How different is your position between your gravel bike and road bike?
 

Obviously this thread is for people that have both and road bike and a gravel bike. If you've only got one, you don't need to respond that the setup is exactly the same.

Anyways, I'm fortunate enough to have both types of bikes, and I have a weird issue where I have a bit of trouble switching between bikes. I feel uncoordinated, my pedal stroke feels sloppy and my knees bug me for the first couple rides on each one. If I ride one exclusively for a week or so, I seem to get used to it and I'm fine, but if I switch back and forth, say, every other ride, I never really get comfortable.

Its weird, because the setups are very similar. The only position differences are 172.5mm cranks vs 175mm on the graveller, and an extra 10mm of stack on the gravel bike. I've adjusted the seat height and setback on the road bike to accommodate the crank length, so at full extension, the seat height should be the same. The pedals/shoes are different too, speedplays vs SPDs, and I've adjusted for the different stack heights. Obviously, the geometries are very different, but where my hands/butt/feet are should be very close to the same.

So should I try to match the cranks? Its the only outlier other than the shoes/pedals, but I'm not putting speedplays on my gravel bike and I don't want to put SPDs on my road bike. It seems weird that the cranks would play such a large factor since they're literally 2.5mm different, but maybe it'll make a difference? I'm well within the height range to use 175mm cranks btw, my inseam is 34 inches.

I didn't do a good job of matching positions, but they are pretty much the same. My road bike position is a little too upright. This would be my choice for a gravel position, a little more upright than my road position. Lowering my road bike position is on the list.

So, before I answer question, I'm going to ask: have you ever had a bike fit? One more: have you considered getting a fit for the specific discipline? Bike fit, and position, is different depending on the riding you're doing. You knew that, I'm just reiterating.

Typically, if you use the same crank size on all of your bikes, you just measure from the center of the BB to the top of the saddle, and replicate that on every bike (assuming you also have the saddle at the same position fore/aft to ensure your knees are making the same motion on both bikes). However, with differently sized cranks, I measure from the pedal at the bottom of the stroke to the top of the seat, then I ride it and make small adjustments based on how it feels until (a) I don't feel like as I pedal, I could push my foot lower, and (b) my hips aren't rocking when get to the bottom of the pedal stroke. I suspect that the feeling you are experiencing is because the saddle to pedal distance is just slightly different between the bikes.

My positions, in terms of saddle to bar drop are different on the bikes, too. But, I don't think that's your issue.

I use 170mm cranks on my road bikes and 175mm cranks on my gravel bikes. There is a bigger Q difference, my gravel bike has a very wide crank on it. I can't notice the change between bikes in this regard. My right knee is sensitive to seat height, too low and it swells up to grapefruit size. But I can't imagine 2.5mm making that much difference.
The only thing I would note is that setback wouldn't change with crank length. If you move it back 2.5mm, then your foot is 5mm further forward on the downstroke.

The fit and geometry between my main road bike and my gravel bike are nearly the same.

My gravel bike uses a 90mm stem with 72.5deg head tube angle while my main road bike uses a 100mm stem with 73deg head tube angle. The effective reach is about the same. The gravel bike has a .5degree steeper seat tube, but that difference is negated with saddle position.
The gravel bike bottom bracket drop is a few mm deeper too.
After the slight differences, my hoods are basically in the same place on both bikes because I use 105 hydraulic levers on my gravel bike that are longer than the 6800 Ultegra levers on my main road bike. So ultimately the saddle position is the same, steering is quite similar, and the hoods are in the same spot.


I do have 172.5mm cranks on my gravel bike and 175mm on my main road bike. I dont think twice about that though- neither makes any difference to me and I bought the 172.5mm length because it was new and half the cost.

My carbon "go fast" road bikes h-bar is an inch lower than my gravel. The bar is a 44 standard drop as well, vs. a 46 FSA Adventure bar on the gravel. I like the fit and bar of the gravel better then the road, but can noticbly put more power out on the carbon.

My gravel bike is setup with a slightly higher and shorter reach than my road bike.

This. My gravel bike is setup with 1 cm higher stem height and 1 cm shorter reach than my road bike.

Same.

This is the difference between my “almost mountain bike” gravel bike and my “almost road bike” gravel bike.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8e6523284.jpeg
Canyon Grail on left, Salsa Cutthroat on right.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...137a6b1b9.jpeg

Crank length/saddle height are the same for me on both, gravel bike has 40mm higher stack and 15mm less reach, also 42cm bars vs. 38cm bars. No issues when riding either, but def notice the fit difference any time I get back on the gravel bike, feels like driving a Mack truck. :lol:

Put out more power, or go faster?

I use the same length cranks on both and my saddle position is the same in relation to the bottom bracket. My gravel bike has wider bars, which are both higher and closer to me than the road bike.

Nice combo of choices. A side view would also be helpful.

Generally speaking gravel should ideally require a slightly more stretched out feel in terms of the stem length, top tube and reach.

I dont think 2.5mm of crank arm length makes enough of a difference to go through the trouble of changing. Also, changes in crank arm length doesn't necessarily mean you need to adjust saddle height.

I have an inseam of about 34.5 inches, and upgrading from 175mm to 190mm crank arms was quite simply the best decision I ever made for cycling. If you are interested in reading up a little, check out these links:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthrea...4&goto=newpost

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthrea...7&goto=newpost

190mm crank arms is 21.6% of my 88cm inseam which is the maximum you'd want to go. If I had to do it again, I'd go between 21-21.3% which is 185-187.5mm .

For your situation, id recommend looking into a set of 180mm crank arms on ebay and try it out on one of your bikes to see how it feels. I mainly changed crank arm length due to some minor knee pain while pedalling hard, and im very glad I did.

Well, both. More power translates to faster. The lower position just feels like I can get more out of my legs.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6dd9a4004.jpeg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...dd416ac21.jpeg

Also helps with centre of gravity when tackling turns. More so than simple improvement in aero.

I was trying to match my new gravel bike to my perfect-fit road bike a few months ago. Initially, the reach on the gravel bike was 1-2cm longer (to the hoods) and because I hated that handlebar anyway I got a new one with shorter reach/drop and it got them much closer. Gravel bike has a bit more stack (7mm I believe), and overall the geometry makes the gravel bike feel less stretched out. While this slightly bothered me when I was riding it a lot on roads in the winter, and was about to fiddle more to match them, now that I've been riding the gravel bike on some flowy double track trails it is 100% perfect. If I only used the gravel bike on long gravel roads that were the same as my paved road riding, other than surface, I would try and match. But for the gravel riding I do this bike is just fine.

Nice, the first side picture shows a good answer for this position question.
Also see you have a Santa Cruz in the fleet, another great option.

Upon viewing the pics and videos of your bikes and your positioning, I’d caution the OP to take any bike fit recommendations you have to offer with an abundance of caution and skepticism.

Haha, I missed this the first time around. Wow, this is the opposite of almost everyone who rides and different from most all current bike designs.
I recognize Im in the minority when I have my gravel bike set up nearly the same as my main road bike and even I cant imagine claiming the ideal gravel position is a more stretched out setup with longer stem and reach compared to a road bike.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/features...more%20upright.