I saw this bike Friday night going up Pine.

I'm 6'2" and have no probs riding my girlfriend's 160s. Sheldon Brown did an experiment and had no probs riding 140s or 150s (can't remember now...search his site for "crank length" for the article). As you said, the diameter (and therefore the circumference) is smaller, so your feet are moving less distance, making it easier to do more revolutions. You won't get as much leverage as with a larger crank for takeoffs etc. So maybe you'd go down a gear to improve that, which wouldn't be such a penalty as spin should be easier anyway. In any case, I'd recommend you give it a try if you know anyone who has a bike with shorter cranks.

With 160s your legs would be moving slower!! For one revolution they are travelling LESS distance.

the circle that your feet move in with shorter cranks makes your feet move less distance...so it's easier to move your feet faster with shorter cranks.
i have 172.5 and don't like them that much...really it's personal preference...but whats been said is all pretty true.

[QUOTE=mister pibb]
who are you?

Ive ridden 170 then switched to 160 because i was worried about pedal strike and couldnt tell the difference to tell the truth. Right now I am riding FSA track cranks and they are 167.5 and the only way I notice a difference is that the cages scrape the ground when im not in my clips.

This forum is not the place for logic!

i'm short, i ride 49cm frames.

when i went from 170 to 165mm cranks, i said, "hallejulah! that's what i've been looking for!"

Sorry, but it'd been like a full day since I'd seen this.

[QUOTE=metallo pesante]no one you know, but I liked your bike. that's all.

[QUOTE=mister pibb]
you sure i don't know you? savannah ain't that big. what kind of bike do you ride?

hilarious how you guys keep alternating the same quote mistake

that was happening to me and I only hit the quote button. I did not manually do it.

Much better!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...P1010002-1.jpg

dope bike, even with the sprung brooks. we def need more ss xc and cyclocross action on this forum.

does cross check have disc tabs
?

Hurngh!

[/ejaculatory noises]

It's a Karate Monkey, and no, the Cross Check does not have disc tabs.

Eff yes... I would love to see one of these monster-cross bikes with some 2.7" tires on 'em. If only they made 2.7" 29er tires.

I belive the panaracer rampage come in 2.7"

Only 2.3" in 29" version.

midge bars?

I want to bite this build so bad... it looks awesome/fun.

WTB's. Are you feeling them? I put Midges on the VooDoo this winter and I'm still not sure. Seems like I have less leverage for the up-and-over type stuff the the 29er is so good at. I want to hear your feedback.

Oh yeah, sick bike. There was a thread of fixed/ss cross/mtb's a few months ago, but sadly it died. I want MORE.

that surly is quite hot. mud oriented bikes usually don't do it for me, but **** if it doesn't look like fun!

is the karate monkey a good cross bike or more towards the mountain type of things?