Curious about toe/wheel overlap...
 

I am surprised at how many of my roadie friends' bikes have toe to front wheel overlap and all of them think it is normal and no problem. Scares the begeezus out of me when now and then we switch bikes. (I work at a bike shop, so I often ride someone else's bike to find a noise or something).

I have five bikes. None of them - road bike included - have toe-wheel overlap.

So my question: How many of you roadies have bikes with tight enuff geometry or you have large enuff feet to have your toe overlap or touch your front wheel when you turn sharply? Has it EVER made you crash?

Thanks

Joey

Normal and I have never crashed.

MV

Normal, never had an issue. The only time that this will come up is at very low speed where the wheel actually needs to turn as opposed to the normal counter-steering.

It's present is just about any frame under 54CM or so with 700c wheels. It's just a design compromise that smaller riders have to live with, if they want to have big boy wheels.

As a short rider at 5'4", I have this in every single road bike I own, and have owned, even my super-relaxed Trek 420 light-touring bike, and my Surly Cross-Check (another bike with huge fork rake). It's the worst on my track bike, where the wheel practically hits the pedals.

Anyway, you just learn to deal with it, and it's never an issue because you really only turn the wheel enough to fit your toes at very low speeds.

I don't like it but it has not been a problem yet. I do pay attention when I am going slow and turning. I guess that 100mm cranks would cure the problem or maybe I could go with a 20" front wheel. naw a 20" front wheel would make my seat to bar drop too much and cause my cranks to hit the ground on the down stroke so I guess that it is 100mm cranks for me.

toe overlap isn't really a problem. the only time you actually turn the wheel enough for your toe to overlap is when you're going really slow. if you turned it that much at speed, you'd crash anyway, toe overlap or not. if your riding form is good, you should never have toe overlap anyway.

it can be minimized by using a fork with more rake, but that changes your handling characteristics a bit and is probably not worth it. live with it, it's not gonna hurt you.

100mm cranks? wtf? that's tiny. are you sure you have your measurements straight?

Toe overlap fall: 0
forgetting to unclip fall: at least a dozen.

I have a very small custom frame with 650c wheels and a 320mm reach (xs 700c wheel frames have a reach of 360mm) and I still JUST had toe overlap with 140mm cranks!! but I cured the toe overlap issues by fitting 135mm cranks!!!

I've mostly riden bikes with toe overlap anyway. Its not a problem.

Regards, Anthony

Ditto.

I have toe overlap on my road bike though its a 47cm frame so that's not surprising. I havn't found it to be a problem and I'm a new rider so I would expect it to cause me trouble now if it was going to.

Got my first "proper" road bike last summer and started with clipless pedals right away; on the first day I rode I almost fell but was saved by a friend, since then never had any issues... The guy I bought my bike from told me to always get out of the seat when slowing down or coming to a stop... I suppose you can forget to do that too but do it a few times and it will just become a habit. I don't necessarily do that everytime now but at the begining I'd say it was useful and perhaps was a factor in avoiding the falls... I don't know.

+1 Just had a huge discussion about this in ss/fg.

If you're crashing due to toe overlap... you have bigger fish to fry.

I ride a 55-56 and have a fair amout of toe overlap. The geometry is pretty tight but the only time it is an issue is trying to track stand at a light if your not cautious

It is.

All my bikes overlap. Even the fixed gear. I've never fallen because of it. On a road bike, I can't even understand how it can be an issue. Any time you're turning that tightly, just stop pedalling. Problem solved!

I'm right-footed when it comes to mounting my bike. Making a left from a stop (like when you're in a turn lane), you can get the wheel caught on the outside of your right foot. Have I ever crashed because of this? No.

Also, this never happens on my fixie where toe overlap is more crucial... probably because I'm more wary of it then?

+1. And if you happen to rub your foot against the tire at 2mph, its not going to make you fall. Freaking out about it, however, could make you fall.

So OP simply don't let it scare the beegezus out of you.

I have overlap on all my bikes including the tandem (!).

With toe clips it was worse.

I now turn with my feet up or down sort of automatically.

cdr

It has a lot to do with many people riding very aggresive geometry frames and the current fashion of riding bikes that are too small. I've got enormous feet and long crank arms (175mm) and my feet barely touch on my main road bike. Plenty of room on the touring bike, and the track bike has some overlap because of the tight geometry even with the shorter cranks.

It's not really a problem, even on the track bike where you have no control over crank arm placement during a turn.

But it would be a non-issue for most people if they quit trying to fit thier bikes like they're racing. Except, of course, for those racing.

Az

If you had toe overlap, you'll get used to it in a day.
Same thing with a fixed gear where you have almost no control over pedal position, they become a non-issue after a couple of rides.
You will instinctively avoid toe to wheel contact when making very slow tight turns, like making a U-turn on a sidewalk, for instance.

Exactly.

only one of my bikes has it, and its the bike i race. it only bothers me when im getting into the pedals and not at any speed. otherwise, i lean into the turn enough that i dont need to crank my wheel that much.

I ride a 54 and a 55. Both have overlap, but never had a problem with it.

Took a month before I even noticed I had toe overlap- And was only when the LBS asked if it was causing a problem. It wasn't and isn't.