Crank arm length for kilo tt?
02-16-10, 10:46 AM
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Crank arm length for kilo tt?
Does anyone, particularly other kilo tt/track bike riders, have a strong opion about whether I shoud get 165mm or 170mm cranks? I'm 5'9 with what I think are normal proportions and the frame is 55cm.
I only ask because up to this point I have only ridden a conversion, and I am unsure how much extra space the higher bottom bracket on the kilo tt will afford me. Some other threads seem to make a big deal out of the size difference, while other people have said a half cm wont matter either way.
What would be the performance advantages/disadvantages of 170 v. 165? And will there be any pedal strike issues if I go with the 170s?
I only ask because up to this point I have only ridden a conversion, and I am unsure how much extra space the higher bottom bracket on the kilo tt will afford me. Some other threads seem to make a big deal out of the size difference, while other people have said a half cm wont matter either way.
What would be the performance advantages/disadvantages of 170 v. 165? And will there be any pedal strike issues if I go with the 170s?
02-16-10, 11:05 AM
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nope, no opinion. none whatsoever.
02-16-10, 11:20 AM
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It all depends on how close you are now to pedal strike. The longer arm will place the pedal lower as you corner, and you'll be more likely to bottom out. The thing is, 5mm is a very slight difference and you almost certainly don't come within 5mm currently, in which case it won't matter. Just understand that it will make the pedal stroke swing lower, and it's up to you to decide how much crank you can get away with given your bike and more importantly, your riding style. I used to cut corners as hard as I could and I'd hit 165s, with a track frame and narrow pedals. I've mellowed out some and probably wouldn't have any problems with 175s now.
There's also the question of how big a circle you can spin at a given RPM. I imagine smaller tighter circles are more conducive to high RPMs, so your gear ratio comes into question as well. Of course, again the difference between 165, 170 and 175 is probably small enough that you shouldn't overthink it.
There's also the question of how big a circle you can spin at a given RPM. I imagine smaller tighter circles are more conducive to high RPMs, so your gear ratio comes into question as well. Of course, again the difference between 165, 170 and 175 is probably small enough that you shouldn't overthink it.
02-16-10, 11:57 AM
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Forget about pedal strike. The 5mm difference doesn't amount to much. If you are worried about pedal strike, use narrow clipless pedals.
Fixed gear riding takes you to much higher cadences than geared riding and the shorter cranks allow you to comfortably spin at faster cadences, albeit with a slight power loss for any given gear ratio. I'm 6'1.5" and ride 172.5-175 mm cranks on geared road bikes and 167.5-170mm on fg bikes. At your height I would choose 165s over longer cranks for a fg bike.
Fixed gear riding takes you to much higher cadences than geared riding and the shorter cranks allow you to comfortably spin at faster cadences, albeit with a slight power loss for any given gear ratio. I'm 6'1.5" and ride 172.5-175 mm cranks on geared road bikes and 167.5-170mm on fg bikes. At your height I would choose 165s over longer cranks for a fg bike.
