A spirit that always looks for ways to improve the experience and the performance of riders.įor an industry that has put so much effort into changing axle or bottom bracket dimensions by a few mm, the laissez faire attitude on something that can potentially improve how a bike and rider perform as much as crank length seems strange. Treating things as dogma goes against the spirit of innovation that has been a hallmark for the bicycle industry since before the Wright Brothers.
#Mountain bike geometry calculator pro
I would not limit this to just smaller riders either a number of Team Sky’s pro road riders used shorter cranks this year on the road.Īnd to bike manufacturers, I ask why a 170mm crank on a 48cm road bike is almost universally considered unacceptably long today and the same is not true on mountain bikes? Dogma is the Death of Innovation
#Mountain bike geometry calculator full
While a few months of muscle adaptation may be required before the full benefit is realized, I encourage many pro mountain bike riders (especially those on the shorter side) to try a shorter crank. Pro riders and bike manufacturers need to be the impetus that drives the change to shorter crank possibilities for XC and trail mountain bikes.
Just because we get used to something (like a certain length crank) doesn’t mean it is optimal. I bet a bike where the crank doesn’t strike the ground on a demo ride sells better than one that does. I don’t think any/many bike manufacturers are asking. Bike manufacturers need to start asking/insisting on more crank length options to be available if component manufacturers are going to start building them.So, Why Aren’t There Shorter Cranks on Mountain Bikes? Road bike cranks are available in a lot more lengths than they were in 1985… Mountain bike crank length was simply transferred from whatever road bikes were using in the ‘80’s and haven’t changed much since. The first mountain bikes were built from pirated road bike parts.Shorter cranks put less torque and load on joints and muscles, thus reducing the chances of knee, hip, back and other pain while riding your mountain bike. In turn, this makes developing higher levels of sustainable power easier and creates more consistent traction. Shorter cranks don’t increase your power on their own, but they do make developing a powerful high cadence stroke and accessing a broader range of muscle groups easier. Don’t want to believe me, talk to an exercise kinesiologist about the cadence characteristics that tend to define the most powerful and efficient cyclists. I know I’m likely to get arguments on this one in particular, but if you truly want to maximize your power and efficiency, you want to develop a high cadence.
The bottom line is that most riders will not give up any power riding a shorter crank and many will actually gain a little. Jim Martin, studied this very topic and published the results in 2001. One of the most respected researchers in cycling mechanics, Dr.
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