165, 170, 175, oh my
 

hey. I have been riding a jankie converted shimano VIA crank with 175 arms my whole life....and I like 175mm. My bike is not fixed, but it seems like a lot of you out there like 165 cranks. Why so short? I mean, i understand why it makes sense for fixies, but for SS it seems less efficient, and efficiency is key, no? So, please, some guidance while I look for my new crank. (alien's only come in 165)

165mm cranks are used on track/fixed gears because of pedal strike. A shorter crank and less chance of your pedal hitting the pavement when cornering hard.

You wouldnt have to worry about this on a road bike because you can coast through the corners.

Thats why I use it anyways.. I have freewheels but never use them.

What size crank a true SS/freewheel has I dont know.

Out of all the things that i've read from his writings... AASHTA probably struck me as the most arrogant. I never really got that, didn't really seem to jive with the rest of his character.

it is 5mm

buy cranks that fit, I ride 175s

the taller you are the longer your cranks should be

Generally:

5'-5'5" = 165

5'6"-6' = 170

6'+ = 175

That came about from newsgroup postings that people would respond with as answers, Sheldon did not start that on his own accord. Regardless, it fits more often than not. Let's just be glad we still have his valuable wisdom as a source & I hope the OP learned from it. :)

Maybe I'm just stupid but what does AASHTA stand for? I read that whole article (again) that it links to and couldn't figure it out..

*edit: "As always Sheldon has the answer".. got it.

Height and leg length are good starting points But I prefer to match my crank arm length to gear inches and preferred cadence. For a longer crankarm I'd go up a couple of gear inches because it is easier to turn the higher gear with the extra leverage but harder to spin as fast with the larger radius your feet must travel.

I personally use shorter 160-165mm arms and gear down a bit because I like to ride with a higher cadence. BTW, I'm 6'1" with a 34.25" inseam.