How to get more tire clearance with caliper brakes? I've discovered the brakes on my Bike Friday Tikit don't allow for enough clearance to run Schwalbe Marathon tires. The bike - a folding bike with 16" rims - ships with Kojak treadless tires. It looks like, as long as I have the existing caliper brakes - Tektro R530 brakes - I won't be able to run anything more robust than the Kojaks.

Brake removed from the bike:

Brake on the bike, showing the tire:

There isn't any way to mount these brakes differently, and the frame only has braze-ons for these brakes. A smaller tire or a smaller brake are really my only options, short of mounting the rims farther out - a bit of a kludgey solution, I think.

While I'm open to simply finding a smaller tire, I would much prefer to run Marathon tires as I'd like to use this bike for some light touring.

My question is: Are there caliper brakes with more tire clearance I could mount on this bike? What should I look for in these brakes? Will new brakes require me to change my brake levers? (I'm using Tektro RX 4.1 reverse levers.)

This is an interesting question, well suited to this site! The problem is a common one for touring cyclists wanting a 25-32mm tyre and mudguard, where the solution is to 'get a bike with cantilever bosses'. You have a compound problem of short reach, a measurement you could do with measuring.

The dual-pivot brake doesn't offer a lot of tyre clearance, but do you need dual pivot anyway? Campagnolo groupsets have the dual pivot on the front but single pivot on the back, here is the affodable-style Veloce option:

A high-end Campagnolo brake may just about work for you and be a classy addition to the bike, giving vastly improved stopping power over the Tektro efforts, but you still might struggle to get a big tyre on there.

You can mitigate against that by using a slightly thinner 16 * 1.35" Marathon Plus tyre - this will give you more puncture protection than the 16 * 1.75 Marathon and would be my preferred option. Note that the 16 * 1.35 Marathon will have a lower profile than the 16 * 1.35 Marathon Plus, so more room can be gained at the expense of puncture protection.

Also worth investigating are late 1980's era Weinmann and Dia-Compe side-pulls of the short-reach flavour. These will not have the stopping power of today's side-pulls, however, how much stopping power do you need to lock up the rear wheel? A bit of flex won't be the end of the world on the back brake, and these early brakes can be had for a good price. The shape of the arms on these brakes did allow for a reasonably fat tyre, the only real problem is getting the recessed allen key rather than bolt attachment. That said, the main bolt on the Weinmann brakes can be interchanged as they were available to suit recessed, Allen key fitting. Here are some Weinmann 500's, from centuries ago,but with compelling tyre clearance:

These were available in black. Another beauty is the 605. This one does not have the hex-bolt exposed to aid centering, but I don't think you can beat the combination of short reach and tyre clearance:

Ebay is going to be your friend here, another option you might want to investigate is center-pull. Sticking with Weinmann, here is the 999, seemingly available in short reach flavour:

You could run it U-brake style with some cable stop for the outer bolted onto the underside of the b/b, or investigate if that sort of thing is possible...


Twist shifter cannot shift down – what might be the cause? My son's bike is stuck on 7. When we try to shift down to 1, there are no clicks. It just shoots right back to 7. This is a dial/twist/grip shifter, not a trigger shifter. I do not think it has anything to do with the derailleur, but want to confirm.

Without the shifter's resistance, the rear derailleur pulls towards the smallest cog (highest gear). This would also happen, e.g., when the shift cable snaps. (Rarer 'inverse' derailleurs would pull towards the largest cog.) To test the rear derailleur, pull the shift cable with your hand while turning the crank; if the derailleur moves and pushes the chain towards the biggest cog, it means the derailleur is ok.

If the (indexed) shifter doesn't click anymore, or if the internal catch doesn't seem to withstand the pull of the derailleur, it's most probably time to overhaul or replace the shifter.

It may simply be that old grease in the shifter has hardened up over time, so that the catch mechanism is stuck. This should be mendable if you open a cap of the shifter casing until a hole is revealed (used for threading in the cable), and spray in a generous amount of a light lubricant that will solve and flush out the sticky grease. WD40 is known to work quickly in such a job, but others also work well and may have better lubricating properties than WD40.

If lubricating doesn't help, it's possible that some internal part is worn out or broken and needs to be replaced. If spare parts are not readily available, it's a case for complete replacement.


Bicycle box on train Gatwick to Reading Has anyone arrived on a flight into Gatwick Airport with a bike box and then got onto the train ? I arrive late at night from Australia and have booked a train ticket to Reading but booking space for a bike box is not available on this service. Should I get a cab ?

I have once taken a boxed bike on a train from Bath to London airport. There wasn't really any space to put it somewhere, so I just put it upright next to one of the entrances and stood next to it for the ride. It wasn't a problem and noone complained about it. However, I also didn't ask anyone if it is legal or not.


Does 1.2cm of additional frame stack make a large difference to the ride of a bike? I don't like the amount of handlebar drop on my current road bike. I am looking at a new bike that has an additional 1.2cm of frame stack (height). Would this 1.2cm make much difference in the ride of the bike?

My own personal experience is that small changes can make a big difference, but you should be able to get the bars 1.2 cm higher a lot cheaper than a new frame.

I've found that the most critical measurement in a frame is the Effective Top Tube. If that is "right" for you then with enough bodging you can get the handlebars in the right place. For a road bike that means a stem in roughly the
90-120cm range for most people. If you aren't over 6 feet and you find you need a stem outside that range, then I would seriously consider a new frame.

My advice is to spend some time and money on the current bike to find out where the right place is. You might end up with an ugly heavy bodge based on a stem extender, but then you will know exactly what you need in the next bike.

If the stem extender works, then you might just need a new fork with an uncut steerer so you can get the stack height you want. Forks with carbon steerers have a stack height limit, but even there most bikes come out of the shop with the steerer cut at the minimum rather than the maximum. ( Because it looks better on the shop room floor that way... )


Is there a way to hop up onto a parallel curb? The scenario: you're riding in a curb-adjacent, paint-only bike lane. You happen to look over your shoulder (or in your mirror) and see a vehicle approaching from behind, either fully in the bike lane, or close enough that they can't safely pass. Assume that veering to the inside of the approaching vehicle's path (away from the curb) is not an option, and that there is no time to slow and dismount onto the sidewalk.

Is there any technique which can be used here to quickly lift the bike both up and to the side, while traveling at speed, such that you could safely continue your ride on the raised sidewalk until the danger has passed?

Answers that do not require suspension would be ideal, and it would be especially helpful (though improbable) to find a technique that can also be used while carrying reasonably-weighted (~10 pounds) panniers on a rear rack.

You're talking about a "bunny hop" and it can be done at speed on a loaded bike but it's high risk. You'd almost certainly be better off jumping off the bike and rolling. US Bike Trials call it a "side hop", but in anglonesia I've mostly heard it called a bunny hop.

Here's a photo of the 2006 Cycle Messenger World Champion doing more or less that at about 30kph, but wearing a backpack rather than panniers:

Note that at the world championships for people who ride loaded bikes fast all day about 3/4 of the competitors slowed down and used the pram ramp or just stepped up the curb (my photos are of the ones who took the more exciting approach, obviously). In this case they rode along the road, then had to go onto the footpath and turn very slightly onto a path, so slowing down to use the ramp definitely cost them time.

If you're expecting to do this, IMO you're better off learning to dive roll properly. Either through a martial art like aikido or ninjitsu, or through gymnastics. That skill will help you in a much wider range of situations than "if I have a couple of seconds to get organised I can bunny hop". Also, the most likely result of trying this is that you end up hitting the curb with the bike, then the pavement with your body. So rolling will be useful either way...

For me, it took a slightly disturbing number of crashes in my late youth before I was seriously injured, largely due to my ability to roll (loosely speaking, via martial arts training). And when I did eventually break my humerus it was because a roll failed. Even now, I've been riding everywhere for 30-odd years and still my major injuries have all occurred through both my own stupid fault and in effectively single vehicle accidents. The "hit by car" ones have all involved a bit of flying through the air, a roll then a lot of very politely explaining to the motorist that I would like them to give me their insurance details. Now. THANK YOU.

FWIW, I can do a hop like the one shown, on my commuter bike, with panniers, but only with careful preparation and a 90° approach. Jurgen's flying leap approach is not one that I'd try if there was any way to avoid it.


How useful/valuable is internal cabling? I'm in the market for a new bike. I'm not a club rider but a utilitarian one: I commute on my bike, visit friends and run errands. On average I probably ride 2-4 miles per day, almost entirely on good roads. Very occasionally I'll ride on a rough track like a riverside path.

I picked the model I was interested in and asked a cyclist friend if he'd go for that, or a more expensive version. The extra money buys:

An aluminium fork instead of a steel one
A few extra gears
Internal cables

The extra gears are of no value to me. I tested both in the bike shop and couldn't tell the difference between aluminium and steel forks on a good road surface, which is where I do almost all my riding.

That leaves the cables. I can see that internal cables look much neater, but my friend says they'll save me money on cable replacement because they won't get dirty from road spray working into the internals.

The price difference is £100. Are they really going to save me £100 over the likely lifetime of the bike (let's say 10 years)?

One difference that internal cables make is if you transport your bike by car or have to haul it around by hand.

Because the cables are inside the frame, they are less likely to get pinched by the clamp on your car-mount (especially if you use a trunk mount that clamps the top-tube). This is also true for car/bus bike mounts that clamp the down tube.
If you are carrying the bike up flights of steps, having internal cables means your hand/shoulder isn't rubbing the cables when you carry it by the top-tube.
If you have external cables on your downtube, they can get banged a bit if you lock your bike with a U-lock through the front wheel and triangle. Nothing critical.

These are all really, really minor. Internal cables are more about the aesthetics than anything else.


How much can bike shift cables spool, and over what radius? Some shifter designs have become known for causing broken cables, anecedotally because they're causing too much repeat spooling and unspooling over too tight a radius. For example, broken cable heads inside some STI generations is a well-known occurrence.
Other shifters have more cable movement but don't have those issues, a common example being the 1:1 shifters where replacement is done by lifting the cover off the shifter.
How do you design a shifter and stay on the right side of this?

How do you design a shifter and stay on the right side of this?

You don't.
You design a shifter that with repeated use breaks the cable. Then you expect the user to change the cable whenever it breaks, limping home without gear shifting function if the cable fails during a ride.
David Gordon Wilson has written a text about cable fatigue. According to it, the diameter ratio should be 72 for long life and 42 at a minimum. With 1.2 mm gear cable, it means 50.4 mm diameter or 25.2 mm radius at a minimum. Bicycle shifters have a far tighter cable bending radius.
The reason this works is because shifting is not safety critical in the manner brakes are. Bicycle brakes too have small bending radii in their cable path, but not as tight as shifters. In brakes, some design effort is needed to not immediately fatigue the cable. The brake cables still fail despite this.


Gears switch automatically on smart trainer I need some help. I am a newbie when it comes to bikes, so feel free to ask me anything needed.
I bought this bike half a year ago.
I recently bought a smart trainer (Tacx Flux S Smart), and innocently bought an 11-speed cassette, which I then realised it wouldn’t work properly with the bike above (it has a 9-speed cassette, 9-speed derailleur, etc).
I returned the cassette and bought a “SHIMANO CASSETTE HG400 9 speed 11-34”. I mentioned that my bike has a 9 speed 11-42 cassette, but was told 11-34 should be fine.
I just mounted it on the smart trainer, and while doing the calibration, some gears shift automatically when accelerating/reducing speed , specially in the smallest cogs, so I am trying to understand why and these are a few of my hypothesis:

Do I need to put some lube on the chain? Looks like it doesn’t need, but can this be the problem?
Do I need to adjust something in my bicycle’s gears?
If there is a compatibility problem, is there a cassette that you know would be for sure compatible with my bike?
If not, what sort of adjustment can I make? Do I need to get a derailleur / everything of the same brand?

Any help you can give is welcome as I am a bit clueless on the problem.
Thanks in advance!

First, this is not a between-brands compatibility issue. Microshift products are generally compatible with Shimano. In fact, in 11 speed and below groupsets, Shimano, SRAM, Microshift and others all use the same standards for cassette sprocket spacing and chain width, and there is a general cross-compatibility.
Freehub bodies for 11 speed road groupset cassettes are slightly longer than those for 10 speed or less. 8, 9 or 10 speed cassettes need to be installed with a spacer behind them. Check that you used a spacer when you installed the 9 speed cassette on the trainer.
Also, on different manufacturer and model hubs (both on wheels and trainers), there is some variation of the exact lateral position of the free-hub body that holds the cassette. That means that if you swap wheels or put a bike on a trainer the adjustment of the rear derailleur will usually need to be changed.
Run through a rear derailleur adjustment process with the bike in the trainer to properly set the upper and lower limits, and the sprocket indexing. Park Tool Repair Help has very good step-by step instructions..


Non U-Lock that can be mounted for carrying? I recently moved away from NYC to the suburbs. In NYC, I always locked up my bike with the New York Lock, which is a super heavy duty U-Lock. With a plethora of signs and parking meters, NYC works amazingly well for a U-Lock. Now however, the security is overkill and also there's very few signs and no parking meters in the suburbs. I find that I spend at least 10 minutes when I get places trying to identify a U-Lock compatible location to lock up.

I'm looking for a bike lock that isn't a U-Lock but is still fairly secure. I might not need such high security still, but you know the old saying... (You can take a man out of the city but you can't take the city out of a man.)

My one requirement is that whatever chain/cable lock I end up with needs to have a mount for the bike. I don't want to be carrying this or draping it on the bicycle.

I've found tons of cheap, really insecure locks with mounts. I can't find anything that's both secure and mountable.

Cost is no obstacle here. A bike theft would cost much, much more.

Any specific lock recommendation is going to be out of date in a year, so I'll focus on identifying the best kind of lock:

Any cable locks are going to be insecure by nature, but it's unfortunately the only other kind of lock available just now. (I'm not counting big-ass chains with giant locks; those are more for show than for security.)

One of the heavier Kryptonite cable locks is probably your best bet. To beef up the security, I'd get two of them and lock up different parts of the bike. I'm told that keyed locks are harder to crack than combination locks.

However, have you considered getting a smaller U-lock and a long cable? You'd get the best of both worlds that way. Since places to lock up are scarce, you'd usually end up using it as just a cable lock, but it'd give you flexibility in the event you find a good sign or bike rack.

Bike mounts: These tend to fall apart rather quickly. I recommend focusing on a small pag to carry your locks, rather than use a frame mount. There are triangle frame bags and small trunk bags that do the job nicely. However, cable locks have a great advantage over U-locks--you can coil them up and hang them from your handlebars. Unless you have smaller drop bars, it's amazingly convenient.


Returning to bicycling after a long hiatus Does anyone have advice for someone who is returning to bicycling after a multi month hiatus.
This is my followup question to Bicycle Storage.  Before the pandemic, I was biking 20 miles per day every day.
When the pandemic hit, I just stopped.  At first, I was doing a few pushups every day.  But soon, I just stopped exercising.  I did not even leave my house for months.  For the last six months, I have been doing basically no exercise (Despite this I have dropped weight because my appetite has gone way down.)  I suspect I am just weaker and in poorer shape than I was when all this started.
I would like to resume biking soon.  I am planning on starting with a shorter ride and working my way back to 20 mile rides.  Are there any other tips or tricks to consider?

Age is a big factor - if you are 20, you probably can get away with going straight into it, if your over 50 (like me), the body is less willing than the mind, much better to take it easy. Some people bounce back fast, others take a bit longer, so there is no way to say what you should do.
Main risk is going too hard, too soon and suffering an injury. Start with short and slow rides, listen to your body, and build up to your 20 miles. Over doing it and injuring yourself means you time to get back to normal capability is significantly increased and inconvenient.
Keeping in mind the age thing, what I would do is something like 5 miles slow, adding 10%-20 per week until your up to 20miles. Mix it up with some short faster rides, increasing speed by 10%-20% effort (not actual speed) per week.
You get do not get fit exercising, you get fit recovering from exercise.


8 speed cassette increased from 25 to 30 I have an old road bike that has a 12/25 cassette. I want to change this to a 11/30 cassette. I have a medium derailleur. Will this work?

With an old road bike it's impossible to tell just by looking. Many older derailleurs were designed when 28T was as big as it got, but they will still work with a 30T. But they might not, too.

If you're definitely going to make the change there's no real loss if you buy the cassette and try it. If the derailleur doesn't work, buy a new one. You might pay two lots of shipping, in which case the question is whether the second lot of shipping is enough to make it worth buying the derailleur anyway.

A better option would be to see if you can scrounge parts from a local bike co-op or tip shop. That way the cost is mostly your time, and if something doesn't work it doesn't take long to find a different one. Even if you end up running an MTB derailleur, the main thing is that it works.


What's the proper technique for starting uphill? I am a beginner cyclist, having not learned how ride a bike as a kid, I've started riding from scratch 3 months ago. Local "bike buddies" have helped a lot.

I'd like to ride my bike to work, which is only 2km (1.24 miles) away from home. However, the entire path is a climb - max grade 4% for about 2 blocks, which is tolerable. While I can ride uphill, I can't start uphill. When I try, my front wheel tilts sideways and either by reflex I put a foot down, or if I am able to balance, I start riding diagonally, but bikelanes are too narrow for me to do that.

I ride a freewheel/singlespeed, so there are no gears for me to shift. Also, I haven't learned yet how to ride standing, so that is not an option for now.

Am I missing something in the starting technique? The only thing I could think of is that maybe I'm not pushing the pedal hard enough when starting, but I feel like pushing harder is what makes the front wheel tilt, due to pressure on handlebars.

I've read the Sheldon Brown article, and I am able to apply the proper starting technique he described when in a flat or downhill terrain, and I think it's because the bike gets enough speed only with my weight on the pedal.

I've also read How to start uphill?, and it's a different scenario, it was informative but didn't help me.

EDIT: I (finally) bought a floor pump and realized that part of my problems were uncalibrated (underinflated) tires. It doesn't make it easy to start uphill, but it is less harder. I think it'd be so because the first stroke gives the bike more momentum.

Based on the Sheldon Brown article here's my approach. I find that putting the pedal 45 degrees forward of top dead centre is too far for maximum starting impulse - I go more vertical than that. I also start with my strong foot resting on the pedal, but that's partly because that means I lean the bike away from traffic and towards my single pannier when stopped.

Starting out on a hill I'm forward of the saddle. I push forward with the foot on the ground as I step up on the pedal, which puts the saddle under me.

But this depends on being in a suitable gear. And as you don't have a choice in this respect that sets an upper limit for your starting gradient. Unless your gearing is too high for the riding you do (and don't rule this out) you should be ok starting out on 4%. I have about a 6% start regularly, in a bike lane, and would be in something like 38x13 on 700C wheels - so a similar ratio to many single speed commuter setups I've read about. A little lower would be better, a little higher is possible.

One tip if it's a traffic light start in a bike lane: start as  wide as you can in the lane and get going as soon as sensible (this is both a personal and a local matter). That way any wobble out of the bike lane is done while you've got some space around you - but you've got room to wobble towards the kerb.


Can rusting of chain be slowed? I have been using a silicone spray on my chain, but it isn't long before it rusts.

Anything better?

What about about  Squirt Long Lasting Dry Chain Lube ?

Thanks.

We don’t give specific product recommendations but the following general advice should help reduce rusty chains:

don’t store your bike outside. If you do, put it under a breathable cover. Morning dew is a considerable source of moisture so check your bike in the early morning to see if it’s wet.
wipe down your chain after it gets wet. Having a dedicated shop rag for your chain helps
if your oil-based chain lube washes off too easily, try a wax-based lube or vice versa. Ask the staff at your local bike shop what they recommend for your local climate and terrain
if all fails, try a chain that has corrosion resistance as a feature. Note that nothing is corrosion proof and you’ll still have to do all of the above

Or, accept that some degree of rust is part and parcel of having a working bike (as opposed to a display bike), note that rust only accumulates on the non-moving and non-wearing side plates of the chain, keep it lubed where it matters (internally on the bearing surfaces) and be happy.


Should/can I return a new bike that seems too big? First off, this is my first road bike. I did quite a bit of researching and read lots and lots of guides/tips on how to choose the bike you want and all of that. The problem is that you can't really "feel" the bike on a 5-6m test ride.

So, here's what happened: I test rode a Trek Domane 2.0, size 58, and then later test rode a Domane 2.0, size 60. As they come from factory, the 60 felt better but after a 11 mile ride today (I got the bike yesterday), I'm starting to feel like it may be too big for me. For example, standing over the frame, it actually presses against my body.

Looking back, I find it weird that the bike shop that I went to didn't check for that. What I'm left wondering is if they'd exchange the bike after today's ride. Honestly, one can't really feel the fit on a ride around the block and before any adjustments. I bought the bike at that shop kind of expecting a fit, but they never did anything, which got me a bit disappointed.

The question is two-parted:

Is the fact that I can't stand over the frame comfortably a deal breaker?
Is an exchange to be expected from a bike shop after a (short) ride?

I think it was downright irresponsible of the shop to sell you a bike that so obviously doesn't fit you. They should have done at least some basic fit testing, which clearly they did not. The trouble is, you're at their mercy now.  Since it's not a warranty issue, they're not obligated to exchange it. So I would be very polite in how I asked, and I'd make sure I asked the manager or owner, not some 18-year old sales guy.  But if they say no, I would push harder.  If they still refuse, I'd get a lot less polite and make it clear I would be very vocal about my displeasure with friends and the biking community, including online sources such as yelp.com.  I would then sell the bike while you can describe it as virtually brand new, and go to another shop that will fit you properly.


Do mechanical disc brakes suffer from heat-induced fade? The other day I read a question about heat induced brake fade in hydraulic disc brakes caused by too much braking on long, steep descents, which is something I have also experienced when cycling in the alps. (A quite unpleasant experience, I might add.)
This made me wonder if mechanical disc brakes would suffer from the same problem. There is no fluid to start boiling, so at first thought they should be heat-fade-proof.

If so, I think an optimized disc brake system would have hydraulic activation of a short mechanical lever or wire connected to the caliper itself.
This way the system would optimize modulation (by minimizing elasticity) while still being safe to brake for extended periods.
I realize that even with mechanical brakes, you can't brake indefinitely, as the pads, calipers and discs would overheat at some point, but if the margin is large enough to cover most practical uses, the idea might be worth exploring.

So I'd like to hear from people with mechanical disc brakes if they have experienced heat induced fade?

From my experience, the answer is no. I have been cycling across the Great Glen and have no problem with mechanical disc brake.

My bike was moderately loaded with camping equipment. So the load (including me 70 kg) was around 110 kg or 242 lbs. There were continuous downhill sections but the brake works fine, thankfully.

From a scientific stand-point, there are three types of fade

Green fade - caused by resin boiling off of new pads
Fluid fade - brake fluid boiling and system losing pressure
Pad fade - pad overheats and loses friction

Ignoring 1, 3rd cause starts to occur at much higher temperature and require time than 2nd cause (which occurs at around 120 oC for moderately contaminated mineral oil*). That is why you need to check your mineral oil before setting out on a trip.

Pad fade is the main factor in Mechanical Disc brake fade. Unless you are not braking heavily and continuously for more than 10-20 minutes, you are fine.
In number, if you are going down 20% gradient hill, braking continuously to keep your constant speed at 18 kmph (11 mph), the braking power is around 1078 Watts for 110 kg (bike+load+rider). That means, referring to **, you can safely brake
for hours, if not hundred of hours for the iceTech.

Refer

*http://www.epicbleedsolutions.com/blog/dot-brake-fluid-vs-mineral-oil/images/shell-dot-fluid-boiling-points.png

**http://cycle.shimano-eu.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/nl/index/news_and_info/Velotech_Disc_Brake_Test.html


How strong is a chain link? How about half a chain link? I had some intermittent clanking noise on yesterday's ride, thought the chain just needed cleaning and derailleur aligning. But got home to find that one side of one chain link had broken, so only the other side was holding the chain together. The broken side was occasionally clanking against some of the drivetrain components.
I had pushed my 110kg system weight uphill and out of the saddle, which got me wondering how much strain the broken link could have taken.
Are chains designed to withstand a certain amount of force along their length, and how much would a half-broken link compromise that? Or is it when a chain bends around sprockets that it's more vulnerable, not just straight-line force?
Edit - I suppose the half link question is whether a chain actually loses any 'strength' if only one side panel is present on a link, or whether the dual side panel design is solely to locate the chain over the teeth. I'm thinking it would lose some strength, but nowhere near what I would imagine, and probably much less than half its original strength.

Chains do withstand all reasonable forces you can put at them. Current chains are bushingless design where the punched side plates have a half-bushing on each side. Not having a press fit bushing but integral bushing-halves, the bushing doesn't weaken the chain and the chain withstands a huge amount of force.
There are people weighing over 150 kg riding bikes standing on the pedals. The first thing that fails for them isn't the chain, it's poorly built wheels.
There are mountain bikers using chainrings as ridiculously small as 20 teeth. This gives more mechanical advantage for the crank chainring system, thus increasing chain loads. Chains don't regularly fail for them.
There are e-bikes that have pedaling assist at the cranks (mid-drive), thus increasing chain loads. Those e-bikes don't require e-bike-specific chains (except sometimes you see e-bike specific components; that's just marketers wanting to sell more expensive stuff -- normal bike components work just fine for e-bikes)
It's the straight upper run of the chain that bears the load. Once the chain turns around the sprocket, the load immediately reduces because the first tooth carries most of the load. The chain links flexing cause chains to wear, but the greatest forces are encountered in the straight upper run.
Thus, I'd say your chain had a manufacturing defect that caused at least one link to be weaker than it's supposed to be and thus caused the chain to fail. This isn't entirely uncommon.


For a complete beginner, what bike would you recommend? I live in a tiny apartment on the 4th floor, narrow stairs and no elevator.  I'm looking to buy a bike, and planning to put in 50-60 miles a week at least.  Could you recommend a bike in the 300-350$ range?  It would be better if it is a foldable bike

I'd recommend getting a cheap used aluminum frame bike (a beater), a good lock, and a bottle of oil.  Then, I recommend you lock it on the street most of the time.  I recommend cheap so that you won't worry about it while it's parked on the street.  I recommend aluminum so that it is light enough to haul up to your apartment for those extended periods when you won't be riding it (also so it doesn't rust).

It might take a beating getting stored outside, but if you ride it frequently that'll battle the effects of the weather (as will the bottle of oil).  One of my schools (in the midwest) had nearly 100% outside storage for student bicycles.  It snowed, rained, etc.  But, as long as the bikes were used and maintained regularly, they ran fine.  (The ones that sat for a long time eventually turned into piles of rust.) If you spend, say $150 or so, you'll have enough left over for periodic tune-ups on your cheapo from your local mechanic.

Also, if you store it outside, you'll be more likely to ride it for quick trips than if you have to haul it up and down 4 flights of stairs.


Can a broken/split chain be reassembled? I am considering getting a new front derailleur. Since the derailleur is riveted together so far as I can tell, it looks I will need to break the chain. The chain doesn't have a master link, so I'll need to use a special tool to push one of the pins through. After I do this, will I be able to secure the chain back together after I install the new derailleur?

Fifteen years ago the answer was a simple "Yes". Today's 10, 11, and 12 speed chains are not designed to be reassembled this way, and in fact, will reliably break or fail where you reuse the rivet. For these new narrow chains, simply use a replacement rivet on Shimano, or master link on SRAM or other.

For older bikes, or chains designed for 9 or fewer rear cogs, see below:

The same tool that you use to break the chain can be used to push the rivet back in. The trick is to make sure that you don't pop the rivet all the way out--it needs to stay in one of the sideplates. A lot of chain tools will stop automatically before they pop the rivet all the way out.

Alternatively, you can remove the rivet entirely, and the outer half-link, and replace that with a master link. You can get individual master links. These need to be sized to your chain (so if you have a 9-speed drivetrain, you'll have a 9-speed chain, and need a 9-speed master link).


How can I get a bike mechanic certification/where can I learn to be a bike mechanic? I'm interested in becoming a bike mechanic in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

I'm hoping there's an industry body which runs courses to certify bike mechanics.

I'm really hoping it's not just learn on the job from an existing mechanic because I've had a really bad experience with local mechanics lately they don't have a clue what customer service is when I buy from them and need a return.

Are there any courses or certifications to become a bike mechanic?

http://www.bicycletrainingaustralia.com.au/ is supported by the City of Melbourne. They provide Advanced Bicycle Mechanic Training.

In the UK, Cytech are the most recognised body; Contact them and ask if they're aware of an equivalent organisation in Australia.


How is this damaged aluminium frame likely to fail? I had an unplanned collision with a car yesterday (everyone is fine, thankfully) but my bike – a Giant Revolt 1 – now has a lovely new pair of dents.
I cycled it home from the collision (~6km) and it seemed “fine” although I was probably still in shock.
Looking at it today, and having looked at several other questions regarding dented aluminium frames, I’m trying to ascertain what the most likely failure is?
Is this frame likely to continue degrading/cracking over time (i.e. I might get several more months from it)?
Or is it more likely to fail catastrophically and fold in on itself?
I exclusively ride on paved roads although there are often small potholes.

How is this damaged aluminium frame likely to fail?

Sorry. It's not going to fail, it has failed. It's no longer ridable. The head tube is near vertical making the steering very unstable and the front wheel has been pushed back and will overlap with your toes. The frame tubes are not dented they are buckled and severely weakened. If you ride it the frame will catastrophically fail (either when you hit a bump or brake hard) resulting in a nasty crash.
I hope that if the car driver was a fault you got their details.


How can I interpret the intent of and respond to cars behind me honking? Two days in a row on my commute home I've had vehicles behind me start honking at me. (Note: I'm in Canada, and drive on the right.) The first time I was riding on a four-lane road, with a left turning lane and a right turning lane, in the second lane in from the right (since I was going straight through). The driver behind me honked a few times, pulled up beside me less than 0.5m away (the next lane to the left was occupied, and the lanes are fairly narrow) and continued honking and started shouting at me. I waved at him to back off, but he ignored me and continued yelling.

The second time, I was on the same road but not at a point with a right-turn lane, so I was hugging the curb. Again, a vehicle behind me started honking until a gap in traffic in the next lane over, when the driver passed me (this time with appropriate clearance and without any further fuss once they were no longer behind me).

Especially in the second case, I wasn't sure what the driver was honking for, i.e., what they wanted me to do. Go faster? Get off the road entirely? What should I do to determine whether someone is honking at me for a legitimate reason or just out of impatience? And how do I respond to what, as far as I can tell, is unwarranted honking, to indicate to someone to back off a little if necessary or at least stop being dangerously distracting?

Broadly, not a lot. Legally it's probably technically unlawful on several grounds (horn not used as a warning device, causing alarm, loud noise, possibly harassment), but they're all petty offences and unlikely to get a useful response from Police. If it happens in front of a cop they might pull the motorist over for a chat, but that's unlikely.

My answer to "Is there a polite way to take the centre of the road without antagonizing motorists?" might be helpful as it has links and some anecdata.

  In my experience, no. The problem is that however polite you try to be you're taking the lane so you're in their way.

My suggestion is that you clearly take the lane (being assertive makes harassment less likely) and use daylight-bright rear lights. The lights are fairly affordable (see Nathan's bike light database) and I find they do help.

Going faster will help, if you can match the speed of the other traffic. Since most cyclists can't do that, going faster just makes your life less pleasant. And slightly more dangerous, because "the faster you go, the bigger the mess" (NZ and Ireland anti-speeding campaigns, both feature graphic images).

And to address gender since it seems important to some people: the evidence is mixed between "no affect" (Queensland, Oz) and "women get treated better" (the UK Walker study). Here're some typical quotes:

  Of 1830 respondents, 76% of men and 72% of women reported harassment in the previous 12 months.

(Queensland)

  {overtaking drivers pass closer to cyclists} when the rider wears a helmet, rides away from the edge of the road, is male, or when the vehicle concerned is a bus or heavy goods vehicle.

(UK)

One thing to remember is that the differences Walker found were small - 1.35m vs 1.40m passing distance. There are other studies, once you're past the first page of this google search it gets interesting.

This report cites references when talking about passing distances and how far from the curb you should ride, and talks to police and cycling advocates:

  As cyclists we should be confident in taking up as much of the lane as we feel we need to in order to be safe. At a minimum we should ride 50cm from the curb but we should be confident in using more of the lane if the conditions dictate it — as a result of roadside obstacles, upcoming intersections, narrow lanes, potholes or any other factors.


Replacement parts for old Giant CRS 4.0 I'm looking at replacing the cassette and chainrings on an old Giant CRS 4.0 bought way back in around 2009 (I think) and trying to find compatible (and still available) parts.
Its parts are listed as

Cassette: Shimano TZ37 14-34 freewheel
Chain: KMC Z51
Crankset: Suntour 28/38/48
Bottom bracket: Cartridge

I am considering buying

Sunrace 7/8 Speed Chainset

Shimano HG41 7 Speed Cassette

Shimano CN-HG40 6/7/8-Speed 116 Link Chain With Connecting Link

So I'm not sure on a few things:

How do I know if the chainset is compatible with my bottom bracket cartridge?
Are all shimano cassettes compatible if the speed matches?
Am I right that replacing a 14-34T cassette with a 11-28T cassette will result in less gear range on the higher and lower ends, with more similar gearing?
Is it a bad idea to buy a chainset instead of individual chainrings? It seems like a cheap component and might be a simpler process?
Any other compatibility problems I've not spotted?

Thanks!

How do I know if the chainset is compatible with my bottom bracket cartridge?

Look at the type of the bottom bracket to crank attachment. Most likely it is square taper. Then look at the bottom bracket spindle length. For example if you have 110mm spindle yet the new crankset requires 130mm spindle, the chainline will be affected by half of the difference, i.e. one centimeter. That's a lot! Also it's possible that the cranks hit the chainstays of the frame so not all cranks fit with all spindle lengths. Also, there is a difference between JIS vs ISO square tapers. So not only does the length have to match, the standard of the square taper should also match. (It might be possible to use a JIS taper with a slightly differing length on ISO cranks or vice versa.)

Are all shimano cassettes compatible if the speed matches?

Based on the information, you do not have a cassette but rather a freewheel. The freewheel will be so tight you'll hurt yourself if trying to remove it, if the bicycle has been ridden as opposed to being only parked. And you can only replace it with a new freewheel rather than a cassette, unless you change the hub (which is the second most difficult part in a bicycle to change -- unless you replace the entire rear wheel).

Am I right that replacing a 14-34T cassette with a 11-28T cassette will result in less gear range on the higher and lower ends, with more similar gearing?

You'll have a new higher gear with 11-28T cassette but the lowest gear you used to have with 14-34T freewheel won't be available. Of course if changing the chainrings, you can compensate and besides 28 tooth chainring and 28 tooth sprocket is so ridiculously low gear it should be enough for most purposes.

Is it a bad idea to buy a chainset instead of individual chainrings? It seems like a cheap component and might be a simpler process?

There's a reason for being cheap.
The cheapest cranksets have rings made of steel. They are heavy and often times the steel used is also quite soft so not necessarily that durable. The slightly more expensive ones have aluminum chainrings but made of a soft alloy. They wear in no time. Only the very best chainrings are made of high-end aluminum alloy such as 7075T6. By purchasing a cheap crankset, you won't get the very best chainrings.
If your bicycle is a 2009 bicycle that has a freewheel and not a cassette it's probably a very cheap bike so not necessarily a good idea to throw a lot of money at it. So you might want to either use a cheap crankset or much better yet, reuse the old crankset. Old chainrings usually work with a new chain if they worked with the old chain too. Only for rear sprockets is the failure mode such that they refuse to work with a new chain. So you don't necessarily need to change the chainrings or the crankset.

Any other compatibility problems I've not spotted?

Yes. The freewheel vs cassette compatibility problem.


Why do my pedals move when I move my wheel in both directions? How do I fix it? Whichever direction I rotate my pedals, the wheel rotates. And when I move the wheel, same thing. How do I fix it?

Here is a clip:

This is the model:
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_786803_langId_-1_categoryId_165499

This bike definitely has a derailleur and is not intended to operate as a fixie (i.e. something is definitely broken.)

A normally functioning multi-speed bicycle has a mechanism that allows it to pedal forward and coast (freewheel) when standing on the pedals. Many older or cheaper bicycles have a "freewheel" which accomplishes this. Other bicycles have a freewheel integrated into the hub body, a "freehub." They're essentially the same mechanism - a ratchet with a few pawls.

In all likelihood, the pawls inside of the freehub or inside of the freewheel have seized or have come apart. Procure a can of penetrating oil and spray the seam where the cogs and the hub meet (i.e. where it is supposed to rotate. I've included a photo with arrows indicating where to spray. Be careful not to get oil on your rims or brake pads.)

If this doesn't loosen it up, you'll need to either replace the freewheel or overhaul/replace your rear hub.


Storing an inner tube I got a spare inner tube with my bike, which is good.

I checked how it was packed and found it was sticking somewhat when I pulled it out of the box, which I can only imagine is bad.

Would it be an idea to put someething on the tube for storage, talcum powder maybe?

I always carry a tube with me in my backpack on longer tours. I left it in the packet I bought it in, but only to protect it from being punctured by the other stuff I carry in the bag (eg a Leatherman and keys).

I doubt that this is necessary but with or without the carton, the tube fits perfectly at the bottom of my Camelback, and the bit of added weight doesn't freak me out, too.

There never was talkum on the tube, and it is a pretty expensive tube, so do not worry about that.


Is it a good idea to sand off the rotor when exchanging disc brake pads? During operation, disc brake pads cut grooves into the rotor. When replacing the pads with new ones, would it be a good idea to smoothen the rotor with sandpaper(e.g. grit 200 then grit 800)? What is the role of these grooves on the disc in braking?

Unlike car disk brakes, there is not a lot of spare "meat" on bicycle rotors. "Machining" the rotors is not really feasible. If they are worn to the point grooves are causing performance issues, the rotors should be replaced.

Sanding them down evenly (without expensive machining tools) will be next to impossible to remove scoring and maintain a uniform rotor thickness. It is likely to cause pulsating or even the brakes to grab or lock up.

A light sanding probably will not hurt, but is unlikely to make any significant difference.


Carerra Hellcat - Front Derailleur issues - Possibly replace I am new here and to cycling as an adult (last time I rode I was a teenager some 30 years ago).
I have bought a second hand Hellcat and am having issues with the front derailleur (FD). It sort of works now (won't go into the detail) but having read a few posts it is clear what the issue is - incompatibility.
The bike uses SRAM gear changing equipment however the FD is Shimano (Tourney). I have looked high and low for a SRAM x4 FD but with no luck so the next step would be to potentially buy a different setup for the changer and FD. It is a 3x8 bike so would need something to suit. Also, what parts do I buy as I have zero knowledge of what to get (as I believe some FD's are suited to road bikes only). It doesnt need to be pro-spec, I am simply riding for health rather than competition.
Any help is really appreciated.
Thanks

It's not necessarily the case that your problems are caused by equipment incompatibility. Bikes have been specced by manufacturers with mixed drivetrains. And front derailleurs are a lot less sensitive to compatibility problems than rears.
In any case, it would be helpful to know exactly what the problem is.


I assambled rear wheel hub, but now rear wheel is not turning freely I disassambled/assambled rear wheel hub, but now rear wheel is not turning freely, what have i done wrong?

You likely tightened the cones too tight.  Read up on the proper procedure for cone adjustment and be sure to grease it up well.

http://sheldonbrown.com/cone-adjustment.html

OR

http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/hub-overhaul-and-adjustment


Presta Valve Keeps Ripping From Tube I'm an amateur biker, but regularly bike to work.  I've been having a problem with my tubes going flat when the valve tears away from the tube.  Here's a (grainy) picture to demonstrate:

This is happening quite frequently.  It usually happens when I am pumping up my tires, but occasionally when I'm riding.

I've tried a few things with the nut (tightening it extra tight, keeping it loose, keeping it off altogether), but this keeps happening.  How can I stop this?  Is there anything stupid I'm missing?

The usual causes for this:

Presta valve in Schraeder hole without proper reinforcing grommet.
Valve crooked, or being forced crooked at the expense of extra stress on the tube/valve joint by riding with pressure too low.
Burrs around valve hole. Knock down and replace with a neat bevel with swivel deburrer, tapered reamer, small round/needle/rifler file, or sandpaper.
Pump technique allowing the force to get taken in part by this area of the tube/valve instead of bracing the pump against your hand or a solid object. Usually involves a frame pump or mini pump.
Tightening the Presta nut too tight once the tube is inflated. (I.e. reefing down on it. Snugging reasonably firmly is fine, although it does add stress to the material that can only do ill over time.)
Tube too large or small for the tire, causing a stress riser in the valve/tube joint under pressure.

Less common reasons, more in the realm of theoretically possible:

Age. Tubes last more or less indefinitely but they do age out sometime, and the area around the valve is a likely spot since it's less supple and flexible. I've had tubes I've kept going many years without any of the above factors fail this way.
Valve hole a little larger than ideal, causing a lesser version of the "Presta valve in Schraeder hole" problem.
Simple defect.


Front V Brake squealing on Trek FX 7.4 I know this is a frequent question in this forum...  To use a cliché "I've tried A, I've tried B. what do I do now?"...
I have a very persistent squealing from my front Tektro v brake, on my 5-yrs-old Trek Fx 7.4.  I've tried:

Cleaned the rim and pads , with isopropyl alcohol, then with brake cleaning fluid
Installed new pads, twice (two different brands)
"Toed in" the brake pads, tried more or less, even no, toe-in
Checked the wheels for true and play in the wheel's bearing (both OK)

... and no luck!  Front brake still shrieks like a banshee...  It seems like there is some play on the brake caliper... however on my wife's bike (similar model), there is some play but hers doesn't shriek at all.  What is the next step?  Should I replace the front brake set?  Try baby powder on rim?  Try cleaning the rim with fine steel wool?  Thanks for any help...

Since a single pair of V brakes is not much more than 2-3x the price of decent set of pads, why won't you try a different pair of V brakes? It's not hard to install, only bit more work as changing the pads. Also having some play on the brake arms is a cause for concern -- there shouldn't be any play in decent brakes apart from sidewards play against the spring due to the pad gap.
In one of my bikes, the front brake squealed like hell. It's not V brake but cantilever. I assume some combination of cantilever brake arms, rims, fork and pads caused the squeal. Changing the Kool Stop salmon pads to Shimano S70C pads fixed the squeal for me.


Have replaced v-brakes and they still squeak. What to do? I think I've read every post here about V-brake squeal, as well as the popular ones on the Sheldon Brown site, the Park Tools guide and so forth - but I seem to have a brake squeal that just won't abate, and I'd like a 2nd (and 3rd and 4th opinion) before I replace the last few components I haven't yet replaced.

I've a Trek 7.3 hybrid bike, around 2009 vintage - it has a 700C Bontrager alloy rim and Avid Single Digit 3 v-brakes (which I believe are OEM only). About 9 months after owning it and riding about 8 kilometres a day 4 days a week it developed a brake squeal at the front - strangely the back brakes have never been a problem and they work really well. "No problem," I thought, and I cleaned the rim (using a steelo/600grit sandpaper) and toed in the brakes slightly - which fixed it adequately, although temporarily. This process is something I've repeated over the last few years - eventually replacing the worn down pads with a few different styles of cartridge pad.

But the squeal has been steadily growing to the point where the I needed stupid amount of toe to stop it - which really just gave me brakes with questionable efficacy. I eventually swapped to a Kool Stop pads - though again this fix was temporary.

Being a 700C wheel, I toyed with going to the style of brakes most road bikes have - but I lack the appropriate mounting hole in the front forks - and the tools with which to make one.

Noting that there was a reasonable amount of play in the bushes on each brake arm (they're integral to the arm), I bit the bullet and ordered a set of Avid Single Digit 7 brakes, to replace the brakes on the bike. Pulling the old brakes off I noticed the brake bosses on the frame appeared to be bent - so I replaced those too. I cleaned the daylights out of the rim, again with steelo, a quick run over with 600grit sandpaper and an application of automotive brake cleaner to remove any oil (it seems to be a lot cheaper than isopropyl alcohol here and appears to work well - also, I had some close at hand). I also make sure I clean the surface of the pads removing any grit and give them a with once-over with a clean bit of sandpaper.

Following a number of guides, I installed and set up the new brakes and they are excellent for the most part; the arms are meatier and have far less flex in them and the return adjustment, and adjustment in general, seems to be easier setup and control.

But they still squeal, loudly - in the dry, in the wet, night and day. And granted, terrifying j-walking pedestrians with the noise can be fun - but I don't think it's doing me any favours.

So given that I've replaced the brake bosses, the brake arms, the brake pads and removed cleaned, re-greased and refitted the forks - that really only leaves the rim.

Do I replace the rim, or do I just deal with the squeaking? Or have I missed something really obvious?

An update on my progress.

Replaced the front wheel with a 2nd hand one in excellent condition (having been recently respoked and trued) - some sort of lightweight Ritchey thing. The wheel had been used by a chap who'd commuted a decent distance on it every day and had had no problems with squeal.

I cleaned the rim with 600 grit glasspaper, then automotive brake cleaner and a steelo, wiped clean with paper towel. I then cleaned it with methylated spirits and again wiped it clean with a paper towel. This removed all the old traces of brake pad grit and oil and let me check that the surface of the rim was flat.

I took off the Avid cartridge pads supplied with the Single Digit 5 brakes and, after cleaning them up with sand paper and a wipe of methylated spirits, put the Koolstop single  compound 'orange' pads back on.

Adjusted the brakes to make sure they sat on the rim properly (they're slightly thicker than the Avid pads).

And still it squeals!

Sadly, I'm thinking I just have one of those very resonant frames.

The next step is the replace the forks - but I'm in no rush to that anytime soon give the cost.

I'm still wondering if I've missed something obvious!

Is there a chance the rim is wearing out? Have you tried a different wheel? Have you tried toeing the brakes in the opposite direction? It sounds like you've tried just about everything else. I'm leaning towards the wheel being the issue. Otherwise it sounds like the frame is just prone to resonance with the vibration of the brakes. I've got a mtb frame that doest this horribly with the back brake. Several friends have the same frame with different brakes but the same issue. Some frames are just more likely to resonate than others, though it's usually more of a wheel issue with rim brakes.


What kind of fork end is this? I am looking for a new city/urban bike and thought that a gear hub would be a nice addition (before this I was exclusively using derailleur gears). To get started I was reading the wiki page on fork ends to learn about some simple facts and what to pay attention to (especially like how to adjust the hub properly).

I found an interesting bike but I simply cannot tell what kind of fork end this might be (it doesn't seem to have one?!):

It looks that one first has to add a fork end. Is this a good way - e.g. compared to a semi-horizontal dropout - to adjust the hub/chain combo?

These are adjustable dropouts. The main reason for these is that the disk brake caliper needs to be aligned with the disc. The adjustable part on the other side would have both disk brake mount and dropout so that they move together when the part is adjusted. For just adjusting cable tension these don't have practical benefits over horizontal dropouts.


Hill climb riding position With the current stem and bars I have on my bike I have quite an upright position and get a falling back feeling while climbing. When I stand in the pedals to gain an extra bit of power in a climb I often end up spinning my back wheel and losing momentum. I'd like to have a more solid feeling when climbing so that I can exert more effort.

What can I do to improve my position so that my climbing improves?

The set up is standard on my Specialized Hardrock (I believe it is a 75mm stem with a 20 rise and a 680mm bar with 35mm rise and 8 backsweep). I tried some back of a fag packet trigonometry and guessing that my hand position (not taking into account the angle of the headtube) is currently about 23mm in front of the steerer and about 61mm above it.

I assume you have worked out the problem is your center of gravity is too far back, so there is not enough weight on the front wheel. This is a common problem, and I have found my new bike is worse than any other I have ridden- I went for a smallish frame for tight technical single track.  I am still playing around to see what I can do.

I assume you have tried leading forward and getting you weight further forward.... On the track, try to slide forward to the front of the seat. Change down to a lower gear and higher cadence, you generate a smoother action and have more control over the torque lifting the front wheel.

Ultimate solution is usually a larger frame - more precisely, a longer wheelbase. Assuming you are not able to change you bike there are a couple of things you can do at no or low cost.

Slide you seat forward on the rails - this moves your weight forward, but shortens the cockpit. Get a longer seat, which gives you options of riding positions. Forward for hill climb, back for a a bigger cockpit and better fit.

Try a longer stem - 75mm is quite short and you should be able to go out to about 120mm. What I suggest is try several sizes and see if you can find a fit that works - talk to your LBS, they may be prepared to let you try on and swap it if it does not work. It's such a trivial job I have seen it done on the trail. Remember to play with seats rails as well.

Handlebar height. If you have packers on the steerer, lower the height of the bars by putting the packers on the top or the stem, and see how that feels.

As said, all these things are aimed at moving weight forward. Some will change the way you sit and ride, and the best position will need to be a compromise between uphill climbs and other riding. Often, by the time it is steep enough to be a problem, you are quicker to get off the bike.


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

I see two ways to alleviate the issue:

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

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

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

Here's a fork crown photo:

A the tight situation:

Update 2: as promised, the bottom headset cup:

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

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

The custom shim works, I settled with a ~1.4mm option, this was the minimal thickness machinist agreed to make, he said "it would bend in your pocket otherwise". After properly preloading the headset bearings I did not notice any play during pedaling efforts or when applying front disc brake during ~200km the bike made since assembly. That's not much distance, so if anything happens and I survive I'll update the answer.

Apparently, some people experience the same problem.

To get your own shims, find a local machinist and use the blueprint from the question, adjust thickness as needed. My shims were made from a 2024 aluminium alloy plate. The outer diameter tolerance should be in the ballpark of +0mm -0.03mm, the rest doesn't matter.


Canyon Grail CF SL install 33m tires? Can I install the 33mm tires on this bike => https://www.canyon.com/en-de/road-bikes/gravel-bikes/grail/grail-cf-sl-7.0/2198.html

I don't like the 40mm tires it currently has? I don't have the bike, this is like a before you buy question. Thank you.

The DT Swiss C 1850 Spline wheels on that model of the grail have an inner width of 22mm, which will take a 33mm tire.

There are many rim/tire width charts on the web if you search for them, but here's the official one for DT Swiss wheels.


When should the metal clips be replaced on a brompton folder? I have a brompton which is about 7 years old. Do I need to think about replacing the aluminium clips that lock the frame in place when unfolded?

The Brompton owner's manual states:

  SECTION K: ROUTINE REPLACEMENTS.
  Planned replacement is advised to ensure both safety and good performance. The suggested intervals between replacements are for bicycles subjected to normal use: the most appropriate timing depends on the conditions of use and your riding style.

  ALUMINIUM COMPONENTS: as on other lightweight machines, aluminium alloy is used in
  the construction of the Brompton, and this material has a finite life before failure. In normal use, the risk of aluminium fatigue failure is remote, even after many thousands of miles. However, the risk of failure increases with use, especially with hard riding or other severe loading: as such a failure could cause injury, the hinge clamp plates, handlebar and chainset should for safety be replaced every 5,000 miles (more frequently on any machine subjected to hard use), and we recommend that these items are anyway checked regularly.

As the manual itself notes, that is an extremely conservative number, but considering the hinge plate itself is a £4.00 part it seems better to err on the side of caution.


List of essential tools to maintain an Ortler Mainau bicycle We have three Ortler Mainau bicycles in our family that I would like to maintain. We don't have a garage but only a smallish cellar, and I would like to work there (e.g. I cannot use toxic things there).

The maintenance tasks I would like to do in short term:
  - Adjust the breaks/gear/seat post/etc. as it is necessary.
  - Regularly clean the chains
  - Fix a flat tire

The tasks I would like to do medium term (if I need):
  - Fix a slightly warped and twisted wheel
  - Fix the lightting
  - Rewire the breaks/gears if it is necessery

I have no tools at all, so my question is that what tools I have to buy in order to be able to maintain those bikes in short term?

I live in Switzerland close to the Alps so the weather is quite wet (e.g. I assume that I need different oil for wet weather than for dry weather).

Thank you in advance!

(Updated according to the admin requirements)

Lennard Zinn has written books on maintaining road and mountain bikes (a trekking bike probably falls under the "road bike" category in terms of maintenance). He lists four levels of tool kits based on how ambitious you want to get with servicing your bike. I think this is a reasonable approach, especially since we don't know how ambitious you want to get servicing your bikes in particular.

Also, to some extent, a tool's necessity will be determined by what kind of bike you have, for instance, my road bike has no torx bolts; with a carbon bike, a torque wrench is probably more important. So any advice also needs to be tempered by the bike you're servicing.


Race organizers: how much does it cost to put on a stage race? Background: I recently competed in the Tour of the Catskills in New York. Unfortunately, this year was the last year that this event will be held, due to financial stresses. I'm not very familiar with the costs associated with hosting a multi-day stage race - about how much does it cost to put on a similar stage race?

By "similar", I mean a 3 day stage race, consisting of a time trial, two road races, chip timing, leaders' jerseys (GC, KOM and points - at least 63 total @21 jerseys/stage) and multiple category races (5, 4, 3, P/1/2) for both men and women.

I'm having a difficult time finding resources online that give any sort of estimate for the costs of organizing bike races. I found this site which gave the numbers for a one day race (~$3K), but not only was this post from 5 years ago, it didn't look like the race had timing or leaders' jerseys and is not a multi-day event.

What's a typical cost (estimate) for this type of event?

Edit: I'm not looking for an exact number. I just want a ballpark answer; something to give me an idea of the financial resources it takes to run one of these events. For instance, even saying something like,

"I ran a road race last year with chip timing and it cost us $X. We didn't have leaders' jerseys, but a custom jersey costs about $Y. Therefore, for a stage race, you could expect to spend about $3X + $63Y"

would be really beneficial to me and anyone looking into hosting a stage race, since this information seems to be very difficult to find for cycling races.

If that event truly folded because of financial pressure one could assume the total cost of the stage race approached the revenue generated by the race which was likely between $65,000 and $80,000 based off the pre-registration numbers shown for the race on BikeReg.

With that said, I can roughly estimate some fees based off the USAC fee schedule, my personal experience with races my team produces and conversations I've had with other Race Directors:

$1500 - Volunteer food/drinks (~$10 per volunteer. Estimate this event needs 125-150 volunteers based on size of circuit and road race courses)
$225 - USAC Permits (Class D event, $75 per day)
$3359 - USAC Per Day Per Racer Insurance ($3.60 per racer per day)
$300 - USAC Chief Ref ($100 per day)
$240 - USAC Chief Judge ($80 per day)
$420 - Additional USAC Non-Moto Refs/Judges ($70 per day each)
$80 - USAC Chief Timer (Time trial. $80 per day)
$1260 - USAC Moto Refs ($70 per day per each)
$875 - USAC Officals Per Diem ($35 per day requiring overnight)
$2500 - USAC Officals Hotel Expenses (will depend on local rates, assumes 25 nights at $100 each)
$???? - USAC Offical Travel Cost ($.046 per mile)
$550 - USAC Additional 4mm event liability Insurance
$950 - USAC Non-Owned/Hired Motorcycle Insurance ($100 each named driver for first 5, $50 each after. Need 14 refs to cover stage 3 road race)
$600 - USAC Non-Owned/Hired Automobile Insurance ($30 each named driver, need 6 for stage 2 circuit race, 14 for stage 3 road race. Assume no overlap of drivers between day)
USAC Offical Travel Cost ($.046 per mile)
$1890 - Leader Jerseys (Voler Full Custom $63 each)
$1500 - Neutral Support (Sram $500 per day for 1/2/3 field, cost might actually have gone up)
$9320 - Prize List
$200 - Bib Numbers
$350 - Timing Chips (passive, $0.70 each)
$3300 - Timing Services ($3 per racer per day, $1,100 minimum per day. Note: Timing for the time trial may be higher.)
$1800 - Portable Toilets ($100 per day each. 4, 6, 6 needed)
$933 - Local Association Fees (Varies for different LA's but estimate at $1.00 per racer per day)

The following items will also need to be considered but could vary greatly based local:

Trophies
Other Hotel costs (Think Key race personnel/volunteers)
Onsite Medics (2 each day)
Onsite Ambulance (if required)
USAC Fees for any additional named parties on the insurance certificate
USAC Fees for any pre-race meetings with Officials
Fencing
Police Support
Generators
Tents/Tables/Chairs
City/County/State Permits
Traffic Saftey Plan
Announcer
Sound System Rental
Misc Office Supplies
Volunteer Safety Gear
Water/Sports Drink for Participants
Vendor Permits
Trash Removal
Traffic Cones/Saftey Tape
Signage
Street Sweeping
Road Repairs
Venue Rental fees
Fuel costs for pace cars/wheel vans

It is worth noting the way a stage race is composed can dramatically change the cost of putting on the event. For instance the Tour of the Catskills is a 3 day event but only has 3 stages. If the race was held as a 2 day event a number of costs such as those for officials, permits, medical support, neutral support etc. would be lower.

Additionally the sheer number of race categories and the fact all of the Stage 3 races are on the road at the same time increases the cost quite a bit. In stage 3 you have 7 separate fields racing at the same time which means you need to find and pay insurance for 14 moto refs, 7 pace cars, 7 wheel vans.... A more typical Amateur 2 day, 3 stage race composed of a road race, time trial and criterium or very short circuit race would be much less costly to produce than the Tour of the Catskills.

One thing not included above is an estimate of any in-kind sponsorship support received. At the very least you would want to make sure you have enough sponsors to provide prizes for any of the fields that are receiving merchandise prizes instead of cash prizes. Ideally you would want to find in-kind sponsors cover as many of the misc. services required by the race as possible. This can have a dramatic effect on the profitability of a race.


What does chain worn indicators 75% mean? I've bought a chain wear checker made by BBB, but not sure what the percentage of worn is about?

It has 2 sides, one of them indicates that the chain is worn 75% and I should replace it in the near future. The other side shows, that the chain is 100% used and should replace it as soon as possible.

My detailed question :

What does these percentage mean? What is the equivalent of it in the metric system?

Will 75% worn state affect my cogwheels also? Can I replace the chain to a new one without changing the drivetrain's other elements?

I use a single-speed bike. Chain width is 1/8 inch. It consists 94 chain. (400km (250miles) / month)

The .75 is not 75% worn per se.
A chain checker measures chain stretch.
Chain stretch is an indicator or wear-and-tear.
Parts of a drive train wear at different rates. For instance the teeth of the chainset will show wear when they become "shark-finned". But this could be long after the point at which you should replace a worn chain.
If you persist in using a worn chain - though you may not notice anything detrimental - but when the chain eventually gives up - and you put a new chain on - you may find it skipping under load through the gears. This requires replacement of chain-rings / cassettes.
An earlier replacement sought - would have prolonged the life of chain-rings / cassettes.

As for your last question - it is difficult to say - if you ask a manufacturer - they will say no difference. Personally, I think the wider chains lasted longer and are stronger than the narrower 10/11 speed chains of today.

Don't know of any exceptional single-speed chains ... just keep it well oiled and it will last longer.


Mountain bike suspension fork Hi i really need urgent help. I am going to buy a new MTB fork. It's straight steerer tube and threadless. I checked my tires but I have no idea what their size is. It's written 26 × 1.79 and TP 27. There are also lots of option on the website where I am buying the fork from 26er, 27.5er, 29er and 27.5er remote and 29er remote tapered.

if your tires say '26 × 1.79' the you have '26 inch' wheels also know as ISO/ETRTO 599, i.e. the rim diameter is 599mm. the '1.79' is the nominal width of the tire in inches.

Mountain bikes all used to have this size wheel until '29 inch' appeared (ISO/ETRTO 622) and then the compromise '27.5 inch' (ISO/ETRTO 584) - hence the options you see on the website.

To fit your frame you need to make sure the crown to axle length of the new fork is the same as you current fork, otherwise you will raise or lower your headtube and change your head tube angle. If you are buying a fork with the same travel then I'm guessing the fork length will be about the same.


Homemade Tubeless Tires As I was browsing Youtube for cycling related videos, this one on making your own tubeless setup caught my eye.

The procedure is essentially as follows:

Clean a standard rim (not for tubeless tires, which has rimtape installed)
Fit a 20" tube on a 29" wheel
Split the tube along the seam of the tube so that it covers the edges of the rim
Clean the chalk (used for manufacturing the tube so it doesn't stick to itself) out of the tube
Install a standard tire (designed for tubes) on top of the split tube (so the edges of the split tube cover the rim), and pump it up to see if it seals well enough
Add sealant and shake the tire up as usual, trim the excess 20" tube off the rim.

I can see why this works to some extent [ the tube prevents air escaping through the edges of the rim as well as towards the spokes ], but I am curious about a few aspects of this:

Why doesn't air escape through the standard tire? Presumably the tire itself is somewhat porous to keep the weight down (since only the tube needs to be air tight but the tire itself does not). I'd also guess the tube on tire contact isn't very good at low pressure, but the pressure may be high enough and the interface between the tube and tire nice enough.
Why does the tire not roll over the rim at mountain biking pressures? Presumably theres less area and mechanism for the tire to grip onto the rim, and I'd expect a sew-up tire-like roll off, especially on rough terrain, or at least the seal to give out.

Now, I'm not recommending anyone try this (including myself), but it does seem like some people have used this successfully. In the unlikely event that someone has actually tried a setup like this, I'm somewhat curious as to what the results were as well (but I'm not trying to primarily solicit opinion-based answers).

Air will escape, one of the biggest problems with Ghetto tubeless (unfortunate, but long established name for this technique) and not using specific tubeless ready or UST (tubeless standard) tires is that you need to inflate your tires a lot. At worst for every ride.
The tires often do roll off the rim. Not every combination of Ghetto tubeless will work (the internet used to be full of lists) so it's about trial and error. It's always been recommended to do the rear first and ride for a few rides before doing the front. If the rear tire comes off you may be able to stay up right!

Higher pressures (+40 psi) are worse for tires rolling off.


How can I tell if I can add a front brake to my cruiser? I recently had to give up running and decided to start commuting to/from work (about 15 miles round trip) so I could maintain my cardio fitness. One problem is I like to ride my cruiser (a Masi Soulville) and use that as my commuter. It's a coaster-brake-only setup, and I was wondering how I could tell if it would accept a front brake, and if so, what to look for in said front brake.

To install a front brake you will need to have a fork that will accept the brake caliper.  There are three potential options for this: A standard road caliper (hole through the fork crown), cantilever/ v-brakes ( one post on either side of the fork blade) or a disc mount (bracket at the end of the fork on the non-drive side).
The Masi Soulville should have the first option, a hole drilled through the fork crown for installing a standard road caliper.
You will need to get a road caliper that is intended for use with a flat bar brake lever, as many road calipers are intended for use with drop handlebar levers.


Complete beginner's question: inner tube too big? My tire wall tells me that my tires are 26 x 1.95. I bought a 26 x 1.75-2.15 inner tube. When I change the inner tube, though, the tube is bigger than the wheel by two inches. How do I determine inner tube size? Or am I just doing this wrong?

That tube should be the right size, based on the numbers.

If you inflate the inner tube outside of a tire it will generally balloon up quite a bit, becoming quite a bit bigger than the tire.

When installing a tire and tube you should generally just inflate the tube to the point that it "fills out" -- not really much more pressure than you could blow into it with your mouth.  Then the tube should fit comfortably inside the tire.

If a tube is too big in overall diameter there is a danger that it will "telescope" inside the tire (similar to "intussusception" of your intestines), resulting in a lump and, eventually, a split in the tube.  Having the tube inflated too much while installing it is one way you can get this situation.  (The other is simply having a tube that's too large.)


What is the purpose of this braze-on? I'm wondering what the purpose of the braze-on pictured below is? It's on the non-drive side of my fork. I thought it could have something to do with racks, but then I figured they would put one on both sides.  It could be used for a cable-guide for disc brakes, but my fork doesn't have disc tabs.  It seems like it's situated too low to be a cable guide for V-Brakes.  The bike is a touring bike, and the fork does have rack mounting holes, if that will give any clues to it's use.

Update

It's the factory fork from a 2011 Devinci Caribou. I think I've seen disk versions, but they are older, all their newer ones have cantilevers, no option for disks. It's not threaded, and there is no split.  I may just be a wire-guide for whatever you choose to use it for, like a dynamo or speedometer. However, I think most wired speedometers are hard wired between the sensor and the computer, so I don't know how you would thread the cable through with the hardware on each end.

My thinking is that it is a brazed on guide for dynamo hub wiring. A touring bike like the Devinci Caribou would likely have provisions for things like dynamo lighting (I think that it'd be more likey that this was the case than someone erroneously adding a disc brake cable guide on a non-disc fork.) Typical braze-ons look like this:

As you can see there are a few different types. Some look like brake housing guides while others are unmistakably for flexible wires from a hub generator. As per the question of whether dynamo hubs have wires on one side or the other, I searched through Peter White's endless information on dynamo lighting and learned that:

  If you have an older SON28 hub with a black painted center section, SONXS, SONXS100, SON20R or SONdelux it makes no difference which way you align the hub in the fork. And with the new SON hubs from 2012, you again have the freedom to place the hub in either orientation. The conectors can be on either side of the bike.

This is just for Schmidt dynamo hubs, but I'd imagine that there are examples elsewhere.


Tightening bottom bracket prevents crank spindle from turning I have a relatively new mountain bike with a Truvativ Power Spline bottom bracket.  I noticed that it was loose with some lateral movement in the crank arms, so I took everything apart and proceeded to tighten up the bottom bracket.
I tightened the drive side first and then moved round to the non-drive side.  As I tightened the cup on this side I noticed that the crank spindle became harder and harder to turn, even after just hand-tightening the bottom bracket cup.
The manual suggests a torque of around 38 Nm on both sides but if I do this my crank spindle will probably jam up completely.  In order to keep the crank spindle spinning freely I can only loosely tighten the bottom bracket, i.e. not tight at all.
Has someone experienced this and can offer advice?  How can I tighten up the bottom bracket and keep my spindles spinning? Am I missing something?
Thanks

If everything is correct you should be able to tighten both sides to the specified torque without it having any impact on how hard it is to turn the cranks.

From what you describe, it may be that you are missing a spacer on the drive side.

With cartridge style bottom brackets (BB), there is usually a spacer that sits on the drive side between the BB and the frame:

The spacer is not required if you are using a specific type of front derailleur (E-type, they mount using a bracket that you put the bottom bracket through) or if your bottom bracket shell is 73mm.

But without the spacer on a 'standard' 68mm BB shell, the BB sits too far over when the drive side has been tightened and the non-drive side cup can end up pressing against the wrong part of the BB, causing the tightness.

Truvativ BB instructions with the full spacer/non-spacer compatibility chart and explanation about spacer usage and the BB shell size can be found here

If do you want to check the BB shell size, it's the measurement outside edge to outside edge across the width of the bike frames BB shell. If it's 68mm and you do not have a spacer then I would pay a visit to your local friendly bike shop as they will probably have spare spacers or can order you one in.


Can too many electolyte supplements be dangerous? I know riding and drinking only water can potentially lead to dangerous Hyponatremia or minor issues like muscle cramping. So I often supplement with electrolyte pills in my water like nuun or gu-brew, especially on long rides in hot weather and when doing multi-day tours.

Can too many electrolyte supplements be dangerous?  Is there a ratio or formula to follow to make sure I'm getting enough electrolytes, but not too much?

Yes, too many electrolytes can do all sorts of bad things to you.

Good article here: http://www.livestrong.com/article/521763-can-you-consume-too-much-electrolytes/

The U.S. Army has done a lot of research, here's probably the most pertinent paper: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10410838

In general, if you are mixing the drinks according to the directions, you won't be too wrong. Most will be a more natural mix if you mix according to directions then dilute 1:1 with water.

Happy Riding.


11-42T cassette of State All-Road to Shimano Deore XT 11-46T? Can I replace the current 11-42T cassette of my State Bicycle 4130 All-Road with the Shimano Deore XT 11-46T? How is the compatibility? Do I need to replace other components as well, in order to make this possible? Thanks in advance!

This State Bicycle All Road has the same specs you pointed out.  It appears as though it comes with State's own brand of derailleur with a long cage.  The single ring crank has 42 teeth, the same as the big, low gear sprocket of the cassette.  To determine if you can run a cassette with a larger low sprocket of 46 teeth as you propose, the rear derailleur must be spec'd for that capacity. Due to the odd, State branded rear derailleur, there isn't much information available about it's specs. Reviews of the bike, in discussing the shifting, are mixed to poor, and in cases where the reviewer has experience with SRAM or Shimano drivetrains, the State derailleur doesn't fare well in comparison.
You probably would be ok going up 4 teeth in your max low sprocket with a little adjustment of the B-screw to move the derailleur cage down a bit to accommodate the larger low sprocket.  Then again, it may have trouble where shifting is less smooth to the larger cog or it could even fail to get the chain onto it. With the dearth of specs for the State derailleur, I cannot say if the thing has a B-screw adjustment even.
The Shimano XT cassette, 11-46t is designed to be used with a 1x drivetrain--thats a single chainring up front, but usually it's a chainwheel with a tooth count in the 30's. The 11-46t version has a very large jump of 9 teeth from the second largest rear sprocket of 37 teeth to the top 46 tooth.  That's basically a bailout gear akin to the use of a granny ring on a bike with a front triple.  My point in all this, is to advise that if it is lower gearing you seek, it would likely be better and less expensive to change your front chainring to a smaller tooth count. For example the current 42t chainwheel combined with the proposed 46t low sprocket yields a gear ratio of 0.91.  Changing to a 38t chainring and keeping the 42t rear cog yields a ratio of 0.90. virtually the same low but you've preserved the tighter range of the 11-42t cassette so the jumps between gears is less making the ability to maintain a comfortable cadence more possible.  The draw back is you'll lose a little off the top end, where the current high ratio of 3.81 drops to 3.4.  (I'm strapped for time to figure the mph change of those differing ratios for a given cadence, but it will fairly minimal). Depending on how and where you ride, that may be of some significance.
Discussion of prices on SE is off topic due to the changing nature of them as well as their wide variation from place to place and through time.  I will offer that at this time, a single chainring will run you somewhere around 50-60% the cost of the XT cassette.  The chain will have to be resized as well. The smaller chainring idea means cutting a few links from your current chain. Adding a new, larger cassette will require adding a few links to the chain, which is problematic in a case where you've purchased the whole bike because it's not common for the seller to include the extra links, if any, yielded from the manufacture or assembly of the bike. It may be you'll have to purchase another chain with the larger cassette to get to an appropriate length. Minor point but possible source of extra cost.


Any idea which model & year my Giant bike is? I bought my giant bike a few months ago and want to sell it and upgrade. Do you guys have any idea the year or the mode from the photos.
Ignore the decals as I put them on myself. Serial is - gp101947

It's a Giant Seek 1, maybe "Ltb" edition, circa 2011-2012. Here's another one.


Grinding sound on new disc brakes I have a new bike, probably a month old, which has Hayes cx 5 disc brakes.  I've noticed that the front brake pad is making a grinding sound when I brake at low to moderate speeds. What could be causing this? The pads that come with these brakes are Semi-Metallic.

The rotor bolts are all tight, there is no pad rub when coasting, and the bolts connecting the brake to the fork are tight.

Disc brakes sometimes need to "bed in," which means the pads will wear quickly at first then settle. During this period you can get some pretty awful sounding noises anywhere from screeching and squealing to grinding. BikeRadar has a great workshop article about how to go through this process.

Other than that, have you ridden through some wet areas and maybe picked up some dirt? Contaminants on the the rotors or pads will cause some extra noise as well. Sanding the pads can help remove any surface dirt/grime and improve braking ability as well.

Last option would be that there is something wrong with the pads or the pads are mismatched to the type/brand of brake. You could remove them and take a look and see if the wear pattern looks weird or if there's anything lodged in the pads themselves. It's pretty unlikely, but defective parts do happen.


How can I improve my stamina? Generally I'm doing a lot of sports, (volleyball, hiking, soccer, swimming, etc.) and while hiking I have no problem to do 3000 meters or more in a day (uphill ;)) but when I go mountain-biking I have some problems. I can cycle the first 500-600 altitude difference more or less in a normal speed (~1 hour), but afterwards if I should cycle further I'm exhausted.

So whats the best way to improve my stamina? Should I practice every day a little bit? Or is it better to sometimes go for long tours?

One of the best ways to build stamina is through interval training.

The best book I've found on the subject is: The Time-Crunched Cyclist: Fit, Fast, and Powerful in 6 Hours a Week by Chris Carmichael. The book includes a lot of info on lactate threshold, energy metabolism, nutrition, race and century training plans, etc. I first tried out his methods after reading one of his articles in Bicycling Magazine on century training prior to the release of The Time Crunched Cyclist.

Basically, Carmichael's methods are a form of interval training where you are doing things like hill-repeats, power intervals, fast pace intervals, etc. There's a lot of info out there on interval training. One of the more common is called HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).

Another resource relating to interval training is here on Dr. Mirkin's web site where he discusses how sprinting improves endurance.

FWIW - I've made interval training my primary method of training for long distance riding. I do multiple centuries during the summers and rarely do training rides over 60 miles. Prior to 4 years ago, my mode of training for long distance was a gradual distance build-up and had mixed results. With interval training, my performance on long distance rides has improved significantly in both speed and how I feel afterwards. Seriously, this plan works.

And...related: What exercise should I do in the gym to assist with hill-climbing?


Should I update my Bontrager Litespeed mountain bike? I have Bontrager Litespeed frame mountain bike, custom-built back in 1996. it hasn't been ridden much and been stored. Still in excellent shape.  I'm no longer going mountain biking and thinking of updating the bike with new components, making more of a crossbreed between a mountain bike and a hybrid.
so, new disk brakes from current v-brakes
adaptors to mount disc brake to frame (older frame doesn't have the mounts for disc)
new rims to accommodate the disc brakes, new tires.
maybe a new cassette, if needed?

I think that's it, but I'm probably missing something

thoughts, suggestions?

I plan on doing the work myself

thanks

I'm not sure why you think you need disc brakes on a hybrid, but if you want a hybrid with disc brakes it might be cheaper to buy a newer hybrid with that comes with them (for same quality brakes). You won't be messing around with questionable adapters. In fact you might not even be able to source an adapter that will work with your fork depending on the fork (disc might not fit in there, adapter might not be able to attach to the particular fork).

If you decide to replace the fork you will probably have a hard time finding a straight steerer fork with disc mounts that doesn't have a significantly bigger A to C measurement. A larger A to C will affect the geometry: slacken seat and head angle, raise bottom bracket etc. The slacker head tube angle might be fine (90s bikes were steep) but the slacker seat tube might be too slack resulting in a poor pedaling position and a hard time keeping the front down on climbs because your hips end up behind the rear axle shifting your center of weight too far back.

Your bike seems like a good candidate for a restoration . Stick with the v-brakes (new pads). Do a full tear-down and lube. Clean everything up. If it has an old elastomer fork that is shot you might be better off replacing it with a rigid fork, like a Kona Project 2 from that era. Grab some street friendly tires (the old tires will be shot from age regardless of remaining tread). Check the drivetrain and replace parts as needed (possibly cassette, chainrings and chain). 7 speed Shimano parts should be easy to source and inexpensive (safe bet it's running a 3x7 drivetrain). Might have to settle for it saying Alivio instead of XT or XTR if you want to buy new, but you can find compatible parts new.


What defines a "compact" road bike? I've been reading a lot about road bikes and looking at the differences between bikes called "compacts" but I don't see much consistency.

I've read that compact road bikes have different gearing and also a sloping top tube but not necessarily both. I've also seen some bikes with "Compact" in the title but don't appear to have either of those features! Am I missing something?

The word "compact" can be used in two contexts, both separate from each other.

The first is to do with the geometry of the frame. This is basically where the top tube is sloped rather than level. As is often the case, Sheldon has a good description including the whys and wherefores.

The second is to do with the gearing, in particular the number of teeth on the front rings. This is covered in a previous question: Number of gears for a racer. (Its covered on Sheldon too, close to the previous link.)

If you weren't already aware, Sheldon's site is a superb reference for all things bicycle.


Which headset to replace my FSA No.10? I have a Cube LTD CC (2009 model) which has this semi-integrated headset in it. It needs replacing, but I'd rather go for something with cartridge bearings instead of cage bearings.

I've been looking around on the Cane Creek website trying to work out what might be compatible but don't know the measurements (don't really want to dismantle the headset if I can avoid it). Seems I need a ZS headset of some sort, but that's all I know. What are my options here?

Looks like a standard 1-1/8in headset to me? The gold standard is the Chris King NoThreadSet. Sealed cartridge bearings, lasts damn near forever.


Do the cups of headsets with cartridge bearings wear out? On my bike I have an FSA headset Orbit X-CX which has cartridge bearrings. I re-grease the headset a few times each year and have recently replaced the lower bearing after ca 13,000 miles.  The upper bearing still feels smooth.

On a loose ball style headset if badly adjusted or after excessive use the cups would wear.  With a cartridge bearing the bearings run on the cartridge itself which is replaced.  Does this therefore mean that the cups should last the life of the bike?

The bearing races themselves get replaced, but what can happen is the races becoming loose in the frame. I can't imagine that happening just through wear, though, you'd have to pull and replace the bearing races hundreds of times. Normally that is the result of either a crash deforming the races, or the bearing not being quite square when someone hammers it into the frame. To avoid the latter use a proper bearing press or fake it with a length of threaded rod. In general, any time you find yourself wanting to use a hammer on a bike you're doing something wrong.


How to set up bike so that back-pedalling stops the rear wheel? My first bike was a 1976 Raleigh Strika. It was brilliant and was distinguished by having only a front brake lever. To get the rear wheel to stop one simply back-pedalled. This was a v. efficient way of stopping and had the bonus of making your bike skid in a most excellent way.

I have a simple 8-speed hybrid mountain/road bike now  and was wondering if anyone knew if there was any way of modding it to replicate the behaviour of my beloved Strika. I guess I might lose my gears after such an alteration, but I can live with that.

This is called a coaster brake. To install one of these, you'd need to replace the rear hub, and remove the existing rear brakes, which sometimes means replacing the rear wheel, and there may be other complications. I recommend retaining your current front brake as a backup; if the chain snaps, you lose your rear brake. (That's happened to me exactly once over the years, and that bike had handbrakes, not a coaster brake.)

While Shimano makes an internal hub with seven speeds and a coaster brake, I'm not sure if their 8-speed hub has one.

Can you tell us more about your current bike? Does it currently have gears in an internal hub on the rear wheel, or is the gearing via conventional derailer gears?


Creaky hydraulic disc brakes on MTB I am having some trouble with my Boardman Mht 8.8.

Whenever I press my brakes while stationary, and move the bike with them engaged, a creak and clunk sounding noise appears, every time. This actually moves the wheel slightly, which is slightly worrying.

I am puzzled, my 2 local bike shops say it's normal with hydraulic disc brakes, they say its the brake pads moving around, but I beg to differ, it just doesn't seem right. And help/feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks : )

I think the shop was right - it’s just the pads moving around in the caliper. The creak occurs when the rotor is moving extremely slowly (like in this case), and the clunk is the sound of the pads hitting either end of the caliper AND whatever fork play you have AND whatever headset play you have. Try pulling on the brake really really hard and see if that makes a noise still.


White graphite (hBN) a worthwhile chain lube? Hexagonal boron nitride, a.k.a. white graphite, is non-toxic, very very slippery, tends to stick to metal, tends to not have other substances stick to it, and seems to have worked very well in my first ride.  Anyone have reasons why I should wash it off real quick? :-)

Well, white graphite (or hexagonal boron nitride for all the big brainers) is fine to use as a lubricant, but like @mattnz said, don't snort it (mattnz is big brain). Regular graphite can be corrosive do certain metals with moisture, but as long as its white graphite, I don't see any issues that would pop up.