Bernard Hinault's book question

[TiMan]

I saw a Hinault inseam/crank arm length chart from his book years ago. He said that he recommends using slightly longer cranks than are "typical".

Can anyone tell me what he recommends for crank length for various inseam lengths?

THANX

 

[Ted B]

Originally posted by TiMan
I saw a Hinault inseam/crank arm length chart from his book years ago. He said that he recommends using slightly longer cranks than are "typical".

Can anyone tell me what he recommends for crank length for various inseam lengths?

THANX

Hinault's book gave the following guidelines:

74-80cm: 170mm
81-86cm: 172.5mm
87-93cm: 175mm

The book recommends longer cranks for uphill races, time trials, or mountains, and says that if you are 'daring', you may want to try the following scheme:

74-77cm: 170mm
78-81cm: 172.5mm
82-85cm: 175mm
86-89cm: 177.5mm
90-93cm: 180mm

I know for a fact that Hinault's inseam is 83cm, the seat tube of his bikes were 53.5cm c-c, and he rode 172.5mm cranks in regular stages and 175cm cranks in time trials and mountains.

 

[jws]

I think the chart with longer cranks was recommended by Claude Genzling, not Hinault. Hinault rode 172.5 and was more conservative about cranks, like most pros at the time.

 

[Julesa]

Beware riding with bigger cranks than recommended. I am presntly spending a fortune on Physio from riding 175mm cranks for a year when my instep length would clearly say 170mm. He says my knee injury is mainly to do with repeatedly making my relatively unsupple legs go around a bigger circle than they should.

 

[Ted B]

My 'correct' crank length would also be 170mm, but I ride nothing less than 172.5mm, and have ridden very long distances at spirited pace with 175mm,all without any problems whatsoever.

Not everyone can ride comfortably with longer cranks, and unless your seat height is adjusted so that your joint angles are correct, you could be asking for trouble.