Pedal - wheel interference

Dukester said:

I have 2 bikes that have an awful problem of the pedals interfering with
the front wheel. The bikes are a Schwinn Crisscross (hybrid) and a Peugeot
Nice (road bike). Both bikes have 700 x 32 wheels on them. The pedals are
Wellgo's with the plastic toe clip in the front. What happens is that when
I turn the wheel sharply and have one of the pedals in the most forward
position, the wheel and pedal clash and, sometimes, get stuck, promptly
causing me to lose balance. Usually this happens from a dead stop, and
sometimes as I take sweeping turns. The Schwinn cleared fine until I put
fenders on and now it just barely scrapes. The Peugeot is much much worse,
even with 700 x 22 tires; there is a huge overlap between the two.

Is this common to all bikes, or do I just need a bigger bike? Do I need to
learn to ride differently? How does one determine this from geometries
spec'd by the manufacturer? Is there a "pedal to wheel" clearence factor?
Sorry if these questions are obtuse, I don't have access to a lot of other
bikes my size (61cm) to compare, and the LBS's are no help (see other
posts).

This is called "Toe Overlap" and isn't uncommon (though usually not on
frames quite as big as the one you're riding). One exacerbating
factor is pedals with toe clips, which extend the "reach" of your foot
considerably.

Normally TO is a virtual non-issue - most smaller frames have
potential for TO (depends on crank length, cleat position, tire size,
etc.). The best way to deal with TO is to get comfortable with it.
It simply can't occur at any speed higher than "pedestrian", and is
easy enough to deal with once you've experienced it a few times in a
controlled environment.

I recommend to many people that they get in a soft, grassy field and
practice doing slow turns and track stands to get used to the contact
between shoe and tire (or fender). Soon, you learn that dropping the
heel on the offending foot or backpedaling slightly will clear the
"problem". Once you've done it a few times it becomes second nature,
and won't cause any real problems.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $795 ti frame

"toe-verlap"

wle.

Dukester said:

I have 2 bikes that have an awful problem ... What happens is that when
I turn the wheel sharply and have one of the pedals in the most forward
position, the wheel and pedal clash and, sometimes, get stuck, promptly
causing me to lose balance. Usually this happens from a dead stop, and
sometimes as I take sweeping turns. The Schwinn cleared fine until I put
fenders on and now it just barely scrapes. The Peugeot is much much worse,
even with 700 x 22 tires; there is a huge overlap between the two.

Is this common to all bikes, or do I just need a bigger bike? Do I need to
learn to ride differently? How does one determine this from geometries
spec'd by the manufacturer? Is there a "pedal to wheel" clearence factor?

As Mark says, this is common. It's especially common with fenders. I
get it to some degree on the two bikes I ride most often. Maybe on
others as well. It's hard for me to remember, because it's a
non-issue.

It shouldn't happen on "sweeping turns" unless you sweep your turns at
about five miles per hour! At any reasonable cycling speed, the front
wheel just doesn't pivot enough to allow this to be a problem.

I would never call it an "awful problem." It happens only at very low
speeds, usually starting from a dead stop. The worst inconvenience
it's ever caused me was to make me put my foot down. I very quickly
learned to keep my foot away from the fender (or tire) and that was
that.

- Frank Krygowski

Frank Krygowski said:

As Mark says, this is common. It's especially common with fenders. I
get it to some degree on the two bikes I ride most often. Maybe on
others as well. It's hard for me to remember, because it's a
non-issue.

It shouldn't happen on "sweeping turns" unless you sweep your turns at
about five miles per hour! At any reasonable cycling speed, the front
wheel just doesn't pivot enough to allow this to be a problem.

I would never call it an "awful problem." It happens only at very low
speeds, usually starting from a dead stop. The worst inconvenience
it's ever caused me was to make me put my foot down. I very quickly
learned to keep my foot away from the fender (or tire) and that was
that.

That's my experience too. It quickly becomes second nature to keep the foot
out of the way when maneuvering at low speeds. I was a little bothered when
I first noticed it but I'd never let this influence my choice in picking a
new bike.

--
Paul Turner