texts: Easy build, high weight capacity trailer for Burning Man

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TL;DR
I want to make a high capacity trailer from bamboo to ride around at a desert festival.

Bamboo structure (probably 1.5" or 2" major strength lengths, 1" for crosses)
Hitch using bamboo & bamboo joints to get it up to a rack or seat post, with one of the varied DIY hitches seen around the internet.
simple wheels with high rated weight capacity, or dual wheels
simple steel length with clamps on each side of the wheel to mount,
similar clamps to mount to the bamboo
weight capacity will be 300+ pounds
Estimated costs (at the moment) $200-$250 just for the trailer structure & seat location, and budgeting for mistakes)

Long version:

I'm seriously considering a heavy duty bike trailer for this year at Burning Man (those who don't know, giant arts/community festival in the middle of the desert, so very flat). I'm planning on having a large capacity 36v battery pack as I'm going to get an electric front-wheel conversion kit, and I want plenty of power (plus for lighting & such). So if I go for 20 Ah pack, that's something like 40+ pounds. Then on the trailer a small-ish disco ball suspended off the back with lights for at night. And another 12v battery for all the lights. And a small lockable storage space for stuff. And then a seat for someone on it. So, all told, plan on 300 pound capacity.

Searching around the net (both here and elsewhere), I think I've settled on bamboo framing & structure for it's strength, lightweight, and easy to work with (no welding!).

The two things I'm uncertain of right now, are the hitch & wheels & wheel mounts.

Hitch, I can do something fairly simple to attach it to a rear rack or even seat post.

Wheels and wheel mount is more complicated. I've seen quite a few people have success with 20" BMX style wheels but I'm trying to keep costs somewhat down. Or maybe something like plastic 20" wheels or 24" MTB wheels from Northern tool. As an alternative, use a much lower rated wheel in 16 or 20 inch, but go dually, so 2 wheels on each side. For mounting, seems like I could even just get a length of steel from Home Depot in the right OD, cut it to length, and put some clamp thingies onto it to mount the wheel (which includes bearings) and drill a hole in the bamboo and do the same to hold it in place.

It's very flat terrain with semi-formed dirt roads, not going to be going very fast (maybe 10mph) does what I've said above seem doable?


texts: What are some good options for a sturdy front bike rack (for carrying 30 to 40 pounds) on a front suspension bike?


texts: To follow off my last question (what are good training program for offroad racing?), what is the best ridding position/riding positions for each portion of XC racing?


texts: I need to change my fork after having an accident with my bike

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I need help as I need to change the fork for my bike (Ridgeback Speed 2013 Womens Hybrid Bike)

I live in London and I went to few shops but in all of them they need to order the fork and it will cost me between £80 and £100

Do you know if there is anywhere I could find a fork for my bike and make cheaper to fix it?

Many thanks in advance

Isabel


texts: Is a name sticker with my name enough to prove a bike is mine if it gets stolen?

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Apart from the fact that stickers can be removed (as thats not the point of my question) would if my bike got stolen and i found it, would a sticker with my name on the frame be enough to prove that the bike is mine?

Thanks.


texts: Is there a way to remember pedal, crank position before taking sharp turns

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I had a nasty tumble yesterday when doing a sharp right turn into a side road.
A car was giving way to me at the junction.

I turned right and I was basically thrown of my bike. flipped onto my left side ending up on my back.
It was so quick a violent I can't say for sure what happened.

The only thing I can think what caused it was my right pedal may have been in the down (6 o'clock) position.

These things must have been natural when I was younger, as I've never had a incident like this before.


texts:
I bought streamers for my kids bikes:
https://www.pushys.com.au/bikecorp-handlebar-streamers-shiny-purple.html
How do I attach them? I was told I just need to push them through the holes on the sides of handlebars but they seem to be too narrow for this. Pictures attached:

Do I need to make the white plastic things thinner? Do I need to open or widen the hole on the handlebars somehow?


texts: Combining Deore XT 9-speed shifters with Deore XT BR-M8000 (I-Spec-II)

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I wanted to convert my trekking bike to a mountain bike, and replace the Deore XT V-Brakes with disc brakes. However, the bike still has a perfectly functional Deore XT groupset (9-speed; unsure about the type).

Googling the BR-M8000 set, I noticed it says it is 'I-Spec-II;, which seems to be some shifter and brake lever mount integration. Will I be able to combine these two or am I forced to replace my shifters too (and thus probably keep with the times and pick a 10-speed groupset?)

Or is this just playing into Shimano's planned obsolescence hand?


texts: Why the small difference between common sizes of handlebars (31.8mm) and MTB seatposts (31.6mm)?

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Many handlebars have a 31.8mm clamp section, and a common MTB seatpost size is 31.6mm.
I know these are both around 1 1/4 inches. Why the 0.2mm difference though?


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Can anyone identify this classic frame?
I don't know if this frame I got is generic or branded. I got no signs of any brand except for the Brev Campagnolo drop out and a raised C-69-E under the frame.


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Yesterday I saw something like a crack in the carbon fork of my roadbike. Now I don't have any clue if this is a really a crack or just the paint.
Maybe someone can help me or tell me how to find out. Thanks!

EDIT:
Thanks again for all your answers. I took the bike to my dealer, he communicated it to the TREK warranty department and I got a brand new fork. No bigger problems, just some e-mails and pictures (from the dealer, he also sent the broken fork in). Thumbs up TREK!


texts: Specialized Rock Hopper (1987) - Service

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I was wondering if anyone might have a service manual of some description for a vintage Specialized Rock Hopper(1987 - Yellow)?

I have googled this for hours and hours and have tried contacting Specialized directly but no dice. I need to find out how to remove the rear brake, there appears to be something (perhaps a hidden pin) holding it to the bike. I really need to find out how to remove this, and I really don't want to pay the LBS for what could be a simple fix (colour me stingy).

As you can see, I've got a lot of work ahead of me to make this bike cosmetically sound, but the brakes are the only mechanical failing... Ideally I'd like to take them off to give them a deep clean, and to lubricate each part.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,
Bill


texts: Climbing techique with panniers and cleats

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In the last year I started using cleats (2 bolts SPD) on my touring bike, which I often use with rear panniers on biking holiday (travelled about 2000 km with this set up).

The struggle I have is when cycling on a steep climb: in certain cases, when I am already using the shortest gears, I have to trade off between two opposite necessities:

if I push harder without standing on the pedals I end up lifting my front wheel
if I don't push harder I go too slow to keep a decent equilibrium

Until I used clip less pedals I could easily put my foot on the ground in case of necessity, but now the concern of having locked feet adds another source of uncertainty.

I have tried releasing one foot during the climb, but it goes without saying that pedaling gets way more clumsy.

What is a good technique to climb steep road with cleats and back panniers?


texts: Upgrading mountain bike crankset because worn teeth & chain slippage

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Every time i would google a bike issue this forum always come up so i thought i would join as it seems this group is very patient with beginners to the MTB world. I know there is similar post to this already on the forum but as i'm a complete novice & would absolutely love to be able to do my own bicycle maintenance, i really need exact help with what i'm trying to do.
I have TREK marlin 5 2019 mountain bike.
Which i now mainly use as a commuter bike & to take my child to nursery with bike seat and rack on the back. I haven't changed to road bike, as i ride along canal footpaths & cobbled streets & down flights of steps on the way back. I'm now getting very bad chain slippage when in the middle and biggest ring on the crankset. On closer inspection it looks some of the teeth have worn down (please see image new vs mine) which is crazy seeing the bike is only two years old. But its had poor maintenance and maybe with the weight of my child on the back this has happened sooner than it should.
To cut to point of my questions. I would like to replace/upgrade the crankset (as the current crankset is riveted together so i can't replace separate rings) also i would like to be able to go faster along the street. It currently has a "Shimano Tourney TY301, 42/34/24" can you please recommend another crankset that would fit this bike that has a bigger top chain ring to help with speed?
It looks like i might have to buy a cotterless crank tool & torque wrench to do this job?
I've always wanted to have a bike with Shimano Deore xt components ( but i know this would be super expensive for a XT triple crank set ) Could you please tell me if a Shimano Deore xt crankset would fit and what model number should i look for? If the XT components wouldn't fit could please recommend another shimano crankset that's bigger (in terms of a larger top chain ring) and would fit?
Could you also please tell me if i need to stick with a triple crankset (i would like the lowest gear still as sometime i do find some steeper hills)?
And by changing the crankset to bigger triple can i still use my current front and back derailleur's, cassette & shifters?
I have listed out all the current components out below.
Also would you buy a new chain a the same time?
Finally, if buying these two items doesn't solve the slipping issue, i'm guessing there could be a few things causing this issue, like a rear hub, or needing to change the derailleur's? If you could please try and help me diagnose what it could be, i would be hugely appreciative.
Sorry there are so many questions in this one post.
Really hope someone can take help me.
Shifters: Shimano Altus M310, 7 speed
Front & Rear derailleur: Shimano Tourney TY300
Crank: Shimano Tourney TY301, 42/34/24
Max chainring size: 1x: 32T, 3x: 42T
Bottom Bracket: Sealed cartridge, 73mm
Cassette: Shimano HGG200, 12-32, 7 speed
Chain: KMC Z51


texts: Avoiding being wiped out after work commute?

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I work ~15 miles from home and have made the decision to make the commute via bike. This is for a couple reasons. First of which being I don't actually have my license yet, second being that taking the bus actually takes longer, and third, that I'm getting my exercise AND commuting done at the same time.

I was initially doing this on a 45lb+ mountain bike with large tires and no pedal clips, but I recently bought a nice $700 road bike and have cut half an hour off the trip so that it only takes about an hour each way.

I don't so much mind the time it takes, even though it leaves me with little when I get back, as much as I do how tired I get afterwards. At work isn't too bad because I'm sitting most of the time anyway, but after I get home I've spent 8 hours at work, and two hours riding 30 miles on my bike, and I don't have much energy left to enjoy what remains of my time.

Diet is, of course, what I'm asking about here. I'm earning a modest pay and trying to put every penny towards college, so I'm not looking to reinvent how I eat, just make some switches or additions here and there. I've tried eating large amounts of pasta the day before, but still didn't see much improvement (I get the feeling I've misunderstood something about carb loading). I would drink more gatorade or other electrolyte-replenishing drinks, but I'm not sure where or how to buy them cheap and in bulk so the cost doesn't add up too much. The other thing I'm concerned about is protein. I'm probably not getting as much of it as I should be, but don't really know what to do about it. I've heard that people who weight train use whey protein - is that something bikers should do as well? If so, how would I go about taking it?

I'm relatively new to biking, so even the simplest advice would be appreciated.


texts: My new grip shifters were installed on the opposite sides than I'm used to.  Can I easily just switch them back to what I am used to?


texts: Should I be worried about sand in the chain?

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This is about my daughter's (10yo) bike. It's fairly new, maybe about a year old (bought it off a relative who changed her mind). We're no active sporting family, but with this social distancing and working from home thing we've started to take long walks every day - about 2h per day or so. And my daughter rides along with her bike most of the days. So - light but regular usage.

Now, most of the days here have been nice and sunny, but last Friday we got some rain while walking. The next day, Saturday, she started to complain that her bike has become squeaky. Had to agree, the chain was squeaking.

So on Sunday I went to the nearest hardware store and bought a can of the only chain oil they had (this product). It's not specifically aimed at bicycles but judging by the many bicycle pictures on their webpage, it certainly can be used there.

My daughter didn't ride her bike on Monday, but on Tuesday we took it out again and I sprayed the chain thoroughly. Indeed, the bicycle became whisper quiet. Nice.

Then today (Wednesday) we went somewhere a little different and visited a nearby patch of a forest. Dirt paths, hills, was fun. But soon after we got out my daughter again started to complain that it's gotten harder to pedal and the chain is making noise again. This time it wasn't squeaking but... I don't know the English word for it, but it's the sound that sand makes when it's between moving parts. "Gritting"? "Grating"? "Grinding"? Not sure. Anyways, yeah, the chain and gears do look like they've got some sand and dirt stuck to them which would explain it all.

Now... I don't know what to do. I could try applying more of the spray oil, but my intuition says that it won't help much, if not actively make things worse. Reading on this site reveals that people are using some sort of "degreasers" and giving their chains thorough cleaning with a toothbrush... Which seems like way too much hassle and overkill. As a kid I've spent years riding my bike through whatever and probably lubricated the chain twice in total, so this sounds like it shouldn't be an issue. Perhaps it will just dry off or get ground off in a few days and that will be that? Or maybe I've overlubricated the chain or used the wrong substance or something and now there is indeed trouble brewing?

Any advice on what to do?

Update:

What I ended up doing was a lot simpler and will probably earn me at least a few disappointed sighs from the experts here. I remembered that there's a gas station nearby where they have free access to running water for washing your windshield/bike/whatever. And I just poured some on the chain and gears and the noise stopped and the bicycle is running nicely now. I'm keeping an ear out to see if it starts squeaking again - if it does, I'll apply a bit of oil again and this time - wipe it off!


texts: Chain slipping on brand new bike, bike shop is stumped

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I just bought a 2020 Kona Lava Dome (the details of this bike/components are at the end of this question) and I can't use the low (small) front sprocket. Under any load (like a hill climb) the chain slips. This came up on my very first ride. It doesn't come off or change gears, it just slips. I've tried to find answers/suggestions online and other questions on here, but they all suggest the following:

Replace worn components - not applicable, everything is brand new
derailleur adjustments (front and back) - The bike was assembled by the shop, I independently re-set everything, and the bike shop inspected the drive train again when I brought this issue to them, no obvious misalignment/misadjustment
Wrong/stuck link/worn chain - It had a brand new chain, the bike shop tried replacing the stock chain with a Shimano chain to see if it would fit their components better, it did not fix the issue.
bent hanger - Again, the bike is brand new and the shop assembled it and later reinspected it when trying to repair this issue.

I tried looking around to see if this was a known issue on this particular bike or crank set and I couldn't find anything. The bike shop is going to contact Kona and Shimano to try and figure out a solution. For the time being, I'm stuck with only using the large front sprocket. With the bike/parts shortage going on right now, I'm worried I'm going to be stuck with this issue for a long time, especially if the solution is to throw parts at it and hope it works. (for those outside the USA, there is a nationwide bike shortage here in the states)

I'm hoping someone may have come across this before, maybe with this specific bike or components and might have a suggestion/idea what is wrong or something I can try to fix it.

The bike is totally stock; the full details are on the Kona website but the relevant components are:

Shimano HG200 11-36t 9spd freewheel
Shimano Altus shifters and front drive
Shimano Alivio rear drive
Shimano bottom bracket

Update: my bike shop's contact at Kona said he has never seen this problem on any of their bikes. When they contacted Shimano, they sent out a complete crank assembly (which hopefully includes the bottom bracket and bearings) to replace the one on the bike. I will report back  once it arrives and the shop installs it to see if that resolves the issue.


texts: How can I tell if I have properly patched a tube? (specifically a 2" mt. bike tube)

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I normally swap out a the tube on the trail if I get a flat and then patch at home. So that leaves me with a patched tube ready to put in a tire and I'd like to test it without having to swap out a tube ('cause I'm lazy :).

I thought that perhaps I could just inflate it but I'm concerned that without the opposing pressure of the tire it might blow an otherwise solid patch.


texts:
It seems me, that the chain is too long.

Probably this is the reason, why the chain falls sometimes.

By how many links I should shorten the length?

P.S. Probably the reason for it, that my 52T sprocket had broken and I replaced it by 50T sprocket.

PHOTO UPDATED after adjusting tension on a B-Screw on rear derailleur.


texts: How to true 16 spokes front Campagnolo scirocco 35

texts: I have a wheel which has serious damage in two places. First - there is a huge wobbly-wheel due to side collision (5mm) and second - there is a dent on a braking surface. I'm curious - is there any change to true this wheel? Rim is very strong, I'm not sure if I can bend it with my hands or body weight.


texts: Replacement front wheel for Fastroad SL-1 2019

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I'm looking for a replacement front wheel for a Giant Fastroad SL-1 from 2019.
I'd like to replace it with the same wheel or something with similar specs if possible.
The wheel is labelled as a SR2-Disc, has 28 spokes and is running a 700 x 28 tyre. I'm not sure about the depth. Some other markings on the wheel are ETRTO 622x17 .
I'm running with inner tubes so tubeless isn't a requirement for me. I'd definitely like to avoid downgrading any other specs though.
LBS who retail Giant thought that this part isn't sold as a replacement, and that a generic wheel won't come in a spoke count that low.
Could I get an an idea of what similar wheels I could use or how to get the same wheel as a replacement? I'm a bit lost.
Thanks in advance!
https://i.imgur.com/4192IUZ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/d76Q9YZ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/AOjbIfz.jpg


texts: Hydraulic disc brakes - total friction as a function of rotor size

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I have a hydraulic disc road bike with a 160mm rotor on the front and a 140mm on the rear.  The setup is exactly the same front to rear, except for rotor size. I'd like to know the disparity between the force I would have to apply at the brake lever for the total friction or stopping power to be equal front to rear, for a given speed over a given distance, to a complete stop, i.e. total work done by each to be exactly equal.  Since the 140mm rotor is 7/8th's the size of the 160mm, I'd be tempted to say that an equal lever pull would produce 7/8th's the friction on the rear, but I'm sure there is more to it than that.

So, for example, If I'm riding at 10mph and come to a stop over 100ft, how hard would I have to pull each lever (as a ratio of front brake/rear brake) to ensure that my momentum is converted to exactly the same amount of heat by each rotor respectively?


texts: Replacing Apex 1 crank arm with Shimano 105

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I would like to buy a 4iii power meter integrated in a Shimano 105 crank arm.

On my bike I currently have SRAM Apex 1. Will this be possible?

Thank you!


texts: Derailleur problems - rear mech slipping forward

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I have been riding my Trek Fuel Ex 8 for a few years now, and as I have improved, I have been attacking more challenging terrain.

I have started to notice a problem in my rear mech - the link arm screw that holds the mech to the dropout seems to slip and cause the whole derailleur to swing forward until the cogs are sandwiching the chain against the sprocket. Now I'm no doctor, but I can easily say that sort of cramping is bad.

On the trail, where this mainly happens, I have been able to repair the system by pulling the whole mech back as far as it will go (there seems to be some sort of physical block or stop in place, so I don't think I'm going too far) and tightening the screw that is allowing the slippage.
Now that seems like problem solved, right? My question is this.

Firstly, is that the correct procedure to reposition and fix the mech, or am I doing something wrong?

Secondly, how tight must this screw be? Wrenching it as hard as I sensibly and safely can with a park tool only holds for a while, and then the problem repeats. Also, how would you measure tightness? (I feel like there is an obvious answer there that I should know already...)

Finally, given the problem occurs on the trail, and specifically I think on landings and rough patches, is there something in my riding style that could help prevent damage. Advice is welcome, but I'm not an absolute beginner.

Thank you for any help on this


texts:
Could someone tell me which tool I can use to remove the freewheel in the attached picture please. I do have a couple of freewheel tools but they don't fit this particular freewheel.

Thanks

Chris


texts: What is the best way to calculate my maximum heart rate?

texts: I know that there are a number of calculations (220 - age etc.) for calculating max HR - are there any better formulas or empirical ways of calculating?


texts: Convert a Cannondale SM1000 (about 1991 model) to disk brakes

texts: I've got an older, about 1991, model Cannondale SM1000 mountain bike purchased new.  Would it be worth it to convert to disk brakes and if so what would be the process?


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I've been looking into getting a trunk-mounted bike rack for two bikes. However, I've heard a few people say that I actually need a 3-bike rack because there isn't really enough space on a 2-bike rack for two bikes.

Is this true? If so, why do 2-bike racks even exist? Does it just depend on the brand? 3-bike rack models are a bit more expensive than their 2-bike counterparts, and I don't plan on ever transporting 3 bikes, so I'd rather not buy a 3-bike rack if I don't have to.


texts: Convert Cannondale CAAD9 to a hybrid style...?

texts: Can a road bike be "converted" to a hybrid/more upright bike? Flat bars and the shifters/brakes should be simple enough, but will the shifters adapt to my Ultegra set?


texts: What does "Electronic Ready" mean on a Giant Frame?

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I just purchased a 2014 Giant TCX SLR 2, and noticed in the spec sheet that the frame is "Electronic Ready"

What does this mean?

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-ca/bikes/model/tcx.slr.2/17669/73500/#specifications

I was hoping this would mean ready for a speed/cadence sensor but that seems to be "RideSense ready" in terms of Giant lingo.


texts: Why Are The Fingers Attached On Some Cycling Gloves?

texts: What is the purpose of the material connecting the fingers on some pairs of cycling gloves?


texts: Can i use a thinner standard mtb chain (SRAM 971) or does the chain need to be specific (SRAM PC-1) for coaster brake single speed

texts: Time for a replacement chain, and i have a sram 971 sitting around, don't want to spend the money on a new chain, if i can get away with using a mountain bike chain. Hopefully it won't pop off with standard tension?


texts: Upgrading front suspension for an entry level MTB

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I recently bought a used hardtail MTB (my first bike ever) with Shimano's Acera groupset, double-wall wheels, but the front SR Ssuntour suspension has only 30 mm travel, which isn't enough for riding trails (I guess).
My question is :

Do I stick with the usual fork until I gain some skills ( I'm a complete beginner )
If not : is it as simple as replacing the front suspension with another one that has longer travel and then I'm ready to go, do forks need certain compatibility with other parts.

Thanks for your time !!!


texts:
I have a Ridley Noah frame that has a really small dent in the integrated seatpost, the dent itself does not seem to be caused by an object hitting it. It looks like it has been caused by hanging it on a bike stand with the clamp attached to the seat post.

It is hard to describe the damage. It looks like the frame slide down while hanging in the clamp. You can see a small layer of carbon being exposed above and below the dent, the dent itself has two layers of carbon visible. The dent can be best described as if it was sanded down.

In the picture below you can see the dent on the lefthand side of the seatpost, in the centre of the picture

I did not notice this until today. I have ridden quite a lot of miles since I got it back from a bike mechanic. My guess is the damage occurred while in maintenance.

Can such a dent, not caused by the frame being hit by something, compromise the strength of the seat tube? I can take the frame to a carbon repair shop if needed.


texts: What does 'tire clearance' mean? Can you please explain with an illustration? Does it mean the distance between the tire and the fender?


texts: What sort of bike will suit both offroading and onroading

texts: I live in an area which is connected to main road by a small lane(worse than mountainous region, I mean it's condition) and the main road is just like a new tarmac surface, the speed breakers are something like road blocks half feet in height and half feet in width with triangular surface. My old bike is an mtb and serves both well but it is heavy any suggestions what I should look for in my new bike.


texts: Replacing roller-clutch freehub with ratchet type

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I live in Finland, and as such the weather right now is pretty cold.  Since I rely on my bike for shopping in a rural area, the frequent and complete loss of drive I now suffer at below-freezing temperatures is intolerable.  The local bike shop has looked at it twice now, and utterly failed to fix the problem; I don't think they've tried very hard.  When kept in a warm place overnight, it works fine, but as little as a quarter of an hour outside is often enough to make it fail again.

My own research so far indicates that I have a roller-clutch freehub (ie. it doesn't tick when coasting), which is in general more prone to failure than the ratchet type.  Most of the mechanical fittings on the bike appear to be from basic Shimano ranges; it was an ex-rental.  The model number on the hub body is FH-RM30, and the gearing seems to be an Alivio 8-speed at the rear, and a Nexave 3-speed at the front.

I'm keen to replace the freehub with a ratchet unit for reliability and longevity.  However, I'm reading suggestions that the two tend to use incompatible interfaces to neighbouring components.

My question is: how much do I need to replace?


texts: Which are the best method to patch a gel saddle?

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what are some ways to repair a gel saddle's hole?

This is my problem is on this one:

https://www.lidl.de/media/product/0/0/4/5/1/4/9/selle-royal-atb-trekking-sattel-show-gel-rio-mit-kantenschutz.jpg

A ~1cm² hole on the cover of the gel. I have tried taping it and using Shoe-Goo
but these two options fall off very quickly. any ideas?

I am hesitant of using superglue.


texts: Frame Or Paint Crack (Cannondale Super Six Carbon)

texts: I am about to pull the trigger on a used 2012 Cannondale SuperSix bike. This would be my first bike and I'm very excited.  However I am a bit concerned about some cracks.   Seller claims paint is cracked and not the carbon frame but I have my doubts.  I wanted to see what you guys think of this picture.


texts: Front brakes need to be further apart to fit the front wheel through

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My new bike has arrived boxed and partly built. The manual is generic and unclear. The front brakes need to be widened to fit the wheel, it says to 'disengage the cable guide tube from it's yoke'.
Not sure where or how and I don't want to force anything and break it.


texts: Fixed gear Biking, how to ride properly?

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I Have been riding bikes since I've been 6 years old, and I don't mean riding up and down the street - I mean touring with my sisters for 10-20 Km. Later on, I really got into Downhill.

Over time I have collected an assortment of bikes and then I moved to America (from Germany). I could only bring one bike so I chose my Trek Full Suspension MTB. My bike got stolen.

I'm on a really limited budget, and I could never waste $300 on a really crappy bike from Walmart, and I can't afford a nice 2 - 6 thousand dollar bike. So I spent $430 on a Mercier Kilo TT fixed gear. I am incredibly impressed, it's a complete new experience of bike riding and I love it. However, I worry about some of the dangers of fixed gear if not ridden properly, how can I do it safely?

(This is my first fixie, and I really got it for it's simplicity and cheapness, I have ridden all sorts of Road Bikes and Mountain Bikes)


texts: getting the crank arms off an old bsa bike

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So I'm resuming work on restoring a bsa bike for my sister.

The first thing I need to do is strip it as it's in need a of new paint job.

I'm having trouble removing the crank arms.

They appear to be bolted on using a round headed bolt then a nut on the other side.

Is there something am doing wrong because the bolt doesn't appear to come out. Even when I whacked it multiple times with my hammer it still didn't budge.


texts:
I'm replacing my rear brake housing on a Giant Defy (2010) but finding that the new end cap/ferrule does not fit. The old end cap was fused to the frame so while I still have it, it's not in great condition to be reused.
If I look for replacements they all seem to be 5mm, and if I compare the new and old end cap they look almost the same size, with the old end cap maybe just slightly smaller. Is it possible Giant used a non-standard part?

Edit: after looking into this a bit further it seems the replacement cable housing is using the Shimano M-System, which uses 6mm ferrules. So the existing housing probably uses the standard 5mm.


texts:
I was told this was a Cinelli frame although it's clearly not. The fork seems to be original but I'm not sure of what it could be just by looking at its dropouts and lugs. The seat post is 26.8, english threaded and there is a "suntour pro" stamp on the dropouts.
I would seriously be glad if anyone could help!

frame, dropouts, windowed lugs and fork crown

serial number

oh! sorry for the weird rendering on the photos, my iphone has become senile.


texts: Problem with internal gear routing cable and bottom bracket

texts:
I have a problem where I got a frame made I asked for internal cable routing and it has arrived but there is no provision for the cable to pass through the bottom bracket.

It is a titanium frame and I'm trying to pass the hydraulic cables through but there seems no way of doing so without going under the shell leaving the cable exposed.


texts:
could you please list a COMPLETE list of required tools to assemble a road bike? I purchased a shimano 105 group set and a Chinese carbon road bike frame with a fork. I'd like to put together my first bike and having this list would eliminate a lot of potential frustration.

Optional: toolset suggestions.

Frame - http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=171304286297
Group set
Shimano 105 5800 Groupset 34/50 Chainset & 12/25 Cassette
Shimano 105 CS-5800 Road Bike Cassette - 12-25 / 11 Speed
Shimano Ultegra 6800 Bottom Bracket - Black / English (BSA)
Shimano 105 5800 CNHG600 Road Bike Chain
Shimano 105 BR-5800 Road Bike Brake Callipers - Black - Pair
Shimano 105 FD-5800 Road Bike Front Derailleur - Black - Black / Braze On
Shimano 105 RD-5800 Road Bike Rear Derailleur - Black - Black / Short Cage SS
Shimano 105 ST-5800 Road Bike Gear Levers - Black
Shimano 105 FC-5800 Road Bike Chainset - Black - Black / 172.5mm / 34/50 / 11 Speed


texts: Koolstop set compatible for folding bike?

texts: Is this Koolstop Road Pad Holder and Brake Pad Set compatible for folding bike ? My bike is  using Dahon Speed P8.


texts: 11-42t cassette with a 9 speed derailleur, will it work?

texts:
I'm trying to figure out if my 9 speed derailleur (Shimano Deore) will work with a 11-42t cassette (note that it is a specific 9 speed cassette).

It is for a MTB 1× setup

I previously had a 3×9 setup which had a the same Shimano Deore rear shifter.


texts: How to test-ride a full-suspension bike?

texts:
I am looking for a MTB, but am unsure how to measure if the frame would fit me.

I haven't had a full-suspension bike. Furthermore, I am pretty sure MTBs perform entirely differently in the city and when going down a rocky track. My previous bike was small, short and awkward on pavement, but incredibly stable on the descents.

When test-riding, I very much doubt that any shop will let me ride for a whole day. And from doing a couple of circles around the shop, rushing a couple of curbs, feathering or squeezing the brakes and doing a jump or two there is hardly any feel as to what riding will be like, when I get used to the bike.

Kind of like with new shoes - at the start, every model is "awkward", as one has not gotten used to it.

I will ask the guys at the shop to help me with fitting, of course, but concerning the test ride - how do I do it correctly? What information is most essential to gather during the very short ride and how do I do that?


texts: Is it significant that my bike sometimes makes a "twang" sound when I hit a bump?

texts:
I recently bought a 2016 Cannondale Synapse Carbon Disc road bike, which is working great -- however I notice that occasionally when my front wheel hits a bump (e.g. a small pothole or the lip of a driveway), the front fork (or something beneath it) goes into some sort of vibration mode and makes a noise that sounds a lot like the "twang" of a door-stopper for about a quarter-second.

It's a little surprising when this happens (both due to the unexpected sound and the vibration I feel through the handlebars), but I don't observe any obvious problems other than that.

My question is, is this sort of behavior normal/expected with this type of bike, or is it an indicator that something needs adjustment?  (The quick-release lever seems to engaged tightly AFAICT, and there is no reflector mounted on the front spokes)


texts: How to copy cleat angle on the same shoe?

texts:
I have a triathlon coming up this weekend so I need the old angle of the cleat on my new shoes as the old shoe is completely damaged. How can I get the old angle of the cleat on the new shoe with a new cleat?
The northwave Sonic 2 SRS is very comfortable that's why I bought the shoes again but cannot find a way to do the cleat thing.
Please help me as soon as possible.


texts:
It looks like rust on my chain and cassette.

Both were new 5 months (4000 km) ago. The chain is about 60% worn/stretched. I've been riding 5 days/week, 40 km/day, Toronto on mild winter roads, and using only 'dry' lube (i.e. alcohol and teflon) on the chain.

What should I know about that?

I like to keep my bike in good working order, so that it rides very well (but, arriving home each evening after an hour-long commute, I have had no time for bike care: I just lock it, in the laundry room). Is this rust only cosmetic?

Should I use a winter lube? What (product or servicing) should affect/prevent rust on the cassette, if that's necessary?

When I replace the chain (when it's next serviced, perhaps two months from now) should I ask the LBS to replace the cassette again as well?


texts: Seing this thread showed me what the tape should be wrapped up from the outside of the handlebars (left side handle wrapped clockwise seen from behind, and vice versa) but looking at some videos at youtube I see that some does it opposite or say that it doesn't even matter. Is this a matter of the bikers way of holding the handles or is there a strict rule I really should stick to when applying my new tape?


texts: Tall rider - good cockpit/body position for downhill

texts:
I have been riding mountain bikes since a long time, and I am riding only downhill/bikeparks since 2009. I've had several bikes, but I've never been in a real comfortable position when riding (or if I was, the bike was not good enough) : I feel that my upper body stands too much over the front wheel.

For reference, I'm 1.9m tall (6"2 approximately), but I have long legs, not a long torso, and a "normal" arm length.

I've owned several bikes:

Short ones (M size) : they were very playful and fun to ride, but uncomfortable because in attack position my head is way above the bars/over the front wheel
Long ones (L size) : my previous bike was a Kona Stab Deluxe, comfortable but too heavy, not easy to ride in tight singletracks. My current bike is a Scott Voltage FR 30 in L size, but seems a bit shorter than the Kona, so again I feel that my head is too much on the front of the bike.

My current setup:

785mm wide bars with 0.5 inches of rise
40mm stem with 0° of angle

Here's a picture with my bike so you get an idea :

I've spent a lot of money on buying bikes during the last 7 years, so buying a new frame is not an option for the moment, plus my bike is really fun to ride.

Question : would it help me to have a better downhill position if I install one or both of the following items:

Longer stem (50mm, 60mm..), or a stem with more angle (5°, 6°), or both
Bars with more rise (30mm, 40mm)

Update : I finally bought 40mm rise bars, which is much better : I'm less bent on my bike, and I can lift the front wheel more easily!


texts: Pedals hits the ground too often while turning at relatively high speed

texts:
I’ve been riding for 40+ years of which the last 25 I’ve ridden Specialized.
Around April last year I decided to replace my old bike with a brand new Sirrus Sport, on an XL frame. While I love the looks and riding it, I have a serious safety concern.
It has happened now multiple times that when I make a turn at a relatively high speed,
the pedal hits the ground scaring the hell out of me. While this has happened in the past
with other bikes, it has never happened to me this frequent, to the point that I don’t feel safe riding and turning at high speeds and that of course impacts my overall performance.

I wonder if anyone has had the same experience with my exact same bike model. Could this be a Specialized design issue...? or could it be that whoever assembled the bike used the wrong stems or pedals...?I've got some pictures of the damaged pedals:

I’d appreciate your feedback, or comments regarding how to fix this. I've contacted the place I bought the bike twice but I'm not getting an answer, perhaps I should try Specialized directly.


texts: I have a 1983 Schwinn Sierra, one piece crank, badge # 2733. Frame seams appear Chicago. Any thoughts?


texts:
Okay so I've been reading about gear ratios and what not all morning and I can't make any sense of it. Some of it is registering but it's still kind of over my head.

I'm ordering a Tiagra group set for my commuter bike.  It will be around 10-15 miles a day (5 days a week) carrying approximately 35 pounds on panniers.  The commute will be mostly flat, couple small hills and some easy elevation increases.

I used to cycle quite a lot (200 mi/wk) but haven't ridden in a year due to time constraints.

So my options for the cassette are:

11-25
12-28
12-30

From my understanding I would want to go with either an 11-25 or 12-28.  The 11-25 would be more for speed/power and 12-28 would offer a wider range of gears (i.e. lower gears for climbing hills)?

Crankset options:

39/52
34/50 (Compact)

Crankset I have no idea about, this is where I keep getting lost with everything.

Any advice or recommendations would be very much appreciated.


texts: What to call bike brake levers with two gripping points?

texts:
I have a Schwinn Letour bike which has brake handles that can be gripped from two different points, but the whole brake handle is a singly body of metal, as can be seen here:

I am wondering what this kind of brake handles are called?


texts: Are these Xero Lite XSR-3 Wheels suitable for cross riding / racing?

texts:
I have a set of Xero Lite XSR-3 Wheels.  I tend to ride dirt, gravel, and some singletrack on my cross bike and sometimes some cross races.  Would I be able to swap this wheelset on to my cross bike to save weight or should I stick with my heavier duty 32 spoke wheels.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Images/Models/Original/23418.jpg


texts:
I have a Schwinn Rocket mountain bike with front and rear V-brakes. While removing the rear brakes to be replaced with higher quality ones, I managed to twist one of the brake posts out of the frame while it was still attached to the brake itself. It appears that the brake/post bolt is seized and won't budge.

How much effort should I invest into separating the bolt, brake and brate post trio? The whole train wreck is soaking in PB Blaster overnight, so I'll try one more time tomorrow.

It seems to me that a brake post is the type of hardware that I should be able to buy at any bike shop. However, as with anything coming from the highly balkanized bicycle industry, I'm wondering whether there are many sizes of brake posts out there. How can I tell which one I need?


texts: Is it normal that the Abus Bordo folding lock rattles?

texts:
I have the latest Abus Bordo Granite X-Plus 6500 folding lock:

It is cased inside a rubberized pouch that attaches to one of the bottle-cage locations:

Very convenient, but sadly, it rattles while riding on an uneven surface, which can get quite annoying, and does not make for a smooth ride.

Firstly, is that normal, or is something wrong? (Has one of the bolts come looser than it should be?)

Secondly, how do I prevent this from happening?


texts: How can you tell how far apart your chainrings are?

texts:
I just replaced my cassette and my crank with one from the LBS that the guy said would work. I've had no problems with the cassette, but the crank is too wide so that my front derailleur does not reach the 3rd chainring. So here's my question:

Is there a specification on cranks that show the length each chainring is away from each other, and for that matter how far it sits from the frame as well? This way I can look at the one I used to have on and find one with similar measurements.


texts: I wanted to change my bike tire. Is it okay to use 26x1.90 inner tube with 26x1.95 tire?


texts: Pedal on exercise bike fell off, not going back on

texts: My pedal came off my exercise bike/cross trainer. I have tried putting it back on, but the big screw will only go in so far.  It is turning twice then getting stuck. Can anyone tell me what I need to fix this. I don't know the names of the certain parts etc to search myself.


texts:
When I change into a low gear (i.e. onto a bigger cog) on my back cog all is fine. However, when I later change up again the chain sticks on the larger cog. I commute about 10 miles a day and this has been happening now for about 3 days. It usually rectifies itself after a period of frantic pedalling. I'm riding a fairly old (2004ish) Specialized Rock Hopper (in good nick) with road tyres.
My thoughts are that this is being caused by either the gear cable sticking somewhere or by a problem in the derailleur.
Any tips on how to diagnose where the problem lies? I guess I could just get a new cable and see if this fixes it.
Thanks!


texts: When I’m pedalling on my BMX it has no resistance - it feels like a mountain bike in low gear. Does anyone know how to fix it?


texts: How can I interpret the intent of and respond to cars behind me honking?

texts:
Two days in a row on my commute home I've had vehicles behind me start honking at me. (Note: I'm in Canada, and drive on the right.) The first time I was riding on a four-lane road, with a left turning lane and a right turning lane, in the second lane in from the right (since I was going straight through). The driver behind me honked a few times, pulled up beside me less than 0.5m away (the next lane to the left was occupied, and the lanes are fairly narrow) and continued honking and started shouting at me. I waved at him to back off, but he ignored me and continued yelling.

The second time, I was on the same road but not at a point with a right-turn lane, so I was hugging the curb. Again, a vehicle behind me started honking until a gap in traffic in the next lane over, when the driver passed me (this time with appropriate clearance and without any further fuss once they were no longer behind me).

Especially in the second case, I wasn't sure what the driver was honking for, i.e., what they wanted me to do. Go faster? Get off the road entirely? What should I do to determine whether someone is honking at me for a legitimate reason or just out of impatience? And how do I respond to what, as far as I can tell, is unwarranted honking, to indicate to someone to back off a little if necessary or at least stop being dangerously distracting?


texts:
I changed my shifters and need to change my front derailleur cable.

I just don't know how to proceed exactly.

A guide I found told me to:

on big sprocket, small plate (is that the english word?? ;p), adjust the LOW screw so that the left side of the derailleur is 0-0.5mm away from the chain
attach the cable
on large plate small sprocket, adjust the HIGH screw to have the right side of the derailleur 0-0.5mm away from the chain
adjust the barrel to get proper shifting for the middle ring

Now:

Is that guide correct according to you?
On step 2: in which position should the shifter be when attaching the cable? I would think on the largest ring position but I don't really know...
I don't have any barrel on my front derailleur casing, but the shifter has 2 close positions for the middle ring (I guess this is what they call the trimming thing), does this compensate the lack of barrel?

Thanks


texts: What do i need to know about buying a new back wheel for my mountain bike

texts:
I'm trying to buy a new wheel for my mountain bike and I went online and was lost in the different specs of the wheels.

I currently have a 1×9 on the bike.  I don't know anything else about the cassette or wheel because I bought the bike used.

I plan on getting a new groupset as well, do I need to buy both the wheel and set at the same time?


texts: Which derailler hanger should work on saracen raw 3 with sram sx4 rear derailer? The old derailler snapped off rhe frame


texts:
So, I've had at least two flat tires on my way to work. Therefore, I'm tempted to splurge on  a pair of Specialized Armadillo's (not the elites...)

However, I am not a particularly skilled rider.  I had a pair of racing slicks from the late 1990's (at the latest!) and they were a tad on the nightmarish side - I slid out at 5 miles an hour trying to leave a parking lot.

Seriously - slicks were enough to give me an existential crisis.

At the same time, I'm notorious for being, err, close, yea, that's it.  Close to late.  As such, I don't really like flat tires.  My choices at the bike shop came down to this: cheap gumwall tire with treads and Kevlar Inserts, or a pair of Armidillo's which have minimal treads.

Which should I choose? I commute in all weather conditions.

Speed is nice, but I really care more about not dying and not calling in late from the side of the road than minimizing rolling resistance.


texts: What are the disadvantages of "puncture proof" (or puncture resistant) tires?

texts:
Some people refer to tires that are more resistant to punctures as "puncture proof" tires.
For example: Specialized All Condition Armadillo Tyre

Even though these tires are not really puncture proof, they do reduce a lot the chances of puncturing. So the advantage is obvious.

Apparently, they're not too expensive compared to regular tires. So, I was wondering why people would choose not to use these more resistant tires. What are their disadvantages?


texts: Gravel Riding: Why gravel wheel over lighter XC mtb wheel?

texts:
What is the rationale for using a gravel-specific wheel for a gravel bike over a lighter cross-country mountain bike race wheel?

Background

I'm looking for a wheel with an internal width of 20mm to 22mm to fit some wide 45mm tires on my gravel bike.

I've seen that some cross-country mountain bike wheels are lighter than gravel specific wheels.

For example, Mavic's new ALLROAD ELITE UST DISC has a 22mm internal width and weighs 1720 grams. But Mavic's CROSSMAX PRO cross-county wheels also measure 22mm internal width but weigh 1595 grams, for only $200 more. Both wheels have bladed spokes and a similar depth for aerodynamic purposes.

If this is the case for wheels generally, what factors contribute to the rationale of choosing the heavier gravel specific wheels over the lighter cross-country wheels?


texts:
It takes a volume of air to seat a tubeless.  Even if you lube the tire it takes a volume of air to get it to pop onto the seat.
Cannot deliver that volume with my floor pump.
At the shop they remove the core to the presta and have this conversion tube they put over the open stem with a compressor on the other end.


texts: Conversion to single speed: crankset specs?

texts:
I picked up a cheap frame recently which came with bottom bracket, 3x speed chainring, crank arms and pedals, handlebars, forks, and front & rear rim brakes.
I've removed the chainring and right crank arm and I want to buy a new crankset but I'm not sure what specs I need to make note of when shopping for it. I know it's a square taper BB, but other than I don't know what else I should be looking out for.
What measurements and/or fittings should I have my eyes open for?


texts: Are there dropper seat posts with 150 mm of travel on the market other than Rock Shox Reverb Stealth and Kind Shock (LEV & Supernatural)?


texts: What are the 'easiest' ways to determine functional threshold power?

texts:
I recently picked up a powertap and have done a fair bit of riding around and a few races now with it on, so I've started to get familiar with some of the numbers. I would like to figure out what my functional threshold power (FTP) is and would like to know which methods are more accurate.

I know a 40km time trial is sort of the gold standard, but I find these so mentally tough that it's nearly impossible for me to give an honest effort outside of a race situation.

Nothing is going to be easy, I imagine as any interpolated ways of doing this will probably require maximum effort for a certain amount of time, but I'm hoping there is a reasonably accurate method that is easier mentally and physically.


texts: Why haven't Shimano or SRAM internal hubs had as many gears (or as much range) as Rohloff?

texts: What limitations cause Shimano to stop at 11 gears and 409% overall ratio, whereas Rohloff can cram in 14 gears and 526%?


texts: Can I install a rack if I install plugin mudguards?

texts:
I bought a Cube Cross Pro https://www.cube.eu/2019/bikes/trekking/tour/cross/cube-cross-pro-bluenorange-2019/

I want to install a rack and mudguards. I found these nice plugin mudguards https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/sks-germany-x-blade-shockblade-dark-set-29-617315 .... however I'm not sure if I bought them I will be able to install a rack or not. Why? because the rear mudgaurds will probably take the entire space on back above the tire. Here is a rack I'm thinking to buy https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/cube-porter-heavy-duty-28-29-528212

So what do you think? I haven't done something like that before.


texts:
Really struggling with these brakes now. Just installed new pads, but pistons won't separate far enough to put the wheels back in. Tried pushing the piston in using a  plastic tyre remover, but no joy. It seems like one pad (hub side in both cases, front and back) is a lot further out that the other, which suggests sticky pads.

I'm also a bit confused as the pistons move (both pistons on both brakes) as soon as the actuator arm starts moving. I thought they were supposed to have a delay as a valve closed, so I'm wondering if they're actually properly set up at all. I can't see where the bleed valve is though, and if it's opening.

Any advice gratefully received!

Edit; I think there's three problems I'm working on here;
i.) The pads are asymmetric; the outside pads are barely showing, the inside ones are protruding by about 2-3mm.
ii.) Even with the cable detached and the arms locked out I can't push the protruding pad in. It moves slightly under extreme force, but moves back after the force is removed.
iii.) The pads move as soon as the brake lever moves, which I don't think is right.

I'm going to try and clean the edges of the pistons I can get to, as following this you tube video

             and see if that helps at all, will report back.


texts: Can I take a bike into central London on the Underground?

texts:
I'm coming from Canada and will be riding in the London-Edinburgh-London randonneuring ride which finishes in Loughton. The London Underground info. shows that I can take my bike on the Central line and shows it until Leyton. Does this mean I have to get off at Leyton or can I continue on to Bank station? Do the allowable stations mean that's where I'm allowed to board or can I continue?
Thanks - Terry


texts: Should an integrated crown race of an carbon fork be greased before assembly?

texts: I'm assembling a 3T Exploro Team 2020. It seems like the fork has an integrated crown race. Should it be greased before assembly and pre-loading?


texts: Why does pedalling backwards not move my bike backwards?

texts: On the Mountain bike I have, pedalling backwards moves the chain but doesn't drive the wheels of the bike backwards like you would expect it to. Why is this?


texts: If I'm riding on the road, and there is a red light but a walk signal in my direction, should I go?

texts: I frequently come to stop lights in which there is an all-way stop and a pedestrian signal. I always stop at such lights, but I'm wondering if I should then bike slowly across after determining that it is safe and I will not be interfering with any pedestrians who are crossing, or if I should wait until the light turns green just as I would were I driving a car.


texts:
I have bought a new tire. It has big white labeling on each side which I don't like.

Do you know any method to remove this white text from the tire?


texts: I have just bought a new bike and after fitting the front wheel I've noticed one of the brake pads is not totally on the rim, part on the tyre. How do I adjust it anyone? Also I can't get the noodle fastened back after fitting front wheel


texts:
I've been using Shimano XTR cranks since my bike was assembled in 2002 (fc-m952?). I've replaced the rings a few times in the past (though not in several years) but it appears that these cranks were crafted in such a way as to preclude the use of off-the-shelf rings. As a result it seems to be rather difficult / impossible to find replacements anymore.

I'm in need of new rings again so it seems I have two choices:

Replace the whole set
Adapt using something like this - and replace with 'standard' rings

I don't know enough about bike parts and availability to make a clear decision.

Suggestions?

EDIT:

I should note that the shifters are also XTR of the same era so any replacement rings would need to be compatible


texts:
My cable adjusters always seem incredibly hard to turn, sometimes requiring the extra leverage of a wrench. I'm looking to replace them when I overhaul my bike and replace my current groupset. Does anyone have a particular favorite, or are they all basically the same?

Since others have asked, this is a 700C road bike, and I'm looking to replace the inline adjusters, not the ones directly on the brakes and derailleurs.


texts:
I bought second-hand mountain type bike. Everything is fine, however, front suspension fork is missing top caps.

As I currently don't posses the chance to visit bike repair shop (and have no other suspension fork equipped bike to compare available), I would like to ask, what do I need to replace. The fork is probably manufactured by Olpran (no other marks found) and I assume there was no option to regulate dampening force*

While looking for term "suspension fork caps" on the internet I found several replacements, however, they all seem to be mounted on some kind of valve (like this, image from ebay)

Thank you very much in advance!

Disclaimer: I am total amateur with minimal knowledge about bicycles, however very interested.


texts: Is it acceptable to cycle towards the centre of the lane on blind corners?

texts:
Some context: I live near a very congested main road, and everyone goes through the villages whenever it is blocked. If I am cycling, I have a continuous stream of cars passing me, even if they can't see the road ahead. So to prevent them overtaking (more for their safety than mine) I pull out more towards the centre.

I have seen that this answer says that it is okay to take the full lane when

  the lane isn't wide enough for a car to pass safely (to discourage dangerously close passing)

But my situation isn't about close passing, it is about passing that is dangerous to others, and consequently could be dangerous to be me.

Should I be "taking the lane" to stop people doing this, or is this not the right way to deal with it?

Just for reference, this is the road I am riding along, the worst point is half way, there is a sharp left then right.


texts:
Are there any rules/tips to choosing a handlebar for your bike?

I live in a big city, and I've seen fixies with really, really narrow handlebars (presumably to avoid hitting pedestrians?)

I personally like the way wide handlebars feel (especially when riding fast), and I'm wondering what, if any disadvantages there might be to having a ~28" bar on a non-sus mtb for city riding.


texts:
I am looking to buy a bike for my wife on the internet, but the challenge is I do not know what frame will be most suitable for her.

We plan to buy a hardtail for leisure rides on the weekends so we favor upright position.

Her inseam is 82 cm and her height is 172 cm.

I have an option to buy Cube Aim 2017 of 17', 18' or 19.
https://www.cube.eu/en/2017/hardtail/aim/cube-aim-race-blacknblue-2017/

By looking at geometry charts provided above (including stack and reach) is it possible to recommend the frame size which will most likely feel right for leisure rides?

Thanks

Geometries


texts: Can I run an internal dropper post on a small size 2014 Giant XTC Advanced 2 (2014)?

texts:
The specific bike model is this one:
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/au/xtc-advanced-27dot5-2-2014
The dropper post I am looking at is this one: Brand-X Ascend CX Dropper 105mm
I was thinking I could swap to a 1x10 gear setup and use the run of the front derailleur cable, but it exits below the bottom bracket, when I look down the seat post I can see the top of the crank bearing and it looks like the frame opens into the bottom tube, but I can't see the derailleur cable...  Is it possible to wiggle it around the corner or are they actually separate compartments?


texts: Is the real world experience of riding a light bike understated by physics-based calculators?

texts:
Take the case where you have two identical riders, Joe Slo and Billy Whizz. They both weigh 75kg and have identical aerobic threshold power output.

Joe has a 11kg steel audax bike, but Billy likes shiny gear so bought the latest Emonda weighing 5kg.

Physics based calculators (e.g. http://www.analyticcycling.com/ForcesLessWeight_Page.html or http://bikecalculator.com) put Billy about 50m head of Joe after 1km cycling up a 1km hill averaging 5% gradient.

That doesn't sound like much, and not worth spending $5k on.

However, during a hilly sportive the pair will ride 160km including 20km at gradients over 5%, and these are spaced evenly throughout the ride.

Let's assume Billy makes an effort and rides the hills at his aerobic threshold, which is 300watts, and they therefore ride at 20.2kph (http://bikecalculator.com). Joe has to ride at 316watts to keep up (so ~5% above his threshold). That doesn't sound like as much fun.

What would the likely effect on recovery be for the last part of the ride? Does chasing those few additional watts on each climb have a non-additive impact on performance in the final 20km, for example?

I guess my question is, even though Billy would wait for Joe at the top of each hill, does the additional effort required to keep up make this a sufferfest for Joe?


texts:
I'm looking at puncture-resistant tires and I see Schwalbe Marathons* listed for size 28 x 1 1/2.  Are there 28 inch wheels?  If not, what size is that meant to fit?

( * Schwalbe Marathon Plus HS 440 Wire Tire)


texts:
I am wondering if its possible to edit the strava activity recorded by strava app for any errors ( Time, distance W.R.T to cyclo computer)

The requirement for same is due to variance in results from on-board computer and strava app. Its is possible to enter the details manually however the valuable HR data is lost this way.

Any suggestions?


texts: Best downhill braking method to avoid overheated rims?

texts:
I recently had one of my rims get really hot on a downhill. I had a problem with my front brake, and I had to use my rear brake only...

I did short, hard stabs instead of lightly dragging it.

I ended up walking much of the way once I found that my rear rim was too hot to touch.

I know that it was a worst-case-scenario, but I just want to confirm that I managed it the best way I could.

EDIT: To clarify, this is road-specific, not trails.


texts:
My bike has a set of Avid Elixir R hydraulic brakes. The front brake barely goes on when I pull the lever and the back brake feels pretty soft. I think I need to bleed them. How do I go about doing this?

I think the brakes got like this because I pressed the brake level when the bike was upside down or when the wheel was removed putting the bike into my car.


texts: What hand signals are there for communicating with others when cycling in a group?

texts:
Recently I took a hit from behind. Fortunately it was just my friend's bike rather than one of those large-boxes-for-one-person. I was partly to blame because I failed to indicate that we were slowing down.

(However, as I understand the Highway Code, if you run into something that has the right to be in your right of way then you are to blame, so the incident wasn't really my fault but my friend's.)

Generally I rely on road-positioning to signal my intention, but I do stick my arms out for left and right if the situation deserves it. What other signals are there that I can use to show that I am slowing down, that there are hazards to avoid, etc.?

Are there any conventions, either in the Highway Code, as used in the peloton or in other cycling clubs that I could benefit from adopting?

I am also interested in best practice for signals that I can use with other road users, e.g. to let someone in a large-box-for-one-person know that I understand that it is their right of way - the equivalent of a flash of the headlights as it were.

I personally refrain from using single-finger gestures and banging on the tops of tin-boxes, however, it would be good to know what I can use to show my disgust/outrage in a way that is 'fair'.

If there are no online references, here would be as good a place as any to establish a list of 'to be universally understood' gestures and signals that can be used by cyclists.


texts:
What are the factors that should affect whether my visibility will be higher with a "high visibility Yellow" vs. a "high visibility Orange" vest or jacket?

It seems too simplistic to simply say "Yellow is better" or "Orange is better' - there are a number of conditions that I often note affect my perceived visibility (n-1): day/night, foggy vs. direct sun, perhaps the ambient foliage? I want to separate this question from discussions of retroreflective strips, retroreflective tapes, or nighttime lights - I'm trying to understand the differences between the two colors first and foremost with this question.

I have reviewed the following questions but did not find discussions of color-based visibility:
How can I make my bike (and myself) visible at night? - Focuses exclusively on night-time conditions, primarily focuses on retroreflectivity and adding lights to the bike
Night cycling: Is it worth using electroluminescent wire? - Same as above
Is fluorescent clothing effective? - Does not address different color options for high visibility clothing


texts:
I'm slowly upgrading things on my 26" Scott Aspect, I now need/want to get some new tyres.

I think the tyres on there at the moment are 26 x 2.1

Firstly, is that 2.1 Inches? - what are these things even measured in!?

Secondly, I'd like to maybe go for a slightly wider tyre, say 2.25, how and what should I measure to ensure there will be clearance?

Thirdly, does anyone have experience upgrading tyres on these kind of stock MTBs - whats the limit size wise, should I just go for like for like?

Any tyre recommendations also welcome.


texts: Cheap cycling shoes feel 'sloppy' when pulling up

texts:
I recently bought some cheap ($60) mountain bike shoes. It changed my riding style, and I'm really 'pedaling in a circle' now.

I have a complaint though... when I sprint and put a lot of force into the other-than-down parts of the stroke, my foot moves around a lot. It doesn't feel efficient, and is rather annoying.

If I tighten the straps enough that this doesn't happen, it really constricts my feet and isn't comfortable.

I haven't found it useful to tighten the ratchet before sprinting/attacking. I would rather have the ratchet over my toes, as that's where most of the movement is.

So... is this normal for cycling (mountain) shoes? If not, is it because mine are cheap or do I just have a bad fit?


texts: Are convertible full face helmets as safe as regular ones?

texts: I'm thinking about buying a full face helmet for bike parks. While searching I found helmets like Bell 2R that convert from round enduro helmet to full face with a removable chin bar, which is kind of nice because then I'll get a fancy round enduro helmet 2 in 1. The only question I ask myself, are those convertibles as safe as a proper full faces?


texts: Is it possible to install a gas engine kit on the bike's existing speeds?

texts: Such as with electric assistance.  I'd like to install a gasoline engine kit (because electric ones are wildly expensive) on my bicycle, without the sprocket:  I want to attach it to the existing gears, because I would then be able to shift through the gears to increase/decrease speed as I wouldn't with a 48-tooth/32-tooth sprocket.  I have not been able to find a kit that will place the chain on the right of the bike, where the gears are.  Is there a kit that can do this, or is there a way to fadangle a normal kit to run through the existing speeds?


texts: How do you make an end-capped gear cable?

texts:
I want to make my own gear cable of non-standard length. I have a cable with one end capped like the larger end-cap shown in the first picture; the other end is currently bare — I have trimmed the cable to the right length.

I need to create an end-cap on the bare end of the cable (after sliding through the ferrule), similar to the thinner end-cap in the first diagram.

I have considered using the standard 1.6 mm cable caps but these aren't not going to work because:

I need a slender and well-rounded end-cap to fit inside the ferrule
A pinched cable tip fails because the force of a gear change is applied directly to the anchor (and it just gets torn off)

How are these end-capped cables manufactured and therefore how can I make my own?

My specific ferrule and indicator are here:


texts: Is a 29.5 km/h average speed decent for a 90 km ride (on road) with an elevation of 1200 m?

texts:
I have been riding about 150 km a week commuting and on the weekend. I frequently do rides over 80 km. I'm riding a carbon cyclocross (Ridkey x-fire) with slicks.

My latest ride was on the Central Coast, New South Wales, in a very hilly area. I rode 90 km with an elevation of 1200 m with an average of 29.5 km/h. Would I be able to join a group ride and not get dropped?

Will switching to a dedicated road bike make much difference to my average speed? I feel like my setup is good enough, and I frequently pass other riders on their high end roadies.


texts:
I've got a bike with a Dura Ace R9100 drivetrain. About 800 miles on it. Until my most recent ride, no problems.
On my last ride, the rear derailleur would occasionally upshift spontaneously, and the drivetrain sound was a bit noisy. I assume that I needed to tweak the barrel adjuster.
I've got my bike on the stand right now for a cleaning and to make that adjustment. I removed the rear wheel, upshifted so the derailleur would land on the smallest sprocket when I remounted the wheel, and then remounted the wheel. Now the rear derailleur will not downshift--it feels like if I push on it any harder, something will break.
I can get some slack in the cable at the bottom and move it in its housing, so I don't think the cable is stuck, and subjectively, it feels like the sticking point is in the lever mechanism.


texts: Is it possible to get distance travelled without gps

texts:
The GPS on my phone KILLS the battery life. If you going on a decent ride which I will be once i have the fitness required, then you'll need a portable battery of some sort.

Is it not possible for a speed and candence sensor to track distance without gps signal? Mine doesn't seem to be working. IT's one of these

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/topeak-panobike-speed-and-cadence-sensor/?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&sku=5360562630&kpid=5360562630&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=UK_PLA_Accessories&utm_medium=base&utm_content=mkwid|sjqteoBIm_dc|pcrid|67090793462|pkw||pmt||prd|5360562630uk&product_id=5360562630uk

I.e. have I bought something that doesn't do what i need it to do.

the fallowfield loop isn't 0.06km long


texts:
After the latest service, my manual Nuvinci nfinity is set to higher gear than before and I want it lowered again. Surfing the web I find nothing like "turn this knob to adjust gear".

The closest I find is installing and replacing it. There are two knobs, by the handle where I would suspect to find them, that might do the trick but they are not explicitly mentioned for after adjustment so I suspect they are only for tensioning the cable housing properly.

Or is it unadjustable? Like when the end stops are set, it goes from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest) and what has happened is that the end stops are not properly adjusted?
This would imply that the 0-100% gear at the rear is controlled by the 90% travel at the handle and one has to choose whether to have gears 0-90%, 5-95% or 10-100%.

(yes, I can ask the service person to do it but would prefer to do it myself.
yes, I can ask the service person to teach me. but what would be the fun in that?)


texts:
I have a fixed gear BTwin My Bike White.

I need to upgrade but the resale value is too low for it.

So I was thinking of adding gears to it which might click the real deal for me.

Can I convert it to a 3 speed front crankset and 5 speed rear gear bicycle? (in total 15 speed bike)


texts: Is there a specific grease for titanium frames?

texts:
I have recently rebuilt my road bike on a second-hand Seven Cycles Alaris titanium frame.

I used a fairly standard hydrophobic grease throughout but I have been told I should use a titanium-specific grease. The bottom bracket is the only place that I can think of with threading in the frame.

Is there such a thing as a titanium-specific grease? Any advice on this?


texts:
I've got a GT Transeo 1.0 bike (bought in 2011 or 2010 as  best as I can remember) and I'd like to try painting the frame to get rid of some (very minor) surface rust and paint damage.

I've read a bunch of tutorials on spray painting bike frames, and they tend to make a distinction between steel and aluminium frames.

However the official GT website claims that the frame of my bike is made up of "6061 Alloy", which I assume is a reference to an aluminium/magnesium/silicon alloy, even though there is no mention of aluminium anywhere. Is this what is usually meant by an 'aluminium frame' online?

If not (or even if so) what brand of primer+paint+topcoat would work well for such a frame?


texts: I have bike tires that read 26 x 1.95. Does that mean I need a 26-inch tube?

texts:
I ask because my front tire's inner tube got torn and I needed to replace it.

It was 26 x 1.95 as well and I bought a 26 inch bike tube and it was too big -- inflated it would hang 2 inches off the rim and would not fit within the tread/tire part itself, and I am certain it's a 26 inch tire.


texts: How cities came to decision to allow bicycles and/or motorcycles to enter bus lanes?

texts: Some cities debate about letting 2-wheel wehicles (bicycles or motorcycles) enter bus lanes. Why should (or not) we let them enter? When it is ok to let them use bus lanes? What factors should be taken into account? What kind of evaluation should be made?


texts: What proportion of adults in Britain can ride a bike?

texts: I'm guessing it's a very high proportion, but has someone got a reliable statistic for this?


texts: Need new crankset for a 15+ year old bike [chain slipping on gears]

texts:
Just discovered this site. My uncle gave me his old bike. The chain has been slipping and today we replaced the chain (previous was worn and stretched, the rear casette (to a used but less-worn one), and the two cogs on the derailleur. Now we can definitely see that the chain is slipping on the crank -  on the front, not the back gears.

Could you all please help me determine what kind of new crankset I need that will fit best?

42 teeth in the largest

Pics here: https://imgur.com/a/SHgDQEo


texts: Going to one chainring: realign cassette farther in by redishing wheel?

texts:
The plan: move spacers around on the rear wheel to get the cassette about 8mm farther in for better range of access from the small chainring; re-dish wheel for proper alignment; shorten the chain a little bit; remove the front derailleur. Maybe remove the big chainring.

Am I missing anything in this plan?

UNNECESSARY DETAILS:

This is an old steel road bike frame with a franken-drivetrain: 8 speed Campy cassette with a Sora rear derailleur and an SRAM chain. I'm going shell out and buy a nice road bike for training and long rides, and my plan is to make this older bike a lock-up commuter. I'd like to avoid sinking money into it, as it faces good odds of being stolen at some point in the next four years.

The main problem I have is the front derailleur is an endless pain. If the chain gets even a little dirty the shifting becomes very fiddly: dropped chains or sometimes stuck on the big ring. None of the parts are worn or stretched. I think there's just a certain amount of incompatibility in the mismatched drive-train parts. (Maybe I'm wrong.)

Using it as basic transportation & commuter I don't even really need the large chainring. It seems to me that it should be possible to move some spacers around and get the cassette about 8mm farther in so more of the gears are properly usable from the small chainring. Then I'll have enough gears to never be annoyed. And if I maybe switch out the indexed shifter for a friction bar-end shifter I'll barely have to do any maintenance; no indexing worries. Just clean the drivetrain maybe once every 7 weeks.


texts: Regular front road wheel for a single speed bike

texts:
I recently crashed my Kona Paddy Wagon ruining the front wheel completely. All the single-speed/fixed-wheel dedicated wheels I was able to find are crap, and I don't want to spend too much time purchasing individual components and having someone build a wheel for me.

I was thinking of buying a standard road front wheel with a skewer and QR. I assume that would work as long as the O.L.D. is correct (100 mm in my case)?

Thanks!


texts: How do I find a compatible replacement for my rear derailleur?

texts:
I need to replace rear derailleur that was broken in an accident.  The derailleur is Suntour with lettering stamped on inside - Maeda Ind. VIA HB.

How do I find a compatible replacement?


texts: What subtle factors affect performance in unsubtle ways?

texts:
As a non-professional biker who commutes on a bike daily I've been noticing that some factors that I didn't think would make much difference in how fast I go or how quickly I get tired have a much bigger impact.

For example, sideways wind. I did not think that a 5-10 mph wind from the side would slow me down as much as it does. Even tail wind doesn't seem to help.

Another is cold. I think that I can bike much faster when its 30C outside vs 0C. Its a little bit hard to say though because I can never compare them side by side.

This question may seem a bit vague, but what other factors affect performance in either positive or negative ways that one would not necessarily consider as making much of a difference?


texts: Replacing old brake blocks with modern pads

texts:
I'm looking to freshen up a 60's Raleigh Sports that has the old standard brake blocks on it.  If I able to put modern pads (http://www.koolstop.com/images/ks-bmxdl_art_lg.jpg) from a cantilever brake on it, as long as they physically fit the rims, will I run into issues with braking forces causing extra stress?  Any issues with performance?

The bike is all stock with side pull brakes and levers on it.  Wheels are original steel and seem to be true (not checked in a stand).  Fork, frame, and wheels are in great shape.

Side note/discussion:  Koolstop carries the blocks (http://www.koolstop.com/english/continental.html) as well marketed for such a bike, recommended or not?


texts:
I want to install a CS-HG800-11 cassette on my Zipp 303s wheelset. The cassette comes with a low spacer (Y4T724000) and I am not sure whether I need it and if so which way should I put it on the freehub body? On side of the spacer is flat the other one is not.
Help would be nice!


texts: Stuck gear hub on the way into a gear on an internal geared hub

texts:
My bike recently got stolen :( therefore I have borrowed a bike with an internal gear hub from my stepdad, which was working fine until recently when the pedals just wouldn't turn whenever I switched to 5th gear or higher (it has 7 in total). I seem to have inadvertently changed up to the 5th gear at some point, and from what I can feel and know I'm pretty sure the gear hub is half stuck at the entrance to the 5th gear.

It's kinda hard to explain, but the bike seems to have gotten stuck while going into the 5th gear and now when I turn it back down it only partly works. When I'm going slow with the pedals, it seems to be in 5th gear, but when I go hard on the pedals, it goes to my chosen gear, although it still does seem a bit sketchy. When I turn the pedals backwards, it seems to scratch something in the gear hub. When I go to 5th gear or higher, the pedals simply get stuck and I can't turn them.

As said, I believe the gear is simply stuck partly into the 5th one, but I would like to know if I am able to fix this by myself or with a helping hand? Me and my stepdad know a thing or two about practical stuff, but none of us have ever done anything to a gear hub before, although after googling around I think I get the concept.

It says MicroShift at the shifter, neither the hub nor the shifter have ever been taken apart, the gears were working just fine yesterday until the afternoon when I rode it to badminton.


texts: Changing Shimano 105 triple chainset to compact

texts: I'm looking to buy a used 2015 Cube Agree GTC Race. The only drawback is that it has a triple chainset, and I would prefer a compact. Which parts might I have to replace apart from the chainset itself?


texts:
I have a universal spoke wrench. It used to work on any spokes I've owned, until now.

I have a bike with 2mm spokes. The nipples are between a 13 and 14 on the universal spoke wrench's sizes.

I have been able to find a mapping of gauge to mm/in.

I have not been able to find a definitive, trustworthy mapping of gauge/mm/in spoke measurements to gauge/mm/in nipple/spoke wrench measurements.

Can anyone please answer with a definitive, trustworthy mapping like this (except correct):

Spoke Gauge |  in  |  mm  | Nipple Gauge |  in  |  mm
         12 | .036 | 2.3  |            8 | .04  | 3.6
         13 | .076 | 2.4  |            7 | .05  | 3.7
         14 | .016 | 7.6  |            6 | .06  | 3.9
         15 | .026 | 2.3  |            5 | .08  | 5.2


texts: Is it appropriate to carry furniture with bike and suggestion for equipment

texts:
I am coming from a culture where there are not many bike roads.
But now I am moving to a place where bike roads are awesome and cool.

Since I do not know the "bike culture" well in Denmark while I think this should be acceptable  I wanted to ask if I try something like below,

Is it legally or culturally bad . BTW While looking for stuff I am trying find ones close to my house which is far from center to avoid dense population and narrow bike roads.

If it is OK do you have any advise for a trailer type or other equipment(for example like green and orange ropes in the picture) to accomplish that?


texts: Shimano Nexus 3 clicking free-wheel-mechanism-like noise

texts:
I have assembled a bike with new Shimano Nexus 3 (SG-3C41) internally geared hub. In the lowest gear the hub is silent. However in the middle and highest gear it makes a clicking noise similar to free-wheel mechanism while not pedaling. The clicking is faster in the highest gear at the same speed.

Have I made an error in assembly or is it normal for this model?

Can I somehow get rid of this clicking or at least make it quieter by greasing some parts?

Side note: I couldn't fit the original grips in my setup, so I have Sram 7.0 rear 8 gear grip shift controlling the hub. I tried setting the grip between the gears, so I'm almost certainly sure this isn't the cause of clicking, but just in case...


texts: Could you please help me identify my father's bike?

texts:
My father left me his old bicycle and I would like to restore it.
The unique thing I know is that it comes from Switzerland and that maybe it should include a license plate.
Unfortunately I haven't found anything online. The info I can read from the bike are:
Brand: RICO PF;
Saddle: WITTKOP;
Gear: STURMEY ARCHER;
Brake: DURALCA
I posted some photos. I hope it could help. Thanks!


texts:
On my road bike I am debating installing aero bars.

Will I notice a significant measurable improvement in speed using aero bars vs being in the drops?

I am looking for specific numbers here with resources, not just opinions.

The case I am really curious about is riding solo, on flat ground around 20 mph where there is no wind.


texts: What maintenance is required after riding through deep water?

texts:
The road where I live is on a flood plain and tends to flood every winter. Despite this, I have continued riding to work through the water.

I'm trying my best to dry the bike out at the end of the day, but I have noticed now (on the third day of the flooding) that the steering has become a lot heavier and there's some rusty residue coming out from the lower race of the headset. I'm planning to clean and re-grease it tomorrow, but I'm wondering whether any of the other bearings will need the same treatment.

Specifically, I'm worried about the wheel hubs and the bottom bracket. While the water isn't deep enough to submerge them, it does mean they get a thorough soaking. Is the water likely to cause the same problem with them? What about if they did become submerged?


texts: How do I tell if I've correctly installed a press fit bottom bracket?

texts:
So I bought a Chris King PF30 bottom bracket and pressed it in using a bearing press along with the bushings that came with the Park Tool bbt-30.3. Using the bearing press I pushed both cups in simultaneously. Ever thing seems to fit in ok and is sitting what appears to be straight, but the cup on the drive side feels like it has some stiff spots in it's rotation compared to the other side. I'm moving the rings with my fingers, I haven't installed the cranks yet.

Could this be an effect of the seals or bearings? Is that side not seated in straight? Should I knock out the drive side and try press it in again a second time?

I'm not sure what I'm looking for to know that I did the job right, before continuing on assembling the rest of the drivetrain.


texts: Where I live, winter weather can reach -50 °C (-60 °F), with gale-force winds. How can I bike in these conditions?

texts:
I've seen other posts here about winter cycling. But I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.  Here, our winter weather can reach -50 °C (-60 °F), and we can also experience gale-force winds.

How can I bike in these conditions?


texts:
We use a Croozer Kid For Two, and we love it. I replaced the tires recently, but badly: one twisted, making the wheel look like it was out-of-true -- to the extent people started stopping me to tell me my "wheel was buckled". The twist was easily fixed, but it got me thinking.

How would I true a rim from a two-wheeled trailer? My own jig assumes a through-axle, but the trailer uses cantilever axles.


texts: What happened to hardtails in the past 15 years?

texts:
So, last time I bought myself a new bike was around 2004 - that was a Trek 4300 hardtail which was a mid-range model and I got it for about $300. I upgraded it with better derailleurs, disc brakes, wheels, better front fork and it had served me faithfully over thousands of miles of road trips for 7 or so years until I'd moved.

When I moved I picked up a used newer gen (2009 or so) Trek 4500 for $300, had done similar upgrades and had been pretty happy with it.

I consider myself a fairly typical MTB rider. I don't compete, I don't focus on a single discipline (like BMX or downhill), I would just leave my home with friends or kids on a sunny weekend day and do anywhere from 20 to 60 miles over mixed terrain - some asphalt, some forest roads, some hills, some trails, occasional downhill segment. I'm happy with the workout I'm getting and I'm happy with 26" wheels with semi-slick tires (slick center, grippy edges) which allow me to enjoy riding fast on paved roads and get a decent grip on muddy/gravel trails.

However, every time I step into a bike shop now, I raise my eyebrows a bit - two things surprise me greatly:

It seems that you can't get a new cross-country bike from a decent brand for less than $2,000 anymore.
All MTBs have single chainring now and 10 or 11 sprocket cassette in the back.

On the account of chainring - I am surprised that people settle for much lower max gear ratios in riding scenarios like mine. I read stuff like this and the authors admit that single chainring means compromising your top speed but make the argument that you shouldn't really bother. I'm not quite buying the argument - I find myself using the 3-10 combination at ~90rpm pedaling cadence every once in a while when I want to ride fast on a paved road.

The prices just surprise me - there are no more $300 MTB hardtails in bike shops (or the ones that are there are kids models or horrible no-name brands or knockoffs). I understand that a lot happened since 2004, but going from $300 to $2,000 still seems a bit steep. E.g. browsing through Trek website, I can see that Procaliber 6 is roughly similar in terms of component quality to what 4300 used to be 15 years ago, but 6x price increase seems a bit unjustified. Also, looking at the single chainring on that one - I just don't see why I would replace my good old 4500 with that.

I'm sure I'm missing something here. What was the generational shift that happened? Are people enjoying mountain biking differently these days? If I embrace the new way, dump my old 4500 in favor of Procaliber, will I experience 6x the fun? What's the deal with single chainring? Is it that much better?

To focus discussion better - let me ask just one question:

Why should I buy a new bike these days (other than the "smell of new leather")?


texts: Fixing the valves on tubeless tires broke, what are my options?

texts: I bought a used bike that was set up with tubeless wheels, however both valves are shot what should I do?  In general, is there more maintenance involved with the upkeep of tubeless wheels? Because I'm thinking of just throwing some tubes in there and call it good.


texts:
I'm 6'2 and ride an XL hardtail.
I found a killer deal for a full suspension that is a Large frame.
Since I am basically right in the middle of large and xl frames would it work riding a large?

I'm tall but not a big guy


texts:
I have a Civia Bryant that has horizontal dropouts and an Alfine rear hub. The Bryant had interchangeable vertical/horizontal dropouts I didn’t get the vertical dropouts from the shop when I bought the bike and now regretting it.
Might anyone know where I could find vertical dropouts for the Bryant? I contacted Civia and they did not have any in stock. They suggested a derailleur hanger/tensioner option but it would be really nice to find the original proper dropouts.

Chris


texts: Is possible to mount an existing freewheel on a fixie wheel?

texts: Would it be possible to mount a freewheel from an existing wheel on thie following type of wheel made for fixies? Or do I need a different axis for the rear wheel such as the one below?


texts: Can I swap my Saccon Altex calipers with Campagnolo Veloce

texts:
I have a vintage Vitus 787 I'm restoring. The Saccon Altex calipers (http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=e346b35c-c5bb-4f9b-8840-8f58bdbabda0&Enum=117) it came with don't return to their normal position after braking, so I think they need replacing.

I'm thinking about swapping them for these: https://www.wiggle.co.uk/campagnolo-veloce-dual-pivot-brake-caliper-set

I think the reach is fine, but I don't know how much to worry about whether my levers will have the correct amount of pull.

Is lever pull generally an issue?


texts: Steel vintage bike restoration and modification, troubleshooting help

texts:
I acquired a vintage 10 speed Healing Commuter made in New Zealand, rode it everyday and treated it pretty poorly. No regular maintenance, chained it on the street come rain or shine. Having grown fond of it I decided I would do a complete over haul.

Fast forward 6 months, it’s a new colour and all the mech is working well... independently.

The bike has all its original parts except:

The derailleur now a Shimano Tourney 6 speed SIS
Both wheels now Shimano specialised pro mondo with a 6 speed cassette and
A new chain now a 7mm SRAM chain with a quicklink.

The crankset is a Shimano Front Freewheel System - from what I can tell, the FFS was pretty low end and a solution in search of a problem, to quote Sheldon.

Sadly my first ride was lack-luster thanks to a knock. When pedaling with gusto, something in the crank system is slipping so the rider experiences the pedal engaging normally followed by no opposite force from the pedal followed by the pedal engaging normally again. This occurs rhythmically and on both sides, when left foot is leading then right then left etc.

I’m wondering if it’s something to do with the crankset being a freewheel system plus the free hub system in the considerably newer wheels?

Maybe it’s an error I made in the rebuild of the crank?

Any crank troubleshooting tips would be much appreciated.

Ta


texts:
I'm looking for information about bike brand "Nakamura". I know it is sold in Norway (intersport.no), France (nakamura.fr, intersport.fr), somewhere in Canada. However, the internet is relatively quiet about it and usual bike review sites are usually not even mentioning it.
It is generally considered a cheap brand, but apparently, they have (and have had) some higher-end models as well, most expensive currently in Norway's Intersport being 3000€ road bike with a carbon frame and (near) top components. So, there should be someone somewhere who knows more about them, right?


texts: Can't find a helmet that's large enough please help!

texts:
I have tried the largest helmet I can find the bern 2xl 3xl wont fit.
The problem I am having is the width of the helmets are not wide enough.
I have a big head.


texts:
I ride less than 200 miles a week, and I'm at about the 200 mile mark on my new road bike.  Most of my riding is done on the road in an urban city, so there is a lot of odd, unnatural debris.  My LBS told me to lube my chain every 150 miles, but I've read conflicting opinions.

How often should I be lubing my chain?


texts:
What with the ongoing situation with the grx rx812 rear derailleur being out of stock, I was wondering if its possible to use an XT or Slx rear derailleur with a grx chainring?
For reference I have an slx m7000 11-40 cassette and a grx 1x11 42t chainring.
Thanks!


texts: Is it bad etiquette to ride road bike through a small residential area?

texts: Is it considered bad etiquette to ride a road bike through a small residential area? Not talking about a cheap bike and riding on the sidewalk but a nicer road bike at a decent pace. I don't want to upset anyone by cutting through their neighborhood but it would be a lot easier for my commute.


texts: Do tubeless tyres explode more easily than standard one?

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Yesterday I was at a bar with a friend with our bikes parked near us and his bike's front tyre (a tubeless one) exploded.

When we went to the bike shop, they told us that tubeless tyres explode more often than standard one especially during hot weather.

After searching on google, I could not really find any proof of that.

Are there any evidence that they do or was it just the guy from the bike shop trying to sell us a new (wheel + tube + tyre) instead of just a tyre?

Tyre pressure was about 3 bar / 43 PSI.
His bike is a road bike
The outdoor temperature was 28°c (82 F)


texts: Protect chipping frame from metal bike lock with Sugru

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What's the best method to stop a Kryptonite Mini d-lock scratching/chipping an aluminium frame? Stickers have already been applied as a first layer of protection.

Is there something similar to the LifeLine Rubber Frame Protector that could wrap around the metal parts of the lock to prevent metal—metal contact? Or is this wide enough to work by itself?

My second thought was to use Sugru?  In this case, what is the optimal pattern to apply this to the d-lock? I thought several rings around the circumference of the lock at perhaps 1 cm intervalz? Or would a spiral be better? Or just a line on the inner circumference?


texts: What is the source of BB area creaking associated with ambient temperature changes?

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A general answer would be welcome, maybe encompassing -10C-40C/15-100F temperatures, but my particular ride is an aluminium frame with pressfit BB30 and Tiagra commponents, in Scotland's climate, stored outside but in a shed.
Last year I had a tiny bit of creaking/snapping from the bottom bracket/cranks, or at least it was at the same part of the pedal stroke each time. Through the winter when the temperature was generally 5-10C/40-50F it was pretty much silent, and this weekend it's started making a lot of noise again after the temperature ranged from about 0-15C/32-60F in the space of a few days.
There's not really anything else I can attribute the change to, I'm assuming there's a small amount of expansion/contraction in the metal parts which may not be uniform across each component - last weekend no noise, this weekend Creak-Clunk City.


texts: What bicycle manufacturer used this emblem

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The top bar has the model name "AMERICANO" but I don't know the name of the frame manufacturer. I would appreciate your help identifying it.
Thank you


texts: Will using WD-40 to flush cable housing dirt harm the housing?

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I have a bike with a really old shift cable and housing. There is significant friction between the housing and cable.

I will replace the cable, but hesitating to replace the housing because I will have to make many cuts to new housing and do not have a housing cutter tool or a dremel. If I can reuse the old housing effectively, that would prevent me from making bad cuts.

Instead, I'd like to use WD-40 to flush any dirt/gunk that may be in the housing now.

My question is: After I do this, will the residue from WD-40 gunk up inside the cable? If so, what alternatives can I use to flush the housing?


texts: Training involved to ride 175 miles (281 km) in a day

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I want to be able to ride 175 miles (281 km) in a day (to do the Ride Across Wisconsin). I used to be able to do about 60 miles (96.5 km), only once hitting 80 miles (128 km), but I'm out of shape now. Wondering how I can systematically train to get to 175 miles at an average of 15 mph (24 km/h) Are there guides out there to help with this?  What's some advice?

[update] The RAW will happen each year, so my intention isn't to ride this year, rather what do I need to do to ride it in some future year?