texts: Tips for getting sponsored as an individual racer?

texts:
I'm currently racing a state XC MTB series and will be moving up to Cat. 2 next year. As part of my goals, I'd like to get some sponsorship for the 2014 season. I have a few questions about this though, and I'd love to hear from racers or industry employees who may deal with this.

Form letters: Do you write a form letter/email and essentially send the same thing to every company and hope they bite? Or would it be better to personalize each?
Sponsorship level: How do you figure out who gets to be the primary sponsor and who gets a tiny logo on your bike? Is this done before contacting places, or after amounts/materials have been decided?
Influence of on/off the bike: Obviously you are a brand ambassador of the sponsor, but how much should you emphasize your contribution when on or off the bike. Everyone will see your kit when racing, but will another helmet for dirt jumping help sell the brand too, for example.

I'm not trying to hit WC status in a year or anything, but I feel like being proactive is better than the "look how good I am, now sponsor me" approach.


texts: One of the cogs on my freewheel is bent and I have an assumption of how it happened

texts: I was riding up a steep road when I shifted to a lower gear and I was pushing really hard on the pedals. Then I checked my freewheel, one the cogs was slightly bent I don't know if it got bent because of that or it was like that from the start (used bike but new). so can pushing hard while shifting bend the teeth or a cog on a freewheel?


texts: Can I fit a training tyre to my bike wheel?

texts:
I have a mountain bike with a tyre marked 26x2.00 and I'd like to fit a training tyre so I can use my bike inside.

I know that the 26 refers to the diameter of the wheel and the 2.00 is the width of the tyre but I have my eye on a training tyre which is marked 26x1.25.  Clearly the tyre width is smaller which is not a problem but what I don't understand is how I know whether it will fit my wheel rim.

Firstly, I don't know the correct place to measure the rim (it measures 26mm on the outside) but secondly how do I know which tyres will fit which rims?  Is this listed on the tyre somewhere to say it fits a specific width wheel?

Thanks


texts: Cartridge wheel bearings - is there an inside/outside?

texts: I'm replacing the bearings in a standard single speed wheel. I've got 6000-series bearings and I can't find info on whether there is an inside/outside.


texts: Are Allen key or Security Key skewers appropriate for bikes with rear facing horizontal dropouts

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I have a surly karate monkey set up as a single speed. The frame has rear facing horizontal dropouts (track style).

I don't like quick releases due to potential theft when locking up my bike.

Are standard Allen key skewers or security skewers (like hublox or pitlock) going to hold my rear wheel tight enough to avoid sliding forward in the dropouts?  If not, would zefal locking skewers be appropriate?


texts:
My son is at an age where I could be buying him a new bike each year because he is growing, but instead I managed to pick up a free bike from someone who put it out for trash collection.

Only problem is the brake pads were worn to the end.

I have replaced the brake cable, tried two different sets of different brand brake pads and tightened everything until it can't be tightened anymore.

You can see from the pics that the brake pads are right up against the rims, but those @&$@#%s just don't stop the bike.

The pictures show the pads right up against the rims when the brakes aren't even engaged.

The only thing I can think is the rims. Any suggestions?


texts:
I can't identify the manufacturer nor the year it was produced.

It has a serial number on the frame, just above the front fork, something like 93042829 or so what (peculiarity: the numbers are engraved head down).

So, can anybody help me, please?


texts:
I have a wheelset with a Campagnolo cassette body. I want to run Sora 9-speed brifters with my wheelset. Will this work?

I believe that it will because according to the information posted on Sheldon's site (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/cribsheet-spacing.html), and that a Campagnolo cassette with Shimano spacers is within 0.03mm of a Shimano cassette's spacing all the time, and this matches the tolerances of a SRAM cassette - which is known to work with Shimano components.

A Campy cog is 1.75mm thick. A Shimano cassette is 1.78mm thick. A SRAM cassette is 1.8mm thick. However, SRAM spacers are 2.54mm thick. Shimano spacers are 2.56mm thick. So it appears that SRAM makes up for its extra cog thickness by reducing spacer thickness. There is a 0.05mm difference between a SRAM cog and a Shimano cog, but the spacer is thinner on SRAM setups - by 0.02mm, so the net difference between Shimano and SRAM in terms of cog center to cog center is only 0.03mm.

A Campagnolo cassette with Shimano spacers will similarly have a 0.03mm tolerance as Campagnolo sprockets are 0.03mm thinner than Shimano cassettes.

So, will it work? Any real life experiences?


texts: Is the frame material of Specialized AWOL Comp and Elite the same?

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I'm looking at these to bikes:

AWOL Elite
AWOL Comp

From the specs I can't decifer though if the frame material and/or alloy is the same on the two bikes?

I know the frames differ in other ways, but I won't need other drive trains, so I just want to know I can just as well buy the cheaper Elite.


texts: Shimano SPD-SL pedal tension adjustment not clicking, possible counterfeit?

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So when I read the manual, it says the 105 pedal I have (5800) will have a click when tightening or loosening the tension adjuster, supposedly 4 clicks for 360 degree rotation, however mine don't click and just twist.

Now, I had someone I know just got scammed buying a fake Ultegra pedal and that got me into researching if the 105 has fakes, which... surprisingly does.

He said (I have not confirmed if this is true) that one of the signs of fakes are the tension adjuster not clicking when you turn it. I've had a R540 pedal in the past that clicks, but later bought another that doesn't click, and so I never had any suspicion when buying a 105 which also don't click. I thought maybe they changed it in later releases?

So if you have a 105 5800 can you confirm that it clicks or not? or do you have any Shimano pedal that you know is genuine but doesn't click when turning the tension adjuster? that would be great, thank you.

Edit: Additional info, mine weigh 135.3 for each pedal, which is 270.6 for both.

Edit 2: So I asked a friend who had the same pedal and his have clicks, so the answer is very likely that mine is fake. Unless someone else chime in who had the genuine had one with no click like mine.


texts: What are the advantages of the Burley hitch design?

texts:
Burley uses a polymer hitch (the black plastic) which allows some degree of movement between the trailer and bike:

Most inexpensive trailers use a spring to provide that flexibility:

I've only used the cheap spring hitches which can easily absorb the twists involved when the bike falls over or the trailer flips (don't ask). I wonder what would have happened with a Burley. It seems the polymer would have broken.  Are the Burley hitches stronger than they seem and do they have advantages over the simpler spring design?


texts: Should I remove unused screws from my frame?

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Is it a bad practice to remove all the unused screws from my frame (i.e. for the mudguards, front/back racks)? Could rust be an issue? Even if the holes for the screw do not expose the inside of the frame?

Thanks.


texts: Rear hub for randonneuring - any "classic" model?

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I have recently had a failure in my rear-hub during a brevet. The bike I use for brevets was assembled from used parts, and I tried to choose components that are dedicated to randonneuring (super-reliable, not too heavy, low maintenance and, if possible, not super expensive).

At front, I am already using a Schmidt SON generator, being very satisfied. I bought it because almost EVERY text about randonneuring over the internet mentions it, and it has been a very good choice so far.

The hub I was using at the rear is an American Classic, and it had the rather typical failure of "not engaging anymore" because of its hair-shaped spring not activating the engagement plate. That has happened to some acquaintances before, and I thought it wouldn't happen to me (wrong!) during an event (WRONG!). So it's light and fast but I cannot think it's reliable anymore.

I do not plan to use internally geared hubs, but these seem to be the only hyped rear hubs around. There are hyped fenders, tires, racks, bags, saddles... But no rear hubs that I know. Even less only the rear hub (I am not interested in buying a pair, or nagging some shop owner to sell me just the rear one from a pair).

So the question is:

  Is there any famous model of rear hub indicated specifically for randonneuring or fast touring?

EDIT: 130mm axles are a possibility, since my bicicle has this spacing, and I actually opened the frame a bit to use the former American Classic.


texts: What hub to purchase for a GT aggressor?

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I have a GT Aggressor 1.0

Specs here: http://www.gtbicycles.com/2013/bikes/mountain/trail/aggressor-1-0

Recently on a long ride, the crank started to roll freely after a long downhill.  i.e. when pedaling, the cycled does not move because the rear freewheel simply rolled freely without engaging.  I think the problem is with the rear hub which may need to be replaced.

From looking at the specs, the hub is a "Alloy Cassette Disc QR".  Trying to find it at amazon.com, there were so many to chose from and did not know which one to purchase to replace this.

Any advice is much appreciated.

Thanks you!


texts: Repair service specifically for bike commuters?

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I'm not sure if this question is suitable for this site, Startups SE or neither, but here it goes: Is there already any sort of business model catering to bike commuters for expedited repair issues? If not, why not?-- is this not a viable business model?

Background and motivation

Where I live, if something happens to my bike and I need it repaired, the waiting time for it to get repaired is a minimum two weeks any time of the year there isn't 90% chance of precipitation and/or below-freezing temperatures. However, for people who use their bike as a means of commuting, this is obviously problematic. Moreover, if I tell people at the bike shops: "I need my bike to get to work [e.g. tomorrow, on Monday, etc.]" they basically don't care†: To their bottom line, there is no difference between someone who has their bike in the cellar 10 out of 12 months a year and has to get it repaired and someone who cycles 365 days a year.

Alternative solutions

Since there is no way for me to throw money at my problem (see motivation above), when I have a serious problem with my bike on a weekday, I basically cancel everything I have planned for the evening, buy the required parts right now because all places in the city which sell bike parts are going to close soon, and then spend the evening at home frantically trying to get the bike working in a ham-fisted manner with the help of YouTube videos since I've never had to deal with this problem before.

Although this method of "solving" my problem does force me to learn things about my bike and exercises my creativeness, as you may have guessed through my language, it is not a pleasant experience.

Conclusion

I know for a fact that I am not the only person who commutes daily by bike and the other commuters I know in fact do all the work on their bikes by themselves at home. Excepting those people who actually enjoy doing this work themselves, I imagine there is a huge market niche which is not being exploited... so why isn't it? Am I the only human being alive who likes riding bikes every single day but hates working on them and has the financial means to pay someone else to fix them?

† Perhaps the employee talking to me in fact does care, but since he can't do anything to make me wait less than two weeks, the business itself (referred to with the magical "they") has proven that it in fact doesn't care. This is the same with every single shop in this country. The only difference elsewhere might be that, in bigger cities, you might have a chance of finding a shop which doesn't have quite as long a wait.


texts: How should one cross the IJ river with a bike?

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The IJ river flows through Amsterdam. Well, actually, it flows North of historical Amsterdam, but these days there's a Northern borough.

I've never been north of the river before, and I'm going there soon. I thought I'd take my bike, but they're not very amphibian, and it occurred to me I don't know whether I can safely cross anywhere...

OpenStreetMap shows a path but there doesn't seem to be a bridge there, nor a tunnel
There's the IJtunnel, but I don't know whether I can cycle through it, nor whether it's a good idea with the car smog
There are ferries, but I don't know whether these allow bikes and whether it's too pricey to be worth it.

What are my options?

(Yes I know I can just cycle around the bank and see, or also ask around, I'd just rather plan ahead.)


texts:
I recently got my first bike with hydraulic brakes.

The brakes made some strange squealing sounds, so I took it apart to see what could have been the problem.

I took out the pads and cleaned them, since they were dirty. I was very curious about the bike, because it had a new braking system, so I decided to press the lever, but a bunch of oil spilled out. I put the bike back together, but now the bike does not stop.

Help?

I don't live near many bike repairers, and I really want to bike next week.


texts:
Over recent months my front and rear disc brakes (Hy Rd TRP on my Genesis Croix de Fer) have become increasingly useless, to the extent that I now have to cycle very slowly because it takes at least 5 seconds to stop, regardless of speed, with full pressure on brake.

I won't take you through everything I've done to try and counteract this, but what I did yesterday (without touching it with my oily oily hands) was:

remove wheels
use degreaser on rotors and entire brake area
use sandpaper (quite fine grind) on rotors
change brake pads
tighten brakes and centrally align

and... they're ineffective as ever.

Things I haven't ever done are: bleed brakes (they're hydraulic at bottom and mech at the top), or look at/remove brake cable.

Things I didn't do yesterday: bed in new pads, use isopropryl alcohol rather than degreaser (generic muc off spray).

There hasn't been even a slight improvement in brake power, is it that I didn't get any contaminants off the pads? Didn't bed them in? or something more mechanical that I need to get checked out?


texts: Does a three foot passing law actually require drivers to give three feet?

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Utah has a three foot passing law that states:

  Title 41 Chapter 6a Section 706.5

  Operation of motor vehicle near bicycle prohibited.

  An operator of a motor vehicle may not knowingly, intentionally, or recklessly operate a motor vehicle within three feet of a moving bicycle, unless the operator of the motor vehicle operates the motor vehicle within a reasonable and safe distance of the bicycle.

Are three foot passing laws in other states worded similarly to this?

This particular phrasing seems to legitimize excuses such "I didn't know you were there" or "I didn't mean to pass so close" or even "three inches seemed like a reasonable and safe distance to me."

Is there something about the specific legal meaning of the words that makes this law more concrete than it seems?

See also: What is the 3 foot law and which states have it?


texts: Can I install 11 speed cassette on 10 speed hub by skipping last cog?

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I have got Shimano Ultegra 6800 11 speed on carbon tubular wheels. For indoor trainer use I am going to buy regular wheels and use a special trainer tyre for it.

I found a cheap rear wheel for it, but it is compatible with 10 speed cassettes. Can I install my Ultegra 6800 cassette on it just by skipping one cog (largest or smallest)?


texts:
where I live winters usually are -15°C to 5°C. For MTB I wear sports base layer and fleece jacket, but problem is wind goes right through making stomach and chest area very red and painful. I have a cheap windproof jacket, but it's unbreathing and sweat condensates on the inside, so stopping even for a short time in those temperatures while wet is dangerous for health. Wearing base layer + fleece + backpack i don't feel cold at all. All I need is something windproof in the front and still very breathable.
Would cycling gilet/vest/waistcoat be sufficient? Are their fabric windproof? Maybe long sleeve windproof jacket is better, but are they breathable? Or maybe loose fleece at all and go with something else like softshell jacket? Please share your experience.


texts:
Im looking to buy a used Trek X-Caliber 9 bike from 2020 used. The seller says he only rode the bike for 150km and the bill shows that he bought it only 9 months ago. Everything looks good so far but I recognized that the shocks look a little bit strange.

Can you tell anything about it? Why are they so bright on the upper inch?


texts:
I have a triathlon bike with this handle bar. I can't find the name of the manufacturer. I tried to search WISE like written in the logo but it doesn't give any results.
Thank you


texts: Counter-intuitive steering in crosswinds with hands off the bars

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It should not be surprising that it is difficult to ride in a straight line with both hands off the handlebars when there is a crosswind.

However, I find it most unintuitive, that for example if there is a crosswind from the left, if I let go of the bars and try to keep my body upright, the bike wants to turn sharply to the left (into the wind). To counter this, I have to lean my body to the right, as if wanting to turn right.

I would have thought that the wind pushes me to the right and I have to steer left to keep going straight. Why is this not the case?


texts:
I am about to buy a new Road bike and there seems to be a host new road bikes with disc brakes, I've had a Mountain bike with disc and it's fine, just wondering what the pros and cons of having a road bike with discs apart from the looks, should I stick with the traditional proven rim brake or have a more in depth look at disc brakes as the industry seems to be inclining towards discs.. I will not be changing bikes for at least 3 years so want to make the right decision.

Any experiences from roadies who have used disc brakes would be welcome as well as your opinions.

Many Thanks
Savio


texts:
I have a road bike with a 26/11 9 speed SRAM rear cassette. I cycle in Cambridgeshire on a daily basis and it's very flat. I find that I never use the hardest cog, leave the chainring on the biggest cog and generally find that the jump between gears is a little too much.

My chainring is a compact 50/34 110mm.

Sometimes it gets very windy and I'm forced to have to change to the smaller chainring cog - I guess that means I don't want the big cassette cog to be any less than 26 or so. I'm not a fan of changing between my chainring cog much as it kind of changes everything.

Ideally if it exists, I guess a 27/14 (do they exist?) or something similar would suit me better... not sure if 27/15 would cut my top speed down too much though.. I find with my current 28/12 I can get over 30mph without spinning out (with lots of room to play). I never go this fast unless I get an amazingly lucky tailwind :) There's no downhill here either!

Basically I have no experience of different cassettes so any guidance from an experienced cyclist would be of great help. I'd like to avoid buying something stupid.

---- UPDATE ----
In the end I replaced my 9 speed drivetrain with a tiagra 10 speed.. this was fairly involved as I needed quite a few new components: new shifters, cables, derailleur, cassette, also got new chainrings, crank arms, bottom bracket (and pedals as I just couldn't get them off!) One of my reasons for replacing all the old stuff was that it was worn, another was that I recently got a tax rebate!

The 'feel' of this change is apparent and it does seem to help a bit.. however speed wise my new wheels made the biggest difference!


texts: How do I change the granny gear on a cheap Walmart mountain bike?

texts:
I have a cheap ($100) 26" Walmart mountain bike (Hyper Summit) that has a triple chainring (24,34,42).  It appears there is no easy way to remove the granny gear since it has what looks like some type of rivets.  However, the BCD (Bolt Circle Diameter) appears to be 58mm which is a standard size.  I would like to go with a 20 granny chainring cuz I like to ride thru tall grass and need a lower gear.  My rear gears are a 7 speed freewheel with a 28 as the largest cog so currently, 24/28 is my lowest gear which is about 22 gear inches (26" tires).  I will eventually be changing to a 34 largest rear cog (Shimano MegaRange 7 speed freewheel) but I also want the change the front granny chainring for a double gear reduction which I know I will like.  So any ideas how to get the granny gear off?  It connects in 5 places (starfish pattern).  My goal for my lowest gear is 20/34 which will give me about 15 gear inches.

I was thinking if I can somehow get those rivets out without damaging anything critical, I can probably use some washers and chainring bolts to handle any difference in hole sizes.  It seems like it can work with just some light machining.  Once the chainring is off I can have a bike mechanic work on it.  There is always a brute force method too.  For example, cutting the teeth off of the 24 chainring and attaching the 20 chainring to it.  However I prefer trying to bust out the rivets first as the BCD of 58mm matches up with available 20T chainrings.

UPDATE: I am moving forward on this project so will update when I get some actual results.  It might take a month or so to get the parts and schedule a bike shop appointment.  I think at minimum I should be able to get the different freewheel gearset installed but not sure about the 4 tooth smaller granny gear.  If I can get both it should be awesome cuz that will then be a low gear with 15 gear inches which is very low.


texts: Rear road bike Shimano cassette wobbling during freewheel

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On my road bike with Shimano stuff the rear cassette with all the cogs wobbles when I free wheel it.

It is very much like this video on youtube, except the bike I own is nowhere near as good or as pricey as the bike (my bike is like a $150-200 bike), and the wobbling on my cassette is much worse (I would describe it as oscillating)

Is this an issue? Is there a way to tighten the cassette so that that it does not wobble?


texts: Why top touring bikes have no suspension forks?

texts:
I'm in the search for a new long distance touring bike, and I'm surprised that most top models have no front suspension (IDWorks, Tout Terrain, Koga, etc.).

It looks like front suspension is a rarity at the top, but available on middle class trekking bikes. The top bikes with specific long distance touring geometry and specs are less available with front suspension. Some trekking bikes that I've found with front suspension:

Cannondale Tesoro 1 2014
Rose Black Creek
Koga-Miyata Feathershock
Giant Expedition AT 2013 (not sold anymore)
Schwalbe's balloon bike concept in general http://www.balloonbikes.com/en/

Background:

I have been riding a Cannondale Headshock bike for commuting and touring in the last ten years, and I loved the front suspension. I find it softer on the hands/wrists, especially on long rides. If the suspension is off, and I ride a full day, my hands get much more tired, vs. with the suspension on. Handwriting for example is much harder after a long day of riding, with suspension off.

I had zero issues with the fork, functions since 2004 without issues. I do have a front rack, too. The bike has wide tires (IRC Lover Soul, 26x2.25).

So it seems the benefits are there, there are no maintenance issues (was serviced regularly), racks can be mounted on them, and cost in the upper segment shouldn't be an issue. And the top touring bikes are still offered without front suspension. Why?

Edit:

Let me ask again: my question is NOT about the pros and cons of using a suspension fork in touring in general, or whether you think I need it or not, or what is my definition of a touring bike, or whether there are touring bikes with suspension or not (there's a lot of them).

My question is:

Why is that while many middle range touring bikes are with front suspension (1000-2000 Euro bikes), then most of the TOP of the line touring models (4000 Euro and above) are without?

My logic would be that if it is offered in mid range, it's also offered on the top bikes, too.

See for example the range of Rose bikes, who are one of those manufacturers who sell among the highest number of touring bikes. Rose has 20 different "Tourenräder" for 1000-2000 Euro, so these middle range touring models are almost all with front suspension. If I look at Tout Terrain for example, from the 10 top of the range models, they only have two model with front suspension, the Panamericana, and all the rest is fixed fork.

Money: it is not a reason while these bikes are over 4000 Euro anyway, and mid range bikes are with suspension.
Ease of repair: I see not a reason while disc brakes, carbon drive, hydraulic brakes, XT derailleurs are equally fine machinery that need care, and difficult to repair on site. To me, the dérailleur is the most delicate part of any bike, it gets damaged during transport or hard terrain easily, and very difficult to repair. And anyway, parts can be delivered by DHL anywhere. And again, mid range bikes are with suspension.
Weight: these bikes are 15+kg, just the Schwalbe tyres are 700-800g each, the pack is around 20kg, so shaving off 200-300g from the bike weight doesn't matter.
Force: if a fork can withstand downhill, they should handle touring.

So none of these justify why offer lots of mid-range touring bikes with suspension, and then the top range much less.


texts: How do you tune a suspension air shock on a bike for light riders like me?

texts: I recently got a new bike from Dicks Sporting Goods. I am pretty light and the suspension doesn't even go down. I want mine to be bouncier so this is why I am posting this question.


texts: I bought a used 20 inch bmx bike from bike shop but no one has any idea of the brand

texts:
Could someone help me narrow this down?

I bought a new-used bike from local bike shop in Sacramento, California, USA. I do not know what brand it is and so were the bike shop.

There are no stickers because the bike was painted. The only things is the head tube logo which is engraved into the bike, or it has a 3D effect because it pops out.  Not sure what that would be called.  It looks like a giant logo but instead of the wave go through it side to side.   Iimagine if you just turned it to where it was up and down if that makes any sense.

The bottom bracket is sealed as well as in the neck.  I would greatly appreciate if someone could help me identify this frame.


texts: Replacing broken nexus 7 gear hub with second hand one

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My previous nexus 7 gear hub completely broke down and i decided to replace it with a second hand wheel. I took my bike apart, and used the sprocket gear of my old wheel on the new one. After that i reassembled the bicycle. I seem to have installed it correctly but whatever i do it will not shift way from first gear. I took the wheel apart again, and reinstalled the external shifting assembly but that didn't fix it. While reinstalling i noticed something that seems odd to me. It's about the part where the external shifting assembly hooks onto the gear hub. I always thought that the part that it hooks onto should have some spring like tension on it. But it doesn't.

Three questions:
Should there be tension on the part that the external gear assembly hooks onto?  If so, is that fixable, or did i buy a lemon?

A little unrelated, but if someone happens to know i can use a nexus 7 SG7-R42 gear shifter on a nexus SG7-R46, than i would love to know that too. (I tried googling that but got nowhere.)

Any and all help is greatly appreciated!


texts: Source an internal/hub derailleur for Bianchi Bergamo

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Is this really such a novel piece of equipment?

2006 Bianchi Bergamo internal/hub derailleur

I commute with a lot of weight on the rack and pop spokes in my rear wheel at least a couple of times a year. I had it rebuilt and had a good six-month run until last week. I asked a local shop to spec a full replacement wheel so I'd have a spare that I could just drop in (so I can then get the other wheel fixed up when convenient, without losing the use of the bike in the meantime).

They came back saying that the hub alone would be $350 USD. The whole bike was something like $600 USD.

I can't find a source for this, and now I'm concerned that someday that thing is going to break and then where will I be? Any suggested courses of action?


texts: Making your cycling gear smell less post ride

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Is there anything I can do to make my cycling gear smell less after I have arrived at work?

My problem is my baselayer tends to stink. Then I stink when I put it on at the end of the day to get home.

Can just feel the comments from others. Geez what do you expect! Am I suppose to bring my entire wardrobe to work.


texts: What is the correct inflation pressure for hybrid road/city bike?

texts:
I have a road bike and I got a flat tire probably after going back on the road from the sidewalk very carefully. I guess I pinched my tire.

I usually inflate my tires to 7 bars. Is it enough and can I avoid this kind of issues with a higher pressure?

I also discover that I can replace my tires with some with Kevlar on it. Is it a good alternative?


texts: Product compatability (bottom bracket and frame)

texts: I love biking, but I'm really no mechanic. I currently have a Shimano M6100 groupset (Deore) with me. A friend is going to give me a good deal on a carbon MTB frame, but I'm worried about compatability, particularly the bottom bracket (BB-MT500-PA). The frame specs describes it as "PF 30 bottom bracket" and "46*73 mm" with the Greek fie or phi symbol in between. Would that work or fit?


texts: Mismatched rims, and tires that may be too wide?

texts:
I am currently most of the way through a 1x10 conversion of an old (early 90s) mountain bike. As part of the process, I had to replace the rear hub, and the only one I could find locally came installed on a rim (Equation aluminum, labelled 559x16, measured 16.25mm interior width). The old rims were larger (Araya, labelled 26x1.50, measured 20.25mm interior width). I own two nearly-new (well, 15 years old, but never really ridden) Maxxis tires, labelled 56-559 as well as 26x2.10.
I understand that tire and wheel sizing is a deep, dark hole, but from Sheldon's chart, it looks like these tires are probably too wide even for the wider of my rims, and definitely too wide for the new, narrower rim.
So I'm wondering what my best strategy is:

Just run with the tires and mismatched rims I have, the difference is too little to matter
Run with mismatched rims but replace the tires with either a matched set or two individual tires that match their respective rim
Move the new hub to the old rear wheel and run with the tires I have (noting that I have none of the equipment I'd need to properly build a wheel)
Replace the front wheel with a rim that matches the rear wheel and run with the tires I have
Replace the front wheel and both tires because those tires are way too wide for 16mm rims
Any other novel, clever suggestions you might have


texts: Rolling backwards while pedaling forward on a Freecoaster

texts:
Can anyone tell me what happens when rolling backwards while pedaling forward
on a freecoaster bike? I mean does it gradually slow it down, or does it come
to an abrupt hault? I have not tried it yet.


texts: Disc brake keeps making ping-like shudder

texts:
I have a commuter bike with Tektro MD-285 hydraulic disc brakes. I commute about 14 miles every day (7 in, 7 out) in most types of weather, but I am not a performance cyclist by any means. It's just a good way to get to work. For the past few months, I have had a bit of a squeal and a shuddering noise that I can feel through the handlebars on the front brake when I brake it hard. When slower there is really little to no noise. I cannot for the life of me figure out what is going on. Here is what I have tried:

Sanding down and cleaning new pads and rotor.
Getting new pads and rotor and going through the bed-in process.
After replacing, pushing the pistons back in on the brake to try to ensure they are parallel and the whole pad is hitting the rotor.
Made sure the headset was not too loose.
Checked the AL fork for any cracks.

Any other ideas? Worth bleeding the brakes?


texts: I've been riding with a bottle filled with isotonic drink + hydration backpack with plain water for quite awhile. Recently my bottle stated to fall off on descents (not the best frame design + increase in speed). I'm looking for alternatives to frame mounted bottle cage that will suit aggressive trail riding. Solutions like Source dual bladder won't fit, because once you had a sweetened drink in your bladder it's just a matter of time before mold starts to grow there. I've looked on runners belts, but 600ml is way too little for hot conditions. Assuming I want to separate between sweetened electrolyte drink and regular water, and a minimum of 1l liquids all together, what are my options on the market nowadays?


texts: Shimano SL-7700 (nine speed) down tube shifters. Index only?

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I'm considering buying these. There is confusion about whether the RH (RD) shifter can be switched between index and friction. Dealers and users give conflicting or unclear information. They WERE originally switchable, and there hasn't been a change in product number. The Shimano docs are ambiguous, because some of them are also for the 10 speed, which isn't switchable.

Does anybody have any of these (especially if bought recently) to comment.

Thanks.


texts: Can I use a hollow rear axle without a quick release shaft?

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Does quick release shaft works also as an extra protection/strength ? And if I don't have it, can the hollow axle break more easily ?

I bought the wrong one on the web, in the picture I didn't saw that it was hollow.


texts: I am wondering what brand of bicycle this is? Thanks


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How well do road tires perform in rain and the snow? I've heard narrow tires are better because they actually can put more weight/pressure on the road through the wet/ice.

I just bought Continental Gatorskin tires, live in Boston, and just want to know what I should be thinking about in adverse weather conditions.

Relevant info:

Riding Cyclocross bike ~35-45 mi/week with 10 mi (roundtrip) commute. Occasional 30-40 weekend jaunts, and am coming from much more threaded cyclocross tires (I never rode off-road much).


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I recently purchased an old bike and got the brakes replaced. My front brakes are working as expected and my rear brakes are not. I am squeezing my brake lever which has a lot of resistance, but isn't really tightening my brakes. My brakes are moving a little bit but the line flexes a lot.

My brakes are properly installed and the line on that end is attached properly. Any ideas what the issue could be?


texts:
Out of an impulse buy - I now have a complete ebike kit with battery.
Originally I wanted this to be put on a mountain bike but upon seeing how little the rim is - I don't think any mountain bike tyres will fit in there.
I measured the rim (where the tyre will go) and it was roughly 2cm, slightly less in fact, does that mean that this kit is designed to go on a road bike/hybrid bike and only that?
The diameter is 26 inches - any help appreciated thanks


texts: Preventing staining of clothes when carrying bike

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Is there any reliable way to carry a bike (of non-insignificant weight) without ruining the clothes one's wearing?

I live in a part of the world where millions of people ride in plain clothes every day and also do "mundane" stuff like carry groceries on their bike on a 5-10 minute trip. For this reason, I'd like to know how to carry a bicycle without ruining my clothes in the case that I absolutely need to carry it.


texts: Are road brakes designed not to brake too much?

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All of my cycling fellows always told me that it's much more difficult to fully stop a road bike, compared to a mountain bike, because "road brakes just don't work so well" (and perhaps because of skinnier tires).

When I started to ride bikes with road wheels (700x23) and dual-caliper road brakes, quite a few years ago, I noticed my brand new Tiagra brakes were lame compared to even MTB cantilevers, and I ended up replacing the pads by v-brake ones (glad I did).

But I have also noticing the relative danger of "cascading braking" in a tight pack, which can cause severe rear-collisions.

So my question is: are road brakes designed to have less braking power than MTB ones, in order to avoid peloton accidents or whatever? Or is it incidental? Or yet, actually only the lower-end ones don't brake so well?


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I had a 2012 29er Giant Talon that got a bit trashed a few years back, so I bought a new bike which was recently ripped off.

As a result I am currently trying to get my Talon in working condition again, I have to replace both the hydraulic breaks. I was considering replacing them with the original Tektro Brake Disc Draco Hydraulic, but thought this might be a good chance to replace the fork as well.

I am now worried about getting into compatibility issues between new forks and new brakes.

Kind of a dumb question, but I was wondering what the best way to check compatibility is between these two parts when I am looking online, as well as if there are any suggestions for a sturdy, medium end hydraulic brake and fork that are compatible.


texts: Convert SRAM Force 11 to single chainring

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I bought a bike with an SRAM Force 11 groupset a few years ago and my local bike guy says I'll have to replace the cassette soon. I only use the large chainring in front and that's apparently why I've worn the cassette so much with cross chain riding (if that's the term).

He suggested converting it to a single chainring instead by simply removing the front shifter and changing the front ring and the cassette. Does that sound viable?

Thanks,

Torkil


texts: What is this Allen bolt on my novatech freehub, and what does it do?

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I've been servicing the novatech freehub on my Kona cyclo-cross bike after a particularly filthy ride. When removing the freehub I noticed this tiny Allen bolt by the inner pawls of the freehub. When I found it, it was partially unscrewed and loosely holding a small tube on the inside, however I don't know what it is! As far as I can tell this is the only function it does, as it does not affect the pawls engaging in the freehub.

Blue arrow is pointing towards it.

What is it, what does it do, and how tightly does it need to be done up?!


texts: Is this SRAM X-9 mech 10-speed compatible?

texts: I have this SRAM X-9 mech on my Dahon folding bike. I bought it second-hand, so I'm unsure of it's age. The bike is fitted with 9-speed shifters and cassette. I would like to upgrade to a 10-speed system, and wondered if this mech will handle 10-speed or if I'll have to replace it?


texts: What sort of SPD pedals should I use for cyclocross?

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So I do cyclocross and have recently got some SPD cleats, the problem is my pedals are eggbeaters which isn't great.

I was thinking in investing in some half and half pedals (like enter these) or some double sided with a pedal around it (like these). What do you guys think would be best for cyclocross?


texts: How many freewheel thread sizes are there?

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I'm buying new freewheel and noticed that not every freewheel can be screwed onto my hub because they have different thread sizes.

For example: I've found the following thread size specifications:

M30x1
M35x1
"big" 1,37" about 34.8mm
1.375" x 24 tpi

I've read that some type can only use 16 or higher tooth so in case it is important, my current hub has a 16 or 18 tooth bmx freewheel screwed on.

Questions

How many are there and what are they called properly?
Will any work on some other type?


texts: Rear derailleur speed number interchangability

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I have a bike with an 8-speed cassette and would like to switch to 9-speed cassette.

Can I keep my rear derailleur? which is a Shimano Alivio one?
I understand the indexing might mess up this, but I figure the indexing is handled by the shifters, rather than the derailleur itself!

Also, Saint Sheldon seems to confirm it is possible , is that really reliably so?

Apart from that, I know I will need a new chain to handle the 9 speeds, is there a consequence on the crankset? or do cranksets support all chains width?


texts: Raleigh Montage mountain bike crank question

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Will a modern Shimano crank set be compatible to replace an oval tech Shimano set from the 1980’s.

It’s for a Raleigh Montage Mountain Bike.


texts: Does a torque anchor prevent an IGH (Rohloff Speedhub 14) from being pulled forwards and crooked whilst riding?

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Assume a bicycle with horizontal fork ends (like the rear facing horizontal fork ends on a Surly Troll), with an IGH (Rohloff Speedhub 14) and no chain tensioner.

On a steep uphill in the easiest gear, the rear wheel might be pulled forwards and crooked.

Does a torque anchor prevent this? Or is a torque anchor used to solve a different problem? (I'm refering to this answer (https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/a/56660/31142) to my question about Surly + Rohloff which mentions a torque anchor.)


texts: Thoughts about tri bar / trekking bar on hybrid bicycle

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I have an hybrid bicycle Firefox Rapide 21S. I ride regularly around 40 KM.

In headwind I feel like I should be in aero position so sometimes I put my elbows on my handlebar and it helps to reduce the drag. But that position is not very comfortable when my elbows are resting on flat handlebar. I have flat stem and already have lowered the stem. I also have bar ends.

I'm thinking about adding clip-on tri bars for more aero position, or I can relax my hands on for long rides.

I also thought of replacing riser bar with trekking bar, for more hand position, and also I can put my elbows on trekking bar which can be more comfortable because of bar tape on handlebar.

Is tri bar on hybrid a feasible option? Or trekking bar will be good choice? I would like your thoughts which could be better option.

Or should I simply replace my handlebar with bullhorn bar which would be great. But will my existing brake/shifter will work on bullhorn bar?


texts: Is an overhanging roof shelter enough to safely leave bike outside?

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So I’ve built a shelter to keep the rain off my bike and intend to  keep it outside most of the year. It’s just a sloping corrugated plastic roof to keep the rain off it.
Will this be enough do you think? I could also put a tarp over but wonder if it’s better having the air and just being protected by the rain. Not sure if the condensation will do damage if I leave it uncovered.


texts: What is a sensible user service schedule for a professional work bike in non loaded applications such as food delivery?

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I am now a food delivery boy. I currently check brake and tyre pressure daily by riding. I wipe my chain and brake surfaces weekly. My weekly run is 400 km and 66 hours on road.

As a non mechanic what cleaning or user service schedule should I follow for safety and component longevity. I have already decided on 4 lbs services a year.


texts: How to pick a replacement rear wheel for GT Grade Alloy 105

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My bicycle: GT Grade Alloy 105 year 2015

After ~2 years riding i've broken 4 spokes (1 broke, fixed, 1 broke, fixed, 1 broke, fix, and now broke again). At this point from what I understand I need a new wheel.

From what I remember I got all the default parts:
http://www.gtbicycles.com/usa_en/2015/bikes/road/adventure/grade-alloy-105#bottom-products-area

I don't want to spend too much but I am also heavyset 250lbs (114 kilograms) and usually spend my time in the seat, there are parts where I go fast so the rear wheel will take some punishment.

I don't think I need to switch my front wheel yet unless it makes sense. How do I figure out what kind of wheel I can get where i wont have to change other expensive pieces of my bike? What are the parts that I need to look at?


texts: How long will I survive? 5 wheel spokes missing

texts: What do you think, guys? Or should not I try it at all?


texts:
Can anyone identify or provide any info about the make, model, etc. of this folding red bike, with a 20-inch rear smaller front wheel?

The only markings found on the bike:


texts: Is it worth buying a lighter bike? If so what kind?

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I've started cycling recently and am clocking decent mileage now. The only problem is, the bike is very old and weighs just shy of 20 kg. It's a heavy one!  It also has Kenda Kinetics tyres, I think they are made mainly for off road so not the fastest.
My main goal with cycling is to cycle 40 miles to a target destination I have.  So far I have gotten to the point where doing 20-22 miles is pretty doable for me now.  My best is 33.5 miles, after doing that one I was really lacking energy towards the end.  I live in a place where "High" is in the name, it's full of hills and coming back to those hills after doing that kind of mileage is killer, especially on my 20 kg bike, towards the end I was feeling like the 40 mile is not possible, but I had the same feeling when first doing my 20 mile runs.
It sucks as I wanna keep training to get myself to the 40 mile mark and I think I can get there eventually, but probably not this summer.
However, what I want to understand is whether it's worth me buying a new bike or not.  Will I notice enough of a difference, given that I can now do 20 miles with ease on my heavy bike?  Or do you think I should just suck it up and try to reach my goal with my heavy bike.  Am I just being an unreasonable amateur blaming the heavy bike?
My route:
Generally, a lot of my route is on the road, but some parts of the route are off road for several miles, with lots of twigs, tree branches, stones, other tree crap all over the floor, you can hear them crunching as the tyres go over them and at points the rear tyre or front tyre slips sometimes, as there is so much crap on the floor that it's hard for them to grip.  I'm not sure whether it's worth getting another bike, as I would ideally get a road bike but I don't think it can handle the route, my downhill bike has good chunky tyres for it but the weight is killer.
EDIT Feb 2021: I ended up buying a new carbon fibre hard tail, that weighs under 13 KG, it is a world of difference.  I can't believe how heavy my old bike is in comparison, I didn't realise how heavy it was until I got this new bike.
For anyone with a heavy bike, upgrading to a lighter bike is definitely worth it, especially if you live in a hilly area like me!


texts: SRAM Drop bar to MTB hydraulic brake interoperability

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In a previous question I asked about compatibility of drop bar shifters with mountain bike derailleurs. Now I'm curious about drop bar hydraulic brake lever compatibility to mountain bike hydraulic brakes. Is that something that can be made to work?

For example, if I got a bike with SRAM "Level" hydraulic discs, will SRAM integrated drop bar shifters/brake levers work with them?

I know the gear shifting will work as long as the levers and derailleurs are all 1:1 (SRAM's "Exact Actuation"). Is the same true of hydraulic brakes?

If that can be made to work, please provide an example SRAM drop bar lever that would work with those brakes.

Thanks.


texts: derailleur P-screw/B-screw does absolutely nothing

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I know dérailleur adjustments are frustrating, but this is the 4th day i'm working on this... i stop working just before the rage kicks in and leave everything to continue another day :)

The problem is: on the lowest (smallest) gear on front, the guide(?) gear from the dérailleur will grind on half the low (larger) gears on back. on the middle front gear (have 3) only the lowest (larger) gear on back grinds.

This is what I have:

http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=3f73f16c-1a7e-46c5-ab73-f21755e71b08&Enum=108

That is not my picture, but the distance from the guide gear to the lowest rear gear is almost the same. it makes a wicked noise on pedaling.

The steps I did last, was to start all over again.

moved index to highest (small) gear. i.e. less pull on cable.
removed cable from derailleur.
left P-screw half inserted.
loosened H-screw (bottom) until it stopped moving outward.
screwed in H-screw until it aligned with highest (small) cog.
pulled the derailleur arm with one hand down and into the wheel
adjusted the L-screw (top) until arm stopped moving to the wheel
screwed in L-screw until arm was aligned with Lowest (big) cog.
let go of arm
adjust cable fine tune to be almost fully inserted in thread
secured cable on derailleur with almost no pull.
pulled cable to remove slack.
re-tightened cable again with almost no pull.
tested index shifting with front on middle gear.
adjusted fine cable pull screw for tight second and penultimate gear shifts.
noticed grind on lowest gear (large).
screwed in P-screw. nothing changed. rage.
tried with front derraileur on highest (small) gear. grinding now on half the low gears on back. more rage.

What am i doing wrong here? What else can control the proximity of the guide pulley/gear and the low gears other than the P-screw?


texts: Squeaking sounds after lubricating the cogset and chain

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My bicycle didn't produce any squeaks until the last weekend, when I decided to make a little maintenance. First, I used "Easy Clean" spray from the White Lightning brand to clean the cogset and the chain. Then, I applied "Epic Ride" semi-dry all conditions silicone lube from the same brand to lubricate the cogset and the chain.

When I rode my bicycle afterwards, I noticed squeaking sounds coming from the cogset. Why might this happen? Did I miss something in my maintenance procedure? Did I use wrong type of lubricant?

UPDATE
I've found some useful information from Why is my chain so noisy after cleaning and lubricating? At this point I believe that the squeaking sounds are caused by firm particles (sand) that got into the bearings or onto moveable parts in the process of degreasing. In the beginning, my suspicion was that I had used wrong type of lubricant (why they put silicone in there, anyway?). I don't think I can select the best answer from those provided below (can't upvote them either because of the low reputation), but I appreciate the effort of those who shared with me their thoughts.


texts: I've heard conflicting reports that demagnetizing drivetrain parts to prevent metallic debris sticking is a real thing I'm supposed to care about when servicing e-bikes, but I can't find anything written about it or any instructions on how to do it. I do know that some of the more bling systems such as Bosch and the Copenhagen Wheel have magnetic torque sensors that are sensitive to external magnetic fields so I imagine care has to be taken there if this is a thing.


texts: What can I add to a chain cleaning bottle to get between the links?

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Every so often I take off my chain to give it its most thorough cleaning - the shake it up in a plastic drinks bottle with a bit of degreaser method. This works pretty well, and I've added some bits of cut up plastic scouring pad in there to help, but there are always lumps of gunk left on the insides of the link plates even after the most vigorous of shakings. I generally get those off manually, but end up redistributing some of it back into the chain no doubt.
I've been thinking that if I was to add some little balls of perhaps 2mm diameter, they would work through between the link plates and knock off a lot of trapped gunk during the shake. Question is what to use: steel bearings might be too hard and potentially leave fragment of rustable steel behind. Ceramic balls? Sugar balls!? A dense plastic? If it's something that breaks up, obviously it mustn't leave anything behind. Do I need something with a lower Moh hardness value than steel? Anybody doing anything similar of have any suggestions?


texts: New DIY project: restoring this bike from the bins. How can I service this back wheel?

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I picked a broken bike from the garbage around the block. The bike has some damage. It looks like a stolen bike (spray paint awfully over original color), so it must have had some tough love. I have identified the brand and model from its parts but no one has reported it stolen, yet. It will turn into a restoration job soon.
I am not the sharpest bike wrench so I could use some advice. Most parts are in good state. Obviously it needs new brake pads and new tires, and most probably a new chain, as this one is full or rust. The rear derailleur was so bent into the spokes that it broke. Definitely needs replacement by a new one.
The work that needs to be done on the rear wheel is not clear to me. The spokes are unbroken but it needs truing. I found it with some of its bearings opened, the ones on the non-driving side. When looking inside: not much contamination but some of the balls seem to be missing. I already have grease. Can I just buy any balls bearings? How do I know how many I need? Also the lock ring on these bearings is crooked? See pictures. Will it close? Or do I need a new one? Is it needed to buy a new axle + bearings? Is it simpler?
Here are some pictures https://imgur.com/a/UbB8Nrl
Many thanks.


texts: Eliminating chainslap on a 90's Stumpjumper

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I have a mountain bike - a Stumpjumper hardtail frame with a Shimano drivetrain - where I'm getting a good amount of chainslap. Before I start fiddling with stuff, I'd like to understand the problem better.

This is a new-to-me bike that's only recently been built from a mix of old and new parts.

(I've put up more pictures of the bike here, but these are the two that most clearly show the drivetrain.)

I believe I have two options here:

Increase the tension on the chain (somehow), or
Pull links out of the chain until all is well.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of both? Or are there other strategies I'm missing? Or is my time better served by simply wrapping the chainstay and living with the problem?

(While this isn't strictly relevant, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that the front derailer also has issues - I can't get enough cable tension to get the chain to shift into the big ring up front.)


texts: How to fit BB bearings to install Ultegra Crank on road bike Wilier Cento 1

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I've bought a used Wilier Cento 1 carbon road bike frame (not the new Cento1SR, but the previous model). Now I would like to transfer all Ultegra 6700 groupset components from my existing bike to it. My current bike has narrower bottom bracket frame body than the Cento 1 so it uses Ultegra BB that extends from the frame. Something like this:

Wilier Cento 1 on the other hand has a wider bottom bracket body which says Wilier Oversize Bottom Bracket as seen on the image below. It's about 92-94mm wide (I haven't precisely measured it, but you know what standards are out there). This is how it looks like with fitted cranks (in this case Campagnolo):

The main question

I know I have to buy some additional BB bearings and plugs to put them directly into the frame but I don't know whether this is a kind of PressFit system so I would require some special tools to correctly install these bearing into the frame or are they just snuggly put in so I can actually do it myself without any extra tools?


texts: Shimano Claris 1x8 11-28t, can upgrade to 1x10 11-34t?

texts: Is it possible for my bike that I'm using Shimano Claris 11-28t 1x8 speed to upgrade my cassette in 11-34t 1x10 speed? Thanks. hoping for a good advice.


texts: Chain falls off upper pulley when backpedalling

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I just found out that indexed shifters required mated cassettes, and I am using the rear wheel and cassette from an indexed setup with a non-indexed rear derailleur.  I noticed backpedalling sometimes results in the upper pulley going askew as pictured, and always happens during an upshift.  I never had this problem with my indexed setup.

I have two questions:

I understand simultaneously backpedalling and upshifting is bad, but does the chain falling off the pulley the expected outcome of doing that?
Is it okay to use a cassette from an indexed shifter from a 1990 shimano 105 with a non-indexed shifter like a 1996 suntour cyclone.

I've read the the very similar problem and I included a shot of the teeth of the upper pulley in case that might be the problem.  Also, when the chain does go askew, I don't really feel the difference (I'm not a particularly distinguishing rider).


texts: Is there a significant difference between the new all-mountain/trail and classic cross country helmets?

texts: There is a new niche of "all mountain" helmets, like Fox Flux, POC Trabec, 661 Recon etc. They feature closed, rounded backward design, and claim to protect the brainstem better. I ride all-mountain technical singletracks with a little of drops and lots of rockgardens, should I invest in a new AM helmet, or there is a minor difference between them and the common XC design?


texts:
I have never been seriously off-road on a trail with a mountain bike.
I am curious; for any mountain bikers, do you ride clipped in on trails, and when if ever do you proactively clip out (e.g. like on a dirt bike you sometimes have people use there foot to add stability)?
For me, it would be a less-than-comfortable experience being clipped in off-road. What benefits are there to be had clipped in when off-road?
How common is it for serious mountain bikers to ride with flat pedals or is it taboo like it is on a road bike?


texts: Fix a broken floor pump, replace pump head

texts:
The little plastic lever to tighten the o-ring broke on my floor pump. It's probably fifteen years old. The model is a Pyramid Pro. The broken bit is highlighted in red.

There's nothing else wrong with it and it seems silly to toss the whole thing over so small a problem. Is it supposed to be easy to replace the head on cheapo pumps like this? I cannot easily figure out how any of the pieces are supposed to come apart. Neither end of the hose screws apart. There's a large allen key hole that I think allows for dismantling the whole lower plastic housing, but it's not obvious to me that the hose is in any sense replaceable.

I assume the answer is I'm just being stupid cheap and need to a buy a new pump. Just checking first.


texts: Do expedition bikes offer advantages over standard touring bikes?

texts:
I have seen a few bikes marketed as "Expedition Bikes". They seem to be designed for the purpose of touring off-the-beaten-track. Typically they have 26 inch wheels and either butterfly or flat bars, though I have seen a couple with drops. Some even have internal hub gears. The one defining characteristic seems to be the 26 inch wheels though.

What is the advantage, specifically, of the 26 inch wheels over 700c when on an 'Expedition' type tour? And more in general, are there other advantages to buying (or building) an Expedition Bike rather than just modifying an existing road tourer?


texts:
I live in South America where we don't have substantial supply of modern two-wheeled cargobikes in the market at reasonable prices, so I think converting a tandem bike by dismounting the stoker seat would be a good idea to have more place to put saddle bags. Also it would deter thieves from taking my highly customized, weird and hard to sell bike.

What would be the advantages and disadvantages of such a conversion, compared to a cargo bike?


texts:
There are some stylish flat fenders out there. I'm referring to those fenders that have no curvature across the width of the tire, though they do curve around the wheel. Some of these fenders seem to only be as wide as the tire.

This question is posed to people who have used flat fenders:

Do you ever find that you get some splash, say on your legs, or the outer edges of your butt/back? Or are they completely fine?

When answering, please also tell me whether your flat fender was the same width as the tire, or a bit wider.


texts:
I have a FOX FLOAT CTD Evolution LV 184x44mm, which worked fine in the summer, afther the cold weather arrived, and I started to ride under 15C, it started to leak some oil. It was pretty nasty, but I wasn't able to do anything, my bike is stored in non heated garrage, so it can get pretty chilly out there, -5C.

Now the temperature started to rise, so I bought a service kit, with seals, and a friend of mine, came by to replace them, like on this video

But even after this, the oil leaks like there is something broken. The shock still works fine, it has 3 modes, and the lock still converts it to a hardtail, and the folly open, gives a nice bouncy feel to the ride.

 it looks like this after 15km 10 tarmac / 5 offroad

Does anyone has an idea what can cause this problem? I did not crashed withe the bike, once, and in the summer there was not a single drop of oil on the stanchion, even after 2500km of offroad. :((

This is how it looks after 30km :(

Hope you can help me. (Please do not suggest to got to the local bike shops, they don't work with fox shocks)


texts: Rear brake cable temporary fix possible?

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(Please see edit below; problem might actually be with brake lever)

I'd like to know if a temporary resolution is possible for my stuck rear brake cable.

Video:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EmGB78BphkK4k27j4BNouMpIK31A31ST/view?usp=sharing

I'm taking it into the shop but the soonest they can take my bike is Tuesday.  I have no experience in bicycle repair.  The bike is only half a year old, but I've been riding it in winter.  I clean the brakes (excluding the pads) every one or two weeks with a soft bottle brush and diluted dish soap. I have never lubricated any brake parts yet, though.

Edit: I might have been wrong on the location of the malfunction. The brake lever seemed stuck, and I assumed that was because the brake was stuck, but after squeezing it very hard it seems to work to some extent. It makes a creaking noise and doesn't move as freely or with as much range as the front brake.

Edit 2: The problem was the cable or housing, not the brake lever.


texts: Correct position of brake quick release on Ultegra 6800

texts: I'd like to know wether the brake quick release lever on the Ultegra 6800 can be kept in any intermediate position between completely closed and completely opened when riding.


texts:
I just bought an e-bike from Wiggle's demo fleet and am having problems with the electronics. I think I need to do a firmware update but I can't get into the E-tube app which allows me to configure the settings.

I tried using a passkey of "000000" to access the setting, but it didn't work and I don't know any other default passkey to try.

Is there a way to reset the passkey without knowing the current one?

Is there a recommended way to contact a Shimano for product support?


texts: Does a bike helmet without chin straps make any sense?

texts: Wouldn't any major impact make it fly off the head and not protect you.


texts: What do I do when I am unsure if a carbon fiber component is safe to use or needs replacing or repairing?

texts:
Intended as a canonical answer to the many questions we have about damage to carbon parts.
It is well known that carbon fiber parts can be damaged and fail, and carbon parts can be fragile when stressed in certain ways, but we get a large number of questions on this site asking if a carbon part (Frame, rim, stem) with damage is a concern or not.  Many of these parts are obviously suffering no more than a minor cosmetic blemish, and very few are suffering from clearly significant damage. Most fall into the gap between where physical inspection is required to make an assessment.


texts: I have a Campagnolo Chorus 9-speed rear derailleur. I am trying to determine the largest cassette I can use. The main question I have is how do I determine what size cage I have. It is not a new derailleur. I have 50-36 chain rings and currently a 23-11 cassette. Would like to go a little bigger on the largest cassette cog if possible.


texts: 9 to 11 speed partial groupset upgrade? Is it possible?

texts:
I have a Shimano Sora 3500 full groupset (FD 50-34, Crankset 170mm length with BB RS500 (BC1.37 x 24), Sprocket 12-28) on my road bike.

I want to make a partial upgrade to 105 set due to my budget limit, by:

changing both shifters to 105 R7000;
changing the rear derailleur to 105 R7000 GS (long cage);
changing the cassette to Shimano 105 CS HG700, 11-34T (fortunately my wheelset can accommodate the 11 speed cassette);
using Shimano 105 SLX CN-HG601 11 speed chain; and
still keeping the current installed Sora 3500 FD, crankset, and rim brakes.

Please kindly share your thought whether is it possible or I need to go with a full group upgrade?

I believe the Sora's crankset and front derailleur should be fine, right?

Thank you.


texts:
I'm crafting a small 3 speed "gearbox" for a project of mine and I'm aiming for simplicity in the first place since I'll have to create it myself and I'm not particularly gifted when it comes to using my hands.

Initially the idea was to buy proper cogs but when I discovered how their prices go I resorted to using bicycle sprockets from a cassette like this one which go for ~$10.

Basically I'll take it apart and have 2 shafts with sprockets on both sides matching my calculated gear ratios, one side will be on bearings, all 3 pairs, respectively for my 3 gears, connected with a chain piece of their own and I'll have selectors sliding on the bearing side engaging different gears - pretty close to how a conventional gearbox works just a poor man's version.

My problem is I can't figure out what type of chain goes on a typical mountain bike you would see sold commonly in any casual bike store. There are a bunch of different claims I found which lead me to believe that it's either 25H or T8F but I couldn't determine with enough confidence to order.

The maximum force that will need to be exerted in order to propel my vehicle on the steepest hill I've designed it for is about 650N, which multiplied by wheel size comes out to about 150Nm on the output shaft. That's roughly about 60kg I'm assuming the chain and sprockets will have no problem handling that.


texts: Adjusting disk brakes after taking off the wheel

texts: I recently took off the front wheel off of my mountain bike, and have been having considerably difficulty getting the front wheel on the right spot such that the wheel doesn't rub against the brake when I'm riding. I know there is clearance possible, because if I pull the quick release on my wheel and turn the wheel, it spins just fine. What can I do to align the brake properly?


texts: On a bmx headset could an integrated bearing set be replaced with a caged bearing set?

texts: I have a 20" eastern with a 1 1/8" integrated headset. The problem being is that my headset's top sealed bearing is no good and I only have some caged bearings currently on hand. Is there any possible way to replace the integrated with the caged bearings without having to change out any external parts i.e. forks?


texts: Is it possible that a too tight rear wheel quick release can cause shifting issues?

texts: It seems that is the case with my rear QR/derailleur. If QR is really tight it's impossible to get the shifting quite right. Could it be because of material fatigue in my derailleur hanger? It's been straightened twice. I'm curious if anyone experienced same symptoms.


texts:
I currently have an older Dahon Mariner with a Telescope seat post. The third wheel that functions as the "third leg" (when the bike is folded) has broken off. To compensate, could I switch out the telescope seat post with a longer seat post. When the seat is dropped for folding, my intention is that the length of this seat post will resume the function of this third leg.

Is this possible?

My model does have a hole in the frame's bottom, allowing a long seat post to pass through (and function as a stand).

Update: Thank you for all the comments below. I am still looking to do this and now have the measurements of the current Telescope seat post. They are 34.2mm and 28.x respectively. The bike does have a small plastic shim between the frame and the bottom telescope seat post pole.

Update:
It was able to do it.


texts: changing 26 to 700 wheels on mountain bike?

texts: I have a nice colnago mountain bike w/26 wheels and disc brakes; am thinking of changing to 700 wheels as i am 6'3" and bike feels  somewhat small. would this negatively affect ride, handling, geometry...? i tried on  27.5 wheels  from other bike, and they do fit.i am just an older recreational rider and am wondering if this would work . thanks guys


texts: Changed shifters and chain isn't in same spot

texts: My friend changed out the shifters on his bike and his rear derailleur isn't on the right sprocket based on what his shifter says. How can you fix this?


texts: Kurt Kinetic Trainer hard to release, should I grease?

texts: I have a kurt Kinetic trainer. I find that it's sometimes hard to remove the bike from the trainer, as the knobs are really hard to turn. I thought about putting grease on the threads which clamp on the skewer. Is this a good idea or not? Am I likely overtightening the tension?


texts: Giant Revolt 2 vs Giant Anyroad 2 drag/roll resistance

texts:
I own two bikes:

Giant Revolt 2: http://www.giant-bicycles.com/uk-ua/bikes/model/revolt.2/17270/72372/#specifications
Giant Anyroad 2: http://www.giant-bicycles.com/uk-ua/bikes/model/anyroad.2/17256/72374/#specifications

Experimentally Revolt has a better roll than Anyroad. This really bugs me because:

Anyroad has a stiffer fork.
Anyroad tyre width 32, Revolt - 35.
Revolt weights slightly more.

I've perfectly adjusted cones for Anyroad, experimented with tyre pressure, switched riders.

The only thing I didn't change is the hubs. Revolt has Formula [F] DC20 [R] DC22, alloy disc hub, double-sealed, Loose Ball Bearing, 32H. Anyroad has sort of noname Giant, [F]24h, [R]28h.

Does anyone know anything about this mysterious Giant hub? Could it be a culprit as the Formula hub gives better roll?
Are there any other suggestions how to make Anyroad roll better?


texts: Shimano Acera Shifters - How to remove gear cable

texts:
I need to change the front derailleur gear cable on my bike. I've removed the cable from the derailleur itself, and now need to detach it from the shifter on the handlebars.

On my previous bike, which also had Shimano parts (I think Tourney), when I had to do this I just unscrewed two screws on the top side of the shifter, the cover easily came off, and I could then access the cable.

On these Acera shifters, there are also two screws at the top, but after unscrewing them the cover won't pull off. I've tried this on both shifters with the same result. It seems I need to unscrew or do something else, but I'm not exactly sure what it is.

Rather than try to yank off the cover and end up damaging something, I thought I'd ask here if anyone knows how to correctly remove the covers on these shifters.

Thanks for any help.


texts: How is the length of a stem measured? Where does the measurement start and finish?


texts: Derailleur hanger compatibility / fender angle

texts:
I recently bought a pair of Qbicle Tangent fenders for my folding bike. The bolt for the derailleur hanger is in the way of the mount:

The fender is supposed to be installed at around this angle:

The derailleur hanger looks pretty much like this:

And the dropout is just flat (no grooves) with a hole beside it like this:

Is that derailleur hanger the only type of hanger that can be used for that kind of dropout?

I could install the fender so that the bolt of the hanger would pass through the fender mount. The fender would be mounted at around 170°; it would just cover the area between the 9 to 11 o'clock positions. Would the fenders be useless at that angle?


texts: Convert rear hub width 142 mm to fit 135 mm dropouts

texts:
I recently bought a pair of Shimano XT Deore wheels. I then realized they cannot fit my MTB hardtail dropouts.

Is there any way to convert an MTB rear wheel with hub width 142 mm to 135 mm?


texts: How durable are the lights on a Vanmoof?

texts: Can anyone report on how durable the philips lights built into the frame of a Vanmoof city bike are?  I can't tell if being (partially) inside the top tube will protect them, or make them more vulnerable since they'll have to stop the entire bike if you bash them into a bike rack or something.


texts: This will be my first season racing collegiate this spring and I recently crashed on a group ride going about 22 mph around a corner and slammed my face into the ground. Crash was pretty bad and had road rash across my body and tons of stitches in my face. Before the crash, I had gotten really good at cornering at high speeds and was comfortable in doing so, however, now, I can't even take an easy corner at any speed without being way too wide and being fearful of falling. Any tips on overcoming my fear so I can get back into the crit-racing mindset?


texts:
I was toying about with a disk brake for the first time and managed to shear two bolts clean off while reassembling.

Curiously, both tore the head off, leaving the threadded shaft in the tapped hole in the hub.  I was able to remove the shaft using bull-nosed pliers both times.

Looking closely at the remains, the head has torn off where it fastens to the shaft.  Is this a weak point by design?

No, I was not using a torque wrench, because I don't own one.  This is high on my list of wants though.


texts: Are Shimano 105 R7000 STI levers compatible with the older R5800 deraillers?

texts:
My bike currently has Shimano 105 5800 components (shifters, rim brakes, derailleurs), and I've recently discovered that both my shifters are wearing out.

The derailleurs seem to be in good shape, though.  I'd like to just upgrade the shifters to the newer R7000. Will they work with the older derailleurs and rim brakes?


texts: Gears jumping/slipping from the rear cogset on a new bike

texts:
Its been 1 month since I have bought my new MTB (Kross globate 1.1) with 18 gears (shimano)..
Now the problem is chain has slipped twice while riding. First time my speed was around 25kph and second time it was low around 15kph.

And another point to notice is that my gears are not working properly... chain does not move to other sprocket when I change my gear from rear 6 to rear 5 or vice versa, they start changing afterwards...

What could be the problem?


texts: Rental bike for holiday: wise to change handlebar style?

texts:
For my next cycling vacation I am evaluating the possibility to locally renting a bike instead of taking mine along: the costs are equivalents and I would save the hassle of carrying the box around.

The rental services I am exploring offer either city/touring bikes with flat bars or cyclocross/road bikes with drop down bars, while I normally ride on flat bar.

Is it advisable to keep the same bar style on the rental bike, or "muscle memory" and other stuff will not be a problem? I'd gladly avoid settling problems while riding 100+ km/day.

Additional info: I am looking to cycling in Japan, Biwa lake and Koyasan. Therefore paved roads but hilly, not really away from civilization, but still with some roads among the mountains.


texts:
I just got a Dahon Mu Uno 2011. I am really happy with the bike, but it's my first folding bike and I have noticed how quick it gets dirty. This is probably due to being closer to the ground than most other bikes.

What is a good cleaning routine for a bike like this? My previous bikes (road bikes, mountain bikes, etc) I only cleaned maybe once every month or two. But I feel this one needs more attention and I want to keep it happy. However, I am also afraid of ruining the folding mechanisms with excessive cleaning. Suggestions?


texts: How comfortable would my 57cm circumference head fit in a 59cm - 62cm helmet?

texts: There's a nice, cheap used helmet on sale that is described as being 'large'. My head is 57cm, which is 'medium'. How well would this helmet fit (I guess it does vary between manufacturers), and how can I improve the fit if it doesn't?


texts:
I had an issue where every time I put my bike in gear 3, it would just keep "skipping". By this I mean that it wouldn't stay in gear 3; the chain would go onto it, then fall onto gear 4, then go back onto it, then back on 4.

Some Googling showed me that I might need to adjust the rear derailleur. So I set about doing this today by first putting my bike onto the biggest cog and adjusting it so the derailleur was in line with the cog. Then I shifted it down to the smallest one and did the same thing (I think I got a bit confused between this and changing the screws to line these two up with something).

Anyway, as luck would have it, this fixed the problem of the skipping however I now can't shift into gears one or two (the two biggest cogs). Like I literally can't flick down the gear lever to put it into these gears.

What could be the issue? I would love some advice.

Thanks


texts:
My Top Peak Joe Blow floor pump has been getting harder and harder to pump. I bought the high end model so that my 94 lb wife could pump up her own tires, but it has gotten to the point where I can barely get my own tires to 110 psi.

Is there some maintenance that I'm supposed to be doing on the pump?

I found a rebuild kit online, is that the ticket to making it work better?


texts: I have a beautiful old Huffy Savannah bike and would like to know how old it is. The serial number starts with a 4 but that doesnt help me. Is it 1984, 1994, 2004, etc??  I cannot seem to find anything online about this bike other than some other ones for sale.


texts:
I am looking for waterproof shoes to use on my daily bike commute for home-office moves. I previously had rain boots, and was happy with them. Nevertheless they quickly started to "break" in the middle of the sole because my feet move when cycling.

What kind of shoes are you using for this purpose, which ones would you recommend?

Note that I don't have clipless pedals.


texts:
I understand that wheels should be trued for efficiency. Are there any safety risks (or risk  of damaging the bike) in using untrued wheels?

Are the risks different between wheels untrued left-right and up-down?

My question is motivated by the following fact: I have an up-down untrued wheel and not much time to take it to the shop, should I keep using the bike?


texts: Choosing fabric when shopping for cycling pants

texts:
I have question similar to

what to look for when buying bicycle pants

Are Merino cycling boxers/cycling pants worth the cost?

Finding good pants for winter biking

How to minimize wear on pants

...but they all speak about padding and shape and do not discuss the fabric. I have been wearing only cotton (also linen a couple times) throughout my life and am trying to avoid materials which are not biodegradable. In the case polyester is not the only option, I would like to know what natural materials you could recommend.


texts: I have a rockshox Dart II from 2007. I have recently rebuilt it for the first time in 9 years as it had basically locked up, and not so surprisingly given its neglectful treatment, its still not really doing what it is supposed to. while the fork drives with significantly less stiction and reaches its travel limits, there is so much rebound, even when the adjuster is fully open, that it would probably be better suited on my car. I assume the rebound and compression have had it, but I wonder if there is a fix that doesn't involve buying a new one.


texts: Having one wheel set with 6 bolts rotors and one with center locks?

texts:
I'd like to purchase a second wheel set for my bike: to have one wheel set for road, and one for cross/light MTB, and swap them easily depending on the kind of ride I plan. My bike uses 6 bolts disk brakes, but my local shop only has additional wheels with the right specs with center locks supports for the brake rotors.
Given I have to purchase additional discs anyway, is there any counter indication to have one wheel set with 6 bolts rotors, and the other wheel set with center locks rotors? Or better to order the 6 bolts version of the wheel set?
Thanks!


texts: I have a Giant Revolt Advance 1 with SRAM Apex 1. The crank has 40 teeth. Which crankset should I buy if I want 32 teeth?


texts: Can you use an Alfine 8-speed "disc" hub with a non-disc wheel?

texts: I have a city bike with a Nexus 8-speed and I'd like to rebuild the rear wheel with an Alfine 8-speed. The only hubs I can find all seem to be disc mount hubs. My city bike has v-brakes. Is it ok to use the "disc mount" hub on a non-disc wheel? The description seems to say "disc brake compatible", which sort of implies it's possible but not required to use the mount, but I would like to make sure before purchasing the hub.


texts:
So I'm working with the park tool tutorial but I've done it a couple of times in the past.
When adjusting my Shimano Deore Front derailleur (height and rotation) it lines up great but when I tighten the mounting bolt the whole thing "banks" inwards and so the cage bottom rises and touches the chain.

How to i set the height and tighten the mechanism with affecting the other rotation "axis" of the derailleur?
are there always combination of cogs (front and back) that will cause the chain to run against the cage?.

now some photos. it is very hard to create a stable reference angle with the phone and without a tripod but you will get the idea.
This is the chain on the first (small) chainring when the bolt is tighten:

And this is the chain still on the first (small) chainring but now the bolt is almost fully loose, so in fact, nothing changed with the actual position of the mount:

(please ignore the mud.... that's later on the list)


texts: I have a E13 TRS, 28 holes, tubeless ready, 30 mm inner width wheelset, with SCHWALBE MAGIC MARY, 29 x 2.35, Addix Soft, front and a SCHWALBE NEW HANS DAMPF, 29 x 2.35, Addix Soft, rear. (The bike is here.) I am not sure but Is the wheelset (and frame) compatible with the same tyres in the 2.60 width version ? What could be the impacts of such a change ? Comparing on Schwalbe's website lead to less road and off-road grip and more rolling. Is this really true ? What else ?


texts: Third eye helmet mounter mirror swivels too much

texts:
I've got a "third eye" type bike mirror attached to my helmet.  It has two points of articulation: one near where it mounts to the helmet, which controls how far it swings up, and the other near the mirror which adjusts the mirror angle.  When I first got it, there was some resistance to adjusting it either way, so once it was adjusted it just stayed in place.  However, over time this resistance has decreased, to the point where the movement of air past me down a steep hill, or turning my head suddenly causes the mirror to move or the whole thing to swing out away from me.  In either case the result is I suddenly cannot see behind me until I have time to safely move my hand up to adjust it back into place. As it usually happens at a time when it is not safe for me to do this, my ability to use the third eye goes away at times when I might need it most.

I have tried using hot glue to fix both ends in place, and this works for a while, but over time it keeps working its way loose, especially the side closest to the helmet.  At the same time, hot glue is not particularly flexible, so if I don't get it adjusted just right I wind up on my bike having to turn my head one way or another to hit the sweet spot where I can see directly behind me.

What it seems like would be useful is if there was some kind of fluid that I could run over the contact points which would increase the amount of friction enough that either end would stay put when I'm not trying to adjust it, but not enough to prevent me from adjusting it whenever I need to.  Kind of like the opposite of oil, and ideally something nothing sticky to the point of attracting too much dust and grime or otherwise making a mess of my hands whenever I try to adjust the mirror, yet long lasting enough that I don't have to apply it more than maybe every month or to.

Does something like this exist?  Or is there some other solution that can be recommended?

Update: Here is a photo of the mirror attached to my helmet:


texts:
I have a B.o.B. Yak trailer which uses a ISO 305 mm BSD rim. I'd like to build up a wheel for the trailer using a dynamo hub (perhaps a Sanyo H27) so that I could have lights on the trailer.

I know I could use battery lights, but I've become very fond of not having to change or even think about batteries (a lot of our biking is "car replacement" rides around town, so it is really nice to just know that you've got lights). Seems like this would also give me power to charge a phone or other small device since the draw of a rear light will be well below the capacity of the dynamo.

A wheel built on 305 mm rims is going to turn just about twice as fast as a wheel built on a 622 mm (700C) rim. My impression is that the output voltage of the hub increases with speed – and that the output of modern hubs are regulated. So I'm wondering what issues I might run into using a dynamo generator as a power source.
Some that I've thought of are:

Availability of rims (the hub is available in 28, 32, and 36 hole drillings). A rim drilled for a presta valve would be nice since it would mean that a single pump would serve for bike and trailer without having to convert the head.
Availability of suitable hubs. The speed difference between the bike wheels and the trailer wheels has been pointed out, but I haven't been able to find data on the hub behavior. I would assume that dynamo hubs would be designed to tolerate a full range of biking speeds – say up to at least 65 or 80 kph (40 or 50 mph). Since the trailer is placarded with a speed limit of 40 kph I'd been thinking I was within bounds.
Finding short spokes. By my calculations I'd need a 110 mm spoke to do a radial pattern and could go up to around 155 mm doing a 4-cross. Seems like recumbents and BMX bikes would mean that spokes this short are available somewhere. Failing that could I have them custom cut from straight gauge spokes?

So it seems like the big issue is the hub? Does anybody know the limits on modern hub designs? So far e-mail queries have gone unanswered…


texts:
I just bought a car and my girlfriend has a similar car. We don't really want to scuff up the cars with the types of racks that use pressure points on the trunk.

Neither car currently has a hitch at the moment. Neither car has a roof rack nor the ability to put one on as far as I know.

What are the pros/cons of installing hitches and using a hitch rack vs. buying one rear rack and switching it between cars as needed?

Edit:

We went to REI today and picked up the Yakima SuperJoe 2. After trying to fit it on my car, there's no way it's going to work because the inside bike will rub on the car and not sit correctly because of the pedal. We are going to go back tomorrow and grab the Yakima SuperJoe 3 because it should give us more distance from the car.


texts: Is this front derailer snapped and/or bent?

texts:
I'm no expert but looks no where close to how it should be.

I think a bit has snapped off?

Also looks to be no where close to the outside of the biggest gear, (even when in that gear). It should kind of encase the chain?

I'm assuming I'll need a brand new part?


texts: Denied warranty claim on carbon bike due to impact?

texts:
I saw a little crack on the bottom section top tube of bike which is a kestrel talon. I took it the bike shop to see if it was covered under warranty. I have fallen once or twice from the bike but I have not been in any accident at all.

The bike shop took pictures and sent it to Advanced Sports and they asked him to send the frame to them. Once they took a look at the frame they denied warranty claim saying that the issue is caused by some kinda impact.

They do offer a replacement frame for a discounted price which is like 500$.

The question is should I get the frame back and get it fixed or get a replacement frame only?
Update: went ahead and ordered a replacement.


texts: How is chainstay length defined for frames with horizontal dropouts?

texts:
Just reading our own definition of Chainstay Length in the terminology index. It is written currently as the distance between the centre of the chainring and the centre of the rear cog.

This is simple enough to follow for a bike with vertical dropouts at the rear, but what about frames with horizontal dropouts or track ends, the geometry of the frame is fixed, surely, even if the wheel can be moved F/A. So how do we define it in that case, where the cog can be moved?

From the diagrams I'm seeing online, the chainstay length by this definition is the same as the rear centre. Is this true, and is it affected by any of the above?

What I want to achieve is to understand and update the Terminology Index entry.


texts:
recently the crank arms on my Nishiki Colorado Comp 27.5 bike failed. I must’ve struck an obstacle with my pedals during my ride yesterday, because on the way home I noticed the right pedal was bent and when I removed it the threads were torn up. I installed this pedal myself; I confirmed it went in with the correct thread direction, though I settled on hand tightening.

So obviously I need a new crank of about 8” (200mm) and with 4 bolts. But I’m not sure how to find the proper crank, nor how to avoid this crank destruction in the future.


texts: Can someone please tell me what kind of bike this is please?

texts: I'm not sure what kind of bike this is. It was given to me.


texts: I don't want to be the next Eddy Merckx; Is competitive cycling right for me?

texts:
I've been toying with the idea of joining competitive amateur (road) cycling for a while, but am unsure as to if the sport is right for me: I'm in very good shape and enjoy "basic" road cycling as well as weekend trips, but I have not joined any sort of cycling clubs because I don't feel like a Cyclist™.

I don't want to quit my day job-- I just want to have some competitive fun with other cyclists, and I don't know if "fun" in itself is a realistic expectation for official competitive events-- is this achievable, or is competitive cycling only for the most gung-ho?

Cycling community

What is the atmosphere like in most cycling clubs and at larger competitive events?-- are people in pelotons generally friendly, supportive, etc. or does everyone basically hope the others get hit by a bus so they end up winning? Do people e.g. go for a drink together afterwards? I don't know anyone who cycles as arduously as me, so I'd have to "find" some "cycling buddies", and am not sure how much of the "buddy" part I can expect.

Technological competitiveness

As stated above, I have no intention of making a career of cycling, and I see little reason to spend e.g. $10,000 on a hobby. Some people enjoy spending that much on something they will ride at 10kph on Sundays, but I have neither the capacity nor the willingness to do so. However, at local (amateur) competitive rides, I have pretty much only seen ridiculously expensive carbon-fiber/aluminium bikes and lots of flashy Lycra. There is nothing stopping me from riding e.g. a 40-year-old bike at such a race, but it's also no fun to be struggling at the back of the pack when others are whisking along effortlessly. In the end, fitness trumps technology, but, basically, I'd have to be ridiculously fit to keep up in a pack of 5kg bikes with brifters on my 15kg down-tube 10-speed. How "good" should my setup be in order to enjoy such an event and easily stay with the pack?


texts: Unable to get a tube replacement to last

texts:
I am running into a consistent issue, my last two tubes replacement for the back tyre of my cycle got punctured same way at the neck of the tube.   I am beginning to think if there is something fundamentally wrong. I biked for barely 25 min after installing brand new tube from sunlite and there was a puncture at tubes neck.
The dimensions were 26x1.5-1.75 of the tube, tyre is 26x2. Bicycle is a Schwinn Frontier. Please suggest me what should be my course of action here?


texts: Ball bearings replacement for Windsor 4500

texts:
After riding my Windsor 4500 for about 2 years, I got some advice to replace the ball bearings for both tires before going on a long bike trip. I plan on replacing these myself. Could someone tell me what size bearings would be appropriate for this task?

Thanks.


texts: Is the second decimal important in the ring/cog ratio?

texts:
The ring of my single speed is starting to wear out now that I'm approaching the 10k km and I'm planning to do an upgrade.

Most of the crank sets that I find interesting only come in 48–51 teeth.

I'm currently riding a 44 teeth with 16 teeth rear cog, that makes 44/16 = 2.75. I really like the setup as it is enough to get away with most hills near my city and I still can ride quite fast.

Will I notice any difference if I go with any of the following?

48t and 17t = 2.82 (+0.07)
50t and 18t = 2.77 (+0.02)
49t and 18t = 2.72 (-0.03)


texts: What are the advantages of flat spoked wheels?

texts: Following on from my earlier question about truing them, I was wondering if anybody could point out the advantages (and perhaps disadvantages) of flat spoked wheels?


texts:
This is my first time posting here.

I have been biking for a few years now and learning little by little how to  repair my ride myself.

My latest problem is 4 spokes of my rear wheel (36 spokes) broke, making it like a potato-chip.

It's a pretty old aluminum wheel but people told me the rim and hub were good, so I figured I might as well try to repair it, considering how cheap a spoke is, at least it would be a good learning experience.

I tried the traditional 3x cross but half way through I read about the powerwheel pattern on Sheldon Brown's website, 2 pulling spokes for 1 pushing.
But that is the only information I got.

I'd really want to try lacing my wheel that way but am clueless of how to cross spokes (over, under...) and I don't know what length to buy, etc.

Would anyone know how to do or is it held secret because patented and my only option is to buy one somewhere?

Cheers


texts: Cutting down cartridge bottom bracket left cup

texts:
I have a Tange 68x103 mm bottom bracket (pictured) that I plan to use in an old steel frame (building a single-speed/fixed). It turns out that my non-drive-side bottom bracket shell threads were a bit destroyed. My LBS was able to chase/tap quite a bit of it, perhaps enough to fit Hollowtech-style BB cups that they likely tested with afterwards.

However, the Tange BB has a very long left cup and it does not fully fit into my BB shell. I would like to somehow shorten it. Given that the BB cup has no lip on it, I plan to insert it in reverse on the non-drive-side, and then somehow cut it down to size, likely with a hacksaw. Is this a crazy idea? Does anyone have tips on ensuring the threads are preserved?

I'll likely cut off 6 threads or 1/4". From my point of view, the function of the cup would be preserved if I can successfully do this. Am I wrong?

Tange 68x103 BB http://www.benscycle.net/bmz_cache/a/a1a0837709b9deb5702d1c46199e4f77.image.700x524.jpg


texts: Any alternative use for old mountain bike tyres and inner tube?

texts:
I have recently changed the original tyres and inner tube of my 15 year old Specialized Rockhopper. They were starting to deteriorate and I got punctures almost every time I took it on gravel paths.

Before I take them to the local recycle centre, I just wondered if there were any alternative domestic uses for these old tyres and the inner tube? Can they double as something else for gardening or domestic uses? Can they be fashioned into fiendishly simple kids toys?


texts:
when I came to change the shifting (gear) cable on my claude butler bike I found that the original cable has a slightly bigger head(nipple) than the replacement cables I have-3.9mm compared to 3.5mm and consequently will not work-wtf
The mech is shimano v brake


texts: Reach Adjust on Shimano hydraulic brake levers for MTB flat bar

texts:
I am thinking to install Shimano BL-MT200 (or the BL-M315 depending on availability) on my son's bike (my son is 7 years old).  The bike currently has short reach brake levers for the current mechanical brake set.
I want to make sure the lever reach is going to be OK.  Shimano lists these brake levers as having "Reach Adjust", however neither the manual nor the dealer manual have any mention on how this is done.  (which is unexpected because the Shimano dealer manuals are usually quite good)
How is the reach adjusted on these levers and is it likely the reach can be adjusted sufficiently for a child's hand?


texts:
I am new for cycling. I am searching for bikes on which I will ride mostly on roads, but also on terrains/mountains occasionally. After doing a few researches online, I finally decided to buy a hybrid bike.

Mostly people are suggesting to buy a Hybrid Bike which doesn't have suspension and disc brakes (even I'm not worried about disc brakes). So I thought to buy a bike which has a suspension fork with lockout.

My question is, is it instead also possible to get a lockout mechanism from store to add to a suspension fork which doesn't have a lockout itself?