For those who prefer not to determine importance based on anecdotal evidence. First 3 are a cut and paste from a weight weenies post but I have all these full papers.
So it's not like good people haven't tested crank length fully.
Neuromuscular and biomechanical coupling in human cycling: adaptations to changes in crank length. Mileva Katya; Turner Duncan Sport and Exercise Science Research Centre, Faculty of Engineering Science and Technology, South Bank University, 103 Borough Road, London, SE1 0AA, UK. Experimental brain research. Experimentelle Hirnforschung. Experimentation cerebrale (2003 Oct), 152(3), 393-403.
This study exploited the alterations in pedal speed and joints kinematics elicited by changing crank length (CL) to test how altered task mechanics during cycling will modulate the muscle activation characteristics in human rectus femoris (RF), biceps femoris long head (BF), soleus (SOL) and tibialis anterior (TA). Kinetic (torque), kinematic (joint angle) and muscle activity (EMG) data were recorded simultaneously from both legs of 10 healthy adults (aged 20-38 years) during steady-state cycling at 60 rpm and 90-100 W with three symmetrical CLs (155 mm, 175 mm and 195 mm). The CL elongation (DeltaCL) resulted in similar increases in the knee joint angles and angular velocities during extension and flexion, whilst the ankle joint kinematics was significantly influenced only during extension. DeltaCL resulted in significantly reduced amplitude and prolonged duration of BF EMG, increased mean SOL and TA EMG amplitudes, and shortened SOL activity time. RF activation parameters and TA activity duration were not significantly affected by DeltaCL. Thus total SOL and RF EMG activities were similar with different CLs, presumably enabling steady power output during extension. Higher pedal speeds demand an increased total TA EMG activity and decreased total BF activity to propel the leg through flexion into extension with a greater degree of control over joint stability. We concluded that the proprioceptive information about the changes in the cycling kinematics is used by central neural structures to adapt the activation parameters of the individual muscles to the kinetic demands of the ongoing movement, depending on their biomechanical function.
Mechanical efficiency of cycling with a new developed pedal-crank. Zamparo Paola; Minetti Alberto; di Prampero Pietro Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biomediche, Universita degli Studi di Udine, Piazzale Kolbe 4, 33100 Udine, Italy.
p.zamparo@mmu.ac.uk JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICS (2002 Oct), 35(10), 1387-98.
The mechanical efficiency of cycling with a new pedal-crank prototype (PP) was investigated during an incremental test on a stationary cycloergometer. The efficiency values were compared with those obtained, in the same experimental conditions and with the same subjects, by using a standard pedal-crank system (SP). The main feature of this prototype is that its pedal-crank length changes as a function of the crank angle being maximal during the pushing phase and minimal during the recovery one. This variability was expected to lead to a decrease in the energy requirement of cycling since, for any given thrust, the torque exerted by the pushing leg is increased while the counter-torque exerted by the contra-lateral one is decreased. Whereas no significant differences were found between the two pedal-cranks at low exercise intensities (w*=50-200 W), at 250-300 W the oxygen uptake (V*O2, W) was found to be significantly lower and the efficiency (eta=w*/V*O2) about 2% larger (p<0.05, Wilcoxon test) in the case of PP. Even if the measured difference in efficiency was rather small, it can be calculated that an athlete riding a bicycle equipped with the patented pedal-crank could improve his 1h record by about 1 km.
Determinants of metabolic cost during submaximal cycling. McDaniel J; Durstine J L; Hand G A; Martin J C Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, USA JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY (2002 Sep), 93(3), 823-8.
The metabolic cost of producing submaximal cycling power has been reported to vary with pedaling rate. Pedaling rate, however, governs two physiological phenomena known to influence metabolic cost and efficiency: muscle shortening velocity and the frequency of muscle activation and relaxation. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the relative influence of those two phenomena on metabolic cost during submaximal cycling. Nine trained male cyclists performed submaximal cycling at power outputs intended to elicit 30, 60, and 90% of their individual lactate threshold at four pedaling rates (40, 60, 80, 100 rpm) with three different crank lengths (145, 170, and 195 mm). The combination of four pedaling rates and three crank lengths produced 12 pedal speeds ranging from 0.61 to 2.04 m/s. Metabolic cost was determined by indirect calorimetery, and power output and pedaling rate were recorded. A stepwise multiple linear regression procedure selected mechanical power output, pedal speed, and pedal speed squared as the main determinants of metabolic cost (R(2) = 0.99 +/- 0.01). Neither pedaling rate nor crank length significantly contributed to the regression model. The cost of unloaded cycling and delta efficiency were 150 metabolic watts and 24.7%, respectively, when data from all crank lengths and pedal speeds were included in a regression. Those values increased with increasing pedal speed and ranged from a low of 73 +/- 7 metabolic watts and 22.1 +/- 0.3% (145-mm cranks, 40 rpm) to a high of 297 +/- 23 metabolic watts and 26.6 +/- 0.7% (195-mm cranks, 100 rpm). These results suggest that mechanical power output and pedal speed, a marker for muscle shortening velocity, are the main determinants of metabolic cost during submaximal cycling, whereas pedaling rate (i.e., activation-relaxation rate) does not significantly contribute to metabolic cost.
Determinants of maximal cycling power: crank length, pedaling rate and pedal speed. Martin J C; Spirduso W W University of Utah, Department of Exercise and Sport Science, 250S. 1850E. Rm. 200, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0920, USA.
jim.martin@health.utah.edu Eur J Appl Physiol (2001 May), 84(5), 413-8.
The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of cycle crank length on maximum cycling power, optimal pedaling rate, and optimal pedal speed, and to determine the optimal crank length to leg length ratio for maximal power production. Trained cyclists (n = 16) performed maximal inertial load cycle ergometry using crank lengths of 120, 145, 170, 195, and 220 mm. Maximum power ranged from a low of 1149 (20) W for the 220-mm cranks to a high of 1194 (21) W for the 145-mm cranks. Power produced with the 145- and 170-mm cranks was significantly (P < 0.05) greater than that produced with the 120- and 220-mm cranks. The optimal pedaling rate decreased significantly with increasing crank length, from 136 rpm for the 120-mm cranks to 110 rpm for the 220-mm cranks. Conversely, optimal pedal speed increased significantly with increasing crank length, from 1.71 m/s for the 120-mm cranks to 2.53 m/s for the 220-mm cranks. The crank length to leg length and crank length to tibia length ratios accounted for 20.5% and 21.1% of the variability in maximum power, respectively. The optimal crank length was 20% of leg length or 41% of tibia length. These data suggest that pedal speed (which constrains muscle shortening velocity) and pedaling rate (which affects muscle excitation state) exert distinct effects that influence muscular power during cycling. 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.
Elite Cycling Aerodynamics: Wind Tunnel Experiments and CFD
M. D. Griffith, T. Crouch, M. C. Thompson, D. Burton and J. Sheridan
Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Victoria 3800, Australia
18th Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conference
Launceston, Australia
3-7 December 2012
Abstract
An experimental and numerical study of the aerodynamics of a
cyclist in a typical racing position is presented. The study aims
to provide understanding of the fundamental aerodynamic characteristics
which underpin variations of drag with changes to
rider shape and position. Experimentally, for a mannequin (with
static crank/leg position) in a wind tunnel, velocity fields at several
streamwise stations are measured by traversing the plane
with a probe. The structure of the wake depends strongly on
the leg position, is associated with the flow around the hips and
can lead to large variations in the drag. Numerically, the same
mannequin geometry is modeled and the flow simulated using a
commercial fluid flow solver (ANSYS–CFX). Similar variation
with crank angle of drag and flow topology is observed. Transient
flow simulations are found to match better with the mean
velocity experimental measurements. It is found that for some
crank angles, the wake is defined by a relatively strong vortex
pair, and for others the wake is more oscillatory.
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