The latter specifically is to reduce the increased hip closure that often occurs in an aggressive aero position. If you do, try something 5mm shorter. Phil Burt is a consultant bike fitter and physiotherapist. For more information, head to philburtinnovation. Simon Bromley is a senior technical writer for BikeRadar. Simon joined BikeRadar in , but has been riding bikes all his life, and racing road and time trial bikes for over a decade.
As a person of little physical talent, he has a keen interest in any tech which can help him ride faster and is obsessed with the tiniest details. Home Advice Sizing and Fit What is the best crank length for cycling? Crank length is measured from the centre of the bottom bracket to the centre of the pedal spindle. How to measure crank length? Shimano believes that having a professional bike fit is the best way to determine your optimum crank length.
Immediate Media. Crank length should be proportional to leg length, but that can sometimes be difficult to achieve if you fall at either end of the sizing spectrum.
So the shorter cranks are recommended for those who engage in competitions with numerous changes of pace and for those who naturally pedal with a higher cadence. Long cranks , on the other hand, are more suitable for constant efforts, like the time trials and also to those who prefer face many climbs at a constant pace, typical of a Gran Fondo.
That said, personal feelings and pedalling style cannot be overlooked. Those who prefer a pedal stroke of strength, at rather low cadences, could be better with a long crank ; those who always travel at high cadences will have a more natural ride with a short crank. For an amateur, the advice is to avoid extreme choices in length and to refer to a table with anthropometric values. In this article, Australian tech editor Matt Wikstrom takes a look at research on the influence of crank length on the performance of road cyclists, and explains that the results are actually quite clear.
The whole notion of free speed and improved efficiency is compelling in an endurance-oriented sport like cycling. Cranksets have received a fair share of this attention. Originally made from steel, they have evolved from largely utilitarian creations to become lightweight and elegant. Aluminium alloy remains the most common construction material, however the last decade or so has seen the successful introduction of composites. The same period has also seen immense proliferation in axle and bottom bracket designs while chainrings have been getting smaller and using fewer bolts.
One thing has remained constant throughout all of this refinement: the length of the crank arms. At one point, during the dominance of the English bike industry prior to World War II, an attempt was made to standardise crank length 6. While research on this topic may have been slow to start, it has received a lot of attention over the last years and efforts are ongoing.
As with any field of research, there has been some contention, and some of the results may run counter to conventional wisdom. Any debate on the influence of crank length normally starts out by considering the problem in terms of simple physics.
When viewed from this perspective, a bicycle crank is considered a lever, and hence, any increase in the length of the cranks has the potential to provide the rider with extra leverage. While this approach does a lot to simplify the problem, it does not allow for the influence of biomechanics, which, as it turns out, is quite considerable. After all, there are three human-powered joints involved in driving each side of a crankset that require energy in extension and flexion, so there is more to the problem than simply calculating leverage.
Nevertheless, the influence of crank length on leverage for the drive train can be demonstrated under a set of very specific circumstances, namely from a standing start with a fixed gear over a short distance m. Then, longer cranks allow a rider to develop more speed than shorter cranks, even when the difference is as little as 2mm.
This kind of scenario is quite removed from road cycling, since riders spend most of their time seated and have the freedom to change gear ratios as they please. United States. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. Are Wider Tires Always Faster? Luc Claessen Getty Images.
Related Stories. Related Story. Rotor Raptor Crankset Available in mm and mm. Joe Lindsey Joe Lindsey is a longtime freelance journalist who writes about sports and outdoors, health and fitness, and science and tech, especially where the three elements in that Venn diagram overlap.
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