Nederlands | English | Deutsch | Türkçe

Project Sports

Questions and answers about sports

Crankset identification

5 min read

Asked by: Varun Carter

How do I know what crankset I have?

Print. Shimano cranks are all identified with model information above or surrounding the area on the backside of the pedal threads. For example; FC-6700/6750 = Shimano Ultegra. The crank length is often located in the same area, which is helpful to note before placing an order.

What do the numbers on cranksets mean?

The numbers on the chainrings simply refer to the number of teeth on each chainring. A standard road bike crankset will have the 53 and 39 tooth rings (obviously the 53 tooth ring is the large one and the 39 tooth one is the small one), while a compact crankset typically has 50 and 34 tooth rings.

What size crankset do I have?

The crank length represents the distance between the centre of the bottom bracket and the centre of the pedal axis. The most common lengths are 170, 172.5 and 175 mm, but it is possible to find cranks between 165 and 180 mm in the market.

Do all cranksets fit all bikes?

Crankset compatibility. You can replace the chainrings on your crankset, but not all chainrings will fit all cranks. First, different cranksets may have a different number of arms or direct-mount interfaces (connecting the cranks to the chainrings), and they may be positioned differently.

What’s the difference between 170mm and 175mm cranks?

Still though, the difference between 170 mm and 175mm is less than 3% and leg lengths of bike riders vary by far more than that. There is a school of thought, particularly in the United States, which suggests that crank length should be proportionate to leg length.

What is a 50 34 crankset?

Compact chainset



A compact chainset has a 50-tooth outer chainring and a 34-tooth inner chainring. This means that the gears are lower (easier to turn, but they’ll progress you a shorter distance per pedal revolution) than you get with a 53/39 chainset (above) with the same cassette.

What is the difference between 50 34 and 52 36?

Basically, the 52/36 will allow 5% higher top-speed before spinning-out compared to the 50/34. (Many say that your aero-tuck and other factors are more important at those speeds anyway.) But on the hills, you’ll find the 36 to be harder to turn than the 34.

What is the difference between 110 and 130 BCD?

Quote from video: Using a 55 on a 110 or a 130 BCD. That all depends on the chain ring being used and also how much power you are kicking out so it's a very tough one to actually answer interestingly.

What BCD is my crankset?

In many cases the BCD is printed right on the chainring like in the example below. Sometimes it is stamped or engraved on the back side of the chainring. If it is not labeled on your chainring, you will need to measure it. On a chainring with 4 bolts, the BCD is the distance between two bolts across from each other.

How do I know which bottom bracket I need?

To find out the size of bottom bracket needed, measure the inside of the bottom bracket shell in your frame, it will be 73mm, 70mm or 68mm. Some older frames may have Italian threaded bottom brackets, instead of the more modern English.

What does FC mean Shimano?

FC – Front chainwheel Crankarm.

Are shorter cranks better for knees?

In other words, a shorter crank does give you less leverage, but that shorter crank arm allows your downstroke to start where your body can create more power. This (according to the Canfields) produces more power and (according to the study cited below) is better for your knees and hips.

Are 175mm cranks too long?

People between 1.78 m & 1.90 m (5’10” & 6’3″) are probably OK with the crank length that their bike came with (172.5 or 175 mm). People taller than 1.90 m (6’3″) could consider cranks that are 180 mm or longer, but these are not so easy to find (such people’s bikes probably came with 175 mm cranks).

Does crank length really matter?

Crank length can be used as a tool to improve fit related issues impacting comfort, power, and aerodynamics. Moving to a shorter crank can improve: Comfort: A shorter crank length reduces range of motion at the knee (extension and flexion), hips, and low back.

Are 160mm cranks too short?

Quote from video: Похожие запросы

How do I know which bottom bracket I need?

To find out the size of bottom bracket needed, measure the inside of the bottom bracket shell in your frame, it will be 73mm, 70mm or 68mm. Some older frames may have Italian threaded bottom brackets, instead of the more modern English.

Are crank arms interchangeable?

No, cranks are not generally always interchangeable, but you probably can transplant the crank from the broken bike. First, do both bikes have 6, 7 or 8 sprockets in the rear cluster? If so, they use the same chain width and the spacing between the chainrings will be the same.

What does FC mean Shimano?

FC – Front chainwheel Crankarm.

Are all crank pullers the same size?

Crank arms come in specific lengths. 170mm, 172.5mm, and 175mm are the most common.

How do you remove a crank without a crank puller?

Quote from video: You use an 8 millimeter allen wrench both sizes may vary depending on your setup. To go through that dust cover not turn it but turn the inner diet the inner bolt Allen bolt.

Should I grease crank spindle?

With or without lubricant, in use, cranks will make metal-to-metal contact with the spindle, causing fretting erosion of the steel spindle for all but the lightest riders. Lubricating the spindle for assembly assures a predictable press fit for a given torque.