Originally Posted by HDTVKSS
ive been curious about is will the 170's given they have a shorter, more compact rotation help improve pedal stroke? i sometimes feel that my pedal stroke is improved after using them
HA!
That's just the beginning of the whole confusing issue -- some people think it's simply a matter of leverage, but there are so many factors that it's rediculous!! The main conundrum is that the seat has to lower, so the knee is in a weaker (more flexed) position, therefore, some of the potential leverage advantages are negated.....etc, etc.......bigger circles require more work, etc...yada yada. I've been a bit obsessed by this for nearly 2 yearsnow, and I can tell ya the whole thing is overrated, and long cranks aren't worth the extra stress on the knees
Originally Posted by HDTVKSS
Totaly off topic, WTF is a compact crank? is it where you run a smaller inner ring or inner / outer ring on the front?
from Sheldon Brown:
Compact Crank
"A double-chainring crankset with that permits the use of smaller chainrings than will fit with the common 130 mm B.C.D. (bolt circle diameter). Most "compact double" cranks use the old standard 110 mm B.C.D. which permits the use of chainrings as small as 33 teeth (more commonly, 34 or 36 teeth.)
Compact crank sets usually come with a 50 tooth chainring, and will normally go with an 11 or 12 tooth top sprocket in back.
110 mm B.C.D. double cranks with full-sized (52-42, 52-40, etc.) were common in the late'70s and early '80s, but they had become nearly extinct for double chainrings. The rebirth of this format, with smaller rings, was pioneered by Tyler Hamilton who used one of these in the 2003 Tour de France"
the rings are so small that the bolt circle diameter has to be made smaller!!
I never heard of compact cranks or triples on a road bike until I got onto this forum -- what is it with these Yanks and their granny gears??!!
Must be all them mountains
