short cranks a no-go

First, the good things about short cranks: They are great for sprinting; great for climbing out of the saddle; good for low-intensity riding. That said, I averaged .7mph slower than on the same ride eight days ago.

I was doing fine until the latter portions of the ride when fatigue set in. There was too much effort for too long to be concentrated in the short range of movement. I switched saddle heights throughout the ride, using the lower or center portion of the old, longer stroke. Each time the change brought relief but not for long.

If I had a dedicated sprint bike or a single-speed townie I would stick with the short cranks but they aren't going to cut it for the riding I do. Too bad, as I really enjoyed being able to jump out of the saddle and accelerate up hills, something I almost never do with a traditional setup.

I see that my order from Nashbar has arrived. Part of it is a rack and cargo bag (along with fenders for winter). I can't wait to install them so I can be embraced by the loving arms of the local racer boys.