Porkponey

My frame is too large. I can't get in a very aggressive position. My legs are short, my torso is long. My arms are short. Also I'm fat. My 54cm allez had 170mm 2300 cranks on it. Bought a 165mm R-550.

My pedaling stroke feels much better. I moved from a 90mm stem on a 21mm bearing cover to a 105mm stem on a 9mm bearing cover. Even with the additional reach and drop, there's less pressure on my diaphragm. Ordered a 17* 105mm stem. Will see if I can stand the drop when it finally arrives.

If it makes any difference at all, the 165's feel fantastic. I don't feel any less powerful and any loss of leverage in this case is worth the comfort difference and better position. I have no windtunnel to use but I would assume the lower position comes close to making up for any lack of leverage I might be facing.

IthaDan 

Amazing that 1/5th of an inch made all that difference for you!

Porkponey

Yeah it is. It's 2/5th's out of my stomach at the top of the pedal stroke (given that I brought the saddle up 1/5th.) In a sport where 2mm here and there makes such a difference in comfort, I guess it's not crazy to think that 10mm worth of guad out of my diaphragm would help.

StanSeven

Well that's close to a 1/2 inch which helps. I bet that longer stem has as much, if not more, of an effect. Together the changes probably are making your breathing much better and you feeling less confined in your chest and abdomen.

Porkponey

I figure the stem does help a little as well. I've got a set of bars in transit that are 44cm. My shoulder bone to shoulder bone measurement is 49cm. (Size 44 coat.) New bars are 15mm shorter reach and about 10mm deeper drop. With the shorter reach I could go to a 120mm stem and have the same reach to the hoods with a less drastic jump to the tops. Hopefully it will open my chest a little as well.

Campag4life

Makes sense to me. But if you are serious about cycling, why not improve your diet and reduce your body fat so you can run longer cranks in a more aero position?

wheelreason

Have you tasted pork rinds?...Besides, now there's this powder that you sprinkle on any food and it makes the calories magically disappear, and if I order today, they'll double the offer if I pay separate S&H.

grolby

If a 54 cm frame is too large, there's a very good chance that 165 was your proper crank length all along. But both component and bicycle manufacturers often either don't make 165mm cranks or refuse to spec them when appropriate so they can save a few pennies on tooling or ordering costs, respectively. I'm 5'5" and I will point blank not ride anything longer than 165mm, period. 170mm don't fit me, and that causes problems.

Porkponey

That's sort of what I was thinking. I'm 5'6-5'7 but my cycling inseam is like barely 29". I feel genuinely more efficient on the shorter arms.

As an aside, on my shakedown ride to work at 4AM this morning I got my first strava KOM (in florida no less!) It was just a causeway/overpass climb. Didn't feel any less powerful.

Porkponey

I have been steadily trying to do that. I'm down to 226 in a reasonably comfortable size 36 pants, down from 240 in a size 38. I've got too much upper body at the moment. I'm a hearty build. Broad shoulders, strong back. I would like to lose at least 70lbs. I'm on my way there. I would've been much closer as I'd gotten down to 210 a few months ago, but had surgery and had to stay in bed for quite some time. I'm perfectly healthy now, and the weather is finally starting to get nice. I'll cook the first 25 off pretty quickly.

Also, I don't know that a longer crank arm would offer me anything. I feel much more efficient on the shorter arms. I guess I'll know better if I get my backside handed to me during the sprints in my regular group ride, but I don't see that happening.

Dilberto

Keep riding, Porkponey. I am exactly your height/dimensions and lost 85lbs. Every pound you knock out will directly reflect your performance. I used to weigh 230 and it absolutely SUCKED. Now, I'm 165 and I feel like I can take on the entire world now. My waist went from 37 to 31 now. I now have abs I never knew ever existed. I ride BOTH MTB and Road...just to change things up and for the plain fact I now LOVE cycling, in all it's forms.

Keep it up!

Porkponey

Thank you for the kind words, and congrats on the weight loss! It's inspiring to hear about. I'm trying to cut another 10lbs by my sc climbing trip/vacation and I would love to be under 200 by the end of the year.

dayday82

My A bike has a 167.5 and my B bike has a 170. I don't think I can tell a difference.

Dilberto

You can do it. Get your body used to exercise by riding regularly, and it will drop the weight. Start counting calories and you'll EASILY be less than 200 by years' end!

Try eating 2200 calories this month. This means that figure is your caloric "budget" ....which you cannot go over that amount. So, no sugared drinks, too many carbs and keep eating mostly protein and high-fiber, so your colon cleans itself out.

Porkponey

Wait, 2200 calories in a month? I assume you mean daily for the month?

Lexi01

I'm with you.

I recently replaced my Ultegra crankset with......an Ultegra crankset.

I bought a new 175mm set (cos I thought that's what I had) and it all felt fine...then I realised (when I went to sell the old one) that it was 172.5...

I could not tell the diff.

das Ben Gator

I wonder if crank-arm length does make a difference in regards, at least, to saddle height and position forward/aft. For example, if going from a 175mm to a 170mm might require adjusting the saddle down/fore/aft to keep the same position as before.

coupster

I don't know if its all in my mind or just rust in the joints. All of my bikes have had 170 cranks. I just picked up a 2012 Synapse on closeout that had 172.5. Its only a cat's whisker, I'll never feel the difference, I thought. But I picked up a upgraded 170 crankset off EBay just in case. While I waited for the 170 to arrive, I gleefully road my new carbon bike. It seemed that I was putting more oomph into my pedal stroke but didn't really notice anything else. Well the 170 came in and I went out today on it. Within the first mile, both my quads and my hip joints simultaneously gave a noticeable sigh of relief. So my brain may not have noticed a difference but my body certainly did. I think I'll stick with 170's.

Dilberto

Thanx for the correction....