Which measurements are most important to consider for tall men? I am 6'8" and 255lbs so my figure is a bit between Kevin Durant (not as skinny) and Lebron (in shape but not as muscly). For smaller bikes such as what you would find in Wal-mart, I frequently see bike weight limits of 200lbs or so despite me still being able to still ride the bikes without any noticeable issues other than my knees hitting the handlebars. I thought bigger wheels (27"+ or 650b) would help, but I still see this weight limit which is absurdly low IMO as I'm a pretty skinny guy.. I saw another bike that had a suggested limit of 300lbs, but the recommended height limit was 5'7-5'10. Then I found another bike which claimed to support up to 6'3 and 220lbs, but the bike frame was smaller than all of the others at 17" where the others were set at 18".

Because I'm looking for bikes under $500 so that I can ride around my neighborhood, I'm going to have to compromise in some size aspect but am not quite sure which size aspect matters the least: bike frame size, recommended weight limit, or wheel size. I saw other questions about tall riders but nothing specifically addressing this aspect.

Among quality aka dealer-level bikes, each model comes in a range of sizes. Wheel size in and of itself is immaterial to fit. Published weight limits are not typically contingent on frame size, i.e. it's the same number for the whole size run.

There are questions on here about how to interpret weight limits, but most dealer-level bikes are somewhere around 300lbs, especially for more entry-level bikes.

All but the biggest bike companies wrestle with economies of scale for bikes on the far ends of the size bell curve, so that's usually the main place someone your height will need to look. In other words, you're likely looking at barely squeaking in, if that, on an XXL hybrid or MTB, and many companies only go up to XL. In the US, brands I know that do XXL on a lot of bikes are Trek, Specialized, and Cannondale.


Can I use a 9sp chainring set on my MTB which has a 8 speed Shimano CS-HG70 Cassette Just installed the CS-HG70 cassette and while doing some tuning, noticed that my chainring is no longer true, especially around the crank so am thinking about replacing the chainring set but can not find a decent 8 speed set but see a lots of 9 speed chainring set, can I use that instead?

Thanks

Ideally, you should stay with gearing designed for the number of gears on your bike. If you must use a different design, stay as close as possible to the original, and make sure you go to a larger number of gears, like the 9 speed you suggest.

If you do use a 9 speed chainring set, be prepared for your shifting to suffer to some degree. (How much depends on the exact brands and specifications of your original, and the new set you pick. No, I don't have any way to tell you what to pick.)

It's also possible that you may occasionally drop your chain unpredictably. If it happens even once, then you need to find a good 8 speed set again.

This is the 9 speed compatibility chart from Shimano.

This is the 6/7/8 speed compatibility chart from Shimano.

As you can see, there are no cranks listed as duplicated on both charts. /There is also a note indicating sub par shifting if even some closely interchangeable parts are used.


How can I stop my feet/shins getting soaked/muddy when cycling offroad in the winter? I went for a ride last weekend around some forrest trails, it was particulary muddy with lots of puddles, and was also raining at the time.

I've got a good set of mudguards, so my back was reasonably clean

The only part that really got wet/dirty were my trainers and shins.

I understand mudguards can only prevent dirt/water to a certain extent, but what can I get to prevent me ruining my trainers on each ride?

I've heard about overshoes, but have read mixed reviews about how after 10 minutes or so you'll still be just as wet as if you didn't bother, and they're not much use if you come off your bike and step in a puddle..

What about mountain bike shoes, are they waterproof?

I've never had a pair of MTB shoes that are waterproof though I wouldn't doubt if they exist. Even if they were you'd still have water coming of your shin and into the shoe (this is what makes even waterproof shoe covers a bit wet inside).

I just tough it out. I have a set of neoprene shoe covers that keep my feet warm and maybe even dry depending on how wet it is. I have a set of full length tights and a set of leg warmers. If either of those are dirty I just hose them off when I clean my bike at the end of the ride and let them dry. I'll wash them every few rides.


Difference between 650c and 700c wheels? I've seen triathalon setups with either 650c or 700c wheels. What are the pros and cons behind both wheel sizes?

They are primarily used for high-performance road bikes for smaller riders. There comes a point where a proper fitting frame for a smaller rider will have strange handling using 700c wheels. 650c wheels are designed to address that.

Smaller riders can also have road bikes built with 26" wheels.

So if you are of average height there is no significant advantage to 650c wheels.


Claris vs Sora shifters I'm upgrading my road touring bike, currently with a 3x8 drivetrain and bar-end friction shifters. I'm going for integrated brake/shift levers, and wondering about the difference between the Claris ST-2400 and Sora ST-3500 STI shifters.

I already know that the Claris is 3x8 and the Sora 3x9. Upgrading to a 9-speed cassette and chain should be no problem (chain rings are already 9-speed compatible). I'd choose the same cassette range for either, and I don't think having the extra intermediate gear would matter much to me.

My question is: are the Sora shifters better (in terms of materials, reliability, smoothness, accuracy, or whatever) than the Claris? It's a 50-ish dollar difference, so that's not that big a deal. Anything else I might've missed? I'm not really interested in going to a 10 (or more) speed rear, so the higher end mechanisms are out.

The Sora groupset does indeed sit above Claris in the Shimano pantheon. Shimano carefully engineers each level to be incrementally better than the one below it, in terms of features, weight and quality of materials.

You should be able to feel a difference between the two groupsets in terms of shifting. An extra sprocket in the rear is nice to have as you will be more often able to select an optimum gear.

If you can afford the Sora groupset, it's worth having.


Sigma BC 500 bike computer "SET MPH" I changed the battery in my Sigma BC 500 and it only displays flashing SET MPH. How do I stop this?

Changing the battery has very likely reset the memory of the bike computer, so it needs to know what units you want to use, and what tyre size you have on the bike etc. You can even tell it what your old mileage total was so it starts counting from where you left off. I guess that’s how the world managed before Strava ;)

If you still have the manual you should refer to the setup process in it.

If you don’t have the manual, there are copies online you should be able to search for, as well as videos showing how it can be done. Whilst the video I watched was informative and matched the manual for a bc500, it sounds a bit different to what you are seeing, but the process will be very similar.

This video might be helpful:


Is my fork suitable for my wheel I bought this front wheel
https://www.probikeshop.fr/roue-avant-mavic-aksium-ust-disc-a-pneus-center-lock-2-aa9/154559.html
and this surly fork
https://www.bike-components.de/fr/Surly/Fourche-Rigide-Straggler-Disc-28-700c-p38261/
and I would like to know if I can buy this front thru-axle (12mm diameter) to assemble these three components.
https://www.bike-components.de/en/Surly/Front-Thru-Axle-p75526/?o=69407947-black-15-x-110-mm
and we can read that:
"The Surly front thru-axle is suitable for Surly thru-axle compatible frames and does not destroy the look of the beautiful frames due to the low profile."
so I guess my fork is not compatible with my wheel ...

I don't read French, but it is clear that the Mavic Aksium wheel you linked to has thru axle fittings: it stated that it took a 12x100mm front axle and a 12x142mm rear.
The Surly Straggler fork you linked to is for quick releases only. I believe this line:

Système d'axe : réglage rapide (9 x 100 mm)

Was saying that the fork used quick releases. For sure, 9x100mm refers to quick releases. There are no thru axles with 9mm diameter. Also, the dropouts in the fork have openings at the bottom, to let you drop a quick release wheel out. TAs need to screw into a hole on one side of the fork, so TA forks have closed dropouts.
On Surly's website at least, one easy way to tell if the fork is for thru axles is that they picture it with a thru axle screwed in, e.g. this pic of the Trucker fork: (note, link goes to the US website)

It's also worth mentioning that the Straggler fork you linked to was for International Standard (IS, usually called post mount) disc brakes. Current drop bar bikes use the flat mount standard, although some older ones (around 2014-2016, I think) may have been for post mount brakes. Just make sure the brake system is correct for the rest of your components.


when does a 1/8" chain need replacing? I use a Park Tool device to check for stretch on my derailleured bikes - can the same tool be usefully deployed on a 1/8" 'track' chain, does anyone know?

If not, how then to check for wear?

The 1/8" refers to the width of the rollers in the chain (also the width between the side plates of the links). All bicycle chains have a 1/2" pitch (length of a link) which is ANSI standard.

Therefore your Park wear checking tool can be used with both 1/8" and 3/32" (derailed) chains as it checks for stretch along the length of the links.

All info on wikipedia:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_chain


Do these parts fit my Giant Escape 2 2018? This is my bike Giant escape 2 2018

I want to change the groupset (for fun) for this one aliexpress link, Basically it's a Shimano Deore M6000 2x10 groupset (without the brakes)

I'm almost sure that it will be compatible but I don't want to spend the money before making the purchase so. Can you guys share your knowledge, is this compatible with my bike ?

Also, I think I need to buy a new freehub, do I?

Yes, I think that would work

The Escape is Altus 8 speed with rim brakes. For a 10 speed replacement group you will not need to mess with the hub, a 10 speed cassette will fit

The bottom bracket shell is threaded as the Escape has a cartridge BB. You'll obviously need to replace that with a external bearing unit. It does not matter if the shell is 68 or 73mm width.

The rear spacing is going to be 135mm. A Deore crank compatible with a 68 or 73mm threaded bottom bracket shell will have an acceptable chainline.


Will I damage anything by not replacing my clicking bottom bracket? I have a Specialized 2010 Sirrus Sport with a sealed cartridge square taper bottom bracket that makes a clicking noise.

If I don't have it replaced, will I be harming anything apart from the bottom bracket itself?

Depends on what's clicking.  If the bottom bracket itself is making the noise then no hurry to deal with it.  The bearing may be slowly failing but nothing else will be damaged and the bearing will probably give you plenty of warning before it fails completely -- if it ever does.

But if the noise (and generally an accompanying sensation) is due to the crank arm slipping on the crank spindle then continuing to ride on the bike without tightening the crank bolt will quickly destroy both spindle and arm.

(I get the impression that often cartridge BBs click because the cartridge is simply loose in the frame.  Tightening the cups may be all that's needed to silence it.)

(Another thing to be aware of is that pedals often make a clicking noise, and it's difficult to distinguish this from BB noise.)


Do both riders on a tandem need to know how to ride a bike? I want to take a visiting friend out on a bike ride.

Since this friend never learned how to ride a bike, I was thinking that a tandem might be a viable solution in the short term, instead of spending time on teaching them how to ride a bike.

I've never ridden a tandem myself, so I wonder if both buddies must be capable of riding a bike on their own, or only one is sufficient.

Sheldon Brown (of course) has a good page on riding tandem.  He doesn't get into details, but since the stoker's main job is to keep upright it doesn't demand a lot of bike handling skill.  Riding as stoker for the first time is similar to being passenger on a motorbike for the first time; the main thing to learn is not to lean or shift your weight.  All the bike-handling skill comes from the captain, and as the captain it's a good idea to become familiar with the handling of the tandem before you try riding with a stoker.  (Brown's page covers all this.)

In my experience the trickiest part of riding stoker is getting mounted; holding steady balance with both feet on the pedals as the captain mounts.  You might try having a pole or something similar for the stoker to put a hand on to help their balance.

So the answer is no, the stoker doesn't really need to learn how to ride, in the sense of knowing bike-handling skills.  That said, the stoker does need to learn how to sit on the saddle without throwing the balance of the bike, and also to learn to turn the pedals at the same time - and in the same cadence - as the captain.  Again, from experience, synchronized pedalling is one of the hardest parts of riding tandem, especially if you're an experienced cyclist who tends to spin continuously.


What to pack for small 500km touring? I recently bought BTWIN Triban 520 (drop handlebars) for exploring into road biking and decided the best way to do it would be probably touring.

I'm not looking to race but probably for endurance and planned this small tour of about 500km biking through Netherlands & Germany. The route map can be viewed here https://goo.gl/fKlehW

The bike without anything extra weighs about 10kg. It's size L (58cm).

I don't plan to take much stuff, but what are the essential things which I shouldn't miss?
I bought this https://www.decathlon.de/gepacktrager-pletscher-wersa-fur-26-28-zoll-id_8336145.html for bag. Anyone had any experiences with such holder? How does this affect handling of bike.

You need to be very careful with the weight limit on that rack, it will flop about if overloaded a little, or break if overloaded too much. But you're riding short distances in heavily populated areas, so presumably you're staying in buildings and buying prepared food, so you don't need to carry much. If you can afford to spend a little extra money on buses etc, there's very little risk so the best bet is to try it and see.

As Renesis pointed out in comments, while google maps is pretty good at navigation, you do need to select the "bicycle" option rather than the default car one. Otherwise you'll be stuck at the first autobahn you come to when you get to the "no bicycles past this point" sign :) But your route is likely to be somewhat longer than 500km, but significantly more scenic.

I would take a windbreaker, long pants and a shirt, underwear, toiletries, phone charger, phone and wallet. That's about it. Wash your cycling knicks every night and dry them on the end of your bed if there's no other facilities. If you have light cotton pants and shirt they crumple up to very little space.

The main thing with your first tour is that you get out and ride. If something goes wrong jump on a bus and either continue your tour as a bus-traveller, or go home. It's no big deal, the idea is to learn what works. The big planning exercise is probably going to be booking accommodation :)

I suggest reading random cycle touring sites and travelogues to get an idea of what people do and how they travel, in the area where you're likely to be riding. You have everything from the Paris-Best-Paris style randonneur "carry nothing" tourists to four wheel "bicycle campervan"travellers in the low countries of Europe, so there's a lot of different options you can choose. But the easy one is definitely how you're starting - get a bike, pack a change of clothes, and ride.


Knee Pain - Injury or Out of Shape? I have been mostly lethargic for the past decade, sitting at a desk 16 hours a day. My brothers got me into mountain biking and it has been helping get me in shape. We've been doing it for about 2 months now.

Over the last month, I've noticed that after each ride, I get more and more pain around my kneecap.

There is some pain at the bottom of my kneecap, it feels like I hyper extended and pinched something, but there was no such incident that I can recall. It zapped me once while standing up doing nothing in particular after I had begin noticing it.

I also have pain around the top corners of my knee cap. It feels like muscle soreness, but I don't think there are muscles there. If Google serves me right, that's where my MCL is.

Both spots seems to just build up as I ride more and more. There wasn't any point where I had pain as though I injured either one at a particular moment, no fall, or anything like that. They just build up the more I ride.

Both are about a 2 on the 1-10 scale, but persist all day.

I don't know whether I should stop riding for a time, for risk that I did damage to something, and to let whatever it is heal. Or perhaps, on the other-hand, if riding just requires my knee to "get in shape", and this kind of pain is to be expected while my joints get used to being used again.

I've made sure my position is as right as I can. Has a few people inspect how I right, and also had a few shop keeps look at me too. Everything seems set up right. I extend my leg to where is is just bent a smidge for my saddle height. I've got the pedals under the middle of my foot.

Any insight? Is this to be expected or am I injuring myself by continuing?

More info - I'm 43 with no past injuries. They always have creaked a little more than my peers. Both knees hurt equally, although the right knee def more towards the top of the knee cap while the left is around the sides and bottom. The best I can tell with measuring tape, my legs are even length.

Is this to be expected or am I injuring myself by continuing?

You're probably injuring yourself by continuing. Muscle soreness is to be expected when you increase your exercise load, but exercise shouldn't cause joint pain. It sounds like your bike is set up reasonably, so you should probably seek out a sports physiotherapist.


Which bike computer is best purely for navigation? Priorities being:

clear navigation prompts/pop-ups;
screen size;
map layout/colouring/clutter(lack of);
calculation speed.

Your phone would be great for navigation, but not so much for working with sensors. I have had good luck with Garmin (1030 - I figured if I was spending that kind of money, do it once vs. getting a cheaper model that I may want to upgrade later) head units, but I do not primarily use it to navigate. I like the metrics it provides.
I usually plan my route using google maps and memorize it. If I get really lost, sure GPS helps and also I usually have my phone in my saddle bag so I can navigate a route if I need to on the fly.
Regarding speed GPS will always be less accurate than a on bike sensor and because I use a on bike sensor, I do not rely on the GPS speed so cannot speak on its accuracy.
As Chris mentions above, bike computers do involve a lot of personal preferences too.
Also, if you are new to biking, it may be prudent to hold off on expensive head unit purchases until you really feel it is worth it. For me I waited several months before buying my Garmin unit and before that used a cheap $69.00 bike computer for basic speed/cadence. Again, I planned my route on google maps, memorized it, and used my phone for backup if I got lost or made a wrong turn, which occasionally has happened.


Rear derailleur bent (not derailleur hanger) Got a (heavy) plastic bag stuck in my rear derailleur of my <1 year old Salsa Journeyman Apex 1, the bag fully wrapped into the derailleur wheels while I was biking at about 10-15 mph. I had to take the whole derailleur apart to remove it.

Ever since it has not shifted well (no matter how many times I index it) and it has significant vibration in the 6th gear (no others which is odd). I've taken everything apart and cleaned it thoroughly, double checked to make sure it was put back together correctly, replaced the derailleur hanger (although it didn't really seem bent) and triple checked to make sure the chain wasn't worn (bike has around 1k miles so didn't think it was and it was not).

When I look down it looks like the derailleur is bent slightly inwards, could the derailleur itself have bent? Should I just purchase a new one as it seems to be the last possible variable in the equation and Apex 1x11s are around $70. Seems to be what a shop might charge to diagnose and fix this (plus I need to wait for at least a month to get to a shop.

Any help is appreciated.

It is entirely possible the derailleur is bent. In shops the usual order of operations when something appears tweaked back there is to address the hanger alignment first, and then if the derailleur is still misaligned to assume that it itself is tweaked. Usually you can see it when holding the bare derailleur and sighting the mounting surface versus the cage (they should be parallel), but it can be subtle.

However, the step that hasn't been done here is taking a derailleur alignment tool to the new hanger and corroborating that it actually is in perfect alignment. Some sources say or imply that a new hanger is an automatic cure-all, but that's not necessarily true, especially because 11-speed really has almost no tolerance to imperfect hanger alignment. Some correction may be needed even when it's new. That said, if it's the same misalignment as was present before, that makes this being the problem less likely.

Bending things back manually to get you by in lieu of a shop, a new derailleur, or an alignment tool can sometimes be successful.

A no-special-tools hanger alignment consists of poking a 5mm wrench (3-way wrenches work well for this) into the pivot bolt and giving it the business. Sighting the parallelism between the guide pulley and the smallest cog can be helpful. Were you to do this, I'd do it with your old hanger because it's more sacrificial. Remember that you're working in all the directions, not just up and down.

One can attempt to use the same method to compensate for a slightly bent derailleur, again just reefing until things look parallel.

Sometimes with derailleurs the bend itself is all in the cage and can be manually worked out to some extent, although on a skeletonized aluminum cage like this, that's less likely to work.


Lock my bicycle on busy or quiet places? When I lock my bicycle I try to lock it on quiet spots, usually on street racks situated on secondary streets.

I think it will be less visible so it  will attract less looks. On the other hand, if a thief wants to steal it, he will have more time to act before someone spots him.

Is it better to lock the bicycle in crowded or quiet locations?

It is all subjective, but I would say that a public place is better (as I have previously answered to a similar question).

Most bike thefts are opportunistic; unless you've got an especially desirable bike the theft is not about your bike, it's about stealing any bike. So the key is to reducing the opportunity to steal your bike:

as you point out, reducing the amount of time to work on the lock(s)
make it less desirable and more identifiable (dirt, scuffs, mods)
give alternatives - parking next to a shiny newer more expensive looking one with a poorer lock

I would also say to try to use a public bike rack - then you've also got a chance that a fellow cyclist would interrupt or at least deter a thief. Several times I've seen someone suspicious loitering around a bike rack when locking/unlocking my bike and I've taken longer about it so as to make them feel uncomfortable and move on. I don't want my bike nicked and spending a few minutes to maybe slightly protect someone else's makes me feel like a good citizen.


What is this serrated wrench tool for? So I was trolling eBay and found this crazy looking old serrated wrench bike tool. The auction had no specifics. I can't think of what you would do with such an item. What the hell is it for?

It's a wrench that will work on a range of different size nuts and bolts. Each step on the top ramp will grab a different size. A further advantage is that it will work equally well (or badly) on four sided nuts, and on five and seven sided "security" bolts that a conventional adjustable wrench with parallel jaws will not work on.

It will not work especially well, but it's a one-piece equivalent to a proper adjustable wrench, which in turn will not work as well as a proper set of spanners. They're made because they're cheap, light, and easy to manufacture.

Edit: found the ad on ebay and it has another image:

Since it's only about 10cm long, it seems to be about 2mm thick based on the image above. So Daniel might be right, it would work for holding cones and locknuts in place. Wandering the internet I haven't been able to find anything similar, unfortunately, but I recall seeing them in some collections of very old tools.


Is it possible to replace the seat rails on a saddle? My saddle's rails have become bent so that the saddle is askew. Rather than get a new saddle, is there any way to replace just the rails?

I assume bending them back is useless, as even if i could get them totally straight they would be weakened and just bend again.

High end saddles like Brooks do offer rail and frame replacements: http://www.brooksengland.com/en_us/spare-parts.html

You might google "yoursaddlecompany rail replacement"

But if your saddle cost less than US$50,
I doubt it is economic to do so. Stocking SKUs and supporting a repair/parts department costs money for the saddle company.

You're better off either just getting a new saddle or seeing if you can't buy a used saddle with a trashed seat cover and doing a transplant. Note that many saddles are riveted on so this may be a big pain.


Loose brake cable hook bushing inside the brake/shifter hood I noticed a slight clicking noise and a resistance when squeezing the right (from the bicyclist's point of view) brake. Inside the hood, I can see a white rubber thingy (pivot bushing, thanks mikes) that has come half loose. The pictures are taken from above, when squeezing the brake levers as far as they can go. On the left brake, the white thing sits nicely in its slot. To the right, it has come loose and moves around weirdly and makes a noise.

Is there a way to get to the bushing and put it back in its place? I feel that some disassembly is required.

Another picture, further away and from the front of the bike:

I have a pair of Shimano Sora brake/shifters, manufactured in 2015:

UPDATE: Turns out the thing the pivot bushing sits in is called a "brake cable hook"!

The little piece is the pivot bushing for the lever shaft. Its' job is to prevent a metal on metal contact point. You can reposition it by loosening the cable clamp at the brake caliper, gently slide the little barrel out far enough to install the bushing. By pulling the cable back every thing should go back in place.

It can be helpful to have a pair of needle nose pliers nearby, as you might need to pull the cable a bit to make the barrel move far enough. Also, if possible, move the shift/brake lever inwards towards the middle of the bike before closing the brakes to open up the hood as much as possible.


Mtb weld repair Al frame I am looking at a full suspension MTB with an Aluminium frame. It's cheap but needs to be welded as the frame is cracked. The bike is a Cult Insomnia 52 inch. It's cracked at the lower bracket, is it scrap or worth a repair?

Presumably that's 52 cm. Generally, a crack in an Al frame (or most frames), especially in an area which gets a lot of stress makes it scrap (esp. if its supposed to be used off road).

Given this, I'd scrap this frame.


If I change my cassette to a different range do I need to change my chain? I have a Shimano 8 speed 11-34 cassette (one of those "mega range" ones).  If I change my cassette to a different one, say an 11-32, will I need to change or otherwise modify my chain?  I just got the chain replaced and now it's slipping on the old cassette.  I'm not the biggest fan of the mega range, so I wouldn't mind changing it out to something different.

Theoretically, you could shorten your chain to accommodate the smaller (largest gear) cassette.  However, I never install a new cassette unless I install a new chain as well.  Cassettes and chains tend to "wear" to one another and one can sometimes encounter difficulty if you don't.

That "could" be the issue with your new chain.  If the old chain was run past it's proper service life and damaged the cassette, no new chain is going to work well with it.  Depending how many miles/hours you put on the new chain, if you put a new cassette on your rig and leave the "new" chain, it could be fine.

However, there are many other issues that could cause slippage.  A stiff link in the new chain if it was twisted/damaged during installation would be a prime example.


What kind of crankset is this? Can someone help me identify this crankset type? And is it possible to replace only the cranks (and their axle) without replacing the chainwheel/front derailleur?

This is a cottered crank. The chainrings are fixed to the crank and can not be moved to another, but you can replace the entire bottom bracket (combination of axle and bearings) and crankset. There should be no need to replace the front derailleur.

There is a risk that the bottom bracket shell is threade for an obsolete standard. To make any guesses if that is the case, we'd need to know the brand of the bike and width of the bottom bracket shell part of frame without any parts that are screwed in.


Changing tyres on Giant Defy road bike Is it possible to change from road tyres to commuter tyres on a 2014 Giant Defy?
Thanks

That model of Giant Defy will have clearance for almost any 700×28 tyres and some 700×30 models, but not all. If you are after a commuter tyre for increased puncture resistance, a Schwalbe Durano plus in 700×28 will be as good as any of the wider commuter tyres and will perform just as well on any sealed surfaces. If you want to ride a bigger tyre for better grip on gravel and unsealed roads, then your options are very limited.


Priorities for Limited Funds I started cycling three months ago (with the intention of joining my work place's MS150 ride next year).  I have a big-box bike and a helmet, but aside from the chain breaker tool I needed in order to replace my derailleur, I have no other cycling gear or equipment worth mentioning.

I live paycheck-to-paycheck, and so I most definitely do not have the money fund this at the level that some readers are accustomed to.  Buying on credit is not an option.

My current plans are to save up for a new road bike from the LBS, hopefully getting it in time for the ride (which is nine months from now), and to purchase the most important items for riding as the money comes available.  I don't expect to have more than $20 to spend during any two-week period.

This all being said, what's is the recommended order for cycling gear?

Given your low budget, priority for me would be to have the gear needed to get going after a road side problem, followed by maintenance tools so you can do as much work as needed yourself. Then add stuff that makes life easier.

Roadside repair kit includes:

Pump
Tire levers
Spare Tube
Puncture repair kit
Multitool - Cheap
ones will fix many road side problems, but if its going to be used
for regular maintenance get a better tool. Many multi tools come with
tire levers.

Pump - CO2 is out - expensive to use - a puncture could eat your weekly budget. Smaller is better when you don't need it, bigger is better if you do. If you are going to have just one, rather than a mini pump get something like the Topeak MiniMorph.  If you are getting a full size floor pump later, or have access to a floor pump though work or friends,  get a medium sized mini pump, As this would be a road side only tool, a cheaper (not too cheap) one would suffice. Above about $20 your paying for weight and brand.

Floor pump
A floor pump (ideally with a gauge) is very handy. You can get by without one, but they are no expensive - can probably get an adequate one for $20.

"Workshop" tools
Your road side tools will do most regular maintenance, but don;t expect too much from cheap tools so get better quality if you plan to go down this path. Otherwise the best option would be a cheap "Bicycle repair kit" with most of the tools you need for price of one workshop quality tool. These kits do an OK job as long as you accept they have limits and avoid using them like a "Gorilla with a spanner"

Bike shorts.
I strongly suggest getting a quality pair of padded bike shorts. Don;t need to be the most expensive, but don't go too cheap.

Ask around work and friends and let people know what you are up to. You may be surprised how many people offer to lend you their spares of many of these things. You may get lucky find someone has a perfectly serviceable road bike their wife/mother/son has not used in years......

See if you town/city has a bike coop / recycle yard. Many of these places have tools (and people to show you how to use them) so you can do you own maintenance.

Consider used bikes - many are hardly used, or good ones can be well used but very well maintained.  tricky problem is identifying them. Talk to your LBS - they may be able to help with selling you a used 'trade in' bike.


hydraulic brakes not working very fast Ok, so I just got new hydraulic brakes, I have not had any like these and they were fitted by professionals and they had replaced the pads as I had contaminated the old ones. After getting these fitted they aren't very sharp at all and can take up to 5 seconds to respond and make my back tyre lock up. So I was just wondering if anyone knows how I could make them better.

Wrapping up all the comments, it appears that your brake mechanism applies okay, but doesn't achieve enough braking performance to slow you quickly.

The likely cause is that you've never bedded in the brake pads.  Apply the links in @Móż comment to bed your brakes in properly.  If they're too naffed you might need new pads to start the bedding in process again.


Can a chain-lock be better against cutting than a U-lock? I'm looking for a bike lock and, in 2013, Kryptonite have a new lock, the Evolution Series 4 Mini Chain:

The chain is quoted as being only 55 cm long, and 10 mm thick.

Is the blue mark below a correct interpretation for the reported thickness?

On that note:

To actually manage to remove the lock, would you have to cut through a single link completely in two places? See the red marked below:

If yes, then that would require cutting through 20 mm of manganese steel — exceeding the 18 mm thickness of the Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit that is often regarded as one of the best D-locks.

So when considering cutting, is the Evolution Mini Chain is actually more secure? (With the added benefit of being more flexible than a D-lock.)

On the other hand, if cut only once, would the chain link bend enough to allow the other to slip through?

As for the Kryptonite, cutting one side an bending is certainly possible, but in reality if you can cut one side, you use the same tools to cut the other. The tools needed to bend the link after cutting one side are almost certainly not portable, and why would you carry two tools when one will do.

In comparison to the D-lock--if you can cut though 18mm, you can cut through 20. It will make no difference. The main difference is a D-lock is susceptible to different tools to a chain. For real security - use both.

The reality is if they want it, it's theirs, and there's sweet nothing you can do about it.
The job of your lock is to make your bike less desirable than the one next to it. If you bike is a $10K dream machine, that's going to be a tough job--you will need so much heavy metal it will weight more than the cheapest supermarket hack, and take so long to secure the time saving you get riding it is lost at each end of the journey. If its a $100 hack, then any half decent lock will be good enough.

The best you can do in reality is "enough to satisfy your insurance company".


Why is my abdomen much cooler than the rest of my body after a ride? Background

Not having ridden more than a few miles each day in over a year, I wanted to start exercising again with a short-medium ride (~15km/~9.5 miles). I did so over the course of an hour this morning. The area I ride in is known for its hills (I'm not sure what the grades/elevation changes are, but some of them are very tough.)

I ate a few bites of a Cliff Bar along the way and drank about 12oz of the 24oz of ice water I carried.

Observations

When I returned and began stretching before I showered, I noticed that the skin around my belly/abdomen was much cooler than the rest of my body.

Thoughts

[The following are my guesses at the answer to the question, none of which I'm entirely satisfied with. A good answer will not only address the title question but also address these thoughts.]

At first I thought this was simply the result of the body diverting blood from my stomach to my legs, in order to keep them oxygenated as I climbed.

However, I also know that the body needs to circulate blood between around the stomach to transfer excess heat to the ice water I drink; equivalently, the blood needs to reach the stomach to be cooled off so that, in circulating, it cools the rest of my body. Why then was my stomach not warm?

Then I considered that perhaps the body was diverting some resources to keeping the stomach cool in order to allow it to continue to process and absorb the ice water: intuitively, this makes some sense. Warm water on a ride seldom gets absorbed by the stomach, or so I've been told.

I suppose the coolness could simply be the result of the ice water—but this indicates that either the cold was not being spread to the rest of my body, or that it was maintained as a sort of "ice pack" at my core.

This part of the body isn't doing much, unlike other areas, so isn't warmed by blood flow and muscle activity. It is exposed to the wind, and can get a little sweaty quite easily, even if the ambient temperature isn't all that high, but it's also sheltered from the sun. The climbs probably got you sweating, then the descents would have significant wind chill.

Even if you don't have fat to insulate your digestive system, there's still a layer of muscle between it and the skin, so the skin temperature there isn't the core temperature (if it was, there wouldn't be so much need for internal medical thermometers).

Don't listen to whoever told you warm water doesn't get absorbed. It's hard to prove a negative, but if you've ever ridden all day in the warm with only warm water available and no need to go to the toilet despite drinking loads it will be obvious that it's getting absorbed (even if it does turn straight into sweat).


How to install bicycle pedals without a notch on the spindle? I bought a pair of bicycle pedals that to my surprise had no notches on the pedal spindle to use when tightening them. I managed to screw them in by hand, but they are not quite tight since I can't use a spanner on them. So what would be the correct way to tighten them? Are there any special tools or similar that I'm supposed to use?

The offending pedals can be seen below. The spindle is, as you can see, completely smooth.

You have to use an allen/hex wrench, that's why they have the hex hole in the axle. Going from the opposite side through the frame is easiest.


Anyone tried to brush mud/snow in rear-wheel while on ride? I ride my bike in the snow. And I think my bike can be a lot cleaner if I had a snow catcher in my rear-wheel.

There is possibility because the rear wheel fork comes with extra holes in it. I think we can hook a fork there to hold a brush at the back of the tire.

I think it will keep the gear and derailleur cleaner. I guess it will also reduce the skidding.

I prefer not using anything in the snow to block the snow. You risk the snow packing in the snow blocker (e.g. fenders) and freezing, which can be dangerous. A brush against the tire (depending on the stiffness of the bristles) could also damage your tire.

If you want to use something, a seatpost fender and a downtube mudguard are probalby the safest options.

If you want to keep your bike clean in winter, good luck (especially if you ride on salted roads). The best course of action is to bring it in when you have time (e.g. 24 hours), clean the bike indoors, let it be completely dry then take it back out. Or, if theres a warm day, do a quick (light) wipe down and dry the bike off as you go. You could also try a stiff brush which may get rid of some of the salt.  Or just deal with a dirty bike, and clean it in the spring.


Ease of servicing disc vs. rim brakes How easy is it to keep a mechanical (non-hydraulic) disc brake system working at home with a set of "normal" (not bike-specific) tools, especially compared to rim brakes?

Discs seem to be currently en vogue in adventure biking (cf. the Salsa Vaya) and even in cyclocross bikes (cf. the Merida Cyclo Cross 300). Despite their all-weather stopping power, I have heard several people (even people working at LBSs) say that they are a lot of work to adjust. How true are these claims?

Can a layperson reasonably expect to keep them working optimally without the help of a LBS, or do they entail regular professional "servicing"?

There's two different situations here.

The first time disks are set up after installation can be a lot of work. The calipers need to be fixed in the right position, which can involve a special tool to shave a little off the mounts to get them square and parallel to each other, then some precise setting of the mounting adapters and positioning of the caliper on them. Both can be tedious because you need to do the bolts up quite tightly without letting the thing you're attaching move. If you're unlucky you might even need to bleed hydraulic brakes.

But once that's done it almost never needs to be changed. So "setting up the brakes" means changing brake pads and every year or so either replacing the brake cable and outer, or bleeding the brakes. Neither of those should take more than half an hour, but I'd probably still get a shop to bleed the brakes because it's messy and toxic.

Just changing pads is normally quick, even if you have to turn the bike upside down to pull a wheel out. It's usually ~2 minutes plus the wheel removal Cleaning the rotor takes as long as swapping the pads. Mostly it's just a dirty job. I wear disposable nitrile gloves and just use toilet paper to clean the rotor, but somehow still manage to get road dirt off the caliper on myself every time.

IMO the difference in braking power would make up for any difference in hassle, but I've also found that to keep V brakes working properly takes more work than keeping discs working. Setting V brake pads up is a bit of a pain, and they wear out fast compared to disk pads. But you have to redo the V brake setup every time you change pads, where discs you just push the pads out (hydros) or wind the adjuster screws out (cable). It's quick and low-hassle.


I need to identify what kind of bike I have I need to find out what kind of bike I have I just got it it seems nice I just need to know what it id

The logo is that of Mirraco BMX, which was started in 2006 by the late Dave Mirra. Mirraco got out of the BMX business in late 2013 or 2014. You might be able to match up your bike with some of these on RBikes.


Anti-aero resistance training jerseys? Is there any manufacturer that makes specific anti-aero training jerseys for increased effort at lower speeds? Sort of like a braking parachute but more practical and subtle?

My reason for asking is that I want my fairly short commutes to give better training while not requiring unsafe speeds in city riding.

Edit: and just to explain.. I'm not so keen on adding weight to my bike or person - not only because it is unpractical, but also because it would make the effort more uneven and more like interval training rather than sustained effort.

Since drag is related to velocity squared at low speeds anti-aero won't do much.  Bulky regular clothes but that won't change your aerodynamics much. Why not just divert and take a longer route to commute?


Gear shifts and drive speed on bikes If I am driving in the 5th gear, can I know what is my velocity?

Let's assume I am on a perfectly flat surface and moving monotonously.

For this you will need to know the gearing ratio from front to back (or number of teeth on each gear), the wheel diameter, and the rate at which you are pedaling.

1) RPM to rad/s:
Firstly determine how fast the front gear is turning, assuming that you are pedaling at one complete revolution per 2 seconds: 30 RPM / 60 (convert from minutes to seconds) * 2pi rad/rev:

pedalSpeedRPM = 30
speedRadPerSec = pedalSpeedRPM * 2 * pi / 60

2) Next determine how fast the rear wheel is spinning by using the gear ratio; the ratio of the number of teeth on the front ring to the number of teeth on the back ring. For example, if the front ring has 53 teeth and the rear ring has 13 teeth, then the ratio is 4.08. That means that the rear wheel is spinning 5.2 times faster than the pedals. Thus:

gearRatio = 4.08
speedRearWheel = speedRadPerSec * gearRatio

3) Rotational to linear motion: If you know the diameter of your wheel, you can determine how far it moves with one revolution, for example, a 26" wheel (in metric because that's what I know) has a radius of approximately 0.33m. Using the formula velocity = radius x angular velocity gives

wheelRadius = 0.33
velocity = wheelRadius * speedRearWheel
velocityKPH = velocity * 3.6

So to bring it all together, you need to know the following variables:

pedalSpeedRPM = 30
gearRatio = 4.08
wheelRadius = 0.33

Calculations:
speedRadPerSec = pedalSpeedRPM* 2 * pi / 60
speedRearWheel = speedRadPerSec * gearRatio
velocity = wheelRadius * speedRearWheel
velocityKPH = velocity * 3.6

Running this on MATLAB gives the result:

velocityKPH =

   15.2274

Which isn't a bad estimate for middle gear, non-frantic pedaling.

Another example, with (maybe) more realistic numbers:

pedalSpeedRPM = 60; % Faster pedalling
gearRatio = 4.2; % Abitrary
wheelRadius = 0.37; % 29"

velocityKPH =

   35.1507

So I guess to (finally) answer your question, yes, you can determine it, but you need to know the gearing ratio, your wheel size, and an estimate of your pedaling rate.


Replacing rusty crankset I am trying to replace a rusted crankset for a friend's hybrid and I was wondering if I get the same ratio set would I have to change the mechanism as that's fine.

Assumptions: the bike is a geared bike with a rear shifting mechanism that works okay.  You're looking to replace the chainring(s) on the front because they're rusted.

If you keep the same number of teeth, then everything else will continue.

However if the chainring is worn, there's a good chance you'll need a new chain and new rear cassette as well.   Old and new parts don't play nicely on bikes, because they bed-into each other.

Also, if the cranks have rusted you might find the bottom bracket is in similar condition.  If you want it going and don't care about originality, just replace the whole bottom bracket with a cartridge.  So much nicer and easier, and often more water-resistant too.

The thing that will decide whether you want the same or slightly different sized chain rings is the front derailleur mechanism, in how far it can move and what differences it can cope with.   If you intend riding the bike on hills, a smaller inner ring might be a good change. Likewise, if you top-out then a bigger big ring might help.

The rear mech doesn't care so much about the front, it only cares about chainline.


inner tube length size question So I bought a used road bike from WI recently. and just a couple days ago i got a flat. I took out the tube wanting to patch but saw that it was all patched up. So i decided to just buy a new on. the original tube was a "specialized 700x20/28c" but i bought a new tube according to the tire that stated "700x25c" and i installed it. It fit a bit big so I just shrugged it off and kept it. Within a couple of miles it popped tearing a big gash in the tube. I do tend to over inflate my tubes due to the roads near me. So my question is what tube should I get, what it states on the tire like "700x25c" etc. or what my original tube had?
All help is much appreciated thank you in advance :-)

If your tyre says 700x28c, that means your wheel has 700c of diameter and your tyre is size 28. You should buy a tube that perfectly fits this, and this is very easy as because tubes have, in the box, the diameter of the wheel they were made for, in your case 700c, and the range of the tires they are made for. So if the tube says 24-26 that is ok for you, if it says 24-28 that is also ok for you, etc. According to your description you bought the correct tube, so what the hell is wrong?

A few things might have made your flat, in particular there are three typical suspects:

a) Maybe your tyre has a glass or a small nail in it, and you didn't check. You removed the old tube and get the new one and the this fragment remained on the tyre, so it flat after a while.

b) Your rimstrip is weak and does not hold the pressure, forces the tube against the holes on the rim and they end up puncturing.

The solution for a) and b) is pretty simple. When you have a flat, remove the tube very careful so that you know it's original position on the tyre. Check if the position of the flat in the tyre and see if there anything stuck in it. If the hole on the tube is on the inside, then it's time to change your rimstrip to something more sturdier.

c) You did a bad job installing the tube. Make sure the tube sits perfectly inside the tyre, and that no parts remain stuck between the tyre and the rim before inflating. To do this it might help to inflate the tube a little but before installing, and check everything after installation but before inflating. Check this guide for detailed instructions.

As a side note, I personally don't like fixing tubes as the patch does not expand as well the the rubber of the tube when you inflate and you create a week point there prone to give some problem in the future.


Is my Fox RP23 Rear Shock blown? I let all the air out of  a used Fox RP23 shock (which I haven't ridden yet) to remove it from a frame, and a small amount of oil sprayed out along with the air. Is this normal or is my shock in need of repair?

This is normal. There's oil that lubricates the inside of the air chamber and a little will come out when you let the air out. The Fox service manual mentions this and recommends that you put a rag over the schrader valve when relieving the pressure in the shock.


Can I change my bike from a 3x7 to a 1x7? I have a 2020 trek marlin. I'd like to change my rear cassette in the future but for now I'd like to know if I can change it to a 1x using only stock parts. Is this possible to do? Or would I have to buy a completely new crankset? Or just a chainring?

Changing to 1x7 is not going to give a very good experience.  There are several features that work together to make a nice 1x setup and none of them are present in 7 speed groupsets.

1x first became mainstream with the introduction of wide range 11 speed cassettes.  This allowed an adequate range of gears without the jumps between becoming uncomfortably large.

However 1x also presented problems with the chain being dropped over rough terrain.  The clutch mech and narrow-wide chainring were developed to combat this.

So whilst it may be possible to convert to 1x7, it is certainly not advisable.


Choosing a bike for errands I've recently bought a Viva Pista 3 single speed bicycle, after getting my previous bike stolen. It's a really nice ride and very good for road rides. It's my pride and joy.

However, it's not something I want to lock up outside a shop; it's probably going to get stolen if I leave it out of my sight. I have a pretty decent lock (Kryptonite D-lock with cable flex) and the bicycle is properly insured. However, I still wouldn't like to lose it.

Really, what I want is a very cheap, mechanically simple bike under £100/$150. Ideally it'd be single speed, have MTB tires and have a pretty upright posture. Basically, a bike that if it disappeared would be cheap to replace and I have no emotional attachment to.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

Just buy something old and used - don't buy a 100quid BSO from Asda


Best season to get a Bike on clearance I'm shopping for a new road bike, probably a Cannondale Synapse or a SuperSix Evo Carbon. Since this is around the time the new models for 2017 are going to come in, shouldn't this be the time when I'll be able to get the 2016 ones lower than retail prices? All the LBS I've looked at are carrying these at full retail prices.

Is there an ideal time to shop for bikes to get them at bargain prices? Are there any other tips to get Bikes at a reasonably lower price than full retail price?

In the US, you generally expect bicycles to get cheaper towards October/November, rather than May/June/July.

Everyone wants to buy a bicycle when Spring gets nice and Summer. Then, they'll ride a few days in the fall and put the bike away in winter. So, sales tend to decline in the Fall/Winter (and the deals come out), so looking in Fall is probably the best.

As for tricks to get bicycles at cheaper prices, you could look at shops in different areas which may have different costs (locally, some bikes here are more expensive than going to one of the cities a few hours away; however, some manufacturers may have price control) or look used (but it seems like you're looking at relatively high end bikes in this case, so you may not have as much luck with it). You may also get a good deal on accessories with a bicycle (a certain amount of free kit in some places), so you could hawk those on eBay or something to recover some money.


Does (square-taper) BB spindle length affect Q factor? I am having knee and ankle trouble on my commuting bike (1993 Specialized mtb) and this has a 73mm BB with a spindle length I haven't measured but there is space between crankarm and frame.

I wanted to lower the Q factor and thinking that lowering the spindle length will be the easiest way - but does it actually affect the Q factor? As the cranks sit at the widest point which isn't necessarily related to the overall length.

Yes, spindle length is a factor in determining the Q factor.

A longer spindle moves the cranks further out while a shorter one moves the cranks further in. The type of crankset will also affect the Q factor, as some will sit further out than others even with the same spindle length (I've seen cranks which on the same bottom bracket can have more than 1 cm difference in Q factor).

Whether or not you can get the chainline and Q factor you want is a different matter (and dependent on your setup).


38mm Front 60mm Rear Clinchers Pros and Cons I have to note at first that I'm new to road cycling. I cycled mostly as a commuter before.

I'm looking into upgrading my wheelset. I read some very good threads here on choosing the right wheelset and I got more or less clear idea on how to choose the rim depth. But one thing still remains unclear to me:

I understand that deeper the rim more aerodynamic advantage you get. But at the same time you can be blown off your path with a decent blow of a cross wind. What if I use 38mm (or less) deep rim for a steering (front) wheel and 60mm (or even more) for a rear wheel. Apparently I could preserve bike control abilities and gain additional aerodynamics. Looks like a perfect win win solution. But why wheel manufacturers never sell this kind of wheelsets then?

Can you please explain what is good about this combinations and what is not?

Have a good day!

I wouldn't worry too much about crosswinds with 60mm depth. Unless you are a very light rider or live somewhere really windy!

Each wheelset handles crosswinds slightly different due to their shape/profile. So it's worth reading the reviews.

One thing to bare in mind is what kind of riding you do and how fast you ride:

If you ride in a bunch and shelter behind people you probably won't get much benefit. Lighter wheels rather than aero might be the way to go in order to accelerate out of corners and respond to surges.
If you ride alone or do a lot of time trials riding at 30kmh+ then you should benefit more from the aero aspect of such wheels. If you ride slower than this then the case for an aero wheelset will be less as drag is proportional to velocity squared.

They do look (and quite often sound) the business in my opinion. This is probably a significant factor for most people buying a set (it was for me) of aero wheels! I've since converted back to more regular rim depths as I'm not sure I got the benefit out of the aero-ness for the additional weight and cost. (I used to do quite a bit of TT and triathlon, nowadays I do more hills and ride in bunches much more often.)

It's a personal thing but I think different sized wheels look odd. Other than that, I can't really think of many downsides to mixing rim depths. You're obviously getting less aero enhancement from your front wheel, which is the point, and your front wheel does cut through the wind in front of you. That, and that it might be more expensive buying two wheels in different sizes than a matching wheelset.

It is generally thought to be true that you can get away with a deeper section wheel on the rear as that's where a lot of your weight is but I think typically deeper section than 60mm - I'm thinking of triathletes with a 1080 on the front and a disc wheel on the back.


Precautions when riding in long-term low visibility Heavy fog or a narrow, overgrown and winding trail, can reduce visibility to 3 meters. Those conditions can continue for hours, and the safest approach 'don't go' cannot be always taken.

I find that riding with appropriate speed as to be able to stop within those 3 meters can be quite fun and rewarding riding experience. This allows for safely intercepting tourists and animals (boars, turtles, bears, cows, horses).

However, should a runner or another cyclist approach from the opposite  direction, being able to stop by the end of your vision field becomes insufficient to avoid a crash. What steps can be taken to reduce the ever present risk of this happening.

One approach is riding at walking pace or just walking. This seems appropriate to city parks or heavily inhabited trails. However, on a winding trail, this could mean pushing the bike for hours. Clearly not mountain biking!

I have used a small speaker with quiet popular rock music. No idea if it did increase safety, but it did annoy some tourists, wanting to enjoy nature and peace.

The only bike-only trails in my country are several downhill racing courses. All other trails are shared, with widely varying traffic loads.

I have trails like this in mind, but with more vegetation and more turns:

Adjust your speed for the road/trail conditions, especially on shared trails; they are not meant for "high" speed cycling.

Anecdotal, in Montreal, on the mountain, there's a gravel path, the Chemin Olmstead, shared by everyone, walkers, runners, cyclists and families, when cycling, it is understood that we should go slow, going and more especially going down.

If the trail is not large enough and you are forced to dismount and walk, then you should not bike on it.

In the fog (and night), you need to make yourself visible, wear some reflective clothing/harness/sash and have some small blinking lights in front and back of your bike (blinking is better than always on lights)

As for the music, I would advise against it, it is annoying as heck and it not a safety plus (IMO).


Information regarding UN300 and UN100 (new Shimano Bottom Brackets) I was about to order a new square tapered BB for some folding bike.
Normally I would opt for Shimano UN55, since they tend to last a long time. However I noticed that some new variants were offered: UN300 and UN100.
Since I could not find any detailed info on Shimano's page (nor got a response from the webshop), I ask here.

Does anyone have press-releases regarding these UN300 and UN100 parts?
Are UN300 as durable as UN55?
Do the Chain-case and E-bike variants indicate a lateral offset? (how much?)

UPDATE
After a bit of digging I bring my preliminary conclusion (partly based upon comments), although nothing is confirmed:

UN55 and UN26 are no longer available so probably UN100 and UN300 will be the replacements
UN300 have a "stabilizer", which is probably just the small plastic spacer on the axle, that will line up flush with the crankset (on the images it looks like UN100 have this too)
UN100 is so far only available with 122.5 mm axle, so they probably only target the most-used axle length (and for low-end bikes you might not care much about the chainline)
The 3x variants (Normal/K/E) seem to differ in the how the right (drive-side) of the shell looks at the outermost part (see the image). Normal version have more axle exposed, and the E-bike variant have a few mm without threading (to allow for a sensor?). Furthermore the chain-case seems to provide a spacer (see the exploded view)
UN300 have aluminium shells on both sides, UN100 have resin shells
In terms of price: UN100 6,2 €, UN26 ~8 €, UN300 10,5 €, UN55 15 € (bike-discount.de 2020-06-09)

My guess it that UN300 is a minor upgrade from UN26, by having alu shells and some convenient improvement with spacers (to me it seems unrealistic that new product in this category is 30% cheaper and more durable). I kind of doubt Shimano will introduce a new "high end" square BB on par with UN55.
I think I will buy one of each, and perhaps bring an initial impressions update.

Update after receiving UN300s and UN100
In general it looks like a production evolution of the previous designs like UN55 and UN26.
TL;DR: UN300 looks to be a well-made unit with good seals, but maybe not as tough as UN55. UN100 looks identical, except for plastic shells.
Let's get the weight out of the way:

UN300 270g for a 113mm axle
UN100 285g for a 123mm axle... so kind of identical.

The shells look like they are fitted/glued on. On the old UN55 the main unit with drive-side looked as if it was machined from a single piece of steel.
The new UN300/100 is 1x steel axle, 2x shells (alu/plastic), 2x cartridge bearings and one middle piece (steel), although the drive-side shell is not immediately removeable.
The bearing on both models are 6903RS (ID17mm, OD30mm). I bought 2x UN300 and 1x UN100, on one UN300 I felt some subtle irregularities/bumps when turning by hand, but I guess that goes away after a bit of use.
The UN300 has the same white powder coating like UN55, and I guess this is similar to blue loctite you find on many bolts. The UN100 does not have this, but for plastic you do not have to care about corrosion anyway.
The finish of UN300 looks great, and has laser etched name + tighten direction.
The shells have seals that attach to the axle and it looks like an effective way of keeping water and dirt out.

On the german Shimano site the UN300 is a bottom bracket designed for (e-)MTB. It is advertised as available in 3 versions: standard, E-type and closed gearbox (I think it is the spindle&co. without the housing). Different lenghts are offered.
It is advertised as part of the "Shimano Acera" family of products.

The UN100 is advertised as part of the "Shimano Altus" and "Shimano Tourney" family of products. It explicitly mentions being compliant with two specifications only (D-NL and LL123)


Identification of roadbike frame On a magazine i saw a bike with a magnificent frame. I would love to know what model it is. Maybe someone can help me.

Looks a lot like a Specialized Crux cyclo cross bike / frame. There are various versions around.
Here is one in a different colour:
http://www.rutlandcycling.com/314372/products/2016-specialized-crux-e5-cyclocross-frameset-cyan-pink-yellow.aspx
Has the extra piece in the rear triangle near the left dropout:

Also:


Can't remove lockring Have been trying to get the lockring removed from my cassette so I can replace it with a spacer kit and one sprocket (singlespeed conversion). I managed to get it loose, although the wrong way - so the whole cassette started unscrewing off the hub. I can't turn it the other way at all. Can someone confirm:

That this is actually a lockring
If so, any tips on how to remove it?

I have a chain whip, lockring tool and 24mm spanner/wrench.

If it screws on then it is a freewheel not a cassette.  They are not the same.  There is a link in my comment.

Your spacer kit with one sprocket was probably for cassette / freehub.  It is not going to work.

I suspect you can find a freewheel single speed conversion.
You need a single speed freewheel - not a sprocket and a lockring.


Replace rim because of 4 broken spokes? When replacing the rear brake pads I noticed that 4 spokes were broken and the wheel wobbles.  I phoned a local bike shop and was told that they recommend replacing the wheel if more than 3 spokes are broken.

I assume that this is a safety precaution but wonder if the recommendation is in line with common practice.  I certainly have no desire to get thrown off the bike in traffic, but it also seems a waste to (probably) discard an entire wheel because it might be damaged and might fail at some point.

This is a 27" road bike, inexpensive, which I ride for transportation in the city (Tokyo).

The rear rim is a bit scored from waiting too long to replace the brake pad, which is another factor to consider.

To clarify slightly, it probably would be cheaper to replace the wheel as suggested below.  My objection is more of an ethical one -- tossing something useful into a hole in the ground seems irresponsible.  Difficult to avoid though, the way things work right now.

On a reasonably built and loaded bike (which is how I hear you describing your bike) with well built wheels I would expect the wheels to last a very long time. With that in mind, several broken spokes with no obvious cause are a red flag. My first thought would be inadequate tension leading to flexing and fatigue. If that is the case, other spokes will likely follow.

With a damaged rim, it might be worth biting the bullet and buying a new wheel – or if you have a good hub, having it rebuilt.

If you're inclined to do the work yourself, replacing spokes isn't too hard and the tools are reasonably inexpensive. There is a knack to truing wheels, but you'll be starting from a reasonable place and all you will likely need to do is to tension the new spokes.


Simple brake test, pulling the brakes and pushing the bike by hand After installing and adjusting, there is this test, where you pull the front brake and try to push the bike forward, it should offer enough resistance to lift the rear wheel.

Then you test the rear brake, by pulling the lever and pushing... backwards? If I push backwards, it does offer enough resistance to lift the front wheel, but if I push forward, the bike will easily slide on the floor.

Is this correct? This seriously confuses me.

Test riding during rain or dry weather, the rear brake leaves a lot to be desired, it slows down, but seems like it takes ages to stop the bike. This isn't a question about braking technique, it's more about braking adjusting.

Is there any adjusting needed to be made in order for the rear brake to contribute for more stopping power, to make it behave like the front brake?

There are two tests for each brake. With the bike stationary, squeeze the levers hard to make sue that nothing is on the verge of breaking or has been mis-assembled. That test may seem silly but it reliably detects cables that are frayed to the point where they're dangerous, and also cheap shitty brakes (which will fail when you do this).

You can't effectively test braking power without having someone on the bike.  The force required far exceeds most people's arm strength (could you catch someone thrown at you at 30kph?). So, jump on the bike and grab one brake then the other, rocking backwards and forwards while you do so. That tells you whether the brakes work at all. If they do, start riding, then tap the brakes as soon as you're moving enough to do that without falling off. Make sure you're riding somewhere that a: you can fall off safely and b: you can stop safely without using the brakes. The whole point of these tests is that they might fail. If you're confident the brakes work reasonably well, find a quiet street or carpark and do more of those tests, speeding up slightly each time.

A good bike shop will have someone other than the mechanic that worked on the bike do this test (and a bunch of other tests) after they service every bike. Once you've done it a few times it becomes fast and almost second nature. Swing a leg over the bike while holding the brakes firmly, rock it a little, tap the brake as soon as you're rolling. That helps avoid nasty surprises.

If you have a front disk brake and not a through axle, that first tap will also tell you whether the front wheel is seated firmly in the fork. It will do that by lifting out of the fork, so it pays to keep that in mind (yes, disk brake mounts were designed for through axles on motorbikes, then the design was copied straight to bicycles with no thought whatsoever. My  bikes normally have the calliper on the right hand form blade, in front of the fork, so this can't happen)

Adjusting the brake depends on what sort of brake it is. Do a little research to find that out, then use the search box on the top right to find instructions for your brake (most likely it will be a V brake, but disk, calliper and cantilever brakes are all common too). Poor performance in the wet is normally a consequence of cheap brake pads, poor adjustment, or poor brake design (in that order, but you can suffer from all of those at once)


Rim-Brake pads creaking in still state The V-brake pads are creaking when the wheel is still and I press the lever. (I.e. not a duplicated of this question, because they don't creak when trying to stop the rolling wheel.)
What could be the reason?
Some thoughts of mine:

I don't think the absence of "toe-in" counts in this case, because the wheel is still, and hence there can be no resonance. (If I understand correctly that's what toe-in achieves: prevents the pad bouncing on and off the rim while it is rotating.)

A similar creaking happened to me once, when the brake pad was rubbing on the tire, but upon close inspection this seems not to be the case now (as far as I can tell, the two are not touching.)

If I loosen the pads, the creaking stops (so I think it is not some other part of the system, which causes the noise, e.g. calipers not being lubricated at the point where they rotate).

When trying to stop the rolling wheel, I don't hear the noise (but maybe it is just so subtle, that it is covered by the other subtle noises the bike is making).

I captured the noise in this video:

What you are hearing in my opinion is the squeak of the rubber pads gripping the rim.  Notice that the pads do not close into and on the rim from a perfectly lateral, 90° approach.  The path of the pad takes a slight arc into the contact point with the rim.  At the contact point as one continues to squeeze the lever and modulate the braking force, the pads continue that slightly arc'd path which leads to some slight sliding on the rim.  The displacement of the rubber and the arc'd path of the pad combine to cause a brief squeak as the rubber settles into the rim.  This is a normal observation and actually an indicator that the rubber of the pads is in good shape and not weathered or hardened.  Some might infer there may be some contamination that's causing the squeak.  Possibly, and this can be corrected by cleaning the braking surface of the rim with alcohol and roughing up the pads' braking surface with some sand paper or bastard file.  At any rate, this is a fairly common sound and a normal finding that does not affect braking performance in any way.


Vintage bike, new chain I've refurbished a vintage bike and I switched the old derailleur with a new medium cage tourney derailleur, the chain is also new and is 114 links long, which should be fine since me largest cog on the rear is 24 teeth and in the front is 52 teeth and distance between bb and cassette is 45cm, however, although I can shift to all gears the cage is really being stretched, is this a problem? should I try to refurbish the old worn derailleur?

see attached pics

Thanks in advance :)]3

The derailleur in the second picture does not look over extended. If the derailleur has some movement left in that position then it's OK. If it's up against the limits and is being bent then you will need to lengthen the chain.

Just for future reference, you should size a chain using a proper procedure: Thread the chain around largest sprocket and chainring (not through the derailleur), find shortest chain length with where inner and outer links, add one inner and outer link.


Can you help identify this bike? I have been given this bike and am trying to find out more about it - I can't find anything on the bike that tells me it's make etc - any ideas would be very welcome.

Sorry for an answer that should be a comment (need to get my bicycles.SE rep up before it'll let me do it right).

I see (open the asker's image to view larger)...

A Marzocchi Bomber fork, construction and decals look like a late-90s Bomber Z1 (http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=198026, though slightly different from the pictured "bam" model).

An FSA headset.

A ROOX seatpost (http://www.roox.at/COMPONENTS/COMPONENTS/Seatpost_overview.htm, though I didn't try to find the exact model from as little as visible.

A Cane Creek rear shock.

Cheap department store bike was my first guess, but the identified parts seem a bit better than that for as little as I pay attention to who is selling their brand to junk bike makers.

Hope this helps!


When to shift gears on a hybrid bike? I know what gears do what (what makes pedaling easier or harder), but my sister and I are having a debate on when exactly to shift. I think I read somewhere that it is better to shift when coasting or lightly pedaling and before the obstacle you are shifting to do better on. Sadly, I can't find the source so I have no proof to show her, she believes it doesn't matter when you shift it but it is better to do it while pedaling. Does anyone know which is correct?

It depends on your transmission. Some internal gear hubs, for example, are perfectly happy being shifted at a standstill.

For a derailleur based system, you should shift while in motion while pedaling lightly. It isn't ideal to shift under load, and shifts will be sloppier under load typically.

The question of when to shift while riding is a matter of personal preference -- ideally, you want to maintain your cadence or power output, but due to obstacles, you might downshift and get into an appropriate pedal position for continuing riding. It's like shifting in a car -- there are certainly wrong ways, but there isn't necessarily a right way.

For example, if I need to round a corner and slow down before, I might shift down before the corner, get the pedals in a position I can round the corner without striking the pedals on the ground, go around and start pedaling again. But I could also get the pedals in position, slow down, come out the other side and downshift and continue going. Neither of these is wrong, but the first one is likely easier.

It's also a good habit for coming to a stop and starting -- starting in a high gear is not so nice, and shifting down can be a bit jarring unless you build up a bit of speed in the high gear.


Bike lookup: Is this the bike I ordered or a women's model? I just received the bike I ordered last week and it looks much different from the 2018 model that I tried at my local bike shop.

I ordered the latest model of "Specialized Rockhopper Base" but the top tube is so much lower. The bike shop employee said they changed the frame for this year and I can't find any reference for a bike with this geometry on the Specialized website. I feel like this is a women's bike and they are tricking me.

I appreciate any help or advice.

As Swifty said Specialized does not have men's or women's bikes starting with the 2020 model year. Here is a link to their hyper buzz worded article on the topic "BEYOND GENDER".
To illustrate the truth of no more genders go to the website for Specialized shopping for Rockhoppers

Filter for MODEL YEAR 2019
Notice that men's bikes and women's bikes are listed.
Remove the filter for MODEL YEAR = 2019
Filter for MODEL YEAR = 2020
Notice that the gender qualifier is missing from the bike names in the results.
Leaving the MODEL YEAR filter set to 2020, flip the GENDER filter back and forth between Men and Women.
Notice that the same bikes are in either Men or Women, or both.

No "Men's Rockhopper" or "Women's Rockhopper" only "Rockhopper" for 2020
At the bike shop you must have tried a different model or year of Rockhopper.
According to the sizing chart from an authorized Specialized dealer:

If you are 5'6" to 5'10" you would ride a medium.
If you are in the range for the size of bike you have I'd take it back to the shop and have them fit the bike to you.
No matter what the chart says if you are unhappy with the size you can exchange it.
Specialized has a 30 day return policy
From the Specialized FAQ:

Can I exchange an item if it doesn't fit?
We realize that buying items that are size-specific over the internet is difficult. Because of that, we offer a 30-day satisfaction guarantee on products purchased from our webstore.
Upon receiving your order, if you find the need to exchange an item for the same item in a different size or color, we can help. However, if you want to switch to a different item, then you'll need to return the item for a refund and order the new item separately.
We will send out the replacement item(s) on exchanges within five days of receiving the original item back. We will send it via Fed-Ex 2-Day air, at no charge to you, to the address from the original order.


Should I consider buying a velomobile as my daily commute vehicle instead of a bike? What are the advantages/disadvantages between a (possibly electric) velomobile and a regular bike when in daily use?

By velomobile you mean something like this, a fully enclosed/faired bicycle, tricycle, or quadricycle:

Unless your commute is in the heavy rain/snow and you have a fully enclosed velo; or you're commuting more than 100 km on salt flats each way and need the air-resistance efficiency, there are very few advantages to a velomobile and very many disadvantages:

Velomobiles:

Are very heavy/slow going up hills, or starting up from stop lights for that matter
Are terrible to park (take too much space)
Are terrible to secure (no easy place to put a U-lock)
Are terrible at maneuvering (around your workplace's parking lot, for example) because you can't really walk most velos by yourself
You're too large to split lanes but also too slow to keep up with traffic so that cars will honk at you when you take up an entire lane.
Can't easily be carried up stairs
Won't fit on a bike rack, back of a car, or in an elevator. This has implications for mixed mode commuting (bike+bus or train) as well as makes it difficult if you have a major problem at the side of the road and need to transport the velo back home, to work, or to a repair shop.
Many enclosed ones can be very hot in the summer
Are expensive to buy, fragile, and expensive to fix/maintain (thx Rider_X)
And ... are just the right height to get squished by a truck or bus

Now, electric-assist velomobiles do have some advantages, but (as the podride homepage you initially linked to itself notes,) the four wheel version is in a legal gray zone as in some jurisdictions it might be considered an automobile rather than a bike or motorcycle. And if you are in a jurisdiction where the motor is limited to 250 watts, be prepared for a lot of hard work pedaling.

Tl;dr If you want a small electric car, get a small electric car like a neighborhood electric vehicle (USA) or motorized quadricycle (EU) These have license plates and can be driven and parked on local roads without any concerns about legality. They also have headlights, tail lights, turn signals, and other safety equipment.


how to reassemble mountain bike rear wheel hub and bearings So I thought I would sort out my wheel bearings (after asking a few questions here first).  Did the front without much of a problem, (reused the existing bearings at the moment, had not got round to going to the LBS to get new ones).  I tried to do the rear wheel tonight.

So I got the wheel off, took the quick release out.  undid one side of the axle (disk brake side I believe), took out the bearings etc.  I noticed that a few of the bearings from the cassette side had fallen out while taking the other side off. I then used the chain whip and other bit thing (who's name I can not remember) to eventually undo the cassette (was on real tight).  Took everything apart (trying to remember the order, even placing things in rows of where it came from) and cleaned it all up.  Went to put it back together again and I can not figure out at all (not with any confidence) how the bearings go into the cassette side under the locking nut (think its called that, the bit that comes off with the chain whip and tool).

Here are all the bits and the wheel.  Think I may have to admit defeat and go the LBS to get it sorted but they had a 5 or so day wait.  I am hoping someone might be able to guide me in the right direction to get this working again please.

Thanks

If anyone else has this problem here is a picture of the final way I assembled it:

While not necessary, it will probably be easier to understand what is happening if you lift the cassette off. The ring at the front of your photo (C) is the nut that holds the cassette on, so right now you should be able to lift the cogs off the freewheel. That will leave you with the splined body of the freewheel exposed and you'll have one less distraction.

The parts labelled are :

A: cone locknut (the last thing to go on)

B: seal, probably from the drive side

C: cassette nut/lockring that holds the cassette together and onto the freewheel

D: spacer/washer that goes between A and E

E: cone with seal attached

F: seal from the axle and cone labelled H

G: seal from the non-drive side

H: axle with cone attached.

I: there is no I

J: washer. I have no idea where this goes.

K: quick release axle.

Ignoring the bearings for a minute, the order things go back in from the non-drive side (underneath, in the photo) of the wheel is likely to be: Put the seal F back on H from the long side - it probably should not go all the way to the washer. Push H up into the wheel screw E down onto it then add D, screw A down and lock it off. Push G over the non-drive side cone assembly to seal that side. Push B into the drive side if it fits (I'm not sure it will, I haven't seen a seal like that or in there for a very long time). Put the cassette cogs back on, then add C to lock them in place.

Before doing this you will have cleaned the old grease off the cones in the hub (careful with solvents, you don't want to wash the grease out of the rest of the freewheel), then put in new grease and pushed new bearings into it (the grease holds the bearings in place while you reassemble).


Bottom bracket removal, what is this part? I have a new (old) bicycle, and I am in the process of disassembling it.

I arrived to the bottom bracket (with a cottered crank), and unscrewed the ring without problems, but then I'm faced with a part that I don't think I've seen before (circled in yellow in the picture below, the part next to the frame with the threads and a strange "groove").

I've disassembled several BB, but this is new to me (normally I have a nut and unscrew it, I bet this may be another kind of nut), and I don't know if this can be removed and how?

Is this something that I can unscrew, and does anyone know of the technique/tools to do it?

(By the way, the other side has the same part, but as far as I can see there is no thread (visible at least))

It's a bottom bracket cup. There are specialty tools you can use to remove it such as the HCW-11 on this page, or if it isn't rusted in, you can probably accomplish the same with an adjustable crescent wrench.  Under there are some ball bearings, so make sure you don't lose any when you open it up.  The bearings should be in a cage, which would stop you from losing them, but with an older and worn bike such as the one shown in the picture, the bearing cage may be broken.


Shimano Alivio parts ID (with pictures) I was given a bicycle that's in need of some repairs. I replaced the worn brake pads, but the brake calipers don't really return to a position where they clear the wheels. I started looking for replacement springs or just to replace the entire unit. What do I need? I see what I assume are current alivio BR-T 4000 on ebay for $25, will these fit?

Pictures: https://1drv.ms/f/s!Aiod9EP7JYA-gvBgysNosLSNFnnLlg

I think this bike was originally purchased in 2005 or 2006

I'll also need a new chain and sprockets and derailleur. I haven't tried the gear shifts much, but I suspect they are due for replacement also.

Before you replace the components, I would try fixing them up.

First, identify where the problem is:
1) disconnect the brake cable from the brakes. Do they spring back now? If so, the resistance is in the cable and housing. Figure out which part of the housing is causing the resistance and lube it. If the cable is rusted or frayed at all, replace it. That's much cheaper than replacing the brakes, which look fine in the photos

2) If it's not the cable, remove the wheel and see if the brakes spring back in the absence of the wheel. In the photo, it looks like the pads might be set high enough that they are catching on the edge of the tire. If they spring fine without the wheel in place, try setting the pad just a tiny bit lower so as to not catch on the tire.(You can probably tell whether it's catching on the tire without actually removing the wheel, but you can tell for certain by taking the wheel off.)

3) Pretty much the same logic applies to the derailleur. It looks fine, so try cleaning/replacing the cable and housing first, then adjust it properly, and I expect it will work fine.

On the other hand, replacing the chain and sprockets might be a good idea if they are worn. But first I'd lube the chain and check it for "stretch" and also whether it slips at all on the cogs, which would be an indication of wear. If not, you might be able to ride it for awhile before you invest in the new chain and cogs.


How is a frame designed for an easy step-thru? My question is very specific towards bikes which have a curved top-tube. How is it decided that a particular

height of the top tube above the ground for a set of people in a certain height range is good enough to allow easy step through? Is there any biomechanical aspect to it or is it simply decided based on a survey conducted among a large number of people in that height range?

Or is it decided purely on aesthetic reasons?

I am trying to come up with such a concept, but I am simply unable to find any strong basis for determining this particular parameter.

the step-through height must be no higher than the top of the pedal stroke, since the rider will need to have their foot that high to ride the bike.

The exception, obviously, is bikes for people who can't lift that high but can accept forced motion that high. But those are generally built for rehabilitation rather than primarily for transport, like the one below. Those do tend to be somewhat more flexible than is ideal, and often have quite low rider weight limits.

 (from CyclistChic)


Shimano 105 - double chainring on triple chainset? I ordered a middle chainring (39T) to change on my 105 5703 chainset. I didn't realise until it arrived that it specifies it is for a double chainset. Does this mean it will not fit on the triple? I suppose I could try it and see, but it is still packed so it could be exchanged.

According to the service instructions for the Shimano FC-5703, this crank is a 50D/39D/30T tooth pattern.

The 2 upper rings are "double" with only the 30t identified as a triple ring.

This is not the case with all triple cranks, but with yours, that should be the correct chainring.


Why the heck are cleated shoes called clipless? Clipless shoes are the ones with cleats and clips on the pedal that the cleat clips into.  So why in the world are the called clipless?

It has to do with the difference between pedals with toe clips and clipless pedals.

Pedals with Toe Clips

Clipless Pedals (and shoes)

The clipless shoes are for the clipless pedals.

The wikipedia page says the following:

  Clipless refers to the lack of an
  external toe clip, but not to
  be confused with platform pedals
  without toe clips.


How to find the vertical height between any two points? Is there any source in the Internet that allows me to calculate the vertical height between two arbitrary points?

Im thinking of something like the calculate route function of Google Maps. But instead of the trip length, I want to see the vertical height.

Do you have any experience with such information?

You can get an elevation profile of a route from using Google Maps and GPS Visualiser, as detailed on Aaron James Young's blog. In summary:

Create your route on Google Maps.
Grab the link, and stick it into GPS Visualiser.
Bingo! An elevation profile chart is created showing how the altitude changes over the route.


How to tighten SRAM HRD Rival brake lever? I have SRAM Rival HRD brake/gear shifters on my cross bike. It's a 1X setup.

The left brake lever (this is the UK where rear brake lever is on the left, so it's the rear brake lever only) has lateral play. The shifter can be wiggled a little side to side and a little forward and backward before the brake starts to engage.

I would like to stop this play, the right hand front brake/shifter lever has no or much less noticeable play.

Firstly, I know the brake needs bleeding, and I will get this sorted but is there any way to tighten the lever?

I see from the exploded view in the service manual that there is a pivot pin. It doesn't appear that this can be tightened?

Is it likely that simply bleeding the system will remove some/all of the play or is there something else I can do?

It was much improved by a service at a shop where they replaced the brake pad and bled the system. It seems tightening the pivot pin was not needed.


Tiagra lever extremely stiff on new bike I bought myself my first real bike (Conway GRV 600) three weeks ago and was pretty happy with it. My GF decided she wants one too and got herself a Canyon Endurance Bike (cheaper than mine but same Tiagra group). Upon trying out her shifting I noticed that hers is extremely easy to use whereas on mine I have to apply quite a lot of force and by quite I mean like a ton more. With hers it's possible to go like click click click with an easy hand move, whereas on mine I sometimes struggle to get even one gear up at a time. When I originally got the bike I didn't know that it was not supposed to be like that, however now that I have something to compare, the differences are striking.

Some facts :

The bike was new but sold to me with a 20% discount on the retail price
I have ridden for around 400km since I got it, almost exclusively on roads and always in the dry - so I think my cables should be fine
shifting up the cassette with the rear derrailer (that is into easier gears) is what requires a lot of force, going down the cassette is really easy and fast on both bikes

Any suggestions what this could be caused by? Is it due to different cable routing, or might it be that the bike has been sitting too long somewhere and the tension on the cables is bad?

As mentioned in comments you should take the bike back to the store and get them to fix it. I wouldn't even attempt a repair because disassembling anything introduces the possibility the store will decide you caused the problem.

However, initial steps for diagnosing the problem if you want to:

I think it's highly unlikely the that cable routing is the problem because the cable would hang up on both up and downshifts.

You can easily determine if the shifter or derailleur is the problem. Detach the cable from the derailleur, work the shifter. If downshifting is now free the dearilleur was the problem. If still stiff it's the shifter.

You can also attempt to manually move the derailleur from the smallest sprocket to the largest while holding the rear wheel off the ground and pedaling (you need a work-stand or a friend to do this, or possibly put the bike upside down on something that will not scratch the saddle or hoods). Be careful not to catch your fingers in the chain.


Need help understanding my grip shifters on my handle bar I am new to mountain bikes and recently bought the Apollo Phaze bike. I was wondering if anyone can help me understand the functions of these gears and when to shift them. For example, when commuting to uni and back, I have travel over hilly paths and I was wondering which gearing options would be best for going uphill and downhill. There are 2 types of shifters on my handlebar, one shifter is for speed as stated on the shifter and the other shifter is for friction or something, I am not quite sure. For some perspective, I have attached the picture of my gears. I hope someone has some information to help me understand the shifters better.

You have two shifters. A friction shifter for the front derailer and a 6-speed indexed shifter for the rear derailer.
The shifters are operating by turning the grip front and back (like a motorbike throttle).
The front shifter is on the left. You must learn how to find the right position yourself, because it is a friction shifter, you can move it continuously. After the gear is shifted you must yourself find the position that does not make any bad noise.
The rear shifter is on the right side. There are 6 predefined positions for those 6 speeds, that means 6 different sprockets, chainwheels, at the rear derailleur.
You turn the right/rear shifter towards you to shift to an easier gear/larger cog in the rear.
You turn the right/rear shifter away from you to shift to a harder gear/smaller cog in the rear.
You turn the left/front shifter towards you to shift to a harder gear/larger cog at the front.
You turn the left/front shifter away from you to shift to an easier gear/smaller cog at the front.
If you want to look on the numbers, then the smaller the number indicated, the easier gear is selected.
The gear is not changed immediately, you must turn the cranks that hold the pedals first after operating the shifter. Do not push too hard or the chain can fall or get jammed.
To go uphill, you normally go slower, so you select a smaller chainwheel at the front and a larger chainwheel at the rear. That way you can go push with a reasonable force even if you go slower.
When you want to go fast on a flat or downhill, you select a larger wheel in the front and a smaller wheel at the rear. That way you do not have to turn your pedals too fast.
Do not select the smallest cogs on both sides at the same sides or the largest cogs on both sides at the same time. That is called cross-chaining  and is bad for the drivetrain and will likely be noisy.
As others noted, you should try to change the front gear less often and the rear gear more often. But everyone develops some personal style of shifting after some time. It is important to adjust your shifting to avoid those bad habits that lead to fallen or jammed chains. Especially, do not shift under load. The cheaper the drivetrain is, the worse it copes with bad shifting. Expensive derailers can shift multiple gears at a time, but try to avoid it with yours.


Reinforce master link I put master link on my bike and it keeps falling off the chain or snapping. The chain makes clicking noises or gets stuck then jumps off crank or the link snaps off. There's less than 5 miles on the chain is there any way to repair it without a chain tool? I've never used a snap on master link and usually use the traditional linking through pins.

Sounds like your chain is not suitable for the master link, or the master link is not closing right.

There's no need to use a master link if you prefer to use the more traditional pins.  If you only ever take a chain off to change it, the advantages of a master link are not relevant.

Its possible to use sliding lockjaw pliers to push a pin in, but you run the risk of twisting it and making a poor seat.  Buy a chain tool if you're serious about riding a bike, or ask around other riders who may have one already.

If you can provide more info on your master link (like a clear photo) then it may be obvious to the rest of us what is happening.