Originally Posted by
Wilmingtech
I am 5'11 and a 185 lbs and am typically more comfortable on a 53.5-54cm (within certain geometries). I currently own a Ridley Helium in a medium which is like a 56.
I have the bike setup to fit me and it's not uncomfortable on long rides. My question is...
I have a long ride tomorrow that is mostly climbing (15 miles up 4000' and another 7 up 2000'). Would it benefit to slide the seat up a half cm and throw a 172.5 crank on there? (I typically ride with a 175)
I've got the crankset here in the garage and it would take me all of maybe 30 min to set it up. Just not sure how much the shorter crankset would help, if at all.
Thanks!
-Sean
I go between 170's and 172.5's to 165's without issues. You should be fine, I doubt you will ever notice any difference after the first minute or so. I ride a different bike all the time, so my body is used to making small adjustments on the fly, so YMMV, but i think you will be fine.
I love my 165's because they allow me to use a powerful "kick forward" pedalling style. Often longer cranks create a weak spot at the very top of the pedal stroke, pretty much cancelling out any leverage advantage from the longer crank. The shorter crank helps me stay op top of the pedals through the whole pedal strike and use a "kicking" motion to propel me. I have a tendency to drop my heels a lot while climbing, and this helps quite a bit with that problem.