texts: What are the advantages of handlebars with an integrated stem?

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I was doing a bit of research for an upcoming handlebar purchase, and came across this strange piece of hardware -- handlebars with an integrated stem (or possibly a stem with integrated bars).

So far as I can see, this has at least two major drawbacks, the first being the inability to adjust the angle of the bars, and the second being that if the handlebars or stem get damaged somehow, the whole thing has to be replaced instead of either the bars or the stem.

Does this kind of design have any advantages? What kind of riders might benefit from using these kinds of bars?


texts: Will this electric air pump suit my tires and work for me?

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I have to buy air pump for bicycle, I saw this one online on Walmart.
My bicycle tires have a pressure range between 30 and 50 psi.  Will this pump work, or should I buy mechanical one?
What are it's drawbacks?


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I was wondering if it is possible to to use a magnetic trainer as a dynamo.

While riding on trainers, at a gym, or at home, I always think to myself, "I wish I could capture all this energy and put it to good use".

Has anyone ever turned a trainer into a dynamo?  If so, I'd like to know what modifications are needed and what tools and parts are necessary, plans, etc.

Moreover, I'd like to know if it is then possible to use this dynamo to supplement power to ones' home, as opposed to just storing it.  While discussing it with a friend, the main challenge that came to mind was converting the current to A/C and synchronizing the phase, voltage, frequency, etc. with the power coming into the house.  Probably a bit overkill if you're not an experienced electrician (which I'm not) but maybe I'm wrong.

If hooking one up to the home is not realistic, is there any simple configuration that one could use to provide useful energy and store it?


texts: Disc brake rotor scraping against mounting bracket

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(My question is related to Rear disc brake rotor rubbing against caliper frame mount? but I hope to provide some more context & photos.)

I have a Rocky Mountain Edge mountain bike (possibly 2011 or 2012) that has factory-installed Shimano hydraulic disc brakes. I was replacing a flat front tire today and had trouble getting the rotor aligned inside the caliper. When I took a closer look, I was surprised to see that the disc has been rubbing against the front fork mounting bracket along at least half of its radius.

This photo shows the wear to the mounting bracket and the caliper support (there is corresponding wear on the rotor):

(n.b. the bike was upside down when this photo was taken: dropouts are on the left, and the rear of the bike is toward the right.)

To me, it seems like there's an issue with where the wheel sits relative to the fork (i.e. that it's a few millimetres too close to the caliper side). The rotor seems to be permanently affixed to the wheel (no screws), and it doesn't appear to have moved relative to the hub. Looking at the quick-release skewer, it seems like all the parts are there, but it still doesn't sit properly.

How can I solve this problem? Is there a spacer I can add to the quick-release skewer so the rotor sits the proper distance from the fork? Is there a specific offset for this type of brake caliper?

Is it likely to be caused by a damaged wheel? (The rim is quite out of shape, so I could use this as an opportunity to replace the whole wheel.)

EDIT: some more photos:


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Are there specific kinds of cables I should be going for? Specific tools that are must have to achieve this?

This review  shows the Audacio is a Shimano Tiagra groupset with rim brakes.


texts: How can I stop my toes from going numb on long rides?

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I've begun trying to commute to work, which is a 70+ minute ride each way for me.  I find that after about 30 minutes of riding, my toes in both feet begin to go numb.  It's not a cold thing, because it happens in warm weather too.  It's more of a pins-and-needles, limb going to sleep feeling, though it hits all my toes and sometimes a little further into my foot (never really past the ball though).

This happened with my old flat pedals and several different pairs of shoes.  I recently switched to clipless pedals and shoes and hoped it would stop with the stiffer sole and dedicated contact to the pedal, but no dice.  My cycling shoes are quite comfortable and there is no pain associated with this, just the annoying numbness.  Right now the only way I can fix it is to coast for a while so I can unclip and dangle/shake my foot around to get some feeling back into it.  Unclipping and temporarily pedaling with my heel helps a little, but not much.

Anybody else have this problem or know how to alleviate it?  Or am I just stuck with it due to some quirk in my anatomy?


texts: Pedals no longer increase speed after a relatively low speed

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So i have this bike:
MENS PRO MOTIVE DS400 DUAL SUSPENSION MOUNTAIN BIKE

Bought it 2nd hand quite recently and had this thing that after reaching a certain speed no matter how hard i pedal speed doesnt increase. The pedals feel as if nothing is attached to them at that point. any help?

BTW am completely new to bikes :)


texts: How to get a 7-speed bike with a freewheel on a direct drive trainer

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My wife has a 2017 Specialized Alibi Step Through. Specs can be found here: https://www.specialized.com/us/en/alibi-step-through/p/154232?color=&searchText=B6617-7402
I have recently ordered a Tacx direct drive trainer. While I should have no problem getting my own bike with a 11-speed cassette on the trainer, I believe my wife's bike will have problems. I'm trying to find the cheapest solution to get her bike on.
I've read the following related posts:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Zwift/comments/fgap31/7_speed_cassette_on_a_direct_drive_trainer/
7 speed cassette on a direct drive trainer from freewheel bike
But I still have doubts. First of all, from these posts it sounds like I just need to get a 7-speed cassette with some spacers to fit a 9/10/11 speed compatible trainer. But as my wife's bike has a FREEWHEEL, the hub should not accept a cassette. Please correct me if I'm wrong here.
Also, let's say a cassette and some spacers were really all I needed, and I have my bike shop to adjust the shifting/derailleurs for me to get the bike on a trainer. Do I need to adjust the shifting/derailleurs again if my wife wants to ride outdoors?


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I have a caadx and recently changed my cassette from 12-28 to 11-36 using a RoadLink setup. I'm using an Ultegra 6600 for my rear derailleur, 11-36 deore cogs and deore 10-speed chain. The cogs,chain and hanger are all brand new.

But my problem is with the 32-t and 36-t gears. Shifting down (small to big), 28→32 and 32→36, I have no problem.

The problems comes when shifting up (big to small) from 36→32 and 32→28. Sometimes when I shift, nothing happens, and when I shift again, the chain will shift twice or sometimes once.

I have no problem shifting up or down on the 11-t through 28-t gears.


texts: How to retrieve broken off end of gear cable from inside Shimano 105, 11 gear, lever?

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The gear cable was badly frayed in the handle system, where it bends through 90 deg. I had to cut it to remove the cable...but in doing so, the tip with the cable end (about 10mm long), has moved on round the corner and on into the lower part of the handle where it is very inaccessible.
I am able to get hold of the cable end with pliers but unable to pull it back, even with the gear changer set in it's highest gear because the nipple is stopping it.
Any ideas?
Do bike engineers in UK shops take these brifter gear levers apart or do they just advise replacement?


texts: Finding compatible fixed-gear cog and lockring

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I have a flip-flop hub that came stock on a Trek single-speed. I'd like to install a fixed-gear cog and lockring opposite the existing freewheel. How can I determine which cogs and lockrings are compatible?

I've read Sheldon's explanation. I've also read this SE question. I understand that ISO (1.375" diameter x 24 threads per inch) is the most common. But I'm not quite ready to assume that my hub is ISO-threaded. State Bicycle, for example, says that their hubs are British-threaded. And in my experience, Trek's part selections can be quirky. Unfortunately, Trek offers no reliable way to look up the part specs for a given bike.

Opinions seem to vary about which if any combinations of disparate thread standards are a "good enough" fit. Some say you should never mix and match. Others say British and ISO are compatible despite their differences. I don't know enough to form my own opinion.

I'm also confused about how the lockring threading relates to the cog threading. I understand that the cog and lockring threads are different sizes. But I haven't found any information about lockring thread standards.

So, I think my question boils down to three sub-questions:

How can I determine my hub's thread standard? (I think calipers are the answer, but confirmation would be appreciated.)
Assuming I have either an ISO- or British-threaded hub, are the two indeed compatible?
Once I know what kind of cog I'm buying, how do I select a compatible lockring? Do I need to take another measurement?


texts:
What tool do i need to dismount a shimano bb-un26 bottom bracket?

Will a Park Tool BBT-22 work?


texts: Cage Length (Rear Derallieur) and Total Capacity

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My drivetrain required total capacity is 14.

(folding bicycle Dahon Eco C6, 14-28 rear, 1x front)

The rear derailleur (Shimano TZ50, which I purchased), has total capacity = 34 and a long cage. Are there are any disadvantages, in such overkill, when total capacity of the derailleur (34) is much higher than required (14).


texts: Anyone found a good way to transport kids with a Strida?

texts: Are there any compatible trailers or such for a Strida?


texts: Can I charge an ebike from another ebike battery?

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I have a fiido d2s, and I love it. I'm not sure if I could upgrade to a bigger bike, because it fits so well in the back of my car and public transport. Anyway, it doesn't have a detachable/replaceable battery.

I've used this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07TG8WB27/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00 and the charger that came with it while out and about to extend my range. It basically takes DC power, converts to AC, and then converts back to DC. I believe the bike's battery is about 280 Wh and this gives me another 80 after some loss, give or take.

But I'd really love to double or 2.5x my range. I've looked up tutorials like this one:

            , which end up with a battery that can charge a scooter (or ebike) using the DC input that comes with the bike for charging.

But getting enough batteries alone (aside from other parts and me probably screwing things up) costs almost as much as one of these: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bicycle-Ebike-lithium-li-ion-Battery-24V-36V-48V-10Ah-20Ah-1500W-350W-500W-1000W/174033645919 (not almost as much, but also not insignificant).

Some of the ebike batteries have 36v, 2a discharges which is the same as the charger that came with my bike. Is there any way to take those and charge my bike's internal battery?

Edit: I appreciate all the suggestions. For the record, I know that charging and riding at the same time will work. I do it with my 100 Wh battery pack already. And I know I use more electricity riding the bike than can be pumped into it. But I think if I could charge at the maximum (36v, 2amp) while riding the bike, I could extend the continuous riding time from 3 to 5 hours and maybe the total riding time to 7 or 8. I’m sure I could do this if I just bought a 300+ Watt-hour battery pack. Something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07DVGYDL5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vTlEEbJ1GRQ9R

But I can get a lot more watt-hours for a lower price and in a friendlier shape with the ebike batteries, vs that thing.

I’m wondering more if there’s a simple process to connect the discharge port of the ebike battery to the dc input of the bike. Or does it need some sort of conversion?


texts: Can I reorient my dérailleur so the top jockey doesn't hit the cassette?

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I was running a RD-M7000 dérailleur on my Scott E-Genius 730 and I recently received some good advice here that the Deore RD-M6000 is a drop-in replacement. I have now purchased and fitted that, but the topmost jockey wheel appears to be touching, or at least far too close, to the cassette. As a result I get a lot of unacceptable gear clatter in most rear gear selections (I also can't reach the highest gear, but one step at a time).

Here is an overview of the cassette, dérailleur, chain and crank.

I believe I've taken some six links out of the standard chain, and I think it is probably still too long. However, I don't think this is the problem. If I pull down on the main lower section of chain (to emulate a shorter chain), it pulls the lower jockey wheel closer to the crank, but it does not at all move the upper jockey wheel away from the cassette. I think that is what I need to fix.

Here is a closer view:

You can see here that the upper jockey is far too close to the cassette.

Finally here is what I want to achieve - something to reorient the dérailleur angle so the upper jockey is distanced from the cassette:

I have a suspicion I know what is wrong, though I don't know how to fix it. In the first two pictures a red connecting mount on the bike is shown. There is a black connector piece attached to that, and finally the dérailleur is attached to that. What I notice is that the two connector brackets form an angle of some 15° from each other. However in my previous post (see first link) they are some 85° from each other, and note: it is the old bracket. Not a new matching model - the actual old one from the old photo.

However I have slackened the internal hex key nut off, and tried to move the dérailleur clockwise around this pivot point, but something is preventing this bracket from travelling further. I wonder, could I have installed it back to front?


texts:
This problem has consumed a lot of time and resources and has yet to be solved.

This is a basic Giant Iguana mtb, with a Deore rear derailleur, SRAM 950 9-sp cassette, Truvativ chainrings, Shimano HG53 chain. The bike ran smooth without issue before any work was done.

I initially figured it was time for a new chain and it was apparent when I installed it, that the cogs were worn because the chain wanted to skip, especially in the middle one where I do most of my riding. So I set the bike to the side, ordered new Truvativ chainrings (middle and outer), new SRAM 970 cassette, SRAM chain (just in case of differences with Shimano chain on SRAM derailleur - though I've never had an issue with that), also new cones and ball bearings (inner races are like new). Later I would add a new bottom bracket at the sketchy advice of one of three of my LBS (all three LBS's are baffled too). Basically all the parts are the same I've always used and were the original type and brand that came on the bike new (except I used the SRAM 950 in the past, now the 970 cassette).

Also inspected and serviced the pedals, freehub and derailleur, checking the bearings and races for any damage and free-play in the hub. Bearings are shiny, no gouges in the races, minimal play in the freehub.

I get the everything back together, index the derailleur, shifts fine, no pre-shifting issue on the rear cogs and then. . . an odd thump/pop felt in the crank on cog number six. It could be happening on the adjacent cogs too, but if so, it’s not noticeable. I then notice that under even slight load (bike is on a bike stand) when the chain is leaving the cog (top side) it pops out of the cog (like binding), and always in the same place (near the cog tooth number identification imprint).

So more taking things apart, taking the bike to two different LBS, no help. Finally decided to see if SRAM would warranty the cassette. It has to be done by an LBS and the place where I bought the bike agreed. Same SRAM 970 (9 speed) cassette arrives, LBS installs it and runs through the gears on the stand, everything shifts fine. . . and. . . it’s worse. Now the pop is in more gears. The LBS had already said if this one doesn't work, then it’s inherent to the cassette model. So I didn’t bother to balk.

I have rebuilt, degreased, re-greased, serviced, aligned, replaced, inspected, virtually every part I can think of on the drivetrain, even used dial calipers to measure cog width, teeth thickness etc.. Any thoughts, even way outside the box would be greatly appreciated. Hate to just drop the bike off at the river where one of the homeless would love to take it off my hands.

Sorry for the length, figured it would save time to provide as much as possible.


texts: Is a tri frame suitable for track racing?

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I'm considering getting a fairly cheap bike built up for track racing at my local club, reusing my old carbon tubular road wheels.

However, most track frames have a narrower hub spacing (120mm) versus road frames (130mm).

My options seem to be at present to stretch an old steel track frame to fit the road wheel, or to use a tri frame which should have the needed 130mm hub spacing.


texts:
My bike is a Genesis Day One 2011 originally Alfine 8 hub, only thing is I bought it as a fixie without the hub. I wish to purchase an Alfine 8 hub and wheel and revert it back to it's Alfine 8 glory. Current wheels are 29".
I was thinking of only purchasing the rear wheel complete with hub...it is all I need. Tho, I am encouraged to buy a pair of wheels rather than just one rear as it is easier to sell a pair than just one rear wheel (the ones I would take off).
The only thing is, that wheels available within my budget are both advertised as described below.

My Q -
On the website the rear wheel with the Alfine 8 hub is described as 28" with dimensions of 622x19.
And the front wheel is described as 29" with dimensions 622x19.

What is the difference? Dimensions are the same! Could I use these two wheels together with the same tyres I already have?

Some say 29"and 28" are the same just marketed differently for different bikes, others say they are different...what it is then?

Any help and clarification welcome!!!!!!!!!


texts: Praxis BB convertor into 2018 Supersix Evo

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Just wondering if anyone had fitted a M30 praxis BB into a 2018 supersix evo, was just wondering how you go on with the internal cable for the front mech and the rear derailleur that seem to enter near the bottom bracket, do they get in the way?

Also with regarding the required tools can I get away with just using two bottom bracket wrenches that fit onto Hollowtech II BB's for tightening the cups or do I need to use thier M30 BB tool with 2 socket wrenches?


texts:
I've been maintaining my own bike for a while now, the one thing I haven't been able to fix is the pedals wobbling. This is a little hard to describe but hopefully it's understandable, and I've attached some pictures. The pedals wobble perpendicular to the crank arm, i.e. they move vertically. When I am riding, I hear a clicking noise especially when I'm pedalling hard, which I think is the pedal wobbling in the same way, but under more load. I've done a lot of googling and all I've found is either steps on removing the pedal (which I don't think is the issue as it seems tightly attached to the crank arm) or steps on fixing the crank arm itself, which I also don't think is the problem. Again having said all that, I'm very much new to this, so any corrections or advice would be massively appreciated. I did have a mechanic address this problem about a year ago, he mentioned it was difficult to adjust my pedals specifically but he was able to fix it, although I didn't ask him at the time exactly what he did. My concern is that if I don't fix this, it may cause damage elsewhere and lead to more expensive replacements.

The bike is a Trek FX 7.4, I haven't replaced any of the pedal or crank components but I also am not sure specifically what model the pedals are, although I can probably try to dig this up if it's helpful!


texts: Should brake fluid come out of a misaligned disc caliper piston?

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I have a shimano XT hydraulic disc brake system. While servicing it I took out the pads an checked the pistons in the caliper and noticed that only one is extracting. After a few pulls on the lever when the one piston reached the end of its travel, the brake fluid spurted from it.
I've since resettled and reset the pistons but I'm thinking I might still have fluid leaking out from there in the future. Or maybe that was normal behavior?


texts:
I just bought a pair of Miche Pistard track wheels to upgrade my fixed gear bike. Stupidly, I did not consider that since the mainly are designed for track use, that they may not be designed for use with brakes. Will I ruin them if I try to use them with brakes?
I would be ok with some cosmetic damage if it’s still safe to ride...


texts: Help Me Identify My Bike Serial No. : HZ100202418

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Hi please help me identify my bicycle, which has serial number HZ100202418.

Here's a picture of the head-tube badge, but I don't think it's original


texts: Is there any difference between road and mtb discs?

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I'm trying to find which discs should be used with a 105 hydro groupset but I can´t find anything.

When I search for 105 dic brakes I'm always redirected to the calipers and not the disc it self, or just articles rim brakes vs disc brakes...

The only thing I've found which I think could be specially for road use and looks a little bit more aerodynamic than other disks are the RT800 which should correspond to ultegra.

Why aren't the discs included in the groupset? It is like buying rim brakes without brake pads.


texts: Why do cyclists prefer messenger bags over backpacks?

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Ok, I know form sometimes follows function - and things can be even more funnily irrational when fashion and trends come into play - but what's the lure of the cyclist's messenger bag?  I see them everywhere, and can't help but imagine them to be a big pain in the lopsided way they hang on a single shoulder, not to mention the strap-over-the-head maneauver required to take one off, becoming even more awkward in tight quarters like say a small cafe.  But there they are, ever popular.

People who enjoy using them tend to be quite passionate about them - and I doubt it's limited to just the style of the bag. Having little experience riding with backpacks or messenger bags, I ask, why do you choose to ride with one over the other?


texts: Converting an octalink bottom bracket and crankset to a fsa bottom bracket and compact crankset 9 speed

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i currently own a 2002 Giant TCR 2 and have been pleased but as i am approaching 60 and hills aren't getting any easier was thinking of converting to a compact crank.  I currently have a Shimano double crank with octalink and found a FSA OMEGA EXO COMPACT Crankset
175mm X 110MM BCD doe 9 speed The bottom bracket currently on there is an octalink 9.5 MM.  Will it fit, both brackets are the same diameter.  Thanks.


texts:
Alright, I've seen this question around the web a bunch but the other questions are always including limitations and restrictions by brakes or fork/frame capabilities... So my question is, what is the widest tire you could put on a 23c road bike rim, leaving out frame/fork and or brakes limitations.

I ask this because I am looking for cyclocross tires for my fixed gear for some snow riding and I have a Surly Steamroller which has (what seems like) an endless amount of room for wide tires, but I can't find an answer on how wide I can actually go. I'm not planning on going oversized, mainly I'm wondering if a 33-35 would fit on a 23.

Also any recommendations on good tires for winter would be great! Thanks


texts: Ultegra 6600 right shifter lever alignment

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Have a set of Ultegra 6600 SL shifters that I'd love to put to use, but encountered an oddity with the right hand (rear) outer shift lever. It appears the lever return goes too far and so as a result, it's out of alignment with the smaller inner lever. It doesn't impact the quality of the shift, but because of the over-rotation on the return, I can only shift 2 clicks with one "sweep" instead of the normal 3 clicks.
Nothing is gummed up and nothing appears obviously broken.
Here is example of issue:

Here is example of the shifter next to a normal one:

Nothing is offset when looking at it from the front.
if I further disassemble, it looks like the problem is the alignment of one of the metal rings that is attached to the lever. The top blue circle is the problem shifter (two "Tabs" not aligned"), the bottom blue circle is the properly functioning one (two tabs aligned):

Close up of the correct one:

I am not sure what to disassemble to fix the alignment, as everything that I could see be easily disassemlbed has been done so.  Anyone encounter this before or have suggestions?


texts: What does this barrel adjuster do on the rear derailleur (SRAM Apex 1)?

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On this SRAM Apex 1 derailleur, what does this barrel adjuster do?

What happens if I turn it clockwise/anti-clockwise?


texts: I have what I believe is a 1994 Cannondale.  I need a derailleur hanger and I’m tired of thinking I’m ordering the right one and it’s not.  Can somebody please tell me how to find out what my bike is? I have the serial number and all that but I’m a bit confused on how to figure it out...


texts:
I've just bought a Kilimanjaro bicycle for cheap. One reason it was cheap, I expect, was the gears system. It's only partly functional, and I don't understand why. I would go to the bike shop with it, but they'd charge me five times as much as I've paid for this bike, and I still wouldn't have an idea what to do if this happens again.

Rear gear minimum position (second-to-smallest ring):

I somehow forgot to take a picture of the maximum position, but it's like two rings up. I'd like it to be able to go to all rings.

Front gear:

It only goes to the lowest and middle ring. I'd like it to go to the highest one too.

Front gear control:

Rear gear control:

Is there anything I can do to fix it?

EDIT:

I've made a video showing the shifters. Does this help identify what's wrong? Do I really need to replace them?

Video


texts: Looking to change from Octalink Claris to Shimano 105, will the frame be compatible with a 105 hub?

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Since road bikes are sold out almost everywhere. I was thinking about upgrading my current road bike with a new group set. My current bike a Scott Speedster 50 (2015) currently has a Shimano Claris groupset Octalink. I'm looking to change out the groupset to a 105, my worry is that the 105 hub or groupset will not be compatible with my frame. Can anyone please tell me if it is possible to install a 105 groupset on a Claris Octalink compatible frame.
Thank you for all your help!


texts: How can I stop someone borrowing my bike anymore?

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There's this kid I've been riding with for quite some time that keeps borrowing my bike non-stop leaving me riding his broken bike. Not that I dislike him riding my bike or anything, is just that Everytime I lend him my bike he will be crunching gears uphill, skiddding and knocking on stuff carelessly and my bike will end up having problems, and when I told him my bike has a problem he will say it's not his fault and I end up using my money to fix it. He is riding a folding bike with everything loose and a mountain bike that is at his home that is broken, he is not even bothered to fix both of his bikes. Once, he asked to borrow my bike again and I say no, he looked like he is upset and a bit angry. Is there something I can say to avoid lending my bike to him?

P.s. is this question okay to be posted in this website? If not I'll delete it and I'll just keep lending my bike to him.

This is closed as a duplicate of https://interpersonal.stackexchange.com/questions/21719/how-can-i-avoid-borrowing-my-bike


texts: Convert old road bike to comfortable commuter

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I have an rather old road bike, that I'd like to convert to a comfortable commuting bike. The bike should be used for everyday commuting (< 5km) and occasionally day tours. I'd like to keep the old sporty, clean look of the bike, but add some comfort.

Therefore I'm thinking about changing the tires, handlebar and the saddle at first and, if it works out, doing some visual changes later.

Is it possible to use the frame of a road bike build a commuting bike? Or is the posture too different to make a rather good commuting bike out of it?

This is what the old road bike looks:

And this is about the direction I'd like to go:


texts:
I have a Mongoose MTB and I'm trying to convert my tires from MTB tires to road tires/thin tires. The frame on my bike is 6061 Aluminum Ledge 2.1 so if anyone knows what kind of tires to switch to please help me out. All help is appreciated! Because I don't know what kind of road tires will fit. And could you recommend cheap tires and dropbars that would be helpful.

Updates: My tire is 53-559 and is 26x1.95


texts: Does group riding negate the aero benefit of deep rim wheels?

texts:
I've been weighing up some options over wheels and in doing my research I've noticed that rim depth may be a bigger factor than I had previously considered. On the one hand, shallow rims are typically lighter and less susceptible to cross winds than deep rims - obviously the choice if doing lots of riding in hilly or windy areas. On the other hand, deep rims offer great stiffness (so more stability/handling improvements) and better aerodynamics, seemingly then the choice for flat low wind areas.

But then I thought about group vs solo riding - when riding solo obviously the deep rims provide a maximal aero advantage. However, when riding in a group there is more slipstreaming going on, so aero performance should theoretically become less important (at least when not leading the bunch). This depends on how much slipstreaming advantage reaches the bike, I assume the biggest "hole in the air" comes at body level and that the bikes only punch a small hole which is unlikely to reach the bike behind unless very close.

My question is, does the aero performance of a wheel become dramatically less important when group riding?

I ask because I do a lot of solo training but want to maximize my speed for big group (~20-30 riders) riding events (vätternrundan and skandisloppet in Sweden), if the aero benefit is not reduced greatly then I think it makes sense to take deep rims.


texts:
I've replaced my old brake pads in SRAM Guide R brake set, and I've noticed that the old pads were sitting much closer to the rotor than the new ones (I've also definitely used all of the old pads). As a result, now the rotor is being squeezed by the new installed pads.

How can I adjust the pads to the desired (more space between them) position? Could I just release some brake fluid (while bleeding) to decrease the pressure in the system and hope that it would pull the pistons back? Or is it more likely that my system is contaminated and I should clean the pistons?

Looks like this:


texts: On recumbent trikes, vs road bikes which is safer down hill?

texts: Tadpole, vs delta have different tipping modes. Does the three wheel configuration give a false sense of stability? Are rocks on the road more or less of a risk on a Tadpole vs Delta vs Road/Mountain bike?  I'm thinking of "graduating" to a trike for stability reasons. I don't want to experiment if I can avoid it.


texts:
I have an entry-level 27.5 mountain bike and I will be moving to London this summer. Since I won't be riding it on trails anymore I thought I can keep the frame and wheels and build a commuter bike or road bike. I also read lots of posts where people suggest buying a proper road bike than struggling with building something that will be mediocre in the end, but I want to keep my frame at least, since I am attached to it.

What parts should I buy on a budget? I must mention that it would be really nice if I can get a 1x10 or 11 setup.

The bike:https://www.insportline.eu/26274/mountain-bike-devron-riddle-h1-7-27-5-2018


texts:
I'm redoing an old BMX-style handlebar, but its been treated badly and there is rust under a lot of the chrome.   Its not saveable, so what is the best way to remove the chrome so I can treat the rust?

Ideally I'd get it shotblasted, but what else can I try first ?  I have tried:

Manually scraping with a knife - the bars are round and curved so a flat blade only clears a very narrow line.
Spinning wire wheel/wire cup on a drill - works but slow and tedious, and makes a mess of little slivers of chrome.

Is there a liquid soak I could use to get under the chrome?


texts: Can I use titanium axle bolts on a steel frame?

texts:
I'm thinking of doing so for the non-corrosive properties of titanium. Weight isn't an issue.

The thing I'm not sure of is the hardness of the titanium vs steel.


texts: Mountain front derailleur for braze-on mount?

texts:
I'm converting a Giant 2006 carbon road bike to flat bars. It has this setup:

Ultegra 6600 Triple, braze-on mount, bottom-pull, 52/39/30

105 5600 10-speed, 12-27

I have a set of SLX M670 10-speed shifters I'd like to use. The cable pull is (apparently) wrong on both ends, so I'm looking for replacement derailleurs.

What front derailleur can I use with these shifters that'll work with a braze-on mount? It's not clear to me which, if any, Dyna-sys derailleurs fit this frame. Or if any of them can handle the 52T ring.

The fallback is to give up and buy a set Shimano R770(?)/R780 or Microshift TS83-10. Microshift and R780 seem most likely to be compatible, but there's not a lot of documentation on the former.


texts: Pain in the lower back and neck during cycling

texts:
I am new to cycling (road biking). When I bend my back to hold the handlebar and maintain a low position, to avoid head winds, I feel a pain in the lower back and neck.

Is this normal?

Do we get used to the pain, once we start practicing long distances regularly?
If it is not normal, should I do something to avoid the pain?


texts:
I have an old 1970's Peugeot frame (originally a 10-speed, I believe) that I have been slowly trying to convert to a fixed gear bike. I am at a complete loss for which wheelset is appropriate. I have a rudimentary wooden ruler that says the rear dropouts are 122mm, which doesn't sound right. From what I understand, it should be the standard 120mm... The frame has no dents and doesn't appear to be bent, at least to the naked eye. The front dropouts are 97mm.

Can I feel comfortable ordering a 700c wheelset with 120mm frame spacing?


texts: Are there any disadvantages to running a stainless steel bike chain?

texts:
We are currently using KMC Z51RB rust resistant chains on our bikes, a competitor has started to use stainless steel chains.  Does anyone know the advantages and disadvantages of using stainless steel and should we be thinking of changing to SS too?

Many thanks.


texts: upgrade my road bike, compatible parts to upgrade in phases?

texts:
I received a used road bike that functions, but not well.  I completed a triathlon and lots of practice rides, but wanting to upgrade the components.

The crankset is ultegra 6500/170m.  The shifters and FD are ultegra (prob 6500 too?) and the RD is tiagra. Not positive about the cassette (is there models markings there somewhere?)

My goal is to slowly upgrade (based on budget) to either 105 5800 or ultegra 6800.
1) can I upgrade the shifters, FD, and RD and keep my existing crankset and cassette for upgrade later?
2) is there an upgrade path that lets me upgrade a few components at a time to eventually get me to a modern groupset?
3) best place to get affordable parts?

The frame is in great shape.  Aluminum with carbon fork.  Bike weighs in at 19 lbs, fully loaded.  Shimano rims, etc.  Would prefer to upgrade this bike.

Thank you


texts: Peugeot PX-10 with Shimano 105 Triple with BB-6700

texts: Upgrading my french PX-10e with shimano 105 cranks. What bottom bracket can I use with this 68mm bottom bracket with french threading?  Is there a threadless BB available?


texts: What is the difference between a freewheel and a hub?

texts:
I think these are both just types of cassettes, one all the rings come apart, and the other it's just one big piece all welded together.

Can someone please tell me what the difference is?


texts:
Anybody can tell me where to find this type of plastic seat?
It sits directly on the tube, and holds on with a bolt on the middle.
Thanks.


texts: Ideal pants for bicycle commuting the rain

texts: I commute about 10 miles a day in Portland, OR.  Needless to say rain is a big part of many of my rides.  My current rain pants leave me almost as sweaty as if I had just ridden without the rain gear.  So I'm looking for pants with a hard shell/ gore-tex/ dwr front and soft shell sides and back.  I figure that this combination has to exist out there and that it would help with my moisture transfer issues.  Who makes my Holy grail of rain gear?


texts: How to get the fixed part of a bar-end shifter out of the handlebar when it is stuck?

texts:
I have a Shimano bar-end shifter where the fixed part is stuck in the handlebar. How can I get this part out in a way that I can reuse it in new handlebars?

Note: I know that I have to loosen the internal M6 Allen screw in the "wrong" direction, i.e. I have to turn it clockwise to loosen it). That's what I have done - but the part doesn't want to come out.

Here a picture (which admittedly doesn't tell much more):


texts:
I bought a new wheel (Mach1 560, https://www.santafixie.com/en/mach1-560-rear-wheel-black.html) and a new tire (Michelin, 700cx35) without any default (no veiled).
The point is I have problem to put my tire: as you can see in this video, my wheel seems to be veiled (but is not), it is just that my tire is not correctly installed.
I tried several times to reinstalled the tire on the rim but same effect.
Do you have any advice on how to avoid such default ?
https://rpidejr.hopto.org/f/ee90ab99557c42eb9dc6/


texts: What are the most effective exercises to improve stamina and speed on my cycle to/from work?

texts:
I have just turned 40 and despite running many marathons in my younger days I'm finding it hard to get fitter again after too many years at a desk. I have a reasonable racing bike which I use for my 60 minute commute occasionally (45 minutes to work, 75 home) but wondering what a good set of exercises might be to increase my speed and stamina.

My commute is about 16 miles on reasonable roads, with about 4 miles being in the city, and an altitude difference along the run of about 150m with home being at the higher end, so I guess the specifics of my question are around whether I should try alternating sprints and coasting frequently, or whether I should focus on a single pace for the entire journey.


texts: building a cargo trike (bakfiets): steel thickness

texts:
I'd like to build a "bakfiets"; a cargo-trike with the box in front.
I've found several resources, but none of them talk about the framebuilding material.
What is are my material options; steel? what thickness is best to choose? do I choose a square or U-profile.
One of the things I'm very concerned about is weight: the stronger the frame, the heavyer it will be. I can't work with aluminium.

Any advice on this?


texts:
I'm commuting with a backpack, and I don't like having the weight of my laptop on my back for the whole commute (30 minutes).

So I'm looking to buy a pannier that I can easily take off when I get to my destination, and use it as a bag, like a messager when I'm off the bike.

Do anyone know of a good one that would fit a MBP15 retina? Something like this would be great:
http://www.timbuk2.com/shift-laptop-pannier-bike-messenger-bag/439.html?dwvar_439_color=2001&dwvar_439_size=7

But not only it's sold out, it doesn't fit the MBP15 Retina.


texts: Help Identify North Woods "6 Speed" Tandem?

texts:
I came across a North Woods "6 Speed" tandem at a yard sale, and am trying to track down its provenance:

Unfortunately, the closest I've come across is Northwoods bicycles (no space), which are sold at Wal Mart.

Is North Woods different from Northwoods? Is there any name for this tandem apart from "6 Speed"?


texts: Was gold an original color of J.C Higgins Jet Rocket 502-10? What year(s) was it manufactured?

texts: I inherited this rare J.C Higgins Jet Rocket 502-10 and am looking for more information about it, specifically what year(s) it was manufactured. I have the original instruction manual for the Deluxe Bicycle Stand Exerciser #105W but not for the bike. The manual does not list a date. I assume the exerciser piece could be attached to various models. I have the basket, but it seems to be missing the attachment parts for it. Is 502-10 the serial or model number? I would like to know if this is the original paint colors or if it had been painted gold. Any info is helpful. Thank you.


texts: Is it possible to remove a coaster brake from a preschooler's bike?

texts:
My boss bought her 4 and 3 year old a bicycle for Christmas, but she didn't notice that one had double hand brakes and the other has only a front hand brake and a coaster brake in the back.

The 4 year old is the one who has the bike with coaster brake and he can't get the hang of riding the bike because every time he goes to push he just engages the coaster brake instead.

We've been looking for bikes that have no coaster brakes but all of the ones his size have them or they very expensive. We found some with double hand brakes but they still have the coaster brake.

Would it be possible to get one that has double hand brake and coaster and remove the coaster brake completely from it?


texts: How can I remove the bottom bracket from this old road bike?

texts:
I need some help removing this bottom bracket. I am obviously no mechanic, and watching several videos on youtube I found nothing that could help in this specific case. Basically after removing both crank arms, I take off a plastic cup like dirt protection, and then I see this:

So after turning, looking, sniffing, pushing and tugging - I remove the strange black ring (comes of easily) and I see the bearing cage, however still cannot pull anything out..

Here is a pic:

Anybody recognize this type of bracket? I must get it off because it desperately need cleaning and regreasing.


texts: Can't reassemble Shimano bar-end shifters

texts:
I have a Shimano (I think Dura Ace) 10-speed rear shifter from around 2008, it came on the aero bars of a Cervelo P2-SL.  Like a genius I took it apart today and I cannot for the life of me work out how it goes back together.  Not much on the web though many people refer to a '105' bar end shifter though mine says '10S' (10 speed), it looks a lot like '105' so I think that is the cause of the confusion.
Here are the constituent parts:

And with the four rightmost parts turned around:

I haven't found the exact part on Shimano tech docs.  The closest I find is the SL-BS78, but the exploded view PDF makes no mention of the two irregularly-shaped washers in the centre of my pictures, and they're my problem.  I did find what seems to be the same mechanism in the SL-7900 downtube shifter, relevant bit shown here:

It's the two washers that are killing me.  The rightmost one (part 5 'Stopper washer' in the EV) fits in the lever nicely, but the leftmost one (part 6, 'Spacer for rear'), while it does sit over the mounting stud, freely rotates when it seems it should engage on something.  It has 6 tabs that correspond to the mount, and seem to correspond to the 6 lugs on the SIS unit (lower photo, right), but it doesn't fit over or inside any part during assembly.  It slides around and it seems it needs to line up with the SIS unit somehow.
My washer 6 has a tab (lower photo) that goes toward the mount.  The 7900 EV doesn't show that, but the Service Instructions show its orientation, which I'm following.  It's just that I can't get it to line up with or over the SIS unit.

Help me, wise interwebs.
EDIT: November 2020
Short answer: I kept fiddling with it, and eventually it all snapped together nicely.  So there is no magic orientation, you'll know when everything is correctly assembled.  The answers below are much more methodical, and helpful.


texts:
Can wearing padded cycling shorts versus regular shorts affect the adjustments during a bike fit?

My bike fitter who uses the Retul system requires tight fitting shorts so that the LED markers don't move around. The problem was that most or all the tight shorts that I could find seem to be padded, and I wear pants that are more suitable for work.

I imagine that the padding would lower the ideal saddle height and handlebar drop slightly so it may not optimized for those wearing non-padded pants. Often the goal of a professional bike fit is also optimization. Does that actually happen?


texts: Strange long squeal sound when I pedal hard - how to track this down?

texts:
It's kinda hard to describe but there's a sound coming from somewhere on the bike when I pedal hard - I can't figure out where it's coming from. It's sort of like a high pitched pig squeal. It started happening randomly really and hasn't stopped since. If anything, it's been getting louder.

Any ideas on what it could be?

How can I narrow down where the sound is coming from?


texts: How can I prevent my next bike from being stolen?

texts:
I park my bike in my building's bicycle room, in the parking garage in the basement.

The garage door can only be opened with a remote fob, and the bicycle room is locked as well.

In the garage, I secure my bike using a U-lock, and a chain lock.

This morning, I came to find a hole in the door, and the two locks cut by what looks like an electrical saw.

What can I do to avoid that should I buy a new bike?


texts: Does anyone make a spacer for SPD cleats?

texts:
I have a pair of cycling shoes that accept a two-bolt cleat, but require a spacer between cleat and sole to be compatible with Shimano SPD pedals. My pedal and cleat package did not come with spacers.

Does anyone make spacers of varying heights for such a situation?


texts: Technique for self-adhesive puncture repair patches

texts:
Is there any special technique for using self-adhesive puncture repair patches?

Today, I've had two different tubes fail within a minute of being inflated because the air pressure had split through the glue, effectively forming a little pipe from the puncture out to the edge of the patch. These were both patches that had been on the tube between one and three months, and I've had other patches fail the same way.

I figure I've not done anything catastrophically stupid, since the patches haven't been failing immediately. I've followed the instructions on the patches as closely as possible ("Lightly scuff tube with sandpaper. Peel backing from patch and press patch firmly onto tube. Tube must be clean and dry for patch to adhere." – that's it). They're decent quality patches (Park Tool GP-2).

I've never had any problems with old-school glue and patches. Is there something I'm missing or are pre-glued patches just useless pieces of excrement?


texts:
Yesterday I purchased a Scott Scale 940.  I bought this bike because I really wanted a carbon bike with a lockout suspension.  After buying it, however, I just find it really tedious to ride. I have high end Kevlar Continental tires on it, but the bike is just too difficult for me to get up to speed on any kind of pavement.  Also, the handlebars are too wide and I just cannot find a good riding position. To be honest, it’s a beautiful bike, but it’s just not for me.  Needless to say, I spent a lot of money on it.
Now, after further consideration, I think I should have opted for a gravel bike modified to a flat handlebar.
I am not sure what to do.  Any thoughts about asking my LBS?  I feel like I am now stuck with a nearly $2000.00 piece of metal that is just going to sit in my garage.
Any help is appreciated.

Editor's note
The OP mentioned the following use case in a comment:
Riding not on roads but on sidewalks (allowed in Florida), other suburban paths, and well developed trails? One of the most used areas around here is the Gainesville-Hawthorne trail. (Editor: this appears to be a paved multi-use trail separate from motor traffic.)


texts:
The title can not explain it more specifically, however, recently I watched a video where I guy explains a calculation and tells the result gives how easily you climb ramps. Here is the calculation:

Rear cassette: Biggest sprocket size / smallest sprocket size
Crank cassette: Biggest sprocket size / smallest sprocket size

You multiply the end results and multiply it again with 100 which gives you a percentage.

Here is an example:

Say I have a front cassette 22-32-44 and a rear cassette 11-36. The calculation is as follows:

(44/22)*(36/11)*100 = %654

So the guy says the bigger this number, the easier you climb ramps? That doesn't make ay sense to me. Does it hold any truth or does he try to mean something else?


texts:
How can I accurately measure the calories burned while using my bicycle?  My bike computer tells me how many calories I have burned.  But it has no cadence meter. The only measurements it has are my weight, distance, instantenous speed, and time (and all information it can derive from that).  Using the GPS on my phone, and the software from Sports Tracker on the same route, I got wildly different results.  The information on sports tracker yielded about 1.5 times more calories burned then on my bike computer.  Now, the GPS has a little more information, like altitude, but the ride was mostly flat. To add to that, there was an elevation drop over the entire route, so I don't know why it would say I burned more calories.  Do these devices use standard formulas, or do they just make stuff up?

Is it even possible to accurately measure the calories burned?  It seems that even if I had a cadence meter, there would still be a lot of variables.  Wind speed would make a big difference.  If you pedal with the wind at your back on a fixed gear, going 30 km/h, you are going to use a lot less energy pedaling the same bike at the same speed if you are going into the wind.  Note that in both these cases your cadence would be the same, but your muscles would be working much harder in the case where you were working against the wind.   Same could be said for things like hills, although this could be done with altitude, although I'm not sure how accurate you could get. Road conditions could also make a big difference, not to even get into the riding characteristics of the bike.


texts: Upgrade Options for Shimano Crankset Tourney FC-TY701

texts: My son has bashed up the inner ring on his crankset (Shimano FC-TY701) and since it is riveted I can't replace the bent ring.  I want to replace it with something better but am not planning on upgrading the rest of the drive system (currently 3 x 8).  What are my options?  Will a FC-M3000, FC-MT500-3, FC-M430, or a FC-M610-L work? What specifications do I need to watch to make sure that the replacement will work?  Thanks


texts: How to cope with being rattled by the wake of a fast car?

texts:
There's one long road that I bike on that has a decent bike lane, but the speed limit for cars is 50 mph. Needless to say, they drive 60+. Often I find myself being shaken or rattled by the turbulent wake of a car that has just sped by. This is not severe enough for me to lose balance, but I always fear that I might. These fears are amplified when there is a gutter by the edge of the road, because if I waver, the wheel might slip in and throw me off balance.

Now I realize that there is nothing I can do to change physics - fast cars are going to cause this effect. But mentally or physically, as a biker, how can I deal with this? Is this just a matter of confidence in biking on such roads or do you brace yourself for it if you sense a car coming up behind you?


texts: Reason why bike scratched up in this location under crankset

texts:
After owning my bike for 8 years and admittedly not always paying the most attention to it, I was thinking about buying a new bike soon. So I thought before buying the bike I'll see where damage is to my current bike so I can try and avoid damaging it the same way in the future.

A lot of videos I've watched online advise you to protect the toptube, downtube, chainstay etc. Looking at my bike though I have a lot of damage under the crankset and was wondering if this is a common thing? Is there something I could have done to prevent it etc. It looks really badly scratched up and I'm not sure what caused it so any ideas about that?


texts: My bike is Giant Defy 5 and trainer is Elite Rampa. I notice that after putting my bike on the trainer and riding for a while, the rear wheel tilts to one side, usually resulting in the wheel rubs the brake and even frame. I do not have this problem outside. Is there something wrong with my trainer setup? Thanks a lot for your help!


texts:
I am having issues removing this bottom bracket from a vintage Falter 3 speed bike. For once crank arm removal was super easy, cotter pins came right off. However, struggling with this one. I imagine I need to remove cone but spindle keeps rotating. Perhaps using vise on opposite side
any advice more than welcome
thanks


texts: What to upgrade to achieve a higher top speed?

texts: I enjoy going fast and my current bicycle tops too early, what kind of upgrades would I need to make to achieve a taller final gear?


texts: Why can't a child bike seat be mounted on a carbon frame?

texts: I have bought a BoBike junior bike seat for the rear of my bike which is a Cargo bike but the seat instruction says it can’t be mounted on carbon frames, baffles me as to why?


texts: What tint colors are most useful for cycling sunglasses?

texts:
There seem to be a lot of different lens options for sunglasses, and there must be objective differences. For example, I've seen golf lenses advertised as filtering out blue light to improve reading of greens, but this would not seem to have any benefit for cycling. What particular tint colors are most useful for cycling sunglasses?

Would it be adequate to stick to neutral-colored filters (which would presumably be ideal for enjoying the scenery), or do any particular colors provide a significant advantage? Do photochromic (a.k.a. photochromatic or Transitions) lenses vary the darkness ideally, or is it really better to have multi-lens glasses with a few different colors?

Related questions: Sunglasses for commuting? (which asks for recommendations for brands/models of sunglasses), What are the features that I should seek in cycling glasses? (which asks for which features are desirable in general)


texts:
In wet conditions, my current brakes are pretty poor. Without switching to disc brakes, what are my options for v-brake pads that work better in the wet?

I'm only thinking about this for my commuting bike, which is mostly a flat ride to and from work. But sometimes the rain can get pretty heavy this time of year.


texts: Should mileage on a trainer be considered mileage on the bike?

texts:
On my road bike, I have an old Cateye odometer and the sensor is in the front wheel. Therefore, when on my trainer, I can pedal away all day long and the odometer doesn't have any mileage added to it since the front wheel doesn't spin.

When I sell my bike someday, I want to be able to say "It has XXXX miles on it." But all the miles I put on it while on the trainer I can't keep track of. Is that negligible or do trainer miles not really count as mileage on the bike?

I recently purchased a Garmin setup where the sensor will be on the rear wheel by the chain stays, which would solve the problem but I just haven't put it on yet.


texts: I can average 21.7mph for a 20 mile time trial (00:55:15), on my 2001 Rockhopper with 1.25" fatboy slicks, no lock out on shock. My bike weighs 25.25 lbs. I'm planning on buying a Cervelo 2012 r3, 16.4 lbs estimated weight. I also plan on dropping 4-6 lbs, so my total weight would be about 14 pounds less. Does anyone have any idea what my average speed would be for a 20 mile time trial in good conditions, 10 mph max wind?


texts: Long back-rev for a coaster brake to engage?

texts:
I have a brand-new bike with Sram i3 installed, which is a 3-speed gear hub  with coaster brake. The coaster brake has a good feel of modulation, but in order for it to engage braking, I will need to freewheel (not pedalling) for a bit (single digit meters?), and then I can engage the braking with a little back kick. If I pause forward pedalling immediately without coasting a bit and try to brake, I noticed I will need to back press almost half-a-rev before the braking is in effect.

Is this to be expected? Or if there's anything I need to do to tune the coaster brake for the situation to improve? I don't know if I can always manage to find some distance to prepare for the brake.

There is a front rim brake available though.


texts: Maintence on Mavic 500 hub without Mavic 670 tool

texts:
I have a beloved but well used front wheel built around an old Mavic 500 hub whose bearings are finally starting to give up the ghost. If you hold the axle and spin the wheel you can feel it grind through a few spots in the rotation as well as hear a nice few clicks as the bearings stick in the cartridge's raceways. I'm pretty convinced they need to be replaced.

There is however a lock ring that is preventing me from getting the bearings out. There is a special tool (the Mavic 670) that looks like similar to a bottom bracket tool except it has six pins that fit into each of the six little holes on the hub's lock ring. I found a few of them on ebay for the reasonable price of $90. Needless to say I would like to try to get the lock ring off without purchasing the "rare and vintage Mavic Key 670 Bottom Bracket and Hub Assembly Tool".

I gave it a try with a spanner wrench but only succeeded in stripping out one of the soft aluminum holes.

Does anyone know if the lock rings are reverse or regular threaded? Any advice for trying to free them without using Mavic's proprietary tool?


texts: BB spindle length/chainline for re-used Shimano FC-M391 chainset

texts:
I'm trying to rebuild an old Univega MTB. Primary goal is to build a good or decent bike from used parts.

The crankset+bb that was on the bike when I got it was really worn out. I unscrewed it and cleaned the frame carefully. I asked around and found a friend that had a Shimano FC-M391 crankset with its original BB I could get.

When I installed it I just noticed that the new BB axle was ~10mm longer than the one I removed from the Univega. Unfortunately I didn't measure it but I guess it's 123mm. The original from the Univega was 110,6mm.

The new crankset doesn't come close enough to the frame. From what I can see I would like to have it ~10mm closer? I think I got it to come up all the way on the BB-axle.

I thought the BB axle length was specified with the crankset? I looked in the Shimano docs where it says 123mm.

What width should I use for this bike?


texts: Anxious about riding in traffic after 20 year absence from cycling

texts:
I have got back to cycling after 20 years and whilst I can ride easily where there is no traffic, I am struggling with the following:

I am anxious and struggle to maintain balance in traffic when vehicles are coming from behind even though I am in the bike lane.
I feel like I will fall over when turning.

Is this something which is natural and with practice it will be fine? I have ridden almost 200kms but the fear is still there.

[Merida Scultura 400D : 50cm]


texts:
I used an online spoke calculator for, uh, calculating the spoke lengths that I need. The results of the calculator are as follows:

Front

Left - 276.5mm
Right - 277.8mm

Rear

Left - 275mm
Right - 273.4mm

The rims are WTB KOM Tough i35 27.5" with an ERD of 568mm. The hubs are Shimano XT M8110-B.
Thing is, LBSs here only have limited lengths for different tire sizes. For 27.5", they only have 270mm and 275mm. Will the 275mm work for my wheels or should I just go look for the correct lengths online?


texts: Does Shimano XTR RD-M9000 SGS 11-Speed Shadow+ MTB Rear Derailleur Long Cage work with 10speed XT shifter?

texts:
I just bought a used bike with a broken 10 speed XT rear derailleur. Would a NEW Shimano XTR RD-M9000 SGS 11-Speed Shadow+ MTB Rear Derailleur Long Cage
( 182006158222 ) be compatible with 10 speed XT shifter & 10 speed Shimano XTR 11-36t Titanium Cassette that I have?


texts:
When riding on bike paths or mixed-use paths, there are usually pedestrians walking along them as well. Pedestrians tend to be somewhat unpredictable; they may suddenly turn around or step to the side.

What is your preferred method of warning pedestrians when you are overtaking them? I've been taught to say "on your left" or "passing on your left", but many times when I've tried that, the pedestrians have misinterpreted me and stepped to their left, or turned around to look in a way that actually caused them to move left as well, putting them closer to my path.

More recently, since my current bike came equipped with a bell, I've tried the approach of just ringing my bell once to indicate that I'm there. I worry that this might indicate to pedestrians that I'm impatient to pass them, and I recently had someone yell at me to "say something" when I did so.

What is your preferred method safely overtaking pedestrians you are passing? Verbal warning, a bell, no warning at all and just giving them a wide berth at low speed?


texts: Transition between hybrid bike and endurance road bike

texts: What are the different skills I need to develop when transitioning between a hybrid bike and an endurance road bike?


texts: Trailer wheel: Axle connected on one side only

texts:
Most wheels have an axle that needs to be connected to a frame from both sides. What are wheels called that only need to be connected from one side?

I'm looking to buy wheels like this and for that I need to know what they are called.


texts:
My son's elementary school teaches kids to ride a bike in gym class. Basically, they adjust the schedule so the 2nd grade kids (7-8 year olds) have extra gym classes during a 1 month period and during these classes the kids are taught to ride. The school (technically the PTA and more technically an off shot of the PTA) owns 30 pedal bikes, 30 balance bikes, and 30 sets of safety gear so that there is a bike for every kid in the class. The PTA has arranged with the local bike shop to service the bikes during the first class (the PTA pays for parts and the bike store donates the labor). The bikes sit unused for 11 months of the year. Our school is very large and the bikes are essentially in use 5 hours a day for the entire month.

There is talk of loaning the bikes and safety gear to other schools so that they can offer bike riding lessons also. The concern of the PTA is that this will cause the bikes to have a shorter life span and additional maintenance costs. What is the best way to estimate the cost of loaning/renting the bikes to the other schools? Our PTA is quite good at circumventing rules/laws so the legality of rental payments and liability are not a concern.

[UPDATE: We are now in the second year of lending the bikes out. Last year we lent the bikes to 2 other area schools and this year the plan is to lend them to 4 school. The final activity is for a group of the kids to ride the bikes to the new school to hand them off. The other school returns the bikes in the same way. Our LBS had no problem with the arrangement. The deal with the other schools is they need to work with an LBS to do a safety check and pay for anything that they break. We decided on no money and they seem appreciative. So far it has been a win all around.


texts: Serial numbers on bottom bracket housing from a 50s era Schwinn?

texts:
Can someone please explain what these three numbers mean on the pedal crank housing?
I believe this to be the pedal crank housing from a 1956 Spitfire Ladies Bike.

The Schwinn Serial reads M0D502 (hard to see but top left)
The next number reads 46772 (medium right)
The large number reads 13 5 124
One of my concerns is this... The Schwinn serial numbers that date the bike to the fall of 1954 or 1956, but I believe the Serial numbers for 54 and the 56 were located on the Left Rear Dropout - not located on the bottom bracket of the pedal crank housing.
Why would this be?
Additionally what does the 46772 indicate? and what does the 13 5 124 indicate?
Thank you so much for all of your help!


texts:
I've put a new chain on my bike using method 3 from Zinn's art of road bike maintenance to determine length:

  "Wrap the chain around the big chainring and biggest cog without going
  through either dérailleur. Bring the two ends together until the ends
  overlap; one full link (Fig. 4.7) should be the amount of overlap
  (Fig. 4.10)..."

However, I didn't notice that my fingers must have slipped at some point because I remeasured the size after breaking the surplus pieces off & the overlap was gone (facepalmed myself with a greasy hand at this point).

How big of an issue is this likely to be? What are the problems associated with an overshortened chain? Realistically, should I be running down to the bike shop and buying a second chain in as many days (whilst trying to pretend I hadn't)?

I rarely (if ever, I dislike cross-chaining) end up on both the big cogs and chainring at the same time therefore the chain & rear dérailleur would rarely be under maximum possible tension. I'm aware it's not a good idea to re-add links and given I'm about to head to the Alps I don't want a weak chain!


texts: what is this protrusion on one side of my platform pedal for?

texts:
I've bought new pedals like on the picture. They are good, but i'm confused about the part, marked on the picture.

I've always thought that pedals have no 'up' and 'down' sides, so i can't realize why it's assymetric.

Can you explain me the use of the marked part?


texts: Is it ever useful to use lubricating grease with EP additives anywhere on a bike?

texts:
In the shops where I buy lubricating grease there are two main kinds:

Regular lubricating grease of semi transparent yellowish quality.
Lubricating grease with EP additives (Extreme Pressure additives) that is grey and not transparent.

Is it every useful to use the (EP) lubricant of the latter kind anywhere on a bike?


texts:
I have been searching for a while regarding a problem with my Specialized Brain. Here is the story..

I bought a 2008 Specialized Stumpjumper Expert 2nd hand and immediately noticed air in the shock. The brain hose was loose and so off it went to a place (not Fox or Specialized) to get rebuilt. I got it back and it was fine for a while but then after about 20hrs I noticed a lumpiness in the compression stroke. It seemed to be a judder, or like a notch. I sent it back, rebuilt, same problem.

Is it air in there? Or do you think it is the brass inertia mass out of tolerance in its sleeve and hence fluttering?

I am planning to take it back from the chap who is rebuilding, strip it, check the tolerance, machine a new mass if needed and then rebuild.

If you have any idea about what it could be, would be grateful. Also if anyone could help with any instruction on the strip and re-build, would be even cooler.


texts: At the risk of sounding like a bumpkin, why do I see some bikes sold without pedals or at least pictured without pedals? Is there some kind of benefit to buying pedals separately? Do some people take their pedals off the bike when not in use, like they might take off their wheels or seat post?


texts:
I'm planning to build a new wheel, using a Velocity Synergy OC (asymmetric) rim. When I calculate spoke lengths using the Edd spoke length calculator I get these lengths:

Drive Side: 293.9 mm

Non-drive Side: 294.7 mm

So, the drive side seems easy, I'll use a 294 mm spoke. But what about the non-drive side, would it be better to round up to 296 mm or would 294 mm work? How do you decide when it is better to be a bit long or short?


texts: Should I upgrade/rebuild an old rusty bike or get a new one?

texts:
A couple days ago my friend gave me an old bike.

Much of the bike is very rusty although the frame and handlebar does not have as much rust.
I am not a bike expert and have been learning quite a bit about bikes on the internet since the day I received the bike. I looked it up on Google and found that it is worth somewhere around $200 and is pretty much something you can get at Walmart.

Since the bike is so broken down and rusty I thought of reusing the frame and getting everything else to make a new bike. My budget for the parts is about $200. I am planning on riding about 150 miles a week on the bike.

What I am asking is should I be at all concerned about the quality of the frame?

Or do you think I should save up for a pre-built bike?


texts: I found this in my grandfathers garage. He said it was in the garbage like 15 years ago. I don’t know but hope it’s something cool and antique. I am crossing my fingers.


texts:
I'm contemplating replacing the tires on my mountain bike with smoother tires since I am rarely ever on anything other than paved surfaces. I read up on sizing and am aware of the xx-xxx ETRTO/ISO sizing that should be on the sidewall but I don't see it anywhere. Could only find inflation pressure range and some manufacturer's marks. They are Kenda. I could see K-816-015 on the front and K-816-027 on the rear. The tires have the basic size 26x2.1. The rim has RIGIDA 1.75 stamped on it. AFAIK everything on the bike is original (I've had it since new from 1994). Inner rim width is 21-22 mm.

Based on Sheldon Brown's site and also having googled Rigida 1.75 it seems to point my rim/tire being based on 559 mm bead seat diameter.

So, the questions am I right about 559 mm, and (2) for a smooth wall tire I was thinking of 1.75", but could I go to 1.5"?


texts: How much of a mark-up do you pay building your own?

texts:
So, I have read the pros and cons question, and the why it is more expensive question, but I didn't notice anything on how much more expensive it would be.

So, if I want to buy a high-end bike a little bit at a time, just how much extra will I pay for the fun of repeatedly upgrading my grandfather's bike?


texts:
Anyone know the manufacturer of this frame?
Many thanks


texts: How to tell if a new pair of brake calipers will fit my wheel, tire, and frame?

texts:
I have a Takara Kabuto. It has 700x32 tires (I don't really know what that means).

I was looking at upgrading the brake calipers. I was looking at these, among others.

How do I tell if they will fit my bike? On the page for the SRAM calipers linked above, it says that they fit 28c tires, but in the questions sections, a person said they'll fit on 32c tires. How do I know if that's correct?

I can't find any size information whatsoever for the Tektros.

How do I make sure that any pair of brake calipers I purchase over the internet will be the right width, length, etc.?


texts:
...or tell me anything you can say definitely about this particular depicted old African bicycle:

The purpose of this question (my personal reason for asking) is to gather as much details and information about this particular image / bike for the story that I am writing. Where this picture / African boy / African bike is one of the 3rd level elements.
I would like to learn virtually anything about it that I can learn (and add to my story) or that you can provide with any level of certainty. I.e.:

type,
model or model name,
manufacturer name,
originating country,
production date, period or bike age,
any particular technical solutions used within,
any particular parameter like width, weight, wheels dimensions, tyres type,
whether it is a single-set model or something that looks like a wreckage made out of twelve different bikes etc.

This might sound weird, but virtually anything, you can provide will be valuable for me. Because right now (and based only on uploaded file's name) I can only say that this is a bike ridden somewhere in Africa. Not enough, as for my story.
Validated that this question is on-topic.


texts:
I understand that the pressure on my hands causes it.
I also understand how the nerves run through my hand.

What I don't understand is how to implement the advise of, "Take the weight off your hands"

A fellow told me, "Put 90% of your weight on the pedals, 10% on the seat, and barely touch the bars with your hands." I dunno how to do this!

With the seat up in order to get a full pedal, the angle of your body is going to naturally push down on your hands. The only way I know to "put weight in the pedals" is to stand up.

Short of getting a raised handle bar or lowering my seat, how do you get the weight off your hands? Is there some kind of posture magic I can't figure out?


texts: Are there any bike tires that can hold 500 lbs (225 kg) each?

texts:
I'm trying to design a 5 foot by 10 foot trailer to tow behind my bike and wanted to use bike tires.

I googled this: "bike tire load chart" — but found nothing useful there.

The most useful thing I found was a site for "big people" and they had bikes that supported up to 550lbs on 2 wheels.

I am looking for more like 1000lbs on 2 wheels.

Actually I found some charts here and it looks like that about 500 lbs is max.

It looks like a motorcycle tire might be a better bet.  See here


texts: Shimano caliper not sitting properly on fork (gets angled)

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I just bought a new mountain bike equiped with Shimano M365s and RST Blaze fork and I've been through the bedding process.

I noticed that my front brake is rubbing a lot, and when i tried to fix it, I realised that the caliper is not seated straight on the fork. Also, the disk is a bit bent but i suspect that's coming for the hub itself as the bike is brand new.

When i try to center the caliper it sits perfectly on the disk, but when i tighten it, it gets a bad angle and rubs unevenly on the disk.

I suspect it's something to do with the washers as they not sit straight when the bolt is tightened.


texts: Fluid trainer works with quick release rear axles, I have a standard nut fixie

texts:
I have no experience with bike trainers.

I bought a fluid bike trainer to use with my fixie.

The trainer is for a quick release rear wheel, and comes with a special quick release skewer.

My fixie has standard track nuts. Any ideas on how to solve this?


texts: Praxis Works M30 crankset to FSA BB30 fitted in a BB386EVO shell

texts:
I have a BB386EVO frame shell and a FSA PF BB30 fitted into it. All good with this

Now, I have a Praxis Works M30 crankset that I want to use but I haven't been able to install. The axle seems too long with only the bearing cover and washer. I have tried a FSA BB386-30 adaptors but it do not seem to work... Not sure if I am missing something?

Any advice will be much appreciated


texts:
It's my first time trying my hand at spray painting my bicycle. Do I really need to spray paint with primer first?

I've already dismantled and sandpapered the bike and was thinking of giving it two coats of matte black instead of Primer.


texts:
On one occasion in the past I paid attention to get the rear derailleur to be "just right". On eight gears on an MTB, I would get gears 1-2-3 and 5-6-7-8 to be perfect (minus the chain rub on one end or another, depending on the FD position), but I couldn't eliminate a nagging problem from gear 4. On occasion, the gear would shift back and forth between gears 4 and 5.

I'm now tuning a new bike, road this time, and would like to understand enough to never experience this again.

From "How to Adjust a Rear Derailleur – Limit Screws & Indexing"  I pulled this image:

The image clearly shows that the distances moved by index shifting are not equal.

And so I'm now telling myself, perhaps my unsettled gear #4 was due to my having in the past pulled the cable too far in one direction or another. I was using the barrel adjuster to fine tune the derailleur under a cog, but the cable as a whole was misaligned. A picture will illustrate why this matters.

For some geometric reason, perhaps the misalignment didn't affect gears 1-3, 5-8, but affected gear 4.

Can this happen? I've never seen what's inside an index shifter. Will it happily shift beyond its range, stopped only by the limit screws?

As I no longer have that MTB, I don't really care at this time why gear #4 on that bike was sometimes unsettled. But I do want to understand:

Are rear derailleur cable intervals equal?

If the intervals are equal, then there is no issue. Shifting the cable cannot misalign the settings.

If the intervals are not equal, then something (the limit screws? the shifter? ...?) should stop the amateur mechanic from misaligning the entire cable.


texts: Tires explode way under rated pressure limit

texts:
I'm restoring my dad's old Jeunet racing bike from the seventies.

First thing I did was buy two new tires. The old ones looked still OK, but wanted to take no risk with 40 year old rubber. The new tires have exactly the same size as the old ones, and a pressure limit of 6.0 bar.

To make sure, I also bought two new inner tubes.

Then I started pumping the rear tire. The aim was 4.5 bar. It exploded at about 4.3 bar! The tire was thrown off the rim, but undamaged. The inner tube showed a large gash at the valve. I checked the rim for any spokes or other sharp objects that might be protruding into the tube, but couldn't find any.

Then I tried pumping the front tire, this time I put in earplugs. SAME THING! Explosion.

Could someone please tell me what's going on?


texts: Marking chains permanently for later identification

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I'd like to mark chains so that I can identify each one out of a few chains of the same model.
Any idea how I can do this in a way that will survive exposure to solvents / lubricants / use on the drivetrain?
Background for anyone interested: I've got a few chains in rotation which I strip back & lubricate in a batch. I'd like to leave one chain installed on the bike while I re-lubricate as it's a bit time consuming, and I'd like to get roughly the same wear across chains by rotating through which chain is left installed while I work on the rest.


texts: How do you fix a puncture on tubeless tires?

texts: I recently got a new bike with a set of tubeless compatible rims. The stock tires are clinchers with tubes. I'm thinking about putting tubeless on there, but I don't have any experience with them. We have some trees here that drop huge thorns, like nails. They're big enough to go through any tire. When I get the eventual flat, how do I fix the tire? Are there patches? Can you just stick a tube in there?


texts: Where should the brake calipers grasp the rotor?

texts:
The brake calipers on my front disc brakes appear to be grasping a bit further in than I would expect.

You can see that the calipers do not grasp the outer ~15% of the rotor. I imagine that if they grasped the whole outside section, braking would be slightly stronger. Also, braking currently shudders ever so slightly (although this rotor is much better than the previous one). By not grasping so much of the inside supports, this shuddering might be reduced?

I went into my LBS, but they were a bit vague. They said they didn't "know the tolerance of SRAM rotors", although the previous rotor had the same issue. They also claimed that the fork was manufactured correctly, although "if I wanted to" they could fix the position, probably by spacing the HY-RD out by putting some M16 washers in. They didn't really say whether it was of concern or not.

Are the calipers grasping at the correct position?
If not, what is to blame?
Is putting washers in a safe fix?

It is a 160 mm SRAM Centerline X2 rotor with a TRP HY-RD caliper (on a Soma Double Cross fork).

Also the calipers are at the limit in the z-plane, i.e. they are pushed out away from the wheel as far as the mount will allow, so there's conceivably another issue there.

Update

I changed the Shimano adapter for a TRP-branded adapter. I'm not certain if it solves the problem of the grasping at this stage. I'll leave it a few days and see if it clears the outer dirt ring on the disc. However, the (related?) problem with the lateral position of the calipers is worse. With this new mount, they are pushed out as far as possible, but the outer pad still rubs against the disc.

Update 2

Changing brands of adapters had little effect. In fact, the TRP-branded ones were probably slightly worse than the Shimano.

I took my bike to a fourth shop to try and sort out the shuddering. They decided to put washers in, moving the calipers out. However, they used the washers that have some lateral movement (I think the same as Mike Baranczak's answer). This may have slightly fixed the z-plane issues mentioned above. The shuddering is much better, but now the brakes screech terribly, and the stopping strength is still less than expected.

I will see them in a few weeks to see if they can tweak it more. I will update this question further when I have more definitive results.


texts: How can I add full fenders to a frame with no braze-ons?

texts: I recently picked up a bike I want to ride in Seattle rain, but missed the fact that the frame had no braze-ons for attaching full-coverage fenders. I already have a set of SKS Raceblades, but they only provide partial coverage. Do any manufacturers make full-coverage fenders I could use?


texts: How to relate wind chill, temperature, and cycling

texts: I'm interested in how wind chill and temperature come into play while cycling.  If I rode on one day with the temperature at 15°F (-9°C), but the wind chill was 1F (-17°C), how would that relate to a day where the temperature is 10°F (-12°C) or 20°F (-6°C) with the same wind chill?


texts: How can I avoid getting chain grease on my trouser leg

texts:
How do you solve the problem of stained jeans? I'd prefer to avoid modifying the bike itself or rolling up the hem on my pants.

Of course, riding with short pants is out of question, now that the winter is coming :-)


texts:
Is it all right to strip and then anodize (at a shop, I suppose?) aluminum cranks?

I'm trying to build a bike and I saw second-hand cranks on eBay. They look like they're fine except for the scratches/abrasions they have. They're fairly cheap too compared to new old stocks so I'm wondering if it would be a good buy if I can restore them to look brand new again.

So would stripping, sanding, anodizing, etc. the cranks have any negative effect on them?


texts: I need to get a new master link how can I tell the size of it?

texts: I have lost a piece of my master link for my bike is there a way to find out what size it is so I can order a new one and replace it.


texts: What symptoms can I expect from two broken teeth on a chainring?

texts: Dealing with chain skipping (but mostly on the smaller chainrings, truth be told) I've wondered how these affect the riding and how many problems and what kind should i expect from these two broken teeth on the big plate, and close together as well:


texts: Online bought bike left brake lever doesnt do anything

texts:
I just bought a giordano libero 2.0, and the left brake lever has no resistance when pulled, and the front brakes don't squeeze when I push them.

The right brake lever is fine and the back brakes work well, but I don't know what to do about the left brake.

What should I do so that it works?


texts: Does Selle Italia Flite Genuine Gel have rigid shell?

texts:
I am asking for version without a cutout. The question is about the shell (not the padding) -- when you press with your hand in the middle of the saddle (from top to down, like you would sit on it) -- does the shell flex?

Please note, I am not asking about opinion/recommendation, just data about stiffness of this particular saddle.


texts: Best Gearing for a very fit but on his way out 52 year old

texts:
Firstly, I'm no beginner.
I've just bought a so called good bike from a major retailer.  Why would a "good" bike come with "beginner" gears?  Chainring 50-34 with 10 speed cassette 12-28.  I enjoy terrain that is similar to turbo training.  That is, get into a rhythm and fight to maintain it for as long as possible, changing gear one tooth to maintain cadence on slight up hills or into wind.  I will never opt for up and down big hills.  Not my idea of fun!  I enjoy hitting high speed and maintaining that....  But at 52 I'm not getting any stronger with time.  I'm thinking of switching to 12-25 just because it has more gears in the middle range.  but I now probably need a 48 on the front so that the ratio 3 +/- 0.3 is in the exact middle.  Can I get a 12-21?  What's the point of the smaller chainring?  All gears are duplicated except those at end of range which I will never use?  Why not remove and decrease weight?


texts: What are the causes of rear derailleur chain noise?

texts:
My rear derailleur is making some noise and I'm having trouble diagnosing the cause. It seems like it's coming from the rear cogs and sounds similar to chain noise. I'm re-building my bike after an accident, so it's possible that something was bent though I don't see any gross damage to the RD. I've spent some time browsing this site and others for ideas, and have checked the following:

Checked hangar alignment
Lubed the rear cogs
Lubed the chain
Checked the b-limit setting
Indexed the gears & ensured they shift well
Checked for chain stretch (chain only has ~250 mi on it)

Can you think of any other causes for a noisy rear derailleur? I have a video if it's helpful.

EDIT: Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions! It ended up being a combination of a bent hanger and a twisted derailleur cage. I replaced the hanger with a new one which helped to reduce the noise, but there was still some prominent noise coming from the jockey wheels, mostly on the smaller cogs, and only when in the large chainring. I changed the derailleur and the noise is now gone.


texts:
I have been contemplating clipless pedals as the next logical step. So after a bit of research and reading this question and it's answers

I find myself a bit unconvinced mainly because nothing covers something I notice myself doing a lot.

I change my feets position on the pedals quite a lot for no conscious reason, it feels right when I'm going uphill and my feet get hot spots at other times so I change to another part of the foot for a while. Mostly I move them a bit forwards or back, but I also move them outwards sometimes. Particularly when coasting I change position. For the first six months I wore jandals (flip flops), but for about a month I've been using very cheap flat soled sneakers with a pretty rigid sole which work really well for me.

When zooming around a tight corner I also take my inside leg off the pedal as you do on a motorbike, I've never come off on a corner but it's a reflex action when leaning I think. I lean right over so couldn't pedal anyway without the pedal hitting the ground.

I'm pretty old and I don't recall anyone back in my younger days using anything but normal pedals, not that I'd have noticed.  I had assumed moving your feet around was normal, but now I'm wondering if I should train myself out of the habit. Possibly it's all in my mind, but making a small change when working hard on a hill seems to use the leg muscles slightly differently and give me a stamina boost (I don't stand in the pedals).

I'm not racing anyone except myself, I just commute, but I like speed and I like pushing my limits.

My question is, how important is it to keep your feet in one position on the pedals. How much of an advantage do you gain from doing so?


texts: My bike goes up one gear at a time, but down two: is this normal?

texts:
Just over a year ago I bought a new bike (a Giant Escape 3) with a trigger gear system - my previous one had a grip-twist to change gears.

After riding and experimenting for a while, I was able to determine that the trigger down didn't shift a single gear - it changed down two. This behaviour is consistent as far as I can tell: it does it every single time I've thought to check, whatever gear I'm in. The trigger up does increment a single gear as expected.

It's just something I've learned to ride with: it's not entirely inconvenient in traffic when you're stopping frequently at lights. But lately, I got to wondering whether it was, in fact, a "feature" or a "bug"?

If it is a fault, how can I fix it?


texts: Noticeably more Muscle on one leg than the other?

texts:
One of my legs is noticeably more muscular than the other.  I am also more prone to knee pain in the more muscular leg.

Could this be related to my frequent (I ride 5+ days a week) cycling habit?  Are there any exercises I can do to even this up?  I have to walk/climb stairs a lot at my job...

Should I even care about this?  What habits can I break that might cause this?


texts: Could a road bike be used for cyclocross?

texts:
So i have a cyclocross bike, but most of my friends have road bikes. I am interested if people think that a road bike could be used to race cyclocross.

I'm thinking that with a pair of nobbly tires it might work.

EDIT: This is a just thought experiment. I have a CX bike which i use for road in the summer and cross in the winter.


texts: Problem with replacing inner tube of old bicycle with tire code: 47-559 (26 x 1.75)

texts:
I'm replacing the inner tube of old bicycle with tire code: 47-559 (26 x 1.75).
I bought a new tube that has spec: 26*1.75 - 2.125 (47/57- 559).
However, the diameter of the new inner tube is too large, such that it can't fit (folded inside the tire). It is also obvious that the new inner tube has larger (in diameter) than the rim.
I've read the previous post and also https://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html#iso.
I thought that using the same ISO code (47-559), I would get the correct diameter, but it isn't.
Then I realized, there's a code 26 x 1.50 on the old inner tube.
Can anyone help me with this matter? Is this mean that I can't use the ISO code (47-559) for finding a replacement?


texts: Picking a bike for a cyclist new to riding on the road?

texts:
I've gone a few years without riding at all, and I'm getting back into cycling to improve my fitness. I've typically ridden light mountain bike trails in the past. I want buy a new/second-hand road bike for commuting but I don't want to spend a huge amount of money. I'm still new to riding on the road, and don't know if it's something I'll be able to keep up.

Recently I was told by someone I know to be a proficient rider not to spend any less than £500(GBP) on a road bike if I wanted anything worthwhile. However, I don't want to become a typical "all the gear, no idea" by blowing all my money on a bike that is way beyond my needs or ability. My problem is picking a bike that matches my needs and ability with limited knowledge of commuting by bike.

I guess you could translate my question to "What should a new road cyclist look for in a bike?"

For example: With a little shopping around I've seen this bike which is appealing to me: Woodworm White Lightning Road Racing Bike  Would that be suitable?


texts: Changing the cassette: is it necessary to change the rear derailleur and/or chain?

texts:
I recently moved to a city with a lot of steep hills so I'm looking to change my 11-28 cassette to this Shimano Tourney 14-34. I have a Shimano Tourney rear derailleur with the same number of gears (7).

Since the biggest gear (34) in the new cassette is a lot bigger than the one I currently have (a 28 teeth) I was wondering if I could still use my old derailleur.


texts: Stuck lock-nut on one side of the axle, can't push the axle out from the other side

texts:
So, I have a stuck lock nut on one side of my front axle, and I can't seem to get the axle out pushing on the other side. I need some pointers on diagnosing and repairing this.

The bike is a Merida Speeder 300, and the product page lists the hub as "Bearing disc". The bearings are cartridge bearings, which means this answer doesn't help.

Here's a shot of the stuck nut:

I believe the cause of my troubles is that those outward-facing ruffles have been tightening the nut.

The other side looks like this:

There's nothing on the axle where a wrench could find purchase.

The nut and assorted washers that came off are these:

The other side of the nut is flat. Only the nut is threaded, and it's the only one that has flat sides for a wrench to grip.

What I have tried so far is to grip the free end with a pair of pliers, but I didn't get a good enough grip to get the other nut loose. I have tried to push the axle out from the free end, including whacking it with a rubber mallet a few times, and I even tried to put my weight on the hub with the free end resting against the ground. The axle hasn't budged at all, as far as I can tell, and I'd at least like to have a second opinion before I try to hammer the axis harder than I already have.


texts:
I've got a geared bike back tyre that has a dent in the rim. I'm considering a fixed gear conversion. A few points of issue:

The bike has small vertical drop outs.

The skewer width on the current back tyre width is for a 7-speed block.

What are my options to deal with these issues?


texts:
I've been reading a bit about riding and braking techniques (http://sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html) and I'm having some trouble pulling off the hard front brake.

I believe this is the style of brake that I have on my bicycle:

However, when I apply my front brake, with maximum force - it doesn't seem to be nearly enough to send me over the handlebars or skid the tire.  I slow down, but it seems to be fairly gradual.

I've adjusted my brakes myself (possibly, I've done it incorrectly...) but there is very little clearance between my rims.  My wheels both seem to have a very tiny wobble that prevents me from setting my brakes any tighter, but when I pull the brake it feels fairly soft, almost as if the cables have some stretch to them?

My real question here is what can I do to improve my braking time?  Does it sound like I've done something wrong.  I did have the brake pads replaced once before, but they appear to be in good condition.


texts: How to clean tubeless tire sealant from rims

texts: How to clean the stuck/dry sealant from the rim edge, and the rim tape, etc? (In order to replace my old tubeless tyres with new, and the new ones to sit on a clean/fresh surface). With water? Water/soap? Any other liquid?


texts: I cannot find a barrel adjuster on my bike

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I tried to adjust the cable tension but there it litterally no way to adjust it on the front derailleur on a 22.5" GMC Denali 700cc Men's Bike

Generic photo from walmart.com


texts: How to avoid riding on a gravel on the road sides? + Riding through traffic lights

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I'm commuting to work almost every day. The roads on my way are quite thin so I have ride on the edge of it. But there is usually some gravel and it's quite hard to ride on that especially when riding up the hill. I don't like riding on the gravel but I don't like blocking cars behind me. What should I do?

Other thing is riding through the traffic lights. While waiting for green sign I'm not sure if I should be in row with cars or just wait on the right side of the road so I don't take much space. I don't like taking a lot of space as cyclist but also I don't want to be in danger if some driver doesn't notice me when I'm on side of the road.

Any tips that will make me feel better riding on these roads?


texts: Storing bicycle helmets...will temperature affect the performance of the helmet?

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I got into a discussion at home about where to best store our bicycle helmets. We store our bikes in the garage (a standalone, not attached to our apartment). So, logically and aesthetically my wife wants to store it in the garage.
My argument against this is that our garage does not temperature control and we live in LA. I think that it can get pretty hot in there during certain times of the year and it can also get cold during other times (winter nights can go down to ~40 F (4.5C)).

My question is whether these temperatures will affect the foam in the helmet in any way. I.e. will it degrade it's ability to provide protection.


texts:
I've cut my bike's steel steerer tube too short.  The bike has a fully integrated headset.

I've asked both a neighbour who's an ex Specialized concept (Certini) mechanic now with his own shop (Bristol UK) and has some really nice DH rides and another neighbour who's a coded welder and also has a few very nice DH rides.

The question is "to weld or not to weld" to re-extend the steerer tube to a useful length?


texts: Can given crankset have limit on spindle width?

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I would like to buy new crankset which is described as having 54 mm chainline for 110mm bottom bracket (this is square taped BB). Since I need 50mm chanline I calculated that I would need 102mm spindle, luckily I found such bottom bracket.
My worry is whether there is some other unspoken factor here, I mean can I just use this BB with shorter spindle or do I have to check something more? If more checks are needed what are they?
I currently run 44/32/22 chainrings and those are exactly the same as in the one I would like to by. The only differences are BB type (I will convert from HTII to square taped, same width, 68mm, both BSA) and crank length.


texts: Tightening the bolts on training wheels for a child's Schwin bike

texts:
My child is learning to ride his first bike and I have attached the training wheels to help him learn to balance.  I have adjusted them to be slightly off the ground so he can get used to the feeling of balancing.  My issue:  The wheels simply won't stay in place for longer than a single ride.  I notice that as my son rides and the wheels take his weight they slide up and then he risks falling on that side..

Beyond the risk of over tightening the bolts using an electric tool is there any other method of ensuring the wheels do not slip?


texts: Why are hand-built wheels considered to be better than machine-built wheels? I would think that a machine-built wheel would be better and cheaper, since machines generally do a more precise job than humans.


texts: What are the securing rings on the disc brake pads pin called?

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I've misplaced mine, and noticed the other caliper doesn't have the other one.

How important are these? I mean, do pads fail or come loose at times, without these safety feature present?
Is it possible to find a replacement?
What other components have those?

This is the back of a Deore M-535 caliper, where the pin is marked at the places it should have been secured,