Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: NW Ohio
Posts: 3,453
Bikes: 1984 Miyata 310, 1986 Schwinn Sierra, 2011 Jamis Quest, 1980 Peugeot TH8 Tandem, 1992 Performance Parabola, 1987 Ross Mt. Hood, 1988 Schwinn LeTour, 1988 Trek 400T, 1981 Fuji S12-S LTD, 197? FW Evans
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Most of my bikes have 170 mm cranks, a couple have 175, and one is 172.5. My inseam is 32 inches and my normal cadence is around 80 rpm. Whatever length is on the bike I start off with is what feels like the ideal length. If I jump between a 170 and a 175, I can feel the difference for a few miles, then my legs adapt and forget about it. I'm sure there might be some scientific testing that could determine if one length is better, but for my riding, I can use them all. Last year I was looking for a crankset at the bike swap and passed up a bunch of nice 165mm cranks because I thought they were too short. Several were only $10, so I probably should have bought one to try out. Memory Lane and Ann Arbor are only a month away, so I'll add that to my shopping list.