sldahlin

I owned a schwinn sprint for a long time. However now I need a replacement bike and was looking for a decent basic carbon frame bike. However, I have found that many of the road bikes do not have as much pedal clearance as my sprint. I found that when I round a corner I can get pedal strike on the ground which never was the case for my sprint. In trying to research this to find a suitable bike I have yet to come up with any website or location that outlines the pedal clearance of bikes. Is there any site that documents that information?

Thank you kindly

rpenmanparker 

Pedal needs to be up on the down (inside) bike side in a turn. Stop pedaling in the turn. Also investigate pedals with more clearance. Different brands and models allow different angles of bike lean without strike. But it is never a problem if you keep the inside pedal at 12:00 in the turn.

Also in recent years cranks have gotten longer for the same size bikes. That could be the problem. Same solution, however.

caloso

It depends on a number of factors: bottom bracket height, crank length, pedal size, and degree of lean. Of course, none of this matters if you learn to corner with the inside pedal up.

Dheorl

I'm a bit puzzled by the replies so far. Learning to corner with the inside pedal up is all very well and good and definitely proper technique when doing fast descents etc, but if you're coming up to a home straight in a race and it's not a very long one, surely you'd want to be able to pedal through the corners.

AFAIK some manufacturers used to make more crit orientated bikes which I think normally had a higher bottom bracket. Not sure if they still do or not.

rpenmanparker 

And that is also why the trimmer pedals have some popularity, the deeper lean angle possible before striking. But it doesn't sound like OP is involved with crit bikes, does it? How do the ordinary folks cope with the problem? Pedal up!

Dheorl

I dunno, the fact that he was talking about his sprint made me wonder if he raced.

Also just from the POV of commuting on a bike being able to pedal during fast corners can be a plus, just to get across the junction quickly to avoid being carved up and flattened at one point on my commute. I realise this isn't the commuting forum, but it's what my bike gets used most for and would be the same if I was just riding through that junction on a day ride.

gregf83 

Depending on the course it's unlikely you'll be able to pedal through the final corner, particularly if the finish is within a few hundred yards of the final corner. Speeds will be above 50kph, so unless it's a wide corner you won't be able to pedal through the apex.

caloso

Crit racer and commuter here. Through lots of practice, you learn just exactly how far you can lean while pedaling through a corner, and you learn to stop pedaling, inside pedal up, just at the apex and then immediately back on the gas. If you're not looking for it, it may seem as if the rider has pedaled all the way through, but there's that slight stop right at the moment of maximum lean.

Dheorl

Tbh seeing as I've pretty much lived on a bike for as long as I can remember I think I just do this naturally. Would undeniably be nice to just go full power for the entire duration though.

merlinextraligh

This, and Speedplays. With Speedplays and 4 bolt shoes, I can put the side of my foot on the road before the pedal strikes.

gsa103

Basic clearance on frames is easy to calculate based on BB height and crank length. That's good enough for comparison between frames. I'm kind of surprised that there's any significant difference in pedal clearance other than crank arm length.

Beyond that clipless pedals will have MUCH better clearance than platforms. That would make a much bigger difference than any aspect of frame design.

StanSeven

Yep. All it takes is striking the ground once or twice and it's petty easy to learn how far you can lean.

gregf83 

It just depends how tight the corner is and how fast you're taking it. You might be able to pedal through or you might have to keep your pedal up for a few seconds. Here's a good example (watch from about 3:49 on):

CharlyAlfaRomeo

Find the BB drop geometry spec from your old frame then find a new frame with the same spec.