# is feet not touching the ground safe?



## red123 (Sep 14, 2008)

Hi, I just bought a used bike and I noticed that even with my seat at the lowest position, only my toes will touch the ground. I am wondering will this be safe? I always thought the ideal bike position was to be able to touch the ground in case your break malfunction or just to break faster. I am 5'6" on an 18" frame.


----------



## Kaba Klaus (Jul 20, 2005)

There is two schools of thought here... cruiser bikes and kids bikes usualy have a geometry that allows to put the feet to the ground. However, they don't pedal very efficiently. Road bikes and trail bikes (XC, AM) put the rider into a very efficent riding position - but the rider cannot touch the ground with the soles.

Even worse - Road bikes and trailsbikes are usualy ridden with clip-in pedals. So it is even more difficult to get the feet to the ground in an emergency!

But no worries. It might not be 100% safe - but it is 100% more fun. You'll learn quickly to NOT to try to break with your feet. (That would only lead to a crash). As front and rear break are independent a failure of both brakes is virtually unheard of. Heck even the failure of one brake is extremely rare. More often the rider goes over the bar - because of rider error, too much braking.

Important to learn is to get of the bike to the front and rear of the saddle. Front is what you do on climbs and level trails. You go to the rear (and ditch the bike) on really steep declines. 

So no worries. It is safe. 

Only issue: Check the stand over height of the bike you are looking at. When you stand over the bike (feet left and right of the bike, groin over the top tube), there should be a bit of air between you and the top tube. Otherwise, well, it might hurt.


----------



## red123 (Sep 14, 2008)

That definitely put me at ease =). I am not sure whether you mean to stand on my pedal over the top tube or just standing on the ground, but when I stand on the ground, the top tube is almost exactly where my groin is at =/. 

Anyway, I don't think it is necessary to post a new topic for this, but I am going to be moving to a new city soon and will need to remove the rear wheels. The problem is that the bolts are not turning at all even with all my strength. Is there a trick to turning the bolts? Thanks


----------



## marzjennings (Jan 3, 2008)

red123 said:


> That definitely put me at ease =). I am not sure whether you mean to stand on my pedal over the top tube or just standing on the ground, but when I stand on the ground, the top tube is almost exactly where my groin is at =/.
> 
> Anyway, I don't think it is necessary to post a new topic for this, but I am going to be moving to a new city soon and will need to remove the rear wheels. The problem is that the bolts are not turning at all even with all my strength. Is there a trick to turning the bolts? Thanks


Sounds like the frame is too big for you.  
You should have a couple of inches, or more, of space between testy and top tube if you don't want to squash one in a crash. When seated my toes rest on the ground, when standing, flat footed, over the top tube there's about a 5 inch gap.

If the wrench has a good fit on the bolt, hold the wrench steady with one hand, about half way along it and tap the free end of the wrench with a 5lb hammer. Or get a longer wrench and increase your leverage.


----------



## Boulder Pilot (Jan 23, 2004)

Or try turning the nut the other way. Seriously, if the nuts are frozen, squirt some Liquid Wrench penetrating oil on the threads, tap a few times with a wrench, then try and loosen. If this doesn't work, heat the nut with a propane torch. It will spin off.


----------



## snaky69 (Mar 8, 2005)

red123 said:


> Hi, I just bought a used bike and I noticed that even with my seat at the lowest position, only my toes will touch the ground. I am wondering will this be safe? I always thought the ideal bike position was to be able to touch the ground in case your break malfunction or just to break faster. I am 5'6" on an 18" frame.


You're on way too big of a frame any way, 18'' is a large for quite a few manufacturers, you should be on a small. I know, I'm 5'6'' as well, and an 18'' frame is way too big for me. I like 16'' and under frames for trail riding.

A longer seatpost helps with proper leg extension, but you want a cockpit that feels just right, not too upright, not too stretched out. You're probably hunched over as you ride your current bike because it is too long for you.

If you need to bail out, it won't be by planting both your feet on the ground, so if they don't touch the ground, don't mind it.


----------



## Cayenne_Pepa (Dec 18, 2007)

I think the original poster's frame is too large, at 18 inches standover height. You need a small frame(15" - 17"). I'm almost 5'8" and my medium(18" seat tube) fits me just right...but barely. I ride with my seatpost extended, for maximum pedaling efficiency. In addition, I also use clipless pedals. After riding over several thousand miles- I realized I can not only ride for longer distances, but with more ease, using clipless pedals. They are not for everyone, though. Once you realize really how fast you can go with an extended seatpost(maximum leg extension)......there is no going back. Don't ride thinking you can bail out easily. Learn to CONTROL your bike first, and bailing-out becomes your absolute LAST resort.


----------



## red123 (Sep 14, 2008)

Yea, I kind of noticed that the frame is a little too big for me. My back started hurting. Fortunately the guy that sold it to me allows me to exchange it to a bike with a smaller frame =).


----------



## f3rg (Aug 29, 2007)

I'm 5'6" and I ride a 16" frame. I'd only try out an 18" frame if I was wearing a cup.


----------



## Killswitch021 (Jun 1, 2007)

Kaba Klaus said:


> You'll learn quickly to NOT to try to break with your feet. (That would only lead to a crash). As front and rear break are independent a failure of both brakes is virtually unheard of.


I actually had that happen to me the other day both the pins that brake lever pivot on fell out and I couldn't actually use both brakes luckily the back break pin fell out on the last little stretch of relatively flat single track and not on a downhill :madman: I guess it was a known issue with Hayes Stroker Rydes and my lbs wasn't told about it. Not to scare the op, but just to let him know that it does happen once in awhile.


----------



## fherjohn (Sep 8, 2008)

man after reading this thread i finally realized that my bike is too big. lol i almost paid for it too earlier!


----------



## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

marzjennings said:


> Sounds like the frame is too big for you.
> You should have a couple of inches, or more, of space between testy and top tube if you don't want to squash one in a crash. When seated my toes rest on the ground, when standing, flat footed, over the top tube there's about a 5 inch gap.


Agreed, that the frame is probably too big.

I have no clearance when standing over my 7" FS bike, and I've done all sorts of amusing manoeuvers on it. Never had any problems with the top tube. The rear of the stem is another matter. :eekster:

I can get my toes on the ground on my HT bikes.

The length of the bike is the important thing, unless all you do is jumping and tricks.


----------

