Originally Posted by
jonathanf2
I just wanted to bump this thread and see if any shorter riders (5"8" and under) actually go with longer cranks? I find 170mm to work well on my road bike to give me better sprints on the flats and climbs and I like 165mm on my gravel bike where I can do seated climbs at higher cadence. I was thinking of trying 172.5mm or 175mm to get additional torque on my road bike or would I risk more toe strike by doing so? Curious to hear opinions, thanks!
I'm 5'6" and ride 170 on my road bike, 175 on our tandem. Pantani rode 180 in the mountains. He liked to climb OOS so the long cranks gave him more power. It's hard to argue with yellow. I ride 175 on the tandem. If I had shorter cranks, our gear ratio would have to be stupid low. We're riding 24/40 now, team age 148. We spin 90 just fine.