texts:
I'm looking for a piece of software to conduct a local time-trial race. There will be some 50 riders: large enough to make the job of preparing race results with bare pen and paper rather hard and time consuming, but too small to use full-fledged race chips systems.

Riders are going to start with one minute interval and on the finishing line there will be a man announcing time to the operator. So the operator will just have to enter the time of the rider to the program. The program should be able to produce the table of results on the fly as the riders cross the line.

I understand that creating this kind of software is not that hard, but I was just hoping there are readily available freeware solutions that I could use for my event. Please let me know if you ever heard of any.


texts:
Has anyone in the group has tried building a "Bike-in-a-Kit"- a sort of DIY bicycle, which can be entirely assembled and disassembled by the user and can be conveniently carried in a bag ?
I face such problem when I've to take my kid for cycling and have to carry his entire bike in my car. Its tedious and cumbersome and I'm not very fond of those bicycle stands/racks that can be put on cars.
Suggestions/Answers are welcome.


texts: Color fading/wear cycling pants at seat bones/saddle contact points

texts: I invested in some proper cycling pants this year, Castelli Aero 4.0 bibshorts and Castelli Meno wind bibtights. This is only some months ago, but already the pants show signs of wear right under my seat bones. The color is not full black anymore but is turned white. Is this normal or is there something wrong with my saddle? I do also ride my bike in bad weather conditions, but always wash of the dirt when I come back.


texts: Disk brake caliper fit, inboard width of calipers

texts: How can you tell if a disk caliper is going to fit on a given fork?  there is an inboard width of a caliper that determines how far into the wheel it is set, ie. make or brake compatibility with the wheel.


texts:
I can't seem to find a straight (approximate) answer to this question.

What is the maximum weight of a pedal vehicle (cargo bike, rickshaw etc) an average person can drive at a decent speed, say 15-20 km/h?


texts: What size hub do I need for a Giant Escape 2 (2016)?

texts: As I mentioned in a previous question, I'm in the process of replacing the stock rear wheel on my Giant Escape 2 (2016)(any comments/answers related to why and whether I need to replace it should be entered there). The one thing I can't seem to find in the specs is whether I have a 130mm or 135mm wide wheel/hub/or whatever that measurement pertains to. How do I find out? How do bike shops know? If I measure this myself, what do I actually measure--the rear wheel dropouts or something else?


texts: What are the steepest, highest, most miserable road ascents in the world?

texts:
Lately, I’ve been “enjoying” pretty much every weekend a 9km, 650m vertical ascent near my home on my touring bike (the average grade is about 7.5%). The grueling ride has turned out to be a lot of fun for me, in a strange way.

I wondered what I might aspire to. Thus my question: what are the steepest, highest, most miserable road ascents in the world? I.e., what might be a fun long-term goal to work towards?


texts:
I am interested in what the best ways are to keep your face and feet warm.

I saw some shoe covers on amazon, but they all seem to require you to be riding clipless which I do not. I think if I used a shoe cover, the bottom of it would get all ripped up by the teeth of my pedals.

The face is another challenge I have. I usually like to use biking glasses, but recently I started using a balaclava which covers my nose and mouth. As soon as i started breathing my biking glasses started fogging up! Is there a balaclava solution that works with glasses?


texts: What's the best way to track your performance?

texts:
I was checking some options to track my performance (kms/hr, distance, altitude, etc...), I do MTB and city biking. The first choice is a nokia based tracker (http://www.sports-tracker.com/), I love nokia phones.

Various choices come from this question (What is a good iPhone app for bikers?) and almost all are iphone based.

But, I'm being attracted to a GPS-only gadget. I want to upload my performance to the cloud(internet).

What you guys use for track your ride?


texts: How can I avoid crashes on my urban commute? Tramlines and CBD sections especially

texts:
I live in Melbourne, Australia, a city famous for its compact, grid-like CBD (downtown area) and trams. Trams mean tram tracks and hook turns. And compulsory helmets. My daily ride is only 10 km but has 32 traffic lights and the second half is shared with trams. It's the second half that really concerns me because it's busy inner-city traffic with a lot going on. The grid is less than 100 m in Elizabeth St.

I'm getting good with tram tracks. Unweighting wheels as they cross the tracks seems to be the main technique (and I haven't fallen yet). I have reasonable situational awareness, and I don't listen to music while riding, but I still have motorists "come out of nowhere" at least once a week.

What do others do about the "come out of nowhere" motorists? I'm already scanning and head-turning to look down side streets but obviously not well enough. Is there a technique I'm missing?
What's the best approach when the light is already green and there are hook turning motorists waiting? Go up the left so they don't turn right on top of me, or the right so I have space to move and am not fighting pedestrians?
How should I deal with "bicycle forward stop" boxes? They're contested by cars and I don't feel especially safe using them, and a lot of motorists seem offended that a cyclist would move over in front of them if they leave the box clear. So mostly I just use the bike lane part rather than the whole box.


texts: Calculate suspension oil needed for a fork?

texts:
I've got a non-standard 20" air fork (Mekkem SASO) that could use some maintenance, but there's zero info I can find from either the manufacturer or OEM on oil viscosity, volume, or anything else. I've watched many air fork service videos, so  I'm confident I can follow those procedures for disassembly and cleaning since things aren't likely to be very different from a hardware setup standpoint, but after I drain,  I'll be stuck trying to figure out how much oil to put back in. It's got 80mm of travel, so I'm wondering if I should just eyeball it (3ml?) of "standard" suspension fluid (5w?) or if there's a standard way to calculate what you need by measuring the volumes of the tubes and going from there.

Given the lack of info on this item, I assume replacement parts will be difficult or impossible to acquire, so  I figure I should try to stay ahead of the wear to keep them around as long as possible. They don't get mountain-bike type use, just bad pavement and fairly tame single and doubletrack + gravel.


texts:
If I put on heavy clothes it will be very hot inside them after the warm-up. If I wear only a T-shirt I'll freeze.

What's the solution?

I ride around 20 km in a hilly city, with temperatures between 0 and 30 celsius.


texts: I need to replace a cassette for CS-HG500-10 but want to go XT

texts:
My bike has a CS-HG500-10 cassette which has reached its EOL after 7400 km (I didn't think that changing the chain, unless absolutely necessary, was something good). It's the 11-34 version, I-CSHG50010134.
https://www.bike-components.de/de/Shimano/Kassette-CS-HG500-10-10-fach-p43864/?o=100330-universal-11-34
Is it possible to replace it with an XT cassette, like the Shimano XT CS-M771-10, I-CSM77110134?
https://www.bike-components.de/de/Shimano/XT-Kassette-CS-M771-10-10-fach-p24985/?o=300330-silber-11-34
Also, could I replace it with an 11-36 version, instead of 11-34, without changing anything else? That would make it a bit easier if I'm on a steep climb, right? Or would it not be beneficial?
Both require the same CN-HG95 chain, which indicates that they're pretty much compatible.
Or would anyone recommend against that switch from CS-HG500-10 to CS-M771-10?
What tools do I need, to be able to replace the old one?

The reason I need to change the cassette is because I replaced the old chain with a new one, and that new one was constantly some sort of jumping when I put a bit stronger pressure on the pedals. At first I thought that I somehow misaligned the gears, because I did a thorough cleaning of the bike on that day, but all the attempts to get that jumping fixed failed. Then I realized that it may be because the length of the new chain was shorter, it may be that the cassette became worn out too much. I had the old chain in my backpack, so I replaced the new one with it and the problem went away.
The chain has 108 segments and this is how they compare in length due to wear:


texts: Looking to upgrade Sora 9-speed to Tiagra 10-speed 52/36t

texts:
I have a Specialized Secteur with a Sora 3x 9-speed crankset and drivechain and am looking to upgrade to the Tiagra 2x 10-speed crankset 52/36t (as I need a bigger top gear and never use my smallest chainring).

I'd like to keep as much of my existing mechanical setup as possible (shifters, cassette, front & rear derailleurs, chain & BB), and am seeking advice on what I would need to complete this upgrade and what would you recommend I also upgrade - e.g. cassette and/or chain, etc

Thanks.


texts: How to repair large holes in inner tubes?

texts: I find that any hole, cut or tear larger than a pinprick is impossible to repair with normal patches because they are too soft. Even a 2-3mm slit will cause the repair patch to balloon out and burst at that point. Is there a way around this?


texts:
I feel vibrations in one of the pedals when I put my weight on it.

It feels like the ball bearing is broken or something. Is that possible?

How difficult is it to fix the ball bearings on the pedals if you think that's the problem?

Thanks in advance.


texts:
I'm riding on 700x23c tyres with 700x23c tubes, road bike. I've obtained a box of 700x25c tubes. While I'm taking the approach that it's always best to fit the correct size, I'd like to either use, sell or give away these 700x25c tubes.

If I use them:

Will I encounter problems?
How soon will these issues occur?
What sort of problems may occur?

There is a similar question, although it deals with borderline issues, not explicitly with incorrect sizes.

What inner tube size to get for my road bike?


texts: I have quite a bit of experience with cycling in general mountain bikes especially. This bike got me stumped, it has a Titan racing stem, vintage Easton peregrine carbon str8 bars, Easton answer Manitou front shocks, headlock headset, deore LX groupset, and a seat post that has an "A" and a star and USA. The frame itself has a couple numbers under the bottom bracket but I haven't been able to come up with anything. Also on the under side of the down tube it has what appears to be an "easton" "E" stamped. Thanks for any insight!


texts: Wheels don't move freely after installing pinhead skewers

texts: So I just installed pinhead locking skewers on my bike, using the instruction manual. But the wheels now have a large amount of friction. I installed all the pieces as tightly as possible, could that be the cause? Or do I need to grease the skewer first?


texts: Rekey a Kryptonite lock outside North America

texts:
Kryptonite offer a re-keying service in North America for those who failed to register their keys and have since lost all of them.  I'm in Europe, and such a service is not offered here, I'm wondering if any good locksmith would be able to offer such a service or if Kryptonite use proprietary technology that wouldn't allow for general locksmiths to re-key.

The lock I have that needs a key for is the Evolution Series 4


texts: How can I not break my sprocket next time

texts:
My sprocket was doing loud noises and when I looked at it, it looks like this

https://imgur.com/gallery/kcISjFd

I bought a new sprocket but I want to know, what can I do to avoid these types of problems again?

Video of issue when installed on bike: https://imgur.com/a/ZCmyOmV


texts: Rear wheel drop-out adjustment (1-speed)

texts:
I've got round to my Twenty/Shopper and besides replacing the tyre also went ahead and got a new KMC chain.
Of course, the links were somewhat shorter, and so I couldn't cut it just right without having to adjust the rear wheel drop-out.
In the end, this is what I got.

Is this drop-out position safe to ride? The nuts are secured to about 300 inch-pounds

UPD: I was just reminded KMC sells half-links, so might just get one and a missing link to lengthen the chain a bit. (now I just need to find a K710 missing link somewhere on this continent)


texts: How to make a DIY tow bar for a collapsible cargo wagon

texts: I am a technology education major who has to carry heaps of tools and materials with me quite often. I live off campus and ride my bike as I don't drive. I was thinking of jury-rigging one of those collapsible cargo wagons to my bike for transporting my 40 pound toolbox and my regular school bag. Has anyone had experience with doing something like this?? Any help is appreciated.


texts:
Can hybrid bikes be as fast as cyclocross bikes if we use an aero position instead?

There's quite a lot in common for both bikes. People claim that CX bikes are faster. It seems like the main reason is because they're more aerodynamic from the rider's posture. To have a more aerodynamic position on the hybrid bike, my guess is that the stem needs to be longer and have a lower angle.

Advantages of using a hybrid bike include not having to buy another bike if you already have the bike, lower cost for a bike with similar features such as brakes and drivetrain, better leverage for braking compared to that of the hoods position, more room for accessories on the handlebar compared to that of a drop handlebar, possibly more room for a front basket, more options for mirrors, less expensive combo shifters, etc.

On my hybrid bike, When I rotated my hips forward, I found it easier to pedal smoothly just like on my road bike. It looked more like the posture used for road bikes. When I was more upright, I found it harder to pedal smoothly and had to remind myself to do it more often. My heart rate seemed to be higher and I felt slower. Maybe smoothness of pedalling allows more power to be produced at a given heart rate.

On my road bike, my preferred position is on the hoods. I rarely use the tops or drops position. I find the drops position awkward. It's possible because my bike is one size too large. I'm 5'7" and my bike's 56 cm. Also, my commute is almost 9 km.

If a hybrid bike was fitted so that the posture was similar, wouldn't it be almost as aerodynamic?
Is that not a popular alternative because with an aerodynamic position, our core and arms can get tired or stiff, and we don't have alternative positions available?
For a properly fitted hybrid bike, is it supposed to be harder to pedal smoothly compared to using a properly fitted CX or road bike?

Update:
I got my hybrid bike performance fitted. The fitter mentioned that the geometry was like a cyclocross'. My posture's more like a road bike's and was optimized for both aerodynamics and power transfer. Since there was a basket, it could only go so low. It's good to be able to have proper form. The next time I commute, I'll see whether I'm faster. A benefit of a longer stem is that there's more room for accessories.

Here are the details:
SH: 737mm
OS: 30mm
Reach 545mm
Drop: 75mm
Handlebar: 45mm riser bar, 600mm wide
Stem: 130mm +/-10°


texts: What are those plastic clips delivered with my new bike?

texts:
I bought a new bike, online. It's a cube travel SLT, with belt drive, hydraulic brakes, alfine 11 hub.

In the box there were 2 of those plastic clips thingies, taken in the picture next to a set of hex keys for scale:

I have absolutely no clue what they could be used for, and google is not my friend here. What can/should I do with them?


texts: Steel rims responsible for slicing tubes?

texts:
I have an old Giant dutch bike and it has steel rims. Since I'm a big boy I felt that the 60PSI on the tyres is not enough and pumped my tyres to the maximum of 85PSI which is what my Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres were supposed to be able to take in. It was great, riding was so much easier all of a sudden! Not the slowest guy on the road anymore, really fast if I wanted to in fact! I loved it.

Unfortunately a few days after I came to find one of the tubes neatly sliced. The tyre untouched. I wasn't sure what had happened but walked to work that day and planned to bring it to the workshop asap. When the day came I exited my house and found the other tube sliced in the exact same way.

I have meanwhile talked to lots of people. Some say it has to do with the steel rims even though I can't make any sense of that. I have also encountered people that said I just need the right tubes and tyres and it shouldn't happen anymore.

I'm now thinking of either buying a new bike, exchanging the wheels(which would be more expensive than the initial price tag of the bike) or give new tubes/new rimband and maybe different tyres a shot?

Does anyone have experience with this sort of thing or any sort of input?

this didn't help: Tire popping out of rim when inflating tube


texts: Options to move the school rucksack during the trip

texts:
If to commute to school by bike, how is the school rucksack usually transported? I can see the following options:

Keep it on the back. It is quite heavy, gravity center will be high and in case of falling over head it may add to the injury.
Put into basket above the rear wheel. The form of the usual rucksack does not fit well to secure it from falling.
Use specialized bicycle container for luggage. But the models I have used so far are time consuming to remove and not adapted at all to carry on hand when full.

Are there special equipment for that? Which approaches are usually taken?


texts: can you tell me what make and model this bicycle is?  And maybe tell me what year and how much it may be worth?


texts: My bike won't shift out of 7th gear in the back

texts: My bike is stuck in 7th gear. The front three gears shift fine, but the back does not. It shifts fine when no one is on it, but as soon as you put weight on it, it no longer will shift.


texts: Anyone know of 3x7 brifters with internal cabling?

texts:
Kind of similar to this question (sorry for the repetition).

I have an old (beloved) specialized A1 with Shimano RSX shifters. They periodically suffer from this problem where they stop shifting. I'm getting a bit frustrated with periodically having to disassemble or flush out with solvent. So I'd like to treat myself to some brand new, preferably with internal cabling.

Does anyone know if there are shifters with internal gear cabling for 3x7? I've googled around a bit but didn't find anything.


texts:
What are some tracking apps for Windows phone which use OpenStreet Maps or Google Maps?
My location (Minsk, Belarus) is a white spot on HERE Nokia maps.


texts: What's the deal/appeal with loud MTB hubs?

texts: Why are a lot of mountain bikers looking to get hubs that make loud sounds? Does it have an advantage or use on the trails?


texts: How seriously should I take Fulcrum Racing 6DB tubeless tire compatibility warning?

texts:
I recently purchased a bike with Fulcrum Racing 6DB wheels and Kenda Flintridge tires. They came tubed, and I'd like to convert them to tubeless.
However, in a manual on their site, Fulcrum list that only certain Schwalbe tires are compatible:

Only SCHWALBE tyres of the TUBELESS EASY type for E-Road, Road and
Gravel applications (only the products in the tables on page 6) have
been tested and approved for Tubeless Easy conversion with the Fulcrum
2 Way Fit Ready profile. Any other type of Tubeless and Tubeless Ready
tyre is not allowed.

How serious is this warning practically speaking? I could get different tires, but my current tires are basically new so I'd rather not change them yet. Both tires and wheels fit well when running with an inner tube.


texts: What's best engine to motorize a road bike

texts:
I have a road bike I use for commuting and I'm about to move 20km further out, so I'm considering fitting a tiny engine to it to assist my ride to work.
However, where I live I have a restriction - the maximum power allowed is 200 watts (about 1/4 HP).
I've seen some kits, but they have huge engines (beats me why they have to be so big).
Further, I'd prefer a diesel engine (no spark/glow plugs) and better economy.
Some brief research has shown that a tiny (5cc or so) diesel engine should be able to produce about 200 watts. A larger one could be de-tuned. There are model aircraft diesel engines of this size, but they're quite expensive.
I've been told a "brushcutter motor" (small two-stroke) could be an option, but they are noisy, smoky and smelly.
I'm not worried about how to deliver the power to the wheel - I'm trying to pick the power plant first then make it work.
Has anyone got any suggestions for:

diesel engine
very small (200 watts max)
not expensive

Edit:
My bike is a Focus Planet TR 2.0 (2012), which has internal hub gears, so the solution can't involve replacing the rear hub. It also has disk brakes front and back, so replacing the front hub may be problematic (not sure).
Regarding range, I will live about 30km away from my CBD and batteries seems to have about a 60km range. Also, recharging takes a while, but filling a tiny tank takes seconds.
Also, I seriously doubt that the pollution created by a tiny 1cc engine exceeds that pollution created by the recharging process of burning coal and pushing the electricity through all the transformers and switches between the power station turbines and a bike battery.
For these reasons, I'm still seeking an internal combustion solution.


texts: Electra Shifter (Revoshift) is hard to turn

texts: My wife has a hard time turning the Revoshift grip on her Electra Townie 7D due to arthritis issues in her hands. Is there a way to help with this issue?


texts:
I have a Strida with 18" wheels. Unfortunately the places I cycle seem to have lots of glass and I get a new puncture almost every week. I commute in London, so this is really unavoidable. The tires I have are not cheap, but they don’t have thick treads. Its hard to find much else for this wheel size. I do keep a close eye on my air pressure, and anyway, I'm digging shards of glass out the tires each time, so its not a pinch puncture.

Does anyone else have a Strida? Do you get lots of punctures and is there any solution?

EDIT; A couple of things I should have added;
This is a strida,

Unfortunately you cannot do anything funky with weight distribution on a strida, you cannot even stand on the peddles. The way its balanced only works if you keep your bum on the seat.

The size 18 wheels are only just small enough to fit, so I cannot fit any tire wider than 35-355 etrto size (1.35).

I may try the brush suggestion if I can work out how to fix it on. I will report back on the results.


texts: What options do I have when replacing my fork's elastomers?

texts:
I'm rebuilding an AntiGravity Fork and converting it to threadless for my 'Blast From the Past' bike (GT Bravado frame, U-Brake, Bullseye hubs and cranks, 21 speed). I really like these forks and I'd like to bring them back to life.

The elastomers are shot. Some are falling apart, others are crushed and don't expand fully, etc. Given that the company is out of business and the chance of locating brand new AntiGravity elastomers is.... not good, I'm looking at what my options are.

AntiGravity Elastomer Fork: Picture

Option A: Wings-Suspension makes killer kits to convert Manitou/RockShox elastomer forks to springs. I emailed them with pictures and details to see if his springs would be compatible, but that's VERY doubtful. This would be my Option A if it worked.

Wings Replacement Springs: Link | Picture

Option B: Round Tubing from McMasters-Carr. I have been trying to just get something to replace them with, at this point. The main suspension uses 4x 1.25" OD 1/4" ID elastomers, and the rebound is controlled by 6x 3/4" OD 3/16" ID elastomers.  McMaster-Carr seems to have close to what I'm looking for, with multiple choices:

Main Elastomers: Neoprene Spring Rubber with 75A Durometer (hard) or Extreme Temperature Silicone Rubber in 60A (medium-hard).

Rebound Elastomers: Only in 1/4" ID (slightly bigger than stock). They have Neoprene Spring Rubber in 75A (hard), Oil Resistant Buna-N Rubber in 75A (hard), and Extreme Temperature Silicone Rubber in 60A (medium-hard).

Option C: ??? (short of buying a new fork)

An answer can either be a link to better replacement material, or which types of the options above are best for a 180-190 lb rider. It would also be really helpful if someone could find a data sheet for this fork showing what the different original durometers were.

In addition, has anyone ever done this before? should I cut them into 4x1.25" and 6x1" pieces, or leave them as one long tube since I'm not swapping them out individually (one of the 'perks' when these were sold)? Does anyone know how to estimate desired durometer / fork force for a given rider weight or desired stiffness? I'd rather be on the stiff side, but I have no idea what 75A or 60A mean in this context - they could be so squishy I bottom them out, or so hard I might as well get a rigid fork.

AntiGravity Fork Internals: Picture

McMasters Carr Round Tubing Link


texts: Remove old non-indexed levers for gear changing to make "fixed" speed bike?

texts:
I recently got an old bicycle for the sole purpose of using it on a trainer. It has old non-indexed levers for gear changing and they don't seem to work OK. The front one slips into lower after a while, and the rear one is now "locked" since it's plastic, I don't want to force it and break it.

I don't want to invest much into this bike, it was already more than I was planning to spend on it.

I was thinking to remove them and fix the derailleurs on a specific gear ratio. I would like to be able to adjust the rear one, but wouldn't mind if the process is somewhat cumbersome (ie: requires tools).

Is this possible? What would be the best path to do it?

Some pictures for clarification:

Shifters:

Front derailleur:

Rear derailleur:

There doesn't seem to be any barrel adjuster on the derailleur side, just on the shifters.


texts: Changing cassette from 8 to 10 or 11 to meet the Shimano 105 5800 groupset

texts:
I upgraded following parts to Shimano 5800 (front and rear derailleurs, crankset, chain, STI shifters). The last thing left to replace is 8 speed Shimano CS-HG51 cassette. Unfortunately I cannot index the new 105 5800 shifter with this cassette. I guess the space between the rear cogs are not the same as in 10/11 cassettes.
Could you please confirm that?
Also do I need specific 11 cassette for my Shimano 105 5800 group or maybe 10 would be enough? Changing to 11 would force me to change the hub as well, as it is only compatible for 10 cassettes.


texts: Converting 3x7 to a 1x7. Is it possible with only existing parts?

texts: I own a 2000 model Specialized Ground Control full suspension. The front derailleur is rusty and temperamental so my solution is to remove it as well as 2 chain rings (they are removable on mine) and convert to a 1x7. This bike is not worth high spendings on upgrades so would this work if I just bought a 1x drivetrain specific chain ring and kept everything else stock? Better yet would it even work on the current middle size chain ring with maybe a chain guide attached to keep it held on? If spacers are required that's all good. I am only a novice MTB rider and the bike will predominantly be used for downhill and small jumps, no hectic double blacks or anything. I am aware that 1x7 isn't very versatile but it will be plenty for me to have fun.


texts: Cycling communities organized rides in Leipzig , Germany

texts:
in my country Dudes usually gather and make some Cycling groups , they usually organize rides during weekends periodically.

i'm planning to spend some time in Leipzig, Germany this summer and i know Germany has a lot of places which would be wonderful to cycle through.

i'm asking if i can find cycling groups that organize such things or trips using bicycles in Germany.


texts:
I’ve been wondering what are the pros and cons of having a shorter crankset.

I’m looking into changing my crank length to a 165mm. I currently have a Shimano FC-RS510 172.5mm upgrading to Shimano 105 FC-R7000 165mm.

Thoughts on this idea? Thanks! I’m riding a Giant Contend AR 1.


texts: Cantilever brakes for older narrow fork bosses (55mm)?

texts:
I have an 80s cyclocross frame I am restoring. The fork's cantilever bosses are spaced at 55mm - much narrower than the modern standard (around 70mm I believe).

I tried to fit a pair of Tektro CR-720s, but despite using thinner pads and removing the spacers cannot get the pads to square with the rim.

Can anyone recommend a set of modern cantilevers (preferably wide profile) alternative to Mafacs that they known to work with this narrow spacing?

I'm hopeful the Dia Compe GC-999 might do the trick as they seem to be based on a traditional design.

I also e-mailed Velo-Orange and Paul Components as I thought they had cantilevers that would match, but they claimed theirs don't work at this narrow spacing.


texts: "Tinking" Sound on my Force 22 PF 30, Ridley Fenix?

texts:
In March, I built a 2015 Ridley Fenix. It has had a persistent on and off tinking sound, typically when I stand up to carry momentum over a hill. Sounds like a cable in the down tube...or a small pebble hitting the down tube. I can also shift weight side to side on the handle bars and this bike makes the same sound (while not pedaling). Sometimes during a ride, it will not make this sound...other rides it drives me nuts.

Here is a list of my attempted fixes:

Remove and grease the front derailleur hanger

Remove and grease the rear derailleur hanger

Replace the compression plug in steerer tube

Pulled and greased and reinstalled the bottom bracket cups (twice)

Replaced the bottom bracket bearings

Pulled and greased the head set twice.

Pulled and replaced the headset.

Replaced the Stem

Oiled the skewers

replaced the shifter housing and cables.

Oiled /greases everything that I could think of.

Adjusted Handle bars

Adjusted the shifter position.

Adjusted the Bottom Bracket Cable Guide several times.

Cleaned contact point of Handlebar and stem.

Cleaned with Alcohol Bottom bracket hull and inside Head tube before grease and reinstallation

Added Spacers to Pedals

Removed Spacer from Pedals.

Torqued everything down to spec.

Grease threads on Pedal Spindle

tighten pedal body on Spindle

greased spacers above and below head set.

Sound not in Wheels, Have had 3 sets on this Bike,

Any help would help restore my sanity...thanks

Thanks Nate and Nathan, when the tinking first started...I had to be on the Bike. One day, after a particularly annoying ride of "tinking", I put the drive side pedal in the 5 o'clock position and pushed laterally on the pedal...and there is was. Would not do it again, until I went to the non drive side and put the pedal in the 7 o'clock position and pushed again with no noise. Back around to the drive side, 5 o'clock pedal position, push on pedal...Tink! at that time it sounded like it was coming from the head tube, but I know sounds can move around the frame. It will also make the noise if I push on the chain stay instead of the crank arm / pedal to flex the frame a little.

This bike has made the sound when I am on the bike, not clipped into the pedals and shift my weight on the handle bars right, left right left...if that makes sense.

I have not tried new bars...but I put brand new 3T rotunda pros on the bike when I built it.

have not yet messed with the seat post or saddle either...noise can happen standing or sitting...so I have not gone there yet.

Cant hear the noise by shaking bike, sounds solid with the pre ride drop test. I can find no cracks...


texts: Can I run a dual crankset with a chain guide tensioner?

texts:
We recently got a new mountain bike for my son via craigslist, it is a couple year old Transition Bottle Rocket and came with a E-Thirteen SS+ chain guide/tensioner.

He would like a lower gear for when we go up the hill to get to the good downhill trails.

Can we add a front derailleur and shifter to allow two front chain rings allowing a lower gearing for going up and one for when he goes down the trail.

He has a nice large 32 tooth on the rear cassette but still would like something a bit easier to spin up the hill


texts: How to fix this saddle for my road bike?

texts:
I have this bike:
https://www.boc24.de/p/compel-rr-100/213327/#itemId=213327-1
I disassembled my bike and have Problems putting my saddle back together.

What i tried:
Putting from both sides:

What i expected:
Having only one screw. (Maybe i also confuse having two,..)
(different bike)


texts: Change Shimano FC-M431 Octalink crank arms to Shimano SLX

texts:
I won a good deal for a Shimano 2012 SLX FC-M660 set, excluding bottom bracket and crank bolt.

Is there any chance I can upgrade my touring bikes FC-M431 Octalink somehow without changing the chain rings?


texts: Rear derailleur and front shifter are not indexing "together"?

texts:
So my rear derailleur and front shifter have stopped working together, my shift can shift once up and then nothing. My bike has essentially turned itself into a 2 speed.

The shifter is a 2300 shifter and the derailleur is a 105, both compatible with each other and my 8sp cassette (I know this because it has been working fine for a year).

So the other night I moved my cable because it was kinda blocking my light and then all of a sudden my derailleur and my shifter had disengaged and I was stuck in 1st gear.

I thought possibly the cable had slipped from the rear derailleur and that was the issue so I tried adjusting it with no improvement (in fact I made it slightly worse because I am now stuck in my highest gear).

My question I suppose is, how do I figure out if it is the derailleur or the shifter and does anyone have any idea how to fix it? The shifters seem like black magic since I can't really see what they do and all the mechanisms and screws are hidden away. I may need to replace the cable as I have kinda messed it up and got it all frayed and prickly (lost the nipple), how difficult a job is that?

Cheers


texts:
I'm in the planning stages of a big US cycle trip and am doing some research into the best cycle touring blogs. I'm looking for active blogs of people or groups who are on the road and blogging along the way.

I'm already aware of Vague Direction - which is awesome - but any others that have inspiring photos / videos?

Thanks!
Jonny


texts:
I’ve been tasked to source a replacement freehub, any ideas what this type would be? Might be obvious forgive my ignorance!

Forgot to mention, it’s from a Marin bike. That’s all I know so far


texts: A shim between bottom headset cup and bearing

texts:
I ended up in a situation in which my new fork with an integrated crown race imposes lower headset bearing (1.5" 45deg) stack restriction, i.e. I need an additional 1.5mm of bearing height so the fork doesn't rub lower headset cup (bonded to CF tube, by the way).

I see two ways to alleviate the issue:

Grind a bit of headset lower cup so the fork clears. It's aluminium and hanging part that rubs the fork serves no structural purpose, at least that's what I think.
Use a shim between lower cup and a bearing. See the CAD drawing for details. I reckon the support of cup from top (45deg surface) and outside (54mm inner diameter) should be enough, after all it's the same mechanism that keeps the bearing in place. But to my surprise, I failed to find such a product!

So, the question(s): is the shim approach a viable solution? If no, why exactly? If yes, can I buy one?

Update: in perfect scenario, I want to use the shim with another, less tall but lighter bearing I already own. I do not want to purchase a taller bearing.

Here's a fork crown photo:

A the tight situation:

Update 2: as promised, the bottom headset cup:

The tall bearing height is 8mm, the less tall lightweight bearing is 7mm.

Update 3: the 2.5mm shim looks too thick even for a 7mm bearing, the gap is ~2.4mm:


texts: What is the proper technique for crossing railroad tracks?

texts:
I cross railroads as perpendicularly as is possible, but that's all I know to do.  Safety is a priority, speed not so much.  Specifically:

Is there an optimum speed?
Should you pedal through them or coast?
Does it depend on the type of bike? (mine is a stock Giant Rapid 3)
Any other tips?


texts: Importance of a thru-axel for mountain biking

texts:
Looking at two fairly similar mountain bikes.  On the rear wheel, one of them has a thru-axel and the other one doesn't.  What kind of effect will this have on the bike's handing and how important is this?

Kona Big Honzo has a thru-axel (link):

Norco FLUID 7.2/6.2 HT+ doesn't have a thru-axel (link):


texts: Why is my drivetrain so noisy after replacing the chain?

texts:
I ride an SE Lager fixed. On the 30th of May this year I did a bit of an overhaul, replacing the rear cog, chain, wheels, tyres and brake pads.

I measured the chain last weekend and discovered that it was already over .75 (which I asked about here), but less than 1.0. So I decided the replace the chain with a new KMC Z410 chain. I use a Surly track cog 1/8 inch, 17t on the back and since it was only a few months old and with a single chain I decided not to replace it. The chainring is also not old and looks to be in fine condition.

Here is a photo showing the old cog (on the left) and a brand new cog (on the right). I couldn't see any appreciable difference which I took as reinforcing my decision that it didn't need replacing.

Unfortunately the next day I went for a ride the drivetrain was incredibly noisy. Clunking and grinding. I could even feel roughness through the pedals. I was thinking maybe the bottom bracket (the only drivetrain component that has not been replaced yet) might have completely fallen apart. What is causing this noise?

Fair warning: I have the answer to this question that I will post shortly. According to my  research, asking and answering a question is encouraged as a source of information

Update: I should clarify that I don't have the answer to the question. I know how I fixed it, but that doesn't preclude another answer being more informative


texts: Alright, so, please, don't flame me for buying a budget bike. My dad recently passed away, and i've been riding his bike. It was a hybrid mountain/road bike. As it slowly died, and i bent the rear axle (Don't ask me how, i don't ride it hard) i debated buying a new bike. I have a few friends with the Denali, and, while they won't let me try it, it looks to be a good bike. One of them has had it for over a year, prompting me to consider it. Personally, i don't have the money for a big budget bike, and only have around $200 to spend. I also pop on and off curbs, and am wondering if that will be much of a problem. Is it worth buying? Will it stand up to my antics? I only weigh 155 Lbs and am a fan of speed. I'm 5'8" but am looking to buy the one intended for much larger people (6'2"-6'5") as i am used to that on my dad's bike. (Plus, i'm only 16, i might get a little bit taller). Biking is pretty much my life, I do it daily. But my old bike is not a road bike, it was a hybrid and is 40 lbs. Is it worth the upgrade? I'd like to get a higher cruising speed as well as a higher top speed. I'd also like to be able to jump on and off curbs if need be. (I've been hit on my bike riding on the road a few times)


texts: How do I remove old hockey tape from drop bars

texts: I used hockey tape on the drop bars for my bike and I need to remove it to replace the brake levers. Over time, the tape has become melted/fused together, and I used lots of layers for extra cushioning, and I can't just peel it off. Are there any tips or tricks for removing it that don't require a Delorean to undo my bad decision to use hockey tape in the first place.


texts: What does A/V mean on an inner tube package?

texts:
I've got a bike tire that says "(32-630) 27 X 1 1/4" on it.

I've got also got an innertube that says "700X18/23C -27X1 A/V".

I'm trying to figure out if the innertube is the right size for the tire.  I gather that my tire has a 27" diameter and a 1 1/4" width.  It seems that the innertube is designed for a tire that's 27" by 1"... which seems like it's not the right size.  But is that correct?  Or will the innertube fit?  And in either case, what does A/V mean in this context?

Many thanks,

D


texts: Road bike 1.5" Integrated tapered Headtube to a 1 1/4 tapered Fork compatibility

texts:
Currently have a road bike running with 1.5" Integrated tapered Headtube with a 1.5" tapered fork was looking to upgrade to an Enve road fork with a 1 1/4 Tapered fork. Was wondering what would be the solution to keep the bearings that im currently using to have it fit on a 1 1/4 tapered fork? Can it be done with just changing the crown race for the fork? If yes what would be the crown race to be fitted on the fork?
Thanks!
the question is a little bit tricky to sentence, my bad.


texts: Is there any advantage to preparing the tire bead with sealant during installation on the rim

texts:
I am on a hard tail 29er and this is my first time going tubeless. I will be mounting 2.4 Maxxis DHF to a carbon 35 mm rim.

Where I am going is remote, quite rooty, and there are lots of technical small-rock gardens as well as broccoli and smaller rocky trails.

My plan is to go with lower pressure, maybe 20 psi. But I don't want a burp in a rough descending off camber turn and then have to pull out a spare or have to try to get the tire re-seated.

I'll be using gorilla tape on the rim instead of the 'official' tape, no diff there and save a few bucks.

I saw them apply a milky coating the last time my car tires were installed and the shop guy said it was a water soluble latex to help bed and seal the tire to the wheel.

Most people use a mild soapy water to wet the tire when mounting. Given that
I am using Stan's or Slimepro, would it help to apply a thin film of the solution to the tire bead when mounting them on the rim?

edit 1: What I did in the end

Before mounting the tire on the rim I watched the Slime Pro how-to video on YouTube
Slime Pro - Official How To Video

So, I guess that answers it, yes, it is recommended to use the sealant as the tire bead bedding solution as far as Slime Pro is concerned. Also, I tried that, exactly as shown in the video with a toothbrush and got my 'two loud pops' and a bubble free (perfect seal) of 2.4 Maxxis Minion DHF on a 35mm wide 29er rim.

The sealant, which is slippery and stays liquid actually for quite a while (definitely more than 5 minutes) seems to be excellent as a tire bedding solution.

I had a really tough time getting my last tire (2.35 Hans Dampf) on the rim. That one took forever to get on the rim (at least 5 minutes) and the sealant I applied to the tire and the rim stayed lubed until I was ready to air. Also a perfect seal and some good 'pops' when airing.

edit 2: What the local bike shops do

I inquired at 4 well-known local bike shops in the area to find out how they do tubeless mounts. All of the service departments said that they use the sealant (Stans Tubeless Sealant) instead of soap and water for tire bead mounting. So it turns out that no-one around here actually uses soap and water any more.


texts: How does waterproof rating translate into rain intensity?

texts:
I'm trying to understand what the waterproof rating means in cycling clothes. I understand the "science" behind the test, that is if a jacket is rated at 5000mm waterproof it means if you put a column of water over the fabric the water will leak only over 5 liters of water or above that pressure.
What does pressure have to do with rain intensity? Are we talking about about the pressure the rain hits the fabric? But even then it doesn't add up because light rain shouldn't be expected to hit a lower pressure than a storm.
What about the liters? Will ever get 5 liters of water over my jacket all the same time?


texts: Will 2x11-speed front derailleur work on 2x9 system?

texts:
mine Shimano 105 FD-5501 broke (I stripped thread for screw which holds it on braze) and I need to buy a new one. Will 2x11 speed front derailleur work with mine 2x9 system?

Thanks for help.


texts: Road Shifters, Mountain Rear Derailleur?

texts:
I have a road/cyclocross/commuter frame that is currently spec'd with road components - all Shimano 105, with an Ultegra rear derailleur.

The cassette (10 spd) tops out at 27 teeth, and the rear derailleur has a very short cage compared to Deore/XT/XTR I've looked at.  If I wanted to use a cassette with more teeth, 32 or 36 - I was wondering if there'd be any issue with swapping out the current Ultegra for a 10 spd Deore/XT/etc cassette & derailleur but still using the 105 STI?  Both shifters & derailleur would be 10 spd, but I don't know if say cable pull is the same?


texts: Can standard cartridge wheel bearings "shrink" over time?

texts:
My front wheel has started to wobble a bit at the hub and it's most noticeable when braking at the lights, as the front wheel is doing like a "pulsing" sound when braking - like as if the wheel is off center.
I've pulled the hub apart, but I cannot see any obvious issues, yet when I lift the front wheel off the ground, as it's attached to the fork, the wheel slightly shakes when I tap it. It is not firm as it should be.

Because I cannot see obviously what's going on, could the bearings inside the sealed-cartridge have worn down in size? There is ample grease on them, but I guess even over time wheel bearings do wear down a micro-millimeter or two? That's the only explanation I have as to why the wheel hub has a slight wobble / shake.

Wheel is Campagnolo Vento-Reaction, about 5 years old now.

Here's a video of the wheel, showing how to get to the hub bearings...


texts: OnGuard U-Lock key mechanism partially activated

texts:
I have a mini U-lock from OnGuard.
The lock is not attached to the bike, so that's not a factor is this question.

I can see the locking mechanism jutting out partially into the key hole, which is preventing the key from being fully inserted into the key hole--it only can go about 1/2 in.  How can I get the mechanism to go back in to place so that my key may be fully inserted? Or is it time to finally break down and get a whole new lock?


texts:
I'm replacing the quick release skewers on my bike with allen key skewers for a little security.

Clearly the old skewers were well greased and it sounds pretty standard to grease them. There are plenty of forum posts at a google search but I thought it would be useful to ask here.

Is there any chance I shouldn't lubricate the skewers? There is no indication on the package that this is necessary.

What lubricant should I use?

What exctly is the lubricatant for? All of the rotation should be handled by the hub, there shouldn't be any rotating friction on the skewers themselves right?

Thanks!


texts: How to prevent ice from clogging the cassette?

texts:
I've commuted on a bike in winter for 13 years now, but never as far as now, that is 30 km daily. I have a problem which I never experienced before.

In temperatures close to 0C and on paths covered with thin layer of melting snow turning into loose ice particles, the front wheel picks up these particles and splats them over the lower parts of the bike. Some of them get caught between sprockets, which they turn into an ice cone, causing the chain to lose grip and slip over them (with continues cracking sound, just like when riding with extremely worn out chain). This concerns fast gears (sprockets 11-17T), which I use most often.

There's no other choice then but to shift to lighter gears and make a helicopter out of the cranks, but that's annoying over a long distance.

I saw this question: How to prevent my hub body from freezing?, but the author does not mention snow at all, so I don't know if the same advice applies.


texts: Look Keo pedal no longer floats. Can it be fixed?

texts:
I've had look Keo pedals installed on my road bike for a few years. Recently the right pedal has felt like it no longer has any float (potentially seized up?). This is starting to cause me foot pain on longer rides, so very keen to solve it before it leads to injury.
The cleats I'm using are only a few weeks old, so I can't see how it would be those causing it.
My main question is whether there is a way to service pedals to fix this? I know the axles can be serviced quite easily. Otherwise, is my only option to replace the pedals?

I have tried old and new cleats in the pedal and in the other pedal (Which seems to be fine). I use the grey Keo 4.5 degree cleats and always have done.
I've tried putting the left shoe into right pedal and vise versa, and it appears that the problem is pedal specific (Right shoe works in left pedal, left shoe doesn't work in right). I believe it was an issue before the cleat change, the same foot pain existed, but I didn't know the cause. I've checked for for stones/muck, both pedals are clean and clear of debris.
As a follow up question, what are the reasons that would make you change your pedals? Could this be caused by one of those reasons?


texts:
This answer suggests that having B-tension adjusted so that the chain sits far from the cogs increases wear. Can anyone cite a source that says that? Experimental evidence would be preferable, but a statement from an expert would suffice.

Sheldon notably doesn't mention it, instead saying that proper B-screw adjustment leads to quicker shifting, so I'm wondering if it's really the case.


texts: Keeping shirts crease free when commuting

texts:
I'm a manager in an office and need to wear shirt and tie every day.  I am also a keen commuter cyclist (5 mi cycle to station, train, 0.5 mi walk to office).

I've tried panniers, rucksack, rolling shirts up, trying to keep flat and folded...but as yet I still end up with more creases than I'd like.

Any advice on how to keep my shirts as crease free as possible?  (Oddly enough, my trousers always seem to come out nicely!)


texts:
If one is "claiming the lane" does that mean:

a) they simply ride on the street (i.e. on the left side of the lane in the US, Germany, France, ..) or

b) they are riding in the middle of the lane, with someone else side by side, or some other way that they take over most of the lane width? or

C) Another definition?


texts:
I was wondering if I was on a bike could I run a red light if it is impossible for me to get hit by a car? (Unless the car drives into the bike lane). I made a quick picture on paint to try and show what I mean.

EDIT: I live in Washington and here is a picture from google maps, I never see anyone walking on the sidewalk on the side I'm going because it ends in a few meters so usually people jaywalk further back. I also forgot to mention that there is a huge hill after this (for me, I'm not the fittest person in the world) and that's really the only reason I'm asking this because the downhill I get will help me make it up the other hill easier, if it was flat I wouldn't be asking this. Better safe than sorry but because there is a huge hill and I'm not really the best climber I don't want to stop and lose all my momentum to make it up the hill. I also never see any other bikes on the street, just bikes in parks etc.


texts:
My MTB is a Lapierre X-Flow 512 2012. It has a Shimano RD-M980-SGS 10v rear derailleur which has a total capacity of 41t (see official specs). But it comes with a 11-36 cassette and a 24-42 crankset (see bike specs).
I can calculate the capacity of my bike: (36-11)+(42-24) = 43t.
So the max capacity of the rear derailleur is exceeded by 2t, which I find strange for a stock bike as Lapierre is a pretty serious brand. But everything works well and never had any issue so far.

Is that a common thing that bike manufacturers ignore the max capacities of rear derailleurs?
What are the potential (good or bad) effects of exceeding the max capacity?
If I increase again that capacity to 45t by mounting a 44t chainring (which can have a chainguard) instead of the original 42t chainring, do I risk breaking anything?


texts: I'm shopping for a child trailer. Should I get one with suspension?

texts:
I'm shopping for a child trailer. Models with suspension get quite expensive, but it seems like that would be a great feature to reduce strain on the kiddo.

If you have a trailer with suspension, do you find that it actually provides some benefit?

I'm currently looking at the Burley Solo.


texts: Why does a decimal sized 26" tire fit my rims but a fractional sized 26" tire doesn't?

texts:
I'm replacing some 26 x 2.10" mountain bike tires that I have on my bike with some thinner 26 x 1 3/8" road bike tires for commuting, however somehow even though they both say that they are 26" the new road bike tires are too big for the rim!

I can take the new tires back, what should I look for when picking out a new set of tires?


texts: Crankset arms length and chainring for 5 year-old

texts:
My five years old little girl rides a BMX micro mini bike with 18 x 1" wheels. The original bike came with 130 mm crankset length, 38 tooth chainring and 14 tooth rear cog.

However, looking at her on her trainings, came to my attention the way she was pedaling. After reading a lot in the web I found out that there are shorter  crankset for small rider. Due to the fact that I can´f afford $150 US dollars crankset plus shipping to my country, $70 US plus customs fee. I decided to cut and shorter a 175 mm crankset arms to 110 mm, and I did a great job.

So, due to your expertise and knowledge, I would like to ask you which chainring and cog could you recommend for my daughter.


texts: What is the necessary equipment on longer bike rides?

texts:
Let me provide some context to the question. I mostly cycle alone and cover distances in the range from 45 km to 65 km; depending on the route, these rides last from less than 2 hours to well over 4 hours. The bike is a Nakamura highlander (a trekking bike).

Most of the routes I cycle involve (very) long stretches of road with no villages nearby. Apart from water, and sometimes a phone and a wallet, I do not carry any equipment. My fear is that when something goes wrong---I get a flat tire for instance---I will be in major trouble.

What basic equipment---like patches and a bicycle pump---do you carry on such trips? Where (and how) do you carry them?

Edit (July 12th 2015). The question seems to have some overlap with the question Riding Repair Kit, asked by @mfg, although the two are not equivalent: I am asking about basic equipment on longer bike rides whereas @mfg is asking about minimal repair kit for intra-city commuters.


texts: When in a UCI race, does the helmet have to be to be fitted properly

texts: I noticed that Nibali's helmet was very loose when he went down during one of the last stretches of the 2016 Giro d'Italia. A helmet is almost useless if it's not properly fastened. I understand that the pros loosen their helmets on the uphill to breathe more easily, but is there a rule about wearing it properly when at high speed?


texts:
I've recently acquired a cyclocross bike (Stevens Prestige) with aforementioned FC-RS510 crankset. I am thinking of exchanging the 50-34 gearing which is currently mounted with a 46-36 set because otherwise my typical commuting speed would be just between the larger and the smaller rings.

Since the crankset seems to be a slight cost compromise in an otherwise excellently spec'ed bike, I am contemplating upgrading this part in the process. Can I mount any 11-speed 105 or Ultegra crankset? Or to spend slightly less but still upgrade, could I use 105 or Ultegra chainrings with this crankset?

If anyone could point me to the "famous" Shimano compatibility charts and how to read them, this would be much appreciated!


texts:
My Situation :
I degrease my drive train occasionally and absolutely hate the job. I also maintain my dad's bike, so this whole degreasing thing is really getting on my nerves now.
I use solvents such as paint thinners, petrol etc rather than what is typically marketed as 'bicycle degreaser', considering that to be weaker product for much more money.
[Typically in my region, especially marketed degreaser costs about 27x more than petrol by volume (if lucky), not to mention being generally less effective as far as chemistry is concerned]
Also, I use toothbrushes instead of a chain cleaner tool, but am realising that those devices are a good and reasonable investment if I am to do this regularly.
Not to mention I get pretty OCD about clean drivetrains but can't take the bike apart, because I have neither the tools, nor the time nor the patience to assemble and disassemble the drivetrain.

The Problem(s) :
Despite being excellent solvents, they aren't appearing to great cleaners.
If I intended to submerge my cassette and chain in them, sure they'd be perfect. But I intend to apply, brush and rinse.
For this task , these are quite the pain in the arse, requiring lots of re-application due to having vaporised quickly while I got up to stretch my back or sip some water; requiring more scrubbing to no end; and with petrol , being quite difficult to rinse off.
In the end , I get a decently cleaned but not sparkling chain and cassette , a through 2 hour back-straining workout and absolutely no desire to go clean my dad's bike .
Sure, the evaporation and chain-scrubbing issues can be fixed simply by using a chain cleaner tool. The rinsing problem can be used by boycotting petrol and sticking to thinner.
But of course, the cleaning of the cassette remains unsolved - it still takes way more brushing and odd angles than tolerable.

The Fantasy :
Now, a couple days back I saw a YouTube ad for WD40's bike degreaser. I understand ads are hyperbole and inaccurate. I also understand that regularly buying specially marked bike degreaser is outside the bounds of my budget.
BUT , the ad showed the dream degreaser. All you had to do was backpedal the suspended bike a few turns while spraying degreaser from the can to the cassette. The shit would foam up like luxurious soap. You waited for a while. You rinsed it off with a garden hose. Ta-Da ! Sparkling drivetrain !

The Question :
To someone who has actually used a marketed degreaser on his drivetrain, is the foaming and ease of rinsing real ? Does it actually get the grime very well with minimal brushing , like they show in all the internet tutorials ? Or is this just the magic of the exaggeration of an ad, and the jumpcuts of GCN and GMBN ?
Do I really need to invest in any more than a Chain cleaning tool ?


texts: We offer our riders shared helmets. What sanitizing spray or barrier product can we provide alongside the helmets?

texts:
We are lucky enough to have four shared bikes at work, which are available for any employee to ride.

Due to New Zealand's compulsory helmet laws, we must provide some shared helmets. Some people don't like that idea, but it's not reasonable to ask them to provide their own if they don't have a bike.

What's a helmet-safe anti-cootie spray ? Isopropyl alcohol ?
Or should we be providing disposable hairnets like go-kart tracks offer to their patrons?  Disinfectants/deodorants like Dettol or Febreze?

Related - there is a bike rental scheme in my city (a bike-share system) and they also must provide helmets for riders.  There is a periodic clean of the helmet when the bike is serviced, and they claim that happens 3 times a week   Often these helmets stay in the bike's front basket instead of being worn, but they live outside


texts:
Got the idea to this question from this one, guiding in framebuilding.

I cannot jump directly to welding before I have a cheap working prototype, due to tight budget. In architecture of houses, they use balsa or bass woods to build scale models. Bicycles are  in a way more complicated to houses that you have gears, cogs, anti-vibration-structure and equipment -positions to design. When you suggest prototyping, please, tell me how you use it? For example, how can you kill vibration in the very beginning?


texts: How should I reinstall parts on my axle when I forgot what order they were in?

texts:
I got carried away while disassembling/removing the freewheel, hub, cones, washers, and nuts on my rear wheel's axle, and now I'm not quite sure how it all goes back together. I was a fool and didn't take photos or note how things were arranged beforehand. Afterwards I found the Park Tools Hub Overhaul and Adjustment: Cup and Cone Style guide. It has great tips, like noting how things were assembled beforehand :-|
Before I grease and re-assemble, I'm trying to make sure I roughly put things back on in a meaningful order and with some more thought and care than when I disassembled.
There are a few parts whose orientation I'm sure about at least. I know these parts for the left/non-drive side (highlighted in green) are correct because they stayed on the axle during disassembly and I at least noted that much. And I think these parts on the right are likely accurate, because it roughly mirrors the left side, but I'm not 100% positive.

But I'm uncertain on these other washers. Two of them seem to be the same thickness as the ones on the axle in the photo above, so I think those probably just go outside the nuts that are on the axle. But then there's this last washer that's thin that I'm not sure about. I know at one point a bike shop had added that to help align things, but I'm not sure where it was positioned.

I also realized the ends on either side of my (flip flop) hub are slightly different sizes, so I'm wondering if the washers help to offset that difference somehow. One threaded side seems to be ~3/4" while one is more like 14/16".
With a pile-of-parts situation like I've got myself into, are there any general tips for people like me trying to reassemble properly? Guess and check? Patience and trying/re-aligning as I assemble? As long as the wheel's properly center in the end is that good enough?
The bike is a 2011 (or maybe 2012) KHS Urban Soul, but the manual is a bit vague


texts: I have an Electra Townie with handlebars offset 2 1/8" forward of stem tube.  Is there a replacement quill stem available that would line up handlebars with stem tube?  Center of handlebars needs to be about 5" above top of stem tube.


texts: I was recently given padded mountain bike shorts. Are mountain bike shorts good for commute? (around 11 km one-way)


texts: i have a bike that has v brakes on the rear wheel. Everytime i try to align the brakes after i ride and use a few times the rear brakes, one of the pads is rubbing on the rim. Please help as i have spent a lot of hours on it without gain anything. Thanks.


texts: Railroad Power lines interfering with Heart rate Monitor

texts: I have two heart rate monitor chest straps from Sigma and one from Garmin. Everytime I pass close by a trainline the numbers on my HR-Display go bananas. I'm about to go insane because of this, is there anything to do against this? Buy something new? Or throw it all in the bin..


texts: I would like to change the front fork to my road bike, but since I do not know which specifications to follow, I prefer to ask you guys


texts:
I have a very simple city bike. I have neglected it outside for a while to a level I had to take it to a repair shop manually because of a blown tire. At the shop the tire was changed and the breaks readjusted.

But now when I am riding it I have a very loud cranking clanking sound (like the chain is hitting something, or something similar, don't know where it comes from) coming when I don't pedal for a few meters (for example going down a hill). It will go for a few more meters and stop, and then again.
It barely happens when I am just leading the bike with my hands (it will continue if this sound started, and I got off the bike for a while, but then disappear), it also doesn't appear when I pedal.

I can't find the source because the sound is only on when I am on it and disappears when I am off it.

What could it be?

Thank you


texts: Chain length differences between 1X and multi-chainring setups

texts:
When determining correct chain size, one common technique is to install the chain (without passing it through any derailleur) onto the largest front and rear sprockets. Then, determine the shortest length that the chain could be cut to, and then add 1 complete link to that length. One complete link corresponds to one inner and one outer pair, which corresponds to 1 inches.
I have noticed that in recent times, some resources recommend adding 2 links (2 inches) instead of only 1, specifically when the bicycle is set up with a single chainring in the front. This seems to be a "tribal knowledge" practice, but fairly common in my area.
Is there any evidence or data to support this practice of adding an additional link to 1X systems, and are any major component manufacturers recommending the practice?
See for example :

https://bike.bikegremlin.com/614/chain-length-sizing-for-bicycles-with-derailleurs/


texts:
I have two numbers under my frame, can you help me understand which one is the frame number? Is it the same thing as serial number? And what is the other one? The make of the bike is Leader Fox, the two serial numbers I can read are
DA2019292 and M1301617 (or MI301617 )

I want to register the bike on the website that helps in case it's stolen. Also, police would need this number too. So I only need some number that is unique within this bike model.


texts: Increase clearance between tire and frame

texts: The tire on my bicycle rim slightly touches parts of my frame. Obviously, the rims are too large for my frame. However, is it possible to get tires with a lower "height" (see red arrow in the picture) to increase the clearance between tire and the frame (0.5 cm would be sufficient)? If yes, for what do I have to pay attention when buying a tire? Any other suggestions on how to solve this problem without buying new rims?


texts: Commuting and recreation scooter with handlebar brake lever

texts:
I am looking for a commuting / recreation scooter but have no experience of using one. I am very familiar with riding a bike and using handlebar-mounted brake levers.
My budget is sub-£100 (GBP) and this appears to give me three options:

scooter with foot operated rear brake (friction on tyre)
scooter with foot operated rear brake (friction on tyre) plus ancillary handlebar mounted lever
budget scooter with rear disc brake and handlebar mounted lever

For occasional use I presume friction-on-tyre would be adequate, albeit cause accelerated tyre wear. Does this type of brake perform adequately for an adult (70kg) travelling around town?
Would the additional handlebar-mounted lever be useful or prove ineffective for rapid braking? From the photos I've seen, there appears to be little mechanical advantage in the braking mechanism.
Is a rear disc brake a desirable option for occasional use in fair weather? My concern is the trade-off in getting a better braking system vs. lower standard elsewhere in a budget machine.


texts: Mixing GRX crankset with Deore groupset on 2021 Trek Dual Sport 4

texts:
I'm riding 2021 Trek Dual Sport 4. It has almost full Deore groupset, except crankset. Here is the full spec list:

Shifter: Shimano Deore M5100, 11 speed
Rear derailleur: Shimano Deore M5100, long cage, Shadow Plus
Crank: ProWheel alloy, 42T, 175mm
Cassette: Shimano Deore M5100, 11-51, 11 speed
Chain: KMC X11, 11 speed
Pedal: Wellgo Black

I'm really not happy with this ProWheel crankset (from my point of view, it is unacceptable to put this noname $20 crankset to the $1200+ bike), therefore I was looking for an upgrade from day 1. As I'm utilizing this hybrid bike as intended, riding 70% ideally paved roads and 30% light trails, 42T is a must for me, so I cannot put, for example, Deore XT crankset as it's only 36T at max. Hence, I've chosen a Shimano GRX 1x11-speed crankset (FC-RX810-1 to be precise). However, I don't know if it will fit and there is no reputable bike tuner around, just a few ready-to-go bike shops. So, could you, please, help me understand if I'm fine replacing just a crankset, should I replace anything else as well or maybe consider other options for 42T?
Thanks.


texts: Litespeed frame has clear film all over it

texts: I never noticed the film on my Ti frame until it started peeling. What is this? Can I safely remove it? It seems to be flaking off on its own anyway.


texts:
Just to illustrate that there are better and worse ways to apply brakes, here's an example of a less-than-ideal way: I was biking on a borrowed bike and getting used to the brakes. The front brake lever was squishier than the rear. After skidding out and landing my hip on a stump, which lowered morale significantly for the next half-hour or so, I learned to give the front brake a harder squeeze to compensate for the squish. This was on a mountain trail and at the urging of my biking companion on that day.

So my question is this: How does one brake under certain circumstances? Are there times when all-front or all-rear braking makes sense, or is it always best to apply pressure somewhat evenly to both brakes, and are there different braking techniques on roads vs trails and such?


texts:
Earlier this year I purchased my first road bike (a 2013 - Felt F75). I had never really ridden before, so I didn't want to spend too much money up front not knowing how much I would actually ride. All in all, I think I'm riding more than I really ever thought I would.

My question is this:

If I wanted to start upgrading components on my bike, generally speaking, where can I get the most bang for my buck right off the bat? I've heard that getting new wheels can make a night-and-day difference in some cases, but didn't hear much evidence to back that up.

What do you guys think? Here is the spec list for the F75 for reference:
http://www.feltbicycles.com/USA/2013/Road/F-Series-Road-Bike/F75.aspx broken link.
For the 2016 edition see http://www.feltbicycles.com/International/2016/Bikes/road/race/f75.aspx


texts: Will Shimano M6000 Rear Derailleur SG (medium cage) work with cassette other then 42t?

texts:
I was thinking about buying Shimano Deore groupset to upgrade my ride, checking both older M610s and newer M6000s. The hitch is I want 2x10 set commuter flavor. That means narrow ratio cassette, like 11-25, 12-28 or 11-32. It seemed pretty logical to look for medium cage (GS) rear derailleur version since:

SGS (long cage) was designed with 3x10 in mind (as far as I heard).
I'll be getting transmission capacity like 26, 33 tops which feels too low for SGS with 43 cap.

However, if you look at GS version at Shimano's web site, you'll see:

Low sprocket_Max.    42T
Low sprocket_Min.    42T

As far as I understand it, I should not be using any cassette lesser then 11-42t, which is quite weird to say the least. So, have anyone got experience with using narrow ratio cassettes with RD-M6000-GS, or maybe give some build advice?


texts: What are the downsides of a twisted wheel?

texts:
After a collision where somebody fell on me, my front wheel is twisted to the point that it slightly touches the brake once per revolution causing a soft screech. Logistically, I can't get to the shop to repair it right away.

First, is this condition dangerous? Should I stop riding the bike until it is repaired?

Second, if there is no danger, what are the pros and cons of repairing it at all as opposed to leaving it that way? This is a cheap bike I bought used, and if they need to exchange the whole wheel, it might cost more than I want to pay. I find the sound slightly annoying, but not terribly intrusive, and if there are other influences on the riding experience (slower speed?) I haven't noticed them. The light dynamo still works.

If it's relevant, I'm talking about a simple Dutch style bike without any fancy parts. I only ride it on paved flat streets.


texts:
I need to replace the headset on my old trek 1.5 alpha 2011 model, and also my b'twin ultra 720AF will need the bearings replaced soonish.

Is there a reliable way to find out what headsets I need? I've had two close, but unsuccessful attempts at getting the right ones before. In the end I've had to give up and use my lbs, which is annoying as I have all the tools required to change these.

Any advice is most welcome.


texts: Which Type of Bike Would You Select If You Needed To Commute, Ride Fire Roads, and Regular Roads With 1 Bike?

texts:
In the market for a bike
Novice/Beginner skillset
Looking to spend a decent chunk of money on one bike that can be used for commuting, fire roads, and standard road riding
Riding location would be Marin County/Mount Tam/Fairfax if that provides more clarity on the terrain type
Won't be in any competitions with this bike. Mostly after comfort and rideability verse speed based on my skill level.
I'm open to spending additional funds for running multiple wheelsets/tires but would prefer to run a single wheelset/tire
That being said, I'd prefer a kit verse a custom build out due to supply chain delays
40 Miles of Road/Week Commuting + 25 to 50 Miles of Gravel/Fire Roads/Road + Dirt Routes

I've looked at Cyclocross (Canyon Inflite), Gravel (Evil Chamois), and Endurance Bikes (Canyon Endurance).

Cyclocross looks the most appealing but I'd have to pick my fire roads a little more wisely. Riding a ton of miles also might catch up to my body due to the geometry
Gravel looks to be the best all-around fit but might be a little slower than I'd like on the road/would need to get a road wheelset which isn't time friendly
Endurance most likely wouldn't be able to take the fire roads / heavy gravel I'd be riding

Thank you in advance.


texts: Which spokes go on the non drive side and which go drive side?

texts:
I just wanted to make sure I understood the guy at the shop.

The spoke calculator gives you left side and right side spokes lengths

Left side go on the non drive side i.e. the side where the rotor is, right side goes on drive side i.e. the side the free hub body is on, yes?

Just out of curiosity what would happen if you got them the wrong way round? Are there signs that suggest you have done so?


texts: Full-face helmet/downhill context and short sightedness

texts:
I am short-sighted and doing downhill. Until recently my setup was full-face helmet (obvioulsy) plus eyes-glasses (normal or sunglasses according to the weather). Until recently because I had a mud/micro stone projection in my left eye : now I have fully recovered but I don't want it to happen again, so I decided to wear goggles.

For short-sighted people not able as me to wear contact lenses anymore, I see that there are four options :

eyeglasses in the form of pool glasses, used for instance in basketball
wearing goggles over my normal glasses
having goggles glasses adapted to my view
having a "intermediate" setup where special glasses adapted to my view are put juste before the goggles glass

I was about going for the first option when I went to an optician specialized in sports, and especially in MTB. He ruled out

the first option because of almost immediate fog problem
the second option because of security in case of goggles glasses breaking impact that would then also smash my normal glasses etc
the third option because it cannot be done

and convinced me about the fourth option. (Actually I know several people that opted for the fourth option and that are really happy with it.)

So basically he made strong plastic glasses adapted to my eyesight that he incorporated to a plastic layer that went as a supplementary layer just between my eyes and the glasses of the oakley airbrak MX goggles :

I am not here to advertise for the goggles nor the setup, but for sure the goggles are worth the money etc, highly customizable etc, and the setup is really smart, provided my eyesight can adapt to the setup, as the optician warned me.

In fact, this setup has the following consequences :

distances appear a bit elongated in the center of the viewing range, and more elongated as you tend to the extreme left or right of the viewing range
consequence of the previous point : tracks slopes appear flattened, so flattened that I really feel a strong mismatch between what my eyes (with this setup) perceive and what my body (through feeling my weight attracted to the front) and equilibrum sense perceive.

These consequences implied a couple of big crashes, luckily without serious injuries, so that I concluded that no, my eyesight did not adapt to the setup. (A pity though, the setup being nice : solid, modular etc.) The end of the story is : I bought 100% accuri OTG MX goggle, designed especially so that there is place enough to put my real glasses under the goggles without my mose being compressed as it was the case with my previous all my previous goggles ...

But I am not happy with this, at all. So that I'd be really interested in knowing how other short-sighted riders deal with these problems ...


texts:
I'm buying a new touring bike. I need an opinion on some of the parts.

Crankset: Shimano XT FC-M770
Cassette: Shimano XT CS-M770
Rear Derailleur: Shimano XT M772 SGS
Front Derailleur: Shimano XT M770 Top Swing 9sp Front Mech
Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace/XTR 7701 9 Speed Chain

Are these compatible with each other? I can get a good deal on these components.

I'm also looking for 9 speed compatible bar-end shifters. Any recommendations?


texts: Why is standing more common on hills than on flats?

texts:
We all know that standing on a hill feels better than standing on a flat.

Even pros seemingly only stand up for hills (not counting sprints).

What causes this?

Here's what I've thought of so far:

Often you can ride up a hill without shifting out of the gear you were using before. If you were to stay seated, you would need to shift down.
For a long time (road) bikes had such high gears that you had to stand for many hills. That's not the case anymore though, so maybe it's a moot point.
When you're on a hill, the bike is tilted backwards. This makes it easier and more natural to stand up, because the bar is "higher" and more reachable than it would be otherwise.

But I have a feeling there's more to it than this. These reasons are not significant enough to explain the difference I can feel, or the way pros behave.


texts: Quick Release vs Thru-axle specifications when buying wheels

texts:
I'm experiencing some confusion pertaining to axle choice as I'm attempting to purchase some wheels, if somebody in this forum could provide some clarification it would be greatly appreciated.

I just recently completed a bike build with a cyclocross frame, the Dengfu FM286 specifically:

http://dengfubikes.com/Cyclo_Cross/112.html

So far, I've been using wheels/tires from a 2017 Giant AnyRoad CoMax that I'm now going to leave as a backup/2nd bike.  The wheels are Giant PX-2 which are very heavy so I'm planning on replacing them with this:

https://www.yoeleobike.com/carbon-wheels-38mm-sat-c38-road-db-std.html

The Yoeleo 38 mm deep carbon clincher road 700C disc brake wheels, 25 mm wide.

I should mention that the Giant PX-2 quick-release wheels fit the FM286 frame perfectly.  I measured the distance between the inside of the drop-outs on both the 2017 CoMax and the FM286 at about 100 mm front, 135 mm rear, which I'm under the impression is the industry standard for traditional quick-release skewer type axles.

Now on to the source of confusion, which is the axle choice drop-down box on the above linked Yoeleo page, which offers the following options:

Scrolling down further under the "Description" section the following additional information is found:

I'm under the impression that "O.L.D." = Over-Lock-nut Distance, i.e. the width of the axle between the threads, which should correspond to the distance between the inside of the drop-outs on the frame.

I'm trying to figure out what the drop-down options mean and which is the correct choice in my case.  Here's my best guess as to an expanded explanation of the options in the drop-down (also using the information from the description section):

"QR / QR for Shimano/Sram 10,11s" means:

front axle is a traditional quick release (100 mm wide), rear axle is a traditional quick release (135 mm wide), compatible with Shimano or Sram 10 or 11 speed cassettes

"15mm / 135mm QR for Shimano/Sram 10,11s" means:

front axle is a thru-axle (15 mm diameter, 100 mm wide), rear axle is a traditional quick release (135 mm wide), compatible with Shimano or Sram 10 or 11 speed cassettes

"15mm / 142x12mm for Shimano/Sram 10,11s" means:

front axle is a thru-axle (15 mm diameter, 100 mm wide), rear axle is a thru-axle (12 mm diameter, 142 mm wide), compatible with Shimano or Sram 10 or 11 speed cassettes

"12mm / 142x12mm for Shimano/Sram 10,11s" means:

front axle is a thru-axle (12 mm diameter, 100 mm wide), rear axle is a thru-axle (12 mm diameter, 142 mm wide), compatible with Shimano or Sram 10 or 11 speed cassettes

"12mm / 135x12mm for Shimano/Sram 10,11s +$10" means:

front axle is a thru-axle (12 mm diameter, 100 mm wide), rear axle is a thru-axle (12 mm diameter, 135 mm wide), compatible with Shimano or Sram 10 or 11 speed cassettes, at $10 additional cost

Is my understanding correct?

Returning to my specific situation, I'd like to stick with traditional quick-release skewers at both the front and rear, and I used an 11 speed Shimano Ultegra rear derailleur with the FM286 build.

So, considering all of the above, I'm under the impression that the correct choice in my case would be the first axle option in the drop-down, "QR / QR for Shimano/Sram 10,11s", correct?

Can anybody confirm my understanding of the above?  If I'm incorrect in my interpretation anywhere, please clarify, thanks!


texts: What criteria should be considered for choosing an e-bike for commuting?

texts:
My girlfriend is looking for an electric bike for commuting.

My question is fairly broad - What features and capabilities should we consider when choosing an e-bike for commuting?

For information, we are living in Vancouver, BC and she will be commuting between West End (downtown) and SFU (Burnaby). She's 160cm high and weight 55kg.


texts:
I got myself a bike to fix up.  I changed the freewheel on it but I don't know how to position the nut after I put on the new freewheel.

If I screw it on too deep the chain will be too close to the frame so I am wondering if I am missing something.

The wheel is a quick release and I never worked with the quick release.  I tried to watch some YouTube videos but nothing really helped.


texts: What are these holes for in my Diamondback Sorrento?

texts: The holes are threaded and 20mm apart. There are identical holes on the other side where the gears are. Can I install disc brake calipers through these holes?


texts:
I have an electric bike with a Bosch engine (Performance Line) and a Nyon Computer.

The Nyon is not able to connect to WPA or WPA2 password protected networks. If I remove authentication on my network I am then able to connect (and was able to update the device).

As Bosch does not give any way to communicate with them (support is only through the dealer which I doubt will be able to help) I am trying here (if there a is more technical forum or exchange site please tell me)

Now the question:

Is it possible to connect to a password protected WiFi Network (as stated in the manual) or is there a known bug?

Edit

With the latest update (August 2015) WPA2 seems to work. 802.11X is still completely broken (the Nyon does not even see/show the Network SSID)


texts: Help identifying problem with bike crankset/bottom bracket

texts:
A few days ago I took a fall going down hill after hitting a large pothole. I fell on my right side, which if you didn't know is the side that contains the chain and gears on most bikes. Looking at my bike today, I noticed that when spinning the pedal the chain on the crankset makes contact with the shifter at a certain point in the rotation in both 3rd and second gear. furthermore when running the pedals in reverse the chain seems to slip at a certain spot.

So here's the question. I am having trouble identify the problem with my bike, I originally believed that it may be a bent crankset but due to the problem affecting multiple gears on my bike I am not sure that that is the case. The only other possible cause of the problem in my mind is a bent bottom bracket or frame and am hoping that you guys could walk me through identifying the problem and repairing it if possible.


texts:
Which is more aero, bare skin or fabric?  I have always assumed bare skin, because fabric would at best be flat to the skin and at worst introduce wrinkles, folds, and flapping in areas where it is loose.  But this begs the question then of why male professional riders wear jerseys.  I can think a few potential reasons for this:

jerseys allow for advertising
jerseys are used for sun protection
jerseys are used for minor scrape protection if a rider falls
jerseys allow for back pockets
jerseys allow for more modesty

Do professional riders wear jerseys for these reasons despite disadvantaging them in the races, or are they actually more aero as well?


texts: Can one replace a tubeless tire with a tube?

texts:
I have a tubeless tire on a mountain bicycle which is old and wasn't taken care of, and I want to replace it with something more maintainable, as (according to the YouTube videos I've seen) tubeless tires are harder to change.

Would I buy a tube and new tire and replace the old tire with it, or are the rims different?


texts:
When I have a flat tire, I find punctures in inner tubes using three techniques, all starting with the inner tube outside the bike:

Hearing where the sound of air escaping originates.
Feeling the escaping air with my hand.
Putting it inside a container of water and seeing the bubbles. I end up using about 10 liters of water, and I have to rotate the inner tube to pass all of it through the water.

Is the method 3 smart? Could water get inside and damage the valve? All three methods seem to work very fast. Is this just a matter of taste or does some miss some punctures?


texts:
I just bought a 2007 Trek Fuel EX5 used but the front suspension dial is cracked and makes it difficult to change the give. The current forks that are on there are RockShock Tora's. Would it be possible to change this out knowing the tire and tread size?

Edit: Thanks for the input guys. You make a good point Matt, I paid $350 for the bike so it might not be worth it, but the front suspension is at nearly full give so I’m a bit worried I’ll constantly bottom out.

Knowing that I’m not eligible for the upgrade program, how much do you guys think it would cost to buy the parts used/new and which one of those is the best option?


texts: Worn out square taper bottom bracket spindle?

texts:
I got an used bike with a worn out left crank arm. I tried replacing with a new square taper crank arm and torqued it to 40nm; however, it started creaking soon after and the bolt had become loose (I checked with a torque wrench).

Could the bottom bracket spindle be worn out as well? I did notice a very tiny bit of wiggle when I fitted the new crank arm before tightening the bolt.

Edit: the original worn crank was steel.

The square spindle (the best pic that I took):


texts: How to remove a lock ring if there is no cassette?

texts:
A friend tightened the lockring without the cassette on, and now we can't use the chain whip to unscrew it. It's on a road bike wheel if that matters. I'm looking for tools and ideas to undo this.
I found this post on a forum, but I'm looking for more answers
https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/303374/


texts: Where can I find a wheel of this design?

texts:
I have done some extensive googling trying to find a place to buy these wheel.  Here is a picture of one of the front wheels:

And here is the description from the design which can be found here/n55.

FRONT WHEELS 24”x1.75 equipped with a reinforced axle (M12, 8.8) for
one-sided attachment

A google search pulls up this stack exchange article which calls this a

wheelchair wheel or wheelchair hub

However these "side mount" wheels are commonly found on bike trailers as
well as most recumbent trikes - see here
My goal is two buy a pair of these wheels, but I can not find a way to effectively google them, find them and buy them from a distributor.
I want the wheels for the n55 design.
Example wheel here:


texts: What is bad with using the wrong cable housing?

texts:
Thanks to Nate W's answer here, I know that there are different cable housings for brake and shifter cables. Assuming the cables match the housing diameter...

What would happen if I used the spirally-supported housing for a shifter cable?

Maybe answered by Would using compressionless brake housing for derailleur be a problem?

What would happen if I used the lengthwise-supported housing for a brake cable?


texts: The metal bead on my tire seems to have come out of the fabric in one spot, and so the tire no longer stays in the rim. Is it possible to fix this, or do I need to get a new tire?


texts: At the end of the month, I'm helping out at a Car Show that has a new Bicycle division.  They want me to judge because I work in the bike industry.  I've never done this, and any recommendations would be helpful.  We are doing two categories, Custom & Vintage, and I need help with what criteria to judge and how to weight it(points per category), and any other advice would be much appreciated.


texts: There is a grinding feeling at the end of my pedaling at high speed

texts:
I bought a road bike about 6 weeks ago, but I just only realised it now that at the end of my pedaling (when either foot pushes down), I can feel a bit of a drag/friction/grinding on either pedal. I don't know what's the cause. It just feels unsafe, like something's about to come lose.

The closest thing to describe this friction/grinding feeling is if you imagine going on to a grated bridge. It feels like that.

I noticed that I only feel this at high speed and high gear (about 20+kmph and ~50 cadence). I can't pin point what's causing this because I can only feel it when I'm travelling at high speed and so it is really hard to try to look to see what's the cause.

Is it "normal" to feel this "friction/grinding" at high speed. This is my first road bike so I'm not too familiar on what's "normal".

Could it be due to low/high tire pressure? The tire says 130 PSI... but my pump gauge is broken so I just put as much air as I can and as much as the tire can take before it won't take anymore (using my body weight to pump the last few inches of air into it).

What should I be looking for to troubleshoot this problem?

Update

I've put the bike on an indoor trainer. I took off the pedals and then apply pressure to the cranks by hand. I can still feel a "grinding". So not the pedal.

I then took the chain off to see if it's somehow related to the chain tension. I spun the crank slowly, and I can feel a slight grind - not very noticeable, but it has the same rhythm of the grind when pressure is applied. So it's not the chain tension, it has something to do with the crank.

That is, the grind is more noticeable when pressure is applied to the crank. It might have something to do with the bearings of the crank. But because this is a new bike, I'm questioning if this is suppose to be normal and whether I should put up with it?

When you spin the crank should it be completely smooth without any noticeable grind? If so then I need some tips to rectify this problem because I've never worked with a bike before.

More update

After weeks of inquisitively monitoring the bike, and doing bits of adjustments. I re-greased the pedal bearings, which helped. I can only feel the vibration slightly at high speed and when applying pressure. Not as bad as before. It appears that the pedal bearings were either too tight or too loose which caused a vibration when pedaling. Now the problem still persist, but slightly less so than before.

I cannot regrease the bottom bracket bearings because it is a Shimano Hollowtech and so would mean I have to buy a new bottom bracket if it is the cause.

However, I've done more research and found that the wheels can be out of "true" and cause a wobble/vibration when riding at high speed.  I spun the wheels and monitored the brake calipers. My back wheel is definitely way out of true. It appears to be rocking from side to side about 1mm apart. So I've ordered a spoke wrench which should arrive in a week or two in hope to "True" the wheel to fix the problem. Will update when I've trued the wheel.

BTW, I've learned my lesson not to buy anything bulky/expensive online, because it's hell when something goes wrong.


texts:
Can you help me identify the bottom bracket for the following please.
The frame is a Norco One25 (version 3)
It does not appear to have internal threads.
The diameter is approx 6.3cm and the length is approx 7cm
It is an old dirt jump bike style frame - maybe from 2003.
I found a picture of the frame here, https://webimg.secondhandapp.com/w-i-mgl/5af860e8d31b2f5a14ce2cca
Thanks.


texts: Need advice. SRM Origin alu vs Quarq Dfour

texts:
I am road cyclist willing to participate in local cycling races. I am looking forward to buying a new powermeter. Currently I have 4iiii left crank  only and I want more accurate device to be more confident in data. My best 20 min power is 317 watts and I see some room for improvements as I am 24 y.o. and I'm doing road cycling for 2nd year so far. I have canyon tt bike and mid-range road bike. Currently for tt races I swap crankset between 2 bikes which I find annoying.

I am looking for options to get new powermeter (maybe for tt bike only) as I am going to do dedicated tt workouts. For now based on recommendations I know that I want crankset based powermeter (neither pedals nor cranks) and descent options I see are SRM and Quarq.

I've made this table for comparison:

As there are very few reviews available for SRM Origin alu or Quarq, I am asking for piece of advice.

Is quarq accuracy descent enough that price difference can be neglected?

Are quarq carbon cranks way better that alu cranks from srm? I have no experience with carbon cranks.

If choosing quarq it will be ultegra chainrings most likely as 20 gramms dont value 60 eur but dura ace is there just for contrast.


texts: Recommendation for easily breakable bike lock

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I want to purchase a bike lock which I can break easily if it gets jammed, preferably without any tool(or a very small/light tool which I can carry in my bag-pack).
I have tried two locks and both of them jammed after some time. Also, they are really heavy which I don't like.
I don't have much of a threat of a bike stealing where I live and just want to keep locks for my mental peace. But after having past experiences and getting the locks jammed, I really want to buy a lock which I can break easily.
Please recommend.
Thanks.


texts: How should I gear a 12" wheel on an adult bike?

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Background: A couple years back I built a chopper with a 26" front wheel and a 12" rear wheel. It was a lot of fun, but I had to pedal like mad to get anywhere. Unfortunately I could not find a rear cog small enough or a front cog large enough to get me somewhere useable on long rides and ultimately had to increase the wheel size to 16". The size increase worked out great, but I want to try to build a new chopper with a 12" (if not 8").

Are there cogs small/large enough out there to make this work?

My other thought was to weld a bottom bracket shell to my seat post with a multi-speed chain ring and chain one sprocket to the front and the other to the rear. Would this work? If it would and this seems like the right way to go, what sprocket would need to be connected to what sprocket?


texts: Are there big differences in maintenance/care between different types of clipless pedals?

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I was reading this article http://www.bikeradar.com/us/road/gear/article/best-road-bike-pedals-33045/

and it talks about maintenance/care with a couple of the pedal options, even mentioning that "Shimano" pedals can have mud and dirt in the cleats, and still connect to the pedals fine.

I am curious if there are pedals/cleats that we should avoid as beginners due to them needing to be taken care of frequently, as well as any that we should avoid getting dirt or anything that could "clog" the pedals?

From what I've been reading there are a lot of interesting pedal systems out there, but in most articles it seems that the name "Shimano" keeps coming up as more of a beginner friendly option, even though there are some that sound nicer.


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In the wake of the seemingly renewed post-race examinations for 'mechanical doping' by the UCI, I was wondering if anyone has experience with the motors in question (like the Vivax Assist - thanks, Kibbee). More specifically, would they be able to contribute to a pro rider's effort at race pace or is there an upper limit to where they're able to contribute?

Personally, I think the whole mechanical doping 'issue' is rubbish, but I'm curious. Taking Cancellara's attacks during the 2010 Spring Classics as an example, at the time when he supposedly turned on the motor, he was imaginably already doing several hundred watts. Would a motor, small enough to be hidden in one of the bike tubes, even be able to contribute to that effort?

Is it the case that if I had one of these motors in my seat tube and I was riding at 300 watts, would turning on the motor bump my output up to 400 watts; or is there a point of diminishing returns?


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I am having neck pains a hour or so into riding, have been told I should try raising the bar height.

I have tried adjustable riser stems but cannot get on with them. The only other option is a Steer extender, but I have only seen Aluminium ones, and have read attaching this to a Carbon Fork would be dangerous.

Does anyone really know if this the case?

Or would anyone know of Steer extender in Carbon?


texts: How do I fix sticking/tight hydraulic brake calipers?

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I took my wheel off my front forks to repair a puncture.  I had the bike upside down when I removed the wheel.  When I came to replace the wheel back into the fork slots, the hydraulic disk calipers were too tight to accept the brake disc. I had to use something to prize open the calipers so the gap was wide enough.  When I span the wheel it's still to tight and the calipers still make contact with the disc. Is there any reason why the calipers are now tighter and how do I fix the problem?

Thanks.