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#1
08-14-2014, 11:09 PM
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Toe Overlap
I get my brand new bike mocked together and take 'er for the spin around the neighborhood, just to get a feel for configuration. I sized it small intentionally- I usually ride a 54, I got a 52 for this. I make my observations about stem length and saddle position, but before I go back to my driveway I decide to go do a little hill at the end of my neighborhood.... zoom down to the bottom and start my typical u-turn to get back up- BAM, I'm on my side, brand new brushed Ti and Dura Ace lying flat on the ground under me... @#$%ING SONUVABITCH!
Caught my damn toe! I crashed! I hadn't done a quarter f'ing mile on this bike and toe-overlap has already bucked me off my damn bike! @#$% that @#$%! <deep breath> I read about people training themselves to "time" their pedal strokes to a turn, and that it becomes "second nature" and "just like riding a bicycle." For some reason, I find it extremely difficult to envision myself ever training myself to never cross my wheel with my toe, and I'm for damn sure not OK with crashing my F'ing bike every damn time I do. What about the track? How the hell am I going to "time" my pedal stroke on a f'ing track bike, or will I somehow train myself to do it on a road bike but not a track bike? So... to the point.... who else has dealt with this? Small people have to deal with this... there's small people riding small bikes, I'm sure there's gotta be people who have first hand experience with this. Is being able to "train" myself realistic, or should I get this once-ridden, once-crashed bike on ebay tonight? 
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#2
08-14-2014, 11:23 PM
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I'm 6'1" and I've had several bikes with minor toe overlap. One of these was fixed gear. I'm guessing your toe overlap is greater than mine, but I've never wrecked because of it. The toes of my shoes do have black marks from tire contact though.
Anyway, it's a complete nonissue on a bike with a freehub. Take the tire slow and even if you make contact, you can adjust without it taking you down. After a while, you do it without thinking. Riding a fixed gear bike on the street wouldn't worry me either. Again, go slow. If the tire hits your toe, pause the turn in till you foot gets past and then turn in. Do the same when you straighten back out. It will obviously clip this way too. I haven't ridden on the track so I can't comment about that.
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#3
08-14-2014, 11:27 PM
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I've never had the problem myself, but I bet if it only happens in u-turns you'll soon get used to it and it won't be an issue. As you've discovered, TCO can be an issue for small frames, but is almost exclusively a low-speed issue - you just can't turn the bars enough while at speed.
Right now you're still all worked-up about it. After a week or so of riding it you'll be fine.
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#4
08-14-2014, 11:31 PM
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Quote:
Toe overlap on the track is a non issue, you never turn that sharply that slowly. All my bikes have a good deal of toe overlap and really how often are you making sharp slow turns? If you do, you just watch where your feet are compared to your wheel.
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#6
08-14-2014, 11:50 PM
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I have size 13 feet with long toes (cleats far back in their slots) and ride a relatively short top tube, so I have had some degree of toe overlap on several bikes. All I can tell you is that during regular riding it is an absolute non-issue. Rarely do you turn your front wheel far enough to get your toes involved. Low-speed sharp turns are the only time I ever feel the need to either point my toes or my heels down as I come through the front of the pedal stroke. I now do it subconsciously, and I'm comfortable enough that if I ever get that warning toe rub I just reverse my pedal stroke or tip my foot to get through it...no big deal.
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#7
08-14-2014, 11:53 PM
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Hobbits, Assemble!
I just read you post, sorry for your toss.
I'm 5' 3" and ride about a 52 and do have toe overlap. Been riding that bike on the road since '06 and never fell over from toe overlap. Didn't even discover that I had it until, after the first year with it, went on a big group ride and at sart up my toe rubbed the front while trying to manuver around the parking lot. I never even think about it, don't do anything special to avoid it consiously. At worst I will slightly rub my toe, can't remember the last time that even happened. I guess it's because I don't ride really slow and turn really sharp at the same time, ever. When I do turn "somewhat" sharp and "somewhat" slow, by reflex, I instinctively have my foot that is at the inside of the turn out forward at the eight or ten o'clock position with my knee angled out, the foot where the tire is angled out towards is rearward, no way to hit a toe. Don't clip in and ride slow and turn real sharp. If you do, the foot inside of the turn should be forward. Or you can just send me the bike, I'll rock it easy peasy. Last edited by Burnette; 08-14-2014 at 11:56 PM.
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#9
08-15-2014, 01:28 AM
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Toe overalp is a fact of life....yes, you will need to train yourself (find a level grass field), but it shouldn't take but a few rides to do so. Unless you often find yourself doing donuts on your new custom frame in the Burger King parking lot, then you will never find toe overlap to be an issue.
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#11
08-15-2014, 03:35 AM
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People have said it many many times, but it's not bad at all!
Most of my bikes have toe overlap. It is a little annoying at first, but it gets better! Just be careful when you're going slow...since your bike has a freehub, you'll get to the point where you know to watch out for it at slow speed and it should pretty much not be an issue (biggest problem is the tire marking up the shoe :|) On a fixie, sometimes it is kinda a problem if i'm starting up at a stop light, but even that isn't a big deal. Even the framebuilder Dave Moulton says it's not a problem! http://davesbikeblog.squarespace.com...o-problem.html But I'm sorry about your bike!  Hopefully it's all okay!!
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#12
08-15-2014, 05:05 AM
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I have a saying: "There are only two ways we learn, through pain or money."
If the pain of catching a toe and falling over doesn't imprint on your brain to pedal and be aware of toe overlap when making U-turns at slow speed, then you are doomed to repeat this move. It's like putting your hand on a hot stove.
__________________
http://hubbardpark.blogspot.com/
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#13
08-15-2014, 05:08 AM
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You get over it, much the same as you get over wearing clothes that are remarkably similar to world wrestling federation costumes or being clipped to the pedals.
Remember the first time you slipped those bibs on? Try and tell me you didn't flex in the mirror and start reciting Rick Flair lines combined with intermittent WOOOOOOs.
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#14
08-15-2014, 05:38 AM
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Out of curiosity, why did you decide to get a 52 when you normally ride a 54? On your other bike(s) that is(are) a 54, do you get any tco? You might still have some on a larger frame, but it's probably a lot less noticeable. Tco is something that one can and does get used to, but if a bike is smaller than you normally ride and the tco is more pronounced, it could be a nuisance. What is the front-center measurement of the bike, and how does that compare to your 54?
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#15
08-15-2014, 06:00 AM
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i ride sized 50 bikes. all of my bikes have lots of overlap. i ride many, many, many fixed gear miles a year. overlap is there, but never a problem for me. once you know mentally how many degrees of steer you can safely make, it just becomes second nature not to go further than that. it's really only very tight turns when overlap presents a problem, just avoid that situation.
how does the bike fit otherwise?
__________________
http://less-than-epic.blogspot.com/
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