Front wheel to shoe clearance, or lack of...

For the last four months, I've been riding my Giant TCR O Comp (LOVE
it), and the previous 5 years a steel Rondelli which for those of you
who don't know is not a compact.

Yesterday, while loitering at a junction, I realised that it was
possible to touch the back of the front wheel with the toe of my shoe,
when the cranks were horizontal and the wheel turned off centre by
about 30 degrees. The overlap was almost 1/2 in.
Obviously this has implications when tight cornering, although
probably at the lower speeds where more deflection is likely, but it
nevertheless worries me, as I've never been aware of the potential of
losing control because of my wheel hitting my toe.

Is this a common situation which just has to be accomodated for by
careful riding? If not is there any way around the problem, (other than
shorter cranks) such as different pedals which can move your foot back
somehow but not leave you pedalling on your toes? The distance from
the centre of the crank bolt to the wheel is only just over 3in. My
footsize in 9 1/2 UK or 44. Any advice or comment much appreciated.

John Sugden


--
sugs

On Wed, 21 Jul 2004 22:10:16 +1000, sugs
wrote:


Is this a common situation which just has to be accomodated for by
careful riding? If not is there any way around the problem, (other than
shorter cranks) such as different pedals which can move your foot back
somehow but not leave you pedalling on your toes? The distance from
the centre of the crank bolt to the wheel is only just over 3in. My
footsize in 9 1/2 UK or 44. Any advice or comment much appreciated.

This overlap only happens on extremely sharp corners at very low
speeds. It's not rare -- I think one of my bikes has the same issue.
Be aware of it but don't worry about it or change your fit on the bike
to deal with it.

JT

On Wed, 21 Jul 2004 22:10:16 +1000, sugs
wrote:


Is this a common situation which just has to be accomodated for by
careful riding? If not is there any way around the problem, (other than
shorter cranks) such as different pedals which can move your foot back
somehow but not leave you pedalling on your toes? The distance from
the centre of the crank bolt to the wheel is only just over 3in. My
footsize in 9 1/2 UK or 44. Any advice or comment much appreciated.

This overlap only happens on extremely sharp corners at very low
speeds. It's not rare -- I think one of my bikes has the same issue.
Be aware of it but don't worry about it or change your fit on the bike
to deal with it.

JT

sugs wrote:
---8---cutting

I realised that it was
possible to touch the back of the front wheel with the toe of my shoe,
when the cranks were horizontal and the wheel turned off centre by
about 30 degrees. The overlap was almost 1/2 in.
Obviously this has implications when tight cornering, although
probably at the lower speeds where more deflection is likely, but it
nevertheless worries me, as I've never been aware of the potential of
losing control because of my wheel hitting my toe.
----8---cutting

I would say to not worry about this at all. If you do manage to hit the
wheel, the amount of time that the wheel is hindered from steering to
where you want it to go is so short a time that you will have no
difficulty recovering long before you're in danger of hitting the ground.

Some riders (such as myself) have a combination of short torso,
requiring short top tube, plus a preference to riding with the cleats
mounted far back on the shoes. For us, overlap is a normal thing but one
doesn't think about it at all. I can cause up to 2 cm overlap (almost 1
inch), but dropping the heel just a fraction will give me full clearance.

If the frame is the right geometry for your body and riding style then I
would not go about changing things just because of the overlap issue.

HTH /Robert

sugs wrote:
---8---cutting

I realised that it was
possible to touch the back of the front wheel with the toe of my shoe,
when the cranks were horizontal and the wheel turned off centre by
about 30 degrees. The overlap was almost 1/2 in.
Obviously this has implications when tight cornering, although
probably at the lower speeds where more deflection is likely, but it
nevertheless worries me, as I've never been aware of the potential of
losing control because of my wheel hitting my toe.
----8---cutting

I would say to not worry about this at all. If you do manage to hit the
wheel, the amount of time that the wheel is hindered from steering to
where you want it to go is so short a time that you will have no
difficulty recovering long before you're in danger of hitting the ground.

Some riders (such as myself) have a combination of short torso,
requiring short top tube, plus a preference to riding with the cleats
mounted far back on the shoes. For us, overlap is a normal thing but one
doesn't think about it at all. I can cause up to 2 cm overlap (almost 1
inch), but dropping the heel just a fraction will give me full clearance.

If the frame is the right geometry for your body and riding style then I
would not go about changing things just because of the overlap issue.

HTH /Robert

On Wed, 21 Jul 2004 22:10:16 +1000, sugs
wrote:


For the last four months, I've been riding my Giant TCR O Comp (LOVE
it), and the previous 5 years a steel Rondelli which for those of you
who don't know is not a compact.

Yesterday, while loitering at a junction, I realised that it was
possible to touch the back of the front wheel with the toe of my shoe,
when the cranks were horizontal and the wheel turned off centre by
about 30 degrees. The overlap was almost 1/2 in.

When you're riding at any speed above dead slow, you'll only get that
much wheel deflection in a maneuver that's going to result in your
leaving the bike anyway. If you watch how little you turn the bars
when cornering, you'll notice that this is unlikely to be a real
problem.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

On Wed, 21 Jul 2004 22:10:16 +1000, sugs
wrote:


For the last four months, I've been riding my Giant TCR O Comp (LOVE
it), and the previous 5 years a steel Rondelli which for those of you
who don't know is not a compact.

Yesterday, while loitering at a junction, I realised that it was
possible to touch the back of the front wheel with the toe of my shoe,
when the cranks were horizontal and the wheel turned off centre by
about 30 degrees. The overlap was almost 1/2 in.

When you're riding at any speed above dead slow, you'll only get that
much wheel deflection in a maneuver that's going to result in your
leaving the bike anyway. If you watch how little you turn the bars
when cornering, you'll notice that this is unlikely to be a real
problem.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

On Wed, 21 Jul 2004 22:10:16 +1000, sugs
wrote:


For the last four months, I've been riding my Giant TCR O Comp (LOVE
it), and the previous 5 years a steel Rondelli which for those of you
who don't know is not a compact.

Yesterday, while loitering at a junction, I realised that it was
possible to touch the back of the front wheel with the toe of my shoe,
when the cranks were horizontal and the wheel turned off centre by
about 30 degrees. The overlap was almost 1/2 in.
Obviously this has implications when tight cornering, although
probably at the lower speeds where more deflection is likely, but it
nevertheless worries me, as I've never been aware of the potential of
losing control because of my wheel hitting my toe.


At typical speeds, there is very little turning of the wheel for
steering. The only times I have had the toe hit the wheel, I have been
going so slow that correcting for it is not a problem.

Is this a common situation which just has to be accomodated for by
careful riding? If not is there any way around the problem, (other than
shorter cranks) such as different pedals which can move your foot back
somehow but not leave you pedalling on your toes? The distance from
the centre of the crank bolt to the wheel is only just over 3in. My
footsize in 9 1/2 UK or 44. Any advice or comment much appreciated.

John Sugden

3 inches??? Toe overlap is the least of your problems!!


Anyway, it is common and yet no one has been bothered enough to do
anything major about it. It is very possible to design a bike with no
toe overlap but then the bike doesn't look like it could win the TdF
so it doesn't sell... And yet, the bike *still* doesn't win the TdF
after it leaves the bike shop! Go figure....

On Wed, 21 Jul 2004 22:10:16 +1000, sugs
wrote:


For the last four months, I've been riding my Giant TCR O Comp (LOVE
it), and the previous 5 years a steel Rondelli which for those of you
who don't know is not a compact.

Yesterday, while loitering at a junction, I realised that it was
possible to touch the back of the front wheel with the toe of my shoe,
when the cranks were horizontal and the wheel turned off centre by
about 30 degrees. The overlap was almost 1/2 in.
Obviously this has implications when tight cornering, although
probably at the lower speeds where more deflection is likely, but it
nevertheless worries me, as I've never been aware of the potential of
losing control because of my wheel hitting my toe.


At typical speeds, there is very little turning of the wheel for
steering. The only times I have had the toe hit the wheel, I have been
going so slow that correcting for it is not a problem.

Is this a common situation which just has to be accomodated for by
careful riding? If not is there any way around the problem, (other than
shorter cranks) such as different pedals which can move your foot back
somehow but not leave you pedalling on your toes? The distance from
the centre of the crank bolt to the wheel is only just over 3in. My
footsize in 9 1/2 UK or 44. Any advice or comment much appreciated.

John Sugden

3 inches??? Toe overlap is the least of your problems!!


Anyway, it is common and yet no one has been bothered enough to do
anything major about it. It is very possible to design a bike with no
toe overlap but then the bike doesn't look like it could win the TdF
so it doesn't sell... And yet, the bike *still* doesn't win the TdF
after it leaves the bike shop! Go figure....

On Wed, 21 Jul 2004 22:10:16 +1000, sugs
wrote:
Is this a common situation which just has to be accomodated for by
careful riding?

Yes.
--
Rick Onanian