Originally Posted by
Kerlenbach
Man, you guys are confusing me. I have been all set to replace by triple with a compact double with 175 cranks, but now I'm not so sure. I'm 6'0" with a 35" inseam, and I've always understood that longer cranks are appropriate for longer legs. Maybe I should think about something shorter.
Check this out:
175mm= 6.8 inches
172mm= 6.7 inches
170mm= 6.6 inches
We are only talking a little less than an 1/8 of inch difference between
the lengths. I'm really not sure if one will notice a big difference performance
wise unless they go into the 180 mm something or 160mm something if the
were using something like 172 mm crank. I could be wrong in all this since
I have never ventured from my 175 mm cranks, but on a positive note there
must be some benefit between the lengths even though it is only an 1/8' of
an inch otherwise the manufacturers would not bother to make them.
But I will say this, everyone I ride with that has shorter cranks than my 175mm
will get dropped by me on the hills and the rollers. This is why I never considered
changing them to something else.
The formula of: crank length= (1.25 x inseam in cm) + 65 =
170 mm for me.
But I have no intentions on changing to it.