At 07:28 AM 04/12/2007 -0800, jeffrey piwonka wrote:
>i'd like to trade my 165mm campy pista cranks (record)
>for some 170mm. I'll consider 167.5mm too.
I was under the impression that 165mm was the correct length for pista (track) cranks so as not to ground the outside pedal on the bankings, no matter how big the rider (but I've been wrong before).
Back when I started riding and noticing these things (early 1950s) I thought all cranks were 6.5" (165mm) but never really paid that much attention. When I resumed serious riding, my 1978 Nishiki came with 165mm Apex cranks and I thought that might be appropriate for a 21" frame. I later upgraded to a Shimano 600 crankset which was 170mm, which was the most common size, but I didn't notice any difference. There was always a lot of discussion over crank lengths in Bicycling magazine, but no real agreement. The only conclusion I could draw was that longer cranks were for larger people.
Anybody have any wisdom on this pertaining to bikes and riding styles over the years?
John Betmanis
Woodstock, Ontario
Canada