Jixr

I'm short, my frame is small, and the toe overlap on my cross bike is massive.

I've been trying to figure out to reduce/prevent toe overlap, and I got to thinking maybe some pedal spacers to push the pedals out, which would open up my turning clearance.

Any big negative about doing that?

I crash a bit in cross races from my shoes catching my tire, and the tips of my shoes are worn out from tire rub. Hoping to find a solution that ultimately would give me more confidence while riding.

prathmann

Pushing the pedals farther outboard (i.e. increasing 'Q-factor') would only reduce the chance of hitting the tire by a little unless you used pretty big spacers. How much it would affect the comfort and efficiency of your pedaling is going to depend on your individual physiology.
How much overlap do you have and what crank length. Going to shorter cranks might be another option.

Jixr

I'm running 170mm cranks, and while new cranks could be an option, its an expensive one. and would only give me 5mm, which wouldn't help.

I found pedal extenders that can go out up to 30mm, which is a geometrically bigger difference than shorter cranks. And cost only $20

zze86

Origin8 makes relatively inexpensive 130BCD triple and 110BCD double cranksets that decrease by 5mm down to 150(?)mm.

You're gearing needs to change drastically with the really short cranksets though.

woodcraft

For $20, it's worth a try,

& if it causes fit problems you'll know pretty soon.

It you put down big watts and break a crank at the pedal threads, you'll also know soon.

fietsbob

CX when you slow down for a corner, put the outside pedal at 6:00,.,

Maybe as your speed drops you should consider shouldering the bike and running,

rather than riding .

to keep the momentum up..

rm -rf

My guess is that the wider steering angle on the front wheel won't help much. At slow speeds on rough surfaces, you'll probably make big steering adjustments, still more than the pedal extenders allow.

philbob57

Also, the extenders could have nasty consequences on your legs/knees if they put the pedals too far out for natural up-down movement. If you're that short, I suspect proportional cranks would be a better option.

redlude97

how far forward are your cleats? I had to run mine a bit farther forward and i still have toe overlap(48cm cross frame) I just learned to anticipate it better and ratchet my feet instead of full pedaling

Carbonfiberboy 

Cleats forward and cranks, see this article: Crank Arm Length - petitebikefit.com

63rickert

Cross bikes are built for performing acrobatics. If your bike is built for crashing you have a problem. Consider for just a moment that one medical incident from your apparently routine crashes could result in bills dwarfing the cost of a bike. CX bike simply should not have overlap. Considering the major design error one wonders what else is going on with this bike.

Pedal spacers 30mm wide are extreme. Real extreme. Piling one error on top of another won't solve anything. If you have short legs pedaling that wide could look comical. Short riders want narrower cranks.

How short are you? How much overlap do you have? Is this with regulation 33mm cross tires or something else?

For most who convert to shorter cranks there is no need to change gears. If you are a good candidate for short cranks it is all upside. Having a more effective power stroke and more arc in which you can use your muscle outweighs the reduced leverage. There is no fixed formula to tell you how short is right. An example. My wife felt no difference whatever going from 170 to 165. On 150mm cranks she was completely sold and completely adapted in a matter of seconds. And faster. Further experiment with 145mm cranks only created a nearly unrideable bike.

fietsbob

No, cyclocross is a fall and winter off road competition.

the real acrobatics is called Artistic cycling ..