Do I need a new chain after 1300 miles (2100 km)? I have a Boardman Airpro and probably need a new chain having done about 1,300 miles (2100 km) with it.

The bike is used for leisure and commuting and therefore goes through all weathers. I also keep the chain pretty clean and well-oiled.

Do I need a new chain? There are so many different types. Which chains will work?

As a general rule you get about 2000 miles out of a chain, but this depends on the chain, it's maintenance, and the use and storage conditions.

It's not out of line for certain brands of chains to need replacement in 1300 miles, since some are either cheaper (and hence more poorly constructed) or more expensive (and hence lighter, with less "meat").  And the more aggressively you ride the faster the chain will wear.

But the real test to see if a chain should be replaced is "chain stretch", using a chain wear indicator.  Generally a chain should be replaced when "stretch" exceeds 0.75%, as measured by the tool.

(In a pinch you can crudely check a chain by measuring against a ruler.  Links are exactly 1" apart when new, and if 10 links are more than 1/10th inch longer than 10 inches then that's 1% wear.)

One thing you definitely don't want to do is to run a chain beyond the point that it's "too worn" -- this causes damage to your sprockets and can cost you several times the price of a chain.


Can I change the cage on a Campagnolo Chorus derailleur? I have a Campagnolo Chorus 10 speed rear derailleur that will not shift properly.  I've  aligned the frame, adjusted the high and low settings and attempted to fine-tune the shifting with the barrel adjusters but it will not shift properly.  The cage itself appears to be slightly out of alignment.  Can this be serviced, or better yet swapped out for the cage on a 10-speed Daytona derailleur( that I happen to have)?

This question is not a duplicate as the Campagnolo products are different from SRAM or Shimano and I was specifically asking about replacing parts, not how to adjust the derailleur.

Daytona and Chorus use different cage fixings, so swapping a Daytona cage in in place of a Chorus 10s one is not possible.

Daytona used a circlip, Chorus uses a tubular bolt to secure the cage to the lower pivot assembly of the rear derailleur (RD).

Unless the RD has been crashed, or the cage has been "snagged" by the spokes of the rear wheel, it's unlikely that the cage is deformed.

More likely is that the rubber o-rings that set the amount of float on the top pivot have softened with prolonged contact with mineral oil and the RD is no longer hanging dead square - this assumes that you have done a full & correct RD set-up.

If you want to send us the RD for checking, we can do this ...

HTH

Graeme

Campagnolo main UK Service Centre

www.velotech-cycling.ltd.uk


How do I attach this pump head to my Schrader valve? I am such an idiot, but I can't figure out how to attach this pump head to my Schrader valve.  The lever doesn't seem to flip up??

That's a quick chuck commonly found at gas stations. There's no locking mechanism.

You just push the quick chuck head firmly onto the schrader valve and squeeze the air release. Hand pressure alone keeps the valve seated against the chuck. With car tires (see photo below) it's easy as the schrader valve is solidly affixed to the tire rim.  With bicycle tires, it's a bit tricky as the schrader valve isn't fixed and can push into the rim, so sometimes you have to gently push or hold the other side of the schrader valve with your other hand to steady it.

Note that it's VERY easy to overinflate a bicycle tire with these car inflators as they commonly don't have a max pressure setting. I've blown a tire off a rim using a gasoline station quick chuck. So be very careful and fill using only short, quick spurts of air.


Does valve stem diameter matter for my rims? Got an old bike that I restored some time ago, and the original tubes literately burst on me today (I knew I should have replaced them long ago, they are probably 10 years old) and now I have some questions on replacing them.

Looking at the available tubes, I see most of them have presta valves. The originals and my current replacements are  Schrader. I don't have much preference on valve, I just want to know if I should limit my selection.

The real question is, I really never paid any attention to the holes drilled in the rims. Do they have different diameters for each type? Would a larger Schrader hole damage a presta valve tube? Or are the rims pretty much universal?

If this is useful, the rims i'm buying new tubes for are: an old MTB Araya RM-20 and an unmarked original from a cheap fuji-4.0 700 bike

Yes, the holes are different sizes. 6mm and 8mm, from memory. The hole size matters if you have skinny rims as 8mm out of a 20mm rim is a lot compared to 8mm out of a 40mm rim. But you already have valve holes.

In theory putting a presta valve in a Schrader-size hole matters, in practice it doesn't.

The base of the valve is where you'll see any effect from having a presta valve in an oversize hole, and in theory the base of the valve will get cut up by the edge of the rim. You might also get dust or water inside the rim if you have a V or box rim.

In practice it doesn't seem to matter. I do this fairly often because almost all my rims are drilled for schrader but I'll fit presta tubes rather than ride on flat tyres). I've seen marking around the base of the valve when I've pulled the tube out, and occasionally it's bulged up 2-3mm.

If you look at the locking ring/nut that comes with Schwalbe presta valves it's got a smooth face under the knurled section that's exactly the right size for a schrader hole, suggesting that they expect people to use them that way.

The ring I'm talking about has an arrow in this pic, and @jimrings found the pic on the right.

There are a couple of other types of adapters. You can see the most common ones in the pic below.

The ones to the right and left push through the rim from the inside and hold the valve centered in the rim. The rubber one on the right actually attaches to the rim. The metal one on the left is fitted over the valve before inserting it into the rim.


Why won't the front derailleur change into the largest gear after changing cranks? We changed to a longer set of cranks (same make), and have tightened the crank as tight as it will go without stripping. There is still a space of approx 2mm between the crank and the lip on the bottom bracket (can't remember whether that gap was there when  we took it off. ) But now the front derailleur won't change onto the largest gear,  and the adjustment is at its max. We cannot tighten the bottom bracket either.  Any ideas,  please?

The new crankset is not exactly in the same position as the old one, so you need to adjust the front derailleur. The internet is full of instructions for the procedure, so I am not writing a new guide here.


Is there a spoke light that is ultrabright? I love the setup this guy demos here as it is attention-grabbing and is visible from all directions, however I'm wondering what options I have with ultrabright spoke lights.

The description says they are testing the Serfas Thunderbolt. Can the Serfas Thunderbolt be securely mounted to spokes, or is the demo merely a party trick?

the thunderbolt comes stock with rubber straps, basically long-lasting rubber bands. the bike in the video has aerospokes, which would be thick enough to keep the light well secured.  aerospokes are uncommon though; typical wheels have 32-36 2mm steel spokes, which wouldn't provide much to grab onto.

there are plenty of other spoke lights out there which are designed for 2mm spokes.  i would check what kind of wheel you have before you go buy anything.


Mountain biking: lower-back pain in "attack position" When going downhill on a mountain bike in the "attack position", after a while I get one-sided lower-back pain that forces me to stop. How can I determine if this is due to an incorrect position or just weak back muscles, without anyone experienced to guide me?
Notes:
There is no doubt that my back is not strong enough.
The pain comes sooner if I stitch my butt out more, however, my understanding was that that is exactly the correct position.
The pain is on the opposite side to my forward foot. Is it perhaps better to train myself to use either feet forward instead of preferring one?

I'm don't think much of staments that any one position is “exactly the correct position”. Any position is wrong if you need to strain and stiffen yourself to keep it.
It's true that the “attack position” works well in a variety of riding situations, but there's no point keeping it all the time when there's not even something to attack in the trail! Especially for downhill, the more flexible&free you can move around the bike, the better. Do default to “attack” in doubt on technical bits, but then relax again.
Yes, occasionally switching what foot is forward also helps and is a good thing to practice, but many (most?) mountainbikers always coast with the strong foot forward, so this should really not be necessary.
Also, bike setup can make a lot of difference. Try raising the bars a bit, softer rear suspension (if you have) or plusher rear tyre. And clipping into the pedals has many small advantages, especially when it comes to riding more relaxed, because you won't need to spend effort just to keep the feet on the pedals.


How do you carry a dog on a bike? Over the years I have seen a few people transport a dog on a bike.  What options have you seen?   Please include a photo in your answer if possible.

I just googled "Bike Dog trailer" and got tonnes of results.  I have heard that trailers from "WIKE" are good.  Here is a pic of their biggest dog trailer:

I have also seen a few DIY dog trailers.

I like this quite a bit.  The dog is just tied in so they don't jump around but they still get a good view.  Found at Bike Trailer Blog

There is also the option to mount the dog's crate onto the trailer.  I have seen lots of pictures of these. Basically you just need to put some bolts through the flatbed of the trailer. This is a more professional example from Tony's Trailers:

I guess in theory you could also put a small dog in your front basket, but I would not do that.  If the dog moves around that will make your bike unstable, also the dog may try to jump out causing a crash.


Best setup for long distance? I’m looking to get a recumbent bike for travelling long weekends around Europe. I don’t know much about bikes and I’m looking at recumbent mainly for comfort reasons; I tried biking long trips on a normal bike and by butt was hurting quite a lot.

I have a view quite specific questions:

Which model should I look into buying as a total newbie? Considering my budget is around ~2000 euros
Should I consider the electric assisted paddling ones? I’m super interested in these. Would buying a normal recumbent and then adding an electric motor later make sense?
Can a regular recumbent fit another seat in the back? Curious since sometimes I may want to travel with a friend.

Any help would be great!

We don't give specific product recommendations here on Bicycles.SE. I will mention that because they are produced in smaller volumes, recumbents usually will be more expensive than conventional bikes with similar specifications.
Long-distance riding is not a great use case for electric bikes: you'll run it down before you get where you're going and will then be hauling the electric system as dead weight. Or if you use it intermittently, you'll be hauling it around as dead weight the rest of the time. And you'll need to arrange to recharge it where you're going. You would need to compare the prices of buying a bike with electric assist built in vs buying an aftermarket electrical system. I suspect the aftermarket system would be more expensive overall. It would not be as well integrated.
There are tandem recumbents, but you can't just stick a seat on the back of a single recumbent.

If you're new to long-distance riding, you need to acclimate to it, and some minor changes to your current setup may make it more comfortable.


Cyclocross bike as fast as a roadbike? Next year i would like to commute by bicycle. I need to buy a new bike, but i don't know if to buy a roadbike or a cyclocross bike.
I live in a more rural area where not every road is tarred perfectly and there are several "gravel highways", expecially on the shortest distance to my workplace (about 20 km). Now there are several solutions:

Buy a roadbike and stay on the roads, where the distance is significantly longer (about 25 km).

OR

buy a cyclocross bike and ride on each kind of street.

Personally the problem is not the distance, but the time i need to commute, especially in the mornings.
So, is a roadbike that much faster than a cyclocross bike so that it's worthwhile to take a longer distance to commute and be even faster?

TL:DR Get the CX Bike, you'll love it! You get three bikes in one, without trading in any noticeable performance on the road. This answer is subjective and based on personal experience, you have been warned:

I have a CX bike that is used as a do-it-all bike, and I love it.  For almost all aspects that concern any non-professional cyclist a CX is as good, or even better when compared to a "true" road bike, with some nice added benefits. Here's why:

I use it to commute because:

It is fast. It is light. And robust. You can get a second hand one (or similar) for 400$.
It has enough space for comfortable road tires (28 wide fits with ease)
Offroad performance is still great without the use of noisy/bouncy knobby cross tires (I use 700c x 28 Schwalbe Delta Cruisers, a perfect allround tire with enough grip on gravel while still fast and comfortable on the road. 25% of commuting is on gravel/ hardpack sand. In 3000km on these tires not a single flat, plus they are quite affordable!)
Enough room for mudguards in rainy weather, due to the frame spacing and the cantilever brakes.
In rainy weather, the brakes are designed to keep functioning and not clog up with mud, leaves etc. It is true that canti's are slightly less powerful in dry conditions compared to modern road brakes. But they have proven very reliable under all conditions.  Discs would be even nicer.

I use it for long vacation trips

again because of the comfortable tires
The possiblity to carry quite some stuff on a seat post mounted rack, without worrying about damaging the bike or cracking the frame, since CX bikes are built for strength and durability.

I use it for riding with my friends (who all ride very expensive shiny carbon bikes) because:

We are not pro's, we ride fast, but always for fun. The 700g weight difference (if that) between my bike and theirs does not matter to me. How much beer we had last night has a much bigger impact on how fast I am.

I even use it for light MTB duty because:

I have a set of old pretty beat up off-road only wheels for the bike with CX tires, swapping wheels takes only 1 min. thanks to the canti brakes.
The bike is very fast on grassy/forest singletracks, as long as there are not too many braches, steep climbs or large drops you can easily keep ahead of most "real" MTB's. Of course this is only within reasonable limits, I am not saying a CX bike can do any seriously challenging terrain.
In deep mud, the thinner CX tires cut through the mud and ride on the solid surface beneath the mud, where the MTB's float and lose traction. Up to about 3 inches of watery mud on top of a more solid surface a CX bike will be faster than wide MTB tires.

On top of all this, here in Europe CX is pretty much a niche market. Most road bikers won't touch a CX bike, because they think they are slow (not true, as long as you don't race for a living). High end new CX bikes are all that leave the shops, those bikes then end up on the second hand market after a few years, where nobody seems to want them, thus you can get a much nicer bike for your $.
All parts are interchangeable with road bikes too, apart from the brakes, so upgrading is always an option.

All in all, CX bikes are just more rugged road bikes that seem to get very little attention by the mainstream road crowd. Too bad for CX manufacturers, but good for us no-nonsense bikers who are looking for a 3-in-1 bike solution.


How to prevent Brooks Cambium C17 saddle from wearing through pants I've got a Brooks Cambium C17 saddle, and as others have noted (see "long term experience" heading), the fabric covering has worn through the seat of my pants from abrasion and has resulted in one pair of pants tearing just a few weeks after riding on this saddle.

Does anyone have a good remedy for this?

I'm considering a rain cover like so, but I'm not sure how long that would last before it tears through as well.

I wrote an email to Brooks about a recommendation for the problem, but I've yet to hear back.

My seat height is such that my legs are almost fully extended at the bottom of the pedal stroke. I have not noticed this problem on other saddles.

The pants that wore through (and I have another pair of the same pants that is wearing thin in the seat as well) are Dockers Life Khakis like this - a cotton / polyester blend that has been fairly durable in my years riding in other saddles.

It's difficult to know as you haven't said what your are wearing exactly. I have this exact saddle and have covered approx 8,000km on it- wearing out no clothing (that I have noticed). I'd suggest that you saddle position is possibly not quite correct and you are moving slightly through the pedal stroke- causing friction and wearing through the clothes you are wearing. I'd look at possibly moving your saddle up, as having it too low tends to cause the hips to move outwards/in on each stroke. Alternatively, you are wearing clothing that is not designed with cycling in mind & should perhaps look at buying some.


Campagnolo Ergopower inaccurate shifting on high and low cogs I replaced the G-Spring and G-Spring carrier on my 9 speed Chorus Ergopower.
Now it is shifting better and the clicks are sharper, but I can't adjust the derailleur to shift good on all gears good.

On the blue cogs the chain grinds and jumps on the bigger cogs. On the red cogs the chain needs extra shifting force after the click to jump on the bigger cog.

If I make the tension of the cable higher or lower the chain will not work with the bigger or smaller cogs at the same time.

Any idea what part could be worn out and should be replaced? I think the Ergopower shifter are causing this.

The derailleur hanger seems to be straight. Changing the position with the screw on the derailleur couldn't fix the bad shifting.

The problem is that you have the cable incorrectly routed under the pinch bolt / washer.

You need to route the cable down the same "side" of the pinch bolt, but the washer needs to turn 90 degrees clockwise, so that one "claw" sits in the hole in the derailleur body, one "claw" sits outside the derailleur body next to the free end of the cable and the cable itself should be trapped, in a straight line, under the small extended flange on the washer that has a groove cut in it, for that purpose.

You might need to use a new cable as the way you have it clamped, it's forced a "kink" into it which will probably not straighten out fully and so will always affect the cable tension, slightly, so giving you inaccurate shifting.


Shimano 105 5800 mech compatibilty with 5700 shifters I have purchased a Shimano 105 5800 11 Speed Cassette 11-32, 116 link chain (CN- HG600-11) and longer-caged 'GS' rear derailleur (RD-5800-GS) to replace my original 105 10 speed 5700 series mech. Can I still use my original 105 5700 shifter?

No -- you need to match the number of speeds on the cassette and the number of speeds of the shifter. The 11 speed shifters are designed to use dyna-sys cable pull (which is different than the 10 speed road cable pull; its the same as 10 speed mountain) as well.

I'd recommend picking up either {a 10 speed road or 7-9 speed Shimano rear derailleur and a 10 speed cassette} or the 11 speed Shimano road shifters. The former (e.g. a 9 speed Deore RD and a 10 speed cassette) is likely going to be much cheaper.


Refurbishing mountain bike - left standing for couple of years I've a Marin Rocky Ridge (2007) that I'd like to give a bit of an overhaul/refurbish as it's been left standing for two years or so. I'm just looking to know where would be common areas that would have degraded over time? Would brake fluid etc. need replacing, as well as bearings needing cleaned/ regreased?

This is a link to the bike spec (may need to select "Show detailed spec") 2007 Marin Rocky Ridge Spec

Now then, seeing as it's been in a garage, it's obviously collected dust. Not too far off being collecting enough to seize some bearings. First, wash the bike clean. I mean, make it very clean. You don't want to work on a dirty bike that'd make any new parts dirty, as well. warm water, washing up liquid and a sponge is great. Clean from top to bottom, not the opposite way round, as it makes two job for yourself. Once you've done that, rinse it. A pressure washer is fine in this case because we will be servicing the bearings anyway, so it doesn't matter. If you weren't going to service the bearings, don't use a pressure washer, or avoid bearings and other sensitive parts, as you could blast out all the grease.

Nip down to a local bike shop (LBS) and buy some good quality degreaser, Teflon grease, chain lubricants that vary in styles (wet environments, dry environments, etc) and try to get hold of some good cleaning equipment in your house or, again, shop. Tear up some small or old clothes, too, as these are something you would not be able to live without.

I do this every two weeks, but this is something to do every year or so. It also is suitable for much older bikes:

Take apart all your bearing-containing components. Yup, that's right. Headset, Bottom Bracket, Wheel Hubs, Pedal Axles, you name it. Strip it all down, degrease it, re-grease and reassemble. Tighten and adjust so there is no play, and no binding. That's the harder part done...

Replace all the cable inner and outers and make sure they are adjusted; PROPERLY!

Check ALL OF YOUR BOLTS. If you're feeling extra-kind, take them off and re-grease them, then reassemble it all again.

Take out your seat post and re-grease it. You would be surprised how much this can help you out in the long run... Do the same for the "steering wheel" (handle bars, was just wondering if anyone gets the reference). Take them out the stem and re-grease where it would contact the stem. Again, this WILL help.

Please, for the love of GOD, please check the wear on your brakes and tyres. I have lost a few friends due to them having literally no brake pad left and running metal on metal, and I mean, they died during crash incidents.

Other than the super-basic lubing chain, bleeding hydraulic brakes, pumping up tyres and realigning your handlebars and saddles, that's really it.

If you're lazy, just get the bike shop to service the bike.

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DO:

-Check that the wheels are aligned

-Wipe off excessive grease/lubricants. This will collect dirt, turn into a grinding paste and literally sand your components down.

-Use good/great quality components. These may not last any longer than cheaper parts, but they reduce wear and tear on other parts, and they feel much nicer for slightly longer.

-Dry the bike after washing it. A dry towel, a microfibre cloth, even an air compressor. Dry the bike.

-Make sure the degreaser has been cleaned off and dried. What's the point of putting grease on de-greaser? IRONY OVERDOSE!!! IRONY OVERDOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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DON'T:

-Leave your tools out after you've finished. If you do, you should not be owning them. Treat them like you care about them, otherwise they won't last long. And, you'd probably lose them when you really need them.

-Use a pressure washer on freshly-serviced bikes. Not unless you want to have to service the thing again in a few weeks.

-Buy parts from people on eBay with low amounts of feed back. If they have thousands of positive feedback, buy from them. If they send you something faulty and refuse to allow you to send it back, you can open a case. Almost every time, you'll get to send the product back free of charge. They won't lose an account earning thousands of pounds over a twenty pound tyre set. 5/10 times, they'll let you keep the item and refund you fully!

-Don't always trust a bike mechanic at a bike shop. They told me that I had a damaged shifter which would need replacing. Took the part home, looked at the cable and saw it wasn't seated correctly. Reseated the cable and worked like new. Left negative feedback and demanded an explanation, they shut down. DON'T TRUST ALL BIKE MECHANICS UNLESS THEY CAN PROVE THE PROBLEM!!!

Have fun with the bike servicing! Hopefully it'll work like new. Don't forget, if the chain and cassette is worn, replace them. Or, just replace them for the hell of it. The bike will feel much better.


Can't setup shifting on Shimano Nexus 7 after unscrewing wheel I had to unscrew rear wheel to replace inner tube. I haven't fully detached it, just to the moment I was able to replace tube. After reattaching wheel I can't setup gears shifting (that's my first time actually). As I read in different guides I need to rotate adjusting barrel until markers are matched on speed 4, but using this barrel I'm able to match it only near speed 2.

What else should I adjust? Or have I done something wrong (maybe reattaching wheel)?

4th gear and lining up the dots is only necessary when you are setting the cable length (during installation). You do not need to deal with that if all you did was remove the wheel. Shift so that you have enough cable to slide into the proper groove and hook the cable fixing bolt to the shifting pulley mechanism. I sometimes use one thumb to rotate the attachment point on the pulley forward to make it easier to slide the cable into place. See page 26 here https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/dm/DM-SG0003-00-ENG.pdf

Your wheel appears to be in the correct location based on the bite marks from the now-removed axle nut

Check all points on the cable to make sure a ferrule is hanging you up.


Clicking in just one chainring I wonder if anyone can suggest any reason why I might be getting a regular clicking (two to each crank revolution, at the same place each time) from the crank/BB area of my bike. I understand these things can be difficult to diagnose, but just hoping I can be guided down the most likely paths.

I recently took the bike to a shop and they said the only thing they could do was replace the free wheel, which I found odd as the sound is unmistakably coming from the front end of the drive train. I can't spot anything visually wrong as I turn the crank, but the clicking only happens in the second chainring, not the first or third. I've had a good look at this chainring and it doesn't look excessively worn, although there is the odd tooth that is clearly much more pointed that the rest, to the point of resembling knives. Also the chain runs clear of the front derailleur, so I'm guessing that can't play a part in this.

Could it be that the chainring just needs replacing? Any other suggestions gratefully received! Thanks.

Inspect the teeth of the chainring for damage. A single one might be damaged from hitting some obstacle. It may then produce a click when taking up the chain at the top and again as it drops the chain at the bottom of the turn.

The best way to do this would be to suspend the bike and have the chainrings at eye-level. Don't turn the bike upside down because it could change the conditions under which the clicking appears. Also try out whether the clicking appears when the crank is turned backwards.

Good luck and patience because sources of noises are notoriously hard to spot.


Install tire on wheel I bought a new wheel (Mach1 560, https://www.santafixie.com/en/mach1-560-rear-wheel-black.html) and a new tire (Michelin, 700cx35) without any default (no veiled).
The point is I have problem to put my tire: as you can see in this video, my wheel seems to be veiled (but is not), it is just that my tire is not correctly installed.
I tried several times to reinstalled the tire on the rim but same effect.
Do you have any advice on how to avoid such default ?
https://rpidejr.hopto.org/f/ee90ab99557c42eb9dc6/

If I understand the problem correctly (not sure what you mean by "veiled"), it is that the tire is not sitting uniformly on the wheel. This is a common problem, and it's easy to fix: over-inflate the tire by about 10% beyond the inflation limit shown on its sidewall. This will pop the bead into place on the rim. Then let out the excess pressure.


Information about Lotus Explorer bike? I just bought a 20" Lotus Explorer for $200. The frame is Tange CR-MO and has Shimano components, the bike shop guy said it was a good frame. I don't know a lot about bikes; I'm just looking for a bike to get back and forth to school. Also theres a sticker on the fork that says "CR-MO uni-lite plus". He also switched it to single-speed and put new tires on it for me.

Any information about Lotus bikes would be helpful because I can't find much.

I found this:

  Lotus Bicycles is/was based in Pennsylvania:

  Last known mailing address/telephone number below:

  Lotus Bicycles Post Office Box 21924 Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
  18002-1924
  +800-841-0123 Founded in 1979

  They had a website in 2000 : www.lotusbike.com but it is no longer
  registered/active. They manufactured bicycles & frames for road &
  track use.

From what I read it used to be a pretty good brand -- what one might buy if they were a dedicated amateur rider but not uber-rich.  But apparently they never made it out of the early 90s, when frame-building technology changed (and it became impossible to compete on price with the larger automated manufacturers).

Here is a web site on them:  http://www.vintagelotusbicycles.com/


8 speed drivetrain stronger than 9 speed? I see a lot of people recommending 8 speed drivetrain over 9 speed for a touring bike because they are supposed to be stronger (e.g. in the buyers guide of the Adventure cyclist magazine, issue april 2011, page 16) . Is that still true or did technology catch up?

My guess is in reality no statistically measurable difference between 8,9 and even 10 speed setups. 8 Speed these days is low cost components, meaning you are fitting out a bike with low cost gear. Even 9 speed is lowish cost. 10 is geting into quite fine tolerances but has been around long enough to be well understood. 11 and 12 speed setups might be a concern, but I would not fit them because of concern over strength.

More important though is "Strong enough" - once the gear is "strong enough", does it matter if one is stronger than the other. And setup built with components of good enough quality to be used where reliability is a concern is strong enough.

The disadvantages of more gears is finer tolerances meaning wear is a bigger issue. Wear is a different concern to strength as it affects everything but is predictable, and easily managed with normal maintenance. (Cost is another discussion)

There might be reasons for not going to higher gears - availability of components in remote places in the event of a break down. However going 9 speed over 8 speed has little disadvantage here. Most components are interchangeable between these, and if needed you would as easily get you bike up and running on the off the shelf components at the most basic bike shop  with 9 speed as 8 speed.

As eluded to earlier, cost might be a reason to stay on 8 speed - but that is a different question (and I have my doubts it is significant).


Hydraulic Disc Brakes Not Locking Up So as the title says my disc brakes are not locking up. They are gripping but not locking. My older brakes were leaking and i changed them with Shimano Deore BL-M596. I have searched online and found some things about pads. I checked for any contamination on my pads and my rotor but they seem to be fine. No oil or anything. How do i get them to lock? Thanks!

New brakes need to be "bed-in" (not bled), with their rotors: Get up to speed, then drag the brake for 5-6 seconds (builds up heat) and then increase lever pressure until the bike stops. Do this about 10 times.

More on bedding-in brakes here:
http://www.bikeradar.com/us/gear/article/how-to-bed-in-disc-brake-pads-31337/


How do I translate this tire description into English? On my tire is printed the following:

  25-622 (28 x 1.00 - 700x25c)
  6.8-8.0 Bar, 85-115 psi

I think I know what some of this means but am not sure. BTW, this came standard on my 2012 Cannondale Synapse 600 Alloy bike.

700x25c is the diameter x width (in millimeters) of the tire, and 25-622 (ISO) and 28x1.00 (decimal) refer to the size in two different systems (see Sheldon Brown's Tire Sizing Systems page for more detail). Buy tubes to fit as close to this size as possible. I sometimes have to use 25c on my 23c bike when I'm in an area with limited cycling supplies.

6.8-8.0 Bar is the recommended air pressure range, same as the 85-115 psi.
Bar is a metric measure for pressure, while psi is pounds per square inch. PSI is more common in the US.


Fitting 1 speed tyres on 21 speed bike My bike (A FireFox Sniper V) has 26x2.1 knobbies. I cycle on urban roads, so I decided to upgrade to 26x1.95 hybrid tyres from BTWIN. But they have mentioned that it is a 1 speed hybrid tyre. Will it work on my 21 (3 front, 7 rear) speed bike?

From India

The only actual issue if the tyres will fit; and they will from the two 26" sizes you've quoted. Number of gears (speeds) is irrelevant.

Marketing people like to throw in spurious detail often to give the impression they know what they're talking about.


(Automatic Bike Project) amount of torque required to change gears? I am planning to build an electronically controlled automatic bike transmission for my senior design project. I'm personally more of an electrical guy, so dealing with the mechanics is somewhat new to me. I would have loved to use an off-the-shelf electronic derailleur, but alas, they are too cost prohibitive (the school has allotted a budget of $115 per student and we're a group of two, so we have $230 to spend). So I'm going to need to make my own like several other people have done.

I am planning on using the bike's current derailleurs and replacing the hand shifters with motors of some sort to pull on the cables. Of course, we're going to need a certain amount of torque to shift up (and much less for shifting down) and a holding torque to ensure that we don't accidentally slip down a gear.

I have not bought a bike yet, I'm looking at a Diamondback bike that I found on Craigslist (it looks like a hybrid bike). So I'm wondering if there are any average measurements for the required torque.

And of course, I'm sure there are many people more experienced in bicycling than I am. So if you have a better solution, please feel free to shout it out. I'm all ears.

From working on bikes, the amount of force needed to pull a gear cable is more than I can apply gripping the cable with my fingers, but is easy to apply gripping the cable with pliers. So probably about 10-20N. But almost all that force is required to oppose the return spring in the derailleur. Remove that spring and the force drops by an order of magnitude. And as Kibbee says, you can use leverage to change that force (but you still need the same amount of energy).

The easy way would be to use an existing gear cable and gear lever attached to the rear derailleur. That way you don't have to mount your motor right down next to the rear axle, where it's vulnerable to shock and dirt.

If you use a winch drum attached to a stepper motor it'll be fairly easy to make everything work. The issue with that is that the holding torque will almost certainly be greater than the stiction of the motor, so you would need power to stay in gear. Or gear down the stepper motor, or use a mechanical brake with a solenoid to release it when you want to shift. But that's possibly more complex than a student project can easily build.

A different way would be to use a common two-lever shifter with a motor to push the levers when you want to change gear. That's a low-precision task, but you will need considerable force. If you used a fairly hefty RC servo motor I think it could work, and within budget. Then drive that off a microprocessor that has a PWM output to make the servo work (there are Arduino libraries that do this OOB, it's not hard)

A much more elegant way would be to modify a derailleur directly, removing the return spring and using a motor to move it backwards and forwards. This is what the electronic shifter setups do. If you use a stepper motor and drive "off the end" to position it, you should get reasonable reliability at low cost and without having to build sensors and servo rigs to locate the chain exactly on the drive cog. I fear you might need a brake again, but I'd build the first version without it. At worst, you can do your final report saying "it works but needs a lock to hold it in position over bumps".


Power meter upgrade on 2015 Surly Long Haul Trucker I have a 2015 Surly Long Haul Trucker with a Andel RSC6 crank and Shimano UN-55 bottom bracket. Is there a crankset I could replace that with that would be compatible with a single side power meter?

Power meters for square taper BBs are hard to come by, and usually custom made and expensive.
However, fortunately the Surly LHT has an ordinary English threaded bottom bracket. Just swap out the UN-55 for any Hollowtech 2 compatible external BB, such as the Shimano Tiagra BB-RS500 or 105 SM-BBR60. Then, get any hollowtech 2 crank, replace the left side with a power meter, and you're good to go.
In fact, more recent models of the LHT use hollowtech-2-type crankset systems out of the factory.
I know Stages only sells power meters for 105 and above for road, so it might make sense to get a 105 BB and a 105 crankset, coupled with a 105 power meter such as the stages Gen 3 Power L, or 4iiii equivelant.
If you want more gearing range than a 105 crankset provides, you can mix and match with other cranksets that use the Hollowtech 2 interface, of which there are plenty.


How do I calibrate my auto tension belt? I have a Trek District IGH3 with a Mitsubishi belt drive that has an auto-tensioner. Last winter, the belt started slipping over the sprocket. It happened frequently enough that it ended up wearing the teeth of the sprocket right down, making the bike all but unusable until I got a replacement installed. Fast forward a year and I’ve got the same slipping starting.

The timing is coincidental, I believe. The weather isn’t all that different to account for a sudden change. What’s more likely is that when I recently replaced a flat tire, I didn’t set it all back together properly.

I have checked the adjustment of the wheel itself, the alignment of the gear cable, and tried to determine if anything was looser than normal. I also followed the directions in the IGH3 maintenance manual, but even tightening it as far as it’ll go didn’t seem to be enough to stop the occasional slip. Is there something I’m missing here?

Does anyone have any advice on how to properly tune an auto-tension belt?

I suspect the tensioner is working correctly, but the sprocket is starting to wear and is not holding the belt teeth properly.

You say that when the belt was slipping previously, it wore the sprocket away. I would not expect a reinforced rubber belt to severely damage a metal sprocket so presumably it is of a softer material such as aluminum or a composite plastic that is subject to wear even when the belt is not slipping.

Inspect the sprocket and see if there are wear marks visible on the teeth.

It’s also possible is that the belt itself is worn as well.


What are the "monument" races? I heard recently that Simon Gerrans of the new Green Edge cycling team had won one of the monuments.  What are these races?

In the world of professional cycling, the 'Monument' races are five of the oldest and widely considered most prestigious one-day races held each year. They are:

Milan – San Remo (Italy)
Tour of Flanders (Belgium)
Paris–Roubaix (France)
Liège–Bastogne–Liège (Belgium)
Giro di Lombardia (Italy)

More information can be found on each race, and the "Classics" in general in the Wikipedia article Classic Cycle Races.

A key factor in the argument that Eddy Merckx is the greatest competitive cyclist ever is that he won 19 Monuments - the next rider on the list won 11.


Suspension seatpost for mountain biking? I've seen several seatposts on the market with suspension built into them such as the Thudbuster, Redshift, and Kinect and was wondering if anyone is using one for mountain biking?

Is it worth the money and does it improve the ride quality?

Let me know your thoughts. Thanks!

It is more common for modern mountainbikers to use adjustable, or dropper posts, rather than suspension posts, both on hardtail and full suspension bikes.

The difference is that a dropper post's length can be  dynamically varied with a lever press, but without pressing it there is no spring action what so ever. This way, the rider's center of gravity can be lowered on rough and steep descents, but pedaling efficiency can be returned back whenever needed at the post's full extension.

In contrast, a suspension post has a fixed length and saddle position oscillating around that length with help of a spring of some sort. It is typically used for comfort riding or touring long distances on rough roads.

No modern high-grade modern mountain bike known to me comes with a suspension post, but a lot come with a dropper post.

  Is it worth the money

It is only for you to decide.

  does it improve the ride quality?

Having a bit of something to smooth road chatter is always welcome. Think about the trade-offs however: higher weight, higher cost, need for maintenance, and occasional return spring action smashing the saddle into your crotch (a spring saves kinetic energy only to give it back later). For mountain biking, where road chatter is not an issue, I would always prefer a dropper or even a classic rigid seat post to a suspension post. For a 100+km gravel road ride, I would go with a suspension post.

I want also to add that a suspension post is likely redundant on a full suspension MTB because there already is a spring at the rear of the bike that should provide similar, if not that pronounced, effect. For hardtails, modern frame designs attempt to build limited amount of flex into rear parts of frames (seatstays) to fulfill the same purpose of filtering out the road chatter getting to the saddle.


FiveTen Freeriders vs Freeriders VXi I can't decide between these two models. I need them mostly for technical trail riding, like getting on boulders on the way up (I'm fine with cleats going down, but on the way up on each mistake I have to find my way to unclip to put a feet, and 50% of the time I don't quite succeed in that and lay sideways). Does the new VXi bald sole design sacrifices some of the grip in exchange for the ability to reposition the foot? What would be your choice?

I've got the regular Freeride shoes and love how sticky they are. Haven't tried the new VXi ones, but I think the spot with no tread pattern would be a little nicer since you don't have to lift your foot to reposition. I'd recommend reading Pinkbike's review as they cover most of the relevant points.


What's the point of removing the excess oil after lubing the chain? There is a very strong point in bike-mechanics culture, which I've seen in very competent answers here, too, to apply one drop of lube in every single roller of a clean chain, and then (!very important!) to remove as much as possible the excess lube with a dry cloth.

I am aware a "soaked in oil" chain is bad, because grime sticks to it, lube is wasted, the chain "irradiates" dirty oil around (over the bike, trousers, socks, etc.).

I am also aware there could be a "magical point" where the chain is already lubed but not soaked yet, and that perhaps happens when you don't put so much oil, so as when you "run" a thin string of oil over the slowly spinning chain, instead of dripping a (whole) drop of lube in every roller.

Finally, I'm aware too that oil outside the chain is pretty much useless, and the only part that MUST be lubed is unfortunately harder to reach - the inner surface of the inner-plate holes, where it spins around the chain pins.

So, the question is: "Is there anything really bad that happens to the drivetrain if you don't wipe excess lube immediately, or is it just a practical measure to make life easier (or something else)?"

The excess oil collects grit from the road, which acts as an abrasive that will wear out the chain.


Failure modes for suspension forks, air and coil An air suspension fork on one of my bikes starts showing its age: noticeable play, scratches on stanchions etc. It has not become less smooth and does not leak air so far, however.

I am starting to wonder how safe it is to continue using it, and what will happen when it "fails".

Possible outcomes of a non-catastrophic suspension fork failure that I can imagine are:

All air leaks out and it compresses fully, becoming very short
All air leaks out and it expands fully, becoming at its full extension
Air air blows out, making stanchions loose in the legs
The fork just locks at random compression position.
Stanchions become so loose with so much play that it becomes noticeable at braking and steering.

What of these options are real, both for air forks and coil forks? Are there other failure scenarios resulting from a fork's old age but not a crash?

Basically the air and oil seals get worn and leaky. You'll get less air spring pressure, droop and increasingly poor damping.

Of your options, 2 and 3 are not realistic. If the air spring pressure drops to zero (relative to ambient atmospheric pressure), there is no force to extend the fork. With no air spring pressure the stanchions will not slide freely on the legs because the oil based damping system is still working.


Bike stops in place when trying to manual I recorded myself while practicing doing manuals or even attempting to loop out to practice bailing. I noticed that whenever I start to preload and pull back, my bike stops in place until my front wheel goes back down. Am I simply going too slow? Is this the reason why I tend to fall sideways whenever I try shifting further?

Yes, that's the effect of your Mass Center moving around a reference point, in this case your bike. You and your bike make a whole thing, So when you "preload" you shift your torso towards the handlebars and down, which makes the bike to go away from you on the oposite direction. Given that you have foward direction, it anulates. And when you pull up your front wheel, your back wheel should be coming under your body. Meanwhile you bend your legs and stretch your arms, counterbalancing the weight of the front portion of your bike. So in short, you try to mantain your balance point(center of mass) over the back axle and near it.

Other thing is that a wheel, or any object that has mass and rotates on an axle. Has a "Moment of inertia(aka rotational inerti or angular mass)", which means the faster the wheel spins, the harder is to take it out of it's trajectory. In simple english, means that it's easier to go straight on a manual the faster you go, because the wheel won't like to lay down with more speed.

To lean either right or left on a manual, you should do it bowing your feets and knees. It depends mostly where you put your weight on your pedals, so leaning your feets both to left will make a sharp turn so be careful.


Hydraulic discs on commuter bike Does anyone have any recommendations in favor/opposed to hydraulic disc brakes on a commuter bike? I'm considering building up a new commuter with discs but, as an old-school kinda person, I have no experience with anything other than rim brakes. Specifically, I'm interested in the commuting aspects of this. Is changing the rear or front tire any more difficult?

I don't like the idea of more complicated roadside repairs but I do like the idea of better stopping in wet weather.

Also, can anyone recommend a good disc brake for commuting?

Hydraulic disc brakes are now available on Shimano's lowest level MTB/hybrid groupsets (Altus, Acera and Alivio) which opens up the possibility of putting them on inexpensive flat-bar commuter bikes.

Hydraulic discs brakes are obviously more expensive, and they are a little heavier than rim brakes. They are going to give better and less variable performance than rim brakes. They do work better in the wet and are much less affected by mud or dirt on the trail or road,

Hydraulic disc brakes require less maintenance. Once you have them set up they just work and keep working without needing continual adjustment. The pads adjust themselves and there are no cables to stretch or get dirty.

Replacement pads are a little more expensive, but are quite easy to change. You do have to remember to pop them out occasionally to check the wear as they are not as visible as rim brake pads.

One downside is hydraulic discs need bleeding periodically, which is a little expensive. How often and how much is costs depends on the make and model.

Wheel removal/reinstallation is straightforward. You have to be a little careful getting the rotor in the caliper, especially on the rear wheel when you are fighting the derailleur but it's not too difficult. You also have to remember to not pull the lever while there is no disc in the caliper (or insert a special block to keep the pads separated).


Can this damage to my brake mounts be repaired? So, I tried to take some brakes off of a bicycle to change my old-style callipers with V-brakes; the results were not good.

One of the "heads" or "lugs" was so caught in brake itself that I managed to torque it clean off of the bicycle trying to remove it.  The darn thing is STILL caught inside the brake, it's just not attached to the bicycle any more.

Is there any way to fix this sort of damage or is the bike a goner?  I assume I need to find someone who can weld.

Also, how did a tube inside of another tube get SO stuck that it took all of my strength to even start moving it with tool?

Problem Solvers makes a kit that is usually worth a shot to see if the post is completely shot and needs re-welding:

Cantilever Stud Repair Kit

You could probably even fabricate one yourself if you could find the right tubing diameter. We used these frequently at the shops I managed, and they have a roughly 50% success rate. Having them work properly is largely dependent on ensuring that the base of the original stud is cut and filed very flush and almost perfectly perpendicular to the bolt's orientation.

If you install it successfully, great! You've only spent a few dollars, and you've got the bike back up and running. It's much cheaper than trying to get a new boss re-welded on.

If this does not work, it's only a few dollars spent, and you can explore alternatives.

Installation Instructions

I would not really even recommend trying to have it re-welded, because it's pretty difficult for a welder (unless they're an experienced framebuilder with the correct jig setup) to get the boss lined up to the point that the posts are equidistant and oriented to exactly the same angle.

Your second best option would be the long-ish caliper brake that RoboKaren suggested. Don't even consider those disc brake adapters; the chances for failure or misalignment (that leads to failure) is very high. Disc brakes are not a one-size-fits-all solution, and require much more precision than those adapters can supply.


Disc brakes not separating with force I have Tektro disc brakes on my bike, and I guess I pulled the lever when the back wheel was off. After the pads were not separating I tried to force them apart, but got no luck. Is it because there is too much fluid in the system, or I cannot separate them with the wheel off?

You normally need to take the pads out and lever the pistons. The pistons have a tight tolerance and jam easily.

Its possible to do it with the pads in but you need a narrow enough tool to get all the way between the pads, that is strong enough to put the force need to retract the pistons. You also risk damage the pads.

There cannot be too much fluid unless you bleed the brakes with the pistons extended. The fluid that pushed the pads out will return the reservoir, however this needs a happens quite slowly- you need to apply a gentle force to the pads for a long time rather than a brute force it.

Worth watching


Advice on what to buy for someone who snaps rear axles often To start off, I have snapped my rear axle on my current bicycle four times already. Usually the wheel never "dislocated", so I was fine, but the last time I almost drove off a 10m drop because I almost lost the rear wheel. (It got stuck between the seat pole thing and was held on by the chain.)
I have no clue about bicycles though. I just bought what the dealership recommended to me at the time of purchase. (I would gladly read up & learn about that stuff, but I have the case of mountain stupid, where I do not even know what terms to look up...)
I have been riding every day on a relatively steep decline / incline (~20%) which is paved with beton (concrete) blocks, and I am quite heavy (120kg with clothes). That weight is still under the "rated for" weight of my current bicycle, but I'm guessing the axle snapping is caused by my weight.
The bicycle originally had a "tube" axle which you could tighten with a lever. Originally I replaced it with an identical one, which also snapped so I tried replacing it with a solid one, hoping that would be better but that snapped too. Twice.
I am really unsure what to do about it / what to get now, and was hoping I could get some advice of what to look for. I live in Europe, so if you are going to recommend a product it would be great if I wouldn't have to import it.
My current bicycle is from a company called "Bulls - The Ride You Want", but I couldn't find anything about them online except for a really crappy advert on YouTube.

You almost certainly have a 7 or 8 speed freewheel hub. They can do this, especially 8. Google those terms along with broken axles.
8 speed freewheel hubs had some years of prominence circa 2000-2001 and then were rejected by the industry because of these problems. They have now made a return due to manufacturers answering the pressure to fit so many other name features into a low price point. They're cynical trash.
If the above surmising is true, get a compatible cassette hub wheel and a cassette, plus a new chain.


Pedal and Cassette Shake I really need your suggestions.
The situation is bellow: I have bought brand new one "Specialized Rockhopper Sport 29" 2017 satin navy-hyper" in a official dealer of Specialized.

When i arrived at home, just for interest rotated bicycle and checked the spinning... during the spinning i noticed that pedal and cassette was shaking - confused, went back to shop and asked them for change but they told me that this is totally normal and there is no bicycle without this.

Maybe it is a hub problem and thats why it shakes.

Still wondering, need your advice, should i take care about it or it is normal?

Here is the video:

Youtube:

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/236250012

Please consider the fact, even when i touch to cassette it is obvious that it shaking really.

Thanks a lot.
Look forward to hearing from you people.

I can't see anything wrong at all.

The any vibration you may feel when the rear wheels is spinning but the cranks and chain and cassette are not moving is due to the clicking of the pawls in the free-hub.

I think if you hold a pedal and spin the cranks so the rear wheel turns you will not detect any vibration or 'shaking', as the free-hub will engage.

I think if you ride the bike you will find it functions normally.


TRP spyre mounts wider than rear disc mount positions I recently picked up a Cannondale CAAD12 Disc and some TRP spyre disc calipers for it. Just lining up the mount holes on the spyres to the mount positions, the front disc mounts on the fork line up great. Hoever, the mount positions on the rear are closer together than the mount positions on the spyre caliper. The two spyre calipers are the same, but the disc mount positions on the rear of the CAAD12 frame are closer together.

Is there an adapter or something I need to get? Or a completely new caliper? Will this affect what size rotors I can run?

That bike has rear flat mount. If there's room for a post mount caliper plus adapter, which from looking at some pictures I doubt there is, the rear post mount adapter of the right size is your part, something like:

If there's no room then you need a flat mount caliper instead.


What to use on saddle clamp? I'm purchasing a new seat-post as my saddle refused to stay at the same angle with my current one; it was a second hand bike (B'Twin Triban 500) with a single bolt clamp. I'm going to switch to a two bolt clamp to try and fix the situation, and hopefully get the right angle!

However, I can't find any information on whether to use grease or threadlock on the bolts. I use grease on most bolts, and don't actually have any threadlock; I believe I'd be looking to get Loctite Blue-243 or Blue-242 if I needed it? Furthermore, is there a difference between threadlock and anti-seize?

Thanks!

A very thin coating of grease will help prevent the threads corroding or sticking together, as will a specific anti-seize product. You definitely want something on the bolts as water and crud gets thrown up into the bottom of the saddle by the rear wheel.

You can use thread locker, but if you have been having trouble with the seat bolt coming loose you are probably not tightening it enough. You can try taking the bike to a repair shop and having them use a torque wrench to tighten the bolts properly.


Will an Italian threadded headset fit on an English frame and forks? I'm currently building a roadbike with slightly dated components and was wondering if a Campagnolo headset will fit on my frame? It's a Holdsworth, so the fork threads are English spec.

I know what size the headset has to be, but I'm concerned about the Italian threading as according to Sheldon Brown:

"Obsolete. Threads are cut at 55 degrees, but ISO or J.I.S. headsets can be used."

And I was wondering how this degree cut in the threads would affect fitting of the headset?

The fork threads are the only threads to worry about in this case. Assuming an English threaded fork, a Campy headset which is recent manufacture should be no problem.

If it is Italian threaded, it should specify. The major worry for current bike threading issues have to do with the Bottom Bracket thread.


What type chain lube should you use in a sand and salt water enviroment? I rent bikes in remote beach locations. What lubrication will reduce rust and sand accumulation?

There's not much you can do against the evil trifecta of salt, water, and sand. You can use a teflon, graphite, or moly based dry lube but inevitably sand particles are going to gouge the metal and salt+water is going to start corrosion.

The problem with chain wear due to sand is that the chains themselves can look good (i.e., not rusty on the outside), but will in fact be considerably worn internally. This can lead to considerable chainring and sprocket wear before you catch it. As other commentators note, one option if you want to keep your current bikes is to buy a chain tool and chain in bulk, and  replace the chains on a regular basis.

That being said, if you haven't bucked the trend of every other rental place and decided to get the absolute cheapest bikes possible, then you might want to look into belt-drive bicycles. You'll solve at least the problem of chain rusting and sprocket damage from the sand and salt. Your customers will also be impressed with belt-drives as they are silky smooth.

This doesn't solve the problem of salt+water+sand getting in other places (bottom bracket; headset) but the chain is the one part that customers will really notice poor maintenance on.

However, whether buying a nicer bike is worth it depends on your business model: how much you expect to spend on maintenance and how long you amortize each bicycle given also abuse and theft levels.


Can't identify pedals or find cleats These pedals were on a used bike I purchased a year ago or so. I just switched them out for some old pedals I had because I didn't have cleats or shoes. Now I want to buy cleats and shoes, but I cannot for the life of me figure out what these pedals are. Can anyone identify these and point me in the right direction for getting some cleats?]1

These are SPD-R pedals. SPD-R is Shimano's older road pedal system, and its cleats have different bolt pattern than either SPD or any other road pedal. The cleats are still available from some online shops, but you need either old SPD-R compatible shoes or an adapter plate to use them.


Settings in my computer I have a Trek Silque, 2017. What centimeter size should I be using in my computer for figuring correct distance?

Very roughly, you take the ISO size (on the side of the tire, in a form like "38-584"), add the two times the first number to the second number (eg, 76 + 584), and that gives you the wheel diameter in mm.

(There is the problem that the tire width value is far from exact, but it's about the best you can go on.)

If the application you're dealing with wants the circumference then you multiply the above result by pi (3.14).

From a web search I see that the original tires on the bike were likely 700x25c.  The "700" rim has an ISO diameter of 622.  The 25 width is probably close enough to the ISO value.  So 622 + 50 =  672 mm diameter, or 2110 mm circumference.  (Of course, divide the numbers by 10 for cm values.)

Or, of course, you can simply walk the bike along the floor for 5 or 10 complete wheel revolutions, measure the distance traveled, and calculate from that.


Can't figure out the origin of loud screeching noise I've had my bike for over 1 year. Since the day I bought it it's had this problem where it makes a really loud screeching noise coming somewhere from the back. I didn't notice it at the store because it comes and goes. It started shortly after I bought it and I brought it back to the store and asked about it. They said it was caused by the paint on the rims and it would disappear with wear. It's been one year, the rims are somewhat worn, and it's as loud as ever. In fact the front rim makes less noise and is much less worn. The front rim also makes some noise but a lot less than the back. If anything the back noise seems to be getting worse.
I know someone who bought the same model and she's never had this problem.
It doesn't make much difference whether the bike is dirty or clean, although it happens more frequently if the bike is dirty, along with other creaking noises.
I've tried loosening the bolts on the back wheel, makes no difference.
It's not because of lack of oil, or excess. I found some oil had gotten into the back rim and I scrubbed it thoroughly with alcohol. The noise got even worse.
It's not the brakes because it doesn't make any difference whether they are new or worn out. Loosening or tightening the brakes makes no difference. I've tried with 2 different models (the first the same as the one on the front), no difference.
Tuned or untuned, makes no difference. I've cleaned it thoroughly, no difference.
Pedaling or not doesn't make any difference. This sound only happens when I brake, otherwise the bike works normally. The brakes work well, except for this issue.
Three things that make a difference:
The sound gets worse if I ride through puddles and the rims get wet. Gets better when they dry.
My weight. I weigh ~55kgs, it's a medium size bike so there shouldn't be a problem. Although, if I run alongside my bike and hit the brakes, no noise. At all. I tried the same thing but I pressed down on the seat with my hand when I braked. There was some noise, but not much.
Another thing that made some difference was flour. Yes, I put some flour on the back rim just try it. Reduces the noise a bit, but not much. I read that scrubbing it a bit with sand paper could help, I want to try that. Would dirt help? Possibly, but even though I go on a lot of dusty trail rides not much dirt gets on the rim.
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/AF05KHy

Can anyone help me figure out the problem? If all else fails I will just buy new rims.
EDIT: I think I have figured out what it is. I've followed this video:

and I've been able to eliminate the noise almost completely. I will try it again tomorrow when I have more time.

You are describing brake squeal caused by the brake pads resonating on the rim during braking. Wet rims often squeal worse than dry ones and the flour use reduced the friction somewhat which reduced the ability to resonate as well as diminishing brake effectiveness.
There is a way to alleviate much of the braking noise with the technique of "toeing" in the brake pads very slightly so that the front of the pad contacts the rim first and then the rest of the pad closes further. This helps prevent resonating which is the cause of the noise.
A rubber band wrapped around the trailing edge of each pad will provide ample toe in when the loosened pad, brought into contact with the rim by activating the brake lever, is then tightened down with the pads fixing bolt. A business card placed between the trailing half of a brake pad and the rim is an alternate method of setting the toe in.
Additional actions that can be taken are cleaning the braking surface of the rim with alcohol and a scouring pad to remove oils and other contamination that can add to the tendency of the system to resonate.  At the brake pad, use sand paper to rough up and clean the braking surface of the pads.  Pads develop a hard glaze with age and the heat from braking which can contribute to noisy braking. Sandpaper removes the glazing exposing softer rubber below. The roughened surface of the pads contributes to the friction potential which can change the ability of the pad to resonate on the rim.  Utilizing a softer compound pad can be of use as well. Kool Stop is a popular, quality brand of brake pads that many bikers swear by.  One can acquire brake pads that have a longer contact patch on the rim--the pads are essentially longer which effects the resonation potential as well.
Park Tool has an excellent instructional video on linear pull, "V-brakes," such as yours, and includes the toe-in technique described above.


Bar diameter for Genesis Croix de fer 20 (2015) I would like to switch my stem for angle adjustable one and I am having trouble identifying the clamp size for the Gensis, Croix de Fer 20 (2015).

I do not see the stem/bar clamp spec listed.

There are various adjustable road stems :

Ritchey adjustable road: 25.4mm bar clamp
Deda adjustable road 31.8mm bar clamp

These both seem to be standard road stem/bar clamp sizes, I am not sure where to find which one Genesis use documented.

Thanks to renesis and Batman, I used masking tape to measure bar clamping circumference.

100mm circumference => 31.8mm diameter.


What are the advantages of filling tires with Nitrogen instead of air? I am completely new to riding bikes and know that are usually filled with air but nowadays some people fill them with Nitrogen instead.

I don't know why they prefer to fill their tires with nitrogen as it is more costly than filling them with air.

What are the benefits of filling tires with Nitrogen?

There are some compelling reasons for filling vehicle tires with pure nitrogen in performance situations, but for bike tires it's just snake oil. There aren't substantial enough temperature fluctuations in a bike tire to justify the pressure consistency argument.

It's also worth noting that the air you breathe and fill your tires with is more than three-quarters Nitrogen, so this isn't as special as it may sound.


Gear shifting : new to cycling maintenance I'm new to cycling. I have a Soma Saga with SRAM X7 derailleur and Apex shifters. I have ridden about 200 miles on it.

When I'm cycling, sometimes my gears shift/jump to the next gear on their own. I lubed my chain but I'm not sure what or where else to check so shifting is smooth.

Any help is appreciated.

Thank you!

There is a number of things that can result in bicycle gears 'auto shifting'.

The gear indexing could be out of adjustment, so that the chain is either getting caught by the next biggest sprocket causing a down-shift, or falling off onto the next smallest sprocket causing an up-shift. If the indexing is off enough to cause auto-shifting the chain would be making a lot of noise though.

Cables and housings may be dirty, worn or loose which causes the input at the shifter to not appear accurately at the derailleur.

There are many articles and YouTube videos available that will teach you bike mechanics (my personal favorites are from Park Tool). However, if you are not experienced with bike mechanics you will probably be best taking your bike to a good local repair shop. Ask the tech to explain what their diagnosis is and their recommended fix.

Update based on extra info:

New bike with ~200m very likely needs a post break-in tune up including adjustment of the gear indexing to account for cable stretch. Bike shops in the US at least (the extent of my personal experience) commonly do this for free,


Why is 2nd largest rear cog making clicking noise? I have constant clicking noise from the 2nd largest rear cog on my cycle. It starts as soon as I shift into the 2nd gear either from 1st or 3rd gear.

I have checked the following things:

Cable tension - all gear shifts are smooth and quick (both on stand and while riding).
Limit screws are fine.
I have cleaned/oiled the chain and wiped off excess lubricant.
Checked if any of the links are sticking/getting stuck to its adjacent link- they are not.
Visual inspection of teeth shows no excessive wear or bent teeth on any of the cogs.

I have been unsuccessful in trying to locate the problem. I would be grateful for any pointers that will help in troubleshooting this problem.
I am learning to fix my bike and would like to avoid taking it to LBS if possible.

Information: Cogs are 9 speed with Deore derailleur.

It would be one of a few things:

The rear derailleur is not center aligned on the rear cog when in that gear. Take a look at the cog and derailleur gear alignment dead on from the rear when in the noisy gear and look for vertical alignment. If it is misaligned it can be ajusted with the barrel adjuster.
The chain is not clearing the front derailleur guard when in this gear. Look at it from the top down when in the noisy cog and ensure no rubbing between the chain and derailleur guard. If there is rubbing the limit screws can be adjusted
The cog is damaged in some way causing some sort of misalignment

The problem with the first two possibilities is that I'd expect the noise to persist in the 1st cog as well.


Derailleur/Gears Locks Up/ Freezes Up/Stalls Hey guys I have a specialized mtb with the old oval chainrings and lately it's been locking up. When I start pedalling "hard" or faster the crank stops turning and then jumps forward a bit and generally is not very pleasant. Please note the wheels keep turning fine. Has anyone had this problem before? It's happened to me on another, thankfully cheaper, bike that was stolen a year before I built my fixie (which gives me no such problems) a couple years ago.

To recap, the pedals stop turning and then jump forward, stalling in a way, when I start to pedal harder, like up a hill or just on flat but faster. How do I fix this?

Thanks for any help! I really love this bike!

This is most likely an issue with your bottom bracket.

To diagnose, remove your chain from the chainwheel so you can spin the cranks without the rest of the drivetrain being involved.

The easiest way to do this is to use your left hand to pull the rear derailleur's cage towards the front of the bike, creating slack in the chain. Then with your right hand pull the chain off away from the bike. You don't want to drop it in between the crank and frame as it's likely to get jammed.

If the cranks spin freely, with no "bad spots" and without creating a "grainy" sound, then your issue isn't with your bottom bracket and is likely a damaged/worn chain or rear derailleur cogs.


Can my bike have disk brakes fitted? I just bought this bike and I want to put disk brakes on. I searched on the web for answers but I only could find a bad picture and I couldn't see if it had the same holes at the sane please as my bike. So my question is is my bike able to have disk brakes?

No  Those lugs are for mounting a rear mudguard/fender or a rear rack, not a brake caliper.

They are far too weak for a caliper, too close to the axle and would be torn off quickly by the leverage if you did somehow use them to mount a caliper.

Remember that rear brakes are only 5-10% of your overall braking.  If you desperately want to add discs to this bike, either find a front fork with disc brakes, and a suitable front wheel with a rotor.

Otherwise you need to look out for a newer/better bike.


Drum brake that fits on a Brompton fork? I'd like to install a drum brake on a Brompton.

The internal distance between the drop-outs is 74mm.

I don't know how wide the Shimano Nexus Roller Brake are, but Sturmey-Archer's X-FD looks interesting.

However, I'm confused about its dimensions: The page says it's 70mm while the PDF says its OLD is 100mm.

Can someone confirm 70mm is actually the width of the drum brake vertically, and 100mm the distance between the two flanges, ie. it won't fit on a Brompton?

Thank you.

70mm is the diameter of the brake drum. There is model XL-FD which is labeled as "90mm Front Drum Brake Hub" that has equal width but larger drum. The respective pitch circle diameters are 89.9mm and 109mm, which places the spoke holes 9.5mm away from the drum.

So, the OLD is 100mm, which is standard for most bikes but unfortunately does not fit Brompton.


How to play video games while cycling on trainer? I'm interested in playing video games while riding the bike trainer this winter. Using a controller with a regular setup would likely require me to sit up on the saddle, possibly setting myself up for some weird / painful conditions due to unusual posture for extended periods of time.  I would likely plan to ride for at least an hour, if not longer each session.

How can I set up my bike so that I can be comfortable holding a controller and riding at the same time?

I can play like this for an hour or so

Get a multi elevation desk (Like this one around $35 from Amazon) it allows you to lower and tilt the TV UP toward you reducing neck strain
adding cheap armrest bars/aerobars (like these around $20 from Amazon) allows you to rest your elbows comfortably while riding the bike, keeping your weight forward.
Adding a heart rate monitor that beeps when you slow down is a good way to remind yourself to speed up.

Tips

Sweat will be a pain with the controller so keep a towel handy.

My Trainer is rather loud, so I use (in the ear) - ear buds. I originally used a cloth - full headset, but the sweat made them stank up.

Doing both tends to create a seesaw effect - Games that require alot of concentration will naturally make you slow down. Going faster (higher heart rate) tends to increase the games difficulty.

As mentioned by @AndyP  below, this will likely decrease performance (at least initially) in both gaming and cycling while doing both, so I wouldn't recommend using this as a method to increase performance in cycling or gaming.

With that said - it is a decent way to burn excess calories and build muscles while performing an otherwise stagnant activity.


Vintage shimano chain ring part numbers I have several vintage NOS chain rings with part numbers. Is there a way to look them up to see what the specs are? Example:
I have 4 rings with 24T, 68BCD:

two of them have part# 17L24000 stamped 1G L-24
two of them have part# 4-1C424000 stamped M9 P-24.

Do these differ somehow?

The first is a Shimano M950 chainring:
https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/ev/EV-FC-M950-1591.pdf

The second is a Shimano M952 chainring:
https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/ev/EV-FC-M952-4-1757.pdf


Why do current mountain bikes have such steep top tube? Comparing my Kona Blast 2001 vs 2019 I am very curious about the geometries of mountain bikes nowadays (or probably since a while back).

They all seem to have very tilted top tube .. compare my Kona Blast 2001 vs 2019

Kona Blast 2001

Kona Blast 2019

For the newer bike that fits well when riding .. have tendency to be hitting my crouch when I dismount somehow.

Circa 2000 a Blast had 80mm travel and 26" wheels on 1.90" tires, compared to a modern Blast -27.5" wheels, 100mm travel, on 2.25" tires. The crown height on the modern Blast is significantly higher than its ancestors, necessarily raising the top tube height at the front.

The seat tube with modern geometry has been shortened. Among other things such as handling changes, it helps with stand over height allowing a broader range of riders to fit the same frame.


V-brake seems asymmetrical I'm not a big expert, so forgive me if I use some terms wrong (especially because I'm not a native English speaker).

I have a MTB with V-brakes. I wanted to tune the rear brake because it looked like the pad were working asymmetrically (with the right pad being closer to the wheel). What I noticed, though, is that the whole brake tends to "move" to the left, where the noodle is. If I pull the whole brake to the right with my hand then pull the lever, the right arm gets pulled while the left one stays almost in place; when I release the lever, the right arm stays in place and the left one gets away from the rim. After that, pulling and releasing the lever seems to affect only the left arm - with the right pad staying quite close to the rim, to the point that the wheel is always braking.

In short, if I understand it correctly, the brake arms should look like a V ( \ / ) and become parallel when pulled ( | | ); instead mine look like this ( \ | ) when released.

The bike has fourteen years and a couple of accidents on its shoulders (one affected the rear wheel, but I had it repaired at a shop, and AFAIK the rear brake was unaffected). Is this problem due to bad tuning? How could I fix it? Or should I forget about it and get a new brake?

Thanks!

Please do the following experiments:
Release the brake cable, pulling (1) apart from (2) (no tools needed). Swing the brake arms one at a time, making sure they have nice spring-y reaction the last 2-4 centimeters of their travel towards the rim.

If the movement feels "rusty" and the swingarms don't readily return, there is mud and rust inside the breaks. Replace them.

Now check if both push back with the approximately equal force, when at equal distances from the rim.

If one arm pushes back significantly more than the other, the coarse setting is wrong.

With the brake cable still disengaged, squeeze the brake lever a few times.

If there is any resistance, or if the cable looks rusty, it should be oiled/replaced.

When the brake arms are pressed against the rim, the brake shoe should rest fully against the rim (in contrast with only half the pad touching the rim or touching the tire). If this is not correct, the brake shoe can "latch" when pressed, sticking to the rim by friction.
Most probably the brakes and cables are rally old. You can disassemble those parts, wash them under pressure, let them dry and re-install them, or you can replace them with more modern parts.


How can I remove the small slitted nuts to open an old rear hub? This is an old back hub that has back-pedal break, and two internal gears. As pictured it has two slitted nuts that lock the hub.

Which tool should I use to remove these nuts without damaging them?

Is there some way of removing them without a special tool?

With an angle grinder and a flat file you can easily make a tool for this purpose from flat iron (preferably hardened):

If you use hardened flat iron, make sure to spray or dip it in water regularly too not lose the tempering when grinding. The small tip that fits into the slit of the nut needs to be finished with the flat file since the angle grinder doesn't reach to make it the right angle.


Repurpose old android phone (without cell phone plan) as cycle computer with GPS tracking? I upgraded my cell phone and now have a Droid X2 without cell service that I'm not using for anything.  Can I utilize my old Droid X2 phone (or any android phone without a cell phone plan) as a basic cycle computer, GPS Router Tracker, or Navigation tool? How will the capabilities stack up against a dedicated cycling GPS such as a Garmin 800?

I would be using this on the road completely data free.  However, I think the GPS functionality should still be functional, even without data service.  I should be able to access an internet connection at home to upload or download data to the phone as well as install apps.

I have a background in developing consumer GPS systems...... There is no doubt that a Garmin is a much better device for the job. On cell phones, GPS and associated functionality is the side dish - as in "would you like fries with your burger", on a Garmin, is the Raison d'être.

Hardware wise, its a no brainier.

First, as already mentioned in @armb answer, is battery life - Cell phones start small with the smallest battery they can get away with, ever seen a Cellphone with battery life specified - with GPS turned on - there is a reason for that.

Robustness - cell phone - robust not... There are few slightly rugged ones (I have a Motorola Defy) - but they don't match a Garmin. My defy is supposed to be water proof (IP66, 1/2 hour 1 meter under water). I don't worry about rain, but sure as anything ain't going to put it under water - it has one tiny O ring to seal it, I bet an IP66 Garmin has 2 decent sized ones.

Another issue to think about is that phones have tiny GPS antennas (Remember the fries). Cell phones use assisted start - where the cell network provide key information on start up, allowing them to find the satellites easier. Its easy for a GPS to track where you are once it knows where (and when) you are. If it doesn't know where you are, it doesn't know where to "look" for the satellites, and needs to search for them. Think of looking for a buoy on the water. If you get told, "Find the buoy" it can take forever to find it. With training and binoculars, it's easier, but if I say "The buoy is over there, keep watching it" - anyone can see it (that assisted start).
With no data connection, no assisted start - think minutes to get a fix every time you turn it on, even in perfect conditions, and never in marginal conditions vs Garmin taking a few seconds and nearly always. Research "GPS TTFF" (Time to First Fix). A Garmin with its better GPS front end, will hold the fix much more reliably, if you ride "urban canyons", forests and such like its important.

Software -
I mostly use my Defy when on the bike these days - there is a range of Android software probably as good as Garmin has, but you need to find the right one from the hundreds of most rubbish available, install it, jump though hoops with your right pinky finger in you left ear...... Garmin will work out the box.

Sim Card - most cells need a sim card to get past the startup screen.......

Summary - a Cell phone will probably work - with a bit of shagging around, you might even find it acceptable. Garmin will work out the box....


10 speed rear derailleur only shifting 7 gears....losing my mind OK, so I have a rough and ready road bike (Planet X London Road) that is not shifting right....

It is running:

Shimano Tiagra 4600 Shifters (3 x 10) but running it a 1x10 with one front chainring

Shimano Deore RD-M610 (RDM610SGSL) 10 Speed Derailleur

Shimano Tiagra 4700 10 speed rear cassette

It shifts through the first 7 gears without issue but uses all 10 clicks to get there.  It does not reach up to the last/top 3 gears (even though it will when I move the derailleur manually by hand).

I have tried with another Tiagra road shifter and it produced the same results.

I have set up the high/low limit screws correctly, tightened the cable multiple times and set the jockey wheel height correctly.  No difference.

I have connected a MTB 10 speed shimano thumb shifter and it goes through all 10 gears perfectly.

Any ideas?  It is driving me quite mad!

I believe your problem is a mismatch of cable pull ratios between the shifter and derailleur.

The rear derailleur actuation ratio is how far the shifter cage moves for a unit length of cable pulled. The amount of cable a shifter needs to pull for each gear shift is determined by the actuation ratio and the spacing between the cassette sprockets.

Generally, Shimano road 10 speeds and below and mountain 9 speeds and below used the same pull ratio (the exception being Tiagra 4700). Road 11 speed  and MTB 10 and 11 speeds require more cable to be pulled for each gear shift as it makes it easier to get the accuracy required out of the shifters to index more closely spaced sprockets.

Because you have a 10 speed MTB shifter it's mismatched with the road derailleur. Presumably you got the MTB derailleur because you wanted to be able to run a wide range cassette, but you are using a road cassette anyway. Simplest fix is to get any Shimano 10 or MTB 9 speed derailleur (but not Tiagra 4700) that can accommodate the largest cassette sprocket you want to run.


Could you make a bike frame out of 24kt gold? Obviously it's a silly idea. Apart from the cost, it's far too dense and not stiff enough to be a good frame material.

What I'm asking is would it be possible to make a ridable bike from gold? What calculations would be needed to work out what tube size/thickness would be needed?

According to Wikipedia, Gold has an "ultimate tensile strength" of 100 MPa, while steel runs from 400 to 5000. (Carbon fiber laminate is 1600.)

Gold has a specific gravity of about 19, while steel has a specific gravity of about 7.8. So it would take about 4 times as much pure gold by volume, or about 9.7 times as much gold by weight. A 15 pound steel frame would weigh about 145 pounds in gold.

Gold is currently trading about $1300 per (Troy) ounce, so that works out to 145 * 12 * $1300, or $2.26 million. I think even carbon would be cheaper (and lighter).

(And, of course, due to the weight of the frame, the frame strength would have to be beefed up, so you'd need more gold still.)


Terratrike tour II 24 gear cycle I need advice on what type chain to replace old chain. Front derailleur 3 gears, rear derailleur 8 gears.


How does one remove the lockring and sprockets from a Shimano MF-HG20 freewheel? Getting the freewheel off the hub is no problem; what I want to do is to get the sprockets off the freewheel.

I have tried tapping the lockring in an anti-clockwise direction with a steel punch, but it refuses to move. The markings on the smallest sprocket suggest that all the sprockets are splined.

The lock ring should thread off anti clockwise. You’ll have to hold one of the sprockets with a chain whip to keep the whole body from turning. If you have a lock ring tool, that makes it easier.


MTB Cassettes- are they universal to wheels Are cassettes all standard as fare as fit on the wheel?  For example, can I can swap out a new Shimano for my old SRAM without looking at specifications for fit?

There are currently 4 MTB freehub/cassette standards for SRAM/Shimano drive trains:

7 speed - Shimano/SRAM - based on Shimano HG
8/9/10 speed - Shimano/SRAM (a 7 speed cassette with a 4.5mm spacer also fits) based on Shimano HG
Shimano 11 speed - fits an 8/9/10 freehub (MTB only) - based on Shimano HG
SRAM 11 speed - XD driver freehub - SRAM proprietary system

Campagnolo has two spline patterns also, 8 speed and 9/10 speed.

Unless you a running a SRAM 1x drivetrain it's generally safe to say cassettes will be compatible for the same number of gears.


Tyres for puncture resistance for mountain biking on rocky dry terrain (folding & lightweight) I need a tyre that is really durable, puncture resistance, folding, lightweight and good for rocky (sometimes loose) and dry terrain. I work as a guide in Georgia (Caucasus) and my tyres wear out too quickly.

I really like some of the WTB tires.  Specifically the Bronson and the Weirwolf.  It's tough to find a tire that's going to do it all, but I think WTB is a good mix between weight and durability.  I also really like the traction of those two tires in a lot of varying conditions.

When you say "they wear out too quickly" how quickly are we talking?  How many miles/rides/weeks...

Another thing to consider, if you are riding tubeless (or willing to do the conversion) I have had really good luck with Stan's sealant to keep punctures to a minimum.

Also, are the tires wearing out due to treadwear, punctures, sidewall tears?  Those two tires are a really good balance all around but if you have specific concerns/issues, you might get some better recommendations.


MTB freewheel not moving back wheel after change of tyre I changed my MTB tyres to a slick set to use on road and also to connect to a turbo trainer.

After changing the tyre, I put the wheel back in, and see that the pedals are moving the chain and the freewheel around the back wheel but the wheel itself does not move at all. If I sit on the bike seat and try to pedal, I don't feel any resistance to push against.

What have I done wrong? Any tips please.

Many thanks everyone, great experience of community helping here. In my case, I managed to take it to Halfords and fortunately they were able to diagnose the problem, that it was freewheel problem but great that they fixed it too. I am really delighted. Many thanks.

Halfords Apollo 7 speed bike, likely has a freewheel unit screwed onto the hub. For this repair that would be beneficial in its simplicity.

As the rear cogs are turning, while the wheel does not and you can pedal freely, it seems the freewheel has stopped working. It is not cost effective to try and repair this because replacements are so cheap, so you need to replace the freewheel with a similar spec - temporary workarounds exist. You'll want to know that it is seven speed (check) and then the number of teeth on the smallest cog and the largest cog of the freewheel. Maybe something like "11-28" or "14-28" -  you just need to count them or look for a model code yours. Most freewheels you come across now, with the age of your bike, are standardised enough that you can buy any matching spec you come across, touch wood.

Replacing a freewheel instructions are easy to find, or you might be able to find a shop open at the moment... Not guaranteed! There is (naturally)  a very good page on Park Tool's website here.

If it happens to be a freehub design then it's the freehub of the wheel that needs replacing to achieve the same fix, which is a little bit more involved but instructions should be simple to find. The harder aspect would be finding a freehub that matches your existing one, designs vary more, and the way to find it out is by dismantling the wheel some.


Headset stiff when the bike hasn't been ridden for a while The headset on my bike is stiff when it has not been ridden for a while, but becomes smooth again after a few turns. It does not feel loose. The headset is IS42 standard.
What could be causing this?

It sounds like it needs a service, which is pretty easy to do. There is likely to be some dirt built up in inside, perhaps as a result of some water ingress, or because the grease is old and gumming up.
It's likely that the movement warms the grease up, and lets it move freely. it will need a service sooner or later. This is something you can easily do yourself, and it's likely to benefit from a cleaning, and a smear of new grease.


Can BSA 68/73 bottom bracket be used in place of fat bike BSA 100 mm I have a fat bike with SRAM GXP 100 mm bottom bracket. Except for the length of the plastic sleeve that connects two cups, it looks exactly like BSA 68/73 mm bottom brackets used on non-fat MTBs. I wonder if it is possible to use BSA 68/73 cups with this fat bike. The original longer plastic sleeve can be reused if necessary, because it barely gets any wear during exploitation.

This would greatly extend number of bottom bracket options compatible with my frame.

The spacing is the only difference across the SRAM/TRUVATIV GXP line of BB's, so yes, you can use the 68/73mm left/right cup set on your frame. Just reuse the center seal/spacer from your existing BB, especially if you're riding a lot in the winter or rain.

Funny enough I've seen cheaper prices for the less widely used 100mm than the far more common 68/73 so it might make sense to just buy the right width unless you've got a good BB source!


What is a good daytime nutrition plan for evening racing I've joined a local road racing league, it's lots of fun. I'm pushing myself and breaking lots of PBs in the process of trying not to get dropped (which I inevitably do).

As well as the craft of racing, I'm also learning about the logistical side of holding down a full time job and transporting myself + bike + kit to the various venues in time to sign on, get set up & get some time in on the rollers before briefing and race start.

So, currently my timetable for the day looks like this:

7:00 - get up, get self & kids ready (beakfast is usually porridge)
8:30 - leave for work
9:00 - arrive at work

* WHAT SHOULD I EAT AND AT WHAT TIMES DURING THIS PART OF THE DAY *

5:30 - leave work to drive somewhere
6:30 - or so, arrive at venue &
get ready
7:00 - RACE!
8:30 - (or thereabouts) finish! (hopefully not
last!)

Then pack everything up & go home drinking a protein shake thing that I make.

I also have the option to go the gym during the day, which I have been doing just to do a bit of stretching and mainly use the foam rollers.

So, as a vegetarian, what would be a good plan of what to eat and at what times in order to deliver myself to the start line as full of energy as possible? Races are all about 35 miles.

This is one of the most common questions from people new to racing. I notice user Rider_X has not responded (yet). If he does then it will be well worth reading.

This anwser is drawn from my experience with intense weekly endurance competition (squash), people who race bikes (father, brother, a dozen regular riding buddies, including several at the elite level, and an Iron Man competitor), my own experience preparing for intense non-race events, and the articles listed below.

Preparing for a weekly event the next evening starts 36 hours before, assuming you've done the training you need.

There are four things to do the day before.

Arrange to get a good night's sleep.
Eat a normal healthy balanced meal, including a moderate amount of carbohydrates.
Get your hydration level up to normal (since most people are under-hydrated).
Plan or organize your day tomorrow, so that you don't spend a lot of time

on your feet
in front of a screen
in high stress situations.

On the day of the race, eat your normal breakfast and lunch. Unless you usually skip breakfast, in which case make breakfast normal.

Two or three hours before the race, eat a light, low GI meal. One of the links below suggests

  Two hours before an evening ride, consume the equivalent of carbohydrates in grams as your body weight in pounds, for example 150 grams for a 150-pound cyclist. Keep protein amounts low, with virtually no fat ...

If you must eat later than that, then eat less and lighter, such as a banana. And keep well hydrated.

Sorry if it sounds disappointingly simple :-)

For more info, see these links

Cycling Tips What Should I Eat Before A Race?
Active Pre-Race Nutrition Guide for Cyclists and Fueling Up for the Ride
Bicycling The Best Pre-Race Foods
Bike Radar The best carbs for cycling - what to eat and when