texts: Is there a difference between a Shimano 10-speed MTB small chainring between double and triple cranksets?

texts: Shimano sells two types of 10-speed chainring, one for 2x and one for 3x systems. The smallest chainring have a 64mm BCD for both systems, and it looks the same to me. So what is the difference between them since they are sold as 2x and 3x specific? Or can they be used interchangeably?


texts: 3x8 to 1x8 (with expansion to 1x10/1x11 in the future)

texts:
I plan on converting my MTB fron 3x8 to 1x8.

I plan on leaving the rear derailleur as it is, or I would prefer not to upgrade it to save money.

My current crankset is a 3x8 square taper crank, I have yet to measure the bottom bracket but it'll be probably a 68 or a 73 shell, with standard  BSA/ISO threading.

Part list installed:

Crankset:

https://www.paul-lange.de/shop/de/shimano/alivio-acera-altus-7-8-fach/kurbelgarnitur-altus-trekking-fc-m311-vierkant-78-fach.html

Bottom Bracket:

https://www.paul-lange.de/shop/de/shimano/innenlager/innenlager-bb-un26-vierkant-bsa.html

Part list to purchase:

https://www.bike24.de/1.php?content=8;product=164399;menu=1000,2,88;mid[70]=1;pgc[7296][7301]=1;orderby=2

https://www.bike24.de/1.php?content=8;product=7192;menu=1000,2,81;mid[77]=1;mid[282]=1;mid[170]=1;pgc[10624][10627]=1;orderby=2

My question's/troubles:

BSA threading is universal/standardized right ?

If I purchase a 1x10 crank or a  1x11 crank for example I could install it on 1x8 setup right ?

What compatability issues should  I look out for ?

Are the listed parts compatible with each other ?


texts: Buying parts for an extra set of wheels: will a an 11 speed freehub body accept a 12 speed cassette?

texts:
I'm mechanically inclined, but I don't know much about modern bicycles. I have a Rocky Mountain C70. Since I live in the city, I'd love to have a second set of wheels that aren't knobby for the paved trails around my area.

I know a lot of people say "just get a second bike", but I don't have the storage area for that, so it's not an option. It's either this project has to work out or I just have to ride my knobbies.

I'm investigating getting a second set of wheels for only occasional use. I've decided to field as much stuff as cheaply as possibly from chinese supplies like ali express, or find used stuff on ebay. It appears I can fit 700c tire/rim combos on my bike because it's setup for 29" tires. I don't want to do a cassette/rotor swap every time, so I'm going to purchase those as well so I can drop the new set of tires on like a nascar pit stop.

I need help with the shopping list and any potential "gotchas" before purchasing items.

What I've found so far is a cheap pair of 700c rims on aliexpress with spokes already installed. The freehub says it's shimano compatible, but for an 11 speed.

That gives me my first question, will the 11s rotor be long enough to fit a 12speed?
What about rotor/hub width, is everything a standard width? Once I have these rims and install the brake discs, will they line up into the pads?
Do I need to worry about axel sizes?
What else do I need besides 700c rims, tires, brake discs, cassette, and tires?

Thank you!


texts: Can I remove my thru axle when the lever is disengaged?

texts:
I was changing a tube on my Breezer Doppler pro today, and when I went to reinstall the thru axle, everything threaded together smoothly but then the cam lever became disengaged from the axle. Now the lever spins freely in either direction, without engaging the axle at all. It's just tight enough that I can't close the lever, but I can't tighten or loosen it. No Allen key hole on the there side either.
Is there any way to get this axle out easily? A non-destructive method would be ideal, but I'll be replacing it anyways, so anything you got, as long as it doesn't damage my frame.
My first instinct when I saw these axles was to replace them immediately, but I didn't, and here we are. They have worked flawlessly for almost a year. Just seems like a really poor design.
I apologize that this is basically arepeat, but none of the answers here or on other forums seem to provide a workable solution. It seems like a really common problem that I just haven't seen a good fix for.


texts: What to replace after using WRONG hydraulic fluid

texts:
Tektro Auriga Comp hydraulic brake. I needed to add fluid to my brake, and decided to do a bleed. I used DOT 3 fluid instead of mineral oil (Very stupid me). after a few days my brake went dead (there is not fluid, must have escaped through a damaged seal).

Question: What seals/things must I replace in the brake - I do not wish to purchase another brake (but will purchase correct fluids in the future)? Do I replace all the seals/rubber parts, or are there more parts to replace? Can I buy a 'kit' that contains all the parts needed to replace?


texts:
How easy is it to keep a mechanical (non-hydraulic) disc brake system working at home with a set of "normal" (not bike-specific) tools, especially compared to rim brakes?

Discs seem to be currently en vogue in adventure biking (cf. the Salsa Vaya) and even in cyclocross bikes (cf. the Merida Cyclo Cross 300). Despite their all-weather stopping power, I have heard several people (even people working at LBSs) say that they are a lot of work to adjust. How true are these claims?

Can a layperson reasonably expect to keep them working optimally without the help of a LBS, or do they entail regular professional "servicing"?


texts: Why are most bicycle gears designed to have so much overlap

texts:
For bikes with a front derailleur, I've noticed that the gearing ratios of most bicycles are not linear, and there is an odd "overlap" between those power ratios as you switch from one front gear to the other.

OK, it's hard to explain, but this chart shows what I mean:

This is just an example and actual ratios can vary, but this illustrates some extremely common problems:

The ratios aren't spaced out consistently
To go down through all the gears from highest to lowest, you will find yourself switching front gears several times back and forth while simultaneously switching the rear.
Many of these gears are so close as to be redundant.

So I'm just curious: why are the gears set up in this way?


texts: I know little about all of this, so, go easy on me. I've got a mountain bike, fairly light in weight and rarely ever used for anything other than road use. The current tires say 58-559 / 26x2.35. Is it possible to go for thinner tires with the same Rim and how much will this affect the ride?


texts: How to remove crank arm with broken bolt on SRAM Omnium crankset

texts: I apparently over-torqued the crank bolt and it made a loud snapping sound. Now the hex wrench just spins freely and so I can neither tighten nor loosen the bolt. How do I remove the (non-drive side) crank arm? Will a replacement bolt, if available, resolve this issue or have I done more damage than that?


texts: Raleigh AT20 series bottom bracket affects derailleur

texts: I took out the bottom bracket to clean it etc taking off the pedal shafts etc - and when it came to putting it back - the front derailleur was well out of adjustment - Have I done something wrong>- This is the first time I have taken out a bottom bracket. Thanks Ben


texts: I have one mountain bike with its own tyre. I would like to turn that to a hybrid. My MTB tyre size is 26×2.125 57-557 what size should I purchase if I am going with hybrid tyres?


texts: When I am pedaling hard my chain jumps but doesn’t go to higher or lower gear

texts: I have this problem with my bike when I put an amount of pressure on my pedals the chain kinda jumps but doesn’t change to a higher or lower gear and it usually happens when I go on 3X7 and 3X6 when I change it to 2X7 it doesn’t happen as usual as 3X7.  I have even changed my chain and derailleur but it still happens what could the cause of this be.


texts:
Is there a sensible difference between special bike grease (i.e. park tool grease) and grease used in vehicles?

Is it worth (when speaking about cheap bikes) spending 10 times more money for special grease, or will vehicle grease be enough?


texts:
I took @Jason's and @Neil's advice and practiced wearing clipless pedals in cold weather. I fell three times (nearly four) last week, all at very low speeds: twice because of ice, and twice because of having my shoes clipped to the pedals and not unclipping in time.

Falling didn't hurt: at all. At the time I was wearing a short-sleeve shirt, and a long-sleeved uninsulated Gore-Tex wind-and-rain-proof anorak (and jeans and gloves and a hard hat). I bruised my hip slightly, one of those time; never any cuts or abrasions.

The weather is getting better (it's above freezing, this week). Eventually, it will be hot. I commute and I don't know about specialist bike clothes. I expect I might wear, I don't know, summer shorts and a T-shirt in hot weather (and shoes and a hard hat and maybe gloves).

Ought I, for safety, to wear long sleeves or something, even in summer, in case I come off again? I can't see myself wearing a wind-proof anorak in sunny summer when the temperature is in the +10C to +25C kind of range.

Should I have something though, to protect my arms if I fall? Would long sleeves make a difference? Is there a fabric that's protective yet cool?

I don't see myself wearing armour just for commuting. On the other hand, my fear / worst case scenario is that I might fall, leave bits of elbow tendon behind on the pavement, and then people say "what a fool: didn't he know he's supposed to wear XXX for, you know, basic safety when cycling?"


texts:
This bike I found on a Brazilian mountain bike Instagram page, they caption it as a bow and arrow with wheels.

Anyone ever seen this strange looking beauty before? I can't quite tell but it might be an early folding bike. I'm saying is old because it's got a rod brake.


texts: Night cycling: Is it worth using electroluminescent wire?

texts:
It's currently winter in the UK, so for my commete to and from work I need lights and reflective surfaces for safety. I've read about local people losing their lives cycling, so I don want to make myself as visible and safe as possible. I currently have:

Lighting

2 x Smart Lunar 35 Lux front lights
Energizer head torch
Smart Lunar R 1/2 Watt Rear Light
Fibre light (Flashing red) attached to back

Reflective

ALTURA MENS NEVIS WATERPROOF CYCLING BIKE JACKET
3M Reflective spoke covers

I'm considering buying and fitting electroluminescent wire to my bike frame in order to make myself more visible. Does anyone have any thoughts or first hand experience?

On one hand I consider the brighter and more visible I am, the safer I am. However I'm already got lots of lighting and reflective surfaces on my bike. Also I've made sure that my front facing lights are white, rear facing red and other surfaces reflective. So I worry that el wire could add a non-standard and confusing colour into the mix.

Update: 4th December 2012
I found some el wire for £6 at Suntekstore so I decided to give it a go! I've also recorded a quick video


texts: Need Connector for Motor - I don't want to buy 50

texts:
I have no idea what I've gotten myself into, but I've bought electric bicycle motors and they didn't come with the connectors. Apparently the below link is the type of connectors I need. Is there an alternative distributor of these that I can buy just a couple from? Can I make them my self or cut them off and use a different connector?

Also is this type of connector standard? Is there a datasheet for these pin-outs somewhere?

I would like to get 2 of these, not 50


texts: Ivanhoe ladies with wooden rims, wooden rear fender, wooden chain guard

texts: Attic find, any thought as to age, options not on a stock bike, value range.


texts:
One of my mountain bike buddys has severe issues with downhill riding technique. By downhill I don't mean downhill racing in this context but riding down trails that are rather smooth but with some roots and rocks or short bits that are really steep and require to take one's heart in hand and get one's buttocks far behind the saddle. He has taken a fall over the handlebars some time ago and since then is even more cautious in those things.

By chance I learned that he is mostly braking with his rear brake even on flat terrain because he is too anxious about another rollover. I think I have figured out that this non-use of the front brake is the main reason for his downhill issues as the rear brake does by far not provide enough power and control here. I would like to get him back to using the front brake more and to give him more confidence and fun on downhill sections. Unfortunately I don't know how to do this.

I don't know if he's really aware of his problem yet (hadn't time to talk to him since I figured out the problem myself) and I don't think he has time and motivation to do just stupid practicing sessions somewhere in a park or another "boring" location. So I would be especially be interested in small exercises one could easily include into the weekly ride.


texts:
I have entered a 30km mtb race that will take place in a couple of weeks time. I don't know much about the route and won't be able to get on it beforehand as it goes through private farms that will only be opened for the public during the race.

The profile is as follows:

Does anyone have any tips as far as what a good average speed would be, what a good average time would be and when or when not to go all out? Sprint in the beginning? Sprint in the end?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.


texts: Thinking of putting wider tires on intro Scattante w330...thoughts?

texts:
I'm buying a used Scattante 44cm w330 with starter components and I'm fairly new to biking/commuting by bike.

My commute to work is fairly short, but its through a busy downtown area. I'm not so comfortable balancing on these skinny tires, much less weaving my way through traffic on them (700x23)...

Would it be plausible/wise for me to place wider tires on this bike?

If so, what would you recommend?

Maybe distance tires? I hear they are wider...

Thanks in advance, (we were all noobs at one point, right?)

^.^


texts: Switching from a mountain bike to a road bike

texts:
I will be moving soon because of my work and the new area is not very "mountain bike friendly" as it is very flat and there aren't much hills or mountains around.

So I think of buying a road bike to keep practicing and maybe commuting to work. But I know nothing about road bikes and I have never ridden one before.

What are the main things I should be aware of when buying one that are fundamentaly different from a moutain bike ?

The bike I currently have is a Lapierre Zesty 414 with tubeless tyres. I'm also quite tall (1m95 or 6'4") so I'm wondering if it may cause any problems.


texts:
Looking to buy an eccentric bottom bracket for adjusting the chain tension, however before ordering need to make sure it is compatible with my bb shell.

There are following types of eccentric BB:

For 1.37” x 24T & Width 68mm BB Shell
For BB Shell I.D 46mm & Width 68~73mm (JIS BB Only)
For BB Shell I.D 46mm & Width 68~73mm (Shimano & SRAM Compatible)

Need help choosing the right one (i can do additional measurements if needed)


texts: Dropout check/Components check Help a boy live his coaster dream!

texts:
1.) This is a 1989 Cannondale SM2000, is that a good derailleur?

2.) Will these dropouts suffice for a coaster brake? What if I over-shorten the chain? Do-able?


texts: Rear hub loose after several days in the car

texts:
Hi all – I'm a bike newbie here with what is hopefully a minor problem and would appreciate some help diagnosing what went wrong before I try to fix it myself / bring it to an LBS.

I packed a road bike on a several day car-trip recently. I removed both the front and rear wheel but didn't disassemble any further than this. The car was pretty fully packed, but I made sure to not put any substantial weight on the (aluminum) frame, especially not around the drivetrain and the forks. The wheels were stashed in the back row of the car. (There may have been some pressure on the hubs sitting between the front seats and the back row seats.)

Upon reassembling I find that my rear wheel hub has a few millimeters of wiggle room when the quick release hub is fully tightened. (This seems to convert to about 1cm of wiggle at the rim.)

The bike was basically in tip-top shape before the ride—no issues at all with the bearings beforehand. No major impacts or anything; it just sat in a car for two days.

What might have caused this issue? I can go ahead and tighten the bearings / have someone else tighten the bearings, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything more serious first. I'm also just curious as well!

If it's relevant, I ride a Specialized Allez Comp with AXIS 2.0 wheels.


texts: What to do about a stuck chain link on 10 speed chain

texts:
I put a new chain on my bike and after 3 rides or so, I developed a stiff link. I'm not sure what caused the issue, but now it barely bends at the pin at all, unless forced.  It causes skipping problems when it goes through the derailleur.  I've tried scrubbing it and applying lube to the link that is stuck, but that hasn't had any effect.

It's a 10 speed chain, so I'm wary about trying to just remove the link, since these chains are not as easy to reconnect and I need to keep the chain long to work well with the wide range 3x10 MTB drivetrain.

Is there any way to fix this stuck link?


texts: What will I need to consider when modernizing a pre-1990s steel frame?

texts:
I'm in the process of upgrading a well loved 1970s steel frame from a downtube shifter system to a modern 'brifter' system.

Through this process I've had to look at many disparate sources to get information from all over the internet.  Generally, LBS have been rather sketchy about this - they'd rather sell me a new bike.  I think it would be ideal if we could have one question under which we could address as many of the general problems & solutions that the process throws up, and maybe have a collection of resources that someone who wants to follow this process would be able to refer to for more specific problems.  I'm going to provide an answer myself, once it's established that the question is valid! My question is:

What potential issues will I need to consider when modernizing a pre-1990s steel frame?

Please note, I am getting brifters. Answers which say 'you'd be better off staying with downtube shifters' are not helpful in the slightest.


texts: Bleed port diameter on Magura HS 11 rim brakes?

texts:
Although the bike is barely six months old and the brake pads are very far from worn, I find the HS11 brakes a bit soft/spongy: I like the brakes to work with a short run.
Tightening the adjustment bolt didn't make much of a difference.
Magura suggests bleeding the system, but I'd first like to try and burp it, like I do on my other bike, with Shimano hydraulic disk brakes, with great success.
But to buy the right oil funnel, I need to know the diameter of the bleed port on the lever.
Does someone know?
Thank you.

Edit: Starting at 1m33s, this video from Magura show how to insert a syringe at the lever.
For just a filling/burping, it should first be filled with mineral oil before pulling the lever, hitting the cable + brake cylinder, putting the lever at the horizontal level and then at a -45° angle as a way to get rid of air bubbles.


texts:
I'm looking to replace the bearings in the headset on a brand new GT mountain Bike (they have disintegrated after 4 weeks).They were the caged type but exposed so I can see each of the balls in the ring (i.e. not sealed)

I know from Cane Creek site that I have ZS 44/28.6 & ZS44/30 sized headset but no clue what the relationship is to my bearing size....sorry if this is a silly question!

Can anyone please recommend where I can buy the bearings?


texts:
I recently bought this Bianchi bicycle as my first re-build project. It's covered in a thin layer of rust but could really look amazing with help of a little elbow grease.

Managed to find a bicycle called the Bianchi L'Eroica which looks very similar, but admittedly this version could be a cheaper version as the seat and some elements do look much cheaper.

Does anyone know what bicycle this is or how I can find out?

Yehtsay


texts: I have an old huffy 26 inch mountain bike.  I changed the tire a couple days ago and now it has a pronounced wobble (side to side movement, not at the axle).  Its like its misaligned somewhere but everything seems tight to me. At certain points the rim is dragging on the brakes.  Any ideas?


texts: Shimano Tiagra Rear Derailleur - Barrel Adjuster Won't Screw In

texts:
My rear derailleur barrel adjuster has unscrewed completely and now I can't get it back in.

Is it likely that I've damaged something here, or is there some special technique to screw in barrel adjusters that I don't know about!?


texts: How can you recognize a department store bike?

texts: You can obviously avoid department store bikes by buying from reputable local bike shops, but how can you tell whether a used bike is a department store bike? Are there any telltale signs? I have a friend who is looking to buy a used bike, and I would like to tell him what to look out for.


texts: How to remove a crank arm with stripped threads?

texts:
A friend called me up yesterday after a mis-adventure during his attempt at a bottom bracket overhaul. He stripped out the threads on the (left) crank arm while using a Park crank puller. In a pinch, we rented an automotive gear puller but could not get enough purchase for that to work.

Any tips on this? Especially a way that will not ruin the crank arm. (I know, the crank arm is now ruined in terms of future removal, but in the meantime with a bottom bracket overhaul and without any further damage, it'll get him through another season's commute.)

Update 12/31/2011 This question was asked over a year ago now, so problem solved at that time. Followed the advice by whatsisname and we got the crank arm to loosen by slowly riding around the block a few times. Once it was loose, we were able to finish the job using some strategic tapping with a padded dead blow hammer. Then replaced/rebuilt the entire crankset and bottom bracket. (The thing was trashed beyond the removal issues...) The recent additional answers may be of use to others who find themselves in a similar predicament.


texts: Is there a way to measure tire pressure without using the valve?

texts: I'm trying to DIY a sort of a "smart rack" for a bike that can alarm me of problems like low tire pressure. Problem is that tire pressure is measured via the valve, which isn't a practical solution for this use case. Is there is a way to arrive at a similar pressure (doesn't have to be as accurate, but more accurate than the typical +/-20psi "squeeze test") via some device that works with the tire directly instead of the valve (something that squeezes the tire and or laser/ultrasound)? This is for personal use, so I don't mind if the solution relies on hard-coded tire/bike dimensions.


texts: I have an Ultegra Crank set. I also have a Deore XT 175mm left side power crank. Can I use this on a road bike?


texts: cold setting 3-speed road frame to 7 8 speed cassette

texts:
So my old road bike has a 3-speed freewheel, dropout spacing is about 114 mm. I'd like to give it an upgrade and put a 7 or 8 speed cassette (maybe stick with a freewheel if 6-7 speed, I just want more range and less hustle)

Spacing of a modern cassette-type road hub is 130 mm. As the Sheldon Brown bible says cold setting is achievable but it doesn't say how many speeds you can go up. Many people go from 5 speed to 7 speed, or from 7 speed to 10 speed, but I couldn't find anyone on the internet who tries to go from 3 speed to 7 speed. My worry is that it is too much difference I have to spread apart and that it may damage the frame. My weight is on the heavy side and I don't want to end up with my teeth on the road :-P

To sum up, will it be safe to resize from 114 mm to 130?


texts: How does one remove the lockring and sprockets from a Shimano MF-HG20 freewheel?

texts:
Getting the freewheel off the hub is no problem; what I want to do is to get the sprockets off the freewheel.

I have tried tapping the lockring in an anti-clockwise direction with a steel punch, but it refuses to move. The markings on the smallest sprocket suggest that all the sprockets are splined.


texts:
A couple of days back, on our way to California (in a car), my wife and I passed a unicyclist going the other direction, uphill, on a fairly challenging section of Route 66.  (I think we were in Arizona.)  The guy had on his back a LARGE backpack that, based on my experiences Scouting, probably weighed 40-60 pounds, maybe more.  No idea how far he had traveled so far, but presumably he was out for a multi-day trip (on roads that would exceed 6% grade for miles at a time).

What are the records for unicycle travel?  Are there any unsupported cross-country trips on record?  How common is unicycle touring?


texts: I have a Trek Domane S4 (carbon) that makes a random "clicking" noise while pedaling. I can feel it thru my feet, so I'm thinking its coming from the crank area, but can't seem to figure it out. I use Mtn bike shoes w/ clipless pedals, could it be the pedals?


texts: Attach bottle cage to frame w/o mount screws

texts:
I'm planning on getting a bottle cage for my bike, but my bike does not have the standard mount screws for one. As I understand it, there are two types of cages: bolted cages and clamped cages. I'd prefer a bolted cage because they are cheaper ($5ish vs. $10ish).

Is it possible to drill holes directly into the frame for the bolts (I do have a good bit of experience working with aluminum)? Are there any other alternative methods for attachment, or would I be better off with the clamp cage?


texts: Is pollution a problem in urban cycling?

texts:
I usually ride a bicycle in Barcelona. I'm concerned about pollution and I take an anti-pollution mask. Of course, some people scream because they confuse me with Hannibal Lecter but currently that's not a problem.

I've heard a lot of opinions about this: "don't care because pollution it's not harmful", "that masks make no sense" and so on...

What do you know about cycling and pollution? What about masks, are they effective at blocking pollution?

Note: I think objective/documented answers are the most useful. Please, try to avoid "I think that...", "my opinion is..." answers.


texts: If I replaced the fork on my cyclocross bike with a track fork, what would be the effect on the bike geometry?

texts:
If I replaced the fork on my cyclocross bike, surly cross check, with a track fork, what would be the effect on the bike geometry?  What would be the effect of the modified geometry on bike handling.

I'm assuming the track fork will be a bit shorter and with less offset than the current fork.  The crosscheck typically has a 400mm long fork with 44mm offset.  I considered swapping it with a surly steamroller fork which has a 375mm axle to crown measurement and 38mm offset Or a Milwalkee bruiser fork, which is the same length 400mm with 32mm offset, which would give me a trail at about 75mm on 32mm tires.


texts: Which position adjustments maximize the use of the glutes in a road bike?

texts:
I usually don't feel the glutes firing when I'm seated unless I'm in a really long and hard climb or if I stand up and move back.

Is there any common adjustment to maximize the glutes utilization? Or a common mistake?


texts:
I have my Giant Talon 4 2016 with Tektro hydraulic brake system. For a month or two I stopped riding and today when I used it, my front brake doesn't seem to work properly. I mean, the brake applies, the pad also seems to be grabbing the disc as its supposed to, but the brake is sloppy. Am I missing something here?
Any help is appreciated. Thanks,


texts: Brake pads fall out of the caliper and stuck between the caliper and the disk

texts:
At one moment the bike just stuck with this problem.

The brake pads fell out of the caliper and got stuck between the caliper and the disk.

I repaired it by detaching the wheel and getting it back inside, but now it keeps happening all the time.

How can this problem be solved? Is it adjustable or do I need to replace the pad or the disk/caliper?


texts:
I've searched and only found this and this. But what I am really after is on a solution on how to cover/protect the underside of your frame.

I have a carbon road bike with mostly a white painted scheme throughout the bottom side and it's starting to show small chips already. Is there some form of transparent coating (think PU or some other stick on plastic) that I could use, later remove once too damaged and replace again to give my frame more life?

Any suggestion appreciated. Thanks


texts: one side of brake pad retention problem (i.e. attached to rim)

texts:
my front wheel brake pad (only one side) is still attached to the rim after I released brake lever. How do I fix this problem?

I believe it is a cantilever brake.


texts:
I have an old road bike with 3x7 speed and STI levers. I need to downgrade it because I can't reach the levers due to my small hands.

What downtube shifters can I buy to that will work with my Shimano derailleurs? I'm on a low budget.

Are downtube shifters designed to be indexed only on the rear derailleur? My LBS has a pair of 3x7 downtube shifters and only the rear is indexed.


texts:
I have a square taper (JIS) Shimano UN-55 bottom bracket with dimensions 68mm (shell width) and 110mm (spindle length) on my single speed (chainline 42-44mm).
Can a set of Stronglight JIS track crank arms (107mm axle length) be fitted to my BB (110mm spindle length), or must the axle length of a crank arm match the spindle length of the bottom bracket?
If the cranks can be fitted, how is the chainline affected?


texts: Why offset the rear rim to the hub and not the hub in the frame?

texts:
I'm currently reading The Bicycle Wheel by Jobst Brandt, and I'm reading all of the issues with offsetting the rear rim toward the drive side of the hub...

  Asymmetry in a rear wheel built for a multispeed gear cluster makes it weaker
  against side loads coming from the right side. This means that the wheel bends
  to the left more easily than the right. The greater the offset, the weaker the
  wheel. In order to reduce offset for six-, seven- and eight-speed clusters, hubs
  have been built with narrower flange spacing. Although they reduce the
  disparity in tension between left-side and right-side spokes, they weaken the
  wheel against lateral forces.

So, I'm curious, why is it the standard to do so? Why not center the rim to the hub just like the front, and then offset the frame's drive side rear triangle to accomodate the difference? It may shift the chain line a bit, but this doesn't seem like anything that challenging to adjust for. The strength and durability benefits are huge, and the only downside I can see is that you couldn't arbitrarily change rear hub widths (not that it seems they change that often anyway), or you may have to introduce the offset again. Why don't bicycle manufacturers start doing this instead? Do they make frames that you can use a rear wheel built with the rim centered on the rear hub?

Rear Wheel Offset -->


texts:
My father is trying to repair his old '65 (we think) Schwinn 3 speed. The only problem is he has not been able to get a replacement nut for the rear wheel axle. Local hardware stores have been unable to identify what kind of thread it has, and we've had no luck finding any info online.

Anyone know what it might be, or how/where to find out?


texts: Is "Greased Lightning" safe to use for bicycle cleaning?

texts:
I am specifically interested in cleaning my chain and drive train. Will it be too corrosive and degrade my 10 speed chain?

A neighbor mentioned he uses Greased Lightning, but I could not find anything on the product website about being safe to use on bicycles (but most everything else), or on bicycle review sites of people using this on their bicycles, many people using on car engines though.

Note: I have used Simple Green (still do) for most my cleaning, and always rinse it off but have been cautious about using it and looking for alternatives, ever since a friend had chain degrade and break after using Simple Green. Lennard Zinn Q&A article about Simple Green eating chains.


texts: What is an alternative hitch for the Re~Cycled bike trailer?

texts:
What is an alternative trailer hitch for the Re~Cycled bike trailer?  This is the webpage of the trailer http://www.re-cycle.org/sites/re-cycle.org/files/Trailer.pdf

The reason I don't like it is because it tends to spring open and closed. Maybe use a ball and rod like this?


texts: I've had a Dynamic Tempo chainless bike for about 12 years,  but it finally broke down.  It looks like Dynamic Bikes is no longer in business (or at least the web page for them is not - transfers to Bike share).  Is there any chainless bikes sold in USA?  I have seen some in other countries.


texts: My trek Emonda ALR (Alu frame) bottom bracket has noticeably more drag (crank without chain will stop within one revolution of being spun) than my 2012 6 series madone.  Any suggestions?  I have adjusted the preload (to point where there is none) and it makes no difference. Bearings feel good; smooth with no rough spots.


texts: what is the official site of diamond bicycle or frame(not "diamondback")

texts:
im go to shop and buy a bike that its name diamond not diamond back
has shimano gears and vbreak and has kenda tires and frame is steel
do any one know this bike is made in where?
and what is official website for this bike?
thanks a lot


texts: Bicycle Components: What's The Real Difference?

texts:
I am buying my first 'real' road bike soon and am comparing the Shimano Ultegra vs. the 105.

I have read through their websites and marketing literature. What does the semi-vast price difference do for a cyclist, who isn't riding the TDF?


texts: Is it worth it to get a bike computer with cadence?

texts: I'm looking into purchasing a bike computer, primarily to track distance and speed. Is it worth it to go up a notch and get a computer that also tracks cadence? How accurate are bike computers at doing this? I'm not interested in wireless computers - I hear too much about interference, and they are much more expensive (thus targets for thieves) -- so is it worth it to hook up more cables to the bike in order to get cadence info?


texts: 3 flats in 650 miles (1030 km) on hybrid bike. Tire pressure wrong?

texts:
I have a Giant hybrid (with 700x32c 65 PSI tires), stock tires, that I mainly ride on nice roads to and from work ~3.5 km/2.2 miles each way.  I weigh 230 lbs/104 kg up from 200 lbs when I bought the bike sadly two years ago.

I check my tire pressure before I start riding again (If it's been more than 2 weeks) or every week. And I've put about 640 miles on the tires, but in that time I've had 3 blowouts.

That seems like a lot.

After doing a bit of reading it feels like my tires might be under inflated (I have a decent floor pump I use and I try to keep it right at 65 PSI) for the weight load (270 lbs/122 kg including bike), but I can't tell.  I haven't measured displacement under load (I'll do that when I get a new inner tube) to see if it's above 15% or not, but I don't thing there's any tire or rim damage that would be poking the tube either.

How do I tell what's causing the frequent blow outs?  Low tire pressure or too close to the limit?  Or are my expectations wrong on how often they occur?

edit: Okay, I removed my back tire and inspected the tube and there's a small hole bigger than a pin prick around the size of a pin head. There also seems to be pitting/cracking on the inner tube (Forte 200x28-32C made in Taiwan 2012 37 03).

This appears to be the puncture.

Do I just have low quality inner tubes? I've just been having the bike shop I bought the bike at replace my tubes.

General guide for optimum tire pressure on a road/mountain bike

Similar question


texts:
I've got an FSA MegaExo bottom bottom bracket that seems to have gone bad. I've head that FSA doesn't have the greatest bottom brackets, so I was going to try to replace it with this Shimano bottom bracket, unfortunately I've run into trouble. The bottom bracket tool I'm using seems to be a bit too big for the bottom bracket I have. When I apply force to remove the bottom bracket, the teeth  of the tool dig into the bb's teeth and end up just deforming the teeth of the bottom bracket.

So my question: is there another way to remove a threaded bottom bracket, or do I need to buy a new tool? If the latter, do the bottom bracket tools come in different sizes? Which size should I buy?

I've posted a picture below in case it'd be of any help.


texts: I need to replace my chainset (42x34x22). Would a 42x32x22 be a compatible replacement?


texts: Shimano shifter neither reaching top nor bottom gear

texts:
So, I have the Shimano shifter, depicted below that selects from the 7 rear-wheel sprockets.
To my surprise it no longer reaches highest nor lowest gear.
At first I thought the cable could have lost tension, but that is not the case. Also, if it were the case, I would expect it not to reach lowest, but easily reach highest.
What is going on with a shifter if it can't reach the extreme positions anymore?
It used to work just fine.


texts:
I was cleaning the chain on my CX bike today, and while cleaning the rear derailleur I noticed the following:
When moving the cage from one extreme to another, the cage body will rub against the derailleur (main?) body at one point somewhere around the middle point of its movement range.

Please see the linked video which will hopefully clarify my explanation:
VIDEO

I don't think this is normal so I guess I would like a confirmation whether the derailleur is bent or not, or there is some other problem. It is a relatively new Shimano RD-5701 middle cage derailleur which has possibly received one abnormal knock when I was putting the bike into the trunk of my car.

The shifting is functioning pretty much OK except some difficulties at the two smallest cogs (I am using a 11-32 cassette), which I think are at least partly caused by improper adjustment of the derailleur and cabling, as the whole set is quite new so the cables and housing are definitely not yet worn in, but maybe this rubbing can be another cause?

I would be very grateful for any comments or suggestions.


texts: Should I make any adjustments for steep bumpy down hills?

texts:
I'm pretty new to biking, and lately I've been really enjoying riding down a relatively steep hill with a few bumps so you can get pretty fast. But I never got around to riding down the steeper bits because it felt like I was going to tip forward.

Is this normal or should I make some adjustments? I have my saddle height to standard so my knee is straight at 6 O'clock, the suspension at its most "open" state and high gears. It is a mountain bike.


texts: I have accidentally removed a front suspension fork - what now?

texts:
I have accidentally removed the suspension fork from my bicycle (Trek Remedy 8). I was trying to take off just the handlebar, but was distracted for a moment and unscrewed the wrong bolt.

How safe would it be to assemble it back without going to my LBS (it will probably take them some much time, and I would not like to miss riding on my weekend)? I have no experience in suspension fork servicing; my idea is just to use common sense to screw parts back in.

It doesn't seem that the fork has any ball bearings.


texts: What could be preventing my bicycle from shifting gears?

texts:
I recently purchased a second-hand bicycle. I found that the back wheel was not spinning freely, and was rubbing against the disk break, so I adjusted the position of the wheel to the right. After this adjustment, my bicycle could no longer shift to all of the back gears. It has 8 gears in the back, but it could only reach the 2nd largest gear.

It has Shimano rear derailleurs.
It has microSHIFT twist-type shifters.
It uses metal cables for shifting.

I found an on-line videos and spend an hour of trial and error adjusting the B-tension adjustment, barrel adjustment, and "L" and "H" screws. None of my results seemed to lead anywhere. I found that if I pushed the derailleur manually, it never could extend far enough to reach the largest gear.

After this tinkering, and learning how the rear derailleur works, and what the various adjustments do, the bicycle now entirely refuses to shift gears.

The gears in the front and back will not shift.
The front derailleur previously worked perfectly. Now it has stopped working, even though I did not make any adjustments to it.
I attempted to manually move the rear derailleurs, and the gears still do not shift.
Manually pulling on the cables does not cause the derailleurs to move, the cables seem unwilling the budge.
I disassembled the rear-gear shifter, and tried manually tugging on the cable, but it won't budge. Should this be really hard to pull?

How can I diagnose why the bike refuses to shift gears?

Update 1:

Photo from top of rear wheel:

Photo from side of rear wheel:

Update 2:

Per the suggestions, I have checked the derailleur and hanger.

The hanger seems to be in good shape.
I was able to fix the alignment of the derailleur by removing the chain and wheel. Now it seems to move correctly.

However, turning the shifter does not pull the cable at all. I will entirely replace the shifter and shifter cable, unless someone has other suggestions.


texts: MTB Wheel Building (asymmetrical vs symmetrical)

texts: I have a Velocity Dyad (26” symmetrical) and a Shimano XT hub (T780) that I’m about to buy spokes for after using the Sapim spoke calculator. The frame is a 1995 Ritchey Comp. Leonard Zinn doesn’t specifically say not to use a symmetrical rim to build a rear wheel. I don’t ride trails anymore, just county roads with potholes and gravel. Will I be wishing for asymmetry on my back end soon?


texts: The lever came off my thru axle. Now what?

texts:
I have a bike with a 15x125mm thru axle at the front. I tried to unscrew the axle, but only the lever unscrewed (detached completely), leaving the axle in the fork. This leaves me with two questions.

First, how do I remove my front wheel now? The axle does not have an allen key socket, or any other way to remove it, as far as I can see.

Second, if I figure out how to remove it, how would I replace it? Will any 15x125mm axle do, or is there something to consider beyond dimensions?

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/WSBBB/on-one-bish-bash-bosh-frame-axle


texts: Are axle end caps usually on both ends of the front axle?

texts: After changing my front tire I noticed the thru axle wheel only has an end cap on one end. Is this normal, or have I lost one of my end caps?


texts: How practical is an unicycle on uneven surfaces?

texts:
From my experience riding a bicycle the fact that a bicycle has two wheels makes it rather easy to ride over minor obstacles like minor cracks in the road. Segway also looks promising in this aspect although it's rider's guide is full of "don't do this [usually refers to trying to ride over an obstacle in wrong way] otherwise your Segway looses grip of the terrain and you fall big time" phrases.

Now a unicycle has only one very tiny spot of contact with the road. How does one ride over obstacles on a unicycle?


texts: OK to ride with a slightly bent mech hanger?

texts:
My rear derailleur took a knock from a fall, and the entire shifting range moved inwards by about one sprocket width. I suspect, but am not sure, that the mech hanger got slightly bent (could be completely wrong, not really sure how to tell).

I was able to counteract this by adjusting the limit screws, and the derailleur seems to be shifting well over the entire range. The way it's set up currently I can no longer push it into the spokes by hand (i.e. it's the limit screw and not cable tension that stops it).

I am tempted to just leave things are they are.

Is it OK to ride like this, or are there compelling reasons (safety, long-term reliability, etc) to figure out what got damaged and repair/replace it?

Here are some pics:


texts:
I'm a relatively heavy chap - 95kg or so. (15 stone, 210 pounds)  I've got a commuter bike which uses a NuVinci N360 hub.  The hub itself is quite heavy at 2.5kg and I suspect contributes to what is already a heavily loaded wheel due to my weight.  The wheel itself is a 700c 28 with 32 spokes.  All in with bike, padlock and commuter luggage rack and bag I get to about 115kg.

I built a wheel myself for the first time about 4 months ago using 14G double butted Halo spokes.  The large size of the hub doesn't allow for anything more than 2 cross which is I what I did.  I did not use a spoke tension gauge as it seemed expensive at the time and I was hoping not to build wheels too many times.  The wheel was pretty true at the build and I thought I did an OK to good job.  but who really knows without a tension gauge.

The wheel was fine for about 4 months, doing 12 road miles a day, but has now started popping spokes - about 1 or 2 a week and clearly needs a rebuild.  All the spokes have gone at the elbow - right where it attaches to the hub.  No sign of nipples pulling through the rim, which isn't eyeletted.  There are obviously quite a few parameters in the above which are not optimised for weight (28 tyre; 32 holes; 14G spokes; amateur wheelbuilder etc).  I quite like the belt driven continuously variable transmission for commuting (scratch that, I love it) and so unfortunately the hub and the 32h is something I have to live with.  But of the below parameters, how would you prioritise them in order to arrive at something that doesn't pop spokes long term?  Really I guess I'm asking if my problem is more due to system spec or system build quality.

Use 12G or 13G spokes.  Or maybe triple butted 14G is better?
Put a bigger tyre on to reduce peak loading
Buy a spoke gauge when doing the next build
Get a professional wheelbuilder to do it
Get an eyeletted rim which allows more tension
Anything else you might think of?

Ideally I'd also like to get my son on the back which would add another 15-20kg by the time you pay for the seat.  Is it realistic for me to do that without going on a severe diet?

Thanks advance for your thoughts.

EDIT:  Added a few more details


texts:
I have lost the fixtures required to attach a bike rack.

The hole at the bottom of the rack has a diameter of 6 mm. It requires an adapter which sits in that 6 mm hole so that a M5 bolt fits snugly.

I have been trying to search for a replacement adapter, but do not know a good term to search for. Does anyone know the name of this particular kind of adapter?


texts: I just bought this bike and I want to put disk brakes on. I searched on the web for answers but I only could find a bad picture and I couldn't see if it had the same holes at the sane please as my bike. So my question is is my bike able to have disk brakes?


texts: Replacing rear hub, beginners advice required

texts:
I have a Trek 1.5 2011 compact road bike that I abused a bit too much over winter.

The rear hub has quite a lot of sideways play on it and I am buying the tools needed to hopefully fix this. My concern is that even if I manage to remove the play on the hub the bearings will still be ruined (fairly likely).

What I'd like to avoid is having to remove any spokes.. the idea of building a new wheel scares me quite a bit! Or perhaps I'm being afraid for no reason?

What I'd like to know is what my options are if I find the bearings have had it. I don't really know what I'm talking about but in an ideal world I'd just replace the hub with a drop in replacement. Does that exist? :) I don't mind getting my hands dirty, but at the same time I want to ensure I have a bike to ride!


texts:
This may be a dumb question but why would police bikes have suspension?

They mostly all seem to have suspension on the front forks.

They're not going to be jumping off rocks or anything, are they, so what's the point? Doesn't suspension just make them slower, heavier, more expensive, less enjoyable, and higher maintenance?

I say that as someone who has never experienced riding a bike with suspension.

Doesn't Why top touring bikes have no suspension forks? suggest they're valueless? But that's implausible because they're designed and bought professionally; so why?


texts: Best way to mount a big backpack to rack?

texts:
Title says it all. I have a 65L backpack and would like to mount it on bike rack so it's most convenient to ride with and doesn't catch much air friction.

Currently I'm doing this (sorry for the bad photo quality (it was intended to describe something else) but you can basically see it - putting the big backpack across the rack and securing it with two rubber straps):

Problem is that the backpack of course isn't very stable and takes a lot of air friction. I'd like to fix the greatest possible amount of this.

So, the question -- are there any better backpack mounting methods I didn't think of that would allow me to securely attach the backpack preferably in "vertical" or "lenghtwise parallel with the bike direction" position? Or, is there any equipment or special rack that would allow me to do that without some advanced rubber strap magic? :]

Thanks a lot!


texts: I had my bike professionally fitted a few months back and the guy made some changes to it. One of them was going from a 100mm stem to a 60mm stem. The change felt better for my back, but the bike feels really hard to control and I can barely ride it while standing. I tried going back to the 100mm and just pushing the saddle forwards to compensate and have been feeling the position to be about as comfortable, but the bike handles well again. The question is: is pushing the saddle forward by more than suggested to me by the fitter (almost all the way) a bad idea? will this have a negative impact?


texts: Why does my Shimano Deore SLX dérailleur not rotate into the expected (vertical) position?

texts:
I have a Scott E-Genius 730 Plus mountain bike (around three years old). I had a chain snap recently, so I have replaced the rear 10-speed cassette, and am now trying to route a new chain correctly. I have removed a few links, as the chain comes with 116 links and I think I only need 112, and I've added a quick link.

However, I am struggling to visualise how to put the chain back on, and I'm tempted to think there is an issue with the dérailleur. I've seen the pictures in this question but I can't make head or tail of them.

Here is a general image of my bike taken from the internet. You can see that the chain travels from the top of the crank pinion, over the top of the cassette on the rear wheel, loops around the upper dérailleur cog on the right hand side, then loops around the lower pinion, before travelling back to the crank.

A key thing here is that the centre of the cassette, and the two dérailleur cogs should roughly be on the same vertical line, as per the image. I have another MTB (a KTM Action Macina) also with Shimano gear components, and this confirms that there is an approximate vertical alignment between these three gear pieces:

However, my Scott is not like that. The cassette and the top pinion seem to be in vertical alignment, but the arm movement of the dérailleur mechanism would currently have to rotate some 90° anticlockwise in order to produce the same shape. I appreciate the problematic unit is not under spring/chain tension, and good examples of correct working order are under tension, but that is not the issue - the dérailleur just won't go into that shape. I cannot apply any more hand force onto the bottom section (i.e. rotating the blue bar anticlockwise) without breaking it.

Here is an image of the Scott gear system without the superimposed graphics:

I am 99% sure that the dérailleur is not bent and was not modified or adjusted since the chain snap, and it was working fine previously (other than clanking a lot, due to poor chain condition). Of course, this position means that the chain is too short, especially now I have taken some links out of it.

Has my dérailleur slipped into an incorrect position, or have I made an error with my chain routing that needs correcting? My Scott has a chain-bounce switch, but either position does not help rotate the bottom section to a near-vertical orientation.


texts: How to narrow down choices when finding a new bike?

texts:
I am about to buy a new bike. Not a second hand one; a brand new. I am looking at specifications and webshop prices to get an idea about what should and could buy, but the spectrum is too wide to check every single one in a shop. I noticed, that most brands have models with different components, and the maxed-out version is 3-4 times more expensive than the cheapest one. There are minimal differences in function, but not on the price tag. Like this cross bike: Kross Evado 1.0-7.0. Local brands tend to be cheaper, but they do not have high-end machines on their palette, so I am a little bit concerned about the quality.

Most LBS here sell 2-3 brands only, so it's really hard to do a side-by-side comparison in real life, and I am not too familiar with component levels.

What is a good heuristic to find the best value for my money? What to look for when comparing two bikes by their specification only?

(To be more specific: I am currently looking at hardtail MTB's and cross (hybrid?) bikes, mostly from the lower end. I think I know my preferences fairly well, but I've never had a bike with discs or suspension and do not know what to look for.)


texts: Which are better for reproducible power output: Mag- or Fluid-trainers?

texts: I'm looking to buy a trainer but my primary concern is being able to consistently improve my power output.  To do this I need a way to measure my output consistently - I don't care what the actual power output is, only that I'm consistently increasing it.  Given the linear speed/power curve of a mag trainer I would expect that as long as I leave the resistance setting alone my velocity is a good proxy for my power output.  I expect that with a fluid trainer that will be much harder to do because at the margin tiny differences in speed translate to much larger differences in power output.  Am I right?


texts: How much stiffer are 23c tires over 28c?

texts: I now have some Kenda 28c tires on my bike, and i got a pair of continental gp 4000 in 23c. I want to swap them because of the superior quality of the continentals, but I'm afraid that they could be a little too stiff. What do you think ?


texts:
I am about to buy a second hand Peugeot Anjou bicycle (probably a 89 model) I found on Wallapop but I cannot seem to find any information on the internet on it.

Any help?

Mainly what I am looking for is the:

Wheel size
Frame type (steel?)

I am asking before I go and see it as I want to value its price (guy says 200 euros).

Any info on this bicycle is welcome.


texts: How worrying is damage to a carbon fiber frame near the bottom bracket?

texts:
Last week on a ride my chain popped off the inner chainring and  managed to get stuck between the chainring and frame. I (probably foolishly) tried to work it free by yanking on the chain and that just got it wedged in harder. I took it to the shop and the repair guy is telling me that even though the damage looks superficial (there are some gouges near the bottom bracket where the chain rubbed against it), because it's a carbon fiber frame he can't guarantee that there won't be some major failure of the frame sometime down the road.

How concerned should I really be about this? I don't care about the cosmetic damage. How obvious will it be when/if the damage gets worse to the point of being a safety issue? Will there be telltale signs of a widening crack/tear that will give me some warning well ahead of time, or is there a risk of a random catastrophic failure?


texts: Are disc brake post mount adapters compatible for both front and rear?

texts:
Post mount (PM) is a standard of brake mounts. Adapters are used to suit larger rotors. When I go to a shop, I see that apparently there are versions labelled as front or rear specific. On the other hand I see models which seem to work for both. This at least applies to shimano mount adapter.

Are disc brake post mount adapters always compatible for front and rear? Or if not, why are there differences?


texts: Replacement battery for Cygolite Milion light?

texts:
I have a Cygolite Milion 200 light purchased in 2010. Its battery is taking a long while to charge these days.

I wrote to Cygolite, and they say they don't have a replacement battery for it.

The Expilion battery looks to have the same form factor.

Does anyone know definitively that the Expilion battery fits, or does not fit, the Milion?


texts: What brand of bar tape does Raleigh use on brand new bikes?

texts:
I really liked the bar tape my bike came with, but I don't know what kind it was. It has a distinctive texture and a sort of tacky feel to it. Would like to find the same bar tape again. My bike is a Raleigh Capri 2.0, purchased in July 2012.

The possibilities I've found that look similar are:

Avenir Textured Gel Tape

PRO Digital Carbon Tape


texts: Learning to listen to my body and stop over-exercise

texts:
I have the tendency to push myself too much, resulting in exhaustion and 4+ days of required rest and more than a week before I can train normally again. Two weeks ago, I went on a 35 mile ride which includes several steep hills (7-15%) and I just wore myself out too much. I just can't keep cool and cycle slowly- a reason why I have never ridden more than 40mi. I don't know when I am doing too much. Or rather, I ignore my HR meter and think "just this bit and then I will slow down".

In the wake of that, I discovered spinning as a great way to constantly monitor my HR and not push myself too much. I thought I could maybe use spinning as a way to learn to listen to my body?

Every summer, I partake in a TT race. I would love to finally earn some silverware. The TT is short (13.3mi) and I think it doesn't take much for me to improve. But I just can't improve, because I always over-do it. Is there something that I can do? I have dropped most of my cycle workouts for spinning in the past month because I recover much better. But I want to get back on the road, especially with the weather improving.

I also do weight-lifting, which is easier to do because if it's too heavy, it's too heavy. But with cycling, I can always tap into a reserve.

Clear question: What excercises are there (aside from resorting to spinning) to stop over-exercise during a bike ride? How can I improve my awareness?


texts: shimano 14-34t megarange casette not shifting to first gear

texts:
I bought a new deraluier and it wont shift to the first aka largest aka closest to the wheel / dropouts gear its about two inches too high. So it (the deraulier) knocks into the largest easiest cog. I've fiddled with the B screw already tightening it all the way in. But the deraulier jockey wheel keeps rubbing against the first gear cog on the cassette.

The smallest aka High Limit screw is already correctly adjusted I believe and I just had the deraliuer and hanger replaced so they are straight.

As the picture below shows (the deraliuer is too high, not enough vertical distance between the hanger/dropouts and deraliuer jockey wheels.

The gears are currently on (1/3 in front) and (2/7 in back) the largest cog easiest gear to ride in is 1, which I can't switch to.

I have a 7-8 speed SHIMANO ACERA RD-M360-SGS for $30 AUS
http://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/shimano-acera-rd-m360-7-8-speed-rear-derailleur/RD-M360

Please help


texts: What are the accepted hand signals for cyclists in the UK?

texts: see also "What are the accepted hand signals for cyclists in the US?"


texts: Going from 7 Speed Cassette to 8 Speed Cassette

texts:
here is the situation – I have a quasi-vintage 7-speed bike that still has the original front and rear derailleur (Deore DX) in very good condition.  I have recently took a wheel building class which, naturally, resulted in a nice new set of wheels that I would like to use on this bike.  However, the freehub on the new rear hub is for a 8/9/10 cassette.

Now, I realize that I could buy a spacer and place a 7 speed cassette on that bad boy.  My question is this – Could I put an 8 speed cassette on the new hub, avoiding needing a spacer, and then adjust the limit screws on the rear derailleur to accommodate the extra gear on the cassette?  I’m currently using a set of dura ace 8-speed bar end index shifters at the moment, so that wouldn’t be a concern.  I also believe a 7 speed and 8 speed drivetrain uses the same chain, too.

Thanks for any help!


texts: Gear cables replacement - inline barrel adjusters

texts:
I'm in the process of ordering replacement gear cables for my road bike which has 105-5800 groupset. My existing cables have inline barrel adjusters and I was wondering:

Are the inline barrel adjusters reusable? (I'm not opposed to replacing even if they are)
If I have a barrel adjuster on the rear derailleur, do I really need an inline adjuster as well? (I need to verify setup for front derailleur)
Is there an optimal position on the cable for them to be installed?


texts: Chain keeps skipping - did I cut it too short?

texts:
My old chain was skipping a lot, so I replaced it with a new one. The new chain barely skips at all, except for in the highest gears/smallest three cogs on the back cassette. The skipping comes progressively often as the gear increases.
The cassette does not look worn out. The rear derailleur seems to be indexed correctly but curls up very tight in highest gears.
I cut the new chain to be the same length as the old. In order to do this I only had to remove one link in the chain, which makes me wonder if the previous chain was cut too short (or too long).


texts: Is it possible to perform tricks with 100% safety during commuting?

texts:
When commuting in the city, i encounter many transitions between road and sidewalk. It's easy to jump from the sidewalk down to the road (~20 cm vertical) if you have enough speed, but to get back onto the sidewalk, i always brake, losing energy.

I tried doing a bunny-hop or the like to jump from the road to the sidewalk (seems easiest when approaching perpendicularly to the curb), but i never got proficient enough to attempt that at high speed (had a crash, breaking an unimportant part of my bike, so decided to stop trying).

Is it possible/worthwhile to learn the jumping technique and become good enough to do it all the time, without having to slow down, without the fear of a crash?


texts: Can I upgrade to newer groupsets despite my frame not supporting internal cable routing?

texts: I was given a 5 year old bike with alloy frame with an old Sora groupset and I'm planning to upgrade to the newer Shimano 105 r7000 groupset. Apart from my Shimano R500 wheelset(which I know only supports up to 10 speed) do I need to change anything else? Also my frame does not have internal cable routing, will that be a problem? TIA.


texts: Can´t remove BMX stem top cap bolt (won´t loosen)

texts:
I was trying to remove the handlebar and stem of my bike in order to be replace them. The bike has got a BMX stem and the top cap bolt is spinning freely in both clock and counterclockwise.

Any idea on how to proceed to take it out?

Thanks in advance.


texts: Where Can I Find a Single Right Front Crank Arm for a Tandem?

texts:
Among the bikes in my stable is a department store tandem that really isn't worth much, but would be enjoyable to ride with my wife.  Like many department store bikes this one was not assembled correctly and now the pedal threads on the right front crank are beyond stripped, there are millimeters of smooth clearance around where it would screw in. It doesn't appear that it could be re-threaded.

The problem is, on a normal bike the right crank has the splines for the chainrings, and the left is unadorned.  On the front crank of a tandem this is backwards.  So while I can find replacement left crank arms, what I really need is a plain 170 mm right crank arm.

I've searched my usual online retailers to no avail - and don't want to spent the $$$ for a full, 4 crank arm tandem set.

Anyone know where I might find one?


texts: A month in Italy (May or June) on a bicycle - advice needed

texts:
I'm going to travel in Italy by bike for 1 month, from the north (Venice) to the south (Sicilian) and back to Rome.

I'm not professional, but also not a beginner. I need some help information about my route.

Can you recommend some popular routes and camping stations in Italy?

In northern Italy (Verona, Venice, and so on)
Near Rome, the capital of Italy
Route from east to west side of Apennines
On Sicilian

Are there any sites with roadmaps you recommend? Can you recommend some specific map creators (not GPS, unfortunately), and where can I buy such maps.
Is there any preferred way to travel with bicycles then we are not using them (on train, on bus or something)?


texts:
I have a road bike (Carlton Flyer, 1977) with a regina extra rear cassette. I'm interested in downgearing it (i live on a massive hill) and am trying to identify whether it is a freewheel or cassette and if downgearing is possible - before I start pulling it apart.

Pic

Ideally, I'd like to replace it with the same type, or add an extra ring at the top to give me a climbing gear. Doesn't have indexed shifters so I don't think that would be an issue.

Any help appreciated!


texts: Pashley Pickle child's tricycle wheel rims to buy?

texts: Currently refurbishing a child's Pashley Pickle tricycle and need replacement wheel rims described in specs as 16" x 1 3/8" - anyone know where I can buy them or what type are needed please?


texts:
I have recently decided to replace my brake cables before a particularly long ride, since they haven't been replaced in a number of years.

The problem I have is that the stock rear cable on my bike has an exposed section and, as such, the new cable I have purchased (which has an outer casing running the whole length) will not fit in the groove.

What is my best option? Is there a preferred way to cut the casing on the cable? I.e. should I cut just enough off to pass the obstructions, or should I cut off a long section so the new cable is similar in appearance to the one I am replacing - an elongated exposed section.

Or better yet, are there cables available to purchase which will fit right out of the box?

Thanks in advance!


texts: What is the bicycle Danny MacAskill uses in his "Way Back Home" video?

texts: I was wondering whether someone could help me identify what is the bicycle Danny MacAskill uses in his video. If it is unable to determine exactly what model he has, could you guys please tell me a rough estimate how much a bicycle that can handle such jumps would cost? What brand would you recommend?


texts: Rear disk brakes stopped working in Trek DS 2

texts: I have recently bought my first disk brake bike and after having the first ride, I noticed a slight rear disk brake rubbing noise. So, next day I decided to have a look and reposition the brake. Since, I've never dealt with disk brakes before I've unscrewed every possible screw and started "experimenting". (Yeah, very stupid of me). Eventually, I didn't manage to fix the noise and left the brakes lightly screwed when returning home. On the ride I tried to pull the rear break lever several times to check if I can still stop on such loose brakes. But after several tries the break lever became quite loose and lost pressure. When arrived I noticed oil everywhere... Can I fix it somehow?


texts: Is it necessary to buy a special tool to open the chain lock

texts:
I've installed a chain lock to my chain. It looks like this (mine is not KMC):

Now I need to unlink the chain to clean it, but I can't do it: the lock is too tight. I found a special tool on ebay to open such locks:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/KMC-Missing-Link-Removal-Tool-Fast-and-Effective-Black-/171101004843?pt=AU_Sport_Cycling_Parts&hash=item27d66a242b

Is it the correct tool to open the chain lock?
Is it possible to open it using home tools?


texts:
Just bought a used bike- it's great, but needed new brake pads. Got new brake pads and now the tire is rubbing on the brake arm. I do not understand! The front brake is with new brake pads is the same make/model and is amazing in every way. Is there a solution to thin? Is there something about brakes I don't know??? The tire is 700c x 25mm

2005 Trek 1500 WSD


texts: Can I grease a crank spindle/bracket without disassembling the crank set?

texts:
A bit of history: the grooves on the spindle are partially destroyed/skewed by cycling with a loose crank, so I applied a lot of force to a hexdriver to get the crank arm on. Now, it would be quite hard, if possible, to disassemble it. I got the bicycle on a garage sale for a price of two cups of coffee.

The crankset began to creak.

Can I get a grease on it without disassembling the crank set?

I tried leaving the bike laying on a side and pouring WD-40 on the side of crankset. It helped for some time, because it's fluid enough, but WD-40 is not a proper grease; it needs to be reapplied once in few days, and then it makes it worse because it also acted as a solvent for the original grease.

Maybe there's a grease I can heat up to about 80°C to make it fluid enough to get into the crankset and curdle inside?

I don't have access to special the tools like crank arm remover, or whatever else could be needed. I only have generic wrenches, screwdrivers and hexdrivers.

I would highly appreciate NOT receiving these answers/comments:

invest time and money -- buy proper tools and disassemble it. I recognize this is probably the right answer; but it's just a creak of a bicycle that costs me two cups of coffee.
replace the whole crankset. I'm pretty sure I can get a few more hundred miles out of it and replace it later. Plus, it costs as much as a new (used) bicycle - more than this whole one, - plus the time and tools to install.
take it to a bicycle shop. I live in a very expensive area; it will probably cost me more than buying a new bicycle.
WD-40 is not a (proper) grease, use the right one.

Thank you.


texts: Strategies against getting blinded by oncoming cars

texts:
When I ride on a bike path alongside an unlit road in the dark, I find myself blinded by the lights of oncoming cars, even when their lights are dimmed.  This is even more true if the bike path is on the left side of the road.  Currently, I mitigate this by holding one hand in front of the lights of the oncoming cars, but I wonder if there are superior strategies.  The military tend to use bright flashing lights as one weapon to blind their adversaries, so I expect they have also developed defensive strategies against such blinding.  How can I prevent being blinded by the (dimmed!) lights of opposing cars?

Example of bike path.  It's much worse in sections without a rail.


texts: Replace old square taper bottom bracket / ISO or JIS?

texts:
I'm trying to replace an old worn out square taper bottom bracket from a Peugeot road bike from ca 1985. It uses english threads and the axis is 123 mm. So far so good.

But I cannot understand what type of taper (do I say it like that?) I have?
It uses a Nervar crankset and according to Sheldon Brown it should use a ISO taper.

All suggestions for what sealed bottom bracket to buy would be great.

Thanks in advance!

Update:

I bought a standard bottom bracket and it worked perfectly. It's too much snow outside to take it for a test ride but in a week or three it'll run. Thanks a lot for all help!


texts:
I'm a male, 44, "fast" (?) recreational cyclist, who has been doing week long -- mostly 50 to 80 miles/day -- tours for about 15 years.  While I love touring, I have come to dread the aftermath . . . namely, that for at least 6 weeks following the tour, I ride and feel like a, uh, piece of crap, for lack of a cleaner phrase.  Can't fully explain it.  Sort of like I'm running on fumes, or with one less cylinder.  Power output could be up to 15-20% less for a given hard effort, or so it seems.  I ride pretty well during the tour.  I take a week of recovery rides following it.  Seem to still feel OK then, its the second week that it really hits me.  I keep hearing how a tour -- or stage race -- will bring one's fitness "to a whole new level," etc.  All these years, and I have yet to experience anything close to that!  So, any ideas, suggestions, etc.?
Only things I can think of:  perhaps since I'm not doing hard intervals during the tour, I'm stating to lose fitness then? (My tours are usually in mountainous areas, so its not that I'm just riding easy, but I try to keep my pace on the climbs under control.) The recovery week following then exacerbates that loss?  Also, I'm a mailman who has to walk 7 - 8 miles/day up God-only knows how many hills and steps, which I guess makes getting a "full recovery" pretty much impossible.


texts: Rear wheel not spinning when the skewer is locked in

texts:
Can someone please tell me what is causing my rear wheel to "stiff up" when pedaling. I recently cleaned the rear hub because at first it was causing the wheel to "stiff up" when pedaling.

At first I thought dirt and grime were causing the problem. So I cleaned it and it still does the same thing.

The axle or skewer are not bent. The cassette rotates back and forth however I have noticed that when I lock on the skewer it causes the wheel to stiff up. I don't know what to do anymore and its becoming frustrating.


texts:
I'm running a 1 x 10 set up on my mountain bike. Recently I noticed that when I'm on the largest cog, there is a lot of friction in the drive train and is choppy. I think this is due to the fact that the chain line is not aligned with my narrow wide chain ring. Every time a chainlink gets to the wide tooth, it has a bit of trouble getting onto the tooth.

I do not notice this choppiness when I'm in the middle of the cassette and the chain line is straighter. Is there a way to fix this?


texts: Why does my gear slip when going uphill / standing?

texts:
I have a road bike that I use to commute ~6 miles to work every day.  Some of the portions of the ride are at a steep incline, and I've noticed that when I get up to stand on some of these hills, my gear slips.

I'm not sure if "gear slips" is the right term, but basically after I stand up my gear switches without me triggering it.  It's very annoying and sometimes painful when I completely lose control of pedaling for half a second, not to mention the different gear setting.

What could be the cause of this?


texts: Are plus forks a suitable alternative to fatbike-specific forks?

texts:
I recently got a 27.5+ Fox fork only to discover that the distance between the legs of the fork is 4.3". This made me think that one could fit a 4" tire (obviously, using a 110 mm front hub instead of 150 mm) in there, and sure enough, after googling I found people doing exactly that.

So my question: can we consider 27.5+ forks a good alternative to 26 fat-specific forks such as Bluto/Mastodon?

Update: I did it, installed a 110mm Boost hub into an 80mm rim. It's not ideal because spokes are almost vertical. To make it work, you need:

Either a 65mm or 52mm rim; or
A 203mm brake rotor

Either of these two things fixes the problem. Apart from that, the experience is amazing. A 26/3.8 Hodag fits into a Fox Factory 34 27.5+ (plus!) wheel perfectly, affording about 4mm clearance each side (lots of space on top, maybe 2cm or so). Cornering, grip, much softer suspension — this is all vastly superior to what you get from RS Bluto or Mastodon Pro.

So if you're OK with a 3.8" front wheel, you can totally do Fox. For example, many electric fatbikes (e.g., Haibike FullFatSix) are limited to 4" on the rear, so having 3.8" on the front is not such a big deal. Here, I made a video about this.


texts: Do bikes with carbon frame get detected by induction loops?

texts:
Induction loops in my experience usually manage to detect bicycles with steel and aluminium frames. Do carbon frames also get detected? I'm wondering if a possible inability to trigger induction loops would be a reason against carbon frames.

EDIT: Thanks for the comments and answeres that came in already. Can in addition someone speak from experience?


texts: I want to try a slammed stem but don't want to cut the steerer tube. Do I have to?


texts:
One of my hips turns out a bit more than it ‘ought’ to.  It doesn't affect my walking, but on a bicycle it means that my knee on that side must transmit force at an unnatural angle.  It was less of a concern when I was younger and lighter, but even so it's probably why I had considerable intermittent knee pain in my teens.  Now I don't ride at all.

Do bicycles exist that I could ride without pain?


texts: How do I properly adjust a front derailleur?

texts: I have a Shimano FD-TX50. How should I adjust it?


texts:
As I understand from this question, the C in tire sizes (when expressed in metric format) is just a historical thing, and should be ignored. As I understood, also, tire sizes expressed in the ISO format should not have any dangling letters.

But then the following tire and inner tube dimensions threw me off. One of my tires reads 700x38C (40-622) (C part of the metric size), and one of my inner tubes reads 35/43-622C (700x35/43) (C part of the ISO size).

Is there a "typo" on the inner tube? Should the C also be ignored on ISO sizes?

(Auxiliary question: I am assuming that 35/43 indicates a range of acceptable rim widths. Is that correct?)


texts: Is it safe to ride a racing road bike in very wet weather?

texts: I'm used to riding on a MTB, but since I've got a new road bike, I'm quite paranoid about the slick tyres. How good are they in wet weather? I'm scared of braking too hard, or even just turning!!


texts: Adapter for moving bottle cage up/down while using frame's bottle cage braze-ons

texts:
Are there adapters available for moving a bottle cage up/down in the frame? I am trying to move my seat tube's bottle cage down 4-5 centimeters and I prefer using the braze-ons.

Note: the question is about options using the frame's braze-ons, not external adapters.


texts: What are the advantages and disadvantages to chain wax?

texts: I recently bought a new chain for my bike and it came full of chain wax. I was wondering if this was a better lubricant then regular chain lube, or if it had some other qualities that the manufactures thought would be better than lube?


texts:
I have one wheel that has lacing pattern like #1 and other wheel is lacing pattern #2?
What is the right way to make 3 cross lacing pattern?
Blue spokes cross over green

Green spokes cross over blue


texts: Upgrading a dual sport bike - a geometry question

texts:
I want to ask a somewhat general question in the context of actual events: I picked up an Evo Swift Ridge 7 for about 200 from a discount retailer, thinking it might be a good platform for upgrade-as-I-go. Second wheelset for dedicated XC, wider bars, lose the triple crankset, etc. Of particular concern regards upgrading the fork.

OOTB it comes with an Evo branded Zoom fork with 60mm of travel. I'd feel more comfortable with higher quality fork.

Will adding a 100 - 120mm travel fork throw off the ridability of a dual sport setup? With the intent of making this both more trail worthy as well as usable for family bike rides?

TIA!


texts: How do I get rid of odor from cycling shoes?

texts:
So I have a pair of: Diadora X-Country 2 MTB Shoes (pic below)

How would I go about cleaning them, primarily to remove odor? I am tempted to put this in the washing machine- but the cleet is totally stuck to the shoe (imagine 7,000km, mostly in the wet). Brush + washing up liquid? What about the inside sole etc?

Any tips?

Update:
I ended up using some handwash (with anti bacterial) and a brush/toothbrush and got the following results:


texts: Is there a way to attach a safe box to a bike?

texts:
I'm looking for a way to store small items on my bike frame when I go for a run. It would be mostly to store and conceal objects than to really secure them (I'm thinking house keys, not wallet).

For instance, if I take my car to go later for a run, I would leave my house keys in my car and keep only my car key with my on my run.

Is there a way to reproduce the (low) security of the car inside on a bike, for instance by attaching some sort of safe to the frame?

I understand this would only be as secure as the bike attachment itself or the attachment of the safe to the bike, but anyway I would be interested to see some solutions to this problem.


texts: I have jetwashed my mountain bike twice... will it cause any damage?

texts: I jet washed my bike around 6 months ago and decided to do it again having got it caked in crap! Only for a mate to tell me how daft I was. Will this have damaged my Carrera Vengeance (I know it’s only cheap) but I’m 15 and I worked hard for it so I would hate for me to have caused permanent damage. Have any of you mountain bike gods out there got any advice for me? Thanks.


texts: Extend drop bars with additional positions

texts:
I have my touring bike set up with drop bars, very similar to this:

However, after riding all day for a few days, I tend to miss additional position(s) to avoid minor annoyances such as "numb fingers" and sore back and neck

I tend to never use the drop bar racing position, but stick to the position where you hold top of the brakes and the position where you hold the straight part of the bar.

What I miss is an alternative (and probably more upright) position. Triathlon aero-bars is an obvious suggestion for additional positions, but not really what I'm looking for.

Therefore: what are creative ideas on how to add additional positions to a drop bar?


texts:
I got into an accident on my Raleigh Revenio 1.0 nearly 5 years ago. I've ridden it 400-500km since then with no problems. I don't see any damage to my top tube, down tube, or head tube. It turns out that I bent my fork, but I didn't know that until just last week.

I've moved from the USA to The Netherlands recently and I my local bike shop guy says professionally he thinks it is unsafe to ride, but personally he'd ride it. I have a few questions:

Can I get this replaced? My LBS guy says it's some kind of integrated system that is out of date now. Also, the bike is American and I'm in Europe. Maybe I can get a replacement more easily in the USA?
How dangerous is this to ride? I have a race (triathlon with 40km bike) in 2 weeks and I'm hesitant either to switch bikes now (plus I'm kinda broke) or to use a rental for the day.

I know tons about swimming and running (coached both for many years), but next to nothing about cycling, so any help will be very much appreciated. I know my bike is a 56cm frame, but beyond that I'm a novice. Thanks for any help you can provide.


texts: what kind of grease to use on front shocks

texts:
I have managed to release my shocks from the compressed position. The uppers look in very good nick. It has a little corrosion on the uppers.

I brought a tub of pure bike eco grease ages ago and never used it. Is it possible to use this on the uppers and lowers?

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/pure-eco-range-bike-grease-100g-tub-prod29089/


texts: How do I get my brakes to stop squealing

texts: I've tried sanding them down just a bit, cleaning the brake surface on the wheels, and this does stop them from squealing for a day or two, but it always comes back.  I'm using Kool-stop pads if it matters.


texts: I found this frame at a garage sale, and wanted to know if it was a GT frame if so what kind? The serial number I found on the bottom is GB06070827?

texts: Bike frame I'm wanting to build if it would be worth my time.


texts:
I am developing a small tool that allows to pick a day for a long cycle trip. The idea is to use weather forecasts to compute how bad/good the wind along the route in the following days is. You can have a look and read further details in the project page.

One of the requirements for the model accuracy are good estimates of the real physical parameters used in the model. This parameters are personal and depend on the rider/cycle. Therefore, the program should have a feature to estimate those parameters, provided some powermeter data. Unfortunately, I don't have a powermeter, so I cannot collect the data myself and play around with the way those parameters are estimated.

Therefore, I am reaching out for people who have a powermeter and willing to help me to get this data examples. The data I need should ideally contain the following entries: timestamp, latitude, longitude, elevation, power. The entries are needed to be collected along a cycle trip (or several).


texts: What are the benefits of oversize lower headset bearings?

texts:
Long time ago, bicycles had threaded 1 inch headsets and fork steerer tubes were always made of steel. Then, approximately the same time, 1+1/8 inch headsets, threadless headsets and steerer tubes made of materials other than steel began to be widely used.
The 1 inch headset always was bit of marginal, especially if used with steerer tubes made of other materials than steel, so the move to 1+1/8 inch headsets is understandable. Tubes with larger diameter are stronger.
However, recently there has been a trend to make the steerer tube tapered. So it could be the case that the lower headset bearing is 1.5 inch whereas only the upper headset bearing is the standard 1+1/8 inch size. Then standard stems can be used but at the same time the lower headset bearing is much bigger.
What are the benefits of this strange setup where the lower headset bearing is larger and the steerer tube is tapered?


texts: My bike is a Giant "Revolt" and I have a speed/Cadence sensor (from Giant). It doesn't always record accurately. But my question: I'm looking for a Chart that gives me the distance traveled & speed when I'm in a specific combination of gears with a constant cadence. So I'd like to know from this chart if I have gears(front & back of course) with 'x' number of teeth and my cadence is ie 65rpm's what speed am I going and what distance have I traveled.


texts:
I am looking at purchasing a used Specialized Rockhopper with an XL frame.  Everything is exactly what I'm looking for on this bike with one exception...the tire size.  It currently has 22" tires/rims and I'm curios if I can upgrade those to 26" tires without having them rub against the frame?

Thanks in advance!
msindle


texts: How much hop is correctable, and beyond which point should a rim be replaced?

texts:
I have an aksium wheel that is somewhat damged. I'd estimate that there is about 3 - 4mm of hop (meaning that the rim extends at this point? or that there is impact damage at that point?) at one point in the wheel.

Generally speaking, how much hop means that an aluminum is too damaged to repair?


texts: Can I convert Kiddicarrier jogger to a bike trailer?

texts: Kiddiecarrier jogger/stroller. Any tips on how to convert/attach to a bike?


texts: What is a substitute inner tube for 27x2.125" tyres (in Prague)?

texts:
I'm on an extended bike tour on an... unusual... bicycle, and I've run out of spares. DECATHLON in the Czech Republic doesn't seem to sell tubes in my size (I've tried 3 already), and I don't have time to go crawling through every bike shop in the city hunting for them or to have them ordered in.
Is there anyway in Prague where I can buy any size of tubes that fit these tyres off the shelf? Valve type doesn't matter.
What tubes are a suitable substitute?


texts: I'm just relearning to ride after a 30 year hiatus. I am physically in very good shape so I have good muscle tone but my balance is sketchy. Am okay on the straightaway but when I slow down I get very wobbly. Any advice on how to handle my hybrid bike better in narrow spaces or when I have to slow down? Many thanks.


texts: Direct Pull (V-Brake) vs. Center Pull Cantilevers (pros and cons)

texts:
I am looking around for an old mountain bike to ride this winter (and this summer when it is wet).

I was just browsing around and was curious what the difference was between

Direct pull brakes:

And Center-pull Cantilevers:

Sheldon Brown has a good description of both kinds of brakes but he does not give pros and cons.  Or suggest which are better.


texts:
Okay guys, I'm trying to re-find fitness in my mid-40s.

My bike has a SRAM Apex (don't laugh, if it's good enough for Alberto Contador, it's good enough for me - and you!) 10-speed drivetrain with 48/32 front and 11/32 in the rear.  My 275lb diabetic pampered lard ass requires serious gearage, so I want to add a 10-speed 42t cog in the rear.  I've seen lots of questions about 42t cogs with 1x, but what about a 2x?  I'm thinking a mountain bike derailer would do the trick, but I have also read that a longer B-screw and/or a drop down hanger would mean I wouldn't have to change derailers.  If the former, what mountain bike derailer would you suggest?  If the latter, what's the name of the hanger?

Thanks in advance.


texts: Shimano hydraulic disc brake lever and caliper compatibility

texts:
My bike has Shimano BR M775 brake calipers and BL M775 brake levers.
The right lever for the rear brake has a broken screw in the reservoir, so it needs replacement.
As BL M775 is no longer available here, my second thought is to get the latest XT levers - M8000.

However after I asked this question about Shimano brake hose compatibility
 I realize that the newer models use a different type of brake hose (BH 90), with a narrow bore, as opposed to the older BH59 with wide bore.

What does this mean for compatibility - will "narrow bore" levers work properly with older "wide bore" calipers?


texts: I want to add a front caliper brake to a bike with only coaster brake - is this safe?

texts:
The store says "Your bike would require drilling through the crown of the front fork in order to mount the brake caliper. This procedure would compromise the structural integrity of the fork, and isn't recommended."
Considering I think having only a coaster brake is maybe 7/10 safe, and my lack of muscle memory/confidence with it reduces to probably 4/10... how unsafe will that compromised fork structural integrity be? i.e. would I be better or worse off?
This is a 'ride to the shops' bike riden very sedately and doesn't get banged about in storage.
Edited to add photo (I can't take any more as I dropped the bike off with the store today - this was their emailed response after they'd looked at it)


texts: Is a used 1998 LeMond Buenos Aires worth $450?

texts:
This is the bike I'm interested in buying: http://www.bikepedia.com/quickbike/BikeSpecs.aspx?year=1998&brand=LeMond&model=Buenos+Aires.  The bike is in good condition upon inspection and a test drive.  Is it worth $450?

What things do I need to look out for when buying such a bike?  If I were to get it, what should I look out for when using it?


texts:
I went for a ride in Zwift, afterwards, I thought I'd check for firmware updates, there was one, I flashed it, disconnected the bike from the computer. I then swapped out a cassette, went into change the size in the etube app again. It connected without issues, though I got distracted and had to step away for a bit.
When I came back, etube wasn't able to connect to the bike. I unplugged it, and tried to reconnect but still nothing. I thought maybe that the bike needed a charge, so I let it sit plugged into the wall for about an hour, this didn't seem to improve things.
Right now, I am not seeing any lights on the junction box, I tried crash mode without success. Are there any other troubleshooting steps I can try? The R8050 dealer manual wasn't super helpful.
I'm worried I may have bricked the system.


texts: Front bag/basket configuration that works with butterfly/trekking bars?

texts:
My bike has these butterfly/trekking bars. My possibly-mistaken sense is that the hooks most front bags and baskets rely on are designed for flat bars, such that they will be too far apart to hang from the center of the bars and too close together to hang from the far top/front of the bars.

Can anyone suggest a front bag or basket attachment mechanism I can look for that will work with these bars? Are there bags/baskets with adjustable-distance hooks?


texts: Pros and cons of progressive suspension?

texts:
I am interested in what makes progressive suspension better (or worse) than normal suspension setup. I'm not after an explanation of what progressive suspension is or how it works but I'm interested in people ideas and experiences of it. (For the purpose of the question I mean progressive air suspension)

Thanks.


texts: Do 16g CO2 cartridges have a shelf life?

texts:
I mainly use my road bike during the triathlon season and now that the season is coming back around again, I am finding some old, unused CO2 cartridges from last season (fall).

I typically use 16 gram CO2 cartridges and they usually fill my bike to about 90 psi.

Are these cartridges still safe to use after months of inactivity?

I've tried researching the matter online but all I've read applies to airsoft, etc. and not necessarily the 16g bicycling cartridges I'm concerned about. But, from what I did read CO2 cartridges have a chance of leaking if not stored correcty and may indeed have a shelf life.


texts: Fitting front derailleur to one-by hardtail

texts:
Would a front double derailleur be possible on these hardcore hardtails?

In grey: Kona Big Honzo (carbon)
In black/yellow: Transition Throttle (carbon)
In blue: Ragley Blue Pig (steel)

I only ask the question regarding the frame architecture, not about the parts I will have to change.

Thanks !


texts:
I am a new bike rider.

Over three months, my wheels are a little bit flat. However I am not too sure as to what pressure I should pump them back up to. Currently they show 25 PSI (172 kPa). It is a hybrid bike I use to ride to work.

Is there any way I can check what the pressure should be? And what is the lowest acceptable pressure that is ok for tires?


texts:
Bike was new around a year old. 8 of the back spokes broke and it went out of true. I had those repaired with a slightly stronger but spoke but now 2 more have broken including one of the thicker ones and it's out of true again.
I have a kiddie seat on the back and am wondering if this is somehow contributing to the breakages. Is there anything I can do to get a very strong spoke?
They are all breaking at the j hook location.


texts: Does high PSI or low PSI affect the life of a tire?

texts: Is there a method to tell the life of a tire? How can you tell if a tire is going to wear down faster than another tire? I assume puncture resistant tires wear out slowly, but I'm really curious whether I put high PSI in my tire there will be significant difference. Will high PSI raise/lower the lifespan of my tire ceteris paribus (terrain, material being the same)?


texts: I have an "Old Fashioned" Looking new bike, a cruiser with a single gear.  It pedals very smooth, but when I stop pedaling, I hear what can best be described as a grinding sound.  When I pedal again, it stops.  Any ideas?


texts: The table in this document is very useful, however for my rockshox gold RL it does not specifiy how many for my particular fork (160mm Rockshox 35 Gold RL), can anyone help?


texts:
I'm looking for the bike for winter riding and found this one.

It's all good, except for the fork: some people say that aluminum rigid forks can not absorb vibration and therefore are bad for the winter 'cause there's firm snow and ice, which is not smooth at all.

So, are they right and I have to look for steel or carbon fork? (I'd really like to use rigid one for the winter)


texts:
Currently repairing a bike that I got off the road for free years ago. Around three years ago, a stuck link caused a chain jam while pedaling at high speed, causing the metal around the b-knuckle on the rear derailleur to shear, rendering it irreparable.
Currently have gotten into biking again and am trying to repair this bike by first cannibalizing a derailleur from another broken bike I have. I got the shifting to work relatively well, except the current derailleur is bolt-on and the parallelogram gets caught on the derailleur hanger when up or downshifting between gears 4 and 5 (see picture).

The derailleur hanger, for some reason, is not removable unlike the others I have seen online while researching. Thus, I want to buy a derailleur that mounts onto the dropout. I've already found the tooth capacity I need [(48-28)+(28-12)=36], but now I am not sure on the mounting method to use. If the dropout looks like this, should I buy a hanger or direct-mount derailleur?

For reference, I would have bought one to match the still functioning front derailleur, but the model, a Shimano Exage 300 LX, seems to be out of production (and used ones are a bit too expensive, I'm looking for something <$40). Any recommendations on compatible derailleurs to buy?
Also another issue I've noticed is sometimes the chain "skips" on a single gear under load (not between gears) What could be causing this? I checked every link individually and none are stuck. I've searched online and only found a solution where the guy said he replaced all the chainrings and cassette without mentioning what the problem might be. I don't want to replace anything outright if I don't have to, any ideas?


texts: Can my belt drive frame be converted to a derailleur setup?

texts:
I want to know whether my frame is compatible with any kind of derailleur hanger, as I want to install standard gears. Due to my Nexus 8 speed hub being really quite uncomfortable and faulty since getting the bike (it gradually got worse).
I can just invest into a Rohloff hub and all will be well, but that's a big chunk of money for me. I'd prefer to switch (if I can) to a simple derailleur system, which I can easily maintain too.
See this link for my exact bike, it's possible to zoom in on the rear dropout too, as below:
I know there's no direct fixture for a hanger, but are there alternative ways to fit hangers onto frames like this?


texts: Why is there a distinction between friction and indexed derailleurs?

texts:
I've seen people make a distinction between a derailleur being for friction or indexed.

Is this distinction somehow functional? I can't see how it could be, because every derailleur I've ever seen just takes a movement in the cable and translates it into a movement in the cage.