Bike Check: How Lennard Zinn Does Vegas

Lennard Zinn, you must mean.

i need prices and pics of models

“He has a very interesting break down of the science on his website…”

There’s no science to be found there. It’s nothing but propaganda.

What I especially like is the “link” to a study by “Dr. Martin” (who is an expert) that turns out to be a blog post by a speculator of false information just as Zinn himself is. The real Dr. Martin would say testing shows proportional cranks to be of little value. Nothing like a name drop to lend credibility to a lie.

@craigsj,

Testing would show almost all bike related “improvements” to be a little value. If your buying a crank, it makes sense to get one that works for you (feel/power). Given my experience with Zinn’s technical articles, I am sure he would agree that one “needing” a 185mm crank is probably just fine if they are comfortable on their current 175mm crank and the money to change is not worth it.

As for Martin – I think he agrees
“Even though maximum cycling power was significantly affected by crank length, use of the standard 170-mm length cranks should not substantially compromise maximum power in most adults”

notice the word “significant” and “not substantially” – that is because most adult cyclists are not power limited biomechanically. They are power limited due to lack of fitness and probably couldn’t achieve all their bodies are technically capable of due to obligations like jobs, family, etc. Chasing a couple % is not “worth it”, and yet people buy $5k bikes that are likely no faster for them than a bike 1/2 the price.

@Jbikes, well said.

If you’re tall like I am, one’s perspective tends to be different. But, if you’re average in height, then just put some short kids cranks on your bike and go ride your favorite 3000′ steep climb. Because you’ll quickly change your tune. And, while Dr Martin’s published researched is not bad, it is very limited in scope, he just looked at maximal performance using a handful of subjects. No one, to the best of my knowledge, has studied the effect of crank length on submaximal extended exercise performance with a decent-sized pool of subjects. And a few percent? That is HUGE if you’re TTing or racing for the podium.

@craigsj
Sometimes things on bikes aren’t solely about power, it can also be about comfort. For example you could probably prove that a cyclist can produce the same max power on just about any saddle. But that doesn’t mean it’s comfortable to sit on just any saddle. And some manufacturers (like Specialized) realize that a saddle is a component that should be designed around the size of a person.

A similar story can be found in cranksets. I am Zinn’s height and the switch to longer 200mm cranks has really increased my long-term comfort on rides to the point that I’ll probably never switch to something smaller. Being on smaller cranks is just annoying, it’s like going up stairs one step at a time. Just let me take 2 steps at a time and I’m way happier. The main reason you don’t see larger (or smaller) cranks on stock bikes from major manufacturers is due to the tooling and distribution issues of having to make a different size crankset for every size of frame. But just because it’s not commonly done doesn’t mean it wouldn’t help.

Once again, the award for “Humorlessness in a Website Comments Section” goes to Bike Rumor. To the people who run this site, I apologize on behalf of this mirthless crowd. Why and how you guys ever attracted a group of such self-serious people, I will never understand. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT BIKES!!! Give the pompous blowhard routine a rest for once. Sheesh…

A big “Amen” to Ben Schwartz.

Crank arm length does make a noticeable difference. My LBS has a computer and power meter hooked up to a size cycle. They set the size cycle up to match my bike exactly. I then tested 3 crank lengths, 175, 177.5, an 180. For the same power output, the 177.5 reduced my heart rate 10% over the 175. That’s a big deal in my book. The 180s were actually not as efficient as the 177.5, but I’ve switched to them because no one makes he 177.5 anymore (for both road and mountain). Anecdotal evidence, last season Raleigh had their demo truck at one of the races I was doing. So I left my 30lb dually in the car and rented a 23lb hardtail. I expected to fly up the 6 mile gravel road climb portion of the course. I didn’t. The 175 cranks on the Raleigh left me spinning like a grizzly bear riding a kids bike. FYI, I have a 38″ inseam.

I’m 6’7″ and just wanted to give a shout out to Lennard if he’s reading. To me it’s great that he’s organized some products, written about comfort and technical issues, and designed some off-the-shelf bikes (KHS flight 747) for big riders. This is to say nothing of his custom stuff for NBA wallets. For me at least, building an affordable and comfortable bike, and actually riding, was less fun before LZ.

Are those quick couplers for the shift cables?

Leonard is one of the nicest, approachable people in the bike industry, like his tech articles in Velo