How short is too short?
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
By Scott Fitzgerald
Many men and women cannot find a stock bike with a short enough top tube. For the most part, bike manufacturers will not mass-produce frames that use 700c wheels with top tubes any shorter than 51 cm. Below 51 cm, the chance of your foot hitting the front wheel at very slow speeds and very tight turns greatly increases.
Does toe overlap matter? That’s for you to decide. Most shorter folks have dealt with toe overlap to some degree throughout their entire cycling career. Others have it and don’t even know it. Just remember that it only becomes a factor at very slow speeds combined with very tight cornering (like pulling a U-turn in a parking lot).
If that scares you, look into frames designed around 650 wheels or a bicycle that uses a 24-inch front wheel. Don’t worry, you will not be sacrificing speed by using a smaller wheel size. Some studies have actually shown smaller wheels to be faster. Remember, the best thing you can do is get a bike that fits YOU no matter what it looks like!
PERMALINK:
How short is too short? | Planet JH News Article: Single Track Mind
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