170 or 175 cranks?

supafly1982
supafly1982 Posts: 631
edited November 2011 in MTB buying advice
I currently run a slx 175mm tripple on my marin wolfridge, i have noticed i get slightly more than usual pedal strike when compared to the HT, obvioulsly the suspension must be a factor, but i was wondering if 170 cranks would make a difference?
Im all ready using kona wah wah's which are thin. I use the bike for AM so i dont want to hinder climbing too much as this isnt exactly an excellent climbing bike.

im wanting a new set, So should i bother with 170mm or stick to 175mm?

Comments

  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,673
    shorter cranks reduce the power you can put in. also 5mm will make very little difference to pedal strike. better shaped pedals will make more difference. you may also find the bike just feels different.

    If you have not used a bike with 170 it is not a cheap change if you dont like it.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • supafly1982
    supafly1982 Posts: 631
    k nick so i guess the sound advice is to stick with 175mm
  • Northwind
    Northwind Posts: 14,675
    One of my sets of XTRs is 170, the other is 175. No idea which is which though, can't tell any difference.
    Uncompromising extremist
  • rockmonkeysc
    rockmonkeysc Posts: 14,774
    I have one bike with 170mm SLX cranks & one with 175mm SLX cranks. Both have the same chain rings & cassettes . I can't tell the difference.
    In theory 5mm less makes a difference but for me in practice it makes bugger all difference.
    I used to have problems with pedal strikes on my Trance, guess my technique must have changed because it just stopped being a problem.
    Transition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=13070235
  • supafly1982
    supafly1982 Posts: 631
    cheers for the input guys, i reckon i should probably stick withthe 175's if the bike gets more AM use, i doubt it would really make a difference to me either but sure to be sure and all that ;)
  • BG2000
    BG2000 Posts: 517
    Don't forget there's a wide variety of bottom bracket heights on frames, much more than 5mm. And if you're got suspension, again, the sag height affects the BB height, so too does size/pressure of tyres. They can all contribute to pedal clearance much more than crank length.
  • supafly1982
    supafly1982 Posts: 631
    yeah i think thats really where the problem lies, been putting too many lbs on lately lol

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