Crank length for a 29er SS / gear ratio's

[Chewyeti]

Longer Lever = more torque.

175's are what i normally run on the rest of my bikes....
I have seen 180 cranks also. Is it worth it to step up the extra 5mm to 180 cranks?

Also... first singlespeed... fairly strong legs.... what would be a good starting point for me on my new SS 29er?

32-20?

ALL input appreciated

[tbowren]

I run 180mm on both of my bikes. I'm just over 6 foot 2.

They are great! Just a bit hard to find sometimes.

They really make a difference getting up steep inclines and through technical stuff where you need every foot-lb you can muster.

Once you get used to them they make 175mm cranks kinda feel like hamster wheels sometimes.

EDIT: My buddy has 190mm cranks on his 23" Ventana El Capitan. That bike has 18.+ chainstays and with the long cranks and big 29er traction he can climb the steepest inclines with no problem. He's only going 1 mph, but almost nothing can stop him.

[JimN]

32-20 is definitely a good starting point for a SS 29er in SoCal. It's what I started with, and I've stuck with it for nearly three years with no desire to experiment with different ratios.

Crank length is a matter of preference. I run 180s on my 29er SS, and 175s on all other bikes. I'm 6'2" with fairly long legs and it works for me. Only downsides to 180s that I can think of are you might notice more pedal strikes and they don't spin as naturally at a high cadence. So, if you do a lot of pavement riding to and from the trailhead, you might not like the 180s. I sometimes ride seven miles to the trailhead, five of which are dead flat beach path. I've gotten used to spinning the longer cranks, so I no longer think about it. Never tried riding my SS with 175s, so I can't offer any comparisons in the leverage category.

[Abui]

I run 180's and I'm shy of 5'10". Gear ratio? There are strong legs and there are fresh legs. Just don't try to mash through while sitting. IMHO that's where knee problems start. After you've found your limits sitting is OK.

[1FG rider]

I have 180s on both my 26 SS and 29 SS. There is a noticeable difference from my 175s, feels like I have more torque on the steep climbs.

I'm running a 32x20 on my Niner and its a good compromise for the climbs and flats around here.

[tbowren]

I'm going to plug CrashMaxwell's auction going on right now for a potentially sweet deal on some 180mm cranks.
I have been running this Deus 180's now for 2 years and I really like them. I have the enduro BB bearings instead of the Race Face, but the cranks themselves have been great for me.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...l%3FMyEbayBeta

[foofighter]

Originally Posted by 1FG rider

I have 180s on both my 26 SS and 29 SS. There is a noticeable difference from my 175s, feels like I have more torque on the steep climbs.

I'm running a 32x20 on my Niner and its a good compromise for the climbs and flats around here.

chew...mike is one of the guys i mentioned to you last night in our convo that are climbing monsters

[Chewyeti]

dang.. the monsters are using 20T cogs..... (so i should run a 21...or more?)

Foo... are you running 180 cranks?

[foofighter]

negative ghostrider...i should considering i have short asian legs LOL plus the cranks were given to me by a generous benefactor...i was thinking about going 180 too bad white brothers doesnt make ext BB for their ENO line

[tbowren]

Oh I wanted to add one more detail. The longer your crank is, the lower you have to set your seat so your leg can reach it when it is all the way down.

This has the side effect of lowering your center of gravity AND making it easier to get behind your seat when standing on the pedals.

It's only 5mm for 180mm so its slight, but on my friends 190mm cranks its noticeable.

[foofighter]

plust you have to be mindful when you're clearing rocks etc that it doesnt clip your crank arm that could be a bad thing.

[durbish]

Originally Posted by Chewyeti

Longer Lever = more torque.

175's are what i normally run on the rest of my bikes....
I have seen 180 cranks also. Is it worth it to step up the extra 5mm to 180 cranks?

Also... first singlespeed... fairly strong legs.... what would be a good starting point for me on my new SS 29er?

32-20?

ALL input appreciated

I believe crank lenght has to do more with the lenght of your legs... think of it like do a knee bend... a shallow knee bend is easier to do then a deep knee bend... the longer the the crank the deeper the knee bend, I'm 5'10 and run 175mm with 32/18 on a SS 29"... if your 6' plus or long legged 180's shouldn't be too long, and gearing from 32/18 to 32/20 should do it. If your short legged stay with 175's.

[singleminded]

I have always ran 180's on the singles. I am 5'8" and have no problems...hell you guys have seen me climb

Once I had to run a friends spare bike during a 12hr race and it had 175's and they were noticable but not extream. Felt i was spining smaller circles.

Now I have reverse thinking...I think the smaller guys can use the longer cranks to make up for their lack of levers. As was mentioned you don't want to run them if you have a 25in inseam

And yes you do smack them much more than 175's....and on my 69'r (low btm bkt) they spend more time in the rocks than my tires do.....

I run 170's on my roadie single but 172.5's on my roadie gearie.

Just slap on some 180's and run with it. Good Luck

[foofighter]

give that man a cigar! eric is a dam billygoat

[DeeZee]

I run 180's on my SS and switched back to 175's on my geared 29'er.

The 175's let me spin faster and it helps with the bigger hoops

[singleminded]

Since I am not a strong rider I always run a lower ratio and hump like a hampster. On my 26'r and 69'r my all around gear is 32x18. I run a 20 for the long endurance races that have a ton of climbing. You usually loose most racers due to fatigue attrition so I try to gear for the long haul. If the areas are fairly flat or rolling I will run a 17......but most of the time it is a 18.

So in reality I run what is known as 2 down from the so called 2-1 "macho" gear

But they can have it

[tbowren]

Originally Posted by singleminded

You usually loose most racers due to fatigue attrition

That's not true. I lose most races because the other guys are faster than me. (and lighter)

[J_Sims]

6ft 5 here

180 - 29er SS
175 - DOs Niner XC
175 - RIP9 AM
170 - SOCOM DH (ground cllearance)


I run a 34/22 on my SS

Hope it is helpful

[KonaDupee]

I bought my Unit 2-9 with 175mm cranks & 32-18 gearing. Haven't known anything different & don't plan on changing it.

If there's a hill I can't clean or a ride that's too long for me on the SS, it's *my* fault--not the bike's.

[Chewyeti]

You guys rock...


I dont feel as clueless anymore. I may have a set of 175 cranks for cheap... so i will probably go with that for now. I will start 2ith 32-20/21 surly cog and start singlespeeding from there....

Dupee... i will need some lessons on how you clean all them damn hills on that thing!