texts: Debugging an FD problem through three visuals

texts:
The front derailleur cable is as taut

as I can get it.

To attach the cable with as much tension, it's first necessary to understand the inside of the barrel adjuster.

And the H limit screw on a Sora FD is so undone (top red arrow)

it does not even touch its footing (bottom red arrow).  (The yellow ball is removed.)

Yet when the chain is on the larger chainring and on any of the three smallest cogs, the chain rubs (red arrow)

against the FD cage on the outside.

What else should I try?

If at this point I insert a tougher rubber ball to tighten the FD cable even further, the cage does get off the chain. Is that an indication that my best effort to pull the cable hard before tightening it was not good enough, and I should try pulling harder?

Components: Sora Sora R3000 front derailleur and ST-R3000-L shifter.

Update (question re "judgment" tool, following Nathan Knutson's answer):

The cable goes from one geometric point (bottom red arrow) on the bottom bracket to another geometric point (top red arrow) on the derailleur. There is no tweaking possible to the location of these two geometric points. What is, then, the purpose of the judgment tool?


texts: I bought a used Schwinn Spirit trailer and have converted it into a flatbed to use on a self-supported tour. I'm working on the wheels right now, but I am having trouble removing the old sealed bearings. They are old and gunked up, so they don't roll as well as I'd like. I was able to remove the snap ring retainer and the axle, but after whacking on the bearings for a bit, they won't budge. How do I do it?


texts: What are these eyelets for on my 2015 Diverge?

texts:
I just learned a bit about Specialized's "Plug and Play Fender" that apparently fits my bike by way of metal rod into the leftmost hole of the first photo, secured by the set screw in the second photo.

This made me insatiably curious as to what the other threaded hole is for. The marketing materials I read before buying the diverge said that only the aluminum model had eyelets for a rack, and in this carbon model there's no eyelet at the top of the seat stays for a rack - just that one lower eyelet. It does not appear to be 1/4-20 thread, for what it's worth.

What could it be for?


texts:
I want to buy a chain tensioner, like the one in the first picture in this answer.

I did some research and it looks like they have different size, according to what they call "dropout size". In fact, 5mm and 8mm seem to be the two most popular sizes.

What does this measure refer to? How should I measure my frame to be sure that I buy the right chain tug?


texts: I bought a Soma flip flop singlespeed and the free side cog is a piece of junk. I've ordered a White Industries freewheel cog to replace it and my question is, how is this done and what tools are required? Well, actually two questions. Thanks, JB


texts: I am looking for a ballpark estimate as to how many miles I have left on this rear tire:


texts: Why does the rear brake bowden have no housing below the frame of the bike?

texts:
I observed that the bowden of the rear brake calipers runs "naked" below the bike frame. (Also the gear shifting cables, but let's focus on brake cables for this question.)
(I.e. the section between the lever and the frame is covered with housing, then, below the frame, no housing, and then the section connecting the frame and the calipers, again has housing.)
The question is: what is the reason for this? And more importantly, if I replace the bowden for the rear brake, would it be a good idea to add housing below the frame as well (to protect the whole bowden from dirt and water, rather than leave that naked section)? Of course the housing would have to be interrupted at the suspension points, leaving a little bit of bowden "naked", but at least most of it would be protected?
I tried to come up with some reasons, for why that part is naked:

keep costst down (but that extra half meter of housing would not matter much, would it?)

physically not being possible to add housing, because of how the bowden is suspended: the housing for sure would not fit through the suspension points; however... can't you just cut the housing at that point? Sure a very small part of the bowden will still remain "naked", but maybe even that would be better than having the whole wire outside? (Or even better, couldn't they have just made the suspension points huge enough to fit the housing in the first place?)

if there was a continuous housing (like I proposed above, with the slightly huger suspension points), maybe the rear brake would not work, because the the wire would be too long, so it would easily bend, instead of the bowden sliding inside it: this seems plausible, but even in this case: wouldn't I be better off, by adding housing (albeit interrupted) below the frame? (and still: couldn't there be a mechanism at the suspension points, which presses the housing together just enough to keep it steady, and at the same time allow the bowden inside of it to slide?)

the interrupted housing would be worse than no housing at all, because it would allow dirt and water to enter, but it would collect, and be more difficult to remove: while this seems indeed plausible, don't we have the same problem where the housed section of the calipers and the levers starts?


texts: Can a Shimano BL-M425 brake lever be used with a BR-M615 caliper?

texts: As the title says, can a Shimano BL-M425 brake lever be used with a BR-M615 caliper? I have an old BR-M447 caliper that I want to replace, and I was wondering if it would be possible to exchange it for a BR-M615 while still keeping the old levers.


texts: Is this road/city frankenbike concept a feasible idea?

texts:
I do a half-hour each way city commute every day and the Yepp EasyFit mount I just installed on the rear rack of my already over-optioned Vanmoof 5.1 is the straw that broke the camel's back. In addition to the front carrier, integrated chain and SRAM Automatix hub it's just too heavy. I can barely lift the thing.

I need a lighter bike.

But I do like some of the features of the Vanmoof:

Un-stealable, always charged, ridiculously bright, hub dynamo powered lights
Rust-free, "natural" don't-care-if-it-gets-scratched aluminium frame
The lock integrated into the top tube—easy and quick to lock and unlock, even wearing thick gloves
Low-maintenance straight chainline (I detest  derailleurs)
Dutch-style upright riding position
Mudguards and chain guard–I ride to work on the thing and I'm not interested in changing clothes to ride

I'm tossing around the idea of building up a custom city bike, starting with something like a Surly cyclocross frame and a NuVinci rear hub (I have one on a bakfiets and love it), with the Yepp Easyfit rear rack on the back and some kind of basket on the front. Add mudguards and some kind of lighting system and I have a bike that's light and fast when I want it to be but still capable of doing the preschool or shopping run.

Is this remotely feasible?
Any recommendations on hub-dynamo powered lights and how to mount them to this kind of frame?
What do I do about locking the thing and retaining at least some of the advantages of the built-in lock on the Vanmoof?
What kind of brake system might be appropriate, and compatible with the NuVinci on this type of frame?
Tyre recommendations (Thickslicks be good?)
Are there any non-janky mudguards and chain guards that will fit this setup?


texts: How much clearance do I need for cross levers?

texts:
I'd like to put cross (interrupter) brake levers on my drop-bar tourer, but I also like to use a bar bag.  There is about 55 mm of space between my bars and the bar bag, measured horizontally.  Will cross top levers (and my hands, in order to operate them!) fit comfortably in this space?

I'm also aware that most people have their cross levers angled downwards, which thankfully must reduce the amount of horizontal clearance they require.  What angle would you recommend for this?


texts: 120 mm fork with a frame designed for 100 mm fork?

texts:
I have a Cube Reaction Team 2011. It came with a Fox Alps 32 fork, 100 mm travel (26"). The fork is now ruined and I need a replacement (on a rather tight budget) and I found a good price for a Rockshox Reba RL Solo Air fork. It's 120 mm, but I think it can be adjusted to 100mm - I'm wondering though, would the extra 20 mm travel be a problem for my frame?

My point is basically these two questions:: firstly, would it ride/handle worse, and secondly - would it put more stress on my frame, especially if the stress could be potentially fatal for it (it's a carbon frame and it's one that's difficult to get anymore, so I'd rather keep it intact).

Also a side-question - is there any possibility that a 100mm, 26" fork would NOT fit my bike? I probably cannot install the fork myself and I'd rather not buy one and then find out at the bike shop that it cannot be installed on my frame.


texts: I have a Huffy All American 10-speed road bike and looking for a replacement for the rear derailleur. Any suggestions?


texts:
My bike was on the trainer for a couple weeks.

One morning, Di2 stopped responding.

No shifting
No light at junction box at all
charger doesn't light up orange when plugged in
etube doesn't detect anything.

Tried different battery, same issue.

Tried different A junction box, same issue.

Tried plugging the battery straight to the A junction box with the charger only, no activity either.

I'm running out of ideas!

Let me know if you have a potential solution.

Cheers

EDIT :
I'm suspecting the charger not working and the batteries being flat.
No lights showing on the charger at any time and not detected by my laptop when I plug it in.


texts: Why does the chain misalign in the lower pulley when shifting to the small front cog?

texts: Almost every time I go from the big, to the small, front cog on my SRAM Red 2011 (with a KMC chain), the chain ends in the lower pulley position, as shown in the photo. Why?


texts:
I have been commuting to work for a few months now, and generally I enjoy it. Unfortunately I've noticed that on the way back (never seems to happen in the morning - I set off quite early) I will often find someone rides much too close behind me, i.e. within half a bicycle length, trying to draft.

I think it is the same person or a small number of people (I ride the same route at the same time every day.)

This person (these people) will ride this close for a couple of miles - there's a fairly long main road with an on-road cycle path. I think riding this close to my back wheel is rude and dangerous because I could need to stop for any reason (car turns without signalling, small child runs into road, mechanical failure).

I'd much rather he kept back or overtook me, but I feel I would catch up and we'd be in the same situation. I'm not going to slow down because somebody is being rude.

For example, I turn off a main road into my village. In one instance I signalled very clearly, well in advance, and after a pause started braking, only to hear the other rider actually skid behind me. That to me indicates that this person is much too close and isn't paying attention enough to do so safely.

1) Is it reasonable to feel that this person is too close and riding dangerously?

2) I'm going to try to say something next time this happens, but I'd much rather concentrate on the road and not look over my shoulder trying to talk to someone who probably can't hear me over traffic. Is there a clear (polite!) signal I can give that will indicate I'd like more space?

Thanks!


texts: Is it possible to replace a 1 1/8 steering tube with a 1"?

texts:
I have a 94 Giant ATX. Threaded 1 inch steeering tube.

I need a shorter stem, and would also like to install a suspension fork.

Is it doable? Could I take a modern suspension fork, heat the crown, smash the steering tube out, install a 1" tube (with some added metal so that the outer diameter is 1" 1/8) the get rid of the threaded headset and install a threadless 1" headset (does it even exist?)

Bear in mind that I'm in Argentina, and it's very difficult to get parts from US shops.


texts:
I have a saddle somewhat similar to this one. One bolt holding saddle clamp to the seatpost.

Some half a year ago I was riding with no hands and leaned back a bit. Suddenly, I fell down the bike on my back yet later to realize that the bolt simply broke, its head unattached from the threaded shaft. Luckily, I didn't have any serious injury, and neither did bike.

So I replaced the bolt.

Today, same thing happened. But I wasn't even riding hands free, I had one hand on, and was talking on the mobile phone with other. This time I managed to stay on bike and discovered again that the head of the bolt unattached from its shaft.

Now, maybe I put the saddle to far back so I had extra large lever and too much pressure on the screw. However, the flat part of the metal construction is a lot shorter on my saddle than the one here in the picture and I really don't believe I can put it that far even if I want.

Maybe I over tightened the bolt, there was no indication on how much pressure to use, but I was careful, at least the second time.

Do you know what might be the cause for this? Is it possible to over tighten the bolt? Is there something else that might cause this?

PS. Not that it's your business but I weigh 90 kilograms (199 pounds)

PPS. Please save me from the comments "don't ride no hands" and "don't talk on phone while riding". I realize this is somewhat dangerous and I know it increases pressure on the bolt, I wanted to know is there some other thing that might have caused this that didn't occur to me.


texts: What should a big guy look for when buying a road bike?

texts:
I'm 6ft 4" (1.8m) and 22st (139kg).  I do a fair bit of cycling, mainly spinning and mountain biking.

I would like to get into road riding so I'm looking to buy a road bike. I want to spend between £500-£750.

I've had some issues in the past with pedal shafts rounding off the crank, especially when riding hard standing up on my mountain bike.

What things should I look for when choosing a road bike? Obviously a big frame, but what are the sizes? Also, a strong crank; are there any makes that are stronger than most?


texts: Performing a manual on a road / gravel bike

texts:
I've been trying to improve my manual technique. I ride a Hakka MX and want to get better at manuals so I can better negotiate drops and whatnot on MTB trails.

I'm having a hard time getting the front wheel up enough without also giving some power through the pedals. And then it's a wheelie, not a manual.
I'm wondering, is this a consequence of the geometry of the bike compared to a typical MTB? (No dropper post, lower stack, longer reach...) Or just a consequence of my technique?


texts: I bought a Schwinn from a big box.  I'm regretting it for technical reasons (shifters, brakes), but I'm starting to wonder if the frame is too small.  I have the seat way up and going down steep (paved) hills is a bit scary.  It feels a bit unstable.  It's a hybrid because my wife and I like to go on the C&O canal every now and then, but I am starting to put the miles on the road when riding alone (see the aforementioned hill... we have LOTS).  At 6'1", with a 33" inseam, should I have concerns about this 17.5" frame?


texts: Anyone tried to brush mud/snow in rear-wheel while on ride?

texts:
I ride my bike in the snow. And I think my bike can be a lot cleaner if I had a snow catcher in my rear-wheel.

There is possibility because the rear wheel fork comes with extra holes in it. I think we can hook a fork there to hold a brush at the back of the tire.

I think it will keep the gear and derailleur cleaner. I guess it will also reduce the skidding.


texts: Why do my tubes fail with a small area of rubber missing?

texts: My last three punctures weren't punctures at all (ie not a flint or thorn) but each time i looked at the tube it was like a small area of rubber had been rubbed away or just fell off. These are continental tubes. What could i be doing wrong when putting new tubes in? I always check the inside of the tyre too! The most recent case was a slow puncture, but the two before that were pretty quick.


texts: Replacing rapid-fire shifters with 105 integrated shifters

texts:
I have a Fuji Absolute 2.0LE with straight handlebars, mini-v brakes, rapid-fire shifters, 3 chainrings, 9-speed Tiagra derailleur. I found a set of drop bars with Shimano 105 integrated brakes and shifters that I'm considering swapping on.

I'm ok with bike maintenance -- done plenty of brake, spoke, derailleur adjustments, but I've never done the full cabling that (I think) would be required here.

My questions: Are the shifters and brakes compatible with my bike? How big a job am I looking at here? Will I need any special tools?

Let me know if I can provide more specifics or pictures of anything.


texts:
I saw a bit of the Omnium racing televised this week, and while most of the events are straightforward, the Elimination race seems to require far deeper tactics than the others.

This may be just because I have never taken part in one of these, but can anyone here explain how to approach an elimination race in the format used at the Olympics (ie a sprint every 2 laps, last one is eliminated)?

My simplistic view suggests staying in the middle of the pack is key, but that's not how any of the races panned out, with wild breaks at seemingly random intervals.


texts:
I am not talking about the tools needed for the ride. I am talking about enduring and performing on long tiring tour. Grab a concept of a tour I recently went to

  25 Km Uphill > 40 Km Downhill > 30 Km Up hill > 10 Km Downhill > 26 Km Uphill

Then I came back

  26 Km Downhill > 10 Km Uphill > 30 Km Downhill > 40 Km Uphill (exhausted)

On about 15 km on the Uphill, I couldn't do it any more, took a bus, and came home.

I eventually was overdoing on the downhill and on some sprints.

I am not sure how to put up this question, but How to cycle, when heading for a ride I mentioned above?

More details:

  I am a regular commuter but, the ride above was a personal challenge
  to myself and the first time doing this. Before this my longest ride
  was 82 Kms in a single day.

  There were frequent stops on the up-hills but none on the down-hills.
  I hydrated frequently but as food, I had packed some energy bars and
  nothing more. I sprinted to maintain the speed not to go fast which was definitely overdoing.
  Average speed on the speedometer was 18.xx (forgot) Km when I decided to stop and I cycled
  for about 11 hrs. For rests, I was relying on down-hills mostly. Slopes were not very steep but were tiring due to length of them.

  I was riding on big MTB tires.. which gave a lot of trouble with the
  speed (as expected).


texts: I just bought a new bike. I ride about 3 times a week. The last 2 times I've taken my bike out the front tire has been completely flat. I put air in it the first time it happened and went for a 10mi ride and the tire was still fine. Then next morning it was flat again (same thing the 2nd time).. I recently got into riding and I have no clue about the maintenance and fixing my bike. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


texts: Inner elbow/bicep tendon pain from drop bars?

texts:
I've just recently bought a new bike with drop bars for my daily commute. It's great fun and actual feels quite comfortable after following a few fitment videos and guides online.

The bike is a single speed Kona Paddy Wagon.

I have no pain or strain while riding, however at night the tendons on the of inside my elbow tighten up and get quite sore when used. It is really hard to pinpoint the pain, but it's not muscle, it's tendon. However the pain happens whenever I bend/flex my arm with the palm down or thumb up. When the palm is up, it doesn't hurt.

I'm not even 100% sure it's because of the bike, but the position my hand is in during the pain is basically the the hood position, so it makes sense.

Had anyone experienced this? It's what I imagine tendonitis might feel like.

During my attempt at setting things up, I managed to take a couple photos, I don't know if they help or not.


texts: What is a good rear wheel for a heavy load?

texts:
I'm a heavy man, and I find I'm breaking spokes on my rear wheel fairly often.  Is there a particular wheel I can buy or anything I can do to prevent this?

Edit: I was having the problem with a hybrid with 700c wheels, but I gave up and sold that bike in preparation for my move to LA.  I'll be looking to purchase a new bike to use for commuting once I get out there, but I'm open as to style.  I gather we'll have Surly dealers out there, so I'll definitely be checking those out.


texts: Jan Ullrich's TT bike in la Vuelta 1999: why the bigger rear wheel?

texts: What was the thinking behind having a bigger rear wheel on a TT bike back then?


texts:
Is it ok to bleed my brake without a bleeding block and without removing the wheel?

What is the effect on the lever?
Will this result in a less firm lever?


texts:
I've got a performance hybrid I want to upgrade the wheelset for. I'm looking for narrow rims - I'd like to run 23c tires (so the "charts" suggest 15mm inner width) - with a 135mm (mountain bike) hub. It seems manufacturers focus on road bikes for the narrow performance rims, and mountain bikes for wide rims, and I can't seem to find the middle ground.

Do I have to custom build my wheel or is there a category of road-bike width hybrid bike hub wheels that I'm just not finding in my search?


texts:
Just for the record, my rims are brand new (~800 km) and clean.
I have a set of KoolStop salmon brake pads (actually 2 sets, .... well, front and rear).

I installed them ~600 km ago and I already had to tighten them (adjust the cable tension) twice in the rear, once in the front.
And looking at the pads, the rear are obviously thinner than they were when new and same in the front (although less noticable).

The efficiency is still very good but is that kind of wear normal? what is the usual lifespan of pads like those?

I heard only good about KoolStop stuff,... so don't think it could come from the very pads.
The installation was done properly too, the pads do not touch the rims at all when brakes are released (~2mm away).


texts:
On of my fork stanchions has scratches on the black coating. The scratch has sharp edges.

The Fork is a RockShox Pike RCT3.

I could try to fill the scratch with paint and polish or replace the crown with standpipes. The replacement CSU unit for the Pike costs 316€


texts: What caused this seat clamp / frame failure?

texts:
Here's my "long distance" ride, which is an old steel MTB without suspension.

I picked it up by the saddle to move it and felt some play, I thought the saddle rails might have been loose, but as per picture, there's a crack 90% of the way around the frame.

I have bent it open a bit more with medium finger pressure.

The crack shows evidence of rust, so its been a slow break rather than a sudden one.

I'm 100 kilos and have long legs, with a standover height of 91 cm.  The frame is too small for me at 20" / 51 cm.

The seat post was reinforced internally with extra pipe (I have bent seat posts before).
The post extended 10cm into the frame (i.e., well past the crack) and then 29cm up to the seat.

Strava says I've done 2,949 km on this bike in the last 15 months.

So my main question: is this an old-age fatigue failure of the frame, or did I break it by being too tall, or too heavy?

Second – is the frame repairable or is it now scrap?


texts: I'm trying to fix my wife's bicycle which sat out all winter.  I can't get the rear derailleur to downshift from the twist grip shifter.  I have inspected and cleaned and lubricated the cables, nothing is frayed or stuck.  I can move the derailleur with my thumb quite easily, and if I hold it I can move the shifter.  I can also upshift, but I can't get the derailleur to downshift from the shifter.  Any ideas?  It's a Shimano system.


texts: Grip shifter difficult to move in one direction

texts:
i was wondering if anyone has an idea of what my issue is exactly and how i can fix it

the gears are super difficult to switch, 6 to 5 is difficult but still doable and going from 5 to 1 is just not happening, however when it comes to going in the other direction the lightest touch will make it go from 1 to 6

any idea how i could fix this?


texts: Innertube fat on one side, skinny on the other

texts: I just bought a bicycle/bike tube (20"), when i inflate it, 1 side of it goes big/fat and the other just inflates normally, what should i do? , its happened with some of my other tubes.


texts: Is the term "24 inch gear" universal (in the context of fixies)?

texts:
Recently the group I ride with has included more fixie riders than I'm used to, and there's a phrase which was initially puzzling but makes perfect sense: the 24-inch gear.  I've hidden the meaning under a spoiler so readers get the experience I did.

   24 inches is two feet, i.e. walking. (we have lots of hills, some quite steep)

I think we're all familiar with the term "gear inches" to describe the equivalent diameter of a directly driven wheel - this question is specifically about the 24" gear (not low gears in general as you'll see if you look at the spoiler).

Other experienced riders, including those with fixed-gear experience hadn't come across it, and it doesn't seem common on the web (most hits are UK long-distance riders like the ones I ride with, but there are lots of sales of bikes with gears and 24" frames to bury the hits).  Is this a universal term, or localised?


texts:
I have a Schwinn Super Sport circa 1966, that came to me as a single speed, so I have never seen a derailleur on it. When I put this SunTour derailleur on it - mid 70s I think, came off a Peugeot - the b-screw hits the Schwinn's derailleur hanger body, not the b-screw stop, as you can see in the picture. The stop seems way further forward on the Schwinn than the Peugeot. However, a modern Shimano XT derailleur seems to fit the Schwinn fine . . . I just was hoping for something  approximately period appropriate. What's going on here? Are the different style derailleur hangers? How can I know what derailleurs will fit the Schwinn?

Here's the mismatch:

I can rotate it so it hits the stop, but the derailleur position looks like it would not work, the b-screw is all the way out, not really hitting the stop dead-on, and the derailleur cage is hitting the seat stay:

However, this Deore XT derailleur seems to have a longer or slightly further-out b-screw that hits properly. I haven't put a chain on it to check, but this looks like it would work. So I want something that works like this, but is from the 60s-80s, 10-speed road era.


texts: Are deep V wheels only for fixed gear bikes?

texts: I'm in the market for a new set of wheels. I've been noticing a style which I think is called "Deep V". I plan on adding gears to my currently single-speed bike (not a fixed gear). However, searching online, the majority (if not all) are advertised as being for fixed gear bikes. Are deep V wheels intended for fixed gear bikes? Is there any reason I would want to avoid them for a normal geared bike?


texts: XTR Di2 front derailleur mount for Cannondale Scalpel 29r

texts:
Is there an adapter to mount a XTR Di2 front derailleur on a Cannondale Cannondale Scalpel 29r?
picture of stock mount

Images from BikeRadar:


texts: How do I make a road brake lever work alongside a mtb brake lever

texts: If I manage to get a dropbar on my mtb and want to use both the MTB brake lever AND the road dropbar brake lever (like the Tiagra STI, but no gear shifting)... Is it possible? Can they use the same brake cable? I want something like


texts: Fitting questions - Effective top tube vs horizontal

texts:
I'm stuck in understanding size tables of a bike.

For example this size chart:

Am I right in my thoughts?
Effective top tube (ETT) is horizontal value so, it's B1 on the chart.
BS is the length of line parallel to the frame.
But then why BS is less then B1? (if B1 is horizontal, than it's cathetus of the triangle, it should be less then hypotenuse)

Or ETT is not horizontal line, but the line parallel to the frame?

And also, what is A1 on the picture? It looks like the main value (size of those bikes are called by A1 values), but what is the difference with AS value?


texts: Selecting a compatible BB: spindle offset

texts:
Replaced Shimano Bottom Bracket, now front derailleur won't shift to largest gear
How do I measure a bottom bracket?
I thought the only thing that mattered when replacing a bottom bracket was the thread size (68mm) and the spindle length. - unsavory

Me too. I had thought that the things to consider are:

Thread specification e.g BC 1.37 x 24, English or Italian
Thread width: 68 or 73mm
Cranks interface
Spindle length e.g. 113mm

And now it turns out the axis offset matters. How do I determine this before purchase. E.g. in this datasheet there is no mention if the axis is symmetrical or offset.
When should I be worried about unsymmetrical BB spindles and where should I check to ensure compatibility?


texts: My rear wheel isn't properly spinning. How can I tell whats wrong?

texts:
I'm just getting back into cycling after a long hiatus. My bike is a little old and worn and its got some issues. The biggest one is the rear wheel.

My rear wheel spins, but it seems to be off center. When I look at the wheel spin the distance between it and the brakes varies. Also when I squeeze the brakes the break pads don't reach the wheel. How do I tell which part of the bike is messed up? Some thoughts I had:

The wheel itself is bent. Possible since it was in accidents before.
The wheel is attached to the bike at an angle. Possible since I did self repairs before and I'm not super experiences in bike repairs.
The wheel isn't fully 'screwed in' (not sure what the proper term is) to the bike frame. Unlikely since it doesn't seem to wobble at all.
The brakes are messed up and the closer-farther effect is just an optical illusion.

Also possibly relevant: 3 spokes on the wheel are broken.

How can I tell which of these possibilities is causing my issues, or if its a different issue? And if so, how do I fix it?


texts:
What is the best way to mount an Xtracycle to the roof of your car?

Xtracycle has a few suggestions particilary a Thule or RockyMounts Tandem rack.

We have a Mazda CX-9 with factory cross bars.  The problem with Xtracycle's suggestion is it will cost around $800 to buy all that gear.  We are looking for a cheaper option.

We were considering the Sea Sucker Talon.   That looks like it might work.  It will be a task to get the big bike on to the roof of the car but we will only be doing this occasionally.

Our bike is a converted Bianchi which looks similar to this one.  It's around 50+lbs.


texts: Cassette jerks chain forward intermittently

texts:
I have a 3 year old road bike with Shimano Ultegra 11 speed freehub CX-75 and cassette CS-6800. Recently I started hearing clunking noise from the drivetrain during freewheeling. It appears that the cassette turns forward along with the wheel for a small angle, pulls the chain with it (this squeezes rear derailleur and creates slack on the upper chain run, since the crank is not moving), then releases, upon which the derailleur springs out quickly with the clunk.

I can almost reproduce the problem at will. It happens more often in cornering. And the chain does make a clunk or two if I wobble the handlebar quickly a few times when going straight. The common denominator is a sideways acceleration, but whether the problem is triggered by a little frame deformation under side load, or the inertial force on derailleur or other components, I cannot understand. Clunking does not happen when I set the bike hanging on a stand.

I could not also find any description matching the symptom. Should I replace the freehub? It must not be worn at 3 years, and probably way under 10K miles, Ultegra being pretty higher end set. But I cannot think of anything else.


texts: Upgrading from 9 speed to 11 speed on Giant Defy 3

texts:
If I were to upgrade from a complete Shimano Sora R3000 9 speed groupset to a complete Shimano Ultegra 6800 11 speed groupset (excluding hub) on a Giant Defy 3, do I need to get a new hub too or can I just reuse the old hub?

I have never changed the groupset before since I never had the need to change it so I do not know what else do I need other than the groupset itself but since my old groupset is dying on me, I have to change it soon and I though why not upgrade it to an 11 spread instead of simply just replacing the old groupset to the new one


texts: What is this rubber thing on my gear cable and what does it do?


texts:
What are main changes in Trek 520 during the years? I have possibility to buy new Trek 520 year 2015 for 1000 Eur and year 2018 for 1300 Eur. Is there right place to safe some money?

What are difference between 2017 and 2018 models?


texts: Effect of BMX bike geometry on manualing

texts: What aspects of the geometry of a BMX bike have an effect on the ease (or lack of ease) with which a manual can be performed? Obviously there is an element of skill to performing a manual, but do variables like chain stay length have an influence?


texts: Why are my brake pads completely eroding after one week

texts:
I have a CUBE Attain road bike with a Shimano Claris setup. I've had the bike for nearly a year and tracked 1300 miles on Strava. I first changed the original brakes in November at about 900 miles ridden. Since then, I have gone through about 5-6 sets of different brakes. Just last week I changed the whole back brake unit cable and gave the rims a thorough clean. It seemed to work, but now today on inspection the brake pads are worn down and I can see the residue building up. My commute is 3 miles twice a day but only 4 times a week. I'm starting to suspect it's the rims, but I'm not sure.

What could be causing my brake pads to erode so quickly?


texts:
I have a friend with several cats, one of which destroyed the material of their bike tires and is presumed to enjoy doing so.. having acquired new tires and tubes (but not yet put them on), how can we prevent the cat from chewing/scratching the new pair?
We had thought

bag the tires (no good; likely too thin and they love bags too)
move the bike outside (no, it will definitely be stolen)
spray the tires with lime juice, vinegar, etc. which the cat will find unpleasant (this at least works for ferrets which love chewing cables)
decoy tires (see: cats on keyboards)
some sort of removable, thick rubber coating (perhaps a second, larger pair of tires cut to fit over mounting)
hard case for bike (probably too expensive)

Other details

bike is a Schwinn road bike without fenders
no garage is available and it is impractical to store at my place
the cats are otherwise delightful
bike will be left unattended indoors for long periods of time (weekends/workday..)
open to trading in the bike and getting something heftier if that's the only solution

Likely also suitable for Pets StackExchange, but I doubt this is an unheard-of problem in this community


texts: Will degreaser formula 88 harm your tire?

texts: I was using degreaser formula 88 and got some on my tire. I rinsed it off with some water and then the next day the tire had cracks and was faded. Will the tire get messed up ?


texts:
I'm looking to upgrade my suspension forks from Rock Shox Dart 3 to something like Rock Shox Sektor RL.

A lot of the forks have either a 15 or 20 mm axle, or 'Maxle'. What does this mean? Will this require me to buy a new wheel/hub to accommodate for this? I currently have what I believe to be a standard quick release skewer...


texts: In looking at replacing my disc brake rotors, and looking online I see there are different sizes available (between 180 and 203 mm).  My question is, what dimension do I measure on my existing rotor?  I'm assuming it's the outside diameter, but just want to be sure.


texts: Are Claris(ST-2400) shifters drop-in replacements for St-2300s?

texts:
I've got 2300s on my bike. I don't much like the little thumb levers. I'd like to upgrade to Claris shifters, but I need to minimise the costs.

Can I just change the shifters? They're both 8 speed (and double, in my case), but are the cables compatible as well?


texts: Bike now 4 years old and battery not holding charge like when first purchased. Been n touch with Eranger cannot help said bike no longer being produced so now left with a £1100 bike and cannot buy a new battery. Any suggestions where I can get a new battery appreciated.


texts: Is it OK to use pedestrian phase of pedestrian crossing to join/leave the carriageway? (UK)

texts:
If the start of my journey is on a busy road, and there is a pedestrian crossing nearby, I often take advantage of the pedestrian phase of the crossing by mounting the bike, joining the carriageway and setting off while the lights are red for traffic already on the carriageway. (Making sure, of course, to take care of pedestrians and other users of the crossing.) This seems to me a safe and convenient way to join a busy road.

Is this common practice? Is it advisable? Is it Legal? I don't consider it "running a red" as I'm already over the stop line by the time I mount my bike, but I could see how it could be construed that way.

Likewise if I'm fortunate enough to "catch a red light" at a pedestrian crossing near the end of my journey, I might take the opportunity to dismount and enter the crossing from the carriageway, cross to the footway and finish my journey as a pedestrian. Is this also advisable/safe/legal? In this case I am crossing the stop line under a red light, albeit "as a pedestrian".

If it makes a difference to any of the legalities, I live in the UK - Scotland to be precise.


texts: Dia Compe Brakes for 1991 Bridgestone RB-T

texts:
I have a 1991 Bridgestone RB-T.  This bike has passed through many hands so much of the stock parts are gone.  The original Dia Compe XCE brake arms have been replaced by Dimension canti arms.

My problem involves the canti braze-ons.  After examining other bikes with cantilever brakes these pivots seem to be located differently.  The placement is much closer to the rim itself.  Judging from pictures of the Dia Compe brakes the pad holder was located outside the pivot.  The Dimension arms place the pad holder way too far inside of the brake pivot.  The pads are installed without any adjustment washers on the inside and all the way to the bottom of the slot.  Even with these compromises they aren't located properly and start to hit the tire if I don't watch them.

Can anyone recommend a Dia Compe XCE replacement?  Is there really a difference in where the canti braze-ons were located for these brakes?  I just want an OEM brake that will work for pad clearance.


texts:
I am 4'10" and about 300lbs. I would love to start bicycling around the countryside for pleasure and low level exercise. But my tummy gets in the way and it hurts to bend my knees at the top of the pedal rotation.

Is there a bicycle for me?


texts: I'm refurbishing a 1988 Raleight winner with an original worn chain. It has a 5 speed rear freewheel and a 2 cog crank. Advise please on which chain I need and where to purchase.


texts:
I have a foldable Abus Bordo 6500 which weights around 1.7kg. It came with a sturdy, rubber based case that can be mounted using bottle cage mounts.

Is this OK to do so on a carbon frame, or does it open up risk? The bike in question has 2x bottle mounts and I was hoping to put this on the seat tube.

At the moment I am chucking it in my backpack, but a bike mounted solution might be a little neater for days I don't have my pack.

(I did search but most questions on this topic relate to pressure clamps for D locks whereas my issue is a bottle mount.)

Thanks


texts: How to choose the right brushless outrunner motor for e-bike project

texts:
I am planning to build my own electric bike and I have stumbled apon some confusion. I want to use brushless outrunner motors for this project as I have used these motors many times for other projects, I have experience in using them. But I am quite unsure which rated motor I should get. I want to reach 25mph, more is better. My plan is to have the electronic speed controller (ESC) connected to my Arduino board so that I can control speed, battery level, etc. Unfortunately, with the hub motors, the ESC are different, meaning that I can't interface them with the Arduino.

As you can see, the wire that's hanging off at the bottom, is the wire that will be connected to the Arduino board.

Any help is appreciated, thanks for your time.

Sid


texts: How does the SureStop braking system work?

texts:
There's a new braking system put out by a company named SureStop that controls both front and rear cantilever (side-pull) brake systems with a single brake lever.  They seem to be mainly appealing to the safety / children / new bike owner's market.

They say their technology can prevent end-overs as well as skid-outs.

How do they do this? It appears to be more complex than a dual-cable brake lever -- i.e., there seems to be some fore-aft balancing magic that's going on.

Bonus question: If the rear pad loses traction against the wheel (for example: it wears down to its nubbins, slips off the rim, or the rear brake cable breaks), does the user lose all braking - front and rear? Does this then violate the redundant brake regulation in bicycle consumer sales laws?

For example, Japan's JIS 9301:2010 regulations requires "separate braking systems operating on the front and rear wheels respectively" and SureStop says that they are compliant with this standard. Because the front and rear brakes are linked in SureStop, it's unclear to me how they are "separate."


texts:
Today while riding on a trail, the frame of my full-suspension MTB broke. It's been a long time coming, and at this point I'm happy that it didn't 'catastrophically' fail / I didn't crash.
I think what I would like to do is to find a frame that will take most, if not all of my old parts, and I have two main questions:

How feasible/easy is it to find a frame (be it used or new) that fits my old components? What are the variables to look out for? I'm assuming breaks and cassette/gear system should be transferable basically all the time, and the same is true for fork. I am assuming finding a frame that fits the shock is harder. I'd be happy to hear some of your advice.

What about used frames? This seems like a gamble to me, because I can't envision someone selling a frame (and a frame ONLY) unless the guy has crashed on the frame and wants to get rid of it? Would be happy to hear your opinion on this one, too.


texts: How to reduce cramping in hands (mountain biking)?

texts: I am pretty new to mountain biking and I have noticed on longer rides my hands will start to cramp/ache to the point where it is not comfortable to wrap my thumb around the handle bars.  Obviously putting my thumb on top on the grip is less safe because I  have less of a grip on the bike so is there anything I can do to lessen the cramps/aching?  I have just standard grips on the bike and would be open to trying out some new ones if that would do the trick.


texts: Is axle cone pitting more common on rear drive side?

texts:
I finally got into the rear hub of my new-used bike and found one cone pitted, the drive-side cone only.  The other three cones are fine.

I happen to have also picked up a second, compatible bike from a neighbor who was throwing it away.  Lucky me; I've rescued a lot of good stuff off of it.  I thought I'd use the corresponding cone from that one, but that turned out to have pitting too.  And the other three cones there are fine.

Is this a common thing, maybe because of the chain pulling on that side?


texts:
I have an older mountain bike.  I need to change the rear skewer so I can use an indoor trainer, but I don't think there is one.  What do I do?

I have a CycleOps Mag trainer and they included a skewer to replace the one that is supposed to be on the bike.


texts:
I live in an extremely flat city that lies about 15m above sea level. One has to drive an hour or two to reach even rolling hills.

Several decades ago, I rode quite a bit, and accumulated a decent "sport touring" road bike, a mountain bike, and a track bike. Then I stopped riding for a couple decades.

Now I have returned to riding casually and found BSE, and it's full of questions about electric bikes, which didn't exist when I was riding before.

I'm healthy for my age. When I ride, I want to be burning all the calories I can. My commute is only 3-4 km. Why would I want an e-bike? What advantages do they offer?


texts:
If I set up a bike with:

10-speed tiagra shifters
10-speed dura ace read derailleur
9-speed 105 front derailleur

Will it cause problems if I use components from different series? (All of these are from within the past year or two.)


texts: Disc brakes vibrating, "singing" under the rain

texts:
I recently replaced my hubs, and not-so-recently the front brake rotor.

In dry conditions, everything works fine, brakes well and makes almost no noise. In rainy conditions, however, the front disk tends to vibrate and make a huge, horn-like noise.

Is there something wrong with my brake installation that I should fix, or is this normal? I've never experienced such behavior before.


texts:
I am an absolute novice around heart rate monitoring and its implications, just trying to validate/argument my knowledge through a discussion here.

I do 30 kms a day commute and upto a 100 km a day on the weekends, Over the past one year, I haven't seen a significant dip in my weight, although I can definitely fell that I am less fat. Thinking of optimizing my cycling for better results, for which a lot of people recommend considering your heart rate.

I am using Strava for a while now, and I think Wahoo HRMs are the best to use, as people mostly recommend it. There is also the Polar H7, which is a cheap and supposedly compatible HRM with Strava.

I have a budget of around 100$ but can stretch to 150$ if I get good value for money.

My questions are -

How do you guys use heart rate monitors with cycling?
What are the features that you guys consider as a must in a cycling/Running centric HRM.
Any other suggestions/trivia.

Update

I guess I just need a basic way to monitor my heart rate while cycling. Any value addition would be nice, lets assume for now that strava integration is not necessary but would be a significant value addition.

Conclusion

I brought a Garmin VivoActive HR. Have been training with it for almost a month now and its serving me just fine so far. :)


texts: Can you identify this Cateye HR Sensor E product model?

texts:
I must've bought this like 4-5 years ago. My fat ass never got around to using it. I've since lost the Cateye watch I bought with it.

Can anyone identify the model?
Do you know if it has a ANT+ sensor?

There are no model number identifiers on the product. Removing the battery cap reveals nothing. Searches are turning up nothing. I'd like to keep it, buy another ANT+ watch and start working out finally. But don't want to buy NOS gear if it's not within my interest to do so.

Thanks


texts: Is it cost effective to purchase a frame and components separately?

texts:
I was looking to buy a new MTB and was wondering if a purchase of a frame and components separately was cheaper then buying a bike with everything?  I would assembling everything myself instead of a LBS.

I suppose the bike manufacturers get volume discounts for some stuff, but not sure if they pass along those savings or not.


texts: Size of old road frames compared to new ones

texts:
May I use an old frame (pre 1990) of same size as a modern road frame? For example by using a long stem and long seatpost. Or would I have to size up a lot?

Concrete example: I ride a 56 cm Merida CX frame (2017 Merida CX600) and am 190 cm tall. I found a nice 56 cm Motobecane steel frame (about 1985) on an online auction site.


texts: Does anyone know from which material these brake cable end caps (anchors) are made out? Is it lead, some galvanized metal or something else?


texts: very hard to shift gears when clutch is activated

texts:
I have a fairly old Shimano RD-M8000 with which it becomes increasingly hard to shift gears when the clutch is activated. Particularly the mid-range gears are hard to shift into, the very low and very high gears are fairly ok. The force I have to apply is extremely high (and I figure it cannot be good for the mechanics).
What could be the reason for this? Shifter cable/tube is brand new, and shifting is smooth without the clutch activated.


texts:
On my Shimano FC-6800 right crank arm, is that a QR code imprinted on it? How is it used?
When I scan it I get this: 68R4NL097388


texts:
We're looking for some bike racks for our school, but we're unsure as to the styles of bike racks and what's best. What features should we be looking for? Are there styles of racks that work well for schools?

At the moment, it's looking like these for price, capacity and design:

If anyone else has found something better, then please let me know as we're looking to get some sorted fairly quickly!


texts:
I am currently rebuilding an old steel bike with some modern parts and am searching for a OSPW because it looks quite cool. However a "real" one from CeramicSpeed seems way to expensive for just looking cool.
So I checked AliExpress for some cool looking ones and obviously found some.
After some research I found out that the main Problem with them is, that the inner bearings are non sealed bearings meaning they get dirty extremely quickly and therefore are not a good upgrade because they probably break before the standard one and cost me more watts than its worth changing them (source for the open bearings is this video here from Trace Velo)
To fix my Problem I was thinking of either adding seals or just saving the ceramic balls and transplanting it into a steal ball bearing housing with seals.
Henceforth my Question is firstly: Is this even possible? I am aware that you can rebuild and therefore change parts when you are using cup and cone bearings however I never heard from anyone that they done it with cartridge bearings.Secondly is this feasible and doable without specialist tools and experience?
Thanks for your help
Edit: Weiwen Ng's Answer pretty much sumed it up already. Getting replacement Seals would be quite impossible especially because one of the bearings had nylon races and both had no groves cut out to hold any seals. My other idea of reusing the ceramic balls was proven impossible as well because they where running out of true (probably because the balls aren't really round). I therefore pretty much went with Weiwens idea and just bought new 689 ball bearings with proper seals (I luckily had a small shop specialized in sealing bearings that had cheap bearings available) and pressed them in. That all worked quite nicely and therefore I am now the "proud" owner of an OSPW with fully sealed ceramic bearings for round about 15€. I'll give another feedback when I need to replace the bearings on how long this hack worked out.
For now I can just thank everyone who gave his answers/comments to help me with this idea.


texts: Grabbing the attention of the person ahead of you while bicycling

texts:
Normally you let the bicyclist/walker/jogger ahead of you know that you are about to pass them by shouting "passing" or even by just ringing the bell on your bike. This is done as a courtesy since many people do get scared/shocked if someone just zooms by them without notice. It's also a safety issue since the person could accidentally or knowingly go to the left side of the path and you'd run into them.  For example, they could see a cute duckling on the left grass and start walking over towards it forgetting about looking behind them and bam, an accident!

  Ride to the right on multi-use paths and warn other cyclists, walkers, runners and path users before overtaking and passing them. Call out “passing” or ring your bike bell.
  From https://bicyclecolorado.org/learn/colorado-bicycle-laws/

However, now a days many people (usually younger people) will be blasting music in their ears through their headphones. So I've noticed that many times these people don't hear me shouting at them that I'm passing.

Here's three options I've came up with:

I could just keep going at the same fast speed and just blame them if they get hit since they are the ones that thought their music was more important than safety or listening to the sounds of nature.
I could slow down to a safer speed and slowly pass them reducing the chances of an accident.
I could carry some small pebbles with me and then just chuck 1 or 2 of them about 6-8 feet ahead of them to grab their attention.

I don't really prefer any of these three options, is there a better way to grab their attention when shouting doesn't work, while maintaining the same faster speed?


texts:
I am quite new in the world of urban cycling and I am liking it A LOT.
for the sake of curiosity I want my wheels to be as hard as possible, know how this feels and how my bike behaves.
As of now, I have a set of Schwalbe Marathon Plus 25-622 28x1.00 (700x25C) tires with their complement bicycle tubes Schwalbe 28" 700C. They are the slimmest that I have found for my rims. The sidewalls of my tires are labelled with 6.0-8.0 bar 85-115 psi.
Unfortunately, I have twice tried to inflate my tires to their maximum pressure and the inner tubes blew out while inflating! It has been impossible for me to reach the 8 bar.
So I have the following questions:

Am I stretching the inner tubes over their limits? Cuz the 8 bar is a limit of the outer tire. Am I using the wrong tubes? Are there other tube-brands that can handle more pressure?
Is there a better tire/inner tube option/combination available for super-high-pressured-tires?

thank you


texts: Can I replace my Shimano outer chain ring with a SRAM?

texts:
I need to replace my outer chain ring.

I am currently running a 50t, I'm pretty sure it's a 130 BCD.

I am considering a SRAM Outer chain ring as a replacement. I assume as long as measurements are the same I Should be OK. The description says (not for 2012+ 'New-Red' cranks with hidden-bolt spider) so that's positive I think for my purpose.
Here's the info on the SRAM ring I'm looking at: http://prntscr.com/8fwk1u


texts: Can I combine SRAM Rival 22 Levers and Shimano 105 Rim Brakes?

texts: As the title asks, is it possible to combine SRAM Rival 22 levers (for mechanical rim brakes, of course) with Shimano 105 rim brakes?


texts: Can shimano di2 be programmed to be automatically readjust shifting for different hub/wheel types?

texts: If I purchase a bike with shimano di2 will it be able to readjust its rear dérailleur to accommodate different rear hub types? If this is possible is it a quick and easy process that can be done before a ride or does it require the shifters to be plugged into a computer?


texts: Can a Shimano BR-M965 caliper be replaced with a newer one?

texts:
I run my little bike repair shop and a customer came to me with a bicycle with Shimano's Dual Control setup:
http://www.cambriabike.com/StM966-BRM965-PreBled-Hydrlc-Disc-Brake-Kit-XTR-Grey-Fr-750mm.asp

Braking was extremely poor, and although we couldn't see oil escaping, I was eventually able to confirm that both calipers are letting oil go around the pistons.

The levers themselves show no problems.

He would like to replace only the calipers, if possible, because he likes the Dual-Control levers.

I'm thinking about two possible issues:
- Connecting the line: is that the same connection since that time?
- Oil flow: Does, like with the short and long cable pull "standards", the amount of oil pushed from the lever and the pushed surface in the caliper have different combination or does it simply not matter from a fluid's mechanic perspective?

Thank you.


texts: Why does my freehub body have such shallow lockring threads?

texts:
My new freehub body (right) has much shallower threads than my old one (left). The threads are so shallow that I cannot properly install the cassette lockring.

They are both for Campagnolo 9/10/11 speed. I am using the standard lockring that came with my Campagnolo 11 speed cassette.
How can I fix this?


texts: Are Penny-Farthings Legal to Ride on Public Roads (UK)

texts:
Are Penny-Farthings legal to ride on public roads in the UK?
Note: For laws regarding riding Penny-Farthings on public roads in other countries-ie "US" or "EU"- please start a new question with the same title and just replace "(UK)" with the "(US)", "(EU)" etc... so things are logically ordered into taxonomies. It will be a tangle otherwise...


texts: Replace a Sachs Echo s with modern derailleur

texts:
enter image description herelooking for a replace of a Sachs Hurret Echo S   with a modern derailleur for use on a 14 28 free wheel.  Suggestions have been the Shimano Altus or Shimano Tourney neither actually work as lower cage hits the spokes when shifting to the large rear cog.

Bicycle is a Peugeot 80s racer 12 speed  -

Any suggestions for a basic replacement that works very welcome -

Thanks
Stephen


texts: What Gates Carbon Drive parts should I upgrade?

texts:
A friend gave me his old Trek District 1 bike, which has a Gates Carbon belt drivetrain. The bike's about ten years old.

The equipment

an old-style (pre-centre-line) CDC drivechain
a splined (single-speed) free-hub

The problem

The drivetrain is extremely unreliable and annoying.

However much it's tightened, the rear sprocket (CDC 22T) eventually unwinds the ring that tightens it on the splined free-hub. The nubs on the sprocket that engage with the splines are worn, but whether this is the ultimate cause or effect of the loosening I can't say (the sprocket definitely needs to be replaced, anyway).

Below you can see the step-shape that all the wide nubs on the sprocket have been reduced to.

No matter how carefully aligned, the belt squeaks and rubs on something or the other (this is why my friend lost patience with it, and I've spent a lot of time messing about with it too).

What parts should I replace to try to rescue this bike? Do I need to replace belt, sprocket and chainwheel, or can I start with just the first two?

And, which of the new versions should I choose?

The replacement parts are pretty expensive, so I'd like to avoid wasting a lot of money on a futile repair attempt.


texts:
so after bleeding my Tektro mineral oil brakes, the brakes appear to no longer be functional. when I depress the lever until it touches the handle bars. I am still able to spin the wheel. I think it wasn't a bad bleed as I feel as if I am applying a rather substantial amount of force to the lever. I am assuming the problem is mineral oil on the brake rotor/pads. I have already tried using an oven cleaner spray and soapy water to clean the rotor and changing the brake pads(to used ones) to no avail.

So my question is as follows: should I buy a brake cleaner and a set of new pads? or should I attempt to cut my losses and get the entire brake system replaced?


texts: How to securely connect cable to AXA Quattro dynamo?

texts:
See the image: How do I securely attach the cable to the dynamo?

I tried the obvious, threaded the cable through one of the holes in the plastic cover, and pressed the cover snugly onto the socket. This was OK for some rides, but in the end the plastic cover fell off and the cable is loose.


texts: Front derailleur won't change to low gear

texts: My front derailleur is stuck in high gear. No matter how I shift the gears the cable would not tighten hence the bike will not change from high to low gear. What is the cause of this? Btw  it is a Shimano Tiagra.


texts: I want to increase my gear range, will my front gears affect the cassette I can use?

texts: I'm contemplating increasing my road bikes gear range. I have a race coming up that has some significant climbing. My question is if I want to increase the teeth on my rear cassette will that be limited by the type of gears I have at the front? My set up currently is a Shimano Claris FD 2403 front mech, Shimano HG50-8 11-30t cassette. Would I be able to increase the cassette to 32t or more without it being incompatible with the front mech?


texts: Cadence and speed monitor on rear wheel?

texts: I'm just wondering if you are able to put the cadence and speed monitors of the polar cs200 on the rear wheel for stationary training?


texts: How to prepare a frame for a new paintjob

texts:
I want to have my bike frame repainted.

What should I do before I give it to the paint shop? How would they like to have it prepared?


texts: Why can't I adjust my Shimano Nexus 8 gear?

texts:
I have an three year old Electra Townie 8i with the Shimano Nexus Inter 8 hub gear that needs to be adjusted. I followed the guide in this clip

             and it was easy enough. However, the adjustment doesn't "stick".

The problem is that the markers used for the adjustment don't remain aligned after I change gear, and the misfit isn't constant. I get different misalignment if I go 5 → 4 (4 is the gear that should be used when adjusting) compared to if I go 3 → 4. And the problems are even bigger if I go 1 → 4 or 8 → 4.

It is like it slips every time I shift gears.

What's wrong and how do I fix it?

Edit: Forgot to mention. I recently shorted the chain by removing some links since it had stretched itself. Don't know if that has anything to do with this issue.

Edit 2: When I, last autumn, put away the bike for the winter the gear was fine. This problem arose when the bike was indoors (room temperature) and unused.


texts: (Serious): Male genital protection for mountain biking/BMX and for common falls

texts:
I want to start using a protection like a helmet for is for the head, but for my penis and testicles.

Why is important? It would give me much more confidence when triying new tricks and tecniques to not fear my genitals will be hurt, simply falling  in the wrong way could hurt me very bad.

I shouldn't worry? Well I do and maybe others don't, however I'm not neither the best biker that never falls, neither I think nobody should put others to that standard. If others don't want it ok, I need it.


texts: What bike (carrying) racks are available for Pop-Up Campers?

texts:
I've got a popup (tent) trailer and need to carry 6 bikes. I'd prefer not to put them on the roof of my van (the roof rack is rated to only 100 lbs and it's really high for lifting bikes onto).

So far I've found this one:
http://www.discountramps.com/pop-up-camper-bike-rack.htm

But I also saw a Do It Yourself design for one that is a lot simpler. It would be great to find a simpler less expensive one like that to purchase.


texts: Do anyone have any idea about Schnell Flame Suspension Configuration like bounce absorption, jump capabilities, pot holes*disk brake measures etc.


texts:
I ride my bike as primary mode of transportation everyday. Recently, I decided to start using panniers for groceries, to spare my shoulders. I hooked them on to the rack on my bike, and rode to Trader Joe's just fine. Packed them up with my purchases, then rode home. I ALMOST made it all the way home, but about two blocks from my house I went up a ramp and the back corner of the bag on the left-hand side caught in my spokes! It sounded like my bike was exploding. I got off and started walking, but had to stop every few seconds to pull the pannier back out of the spokes. What is most likely to have caused this? It seemed like I had it installed correctly, and felt like the grocery weight was equally distributed in both bags. It also seemed like going up the ramp that led to the bike lane triggered it.

How can I prevent this from happening again, since I live in a neighborhood with lots of hills and don't want to deal with this every time there's an incline in the road?


texts: Is it ever okay to get in front of another cyclist at stoplight?

texts:
I hate it when this happens:

I'm riding down the bike path and I pass somebody.
I stop at a red light.
They catch up, and instead of stopping behind me they pass me and stop right in front of me.
The light turns green.
Rinse and repeat until I get past a light that catches them.

This is obviously antisocial behavior.

I will sometimes get in front of people at a light, but only if I've been gaining on them.

Is this okay under the circumstances, or is it low class regardless?


texts: Failure in venerable spoke at nipple: causes?

texts:
I have a venerable (high spike count) rear wheel that has survived many a year before and after I purchased the bicycle.

Today a drive side spoke failed at the nipple while climbing.  The road surface was smooth. I didn’t hit any bumps. I was seated but pushing power at cadence.

The spoke failed within the thread area.

Despite searching online I’ve not found a succinct explanation of the causes and actions of spoke failure at nipple (as opposed to hub).


texts: Reverse center pull cantilever brakes (how to set up and issues)

texts:
Questions

Q1. For rear cantilever brakes, are there any off-the-shelf parts or brake designs that route a rear brake cable from underneath the saddle cable instead of above?

Q2. If not, then can anyone suggest an improvised, but proven setup using existing, readily-available parts?

Q3. What concerns should I have with a reverse-pull cantilever brake setup (e.g. safety, maintenance)?

Background

I have a mixte frame with standard rear cantilever brake bosses on the seat stays, with standard cantilever brakes such as these:

Since the frame is a mixte, the rear brakes are higher than the "top tube" of the mixte, along which runs my rear brake cable.

I've seen that some mixtes use a reverse cable attachment to side-pull caliper brakes so that the cable makes a single arc from the top tube to the brakes.
My goal is to roughly mimic this cable routing, but with cantilever brakes instead.  Here is an example (but mine does not have a rack to work around):

The original build is pictured below (not the actual bike, but same model, etc.) and has the rear brake cable running along the "top tube", curving along the back of the seat tube, and then going over a pulley that is attached to the seat tube clamp bolt.  That pulley acts as a housing stop and so it's a center-pull from the top.  I am looking to improve the rear brake responsiveness, put less stress and wear on the cable, and have fun engineering a more elegant solution.


texts:
Could somebody please help me as I am struggling to find the answer.
I have searched the internet but cannot find anything specific to my bike,apart from a manual which does not have that much information.
I purchased a second hand Boardman URB 8:9 hybrid bike. It's not the current model, but one from a couple of years ago.
It came packaged in a box, so the usual pedals, handlebars etc, needed to be refitted.
When I came to putting the handlebars back on, I noticed the compression plug/nut inside the steerer tube is loose. With the forks being made of carbon I am worried about tightening this nut without knowing the recommended torque.


texts:
I bought a Trek X-Caliber 9, September last year.
About a month ago it started to do a very annoying sound between the welded junction of the Seat Tube and the Top Tube.

What I have tried:

Switch the seat post and saddle.
Switch the pedals.

I cannot ride with these noises they truly disrupt my mind.

The creaking only shows up when I sit on the saddle, I replaced the saddle and the seat post but the creaking didn't cease. I think the noise is from that area because I've put my hand in there and felt the creaking.
I have cleaned it several times and even if I lower the seat post the creaking continues.

UPDATE: I still have the issue, I am going to the second Bicycle Repair Shop this weekend, But I think it is the left arm crank who's making those noises. But I will keep you updated!   2021-04-23


texts: Shimano Deore XT: is 9-speed no longer continued? (Europe)

texts:
For an upgrade I'm trying to decide whether to change to 9-speed or 10-speed cassette, chain, derailleur, shifter and crank.

On the european Shimano website there are not many words about 9-speed components in the Deore XT Group and a european reseller has marked many items as "discontinued".

When choosing 9-speed today will I probably have trouble finding new components in about five years? Has Shimano officially discontinued 9-speed?


texts: How to assemble bike chain with no Master link?

texts:
I just bought a KMC chain on Amazon, and to my surprise, it didn't come with any kind of master link or connecting pin. I thought this was standard. So, did I just forget to order the part, or can you assemble a chain without using a master link? Both end of the chain terminate in a "small" link.

I haven't seen any specific instructions on how to assemble a chain without a Master link. If your Google-fu is superior to mine, please post a link!

Note this is a 1/8" chain.


texts:
I’ve been thinking of getting new pedals as mine are worse for wear.  What are the best factors to consider when choosing pedals?

I’m on an electric cargo bike and ride fairly fast and aggressively.

I’m not interested in pedals with clips..


texts: Can double chainrings be used with a clutch-type rear derailleur?

texts:
I've been reading up on Sram's CX1 1x11 cyclocross-specific group. It hinges on two technologies to minimize the potential for dropped-chains/chainslap. The CX1 clutch rear-derailleur keeps the chain in tension, while the wide-narrow single chainring resists lateral movement.

I am curious if there's any possibility to leverage the benefit of the clutch rear derailleur for chain stability, but still use a standard double-ring crankset?


texts: What is the best way to stop and restart at a stoplight?

texts: Since your feet should hardly touch the ground when the saddle is at optimal height, what is the best approach to stopping at a stoplight and then quickly re-starting when riding in traffic.


texts:
I want to make a plastic sleeve from a water bottle, for a classic cup and cone bottom bracket, to protect against moisture and impurities that may run down the seat tube.

How do I know the proper size I need to cut it to?
Is there a better material I can use, rather than a plastic bottle?


texts:
The marking on the existing tyre to replace is 44 622 /700x45c

On sites like https://www.schwalbe.com/en/groessenbezeichnung.html
44 622 corresponds to 700x42c and 47 622 corresponds to 700x45c , I am confused which number to trust and 44 622 also looks like rare tyre size as I can't seem to find any in UK.

Also how strict are these numbers +-1 size jump going to render me unable to put tyre on?


texts: How do i tighten the steering on this type of head?

texts:
I have acquired a bike (new), but from the shop (supermarket), the steering
seems to have no effect on the wheels, i thought it was a minor issue i could solve when i got home by tightening, but iv had no luck so far,,
, the bolts at the sides are for the handle bar, i tried turning the lock nut (discolored in the pics), but nothing is happening. Im now thinking of taking it to a repair shop, is this the right move?


texts: I have the carrera vulcan it has the Clarkes  exo hydraulic brakes.I what to swap the clarkes for better ones so will the Zee M640 fit my bike if not what other braks will fit my bike


texts:
I'm an adult that is new to biking due to a triple whammy of a childhood aversion to effort, my family moving to a town on the side of a mountain with steep roads, and my bike getting run over by a neighbor (I gave up riding around age 10).

I didn't buy another one until my wife got me involved riding with her.

I bought it from a guy on Craigslist.  He's had it in a storage unit for at least fifteen years, though possibly more.

The thumb shifters are unlabeled and don't have set stopping points for the gears. I can rotate the lever all the way around a 200 degree arc, the chain switches gears depending on where they're pointing.  They seem to have hints of rust on them.

The bike rides fine, though there is a slight grinding while pedaling unless I get the shifters just right, but as I can't tell where to stop them, this is difficult.

My wife loves to ride and I want to get better at it so we can enjoy it together, I'm just worried that my bike isn't safe.

What can I do to make sure it's safe and reliable?  I know nothing's been oiled or maintained for the previously mentioned time period or since I've bought it.

It's a KHS, so it could be as old as 36 years, but I really have no idea how old it is.

UPDATE -

I took a bunch of pictures.  I hope they can help you identify things better.
Sorry about how much scrolling is required!


texts:
Ski boots are notoriously difficult to fit. The fitters will advise to go one and often two sizes down from what would at first seem like a comfortable fit.
Do you find any performance advantages from wearing tighter clipless cycling shoes? The sizes on Shimano shoes seem to be one to two sizes too small from what one would expect. Is the reason for that that they are meant to fit (very) tight?
Update: socks
Companion question: What is the thickness of the socks you wear with cycling shoes? I imagine cotton is a bad idea in an intense (i.e. sweaty) workout. Polyester or wool are the only two options (moisture wicking, less hospitable to bacteria growth, etc). Wool would not help much with guarding against cooler temperatures, 1- because wool socks are usually so thick they'd require a different size of shoes, 2- because the shoes are ventilated and so the inflow of cool air will anyway negate the advantage of wool. Hence polyester is the only option.
Can you confirm in your answer that the thinking above is accurate, that cycling shoes are worn with polyester socks. These, I assume, would not modulate temperature. The socks one would wear would remain on the thin side. One would modulate the temperature by full leg covers (and shoe coats if/when necessary).
Briefly: Can you comment on the thickness of socks that one would typically wear during summer? Does it boil down to preference? Some people wear soccer shoes with extra thick socks and others with thinner socks. Does the same apply to clipless cycling shoes, or does everyone eventually find that thin or thick socks are the way to go?


texts: Why are brake ferrules longer than shift ferrules?

texts:
I'm having a lot of trouble finding short brake cable ferrules. The ones I've found are all long and tapered as in the picture below.

I don't understand the purpose of this design. The brake housing only fills half the ferrule, so the cable is effectively rigid for an extra centimeter. The housing is also loose because all the ferrules I have in this style (various brands) measure 5.2mm internally on the female side. The tapered end is loose in the cable stops on my bike and doesn't fit my mountain V-brake shifters.

What's the point? Why are the only short brake ferrules available the cheap crimp-style?


texts: What type of shoes should a commuter/road biker use?

texts:
I have a hybrid bike that I use for commuting (8k round trip to work). Currently, I wear low-backed converse shoes when biking.

I've been biking for about 5 months. After the first 2 months, I started getting Achilles tendon pain. I read about ankling and think that could be part of the problem. I'm also concerned it could be my shoes.

So, what type of shoes should a commuter/hybrid biker look into getting? I'm willing to spend about $100-$150.


texts: Shimano 10 - 11 system hub compatibility - MTB

texts: I have Shimano XT 11 speed compatible rear wheel (on Novatec hubs, the ones that came with Kona Process 134 DL 2016). Can I use Shimano 10 speed MTB system on this hub?


texts: Best brake pads for long distance travelling?

texts:
Me and a friend of mine are going on a long bike trip (which will take us a month) and we're finetuning our bikes for this.

We will be bringing about 14kg of luggage each, only riding on paved roads (with the occasional badly paved road). We leave here in Belgium, riding as far as we can in one month, towards Italy.

What would be the best type of brake pads for this purpose? I'm thinking of several aspects here:

Brake-safety, even when wet
noise
ease of mainenance
I wouldn't like too much wear on my new rims


texts: Renovating bike, are there addon to make the rims look thicker?

texts:
I have an older road bike and I am looking to renovate it. The rims on my wheels are pretty thin, and I very much like the look of deeper rim wheels. Can I produce this effect without buying new wheels completely, seeing as they are kind of expensive?

Also, I was thinking about painting my rims black as well. Would I just put two coats of black on it (right now they are original metal), or two coats of primer and then two black?

Same question on the actual frame of the bike, but first I have to take off the current color there, and am interested how to go about painting it.


texts: Performance difference between 700x28 vs 700x25 tires?

texts:
My bike originally came with 700x26c tires so I assume I can easily go to either 25 or 28

Actually the Shimano WH-R540 is 19mm which supposedly doesn't go below 28 but there is 25 on there now anyway and it seems to fit properly.

I assume 28 will be slightly more comfortable, especially at "only" 100psi vs the 125psi on the 25 (though that's max, so it could also be run at 100psi)

Is there any way to calculate the performance difference for the same brand of tires?

ie. Are we talking 0.5 mph loss or 1mph loss?

It looks like 28's also need their own width tube because the 25 tubes are not recommended to stretch that far, so I assume there is slightly extra weight there.


texts:
See this wheel. Can I put two freewheel cogs on it, instead of one freewheel and one fixed? (driving clock and anti clock, so both driving forward)
Then get this wheel onto front steel fork, by bending open a bit?
I haven't fully worked out the driving thing yet, so can't explain it.
Thanks


texts: Has the Kickr Core had multiple versions?

texts:
The Wahoo Kickr Core was released in 2018. The Kickr has had 5 generations so far. Has the Kickr Core had any new generations and if so, how does one identify the differences?
Like any new tech, the first versions have problems. I'm trying to avoid those when buying used. Alternatively, I'll buy new.


texts: Who has right of way at a staggered crossroad

texts:
I live in Manchester, United Kingdom.

I cycle to and from work everyday. On my route there is a staggered crossroad where I have to go straight on.

Above is the traffic lighted junction I have to navigate, I travel from Liverpool Road to Great Bridge Water Street and vice versa on the way to work.

If I'm the green arrow and a car turning right(North North East in the image) is the red arrow - who has right of way?

Tonight a White Fiesta (New Shape) (red arrow) Thought he would show me who was boss and swerved towards my bike (green arrow) intentionally because he must have thought I was in the wrong.

This isn't the first time someone has done this at this junction

I am quite shaken-up from the intimidation - is there anything I can do?

If I do have right of way - I am only really left with one option find a different route because drivers just don't get it, However if im wrong then how can I approach this junction correctly?


texts:
I work as a delivery man on a bicycle, so I often ride my bike after dark with a black pizza box attached. My rear light attaches to my seatpost, and is completely useless when the pizza box is there.

Are there any lights designed to attach to the pizza box, which has not many obvious features except for a clasp, or is there some good way of mounting a standard light to the box itself?


texts: Lower limit screw for derailleur adjustment is already at its outer limit

texts:
I have to adjust the gear shifting since the chain scratches at the front derailleur (at front smallest cog back largest cog). For this I have to turn the lower limit screw further out but it is already at its limit. What can I do to make the front derailleur screw adjustable again?
I have the Shimano GRX 810.


texts:
I want to replace the quill stem on my Roadbike with a Threadless head post.

The measurement shows about .8 inches.
Does a 1 inch adapter mean it is converting to a 1 inch diameter or does it mean the head post diameter should be 1 inch?


texts: Putting brakes from a fat frame onto a skinny frame

texts:
I took a bunch of parts off of a bike with a hybrid titanium/carbon frame (it died), and am using them to build up a bike from a sweet steel frame I got on ebay for a song. It's my first time building up a frame from scratch, and although it has been mostly smooth sailing so far, I recently ran into a major issue with the brake calipers.

As far as I can tell, due to the fact that the tubing on the steel frame is so much skinnier than the tubing on the titanium/carbon one, the pivot bolts on both of the calipers (the part that actually inserts into the frame) are too long, so that even when the nut is tightened all the way the calipers are still loose and flop around. Is there any way that I can work around this and still use those old calipers?


texts: where can find online a chainring with fittings like this?


texts:
I am thinking about changing out the worn suspension forks on my quite old Specialized Stumpjumper which has rim brakes. I found some forks online (RockShox 30 Silver TK Fork: 26") and some of the specs listed I don't understand...
 - Brake type: Post mount 160  ??
 - Axle to crown length:487  ??
 - Steerer tube length: 265  ??
Pretty sure it will fit, but want to be positve before I order...
Dan


texts:
I have a very old bike (circa 1996) with broken Shimano Altus 7 speed, hyperglide-c freehub. The freehub is freely rotating in both directions.
I had removed the cassette, but it seems that there is no way the freehub could be removed with allen wrench: there is nothing on the drive side and it seems like torx slots on the other.
Does it make sense to rebuild the free hub without removing from the wheel?
Does it make sense to take metal saw to cut part of the thing first and then unscrew the rest?
Update: I am considering this tool to disassemble and fix the freehub without removing it from the wheel.
Another update:
The view from the drive side
The view from the other side, the hole diameter is 12mm, it seems like there are some slots there but I am now sure whether I need 10 mm wrench or something else.


texts: Are deore 9 speed shifters compatible with Alivio & Altus derailleurs?

texts:
I have a 3x9 hybrid with an Alivo RD and Altus FD. The shifters are Altus. Can I upgrade my shifters to Deore M590 without changing my derailleurs?

I plan on changing my derailleurs in the future but don't want to do it all in one go to spread the cost.

I did look at the 105 flatbar shifters but then I would have to change everything and I don't think there is an upgrade "path" short of buying a new bike


texts: Less than perfect bike grease for bolts and pedals

texts:
I understand that a good grease for bike bolts is the Parktool grease.

The "gel squeeze threadlocker blue" pictured below is sold at my corner hardware store for curbside pick-up. Will this do to lock water out from pedals and shoe bolts? During this lockdown, I'm weary of placing yet another online order (and likely someone is worn out of packing and mailing).

Since grease inevitably stays in small amounts on one's fingers, not just on the bike's components, if you are in California and can confirm that this product manages to escape California's Proposition 65 warning, please do.

Related questions:

What type of grease to prevent seat post sticking?
Using Anti Seize in place of Grease
What substance do they use to grease bottom bracket, crank, pedal bolts etc?


texts: I recently purchased a boardman road bike and after 5 weeks as soon as you put effort into peddaling I am getting a squeaking noise from the bottom bracket, I took it back to halfords and they said it needs greasing every so often, is this an easy job to do and should I be doing at after only 5 weeks


texts: When starting to pedal, it takes half a rotation to "catch"

texts: While power pedaling on my mountain bike, when I coast for a second, it takes a half a circle on my crank to catch. Can anyone tell me the problem?


texts:
I need to transport a bicycle down a highway. It'll be a ten-minute drive. The bike won't fit inside the car, though. Is there any way to mount/tie the bike to it?
Context: I'm going to be taking a public bikeshare bicycle to a car rental place, and then I need to transport the bicycle to the nearest bike share station. So I can't modify either the bike or the car.


texts: New Chain causing skipping on cassette - will this work itself out or is it unsafe?

texts:
I just installed a new chain on my 2002 Trek 2200 Road Bike.  The old chain was a Shimano 9 speed that I installed 18 months and about 5000 miles ago.  It had stretched modestly and was full of winter cruft/grime.  The new chain is a SRAM 9 speed, my first time using the gold snap ring system.  I followed instructions and made sure I have the same link count as the chain that came off the bike.  The cassette was new with the old chain, so it has about 5000 miles on it and doesn't appear to have significant wear.  After installation and a clean/wipe/lube/wipe, I took it for a 15 mile easy ride at about 15-16 mph.  It shifts perfectly and I didn't have to make any adjustments to either derailleur.  Three times, however, when putting it under stain (once on a modest hill climb, once starting from a stop sign in a fairly big gear, and once on an acceleration coming out of a sharp turn) it skipped several teeth and caused my foot to slam down hard.  On the hill, it actually hurt as I had my weight off the saddle (not really standing) and I came down hard on the inside of my thigh.  I think all three were on the right side (power train side) pedal stroke, and I don't think they were all in the same gear.  I'm pretty sure it was the rear cassette that skipped, not the front chainring, but it did happen really fast each time.  I will also say that it's not like these were the only three times I put substantial pressure on the pedals in the ride - I wasn't going hard, but I wasn't being tentative or anything.  Also, in case it's relevant, it was cold, about 40 degrees F or about 4 degrees Centigrade.

My question:  Is this going to get me hurt, or will the new chain 'settle in' over a few rides?  I searched here and pretty much got confirmation of what I had previously thought, that you always get a new chain when you get a new cassette, but you should be able to get a few chains out of each cassette.  Thanks!


texts: Can a universal derailleur hanger be a suitable long term solution?

texts:
I've recently snapped my derailleur hanger for an old Apollo Raceline Peleton road bike. Have had no luck sourcing a replacement that fits, and neither have local bike shop.

Has anyone been in a similar situation and used a universal derailleur hanger to suffice?

Could something like this work? https://problemsolversbike.com/products/drivetrain/universal_-_21655


texts: Tiagra rear derailleur and Deore crankset + derailleur compatibility

texts:
I want to buy this bike:

http://en.author.eu/adventure/gravel-bike/author-ronin-2018-ua42901301-1154

For most time, I will be fine with the lowest gear being 34x34. However, occasionally I would like to use it for bikepacking. I used to do all my bikepacking trips with my mountain bike with the lowest gears 20 - front x 32 - rear and I always used this lowest gear on long climbs.

Will the shifting work fine, if I put mountain bike crankset and front derailleur instead of the Tiagra shifter and compact crankset? I want to know, whether I can modify the bike for these occasional trips and if having a spare crankset + derailleur is enough.


texts: Will an ACS 13T X 3/32 Crossfire freewheel fit an All-City Standard 130mm Hub?

texts: Will an ACS 13T X 3/32 Crossfire freewheel fit an All-City Standard 130mm fixed/free Hub?   I am attempting to setup a goldsprints setup using a very large front ring and a small rear freewheel. I'm not sure whether a freewheel this small will thread on to these hubs.


texts:
Team,

I recently acquired a Yuba Mundo cargo bike, which is wonderful, but I would like a little more storage room when I have passengers on the load space in back. It has these two mounting points for a front basket on the downtube and top tube.

Yuba sells a basket designed to work with this system, but I'm not entirely keen on it. Is this a standard system that other manufacturers make baskets for, or is this a Yuba proprietary system?


texts: How to properly calculate wheel diameter (rim+tire)?

texts:
Is it true that 26" rim actual diameter is 25.625"? How does tire size affect wheel diameter?
Is there any special formula to calculate wheel diameter?


texts: Where can I find the complete Tour de France routes?

texts:
I fear this may not be fully on topic as I'm looking for some map data.

I would like to get the routes for all the stages of Tour de France for a particular year, ideally on Google Maps/Earth. Here's what I've tried so far:

Le Tour - Tour de Fance Official website
Tour de France Manche - Stage 1,2 and 3
VeloWire - first Tour de France 2016 stages in Google Maps/Google Earth
2travel2 - Tour de France 2016
CyclingStage - Tour de France 2016 stages 1, 2, 13

Some of these have Google Maps routes which is great, but that covers about 4 stages out of 21. Is there an online resource that has the routes for the other stages ?

Google Maps/Earth would be nice, but even a text based list of locations through which the Tour de Frances passes (rather than just start-end locations) for the stages would be useful.


texts: my lower jockey wheel is a plastic affair 12tooth that has no bearings just a bushing. It gives a lot of friction and a lot of side to side movement. I wish to replace it with perhaps a metal one with sealed bearings but I can only find 11tooth and 13 tooth, would either of these work and which one??


texts: How should I mount a downtube shifter clamp that lacks a locating hole?

texts:
Usually, the band on downtube shifters has a hole that fits over a dimple on the tube, like this:

The band on this pair of downtube shifters lacks this hole:

I can't put them over the dimple; it would damage the band. Would you mount them above, or below it?


texts: Sturmey Archer three speed gear cable snapped quick fix?

texts: I am buying a very old bike with a snapped gear cable on a three speed Sturmey Archer set up. Before I replace the cable etc. I was thinking of riding it around for a while in 2nd gear. Is there a way I can lock off the gears in second easily? It's been a while since I had a go at any bike stuff!


texts:
I was using mild braking on a very hot day, a couple miles down the hill the back tire blew out the sidewall on a Continental Ultra Sport 700x23C inflated to around 100psi.

The rim was quite hot to the touch from braking. The tire is a few years old, but didn't show other obvious signs of coming apart or excessive wear.

I'm going to order a replacement tire. Are there certain tire options that would be more resistant to this? Other than that, what else can I do to avoid having to get a ride home in a car from the middle of nowhere?

Edit: added more pictures after taking tire off the rim with plastic tool:


texts: Safety Bike Tail Light with Directional Signals

texts:
I am a urban rider that I ride locally on a regular basis but I am always concerned about fighting with cars on the streets.

When I traveled aboard last year I ran into a manufacturer who has a tail lamp that has some unique safety features including:  1) Light-sensing hazard light that comes on when it detects dark surroundings (like going through a tunnel) ; 2) motion-sening break light that comes on when it detects deceleration ; 3) left/right/hazard signal lights that can be controlled by radio frequency using a control panel mounted to the handle bar.

This tail lamp I thought was perfect to tackle safety concerns of riding in the city streets.
I currently have one that I installed on my bike and I am thinking of importing this product into the country to try to offer other cyclist who may have the same safety concern I had.
However, this tail lamp is rather costly compared to what you can find on amazon or ebay these days.
Its MSRP is about $90 - $100 per.

So I am posting to seek opinion/advise if anyone think this tail lamp would be worth the investment before I decide to take the plunge to import bulk quantities.
Any advise is greatly appreciated.  Thank you.


texts: Looking for an old fashioned bicycle with coaster brakes & hand brakes for a woman

texts: I am looking for an old fashioned style bicycle. I had a bad accident on a new bicycle and I feel safer with with an old-style bike. I've never crashed before and I've been riding bicycles for over 40 years.


texts: How to fix ripped out ball joint in indirect under seat steering recumbent

texts:
There are two ball joints involved in the steering mechanism of my under seat steering recumbent.

One of them ripped out of its socket:

The dirty grey-green part inside the end of the bar is made of rubber and is supposed to hold the steel ball on the handlebar. The rubber part has the number "010-0000-017-008" on top and "12" on the bottom. The metal piece surrounding it has an "R" stamped in. According to a comment the same part is used for the self-leveling suspension adjustment of Mercedes 1999 E320.

Here you can see the intact mechanism:

And here an overview with the whole bike visible, just for better illustration of why that problem is even bicycle related. :)

I tried pushing it back on by hand, then using pliers but in vain. Possibly there are larger pliers which can apply more force, but I already applied quite a lot.

Just for the curious, how this happened: The part where the ball joint fastens to the handlebar can be moved along the handlebar. I moved it out, this means that small movements of the handlebar result in much larger movements of the fork, so the steering is more responsive and smaller curves are possible before the handlebar hits the thighs. This also means that there is nothing preventing the fork from turning more than 90 degrees especially when no thighs are preventing the handlebar from turning, for example when pushing the bicycle by the seat. That's what happened, the fork turned so much that because of the steering axis angle pushing forward resulted in a force turning the wheel even more, until the ball joint snapped and the front wheel pointed backwards.


texts: Hi all new here after a lot of searching, i was hoping maybe someone would be able to help me. Ive been trying to find out what frame i have. I bought a old steel frame from a car boot sale about 10 year ago, it had been painted badly with alot of rust. I have no idea why i got the frame but fancied a challenge project. Stripped it back and cleaned it up best i could, and found no identifying numbers or marks other than suntour on the dropouts and the one in the picture


texts:
I'm a little new to bike riding, I've only been a commuter for the past couple of years so maybe I'm only now observant of this sort of thing. So over the past few days I've noticed people commuting in what looks like stuff you would wear to the office. I literally saw a guy riding his bike in a shirt and tie today!

Granted it's still not too hot out, I live in Manitoba and lately it's been around 20-25, but has it suddenly become a thing to look like a fashion model while commuting to work or are the Humans around me just denim-wearing demigods who can't break a sweat? As for me, I'm usually wearing crappy t-shirt and a thin pair of shorts and I still sweat like a pig on my 8km commute to work.

I guess what I'm trying to ask is whether or not this is normal behavior, maybe I'm just out of shape?


texts:
My car broke down 2 weeks ago so I bought a used bike off offer up so I can commute to work 8.30 miles there and another 8 back (50 min ride) I bought a used Avalon and it worked fine for 2 weeks. The gears started to fail the chain would come off. A few days ago the front wheel started to wobble and today I got a flat. I am looking to purchase a bike and would love to hear your thoughts. I don't know what to get. I only have $200 to spend & I need it by tomorrow. I don't ride the bike on the street I ride it on the sidewalk but there are some areas where I have to ride it on grass/rocky dirt areas. I also have to tackle 3 hills.
P.s  I am. 5''4 and weight 230lbs


texts: Changing out suspension forks for non suspension forks

texts: My wife has a Marin Bobcat Trai with 'In-Sync 266' suspension forks. She is not convinced they help her in any way so I was wondering if it is possible to change them out for non suspension forks. We are planning a cycle tour that will involve very little, if any, off road trails.


texts: Can chain-slap cause damage to a chainstay that is beyond superficial?

texts:
Yesterday a coworker insisted electrical tape on his chainstay was necessary, as "[he] gets so much chain slap [he's] literally snapped frames".

Now there's a couple dubious aspects to this--but my question is simply: can chain slap result in structural damage?


texts: What are the main differences between road saddles and mountain saddles?

texts:
There are thousands of saddles out there. Some are designated as road saddles while others are mountain saddles. However, the marketing copy does not seem to describe the difference between the two types, even between two similar models (for example, Selle Italia seems to have an SLR for road bikes and an SLR XC for mountain bikes).

In general, what are the main differences between road saddles and mountain saddles? What, if any, are the potential downsides of using a road saddle off-road or a mountain saddle on pavement?


texts:
I reanimated an old city bike.

The front brakes work fine but the brakes squeaks. So I cleaned the rim and brakes, now the fork shakes on braking.

What is wrong and how can I fix this?
Change the brake pads?


texts: Is it possible to change the braking system from rim brakes to rotary. I want to replace them because I hate how after a while the pads wear out and I need to replace it so I think the rotary might be better. What would I need to do?


texts: I was trying to separate the pads on my hydraulic brake because it was rubbing, but I think I went too far. How do I bring it back? did it mess up the pressure some how?