POLL: crank length & height

[Saxa82]

I'm 5' 2"
165 mm cranks (came with my Fisher WSD bike)
mtn bike

[RebeccaAnn]

jobob--I am coveting your Rivendells. A Romulus AND a Saluki sounds wonderful.

I am 5'3" with 170mm cranks on both bikes, road (700cc) and hybrid (26" wheels).

Let me toss another question into this, if I may: For those of you using a non-standard crank (a crank other than the one your bike came with), what prompted the change?

If your bike is a custom job, what determined the crank size?

If your bikes have differing crank sizes, can you tell the difference? How do they compare?

[Pedal Wench]

5'4", and all three road bikes have 170's. My newest bike (my bella Bianchi!) was built from the frame up, but since I knew I loved the fit of my other bikes, I automatically ordered 170's for the new one.

[drplasma64]

I'm 5'2"

my centurion accordo road bike has 165 mm crank arms. I can't remember if it was standard or not (in 1989). I do remember that I got a shorter stem (90mm) than standard at the time. Maybe even narrower handlebars. It was not a "woman's bike" (aka, not a stepthrough, the only option at the time).

my new Trek7200FX hybrid for kid carting will have 170 mm (that's the standard for the 15" size, and it is a "womens", but not a WSD but not a "Ladies Stepthrough") and I hope they'll be OK.

I've actually been obsessing about whether the crank length is going to be a problem...I was looking at the LeMond website and saw their small size Etape bike come with 165mm and shorter stems and narrower handlebars. Sigh.

[newfsmith]

I once was 5' 0", but now I'm shrinking. I'll tell my age (58) a lot quicker than my current height. My Felt road bike, Terry touring bike, and Terry hybrid all have 165 cranks. My Specialized MTB, modified for winter commuting, has 170's.

[Tess851]

5 foot 3, 165mm cranks on both track and road bikes.

Had 170mm on old clumker, but wouldn't go back to them as the stretch is too long for my legs. Felt like a pygmy when I first got the 165s, but now spin my heart out in 42/12 pacing guys grinding away in 53/11

Have 36 ctc handlebars on both road and track bikes. Much comfier than what bikes usually come with. Haven't worried about any other adjustments than getting the right seat.

Stuff's available if you want it - and if your LBS isn't supplying, let them know you can spend your money elsewhere if they want to make it a hassle for you to get what you want.

[Surlygirl]

Another half pint here, 5ft and a tiny bit
I have 165 Ultegra cranks on my road bike. Better for the knees. They told me 170s would help me power up hills better but I have bad knees so the less stress the better, I spin. They are not uncommon so don't let the LBS give you a hard time about special order.

[jobob]

Sheldon Brown may not necessarily have the Last Word on all things cycling (tho he comes close ), but he tends to have a lot of useful info on his website.

Here's his take on crank lengths:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/cranks.html

[spazzdog]

5'7", 32" inseam, 52cm bike, 170's

spazz