Front wheel/front of foot clearance issue ?

I've recently noticed that if i steer the front wheel to a certain degree my foot hits it. This has never actually happened whilst riding.

Here's a pic of the 'lack of clearance:



I've had the bike ( a Giant Defy 4) for 4 months & so far done about 600 miles. It was purchased through a reputable local cycle shop. It has a Small size frame, i am 5'11" slim build. The only other thing which makes me wonder if it the correct size for me is how 'twitchy' it can feel, either with one hand off the bars (taking a drink etc) or if working out of the saddle, maybe due to it's relative short wheelbase or handlebar width, or it could just be me, lol.

Otherwise the fit feels comfortable so i could be worrying over nothing.

Any opinions appreciated for a newbie

Yeah, it's called toe overlap and it's not unusual. Both my road and TT bikes have substantial toe overlap created in part by my cleat position.

It's not a problem at typical riding speeds, but can make your heart jump if you try to make a real tight turn when going very slowly. In practice it's not a problem but it sure is scary the first couple of times you try to make a very tight U turn at walking speeds and the wheel stops turning when it hits your foot. Try to turn that tight at normal road speeds and you'll crash first.

Here's a piece discussing toe overlap that points out that it isn't a design flaw nor a problem.

Dave Moulton's Bike Blog: Toe Overlap: No Problem

-Dave

5 foot 11 inches and a Small size? One thing with smaller riders is that they often have smaller feet. Got a pic of the whole bike? Stem, etc? I'm wondering if the frame is too small.

Toe overlap isn't all that uncommon but can be made worse by a too small frame.

Here's the bike :



I'm relieved to hear that toe overlap isn't unheard of. If the frame is on the small size for me then i don't see any other serious issues as a result other than it sometimes feeling 'twitchy' as mentioned before. I would however be slightly less than impressed the shop sold it to me...

Although I know someone who is purportedly ~6'1" who rides a Small GIANT frame because he is a weight weenie (he's a former CAT-something-or-other racer), I think a Small frame is probably too small for most people over 5'10" ... heck, it's probably too small for most people who are 5'9".

My friend uses a 140mm stem to compensate for the shorter top tube! I wonder if that's truly long enough ...

The next time I see him, I'll ask him if he has an overlap problem with his particular frame.

FWIW. A minor suggestion to mitigate the "twitchy" feeling -- get an EASTON EA50 seatpost which has slightly more setback, and install your saddle as far back as it will slide in the seatpost's cradle ... hopefully, balancing your weight a little better front-to-rear may help; but, it might not.

Adjust the handlebar's reach AND elbow pads, accordingly, with a shorter stem, if necessary.

BTW. Where are your cleats positioned on the bottom of your shoes?

While toe-overlap is sometimes unavoidable, it should not in my opinion be ignored during design.

Some people put up with TO when it's not really necessary. The trend towards "compact" frames and short wheelbases has made it much more common than it used to be, even for tall riders.

Here's where choosing the appropriate machine for the job comes in. Do you really need a short-wheelbase "twitchy" bike, or would you be better off with a more relaxed, comfortable bike? Personally, I'm not a fan of more than around 12cm of exposed seatpost, though, as a shorty, I benefit from the sloping toptube available w/ "semi-compact" frames.

I have several 700C bikes (example) designed not to have TO, even though I'm barely 5"4". On the other hand, I have a very relaxed 650b bike that has significant TO, especially with its big tyres and fenders (mudguards). This is, of course, due to the relaxed seat angle, which brings the front of the bike in and requires shorter top tube. These angles are a delight to ride, but I pay for it with TO.

As said, TO makes no difference at normal riding speeds but does require conscious decisions turning at slow speeds.

TO is further exacerbated by rearward cleat/forward foot placement -- which can improve power and avoids injury for many -- and this fitting should not be abandoned, if needed, due to TO issue.

It could be that in order to comfortably reach the tri/TT bars, you have a frame that's shorter than an otherwise longer top tubed frame would be. Ideally you would have a proper sized frame with a steeper seat tube so when you put you knee over pedal spindle, you would still reach the tri bars.

Just guessing. Tough to be sure about anything from just a picture. When you ride on the hoods/drops, does the 'cockpit' seem a little cramped?

You're 5'11" and you have toe overlap? This is more common on small frames, such as a 5'2 or thereabouts rider might have to put up with if using 700c wheels.

Are your cleats unusually far back on the shoe? If so, why? If you pedal with the ball of your foot right over the pedal's spindle, do you still get toe overlap?

Toe overlap with the front wheel is not a problem when actually riding though, if you have to have some. On small frames with 700c wheels (or even smaller wheels but with full fenders), it's almost inevitable unless the rider has correspondingly short feet. By small, I mean something like the equivalent of a 50-51 cm frame.

It only comes into play when turning sharply at very low speed, which is something that almost never happens in real life. The only time I've ever encountered a problem with it is when starting off quickly from a stop, such as at a busy intersection. If not careful and you turn the wheel to one side a bit as you take off, your toe can contact the wheel before you're actually moving, and it can make you fall right there. It makes you look like an idiot, but it could also be a real hazard in tight traffic.

But, I'm 5'2". You're 5'11". So one has to wonder why you have toe overlap on a road bike.

I'm 5'10" and have toe overlap on both my road and TT bikes. It's not just a small frame thing.

I do run my cleats pretty far back and I'm guessing at 5'2" you aren't wearing size 46 shoes.

-Dave

This is how far back the shoe would need to be to not make contact with the front wheel (though there is no adjustment this far forward on my shoes):



And seen mor clearly here:



And this is where i have the cleat position on the shoe:



(soz for the blurred pics, taken in haste before the heavens open again !)

The amount of overlap that you have isn't too bad. As others have said, just pay attention when making turns at slow speeds. At riding pace, you don't make steering inputs that large. If you do, then you're likely to crash anyway.

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