On a 36 in unicycle how much faster would someone typically go with the 100 mm cranks vs the 152 mm cranks? I am right in assuming that? Also, is it easier to slow down and stop on the longer cranks?
Madams
The speed difference depends on the rider. It is significant for me- probably 4 mph or so.
The 152 to 100 is a huge jump. 125s are really popular for a reason. I like 114/110s. They offer good speed and control- even in the hills.
100s can take a fair amount of time to get used to. Control is significantly diminished- even from 110s.
100s are fast, but a bit of a handful. Most riders will really struggle with them on the hills.
One of the biggest recommendations is to get a lightweight 36" tube. It saves about 11oz of rotating weight. It makes short cranks much more bearable.
I really like the 100s with a lightweight tube. 110s are on right now for a bit more control on tricky surfaces.
Some time ago we had a respective discussion in the German forum (see here). For that specific setup (36", gearing ratio 1:1, 152mm cranks vs. 100mm cranks) the resulting formula suggests the 100mm cranks being 8% faster than the 152mm cranks.