hey there - i'm a new fixie rider and my small frame - 49 cm - has got a bad toe overlap - I had cheap cages, I took them off but my toe still hits the wheel. Should I get new cranks? Right now I have the stock 170 mm on there and I'm short - 5'2" with a 27" inseam. Should I use power grip straps instead of cages? Or get a longer fork? Let me know what you think..

Q

if you want to spend some cash you could get 165 cranks, but that won't make too much of a difference. you really just learn to deal with, toe overlap is very common on frames with tight geo. it really only comes into play turning at slow speeds.
you could also go clipless which will eliminate a small amount of overlap also.

usually toe overlap only occurs at very slow speeds =\

but yea, your small frame and potentially big feet may cause lots of overlap. maybe look into 165 cranks?

to the OP, on my 50.5 nagasawa i run 700c with 165mm cranks and Small clips. no overlap at all.

just get used to it. Almost everyone has toe overlap. After a certain point there's nothing you can do about it.

Basically any semi-modern 52cm and under frame is going to have toe-overlap with 700c wheels (and normal sized feet). It's a compromise that's inherent in fitting 700c wheel onto frames that are basically too small for them. So if you want to use big kid wheels, learn to live with it.

or get a 650c

but I think the rule is if you get 650c you have to start doing bar spins too. So theres that...

most proper track bikes have overlap. get used to it or get a road bike conversion with a slacker geo.

Get 165 cranks, no only will it help the toe overlap, personally i personally much prefer them to 170's

Ultimately, it doesn't matter too much. The only times it's ever actually ****ed with me was when I was dicking around in the street at about 0.5 mph. In normal riding, it essentially never comes into play.

ride faster. though crank sets can be found rather inexpensively even shorter than 165. I think those bulletproof(?) cranksets are running around ebay for about 35 dollars sans a chain ring in sizes all the way down to 150. That might be a place to start, get a new set of cranks/a chainring. if they are still too big, go down another size or so. though maybe not the premo answer, it should help.

When In Doubt Go Custom Bro

learn to lean more and take turns a bit faster. learning to compensate with toe overlap is annoying at first but soon you dont notice it, and getting used to it opens up alot more options for frames down the road, since with your size you are going to be dealing with toe overlap on almost all the bikes you will buy

ahem sorry the responses in this thread amuse me. this is why i love bike forums.

all above post gie really good advice especially charlesbian's.

my front wheel only deviates about 10-15 when I am moving at speed when I am turning. with the information you posted you really are going to have a lot of issues with toe overlap. and it looks like shorter cranks may be your best bet.

a down the road thinking out side of the box solution for your next bike may be to go with a triathalon frame with a steep seat tube with 650c rims. this is going to put your feet back a little further under you and let you ride a bike thats smaller with a higher bottom bracket thus decreasing the chances of pedal strike and toe overlap. But conversely at a cost of comfort and stability, my bike has a really really short wheel base and is really really twitchy

get used to the overlap or stop riding track bikes

here here! man up or get out!
...or use your head, ask questions and figure out how to solve your problems...
...oh wait, you did...

I think the point is that toe overlap isn't really a problem, it just seems like it would be to someone who just looks at their bike/rides it <5 mph.

If my girlfriend, who literally just learned to ride a bike, can hang w/ the overlap on her 50 cm track frame, anyone can.

The thing is, it's not only track bikes. As I said before, it's a design compromise inherent in just about every modern frame under 52cm that fits 700c wheels. It's the reason why some builders, most notably Rivendell, don't offer 700c wheels for smaller frames.

I'm 5'4" and ride in the 48-52cm range, and I have toe-overlap on every single bike I own, even my 80s Trek 27" conversion. So either learn to deal with toe-overlap, or get 650c bikes.

Yeah, get used to it.

I have mega overlap because I'm dumb and ride a track bike on the street. It is never an issue. The only time I have my wheel turned that much I'm going like, 3 mph. As for trackstanding, you turn the wheel towards the forward crank, no problems.

I have a couple of bikes with a lot of toe overlap. I've had to retrain myself to learn to turn the front wheel only with my feet at 12 and 6. Because I have too many bikes, I can't remember which bikes have overlap and which don't. So, I just use the 12 and 6 foot position when turning the front wheel of ANY bike.

Dave Moulton's Bike blog: "Toe overlap - no problem"
to the op - it takes getting used to but you must get over it if you want to ride a modern, small frame bike with 700c. give it some time. check your leg length to see if you should be riding smaller cranks, but really it's just something you'll have to get used to.
to kegnasty - you'll have a hard time convincing a custom builder to compromise their geometry to avoid toe overlap on a small frame. you would have better luck riding an old 3speed, raked-out bike than convincing a builder to throw away their design for so much room up front.

There is many daily riding situations where I hit speeds below 5mph, and possibly navigating around objects/people/cars/dead cats at those slow speeds which gives toe overlap. Not everyone rides their bike fast enough constantly to avoid it, and it doesnt mean they ride too slow or are looking at their bike or some nonsense.

I guess my point is that toe overlap will happen, but it will rarely cause you to do anything more than just notice it and maybe make your heart jump a little.

Get 165mm cranks, and try a size smaller cage. I went from MKS size L to MKS size medium with no discomfort (actually they feel better) and it cut my toe overlap down by a decent chunk.

Of course, we all ride slowly sometimes and have to avoid obstacles that require us to turn the wheel. But I'm sure you realize overlap doesn't stop you from doing these things, it just requires a small amount of technique.

I agree.

1) get smaller clips. medium is the typical smallest size, but i have seen some listed as "small".
2) getting smaller cranks may work, depending on the ammount of overlap. i have under 10cm of overlap right now. if i was on 170mm cranks, i could fix the problem with a shorter crank.

i have appreciated all these comments! I think I will "get used to it," although I am switching to 165mm cranks to make the transition a bit easier. I'm glad so many people responded - thanks