# Is my 53cm LeMond really a 53cm?



## kbarn (May 23, 2006)

How can I tell if my 53cm Tourmalet is really 53cm? I had done my homework and determined that I needed a 53, bought this one on ebay (yep)... fixed it up and darn if my toes aren't hitting the front wheel in turns. I'm about 5'6" and don't think this should be happening. What do I measure to determine the actual size of this bike?


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

*Normal for a smaller frame.*

I'm guessing you're talking about a '99 Tourmalet with a horizontal top tube?

Lemond's frame size designation at that time was the center-to-center measurement, meaning the distance from the center of the bottom bracket to the point where the centerlines of the seat tube and the top tube intersect. On a '99 Tourmalet stickered and sold as a 53 cm, that distance should be 53 cm, or 20 7/8" if you don't have a metric rule handy.

Toe-overlap is very common on go-fast bikes, especially in smaller sizes like a 53 cm. Some minor fit issues are accepted by the frame designers if they want a smaller bike to handle as well as a larger one. Toe-overlap is one of those minor fit issues, occurring only at very low speeds and extremely tight turns.

However, if you do make a lot of those turns, try these ways of avoiding a toe strike:

- Lower your outside heel as much as you can to bring the toe back so it clears the tire. Practice on the stationary bike first to see if this will work.

- "Ratchet" your way through a turn, never bringing your outside toe anywhere near the front tire.

- Don't pedal. Go into the turn with a little more speed than you think you need to coast all the way through, then scrub speed carefully as needed. This takes practice. After a while, you'll be able to coast through the tightest turn not even touching the brakes.


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## kbarn (May 23, 2006)

*thanks*

Yes it is a '99. Thanks for the helpful information! I'm a mountain biker new to road bikes and have only been riding hill repeats with it so far. I'm turning around on a very narrow road. phew! I thought I'd put all that work into a bike that wasn't going to work for me.

thanks again!


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