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Advice for shorter toe clips

Bicycles Asked by thkemp on January 12, 2021

I ride a road bike daily for commuting (~2.5 miles) and I like having toe clips (cages, straps, whatever other name they go by) so that I don’t have to use special bike shoes. My bike came with toe clips, but when the plastic on those finally busted, it was time for a new set. I ended up getting some Wellgo pedals that came with toe clips, and they work great except for the fact that they are too long – with the wrong combination of pedal position while turning the front wheel, they will actually collide with the tire. This is not only annoying, but dangerous (I have had two minor falls from it while I’m trying to find another solution).

In shopping around for toe clips online, I seem to only find ones that look similarly long to the ones I got (interestingly, this length is almost never specified in the product details), or they are very short and much more minimal, with no strap that goes over the mid-foot (I think called a "half toe clip"). Can anyone recommend a shorter toe clip with a full strap, or a better way I should be searching for these? I am confused by the lack of results for a very similar product that just has a shorter length from the front of the toe to the front of the pedal (or equivalently, to the center of the pedal).

interference with toe clip and front tire

front of toe clip to center of pedal is approximately 4-1/4"

2 Answers

Toe clips come in various lengths, since obviously toe clips sized for a big guy with size 46 shoes (like me) (== US 13) wouldn't work for a petite woman with size 36 shoes (== US women's 6).

The toe clips page on Chain Reaction Cycles shows very poor stock, but I did find this page at a US shop which has medium sized ones in stock. According to the sizing chart further down that page, they nominally fit men's sizes 5-8, but would almost definitely be shorter than what you have.

Additionally, since they are steel, if you are willing to put some work into it you could probably adjust them somewhat.

Note also that Criggie is correct and you should try adjusting your foot position when you turn. I used to consciously rotate my pedals so my outside foot was down when going into a turn; now it is a purely automatic action.

Answered by DavidW on January 12, 2021

From the picture it looks like your foot is in the correct place.

Foot placement is about getting your foot in the correct place on the pedal - not if it hits the front wheel.

Here is how your foot should be on the pedal
enter image description here
How to Fit a Bicycle

Roughly speaking, the ball of your foot should be directly above the axle of the pedal.

With your foot in the right place it will still hit the front wheel. As the comments mention and as DavidW says you will need to change how you ride to prevent your foot from hitting the front wheel. When you go into a turn right foot, or left foot down.

Answered by David D on January 12, 2021

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