texts:
Some time ago I gave a 29" bike to a person for a ride. Someway he ruined the freewheel (it had a shimano freewheel) - the 2 smallest cogs were badly slipping. Now I put another freewheel (also shimano. it's second hand, but I tried it, and it was in perfect condition). I gave the bike to another person with the "new" freewheel, and by half a hour he ruined this freewheel - the smallest cog is badly slipping, and the second (i.e. #6) a little slipping too.

So here is the question: does the wheel size affect so much, to crush the freewheel in half a hour?

Edit: The bike was new. Just a few rides. The chain length is good - the derailleur is at right position. And yes, it is a freewheel, not cassette.
What caused me to think that freewheel ruined, is that I saw him using cog #7 at rear, and #1 at front.
As mentioned, on first freewheel 2 smallest cogs were slipping. Others are just perfect. Can it be because the chain is ruined as @hillson wrote?


texts: Can a bike computer be used on the rear wheel?

texts:
As the weather gets colder and colder, I find myself on a trainer more and more. The only way to gauge my workouts is by time, unless I set up the sensor for my bike computer on my rear wheel.

Will the computer work accurately on the rear wheel? Are there any disadvantages having it on the rear wheel?


texts: I have just changed the battery in my garmin cadence sensor on my road bike, but when I press the reset button only the red light shows but no green light. Anyone know why? Thanks


texts: how do i clean rust flecks off an alloy wheel

texts: I have just bought a second-hand mountain bike and the rear wheel is made of alloy and has small rust flecks/spots on it. Any advice on how to clean? I cleaned the rust off the forks with a small wire brush (used for cleaning spark plugs on my car) and an anti-oxidant. Would this work on the wheels? I am worried about scratching the alloy.


texts:
I am upgrading (or downgrading ? :P)  my MTB to 1x, currently on compact 2x10.

I will be changing chainring, derailleur and cassette.
I will get 11-42 Sunrace MS3 10-Speed Cassette.
Also Shimano XT M8000 Shadow+ 11 Speed Rear Mech

I will be using the mech with 10 speed shifter, I read and was told on multiple places they work better than 10speed mechs with the large cogs.

What I don't know yet is if I should go for long or medium cage? Im on a hardtail


texts: Can a 120mm fork be mounted on Specialized Myka?

texts:
I have this fork available: RST Gila T8 (120mm travel option).

The 80mm XCT fork on a 2-year old Specialized Myka is getting worn.

I am considering installing the fork. Here it is explained that fork travel is not important. What is important is axle to crown length.

However, I am unable to find that information. What is the Gila Axle-to-Crown length? What is the maximum permitted for the Myka? Does it depend on the style of riding?


texts: My bike is slipping only in highest gear

texts:
I used to ride my bike in highest gear all the time, even uphill, and didn't shift down unless i absolutely needed to.
Then my highest gear started slipping on uphill and even on straight road if i pedal a bit harder.
All the other gears work fine, and i'm currently riding in the second highest gear no problem


texts: Will a dehumidifier dry out the lubricants on my bike?

texts:
I keep my bike in a utility room at home which doubles a larder, extra storage, a shed, a laundry room etc. etc... It's one of those rooms. But as a laundry room I have a dehumidifier which is running most of the time as there are a lot of people living in my house so there is often clothes drying.

I was wondering if the dehumidifier would dry out the oil on my chain? I try to clean, degrease and relube my chain regularly so I'm not particularly worried about this happening, more curious. But this then got me thinking, would it be of more risk to the areas that don't get treated as often, so lube around cables or deeper into the mechanics around bearings etc.?

Probably one of the stranger questions I've asked about a bike :)


texts: Flat tire keeps occurring while bike is stationary. MYSTERY

texts:
I keep changing my tube. It get's a hole right near the base of the valve. I've checked the rim, there's nothing sharp. there's nothing sharp in the tire (the hole's on the inside anyhow). and it always happens while just sitting in my garage not while riding and bumping into rocks or such. all of a sudden from what I cannot determine you hear a hissing sound as air starts escaping. The tube was pumped with ~75 psi about 2 weeks ago, and the tire says max 80, min 50. the rim tape is intact.

Please suggest what could be causing these flat tires, why is there a delay from when I stop riding it and 8 hours later between getting a flat.


texts:
I bought a Shimano Nexus 8 IGH with shimano nexave, but I would like change it to disc brake.

Is it possible install a rotor disc brake adaptor? Will it work?


texts: Park Tool FR-5.2 fits Shimano CS-HG50 8 speed road cassette?

texts: Am I correct in saying that the Park Tool FR-5.2 cassette lockring tool is the correct tool to use on a Shimano CS-HG50 8 speed road cassette?


texts: Are today's bikes "better" than a few decades ago?

texts: I'm looking to buy a road bike for commuting. There is a guy near me who finds older road bikes (e.g. from the 80's) and fixes them up. Are there downsides to getting an older bike (assuming it's had a proper tune up) compared to getting a bike released in the last year?


texts:
I recently found an old bicycle frame buried on family property. I have been researching for a week now and still don't have the make, model or year. If anyone has any information at all it would be greatly appreciated.
Chris Vecchio


texts:
I recently bought BTWIN Triban 520 (drop handlebars) for exploring into road biking and decided the best way to do it would be probably touring.

I'm not looking to race but probably for endurance and planned this small tour of about 500km biking through Netherlands & Germany. The route map can be viewed here https://goo.gl/fKlehW

The bike without anything extra weighs about 10kg. It's size L (58cm).

I don't plan to take much stuff, but what are the essential things which I shouldn't miss?
I bought this https://www.decathlon.de/gepacktrager-pletscher-wersa-fur-26-28-zoll-id_8336145.html for bag. Anyone had any experiences with such holder? How does this affect handling of bike.


texts:
I have a 6 years old bike, I got it when I was 9. It's a great bike, however I've always had the problem of maintaining it properly. I have a few questions which I hope to get answered here. Before everything.
1. How can I maintain my bike during winters?
I live in a small house in the city, and during winters I often am at a loss when it comes to maintaining my bike because I can't put it in the house (It's a big bike, and the hallway is tiny). After winter the bike often has terrible problems which take me at least a month to fix. They are: Rust, dust, completely useless tires, sometimes even a loose chain, and it makes terrible noise until I oil it. How can I maintain it during winter? I should note I have a tiny tool shed I keep it into. It's not helping by much but it's better than being outside.
2.How long should a bike tire stay pumped?
I very often find my tires loose after 3-4 weeks from the last pump. I'm wondering if this is normal.
3. What are the basic things that you have to do when maintaining your bike?
All these years I have been oiling specific areas of my bike and pumping my tires occasionally but that's pretty much it. Can you tell me other things you can do to maintain your bike at top performance?


texts:
When biking, my eyes get red. Guessing due to dryness.

Usually, people wear sunglasses or glasses to block out the wind. Wearing them didn't help. Still red. Maybe more red if I wasn't wearing them.

This was at nighttime. It was cold. What suggestions do you have to prevent this problem?


texts: Is cycling better than walking to lose weight?

texts: I want to lose weight. I commute to my office daily by walking 3 kilometers. If I buy a bicycle and use it for commuting (total 3 km daily), would it be better than walking?


texts: Gates belt drive front sprocket replacement

texts:
My Scott Sub 10 (2012) got damaged during transit and requires the front sprocket replaced. I have ordered the part which has since arrived but would like some advice on how to replace this.

From my understand it is just a case of just removing the four pins holding the existing one in place and replacing this with the new one.

Questions

Is there anything that I should be aware of?
Are there any guides online?
Will the belt require adjusting?


texts: Marrakesh w/ Sora STI shifters & Alivio Trekking FD + Crankset 48T

texts:
https://salsacycles.com/bikes/marrakesh/2020_marrakesh_sora
This seems to have managed to somehow got around difference between MTB & Road STI triple problem that many reported. Is it because these are Trekking components?
Want to convert from double to triple 48T or 46T. I already have a triple Sora STI being used as double.


texts:
I did the smart thing and went in for a bike fit 3 weeks ago.  I had some serious pain in my hands which has since been essentially resolved.  Now, in the drops and at the hoods, I get pretty wretched neck pain 4 miles in.  I stretch my traps before and during the ride but can't get any relief. I had not owned a road bike before and just started biking on a daily basis 10 - 15 miles at a time.

Is there a fit issue that still needs to be resolved or am I paying the price for weak trapezius muscles?  The pain essentially goes away by the end of the next day.

Thanks.


texts: Can I rotate cleats between left and right shoes?

texts: If one foot's cleat wears quicker than the other due to riding style, is it a good idea to switch them after a certain time to extend the lifetime of the pair?


texts:
In a month time I will be doing a two week tour in southern France. I was wondering which is the best kind of saddle for touring? I have a Specialized Tricross that came with a modern narrow and not so cushioned saddle with a hole down the middle (any idea what this is for?).

I also have a Brooks saddle B66 (with springs). Now, I love this saddle but I've been told that it is preferable to use one without springs and that is not so wide for longer rides. Exactly why I don't know...

Any idea, comments, etc very welcomed! Thanks!!


texts: Generally speaking, how much runout can a bicycle wheel have and still be considered true?


texts: Thru Axle and Quick Release Fork/Frame Compatability?

texts:
Without using manufacturer specific parts:

Can I use a wheel with a thru-axle hub on a standard quick release fork or frame dropouts (with an adapter)?
Can I use a wheel with a quick release hub on a thru-axle fork or frame dropouts (with an adapter)?

We may also want to consider that there are also different thru axle sizes, commonly 12mm, 15mm and 20mm.  I think the most common size of thru-axle currently is 15mm.


texts: Giant Defy 2018 front brake cable routing problem

texts:
I have a feeling that there is something very obvious I am missing.

Just got my Giant Defy Advanced 2. Fitted the front wheel and found the way the front brake cable is routed means it is in the inside of the fork and rubs against the tyre. I cannot see any more points where I can attach the cable to the fork to obtain more clearance.

It looks as if the fork is on the right way round.

Any suggestion? Thanks.


texts: What are these tiny pieces of metal that came with my Giant TCR Advanced 2?

texts:
Last year I bought a 2016 Giant TCR Advanced 2. With the documentation in a small plastic bag came these two small pieces of metal with a spongy sticker on them.

One is slightly curved the other is flat.

What is their purpose?


texts:
One for the Cannondale nuts:

I've got a real soft spot for the Cannondale six13 and have been after one for ages. A 52cm has popped up for sale which would be ideal but I've noticed that it has a aluminium top tube rather than the carbon top tube I've seen on other examples.

Is this because of the size? Do all 52cm six13's have aluminium top tubes? Or did they change at some point? It has the carbon down tube like all other six13's.


texts: SRAM Twist Shifter Paired with Shimano Rear Derailleur

texts:
I'm planning to buy an 11 speed twist/grip shifter from SRAM (because they're the only one who offer 11 speed twist/grip shifter) for my vintage Japanese ladies bike but I'm quite confuse if it will be compatible with Shimano's 11 speed road rear derailleur. Why Shimano if there's a SRAM? I want my bike to have silver theme as possible, so I end up with shimano 105 silver RD. I didn't found any 11 speed with silver color in other brands.

Sorry for the noob question. I just started learning about bike components.


texts: What is the significance of tire minimum pressure?

texts:
Its quite intuitive that tires have maximum pressure figure - inflate it more and something could explode. Furthermore, it is common knowledge that under-inflated tires result in snake bites.

What puzzles me is that all tires indicate minimum pressure.

This could be somewhat justified about DH tires, which tend to be produced with thick sidewalls and thick soft thread pattern, resulting in reduced  pinch flats (among other advantages). However, on different cross-country tires I have seen minimum pressures from below 2bar to 2.7bar at least. Is this just marketing or does the number mean anything?

Furthermore, how can the manufacturer know what the riding terrain and rider's style is? In my opinion those affect chosen tire pressure a lot more than sidewall thickness.


texts: The best way to deal with/prevent punctures on tubular tyres

texts: I recently picked up some rather expensive tubular wheels on the back of a lot of advice to do with rolling resistance, comfort etc. However I've recently found I'm quite afraid to use them on long training rides for fear of getting a puncture in the middle of nowhere. I'd like to know what people do to prevent/deal with punctures on tubular tyres.


texts: SRAM Force 22 chainset in an otherwise 10-speed SRAM setup

texts:
I notice that SRAM web site still lists "regular" 10-speed Force chainset as one of their products. However, my attempts to find it for sale online came up with almost nothing. It seems to be "barely" available at some places, but the chainring/BB/crank length combination I'm interested in (50/34, GXP, 172.5mm) proves to be impossible to find.

Hence the question: what about SRAM Force22 chainsets? Will they work in a 10-speed setup? Specifically, with regular SRAM Force front derailleur and shifter?


texts:
I have a 1982 Nishiki Sport steel frame road bike.
I broke a spoke on the rear wheel.
I would love some specific recommendations for the correct spoke to replace it with.
27" x 1 1/4" wheel, 32 spokes. The manual says that the spokes are "080 GA UCP Finish"


texts: Does the term "domestique" have negative connotations?

texts:
As far as I understand, the cycling term "domestique" (referring to a supporting member of a professional cycling team) comes from the French word for "servant". According to Wikipedia, it was first used in cycling as an insult: "He is unworthy. He is no more than a domestique."

Is the cycling term "domestique" still pejorative? What are its connotations in modern cycling? Do racers refer to themselves as domestiques, or would they prefer to be called something else?


texts: Gear shifting : new to cycling maintenance

texts:
I'm new to cycling. I have a Soma Saga with SRAM X7 derailleur and Apex shifters. I have ridden about 200 miles on it.

When I'm cycling, sometimes my gears shift/jump to the next gear on their own. I lubed my chain but I'm not sure what or where else to check so shifting is smooth.

Any help is appreciated.

Thank you!


texts:
My crank arm fell off, and I lost the fixing bolt.  I had the crank arm reattached, and my friend tensioned the arm using the bolt temporarily removed from another bike, and since returned.
Do I need to buy a crank arm fixing bolt?  And if so, which bolt do I use for a 2012 Specialized Sirrus Pro?


texts: Which tires are best for on and off road use?

texts:
My tires are worn out so I want to change them.

When I am trying to change them, I want them to be to the best fit for the conditions I cycle in. I cycle about 30 km a day on roads ranging from smooth pitched roads to very rough roads consisting of pits and stones in the most haphazard way.

Please suggest a type of tire that would be best for me. There do not need to be considerations for snow, it does not snow where I cycle.


texts: Old time bike. Can I put a rear derailleur?

texts:
Hi guys,
I am looking to build up an old timer bike and I have found this frame. Can I put a rear derailleur in that socket?


texts: Last ditch attempt to fix creaking bottom bracket (Epoxying the BB into the frame)

texts:
I have a Canyon Ultimate CF SL which has the all to common press fit bottom bracket creak.

I use 24mm Shimano Chainset and have tried the official Shimano Ultegra BB86 and 92 Bottom Brackets, a Rotor bottom bracket and most recently a Wheels MFG Screw in BB.

I have tried installing dry, with grease and with Loctite Surface prep and Loctite fixing compound.

None of those solution have rectified the issue. Clearly the tolerances of the BB shell are not correct and it's not out of warranty.

Does anybody have any ideas of what I can do as a last ditch attempt to fix frame - please understand that the alternative is a new Frame altogether - so invasive options are fine.

I am currently thinking of removing the Wheels MFG bottom bracket that is currently installed - clean up the BB shell as good as possible and reinstall the BB bonding it to the frame with Epoxy resin.

The Wheels MFG has replaceable cartridge bearings - so in theory these could still be changed even if shell is bonded to the frame.

Are there any major flaws in this idea? The only one I can think of is that it'll stop be from ever using 30mm axel chainsets.


texts: Kid's bike - Can I put 20" wheel on a frame that was meant for 18" wheels?

texts:
So, my friend's kid's bicycle has an 18" tire that is completely worn down. I'm having a really tough time finding 18" tires on local buy/sell websites, but there are a bunch of 16" and 20". Does anybody know if putting a 20" (or 16") wheel on my friend's kid's bike will work? No gears, just back pedal braking, and a hand brake for the front wheel.

Thanks a lot.


texts: Do you need to remove the disc rotor to replace a drive side spoke?

texts:
Today I had a spoke break in the middle of a ride. I did notice it had a wobble but I don't have the experience to tell what's passable. Even new bikes can have a slight wobble. so I dismissed it.

I was quoted £30 to replace the spoke and true it - the mechanic said he had to remove the cassette and rotor to replace a drive side spoke.

Is this true or they're having a laugh?

Should I replace myself? if I remember correctly this wheel has had a a spoke break on me before.


texts: How well does Mountain Bike body armor work?

texts:
I have started getting into mountain biking, i have already got knee and elbow pads and am considering getting some back/spine protection. I would describe my riding as trail/enduro so i do a fair amount of pedaling to the top then jumps and chutes down.

How well does body armor (especially back and breast plates) work and what features should I look for when buying them?


texts: Can I replace my existing Shimano 12-25 10-speed cassette with a SRAM 11-32 10 speed cassette with no other modifications?


texts: Changing wheel size - what should I know?

texts:
I own a recent tourer (Dawes Galaxy Plus) and would like to take it over some rougher stuff - muddy bridleways, gravel paths, that kind of thing. What holds me back is the tyres: 35-622 looks to be its limit with mudguards, perhaps 40-622 without.

I'm exploring the possibility of getting round this by using 650B wheels and knobbly tyres. I expect there is a lot to watch out for here, so I want to check my thoughts and assumptions are correct and I haven't missed anything:

Most fundamentally of all, I'm assuming the bike will still handle sensibly with fatter tyres, the fork will still handle the braking force from my discs, etc etc.
I'm aiming for swapping between the two wheelsets to be a five-minute job: just swap the wheels, no further adjustment required.
I think I'd be aiming for around 51-584 tyres because they're 19 mm taller than my present 32-622's, which exactly makes up for the 38 mm loss in wheel diameter. The web advises me these exist and are typically called 27.5" x 2".
I have easily enough horizontal space for wider tyres at my chainstays and fork, but only just enough at the seatstays. If a 51-584 tyre really is 51 mm, then I think I'm OK. I'm not sure a 54-584 (27.5" x 2.2") would fit. Does the 51 mm on a knobbly tyre include any horizontally protruding knobbles, or do they extend beyond the nominal width?
The new wheels will need the same hub spacing as my current ones: 100 mm O.L.D. at the front, 135 mm O.L.D. at the rear.
I have disc brakes, so I'll need the same size rotors (160 mm). I'll also need the lateral position of the rotor to be identical to my current wheelset, but I'm aware the tolerance is very low here and I'm not sure how this is measured, if it is standardised, and if it is easily adjustable (e.g. with shims)?
I'll need a 9-speed cassette like my current one. Somehow I'll need to make sure they have similar levels of wear, to prevent the chain skipping on one and not the other - presumably, frequent chain changes will suffice, though I hope not too frequent.
Last and definitely least, I'm hoping I can use my existing mudguards after a fashion, but they'll be rather narrow so perhaps this is a vain hope.

A much longer post than I thought - nonetheless, have I forgotten anything? And/or please tell me if I'm mad or misguided!


texts:
I have the 3-rd puncture of the rear wheel tube during 3 weeks. All of them have the same pattern: 1 small breach about 0.5mm long. I added the photographs of the last one.

Bubble inside the water coming out of the tube through the puncture.

The little puncture.

Previous patched puncture

After the second puncture I thought, that it was caused by a grain of sand that got between the tube and the tire. So when I assembled the wheel I carefully cleaned the space between the tube and the tire with open hand.

Now I have no idea what can cause these punctures and what should I do to avoid them?


texts: Front derailleur takes 6 clicks to shift gears, instead of 3

texts:
I've just stripped all cables and chain from a badly kept bicycle and replaced them.

I've correctly adjusted the rear derailleur and it works great.

However, front derailleur which only has 3 gears isn't working as expected.

It takes 2-3 steps on the gear to actually change 1 gears.
The range seems to be 1-6, instead of 3.

The gear is the type that is round, circular next to the handles.


texts: use with SHIMANO 105 FD-5504 Front Derailleur on crankset 26/36/48t

texts:
Can I use a SHIMANO 105 FD-5504 Front Derailleur with Crankset 26/36/48t?
My Cogset Shimano HG-50, 11– 32t


texts: Why is one cruiser easier to pedal than the other?

texts:
We have two cruisers. Cruise One was purchased about 5 years ago, mostly kept inside, not rusted or anything, just hasn't been ridden much.
Cruiser Two is older; someone gave it to us. It is MUCH easier to pedal than Cruiser One. I rarely even get my blood pumping, even when I pedal uphill.
Meanwhile Cruise One feels like a workout on flat roads.
I've tried examining them to see what the difference is. Same size chain ring, same size everything. Cruise One does have a heavier frame, but not by much.
Any idea?


texts: Stripped threading on upper rear rack bracket

texts:
One of the rear rack holes on my aluminum frame have become stripped after a year of taking the rear rack off at least once a week. I've been using this bike for commuting and weekend riding, so I like to remove the rack when I'm not carrying panniers.

I've asked a few bike shops about rethreading the hole and have gotten multiple responses. One shop there is a tool that some shops have that can rethread it. Another said I was out of luck. One criticized me for taking the rack off often. The last one I asked said some shops could do it but you'd have to go up a screw size.

What's the consensus here on this type of frame repair? At the moment I can still use the rack since it's still secure with the one loose screw. I intend on getting a new bike at the end of the year for non-commuting, so I will make this a dedicated commuter bike where I can leave the rack on it when that happens.


texts: My hydraulic brake (both left and right) has gotten weaker. I don't know how to say it, but it's like my brakes can now be pressed deeper. My front brake is so bad that it is touching the grips. I got this problem after a crash I had. Can someone help me find a solution to fix this?


texts: Unidentifiable metal bracket part I received with my tandem bicycle which didn't come with instructions.

texts:
Can anyone identify this part and where and how it goes before the bike buckles under us when being ridden

I know its not a bottle holder as I have already installed those.
Looks like a guard for something that has two screws close to one another


texts: Are there electronic/active theft deterrents for bicycles?

texts:
In addition to mechanical/passive deterrents (locks, chains, etc.), what electronic/active bicycle theft deterrents exist?

* My dear bicycle was stolen two weeks ago and I then vowed to dedicate my life to the eradication of cycle theft. I calmed down since, but am still interested in knowing what's out there.


texts: Do liners or other hats worn inside a helmet compromise safety?

texts:
Is there any data or official (e.g. standards-based) information on the effects of wearing a liner, bandana, or other hat under a helmet?

Like many riders, I wear "headsweats" in the summer for sun protection, and a wool beanie in the winter to keep warm. Both seem thin enough that they ought not compromise the performance of the helmet in a crash. But is there any data on this, or any official recommendation on what kinds of liners or hats can safely be worn inside a helmet, or how best to wear them?


texts: Finding which gear on my bike is closest to a single-gear bike

texts: I have a 21 speed bike, and I'm thinking of purchasing a 1 speed.  Does anyone know what gear on the 21 would be for a 1?  I'm trying to see how well my bike does on that gear in my area.  Thanks!


texts: Different Gear Type when there's no Front Derailleur?

texts:
I have a 7 speed Jamis Boss Cruiser, 7 gears in back and one up front. I've been using it fine for several months now. Lately, the chain is coming off of the single front gear, usually after stopping at an intersection when I start back up again.

I took it to a bike shop and the guy claims the front gear is not the right type of gear, its the type of gear that's meant to work with a derailleur. He says that's why the chain comes off. I'm disinclined to trust him since it's worked without problems for almost 8 months. If it was the wrong gear, I would have been having problem before now, right? Is it true that there is a type of front gear for use with derailleurs and a type of front gear meant to be used as a single front gear?


texts: Will 10 speed cranks work with an 8 speed freewheel?

texts:
I'm looking at building a road-bike, and I've just purchased some wheels with campagnolo hubs, with an 8 speed freewheel on the back.

Can I use Campagnolo Daytona / Veloce cranks on the front? I understand that they state 10 speed on the cogs, but can I use them with my 8 speed on the rear?


texts: Pushing it to my max on a 7% 2kft climb. I'm cardio limited, but legs never hurt. How do I push it harder?

texts:
I have a climb by my house that is about 2,000 ft over 5mi (610 metres in 8 km or 7.6% grade).

I ride it a least once a week and I've got a ton faster (at 35min right now). Recently my legs stopped burning on it. I'm pushing it as hard as I can, and I think I'm in the 80-90% max HR when I do it. Anything more and my body quickly forces me to pull back.

My cadence is about 80 on it, and if I shift up, I seem to go slower, and if I shift down, my cadence is too high and again I go slower.

I do a lot of rides around 7-8k ft (2133-2438m) over 50-60mi (80-96 km) so this isn't a hard climb, I'm just trying to do it as fast as I can - You know, beat my coworkers.

Should I be able to pull more from my muscles on this climb? If so, how should I change my training?


texts: Essential maintenance for my bike whilst on a long distance tour

texts: I am thinking about what I need to do for maintenance whilst on a long distance tour I am planning. can anyone help me out with this?


texts: Doing my monthly inspection & clean of my wheels last night and I was shocked to see a crack around one the spokes as they enter rim.  It is a rear wheel (Shimano R600 I think).  I had obviously been riding on it for a little while, so I was wondering if there was any urgency in getting the rim replaced, or can I wait until my next visit to my LBS?  I currently do only around 100km per week.


texts: Larger cassette options on a compact set up?

texts:
I've been thinking of getting a larger cassette for my bike to tackle hills better, and I'm just looking for some thoughts.

I have a 2011 Honky Tonk (http://www.evanscycles.com/products/kona/honky-tonk-2011-road-bike-ec026518), with an IRD 12-28 on the back (the IRD is kind of meh, shifts rough).The setup is pretty middle of the road components wise (Sora on the front, Tiagra on the back, 9 speed).

Harris Cyclery offers a 13-30t cassette. Which would fit my current derailleur. But if I wanted to get something like a 13-34t cassette which long cage derailleur would people suggest swapping to?


texts: 4iiii powermeter failure - anyone been able to fix this 'class failure'?

texts:
Unfortunately, I have one of the failing 4iiii powermeters, which suddenly starts massively misreading the watts (over-reading) and is unable to calibrate.
I have been in contact with 4iii, who sent me the instruction here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1elLsrGRZ4P_SjmzXphXSytmUv4VKTv2jeye-riXkGUA/mobilebasic.
Unfortunately, it did not fix the problem.
Since there is no warranty left, I am really left with a problem here. It has only been used on my summer bike and not a whole lot.

So, I would really love to hear, if anyone knows of a fix to this problem, which seems to be so common that it comes close to being a class failure.

Thanks!

Morten


texts: 9sp/10sp compatibility in Shimano SLX drivetrains

texts:
This is related to my previous question about SLX chainrings.
I'm half way through upgrading my drivetrain from 2x9 to 2x10.  I currently have:

Shifters: SL-M670-I (10sp),
Chainset: FC-M665 (9sp double with bashguard),
Rear mech: RD-M675-GS (10sp),
Front mech: an old Deore 3x9 that doesn't play well with the other parts and needs replacing.

I'm trying to make this drivetrain work at as little cost as possible, and I have two concerns:

I understand that, officially, the M665 chainset isn't 10sp-compatible, but people have reported (in this thread and on Bikeradar) that it works fine.  Are there any complications in this?

I shouldn't use the newer FD-M675 front mech because the chainline doesn't match that of the chainset I have (48.8mm and 46.8mm respectively).  That leaves me with the FD-M665 front mech, but will this be compatible with my shifters?

Edit: This thread suggests that the 9sp front mech will work with the newer 10sp shifters.  Can anyone confirm or provide more information?

In response to PeteH's comment: In short, what I don't understand is:

Why exactly should the M665 chainset not be 10sp-compatible, while the M660 is?  Are the chainrings too wide, and if so, why do people report that it works anyway?

Do the 665 and 675 front shifters have different cable pulls?  If not, is there any other reason I've missed why the front mech from one groupset might not be compatible with the shifter from the other?
Unfortunately, the cable pull ratios are elusive and seem to be unpublished.


texts: What will happen to a roadbike when rode on broken tar?

texts:
I am planning to buy a bicycle (either road-bike or MTB). I personally prefer road-bike.
I have to travel on broken tar to reach a smooth tar road.
On an average I will cycle 200 km per week out of which 15% will be on broken tar (rugged road) with ups and downs.
If I buy a road-bike, it will be this.
I know the purpose of the road-bikes and the MTBs.

Is it advisable to buy a road-bike given this condition?
My main question is, will the road-bikes do good for 30 km, in a week, on rugged road?
If not, what will happen to the bike?
Can anyone please suggest?
Also please let me know if you want more details on the question.


texts:
I was considering getting some spoke lights to increase visibility at night, and although there are a number of options they all seems to have a relatively low battery life, or get bad reviews. Here are some examples:

http://www.niteize.com/products/spokelit
http://www.monkeylectric.com/
http://www.cateye.com/en/products/detail/SL-LD120/

The best value for money would probably be getting some reflector tape, however it doesn't offer as much visibility and also relies on the light shining directly on you.

So if you were to recommend a spoke light, what would it be?

P.S. What surprised me is that I haven't seen any battery-less solutions, which I would have thought would be the obvious choice.

EDIT: Are revolights a good idea? Some things to consider before getting Revolights (which I will, because they are so damn cool)


texts: Annoying clicking sound from the bottom bracket

texts:
I just purchased a Fuji ACR 2.0 road bike from a guy who bought it three months back but didn't ride it at all. I brought it home and found that it is making a clicking sound when I pedal. The sound is coming from the bottom bracket. Please check the video for more details:

Should I worry much about it? I'm from Bangladesh and there isn't any specialized shop where I can take it to be inspected. I have to do the fix myself. So before I jump in to open up the bottom bracket, I wanted to get advice whether I should ignore it and ride it for few days hoping that noise will go away...

Video including full drive train:


texts: Spokes stick out of nipples when rebuilding wheel

texts:
I'm having issues with the nipples the spoke threads are sticking out. I want to tension the wheel but when I tighten the nipples the spoke treads come out from top of the nipples before the wheel is tensioned completely.

Edit: Related to, and following on from Could I use a front rim to build a rear wheel?


texts:
Can anyone help identify this type of valve? (see picture below). I've recently bought this bike and am having trouble inflating the front tyre correctly.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Cheers


texts:
I have 4-5 weeks to prepare myself for a one day, 220km ride on a road bike, flat terrain (Germany, Ruhr Valley). This year my max is 70km (I could ride 100km, I'm doing bike rides since 2 weeks ago, have done only 3). I'm training since 5 weeks.

Weekly:
- gym strength training 3x a week
- 2x a week interval trainings (spinning, swimming, etc)
- 1x a week long bike ride

The plan is to increase that long bike ride each week by some serious amount, hoping that the gym and interval trainings will help me achieve the goal.

Is this achievable?


texts:
I have a Liv Alight commuter bike that was sold with a single chainring 38T with combined cranks.
Its mated to a 7spd cassette 14T-34T.
Would i just be able to get a regular shimano alivio/tourney  triple crankset, 3spd FD, front shifters and just get it to a triple? Would my chain need to be changed or should the stock 7spd Tourney be able to handle the extra tension/slack?


texts: Just getting back into biking after about a decade and looking to possibly purchase a new one. I saw a pic of this in GQ and looks beautiful, simple, and city oriented. Can anyone tell what it might be? Thanks in advance!


texts:
After the crash I straightened back wheel, and cleaned and lubricated the chain, but now spinning the wheel causes sound as if there is something wrong with bearings.
Here is the video: https://streamable.com/fhb81d.
My bicycle model is Trek Domane AL2. What might be wrong with the bicycle? Should I try to disassemble the bearings and regrease them?
Not holding qr spindle spinning the unmounted wheel in the air: https://streamable.com/gnew8e
Holding qr spindle and putting wheel on a glass table which amplifies the sound: https://streamable.com/keu4xj
Holding qr spindle and holding wheel in the air: https://streamable.com/keu4xj
QR skewer removed and holding the wheel in the air:
https://streamable.com/42vtit
Edit 1
Went to bicycle shop. Confirmed that degreaser got into the bearings.


texts: Upgrading From Shimano 8 Sp Alivio To Shimano 9 Sp Altus

texts: I have an old giant warp D's 2 bike that's about 10 years old. I've maintained it and it still rides good and looks just as good. I wanted to upgrade from the old alivio 8 speed drivetrain to either a new alivio or altus 9 speed ddrivetrain but wasn't sure if the cassette would fit on the freehub on the bike and I didn't want to buy the components and then found out they couldn't fit and then be stuck with useless parts. Could somebody please help the old man stuck in a rut?


texts: Should I sell a custom built mountain bike as a full bike or break it into parts?

texts: I have a bike that I have built up over the last few years. It's a good bike and works as it is, with a good quality components. However, I want to sell it. Is it best to sell it broken down as parts or as a full bike?


texts: After conversion, Paramount OS is super squirrely

texts:
All,

I have a custom made Paramount OS from 1991. I converted the bike to be my bike for family rides. To do this, I replaced the handlebars and put larger tires on the rim ~ nothing crazy, just a broader, more durable road tire.

The bike is beyond squirrely. Prior to the conversion, it was easy to ride no handed (Paramount's didn't have the shortest wheelbase's or the most aggressive geometry), now it's actually difficult to ride with one hand on the bars, let alone none.

EDIT-

BY squirly, I mean the bike's handling is loosey-goosey,touchy,unstable etc. I swapped from Cinelli drops to a straigh-bar, don't know the length. No trouble with the fork, headset and no other changes. Perhaps the weight dist. is off as someone suggested.
I turned this bike into a kicker as I wanted to upgrade to shifters on the drops, but the rear triangles on my OS were too narrow to accommodate the 8 gear cassette.
FH

What might be causing this?


texts: Can anyone help identify this "retro" muddyfox frame?

texts: My apologies I can't provide any further information, purchased from a flea market (primarily because I needed big horizontal dropouts) it has "DSP15t02" although that helps very little on Google. The obvious "Muddyfox" and "Dualpro" stickers on it (which are under the finish of the paint and don't seem after market jobs. None of the other parts came with it, they're a parts bin selection.


texts:
I have a Kona Jake the Snake Frame (2001) and is currently mounted with Continental Gatorskin 700x32c tires and Shimano RS010 622x15c rims. I was hoping to use this on a smart trainer. This setup will be used for software like Rouvy. I'm new to cycling and was hoping someone could help me with some questions:

1.) Is it safe to mount thinner tires on the bike? If so, how thin can I go.

2.) Will the weight of the bike be an issue in choosing a smart trainer?

3.) I'm currently interested in buying a Tacx Bushido since I found a cheap one on chainreactioncycles. On the Tacx website, it says that as long as you use their Tacx 29" trainer tire, you can fit the bike on the trainer. Did I understand this correctly?


texts: Electronic bike keeps getting flat tire on the back

texts:
A month ago, I got my first flat tire on the back tire on my electronic bike and I have fixed it, it was a Nail. Yesterday I got it again, it was a hole in the whole tire, so I changed the tire and the inside.

Today  I got it again but I see no hole in the tire.

What do you think it is?


texts: Has a BMX bike ever been transformed for touring?

texts:
BMX frames are notoriously small and nimble for acrobatics. I was curious if the same frames and the same 20" wheel bikes were ever used for touring.
Obviously the single-gear and the low-seat would need to be changed. I can imagine that adding gears plus a longer seat post can make for quite a comfortable trip - many Bromptons and folding bikes are used for touring. But I cannot find anybody having done this for BMXs.
Reason I am asking is because the smaller wheels and frame might be a good choice for tourers that need to transport the bike on trains, buses or airplanes. BMX frames seem like a good middle-ground between a normal diamond frames (which are heavy and bulky to put on public transport) and the folding bikes (which are weaker - for heavy touring weights - and more expensive).


texts: Why no wheels with rope instead of spokes?

texts:
Spokes in a wheel are (shall) be loaded always in tension. Seems like a simple rope of steel strings would do.

Furthermore, uneven spoke tension can lead to lots of problems (among which loose spokes, broken spokes, cracked rim holes). A single strand of thread, passing through all spoke holes in a star-like fashion would eliminate uneven tension.

And even if such a wheel isn't technically superior to current designs, it would be interesting. People throw thousands at purchasing 3-spoke wheels, grouped spoke wheels and whatnot.


texts: Is this issue possibly related to a defective damper? (Fox Evolution 2013)

texts:
I have a 2013 Fox Evolution fork on my bike (bought new by me) that is subject to recall due to some forks having defective dampers.

I've been riding with a suspension fork since 1996, and I have never had a fork that tops out like this one. It tops out with a ridiculous clunk when I pop a curb, it tops out the same way when I ride down a bumpy trail. The rebound control knob has never seemed to have any effect on the rate of rebound.

I was hoping that the damper repair would fix the top out. So I took it to my LBS for the recall damper repair.

They called me after 10 days and said, "it's topping out a lot, we think we must have got a defective replacement damper, we'll order another replacement damper."

They called again after another week and said, "Damper is all good, still topping out a lot, we think there is some air that leaked into the negative air chamber, you need to take it to a specialized suspension repair shop for repair."

Is there any reason to think this is a warranty issue, or should I just cough up the dough for someone to bleed the air out of the negative chamber (which is what the guy said I needed to do)?


texts:
I have a Cube Stereo 120 2018. When I was driving today a car hit me. I'm fine but the bike has a dent in it made by the car door.

Can it be fixed?
Can I still ride it, and go MTB?
Can I make a sort of modification, reinforcing the frame from outside?

Pictures:


texts: Ferrule size for a road brake cable housing slot?

texts:
I have bought some generic cable housing without paying attention to the specification (https://www.bricklanebikes.co.uk/blb-brake-cable-outer-housing-black). It comes with a set of ferrules and I didn't know those have a size as well (mines are 5mm according to the link above). The ferrule fits very well into my lever (a bar short-pull straight bar lever), but it doesn't fit on the brake housing slot (see picture below). The brake is a Shimano 105 5800, but I can't find anywhere a mention of the size of the housing slot. (I tried to look even in the dealer's manual.)

What's the standard size for the cable housing slot of modern road caliper brakes?

If I go with a cable housing (and ferrules) with smaller diameter, am I going to have issue on the lever side? (It fits perfectly now).


texts:
I'm doing a bunch of work on my bike today, and had an idea. My biggest speed killer especially downhill is air resistance. I have a mountain bike but I only ride on the road.

I've been looking at my bike and it would be fairly easy to attach a piece of curved perplex from above the front tyre to a few inches above the handle bars. Motor bikes have little screens like this above the handlebars which seem to deflect the air over the riders head if he puts his head down, so for example I could smoke a cigarette on my last motorbike without the wind bothering me much.

Has anyone done this? Or is there some reason it would be a bad idea?

Update:- After quite a bit of messing around and testing it coasting down a hill with and without. I found that going downhill it does increase speed and comfort. However it's in the bin as totally unsuitable for the tropics since I am an aircooled gadget and when cycling hard into a headwind when I need airflow the most I don't get the same cooling as I do without it.

So it was a total success in terms of the question (downhill) but no good for other reasons.


texts:
I misplaced my tire lever and it's very hard to change the tube of my mountain bike without a tire lever. I'm looking for alternatives if a tire lever is not available.

What I've found so far are:

Carve your own tire lever out of wood. (Did not try this, have no wood available)
Use the handle of a spoon. (Didn't work, spoon bent and scratched rim tape)
Carve your own out of the plastic handle of a knife. (Worked, but kinda ruined handle of knife and could be dangerous)

Are there any other alternatives in case this would occur again or if I encounter a similar situation on the road?


texts: Why such a tiny difference in crankarm length?

texts: Why are there only 170 and 175mm lengths for the crank arms of MTBs? I would have guessed that touring bikes would benefit from far longer crank arms than those, suitable for mountain riding.


texts: What sort of wipes should I use to clean a bike with disposable wipes?

texts:
I'm the sort of person who doesn't have time to clean his bike after every ride in the rain. It occurred to me that there are probably 'bike wipes' like there are for everything else these days that can help me just give the bike a once over super-quick. There are, but then I started reading a lot of people use baby wipes to do the same thing.

Are baby wipes the way to go, or should I be buying de-greasing 'motorbike' wipes etc? I do plan to lubricate parts that need it afterwards.

Ideally, I'd like a wipe that's safe to use on the frame and that can remove grime from drivetrain too.


texts: Touring on meal replacements (Soylent or alternatives). Anyone tried? Thoughts, impressions?

texts:
Has anyone tried going on a bicycle tour fueled by meal replacements like Soylent or alternatives?

Can you carry more food like this, could it give you more range, or open up areas of the map that don't have good food or food at all?

Open to any thoughts and impressions on the topic.


texts:
I have a professional messenger bag (chrome mini metro messenger) I have been carrying for about 2 months. The bag weighs around 3 lbs and I generally carry about 4 lbs of stuff in it. Biketools, phone charger, gloves etc. Its less than 8 lbs and I still get shoulder pain.

I am 190lbs and 5'10

Am wondering if there is something I am doing wrong - I see a lot of messengers in the city with huge bags and always wonder if they have shoulder pain from carrying bags on one side for years.

Below the actual bag although i have it higher up without using the side strap.


texts: Looking for 26 x 1.6 tires is there an alternative.

texts: I have an old bike that my wife would like to get back riding now that we are near a bike trail. The tires on the bike are dry rot and I need to replace. Tire size is 26 x 1.6 having troubles finding a match. Any alternatives?


texts: What is the difference between SV17 and SV19 bicycle tubes?

texts:
I know that "SV" is short for "Sclaverand valve" and this page shows a really nice schema for the difference between AV / SV / DV. Especially the diameter of the valve seems to be set by AV / SV /DV.

The diameter of the tube as a whole is set by the notation "28 x 1.40" where "28" means 28 inch (I'm not sure about the 1.40... maybe the inner diameter of the tube".

But then I see "SV17" and "SV18" ... how are they different?

The question is specific about Schwalbe inner tubes as only they seem to use that notation.


texts: Why does my Rear bike tire slow down when Pedaling?

texts:
I just replaced a flat on my rear road-bike tire. I had also tried to replace the rear axle, By removing the axle completely, to a quick release lock but realized the axle that had been installed with the bike tire wasn't hollow so put the old axle back on the bike, seemingly correctly. This morning i went for a ride and when I put any pressure while pedaling it felt as if the rear breaks were engaged. I checked to see what would happen if i pedal with the rear tire in the air and the tire seemed fine but came to a stop more quicker than usual but nothing too alarming.

It seems the problem only occurs when im siting on the bike and there is weight. I also noticed when i pedal the rear derailleur seems to tug forward and hug the rear cog set. im not sure if that's the issue...

Any ideas? I was wanting to save some money by not going to the LBS and learning and doing it myself. But I may have to go anyways.

Here are some images of the bike


texts: How can I increase my speed on my hybrid bike?

texts:
I have a Specialized hybrid bike, and when I'm out biking with friends who are on road bikes, I'm always lagging behind.  Besides just plain getting better at biking, which of the following would make the biggest difference in increasing my speed?

Switch to clipless pedals.  Right now I'm just on platform pedals with sneakers.
Switch to thinner tires.  Right now I have 700x28c.
Switch to a dropbar...  I think this is more of a comfort thing though.
Switch to a road bike! Obviously I'm wondering how close I can come without switching out the bike frame :-)

Thanks!


texts: Installing a chainguard on a bike with derauiller

texts:
My pants always get caught in the chain (and wearing shorts is not an option). However, it seems that it's impossible to have both a derailleur and a chainguard so what is the solution?

Can I just lock the front derailleur in place and slip the chainguard past it. (locking the bike in top gear?)
Do I have to remove the derailleur entirely, by breaking the chain?
Can I just remove the smaller front gears and lock it into third? How difficult is this? Do the gears just pop off or is there more to it?
Does anyone make a metal chainguard so large that it could encapsulate both the derauiller AND the front crankset. (a preferred solution, but not easy to find)

Example of a chainguard to protect the pants from getting ripped. It also proctects the rider in case of a fall so that the gear teeth don't puncture the leg. (It happened to me and is just as nasty as it sounds! Gear teeth are dirty.):

Note: The winning answer will suggest a chainguard that covers both the top of the chain and the crankset (as seen in the picture above). Suggestions of tying, clipping or banding pants are not an answer to the question being asked. However, an answer that involves modifying the bike in some way to accommodate a chainguard will be accepted.


texts: Hydraulic mtb-style brake lever on drop handlebars

texts:
tl;dr

Does anyone know of an existing hydraulic brake lever (eg (like this)) that can clamp on a 31.8mm bar or can anyone think of a way I can hack/bodge/modify one?

I'm thinking similar to how CX bikes do it with cables except I want it not inline (separate brake) and hydraulic

Context:

I only have a right hand
I'm building a road bike with drop handlebars and a hydraulic disk brake (Shimano r8070, right-side, front brake).
I have been happy with a single brake for 20+ years but since having kids I feel like a second, backup, brake would be wise

Out of the box solutions welcome!


texts:
Would someone explain wheel sizes.

If I am not mistaken, the wheels on my Trek 520 touring bike are 700C. There are no markings, and of course, no documentation of any kind. I assume 700 means 700mm, so 700 / 25.4 = 27.56 inches.

If I measure the rim however, its diameter is approximately 25.1 inches.

If I buy Continental tires, the size is 28 inch, but I have to buy 27 inch Bontrager tubes.

To make matters worse, per this link, tires come in sizes of 26, 27, and 28 inch, and size 700.

http://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/road_tires/marathon_420

How can I determine my wheel size, and are these various sizes interchangable. Also, is the 'C' suffix important, and what does it mean?

Of course the tires are marked, but I am under the impression (per the dealers comments) that Continental marks their tires differently than everyone else. Also, the tire markings don't help for ordering a new wheel.

With so many tire sizes available, how can I know if I am using the correct size.

After reading the various answers here, I should explain that my confusion on this matter stemmed from the fact that I used to work as an auto mechanic. In the auto industry, car tires are based on wheel size, 13", 14", 15" etc, and there is no possible way to mount a 15" tire on a 13" rim for example.

So when I saw all these different tire sizes, I assumed they all required a different wheel size, but in fact, there is essentially just one wheel diameter for my type of bike, which they refer to as 700C, which is actually 622mm.

I also initially assumed that the C referred to the wheel's width, but that isn't true either. The C is apparently just antiquated terminology.

So at least in theory, I can mount a 26", 27" 28" or 29" tire on my 700C (622mm) rim. I just need to verify the width of the tire is suitable my wheel width, which is what Sheldon Brown's article explains.

Also, I measured my Continental tires, which are marked as 28 inch. They actually measure 27 inches (fully inflated), which must be why my dealer calls their sizing non standard.


texts:
I remember, as a kid in the seventies we were able to ride blocks without ever touching the handlebars.
Today, I only see road-bikers riding without hands - and this is rarely.  I almost never see hybrid or mtb bikers go without hands.

What happened? Is it because I got older that I don't have the sense of balance anymore?  Or are bikes made differently in the sense that they're not self-balancing? Or is it the forward positioning??


texts: How can I avoid tearing the valve loose from an inner tube with a wheel lock?

texts:
The problem

It sounds foolish, but I have too often torn the valve loose from the inner tube by rotating the wheel so that the valve is pressed against a closed wheel lock. Wheel locks are common in the Netherlands and Germany, and I live just near the border. The rotation of the wheel is usually caused by pushing the bike while still locked, but also by gravity while removing the bike from the upper level of a double decker bike rack.

Are there any precautions I can take to reduce the likelihood of this happening? I would prefer solutions that work well with Presta valves at about 6 bar / 85 psi.

If you forget to check, the probability of locking between the spokes is 1/N, where N is number of spokes (~30), but the chance of pushing against the valve is more like 1/2N, as you probably stop as soon as you feel a resistance, which is roughly equally likely to be a spoke or the valve. The chance of ruining the tube is less again, as you may be lucky enough not to press hard enough; although that is hard to estimate, I know from experience that it is annoyingly high. Losing a tube every 600 (30×2×10) times you locked it would be bad enough.

Possible solutions

The following occur to me:

Do not close the wheel lock between a spoke and the valve — but if you are absent-minded, as I am, (or in a hurry) you will still be at risk of doing it now and then.
Open the wheel lock before moving the bike — also a problem if you are absent-minded, and barely practical with the double decker rack.
Do not use wheel locks — but round here you encounter them a lot.
Somehow reinforce or pad the area round the valve — sounds implausible to me.

Who can suggest more or identify the best?

(Somewhat) related questions

Bicycle's inner-tube got puncture right next to the valve, How to patch it there? — But I want to avoid the puncture.
How To Prevent Holes Around The Inner-tube Valve? — But that is about punctures caused by the hole in the rim – the answers might reduce the vulnerability, but do not consider extra force from the lock.
Presta Valve Keeps Ripping From Tube — This is about how valves can tear rather than avoiding this particular cause, which could just possibly be their problem, though the most popular answer (as I write) covers more likely reasons.


texts: Do single speed/fixed bicycles come with machined rims?

texts: I recently purchased a Masi Fixie Riser with a flip/flop hub (gearing on both sides) and brakes, but the rims aren't machined. Is this common on $700+ single speeds?


texts: Rusty Front Derailleur – Replace or Repair?

texts: My front derailleur has stopped shifting. Have a look at that rusty spring. Is it worth trying to fix, or should I just replace it?


texts: How to prepare oneself for riding in the snow?

texts:
I live in western Germany and have started to ride to work almost everyday. It is great at the moment as it is summer (not as dry as I hoped for, but that is another story). So the only thing I have to really deal with is rain and, sometimes, cooler weather.

In the winter, it sometimes snow, and will definitely have ice on the roads and trails that I ride. What can I do to prepare my bike and my clothing for riding in the winter time? I am even considering getting a new bike as my current bike is quite worn and needs to be updated.

I know that this is quite broad, but I hope to create a list of things (or community wiki) to do for preparing for the winter time.


texts: 3 bolt exercise bike saddle adapter in the UK

texts:
The saddle currently fitted to my exercise bike is attached to a fixed plate with 3 bolts on it, I can't find any adapters to fit more traditional saddles (rails/posts) that are available in the UK. The current saddle is criminally uncomfortable and I would really like to replace it with a more traditional saddle designed for comfort.

My current bike:
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4026004
"Roger Black Gold Magnetic Exercise Bike"

Adapter style that I need(not available in the UK and they don't ship outside of US/Canada.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/FitDesk-Saddle-Adapter-Universal/dp/B00M24K97G

Does anyone know of any UK based company/bike shop that could provide an appropriate adapter for this style of fitting by any chance?

This is my last resort before I have to go out and buy a new bike.

Thankyou in advance.


texts: Freehub comes free from wheel with cassette attached

texts:
I was cleaning my bike and a gust of wind knocked my wheel over which had been standing up against a wall. I found the cassette/freehub detached from the wheel. The end caps don't appear to have a thread and I wonder if this is okay, as everything would be held in place when the wheel is placed on the bike. Could someone confirm?
For reference, the wheel is a Reynolds AR62.
I've uploaded a demonstrative video to Imgur, here


texts: chain jumping when puilling away in a higher gear

texts: I replaced the rear cog as the chain I had snapped and I thought it had taken some teeth off. Now when I pull away in 1-3 gears it's ok, but if I am in gears 4-7 and I try to pull away ( say I have stopped at lights and not had chance to change back up to 1st) then the chain slips and bounces off the cog its on. If I change up through the gears when I am already riding it isn't a problem, just seems to happen if I put any tension on the chain in the higher gears when I have stopped and start pulling away again. Could this be a cog problem? set up or chain problem? Its done it for a while now and I have put up with it, but I am overhauling the bike and would like to have a heads up as to what I should be looking at to fix/ replace.


texts: Yes/no replace chainrings+cassette after chain failure?

texts:
I had a pretty bad chain failure a couple of days ago. I bought the bike second hand about a year ago, and in all fairness I had not done much maintenance on it since. I discussed with a friend and after showing some images, he recommended to change the cassette and chainrings too. This is a nontrivial expense for me and he did not seem to be aware that the teeth on these rings are not supposed to be all exactly the same (so the recommendation might have been based on that judgment).

I have thoroughly cleaned the cassette and chainrings, but find it hard to decide if they need replacement. After some research I figured that these parts should often be replaced even before they show visual tear, so I am choosing between trying only a new chain first, or not even bothering trying the old cassette+chainrings and getting new ones straight away.

Should these parts be replaced, based on the attached images? Or should I try a new chain only first, then decide on the ride experience?

I'm pretty new to cycling (maintenance), so any advice is welcome.

Images of the chainrings:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/171Y8GkHIazoUpsi193cJDTCLCSA303Gc/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bEjFhXYGA7bZACvhgLaKIaeVaGxng8G9/view?usp=sharing

Images of the cassette:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LyLW_y22JIImM1SidEyc9fi3ChCFKJco/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GmMbabw11xpt9RADFe1GUCbcjix8FlpD/view?usp=sharing

Image of the failed chain:


texts: What inner tube do I need for this tyre?

texts:
Can anyone tell me what spec inner tube I need for this tyre? I discovered the one I'd previously bought didn't look fat enough when I got my first puncture with it the other day, now I'm in the process of getting the kit I need to quickly fix punctures on the way to work.

Thanks very much!
John.


texts: Fix pushchair brake wire with balls at both ends - can my idea work?

texts:
The problem is with a Jane Trider pushchair so it's not exactly a Bicycles question, I'd love suggestions for a better place to ask this. But all the parts are like on a bike, only they are attached to my daughter’s pram.

A short summary is that an unusual wire has snapped, I have a few ideas how to fix it but each idea has an issue with it.

The brake is based on separate wires for either wheel and a lever pulling both wires at the same time – please see the photos below.
 All photos are taken after removing the snapped wire. The original wire is approx. 1mm diameter, the balls are approx. 3mm diameter, and the gap between the two pins in the handle is only a little less than the size of the ball. Each wheel has a fail-safe spring, which pushes a locking bolt into a slot in the wheel unless retracted by the handle. One of the wires has snapped, so I had to remove the spring and bolt and we are down to one braked wheel. I’m not sure why the wire snapped as they really do not carry that much load (not the braking force anyway). I can only think it was fatigue worsened by gradual wear from rubbing on the two silver pins holding the ball in the handle. There is an original replacement available for £25 + £2.99 delivery, which seems a bit steep considering the amount of work then involved in routing the replacement cables. I would much rather spend that money on some tools and replace the wire myself. Below is the solution I came up with together with some specific questions to keep SE rules happy, but if someone has another solution then I would love that too.

For the record, one of the questions I have asked myself is whether it snapped at the ball or not; the answer is I can’t tell for sure because I’ve already removed the snapped wire from the black cable, but it probably doesn’t matter as it’s definitely too short to just put a new hook/ball on it.

So the best solution I can think of is this:

Cut the “first” 50mm from the handle end of a bike brake wire
Feed through the two pins in the handle so that the cylinder on the bike
wire imitates the original ball
Join the remaining part of the old wire – and here is the question in my post, how do I do this?

Options include:

One or two wire grips or clamps (like shown in the annotated photo below, the orange part is the saddle) – different styles exist but the smallest I can see online are for 3mm wire, way too large. I could make one to imitate how wires are held in brakes and derailleurs, but can’t think what to make it from.

A lap splice – but I can’t think of a way to secure the two wires other than by super gluing
A coupler of this sort used for rebar – but I can’t find any for 1mm wire
A swage crimp – but I’m not convinced the crimps for electric wires have enough grip, and general mechanical ones don’t go down to this size.

Can anyone suggest how to overcome the issue with one of the above four options? Or can anyone suggest a better fix? I don’t fancy replacing the entire handle etc.


texts: What do you call the crankset system type on the Sram Apex?

texts:
I see these everywhere, but no one can come up with a consistent name for them from company to company. GXP is the closest I can come to a name for the bottom bracket.

http://www.sram.com/sram/road/products/sram-apex-crankset#/path/term-id/254


texts: How important is it to face the head tube?

texts:
I have a frame that I've built up and I'm having trouble getting the tension perfect on the headset, which is not usually something I have trouble with. A friend of mine who is much more knowledgeable than I about these things suggested that I should look into facing the head tube. I've read that it's not always necessary. Is there much truth to this?

edit: Nothing is damaged or chipped. The frame has its factory paint.


texts: Could you please identify this wtb cantilever/roller cam brake

texts: I've had some issues identifying this brake, and while I do know its wtb and circa late 1980s-early 1990s thats it. Any information would be appreciated. To clarify the parts were not original to the bike frame, as its a 1993 diamondback arrival.


texts: Avoiding hydraulic brake system overfill when bleeding with worn pads

texts:
I have limited experience with bleeding Avid Elixir 5, Shimano SLX and cheaper Shimano and Tektro brakes. I usually time the bleed just before brake pad replacement, in order to avoid the risk of contaminating the pads (because a rotor can be cleaned, but pads cannot).

The problem is, when I replace the pads with new ones, the disk rubs. This necessitates shedding brake fluid until the caliper pistons are allowed to move far enough back. The problems with this are:

risks introducing air to the system, because I use the lever bolt, instead of the caliper bolt
risks shedding too much liquid and voiding the bleed
it is tedious

Is there a trick to bleed the system just correctly, while mounted on the bike, with fully worn brake pads?


texts: I purchased a Merida Speeder 400 a year back. This came with Shimano 50-34 teeth and Shimano CSR7000 11-32 teeth 11-speed cassette which I replaced with Shimano 105 R7000 11 Speed 11-34 Teeth Cassette. Since then, the ride is not quite right. It feels like the chain is about to break sometimes especially in certain gears. What am I doing wrong?


texts: Need help trying to find a solution to these vertical, linear scratches on my Rockshox stanchions

texts:
I'm unsure whether these scratches are completely normal wear for my 3 year old never-been-serviced Rockshox Recon TK Silver 29 because they don't feel rough to the touch, and the fork has been functioning properly, no oil leaks whatsoever. This issue appears to be mostly cosmetic, and so I would like to know what the cause is and what I can do about it. Do I need new seals? Bushings? etc.
I've only tried cleaning the stanchions before and after every ride to minimize the dust/dirt.
Attached are photos of the scratches.


texts: Where should I put the least worn tyre? on the front or the back? This is for XC MTB.


texts: Trainer bike tire does not go on nicely, am I doing something wrong?

texts:
I got a used trainer and trainer tire off of Fb marketplace.

I installed the tire, pumped it to to the recommended 100 PSI and I noticed a bulge. I thought l had installed it incorrectly so I removed it and reinstalled again.

Here’s a picture of the worse case during my multiple attempts.

I noticed that it was always around the valve.

Eventually, I was able to install it, but there was still a little bit of a bulge. At least the inner tube was not popping out.

My approach was basically to install the tire, pump it up a little bit, adjusted the tire to make sure that it’s sitting well. Pumped it up some more and repeated.

Is there a special way to install these trainer tires? Was I just doing it incorrectly? The fact that it was always around the valve seemed like it’s a clue that maybe I didn’t seat the tire correctly around the valve.


texts:
I bought a riser bar (Easton EA30) and I want to buy grips and brake levers to put on it. I know the clamp diameter is 31.8mm, but how do I figure out the bar end diameter? I don't have a caliper to measure it and it's not written anywhere (box, instructions manual, ...).

As suggested by one of the answer, the grip size is likely going to be 22.2 What makes me not sure is the fact that Easton (the same manifacturer of the bar) only sells grips of size 30 and 33 (Ref: https://www.eastoncycling.com/products/details/lock-on-grips)


texts: Braze on or what sort of clamp on a Cinelli frame?

texts: I'm seeing a ridiculously good local deal on a Cinelli Experience frame. I think I'll build it up with entry Campagnolo stuff (also seeing a deal). I am mildly confused about the front derailleur attachment. Some listings for the complete bike talk about it being braze-on, but I sure don't see that in pictures: I see some sort of Cinelli specific clamp. Is a normal 35mm Campagnolo clamp front derailleur just fine? What is this?


texts: On a SRAM AXS MTB drivetrain, can you add satellite shifters on an aerobar?

texts:
If I have an Eagle AXS set (for MTB) and an aerobar.
What would I use to shift gears from aerobar positions? Can I add a shifter to aerobars?
Most Google searches show setup for road bikes.. (I guess using aerobars on MTB isn't common)


texts: Can a Sora 9 speed rear derailleur short cage support a 12-36 cassette single chain ring 56T?

texts:
My 20 inch folder has a single chain ring of 56T and a 11-28T cassette, 9 speed Shimano sora 9 speed Rear Derailleur short cage. I want to change the cassette to 12-36T for some hill routes. Based on my understanding the Derailleur capacity needed is
biggest chain ring - smallest chain ring + (biggest cog - smallest cog)
= 56 - 56 + (36 - 12) = 24.

I am not sure the capacity of the short cage Sora 9 speed, because different source gave different info. And they all assume a double or triple crank set which is not the case here. So will my RD support a 12-36T cassette?


texts: Disadvantages of Riding Larger Frame Sized Bike than Reccomended Frame Sized Bike

texts:
I unconsciously bought a bike which's frame size is larger than recommended. (My height is 163cm bikes frame size is for people 174-190cm) (I dont have any problems with reaching ground with my feet when I stop)
Bike is BMW M Cruise bike's large frame

My question is will this bigger bike cause orthopaedic problems and will it really differ my handling if I go for a proper sized bike?

Thanks beforehand


texts: How do I keep smallest gear on my crank shaft from contacting frame

texts:
I have an old Trek 8000 ZX that I am fixing up. I had to replace the bottom bracket and I believe I successfully did that. The bike did not have a crank set to work with so I salvaged one from a pile of other old bike scraps.

My problem is when I attached the crank arm and tried to spin the pedal, the smallest gear just rubs against the frame.  It appears that the crank is too close the frame. It is just making contact 5mm would address the issue.I want to know what my options are. My initial guess is to find a crank set with smaller gearing and hoping to find one that fits. The other idea is try and get a spacer but I am not sure how safe that would be.

There are number of bikes available that I could steal parts from but I would like some guidance on what I should be looking for in terms of size. I am not sure of the age of the bike, but I am pretty sure the frame size is 21". The color is yellow if that helps.

I am sorry if some of my terminology is wrong/crude, I am new to bike repair/salvage (Having a blast though).

Thanks in advance.


texts: Bearings jammed up even though there is play

texts: I've got a cheap new rear wheel. Disassembled the cones etc and replaced with my own grease. When trying to adjust the bearings to the correct tension, it gets to a point where the axle will make small movements smoothly, but will suddenly give a lot of resistance. If i turn the axle (not the cone), back to where it was smooth, there is still play in the axle, suggesting the axle should be rotating smoothly the entire 360 degrees. When I remove the cones, I usually see that one of the bearings has 'jumped' out of its position and on top of one of the others. What could be causing this? It's new so there's no pitting or corrosion. I think I used an acceptable amount of grease and there are 9 bearings each side.


texts: Do saddle ergonomics matter if you've got padded shorts?

texts:
Those of us who try to bite off 50+ mile rides without padded shorts really have to pay attention to our saddle's shape and padding.

With padded shorts, how much of a difference can you tell between saddles that, when ridden without padded shorts, would mean a large difference in comfort?

I've never had padded shorts, so I'm curious.


texts:
I need to replace the 18" cheap Schwalbe iMPAC Streetpac 47-355 tires that came with my Birdy folding bike with puncture resistante tires. I almost never ride on country roads, so thinner tires are fine.

Does someone know of alternatives to the Schwalbe Marathon Plus 35-355?

Thank you.


texts: What is the torque needed for chainring bolts?

texts:
I have a bike that is no longer in production, but it has a standard drivetrain (FSA). I had some shifting issues the past couple days, and to my surprise when I did a clean/inspect, three of the 5 chainring bolts had dropped out and the other two were finger loose.

I salvaged some bolts from my donor bike. I needed a breaker attachment to my 5mm hex to get them off. There was no residual threadlock on the threads. Now I'm unsure how hard I should tighten them onto the first bike.

Why would they have come loose in the first place? How hard should I tighten them to prevent this from happening again? Would a dab of threadlock be good insurance?


texts: Shimano Deore front derailleur occasionally sticking

texts:
I have a question about my front derailleur sticking occasionally.  I've had this bike for a 1.7 years and have ridden it through 2 winters.

It has only been after this last winter that my front derailleur has been sticking on occasion where it's like grit has jammed in somewhere (which I'm sure it is the case).  When I'm on the fly I just knock it with my heel and it will downshift and I can push the shifter hard enough to go back up when I need to.

The first time I decided to overhaul both the front and back ones.  Took them apart, cleaned/degreased, regreased the two back cogs, and used WD-40 professional silicone on the rest of the parts as to not attract more dirt.

Then after about a month it got stuck again, and I couldn't see anything that could be jamming it (while it was still stiff as heck).  Didn't take it apart this time just used a tooth brush and silicone again and it's fine at the moment.

I'm assuming it may be that since that the roads have been grittier/dirtier from the winter with some recent rain and slush that it may just be normal.  I haven't been on the trails yet this year so I know it's not that.

Is this normal, has some kind of bur that I can't see come up and is catching grit?

EDIT:  I should also note that this is a hardtail mtb that I use for trails and winter commuting (a lot of salt and grit on the roads).


texts: How do I determine if my front wheel is warped?

texts:
I've noticed that as I ride my bike, my front wheel/tire appears to wobble back and forth. I assumed that the wheel was simply a bit loose, but as far as I can tell, it isn't loose (or at least not very loose).

It does appear, however, that my front tire is ever so slightly warped in a sort of Pringle shape.

  Is there a way to determine for certain whether or not the wheel is warped?

Follow-up questions regarding how to solve the problem will likely appear soon, but that is not the point of this particular post.


texts: Replace Campagnolo record 9 speed front derailleur

texts:
I'm trying to restore an Eddy Merckx (saved from the bin) from ca 2002.

It has mostly Campagnolo Record parts. Both the levers and front mech were badly broken when I got it. I found a pair of new Campagnolo Xenon 9 Speed Ergopower levers that shifts good on the rear.

I cannot find any new front derailleur. What can I replace it with?

I'll use it for commuting and if possible I can absolutely live with mixing brands (eg. a Shimano front mech).

Any ideas?

Thanks a million in advance :)

Update: sorry for confusing with the word restore. For this bike I'm l looking to make a good and robus commuter. Not to make it back to original.

After reading up quite a lot I have found out that almost any Shimano front, made for two chainrings and 9 cogs back, would work just fine. Have not verified it though.

I'll see if I can find an ok campa on eBay otherwise try with a cheap Shimano.


texts: L Limit screw can get front derailleur close enough

texts:
I am following the instructions on here:
https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/front-derailleur-adjustment
And they say:
"Sight gap between inner chain plate and inner cage plate. Only a small gap should be visible, about 1/16″ or 1mm, about the thickness of a dime."
"If the gap appears larger than 1mm at its widest point, tighten the L-screw, in small increments, until the gap closes."
But I've tightened the L screw all the way and there is still a massive gap....? (I can make the gap larger by loosening it but obviously that's not what I want)
What have I missed?


texts: Will any 10 speed cassette work with a 10 speed shifter?

texts:
I have a 10 speed shifter Shimano Deore SL-M610. I replaced the cassette from Shimano CS-HG50, 11-36 to XT M771 10, 11-36 about a yer ago. I'm currently experiencing some issues with the chain slipping off the cassette. I'm pretty sure I need to replace the chain and chainset, but just wanted to check if the new cassette could have caused incompatibility and issues with chain slippage?

Really appreciate your time and help with this.

Rob


texts: Why do folding bikes usually have MTB components?

texts: Most of the folding bikes I've seen, which are used for urban commuting/recreation, usually have MTB components except for the big chainring. If they're going to be ridden most of the time on paved roads, why not use road bike components?


texts: How to prevent chain looking dirty one ride after cleaning it!

texts:
I try and clean my chain regularly and particularly when it's wet or dirty.

Despite my chain looking pristine clean once I have finished it often looks black and oily again after just one commute of 18 miles (on dry tarmac).

When cleaning my chain I use muc-off chain cleaner on the chain and the rest of the drive train and then I use chain cleaner in one of these gadgets to get right into the chain links.

Once that is all done I rinse the chain with a garden hose and I usually let it sit in the garage for an hour or so before I then oil the chain.

I wipe excess oil off the chain with a rag when I am done.

I think that possibly I am not removing the de-greaser properly or not letting the chain dry properly before applying the oil...

Any advice much appreciated, I love it when my chain is nice and sparkly but when it gets black and oily again straight away it's pretty annoying!

Thanks


texts: Electric Bike (eBike): Freewheel or Regenerative braking?

texts:
Not asking for opinion which one is better, so please do not state without some reasons why one is better than another on eBike.

Question is: Freewheel or Regenerative braking is more efficient in Electric Bicycle?

So far I got:

Freewheel:

When battery go flat you can use it as a normal bicycle, while with
RB it feels like riding with a flat wheel (or even worse).
It is lighter than hub with RB, and cheaper
Similar to a bike

Regenerative Braking (RB)

You can charge your battery up whenever you need to stop, albeit minimal.
It helps you brake the bikes gradually, especially on downhill section, just like how motorised vehicles work.
Akin to motorised vehicle


texts: help me to identify what kind of bicycle frame it is and its cost, if it is valuable, I will be grateful for any information.  (Click images for larger view.)


texts:
I have a road bike with road tires. I commute on a paved trail that is fairly bumpy through a couple places due to roots pushing the asphalt up.

My problem is that about once every week or two, I have a poke nipple completely loosen and fall inside the wheel.  I've had them replaced with brass nipples, but even those will fall out.

Is the bumpiness the cause of this?  Should I expect the wheel hold up to this seemingly normal amount of wear and tear?  Should I ditch the wheel and buy a new one?  What's my best and hopefully most economical choice here?


texts: My bike got stolen a second time (in Amsterdam) - what should I do?

texts:
I've moved to Amsterdam a few months ago, and have started using bicycles; I mostly cycle from home to work.

I've been using typical old(ish) used bikes, black-color omafiets of some obscure make, with a front basket mounted. It had a (simple?) ring lock and a 20-25 EUR chain lock.

My first bike was stolen from near work. Never mind the circumstances, but I bought another one and made sure to always keep it in my workplace's locked bike shed where I feel it's pretty safe.

However, just last week, my second bike was stolen from near my home. I had parked it at a main intersection - assuming the visibility numbers would make this a safer choice. Both locks were on, and the chain affixed the bike to a metal bike-stand. Still, it got stolen overnight.

I'm wondering what to do...

Should I plan for my bike occasionally getting stolen and repeatedly buy cheap ones?
Should I buy a more sturdy, more expensive lock for my new bike?
Should I spend money on customizing the bike so as to make it more theft-repellent?
Perhaps I should just change my assumptions and park my bike someplace less conspicuous to begin with? It would make the bike less visible to bike thieves, but would allow them to operate more safely, since few people would notice and if someone noticed they could just run off.

Advice would be highly appreciated.

Notes:

Amsterdam-specific (and Amsterdam-popular-bike-model specific) answers are welcome; and that fact, specifically since the city is very prone to opportunist bike theft, makes this question a non-dupe in my view.
I can't keep my bike indoors overnight - I'm living in an apartment building with a narrow staircase and not much room, this is not a relevant solution (for me at least). Obviously if I could keep indoors it would be a whole different issue since bike thieves don't break into people's houses (that makes them burglars).
I'm not going to find my bike, so I'm only asking about next time.


texts: What is the difference between folding bead and wire bead tires?

texts: I'm shopping online for some new tires, and see that some models are sorted by folding and wire beads?  What exactly does this mean, and do I need a special rim to support them?


texts: Why do my tires keep losing air, even after having the tubes replaced?

texts:
I had a problem a few weeks ago where my tires were flat and needed air every time I took my bike out of the garage. I brought it to the local bike shop, and they replaced my tubes.

This made a difference for a little while, but unfortunately, I seem to be back where I started. I have to fill up the tires before each ride, and then the wheels are flat after just a few minutes.

The bike is about seven years old, but I like it and this is the only problem it's ever had. Do I need a new bike, or is there something other than a bad tube that could cause this to happen?


texts:
I ride a Rabeneick TS5 2017 Alfine 8, bought in 2018, with about 5000km on it (mostly commuting on asphalt, in all weather (mostly dry), some easy forest trails). It has BR-M395 hydraulic disk brakes  with resin pads, with BL-M395 levers and SM-RT54-S 160mm rotors, vertical dropouts, a bolt-on-axle hub dynamo (probably DH-3D37-NT) in the front, Alfine 8 IGH in the back. I frequently experience disk rubbing (both rhythmic and continuous) on both wheels. I usually managed to fix it by re-centering/adjusting the brakes and/or bending the rotors by hand, but after braking hard the noise often returns.
It got continuously more complicated to adjust, until a while ago I was unable to make the front brake silent, so I brought the bike to a LBS, who installed new pads. It was fine at first, but after a ride the noise returned. Being fed up (and also because the LBSes here are ridiculously expensive), I bought new rotors and the tools to install them. It took ages to adjust the wheel, brake, and rotor to make them run silently.
Today I got a flat and had to take off the front wheel to take out the tube and submerge it in water to find the whole. Patching it and putting it all back together was easy enough, but the brake was (of course) misaligned again and I again had to fiddle forever to adjust it properly.
So the questions are - do all (hydraulic) disk brakes need that much care? Is just this model particularly bad and more expensive ones are more reliable? Do I need to replace the brake itself (rather complicated because of the hydraulics)? Should I just ignore the noise? Am I doing something wrong? Should disk brakes only be used with thru-axles as the wheel position is fixed? Just as an example, the Surly Troll "expedition touring" bike has vertical dropouts and disk brakes too. If you get a flat in the middle of nowhere and had to take a wheel off to patch/replace the tube, how would you re-adjust the brake? Sounds like a nightmare!


texts: Were the 1970s bikes from Motoconfort the same as those from Motobecane?

texts: I've got something called a Le Champion from Motoconfort dated to the 1970s which, aside from the different decals, is indistinguishable to me from Le Champion models from that era from Motobecane (going by the pictures thereof I can find on the Internet)-- however, I am in no way an expert in either old bikes or French bikes; Are Motoconfort bikes just a re-badging of typical Motobecane models from that era, or is there some tangible difference between the two marques? i.e. is a Motoconfort Le Champion from year n exactly the same as a Motobecane Le Champion from year n?


texts: I have one Gt aggressor 2.0 2014 and want to make some upgrade. So someone told me to buy a new hub to use with a 9 speed cassette. I want to buy the hub but later the 9v cassette, so has any hub can use 7 speed cassette?


texts: How to measure the correct belt drive tension?

texts:
I own a 2010 Trek District with a belt drive. I'm fairly happy with the setup, since after months of standing outside I just picked up the bike again and started riding without the usual chain maintenance.

However, the problem I currently have is that under large torque, so e.g. accelerating out of traffic lights makes the belt either slip or jump off the rear cog. Riding in traffic with cars close-by makes this a somewhat dangerous mishap, so I'm hoping I could fix this. Even when pedaling with high cadence the belt seems to be moving outwards all the time, and can be fixed by pedaling backwards one round or so.

The instruction manual and googled resources [broken link - try this trekdistrict discussion or this bike-manual link) claim that setting the correct tension and alignment to be easy, but I've found it to be quite a hard task. So, could someone with more bike mechanics skills and experience tell me how to do this or point me to a good resource?

The main questions are:

Is there an easy way to set the tension, without having a special tool for measuring the tension?

How accurate does the tension have to be in order not to slip under pressure?

How can I (easily) align the belt correctly for it not to travel right on the rear cog?

Thanks in advance for any answers! I could probably take it to the local shop, but I've been trying to handle all and any maintenance myself, since this is a hobby after all.

==== Edit ====

I don't have a picture of my own, but the rear dropouts look like the ones on this picture:

I've tried to adjust the tension and managed to get rid of the slippage, so the original problem is more or less solved. I've also tried and managed to tighten the belt too much, since it started to have a funny noise and the freewheel didn't seem to work correctly anymore. Now the tension seems about correct, but the belt still "travels right" (as in the image) and jumps off the cog, when accelerating.

I'm starting to think that the rear hub is not perfectly straight with regards to the belt, but I would think one would notice this when riding.

=== Edit 2 (2011-08-10) ===

After nearly getting hit by a bus, caused by the belt jumping off the rear cog, I decided to bite the bullet and take the bike back to the shop. Turns out I have strong fingers, since the problem was too much tension on the belt. The high tension made the rear wheel not fit perfectly in the rear dropouts. This made the wheel just the slightest bit misaligned (what's the opposite of straight?), which in combination with the tension made the belt to travel outwards when applying enough torque.

I got the thing fixed, and it now works as a charm. I'm unable to tell the difference between the earlier too tight belt from the correctly tensioned one, since the difference is very subtle. Thus, the moral of the story has to be that one should use the correct tools for the task at hand. And also that my mechanics skills are not quite as good as I was hoping :)

Anyway, thanks for all the suggestions here, but from now on I suggest all the belt-drive people like me either get the real tools, or support the local bike dealer for the no or low maintenance of the belt drive.


texts: Will there be compatibility problems for crankset and bottom bracket for vintage motobecane?

texts:
Most concerned about compatibility of bottom bracket/crank area. Not sure of model and year, any ideas? Some specs...1020 tubes,forks and stays, weinmann 610/vanqueur 999                                              brakes, SR headset,suntour derailleaurs....obviously some rebuilding done, but does say something about compatibility issues.     Thanks!!! Blueskynolimit

ps can someone tell me how to "attach" photos?


texts:
Sometimes when I am cycling I will try to do some stretching to alleviate some backpain. Usually I arch my back, or push into the pedal and straighten my leg and stretch.

Does anyone do something similar? If so, can you share the stretches, exercises you do?

Thanks in advance.


texts: Shimano 8000 Battery Reverse Engineering

texts:
I am on a mission to reverse-engineer the Shimano 8000 battery, with the purpose being to allow Shimano 8000 batteries to be used with a non-Shimano controller.

The reason is to have two motors on my Bullitt cargo bike - a Shimano 8000 mid-motor, and a  Grin-sourced Bafang G311 hub motor.

I have two of the 8000 batteries, but I'm reluctant to open them up.

I have several friends who are expert (and now retired) EE motor control designers.  I'm hoping they can look at the BMS PCB and get an idea of what Shimano has done in general.

I have access to a full set of EE tools - oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, etc. - everything you need to design, build and test PCBs specifically for industrial servo control and amplifiers/controllers.

I don't want to replicate what Shimano has done, just understand enough to spoof the batteries into working with a third-party controller.

Can anyone help?

I need as much info as possible on the internals of the 8000 battery.

1) Anyone want to loan or sell me a bricked Shimano battery?

2) Can anyone post or send a good photo of the BMS PCB?

Let's do this.  It can't be that hard.


texts: What's the benefit of a titanium skewer?

texts:
What's the benefit of using titanium skewer beside the fact that it's light?
Is it strong enough to hold my weight?


texts: 2-speed front derailleur - three possible positions?

texts:
I have Shimano 105 7000 groupset on my bike. 2x11. For some reason I have 3-rd in-between click on my front derailleur. To get into that 3-rd position I need to shift into large chainring and then apply reduced pressure on FD lever. Amount of force should be just below chainring change threshold. If I do that - I get a smaller click and FD moves ever so slightly towards the smaller cog. If I don't do that - when I'm on bigger sprockets the chain rubs a bit and shifting RD becomes much more stubborn.
The question: is this by design? Seems strange but understandable. If so, what are some pros and cons of this?


texts: Looking for suggestions on a mostly-road mixed-use tire

texts:
I'm riding tracks that are 90% on-road, 5% poorly paved cracked roads and 5% gravel, dirt, chips, etc. No mud. Basically: ride 5km to a park, ride 1km there, ride back.

I'm pretty new to bikes. The tires I'm currently using are the stock Bontrager H5 Hard-Case Ultimate, 700x32c on my CX bike. I'm thinking that I'd like better road handling without sacrificing dirt traction.

I don't mind spending a lot on a tire. What would be some good tire choices for my use case? Which aspects would they upgrade?


texts: Is it normal for the chain to slip in an 'extreme' gear?

texts:
My bike's recently been in for a service so afterwards I checked that all the gears are shifting and working properly.

As part of my testing I put some power through the cranks in the photographed gear and found that the chain slipped. Having found that out, I tested it some more and it's very easy to get the chain to slip in that gear by putting some power through it.

Is that normal? Could it be the derailleur set up at fault?

I don't ever use this gear day-to-day so it doesn't really matter I suppose. However, I'd like to think that everything was 100% working okay having paid for a service.

Should a service leave a bike in this kind of state? The bike's 11 months old and hasn't been heavily used in that time.


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I've lived in different cities in Europe and Australia, and I noticed more and more the creation of bike lanes, and increases in bike commuters. Still, the number of eletric bikes in the streets is incredibly low. Although it can be said they are expensive (see related question), I cannot believe this is the only reason.

So I ask the experts: what is the biggest issue to bring them to the mainstream market?


texts: How do I remove the wheels from my bike (not a typical nut)?

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I just bought a used Kona Roundabout bike and I can't figure out how to remove the wheels. I've never seen this connection before.

The same connection is on both the front and rear wheels and attached in the pictures.  First two on the left are the front wheel with and without that black cap on. Top right pic is the rear wheel and bottom right is the other side of the wheel.

I've tried using a combination of pliers and wrenches but it doesn't seem to budge. Any ideas? Am I missing something?

Thanks!


texts: Suggestions for buying a bike for commuting

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I've decided what kind of bike I want (light hybrid with straight handlebars),
but have no idea how to chose a brand/model.

What questions do I ask at the shop?
Which brands are good?
Am I paying too much for brand-value?
Am I paying for things I don't need? (Carbon Fiber fork...)

What are the things I should look out for in particular?

Another thing I find difficult is that they don't let you try out the bike except  in the shop (and without the pedals attatched).


texts: What are some oft-cited benefits of electric assist on a mountain bike?

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Recently, electric mountain bikes have been hyped quite a lot, and I have seen a lot of them for sale at LBSs and have even seen a few "in action" despite that I never go mountain biking (i.e. I see them in the city). While the benefits of electric assist are easy to point out for city-/commuter-style bikes, the reasons I can imagine for electric mountain bikes seem a bit more dubious. Regardless of their truth/objectivity, what are the most common reasons for using electric assist on a mountain bike?

As stated above, using electric assist in commuter bikes is (to me, at least) less "controversial"  because sport isn't the top priority for this style of riding. However, mountain biking is inherently a sport... so I'm having a hard time imagining the "obvious" benefits... so what are they?


texts: Calculate rolling resistance for foam filled tire

texts: Let us consider a bike wheel. Does anybody know a way to calculate how much does rolling resistance changes if the inner tire volume is filled with foam instead of air? Let's assume a foam hardness which equals a 2 bar inflation.


texts: Should I get a performance bike or an endurance bike for 180 km rides?

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I want to do the 180 km of cycling in general, that is the 2nd leg of Ironman.
I don't have a bicycle, as of now.
I am planning to buy a road bike (not the one used for triathlon).
People ask me to choose between a bike for endurance and a bike for performance.

I have ridden 200 km in a very cheap hybrid bike (twice the weight of an average road bike) in 11 hours.
I would be using the bike mainly for triathlons and long distance brevet(but brevets at a later stage), so mainly concentrating in tri.

Now my question is:
Doing 180 km in 6-7 hours come under race or endurance?
The speed involved here is 30 km/hr.
This will help me in choosing an endurance bike(Fuji, in my mind) or a performance bike (Trek, in my mind).