Bunya Friday Arvo Cruise

Shorter Cranks, Smarter Riding

Dialling in 55 mm on an eMTB for real-world performance

There’s a point where bike setup stops being about numbers on paper and starts being about how the bike actually feels on the trail. Crank length sits right in that space.

For a long time, taller riders were pushed toward longer cranks. More leverage, more power, more efficiency. That thinking came from road cycling, steady cadences, seated efforts. It doesn’t quite hold up once you’re riding technical terrain on a modern eMTB.

You’re 186 cm, riding a powerful platform, spending time in real terrain, not just smooth fire roads. That changes what matters.

This is where moving from 65 mm down to 55 mm becomes less of a risk, and more of a genuine performance upgrade.

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The shift: from leverage to control

Shorter cranks don’t give you more power. They give you something more useful on the trail.

They give you space.

Space to pedal through rock gardens without clipping a pedal.
Space to stay engaged through corners.
Space to keep momentum where you’d normally hesitate.

On a bike like the Amflow PL or Amflow PX, that matters more than raw leverage. The motor fills in the gaps. What you feel is smoother, more consistent forward drive, not that punchy, stop start effort.

The result is simple. Less interruption. More flow.

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Getting the setup right from the start

This is where most riders go wrong. They swap cranks, leave everything else the same, and something feels off.

Done properly, it feels right within the first ride.

Saddle height: don’t skip this

Shorter cranks reduce how far your foot travels at the bottom of the stroke. If you don’t adjust your saddle, you’re effectively lowering it.

The correction is straightforward.

Moving from 65 mm to 55 mm means raising your saddle by about 10 mm.

That gets you back to the same leg extension you’re used to. From there, you fine tune.

You’re looking for a position where:
• your leg has a slight bend at the bottom
• there’s no rocking through your hips
• the top of the pedal stroke feels open, not cramped

Make small adjustments, two or three millimetres at a time. Once it’s right, you’ll notice it straight away. The pedal stroke feels round, natural, and easy to maintain.

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Cleat position: the quiet upgrade

This one doesn’t get talked about enough, but it makes a real difference with shorter cranks.

Slide your cleats slightly back, around 2 to 5 mm.

It does a few things at once:
• reduces strain through your calves
• gives you a more stable foot platform
• smooths out your pedal stroke

On technical terrain, that extra stability is noticeable. The bike feels more planted underneath you, especially when you’re pedalling through rough sections instead of coasting.

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Stance width: check, don’t overthink

This isn’t always something you need to change, but it’s worth paying attention to.

With shorter cranks and a slightly more open pedal stroke, your natural stance might shift a touch.

You want:
• knees tracking straight
• no feeling of being cramped
• no unnecessary pressure through hips or ankles

If anything feels off, a slightly wider stance can help. Sometimes that’s as simple as pedal choice or a small spacer adjustment. Other times, you leave it alone because it already feels right.

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Where the motor changes everything

On a traditional bike, losing crank length means losing leverage. You feel it on steep climbs.

On an eMTB, it plays out differently.

The motor prefers a smoother, slightly higher cadence. That’s exactly what shorter cranks encourage.

Instead of pushing hard and slow, you naturally spin a bit more. The motor responds better. Power delivery feels more consistent. Traction improves, especially on technical climbs where maintaining momentum matters more than brute force.

You’ll likely notice:
• smoother climbing rather than punchy efforts
• less wheel slip
• easier control through awkward terrain

It’s not dramatic. It’s just better, everywhere.

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The first few rides

The only real adjustment is feel.

The first ride might feel a little spinny. That’s normal. Your brain is used to a slightly bigger pedal circle.

By the second or third ride, it settles. After a week, you stop thinking about it entirely.

What you do notice is everything else.

Fewer pedal strikes.
More confidence pedalling through rough sections.
A smoother, more composed ride overall.

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The full setup, dialled for you

If this was being set up properly from scratch, it would look like this:
• 55 mm cranks
• saddle raised by roughly 10 mm, then fine tuned
• cleats moved back slightly for stability
• stance checked and adjusted only if needed

Nothing extreme. Just a series of small changes that work together.

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Final take

For your height, your riding style, and the bike you’re on, this isn’t just a trend or something to try for the sake of it.

It’s a genuine improvement.

You give up a small amount of leverage that the motor largely replaces anyway. In return, you gain control, consistency, and the ability to ride through terrain instead of reacting to it.

It’s one of those changes that doesn’t feel dramatic in isolation, but over the course of a ride, everything just feels easier.

And once you get used to it, going back feels like a step in the wrong direction.

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Park Maintenance alert!

Bunyaville Conservation Park

Work is commencing to remediate the dam wall near steps (Trail #7).

Steps will be closed for the rest of April.

Dam road will be closed from 10th April till the end of April.

Refer to the map for the closed areas.

NTCA will be working on the Steps (trail #7) whilst it is closed, so please do not enter the trail.

Today’s ride
3:30 start from Jurassic, Easy Pace, NLB

Everyone welcome.

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Samford Conservation Park Located within a 20 minute drive from Brisbane’s C*D, this conservation park is the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Enjoy a peaceful picnic, or take a walk among the ironbark trees.