In a message dated 1/14/03 9:50:12 AM Pacific Standard Time, ABikie@aol.com writes:
> in ANY case, how many would bet me a brew or two that I say non of y'all
> could tell even a 5mm diff even three times in a row.
> And the agony over 2.5mm???
>
Hi Larry,
I will beg to differ and you can buy me a beer. I borrowed a pair of 180 road
cranks (Campy) from a friend and rode them for a while. I'd been riding
177.5s and felt I wanted "a little extra". Well, they felt fine for about a
week....and THEN? All I could feel was that I was pedaling squares. Off they
came and the sweet 177.5s went back on. I ride 175 as my main length, and can
go 2.5mm in either direction and not have it bother me. If I go 5mm, I notice
it and don't like it.
Another story: When I bought my first 175 crank from Sugden and Lynch
Bicycles in Menlo Park (early 70s), Nick sold me a right side Zeus. He didn't
have a left, so he sold me something that had been laying around for a while.
A 177.5 Campy left arm. He said I wouldn't notice it. It was ok while the
power of suggestion was working, but after 2 weeks, I went back and bought
the matching Campy 177.5 right side.
I think a big factor in whether or not someone can notice the difference is
in how much they are riding. If you're riding 20 miles a week and never did
much more than that, you MAY not notice. On the other hand, I have always had
a "princess and the pea" sensitivity to subtle nuances. It's a blessing or a
curse, depending on how you view it.
As far as telling 170s from 175s? Piece of cake.
StevanThomas
Alameda, CA