I went from 170 to 165 after researching solutions for alleviating knee pains. The shorter cranks not only solved my knee pains and reduced pedal strikes, but the bike felt more nimble and I had no idea why. You totally explained the "why" and now I know!

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

That's rad!

@emowalter1

Жыл бұрын

how does it climb? does it negatively affect climbing?

@MTBMOR

Жыл бұрын

Interesting. I do not like shorter cranks, but I suffer from knee pain. Maybe I'll try riding with shorter cranks. Was your pain during your rides or after?

@weathdone

Жыл бұрын

@@MTBMOR the longer the cranks the more ur legs bend when at top of stroke.. trust me buddy.. short cranks are best.. there is a formula out now u can use with your height to find out berst length crank arms.. Im 5'5" and should be on 145-155

@MTBMOR

Жыл бұрын

@@weathdone I'll have to look for it. I find the shorter cranks feel better with tired legs. I may try them in a race to see what happens.

I remember doing this with road biking 10 years ago - going to 165mm from 175 🤷🏽 Mainly because I was changing cranks to add a power meter, and my coaches convinced me on the upsides to shorter cranks for more power output for the perceived exertions 🤘🏼 I’m all in 😅

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

😆🦵🏽🔨

My long time complaint is how small frames and XL frames often come with cranksets 5mm different. This is an insult to people everywhere. Either bike companies just don't care or they are disconnected and ignorant of the needs of riders 12 INCHES apart

@IOUaUsername

Жыл бұрын

95% of bike marketing is selling something which the buyer will feel comfortable and used to within a 5 minute test ride. Since we're all used to incorrectly fitting cranks, they sell them with average sized cranks so it feels familiar off the bat.

Was already planning on going with shorter cranks just to reduce stress on my knees but this video showed me there are more advantages which I'd never thought of 👍

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Heck yeah!

Nice vid, good to see someone showing and bringing up a simple and possible over looked option for their riding style and bike fit

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

🙏🏾

So glad there’s more shorter crank options available now. So many facets to bike fit, and this has been overlooked by manufacturers for too long. Cool to hear how much of a difference it made 👍🏼

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

💯

@weathdone

Жыл бұрын

yea they are a lil behind.. so funny how everything goes from one extreme to another... when i started mtb after covid 175mm where all they had... now u cant give 175mm cranks away Lmao... gotta love this shit man!!! SMH

@IOUaUsername

Жыл бұрын

Why don't stock cranks just have another hole to put your pedals in for 165mm? It would cost 10c per bike to drill and thread two holes to hugely improve fit.

@weathdone

Жыл бұрын

@@IOUaUsername oh and the reason why they dont do that is pretty simple ... its called PROFIT and greed!!!

You sold me, Alan! Never gave crank length much tho other than pedal strikes. Thanks man. Excellent video

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Heck yeah man! Glad to help.

awesome you're supported by The Bike Shop -- great bike shop!

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

💯 The Path is awesome!

I'm 6ft and have been riding 165mm Cranks for over 6 years now. Love it.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Heck yeah! Ahead of the game.

Can’t wait to see the video where the 5dev cranks snap!

Great topic. I have been wanting to go to shorter cranks for a while. 👍

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

If you have the resources, it’s worth a try.

5'8" and my bike was specced with 170mm. I hit them on rocks all the time on techy trails. Going 160mm this summer, cool that I might see other benefits, too

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Heck yeah!

Amen brother! I switched from 165mm cranks to 150mm on my Trek Rail and it was indeed a game changer! I feel way more central and "inside" the bike now than before!

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Hell yeah!

@LaurenceGough

5 ай бұрын

What cranks did you get please?

My brother went 170mm from 175mm. I told him to try my bike (which has 170mm) and his mind was blown. When he switched, he started to enjoy a lot more the climbs and downhills. It's incredible that something that we don't think about that much can males such a difference

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

🤘🏾

@BlackMan614

Жыл бұрын

So... it doesn't affect climbing? I would think shorter cranks mean less torque/leverage.

@aaronenduro3168

Жыл бұрын

@@BlackMan614 You go higher cadence, to me it was almost unconscious. I totally recomend it!

@IOUaUsername

Жыл бұрын

@@BlackMan614 Excessively long cranks puts more strain on your knees. Higher cadence with shorter cranks gives you more constant torque rather than large pulses. I find that with longer cranks I'm more likely to slow down and lose stability between pedal strokes.

Two 👍👍up. I did DIY Drill retread and cut ($25) my cranks from 175 to 155 and I love them. I'm 5'10. MTB NO NEED 175mm cranks - period. Bravo.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

🤘🏾

this was a very interesting and informative video!

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

🙏🏾

Bro subscribed cause of your mustache is the thing of epicness

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

😆 thanks!

I bought a medium frame Nomad, im only 5'8... The cranks came 175!!! It was aweful. Id litteraly nearly loose footing at the bottom of the pedal stroke it felt. I got swapped over to 165 cranks.. The bike feels AMAZING now. The crank size indeed blows me away, how much it changed the feel of the bike. Love the video, thanks for getting this out there for other to find out the same. My knees also had issues, and they feel "better" right now (gotta do way more than just change your cranks to get your knees where we want them to be. 🤏🤙🤙 Have a blessed day, Alan.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Heck yeah!

Good shout buddy i will look into this mate well done

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

🤘🏾

I’m 6’ 1” and ride 165mm cranks I love it hardly any pedal strikes anymore and my bars are one up cut at 750mm it feels perfect, so I believe height doesn’t matter it’s all about the feel and type of trails you ride as I’m in Washington state and ride Gailbraith and Pilchuck which are tight in the trees so it affects how I set my bike up

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

🎯🎯🎯

Love your videos. I’m a giant rider myself, 2021 Trance X. Great bikes. I’m definitely going to look into the shorter crank arms.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

That's a great bike! The first Giant I rode was a Trance X. I hope the advice helps. 🤘🏾

@MTBMOR

Жыл бұрын

What size is your Trance X? I have a medium with 170 cranks. Most of my other bikes are 175. Maybe Giant is ahead of the curve on this one.

@patrickrobbins9858

Жыл бұрын

@@MTBMOR my bike is a medium frame. After watching this video I checked my bike. I’ve got 170 on there now. I love my giant. I ride here in the PNW and don’t see very many giants out here. I like not being one of the masses riding the same bikes.

Alan, m8, channel is growing, views are going up! So happy for you, brother, rad day indeed!

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! 🙏🏾

Great info, Alan! For me, I will stick with the 170mm being 6'4 and on XL bike.

@Hihopeyouhaveawonderfulday

Жыл бұрын

Same. I’m a tall guy. I need the longer cranks otherwise I’d need a 250mm dropper 😢

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Makes sense. 🤘🏾

@andersonsridebikes

Жыл бұрын

You should give 160mm a try if you get a chance. I’m also 6’4” and I love 160mm cranks

@carl_thunder

Жыл бұрын

@@andersonsridebikesI may just do that.

@jimig399

Жыл бұрын

​@@andersonsridebikesI'm 6'2 Half inch shy of 6'3. I changed to 165 10 years ago and I could not believe the difference it made for me. It really is a game changer like he said. Fixed issues I had with my knees, hips and lower back that i wasn't even aware of. Also improved my cadence. Seems counter intuitive but even tall, lanky riders like me will be amazed at the difference if you give it a chance. I recommend it to everyone.

Couldn't agree more dude. I've been riding for 35+ years. I ride 30-50 miles daily and only take one or 2 days off a month. At 55 I've got a body that professional athletes have told me that they hope they can maintain when they get my age. I take it as a compliment. I'm 6'2 175lbs. I ride an XL FS 29 frame. My new bike came with 175 cranks and it's the first thing I had to change out to 165mm to get my ride dialed the way I need it to perform for me. Changing my bars actually came second because I wanted to get my base set first. Glad I did too because I realized I would need to trim an additional 20 mm from my bars then I usually do. When first made the switch to 165 cranks about 10 years ago i could not believe the difference it made for me. Definitely a game changer as you said. I'll never go back. Fixed alot of problems with my knees, hips and lower back. Also improved my cadence. More riders need this info so good on you for getting it out there.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

That's so good to hear. I'm happy to share my experience. But I'm stoked when people with deep experience chime in with richer knowledge.

@jimig399

Жыл бұрын

@@mtb_alan oftentimes it's a synergistic effort that combine to get the best results friend. Happy to add my wisdom for what it's worth. I know there are many who remain on the fence with regard to this topic and others who never even consider it an issue and continue to ride whatever is offered to them as OEM. If you ride as much as I do there is a danger that being indifferent to crank arm length... can come back to bite you later on in the form of chronic injury. I don't want that for anyone. It's a problem that has persisted for too long and is finally beginning to get some much needed analysis for the average consumer. Like I said, I'm glad to see someone putting this information out there because it impacts riders performance and longevity more than they can imagine. Happy trails pard. 🤟

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

🙏🏾

Dear crank manufs who are not producing 160/155 GET WITH IT I’m a tall guy and I LOVE my short cranks!!!

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

💯💯💯🎯🎯🎯

Thanks for that explanation i ride a large spectral and never understood why 170 cranks came with it lol i n used to have 175 💯

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Interesting.

As a 5'5" human. I changed to Miranda 150mm cranks on my Norco Sight VLT. Very noticeable faster cadence requirements (which the EP8 loves) vs the stock Shimano 165mm. Very, very comfortable to pedal on the flats, but needs to crank more for climbs. Good trade-off for me!

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

That sounds right!

I'm 6' 1" and went to 165s and love it. Originally did it because of the low BB on my bike (pedal strikes galore), but I ended up preferring it.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Sweet!

I tried 165 and did not like them at all! Went back to 175 and haven't looked back, in my opinion and how I ride, it pedals better and downhill I feel safer in the attack position with my favorite foot (left) in front and the longer distance between my 2 feet. I'm a tall guy with very long legs, I have many friends who prefer 165 and one of them even went 160. To each their own.

Another big benefit is fewer crank strikes and pedal strikes. Especially as bikes keep getting lower, it's nice to have a bit more clearance on the pedals and cranks.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

🎯

I dont even do MTBs that much but your facial hair is absolutely legendary. Saw the icon and I just had to click!

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

LOL! Thanks. 😆

Hell yes. I upgraded my old crank to a XT crank and it changed everything.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Heck yeah! Short crank life!

Hi I always enjoy your videos! How effective on climbing?

@mtb_alan

7 ай бұрын

Thanks! At first it feels a bit weird...maybe a bit harder, but after a couple climbs, I don't notice a difference. I know some people suggest getting a smaller chainring, but I would say that if you're only going down 5mm, it's probably not necessary. If I went down to say 155, maybe I'd consider a smaller chainring.

Now that you remind me, I've always felt shorter cranks more comfortable on my old mtbs. In the last years I've been riding 175 only, because that's what they sell... I've never dared to try a shorter arm again, but that makes a lot of sense!

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

🤘🏾

rad and informative video (killer footage too😉) im 6'1 and an xc racer and wont run anything but 165 cranks. love em to death.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Yew!

Great video coach Greg!

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

🤔

@anthonyscuderi9931

Жыл бұрын

Hmmm I have no idea how that happened lol.. but since we are on the subject of great videos, I’m a new subscriber to your channel Alan and I absolutely dig your content man!

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

@@anthonyscuderi9931 I was like is "Coach Greg" some meme I don't know about. LOL! Thanks for subscribing! Glad you're diggin' the vids! 👊🏾

@anthonyscuderi9931

Жыл бұрын

Haha sorry about that! Maybe one day I’ll see ya out on the trails in AZ! Keep shreddin dude, thanks for the videos!

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

🤘🏾 I def need to get back to AZ. Hawes was a blast!

Great explanation on the increase in hip mobility with shorter cranks 👍🏻👍🏻 I went from 170mm to 160mm and felt like my cadence increased and I lost higher gears. I then went to 165mm and so far liking it. Might try the 160mm again just to compare.

@mtb_alan

4 ай бұрын

Nice. I have 160 on the enduro bike and 155 on the park/DH bike.

Got a 2022 Giant Trance, came with 170mm cranks but just bought 165mm Raceface cranks with a oval 28 chain ring (because of what people say about possible torque loss) but looking forward to testing that theory out!💯

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Heck yeah!

@jeffreystroman2811

Жыл бұрын

Oval, you mean what us 50 yr old used to call biopace? Those things hurt my knees and switched to round rings and never looked back, although I run 175mm raceface cranks as I am 6'4" tall

This is good to know I have been wondering about crank length

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

👍🏾

Thank you for this AND the biggest problem is the industry. In BMX a couple years ago the trend started for shorter crank offerings, 160mm is easily found and even shorter (possibly for juniors but the interface is the same). With mtb Canfield is the only one taking this seriously, but their cranks aren't cheap, nor are they particularly light. Praxis e-bike cranks can be found, but 165mm or anything shorter Shimano or whatever forget it. Keep in mind this is for non-dh bikes, it's not hard to find short dh cranks meant to be used with 83mm threaded bb shells. The typical 68/73 threaded bb or BB92 cranks at any reasonable price are practically non-existent. And the handlebar thing is just stupid. Recently bought a bike with an 800mm wide bar with very minimal bend and turning was a liability. It felt stupid. The "greater stability" that comes with a wider bar has a limit but the industry bought into a bunch of people yelling that they wanted wider bars. That's great that bars can be cut down but most peeps don't realize their bars are too wide from the shop. I'm 5'11" on a 459mm reach bike (definitely not long for a large frame) and the 800mm bar was idiotic. Stretched out and when turning it was magnified. Same for handlebar bends. 9-5 has been the standard for so long and this does not work for everyone. I use a Jitsie trials bar that is cut down from 730 to 710 (a tad narrow for me but works ok) with a 9.5-12 bend that is awesome. Basically people use whatever the industry keeps feeding them, and the industry keeps feeding people what people keep using.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

All good points. 🤘🏾

Great explanation. One downside people should be aware of is the affect on seat height. If the bottom of your pedal stroke is 10mm higher, then your seat should go up some, which in turn can make you feel a bit like you’re “on” the bike rather than “in” it.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

👍🏾

@andrec.136

Жыл бұрын

Good point

@steventrott8714

Жыл бұрын

It’s just the opposite. The limiting factor on saddle height is the max angle at the top of the stroke. With shorter cranks, the seat can be lowered to retain the maximum angle of your knee at the top of the stroke.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

@@steventrott8714 there may be some differences between what’s good for road and what’s good for MTB.

@steventrott8714

Жыл бұрын

@@mtb_alan biomechanics don’t change among disciplines. Shorter cranks allows for lower saddle height.

I agree 100%! I went to 155’s (Hope) a while ago and I immediately felt it. Landed on 160’s now (5 DEV) and it’s my magic # 🥳✌🏼❤️🍻

@stephenkrause6059

Жыл бұрын

What is your inseam length and height?

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Nice. NGL, as soon as I saw the benefits of going to 160, I started thinking 155. LOL

Solid vid🙌

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

🙏🏾

I will have to check this out. I am running 176 cranks on my enduro bike.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Yew!

This 100%. At 5'2" I was getting a lot of unnecessary strain around my tendons with the 170mm cranks. I downsized to 145 5Dev cranks and all my discomfort disappeared. Canfield also makes a bunch of shorter cranks as well. All I have to do is spin my legs more when climbing the steep climbs but that keeps your quads fresher anyway so no issues there. I just feel way fresher after my rides and that means I get to ride more.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Heck yeah! That's good to hear.

Another possible reward, selecting a crank with a smaller front sprocket (Currently mine is maxed (uhh Min'd?) out as it's an old Giant Faith with 170's and the smallest front possible on the 32 tooth RaceFace cranks... If I decide to go shorter cranks I can also choose ones that will take a tooth less (not toothless.. that would be silly) sprocket... I don't often need to pedal hard in top so loosing 1/32 of a distance per pedal would be negligible but noticeable in low gear...) Maybe I'll wait till the chain need replacing and do the lot... It would be interesting to see if I could sneak in another tooth on the rear but I'm already max'd out on paper for the Saint 10x the last owner slapped on.

Looking swole af Alan! Do you notice less pedal strikes with the shorter cranks?

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

LOL! Thanks! 💪🏾😅 Definitely fewer pedal strikes.

Makes sense! Planning to go extreme at 145 mm for my Cube Enduro E-MTB from 165 mm and I stand 5'6.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Wow! That's really short. Have you considered 155?

@EMTBCruz

Жыл бұрын

@MTB ALAN I'm a bit torn between 155 and 145 actually lol But the way you put it seems like the shortest I could get is best althought I might need to raise my seatpost to compensate.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

You would def need to adjust your seatpost. I wouldn't say that shortest is best. I would say that the proper fit is best. But the "proper fit" is also relative to what you're used to. A 20mm (40mm overall) change might be a big change. But it's your bike. You do what you feel is right! :)

@EMTBCruz

Жыл бұрын

@MTB ALAN you bet thanks man! Cheers!

@FuriousFilipino

Жыл бұрын

This change really isn’t as extreme as riders 5’10” and up riding 155mm crank arms. Proportionally, at 5’6”, this is a smaller change. I have ridden and raced XC since 1994, and yes, we didn’t have options shorter than 170mm cranks back then, but for disciplines where PEDALING and explosiveness is required, you still need some lever length. Jolanda Neff at 5’6” still rides and prefers 175mm cranks, but she is flexible and the Olympic champ, so she rides what works for her. At 5’7”, I personally do not run anything shorter than 165mm on the road and 170mm on the mtb-you can make the chainrings smaller, but you have to make up for it with cadence (or e-assist).

Love my 165mm cranks on my eBike and 170mm cranks on the acoustic & hardtail. Why the difference, dunno but my knees & legs and the overall feel suggest it works. The fractionally tighter platform is definitely a factor, as is being able to hold a higher cadence, which helps balance.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

🤘🏾 And I appreciate you calling it “acoustic”. 😆

I swapped the 170 to 160 on my Orbea Rise. I love it but never considered it for an analog bike. Great info. The extra ground clearance is nice too.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Nice.

Pretty interesting video, I shortened my cranks to avoid pedal strikes and because 175 just too long for my 5'10 frame, but I actually felt less stable for quite a while at first. While more maneuverable, I felt because my feet were closer together that I was less stable and it was easier to be off balance. Think of it this way, when an offensive lineman comes out of their stance they widen the stance to increase stability and not topple over. I felt the same way with my cranks. Also, by my down foot being higher than before, in quick turns I felt I was not as stable due to my feet being higher off the ground. But overall I got used to it and like it now

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

That's interesting. One other person commented saying something similar. I know how a wider stance can make you more stable. At the same time, if my feet are spread out forward and back (like on a bike) but no not spread out wide (like to do a squat), I feel less stable. I am somewhat aggressive with my riding and actively try to flick the bike around. So that may have attributed to how good the bike felt when I made the update...? 🤷🏾‍♂️

@weathdone

Жыл бұрын

its all relative.. and everyone is diff. but at end of day your legs should not be as bent as they are at top of stroke with longer cranks...bending your legs all the way is NG for ur knees and always has been. also with shorter cranks its easier and quicker to change which foot is forward while going through turns

@IOUaUsername

Жыл бұрын

A football player isn't standing on a pile of bearings though, is he? Having a wider stance makes you stable on foot because it allows you to shift your weight from one foot to the other, but on a bike you have to put 50% of your weight on each foot, otherwise the pedals start to turn. Perhaps the ultimate upgrade for a bike would be a small (E-scooter size) disc brake on your crank that locks it in place on downhill sections so that you actually can shift your weight from your front foot to your back foot. You'd have the same centre of gravity but you wouldn't be dragging back on your handlebars quite as hard, which might give you better turning control. It would probably feel a bit like skidding a coaster brake bike down hill, but you'd be able to fully control the braking.

@weathdone

Жыл бұрын

@@IOUaUsername true.. just sayin im tiny and like the shorter cranks.. i dont feel much of a diff at all..i went from 170 to 155 and not one issue.. to each is own.. some peopel barely feel any of this shit... only thing im thinkin abouyt when riding is going fast and not wiping out.. give a $300 walmart bike and ill shred the shit out of it... LOL

@weathdone

Жыл бұрын

the reason why i love them is because i can pedal anywhere and everywhere i want ... over roots rocks and low leaning turns so to me that's pretty awesome benefit.. far as the balance thing i guess some of us are more natural ability types.. cause i didn't notice anything.. ...

Thought was going to be better hubs. Had no idea the difference in a faster engagement hub. Makes a huge difference and not something the manufacturers push but it’s so huge between a cheap and a high engagement hub.

@weathdone

Жыл бұрын

how would better hubs make bike feel like has more suspension? LOL just curious on that one !!

I changed from 175mm cranks with 30T chainring to 165/32T and WOW! Downhill? Night and Day. It was PHENOMENAL! However, climbing was a lot tougher. Not only due to the 32T, but also due to the reduce torque arm length. On the flip side, my speed on the flat is increased noticeably due to a higher angular velocity. I can now hit 30+mph on the flat without much difficulty.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Nice! FWIW, unless you are concerned with uphill speed, you might consider going back to the 30T and see how it feels.

@BlackFlag94

Жыл бұрын

@MTB ALAN I made a deal with myself that I would keep the 32T for 1 month and see if my strength and fitness can improve enough to stick with it permanently... that was 5 months ago and I'm still on the 32T 🤙

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

@@BlackFlag94 oh nice. I like your approach. 💪🏾

see you at Summit this summer amigo

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

🤘🏾

The lines you used on ypur looping reel started playing and i expected it to loop again😂

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

😆😆😆🔁

It's all about your body size and how important torque is in your biking scenario. I'm a tall guy (190 cm) and going from a 170mm crank to a 175mm crank to me actually was a game changer for the better, way better. Downhill isn't any better, but uphill my legs have the right room to breathe and deliver explosive torque while racing. Maybe being mainly an enduro dirtbike rider got me used to maneuver a much bigger beast.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Makes sense.

I'm a huge fan of short cranks paired with an oval chainring, especially after 11 years of being a carpet installer. If I ride anything else, I can feel my knees just getting destroyed. I run 165s myself and @mtbgirlcory runs 140s on 3 of her bikes. Sounds crazy, but keep in mind that she's 5 feet tall with shoes on.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

That’s rad! I need to update Kelly’s bike with shorter cranks.

I'm 6'0 running 165 cranks on a large bike that came with 170s and to me it feels a lot more comfortable while pedaling and while descending

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Nice!

Been on 170 for 98% of my 30 years riding for me its the sweet spot

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

👍🏾

I discovered this to be true accidentally. I went with a shorter crank to limit pedal strikes, which worked. I also noticed a huge difference in general feel and control. Wish I would have known this years ago.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Nice!

As a 6'4" tall rider, I've always switched up to 175 mm cranks, lots of commuting and definitely thrashing the woods but not ski slope downhills.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Makes sense.

im now running 160's on my trail bike and XC. 155's on my enduro. good to see this is catching on.. i've been running

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Good points! ✅✅✅

I rode 170 for years and then I got 160s that can't on my new bike and literally couldn't tell a difference lol. And I've ridden so many different bikes since I used to work at a bike shop and honestly never paid attention to the cranks very much.

I’ve been 165mm on all my bikes for the past 5 years, it’s real game changer on Ebike

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

🤘🏾

I am short and have been using 152mm cranks for a while now. But to do that I had to use old tech only, the square tapered type.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Oh dang. Fortunately it's getting easier to get good modern short cranks.

You don't need to cut the handle bars, you can just bring the grips closer.

I’ve ridden 175 mm since I can remember. I’m 6’-31/2” and 35 inseam. So about a year ago a got a Transition Spire that had 165mm on it. I wish all my bikes had the same now.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

It’s such a good adjustment right? 🤘🏾

Went from 175 to 170 for an XC marathon and "downcountry" bike, the difference is night and day in terms of fewer pedal strikes and bike control with literally ZERO issues in terms of climbing, straight-line speed, or any other else strictly XC-related important parameters.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Heck yeah!

I went from 170 to 152 and it made a positive difference. Only downside is you have to raise your seat to accommodate the change in crank length on the downstroke

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

🤘🏾

Awesome Alan. Can you share with us your height and how do you end up determining that 160mm was the best choice for you? Thanks

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

I'm 5'6". I mostly based the 160mm choice on the suggestion of the people at my LBS. They were the first people who clued me into the benefits on their podcast. I'm probably good with 155, but 160 was a good "transition" length.

@elkat_bori_pr7791

Жыл бұрын

@@mtb_alan thank you a lot Alan

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

No problem.

@elkat_bori_pr7791

Жыл бұрын

@@mtb_alan still continue with questions, do your guys took into consideration if tou were using a 29 or 27.5 bike?

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

I didn't take it into consideration. Why do you ask?

I switched to 165 from 175, I of course had to raise the sadden 1cm, so cockpit might need to be changed too. i did not notice any negative effects. I've not tried any shorter cranks.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

🤘🏾

great vid like always brotha.. I'm suppose to be on 145-150mm cranks.. they have a formula u can use now to see what's best suited for yourself...And 170mm are OLD school now.. LOL their giving the 175mm sizes away rn.. meanhwile when i started in mtb 3.5 yrs ago 175mm was all they had

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

💥

Another benefit would be less pedal strikes! Something I've noticed an increase with lower BBs

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

🎯

Yeah it’s called a emtb!!!! Game changer

Fascinating I never thought about the impact of crank arm length besides peddle strikes. Meanwhile I ride a single speed with 170mm crank arm, might have to experiment with some 160mm lengths.🤔

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

🤘🏾

What brand are your 160mm cranks ? I only found boutique brands direct sale or ebike cranks within my online dealers.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Yeah...that's one of the issues I didn't discuss. The big brands (Shimano, SRAM, etc.) don't offer a wide range of sizes. I am running 5Dev cranks. Not cheap.

Stop tryin' to fool us Keegan, we know that's you.

I love the raceface atlas coloured aluminum cranks, shame they only come with 165mm. I wish for cranks to be shorter in general down to like 150mm at most.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Agreed.

I have some 165mm XO cranks sitting in my garage just waiting for me to stop riding long enough to get them installed. I hate pedal strikes, so I imagine I'll get to swapping soon.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Do it! :)

As a smaller rider shorter cranks were a long time coming. I'm ordering some hope 155's looking forward to being able to shift my weight more effectively and the extra hop. 1:05

@mtb_alan

2 ай бұрын

Yew!

What about the heating ratio? Do you need a smaller chainring? So the gearing is the same?

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

I am guessing you mean "gearing ratio". It doesn't affect the gearing ratio. You'd have to change the chainring in order to do that. It DOES change how much your input gets multiplied. I think that changing to a larger chainring could counteract the reduction of that multiplier by using a larger chainring. But I think that the reduction in the multiplier is insignificant, and it's something that your body would quickly adapt to.

At 5'10" in shoes Ive been on 155 and now 152 for 2 years. Never going back!

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Heck yeah!

@troyesch6203

6 ай бұрын

Wow! Doesn’t that just feel like you’re spinning way too fast constantly? I’m 5’8” and was planning on going to 165. Do you ride mountain bike or road?

Only downside for me is that the seat height must be accordingly higher when using shorter crank length

Before I start MTB, I ride road bike. I change 170mm to 165mm crank length, it was a game changer. The biggest downside of shorter crank is, it will give you hell pedaling uphill.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

🤘🏾

I haven't gotten to experience this change, as every full sus bike i have ridden had 165mm cranks installed, aftermarket or not. The one that had longer ones was my Lapierre Froggy, wich wouldn't matter anyway since that bike was WAY too large for me and it took away from my confidence severely. But knowing how wild the change from a dropper post or a slacker head tube angle i can see how it would make a huge difference

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

🎯

Im 6’4, i run 155mm cranks on my dj and was thinking about doing the same to my dh bike, ended up going with 165 tho

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Totes makes senes. 🤘🏾

I was tempted to try 165 on my new cranks but in the end stayed 170. I’m 6ft and long inseam so not as much a concern for me and the one downside is I already run a 210 dropper post so if I went shorter crank I’d have to raise my post and then it wouldn’t be as low in dropped mode so I’d have to go down the rabbit hole of if a longer dropper shimmed down would fit my frame or not etc….

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Good point. The adjustment in dropper is def worth keeping in mind.

At 6 foot i noticed a huge difference going from 175 to 165. I felt like i could pedal more efficiently uphill.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

That's rad!

Specialized levo is also coming with a 160 crank

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

🤘🏾

I am for anything make you stand taller on the bike!

Clearance....... more of that on tight stuff But trying to find them at an affordable price.....

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

IKR

Hey bro , I have a 2016 giant trance 2 and I want to make it more up to date but maybe it’s just not worth investing in it or maybe new components wouldn’t even fit on this old frame. What do you think

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

I would think about geometry and whether or not you're happy with the geo. If you're happy with the geo, upgrade components and save money. If not, upgrade the frame/bike.

@gilbertogonzalez9494

Жыл бұрын

@@mtb_alan I was thinking maybe a mullet configuration but that would change the geo and I’m not sure if for the best it’s a fox 32 now and I’m not sure the angle it’s 140 m and could go with 36 or 34 not sure 🤔

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

You know your situation best. I am a fan of the 36. Especially one with the Grip2 damper. As far as mullet-ing it, I don't know the 2016 geo too well, but if the BB is high enough, it might work well. Keep in mind that aside from slackening the HTA (which could be nice), it will also slightly shorten the reach. So that might require some adjustment.

What set did you buy?

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

5Dev.

fully agreed. I'm 193cm and like shorter cranks than 175, because 175 feels horrible, for everything, but mostly sprint efforts. My new Capra has 170mm cranks, which are fine, but I should've kept my 165mm cranks from my old bike, which I only didn't do because the capra is pressfit and I whould've had to buy tools and a new BB.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

👊🏾

how does it climb? does it negatively affect climbing?

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

See 4:05.

Got a couple xxl bikes 175s on all of them. One pedal strikes a lot. Will be going to 170s ... after this vid maybe 165s will be the ticket

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

Nice!

I agree - I seriously want to ride shorter cranks, but even with Giant (I have a Trance and TranceX) they appear to only go down to 165. Or you can buy aftermarket for about $400. That's a pretty steep price. I'd like 160, maybe even 155, but hard to find without switching out the bottom bracket.

@mtb_alan

5 ай бұрын

Yeah...the cost is the major barrier for most people. Hopefully more crank manufacturers will start making shorter lengths to drive the cost down.

Did I miss where you gave your height? What's the rule of thumb for best crank length for a given height? I'm 5'8", and my Kona Kikapu (if anybody still knows what that is) came with 170mm cranks. Way too long?

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

I'm 5'6". I know that there are some methods out there that use your inseam to calculate optimal crank length. At the same time, I think it's also good to take into account what you're used to and make a reasonable adjustment from there. That is to say, maybe go down by 5-10mm and run that for a while. Then you'll have a better feel for if you wanna go another 5-10mm shorter.

Does the yamaha spindle share the same specs as others? 5Dev doesn't list cranks for the Giant. Which one's did you use for the Reign?

@mtb_alan

2 ай бұрын

Hmmm...I'm not sure what cranks you'd get for the Reign E. I only have 5Dev cranks on my not-E bikes.

I went to 152 and found it too short unfortunately. I actually got a much shorter chainring to compensate for it, but still don't love it. I think I'll do 160 next time. I tried using a few crank length calculators and I thought that 150-155 would be a decent choice, but I think my current cranks are definitely a tad short. still better than pedal striking though.

@mtb_alan

Жыл бұрын

I hear you. 155 would probably be recommended for me, but going from 170 to 155 seemed like 160 was a good middle ground.

@LaurenceGough

5 ай бұрын

What is your inseam and do you think that changing down more gears and with more time you'd like the 152mm? Crank length calcs for me all say 150mm.

@dho

5 ай бұрын

@@LaurenceGough honestly the 152mm feels fairly short. I've gotten used to it but it's a tradeoff. you definitely feel like you're getting less leverage when you're pedaling (i've already tried to account for this by switching my 32t chainring to a 28t) but it still feels less good than it used to. but, i also hate striking the cranks/pedals and i was doing that WAY too much with my stock 175 cranks. if the calculators are telling you 150, I think you can try the 152's, they're definitely a bit short and it's not a perfect solution, but to me its tradeoffs.