Originally Posted by
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.
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.