not have to care what position my feet are in. Zero pedal strike.
Plus I spin. A lot. I like spin.
I've also raced with them in a couple duathlons.

I've also got regular 165s on other bikes, so I'm not THAT weird.
mander
06-13-07, 01:08 PM
Give it a try! All ss/fgers know that you can get away with all kinds of improbable sounding ****, and this could be fun. Use rabbit or a similar gear calc to find equivalent gain ratios.
skinnyland
06-13-07, 01:23 PM
small femur id say
It's a perfectly nice size! :o
Aeroplane
06-13-07, 01:34 PM
I run 140's (bulletproof), believe it or not. Been riding on them for about 3 years.
I like it because I can fall off of curbs and not have to care what position my feet are in. Zero pedal strike.
Plus I spin. A lot. I like spin.
I've also raced with them in a couple duathlons.

I've also got regular 165s on other bikes, so I'm not THAT weird.
How tall are you?
jankon73
06-14-07, 07:11 AM
I'm an even 6' tall. Long legs.
I dunno, it just feels better for me than 170/175/180s.
Aeroplane
06-14-07, 07:40 AM
I'm an even 6' tall. Long legs.
I dunno, it just feels better for me than 170/175/180s.
That is really weird. Hope that works out for you in the long term.
mcatano
06-14-07, 07:44 AM
My ladypal's bike has 155s. She's 4'11" and rides a 43cm frame w/ 650C wheels. They're a regular set of fluted campy pista cranks that were milled down for a jr racer... it seems to work for her.
DanPT
06-14-07, 12:28 PM
Here something interesting I found about crank while browsing around

Why crank length is(n't) important. (http://www.bmxbasics.org/new/bmx1297.html)

EDIT: If you combine this with sheldonbrown Crank and Gain ratio info it make sense

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/cranks.html