texts: Regarding information about wheel wobble

texts: I have some of those old fashioned mag wheels on a fixed-gear bike. The back one seems to wobble about like mad when riding. A random stranger even pointed out that he could see it wobbling about like mad. Depending on what tire I am using, I can feel it moving about like mad. At the minute I am using a 700x28 Tannus tire. Just wondering what this could be? Weak wheel? Buckled? If so how would you adjust it as it doesn't have standard spokes


texts: How to replace downtube shifters with stem shifters?

texts:
My bicycle has clamped downtube shifters that I would like to replace with stem shifters. Is it as straightforward as replacing the downtube shifters with cable stops, then running cable to the stem shifters?

The bottom cable stops in the frame of my bike are on opposite sides. But I've only seen double cable stops like this one where the stops are closer together. Can the cables partially "wrap" around the tube? Are there double cable stops with the stops on opposite sides? Or should I use two single stops on opposite sides? Or should I use a double cable stop at the bottom too instead of the frame stops?

Any advice would be great. Thanks!


texts:
I just got this bike from a neighbor and I saw that one of the chain links is broken on one side but not the other. What's the cheapest way to fix this situation?

The bike is a Next Xelite that I'm looking to upgrade to an E-bike.


texts: How to practice jumping over cars with disc brakes and SPD shoes?

texts: This question here raises a sub-question, to avoid accidents. I am looking for some safe ways to practice jumping over cars. I use SPD shoes and disc brakes because I have noticed that I can burst very fast with them. I have no idea whether it is possible to jump over cars easily without SPD shoes and disc brakes. So any good ideas for safe practising?


texts: I've a full suspension mountain bike with a 26 inch knobby on the front wheel, this knobby has got these rectangular knobs poking out. My problem is that I find my bike's ride "not so smooth". I currently inflatate my front tire to 32 PSI and the rear one, with a better tread and sleeker dimension, to a 34 PSI. The knobbies are particularly buzzy and make this very unlikeable buzz, even on low speeds. Plus my bike's rear hub makes the rear wheel and freewheel wobble, plus the wheels doesn't rotate very smoothly, what should I attribute the bumpy and seemingly harsh ride to? Also, what degree of changes should I make to my inflation levels? My knobby front is new, so changing is really not an option and well, the knobby owes itself to my unknowing self a while back. What I'm looking for is a better riding experience and satisfaction. And, how urgent is the rear hub overhaul, really? I mostly ride on nice paved roads with zero dirt trail encounters (a metropolitan, no far-off excursions)


texts:
My brakes make a noise on a time interval, as the tire rotates around. I have Shimano BR-MT520 brakes. I hear you can loosen the two bolts and move it side to side to adjust.

What is the name of the tool and what size do I need?


texts:
The other day I was stopped at a traffic light when I felt my bike moving slowly forward. Did not pay really attention, thought there was a slight slope, so hit the brake and voila.
But it did not stop moving and I realized an idiot in his car was pushing me!!
I should have gone and yell at the guy but I freaked out: he is enough of a psycho to push a cyclist, who know what he can do...
So I deflected to the sidewalk to check the bike...
He was pushing on the rear mudguard and on the rack... the mudguard was bent just behind the crankset so I straightened it and it looked like the bike was fine so hopped on and finished the ride.

Only later I noticed that the contact of the mudguard on the tyre while being deformed left a "wound" on the side of the tire.
Cannot post a picture, sorry, but it looks like the integrity of the side of the tyre was compromised and one can see the fibers inside.
It does not "leak", the tube cannot be seen or anything but I hate it...
Is the tyre fragilized enough to increase significantly puncture risks? could it "explode" and cause a more serious accident?
Does it need replacing? I hardly think so,... but well...


texts: Is the Power Pilot the only speedometer / computer that will work on a LeMond Revolution Trainer?

texts:
After just purchasing a Lemond Revolution trainer, I noticed and realized as soon as I set it up that I would be loosing my rear wheel and its spoke attached speedometer magnet.

Are there any alternatives to buying the Lemond Power Pilot for Revolution? The Power Pilot at $439 USD its quite an expensive piece of hardware, costing nearly as much as the trainer did itself.


texts: My new mountain bike tyres with presta valves do NOT inflate

texts: I purchased a brand new bike from auction several months ago and although the tyres were pumped up a little they were not pumped up fully.  I purchased a presta valve adapter for my old pump and I know that you have to turn the little nozzle on the presta valve to allow air to go in when pumping and then you close it afterwards. HOWEVER, when I start to pump it just does not inflate and stays flat, I cant figure out why.  They were inflated  when I purchased it and the bike was brand new without ever being used.  I keep pumping but my tyres just stay flat. Strange one for me even though I last rode a bike about 15 years ago but surely things have not changed that much have they?  Please help as with the lockdown I cant even go to a bike shop to show someone. I tried pumping them several times on different days with the same result - still flat. Remember they were inflates when I got it and its been kept in my garage nice and safe from harm.  Thanks


texts:
I recently got a pair of XTR M9120 pedals. Today I noticed an elastic ring visible on the axel, and bits of grease on it too. The ring can be seen on the service manual

This has happened on both pedals, although only one has signs of grease.

Does this mean I need to take the pedal apart and regrease? This has only happened after a few hours of riding (Less than 20).

Pictures

I have simply pushed it back in now by hand, but not confident it will stay there. Following pictures are after I pushed it in.


texts: Rear derailleur adjustment needed? Should the rear derailleur pulleys hang perfectly straight down below cassette rings?

texts:
Should the rear derailleur pulleys hang perfectly straight down below each cassette ring? I think that is probably impossible unless you are in the middle ring on front and back (see below), otherwise the torque from the chain will naturally pull it slightly to which ring you are in up front, is that a correct statement?

(source: thebiketube.com)


texts:
I recently bought a (Mountainbike) Bergamont Revox 3.0 and I'm concerned that I'm not taking proper care of it.

I want to know if I can, for example, ride down a flight of stairs or switch the gears while I'm riding up a steep hill.

I clean it regularly where I can, and it's currently sitting in the basement (due to weather) anyway.

But the question is, how much "rider-abuse" can my bike withstand ?


texts: Force needed for tire and rim (removing/inserting)

texts:
Until now I used 26" rim with Schwalbe Fat Frank and Big Apple (range 2.15"-2.35"). Except for initial prying when removing tire I can perform all operations with my bare hands without a sweat.

Today to my surprise I literally fought to remove WTB Resolute 42C from the rim (28") and risked breaking the tire lever when inserting back Specialized Sawtooth 42C tire.

Why such difference? Is it old vs. new? Wide vs. narrow? Or is it just this particular tire against other one and there is simply no rule.


texts: Ebike chain vs regular chain for up to 350w Mid Drive

texts:
What are the differences between an ebike chain and a regular bike chain, and would I see an advantage in using an ebike chain for a mid-drive motor 250w-350w? I'm considering the Bafang BBS01B.
The price I can find for KMC e10 is roughly double the KMC x10 but I haven't found any information on what the differences between the two are.
I'm interested in the wear characteristics, strength, and whether a 350w or lower motor would cause any issues on a regular chain that an ebike chain could help with.


texts: I have a Muji utility bicycle with a 3-speed internal gear hub which I got second hand around 5 years ago. The LBS which I bought the bike from has since closed down and I haven't managed to find another bike shop which does maintenance on this kind of bike (the last one I visited just told me if my bike broke down I should get a new one). I was wondering how complicated it would be to do maintenance by myself and if anyone has experience with internal gear hubs?


texts: Seat tube dents from Front Derailleur band-on. Is this gonna get worse over time?

texts:
I just noticed it on the seat tube yesterday.
Looks like a front derailleur clamp mark though I'm running a 1x setup (my LBS might've tried something on it before I purchased).
Just worried about the structural integrity and safety of the frame. I mean if it's not gonna be worse, I can live with it.
It's a VO PolyValent Gen4, btw.


texts: How can I safely go downhill on an antique penny-farthing bike?

texts:
I recently picked up a vintage penny-farthing (high wheeler) at the flea market and, after restoration, adopted it as my normal mode of transportation.

It works well for the most part, but going downhill terrifies me as I don't want to lose control and fall from more than a meter up.

Certainly this problem has solved before. How can I safely go downhill? Are there reliable braking systems?


texts:
Some days ago I noticed the light cast from my bike was not steady, despite I was travelling at constant speed. Checking the dynamo when engaged I noticed it was touching on the side of the tire, but below the strip where it is supposed to.

I fixed this, and after just one day of proper working the dinamo head now simply slips on the tire. I ruled out the possibility of too low contact pressure beacuse if I try to roll the wheel backward the dynamo rotates properly.

Should I check something else, or should I better replace the dynamo?


texts: Sport Hybrids For Commuting and Exercise?

texts:
Main Question: What should one look for on a sport hybrid if the primary use will be commuting and riding around 10 - 20 miles a day for exercise?

Motivation:  I was a resident of Chicago (which was absolutely beautiful for biking along the shore and such) and I had a 1977 Trek road bike that I loved.  Now I live around the New Orleans area and the roads are absolutely terrible to bike on; I have replaced tires, tubes, and rim tape a number of times, but it never quite works; it's getting to the point where I'm worried about going farther distances because I'd be stuck there if my tube popped (and this has, in fact, happened a few times...).  I went to my LBS and they told me that I should think about getting a sport hybrid --- and if this term is not standard, it seems like a hybrid which doesn't have shocks.

I am reluctant to buy one because I don't know all that much about bikes yet and I'm not sure what to look for in this type of bike; moreover, I am used to drop handlebars which are not standard in sport hybrids.  Does anyone have any experience with these kinds of bikes or from going from a road bike to a sport hybrid?  Are these kinds of bikes good for commuting to work ( < 5 miles) and for longer exercise rides (10 - 20 miles), or would a different bicycle be more fitted for these purposes?


texts: Identical looking saddles feel very different

texts:
I resumed cycling after a +20 year break and I was having problems with the saddle. At first I thought it was my weight and being unused to cycling (I would get discomfort and then numbness after about 90 minutes, which wasn't nice).
I persisted and got my weight down and rewarded myself with a fancy Olmo bike. And it felt like the saddle wasn't even there. I even managed an 11 hour ride without any discomfort.

The saddle on the Olmo was a Selle Italia SL Gel Flow. I used to race on a bike with a Selle Italia SLR, so I got a SLR Gel Flow that was the same length and width as the SL Gel Flow and put it on my commuting bike. And no change.
So I thought maybe it was the bikes and swapped the saddles. Nope - it wasn't the bikes, it was the saddles.

I bought a new commuting bike that had a Selle Italia C2 Gel Flow. And it was okish. I could manage the commute into work (about 75 mins) with no trouble, but any longer wasn't good.
The C2 suffered in the Glasgow weather and the cover started coming loose, so I got a Fizik saddle and it is like the SL - extremely comfortable.

So I am baffled about the Selle Italia saddles. They look identical and I've measured them every way I can think of and they are the same, except for the weight. They seem to have the same amount of give on the surface.
But when I actually sit on them they feel very different. I don't understand it at all.
Incidentally, the Fizik is pretty much the same shape as the Selle Italias, except without the gap in the middle.

I am baffled by what is going on with the saddles. Does anyone have a clue as to what is behind this?


texts: The Moulton bike can be taken apart for travel (just using it as an example, I don't have one).  The cables that run from the handlebar to the rear triangle are not single continuous cables but are made of sections which are connected together by a sort of threaded "union" of some kind.  What are these cable-union-devices called?


texts: What is the total equipment weight of a tour rider?

texts: What is the total weight a Tdf rider carries up the hill apart from his own bodyweight? The bike is around 7kg, maybe a bottle with some water.. What about helmet, clothes, shoes etc?


texts: Difference between Cyclocross, Touring, and Road Bikes?

texts:
My question is "What is the difference between Cyclocross, Touring, and Road Bikes? Also what are their intended uses (their place in the cycle 'community'?)"

I have looked at What is the difference between race/road and cx bikes? and it has answered part of my question but it still leaves the rest unanswered.

Any help would be much appreciated.


texts: Getting into biking -- choosing between choices

texts:
I am brand spanking new to cycling and have been intensely researching what brand of bike to buy. Since I'm new and not leaping into any races anytime soon I know I don't need a track bike, but I also don't want something junky that:

won't be fun to ride
will break and cost me more money to fix it, and
be way too much bike for my needs.

So: I live in Atlanta (mildly to very hilly in parts but lots of flat trails and bike lanes on most of the city streets), won't really be commuting but definitely could see myself tooling around 10-15 miles on weekends for a good workout, and primarily will use my bike for that purpose -- fun and exercise (aren't we all?)

My question is -- how do I choose between the various options?  What to look at for a first bicycle; and as a beginner living in a big city, what are the main features I should look for?


texts: Chain is slipping relative to large chainring but not the small one

texts:
The crank on my 2016 Giant XTC Advanced (Shimano XT components) is slipping relative to the large chainring but not the small chainring. In searching for reasons many of the answers focus on chain skipping but do not believe this is the case.
I positioned the front wheel against a wall and then marked the chain and large chainring so I could see whether the chain was skipping relative to the large chain ring.
I applied pressure on the crank using only my hand and the crank slipped.  The marks on the large chainring and chain were still aligned and still in the same position so no chain skipping and no movement of the freehub.
I do not have the same issue when riding in the small chain ring and there is no movement between the large and small chainrings.
Any help is much appreciated.
REVISION
  Apologies again.


texts:
I have these shifters and derailleurs:
front shifter Shimano ST-EF41, 3spd
front derailleur Shimano FD-TZ500, 3spd
rear shifter Shimano ST-EF41, 7spd
rear derailleur Shimano RD-TZ31, 7spd
I want to change my rear system with SRAM X5 rear derailleur (Long 9 -Speed) and SRAM PG-950 9 speed cassette(12-23 t).
The present Shimano has a freewheel whereas SRAM has cassette. What else will be needed?


texts: Can I use a smaller bike inner tube than it supposed to

texts: My bike says I need a size 29" inner tube and I got a 26" wheel what’s gonna happen?


texts: How do I prevent the Hydraulic Disc Brakes on my bike from rubbing?

texts:
I recently bought a new Polygon Strada 5.0 mountain bike with Shimano BR-M355 hydraulic disc brakes and have had issues with the brakes rubbing. I fixed the rub but now it is happening again.

The fixing process takes time and I'm asking if there are any suggestions/ideas on how to prevent this from happening again.


texts: Running tires with significantly different pressures?

texts: I ordered a replacement for one of the old Schwalbe Marathon 700x28C tires on my ancient road bike, and it turns out that "new" Marathons of that size are meant to be inflated to 80-110psi despite that the older ones I have are rated to 80psi... so, now my front tire has 37.5% greater pressure than my rear tire. Principally, tires do not need to match, but will this significant difference in "hardness" affect the handling/fragility of my bike in any way?


texts: Shift lever and rear derailleur compatibility

texts:
I have got MTB with Shimano RD-M410 Alivio Rear Derailleur 8 speed. It has  brake/shift lever for it model ST-EF50-8R. I would like to move to disc brakes and therefore want to change to ST-EF505 shift/brake lever. Does anyone know if it is compatible with the Alivio RD-M410 rear derailleur?
Actually I plan on buying the 8 speed version of the st-ef505-r. https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/acera-m3000/ST-EF505-8R.html Does it have the same cable pull as the st-ef50-8r?


texts: Are there any recumbent tricycles that can be transported with a normal car?

texts:
My wife would like a 3 wheeled recumbent, but I can’t see how we can transport one with a normal car.

I can put my bike on a rack or the roof, but all the recumbent I have seen are too large to transport.

What solutions have people come up with?


texts: Schwalbe Marathon Plus and Micheli Protek Max: what are the fundamental differences?

texts:
The Schwalbe Marathon Plus and Michelin Protek Max are both tires that offer a 5mm puncture protection and a reflecting sidewall, which are both interesting features.

The price is not the same, the Marathon being the most expensive by a good margin.

What other caracteristics can be looked at to differenciate both tires? I'm thinking about rubber wear resistance or drying resistance, but the marketing put forward by both compagnies does not easily allow comparison.

Thanks in advance for any input!


texts: Theft deterrents (in addition to locking up a bike)

texts:
Besides locking a bike up properly, are there other deterrents against theft (such as engraving) that make a bicycle less attractive to a potential bike thief?

UPDATE

It was stolen.  :-(


texts: Does the superman style have any chance to be seen in competition?

texts:
On social networks, many people have seen Michael Guerra's superman style.

Video here
The technique seems to be quite efficient, however it probably requires skills and yield to increase risks of falling. Also such technique is only worth it in long descents.
Is there any chance that such technique could be seen in high level competition such as the Tour de France for example?


texts: How do you tell what model of bike I have?

texts: I bought this bike 2 days ago. I searched for some info, but couldn't find it. The only information I found was to be around 1972


texts: freewheel removal tool for Shimano MF TZ21

texts:
I have a Rockrider 5.1 cycle with a Shimano MFTZ21 freewheel. In order to remove the freewheel, I purchased the Btwin tool kit. But the removal tool provided in the kit does not fit on my freewheel.

Here is a photo of the removal tool in the kit :

Here is a photo of my freewheel :

Here you can see that the diameter of the tool is a little too big to go in :

So now I am considering buying the Parktool FR-1 freewheel removal tool. But will it fit on my freewheel?


texts:
I recently had to replace the shifters on my bike. The replacement was easy enough, but now when I shift the derailleur either jumps too far or too short. I've tried using the adjustment screws on the derailleurs but I feel like I am doing something wrong. I think I'm just going to disconnect everything and I was looking for a guide to do this properly.

Also I don't have a rack to hang the bike while I work so I will be working on the bike upsidedown.

Edit: Yes I have the right shifters. They are the same exact model as the ones i replaced.


texts:
Methods

As an experiment I started taking regular chain stretch measurements, from when I first put on a chain until it is worn out.  A Park CC-2 was used and each measurement was done in triplicate, then averaged to improve precision. Measured chain stretch was then plotted against the total riding time at the time of the chain stretch measurements (Figure 1).

These measurements came under real world commuting conditions on a 2x10 speed drive train, with a constant pacing over the same mixed terrain (35% gravel, 65% asphalt). The chain was wiped clean, re-lubed and wiped every 50-100 km. A Shimano XT chain was used.

Question 1

In the right panel of Figure 1 (logarithmic), it is clear that there are two distinct wear rates/phases, a slower rate until a ride duration of roughly 40 hours, where a clear change in the pattern occurs.

Does anyone know the mechanisms driving the two different wear rates?

My suspicions is that the change relates to wearing through one material type into another, but it would be nice to get confirmation from people who know more.

Question 2

The wear pattern observed in real world testing (Figure 1; left panel) appears to be quite different from the patterns I have seen in posted laboratory testing  (Figure 2), which used a machine to run, dirty and lube the chain.

  Note: Both axes in Figure 2 are plotted on a linear scale so it should be compared to Figure 1, left panel, which uses the same figure scaling.

In real world testing, once into the second wear phase, the wear rate appears to be quite linear when plotted on the linear time scale (Figure 1; left panel).  This differs from laboratory testing that showed a distinct curvature with duration for the entirety of the observation period (Figure 2).

Does anyone know the reason for the different observed patterns in wear for real world testing versus laboratory testing?

Figure 1.  Chain stretch plotted against duration over the course of the life of a single chain (Shimano XT).  Left panel has been plotted on the linear scale, while x-axis on the right panel displayed in a log10 scale. Shading indicated 95% confidence band. Horizontal line indicates suggested replacement point for 10 speed chains.

  Note: Patterns remain essentially unchanged if plotted against distance, instead of duration, due to constant pacing in the real world test.

Figure 2: Chain wear patterns from laboratory testing (accessed Feb 26, 2016 but now offline).

  Note: These results were found online.  I did not participate in this study and I do not have the original data.


texts:
do you think that I could use Shimano mineral oil on/in Hayes Nine Hydro brakes (where it says Dot 4).

Thanks for your help people!


texts: Great biking cities and routes in Europe?

texts:
I just returned from a great weekend of biking in Berlin.  Riding there was pure pleasure due to the number of bike lanes and easy day routes to interesting sites around the city.

I know this is not a question with a single correct answer but I would love recommendations on other great biking cities in Europe?


texts: Forward thinking for riding through winter

texts:
Yes I know it is mid-August and Winter is not here yet, far from it.

I am just thinking way forward on how I will be able to do my daily 18 km commute in the Winter weather of Paris (yes, it's not a very harsh winter, but there will be some negative temperatures some ice etc,...).

I ride on a trekking bike tranformed into a touring one (Trek FX 7.2) with skinny tires (23 mm) which I love for their reactivity when starting and their speed thanks to their low weight (I know skinny tires are debatable but that what I do and love it).

What should I do to ride all winter long? I'm pretty sure I will need spiked tires for ice and snow, however little of it there is in here, but still,..

And since they do those only in fat version (which completely makes sense, obv.) I will need a new set of wheels. I think I will go cheap on that part, a fully built set of 700c wheels for trekking (which will fit my 135mm axle on the rear).

Remaining wonderings are following:

Should I buy 2 pair of tires? one spiked and one non-spiked? changing according to the weather? if so what would be a good choice for the non-spiked tires (the spiked ones would be Schwalbe's Marathon Winter in 700x40c, 35c or 2.00)?
My mudguards are 35 mm wide. Can I keep them on with these changes? I know they will be mostly ineffective but will they leave enough clearance for the large tire?
The brakes will need adjustments, does the fact that the pads will "meet a new rim" against which they have not been worn will reduce efficiency of braking? and can a brake cable be adjusted back and forth between several large adjustments the like of this without the need of replacement?
Any other thought to be had?


texts: Ride on rightmost lane that goes straight or right yield to drivers?

texts: Sometimes I ride in the middle of a right most  lane that can go either straight or right.  Sometimes I get honked at red light cause drivers want me to move so they can pass me and make right turn.  Is it cool if I block the whole lane during red light? USA


texts: How can I extend my rear rack backwards?

texts:
My pannier rack/carrier is not long enough and consequently, if I want to pedal with the tip of my feet, my heel touches my bike bags.

I have seen that Basil sells a "carrier extender" (see there), which is primarily aimed at using bags with children seats. I'm afraid that this carrier extender will go too far in length in the rear of my bike whether it's safe to do so. Does anyone know its dimensions?

If you have other suggestions on how not to be disturbed by my bags, I will gladly hear them too.


texts: How much "play" is normal in a Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub?

texts:
I inherited a bike with a Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub (Sturmey Archer AW, from 1984).

I am very familiar with free-wheels and cassete hubs, but this is fairly new to me, although I did some research on the internet, I couldn't find anywhere that had a hub spinning.

In my case, I am probably going to disassemble it (I have seen some videos, it won't be easy but is doable).

Finally, the question:

I noticed that there is a (IMO) fairly big amount of "play" (is this the term?) when I rotate the cog counter-clockwise (direction of coasting) and then rotating clockwise (drive).

I would say it is about 2 cm of "play".

Is the amount shown here too much, or is this normal?
Animated gif showing the hub play


texts:
I don't know much about bikes, but I've tried searching around and haven't been able to identify the bike I am currently riding. I know the brand and some specifications but I can't find anything else.

I received this bike a few years ago from a family friend, and it seems slightly old, but definitely not from anytime before the 21st century.

Here are a list of the decals and things written on it:

"Mongoose" (All over it, assuming this is the brand.)

"Raging Element" (On the part connecting the frame to the front tire)

"Maneuver" (On the frame near the handlebars)

"Tubing Aluminum", "Designed in America, Made in China" (On frame)

"Unified Suspension", "21 Speed" (Connecting Frame to back wheel)

"750 (lbs/in)" (On shock absorber)

"TQ One" (On small part near chain)

"PacificCycle", "Support: 800-626-2811", "Model: R4718Z", "Date: FSD02JG" (On sticker, I think this is important but I couldn't find any info on it)

Here are some pictures:

https://imgur.com/ug0BQij | https://imgur.com/NqKHMgF

Thank you for helping!
Also, if you are able to find something like a search engine for the model number and such, I am happy to do the searching, I just couldn't find anything. I am also happy to provide any other information you might need that I could get from it. Thanks!


texts:
Couple of months back, I installed a new rear wheel for my road bike. Its a wieman LP18.

Since then I had to get it trued at-least three times. Is this normal for new wheel?


texts:
I would like to raise my handlebar and have come across the following markings on my stem.
Can I raise this stem only until the upper arrow disappears or does "Min Insert" refer to the line below and I can raise it 2-3cm more?

Thanks for your help.


texts: Can I mix shifter (deore m4100 10 speed) with my Rear Derailleur (deore m6000)?

texts: Can I use deore m4100 10speed shifter with my RD deore m6000 10speed RD?


texts: Can anyone id this tricycle?  It has been painted over.  It used to be a sky blue color. The tires are 24"x 1 3/8ths".  My friend who gave it to me said it's at least 20 years old, but I think it's actually much older than that.  I'm planning on restoring it so any info would be awesome. Thanks!


texts: Repair Marin Hawk Hill (cracked frame) or get new bike?

texts: I have a 2017 or 2018 Marin Hawk Hill. It has a cracked frame (see photo). My local bike shop contacted Marin, who said they have a frame that can be used. It would also require a shock replacement. The total, including labor, would be $750. I am wondering if it is worth it to do this or if I should instead buy a new bike. I don't want to spend a ton of money, so the replacement frame is appealing, but I also don't want to end up wasting money.


texts: First time repairing a rear wheel hub, I am hearing bearing on bearing rattle/clicks when spinning

texts:
For the sake of doing a restoration I just serviced a rear wheel: new bearings, new grease, new axle and new dust caps.
I think I have put enough grease. When spinning the wheel before putting it on the bike I was feeling a bit of crunchiness but no noise. After putting the wheel on, truing it, setting the brakes, I did a spin test: there is no resistance, the wheel does spin for a while with a single push. Unfortunately there is a significant metal on metal noise, feels like a bearing on bearing friction. The wheel has also a tiny bit of play but it is attached safety to the bike.
Here is a video with audio: https://imgur.com/a/BTmexIY
Also, I had to replace the dust caps by a wee bit smaller ones (25mm vs 28mm), but I do not think this is to blame.


texts:
Here's Some Pics Of Forks SR Suntour V3s
!

![enter image description ![


texts: Identify a replacement shimano rear derailleur

texts:
I have managed to bend the rear derailleur on my gt palomar, the gear was not clicking through so I moved it through the gears set off and heard it crunch.  The whole arm is bent.
It appears to be a shimano 7 sis dr of some kind. Can someone advise of the correct replacement I can buy. Would a shimano tourney or Altus be the right thing?
Many thanks for your help
[![enter image description here][2]][2]
[2]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZuOUz.jpg![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VaBg0.jpg)


texts: Buying a new wheelset online: Do they come ride-ready?

texts: I am thinking of purchasing a new wheelset for my road bike. Do wheels ordered online usually arrive ready to ride, or do they require some construction?


texts: Chain is reluctant to shift into hardest gear on rear cassette

texts:
I have a Giant Escape, with Shimano Acera gears (3 speed on the front, 7 speeds on the back). When the chain is in the hardest gear on the front cassette, then it is reluctant to shift into the hardest gear on the back cassette, otherwise it works fine.

When shifting from 6th to 7th, it stays in 6th while making a rattling sound for anywhere from 1 second to a minute, before changing to 7th.

I've tried decreasing the gear chain tension until it is basically slack when in 6th, but this doesn't help. I also don't think it is the limit screws (it was working fine before) and it shifts fine when not in the hardest gear on the front.

Also, this started when I had the rear wheel replaced 1 month ago.

Edit:

This only seems to happen when I'm riding the bike, when it is stationary and I am pedalling by hand, everything works fine, for some reason. Also, I've tried replacing both the inner and outer gear cable.


texts: What kind of tool will loosen this nut holding a chainwheel on a one piece crank?

texts:
Can someone tell me how to remove this nut that is holding the chainwheel in place on this one piece crank? In the picture below, the red arrows are pointing to three slots in the nut that a tool would fit into to remove the nut.

Is there a name for a too like that? I looked on the park tools web site but I didn't see anything.

Is there a way to loosen it without having to buy a specialized tool?

Thanks in advance,


texts: Do I really need a magic link or can I just replace the pin on my chain?

texts: To install a new chain I need a chain tool to shorten it to the proper length.  Why not just use that same tool to replace the pin and not deal with a magic link?  Seems to me the pin would be stronger than a breakable link.  Am I missing something?


texts: What is the widest range IGH available? (and how does it compare to derailleurs)

texts:
What is the widest range (in gear-inch ratio) available on an Internal Gear Hub (IGH) without the use of a supplemental derailleur or internally geared crank (aka mountain drive)?

And how does this ratio compare with what is possible with a standard 3x9 or 1x11 derailleur setup (standard as in what would be available in a mainline, non-modified, off the shelf bicycle).


texts: What's the approximate stack and reach for a 5'10" 178cm man

texts:
The top-tube length is no longer a good measurement for sizing a bike. Stack and reach are better for reasons I won't reiterate here.
The problem is, while there are many lookup tables and calculators to roughly guess a top-tube length for person's height, I cannot find the same for S&R.
The long and detailed articles on S&R (etc.) only talk about how to measure it on your bike, and not how it maps to the reader's body in a practical way where they can immediately apply it to shopping online.
Whenever someone asks my question, the responses (across the web) avoid a direct answer and offer instead that "its complicated", "get a proper bike fit", "go into a shop" or "you can only know by riding".
But these answers don't help at all. The reader is left with no answer and they just fall back to using the original flawed top-tube vs. height when choosing a bike from an online seller, hence every advert still quotes the TT length.
So, I know its complicated, but if the bike mags are right, then I'm better off shopping to a flawed S&R measurement than to an even worse top-tube length.
I assume that OEMs choose perhaps 5 different S&R sizes for their frames to target a set of approximate customer heights, so there must be a table somewhere.
What's the ballpark S&R for a 178cm man? (thanks!) ...inside leg, 85cm


texts: Why would one ever buy a 12-25 cassette when an 11-25 is available?

texts:
I was looking at purchasing a new cassette and chain. Looking at the available cassettes for SRAM components, there is a big variety of sizes available:

11-23: 11-12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23
11-25: 11-12-13-14-15-17-19-21-23-25
11-26: 11-12-13-14-15-17-19-21-23-26
11-28: 11-12-13-14-15-17-19-22-25-28
11-32: 11-12-13-15-17-19-22-25-28-32
12-25: 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23-25
12-26: 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23-26
12-27: 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-24-27
12-28: 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-22-25-28
12-32: 12-13-14-15-17-19-22-25-28-32

Now I can understand why someone would choose a cassette based off of how many teeth the big gear has. Some people live in hilly or mountainous areas and desire a higher number of teeth. Some people live in flat areas where they simply won't use those cassettes with a lot of teeth on the big gear.

But why would anyone ever choose to buy a cassette with 12 teeth on the small gear instead of 11? 11 teeth = higher maximum speed. I doubt many people buying a nice set of components (Shimano, SRAM etc) would ever say "I don't need to go faster so 12 teeth is fine with me."

What's the point of 12 teeth when you could opt for 11 instead?


texts:
For a couple weeks now, my commuter bike has been creaking ominously while I pedal, and just the other day, the rear wheel began to wobble up to a full centimeter to either side (rubbing the frame) during a longer ride.  At first, I assumed that the cone assembly in the wheel wasn't tightened well enough on this new bike, and it had taken a couple hundred miles to come loose.

So I sat down and adjusted the cone and nut assembly and perfected the spin: the axle isn't bent, the internal bearings are fine, plenty of grease, no scoring.  So I put it back on my bike and was astounded to find it still wobbled like crazy!

I've just spent the better part of two hours messing with the hub, and was on the verge of giving up when I noticed that the outer shell of the hub seems to be warped as if someone had twisted the two ends towards each other.  The wheel's wobble lines up with this warping perfectly, and the axle pokes out of the drive-side of the hub slightly off-center.

I can accept that the manufacturer might have installed a hub that wasn't parallel (it's a cheap commuter bike) but how would it have taken so long to show up?  Should I just replace the wheel?

Addition: A pertinent picture and some information.  You can clearly see the bulging on the axle, along with the skewed cassette.


texts: When changing to another crankset , do I need to change to the brand's specific bottom bracket?

texts: just a quick question , my mountain bike has 3x drivetrain with SR Suntour XCM Crankset , and Im thinking of getting a 1x Shimano XT Crankset  do i need to replace the bottom bracket ? and what bottom bracket should I change it to?


texts: Welding mounting plates on mountain bike frame

texts:
I'm replacing my mountain bike soon, and have been looking at how to improve it as a work bike. Basically I want to weld some plates onto the frame to use as mounts for things. The stand bent shortly after I got it because it was in the way of the pedal so I got rid of it. So I want to weld a plate further back along the bottom arm for a stand as well.

The other main ideas are to weld on some brackets to hold a dismountable car baby seat at the back, a pannier at the front and maybe a mount for a trailer. I've already made everything except the trailer, but I may not need a mount for that anyway depending how I decide to do it.

Does anyone know how much abuse frames can take doing this sort of thing? It's a pretty thick frame so at this point I'm assuming it's not a close tolerance thing and I can safely do this sort of stuff, just wondering if anyone else has tried.

I'll be arc welding, not gas.


texts: I am just wondering if BB height from the ground is the same for all bikes or for all mountain bikes, all road bikes, etc? Or does every brand have its own design for that dimension?


texts: Hi just wondering if anyone could help, I’m looking to get my first road bike and struggling to find a  seasonable priced one (which isn’t out of stock because of Covid-19). I’ve found the Wiggins Rouen ADV Junior Road Bike - 700cc Wheel - 17" Frame and was wondering if this would be okay for a women of 5ft 3 160cm. Looking at the sizing it’s the same as a small road bike (c.17 inch with 700x25 tyres. Would this be ok or am I missing something? Don’t want to end up with an actual kids bike haha!! Thanks all :-)


texts: Fixie Vs Urban bike for small-distance commuting

texts:
My daily commute is a 1.7km long, almost straight line with minimal slope. Since I have no other method of private transportation, I am thinking of getting a bike and have come up with two interesting candidates:

A fixie (for the fun of it)
A purely urban bike

Some of the things that affect my decision:

I have not riden a bike in about 8 years (since my teens)
Every day I will be caring a laptop case with me
The super market is pretty far for hauling the week's groceries by foot, so the bike should be useful there as well. If not, then I will be thinking for something like this: Good backpack for carrying groceries
The temperatures around here, year-long range from -4° to 36° Celsius (averages 13°-22°)
I don't know much about bike maintenance but I have some experience with maintaining other mechanical stuff (car, motorbike) and since my dad is a mechanic, I think I can get it going with a manual or something
I don't want my budget for the bike to go above 400 euros


texts: Diagnosing and correcting hop on carbon wheel

texts:
NOTE - please read update below and all comments.

I have a Mavic Cosmic carbon wheel which is perfectly true, but it has some vertical hop (3-4 mm). I thought at first that it was out of round, but deep carbon rims are very strong and rigid, and I don't see how it's possible for it to bend.

I did a test to check the roundness of the wheel - I measured the radius at different points around the wheel (from the hub to the outside of the rim). It was 306 mm all around. So the wheel is round, right?

I took the quick-release axle out and rolled it along a flat surface - I noticed that it is slightly bent, maybe 1 mm max deviation. I guess this is at least partially contributing to the hop, but I don't think it fully explains it. I will replace the axle - hopefully that corrects the issue, but if not, what else could be contributing to it?

UPDATE

I've replaced the quick-release skewer. The wheel still hops, so at least it's eliminated that possibility.

Here's a video showing the hop. https://imgur.com/a/icMfN7q

I've also noticed there is a slight raised area at the edge of the wheel at one point. This is on both sides, like the wheel edge is slightly "flared" at that point. This is very slight but enough to alter the braking force at that point - I can feel pulsing through the brakes as the friction increases at this point. Looking at the wheel rotating again, it seems to pull in sharply at this point. So it's like the opposite of hop - what's that, dip? This causes the excessive rubbing and you can see the brake marks below:


texts: How can I stop my feet/shins getting soaked/muddy when cycling offroad in the winter?

texts:
I went for a ride last weekend around some forrest trails, it was particulary muddy with lots of puddles, and was also raining at the time.

I've got a good set of mudguards, so my back was reasonably clean

The only part that really got wet/dirty were my trainers and shins.

I understand mudguards can only prevent dirt/water to a certain extent, but what can I get to prevent me ruining my trainers on each ride?

I've heard about overshoes, but have read mixed reviews about how after 10 minutes or so you'll still be just as wet as if you didn't bother, and they're not much use if you come off your bike and step in a puddle..

What about mountain bike shoes, are they waterproof?


texts:
This bicycle is perhaps 25 years old, I have stored it in my attic.  My wife and I recently got in down from the attic for an upcoming visit by our granddaughter. The problem is that the rear wheel does not turn when the pedal turns.  The chain is on the spokes of the rear hub and the chain turns when you 'push' the pedal but the rear wheel does not turn. Can anyone tell me what the problem is?

Thanks so much,


texts: Can I put a 9mm axle hub with a Shimano roller brake into a 3/8" fork?

texts:
I have a Gazelle dutch bike which I want to upgrade with a front dynohub. It currently has a Sturmey Archer drum-brake hub dated 1988, which I believe to be a SBF model. I bought a wheel with a Shimano DHC6000 plus the accompanying roller brake. I only now noticed that it has an axle with 9 mm diameter and the currently equipped Sturmey Archer hub has a 3/8" axle. That means the old one is about 0.5 mm thicker.

Can / should I put that new wheel in? Will the extra spacing in the fork dropout mean any problems, especially safety wise?


texts:
I have SRAM Apex Shifters, FD, RD, and Brakes.

Can I use a SRAM Force BB30 Crankset?

Thanks
Paul


texts: I went to get my first road jersey today. I found one I liked and the overall fit and feel seemed right, but I was surprised at how short the front is. I am aware that it is designed for being used while riding where this makes sense, however I don't want to walk around showing my stomach if I adopt an upright posture. Do I just need to try a different brand or is it supposed to be like this? I'm a pretty  average build and proportions.


texts: Are these extra holes on the frame for disc brakes?

texts: My mtb (SERIOUS Rockville), which currently has rim brakes, has these holes at the back of the frame and I am trying to understand their use. Are these for disc brakes? Are these for disc brake converters?


texts: Weird gear ratio for a couple of seconds after crash

texts:
Just yesterday, I was riding my mountain bike along a sidewalk and out of nowhere hit a stop sign pole mounted in the middle of the side walk. I guess that’s what happens when you get too preoccupied with the scenery around you while going at 20 mph (32 kph).

The crash created a really strong jerk that forcefully pushed me and my bike backwards. I was unharmed and still managed to stay on the bike seat; however, my bike acted rather strangely — it seemed that the force of the collision somehow adjusted my gears to the lowest setting, without me even touching the shifters on the handlebars. I assume that because right after the collision, I went to test ride the bike and noticed the pedals were turning really quickly, as if the gears were on the lowest configuration (I don’t know whether it was the front, back, or both gears). At that moment I knew something was wrong. But, after 5 additional seconds of anxious pedaling, the gears readjusted themselves back to their original setting I had them in before the crash. Again, this was without me touching the shifters. Fortunately, the bike seems to be in decent condition now, but what are your guys’ thoughts on the weird automated gear shifts? Is this normal? The bike looks Ok, but then again, I'm new to biking.

Thanks!


texts:
I work in this company from Monday to Friday starting from 8 a.m to 6 p.m. I do overtime almost daily and usually arrived at home at around 9 p.m. I'm not a fit person. Last time I tried to do some running I vomit like a dragon. Won't do that ever again so I decided to buy my first mountain bike after 15 years. It's been one month since I bought this.

My current routine is to ride on Sundays (once a week). Usually lasts 1-2 hours with 14 - 27 km distance with 100-ish meters of elevation at 11-12 km/h speed (always the same route each week) I can feel a huge progress on me by just being able to ride longer and farther than my previous routine.

Is it good for a beginners to do a one ride per week routine? I feel like I could improve more by doing a night ride, but I'm not sure because of the dense traffic around my area.

Also I need your suggestion about the most effective routine for a "busy" person. Thank you.


texts: My chain slips when I use an inappropriate gear, and the chain loosens when changing gears (most of the time). What should I do?

texts:
As the title says, it seems like my chain slips way too often. This happens if I pedal hard, go uphill, or ride at an inappropriate gear (even when not pedaling hard).

Besides that, it seems like my chain loosens when changing gears. I am not talking about it loosening for a bit - I mean it doesn't even fix itself when I pedal. I need to change gears further for it to 'fix' itself.

What should I do?
Thanks.


texts: What is correct procedure to remove freehub body?

texts:
I want to replace a defective freehub body and I am confused on how I should unscrew it from the hub. This earlier question (Cannot remove freehub body) explains which direction to go between CW and CCW but it is very confusing due to talking about drive side or not, as well as if turning the tool or the wheel.
Therefore here is my setup (see picture): I have a 11mm HEX socket on a 2' breaker bar and I will hold the wheel and pull the bar. My understanding is that I should pull the bar CCW but I applied quite a lot of pressure already without any success.
Could anyone confirm which direction I should turn the breaker bar in order to loosen the  freehub body. I don't know if it helps but the bike is a 2017 Norco Indie 3 and the specs show that the rear cassette is the "Shimano CS-HG200 12-32T 8spd".


texts: Bottom bracket replacement advice needed for BBright BB386EVO

texts:
I've got a Giant TCX SLR2 (2015) according to the spec sheet it has:-

Crankset: FSA Gossamer Pro Cross, 36/46

Bottom Bracket: FSA MegaExo

The other day I noticed the bottom bracket isn't sounding so great and needs replacing. Having read around I've seen a lot of issues with this BB so want to replace it with something better and possibly upgrade/change my crankset at the same time, possibly for a Shimano 105 HollowTech II 34/50.

The problem is I'm struggling to get my head around which bottom bracket I need. I think I understand the relationship between crank and bracket,  it's which ones will fit my frame.

Any advice, suggestions or links to useful articles greatly appreciated.

To add to the confusion, the crank actually says 'For BBright BB386EVO'. Am I right in thinking this is not MegaExo as stated on the spec sheet?


texts: Rear Hub Axle Appears Bent – Causes and Repair Strategy

texts:
I had my rear wheel off of the bike noticed that as I spin the axle it appears to be bent – the freewheel end of axle, for lack of a better way to describe it, orbits the centerline of the axle.

First, I'd like to know if there are typically causes – things I should check in addition to repairing the axle.

Second, what should I be looking for to determine if a repair is viable? Could there be damage to the races in the hub? Are there better or worse grades of axle?

It is a 6-speed, quick release (hollow) axle, the hub brand appears to be Quango (marked on the bearing cap/seal) threaded for a freewheel (not a freehub).


texts:
Let me get this straight.

If I turn the knob to the left it reacts faster.

If I turn the kob to the right it's slower


texts: Anyone know what a replacement Disc pads might be for Tektro HD-R290?

texts: The brake pads say F10BS but they've been really hard to find (and unavailable on Tektro site).  Does Shimano (or anyone else) offer a resin version of this brake pad as this one is metal-ceramic?


texts: Options for carrying a smart briefcase on a bike (pannier or otherwise)

texts:
Situation

I don't own a bike: however due to a recent change of office location, I have worked out that I could cycle in half the time as driving through rush-hour traffic every day. I'm therefore interested in the idea of purchasing a bike

Issue

I carry a smart laptop-size briefcase to work, which is just fine while driving - however I need to figure out how I would take it on a bike, if I choose to buy one. The briefcase is approximately 45cm long, 30cm high and 12cm deep. It looks similar to this one:

What I've thought of

I'm aware that luggage is normally taken on bikes by means of panniers. However it seems to me that directly attaching such a bag to a pannier rack by use of "spiders" (bungee cords) would be fairly unstable. The problem is that the pannier racks I have seen are usually pretty narrow (only just wider than the rear wheel); and therefore there isn't much of a stable "base" on which to place such a bag. The bag would have to lie flat - but also due to the limited length of a pannier rack, it wouldn't support the length of the bag - meaning that the bag would have to sit length-to-width. I.e the length of the bag would sit from left to right across the top of the rear wheel, only supported by a relatively narrow pannier rack in the middle. I can imagine that this would be fairly unstable.

From what I see, pannier racks are intended for especially-designed bags to be able to clip onto their sides - hanging down beside the wheel. However what does one do when one has an existing bag like the one above, which would not fit into one of those soft-sided pannier bags?

Does there exist some kind of pannier clip, or cage, which could attach to or contain my bag, to enable it to clip properly onto the side of a pannier rack?

Does any other solution exist which I have not considered?

It may be pertinent to note that my eye is on a folding bike - as I only have a small space in my shed, and nowhere to store a full-size, non-folding bike. Therefore any solution involving somehow mounting a cage within the frame under the crossbar would be impractical.

Any suggestions or advice appreciated


texts: Increase teeth on cassette from 11-32t to 11-34t 9 speed

texts: I have a new (to me) road bike with a 11-32t rear cassette and have Sora 9 speed derailleur. Even though I have been riding mountain bikes for some time I am struggling for a lower gear on the hills. I live in a very hilly area. Can I change my cassette to a 11-34t for a little lower gears. Or is it a matter of conditioning (as the guy at the bike shop states)? Thank you. This is my first post. Great site for bicycle stuff.


texts: The sword on the frame is the only identifiable mark on the bike. A guy I used to rent a room to left all his crap here. It's been sitting in my garage for years.


texts:
I'm planning to build a new bike from scratch.

Part of that is buying a new frame, and possibly facing/reaming it. That's actually the part I'm scared of the most.

Fortunately, the brand I'm targeting, Surly, seems to do that in the factory. But as they state, there may be some paint left where it should not be:

  Since Surly frames are faced prior to painting, it is possible to
  shave the paint off the head tube and BB shell ends with a carpet
  knife blade.  This usually results in an acceptable result, saving you
  money, but we still recommend having it done the proper way to ensure
  longest life from your components.

So what is the "proper way" to remove the extra paint, if the frame is properly reamed/faced already?

Should I choose not to do it the proper way, which components are going to suffer? I suppose at least the headset and bottom bracket, but could the frame suffer as well?


texts: What weather conditions are slicks suitable for?

texts:
I currently use 700x25 slicks on my commuting bike, to get the easiest ride possible.

I also own:

700x28 with some tread
700x35 metal studded snow tires (Purchased last year for UK snow)

Ideally I'd prefer to keep the slicks on all year round, as they give the easiest ride. However when conditions require it, I'll change tires.

So my question revolves around what weather conditions slicks are acceptable in:

Heavy rain?
Snow?
Ice?
Other...


texts:
Well, I bought a bike called "Iron Horse" and the bike has front and rear mechanical disc brakes. The brakes, upon inspection, have no writing at all (The manufacturer was too scared to put their brand name on them...).

Since day one, they have been absolutely terrible; Back brake only locks the wheel when I let weight off and the front brake would sooner have me hit a car in front than actually do any noticeable braking. I'm aiming to be able to lock the front brake to the point that pulling the lever makes me flip the bike like on my road bike, and the back brake cause wheel lock-up with merely about 30% action.

Cabling routing and length seems fine to me, brake lever is not bending, nor is mount for it. Caliper mount is nice and sturdy and does not move no matter how much I clamp on the brake. The pads are not half-inserted, nor are they worn out. They're brand new! Pads are not contaminated, pads are equal distances from the rotor on either side of the caliper, cable is tensioned so that the brake is pulled 15% of it's total action before pads contact the rim. The rotor is arrow-straight. The wheel hub where the disc attaches is not damaged in any way nor weakened considerably.

I've never worked on disc brake bikes, so my question is; Do all mechanical disc brakes have this much difficulty stopping? Is there something big that I'm missing? Is there a particular thing causing this? Could the pads be a bit duffed? Is there any type of pad I should try out on my bike (different compound, etc) or any specific modifications I should try?

And finally, are there any really, really risky bodges that I can try out to immediately bolster braking power? (Anything I do on the bike is not your fault, but my own.) Give me a really risky method of making the brakes powerful instantly and I'll give it a shot! :P


texts: Will disc brakes aggravate the problem with spokes pulling through the rim?

texts:
I am hoping that a mechanical engineer can give an educated answer to my question here. I am concerned about this because I have always had some trouble with spokes pulling through the rim on the rear wheel of my touring bike. (I use a 36 spoke wheel.)

Consider this: In general, a rear tire will wear at least 3 times faster than the front because of the forces applied to the rear wheel from pedaling. And for this same reason, we have far more problems with rims and spokes on the rear wheel than the front.

I am trying to make the point that the relatively small forces associated with pedaling, all of which are transmitted through the spokes, already cause the rear wheel and tire to fail much faster the front wheel and tire.

Now consider that the rear brake alone can cause the bike to decelerate at a rate of about 5 times that which we can accelerate with the pedals, implying about 5 times the force to the wheel.

When a traditional brake is applied, the forces are transmitted from the brake to the ground, primarily through the circumference of the rim. While there will certainly be some additional forces on the spokes, I don't believe it is substantial.

With a disc brake however, all the braking forces must be transmitted through the spokes. Isn't it logical then to assume that disc brakes will cause even more problems with the rear wheel and spokes than a traditional braking system?

I asked a bike dealer about this, and he insisted that this wasn't a problem. He then went on to show me the new Surly Disc Long Haul Trucker. Curiously, this bike has mounting brackets for carrying 2 spare spokes.

I would suggest that this is either a really dumb marketing gimick, or Surly has a significant amount of trouble with broken spokes on this bike and does this to assuage customer complaints. In my mind, one is just as likely as the other.

To repeat, do disc brakes aggravate the problem with broken spokes or spokes pulling through the rim?

Edit:
After reading the comments, I would like to explain that I am trying to understand the differences between a disc brake and a traditional braking system in the way the braking forces are transmitted from the ground to the bike frame.

I tried to analyze the problem myself using force vectors, but lack the ability to reason through the problem. I suspect that disc brakes cause a great deal of additional stress on the spokes and rim, but simply do not know. That is why why I posted the question.

2nd Edit
I didn't intend to imply that I have a significant amount of wheel problems. I've been riding for over 30 years and at one time or another, I have been stranded at the side of the road for busting virtually every part on the bike, except the wheels. (Seat rails twice, seat post, frame, rear axle, bottom bracket, chain, pedals twice). I was only asking whether disc brakes aggravate wheel problems, of which we all have some degree of trouble with.


texts: What is wrong with my bike? Where is this sound coming from?

texts:
My mountain bike has 3 sprockets in the front and 7 in the back. Whenever I use the center sprocket in the front there is a clicking sound. I cannot identify exactly where it is from, I don't see the chain contacting anything it shouldn't so I assume it's sections of the chain "clicking" into the sprocket teeth at certain points in the rotation. I have no idea if this is accurate, it's the only logical explanation I have at this point.

I just adjusted my front derailleurs min/max limit and shifting cable. So it should be set-up correctly. I have non issues in the lowest and highest front gear. Would anyone know why my bike makes sound while using the middle front sprocket?


texts:
The the default tires from my scott aspect 30 (Schwalbe Black Jack, 26 x 2.1, 50TPI) are peaty worn by know and i need to buy new ones.

My main complain is the punctures made by vegetation every day I ride, the next day I have to change the tube because of a small hole on the front tire mainly...

I'm inclined to buy this configuration

front: Mountain King by continental 26 x 2.2
back: Race King by continental 26 x 2.2

Am I on the right direction? any other recommendation?
does my weight (79 kg/174 pounds) has any influence on my choice?


texts:
My bike has an aluminium frame and I measured 134mm rear dropout spacing. The wheel it came with has 130mm OLD. The dropouts are quite a bit flexible, the QR pulls them in on tightening.
This is the wheel it came with as far as I remember. I am the first owner, but rear and front rims while looking very similar don't quite match. Cannot remember to have (had it) changed.

I am driving this bike for years and thousands of kilometers without breaking the dropout. After a recent need to replace the sprockets and discovering that even the 12-34 megarange freewheel is not available any more I decided to upgrade to freehubs and cassettes. Got a used 7-speed hyperglide wheel to match the measured 130mm OLD of my old wheel and transplanted a current 8/9 freehub onto it, staying at 130mm OLD.
Conversion is done for some time and drive quite a bit with it, but there remains a nagging thought:

134mm is a weird spacing, isn't it? I checked with bolts, the dropouts are parallel, unclamped, and they still look parallel clamped to 130mm.

Could this be a 135mm frame, set to less dropout spacing by long use of a 130mm OLD wheel?
And is 130mm OLD the way to go, here?

Before transplanting I tried putting in wider hub: pulling the dropouts slightly apart I was able to get it in.
The 130mm hub is easier to get in and out and I have been using such for years and miles.
On the other hand, 135mm is "closer" to 134mm and would allow for less dishing.


texts: I got a carbon-framed Kestrel Talon Road Bike recently but I also want to use it for commuting to and from work and I want a place to put my lock and other stuff on the bike. Is it possible to have a rack on this kinda bike.


texts: After 200 miles on my LaPierre X Control 229 equipped with basic Avid hydraulic disks, I can hear the front wheel disk ventilation slots grinding through the caliper when I brake moderately! (Shimano 160 disk). I did the normal thing of re-aligning the caliper; slacken bolts, apply brakes hard and re-tighten bolts. This made no difference. Should I be changing pads to organic?


texts: What's this cotter pin on the barrel adjuster for?

texts:
I bought a new Salsa Colossal frame to build up and it has a cotter pin on the frame mounted barrel adjuster:

If I turn the barrel adjuster too much, it is going to start digging in to the paintwork.  Should I remove the cotter pin?  Is it required once a cable is installed?


texts: Are two different tires marked with the same dimensions (700 x 25c) the same size?

texts:
Both sets of tires are from different reputable manufactures but the details are the same. ie Clinchers folding etc.

I recently changed my tires on a road bike, the clearance on top section of the rear seat stay was always very small with OEM wheels and tires. I would guess about 3-4mm.

I got new tires with the same specs from different manufacture and at the recommended psi the clearance from the top of the seat stay is about 1mm and I never noticed it while riding about 3k miles. But once i took it apart i noticed that the tire has been rubbing on the seat stay. I can see the paint has rubbed of slightly.

Update: picture below - hard to see because of brakes but the top of the seatstay is marked with red line and the top of the tire is marked with green line.

Wheels are true!


texts: What options to transport both heavy backpack and gym bag via bicycle

texts:
I ride my bicycle to school everyday with a backpack filled with books, papers, and a laptop . Some days I also carry a second backpack with gym clothes and shoes. There isn't room to fit the gym clothes in the backpack, nor would I want to even if they could fit (sweaty clothes and papers don't mix). But carrying two bags is awkward too, the second bag can't be easily carried comfortably alongside the first, it gets in the way of pedaling etc.

I had hoped to find a product out there where you can get an backpack which can attach a secondary bag, similar to how hikers attach sleeping rolls to the top of their backpacks. While some backpacks come with bungee cords on the front, it's not clear that this can be used to attach a bag.

This answer to a similar question shows a hiking backpack which includes a smaller detachable daypack. This is far too large for a daily commute though.

Other than that, what I was imagining doesn't appear to exist.

What solution will allow you to best carry a heavy backpack and a light gym back comfortably and portably, especially for when cycling? How would you combine your gym bag with your backpack?


texts: Why is my chain riding up and skipping teeth on the freewheel?

texts:
Due to a number of reasons, I would like to keep my freewheel at all costs (It's a Sachs freewheel, the bike has all sorts of more 'vintage' components, and they're hard to come by). From reading all the related questions, it seemed the solution would be a new chain, and the teeth certainly don't look worn enough (to me at least) to warrant the freewheel needing replacement.

However, with both a brand new 7/8 speed chain, and the older slightly worn chain (0.140 in elongation over 12 links), the chain rides up as shown on the teeth when torque is applied. It doesn't happen in the highest gears, or when it's upside down and I'm adjusting derailleurs. The chain is also not touching any adjacent gears due to derailleur misadjustment.

As stated, I will try ANY reasonable options before replacing the freewheel. I've certainly ridden more worn out cogs without this problem. Should I just try a different new chain? Or is this more seriously worn than I judge it to be?

Additional Pictures added on request:


texts: Cycling on snow in extreme freezing conditions: will my bike break?

texts:
I plan on riding my Merida Matts 40-D in mountains like these:

The temperatures are usually around -20 °C and I was wondering whether anything can break on my bike due to the freezing conditions. Is there anything I should take special care of before/after any such riding?


texts: Is a cannondale scalpel 3 full suspension capable of trail/ downhill? (100mm Suspension)

texts: I have found myself to be more of a trail rider than an XC rider and would like to get into downhill. I have a cannondale scalpel 3 and I was wondering if I can make this bike work. Possibly buying the new 130mm lefty supermax or other mods. Or just trade in for a new bike.


texts: How often should we add inner tube sealant liquid?

texts:
When I recently bought my new MTB: CUBE ACID 29" 2017, the shop put sealant liquid in the inner tubes. So far so good, great, no punctures, no loss of air, really happy. My questions:
How often (or mileage) do I have to add liquid? Do I have to replace the inner tube? Any other recommendations about that? Thank you all!


texts: I have a 77 super le tour that I’ve been fixing up, it’s pretty much done and rideable (rides like nothing I’ve ever been in btw) but now I want to put a new chain in it what kind and size do you recommend? (Brand and dimensions that is) and does anyone know of a lightweight guard for the front sprockets, I’ve got two pair of jeans now with rips on the right leg from the sprocket lol


texts:
When I was younger, it seemed most mountain bike shocks had rubber boots on them, but now most seem to be "naked."

How important were the shock protectors that covered the exposed part of the piston - either the generic rubber boots or the neoprene "lizard" protectors? Did they make a difference for most riding styles?

Why has naked become the new thing? Is this just value-engineering?

And is there any meaningful difference in performance between the two?


texts: Is it worth upgrading to 28mm tyres from 25 for a 250 mile ride?

texts:
Next month I'm embarking on a 250 mile ride over one day - I've done plenty of training and I'm ready. Currently my bike has 25mm tyres and some of the 100 - 175mile training rides I've done have proved by the end fairly uncomfortable.

I'm wondering what real world difference in terms of watts having 28's on instead of 25's would make? Obviously over 250 miles we won't be going very fast, perhaps averaging 16mph or so.

The route is fairly flat (St. Ives Cambridgeshire -> Newcastle (in the UK)). So I guess weight isn't a huge issue.

Is there a calculator or something out there that can help me decide?


texts:
Due to a bike replacement, I recently started using 700x40C tires, after several years of using 700x35C or 700x28C.

Whenever I corner, I have the impression the bike is behaving differently than what I was used to. Especially in fast/narrow corners (90 to 120 degrees turn), I feel like a squeaking sound coming from the engaged side of the tire (think like when one rubs a rubber shoe on the floor), while with the previous bike, mounting narrower tires, I never felt the same.

How does the tire breadth influence cornering of a bike?

Additional info:

tires inflated at the high end of their suggested pressure range (75 psi)

threaded tire
rigid fork
paved roads, dry and not dusty
approach speed 15 to 20 km/h


texts: Could I add chain rings, front derailleur, and shifter for the front derailleur from other bike?

texts:
I have a bike that has only one chainring and no front derailleur (obviously).

Could I take the chainring set, front derailleur and shifter from another bike and put it on my bike?

My bike never had a front derailleur and is 7 speed currently.


texts:
Tensioning a front wheel is - at least in theory - very simple: Go around and tighten each nipple by e.g. a quarter turn. Then re-adjust trueness if necessary.

I guess if I'd do the same to a typical road rear wheel (with freehub / 10 speed cassette), it would loose the 'dishing'. Is there a rule-of-thumb for this, e.g. something like "3/8 turns on the drive side, 1/4 turns on the other"?


texts: Installing a rear derailleur on a bike with a nexus 8 internal hub

texts:
I have a Giant Escape N8.

Unfortunately the nexus 8 hub is damaged, the wheel is also damaged, so I need to replace the whole wheel and the nexus 8. The chain also needs to be replaced, and I suspect the front crank might be in for a change as well.

Can I instead install a rear derailleur in place of the internal hub, as I need to replace the whole wheel anyway? What would I need to replace to make this work?


texts: Can I use an RC motor to make my bike electric?

texts:
I would like to make my ebike to have the minimal look, so adding big hubs or mid drive motors isn't really an option since it also costs more. I found this Keda brushless outrunner 2000w 190KV motor on hobbyking and wondered if it can move my bicycle? It's 2000w so it should easily move it yes? Or do RC motors work differently, will it overheat? Do I have to use zippy battery packs or can I build my own 10s battery? And finally, if it can't move me on its own could I make it pedassist?

Here's the link https://hobbyking.com/en_us/kd-53-30-high-voltage-brushless-outrunner-190kv.html

Thanks.


texts: Change gear cables for Shimano Tiagra 4603

texts:
Can't seem to figure out the way to enter the cable shifter which broke while riding!!!
Can't also find a manual or video out there helping me to replace it.


texts: My front wheel was steering to the right... now it's steering to the left. What's the cause of this?

texts: I already tried removing the cables that might pull it to the left. Still the same. I straightened the seat. I aligned the wheel properly. It's starting to annoy me. I cant ride my bike right. All the shops I visited told me to replace my bearings, which I did. It still it steers to the left. What else could it be?


texts: What's that thing at the bottom of the fork steerer?

texts: You know that slanted metal thing on the bottom of the fork steerer that can slide around? Like, the diagonal cut thing at the end that you insert into the hole when you assemble a bicycle? What is that part called, and what is its function?


texts: Minimalist setup for a "travelling bike mechanic"?

texts:
I have very little living/working space of my own and so, in order to keep my personal bike in working order, I need to be able to transport "bike mechanic stuff" (e.g. tools, screws, cables, inner tubes, etc.) in an efficient, safe way to places where I can work on my bike and have access to bigger things I can't own (e.g. repair/truing stands). Additionally, I need to be able to have these assorted things well-organized and easy to move without a lot of packing/unpacking: I've had stuff stolen† from me while using communal workspaces which were busy because I either had stuff spread out so far that it wasn't quite within my "personal bubble" of control or I had to leave my space looking for something and, when I came back, something important was missing. Finally, even without the threat of theft, I nearly always lose at least one washer/screw/annoyingly-small thing when working on my bike.

Since I assume I'm not the only person in the world who has this sort of situation, are there any sort of guidelines on ways to quickly and efficiently store/transport bike repair/maintenance gear on one's person (e.g. in a backpack)?-- I haven't got a car, so I need to be able to easily carry it myself.

† I write "stolen" rather than "accidentally taken from me" after I shouted: "Hey, did anyone take a thingamabob from this location a few minutes ago?" and no one answered: Even if you accidentally took something, if you don't fess up, you're no better than someone who took it deliberately without intending on returning it.


texts: At the rear wheel gear, the gear does not change from the 7th gear to the 6th gear when i change the gear in the handlebar once. But the next time i do it it changes. So, if the manual in the handlebar shows 5th gear,it is actually the 6th gear. What should i do?


texts: What do I need to do to get bike sharing costs included as part of my commuter benefits (USA)

texts: This might be more of a discussion for politically informed people. Does anyone here know who I should contact or if there is already some groups working on this? I'd love to be able to write off my bike sharing costs in Arizona, USA, or be able to pay for it out of my Commuter savings. More information about what I'm talking about can be found at this link. http://www.thewashcycle.com/2016/06/bicycle-commuter-benefit-still-cant-be-used-for-bike-sharing.html


texts: How to measure and treat BSA bottom bracket housing misalignment?

texts:
I own an old Raleigh steel frame ('89) and wanted to install a cartridge bottom bracket (Shimano UN55).

I noticed it was difficult to fit it in the housing. When installed, the square taper shaft showed considerably more friction when turned.

Also, when I took the BB out again I saw rubbing marks on one side of the inner face of the lock ring, but only on one side. The threading itself is not damaged. When installing only one side of the BB, everything goes in smoothly.

To me it looks as if the BB housing is somehow misaligned. How do I measure it? And how do I treat it?


texts: Best type of brake pads during winter conditions for disc brake bikes

texts:
I'm going to be riding my bike daily during the rainy Belgian winter (-2°C to +5°C). If it snows or freezes the roads will be covered with salt.

I'm using the 105 R7000 series hydraulic disc brakes.

I need to find out which pads would be the best during the above conditions:

Metal
Resin
Any other pads?

From what I've found it seems like the metal pads would be superior in those conditions but also louder, is this correct?

Anything else I need to keep in mind regarding braking in winter conditions?


texts:
I have noticed that my rear wheel is always considerably muckier than my front one, after a wet commute.

Why should that be? They both travel the same distance and terrain. I assume this is a common experience.

Bike has mudguards.


texts:
What tool do I need to remove the black plastic cup that is holding
the metal holder for my chain guard?

I can rotate the metal part but the cup is not moving.
While googling I could not find anyone that used the same mechanism.


texts: Bike for many short city commute AND long distance travels (partially dirt road)

texts:
Disclaimer: I am a bike amateur, so my knowledge is very limited.

I currently have an old model of the Pegasus Piazza, which I've been using for 4 years (I only replaced the saddle and the lights of my bike) to travel from my house to work and back (for a total of approximately 4km), and for small weekend-trips (up to 15km). In the last year, though, I've started to enjoy longer trips (>=60km), where sometimes I have to go through dirt roads, but definitely not super-heavy paths.

During those journeys I always had problems with the bike (a flat tire can happen, but spokes of the rear wheel breaking every time... I'm not even a huge guy, I am 1.76m x 90kg of happiness), so I grew frustrated and decided to go for a new, better one.

I started to search the web for some clues on what I'd need and eventually I found the B'twin Hoprider 700 (what's the difference between HF and LF anyway?), which I though it'd do... Unless I saw the disclaimer at the end of its website, which says:

  This bike is not designed for cycling on rough terrain.

At this point I'm pretty puzzled. Most of the hybrid bikes don't have a luggage-rack, which is something I'm not willing to sacrifice, on the other hand trekking bikes are not designed for dirt roads. I can't even take mountain bikes into consideration, since I need to assume a confortable position if I have to pedal for 5-6 hours.

Is there any bicycle there that would fit my needs, or should I buy the one I saw and hope-rider (pun intended) that it doesn't break?

EDIT: I accepted the answer with the most upvotes, but let me thank everyone for their contribute, because at the end each one of you gave me some food for thoughts.

At the moment I am very polarized towards the Diamant Ubari Legere 2017 (I have yet to find some feedback from users though), which is, for the money I'm willing to spend, the bike that I find nearest to my needs.


texts: I have a single speed cycle and i want to have minimum of six gears on it, Is there a cheap and good way so that i can get gears on it?


texts: Is there a way I can record the rides I do on a Tacx Flow T1682 turbo?

texts:
I recently bought a T1682 turbo trainer second hand - the one with the orange and grey head unit, like in this video. It can display speed, distance and power, which is what drew me to it.
I'm curious to know if there is a way I can record the rides I do, using either Garmin Connect or Strava. I've done a lot of googling and I can't find a straight answer. The head unit has a data cable input which perhaps I could plug into a computer and use the Tacx desktop app, but I don't know the cable (it looks like a small ethernet lead). My Garmin Edge 520 also cannot see anything when I search for "Indoor Trainers" or "All Sensors" - Garmin's website (here) leads me to believe it should work through bluetooth or ANT+.
Any advice on recording rides on this trainer would be much appreciated.


texts: Canyon Spectral:ON different wheel size (29''/27.5'')

texts:
Canyon Spectral:0N boasts a different wheel size: it has a 29''/2.5'' as front wheel and the 27.5''/2.8'' back. This difference in wheel size should make the bike more nimble and the extra-wide tyre back should maximize traction on difficult slopes (traction for going uphill and breaking for the downhill I guess). The smaller diameter wheel on the back leaves the space for a shorter chainstay, thus more maneuverability. All the reviews I found on the internetz are quite positive.
I was wondering:

Anybody has experience with different wheel sizes?
Any considerations for pedaling on level ground with this setup?


texts: I have a Reynolds AR62 wheel on my road bike. When I took off the Shimano CS-R7000 11-28 cassette, I noticed some indents on the freehub body (see image below). The indents are only present at the positions of the single cogs (21, 19, 17, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11), not at the position of the pair of three cogs (28-25-23; at the most inner side of the wheel). Are these indents normal?


texts: What type of bike is appropiate for my situation?

texts:
First off, sorry for being unable to phrase my question more precisely. Currently, I ride a 26" hardtail mountain/trail bike to and from work/university (around 7km each way). Surely, this is not the ideal bike, but I do love the ruggedness (occasionally jumping a flight of stairs etc.) and maneuverability. So I‘m not going to replace it entirely, but rather extend my fleet.

Also, I’m considering doing a bike tour through Europe once I finish my degree (another two years until thats the case). In the meantime I’d naturally like to train, i.e. riding more than 50km at once, which isn’t nice on a trail bike.

Also, I plan on building it myself, if that makes a difference?!

So here are my concerns:

Should I just buy a touring bike now? Seems they are too heavy for what I need now.
Should I buy a fixie? I’m surely not interested in being fashionable, but I read here that it helps develop a smoother pedaling style; that can’t be bad?!
Should I get clipless pedals? There are some which you can still use with normal shoes, is there a major drawback?

But mainly, what type of bike?

Edit: Based on the answers so far (thanks guys) I noticed that I wasn’t really clear. I don’t want to use this bike for touring, I want to get around town quickly and do a longer day tour with it, no need for carrying stuff.


texts: Gear cable head stuck in Shimano Sora lever

texts:
During the replacement of gear cable (Shimano Sora 2017 brake/gear levers), I incorrectly threaded the gear cable, gave it a little tug, and now the head of the cable is stuck in the lever housing, wedged between the wheel which adjusts gear position and the housing.

My removal attempts thus far have totaled around an hour, and have included trying to lever out the head with a small allen key, and trying to hook a string around it.

Has anyone had this problem before?  Is there a way to dismantle the lever to an extent where this would become accessible?


texts: 2 cross pattern not going right on Front wheel build

texts:
I need to make 2 cross spoke pattern (because lack of proper length spokes) for front wheel, i am however having some problem - green spokes stick out trough the rim ~4-5mm longer than blue spokes.
Blue spokes angle is -60 degree, green spoke angle is is +20 degree from the hub (compared to radial lacing).
Is this 2 cross pattern diagram wrong?


texts: I have a Kent brand fixie bike with 700x38c tires and I am looking for a new front wheel what size should I buy


texts: What features should I look for in a cool helmet?

texts: I have a Bell Metro  helmet. It's fine but even with all the holes, it is very hot. It also causes skin irritation on my forehead and causes (sorry people) pimples on my scalp. Are there specific features that I should look for to have a cooler (as in temperature) and less irritation experience for my head, as it exists under the helmet?


texts: Shimano 7 speed with click shift not enough range. Can only get 4 of 7 gears

texts:
The indexing shifter (lever for down, click for up type) doesn't seem to have enough range to cover the entire 7 gears. Limiting screws are all the way out. If I adjust the cable I can get 4 lower gears or 4 higher gears or anywhere in between, but only 4 gears.

The shifter display will only go down to 4th. It's like there just isn't enough range in the shifter to cover all 7. The dérailleur can move the full range.

The bike was bought almost new with very minimal use and as far as I know the gear set is original.


texts:
My Litespeed Tachyon, a 1996 model, of which I am the second owner, (So Litespeed will not honour the warranty) has now developed its 3rd crack.

First was in the seat tube above the deraullier and I got that welded successfully in 2005 and have been riding it ever since.

Turns out the bottom bracket, and the right side of the rear stays have developed cracks.

I am trying to find a welder in New Jersey who will weld Ti, and will probably try it, since they charge about $50-100 to do it.  (My big delay is that I have to take off the chain ring for him to get at it, and I keep forgetting to bring my crank puller to remove the chain ring off the bottom bracket.)

Anyone else done this?  My first experience worked pretty well.  Trying to decide if I should do it again.  I am too cheap to buy a new Ti bike, and I have to say, I love Ti as a frame, and am completely happy with the bike otherwise.

(I have now cracked a Ti seat rail, a seat tube, a Ti front stem (twice!), and now two more places on my Ti frame.  Perhaps there is a hint here.  I am a big guy, but this is Ti!  It is strong stuff!)


texts:
I've got a Shimano trigger shifter on an 8 speed derailleur. It only allows me to use 4 of my 8 gears. I can adjust the derailleur so that it is the top 4 or the bottom 4, but the shifter just won't click through the rest. It clicks 3 times and then acts like the rest of the gears don't exist.

I've tried adjusting the derailleur. Seems to work fine. I can even get the bike to shift by pulling the cable manually.

I've sprayed a ton of WD-40 into the shifter. That definitely improved the shifting speed and smoothness, but no affect on clicking through the rest of the gears.

Does anyone know what is happening or to fix it? When I opened up the shifter case, it does not look easy to mess with...

Thanks for the help.


texts: Rusty chain and back cassette – Replace or repair?

texts:
Reference of the chain: KMC Z51
Reference back freewheel: Shimano TZ21 14-28 Teeth 7 Speed
Reference of the bike: BTWIN Rockrider 340

I recently acquired a second-hand bike and decided to repair it:
The chain and the freewheel cogs are in very poor condition and rusty as you can see in the pictures below:

The bike has not been used for a year by the former owner. As I don't have that much knowledge about it;

I was wondering: Should I change the chain or repair it? as for the freewheel, can I even repair it?
If I have to repair them how can I achieve it?


texts: remove chainguard (?) lockring on fixed cup bracket

texts:
I'm trying to remove the part of the frame that was holding the chainguard but there seems to be a kind lockring and I don't know which tool to use. Any ideas?

EDIT: I am referring to the topmost six-edge nut, NOT the lockring (I do have a C spanner for that.)

EDIT: I've accepted ojs's answer: the six-notch cup is the fixed part of the cup, it's not supposed to be removed at all unless the bottom bracket is completely replaced (and that was not my goal); the lockring is supposed to be removed without removing the cup. I took the bike to a mechanic who pointed out that this is a reverse-threaded cup, which I knew, however since the cup is reverse-threaded so is the lockring (it cannot be otherwise). The whole lot was seized and rusty (the mechanic had to hammer it a lot). Apparently I made things much worse but tightening it further while trying to unscrew it. Lessons learned.


texts:
Shimano have this v-brake levers in the product family DXR for BMX.

Is there any difference between a BMX brake lever and an MTB one? Are they smaller?


texts: Beginner bicyclist question about purchasing a new road bike

texts:
Completely new to biking, and am considering purchasing a decent road bike that'll be comportable for 25 mile outings. Came across a used "KHS Aero Turbo" for 325 bucks. It looks like a nice bike, but like I said, I have no experience or frame of reference for what qualifies as a decent bike. Could anyone help me out in regards to if this is worth the money, or perhaps what other brands/makes to look out for?

Thanks!


texts: Will I cause any damage with a mismatched wheel set?

texts:
This might seem like a silly question but I would just rather confirm. I recently bought a new wheel set to replace my front wheel, as I was in an accident. However, I was unaware that Id need special tools to remove the cassette from the rear wheel frame.

I'd still like to be able to use my bike in the mean time, whilst I wait for the tools to be delivered. Would that be okay to use a mismatched wheel set for ~2 days (50 miles) until the tools arrive?

For clarification, the spec is the same, just weight and branding is different.


texts: How to properly gear compensate for short crank arms?

texts:
Is there a linear relationship between gearing and crank arm length?  For example, on my multispeed bike, my favorite gearing is 34/20 which is 1.7 and with 26" tires, that is 44.2 gear inches but I have 170mm crank arms.  For my wife to be, I want a similar "feel" (pedal effort) but her bike has 24" diameter tires and 140mm crank arms.  So does that mean instead of shooting for 44.2 gear inches, I should also compensate for the shorter crank arms and instead go for (140/170) * 44.2 gear inches = 36.4 gear inches?  If so, since they are 24" tires, I will need about a 1.5 gearing so something like 34/22 or 32/22 sprocket combination should be just about right.

Additional information (although not sure if relevant here) is I am 5' 9" tall and she is 4' 11" tall.  With her shorter, weaker legs, I am thinking a little extra compensation is in order.  The "shortest" gearing I can go with (using sprockets I already have), are 28/22 which is 1.27 which will be 30.5 gear inches.


texts: Can someone help identify my vintage bike frame?

texts:
I don't know a lot about bikes and bought this frame about 5 years ago in Montreal. It was repainted and looks like an old touring frame. It is very light steel, very low (close to the ground), doesn't have the original fork (1") and the bottom bracket had to be ordered from an italian manufacturer.

The photos are not great, but as I didn't know what to shoot exactly, I thought I'd give it a try.

Can someone help identify this frame?


texts:
I currently own a 2013 steel cyclocross bike that I use for daily commuting (approximately 1 hour per day). The model I have is equipped with a Shimano Sora groupset. I am considering moving to a steel road bike, and am looking at a used 2011 model with a Shimano Ultegra groupset.

Can anyone tell me whether there will be a noticeable difference moving from a Sora to an Ultegra groupset?


texts: Help finding correct headset for Focus Izalco Max Disc

texts:
I have acquired a Focus Izalco Max Disc frame and forks and am having trouble finding a headset for it. The steerer bung in the fork reads 28.6mm and it looks to have a slight taper. I have read online that it's a 1 1/8 -> 1 1/4 inch but the headset I have purchased doesn't fit (FSA no53).

The headtube of the frame measures ~42.5mm diameter at the top and ~47mm diameter at the bottom.

I tried the Cane Creek headset finder but it doesn't have my frame model in its database and can't identify any headset models that fit the dimensions I enter.

I have a feeling an FSA Orbit C-33 might be a fit but I can't find any material online to back this up aside from the fact it's one of the few tapered headsets with a 1-1/4" lower bearing.

Any ideas?


texts:
I ran over a thorn which went through the tire and punctured the inner tube. The thorn left a small hole of about 1-2mm in the center of the tire.
The tire is a pretty new Specialized turbo.
Considering I ride with 100+ PSI, will it suffice to just fix/replace the inner tube or will I have to boot the tire?


texts: I know what the above is: when your chain bunches when you change gears & the bunch runs through the front derailleur and wrenches it. This damage is pretty much irreparable, and has cost me far too much money. How can I stop this?


texts: What is considered the maximum safe downhill speed on a road bike?

texts:
I've heard between 30-40mph, but I am pretty sure I have hit 45 and felt safe and in solid control of my bike. If you look down and see you are above XXmph, you decide it is time to put on the brakes...what is that speed?

Edit: In summary, how can one determine what a safe speed is for a particular bike in a particular situation?


texts: Suggestions for progressive upgradation of bike

texts:
I have one bike, which is pretty cheap. It's a Mid-Level Mountain Bike of Motache (I tried to find a picture but, no luck). But, now I want to upgrade this bike progressively and change it into High Level Bike (or somewhere near) pduring course of time.

For doing this, my policy is if something breaks down, replace it with high level parts. I am not sure if this is how I am suppose to do it. Like for my recent upgrade when my rear derailleur broke, I replaced with Shimano XTR which is pretty neat. But, it is going to take a long time to upgrade i think. So I want to upgrade something now.

Now my bike contains V Brake, has lowest grade of fork suspension ( I think, its terrible ). 7*3 Speed Gears, normal shimano crank set and etc. (you can guess the remaining.)

Now, from the passionate and experts cyclist, I would like to know what should be first my upgrade and so on. One of mechanics and also my buddy told me upgrade my suspension first. I use my bike for daily road riding, and occasional off roads trips in holidays.


texts: Good beginner workouts on stationary bike

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After many years of programming, I have found that I can no longer avoid the fact that I spend most of my day sitting, which is absolutely horrible for my health. I started swimming a few months ago and am enjoying getting back into better shape, so I'd like to start adding in some workouts on a stationary bike. I have one long bike tour under my belt, but that was many years ago at this point, so though I'm not new to cycling I haven't ever really focused on cycling for physical fitness.

I have ready access to a boring bike at the gym. It just has flat pedals, but it does have a computer and controllable difficulty levels, along with a built-in pulse monitor. My question is, what sorts of workouts would be good to try for starters ? Should I just get on and pedal for half an hour ? What cadence should I aim for (in my mind I'm shooting for somewhere near 100) ?

I have two goals in adding a stationary bike workout: I'd like to increase my cardiovascular fitness (currently I can barely swim 100m in one go, because my lungs feel like they're going to explode), and I'd like to make my quads stronger. Hopefully these aren't at odds with each other.


texts: My hydraulic disk brake pads are rubbing too hard on the rotor after taking the wheel off

texts: so these are Shimano saint hydraulic disk brakes and i took the wheel off the other day to clean it, put it back on, and for some reason the pads are rubbing overly hard (without actually pulling the brake lever. So the front wheel wont spin too well, ive had another couple of rides with it, but is stil the same... the pads are rubbing too hard.


texts: How to choose between a race bike like a Madone and a classics bike like a Domane

texts: I ride regularly for exercise in New York City but do not race. I currently ride on a steel frame that handles the rough roads easily. I want to buy a carbon bike and am torn between a "classics" bike like a Domane or a Roubaix and a race bike. My rides are usually around 2-3 hours so comfort is nice but not essential. I appreciate quickness in traffic and am comfortable with a race bike geometry but am worried about durability. Any advice on how to think about these trade offs?


texts: Can I damage a tubeless rim using a wire bead tire on it?

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This question is very similar to Can I use a standard tyre on a tubeless rim? but while the answers there set out that it's possible I'd like to understand the risks of doing it.

I recently saw a deal for Fulcrum Red Metal 3 factory wheels that was too good to pass on. Unfortunately only a couple of weeks ago I stuck a new pair of Maxxis Igniter wire beads on my bike. The tyres are cheap but I like them and wouldn't mind keeping them. Is there any risk of damaging the new rims if I run the wire bead tires with tubes in them? Also is there any risk of damaging me?

They have a big Only Use UST Compatible Tires sticker on them so thought prudent to ask. Not worried about any liability issues New Zealand has a national no fault accident insurance scheme which covers personal injury.


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Okay so i have standard "Bmx U" brakes.
I've noticed the inner housing is passing the little stopper that is on the housing. (They were all new housings and this is my second housing this month.)
Is my brake lever the problem?


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I discovered a gaping hole about 1" x 3/8" in my carbon fiber rear rim, at a spoke.
The rim is a Fulcrum S-19 Racing (22.5x622x28), that I ride on about 100 miles a week,
so I imagine this rim is kaput.
The rims are about 4 years old and came on the Specialized Tarmac 2017 when I bought the bike.
Right now I am using the bike for just regular road cycling, no racing, so I don't need the bike to be light and have carbon fiber.
#1 Are there any issues with switching both front and rear rims out for less expensive alloy rims?
#2 Can you just switch out one rim, the rear, and it change to alloy, and leave the other, the front rim, carbon fiber?
#3 Just to verify- the damaged rim is unfit for further use?
#4 Any point in installing the used rear cassette on a new alloy rim?
Thanks for any feedback - Street Roller