Change chainring on Canyon Inflite CF SL7 Currently bike has a 40T SRAM quarq crankset (direct mount)

Is it possible if I install a different brand's crank, since I need to install 48T chainring which I'm not able to find.

It looks like your bike has a Quarq Prime alloy crank. The picture below is a shot of the crankset from behind the drive-side arm, where the spider attaches to it.

This appears to be a crank that takes a separate spider, which mounts to a splined interface by the crank arm. The pic above is a shot of the reverse side of the drive-side Prime crank arm. The question is, does that spider have a standard bolt circle diameter, e.g. 110mm?

If you currently have a standard 110mm spider, then you can actually buy the chainring you linked in your comments, mount it on the crank ... and then lengthen your chain, which will probably require you to get a new chain. (Presumably, your bike didn't come with the excess chain length.)

You can certainly install a different brand of crankset if you want, but you will likely need a different bottom bracket. I think yours takes a PF 86 BB, and you will need to get a BB that accepts the type of axle you intend to use (e.g. 30mm axle used by Rotor, Easton, many others, SRAM DUB 29mm axle, Shimano-style 24mm axle, etc). I don't really see the point if all you want to do is get a 48t chainring on there.

It may be worth mentioning that going to a 48t chainring will get you very high gearing. I think it will be unsuitable for cyclocross or gravel riding. I'm pretty sure this will give you the gearing of a 1x road bike. I think that Aqua Blue, which was a professional road team running 1x gearing, may have maintained a unique chain for each front chainring they used on the road; if you are thinking of swapping back and forth between CX and road gearing, this might be worth pursuing.

Last, some terminology. I think I've mostly heard "direct mount" in the context of chainrings that are made in one piece with the spider, and that mount directly to a splined interface on the crank axle. For example, with Easton or Rotor cranks, you usually would buy the arms. With the Easton, you then get a direct mount 1x chainring, or direct mount 2x rings, and the same with Rotor. Again, those are made such that the chainring is integrated with the spider.

Direct mount would not be my first choice of vocabulary to describe your crankset, or a crankset in general. I think it applies mainly to the chainring + spider combination. You have a detachable spider mounted to this crank. Confusingly, it seems like the Easton can also take a detachable spider, and then you can bolt individual rings to that spider. The TA Carmina crankset only takes a detachable spider (and you can select a 110mm or 130mm BCD spider). You can detach the spider from your Quarq crank and mount a Quarq power meter spider to it, or you can take an Easton or Rotor crank and equip them with a Power2max unit (or, in Rotor's case, one of their own units).

Anyway, contrast direct mount chainring/spiders with the usual practice (seen in Campagnolo and Shimano cranks) of making the crankarms and spider in one unit, then bolting the chainrings to the spider.


135mm rear end, 130mm rear wheel, Titanium frame I'm looking at a Ti frame with a 135mm rear end, disc brake.  And I have invested in wheels for my commuter, which is disc brake... but a 130 mm spacing.

Is 5 mm enough of a concern -- impact to the frame, the disc brake setup -- that I should look for a frame with a 132.5 mm spacing if I want to be able to use wheels off my commuter?

You could add two 2.5mm spacers on each side, or even on the same side (or one 5mm spacer).

If you add to one side, you could even correct some perceived/subjective asymmetry, be it with chainline or with wheel dishing.

It's not impossible, if you use the wheel without spacers, that the dropouts get marked by the axle nuts, due to the slight twisting that will probably appear. Anyway, as others pointed, most probably that would not seriously damage anything else.

(More "anyway" yet, I would try the spacers first ;oP )


Will a pedelec spoil cycling for me? During the last few years I moved farther and farther away from work. I used to commute by bike a lot when I lived nearer to my workplace, but now it would by about 40km one way.

I am thinking about getting a pedelec for the commute, which would allow me to cycle to work at least sometimes, reducing the time to manageable levels, and maybe leting me arrive fresh(er) for work.

However, I'm afraid that getting used to an electric bike will take the fun out of riding my regular bike, and make it seem too strenuous.

Is anyone here riding both a regular bike and a pedelec? Has this been an issue?

My regular bike is a recumbent. Since recumbent pedelecs are rather rare (I don't want a trike), I would probaly take a "upright" pedelec.

I can only say "probably not" as while I've borrowed an e-bike a few times for rides similar to my current commute, it doesn't really suit me and doesn't come close to spoiling my normal riding. Commuting is quite different to riding for fun and most pedelecs are quite heavy and handle very differently.  You may even find that your regular bike feels more nimble (though I'm basing this on uprights not recumbents).  If you're in Europe (or at least most of it) the motor is required by law to cut out above 25km/h -- which isn't very fast.  Similar rules apply in some other countries. Given stopping and starting you'd be unlikely to make your 40km in under 2 hours, which you could probably do on the recumbent under the same conditions.

A few things to watch out for:

The range isn't always as good as stated even with a new bike.  Do you have plenty of reserve  between charges?
Make sure you get a good test ride, not just 5 minutes in a car park. Many aren't optimised for long periods in the saddle and use unusual components making geometry changes harder.
Decent electric bikes are expensive.  If you spend as much as for a reasonable hybrid (call it £1000/€1000/$1000 within rounding error) you'll end up with something very heavy, with cheap components.
Most bike shops will struggle to get e-bike specific parts; I've had to hunt down spokes and motor cut-off switches myself.

You might also look into electric front wheel kits (for your existing bike).  They're certainly available for 26" and 700C wheels; maybe your recumbent has smaller wheels which might require a custom solution.  You would then have a choice of battery pack sizes as well.  If you really like the recumbent then this might prove worthwhile.


Picking spare inner tube size My daily rider is a Schwinn MTB with 26" wheels/tires. Specifically the tire size is 26x47/52. On the inner tube there's a label that reads 26 x 1.90-2.125.

I'd like to purchase a few spare tubes in order to avoid getting stranded. Question: are 26 x 1.90-2.125 and 26 x 1.95-2.125 inner tubes interchangeable?

In case of inner tube, difference between 1.90 and 1.95 is totally negligible. The tubes will be completely interchangeable.

Rather than carrying a few spare tubes on your bike at all times, experienced riders most often carry only one spare tube + patch kit. It takes less space and weighs less than multiple spare tubes. It's rare to catch more than 1 flat on a single ride, and if you do, patching a tube takes only a few minutes.


Is it Shimaro or Shimanno? A friend told me the best bike parts are shimaro/shimanno?
I saw both companies online! Which one is faking other ones name?!!

The name of the company you're looking for is Shimano (with one n, not two)


What are the advantages of bikepacking bags? It seems that bikepacking bags are all the rage these days (frame bags, handlebar rolls, big saddle packs).

To me it seems that they are prone to moving around and getting in the way, and it also seems that they make the centre of gravity very high. I can understand it if using a bike without rack mounts, but otherwise - what is the advantage of using these things over a traditional rack and panniers?

They usually keep the bike narrow, suitable for trail riding where branches might snag panniers.

They use soft attachments (usually), so extreme vibration doesn't make undue noise or wear things out.  There are people with damaged racks simply from plastic pannier clips bumping along on them for months on end.

Cheap "bikepacking" (with scare quotes) bags are cheaper than cheap panniers plus cheap racks.

Bikepacking bags also help packrats reduce their load, simply by being more constrained than large panniers.

They're also suitable for rental bikes, when you're away from home.


Derailer/hanger for Cannondale Jekyll As I've mentioned before, I volunteer with a group called "Pedal it Forward" (under the auspices of the local Kiwanis club) to rehab donated bikes.  Most (discounting those that are already scrap when they come in) are given (after rehab) to "Christmas Anonymous" and other charitable causes, but when we get a really nice one we sometimes sell it to help pay for operating expenses.

We currently have a really clean, nice looking Cannondale Jekyll 26" full-suspension bike with aluminum frame.  The only problem with it is that it's completely missing it's rear derailer and hanger.  Apparently the parts were damaged, the owner took them off, and, couple of years later, donated the bike to get it out of his garage.

So, where would I find a derailer (and, more importantly, a hanger) to fit this bike?

I would guess the bike is about 5 years old.  "CAAD4" is printed on the side.  It has 2 speeds front, 9 speeds rear.  Disk brakes.  The front mech is Shimano Deore XT.

Serial number:

556284LK02351
IDMNJN    LG

Pictures:

So any idea where to find an appropriate hanger and derailer (or at least a clue as to what is "appropriate")?

http://wheelsmfg.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/299x299/06866988214b6a9b717ef7211319fd38/d/r/dropout-16.300px.jpg
I think it may be this one (Wheels Manufacturing #16). Is there a broken bolt in the hole just above the rear axle? You will need to find a way to get that out to be able to mount the hanger properly.

For a derailleur, it would be nice to match it with the front, so look for a 9-speed Shimano XT. Try to avoid low-normal (Shimano calls it rapid-rise) derailleurs. Any Shimano 9-speed mountain bike derailleur will work (Deore, LX, XT, XTR). I wouldn't go below the Deore level to keep similar quality level for all components.


Left outside for over a year, what to do to get it ride-worthy? I've got a cheapy cruiser (6 speed?) from Walmart that's been sitting on a bike rack in Minnesota for well over a year. There's rust all over the place and the most maintenance I've ever done on a bike was replacing a tube on my middle-school bike's tire.

I want to try and get it fixed up and safe for my girlfriend to ride (frame's too big for me) and have zero idea where to start, so any advice helps.

A little tricky.  It is hard to guess how bad the bike is -- I've seen some left out that long (in Minnesota) with only a scattering of cosmetic rust, others that were pretty well trashed.

First thing to do is to clean it off.  Get a nylon scrub brush or a non-abrasive "scrubbie" and a bucket of soapy water and work it over pretty well.  Rinse well with a hose, but DO NOT SPRAY HIGH-PRESSURE WATER AT THE HUBS OR OTHER BEARINGS!

Next, get an old toothbrush and some WD-40 (yes, people will scream that's a no-no, but ignore them) and clean the chain and derailers (if it has derailers).  Take care to keep the solvent off the tires when you do this.  (I like to lay a section of newspaper against the wheel, tucked behind the derailer.)  Then oil the chain and derailers well, wipe with a cloth and oil again.  And wipe again.  (It's best to use some chain oil from a bike shop, but regular 3-in-1 or some such will do for starters.)

Now check the bearings.  Spin the wheels and see if they seem to spin freely and smoothly.  Turn the crank with your hand and feel for any roughness as it turns.  Sit astride the bike and turn the handlebars, feeling for any roughness in the "headset" that the fork pivots on.

If the bearings seem to check out, give it a test ride.  (If not they will need to be disassembled and rebuilt.)  Check the brakes, and shifters, if it's a multi-speed.  To test the brakes, one should do several stops at various speeds and in various conditions, including a few panic stops.

Here you're very likely to discover that the shift and brake cables have rusted up -- the most likely problem.  There are a few ways to deal with this, the most obvious being simply replacing the problematic cables.  Short of that you can try to work the cables free, then work some sort of lubricant into them.  A trick I like to use is to somehow dribble "oxalic acid" (available from paint stores as a cleaner) into the cables.  This actually dissolves rust.  (Oxalic acid is also useful for removing cosmetic rust on handlebars, et al.)

After this, you could consider repacking the bearings, but that depends on how much you really like this girlfriend. ;)


How to identify/find replacement bolt for STI I have an old road bike with Ultegra ST-6501 STI levers.  In the photo below you can see that the right lever has lost the rear bolt that holds the "outer" (shift up) portion of the lever in place when the "inner" (shift down) portion of the lever is thrown.

The absence of the bolt makes it difficult to shift down - the outer portion of the lever has to be held in place while throwing the inner portion of the lever.

The bolt must have fallen out in the middle of a ride.  I've tried to find a replacement bolt, but haven't been able to even identify the name of the bolt or a reliable way to describe what it is.  The documentation for the ST-6501 levers doesn't seem to mention it:

https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/si/SI-6C80D-001-ENG.pdf

I could use help identifying and/or finding a replacement bolt to get this lever working again.

You should be able to source a replacement many online industrial parts suppliers. You may not get an exact replacement, but you should be able to get a bolt that works.

Presumably there is a identical bolt on the other shifter. You can use that to find the diameter and length you need. It will be a metric size. I believe that small metric bolts only come in 'standard' pitch. You'll want to get a bolt in stainless steel for corrosion resistance.

In the US McMaster Carr is a well known parts supplier. https://www.mcmaster.com/stainless-steel-bolts


What is different about cycling in London? Prologue

I cycle in Toronto, Canada: which has wide straight roads, bike lanes, bike paths, no traffic on residential roads etc.

My brother lives near Brixton: he doesn't cycle himself, and says that it would be too dangerous ... that people do cycle, but are killed too often, squeezed against a railing by a lorry for example.

I asked him if he'd tried "Boris bikes" and he said that those don't exist in Brixton.

I have driven cars in London, but not cycled. I commute in Toronto so I'm used to "vehicular cycling".

I'd expect to use something like a $800 'hybrid' bike, with straight-out handlebars and touring tires and great brakes.

Question

What should I know about cycling in London?

Details

For example, answers to any of the following might be useful:

What's your strategy for getting from A to B: how do you navigate? Is there a list of suggested cycle routes? Is there a 'hidden London', e.g. cycle paths along canals or railways, which motorists or even pedestrians wouldn't know about?
How far can you go in a hour of cycling, starting e.g. from Brixton: what's the average km/hour in traffic?
Assuming you behave on a bicycle as if you were a small moped, i.e. if you "own" the lane you're in etc., is that safe enough?
Are there specific dangers (intersections, lane changes, traffic and others drivers, other obstacles) which a cyclist who is new to London ought to beware?
Is everywhere in London safe to cycle, or should you avoid certain areas of town or certain types of road?
What about not getting your bike stolen? Is a "New York" U-lock on the frame combined with pin-head locks on the wheels enough?

The roads in London aren't particularly special, they can be quite busy, they are often quite full of motorised traffic, cyclists don't always have the best reputation for adhering to all laws (e.g. one-way streets and red lights) and, as a consequence, many other road users don't always go out of their way to be overly friendly or forgiving, but it's a great place to get around by bike and, especially to an experienced rider, there's nothing particular to worry about: keep your eyes open, your ears alert and your wits about you, obey the old adage "assume they're all out to get you" and you'll be ok!

London's a big city, the road network is comprehensive, and within most of inner London, e.g. within 4-5 miles of the City or Westminster, very few roads would be considered as totally unsuitable for bikes. Look out for the 'cycle superhighways' - while they aren't wonderfully designed, they attract a good amount of cycle traffic, which means you'll generally find more cyclists on those routes - definite strength in numbers.

There is an increasing, if not a single bike culture, then certainly an expectation of a wide range of cyclists at all hours of the day or night: couriers, commuters, road warriors, boris bikes, fixies, lycra louts and so on.

If you're used to practicing 'vehicular' cycling, you'll fit in reasonably well - there is plenty of that around. Even if you obey every traffic signal there's no reason why you can't average well over 17 or 18 mph if you're capable of such speed ... (My commute is just over 10 miles into the centre and I'm almost always able to do it in less than 40 minutes.)

In terms of route planning: you could use http://tfl.gov.uk - they have a planner with cycling as an option. Generally though, take a look at a map, draw a line from A to B and just go. There are some canal paths and genuine bike only routes, but on the whole, what cycle routes there are are along quieter roads, which can be safer, but a lot more circuitous.

There are quite a few good London blogs (e.g. http://cyclelondoncity.blogspot.com/, http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/, http://ibikelondon.blogspot.com/, http://velo-city-girl.blogspot.com/ amongst many others) which will help to give you a more local flavour.


the standover height on my bike is a but tall. I can touch the ground, but I touch the top tube as well. Any ideas? My dad recently bought me a new bike. I am 158 cm tall, and the bike is 53 size frame. I can comfortably ride it (without cleat pedals), but when I stop/finish my ride and try to get off the bike it is a bit of a hassle, as it is a kind of big for me. I can touch the ground when standing over the bike, but I don't know how it is going to be with cleats. When I stand over the bike, I touch the top tube. :/ Any ideas or tips?

The bike is too big for you
At 158cm (5'2" for our American viewers), you really should be on a 50cm frame size (or 49 - 51cm depending on brand). That being said, you don't necessarily have to move to a smaller size. You say you can comfortably ride the bike at it's current size, but getting off is challenging. It might help to review your dismount technique. The proper (and easy) way to get off a bike follows these steps:

slow down almost to a stop
take one foot off the pedal
stop and place that foot on the ground
shift your weight onto that foot
swing your other leg backwards and over the saddle
put both feet on the ground.

You now should be standing next to your bike holding the handlebars.
If this solves your problem dismounting, and you continue to ride without discomfort, then you're fine on the bike. If not, you may want to consider getting a bike that fits you a bit better.


Do you need brakes on a trainer / on rollers? I'm building a bike from scratch and old parts for home-trainer and roller use only. Do I need brakes or can I cheap out?

No. For fixed trainer, it should be obvious.

For rollers, rolling resistance is higher on rollers than on flat surface. Wheels don't also have much momentum, so you can slow down by freewheeling for a few seconds. The only use for brakes is preparing to dropping off the rollers: rotating tires leave a nasty skid mark on the floor but brakes stop the wheel immediately.


Can't remove fork from head tube! I want to clean my headset/head tube. I removed the top cap, the stem, the (only) spacer, and a conical thingie from the steerer.
Still, the fork (a RockShox Recon SL circa 2009) won't come out!
Suggestions?

The grey part is a wedge and has a split in it. You could use a metal pick to pry it out at the split. If you deform it in your attempt, file or sand off any burrs before you reuse it.
If you hit the top of the fork too hard it's possible to knock it out of round, even with a rubber mallet.
The problem you have encountered is quite common and can be frustrating for the mechanic when there is also corrosion on the steerer tube.


Strong tires for Trek Verve 3 I recently got a bargain on a Trek Verve 3 bike. From what I read, it should support my weight (6 feet tall, 290lbs and going down) if I get wider tires with strong sidewalls. Currently I have an AT 750 Rim with 700 x 32C tires and wonder what kind of tire I should get to ensure I will not get those flats on the road.

I will be using this bike for commuting on pavement only. No harsh riding or anything.

This bike also has the front suspension fork which I was told I could lock in to avoid it from going up and down all the time.

Any thoughts on the tires or advice at all? Thank you!

There are many tire options available.

The Schwalbe Marathon Plus in. 700x35c, or the Specialized Armadillo tires in the same size will work for you needs.

The bike has other issues, though, including the mentioned missing brake.

It also appears to be small for someone 6 foot tall.

I would recommend having a good mechanic thoroughly check it over before riding it.


brief pain and swelling in hips during intense movement Description:
A brief painful, hot sensation, and swelling in hips. I can refer this as "overheat" as it will disappear if I rest my leg for few seconds, or very slow pedaling. When it disappear, it means gone, entirely, no pain at all. I can tell my hips are swelling as my pants feels tighter.

When:
During intense movement such as fast or heavy pedaling. The "heat" accumulates and keep heating up and more painful if I don't rest my legs or slowing down the cadence. At peak point (which is VERY painful), I can barely move my legs.

Current condition:
height 166.5cm, weight: 105kg, maybe this pain related to obesity but most of the symptoms only appear while cycling, rarely on any other daily activities.

This is very uncomfortable as I need to rest my leg for 5-10 seconds every now and then to let it "cool" down. Is this caused by obesity, or improper seating/pedal position ? I tried increasing/decreasing the height of my sadle without any effect. Can anyone describe what is this and is this common among cyclist ?

I'm with Batman in that you should contact a medical professional. This sounds way too serious to trust to what some random people on the internet say. However, if cost is an issue there I can make some suggestions about some things you can do to prevent some common bike-related injuries in the future (after you see a professional or did something else to get rid of it).

Did I already say you should really see a professional? This isn't normal at all, and really sounds like something you should have checked.
Get your bike set-up properly. Go to a local bike shop to some help, or google around for something like this. Note that it is very much possible that your bike is too small or too large for you, in which case there is nothing to do but get a bike better suited to your size.
Fast or heavy pedaling? You should use your gears! Optimal pedaling frequency is around 80-100 rotations/min. Lower than 60 puts a serious strain on your joints. If you can actually produce useful force above 140 I applaud you but that speed is also inefficient and strenuous. Try to change gears more often, if you need to go lower or higher than you can regularly then get lighter and/or heavier gears.
Did you recently increase the amount of cycling you do? Though mostly a low-impact sport cycling can still cause injuries, and you should increase your workload slowly over several weeks or months depending on your age.
Seriously, go see a professional.


how to use "smart valve" pumps? i got one floor pump with a so called "smart valve". it came with no instructions whatsoever. and I'm not smart enough to use it...

I tried it on both type of tire valves, and no matter what i do, it never press the internal valve mechanism to allow air in.

it is similar to this one:

How should i use it? do i have to turn something on the tip to adapt to either type of valve?

I have a pump with what looks like an identical head.  Here's the instruction pdf that they provide. The instructions provided are as follows.

Remove the dust cap from the tire valve.
For Presta valves, unscrew locking nut at the
end of the valve.
Wipe off any mud or dirt from the outside
surface of the valve stem; this ensures the pump's
Clever Head will work properly.  Also, release
some air from the tube by pressing the air release
tip on the valve to clean its inner parts.
Press the Clever Head on to the Presta or
Schrader valve stem as far as it will go and open
the thumb lever to the locked position.
The pressure gauge has a red arrow on the
bezel that you can rotate to the desired pressure
for easier reading.
Infate your tire by lifting the pump handle up
and pressing down.  Do not over pressurize tire;
see side wall of tire for maximum pressure value.
Use the pressure release valve to lower and
adjust tire pressure.
Move the thumb lever to the unlocked position
and remove the Clever Head from the valve stem.
For Presta valves, tighten the locking nut at the
end of the valve.
Replace dust cap

For presta valves, I usually don't undo the locking nut the entire way, as I've had problems with them bending and snapping.  Only undoing it half way seems to prevent this for the most part. Also, After I've mounted the pump in step 4, I press the air release button. If you hear air coming out, then it ensures the pump head is seated properly.


Effective use of heart rate monitor I have a Garmin Edge 500 with hear rate monitor, which I use while riding. Now I have all this hear rate data which I don't know how to apply. Can anyone point out how I should use this data for training, with the intention of racing?

As others have pointed, heart-rate alone is not enough to organize a comprehensive training program, and some preliminary steps (fitness tests, mostly) are necessary so that you can properly train guided by heart rate zones.

The main idea is the following: heart rate is one of the best measures of your physical effort. Each person have an individual maximum heart rate, depending on a lot of factors, mostly age. When you know your maximum rate, then it is possible to calculate the HEART RATE ZONES, as percent ranges of that maximum, which are directly related to training levels. Below a given zone there is no training, inside a given zone you keep the conditioning you already have, above a given zone you are improving your aerobic level, and so on. This can also be used to actively rest during an interval training, when you apply the next effort cycle only after some time below some threshold.

Of course, this talk applies specifically for TRAINING. If you ride only for fun, then you can use the heart rate just to compare efforts, more "informally" speaking. For example, if you ride the same route at the same speed many times, you can look for the higher heart rates and know during which rides you were more tired. Also, there are some ways to measure POWER with GPS devices (STRAVA does so if you provide your weight and the bike's weight). When you relate power and heart rate, you can obtain a measure of your fitness and/or efficiency at a given stretch.

With this flood of data nowadays, the possibilities are almost endless!

Hope this helps!


Where can I get a basic toolkit for bicycle - Walmart etc? I want some basic things in toolkit (like oiling of chain, tightening of brakes etc). Where can I find them and how much does it usually cost? I want to buy one, so can you name the basic tools with their functions in layman's language?

You can easily find a "bicycle multitool"/"multi bicycle tool"/"bike multifunction tool" that covers all the basic essentials in one tool. There's tons of brands and models and what's most readily available may vary regionally, but common brands I've seen are: Park, Crank Brothers, Topeak, Serfas.

Where? I would go to my local bicycle shop to get them, or there's plenty of places you can order them online. I have no idea what Walmart stocks.  REI, Amazon.com, jensonusa.com, etc.  The only place recommendation I'd go with is: your local bike shop, that's owned by people into bicycles and primarily sells bicycles; they're bound to have some tools for sale.

Tools

Screwdrivers - both straight/standard/slot and philips.  You probably already have some.
Hex Keys (Metric) - (drivers, bits for a driver, whatever...). Also called "Allen keys", "hex keys", "hex driver", etc. 3-8mm range, typically, but you might need 1.5mm, 2mm, and/or 2.5mm. Most of the bolts on a bicycle are hex, and they're always metric.  It's likely that adjusting your brakes, for instance, requires a very small hex bit, swapping your water bottle cage a more medium sized hex bit, and adjusting your seat a larger hex bit.  L-shaped ones where the long end has a "ball" version of the hex and the short end is straight are nice; the ball lets you work at awkward angles and when the short side is used you get more leverage.  There's also some nice Y-shaped ones with 3 different sizes that I see used a lot.  The exact sizes will depend on your bike and components.
Maybe Torx - it's unlikely but possible that there's Torx somewhere on your bike.  Apparently they're common on disc brakes.
Tire Levers - these are usually plastic (nylon), and are used to remove your tire from the wheel so that you can repair flats.  Commonly sold in sets of 3.  Experienced people can get a tire off with just one, but it's easiest if you have three.  2-10USD for a set.
Pump - A floor pump and a portable pump on the bike is great.  There's two kinds of valves, make sure your pump works with your valves. Many pumps can convert between them.  The floor pump is for when you're working on things at home, the portable pump you take on the bike (along with tire levers and patch kit or a spare tube), because a floor pump is much easier to use than any portable pump.
Rags - an old rag or two, for grasping very greasy parts, wiping off the chain after lubricating it, etc.  Cotton is good, and preferably fairly smooth (not an old terrycloth towel; the loops snag).

Except for the pump and rags, a typical bicycle multitool will have all those and cost between 20USD and 40USD.  A "standalone" version of each tool will almost always be better than what's included in a multitool, but more expensive to get a whole set.  However, you can get a decent set of hex keys for under 10USD and tire levers for 5USD and still be a bit cheaper than a multitool.

Consumables

Chain Lube - only need a very small bottle, and usually the bottle has a tip you can use to apply the lube without using another tool.  Make sure it's a lubricant intended for use on bicycle chains.  In particular, WD-40 is no good for this. Obviously not included in a multitool, generally 3-10USD for a small amount.
Flat repair kit - This is a little kit costing under 5USD (they're a common giveaway item, even) for fixing holes in a tube (the thing inside the tire that holds the air). Generally a small amount of sandpaper or sort of metal file is included in the kit. There's self-adhesive patches, but I find the ones that have a separate tube of glue work better. Usually instructions are included.
Spare tubes - The patches eventually give out, so you'll want a spare tube or two.

Really, I think that covers the basics.  You might also consider:

Less important / Less "basic"

Spoke wrench - to adjust the spokes if they're loose, etc.  Also needed if you have to replace a spoke.  If you think you'll have to replace spokes, you may also need a chain whip and a tool for removing the rear gears, but the specifics will depend on your bike and that's getting a bit beyond "basic". Truing a wheel (making it straight and perfect) without a truing stand is tricky and a truing stand is definitely beyond a "basic" toolkit.
Tire boot - bit of rubber to patch the tire if you have a big gash in the tire. However, punctures (which generally don't require a boot) are more common than gashes, and you can make a makeshift boot out of all sorts of things, such as a $1 bill.
Chain tool - for makeshift chain repairs.  Usually chain problems mean you should replace the chain, but if you're out on the road and your chain breaks, you can remove a link and reconnect your chain (shorter) and make it home (avoiding the bigger gears until the chain is replaced)
Hex sockets - (metric, under 10mm).  Less common on bikes, and another item people already commonly have, but you may need both "genders" of hexagonal wrench.  On my own bike, I've used this on the fenders and not much else. Open or box is fine, and thin is probably fine, too.


Future of Tire technology Why do tire producing companies still produce tubulars? Isn`t Tubeless the technology of the future?

I'm not sure you know what tubular tires are (they are relatively rare), but I'll describe the 3 basic tire systems for bicycles:

The most common is the good old clincher tire.

(Image from Wikipedia: Bicycle Tire)

The tire (4=bead,6=casing,7=tread) hooks into the rim (1) via the bead (4). The air is held through an inner tube (5) which is protected from the spoke nipples by a rim strip (2).

Theres a lot of reasons for using this:

If you have a flat, you can easily swap the tube and/or tire, no mess required.
Tubes are repairable. Tires sometimes repairable.
Everyone knows how to deal with them and stocks them.
The rim doesn't have to be anything special.
Cheap, cause everyone's been using them forever.

However, there are some disadvantages:

Tubes do have some weight to them.
At low pressures, you can pinch the tube and get a flat.

A tubular tire is basically a tube wrapped in the casing and then glued onto the rim. A picture is given below:

(From this question)

According to Sheldon Brown:

Lighter tires and rims than similar clinchers
Less likely to pinch flat
But on the other hand,
Hard to repair
Expensive
Can roll off the rim if you don't glue them properly
Higher rolling resistance
Not always as round/true as a clincher.
Rare -- pretty much only certain racers use them (road, cyclocross).

Finally, we come to tubeless. The mounting system is the same as whats given for the clincher tire, except you don't have an inner tube (5) or rim tape necessarily (2) [Depending on the rim, you may need some tape to make it airtight]. We can distinguish between tubeless rims+tires and tubeless-ready rims+tires (the latter requiring using a liquid sealant with the tire+rim in order to seal the tire, while the former it is optional).

The good things are:

You can run lower pressures since theres no tube to flat (better traction)
Lower rolling resistance
The sealant provides some puncture protection for sealing

The bad is:

Installing the tire is a lot longer than a tubed tire (Schwalbe notes that it may take up to 3 days for the sealant to seal the tire)
Messier to replace a tire since you have to clean out the sealant
You may need to carry around a spare tube anyway, if something happens to stick in the tire and keep moving.

One may argue that tubeless are lighter or heavier than clinchers, but that depends on the system of tubeless tire, so I've left that out.

These things are primarily advantageous for mountain bikers. For road bikers, not so much.

The big reason why I think a lot of people still ride clincher tires is cause they're easy to maintain, cheap, and everybody knows how to deal with them and has the parts. Mountain bikers see real advantages with tubeless, while road bikers don't really see advantages, so they do ride tubeless fairly often, but still, the tube is not leaving us any time soon.


No non-sus 29er mtbs? So I sat down and said "what kind of a bike do I want?".

I ride mostly in the city, but I wanted something that I could take out to the trails. I don't do anything crazy... maybe a 2' drop at the most. Since I'm looking at bikes in the 1-1.5k price range, full-sus bikes are absolutely out. It seemed like a hardtail 29er was the way to go.

But then I got to doubting that I needed the front suspension either. Why not save money, weight, and maintenance? All I'm sacrificing is a little bit of off-road capacity.

So I went hunting for a non-sus 29er in the 1-1.5k price range. The only ones I can find are single-speeds. Really? I'm a spinner, and there's no way I'm doing that.

What do I do? (feel free to shoot down the theory that I don't need a front suspension)

The 29ers without front suspension exist, but they are a bit pricey since they come from niche manufacturers. Many people want SS drivetrains since they want pure simplicity.

Surly ships some of their complete bikes such as the Ogre as rigid 29'ers (the Karate Monkey can also take gears).

There are some other options though. One common option is the Kona Unit which has a derailleur hanger which you can order from Kona as seen here:

Or an internal gear hub as seen here:

Note that both these options require at a minimum a new rear wheel for the Unit.

Also, note that Surly sells their rigid forks as well as do companies like On-one and what not, so you can get one installed after market.

Finally, yet another option: Get 2 bikes (something cheap and not likely to be stolen for city use, one for trail use).


What is the maximum number of pucture repairs an inner tube can take? Any thoughts - my spare tube that I carry in my bag currently has a dozen or so patches on it, but still works fine. I'm tempted to keep going to see how many I can get on there until it get impossible to mend.

What is the most number of patches you reckon a tube can take ?

(And I know new inner tubes are only £5 or so, but a puncture repair costs about 10p if you buy the patches and glue in bulk, so "It's cheaper to buy a new one" is not necessarily true...)

I would carry at least one unpatched, pristine tube as a spare.  Put the patched ones on the bike or keep for repairs at home.  The idea being that when you need it -- in the middle of nowhere, in the dark and pouring rain -- you're guaranteed that the old patches aren't peeling off or weakened and the tube should "just work".  Then swap it for a patched tube when you get home if you like.


How do you prevent your lights switching on in your bag? Since it's mostly light here these days, and I don't want to leave my lights on my bike to disappear into someone else's schwag bag, I've been carrying my lights in my bag just in case, but not using them very often.  I've started to have problems with them turning on and draining the battery while they've been in my bag.  Do you have any ideas how I can prevent this type of problem?

The main light that is causing me problems is a Topeak front light, but that's not the only light.  I also have small back lights and one of them has had the a similar problem.  In general these lights are great and this doesn't happen very often, but it's sufficient of a pain that I'd rather it never happened.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/topeak-whitelite-ii-front-light/

Get a box to put them in, remove the batteries or get something else.

The NiteRider UltraFazer 3.0 LED (available at Wiggle) has the lock-out switch to prevent accidental turning ons. This is a relatively rare feature which is crazy given that lights are invariably carried in bags.

Although that is a new feature to the model. You can send them back for a refund if you get the old model with no quibbling needed.

You should always carry two front (and rear) lights anyway.

As for the back, the basic Cateye and Smart ones seem to survive the bag experience. This is because the switch is placed close to the bracket and is not what gets squashed first. Again, two rear lights, one mounted on your bag is a very good idea.

The Cateye models deserve the IgNobel award for bike lights because you have to hold the switch down for an age of seconds for them to turn off, but for turning them on just a quick dab will do. Then you have to flick through a dozen flashing modes to get something sensible. They should have it the other way round - a three second push to turn them on, straight to the sensible flashing mode and a single push to turn them to full beam and another press to turn them off.

Anyway, the UltraFazer is affordable lighting - not the brightest, but waterproof, good side-lighting and a sensible switch.

Also worth checking at your preferred online retailer are the 'Exposure' range. These have the twist option rather than a switch to turn them on and off. These lights are also available in the better-appointed LBS and, given their price, you may want to look before you buy.


Biking to the airport / leaving a bike for a week I'd like to try riding to the airport or to public transit when I travel. Does anybody do this? Any suggestions for how to secure a bike if you're going to need to leave it for a week or so?

This isn't uncommon in our neck of the woods. If you're a light packer, taking your bike the the airport can be a huge money saver.

If your airport doesn't have a bike locker, bring two trusty u-locks with you. Use one u-lock to secure your front wheel and down-tube to one pole, and the other u-lock secure your rear wheel to another pole (please, never use a cable lock unless you're hoping to file an insurance claim for your bike when you get back into town). Try not to use your favorite bike if you have more than one.

Either leave fancy accessories and lights at home or take them off and take them with you when you arrive at the airport.

If your seat post uses a quick release, I would recommend replacing it with a bolt-on clamp. This won't guarantee your seat (or other bolted on parts) is safe from a well prepared perpetrator, but the majority thieves are looking for a quick and easy score, and will skip over your well-secured components in favor of lower hanging fruit.

(photo borrowed from lifehacker)


What is the size of my seatpost clamp nut? I have this bicycle given by me by a friend, I kept adjusting the height of the bicycle saddle for different members of my family and now the sides of the nut are rounded.
The nut is used to adjust the height of the bicycle saddle using a range.
I believe that the bolt is a carriage bolt? Now I am trying to find what size the nut is and the thread which I don’t understand.
Anyone know where I can buy the same nut online? Please tell me if the pictures aren’t clear, I’m still waiting to use the bike.

This looks like 16 threads per inch, which would indicate a 3/8 inch bolt if you are using SAE sizing.  It would take a 9/16 inch wrench.  If you use a box wrench (or even an open end) you are much less likely to round off the nut than if you use an adjustable wrench.  It could be 10mm, which would have a thread pitch of 1.5 mm and looks like it would take a 17mm wrench.
The threads on your bolt look fine, so take it to the store and test fit the new nut to see if it matches.
Note that your nut has a captive washer on it.  If you buy a standard hex nut you should use a washer behind it.  There may not be enough flat space for a standard washer.  Nuts like this are fairly common, but not as common as the vanilla hex nut variety.


Repeated front wheel puncture I've just had my 3rd front wheel puncture in about 4 weeks (doing around 80 miles per week).  Since the first puncture, the tube and rim tape has been completely replaced, but these seem to have not solved the problem.

I'm riding a road bike which is about 8 years old (but has only probably seen a years worth of proper weekly usage) on a mostly road based route through London, with a 5ish mile stretch on a canal towpath.  Thanks!

Puncture was on the inner surface of the tube (ie facing the rim.)

So it turned out that my tires were really old and rubbish, and had a few bits of gravel, glass etc embedded in them which were puncturing the new tubes every time I changed them.  I bought some new tires (puncture resistant ones) and I haven't had an issue since.  Thanks for all your advice everyone!


Identify this bike please What kind of bike is this? Looks like it says Tornado. I love the handles - what kind are they?

This is a fixie that was most likely built from a diverse set of components.

Frame and fork look like an road bike from before 1985.

The handlebar was most likely not from the same bike. It is typical for old roadsters a generation older.

Rims have eyelets and a trapezoid cross section. That would fit to 80s to 90s. The hubs have those peculiar high flanges with holes to reduce weight. That looks very much like early 80s.

Not enough detail in brakes. The style was used from 70s onward. Brake pads are new. Brake bolt seem new as well.

Brake cable outers look as old as the frame. That speaks for a home built fixed gear conversion. Shops would likely replace parts that are cheap and ugly (and possibly unsafe) to make it more attractive on storefront display.


What am I looking at in my rear hub? I had a broken axle, and on the side where it broke (I think) these are the bearings that looking at.

As you can see, there is a track of bearings, and then on the other side, two more bearings hiding behind it; we are looking through a freewheel.  Are those two bearing supposed to be there (presumably along with a bunch of their buddies) or did they simply fall out of the other tracks?

There are bearing races on either side of the hub, and in my experience there is not nearly as much space between the bearings as your picture shows. Having replaced several axles in older hubs, it always seems as soon as you pull the axle out the bearings fall into the inner space of the hub.

The two bearings you can see are likely from this kind of problem. Remove all the bearings, clean and grease the races. Clean the bearings and replace them. Most of the time they are the same size on both sides but you will want to make sure. When you replace them there should only be a little bit of play/space between them. It's normally obvious if you've tried to put too many bearings on one side.


Chain slips off biggest cog under torque I have a relatively new Bottecchia bicycle, about a year and a half year old and underwent about 8,000km.

I almost always use the biggest cog on the front cassette. Lately I noticed that as I apply a lot of torque, i.e. when accelerating from a stop (in high gear), or surely when I stand up, the chain slips -- at least that's what I think that's happening. What I actually experience is a cracking noise, the pedals don't effect the chain for a split second, and then it's back to normal. It is important to say that it doesn't happen to me if I switch to a lower gear on the front crank (but it doesn't matter which gear I'm on at the rear).

I have several ideas as to what may cause the problem. Firstly I thought it may have to do with broken or worn off cog. That is possible because I think I may have over-lubricated the chain last time, and I experienced a sand storm. However I think it may not be the case because it happens regardless of where my pedals are (if I had one broken teeth, for example, I would expect it to happen only when my right pedal is at, say, 7 o'clock or something).

Another possible reason is that maybe I have a problem with the front derailleur -- as I started using the middle gear more often, I noticed that I have problems getting back to the top gear (no problem going down) -- I hear cranking sounds, and often it wouldn't shift until I push the shifter further (even though it doesn't move further, it probably pushes the derailleur a bit, enough to make the jump). It also happened once or twice that under torque the chain slipped to the middle gear.

Third reason I could think of is a worn off chain -- as I said it has served me for probably around 8,000km, and I also noticed there's a noticeable gap between the chain and the wheel (I'll post pictures shortly).

Here are some pictures I took. I hope they're helpful in identifying the cause of it, if not I can take more.

Thank you very much!

Your first image suggests the chain is not meshing properly with the chain ring.  After 8000 km you should be either just finished your fourth chain, or about halfway through the second (depending on if your manufacture says 2000 or 5000 km per chain.)   How long since the chain was changed?

Do a chain length check too - 24 half-links (12 pairs of inside and outside) should be 12 inches long.  Any more than 12 1/8th inches is too stretched.   Running a worn chain normally wears out the rear cassette, whereas the front ones tend to survive because of the greater number of teeth.

Finally - use a straight-edge and confirm the front chainring is not bent.  This can be seen by eye if you turn the pedals while looking down from above.  A deflection could cause a bad meshing.

Over-lubing itself is not as issue.  However it attracts dust dirt and sand, which can do mischief on the chain, accelerating wear.  Best practice is to clean the chain, dry the chain, and then oil the chain.


How can a Mavic freehub stop working after cleaning? I have a Mavic Aksium Race rear wheel. The freehub was working and felt gunky.

I opened it to clean it (it was dry with some gunk and a bit of rust stains) and reassembled after lubricating with Finish Line's Dry Teflon Lube. Now the freehub turns freely both ways. And better than before cleaning.

I opened it again to remove any lubricant and cleaned again. Not luck.

I can clearly hear the pawls working well, but they won't ever engage, even when I turn it really slowly and wait for them to do so. I have also tried switching the pawls.

The side to side play around the nylon bushing is less than 0,5mm.

I have verified how I have reassembled it twice and have maintained such hubs dozens of times.

I don't have anything here to compare with, but if I was aksed if the pawls look worn, I would say yes.

My guess is that the pawls and freehub itself are worn out.

But the question is: how can a dirty worn working freehub can be cleaned and turned into a non-working clean worn freehub?

Thank you!

Here is the explanation to what happened:

The freehub bearing had been moved outside for about 2,5mm. When reassembling the hub, the body wasn't sliding as far in the axle as it needed to. Thus, the pawls were not centered in the notches and not engaging.

But, I did replace the freehub body and pawls first, and they were engaging. However, when placing a great force, one pawl eventually gave up and broke at an angle.

Being able to see the angle of the fracture, I eventually deducted that the new pawls and freehub were engaging at an angle, so one end of the pawl was falling in the notch, while the other end was "higher", outside the notch.

I starting thinking about reasons for the pawls and notches not being aligned, which amounted to having the freehub not sliding far enough, and finally compared online pictures of the freehub bearing with what I have in hand. It was obvious that it was not pressed properly. After pressing in, the old freehub and pawls were installed and everything started working perfectly again, even the clicking sound got familiar again.


Replacing rims with a 3mm effective diameter difference - can spokes be reused? I'm planning to change the rims from 27.5 (ERD=566mm) to 27.5+ (ERD=563mm). Will I be able to reuse the spokes in this case, or is it worth getting new ones?

It is completely normal to replace a worn out rim by transferring the existing spokes to a new rim - it's slightly easier than relacing the wheel, since you can tape the rims together and transfer each spoke one by one (slacken off the tension on all the spokes of the old wheel before you start!). A 3mm difference in ERD will correspond to about 1mm in ideal spoke length - unless the existing spokes were too long (ideal is top of spoke at bottom of screwdriver slot) this shouldn't be a problem. Washers under the nipple heads (eg Sapim polyax) would help compensate if the spokes are on the long side. Going the other way (smaller to larger ERD) too-short spokes can be compensated for with longer nipples - although for a 1mm difference I wouldn't bother.


Newly replaced BB loose after only 25km I replaced a broken shimano BB-UN26 bottom bracket yesterday. After only a 25k ride the crankset has some play and has started to wiggle a bit. It looks as though the bottom bracket is moving with the crankset.

Last time I replaced the BB it lasted 8 months. Crankset was replaced at the same time.
Is it a defective BB, did I do something wrong, or do I have a bigger problem?

I would recommend first checking on what Noah recommended: checking that the crank bolts are tightened down to the proper torque. If they are, I would start with the following steps:

Remove the cranks and bottom bracket, and check the adjustable bottom bracket cup (on the left side of the bike, when you are sitting on it). A UN-26 will have a plastic cup, which is usually a light tan color. If you've over- or under-tightened the adjustable cup, it can crack fairly quickly. This is especially true for heavier riders, or riders who tend to "mash" on the pedals up hills. This cracking will allow the bottom bracket to move in the frame, and it will wear quickly because it is not fully supported.
If the adjustable cup is not cracked or loose, move on to the fixed cup (on the right side of the bike). If it is easy to remove (being only finger tight, or taking almost no effort to remove), the bottom bracket will be able to move in the frame when you are pedaling. It will wear quickly for the same reason as #1: it is unsupported in the frame.
If neither cup is loose, or the non-drive side is not cracked, the bottom bracket shell (the part of the frame that the bottom bracket threads into) faces may not be properly aligned. The lip of the drive-side cup rests against the bottom bracket shell face.

Ideally, both faces will be parallel to each other. With traditional cup and cone bottom brackets, this was much more critical than it is with modern cartridge bearing bottom brackets. However, if the faces are far enough out of alignment, even a modern bottom bracket will wear quickly.

If you suspect that the faces are out of alignment, you may want to take the frame to your local shop to have the bottom bracket faced. This will cost between $20-$40, and will typically also include the chasing of the bottom bracket threads as well.
Finally, you may want to consider a higher quality bottom bracket. The UN-26 is entry-level quality, but if you are riding regularly and/or in inclement weather, it will wear out quickly regardless of installation quality.

Shimano makes a UN-54 bottom bracket that uses higher quality bearings and an all-metal construction.
Another good option are Tange bottom brackets, which come in a variety of sizes and use high quality bearings.
If cost is not a factor, the ne plus of bottom brackets are made by Phil Wood. Truly a "set-it-and-forget-it" product, you will have a hard time wearing out one of these. Should be professionally installed, but can last a lifetime.


Secure Storage for Running Errands I use my bike to run errands on the weekends - stopping for soap and shampoo at the drug-store, a loaf a bread at the grocery store, stopping for lunch, etc. The issue is I have to haul my previous purchases around with me in each store.

Is there some kind of "trunk" that I can add to my bike in which I can secure/lock/protect my purchases? I've seen such things on scooters, but is there something for a bike?

You can get hard shell bicycle storage, but they're usually heavy, expensive and fragile. These panniers on Amazon are typical. Yes, they have a rigid shell and look sort of solid, but in practice the sort of knife that will cut soft-wall panniers will also cut these. Partly because decent panniers are made of quite strong cloth, and partly because really solid panniers end up weighing more than most people are willing to carry. The motorbike "Metal Mule" systems weigh 5 or 6 kg just for the boxes.

For low-value stuff like you're talking about I suggest just using normal panniers and locking those to your bike with a cheap padlock. Make it nice and visible to discourage casual theft - someone can still rummage through them and get stuff out, but they can't just grab the whole pannier.

The next step would be a metal luggage net that you can put over the panniers and lock to the bike. It's still pretty lightweight and makes it really annoying to get things out of the panniers.

For real security I think you'd need to make something yourself. Buy a box that can be secured and bolt it to your rear rack, probably with a bit of wood between box and rack for reinforcement. Where I live (Australia) there are a lot of those aluminium boxes you see on tradesmen's utes/trucks, and a custom smaller size one for your bike would probably cost about the same as the carbon fibre panniers above. My custom toolbox for home cost me about $200 but it's nearly ten times as big as you'd want to put on a bicycle, a smaller custom one should be under $100.


Free Spirit bike - please help ID I found this bike being sold on Mercari and fell in love with it! Unfortunately, the item was deleted and I was unable to get a hold of it.
I’ve been researching everything Free Spirit (lots of adult multi-speed and bmx bikes) and can’t find this specific model or even something similar.
It was listed as a “kids bike,” single speed, and I’m assuming coaster brake. It was never confirmed if it’s a 20”.
Thanks for your help if you have any info

It looks a lot like the 1972 Sears Free Spirit in this post.
Bike makers used different decals on the same bike at different times.
This frame was used in different configurations for single speed coaster brake bikes, three speed, five speed and ten speed bikes.
If you had access to Sears catalogs from 1970 to 1975 you could probably hunt down the exact decals and configuration.

According to the post:

It’s a 1972 Free Spirit Sheffield sold by Sears.
this bike is actually made by a bicycle manufacturer called Puch in Austria.

I believe both of these bikes have 24 inch wheels, this would explain why it's sold as a children's bike. Adult versions of this bike in this era had 26 inch wheels.
Finding a bike exactly like the red coaster brake bike can be tricky - they come and go.
If you broaden your search to a "ladies coaster brake bicycle" you will find a lot more options to choose from.
Two suggestions:

Stick with brand names you recognize as bicycle makers.
Never buy anything without riding it.

As a rule of thumb I try to stay away from anything branded as Sears. The bike pictured here would be an exception. In the 80s and 90s Sears sold thousands (millions?) of poorly made and assembled bicycles.


Bicycle dull noise when pedalling My bike is making this very weird sound. It’s kinda dull I can feel sort of vibration when pedalling. It gets worse going uphill I think. Please check the video to hear it.

https://streamable.com/tg3zkx

Does anyone know what that might be? I’ve tried tightening everywhere, greasing it up but it is getting kinda worse.

Thanks a lot!

More vids: now it’s making a complete difference sound.
https://streamable.com/c2htm2

My first thought was that you are getting some rubbing of the chain on the front derailleur. Rubbing would only occur when in highest or lowest gears though, and you don't mention that. You can check for this by holding the rear wheel off the ground, pedaling manually and inspecting the chain where it passes through the front derailleur, if you want to rule this out.

Unfortunately I think that a problem with the bottom bracket bearings (bearings that the crank axle runs through) is more likely, especially as you say you can feel vibration through you feet. To check for this manually turn crank arms on either side of the bike, you may feel some resistance, roughness or clicking as the crank turns. (If you can get the chain out of the derailleur cage and off the chainrings it makes it easier to feel this.) You can also try to rock the crank in the frame, there should be hardly any play between the crank and the frame.

From the video I can see you have a cartridge type bottom bracket. The cranks on either side are attached via a square or splined taper on the end of the axle. These cannot be adjusted or repaired and simply have to be replaced. They are not particularly expensive or difficult to install, but do require some special tools (a crank puller, BB removal/installation tool and if you're doing things right, a torque wrench).

This video shows what's involved and the tools needed.


Freewheel and quick release I got myself a bike to fix up.  I changed the freewheel on it but I don't know how to position the nut after I put on the new freewheel.

If I screw it on too deep the chain will be too close to the frame so I am wondering if I am missing something.

The wheel is a quick release and I never worked with the quick release.  I tried to watch some YouTube videos but nothing really helped.

Definitely a freewheel, and a brand new one too.  I can only see the 6 sided axle nut, and no axle locknut.

Some designs have the cone nut buried deep inside the freewheel and then a spacer, and finally another nut on the outside, something like this:

Is it possible you replaced a 6 speed freewheel with a 7 speed freewheel, which is one cog wider?  This may require rebalancing the spacers on the axle.  You might be able to move a spacer from the left to the right side, and still have the required amount of axle body poking out.

Do note that a QR axle should end before it exits the frame - the QR's nut should be clamping on the frame not on the end of the axle.   If in doubt, get it checked over in person.


Are deep V wheels only for fixed gear bikes? I'm in the market for a new set of wheels. I've been noticing a style which I think is called "Deep V". I plan on adding gears to my currently single-speed bike (not a fixed gear). However, searching online, the majority (if not all) are advertised as being for fixed gear bikes. Are deep V wheels intended for fixed gear bikes? Is there any reason I would want to avoid them for a normal geared bike?

Deep-sectioned rims -- particularly Velocity Deep Vs -- became popular among fixed gear riders because they came in a variety of colors (bling) and the larger section made that bling all the more prominent.

However, deep-sectioned rims have many applications beyond urban fixed gear bikes. They're typically heavier and don't do well in cross winds, but in straight-ahead road riding, they are thought to be more aerodynamic.

As long as the rims come with machined sidewalls, they'll work fine for your purposes. The machining greatly improves braking by making the contact point for the brake pads more consistent.

All that said, if you're riding around town or even doing more recreational road riding, I think you'll be better served by a smaller sectioned rim like the Velocity Aerohead.


Bike hub sealed bearing I'm wanting to get a new fork for my bike but I have a sealed bearing hub (not sure what axle size, 5mm or 9mm) I was just wondering can I convert a sealed bearing hub to a different axle size? (15mm or 20mm thru axle)

Depends totally on your hub.

If its currently a through-axle, then the fork has to support the same diameter.

If its currently a QR, take the wheel off, remove QR and see if there are inserts that can be popped off to show a larger hole.  If no, you'll need a new hub.  If yes, you need the two adapters, which might be hard to find.

A new wheel might be more cost efficient than a new hub+wheel rebuild.

Also, the warranty conditions on your fork may preclude the use of any adapters - best check that too.


Difference of bottom bracket cup materials: resin, plastic, metal Bottom bracket cups are made of different materials. What are the pros and cons of the materials? What experiences do you have with them?

The metal could be problematic due to galvanic corrosion
Plastic might get brittle by time due to light, heat and dirt

This is my experience from other domains, though I don't have experience with resin.

E.g. for plastic I can think of pro = easy to remove by sawing and breaking it out if it's stuck and con = getting brittle due to to the environment. One more pro might be that it breaks by too much torque instead of ruining the threads. On the other hand, when I broke it this way, it causes more headache to remove the remainder. :)

You have the pros and cons pretty much down. I'll add a couple:

Metal cups are stiffer.
Plastic/resin cups are less expensive.

I am not familiar with resin, but I would suppose it has similar characteristics to plastic.

From what I've seen, all the higher-end bbs use metal. Probably meaning that the only reason plastic is used is to reduce costs.

As a competent mechanic who has changed many bbs, I would favor metal. I'm not worried about cross-threading, and greasing the threads removes the potential for corrosion.


Lightweight foldable shoes for road cycling I want to be able to use SPD-SL cleats and still be able to access pubs/cafe's normally. I'm really thinking of something that could be taken on a 75km club run and with that kind of distance I think a bag would be a bit onerous to carry. Cleats on the local slate floors cause upset to the proprietor and are probably a slipping risk. I am not willing to use a different form of clipless pedal.

Possible solutions

Cleat covers

Foldable shoes

I have never tried either of these before.  Do other's have any experience of them?  Are there any other suggestions to consider?

I use some of these if I'm touring and want to travel light, I put them in my bag but I reckon they could slip in to a jersey pocket, I'll try after work today.

I've used cleat covers before and, though they protect the cleat, didn't feel they were a proper solution - you still end up walking weirdly because the only contact point is the cleat.


How does one remove a old French (Maillard) sprocket set from its freewheel? I assume that the smallest sprocket functions as a lockring and has an outer thread that screws into a mating thread on the freewheel.

(I also assume that the other sprockets have inner threads that screw around another (left-hand?) thread on the freewheel, but perhaps that's not relevant.)

Am I correct that I need to rotate the smallest sprocket anti-clockwise against the second sprocket? I've tried, but don't want to apply excessive force if that's not the right way.

You are correct, the smallest sprocket is threaded to the freewheel on the old Maillard freewheels.
Using two chain whips, one on the smallest sprocket, one on the next one up or a few farther. Unscrew the smallest sprocket, it is a standard thread.
The second one will also be threaded so repeat the above steps.
Here is a diagram for the Maillard 700 Course, Compact and Sprint

www.cyclollector.com


Cycling without clipless pedals and groin weakness I've been cycling long-term in hills and over the last few years without clipless pedals. Over time I have found the hills to be easier to climb, but have noticed a dramatic decrease in my running ability, and recently on holiday found it difficult to walk long distances as well without pain and stiffness. Is this because of increased leg muscle (weight)? Should I get clipless pedals again?
Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance!

Is this because of increased leg muscle (weight)?

I am confident that no, bicycling has not packed so much muscle onto your legs that they are now too heavy to walk normally and comfortably.


Good pedal and shoe combination for summer touring First off given that I will be sightseeing as well is it worth the extra weight to take a dedicated cycle shoe and a walking shoe or is the extra hassle of having something else that can go wrong not worth it?

I'm wondering what are some good combinations of pedal and shoe for touring. Should I go for a dedicated touring pedal like the A520/A530? I don't know anything about shoes so some recommendation would be good there as well. I will be touring japan in the summer so it will be warm but still possibly quite wet.

Finally, how hard is a pedal/shoe combo to set up correctly for comfort? Is it something that's worth getting done in a shop? I have a good LBS and they will most likely do a basic set up for free.

My preference is for SPD clipless pedals and "walkable" clipless shoes.  But I still have a pair of lightweight "tennis shoes" in my gear for campsite, days off, etc.

Another option, if you can still find them, is the old-fashioned "touring" shoes and regular toe straps.  "Touring" shoes are (or were) quite walkable, and it's reasonable to walk miles in them (whereas you'd not like to do that in even "walkable" clipless shoes).

It is a little tricky setting up clipless shoes -- the cleat position needs to be positioned correctly.  Partly this is trial and error (be sure to get your setup early to try it out), but a shop can help you get the right "initial conditions".

(For those who've never seen them, touring shoes look superficially like bowling shoes, with relatively flat, smooth soles, to more easily slip into and out of toe clips.  Unlike bowling shoes, however, the soles are reasonably stiff -- flexible enough for easy walking but stiff enough so that the pressure of the pedal is reasonably well distributed over the bottom of the foot.)


Setup for heavy rider and DB 29" overdrive As a heavy rider (~135kg 300lbs), I got a Diamondback Overdrive 29" bike to help me lose weight.
After riding a few times with my family, my rear wheel keeps deflating/bursting.
I have read previous posts on here and inflated the rear wheel more than was set up yet the issue still remains.
Upon checking the bike specs, it states that the max weight is 100kg .
Can I continue to use this bike but change my set up (different tunes, pressure..) or do I need to buy 'another' bike?
Please help as it's frustrating to get 3/4 through a ride before getting a flat.

Manufacturer weight limits on bikes are a little nebulous in that they're not totally meaningless but they tend towards estimation, liability protection, and a fair line for the warranty department to take when a bike eventually breaks under a heavier load then they designed for. Going above it is an at your own risk thing because forks, wheels, and frames failing are all real and dangerous things that are only going to be at greater risk of happening as a result. In practical terms though, those kinds of worst case scenarios don't happen very much as a result of exceeding weight limits on non-exotic mountain bikes by this much.

What is at pretty good likelihood of happening is the wheels not really holding up over time. The usual case is for heavier MTB riders that ride a lot to burn through the stock wheels pretty quickly and then get something with a heavier weight rim, ideally handbuilt and with 36 spokes. If you want to, it could be reasonable to skip the step of tacoing the rims that came on it or dealing with them going out of true repeatedly and just upgrade now.

As for the flats, you don't say what's causing them, which suggests some odds that it's one of the common causes of repeat flats and not related to weight. The really common ones are a rim strip that's not doing its job, something lodged in the tire, or tires/tubes that aren't puncture resistant enough for where you're riding.

If you're pinch flatting, the main remedy is more pressure, and failing that more width.


Falcon Olympic year identification I'm looking to try and identify the year this bike was built. Currently struggling to add photo's.
I will try and add some more in a minute. The frame number of the bike is 14246
Many thanks
Wesley

Nice bike - from the overall lines of the frame its definitely something from the 80s.
The head tube is relatively short, so I'm guessing this is a smaller frame, maybe a 50cm or less.
The pronounced curve of the front fork became straighter as time went on due to manufacturing changes.  Also the right fork tine has a lamp mount which was common for the time.
The three silver cable clamps on the top tube are more of a 70s design, but they may not be original.
The bike has U brakes rather than cheaper calipers, so its a mid-range bike not a budget bike.  These require a cable stop, so are probably original equipment.
I'm sure the chainrings tell a story too - they have quite a difference between the large and small, in terms of tooth count.
Your rims are interesting - I can't tell if they are steel or aluminium (ie replaced later)
The only damage I can see is the two stays holding the rear of the front mudguard.  Normally they'd be straight, not bent up which suggests something got in the spokes once.  Minor as long as nothing's rubbing.
I suggest you clean that filthy chain and cassette, then relubricate.  That blackness is suspended grit which is slowly grinding away at the components of the transmission.
I would call this a touring bike from the early 1980s.  Its not a race bike, but that crankset would help it get up hills when loaded.  The better brakes also help a heavily loaded bike come down the other side.
Overall, looks like a loverly bike and a pleasure to ride.


Help identifying tandem frame I bought this frame in a state off eBay a fair few years ago and have recently got it working again.

I would love to know what make or year it might be. There aren't that many his / her frames I've come across and hardly any with the same tube layout as this.

I only came across one serial number on the frame (top tube) but it was too pitted to make out and has been painted over since. The BB axles have Brampton stamped on them but that's about all I have to go on. Maybe some one knows more?

Your bike looks like a 1908 Humber Lady Red Tandem Original Vintage Bicycle. You can look up some pictures and it is very close. I doesn't look like anything has been changed from the original and the previous owners may have customized it a small amount (note the handlebar style) . If this is what your bike ends up being, it could be worth something. Hope this helps!


Fixing balky front shifting I've got a Campagnolo Chorus 2x9 drivetrain on my bike. Lately I've found that shifting to the big ring is very difficult: The only way to get it to shift at all is to make a simultaneous front and rear shift going little>big and big>little; I assume that this introduces slack into the chain to make the shift easier. This isn't always successful, and when it is, I wind up overshifting (which is easy enough to correct, happily).

It hasn't always been like this. Not sure where to begin diagnosing the problem.

This problem developing over time starting from it working well implies a cable gone slack (not really probable with old left Ergos because they usually have cable pull to spare) or derailer pivots that have gotten too sloppy to shove the chain with the right level of assertion. If the front derailer got shoved out of position or bent due to chain jam or other trauma this could also result. Errors in FD position or limit screw position could also cause this.

Grab the tail end of the FD cage and wiggle it firmly to see how its doing on slop. It should be negligible. Check for any tweaks of the cage or broken bits. If it looks good then go through and adjust all aspects of the FD - position, limit screws, and cable tension, in that order.

A severely worn chain or worn ramps/pins could degrade shifting enough that you get this issue, but aren't typically the root cause.


1x, 2x, 3x chainring - does it matter? I need to replace one chainring in my 3x9 setup. One possible option I'm looking at says it was made for 2x setups. Another option says it was made for 1x. They have the correct tooth count, BCD, and bolt layout. How much does this matter if the manufacturer says it was made for 2x or 1x setup? Am I going to run into problems using a chainring that was "made for" a 2x system on my 3x9 system?
(this is a follow-up to an earlier question: Does "speed" of a replacement chainring matter?)

Chainrings designed for multispeed systems have special pins and ramps in them, to assist shifting. Key word being assist. If you have rings for a certain config, it might not have those features in the right spots.
If you don't have them, shifting won't be as good as it would be otherwise. That doesn't necessarily mean it'll be complete garbage either, people happily rode bikes with "plain" chainrings for decades, and continue to do so today. But it won't be as crisp, or you won't shift as well under power, but you'll almost surely shift well enough.


Hub grease, white grease, red grease or buy grease? As i'm going to overhaul my hubs, i'm looking for the right grease for the job.
The easy way would be going to a shop and buy some dedicated grease.

But searching through my garage, I found that i already have two types of grease.

Rivolta S.K.D. 4002 -even found a pdf - http://www.nescotech.ee/358eng.pdf
Some unknown red colored grease (not original package), only thing I know about it is that i got it from a factory that is making taps and metal tubing with high pressure press machinery, and it was standing in a cabinet outside in the sun heat and winter cold for 15 years, and it has decomposed a tiny bit.

both have almost same thickness, the red one is slightly thinner (estimated by eye and touch).

I know you can't use any grease you want, so here I am asking for your opinion.

Use the Rivolta grease and you will be fine.
Most important is that it is dense enough, will last over time, stays fluid in low temperature and that it is somewhat water resistance. According to the pdf, the Rivolta will do all those things very good.


What happened to the Specialized Stumpjumper HT? I have always been a fan of Specialized, especially the Stumpjumper hardtail. I was browsing the Specialized website when I noticed that they no longer have the Stumpjumper Hardtail listed, only the Stumpjumper FSR. I did see that they now have a hardtail version of the Epic.

Did they just change the name from Stumpjumper to Epic? I really liked the name 'Stumpjumper'. What happened?

Ultimately Specialized has probably decided that the sales volume is not worth it. A new Epic HT will almost certainly have better trail and downhill capability as a Stumpy of even a few years ago, be lighter and have much better climbing.  Its not that they would not sell any HT Stumpy's if they had them- its more they can move a vast majority potential HT Stumpy buyers to a HT Epic or a soft tail Stumpy. The lost sales not having it in the range would be very minimal.

Keeping hold of a HT Trail (the stumpy) - for which there is no longer big demand that cannot be met buy a salesman diverting to another model, does not make sense as the range of bikes is probably too large already, with too much overlap.

The Stumpy goes back to early 1990s (or is it earlier) - and has undergone numerous transitions. Its just a name - the bikes you like are nothing like the ones in the shop today.


Clipless pedals (safety release) Is there a safety feature in any brand of clipless pedals which allows the mechanism to release in the event of an accident? For example, being hit by a car in traffic while commuting, I would hope the bike wouldn't fly with me, but that I would somehow be released from the bicycle. I have only used clipless pedals in a spin class and I am hesitant to use them on the road for this reason. Does this feature exist?

In my humble experience with extensive crashing during mountain biking, including a lot of over-the-bar experiences and a few cases when I broke bones, before you hit the dirt, clipless pedals magically disengage themselves. In reality, being clipped is your least problem.

You really need to slowly stop the bike and then fall on a side to still remain being clipped in.

P.S. Just read the comments and discovered that it is not just me who observed magical disengagement of clipless pedals in the course of a crash.


What does the truing "release tension" step do? What tension is being released?  Between what and what?

Context: I've seen it said, as part of wheel truing, that after you've gotten it where you want it you should release tension then recheck truing after that.  Some of the suggestions were to grip pairs of spokes and give a good tug on each, all the way around the wheel; place each side of the hub on the ground and give a good push around the rim and maybe a couple other ways.

This subject can be confusing to learn about because people use terminology to mean different things, and some of the physical techniques involved are working to help achieve a couple different goals simultaneously.

When truing wheels, and especially when doing extensive wheel truing or building a wheel, you must be concerned with managing spoke windup, and your goal is always to have as little as possible when you're finished. Good mechanics get it to effectively zero, but it's a skill that takes practice and attentiveness, and there are a couple ways to go about achieving it depending on the situation. I believe the tension you're referring to releasing is someone's confusing choice of terminology for relieving spoke windup.

Spoke windup is when the spoke gets twisted as the nipple is turned and gets held in place that way by the spoke tension. Then when the wheel rolls along and the spoke tension gets unloaded, they'll pop back and the wheel can go slightly out of true (or more than slightly if there's a lot of windup). The release of that torsional load is presumably what you're referring to. You want to get it all gone before the wheel gets put back on the bike.

In actual practice, controlling windup is mostly about very carefully overshooting and backturning your nipple adjustments. With most spokes (2.0, 1.8, and 1.7) it's usually sufficient to only do this the last time you touch each spoke, in my experience. For 1.6 and less I do it every step of the way. (For bladed spokes you get to use a tool to keep them from twisting, so windup isn't an issue.)

Sideloading the wheel by putting it on the ground and pushing on the rim as you describe relieves windup by temporarily unloading groups of spokes, allowing you to recheck it. It's also a good thing to do to new machine-built wheels to keep them from going out of true immediately. It's also a way to destroy wheels if you're not careful, or if you've got too much tension on them. Some people claim that sideloading can have an effect on setting spoke line at the hub to help prevent spoke breakage, but I don't really believe it, and to do that part right at any rate the spoke line has to be set when the spokes are at no or low tension.

It's important to understand that sideloading is more like a quality control step than your primary tool to get windup out, which is your technique with the spoke wrench.

Gripping pairs of spokes and squeezing them has more to do with stress relieving spokes to prevent breakage and also helping get them mated with the hub in their final position, which helps prevent the wheel from becoming untrue.


Does Selle Italia Flite Genuine Gel have rigid shell? I am asking for version without a cutout. The question is about the shell (not the padding) -- when you press with your hand in the middle of the saddle (from top to down, like you would sit on it) -- does the shell flex?

Please note, I am not asking about opinion/recommendation, just data about stiffness of this particular saddle.

There is approximately 5mm of gel padding, over a reasonably flexible base on the Flite Gel. I would not consider it an especially rigid saddle.


Rim brake on front and disk brake on rear Good day guys. I would like to know... I've purchased a old fixed gear bike, and i converted it to a freewheel.  I've managed to install a rim brake on front. I was going to install ine on the back but noticed theres no holes for the caliper to mount on.

Did some research, theres a way to add disk brakes on rear. But im not sure if im going to buy the disk brake adaptor... Need your opinion.. Drill hole on the frame or install disk brakes..

No idea on specs of the bike.. Sorry

With no disk brake mounting lugs on the frame you cannot mount disc brakes. There are bolt on adapters but I personally would not trust them. Additionally you would need a disc compatible hub which in reality means a whole new rear wheel.

You should check that that the wheel rims are compatible with rim brakes. There appear to be reflective stickers where the braking surface should be.

I always advise buying the bike you want, not a fundamentally different one hoping you can convert it. The easiest path for you might actually be to sell this bike and buy a single speed with front and rear rim brakes.


How do I adjust my child's bike shown in this video to improve fit and comfort? Timeline

Provided because I learnt a lot in the process

My 5yo daughter has started growing out of her Apollo Petal with 14" wheels and an upright position typical of a child bike.
Basic research and measurements lead to the conclusion she might be ok with a bike with either 16" or 18" wheels.
I found a good deal on a used mountain bike with 18" wheels so we tried that first but it was clearly too large for her.
I bought her a Decathlon B'TWIN 500 SPY HERO (although the sticker on hers says 900?!) on 16" wheels, still with a fairly upright position typical of a child bike.

The problem

I'm struggling to adjust it so that it's comfortable for her! Neither of us have the patience for more trial and error, so I'm hoping someone with a bit more experience can tell straight away what the issue is.

A similar bike has a good product video  where the actress
seems to have the bike adjusted exactly right (link is to product
website where video is included among photos, I don't think it's
possible to link to video directly and I couldn't find it on youtube
or similar)
This is what my daughter looks like on her bike at the moment. Is she just still a little short for it, or is there something I can do to improve her fit?

Things to note:

The seat only has height adjustment (I can't tilt it or move it forwards/backwards)
I am reluctant to put the seat higher up. At the current height, her
heels are slightly off the ground when sat.
The stem and handlebars are integrated so also only have height
adjustment too. They are nearly at the highest setting. We tried having them lower and it was even more awkward, she was constantly standing up on the pedals.

Seat is too low. Problem with kids bikes as they have disproportinaly long cranks (Shes probably half your height, her legs are half the length of yours, yet he cranks are probably 145 vs your 175..... ). It works because kids are disproprtionaly flexible. I would probably try to raise the seat - just 5mm to start with... Thats much easier for me to say than you to do.

From experiance with my boys, you need to get to the point she will ride the bike. Don't worry about fit, its not important for it to be 'correct'. If shes over trying different settings, don't force it on her. Ask her what she wants, put it there and get her riding.  If shes over trying new fit, and uncomfortable, give it a few weeks with no pressure.  Make sure the rides are short, if she is uncomfortable and you head out on long rides, it will put her off.

As time goes on, you can suggest imporvements to try. if she does not like it (If shes like my boys, she won;t out of spite), put it back...

The goal here is simple - just keep her riding...


would you use vo2 max intervals increase your functional threshold power using a power meter? As described in this blog post below:
http://www.training4cyclists.com/threshold-power/
Example: 3 x (3+3min) at VO2max / recovery. If you use a heart rate monitor, your heart rate should be above 95% of maximum at the end of these intervals. If you use a power meter, your target power could be in the area of 120% of your functional threshold power or even better based on your 5min maximum power. - See more at: http://www.training4cyclists.com/threshold-power/#sthash.DbD9Dyf9.dpuf

Or would you use the intervals methods described in the blog below:
▼ 10 minute controlled warm up with bursts up to FTP
▼ 20 minutes @ 85% FTP
▼ 4 minutes recovery @ 150 watts maximum
▼ 20 minutes @ 85% FTP
▼ 6 minutes cool down spinning at 100 rpm
http://www.flammerouge.je/factsheets/functhresh.htm

Or have I missed the point of either recommendation in the blog posts above and are these type of intervals dependant on the time of year?

Those should both be staple type workouts in your folder. There are basically two types of workouts that you should be doing to increase your speed, and both of them are described fairly well in your examples.

The first is a threshold workout - This is a pace that is at or near your race pace, with relatively short recovery. This is the second workout you describe, with the 80-85% FTP. (Remember that an FTP measurement is generally described as the maximum effort you can sustain for one hour). In this you are doing near a race pace, with short recovery compared to the length of the sustained effort. This type of effort is designed to increase the amount of time you can hold a high effort level.

The second is an interval workout, which is what your first workout describes. This is short periods of very intense effort, with enough recovery to ensure that you can complete the next interval at the desired level. If you note, the recovery period (3 minutes) for this one is nearly as long as the recovery for the threshold workout (4 mins) for a much shorter effort. This workout is designed to increase your top end speed.

Taken together over time, these workouts will increase your top speed, and increase the amount of time you can spend near that speed.

They are also somewhat dependent on the time of year. During the "off season" if you will, you should be concentrating on long distance riding, not much intensity, to get a good base for the next year. A couple of months out you should start adding in some of these workouts, and increase the frequency in which you do them through the first few months of the season, then change over to fine tuning and maintenance type workouts. If you are unsure of how to do that, a coach can be a huge help.

As far as measuring FTP, I'm not a big fan of the 5 minute tests. I prefer either an hour time trial if you can manage that, or the 2x20 method, preferably on the road.


How often should I clean my bike? How often should I clean my bike?

I've used it several times over the summer, but only once in muddy conditions, should I clean it after every ride or once per quarter?

There's a saying that a clean bike is a happy bike. You really can't clean a bike too much.

Make sure to clean the bike more often in the winter when riding on road salt, which is bad for the drivetrain.

For all bikes, I'd definitely clean the drivetrain if it gets muddy. Mud can interfere with shifting and braking.

Do not put oil or grease on the rims. If you have rim brakes, they may squeak after cleaning the rims. As long as it doesn't interfere with braking power, I don't worry about that. The clean-rim-squeal-sound goes away on its own after a bit.

In terms of the frame: With a steel frame, you'll need to worry about rust, particularly where you have any scratches in the paint. Patting the bike dry after a ride in the rain should deal with that.

(This applies to steel and aluminum, I know very little about carbon or Titanium frames, or about disc brakes.)


Bottom bracket creaking only when pedaling hard. When pedaling with a decent amount of force a very loud creaking sound can be heard coming from the bottom bracket area (it is very loud when standing on the pedals). It makes a creaking noise on each foot's down stroke. So with both feet pedaling equals two creaks per full revolution. If I unclip either foot and pedal with only one foot, a creaking noise will be heard once per revolution (on the down stroke of the pedaling foot). If I pedal softly, no noise is heard.

Things that I have done so far, yet the problem remains:

Changing pedals, regreasing their threads and making sure they are tightened.
Tightening chaining bolts.
Replacing the actual crankset.
Taking the crankset out, cleaning all the old grease and regreasing.
Making sure the crank arm is tightened correctly.

Is there anything left besides it being the bottom bracket causing the problem? I haven't had a chance to inspect that yet because it's a pressfit and I don't have the proper tools to take it out and reinsert it.

Turns out it was the rear skewer of all things causing the creaking! It seemed like it was from the bottom bracket area because it was in sync with my pedalling but I put a dab of grease near the contact points of the skewers and the noise is gone.

So if anyone else is having similar problems, check your skewers first because it's a lot easier than taking your cranks and bottom bracket apart.


MTB front suspension sounds like rusty trampoline I have an old GT i-drive 3.0 from like 2001, it has a Judy Rockshox fork on the front. I imagine its never been serviced (I bought it used) and it's starting to sound like a symphony of rusty trampoline springs. It's so noisy you could hear me coming from a mile away (riding on single-track mountain trails).

Any ideas what might cause a front suspension to make such racket? Is there anything I can do to make it stop? Like is this a DYI project or is it time to visit the mechanic?

thanks!

I think you answered the "cause" part of your question already - "long-term lack of maintenance".

Whether you want to attempt the rehabilitation yourself or not depends on your degree of comfort with that kind of thing. Here is a copy of the manual for the 2001 model (PDF file; make sure it actually matches what you have), which should help you get a sense of what's involved.

Just be glad they're not melted-down elastomer suspensions from the '90s like the last bike I inherited... yeeesh. :P


Front and Rear speed shifters aligment guide How to align the front and rear speed shifters ?

My chain dropped from the front chain ring, and I put it back on the first gear I found, then the rear one fall off, and I put the chain back on the middle gear of the rear cassette.

So my question is, how do I align the chain on the front and back gears in order to put things back in order ?

It sounds like your derailer(s), or derailleurs if you prefer, are out of adjustment. Derailers work by guiding the chain from side-to-side to shift gears. They have limit screws that are supposed to stop the movement before the chain comes off, but if the limit screws are misadjusted it will be possible to shift beyond the limits of the chainrings in the front and/or the cogs in the back.

From what you've said it sounds like you can get things back on track (so to speak) by shifting both derailers towards the middle of their range, then put the chain back on – any cog and ring that seem close – and pedal (have somebody hold the rear wheel up when you do this). The chain should settle onto the proper gear. You may hear some noise from the chain as it runs against on or both of the derailers (and may bounce around between gears if you get it just wrong). You should be able to make the front and maybe the rear quite down by making small adjustments. In any case, as long as you are towards the middle, the chain should stay on.

If you find the chain coming off as you shift towards the extremes you'll need to adjust the derailers. Start with the limit screws. Parks has a articles on adjusting the front and rear as does Sheldon Brown. One thing to keep in mind is that rear detailers are also sensitive to the alignment of its hanger.


Can I replace a 3x8 1999 Sora crankset with a Claris FC-2403? I expect I would need a compatible bottom bracket too, like the one that this Claris crankset is frequently bought together with, here. The front derailleur is already a Claris, a few months old.

This is on a Jamis Aurora 2000 that I have been riding since 2003. Between my aging and the bigger hills here in San Francisco, where the bike and I moved two years ago, the gearing on the Sora, at 52/42/30, feels a bit too tall anyway. The Claris at 50/39/30 might suit better.

Would this be worth doing? The bike fits me well, I'm fond of it. The stock wheels are aging and the cantilever brakes are squealing, but it's still a fun ride. I'd have this done by the bike shop, I'm no mechanic myself.

Well, one consideration is that this particular Claris crankset (2403) mates to an Octalink bottom bracket.  The particular model of Octalink BB required is popular and as a result costs about twice what many others cost.

Additionally, if you don't change your cassette (& it's always a good idea to pair it with a new chain), you're really not getting any easier gearing on the low end as tooth count on the small ring remains 30.   The cost of improving your ride is becoming significant and the value of the new crankset alone is near-equivalent to the Jamis' value (looking at numbers from Bicycle Blue Book).

A new road bike with a Claris groupset can be bought for around $500. They have compact and sub-compact options for cranksets and paired with a cassette with a tooth count  range of (for instance) 11-32, there's plenty of low gear for the hills.  Good bike shops will have staff that will help you with a good fit.  Take lots of test rides too. That's the best way to discover the bike for you.