Trail/ xc bike crank length

[OCDH]

Ladies, I need some input on what size cranks you run on your trail and/or xc bikes. I recently built a new trail bike, and I put 175's on it on the advise of several guys. Well, the day came to ride my new bike, and something didn't feel right - pedaling felt "sticky" at the push points, and I couldn't push the same gears that I used on my old bike. After the second ride, my hamstrings and back were killing me! I kept telling myself that it was just me ( I have a really hard time adjusting to new bikes), but I think one of my problems is that the cranks are too long. I used to run 170's on my old, much heavier bike, and I just can't climb the same way on the new one. I just don't feel strong enough.

I would love to know what size cranks other women use. If it is all in my mind, I just need to get over it. Thanks!

[Repack]

How tall are you/ what is your inseam? My gf is ~5'5" with a shortish inseam and rides 170mm. She knew that is what she needed and a professional fit confirmed it. 5mm doesn't seem like a lot, but its the circumfrence of the pedal circle that gets you.

[OCDH]

Originally posted by Repack
How tall are you/ what is your inseam? My gf is ~5'5" with a shortish inseam and rides 170mm. She knew that is what she needed and a professional fit confirmed it. 5mm doesn't seem like a lot, but its the circumfrence of the pedal circle that gets you.

I am 5'6". And yes 5mm seems like nothing, but when I am pedalling, it feels huge! It's funny, my bf told me that everyone runs 175's, that it is a standard xc thing. Anyone else running 175's?

[dhjill]

i run 175's on my XC bikes, chickie. Except for my singlespeed...I run 180's for extra leverage...:D

[DH Diva]

OC-I'm 5'4" and run 165's on my XC bike and trail bike. 170's are just too long for these short legs!

[grizgal]

I'm 5'3" and run 170's on the trail bike and will be running 165's on the DH bike. I'm kinda short (yes, i admit it, i am short) so I don't know if this helps.

[Freak]

Holly,

I've seen you in person so I know how tall you are, and I think you should have stuck with the 170's. I'm fairly certain that Laura (Velocity Girl) is on 170's on her XC bike also, and she's about 5'7"

[Snacks]

Originally posted by OCDH
Ladies, I need some input on what size cranks you run on your trail and/or xc bikes. I recently built a new trail bike, and I put 175's on it on the advise of several guys. Well, the day came to ride my new bike, and something didn't feel right - pedaling felt "sticky" at the push points, and I couldn't push the same gears that I used on my old bike. After the second ride, my hamstrings and back were killing me! I kept telling myself that it was just me ( I have a really hard time adjusting to new bikes), but I think one of my problems is that the cranks are too long. I used to run 170's on my old, much heavier bike, and I just can't climb the same way on the new one. I just don't feel strong enough.

I would love to know what size cranks other women use. If it is all in my mind, I just need to get over it. Thanks!

I run 170's on my XC bike and trail bike. I feel great on both of them

I'm 5' 5" with a 29" inseem.

[OCDH]

Thanks all for your replies! So it seems like a lot of us, except crazy single speeder dhjill, run shorter cranks on our bikes! I am trying to see if I can trade mine with my roommate, who wants to buy 175's. Hope that will solve all my problems:)

[Heidi]

I'm with Jill, I run 175's...but I'm 5'8 or taller.

[Shanks]

I cant use a girlfriend figure here, but my mom needed shorter cranks due to her virtical chalanged-ness. She's got my old 165's on and can now pedal better, and turn better since the crank sway isnt as bad.

[KPicha]

WOw! what an interesting thread. I had never even thought about crank lengths so I went out to check mine, and lo and behold, I've got 175s! :eek: and I'm only 5'4"! My curiousity has been piqued now and i really want to try out 170s.

Have any of you changed your cranks on your own? I'm wondering how difficult it is. Time to bring out Mr. Zinn and his mtn. biking book. :)

[rainbow_smoke]

ok I read this thread. asked the BF about mine 175... It is so funny how the littlest things we take for granted until someone brings it up. I am just under 5'2 so I DEFIINATLY need some smaller ones.

Thank everyone it makes sense now that I think about how hard it is to pedal my bike...

[KPicha]

LOL! What's the significance of your sig? I can only imagine! :eek:

[waterlilli]

I just went with shorter cranks (165) on my trail bike. My cross country bike has 170. I have only rode 2 times with the 165 and I like the shorter, but I am short. I read an article in MT Bike Action about crank lenth and it made me think that I needed shorter cranks, so I tried them.

[MtnBikerChk]

well I have a question - where can you FIND 165mm cranks? I mean NO ONE carries them online in XT. I hate having to special order stuff :(

[waterlilli]

I have the XT cranks in the 165, I had to get a new tool of course because they are the intergrated bb. (I hate having to get new tools everytime I buy something)

[KPicha]

Originally posted by MtnBikerChk
well I have a question - where can you FIND 165mm cranks? I mean NO ONE carries them online in XT. I hate having to special order stuff :(

Check here, they seem to have just about everything!

http://www.cambriabike.com/cranks&rings/cranks.htm

[bikebabe]

Great thread! I use 175's on my mtn bikes but I'm tall with long legs. This thread made me wonder how crank length is determined and how one decides what is the best crank length. I found the link to this article on VeloNews and thought I'd share it with you.

http://www.zinncycles.com/cranks.aspx

This is the velonews link... the reference to cranks is in the second half of the article.
http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/5832.0.html

[KPicha]

Holy Cow, that puts me at 163mm cranks :eek: I'm a whole 12mm off. Maybe I'll try out some 170s when I need a new BB.

[rainbow_smoke]

163mm? hey thats about what I need. want to trade? I have 170 somethings.

[KPicha]

Ha, well, that's what i'm supposed to use (163s) but I've got 175s so I guess that trade wouldn't work for either one of us ;)