Just looking at a new set of cranks for the winter/bad weather road bike.

The cranks I quite fancy only seem to come in 170mm length. I’ve ridden 175mm most of my cycling life and being on the lanky side have alsways been in the ‘long is good’ camp.

Suffered a few cramps on longer rides and there seems to be a few articles suggesting shorter cranks might help (though seem more biased to a time trial scenario).

I’m presuming there’ll be a glut of peole saying you wouldn’t notice the difference between 170 and 175mm cranks, but do any of us tall chaps (and chapesses) use short cranks?

I’m 6ft and have 170mm on my road bike, 175 on everything else. I think they possibly help my knees, but not sure if I can really tell the difference. It’s obviously quite hard to quickly switch to see if that is the case! I prefer to spin a lower gear in general and I think shorter cranks are better for that.

I always assumed it was down to your hip flexibility rather than leg length that was the deciding factor?

I always rode with 175s (I’m 6’4″) but decided after some reading up to switch the road bike to 172.5mm which is a tiny change but I was immediately able to tell the difference, gears spun along easier and it seems to be more comfortable to maintain a higher cadence (95-105rpm).

There are doubtless some who will claim confirmation bias but I can only tell you that I’m happy with them. Possibly coincidence but I also solved a long running knee pain issue around the same time. There was a change in pedals involved also which is far more likely to be the reason for that so take from it what you will.

I always assumed it was down to your hip flexibility rather than leg length that was the deciding factor?

Seems to be a split between “leg length * some random percentage = ideal crank length” type of thought and the hip flexor idea.

Might give ’em a try, doesn’t sound like I’ll implode in a crazy fireball for running shorter cranks on the road bike anywya.

I’m just shy of 6foot, I’ve got 175s on the SS, 170s on the hardtail and I’ve got 165s on the road cross type thing – I prefer the 170s to the 175s and for a £50 deore single ring job, I thought it was worth a pop. I quite like them.

I’m not racing or STRAAAVVVAAAA!!!ing, so no clue whether they’re faster, stronger, longer, but I do more miles on the cross type thing than anything else and now the 175s feel weird and ungainly.