How can i calculate the power in watts on an indoor trainer I am trying to calculate the power needed to hold a steady speed on an indoor trainer, so as I can train using power in watts. I set the bike up and put the crank at 90 degrees, then put a weight of 2.695kgs on the pedal to overcome the resistance, just on the verge of moving. The faster you pedal the more power is needed.

The crank length is 175mm
The weight to overcome resistance is 2.695 kgs (converted to Newton’s 26.429)
Cadence is 80 rpm

Take a look at TrainerRoad.com to see if your trainer is on their list and you may be able to use a Speed/Cadence sensor with an ANT+ USB stick in your computer to use what they call "Virtual Power". They don't actually measure your power output, but based on known power curves of the trainer at given speed/cadence they run through some formulas to give you a number as you spin away on the trainer.


Good source for folding Strida clones? Is there such a thing as a good Strida clone? What are the qualitative differences between any clones and a real Strida?

From your comments, it sounds like you're hoping to find a folding bike that folds up fast, but is also light enough to carry up stairs easily and small enough to fit through turnstiles and on the train with no problems.  All for well under $1000.

This may be impossible.  There are cheap folding bikes (under $500) and there are lightweight ones that fold up small and easy to walk around with. You might be able to find something that meets all those criteria for cheap that's used, but I don't think you can manage that with a new bike.

There is the A-Bike which is quite similar looking, but has a different folding mechanism.

There's plenty of competition for folding bikes out there:

Dahon Curve D3 $599, 16" wheels like Strida, 25 pounds, 10-15 second fold time
Dahon Eco 3 $379, 20" wheels, 26.7 pounds, 10-15 second fold time
http://www.brompton.co.uk/page.asp?p=3060 -- but all above your named price point.  There are some Pre-Owned Bromptons for just barely under $1000.
Bike Friday has a bunch of options, but all above the $1000 price point your comment mentions.  The super fast folder is this one: http://community.bikefriday.com/node/6301, $1300, 5 second fold time.

The big problem with any bicycle with such small wheels is that the ride is going to be rough and it'll be easier for the wheel to get caught on something instead of rolling over it; most compensate with wider wheels and tires which should help eliminate some of the roughness. Depending on the folding mechanism there's potentially structural (strength) problems with folding bicycles, though many compensate for those with additional material and instead make the bike heavier.

Personally, I'd see if there was someplace I could give some folding bicycles a test ride. I'd be likely to go with something with 20" wheels instead of 16", too.  16" does fold up smaller, but 20" is pretty close and should be a much nicer ride.


Shimano FC-5700 chainring with FD-5600 derailleur? Currently my front chainrings are Shimano FC-5600 48/40 with FD-5600 derailleur. As I can not get new chainrings in FC-5600 I was asking myself if my FD-5600 supports FC-5700 53/39 chainrings?

The FD-5600 derailleur has capacity of 16 tooth difference between the rings so it will be fine with 53/39. You will need to move it up on the frame to accommodate the bigger rings of course.

If your bike was designed for smaller rings check you have enough clearance between the rings and chain stays.

As there is a larger difference between the rings also check that you will not exceed the total capacity of your rear derailleur. Total capacity is (large ring-small ring) + (largest sprocket-smallest sprocket).

I’m not sure if 105 5700 rings will actually fit on a 5600 crank. They both have evenly spaced 5 bolt spiders, but the shape of the rings where they meet the crank body might be different.

Shimano’s archived specs for 2006/2007 when 105 5600 came out are here


Restoring an old xUSSR bicycle for commuting... Feasible? Silly? I've got a very old bicycle from the xUSSR days in my garage (outside UK atm). I'm not sure what year / model it is, to be honest...

I've been commuting to work (8.5 miles each way) almost every day since last summer on a Pinnacle Stratus hybrid, and eventually the idea of using an actual road / track bike to ride to work becomes more and more appealing :D

I know that the chain / gears / casette will most likely have to go. Wheels will be replaced and so on.. Seems like the only thing left will be the actual frame.. So in the end - will this still be a good idea, or am I just going to lose money in the end? How much should I expect it to cost?

As I said - I don't have the year/model but I've got some photos of it here: http://imgur.com/a/JqFX0

What do you all think?

The exact model is Start Shosse from Kharkiv Bicycle factory (ХВЗ Старт-шоссе) Wikipedia link about factory.

This particular bike was a dream of many soviet youngsters, but in reality it is not anything special, as Soviet Olympic team rode on Colnago bikes.

It is quite popular trend here (in Latvia, ex USSR member country) to make a fixed gear bike from that cheap frame. Other parts are not of very good quality and sometimes it is very hard to find fitting spares from other manufacturer.

There is no special reason to keep that frame, as other vintage frames could be a better choice, but there is nothing wrong with it either.


STI shifter sometimes doesn't catch in cooler weather I've got a road bike with brake lever shifters, and it's developed a small problem with age: sometimes, the shifter doesn't catch the first time or two I push it. It'll move easily, with no resistance, since it's not actually pulling on the cable, then after a few tries, catch and work normally. The colder the temperature, the more often this happens.

I don't know how the mechanism works internally, so I'm curious what would cause this, and also whether it's (as I suspect) gradual wear of some part of the mechanism, and if it's likely to fail catastrophically, or gradually worsen.

WD40 will work, for awhile, but in the longer term it'll work against you since it's a poor lubricant and will work to prevent future lubing. Spraying some penetrating oil into the ratcheting mechanism is the way to go, long and short term. Gaining access by working the brake on the shifter and spraying, using a long neck attachment for better aim, into the little hole, opposite the cable side, that you can see when applying the brake, leading to the gear ratchet will do the job. Zimm's confirms this, as does my local bicycle shop.

I just did this on an Ultegra gear shifter, using "Super Lube", and now the shifter works like new. After it evaporates it leaves a extremely thin layer that is highly slick.


Strange noise coming from bottom bracket/crank I've just bought a Trek 6300 and I'm getting a strange creaking coming from the crank/bottom bracket when I'm stand pedalling. It only happens when I'm stand pedalling, and only what appears to be on my right hand side.  It's like a triple click on each downward motion on the right pedal.  But again, only when stand pedaling?

Any ideas?

I didn't buy the bike brand new from a shop, I bought it off of one a friend of a friend who used it for a charity ride in January and hasn't used it since, hence he sold it.  I just find it odd that the noise only happens on the right hand side.  Could it be that the chain is catching the front derailer?  I'm still relatively new to mountain bikes.

If you only just bought it from a shop, take it back and get them to sort it, but do ask what the problem was.

If you want to fix it yourself, it's worth determining the frequency and type of noise that you're hearing. I used this site when I had an issue similar to yours and I tried taking pedals off, the crank arm off and eventually took it to a bike shop and it was the bottom bracket that was making the noise.


Headset upgrade, problem finding headtube dimensions for my 2020 Giant ATX 3 It's a 2020 Giant ATX 3. Does any one know how to find this info? Thx.

You can measure this information yourself sooner than discover it here or elsewhere. When I've done the same thing on bikes I've noticed how little information manufacturers provide on things like this, I wish they gave more info.
You need to measure the fork steerer diameter at the top and at the bottom where the crown race seats, as well as the inner diameter of the headtube top and bottom. so four numbers in mm.
Then you need to know what kind of headset is required. It could be External Cup (EC), Zero stack (ZS) or Integrated (IS). Looking at photos it's not EC but you can detect what it actually is quite easily in person.
With this information you can specify the requirements, search for 'S.H.I.S code' for more detail, Park Tool's explainer is nice and clear.
Up to you if it's good value for money to replace such a new headset.


When shifting gears, how does a bike chain catch the new cog so reliably? I think I understand the derailleur mechanism pretty well, yet I still find it surprising how the chain catches on the new cog so reliably.  Is there something I'm missing?  Is it just with the proper derailleur alignment, the chain will inevitably catch?

A great deal of engineering has gone into making shifting smooth and predictable. Up until ~1984, shifting was done by feel and sound: the shift lever moved continuously through its range, and you moved it until it caught the adjacent gear. Different brands had different actions, and you had to develop some technique.

In 1984, Shimano rolled out "indexed shifting" (there had been previous attempts, but this time it really took). Here, the shift lever clicked into specific positions; the spacing between gears on the freewheel was standardized (before, the spacing varied within a freewheel); the shift cable was pre-stretched so the action wouldn't change; and so on. There was a lot of skepticism that indexed shifting would stay reliable in the long run, but it did, and took over.

Since then, there have been additional refinements. Individual gears on a cassette have "ramps" that help lift the chain from smaller gears. Gears are aligned relative to each other to ensure good uptake. Chainrings have pins to help lift as well.


Ideas for consistently popping tubes I ride a cyclocross about 50 miles a week. About half of the mileage is spent on roads, the other half on single track trails. In the space of 3 weeks I have had the tubes pop 5 times. Once the back tube popped while riding on the road near my house. The other four occurred while the bike was hanging in my apartment.

I have double checked the interior and exterior of the tires for debris or objects and found none. I ensured tires were inflated to proper pressure and that the rim guard strips were in the correct place. I purchased the bike about a month ago from the neighborhood bike shop.

Is there anything I am missing? My current hypothesis is that the tubes degraded in the shop and spring leaks due to age. If that is the case, is it proper to ask the shop to replace the tubes with new ones?

Edit: August 2016

Hundreds of miles later on the same tires, rims, rim tape I have not had a single flat. I replaced the problematic tubes and tried to hold all other variables consistent. I was not able to determine the cause of the problems but it does appear the tubes that came installed from the bike shop were more brittle than expected. This could have been due to shop storage. Extended exposure to heat or light can weaken butyl tubes despite being more resilient to weathering and attack than natural rubber.

I had tire busts when I used tubes that were pre-filled with Slime: they burst within an hour to a day of installing them. When I switched to standard tubes and then added Stans No Flats liquid they were fine. This happened twice to me: very strange.

I always use Stans in my wheels: either MTB tubeless or commuting/road bike tubed. Is a bit of a hassle with Schraeder tubes because the tubes with removable valve cores are not so common (altho Continental sells). But I use a syringe and a tube to "inject" 50ml of Stans into the tubes: helps a lot with flats (although won't solve this issue).

Are you using really light tubes? I've found them more likely to cause problems if your rim/tire combination isn't exactly right. Also check that your tubes really are the right size for your tires: not just the diameter but the width. It might be worth spending a bit more and getting better quality tubes next time: I've found Continental good, and they offer a big range of tubes. Maybe you're using big fat cyclocross tires and tubes mean't for a road tire. They all fit, but will be much more stretched, and more likely to fail, especially if the rubber is not good quality and tough.

When you install the tubes, are you maybe pinching them? I partially inflate them and try to install just using my thumbs. Then I go around the wheel and roll the tire back and forth with my fingers and make sure the tube is not trapped under the bead: check both sides. Then I pump it up to max and possibly deflate it a bit if I don't ride it at max pressure.

I doubt it's your tires, but try taking them off and running your fingers around the inside: you can feel problems better than see them.

I also doubt it's your rim tape, but I often add a layer or two of electrical tape over it: especially if I am using high pressures.

If nothing is wrong in particular, I bet you can solve it by using better quality tubes.


How can I know my brake fluid needs changing? I have a few bikes with shimano disc brakes. I know changing the fluid is something that can be done and I could probably work out how to do it but I don't know what to look out for to know its time to change the fluid. I know someone who took in their 8 month old mountain bike to the store for a service and they said the fluid needs changing. Is this too soon? Are there any changes I can notice in my brakes that will let me know its time to change the fluid?

The suggested interval to bleed your brakes seems to different among manufacturers.
While  SRAMs techdocs explicitly mention to replace the fluid every year, Shimanos techdocs (p20) does only recommends to replace the oil if it becomes severely discolored. For recreational use, I think you're safe bleeding once every two years but depending of the usage and storage it might be quicker.

Magura on the other hand claims their Royal Blood oil (p21) does not age. I've ridden an MTB having HS33 brakes with 10 year old oil and indeed had a firm braking experience.

Are there any changes I can notice in my brakes that will let me know its time to change the fluid?
Replacing the fluid before the regular maintenance can be required if air got in the system. Magura suggests to replacing the oil if:

the brake does not respons immediatly when the brake lever is actuated
pressure point is not clearly defined, it is spongy or does not remain constant
the brake hose has been changed

If you have multiple bikes and like to do some own maintenance, it's even worth looking into buying your own bleeding kit. Shimano has nice technical documentation and there are various videos online giving you a feeling how to bleed your specific brake type.

Small sidenote, regarding storing your bike: ideal you put the flat and upright, so there is less chance for air coming in the brake system. While transporting the bike be sure not to press the brake levers without having the wheels in your bike, as it can cause the pistons coming out too far.


How much should I inflate my tires? I just purchased a new bicycle pump with a pressure gauge and after checking my tyres, inflated them to the top end of interval printed on the tyres (4.5-6.5 bar).

I'm wondering when the tyres should be in the lower range of the interval, and when the higher end is appropriate. Is it a question of weight? Type of terrain I'm going to ride?

The tyres in question are Schwalbe Kojaks, mounted on a light urban hybrid bike.

My general rule of thumb is 10-15% lower than the posted maximum for normal road riding. Higher if you're carrying a load or are a larger rider, lower if you're a lighter rider. There's an article in Bicycle Quarterly that's a pretty good guide on tire pressure for road riding depending on weight and width of tire.

http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com/images/TireDrop.pdf


Why the solid 12mm rear axle? Recent years saw the introduction of hollow axles, as the pipe is the stiffest construction for it's weight for loads expected on an axle.

And now the industry is introducing the 12mm solid rear axle. Solid. Why solid? Why not standardize both axles to be 9, 15 and 20mm and be done with it?

If you mean 12mm thru axles, they have been around for a few years now but in different guises depending on hub and frame spacing standards.

• 150x12mm
• 142x12mm
• 135x12mm

With the rise of enduro/am/do it all style mtb
It's about creating harmony between weight, stiffness and ease of use.
and a standard going forward that can adhere to modern frame and hub design trends.

The main advantage of 12mm thru axle is that through axles enable you to get a more secure connection between frame and wheel as the axle goes through the hub and almost always then screwed into the frame.

The 15mm and 20mm axle standard is geared up more for Forks. and some come as proprietary technology specific to a fork manufacturer.
Also depending on your riding style and frame dropouts 9mm qr can be weak and flexy thus a 10mm bolt up conversion may provide appropriate strength/rigidity for older frames.


Brake cable housing will not stay in barrel adjuster on lever As you see the housing won’t stay in the barrel adjuster on the brake lever. When I brake it just comes out. I can pull it out with my hand anyone know how to fix?

.

The brake cable housing is a slip fit into the brake lever barrel adjuster and cable guide bosses at various places on the frame (for the rear brake) or fork (for the front brake).

The housing is prevented from coming out of any of the mounting points by the cable having not enough slack for the housing to slide along it enough to pop out.

General process is to follow the housing from the brake lever to the caliper and you will probably find the housing has come out of a frame or fork mounting boss, or the cable is detached from the caliper, or the cable just has too much slack in it. I assume that is the front brake which goes directly to the front v-brake caliper. I'm guessing either the metal pipe 'noodle' that the cable runs through has come out of the caliper or the cable has come loose.

Park Tool has a good page on v-brake (or linear brake) service and adjustment that you can refer to. https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/linear-pull-brake-service.

BTW, the cable looks like it is fraying - there's a strand visibly loose in your pictures. You should replace the cable. The front brake cable failing is obviously quite dangerous.


What happened to pumps? I'm an old-time bike rider who commuted to grad school every day for 3 years on a bicycle.  Then after a 20+-year-long hiatus, started riding again with my son.  I cannot figure out the fitting on the modern pumps.  I can get some air in, but after several cases of the thing flying off or making an embarrassing leaking, whoosh sound with every stroke.

Q: Are pumps with the  old-style, screw-on fittings available anywhere anymore?

Q: Is there a good reason I should appreciate the new fitting?

There are two main standards:  Schrader and Presta.  Schrader is the standard auto tire valve, while Presta is thinner and has a little knurled knob on top.  Schader is relatively straight-forward to use while Presta requires a little finesse.

Most newer "floor pump" valves are "agnostic" and will fit either style without conversion, but some require flipping a gasket over inside the chuck or some such.

Floor pumps generally have a flip-lever valve where you press the valve on, then flip the lever up to lock the valve on.  Sometimes, if the tire is flat, you may need to press your thumb into the tire on the back side of the valve to keep the valve from sliding into the rim as you push the chuck on -- if you don't then the chuck doesn't get on far enough.  Plus on some valves you may need to adjust the chuck by tightening a knurled fitting on the chuck, to compensate for gasket wear, etc.  And of course there are cheap pumps that won't work regardless.

Presta can be a little tricky.  You need to unscrew the knurled knob ALL THE WAY, then press the chuck on.  And I like to tap the unscrewed knob once to free the internal seal from its seat -- sometimes they stick, making it hard to get air in.  When you're finished filling a Presta, just tighten the knob barely finger tight, so as to not unnecessarily deform the seal.


Why do most E-MTBs have 1x drivetrains? I'm contemplating about getting an electric assist MTB but as much as I can see all (or at least majority) of e-bikes are equipped with 1x transmission.

Is there a reason why there are no e-bikes with more than 1x drive-train?

Well, there are a couple of reasons most MTB ebikes are 1x models:

Modern motors on ebikes provide enough of a kick to get you up a steep hill as well as enough speed to go 50kmh on flats. Even a basic 750 watt motor is stronger and faster than almost any rider's legs.  I’m not sure what more gears would give you except more complexity and weight.
A modern wide-range, mountain derailleur gives you more than enough capacity and given the motor assistance, you don’t need to be at the optimal cadence that closer spacing would give you
Many higher end ebikes have bottom bracket motors such as the Bosch or Yamaha systems, which don't allow for front derailleurs (the Bosch for example has internal gearing - a big advantage of which is that the chainwheel is very small and allows for greater clearance with a lower bottom bracket height)
Many battery packs are located behind or near the seat post. This makes the placement of a front derailleur difficult or impossible.
Some ebikes have throttles which makes the placement of shifters on both sides more complex.

Of course, it's really easy for you to add your own rear hub motor to an existing 3x10 MTB if you really want one. But the cheaper vendors are going 1x to save money and the expensive vendors are using bottom bracket motors which aren't FD compatible.

Case studies:

1) Low-end fat ebike (Sondors fatbike, around US$700-1000, rear hubmotor). The battery compartment takes up the entire main triangle, which means you can't fit a front derailleur without some cutting and sawing. Not having a front derailleur also no doubt saves some money. Note that this is the fat Sondors but he regular Sondors has the same design.

2) High-end Specialized MTB (around US$3000; Bosch mid-drive). The Bosch bottom bracket motor means that a front derailleur is impossible to fit as the motor/bottom bracket has internal gearing.


Possible to use Cane Creek angleset cups on top and bottom of headset I currently have a -1.5 degree angleset cup installed on the bottom of my bikes headset and a 0 degree on the top. I would like the head tube angle a little slacker so am wondering if it is possible to use a -1.5 degree cup on the top as well which would give -3 degrees of HTA. Am. I dont think there would be an issue but wondering if im missing something.

You can 100% physically do it. Just make sure the angles of the bottom bearing and race will cope with the shift. ie that it works with the change, and is not designed to only work with that specific top one.

Now, you haven't mentioned the bike or the type of riding, or the reason for why you want it slacker.

As a general rule, if you make a bike slacker (from it's intended angle), it will make turning less snappy and stright downs more stable. But obvs whether this is a good thing, is subjective to the bike, the type of riding and the riders ability and preferance/style.

Worst come to worst, you don't like it and you can just switch the headset back. Just keep the original one just in case.

Other things to consider, is how the slacker angle will affect the rest of the bike, both in geometry and in physical forces. For example, if you slacken a bikes, which is not inteded to be, you increase the chance of the headtube splitting from the frame. You also decrease the uphill riding efficiency, lower the bottom bracket hight and the way the front fork travels might change too.


Pie plate replacement The pie plate / dork disk between the cassette and spokes on my bike cracked from age and I had to remove it. I'd like to get a replacement but I can't seem to find any online. Also, do I just need to get one based on the largest cog or is there anything else to consider?

A google search of Spoke Protector led to several suppliers. The size is based on largest cog. Most however are spec'd by overall dimension in inches not tooth count. There are two mounting styles I am familiar with. One type snaps onto the hub. There is a  difference between freehub and freewheel mounting. The other variety mounts by snapping onto the spokes. I can imagine that you need one that matches the spoke count of the wheel.


Is it normal for a new Shimano hub to feel rough? I have recently purchased a brand new Shimano HB-M7110-B front hub. When I unpacked it and started rotating it with my fingers (as you always must) I noticed that it actually felt quite rough, almost like a light pepper grinder. Is this normal for a new hub, or is it an indication that it is defective?

The intention is for it to be adjusted after the wheel is built but before it's ridden.
Tension on the flanges has some effect on preload. Were it a QR hub, there's also the fact that some play is desirable off the bike, but not when the wheel is being built. This applies less or not at all to Shimano thru-axle hubs, because the adjustment doesn't usually change when installed onto the bike, unlike a QR.


How can you tell how far apart your chainrings are? I just replaced my cassette and my crank with one from the LBS that the guy said would work. I've had no problems with the cassette, but the crank is too wide so that my front derailleur does not reach the 3rd chainring. So here's my question:

Is there a specification on cranks that show the length each chainring is away from each other, and for that matter how far it sits from the frame as well? This way I can look at the one I used to have on and find one with similar measurements.

It's possible that you just need to adjust your front derailleur a bit to accommodate your new setup. There are many threads here and videos online about how to do this.

The crank may not be the exact same distance from the frame as your old one, but that doesn't mean it doesn't work.


Faster Wheels & Tyres for my Cyclocross bike I ride a cyclocross bike for commuting but want it to go faster! Instead of buying a new road bike, I'm thinking about new wheels & tyres. My journey is pretty flat at the moment.

The currents wheels are 700 * 35 and its using a 9 speed cassette with disk brakes.

So my question is, what are my options do I have , how small a tyre can I fit to the 35 wheel ?

Its not the size of the tyre, its the knobliness and the rolling resistance.

Assuming 35 is the tyre size then you have a 15-24 mm rim, based on this DT Swiss PDF  and maybe could go as far as a 20mm tyre.  This is rim width dependant though.

Realistically, a smooth 28-25 mm tyre will give you a more comfortable ride than a narrow tyre, and will roll just as fast if not faster.

CX bikes are fine for commuting - a road bike might be slightly faster but often takes away things like fender/mudguard mounts, or rack mounts which add to the overall comfort of your ride.


When I press on pedal, intermittent loss of power Recently, when I cycled my bike the pedals would jump when I pushed down on them. I brought it to a shop who replaced the cassette, the chain, the two crank arms and probably the crankset. I have also had the rear gears replaced.

All great for about 15k, till the pedals started to jump again, when I pushed down. Thought it was sth to do with freewheeling/backpedalling when coming up to lights (as is particuarly bad when I stop/start) but that is not always the case. Also, the pedals spin when I push the bike forward - again, this is intermittent.

Have had it into the shop about 5 times, to no avail. Am lost. Bike is only about 7 years old.
Anyone able to help please?!?!!

This sounds like there's a problem with your rear hub's freehub body (assuming you're running a cassette). The pawls get messed up sometimes and cause a jump when you're pedaling. If this is the case, you can try to replace the freehub body, which requires a bit of work. You basically have to take the axle out of the hub and get a 10mm wrench down there (most common method).


Is reverse pedaling good for smooth gear change? I am newbie for cycling. When I change my gears, some lock sounds are coming from the chain. But if I do reverse pedaling while switching gears. No sound form chain, but gear switched to the right position? Is this good or am doing wrong?

Most setups are supposed to have at least some sound when switching gears. Depending on your derailleur/setup the sound may vary from a short click to longer sound of chain grabbing around the gears.

The switching is supposed to happen without pedaling backwards, so you should not do it. Normally it is not okay to switch gears with highly tensioned chain, such as during the climbing, so you should find a moment to switch speeds when pedaling forwards will not have any effect on speed, which means the speed must be higher than the speed you could achieve by pedalling. It sounds very complicated, but in real life should happen almost instinctively, without thinking at all, just get the "feeling" on what gears lead to what speeds with your cadence.

If the switching is not smooth anyway, there's good chance you have to adjust the derailleur. Some random manual on how to do it can be found here: http://www.artscyclery.com/learningcenter/shimanorearderailleurs.html


Are recumbents good for your back? I am in my late 40s and yes I have a sore lower back. Most likely from too many bicycle rides on incorrectly sized / fitted bicycles.
I am thinking of getting a recumbent for my daily commute to work. Are they generally good for your back, or is it worse as you're bending your neck forward more to see ahead?
I've never ridden one.
Thanks

Yes, recumbents are good for your back, and backside.  They provide support for the length of your back, which may be as little as a tailbone paddle, or right up to your shoulders.

The longer seats generally have the option of incorporating a headrest/neckrest too.  Getting the angle of seat and neck right is significantly important in your comfort.  Getting the length of the seat back right for your spine is critical for comfort.

Storage at work becomes a problem too - depending on your workplace, it might not fit in any bike racks or sheds.   My bike storage is on the first floor (the second floor) so all riders carry their bikes up a flight of steps.  Can't imaging a recumbent making it up the stairs.  Update: I carry it up the stairwell fine.  Have to be careful going around the corners, and opening doors is a bit of a balancing act, but it works fine.

So if you end up parking it outside, there is the risk of theft and damage.

I've tried one SWB 2-wheel recumbent, and it was horrible to start with.  Took a good 30 minutes to acclimatise to the seat and the steering, and having to balance differently to a DF bike.  Getting started was a mission, so I started trying to time the lights rather than stopping for reds.

If you don't know what you want, you really need to try both a trike (either a delta or a tadpole) and a 2 wheel design.

The differences between "normal" steering, tiller steering, under-seat steering and steering wheels also need to be experienced to see which one you like the most.

Try and find a local HPV (Human Powered Vehicle) group and pop along to any event.  Recumbent riders are often happy to talk, and might give you a test ride.   Don't jut buy one sight-unseen, there are too many variables.

Finally, you probably want something with rear suspension and a padded or string seat.  There is no way for a recumbent to unweight the bike, so you will go hard into any lump or pothole that your tyres find.   This would be bad news on a sore back. This is totally true - its hard enough on chipseal, but any kind of broken ground would be a nightmare.  That said I'm using 1.25" 26" commuting tyres at 60 PSI.  Big Gooshy balloon tyres would be beneficial.


I want to replace 52/36 chainrings with 50/34 chainrings on a Praxis Works I want to replace 52/36  chainrings with 50/34 chainrings on a Praxis Works. Is this possible without changing the crank? Also if possible would other modification be required such as the chain and possible the  front derailleur

Looking at the road Praxis chainrings page, 52/36 through 48/32 ring sets are all offered in 110mm BCD. All the roads cranks seem to have an evenly spaced 5 bolt pattern.

Without knowing exactly what crank you have I can't say for sure, but it seems likely you can fit smaller rings.


How do you distinguish a touring bike from a speed/road bike? I would like to buy a touring bike soon, but in our country I cannot find any well known touring bike. I would like to buy a used one so I am going to visit some of the bicycles stores of our capital city. I am afraid I do not know how to recognize a touring bike.

What are the differences between a touring and a speed/road bike (e.g. eyelets on the folk)? Unfortunately I have not had enough experience to classify them based on the frame geometry but if you can tell me any tips I will thank you. :)

The distinctions are often subtle:

The touring bike will of course be slightly more heavily built (generally a steel frame).
The touring bike will have a longer wheelbase.  You will generally notice that the space between the seat tube and the rear wheel is fairly wide.  (The longer wheelbase serves 3 purposes:  More stable, smoother ride, better fender clearance, and better heel clearance for rear bags.)
The wheels will be more heavily built (at least 32 spokes and maybe even 40 on the rear), with wider rims and tires -- at least 28, maybe 35-38.
The touring bike will have eyelets on the front and rear dropouts to support racks and fenders.  (This generally means two eyelets on each side of each axle.  Plus there may be braze-ons about half way up the side of the fork for a "low rider" front rack.)  And at least 2, perhaps 3 sets of bottle bosses.
The touring bike will have a more "relaxed" geometry -- higher bar height, a little less "reach" (shorter top tube, etc), slightly more slope and "rake" to the fork.
The touring bike will have a wider gear range and a lower low gear, and usually not as high a high gear.


Kids bike overlapping frame sizes, can you go up one size? Bike size guide:

105-117cm, 4-6 yrs: 14"
112-125cm, 5-7 yrs: 16"

My niece already has a 14" bike her daddy got her. I have been monitoring her height, she's definitely growing. At the moment she's 114cm tall. Is there a good reason why I shouldn't get her a 16" instead?

In an ideal world, you'd keep the sizing matching the growth of the tyke. However, they grow fast enough that most people can't afford the money or space to keep a acquire bikes of correct size at all times.

The usual compromise (in the US at least, especially in families which aren't made up of cyclists) is to buy a bike which is bigger than necessary for the kid, and let them ride it until its too small for them. This is easier to deal with for children cause they don't start out with all sorts of body pain and they don't ride long enough distances for form and stuff to matter. Young kids are also a case where riding a bso is okay, in my opinion; they're not with the bikes long enough for quality to matter in most cases, and its not like they're going to learn upkeep until they're early teenagers anyway.

It'd be fine for her to ride the 16" bike, but there is the question of how long the 16" bike will be a good fit for her. It might be better to wait for her to hit around 120 cm and then skip the 16" bike or something (this is what I did).


Bike for many short city commute AND long distance travels (partially dirt road) Disclaimer: I am a bike amateur, so my knowledge is very limited.

I currently have an old model of the Pegasus Piazza, which I've been using for 4 years (I only replaced the saddle and the lights of my bike) to travel from my house to work and back (for a total of approximately 4km), and for small weekend-trips (up to 15km). In the last year, though, I've started to enjoy longer trips (>=60km), where sometimes I have to go through dirt roads, but definitely not super-heavy paths.

During those journeys I always had problems with the bike (a flat tire can happen, but spokes of the rear wheel breaking every time... I'm not even a huge guy, I am 1.76m x 90kg of happiness), so I grew frustrated and decided to go for a new, better one.

I started to search the web for some clues on what I'd need and eventually I found the B'twin Hoprider 700 (what's the difference between HF and LF anyway?), which I though it'd do... Unless I saw the disclaimer at the end of its website, which says:

  This bike is not designed for cycling on rough terrain.

At this point I'm pretty puzzled. Most of the hybrid bikes don't have a luggage-rack, which is something I'm not willing to sacrifice, on the other hand trekking bikes are not designed for dirt roads. I can't even take mountain bikes into consideration, since I need to assume a confortable position if I have to pedal for 5-6 hours.

Is there any bicycle there that would fit my needs, or should I buy the one I saw and hope-rider (pun intended) that it doesn't break?

EDIT: I accepted the answer with the most upvotes, but let me thank everyone for their contribute, because at the end each one of you gave me some food for thoughts.

At the moment I am very polarized towards the Diamant Ubari Legere 2017 (I have yet to find some feedback from users though), which is, for the money I'm willing to spend, the bike that I find nearest to my needs.

If you want to see if a bike can take a luggage rack, you should look for eyelets for a rack. These are on a lot more bikes than just city bikes.

If you're looking for a rear rack mount, near the dropouts, you should see a set of holes or two, and a set of holes on the seat stays so that you can attach a rack. For a front rack, you should have eyelets at the bottom of the fork, and some bikes will have another set half way up the fork (though some racks will attach to a hole at the top of the fork + some p-clamps).

It's less ideal without the eyelets for a rack to install a rack -- normally you have to do some work with fidgeting with p-clamps and stuff, so its not recommended (or use a seatpost rack, ick!).

Installing a rack when you have eyelets is pretty simple -- you generally bend a small piece of metal to make the rack to be level, and put a few bolts in.

Most hybrids have rack eyelets, as do many cyclocross bikes, pretty much all touring bikes, a decent amount of road bikes, a good amount of lower end mountain bikes and so on. They may not ship with the rack like a lot of city bikes or whatever, but its not hard to put one on. You can easily look for the eyelets or just ask the person whose selling you the bike if it has rack eyelets.

This article has an overview of different common rack types, which shows you how they mount. It's relatively obvious though -- just walk into a bike shop with a bike, and in about 5 seconds they should be able to show you what kind of racks will fit it.

  This bike is not designed for cycling on rough terrain.

Generally, a statement like this means you don't want to do serious off-roading with it. In the US, there's a set of condition numbers from the ASTM:

  Condition 0 — Adult supervision required, no traffic;
  Condition 1 — Suitable for road riding (only);
  Condition 2 — For off-road riding and jumps less than 12 in. (30 cm.);
  Condition 3 — For rough off-road riding and jumps less than 24 in. (61 cm.); and
  Condition 4 — For extreme off-road riding.

The bike under consideration is something like a condition 1.5 bike. You don't want it to jump more than say, 6 inches. See this chart from Salsa for more examples. But if you're just riding on fire roads or the gravely dirt roads you show above, it'll be fine.

Now, onto the type of bike you should get. I'd consider a cyclocross bike with good tire clearance, a touring bike with good tire clearance or a hybrid with good tire clearance. An older (say 80s) road bike would probably do fine too, since they could take bigger tires). The touring bike might feel weird when not being loaded, but the advantage of the first two is that they have more hand positions available for a longer ride (and you can install interrupter levers to stop from the flat portion of the bar, if you want). Larger tires = more comfort and cushioning.

We don't do product rec for specific models here, so thats about as far as I'll go in this answer. But, I'd probably go for a cyclocross bike myself. Theres a pretty wide variety in this range -- things like the Trek Crossrip, which take a cross geometry and tweak it for more commuting/city use, to bikes which are suitable for intro level racing yet can still take a rack and fenders (like the Kona Jake the Snake used to be until a few years ago).

I'd also remark that you don't need (or want) suspension for that type of riding.

The most important thing for comfort is to actually try the bikes -- don't just buy something from the internet (especially since sizing isn't standardized across bike types).


What steps to take to replace bike frame I've always known my bike frame was too big for me. I got a great deal on the whole bike when I bought it seven years ago. It was an S-Works, probably from the '90s, with all Ultegra gear in great shape.

I find myself on my bike more every week, and the size is beginning to cause me aches, as I'm too stretched out on the bars and have a serious hunch. Getting a new bike or replacing this frame have been on my mind now for months.

All of my components are in okay shape. I'm semi-confident that with some time (and some help) I could move them to a new frame. My concern was that this new frame might not be compatible with my components. Some things, like the shifters, I'm not concerned about. But I am concerned about things like the wheel and bottom bracket.

So my question is, what are the main compatibility issues I could run into with putting old gear on a new bike frame and how can I avoid them?

There are many issues for the new frame:

Fork drop out (front wheel spacing) might be wider, 100 mm for most modern bike
Frame dropout (rear wheel spacing) might wider, 135 for most modern bike
Headset likely to be wider, so you have to buy new headset with compatibility to a 1" fork (I guess?), 1-1/8 inch to 1-1/2 inch for modern bike
Bottom bracket is likely to be ok
Front derailleur clamp may be too small
Seat diameter might be different

Rules of thumb is that if the bike has no sentimental values, it is always more economical to use that money and buy a second-hand bike. Unless you would like to spend extra money to tinker and have fun with the bike in your own time.


Shimano Deore as Gravel Bike I have this MTB with Deore M5100 groupset (2 x 11 speed) and I want to convert this MTB to gravel bike. (Converting from straight bars to drop bars.) Is there any brifter compatible for this series? Has anyone tried something similar?

There are no Shimano brifters that are 2x11 compatible, but Microshift manufactures some. I use a Microshift SB-110 (1x11) and a bar-end shifter for a drop-bar 3x11 setup with an XT rear derailleur (RD-M8000) and XTR front derailleur (FD-M9000) with no issues.
Here is Microshift's product page for the SB-110: https://www.microshift.com/en/product/sb-m110/


Why are frame pads no longer readily available? When mountain bikes first became popular people were a lot more likely to buy a full set of frame pads than a helmet. Obviously helmets had all of the aesthetic appeal of a lycra covered fan-heater back then, however, frame pads were what you had if you really went off road and were serious about your mountain biking. They were not seen as frivolous, just sensible, a bit like a helmet. In the UK nobody would walk out of a bike shop with anything from a brand new Kona Cindercone to a Raleigh Maverick unless it was bedecked with at least one 'Cosmic Trail' frame pad in some garish colour.

As well as protecting your nether regions from the bike during an accident they also protected the frame from damage and made it a lot easier to carry the bike up stairs or over a fence. They had their uses on car-racks too. The benefits were undeniable even if the florescent did have a tendency to fade.

Then, one day, when nobody was looking, they were suddenly removed from the bike shops and made no longer available for purchase. Were they that good that the powers that be in the bike trade had to kill them off, much like GM and the electric car?

Why have they not had a continued place in the market place? Given today's 'scratch 'n' snap' carbon frames and the fad for downhill-mountain-biking one would have thought they would be more popular than ever. As it is you only have a few pretend-messengers using them to hide the fact that their bike has got braze ons for the back brake and is not a true fixie.

Here is an advert for what was the UK's market leader - 'Cosmic Trail'. The all in one top tube and stem pad had the added advantage of smoothing out your steering making the bars less prone to being jolted by rocks etc.

From my perspective (normally a road bike user, and fairly good at falling of an MTB on rapid downhills) when I fall I always try to leave the bike, as pedals, cranks and sprockets hurt legs.

So to me the most important things to protect are head, elbows, knees/shins and back. Frame pads aren't going to do anything for me, but protective clothing will.


How practical are clipless pedal shoes on a long bike tour? In the last years I did a couple of long bike tours. So far, I always had platform pedals with pins on my bike and I've worn "normal" shoes. For my next tour I'm considering clipless pedals. I have only recently started to work with these type of pedals. So far, I suggest that SPD pedals would be the best choice. My concern is that I don't want to take a second pair of shoes with me and that the SPD pedal shoes are not good for walking and being in nature in the evening and morning.
Are there SPD pedal systems with shoes that are practical enough for that? With practical I mean:

They are nice to walk
They are robust against weather
The cleats on the shoe are robust (I'm going to be in areas without a proper bike shop)
The pedals are robust too

In general, I'm not sure if it makes sense to use SPD pedals on long bike tour. Is the performance increase worth it? Or is it more clever to use platform pedals with either pins or a strap as they are more fail-proof?

They are nice to walk

Proper fitted MTB shoes with SPD cleats are quite comfortable to walk in, at least for non-marathon distances (say, less than 10 km a day). They are still less ideal when compared to normal walking/running shoes, however, for these reasons: 1. They are stiffer than regular shoes.
2. They have less gripping surface because the metal plates do not grip at all.
For really long tours (weeks) you will want to have an additional pair of comfortable camping shoes, crocs or "slippers" which you put on at the end of the day of cycling.

They are robust against weather

There are even MTB boots with SPD mounts, meant to be used while fatbiking in snow and well into freezing temperatures. You will have to strike a balance though: 100% waterproof things will be extremely hot in any other non-rainy day, and vice versa, breathing shoes will become wet in a thunderstorm.

The cleats on the shoe are robust (I'm going to be in areas without a proper bike shop)

Cleats are not coming with shoes, they are bought separately or with pedals. You can have a pair of spare cleats with you if you are concerned with their reliability. Do not forget to take spare cleat mounting bolts as well: it is more likely to lose a bolt than to break a cleat.

The pedals are robust too

SPD pedals are organized the same way as regular platform pedals, with a couple of extra springs and pieces. They are therefore as robust in their construction as the platform pedals. The locking mechanism can of course fail or become damaged. If you are concerned with such a possibility, pick a pair of SPD pedals with a small platform (compare e.g. Crankbrothers Candy and Eggbeaters; the latter are very minimal, the former ones have platforms), so that you can continue using them even if the spring fails. Alternatively, there are two-sided pedals that can be used as regular platform pedals on one side and as SPD pedal on the other. This way, you'll always be able to continue the journey.


What is the longest off-road portion of the East Coast Greenway as of 2018? The East Coast Greenway nominally stretches from Maine to Florida. But a lot of it has yet to be built. That means a lot of the route is actually still on-road cycling.

What is the current longest paved stretch that one can cover without riding on a road*?

*excepting perpendicular crossings of course

On the "Historic Coastal Route" alternate there is a 51 mile (82 km) separated paved cycle path, the Virginia Capital Trail. I had the privilege of riding this last year on my ECG tour.

One end of the path is near downtown Richmond on the riverfront.

It remains off road for the next 51 miles or so, though it does cross the highway several times.

The other end is at the Jamestown Settlement, a few hundred meters from the Jamestown Ferry (also part of the ECG route).

When complete, the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail will be longer than this, at 106 miles (171 km). But currently its longest off road segment is 34 miles (55 km).

The M-Path Trail and South Dade Trail, in Miami-Dade County, Florida, connect to each other to form a continuous 30.3 miles (48.8 km) leading out of Miami towards Homestead.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to cycle this region last year due to Hurricane Irma. I look forward to going sometime soon.

If you're considering an ECG tour, keep in mind that even at this early stage, many of the on-road route sections have good hard shoulders or cycle lanes or both.

Most of the places where there aren't hard shoulders or cycle lanes are on very quiet rural roads.

But it is still helpful to have some experience with road riding. There are a few places where you may need to take a full lane with cars going 60mph (100 km/h), such as this 2 mile (3 km) bit just across the border in North Carolina.


Could I use a front rim to build a rear wheel? Could I build a rear wheel using a front rim?

Edit: Follow-on question Spokes stick out of nipples when rebuilding wheel reusing spokes.

In the days before factory built wheelset, rims where produced without being specifically for front or rear wheels. On most general-use standard bicycles it is still that way. The only difference was the spoke-hole count.

But many rear wheel rims today are no longer symmetrical, meaning the right side is different from the left. This is mainly due to the fact that with 11 or even 12 speed cassettes the dish of the wheel is very unsymmetrical and the angle at which the spokes reach the rim makes the spokes puts a lot of pull on the rim. This is being countered by positioning the spoke holes differently for the drive or non-drive side.

Although 36 holes was and still is the normal count on most bicycles, you could build wheels with 32 or 28 spokes, those being mostly used on front wheels, mostly for weight saving or aerodynamics.

Nowadays many rims are specialised for their use and designed for front or rear wheels in mind, mostly for aerodynamic or load bearing abilities and often with different spoke counts. Although with the advent of disc brakes the spoke count on many front wheels is on the rise. Disc brakes put about the same stress on front wheel as the drive puts on the rear.

But if you use one of the many 'standard' rims that are still in production, you may build a rear or front wheel with any rim.

Side-note: In the old days also front wheels would be built with thinner often double-butted spokes (1.5-1.2-1.5mm), while rear wheels had thicker (2mm) straight spokes.


RD + cassette compatability I have a Shimano 11-42T 10s cassette and Shimano XT M786 SGS Deore RD, can I make these work together by using goatlink or am I wasting my time?

The RD-M786-SGS is rated for a big sprocket of max 36T, so if you want to follow strictly Shimano specs, no.
That being said, Shimano has high standards and is very conservative, so it is possible that it works. I personally just installed on my bike a Microshift 9sp 11-42T cassette (no goatlink) on an Acera RD-M3000, rated for 36T max (I had to adjust the B-screw). If you want to do things properly, you may also need to add some links to the chain, especially in a 1x setup. I have a 2x (46/30), I've let the chain as is and try to avoid even more the big chainring/big sprocket combination — I was also fearing that adding some links would cause the chain to swing too much on rough surfaces.
It seems to work well so far, but I haven't tested extensively in rough terrains. That being said, I tried because I have found several comments of other persons saying they have installed successfully this cassette on derailleurs rated for 36T max (including some old Deore and XTs).
I would assume a similar reasoning is also valid in your case.


How to clean up at work after a commute? I would like to bicycle commute to work, but we don't have showers or any place I can change. How can I clean up and carry clothing? My office is business casual, but I need to look neat and presentable.

In the past, when I commuted to a job without showers (I've managed to luck out recently) I made sure to:

Keep my hair relatively short, as to avoid helmet-hair
Get in early enough that I can have a quick wash in a bathroom sink without too many people around to take notice
Always bring a full change of clothes
Like @curtismchale, leave a pair of 'work' shoes under the desk
Bring deodorant!


Rear tire wobbling and feels "tight." Is it likely to be axle issue or no? I've noticed that my bike's rear tire has slowly been downgrading, and beginning to wobble more and more. I took no notice of it because it did not affect the bike riding at first, but slowly started to impact riding (such as making it harder to pedal/move the bike). My mistake was ignoring this far too long, and now the wheel barely spins and the bike can't be ridden at all. I looked at the tire and it does not appear to rub against anything, nor is the wheel improperly on -- so I thought the axle could be the issue. I'm thinking so because, if you grab the wheel and shake it, it moves far too much -- sort of like a 1.5 to 2 inch movement (and this is with the wheel tight and on the bike correctly). Also, the bike would slowly make screeching, ripping sounds before it reached this point. What should I look to?

I don't know if I should just take the axle out and play around with it, or look to other options.

Basically, the wheel doesn't appear to move when you pedal; and it seems to sort of get stuck as it rotates, and requires massive force to break past this before it just eventually, quickly does it again. Also, the tires wobbles far too much beyond the norm, even though the tire is on correctly.

I'm thinking there's something wrong with the axle or something that keeps the tire straight; and thinking something in that area is also making it "get stuck" or have trouble moving smoothly.

I can show a video of it, but I don't know if that's to be expected here or not.

With 1.5+ inches of play in the wheel.. as others have mentioned it sounds like the hub bearings have collapsed. It also sounds as though the damage will be way beyond just replacing bearings, because with so much play its likely that a new hub will be required too.


Wheel spokes & strength I'm just about to buy a new bike.  It comes with Shimano R501 wheels, which are rather lightly spoked (20 front, 24 rear).

I weigh about 230lbs (I'm 6'6") - do you think it'll be worth getting a better pair of wheels with more spokes?  Or will I be well within the tolerance levels for the wheels?

Thanks

Fewer spokes doesn't necessarily mean a weaker wheel, there are many many variables to consider. Ideally you have a salesman you can trust, or these wheels are online ( link? ) and there are reviews to read. It also depends what you're using these wheels for, of course, a casual road ride isn't likely to do any harm.

At any rate, if you're stuck with the wheels on the bike, you should just use them until they give you trouble as DRH mentioned.

http://sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html#spokes

What are the advantages or disadvantages of different spoke styles


Maxxis Hookworm Tires I recently purchased two Maxxis Hookworm street tires. There are no rotation arrows on them. Does this mean it doesn't matter how they are mounted on the wheel?

These are slick tires, so it doesn't really matter. Even if there are rotation marks, they generally have minimal/trivial differences in performance if any on slick road tires for direction of rotation.

For tread for things like mountain bike tires, the performance may be different depending on the tread orientation, with how much the tread grabs depending on the way the rotation.


Max pressure of hydraulic mtb lever i'm considering a machine build based on MTB hydraulic lever brake and I would like to know if the lever, pushed by hand, will handle 13 bars /190 PSI ?
I'm really new to this kind of measurement.

asuming 300 N as average grip multiplied by a leverage ratio of 10 it is 3000 N of axial force. the piston diameter is about 10 mm so the piston effective area will be 0.785 squared mm. so the presure could be 3000 N/ .785 cm2 = 3821.7 N/cm2 equal to 5542 PSI. so it can handle almost 30 times what you need.
the problem is: lack of power if you can only apply 190 PSI maybe the brakes wont work at all.


Refitting Cable to Rear Derailleur Whilst riding recently the cable slipped from the clamp on the rear derailleur.

I'm attempting to affect repairs by re-clamping the cable. However by pulling the cable tight I have lost the bottom 2 gears. If I then slacken the cable just a small amount I gain the bottom gears again but lose the top gear. I can't seem to reach a balance.

This is the first time I've had to fit a cable to a derailleur, are there any tips? Am I potentially doing something wrong? Do I have to be in a certain gear before attempted to re-attach the cable to get the correct balance?

Are you sure the cable is clamped correctly? Having that wrong can change the amount the derailleur moves for a given amount of pull (in fact it's sometimes done deliberately to use mismatched components - http://sheldonbrown.com/drivetrain-mixing.shtml#alternate).
Otherwise, make sure the cable moves smoothly through the housing and that the hanger isn't bent, then work through:
http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/rear-derailler-adjustments-derailleur and/or
http://sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html


Y-Foil Frames Rear Suspension? I have a few questions about the Y-Foil frame (beam frame)

Firstly as far as i have seen, there is no rear suspension system, does the fact that there is no seat tube offer suspension and dampening, or is the frame to ridged and strong to do that?

Secondly, i am having trouble understanding where the advantages come from and why it was banned. I understand that while made from carbon fiber and the shape of the tubing would mean it is lightweight and aerodynamic, but ofcourse a frame with a seat tube can also be designed with those 2 aspects. so what advantages does having no seat tube provide?

I can only speak based on what I have read, but my understanding is that A) yes it has a softer ride quality due to the lack of a seat tube, and B) it was banned for the lack of a seat tube. UCI is pretty strict on what they consider legal and what they don't.

In regard to your final question as it applies to road bikes, I would venture to say that the lack of a seat tube as it was designed for the frame in question does not provide any substantial advantages. Otherwise we would have seen more frames of this shape from other manufacturers and more of a push from the industry to legalize the design for UCI racing. There have been similar designs through the years such as the Softride. They also failed, because that frame shape just isn't an awesome design.


How to disassemble free hub shell? I need to replace the free hub shell that is on my wheel with one that will work with an 11-speed Dura-Ace cassette.  The current one is for Campagnolo.

I don't want to take the whole wheel apart, I only want to remove the part that the cassette goes into.

I took the bolt out.

And I took the bearings out.

Now what?

On the hub side of the freehub, there should be a Allen headed bolt that you need to unscrew.  Some are 8mm, others are 10mm and some are 11mm.  11mm is a hard to find Allen wrench, so hopefully it's 8 or 10mm.
Put the Allen wrench into the center the freehub and unscrew in the normal direction (CCW).


How to make a lockable front suspension last longer? Lockable suspension is very handy on every ride. But I have witnessed a few cases where they break way too soon, in comparison with other types of suspension. The locks fail to be effective, or the shock travel decreases.

I recently upgraded my suspension with a good quality lockable front suspension. And I want to know how to make it last longer?

Suspension forks with lockouts are the norm on any bicycle of quality in the current market.

Most really good quality forks or rear shocks which are equipped with a lockout are also equipped with a blow off valve which release the lockout when it hits a bump which exceeds the pressure the lockout valve can support. This is designed to save your shock in an emergency.

More basic forks, or older forks may not have this blow off feature, and may therefore sustain damage if more than very minor obstacles are hit, at speed, while the shock is locked out.

Even if you have a very good fork, it is advisable to use the lockout for its intended purpose, which is to increase efficiency when there is no need for the suspension, and that means that you should avoid riding rougher terrain with the lockout engaged.

Also, if you do force the blow off valve to trigger, you often need to service the shock before riding again.

Suspension is one of the more sensitive components to proper maintenance and tuning. If you treat you fork right, it should last just fine.

One thing many people fail to realize is that suspension warranties are conditional on you doing the required maintenance. For most shocks that means rebuilding them once a year. Check your manual if you need the maintenance schedule for your particular shock.


Which kind of test has bike parts to pass to be sold? This is a question regarding bureaucracy/testing. What are the quality tests / standards that a bicycle and/or its parts need to pass before access the market?
I am thinking about Germany/USA and other big european markets.

What is preventing from setting up a carbon fiber press in my basement and starting selling ultralight carbon forks with a little fine print "not liable if ridden for more than 100 miles"?

My question steems from two thing:
- fear
and
- the unpleasant feeling of seeing so many nice road bike from +-2005 which could be very good commuter bike ... apart from their carbon fork (it's my feeling: no implications or judgements, at the moment).

ps: apologize, I would refer to composite material in the tags, but I cannot create it ... but for SEO reasons I stiil put it here, I am really interested into the required standards for bike forks and composite forks and frame in composite carbon/crabon fiber CF.

There are quite a number of standards that should be adhered to.  The list below comes from the references section of the Bicycle page on Wikipedia

The TC149 ISO bicycle committee, including the TC149/SC1 ("Cycles and major sub-assemblies") subcommittee, has published the following standards:

ISO 4210 Cycles – Safety requirements for bicycles
ISO 6692 Cycles – Marking of cycle components
ISO 6695 Cycles – Pedal axle and crank assembly with square end
fitting – Assembly dimensions
ISO 6696 Cycles – Screw threads used in bottom bracket assemblies
ISO 6697 Cycles – Hubs and freewheels – Assembly dimensions
ISO 6698 Cycles – Screw threads used to assemble freewheels on bicycle hubs
ISO 6699 Cycles – Stem and handlebar bend – Assembly dimensions
ISO 6701 Cycles – External dimensions of spoke nipples
ISO 6742 Cycles – Lighting and retro-reflective devices – Photometric
and physical requirements
ISO 8090 Cycles – Terminology (same as BS 6102-4)
ISO 8098 Cycles – Safety requirements for bicycles for young children
ISO 8488 Cycles – Screw threads used to assemble head fittings on bicycle forks
ISO 8562 Cycles – Stem wedge angle
ISO 10230 Cycles – Splined hub and sprocket – Mating dimensions
ISO 11243 Cycles – Luggage carriers for bicycles – Concepts, classification and testing

Other ISO Technical Committees have published various cycle relevant standards, for example:

ISO 5775 Bicycle tire and rim designations
ISO 9633 Cycle chains – Characteristics and test methods

Published cycle standards from CEN TC333 include:

EN 14764 City and trekking bicycles – Safety requirements and test methods
EN 14765 Bicycles for young children – Safety requirements and test methods
EN 14766 Mountain-bicycles – Safety requirements and test methods
EN 14781 Racing bicycles – Safety requirements and test methods
EN 14782 Bicycles – Accessories for bicycles – Luggage carriers
EN 15496 Cycles – Requirements and test methods for cycle locks

Yet to be approved cycle standards from CEN TC333:

EN 15194 Cycles – Electrically power assisted cycles (EPAC bicycle)
EN 15532 Cycles – Terminology


Fork Failure on Vintage Steel Tandem Bikes - Any insights? I'm wondering if you guys can share any knowledge regarding fork failure on old steel tandem bikes.

I just bought a 1988 Santana Elan tandem. It's in beautiful condition. I contacted Santana to ask if they can give me any extra info on the bike, and they told me "replace your fork which is long past it's 10 year "best by" date. your bike NEEDS A NEW FORK TO BE SAFE TO RIDE."

I'm not saying I don't believe them, but surely they have legal and financial incentives to recommend I err on the safest side. I bought a used tandem to save money, haha, but I also want to make an educated decision. Any insights?

Could the fact that it's a tandem expose the fork to greater risk of failure? (2 people on only 2 wheels) On the other hand, you've got to figure that a tandem would have been ridden less over 30 years than a solo, so could that reduced usage give me better odds?

I'm planning to take this bike on our first ever cross-country tour. I'm trying not to be an idiot and risk a catastrophe out in the wild. Just how risky is riding on this 30-year-old steel fork (which seems to be performing well)?

I'm not saying I don't believe them, but surely they have legal and financial incentives to recommend I err on the safest side.

Yes, but now that you've asked them and they've instructed you to buy a new fork, if it fails on you and you try to sue them, they'll laugh you out of court. So they've covered that base already.

  you've got to figure that a tandem would have been ridden less over 30 years than a solo

Perhaps, but they recommend replacement after 10 years.

  Just how risky is riding on this 30-year-old steel fork (which seems to be performing well)?

If you read the page linked to above by Daniel R Hicks, you'll see that A) the point of failure is hidden inside the head tube, and B) "Tandem fork failures nearly always cause an accident which puts both riders in an Emergency Room."

  I'm trying not to be an idiot and risk a catastrophy out in the wild.

Then don't rely on equipment that the manufacturer has told you is prone to catastrophic failure.


Is there a simple way to hack a bicycle so it moves back and forth based on pedaling back and forth? Can we make changes in flywheel so that cycle can move back upon pedaling back?

That is possible, track bicycles are designed to work like that, that's called a fixed gear drive train. It depends on the style of free wheel already installed on your bike. The free wheel is the mechanism on the rear wheel that engages when you pedal forward and disengages when you pedal backward. You will likely need to remove your free wheel and install a cog and lock ring, or replace the wheel with one that can be set up with a fixed gear. You will not be able to use a rear derailleur without a free wheel. When i was a kid in the early eighties I converted all my bikes to fixies.


How can I store my extra wheels on the wall efficiently, without hanging them by the rim? I have 5 pair of extra wheels, which I would like to store on the wall efficiently.

I am a little skittish about storing them using the rim since some of them are carbon wheels and I don't want to risk scratches. Any suggestions?

While I agree that there are no real risks to string your wheels by the rim, there are a number of DIY and commercial wall mounted racks for hanging wheels at the axle.

Wheelzrack makes one good option, and even integrates a storage shelf for shoes and helmets. They support up to for sets of wheels, which may be a good option in your case.

Feedback sports used to offer a Wheel Arm system, which had a bolt-to-wall mounting option (note: the Wheel Arm is no longer listed on home page but they sell alternate models).  These are designd for shop displays, but will work in the home as well, assuming your significant other is tolerant. :-)

Hope that is helpful.


Random piece of plastic I have recently purchased a hybrid bike with suspension (not sure if that is relevant to this question). It came with two pieces of plastic. Any ideas what they may be for?

This appears to be a disc brake spacer (block).

Such a spacer may be inserted in the disc brake caliper between the brake pads. When the wheels are removed, and hence the brake rotor, an inadvertent pull on the brake lever might move the pistons* so that the rotor cannot be inserted any more. It is even conceivable that the pistons might be dislodged entirely – with rather messy consequences. A spacer block inserted in the caliper prevents such mishaps.

Swifty pointed out in the comments the blocks need to be scrupulously clean lest brake pads get contaminated with oils transferred during insertion.

*In a hydraulic disc brake the brake pads are pushed from either side into the rotor by hydraulic pistons. After releasing the levers the pistons do not move back entirely. This is due to a mechanism that automatically compensated for pads and rotor getting thinner from wear.


Reuse oversized hardtrail frame to build a commuter bike? I have a spare hardtrail frame which is too big (20.5") for me (5'7") for riding trails. Would it make sense to build a commuter bike for me as road/touring bike frames are generally larger than MTB? Could it be comfortable to ride this frame on road? I like to lean forward on a bike and I'm a fast type of commuter.

It's a good, cheap way to build a first commuter. Throw on a pair of road slicks and lights and go to work. It will give you a chance to decide what you really want in a commuter bike. It will be able to handle bad roads and pot holes better than a road racing bike. But, it will still be heavier and slower than a bike based on a cyclocross/utility/road frame with 700c wheels.


SRAM groupset equal to Ultegra R8000 series? Can someone advise, when I am looking for a new bike some of them with SRAM groupset components and I don't know which level of their models.

Which model from SRAM gears is comparable or equal (in the same segment) to Shimano Ultegra R8000 series?

This is an easy question to answer: SRAM Force is equivalent to Shimano Ultegra. Here is one link from BikeRadar. Some sample quotes:

  Going up in price to Ultegra-level, SRAM’s Force group uses lightweight materials such as high-grade alloys and carbon fibre to be a very competitive gear setup. ... In 2019, SRAM added Force eTap AXS to its range, a 12-speed wireless groupset which competes directly with Shimano Ultegra Di2.

How about this variation on the original question: does Force provide a similar value as Ultegra when you compare it to the top-tier group? Probably yes. Bike Radar says that the eTap (i.e. electronic wireless) groups share the same motors, but Force has cheaper materials in some parts, and some items are constructed differently. Notably, Red's power meter is integrated with the chainrings, so you buy (and replace!) chainrings plus power meter when any one of the rings wears out. This is a new development and SRAM says it improves accuracy. At the same link, Force has the traditional setup where the power meter spider is separate from the chainrings (i.e. similar to the spider-based power systems from Quarq and Power2Max, which have good reputations). Force also has more limited chainring options that are more appropriate for amateurs (whereas Red's larger chainrings cater to pro cyclists). Functionally, the testers in the links above report that Force seemed very similar to Red. I believe reviewers would say the same about Ultegra vs Dura Ace, and about Force mechanical vs Red mechanical.

The answer is a bit more complex if you consider Campagnolo. If you just picked the second groupset from the top, you'd compare Ultegra and Force to Record. This would be misleading. Those groupsets are comparable to Campagnolo Potenza, as evidenced by this review on Cyclingtips comparing Potenza to Ultegra 6800 (the then-current Ultegra version) and SRAM Force.

I will find a source for this if people ask for it, but my impression is that Chorus, Record, and Super Record are functionally the same, but the materials get more expensive as you go up. Super Record has a bunch of titanium fasteners, a titanium crank spindle, and multiple ceramic bearings. Record loses some of that, especially the ceramic bearings. Chorus arguably compares with Dura Ace and Red. My impression is that Record and Super Record aren't functionally better than Chorus, but they are a bit lighter, and they're much more expensive. In contrast, Potenza has a different shifting mechanism than Chorus (Potenza and Centaur have Powershift, which lets you go down one cog per shift, but Chorus and higher have Ultrashift, which can dump several cogs per shift). Potenza and lower groups also use aluminum in some derailleur components, whereas Chorus has some carbon parts in the rear derailleur, and Record and SR get more carbon. Potenza also doesn't have an electronic shifting version.

Does Potenza provide a better value than Ultegra? The review I linked said that both groups were about equal, and that's consistent with other reviews I've read. Potenza will likely provide a similar relative value (when compared to the top tier Campagnolo groups) as will Shimano Ultegra or SRAM Force. I believe that in the US, Potenza retails for more than Ultegra does, but note that not many riders buy groupsets separate from frames and install them. So, for an average rider with no strong preference about shifting mechanisms, Potenza probably isn't as good an absolute value as either Ultegra or Force. This probably generalizes across other groupsets. For example, Bianchi's Aria road bike with a Centaur rim brake groupset has an MSRP of US$3,000. The 105 rim brake version is $2,600. The 105 disc version is $2,900. I believe all the finishing kits are the same across these bikes; the wheelset for the 105 disc version is different than the Centaur and the 105 rim versions (the latter two share the same wheelset).

There are soft factors that can sway a decision one way or another. Potenza mechanical shifters don't have adjustable reach, which pushed me away from Campagnolo groupsets in general (although Campagnolo hydraulic brake levers  have adjustable reach). Some people do genuinely prefer Campagnolo's shifting mechanisms to Shimano's. Some may prefer the shape of one brand's levers over others. It's been my experience that Campagnolo's rim brakes modulate better than Shimano's (i.e. with Campagnolo you can vary your braking power more finely, whereas Shimano's brakes tend to develop power quicker and tend to be a bit more off/on as a result; this is based on my opinion from having operated both Campy and Shimano groups and from statements of others). Potenza and Centaur are available with a matte silver finish, which can go better visually with steel or titanium bikes. The highest level Shimano group with a silver finish is 105.


Rear brakes wear quickly - do I need redundant rear brakes? On my bikes I find that I wear out the rear brake a lot faster than the front brake. In fact, I tend to avoid the front brake, and any time that I've used it exclusively, bad things would happen (like the rear of the bike flying over my head as I rush to get away from this flying heap of metal).

So I'm thinking... given that a disc brake system is just a pad that presses against the disc, has anyone considered attaching two completely independent sets of rear brakes to a single disc?

I suspect that one would need a single handle for activating both sets of rear brakes but I'm pretty sure it's not impossible. Apart from the obvious "your frame doesn't have mounts for two brake systems", are there any other reasons why this would be a bad idea? (Cost, weight etc. not being a factor.)

Clarification: my question is about the mounting of two sets of brake pads, specifically. I already know that two hydraulic lines can be merged (e.g., using Outbraker).

Clarification 2: just to reiterate (again), neither cost nor weight nor the complexity of the system are a factor for me, in other words I'm perfectly prepared to live with all of that, provided I get a more reliable, effective and powerful rear brake. The goal isn't just to reduce maintenance but to provide extra power to the rear brake.

Update 3: here's a photo

Update 4: I have accepted one of the answers below, but you should know that I'm definitely doing it -- going to install a second caliper on the rear brake, will probably also extend the size of the rear brake disc to the (rather expensive) Hope 203 rotor. Will post a picture and report when finished.

Update 5: someone might be reading this, so I wanted to give an update on something that I mentioned earlier - Outbraker, the two-hose variety. Basically this thing allows progressive braking with both calipers at the same time. I have installed it for a person who can only use the left hand for braking, and for that purpose it works rather well! The brake calipers no longer have a 'bite point' as the Outbraker acts like a time-delay mechanism.

Update 6: just wanted to post an update on the whole Outbraker thing. Long story short, v1 of Outbraker fell short of its described functionality -- it is actually pretty impossible to bleed, and it seemed to be losing air. Now, to be fair, Outbraker did send me v1.5 for free, but I haven't tested it, since changing brake lines is not a normal occurrence for me. So that's where we're at - nowhere. At least with Outbraker.

The system you suggest has no benefit. The effectiveness of the rear brake is limited by the fact that braking moves your weight forwards and off the rear wheel. The brake you already have should already be capable of skidding your rear wheel. This tells you that the limiting factor isn't the power of the rear brake, but the grip of the rear tyre. Making the rear brake more powerful won't make you stop faster: it just makes you skid sooner. And bear in mind that skidding is not the fastest way to stop – that (and keeping control) is why cars have anti-lock brakes.

Instead, you need to practise using the brakes properly. If pulling the front brake sends you over the handlebars, you're pulling it too hard. Brakes are not binary: they're not just "on" or "off". Learn how much front brake you can use without endangering yourself (practise on a quiet street at gradually increasing speeds) and remember to brace against the handlebars as you brake so your weight doesn't flop forwards.


Locking Skewer slipping from rear wheel dropout I recently purchased new locking skewers (Kyrptonite WheelNutz) and they're slipping out of rear wheel dropout with little force. I've noticed they have zero bite on the nut compared to other skewers.

More pictures:

http://imgur.com/a/7FP4k

In my experience this is a problem with all such products. I use Pitlocks on my bikes and while they have slightly more corrugated interiors, they still slip. I have once sent a bike to be serviced and the shop extracted the Pit-locked rear wheel without damaging the bike or Pitlock. They said it was easier than making me post them the key.

Since my bikes are steel, it was easy enough for me to put a few spots of weld on the rear dropouts to stop that happening again. In your case it looks like an aluminium frame and aluminium locking surface, so putting "teeth" on either isn't going to help - the metal is too soft. Having a bigger barrier similar to the "lawyer lips" on a front dropout makes the locking skewer work.

So I don't think the problem is with the lack of teeth on the skewer directly, it's with the whole concept.


How long should I ride? I am 24/Male and I have been riding since a year. Recently endurance riding has interested me. I have done two rides of 20 km each. Now I am planning for a 46 km ride.l My question is, should I go for it? or should I do some more 20 km rides?

Go for it - you're young and riding over the last year will give you an idea of your capabilities.

Do make sure your bike is maintained - having a mechanical is no fun.  Take your spares/tools and food and water.

If the distance is challenging, think of it as an "out and back" which is each-way only 3 km longer than your normal rides.  It becomes two rides in one day, with a bit of a rest at the half way.  For me, there's a nice pie shop about 60 km away, so that's two rides with a 30 minute light-lunch stop in the middle.

Pacing is good, don't go too hard out in the first half.  But the rest at the half way will help a lot and the ride home will always feel shorter than the ride out.

You'll never find out what you're capable of if you keep doing the same trips and distances.  Extend yourself and push some limits.


Can you use a 9 / 10 speed chainring with an 8 speed chain? Does it matter if you use a chainring which is specified at 9 / 10 speed with a 8 speed chain?

Assuming you are talking about chainring (not sprocket), it should be fine. You should only be worry with an 8- or lower-speed chain on a 9- or more speed freehub.

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Bicycles/Maintenance_and_Repair/Chains/Chain_sizes


Conical head tube: does it really make huge difference? I am looking forward to getting a new mountain bike and in various reviews sites they are really focused on if a bike have conical head tube or not. In many cases it is the first thing listed as pro (or cont in case the bike don´t have it).

It suppose to make the handling easier. But I don´t really see how that works. It is just another commercial trick or does is really affect the handling a lot ?

Assume we have a tapered headset with 1.5" lower bearing and a straight 1 1/8" headset. Let's compare two nearest thrust ball bearings from the manufacturer's spec (SKF ): 30x47x11 (dxDxH) and 40x60x13. For 30mm bearing the fatigue load limit Pu=1.6 kN, for 40mm (the nearest to 1,5") Pu=2.32 kN. So the tapered headset can carry more weight or it will work much longer in the same conditions as straight 1 1/8" headset. Additionally, the bigger lower part of headtube allows to increase the downtube diameter and make more stiff front-end. The stiffer front-end gives more precise steering and increases the pedaling efficiency as well.


Are more expensive chains/casettes more quiet? If we ignore the lower end products and compare mid and high end products. Is there a noticeable difference between the sound produced while pedaling in the same gear (Not the shifting sound)?

For example if we are talking about shimano, compare tiagra or 105 vs ultegra or durace.

This question is not so much for road use but to use the bike in a trainer inside a flat.

I think a well-adjusted, modern system from any of the major players in components will be reasonably quiet and generally the same volume level. The trick is to make sure your cable tension, limit screws, and derailleur alignment are tip top. But that's true even if noise isn't an issue.

In your case, I would guess that your trainer will be much louder than your drivetrain.


Shimano crankset is near end of life, can I use a Tiagra 4700 replacement? My road bike was bought in 2015 with a mix-match drive train: my derailleurs and shifters are Tiagra 4600 but the crankset is a Sora 9 speed (50-34). The large plate teeth are now quite worn out and I am foreseeing a replacement in short term. Tiagra 4600 is now discontinued, as it has been many years since the release of 4700. I do want to buy a new crankset, in that price range, going second hand is not cost efficient (my personal take). Can I just buy a 4700 crankset? The botton bracket is a hollowtech 2. I know that shifters and derailleurs are not compatible between 4600 and 4700 because of a different pulling mechanism, but the crankset should be compatible as both are 10 speeds. No?

Yes, you can slam the new 4700 chainset straight in there. It should be as simple as that if the ring sizes are the same, though you may need to subtly adjust the front derailleur.
Your other option is to buy a pair of 110bcd 5-arm chainrings from TA, Middleburn, Shimano, etc etc, which is usually nearly as expensive.


Could I switch tires on an MTB to tires with less friction if I mostly use the MTB in a city environment? I thought MTBs were OK to use in the city but the friction from the tires seem to hold the bike back more than other tires would.

I got a mountain bike (Scott) and it's less than optimal on flat city roads. It's like comparing dubbed tired with tires that are not dubbed(?)

So I'm thinking of switching tires to flatter tires making it easier to pedal the bike in a city environment.

Would this be a good or bad idea? Should I instead just get a regular city bike for use in the city?

You can certainly switch to a more appropriate tire. Schwalbe Big Apples are a popular choice -- I use their 26x2.0 tires on my mountain bike. They roll well on asphalt, and are quite functional on packed dirt and gravel. They're not suitable for loose dirt/gravel, rocks, roots, etc, you'll need a knobby mountain bike tire for those.

The only real downside to this plan: If you intend to ride your bike in the city, and often ride trails as well, you'll quickly tire (pun intended) of switching between your mountain tires and your city tires. If you reach that point, you might consider buying a separate set of wheels and keeping the mountain tires mounted on one and the city tires on the other.


What type of bottom bracket is this (pictures)? What tools do I need to replace it? This bike has a lot of play on the bottom bracket. Here are pictures:

What replacement can I buy for it? It looks like a square tapper BB to me, how do I measure which size I need? I do not have the tools to open it and read on the piece at this stage. Hence, what tools do I need to replace it?

Looks like what is known as an 'adjustable cup and cone' bottom bracket. That means the bracket can be disassembled, and the axle and ball bearings will come out; also the clearance between the cups and cones (the surfaces the ball bearings run on) can be adjusted. This differs from a 'cartridge' unit that is pressed together and cannot be disassembled or adjusted.

It's highly likely that the unit does not need to be replaced. It probably just needs adjusting to take the slop out of the bearings. You could disassemble the bearings and re-grease, but if the bike has not seen heavy use that may not be needed. What I would do is adjust the bearings then if the crank runs smoothly leave it alone. If the bearings feel rough, 'notchy' or if there is excessive friction, then look at servicing or replacement.

Park Tool has a good page an video that shows how these things come apart and how they are adjusted: https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/bottom-bracket-service-adjustable-cup-and-cone

You can see that several special wrenches are required, and different tools are needed depending on what type of unit you have. In addition you will need a special crank-puller tool to get the cranks off the BB axle tapers. To put the cranks back on you really need a torque wrench to do the crank nuts or bolts up to the proper tightness. I have found my local bike stores will do bolts up with a torque wrench for free if they are not busy and I buy some small items.

If you are looking at replacement a cartridge unit is an option but of course you will need another set of special tools to install that. See https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/bottom-bracket-removal-installation-threaded

Whether you replace the BB with a cartridge or adjustable unit one key measurement is the axle length, and whether the taper is JIS or ISO standard. This page describes the difference https://www.sheldonbrown.com/bbtaper.html. The bottom bracket shell is almost certainly standard ISO 1.370" x 24 threads/inch. The other key measurement is the bottom bracket shell width. The standard for road bikes is 68mm, mountain bikes 73mm. Sometimes the wider shell appears or road or hybrid bikes.


Pedals feel like they’re clicking while pedaling I am new to cycling and have recently purchased a brand new 2020 Cannondale Caadx 105 Cyclo-cross Bicycle. I have had it for around 2-3 weeks now and I’ve started to notice a clicking feeling while I am pedaling. The clicking is not audible and typically happens twice per revolution in both pedals. The clicking is usually only felt when I am using the central gears in my rear cassette, and usually when I’m not pedaling too hard. I purchased the bike assembled from the shop, and I don’t really know what could be causing this.

Most shop offer a free tune-up after 30 days. There is a reason for this. It can take that long for the cables to get their initial stretch. The result is the shifters need a little tweek to return to optimal performance. It is also possible that something has come loose so it worth bringing it in to the shop you purchased it from for a once over.


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

As there are balls missing and bent components, you should completely refurbish the hub.
It looks like a freewheel type hub rather than a freehub/cassette type. First thing to do is get the freewheel off. Personally I’d replace the freewheel so I’d be starting with unworn sprockets and chain.
Disassemble the hub, completely degrease and clean and inspect the cups and cones. If the bearing surfaces of the cups are damaged then you’ll need to consider a new hub (or even wheel as the rim is out of true). Check the axle is straight. Check cups, balls etc for wear. Ball bearing come in a few different sizes but presumably there are balls in the drive side which you can use to find out what size they are. The axle, cups, balls etc are all easily replaceable.
There is lots of bike repair glance on the web. I’m a fan of Park Tool Repair Help in general.
For your immediate problem, RJ The Bike Guy YouTube channel has a comprehensive video on refurbishing a freewheel hub that should show you everything you need to know about dealing with your hub.
Good luck with this project, it’s good to hear of someone bringing a bike back to life. You’ll learn a lot going through the process and will get great satisfaction from it.


Is my stopping dangerous when Idaho Stop is de facto but not legal? I've been bike commuting in the East Bay Area of California (5mi/day, plus public transport) for a few weeks now.

I recently attended an in-class safety course, where I learned the fine for not stopping at a stop sign is $250, AND a point on your drivers license (some people were there to remove this point, so people do get cited).

Since then, I've been mostly obeying the stopping laws.  But, another takeaway of that class was the importance of predictability.

I feel like stopping puts me in danger when I seem to be the only one to do it.  If no one expects me to stop, I am worried about bikes and cars not properly anticipating it, and my being involved in a collision.  I know, it wouldn't be my fault legally, but it sort of is my fault because I'm knowingly being unpredictable by stopping, yet do it anyway.  And of course, it doesn't matter who was right, I don't want anyone to get hurt!

My plan is just to continue to stop, per the law, but I thought I'd check with you all.  I don't have enough experience to know whether this is a valid concern.

Thanks!

(Idaho Stop: Treating stop signs as yields, and less pertinent to this question, stop lights as stop signs.)

When it comes to stop signs, I live by some simple rules:

If it's a multi-way stop and there's another car waiting or just arriving, I stop.
If I can't clearly see or judge what I'm riding into, I stop.
If it doesn't feel right for some reason, I stop.
If there's a cop there (or a history of cops), I stop.

I don't necessarily clip out and put my foot down, but I stop. These rules have worked for me pretty well. But one thing I've never worried about is my safety, when I stop. I've easily ridden 100,000 miles on the roads, including the East Bay, in all kinds of conditions. I don't think I've ever been in a situation where I felt less safe stopping than not stopping. There are plenty of things out there to worry about, but that isn't one of them.


Why am I suffering from repeated flats same spot on wheel? I’m an avid rider- have ridden about 7,000 miles (11,200 km) in the past 4 years with 2 flats total. This year I’ve had the following

Flat in front wheel right across from the valve stem. I replaced the tube the first time, then took into the shop to have a new tire installed the second time a got a flat
A third flat in the same spot about 50 miles later. Took it back to the shop- he said the tire seemed pinched, was maybe a manufacturing defect. He retaped the wheel, gave me a brand new tire.
about 50 miles later, another flat in roughly the same spot. Took it back, we cannot figure out what’s going on - he can’t find anything. He put in a new tube but it suffered a pinch flat right in the store before I could even put it on the bike.

All the tires have been Continental Gatorskins.

So now, I’ve had 5 flats and cannot figure out what’s going on. Rims look fine - have had no falls, dents or dings.

Thanks for the suggestions. I am on tire #4, so its not the tire.

The flats have been both on the inside and outside, all about the same spot on the rim. I normally fill to ~ 100 psi - nothing has changed as far as my riding style, locations, fill pressure.

Could the rims have something to do with it?

In addition to Criggie's suggestion, if the hole in your tube from your last flat is facing the tire, when you get your next flat; remove the tire/tube together from the wheel, put a mark on the tube and tire with a ink marker to record the position of the tube in the tire. When you find the hole in the tube, you will be able to correlate it to a spot on the inside of the tire where there may be a sharp thing of some kind protruding from the casing. Sometimes small sharp objects can become embedded in your tire but are not obvious. By narrowing down the spot on your tire where the flat occurred it will be easier to discover anything that could puncture your tube.
Lightly and carefully run your fingers around the inside of the tire, sometimes you can't see what is killing your tube but you can feel something pointy. Be careful!

You can use the same trick to focus on an area of your rim. Feel around carefully for burrs where the flat occurred, double check the tape, etc.


What are these mounts for on inside edge of carbon fiber fork? I just got a new Tommaso Sterrata.

I commute during the winter so I'm looking to put fenders on. I know I can get fenders that clip onto the fork instead of being mounted, but while inspecting the fork, I found these two screws on the inside edge of the fork.

What are they for? What are they supposed to do, and what can I do with them. Would it be feasible to mount the fender stays on them?

They're for full fenders. Many disc road and fitness/urban/hybrid bikes now have them here in order to completely avoid strut interference with the brake. To install the fenders neatly I've been mounting the fender, then mounting the struts sticking off into space in the general direction they'll run in from the mount, then bending one with a non-marring plier or adjustable wrench in each hand to get the strut pointing straight into the eyebolt of the fender, and then bending the other to match.