Toe overlap

[thedude]

I’m experiencing toe overlap on my bike and was wondering if it can be corrected by switching from 175 cranks to 172.5 or should I go the 170 route? It’s a 58cm Spooky Dune so it’s not a case if it being a small frame. Thanks

[AngryScientist]

serious question: why do you think toe overlap is a problem?

all of my frames have major toe overlap, and it has literally never, ever been an issue for me. why people make a big deal about this is a question for me, i dont get it? do you ever turn your front wheel far enough to hit your shoes while you're clipped in and have your cranks in the horizontal position - because, i do not.

:confused:

[John H.]

With big tires, 72.5 degree head angle and 57.5 top tube I would expect toe clip overlap.
I have it on every road bike 54-55cm frame size. I also have it on my cross/gravel bike. Has to do with size of front wheel/tire.

[azrider]

These will solve it

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/TNYAAOSwxphbB84j/s-l640.jpg















https://media.giphy.com/media/l0MYPh8gSCntZTsdO/giphy.gif

[David Kirk]

Clip your shoe into the pedal and turn the wheel and see how much overlap you have. If it's more than 5 mm the cranks won't take care of it.

But I echo the above....if the overlap causing a real problem?

dave

[CunegoFan]

I have toe overlap on all my frames. The only time it affects me is while trackstanding at intersections, and then it's just something you have to be aware of.

[GregL]

If you ride fendered bikes, you will likely have toe overlap even in large size frames. I have toe overlap on all my road bikes other than our tandem. It bothered me a little at first, but over time I've forgotten about it completely. IMO, trying to eliminate toe overlap can lead to other consequences in frame design that make for unpleasant handling.

Greg

[ultraman6970]

Buy shoes that are like 3 numbers smaller, that will take care of your problem :P

If you are running the cleats mid of the shoes, then there you have the problem.

BTW really weird to have the problem in a frame that big.

[owly]

It will change your front end, but you could try one of those .5 a degree headsets.

If going down this route its probably worth doing some maths; work out exactly how much extra you'll add.

[lhuerta]

Toe overlap is a fact of life....in order to adjust to the fate we all have been dealt U must adjust ur riding style around the overlap (e.g. be aware of ur feet position while pedaling through slow tight corners...better yet, don’t pedal thru tight corners)

[Ronsonic]

At traffic stops I sometimes put one foot down and the other against the back of the front wheel. Use that overlap. Pretty much all my bikes have it.

[cgolvin]

I have it as well, and per Dave's point there's no way shorter cranks would address it (though I'd like to swap my 175 SRs for 170s).

Aside from the trackstand and turning in tight corners, there's one other issue: scuffing the toes of your shoes. Solutions include not buying white shoes and not giving a crap about scuffed shoes.

[velofinds]

I have never successfully eliminated toe overlap by sizing down in crank size, though I've tried. Depending on how much overlap you have, though, the effect can be diminished somewhat (i.e., instead of catching a good part of your toe, you'll just graze it) if you can be satisfied with 'close but no cigar'.

[weiwentg]

There's been one time in my entire life where toe overlap posed a problem. I was mashing through a sandpit at Charm City CX, not managing to keep my front wheel straight. It just so happened that I turned the handlebars at the wrong part of the pedal stroke, and my foot hit the wheel, and down I went.

That hurt, a bit, but toe overlap shouldn't affect you almost all the time.

[Lewis Moon]

I used to run 190s on my hill climb bike. With size 45 feet I overlapped a lot. The only time it was an issue was when I had to turn around in a narrow 2 lane road at the top of an interval section. Even then I was going slow enough to pop a foot if I needed. When I was at speed, good sense dictated that I never turn the front wheel enough to touch my toes.

[cmg]

do not pedal through turns and the problem would be solved.

[ColonelJLloyd]

do not pedal through turns and the problem would be solved.

Yeah, everyone likes to talk this way. In practice, sometimes turning the wheel is required at slow speeds as moving on anything but a decline involves a pedal stroke. I've eaten it twice when trying to turn around or instinctively turned to avoid a late braking rider at slow speed. Both involved fenders and clipless pedals. Once the soft bit of my leather toe got "stuck" in the fender stay bolt and down I went onto my shoulder.

I'm not saying these instances weren't avoidable, but to what degree it was just bad luck, me being dumber than all the smart riders to which this has never happened, karma, or something else, I can't say.

I'm not suggesting bike design or crank length should be changed to avoid this. That said, this is another reason I like the high fork offset that comes with a 73d HTA and low trail.

[Birddog]

Buy shoes that are like 3 numbers smaller, that will take care of your problem :P

If you are running the cleats mid of the shoes, then there you have the problem.

BTW really weird to have the problem in a frame that big.

That will surely cause yet another type of "toe overlap".

[srcarter]

These will solve it

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/TNYAAOSwxphbB84j/s-l640.jpg




https://media.giphy.com/media/l0MYPh8gSCntZTsdO/giphy.gif

The best thing about those is that you can use multiples to get the length you need. I am currently running 3 per side ;)

[11.4]

This has become one of the more bizarre threads on this sometimes bizarre forum.

As most people have said here, for the most part there's no escaping toe overlap, and the few approaches for trying to do so are mostly detrimental to handling or bike fit.

ColonelLloyd makes a point just above that sometimes toe overlap is in fact an issue, but my response would still be to buck up, buttercup. The only solution to it is a cure worse than the illness. There's a potential to go over the handlebars too, but we don't lower the saddle so far that we can't throw our weight forward and flip the bike, right? A bike has to be designed to accommodate the geometry of a couple wheels, the dimensions of a rider and his/her cranks and pedals, and basic handling and bike safety. One can lower the bottom bracket by an inch or so and buy some clearance, at the expense of ground and turning clearance, as a case in point. One can go to 650B wheels, if you really want to hassle with a less than standard wheel size. I ride small frame sizes where toe overlap is even more pronounced, and it's something I simply deal with. I remember it's there and if I forget and have an accident, or fail to deal with it and have an accident, that's a user error matter. Would it be nice to have perfect toe clearance? Sure. Sure would be perfect to have a bike that would never slide out and crash also.

The OP had a reasonable question and one that keeps coming up. It always has the same answer. We ride bikes in part to build skills and managing toe clearance is one of those skills. There aren't all that many degrees of freedom in designing a bike or, for that matter, in riding one, and it's something we need to keep in mind.

[ColonelJLloyd]

One can go to 650B wheels, if you really want to hassle with a less than standard wheel size.

Not sure what year you're living in, but unless your idea of a bike shop is a Wal-Mart then 650B is as "standard" as anything in the industry is today. I see the point you're trying to make, but it doesn't really hold water now.