You will probably notice more of a difference in the change from triple to double (is it compact or standard?) than the crank arm length. I have one bike with 170 (my old bike) and the rest have been 172.5. I really don't notice much of a difference between the two in terms of how they fit.
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Thread: Crankarm - 170mm vs 172.5mm
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05-05-2010, 06:18 AM #1
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05-05-2010, 06:48 AM #2
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2.5 mm is less than 0.1 inches.
I've gone from 170mm to 155 mm cranks, when I went from 170 to 165, I could tell no difference.
Unless you have knee issues, I doubt you'll be able to tell any difference at all.
The other changes you are thinking of will make much more of an impact.My photoblog
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05-05-2010, 06:58 AM #3
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I think it depends on your legs. Is there any way you can test ride a bike with 172.5mm cranks to see how it feels?
I can ride 165, but if I'm on 167.5, I have to compromise on seat height to avoid knee issues (and wind up with calf issues instead).Speed comes from what you put behind you. - Judi Ketteler
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05-05-2010, 07:16 AM #4
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My BF and I just bought new cranks and with the arms laying side by side, it was hard to eyeball the difference between my 170 and his 175. I think different thicknesses of socks might have more of an effect than crankarm length!
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05-05-2010, 07:31 AM #5
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actually... socks won't change the effective crankarm length, they'll just raise the center of the pedal stroke. The circle will still be 5 mm longer in diameter...
Speed comes from what you put behind you. - Judi Ketteler
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05-05-2010, 09:42 AM #6
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Thanks for the feedback, ladies! I'm glad to hear that, for the most part, the difference between 170 & 172.5 would be minimal. I'm not at all concerned about going from a triple to a double...as my Cervelo (that I'm selling) is a compact double, so I know what to expect. As I stated in my original post...I would only consider doing this swap, if I could do it for under $100. I don't want to sink a ton of money into a "temporary" bike. Especially since I'm actively looking for a new bike, so I'd rather put my hard-earned dollars towards that.
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05-05-2010, 01:54 PM #7
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Perhaps it's my imagination, but I have a bike with 170s and a bike with 172.5s, and I do feel like I notice the difference. I can ride both without pain or issues, but I feel like I have a little more power with the longer cranks, while I spin a little more easily with the shorter cranks.
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