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Peddle strikes!

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Bojko

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Hi all, fairly new to emtb just brought cube stereo hybrid one77 and just keep getting constant peddle strikes! Messed about adjusting suspension/tyre psi etc, is there anything anyone else has done to combat this problem, read online it’s fairly low bb but just wondering what parts etc people have used thanks in advance -Jack
 
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Has no one thought of the damage and scratches being done to the numerous trail rocks and roots. I notice that 😉.

I’ve reduced the length of my cranks from 165mm to 160mm. I’ve only noticed a slight difference. But what has really helped me is that I read the trail. I notice the scars on rocks and roots, so I know when I need to hop or rotate my peddles or change direction by a few inches.

I get more peddle strikes when I’m climbing a technical trail. I gotta be fast to rotate my cranks to avoid that crunch. My skid plate can take a few hits though …which is why I keep a spare skid plate (alloy).
 
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Tom Sellers said:
After shortening my cranks by 10mm, I discovered my rear shock was the culprit, it was under inflated, resulting in too much sag.
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Shock tune is much more likely to cause pedal strikes than 10mm difference in crank length... but it is not just sag, it is more about the mid stroke support. The shock is more likely to be more compressed if the bike is climbing and/or a lot of crank torque is being applied. Reducing SAG will of course help but just doing that may not prevent the shock compressing excessively in those circumstances
 
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RustyMTB said:
The cheapest method is technique. Ride level pedals when you're not turning & burning, keep your outside foot low when turning. That's free of charge & will keep you from striking pedals and pedal strikes on ebikes are bad, like very bad. Avoid them.
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This ^^^ I’ve taken newbies out and tell them 3 things you MUST master (especially in rocky terrain). Being in right gear at right time, momentum, and stroke timing (and sometimes back peddling) to avoid pedal strikes.
 
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I will add to the rear shock was low on pressure so I started getting pedal strikes where I normally don’t get any. ( thought my new bike had cranks that were too long so did the new crank thing research, luckily found that my suspension sag was too much so I doubled checked both fork and shock and both were too low for my weight- my rides over roots and stuff are now free from strikes) 🤘🏽😎
 
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I'm a strike expert definitely better now but first year horrendous. Got 155 cranks it made a difference. Still get some good ones when least expected. Under 15 stone in the skud but add a fair bit with clothes and rucksack. Pedal strikes could cause motor failure the repair man says.
 
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It's an interesting query. I took 12 years off MTB, and when I came back to it, some amazing innovations have been made. One new approach was a much shorter crank. I didn't think too much about it, but 1300 miles later, here are my thoughts: I definitely experience more pedal strikes than I used to, but they are far less severe than I remember. I don't spend too much time measuring, or speculating about BB height, or geometry in general. I do run unusually low tire pressure, which may add to the dynamic. I definitely think the shorter crank bar reduces the energy transfer on a strike. Now, it could be because I am older now, and I have always been an engineer by trade, but my approach to mitigating this is new, and different for me. Instead of scrutinizing, or exchanging equipment (as I would have certainly focused on before), I try to be more conscious of my pedal position, and that alone has morphed into an almost subconscious awareness, and ability to avoid strikes. In summation, I would say I am huge fan of shorter cranks, and low PSI, I just had to refine my riding technique.
 
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Depends how much strikes you are having if I had one every ride I would think a bit more about it 🤔 . If you are riding unknown trails a lot you are probably more prone to them . Must admit I don't remember pedal strikes being a issue on non Ebikes . But been off road biking since 86 so a lot of skills will or should come naturally before the dementia kicks in 😉.
 
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Just gan said:
Depends how much strikes you are having if I had one every ride I would think a bit more about it 🤔 . If you are riding unknown trails a lot you are probably more prone to them . Must admit I don't remember pedal strikes being a issue on non Ebikes . But been off road biking since 86 so a lot of skills will or should come naturally before the dementia kicks in 😉.
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With eMTBs we're also able to reach far more unfamiliar terrain so will naturally get more pedal strikes.
 
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Stihldog said:
Has no one thought of the damage and scratches being done to the numerous trail rocks and roots. I notice that 😉.

I’ve reduced the length of my cranks from 165mm to 160mm. I’ve only noticed a slight difference. But what has really helped me is that I read the trail. I notice the scars on rocks and roots, so I know when I need to hop or rotate my peddles or change direction by a few inches.

I get more peddle strikes when I’m climbing a technical trail. I gotta be fast to rotate my cranks to avoid that crunch. My skid plate can take a few hits though …which is why I keep a spare skid plate (alloy).
Click to expand...
High Rock Ruti

I agree, rocks and roots have feelings too!

Warm Regards Ruti
 
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sandspit said:
.........................., I try to be more conscious of my pedal position, and that alone has morphed into an almost subconscious awareness, and ability to avoid strikes. In summation, ...................................., I just had to refine my riding technique.
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THIS!
I learned that on my mtb, I am unaware of any increase in pedal strikes since I went to emtb.
 
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irie said:
With eMTBs we're also able to reach far more unfamiliar terrain so will naturally get more pedal strikes.
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Mikerb said:
...... and the heavier weight of an emtb makes the suspension far more active
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Yes exactly plus all you gear i carry , weight is a big factor. It's all very well saying keep cranks at 3 / 9 o'clock position you would be stopping peddling on every corner.
 
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Just gan said:
It's all very well saying keep cranks at 3 / 9 o'clock position you would be stopping peddling on every corner.
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I've got a regular section of 200+ meters of rocks, roots, and mud where the pedals have to stay at 3/9. For these prolonged sections, a throttle is the only solution.
 
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Tom Sellers said:
I've got a regular section of 200+ meters of rocks, roots, and mud where the pedals have to stay at 3/9. For these prolonged sections, a throttle is the only solution.
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Yes throttle would be the way. I have lost some of the need for speed now so I can coast quite happily 😊.
 
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The poster is new to emtb so he will get better like we all did. Lot of it comes naturally with experience but I imagine even the best like me get the odd pedal strikes. You can over think it as well. Enjoy your next strike 😉 . Never broke a pedal yet so can't be that bad.
 
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I've had exactly one pedal strike all year & it cost me a hefty surgery & three months off the bike. Pedal strikes are part of it, you can never entirely eliminate them but you can learn to ride mindful of your foot position & minimise your exposure,

What you can't do is get rid of that hidden root, tree stump covered in grass & all the rest of it. Sometimes it's just bad luck, sometimes your turn to pay your bike tax.
 
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RustyMTB said:
I've had exactly one pedal strike all year & it cost me a hefty surgery & three months off the bike. Pedal strikes are part of it, you can never entirely eliminate them but you can learn to ride mindful of your foot position & minimise your exposure,

What you can't do is get rid of that hidden root, tree stump covered in grass & all the rest of it. Sometimes it's just bad luck, sometimes your turn to pay your bike tax.
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Hey, I'm curious: what length cranks do you have?
 
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For those with shorter inseams, a shorter crank may actually be more anatomically correct for human power delivery (though roadies call BS on this)-there are several calculators on the web. The added bonus is a lot less rock strikes. And the leverage disadvantage is counteracted by motor assist. There is less platform, but you can get use to it.
 
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The "ride better" posts really annoy me.

Pedal strikes suck and can really hurt a rider, so if you can stack the deck in your favor with shorter cranks I'm all for it, especially if you're a new rider.
 
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Bad Mechanic said:
The "ride better" posts really annoy me.

Pedal strikes suck and can really hurt a rider, so if you can stack the deck in your favor with shorter cranks I'm all for it, especially if you're a new rider.
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I have a GasGas MXC 6 with sram/brose motor. The ground clearance is less than most so pedal strikes are more common. I do my best to avoid with riding style but it’s still a problem. It’s fitted with 165 mm sram XO eagle cranks. I’m 5’10 with 30 inch inseam. How much shorter can I reasonably go with crank arms without negatively affecting leverage? Thanks in advance to all forum members.
 
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dezzracer said:
I have a GasGas MXC 6 with sram/brose motor. The ground clearance is less than most so pedal strikes are more common. I do my best to avoid with riding style but it’s still a problem. It’s fitted with 165 mm sram XO eagle cranks. I’m 5’10 with 30 inch inseam. How much shorter can I reasonably go with crank arms without negatively affecting leverage? Thanks in advance to all forum members.
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You can easily go 155 without any issue. Especially on an eMTB you really don't need to worry about leverage.

Even an a regular MTB crank length leverage isn't an issue as you can just shift down a gear if you need more leverage.
 
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Bad Mechanic said:
The "ride better" posts really annoy me.

Pedal strikes suck and can really hurt a rider, so if you can stack the deck in your favor with shorter cranks I'm all for it, especially if you're a new rider.
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I don’t think anyone is right or wrong when it comes to the variety of bike geometry or the variety of trails we typically ride on. It might take a while but eventually we find our “happy place”.

Crank length, bar width, seat position, chainring size etc. After a few rides, or more, we become satisfied with our geometry choices. Although that might cost a few dollars or eat up some time experimenting.

I eventually stopped looking for the Holy Grail. I probably wouldn’t even recognize it if it hit me in the face. 😉

Both my EMTB’s are very similar in geometry. If/when something breaks I usually replace it with the same brand or size. My tinkering days are starting to wain/wayne/whane/ween/ ???(errrr…get smaller)😁
 
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Bad Mechanic said:
You can easily go 155 without any issue. Especially on an eMTB you really don't need to worry about leverage.

Even an a regular MTB crank length leverage isn't an issue as you can just shift down a gear if you need more leverage.
Click to expand...
I have only reduced crank length on one bike which was a Whyte e180 rs. I think the standard crank was 165 and I fitted Hope 155 cranks.
The main difference I noted was that moving the bike from a standstill or very slow speed required much less crank effort. Where that proved most useful was on a technical section where I had stalled either on purpose or by mistake. To be honest I think I had sorted getting pedal strikes by then but having a shorter crank did provide more confidence. So I found no negatives changing to shorter cranks and one stand out benefit in terms of the above scenarios. I have since changed to Whyte e160 rsx bikes and felt no need to change cranks.
 
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