Does Crank Length Matter?

BIKE RIDERS COME IN ALL shapes and sizes. I think we all agree that the bike itself has to be of an appropriate dimension for a rider’s size, with height being the most obvious link to frame size.

But if we look back at the 1970s, frames got taller as they went up in size, but not much longer, if at all. One set of lugs will accommodate many possible frame sizes if the only thing that changes is the height of the bike so inexpensive bikes in particular were stuck with this paradigm. The only problem is that arms and legs both increase in length as the rider gets taller.

To fit long arms requires a longer top tube on the taller frame. Longer