Old 03-26-15, 09:17 AM
  #10  
Bill Kapaun
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Mid Willamette Valley, Orygun
Posts: 13,870

Bikes: 87 RockHopper,2008 Specialized Globe. Both upgraded to 9 speeds. 2019 Giant Explore E+3

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You have to find the best balance of what your knees will handle.
I've got a bad knee and have had to go to 165's to avoid pain and have a semi reasonable cadence.
I'm about 5'11"now, but used to push 6'1" in my "yute".
My results- length vs cadence-
175 60 foot was coming off the pedal in the 12 o'clock position.
170 80
165 85
160 80 Obviously there's a point of going too short. it kind of felt like being on a kids tricycle.

You lose "torque" with a shorter crank, but you make up the difference by spinning lower gears.
I've converted both my bikes to 3X9's and run 12-23 cassettes.
Lots of closely spaced gears to keep my cadence in a narrow range that works best for my knee & emphysema.
As I said, you have to find what works for YOU.
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