texts: Lubricating screw/braze-on threads: Bike lube or polylube?

texts:
Years ago, I made the newbie mistake of forcing a rack screw into a steel braze-on. I had to replace that fork. And I've heard this advice many times: When putting a screw into a braze-on, put a little lube on the screw to keep rust from forming. So I take good care of rack screws and braze-ons now.

I was putting fenders and racks back on a bike today, and I had finished cleaning the screws and eyelets. When I reached into my tool bag for some lube, I realized I had regular bike lube as well as polylube. (That's the goopy stuff you use for seatposts.)

I tried polylube on a pair of 5mm screws and regular lube on a set of 4mm screws. Over time, I'll see which set of threads is cleaner, or if there's any difference at all.

I'm using Parktool Polylube 1000 and Prolink Chainlube (regular lube, not wax).

My question: Is there a difference between using regular bike lube and polylube to lubricate threads? Can polylube be harmful in this context? Or should I be using something else entirely?


texts: Ultegra 6510 shifter broken - upgrade to 10 speed?

texts:
My Ultegra 6510 9 speed right shifter broke. The screw holding shift lever to the back of the break lever popped out taking the threads with it. I don't know what the root cause of the problem but I was having issues shifting and I suspect that constant forcing while shifting on climbs likely caused the problem. I notice that the down shift lever is loose and wiggly and I suspect that the pin holding it place is becoming loose.

Now my issue is that the parts are obsolete. My bike is a Trek 5200 OCLV from circa 2002. Ultegra is now 11 speed, thus replacing it with a new Ultegra shifter is not possible without replacing the entire drive train and wheels, and I have a set Mavic Cosmic carbon wheels in addition to the stock wheels. Making an 11 speed upgrade not feasible.

The only new 9 speed shifter that I have seen is Shimano Sora 3500, but this seems to be major downgrade.

This leaves the option to upgrade to 10 speed. What will need to be changed? Obviously the rear dérailleur, cassette and chain. The chain rings will need to be changed regardless due to relative wear (new chain on partially worn rings). Is it possible to find 10 speed compatible chain-rings that will fit on an Ultegra 6510 crank? Or, is a whole new crank set required? Does the front dérailleur need to change?


texts: Does MTB tyres wear off fast in City - gravel pavement streets, city road?

texts:
I want to buy a Cross country MTB that I want to use everyday to work within the city in weekdays. In weekends I want to take it for off-city roads with partially mud and grassy terrain.

Will the MTB tyres wear off fast when using the city?


texts: When does the pace bike leave in Keirin?

texts:
I understand the pace bike gets the pack up to speed, but of the 8 lap race how do they decide which lap to bring the pace bike off?

Is it based on speed?


texts: How to remove a seized bottom bracket from a titanium frame?

texts: I can't loosen it even with a long breaker bar.


texts: Is this old steel frame MTB too big based on standover clearance?

texts:
Background: I'm a road bike rider but I bought a cheap but well kept old chro-moly steel frame 26er mountain  bike (80s or early 90s model Miyata). I am planning on converting this to an ebike with a Bafang mid drive kit.
I can ride the bike fairly comfortably with the seat post most of the way in. No problem with reaching the handlebars. BUT if I'm standing over the bike in my shoes, the top tube is definitely touching my balls and pushing them up. There's no clearance. I know the importance of standover clearance is debated so I'm not sure what to think about this. The bike definitely feels large but I don't know how much this is a function of the frame being an older design with a horizontal top tube, me not being very used to MTBs or it just being too large.
Would you say that the frame is too large for me? I like the frame but I don't want to use it for the build if it's too large. I'm just not familiar with how these old bikes, and old MTBs especially, should feel.
Thank you!

This is intended to be used on road 100% of the time, for commuting up some steep hills.


texts: When upgrading from a Claris to an Ultegra crank, the latter has a gap between BB and crankarm

texts:
I have a Giant contend 2 2017, its been a great work horse but now it needs changing, I got an Ultegra groupset for cheaper than a 2nd hand Ultegra spec bike. I've started with swapping the crank over, but noticed a gap between the BB and crank arm on non drive side that wasn't there on the claris crank. I'm assuming I need spacers but none came with Ultegra crank.
What measurements do I need to take to know:

crank is in right position to too far one side or other.
what size spacers if needed and fitted which side,

Tried looking for build manual but so many different variants can't find what I need.
Thanks
Matt


texts: Is a headlight required to emit light to the sides?

texts:
The California Vehicle Code says:

  (d) A bicycle operated during darkness upon a highway, a sidewalk
  where bicycle operation is not prohibited by the local jurisdiction,
  or a bikeway, as defined in Section 890.4 of the Streets and Highways
  Code, shall be equipped with all of the following:

  (1) A lamp emitting a white light that, while the bicycle is in
  motion, illuminates the highway, sidewalk, or bikeway in front of the
  bicyclist and is visible from a distance of 300 feet in front and from
  the sides of the bicycle.

I have a pretty bright Cygolite headlight, but it emits practically no light from the sides, if you look at a 90 degree angle you can't see any light at all from the headlight.

Is this strictly legal under the law? I do supplement with a blinky light that  provides some side illumination (though I'm not sure you could see it from the sides at 300 feet from the bike), but I'm wondering if my headlight meets the letter of the law? If I'm ever in an accident, I don't want the other driver to be able to say "How could I have seen him, he didn't even have the headlight required by law!"

I've looked at a few other states but they didn't have any requirement for side visibility of the headlight.


texts: Can you recommend a fixed LED headlight for a bike with a hub dynamo?

texts:
I have a Batavus Dutch bike for local commuting with a Shimano DH-2R30E 6 volt, 2.4 watt hub dynamo driving a halogen bulb headlight. The light provided is not very bright and I would like to know if I can replace it with an LED headlight for a reasonable cost. If so, what would you recommend?

I should also mention that I would like to bolt the light to the bike in place of the existing light, rather that fix it the the handlebar and unclip it when I leave the bike. One of the major benefits of the Dutch bike concept is that everything is fitted including locks and lights, so it is quick to use for short local journeys.

Given that I will leave the light on the bike unattended, the light shouldn't look too special, and a reasonable cost would be less that $100/£80.


texts:
I'm just retiring my old roadie and looking to buy a new bike, and am torn on what kind to buy.

I cycle 34 miles per day on my commute, down roads and canal towpaths (which are bumpy and have on several occasions wrecked the wheels on my roadie).  I also like going out on long leisure rides.  For that reason, my initial thought was that I should get a touring bike, which would be able to handle the potholes I encounter daily.

The other problem I have though is that I have no proper outdoor space to clean the bike, and this has caused many issues with my roadie (which doesn't have mudguards), which got super gummed up.  I have taken it up on the roof through a window to clean in the past, but its a bit of a pain.  I really like the idea of an internally geared hub, but I can't find any touring bikes within my budget (£1000) with one.  I did find the boardman URB 8.9, which looks really nice, but I'm not sure if flat bars are going to be a problem on longer rides.

I really don't know what to do, please help me!


texts: Is there a left-sided powermeter that requires less than 8 millimeters of clearance?

texts:
I'm willing to spend some money on a powermeter to train a tad more effectively on my bike. The problem is, that my frame (Trek Checkpoint ALR 4 2018) does not have the required clearance between crank and chain stay of 10 millimeters.
Ideally I'm looking for a crank, that requires less then 8 millimeters clearance.
Alternative solutions would be a right-sided solution for a Tiagra group set or SPD pedals - given they do not exceed 500-700€.
I've been looking at solutions from Stages and 4iii, but none of those will fit. The SRM X-Power SPD pedals cost almost as much as my bike, so they are absolutely out of the equation.


texts: Avid BB5 asymmetrical pad rub position and squeal

texts:
I'm setting up some Avid BB5s.

As I tried to bed in the brakes, the front one squeals quite heavily, the back does not.

The following image is of the non-drive side of the front disc rotor. (Where the outboard pad hits.)

The following image is of the drive side of the front disc rotor (where the rotor is pressed into the inboard pad.)

Notice the marks where the pad material has transferred onto the rotor in each picture. The marks end further inward toward the centre of the disk on the outboard pad side, than on the side where the inboard pad hits it.

Because of the way the brake works (bending the rotor at an angle as it is pushed into the stationary inboard pad), this would make sense to me as the very top of the rotor hits the inboard pad, and because of the angle, leaves a gap lower down. But is this how BB5s are supposed to be?

I say this because the while a similar thing is happening on the rear rotor, it is not quite as pronounced (ie, the inboard pad side seems to be hitting a smidge more square on, and does not squeal).

I have played around with different pad adjustments as well as caliper alignment. I've tried the sanding the rotor and pads trick. And it's new so nothing is contaminated and I've used alcohol on everything just to be sure. Nothing seems to make any difference either with trying to bring the position of the inboard pad lower as it makes contact, or the squealing itself.

I took it to my LBS, he seems to think it's an acceptable set up and just needs riding, but did not say why the rear seems to be acting differently to the front, despite setting them up in the same way multiple times. Could it be a slight manufacturing defect on the front one that causes the inboard pad to sit at a slight angle (it's not totally clear with the naked eye).


texts: How easy is it to remove a seat with a dropper post?

texts:
I recently got a shop to install a dropper post on my mountain bike and just now realized that I have to take the seat off in order to fit it on a car boot rack. Is it straight forward to take it off the bike? Does the control cable disconnect from the post?

I don't want to pull it out and then fish for the cable inside the frame.

The post is an internally routed Giant Contact Switch.


texts: Where is the valve in my handpump - and what stopped it working?

texts:
I have quite an old handpump that fits on my frame.

It looks like it's called TOPEAK  "miniDUALG - optimised for MTB/ROAD."

It has a pressure guage and various bits that screw the handle to the body and the body to the end with the pressure/bar valve, with an interchangeable head that allows you to switch between Schrader and Presta / Woods/Dunlop valves.

Last night, when I got a puncture, it wasn't working. The pump was placing as much resistance to pumping in as pulling out (I may even have been drawing air back out of the tyre, I can't remember).  Somewhere, there must be a blockage which is stopping the one-way valve from working.

But where is the air intake for the pump anyway?  In the head (part of the valve adaptor), the middle (it has two sets of o-rings, with some cleverly designed stuff between them), or the handle (which has gaps in the screw thread down which air might flow from the outside — if that cup-shaped head seal would let it).

Anyone got any suggestions?  I'm baffled - but I don't want to throw away a perfectly good bike pump if I can repair it.


texts:
On a ride today I ran over a water run off too fast and have caused an outward bulging dent in both sides of my rim. The bulge is hardly noticeable to see or touch but I "think" I can feel it when riding. This rim is definitely on the way out as I've dinged it a couple of times now but want to ride it until I can get a new one put in the hub.

I've successfully removed inward dents but want to know if there is a trick to removing outward ones?

I cannot find a flat spot in the rim so hoping bending back to straight May work.


texts: How to protect rear derailleur while mountain biking?

texts:
I am a college students, and I live right next to an amazing rocky area (picture below), I bike every day, and while I am getting much better and more confident I still take a pretty hard fall every so often.

My derailleur has been crushed so many times, and I have been forced to literally pull on it to bend it back into shape on more than one occasion.

I am hoping to replace the derailleur soon, but I would like to know if there is a good way to protect the derailleur during a fall - this will decide how much I spend on a new one!

This is the stuff that is crushing my derailleur every time I fall.


texts: Why does my back wheel keep becoming untrue?

texts:
So I broke a spoke a week ago, and when I put a new spoke in you know I trued it. Now, a week later, the bike feels like a kayak, because the back wheel is not very straight. Any idea why this would happen?

Some other information:

Hybrid road/mountain bike, single speed. Pretty tall, like a 62cm frame I think, with relatively small wheels.
I rode the bike with a broken spoke for another 30 miles or so before I had a chance to do something about it.
I wheel got so out of whack with my broken spoke that it caused trouble with the rear brake: if I jammed the rear brake, the brake pad would slip off the wheel.
Everything was fine up until the past few days

It's still rideable, and when I have a moment I'm going to go to the shop and true it again (hey, bikerowave!), but it seems like a waste of time to do that if there's some essential problem I'm ignoring.


texts: How to be certain a Boardman ADV 8.8 would fit without prior road bike experience?

texts:
I'm looking to buy my first road bike - an adventure/gravel road bike.

Question: How can I be certain it's okay or not? And should I be looking for a bike that's closer to my estimated frame requirements, and with ideal clearance/reach?

Background information: I went to Halfords today and rode a Boardman ADV 8.8 (size large, 55.5cm) around the store. It's great value for a 10.5kg gravel bike. I'm a 5 ft 11 male with a 34 inch in leg size. So using the livestrong calculator apparently best for me is 57.86 frame size & 76.26 saddle height.

I loved the bike but i wasn't sure whether it was too small - specifically, i'm referring to the efficiency/comfort of my leg rotation/angles on the pedals. It felt like my legs were coming too high up and meeting some resistance from myself. So the staff raised the seat more and it became noticeably easier.

The staff didn't want to keep raising the seat saying the bending down could become uncomfortable. Whilst with 1 1/2 / 2 inches of standing clearance between the bar and the crotch, they worried an XL would be too high and I wouldn't have enough reach.

I'm not sure whether it just feels new and different compared to conventional cheap hybrid bikes i've been used to, or whether there's a problem. It is obviously smaller than my estimated frame requirement, but apparently the XL wouldn't work (reach & clearance).

So the question: How can I be certain it's okay or not? And should I be looking for a bike that's closer to my estimated frame requirements, and with ideal clearance/reach?

Thanks for any advice.


texts: Key points to ensure that a trainer is compatible with bicycle?

texts:
What should I be looking at to ensure that my bicycle and my trainer are compatible?

The current question is: I currently have a Surly Disc Trucker with 26 inch geometry, would that be compatible with the 2013 Kinetic By Kurt?

What things so I look at to ensure that a bicycle and a trainer are compatible with each other?


texts:
I've spent hours with my bike on the stand.  On the stand: it performs great.  When I ride, I can cause the rear gears to shift just by changing how hard I pedal  (the harder i pedal, the higher up on the cassette the chain will jump. If i let up, the chain will drop into a harder gear)

I've replaced almost everything: Cables/Housing Cassette and Chain, even the rear deraillure hanger and deraillure.

Any ideas would be helpful.


texts: Chemically roughening rim braking surface to improve performance

texts:
For trial bicycles there is a technique to improve braking performance by roughening the rim surface using a grinder.

How-to video
Apparently, this technique is not widely seen outside the trials competition. There are other ways to  improve the braking efficiency (better pads, cables, housings and technique) worth trying before messing with power tools. Not to forget that decreasing rim's thickness shortens its lifespan.
I recently discovered (purely by accident¹) that application of a certain kind of household cleaning fluid to the rim surface had improved braking power on a few spots of the rim.
The only explanation I have now is that the rim's surface has gotten chemically etched, which roughened it in those spots.
I wonder now if this is another viable hack to try for braking performance.
Is such chemical rim treatment a thing to consider? Is using a sandpaper and roughening by hand an alternative?

¹ I was cleaning a neglected chain from a nasty thick layer of dried teflon chain lube. Apparently, I was not very accurate and a section of the rim got covered by the cleaning liquid. The same liquid has demonstrated to be able to remove anodizing from a cassette, meaning it is quite powerful (base? acid? no idea). I should probably stop experimenting with it…


texts: Tools needed to perform groupset overhaul

texts:
I'm looking at buying the new Shimano 105 5800 equipment for my bike. It is a 2010 Specialized Allez (Sport Triple) and still has its basic Sora components that it came with. I asked my local bike shop how much it would cost to buy & fit (6400 sek, ~€700 of which roughly $50 was the labour). Looking online, Wiggle sells the groupset at ~€400, and Chainreactioncycles at ~€450. If I can equip myself with the right tools for significantly less than the €300 saving it makes sense for me to DIY.

My questions:

What tools will I need to buy to be able to completely overhaul?

What other tools are recommended to make it easier? (e.g. cable crimpers are better than regular pliers..)


texts: Two weeks ago my rear axle break into two pieces and I replace it with a new one. Yeterday that axle broke while trying to lift the front wheel up. Do you know what might be causing this?


texts:
Assuming that the wheel will fit in the drops, will a rear wheel (minus the freewheel/cassette) work for a front wheel?  What kind of problems could this present?

I happen to have a spare back wheel for my bike (without the freewheel on it) and wonder could I if my front gets totaled.


texts: Square taper bottom bracket noise from street riding fixed gear

texts:
I’ve been trying to eliminate crank/bb noise  in several different Sugino RD2 cranksets over the years with no luck. Always a faint click, once per revolution on the crankarms.

I’ve tightened EVERYTHING. I’ve tried grease and locktite in different ways on crank bolts and chainring bolts. The mechanics all say everything looks good. I’ve had BB shells faced. I’ve installed the BBs myself, and had shops do it. Always tons of grease. I’ve done this with several frames, and many different pedals.

I’ve heard some say you have to tighten the crank bolts, ride, tighten, ride, tighten, ride, tighten, etc... And I have done that too.

Still a click. I’ve had several of these sets. New. All the same problem.

My understanding is that it’s more difficult to get the system quiet because of reversal of torque from riding and skidding involved in street riding fixed, vs on the track where there’s not much reason to skid in the velodrome.

But I haven’t tried non-Sugino cranksets or bottom brackets.

Is this a common problem to do with all square taper fixed gear street riders, or just Sugino systems?

I have a hard time believing Sugino would continually make a noisy product.

I’ve had several different non-square-taper systems, and they are always quiet. It makes me think square tapers are just bad for street riding fixed.


texts:
I was wondering instead of a long cage rear dearailleur (RD), what would happen if 2 rear short cage RDs were used instead?  I realize the 2nd one might cause some mounting issues but assuming there was a proper bracket to hold it in place, could they somehow be synchronized to pad out or take up similar amounts of chain but about half each so they don't need to angle as much as a single?  For example, if the same cable passed to both of them but there were calibrated to shift one rear cog each laterally, but individually would only take up or pad out enough chain for half a shift, so that combined they would make a complete shift but with half the travel/deflection or whatever the proper term is when it moves.  If they were both identical RDs (with same spring tension), would they automatically share the chain takeup/padout equally (half each) or would the system be biased more towards one than the other?

I am not suggesting this is a good thing to try.  I am just asking if it is possible and what problems may occur as a result and if it would actually work.


texts: What's the recommended torque of the front caliper bolt for a carbon fork?  The Fork is from a Felt F1. I don't want to damage the fork from over thightening.


texts: What are the risks of fenders/mudguards?

texts:
I've seen fender/mudguard descriptions that mention things like breakaway stays and discussions about the relative safety of metal vs plastic fenders, but I'm not getting what the concerns are.

Can anybody explain what the potential hazards of fenders are and how to mitigate them? The rainy season is coming…

I'm especially interested in full fenders on a road bike.


texts:
I'm currently upgrading an old Peugot frame and I'm trying to buy the correct wheel size for the bike. This is actually my second attempt after selecting the incorrect size last year. The bike is old and uses cantilever brakes and i'm trying to identify the correct width, I'm 90% confident it will accept a 700c.

The big question I'm struggling to know is the width the wheels should be. I made a massive mistake and brought 700 by 13 - ridiculously thin. I'm know hearing anything between 19 and 27 but I'm not sure what to check so I can determine the correct size.

I'm also looking for a single gear.

Any ideas what the average wheel width should be for a vintage Peugot bike?

Here are some more details on the bike:

Estimated age: 70's
Type of bike: Racer
Photos attached.


texts: Will this crankset fit my bottom bracket?

texts:
I've got a 2004 Trek 4300 that I need to replace the crankset on. I was able to look up the bottom bracket size here and see that it's a 73x122.5.

I'd like to buy this crankset but I'm not exactly sure how to know if it will fit or not? The specs say:

Square taper crank accepts 68x122.5 mm spindle

Does that mean it will not fit mine which has a shell size of 73?


texts: Chain skipping with new chain and freewheel

texts:
I've recently (last 6 months) begun riding again after many years away and have begun updating components on my bike (a mid 80s era Fuji).  After replacing the rear wheel and freewheel I developed a problem with the chain slipping.  On a 7 speed freewheel, the 2 highest gears run fine, the 3rd gear slips somewhere between the 10th and 15th turn under load (but not when hand cranked with no load), the 4th gear slips so badly under load that it won't engage (again, I can't repeat this by hand cranking with no load), and gears 5 - 7 work fine.  Thinking that it could be caused by the old chain I replaced it but the same conditions still occur.

Additional information:

All cables have been recently replaced.
The rear derailleur was replaced about 1 month ago.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.


texts: Oil/Anti-seize on outside of nipple when building a wheel?

texts:
I just took apart my old wheelset which let some delightful snaps out as I loosened the nipples that were seized to the rims. I'm wondering what the benefits would be of a small amount of anti-seize or lithium/dry graphite lubricant on the outside of the nipples where they contact the eyelets of the rims. I realize I wouldn't want it on the spoke threads, because I don't want them to come loose, so I'll be using Wheelsmith spoke prep which acts as loctite on the spoke threads.

So, would it be of any consequence to have some anti-seize / lubricant around the nipples? It would prevent any corrosion between the metals, and also allow easier truing, and the nipples can slide past the eyelets better before the loctite sets.

It could be that the added friction between the nipple and eyelets is beneficial, though, and this might help the nipples loosen even with the spoke prep / loctite solution. Anyone tried it, or have some wisdom???


texts: What are my options for cycling mirrors?

texts: What options are available in terms of types of cycling mirrors? Where all can I mount them and what are the advantages and disadvantages to each?


texts: Lowering gears and changing crank length on 1994 Bridgestone MB-5

texts:
There are a few things going on here with my relationship to my free barn-find 1994 Bridgestone MB-5... centered around my height and the interplay between my physical capacity and the geography in the areas I ride.

First off: "It's not worth it to dump money in an entry-level obsolete bike." I understand this. I'm here to find out whether the things that I want to change on this bike are possible, not cost-effective... Assume it's a fun hobby for me instead of the easiest solution, please!

Let me introduce both of us: I'm a short-torsoed 5'2". The Bridgestone is an 18.5" frame, which sports a 24-36-46T 175mm Shimano STX crankset with five-leg (arms?) 94mm BCD spiders, and a 12-28T rear (12, 14, 16, 18, 21, 24, 28). (Also Shimano) The rear derailleur is an STX, the front derailleur I replaced, still a Shimano from a different 3x7 mountain bike. Given my measurements, 18.5" is fine. I've swapped out the handlebars and quill so that my short torso is not reaching quite as far. I'm very happy with the bike up front.

Here are my goals...

1) I want 165mm cranks

2) I want this bike geared lower because the steep hills around here kick my ass. My partner has a lower geared (3x7 mountain) bike and after finally riding mine, understands why I struggle a bit. 22T in front and 34T in back would be awesome.

Here are my problems...

3x7 drive train systems seem so obsolete that you are just out of luck unless you want slim pickins. Yes, I've found 7 speed triple cranksets. But... they are either geared at least as high as mine, or they only come with 175mm cranks. I cannot find any 165mm 94mm BCD crank arms, they all seem to be 110mm BCD, or if it's the correct BCD then they are again 175mm. Whole cranksets? there are a few 22t, 165mm out there, but.... for 9 speed.

I'm getting lots of contradicting info from the internet about whether 9 and 7 speed triple cranksets are compatible due to chain width, spacing... I'm a hands-on person, so this internet-research is super frustrating for me.
I did find the Shimano FC-TX801 Tourney TX square crankset with 165mm cranks and a 22-32-42T set, but it's not available anywhere. It's exactly what I want, but that is a moot point, because I can't get it.

Can I use a 9 speed triple crankset? Do I have to buy a 7 speed crankset with the wrong sized gears but right length cranks, then swap out for a granny gear? or would I buy a crankset with the right gears and swap crank arms? What's interchangeable, what's riveted together? (it looks like a lot of the arms are not removable from the whole shebang now)
Advice? Wisdom? pleeeeeaaaaaase?

Not worried about the back, I think I've found simple options for back there.

If I've missed anything or been not clear, I apologize. I hate sitting at a computer, and to boot, my computer is broken and as slow as molassas on a chilly day. I'll be happy to specify or clarify anything....


texts:
TLDR: Can I wedge an EC30 into what seems to be EC29 (29.8mm)
I'm in possession of a mid-90's frame with a:

Head Tube Inner diameter of 29.8mm (Which seems to class as EC29)
Threadless Steering Column at 1" (25.4mm)

Its my understanding that this makes it a threadless EC29/25.4, which to my surprise is NOT sold virtually anywhere. EC30/25.4 on the other hand is easy to find
Am wondering -hoping- that the difference between the two is so negligible that manufacturers discontinued EC29 with the idea that people simply buy EC30
thoughts?
-b


texts: Is it worth completely replacing my track wheelset?

texts:
I own and commute on a 2009 KHS Flite100, bought used. Since purchasing it, I have spent around $250 getting it up to scratch, with new tires, pedals, saddle, and other small but worthwhile upgrades.

Recently, I have noticed a rattling noise coming from the rear hub whenever I pedal. I have not been able to replicate this noise at the bike shop, but after a quick inspection I have been told that the hub has been overtightened, and will need to be disassembled. This will take my bike, used for daily commutes, out of commission for a couple of days, and cost me an estimated $50. That being said, I suspect that the problem is going to, in the end, cost me a new hub.

It seems to be common knowledge amongst cyclists that the most worthwhile major upgrade for a bike is a new set of wheels. Unfortunately, while the value and quality of standard road wheelsets has been well documented by various reliable sources, there seems to be very little information pertaining to track, or single speed wheelsets. I am finding it very difficult to separate genuine quality upgrades from primarily aesthetic ones.

My bike came stock with a pair of Weinmann DP17s and unbranded hubs. I would like to know if it is worth upgrading the wheels instead of having the hub rebuilt, and if so, what I should buy. I would prefer to pay less than $250, but I can (sort of) justify paying more if it's going to have a significant improvement on the general ride quality of my bike.

Any input is greatly appreciated.


texts:
So I am trying to replace my pitted front axle cones, but struggling to find the parts of the right size.

My axle diameter is 9.4mm on the thread and 8.8mm on the smooth part, and respectively the cone inner diameter is 8.8mm. I have tried a 9mm cone I've got but it predictably doesn't fit.

3/8" axle standard seems close enough - but they seem to be mostly back axles which is a bit concerning. Another problem is that 3/8" cones are all supposed to go with 7x1/4" bearings, while my bearings are 4.7mm (3/16") and there were 10 of them on each side, so I am skeptical.

Would 3/8" cones and/or axle be a good fit for me? If I go with 3/8" cones, which bearings I would need to use, 3/16" or 1/4"? Would it damage the hub if the bearings are not the same size as before?

The length of my old cones (12.5mm) and their outer diameter (15mm) also don't appear to be common. I suspect it must be Shimano CN-R088, but the only UK shop where I can find it only has 1 in stock (and for £10!) If I go with shorter cones which seem to be more common (like the 9mm one on the picture linked above), would it make any critical difference?

Thank you.


texts: What factors influence how easy it is to track-stand a bike?

texts:
What are the characteristics of a bike that make it easy or hard to track stand on?

I have tried track standing on multiple different bikes and they are all dramatically different in terms of how easy it is to track stand on them.

2016 Gravel Bike (somewhere between a cross bike and a touring bike) - It is very easy to track stand
1990s era mountain bike with rigid fork - The bike is a bit small for me and reasonably easy to track stand
1980s era road bike - Hard to track stand on
2010 low-end mountain bike - Hard to track stand on


texts: What type of tyre is is the most shock absorbing, between MTB or Hybrid)

texts:
I want to setup my bike to the most shock-absorbing configuration possible. Rear and front suspensions are set to "soft", will look for a shock absorbing saddle, but how about tires?
My bike is a heavy e-MTB (Riese Muller), currently equipped with hybrid tyres. Keeping them soft makes a huge difference, at cost of a worst rolling(no problem).
But how about the tyre type? Would a MTB tyre be softer or not, compared to a hybrid one?


texts: Why do many full face bicycle helmets not conform to the ASTM F1952 standard?

texts: It seems to me that a lot of full face bicycle helmets do not conform to the requirements of the ASTM F1952 standard for downhill bicycle helmets. Some noteable examples from the best selling list of chainreactioncycles.com are the Bell Super 2R, 661 Comp, and the Urge Drift. All of these appear to be popular downhill helmets that do not conform to ASTM F1952. Why is it so that many full face helmets do not conform to this standard?


texts:
Here is the picture of the cable from my rear V-brakes:

As you can see it's worn down. Should I replace it now or is it safe to use it for some more time?


texts: What supplies do riders carry on century sportives and how do they carry it?

texts:
I'm planning to ride my first century sportive later this summer and am wondering what I should carry along on the ride, and how I should carry it. It's clear to me from my training rides that regardless of how frequently rest stops are available, I'll need to cary food for most of the ride, and at least some water. And since the ride spans the good part of a day, I expect that an additional layer of clothing might be needed, and of course tools, passport, and phone.

Am I being unreasonable in expecting to carry this on the ride? How do people cary what they bring?


texts: What type of bicycle rack should I buy for my car?

texts:
I have been biking for a while now but mostly for my commute to work. Now, I am interested in doing longer rides and trails as summer is almost there :). I need a bike rack for my car, which is a sedan (Toyota Corolla). I have a road bike, and a mountain bike, so I might carry one or the other or both at times.

What should I consider when buying bike rack / carrier for my car?


texts: Replacing limit screw on R8050 Di2 front derailleur

texts:
I recently bought a second hand R8050 Di2 front derailleur as part of my slow migration to going Di2. However, having got all the bits together and started building up I noticed that the H-limit screw is been completely rounded, and can't turn it all all.
I've looked for this part, and most everywhere is showing them as not in stock.
I'm wondering though, if any of the other limit screws from shimano would work for these, as they're listed as M4 x 8 which is the same as the 'official'. They all look the same to me. Can anyone shed any light on this, and can I pop into a hardware store and get a bag of these type of bolt or a link to where I can purchased them.
SJS Shimano M4 x 8 parts


texts: Gears switch automatically on smart trainer

texts:
I need some help. I am a newbie when it comes to bikes, so feel free to ask me anything needed.
I bought this bike half a year ago.
I recently bought a smart trainer (Tacx Flux S Smart), and innocently bought an 11-speed cassette, which I then realised it wouldn’t work properly with the bike above (it has a 9-speed cassette, 9-speed derailleur, etc).
I returned the cassette and bought a “SHIMANO CASSETTE HG400 9 speed 11-34”. I mentioned that my bike has a 9 speed 11-42 cassette, but was told 11-34 should be fine.
I just mounted it on the smart trainer, and while doing the calibration, some gears shift automatically when accelerating/reducing speed , specially in the smallest cogs, so I am trying to understand why and these are a few of my hypothesis:

Do I need to put some lube on the chain? Looks like it doesn’t need, but can this be the problem?
Do I need to adjust something in my bicycle’s gears?
If there is a compatibility problem, is there a cassette that you know would be for sure compatible with my bike?
If not, what sort of adjustment can I make? Do I need to get a derailleur / everything of the same brand?

Any help you can give is welcome as I am a bit clueless on the problem.
Thanks in advance!


texts: Tektro Brake will not extend pistons after bleed

texts: I bleed my brakes today and I'm not able to get my pistons to extend. They are current retracted, but nothing gets them back out even with the air bubbles removed. Also, the brakes have no tension. I made this video that reveals what the issue and what I did. Please provide advice.


texts: Can I put a 2.3 mountain bike tire on what now has a 2.10 tire. 26 inch

texts:
I do see room for a 2.3 in front but in the
rear, I don't think I could go any higher than 2.20 or 2.25. Both rims currently have 2.10 tires on a 2006 Santa Cruz Blur


texts:
I've bought a saddle bag with a set of bike tools; stuff like alan keys, puncture repair kits,  spanners etc. There's this one tool (well two but they screw together) that I have trouble recognising.

I know for sure it's not part of the installation of the saddle bag. It also didn't come with any instructions.


texts:
I would like to mount a luggage rack on a bike that has no mounting holes and a thru axle.
Is there an adapter that I can use to replace the thru axle with something that provides attachment points?
My bike: Trek Domane SL-5 gravel, with disk brakes and a 12 x 1.75 x 160 mm thru axle.


texts: Probably Screwed up my Derailleur shifting from 1-6 without pedaling

texts: So I've had this problem for a couple months now, what happened was I was being stupid and seeing what would happen if I shifted 1-6 without pedaling... As a result, the shifting now is screwed... The bike will say 3rd gear but be in 5th (I don't think it will go to 6th). It only goes up to what it says is 3(actually 5) I can still go to first gear but it won't display any number because it already passed 1(which would be gear 3 I think). Also the chain has been slipping on the highest gear whenever I pedal faster or slower.. It seems to disengage for like 1/3 of a second and I lose my foothold on the pedals. Any advice? Any thoughts on what's wrong with the Derailleur?


texts: Bought a Vintage Bianchi 1985 road racer, came with Shimano 600, can I easily turn it into index shifting?

texts:
As my title says bought a:

Bianchi 1985 vintage in almost mint condition
Shimano 600, 12 speed (2x6) with freewheel, friction shifters
I'd like to turn it into an index shifter.

Do I just swap out to index shifters Shimano 6 speed?
And then get a Shimano SIS rear derailleur, and I'm golden? Are there different sizes I should know about?

Any suggestions? Anything else I should know?
I'll be happy if that's "simple". I'll try to tune it up as much as possible if not bring it to a bike shop. I'm very new to modding things and starting to learn and try things myself.

Thanks in advance!


texts: V-brake pads make contact but don't apply pressure to wheel

texts:
I own a hybrid Trek bike that uses V-brakes. When I apply the brake, the brake pads make contact with the wheel's rim, but don't apply enough pressure to actually brake the wheel. (No matter the level of pressure I apply, there isn't a substantial difference in the level of braking.) My immediate response was that the brake pads might be worn or too thin — so I installed a new pair. Unfortunately, the same problem persists.
I would appreciate any guidance on what might cause the problem. Do I need to find a better or thicker pair of brake pads? I apologize if this problem appears straight-forward; I am a newbie to both bike repair and the bicycle StackExchange community.
The question should be addressable based on the description above, but I have linked a very brief video here that demonstrates the problem.


texts: How does pedaling power transfer to the bearings in Hollowtech II bottom bracket?

texts:
I just installed a Shimano Hollowtech II crank and bottom bracket on my bike, and I'm wondering how they work together.

My understanding is that the bearings are located in little cups that screw into the outside of the bottom bracket shell. They are sealed but can spin freely. To install the crankset, first you insert the pedal spindle (with drive-side crankarm already attached) through the bottom bracket shell. Then you attach the other-side crankarm to the pedal spindle via a splined interface and then tighten its two bolts. That much makes sense.

But how does crankarm-spindle-othercrankarm assembly interact with the bearings? In particular, when you apply power to the crankarm (via pedaling), how does that power get transferred to the bearings? The outside of the bearing housing is flat (see first photo below) and I can't see how the inside of the crankarm would interlock with the outside of the bearing housing. The inside of the bottom bracket tube is smooth too, and recommended to be greased up. It seems like the only thing connecting the crankarm to the bearing housing is friction, and that seems like it would slip and be generally unreliable. The only thing determining how tightly the crankarm is set against the bearing housing is how much you tighten the other-side crankarm with the "bearing preload cap" (see second photo below) but the bearing preload cap is plastic, kind of flimsy, and explicitly recommended to be not very tight.

Can anyone explain how this all works together?


texts: How to remove axle and bearings from a B'TWIN Triban Aero wheel

texts:
I have a B'TWIN Triban Aero rear wheel and am trying to replace the sealed bearings. After removing the end caps and a DS rubber seal I can see the ends of the bearings, at this point I assumed that the axle could be removed by tapping with a hammer, however with a reasonable amount of force it didn't move. Do I just need to be more aggressive or is there a further step before the axle and bearings can be removed from the hub?

The assembled hub.

The DS with the bearing seated within the freehub.

NDS bearing and axle.


texts:
I’ve got SM51 cleats. I’ve learned (here) that I likely replaced SM56s. I’ve got a lot I could learn but I’m not a newbie. I've got about 8,000 miles on these pedals/cleats/shoes. Maybe only 1500 on the new cleats though. I’m feeling like I’m getting some lateral movement. Not tons. millimeters. Just feels a tad sloppy. No shims under cleats. Pedals are year old and have about 5,000 miles on them. 95% road and 5% gravel. Pedal shafts aren’t showing any perceptible wiggle. Getting in/out slightly harder with newer cleats but that was expected & not problematic.
Am I just being a bike-hypochondriac or is there a potential real issue here?


texts:
I have a old bike of mine that I want to fix up for my younger brother. I don't know the brand, it just says Shogun racing on it (I haven't used it in ages and it was a gift.)

It had the factory default brakes on it and they both snapped off, leaving the bike brakeless, and this is what I want to fix. When it broke I removed the parts that remained and threw away the broken ones (the handles and the pieces of plastic that connect the brakes to the brake wires,) as they were getting in the way. All of the wires are still on, just the handles and and pads are removed and the tension released.

What I would like to know is, do bikes require specific brake types? Do you have to have a brand/make-specific brake, or can I just get a generic one off, say Amazon or my local bike shop?


texts: Disk brakes don't work well after taking out pads and putting them back

texts:
I checked my disk brakes for the first time last night (i've never had disk brakes before).  The front ones were definitely worn out, and I replaced them.  They work great, now.

With the rear ones, I decided that they still had quite a bit of life left in them, and put them back in, rather than replacing them.  Now, they hardly work at all.  They were working fine before.

I think that I was careful not to get them dirty while I took them out and looked at them, but I guess that it's possible that I got some dirt on them while I took them apart and inspected them.

The other possibility is that maybe the pistons which push the brake pad onto the rotor got pushed back too far out, when I was putting the pads back in, and so now they're not pushing the pad onto the rotor with much force.

Is this a known gotcha?


texts:
Road bike with Shimano Tiagra 2x9 compact drivetrain makes a continuous random pattern of quiet squeaky noises (like birdsong) when the bike is leaning against a wall and the pedals are rotated backward. Forward rotation of pedals creates less, but similar noise. Rotating the wheels with pedals stationary does not make noise. The noise is not periodic with each pedal rotation, but its tempo increases with the rotation speed. Occurs in all gears about the same.

I wiped and lubed the chain and jockey wheels, without taking the jockey wheels out of the rear derailer cage. The noise remained about the same or slightly quieter (placebo?). Took apart derailer cage and jockey wheels, cleaned and lubed. Individually the jockey wheels did not squeak after that, but I did not check before the process. Reassembled drivetrain squeaks as before.

The chain has about 500 km on it, length of 12 links is 12 1/8 inches according to my inaccurate tape measure. The cogs and chainwheels have a lot more km, but don't look worn compared to new replacements.

Rear derailer cage looks slightly rotated outwards (not inwards as from a crash or dropping the bike on itsright side) from the top, but looks straight from the rear ground level. The rotation axis is thus vertical, not horizontal. Shifting is fine, so I have not fixed what ain't broken.

Crankarms Shimano Tiagra. Not sure about the bottom bracket, but the circle between crankarm and frame has "BC 1.37x24 road FA" written on it. Giant OCR1 2008 bike, probably has standard components. There is no sideways play in the crankarms. I tested the bottom bracket according to Park Tool and there is no grinding or rumbling.

I took the rear wheel off and spun the cogs - no noise there.

Any other suggested solutions to the noise besides taking the jockey wheels out of the derailer cage for lubing, or replacing chain/cogs?


texts: How often should I change my mountain SPD bikeshoe cleats?

texts:
I bought a pair of Shimano PDA600 SPD pedals along with a pair of cheap-ish Garneau Terra MTB shoes in early 2012.

I wear them for my daily commute (approx. 18 Km) and semi-regular long distance rides. I also walk on the street with them - to the office, pub, etc...not very far.

The cleats when new have right-angled edges, but now they have been "worn"/"smoothed" into more curved edges.

To use they "feel" a little bit loose, but sometimes they feel quite sticky (hard to remove my foot from the pedal), so I'm not sure.

On other pedals, I've changed cleats every few years, but I rode a lot less.

Is there a recommended period of time (based on usage, etc) to change cleats on MTB shoes?

Also, is there any suggestions on how to increase the life of your cleats? (I guess one would be don't walk on the street!)

Thanks.


texts: Does having bigger wheels mean less effort pedaling?

texts:
Assuming that we are using a fixed-gear bicycle and width of the wheels are the same, I wondered, does having bigger wheels mean I need to less effort to get from point A to point B in an urban setting? I'm thinking based on the formula for circumference:

Where r is the radius of a bike wheel. Additionally when looking at this gif for a vertical visualization of circumference:

It appears that having bigger wheels will get you from point A to point B in an urban setting with less rotations by the wheel, but does that also mean I need to work less to get there? What about uphill? Does having bigger wheels help/hurt biking uphill?


texts:
After using my bike for a year I feel that although I enjoy the simplicity of a single chainring setup, I would prefer a more versatile 2x10 setup and would like to move to it. Currently the two cranksets I am looking at buying are the SRAM Apex White 50-34t & the Shimano 105 5700 52-39t.

What else apart from one of these, a new set of shifters and front derailleur would I need to buy as well, should I also replace the rear cassette & derailleur?


texts:
I'm planning to start using my bicycle again for commuting and need to get a new front light (I'm in Australia, so it's dark early in the evenings at the moment).

I've seen a few in use by other cyclists that feature a fixed beam, with an additional brighter "pulse" of light. I'm guessing that there are just two LEDs in the lamp; one that's constantly on and a separate brighter one that flashes.

I really like this style...can anyone recommend such a light?


texts: Hydraulic disk brakes vs hydraulic rim brakes

texts:
I am considering buying a new bike and have two models in mind. One features hydraulic rim brakes from Magura and the other has hydraulic disk brakes. Despite searching on the Internet and asking bike repair stores, I haven't found much information about pros and cons of one type compared to the other.

The common points I am aware of:

very good braking power
relatively hard to service yourself, almost impossible while on the road

The differences I am aware of:

I guess that hydraulic rim brakes are more sensitive to rain/mud/etc. (although I am not even sure, given the huge amount of pressure applied)
It's easier to remove your wheel with Magura rim brakes (in case of puncture for instance).

Some more specific questions:

Does the braking feel similar with both kinds?
Ease of service?
Ease of finding spare parts in remote places?
Difference in braking power?

I'm looking for general differences but a bit of context might help: the bike will be used for commuting and randonneuring, so mostly on roads and sometimes on gravel paths.


texts: Hi I've purchased and fitted a superstar components plasma chain device in my specialized big hit. It makes a terrible noise and I really don't see why. As far as I can see I've set it up correctly with the spacers. There is space either side of the chain in the upper guide but a really nasty noise when pedaling. I presume the noise is from the lower roller as when this is removed the noise is gone. The chain seems well aligned in the device with a 36t chain ring. I can't see where the issue is. The noise sounds like the derailleur is badly out of time but I know it's not. Any ideas would be a great help.


texts:
I picked up a near new Dawes Galaxy that had been in storage for 8 years. I'm super excited to get on a tour. I have both Lands End to John O'Groats and London to Paris locked in:)

The tires are marked Schwalbe Marathon 32 - 622 (28 x 15/8 x 1 1/4 - 700 x 32c) hs308. Tube markings have always confused me, and I'm sure it gets asked here all the time.

What tube should I be looking at here in the UK as a spare?

Will this one be OK?


texts: Why is buying a bike as a whole cheaper than buying separate parts and building it?


texts:
Because I have sometimes spent a lot of time digging around for bike parts and only discovering the existence of something awesome after many hours of browsing, I'm wondering whether there could exist a type of chain lubricant that wouldn't be so dirty. On my current bikes, even if I roll up my pants, I'm bound to get greasy dirt somewhere (assuming I don't have a chainguard).

I could imagine that the tradeoff would be that this has to be applied more often or something (thus being less widely known because lay people want worry free bikes).


texts:
White frame  it looks like a road bicycle
Serial number is DJEI265384


texts: Is there an inherent problem with expanding chainring drives such as Veridrive and WaveTrans?

texts:
The Veridrive is just the latest iteration of the idea of using an expanding or contracting chainring rather than a derailleur for shifting:

There also WaveTrans:

We've seen this design tried before (Linley & Biggs' Protean Gear in 1896). What are the problems with these types of systems that make their mass implementation doubtful? On the surface, they seem simpler than epicyclical (planetary) gear systems such as internal geared hubs and cranks.


texts:
I will have to replace my crankset to switch to a 26-36-48 one.
It is on a BSA 68 mm aluminium frame. I have a chain casing on this city bike (MTB converted to city).
Is it a problem to use a Hollowtech BB with the chain casing bracket ? The bracket used to be tighted between the frame and the BB (octalink or squared).


texts:
How do you measure pedal axle/spindle size?

Replacement pedals and accessories specify a size like 9/16" or 1/2".  How do I measure my current pedal to see what I need?  Is it just a matter of putting the pedal threads in a caliper and measuring the outer diameter of the threads across the axle/spindle?  Or do you need to measure the solid part, excluding the threads?


texts: How comfortable is it to wear a u-lock holder this way?

texts:
I have never used a bike lock holder or holster but this handmade one looks practical and cool: https://www.vespoe.com/contourandco/shop/u-lock-holder.
I would like to know if it's practical to use on a daily basis.


texts: Fitting a vibration-proof bell for drop bars

texts:
I have a bike with drop bars which I need for commuting, but I live in a city which is not only full of idiots† both on foot and on bikes themselves (thus meaning going bellless is idiotic), but also full of broken paths and cobblestones.

I've now lost two bells due to them vibrating enough to the point of coming apart — I try to screw them together after every few rides, but at some point they just come apart while riding and I lose the bits needed to put them back together:

Issues

Bell: Unfortunately, the screw head holding the whole thing together slowly becomes looser over time, making the bell function worse and worse and even becoming somehow "out of tune" making it not work well even when tightened with one hand while riding... and then when riding over lots of e.g. cobblestones, I hear it go ring-ring-ring while loose and then it stops ringing... forever. Screw head gone missing.
Bike: I've got drop bars with old brake levers which can hardly be used at all from the hoods, meaning that I spend all my time in the drops and thus that the bell has to be accessible from the drops.

How can I fit a bell to my bike which is durable enough to survive lots of vibration and yet still be easily accessible from the drops?

†In this regard, possibly the only places in the world which can safely be called idiot-free are all in the Netherlands or Denmark.


texts: Should flywheels on stationary trainers be replaced periodically to avoid catastrophic failures caused by fatigue?

texts: I have owned a Computrainer stationary trainer for 20 years and recently had the flywheel shatter, sending shrapnel through the walls and ceiling of my basement, as well as into my hamstring.  Should flywheels on stationary trainers be replaced on a regular basis to avoid fatigue-induced failures?  How often should a flywheel be replaced?


texts: My chain on 9 speed is slipping. I measured my chain but the slipping continues.


texts: What are the safety concerns of a high vs a low mount trailer hitch?

texts:
When you google for images of (canoe & bike) you find two basic solutions to towing a canoe with a bike.

A traditional axle mounted tralier is modified to have a tongue long enough to load/support the canoe/kayak on the trailer.
A seat post or carrier mounted pole connects to the front of the boat, the boat servers as the "trailer frame" with a canoe dolly (wheels that attach to the boat for moving by hand) for wheels.

Solution 2 offers the advantage of less material and more a portable trailering solution.  With this solution the bike and trailer easily fit in most canoes, so you have a fully amphibious combination.

Is there any significant safety considerations when towing with a bike from a higher or a lower tow connection on the bike?


texts: Source of John Deere line of children bicycle tires?

texts:
My son's bike is 12 inch children bike with the John Deere tractor theme to it.  Aside from the paint, this line of kids bikes have some rather beefy, large square knobby tires.  As with any children's bike, the back tire needs replaced (due to rider and coaster brake).  I'm having trouble sourcing these tires and the only information the side wall is given me is "Yida".  Here is a amazon link to the 16 inch version of this bike which has the same kind of tires on it:

http://www.amazon.com/ERTL-John-Deere-Heavy-Bicycle/dp/B0007WOHZA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1380045299&sr=8-3&keywords=16+inch+john+deere+bike

While I replaced the tires with standard off the shelf tires, I'm looking for some more information about the company and or the tire itself.


texts: I'm 300-350 pounds (136-158 kg). Is this too heavy for trainers such as a Tacx Neo or Wahoo Kickr? Their specifications say 250-275 pounds, so I'm interested in options for heavier riders.


texts: How to mark pins that were once extracted on a chain?

texts:
Like many cyclists, I rotate a set of chains (two chains every 1000 km in my case) to minimise gear wear and have an opportunity to do a deep chain wash every now and then. When the time comes, I replace both chains and the cassette, and the chainrings every second time.

This pattern results in a good lifetime for the transmission, but it means each chain is removed and placed back many times.

The chains I use (HG93) don't have a special connector link.

For safety, it's not good to extract the same regular pin more than once.

So what is the best way to mark the pins that were once extracted?

A very close inspection can identify them by some flashing and scratches, but this is slow and tedious, and never reliable. Sometimes I mark the extracted pins (or whole links) with the etch primer (other paints may not last through the use and wash cycles), but I don't always have it at hand.

What other simple methods do you use or know?


texts: My bike, which I love dearly, has 21 gears, which appears to now be standard among mountain bikes. Is that truly better with a bike that has, say, 7 gears? And why is it that the amount of gears a bike has always a multiple of 7?


texts: Do I really need to replace my helmet every 2-3 years if it hasn't been in a crash?

texts:
OK, I know from the top answer here: When or how often should I replace my bike helmet?, that I should buy a new helmet every 2-3 years, even if it hasn't been in a crash and shows no signs of damage.

But can someone explain to me why this is so? I'm not trying to be a cheapskate, but just want to know why the helmet would degrade just with regular wearing? Do motorcyclists replace their helmets every 2-3 years too?

And don't tell me that this is what the helmet manufacturers recommend. Of course they will say it should be replaced even if there is no visible damage. Reminds me of the adage: "Never ask a barber if you need a haircut".

Appreciate any input/insights you can give.


texts: Shimano new shifters needed to replace 105 10speeds

texts:
My right shifter has completely broken and I need to buy new shifters.
The current setup is a 10-speed system using 105's.  I appreciate that the new 105's come in an 11-speed option only.
The question is, what is my next best option?  I was going to buy a pair of Tiagra 4700's 10 speed, but I have heard that these are not compatible?
Which Tiagra shifters would be compatible with my existing 10-speed groupset?
Cheers!
S


texts: Meaning of Symbols/Icons on Amgen-ToC Stage Maps

texts:
Can someone help parse the symbols on the stage maps for Amgen-ToC?

There does not seem to be a legend on any of the maps.  e.g. http://cdn.amgentourofcalifornia.com/uploads/images/2017stages/AmgenTOC17_Stage-02_012617.pdf

Some seem pretty obvious:

Blue circle with right-pointing white triangle  =  Stage Start
Red circle with 1 to 5 or "HC" : Climbs with difficulty-category
Red circle with checkered square : Stage finish

One I'm less certain of:

Blue circle with knife/fork : Safe for riders to take food here (long flat straight stretch)???

Two I have no idea:

Green circle with white "S" : ???  (maybe some sort of points/premium spot?)
Blue circle with "Km 0" (about 10 km after the start) : ???

After lots of searching, I've found that last year's maps use the same symbols, but again without any legend.  I found another site on which someone asked a similar question about the Tour of Switzerland, but some of those symbols are different.

Can anyone help me out here?   Thanks!


texts: Is there a pump / Schrader valve adapter that prevent leakage during disconnection?

texts:
My tyres are rated at 120psi and I like to inflate them close to that. My pump is electric with presure indicator. If I just unscrew the pump and connect it back the pressure drops by about 20psi. I have tried multiple pumps with the same result on both wheels.

Is there any device that I can connect between the pump and the valve to allow a quicker / 'cleaner' disconnection from the valve? Of course I can push to 120 psi and let it drop, but trying not to get close to the limit.


texts: What are the benefits of nickel-plated chains?

texts:
Bicycle chains with higher model numbers (and slightly higher prices) are often nickel-plated or half-nickel-plated. What are the benefits of nickel-plated chains over non-nickel-plated chains?

How durable is the plating--does it wear off, or do its benefits last for the life of the chain?


texts: What are these diagonal marks on my innertube?

texts:
I'm on my second inner-tube in as many weeks and the culprit seems to be the same between them; these diagonal marks on the side around the whole of it—but only on one side (sorry, didn't make a note of what side that was when removing it :().  Some are shallower, some deeper; the second picture below is the one that was actually leaking.

When I took it in to my LBS the guy said I pinched the tube with the tire bead when installing it, but I have a hard time imagining that I somehow managed to pinch the entire tube all along one side, in such a regular pattern (the marks repeat regularly, every 1"), twice in a row.

I wouldn't call myself a bike expert, but I have, from time-to-time, replaced tubes; did my front wheel and it's been fine for months.  Did I just get lazy/cavalier in my tube installs or is there some other explanation?


texts: I'm looking to replace the bearings a of set of Fulcrum Red Power 29 hubs (RT-004 front and RP9-004 rear). I'm having a hard time sourcing them from Canada and I'd also rather order 2 each rather than the 4 each sold in the package. Is it advisable to buy off brand bearings or should I avoid that? If yes, do I just need to look for the same dimensions as the branded bearings?


texts: Barrel adjuster cable housing sticking out, why?

texts:
I've been trying to adjust my front brakes and when I released the brake lever arm (on the disc brake) and moved the arm to the furthest back position, I noticed that the cable housing at the brake lever just came out of the barrel adjuster.
I don't know what caused this and don't really know if it's a problem, so stopped adjusting the brakes for now.
Should the cable be able to come out of the adjuster like this? How do I fix it?


texts: Will an Ultegra bar end shifter work with MTB derailleurs?

texts:
Such as Shimano acera, deore; or SRAM X5, X4 etc...
I'm thinking of adding this http://cyclingabout.com/index.php/2011/12/use-barend-or-downtube-shifters-for-bike-touring/ (handlebar and whatever is in it) in my MTB and change shifters and brakes if needed. But I would like to know if those would work with the back and front dereailleur I have already installed. I gave some examples cause I'm yet to buy the MTB with one of those derailleurs :)


texts: Attaching crank arm with Shimano SLX M660

texts:
Firstly, apologies if this question has tones of frustration, my new crank set and bottom bracket has never been installed correctly, so I am going to do it myself.

Should the drive spline on the left crank be greased? It was assembled with grease but that seems to have helped it fall off twice now.
Can I get an aluminium substitute for the plastic tension nut and if so can someone identify the exact part number I need? I can see they exist, just not certain which one will be compatible.

Background: Originally the shop forgot to put in the bottom bracket spacers, so while the crank and shaft moved laterally making shifting a mess, I think it also allowed the crank to move and take tension off the tension nut allowing it to spin off and disappear. This allowed the crank to eventually just slide off the spline. When it was reattached with a new nut and (this time too many) spacers, it didn't have enough thread engagement and eventually sheared threads, allowing the pedal to slide off again. I never want this to happen again. I intend to get the tools to disassemble the bottom bracket, place all of the spacers correctly, then use an up-rated tension nut whose threads won't shear.

Shimano crank set technical document

Edit: Update
Back in 2012 I rebuilt this crank with grease and by the book. It used the replacement plastic retaining nut, blue loctite on the pinch bolts with correct torque and the correct spacer arrangement in the bottom bracket. This crank has held up perfectly and continues to, three years later. The titanium nut arrived but has never been needed.


texts:
I recently bought a bike online for use in college and after trying to get on the bike, and I think it's too big. The problem is that I'm pretty small. Like 4'11", 27" inseam small. Little legs, yes. I tried to find a bike with a smaller frame (that wasn't a kid's bike), so I went with a 43 cm single speed/fixie from Critical Cycles.

The recommended height range was 4'9-5'2, and I figured that everything seems to be fine when I ride it, with the handlebars and seat on the lowest setting, but I can't stand over my bike. There's no clearance between my crotch and the top tube and judging from how I feel about it and what a lot of people on the internet say, this isn't good. Recommended clearance is at least an inch right?

It's a little bit of a hassle to get on and off the bike, but like I said, it's OK once I'm actually on. My biggest concern is the potentially frequent stops that I might have to make along the bike paths at my college, in the event that I might not be able to properly stop and get off the bike, which is dangerous since there's a lot of bike traffic at my school.

I'm pretty new to biking, and realize that I might've bought the wrong kind of bike or size, but it's a little hard for someone of my size to find a bike for someone so short like me, but I also don't have that big of a budget (typical broke college student).

Is there anything I can do to make this bike work? If there isn't, I suppose I might be able to buy another bike more suited to fit me, although I'm a bit stubborn and don't really want to. However, I really need some suggestions (preferably on the more affordable side), so...please help?


texts: What is the problem with adjusting brake levers to end their travel "too close" to the handlebars?

texts:
I've recently increased my cycling (as a form of alternate transportation far more so than a sport).  I got a nicely rebuilt old Schwinn converted to take STI shifters.  Now that I've spent the time to get more comfortable riding a road bike, I would like to get used to riding in the drops for better efficiency on longer rides.  My problem is that I have pretty short fingers.

Even the cross-top levers I got installed to help me get back to riding in a more similar position to my MTB when I was a kid are a little bit of a stretch.  When I'm in the drops, I can barely reach the brake levers at all as they sit (adjusted to leave just about two fingers of space when squeezed to the end of their travel, as is "correct").  Which leads to my real question:

What exactly would be the problem/danger with tightening the adjuster on my brake levers to bring them a bit closer to the bars where I might be able to reach them better?


texts: Front wheel is not aligned and touching the brake line

texts:
On my bike the front wheel is not centered below the handlebars, instead it seems to be more on the left side. Weirdly that's also the side where the disk brake is located and the wheel is touching the brake line.
How can this be fixed?
It's a Cube Travel Pro, recently bought from a private seller, so no guarantee.

[


texts:
My bike is locked to an indoor bike rack with a folding ABUS keyed bike lock.
Today I couldn't turn the key to release the lock after work.
No problem locking it in the morning.  Tried wiggling, banging, twisting and pulling on "link".  Any suggestions?


texts:
My eldest son has a Hoy Bonaly 16" but we've always suffered with very stiff brakes. (https://www.evanscycles.com/hoy-bonaly-16-inch-kids-bike-EV203129)

It has Tektro RX1 levers I've tried loosening the spring tension in the calliper which made only minor difference.

I suspect my next step would be to lube the cables and see if that helps. There are no kinks or tight bends in the cable run so is there anything else I can do to ease these off?


texts: Is a bigger wheel likely to get fewer flats?

texts:
Someone suggested recently that rather than using a fatter tyre in my search for fewer flats, I could use bigger wheels. Specifically, that switching from 700c to 27" (622 to 630) would make a detectable difference. Since I currently use 406 wheels on most of my bikes, switching to even 622 wheels would obviously make a huge difference... if this is correct.

What's the mechanism for the larger wheel getting fewer flats?

To clarify: I can't think of a mechanism, and I doubt that this theory is correct. So answers that talk about other causes are off topic, and if you want to show that this is wrong you need to demonstrate that using research or logic. I already think this theory is wrong, what I want are facts. And FWIW, changing from ISO 406 wheels to 622 or 630 means a complete change of bike.


texts: Correct frame size, will 56 and 58cm work?

texts:
I'm new to bicycling (I have a 7 speed HEAVY beach cruiser I use for 10-20 mile rides). I am looking into used road bikes now. I checked several places to measure what size frame I should get for a road bike. Most recommend 56cm for me but some suggest a 58cm might be fine.
Inside Leg: 31.75" (80.6cm)
Height: 5'9" (175.2cm)
I'm looking to buy used and a listing I'm highly considering was wrong and is 58cm instead of 56cm (it's a Cannondale SAECO). Should I stop pursuing this bike and wait for a 56cm frame or am I overthinking this?


texts: RX100 front shifter does not click and falls back to inner chainring

texts: On my road bike with Shimano RX100 combined brake/shifters I noticed that the shifter for the front chainring no longer clicks and so fails to keep the chain on the shifted-to outer chainring. Instead, it moves back to the inner chain ring. I haven't looked closely yet, but do the symptoms sound familiar to anyone? I am somewhat reluctant to disassemble the shifter.


texts: If I grab my [suspension] forks tightly and push against the wheel sideways, there is a slight amount (few millimeters on 26" wheel) of play/wobble from the axle/hub. The QR is done up tightly. Is this normal or does it require a hub service?


texts: Bug Repellent for Mountain Biking that won't melt my gear?

texts:
The east coast is supposed to have a really bad year for ticks with Lyme disease as well as the concern about Zika Virus and West Nile Virus.

I know DEET is effective at both keeping bugs off and melting technical gear. I'm worried that repeated use of DEET will destroy my nice Goretex jacket, my expensive bib shorts, my softshell trousers, synthetic jerseys, and technical overshorts.

What's the best option for repelling mosquitoes and ticks for mountain bikers riding in the woods that won't harm my technical gear?

See Example:
http://sectionhiker.com/deet-dissolves-breathable-fabrics-experimental-results/
https://www.outdoors.org/articles/amc-outdoors/two-common-hiking-items-that-deet-will/


texts: How to prevent brake quick release from opening on rough roads?

texts:
On rough roads or when there is a lot of vibration, the quick release on my front brake will sometimes pop open. Is there a way to prevent this from happening?

If it helps, the bike is a 1995 Trek 370, which has Shimano 250EX brakes and Shimano Exage 300EX levers (according to BikePedia).


texts: What can I do to help me sustain frequent long-ish rides?

texts:
After nearly a year of commuting by bicycle to and from work 2-3 days per week, I have recently started cycling to work every day, 5 days a week, rain or shine.  My commute is about 11-15 miles each way (depending which route I take), including some steep hills (followed by stop signs, so I don't even get the benefit of coasting down-hill). I obtained a new road bike of decent quality along with reasonable quality clipless shoes, gloves, shorts, a jersey, and a heart rate monitor.  I am not very physically fit (5'9" 200 lbs), but improving.  Now 2 weeks into daily commuting plus occasional weekend riding, I am feeling very sore and fatigued and can barely sustain 80% of the effort I was achieving at the start.

What should I eat (and when should I eat it) to help me sustain this effort, yet also help me lose weight and improve my physical fitness?  Is it important to ride at a relatively low effort level, keeping my heart rate in the base zone, or should I occasionally push it into aerobic endurance or even anaerobic zones?  What heart rate(s) should I aim for? What cadence should I try to maintain?

Any advice from experienced commuters in a similar position would be greatly appreciated.


texts: I would like to upgrade my Shimano disc rotors from 160mm to 203mm. How to pick the right rotors?

texts:
My bicycle came with the BR-MT200 (https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/shimano-br-mt200-disc-brake-set-721603) brake set: hydraulic levers, 160mm rotors.

I'd like to upgrade to 203mm, but I don't know what rotor to choose. My curent ones are marked SM-RT10-8.

How do I pick compatible ones? All I know is that they are centre lock. And should I be upgrading both rear and front, or front only?


texts: When riding through city traffic, what are the best ways to increase the chance you are seen, given a bit of space, and are not touched by any vehicles?


texts: Are dynamo hubs specific to particular lights?

texts:
I am looking to purchase a dynamo hub, such as those made by Shimano, Son, Exposure etc. and a set of lights to connect to it.
What I want to know is if any dynamo light will work with any dynamo hub, if they have proprietary connectors or if there are connector standards that work together?
If not, are adapters available between the various brands?

Here is a picture of the connectors on a Son hub, which are not a standard I am familiar with.


texts: So I bought this old bike but realized that its seatpost is stuck and high. When I ride I feel uncomfortable because it's slightly too high for me. Also I realized that it's really difficult to fix the stuck seatpost. Is there a trick that could help me work around this problem and make me feel comfortable when riding the bike?


texts: DIY: what material to use as DIY shim seat post?

texts:
Seat tube shim adapters are quite expensive, what kind of material do you recommend as a shim?

I have seen in a thread some guys talking about home made shim:

paper tape
alloy drink can as a shim (aluminium or steel?)
Thin and quality paper/cardboard

Which one would be the best?


texts: Can't get the drive side bottom bracket cup out

texts:
I have an older Raleigh frame that I converted to a fixed gear and the bottom bracket cup on the drive side has been painted over a few times and I can't get it out.

This is the type of cup (the one on the top left):

I've tried brute force (lost some skin on my knuckles) and it didn't even budge. Does anybody have any tips to get it out?


texts: Can a double loop cable stand up to cable cutters?

texts:
I am curious about this, and I don't see this question anywhere on here, nor via Google.

I want to know if a double loop cable can stand up to wire cutters, because they don't seem like something a cable cutter couldn't defeat.

Maybe I'm wrong, but before I lock my expensive bike up at a Walmart for some quick shopping, I'd like to at least know that someone's not going to come along with cable cutters and successfully take my bike.

By double loop cable, I am referring to the cable that has a loop at each end, so as to be combined with a padlock or U-lock. The one I have is tiny, only measuring...

Forgive my measuring tactics here, I am using a penny, which is approx. 19mm. The cable's "cross-sectional diameter" is about 1/5 of that, so I estimate the CSD of the cable is roughly 4mm. I'm skeptical on whether this cable is safe, whether this cable is standard-sized, and whether DL cables can even stand up to manual cutting tools.

Thanks for any information provided.


texts: What are some notable visual observations one can make of a cassette that indicate wear? And to what degree that wear has progressed?

texts:
Last summer I bought a '02 or '03 Specialized Stumpjumper. 3x9 speed.  I replaced the crankset this summer with a Shimano FC-622 triple. Yes its 10 speed but I've experienced no problems and felf reassured by Sheldon Brown's experience that a "one generation difference (between crankset and chain width) doesn't affect performance." https://www.sheldonbrown.com/speeds.html
I've now replaced the cassette and chain, staying with 9 speeds (Shimano XT M770).
The pictures above are of the removed cassette which based on the lockring is a Shimano CS-HG80-9.  The tooth counts also jibe with the numbers listed as HG80's stock numbers. The old chain is Shimano DuraAce CN-7701. Chain measures 12¹/16 per 12 links in a couple three spots. I'd like to use this cassette and chain together on another bike. What are some visual signs on the cassette that would indcicate too great of wear? What is your opinion of this cassette's wear?  Prior to my purchase of the bike, I have no history on it's use. It appears to be in good shape and the paint in vulnerable areas of underside of down tube, BB shell and fork aren't even chipped. The old crankset was likely original (strongarm II). Teeth were worn and in a couple spots either broken off at the tip or these were the normal undersized ones suffering great wear. It's life ended pretty quickly (<20 miles) when the non stock right pedal reamed out the hole in the crank and fell off.  To sumerize, I've no idea on the milage or time the cassette has on it.  I'd like to use the chain/cassette combo for the rest of it's useful life.  Thoughts?


texts: Cranksets for tandem with internal gear hub

texts:
I am thinking about assembling a trekking tandem bike. I would like to use an internal gear hub and put both chains on the right side of the bike. I have some questions about the cranksets:

What cranksets can I use? Can I replace the sprockets on any crankset with bigger ones (I would need two same-sized sprockets on the middle crankset)? Or do I need some specific type of a crankset?
How important is it to line up the chains in this case? What can I use to line the sprockets in the right position?
Is it possible to to use different size of sprockets for the front chain to compensate for the difference in strength between two cyclists, or will it make riding too hard because of the shifting phases?


texts: Why wear sunglasses in indoor velodromes?

texts: I've watched a fair amount of UCI world cup track racing in the past year, and I've noticed most cyclists are wearing sunglasses in indoor velodromes.  Sometimes they're aerodynamic visors, but more often they are just standard sport sunglasses.  Why do track cyclists wear them?


texts: Could I have deformed the wheel of my new bike by being too heavy?

texts: I bought a new hybrid bike (Saracen urban X2) and after two days, the rim of rear wheels got trouble. The shape of the wheel slightly changed from circle to earth like shape. A very little but I can see the bump. I ride with the bike only on road not that bad condition. (Some part of the road is not very smooth but cannot say rough road). Now my question is how this can happen? Is my weight (220 pounds) too heavy for riding this bike? I am not an expert about bicycles. Please help.


texts: How to replace Avid BB7 brake pads in "new" calipers?

texts:
How do you get new BB7 pads to install in the new caliper bodies?  By "new" I mean the ones with the spring steel "cap" on the opening at the "top" of the caliper unit (the side opposite the axle).

On my c. 2004 Gary Fisher, the silver calipers are closed on the side opposite the axle.  On my 2015 Salsa Vaya the black calipers have an opening on that side, and they have a spring steel cap that clips into the opening.  The upper "ears" on the pads extend up into that space.

Here is what it looks like from the "top" (looking toward the axle):

You can see the pads through the opening in the cap.

On the old Fisher, I would install BB7 pads just by pinching the pad-spring-pad "sandwich" and pushing the sandwich into the caliper from the "bottom" (the side toward the axle). This is how all the advice on the web tells you to install BB7 pads.  On the Salsa Vaya, with the cap installed, I can only get the pads all the way in about one in fifty tries--usually one or the other pad will not go all the way in.  Sometimes both pads hang up short. If I take the cap off, then the pads go in fine.  I rode all the way across the U.S. with the cap off because that was the only way I could get the pads into the caliper. What's the trick?


texts: Could rubber parts on bike rack damage the rear shock?

texts: I have Specialized Stumpjumper Evo FSR and as all the FSR frames its' shock is underneath the top tube. Now the issue that the only option to put the bike on the rack is to put the shock shaft on the rubber U that's on the rack. The question is, can I do something to ensure avoiding scratching shock shaft? Or the only way is to get a new rack?


texts: I have a 1994 Giant Iguana.  The teeth on the front sprocket are significantly worn and the middle sprocket is cracked.  Are there replacement sprockets for this bike?


texts: Can you use a (e.g.) SRAM rear derailleur with a SRAM casette with a (e.g.) Shimano front derailleur with Shimano Chainrings?


texts: Attaching a stem to a carbon steerer: how much torque?

texts:
So I decided to travel with my bike this week and to my surprise discovered that the steerer is carbon fiber.  I had removed the stem from the steerer for packing but naively assumed it was aluminum like my previous bike (both have carbon forks).

I would like to reassemble this so that:

it doesn't come apart causing a horrible crash
I don't crack/damage the steerer

I do have a torque wrench with me but not my copy of Zinn, so how tight should I clamp the two stem bolts? (they are labelled 10Nm but I think that's the rating for the stem, which is probably aluminum)


texts:
I'm having a bit of a problem installing my seatpost.

I have a 31.6mm carbon-wrapped aluminum seatpost which fit perfectly fine in my previous aluminum frame.  Unfortunately, that frame cracked, but I found the exact make, model, and size frame on eBay to replace it.  The only problem is that the seatpost doesn't fit into the seat tube very well.  It is a very tight fit, and I can only get it down 1 1/4" before it gets really difficult, even with a bit of grease.

The top of the seat tube doesn't appear to be crimped, so I'm not sure what the problem is.  I'm a bit gun-shy since I've already broke a frame this year.  So, I'm not sure whether to force it down, use a rubber mallet, or buy a new seatpost.

How do I determine if it's possible to fit this seatpost in this frame safely? Is it possible there's something else interfering with the installation, or will I need to buy a new seatpost?


texts: What kinds of tools do I need to do bike maintenance, e.g. adding a rack?

texts:
I just got a new Trek 7.2 for commuting and getting around town. It's a great bike but I want to add some stuff to it like a rack. I am fairly handy and have more or less a full toolkit in my apartment - do I need any special tools to do bike maintenance and also for adding things like a rack? Or will normal screwdrivers & wrenches do the trick?

(added from a comment) At the moment, I hope to mainly fix flats (but hopefully won't get too many of them) and set my bike up for commuting (adding a rack, lights, potentially bike computer).


texts: How much can bike shift cables spool, and over what radius?

texts:
Some shifter designs have become known for causing broken cables, anecedotally because they're causing too much repeat spooling and unspooling over too tight a radius. For example, broken cable heads inside some STI generations is a well-known occurrence.
Other shifters have more cable movement but don't have those issues, a common example being the 1:1 shifters where replacement is done by lifting the cover off the shifter.
How do you design a shifter and stay on the right side of this?


texts:
I have a Flying Cat brand electric bike. It is the Style City model.
Currently it has V-Brake SHIMANO AV/AR.
Full details of the bike are here:
http://www.flying-cat.fr/velo-ville-electrique-style-city.php

I am wondering if changing my brakes to progressive brakes (disc brakes) is a possibility.

This is because while cycling to work someone cut in front of me and I instinctively braked hard. The bike slipped and I fell and have hurt myself. Apparently progressive (disc?) brakes could make my braking safer and more controlled.


texts:
I'm looking to upgrade the wheels on my touring bike to a lighter set of road wheels. The frame is aluminum.  According to Sheldon Brown you should be able to just put extra spacers between the locknut and cones and that's it. Apparently only  2 or 3 mm  sticking out past the locknut is enough to to properly secure the wheel.

Is the above procedure really advisable? Would it be a better idea to take the existing 135mm (146mm actual) axle from my existing wheel or would it make no difference and I would be better off not doing such modifications to a new wheel?

The reason I'm thinking of doing this is because all the 135mm wheels I've found seem to be disc brake wheels, and the rims have no braking surfaces.  The only other option seems to get a custom wheel build which will bring up the cost of the wheel quite a bit and basically eliminates the ability to buy anything at a discounted price.


texts: A few weeks ago I noticed that my bike tube slowly leaked out air over the course of a day or 2. I bought a new tube and it does the same thing. I checked in water and saw no leaks.


texts: What's the difference between mechanical and hydraulic brake rotors?

texts: I just bought some replacement brake rotors for my Shimano hydraulic system, the box says they are for mechanical brakes, anybody know if this should effect it??


texts: My daughter received a brand new bike. It came preassembled. The brake pads are oriented vertically. Is that correct?


texts: Am I going to get injured mountain biking if I don't have rear suspension?

texts:
On the several occasions I've gone mountain biking, I was using a nice borrowed bike with full suspension and it felt nice.

I'm told that rear suspension, though nice, is not necessarily a must-have. I have notions of the bike seat bludgeoning the ol' undercarriage without it. What is the ride like without rear suspension, what do I lose? And are there any suitable substitutes or ways to compensate for the lack of rear suspension?


texts: How to tell when to change steel front fork?

texts: I am riding a Dawes made sometime before 1974 and have read in a Swedish report (http://vti.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:694821/FULLTEXT01.pdf) that front fork failure is a not uncommon cause of sometimes serious injury. However, I cannot find any tips on how to know when to change my fork? All tips and advice would be much appreciated!


texts: Cassette noise in gears 1,2 and 3 on newer bike

texts: I was out riding when I broke my chain (too high of a gear and too steep of a gradient). Got chain replaced and now my cassette gear 1 (easiest gear) takes more power to pedal than gear 2 and when I shift to gear 2 it clicks hard on the shifter, Gear 2 crunches and slips and gear 3 clicks once per rotation. I've only had the bike for a month and have yet to put the recomended 2000 miles onto the bike before changing the cassette but thats looking like my only option which will be the costly fix, hoping to find any easier fix before I have to spend that kind of money.


texts: This is a bit of a unique situation. I sold a Campy Chorus complete groupset to a customer who claimed they never received it on eBay, but tracking number said it was signed for. They opened up an eBay case, which naturally I won because it was signed for. I figured the ordeal was over, and even blocked them from making any future purchases from my store, but a few weeks later they filed a charge back through their credit card company for "significantly not as described", and the full $1,550 was taken from my account. I am currently fighting the charge back, but is there a way to track the serial number of the groupset I wrote down before sending?


texts: Why do shock pumps use a Schrader valve?

texts: After reading this question and answer, I was surprised to learn that most shock pumps use a Schrader valve. My mountain biking days are a distant memory, so I'm not well acquainted with the type of shocks that require a pump. But given that high end bikes (the type of bikes that probably feature this kind of shock) almost certainly come equipped with Presta tubes, why would the shocks require a Schrader?


texts: Will this power2max power meter be compatible with Cannondale Synapse?

texts:
I have a 2015 Cannondale Synapse - specifically, this one: http://www.swiftcycles.co.uk/334/products/2015-cannondale-synapse-carbon-105-6-road-bike.aspx. I would like to add a power meter, and power2max looks like the best option to me because it looks very universal as I upgrade other stuff. Over the next few years, I'm sure I will replace my wheels, maybe my pedals (considering Speed Play) and almost certainly the bike itself. As power2max spiders off the chainset, the only thing this power meter would limit me to is crank and chainset - and I'm happy to stay with a compact at the moment.

The Synapse as far as I understand has a BB30A bottom bracket, which I believe means that the crank diameter has to be 30mm. 24mm cranks seem to be compatible with more frames, so I am looking to instead purchase the following:

power2max Type S power meter with 110mm BCD
Rotor 3D24 cranks with 172.5mm crank length (matching my current cranks).
Keep my existing chain rings & pedals (Ultegra pedals)
Rotor BB30to24 bottom bracket
Unsure whether or not I need to purchase chain ring bolts - can I use my existing ones?

As far I'm aware, that should all work with my BB30A bottom bracket. Before I shell out a load of money, I just want to make sure this is all correct - look forward to hearing what you all have to say. Thanks!


texts: Should I prioritise reach over stack (in choosing a new bike)?

texts:
I'm in progress of choosing a new bike (or more specifically trading my MTB for a CX), and have asked for a CX with stack and reach numbers fitting my current road bike, an BMC GF01 'endurance' bike (I ride it with the stem low with only a conical spacer under it, and I'm very comfortable on it, even on full day rides).

size 51: tt 527mm, reach 365mm, stack 546mm, st angle 73.5

However it turns out that the reach of 365mm for a '51' frame is pretty 'short' in today's geometry standards.

Is my thinking valid, prioritising reach to match, and sacrifice height on the stack? Or should I keep looking for a close-to-fit on both numbers?

Of course a lower stack means I can get lower and as a result more stretched (not that I want to), but too low means an awful lot of spacers which is a no-no.

For reference some example numbers.

BMC CX size 48: tt 518mm, reach 368mm, stack 506mm (reach ok, but stack is 40mm! lower)
BMC CX size 51: tt 534mm, reach 377mm, stack 530mm (reach is over 10mm! longer)
BMC RM size 51: tt 539mm, reach 376mm, stack 550mm (-"-)
Cannondale Super X size 48: tt 505mm, reach: 365mm, stack: 515mm (reach ok, but stack is low)
Giant XTC size S: tt 530mm, reach 370mm, stack 540mm (reach is 5mm longer)
Focus Mares size 51: tt 534mm, reach 365mm, stack 537mm (close to my GF01 geo)


texts: which app for virtual training shows real images of the current location taken from google street view?

texts:
I bought wahoo kickr. And would love to ride the uploaded GPX (so far, so good I found needed software) and would love to see update view from google street view when ridding.

Which app offer such feature?

So far my research shows that NONE of this:

CycleOps VirtualTraining

KinoMap

Zwift

Skuga

TrainerRoad


texts: Campagnolo cabling: can I use other non-Campagnolo brands?

texts:
The obvious reason why, is cost!

I need my front derailuer's cable to be replaced and I'd like to simply buy some raw brake cable from the bike shop and simply re-insert into my existing campy cable guides. Can that be done, or do I have to buy Campagnolo cables? Is there a cable guide or some PDF that has more technical details specific to Campagnolo cables?

I have Athena 11sp with 11sp Campagnolo Record shifters - not EPS.

Thanks


texts: I have a creak from my carbon frameset Cervelo R3SL with full 1osp Duraace groupset and external hollowtec II BB.  I have isolated it to drivetrain as creaks when out of saddle or none handed.  I've stripped crankset down and reassembled. Creak is not in any particular time wrt to crank, wheel or chain rotation.  It is quiet to start and creaks after say 10 miles, quietening again later. Perhaps this is some friction that warms grease or such like.  The crankset is 10 years old and on its 2nd big ring. I have noticed that the axle has suffered some minor corrosion on the bearing surfaces. I've cleaned this up with 1000 grit.  But I am wondering if the issue is connected.  Wheels are pretty new, so I'd be surprised if that was the issue.  Otherwise it is flawless.  Any ideas?


texts: is this derailleur short cage or long cage?

texts: I'm selling the rear derailleur off this bike, and someone asked whether it's short or long cage. I assume it's long. Is this correct?


texts: How much torque should a threaded headset resist?

texts:
My flagship BSO has a threaded headset.

I recently discovered, to my surprise, that when I twisted the handlebars hard while restraining the wheel, I could move the stem. It isn't nearly loose enough to move while I'm riding, so I guess it's not a problem.

The top bolt was tightened as hard as I could get it with one of those little bike tool hex sets (lever arm about 3.5 inches long).

Are all threaded headsets like this, or is mine wonky?


texts: Why is cross chaining 'bad', but 1x is OK?

texts: When you run 1x, aren't you basically force to cross chain?


texts: Differences between starting a road bike vs a mountain bike?

texts:
I'm having problems getting rolling on my road bike.

For some reason I have hard time hopping back into the road bike saddle.  It's the pedals spinning causing my feed to lose grip, or the bike tilting on my way up. That's what I've struggled with, and I can't quite figure out why it' so hard for me.

I ride a mountain bike and my feet have no issue hitting the ground and waiting until it's time to go again. That's not the case with the road bike, where I have to get out of the saddle when stopped.

I never had issues with a mountain bike but last year I struggled a lot on the road bike.. not with braking but with the actual complete stop and then starting again.  I’m about to get back in the road bike again for the season and am hoping to do better this time.   I guess I don’t understand why stopping / starting is so much harder than a mountain bike.

Does anyone have any tips/tricks in starting a road bike?


texts: Is it possible to avoid anaerobic 'burn' on ascents?

texts:
As a total noob to cycling the thing that really kills me is hills steep enough I get into anaerobic territory. My general fitness lets me cycle for hours without really getting tired even working fairly hard, but my thighs have a pretty limited total amount of ascent in them which takes a long time to replenish.

I feel like on steeper hills (say 10% and above) I have to go anaerobic to get enough speed... if I shift down to my lowest gear at my regular cadence I am so slow I risk falling off, and of course the climb just takes much much longer anyway!

My beginner question is: should it be possible to get up most/all hills aerobically using gears, or is it a fundamental feature of cycling that you will end up burning, and you will find sometimes your legs just give out mid-hill until you improve your muscles/fitness?


texts: What tyre characteristics should I look for in a commuting tire?

texts: I am living in London, but moving to a suburb where my commute would take me through a park. Being rainy England, the track can get quite muddy and my current tyres don't seem to be suitable. What features should I look for in a tire for this purpose? The bike in question is am aluminum Trek Checkpoint. I currently have 32mm Continental Gator Hardshell tires, which are slick tires with puncture protection.


texts: New puncture resistant tires punctured after 2 min ride

texts: So, because I do ultra-light touring I bought new puncture resistant tires for my road bike (Continental Grand Prix 4-Season, 28c), I installed them and after two minutes I had a puncture. First I thought I had punctured the tube when mounting the tires, but then I looked and not one, but TWO pieces of glass had gone through the tire. Is this just extremely unlucky or are these tires worthless?