Is it normal that my foot contacts the front wheel?

A bike's wheelbase must be limited to ensure the best handling characteristics. This often leads to a phenomenon commonly referred to as ‘toe overlap’. This is when your foremost foot contacts the front wheel when you turn the wheel to an acute angle at really slow speed. This is entirely normal and is not indicative of a problem with the design or fit of the bike. When riding and cornering at normal speed, the wheel is never turned far enough to cause this issue.

The only time you may encounter toe overlap is when entering tight, slow speed corners. And there are certain steps you can take to minimise its effects:

• Position your inside foot in the twelve o’clock position to avoid the pedal striking the ground. Your outside foot being in the 6 o’clock position also ensures that there’s a sufficient gap between it and the tyre. This technique will become second nature once you’ve tried it out a few times.
• Make sure your feet are positioned correctly on the pedals. The pedal axle should be aligned with the ball off your foot.
• Fitting mudguards will increase the likelihood of toe overlap occurring. Try to ensure that the gap between tyre and mudguard is sufficient to ensure they do not come into contact but not too large that it increases the chance of toe overlap.