texts: How do manufacturers designate women specific designs on their bicycles?

texts:
Is there a tell-tale sticker or serial number code that can be parsed to tell if a frame is intended for men or women? Basically, can I take a serial number sticker and lookup somehow what physical sex it was designed for?

As an example if you consider the following bike search for a Trek Chronus and search the hits for women you'll find 2 hits. At first glance they don't stand out all that much from all the other frames besides them, so I'm wondering if I were faced with buying a used one, how could I tell which bucket it landed in?


texts: What causes the noise that race wheels make when you are not pedaling?

texts: A friend just got a new tri bike with Zipp wheels and they are loud when she is coasting.  What causes that?


texts: if I replace chainset and chain should I replace back cassette as well?

texts: I am replacing my chainset and chain, as its totaly worn and causing the chain to jump off when I pedal. The cassette is fairly worn too, but is not causing any problems. If I buy a new chain and chainset will these wear out a lot quicker if I leave the old cassette on?


texts: Converting to 1x11 SRAM drivetrain with 8/9/10-speed HG Freehub

texts:
I currently have a 3x9 Shimano drivetrain, and I'd like to replace the current Shimano 9-speed rear derailleur/shifter/cassette and front derailleur/3 chainrings with the SRAM PG-1170 11-32T cassette, NX rear derailleur, GX shifter, and a narrow wide chainring.

As I understand, 11-speed SRAM cassettes that use an 11 tooth small cog do not require the XD driver body. Additionally, SRAM 11T and Shimano MTB 11-speed cassettes are cross-compatible with Shimano and SRAM derailleurs/shifters. And Shimano 11-speed MTB cassettes fit onto 8/9/10 speed hubs, but Shimano 11-speed road cassettes do not.

The SRAM PG-1170 cassette is listed as a 'road cassette.' The REI description for the PG-1170 lists 'Shimano HG/SRAM PG' Freehub compatibility.

Is my understanding correct, and would this 1x11 upgrade be as straightforward as replacing the existing Shimano components with the SRAM components described above?


texts:
As fixie-biking is really trendy at the moment, i often see fixie riders 'skidding' and stopping their bike by blocking their backwheel.

As this only works by shifting the riders weight to the front of the wheel i recently wondered if there is a physical limit (like weight) where this braking method will not work anymore because the pressure on the back wheel is still to big to skid?


texts:
I have 2 questions regarding the switch to Ultegra. I already have Ultegra 32 cassette on my Trek because I build another set of Vision road wheels.

Would it be possible to switch completely from the SRAM Rival that I have at the moment to 2-11 Ultegra system ?
Would it be possible to just switch the rear derailleur and the shifters (already have Ultegra cassette) but leave the Rival crankset in order to have a 1-by-11 system?


texts: My tires are 700x23/25C. What does 23/25 mean?

texts: My bike uses a tire size of 700x23/25C. I understand that the 700 indicates the diameter of the rim. 23 is supposed to be the width of the tread which I believe means 23 mm, am I right? So what does the 25c mean?


texts: .    What are those numbers on my bike frame?


texts: Can it be estimated when it would actually be beneficial to increase drag in tailwind?

texts:
Usually the advice for cycling is to try to be as aerodynamic as possible (like, reduce the surface exposed to the air in front of you) in order to decrease drag as it will cost less effort to maintain a given speed. Especially so with headwinds. However I think there might be a point when riding with tailwind where it would actually be beneficial to increase your surface so the tailwind has more effect than the resistance of the air in front of the cyclist and hence actually helps 'pushing' one forward. Is there such a point and is it possible to estimate at roughly what tailwind speed it occurs (let's say on a flat road and other factors all equal)?

Or another way to think of it, in practice: say I have two jackets, one pretty tight and a looser one which tends to form a balloon, would it ever be beneficial to choose the looser one because it increases total surface so the force of tailwind applied to it is larger than the force in the opposite direction created by the resistance to the air in front of me?


texts:
My stem is secured to the steerer with two bolts. One bolt is strong. The other is loose. Replacing the bolt wont fix it, because the material around the bolt is not that strong anymore (small pieces coming out). Pls see attached screenshot.

How can I fix that? Is it secure?


texts: Need guidance on selecting proper Gates belt drive components for my belt-ready frame

texts:
I have a very cheap, locally made bike with a belt drive installed on it (the frame is belt-ready). One more thing to note is that the bike is equipped with SG-3C41 IGH from Shimano.

The problem is it's cheap for a reason - all stock belt drive components are some kind of Chinese cheap copies, and they perform quite bad (belt itself tends to fall-off often, and local bike workshops weren't able to solve this for me).

I would like to swap both sprockets and the belt itself for a brand new Gates belt drive set - while not changing anything else on this bike, if possible. But I'm getting completely lost when I try to figure out myself which components I need to order, and what size of the belt I need. So far I only figured that I need CDX line of components, and that SG-3C41 should be supported by some of them. I'm totally lost when it comes to details, and afraid I'll buy something that won't fit, as it's quite expensive.

Unfortunately, I'm living in a backward Eastern Europe country, and bike movement isn't very developed here. When I asked for help in a few local bike workshops, they said they don't have enough experience with belt drive either, and certainly are not able to help me acquiring them, as nobody imports those in here. They can only help with installing them, if I'll somehow buy them myself.

I'm ready to provide any exact measurements or additional details, if anybody is willing to help.


texts: diamondback cobra 24 rear brakes squeal horribly what can I do to at least tone it down

texts:
diamondback cobra 24 rear brakes are squealing loudly all the time it doesn't matter if it's wet or dry and the brakes are lined up perfectly and appear to be new. The brakes are not marking the rim.
This bike has V brakes.


texts:
During the last few years I moved farther and farther away from work. I used to commute by bike a lot when I lived nearer to my workplace, but now it would by about 40km one way.

I am thinking about getting a pedelec for the commute, which would allow me to cycle to work at least sometimes, reducing the time to manageable levels, and maybe leting me arrive fresh(er) for work.

However, I'm afraid that getting used to an electric bike will take the fun out of riding my regular bike, and make it seem too strenuous.

Is anyone here riding both a regular bike and a pedelec? Has this been an issue?

My regular bike is a recumbent. Since recumbent pedelecs are rather rare (I don't want a trike), I would probaly take a "upright" pedelec.


texts: I have a generic 1000 watt hub motor that is new and it has never been used. I ordered batteries, but I didn't have cables to hook everything up properly. I tried one battery without charging it and I didn't get so much as a flicker of light. Do I have to have all batteries charged before any indicator light would come on? I am hoping this bike hub motor is going to work and I am charging the batteries one at a time. Can one battery be used to see if things will function on this bike or do I have to wait until I charge the complete set of my batteries making it 48 Volts?


texts: Recently bought a pair of used zipp 808 clinchers and was a bit disappointed when after a closer look discovered a couple of small concavities (something like 1mm in diameter) on outer side of the rims here and there. Apparently someone attached too much power to levers (I just can't believe one can use a screwdriver for this purpose on a zipp wheelset) when he or she was trying to remove a tire. I'm wondering how critical this damage is? In terms of durability, riding quality, aero, etc?


texts: I couple of years ago I switched from using a normal pedal to using a clipless pedal. It takes a little while to get used to. Now, to be able to use it optimally I need to learn how to pedal in circles instead of in squares, eg applying the same force during the whole rotation "orbit". What do I need to think of to be able to pedal properly?


texts: How to stop bike renters overextending seatposts?

texts:
A friend and I have been operating a bike rental shop for about a year, and just recently we've started to notice more and more customers extending the seatpost well beyond the maximum line. So far we haven't had any frame issues, just bent seatposts, but we're trying to get ahead of the problem before it costs us too much.
We've discussed assessing fines for this, as we do stress ahead of time not to overextend the seatpost, but we would like to explore some preventative measures. Are there any devices or solutions out there that would prevent someone from extending a seatpost too far?


texts: Crank sliding horizontally through the bottom bracket

texts:
Was out biking today when I noticed the pedals were moving side to side, with the pedal arm almost coming off the left side. As I was investigating the washer with "LH fsa AL" actually came off in my hand. I re-installed it and tightened it up by hand, but obviously its tight with a big gap between the pedal arm and the bottom bracket now as below.

Is it simply a matter of removing this washer, pushing the arm back towards the bottom bracket and tightening it? And if so what tools do I need? I've got allen keys, screwdrivers and various other general tools, but I haven't got anything with 6 holes like it looks like id need to remove it.
Thanks


texts:
what cassette removal tool do I need for this cassette

Is it an FR-5 I need? Also I noticed it said 40NM on it so I'm guessing I need some sort of torque wrench to tighten it up?


texts: how to convert my 21 speed mountain bike into a road/cycling bike?

texts: I was wondering if I could convert this https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/q71/s480x480/430156_461794267240029_1042500253_n.jpg to a cycling bike like what would i have to do to that bike to convert it ? tell where and what and how much the parts are i want it so i can have better cardio and endurance i live on gravel road but i can get to pavment from my house. i dont hav any money to spend on a new one so i was just wondering if i could do tires and pedals and maybe bars if it all come less then $100 iwas hoping to sped around $70 or less*** i race motocross and saving for racing so that is why i want the cheapest way lol ih and i dont have any cycling shoes i was just going to use regular training work out shoes.. so if u guys could help me out give me websites and  prices and everything that would be great


texts: Quad QHD-4 Axis Disc Brakes stuck (can't push open)

texts:
I have Quad QHD-4 Axis Disc Brakes that were probably never maintained and are stuck. There was a lot of grime and dirt all over, the pads even rusted a bit. It probably locked due to this and I also pressed the lever after removal before I knew. For the life of me I cannot move one piston all the way in. I used a flat headed screwdriver and applied all my body weight to the screwdriver but still it would not move. Brakes are bled and completely taken apart except from the large torx screw. I even tried spraying WD-40 but it had no effect.

Is there anything else I can try? Would I be able to remove the pistons if I removed the large torx bolt? If so what bit is that? I cannot find any info on how to do this. It doesn't seem like the pistons can be removed without undoing the torx bolt and I think it would need to be cleaned well before use due to corrosion, dirt and WD-40.


texts:
I'm curious, has anyone gone on bicycle tours with small children? I did some long-distance camping touring a while ago and would like to do more eventually. For the moment, though, we have a toddler, so a long trip isn't really realistic. But it does seem feasible to ride 50mi or so, camp overnight, and ride home the next day. I'm imagining riding with a toddler in a trailer, but if there are better ideas, I'm all ears.

Does anyone have experience with short tours like this? Are there any things to keep in mind that might not be obvious right off the bat?


texts: How to fix problem with mountain bike chain falling off gears?

texts:
The chain on my girlfriend's bike came off the front gear today, it looks like the back gear changing mechanism isn't handling back-pedaling properly, whenever she pedals backwards the chain slacks rather than feeding through.

The chain doesn't seem to be taut enough and has at one point gone round the front gear and caught in the front gear changing mechanism.

Any idea what might be wrong? I'm sorry if I've got my terminology completely wrong here.

It's a 21 speed mountain bike if that helps.

EDIT
I've looked up the terminology now and it seems like there might be a problem with the rear derailer? It doesn't seem to be keeping the chain taut at the top and is just getting pulled almost to its limit towards the front of the bike.


texts: Need some advice about purchasing a used Cannondale

texts:
I am looking into purchasing a road bike to commute everyday and I am a rookie when it comes to bikes. I don't want to purchase a crappy bike from a supermarket but I don't have the budget for a brand new brand name bike. I found the second hand 2003 Cannondale R600 CAAD5 below:

The guy is asking $300 for it. It looks in good shape but it's a fairly old bike. I saw that it retailed for $1200 brand new.

Some more info from the seller:

Shimano 105 components
Triple chainring
9-speed drivetrain
Bontrager anatomical saddle
700c Gipiemme wheels
700x23c Specialized tires
56cm frame with a 31.5" standover height


texts: I have a problem with my shifter. My bike is using Shimano Revo Shift(gripshift) RS-35 (see my picture).  The one shifting the front derailer (the left shifter) does not click when I turn it but it can still shift the cable.  How do I repair it?  I don't even know how do open up the shifter in the first place.


texts: Are bike repair shops averse to changing chainsets?

texts:
I have found that bike shops will happily replace cassettes and chains.  In contrast, even if a chainset is showing wear, they will be unlikely to change it. My brother just went to get his bike serviced and I noticed that his chainset is shark toothed and they only replaced the chain and cassette.
Has anyone else noticed this? If so, do you think there is there any reason for this?


texts: flat tyre even after replacing the tube?

texts:
So I bought a used Specialized Sirrus 2011 model as my first bike (so I'm new here) recently and I love riding it, light weight, smooth handling and comfy to ride. Rear wheel was flat when I bought it so guy gave me some money to replace the tube.

I took the bike home and removed the tyre (tyre size is 700*28cc), took out the tube and I could see a puncture on the tube when I inflate it. Was quite happy as I found the reason for the flat tyre. I replaced the tube ride for about 30 mins and put it back in the garage. But on the very next day, the tyre was flat again.

I took the tube out, inflated it but couldn't find a puncture. So I left the inflated tube for few hours and could see that it's deflated a bit. I checked the rim to see if there are any spokes sticking out and no, seems it's all good. Couldn't find anything on the tyre as well.

So anyway, I inflated even more, hoping to find the puncture in the tube. I was squeezing the tube and it got BLASTED!

Now I'm wondering what to do? Should I try with another tube? Also the given that the rear tyre is quite worn out and could see wear marks (rubber on the top center has brown color here and there), and has fibres coming out from sidewalls.

If I put a new tyre and a tube, this should solve my issue right? As there are no visible spoke problem with the rim. This's driven me really impatient, what should I do?


texts:
This is related to a previous post, but I thought it best to just start with a new post.

My local bike shop installed an 8 speed indexed shifter on a Huffy MTB which has a 6 gear freewheel.

About 2 weeks later, it started being harder to pedal when in several of the lower gears.

I had to stop several times to move the derailleur and chain a little to get home.

Could that possibly be caused by having an 8-speed shifter with a 6 speed freewheel?

(My bike shop is awaiting a Shimano Tourney Tx50 3x6-speed Thumb Shifter Set to replace the 8-speed shifter.)


texts:
I'm a 4'11" (150 cm) tall girl who just started riding BMX, and I'm riding a 20.5" (52 cm) frame. I find that it's really big and quite heavy for someone my size. Is 20.5" too big or should I just suck it up and keep going?

Also, if I were to get something smaller, can I just change the frame and use the existing tyres etc?


texts: Is this MTB a good bike or a BSO? Deserve carbon MTB

texts:
A guy wants to sell it to me second-hand, according to him hardly used. He bought it for USD850, trying to sell it for USD 180 to me. Is it ok to buy? I'm worried because it's imported wholesale from China with no brand (never heard of Deserve brand). Also, is it suitable for a man of height 163cm? Or too big? Thanks!

Deserve Carbon Mountain Bike

Specification :
Frame: 26"*18" Full-Carbon Fiber.
Fork: 26"SR SUNTOUR EPICON Aluminum Remote Lockout.
Chain Wheel: SHIMANO XT Aluminum 42T*32T*24T.
Chain: SHIMANO HG95.
Head set: Sealed Bearings Cartridge.
BB Set: SHIMANO XT.
Pedals: MOSSO Aluminum.
Saddle: WTB.
Handlebar: MOSSO Φ31.8 Carbon.
Stem: MOSSO Φ31.8 Carbon.
Seat Post: MOSSO Φ31.8 Carbon.
Tire: WTB 26"*2.1 Tubeless.
Wheels: WTB.
Brake: SHIMANO XT.
Derailleur: SHIMANO XT 30SP.


texts: Which is the most stringent bicycle helmet certification?

texts: There are numerous safety standards for bicycle helmets available, but which certification is the most stringent one in terms of safety?


texts: Complete amateur here but I took my 2021 Kona Rove Al650 to the shop today because the FD is not shifting. One of the mechanics told me that the FD on the Kona Rove is only used to adjust the chains and not actually for shifting gears. I clearly have two chainrings. I’ve never seen this system before. What is it called?


texts: Replace asymmetrical BB with symmetrical cartridge and spacers?

texts: My bike has a square taper 68mm width cup and cone bottom bracket that is wearing out. I was hoping to replace it with a sealed cartridge (shimano UN55 or similar) but then I found that the spindle length isn't the same on each side - the right spindle end is 4mm or so further from the centre than the left. I think that modern cartridges are symmetrical, so the two ends are the same distance from the centre. Is it possible to mount a 68mm symmetrical cartridge slightly off-centre using a spacer? If I put a 2mm spacer on the drive side then the new (symmetrical) cartridge would be the same as the old (asymmetrical) cup and cone. But I'm a bit worried that a) there wouldn't be enough screw threads engaged on the drive side or b) the non-drive cup won't screw far enough into the frame to hold the cartridge steady. Has anyone tried this? Does it work?


texts: Need help choosing compatible rear derailleur, cassette & chain

texts:
I just "inherited" a bike that has no rear derailleur or chain.  It also looks like the cassette is pretty worn, so I'm thinking about replacing that too.  I've looked around on the forum and I think I'm on the right track, but I'd love to hear from someone who knows what they're talking about (I don't).  Here are the specs...

Front chain ring - RaceFace 22-32-42
Front Derailleur - shimano XTR (at least 10 years old)
Shifters - Shimano xtr (also old)
Current rear cassette - Shimano hyperglide - 12-32 8 speed - worn and looks ready to be replaced

Here what I'd like to buy. I chose it mostly because it's inexpensive.  I'm trying to do this for under $100.

Shimano HG 51 cassette 11-32T
Shimano CN HG50 Chain
Shimano Alivio RD-M410

I've read on the forum that the chain and cassette are compatible - I just want to make sure that all these bits and pieces work with the other parts on my bike.


texts:
My girlfriend wants to buy a used road bike as well.  She is pretty small 5'2'' with shorter legs so it has been tricky finding anything that would fit her.

She suggested that we should look at something with a lower top tube.  Ie something like this:

(Not sure why but the images don't appear to be working.  Here is a link: http://massachusetts.inetgiant.com/Boston/AdDetails/COUGAR-10-speed-women-s-road-bike-NH-MA-border/8075274)

I don't know why but this does not seem like a serious bike to me.  We want to do some faster riding but I don't know how to justify why this isn't a "fast bike".  (Or is it a fast bike?)

I know some benefits of having a regular top tube are:

the bike has less flex and will lose less power on each pedal stroke.  (Is this significant?)
The geometry is right for the person riding the bike.  If you buy a bike with a lower down tube you are not really solving the problem.  With a solution like this you will not be able to get your handle bars at the right height (ie: at the same height or lower than your seat post).

Question: Will a bike with a regular top tube be faster than a bike with a lower slanted top tube?  Why?


texts: How do you keep from coasting too much on a bicycle?

texts:
Something that has always confused me about working out on a bike.  I want a Hybrid to ride for fitness.  I do not want the Road bike, mostly because I'm not going to ride on the road (I am too afraid of being run over).  The Hybrid will be on paved trails.  Plus, my back would not survive leaned over on a Road Bike, though I wish I could.

My question is how do you keep from coasting too much?  Whenever I think of biking, I inevitably think of hitting hills eventually.  Granted I have to go up the hill, but then I'm coasting down.  And on flat, how do I keep the wheels moving without coasting?  Just the right gear and discipline?

One can only go so fast, so sooner or later I will have to stop pedaling, and I also don't think I can go full out all the time.


texts: Trying to take the freehub body off my bike. The bike is a fairly low end Raleigh Shimano Tourney set up. I got a 12mm hex, inserted it into the hex groove on the freehub side and tried to turn it anti-clockwise. It will not come off. Gone so far as to use fit an adjustable wrench on the hex shaft for more leverage and use a deadblow hammer on the end of it. (Shorter end of the hex not quite long enough to use it in the other orientation that would supply better leverage). Are freehubs meant to be on this tight or am I doing something wrong?


texts: Problems with front derailleur shifting on an inexpensive bike

texts:
I bought a cheapish bike (Nakamura) couple of years ago, and it generally serves me well. Main problem that I have is that shifting gears, especially front gears often gets out of tune. After only a couple of rides it stops being smooth, and than I soon start having real problems while trying to shift gears (e.g when I shift 1->2 it gets stuck on 1, then i push to 3, and back to 2 and then it clicks, or similar scenarios. At one point before tuning, just trying to switch to 1 meant automatic chain falling from cogs). I tried tuning it myself, and had it tuned at LBS, but results are the same.

Question is, I guess, what can I do about it? Should I buy new derailleur? Maybe cables are bad? Bike is 3x7 and all the new stuff is 3x(8, 9, 10) would buying 3x8 be a problem? What if I go nuts and spend money on entire new power-train (front/rear, cogs/dereilleurs) which would probably be only slightly less that I paid for entire bike? Would it make sense?

Also worth mentioning is that I don't ride a bike that much. In last couple of years, I've barely rode 1000km,and so far I haven't change any part on it, or done any maintenance aside from cleaning/lubing, and derailleur tuning.


texts: How to mount Ohlins TTX22M to a 2018 Yeti SB 5.5

texts:
How do you mount a Ohlins TTX22M (17.87 x 2.25" - 16mm eyelet) shock to a 2018 Yeti SB 5.5?
I previously removed a Fox DPX2 which had vastly different mounting hardware (it turns out).
The Ohlins shock came with two 16mm DU bushings and two spherical bearings (not sure the size)
The shock bolts in my Yeti manual are listing:
Front Mount Bolt: BOLT TI FEMALE 8.0X31.0MM GEN2 (Figure 5.11)
Rear Mount Collet: COLLET AXLE 10X30.5X9.0 M10X1.0 (Figure 5.6)

All I can deduce from this is I probably need one with a bolt size of 8mm and another with a bolt size of 10mm
Which of these parts do I need to mount this shock? (Also, should I buy some tools?)


texts: Single pivot brake with handlebar levers (Resurrecting an old Colnago)

texts:
I have an old Colnago I want to resurrect, which after some Google-ing I have discovered is very similar to the bike here (but in blue):

I want to replace the drop bar brakes with "standard" brakes on the handle bar (this bike isn't for racing, just going around the city and it's more comfortable like this). So I am thinking of taking off the old brakes, re-taping the bars and fixing some new levers to the bar.

The brakes are like these:

Problem is, I have never done this before and it's a first time. So my question is: do I need anything special to convert it? Or can I just use some standard v-brake levers?

After this the next question is I want to replace the whole crankset, cassette, pedals - the works. Brakes first though.

Edit: By "standard" I mean what this bike has, but with both sets of brakes.


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How to store a bike outside and still avoid rapid decay?

I'd like to store my bike on the balcony. I use it daily and don't mind lugging it up the stairs but I'm tired of leaving it out at the mercy of the elements.

Since my balcony is open, I was thinking of a tarp. Also, I'm in the midwest and winter's coming!

Any other (cheap) suggestions?


texts:
I am working in odd shifts and don't get time to go on training ride every morning. My work schedule allows me some free time around evening however due to traffic conditions here I am reluctant to step out for a ride.

I get two offs a week and was wondering how do i manage to ride optimally to maintain fitness and achieve my goal of riding 100k solo by end of this year?

PS: I dont have money to spend on turbo trainer and i ride road bike.


texts: What Type of Brake Pads Should I Look For?

texts:
The brake pads on my bike have worn out, so I ordered a new set online, and after I spent a lot of time trying to adjust them, I noticed it won't work as they're not long enough to grip the rim when braking. I'm looking up online, and I can't seem to find anything without those bits and bolts just with a plain long-enough bar.

What name/keyword shall I look up to find what I need?

The Original Brakes:

The New Brake With Bolts That's Short:

The New Brake Without Bolt Which Is Not Safe Enough:

UPDATE:
Googling "cantilever" was helpful as @mikes mentioned. They seem to be 70mm pads. Also here's another picture from the pads:


texts: How to approach zone practice if heart rate zones are completely inaccurate

texts:
I recently started training with a heart rate belt. However, my heart rate zones seem completely different from the information I could gather online.
First, I'm in my mid-thirties but have a maximum heart rate of 197, which is much higher than it should be. However, it seems for many people this can be the case.
Second, more importantly, my heart rate zones differ a lot from standard percentages. Cyclingweekly stated that 82-89% should be for efforts lasting a few minutes but it is ok for me to hold the mid-80s for several hours. 89% and above only works for a few minutes. I don't seem to have any heart rate zone to target for a 20 minute effort.
Third, the indicator about speaking seems completely inaccurate. At 87%, speaking one sentence at a time (usually zone 2) is possible.
My question is how should I approach cycling practice based on zones if I fall out of the regular categories? I would also like to know possible reasons why the zones can be off, especially in case this relates to health issues or lack of training in some respect.


texts: I have the standard drop handlebars on my road bike. When I'm in the lower position, my head is pointing down so my eyes are looking at the road and my front tire. Looking forward requires me to tilt my head up to an awkward angle and I often get a kink in my neck after a longish ride. Are there mirrors available which I could mount on my bike which would provide me a front facing view while still keeping my head down?


texts: Is the same effort required to maintain a set speed using different sized chainring / cog combinations with same ratio

texts:
If I have a bike with the same cranks setup with a 36t (chainring) / 12t (cog) ratio and the same bike setup with a 48t (chainring) / 16t (cog) ratio, would the effort required to maintain a set speed be the same for both setups or is there some small difference created due to the size of the chainrings? This assumes a 3:1 ratio on both cranks.

Would there be a difference in a geared versus single speed (no derailleur, same chainline) configuration?


texts: After switching the fork on a road bike I noticed that the brake pads could no longer be adjusted to sit properly on the rim but would sit too low even in the topmost position. I encountered the problem with Shimano 105-style brakes. Obviously brakes exist with short and long arms and I had to switch to brakes that have shorter arms. Are there any standards for the arm length or, equivalently, the distance between the bolt holding the brake and the rim?


texts: What is the cost saving from manufacturing bikes in China vs USA or Taiwan?

texts:
I went to a bike shop recently and was surprised to see big "Made in China" stamps on the Trek mountain bikes. I did some research and apparently all the big bike makers manufacture in China now. I seem to recall a decade ago the frames were made in America or Taiwan and the high quality Shimano running gear was made in Japan.

The question I have is how much do manufacturers save by building frames and other components in China vs America and/or Taiwan?


texts: Abus Folding Lock: Adding Damping to Joints

texts:
I want to add damping to the joints on an Abus Folding Lock, such that it maintains its shape if I stick it through a hole or something.

I received some brief feedback that I could use rubber bands or O-rings; however, I'm not familiar with what might work best, which options of that component are available (and might work best), or how to implement.

Would anyone have any suggestions?

Background:

I began this question here, posted below. The people on bikeforums said it sounded like a DIY project, and thus I came to stackexchange thinking there would be a DIY community  who could further advise me on how to approach this.

Instead, I only found Home Improvement (DIY for houses) and Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair (DIY for motor vehicles), so the question has been placed to Bicycles, where people seem to be familiar with the Abus Folding Lock.

Please inform me if there is a better board.

Original Post:

I read about the Abus folding lock here, and then researched it in other places.

I since purchased it, and developed opinions about it. I sent feedback to the company, but wondered if I was alone in thinking that this feature would be a good idea:

  [Feature Request]: Damping in the Links

  I recently purchased an Abus folding lock for use with my bike. I like
  the extra versatility it has over traditional U-locks

  Since my purchase, I have found several situations in which a U-lock
  can more easily wrap around an object.

  When a U-lock is passed through an object which the user's hand cannot
  also pass, (such as a mesh wire fence) its shape allows it to wrap
  around an anchor (such as the wire mesh fence post)   and easily
  return to the user.

  A folding lock passes through these objects easily, but loses its form
  in areas where the user is unable to reach.

  Have you considered placing a weak dampers in the links, such that
  users could form your lock into shapes and weakly maintain those
  shapes while they are setting up the lock?


texts: What is considered a small hand for shimano?

texts:
The new shimano r7000 offers two options r7025 and r7000 in the brake levers, the first one is for small hands.

What is considered small hands?


texts: Has anyone else experienced the Topeak MTX DXP bag getting stuck in the rack?

texts:
I've got the MTX DXP luggage bag from Topeak.
Their suggested rack is the MTX Dual Side Frame, but I have the Explorer Tubular rack (image on site is reversed with the spring version).

Since it's listed as compatible, I'd expect that it would mount smoothly, until the latch catches, but instead it's really sticking on loading it in, and it near impossible at times to remove.

Is this something anyone else has experienced?

For today, I'm going to try applying some lubricant to the track, to see if that helps at all, but it seems like it's a really tight fit.


texts: Which size SKS Bluemels will fit my frame - 35, 42, 45?

texts:
I'm thinking of getting full mudguards for my road bike, the Triban RC 520 , (details here)
, and the manufacturer's page tells me that it comes with 700 x 28 tires and the frame is compatible with tires upto 36mm.
Searching for SKS Bluemels, I find the following sizes useful : 35 mm, 42 mm and 45mm. The 35 is good for 20-28mm tires and the 42 is good for 25-35 mm tires , it appears. The 45 seems a bit overkill for 28-38 mm.
I think I should go for the 42 mm ones for upgradability to bigger tires later, but since the frame is compatible with upto 36 mm tires only, would these "42 mm" fenders fit ?
(perhaps this is a silly question , but I'm buying online so want to be sure that they will )
Or is this measurement of the mudguard width not the same as tire width and so I can go ahead with the 42 mm ones ? For that matter, will even the 45 mm ones fit ?
NOTE : I have seen 24683 , but the question here is slightly different - what I ask is if the mudguards bigger than 35 will even fit.
EDIT 1 : Will these from Decathlon fit too ?
EDIT 2 : My bike has disk brakes, so there are no rim brake calipers in the way.


texts: How do you reset the GSC10 sensor on Garmin edge 510?  I want to be able to re-pair it to my device.  Any ideas?


texts: Where to sleep while touring southern Ontario?

texts:
I've been on-and-off planning a (reasonably) short bike tour from the Kitchener area (about 100km west of Toronto, in Canada) to Ottawa/Montreal, followed by a train ride home. I know most of what I need, but the one thing I haven't got figured out is where to stay. I don't have a ton of money and am an experienced camper, which means I'll lean very heavily towards a tent over a motel/hotel where possible.

I know, however, that my route of choice (east along Lake Ontario from Toronto to Kingston, then northwards to Ottawa, and paralleling the Ottawa River to Montreal) is heavily developed and urbanized, which makes camping problematic at best. Canada, rather unfortunately, don't have anything like the freedom to roam, which means that, unless I secure specific permission from a landowner, I'm trespassing.

Has anyone here been touring in similar circumstances? What are my best options for a (mostly) stress-free night's sleep in areas like this?


texts: Do the cups of headsets with cartridge bearings wear out?

texts:
On my bike I have an FSA headset Orbit X-CX which has cartridge bearrings. I re-grease the headset a few times each year and have recently replaced the lower bearing after ca 13,000 miles.  The upper bearing still feels smooth.

On a loose ball style headset if badly adjusted or after excessive use the cups would wear.  With a cartridge bearing the bearings run on the cartridge itself which is replaced.  Does this therefore mean that the cups should last the life of the bike?


texts:
I've scoured the internet for this answer, as I recently just tried to repair a tube on my Purefix fixed-gear bike which I assume uses tires and tubes similar to road bikes, as the tire size is 700cx28. Anywho, the patch pinched the tube and was no longer usable. I used the pre-glued ones, but the problem seemed to be that the patch pinched the tube.

Does the type of patch (pre-glued, non-pre-glued) matter a ton?
Should I apply patch to a partially inflated tube or deflated tube?
Does the tire-liner stuff really work in preventing flats?
Are my tires to blame for all my flats?

This is my first time on a bike that isn't a mountain bike, and I've had 3 flats now in 2 months and I haven't been able to patch them. Thanks for all the info guys and gals!


texts: Gear ratio formula to work out driven gear

texts:
I have been looking for a formula for two days now to calculate the diameter and how many teeth my driven gear needs.
The driver gear is 14 teeth and RPM will be 7104 (Motor KV x Batt Voltage). This driver gear will have a timing belt attached to the driven gear. How do I work out diameter and teeth needed for driven gear?


texts:
Is this bike suitable for a male
Is this bike suitable for men?


texts: Can I lace a 36 hole hub to 48 hole rim?

texts:
I'm trying to install a 3 speed, 36 spoke hub into my 48 spoke rim.

I want to try and retain the larger wheel if possible instead of downsizing to a 29" tire. I'm getting mixed information that it will or will not work.

Can you help me in any way? I read where someone was lacing 12 spokes in a radial set up but the lacing and location of the remaining spokes was very misleading.

Is this possible?


texts: How to choose the light bulbs for a given dynamo

texts:
I have a 16V 8W bottle dynamo and two light bulbs:

one is marked 6V 0.05A and is working properly
other does not have any inscription and ceased to work.

I would like to replace the second light bulb. What should I search for?


texts:
I have been trying to ride on some trials that have very soft sand and especially agitated by ATVs.  When I hit a soft patch my front tire pulls in one direction and I freak out a little.  I cannot seem to plow through it and ultimately just end up moving slower and slower, which than leads to a full stop.

Is there some trick or style to riding on these trails?


texts: What is an "unreasonably short leave-pass"?

texts: I'm reading "unwritten rules for calling a ride" and #4 mentions something about "unreasonably short leave-passes". What does that mean?


texts:
I just recently went through a Specialized BG Pro-Fit (was about $200), and have to say that I'm super happy with the results and experience.  The fitter was telling me about some others out there that cost a lot more and take 4+ hours and are more technical, or use more hardware, ie: lasers, though, I could not find them online with some simple searches.

Does anyone have any good experiences with others, or know of any others, and If you've done the Specialized BG Fit, did you like your results?

Edit: The BG Fit site goes in more detail


texts: ParkTool CC-2 chain checker incorrect readings

texts:
My bike is equipped with Shimano Ultegra CN-HG701-11 chain. After only 600 km I measured it with ParkTool CC-2 and it gives 0.75% wear. ParkTool says

  For 11 and 12-speed chain, replace at or just before the 0.5% reading.

Then I measured the outer distance between 10 links L2

and the inner distance L1

The actual length between 10 links is

L = (L2 + L1) / 2 = (134.44 mm + 120.0 mm) / 2 = 127.22 mm

Wear = (127.22 - 127.0) / 127.0 * 100% = 0.173%

Many sources including Sheldon Brown suggest to replace the chain just before  chain pitch grows over 0.5%. Should I trust the CC-2 or there are more accurate tools for quick check? Maybe my CC-2 is damaged or I use it improperly?


texts: I stripped one of four bolts on the faceplate of my stem. Is the stem usable until the replacement arrives?

texts:
The aluminium stem on my road bike says the max torque for each of the four faceplate bolts is 6nm. So I set my calibrated torque wrench to 6nm... and one of the bolts stripped its thread.
I guess “max” torque is a true upper bound?
Anyway: with three remaining good, tight bolts, is my stem likely to be safe to use for a couple of days until a replacement stem arrives?


texts: Will speed/cadence sensor work with 650c bicycle

texts:
I plan to use speed/cadence sensor, however my bicycle wheel size is 650c.

I guess, there are no problem about cadence.

But for speed (wheel speed sensor), will it work correctly?


texts: What's this red cylinder thing below the front axle?

texts:
Criggie: What's the red cylindrical thing on the drive side of the front fork? Is it part of the timing system?
Carel: They used 'simple' speed sensors in those days, no GPS! It is the sensor with a magnet glued to one of the spokes.
Criggie: I know about those (I have basic cateyes on all my bikes) but the big red "cowbell" looking thing in the picture above is way larger than any bike computer magnet sensor. Was it a transmitter to trip sensor wires laid over the roadway for timing segments/climbs ?
Carel: My guess is an aerodynamic housing for a wired reed-contact. Electronics weren't that sophisticated and transponders had the size of car-radios in those days.
Criggie: That's about a hundred times too large to a reed switch. Even in 1999, electronics were smaller than that.
And its not at all aero hanging down when it could have been in-line with a fork leg.
What's that red dangly thing below the front axle?
Cross-loaded from: Jan Ullrich's TT bike in la Vuelta 1999: why the bigger rear wheel?


texts: In Toronto, Ontario, Canada, what is the penalty for riding an electric assist bike thatsurpasses 32 kilometres per hour on flat terrain? Also, what is the penalty for an e bike that surpasses the 500 Watt maximum? I'm looking for sources and public records if possible.


texts: How do I determine current value of a used bicycle?

texts:
I'm looking at purchasing a bike from a private seller. I know the price of the bike when it was brand new and the bike appears to be in almost new condition and contains all original equipment.

How do I determine what a good price for a bike might be, given its age and condition? Is there a website I can go to that lists used bike prices?


texts: Trek Mamba 2013, what BB and crankset for 1x?

texts: Can anyone help me to find which kind of BB and cranks do I need for an 1x11 upgrade.


texts: Options for new equipment when replacing older parts that are end of life?

texts:
I have a 2004 Giant OCR Touring. It is a used bicycle.

These old touring bikes are a mix of mtn-bike and road bike parts. Most typically a road front derailleur/crank and a mtn-bike rear derailleur.

The previous owner put a triple compact mtn bike crank on it and it has had shifting issues. Partly due to the FD is braze-on and fits way above the largest chainring.

The original Shimano 105 FD finally took a dive and broke. It was a 3x9 derailleur.

It still has the Shimano Deore LX rear derailleur and that is running fine.

I am looking to replace the derailleur, and possibly update the crank as well. This is where my problem lies.

The only new 3x9 FD and crankset from Shimano is the Sora. The original crankset was a 52/42/30. These from what I can tell are no longer made. The new Sora 3x9 crankset is close at 50/39/30.

Can I replace my old Shimano 105 FD and ghetto crank with a new Shimano Sora FD and Crank and keep my current RD?


texts: I just put too much air and tired popped can i fix it with bike patch i never patched bike before

texts: I put to much air in my bike tire and popped it can a bikerepair patch kit fix because I never patched so bike before


texts:
I've recently acquired this bike:

The Moor brand seems to be coming from Denmark. However, the SFMK CSCM sticker seems to be referring tot the "Suisse Motorbike and Bicycle Union".
The bike was bought in Germany.
All the components are Shimano Deore.

Does anybody has more information?

Thanks


texts:
I just got an Electra Townie 8i bike and the gears are acting weird.  I hear clicking noises when pedaling and sometimes it slips down to a lower gear.  This is especially true for 4th gear.

Is this a known issue for these internal gear systems?  How can I fix it?  Is this something an amateur can repair?


texts: What is the recommended tension for my AlexRims X2100 rim?

texts:
I'm working on a bike which needs a couple of fixes, but the truing process is a new world for me. And I want to give long life for the wheel.

I have a 26" wheel with 32 plain gauge spokes (aluminum steel). And it needs some truing but I want to know the right spoke tension. After I went over a few videos I figured out that the easy way for me would be using an app such as CheckSpoke. You set the spoke length and diameter and then pluck the spoke and it shows a reading in Hz and N.

What should the readings shows for good tension on DS and NDS?

I'm truing a rear wheel with a cassette.


texts: Slow lever return after shortening brake line and bleeding

texts:
I've just recently replaced the brakes on my MTB with a pair of Shimano XT hydraulics. The rear brake line was extremely long for my frame's routing, so I had to cut it and subsequently bleed the system. For the most part, everything seems to have gone well; the rear brake lever is now very firm and responsive, slightly more so than the front (which I did not shorten or bleed). However, I've noticed that the rear brake lever no longer returns instantaneously. If I had to guess, I'd say it takes around 0.2 seconds to return from the fully depressed position. By contrast, the front lever returns so quickly that it makes a slight "snap" sound when it hits its limit.

I replaced both the olive and needle insert when reinstalling the brake line. I noticed that both of these parts had a thick grease generously applied to them from the factory. I'm unsure if this is typical for Shimano brakes, though I've never seen pre-applied grease on the spares for Avid or Tektro brakes. I have a sneaking suspicion that this may be the culprit, but I'm not sure how to validate that without disassembling the brakes again and swapping in new connector spares.

This doesn't seem to affect the brake's function right now, since the pads don't noticeably drag against the rotor during the return interval. But it does concern me that I may have done something wrong while reinstalling the brake line, and that this might be a precursor to more serious problems in the future. Any ideas what I might have done wrong, or how to further troubleshoot this issue?

Some more details:

The instructions I followed for shortening my brake line are these: http://www.epicbleedsolutions.com/blog/shorten-shimano-hoses-without-bleeding/
Shortening the line introduced some air, so I followed the official Shimano bleed instructions here [PDF]: http://techdocs.shimano.com/media/techdocs/content/cycle/SI/Bleeding_SI/SI_0037A/SI_0037A_002_EN_v1_m56577569830648123.PDF


texts: Changing road bike tyre from 28mm to 32 or 35mm

texts:
I have a Triban RC500 bike. Apparently it's wheels can take wider tyres.
A lot of internet info suggests that this  is a good thing to do for comfort and perhaps for better rolling resistance too?
My questions is, will I need to change to different inner tubes or the current tubes are OK to go from 28mm to 32/35 mm tyres?


texts:
I need to replace one chainring in my 3x9 setup. One possible option I'm looking at says it was made for 2x setups. Another option says it was made for 1x. They have the correct tooth count, BCD, and bolt layout. How much does this matter if the manufacturer says it was made for 2x or 1x setup? Am I going to run into problems using a chainring that was "made for" a 2x system on my 3x9 system?
(this is a follow-up to an earlier question: Does "speed" of a replacement chainring matter?)


texts: Do bicycles have ground wires and if so where are they I am trying to put a horn on mines and it’s kinda hard....it’s a bicycle any help would be very appreciated thanks.


texts: How important is a correct frame size for a Mountainbike?

texts:
Various frame size calculators on the internet spat out 19" for the size of a hardtail mountainbike frame that suits me. The local bike shop insisted 19" is way too small; he only had 21" sized models. I've never ridden a Mountain Bike in my life and I'm only used to handlebar-saddle drops of up to 20cm and ultra long stems. I've test ridden one and due to my lack of judgement I can only describe it as hopping onto a Harley Davidson Chopper, except that the steering was incredibly sensitive and prone to speed wobbles.

According to my research the difference between 19" and 21" is a ca. 1.5cm gain in toptube length and wheelbase. So after correcting with a shorter steam the net difference is a more volatile steering and a longer wheelbase.

I like a stable road bike on a downhill so I am an enthusiastic endorser of smaller frames coupled with very long stems on road bikes. How does a more volatile steering affect a mountain bike on a trail? Since the handlebar is almost twice as wide as a roadbikes, is speed wobble an actual threat for mountain bikers?


texts:
I am a female getting into serious cycling, and will be riding in a 200 kms charity race (over 2 days) in June 2017, as well as beginning to compete.

In 2013, I broke my pelvis in 3 places. I broke both ischial tuberosity bones, though I broke them at the "top" of each round ring, not the bottom. I also broke the sacrum bone right next to the right side of my spine (2mm) away.

I have healed perfectly fine, and have no pain, except when I am cycling long distances. I start to get sore at 50 km, and it gets worse as the distance increases. It is the ischial tuberosities that get sore, not the sacrum bone.

I will not allow this to get in the way of cycling. There is a way to overcome this, and I will find it.

I need to find a saddle that will take some of the pressure off my ishial tuberosity bones, and I am looking for suggestions.

I live in Toronto, Canada, if that helps.

Please send me suggestions or ideas, so that I can kick some butt on my races, without my bones kicking my butt.


texts: How do I fix scratches that go into an aluminium frame?

texts:
After doing a very bad job at transporting my aluminium-framed mountain bike on a horrible bicycle rack, it ended up with some nasty scratches. These are not surface scratches; they go into the metal. Most sources only tell you how to remove light scratches and chips in the paint. My bike is a Scott with a matte paint job.

How can I address this?


texts: I have just bought a new bike. However it was delivered with the handlebars at 90 degrees to the front wheel. How do I align them? The bike is a Carrera Vengeance ebike.


texts: Running multiple dynamo lights on a single dynohub

texts: I have a Shutter Precision PD8 hub, and a B&M headlight. I happen to have a spare B&M headlight of a different model in my parts bin. I'm thinking about putting the second light on just to have extra light, and potentially to aim it lower so I can see close-up better. Can I just patch the second light in? And if I do, should I put it electrically parallel or series? And will it be any brighter at all, or will each light just be proportionally dimmer?


texts: What hydration system should I use for multiple activities?

texts:
Looking for a hydration pack/system that I can use for cycling, running, snowboarding and (by removing the bladder and putting it into my travel pack) backpacking across Europe.

My requirements are pretty simple:

Small
2L capacity (or around that mark)
Light
Minimal - no extra storage or other bells and whistles are necessary
Reasonably strong/good quality

What do you recommend?

At this stage I'm interested in this bag by Deuter.

I will actually be using it for a lot more snow boarding than anything as it is now winter in Melbourne, so the smaller the better as I want it to go under my jacket (I know this is a QA for bike riders, but just thought it was worth the mention).


texts: what to do during the week before a century?

texts:
I'm planning to do a century ride in the near future, does anyone have any suggestions on what to do in the week leading up to the ride (besides training - duh).

I was thinking inspecting your bike, carbo loading, etc?  What to eat? How to sleep? Should I be riding at all? etc


texts: Why is this guy blocking the rear wheel?

texts: In this video the guy has clearly blocked his rear brake, as we can see the rear wheel is not rolling, but sliding. In this particular context, what has been his intent? Could have he done it for stopping, control/steering, look-cool-move?


texts:
Currently building a new mountain bike. I'm fairly bike savvy and have built quite a few bikes over the years, but mainly road bikes.

I have installed/fitted a new Shimano slx group set and the hydraulic brake housing is very long. Lots of excess brake line around the handlebars, and when looking at other bikes in the shop they don't seem to have that problem. I'm fairly sure you can't shorten the housing, and not sure I want to have a crack at that if that is the case, so I wanted to see how other people get around this problem?


texts: (Apparent) chain slippage causes on new bike - usual culprits already eliminated

texts:
I recently purchased a new bike (~7 weeks ago). Since day one, it has had an issue with chain slippage. I initially took it back to the bike shop from which I bought it, to be told that it was likely just down to "cables not yet being bedded in" and told to "just give it more time". (I am more than aware that cables don't need to "stretch" once installed; after a ride or two, the only thing that will change is cables/ferrules/etc being properly seated in their housing, and stable)

Given that reaction from the bike shop, I have tried to locate the problem myself.

How the problem presents itself:
When pedaling normally, the cranks slip in a way at least similar to chain slippage. Typically, I hear a few single 'popping' sounds as if a part is moving back and then forth, before finally feeling the chain jumping feeling. Note that I only say "feeling" - as it could well not be the chain jumping, but something else which feels like that - the cranks rotate freely through what feels like 1 or 2 cog teeth (from experience), but perhaps it could be the freehub body?

It doesn't happen during shifting - shifting performance is good
It doesn't appear to matter which chainring I'm in
It doesn't appear to matter which end of the cassette I'm in
It is not caused by cross-chaining (I avoid cross-chaining)
It doesn't appear to matter whether or not the system is under high load; it still happens when pedalling moderately
It doesn't happen "regularly" - ie, it isn't every pedal stroke/every chain full revolution/etc. Sometimes it will happen multiple times in quick succession, and other times it will be 10 mins between occurences.

Here are the key facts and what I have noted to try and eliminate possible causes:

The parts are (of course, being a new bike) all new - no wear on the chain/jockey wheels/chainrings/cassette.
The parts match - all are part of a Shimano 105 groupset (no aftermarket/3rd party parts, including chain and quick link)
There are no sticky links in the chain, having checked the entire chain
The bolts on the chainrings are properly tightened
The bolts on the derailleur hanger are properly tightened
The derailleurs are both properly indexed and high and low limit screws are set properly
The rear derailleur hanger does not appear to be bent
The chainrings aren't bent and are in alignment
The cassette cogs aren't bent and are in alignment, and secured properly on the freehub body

Frankly, I'm out of ideas. In the first instance, I am going to take the bike back to the shop to be looked at once more (now that I have "given it more time" as requested, however dubiously). That said, I would still like to understand possible causes of this in case they aren't able to or are unwilling to find the root cause.

What could cause the above-described issue which hasn't been covered off by the above checks?

EDIT: for reference (since it's now relevant having solved this issue): my bike make and model is a Pinnacle Arkose 4 (2016), the groupset is full first-party Shimano 105 and the wheel set has KT hubs.


texts: Best place to shop for parts in Canada (used parts)

texts:
What is the best place to buy bike components that will ship to Canada?  I would prefer a Canadian company or someone who ships within Canada to avoid large shipping costs and inport duty.

I am especially interested in buying used components.  Right now I am interested in buying:

Some non-indexed bar end shifters for my road bike
A mountain bike fork with disk breaks and no suspension

Where would be the best place to look for this?  I have tried my local craigslist postings but these items are too specific.  I have also looked in my local bike shop but buying these parts new will cost more than buying an entire new bike.  I like to do most of my own work and being a student I have a fairly small budget.

Where would you look for these parts?


texts: I had my chain jump off on my fixed gear when I hit a pothole, and it's gotten completely wedged between the cog and the flange of the hub. I've removed the lockring but can't get a chain whip around the cog to loosen it and the chain is completely wedged tight in there – no amount of force I've been able to generate has budged it at all. Any suggestions for how I might get the cog loose to free the chain?


texts:
A couple of days ago my girlfriend's bicycle broke. The rear wheel was stuck. Tonight I had finally some spare time to have a look. The bearings had failed, so much so that the wheel must have spun for some time piecewise with the axle.

As a consequence, if you are picturing this right, the left nuts had tighten as that very hot place, whereas the nuts and cup on the drive side were completely loose (the axle had screwed itself to the left).

I don't know what caused this. I had replaced the bearings in the past, something I've done many many times with no problems. What I'm asking here is whether this level of damage is normal or the bearings are cheap.
I mean: the rightmost bearing in the picture can be separated into a smaller (about 3/16) inner ball and an outer 1/4" shell!

This is the first time I used bearings from ebay, and would like to have your opinions.


texts: wedge/saddle rail mounted bags interchange

texts: A variety of manufacturers make snap in wedge bag mounts. The mount attaches to the saddle rails and the bag snaps into the mount.  Does  know which brands if any interchange?


texts: How to identify/find replacement bolt for STI

texts:
I have an old road bike with Ultegra ST-6501 STI levers.  In the photo below you can see that the right lever has lost the rear bolt that holds the "outer" (shift up) portion of the lever in place when the "inner" (shift down) portion of the lever is thrown.

The absence of the bolt makes it difficult to shift down - the outer portion of the lever has to be held in place while throwing the inner portion of the lever.

The bolt must have fallen out in the middle of a ride.  I've tried to find a replacement bolt, but haven't been able to even identify the name of the bolt or a reliable way to describe what it is.  The documentation for the ST-6501 levers doesn't seem to mention it:

https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/si/SI-6C80D-001-ENG.pdf

I could use help identifying and/or finding a replacement bolt to get this lever working again.


texts: Is there a lock rating system in the US?

texts:
There are several questions already about what's the best bike lock. I'm just looking for information on lock rating systems. I've found a couple rating systems in countries like UK (Sold Secure) and the Netherlands (ART).

Is there a similar rating system in the US? Do they have a decent website that you can search on?

I've found that Sold Secure has a searchable site, but it does not have all of the US brands and models in its database.


texts:
I am a kid that wants to start riding a MTB, but I do not have a lot of money to buy a expensive bike. I have about R 10 000 South African Rand. (600 dollars) how do I buy a bike that can be used to ramp (jumps) and so on where and what should I look for and so on.

I want to be able to teach myself a new skills but don't have a lot to work with.

I want to be able to jumps and I really want to buy the best bike for the best price because I can only buy once. I had a old bike that just broke and I have decided to buy a new one. I like to watch mountain biking on YouTube (Seth's bike hacks and so on) and want to be able to ride for a team at my school if it comes down so really need a good bike for a good price but I don't know how to get or choose one.


texts:
I was told that there is a fine of €300 for cycling on a "carretera" in Spain without a helmet.  But it's possible the guy just wanted to sell me a helmet.  I'm not completely sure what exactly distinguishes a carretera from any other road, but on this trip, I don't have that helmet with me and several police have seen me riding.

A web search gets more advertisements than information.  Anyone know what the law is there?  Extra credit if you have a link to the official text.  (I can read Spanish.)


texts: Is a 51cm frame road bike the correct size for someone almost 6ft?

texts:
Looking for some advice on my first road bike.

I've had my eye on a Carerra Virtuoso for about 6 months now, they haven't budged from £350, however I've just spotted one on ebay second hand.

None of my local stores have this bike in stock, otherwise I'd go sit on it to size it up.

Being 5'11" (about 180cm) and 194 lbs, would I be too big/small for this bike?

I currently have a 22" Carerra Kraken and that feels about right size wise

Also, bearing in mind they are £350 new from halfords (and I have £50 halfords vouchers..), how much would be a reasonable bid?


texts: Anyone seen a hollow crank spindle cut through by an internally-routed derailleur cable?

texts:
I just want to share a recent observation, but I have to pose it as a question.
A person showed me an FSA Gossamer 30mm hollow crank spindle broken into 2 parts. The break looked almost as good as a machined cut from a lathe. He explained that his frame has internal routing of the gear cables, and that having changed the rear gear cable some time ago, eventually the gear cable wire had sawed through firstly the plastic sleeve cover, then finally the spindle.
Rather an expensive lesson learned here, in that he needs to replace at least the right crank c/w integral spindle. I just wanted to document the occurrence which may help others in future.


texts:
I have a Kinesis Tripster ATR.  The drive-side seat stay has a lug on it whose purpose I can't work out:

There's no such feature on the other seat stay.  What is it for?


texts: Brand new single speed bike has a skip in the free wheel motion or make a click noise once every rotation of the tire

texts:
Just put together a brand new single speed fixie style bike.  There is a skipping or catch motion when the bike is upside down (on the seat and handle bars) and I'm pedalling the crank and then stop and let the back tire spin (free wheel motion).  I'm guessing that in that position once I stop spinning the pedals connected to the crank arm should just be still while the back tire is spinning.

What is happening is that the crank arm/pedal acts like it catches on something and moves and then stops and then catches again, moves and then stops when the back bike tire is spinning.  It doesn't seem normal, especially because it's a new bike.

Also I only took around the block to test drive and it seems when I stop pedalling it hold my feet on the pedals in a 3 o'clock / 9 o'clock position there is a clicking or catching sound happening there as well. When pedalling the bike feels normal.

Here is a short 8 second video of the skipping when the bike is upside down on the seat and handle bars

What do you think may be the issue? Any help would be greatly appreciated!


texts:
got a set of profile design bull horns and fitting an aero lever/tt brake.

name this one

how is this inserted into the handlebar and how does one adjust?

Cheers


texts: Compatibility of bar end shifters and 10 spd Tiagra

texts: I want to try an aero bar type set up, with bar end shifters on my 10 speed Tiagra road bike, do I need a particular bar end shifter to do this?


texts: Are Hollowtech II bottom bracket normal?

texts:
I've just installed a brand new Ultegra 6600 crank/bb on my brand new frame. Everything is fine and properly installed, but the crank doesn't rotate as freely as a square taper BB. The bike is not yet ready to be ridden waiting for some parts.

Will the bb break down?


texts: Where does the energy loss in cycling go proportionally?

texts:
If you are biking on level ground with no wind, I understand that there are losses inherent in your activity which you provide effort to overcome  (if you want to maintain a steady speed):

Air/wind resistance
Rolling resistance
Friction losses
?

I am wondering if there has been any significant analysis into what percentage of the overall energy exertion goes to which loss. Something like "70% of the energy loss is due to X, 15% to Y" etc.

I know that this will vary based on the type of bike, tire pressure, posture, speed, wind speed, etc, but I am curious if there has ever been an in-depth analysis into the breakdown of energy loss in cycling.

I care about far more than just drag, which is the only variable the related question addresses.


texts: Correct position of hands on flat handlebars

texts: I have had a numbing sensation in my thumbs. I take it it is caused by the pressure of holding the handlebars while riding. The bike is a Schwinn Signature M3030 - SR SUNTOUR mountain bike.


texts: Which mountain bikes are purposefully built to be 27.5 and 29 compatible, similar to Rocky Mountain Pipeline

texts:
I'm looking to get a bike that was designed to handle both 27.5 and 29 wheels so that i can have a single bike and swap wheels when feel like modifying the riding characteristics.
I was looking at the Rocky mountain Pipeline that was designed to handle both wheel sizes and has a 9 position flip switch to help adjust the geometry based on the wheel size being used.
Was wondering if anyone knows of other companies and models that are designed with this same option in mind.
Thanks.


texts: Fork is noisy sounds like metal parts are loose

texts:
I have an old road bike.
It's suddenly very noisy around the fork section and the headset.
I've checked and everything around the front wheel seems perfect. However, i month ago i tighten the headset so i'm suspecting a bearing got loose and now jumps around inside.

Is that even possible? if so should i just buy a new headset-set ?
Would love your input thank you.


texts: How to give away lights to cyclists without lights?

texts:
My objective is simple enough... I want people to be safe when out riding.  Too often on my way to work I often see cyclists in the dark and rain without lights.  When I see them I try and offer them an extra light I keep handy, just in case.

The problem is I have only been successful two times over the course of a full year. Most of the time, male or female, young or old, I am told that they either have one some where or they forgot their batteries or some other crazy excuse.  I have even offered free batteries to no avail.

One time it took me running into the same fellow three times on a dark forest track before he would accept an old set of trail lights I had kicking about. (And of course the next day my newer replacement lights died - talk about Murphy's Law!)  The only other time, I felt like the person was begrudgingly allowing me to mount a light on their bike (they were riding in the dark down a busy rural road with no street lights).

In theory this should be a simple exercise, but I am failing miserably.
I know my approach is important so I focus on being friendly and non-judgemental (no one likes being called out).  I don't tell them what they should or should not be doing, I only talk about how the conditions make it hard to see and that I have some lights they can have.

Question

What is going on here?   Am I missing some sort of psychological/human nature angle? Should I be taking a completely different approach?

Note: I am unclear if the bicycles stack is the most appropriate stack for the question, but figured I would give it a go here first.

Update

I wanted to thank everyone for their ideas and feedback.I am currently shopping the idea of a central light give-away with various local sponsors. The best target will be in the area around the major city I live in as it has the highest density of cyclists.

That said, I actually work out in a smaller community, which will likely be missed in any give away due to the lower volume of cyclists.  So I am continuing to work on my technique for the ones I encounter here.  Tonight I was able to give one to a older stealth cyclist who refused me in the past (and who was actually the impetus for this post).  I just extra time striking up a conversation and was  a bit more persuasive in my sell job. Also I made an extra effort to communicate that there were no strings were attached (mainly in my tone and some small comments about the origins of the lights - Moᶎ's "unknown provenance."  I will also see if a small light gift certificate is an easier give-away.


texts: Individual cassette gears and swap a 10 speed for a 9 speed

texts:
Why can't we buy individual cassette gears? Probably 90% of my riding is on just 4 to 5 of the gears on the cassette. The rest of the gears are used much less. I have a X0 SRAM derailleur 9 speed set up. Since I need to replace the chain and cassette very soon I'd like to swap for a 10 speed set up. Other than cassette, chain and shifter will I have to replace the derailleur and the rings?

Thx


texts: EBikes - is torque a good predictor of how easy it will feel to go uphill?

texts:
Electric bikes sometimes quote the torque or max torque of the motor being used.
So for instance this bike has a Shimano Steps E8000 motor the torque of which is given as 70 Nm (confusingly enough the web page actually has another specification of torque for the same bike but let's ignore that for the moment).
Ignoring other variables for a moment (bike weight, battery charge, wind etc) would this bike go up a given hill at a given speed with less effort on the part of the rider than another bike with a quoted torque of, say, 90 Nm ?
If torque isn't a good measurement of "effort uphill to achieve given speed" what would a good metric be ?


texts: Will tubeless tires out-perform my Armadillos on my commute?

texts:
I have a Trek commuter bike (8.4 DS). I bike 5.5 miles to work, and up to 15+ miles home. I’m considering the switch to tubeless. Most of my commute (all but 1.5 miles) is on a well-maintained concrete trail. For that 1.5 miles, I’m in gutters or hugging them on residential and downtown streets. I’ve had no flats in the past year of commuting under those or similar circumstances. But I’ve read and heard that I may get better performance from tubeless tires. I’ve also heard the opposite. My Armadillo (Kevlar™) tires have probably seen around 2000 miles over the past 6 months, and my back tire is going bald (under my weight and the additional 5-to-15 lb. load of my pannier). With that in mind, …

Will I recognize any worthwhile performance advantage from switching?
Do tubeless tires tend to go bald any faster or slower than Kevlar tires?
Could I expect more or less flats with tubeless than with my Kevlar tires?

P.S. In case weather is a consideration, we have little enough snow and rain here in Topeka, Kansas, that I am not worried about weather-related performance issues.


texts: Nutrition during long rides while reducing fat

texts: I am reducing fat for a month doing gym and spinning, and now I'd want to add cycling to it. On spinning days I've been eating like in non-training days, about 2100kcal. But it lasted 1,5h max, what about long 5h cycling session days? How much should I increase my calories intake? What should I eat?


texts:
This might seem like an odd question but I am really wondering. Up to now I used my trekking bike to commute to work and I never had any issues to leave it in the bicycle floor parking rack due to its factory default kick stand.

However I just bought a new mountain bike (XC) and I found out today that its tires barely fit into the bike stand. I had to apply brute force to get them in and out. In addition, it wobbled around and I had to use a tension belt to keep everything in place and from falling over.

Questions:

Could this have any negative effects on the tires? (I am taking the bike every single day to commute and I leave it for 9+ hours. I would like to use the MTB at least half the time.)
Is there any more elegant solution to this problem rather than using brute force / tension belts apart from adding a kickstand and than putting the bike next to the rack?

I would like to avoid a kickstand for the reasons mentioned in other threads such as here. Right now I am considering adding a kickstand and removing it after work if I decide to take a detour through rougher terrain.

P.S. Please note that I have seen plenty of mountain bikes lying on the ground after work in the past. (Due to wind or people bumping into them etc..) However I would like to avoid this if possible.


texts: Titanium seatpost in steel seat tube, good idea?

texts:
I want to use a titanium seatpost in a frame with a steel seat tube (Columbus Spirit tubes). Is it a good solution? I want to understand if the metals play well from a structural point of view, and I also want to avoid seizing between the two metals.

More in general, is there some reference on which materials I can combine together in the seat zone?


texts: Can a belt driven bike be used in a hilly area?

texts: I have been thinking about getting a Canyon Commuter 4.0 but I am worried about the internal geared belt driven system this bike has. The only ones that come with a pannier rack are the belt driven models. How would it perform on a hilly commute? Is it ideal? I climb about 450 meters every day. I used to do it on a single speed bike so the 8 gears of the Shimano Alfine hub should be enough, but I am worried about the belt.


texts: What would happen if I don’t replace worn drivetrain components?

texts:
What would happen if I took a entirely new drivetrain and just never replaced anything? Of course, I’d keep it clean and lubricated.
With 11 and 12 speed chains being as expensive as they are, the old adage of “replace the chain to protect the cassette and chainrings” starts to make less and less sense. If I skip two new chains, I save the cost of a cassette. Another skipped chain would cover new chainrings.
In other words, skipping three replacement chains would save me enough money to just buy an entirely new drivetrain. That is better than the normal approach, which -for the same money- would give me four worn out chains, a worn out cassette, and worn out chainrings.
Importantly, this avoids the issue of having a new chain on a worn cassette or some other combination thereof.
What are the downsides to my logic? I can think of a few right now:

decreased shift performance
increased risk of chain breakage (by how much?)


texts: Diameter of valve hole in the inner wall of the rim

texts:
Let's say I have presta valve, so the outer hole in the rim is 6 mm (the visible hole). However rim can have inner "wall" inside with inner hole in it -- to my surprise the hole has bigger diameter.

Is it sign of low quality or is it norm around rim manufacturers?

My first reaction is "low quality" because bigger hole allows the tube to be rotated slightly, while the tight hole forces tube to be seated correctly with valve perpendicular to the rim.


texts: Is there a "conventional" configuration for mounted accessories?

texts:
Many different types of bike accessories as designed to be mounted via somewhat-conventionalized braze-ons: These braze-ons most often are on the down tube and occasionally on the seat tube and nearly always seem to be mounted with two screws 8cm apart. However, is there not some sort of accepted convention for the "best" places to put different types of accessories? For example, water bottles are more easily reached while biking if they're on the down tube rather than on the seat tube, so if there's only one water bottle cage, I'm guessing most people would mount it on the down tube. However, what about other stuff?-- Locks, pumps, bananas and so forth?

Case study

I used to have a road bike (a '70s Motobecane randonneur/randonneuse) which had a dedicated braze-on under the top tube for an air pump but nothing else. As explained above, I then mounted a bottle cage to the down tube using a special bracket-braze-on-thingy which mounts to the frame with a metal band and a screw (I wish I knew where I got them from or even what they're called). Then, because I didn't know where else to put it, I mounted the holder for my folding bike lock onto the seat tube using another metal-band-braze-on-thingamajig:

However, after that bike died, I got road bike of very similar style (a '76 Motoconfort (Motobecane) Le Champion). However, an analogous configuration for this bike is actually not possible because it has its air pump mount on the seat tube rather than under the top tube:

As you can see, the folding lock is in a very strange place because

hanging it underneath the top tube near the saddle seems like a good place, but then it's not possible to shoulder the bike --- something I have to do regularly since I ride the bike daily in an urban environment (albeit without stuff like water bottles and air pumps on it).
mounting it on top of the top tube isn't possible because that's where the rear brake cable runs: The above-mentioned custom holder thing doesn't work there, and I can't simply use the lock holder's Velcro straps by themselves because I'm sure some wiseguy will steal the holder.

However, is the lock's positioning really so "strange"?-- its weight being so high and forward doesn't actually seem to affect handling nearly as much as I'd feared, which is the main reason I thought that people tend to mount stuff "low" and "back".

Lastly, I wrap my secondary, cable lock around the seat post because

I can't find a place on which to mount a proper holder for it.
the saddle bag featured in the photo of the previous bike doesn't actually fit on the newer bike's saddle.

In conclusion, the way I configured my bike's equipment was partially based on what I saw other bikes look like (e.g. with the bottle cage) and partially based on the quirks of my bike itself, which enforced constraints on where I "thought" accessories were supposed to go. Is this in fact what everyone does, and the second factor is what contributes to the variations in different riders' setups? Certainly, at least my "common sense" when it came to placing weight low and to the rear was actually a bit nonsensical.


texts: I took my car off the road to save money but sometimes I need to transport large heavy items like a 60 pound flooded lead acid golf cart battery.  Is there anything I can attach to my bike that can handle weight like that such as a cargo trailer?  What about 2 batteries (120 pounds total)?  What (if any) requirements are there to make this work?  It is mostly flat where I live and my lowest gear is about 22 gear inches and I have 3x7 gears (21 speed).  Thanks.


texts:
This is the original cone nut of a new coaster brake hub I bought recently. I didn't install it yet, it's new.

What bothers me are those weird stains / corrosion signs on the bearing surface.
It looks like the chrome plating is damaged (or whatever plating is on them) by corrosion (caused by improper storage conditions?), or physical damage (over tightening?). Just my speculations.

The camera/contrast settings might make it look worse:

Video (for different angles / light reflections):

Is it a good idea to just ride it and recheck its condition after a couple of rides? Or will it just fail right away? Can I polish it with sandpaper?


texts: What front derailleur is this? Want to replace/upgrade

texts:
Hi I've bought a foldable bike and am thinking of changing the derailleurs to Shimano, but I could not figure out what type it is.

The link the to the bike is:
https://www.forever-bicycle.com/html/show-22-29-1.html

It says MICROSHIFT FD-42F could not find it on Microshift's website .. and googling seemed to only give results to the product pages of the bike itself. Any chance that this might be a customized item?

To further this question:

If this FD is a customized item .. what are the other alternatives I have? Or is advisable to just switch to internal rear hub?


texts:
I'm planning to buy a TCX Advanced SX, this one:
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/tcx-advanced-sx-2017

All is cool, I simply would like a 10/42 instead of the stock SRAM 11/42. What is the less expensive way to get about it? Can I simply swap the 11t for a 10t?

Thanks!!


texts: Converting a short cage rear derailleur to a long cage derailleur

texts: Is it possible to convert a short cage rear derailleur (for example the Huret Svelto) to a long cage derailleur by just taking the lower cage and replacing it by a longer one?


texts: inferior/weaker rims vs superior/stronger rims with an underweight cyclist

texts:
I want to ask a physics-related question, I'm a male, 162cm, height 50kg/110lbs (I'm healthy, but too light!).

Right now I'm building a Surly Cross Check and I'm confused what wheels I should purchase. So I have two options: Alex DM18 (cheap) and Alex DH19(more expensive). They have similar inner rim width (17.9mm an 18mm). I really want DH19 but I'm little bit overbudget on other parts. I plan to use my bike for commuting and a little bit offroad. If I use the bike for offroad, do DH19 rims will stay true longer? Or because I'm thin, would using DM18 have insignificant difference?

Edit: the plan is to build an ss cx bike, no consideration of cassette/drivertrain


texts: Cycling without clipless pedals and groin weakness

texts:
I've been cycling long-term in hills and over the last few years without clipless pedals. Over time I have found the hills to be easier to climb, but have noticed a dramatic decrease in my running ability, and recently on holiday found it difficult to walk long distances as well without pain and stiffness. Is this because of increased leg muscle (weight)? Should I get clipless pedals again?
Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance!


texts: Can a conventional seat be reversed 180 degrees to be used as a noseless seat?

texts:
I am interested in potentially switching to a noseless seat (also called noseless saddle). Instead of buying one, can I simply reverse my conventional seat 180 degrees and sit on the edge of the new front (the former back) of the seat? I will only make contact with the new front of the seat, while the former nose (the new back of the seat) will just be there behind me and not be used or cause any harm.
I tried doing this on my bike and riding it for about a mile total, stopping periodically to adjust the angle of the seat and distance of the seat from the handlebars (sliding along the rails). So far, it feels consistent with descriptions I have read of using a noseless seat. I have included some photos.
I am interested in:

Feedback, opinions, and analysis about this possible strategy.
Somebody who has access to both a noseless and conventional seat testing out this strategy to see if the backwards conventional feels similar to the noseless. Please only do this if you feel safe and comfortable testing this out and also are interested in answering the question.

Other thoughts or possibly-relevant information:

If I decide to use this possible solution permanently, I would find a conventional seat that is the correct width for my sit bones, which I have gathered is an important part of finding the right seat, regardless of whether it has a nose or not.
I use my bicycle for commuting, going to the store, and similar outings, with round-trip distances in the 5-15 mile range.
I am not asking if a noseless seat is good or bad. That topic has already been debated a lot online, I have noticed. I understand that some riders consider noseless seats to be a threat to safety and a gimmick solution to a problem caused by poor bike fit, while others consider noseless seats to be better for their health and comfort.   Instead, taking it as given that I want to try using a noseless seat, I am asking if this reverse-seat is a viable option, because to me it seems no different than many noseless seats out there already (for example, if you take the portion of the reversed conventional seat that I would sit on and saw off the rest, it appears to me that we would end up with approximately same thing as the moon saddle advertised at https://www.moonsaddle.com).

Photos:


texts: Upgrade cranks, chain, gears on a Carrera Vengeance MTB

texts:
I have a Halfords Carrera Vengeance 2011/12 bike:

Carrera Vengeance Mountain Bike 2011/2012
The Carrera Vengeance  Mountain Bike will have you powering up steep hills and across rugged trails in no time. It has a Suntour XCM-V3 suspension fork which soaks up bumps like a sponge, and its SRAM 24-speed gears will make the afore-mentioned hills a piece of cake.

Approximate Weight (KG): 14.6kg

Forks: Suntour XCM-V3

Frame Material: Alloy

Front Brake: Tektro IO Mechanical disc brake

Number of Gears: 24

Rear Brake: Tektro IO Mechanical disc brake

Wheel Size: 26"

Cassette: 11-32T

Chainset: SRAM S200 3.0 chainset

Fork Lock-out: No

Fork travel: 100mm

Frame Colour: Satin Gunmetal

Front Mech: Shimano FD-M190

Gear Shifters: SRAM X4 trigger shifters

Gender: Mens

Handle Bars: Alloy oversize riser bars (30mm rise) (31.8mm diameter)

Headset: Semi integrated

Hubs: Alloy with Q/R

Pedals: Wellgo alloy platform

Quick Release Front Wheel: Yes

Quick Release Rear Wheel: Yes

Rear Mech: SRAM X4 rear mech

Rims: Double wall alloy rims

Saddle: Carrera

Seatpost: 350mm Alloy 31.6

Stem: Ahead aluminium stem

Suspension: Front

Tyres: Kenda Tyres

But the gears are quite bad IMHO. It takes a lot of force to switch gears. I'd also prefer bigger cranks as I pedal on roads a lot. I'm perfectly happy with the brakes and the fork.

I'm looking to buying a set online, e.g. from https://www.merlincycles.com/groupsets-81168/ , but they come in a million sizes. How do I find one that will fit my bike?


texts: how do you develop the strength to be able to hold a aero right angled forearm position?

texts:
How to pros go about developing the strength to be able to sustain this kind of position (specifically the bent fore arms, not so much the flat back) for more than a minute and what type of yoga would you do to be able to sustain this position?

I ask as even after a bike fit I struggle to get past the one minute mark whilst trying to hold this position.


texts:
We've got a bike where the front hub (Shimano Alfine dynamo) uses a Center Lock rotor and the rear hub (also Shimano, go figure) uses an ISO rotor. The front hub is giving me fits trying to sort out why the rotor rubs intermittently, so I thought I'd try replacing the rotor.

My thought is to get a Center Lock adapter and use an ISO rotor so that both ends of the bike would use the same type of disc. Seems like it would make life and maintenance a bit simpler.

Question 1: Is there any reason why this would not be a good/acceptable idea? Are there substantial advantages to Center Lock?

Question 2: Does the adapter convert a Center Lock hub to an ISO hub or does it convert an ISO rotor to a Center Lock rotor? In other words, do I attach the adapter to the hub (and leave it there) or do I attach it to the rotor and move it from rotor to rotor as they wear out?


texts: Can anyone tell me where I can source a Shimano Di2 Ultegra 6770 rear derailleur since shimano no longer has replacements and left their customers high and dry?


texts:
I have been riding my road bike for about 10k km on those pedals (shimano ultegra spd-sl) and it just so happened that the left one is now worn much more than the right one (check out photos).  You should look at the spring/cramp/lock (whatever the right word is:) ) part of the pedal, that black thing which doesn’t let the cleats pop out. Now my left pedal almost can’t hold the cleat in when pedaling , had to tighen it close to the max limit. It still holds but I don’t think it will last long. The right one, on the other hand, still does it perfectly and is almost not worn at all, after even that distance (there is no play/looseness, never tightened it yet).

Any advice would be nice! Such wear on the left pedal – did I gauged it right that the end is nigh for it? How much more can it last possibly? Is it real to by one separate pedal  (not necessarily ultegra)? Thanks!


texts: Clicking sound coming from pedals/pedal spindle/crank

texts:
I recently bought a Trek 4300 series MTB, but after only several weeks of use, I'm getting a clicking sound coming from both sides of the pedals.

It seems particularly pronounced when more torque is applied, e.g. going up a hill or when accelerating.
It seems to come from the pedal/pedal spindle area but it could be coming from the crank arms.

How do I go about identifying what the problem is and rectifying it?


texts: I need help finding a quality replacement axle

texts:
I have a Diamondback Outlook Omni 181 CL, bought it second hand for $40, and I'm not sure of the original parts. Recently I have been having trouble with the rear axle, the one it came with bent so I replaced it, and then next two bent. I don't do anything extreme, I ride ~6 miles a day, mostly on sidewalks. I'm tired of replacing the axle, I'm tempted to switch to a solid axle, as I currently have a hollow one for a quick release but I don't use that feature often. I don't know if the axles I have gotten are just bad or if there is some damage to the wheel that is causing the axle to bend, but I don't see any damage to the wheel.

One of the axles I have tried:


texts: Mounting long reach center pull brake on Marrakesh (or similar disc-braky) frame?

texts:
I wanted to build a  commute/touring bike using a existing parts.  I'm considering Salsa Marrakesh or similar frame that's designed for disc brakes.  I'd love to use rim brake 650B wheels I already have.  Is it possible to mount long reach center pull brakes on these frames.

I see holes both on fork and seat stay, which are meant for mounting rack.  Wondering why can't I mount center pull brakes there.


texts: How to secure and transport panniers when on foot during a bike trip

texts:
Context

I would like to go on a solo two weeks bike trip in Europe (mid & east). I am planning on camping (with a 2 person tent), so will not go to any hotel. This means that I will be buying food supplies on the way. It will be my first experience of bike touring, and I am planning on visiting cities along the way. My bike equipment would look something like this:

Questions

How to secure/transport my bags while:

visiting a city by foot
going to buy groceries
...

The easy answer would be: "Just take your stuff with you", but I don't feel like carrying 4 bags full of equipment + a tent. So I am wondering if there's any experience bikers out there that have tips&tricks for me. Cheers !


texts: Planting a foot when cornering: when and how?

texts:
Recently I have noticed the following. When doing extremely tight turns e.g. 90 degree trail turn, I tend to:

Get out of my high saddle, position in front of it and low over the top tube
Stick the inside foot out, a couple of inches over the ground (easier on concrete, because it is smooth).

I have always thought of cornering as a trade-off between speed and safety. So doing the above, I feel safer, and am thus able to pass at a little more than walking speed.

One of two things can happen:

Because my center of gravity is now lower, the bike is tilted, and virtually all my weight is on the outside pedal, I make the turn.
Because I have entered the turn at too high speed, one or both tires begin slipping. I "fall" onto my foot, stepping firmly. As now all my weight is on the foot, I can "pick up" the bike and swing it around me in a crazy tight turn, then jump on it, while still moving.

My questions:

When is this appropriate technique and when would it be disaster?
What is the correct procedure for executing a planned foot plant?

Conclusion:

After I tried this on the trail a couple of times, my opinion is that planting foot is very different on smooth pavement and in rough terrain.

On smooth, but slippery pavement/ice, I can plant the foot momentarily, knowing that I will fall/slide out. The resulting acrobatic maneuver seems to increase the maximum possible speed in situations where no other technique would be appropriate.

It's a pity that I don't have a picture of the place this thing is helping me. Basically, it is a part of my commute, and is a steep-ish ramp, with two 90 degree turns, which in winter is wet, snowy or icy. As I need to stay upright, this technique is pretty much all that can be done on those corners.

On the other hand, planting a foot while going down the trail is radically different. This is because on smooth surface, on can put their foot out, parallel to the ground, and very close to it, so as to anticipate slide-off. On an off-road terrain this is not possible and dabbing seems to be confined to "free get out of jail" functionality when you realize the "oh shit!".

Thanks Tyler Jandreau and Aaron!


texts: I want to train on rollers, and I figure once I get rolling it will be pretty easy, but how do I get my wheels turning fast enough to keep me upright before I fall over?


texts:
I'm looking to find out about any beginner road bikes for tall, and somewhat larger guys. I am currently 6'8" and 305lbs. Been losing weight a lot, so I plan to be somewhere between 250 to 265 sometime soon. I'm curious as to if there are any good bikes for a guy of my size, or if I need to have one custom made.

My previous experience on bikes have been mountain bikes, but nothing too serious (difficult to sprint on those). If anyone could be of some help I'd appreciate it.

Thank you.


texts: Should I use a road bike or track bike on my rollers or trainer?

texts: I have a road bike with a triple, a track bike with a high gear ratio.  Which should I use on my trainer for use with training videos?  Should I use a geared bike, freewheel single speed or fixed gear?


texts: Is there any reason to keep original drive-train components together until they can all be replaced?

texts: I broke the master link in my chain a while ago and my LSB told me it was because I wasn't cleaning/lubricating my chain often enough. The chain had experienced more wear than it should have as a result. I asked about replacing the chain and was told that you typically don't want to replace individual parts of the drive-train, that mixing and matching new chain and old chain-rings is a bad idea. Is there any truth to this? Why would a new chain on an old (we're talking less than 4 months) be a bad thing?


texts:
I recently brought a second hand bike with Shimano Deore gears on it and  when I switch up a gear on the chain-ring it requires a significant amount of actuation pressure on the 'flappy' paddle  (almost reaches travel limit before changes).

I was wondering how I should adjust this to reduce actuation pressure?


texts: Mech disc brakes creating too much slack

texts: I've got a 2nd hand bike to play with as I've never been into bikes. When I got it the brakes only stopped while I wasn't on it. I stripped the bike down for cleaning and I re-attached the brake cable but the right lever is creating too much slack. I've tried creating more tension by pulling the cable through the housing and then tightening the cable but on release it gives too much slack again.


texts: Visible play in the front wheel that is not in the thru axle but in the hub itself? (video included)

texts:
The video shows that the play seems to be in the hub:

Is it the bearings causing this? Are they worn out or not adjusted?
What steps can I take to resolve this play?


texts: Campagnolo Ultrashift, Escape, Powershift Identification

texts:
Can anyone help identify if this generation of Campagnolo Chorus 10 speed alloy-only is ultrashift, escape, powershift, etc? I've done a bit of googling, but without much more knowledge on the parts, I can't be sure! I'm asking because I need to order new cabling for the group and want to make sure I get the right cables :)

They look exactly like these:


texts: Inner tube size and can you feel the slime in inner tubes?

texts: I have a bmx bike with the tire size being 20" x 2.4. Will a 20" x 1.5- 2.125 fit or should I get a 20" x 1.7 - 2.25 instead. If I get a slime inner tube will it be noticable on the weight or just a bit.


texts: Back wheel started moving backwards when pedalling backwards

texts:
I have a 10 year old cheap 21 speed mountain bike that I have only ever done basic maintenance on (replacing inner tubes, tyres, brake pads, lubricating chain etc).

I have just noticed that when I pedal backwards (even slowly) the chain goes a bit loose and then starts to drive the wheel backwards. I'm just trying to find out what might be causing this, whether I can fix it myself, and whether it is ok to ride.

I have never taken anything relating to the drive mechanism apart, and don't have much knowledge about it. I have noticed that the teeth on the cogs are quite worn, but the chain doesn't usually slip off.


texts: I often get a sore neck when riding. How can I adjust the setup of my bike to help prevent this happening?

texts:
Quite often if I'm riding for longer than about an hour I get a sore neck. I assume that I can make some adjustment to my mountain bike to help prevent or reduce the soreness, but I don't know what. Can anyone help?

EDIT

I think my riding position is more upright than leaned forward, but I couldn't say how much because I don't have a feel for it.


texts: Now that the weather's cold, my nose gets plugged up after about a mile and inevitably some runs down my throat and I have to pull over and spit. I feel like stopping all the time is probably confusing to the cars behind me and seek a better solution. What's the best (safest?) way to deal with this?