Cranky

You may recall that I started experimenting with shorter cranks. I rode with 165s on my Advocate Cycles gravel bike for over seven months but ultimately decided to move on. I tried, but I just couldn't get used to them. Perhaps the drop from 175s to 165s was just too much.

I don't think the crank length itself was as much of an issue as was the way it completely upended my bike fit and feel. On the last ride with the cranks, even after seven months of use, at various times my saddle felt too high, too low, too far back and too far forward. It's a very weird sensation. There was also a stretch of a few miles when it felt absolutely perfect and I was really ripping along. Unfortunately those "perfect" situations were few and far between.

I picked up a pair of 170mm Rival arms for a song on Amazon. I had to move the chainring over from the old Apex cranks. I am not sure why Sram moved from three bolts to eight. It seems like complete overkill, but I am sure the head of Chainring-Crank Arm Interface Structural Engineering (CCAISE) would tell me otherwise.

Once I installed all the teeny, tiny bolts I was ready to go.

They are the same Road Wide specs as the old ones, so I didn't need to mess with researching which bottom bracket spacers to use. I bolted them on, did a quick tension adjustment, and went riding.

I lowered the saddle 6mm and didn't touch the setback at all. After two rides I think the saddle is very close to it's final position.

I think for me a 170 crank is the best compromise. I didn't struggle to find the right spot on the bike, and climbing felt normal again.

I also put 170s on my mountain bike shortly after this bike, and now I am completely converted. After well over 40 years of using 175mm cranks for everything from BMX to road racing, it's the end of another era.

I don't know that a mere five millimeters is going to alleviate any issues with my hips, which was the reason this experimentation started, but I guess every little bit helps.

Later.