Complete newbie on bikes here. So I got this one years ago (rigid mtb i think?) from a relative and I seem to notice that the pedals seems pretty low when I riding it and even the tiniest bumps my pedal scrapes, can i possibly fit larger wheels on it? (26er into 650b or 27.5), always wanted to fit bigger wheels anyways xD
I'll provide more pics if you guys ask.
I appreciate any help thanks 🙏
by Kari_FPS
15 Comments
Do you have air in your tires?
Secondly, pedal strikes are not normal unless you are taking sharp corners while pedalling, this shouldn’t be an issue for just gentle riding around.
The 3″ pedal height in the photo isn’t abnormally low. Does your bike have a suspension fork? If so, does the fork compress a lot when you get on the bike or when you go over small bumps?
No, you can’t easily change the tire size on that bike, because the brakes won’t reach the rim on a larger wheel, even if you can squeeze a larger wheel in there.
To avoid pedal scrapes, you need to be mindful of your pedal position when cornering and going over bumps or curbs. For big bumps, you generally want to stop pedalling, and get your pedals level to the ground – one in front, one out back, and keep them like that until you are past the bump.
This will also help you keep weight off your butt – if you lift your butt off the saddle / seat and hover with bent knees, you can get the bike over the bump more easily, without getting jostled so much.
If you are taking a sharp corner, keep the inside pedal (the one towards the inside of the corner) in the up position, and the one on the outside of the corner in the down position.
You have lots of clearance Clarence
That’s a perfectly normal amount of clearance.
Cornering you should have the pedals level or the outside pedal down. Over rough terrain you’ll need to pick a line that’s smoother & sometimes stop pedalling with the pedals level to avoid striking the ground, rocks, roots etc.
This is just part of cycling
With rim brakes bigger wheels are either not going to be an option at all, or will require a ton of upgrades making it cost prohibitive…
Get new tires a size up (same wheels)
Get pedals that are slightly thinner if you still have scrape issues.
Make sure you ride considering your terrain (stop pedaling near obstacles/turns)
either get bigger wheels or shorter cranks. or both.
I think that those pedals are abnormally low.
I measured four bikes here. Three of them have 115 mm / 4.5″ clearance. One is similar to yours at 75 mm / 3″ of clearance. However, that is an antique bike (1968 Schwinn Varsity) with wheels that are smaller than stock (26″ versus 27″). Some options:
* It looks like you could install larger wheels, but then you would also need new brakes so that the pads line up with the taller rim.
* That tire looks rather narrow for a mountain bike. It looks like you have enough frame clearance to install larger tires. Wider tires are also taller.
* Another option might be shorter crank arms.
* And, as others have suggested, just be careful that a pedal is never down close to the ground when you are going around a corner or over a bump.
If it was my bike, I would install bigger tires and be careful on corners.
It happens. Try coasting through the corner, with your outside pedal down. If it happens at speed, it can be dangerous.
Don’t peddle going around turns. Don’t make a turn with your inside foot at the bottom of the peddle stroke. Feet at 12 and 6 relative to hands on a clock. It’s ok to have your outside foot at the bottom, gives more clearance. But will need to change for each turn.
You can also ride so you feet are both in the middle of the pedal stroke. One foot at 3 and one at 9. This will give both feet plenty of clearance for any turn at any speed and lean.
Peddle strikes while making a turn is very dangerous, and can result in getting airborne and subsequent loss of control and a painful crash when riding at speed.
Happy riding!
This is less of a technical question and more of a how to ride a bike question. Stop pedaling in turns, you won’t hit
It has low volume slicks on it, that frame is designed around 2 inch ish wide mtb tires. That would be the quickest fix.
(Warning: graphic imagery)
Here’s what the brakes look like from the side if anyone’s curious
https://preview.redd.it/yvwfgcq9ybje1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1200176410075132a67f182ea6ad44c65b778629
Don’t pedal while cornering. Don’t pedal while riding over obstacles.
I coach a mountain bike team and we teach “level pedals” meaning that when you’re coasting or cornering the crank arms should be horizontal to the ground with one pedal all the way forward and the other pedal all the way back. This way you have equal ground clearance on both sides of the bike, are ready to resume pedaling when needed, and allows for better bike body separation (moving the bike underneath you to navigate trails)
My road bike has almost as much clearance as your MTB.
I am not surprised that you hit stuff 😉