When it comes to bike fitting and set up it seems that most of us end up adapting to or making adjustments around whatever equipment comes specified on our bikes from the factory. The thinking comes from decades old established wisdom discerned by racing outcomes and personal feelings in a time long before performance analytics. Upgrades to OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) components have almost always been around the quality level of the product with a focus on material type and weight. In very few cases are dimensions changed or even considered.
You’re (Probably) Running Too Much Tire Pressure
With tires it was pretty much gospel for road bikes that narrower was faster. We rode thousands of teeth-chattering and wrist-rattling miles on razor thin tires pumped to the maximum, and sometimes beyond, recommendation for inflation psi. The pros did this so we did, too. It “felt” fast so it must be fast. There was little to no data on the subject to say otherwise. Even on our mountain bikes we ran max pressure rating to increase “puncture protection” and to “roll fast”.
Cyclocross racers were early adopters of lower pressure for racing as they used tubular tires, a handmade tire and tube combination glued to a special rim. Tubulars gave better traction in bad conditions and resisted punctures by deforming around objects rather than resisting them. There’s more to tubeless than just this but the concept of lower pressure found its way to the Spring Classics held on the punishing cobbled roads in northern Europe. It’s been just over a decade since the “unthinkable” notion of larger tires with lower pressure saw winning results but it’s the science that made it stick. Still, there are holdouts, are you one of them?
Performance testing data along with the development of quality tubeless tire systems has resulted in new standards for tire width and pressure. We now know through extensive testing in all disciplines of riding and through lab testing the world over that wider, lower pressure tires offer greater comfort, grip, and traction on rough terrain, while still maintaining good rolling efficiency on smooth surfaces.
Check out these resources to find your optimum set up:
Silca Tire Pressure Calculator
Rene Herse Tire Pressure Calculator
Silca Video: Ep0004 Hysteresis – The Cause of Bicycle Tire Rolling Resistance
Dylan Johnson Video: Tested: What is the Fastest Gravel Tire Size? The Answer Might Surprise You
Your Cranks Are (Probably) Too Long
This is one we didn’t see coming, shorter crank lengths. For as long as any of us can recall the belief that longer cranks as longer levers produce more torque and that meant more power. Crank length, however, has a lot to do with its ratio to femur length and this is a measurement in human beings that can vary widely even within same-size riders. Add to this that OEM specification of bicycles may see the same size crank length applied to all bike sizes within a model range.
There has been limited access to options as the major component manufacturers produce a narrow range of sizes with set dimensions inside the range. The most common crank lengths are 170mm or 172.5mm for road & gravel and 175mm for mountain biking. Why these lengths? Who knows? A very small amount of cranks have been produced under 170m or over 175mm making them hard to get and often pricey. And it’s been that way for a long, long time.
Recently, however, two things happened in short order. Custom fabricators using more-advanced and more affordable manufacturing processes entered the market and now offer the same unique, built-to-fit design as handmade frames. Minnesota-based Appleman Bicycles is one such manufacturer; they were the buzz of the show floor at last year’s MADE event in Portland. We’ll get to them in a moment but first a trip to the Tour de France.
The most dynamic and perhaps most dominant bicycle racer we’ve seen in ages is Slovenian Tadej Pogačar. He has been victorious in nearly every race to be won in every manner of ways, he’s no specialist, just a guy who loves to ride and race bikes. He’s a gear nerd like us and is supported with every bit of data analysis as an F1 car so it’s no surprise to see he doesn’t ride the “standard” 172.5mm cranks that someone his size “should”. In a turn just as surprising as low pressure, Tadej uses 165mm crank arms which he claims optimizes his cadence, aerodynamics and leg muscle load.
Appleman Bicycles says, “Crank length is super weird. Crank length is confusing.” They add, “Why bother changing crank length? In a word: comfort. In three words: comfort, stability, speed.” So, overall, a better bike fit.
Cycling component giant Shimano, and sponsor of Pogačar, answers the question of what benefits shorter crank lengths can offer. “The answers to this question are many. They include factors such as enhancing one’s ability to spin a higher cadence, improving pedal clearance when cornering, or relieving lower-back, joint, or muscular pain. Shorter cranks can also help alleviate fit issues such as hitting your knees on your chest or handlebars when riding in an aerodynamic position. And, as studies have shown, there are few if any downsides to switching to shorter cranks.”
You can read more from their study of the subject here: Short-Crank Curious?
Appleman Bicycles: A Rider’s Guide to Crank Length
Dylan Johnson Video: You Should Be Using Shorter Cranks, Here’s Why
Give It A Try!
For many of us, our bikes are steadfast friends and we rely on the consistency of their performance as an element of trust. Perhaps it’s been a long time since making a change to bike specification or fit and what once was best is no longer ideal. We now “know what we know” and we have the data to explain how we know it. W. Edwards Deming famously said, “In God we trust, all others must bring data.” and now we have Dylan Johnson to add, “Don’t trust your feelings, they’re wrong.”
Not sure what to do? Consult your local bike mechanic and go over the options; make your bike fit you rather than you trying to fit the bike. Here’s to a season of great rides together!