Crank length

Chris said:

"Didier A. Depireux" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

At some point, one of them used longer cranks as a desperate attempt to keep
up with Merckx, and destroyed his knees...

Quoted message said:

Who are you referring to?

I was thinking of Cyrille Guimard, in 1972. He won 7 stages in the TdF
(TIOOYK), and in 72, in spite of gonalgia and in an effort to keep up with
the Cannibal, he went from 175 to 180 or something like that, and this move
pretty much terminated his career.
One of the historians on this board would probably be able to fill in the
details, unless they are busy with the Tour?

Didier

--
Didier A Depireux [email hidden] [email hidden]
20 Penn Str - S218E http://neurobiology.umaryland.edu/depireux.htm
Anatomy and Neurobiology Phone: 410-706-1272 (lab)
University of Maryland -1273 (off)
Baltimore MD 21201 USA Fax: 1-410-706-2512

Quoted message said:

From: [email hidden] (erik saunders)

Quoted message said:

this is the formula that i like... you will be riding longer crcnks than
usually suggested... i am 5'10" and i ride 175s... it works...

Well it sure wouldn't work for me. I'm on 165's at slightly under 5'-10".
172.5's lead to sore knees.

It's individual, some shorter folks can ride 175 or 80's with great results,
some tall folks need short cranks. This has been well covered, which a google
search or two will reveal. See Dr. Jim Martin's studies which IMS also have a
crank length "sizing" ratio by leg length, which I believe calls for shorter
cranks. No one can tell you what "you have to ride" with a measuring tape, is
the moral of the story (IMHO). --TP