Originally Posted by
Jseis
Update.
The Centurion BB height at crankshaft centerline appears to be ~10.5", same as Colnago (I'll square up with right angle and check) and crank arms are of similar length ~170mm. Time pedals are narrower, swoop up on outside. Rat traps are wider, very angular. I'll measure everything EXACTLY.
I checked the crash site out of morbid curiousity. All the marks are there: Left side pedal strike in pavement, rear tire streak and corresponding mark on tire, marks on pavement as bike went down (right side), marks on bike (right side seat, right side bars, right side pedal as bike slid). My marks are there too: I flew about 22' through air before I hit, then I slide another 7-8 feet. My speed was likely 17-18 mph. The curve does have a bit of reverse camber which means the pavement slopes down to the right (no super elevation).
Helmet inner foam (like sytrofoam) is cracked clear through from exterior hard shell glueline to inner side of foam. The crack is 2" above and slightly behind my right temple. Hardshell is abraded but not cracked. That inner foam is just under an inch thick. While it is near the skull, the helmet actually rests (on your head) on narrow foam strips. Helmet is a 2011 Bell Crux purchased at Costco.
Helmet goes bye bye. Did its job.
Pedal strike was a typical criterium race problem in the 70's. So much so that guys who could got a "criterium" bike with a high bottom bracket, myself included. This is when Campagnolo pedals were ubiquitous. Some things guys did was go to 165 mm cranks, plastic pedal dust caps (they tended to launch less and grind down more). Remember your C&V bike can lean more to the left than the right.
My criterium machine had an 11" high bottom bracket, and 167.5 cranks, Campagnolo SL Pista pedals. With that the only guy who could pedal deeper in a corner was the guy with a Schroder that had an 11.5" high bracket. To others who had not learned, I would pedal through and I would hear the soundtrack of a pedal stuffing into the pavement behind me. It did not win races, but made it easier.
One thing I have done is while at a stand still, and still semi seated place the crank down on each side and lean the bike over till it touches, then back off a bit, it will give you some sensation of how far you can go before hitting.
As you get older this is less of a concern, as wisdom overpowers exhilaration. That and 7400 DuraAce pedals (their last strap pedal) that give you quite a bit extra room.