Originally Posted by
_ForceD_
Just pointing out that 5mm = 0.196 inch. I mean look at that on a ruler. It isn’t much. That’s less than ¼ of an inch, about 3/16 of an inch. Unless you’re a weight junkie…the only strong argument I’ve ever heard for shortening up crank length (when the length you’re using is appropriate) was from a guy who frequently raced criteriums. Pedaling through the turns…with the shorter cranks…allowed him to lean into the turn more (while still pedaling), and thereby faster through the turn. — Dan
Absolutely correct, but also keep in mind that's on each crank arm, so effectively you have to double that. It's still a pretty minuscule amount but it could make a difference. For me, the only reason I'm considering just that small change is more of a fine tune in my Shiv. I'm really quite happy with the set up overall, but I can feel a little more strain in the leg muscles under certain conditions. Not often, and I definitely don't want to go too much. But particularly for a tri bike, it can help open up the hips for better breathing. It may not be a significant amount, but then again even tiny gains add up over 112 miles.
Originally Posted by
ArgoMan
Very good advice. Thank you. I think I just need to get a cassette tool.
Super cheap on Amazon. I got the Bike Hand brand that has both the lock ring tool and the chain whip to hold the cassette in place for under $30. I've used it at least a half dozen times. There are only a handful of bike-specific tools I think everybody needs to do their own maintenance. That's one of them.