Is pedal strike a reality?

[Profpointy]

Go around corners slower

It's a potential issue, but once you know about it, unlikely to happen in reality. The trick is to move your arse off the saddle Barry Sheene style, and keep the bike itself more upright. I've never had pedal strike on my fixie, and only once, when I was maybe 9 years old*, on a freewheeling bike.

EDIT: * I was 9 years old rather a long time ago

 

[mcshroom]

Oh it's definitely real. This was the result of my last fixed ride in July, from striking a pedal.

Happened because I was thinking more about getting over out of the way of an oncoming car than how leaned over I was

3 months off the bike and a permanent pin in my arm, I've stuck with the freewheel since.

 

[AndyRM]

Oh it's definitely real. This was the result of my last fixed ride in July, from striking a pedal.

Happened because I was thinking more about getting over out of the way of an oncoming car than how leaned over I was

3 months off the bike and a permanent pin in my arm, I've stuck with the freewheel since.

Oooooffffft!!!!

Good effort

 

[Smurfy]

Not happened to me yet. Although my cranks are fairly long, my BB is fortunately quite high.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I have had the odd pedal strike, a couple of times on fixed and once that I can remember on gears. Never come off because of it, just a bit of a hop and skip on the bend.

Same here, scraped pedals (on geared bike) when exiting a roundabout, on a falling gradient, so not a lot of lost speed, just a slight 'bump', as they contacted
(South Leeds - Belle Isle Road, heading down towards Hunslet Carr)

 

[format]

fixed gear bikes should be run with 165mm cranks, which helps avoid it.

 

[Ian H]

fixed gear bikes should be run with 165mm cranks, which helps avoid it.

I swapped from 165 to 170 many years ago. There's no rule for the road. Choosing a frame with a fairly high bottom bracket helps. Knowing your bike helps. Smaller/shallower pedals help.

 

[4F]

I have done it once on the fixed, my fault as I took the corner too fast and too much of a tight angle, just managed to stay on....

 

[totallyfixed]

Never done it and I have 175 cranks. If anyone is concerned, stand next to your bike and lean it over with the pedal at the lowest point, I would suggest that even with long cranks and providing you have a high bb the tyres will lose grip before the pedal strikes the ground [on a flat surface].