Are Shorter Cranks Faster?

[@tomrodriguez9052]

Pidcock is 5'7" and Pogacar is 5'9", 650mm cranks are probably the right size for their height. I'm 6ft tall and currently using 172.5mm cranks and feel fine with them. I really think that rider size needs to be considered in this equation, more so than just 165mm cranks make you faster.

[@christianCarbstrong]

Height has nothing to do with inseam. I'm 5'8 and have the inseam of a 6 foot male. Same with pogacar, same with Jonas. Shorter cranks have to do with hip angle and power output. I run 160mm. I'm putting out my best numbers yet.

[@tomrodriguez9052]

@@christianCarbstrong The slight flaw in your thinking is, we are not all built the same, you are using the same logic as the bike companies use, putting the same cranks on all bikes. How do you come to the conclusion that Pogacar has the same legs as a 6" man? If you look at his saddle hight, it's 737mm, with shorter cranks which should put the saddle even higher. I'm 6 ft and ride 172.5 cranks and my saddle hight is 760mm. There in more to it than just saying inseam has nothing to do with it and then making up something about short people with super long legs...

[@frienduro24]

Cranks should be 20% of your inseam

[@jessejamesv]

Says God? You?

[@frienduro24]

@ Its been the norm for years. Also just heard it on Dylan Johnson’s latest vid. 165mm cranks won’t work for every sized rider. The bike industry is putting too large of cranks on bikes in general

[@MrJhockley]

It's a shorter lever but your legs are working in a more optimal extension. It's a bit like walking up steps, if the steps are too high you might only need 5 steps to go up a floor but you really have to bend and contort to get up each step. If the steps are too short you would have to dance up 100 steps to just go up one floor. there probably is an optimal step height for each person but we can all handle quite a range. Interestingly the average step height in the uk is between 150-170mm hmmm what are the chances.