texts: I've had a set of new EggBeater 3 pedals for 1 month and the left pedal is rusted. I don't understand why only one of the pedals is rusted and the other is not. Is this common and is there something in particular I should do about it?


texts:
I am looking to buy a used bike: a Cannondale Super Six Evo. The seller has sent me a picture about which I am not sure what is wrong. It seems like a paint crack, but can experts share their opinion? It will help me buy this bike. Thanks in advance!

[]


texts:
I just got a new road bike. Is this front wheel out of true? Or is it an acceptable amount of movement? I'm only using it to commute 10 miles a couple times a week.

Thanks.

https://streamable.com/m30il


texts: Why do SRAM rear derailleur not have a parallel movement

texts:
My SRAM rear derailleur (Rival 22 circa 2016) has a non parallel movement. When it is in the lowest gear, the cage and pulley sprockets align with the cassette sprockets, but when it's in the highest gear, it is very miss aligned.

I measured the distance between the pivot points. I got 48mm and 49mm, which would explain the non parallel movement.

Question 1: What was the design reason for this?

Question 2: Do I need to get the alignment of the derailleur hanger checked? The gears shift easily. I'm just worried about drive chain efficiency.


texts: Washing a vintage bike—special considerations?

texts:
I've watched several tutorials on washing bikes, and the general gist seems to be to use a degreaser on the drivetrain, then wash the rest with soapy water, and don't spray hard when rinsing so water doesn't go into the bearings.  My question is are there are any special considerations when washing an older bike—in particular about rust?

It's also worth noting that my seat post has grooves cut out to reduce the weight, so water could potentially go inside the seat tube.  Should I take care to avoid this, or is it a nonissue?

The bike in question is a 1984 Trek 460, with a CrMo steel frame.


texts: How do breakaway helmet accessory mounts work?

texts: I've seen it said that when mounting things such as a light or camera on your helmet you want a breakaway mount so that in the event of a crash the helmet slides along the ground rather than snagging on it.  What is it about these mounts that lets them break away?


texts: What are the benefits of *rigid* lefty fork?

texts:
I know there is already a discussion about suspension lefty forks. However, that post completely avoids mentioning of their rigid counterparts which also can be found in the wild.

Below is a couple of photos of rental bikes commonly used in Singapore.

[While looking closely at the second picture, I have realized that there is also just one rear dropout!]

Searching through the net gives other examples of rigid leftys:

EDIT Added more examples.

Vintage 1910's bike:

Somewhat's newer one:

So, what's the deal with them? What are advantages, and there must be some disadvantages (like less compatibility with fenders, hubs, rim brakes etc.)?


texts: I have heard that one should clean the ball bearing frequently for smooth performance. But how to? ??? I wathed some diy videos which include some tools which I dont have acess to. I want to remove the ball bearings in the wheel hub and clean the dust and old grease . How do I do this? I have a single gear bicycle.


texts:
I realize this is on the edge of asking for a "product recommendation", and is also likely to be viewed as "off-topic" by some because it's not directly about bicycles, but I need to get a new motor vehicle (both because the old one is about to fall apart and because the new house where we're now living has a uncomfortably tiny garage).

So, what attributes should I look for in a vehicle?  Would be nice to have one that could carry my road bike in the cargo area (removing the front wheel if necessary), but it needs to be several inches narrower than my current enormous Honda Odyssey.  I don't really want to haul my bike to every auto dealer in town to see if it fits, so some clues as to "fit" might be good.

And, if no specific recommendations, you might suggest one or two to avoid entirely.

(Note that this is in the US.)


texts: I've got a set of fairly wide road tyres (32c) on my charge plug. I'm looking to move to 23c. My current rim (inside) width is 22mm I've heard of some dangers of narrow tyres on wide rims, but no one has been specific or had any hard evidence of problems. Has anyone heard of any problems or had any troubles? As far as I can think, logically there shouldn't be any?


texts: please help me identify this bike, it is a haro bmx frame and i have the serial number

texts: The serial number on my haro frame is RVW1K00270. it is a bmx frame, i wanted to try find out which model and year is it please?


texts: Can I use a hybrid bike tire on my mountain bike?

texts:
I got a Merida Matts 20 D frame size 18. I want to use a hybrid bike tire. Can I? The current tire is 26*2.1

Do I also need to change the rim?


texts: Misc bottom backet and crankset questions

texts:
I am planning to upgrade a few of my bikes .. some due to faulty BBs and some just to upgrade the crankset. Here are the questions I have:

1) Road vs MTB

I read from the another post about Road vs MTB Hollowtech that the BB and Cranksets gotta be the same category.

What about other types of BBs like square tapered/Octalink?
Is it universal for both MTB and Road?

2) BB spindle width and crankset compatibility

Was browsing some online stores for cranksets, and saw a few that mention that the particular crankset is compatible with spindle width 103-113.

Why is there this spec?
What is the difference?

My issue is that 2 of my foldies have BB width of 125 and 127mm ..

So what bad things could happen if I used a crankset designed for narrower BBs?
Or for the reverse?

3) Tolerance for difference in BB width

Assuming I cannot can a BB same as the old one, what is usually a safe tolerance range + or - from the existing?
Is it better to get one that's longer or shorter?

4) Changing from square tapered to hollowtech

Hollowtech BBs don't have a spindle width specified. What do I need check if I am converting from square to hollow?
Can I convert my foldies to hollowtech? Given their BB is at the wider end of 125mm?

5) Changing from square tapered to Octalink

what is the width that I'll need to add or subtract if I want to convert from square to Octalink?

6) Changing from to Truvativ's Powerspline to Octalink or Hollowtech

I've got a road bike from 2006/7 that is using Powerspline .. which is a dying/dead product so am thinking of converting.

what is the width that I'll need to add or subtract if I want to convert from square to Octalink?

7) Adjustments for change in Chainring/Rear Cog

Do I need to change BB with a different spindle width if:

Change the crankset between 1/2/3 chainring?
Change the rear from a 6sp to a 9sp? Thought I remember that I'll change different hub size if I want to change to a cassette of different speed.

8) Ceramic Ball bearings

I've seen some BBs using ceramic bearings. What are the advantage of ceramics?


texts: How can I protect components from being stolen off my bike?

texts:
I had my bike locked up properly so that the frame and wheels were secure, but somebody stole the 8 speed and handlebars off of my bike. I don't understand how this can have more than a $10 resale value.

The bike is a Shimano 8-speed. They cut the tension cord in 2 spots... i'm not sure why they cut it near the derailer....

Is there any way to protect the gears? It looks like the other one that remains is susceptible to just an allen wrench and wire cutters...


texts:
I am going to build a bikepacking bike and was thinking about what type of tires to use, tubulars, clinchers, or tubeless.

I own a road bike with clinchers and a cross bike with tubulars, but have no experience with tubeless.

In the context of bikepacking and riding long  distances in the great outdoors, often far away from any type of help, I'm wondering which tire choice is best suited for reliability and ease of service?

I'm kind of assuming gluing on new tubulars and carrying them, is a bad option, although I love the comfort and grip that come with low inflation pressure.

Clinchers are great but I might want to run low pressure without worrying about pinch flats.

I don't know much about how tubeless tires ride or how easy they are too service.

Is there a preferred setup for bikepacking?


texts: ligament damage and non release of pedals

texts: Have tried to search the internet for an answer to this, but I am struggling. The history is that I was cycling along when a dog ran into my front wheel and took me off. I hit the ground on my left side and rolled to my left and struck my right knee on the ground as I came to a stop face down. I was using Look Keo 16Nm pedals. I am a very experienced cyclist. I use 20Nm one on track and for time trialling, 12Nm on my wet weather commute bike. Now I have no problems with these pedals whatsoever and have a long history of using Look since the 80s and still us them. I sustained a anterior cruciate ligament tear due to my striking the ground and I have no doubt in my mind that this striking of the ground caused the tear. The dog owners have said I simply came to a stop and being unable to release my feet from the pedals fell over and caused the injury myself. Does anyone have any idea if and test cases or tests themselves can refute the dog owners assertions or corroborate mine. Any help would be gratefully received. Many thanks, Gary Strachan.


texts:
I'm asking as I'm reading Sean Kelly's autobiography, where he uses the expression when he and his team were at the front of the peloton, trying to reel in a breakaway:

  It was a long, long chase and we were racing like lunatics. I was in my biggest gear and it was spinning out.


texts: Identifying an eccentric bottom bracket?

texts:
I have a bike powered by a Gates belt-drive and a Shimano Alfine 11. It also has an eccentric bottom bracket to adjust the tension on the belt drive, and a SRAM GXP bottom bracket.

The other day, just by following videos on Youtube since no other help was available, I tried replacing the old bottom bracket with a new one… and it looks like I ruined the threading on the drive side of the eccentric BB: I can hand-tighten it, but when tightening it further with a wrench, it loosens again, ie. I can never tighten if fully. It looks like I'll have to buy a new eccentric bottom bracket :-/

The issue: How to identify the brand + model of that eccentric BB without taking it out (I'll need to ride it to a workshop to fix it)? There's nothing written on the sides, short of L/R:

Also, while I wait for a new eccentric BB, I was thinking of applying some medium-strength threadlock in the hope that the drive-side bearing won't move. What do you think?

Thank you.

--

Edit: I cut the derailleur + hydraulic brake hoses that run through the EBB, and pulled the EBB. It's just a cheap plastic part; According to the bike manufacturer, it's a Prime Aero from a company in Taiwan.

Anybody knows where to get a replacement, with the opening in the middle to let hoses through?


texts: I am thinking about getting a front rack for when I am doing some touring.  What should I look for when determining if it will fit.  Steel or aluminum?  Better styles?


texts: Why are disc wheels not used in the front on professional track sprint races?

texts: Why are they used only in the back if there is no risk of winds at all?


texts: How to unscrew freewheel sprockets with 9 broken spokes

texts:
A friend of mine has this problem. I haven't seen the wheel, but I suppose that the broken spokes are in one "area". It's a 27 inch wheel.

Is there any tool that can hold hub tight enough to use a freewheel wrench?


texts: Bike too big or just fine ? modification required ? Need pro advice

texts:
Hi I accidentally refer to wrong bike fit and purchase online a 20" Frame Mountain bike (XC hardtail)!
While the bike is about 20" (51 cm)  Frame , I'm about 175 cm (5 foot 9 inches tall and go 79.x cm (31 inch) inseams .

My arm quite lengthy so i don't have problem to reach to handlebar and no need to adjust my saddle . just nice clearance about 0.xx-1 CM from my crotch to the top tube .. it might hit my crotch (and might ruin my future!) so I will need to very cautious when ride off road

Considering all the cost .. I feel that it will be nice if just keep it and do at road and slightly hard terrain .. but it is safe if I go to XC, rough terrain ? what are the risk ? and any suggestion on how to make it safer and just fit to me ?

After moving Spacer


texts:
Here's a pic of my Rocky Mountain Altitude 750 2014.  It's the area where the top tube meets the down tube / Bottom bracket.

Is this a cracked frame or just cosmetic problem?

Thanks


texts: Can you take apart rear derailleurs, and how do you put them back together again?

texts:
I recently took apart my rear derailleur as it was on a 10 year old bike and really old and stiff.

So I thought I would unscrew both jockey wheels and clean them, they had a silver bit either side, but then when I tightened them back up in the derailleur two things happened.

Either

I completely tightened the bolts on the jockey wheels and derailleur and then the jockey wheels wouldn't turn freely.
Or I didn't completely tighten the bolts on both jockey wheels, and they would turn, so the chain would move.

I ended up going with the second option, Until after a few days of riding the derailleur jockey wheel screw came loose while riding and I lost the silver part on the inside of the jockey wheel. After not being able to replace the silver part on the wheel I bought a new derailleur .

Can derailleur be taken apart and cleaned if really stiff and dirty?

HOW DO YOU PUT THEM BACK TOGETHER AGAIN PROPERLY SO THEY DON'T FALL APART

Some mechanics say don't take them apart. But I say... super stiff and its an allen key bolt designed to be undone. Otherwise why don't they rivet it together?
Others say you can, but use Lock-Tite. I shouldn't need that I don't think or I will end up in scenario (1) again, jockey wheels not moving inside derailleur and chain getting caught.


texts: How can I replace my rigid front fork on my 1993 Palisades Trail? I'd like to keep it as low cost as possible

texts:
I'm trying to replace the front rigid fork on my Marin 1993 Palisades Trail with a suspension fork so that when I ride mountain trails I don't destroy my wrists. Does anyone have any suggestions on what suspension forks I can use to replace my rigid one with? It's a 26" tire with what I believe is a 24" frame.
Update: the steerer width is 1 1/8" inch and its threaded.


texts:
I recently replaced my brake pads on a Tektro M285 Hydraulic Disc. After replacing them I pumped the levers so it would go back into place but after a bit of pumping, I noticed that it only adjusted itself a tiny bit. Before I had replaced the brake pads, when I would press down the on the lever it wouldn't go so far but now when I press down on the lever, the lever would hit my fingers before a proper brake could be applied. Is there a way to tighten the lever more so it doesn't hit my fingers?

Also when I was waiting for the new brake pads to be shipped to my home I did notice a small drop of pinkish liquid under the caliper, does that mean something is leaking on my brakes? The specifications on my bike brakes mentioned that it uses Non-Corrosive Mineral Oil. Is the pinkish liquid the Mineral oil? What do I need to do to stop that from happening?


texts:
I ride a fixed gear bike and I wanted to change the rear wheel, I'm sort of new to all the bike knowledge but i couldn't find an answer to this. i ride 46 x 18, i don't know if its good or bad, i can change it to 46 x 16, which is better?
another thing is i got this rear wheel which has a fix cog on it but it wont sync with my chain, whats the deal with that? i have no clue what to do, can i please have a hand?


texts: Is it ok to extend/straighten legs fully while pedaling and will it give me maximum power?

texts:
When I first got my bike, I had the saddle too low and I experienced some pain in my right knee while riding.  I seem to have "fixed" this problem by raising it some.  However, that got me thinking... what would happen if I raised it even more so that my legs would be straight (not bent at the knee) when the pedal was at the bottom?  Would this give me increased power?  Have power tests been done to verify what level of leg extension produces the most power?  Are there any problems allowing your leg to fully extend (straighten)?  I may try this sometime but wanted to get some info here first.  I asked someone at the local bikeshop and they told me there is a chance of hyperextending if I do that but I asked myself how if the position is fixed?  I think the general rule is to have a little bit of knee flex while the pedal is at the bottom but maybe that is a guideline and not a "hard" rule.

I wanted to add that I don't use any fancy riding shoes or any clips.  Just regular "street" shoes. Also, my typical longest ride in a single day is only about 10 miles max.  That translates into about a little over 1 hour at an average speed of less than 10 MPH.

Also, I am not sure why some people might say it is "bad" to straighten your leg totally when riding cuz when we walk we have alternating straight legs so why not the same when we ride a bike?  When we lift a heavy object off of the  floor, the hardest part is when our legs are bent the most, indicating that is the most inefficient position.  When our legs are nearly straight it is much easier for us to lift weight such as a heavy box that is already at waist height for us.


texts: What should I look for when buying a new road group set?

texts:
I have a 2004 Litespeed Tuscany in very good condition—these titanium frames seem to be lasting forever!

It came with a Campy Centaur groupset which I have moved to another cheaper frame (my first attempt in pretending to be a bike mechanic with a fairly good success, not perfect but that would be another question :)).

What should I look for when selecting a new group set?  Will all groups fit?  Will I be able to use my existing wheels?

Thank you for your help.


texts: Can’t find name of a product used in carbon fiber repairs

texts:
Several years ago, I watched a youtube tutorial about repairing carbon fiber. I can’t find that video now, but one of the first steps, before applying sheets of cabon fiber, the guy used a compound that was a mix of carbon and epoxy applied down inside a crack, where the sheets couldn’t be forced in. It was kind of an extra step just to maximize strength as much as possible. It was a charcoal color, and it was sanded smooth before applying carbon sheets. I can’t figure out what it was called, but I need some. I guess it’s possible the guy made it himself...

Anyone know what it’s called?


texts:
I've managed to tear a couple holes in my panniers. Nothing enormous; they can still hold their contents, but they definitely need patching.

What would be a good way to patch them, keeping them waterproof and hopefully durable?

They're Detours, 50% nylon and 50% polyester, just simple one-piece bags. They're several years old, and they were a gift - haven't managed to find the exact same thing online.


texts: Can adjusting handlebar height help reduce hand numbness?

texts:
Riding my mountain bike on the roads in experiencing tingling and numbness in my hands, especially the left, after 10-15 minutes. It's intermittent and I can disperse it by wiggling my hand when it's safe to take one hand of the bars for a few seconds.

I wondered if adjusting the handlebar height might help? I recently corrected my saddle height by raising it about 3" but maybe that puts more weight on my wrists as I lean further forward?


texts: What is the maximum recommended rider weight for using a dual suspension bike?

texts: I am interested in buying https://myroadeo.com/hercules-mtb-geared-bikes/27-5-29er/hannibal-27-5/ model which has dual suspension. Can a rider weighing 105 Kg, use this bicycle?


texts: Shimano R500 or Alex ALX-295 - Which Are Better?

texts:
I have a set of Shimano R500 wheels on my current road bike, but have just upgraded bikes; the new bike comes with the Alex ALX-295 wheelset (they come on a Specialized Roubaix). Lots of the roads have poor surfaces, so I need a set of wheels that is pretty strong. (I have read some stuff about the spokes on the Alex wheels breaking.) Due to the poor roads, I use Slime inner tubes - I got my first puncture after only about 60 miles!

The new bike has a different (better) cassette on, so if there isn't really any difference between the wheelsets, then I'd prefer to not have to swap it all over! In fact, I would only want to swap them over if there is a reasonable difference; I'm not a very experienced rider (yet!), so if the difference would only be noticeable to someone really good, then I'd prefer to not have to swap it all over! :)

Any advice as to which I should use would be most appreciated!

Thanks! =D


texts: Convert road bike mechanical disc brakes to hydraulic

texts: Im relatively new to road bikes, i was a mtb user my whole life. So i wanted to ask if its possible to change my road bike mechanical disc brake to hydraulic disc brake. I currently have the sora r3000 brake and shifter combo.


texts: I just bought my first hub dynamo (Shutter Precision PL-8) with dynamo headlight (Busch + Müller Lumotec IQ2 Eyc N Plus). After installation I figured out that light is not working. How to determine what actually is not working?


texts:
Like many others, I found this aluminum frame bike that is pretty light and in great shape.  The bike has been converted to disc brakes and I believe that everything is aftermarket.
Serial number reads PY4220305. A Threadless neck, and an extra plate welded under the neck.!

Thank you for your help!


texts: I'm considering getting a Canyon Endurace which use a 52/36 Shimano Ultegra R8000 crankset. As I plan using the bike for long, multi-days ride it would make sense for me to have an easier ratio. Is it possible and not too expensive to switch the crankset to a smaller one? Ideally I'd like to have a 46/30, but it's in the Shimano GRX range so I'm not sure I can.


texts: Is there legal recourse to drivers passing too close?

texts:
I'm a daily commuter on my road bike. I commute into Manchester NH. Over the years drivers seem to have gotten better and better at passing me safely. I attribute this to the following:

Me learning how to influence the driver (body language, lane position, eye contact)
Regular commuters on my route getting used to seeing me on the road
Actually speaking to drivers and telling them the law. (Some people have slowed down after i shouted "3 feet" at them and I was able to tell the that NH is a 3 foot Law state

However there are still drivers that pass much too close. I typically stop immediately and call the non emergency Manchester PD line to report it. At no time have I ever been followed up on a call. Also dispatch is not interested in actually filing a police report. I feel that filing a police report is important so that the city and state actually record when crimes occur. The worst scenario is when dispatch tells me I need to ride a far right as possible rather than
as far right as safe.

I could escalate with the PD but I am in no way interested in making a name for myself as someone who thinks the local PD isn't doing their job for something as 'small' as riding to close to a second class citizen cyclist.

My question (finally) is what reasonable options do I have to help educate the few problem drivers that still exist. Thoughts of small claims court for 'damages' are some things that come to my mind.


texts:
Zero means going straight, 90+ degrees is probably impossible.

So what is the maximum steering angle needed to ride safely?


texts:
I recently changed the speedometer on my bike, and had some problems to adjust the magnet on the spokes as well as the sensor. (The spokes are flat, and the magnet that came with the sensor was intended for round spokes. And there's not much clearance between the fork and the spokes.) But in the end I managed to get it up and running with a couple of mm gap between the two.

However. When I accelerate hard or go up steep hills I notice that the magnet hits the sensor. Apparently the front wheel flexes significantly, even when I'm not standing up or pulling seriously at the handlebars. Is this normal? How much flex would one expect in the front wheel?

It's a new CF road bike and the wheels are 'FSA Team 30', decent entry-level aluminium wheels, according to most reviews.


texts: Falling over on carbon frame bike -- likely to cause damage?

texts:
As per my last post, I'm learning how to use clipless shoes.  First 3 days of practice went fine, but on the 4th I came to a stop and couldn't get my foot out in time -- in truth, I got  one foot out, but the bike fell the other way. So I and the bike tipped over to my left -- I caught myself with my hands, but the bike clattered to the ground with me astride it.
It's a carbon-frame Giant Revolt.  I see no visible damage to the frame, and I'll take it by the bike shop tomorrow, but since there's no visible damage I believe they'll say "it's fine".  Which hopefully it is.  But how worried should I be with this kind of crash?  I've read that when you crash a carbon frame, you should get it inspected professionally.  Does tipping over like this count as a crash?
I know that no-one knows the state of the frame, and without X-raying it -- which seems a lot to do -- there's no way to know for sure.  But then again "probably alright" doesn't feel very safe.
If every time I tip over while learning clipless means I could break the frame, this seems a possibly terribly expensive proposition.


texts: Where do you discard chain cleaning solvents/degreasers?

texts:
After reading comments that chain cleaning solvents could have substances of questionable health effects, and despite the benefits of bike chain-specific cleaning liquids, I'm doubling down on choosing an ordinary household citrus degreaser for chain cleaning, while ensuring to rinse with tap water—perhaps using a separate run of a bike chain cleaning device—promptly after using the degreaser (then drying for five minutes in the sun, applying a few drops of grease, spinning, and wiping).
I cycle on roads and only mildly dusty paths. My chain doesn't get grimy. Still, I would like to enjoy the peace of absolute zero noise emanating from the chain (the wind whistling between my ears and the helmet straps will be a tougher problem to eliminate), and so I am aiming for a perfectly clean chain. Also, I am starting to feel, perhaps delusionally, that this little remaining chain friction is what's standing between me and the "next stage" of cycling (faster).
Where do you discard the liquid when you're done? A citrus degreaser meant for household cleaning can presumably be safely flushed down the toilet, but this is not an option when it has been used to clean chain grime/grease. The cycling-specific solvents appear to be nasty enough they cannot be flushed down the toilet, even before they're mixed with dirt/grease.
Just dropping the tiny two ounces / 60 milliliters at the side of the road means the material will make its way unprocessed alongside rain water to canals, which is the worst possible option.
Which leaves a backyard or a garden, not too near any plants that might be consumed. The "bio" indication on some citrus degreasers suggests they can be poured right next to a tree, with little to no harm—but the presence of the grease means that pouring farthest from tree roots is wiser. Can bike chain-specific solvents also be discarded on some grass patch?


texts: Is there a front derailer type that can be mounted on a frame without braze on or fitting on the seat tube, or clamping?

texts:
As the question says, is there a front derailer type that can be mounted without having a fitting or braze on on the seat tube, or without clamping to the seat tube (because it's a weird shape, or made from a material that one cannot safely clamp too)?

To my knowledge there are clamp on derailer that expect a seat tube that is circular in cross section and braze on derailers that expect a brazed on fitting on the seat tube.

Finally there are derailers that are clamped on by the right hand bottom bracket cup/ring, but as far as I can tell they also require an additional fastening method on the seat tube to prevent them from rotating around the bottom bracket.  I think these are sometimes called E-Type or Bottom Bracket derailers.


texts: Does Bike or Rider Weight / Groupset affect cruising speed on the flat

texts:
I posted this video on Facebook:

and someone commented that my power readings were a bit "optimistic" I asked why and he basically thought that if I'm getting 600W I should be doing a lot more than 30 MPH. He says he can cruise at 30 MPH at only 250W!

In the end he seemed satisfied that the difference is that he weighs 74KG, I am a bit over 100KG.

On another video someone commented that he would fly on a carbon bike with a nice groupset.

It seems to me that weight of bike / rider and groupset is going to make very little difference cruising on a flat with no gear shifts.

Am I suddenly going to end up cruising at 40MPH at 600W when I loose 10KG?


texts: What would be the "definitive" formula to calculate chainstay length from sprocket size, chainring size and number of chain links?

texts:
Before I started to write this answer, I thoroughly read this question, its answers and comments:

How do I calculate the diameter of a chainring from the number of teeth?

So, my question tries to ellaborate over this, considering that, for single speeds, there will always be a certain unique chainlength (for a new drivetrain) given the gear sizes and the number of links in the chain. Also, for vertical dropouts, where chainstay length is fixed, there might be a "magical gear" when you have almost zero chain-slack with the right combination of sprocket teeth number, chainring teeth number, and number of chain links.

For that reason, I plan to write some app (html+javascript) to get this length. There is a program which does exactely that, but it is not possible, as far as I know, to know which formula it uses, or if it is actually correct:

http://eehouse.org/fixin/formfmu.php

Then, I think the following assumptions should be made:

The chain perimeter is the sum of the distances between the consecutive centerlines of each pin;
The nominal distance between centerlines, in a new chain, is half an inch, or "exactely" 12.7mm;
The chain is considered to run a straight line between the tangent points where it touches each gear (sprocket or chainring);
The chain is considered a regular polygon sector along the circumference of the gears, as pointed by Lantius in his answer to the linked question.

The result would be the answer to the question: "If I wrap a closed chain with N links around a spocket with S teeth and a chainring with C teeth and pull those apart, what would be the distance between the centerlines of the cog and the chainring?"

EDIT: I'm including an "updated" drawing I generated programmatically (it's quite involving!), so it would be easier to analyze the geometry of the problem:

X is the chainstay length, and it is the hypotenuse of the purple triangle, the short cathetus being R-r (known), and the longer cathetus being equal to B (unknown).

EDIT: (added trig formula) The whole length L of the chain (known) is equal to A+B+C+D. Since B = D, then L = 2B + A + C, or, with all the added trig:

The unknown (B) appears in both sides of the equation, and it looks like it cannot be isolated.

(To make matters worse, there are the natural limitations that teeth profile is not always the same between brands, there might be very small variations of link length between different chains even of the same brand (happens to me quite often), how much chainslack is actually necessary is debatable, and so on, but it would be nice to have a "canonical formula" which actually considers the physical nature of the pinion-and-chain engagement and allows us to calculate this, at least theoretically.)

Thanks for reading!


texts: I pulled the lever on a brand new hydraulic disc brake and the brake won't release.  What's up ?  The wheel was never removed and a brand new bike.


texts: How to avoid cramped/compressed breathing?

texts:
Sometimes after a heavy effort I get into this compressed breathing which is very hard to break out of.

Heres what I mean with cramped breathing:
Imagine breathing with the top abdominal (1st row of rectus abdominis) muscles cramped up and pressing the air our instead of "belly breathing".

If I concentrate on breathing correctly I can make it go away temporarily but when the hunger for fresh air is high I quickly get back into this bad habit.

Its not painful or anything (this may sound worse than it is, but it is definetly not a medical issue) but I feel I cannot get enough air into my lungs this way and it makes me gasp for air and my breathing gets shorter and shorter until I have to slow down.

I thought that maybe my bike position may be at fault for this but on paper everything fits.

How would you explain  this and help me improve my breathing ?
I have tried belly breathing but as I said, I kind of forget about it.


texts:
I clean my chain on the bicycle, mostly because taking it off for a bath, drying, etc seems to take more time than I have. But maybe I could use 2 chains in rotation, I would take one chain off, replace it with second clean one, and during the days that follow would slowly clean it to be ready for next cycle.

Are there any drawbacks to such approach regarding the wear of cogs, or something else?


texts:
I am riding the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail (FKOHT) in February 2021. There will be flats. The ride is unsupported. Most riders say they have at least two flats on the ride, some riders have as many as 8! I use clinchers and tubes. I admit freely that I am a weakling and cannot get some tires on the rims without using a Koolstop tire jack, which I do carry with me on the bike. The Koolstop tire jack is not perfect, but it mostly works for me.
Whats the best strategy? Use a tire with flat protection that I will have to wrestle with and use the jack if I get a flat? Or use a tire that I can mount by hand, but will probably have less flat protection and one that will likely result in more flats?
Or is it just a matter of using a tire I like and stop over-thinking? I would like to spend my time riding, not fixing flats.


texts:
I've been riding seriously/regularly for about a year now, although like the majority of the worlds population I've been on a bike since I was a kid.

When I was first starting out I had no real trouble on the downhill parts of my rides ( I live in the San Francisco Bay area so the majority of my rides are hill rides), I was even getting comfortable going fast even on steeper downhills (25-30MPH according to my tripcomp, which might not be that fast, but it sure seems so now). Unfortunately the honeymoon didn't last as I was in a few near misses and an accident with a car (his fault not mine, I wasn't hurt but pretty shook up) on my downhill. Ever since then I've been very wary of any downhill parts, I'm always on the brakes and I don't feel comfortable at all getting any kind of speed.

Mainly I'm worried that I don't have enough stopping distance given my speed, and since I already know what happens to my bike when I slam the brakes, I don't want to experience tumbling down the road at 25MPH. I've essentially lost confidence in my ability to right safely on my road bike (even though its mechanically sound), I don't have this problem on my mountain bike (where the fat tires and disk brakes are very comforting).

I've practiced all the downhill techniques, so it isn't a matter of being inexperienced (although I'm certainly not an expert, before the crash I was attacking the downhills pretty aggressively), I'm just physically frightened of letting go and riding down.

I guess the good news is that my rides have gotten much more uphill-heavy, which has certainly helped my hill endurance.

Anyway, what can I do to make my downhills fun again?


texts: Restoring an old xUSSR bicycle for commuting... Feasible? Silly?

texts:
I've got a very old bicycle from the xUSSR days in my garage (outside UK atm). I'm not sure what year / model it is, to be honest...

I've been commuting to work (8.5 miles each way) almost every day since last summer on a Pinnacle Stratus hybrid, and eventually the idea of using an actual road / track bike to ride to work becomes more and more appealing :D

I know that the chain / gears / casette will most likely have to go. Wheels will be replaced and so on.. Seems like the only thing left will be the actual frame.. So in the end - will this still be a good idea, or am I just going to lose money in the end? How much should I expect it to cost?

As I said - I don't have the year/model but I've got some photos of it here: http://imgur.com/a/JqFX0

What do you all think?


texts: Non-quick release through axle - a few questions

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I just bought an RSD Sherrif II fat bike and it has a carbon fork with a thru-axle. It appears to be a non-quick release axle - no lever of any kind, so I need an allen key to remove it.

I have a few questions:

From some quick reading about removing/installing thru axle wheels, literally all the guides I see are describing quick release variants of the thru axle. Does it mean anything that mine is not quick release? Does that indicate poor quality/ cheapness? Or is it just that fat bike axels are rarer due to their width and not many quick release variants exist?
If I remove and install it with a normal allen key, how concerned do I need to be about the torque rating (80-120 in lbs)? Can I just put it in to finger tight plus a half turn or something like that? Or should I buy a torque wrench for this? I don't want my wheel popping off (too loose), but I also don't want to crush my carbon fork (too tight). Maybe there's a metal internal sleeve to prevent the latter. I just removed it and checked the tightness before doing so, and I would call it on the tighter end of what you could do with a standard allen key.
Can I replace this with a quick release axle? If so, what are the measurements that matter in picking a replacement? The specs for this bike say 150mm fork spacing, but the axle itself has three numbers: L=198mm, TL=9mm, TP=M15x1.5.

Here is the axle mounted in the fork:


texts: I'm a marathoner that is interested in mixing in some duathlons and triathlons, but I am having trouble finding a starter bike (< $1500) made for a tall man. I am 6'6". Any brands and models that you can recommend that offer a frame that fits someone around my height?


texts:
I have seen / heard of cases where bike tyres get damaged (like for example riding on a flat).  But what I don't fully understand is why the damage becomes a problem or whether the tyre actually needs replacing after being damaged or not.
Can someone explain the full consequences of a damaged tyre and whether it should be replaced or not?


texts: Bike doesn't brake immediately and comes to a squeaking stop. Do I need to get new brake pads?

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I was given a bike by a friend (for free) and have taken advantage of biking over short distances to work and school.

When riding I noticed that the braking is not immediate when I applied the brakes and the bike comes to a squeaking stop.

The bike has rim brakes. The brake pads seems to be quite stiff and don't appear to be worn out very much. I am still trying to diagnose what is affecting the braking. Do I need better quality brake pads? Or do I need to adjust the pads and the levers on the wheels get the bike to stop better?


texts: Help me understand my 8-speed uniglide compatibility issue

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I have a Dura Ace 8-speed uniglide rear hub/freewheel marked 'Integrated 8 SIS' and an 8 speed uniglide 14-21T cassette.

Two issues - the first being that the smallest cog needs to be a special 32mm Dura Ace thread, I think this issue unrelated but include the info in case it is. (32mm 14T Dura Ace cog on its way)

The actual issue I'd like to clarify appears to be the size of either the cassette or the freewheel on the hub is incorrect.

If I stack 8 speeds I run out of splines and the second to smallest cog (15T) would just spin if I were to apply torque:

If I try 7 speeds, I cant thread on the smallest cog as it'll hit the splines:

If I add a spacer to the 7 then it appears to all fit. But it's hardly correct, this is meant to be an 8 speed system right?? :

Measuring the pitch I see that it is indeed 8-speed (4.8mm), yet the stack height appears slightly larger at 35.85mm (it should be 35.4mm) - probably due to the smallest cog and the black spacer (0.3mm thicker than the others).

The only way I can see to maybe get it working would be to turn off some of the uniglide splines on a lathe and use two Dura Ace threaded cogs (14T and 15T) - the 15T one wouldn't have as much thread to work on in this case. Or perhaps running pins through the 3 holes that run through the cogs and spacers?? I am yet to check if doing that would leave enough room between the smallest cog with chain on and the frame..

Edit: Another option is buying another 32mm threaded Dura Ace cog in 15T and turn/file/mill out the uniglide teeth on it for use as the second smallest cog (14T would be another 32mm threaded Dura Ace cog)

Hopefully this is something basic I'm overlooking? ;)


texts: How to safely clean up spilled chain oil

texts:
Perhaps this is not bicycle specific since this could happen with any petroleum-based oil, but since the specific oil I spilled is chain oil I'm asking here.
I have a plastic box that I keep all of my bike-related stuff in (hex keys, extra reflectors, bearings, lubes, degreaser, etc...). I pulled it down the other day and my bottle of rock n' roll gold lube (presumably) had been leaking and spilled all throughout the box. I understand that I shouldn't be mindlessly washing this stuff down the drain, but I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to clean it.
Is it indeed bad to wash petroleum-based oils down the drain? Is it safe to wipe down the surfaces with a paper towel and dispose of that? What is the best way to go about cleaning this?


texts: Dent in Lower Aluminum Frame Of Cannondale Cyclocross

texts: Recently purchased this bike second hand. How concerned should I be of this dent? It’s about midway down the lower frame.


texts: Do clipless pedals that can have toeclips exist?

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I know there are several clipless that can also be used as platform pedals.

But i'm looking for something that can also have a toeclip.

I'm dreaming with something like those:

PLUS this half toe clip:

Even more ideal would be if it wasn't permanently attached so i could carry it with the bike and just clip it there if i'm w/out my bike shoes.

Does anything like this exists? know of any try/success history about someone hacking it together?

Bonus question: if i find a way to attach the half toe clip on the deore XT, maybe 1,5cm more forward than my shoes stay when clipped... would that work? or am i missing any obvious reason it wouldn't?


texts: What bottom bracket removal tool do I need?

texts: I haven't been able to find a bottom bracket tool for this specific spline count/pattern. It looks like it might fit a standard 20-spline one, but I'm not sure since there are actually only 16, but with larger gaps in between groups of 4:


texts: Is my daily bike route enough exercise for a 60 year old?

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Thank you for letting me join your group. I have a beach cruiser and I am currently riding 2,5 mies a day at a rate of about 13 mph constant with no stops. I am 60 years old and have been doing this for about a month is this enough?

I think it is enough for now, what I don't know is when should I increase or should I increase my distance. I have osteoarthritis and I take fish oil for that sometimes my knees hurt. Th distance I am riding now doesn't seem to irritate my knees.


texts:
I've had one Kryptonite D-lock for the last two years, and it's worked great. I typically don't ride with a pack, so I've used lock mounts (this kind) to keep it secured to the upright on my bike.

However, the lock mounts keep breaking from use after a few months: either the plastic shears off, the "lock-in-place" toggle gets stuck open, the strap breaks, or the tensioner screw's head snaps off some day when I'm trying to wrestle my lock out of the mount.

What kinds of lock mount exist that are durable? If none exists, how would you suggest rigging some mounting solution by hand?

I'm tired of buying new lock mounts, and don't like to lock around the frame of my bike: doing that over the long term has destroyed the paint on the bottom of my Y-brace and rattles around in my knees while I ride.


texts: How bad is switching derailleur gears under load?

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I have heard several times the wisdom that you should not switch derailleur gears while pedalling hard ("under load"). The "right way", according to those people, is to pick up speed, stop pedalling, then switch gears, then pedal lightly (without any force actually pulling the bike) until the chain switches, and only then can you resume pedalling with full power.
Otherwise Unspeakably Bad Things are supposed to happen.
My wife however doubts this, and upon a little thought I have to admit, I don't see anything that could go wrong either. But then neither of us are very experienced.
So... how bad is it to switch gears while putting a lot of force on the chain? Is it total bullshit; will the bicycle explode immediately; or something inbetween?


texts: What foods do you consume after biking to retain energy?

texts: I am a vegan and I bike around 10 miles to and fro from office everyday. After biking to office, I find myself in a low energy state which persists all through the day. I tried having couple of bananas right after I reach office and although it does improve a bit, I still feel low in energy. Also I am losing weight steadily. What sort of foods do you eat before/after biking to ensure that you are in high energy state all through the day?


texts: Bar end shifters onto a flat bar - temporary fix solution

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I have a bike in progress that will use Shimano bar end shifters, but I am putting on a Jones Loop Bar. I am ordering a set of Paul's Thumbies, but they will take over a month to reach me. In the meantime, my bike is my only vehicle.
I am looking for how I can set it up in the interim until my Thumbies arrive.
One solution I have seen is using hose clamps, one around the stem and one around the base of the shifter, to attach it to the bike.

Another option I am considering is to put the bar ends into an accessory bar like this one below. I know the external diameter is 22.2 mm but nowhere lists and internal diameter. It is on a webstore, not a local shop, so I cannot just go measure it myself.
Has anyone dealt done a similar conversion and have any success?
Does anyone have other suggestions for how to get it to work for three or four weeks?
Thank you!


texts: Are all Cannondale Slice forks compatible with a Cannondale Slice 105 frame?

texts:
I recently bought a Cannondale Slice 105 (2015) off of Craigslist, and the fork was cut way too short, so I need a new one. I tried going through the local Cannondale dealer, but they couldn't help me, so I'm looking for used ones online.

I'm finding quite a few Slice variants: Premium, Coda, and Ultra, to name a few.
Assuming they are the correct size (1 1/8"), will they automatically fit, or are there any other variables I need to consider?


texts:
So I am a complete novice when it comes to bike maintenance but working on a project mtb, old Saracen rufftrax.

The rear derailleur was knackered so fitting a new SRAM x5, my question is do I need to buy a separate bolt/nut to fit it properly? The derailleur didn’t come with one and the derailleur seems to have too much movement.

The bolt I am on about would be for the hole in the centre of the picture where it attaches to the hanger


texts:
I have a Trek Fuel EX 9 2013 with shock DRCV FOX FLOAT CTD 7.25" x 1.875" and I want to know if Rock Shox Monarch RT3 184mm x 48mm (same that FOX in inches) for Trek bikes is compatible.

There are the compatibility list:

Fuel EX 29 2014
Remedy 26/27.5 2010-2014
Remedy 29 2014

Both shock are designed for Trek bikes, but is strange that Fuel EX 9 2013 is not in list if Remedy is compatible.

Thanks.


texts:
I am having this creaking issue for months now it happens whilst pedaling and gets worse with more force.
I've checked the headset, the handlebars as well as re-greasing and reinstalling the pedals and check torque on cranks. Now I am afraid that it would be the bottom bracket that went bust.
I noticed that there is a slight creak when i compress the front brakes and press on the pedals with my legs. coming from the BB area (Bike is not in motion) Could it be the bottom bracket?
FYI: I have done 2500 km on the bike when I bought it used. and this is an alu frame if it helps. shimano rs500 threaded BB.
EDIT: I might have fixed it. Culprit is the derailleur hanger rubbing with the grit and grime with the frame. Regreased it and seems like no creaking when i step on the pedals hard :D


texts: Why is my Ultegra 6600 much noisier when cross chaining compared to my Deore XT M8000?

texts: This has been bugging me for a while. The Ultegra has no visible wear. The chain has no measurable stretch. The Deore is silent even when dirty and not oiled. The Ultegra is much noisier when freshly cleaned and oiled. After a minor crash which resulted in a bent derailleur hanger on the Deore equipped bike, I straightened it without a proper tool (obviously not perfect) and it's still quiet. No crashes with the Ultegra bike. The difference is so big it's not even funny. I know you're not supposed to cross chain but I find front shifting so inconvenient (large paddle throw, slow shifting compared to rear, you know what I mean). I'm looking for the hard facts, what is it that Shimano did that it's improved so much? My guess is 11 speed (more lateral flexibility in the chain) and different derailleur pulley wheels design but I'd like some expert opinions.


texts:
Shimano Nexus usually comes with a twist shifts. Is it possible to also use shift levers with Nexus? Which ones?

More concretely, Shimano Nexus C6000 Revoshift (8s) (hub) and Shimano Alfine 7000 (8s) (levers), for example?


texts:
In a stretch of my commute I have a nice looking bike lane that unfortunately currently has a couple unusable spots. I'm going about 20mph which is around half traffic speed.

So far I have tried two strategies, both with less than ideal results.

As I approach an unusable patch I signal, merge and take the lane for some 10-20 meters depending on how the merge worked and return to the bike lane where it again meets my standards. But this has in some cases has apparently been unexpected by cars who express their surprise unhelpfully. The bike lane's faults may not be totally obvious to a driver. In other stretches without a bike lane taking a lane hasn't been an issue.

Or as I approach the trouble I skirt the edge of the lane. I hold a line maybe 30 meters before the spot just about on the painted line (there are three spots and one of them the line is not usable so I'm in the lane) This makes me pretty predictable in the trouble spot which I take as helping my chances of being hit since cars typically give me space. But means I have little or no option to maneuver if someone does choose to pass close, so far it hasn't come up.

I'm pretty sure the first option is correct, but doesn't seem to be as well received and I've felt safer in practice using the second.

The question is: Is there a way to make this work better?


texts:
I am new to road bikes.
My pedals are 2010 shimano 105 - SPD-SL

Can spd shoes with spd cleats be used on spd-sl pedals?


texts:
Front back spring shocks 1970s. I'm sure is this a kawasaki BMX

EDIT from duplicate question.

After a lot of digging, I found that it is a 1975 Montgomery Ward Silver Fox


texts: Will an innertube for 700x35c-44c be ok for a bike that says it needs size 700x45c?

texts:
I need to replace my innertube and took a photo of the tyre mark to show the guy in the bike shop for the size. It says 700 x 45c. I bought the innertube he gave me based on this and only checked the size when I got home (yes I know, stupid me), size 700 x 35c - 44c. This range is obviously smaller (but only just) than what my tyre asks for.

Hopefully it's not a problem but wanted to check before opening the packet in case I need to return it.

What do you think? Thanks for your help in advance
Angela


texts: Is it possible to cycle to the South Pole?

texts:
I know this is not proper form, but I figure it would be too interesting to folks here to pass up.  Helen Skelton is planning an attempt to cycle to the South Pole on a slightly odd looking all-terrain bike.

It rides on what are basically golf cart tires, has a suspension fork, 21-speed derailleur gearing, and rear disk brakes.

I'm personally a hair skeptical of the tubeless tires and the rear derailer that seems to clear the "ground" by only a few inches.  But the folks doing this have a lot of experience.

Is what they're planning even possible? What will be their biggest problems?


texts: Do I need to use the QR Skewer that came with my trainer? What sort of lubricant do I need to use?

texts:
For christmas, my wife picked me up an Elite Qubo Fluid trainer. It comes with a quick release skewer and nuts. However, my bike currently has a QR. On a whim, I checked and the stock QR bolt from my bike (GT Transeo 2.0) fits in the slots of the trainer. It seems to work with no problems. The shape is the same of the nuts holding the skewer in place.

Do I need to replace the skewer with the one provided by the trainer?

If I DO need to replace the QR with the one from the trainer, what sort of lubricant should I use? I keep seeing mention of "oil" or "grease" but I can't find out what specific type of oil or grease (for instance, I highly doubt teflon oil or white lithium grease would be appropriate).


texts: Shimano SLX Rear Derailleur with Microshift bar end Shifters

texts: I need to replace my rear Shimano Deore derailleur since it got mangled up in an accident. I'm thinking of replacing it with a Shimano America RD-M662 SLX 9-Speed Derailleur. The bike I have is a 2013 Salsa Fargo 3. It already has a set of 9 speed Microshift bar end shifters. Will this setup work? The Microshift worked fine with the Deore, but will it work with the SLX? Does the SLX require a different cable pull than the Deore? Any help would be greatly appreciated!


texts:
I installed a new front float rotor, the ones that you can get from AliExpress. I have Deore XT brakes.

While using the front brake the lever moves back and forth while pulling it. I inspected whether the rotor was bent or the caliper was not properly aligned but everything is okay.

I can't figure out what the problem is or is it expected to work like that for float rotors.  Need help. Please


texts: High to low gear shifter on derailleur gear bike?

texts: Inherited this bike and it's got this strange gear shifter that I don't understand. The one on the right is one to five with six spaced a little further away. It's got a 3 and 6 cog derailleur as you'd expect but I can't work out how this works. It's also all really stiff and hard to move which makes it a pain to test out.


texts:
When you see chains advertised, they are specifically noted to be for 11-speed or 10-speed bikes or something similar. Does this mean the they are for bikes with any front cog configuration but only 11 or 10 cogs at the back, and if so, how can that be?

I do not understand how the rear cassette dictates the type and length of chain to purchase, when I would assume the front cogs make more of a difference in length of chain used. Am I simply looking at it wrong, am I missing something or is there really nothing more to it?


texts: Where to find good bicycle maintenance info?

texts: If there is a good book what would it be? I'm pretty sure I can find stuff on YouTube (any particular user?).  Any blogs out there?


texts: Do I need better "springs" on my disc brakes?

texts:
After 20 years commuting on old/cheap bikes, I finally evolved up to a nice solid touring rig with cable disc brakes (Avid BB5).  I love the bike and the brakes.  They're much easier to maintain, replace, and adjust than my old rim brakes were (as a result, they are more effective more often).

However, recently I have been getting a periodic pad-on-disc noise that I have had difficulty getting rid of.  After the pads have been used a while and are say 1/2 worn, they seem to "stick" so that some part of a pad is touching the disc.  This is especially true after a session of braking hard (usually at the bottom of a hill).  Sometimes I can knock them loose by braking again or tapping the brake levers hard, other times, even that doesn't work.  Today, I actually dismounted and tried to work the pads apart by hand because the noise was really bugging me and I was worried that the disc would overheat.

Are those little springs that go between the pads the problem?  Can I make them stronger somehow?

I've tried taking the springs out and bending them out before reinserting them, but no joy there either (at least not yet).


texts: Solutions for a slightly loose crown race

texts:
For a bike I'm building, I had my headset crown race press fitted to my fork crown by my LBS, along with my top and bottom cups into the headtube. The crown race was loose such that I could rotate it with my fingers, but there was no discernable lateral play. I was actually able to remove it with my hands, but it's not loose enough to put back on just by hand.

The headset is very good condition English-threaded Shimano 600 HP-6400. The fork is Italian threaded. My understanding is that the fork would expect a 26.5 mm diameter crown race, while the English headset has a 26.4 mm diameter race.

I measured the OD of the fork crown and it is exactly 26.4 mm (digital caliper). The crown race has an ID of 26.42 mm. What are my options? I really would like to use this headset.

(I hope it's clear to all that this is not an ISO vs JIS issue, and neither part is 27.0 mm.)

Thanks!


texts: Schwalbe Marathon Plus vs Continental Gator Hardshell

texts:
Schwalbe Marathon Plus and Continental Gatorskin are two of the most established and most-discussed lines of tyres on this site (171 results and 90 results respectively if you search "Marathon Plus" and "Gatorskin" on the site). Continental Gator Hardshell is a puncture-resistant version which competes directly with Marathon Plus.
I have been comparing the characteristics of both tires and am not sure which I would prefer for commuting. For the sake of putting numbers on each tire, Marathon Plus could have something like on the order of 1.1x more rolling resistance and 350g extra weight per tyre, but 1.3x more puncture resistance (according to one site's imperfect measurements).
If you had to choose one over the other for a five-mile urban commute (trying to avoid a couple of smashed bottles each way) and could buy them at the same price, which would you choose (taking into account rolling resistance, weight, puncture resistance, and other relevant factors)?


texts: Adjusting Tiagra Front Derailleur FD-4700

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I'm trying to adjust a Shimano FD-4700, brazed-on type installed on a 2019 Giant Fastroad SL-1

I recently changed cranks from Shimano RS400 34-50T to Shimano 4700 34-50T. I took it for a test and the ride wasn't terrible but I noticed the chain was slipping off onto the crank side every few up-shifts.

I'm using a couple of guides as information:

Ask A Mechanic: Front Derailleur Trim Set Up & Adjustment

Shimano's FD-4700 Dealer Manual https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/dm/DM-FD0002-05-ENG.pdf

There's also a good park tool guide, but it seems to be less-specific to the FD-4700 https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/front-derailleur-adjustment

I might be a bit out of my depth but where I'm up to is trying to get the outside edge of the cage flush with the outer chainring as shown at the bottom of page 8 of the dealer manual.

I was hoping I could align the derailleur using cable tension only. Is it possible I could avoid adjustment of the support bolt and secure the cable with the derailleur held in the position shown on page 14 of the dealer manual?

I'm a bit worried about adjusting some of the front derailleur components after what happened last time. I did my best to follow the park tool tutorial but the last time I adjusted the limit screws to set the clearances the shifter cable got frayed and had to be replaced.

Is it essential that I align the outer of the derailleur cage with the largest chainring before proceeding? Is there any chance I could avoid adjusting the limit screws? Is there a way I can avoid damaging the cable as I did the last time I adjusted the limit screws?

Update 1:
Currently I'm having trouble getting the derailleur to shift to the large chainring. I've been following the instructions from step one in the dealer manual and video, starting with adjusting the fixing bolt with the cable detached. There isn't enough tension available from the barrel adjuster: the barrel pops out of the shifter before the chain moves onto the top chain ring. I can sometimes get it to shift up there with my thumb holding the shift lever as far as it will travel. There was as much tension in the cable before I tightened the pinch bolt as I could manage with a pair of pliers while the shifter was in the bottom-trim position.

Update 2:
I might have had some success. I pushed the derailleur outward a little with the pinch bolt loosened, allowing me to pre-tension the cable a bit more than I could by pulling it taught with pliers from the low-trim position. I still need to test ride.

Update 3
I took the bike for a test ride and had a mechanic look over it and it's all good :)
For me there was an additional step required that I didn't see in any of the sources I was using:

Pivot the derailleur outward toward the top chain ring by applying pressure at the outside edge next to the pinch point before pulling the cable through and securing the pinch point. This is will add some additional tension to the cable.


texts:
The most expensive "consumable" while operating a bicycle would probably be tires.  Enthusiasts endlessly debate the relative merits of different sizes, profiles, tread patterns,inflation pressures and just about anything else that might help define the best tire.

I use my bike for primary transportation and moderate cardio averaging 15K - 20K daily.  The terrain is fairly level but the traffic is dense and the road surface varies from virgin concrete to "what road?".  For the time being I'm still running 27 X 1 3/8 (37-630).  Unless I want to pay obscene import prices my choices are limited.

Is there anything to look for on a cheap, odd brand, tire that would provide clues about how long it will last?  What do you look for when trying to assess how well a new tire rides?  Like I said, to me a tire is a consumable.  I'd rather have something usable that I bought cheap enough I can throw it out without an internal struggle when it gets worn or damaged, than running something I paid so much for I'm trying to squeeze every last K of service life out of it. What is the average life of a tire in my sort of riding?

Additional info.

On the bike;
Badly weather checked, practically treadless, Bridgestone. If it fails catastrophically in local traffic I'll probably die.

The choices (low to high);
Leo Tires "Diablo", Philippine made, under $10 including new tube.
Other tires in same price range from other nearby countries that have rubber plantations.  Paying for a rim swap to let me use mid-price tires with known name brands. Paying astronomical single unit import fees to get those same brands in my current tire size.

The budget doesn't allow a rim swap for at least a couple of weeks.  So I'm mounting the Diablo before I leave the driveway again.  There are no visually obvious defects or damage.  Are there less obvious but still noticeable things I should look for?  Small details that might keep this piece of crap from killing me if I catch them during a pre-ride inspection?


texts:
I need some advice / info on solar charging an eBike battery. We have two RadRovers from Rad Power Bikes. They are powered with a Panasonic Dolphin 48V, 11.6Ah Lithium-Ion battery https://www.radpowerbikes.com/collections/replacement-parts/products/radrover-battery-pack.

We are planing a road trip from the North West US down south and would like to extend the range of the bikes. The specs say that the range is between 20 and 40 miles depending on how you ride. We are planning on using the low pedal-assist setting as much as possible, so we should be able to get to 40 miles or above.

We are bringing a second battery so we should be able to count on 70 to 80 miles a day. With that said, I’d like to rig up a solar set up to extend our range even further. Ideally, we’d have it set up so that the solar panel is plugged directly into the battery being used to extend the range.

I have found these 100w folding solar panel that will work for us https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071YP7X4F/ref=psdc_2236628011_t3_B01M28W7KR.

We can attach this to the rear of the bike with a frame. However, the panel will be fixed in a flat horizontal position, and will not always be in direct sunlight, but it’ll still be better than nothing I figure. If we can get just a little extra boost in between plugging in for a recharge, its worth it. My question is, is it possible for us to plug directly into the battery that is currently powering the bike? If not I’ll just charge the spare battery while in transit, but the first option is preferred. Also, what additional equipment do I need to achieve this? I know I need a controller, but I am not familiar with how this works exactly. A link to an ideal controller would be much appreciated.

Finally, if I then want to change the solar charger over to this laptop battery to charge it on occasion https://www.voltaicsystems.com/v72, would this same controller be used? How would this work.

I really appreciate any advice and info you can give us.


texts: Mountain Biker wanting to change to cyclo or road? Which one?

texts: I ride an inexpensive Trek modified mountain bike and I spend some of my ride on the road and some on the canal, which of course is rather flat. Sometimes at the mid point of my ride I will decide to get off the canal and get onto road with lots of hills. Obviously the mountain bike is not made for this however I enjoy that challenge. Right now I am looking at the Crux Elite EVO. Would that be a good choice, is it worth the money and how much faster would I be on it? Or road bike???


texts: How to center a quick release rear wheel regularly

texts:
Just got myself a new quick release rear wheel. Fantastic, right? Well, it's sort of a pain because I'm always worried it's going to get nicked. Usually, I just take off the front one and thread the lock through both wheels and the frame, but in unusual situations (eg When locking up two bikes with my one lock) it's necessary to remove the rear wheel. When I put it back on, I worry that I haven't centered it absolutely perfectly, and that I'm going to destroy it by riding it like that.

So, question: how can quickly be sure that I've centered by wheel, other than by just 'eye-balling' it?

EDIT AUG 3 2011

So thanks for the answers, but a lot of people are addressing how to safely lock a bike. I appreciate that, but my question (italicized above) is regarding centering a wheel. There are other reasons to take off both wheels, like if I need to fit the bike in a car. Thanks again, everyone, because it's also helpful to have tips on how not get your bike stolen.


texts: How can I keep my chain from derailing from the front sprocket under load?

texts:
I've watched the chain derail from the front sprocket, and there is considerable flex that is causing it. I'm a big guy with an athletic build (6'7"/280lbs), and it's a big-box bike, so I'm not expecting a miracle. Are there sprockets made for people my size that won't flex under load, and if so are they reasonably priced?

UPDATE

The flex that I have seen is actually in the chainring (front sprocket)


texts: Shimano 105 gear change won't stay tuned

texts: A bike shop replaced my cassette, and chain on my 105. After about 70 km the shifting starts to deteriorate - slips,skips or noisy operation. This type of rapid deterioration occurs after every tune up. Best I can expect from the 105?


texts:
So it now seems obvious to me that brand name alone is not a good quality heuristic; my Shimano Revo shifter just went south and was replaced after two years, which seems far too soon. (LBS put a SRAM of some variety on it; I hope that's better.) But I do know Shimano makes good higher-quality, more-expensive components (right?).

What are the lesser-quality component lines from the big brand names? Are there any rules of thumb -- other than price, obviously -- for recognizing them at the LBS or on readymade bikes? I'm not looking for manufacturer flamewars here; I'm interested in quality differences within a given manufacturer's lines.

Or is it just price?


texts: Mismatched front and rear derailleurs ok for 3x7 setup?

texts: I'm thinking of fitting a Shimano Alivio rear derailleur and Shimano Tourney front derailleur to my 3*7 speed. Are they compatible with each other? Will I have to put same levels of derailleurs?


texts: What is the best way to train a person to ride?

texts:
I have two scenarios of people proving too hard to train a bike.  I am wondering how best to help a person who can't balance herself on the bicycle but yet can use the pedals well?

Also I have another person who can balance very well on the bike but can not use the pedals well?  By that I mean can actually pedal without any assistance.


texts: single speed freewheel Shimano SF MX 30 vs Shimano SF-1200

texts:
What is the difference between:
single speed freewheel Shimano SF MX 30 and Shimano SF-1200 ?
Why those freewheels donesn't appear on shimano website?
P.S. From the pictures it's clear that the removal tools are different.


texts: Correcting An Inverted Recessed Mounted Caliper Brakes On Vintage Bike Frame

texts: It seems like the previous owner of my bike installed the rear brakes backward. I figured I could simply mount the brake on the other side. Unfortunately, this is not possible since the recessed nut only fits on the wrong side. I'm unsure if I should leave the brake backwards (as-is) or if I should enlarge the inner brake hole and mount it correctly. Although the curved washers should hold everything in place securely, I'm afraid the outer brake hole will leave some wiggle room. What do you think?


texts: Is the Shimano TX-505-8 rear hub compatible with 11-speed cassettes?

texts:
After recently changing my bike's entire transmission, I noticed that when on the smallest sprocket, the chain is rubbing against the rear derailleur (right next to where the derailleur is attached to the frame). My mechanic tried to slowly push it outwards a bit (the derailleur), telling me it probably got bent during some mechanical shock. I accepted it as it was, although I never hit the bike and I'm always careful, regardless if I'm on the street or in the woods, trailing.
Still, even after moving the derailleur towards the exterior, the chain is still rubbing against the derailleur, when on the smallest sprocket. I've done some research and my rear hub seems to only be compatible with 8-9-10 speed cassettes (it's a Shimano Tourney TX-505). Do I have to change my rear hub?
Conversely, while pedaling, there's a constant sound coming from the rear hub/cassette (simillar to the sound the ratchets make when not pedaling but of a different pitch). It's there regardless of which speed / combination I'm using but it's different in intensity (louder on some speeds while more subdued on others). Can this also be caused by the hub's (in)compatibility with an 11-speed drivetrain? The chain, derailleurs, crankset and shifters are all 3x11 speed.
Thank you!
Edit: Some photos have been uploaded here.


texts: Front Derailleur stays on smallest chain ring

texts:
I am trying to get an old mountain bike working.

I have read and watched numerous videos on the front derailleur but have yet to find anyone having this same issues except for someone who had something caught in the bike chain.

When I shift the chain will move to the middle chain ring but when I release the shift lever the derailleur moves back to the smallest chain ring.  I can move the derailleur by hand and it will lift the chain all the way to the biggest chain ring but again as soon as I let go of the derailleur it moves back to the smallest chain ring again.

So the best I can tell is the spring brings the derailleur back in towards the bike and the cable pulls the derailleur out away from the bike.  I am curious what is suppose to hold the derailleur out away from the bike once you shift?

Is the derailleur broken or is this just a tuning issue?

I am new to bike maintenance so hopefully I have worded everything correctly and you can understand what I am asking.

Update 7/23/2016

Thanks for all of the input.  The issue does appear to be in the shift lever, I believe mine are called index shifters.  The info stamped on the shift/brake levers say Shimano ST-MO50L Japan 22.2  I unhooked the derailleur cable and removed the shift lever from the bike and was able to spray WD40 into the shifter and get it clicking again.  I would like to remove the cover from the shifter to give it a better cleaning but it is not clear how to do this.  i have searched for diagrams/instructions on line but have not come up with anything.

Update 7/25/2015

Found the below diagram on line:

Uh Oh, guess I am not suppose to take the cover off of the shift lever.  I already took the screw out but have put it back and still seems to be working.


texts: Is there any difference between silver/brown/painted bike chains?

texts: When looking at bike chains, I usually see silver, gray/brown, and painted options. Is there generally any difference between these in terms of durability, corrosion resistance, or smoothness?


texts: Fitting Shimano pedals into a 3/4" crank socket

texts:
I bought a commercial grade spin bike (Niuweite F800 from China) for exercising at home during quarantine. I wanted to upgrade the pedals to Shimano pedals since I used to join spinning classes pre-COVID.
However, when I got the pedals, the Shimano pedals have a 9/16" screw size while my spin bike apparently has a much bigger 3/4" socket.
I attempted to buy pedal adapters buy these only go up to 1/2".
Any ideas on what I can do to make my Shimano pedals fit the spin bike? Thanks in advance!


texts: What to do with scratched top tube on carbon fiber frame with no structural damage?

texts:
No physical damage, if i press into it nor while riding.

I did wipe the surface to get rid of dirt and paint chip. Attached also a video to demonstrate the scratch. Should i put epoxy or tape or nail polish on it?

Youtube Link


texts: New Chain and Cassette - If I am not racing does it matter?

texts:
I need to replace my chain and cassette and I am not sure what "level" I need to pick? I have SRAM RED and have never replaced my cassette or chain (Two years) I had brought my bike in for a tune up and they recommended that I do it. I have chosen the SRAM PG-1070 (11-28) but I am not how to pick a chain.

In addition there are chains and cassettes that cost in excess of $300? Why would I need a $300 chain?


texts:
As more and more manufactures release disc versions of popular road frames, I am seeing more and more road bikes with 12mm thru axles.  I was wondering if there is a reason for not just doing away with quick-release and converging the disc and rim versions of very similar models, say the '18 BMC team machine which has identical geometry for both rim and disc for instance, to both use a thru axle.

I know the wheel change speed argument against the thru axle, in so far as it can take longer to pop out a wheel to replace it in a race.  Aside from this, and looking at a more comprehensive view that takes into account non-racers, is there a reason to not equip all road bikes with through axles?

The arguments for are compelling; a stiffer, more secure front end being the main.  While this is more important when dealing with asymmetric torque from a disc rotor being applied to the hub, I think it is still valid and likely beneficial without disc brakes.  Granted, I have never ridden a thru axel bike that wasn't a disc, it seems like it would be superior even with rim brakes.

Are there any reasons not to build road bikes with through axels, even if they are not disc brake equipped?  Is this a trend we might see as manufactures produce more pairs of very similar road disc/non-disc models?


texts: Rear derailleur has trouble switching gears on the way up, but works perfectly on the way down?

texts: I noticed an issue with my gears switching recently so I decided to try indexing them. I've gotten to the point where going from the smallest cog to the largest works perfectly, but in the other direction it doesn't want to move from gear 1 to 2. If I keep shifting up it shifts normally, only a gear behind, until it gets to gear 8 and the chain skips the 7th cog. Does this point to an issue with the derailleur itself?


texts: Shimano BR-R650 long reach calipers compatible with Paul Components Canti Levers?

texts: The Shimano BR-R650 caliper brake uses the Super SLR system.  I believe Super SLR relates to the amount of cable pull necessary to activate the brake.  Does anyone know if the caliper is compatible with Paul Component's Canti Levers which are short pull brake levers?


texts:
I'm the third owner of this trike and I ride it EVERY day.I noticed a few days ago that I had no resistance when pedaling and then this morning it stopped altogether, I hopped off and checked it. The axle there the back chain connects was moving, but  where the front chain connects was not moving. I started to walk it home and it started to work again.

What's wrong and how do I fix it? I live in a town where NO ONE does trikes or bikes, and I don't have any way to take it somewhere to fix.

EDIT

Underside of a Schwinn showing the jackshaft/intermediate shaft and both chains in place.

Update: 2018-06

I posted about this about two years ago and the other trike is no longer on the road. New trike (got it about a year ago) is now having the same issue as the last. It's no longer pedaling. I have a video on twitter that I just did to explain it better.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1005178798915178502

Please help! This trike is my only ride!


texts:
I have a carbon frame which I'm worried I will scratch the paintwork on. I know the basics of cleaning paintwork without scratching it, using two buckets, one to rinse and one to wash with, grit guard, etc.

However, the first step is usually to degrease. On my chain I'm pretty brutal and tend to soak it in WD-40, I basically don't care about the chain that much, see: Can I use WD40 and generic bicycle oil to maintain my MTB drivetrain?

The frame is a different matter though, it isn't a wear and tear part, and I don't think I should spray WD-40 directly onto the frame. I know that spraying WD-40 onto a car's paintwork will ruin it over time --- it will supposedly look nice at first, and then sometimes start to flake off.

My question is simply what type of degreaser I should use? I'm not sure if I'm allowed to ask for a specific product, so maybe I should phrase it in a way where I ask what type of product I should look for? I'm sure this would be relevant to others too, carbon frame or not, all type of paintwork can be ruined if using the wrong chemicals.

Are there any special considerations with a carbon frame? It wouldn't surprise me if painting a carbon frame is more difficult than a steel or aluminum frame, hence requiring a different type of paint, which requires different care for when degreasing it?


texts: I've been riding about 300 miles a week for the last 2 years. I'm not riding in races, just riding with friends. I always ride 60+ miles (95+ km), and I'm in excellent shape. I have a low end road bike. When riding up hills or in strong head winds I am very fast. But when I ride on flat surfaces I can't seem to keep up. I'm wondering if it's the bike or my riding style.


texts:
I’ve got a Shimano Sora shifter and it’s stoped shifting all together on the rear mech recently.

I thought it was the cables so I changed it today and still no joy. I’ve also cleaned it out with WD40 but still not catching.

Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks!


texts: CrossRip 3 carbon fork for front panniers

texts:
I was considering to deploy TREK's CrossRip 3 for light touring (1-2 weeks, rear and front panniers, 25 kg total at max). All looks very good but my only concern, at the moment, is its carbon fork. Although the fork has mounts for front racks, I was wandering if anyone has experience in using a carbon fork bike with front panniers.

PS. Roads are expected to be 90% paved roads.
Thank you in advance,


texts: How to improve/restore vintage Peugeot bike, or is it even worth it?

texts:
I've got an old Peugeot bike I've been riding, and I like it but I'd like to make it better for long rides. I'd like to replace some parts, the steel rims aren't good for braking and I'd like handlebars / brakes that are more comfortable.

I can try grabbing random used parts and replacing them, or buying new ones, but I'm wondering if its even worth it. Would I be better off just buying a new bike, or what parts would you recommend I use to improve this?

Thanks!


texts: Can I tell the inner diameter of my 1" head tube without removing the headset?

texts: I need to replace my 1" threaded headset, but to my surprise the replacement headset is available for either 30.0mm or 30.2mm inner head tube diameter. Is it possible to tell which one I need without removing the headset cups?


texts: More speed or more distance for weight loss?

texts:
I have been cycling for some months. I started cycling for weight loss, now I am addicted to it.

I have an average speed of about 23 to 28 km/h. I usually ride around 3 to 4 days a week and 80 to 100 km total distance. My weight loss has plateaued which I have not been able to break for some time.

Please guide me in what sort of routine or action I need to follow to overcome this hurdle. Do I go for more average speed or increased distance?


texts: Longer pivot bolt for the front road brake?

texts:
On a roadbike, I want to mount dynamo front light on the brake pivot bolt bracket (because my handlebar is occupied with gadgets, and because I want to use the handlebar bag which obstructs the light). Naturally, there is no extra length in the bolt, and the standard solution is a longer recessed nut.

Unfortunately this does not work with my fork: the nut does not go down further than the designed one (I realized this having bought a longer recessed nut after asking a related question earlier).

The only solution I see is a longer pivot bolt. Is such thing available? Or is there any other way to mount the light above the wheel, below the handlebar bag? (I do not want to put the light any lower.)

The brake is Sram Force 2012 (if that matters). I'm ready to replace the brake if another model allows for a solution.


texts: I just replaced my cassette, do I need replace the 2 month old chain?

texts:
I replaced both my cassette and chain in July (2.5 months ago).

For some reason my chain started skipping when I was in the smallest cog in back. I took it to a shop, they could not find anything wrong. They measured the chain and the cogs and said everything looked good, but since it was not working they suggested I replace the cassette and chain again.

So, I bought another cassette and another chain. I just put the cassette on and the bike works great.

Should I put on the new chain too? Or save it for a while?

Thanks,


texts: How do I choose which kind of shorts to wear for mountain biking?

texts:
There are so many different kinds of shorts available for mountain biking.

I would like to get a pair that is:
durable, can have padding shorts (either insert or worn under), stretchy and flexible material, doesn't make a huge amount of noise when I pedal, lightweight, quick drying.

Usually I would wear just lycra but having done that last season and taken a couple of falls with no protection I'm looking for something a little more protective.

There are so many kinds of shorts out there though how do I know what is purely fashion and what is function? and is it worth wearing anything but lycra for xc?


texts:
I've been trying to fit Michelin Power Competition (AirComp inners) onto a set of Strike's. (I'm certain these are true, they were default fitted with other tires, and these had 0% wobble.) Let's just say the wheels haven't been treating me so well. I've outfitted numerous box-type wheelsets without an issue. This is a whole different story.

The fitting took me about an hour in total because it's so damn tight (after much hassle I've succesfully put the tires).

After inflating, spinning the wheel makes the tires look hopelessly wobbly. When I inflate to higher pressure, say 6-7 bars, I hear "clinging" noises coming from the tire that becomes seated better/closer to the edge of the rim. It doesn't look good, and I decide to fit them again.

Result: Same thing. Nothing changed. Wobbly tires. Tires that make all kinds of bangs. And again. And again. I've been trying this all day long.

I have no idea how to fit these tires on these wheels...

Any tips on some kind of workflow / hints / secrets, so I can put this issue to rest?


texts:
The headset on my daily commuter is foobared. So I'll be looking to service it, possibly replace as many of the low-end components with better ones.

As I've learned the hard way, it's the questions you DON'T know to ask that really burn you if you go out and buy a bunch of parts without the full info.

The frame manufacturer's specs are virtually non-existent, which is pretty much to be expected for this cheap frame.

What info / measurements do I need to know in order to replace my headset, and, how do I acquire this information (ie: what are the critical spcs and how do I measure / determine them on my own)?


texts: Flat tire after inflating to max pressure

texts:
Bought a used mountain bike for mom. The bike  wasn't used in quite a while . Mom used it for 3 weeks , tire pressure was  ok but it needed some air. So I pumped air in both the tires to max recommended psi on the tire.

After sometime ,  both the tires were flat. I did not hear any sound of leaking air right after I pumped it. I tried it again, this time  I heard a hissing air leaking sound.

What could have happened ?Not sure if anything in the valve is stuck.
How can I determine what is wrong ?

Thanks in advance.


texts: How to prevent trailer hitch bracket rotation?

texts:
I am using a croozer kid bicycle trailer with a solid rear axle (shimano nexus 7). The hitch is the kind that goes on the rear axle between the left nut and the anti-axle-rotation nut for the gearhub.

The problem I'm having is that seemingly no matter how tight I tighten the rear nut, I am unable to prevent it from loostening and allowing the hitch bracket to rotate about the axle.

Has anyone else had success with this on similar trailers? I am fairly certain the nut will strip if I tighten it any further, and I'm very worried the bracket (and frame) are doing damage to the axle if I ride with it while loose.

We are carrying only a newborn baby; the trailer is not overloaded.

Does anyone have a solution for this rotation problem? Thread lock? Anti-lock washers? Maybe a split nut?


texts: What kind of nut is used on Shimano hub dynamo with rollerbrake?

texts:
I tried using the normal cap nut that is also used for my Shimano internal gear hub on my back wheel. The issue I have is that the axle on power side is quite short and the nut does not get enough "grip". When tightened, it jumps back. The axle on the brake side is much longer and the nut sits tight.

Another thing that bothers me, is that the axle has a groove that looks like an anti rotation washer similar to the ones that come with the Nexus internal gear hubs belong there. I have spend a few hours looking on the Internet, but I cannot find any information on what kind of nut should go there.

The dynamo hubs model number is DH-C6000-3R.


texts: Please help me identify the specifics on my older Giant Sedona?

texts: I was generously given this working, older Giant Sedona. I have searched and searched, high and low to find out specifics on the bike, to no avail. I've been to Giant Bicycles website, there's no info available about older bikes and you can't register an older bike either. I have been to Bikepedia, again no specifics about my bike. bikeindex.org, it was never registered there as stolen. I have google searched "giant sedona" and have looked at images for hours trying to identify specifics on my bike. I have spent hours reading links and pages and pages of posts about identifying bikes. It would be neat if Giant or someone would create a site that one could plug in the serial number and find info about a specific bike. I'm surprised no one has done that yet. Nonetheless, if anyone has any useful tips I'd appreciate it. Thank you.


texts:
I have an 80's Fuji bike and It's definitely well past time to replace the bottom bracket. The adjusting cup came off fine, but the crank side cup is super stuck. I've tried stacking lockring washers and cranking the crap out of it. I've tried any kind of penetrating oil, almost broke my park tool for removing keyed rings. That sucker is stuck. It's been driven through a couple winters and I don't recall ever being able to remove that side.

Any ideas on how to get the crank side cup off? Is it just easier/cheaper to find the parts and rebuild it?

OH and yes I know it's reverse threaded! :D I'll be sure to grease the crud out of the new one when I can get it in.


texts: What are the values of Average Power Phase in the .FIT file?

texts:
I'm trying to understand the Average Power Phase values inside the .fit file. There are four of them, for example  avg_left_power_phase: (355.7812555590821, 199.68750312011724, 202.50000316406255, 97.0312515161133) for certain lap. I assume that the first is the start of the peak phase, the last is the end. But what about those two remaining? Similar four values are for peak power phase, for example avg_left_power_phase_peak: (59.06250092285158, 125.15625195556643, 66.09375103271486, 91.40625142822267).

I looked to the fit file specs, but there is nothing.

UPDATE - I'm using Favero Asioma Duo power meter pedals. They have implemented all Garmin PCD metrics, except the cleat offset.


texts:
I purchased a new mountain bike online.  As I understand it, new bikes are usually shipped only partially assembled, but I don't really know what to expect.  Will it just be a matter of attaching large assemblies like pedals and handlebars, or should I expect to have to route cables, setup derailleurs, etc?  I know it probably varies somewhat between manufacturers, but what would be the typical level of assembly I should expect?

EDIT: For clarification, I'm comfortable doing almost all my own maintenance and I own most of the necessary tools.  I'm just looking for an idea of what to expect and how much time to allot.


texts: How to cross major road 3 way intersection

texts:
I'm curious about the best way to get across this intersection. I will be traveling north (top of the picture is north), and want to turn left at this light. Path indicated by red arrows. As can be seen there is a bike lane on the far right. However since there is no road on that side there is not a light to allow traffic from the west.

I'm not sure which stage of the stoplight cycle would be best to attempt this. The road has a speed limit of 50 mph and is fairly busy so getting to the turn lane could prove difficult. I was wondering if any of you more seasoned riders could recommend any other course.


texts:
I recently bought an 13.5 Trek Cali for my daughter (9 years old).  I got an incredible deal on it and bought it sight unseen from an out of town seller.  After getting it, I realized it had 29" wheels on it instead of the 27.5 the more current models have.  I was actually looking for a 26" at the time, but it was such a great deal, I couldn't pass it up.

I like that it is something she will be able to grow into, but the tires are absolutely huge for her.  I did some modifications (moved some spacers and flipped the stem) so it is definitely ridable.

I am curious if I could throw some older 26" wheels on the bike for the next year or two until she gets more comfortable with the bigger wheels.  It has disc brakes so that shouldn't be an issue.

I know she is going to have a much lower BB that may lead to a few pedal strikes and it is going to look a bit akward with the longer seat tubes and forks.  But since I am changing both wheels, it shouldn't affect the overall geometry too much.

So what do you think?  I know it isn't ideal, but any reason it wouldn't work?

Edit:

I have seen this question, but it addresses only changing the front wheel (which would change geometry.  And also this question about going down to 27.5, but he is looking more for performance improvements.


texts:
I am having problems with replacing brake cables on rear wheel. The bicycle has mechanical disks. I removed old cable successfully and I've put the new one in. The thing is that I feel like it's not tight enough, but I cannot tighten it more. When I try using the brake, it doesn't brake at all.

Here are the images:

I didn't cut the cable yet because first I'd like to get it working properly. Do you have any clues on what's wrong? I don't think that I need to adjust the brake, as I am only changing the cable.


texts: Alternative Firmware for Garmin Edge 500

texts:
I'm using a Garmin Edge 500 cycle computer. For most parts I'm quite happy with it. Besides the issue of it not finding GPS from time to time there is one thing which really drives me crazy: When switching between my bikes I have to go through 5 or so menus to get to the option to pick another bike. Without doing that it won't recognize the bike sensors. Over time I had quite a few cases where I didn't realize I forgot to configure it properly.

I can't image it too be too complicated software-wise to scan for all known bike sensors and automatically switch over (or ask the user "hey I'm seeing other sensors, should I switch to that bike?") so I wonder if there are folks working on alternative firmware which offers such features or where one could contribute.


texts: How much faster does a mountain bike go with slick tires vs. knobby tires

texts:
Let's say a person has a mountain bike. How much faster would this person go (on long roads, not commuting) when using slick tires (the kind commonly used on road bikes) vs. using knobby, mountain bike tires? Assume that the power output is the same in either case.
Note that this is related to this question: How do on-road mountain bike speeds translate to road bike speeds?


texts: Repair parts from Shimano - What are these part for?

texts:
I got a new Cannondale bike with hydraulic disc brakes and Tiagra set from Shimano. With the bike came seom parts which I cannot identify. I think they have to do with the brakes, but can't find anything. The yellow bit says Shimano on it, but thats it.

Any ideas what are these parts for?


texts: Through axle (thru-axle) - typical/minimum number of turns of active tread engagement

texts:
On opening the cam lever of a 15mm through-axle, I have noticed it is possible to slide the axle out after only two whole turns.  When installing the axle, more that two turns results in a cam tension that is too tight, less than two turns then the cam tension is too loose.  I am concerned about safety and durability.

Does anyone know the minimum turns that a through axle should have in order to retain the wheel?  Otherwise what is the typical number of turns from your experience?  The bike in question is a cyclocross (if that makes any difference).

The image shows the threaded hole from the inside of the fork.

The length of the bolt that goes into this whole matches the outside distance of the fork, however the bolt is tapered at the end so the thread at the very end is not used.  The partially threaded hole seems to by typical of thru-axle designs to allow the bolt to pass into the fork for alignment purposes before threading begins.  In this case however I believe there is insufficient thread.

This is a new bike and I have concerns over safety and long term durability.


texts:
I have a $300 MTB used for commuting. It has been three years now, and the rain and snow have said their word. Two weeks ago I disassembled the fork and spent a good one hour with the sandpaper, removing rust. Still some was left. It has been two rainshowers from then. Yesterday I had another look and ... it is not promising.

I have move aggressive means of removing material (so that there will remain no rust) - a grinding wheel. However, I am afraid to use it, as I guess it will be weakening the tubes too much. I do not seek top performance - it is a no-steal bike (for example the handlebar is visibly bent).

Below are the two pictures. Should I clean the rust? How? How reliable is the fork currently? How long does it have left?