Originally Posted by
Sharpshin
I can pretty much guarantee it isn't. Once a week, most weeks I ride with an evening "Social Ride" downtown, impromptu sprints on this ride are common. I unload the bike of all the panniers for this ride. When I sprinted a couple of weeks ago on the Voyageur I keenly felt the difference with the shorter cranks, and ironically I stood up in the saddle to try and make up the difference. Same bike this week, 5mm longer cranks, different ballgame.
The circumference of the circle described by the 175mm cranks is only about 3% longer than the 170mm crank, sure does feel different to me though.
thats interesting, and pretty much conclusive then isnt it? If it feels better, then thats all that matters.
I assume you didnt move the seat in the rails at all right? That would mean your feet are that 5mm further forward, and less bend in your knee with each rotation also then.
This kinda touches on the whole "fore/aft seat position" thing vis a vis the bend in our knees-which I figure is also a factor in how a bike "feels" for our knees. For sure, too forward and we risk "overbending", which isnt good for knees.