Why does my rear derailleur's indexing work for either the high or the low gears, but not both? I am adjusting my rear derailleur indexing. It seems impossible to find the correct tightness. When I tighten the tension with the tension barrel adjuster, I have one of two problems: either it is too tight and the derailleur jumps from the third largest to largest cog (skipping the second largest cog) or it is too loose and does not want to jump from the smallest to second smallest cog.

I used the smallest turns imaginable to adjust the barrel adjuster, but still no luck. I kept the front derailleur in the middle cog (of three). Also, adjusting the B screw does not seem to have any effect.

There are nine gears.

When adjusting the tightness of the derailleur cable, it should affect the shifting across the whole range of gears evenly. The way you phrased the question, it sounds like you are experiencing problems mainly in the high end when it's too loose and mainly in the low end when it's too tight. That would indicate that your derailleur hanger is out of alignment. You can check that by looking at your bike from behind and seeing if the two small pulley wheels on your derailleur are directly in line with the gears, and not bent at a slightly different angle. It's an easy fix but it requires a specific tool.

On the other hand, and as others have suggested, it is very common for grime to build up around the bend in the rear shift cable. It may be hesitant to shift into the highest gear because the remaining tension in the derailleur's spring (which will be at its lowest when the derailleur is most relaxed, or in the highest gear) is not enough to overcome the residual friction between the cable and housing. Sometimes you can solve it just by cleaning the cable. To check/clean it without any tools:

shift into the highest (most outward) gear in the rear
Hold the rear wheel off the ground (somehow)
Pedaling forward with your right hand, use your left hand to push the derailleur in (shift into the lower/inward gears). This will create slack in the shift cable.
Take out the housing coming from the rear derailleur from the frame stub holding it in. You can do this because the shift cable should not be under tension.
Slide the section of housing out of the way and wipe the cable down thoroughly with a cloth. If you have any, apply a drop of chain oil to the cable (oil your chain while you're at it).
Reposition the housing admire your newly reduced cable friction


Long-lasting price-worthy fenders? My bought-as-2nd-hand bikes have plastic fender-attachements which tend to break. When they break, the fender starts to make a lot of annoying high-pitched sound. So which fenders do you recommend to replace the plastic junk?

Please, do not interpret me wrong, the fenders can be plastic but the attachment-things must be designed the right way. I like the design by SKS in their Bluemells Matt fenders but not wanting to pay extra for the aluminum and branding, have used many plastic-mixture with proper attachments and they have never failed me (now not having the bikes at the hand). Not sure but perhaps price-worthy product, Sunny Wheels, but unknown brand -- cannot get it though. So which fenders are long-lasting price-worthy? 28"
wheels.

[Update]

This question has strayed off-topic due to changes by different users and partly due to my ignorance, sorry about that. The main point is not product recommendations. I am looking for timeless/intrinsic tips to find/maintain/control/(or buy if you can justify properly) fenders. Before you say "XYZ, you are changing question.", no I am not:
the junk description is not necessarily junk, it is to some extent in the eye of the beholder.

You mention that you do not like the extra cost of the SKS fenders, but I would say that I have had excellent luck with them lasting 3+ years with no issues at all.

They are incredibly well made, and while not the cheapest on the market, they are not Honjos @ $100/pair either.


Quiet Components/Configurations Phrased towards someone looking to purchase a new commuter bike, I prioritize a quiet smooth ride when possible.  One of my past issues is that bikes are often great on the test ride but pretty quickly develop a lot of "personality."  Are there some recommendations as to which components or brands are the quietest without too much sacrifice of functionality?

(Note: No, I am not planning illicit bike-behavior!)

Gearing:  I expect a fixed gear would win by far, but that's not really my interest. Other than that, will fewer gears produce best results?

Hub:  My old Raleigh freewheel actually had a beautifully quiet ratchet (softer than most cassettes I hear), but it took me a while to find one that doesn't start clicking after a few rides.  Is there a type/brand of cassettes which will do better?

Shifters:  I've been using downtube shifters which are great- no "click click THUNK".  But if they don't line up just right (user error) they can be a loud bother.

Tires:  Best results I've found are totally smooth tires.  Does width/pressure affect this much?

Brakes:  I've not had a bike with anything but hub brakes.

Accessories:  Racks are out.  Fenders are iffy, but removable is best, noise doesn't matter much in the rain!  Of course an item to make noise for when I need it :).

An internally geared system would be the quietest option available for a commuter set up. A groupset such as Rohloff, Shimano Alfine or SRAM would offer near silent operation. You could pair this with a belt drive train to reduce this further. This would also alleviate hub noise. The Rohloff probably has the quietest shifter as it is not indexed.

For brakes I'm not sure if there is any difference between the noise made by rim vs. disc brakes although when they bite they may be louder than a coaster brake but much safer. Disc brakes would be my recommendation if your were considering cycling in the rain. There is no difference in noise between mechanical and hydraulic set ups but for commuting 140mm mechnicals would be just as effective as hydraulic brakes (unless your doing technical descents) as there would be very little differentiation in modulation and they are easier to maintain.

Accessories will be all about what you choose, how you fit them and how you maintain the bike. You will need to keep things well lubricated to keep noise down (anything with a bearing) and taking time to fit things properly and to the right torques (such as bottom bracket). Pumps and tools can be placed in old tubes to keep them from rattling.

For tires I dont think totally slick is the best option, also where you have said rain was an issue but something that had a specifically noise and puncture resistant tread and a low rolling resistence would be best for commuting.


Can a 2012 Carrera Vulcan run 26 x 2.25 tires? I'm looking to replace my tires.

Currently I have the standard 26x2.1 tires that came with the bike and am looking to replace them with a set of 26x2.25, could this be done?

Tire sizing is essentially witchcraft (See http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html) for mixing conventions and what not. Even if you have two tires of the same dimensions (say 26x2.25), you may not be able to mount both of them due to knob patterns (a "larger" labeled slick may fit where a "smaller" labeled knobby squeezes by due to the height and width of the knobs) or slight dishonesty in sizing preventing the frame from clearing things properly. Also, your rims need to be able to take the tire size as well. This all may also depend on the particular frame size you have as well. You should probably go to your LBS and try some 26x2.25's in the space or at least do some measurements on the clearance of the tire in the frame (it may not be the same in the front and back, so you may be able to run a larger tire in the front).

It seems to be a Halford's bike (which is like REI level bikes? not from teh UK), so there aren't product pages for it archived, so I don't have any specific sizing information I can help with. http://www.bikeradar.com/us/gear/category/bikes/mountain-bikes/product/review-carrera-vulcan-12-45673/ says they fit a Continental Mountain King 26x2.2 on there in the comments but doesn't mention how much more it will clear (which you'll have to actually go out and try similar tires as to the one you want).


replacing tires and tubes I own a trek 7000 hybrid and was wondering if there are aftermarket parts i.e. inner tubes and tires that will work for it. the wheels, tubes and tires are all bontrager if this helps any suggestions?

You just need to match the size.  Bontrager is just a tire that Trek used for that bike.

The size will be on the tire
The bike comes with a 700x35c
The 700 is the rim size - you have to get a tire that size
The 35 is the width of tire - you have some variance there
For your bike might as well just stay with a 700x35c
For a tube you will get a range like 700 x (32 - 45)


Heart rate monitors for Cycling I am an absolute novice around heart rate monitoring and its implications, just trying to validate/argument my knowledge through a discussion here.

I do 30 kms a day commute and upto a 100 km a day on the weekends, Over the past one year, I haven't seen a significant dip in my weight, although I can definitely fell that I am less fat. Thinking of optimizing my cycling for better results, for which a lot of people recommend considering your heart rate.

I am using Strava for a while now, and I think Wahoo HRMs are the best to use, as people mostly recommend it. There is also the Polar H7, which is a cheap and supposedly compatible HRM with Strava.

I have a budget of around 100$ but can stretch to 150$ if I get good value for money.

My questions are -

How do you guys use heart rate monitors with cycling?
What are the features that you guys consider as a must in a cycling/Running centric HRM.
Any other suggestions/trivia.

Update

I guess I just need a basic way to monitor my heart rate while cycling. Any value addition would be nice, lets assume for now that strava integration is not necessary but would be a significant value addition.

Conclusion

I brought a Garmin VivoActive HR. Have been training with it for almost a month now and its serving me just fine so far. :)

Interesting and personal topic.  I'll ignore your budget for now...

Ok i make use of a Garmin Edge 1000 with a HR monitor.  I like to monitor my HR by % of max rather than beats.  Makes it easier when looking at zones thinking of it in %.

For a indoor training on Zwift i use the Wahoo Kickr you refer to above.  Now here it records in beats since thats what Zwift shows but whats good here is it supports Bluetooth and ANT+

Different tools for different applications.

On the bike Polar works fine easy enough to upload and you can see tour zones, HR in beats or %.  Garment n provides a few more options like routing, HR graph even these days on the edge 1000 and 520s.

Coming back to your budget... The Wahoo kickr is a simple cheap option to use with your phone if you only using Strava.  If your using other apps like Garmin connect, Polar etc a dedicated monitor and strap has more advantages.

But you pay for those advantages.  I guess flexibility and compatibility are the major things to consider.


How can I make my own chamois cream? I am about to ride a 300km brevet, and the plan is to let the faster bike alone at home, and go with a heavier one, for a lot of reasons, and one of them is the riding position on the fast one makes friction against the saddle a long-term problem. Besides, it is fixed gear and since I cannot stop pedalling, the problem is even bigger.

I have seen people talk about the wonders of chamois creams and powders, and I am planning to use some. But since I tend to have a traditional approach (and to be very skeptical about fancy advertisements), perhaps using some traditional home-made solutions could become an interesting exercise in self-sufficiency.

Some folks told me from experience that corn starch makes an excelent sweat-absorber, and also helps the skin to not suffer from friction.

Some folks told me from experience that solid vaseline might be useful, too.

How can I make my own chamois cream?

Most of your chamois creams/"butt butters", such as Paceline's "Chamois Butt`r", are fairly conventional combos of standard skin cream ingredients, with a heavy emphasis on lanolin.

I've never tried petrolatum (though many swear by it), and I'm a bit skeptical as to how it would fare compared to the more skin-cream-like concoctions.  Plus it would make more of a mess of the chamois and be harder to launder out.

I'll admit that the commercial concoctions are a bit expensive, but a little goes a long way, so it's not that big of an investment.


The stem connects the handlebars to the...? If this is a stem... ... what's this?
I'm asking because I need to buy a taller one so I don't have to bend over as far. It's not convenient to buy a new bike, and I already have an adjustable stem which just doesn't quite get me there.

That's the fork steerer.
The fork has to be replaced if you want it taller. That, or perhaps, you could add another spacer to gain a marginal 10/20mm.... Replace the forks if you're desperate.

Once you unbolt the stem, the forks can just drop out if you're not careful. Replacing the forks may not be economical to replace, and if so, I'd replace the whole bike. Good luck. :)

Actually, having said that, the steerer is already ridiculously high; I'd recommend time to replace the whole frameset, as making it too high can be dangerous, if not deadly depending on when and how it breaks. If you're going downhill and the steerer snaps from being too high and too much force going through it, it can shatter or snap, and if you fall on that, it will seriously injure you, if not killing you. Replace the frameset rather than just the forks. The whole bike looks too small for you.


RockShox Recon Gold fork problem I have a RockShox Recon Gold (100mm travel) fork, 2017 year of production.
I have made 150 hours service. Followed the instructions carefully, disassembled it, have cleaned everything, changed seals and foam rings, put the right amount of correct RockShox original oils into lower legs, damper, and air chamber.
Assembled it carefulle.
Then I pumped the correct pressure (85psi) into the piston.

After all that my fork stopped working correctly at all.
It now travels for only about 15mm, and then it hits some solid resistance as if a wall. Rebound is slow and makes weird noises.

What should I do about it?
Thank you.

There’s only really two possibilities: either something is broken or you didn’t assemble the fork correctly.

You can disassemble the fork and recheck all your work, or you can go to a local bike repair shop.

From your description of the fork behavior I’d guess that there is too much oil somewhere or oil in the wrong place.


Does riding with suspension locked do any harm long term I bought a Trek 4300 MTB a few months back as my main intent was to ride off-road on local dis-used railway paths. I've since moved house and my main use of the bike is now for my commute to work. Consequently I've replaced the tyres with slick roadies and ride with the suspension permanently locked.

It hasn't taken long for me to notice a juddering when I brake and it seems to be coming from the front-forks.

I was wondering if the odd pot-hole in the road that I hit now and then has done some damage to the internal workings of the suspension that would have otherwise been absorbed had it been free.

Is there something I can do with the preload to find a happy medium where I can ride with a really stiff suspension or do I need to continue to look on with bike envy at other commuters with road and hybrid bikes.

On Trek 4300 you have RST Gila fork which is cheap and simple. You can't really lock it completely, just pre-load the spring to maximum. I'd say you should not worry about it - the internals are very simple and can't really be damaged easily: this is no oil/air fork. It has a steel spring and some rubbers to work as dumper.

And most likely the juddering you notice is not from the fork, but rather from the breaks themselves.


How can I fix my rear derailleur's B-tension adjustment? I've noticed that my rear derailleur (Ultegra 6700) will not return to where I've set the B-tension adjustment. Pulling it away from the hanger means it will just stick there, or maybe move back a little bit. Comparing to other bikes with Shimano rear derailleurs, mine seems to be odd one out.

It mostly causes annoyance when removing the rear wheel -- I have to push the derailleur back "in" afterwards, instead of relying on it just naturally going back to the correct position.

If I understand you correctly, you don't have a B-Tension issue. B-Tension sets the clearance between the upper derailleur pulley and the chain, and should not be used to add spring return force to a derailleur.

In this case, I believe that the derailleur pivots are in need of cleaning and lubrication, and I would start there.

If that doesn't fix the issue, you can look at replacing the derailleur return spring (#2 in photo)behind the fixing bolt of the derailleur and/or the cage spring (#1 in photo)between the derailleur body and the derailleur cage.

Ultegra 6700 RD Manual

Exploded View PDF


Shipping my bike across US (DC > LA)? OK!

So, I have my (large) single speed in the DC area -- but have just relocated to the LA area. I'm wondering; What is the best and most economical way to have my bicycle shipped across the states?

I'm hopping for an option that is $100 or preferably less.

This question may be what you are looking for: How to get a bike from one city to another in the U.S

Besides the obvious UPS, USPS, and FedEx, there is train shipping as Daniel suggests. Some bike shops and outdoors stores will pack and ship for you (good if you are not mechanically inclined). Bike shops are a good place to get free bike-sized cardboard boxes for some odd reason...


Are parallel v-brakes fixed distance? [Avid Arch Rival 50] OK, this is naive question, but I have to be 200% sure :-)

If you compare the regular v-brake against parallel v-brakes as Avid Arch Rival 50:

the one thing which is always ignored is the way you can change the distance between pads. In the regular v-brakes you change the distance with the cable, more loose means more distance between pads.

But with parallel v-brake the distance is fixed, so loosening the cable does not change a thing, it just adds a dead cable section.

This influences the pads and the wheel rim you can select -- more fat pads or slightly wider rim and you have a problem.

The question is -- am I right with the fixed distance in such v-brakes?

UPDATE: fixed means -- there is some distance, predefined, and you can narrow it, but you cannot increase it. Let's say you are on the ride and you hit something hard with wheel. The wheel needs trueing. With regular v-brakes you just loose the cable to get home. With parallel v-brakes loosening cable does not help.

Photo comes from Avid Arch Rival 50 Review at GearReview

iirc - the Arch Rival V-brakes are described as parallel because the brake block surfaces are always parallel to the rim braking surface at whatever distance from the rim. This in theory improves braking.

Other than this - they function the same as a normal V-brake in that the arms act as levers to apply the brake blocks to the rim surface.

Adjustment may be a bit more picky - in that as the cable is loosened and the braking arms move outward - it will raise the brake blocks to keep them parallel to the rim. Therefore, to get the pads further from the rim - you may have to slacken of significantly more tension than with traditional V-brakes.
You may have to undo the cable entirely to slacken enough.


When should I use an energy gel? I recently procured some energy gel tubes (as a prize for being able to pick up a coin from the ground while on my bike), and I'm not sure what to do with them. I mean, they're for eating, of course, but more in depth than that ;)

On what type of a ride is it appropriate to use an energy gel in the middle? Does it depend on the length of the ride, or the difficulty/how strenuous it is? Does it change depending on the ability of the cyclist?

If it's relevant, I'm 15, starting to learn at a higher riding level for dirt/mountain bikes.

If you go for a ride in the morning, your body's main source of energy is glycogen stored in your leg muscles, which came from the food you ate for dinner the night before. (There is also liver glycogen, and you can burn fat, but it's a slower process.) For most people, muscle glycogen is sufficient for about 2 hours of continuous, strenuous exercise. Once glycogen is stored in a particular muscle, such as a leg muscle, it can't be taken out of that muscle for use anywhere else. (Liver glycogen can be donated to other parts of the body that need it.) This two hours is if you're really putting out your maximum effort the whole time. Most cycling isn't actually that continuously intense over long periods of time -- the bike is after all a fancy device for improving your body's efficiency. In many cases you may be able to cycle for much longer, like 4 hours or more, without running out of glycogen.
So in terms of energy available to perform muscle contractions, typically it's not really necessary to eat anything unless your ride is very long. However, it's possible to start feeling hungry even when your legs still have plenty of glycogen. Being hungry is going to make your ride unpleasant, and may have the effect of decreasing performance, since fatigue is a complicated phenomenon mediated by non-conscious parts of the central nervous system. So basically it's just what you would think based on common sense: if you're hungry, eat.
At very long distances, where muscle glycogen is in danger of getting depleted, your body will try to switch over to burning fat, but that's slow, so you'll start to feel like you're bonking. In this situation it becomes important not just to avoid hunger but to provide your body with some energy that it has some hope of digesting fast enough that it can be used for pushing the pedals. If you anticipate this kind of long ride, then you can basically eat as many carbs as possible, starting even before the ride, in hopes of being able to use the energy. However, your body doesn't do a very good job of digesting food while you're exercising, and digestion takes time. That's why people often take small amounts of carbs, spread out over time.
Different people also differ in their ability to handle food while exercising strenuously. Some people barf if they try to do it. Do whatever works for you.
The main differences between a GU and some other carb-based food like a granola bar are that the GU doesn't require chewing, and it's also conveniently packaged for use while running or riding. Basically a GU is like cake frosting (or actually maltodextrose) in a convenient package.
There seems to be pretty solid science behind the concept of carbo-loading, i.e., eating lots of carbs in the day or days before the activity. Studies have shown it increases performance by pretty hefty amounts. Probably it just helps to top off your glycogen supplies. Having that energy already digested and available as glycogen is a big win. Eating during the activity is at best a minor benefit in comparison.
And BTW please don't be like a lot of the mountain bikers on my local trail system and leave your GU wrappers on the trail!


Disc Brakes *Completely* Ineffective Over recent months my front and rear disc brakes (Hy Rd TRP on my Genesis Croix de Fer) have become increasingly useless, to the extent that I now have to cycle very slowly because it takes at least 5 seconds to stop, regardless of speed, with full pressure on brake.

I won't take you through everything I've done to try and counteract this, but what I did yesterday (without touching it with my oily oily hands) was:

remove wheels
use degreaser on rotors and entire brake area
use sandpaper (quite fine grind) on rotors
change brake pads
tighten brakes and centrally align

and... they're ineffective as ever.

Things I haven't ever done are: bleed brakes (they're hydraulic at bottom and mech at the top), or look at/remove brake cable.

Things I didn't do yesterday: bed in new pads, use isopropryl alcohol rather than degreaser (generic muc off spray).

There hasn't been even a slight improvement in brake power, is it that I didn't get any contaminants off the pads? Didn't bed them in? or something more mechanical that I need to get checked out?

I've had my fair share of hydraulic brake woes this year so I'll list the things I'd check - I am aware that you've done some already. Firstly some questions though:

Are these brakes using mineral oil or dot fluid? If it's dot fluid, when attempting to bleed the system you may want to take extra care and de-gas the liquid like with Avid brakes.
The comments suggest cable actuated hydraulic brakes, this is a new one on me for bikes so I'll assume that the cable has been checked and is moving freely / not rusted.

Things to try:

If you've cleaned the rotors and pads lately then you might need to go through a decent bed-in procedure to transfer some braking material to the disc rotor.
Bleed the brakes (if you need the Avid kit to do it, buy the pro kit, the other one is awful).
Sand the pads.
Check that both the pistons are moving freely in the calliper.
Degrease the whole area - isopropyl alcohol (IPA) will clean most of the muck. Use paper towel or new rag rather than an old greasy rag.
See if you can get some life back in the pads by heating them with a gas flame from either a blowtorch or gas ring on the hob for 30 seconds (be careful, use pliers to hold the pads). See if you get flames or lots of smoke which indicate contaminants.
Try new pads, swap to another brand or compound. Sintered is good for wet, grit and mud. Organic has better initial bite but not as good in the sloppy conditions.
Check the hose and connection points (banjo bolt & bleed nut) for leaks.
Check around the pistons for bubbles that indicate a leak.
Look for areas around the calliper where dust and grit has stuck to any oily residue that could have come from a leak.
Take the rotor off the hub and give it a good clean in the sink with degreaser, washing up liquid and finish off with IPA.
Take some pictures and video of the calliper so we can see if there's anything that more eyes can pick up.
Enlist the help of your local bike shop - show them some (financial) love and build up a good relationship with your local mechanic(s).

Make sure that your isopropyl alcohol is as pure as possible so as to make sure it doesn't leave its own residue.

Try a few more things and report back soon.


Why exactly did Boardman manage a further distance than Wiggins? In light of Bradley Wiggins' recent hour record of 54.526km, I heard a lot about how Chris Boardman has the absolute record of 56.375km. What I didn't hear and (hence my question) what I want to know is exactly what features in Boardman's (now illegal) bike enabled him to cycle further in the hour.

All reports of the event just explained it as 'technical differences and riding positions.'

Can anyone break it down into a decent explanation?

Boardman used what is known as the "Superman" position, as shown in this image.

This position has been deemed to be against the rules by the UCI.  Compare it to the position that Wiggins had on the bike, shown here.

His arms are not as outstretched, and therefore it is not as aerodynamic.

The superman position was first used in the hour record attempt by Graeme Obree as shown here.

There's been a large history and debate over what the rules should be. If you are interested, you should watch The Flying Scotsman which is about Graeme Obree's run in with the UCI and regulations.  It seems there is even some controversy over Bradly Wiggins' record, as he used custom made 3D printed handlebars when breaking the record.  As per UCI rules, all parts must be production and commercially available. Apparently they do have 3D printed bars commercially available, but they are all one-off and have to be customed ordered to fit the rider.


Should I always ride on the designated bike path? I just had my first ride last week end and I generally rode pretty much in a defensive way, I always followed the cycle paths, but to be honest I enjoyed much more riding on the street for 2 reasons related to the quality and construction of cycling paths:

cycling paths outside Berlin are weirdly thought, many times they are only on one side of the road and you have to stop and cross the street to get on it, then the side changes and you have to cross again;
they are full of bumps, irregularities, debris and so on and that makes it hard to keep a decent and constant speed;

I kinda know how's the regulation in Germany, you have to be on the cycling paths only when some symbols are shown on the street.

Probably I'm not the first one to think this and I'd like to know wow do more experienced people deal with it, in the end it seems it boils down to a matter of security vs riding on a more enjoyable road.

You seem to be assuming that roads are more dangerous than bike paths. This may be true in general, but is by no means always true.

As to the legal issue, be aware of the consequences of breaking the rules. In many places (like Chile, where I am), the cycling laws simply aren't enforced.

Beyond that, do what works for you.

So the answer to your question: No, you should not always ride on the designated bike path.


How to pick a replacement rear wheel for GT Grade Alloy 105 My bicycle: GT Grade Alloy 105 year 2015

After ~2 years riding i've broken 4 spokes (1 broke, fixed, 1 broke, fixed, 1 broke, fix, and now broke again). At this point from what I understand I need a new wheel.

From what I remember I got all the default parts:
http://www.gtbicycles.com/usa_en/2015/bikes/road/adventure/grade-alloy-105#bottom-products-area

I don't want to spend too much but I am also heavyset 250lbs (114 kilograms) and usually spend my time in the seat, there are parts where I go fast so the rear wheel will take some punishment.

I don't think I need to switch my front wheel yet unless it makes sense. How do I figure out what kind of wheel I can get where i wont have to change other expensive pieces of my bike? What are the parts that I need to look at?

Specific product recommendations are off-topic here but we can provide some guidance that will help you choose an appropriate wheel.

You can replace both front and rear wheels without having to replace any other components. For the rear you have to move the sprocket cassette to the new wheel. This requires a special tool but is straightforward. Disc rotors must to moved to both front and rear wheels of course, and front and rear calipers will also need re-aligning.

You have to know what the specifications are so you can select a compatible replacement wheel. The fixed things are:

Rim diameter - 700c / ISO 622
Hub width - 135mm rear, 100mm front in your case
Quick release or through-axle - quick release rear , 15mm through axle front in your case
Rotor attachment - 6 bolt.
Number of speeds - Some 11 speed systems require a slightly wider freewheel body, I'm not sure if Shimano road 11 speed does. Hopefully someone else can fill in this detail. In any case you want a hub compatible with Shimano 105 11 speed.

You get to chose the spoke count, rim width (to support the tire width you want to run), rim profile and tubed vs tubeless.

You should consider a higher spoke count with 3 cross build for higher strength than the original wheel. The GT page you referenced says the rear is 32 spoke.  I'd say you want a minimum of 32, consider 36. When it comes time to replace the front I’d go for more spokes there too.

According to the GT page referenced the rim width is 22mm, good for 28mm and wider tires. If you are happy with the original 28mm tires or want slightly wider I’d stick with 22mm rims.

The big benefit of tubeless is the ability to run low pressure and not risk pinch-flats. You can look up pros and cons and see if you want to go that way.

Addressing buying options - if you don't know much about wheels don't buy individual parts and have wheels built. There is a bewildering array of rims hubs and spokes. You can either:

Buy a pre-built wheel of a known quality brand such as Mavic or DT Swiss.
Use an online custom wheel site such as wheelbuilder.com. Pick from one of their hub-rim-spokes options. You can contact them and see what they recommend.
Work with your local bike shop, they will be able to recommend some specific options also.

If looking at pre-build brand wheel, look for 'gravel', cyclocross (CX) or perhaps 29" MTB wheels (29" is same as 700c) as these will be built for more strength (at the expense of weight).

Note that many wheels and hubs are now built for through-axles but come with quick release adapters.


what is the official site of diamond bicycle or frame(not "diamondback") im go to shop and buy a bike that its name diamond not diamond back
has shimano gears and vbreak and has kenda tires and frame is steel
do any one know this bike is made in where?
and what is official website for this bike?
thanks a lot

It looks like it's a Belgian manifacturer: http://www.cyclesdiamond.be/


Can't bed in my hydraulic brake pads I washed my bike with Rhino Goo fast action cleaner and fairy liquid in a spray bottle mixed with water. I used a hose pump with no pressure, so no liquid will go into my bearings etc. After I washed it, I dried it up and after a couple of hours applied lube on a chain with a slow method (1 drop of lube on every chain element). I applied it on lower part of it so it will not drip on anything except the floor.
Couple the days after I went out to bed the brakes in. They were horrible at the beginning: squealing, no force at all, stopping after a mile etc. I went up and down the hill for like 20 times, feeling that breaks were at their 70-75% of original state (front wheel was on its way to lock up and the back one skidded a few times). I had no time to continue with a thought that I do the same tomorrow.
Next day I went to the same hill, same bike, nothing happened to the bike at all, but all the stopping power was gone. It felt like I needed to do the bedding process all over again, but after 2-3 rides down the hill, I felt the force coming back and eventually, the same 70-75% of the original stopping power occurred.
Is it the liquid I'm using to clean the bike, because its not the first time this thing happened (I cleaned after not using for 3-4 months due to injury and bike becoming a bit dusty) or the way I clean the bike, or because I didn't finish the process of bedding in? I'm just about to give up and I'm ready to use the bike as it is and make the bedding in process on the way.

There is a good chance that mix of soaps is leaving a residue on the rotors and that is collecting on the pads and fouling them. If that soap residue is your problem, then it's also possible that the heat from use is helping performance, but it's not burning the soap away completely.
Whenever you're having a problem with brake power or excessive noise, the first troubleshooting step should always be to remove the wheel and the pads, clean the rotor and pads with brake cleaner or alcohol, and to then sand the pads with a fine sand paper just enough to take the very surface off. Don't sand the rotor (ever).
If that doesn't fix your problem, the pads might be fouled and contaminated by some kind of gunk, or an oil from chain or bleeding could have soaked into them. Sometimes this can be fixed by boiling out the contaminant with a small torch, then sanding the surface again, but most of the time, new pads are needed.
Bedding: the process of "bedding in" your brakes really only applies to when the pads and the rotor don't know each other, so to speak. New pads, new rotor, new both, the surfaces aren't worn into each other to make the maximum contact surface. What happens in bedding, is the differences in surface between the two wear in and become a match to each other. Washing your bike doesn't un-bed them. Removing your pads and re-installing the same ones doesn't un-bed them. Removing the pads and sanding them does un-bed them. I wouldn't worry about there being some complicated process to bedding, it's just a matter of knowing that for the first bit of your ride, the pads are wearing in to fit your rotor and the power comes up a little more with every use of the brake. You can do that in a parking lot or a special hill if you like. I just hit the trail and take it easy for the first half hour or so, or until I like how the brakes are working.
So go through those steps to try to revive the pads and clean the rotors, then maybe change up your cleaning process. If you like that mix of soap, be sure to rinse that soap off fully from the brake calipers and rotors. I personally recommend straight water if you want to use the hose. I clean with Windex or Simple Green and a rag and I only spray alcohol on rotors.


Cheap Carbon Fiber Wheels Right, I guess inserting where they're made in the title would be a little politically incorrect but essentially the link below would give you the exact product that inspired the question :-
Cheap Carbon Rims

The target is to use those for a cyclocross-commuter steel bike that I am building. The typical use of such a rig would be for home-work-home commute on cycle tracks with a muddy stretch of offroad along the way (short cut smirk).

I am about 180 pounds (give or take) and have had history of taco-ing alloy rims before (MTB) - so the question would be : would you trust such a product for the above use?

Short answer: No.

Long Answer: I would not use carbon rims for commuting for several reasons:

They make the bike look more shiny than you want, attracting all kinds of unwanted attention.
I ride my commuter bike in any weather without too much maintenance. Should the carbon rim fail at some point, I at least won't notice a hairline crack until the wheel breaks. Carbon wheels will mostly break catastrophically, and that's not what I'd want while wedged between an SUV and a 40-ton lorry.
If you're using rim brakes (which the OP doesn't), pure carbon rims do not have the same braking performance as alloy ones, especially when wet.
With a seller on eBay, you probably don't have anyone to go to if the wheel is faulty from the start, e.g. arrives broken/bent or some such. Basically, you don't get any warranty.

So, I'd rather spend a more for custom-built wheels with alloy rims if you want maximum stability.


Can a 9x3 front derailleur fit on a 7x3 configuration? I own a budget MTB (Decathlon Rockrider ST 100), with 3x7 speed and I want to upgrade the cheap derailleurs to something more reliable (Such as Shimano Deore).
I already changed the brakes and shifters by the way.
I don't wanna change the freewheel now (as it would force me to change the whole wheel if I want a cassette).
My question is : can I put a 3x9 front derailleur on this configuration ? As the only front derailleurs for 3x7 configurations are on the Altus or Tourney range, and I want something more solid.

Yes. A front derailleur marketed as for a 9 speed system will work normally with your 7 speed set up. Really the front derailleur doesn't care how many cogs are in the back.  Generally, using a front drive system designed and marketed for "X"-speed systems will work in an "X+/-1" system.  For example, I use 10 speed crankset in combination with a 9 speed rear drive.  In addition mixing brands of shifter and front derailleur is possible (a SRAM front shifter can be paired with a Shimano front der and vice-versa) resulting in normal performance.  This does not hold true for the rear drive, where brand of shifter and derailleur must match to have normal performance.
Considerations should be given to the cable routing of your bike: does the front derailleur cable approach the der from the top? Or from the bottom?  Front derailleur's are designed to be actuated either by cable pulling from above (top-pull) or from below it (bottom-pull). Which type you require is based on your bike's designed cable routing.  Many front ders these days are termed "dual-pull" and are actuated from either a top pull or bottom pull cabling.  The bike determines this requirement.
Related to this is how the front derailleur mounts to the bike. Most commonly a clamp band is used around the seat tube and this serves as a mount point and by virtue of the design is manipulated to get the derailleur in proper alignment with the chainrings. A bicycle will be built utilizing one of three different sizes of seat tube diameter, the front derailleur must have the correct size clamp band (or come with shims allowing proper fitting).  There are other mounting designs of front ders too.
When a front derailleur is chosen for a particular front drive of a bike, a few important specs must be adhered to achieve nominal performance.  The number of teeth of the largest chainring and the difference in the number of teeth between the largest and middle chainring.  Both of these should match the specs of the front derailleur.
One further thought related to your question and desire to upgrade some componentry. Seven, eight, and nine speed hardware can be considered the same in regards to "speed."  Their derailleur's actuation ratio are the same, meaning the derailleur will move the correct amount to move the chain the correct amount to achieve the correct shift distance whether the shifter is 7, 8 or 9 speed. The right numbered shifter should be used with the same number of cogs.


Preventing my trunk-mounted bike rack from being stolen I am new to all this - got a bike as a retirement present and bought a Saris Bones 2 bike rack. It seems to me as it is just clip on it could be stolen while I am happily off riding my bike - is this a serious risk or am I just being paranoid? If it is, any solutions?

The metal brackets that clip on the edges of the trunk lid cannot be removed when the trunk is closed and locked, so no-one is going to casually unclip the rack and walk off with it.

I suppose someone could lever the brackets out, but that would damage the trunk lid and surrounding bodywork, so you would have a bigger problem and an insurance claim.

Also the straps could be cut, but what is the point of stealing a ruined rack?


Why are most commuting panniers designed as shoulder bags and not backpacks? I commute to work just carrying a light laptop and/or my tablet computer, my lunch, and a few papers.

I'd prefer to use panniers rather than a backpack or messenger bag, but once I get to work, I have to carry the bag around day and therein is the rub. Almost all commuting panniers that I've seen convert to a messenger bag using a single large shoulder strap. I don't like shoulder bags as they hurt my back.

I'd really like to see a commuting-size backpack/pannier but these seem to be almost non-existent. Is there a reason why they are so rare? Am I missing out what could be an enormous market -- the businessperson who bike commutes but still needs to carry their bag on their back once they get to their work campus?

They exist, but they're hard to find in real life, probably because the market is small. All the ones I've looked into would take a large laptop, but I've only tested with little netbooks. There's at least one fairly recent review online.
I'm in a similar position: sometimes I need to walk or even run with my pannier (also I switch between bikes daily). I need to carry work clothes but not smart ones. I've had two backpack panniers both in the 20--30 litre class. That's enough for a change of clothes and a laptop, plus cycling essentials, and even a gym kit, but a (large) pair of shoes is a squeeze.
The cheap one (£20--40 £/$/€ on eBay/amazon) was quite big. It had some nice features, but converting between modes was slow and relied on removing a plate that held the rack hooks. This wasn't as secure as I would have liked -- it fell off a few times until I reinforced it; the rack hooks also needed replacing with stronger ones (Carradice) after the flimsy plastic failed. A year of daily use and the fabric is going on the corners.  The straps and back pad zipped away when not in use, which kept the mud off, though they still got  a little damp and some dirt from corners could get on clothes.

The new one from Altura is made of much tougher fabric and is much easier to convert. The backpack straps are on the outside when riding, away from the wheel and therefore the worst of the dirty splashes. This also means no adaptor plate to lose. This came from a large (chain) bike shop, but they only had the one type in stock. This meant I could try it on (but not on the bike which was in the wrong city). You may need to decide whether you want a left or right model as some are tilted to avoid heel strike. I got this wrong but can get away with it on a big frame.   This was good after a very early warranty replacement for a failed main zip, but the zips are clearly a weak point because the main one broke after a couple of years.  I'd like to replace it but that looks very difficult so I'm back on a cheap backpack

To return to the headline question: many people settle on a backpack (or even a shoulder bag) for this type of need, reducing the size of the market for convertibles (which also need more design and hardware so are more expensive). I could in the winter but the extra sweating rules it out even in mild summers we have here. You can of course stuff a backpack in a front basket, or strap it on to a special handlebar rack -- the latter would probably be better for a laptop.
I'm sure many people (like me) return to their desk at the beginning and end of the day and can dump the pannier there. I keep a different bag (conference freebie) for when I need to carry more than a handful of stuff around the site. While this may not suit you, it further reduces the market. In fact my laptop shoulder bag pannier has an insert sleeve that did this job very nicely when I rode door-to-door rather than the convoluted commute I have now.
Something to look out for when choosing from the few options that do exist, is how well do they carry a helmet (assuming you don't want it clipped on with its own strap and swinging around).  My old one can fit a helmet in the outer pocket only if the whole bag isn't too full; on my new one you can tuck the helmet in to the pocket formed by the cover for the rack attachment points however full the bag is.


Get a tubeless to seat It takes a volume of air to seat a tubeless.  Even if you lube the tire it takes a volume of air to get it to pop onto the seat.
Cannot deliver that volume with my floor pump.
At the shop they remove the core to the presta and have this conversion tube they put over the open stem with a compressor on the other end.

It depends on what type of tubeless standard you are using.

UST

UST rims are designed to be able to be inflated with a floor pump. The rim profile has an inner channel. The tyre bead should be placed in this as per the picture when you begin inflating the tyre. When it reaches a high enough pressure it pops into place and you can continue to seat it easily with the pump. You can also add sealant before inflating with USTs.

Tubeless Ready

Tubeless Ready have a shallower rim bed that require far less volume to inflate with a floor or CO2 cartridge. This is trickier with a floor pump and people often remove the valve core to allow a higher volume of air in. Once the tyre is suited you can also to remove the core to add sealant.

Ghetto Setups

If you are using any other tyre/ rim combination it's really just luck if you're going to get a tyre to seat with floor pump, compressed air or ever at all.


Disc brakes better for rainy days? Are disc brakes more effective on rainy weather? I had a close call riding my road bike during a morning rain and almost collided with a parked car. My road bike is steel and has tektro branded caliper brakes. Should I get a disc brake commuter bike?

Disc brakes are generally more effective in the rain than rim brakes, but using rim brakes properly in the rain has served people well for many years.

You need to feather the brakes to remove the water+crud from the rims. Softer brake pad compounds can also help you brake more easily. Also, having good quality brakes that are well adjusted is always a good thing too. Remember that you also need to brake earilier in the rain, regardless of the type of brake, and be more careful than in the dry.

If you have small hands, make sure also the small hand inserts are in for your brake levers (if it has them).


How to recognize a bad tire? The most expensive "consumable" while operating a bicycle would probably be tires.  Enthusiasts endlessly debate the relative merits of different sizes, profiles, tread patterns,inflation pressures and just about anything else that might help define the best tire.

I use my bike for primary transportation and moderate cardio averaging 15K - 20K daily.  The terrain is fairly level but the traffic is dense and the road surface varies from virgin concrete to "what road?".  For the time being I'm still running 27 X 1 3/8 (37-630).  Unless I want to pay obscene import prices my choices are limited.

Is there anything to look for on a cheap, odd brand, tire that would provide clues about how long it will last?  What do you look for when trying to assess how well a new tire rides?  Like I said, to me a tire is a consumable.  I'd rather have something usable that I bought cheap enough I can throw it out without an internal struggle when it gets worn or damaged, than running something I paid so much for I'm trying to squeeze every last K of service life out of it. What is the average life of a tire in my sort of riding?

Additional info.

On the bike;
Badly weather checked, practically treadless, Bridgestone. If it fails catastrophically in local traffic I'll probably die.

The choices (low to high);
Leo Tires "Diablo", Philippine made, under $10 including new tube.
Other tires in same price range from other nearby countries that have rubber plantations.  Paying for a rim swap to let me use mid-price tires with known name brands. Paying astronomical single unit import fees to get those same brands in my current tire size.

The budget doesn't allow a rim swap for at least a couple of weeks.  So I'm mounting the Diablo before I leave the driveway again.  There are no visually obvious defects or damage.  Are there less obvious but still noticeable things I should look for?  Small details that might keep this piece of crap from killing me if I catch them during a pre-ride inspection?

There are many factors that go into determining the performance of a tyre.  The material and thread count (TPI) of the carcass, the rubber compound, thickness and tread pattern.  Tubed vs tubeless, and many different varieties of puncture protection layers.

Unfortunately as a consumer (especially with lesser known brands) its virtually impossible to be sure of the exactly how the tyre will perform without trying it.  This is why bike forums are always full to the brim of threads about x/y/z tyres.

The average life of a tyre varies significantly, based both on the tyre construction, the weight and riding style of the rider, and the terrain being ridden.
A light rider riding tyre 'X' on flat smooth roads may get 4500km out of a tyre, but give the same tyre to a heavy rider in hilly terrain and a coarse surface and it may only last 1500km.

If you are looking at a tyre purely as a consumable item, and only care about how many km you can get out of them, then you probably want to look for tyres that are advertised as 'touring' tyres.  They typically have thicker rubber and a harder compound for durability, along with thick puncture protection layers which whilst designed to provide reliability in remote areas, also work superbly in urban environments


Tubeless tires and compatibility Can 25mm tubeless tires fit on a wheel that previously had 22mm tubeless tires? I have a set of wheels that previously had 22mm tires on it. There is no description of tire compatibility listed on the wheels.

Generally road tubeless is road tubeless and going to the 25 should be fine.


Healthiest bike posture for slower long rides I'm looking for some evidence on bike posture and overall best positioning for healthiest rides that might be "long" (say around 30km) but also where speed is not a concern - think of bikepacking or bike touring.
It seems like the default is drop-bars because if speed is your concern that's obviously the most efficient. But looking also at upright bikes like Dutch bikes I wonder whether touring in such position can be better for your back/shoulders/ass on long distance.
Does anybody have any data that compares a few of these variables like "Upright + 30km + 15km/h" vs "Drop-bars-30-degrees-bent + 30km + 20km/h" -> "more bum sores in first one but less back strains" etc.

If you are looking for the most ergonomic riding position, you should give some kind of recumbent bicycle a serious consideration.
I don't have any references to data, and soreness is subjective. But in my personal experience, the recumbent and velomobile riders on longer rides (Paris-Brest-Paris 1200 km, London-Edinburgh-London 1400 km and such) are the riders reporting the least amount of posture-related problems.
You can still get sore on a recumbent if you overload your knees and leg muscles. But a reasonably fitted recumbent bicycle is probably the most ergonomic ride you can get: Your weight is spread out over a proper seat, your hands and arms are neutrally positioned and don't carry any load, and your back is supported. Also, almost every recumbent seat has a slight turn at the top to support your neck, and many have an ergonomic headrest (preventing problems like Shermer's neck).
I ride recumbents myself for longer brevets and touring, as well as "regular" bikes. The different in comfort on longer distances is noticeable, and the most interesting part personally is that you can increase your distance remarkably fast without soreness penalties. I have finished both 300 km sportives and longer brevets (up to 2100 km), and while the legs muscles feel quite worn, and I may look forward to some sleep and rest, my back, wrists, and seat does not hurt.
If you give recumbents a try, you should check the angle between your shoulders, hips and the bottom bracket. A large angle, with the three above almost in a straight line, is similar to an upright "city bike" - and may limit your power output, as well as put a bit too much weight on your seat. This could be the case for some older recumbents like the Tour Easy.
A sharper angle between shoulders, hips and bottom bracket is more similar to a typical road bike position, just rotated backwards and supported by a seat. This is typically found on short-wheelbase higher bottom bracket recumbents, like the Bacchetta highracers or the HPVelotechnik Speedmachine.
(a Schlitter Encore high bottom bracket road recumbent pictured below)


Gear problems on my bike When I change the gear from 3 to 2 the gear shifter does not properly change the gear.  It will just move to gear 1 then it pops off.

I put the chain back but it still had the same problem.. I don't know what to do . Please help me.

Not sure if you are having problems with the front derailleur or rear, but the answer is really the same.

Derailleurs have 3 adjustments:

High limit
Low limit
Indexing

High and low limits stop the derailleur from pushing the chain off the inner and outermost sprockets. Indexing lines the derailleur up with the individual sprockets. It sounds like you have both a limit and indexing problem.

If you are unfamiliar with bicycle maintenance the easiest option is to have a local bicycle repair shop do the adjustment. It's a straightforward process and inexpensive.

If you want to attempt adjustment yourself, there are many good 'how-to' articles and videos available that walk you through the process. My favorites are those produced by the Park Tool Company.

Rear derailleur adjustment is relatively straightforward, front derailleur adjustment is more complicated chain enters the derailleur at different angles depending on the rear gear selected.

https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/rear-derailleur-adjustment


Doubts about Tire compatibility on my wheels? I want to get a pair of 26 x 2.1  tires for my Bicycle.
My wheels are compatible with these dimensions.
A reputable store near me offers 26x1.95 tires. I am pretty sure that 1.95s are compatible with my 2.1 wheel.
The issue is, these are marketed at tires for a single speed bicycle of theirs. Mine is a 21 (3 x 7) speed bike.

From what I can tell, the wheel matters in matters of compatibility with the gearing, and not the tires as long as it is compatible with my wheel. But still, to be extra sure, does it matter that these tires are marketed for single-speed cycles as long as they are compatible with my wheels ?

The amount of gears has no bearing on the type of tyre.

The 26" part refers to the wheel diameter, so this is the most important part.

The 2.1" or 1.95", refer to the width of the tyre. The width of the rim determine which width tyres you should have. If your wheel is ok wth a 2.1 wide tyre, then a 1.95" wide tyre will be absolutely fine.

What you should consider when changing a tyre is the terrain, the puncture protection level, the weight, the durability vs grip and the price. The bike gears alone shouldn't influence the tyre choice.


7 speed to 8 or 9 speed cassette change this is my first time here and i am new in the bike sport. I have a mtb for a month now and i usually use it for road trips with some dirt intervals. It has a 7 speed shimano cassette (14-34) and on the road it seems too light now. I would like to change it to an 8 or 9 speed cassette with 11-30 or 11-32 assembly. Is this possible with my current hub or will i need to replace the whole rear assembly? Of course i will also change the shifter.
Thank you all in advance

You don't need to change the whole hub, but you might well find it easier to do so. You will need a new freehub body.

The new hub assembly might be wider - http://sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html#standard - in which case you will need to redish the wheel to get it central again. You can probably get away with using the same axle, as also described on that page, but you might need a new quick release skewer.

And you may need to spring the dropouts apart by 5mm. If you don't have a steel frame, and it's 130mm at the moment, give up and live with the 7 speed.
http://sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html#frameadjustment (or use a road hub, I guess).

EDIT: heltonbiker makes a good point about freehub vs. freewheel. I'd been considering upgrading my own bike which has a 7 speed cassette on freehub, and forgotten that a newer 7 speed might well be a freewheel, even though your question does say cassette. See http://sheldonbrown.com/free-k7.html
(And even if you really mean cassette, someone else searching might have a freewheel.)


What size Mr. Tuffy Liner should I buy for my 24"x1.95" bike tires? Mr. Tuffy size chart is here: http://www.mrtuffy.com/sizes.html

My tire size is 24"x1.95".

If I go by tire diameter, I should go with Mr. Tuffy's Blue liner which fits 24"x1.375".
If I go by tire width, I should go with Mr. Tuffy's Brown liner which fits 26"x1.95".

Since the liners are supposed to be on the long side and should overlap, I'm leaning towards choosing the brown liner.

For those of you who have experience with Mr. Tuffy's liners and its installation and use, what do you recommend and why?

Thank you.

I'd recommend none. They're more likely to cause flats when installed improperly and increase rolling resistance and weight. You're better off purchasing Kevlar belted tires/ puncture resistant tires, or if you live in an area with thorns, thorn proof tubes. You should also make sure your rim tape is properly installed and your tires are properly inflated - with this, and the right tire choice, they should be unnecessary.

See also this question.

Also, 1 3/8" is not the same as 1.375 inches when sizing tires, necessarily (see Brown's law of tire sizing).

While I do not use Mr. Tuffy liners, I'd think the 26"x1.95" one with a bit of trimming is the way to go in this case if you still choose to use one.


Internal Gear Hub Nexus 7 I just bought a new bike and it has the nexus 7 internal hub. This is my first internal hub. I love to ride but admittedly don't know much about the mechanics of bikes. I'm 57 and mostly ride the bike path in Prov. Ri which has 4 very steep hills and then many miles of flat path of which I thought this would be a good choice given the flats and low maintenance. Admittedly it is slow going up the hills but thats ok with me.  I seem to be having a problem with the second gear, downshifting. It takes sometimes many rotations of the pedals to get it to change into 2nd. The bike shop adjusted the cables and made me aware of the yellow markers and how to adjust with the cable. Seemed to be better but it still doesn't shift gears right away.The yellow marks are spot on. I adjusted my riding style to give a 1/4 pedal backwards and it works well that way to get into 2nd gear. I'm stuck between is this normal or is it possibly a problem with the hub? it's brand new, put 60 miles on it. The cables are obviously new and I've read it usually a cable adjustment. Do I simply need to adjust my riding style and not expect it to engage instantly like the other gears do? With my derailer I changed gears constantly but am thinking I should adjust to methodically clicking one gear to the next and to just ride in 4th gear unless necessary to change. I dont shift under load. Sorry if this sounds a bit messy. Is it me or the bike or both?

It sounds a little like you are shifting while pedaling. That's the opposite of how internal hubs work and will tend to cause the shift to happen delayed or never, and if done habitually for long enough is bad for the hub.
If you've got the yellow mark dialed and you're shifting only while coasting, and it's happening as you get into the slacker cable tension gears, it is possible there's a kink in the cable somewhere hidden by the housing, and it's causing friction that is making the shifting erratic.


FSA Compact 50/34 Need better climbing I have a FSA compact crank 50/34 with a 9-speed 12-27 cassette. I need better climbing ability for steep grades, not concerned with flat top speed. What should I do? What is the largest size cassette I can use?

The largest cassette you can use is determined by the rear derailleur (in particular, its chain wrap capacity). For something larger than 30t in the back, you want a wide range derailleur (code SGS) - something like a Deore rear derailleur if you're running Shimano (at 9 speed, the mountain and road rear derailleurs can be swapped, and the mountain rear derailleurs can take bigger cogs in the back). Then, put on some bigger cassette which works for you - your local bike shop will probably know some cassettes which work well in your area.


Can you help me identify this bike? I'm planning to buy this bike that the owner claims is a bike from 1940's with all original parts except the seat. I'm going to purchase this for $70 CDN, if you guys could help me identify the bike and/or tell me whether this is a good price, it would be of great help

By the 1950s, this type of braking system was becoming obsolete, so it's no later than that.

I found a few pictures on the net that look like your bike. They're all British, and all from the 1930s: Mercury, BSA, Raleigh. In those days, the British companies all basically made the same bikes, so it's hard to tell them apart. Look more closely at the front of the head tube - there might be a badge there.

Is it a good price? You'll probably spend way more than $70 to restore it, so it really doesn't matter.


I'm a CAT 4 racer, will I be suspended from racing by UCI / USAC if I participate in non-sanctioned races? I'm not a pro, just a CAT 4 racer with a USA Cycling License. Can I be suspended and fined by UCI / USAC if I participate in non-sanctioned races? I've heard they are cracking down on licensed pros racing in non-sanctioned races, but does this apply to everyone?  What is the likelyhood of that actually happening?

UCI 1.2.019 rule states “No license holder may participate in an event that has not been included on a national, continental or world calendar or that has not been recognized by a national federation, a continental confederation or the UCI. Breaches of articles 1.2.019 or 1.2.020 shall render the license holder liable to one month’s suspension and a fine of 50 to 100 Swiss francs.”

The UCI has subsequently clarified that the rule extends to ALL
  UCI-licensed riders, even those not associated with a UCI team. This
  rule only pertains to those riders holding an international/UCI
  license.

See Reference on Rules Clarification from UCI/USAC:
http://www.usacycling.org/clarification-of-uci-rule-12019-and-related-sanctions.htm

So, what it boils down to  is that if you're just a USA Cycling licensed rider, but do not hold an international UCI license, then this rule does not apply. If you do hold an international UCI license, then it does.

Update:

It appears that the rule will not be enforced this year, 2013 and is planned to be enforced in 2014.

  The UCI listened to the feedback from the various groups involved and who feel affected by a strict and immediate enforcement of rule 1.2.019 and its associated sanctions. The UCI has decided to postpone strict enforcement of rule 1.2.019 in 2013 with the expectation that all stakeholders (National Federations, race directors, teams and riders) will discuss and do what is necessary to prepare for the rule’s full enforcement in 2014.

Reference: http://www.usacycling.org/update-on-uci-rule-12019.htm


My tube lose air once inside Tyre and mounted on wheel? I am getting this weird experience.My tube holds the air when removed from wheel and tyre but lose it once in tyre mounted on wheel.I removed it 4 times and checked for bubbles in water bucket.No puncture.Air holds even for days out side wheel and once it is inserted in Tyre ,mounted on wheel and pumped the air,it lose in a min .What could be the reason?Some ghost/spirit playing games?I am really puzzled .

Check the rim for protrusions - is the rim tape misaligned?  Are there any lumps/bumps?  Any spoke ends prodruding just a bit too far?

Check the inside of the tyre/tire for lumps and bumps too.

Are you using a presta valve in a schrader-sized rim hole?  Could be opening a small hole there when pressurising.

Do you always put the tube in the same way around?   Try flipping it to move any weak point around.

Hmm - "weak point"  raises a thought...  Perhaps you should cut your losses and just fit a new tube.  They're consumable; I guess your current one has done its dash.   Don't want the weak point to turn into a blowout.


What do I do about a hydraulic disk brake piston that won't retract correctly? My dual piston Shimano XT brakes are acting strange... One piston won't return to the right place, so one brake pad can be rubbing all the time, which doesn't let my wheel spin freely...

I have done multiple things to try to fix it. I have used grease, brake fluid, and I have also "exercised" the possible lazy seal/piston. Currently the wheel spins fine from my recent "exercising session", but the piston is still more extended than the other one.

What else could I try? Would it be worth it to buy a replacement caliper cheap from Jenson USA?

Every Shimano hydraulic brake uses mineral oil. The material used for the seals is known to be incompatible with DOT brake fluid so I suspect using conventional grease may have caused the seals to swell irreversibly.

You should never need to grease the pistons of any bicycle hydraulic brake, since the fluid is a lubricant and the pressure seals so tight that they would wipe grease off the piston as it retracts. Grease may also become less viscous when heated, allowing it to drip onto your rotor with catastrophic effects, or may catch fire.

In future, you can use spacers and clamps to restrict the free piston so all the pressure goes to the sticky piston. Ensure the piston doesn't move so far that it leaves the seal. Clean with brake fluid and a soft cloth or q-tip. Push back in and retest. If cleaning isn't enough, the piston's seal surface, the seal or the caliper may be damaged, or one fluid passage inside the caliper could be blocked. Such issues are rarely user-serviceable.

Shimano uses easily-damaged ceramic pistons in its XTR brakes, I'm not sure whether any XT models also have them. Ceramic pistons are definitely Service Center only.


Why are BMX saddles so low? I've seen a lot of teenagers riding BMX bikes recently.

It seems that most if not all of the guys I've seen riding their BMX bikes around the streets, car parks, local parks, etc have a frame that's really small, and a saddle that's as low as possible.  It looks like the rider's knees are above their waists for much if not most of their stroke.

One of the local parks has a dedicated BMX track with actual racing taking place on it.  When I watch those guys they never seem to have their saddles all the way to the bottom.

The thought occurred that it might have something to do with trick riding but none of the kids with bikes set up like this seemed to actually be doing tricks. They'd just be riding the bikes normally or even just sitting on them outside shops. Their bikes also didn't seem to be set up with trick riding in mind, most of them didn't have those bar things projecting from the wheel hubs for the riders to stand on.

Is this really low saddle something they're doing to be cool? Or are there some real tangible advantages to this seating position?

Low seats provide clearance for more acrobatic body movements. This is essential for bunny hops and nearly every other trick which builds off of this skill. If you look at trials bikes they similarly have lots of clearance for the rider over the frame and the saddle. Since speeds are relatively low, and long distance riding is not the goal, pedaling efficiencies gained by a higher seat position are much less of a priority than vertical maneuverability.

As per Daniel R Hick's comment BMX bikes are also commonly used for children's bike's as they are easy to learn on because of the low seat.

In this case fashion follows function. Just because the particular riders you see aren't tricking doesn't mean there isn't a valid functional reason for this kind of setup.


Are front and rear tires on BMX bikes interchangeable? what is the difference between a front tyre and a back tire and would it matter if they was both front tyres or both back tyres on a BMX bike?

Look at the sidewall of the tire if it is marked front or rear the tire is designed with a specific position in mind. It may also include rotational direction arrows. Without any marking I assume it is a multidirectional and multiposition tire.


Shimano 9 speed road hub compatible with XT 11 speed cassette I am looking to upgrade my drivetrain, essentially moving from road (Ultegra and 105) to XT mountain.  I'd like to avoid replacing my rear wheel if possible though.

I've read conflicting things about whether the hub spacing between road and mountain is compatible.  Can anyone answer definitively?

Changing from a 9 speed road to 11 speed mountain raises many, many questions, but answering your specific query:

An 11 speed mountain cassette will fit on a '9 speed' hub. The freehub body width used is the same for mountain 11 speed and below and road 10 speed and below. Road 11 speed cassettes generally requires a slightly wider freehub body. The mountain 11 speed cassette will fit because the larger sprockets can overhang the hub and spokes a little.


Anyone using studded bike tires on a commuter in milder climates? I'm in the Pacific Northwest, Washington State, and I bike commute year round 5 miles each way. At my previous gig and rental, I had the fairly easy option of walking the 1.4 miles to work. I'm less sanguine about a 5 mile walk. Local bus service isn't ideal at my new gig and rental.

I have a 2008 Kona Dew with fenders and 32mm tires. Without fenders, I could run 38s easily, maybe something larger.

Been reading about studded tires on Peter White Cycles for a couple of years, and now I'm weighing the options. Some indications this is going to be a rough winter.

I'm torn between a couple of choices.

Putting "mild" studded tires on my Kona, like Nokian A10 32mm, and keep the fenders on
Getting a Craigslist or Pawn Shop MTB and putting aggressive studded tires on it as a snow bike
Getting a Craigslist or Pawn Shop MTB and putting aggressive winter tires on it as a snow bike

We don't get nearly the snow in Washington that they get in New Hampshire, but it does hit now and again.

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp

Studded tires don't help on snow any more than knobbies do - they're for ice. The canonical website on winter biking is probably IceBike.

It really depends on how far you want to go - a wide MTB tire at low pressure is nice in the snow. The aggressive studded tires are designed for riding in snow, not mostly cleared roads with possible bits of ice. If you're riding on plowed roads, a beater bike (since road salt does wonders for ruining your drivetrain) with some mild studded tires designed for commuters (e.g. Schwalbe Marathon Winter) are a good way to go (though many people get by without studs for winter as well - they're additional safety when you hit ice; I've done several mid-west winters without studded tires). If you're not going on plowed roads, get something aggressive (but note that if the roads are clear, you'll wear down the studs excessively and have excess resistance).

As for keeping the fenders on, you might not want to do that since they help pack and accumulate snow. I like to use a downtube board and a clip on tail fender (SKS X-board and X-tra dry) since they don't make snow accumulate.


Hub sticking - friction Bike I got used and happy with the price for frame alone but I don't know the history.

Kris King hub with significant drag.
With cassette off and just a rim if spin it hard I get 5 revolutions.
I have a backup wheel and if I spin it hard I get 50 revolutions.
I can feel a lot friction in the hub.

What should I do?

It is laced up to some nice Velocity rims.

Probably you need to service that hub - or get it serviced by your LBS.  That much drag means that either it's full of dirt, or the grease has completely dried up or water contaminated, or the bearings have collapsed.

None of those are likely to be fatal, but you would be well advised to open that hub up and clean it out, check the bearings, and re-grease it.  Or have your shop do it for you.


Kenda cyclo cross 27 x 1 3/8 fit on 27 x 1 1/4 rim? Will the kenda K161 cyclocross tires (27x1 3/8s) fit on a 27x1 1/4 rim?

I havent been successful at finding this question on here or on google, apologies if it has been asked a million times.

Thanks!

You can confirm tyre fit using the ETRTO spec, which should be specified on the sidewalls of your Kendas and the tyres that were previously fitted.

the format is

ww-ddd

where ww is the nominal tyre width (often measured at the widest point when fitted to the manufacturer's test rim, rather than at the tread) in millimetres, and ddd is the bead diameter in .

I would expect a 27 x 1 1/4" tyre to be specified 28-630.

According to Sheldon, there is no other standard bead diameter using 27" as its nominal measurement, so any "27" tyre is likely to have a 630mm bead. 1 3/8" is equivalent to 35mm.

I have not previously encountered any cyclists using 27" wheels for cyclocross. I assumed "700c"/622mm to be panacea for all but the shortest of CX competitors.


Getting the right seat post I'm currently rebuilding an old steel frame. After measuring it I was sure it'd take a 27.2mm seat post (see picture) so that's what i bought. Sadly it doesn't fit (despite some "encouragement" with a mallet). So I'm now in the position of needing to buy another.

Anyone got any suggestions on what size I should go for. You can see from the picture how it's measuring and I don't want to go wrong again.....

Usually at the "Cut out" in the top of the seat tube, they measure a little bigger than the actual size of the post. I'd say your best bet is to try several sizes at your Local Bike Shop, there even used to be a tool to measure it, but it's rather hard to find these days.  If I had to guess, it's probably a 27.0 or 26.8 just judging by your measurement.


how do i clean rust flecks off an alloy wheel I have just bought a second-hand mountain bike and the rear wheel is made of alloy and has small rust flecks/spots on it. Any advice on how to clean? I cleaned the rust off the forks with a small wire brush (used for cleaning spark plugs on my car) and an anti-oxidant. Would this work on the wheels? I am worried about scratching the alloy.

If it's truly an alloy rim, it isn't rust. Use a metal polish, like you find at the auto parts store for polishing alloy wheels.

It will clean of and smooth out any surface issues without removing to much material.

It takes elbow grease, or you can use a Dremel with a jewelry polishing wheel on it to do it faster.


What is this ... electrical bike's setup? Is there a particular brand or model name for this? how to replace its battery? Just bought it from someone, interested to get it fixed. he said it just needs to replace battery, I doubt it (after numerous experience with asking the sellers "what is wrong with the bike" and ends up there is always more things  are wrong). So I wonder, if this is actually a working electric bike at all... and where ahd how exactly I replace its battery? I do not see one lol Did google some video but none like this.

It looks to be an older Currie Electro Drive, they were originally made in 1996 i believe. I don't know much to anything else about them though other than that is one and they exist.

Here is the companies website which offers support options. I would look for a serieal number and call them with questions about battery replacement.

http://www.currietech.com/about.html

Also, i found this random page that sells parts, you may be able to source a battery and spare parts from them as well.

https://electricscooterparts.com/currieelectrodriveelectricbicyclekitparts.html

This looks to be quite similar as far as the motor mount and rack go.

From what i can tell they make a very large battery pack that slides down the side of that rack and connects to those two metal terminals above the bicycles axle (the blue block). You can see them if you follow the second link i listed.


Chain skipping under increased pedal torque I read the related post, but my situation is a bit different.  Additional background - I installed new 105 shifters and derailleurs two years ago (~5000 miles) along with chain and cassette.  I also had a 53T chain ring put on in 2013.  All was good.  Had slight hang-up with slack shifting (to higher gears) on rear cogs this spring, so I replaced the cable and sheaths to the rear derailleur.  All was good again.  The bearings in my freewheel started making noise last week.  Which brings me to the present.

I just replaced the rear wheel, cassette and chain on my 30-speed road bike.  The derailleurs shift perfectly and the chain travel when pedalling is smooth and quiet.  However when I stand up or dig in on a hill the chain will skip on the cassette.  It happens on all THREE chain rings in the front and the spectrum of cogs on the cassette.  I thought sure it was a stiff link in the chain, but could not find an issue with it when manually flexing each link.  I tweaked the rear derailleur to the point of shifting cogs in both directions and still have the issue.  Any suggestions?

Since you replaced the cassette and chain already, it could be your (front) chainrings that the chain is skipping on.

Check if the teeth are significantly worn (shark tooth shaped) and if the chain rides up the teeth under torque. If thats, the case, then your chainrings may need replacing.


I generally commute along four-lane 30 mph [50 km/h] main streets. Is this wise? crasic's view

Elsewhere, crasic writes:

  The Most Direct Route is Not Always the Best

  ... Your driving commute route is usually a horrible bicycling commute route. I purposefully avoid big roads as much as possible and take small residential streets or dedicated bike paths when available. An extra mile on a bike path can actually save you time over a shorter busy commute route — not to mention the savings to your health, safety, and the increase in your general enjoyment. If my commute reminds me of my Sunday ride, then I know I have a good route.

  You are a bicyclist. There is no reason to endanger your life on the 50mph [80 km/h] express-way when the 25mph [40 km/h] residential street can get you there just as quickly. In California, residential streets are often extremely wide (Parked car + Bike Lane + 1.5Width lanes both ways) compared to dedicated expressways — and can be orders of magnitude more safe and comfortable to ride. The pavement is often newer and less broken.

  If you are new to the area, spend a weekend or two just exploring local residential streets. Hop on over to Google Maps and find the a way to use small streets to get to where you need to go. (Often this involves riding through the residential maze and with at least 5 or 6 street changes.) Practice your route at least once and carry a printout of the route with you at least the first few times.

  [...] During busy commutes, drivers are often distracted in many different ways (putting on makeup, drinking coffee, worrying about being late, etc.) and can be unaware of bicyclists. Nothing will ruin your day more than an accident on the way to work.

John Forester's view

But, if I remember correctly, John Forester writes in Effective Cycling that four-lane main streets (with traffic lights) are better for commuting than little two-lane residential streets (with four-way stop signs at every block). The main streets are straighter and flatter. He adds that, if you take the lane, drivers will notice you and give you space. (Personally, I do generally take the lane.)

My usual practice

[Edit: I'm in Toronto, Canada.]

I'm seriously annoyed by having to brake heavily at every single four-way stop sign (especially when descending). Also, the residential street grid doesn't always pass underneath expressways or major railway lines. So I tend to end up doing most of my commuting along busy 30 mph [50 km/h] main streets, rather than quiet residential streets.

I don't usually commute during rush hour. The car drivers seem to calmly accept it when I take the lane; and I accept the drivers' right to use the road too.

My question

Is it wise for me to stick to main streets for the majority of my ride, even though there are quiet residential streets just a block away?

You need to exercise judgment based on your circumstances.

I generally agree with the advice to ride on arterial roads rather than side streets. But in my own town, there are some arterials I'll gladly ride on, and some I won't go near. There are many side streets that would be slow, with constant stopping, and a couple that are practically bike highways.

So: is it "wise" to ride on main streets? That depends on whether you're trying to get somewhere quickly or want to take it easy. On how fast and aggressive traffic is on the road. On how wide the lanes are.

If you're asking whether it's "safe," that's another question. Bike riders tend to be overwhelmingly concerned about "overtaking collisions," where the car runs over you as it passes you. These are obviously scary. They make up a low proportion of all bike v car collisions, although they do make up the plurality of all bike v car fatalities (although less than 2% of bike v car collisions result in a rider fatality). Most bike v car collisions occur at intersections. If an arterial has fewer intersections along the way, and those intersections are better controlled, it seems that the arterial should be a safer place to ride.


Wheel building for n360 + disc brakes on H Plus Son 700c, 36h I'm working on building a couple of wheels for a road/commuter bike. This is my first wheel building endeavor. I have:

2 H Plus Son 700c, 36 hole wheels
A Nuvinci n360, 2012 model
A set of TRP Hylex Hydraulic Disc Brakes

I need:

A front disc hub
Spokes
Spoke nipples

Here are my questions:

What length of spokes will I need? Is there a spoke length calculator out there that actually works?
Any tips for me at I go through my first wheel build?

Thanks!

I like the spoke length calculator, Edd. It has a database of hubs and rims which makes it quite straight forward to use. There are others, a search on "spoke length calculator" will find you lots to choose from.

As far as wheel building advice goes, I highly, highly recommend Jobst Brandt's book The Bicycle Wheel. I used it to build my first wheel many years ago. The method is clear and easy to follow and there is a wealth of information on wheels and how they work.

You may also find this answer on wheel building and this answer on spoke length calculation helpful.


Should I buy a PVC or aluminum roller? I'm currently trying to choose between the CycleOps PVC roller and the CycleOps Aluminum roller. How big of a difference is there between them? I don't really care about riding the roller outdoors, so that difference is moot for me.

How big of a difference is there
  between them?

The difference is this big...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobmarley753/249120602/

Seriously though, after some research and asking friends, many who have aluminum rollers prefer them over PVC rollers

The unasked question:

  Which one would you buy?

Neither!

Some of my friends have rollers that are cylindrical like the two you have linked to. When asked about their rollers, their biggest complaint is how often they end up riding off the side of their rollers. One even has gotten in trouble with his wife after riding off the edge of his rollers leaving burn marks on the floor. oops! With cylindrical rollers, more concentration is needed to stay on, which can be a good thing if that is something you are looking to improve in your form and concentration.

If I were to buy another set of rollers, I would most definitely purchase another set of parabolic rollers.

I love my parabolic rollers! They were really easy to learn on and I have yet to ride off the edge of them. Not having to worry as much about riding off the edge is really big for me as it allows me to ride longer, feel more comfortable shifting my hands to shift and readjust, and allows me to watch an occasional movie or two while riding. : ) If you are looking at getting a set of rollers, I would highly suggest adding parabolic rollers to your consideration list.

Google search for parabolic rollers to get you rolling ...chuckle

My thoughts about having ridden on plastic rollers:

Never had my rollers statically shock me.
Haven't seen any major wear on the rollers that makes me worried that they won't last for years on end.
Love how quite the rollers are especially compared to my CycleOps Fluid 2 Bike Trainer.
Never needed to use them outside.
Has been a very smooth ride for me and much smoother than my fluid trainer.
Resistance? I love that my rollers have a variable resistance module so I can change the resistance depending on what kind of workout I am going for.


Any knowledge on LaFree Electric Bicycle? I have this LaFree Electric Bike, all I really know about it is that it was made by Giant.

I am an Electrical Engineering student and I am looking at bringing new life into it, would it be worth updating to more modern standards? Any information on this bike is greatly appreciated!

This is a Giant Lafree e-trans e-bike.  They were made in three versions from 1999 on and yours is the Sport model.

It has two SLA  batteries totalling 24 volts in the case.  The roadster version I knew had the charger integrated in the bike so your's probably has too.


Why does my bike left gear shift have more than 3 combinations? I just bought a new bicycle and I just read and watched some videos of how mountain bike gears work.

I noticed that the bike is a triple but the left gear shifter has more combinations than 3 (like the ones I saw in the videos). If I am not mistaken, there are the same amount of combinations as there are on the right gear shifter (something like 8).

Can someone explain how this works?

Thanks.

Sounds like a friction front gripshifter with a "Micro-Adjust" shifter.  As mentioned in the comments, that will let you "trim" the shifting a bit.  As you change gears in the rear gears, the chain moves a little side to side, and may rub the front derailleur.  That shifter lets you move the front derailleur cage a little bit to alleviate that chain rub.


Chain crunching after degrease and lubrication I did the usual degrease and lubrication on my mountain bike today but when I tried to ride the bike later on I heard pretty bad crunching sounds.

The sound is definitely coming from somewhere around the drivetrain and becomes more prominent with a more forceful pedal. I can only reproduce the sound when shifting to the middle cog using the front derailleur. The sound is not made on the small cog on the front but is still made slightly on the largest cog using the front derailleur. The sound is worse when shifting to the smaller cogs using the rear derailleur.

The bike is also now struggling to shift to the highest cog using the front derailleur from the middle, it looks like the front derailleur may be misaligned somehow during the process, this was not the case before I cleaned the bike, does this sound like a possibility?

I also opted for a more thorough clean of my drivetrain this time round and removed my entire back wheel, could putting the back wheel on incorrectly have caused this problem? Alternatively, could this also be a sign of chain wear?

I have only clocked around 200km on the bike so far. The bike is a Calibre Two-Two with Shimano derailleurs and gears.

If any additional details or photos are needed, please ask and I will provide them.

If the sound started suddenly after you cleaned the drivetrain very likely something got misadjusted or knocked out of alignment. Any issues with chain wear would show up gradually, also 200k is nowhere near enough mileage to put significant wear on the drivetrain.

Issues with changing chainrings indicates the front derailleur got knocked out of alignment. That's easy to do accidentally. It's likely you are getting some bad chain-rub on the front derailleur cage If you can hold the bike of the ground, on a work-stand for instance, manually turn the cranks and work the shifters you should be able to figure out if the sound is coming from the front or rear derailleur area.

If you have a through axle rear hub you can't misalign the wheel in the frame. If you have a quick release hub it's definitely possible to not get it in the dropouts properly, so check that. Stand the bike up vertically, loosen the quick release, make sure the axle is seated in both dropouts and tighten the release again.

I'd run through a complete front derailleur adjustment process to get rid of the chain-rub and make sure the adjustment is correct. Park Tool has a great page with videos that includes triple chainring derailleur adjustment. Thay have a rear derailleur page as well if you feel the rear derailleur needs a tune up also.


Nutrition during long rides while reducing fat I am reducing fat for a month doing gym and spinning, and now I'd want to add cycling to it. On spinning days I've been eating like in non-training days, about 2100kcal. But it lasted 1,5h max, what about long 5h cycling session days? How much should I increase my calories intake? What should I eat?

Well to start with, you don't just leap from 1.5hr spin sessions to 5 hour rides - unless you have a long history of cycling this would most likely not end well.

However, to answer the nutrition question:

While you are riding, there is a limit to how many calories you can absorb.  Most sources will quote 60-75g of carbohydrate per hour (240-300kcal per hour).  You will want to choose an energy source that is mostly carbohydrate, although a small amount of protein can protect muscle mass and improve recovery.

Over a 5 hour ride this will add up to in the region of 1200-1500 extra calories, which may seem a lot, but will still be less than you are burning.

As you become more experienced with this type of ride, your body will adapt to use fat as its primary fuel source and you will find you are able to gradually reduce your energy intake should you wish to do so.


Why is it important to keep equal number of turns when building a wheel? My first wheelset build here. I am following Sheldon and this guy. They both stress very much to tighten the nipples to an equal length, for example just as the spoke threads stop showing, and the even more carefully, do equal number of turns on each nipple, in small increments.

Building the front wheel I followed this advice and the result was several very tight spokes and a wheel out of true. My next step was basically to make the tension on all spokes equal, and then true the wheel.

The wheel is true now and looks ready for use (dishing error, vertical and horizontal mis-alignment are small).

So why equal number of turns, if in the end equal tension is the desired result? Or did I do something wrong?

On another note, the rim freshly-purchased, should be true (looks true, and carrying the two rims next to each other, there were no gaps between them, meaning at least sideways being true). So it makes sense to tighten the spokes with equal tension, to avoid twisting the rim, right?

PS: I triple checked that the nipples are well seated into the eyelets and that the lacing pattern is equal everywhere and the same as on an another wheel.

Then you did not follow the advice if you had several very tight spokes.

  The important thing at this stage is to get all 36 spokes to be as
  close as possible to the same setting, all pretty loose.

The idea is a starting point with equal lengths.  And all pretty loose.

On your wheel threads out of site was probably too much of a starting point.
Once the treads go out of site the only reference you have to one relative to the other is to count turns.


Creaking pressfit bottom bracket From the questions here and a lot of opinions elsewhere, it seems that press fit bottom brackets are bound to be creaking, almost by design, due to low tolerances and how they're installed.
It seems that many manufacturers insist on using them as they are lighter.

I am shopping for my first road bike, most of my top choices have press fit bottom brackets.
How much of a priority should this be in my choosing of a bicycle?
I am planning to buy good frame with decent components and average wheels. I will most likely upgrade the wheels and perhaps the components, but I plan to keep the frame for a long time, so this seems like a long term decision.

Many manufacturers tend to use them secondarily for stiffness and performance reasons and primarily because if you don't have it, it's probably harder to sell that bike these days.

It's not a terrible issue (bikes make noises anyway), and can be fixed/tamed down in a decent number of cases by re-installation.

That being said, you can still find good bicycles that do not use press-fit bottom brackets, if you so choose; most bikes I think of as first road bikes would not be press fit at this point.


7-speed cassette on an 11-speed freehub Is it possible to use an SRAM cassette PG 730 7-speed cassette with a Mavic FTS-X freehub? According to the spec, no spacer is required for an 11-speed cassette and for 9/10 speed version a spacer is required. I'm a bit confused since the manual is kind of vague.

Some good guidelines are here, courtesy of Sheldon Brown.

Assuming you have the right freehub body for Shimano/SRAM-style cassettes on the FTS-X, you just (probably) need a 4.5mm spacer behind the cassette.


26" vs 28" wheels for touring I was told by a friend that 26" wheels are better than 28" wheels for touring. Is this true? What are the pro's and con's?

I'm told that 26" wheels are stronger for their spoke count. What are the practical implications of this?
Are there other reliability concerns? and how much of a concern/win are they?
Does one size have an advantage in terms of ease of carrying a heavy load?
Does one have an advantage in terms of the sorts of terrain it can traverse?

Some context: We're going on a 800km trip in southern Germany and I'm looking to acquire a decent bike for this trip, and hopefully many other such trips (potentially more adventurous ones too). I basically just want to pick up a good base bike that I slowly build on and figure that I should invest in a frame that supports the right size of tires from the start.

I'd say that for loaded touring the place to start is tires, not wheel size. You need a bike that can accommodate larger tires. 32mm at a minimum and 40+ if you plan to travel on dirt roads or take on very heavy loads.

It's generally easier to find a 26" wheeled bike that can take larger tires, but if you find a 28" bike that can accommodate larger tires that will work fine as well.

In theory if you build a 26" wheel and a 28" wheel with the same rim and spoke type/count, the 26" wheel will be stronger. But there are plenty of people touring with 28" wheels.

The most important thing is to get a frame that fits you and has a comfortable geometry. If you're less than 170cm or so in height, 26" wheels might make more sense on a bike that small.

Look at bikes that are built for touring and see what their specs are in terms of geometry and wheel size. Wheel size is the last thing you should be worrying about. Look at the specs for this bike

http://surlybikes.com/bikes/long_haul_trucker

In the smaller sizes it comes with 26" wheels and 28" wheels in the larger sizes.