flipperty

Hello,
I have a bike and I keep hitting my heels of the chain stays.

It's worst when I switch between my bikes and I eventually correct for it, but I was wondering if there was a way of actually extending the width of the crank (with spacers or somesuch?), so I don't have to worry about hitting my heels anymore.

I love the bike, so selling is not an option.

Any options/ opinions/ advice welcome.

cplager

You can look at pedal extenders (like these). There are all sorts of reasons people use these and those that do swear by them.

TampaRaleigh

You could get a wider bottom bracket spindle, but that would throw off the chainline.

Or the easy way, pedal extenders. (As long as you're not TOO strong.)

dsbrantjr

Search on pedal extenders (like above) or pedal spacers. They come in various widths from about 20mm up so you should be able to find something suitable. Be sure to grease the threads of both the pedal and the extender; I use Tef-Gel wherever there are dissimilar metals. I also like to use stainless pedal washers.

ka0use

i wondering about the effect on knees.

bobotech

I hit my right heel on the crank arm all the time. My right foot is weird, has drop foot. I ended up going to big ole BMX style pedals. Its kind of odd seeing a nice carbon/aluminum road bike with bmx pedals but its what I like and I don't hit the crank arms anymore.

bobotech

How strong is too strong? I'm curious, I'm 350+ pounds and will mash the hell out of my bike when going up a steep hill. Would those pedal extenders be dangerous for someone like me.

JohnDThompson 

And throw off the chainline?

I don't think they look too bad:



Indeed. Why bother?

Some people, e.g. my wife on the bike above, use them because of their knees. The TA Pro-5 crank on her bike has one of the narrowest Q-factors, and she needs the extra space the extenders provide otherwise her knees keep hitting the top tube.

pierce

I'd probably look for wider pedals, depending on just what you got now... .

what sort of bike is this ? (road, mountain, hybrid?)

what sort of pedals does it have ? (clipless, platform, platform with toe clips, or what ?)



for my hybrid, with my size 13E feet, I use some wider-than-average BMX pin-platform pedals, like these...

bobotech

Yeah, that is kind of what I use except the ones I have aren't quite as nice as those.

pierce

with your weight and mashing, I would highly recommend pedals with chro-mo spindles, with sealed cartridge bearings, and with the outboard bearing actually on the outside... many of the currently trendy mountain bike pin pedals, the outboard bearing is more like in the middle of the pedal, like this...




I also like pin pedals that have a slight dish to them so they match the shape of your shoe, and with a couple pins in the middle as well a around the perimeter, to better hold your foot.

the model I have, in that picture, is discontinued, but meets all my criteria nicely, and to boot, its not that heavy. mine have survived a couple curb and rock strikes, too, with just a scratch. I still see them on amazon etc on clearance, you could do a lot worse. i just wish I could find some pedal reflectors that fit, as having those is a nice thing if you're caught out after dark. they are drilled for them, but nothing I've found fits reasonably.

Wellgo makes everything from really cheap to quite good. They are a primary manufacturer, and make a lot of OEM stuff for other folks thats rebranded.

fietsbob

Do you need an odd rotation of your foot as you walk?

I put SCOR , 'Kneesavers' shown above, on my touring bike they let you put your foot heel in without hitting the crank arm,

I added them for crank arms clearing the insulated shoe covers I was going to wear
for a long time starting an west Irish-Scottish bike tour
in the cheaper Shoulder Season air-fare rate, end of February

flipperty

My thanks to you all for your responses. the pedal extenders look a bit funky, but they could well work. I'm 6'3", 260 lbs; I mash when I have to.

It's a hybrid with platforms; I have size 13 feet as well.

I really do like the look of those pedals. Could you let me know the dimensions? Were you hitting your heels before using them? Have you ever hit your heels since you started using them?

CACycling

Might also ask in the Clydes/Athena section. I know several there have used the extenders with great results.

bobotech

I can somewhat answer. I have size 12 shoes (I have to wear a size bigger than normal to compensate for the full ankle brace I have to wear). When I had normal pedals on my bike, I would heel strike the crank all the time. I then switched out to BMX pedals roughly the same size as the ones in the picture and I rarely ever hit the crank. My pedals are just cheaper versions of the ones in the picture.

pierce

the actual pedal part is 4" wide, and the top surface is 3.5" front to rear. the bottom surface is offset by 1/2" backwards, so the whole pedal is 4x4. the axle keeps it 1/4" away from the crank.

the walking shoes I usually wear cycling are 4.5" wide at the ball, and my Keen sandals are 5" wide.

I should warn you, pin platforms have another name.... shin shredders. if you slip or something, and the pedal smacks up against your leg, it can make hamburger out of your shins.

Ergon makes a set of ergonomic plastic platform pedals that look very nice, they have a very large foot platform, and like a guide for the inside edge of the ball of your shoe sole. catch-22, they are kinda expensive.

Esteban32696

I have seen a bike that someone had taken the lower 2" of an extra crank arm, & welded it to the bottom of their original crank arm. Then, screwed the pedal into the new piece. Looked a little odd, but worked well & was very strong.

Sasquatch16

I ride with extenders and actually have 2 on one side and worried as you a first. I used to weigh 350lbs. and never had a problem bending anything crank or pedal related.

fietsbob

Ive adopted Ergon Pedals for my daily rider, they are quite nice...

I have some BmX pedals too, one thing about those above, is the grip pins
are just using setscrews, you can use an Allen Wrench and screw them in further.

The pedal extenders are solid stainless steel, the length added
is a bit more leverage on the crankarm's end, but so is putting your foot, on the outside end of any pedal.
A bit shorter fatigue lifespan for the aluminum crankarm perhaps..

and definitely.. inside pedal up on corners..

I did have some heel-tagging the chainstays, but only on the aluminum frame
with the aluminum sliding dropouts, out side of a 135 wide IGH..
adding another 15~20 mm per end.. using a platform pedal, I just move my foot a bit...