[Enel]

I'm thinking of going to 190mm cranks.

Can anyone give me a short list of manufacturers that I should consider?

Would be used for typical triple ring set up (in my case, 22,34, bash ring).

If any one manufacturer is head and shoulders above the rest, I would appreciate it if you would tell me who it is.

Thanks in advance.

 

[shiggy]

Profile Racing. Buy their arms and an FSA X-Drive Euro BB.

There are a few "Custom" length cranks out there that cost and flex more.

 

[Enel]

Profile Racing. Buy their arms and an FSA X-Drive Euro BB.

Thanks.

I have been to their site, and they look good.

Is there a problem with the Profile BB that comes with the cranks?

Other manufacturers I have found include High Sierra cycles, and Zinn. They can go significantly longer, but I would think you would need a custom frame designed around those cranks to make it work.

Also do you notice that the saddle goes down directly related to crank length? In other words, with a 15mm longer crank (175-190), does the saddle go down 15mm, or is it not quite a direct relationship.

 

[shiggy]

Thanks.

I have been to their site, and they look good.

Is there a problem with the Profile BB that comes with the cranks?

It is non adjustable. If your BB shell is not EXACTLY the right width the bearings will be too tight, bind and die young. The FSA X-Drive (but not the Euro Pro) has an adjustable cup.

Other manufacturers I have found include High Sierra cycles, and Zinn. They can go significantly longer, but I would think you would need a custom frame designed around those cranks to make it work.

I think you need at least a 13" high BB to use 190s. A steeper STA helps, too.

Also do you notice that the saddle goes down directly related to crank length? In other words, with a 15mm longer crank (175-190), does the saddle go down 15mm, or is it not quite a direct relationship.

Down and forward (with the same frame). You may not need to "correct" the the full length difference. You have to try it. When I went from 180 to 185 I needed a longer stem, too.

 

[Enel]

Thanks again.

Found another of your informative posts:

http://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?p=1967076&postcount=4

Very helpful.

Hmmm, higher BB, Steep STA....My Curtlo has both in spades, especially when using the 5" rockers. This might be the ticket.

My reasoning is if I can get my COG a little lower with the cranks (by lowering the saddle height), I can run the bike in 5" of travel mode without noticing the handling compromises so much.

When I think about it, BB height is the only real variable that changed a whole lot switching between 5" to 4", and the sagged difference was probably only about 1/2-3/4". 15mm of saddle height reduction should accomplish the same thing (at least when seated, wouldn't help standing handling).

Most crank length calculators say that for my inseam, I should be on 202mm cranks, so I should have no problem with 190s.

Did you notice a difference in the handling in your bikes based on saddle height when going from shorter to longer cranks?

Guess I'll have to try it and see.

Eric

 

[shiggy]

BTW I mean 13" BB height on a hardtail.

 

[El Caballo]

BTW I mean 13" BB height on a hardtail.

I have 180mm cranks and an 11.8" BB height. I hit my pedals on every rock. But the bike sure handles well with a BB that low.

Of course, with BMX cranks you won't care so much about hitting rocks.

 

[shiggy]

I have 180mm cranks and an 11.8" BB height. I hit my pedals on every rock. But the bike sure handles well with a BB that low.

Of course, with BMX cranks you won't care so much about hitting rocks.

I generally prefer the handling of a bike with a high BB. It is not damage to the cranks (or pedals) that bothers me about hitting the pedals.

 

[Cantronite]

Probably a dead thread this many years on... BUT!

I'd love to get set up with 190's on my Trek X-Caliber... the x-cal comes with a 316mm (12.44") BB height. My logic up till now is the Specialized Hard Rock comes with a 301mm bb height (15mm diff) and so jumping from 175 to 190 on the trek wouldnt be a big deal. any thoughts on this? I suppose a lot of what comes into play is the type of terrain being ridden, I'd certainly be open to running bigger tires, i have a 2.2f/2.0r right now, and figure running 2.4/2.2 or 2.4/2.4 would help... if i go that big i'd definitely keep 2 wheelsets handy, anything smaller would be used on smoother terrain.

Are there nay models out there that indicate how Q-factor and pedal width impact maximum lean angle based on pedal to ground clearance? or is that not likely to be an issue if not in rough-stuff?