Climbing

[Sonnybea]

What size crank arms are best 160 or 170, next which bike is better the S40 or the V20
I need helpthis 73 year old is looking for some help, my biggest problem is I live in South Florida with no hills except bridges

 

[Henri]

What size crank arms are best 160 or 170,

That depends on you. You can try using a calculator, but ultimately you can only be somewhat sure by trying for a long time.

which bike is better the S40 or the V20

Especially for climbing? If it's steep enough, the S40 is said to allow higher power. But when it's still fast, the V20 has a chance. On mixed rides the aero benefit often wins, but only if you can handle the very flat position (and the lack of mounts for fenders and racks).

my biggest problem is I live in South Florida with no hills except bridges

So you will barely be climbing, anyway?

 

[Greg S]

What size crank arms are best 160 or 170, next which bike is better the S40 or the V20
I need helpthis 73 year old is looking for some help, my biggest problem is I live in South Florida with no hills except bridges

The better crank arm length depends a lot on your physiology: if you're 6'5" with a 38" inseam you'd probably be more comfortable with the longer cranks. If you're 5'3" with a 28" inseam the shorter ones would suit you better. FWIW, I'm 6'2" with a 34" inseam and use 165mm crank arms.

As to "which is better" again, that depends. In South Florida the V20c would likely handle any hills (overpasses) you're likely to encounter just fine. If you're going somewhere with grades higher than 10% you might prefer the S40.

I've owned both: I had an S40 that I sold (wish I had it back actually) and currently have a V20c. I've climbed 15% grades with the S40 and although it's too early in my V20c ownership to say for sure, I don't think I could manage those on the V20. "Conventional wisdom" (forum consensus) seems to indicate the S40 is better for climbing steep grades but you're unlikely to encounter any of those where you live.

 

[Jeffers]

Generally speaking,
A narrower hip angle and longer crank are better for climbing.

 

[Henri]

A narrower hip angle

At least that part can be altered with longer chain stays to raise the bottom bracket. (But take care: If you choose them too long, the handlebar will come too low. - My current problem, that's why I got 155 cranks now. Hope it will be enough.)

and longer crank are better for climbing.

At least when your gears are too long. Shorter cranks should be paired with shorter gears and that will be most apparent when climbing and running out of short gears.
But higher cadance pedaling style might be a higher strain for the cardiovascular system and laying too flat can be too. So a V20 with short cranks might be somewhat not an ideal combination for climbing? Not sure, that really makes a difference, though.

 

[Boreen bimbler]

I use 150mm cranks. Average height/leg (31"). I found them instantly far better than the 170's I used before in every way. Not tried a V20 but S40 climbs pretty well.

 

[Robert Holler]

I have found crank length to be really personal and also dependent on the bike - no matter what the numbers say for gearing, etc. You really can only know for sure if one length works better than another via some trail and error. For me - I love 150's for all things climbing and otherwise - but I "measure" and churn out "better numbers" to be better suited to 170's. But the 170's hurt much more my knees and just make riding miserable so... ‍

 

[chicorider]

I agree that crank length is a personal choice. I'm short, at 5'3". I built up my first V20 with 165mm cranks. They seemed fine, but I had no frame of reference, having tried nothing else. As an experiment, I put on 160mm cranks and liked them a little better. I rode those for quite a while, but eventually wondered, "If I like the 160s a little more than the 165s, would I like 155s a little more than the 160s?" So I tried those for a while, and ended up wanting my 160s back (the 155s spun really well on flat routes, but I felt like I had less leverage when climbing; and I do climb a lot, so that mattered to me). I was glad that I did the experiment because I feel like I found my best crank length. But that best length might be different for you--based on typical terrain, body mechanics, riding style, etc. One way to go is to look for used cranks online. Buy them for a used price and try them out. If you don't like them, you can usually resell them for about what you paid for them, and try another length. If you do like them, you can either keep them, or upgrade to a better crank of the same length, and resell the used ones.

I have a V20c and S30 (and an S40 for a while). With decent fitness and appropriate gearing, they all climb well. My S30 climbs a tiny bit faster than the V (I think because I can push a little harder against the more upright seat). I have the least wheel slip with the V, but that's only a concern on steeper grades when surfaces are either wet, loose, or really lumpy.

If you like to ride long and fast, and often solo, the V is a great choice. If you are less concerned about speed, but still want to ride long and in comfort, the S will give you better viewing and might be a little easier to handle. It is also a better choice if you ride in groups. For me, the V just wants to go fast, to the point of being antisocial as I go way off the front. If I stay with a group (short of joining the local racers), I end of coasting a lot.

 

[Boreen bimbler]

I got my last set of cranks from aliexpress, with bb and a ring it all came to about 35 euro. Advertised as "kids" crankset but I wont be standing up on them and they seem fine.

 

[Henri]

I wont be standing up on them

I have heard a story, that one of the European velomobile makers (I think Ymte from Inter City Bikes) had ridden child's cranks in his velomobile on his tour from Dronten in the Netherlands to Spezialradmesse in southern Germany ("Spezi" = Special Bikes Fair) and arrived with two bow shaped cranks. They said, he's a strong rider, but that would have been just hundreds of kilometers.
I guess, your mileage (literally) should vary, depending on torque and crank model.

 

[Boreen bimbler]

I have heard a story, that one of the European velomobile makers (I think Ymte from Inter City Bikes) had ridden child's cranks in his velomobile on his tour from Dronten in the Netherlands to Spezialradmesse in southern Germany ("Spezi" = Special Bikes Fair) and arrived with two bow shaped cranks. They said, he's a strong rider, but that would have been just hundreds of kilometers.
I guess, your mileage (literally) should vary, depending on torque and crank model.

That sounds like something a Kerry man would tell you. Lol.