Re: [CR]Re: Fixed Gears/crank length

(Example: Framebuilders:Doug Fattic)

From: <NortonMarg@aol.com>
Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2004 00:05:33 EST
Subject: Re: [CR]Re: Fixed Gears/crank length
To: Cushdelmar@aol.com, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org


In a message dated 3/24/04 9:44:35 AM Pacific Standard Time, Cushdelmar@aol.com writes:
> When blind folded, riders have no idea about the length of their
> cranks even when they are not the same length. Vic Copeland who holds
> numerous master track records spent part of a season riding with cranks
> that were not the same length. Finally someone spotted it and asked him
> about it. Turned out he didn't know.
>

This may be true for some people, and the one guy you mention proves nothing. The statement you make about blindfolded riders not being able to tell their crank lengths is simply not a fact, and is false.

A fairly famous local shop in Menlo Park, sold me a crankset consisting of a 175 right and a 177.5 left arm. They SAID I'd never notice. Well, for about a week I didn't, then it drove me nuts and I went back and bought the matching 177.5 right, because they didn't have a 175 left. I can tell 2.5mm difference in arms if I spend any time on a bike at all. 177.5s are the most I personally want to ride on the road. I know this because I once borrowed a pair of 180s and rode them for awhile. I could tell they were longer than my 177.5s, but they felt "OK" for a few days, then as I rode into them, all I could feel was that I was pedaling "squares". 165s and 170s are so different from 175s, I'm sure I could tell the difference blindfolded.

I'll be the first to admit that there are in fact, a lot of riders who can't tell and don't care. Even some riders of championship quality. That however, does not make your statement accurate or true. If you can't tell, that's fine, but don't make absurd statements based on your own inability. That's exactly the same as saying something like "20 miles per hour is as fast as I can go through this turn, so anyone going faster has to be riding/driving in an unsafe manner".

Stevan Thomas
Alameda, CA