Originally Posted by EdZ
Let me put this to rest. I can add more crank lengths if you guys want...
Yes, it is clear that a longer crank gives more leverage. The question is whether this translates into better climbing. Going up a hill that is too steep for the rider to maintain a reasonable cadence in any gear, would a slightly longer crank make the rider faster? Do riders generate the same force with different crank lengths? Do their force (or torque or power... doesn't really matter since they're correlated) vs. cadence curves look the same with different crank lengths? If not, how does crank length affect the cadence at which max torque is generated? What about max power?