A good reason not to buy a compact frame

[reacher]

be aware of it but not worried , hmmm , having been lucky enough to experiance a fall where i fell the correct some would say lucky , side , pavement side , i can tell you that had i gone the other way , you could easily see a fatal accident occuring , it would not be outrages to see a vehicle passing you run straight over the body this happens so quickly its unbelievable , you are pitched straight off , no chance to avoid it ,
now i'm no expert , but when you put that compact side by side with a classic frame that i'm just finishing you realise how ridiculous this design is for a cyclist like myself , this is not just toe over lap its , foot jams in the wheel ,
its definately a safety issue and a very serious one that could be fatel and more to the point one that unless you take a fall you have no idea about because no one in the bike shops tells you nor is their any warning of any kind on the bike or instructions to make you aware of this problem ,

 

[screenman]

If you cannot adjust to riding a bike with a overlap I would ask should you be on a bike at all.

 

[reacher]

having just read the article by dave moulton i would say that he his trying to convince himself and every one else that because he rides a bike that belongs in a circus then its the correct way to make a bike for around 99% of other recreational riders , they are dangerous , it may be faster for him , and other racers , for me that extra 2 seconds over 20 miles could be fatal ,

 

[reacher]

If you cannot adjust to riding a bike with a overlap I would ask should you be on a bike at all.

i'l give up today , this is what i like to hear , constructive advice ,

 

[screenman]

Reacher, I do not think the OP was asking for advice, they were just having a rant.

Here is some advice, need to turn tight either have your feet at top and bottom or get off, need to turn when riding normally, lean and even a little counter steer maybe.

 

[sidevalve]

Do it ! Sell the new thing, get on your old rebuilt machine and ride on in peace. As I said I've does exactly this and it feels 1000% better. Bought a new shiny bike but it didn't feel "right" somehow anyway I sold it, and picked up a nice Dawes for £50, only needed a clean and a new chain. It wouldn't suit everybody but it suited me and I suspect your older bike will suit you better too.

 

[screenman]

Jethro Tull did a song about that.

Sidevalve why the name is it anything to do with engines?

 

[reacher]

Do it ! Sell the new thing, get on your old rebuilt machine and ride on in peace. As I said I've does exactly this and it feels 1000% better. Bought a new shiny bike but it didn't feel "right" somehow anyway I sold it, and picked up a nice Dawes for £50, only needed a clean and a new chain. It wouldn't suit everybody but it suited me and I suspect your older bike will suit you better too.

i will be on the old re-built one today , its finally ready , i'v already ridden it and thats the reason i spent money on it , the comparison between the two frames is enormous ,

 

[sidevalve]

Yeah, I ride an old sidevalve BSA too, me and the old girl go back a looong way.
PS, checked the toe clearence on my dawes and unless I put my heel on the pedal I've got about 1/2 inch clear.
I've noticed a lot of modern frames seem a bit "squashed". Great and no problem if that's what you'r used to but if not ride what you're comfy on. Besides, it's good to recycle.

 

[lulubel]

When I encountered toe overlap for the first time on my first road bike (I'm a small woman, so my frame is on the more compact side of compact!) people said it's just the way it is with road bikes and I'd get used to it. I did get used to it, and rode it for 4 years without any problems. There is one tight, uphill turn near here that I don't think I could manage if there was any other traffic and I couldn't use a lot of the road, though.

I've just bought a (new) steel frame and forks as the base for my next bike, and I noticed straight away that there's a fair amount of offset on the new forks, compared to the old forks, which are almost straight. It will interesting to see if toe overlap becomes a thing of the past for me.

 

[DCLane]

The bike I rode mostly last year; a Ridgeback Platinum was a compact. No toe overlap issues.

I'm now using a Spesh Secteur Compact. Again no toe overlap issues.

Maybe just me, or I've got small feet (size 9)?

 

[reacher]

checked my daughters , no problems at all , nor do i have the problem on the older bike , pretty much , what it amounts to is you dont need to ride a bike with this problem , its a design that the makers of bikes have convinced every one is faster , turns better , is lighter and we should buy ,
its none of these , what it is for an average cyclist is a dangerous bike if your not aware of it and the only way you are aware of it is if you fall off , no way around that ,
i took out a 1980s bike tonight that cost a quarter of this circus bike , its faster , more comfortoble , turns exactly the same , so scratch the word light and responsive when you look at these compact frames , unless of course you wish to enter ride through the cone competitions , its none of these ,
of course you dont see all this because you get comments like if you cant ride with toe over lap you should not be on a bike from executive members on here , which means that the problem is nicely buried away and they can sell compact frames with out any one knowing that they are buying a potential death trap ,

 

[youngoldbloke]

I have a very compact frame - 44 cm, no noticeable toe overlap - may be some when the bars are turned excessively, but I have always expected that - from early 1960s bikes on, geared and fixed. It has never been a problem.

 

[reacher]

maybe not for you , but how many people have been killed or injured because the manufacturers changed the design ? and they dont tell you that its a problem and potential hazaard and for a normal person they have absolutely no idea that this could happen ,
and it is a problem though is'nt it ? or i would'nt have come off , so are you saying that i'm the only person that this has happened to ?
on top of that the old design and new , my daughters bike is a year old has no such problem , so bikes can be made with out this problem ,

 

[screenman]

Along with this we can make cars that only do 10 mph and I suppose planes that do not get off the ground. Best get a trike they are much harder to fall off, no forget that bit have you tried cornering on one.