You just got a new bike with 175-mm crankarms instead of the 170s on your old bike. Now your knees hurt. Are the longer cranks to blame? It depends on what sort of knee problems you’re having, so the short answer is—maybe. When you switch to longer crankarms, your knee must extend more at the…
Question: I’m 5-foot-4 and like to push a big gear. I’m getting ready for a time trial. My coach had me change my crank length to 165 mm because I rock on 170s and therefore lose some momentum. Since I’ve been riding with the shorter cranks, my left knee hurts. What could be causing this?…
Question: I have 170-mm crankarms on my road bike and 172.5 mm on my mountain bike. Is it correct to have longer MTB cranks than road cranks? I ride both bikes regularly and notice that my legs are often sore when on the road bike. Could it be from the crank length difference? — Laura M….
Question: I’m a 6-foot-tall big-gear masher with a 34-inch inseam. I use 175-mm crankarms. But I wonder if shorter would be better. Here’s my theory: Because the hub travels slower (a shorter distance) than the tire (which goes a longer distance) it seems logical to go to a shorter crank. Higher gear, slower cadence = shorter…
Question: Standard theory says that most riders should use crankarms of 170, 172.5 or 175 mm. I’m 6-foot-6 and use 196-mm cranks from Roger Durham at Bullseye. (My frame has a raised bottom bracket for clearance and a steeper seat tube.) I can’t say I’m a dramatically better cyclist using the 196s compared to 180s. What’s…
