What length of crank arm should I use?

The joint ranges of motion will be dependent upon the femur, tibia and foot length, which vary (usually) in proportion to your height. So in simple terms and assuming we all have similar proportions we could use our 172.5mm cranks and 1.778m height to suggest crank lengths should be 9.7% of our height.

Does crank arm length really matter?

‘With a shorter crank you need a higher cadence, but that’s a small adaptation that happens very naturally for most. ‘As far as maximal sprint power and metabolic cost are concerned, crank length can be anywhere from 145mm to 195mm and it really doesn’t matter. ‘A longer crank is basically a lower gear ratio.

Are longer crank arms better?

When viewed from this perspective, a bicycle crank is considered a lever, and hence, any increase in the length of the cranks has the potential to provide the rider with extra leverage. Then, longer cranks allow a rider to develop more speed than shorter cranks, even when the difference is as little as 2mm.

What do shorter cranks do BMX?

We’ve seen a lot of riders swear by shorter cranks saying that it makes some tricks easier and give them foot clearance for their pegs. Most cranks come in that 170mm to 175mm size since those are the most common sizes, but Profile Racing for example offer a TON of sizes for every rider out there as you can see above.

How important is crank arm length?

Choosing the length of the bike cranks has always been an interesting topic. In fact, the correct crank length can improve both the biomechanical performance of the pedal stroke and reduce the risk of injury.

What size cranks do pros use?

Pros often use a 55×11-tooth high gear for time trials. On flat or rolling stages they might have 53/39T chainrings with an 11-21T cassette. In moderate mountains they switch to a large cog of 23T or 25T. These days, they’ve joined the big-gear revolution like many recreational riders.

What length cranks should I ride BMX?

Crank arm length is more of a preference. Most riders these days run a 170mm or 175mm size, but you could go shorter or longer (Shorter is more ideal for street and flatland riding and longer is more ideal for jumping and racing). That 170mm – 175mm size is pretty ideal for street, park and dirt riding.