How big of a difference will going from a 170 to a 165 make? With my nishiki I can easily scrape my toe on the ground in my power grips if I want to. I am worried the BB is just going to be too low if I convert to fixed and I am going to pedal strike. However, I have not clipped a pedal even when trying to see if my foot can touch.

5mm?
Seriously, i think there's more than a few people running 170mm cranks. There was a poll someone made about crank length. You can find it by searching im sure.

I found it fer ya...but im still evil.

https://bikeforums.net/showthread.php...t=crank+length

zzz I run 175.s Keep your pedals level in turns and know your limits. That and you have to lower your seat which maes you look less 3447

How do you keep your pedals level on a fixed gear? I am not accidentally scraping my shoes when I ride with a freewheel I just noticed it was very easy to do so I was concerned about getting a new wheelset to convert to fixed because of pedal strike.

You can't.

I've used just about every length of cranks on a fixie and have never had pedal strike issues. Go ride tight circles in a parking lot to get a feel for how far you can lean.

Are you ****ing kidding me? I said your ****ing pedals not your ****ing crankarms which you ******s seem to think I meant.

If you have your saddle set up to the right height, you can't keep your pedal level at the bottom of a stroke. That's like a 5" difference in leg extension.

Also level pedals shouldn'thave anything to do with pedal strike since its the side of the pedal not the front or back striking. In that case the width would be a better precaution?

Your the ****** for overreacting to misunderstanding of your not-very-clear post, and one that is basically irrelevant to the issue of pedal strike anyway

With proper saddle height one should still have a slight bend in the knee even with the pedals flat.

I ride a Pista with 170mm cranks, and I worry about a pedal strike.
I've never had one.
I worry a lot.

A friend tried a conversion with 175mm cranks and had pedal strikes.
He switched to 170mm cranks and the pedal strikes stopped, although, he might also have changed his riding style.

I've recently commissioned Webcyclery to build a fixed gear Mountain Bike for me, with the intent of using it as my new winter Ice Bike.
Mountain Bike cranks don't seem to come in lengths any shorter than 175mm.

Hm.

Yes but that problem is largely negated by the fact that MTBs also usually have much higher bottom brackets. My Redline Monocog BB is higher than my Bareknuckle track frame.

The OP very clearly stated he can scrap his toe if he wants to, not his pedal. So the post about keeping the pedal level is absolutely relevant, clear, and probably the simplest solution to the issue. Don't confuse your inability to read a post with a lack of clarity or irrelevance.

On my old frame, with 170mm cranks, I could scrape my toes at the bottom of the pedal stroke when I was riding upright. And yet I never had pedal scrape in the four years I was riding that frame.

Part of the problem may also be the Power Grips. If they are set somewhat loose, the OPs foot will sit further forward than in cages or on clipless pedals - thus promoting toe scrape, without affecting pedal scrape.

Ahhh....

I'm aware that scraping your feet on the ground is not the same as a pedal strike...the later can be avoided by (1) shortening crank length, (2) raising the BB somehow, for instance using bigger tires, (3) not turning as sharply, (4) or by leaning your body more into the turn rather than the bike. Scraping your toes on the ground sounds like it relates more to bad bike posture. The suggestion of keeping your pedals level when turning is a very superficial proposal for what sounds like a more fundametal problem relating to bike fit and posture. Bike fit, particulalry saddle height and position, is something that should be reconsidered here, as well as how your foot is positioned on the pedal. If your saddle is positioned properly, I can't image that a normal person would have frequent toe-scraping issues even with the combination of a rather low BB and long cranks.

What's with all the vaginal sand today? it's just a forum dudez

mountain bike cranks come shorter than 175 if you look harder. Shimano XT cranks come in many different sizes.

I've had sand in my vagina since 1973, after a horrible beach volleyball accident.

Believe me, there are worse things to have in your vagina than sand.
Some people should be so lucky!!

OBG/ obligatory



SSSasky you're Good People.

I appreciate the input but maybe I should clarify. I am building up a wheelset to go from ss to fixed. This is my first conversion. Since I am not riding a "track" frame its my understanding that the bottom bracket is lower than a track bike. My powergrips fit fine depending on which shoes I am wearing. I noticed I could touch my toe when I pointed it down in a turn. This is not a habit of mine but aroused concern regarding investing money in a wheelset that would "fix" my bike and potentially cause pedal strike. The frame is the right size my saddle is in the right position however, because I don't frequently ride fixed I am more nervous about things like pedal strike. If you guys think my comfort level on the bike will combat my nervousness then I trust you.

Being comfortable with fixed just takes a little time and experience. The first few rides on my fixie it felt sorta scary and I took it easy, but I started on an old touring frame with a low BB and 175s, and I never had issues. You will eventually learn your bikes potential, including how hard you can push the cornering. I don't know if you frame was built for 27" wheels or 700cs, but if its intended for 27" wheels, then 700c wheels will lower the BB by 4 mm...thats not a huge amount but will necessitate slightly less aggressive cornering. If you would rather stick with longer cranks, then go ahead, but I would recomend shorter cranks for other reasons. Shorter cranks increase your max potential cadence...somthing important on a fixed gear. There are other things you can to also do to prevent pedal strike. For instance, bigger tires will put you BB a little higher. Also clipless pedals tend to be a lot narrower than platforms and will allow you to corner more aggressively.