> On Feb 28, 2025, at 8:37 PM, Eamon Nordquist <[email protected]> wrote: > > I wonder if there is any correlation between the crank length that works best > for people and the cadence they prefer to ride? I have a suspicion that some > people with longer legs who favor a slower cadence might do better with long > cranks.
The math on this is pretty straightforward. Colloquially, power = torque * rpms. For a given amount of power at the rear wheel, a shorter crank requires proportionally higher force on the pedal axle. If the rider is to put the same force into the pedal axle, she has to reduce the gear and increase the cadence to generate the same level of power at the rear wheel. Physiologically there’s a lot at play here. In general, people with shorter legs and shorter feet will keep their joint angles in a better range with shorter cranks. In general, smaller people put less force into the pedal axle than larger people. In general, smaller people are more comfortable at higher cadence than larger people because they’re moving less mass around the circle. But, in practice, the research I’ve seen says that people develop a preferred cadence that may or may not match up with what you’d expect based on their physique, but almost always it turns out to be the physiologically optimum cadence for them. Ted Durant Milwaukee, WI USA -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/97565489-6745-46F8-A823-56309123331A%40gmail.com.
