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 I used them, 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.