my toes rub on the front wheel

[Scott]

I just got a used 56 Klein Quantum Z, which I have not yet ridden. When I sit on the bike, my toes
can touch the front wheel when I am clipped in. Is this typical of short wheel base bike? Is it
likely to cause a crash?

I am using 172.5 cranks with look pedals. My feet are size 10.5.

Scott

 

[Ken]

<Scott> wrote in news:[email protected]:

> I just got a used 56 Klein Quantum Z, which I have not yet ridden. When I sit on the bike, my toes
> can touch the front wheel when I am clipped
> in. Is this typical of short wheel base bike? Is it likely to cause a crash?

That is not uncommon. It should not be a problem at normal riding speeds, since you don't turn the
handlebars that much. At very slow speeds, you have to be careful, though.

Ken

 

[Mark Lee]

<Scott> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> I just got a used 56 Klein Quantum Z, which I have not yet ridden. When I sit on the bike, my toes
> can touch the front wheel when I am clipped in.
Is
> this typical of short wheel base bike? Is it likely to cause a crash?
>
> I am using 172.5 cranks with look pedals. My feet are size 10.5.
>
> Scott
>
Yes. No. Mark Lee

 

[Dennis P. Harri]

On Thu, 6 Mar 2003 00:30:34 -0600 in rec.bicycles.tech, <Scott> wrote:

> I just got a used 56 Klein Quantum Z, which I have not yet ridden. When I sit on the bike, my toes
> can touch the front wheel when I am clipped in. Is this typical of short wheel base bike? Is it
> likely to cause a crash?
>
this bike is obviously not sized for you. and yes, it certainly can cause a crash, as well as injure
your foot.

 

[Sergio Servadio]

On Thu, 6 Mar 2003, Ken wrote:
> <Scott> wrote in news:[email protected]:
> > I just got a used 56 Klein Quantum Z, which I have not yet ridden. When I sit on the bike, my
> > toes can touch the front wheel when I am clipped
> > in. Is this typical of short wheel base bike? Is it likely to cause a crash?
> That is not uncommon. It should not be a problem at normal riding speeds, since you don't turn the
> handlebars that much. At very slow speeds, you have to be careful, though.

I second that. It happens on my bikes too, but it made me fall only once while maneuvering a tight
U-turn. I stalled and fell to the side. Although that happened in front of a Cemetery, nothing
serious happened.

Sergio Pisa

 

[Tim McTeague]

> this bike is obviously not sized for you. and yes, it certainly can cause a crash, as well as
> injure your foot.
>
Rubbish, many racing-type bikes have toeclip overlap. I had a Spectrum for 10 years that did that
and it never caused a crash. If I was doing a slow u-turn I would be a bit careful but that was it.
It has nothing to do with a bad fit. Custom bike makers usually ask you if it will be a problem and
build around it.

http://www.waterfordbikes.com/qanda/showquestion.php?qid=25

Tim

 

[Qui Si Parla Ca]

scott-<< Z, which I have not yet ridden. When I sit on the bike, my toes can touch the front wheel
when I am clipped in. Is this typical of short wheel base bike? Is it likely to cause a crash?

Not uncommon and won't cause you to crash when riding..

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[Qui Si Parla Ca]

dennis-<< this typical of short wheel base bike? Is it likely to cause a crash?
>
this bike is obviously not sized for you. and yes, it certainly can cause a crash, as well as injure
your foot.

I have a Ciocc that i have been riding for 17 years, I have toe overlap and the frame does fit me
and I have never crashed because of toe overlap-

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[Jon Isaacs]

>this bike is obviously not sized for you. and yes, it certainly can cause a crash, as well as
>injure your foot.

Just about any racing frame will have pedal overlap. It is not a problem for the vast majority of
riders because it is rare that the front wheel is turned sufficiently to have contact and in those
rare cases, the speed is so low that they are probably not pedalling any way.

Even if contact does occur, it does not seem to be much of an issue.

Jon Isaacs.

 

[Peter Cole]

"Jon Isaacs" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> >this bike is obviously not sized for you. and yes, it certainly can cause a crash, as well as
> >injure your foot.
>
> Just about any racing frame will have pedal overlap. It is not a problem
for
> the vast majority of riders because it is rare that the front wheel is
turned
> sufficiently to have contact and in those rare cases, the speed is so low
that
> they are probably not pedalling any way.
>
> Even if contact does occur, it does not seem to be much of an issue.

The only crash I have heard of from toe/wheel overlap was a local rider who snagged the tip of his
winter shoe cover on his fender hardware. Like all toe/wheel overlap contacts, it was necessarily at
low speed, so wouldn't have presented much of a hazard, except he was threading through traffic when
it happened.

 

[Mark Hickey]

<Scott> wrote:

>I just got a used 56 Klein Quantum Z, which I have not yet ridden. When I sit on the bike, my toes
>can touch the front wheel when I am clipped in. Is this typical of short wheel base bike? Is it
>likely to cause a crash?
>
>I am using 172.5 cranks with look pedals. My feet are size 10.5.

I ride a 56cm, run 172.5 cranks, and have a foot size of 10.5. I also have some toe overlap on my
road bike.

You can design around TO, but it's at the expense of the bike's handling or achieving proper fit.

The best way to deal with TO is to simply ride around in an empty field, turning the bars to cause
the contact. It only takes a couple minutes before you will learn to automatically drop your heel to
clear the wheel.

Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles http://www.habcycles.com Home of the $695 ti frame

 

[Dax]

On Thu, 06 Mar 2003 15:03:33 GMT, Mark Hickey <[email protected]> wrote:

><Scott> wrote:
>
>>I just got a used 56 Klein Quantum Z, which I have not yet ridden. When I sit on the bike, my toes
>>can touch the front wheel when I am clipped in. Is this typical of short wheel base bike? Is it
>>likely to cause a crash?
>>
>>I am using 172.5 cranks with look pedals. My feet are size 10.5.
>
>I ride a 56cm, run 172.5 cranks, and have a foot size of 10.5. I also have some toe overlap on my
>road bike.
>

...on a used bike in particular... a bent fork or frame can cause this overlap... smallframed
roadracing bikes always have some, but on larger sizes, like a 56+ - well, it's worth checking. Look
at the paint on the top and down tubes, near against the head tube, on the upper surfaces. If it's
crazed or cracked...mmm - Ъ×

 

[Paul Kopit]

It is typical. I think that my tandem is the only road bicycle that I've owned where I can't overlap
the front wheel with my shoe. I don't do anything special. The toes hits momentarilly when going
very slowly and really cocking the bars and I never went down because of
it. The situation rarely occurs.

My frames are 56 cm and I wear size 12 shoes.

On Thu, 6 Mar 2003 00:30:34 -0600, <Scott> wrote:

>I just got a used 56 Klein Quantum Z, which I have not yet ridden. When I sit on the bike, my toes
>can touch the front wheel when I am clipped in. Is this typical of short wheel base bike? Is it
>likely to cause a crash?
>
>I am using 172.5 cranks with look pedals. My feet are size 10.5.
>
>Scott

 

[Java Man]

In article <[email protected]>, <Scott> says...
> I just got a used 56 Klein Quantum Z, which I have not yet ridden. When I sit on the bike, my toes
> can touch the front wheel when I am clipped in. Is this typical of short wheel base bike? Is it
> likely to cause a crash?
>
I have been using a frame for 32 years that is notorious for "toe clip overlap" and have put many
thousands of miles on it. The overlap has caused a few tense moments, but only at very low speeds in
traffic, such as when doing a "track stand" or inching along while waiting at a light or stop sign.
It has never caused me to crash or lose control.

I've owned 4 other road bikes during this time, but have kept this frame despite the overlap because
it fits me, is very comfortable to ride, and has a short wheelbase that makes it feel like a "sports
car" of road bikes.

Rick

 

[Mike S.]

<Scott> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> I just got a used 56 Klein Quantum Z, which I have not yet ridden. When I sit on the bike, my toes
> can touch the front wheel when I am clipped in.
Is
> this typical of short wheel base bike? Is it likely to cause a crash?
>
> I am using 172.5 cranks with look pedals. My feet are size 10.5.
>
> Scott
>
I've had bikes with and without overlap. The only time it made a difference to me was track-standing
at a light, or toodling around a parking lot waiting for the ride to start. At riding speeds, you
shouldn't know its there.

Mike

 

[Tbgibb]

In article <[email protected]>, <Scott> writes:

>I just got a used 56 Klein Quantum Z, which I have not yet ridden. When I sit on the bike, my toes
>can touch the front wheel when I am clipped in. Is this typical of short wheel base bike? Is it
>likely to cause a crash?

I have a short torso and long legs. A bike frame cut to my specs (a Bob Jackson) gives me serious
toe over lap. The bike is very comfortable for long rides, but I have to use care in slow speed
manuvering. I frequently "ratchet" the thing to avoid toe strke. I have never crashed. I like the
idea of dropping my heel to compensate, I'll have to give that a try.

The bottom line is: does the bike fit? If it does, ride it, with a little care.

Tom Gibb <[email protected]

 

[Paul Southworth]

In article <[email protected]>, Dennis P. Harris
<[email protected]> wrote:
>On Thu, 6 Mar 2003 00:30:34 -0600 in rec.bicycles.tech, <Scott> wrote:
>
>> I just got a used 56 Klein Quantum Z, which I have not yet ridden. When I sit on the bike, my
>> toes can touch the front wheel when I am clipped in. Is this typical of short wheel base bike? Is
>> it likely to cause a crash?
>>
>this bike is obviously not sized for you. and yes, it certainly can cause a crash, as well as
>injure your foot.
>

Phooey, I can touch toe to wheel on almost every bike I have ever owned (even really big ones) and
never crashed from it. I do from time to time touch the tire while at an intersection and it never
bothers me. Obviously if someone is panicky they could pitch the bike over but that is no different
than getting bumped in a paceline - the solution is practice and training for handling skills. Trail
riding helps this a lot.

Would you prefer they screw up the bike's handling to "fix" the problem? That doesn't sound
safer to me.

--Paul

 

[Mark Lee]

"TBGibb" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> I have a short torso and long legs. A bike frame cut to my specs (a Bob Jackson) gives me serious
> toe over lap. The bike is very comfortable for
long
> rides, but I have to use care in slow speed manuvering. I frequently
"ratchet"
> the thing to avoid toe strke. I have never crashed. I like the idea of dropping my heel to
> compensate, I'll have to give that a try.
>
Also, ride a sinuous curve while U-turning so you are going straighter while your outside foot (heel
down) is forward. It becomes totally automatic.
e.g. my son (13 yr old) had some problems (but no falls) when he first started racing last year
(size 10 shoes, 47 & 52cm frames, 940 & 985mm wheelbases) but never seems to contact anymore.
It only happens when just starting, U-turning, "track-standing" or creeping. All my good bikes
in the last 25 yrs (~54cm frames, 955-980mm wheelbase) - road, track and tandem have had heaps.
I have a cheap MTB (1050wb) with none. Mark Lee

 

[Mark Hickey]

dax <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Thu, 06 Mar 2003 15:03:33 GMT, Mark Hickey <[email protected]> wrote:

>>I ride a 56cm, run 172.5 cranks, and have a foot size of 10.5. I also have some toe overlap on my
>>road bike.
>
>...on a used bike in particular... a bent fork or frame can cause this overlap... smallframed
>roadracing bikes always have some, but on larger sizes, like a 56+ - well, it's worth checking.
>Look at the paint on the top and down tubes, near against the head tube, on the upper surfaces. If
>it's crazed or cracked...mmm - Ъ×

D'Oh... I checked the paint on my 56cm bike, and it's GONE!!!

Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles http://www.habcycles.com Home of the $695 ti frame

 

[Scott]

<Scott> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> I just got a used 56 Klein Quantum Z, which I have not yet ridden. When I

Thanks everyone. Yes, the bike fits me. This is my third Klein of that size 56/57. I actually like
my 96 Klein more than my 99 Klein because of the shorter wheel base. The 99 without any toe overlap
feels sluggish, and slow, like a station wagon compared to the 96. The quantum Z is even shorter
than the 96, so I cant wait to ride it. It appears that the length differences come from the shape
of the fork.