I was doing some investigating re: crank length yesterday. I learned that a longer crank length allows for better leverage but dictates a lower cadence. Better for power on an off-road machine. Shorter cranks allow a quicker cadence, better spin and don't require the knee to achieve as intense an angle (SAVE THE KNEES !)

I also came across some calculations vis a vis crank length as a percentage of femur length. Can't find the link now, but the gist of it is that even 165s can be *too long* for a petite woman. But then there's the study Sheldon Brown links to regarding wattages produced using different crank lenths (from 120-220 I believe) with the greatest wattages being produced using the mid-range cranks.So much information, is that smoke coming out of my ears.... ?

Anyhoo, I'm 5'3", 27" inseam, on a custom frame with 165 cranks. Have 165s on all my bikes and feel loss of power and sad knees on anything longer. Shorter cranks might benefit you in many ways, including eliminating the overlap issue.