Originally Posted by
phughes
I'm your height and prefer 172.5 cranks. I swapped the 175s on my Long Haul Trucker for the 172.5s and much prefer them. Despite how close they are, they definitely made a difference. I would not mind trying 170s, but for now, the 172.5s feel nice. I can spin more freely.
Ive got a Gravel / Endurance bike that's 53.5cm. Short wheelbase with a little toe overlap and I have 172.5's on that one. It weighs in right at 9kg and is a solid fit. And while I can spin on that bike I dont get the power out of it like I do on the Ridley. The Ridley is built for climbing and that it does. I also can accelerate and put the power down with the longer cranks and of course it helps that it weighs in at 7.4kg.
I'll have to try the 172.5s on the Ridley later this summer and see if I can spin a little more with the shorter cranks on the climbs (too late to swap them for tomorrows ride). My thinking is that with the shorter cranks I might get a slight increase in cadence and save my legs for the longer climbs vs putting out slightly more power at a lower cadence with the longer cranks.
My endurance bike came with 170's and that felt weird. Like riding a walmart or a kids bike. It's crazy how much difference 2.5mm makes.
-Sean