Canyon Yellowstone 4.0 suitable for women? About a year ago I bought a Canyon Yellowstone 4.0, just after moving to Germany. I found it was a relatively good bike for the money, I've had a great time on it and I use it mainly for getting around.

Here's a link to it (no longer available on the Canyon website).
http://controlbike.com/bike/2013-canyon-yellowstone-al-4-0

My girlfriend now wants to get herself a bike, and my bike fits her pretty well. Is it suitable as a bike for females? She's pretty comfortable on it although I will have to change the seat for her to a female seat.

Given this, would it be suitable for her to try to use or are there any glaringly obvious factors I have not considered?

The distinction between women's specific and regular bikes isn't a hard rule, and you don't need a women's specific bike for a woman. Many women use standard bicycles without any problems, though just like men, they may need to tweak stem length, handlebar height, saddle width and height and position (usually, women's geometry bikes have a combination of this, along with a shorter top tube (and more sloping) and different head tube angle+length and seat tube angle+length - theres also a healthy dose of marketing). The idea is that women have longer legs, shorter torsos and arms for a given height and wider sit bones in general. There are also some men who use women's geometry bicycles, but this is rarer (primarily cause men's bicycles are more common, and better looking). Men using "women's seats" is decently common though.

If it fits her well, there aren't any problems. If it doesn't fit her well, look at other bikes (not necessarily women specific).


Could the E-bike drivetrain wear down till needing replacement after 400 km? The drivetrain (chain? gears?) of my E-bike started to make loud clicking sounds, with the impression that the chain is skipping over teeth. The gear switching itself still works well.

I have tried to regulate the rear gear mechanism by adjusting the position screws but failed to make any improvement. The chain seems positioned properly.

I started to think, maybe some parts would require replacement. Could this possibly be for the bike that has been traveled only 400 km so far? It was rather cheap for E-bike from the other side, and on flat terrain it was mostly used on the same (fastest) gear.

Could some parts be already worn if low end? If so, which parts are likely to be?

I have tried to regulate the rear gear mechanism by adjusting the position screws but failed to make any improvement.

That's almost never the adjustment that the rear derailleur needs. Those screws are called the limit screws, and they set how far in and out the derailleur can move. All they do is stop the derailleur from moving the chain all the way off the cassette on either side. There's basically nothing that causes those screws to move on their own so, assuming they were set correctly when the bike was built, they should almost never need to be touched. The symptoms that do mean they need adjustment is that either the chain is falling off the top or bottom of the cassette (derailleur able to move too far) or that gear changing is just fine, except that you can't change into the smallest or biggest cog (derailleur not able to move far enough).

The correct adjustment is to use the barrel adjuster to get the correct cable tension. That very often is needed on new bikes, because the cables tend to stretch a bit after they're installed. Argenti Apparatus has already posted a video so I'll not go into more detail than that.


Uneven inner tube when inflated inside the tyre I have bought a new inner tube that, when I inflate it inside the tyre, it stands out in the part of the valve. In the beginning I didn't realize but riding the bike it felt OK with a small bump periodically every meter or so.
I took it off to inspect it and you can see that in the area of the valve it stands out of the tyre. See picture below.

I am used to change inner tubes and this has never happened before. It is the same size as the usual specialized although this are cheaper. Is there anything that I may be doing wrong or should I return them?

PS: Other cases where the inner tube is not even although inflating it outside the tyre here and here.

When installing an inner tube, one must take extra care with regard to the area near the valve stem.  It is fairly easy to get a portion of the thickened area around the stem "trapped" behind the tire bead, leading to a situation where the bead does not seat completely and resulting in a lump.

There are several strategies to deal with this.  First, make sure the tube is partly inflated (almost fully "puffed out") when you insert it into the tire and mount the tire.  Then, after the tire is (mostly) seated on the rim, let any excess pressure out of the tube and then press the stem in with your finger, about as far as you can get it to go.  This helps pull the rubber around the valve out from behind the tire bead.

Then, when you think you have it all together, carefully inspect the bead all the way around to make sure it's evenly seated to the rim everywhere.  Correct as needed.

I will note that if a tube is too large or too small you may get lumps, but your tube appears to be properly sized.


Long sleeve vs. short sleeve jersey Does a long sleeve jersey add a lot of warmth for riding during the winter months, or does a short sleeve jersey suffice during the cold. I want a jersey for my commute to work and back and I can't decide if I should get a long sleeve or short sleeve. I am in Seattle, WA so the weather goes down to around 35-40 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter. My commute is all down hill going there (I hit around 35 mph), and all up hill going back. So I do not want a jersey that will get me too hot on the ride back, but will keep my warm riding to work. Any tips or recommendations?

Start with short sleeves, arm warmers and a light jacket and layer.

Everybody has different tolerance for temperature changes, but here is what I normally wear on my upper body.

65°F (18°C) or higher: Short Sleeve Jersey
55-65°F (13-18°C) Short Sleeve Jersey with Arm Warmers
45-55°F (7-13°C) Short Sleeve Jersey and a Jacket/Windbreaker
35-45°F (2-7°C) Short Sleeve Jersey, Arm Warmers and Jacket - or Long Sleeve Jersey (see below)
Below 35°F (2°C) PolyPro Base Layer T-shirt and a combination of the top layers...

My primary decision on whether to use arm warmers or a long sleeve jersey is what the temperature it is forecast to be when I head home.  If I think it's borderline or will be warm enough I pick the arm warmers in the morning so I can ride in the short sleeve on the way home.  I have about 25 short sleeve jerseys, 2 lighter and 2 heavier thermal fleece long sleeve jerseys. I rarely wear the LS above 35-40°F.

Also - for flexibility you may want to look at a convertible cycling jacket where the sleeves can be removed.  That gives you additional options like using the full jacket in the morning, and using it as a vest on the ride home.


Tubus rack compatibility I have author ronin 2019 and I'm wondering if this tubus rack suits to the fork of my bike. Did anybody use this front racks with similar forks?

I'm not familiar with the Ronin in particular, but I have the Tubus Tara on my Salsa Fargo, which has a very similar front fork setup, and it works fine. I had to use all of the provided spacers to get the rack to clear the calipers, but that's it.

It can be a little tight and finicky getting everything lined up when mounting the rack and taking it back off, but it's not a big deal if you're not doing that very often.


I have a bicycle that is yet to have been identified by anyone It's a five speed with a Nervar crankset
The rear derailleur is a Huret Allivet
The single friction shifter lever is located on the downtube
Remnants of a "Made in France" sticker cling to life close to said shifter
It has a headbadge that is duplicated on the top tube of an illustration of a gentleman racing a bike with the words "Tour de France" hanging in the upper left corner. The illustration is cartoonish almost in an Archie style.

I've sent emails, taken the bike to more shops than most will see in a lifetime and have strained my eyeballs to no end looking through google images in an attempt to give my daily a proper id. Here's what we know:
Has anyone ever seen one of these bikes? Does anyone know what company or manufacturer made this bike?

The graphics looks similar to a '61 Dynamax TDF edition, made by Motobecane for the Canadian market. Could be a different model year maybe?

61 dynamax decals.. Look like a similar cartoon style.

Either way its pretty awesome!


Cartridge bottom bracket left cup is too tight? Is it possible for the left-side of a cartridge-type bottom bracket to be too tight ?
I followed the tightening torque instructions, and now the axle is not running as freely as when the cup is less tight.

Should I un-tighten it ? Or is it normal that there is some sort of "preload" on the bearings ?

It is never okay for there to be "preload" on any bearing set. It causes them to wear out prematurely.

Adjust it to where there's no play nor binding (or as close as you can get to it).

Thank you for being sensitive to the obscure mechanical needs of your bicycle.

The instructions are going to bias on the side of tightness, because most people will notice and complain about loose bearings but not tight bearings. And when the BB wears out after 20k miles, they won't know that it could have lasted 100k miles with proper adjustment.


Single pivot brake with handlebar levers (Resurrecting an old Colnago) I have an old Colnago I want to resurrect, which after some Google-ing I have discovered is very similar to the bike here (but in blue):

I want to replace the drop bar brakes with "standard" brakes on the handle bar (this bike isn't for racing, just going around the city and it's more comfortable like this). So I am thinking of taking off the old brakes, re-taping the bars and fixing some new levers to the bar.

The brakes are like these:

Problem is, I have never done this before and it's a first time. So my question is: do I need anything special to convert it? Or can I just use some standard v-brake levers?

After this the next question is I want to replace the whole crankset, cassette, pedals - the works. Brakes first though.

Edit: By "standard" I mean what this bike has, but with both sets of brakes.

There are interrupter levers such as the Tektro RL720 pictured here (courtesy of Rivendel):

You will need to redo the cabling, but standard V-brake levers will not work for a variety of reasons (handle bar diameter (conceivably, you could shim it on, but this doesn't seem very safe) and amount of cable pull (which you could solve with a travel agent, but this is pricey). Most of these are designed for 24mm clamp diameter bars, so you may need a new bar if yours doesnt have this diameter.

Arne's suggestion is a good one though - you could fetch a pretty penny for that thing from a vintage bike nut, and get something thats more discrete for riding around town and other things (and has the essential rack and fender mounts).


Replace freewheel with freehub? I have a Motobecane Super Mirage that I bought in 1977. I have another bike for regular use, and I've decided to completely rebuild the older one. I determined today that the freewheel teeth are worn down, so I need to replace that. I am just learning about freehubs. Can I replace the freewheel with a freehub setup? What factors do I need to keep in mind if doing so?

Thanks

You'd need to replace the hub (i.e. build the wheel with a new hub -- typically, its better to just get a new wheel), and then respace the frame (i.e. coldset) to take the new hub.

It's easy still to find freewheels, so I'd recommend you just replace the freewheel.


What kind of Huffy is it? Before it got taken apart and striped down it said HUFFY. Trying to find out what kind/year, thinking of making a custom with it.

Just stop at Huffy.

If you must, look for a serial number on the bottom bracket (not sure if Huffys have one or not) and call them. I'm not sure what knowing what kind of Huffy it is is going to buy you, though. The parts that are missing should be readily available- or at least orderable- from your LBS.


Why are wheels so important for racing? I hear/read everywhere that if you can spend some extra money on the bike, buy better wheels. can someone explain for me why?
Is it because they are rotating or are there other comfort factors?
thanks

Wheels and tires are the interface between the bike and the road; and are the parts that take the most stress (wear and tear) along with the bottom bracket. (IMO)

lighter wheels will reduce the rotating mass (rotational inertia); you will need less energy to make the wheels accelerate/decelerate.
higher quality bearings in the hub will reduce friction.
better aerodynamics in the rim and spokes (less energy needed to cut through air)

IMO, In the end it all matters to weight.

If you are doing serious cycling (i.e. keeping time, strava segments, ... ) it might be a good upgrade; but if you are a little less serious about it, maybe just an expensive christmas gift to self. :-)


Indoor bicycle tray to preclude the rug from getting wet When I take my bicycle indoors, and there's snow, ice, etc on it, the snow melts and the water runs onto the floor. Long-term water damage to rugs is an issue, and I don't want to leave the bicycle outside, due to fear of it being stolen.

Are there any trays or the like that will collect the melted water and preclude it from getting onto my rug? Extra points if they're cheap.

Try a Garden Centre, they usually sell a range of trays and they should have something suitable.

An example would be this "Giant Plus Garden Tray" which at 120cm x 55cm should be big enough to place a bike on.


My rim exploded inflating on an automatic pump of a gas station. Should I reuse wheel's spokes/hub or buy everything new? Today I went through this situation. Rims are Vzan Action with Formula Hub 36 holes.

My rear tire was leaking. A guy patched up the tube and the problem persisted. I went to the bike shop and asked to check the patch, and as done, I went to a gas station, where I usually inflate it (only this year more than 2000km, most of the inflations were done at this station), and after inserting 65 psi and the valve, the tube EXPLODED.

Out of luck it was just that, but I bet everyone heard the sound 2 miles away. The tire was apparently no damaged. I returned to the shop with the intention of changing the tube (I already had another one, I wanted to mend that one to make it last longer), but on the way I saw the real damage. The side of the rim was EXPOSED, completely disabling the wheel.

At the bike shop, they said it was my fault for inflating in a gas station, and they did not offer me an apology, or even a discount for the assembly of a new wheel.

Soon I visited another bicycle shop where the owner informed me that the problem was that the tube was folded. And he also noticed that the side of the tire was damaged and that I would have to discard it, or it would compromise the tube in the future.

I would like some opinions from you. Was it my fault, afterall?
If so, how can I check if its safe to ride?

I really like this tire and I did not want to get rid of it like that.
It is being used since April. Can I still use it? Please check the images below.

Can I use the spokes of the old wheel?
The hubs could, and should, be used, right?
Or should I go ahead and buy a pair of new wheels?

Here are some images to illustrate.

Side twisted with the explosion

Side twisted with explosion 2

Tire on random point

Region of the tire that the rim exploded

Update: analyzing some Youtube videos, I think the explosion happened from excessive stress on the rims. Plus, it wasn't completely true, and brakes pads were touching them at some points.

I think that brake pads were bad positioned in the moment, or wore the wheels, or made then weaker in certain spots in the long run, making a crack or making the tube pop and explode in that direction.

I'm almost surely buying a new pair of wheels, which will cost me basically the same price of a single one in the bike shops that I went.

I don't know what kind of air pump you were using at the gas station. If it was a manual one with just a pressure gauge attached, you can usually use them if you are careful enough.

Automatic air pumps, however, usually have the habit of using this three step algorithm: 1) open the valve to fill some air for a fixed amount of time, 2) measure the effect, 3) correct the error. Problem is, that step 1 is adapted for car tires with their immense volume, so it will over-inflate the tire if the pre-pressure from the pump is high enough. Typical pre-pressure from pumps seems to be around 100psi (my experience), but it can be anything. If your tube has a dunlop valve, that extra pressure will remain in the tire. So, don't use automatic pumps, especially not with dunlop valves.

That said, your rim has a maximum force that it can withstand. And that's where it gets a bit complicated:

The maximum force that the rim can withstand reduces over time if you are using a rim brake on that rim. It's not just the brake pads that wear away, it's also the rim. Give it enough wear, and it will even explode at its originally rated pressure. I'm not sure whether that's the case with your rim, though.
The force the tire's bead exerts on the rim depends on both the pressure and the width of the tire. The wider the tire, the more the tire will tear on the rim's edge. Your tire seems to be of the wider kind, so, even if the rim could bear a slim 100psi tire, 100psi with your wide tire may have been too much for it.
The force on the rim is independent of the tube. The tube is not designed to withstand any forces, the only force that it exerts is the pressure of the air. Whether the tube is folded or not does not change this pressure. So, the opinion of the second bike shop seems to be wrong in this regard.

So, what does that mean for repairing your tire? Well, obviously, you need a new rim.

Looking at the damages to the rubber covering the bead, I would have trouble trusting the bead to remain seated: I would think that the rubber between the bead and the rim does help keeping the bead in place. Without that rubber, I would fear that the bead might have an easier time slipping over the rim. So, I would replace the tire if I were you.

Regarding replacing the rim/tire/tube vs. just replacing the entire wheel, it's a lot of work to rebuild a wheel. If you don't do that yourself, buying a new wheel should be cheaper unless you have a sufficiently expensive hub like an internal gear hub to set off the expenses for work time.


How to fix ripped out ball joint in indirect under seat steering recumbent There are two ball joints involved in the steering mechanism of my under seat steering recumbent.

One of them ripped out of its socket:

The dirty grey-green part inside the end of the bar is made of rubber and is supposed to hold the steel ball on the handlebar. The rubber part has the number "010-0000-017-008" on top and "12" on the bottom. The metal piece surrounding it has an "R" stamped in. According to a comment the same part is used for the self-leveling suspension adjustment of Mercedes 1999 E320.

Here you can see the intact mechanism:

And here an overview with the whole bike visible, just for better illustration of why that problem is even bicycle related. :)

I tried pushing it back on by hand, then using pliers but in vain. Possibly there are larger pliers which can apply more force, but I already applied quite a lot.

Just for the curious, how this happened: The part where the ball joint fastens to the handlebar can be moved along the handlebar. I moved it out, this means that small movements of the handlebar result in much larger movements of the fork, so the steering is more responsive and smaller curves are possible before the handlebar hits the thighs. This also means that there is nothing preventing the fork from turning more than 90 degrees especially when no thighs are preventing the handlebar from turning, for example when pushing the bicycle by the seat. That's what happened, the fork turned so much that because of the steering axis angle pushing forward resulted in a force turning the wheel even more, until the ball joint snapped and the front wheel pointed backwards.

What you have there is a ball joint (sometimes called a tie rod end)  on a push rod (or track or tie rod) for indirect steering.

I'm astonished it could pop out that easily - Normally they're very secure.

Here's what a car one looks like when exploded.  Yours will be similar but much smaller and lighter.

I think you need a replacement ball joint. These are the same as ones used in car steering systems, and they are unserviceable. You generally cannot disassemble them without destroying the seal - all you can do is grease them via a grease nipple, if they have one.

The old parts should unscrew from the track rod end (there may be a clamp or retainer screw) and from the fork's arm. On a car, you use a Ball Joint Splitter to get the ball part out of the arm. The hole has sloped sides for an inference fit once tight, just like the sides of a square taper are sloped. In the exploded pic above, the slopey sided bit is clearly visible between the ball and the threadded part.  Yours will likely be too small for a car tool.

This is a Ball joint fork - hammered in.

And this is a ball joint separator which levers the ball out.


Chain link jams after reassembling the rivet I bought a chain riveting tool. Here is how it looks like:

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

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

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

This often seems to happen.  Sometimes it helps to use the tool to push the rivet back out the other way a fraction of a mm.

If you are using a Shimano chain, then using the pins with a snap-off driver can help.


Why are bicycle gear ratios computed as front/rear and not the opposite? I recently realized that when people talk about bicycle gear ratios, it's calculated as number of teeth on the (front) chainring divided by the number of teeth on the (rear) sprocket/cog.
This made me a bit confused, because I was thinking that gear ratios are usually the opposite - driven gear/sprocket/pulley divided by the driver (e.g. motor).
When talking about motorcycle final drive, the formula is rear/front sprocket teeth. When reading motorcycle/car specs, the lowest gears - 1st gear and reverse - have the highest numbers.
I tried to find why it's the opposite with bicycles, but so far couldn't...
Can someone shed some light on this topic? How this came to be historically?

I think it's simpler than what many think.
Car and motorcycle drivetrain is a reductor: their ratio (driver to wheel) < 1 in most cases. Bicycles are the opposite: the wheel normally turns faster than the cranks, and the drivetrain is a multiplier.
It is somehow easier to remember and 'feel' ratios that are greater than 1: compare 4.3, 3.7, 2.9 with 0.23, 0.27, 0.34. So that's how it's done.
In the end, this is the same argument: tradition. But at least this is an attempt to explain how such tradition came about.
Besides, cyclists rarely operate ratios per se. We may fancy with 'proper' units like gain ratios etc. mentioned in other answers, when selecting a new cassette, but in practice we just know it by the teeth :) Tell me any standard ratio expressed in teeth (say, 39/17), and I'll immediately say at which speed I will use it and how 'hard' it is. Yet I don't even know what ratio it is without a calculator.


What can I do to help me sustain frequent long-ish rides? After nearly a year of commuting by bicycle to and from work 2-3 days per week, I have recently started cycling to work every day, 5 days a week, rain or shine.  My commute is about 11-15 miles each way (depending which route I take), including some steep hills (followed by stop signs, so I don't even get the benefit of coasting down-hill). I obtained a new road bike of decent quality along with reasonable quality clipless shoes, gloves, shorts, a jersey, and a heart rate monitor.  I am not very physically fit (5'9" 200 lbs), but improving.  Now 2 weeks into daily commuting plus occasional weekend riding, I am feeling very sore and fatigued and can barely sustain 80% of the effort I was achieving at the start.

What should I eat (and when should I eat it) to help me sustain this effort, yet also help me lose weight and improve my physical fitness?  Is it important to ride at a relatively low effort level, keeping my heart rate in the base zone, or should I occasionally push it into aerobic endurance or even anaerobic zones?  What heart rate(s) should I aim for? What cadence should I try to maintain?

Any advice from experienced commuters in a similar position would be greatly appreciated.

Just keep at it. The human body is very adaptable and you'll soon get fitter.

Don't worry too much about food and nutrition at the moment, that only matters when you're cycling at a competitive level, you just need to make sure you've had breakfast before you ride in the morning. Regardless of cycling/weight loss you should try and eat a healthy balanced diet anyway.

Don't worry about heart rate and zones. At the moment you just need to get to the level where you can comfortably manage 5 days riding. This will come naturally. Its hard at the start (as you are experiencing) but it will get easier every week.

In a month or two you will be able to manage the ride no problems and only then should you think about pushing your performance. That's when the heart monitor is useful.


Front wheel "shudder" or "pulse" when braking When I apply the front brake I can feel a "shudder" or "pulse" through the front wheel, fork and handlebars. It's faster when I'm travelling faster and slower when I'm moving slower.

I assume there's something wrong with the rim, causing the brake pads to catch (rim braking, not discs). But I've checked the rim carefully and can't see anything. There isn't any ledges and I can't see that parts of the rim are wider than other parts (although I haven't checked with calipers or anything since I don't have any). It's happened since the wheels were new. They're Charge Dish wheels. I've used multiple different brake pads and they have all had this problem (to varying degrees).

How can I diagnose and fix this problem?

Updates based on comments:

The bike is an SE Lager, about 18 months old. I'm running Conti GP4000S 23mm tyres.
I've spun the wheel and eyeballed the rim/pad clearance. I can't see any noticeable bulge, but I'm assuming that's what's causing the problem.
It's a large frame (I'm 6'3")

Thanks for the suggestions. If there is a bulge in the rim can I fix it, or do I need to replace it?

By your description, it totally seems to be some slight irregularity on rim surface, be it a bent spot, some fluctuation around valve-hole or seam, or some slight variation on total width.

I had the exact problem you described three times: after hitting a pothole too hard once, and after my bike fell off a moving car's bike rack thereafter.

Both times, it was some rim irregularity, and it was on the same rim. First time, I kept riding and the very rim wearing out with braking eventually solved the problem. Second time, I had to put a new rim, because the "pulse" was very intense and dangerous (fork flexing and all).

The third time I had this problem, I had a defective rim which eventually cracked on the side, and I felt a progressive worsening of this "pulse".

AND HERE GOES THE SOLUTION!

I noticed this irregularity caused an assymmetric MONLIGHT REFLECTION because I was riding at night, leaned the bike to the side, and was marevelled by the beautiful circle of moonlight on the shiny breaking surface of the rim. But there was a bent spot, pretty much invisible to direct observation.

So, I propose you go with your bike close to a shadowed wall on a very sunny day, and use the braking surface of the rim to reflect sunlight on this shadowed wall, optionally letting the wheel turn slowly, and repeating the procedure with the other side of the rim.

For sure, if there is a bent spot, the slightest one, you will see it.

You can increase the distance to the wall to make the effect more obvious, and you should expect some natural assymmetry. The "abnormal" thing to watch would be a very localized spot of aberrant light distrtibution.

EDIT: suppose you found the micro-bent spot, a good way to wear it away is to put not-so-expensive brake pads, go to your favourite muddy downhill track in a wet day (preferrably one where the weels completely sink in the mud), and use the brakes mercyless. Your rim will begin to shine!! (pun intended ;o)

Hope it helps!

(well, you could always turn the bike upside down, spin the wheel, close your eyes, and literally feel variations on rim surface with your bare fingers. It is not so sensitive as the sunlight method. Do it with caution!)


Worth it to touch up my bike? I have a Linus Roadster and it got scratched moving cross country. I love this bike and want to touch up the paint job. Has anyone had experience painting over scratches on bikes? Should I bother? Thanks!

My trick is to find nail polish that roughly matches the finish. It's easy to apply, quick to dry, and will prevent rust and oxidation for quite a while.  It's not a perfect finish match, but there are quite a lot of colors that come close.

If you can't find an near-perfect match try mixing two or three colors. Just remember the basics; with few exceptions all colors are derived from shades of the primary colors (red, yellow & blue) and black and/or white, e.g., orange can be derived by mixing red and yellow. Then you've got glitters and iridescents (whole different ballgame). But nail lacquers can be picked up at pretty low prices and if you're not good with mixing colors find a friend who is. You should be able to get a near-perfect match! One last thing, avoid mixing brand-to-brand if possible; otherwise you may have adhesion problems.


Shimano Hub LED lights working sporadically My Shimano hub lights are not working correctly.  All help greatly appreciated.  First time I've had a bike with lights like this.

Specifically, the rear works all the time.  But the front is basically out of action.

It worked on the way to an appointment, then on the way back it didn't.  I accidentally pulled the cable out of the plastic housing when I tried to rectify it (in the rain in the dark...) and so no lights at all on the way home.

The next day I reconnected the copper wire in the plastic contecter and the rear worked, but not the front.  Strangely it decided to come on after about 2km riding, on the way home - and repeated this pattern for the next three days.  Start the day dead, then come back to life after the journey home, just as I turn into my street.  But now it's even stopped doing that.

So...  Is the front simply "not charged", is that even possible, and if so, can I recharge it with a battery or something?

Or, as I read on an other thread, have I reconnected the cables in the wrong order and it's now shorting?

Or, something else?

Thanks for the help folks.

If I understand you, you have a hub dynamo that powers lights in the front and in the rear.  You don't make it clear whether you have a battery or not; if the lights stayed on after a minute or so (when everything worked properly) when the bike wasn't moving, then you have a battery.  If the lights fade and die a minute or so after you come to a stop, and then work again when you get rolling again, then you don't have a battery.  It's very unlikely that you have a battery next to each light, because that would make the system more expensive for very little benefit.

Your problem is most likely a loose connection between the light and the power source.  If you have a battery, then the battery is the power source; if you don't have a battery, then the power source is the hub dynamo.  An electronics technician would look at each connection between the light and the power source.  You could have a loose contact, or a corroded contact.  If the contacts are corroded, you can often remove the corrosion temporarily with a rubber eraser, a piece of fine-grained sandpaper, or an emery board that ladies use to file their nails; try the gentlest options first, because if you remove the metal plating on the contact, then the contact will corrode again very quickly.

Corrosion is often caused by moisture getting into the contacts; if the connector has a gasket, then check to see if the gasket is sealing.  If the connector is supposed to keep water out, but doesn't any more, then the usual fix is to replace the entire connector, which takes electronics repair expertise.  If your lights are several years old, then corrosion could have happened naturally.

Good luck finding and fixing the problem.  If you can't fix it, your LBS or an electronics repair shop can probably do the job.


My chain came out of dérailleur frame, but gap seems too small, am I misunderstanding something? So the chain came off my bike on the way to work this morning, but when I tried to put it back on, it seems like it has also come out of the dérailleur frame, but the gap where it seems to have come through is much too small for it to fit back through.

The red arrow shows where there is a kind of metal peg, sticking out from the

There's a gap then, between this metal peg, and the other side of the dérailleur mechanism frame, shown by the blue arrow.

It doesn't seem possible for the chain to fit through this gap, because the gap is too small.

I opened and closed the chain before, so I guess I can do this again, to get it back inside the dérailleur mechanism frame, but what's bothering me is:

Since the chain doesn't fit through the gap, how did it get out through this gap in the first place.
And then, does this apparent impossibility to fit through the gap mean that I'm misunderstanding something about how this is supposed to work?

And the practical question is then: what exactly do I need to do in this situation to fix this problem (as easily as possible).

The chain is not broken.

To fix it, you don't have to break the chain. Simply unscrew one or both of the derailer pulleys slightly until you have enough space to get the chain through.


How to remove rust from unpainted parts? I would like to remove rust from some old parts such as cassette, bolts, and nuts.  Most of the rust is just surface rust, and I would think there would be a good technique for doing this.

Besides using steel wool, I have heard of either using ultra-sonic washer or an acid bath.

What is the best way to accomplish this?  I would prefer to stay away from chemicals.

The best way to remove rust from steel or cast iron is by electrolysis, period!

See the links below, but a few points need to be emphasized first:

DO wear rubber, latex or other waterproof gloves

DO wear old clothes, cuz the solution will stain just about anything!

DON'T put the solution where it can be kicked or spilled, it will leave a killer stain!

DON'T hook up what you are removing the rust off to the positive (+) terminal!

And most critically important DON'T USE STAINLESS STEEL AS THE ANODE (+ electrode)!!!

Ok, now to the links that explain the method:

http://antique-engines.com/electrol.asp

http://www.rickswoodshopcreations.com/miscellaneous/rust_removal.htm

A few suggestions.  Use no more than 6 volts, particularly if you don't want to remove paint.  Use washing soda (sodium carbonate, aka NaCO3) as the ingredient, not salt or lye.  Small quantities of NaCO3 can be made by heating baking soda spread on a cookie sheet for 300 degrees F (150C) for about 1 hr.
Don't pour the old liquid on your lawn or garden, the sodium could damage the soil.  The solution is safe to pour down a laundry or basement drain, but be sure to wash out the drain afterwards.
At most only 1 tbsp per gallon NaCO3 is needed - using more is just a waste.
If you use an old wall-wart, the negative is usually the wire bearing a white line or bead on it and is usually hooked to the outside ring on the outlet plug.


What are my options about my rear shock? I have a sort of rare Totem Shockman 29er bike, which as far as I know is assembled in my country by another brand as a lower entry point bikes. Through the two years I've had it I replaced some pieces for better ones, and now I was thinking about the rear shock; it has a stock KS Exa Form 290 coil shock (http://www.kindshock.com.cn/en/product.asp?id=164&show_list=1) which measures 150mm eye to eye and has 30mm of travel, which is not terrible but it's not entirely good either and had to send to my local store yesterday because of very loud creaks on it. Having only 150mm eye to eye, I have a lot of questions:

Is there any coil shock better than this one that would fit?
Should I pick an air shock instead? Would that be worth it and a noticeable difference?
Would a RockShox Monarch RL (152x31mm) fit properly despite the few mm difference?
Is it possible to fit something slightly larger, let's say 165mm shocks or would that be bad for the frame or the bike in general?

Sorry for all the questions, I was a complete rookie when I bought this bike and I'm still learning a lot every day, and thanks for your help.

I can attempt answering some of your questions, without recommending any products.

  Should I pick an air shock instead? Would that be worth it and a noticeable difference?

That depends on what "feel" you want to have from your shock. If you never tried both types of suspension medium (coil vs air), you cannot choose for yourself in advance which one you you would prefer, as it is a taste question. Maybe you will feel significant difference, but it would be caused by the fact that the new shock is new and of higher tier quality. Maybe you won't notice any difference at all.

  Would a RockShox Monarch RL (152x31mm) fit properly despite the few mm difference?

Any change in shock total length will affect bike's geometry and its handling properties. Going a couple mm may be unnoticeable; or maybe it will. Also make sure that you know which mounting hardware (new bushings or bearings) you need to mount it on the frame.

  Is it possible to fit something slightly larger, let's say 165mm shocks or would that be bad for the frame or the bike in general?

The difference between 165mm and 150mm is 10%; it wouldn't come without a notice. I would not recommend doing that unless you have a chance of trying it and then going back if you don't like it.


What is the best pedalling technique to heal and prevent patellar tendonitis? I have a very mild case of patellar tendonitis.  But, it is a chronic and recurring problem I have been dealing with since 2011.  I get it mainly from playing tennis.  But, I notice that when biking I can also agravate it a little.  I bike on a touring bike with fixies type pedals that fit pretty well.  What should I watch for in my pedalling technique to heal my patellar tendonitis?

I ended up researching this topic with other sources.  And, the feedback I got from a very avid biker (frequently bikes 80 miles a day on his own on the weekend) and a tennis colleague of mine that suffers from the same condition is described below.

The pedaling technique is key.  The majority of bikers push down on their pedals with their toes first, so the feet when coming down are at a 45 degree angle (the heel being up and the toes down).  That actually stresses out the patellar tendon.  What you want to do is pedal by pushing down with your heel first.  When you do that correctly, your foot should remain as parallel to the ground throughout the entire pedaling circle.  A friend of mine described this technique as think of dragging your foot flush on the floor as if you want to remove some clay under your sole that is stuck throughout the entire sole of your shoe including the heel.

I have started this technique, and it seems to work pretty well.  I also noticed that indeed the majority of bikers do not bike that way.  Well they are young and don't have patellar tendonitis issues, so they are fine (until they are not).


Can a Reynolds 753 aero fork steerer tube be unbent? I was hit by a car and now the steerer of my Reynolds 753 aero fork is bent.

Is it possible to bend them back? Would that be safe?

I can't afford a new pair!

If by "steerer" you mean the top tube that turns in the bearings, it would be very bad for that to be bent, since it would seriously muck up the bearings, and ever getting it straight enough to NOT muck up the bearings would be unlikely.

Apart from the bearings, with something like a conventional steel fork the twin concerns are fractures in the steel and fractures in the welds and/or castings that hold everything together.  Generally if the bend is ONLY in the length of the metal tubing of one or both fork tines, the likelihood of a fracture is pretty small.  But it's so hard to be sure that there are no beginning stress cracks in a weld or casting that using the fork (with or without straightening) is risky.

If an attempt is made to straighten the fork, it's important that it be done carefully, in a way that will not put further stress on welds and castings.


Clipless MTB Shoes for wider feet I have wider feet.  I would like to find a clipless shoe that is on the wider side.  What clipless shoes offer multiple widths?  What clipless shoes are naturally wide?

I currently just have (standard width) North-West clipless shoes.  If I leave them on the looser side, they are reasonably comfortable.

Other notes:

Looking for something as stiff as possible.
Mountain clipless not road clipless
Keens are my go-to hiking shoe, because of their width.
As requested by batmat in the comments, my shoe size is 43 or 10

To start, Keen makes a commuter bike sandal that is clipless, so you may look into that if you like the fit of Keens.  I know that Specialized makes wide sizes in their shoes as does Lake.  There may be others out there, but that is what I am immediately familiar with.

As far what to avoid, most of the European companies (especially the Italian companies like Sidi) tend toward a fit that is aimed at a narrower foot.  Sidi, makes a Mega option that is supposed to be wide (I believe), but I haven't ever seen a pair to try and the regular Sidis fit me horribly (I also have a wide foot).


SPD SL Cleat Cover, are they supposed to be attached all the time or removed on rides? I've always assumed you put them once and forget it, and still clip in with them, but then I read somewhere that Speedplay covers needs to be re-attached when you're walking. Is Shimano the same?

If yes, is there any cleat covers that you can always use without constant removal?

The whole point of cleat covers is to protect the mechanism while not riding, which requires that the cover covers the clipping surfaces. So, they need to be removed while riding. With Speedplay the covers are more important because the mechanism has most of the sensitive parts in cleat instead of pedal.

The Speedplay covers linked in comment do not actually cover the mechanism but provide a relatively walkable rubber sole over the metal cleat. Newer models have that part built into cleat and a separate plug for protection.


Front Derailleur Tuning Question I've installed new front derailleur (Shimano Tiagra) on my bike and I spent embarrassingly lots of time trying to adjust it. Yet still I think I have a problem with it. For me it seems too tense. You need to apply some strength to the shifter in order to make the derailleur switch to the larger gear. When I try to go to the lower gear it does it with a scarily loud sound.

All that I can think of is that the spring in the derailleur is too tense. Yet I see no means to adjust the tension of the spring. Can anyone tell me what am I doing wrong here?

Thanks guys! You're the best as always!

The spring tension of front derailleurs is not normally configurable.

Addressing your difficulty shifting up, have you checked whether the High limit screw is preventing the mech from moving all the way, forcing you to stretch the cable until the shifter reaches the ratchet point?

The shifter is normally able to freely pull cable slightly beyond the ratchet point to allow you to ensure a successful shift, releasing the tension until the ratchet point so that the cage does not foul the chain running on the selected chainring.


Two spokes broke in 10 days interval on rear wheel, should I worry? I am the proud owner of a Commencal FCB 2016 and I haven't had to do much maintenance since I've bought it a few months ago. But that was until two weeks ago. I decided to change tyres to better fit the current weather, and in the middle of the process, I noticed that a spoke was broken. I had it repaired and I think it may have been caused by fixing the tool to extract the tyre to a spoke the wrong way, but no way to be sure. Yesterday, when I arrived home, I noticed a noise coming from my rear wheel, and here it was, another spoke broken. The first time, I brought the wheel to a shop and they changed the spoke and took a quick look at the other spokes, which seemed okay for them.

I haven't changed my bike riding style lately, but the road I ride on is under maintenance, so my ride contains a few spots where the quality is very low. But I try to avoid most of the holes and that's pretty much it for the recent changes. Is it just bad luck or is something possibly wrong with my wheel ?

In general - even if you will hit a few "small" holes it shouldn't damage your wheel.

For road bike wheels - when one spoke is broken you should braid all the spokes again as tension in road wheels is much bigger.

For the "not professional" bikes - you can replace one spoke as tension isn't so big and as important as in racing wheels.


Can I attach SRAM trigger shifters to a 31.8mm braze on adapter? I noticed that Paul's Components make an adapter that enables SRAM shifters to be mounted to a road bar by exploiting the Matchmaker system. I live in England so anything from Paul's is très expensive, and I cant help but think... isn't it just an appropriately sized clamp with a screw thread? therefore can't any 31.8mm braze on adapter for front mechs be used in the same way?

My overall aim get a 10 speed shifter onto my bullhorn bars, and I have some time trial brakes already so cant use bar end shifters. The appearance is very important to me, I don't want anything that looks messy or completely bodged which is why I don't want to have multiple bar ends or anything.

The Matchmaker interface has a little bit more going on than that. As you can see in this illustration from the SRAM Shifter and Brake Lever User Manual, the mating surfaces of the mount and the shifter are profiled for a secure fit.

It is true that you could probably make something that does the same job. A braze on FD adaptor with a flatted section filed on doesn't strike me as putting the shifter far enough away from the bar, but that's just a guess.
If a little metalworking doesn't bother you and running a mountain shifter is what you want to do, just filing a normal 22.2 shifter mount so it clamps reasonably on your presumably 23.8 main bar diameter is also probably an option. Depending on what bullhorn you have, this may put the shifter in a more useful section of the bar.
My vote for best present-day way to do what you're after here is run it di2 with a climbing shifter only. You can pair it with any current di2 RD you want, mountain or road. Super clean, super functional.


How hot / humid does it have to be for cycle touring to become unenjoyable? This November, if restrictions loosen enough to allow it, I am planning on going on a month-long cycling trip from New South Wales to Queensland. That would mean I would be going deeper into the humid parts of Australia as summer picks up. Climate data says the average temperature at this time is a daily average of 28C at 56% humidity. How tough would that be for cycling all day in, assuming maximum precautions are taken with clothing, sunscreen etc.?

I was out in 28C and 50% RH yesterday, not touring, but comparable: a century (160km) at a fast touring pace, laden by the standards of a day ride, and with a brief swim break in the afternoon.  It was hard work (much harder than it would be 10 degrees cooler), but still enjoyable.  You have to plan on being able to obtain water. I got through about 4 litres, and have reached 9 litres in the past on hot 200km rides.  Especially for multi-day riding, like touring, will your appetite survive the heat? I tend not to eat enough on a long day's ride, if it's over about 25C by lunchtime, though if you can buy ice cream...
Road conditions matter - dropping into a wooded valley from an exposed hillside is a great relief.  How likely is shade?
If you can avoid the hottest part of the day, that helps, but many areas lose heat slowly, so avoiding the heat means doing most of your riding in the morning, resting or sightseeing in the afternoon, and maybe doing a little in the evening.  But does this fit with your target daily distance?  Is there a shady (and pleasant, with food/water) place to rest out the heat?
Clothing is tricky.  Clothing for sun protection keeps the wind off, so even if it didn't make you hotter standing still, it would going along.  Arranging clothing to allow more airflow means it flaps in the wind and makes you work harder.
Guessing at your route as Sydney->Brisbane (but not along the coast), and quickly checking the map, the road passes through plenty of towns, so places to stop even if most are small, however street view suggests you'd be riding in unbroken sun for long periods - I've been known to stop and drink under every rare tree in that case.


Mapping the most gentle route for my single speed I commute to work on a single-speed road bike, so it's a lot easier if I avoid any steep hills (preferring to cover the same gradient gradually). Taking a look at a map, there are seemingly 3-4 sensible routes to get from point A to point B. Short of trying them all, is there any way to evaluate which has the most gradual climb?

That's 4 days to evaluate all the routes. I'd just ride them. You can spend a lot of time with mapping tools trying to evaluate gradients and still get it wrong. Unless you can find a cycling guide that discusses the issue you will almost certainly not get a good answer. For a motor transport engineer (the people who design roads) anything under 1:10 is fine on a minor road, 1:20 on a major road. They just don't care about short steep sections vs long gentle sections. The flattest route could easily be the one where you come out of a compulsory stop onto a short steep section that climbs less than the 5m interval between contours on a most-detailed map.

One electronic solution would be to use google streetview to survey each route. Look at the angle between the street and the vertical walls or horizontal floors. That will give you a rough idea of the slope of the road at each point.


Can I replace my Shimano Nexus 7 with a Nexus 8 hub? My 2 year old bike has a (damaged) Nexus 7 IGH, it started running heavy and I can't find out why.

Rather than getting it fixed I'm considering replacing it with a Nexus 8 hub, as they supposedly of higher quality (apart from the obvious extra gear).

Obviously I need a new 8-speed shifter to do this, but it looks to me that I can use the old roller brake assembly and the chain (very little obvious wear).

Can anyone confirm this?

Depends what roller brake model you have.

Looking at the Shimano 2015-1026 component line up document you can see what components work together. (Very useful current line up web pages here, with links to PDF docs for previous years.)

You presumably have a Nexus SG-C3000-7R hub. That should be paired with the BR-IM81-R, BR-C6000-R, BR-C3010-R or BR-C3000-R roller brakes.

The Nexus 8 is the SG-C6000-8R or SG-C6010-8R hub which works with the BR-IM81-R
or BR-C6000-R brakes only.

The PDF doc is very long, but you can search for the product numbers to find the Nexus 7 and 8 sections.


Cord showing near bead What could be causing this? Tires are about 200 miles old. Used almost exclusively on smooth, cleaned asphalt. Sometimes gravel.

Also - is the tire still safe?

I suspect that your brakes are misaligned & are rubbing on the tire.
The brake pad should be centered on the rim braking surface, look closely & you will likely see that the pad contacts the tire when the lever is pulled.

Not only does the pad touching the tire wear out the sidewall, but it also generates heat which damages the tire & inner tube which could cause a catastrophic blowout.

I would fix the brakes & then immediately replace the the tire(s).


upsweep and backsweep for mtb handlebars Characteristics of the following bars for MTB are:

• 780mm wide
• 30mm rise
• 5˚ up-sweep
• 7˚ back-sweep

I know what effects do the width and rise have on the feel and riding. But what about upsweep and backsweep?

For the last 2 years I've been using bars with 3x9 sweep (compared to the above's 5x7). What difference would it make?

From my experience upsweep make you pull easier for drops, manuals and bunny hops, but the other side of the medal is shoulder width. The wider your shoulders, the less comfortable will be upsweeped bars (you will feel your hands bent outwards). In fact when chosing BMX bars every degree of upsweep considered as something about a quoter inch of rise (from the ease of pulling perspective).


how many spacers do I need for a 83mm bottom bracket and a 142x10 hub? I have a Zee crankset on a 83mm bottom bracket (downhill bike). The Shimano manual says to use two 2.5mm spacers on the drive side, and one 2.5mm spacer on the non-drive side. However, this presumes the rear hub has a 150mm spacing, typical for downhill bikes. My bike has a 142x10 hub, when I use the spacers as specified, the chainline is completely off, I can't even get the chain on the largest cog. Since I'm not using a 150mm hub I obviously need to change the spacers, but I have no idea how to figure out how many spacers of what size I need on each side?

83mm bottom brackets were designed specifically for use with a 150mm rear dropout width. You would be able to shim the bottom bracket across 5mm to bring it to where it would sit on a 73mm bb to align the chain line but you would be pushing your non drive out 10mm which would have an anatomical impact on the rider. This is a significant amount of q-factor imbalance and could quick become an uncomfortable bike to ride.

The simplest solution is to swap the crankset for a 73mm version.


Pain on bottom foot when freewheeling for a time in a gravel descent One of my favorite touring routs is on a rural route. It is 15 km* long, I take about an hour to complete it since a part of the first half is sandy and I need to dismount to traverse it.
At the 10 km mark there is a steady descent which is mostly between gravel and crushed stone. I don't pedal and slightly press the brakes so that I keep a safe speed between 20~30 km/h. It takes 3 min until the terrain is level again.
The thing is: After the 1st minute I start to feel some discomfort in my left foot, which is the one corresponding to the lowest pedal — for some reason I have better balance if my left foot is in the down position when coasting, and even though I want to exchange the position, I don't want to relinquish balance. After the 2nd minute the discomfort gradually becomes a light pain, and when the descent is over I am glad I can pedal again, which causes the light pain to quickly go away.
Is that discomfort and pain I experience on the down foot something expected or known between cyclists?
As far as I know I am healthy and otherwise experience no trouble when cycling, though I am no "serious" rider either, rather lazy on maintenance (e.g. no clipping pedals or special clothes, never wash my bicycle, no odometer or any GPS whatsoever, ...). I wonder if it is because of the constantly shaking on the gravel descent and the left feet having to absorb it or something else.
Further info: My saddle height is appropriately set, namely knee is only slightly flexed when my feet is in the down position. The air temperature is totally comfortable (25 °C). Shoes are definitely not tight. If I can give any more useful information, I'll be glad to edit the question.
*Time, distance and speed are all to my best estimate, they are not totally accurate.

It's generally a good idea to change position regularly (at least slightly) during any ride. If you get used to just one position, your body learns to keep that position no matter what, and it'll do that by stiffening up if the bumpy descent tries to shake you out of it. But stiffening is the worst thing you can do in such a situation: it'll cause the stresses to concentrate right into the most exposed joints and muscle sections, instead of being able to harmlessly distribute it over the whole legs. What's more, having the left foot always down is a recipe for pedal strikes in left turns. A pedal strike at high speed can lead to a very nasty crash. So definitely get rid of the left foot down habit.
One easy way to train flexibility is to slowly back-pedal (on the straights; in corners, always keep both pedals level or outer foot down). But I wouldn't focus only on the pedals – the whole body position influences the forces on hands and feet.
It helps a lot for body flexibility to have the saddle in a really low position on descents. A dropper post is super useful for this reason (now standard on most mountain bikes). With a low saddle, you can stand up without needing to stretch too high, move your body weight far over the rear wheel when it gets steep, balance the bike side to side underneath you etc.. And when sitting down, neither leg will be stretched at all, so the knees have plenty of freedom to move.
Of course, MTB suspension also does a lot to make rough descents more comfortable, but it really isn't needed for gravel. It does make sense to use relatively wide tyres and low pressure though, and some bikes a more compliant than others. Steel or carbon fibre tend to be better than aluminium in this regard.
Perhaps counter-intuitively, in my experience it also helps to clip in, because then the legs can relax even more without risking to slip off the pedals. So clipless pedals & shoes (I recommend Shimano SPD) are perhaps a good investment, if not a dropper post and/or suspension fork.


Storing commuter bicycle indoors during winter I got myself a road bike that I intend to ride occasionally during winter (mostly for commuting). I live in an apartment, so storing the bicycle in a dry and cold place such as garage is not an option. I know that frequent temperature changes may lead to rust on steel components. My bike has double-butted alloy frame and carbon fork, so no rust hazard there, but other parts may be compromised. On the other hand, keeping the bicycle near a heating device may cause damage to tires and/or other rubber components.

Just to discern from a similar question: my general concern is related to frequent extreme environment changes (wet and cold outdoors vs. hot and dry indoors) and their impact on bicycle maintenance/performance.

So, what are the usual tips for storing a commuter bicycle indoors, during winter?

Your bike would like the same conditions as you yourself would like - room temperature air and humidity.

Also bikes dislike being left salted - if your location salts the roads then rinsing this off after your ride is an excellent idea to preserve

If space is an issue, there are several solutions for small spaces.  If you have space up high then there are rope/pulley combos that raise your bike up.   Or you can hang them vertically from the front wheel from a wall hook.  Search sites like http://instructables.com for ideas on this point.

Apartments tend to be upstairs - do be careful of your bike carrying it up stairs or manoevering it in a lift/elevator.  Carbon doesn't like being knocked or chipped, so impacts are bad.

Does your apartment have any sort of storage locker?  If there are sufficient cyclists then there may be sufficient call for a shared space which is easier to access.  Plus the rest of the building occupants won't need to put up with bikes in the hallways.


Massive loss of pressure in my front tire but it still holds air Last night I was riding into a parking garage with a steep decline before the entrance. I hit the bottom of the ramp hard and lost most of the tire pressure in my front tire in a split second. I thought it was a pinch flat or blowout right away so I walked it over to a local bike shop where they had a air hose and was able to air up the tire which held the air and is still inflated to the proper pressure this morning. Does anyone know what may have caused the air loss and subsequent flat?

It is a road bike with racing tires and presta valves. I also check the pressure and fill the tires every couple of days so it wasn't flat already.

A tube is a sealed system.  If the rubber isn't punctured and the valve is closed, there isn't anywhere that air could have gone all at once like that.  The only thing I can think of is maybe you do have a small blowout tire side, and somehow the tube is sitting flush against the tire in such a way that it's holding it closed for now.  May be worth taking the tire off and checking the tube itself, being prepared to replace it.  Because(in the one in a billion chance that this is what happened), if that did happen, it could be hazardous to keep riding on it.


Are there smaller chain rings available for Shimano Tiagra Triple? I have a Shimano Tiagra Triple 30/39/50 and I want to find out what is compatible in terms of smaller chainrings for touring. Ideally, I’d like to be able to go down to a 26 or even a 24 for the smallest. Thinking in term of 26/36/46 or 48. This is a 4 bolt crank and it seems there’s little to no compatibility with other sets.

Unfortunately the asymmetric four bolt pattern that Shimano switched to for these cranks is a new patttern and so far there are no small inner rings available. The best advice I can give is to switch to the older five bolt style crank, for which many small rings are available. I use 26-39-50 on the previous generation of Tiagra with no trouble.


Single speed bike with child seat? Are single speed bikes considered good bikes to use with child seats?  I wasn't sure if the added weight of a four year old would make a single speed too hard to use.   Will be using the bike on relatively flat terrain.

It is unlikely that a four year old will slow you down much on a single speed. Just make sure you've got a well maintained front and rear brake.

On the other hand, if you're thinking about making a purchase, consider the advantages of a bike that has a few gears, maybe seven or ten, etc, if you anticipate tackling a hill every now and then.


Chain slips/jumps occasionally (with all new parts) Several months ago I replaced all gearing parts and switched from an 8 speed to a 10 speed system. All parts were brand new.

After replacing I noticed the chain slipping occasionally. Though I drive for months now, the phenomenon first happened days after replacing all parts.

I had the derailleur cable tightened after several weeks and once more after several months (it was tight enough this time).

It happens

on the cassette (whatever it is)
without heavy load (not accelerating from stand, riding uphill, putting only slight pressure to drive slow)
with moderate and heavy force too
without bumpy road
not during shifting the gears
with front gear 2 and rear gear 3 - 8, front gear 3 and rear gear 8 - 10 (I rarely drive lower gears, can't say whether it happens or not)
at most once within 50 km
with the same rate after more than 1000 km
with the rear derailleur Dyna-Sys switch on and off

I can't

reproduce it (at will)
say whether it happens in all gear combinations or not
say what exactly happens (chain trying to change the gear or messing things up somehow on the gear) since I can't see it

I had two thoughts:

the joined link could be a little bit stiff (but I can't see any stiffness when spinning the chain in stand)
the derailleur is not properly justified (I had it realigned after several weeks and months, though must admit, I'm not a professional in doing this)

The chain is properly and regularly lubed.

Should I still assume a stiff link or the derailleur being misaligned? What could be another reason?

And no, this was not a mixed setup. I read this question on a new bike too, I already addressed the mentioned issue, I think.

Setup:

FC-T521 3 speed crankset
XT 10 speed cassette CS-M771-10
XT FD-T780-6 66-69° 3/10 speed front derailleur
CN-HG95 10 speed chain
Shadow Plus RD-M786 10 speed rear derailleur

a theory: you might have too much friction between the derailleur cable and its housing. such friction could prevent the chain from going to the intended place when you shift; when the friction subsides, the cable would move and the chain would slip into place.

apply some lube to the cable and slide the housing back and forth to spread the lube along.  this could help if my theory is correct.


Bike touring/camping tip(s) I have a tentative first-time bike touring/camping trip in the planning stages and working out my set-up. I have a good idea of the essentials. My question is especially directed to those who have bike touring/camping experience.

Beyond the obvious, what item did you really appreciate having along? Or, what item do you really wish you had, but didn't?

A few important factors are: One, the trip is in an arid region. Two, a good 130 miles or so is quite remote. Three, it's a winter trip, but with (usually) much warmer temps than my native clime.

The item could be a spare part, an accessory, a tool, safety related, or a comfort item. Basically looking for things that a first timer wouldn't necessarily think of.

I've done 10 long-distance bike tours in the past and one of the things I've needed on almost all of my tours (but most people forget to pack) is an extra set of rack screws. These are the tiny little screws that hold your bicycle's racks, fenders and water bottle cages in place. As you travel, these little guys tend to wiggle themselves loose and fall out when you aren't watching. If you aren't carrying at least one or two extras, you might find yourself in bit of trouble, as having a loose rack dangling off of the front or rear of your bicycle can cause a serious accident while out there on the road. So pack a couple extra screws! They're lightweight and you can usually get them for free from your local bike shop.


9-speed to 10 or 11-speed conversion I have a Look KG361 that is built with 9-speed Ultegra. Is it possible to change the drivetrain to 2x10 or 2x11 with this frame?

Yes, it is possible. Just be prepared to replace every single drivetrain component. If you go 11-speed you will also need a new rear wheel because 11-speed cassette needs a wider freehub body and possibly new brakes because cable pull changed slightly with 11-speed.

The standard advice here is to not do it because the cost will be close to new bike, but Look frames are quite high end and new bike with similar quality frame would be far more expensive than any random Ultegra bike.


What type of hubs attach on only one side? I wish to build a tricycle and one of the limiting factors is getting the front hubs. I search for tricycle hubs on eBay and get nothing useful.
I need both the hub and axle or the axle dimension has to be a very common easily obtained bolt size.
What would I search for?

I think wheel chair hubs are what you are looking for. If you need disk brakes, Cannondale Lefty hubs are another off the shelf solution.


Cross training athlete, running out of energy during long rides, what should I eat before I ride? I'm a high performance rower that uses cycling extensively to cross train (the local waterways are.....suboptimal some of the time).

When I'm out for longer rides (2-3hr) I generally run out of calories and crash, occasionally getting dizzy.  I've started carrying a camel pack and some snacks (granola, GU, etc.) which helps if the pack decides to stop for a quick pitstop but its often hard to get enough calories down fast without feeling it 10 minutes later.

I never have problems within my normal training but it typically never exceeds 2.5hrs and isn't quite as continuous.  Such a workout can easily burn 1500+ Cal, however.

My question is, is there anything I can eat before rides to maintain blood sugar levels so I don't pass out while trying to strike fear into the hearts of the local cyclists?

I don't know what you consider a "long ride" to be but I just did a 77 mile fund-raiser ride yesterday in Ohio. I averaged a little over 16mph for the entire ride. About 50 miles of the ride was into a 10-15 mph head-wind.

During the ride, I probably went through 10 large bottles of water and Gatorade, a dozen energy bars, a couple brownies and a Subway sub. The temperature was in the mid-80's with a little humidity. Even with all that, there were times I was a little light-headed and got some chills (almost a sure sign of not enough hydration). So on rides like this, you almost cannot drink and eat enough. It's very important you try though. If you don't, your body will let you know it, and you won't like how it feels :).

You don't necessarily need the pack to stop just to hydrate and eat. Most cycling jerseys have enough pockets to store a lot of energy bars and bottles of water. And you can probably include two bottles on your bike.


FSA Omega MegaEXO Press fit BB 19mm removal (non standard BB86) Has anyone removed a 19mm spindle (Omega) Press fit bottom bracket without destroying it in the process?

I have watched http://www.fullspeedahead.tv/video/7006668/installation-of-megaexo-crankset-on and the tool mentioned #EE056 can't be found anywhere on the internet.

That link is now broken. The best places to look seems to be http://www.fullspeedahead.com/support/technical-information-instructions/

I am not even sure that is for the 19mm version rather than the standard 24mm.

I understand I can take a punch/screwdriver and hammer it out of my frame, but the BB only has 1000km on it and I would like to reuse it in the winter.

I contacted FSA and was told no tool exists for pressing/removing the 19mm BB. So I proceeded with the cave man approach:

I used a long 3/8" extension (female side against the BB bearing) and hammer to knock out the left side, it came out easy.

The right side was a challenge with the same setup (it would not budge) , I ended up punching the bearing out of the BB shell.

I got the rest of the shell out with a 22mm deep socket and a short 1/2" extension and the same hammer technique. I would advise using a large socket that fits as soon as you get one side of the BB out.

The bearings/bb does not appear to be damaged and could be reused.


What hydration system should I use for multiple activities? Looking for a hydration pack/system that I can use for cycling, running, snowboarding and (by removing the bladder and putting it into my travel pack) backpacking across Europe.

My requirements are pretty simple:

Small
2L capacity (or around that mark)
Light
Minimal - no extra storage or other bells and whistles are necessary
Reasonably strong/good quality

What do you recommend?

At this stage I'm interested in this bag by Deuter.

I will actually be using it for a lot more snow boarding than anything as it is now winter in Melbourne, so the smaller the better as I want it to go under my jacket (I know this is a QA for bike riders, but just thought it was worth the mention).

If you're looking to go minimal footprint, with no storage, why not go no bag? These definitely have downsides, but they fit under anything, with any type of clothing, or sport.

Camelbak VeloBak Hydration Jersey

or

Camelbak Racebak Hydration Vest

Downsides include water which must be cooled, or will heat to body temp.

Check out the linked reviews.


Does my flat tire need to be replaced? Possible Duplicate:
  How do I know when to replace my tires?

The surface of my rear tire has become flattened as opposed to its original convex shape.
I have about 2,000 miles on it.  "It" is a 23 Vittorio Rubino Pro.

Probably getting close. As you experience more flats than normal or really begin to notice the ledge of that tire corner when you lean into a curve its probably time. Some people wait till the fabric is showing, but i dont like the amount of flats that i start getting.

2000 miles is a great life span for any tire, I say time for a new one.


What kind of convex washer goes on the brake pads? I forgot to tighten up my brake pads before I went for a ride today, and I lost the convex washers when the nut came loose? Could anyone tell me where I could find replacement washers for the brake pad? I checked at lowes and attempted to google them, but I have no idea how these washers are sized.

Buy yourself a set of new brake pads.  They come with all the washers and nuts.  When the current pads wear out, move all the washers and bolts to the newer pads, which you keep safe till you need them.

Or just fit new pads now.


Would a person standing on the top tube damage a carbon fibre road bike? I was riding my aluminium bike and I met some people who had been trapped in a locked park, so I helped them escape by holding the bike against the fence and letting them stand on the top tube to climb out.

If I had had a carbon fibre bike instead how much risk would there have been of serious damage to the bike? I understand that carbon components are engineered to be strong in certain directions and relatively weak in others.

At the risk of getting beat up on carbon will give it a try.
CF seems to be a sensitive subject.

I don't agree with your assertion CF are engineered to be strong in certain directions and relatively weak in others.  They are designed to have different flex in certain directions - not weak.

If I had 4 bikes I need to use as step stools I would go with this order (and I really have all but aluminum):
1) steel
2) titanium
3) carbon fiber (CF)
4) aluminum

There is a bit of discussion and comments that bearing weight on the top tube is not a stress a bicycle is designed for (and weak).  That is a stress a bike must handle.  If I take a tube and hold it at both ends and try and bend it that is the same type of stress as if I took the tube and put either ends on rocks and pushed on the middle.  The primary force a top tube takes is bending from the ends.  If you watch the video you can see top tube bend and when it fails the two pieces are bending displacement.
Santa Cruz Bicycles - Test Lab
And you can see the CF held up pretty nicely.

CF takes criticism as it fails brittlely which is true but it takes a lot to get it to fail.

I would not want to ride any bike that would fail with my weight on the top tube as that is a scenario (crash or drop off) I expect and need it to not fail.

With that said there is not one CF.  A lot of variance in the construction / layout.
If you are going to ride a CF then buy a good one.

I don't mean to advertise a brand but Niner has 5 year warranty including racing.
I have crashed my Niner Air 9 Carbon hard and not even thought twice about the bike.
I use it for CX training at a local park and stand on the top tube to stash my jacket in a tree.

There is stuff CF is not good at.
Don't put a rack on a CF.
Don't take a hammer or bat or hard object to CF.
Don't take a drill to CF.
Don't over or under torque bolts.

I am just amazed at the slow acceptance of CF frames.
When CF forks first came out there was a lot a questioning.
But now CF is the dominant rigid fork.
A fork takes a lot of stress from a lot of directions.
People think CF is too light to be strong.

I get engineers are misunderstood (and certainly under appreciated) but a simple one foot drop landing on the front wheel is going to put more stress on a top tube than your weight. The frame did not even flex in the picture.  I would not ride a frame I could not jump on.


do I have a 26 fork using 27.5 wheel? I realize I've been riding for a year using this configuration, I have a suntour sf13-xcm-ds-hlo-26-100 (which I think was designed for 26). Suntour website doesn't provide full info about the Fork, will I have a problem with the wheel or the fork?

If the wheel fits.....

If you have been using it, then no, you won't have problems. Its not that uncommon for people to shoe horn a 27.5" wheel into a 26 fork or frame. just running a front wheel will slightly change the bikes geometry, but not enough to make a big difference.

Where you can run into trouble is if clearances are not enough and you ride in muddy conditions, causing build up and blocking.

When you replace the tire, you will need to be careful to get one that fits. Most 27.5" "upgrades" require a smallish (2.1) tire, and you will want to avoid ones with aggressive side lugs unless you can try before you buy.


Is there any problem with running tubeless on non-tubeless rims? I have Fulcrum 5 DB wheels, which are not tubeless ready. My previous wheelset were tubeless compatible and I've been impressed with running tubeless.

So my question is: Assuming I can mount my tubeless tyres on the new wheels and can get them to seal and not leak air, is there any reason I shouldn't run these wheels tubeless? Is the rim going to 'hold' the tyres less tightly and cause roll offs? Is there something else going on with tubeless compatible rims that I've missed?

My tyres are Schwalbe Pro Ones

One of the considerations (assuming you are able to get a good seal) is that air loss under a tire burping may be worse than a tubeless specific rim.  In CX this is definitely a consideration, especially if you are pushing the lower limits of tire pressure (e.g., < 30 psi on 700x33c is amazing on slick off camber turns, but it is easy to fold the tire in a hard high traction turn).  A large burp could drop the pressure dangerous low, resulting a loss of control and injury.

For running on the road, it is unlikely you will want the pressure at such low levels, so burping events are much less likely. [DISREGARD - see Update]

Update - Nov 28, 2016

Found this quote from Lennard Zinn:

  When using road tubeless tires, I recommend using tubeless-specific
  rims. For the lower pressure of mountain bike tires, I think, other
  than a bigger burping issue on corners due to the lack of the
  bead-locking “hump” on the medial edge of each bead shelf, that
  tubeless conversion with most rims is fine.

  Read more

For road bike applications, Lennard recommends only using tubeless-specific rims, but for mountain bikes (read larger volume tires) this is not always necessary depending how low of a pressure you are running and how aggressively you are riding. Similar to my initial answer, Lennard also points out you stand to lose more air in a burping event.

Thinking about Lennards answer some more, I suspect his recommendation for road tubeless has to do with a lower margin-for-error with a road tubeless tires. You are dealing with smaller air volumes, and are much more susceptible to negative consequences associated with air loss events.

For example, you could have a poor rim/tire seal.  It seems to hold air at initial inspection but it is in fact slowly leaking air. Air loss during a ride  could result in the bike becoming uncontrollable.  With a larger volume tire, slow air loss is less of an issue because your margin of error is larger.  Small volume tires could reach critical pressure levels much quicker than a larger volume tires under the same poor seal scenario.

Because road tubeless tire a smaller pressure buffer, mistakes in your setup become critical to safety as critically low pressures can result in a bike becoming uncontrollable.

Conclusion

I would follow Lennard Zinn's advice and only uses road tubeless tire with a tubeless-specific rim.


Fork travel on a mtb I just wanted to ask how much fork travel does this bike have and is it worthy of buying??

Information about fork travel should be present in marketing materials to a bicycle. If you are looking at a web shop page, such information is usually hidden somewhere in the lower part of a page.
Alternatively, the travel is usually specified somewhere on the fork itself. If you could see the bicycle in person or ask the seller, that would be the most reliable method.
The provided picture is in quite low resolution, which does not allow to recognize the brand of frame, fork, or other essential details. Neither it helps to see any inscriptions on the fork.
Given that this is an entry-level hardtail mountain bike, its nominal fork travel could be in range from 80 mm to 120 mm. Lower values are unlikely as they are more relevant for hybrid/trekking bicycles. Longer travel is unlikely because longer travel hardtails are less popular and typically more high tier. I'd wager it has 100 mm of travel, as it is the most popular value for such machines.
Whether it is not worth buying anything or not is up for the potential buyer to decide. I doubt we can give you an advice here, especially given how little information about anything is given.


I just put too much air and tired popped can i fix it with bike patch i never patched bike before I put to much air in my bike tire and popped it can a bikerepair patch kit fix because I never patched so bike before

The answer is almost definitely not.  There are basically 2 ways your tire can fail by over-pressurizing it; either you blew the bead off the rim or you tore the tire.
In the former case you need to make sure that it didn't damage the bead or the rim (the latter is not likely, but has happened).  If the bead is damaged you'll want a new tire; even if this one still works at lower pressures, you've compromised its safety margin.
The latter, more likely, case is that you tore the tire somewhere, almost definitely on the sidewall.  Unlike a puncture, which is a small point-like hole, a tear like this in the fabric of the tire isn't a simple patch job.  A small (short) gash in the sidewall can be temporarily patched with a tire boot, which is reasonable for use in an emergency (as are comparable patches, like a piece of cardboard, etc.) but not recommended for on-going use.  However a tear from the sidewall failing under pressure is unlikely to be short; once a rip starts, it will likely be several centimetres long before the pressure is relieved.  It's not possible to say exactly, but I'd estimate anything over 3 cm long is unlikely to be safely patched (at all).
Basically, if you blew out a tire you should replace it.  And if it blew off the rim, instead of tearing, you need to check the rim for damage too (and possibly replace it).  You can do this by spinning the rim and making sure there are no deviations from a planar circle.  If you don't have rim brakes you can do this with a piece of chalk taped to the seat stay.
(Note, I had a rim fail on me - it basically wore down enough along the braking track that it folded over under pressure from the tire - and it still damaged the bead of the tire when it blew off.  Not enough to make it unworkable, but enough that I put a new tire on the new rim.)


Seal Cleat opening on Clipless Waterproof / Winter Cycling shoes? I own some Shimano MW7 waterproof cycling shoes I use for wet riding and 45Nrth Wolvhammer boots for deep winter riding. Should I be concerned about water entering my shoe via the cleat opening?

If so, should I attempt to fill any gaps around the cleat holes to prevent water infiltration (especially from hiking through wet snow in the winter)? Or are these types of shoes typically sealed around the cleat opening from the manufacturer?

You should be concerned yes, because wet feet are not happy feet.

However, this is something your shoe manufacturer should have taken care of.  I have owned Specialized and Lake brands of waterproof shoes.  I have not ever had problems with water entering through the cleat holes of either (I have owned A LOT of Lake boots).  However, that doesn't mean your manufacturers have the same care.  You could call to inquire, or better yet, test.

It should be easy to stopper a sink and put the footbed below the waterline to see what happens.  Testing one's equipment is a great way to build confidence in it.


Nerve pain and "handedness"—is it common for your dominant hand to be more susceptible to nerve problems? Since moving to the Southwest I've greatly ramped up my cycling. I used to do ~16 miles a day, now I do double that or better, nearly every day of the week. Usually by around 15-20 miles I get nerve problems in my right hand. My left is pretty much unaffected, even if I do 50 miles or more.

Note: my right hand is my dominant hand.

I ride with a club, and whenever I see riders shaking their hands to relieve the tingling, it's almost always their right hand. Lately I've been asking people I see doing this if they're right- or left-handed. Right-hand shakers have all been right-hand dominant.

Does anyone know if my straw poll has been tested more scientifically? And, if so, has anyone proposed an explanation for why the dominant hand should incur more problems than the off hand?

I don't know of a scientific study directly answering this question.  In leu of empirical (and verifiable) information, I provide an theory based on anacdotal experience.

You generally use your dominant hand more off the bike than the non-dominant hand. If in your work or other activities you have poor posture or poor ergonomics your dominant hand may already have higher fatigue or irritation relative to your non-dominant hand.  This effect would be subclinical (i.e., either you don't quite notice, or its low enough you don't seek help).  Now expose both hands equally to a sustained level of irritation (e.g., poor bike fit) and the dominant hand will be the first to become "clinical."

Side Note

It could be worth looking on how you rest your hands on the bar (e.g., see Pain in center of hand).  I think many modern road bars have poor ergonomics for slower endurance riding, where you may be placing more weight on your hands. Also many riders have their bikes set up with the bars too low  for the majority of riding they do. This will put more weight on their hands and will quickly expose ergonomic issues. Personally, I find slammed positions fine if you are cranking out large wattage all the time (i.e., 250+ sustained), but it can cause problems for long rides at more moderate output (i.e., <200 watts sustained)


why has my fox rear shocks adjusting lever popped out? as i put in my title my fox rear shocks mode adjuster and rebound adjuster has popped out and exposed a little metal ball, I can no more adjust my rear shock but don't know why this has happened.
Can anyone help?

I'll assume that your adjustor knob looks like this:

If you look closelly to that image, over the "2" you'll see a triangle. Over the triangle you'll see a tiny hole. In that hole there is an alen bolt, (maybe 1mm or 1.5mm) which retains the knob in its place. That bolt must have been lose so the knob fell. The metal ball is just there to provide the click sound and feel for the compression or rebound adjustor.

So, fully undo the bolt, place the knob in it's place, tighten the bolt (not very much), and you are good to go. Test by rotating both directions and expect to hear and feel the clicks. Make sure you return the settings to their original position. If unsure, consult with someone who knows, your LBS, or ask here.

This exact mechanism exists in almost all compression and rebound knobs in common suspensions. e.g  and


Quick release lever free spinning I have a Stance 2020 27.5 MTB with Rockshox Recon front axle. My quick release lever will free spin when I try to lock in the front wheel.

I have "fixed" it enough by tightening the screw, this allows me to lock on the wheel by first screwing the axle in. followed by tightening the lever independently. - essentially locking them in separately.

I can now MTB but there is a horrible clicking, and my fear is that I'm ruining something.

Is there a better fix I can do ?

Thank you

Stop riding the bike until you know what's going on here. If you aren't able to work out what the issue is then find a mechanic who can look at it for you, losing the front wheel while riding is going to end up very badly for you.

That fork should have 15mm axle and you say it's a QR so usually you screw the axle in and to then flip the QR like lever up to lock it. There is often a small screw that adjusts the tension needed to lock the lever so it may just be that that needs adjusting.  But if you're in any doubt as to the security of the wheel don't ride the bike until it's sorted.


Is this an integrated crown race? The title says it all. I would like to change the bearings for my headset,but i have no idea if this crown race is removable.
It is a Bontrager fork, probably from 2007.
Thank you,
From Norway.

Probably not, and it doesn't look like it. Integrated crown races on road bikes are usually found on all-carbon forks and they were also nascent then if they existed at all. Also, the part indicated by the arrow looks an awful lot like the split of a crown race that slides on:

If it's not a slip on type and is simply a difficult to remove one with no overhang, there are shop tools that can do that. And as mentioned in the comments, if all you need is bearings, hopefully you can get replacements and not have to mess with the crown race or replacing the whole headset.


Bottom bracket removal Falter 3 speed I am having issues removing this bottom bracket from a vintage Falter 3 speed bike. For once crank arm removal was super easy, cotter pins came right off. However, struggling with this one. I imagine I need to remove cone but spindle keeps rotating. Perhaps using vise on opposite side
any advice more than welcome
thanks

Partly reinstall crank opposite nut.
Remove nut.
Update with new photos as necessary.


What will I need to consider when modernizing a pre-1990s steel frame? I'm in the process of upgrading a well loved 1970s steel frame from a downtube shifter system to a modern 'brifter' system.

Through this process I've had to look at many disparate sources to get information from all over the internet.  Generally, LBS have been rather sketchy about this - they'd rather sell me a new bike.  I think it would be ideal if we could have one question under which we could address as many of the general problems & solutions that the process throws up, and maybe have a collection of resources that someone who wants to follow this process would be able to refer to for more specific problems.  I'm going to provide an answer myself, once it's established that the question is valid! My question is:

What potential issues will I need to consider when modernizing a pre-1990s steel frame?

Please note, I am getting brifters. Answers which say 'you'd be better off staying with downtube shifters' are not helpful in the slightest.

I think it depends on your frame, I have a 1973 Peugeot UO-8 which I replaced the 27inch wheels with 700 28CC and even replaced the handle bars with modern alu bars from MEC. The seat is now a Brooks and because the seat post tubes on french bikes are smaller I had to use a BMX chromoly post. My bottom bracket is a new square one from Velo-Orange instead of the cotter cranks of old. I decided to go with a flip flop hub but it would easily accomodate a 10 speed cassette. I installed modern TekTro brakes to replace the original Maffac whcih where truly appalling. And altthough I am sure there is a way to convert the down tub shifters,  you would be better off sticking with newer shifter at the same location.

I upgraded and converted my steel frame becuase it is so rare that I find a bike that fits nicely and I really wanted a steel frame for commuting. You might just be going to the wrong LBS. I went to two awesome shops in MTL that where quite please to help out with this project bike. I do have to warn you that older parts for French bikes are not cheap. In total it cost me about $300 to convert the bike and I propbably spend another $200-300 a year on it in parts, tires, chains and BB (fixie is murder on the BB).

Good Luck and have fun with it.


My rear wheel isn't properly spinning. How can I tell whats wrong? I'm just getting back into cycling after a long hiatus. My bike is a little old and worn and its got some issues. The biggest one is the rear wheel.

My rear wheel spins, but it seems to be off center. When I look at the wheel spin the distance between it and the brakes varies. Also when I squeeze the brakes the break pads don't reach the wheel. How do I tell which part of the bike is messed up? Some thoughts I had:

The wheel itself is bent. Possible since it was in accidents before.
The wheel is attached to the bike at an angle. Possible since I did self repairs before and I'm not super experiences in bike repairs.
The wheel isn't fully 'screwed in' (not sure what the proper term is) to the bike frame. Unlikely since it doesn't seem to wobble at all.
The brakes are messed up and the closer-farther effect is just an optical illusion.

Also possibly relevant: 3 spokes on the wheel are broken.

How can I tell which of these possibilities is causing my issues, or if its a different issue? And if so, how do I fix it?

You should take it to your local bike shop and get the wheel dished and trued. It is probably a mix of both those issues. Depending on how bad it is you may need to replace the wheel entirely.


Looking for a bicycle community in the Southwest US similar to Philadelphia/Seattle style Recently relocated to the Southwest United States and I am in search of the type of bicycle culture that uses bicycles for commuting and not just for wanting to beat Lance Armstrong's record. In other words the type of commuter cyclists you would see in Philadelphia or Seattle. Regular everyday people, bohemians, etcetera who are just going to the store, going to work, going to dance class, whatever, on their bicycles without having to ride on, next or near any Interstate, just pure residential street riding from to and fro.

With that understanding, I was wondering if there are any such communities like that in the Southwest. I learned many years ago the mayor of Salt Lake City was promoting a bicycle friendly city. What about that? Is this true? Do we have a Seattle/Philly style bicycle community in SLC?

What about northern Texas? Dallas? Denton? What about Colorado? Anything similar there?

I am already in Central Texas, nothing like Seattle or Philly here, planning on relocating again, but I love the Southwest.

According to the League of American Bicyclists, the following communities in the Southwest USA have gold level like Seattle does (no community in the Southwest has Platinum, and none in the USA have Diamond):

Carbondale, Colorado
Durango, Colorado
Park City, Utah*
Santa Cruz, California
Scottsdale, Arizona
Steamboat Springs, Colorado*
Tempe, Arizona
Tuscon, Arizona

*not sure if this is Southwest

There are several communities in Southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico on the Silver list (as Philadelphia is), although I'm not sure if that standard is high enough to be considered a bicycling community.  Out of the four US communities I have visited, three are listed Platinum and one is listed Silver, and I must say that the standards to reach Platinum appear not to be particularly high and the one Silver community I've listed has hardly any bike trails, so I would not necessarily consider that towns on the Silver and Bronze lists are bicycling communities.

My background/reference: I'm from The Netherlands living in Germany, so my scale may be calibrated differently.  I have previously lived in Sweden, England, Canada (Toronto), and have in the USA professionally visited Fort Collins, Boulder, Madison (multiple times), and many times visited Iowa City (I was cycling on each of those visits).