Crank length for singlespeed

[Basil.B]

What's the best length to get 165 or 170?

 

[wanda2010]

Some people get 165s so there is no pedal strike.

 

[GrasB]

SS Freewheel? Then you want shorter to help increase your maximum cadence, 165mm is good, 160mm or even shorter is better
Fixed gear? Then I'd tend to go for longer cranks, maybe 175mm as you'll be able to spin faster due to the way that fixed gears work.

 

[Pottsy]

I think your leg length should be a factor too

 

[GrasB]

Femur length & flexibility of the tendons in your knees defines the maximum length of crank you can use. Going shorter that is rarely a problem. Within a wide range crank lengths you'll produce almost the same power for the same foot speed; 100rpm on 175mm cranks roughly to 113rpm on 155mm cranks. Though there will be a process of acclimatising to radically different crank lengths, it's more getting your muscle memory & coordination sorted. Say you jump from 175mm cranks to 155mm cranks, you'll be trying to push down beyond the end of the pedal travel.

 

[smokeysmoo]

My Fuji Feather is a 61cm frame but shipped with stock 165mm cranks. Although my geared bike has 175 mm cranks, and I'm 6' 5" it's absolutely fine.

The only time I change them is when I have to fit 170mm cranks to make it track compliant for Manchester Velodrome

 

[jim55]

id go shorter ,160 or 165 but not any more ,theres loadsa factors to determine your "correct"crank length ,but these pale into insignificance when faced with pedal strike when going round a corner and uv gota bank it over more than normal(too fast ,oncoming car/ped ),and 5mm can make the diff between you making it round nonchalontly ,,OR ,,pedal strike on the road ,you getting launched up in the air and ending up arse over tit in front of a potential oncoming car !!
get the shorter ones if u can

 

[GrasB]

Other way around. Shorter with fixed reduces likelihood of pedal strike

Pedal strike IME is a non-issue, thus you're looking at other factors for crank length.

EDIT: Just checked, about 30 degrees of lean on my fixed with 175mm cranks & 23-622 wheels.

 

[GrasB]

On the track the pedal strike issues at low speeds are caused by the steep banking of the track, thus shorter cranks are used along with higher BBs. Fixed road bikes tend to look to track bikes for inspiration & thus they also tend to run with short cranks.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

pedestrian refuges+filtering+fixed+long cranks=crunch

 

[GrasB]

pedestrian refuges+filtering+fixed+long cranks=crunch

pedestrian refuges+filtering+fixed+long cranks+bad riding skills=crunch

 

[GrumpyGregry]

pedestrian refuges+filtering+fixed+long cranks+bad riding skills=crunch

compulsory in Cambridge?

 

[GrasB]

compulsory in Cambridge?

Only for students, doubly so for language students.

 

[Old Plodder]

If you value your knees for use in later life, one fifth of your inside leg measurement; for any bike that you ride.

 

[Dan B]

Likelihood of pedal strike surely depends also on BB height, which seems to vary a lot depending on fashion. The BB on my early 80s 531 frame is so low that on 48x16 the top line of the chain slopes upwards from chainring to sprocket