texts:
Doing 75 km "Ride For Heart" in Toronto this Sunday on a closed highway.
Using Norco Cyclocross bike for it.
I've read online different advice for beginners, but was wondering if there is anything else the community can suggest.

Be polite and communicate intent with other riders
Cadence ~ 70-80 rpm
Drink/Eat a bit throughout the race not to reach the state of bonking and dehydration
Have fun :)

Am I missing anything important?

Update:
Thank you all for the advice. The ride went well and we finished in about 3.5 - 4 hours.  Avg Speed was ~20 km/h. Highest recorded - 37.5 km/h :)
I don't know how to pick the "approved" response because many people contributed very helpful info.


texts: Why don't BMX plugs fit on MTB riser bar?

texts:
In a previous question, I have been told that the grip diameter of a MTB riser bar is 22.2mm. From research I did, the grip diameter of BMX handlebars is also 22.2mm. In fact, it's possible to use BMX grips on MTB handlebars. I thought this would allow to use also BMX bar plugs on MTB riser bars. As I experienced first hand, this is not the case, see picture below.

Is that because the internal diameter of MTB bars is smaller than in BMX bars?


texts: Replacing Motobecane 500 HT derailleur hanger

texts: Can I just replace my rear derailer hanger in order to fix my derailer, is that an option?  It looks like it broke and it definitely is detachable.


texts: Suspension locks out in cold temperatures

texts:
I looked around a little, but I couldn't find the answer to my question on this site.
I have a Raleigh Tekoa 1, which is an entry level XC hardtail with an SR Suntour XCM30 fork.
Recently I've noticed that biking when it's chilly out somehow locks out the suspension. It seems anything under 60 °F (16 °C) temperatures makes the fork go rigid.
My best guess is that the springs inside the fork freeze a little, causing them to become stiff. All my life I've owned bikes with spring forks, but this has never been a problem for me.
Has anyone else experienced this problem, and if so, is there an easy fix for it? This is a fairly new bike (3 months), so I doubt that I need to replace the springs.


texts: Shift lever tight when cable clamped in derailleur, adjustments seem futile

texts:
I have a 2020 Giant Trance 2 I purchased new at the beginning of June 2020. Recently I had to replace my shifter cable (I broke a ferrule and the cable was fraying and very short, so I figured the best way out was to throw a new cable in to the system.) Prior to this, I have clamped my shifter cable into my derailleur and indexed with no real issues twice before. This time around I am having great difficulty shifting to lower gears only when my cable is clamped.
Observations / General Info

Shifter cable appears to be seated properly. https://imgur.com/a/iV0nsw5
I unhooked the cable and set the H-limit, manually set L-limit (as close as I could tell), and double checked the B-limit (same position it has been in, given the dust rings.)
I replaced the (new) shifter cable just to make sure something wasn't wrong with the cable. These are the shift cables I am using

Cable Unclamped
With the cable unclamped (so swinging freely but still through my outer), the shifter lever feels clean and responsive. Additionally, I can manually push the derailleur into all positions. Derailleur hanger looks fine.
Cable Clamped
With the cable clamped, shifting from the highest gear towards the lower gears starts to get difficult around gear 10 -> 9 / 9 -> 8 (so just a few clicks in.) I can get all the way up to gear 2 with progressing stiffness, and then the system is so tight I usually cannot push into gear 1.
If I start with the cable particularly loose, I can usually click to gear 1 if I really press the shifter lever, but the chain doesn't move. If I click back to gear 2, I'm often not able to click back to gear 1 again.

I keep reading online that either the cable tightness needs to be adjusted (I have tried varying degrees of slack- / tautness) or to replace the outers (which should still be fairly clean- they are only 2 months old and I shift with no resistance when unclamped.)
Does anyone have any suggestions? I can upload additioanl pictures if it sounds helpful.


texts: How does one remove a old French (Maillard) sprocket set from its freewheel?

texts:
I assume that the smallest sprocket functions as a lockring and has an outer thread that screws into a mating thread on the freewheel.

(I also assume that the other sprockets have inner threads that screw around another (left-hand?) thread on the freewheel, but perhaps that's not relevant.)

Am I correct that I need to rotate the smallest sprocket anti-clockwise against the second sprocket? I've tried, but don't want to apply excessive force if that's not the right way.


texts: What freewheel mechanism designs are used in bicycles?

texts:
What are the various freehub mechanism designs that have been designed and or put into production? (doesn't need to have been made necessarily!)

A good post will contain:

A description of the design, ideally with images or technical drawings
Companies that have used the design or who created it
Advantages and disadvantages
Original design/incremental improvements that have occurred

Designs known so far (those with a post are linked):

Standard Pawl and Ratchet (and variants)
Star Ratchet (DT Swiss/Chris King)
Sprag Clutch (Onyx)
Roller bearing clutch (true precision stealth, shimano silent)
'Cam plate design' (American Classic) possibly a combination of pawl/ratchet and star ratchet.

I'll be going through and trying to fill in for designs that I know of, but feel free to post an answer if I haven't already. Also feel free to post an answer for a design not listed here! And provide additional info for already posted designs!


texts: Do spoke nipples come in one standard body size for the gauge?

texts:
The descriptions for spoke nipples focus on the spoke diameter (or gauge) compatibility as well as the overall length of the nipple but not really anything about the round part between the head and the square part which sits in the hole of a rim.

 ________
(________)   <-- head
  (    )
  (    )     <-- round part
   |  |
   |__|      <-- square part

    ||       <-- gauge
    ||

Do the nipples come with a standard body diameter for a particular gauge or is it possible to find slimmer or fatter bodies?


texts:
I have an old Trek from the early 80's, the serial number says its either a 610, 613, or 614. A lot of the parts are getting old and I'd like to replace a lot of them.

One part that I an not sure on sizing is the rear derailleur and cassette. It currently has a Sun Tour Vx derailleur with friction shifters on a 6-speed 14-30 cassette. I'd like to replace the wheels and cassette, but not the derailleur as it functions well and is still in good condition.

My question is whether the current derailleur, with some adjustment, would work with a a 7 or 8 speed cassette.

I would buy 700c wheels with a Shimano/SRAM freewheel and a cassette to match, I'm thinking an 11-28 or something similar since I'd like some harder options.

I will be replacing the chain and bottom bracket at the same time along with an identical (but not so worn) front chainring.

Is there anything else I should be aware of in terms of compatibility?

Thanks for the help!


texts: Road bike: can't shift down on front gears

texts:
I only have two chainrings on the crank. The chain is stuck on the big one. When I hit the button on the shifter to shift down I am not seeing the cable move at all which is odd.
Not sure where to start, I can take pictures if I need to. The bike is pretty old and has been through a lot of abuse to be fair. With California closing indoor things again today I am looking to fix this myself instead of at the local bike shop.
Pictures


texts: Can the back axle be replaced without removing the gear cassette?

texts:
I'm about to replace a back axle for the first time, and I'm confused about whether I need to remove the cassette to do this properly. This is relevant because I don't have the tools to remove the cassette, so I'm wondering should I hold off on the job until I have those tools.

Here's the issue. My back wheel uses a cup and cone bearing system. I understand how tightening the cone works and I have all the tools, but the problem is that when the axle is inserted the cassette side cone is concealed by the cassette, and so it can't be tightened when the axle is in.

My idea for getting around this is to fix the cassette side cone on the axle using the associated nut while the axle is out, then put the axle in the hub, and then tighten the other cone and nut to finish the install. Is this reasonable?

(Sorry if this is a stupid newbie question, but neither my Zinn book nor the online articles and videos discuss the relationship between installing the axle and the cassette.)


texts: New road bike comes with cryptic tag on the brake/shift lever

texts:
I just got myself a B'twin Triban 500; this is my first road bike, and my second bike overall, so it's fair to assume I'm as newbie as can be.

The brake levers came with the following sticker, and I'm very intrigued by their meaning — especially since the brakes are a little out of reach from my ridiculously tiny hands, and this may be vaguely related.


texts: The smallest size spoke wrench I can find is 15(.127" / 3.23mm) and it's too big. Where can I find one that fits?

texts: I purchased a spoke wrench with sizes from 10 (biggest) to 15(smallest).  15 is just small enough to round out the nipples on my wheel, but not small enough to actually turn them, so I surmise that I need one size smaller, however I can't seem to find any sizes below 15.  How can I obtain a wrench that I can actually use on my spokes?


texts: How to change chainrings on this Tiagra crankset?

texts: I want to switch to 46/30 but don't know how to begin. The crankset is Shimano Tiagra FC-4700, 50x34T, 170mm


texts:
I'm currently in Finland, I got a bit of cash and I want to buy a bicycle because the one I had blew up and it wasn't exactly mine anyway; now I have never in my life bought a bicycle, or anything similar, I don't know brands or anything.

My question is, should I buy a new one or an used better one? which one? I plan to use to commute everywhere, most way are streets, some other ways are dirt pathways, sometimes both are covered by ice, sometimes snow, and sometimes an insane amount of small rocks. That's why the previous one got completely wrecked.

Any advice?

========

Most of the sidewalk has this texture

that's to avoid people falling when there's a layer of ice. Sometimes it is completely covered by ice    very slippery, and machines remove snow from the ways you use to commute and travel so 5 cm of snow is the most even if everything else is covered on a meter of snow; a lot of people don't use bikes on winter, but I'm crazy so... but anyway it's the little rocks that represent a problem, some of them are pointy.

My budget, it's hard to explain, I have around 500 to 1000 eur to say, biking has been my primary transport mechanism after walking, so I want something that resists; however I'm worried what would I do if I have to leave the country.


texts: What kind of jersey for summer heat and sun?

texts:
With summer on its way, I'm looking for kit that I can wear in the summer to keep myself cool.  My typical routes don't have a lot of shade. What should I be looking for?  I know I am going to want a full-length zip, but what else?

Are there jerseys that are designed for this?
What about types and colors of fabric?
Is it better to wear long sleeves to keep the sun off, or short to allow sweating?


texts: Is it possible to put a chain on without removing the rear wheel?

texts:
I have a bike with a single chainring up front and an internal hub and a coaster brake in the rear. (For those unfamiliar with this setup, it's essentially like having a single-speed bike in that the chain is exactly as long as need be, and tension on the chain is adjusted by moving the rear wheel in the rear dropouts before tightening it.)

My preferred procedure for cleaning the drivetrain is to completely remove the chain. The obvious way to do this would be to loosen the rear wheel in the rear fork and take the chain off. (Remember, no rear deraileur and no chain tensioner.) However, rear wheel placement with an internal hub can be tricky.

If I were to install a chain with a master link,  would I be able to remove the chain without loosening the rear wheel, or would the tension on the chain make this operation difficult?


texts: How difficult is the switch from flat to drop bar?

texts:
I've ridden with flat bars for more than 10 years, both freeride and commuting. Now I'm considering switching to a road bike with a drop bar for commuting.

I went to a shop and tried a couple of such bikes, and the feeling was awful: a very bent neck and lack of control, esp. in changing the grip to brake. My question is: (1) what are the typical problems (or striking novelties) in moving to a drop bar, and (2) what can be done to alleviate them?

Some problems are highlighted in these useful discussions: neck, and wrists 1, 2. Is may seem that one should better not consider switching from flat to drop without a professional fitting (with an exception of this answer).


texts: Do half link chains work on any bike and what is their purpose?

texts:
Do half link chains work on any bike?

What is the purpose of a half link chain?

I've noticed that only BMXers and DJers use them, and that leads me to believe  there is a technical reason behind that.


texts: Change chainring on Canyon Inflite CF SL7

texts:
Currently bike has a 40T SRAM quarq crankset (direct mount)

Is it possible if I install a different brand's crank, since I need to install 48T chainring which I'm not able to find.


texts: Alternatives for front shifting for small hands

texts:
I'm looking into a hopefully short-term solution for my daughter's small hands for shifting the left/front. Current setup is Shimano Sora with triple on the front. She can shift the right side fine, it's just the front/left. We've already had the shop add the shims to bring the shifter levers closer to the bars, but that's not really the problem. The problem is that her hands are to small/weak to overcome the resistance of the derailleur spring (going from smaller chainrings -> larger...going large to small is no problem).

I'm trying to avoid changing out the whole drivetrain, and I want to retain as much of the existing gearing that she has.

Ideas I had:

SRAM double-tap. Probably not viable as I believe it is double-only, and I think I would also need to use a SRAM front derailleur as well since the cable pull ratio is different.
Shimano TT bar-end shifter. Not sure these are available for triple?
Downtube shifter(s). Not sure about this one as the frame has an oversized downtube and no standoffs for shifter mounting.


texts: What exactly happened to my rear derailleur?

texts:
I had installed my front derailleur and was adjusting the high/low when I noticed my rear derailleur was hitting the spokes of my wheel. Suddenly, I saw a screw pop out and then my derailleur popped into a very contorted position and I had to take it off.

The below photo shows the underside of the derailleur ( Sram x-3) to the right of the place where it connects to the frame is the broken plastic where the screw came from.

What happened, and what does this screw do? Exactly how did I break my bike.


texts: Replacing Giant Defy 4 2013 alloy steerer fork with Giant carbon steerer fork

texts:
I am planning on making the above replacement.

The original fork is the composite fork with alloy steerer, however the replacement (from Giant) has a carbon steerer. Can I still use the same original headset?


texts: Is it possible to use a tailgate pad and hitch mount rack at the same time?

texts: I'd like to carry up to 5 or 6 mountain bikes on my truck. I have a hitch mount rack for 2, but need to find a way to carry at least 3 more bikes to take the whole family biking. Does anyone have experience using both and tailgate pad, and a hitch mount rack at the same time? I'm not sure if it will fit or not, and would like to have some more confidence that it will work before I buy one. That way hopefully I won't have to go through a painful return process if the experiment is a failure.


texts: Jumping - What happens if you pull your back/front brake in the air?

texts:
What happens if you pull your back brake in mid air?

What happens if you pull your front brake in mid air?

Does your bike go lean forward or backward?

Someone told me you can use these techniques to control your jump.


texts:
Is there a clear technical definition for a recumbent? Is it the position of the knee in relation to the crank? The presence or absence of a back rest?

There seems to be a fine line between, for example, stretch cruisers and recumbents:


texts: How to properly clean and lube the bearings on a sram apex bottom bracket (GXP)?

texts:
For this bottom bracket type I am not sure you can take the bearings out to lube them. How do I get grease in there. Also how do I get the old grease out? Does it even matter?

I found this video (External Bottom Bracket Cup Bearing Removal) where someone removes the bottom bracket bearing cup, but they never showed the bearings.


texts: Why do racing cyclists wobble when furiously pedalling?

texts:
In all pro-cycling races, they start wobbling towards the finish line instead of biking steadily (e.g., in this video: http://youtu.be/wJE69beIIoI). Why do they do that?

Note: I have no experience with racing or a bike with handles curved to the front, so maybe a stupid question.


texts: Recommendation for panniers used off the bike a lot

texts: I'm looking for panniers. I mostly just potter around town, and am not planning any cycle touring so my main criteria is that the panniers should be easy to carry around off the bike. Built in rucksack straps or a shoulder/cross-body strap would be good. Just a carry handle would not be enough for me.


texts: How much side-to-side foot movement is possible in Crankbrothers clipless pedals?

texts:
To be 100% clear I am not asking about rotating the foot, but moving side to side along pedal axis.

The Crankbrothers cleat web page states there is -2/+2mm adjustment but this, as I understand it, refers to mounting/fixing the cleat (similar to SPD).

But I am interested how much movement is possible after the cleat is fixed, one is clipped in to the pedal. And I am asking because I would like to compare Crankbrothers (Candy 1 in my case) to Time ATAC pedals which are  supposed to provide 5 mm side to side movement (I hope this at least is accurate because I already learned that offset given for Time MX4 pedals is wrong).


texts: I'm looking for options for carrying 2 children on the back

texts:
I'm looking at the Yuba Mundo with 2 Bobike Junior seats to carry my 4 and 6 year old children.

First, does anybody know if those seats will mount on a Mundo?

Second, I'm open to all other recommendations, but would like to keep the cost under $2k, so I think that rules out the WorkCycles Fr8 and any bakfiets.  (I've got a Mundo dealer here in Chicago but would consider having a bike shipped).

thanks!


texts:
4 months I asked this question when I changed my chain:
What can be done wrong changing the chain in a single speed? and the solution was to change the freewheel cog.

I decided to "invest" in the not cheapest model. I just found two possibilities the halo clickster for around 50€ and the white industries for around 120€, or the same I had some kind of no brand for 20€.

I decided to get the mid range halo clickster. Well after just 3 months and around 3000km I decided as maintenance that it was time to change the chain. So I put the new chain and I get the same kind of noise.

Is it normal that it is already worn out? Does it make sense to pay more for just a little amount of km?

This is how it looks:

And this is how it sounds, just when I give it some power.
https://streamable.com/hfqlp
The tension from the chain is not high, i can move it in both directions at least 2cm.


texts: Can I use an "8 speed compatible" crank such as Shimano FC-2303 with a 7 speed Shimano MF-HG37 freewheel?

texts:
I have a 2004 Giant Cypress I use for commuting, and the entire drivetrain is very worn out (shark teeth and chipped teeth, front and back).  I need to replace the Shimano MF-TZ20 7-speed (14-34t) freewheel, chain (I know to enough to always replace the chain when replacing the freewheel!), and Shimano M131 (48/38/28t) crankset (not just the chain rings, unfortunately, because they're riveted on this cheap crankset)-:

I have a very flat commute and would like a taller top gear, so I'm thinking of using an MF-HG37 (13-28t) freewheel in back (since I never need the 34 rear gear on my ride anyway), and that seems like a straightforward substitution.

What I'm really wondering about is whether I can increase my top gear further by using a crankset such as the FC-2303 (52/40/30).  Shimano says it is "8 speed compatible", and I know 8 speed chains are the same width as 7 speed chains, so it seems like it should be OK.  Can anybody set me straight for sure?

Thanks.


texts: 27" x 1 1/4" back flip flop wheel or track wheel(rear)

texts:
I'm looking for a good wheel, I don't know much about brands and what's reputable.  I'm replacing my back wheel because it's a suicide hub set up by a local bike shop(cheap short term fix)

I'm wanting to replace my back wheel without having to replace my tire and innertube so I need to match the current size.  any advice, or links to a wheel to buy will be very appreciated.

Current tyre size is 32-630.


texts: I have recently purchased a hybrid bike with suspension (not sure if that is relevant to this question). It came with two pieces of plastic. Any ideas what they may be for?


texts: Why does my back tyre wear so much more quickly than the front?

texts:
Identical tyres, identical rims, minimal braking on the back wheel, no skids, properly inflated at least once a fortnight to manufacturer's recommended pressure.

Why does the back one wear out more quickerly than the front?


texts: What bike for a long distance tour. What to change on current set up?

texts:
This is my current set up. I am thinking of upgrading and changing some parts. Particularly I am interested in making the overall bike lighter, and the ride more comfortable.

Steel frame (kona explosif)
26 inch wheels (Sun Rhynolyte).
disc brakes (Magura Louise).
Chris King Headset.
XT disc hubs.
FSA X-Drive cross country cranks.
XTR rear mech.
SRAM 8 speed chain.
Shimano 8 speed XT shifters.
Extrawheel trailer.
Carradice panniers.
Tubus logo pannier rack.
Schwalbe Marathon XR tyres

Schwalbe Marathon tyres

Components I am thinking of adding

Butterfly handlebars.
Bottom bracket: alternative to SKF (like Phil Wood).
Thinner wheels (and tyres).
Try out different brands of clip-in pedals like egg beaters, or 'Time' pedals instead of the Shimano SPDs.


texts: How to I make my rim brakes stop making loud ugly noises ?

texts: I just bought a new bike today, and I took it out for a test ride and the brakes just make a super ugly and loud noise when I use them, my brother says I just have to break them in , but some of my friends say I have to get new brakes ? Anyone help


texts: Method to detach a kickstand bracket stuck to bike frame?

texts:
I installed a third-party kickstand on my bike when I first got it. It's seen lots of riding, rain and now a winter.

I upgraded to a dual-leg kickstand for better balance when loaded down with utility runs. Bit after removing the kickstand bolt, I discovered the kickstand bracket was stuck to the frame.

After a could of gentle whacks I decided to educate myself a bit more before I broke something I'd regret. Any suggestions on how to break the pieces apart as cleanly as possible so I can install the new kickstand?

I only have a basic set of tools and no real workshop (but I do have a work stand). If it's anything advanced I'll head to the LBS and see what they suggest. Thought I'd try my hand at it first.


texts: Need help with identification. If anyone knows what kind of bike has the rear fender built in to the frame, that might help.


texts: What should I use, VeloPlugs, Rim Tape, or Rubber Rim Strips in new wheels?

texts:
I'm building two new sets of mountain bike 26" wheels, and I'm wondering what to go with. Both are double walled rims, so in addition to the standard rim tape and strips, I can use a product like VeloPlugs.
Here's my current understanding:
VeloPlugs
VeloPlugs http://www.radfahren.de/typo3temp/pics/2378aa8792.jpg

Most expensive ($7 / wheel)
Reusable
Lightest (~5g)
Double Walled Rims only
Have to measure spoke holes in double wall (8mm vs 8.5-9.3mm)
May lose them when changing tubes, so carry extras on rides

Rim Strips

Mid-range price ($4 / wheel)
Reusable

Rim Tape

Cheapest (~$3 / wheel)
Won't slide around like Rim Strips
Weight (~20g)
Glue may prevent nipples from loosening in single walled rims
Won't slide around on rim
Most common / available

What are other points or guiding factors in selecting which to use?  I'm not concerned with price and availability, I'll wait/pay for the best option. I'm leaning toward VeloPlugs for dual walled rims and rim tape for single walled.
Furthermore, if anyone has used VeloPlugs before, how do you find the diameter of the spoke holes when the rim manufacturers doesn't publish it? Just wait until the rims are in hand and measure with a caliper?


texts: What power adapter to use for the Cybex 700 stationary bike?

texts:
An old Cybex 700 stationary bike stopped being useful as the control panel doesn't turn on.
There is a power socket but I don't know what power adapter to use: the user manual doesn't say, nothing I tried fits. What could be a compatible power plug?


texts: Not enough space between front mounted child bike seat and rider

texts:
I ride a city bike. We recently switched from using a trailer to a front bike seat for transporting our son:

Unfortunately, the back of the child seat (Yepp Mini) does not leave much space for me to mount/unmount comfortably. We also considered the bobike seat, but I think I'll face the same problem.

Is there a way I can use a front bike seat without buying a new bike? I am not so tall, so there are not many bikes that suit me.

We live in the Netherlands.


texts:
My bike came with an 80mm travel fork. I haven't found any 80mm fork online; the lowest travel is 100mm. I asked the support team if I can install a 100mm fork in it and they said it would void the warranty since it's beyond the 10% allowable travel increase. I looked around and found out that going beyond the travel the bike came with would put strain in the head tube and change the bike's geometry.

That being said, are there any good 80mm travel forks out there that won't change the stack height, bb drop, and the head tube angle?

EDIT:
Following Klaster's answer, I found this neat little listing from rockshox. It lists the 30gold with 100mm travel as 473mm length and the sektor with 80mm as 474 length. According to the specialized page, my current fork length is 475mm (I assume this is the same is ATC). This means that either of those two won't change the geometry of the bike.


texts: How can I keep improving after my first 30km ride?

texts:
I'm a 17 year old girl. I started riding in November, and I don't know how to keep improving—I'm a bit lost. So I will describe my journey up until now and maybe you can help me.
One day my friend invited me to ride to a park. It was 10km, and it was awful. After not even 3km, I wanted to throw away the bike and grab an Uber. When I got home, my dad explained me that I had flat tires, so I guess it was a combination of being extremely unfit and that my bike was not in proper condition.
After that, I kept doing 4km (at about 17 km per hour) 5 times a week. Those rides were tiring but not impossible. Eventually they crept up to 8km (by accident: I would ride while shopping). Then I got interested in trying that 10km to the park again. I did it with my dad, and it was surprisingly easy. (We were going about 15km per hour.)
So I started doing 10km, but on a route without cars, so I could see how fast I could go and if I could maintain the speed. I did that during all December (at about 18 km per hour). It felt great. Sometimes I ran out of breath, but I could maintain it. (I also have chronic sinusitis, so I figured that is mainly the problem.) On December 31, I decided to do 20km. I did them in a bit less than an hour. I was tired after, but I did not struggle that much. I was extremely happy after.
Yesterday on January 7th (a week later) my boyfriend asked me to do 30km with him. I agreed because if I could do the 20km going "fast," then I could do more if I kept my energy and went "slow."
Here's the problem: he and his friends are VERY fit. I could keep up for the first maybe 14km, but after a 30 meter hill I was kind of exhausted. Then we slowed down and I completed the trip but very slow. The last 16km took us 1 hour (when I had done 20km in less than an hour before). I'm proud that I could do it, but now I'm a bit sore, and won't recover or be able to ride again for about a week at least. So I think that maybe I wasn't ready to ride that much.
What do you think? What should I do now? I don't know how much and how often I should ride between 10km and 30km to reach my goal: riding the 30km faster on a stable speed.
Also, here's a picture of my bike. It's a Halley classic 4x4 and has 18 speeds. It's very cheap, and comparing it to my friend's (that are much more professional mountain bikes) it feels like crap. But I wanted to be more fit before buying one.


texts: What accommodations might be made for riding a frame 4'' too large?

texts:
I have been offered possession of a very old and interesting bicycle, made in 1933. It appears to be in quite good condition, and has a lot of interesting history. However, it features a 26'' frame, which is rather large for 6'0'' me. In fact, I usually ride a 22'' frame.

Because of the era of production, the length of the bike is actually fine, and it's just the hight that is off. I'm wondering what sort of things I might do to mitigate this, as part of a larger restoration project.

The only one that occurs so far is to perhaps reduce the wheel size to 26''. Naturally this could cause problems with the brakes, but I can see several ways around that.

What other things might be done?


texts: Which option; cx bike or mtb and road bike?

texts:
I've done my research and i've narrowed it down to 2 options for me

Option 1: buy a low-end cyclocross bike for $1200
or
Option 2: buy a low-end road bike for $800 and a low-end mountain bike for $400

My budget is $1200
I want a bike that will allow to me ride on the road and on the rough trails.
Please don't suggest a touring or hybrid bike because i don't want the relaxed geometry. I want to go fast.
I'll be using these bikes for fitness and fun, not for commuting.
So which option would be better for me?
Would a low-end road bike be better on the road than the low-end cyclocross?
And would a low-end mountain bike be better on the trails than the low-end cyclocross bike?

Thank you for your input


texts:
Has anyone else had issues with bent (slow deformation over time) metal rails on the saddles they have used? I previously had three or four saddles that all ended up tilted over to one side and accordingly less comfortable than when they were new.  I have since switched to only carbon railed saddles and have not had any issues.  However, I am now wondering if it might have been a brand issue (I can't recall if the set of saddles in question was all from one manufacturer or not, but it's a possibility) or this has occurred with other riders.

The head mechanic at my shop claimed it was "just me" and I do have an ugly stroke, but I am wondering if others out there have experienced this or if I should have been blaming the manufacturer.


texts: Fixing a flat - how to find the piercing object?

texts:
Just had a flat and having problems finding the thing that pierced the tube in the tire. Normally I just run my fingers around in it, until I found it, but this time everything looks O.K.

My experience is though, if you do not find the object, another flat will happen soon ...

I know the trick with searching for the puncture on the tire in the same space where the hole is on the tube. I even flipped the tire so that the pattern is inside, but nothing to be found.

It's a mountain bike tire, and the hole in the tube is very tiny.


texts: Where can I get a replacement drawbar for a bike trailer?

texts:
I've bought a trailer second-hand (it's really two trailers welded together - quite original) and I don't know what brand it is. Eventually, after several years the drawbar simply broke.

This is the broken drawbar and the part that attaches to the trailer:

This is the part that attaches to the bike:

Can anyone recommend somewhere I could buy similar parts?


texts: Has anyone tested max tire width on a Trek Crockett (2019 frameset)? Wondering specifically if I can fit 45mm tires on 19mm inner width rims.


texts: What is the working mechanism of Shimano Power Modulator?

texts:
How does the Shimano Power Modulator works?
Since there are at least 3 power modulators from Shimano, I refer to the SM-PM40, a little cylinder that runs on the front brake cable.
I never had the chance to open one ... I actually never tried one.


texts: How to use a stirrup pump on kids bikes - no space for chuck?

texts:
My last bike experience was about 56 years ago. I now want to inflate the tyres of my grandchildren's bikes. I have a steel stirrup pump (floor pump) with presta and schrader orifices in the chuck. I'm in the UK, where everything seems to be schrader. I'm assuming the schrader orifice is the hole without a poppet.

Problem:  the chuck is too big to enable the lever to be extended when connecting to the valve on the wheel. (For an adult bike, the lever in the neutral position would be at right-angles to the valve. In the working position, it would be inline with the valve.)

Question:  I read about "flexible extenders" in relation to kids' bikes. (In the old days, this thing lived inside the handle of a straight pump.) I'm wondering if a schrader flexible extender would do job? For example:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/HalfordsProductDetailsLiteView?addToBasket=true&addToBasketSource=1&cmTagValue=8&storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10151&categoryId=273923&productId=922475&TB_C_ID=productdetails&width=830&height=440&dialogType=AJAX&dialogTitle=Halfords+Schrader+Bike+Pump+Adaptor&openedFrom=Browse+PDP

If the above monster link fails, this link might work:

https://bit.ly/2EW7b4P

If the answer to my question is "yes", do I simply push the left-hand end shown in the link into the schrader hole in the chuck, and extend the lever?


texts: How to convert a multi-speed bike to single-speed with coaster brake?

texts:
Now I don't want to take all the credit for this bike, but I'm pretty sure Trek must've lovingly had me in mind when they made this. I mean come on. This bike is awesome. Buying their beach cruiser was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Now I've got my eye on this puppy.

So speaking of the beach cruiser, I really liked that it braked when you pedaled backward. I also liked the single gear splendor. I'd rather be climbing in a single gear at 3mph than zooming past all the ladies in top gear. More time to ask them whether you're supposed to floss before or after you brush. Just kidding. But seriously. The answer is after.

Back on point, can you modify a bike to be single gear and do that backward pedal brake thing? Think Trek would do this for me if I requested it with my order? How hard is it going to be to custom mod my rig with tools and stuff?


texts: Can I upgrade my Specialized Epic Comp 29er 2x10 to a 1x11?

texts:
I have a 2016 Specialized Epic comp 29er mountain bike that has a 2x10 drive train. I’d like to upgrade to a 1x11 (instead of a 1x10 wide ratio) drivetrain to drop the front derailer and also make room for an internal dropper post routing.

I see complete kits for both SRAM or Shimano with what appear to be all the parts:
crankset and single cog for the front
New 11 gear cassette
New rear derailer
New gear changing switch + cable
new chain

I’m nervous to drop the coin on a new set to find out it won’t fit? how do I know:
1) if my Specialized hi Lo hub is big enough to receive the 11 gear cassette?
2) that my frame is the right size to fit this?
3) is there something else I haven considered?


texts:
My height is 5'9", leg Inseam is 32". My bike frame size is 52cm, is it the right size?
If it not then is there a possibility to get injured?
I have no option left. I already purchased the bike.


texts:
I am going to buy a new chain for my bike, and read the answers for this question: Is the durability of more expensive chains better than cheaper ones?

The accepted answer said, that there is no difference between inexpensive and expensive chains.

Then I googled and found this post where the author says, that Shimano chains are bad, and KMC - good. There is a difference in price:

Cheap Chinese chain 116 links - $9.54 + free shipping
KMC X9 chain 112 links - $14.89 + $4.04 shipping = $18.93
KMC X9 chain 116 links - $27.46 + $7.37 shipping = $34.83

Questions:

Can I trust to the post author, suggesting to buy KMC chains?
Why the 2-nd chain has only 112 link, while normally there are 116 for a 9 speed bike? I counted number of links in my current chain, and there are 104.
Is the 3-rd chain better then the 2-nd? Seems to be the same model.


texts: How to prevent the quick-release pin on the Tektro drop brake lever from rattling?

texts:
Tektro RL-340 brake levers have a quick release mechanism that, when pushed in, will lengthen the cable to allow to easily disengage the brake from the wheel/disc without needing to deflate the tire.

It's not a big deal, in fact, it's nothing bad, just a little annoying and interesting:

When the brakes pressed when riding, the pin rattles — is there any way to stop that?

Has anyone disassembled the levers before?


texts:
Rather than resort to radical gears such as a very small granny chainring (such as 20T) and a very large rear cog (40T), both of which can cause some problems for derailleurs as well as other problems (such as chain tension issues), why don't they just have more reasonable gears and have a 2 speed internal hub gear to basically give you 2 ranges of however many speeds you have?

For example, suppose you have a 2x10 setup but the lowest gear is nowhere near low enough for steep hill climbs.  Perhaps it is 20 gear inches.  Instead of tweaking the cassette for a lower gear, it would be nice if there was an internal hub gear that would reduce everything by 50%.  Then your new lowest gear would be 10 gear inches which would let you climb just about anything (at very low speed) but the point is then you wouldn't have to use the lowest gear cuz everything would be lower and you could select the proper gear (perhaps 3rd for 4th gear for example).

I would think a small 2 speed internal hub wouldn't add much weight and the dual range of gears would be very useful.  The higher range of the internal hub would just be a direct drive so it could be considered 1 speed internal hub but with a lockup (direct) high range.


texts: How to convince fellow cyclists to follow the rules, like stopping at red lights?

texts:
I'm basically a year-round cyclist in Toronto, Canada. The popularity of bicycling as a form of transportation and commuting here has been growing over the past few years, and I'm generally happy people doing things to encourage the practice.

However, on my travels I often see cyclists blowing through red lights, at both minor and major intersections. I also see cyclists blowing past the open doors of the streetcars/trams that we have in Toronto: by law vehicles (which bicycles are) must stop 3m/10' behind them. I mention this as I have a friend to got hit by a bike when getting of a tram and ended up with a broken arm, and often see close calls.

Personally I don't see the point in breaking the rules, as the light is going to change in 30 seconds anyway (I usually end up catching up with these folks a few blocks down the road). One of my concerns is that by acting this way they "ruin" the reputation of more reasonable cyclists, and give the activity a bad name.

There are also the folks who ride the wrong way one one-way streets, even though there's another street going that direction a few tens of metres down the road (the blocks are fairly close together in the urban parts of Toronto--basically a grid). These may seem like small things, but it gives a certain perception of cyclists that is not entirely positive.

Does anyone have an effective strategy for convincing these folks to obey the rules? Is it worth approaching them and talking to them at all?

(This is assuming that they're reasonable people, i.e., people who listen to reason and logic.)


texts: Why does my bike left gear shift have more than 3 combinations?

texts:
I just bought a new bicycle and I just read and watched some videos of how mountain bike gears work.

I noticed that the bike is a triple but the left gear shifter has more combinations than 3 (like the ones I saw in the videos). If I am not mistaken, there are the same amount of combinations as there are on the right gear shifter (something like 8).

Can someone explain how this works?

Thanks.


texts: This question is just one of curiosity. I have a hard time visualizing this. How do internal hubs work? Does anyone have a cross cut image that is easy to understand?


texts:
I'm new to the sport of cycling, although I have been biking as transportation for a few years. I'm a poor college student in possession of a hybrid bike, a Mongoose Crossway. I went into a local bikeshop and tried out the Trek Domane and was amazed by the feeling, which was like flying. I would love to bike something like the Seattle to Portland. Mostly I would like a bike with drop down handles and decent gears to help climb up hills.

My Dad (an immigrant from Europe) biked as his main source of transportation until his late twenties. When he was my age, a cyclist friend gave him a racing training bike (aluminum or possibly steel), which he used for all his practical and recreational purposes. He's adamant that I should have a similar experience.

He has offered my monetary assistance on two conditions.

1.) A road bike that is a 'racing bike'. He refuses to fund any sort of 'touring bike', such as the Trek 520.

2.) The bike must have fenders and a rack.

Having some trouble finding a racing bike with fenders and a rack. So far a bike I have found that matches the requirements is the Jamis Xenith Endura Elite Di2, but since I am new to the sport any guidance would be greatly appreciated!


texts:
I am curious if there are any empirical experiments, or theoretical computational results, comparing the "footprint" size of the various fatbike/29er/mountain bike tires?

There are lots of claims about how this tire can get through that material better than this tire.  But, at the end of the day, the reason for these differences is the size of the tire makes with the surface of the road/trail/snow/mud/sand.

I get that these things change with tire pressure as well, so feel free to add that as a variable.   I weigh 180 pounds, so that's what I'll be using if I do this experiment this weekend.

My lack of results in Google may be due to my unfamiliarity with the right terms.  If there's a better term for what I want, I'd love to know that as well.


texts:
It looks like my saddle/seatpost is slowly sliding down into the frame, so every 2–3 months I have to move it up by 1–2cm. Yet I tighten the clamp pretty tight, so I can't move the saddle by hand.

Is this a common thing? Should I fix something?

I weigh about 55kg and cycle on the road, about 50km per week. I try to lift my weight off the saddle over bumps. The bike's a hardtail.


texts:
Until today I've been doing 200km brevets on a trekking bike. It was quite comfortable, there was no ass pain after that, but the average speed was low (24km/h). Also if the wind blew, I had problems riding further, or arms were aching from taking more aerodynamic position.

So I bought a road bike, and it's great, but after doing 50km on it:
- ass pain became unbearable (I had pants with a gel diaper)
- my back and shoulders were aching from road bike position

Is road bike really a good choice for 200km brevets or longer?

Triban 520 c1:


texts: Eagle chain B-gap adjustment without plastic tool

texts: SRAM makes this plastic tool for adjusting the B-gap on their Eagle derailleurs. My question is, if I want to measure this distance without this tool (say with a caliper instead), how should I go about it? Between which two points should I make the measurement and what's the value I should aim for?


texts: I'm looking into buying inexpensive rigid fork (~50 EUR) for my old GT Avalanche 3.0 (disc brakes) to make it slightly better commuter bike. My daily ride is 10km one way on asphalt surface. What should I consider when choosing a fork? What parts would I need in addition to the fork itself to do the replacement? Won't I make it much worse? I'm okey with what I have now, but would be nice to go little faster.


texts: Overtightned the rear derailleur cable clamp. It is now blocked

texts: I have over-tightened the bolt on the rear derailleur clamp (Shimano tourney). There is no resistance on the bolt, when tightening it or untightening but the clamp does not move anymore. I don't want to force something the wrong way anymore. How can it be unblocked now?


texts: I need the help identifying what type of bike I have a notes specialized but that's about it

texts:
Serial number M1Ei13897

Components:

Marzocchi bomber 03 exr comp fork shox
Guizzo carbon fiber oversized 31.8 handlebar
SRAM x-5 gears  specialized 1:1 ratio
Azonic Outlaw wheels with tubeless tires MTB also will
Tektro Auriga hydraulic discs
Cannondale handlebar grips
Raceface cranks


texts:
I have an old, cheap, second hand bike which I use for commuting. I have to leave it on the street for 10 hours every day, it is old with damaged stickers and dirty which makes it less likely to be stolen.

It is in awful condition though. It's previous owner drove his car over it or something. It had broken brakes, a broken back derailleur and damaged front derailleur. Worst of all is something I didn't notice at first: a bent frame.

I have already spent more money in repairs than what I spent in purchasing the bike to begin with. In my last inspection I found that the back hub is also loose, I think it is related to the frame being bent. The thing is, I still want to be able to ride it to work and I don't want it to get stolen or damaged.

So what are the best options for me?

Is it a good idea for me to replace the frame? (without previous experience)

I tried to find a donor bike but I don't feel confident in buying another one second hand. I also don't feel comfortable leaving a new bike on the street for long.


texts: Could i break Shimano Nexus 7 with no cable attached?

texts:
Is it possible to ride (pedal) on bike with Shimano Nexus 7 with no cable attached?
Is it possible to push the bike without pedaling, when cable is unattached, or setting of shifter is not correct?
I am asking, because at my last ride the setting of hub got wrong and i had no tools, so i push the bike home. (Cable was attached, but setting was completely wrong) Now i hope i didn't damaged inner mechanism. Or did I?
Thank you and sorry for mistakes (not english).


texts: Triple chainset to single chainset; BB compatability?

texts:
I'd like to upgrade the chainset on my GT Avalanche 1.0 2013 so I have no front mech or shifter and just one ring on the front; just 10 gears instead of 30.

My current chainset is a Shimano M522 Octalink triple with a Shimano es52 BB and a Shimano HG81 10spd cassette and I'd like to upgrade to a Shimano Zee 10sp M640 with an m980 xtr bottom bracket (or similar), so essentially just 10 gears instead of 30. I believe the shell on the bike is 68mm.

In my case, I understand there is a difference between the BBs, is it  just a straight swap of the BBs and disconnect of the front mech/shifter, assuming I have the correct tools?

Would I also have to change my cassette and chain? Maybe even the rear shifter and mech?


texts: My son has a Fit BMX bike, seems to be a normal 20" setup. However, the head tube appears to have an inside diameter of 1 3/8", and every BMX headset I'm seeing expects that diameter to be 1 1/4" ID. The headset offered on the fit website is 1 1/8". Is this a normal size? Does anyone know what headset would be proper for a replacement? Thanks


texts: Can I use a narrowide chainring on a double rings crankset?

texts:
I would like to go touring using my narrowide chainring, but I would like as well to put a smaller chainring (the infamous Grannie) so that I could have it as a last resort in case of really hard climbs (considering that I will carry a lot of gear while touring for several months).

Do you think I will be able to shift gears on the crankset with a front derailler, considering the narrowide chainring?


texts: Brakes periodically make "finger nails on chalk board" sound

texts:
Both my rim brakes --- front and back --- have started to make a periodic noise when I engage them. They will be silent for a little bit, then gradually start to make noise. As I brake, the noise will increase and eventually culminate in a very loud noise, and then be quiet again to restart the cycle. This is definitely independent of speed or how much I've been riding that day. The cycle seems to repeat itself every 1-3 days.

The noise is best described as finger nails on a chalkboard. It is definitely not a squeal.

Why does this happen? I suspect my pads are getting worn, but they are not past the indicator lines yet. The bike is a little over a year old and has gotten "medium" use.


texts: What if both wheels were powered by pedalling?

texts:
Only the rear wheel of a bike is connected to the drivetrain in order to propel the bike forward. I assume the choice of rear wheel instead of the front wheel is for stability (e.g. avoiding 'fishtailing' and other problems).
However, would there be any potential benefits if, somehow, both wheels were connected to the crankset so that the input power could be shared between the wheels? (This hypothetical system need not use a chain – c.f. shaft-driven drivetrains like CeramicSpeed.)
One advantage of a two-wheel drive system is that there could be improved grip and control on uneven, off-road terrain but the disadvantages probably outweigh this benefit.
The obvious disadvantage is you would be powering two wheels instead of one (so the rotational inertia would double?). You would also have to deal with the fact that you have to steer with the front wheel too!
I doubt any sort of bike like this has been made* / will be made in the future, but it's interesting nonetheless to imagine what this could be like...
*EDIT: As the comments have pointed out, they do actually exist.


texts: Has a bike been made with a rear derailleur above the chainstays?

texts:
The question title pretty much sums it up, but has a bike with an alternate drivetrain style like this been made?

This would mean a derailleur mounted essentially upside down with the tension pushing the chain upward. I could see where this would protect the derailleur and keep the chain out of the way from dust and debris more. However, I could also envision some issues with front shifting due the the chain coming up from the front chain ring as well.

Pictures would be much appreciated!


texts: Front derailleur sticking, not shifting. Will soaking in solvent damage parts?

texts:
I've got an older deore lx front derailleur for a mountain triple crankset. It wasn't shifting properly, and it seems that it's sticking and not returning back to a neutral position when I shift it.  I've tried loosening both limit screws with no change in behavior.  I took it off the bike and tried to move the derailler as if I was shifting, but doing that moves the cage, but it doesn't try to return to the original position.

I'd like to soak the derailleur in a cleaning solvent (such as kerosene or paint thinner) to remove any gunk that may have built up on inner surfaces.  Should I worry about the solvent damaging parts? Is there anything else to try to revive the stuck derailleur?


texts: Why does cycling use a measure of time ("century") as a measure of distance?

texts: Wikipedia only attempts to explain the origin of the riding distance event but not why the term was used and why it "stuck".


texts: Typical fastener torque values for bicycles

texts:
I'm thinking of getting a torque wrench (or something similar) for working on bikes. The ones I have for cars are pretty ungainly and I think I'd be at the low end of the range where they aren't too accurate most of the time.

So, does anybody know – or have ideas for how to find out – the range of torque values one would want to have covered? Also, how precise does the tool need to be? Wiha has some screwdriver & t-handle tools that are spec'd at ±6%. Is that close enough?


texts: Should I replace my tyres with something thinner?

texts:
I'm looking to buy a preowned Voodoo Marasa 2014 hybrid bike (full spec available here).

The bike comes with the original 700 X 45C tyres, but I'm wondering if it is possible to replace them with something thinner, and if so, whether it is worth it.

From the very limited understanding of bikes that I have, I gather that thinner tyres mean less friction, and so you go faster. I do most of my riding on the road or cycle paths (almost never off-road), so a thinner tyre seems like a more sensible option, but I don't know whether the benefits would be very noticeable or cost effective.


texts: Chain link jams after reassembling the rivet

texts:
I bought a chain riveting tool. Here is how it looks like:

It works fine, I was able to push the rivet out of a test chain. But faced an unexpected difficulty: after I restore the rivet to it's proper position the chain link becomes very hard to move.

I think, the cause of this  is that my tool is not as precise as those, used in the factory, when manufacturing the chain. And when I restore the rivet, I shift it a little bit from it's ideal position. It creates extra friction, not allowing the plates to move freely as they should.

Is it normal? Am I doing something wrong? Maybe, there are better tools?


texts:
Wanting to know if you can use a compact crank and also use a compact cassette , I have placed both on my bike but the chain seems to be at the extreme when placing the chain in the smallest gear and then also the biggest gear.
Or is this normal?


texts:
Long story short, my cone nut came off while riding.
Can I put it back without dismantling my freehub?
And why I can't tighten my axle anymore?

Only way I can tighten axle is without wheel. As soon I put on wheel (with or without nut), my axle will just spin around. I have removed rear wheel multiple times and never had this issue before.

Could I have lost something during a ride when my wheel came off? Or maybe I don't know how to put nut back on?


texts:
I have a small issue with a bearing cover/seal (not sure how it's called properly) that I would like to fix.
I'm attaching the picture for clarity.
I imagine I should just replace the part but I have no idea how to go about looking for it. It's an old Bianchi racing bike.


texts: How do I gear up a bike for winter riding?

texts: I live in NYC and would like to ride to work during the winter as well. What should one do to a mountain bike?  a road bike?  If you can also show products that you actually use that would be great.


texts: Generally can I fit 650b wheels on a modern CX frame?

texts: I know this depends a lot on the model and the shape of the stays and fork, but on the average CX disc frame would it be possible to use 650b wheels with thicker tires, for a more comfortable offroad (gravel) experience?


texts: Is Specialized brain something unique or are its variations common?

texts: I am looking into getting a full suspension mountain bike. Specialized touts their brain system and I'm wondering if is this some unique technology that they have or are at least more advanced at making than other manufacturers? Or is it that inertial systems like this commonplace and "brain" is a case of good marketing? I'm looking at bikes around 2000 USD (possibly a cheaper Trek), do I need to make extra sure it has a similar system in place or is it a given in this range?


texts: Is it legal for me to ride facing traffic on the sidewalk in California?

texts: I'm just wondering. I live in the OC by the way. I like to ride against traffic because it makes me nervous otherwise. I grew up in Brooklyn and there they tell us to ride facing traffic.


texts: How does this brake calliper securing nut arrangement work?

texts:
This comes from a set of Weinmann Type 370 calliper brakes. The two nuts you see are normally firmly located inside the plastic hood, not as they are shown.

I think they are intended to function as some sort of self-locking/clutch system, so that the nuts don't work their way off, while still not preventing the callipers from moving.

In this particular case, I am not satisfied that the nuts are securing the callipers on the bolt as tightly as they should be. As I rotate the plastic hood, the nuts move down the bolt, but then further rotation doesn't tighten mechanism; the hood just rotates over the nuts instead of rotating them.

How is this actually supposed to work?

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/components/weinmann-components.html says:

  In the late '70s or early 1980s the domed centrebolt on the standard side-pull calipers was replaced by a plastic cover over two plain steel locknuts. These brakes were centred using an inverted allen key tool.

but that doesn't shed any light on the how the two-locknuts-in-a-plastic-hood arrangement is supposed to work.


texts: dynamo powered lighting for bike and trailer

texts: Is there wiring diagrams i can look at to get an idea on how to wire up this bottleneck dynamo to my bike and maby trailer. I've been through pages of internet blah  but found nothing yet help please?


texts: How to protect brake cable that runs beneath top tube while hanging bike on rack

texts:
My bike's brake cable runs underneath the top tube. This is a problem when I hang the bike on my rack as the bike compresses the cable against the rack. I came upon this question here:

Bike rests on brake cable while racked

...but it seems that the only answer is to get a new rack or find a way to store it without pinching the cable. Those are not options for me, so I am wondering if there are ways to protect the cable. I came upon the brake line protectors below, but don't really see them being used for anything other than protecting against friction. Are there any kind of tapes or foams that I can wrap around the cable to absorb the weight of my bike against the rack?


texts: How to replace lever adjustment knob on guide r brakes

texts: I broke the lever pull adjustment knob on my guide r brakes is there a way to replace this knob? Or any hacks that can be done to put it to maximum reach?


texts: If you buy and install a brand-new chain, but never clean or lubricate it, what will happen?

texts:
When you buy a new chain, it comes lubricated with a factory-installed grease-type lubricant.  This lubricant is similar to hot wax.  (Reliable sources — including Sheldon Brown, Shimano, and others — seem to agree that you should not deliberately remove this factory lube.)

Imagine that you own a low-end 21-speed bicycle, which you bought second-hand.  You use it for commuting in a big city — in warm, dry weather only.  You've bought and installed a brand-new chain.  If you never clean or lubricate your chain, what will happen?

(In my experience, the bike seems to keep working for numerous miles without squeaking.  But I wonder what's really going on behind the scenes, and what the results might be.)

Please assume that you do replace the chain whenever it's stretched by more than 0.5% (1/16"), and that you complete most other recommended bike maintenance on schedule.  The only maintenance you skip is chain cleaning and lubrication.


texts:
I do understand why I'm wearing cycling pants all the time. I'm totally used to the pockets in my back of my jerseys and jackets. I understand where my gloves and helmet help. And I could continue going through my wardrobe but there's one more thing I'm seeing all the time: Socks. What's so special about road cycling socks compared to other socks? Ok, they have to make sure my feet don't swim in sweat, but that's no specialty over other kinds. What else?

If it's about other riders laughing at me when I'm on my road bike, well, I can live with that. I simply laugh at them when they finish the track -- just when I'm done showering. ;-)


texts: What does the Cycliq "Universal" Adaptor connect to?

texts:
I have a couple of Cycliq cameras that use this 1/8 turn connector. What type of connector is the other end (the two protrusions with a hole through them)?

Photos taken from https://www.wildfiresports.com.au/cycliq-universal-adaptor


texts: I keep getting flats. What's wrong with my tire?

texts: My back tire caught a flat from a pot hole. The next day I take it to a shop and I get an inner tube change. From the shop I ride the bike home, but the tire catches another flat on the way. What do I do now? By the way I have a 52cm pure fixed bike


texts: Can Lezyne Stainless-12 chain tool handle be used as tire lever?

texts:
This really makes me curious, Lezyne Stainless-20 has a separate tool -- tire lever (however I don't see clearly on pictures how it looks like). The specification of Stainless-12 does not list tire level, but judging how the chain tool looks like it seems it could be used as tire level (unofficialy).

So maybe I rephrase my question to be more precise -- did anyone successfully (without breaking/bending the tool and cracking the rim, etc) use the handle of chain tool (of Stainless-12, lower brother) as tire lever?

Once again: I am asking about version -12, not -20!

Update: Just to avoid any misunderstanding -- Lezyne chain tool handle:

Image taken from http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/


texts: Replaced Shimano Bottom Bracket, now front derailleur won't shift to largest gear

texts:
OK, so in my quest to get my old Trek 7000 ZX MTB running again after a long retirement, I am having an issue with replacing the bottom bracket.

The bike came with a Shimano LP25 that is marked BC 1.37 x 24. The spindle has LL 113 stamped into it.

So I ordered a Shimano UN55 BC 1.37 x 24 113mm.

They should be exactly the same size right? Well the new one seemed to be offset to the right (drive side) by about 1/8 inch, even though the spindles are the same length.

Now my front derailleur (STX-RC) won't shift to the largest outside sprocket even when the adjustment screw is all the way out. What can I do to correct this issue? I thought the only thing that mattered when replacing a bottom bracket was the thread size (68mm) and the spindle length.

Another strange issue is that the orginal LP25 has the threads on the L side, while the new UN55 has the threads on the R side. I could have sworn the threads were on the drive side when I removed the bottom bracket, but now I'm not so sure given the markings on it. Unless the bottom bracket was originally installed backwards? Would that explain the 1/8 inch offset discrepancy?

Thanks for any help. I'm really confused at this point.


texts: How do I take apart the axle and freehub on this bike

texts:
I have a long wheelbase recumbent built by Sun Bicycles.  There are some complications with finding out what kinds of components went into the interior of the bike.  Brakes and shifters have their brands labelled proudly, but the rest, not so much.  And the manual that came with the bike doesn't mention anything about advanced maintenance.

This is my first major bike maintenance project, going beyond my normal stuff of cleaning and oiling the chain or replacing the brake pads.  The entire drivetrain has about 5000 miles on it and needs an overhaul.  I can feel a lot of drag in both the front and rear axles.  Not grinding drag, but just sluggishness in turning about the axle.  So, I was taking them apart to figure out what components need replacing, and in both cases I ran into basically the same problem.

The front looks like this:

I've started to take off the lock ring here on the front hub.  That entire conical shape actually appears to be the front lock ring.  I can take it completely off, but once done, I have a lock ring on the opposite side, the axle sticking through the entire bike, and no indication that any part of it wants to come out.  So, problem the first... how do I get the rest of the axle to slide out?

The back looks like this:

On the opposite side, I just have an axle sticking out.  On this side, I have a freehub and an axle with a lock ring, and no clue how to get the lock ring loose so that I can pull the axle out.

What am I missing?  This should be relatively easy, but I've been banging my head against it for a couple of hours and making no headway at all.  My bike shop was closed today and is closed tomorrow, so I'll call them on Thursday if I'm still having trouble.  But, I wanted to ask here, first.


texts: Is this crack on my seat stay mechanically safe?

texts: Recently picked up a steel frame and realised there was a crack on one side of the rear triangle, right by the seatpost. Crack seem to be contained towards the outer part of the tube so does not seem to affect wielded joint. Since it's a steel frame, I feel like it's good to go but a buddy thinks otherwise. Anyone experience something similar?  Is it safe or am I doomed for a tragic death ☠? Any help appreciated!


texts: Cyclocross frame size vs. road bike frame size

texts:
I'm in the market for a used cyclocross bike to use as a winter bike, and so I've been browsing craigslist.  I generally ride a 56-58 cm road bike frame, so I turned down an otherwise good deal because it was a 52 cm frame.  The seller told me that a 52 cm cyclocross frame was comparable to a 54 cm road frame.

Is that statement true?  And if it is true, how is that so?


texts:
I've started cleaning my mountain-bike chain more regularly, using this process:

Wash off mud.
Use chain-cleaner tool with de-greaser.
Wash off de-greaser.
Dry chain (see below).
Re-lube with wet lube.
Wipe off excess lube with rag/paper.

The bit I'm having trouble with is #4 (dry chain). What's a good way to achieve that? Currently, I do this:

Dry chain as far as possible with rag/paper.
Squirt GT-85 all over chain to drive out water.
Dry chain (again) with rag/paper.

...but even then it's clearly not dry enough, because when I put the new lube on the whole lot emulsifies into a brown gloopy mess :-(

At this time of year (winter) I'm normally doing all this when I get home after a couple of hours riding and a couple of pints in the pub - late at night, in the dark, outside in the freezing cold, often in the rain - so I'm looking for a quick solution that doesn't involve a workshop (which I don't have, far less an air compressor).

I've tried leaving it overnight before putting the lube on, but in cold weather it's still not dry in the morning. And it tends to form surface rust too...

Do I just need a better (fluffier?) rag? Or is it simply not realistic to be able to clean it and re-lube it within 15 mins?


texts: What can be creating resistance when I cycle?

texts:
I recently bought a foldable bicycle.

Everything seems fine and smooth, but when I cycle I can feel quite a lot of resistance - not air resistance, but resistance on my tires - to the point than when going downhill the bike brakes (itself) and stops.

My first suspicion was that the brakes might be broken, I thought maybe they were too tight. However that's not the case since I tuned them, and at one point I even released them completely to be sure it wasn't the brakes.

When I spin the wheel it seems to run free. It does not spin as much as I would expect but nothing really serious seems to be slowing it.

What could possibly be happening? Maybe when I'm cycling my extra weight affects the wheels somehow; is there some other tuning or test that I can do to find out and fix this problem?


texts: In order to install a new set of maps on my garmin edge 520, I downloaded from site "http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/" the file "gmapsupp.img" 85mb, renamed it as gmapbmap.img deleted the existing file "gmapbmap.img" 45mb and tried to copy the new "gmapbmap.img" file but received the message "not enough space". The site, for that case, recomended that I should not only delete the old file but also  "empty the trush" from Garmin device I suppose. Where is that "trush" in my garmin?


texts: Can we use a 9 speed rear derailleur on a 8 speed bike?

texts:
I have a Rockrider 5.2 with a Shimano Altus 8 speed rear derailleur. After an accident it started to malfunction. I planned on replacing it with a Shimano Acera M3000 but then it is marketed as 9 speed.

Is it fine if I use a 9 speed rear derailleur on a 8 speed bike?


texts: Is there a name for fingered (non-fingerless) gloves that have open parts for the back of the hand?

texts:
I couldn't find a picture sorry but I swear I've seen em before!

I'm talking about gloves that have fingers but also vents/gaps at the back of the hand to let the sweat evaporate. Your fingers get cold, but your hands get sweaty. What are these kinds of gloves called?


texts: Why are people with full suspension bikes concerned about 'Stiffness' added by thru axles?

texts: Why are people with full suspension bikes with several inches of travel be concerned about 'Stiffness' when discussing the advantages of thru axles. I would think this is more of a concern for rigid bikes which don't have suspension. Isn't the advantage that you're just less likely to snap the axle when riding down a gnarly trail not really how 'stiff' the axle is or does this have some other purpose?


texts: I was wondering if there was any quick fix for a broken spring in a Pro-Max 239A brake lever. It seems a waste to buy a new one for a broken spring.


texts:
Hi I recently purchased a new bicycle. I have only been out on it twice and the chain is making a sort of clink and clunk noise. Is this common as its a new bike with new chain? Does the chain need to bed in and the noise will stop?

Please advise.

David


texts: Any shared workspace in the DC Metro area where I can build/weld bike frames?

texts:
Anyone in the DC metro area know of a community workspace that I could join to learn to build bike frames? I'm not looking for any equipment or lessons, just a space where I can work.

I've been looking for a space for a while in this area but haven't been able to find anyplace. Any plugs would be helpful.

Thanks in advance.


texts: How can I tell what frame model/year this bicycle is?

texts: There is a bicycle that is locally owned that I want to buy and the only information I have about the bicycle frame from the dealer is that it's just a OCLV 110. With a couple of zoom-ins and research, I think this is Trek 2002 5900 USPS bike, is this correct?This is the picture


texts: A folding bike for short winter commutes?

texts: I've been looking into a folding bike to help with short commutes on roads during the winter. What would be the advantages/disadvantages of a folding bike during this season? Any serious modifications to consider? Should I also consider an electric version or another bike type to help power through the snow?


texts: Subtle click on left Shimano 4700 STI brake lever when applying brake while moving forward

texts:
I have a set Shimano Tiagra 4700 levers/shifters on my Niner gravel bike (RLT 9 1 Star) and lately I noticed when moving forward, at speed or slow, there is a subtle click when pulling on the left side lever for the front disc brake -- no matter how light I pull. If it's of any relevance, the brakes on this bike are the stock SRAM BB5 Mechanical disc, Road version, 160mm Avid rotors. The bike is new (just picked it up May and I have about 210 miles on it). I'm not noticing any effect on braking performance but just wondering if this might be a potential problem.

I noticed this after going on a somewhat long ride a few weeks ago with moderate bumps, paved and unpaved as well as loose gravel surfaces. Could this be debris or sediment trapped somewhere in the components? I'm not all that familiar with disc brakes yet so any ideas/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Edits from comments:

The lever is quite solid on the handbars and no wobble at all.
The click seems to depend on forward motion while riding. I've tried to replicate it by turning the bike upside down, then spinning the wheel and pulling on the brake lever -- no click, even if the wheel is spun backwards.


texts: What is the difference between MX goggles and mountain bike goggles?

texts:
After my last ride I have decided that I need to get some goggles, and there seem to be some MX and some mountain bike specific ones, but they seem to be the same. The only difference being that MX goggles are cheaper.

Does anybody know what the difference is between MX and mountain bike goggles? (I ride in wet muddy conditions if that's important.)

Thanks.


texts: How to choose protective cycling gloves?

texts:
Yesterday I failed to make a turn and rode into a thorny bush, which cut my hands.

I have often feared similar situations. For example, when descending, I often need to take a difficult line, in order to evade some hanging vegetation in one half of the fire road. I fear that a wound on the wrist at high speed can make me lose control.

So I am looking for some kind of protective gloves. I do not need any padding on the inside. Rather, I am looking for:

Cut resistance. To resist thorns on the trail and cuts from sharp rock, should I find myself on the ground.
Breathability. Riding for 10 hours in the sun is already exhausting, the gloves should not wick sweat and become wet rags.

Does such a product exist? What features and marketing slang to look for when purchasing?


texts: Why aren’t these Shimano PD-M980 coming apart?

texts:
I’m trying to give my pedals a clean and regrease. The left pedal came apart as expected, but the right one’s threaded sleeve refuses to separate from the pedal body. I’ve unthreaded it as much as I can, but the spindle still hasn’t separated. Trying to further loosen the sleeve just results in it spinning within the pedal body. Has anyone experienced this before? How do you fix it? I’m considering using some bolts to act as a press, ripping the few remaining threads off.

Edit: Here’s a comparison with the internals of the left pedal. I’m not sure how the sleeve got shoved so far up the spindle. As you can see, there’s not that many threads remaining, so I don’t think forcefully ripping the sleeve out would cause too much damage.
Furthermore, when I try to remove the stuck right pedal, I can’t feel the thread doing anything. Usually when you try to remove a bolt after it’s all the way out already, you can feel the bolt climb a little bit before dropping down again. It’s hard to explain. Here, it feels like I’m just turning a round peg in a round hole. I can’t detect any climb-drop behavior.


texts:
I have noticed that I can not get my rear derailleur to sit perfectly allowing all of my gears to feel good. Mid range often feel a bit lumpy or there good when using either one of the front chain rings but not both.

I clean the chain once a week and I'm always fiddling with the cable tensioner screws, more than I think I should be. I recently replaced the gear cable.

The bike is less than a year old, its a nine speed Sora.

Is it likely that I need a new chain already, the chain rings are a bit worn, not sure if too much and occasionally the chain seems to slip when i pull off (mid range gears)

I just had the bike on a stand the back wheel is making a creaking noise when i spin it and the cassette has 5 to 10mm wobble, could this be causing the issues & should there be that much wobble on the cassette ?

Also the Gear cable is frayed again - I only changed it 2 months ago.


texts: Are U-lock "wheel extenders" sold separately?

texts:
I quite like the Kryptonite U-lock "wheel extender" idea - but I'm less attached to Kryptonite as a company - and even less so to the Messenger series of their locks, which is the only one that has this feature.

Are these wheel extenders available separately? I can't find them as a separate item on Kryptonite's website and don't see anyone else offering them either. Are they called generically something else?


texts: Does going faster always result in more calories burnt

texts:
Say the same 5mile ride going at 5 miles per hour versus 10, 15 20 etc.  Even though the faster speed means shorter ride does it also always result in more calories burned?
I have the same commute looking to up the exercise somehow.


texts:
I have some rust on my front forks. This question tells me how to deal with it, but I'd like to know whether it will be impacting the structural integrity of the forks.

I'm planning on going touring (on-road) and therefore loading the forks with a low-riders and panniers. If I clean this off and re-seal/paint over it, will my forks still be structurally sound?
The bike is a Dawes Super Galaxy, probably from the late 80s.


texts: Looking for solutions to shorten warm up time

texts:
I'm a relatively fit 30 years old road cyclist and I've noticed that I need a lot of time to warm up. When I ride with some club mates, I am typically much slower than most of the other riders in the first 20 miles. However, if I start slowly after about 20-30 miles my legs feel good and I can easily keep up with the faster riders.

When I try to push hard from the start, my legs would start hurting so badly and my overall performance would drop. I should also add that I typically don't do any warm up off-the-saddle. My question is the following: is there any particular training to do to improve my performance for shorter rides, without needing 30 miles to warm up?


texts: What is the "preload" setting on the front fork suspension?

texts:
I've made a photo of the actual "thing" as I find it very difficult to explain otherwise:

I'm wondering what this "thing" sets and how it actually works. So, what is "preload" and what happens when I turn it clockwise (plus) and anticlockwise (minus). I tried rotating it both ways to its maximum limit and I didn't notice any change in anything.

The bike the photo has been taken from is Merida Matts 40-D.


texts:
I have been road biking for about 6 months now (before that mostly running and gym.) I signed up for a 300km race (mostly flat), and my goal is to pass it in 9h. My current level of biking is 90km in 3h (alone). The race is in June so I have plenty of time.

I find it hard to optimize my training. There seems to be many different schools:

Intervals intervals intervals.
Distance distance and more distance.
Mix

So I'm a well trained bicycle beginner that want to maximize the improvement
in 6 months. Obviously I don't want to be injured or overtrained.

Anyone have any recommendations? or reference (publications?)
How many pass/weak? Gym? Intensity?

Probably many of you have been in my situation before.
And yes, btw the training for the coming three month will be on a trainer,
since it is winter.

I have pulse watch, cadence meter, speed meter, and a build in power meter.
The trainer is a tacx i-flow and I have signed up for trainingroad.


texts: Correctly and incorrectly mounting a bicycle

texts:
I am very fond of mouting bicycles this way:

Stand to the left of the bike.

Put the left foot on the left pedal.

Push forward with the right foot to set the bike in motion.

Swing the right leg over the back of the saddle, sitting on it as the
move is carried out.

You can see it at 0:51 in this video.
However, Sheldon Brown advises against that technique, which he calls
"the cowboy monut":

The cowboy mount places the rider's weight on the bicycle while it is
leaning over at a sharp angle. This puts considerable lateral stress on the
frame and the wheels. Bicycle wheels, in particular, are not designed to
withstand serious sideways stresses, and this poor mounting technique is
very hard on your wheels.

I don't have one tenth of Sheldon's expertise on bicycles,
but that explanation seems insufficient because

The angle involved in the cowboy mount is nearly perpendicular
to the ground (as the video shows).

On curves, bicycles are certainly subject to sharper angles than
on the cowboy mount.

Warning against "sideway stresses" sounds insubstantial. I can't
imagine anything worse than a unbalance and subsequent fall happening.

Instead, Sheldon advises the rider to start by standing astride the frame.
Indeed, this provides
the most controlled start, especially in irregular or ascending terrain,
but it also takes more time to set off than the cowboy mount.
Assuming regular, flat terrain, are Sheldon Brown's arguments against
the cowboy mount solid and thus should the classical mount
(or maybe some other mount) be preferred, or is it exaggerated?


texts: I have an old Specialized from 2009, it seem pretty fine across the year, but I think the frame is too big for me. I adapt my body other the year, ride a lot, and doesn't make discomfort. After a big pause of riding, now after a one ride I have a big back pain. I thinking that problem is about drop bars, then I ride low at the end of the bars, if I'll change the bars to something like "KOGA Denham Bars" and shorter stem. I mostly touring on my bike, I'm for comfort. The frame size XL Top tube 57.5cm, Seat tube 58cm, Stem 14cm. I'm 185m. don't judge my english.


texts: What are the brake housing stoppers on the end of the brake housing called (see pic)

texts:
My brake cable snapped while riding my (80s road) bike one day so I replaced it.

After replacing I noticed that the piece fixing the housing to the brake was missing so that when I pulled the brake lever the housing comes too and it doesn't move the brake.

My questions: what is this piece called, and is it something I can buy separately, Is it something that comes with brake line housings, or is it part of the brake lever itself?


texts: How do I estimate how long it will take me to ride my commute?

texts:
How can a cyclist, new to commuting by bike and not all that experienced in riding, estimate how long a commute will take?

I have been riding for 4 days to and from work. 156km over over 4 days. I'd like to know what I should be averaging time wise. I am 203 lbs / 92kg, and somewhat fit. The ride is 13 miles/ 21km there and back with an elevation of 81 meters and I'm using a good standard bike.

Are there any general guidelines to use to get an estimate? What factors will affect this? (Fitness, traffic, etc.) How can I identify ways to get faster? (Routing, accounting for other delays, etc.)


texts: How do I keep wrinkles out of tubeless rim tape?

texts:
I just set up my Surly My Other Brother Daryl rims to run tubeless.  They are 80mm rims and this is my first time setting up tubeless.  I used Surly's official tubeless kit for those rims.  I believe it uses Whiskey Parts tape.  My first comment is that it's really hard to wrap the tape without wrinkles.  The tape is flat, stiff and non-pliable.  It doesn't want to mold in to a concave shape.  I pulled hard and took my time, but there are definitely wrinkles.  I tried to make sure that the tape is as wrinkle free as possible on the edges.

Got the tires mounted with a compressor.  The front holds fine, but the rear loses pressure quickly as I ride (10 psi down to 6 is a few minutes).  I must admit that there was a bit of a wrinkle at the valve.  I assumed that the sealant would take care of it.  No sealant is escaping anywhere (I think used 4oz per 5" tire).

I guess I have a few questions here:

Why is tubeless rim tape so stiff?  I feel like I'd get easier results from Gorilla tape.
If there's a wrinkle at the sidewall or by the valve, is that the kiss of death?
If a tubeless setup is losing pressure while riding, will it most likely seal up after a few rides or do I need to pull everything off and start again?


texts: How to deal with motorist's road rage (after prevention has failed)

texts:
A few weeks ago I had my first experience where I really worried for my well-being at the hands of an angry motorist-- so, what can a cyclist do when being threatened and followed by a motorist?

Background

I was riding on a road with a lot of parked cars as well as driveways, so I was riding somewhat more "center" than what a certain guy was happy with, because he shouted at me to get off the road and onto the bike lane after honking and trying to overtake me. I told him that I don't have to because cyclists have the same legal rights to surface roads that motorists do, and then rode even closer to the center to keep him from dangerously trying to pass me. He then began shouting obscenities at me while driving behind me, so I gave him the one-fingered salute, which he, his wife and son all reciprocated in a perfect Kodak moment.

I admit that what I did was the antithesis of mitigating road rage, but I also admit that, until now, I (foolishly) never expected to meet someone on the road who might willingly hurt me: At the next traffic light, he told me to pull over so we could discuss this face-to-face, and I said: "No: I don't have to do that either". What began to scare me is that, after losing him in traffic, he managed to catch up to me and began following me for a very long time and glaring at me. Eventually I pulled quickly off onto the sidewalk and put my keys from my bag into my pocket (it was the sharpest thing I had), but luckily he had to follow the flow of traffic and he didn't meet me again on the road.

Solutions

My safest course of action would have been to avoid provoking the driver in the first place, but I honestly had no expectation that telling a driver about traffic laws could provoke someone into a potentially-murderous rage; Even if I became a mouse on a bike, the possibility of (inadvertently) enraging someone will remain, no matter how small it may be. Therefore, my question is what someone can do in a case where even trying to prevent road rage has failed and they now face the unadulterated wrath of the Gods of the Exploding Dinosaurs-- I really don't think the guy in the story above was intending on "discussing" the matter if he caught me off my bike.


texts: Can't get tire to seat right when changing tube

texts:
I can't change tires for the life of me and I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.  I go through the standard procedure:

Slightly inflate the tube
Put the tire halfway on the rim
Stuff the tube into the tire, being as careful as I can to make sure it's even
Put the other half of the tire on
Inflate

However, I'm obviously doing something wrong because every time I try this, on every bike I try it on, the tire is never round, and the ride is always bumpy.  I've tried inflating to beyond the recommended pressure to pop it into place, but have never had luck with that technique.  Also, since it happens more or less every time I do it, it's obviously something I'm doing wrong.

What should I be looking for here?  What can I do to prevent it?


texts: MTB with gears or non gears, suspension or non-suspension for stunts?

texts:
I am planning to buy an MTB for learning stunts...(BTW my family wont allow me to buy a BMX because of its height).
So my question is shall I go for MTB with front suspension or not and with gears or not?

What i think is i should consider bike with gears,although they add extra weight but they can be removed later if i find them annoying...
However i have no idea about front suspensions whether they will make a bicycle stronger/flexible for stunts or not...

and which one will you prefer for my requirement btwin or  schnell


texts: new Clarks m2 hydraulic disc brakes won't retract when brake lever pressed

texts:
I just fitted a new set of Clarks M2 hydraulic disc brakes.
I aligned the calliper to make sure the rotor doesn't rub the pads when the wheel is spinning.
I then pressed the brake lever, when letting go the pads stay pushed against the rotor.
I took out the pads, pushed in the pistons with a flathead and tried all above again.
Pressed lever again and same result.
Any ideas?
Many thanks.


texts: Trouble with spiral folding bike lock - jammed

texts:
I use a spiral folding bike lock similiar to the one here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/RockBros-Theft-Folding-Hamburg-Colors/dp/B00MB7NUB6

It was a fairly decent lock, but now it's jammed; I've tried all of my spare keys and everything and the lock just refuses to budge.

Here's what happens when I insert the key and twist it: I am able to twist it fully as if I would open it, but then when I pull the key out, the locking mechanism refuses to pop out; it sort of just stays there when in fact it should release the lock.

I have no clue what to do to open it. I'm not sure if a hacksaw would work as this thing looks strong enough to take one and I have no clue how to fix the jam.

Here's a picture of the bike lock:


texts:
I had excessive play between my cassette cogs, taking the cassette off revealed that the splines are quite chattered up and I believe this is the source of the play.

I've ordered a new freehub from the Trek dealer (W431450), but for the life of me I can't seem to get the old one off. If I understand correctly, there's "cap" that should come off first (that the thru axle goes through) and then the freehub should pull off easily.

I can't get the cap off and I can't pull the freehub off.

I've tried tapping lightly on the outside of the cap to try and provide a little percussion to break it free, and I've also tried that on the freehub, but no luck. I also (maybe stupidly) tried to use some pliers with a bit of rubber tubing to keep the pliers from scoring the cap, but that also didn't work.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!!

Side rant: Why is it so hard to figure out these part numbers? I can't find a comprehensive part listing for my bike (2019 model). The part number on the hub takes me to random cookie-cutter webpages from different bike stores that look like they're all using the same Trek backend? To figure out this freehub part number, I had to call the Trek store and have them look at some system they have. If I look up the wheels, the wheel info page doesn't have any information on the freehub either. Very frustrating.


texts: Uncut steerer tubes too short for 21" Frames

texts:
I am restoring two old bikes a 1996 Trek 8000 and 2000 Fuji Aloha. Both are 21" frames. The problem I am having is getting forks that do not cost $1000 and have steerer tubes with sufficient lengths. I am finding forks with uncut tube lengths of 250mm etc... The longest I have seen is 300mm. I think for the Trek MTB i would need around a suspension fork with around 320mm and for the racing Fuji, I would need a road fork with an even longer tube than that ( maybe 350mm). Do they make forks intended for a certain size bike or one size fits all?

Thanks in advance.


texts: How can I install a front brake on this kids bike?

texts: Coaster brakes are dangerous and confusing but they keep shipping kid bikes with them for some reason. How can I add a front brake to this bike?


texts:
I'm looking to get another pair of glasses for winter commuting. I currently use simple ski googles with my snowboard helmet...the problem is they are tinted. Since it's quite dark for the return, i would like to find some clear googles. Also, the temperature is around -15 to -30 degree celsius...I need something to prevent my eyes from crying and freezing or the other way around ;)

any suggestion?


texts: I found disk brakes online, Nashbar. I am just wondering if they would fit on my bike. I have a Nishiki Pueblo


texts: Are there any bike GPS computers / devices that can create routes themselves out on the road?

texts:
In other words, I would want to be able to be in an arbitrary location and tell the device that I want to go to a specific destination (by entering an address or town name) and it would calculate a route from where I am to that destination and ideally re-calculate if I went off-course.
From researching such devices, it seems that you need to prepare the routes at home and then physically copy them to the device, or download it through an app onto the device. I could cope with having to use a smart phone to create the route (by specifying a destination) and transfer that the GPS device, but I want to be able to do this out on the road.
I do not have any experience at all with any bike GPS devices other than just purely to tell me speed (presumably all bike GPS devices can display the current speed). I only have experience with car sat-nav systems and the above is how they work.


texts: Why has indexed shifting displaced traditional friction shifting?

texts:
I really don't like indexed shifters, at least on the front. They're harder to adjust, more sensitive to cable stretching, and limit the number of gear combinations you can use (because you can't adjust the front derailleur cage manually to not rub on the chain).

So.. why are they impossible to find these days?


texts: Are deep rims more durable for a heavy rider?

texts:
Since I weigh quite a lot (~115kg), and ride on bad roads with many holes and cracks, I am looking for rims that would be able to cope with bad conditions without getting out of true or breaking. My tires are 37x622, maybe I will go to one size wider in the winter.

My first instinct is that deeper rims should be more durable. Am I right? Are there some down sides to deep rims? Are they equally easy to true and put tires on?

For instance, which one would be better choice in my situation, DXT 337 or DXT 221


texts: What is the correct back position on an MTB?

texts:
While searching for my lower back problems I come across the suggestion that you should have a straight back on your bike to avoid pain, one example:

But on the internet you find a lot of "professional riders" that sit with a pretty rounded back and on a short frame, for example:

Ok, she is climbing and this is maybe just a temporary position.

source: https://www.orbea.com/img/blognew/in-text/Pendrel%202012%20en%20baja.jpg

source: https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/slides/still-going-0-1440612429.jpg?resize=980:*

source: https://www.orbea.com/img/blog/large/PENDREL_WORLD_CUP-20140906164951.jpg

Looking at their elbow bent they are all on pretty short frames, haven't checked the dates of the pictures. But a "straight back" sounds like a good idea even though frame geometries change over time.

Question: what's the right back position?


texts: Separating the gear hanger from the derailleur

texts: I am trying to exchange my rear derailleur. Now I have the problem of detaching it from the hanger, as you can see in the attached image, I was able to detach the gear hanger from the frame, but I could not turn the inbus (hex wrench) either clock- nor counter-clockwise.


texts: Why are cyclocross bikes stiff and what impact does it have on performance?

texts:
I bought my first cx bike at the beginning of the summer and started watching a few races on YouTube and such, not because I plan to race but just because it was interesting to me. All summer I've been riding on paved trails until recently I took it off-road to a bike trail in the woods. Instantly I noticed how stiff my bike is (2015 Giant Revolt 3) and I started to feel each and every bump my wheels came in contact with.

So this made me question. Why are cx bikes so stiff if they are used to ride off-road a lot? Races are all off-road with bumps/hills/etc. as well. It makes sense for road bikes because they're riding on smooth paved road and don't need to worry about sudden bumps in the road.

My question is, why are cx bikes so stiff and what impact does it have on performance? I'm mainly interested in performance changes for off-road biking or cx racing.

Thanks.


texts: Winter grease for extreme cold temperatures

texts:
I'm using a fat bike rear hub (Sun Ringle). It malfunctioned twice in less than a month riding everyday in winter ❄. It stopped turning at all so I had it serviced but then it stopped again when it got down to -37°C.

I do not know the exact causes other than grease durability of parts etc. Could this because I didn't use a winter-specific grease, or would it be indicative of a manufacturing or quality problem with the hub?


texts: Bike Lights: Helmet Mounted or Handlebar Mounted

texts:
I am just curious, I use handlebar mounted lights, and since I have multiple bikes to switch, it's a lot of trouble changing the light from one to another. So, I am thinking of switching to helmet mounted lights.

Give me your point of view. Why or why not? Which is better suitable for which riding type?