A lot of riders are finding that shorter cranks work better for them, offering improved comfort and fewer pedal strikes on the trail. Stock build crank lengths tend to hover around the 170mm mark, though we’re starting to see that change, and there are many aftermarket length options available today.
We want to know where you’re at right now, and if you’re planning to make a change, tell us about it in the comments below!
15 Comments
Nov 20, 2022
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Nov 25, 2022
Can’t understand why people want to shuffle with tiny cranks when they could run.
Nov 28, 2022
Nov 25, 2022
Nov 20, 2022
None have BB's dumped so low you cannot ride over the speedbump in front of the package store, cause they are offroad first and foremost!
Nothing sux more than showing up to a Jeepin' event with a bloody lowrider!!
Nov 29, 2022
Nov 26, 2022
Nov 27, 2022
Back in the day, it was common for mountain bikes to have 175mm cranks on a "medium" bike and 170s (later 172.5) on an equivalent road bike. People thought you needed the "leverage" for mountain biking - and you did! Because everyone was over geared. It's only fairly recently, and especially with 1x12, that people realized that you did NOT need a 44x11 top gear for mountain biking, but we did need lower gears. Looking back, who did we think we were?
Admittedly, we were overgeared on the road side too. Today you'll see 36x30t easiest gears on the fastest bikes, 36x34 on the latest Shimano 12sp road, even on pro bikes, depending on the course...
Yes, I'm suggesting that overgearing led to longer crank arms, in a way.
Nov 20, 2022