Crankset When a pedal stroke happens, there is a lot that goes on in the crankset. First you have the pedals reacting to the pressure from your foot, then the crank arms being driven from that reaction which applies a force to the chain ring and ultimately the chain. The blue is the force from your foot, the red is the transfer from the pedal to the crank. Green is the torque transfer from the crank to the ring, and purple is the force on the chain. Forces and equations are discussed on the next page.