texts: Why do current, entry-level shimano rear derailers have large-diameter pulleys?

texts:
I have seen (and recently bought) entry-level rear derailers from Shimano (Tourney for MTB, 2300 for road bike), and I keep wondering why they are making these parts with such large pulleys.

I don't think this make the parts cheaper to produce, since large size means more material, and I can't see why customers would find this more attractive or adequate than the smaller-sized ones (unless customers would prefer more expensive models because they DON'T HAVE large pulleys...).

Also, I imagine there might be advantages to larger pulleys (less chain link rotation, less wear, slower pulley rotation), but the reason why entry-levels are big, while more expensive models continue to be the same old size, is very unclear to me, not to say arbitrary.


texts: 59-60cm frame, Sun Tour Superbe Pro Brakes, Shifter, front and rear derailleur, and complete Crank is Sun Tour Superbe Pro. Campagnolo head set and pedals. Cinelli 64-40 handle bar and Cinelli stem. It's an Italian make I'm sure. Serial number on the BB is BMZ 09 is all I can make out. Any help is greatly appreciated!


texts: What's the maximum size for low-rider bags?

texts:
I am thinking of buying a combination briefcase/bike bag to carry a small laptop, some papers etc on my daily commute to and from work (I was thinking something like a Vaude Newport II L, 33cm high and 45cm wide). This would be mounted on a low-rider rack attached to the front of my bike (I can't attach any bags to my rear rack, as that space is taken up by my daughter's child seat; I take her with me for part of my commute).

I have been to a number of bike stores in my local area (northern Germany) to get advice on what bags to look at, but I have gotten wildly different opinions on what bags are suitable for mounting on a low-rider rack. Some tried to sell me bags that looked far too large for a low-rider rack, while others said that anything larger than (for instance) an Ortlieb Front-Roller City (30cm high, 25cm wide) it too big for my front rack.

I understand that anything I attach to my front rack must be narrow enough (or mounted far enough in front) that I don't touch it while pedalling.

Is that the only restriction on size, or are there others?
Is there an maximum recommended size for front low-rider bags?


texts: Can I fit rear panniers to a full-suspension bike with a dropper post?

texts:
I'm looking at the Whyte T129s and have seen that there's a couple of options for fitting panniers to the back of a full-sus bike.

Topeak

Freeload - see link

Any suggestions whether either of these would work for (occasional) off-road touring? Concerned that the dropper post on the 129s might not take a rack (like the Topeak) bolted on.


texts: Does the size of a bike tire matter when going up and down hills?

texts: I am doing science fair and my question is if the size matters when going up and down hill on a bike. I looked all over your site and I couldn't find anything about the size of a tire for going up and down a hill, but I did find something about the size of a tire help for going on flat ground but I'm not sure if the same will apply for going up and down hill. Sorry for the bother but it would really help me out if you could answer my question.


texts: One stripped post mount on suspension fork

texts: I have a suspension fork, which has a stripped lower post mount, i.e. the bolt used to attach the brake caliper doesn't grip the post. Before anyone asks - yes, it is the correct size bolt, as the upper post is fine. Would it be possible to use something like a heli-coil insert to repair the thread or would you consider this unsafe ? FYI I am running a 160mm disc up front, and only do XC/Trail riding - so nothing too mental :-)..Thanks for any advice.


texts: 10-speed shifters work with one wheelset but not with another

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EDIT: Answer at the bottom

Hi, all

I have an issue with the shifting for my bike, a Giant TCR C1. It seems like the shifters for the Giant TCR work only with one 10s wheelset but not with another 10s wheelset.

I have 2 bikes: a Giant TCR C1 & a Cannondale

Giant TCR C1:

Dura-Ace 10s Shifters

Ultegra 11s Crankset

Ultegra 10s Chain

Dura-Ace 7800 Rear Derailleur

Cannondale CAAD9 R5:

Shimano 105 10s Shifters

Shimano 105 10s Crankset

Shimano 105 Chain

Ultegra 10s Rear Derailleur

I have 2 wheelsets: an Ultegra wheelset for my Giant TCR and a Shimano wheelset for my Cannondale. I'll be referring to the latter wheelset as my Cannondale wheelset.

When I put the Cannondale wheelset on my Cannondale, the shifting works fine. Same for when I put in the Ultegra wheelset. I don't have to adjust the barrel adjuster to adjust the position of the chain.

When I put the Cannondale wheelset on my Giant TCR, the shifting works fine also, albeit a bit more slowly on the descent from the biggest cog down to the small cog. However, when I put the Ultegra wheelset in, the shifting doesn't work properly. I have to adjust the barrel adjuster to align the chain with the cassette, and even then the shifting isn't smooth. It goes up fine but doesn't come down smoothly. It gets stuck in the biggest cog until I shift twice; then, it jumps the second-biggest cog and lands on the third-biggest. I adjust the barrel adjuster so that it descends properly, but then it has problems with shifting upwards, getting stuck on the smallest cog until I shift twice and then it goes up to the second cog.

I had initially thought it was an issue with the shifters, 11s crankset, rear derailleur, or possibly the rear derailleur cable, on my Giant TCR. However, the shifting works fine when I have the 10s Cannondale wheelset on the Giant TCR, so those are not it.

The Ultegra wheelset had originally had on it an 11-speed cassette, which I've swapped out for a 10-speed cassette. I had also initially thought it was an issue with the cassette, but the shifting works fine on my Cannondale when I put on the Ultegra wheelset with the 10-speed cassette, so I don't think it's an issue with the cassette.

Does anybody have an idea on why this is happening?

Solution

It turns out that the issues were with the rear derailleur cable and the rear derailleur. The cable was bent in two places and the derailleur was either incompatible with the brifters or not fully functional. I've replaced the rear derailleur cable and swapped the Dura-Ace 7800 derailleur out for a Dura-Ace 7900 derailleur and the shifting has started working smoothly.


texts: In Europe, I've seen a common type of utility bike with the cargo basket on the front, and the rider behind it. Sometimes the cargo basket is a seat for children. To make this work, there is some sort of mechanical steering linkage from the handlebars to the front wheel/fork in the front. Is there a name for this type of bike and can you buy them in North America?


texts: How to calibrate Garmin Vector 2 power meter pedals with a Wahoo Elemnt computer?

texts:
I just installed Garmin Vector 2 power meter pedals on my bike along and am using it alongside a Wahoo Elemnt bike computer. I've done a few rides now and my average wattage is reading very high (i.e. avg watts with garmin is ~257 vs. ~135 when I was just using the Strava iphone app).

I've updated my Garmin Vector and Wahoo Elemnt so that it's running on the current versions. Any other suggestions on how to get a more accurate wattage reading? Is there a separate calibration process that I need to go through? Do you think my pedals need to be re-torqued?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!


texts: Massive and sudden increase in heart rate and vomiting after when cycling

texts:
The heart thing has happened a few times before, and the vomiting only once; but I haven't cycled in about a year and am getting back into it. I used to be a gymnast and did pretty extreme conditioning and never experienced this then; it's only with cycling.

My body doesn't feel fatigued, overall when this happens my muscles, legs etc feel like they could sprint for a mile with no issue. I'm never panting or struggling for breath or anything like that. It's just my heart and a sudden overwhelming sickness.

If you've seen Gattaca; the scene where the main character is on the treadmill with the fake heart monitor and then later collapses in the lockerroom is exactly how I would describe these episodes. In fact watching that scene makes me feel very uneasy and my hands start shaking; because the episodes feel like I'm about to die...it's extremely frightening.

Is this just a matter of endurance? I'm definitely going to talk to my physician next time I go for a check up. I don't eat large meals and I wait at least two hours before I go on a ride, and I don't particularly "go hard", I just kind of cruise. But I live in Seattle and it's pretty hilly here. Normally I just rest, lay down, sit-up, vomit, and I'm good to go. But I would really, REALLY prefer to not experience this ever again.

Advice?


texts: Will a 73 inch long electric bike fit with 28 inch wheels

texts:
2 Question.

1st.  I am looking into buying a electric bike it is 73 inches from tire to tire will it fit in a muni bike rack

2nd will 28 inch wheels fit on a muni rack

Thank you


texts: Should I worry about uneven disc brake pad wear?

texts:
My bike was squeaking from the front wheel area when I tilted it to one side or another, but not when I rolled forward or used the brakes.

I figured it was probably my disc brakes so I took them out to clean them and one looks really worn down. See pics. Specifically the bottom one which looks really worn at the bottom right. Should I worry?


texts: Ultra road machine or a CX/gravel bike to replace/augment my MTB?

texts:
I currently own a flat bar, hardtail 29er MTB.
I can pretty much ride it anywhere.
The thing is I usually ride on tarmac anyway with some gravel segments if I take a shortcut through the woods.
Where I live is very flat, not many hills etc. Most of routes are paved, there's some gravel/dirt roads. I quite like riding off road as there's no car traffic, but a lot of my riding is b roads with asphalt anyway.
As a result I'd tried a proper road bike and I'm pretty convinced that I want to ride something with drop bars.
Eventually I want to ride 100+ kms on weekend days - I've actually done it already and it wasn't too strenuous.

My dilemma is whether I should get a proper tarmac race machine with aero features, tubeless clinchers, aero spokes etc and keep my MTB for everyday rides or should I replace my MTB with one size fits all gravel or CX bike (I might get two sets of wheels perhaps).

If I replace my MTB, I have a higher budget, the bike is more versatile, gravel bikes have hooks for bikepacking and wider tyres, it also probably means I have budget for disc brakes.
The only reason I don't want to go that route is that gravel bikes are rapidly evolving - for example 2019 Trek bikes have a form of rear 'suspension' (ISOSpeed?) but no such feature on the front, so lots of current gravel bikes feel like a work a in progress and next years models are bound to be better.
On the other hand endurance type road bikes are pretty mature and IMO you get better components in a given price range.
My typical routine is 2-4 hours riding on weekdays with occasional all day riding on weekends. At the moment I am pretty serious about my cycling hoppy and want to reward myself with nice hardware.


texts: I live in a place where it frequently floods. How can I keep my chain from rusting?

texts: My poor bike's chain lasted all of three months before it gave in to the winter floods where I live. Storing it indoors is not an option, and despite my maintenance efforts, the knee-deep floods that come once a month or so, rain every other day, and ocean only a quarter of a mile away has made it pretty much impossible to keep my chain dry. It's deteriorated beyond a useable point, so I have to buy a new one now. I'm new to bike maintenance on this level so I'd really like some advice on how to avoid replacing it again in three months.


texts: Blood sugar spikes from high GI foods - a problem?

texts:
I read a lot of people saying you shouldn't fuel with sugary/high GI (Glycaemic Index) foods, as you'll get a blood sugar spike, an insulin release to cope with it, and then a subsequent blood sugar crash afterwards that will leave you feeling crap and with little energy. I can understand this if you're just sat on a sofa doing nothing, but have there been any studies monitoring blood sugar in cyclists/athletes as they take in something like energy drinks and exercise at medium-high intensity?
The body can apparently absorb 60-90g of carbs an hour - is there a problem with taking on that amount of carbs in one go (e.g. a common combination of maltodextrin/glucose/fructose) and then cycling for an hour, rather than spreading it over an hour?
I've tried riding with low GI foods and they just didn't seem to give me enough oomph, maybe okay for relaxed touring but I tend to like making progress even if I'm not racing. The boost from an energy drink or handful of dates doesn't last too long, granted, but I can definitely feel it when it's there.


texts: How you can reduce wind noise in the ears while cycling?

texts:
Whan I cycle I usually listen to music with a headset but the wind noise is so annoying that I do not hear music

I would not too turn up the volume of the music because I prefer to easily listen to the noise of cars and everything that around me

I use to listen to music only from the right headset and with a low volume, so the wind noise seems stronger and I am not able to understand the music. I cycle low speed so the wind noise is caused by the power of wind, not by the high speed


texts:
How often should I give my bike a full service? Strip the bottom bracket, clean and grease it. Strip the groupset and freewheel.

And what products (or type of) should be used for each process?

It's a road bike which I ride often over the summer (Saturday and Sunday club rides 40 - 70Mi) and commute on during the week. In the winter I get out when I can so it sees some rain / salt.


texts: Did I purchase the correct brakes for my Huffy bike?

texts:
Did I purchase the correct bike brakes for my Huffy bicycle.  I just put the back set on the back and no matter how hard I squeeze the brake it is not tight enough to stop bike.

If anyone know please help thanks.


texts: What are the good ways to maintain the bicycle while raining season?

texts:
I have a bicycle. I ride it everyday because it was my primary vehicle. When I was going to campus or another places, I used it. Currently, the raining season is on my country.  I would like to keep my bicycle healthy, for example case, preventing a bicycle chains from the corrosion. Also, another use cases which can be happened while raining season.

Any good suggestion for that cases?


texts:
First of all I will start with the fact that I'm completely new to the world of hardware related to bike parts.

But I must say I ride my bike a lot. My everyday commute is roughly 40-50 km. I drive a Pegasus Premio SL belt 2019 and it is a city bike. I bought it almost 6 months ago. As of now, I have rode more than 5km with it. As far as my knowledge goes, it is equipped with a Shimano Nexus 8 speed hub with a Gates CDN S150 belt drive system. I don't know how many teeth I have in my belt (sorry).

Recently I saw that my belt started to chip its teeth away (of course wear and tear). Therefore, I'm planning to switch to a Gates CDX-EXP version to avail myself its robustness (at least that's what the website claims ;)). So, here I am.

I would like to know which combination of sprockets (front and rear) should I use and how many teeth should be in my belt and why. Moreover, I would like to know the meaning of teeth in the sprockets and belt. In addition, I would like to know whether I can use the re-use stuff from my old CDN S150 crankset.

This question is mainly because I tried searching for combinations on google but not with much success (I'm bit lost, because I haven't had much experience with it, yet). I of course read their manual, but it has different combinations and honestly, I'm a little bit lost.

Finally, I would like to have your feedback on whether it is worth upgrading.


texts: How to remove this kickstand without destroying anything?

texts:
I have a 70's Schwinn Collegiate. It has kickstand that's welded to the frame. How can I remove this kickstand from the housing? Looking at the bottom, I can't tell if this pin needs to be pushed in or pulled out.

I want to be able to put it back together afterwards.


texts:
I'm wondering how people manage the required (and completed) maintenance for their bikes, especially when you have a couple each with completely different component sets (i.e. a road bike, a XC, a cruiser, etc). It seems most components are intended to get service every XX hours or miles or seasonally, while others when they're worn out or broken (I guess prevent extensive damage vs. replace wear & tear).

I'm a software developer so naturally thinking of building a web app for this (amongst other features) but would rather use something that already exists if it's available.

Looking for input on everything from "I track it in a 3-ring notebook" to "my personal mechanic takes care of all that"


texts:
It's an old argue on forums, still cant get it. What is the (real, that worth the money and time for ordering from abroad, in my case) difference, let's say between Five Ten FreeRider shoes and some kind of old school skate shoes (the fat ones, like these Etnies)?

P.S as far as I know most dirt BMXers are quite happy with regular skate shoes.


texts:
I've always heard "never use barends" and they're banned equipment for some of the local clubs/group rides.  A number of people on-line swear by them though.  What's up with that!?  :-)  Why would I NOT want them?  When do I want them?

(Running with @sixtyfootersdude comment from Upgrading straight handlebars to drop handlebars)


texts:
About to buy my first road bike. I keep things for a long time, so won't be upgrading the frame in 2 years. I will ride 2-3 time weekly, 15-40 miles each time. I'm deciding among three options:

Cheapest: Diamondback Century 2 for $800. http://www.diamondback.com/bikes-pavement-road-endurance-road-century-2. To be purchased online.

Mid-range: Trek 1.5 2013 for $1000. www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2013/archive/trek/2013_1_5_h2_compact/  Ridden and comfy but not real zippy.

Higher end (for me): Cannondale Synapse Tiagra or 105 5 ~1200-1400. Comes with a professional fit.

The Diamondback is tempting, given the 105 components and the price, but it's got some no-name hubs and non-105 brakes. Is that worrisome? Any other thoughts on these options?


texts: E-Bikes - Is it bad for the bike to run out of battery?

texts:
Today, I ran my e-bike out of battery for the first time. Interestingly enough, the bike didn't actually turn off, but automatically moved the mode from "Eco" (light pedal assist) to "Off" (no pedal assist). The screen stayed on, telling me my MPH, etc, so clearly, the bike wasn't completely out of battery.

I continued to pedal with the screen on until I got home. I then plugged the bike into its charger.

Is this bad for the bike? I can't find information anywhere about this... even in the bikes manual, it says nothing about it.

I called the company that made the bike, and they seemed to be uncertain, but ultimately said it wasn't a big deal... they actually suggested it might be good for the bike to do this?

Is running an e-bike out of battery bad for the bike?


texts: Convert a compact (double) to a triple front chain ring

texts:
I've a giant defy 3, compact. My front chain rings are capput and need replacing. Could u easily change to a triple chain set, they are currently 34 and 50. I've already just re placed the chain and cassette when I noticed the front was a mess when looking to change my bottom bracket.

Thanks for advice.


texts:
I've just replaced my mountain bike tyres/tubes with new 26x1.50 city slicks.
Max psi is 80 but my foot pump won't push more than 50 in.
Is this because it's a schrader valve, or do you think my foot pump is past it.
If it's the valve type is there any work around apart from bying presta tubes.


texts: How does a bike absorb all the energy in landing from a big drop?

texts:
There are countless videos showing BMX/freeride/downhill etc. riders jumping and dropping from heights. For the unprofessional spectator, they seem impossible to survive.
From the physical point of view, the bike reaches the ground with a given kinetic energy which is dependent on the height of the drop and on the combined mass of the rider and the bike. Where is all this energy dissipated? I assume that most of this energy is absorbed in the bike, and some by the rider. How is this energy distributed in various components of the bike?


texts: What should I do to get an older bike into good condition

texts:
I recently bought a hybrid human/electric bicycle at a garage sale, and I've been working on getting it into usable shape again. It is about 10 years old, and needs some work. The battery was quite dead in it, so I've replaced it, it also needs a new tire, which I'm going to take care of soon. What else should I do to get the bicycle in good working condition again?

EDIT Here's a few pictures, let me know if there's any other area of the bike I can get a few shots to help you guys help me. Thanks for the tips so far! The brand is Lafree, I can't tell a model, it's around 10 years old, if that helps...


texts:
I live in a country where people drives on the right.

Say I am riding my bike like this:

    - main road
    vvvv
    vvvv      - narrow path
    vvvv      vv
    \    \   |  |
     \    \  |* |  <-- I want to get here
      \    \ |  |
       \    \|P |  <-- pedestrians crossing
        \       |
         \      |
          |     |
          |     |
          |   * |  <-- I am here, going straight
          |   ↑ |
          |     |
           ^^^^^
         main road

That is, I am going straight and want to continue like this in an intersection. For some reasons, people typically turn to the left in the crossroads (it is the main road), but I do want to go straight (a narrower path).

This means that pedestrians typically cross on point (P) without paying much attention to cyclists, despite us having preference. They check the road, though.

If I would go to the left I would indicate it with my arm. However, is there any way to indicate that I am going straight? I think on putting my hand straight but I am not confident that this will be understood by my fellow cyclists or pedestrians.


texts: Trying to figure out what brand this frame actually is

texts: Trying to figure out what the original brand of frame this is. The original owner said it was repainted and it doesnt seem to be an s-works frame


texts: How do I fix a left crank that has come off of my Pro Form 4.0 RT Stationary Bike?

texts:
The left crank has come off of my Pro Form 4.0 RT Stationary Bike. It is about 8-10 years old although up until this year, I would estimate I put only 200-300 km in total on it. This year I have put 800 km on and most of that in the past 6 weeks. I normally ride at a resistance setting of 12 and in recent weeks, I was really pushing my self to pedal harder to get my speed up. Prior to the crank coming off I noticed a repeating clicking (more of a repeating thud and I could feel it when I pedalled). This was only on the left hand side. The right is smooth as silk. To be clear, the problem is where the crank connects to the bike (the pedal connection to the crank is fine)
I eventually tried to see what was wrong and after a lot of attempts tried to tighten the crank with a hexagon ratchet screw driver. The first time, I simply tightened it and I thought everything was good. But very quickly, it got loose and the screw came right out. I put it back in and tightened again and then the same problem occurred again. When I look at the bolt it does seem ok but the Crank end that is held in (where it connects) does seem to have some rounding to it on one of the corners and there are some medal shavings on the floor (though not a alot).
So I am looking for advice on how I could fix this. I would note that I am not mechanically inclined and normally just take these things into the shop. However, in this case, it would be very difficult to get the stationary bike out of the house and I worry if I dismantle it, I won't be able to get it back together. Plain language would be helpful to me as I did not even know the part was called a crank until I starting looking for help. All help is much appreciated.


texts:
I'm thinking of trying out some winter riding on a recumbent tadpole trike. (ie the single drive wheel is in the rear).

With regular tires it slips all over the place; of course you can't really wipe out but still its not practical and is perhaps unsafe to ride that way.

I was contemplating rugged snow tires or even studded tires, but I'm not sure what configuration for this type of trike would be ideal. I think studs on the rear may be necessary for max traction but I'm not sure if that would be the best choice for the front? Could it even have any downsides? It is possible to roll this trike by cornering too hard, not sure if studs would even make that more likely.

Temperatures in the teens/20s (F, or -12 to -4 C) are typical, and snow is on the ground a lot of the time. I'm planning to ride on packed down roads or trails, not in deep or loose snow. Secondary roads are generally gritted, not salted.

The existing tires are all 20x1.50 and there is ample clearance for fatter tires. On the front there is literally nothing near the wheels at all, and in the rear the frame is spaced out a lot. I think we can assume tire width is not a limitation.

The current tires are pretty smooth - they slide easily in gravel for instance. Totally unsuitable for ice or snow.

Thanks


texts: Tern Spartan (front rack) on Bike Friday NWT

texts:
Does anyone have experience with putting a  Tern Spartan™ low-riding front rack on a Bike Friday New World Tourist? Will it fit?

Tern Spartan front rack:

Bike Friday NWT

Bike Friday standard front rack


texts: It says C.N.C on the body of the frame, dut  on the dropout theres "vitus" logo. Either way its french bycicle, but who built it?


texts: What's the cause of this kind of tyre damage?

texts:
What's causing this type of damage to the tyre?
It's a 25 x 622 tyre on a 13 x 622 rim.
Tyre is a Schwalbe Active Line K-Guard.
The tyre itself doesn't seem worn.


texts:
My LBS recommended cartridge hubs to me. Here are my doubts.

Seeing as how I never ride in the rain or any such wet substances, I don't really need the "completely sealed" feature.

Sheldon Brown says that if taken care of, the body of a loose-ball hub will last indefinitely. (not the balls and cones). So if you maintain your hub, you should be able to indefinitely avoid having to re-spoke your wheel.

Sealed bottom brackets make sense, because it's easy to pull your cranks off and swap it out. But if you have a cartridge hub, when it wears out you will need to re-spoke your wheel. Am I right about that, or do cartridge hubs have a system for just replacing the bearings?

Also, is it possible that a cartridge hub would last as long as the rim? Then you would just replace the whole wheel once it started having problems.


texts: Specialized Hardrock - How to stop disc brakes from squealing?

texts:
I have a Specialized Hardrock 2011 Disc brake mountain bike with a front brake that squeals when used lightly.  It's OK if I use the brake hard - but I usually don't need or want to stop in such a hurry!  I have been using the rear brake more for light braking, which is something that I don't like to do because the front brake is best for this.

It has been like this pretty much  since the day I got it, so I initially put it down to needing running in.  It has got a bit better with time and a few hundred miles, but not much - I try not to brake and instead carry the momentum of the bike where I can for increased efficiency.

What should I look into adjusting to stop disks squealing?


texts: Front derailleur twist shifter replacement - from small to big ring in one click

texts:
Replaced front OEM Grip Shift SH-F3 barrel shifter with Twist Grip M25-7 shifter on Vintage consumer-type bike w Shimano GS100 and 3 chainrings (x7 cassette).
Mounting went fine, cable run is clean and clear. Backed off barrel a few turns and with shifter on “1” and slack taken out connected the cable to the derailleur.  Minimal adjustment needed to the L limit.  But the shift from “1” to “2” skips the middle chainring completely and takes the cage all the way to the largest, and there’s no apparent index adjustment - nor instructions or even a product listing on the website (it was an amazon purchase of a “Shimano-compatible” - please limit the chastising). I’ve reached out to MicroShift for support but no response.
I do find it interesting that the new shifter 1-2-3 markings are not equidistant - there is greater spacing between 1-2 than 2-3 which I don’t get. For what it’s worth no amazon comments similar to my problem.
In my understanding Shimano have massive market share and that the mass-consumer bike market is highly standardized in components, altogether suggesting I’ve done something wrong - that’s where you come in - even though the mechanics of these things aren’t rocket science.
Any advice would be appreciated.


texts: Do I need to remove this DT Swiss ring nut? (360 hub)

texts:
I'm swapping bearings on Roval Traverse rear hub, which is said to have DT Swiss 360 internals, 3-pawl.
Do I therefore need to remove the ring nut as per normal DT Swiss instructions? If so I'll need to source the tool.
There is such a small difference between the diameters of the ring and the bearing, are all DT Swiss hubs like this/is it normal??


texts: Does anyone have experience with Bottom Bracket Tap/Facing sets?

texts:
I'm interested in recommending my boss get the workshop in which I work a bottom bracket tap and facing set.

As it's quite an investment it's important to me to know what you're getting for your money. Does anyone have any experience in this area? I'm a bit of a bike snob so have always leaned towards Park Tool on these matters; apparently Cyclus also make a very good unit. Appreciate any experience or feedback you fine people have.


texts: Tires for 28' city bike (622x19C) to reduce rolling resistance?

texts:
I've got a simple city bike that needs some new tires. The bike has been fairly hard to ride lately, and I would like to speed it up a bit. The rims are 28' 622x19C, the current tires are 47mm or 1.75' according to the imprint (although 47mm = 1.85').

It feels like the rolling resistance is too high, compared to similar bikes with thinner tires. Now I've read that thinner tires should have a higher resistance in theory (because there is a larger contact area in rolling direction). But my feeling from comparing several bikes (not MTB or racing, but very similar ones with differnt tires) is that thinner tires feel faster and seem to have less resistance (probably because thick tires have a larger contact area perpendicular to the rolling direction - think of a car tire as the extreme case). Note when I say "thinner", I don't mean like a racing bike, but 37 or 40 mm instead of 47.

So, how to decide what tires to put on the bike? Will thinner tires (optimally inflated) reduce or increase the percieved resistance?

Or do you think I've just been riding with too low pressure all the time, and the current tire size is fine? If thicker really = faster at optimal pressure as they say, maybe the thicker tires also tempt people to use not enough pressure? Otherwise I can't explain my gut experience that the thick tires feel slow.


texts: Choosing hubs and rims for training road wheels

texts:
I'm going to build a training road wheelset for my touring bike. I wonder what should be criteria for choosing hubs and rims and spokes. I'd prefer cheaper options as long as they are durable and not too heavy.

Hubs: which are considered serviceable as opposed to disposable? And which require relatively little maintenance? My bike has 135mm rear dropouts, so I need MTB rear hub, but for front - search for MTB or road?

Rims: there are many budget models with slight variations in weight and strength. I'd like to find one with maximum strength / weight ratio, but how can I estimate the strength? Say, AlexRims DA22 is advertised as butted but it weights same as 1.5x cheaper Mach1 non-butted rims. Is butted any better if it's not lighter?


texts: Is it legal to ride on sidewalks in Georgia?

texts: The title says all of it.  A friend and I were trying to determine if it is legal to ride on sidewalks.  Georgia has clear law explaining what cyclists should do on the road (basically obey all the rules cars do), but I can't find any direction regarding sidewalks.


texts: What is the actual cable pull of brake levers?

texts:
I understand that there are 2 brake lever cable pull standards:

Standard Pull Levers
Long Pull Levers (for V-brakes and disc brakes)

But what is the actual difference in pull? And specifically: what is the maximum travel caused by the lever on the cable (in mm or in inch)?


texts:
How much can we change our bike wheel diameters before needing another bike fit?

If we change the size of our bike tires, it raises or lowers the front or rear of the bike. That means it can affect the reach, handlebar height, setback, saddle angle, and handlebar angle. That means even after tilting the seat up or down to make it flat, we need the setback readjusted, and we likely need a new stem to readjust the reach and handlebar height. Adjusting the setback affects the reach.

It seems like even a mm of adjustment can be significant in terms of optimizing our bike fit. If we extend our knees, our hamstrings are engaged when extending our hips like on the downstroke but if our knees are bent, they don't get activated so we get less power. Most of us notice the stretch in our hamstrings when when trying to reach our toes with our knees extended. There's a reason why a bike fit can take at least 2 hours. Some bike fitters recommend another bike fit when we get new shoes as they can have different sole heights in addition to needing the cleats adjusted.

Sometimes we need or want to change the diameters of the wheels.

Examples include:

Tire clearances are different for both the front and rear wheels while the rider desires fitting the widest tires possible. Adding a fender also decrease tire clearances.
Even replacement tires with the same width markings can have slightly different actual widths when installed onto the rim.
Rim replacement since changing the rim inner widths can affect the tire widths.
Spare wheels since some cyclists have multiple wheels for different conditions, race days and training, different gear ratios, etc.
Upgrading the hub to a hub dynamo, internal hub gearing, coaster brake, power meter, etc. The new hub may have different hole counts so a new rim, which may have a slightly different inner width may be needed.

How much can we increase the difference in the two wheel diameters before we need another bike fit?


texts: I've just started road cycling 1.5 months ago, I'm a 15 year old guy with no serious experience, my avg speed on a road bike is 16,8mph is that a good speed?, what can i expect in one year in terms of my speed?


texts: Can you run a quick release skewer with a SON dynamo hub?

texts:
Regular SON dynamo hubs come with a hex key skewer rather than a QR. That's not a big deal, but it's probably simpler for the other 2 riders on the household who are running these hubs to deal with a QR skewer, since it's easier for them to get a feel for a tight QR than for "8-10 Nm" on the hex key, especially using a crank brothers multitool by the side of the road.
I haven't seen any admonition not to use a QR, and I doubt they could get a QR cam to put more tension on the skewer than 10 Nm on the hex skewer would pull, but I'm not sure.
I'm wondering if the hex skewer is supposed to just be a security thing, since it requires a thief to have a 5mm hex head rather than just fingers. I'm not sure that's much in the way of security. I did get some pentagonal key skewers that would provide more security, since few people are carrying one of those around, but at present these bikes don't get out of anyone's sight.


texts: Checklist for Gates Beltdrive conversion...

texts:
Having had a good look at a Scott Sub 10 1012 model today I'm very very VERY keen to convert my On-One Pompetamine Versa 8 to belt-drive. It has a Shimano Alfin 8 hub.

So... what advice can you give me? So far I know/think that:

I need to get the read-triangle on the drive side cut and have a gate brazed in (I'll do this myself probably).
I'll need to get hold of an Alfin fit sprocket.
I don't have an eccentric BB mount/shell so will have to tension with track-ends and tugs (or will I??)
That it's blinking expensive :)

Thanks!


texts: Dual water bottle brackets on a single frame mount?

texts: I'm looking for a way to mount two water bottle cages on the seat tube. Is there any way to make this hold two water bottle cages on one bracket / mount point?


texts:
The suspension forks on my kids bike are totally seized, never been great anyway, but I’d like to try to get them moving in some way.

First problem is how to disassemble. They are the standard fork sold on a decathlon wyldee and the sticker on the back says GST, rapid suspension technology.

My problem is they don’t have a bolt at the bottom of the lowers to undo and if I pop the top caps off there’s not much accessible there either.

Anyone had any experience servicing something like these? Any thoughts? Or just unserviceable?


texts: Do I have to simply wait for google maps to add cycling directions to my area? Or can I help?

texts:
Related to this question about submitting road data to google maps. I'm curious to know if there is any way to get Google started on cycling data in my city. There are a lot of cyclists in my city, but as it is located outside of the US, it will probably take some time before cycling directions show up on Google Maps.

It does seem to be possible to use the "report a problem" feature of maps to add new route data.  But what can I do if there is no cycling data to begin with?


texts: When carrying a lock on body, which statistical data and experiences to consider re: safety concerns

texts:
With a custom-built bike in somewhat higher price regions, I now ended up with a high-security u-lock, which is also very heavy-weight. I also own a heavy-weight chain lock. For several reasons and specific occasions, it would be more practical to carry these locks on my body instead of attaching them to the bike.

However, when thinking about accidents, and the corresponding forces of heavyweight metal, and the comparative weakness of my bones, I would at least like to know which variant of carrying the u-lock (like corresponding holsters, in - or attached to - a backpack, ...) or the chain (over one shoulder, or like a belt, ...) has the least "damage expectancy". My research, among others with the German Cyclist Club (ADFC), did not reveal anything specific ... apart from the obvious, that any lock will damage your bones less if attached to the frame.


texts: Keeping cables free of dirt when in transporting

texts:
Any ideas on how I can keep grit and all of the other nasty road stuff when transporting my bicycle 2,000 plus miles this spring to get home? It will more than likely be rain and snow on the way. They will be on a bicycle rack behind our Chevrolet Equinox.
The suggestion of garbage bags over the cables sounds promising.

Update:

Thank you all for your ideas.

It looks like I will be driving into wintery conditions the closer I get to home. I wish I could afford an enclosed trailer, but I have no use for it after transporting bicycles. Bicycle covers are great, but they block the vehicles turn signals. I was looking for a low cost solution. I am going to remove all of the cables and wrap parts of the bicycle in shrink wrap.

Thanks again for all of the ideas.


texts: Updating equipment on old Team Raleigh frame

texts:
I was given an older Team Raleigh frame, serial #WBK 601376 R. I use it as my commuter bike to school where I teach. I want to update the frame with new equipment.

My local bike shop was able to put newer Sora drivetrain, shifters, and brakes on it. Now I want to update my steering system so that I can:

use 700 wheels up front
put on wider handlebars
shorten my reach

I want to be able to do all the work myself.

Can anyone knowledgeable tell me if my list of equipment sounds right?

new fork for 700 wheel, 1" threadless.
handlebars 31.8, 420 wide
headset for 1" threadless fork
80 mm stem (or so) to shorten up my present 100 mm. stem.

Can I find these things used, do it myself and save some money?

What advice and/or cautions can you offer? Can anyone tell me anything about the frame by the serial number? Is this from the middle 90's?

MHarv


texts: Convert single speed, steel framed, vintage track bike to geared

texts:
Is there any way to convert a steel framed single speed vintage track bike to a geared bike? I have a track bike with only the rails for the wheel but I've moved out of the city and there are more hills where I am now living so would like to convert to gears if possible and rather than buy a new bike, save some cash.
this is actually the bike. Apologies for the butchering of its style in this form. sorry don't have a closer pic at the moment. I don't have the bike at my home and cant get to it due to lockdown :(


texts: Where to find a 14.4 mm long and 16.9 mm wide hub cone?

texts: I was servicing my bike's ball bearings in my wheels when I noticed that the rear hub cones need to be replaced, as they are heavily wearing down. I looked online for replacement hubs but none fit the dimensions I need, maybe because the rim I have is an Alex Rims TD 24. As per the title, the cone hub is 14.4 mm long and 16.9 mm in diameter. Anybody have any products that would fit my needs? I assume once the product is found, finding the other side (the one on the cassette's side) would just be a matter of getting the same size but for the other side.


texts: I currently have four panniers (two front, two rear) on my touring bike and plan to purchase a new touring bike which comes with front suspension forks. Is it possible and if so, safe to add front panniers to a front suspension fork?


texts:
When trying out the baby seat on my wife's e-bike, it was really easy to fit and remove because her saddle flips up to access the battery.  It's a real pain threading the baby seat over the top of my pannier(s) and under the saddle to fit it on my bike.

FWIW the baby seat is a hamax siesta, seat tube mounted, and slightly fiddly to fit even with rack but no panniers. I can't fit the seat then the panniers - there's no access to fasten the panniers.

So is there a flip-up seat post available to fit to a normal bike?  Google finds nothing relevant, only ancient forum threads.

Edit: Pics

Here it is flipped up:

And in riding position:

Detail of the mechanism:

As you can see the standard QR height adjustment is unaffected, and the saddle rails are typical.

I've found out a bit more - apparently there's quite a bit of extra weight (looks like it, plenty of steel in there) and older versions had a tendency to work loose around the hinge.


texts: 25.4-27.2mm seat post shim on a seat tube with 26.8mm inner diameter

texts:
From where I live (Philippines) , there seems to be no stock for 26.8mm seat posts. All other sizes are available except for 26.8mm; they don't even sell shims for that size. Currently I am forced to use a 25.4mm seat post on my bike.
Is it possible to use a 25.4 - 27.2 mm shim for that purpose? I've used beer cans and inner tubes for shims, but both options has led to the seat tube crimping as I tighten it down.


texts: I bent a rim, what kind of new rim should I buy?

texts:
I bent a rim on a wheel that has a tire that’s 25-622 (700x25E). What kind of new rim should I buy?

What kind of rim is compatible with this tire? I do not know how to size rims.


texts: How do I make my bicycle as ugly as possible without affecting the riding qualities?

texts:
I live in a city known for extremely high rates of bike theft (Prague, Czech Republic). I'm therefore looking to make my bicycle appear as cheap and ugly as possible to deter possible thefts.

What are the best ways to do so, which won't affect the quality of the cycling?


texts: Help ID this Chris King NoThreadSet Color

texts:
Can anyone help me ID the color of this Chris King NoThreadSet? And what year this color was offered?

Source: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/chris-king-steelset-headset/rp-prod2035


texts: installing cotter pin cranks - pin isn't flush

texts:
So I managed to get the right sized cotter pins. Without installing the cranks onto the spindle, I could drop the cotter pin through the hole.

However when I attached the spindle, the pin won't go all the way in. It's only roughly 2/3 of the way in. The nut and washer fits on but The pin head itself isn't flush with the cranks.

Does this matter? I thought it's the taper of cotter pin that prevents the cranks from moving anyway.


texts: Can you change your skewer frame into to thru axle one?

texts: I have a frame that uses QR skewers.  Can I modify the frame to use thru axles?Has anyone done it??


texts: Are these SIS Mountain/City Bike Derailleurs compatible with drop-bar shifting?

texts:
I'm considering the conversion of my flat-bar hybrid bike (GIANT Escape 3) in to a makeshift road bike, complete with drop bars. However, if the derailleurs have to go, it may not be cost-effective to do so.

The Escape comes fitted with Shimano Tourney derailleurs on front and back. They've got white logos on them which say "SIS Index", as seen in this photo of the front derailleur. I've been led to believe that Shimano drop-bar shifters will be compatible with these. Please corroborate?


texts: What is the purpose of landing on the rear tire?

texts:
Throughout the entire Kranked series, riders are doing insane jumps and drops. What puzzles me is that, despite beginner advice to land both wheels (nearly) simultaneously, about half of the landings are as seen on the first several seconds of the linked video:

Land on rear tire
While the front tire descends to the ground, perform a disproportional movement with the body - the hips move little, the upper body moves a lot.

I very much doubt those drops look like that, because the riders are unskilled. So - what is the usefulness of landing rear-first, provided tire placement precision is not a concern (i.e. not hopping around)?


texts: Replace hub from old cassette to new fixed

texts:
I have an old mavic race rear wheel where the hub is rusted, but the spokes and rim is in prime condition. Thinking about changing just the hub (reusing spokes) to a fixed flip-flop to use the wheel on a project bike. Doesn't have to be perfect.

My hunt for the correct rear hub for the operation, has led me to a couple of questions and a checklist:

Mounting width is easy (normally 120mm or 135mm).
Axle width affects the chainline.
Number of spokes.
Flange diameter affects the spoke length (+ stiffness of wheel).

The point I'm most concerned about is the flange diameter. The old hub has a pretty low flange and all fixed hubs has high flange. Also drive-side of the old hub looks like it uses shorter spokes then the left side. Is this conversion event doable?


texts:
I have Hayes Nine hydraulic disc brakes on my mountain bike. I have recently replaced the brake pads and after that it seems that the pads are almost touching the rotor.
How can I adjust it?

I have come across the term "bleeding the brakes", but not exactly sure what it involves and if it applies here. Is it complicated? any special tools required?

On my previous bike I had cable disc brakes and the maintenance was pretty straight forward, but the hydraulics seem like a black magic to me.

Thanks


texts:
I've recently bought a second-hand Fuji Jari 1.7 (http://archive.fujibikes.com/2018/Fuji/jari-172). It's in good condition and works without problems, the only thing I'm slightly worried about is the carbon fork.

The fork has weird looks to it. On some areas of the fork it looks like there's some sort of weaving showing, in some places there are lines that look like something left over from molding during production. Some parts, when looked at at a certain angle, are kind of cloudy or milky.

I've never had any carbon on any of my bikes before, so I'm not sure what to think of it. Hopefully this is normal look of raw carbon covered with transparent finish?

Please take a look at the pictures and comment. Otherwise than the strange looks, the fork seems perfectly OK -- the surface is uniform, there's no visible damage apart from some minor scratches on the finish, there are no weird sounds when I tap the fork all over, etc.


texts: Disc brake conversion for Trek 7.5 FX from 2012

texts: Looking for a few tips to help me with a project. I got a Trek 7.5 FX 2012 as a hand-me-down and love the bike, but I am having trouble getting used to the brakes. I would like to do a conversion to disc brakes but I have never done a project like this before. I am an apartment dweller and so this is the only bike I have for commuting so I also can not afford to have it out of commission for an extended period of time while I tinker with it. I am thinking I need a new fork, new front and back wheels, rotors, mechanical calipers, and a mounting system for the rear caliper on the frame. What parts specifically should I get and what advice should I listen to to avoid common pitfalls?


texts:
I'm riding on a hybrid bike with 700x35mm tires which is ideal in the city. Every now and then I could go on a ride outside of the city, covering distances in the vicinity of 80km and doing some medium climbs. I'm quite happy with how it all goes but I'm wondering what difference it would make if I change the tires to 25mm width? How much speed will I gain? Would it make the climbing a bit easier? And overall, is it worth it?

The tires are clip on so replacing them back and forth won't be such a hassle. I'm considering to have pairs of both 35mm and 25mm and replace them depending on the occasion but I would like to hear some feedback first on how wise that would be.

EDIT: Just to clarify, I'm planing to replace the whole wheel - both the rims and the tires!

Thank you!


texts: How to adjust cleats to lower pain in the right foot's last two toes

texts:
I'm getting started on road cycling, rode a few times with Shimano R540 SPD-SL pedals and compatible shoes, using the maximum float setting since I'm still getting comfortable with the system.

I've noticed right away that using cycling shoes has given me a great pain in the right foot. More specifically, on the fourth and fifth toes. I think they're getting jammed on the soles or maybe on the sides of the shoes.

I'm pretty sure I've got the right size shoes for me, since it's very comfortable and doesn't feel tight when wearing, so I guess it's a matter of adjusting the cleats.

I should mention that my right foot is the "dominant" one. It's the one I've gotten used to keep clipped in while standing, for instance.

Anybody got an idea for how I can try adjusting the cleats to lower the pain on the two outside toes? Put it more to the back of the shoes? More to the outside?


texts: Gates Carbon Drive vs single-speed chain, long term lifespan and maintenance

texts:
I'm looking to get a new bike which will require the smallest amount of maintenance.

The bike will have an internally-geared hub and I have the choice of single speed chain or belt drive.

I have been looking at the Gates Carbon Drive and investigating maintenance costs:

A CDX belt is around 8 times more expensive than a chain where I live.
Also the chainring and rear sprocket are round 4 times more expensive.

What is the lifespan of a Gates belt against a Single Speed chain? I've looked up online but peoples opinions are conflicting. Some say in similar conditions a belt will have a similar lifespan, while others claim up to 10 times longer use.
What is the actual lifespan of a belt compared to a well maintained single speed chain in similar conditions?

I understand a belt drive is not maintenance free but much less than a chain.
If a belt can last 4 times longer than chain then I would consider this worth the investment.

Also is there an expected life difference between 11 speed and single speed chains? As comparison to my current bike.


texts:
My commute bike has been in daily use for 15 years. It was built with XTR components but it seems that they don't make chainrings for this crank anymore. It has come time to replace the rings (3rd set) again but Im guessing that I need new cranks.

The rear derailleur is 9 speed and it doesn't seem like there are so many of these anymore so I'll probably end up replacing everything to get modern equipment.

With that in mind - can I put a 10/11 speed cassette on my existing (15 yr old Chris King) rear hub? Or does this need to be replaced also?


texts:
I read that road bikes on average have around 22 gears and mountain bikes up to 30-40.

But my hybrid only has gears numbered 1-3 on the left hand and gears numbered 1-8 on the right, so my bike's a 8 gear biked.

the 8 gears stacked together are a bit under 4cm horizontal.so 22 gears would be around 10cm. so for a mountain bike the gears could go up to 20cm.

Wouldn't that look really ridiculous?


texts:
This question establishes why velodromes all operate in an anticlockwise direction. Are velodromes designed this way, to make the left hand turn easier, or would it be just as easy to cycle clockwise around them?

Specifically: are there two lines of symmetry in the shape of the velodrome, one through the pursuit finish line in the middle of the straights and the other through the middle of the bend? Is this true for all velodromes?

Source: about 15 years ago I used to ride lots at Manchester velodrome, and I remember someone claiming this from around that time, and reporting that a novelty clockwise race had been really difficult.


texts: Run a Shimano STX derailleur with 8 speed cassette or bigger?

texts:
I've heard that it's possible to run the same derailleur with different shifters to get a different number of gears. I would like to know what the limits are to this idea.  I want to keep my Shimano STX rd MC30 rear derailleur because I like the smokey chrome color but I want a bigger gear range in the back to run a 1x.  I am currently using a 7 speed shifter.

I understand that this upgrade will require a new hub to fit a bigger cassette.

Thank you!


texts: Is it possible to mount a derailleur on this bike?

texts: Is there a way to mount a derailleur on this bike?


texts: How do I stop chain from moving and jamming up when I stop pedaling my multi-speed bike?

texts:
When coasting (not pedaling) on a multi-speed bike, the chain does not stop moving and starts piling up on itself between the pedals and rear gears.

How do I fix this?


texts:
The main threadlocker brand available in the US describes its red compound as "permanent" and requiring heat (> 550°F)  to free up, and its blue compound as medium strength and requiring only hand tools to free up.

I am seeing a lot of photos of bottom brackets with what seems to be factory-applied red threadlocker.  Are manufacturers actually recommending the "permanent/heat needed" variety of threadlocker compound for BBs?


texts: Should cheap suspension forks be oiled often?

texts:
Should a cheap fork be oiled / lubricated from time to time?
If yes, how?


texts: Can riding without a chain damage a bike?

texts: I've been really struggling learning to ride fakie (backwards) on my BMX. Tonight, an idea occurred to me. If I remove the chain from my bike, it'll be a "free coaster," and I won't have to pedal backwards while riding backwards, so I can focus entirely on balance and maintaining speed. I don't know if removing the chain would actually be very helpful, though I'm sure it would be fun and I'd learn some things. Is there any chance it would be harmful to the bike?


texts: What are the differences between a horizontal suspension and vertical suspension MTB?

texts:
Currently, I've got a hardtail mountain bike and love to upgrade to a full suspension one. But when web surfing, I found out there are two types of full suspensions:
1. Vertical Suspension

2. horizontal suspension

I'm curious to know the differences and pros and cons, between these two types. I just YouTubed and don't have any strong opinions so far :)


texts: My 6 geared Shimano bike doesn't shift from higher to lower gears but does the opposite smoothly

texts:
My 6 geared(Shimano gears) mountain bike with the grip shifting system shifts really smoothly from the 1st gear to the 6th (biggest cog to the smallest). However when I try to twist the shifter from the highest gear to the lowest, the grip feels tighter and tighter and then gets impossible to shift at the 4th or 3rd gear.

Stuff you may need to know:

Pressing against the derailleur with my thumbs manually changes the gears perfectly.
Removed the cable from the derailluer to check the shifter itself and it pulls and pushes the cable perfectly too.

Please help!


texts: I'm not sure if 'starter pin' is the correct terminology.  When you buy a new chain, that doesn't have a master link, you get a longer pin that allows you to put the chain together.  Then you simply take a pair of pliers and snap the extra piece of pin off.  Is there anyway to just buy the pins without buying a new chain?


texts: What was the rationale for reverse brake levers?

texts:
The Porteur style of bicycle popular by newspaper delivery men in France in the 1940s-1960s had reverse brake levers, seen here in this diagram from an article from Bicycle Quarterly (the photo jpeg is titled rebourherseville1960.jpg):

A bunch of manufacturers including Dia-compe used to sell brake levers that were reversed and there are also some contemporary reproductions:

Was this just purely for style reasons? I can't think of many advantages of a reverse brake lever (except style) and can think of major disadvantages (it will hook or catch on things as you move forward). What were the rationale for having brake levers like this originally?

Period sources preferred.


texts:
I have a road bike that use Shimano 105 PD-5800 SPD-SL pedals and they are wonderful when exercising. However I would like to be able to use the bike with regular shoes for more casual use of the bike, but I also don't want to exercise unnecessary wear and tear on the pedals by not using a cleat. Are there any cleats (for SPD-SL) that convert the pedal to a regular flat platform for regular shoes?

I know that this question is similar to this one but I ask for a special cleat that converts the SPD-SL pedal to a regular flat platform and not a hybrid platform. I want to keep my Shimano 105 PD-5800:s since I really enjoy them.


texts: Shimano 11-Speed Freehub onto 10-Speed Hub

texts: I have Dura Ace 7801 10-speed wheels.  Can I install a Shimano 11-speed free hub onto the 7801 hub?


texts:
I'm stumped. For the last yew years I have been getting flats that look like this:

As you can see, it's a tiny, tiny hole that can only be found by inflating the tire to twice its size or so. I know these aren't puncture flats because there is never anything in the tire, and they don't seem like pinch flats because:

They never come in pairs
They happen much more frequently on my front tire even though my rear wheel has much more weight from loaded 40L Ortlieb paniers.
I'm running between 110 - 125 PSI, and more pressure doesn't seem to reduce the rate of flats.
They tend to show up when I go to get on my bike in the morning, rather than on the way or after work. (Though this doesn't really contraindicate a pinch flat, I just thought it was weird).
They seem to mainly be on the outside, although sometimes they are on the inside of the tube.

Lately they've been happening more frequently, today I had three (I found my bike flat in the morning, then tried two more patched tubes with similar flats that I had missed).

There are the usual gotcha's that I usually try to avoid too:

Watch out for lips/edges on the road.
Only use tire lever for tire removal, not replacement.
Put some air in the tube before putting on the wheel to avoid folds/bends
Make sure rim tape is fully covering all spoke holes

I'm getting tired (pun not intended) of these, so before I buy a new (bigger) wheelset, I thought I'd call for help.

Thanks!

Some more details: Mavic CXP 30 700c wheels with Continental Gatorskin 700x23c tires, 4 mile commute each way over decent roads in hot conditions.


texts: Stiff knee, can I use a shorter crank on one side?

texts:
My left knee is stiff and arthritic after 5 operations.

If I have the saddle high enough not to over-flex that knee, I can barely touch the ground ... as I am elderly and not very agile, this is not safe!

It was suggested to me that a shorter crank on the left side only would allow me to lower the saddle a bit without over-flexing my stiff knee.

Would it be practical to do this?

Thanks

(My bike is a Claud Butler Explorer 100)

Justin


texts: skewers - how to measure length of existing skewer?

texts: Need to replace existing quick connect rear skewer. How do I measure the length to order a replacement skewer?


texts: How I can make my bicycle glow? As seen in this Blackberry commercial (with screen capture image below).


texts: Shimano PF-M545 pedals Mavic Alpine All Mountain Shoes how to fit the cleats

texts:
I just bought Shimano PD-M545 pedals and Mavic Alpine All Mountain Shoes (links below)

Shimano M545 Free Ride Pedals
Mavic Alpine All Mountain Shoes

I did do some research and "think" I got the best thing for me for the money I had, and that they work together, Bike radar says they are SPD type shoes.  They seemed to look right.

They arrived today and I sat down to try and fit the cleats to the shoe.  My problem is the 4 screws that came with the pedals are larger than the screw holes in the sole of the shoes.  It almost looks like there is an inner screw hole in the shoe, (but I could be wrong).  It doesn't seem like it should be a complicated process.. Have I bought the wrong shoes, being completely stupid or missing something?

Thanks for any and all help, (this is my first time with any clipless shoe).


texts: How can I remove the stripped plastic cups of a bottom bracket?

texts:
I have a 2 frames with FAG bottom brackets (can't tell the exact model from the outside, but something like this):

(datasheet here) in various states of destruction

Bike 1

I didn't have the tool so I tried turning the cups with a wrench, completely stripping off the notches and then tried to hammer as much of the plastic out with a screwdriver, but I'm not getting anywhere. One suggestion I've read is heating the spindle in the hope that the plastic can be easily removed, so I put a soldering iron into it, without much luck (heat doesn't really dissipate from the spindle.

Bike 2

I now have a proper tool that fits the notches, but it slipped during turning and partially also stripped the notches (plastic vs. metal … surprise). I managed to get one cup turning – I thought – but only the outward facing part came off, with the inner tubing still inside the frame.

What other methods could be used to remove the bottom brackets? It's important that I save the frame; the brackets can go to hell for all I care.


texts: Replacing FSA Omega BB30 with SRAM Force 22 BB30

texts:
following my recent post about the problem with FSA Omega BB30, I was advised to throw it away and go for a new one.

I've done some research and decided to upgrade with SRAM Force 22 BB30, already ordered it. Now, my FSA had 50/34 teeth and the new SRAM will have 53/39. Obviously, I will be looking for a new chain but my main concern is whether it is compatible with the Shimano CS-HG500 cassette that I currently have.

Also, since I have FSA's BB30 bottom bracket already installed, I assume that the Force 22 should be compatible, or am I wrong?

If you know any other problem that this upgrade might cause or anything that I should look out for, please let me know.


texts: Will a 11-speed cassette fit my Giant SRC 3 frame (~2007)

texts: I would like to upgrade an older Giant SRC 3 (~2007). Having a very limited experience with bike mechanics, how will i find out whether a 11-speed cassette will fit the frame and or the wheels?


texts: Changing sprocket sizes: will front derailleur still work?

texts:
I have a hybrid, which for better or worse, I am going to use as my commuting and conditioning bike for the foreseeable future.  I am interested in changing the largest chain ring for an even larger one.  Will my current front derailleur still work? Are there other drive train issues I should be warned about?

My current setup: Gary Fisher Kaitai,  Shimano C102 front derailleur, 48/38/28 crank.

(I would also like some advice on how large to go on this.)


texts: Raleigh Motus Tour 2018 - Chain electric bike replacement

texts:
I have to replace the chain of my Raleigh Motus Tour 2018.

Do anyone knows the specify chain I have to buy?

Because it is a electric bike I am almost sure that I should buy the KMC "e9 EPT for e-Bike" or the "e9 Silver for e-Bike", which has 136 links.

https://www.kmcchain.eu/chain-e_bike-multispeed-9_speed

Edit 1:

My bike has a Bosch engine (Active Line) as well and it is 46 cm frame size.

Edit 2:

After going to a bike store where I could find one like mine I could take the picture of the chain and get the model.

It is a KMC X9, but it has 126 links. The ones I found on the internet has only 114 links. It is not possible to find a KMC X9 with 126 links.

Another important info is the fact KMC chains has 6.6 mm of pin length. Shimano and others brands has 6.5 mm. After that, I am questioning myself if the guy who measured the chain knew it and made a proper diagnostic when doing the M check on my bike.

Anyways, I still seeking for the right answer. In case the chain is not good, should I buy a KMC e9 EPT and remove some links as it has 136?


texts: Can I replace ceramic bearings with steel bearings?

texts:
Bought a second hand bike that needs the hubs serviced. The hubs are Campagnolo Shamal Ultra which have Ceramic bearings.

I'm yet to tear them down and take a look at the insides but heres a pic from outside.

I know it's a downgrade but I don't really want to pay the price of the bike again on new bearings, I've only ever seen questions and threads about people upgrading .. can I replace ceramic bearings with steel ones?

For clarity, I will be looking inside the hubs to check what actually needs replacing before making purchasing decisions, however, I want to know if it is technically possible to replace ceramic for steel and or if there might be any issues with the races used for ceramics accepting steel, are they different materials etc..

I found the technical manual here


texts: Lemond Revolution - Upgrading 9s Cassette to 11 Speed

texts: I currently have a 9 speed cassette on my Lemond Revolution trainer. I just purchased new bike which is 11 speed and want to use it on my trainer. Is there a way I can do this? I have looked everywhere for an eleven speed upgrade kit from Lemond, but they no longer make them.


texts: How to improve endurance to increase ride distance?

texts:
I have been riding my bike quite frequently since August 2016. I ride a Roadmaster Granite Peak 26'. Initially, I used to ride continuously for probably 7 miles or 8 miles. I used to clock averages of 12 mph (20 km/h) . Recently, I have started putting more effort into my riding and I clock somewhere between 13.5 mph to 14.5 mph (22-23 km/h). Also, I can definitely do longer distances(i.e. 15-16 miles or 22-24 km at a stretch) on my bike now without getting easily tired and a better average speed.

I wanted to increase my endurance more and would like to go on 20 miles-30 miles (32-50 km) stretch continuously with short breaks.

What are some ways I can achieve this goal?

  From https://www.walmart.com/ip/26-Roadmaster-Granite-Peak-Men-s-Bike/45089317


texts: App, or method for alerting me to low cadence, speed, or power on turbo trainer

texts:
I have a (none smart) turbo trainer, a ANT+ speed sensor and an ANT+ candence sensor.

When using the turbo trainer I have a habit of zoning out and letting my output drop. I'd really like some sort of alarm that goes off in the circumstances (either once, or until I get back over the threashold). My google fu is failing me.

I'm looking for answers like:

This app has that feature (I am an apple user, but also have a fairly old android tablet)
Use a bike generator and some tech for setting an alarm based on current.

Happy to do a fair amount of DIY to get this working.

EDIT: I'm already a user of Strava, so it would be fantastic if there was an (unmissable) alarm built into that.


texts: Front Derailleur Chainring Size Tolerance

texts:
I'm rebuilding an old bike and have an existing crankset with 52-42-30 chainrings. I'm looking for a front derailleur. Most of the triple front derailleurs I've come across say they don't support a 50 tooth chainring.

According to the documentation I've been able to find, the Claris triple front derailleurs are designed for 50 tooth chainrings and the mountain (Acera and others) are specified as supporting 48 tooth or lower depending on the models.

Sheldon Brown states

  If you use a front derailer with a larger ring than it is meant for, the rear of the cage will get too close to the chainring before the front of the cage is close enough to provide crisp shifting.

What is the tolerance for this in practice?  Can I use a derailleur designed for 50 tooth? Would a 48 tooth one be close enough, since I might be able to find a 48 tooth one at a better price?


texts: Different Derailleurs with different shifters

texts:
I want to install hydraulic disk brakes on my bicycle, however I also need shifters as shifters and brakes are integrated on my bike.
I have 3 speed tourney FD TY 500 triple in front and Altus MD310 rear derailleur in the back.   Now I have trouble finding rear shifter, so can I use SL M310 Shifter with an RD 310 Derailleur?


texts: Should I use anti seize for headsets and press fit bottom brackets in a titanium frame?

texts: I have a shiny new titanium frame that I will be building up.  I had the shop press in a headset and it looks like they used grease at the interface.  Should they have used anti seize?  I also need to press in a BB86 bottom bracket and I'm also wondering if I should use anti seize for that.  I believe some people use a version of Loctite for press fit bottom brackets to eliminate creaking.  Would Loctite act like an anti seize for titanium?


texts: Mounting a dynamo headlight to a front rack

texts: I'm using B&M dynamo powered front light (an Eyc and a Cyo) on two of our bikes and currently have them mounted at the fork crown using the stock mounting brackets. This causes a large shadow from the front wheel that we both don't like. So, I'm looking for racks that have a provision for mounting a light (these lights have a 10mm wide mount that takes a bolt running perpendicular to the beam axis). Does any one have suggestions?


texts: How can I make road-bike rims survive tree roots on trails?

texts:
It would be nice if there was in my area an extended network of bike paths on regular roads.

Unfortunately the network is in its early phases, and given the speed it's introduced at, it may be another 100 years until it's done.

But I'm not here to preach to the choir.

Since bike lanes are a rarity, I generally use trails, even though they're not well-maintained. Every few minutes, I'll encounter root damage. It's usually visible enough because they're highlighted with an orange marker.

With a mountain bike I don't worry about hitting these obstacles, even when they straddle the path perpendicularly. The tires will take it.

With a road tire on a road bike I'm less sure. What would you / do you do?

If it seems like just a 1cm / 0.5 " protrusion and the tire is properly inflated, just fly over it. The rim will not become an oval after that. Nor will the aluminum rim have a nasty (and irreparable) dent.
Reduce your speed, and go around the tree root. The unpredictable grass would in this case be more rim friendly.
Avoid bike trails that have root damage altogether. Stick to city streets. At least pot holes are easier to go around.

The physics of the problem

I was able to appreciate the suggested solution intuitively, but not rationally. If you're also wondering "but why would rising help?", head on over to Physics SE for the answer. Succinctly, you squeeze (crush) the light/fragile frame between the ground and your body mass (which is substantial compared to the frame).


texts: Are rusting screws a sign of cheap/bad material?

texts:
I noticed rusting screws at a ~ 1 year old bike and rusting screws at another bike after a few months, where the screws were part of a replacement (front gear ring package).

Both bikes were usually placed in rain protected places when possible.

Thus the question: Is this normal? Or do I have to change my bike dealer?

I mean, are not stainless screws standard? Or are they too expensive?


texts:
I found this old junkie bike and I want to use it. I don't have very much experience with bikes, and I noticed that that the speed shifters and the brake handles are one piece together. Is that normal? Do they normally come as one piece?

Because I was thinking of getting new brake handles but I don't want to change the shifters.


texts:
I've bought a headset and I'm not exactly sure what goes where:

Presumably, the thing on the left bottom corner would be crown race, but it's not closed and doesn't really fit snugly to the bottom of the stem (rotates freely), which has 30 mm in diameter (the rest of the stem apart from the bottom has 28.6 mm). Is this how it's supposed to be or am I missing some part?... A photo from the other side:

The other ring in the middle is narrower.


texts:
I'm thinking on converting my Sram transmission 2x10 to 1x10, this is with a single chain ring.

My biggest doubt is how to prevent cross chaining, do I need to get a special chain or how do I prevent the excessive wear out and grainy feeling when I'm in the biggest cassette ring.


texts: What range of rotational speed for bike wheel bearings?

texts:
This document from SKF expresses bearing speed in terms of 'n dm', see screenshot below. As rotational speed of the bearing is important for grease selection, what range of rotational speeds do bicycle wheel bearings experience, for wheel designs old and new?

(Very often we refer to the bike bearings being low speed, without quantifying this. I'm looking to quantify the range to put this 'low speed' into context and demonstrate if/why bike bearings are only ever considered low speed.)


texts: new rear wheel: buy parts separately, or get from cheap bike?

texts:
I need a new rear wheel for my mountain bike, and I'm wondering which of two options will be the least bad option:

buy this $80 bike from walmart and use the rear wheel from that
buy the cheapest new wheel ($34), freewheel tool ($8), chain whip ($9), cassette ($13), and chain ($8) from Amazon

Both options end up costing me basically the same amount, ~$75. The cheap Walmart bike option might be nice because it would give me some other spare parts. Any advice?


texts: Why should the front wheel be more heavily loaded when touring?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Touring load weight distribution

In reading advice for carrying cargo on a bicycle, whether for touring or otherwise, I see recommendations (such as here) that load should be either evenly distributed between the front and rear wheels, or slightly greater, 60/40, on the front wheel.

Why is this? My intuition says that more load should be on the rear wheel, but my touring experience is limited.

Bonus points for answers with actual physics in them.


texts:
I have noticed a little crack in one of the lugs of my gazelle steel frame. I hav not ridden it since, because I am worried it will break.

Here are some pictures. The lug in question is the one connecting the downtube and the steering tube. And the crack is located at the bottom.

I know it is not in class A condition but it would make an allright work horse for errands and such.
Do you think this crack is critcal? Or will it be ok as long as I am not doing downhill challenges?

Thanks!


texts: How much should a long distance touring bike weigh?

texts:
I'm planning in the far future to do a long ride of around 3000km (~1864mi). As I just have a single speed, I've been looking at what is in the market "designed" for that purpose in the price range 1000-2000€/$ and everything is around 14-15kg (30-33lb).

Is that normal for such a bike, or is it too much, considering that you still have to carry some luggage?


texts: How much of a difference in workout intensity does riding a pedal-forward bike make?

texts:
My wife has a pedal-forward frame that looks really comfortable to ride.  I have a older road/mountain hybrid that's a little hard on me and would like to start riding again to get a little exercise (and hopefully lose some weight).

How much less intense a workout can I expect if I move to a pedal-froward frame?


texts: Can you change gear on your front dérailleur during a cyclo cross race?

texts:
During the 10 cyclocross races I did this year I often found myself riding solely in my small 34t chainring and was unable to change up and down quickly enough between corners and barriers to be able to make use of my 46t. The group set usually takes 2-3 total revolutions of the cranks to do this if it doesn't drop its own chain. To remedy this I am planing on running a 39t instead but I just wondered whether more experienced people could help me find the answer.

I am racing on a 9 speed Shimano Tiagra and was wondering whether this is more to do with the level wear of the chain rings or if it could possibly be blamed on the budget level quality of the group set. Do Ultegra group sets shift quicker or are they more about weight saving, would the best place to start be a proper service at the bike shop?


texts: do DT Swiss 240 hubs need proprietary tools to maintain them?

texts: the bearings in my DT Swiss 240 hub appear to be shot, I have the toolkit for and am used to maintaining Chris King hubs but I wonder if I have to get special proprietary tools for the DT hubs as well?


texts: New suspension fork - how much should I care for locking on the handlebar?

texts:
I'm putting together a bike that will allow me to go to work. I work in a warehouse outside of the city I live in, and I want to avoid roads trucks take because I haven't ride a bike for about ten years. So my road will be bumpy, a bit off road.
I was planning to get a suspension fork with air shock absorber, one that can be locked from the handlebar. I'm on a budget and it was on ~30% sale, but the seller can't find it. Like, literally isn't sure if he has it in his warehouse. He has a similar one, slightly cheaper, but lock is on the fork itself.
I never had a fork that was anything more than stiff steel or aluminum, I'm ten years behind, or more, when it comes to riding technique and bicycle construction. You may well assume I know nothing. So, how much should I care about having suspension locking on my handlebar versus on the fork? Both in terms of money and time spent looking for something in my budget?
My usual route would be half by paved roads, and other half by unmaintained roads, dirt track, mud, stones and a shortcut thorough the woods. I could, in theory, ride asphalt, but I will not dare to use the same road big trucks are using. And I want to be able to take it sightseeing in Bieszczady, Polish low mountains with woodlands paths.
Please don't advise me a stiff fork here. That may be a sound advice but it would be outside of the scope under this question.

Thank you for your answers. I managed to get one with lockout on the handlebar for a price of the one with lockout on the fork - the piece seller couldn't find was put away due to imperfectly printed manufacturer name. Win-win, I got a "nice to have" feature for free, seller does not need to send it back for repainting.


texts: Can someone locate my missing derailleur hanger

texts: My brother broke derailleur hanger and he doesn't bothered to pick it up. So I'm asking you guys if you can identify the missing fragment. Bike brand is unknown same as frame.


texts: What clothing is best for wet weather/cycling in the rain?

texts:
I tried wearing a raincoat to keep out the rain, but find I get hot and sweaty inside. So my question is, what clothing do you find works best for you when cycling in wet weather?

Thanks.


texts: I have a 2013 Giant Escape 3. I intend to use it as an MTB or gravel bike. Please advise changes, if any, that I need to make to use the bike as an off road bicycle.


texts: High-quality commuting bike with "women's" frame

texts:
My wife wants a high-quality commuting bike (riding almost an hour each way five days a week). However, she wants it to be compatible with skirt-wearing and, as a result, refuses to have a frame with a normal top-bar.

Is there even such a thing as a high-quality commuting frame with the low top-bar of a women's bike?


texts: Front derailleur cable tension too high with Acera shifter and Ultegra derailleur

texts: I'm trying to install some Acera trigger shifters to use with my Ultegra derailleurs.  The rear derailluer/shifter combo (8 speed) is working great.  The front however (3 chain rings) seems to have a problem.  I have to push extremely hard on the shifter to move from the lowest chain ring to the second, and it is almost impossible to apply enough force to get from the 2nd to the 3rd chain ring.  I actually broke a cable trying to go from the 2nd chain ring to 3rd.  I've tried messing with the barrel adjusters at the down tube and at the shifters to change the cable tension but it doesn't seem to have much effect.  It almost seems like there is not enough mechanical advantage.  Is it possible that the combination of the Acera trigger shifters and the Ultegra front derailleur is not a good one?


texts: What tools do I need to carry when riding tubeless?

texts:
I'm thinking of getting a pair of tubeless ready wheels for riding on the road.  I've never ridden tubeless and was wondering what tools and equipment I need to carry to fix a flat?

Normally, while riding with clinchers I carry a spare tube, CO2 and nozzle, tire levers, a small multi-tool and allen wrench.

What should I carry for riding road with tubeless tires?


texts:
I have a bike with 27 1 1/4 rims. I plan to buy  a pair of Kenda K161 (27 1 3/8) because the roads get really slippery during the winter. Will these tires fit on my rims? I aldo don't want to buy a new 200c wheelset because it's expensive. Another option is DIY studded tires but buying these tires seems the cheapest option.
There is a similar question here but the answer isn't really conclusive.


texts: Chain comes off full suspension 20" folding bike during casual rides- not derailleur issue

texts:
I have just acquired a like-new (ridden 3 times) 20" folding generic full suspension bike- front fork enclosed springs and rear coil spring/piston with tension adjustments by locking plate screw on the shaft. Bike has off road type trail tires. Bike frame is regular steel and its folding hinging is robust and secure.

The problem is that every time I try to ride just on the street- the chain comes off while pedaling forward or with casual reverse.

The local bike shop has serviced/tuned the derailleur and say it is not the source of the problem, but that this is caused by the geometry of the bike frame changing/flexing with road bumps and is enough to cause the chain to de-rail? They tightened the chain by removing one link- but I still have occasional problems. The chain comes off the rear axle first- mainly mid gear sprockets, and then off the front. I cannot tell where the chain tension changes/slackens, but the links/gears are oiled and not stiff/sticking. This bike is spec-ed to 6'2/230 pounds, I am well within this at 6'/200. Is there any solution to this issue? Thanks


texts: Cybex Recumbent exercise bike clicks on left side of wheel/pedal

texts: I just got a used Cybex recumbent bike.  For the first 3 weeks it worked perfect.  Then out of the blue the left pedal started clicking as I bring my foot around and up. It starts after using it for a minute or so.  I would like help to help me fix it in laymen's terms.  My husband has MS and it is up to me to do the handyman stuff now. I am able and willing to learn, just need basic descriptions and patience!


texts: Can you ride a bicycle at 90 km/h on a flat road?

texts:
This video was featured in a leading news website in my country. It's a cyclist riding on a highway with very high velocity - said to be 90 km/h - close behind a truck. The road is flat, so it keeps puzzling me: how could he reach and maintain such a high speed? Is it even possible to do this without any external help, e.g. grabbing the truck? Is it the "air-dragging" effect of the truck that makes it possible?

P.S.: I myself don't have too much experience with biking - I ride a mountain bike, my highest speed on flat surface was about 40 km/h, and I found maintaining it pretty exhausting. Couldn't have kept it for more than a couple of minutes.


texts: How do you count the number of links in a chain?

texts:
I thought this was a simple question but apparently there is some confusion - and it's good to have a basic question to refer people to.

How many "links" are in these short bits of chain:

Image A (the original image for this question):

Image B:

Some people thought the bit of chain was too short and was missing a set of rollers, or wasn't in a loop. Here's a longer length of chain -- exactly twice as long as Image A, in fact.

In your responses, try to make it clear whether you're referring to Image A or Image B.


texts: Can we use Shimano XTR 2x11 speed shifter with Shimano 2x11 Dura-Ace RD and FD?

texts:
Is Shimano XTR 2x11 shifter compatible with 2x11 Dura-ace RD and FD? I'm looking to upgrade my old bike with porteur type handlebar with some high-end components. I'm planning to make it like an all around sleeper bike but built with speed and being lightweight in mind.

Edit: Mechanical only


texts: Replacement derailleur 2015 Kona Precept

texts: I'm having a hard time finding a replacement front derailleur for my 2015 Kona Precept. It was originally a Shimano SLX but I cannot find a new one that fits.  Its a direct low mount triple with a 44 tooth large chain ring 9 speed.  I've ordered 2 different ones that seemed like they'd work but both hit the large chain ring. the original had a very tall cage that I can't seem to find.  Any ideas or advice would be much appreciated.


texts: What went wrong with my bottom bracket spindle length calculation?

texts:
Here's the facts:

My bike frame requires a 70 mm Italian threaded bottom bracket
I'm going to use a Nuvinci N360 IGH which requires a chainline of 49 (± 0.5) mm.
I have Andel fluted cranks, which according to at least couple of sellers should require a 110 mm bottom bracket with a JIS taper. And at least this seller says that 110 mm will produce a chainline of approximately 42 mm.
I have a 3/32" chainring

I decided that I would buy a Shimano UN55 bottom bracket, as it was quite widely praised as a good basic bottom bracket.

Here's the assumptions I made:

Shimano bottom brackets are symmetrical
I need +7 mm on the drive-side, so I need 14 mm longer bottom bracket spindle

I ended up buying a UN55 70x122 bottom bracket. However after crank installation I noticed that the combination gave me a chainline on 53.5 mm (chainring normally installed) or 46.5 mm (chainring installed on the "inside" of the crankarm).

So where did my calculations go wrong?

So far I've considered the following things:

What if the expected chainline was 43.5 mm instead of 42 mm? But that would have still caused a smaller error than what I am seeing now.
What if the 122 mm spindle length is something special reserved only for triple cranks? However, I've found no info that it should affect the situation this way.
What if Italian threaded Shimano bottom brackets use ISO taper instead of JIS taper? I've found no info to back that one up, and in that case, according to Sheldon Brown, the effect should be the opposite than what I am seeing now.
What if the cranks are really using ISO taper instead of JIS? That would explain the difference I'm seeing now. But on the other hand, quite many sites confirm that the cranks should be used with a JIS tapered bottom bracket.
What if on non-triple cranks the chainline is always measured "from the middle", like on double-cranks. This one I'm actually not so sure about; but I though that on this kind of single-speed cranks it would be measured from the chainring instead.

Of course I could (and actually may) go with the easy route and just order a new BB with a shorter spindle and hope it fits. However, as I try to learn bicycle mechanics, I'd really like to understand the math around this issue. As an added bonus I'd be very glad if someone could also explain the optimal UN55 spindle length that I should try to find next.


texts: Is it really OK to hang a bicycle by the wheel from a hook?

texts:
Does it not distort the wheel to have the weight of the bike hanging from just that one spot?

Is it OK for any kind of wheel?

I have nicer race-type wheels on mine.

[Edited to connect with Any detriment to hanging a bike by its front wheel? ]


texts: Adjustment to road bike brakes for high grade downhill

texts:
I have a road bike with a front brake that wears a lot of brake pad when I ride downhill every day. I lose 900ft in elevation on steep grades with lots of stop signs and traffic lights. On top of that, it rains a decent amount and the rim brakes are terrible in that weather. I don't trust them downhill in the rain. Sometimes I just walk.

I feather the brakes going downhill, because otherwise I'm too fast to stop quickly for an errant car.

It'd be nice to not constantly replace pads, and have powerful stopping. How can I make this constant downhill more pleasant?

Thanks.


texts: Peloton Trainer - what style of cleats are used?

texts:
I was wondering what cleat standard is compatible with the Peloton Trainer ?

What cleat standard is installed in the default configuration ?


texts:
I'm flying to Athens, in 5 weeks. I'm going to do a 340km route from Athens to Patras and back, on the both sides of Ionian Sea.

Right now my max achievable distance is 200km (trekking bike, avg 24km/h). Two weeks ago I began doing gym twice a week, spinning twice a week, and long (100-200km) ride during weekends.

Are those 5 weeks enough to train myself for such distance? (with decent avg speed)

Also, is this route a good choice for late October? I dont want huge cold wind blowing on my face the whole day.


texts: can you put a shimano XTR M980 175mm stage power meter on a XT M785 175mm setup?

texts: I would like a stages power meter on my set up but cant figure out if the bottom bracket sizes are correct and if even the new crank will fit at all?


texts: Longer side of bottom bracket goes toward which side of bike?

texts:
I am replacing the bottom bracket bearings on my Schwinn World Sport.

Which side of the bike does the longer side of BB axle go to?  I would assume chain side but just wanted to make sure.


texts:
Face gets extremely red when biking in the cold ~5c, and then going indoors, due to temperature change maybe.

What can you wear when biking to prevent this problem, and could you link to a site? Thanks a lot.


texts: WTB Horizon 47c - small crack in the middle of the tire

texts:
I’m headed off on a 3 week bike trip and just now noticed a small hole in the middle of running tread of my front tire. I have a few more days before heading off into a more remote area and wanted to know if this is something I should take care of beforehand. The tires are WTB horizon 47c’s and I’m running them with tubes. Attached is a picture of the crack

Thanks!


texts: Schwinn Vestige no longer lights up; why not?

texts:
I have the Schwinn Vestige and a very long, bumpy, dirt/gravel driveway.

A few weeks ago, we rode downtown and the frame lit up amazing, as it should.
On the way home, it was not lit up. Hmm.

After a tiny amount of investigation, I found the cap and cover was missing (I mostly blame the driveway).
I ordered a new one (a mere 7 dollars) and installed it.  But alas, the frame still would not light up.

I clipped and stripped the wire from the LED's to the cap/cover thinking they may have been gunk-ified and re-installed the cap/cover.
Nothing.
I switched the red and black wire within the cap/cover.
Still nothing.

I tested the electrical output from the Shimano DH-3N30 Dynamo hub and all is good.
Still no lights. I pulled the generator/wires out from the frame to inspect for damage and, as expected, there was none.

I am at a total loss.

The local bike shop admitted I knew more about electricity then they did.
I cannot find any advice or schematic regarding how the lights light up nor can I figure out how to test the lights beyond the hub.

(Note that I have not probed the wires in the frame while spinning the wheel to check for connectivity.)


texts:
My rear rim had those small indents in it for rim brakes, they have brushed off now.
Can I re-indent those dots to make braking efficient again. My rim is double walled mtb compliant.


texts: Preparing for a long distance ride - long term

texts:
I've done long rides in the past, the longest of which was 259 km less than 2 years ago, but I've fallen very much out of shape.

I am currently overweight, but I know how to solve this part and by the time I want to do the ride in question, I should weigh around 85 kg. I'm 184 cm tall as a frame of reference.

I would like to do a 280 km ride in May next year, with elevation gain probably exceeding 3000 m - hard to find flat routes where I live. Currently, most rides I do are around 25 km long - I think I could manage a 60 km ride now, but it wouldn't be fun in my current shape. What are the steps I can take, apart from losing weight and just cycling, to ensure I'm ready to do this come next May?


texts: Shimano sora 9 Speed rear derailleur capacity Rd-3500 SS

texts:
I'm having a go at replacing a drive train for the first time.

It's a 9 speed, and I've ordered a compact chainset (50/34), and 11-28 cassette (all Shimano). To go with them, Ive ordered a RD-3500 SS derailleur.

On the Shimano website, the specs said capacity 37T, which by my reckoning, should be enough (50-34)+(28-11)= 33.

However, now that its arrived, the logo on the box says "Max 32T"- i.e, 1 less.

Will this be a problem (do i need to change for the medium cage), or is there usually enough tolerance in the spec?

Does this maxiumum capacity only come into effect if 'crossing the chain'? (of course, one should avoid doing that anyway)

many thanks


texts: How can I use a bent seatpost to move my cruiser's seat farther back?

texts:
I realize this isn't everyone's taste, but indulge me for a moment...

I just bought a beater cruiser bike on craigslist, and I'm trying to move the seat farther towards the rear of the bike for a more "relaxed" riding position.

Some questions:

Is there a name for this kind of modification? I'm just calling it a "bent seat post", but I might have better luck Googling if I knew what this was called.
Is it safe to cut handlebars for this kind of seat post? A local mechanic told me they wouldn't support a person's weight, but some of the examples below appear to be modified handlebars.
Is there some other material I can use? Someone suggested water piping, and I'm looking for more alternatives.
Can a seat post like this be purchased? I'm guessing no, but you never know.

Some examples via Google:

subtle bend

welded joint


texts: What should I use to lubricate my kickstand?

texts: The kickstand that came with my bike is rusty and is difficult to adjust. What should I use for lubrication?


texts:
I record my mountain bike tours using my Android mobile. Now I want to evaluate the tours. Currently I'm using MyTourbook. This would be a great software, but it has two major drawbacks: The height is calculate very roughly and the time in motion calculation isn't correct too. That's why I'm looking for a new software. The software should be able to:

Show the tour on a map
Show me the distance, the elevation, the average and max speed and the time of each tour
A little bit of statistics, so that I can see how many meters I've done in a year, a month, etc.

Any recommendations? It should be for windows.


texts: Why the adjustable spring tension on the cage of Shimano rear derailleurs?

texts: Why do some Shimano rear derailleurs have an adjustable cage spring tension and what is affected by increasing it (default is low tension)?


texts: Air suspension unit for relatively low mass

texts:
Let's assume I have an object with a mass of 3 kg. I want this object to isolate from vertical shocks and vibrations when I'm riding approximately 30 km/u on my bike.

Let's also assume I have an air suspension front fork modified and mounted on top of the bike's frame. This suspension unit carries the object I just mentioned (see figure below).

What should be the air pressure from the suspension unit to isolate most of the shocks?
Is it even possible to dial down the air pressure from an air suspension unit in order to isolate shocks for a relatively low mass (3 kg)?

My initial thoughts were to calculate the relation between mass and required air spring pressure level based on values in a product's manual. But the exponential decrease seems just too much for the fork to adjust.

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Note: I read questions about specific products are mainly downvoted, but just for reference I included the RockShox manual with Air Spring Pressure levels with respect to a rider's weight. I'll edit the post if this isn't appreciated.


texts:
I currently have a mountain bike with thin road tires on it (because I ride only pavement). I’ve been starting to train for triathlons, here lies the problem. Should my next bike be a triathlon bike, or a road bike that I just put aero bars on?

If I go with the tri bike I still have my mountain bike for strength training

If I go with the road bike I may need to purchase a new seat post