Kicking front wheel

I've got 700c wheels, 49cm BLB frame and 165 cranks....all like a few days old from finishing my first build (Peaches Greensleeves, been on the road 3 days, photos to follow..)

Was surprised and pissed off to be kicking my front tyre when crank at horizontal?

Is there anything I can do aside from getting 650 wheels?

Maybe I need to get smaller SPD shoes?

speed up, toe overlap only happens at slow speeds :)

toe-overlap happens on pretty much every bike with tight or medium tight clearances, and if going slow enough if can even happen when bikes have huge clearances. bottom line, HTFU.

Note to self...

• dip body in araldite
  
• get some quads
  
• stop complaining
  
  
  

thanks guys, had no idea it was fairly common

how slow were you going?

Filtering through traffic, going sharply left round the front of a car, v v slow, found myself momentarily stuck in an unintended trackstand...

Saw off your toes!

Saw off your toes!

Like it...maybe if i bit my toenails more than once a year would help...

mowgster: You'll get used to it pretty fast.. I did :)

Never had it myself, but recently fitted a mudguard and found it pretty useful for this, when you're about to hit the front wheel you hit the mudguard first so you have time to react.

switch to clipless and set your cleats as far forward as you can.

switch to clipless and set your cleats as far forward as you can.

got that sorted, on ugly spds with cleats as far forward as they will go....

reckon just harder and faster is way forward

check you've got the cleats bolted in to the correct set of holes on your shoes.

You'll just get used to it in no time and its not a problem. you get used to knowing where your feet are in relation to the wheel

It's not very smart putting the cleats all the way forward... now is it?

http://www2.trainingbible.com/joesblog/2007/01/cleat-position.html

"So is there an advantage in placing the cleats farther back? I believe so."

Seems logical.

It's more than fairly common, it's pretty universal apart from really big frames or running a 650c, and even then you get some interference.

Like everyone said, you'll get used to it, and quickly

toe-overlap happens on pretty much every bike with tight or medium tight clearances, and if going slow enough if can even happen when bikes have huge clearances. bottom line, HTFU.

It's got nothing to do with clearances, it has to do with the angle of your head tube and a little to do with rake and length of fork.

Also even on regular road bikes frames smaller than 50cm can suffer from toe overlap unless running 650c wheels.

I had toe-overlap on my old bike, and this was a 58cm frame.

This is the issue that is stopping my girlfriend from riding the bike she built- whenever she gets slightly more confident she kicks the wheel again, and that confidence goes out of the window.

She said the other day that she would ride her bike "if it did not terrify me".

Solutions (apart from HTFU please) on the back of a postcard!

you could try a different fork, less straight, more 1960's

you could try a different fork, less straight, more 1960's

thats not a bad idea - my old carlton didnt have toe overlap

Not sure how easy such a fork would be to find- 1 and 1/8th inch, ahead, integrated headset (Campag Carbon), and the fork currently in use is a Look Carbon (if that makes any difference).

Suggestions for longer rake forks please?

those old school forks that do an almost 180 degree turn at the bottom
only down side ... may make handling a bit more relaxed

Also even on regular road bikes frames smaller than 50cm can suffer from toe overlap unless running 650c wheels.

Tis true,

I've got a 29" inseam and size 9 feet which, due to their girth, fit a size 10 shoe. I experiance toe overlap on pretty much every bike I ride. according to Ninerbikes I'm only 1" and 1 shoe size short of being in the circus, cheeky buggers.

"You'll notice that the SMALL Niner has a slacker head tube angle and a steeper seat tube angle. This was to allow for better toe clearance with the front wheel. With the larger tires of the 29" wheel, toe overlap is an important factor. We had to make sure that with the bottom bracket in the forward most position, there was ample room for a normal size foot to clear the front wheel. If you're 5'6" and wear a size twelve shoe, you might have some problems here, but then again, you should probably be in the circus."

Solutions (apart from HTFU please) on the back of a postcard!

Use a touring-frame... ?