![]() One notable study, by J C Martin and W W Spirduso, suggests the optimum crank length for maximal cycling power production (sprinting) is “20 per cent of leg length or 41 per cent of tibia length”. In the event that your cranks don’t have this, you’ll simply need to pull out a tape measure. The length of the crank is usually engraved or printed there. If you’re not sure what length the cranks on your bike are, the quickest way of finding out is typically to just look at the backside of your cranks, just below the pedal axle. When we put this question to Shimano, it told us: “170-175mm cranks provide an optimal balance between rotational inertia, rotational speed, frame design and biometric issues ”.īasically, Shimano thinks 170 to 175mm is the Goldilocks zone of crank length for most people and most bikes.Ĭrank length is measured from the centre of the bottom bracket axle to the centre of the pedal axle. However, given people can vary in height and leg length quite significantly, why is the typical variation in cranks across the size range for most bicycles limited to just 5 to 10mm and at those precise lengths? Is there actually any evidence that suggests this is the optimum range or is it just tradition? Additionally, specialist manufacturers like Rotor make cranks as short as 150mm.Įxtra small frames (typically those with a top tube of 50cm or shorter) are increasingly coming fitted with 165mm cranks, but it’s rare to see 167.5mm cranks, or anything longer than 175mm, specced as stock on frames of any size. Shimano and other major component manufacturers, such as SRAM and Campagnolo, do offer cranks as short as 165mm at most groupset levels, and up to 180mm in some cases. Small bikes tend to come with 170mm cranks, medium with 172.5mm and large with 175mm. What size your bike has will likely depend on what size the frame is. The three most common crank lengths for bicycles are 170mm, 172.5mm and 175mm. ![]() Why are standard cranks the length they are? To solve these and other crank length questions we spoke to Phil Burt, a leading physiotherapist and bike fitter, and Shimano, the world’s largest manufacturer of bicycle components. Is there an optimum crank length for every cyclist? Or could using cranks that are too long actually make it harder to pedal because your joints are forced through a greater range of motion?
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