Originally Posted by
diabloridr
I think it depends on the individual.
Like you I move between 170's (fixed gear) to 172.5 (regular single) to 175's (tandem) without noticing a difference.
OTOH, stoker *must* have 165's on her bikes. When we did a test ride on a tandem with 170's she experienced knee discomfort after 10 miles of flat riding.
Agree. My stoker rode with 170s for 12 years, including loaded touring, though her perfect length is 150, which she has now. She likes it better, but we're not faster - though of course we're older every year. There's a short steep sprint hill on which our tandem has 3rd AG place and now we can't sprint up it at all.