hi
there was a thread somewhere about the popularity of smaller cranks for true muni, even kris holm weighed in. i can’t seem to find it again.
anyway, i tried jumping down from 150 to 137 cranks with a maggie brake and am not sure what to think. definitely better spinning and speed, less fine control at slow speed and over roots and large rocks, better climbing on easy uphills with less spin out (increased traction), but less easy climbing on technical uphill. so, i know this is all stating the obvious, but i’m struggling to decide on what’s better overall.
i love the better, more fluid, elegant spinning afforded by the 137’s but am missing the fun of taking on everything with abandon on the 150’s.
thoughts?
t
I feel your pain. Dual hole cranks could get you best of both worlds. You could decide what you want to ride before you head to the trails and swap the pedals, it doesn’t really take that long, especially when you get used to it. Other option is to just get really comfortable with 137s. With more practice you can ride harder/techier on them.
I prefer the 125/150 twin hole moment cranks on my 24" with 3" tyre. I plan my route, starting off on 125 setting I do some flat trails. Then I change to 150 setting before going onto more hilly terrain. I have used the 137mm crank setting on occasions and they’re a good all rounder, but they’re a bit slow on flat trails and don’t give me the torque I need for uphill riding.
At best, there is always a compromise no matter what set up you use.
One other consideration, is,wear and tear on your knees. That’s my primary consideration. I don’t believe in pain. I don’t mind muscle tiredness after a ride, but I don’t like sore joints. The bottom line is preserving my own physical welfare.
Hope this helps.
I run 150s, I ran 137s for a while and that was a bad idea because it made my knee hurt post ride
thanks for the replies. good to get some feeling for what other riders think since i ride alone. early on in the piece people seem to have been using long cranks for hard stuff and i’m wondering if the competitions (cross country and muni) seem to have compelled people to run shorter to get a better time. the trials aspect of the muni side of things seems to have been relegated to pure trials on a 19" wheel. perhaps what i am saying is that i have been inadvertently caught up in a trend.
I found shorter cranks better on the knees. Less pain later.
Less work during the ride.
Hills are bit tricky but practice more and more speed on the flats.
shorter were a winner
If your not climbing all day 137 i like. 125 if you never see a hill really. 150mm i never seem to have enough fun with. Their my boat anchor. Having to drag them choppy things up the hills, slow painful long flat rides, wobbling every time i want to pick up the pace. 150mm… cant find a groove with those
how do you find them with slow sections, balance lines, drops and hops?
137s to flat they stink on balance lines and hopping and bad for drops if you are breakless
150s feel slow when you are going slow good for balance lines and good for drops and hops
I more Muni along than look for tricky bits to slow my pace.
You really need to try some. Maybe fit some $30 quax ones temporarily and see then you can know for sure.
I wanted 110 137 for the 137 holes. 165 i will never use i rather walk a hill than pedal those and the 110 well might try those on flat just for fun!
See you at the Wildside MTB race? Shame Jamey and i are the only two we know of…
looked at the website - looks epic! i need a bucketload more fitness before i even try something like that, plus maybe a bigger wheel and a schlumpf!
im no fitness freak its out of my league but gonna love it.
I was going to go fixie 36er but decided to build a 29 guni. Jamey is taking a 26 guni. entry and working out where to stay adding up too.
on the topic still try some 137’s more might be a matter of getting used to them. if i cant head up a hill on 137 i probably wont much on 150mm so either way hopping about is required or a speccy upd which ever comes first
is 137 short?
75mm is short!
i have one drop i look at does that count lol. Its about a metre and i wont hit it yet on a 29 wheel
I cant imagine you guys having too much issues with 137 in the scrub. it is only about half inch from your 150mm?
is it all a matter of getting used to what you choose to run somewhat?
I guess, i did a 5ft drop with 150s and they felt short
this is interesting. the extra inch in diameter of the pedalling seems to make quite a difference for me - it changes my pedalling from half-step boxy type revolutions to smooth cadence. but the problem arises when fine control is required and the 137’s seem to be a limiting reagent to tackling rock gardens etc. practice may help, but it is telling that kh himself seemed to be using large cranks (look like 160-70!) in the old footage (north shore, slovakia 2003, etc). he recently posted in advocacy of the shorter 137’s (can’t find it) but i am nowhere near these ability levels.
get comfortable with which ever you choose to use
Only difference i see between Kris now and Kris way back then is ‘Years’
riding hasnt changed. Cranks still crank. Up to the individual, what works for you is best for you.
I like short, ok sruggle at times sure but, longer i find i struggle more.
End of the day i need to enjoy the passion, not resent it and eventually throw in the towel due to my poor crank length choices
try both ends of the scale to find what you like. Like Kris in the future your aspirations, direction and intentions may vary or cross over.
well said
I really dig the black 145 mm QX cranks 
I see a pair for my mueet (mini street) 24