Magicpaul

Hi,
newbie here.

i just purchased a used fixie and noticed that when I turn my front wheel you around 45 degrees, the wheel touches my left pedal.

i know a little of toe overlap but not sure if it’s supposed to be this over. It gets quite difficult when I try turning. I either skid my shoes or completely stop and get caught in the pedal.

It happens more frequent when I’m going slow since I have to turn the wheels but happens occasionally when going in moderate speeds.

my tire is 700x28cc. I would post photos but won’t let me..

do I need to change tire size?
change forks?
or just deal with it since it’s normal?

Any advice would help.
thanks in advance!

AlmostTrick

Maybe the fork was bent back in a crash. Take a good look from the side of the bike.

Toe overlap is just that... only your toe touches. If the pedal is hitting the tire, that's NOT normal, even on a bike with toe overlap.

TejanoTrackie 

Or, maybe the fork is installed backwards. I've seen that too.

Magicpaul

it doesn’t seem damaged and is aligned in my eyes but maybe I should take it to a bike store and have a professional look at it

Magicpaul

how can I tell if it’s installed backwards?

thanks

TejanoTrackie 

The fork rake should face forward, such that the wheel axle should be in front of a line parallel to the fork steerer tube and frame head tube. If it's backwards, remove the front wheel, loosen the stem bolts that clamp it to the fork steerer tube and rotate the fork 180 degrees. If it has a front brake, you will also need to remove and remount it.

Barry2 

Red line through axle should be in front of yellow line through headset.

Barry

Scrodzilla

Yikes. I think I'd rather ride a bike where the pedal hits the front wheel than one with that cockpit setup.

Barry2 

It's had it's maiden voyage today. I'm still adjusting and experimenting.
No point in pretty if it's all going to change.

Barry

79pmooney

OK but!! Plug those handlebar ends! If you crash, they are cookie cutters. I hit an opening car door as a teen, Completely unhurt except two deep 1" circular bruises; one on each thigh. Would have been well drilling holes except for the plugs. (Plugs, corks, taped in place bottle caps, I don't care. Just put something there.

Edit: And I am a huge fan of riding new setups bare to make the brake and handlebar setup easy. I even go a step further, First bar tape is cloth wrapped from the bottom so I can unwrap it halfway, tweak brake position and re-wrap,even several times.

the sci guy 

Toe overlap depends on the bike's geometry. Some bikes have it. Some bikes don't.
My Surly Cross Check had toe overlap. It annoyed the hell out of me when I made tight turns during my commute - this was on paths as well as navigating traffic and waiting at lights, etc. That was a 2016 model. THe 1999 Cannondale I just rebuilt and sold also had bad toe overlap - its the reason I sold it. Couldn't deal with it.

but my 2 vintage Raleighs don't have any overlap, nor did my carbon fiber Specialized Roubaix.

If you can deal with it and be mindful of it, then you're fine. If you can't, as far as I know there is little you can do about it because the angle of the headtube and fork is static. I think going down to a 650b wheel size might help, but not always, and only if your frame can accommodate them.

Mikefule

A little bit of toe overlap is easily ridden around. At high speed, you steer with only small movements of the bars. At low speed, you turn the bars further but can time it with the pedal stroke.

If the actual pedals are overlapping the wheel, that sounds like a fault. I came across something like this once where a bike had run into a stationary vehicle at high speed. The forks looked OK at first glance but were pushed back.

79pmooney

A thought - fix gear. Is there a front brake? If not - the stem could have been taken off and it or a new one installed backwards. Now the fork is backwards, Front wheel is now about 4 inches further back than it should be (and also quite close to the down tube). The fork will also funk Barry2's test.

There are people who ride with no front brake and straight handlebars so the can pull wheelies and then spin the handlebars, fork and wheel in circles. Then land either fork forward or backwards.

Ben

K3nz0

If you have a track frame, they will have a tighter wheel base. And if you have a smaller frame (49-53), then the tighter the wheel base.

I have the same issue with slow, tight turns on my track frame. You will get used to it and be mindful to position the pedals at 6/12 for these turns.

Wait a minute, is the petal or your foot striking the wheel? If it's the petal, then that's an issue. If that's the case, I do wonder if someone changed the fork and it's not compatible with your frame. Can't imagine a manufacturer designing a bike like that.

What bike do you have?

natloz

Perhaps crank arms too long?