Shorter cranks?

[TsPoet]

I'm 5'7" (on a tall day) with 33" inseam - I have 165s on one bike and 170s on the other two. I'm looking for 165s on ebay to replace the 170s, I find the shorter cranks much more comfortable.
Then again, the difference between 165s and 170s is very little (less than 0.2 inches). I honestly wonder about going even shorter. If you are interested, a guy named Mark Stonich shortens 175s to any length you like, he does an absolutely beautiful job, they look like manufactured cranks, not like they've been shortened. He has to use 175s to start with because 170s are hollow or something.
http://bikesmithdesign.com/

[aicabsolut]

Trouble on hills doesn't mean you need shorter cranks. Pain behind the knees from climbing, feeling like you lose power unless you scoot forward, or the inability to get your cadence up with a lot of training might mean shorter cranks would help (assuming that your approx KOPS position is as good as you can get with your current setup). Longer cranks actually make hill climbing EASIER, because you don't have to work as hard to get the same amount of leverage. You may not be able to spin as fast, but you don't need to. Depending on how big of a length change you're looking at, it will be harder to turn shorter cranks and you'll have to turn them faster to do the same on the hill.

That said, I had all of the above problems (especially the pain) when my bike came with the wrong arms (175). Switching to 172.5mm (the correct size for my frame) has made a huge difference on hills, because I feel like I am in a position where I can exert more power, and my knees are pain free. I have a fairly long inseam, but my femurs are relatively short.

[7rider]

If you are interested, a guy named Mark Stonich shortens 175s to any length you like, he does an absolutely beautiful job, they look like manufactured cranks, not like they've been shortened. He has to use 175s to start with because 170s are hollow or something.
http://bikesmithdesign.com/

The site says they recommend shortened cranks for recumbants, only, as a safety factor.

Pardon the drift, here....but measuring crotch to floor is not your "inseam", but perhaps your "leg length". Isn't "inseam" what you would wear for pants - which would go to about ankle height? Say, 3" shorter than inseam?

Alas, as with Kitsune06 and Mimi - I offer no helpful insight.....

[Eden]

The site says they recommend shortened cranks for recumbants, only, as a safety factor.

Pardon the drift, here....but measuring crotch to floor is not your "inseam", but perhaps your "leg length". Isn't "inseam" what you would wear for pants - which would go to about ankle height? Say, 3" shorter than inseam?

Alas, as with Kitsune06 and Mimi - I offer no helpful insight.....

It's a semantics thing, when one says inseam in the cycling world you generally assume the measurment was taken like this
"Stand with your back against a wall, your bare feet 6" apart on a hard floor, looking straight ahead. Place a book or carpenter’s square between your legs with one edge against the wall, and pull it up firmly into your crotch, simulating the pressure of your saddle while riding. Have a helper measure from the top edge of the book to the floor, in centimeters. (You can convert inches to centimeters by multiplying inches by 2.54.) Repeat two or three times, for consistency, and average the results to get your inseam length."

[HappyAnika]

This is slightly off topic, but good for a chuckle. My 6'5" husband recently became convinced he needed longer cranks. He was shocked to measure mine and discover they were 172.5's "on a women's bike!" I'm 5'7" and have a 54 cm WSD frame. His were only 175's, he just assumed mine would be much shorter. Anyway, $500 later, he has his custom long cranks and swears by them. The funny part is the $500 cranks are on a bike he paid $350 for. He gets a new bike next year and the custom cranks will be reinstalled on the new bike.

[rij73]

See: http://www.nettally.com/palmk/crankset.html

I'm 5'6" with a 30 inch inseam. According to above, I should use a 165mm crank. My bike came with a 170, though, and I'm not going to change it unless a problem develops...

[spokewench]

I've ridden 165, and 170s. The 165's spin easier (faster), but the 170's give you more power (torque). I loved the 165s cause it was easier to spin up faster from stopped. I don't mind the 170s they are fine. Neither one gives me any trouble with fit or problems with pain or anything like that.