Crank length. The long and short of it.

Are you on the correct length cranks?

Maybe a better question is “does one crank length work perfectly for everybody?”

I know that is overly simplified but I think it makes the point early on here. Of course it matters! Repetitive activities are more comfortable and efficient with a certain dimension for the feet to travel. Think about watching a toddler navigate stairs...a bit scary due to their balance but more relevant to this discussion is how awkward it is biomechanically due to the mismatch in step height and leg length. The stair climbing session would be much easier for them if the stairs matched their legs!

From a variety of studies over the years, there is a general consensus among bike fitters and manufacturers that riders can use a variety of crank length across a fairly broad spectrum with no detriment to power or gross efficiency while riding. There is also a tendency among researchers and fitters to recommend a shorter crank length when in doubt. I am not going to jump into the ratios between femur and crank length and all that as I think it is a bit of a distraction from more relevant issues here.

A 2017 study led by Ferrer Roca concluded -  “At the same time, the maximum flexion and range of motion of the hip and knee joints were significantly increased (1.8–3.4° and P < 0.05), whereas the ankle joint was not affected. In conclusion, the biomechanical changes due to a longer crank did not alter the metabolic cost of pedalling, although they could have long-term adverse effects. Therefore, in case of doubt between two lengths, the shorter one might be recommended.” There is a less often cited study from 2010 involving female mountain bikers that showed shorter cranks allowed them to return to peak power quickly from a coasting state. Think about how often that scenario plays out in cyclocross or mountain bike racing!

Now, from here, it easy to just toss the discussion into the bucket labeled “Oh Just Do Whatever You Want”.This is not totally wrong but we can travel a bit further in the quest to optimize the bike to the rider. There are a few formulas out there and honestly, the only one I really trust comes from the guys at BikeDynamics. Check their site out below:

http://bikedynamics.co.uk/FitGuidecranks.htm

I usually consider biomechanics of the rider as my primary guide for selecting crank lengths. This is most commonly an issue for riders under 5 ft 5 inches in my experience. What this really comes down to is this. Does the rider have the joint mobility to easily get through the pedal stroke? The easiest way to check this is the following:

Put the bike in the trainer

Get  in the drops or aerobars (whatever the lowest torso position is)

Align the cranks parallel to the seat tube

Unclip the top foot and rest it on the pedal

Raise the top foot off the pedal without contorting yourself. If this is really tough I get a bit concerned the cranks may be too long. Ideally there should be some surplus movement leftover. This is a combination of actual mobility of the hip joint in the socket AND the stretngth of the hip flexor muscles to pull the leg upwards. This exercise assumes the rest of the position is close to correct of course…

Another red flag for me is riders with complaints of difficulty finding a good saddle height as they are close to the border of too low AND too high at the same time. Other complaints I have seen associated with too long cranks are the feeling of always being in the wrong gear climbing and the hips rocking excessively side to side during standing climbing.

Between these tips and the Bike Dynamics link above, you should have a reasonable starting point for getting the crank length that matches you and your goals. As I mentioned before, if you are not sure, I generally steer riders into a shorter crank length. Another thing I will mention is that I do not think it is imperative the cranks are the exact same between all the bikes a rider has. For example I happily ride 175mm cranks on my mountain bike and 172.5 on my road bike...BUT if I rode a TT bike I would 100% be on 165 cranks. 

Side note for mountain bikers: Many folks are going to 165 or 170 cranks on mountain bikes to reduce pedal strikes on rocks. Definitely worth considering if you have this issue.

I hope this provided some clarity on what is a hotly debated topic in the cycling world that too often ends with the caveat of “Well, it depends.”

Bar height: how low can you go?

I see articles from time to time on bar height and while they are good material they often leave you with a couple take home points:

1. It depends on the rider

2. Go see a professional bike fitter

Both are correct but I want to go a step further here in the interest of helping riders learn more about how their body affects their position. Knowledge is power, or something like that.

This is mostly applicable to road and triathlon/TT folks as the bars tend to be much lower than on a mountain bike or hybrid. Lower bars have some definite benefit in regard to aerodynamics and power production...as long as the position suits your individual anatomy!

Here we are. We want to know where the bars go. First you should make sure you are happy with your seat position THEN mess with the bars. If you are unsure, take some time on Steve Hogg’s website, then set your seat where it is comfy and powerful...complicated, I know.

https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bikefit/2011/02/seat-height-how-hard-can-it-be/

From here, the three biggest limitations to riding lower bars I see are:

1. Hip flexion - How far your knee can rise up towards your chest

2. Neck extension - How far your head can tilt back (imagine the last sip of a canned drink)

3. Hamstring flexibility - How far you can bend over toward your toes

To test all this I would check each thing in order from bar tops, to hoods, then drops. Also worth checking is the aero hood position many riders use. Hands on the hoods then drop your elbows to where your forearms are level to the ground and you look more like you are on a tri bike. If any of these tests give you trouble in the lowest positions(drops or aerobars) you might have your bars too low. Conversely, if you have plenty of motion leftover, maybe you can try a bit lower! Slam that stem! Well, sometimes. Maybe. Let’s move on.

You can test all this on a trainer (in front of a mirror is great) or a safe, flat road free of traffic. For the leg tests, try left AND right.The idea here, is for a repetitive activity, don’t work to the absolute limits of your flexibility. Much like a savings account, a bit of a surplus is a good thing!

1. Hip Flexion - In your chosen bar position, stop with one knee at the top of the pedal stroke (cranks should be in line with seat tube) with foot unclipped but resting on top of the pedal. Slowly raise the foot off the pedal and the knee rising towards your chest. You should be able to do this without discomfort or difficulty. Also maintain the same back position...don’t curl up in a ball.

2. Neck extension - While riding and looking up the road as you normally would, tilt your head up without changing your torso or arm position like you wanted to see the sky. If you can’t do this...TOO LOW.

3. Hamstring flexibility - With one leg at the bottom of the pedal stroke (cranks should be in line with seat tube) and knee slightly bent try to lean your torso forward some more (starting from the bar top position and moving gradually lower). If the back of your leg tightens up right away, you might be close to too low.

After checking these, you will have a better idea of how YOUR anatomy affects YOUR bike position and will be better able to make decisions on your fit. An individualized approach helps us move beyond the answer “it depends”. For each of the tests, there are multiple factors at play, but the beauty of these is we don’t have to obsess over twenty different things!

If you have limitations, it is not bad news...it is simply how you are TODAY. That can change with some focused mobility and strength work over 3-4 weeks. Kit Laughlin’s YouTube site is my favorite one stop shop for improving flexibility. https://www.youtube.com/user/KitLaughlin

Whatever position you choose, you should feel relaxed and powerful while riding. If you make a position change, give it a couple rides before making a decision. 

Riding goals and duration are also factors. A dedicated criterium racer will likely ride lower than a new rider looking to knock out their first century. Looking pro is great but the real priority is being able to perform. Good luck and as usual, hit me with any questions.

Hip Flexion

Neck Extension

Hamstring Flexibility

Training for ENDURANCE events

I have told a couple people I would put together some tips on training for endurance off road events. Skyway Epic isn’t too far away but this information could probably be applied to any number of long distance gravel or mountain bike races.

I will break this down in bullet point format to make it easier to read and also be pretty general with advice. It is more important to understand the principles at play here than just follow a pre done plan. Success in bike racing is rarely an accident so get to work...just don’t forget to have fun with it.

• Track your nutrition. Write down how many calories, ounces fluid, and electrolytes you had per hour. Include what you ate pre ride AND during the ride. Document what worked and what didn’t. Try a variety of food or food type products. This is probably the biggest failure point for riders in long distance events.

• Terrain specificity is important. Do your long rides on similar terrain to your goal race. This includes surface type and elevation. Figure out how many feet of climbing there are per mile and get close to that. Get at least one ride a week off road, preferably two. Road or trainer is fine for intervals and what not. 

• Try to make about 80% of your training time easy/Endurance pace over a week. Use the other 20% for either Tempo, Threshold, or VO2 Max intervals. Or a hard group ride. As far as what type of intervals to do, change it up every 6-8 weeks. Move from the LEAST specific intensity to the MOST specific intensity as race time approaches. 

• Typically your long ride will be at a Zone 2 / Endurance pace but try to get one at race specific intensity every few weeks. For a race that will last 6 hours, try to build your long ride to 3.5-4 hours. For races of 9-12 hours, try to build to a 6 our long ride. Back to back 3-4 hour long rides can be very effective also. 

• Do some basic strength and mobility work 2 days a week. Squats, lunges, pushups...simple. 

• Are you an awful bike handler? Do you lose time on downhills? Do you crash and get badly hurt every year? Get a hold of Lon Cullen with Singletrack Skills and take some classes. Most riders need this. 

• Know the course, know how to read maps. Don’t depend on others to drag you around. 

• Know how to work on your bike! Take a class or have a friend teach you. Self sufficiency is a must for long events. Pack basic flat and bike repair tools and know how to use them. Similarly, keep your bike in good working order. This sounds obvious...but I have raced enough to know how much it gets missed.

• On race day, don’t try new things! Period. As far pacing goes, make a plan and stick to it. Pay attention to how hard you are breathing and be honest with yourself. Lots of “I don’t know where I went wrong” issues begin with the first hour of a 9 hour race ridden at threshold heart rate. Don’t do that. Be careful who you ride with. I don’t ride in groups with sketchy bike handlers or negative thinkers. This will bring the whole group down.

• Have race goals, but keep them process oriented. Meaning set a goal to pace correctly and eat 250 calories per hour NOT to finish top 10. 

• If you are really lost, get a coach that knows this stuff. I like Lynda Wallenfels and Jason Shearer. If you are local and want in person coaching, hit me up and I can help. I am not certified yet but have been in this a long time and know what to do.