What are the steps required to revert from STI shifters to friction shifters? I'm curious about trying friction shifters out for my commutes – especially since I had a shifter cable mishap recently that cost me a lot more time than it should have.

My commuter is a '70s road bike on which the previous owner upgraded the stock downtube shifters to STI shifters. In other words, the frame accepts downtube shifters already, but they aren't there. As far as I understand it, the basic procedure would for a permanent conversion would then be to

Install a pair of friction shifters on the frame again.
Remove the bar tape to be able to
Replace the STI shifters with regular brake levers.
Install (??) the shifter cables in the friction shifters.
Cut the shifter cables shorter.
Reapply bar tape.

If I just want to try this out, could I skip step 2, 3, 5 and 6? And just have the friction shifters pull the cable when it's still attached to the STI shifters? (With full knowledge that this will make the integrated shifters ineffective.)

Would this be a lot of work to just try it out? (Assuming I am able to get a hold of a pair of friction shifters.)

Basically you may drop steps 2, 3 and 6.  You'll just remove the shifter cables from the STI levers. It might not please the aesthetes but it will work. If the STI levers have the shifter cables run through external housings you remove these as well. If the housings run under the tape, you leave them alone, you just cut them where they come out from under the tape. (At this point it is a good idea to buy a cable and housing cutter which is a very useful tool that avoids a lot of messy and badly cut brake/shifter cables and housings.)

The downside for keeping the STI levers is that the combined levers are heavier and have the unnecessary side-ways freedom of movement. But that's fine if it doesn't bother you. If you find out that this is unnerving then you may switch to regular brake levers.

The day you want to change the tape, you may acquire a pair of regular brake levers and put them on the bar.

Edit: No, you can't keep the shifting cables running from the bar just through the friction shifters. You'll need to remove them and rethread them directly through the friction shifters.


Just bought a vintage Sprinter Gran Touring, where to find info? just picked up a vintage bicycle for C$75 and want to use it as a project bike. I'm curious before I start exactly what bike it is. The bike has the brand Sprinter and it says Gran Touring on the top tube. I can't seem to find any info online. It seems to be made in Canada and has a sticker at the bottom for Calgary Co-op, which today is just a grocery store. I've posted some pictures here in case someone can identify it.

'Gran Touring' alludes to 'Gran Sport' and 'Gran Turismo'. These were Campagnolo names used in former times for their derailleurs. I am not old enough to remember when those former times were, but they were decades and decades ago!

The brand means nothing if this is a department store bike. That means you have free reign to do what you like with it. You can even get it shot=blasted with braze-ons for those cables if you really wanted. Personally I would be tempted to keep the cables as is but maybe get some proper clips to hook them onto the frame. You can get them from a retro bike specialist, e.g. one that does Sturmey Archer 3 speeds.

The geometry and ride should be good, maybe put the seat back so it is mid-rails instead of inch or so forward. Thebolt holding the seat on should go behind the seatpin, not in front.

I guess you have a non-standard wheel size, treat yourself to some Schwalbe ones to fit, read the ERTRO size off the side and special order from your LBS accordingly. In that way you won't have to pay postage. Modern Schwalbe tyres will be consistent with the bike and be puncture 'proof'. This will make the difference between oddity and everyday utility bike.

Bikes of that vintage had saddlebags for carrying stuff, consider getting one as this will make the bike look better than it is, albeir doubling the price if you get a UK Carradice one.

Those 'Northroad' bars are really comfy when riding in traffic or on bumpy trails. The turning circle will probably be that of a bus with that steering rake so adjust your riding style accordingly.

If you are doing a full refurb then give yourself a whole weekend for re-packing the bearings etc. Some sizes may be non-metric, that might be to watch out for. Given the super paint quality apart from the top-tube scratches you could just ride as is and put some 'One Less Car!' stickers on the top-tube after you have got the 'gran touring' stickers off. Steal some nail-polish remover from someone female if you haven't got any useful thinners for that. T-Cut should bring up the shine on the chrome not that it really needs it.

Very nice find, definitely just a department store bike though, which is good because you can do what you want to it without destroying some notional priceless heritage.


Looking for help identifying/fixing a bike We become lucky enough to get one of my dads favorite bikes after he passed away. But it needs some TLC. Can anyone help me identify this bike so we can get a new chain for it?
We think it’s the chain. It keeps popping off.

Fortunately, bicycle chains are standardized. You do not need to know the model of the bike in order to buy a chain for it.
There are two types of chains: narrow derailleur chains and wide non-derailleur (single speed) chains. Your bike does not seem to have a derailleur, so it is probably using a wide non-derailleur chain.
The non-derailleur chains are 1/2" x 1/8" in size. You also need another spec, i.e. how many links there are in the chain. You can count them in the old chain.
However, if the chain keeps popping off, you don't necessarily need a new chain. You may need to adjust the chain tension. Looking at the bike, I don't know how easy it is to adjust the chain tension if it is at all possible. Most good single speed / hub geared bikes have horizontal dropouts, allowing you to loosen the wheel, move it back, and tighten it to get more chain tension.
If there's no way to increase chain tension, then you need a new chain. In any case, a new chain might be a good idea even on single speed bikes even though they are not as likely to cause expensive damage to rear sprocket with an elongated worn-out chain.


How much can I expect to improve in 1 year? I am 51 yo, started cycling 2 months ago. I do about 80 km per week (in weekends). Currently my average speed over large distances (max distance I've done so far is 90 km) is around 22 km/h. On flat surface, 600 m distance I currently reach on average 33 km/h, but after about 300 m I lose speed. Two months ago I was doing about 30 km/h. My peak speed is about 41 km/h, for very short distances. Do I have any chance to reach an average speed of 40 km/h over 600 m within one year?

Without knowing any more detail, the goal is probably achievable but you won't do it by riding harder, you need to train smart(er).

Given you just started cycling, if you have not had any coaching, you are probably close to fit enough to do it with improved techniques. You should therefore focus on training, not riding.  If you train to ride, rather than ride to train, you will become a stronger rider.  How much training vs riding is up to you - no point spending all you time training, especially if you don't enjoy it as much.

I suggest getting involved with a local cycle group, and maybe seek advice from a cycling coach. If you don't want to use a coach, look around the internet for training ideas and plans.  Be careful not to overdo it.


Why did the bike shop put grease on my seatpost? When I bought a new bike my LBS put grease on the part of the seatpost that inserts into the frame.

Why is this? Surely it can't seize?

On old steel bikes a good reason would be to prevent the seatpost from rusting onto the frame, thus preventing saddle height adjustment.

More recently I understand from my LBS that you do it to prevent water from seeping into the frame along the (imperfectly sealed) seatpost. Depending on your frame you could end up carrying one or more kilo's of water with you if you have a lot of rainy rides.


Why do I always get punctures in my rear wheel? I get probably five times as many punctures in my rear wheel as opposed to my front wheel. I run a good pressure and don't get obvious pinch flats.

Does anyone have a logical reason why this could be happening?

The back wheel is the wheel bearing most of the weight and also the wheel providing the driving force. For these 2 reasons it is likely that the forces being exerted between the wheel and surface are much greater on the rear wheel than on the front. This makes it more likely that you will get punctures on the rear wheel than the front - all other things equal.


Will 20 inch BMX wheels fit a folding bike (with 20 inch wheels)? I'm renovating a folding bike with 20 inch wheels and want to replace the wheels.

Will BMX wheels fit ?

EDIT 22-Feb-2020: 10mm BMX wheels dropped straight in with no mods.

The BMX freewheel was threaded on, I just screwed it off and screwed on the shimano six-speed cluster from my old bike.  It needed extra spacers on both sides of the rear axle beyond what came with the BMX wheels: I used the ones from my old wheels so I didn't have far to look.

The only thing that shows that they are not made-to-fit is, on the front wheel, the ends of the axles stick out half an inch or so beyond the wheel nuts. I suppose I will cut them off in time.

I get it that I will probably have to go single-speed and therefore also replace the crank and chain. Is there any other reason they are not compatible, like different dropouts or axle width... I also know that a 2-inch BMX tire will fit in this frame, I fitted one once.

Thanks, guys, like you say "it depends". But those pointers allowed we to find the answer for my own case which is:
"Yes, if I get 3/8 inch BMX axles and bend (cold set) the rear frame or add spacers."
Axle Diameter
Cheap store-bought bikes like mine have 3/8" or sometimes 10mm axles, which are practically the same. BMX ones are either 3/8", or are 14mm, which is a good bit larger.
It's not quite game-over for the 14mm BMX axles though because some have flats on them so they fit 3/8 dropouts as well. If the axles are solid you can file the flats yourself - but a lot are not.
Opinion was pretty unanimous - do NOT file-out the dropouts to take he larger axle.
Front Wheel
The width of the road and the BMX axles are both generally 100mm so the 3/8" BMX front wheel often drops straight in.
Rear Wheel
The rear axle is significantly wider on a road bike - 130mm on the road vs 110mm on a BMX. The BMX axles might be over-length enough to fit if you put in a 10mm spacer each side. Or you can bend-in the rear frame if it is steel to take the narrower axle (cold setting).
Just want to reinforce that the full answer is indeed "it depends", and this answer is specific to for cheap store-bought bikes with steel frames.


Can oil/grease damage tires? I've noticed a small puddle of light oil beneath the rear wheel of our Rohloff-equipped tandem. I'm told that a small amount of leakage is normal and I'm not worried about that.

The issue is that a lot of it falls on the rim and the tire. Obviously it's bad news on the rim for braking, so I'll be wiping it off and possibly cleaning with diluted degreaser.

My question is: is exposure to light oil likely to damage the tire? I know some rubbers can be sensitive to certain chemicals, so is hub oil/bike tires (in this case Schwalbe Marathons) such a combination? I would've thought someone else would have had this problem if so, but I'd like to check.

More generally, are there any products/chemicals should I keep away from tires for fear of degrading the rubber?

Like Daniel said, a good rule of thumb is to keep oils off rubber and plastics. Some will damage them, some will preserve them, but you don't want either type on your tires. You should be more worried about the fact that the oily spot on your rear tire can cause it to break traction much more easily, especially while braking or cornering. If you're going to be storing the bike for any period of time, just stuff a rag between the spokes up next to the hub to catch and absorb the oil.


Truvativ Firex chainset replacement middle 32 tooth chainring & bolts I have a Truvativ FireX chainset from 2008ish, I'm looking for a replacement middle chainring however, no shops seem to stock replacements for Truvativ chainsets.

Just wondering if anyone has any recommendations for chainrings that should fit a Truvativ Firex chainset (i.e. is there an industry standard size for them, or do they vary).

Thanks for any help.

EDIT: In the end I couldn't find one online from a reliable source, so I went to a local bike shop, and they had one in stock (Cost more than the shimano alternatives though).

According to this bike shop it takes Shimano 4 bolt 104mm/74mm BCD chainrings, so you should be able to use the Shimano rings. If you have a spare bike and the right tools, take the cranks off, remove the ring and take both into a shop. That way you/they can check the fit before you buy a chainring. It's one of those times when you're better off paying a premium for LBS service so you don't end up buying multiple wrong parts online.

I don't know how (un)common those chainrings are, but we still get them as a new stock item in Australia and there seem to be lots of hits in google


Upgrading 8 speed Shimano 105 to 11 Speed Shimano 105 I'm thinking about going to from 8 speed Shimano 105 to 11 speed Shimano 105-5800.

I know I'll definitely have to change my cassette, chain, rear derailleur and my right shifter.  But what about my crankset?  My current chain is 3/32 inches wide and my new chain would have to be narrower so what if it doesn't fit on my crankset?  Is that possible?

I'll definitely have to change my cassette

Shimano 11 speed road cassettes require wider freehub body. You have several options here:

Get a new rear wheel or hub that supports 11 speed road cassettes.
Get a replacement 11 speed freehub body if there are any (most likely not).
Get a Campy freehub body and Campy 11 speed cassette instead of 5800.
Get this Token cassette. It's an 11 speed road cassette that fits 10s freehub body.

  But what about my crankset? My current chain is 3/32 inches wide and my new chain would have to be narrower so what if it doesn't fit on my crankset? Is that possible?

11 speed chains are narrower on the outer side and same width inside. I'd first try to run older front shifter/derailleur/crankset and see if performance is acceptable. Also note that 5800 front shifter is compatible only with 5800/6800/9000 front derailleurs in case you are going that way.


Can I use a 650cc tire on a 27x1 1/4 rim? I just got these brand-new, never-touched CONTINENTAL HIGH PERFORMANCE road tires and went to install them on my bike when realized they seemed just a bit to small for my 27x 1 1/4" rim, so I checked the description size on my new tires and came across a new size I've never dealt with before continental 23-571(650x23c)

My question: can I use these tires on my most recent project? And if so what other info to know about doing this switch?

No. A 27 inch tire has a 630 mm bead seat diameter, 650c has a 571 mm bead seat diameter. That means the wire/kevlar bead of the tires has a diameter of 571 mm, and the inside of the rim has a diameter of 630 mm. The bead of the tire is designed to have very little stretch (so it stays on the rim at high pressure), so there is no way that you could fit 650c tires on a 27 inch wheel.

(also, see Can I put 700c tires on rims made for 27 x 1.25"? for a case where you might be able to squeeze smaller tires on a larger rim—but definitely shouldn't.)


Sram crankset compatibility I have a bike with SRAM s350 172.5mm 40T chainset, SRAM GXP 68mm BB and 12x142mm through axle rear hub, which should make my chainline 49mm.
As I have knee issues I am looking for 165mm crank arms (with 38T chainring). On SRAM site I see that Force 1 and GX-1000 crankset should fit, but I have 2 (actually 3) questions:

Does Rival 1 also fit those specs? As it works with 135mm rear hub (as written on SRAM web), shouldn't it work with 142mm rear hub as well, as they are basically the same? Also the Rival 1 is a lot less expensive and is more than I need so I would prefer to get that.
Do You know is there ANYWHERE in Europe that I could get some of these as I have searched every website I could think of and no one seems to have 165mm crankarms available?
What other 165mm 38T are available that are comparable to Rival 1 in price and spec?

I know it's a lot of questions but they sort of tie in to one another..I guess? :)

Thank You.

If you look up SRAM S350-1 (single chain ring) on SRAM’s website it says that it is a direct replacement for Rival 1 and compatible with 130, 135, and 142 OLD frames.  Rival 1 should be a straight swap assuming you get the correct axle variant (i.e., GPX).


Why does bicycle floor pump not show pressure reading? I bought a new floor pump and it pumps everything perfectly fine, the problem I have is that it only shows a pressure reading while I am pumping and the moment I stop, the gauge drops back down to zero. I wanted to know if this is normal. I will note that I have not tried pumping anything with high psi, only tried it for things less than 12 psi.

Does the pressure reading slowly drop to zero from non zero values when you stop pumping? If so, it means that the air is leaking from the gauge, and generally from the pump. There are three places where it can happen.

From the tube itself, meaning it is damaged. It has to be a pretty huge hole for the depressurization to be immediately apparent. Basically, the tube won't hold air at all. In such case, fix or replace it.

From the pump, meaning it is damaged. Given that it is a new pump, it is unlikely, but if this is the case, your best solution would be to replace it by warranty claim.

From the connection between the tube and the pump, specifically at the chuck/valve. This means the pump head does not sit tight on top of the valve. Disconnect the chuck and reattach it again, it may take several attempts to achieve a tight enough connection. Be sure to put it squarely and press lightly on it when closing.

12 psi is also a quite low value. Traditional floor pumps have their gauges going up to 120 psi at least. As it is for basically any mechanical gauge, the lowest 10% of its range are not accurate at all (I mean relative error of 50% — 100%) because of friction in the gauge itself. The readings are basically random, especially on cheaper pumps. Besides, the arrow will jump around simply because you apply varying pressure to handle when pumping. The readings will become more stable once you reach values of 30 psi.
If you really need to pump your tires to a very low value (< 20 psi), you are  in need of a separate precision pressure gauge. When I pump my fat bike tires (desired pressure is between 10-15 psi), I ignore the pump's gauge readings and purposefully slightly over-inflate them. Then I use a separate digital gauge which has precision of 0.1 psi, and actually deflate the tires back until I obtain desired pressure values.


How to take apart this rear BMX hub? As shown in the photo, what tool do I need to take this rear hub apart? I assume I need a tool which will fit in the 4 notches.

The problem I am trying to fix is that if you pedal, the rear cog spins but does not turn the rear wheel. Any pointers on that would be appreciated. I guess I will find out the problem when i see inside.

Thanks!

You'll need a freewheel removal tool like the Park FR-6
http://www.parktool.com/product/freewheel-remover-FR-6

You can attach that to the freewheel and then use a wrench to remove the freewheel.


Front Deraillleur Barrel Adjustment I'm working on adjusting my front derailleur; Shimano 105 group set 5700 series.  On reading on the net and also watching a couple of online youtube videos there is comments about the barrel adjustment used to either tighten or loosen the cable to ensure that indexing occurs.

Now what I'm confused with is that the notes often refer to increasing the wire tension via a counter-clockwise turn.  The question is counter clockwise relative to facing which way ?  For an inline barrel adjuster depending if i'm looking down from the shifter on the handle bars, or looking up from the cable end of the derailleur the direction is different.

Is there an easy way to know which way to turn ?

As the mnemonic goes: "Lefty loosey - righty tighty"

The indicated way to turn is always relative to the object the screw / the thread is fixed to. Examples:

If you turn the barrel on th rear derailleur towards the wheel, it's loosening. It tightens away from the bike.

The same goes for your STI: in this case loosening is towards the bar, tighening towards the front of your bike. If this was the STI on the right, it would be the other way round.


Using tandem bike wheel on regular bike I have an Avanti Giro F2 (http://www.wiggle.co.uk/avanti-giro-f-2-2016/) currently. Im quite a heavy rider at 140kg and wanted to look at strong wheel replacements for the stocks.

I've seen some wheels with more than 36 spokes, but they are all for tandem bikes and was wondering if it was something I could use for a regular bike instead.

Is this possible? If not, what alternatives or specifics can i look at to build as strong a wheel as possible on road rims?

Totally okay - you're focusing on the word tandem, when really both you and tandem riders want a "high spoke count" wheel.

36 spokes or 40 spokes or even 48 spoke hubs and rims exist but not so common in 44 spoke.

The values that are important in sizing a wheel to suit your bike are

Over-Locknut Distance or OLD.  This is the space between the inside of your rear dropouts, and should be equal to the width of the hub from outside the bearing locknuts on each side.
Cassette/freehub/freewheel mount - the system for mounting your gears should be the same, else you will need a new cassette to suit.   Yours is a Shimano cassette
Number of gears - this relates to the width of the cassette - yours is 9 speed.
Through axle or Quick Release - what does your frame take?  Appears to be Quick Release in photo.
Rim diameter - yours is 700c which means 622mm.
BRAKES - your bike has rim brakes, so you MUST have a rim that has a brake track and is rated for rim brakes.  Some rims are disk brake only these days.

You should be able to reuse your tyre and tube, unless you elect to get a wider rim and run a wider tyre like a 32 or 35mm.  This will totally depend on frame clearance at the seat and chainstays.

Also wheels intended for Tandems may have fittings for a drum or band brake  on the rear hub.  This may be useful or not in your situation.

ANSWER:  Yes you can use a higher-spoke count wheel in your normal bike, exactly the same as you might use in a tandem or a touring bike, provided all the other details match.


Help identifying this frame This frame used to be black with a campagnolo sticker though under it I found a green layer of paint. When I went to set it up they told me it's probably an old UK or Belgium bike. For what i can see the frame number looks like 81    6836.
Photos here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=10JKLCWnSE7nxlYehOYcJJPFo_1fQvr6S

Well the wheels, chainring, cranks, chain, singlespeed thing, and single front brake are all non-original.   I'd even suspect the headset has been replaced - it looks far too new.

I'm going to guess its a Raleigh or otherwise English frame from the 80s.  Here's my old 1981 Raleigh Arena, and while the lug cuts are different, the seat stay caps look very similar.

Also, one of the main similarities is the rear brake bridge, which is a plate of metal welded to the seat stays where a nicer bike would have a more-elegant brake bridge.

So no its not exactly this bike, but its this era and down at the lower end of the price range.

I'd be surprised if its chromolly steel - that always feels surprisingly light for a steel bike.


Why is doping illegal in Tour de France? It seems like a self-evident truth, but I've never heard the rationale behind it. Why is doping illegal in Tour de France?

I assume it is related to the safety of the riders? Then why don't they simply limit the doping to forms of doping and medical treatments that have been peer reviewed and demonstrated to be relatively safe?

Yeah, sure, it can never be completely safe, but that can be said for the sport itself, and any other sport. Riders make contact in Tour de France, they fall, there are inherent hazards to the sport. This is true for almost any sport.

You have to draw the line somewhere. If you allow all doping, then the winner will be the one most willing to sacrifice their long-term health to use the most drugs and maximise performance enhancement.

  Then why don't they simply limit the doping to forms of doping and medical treatments that have been peer reviewed and demonstrated to be relatively safe?

They do this to a certain extent. One of the three criteria for adding a drug to the banned list is that it represents a health risk to athletes. There are also some substances which are allowed up to a certain threshold. Asthmatics (and non-asthmatics if they feel like it) for example are allowed to use a salbutamol (ventolin) puffer, but if an unreasonable amount of salbutamol is detected, then it is deemed as being a performance enhancer instead of being used for health.

The two other criteria for banning a drug are about fairness. They are "If the substance is performance enhancing" and "If the substance violates the spirit of the sport". If a substance meets two of those three criteria, it can be added to the WADA list of banned substances. You can read more about this here.


The truth about Inner Rim Width I'm thinking about putting a bit wider tires on my mountain bike, but I'm having problems distinguishing facts from fiction about minimum required inner width rim for a tire. I have two mountain bikes with pretty narrow rims: 17 and 18 mm inner width. There are 2.1" wide tires (with tubes) on them and I had no problems. When I look at the tire manufacturer websites, e.g. https://www.maxxis.com/catalog/tire-468-140-minion-dhf, it seems that my rims are way too narrow for any of their tires. Their recommended inner rim widths start at 25 or 28 mm for a 2.35" tire I would like to get.
On the other hand, the rim manufacturer goes with much narrower requirements, e.g. https://cambriabike.com/products/mavic-xm-719-26-mtb-disc-rim?variant=32343195746378 claims that 19 mm inner width is good for 1.3" to 2.7" wide tires.
Is it safe to mount 2.35" or even 2.5" wide tires on my 18 mm inner width rims?
EDIT
I found this page with tire/rim compatibility chart, which is more lenient, but warns about sub-optimal performance of a wide tire on a narrow rim.

Visualize the extremes, i.e. a rim that was "obviously" too narrow for a 2.1". Say 10mm internal. As you get narrower, the handling gets floppier, particularly in aggressive riding. The lie of the contemporary charts is they make this effect look binary where in fact it is progressive.
Mountain bikes started out with fairly rational rim to tire width pairings. In the 90s it got weird and one could in fact assemble a terrible handling rim and tire combination from mainstream product entries that were all nominally compatible and made for the same applications. For all their oversimplifying, the charts helped pull us back. Cyclists need simple.
There is probably a math-driven answer that deals with pressure, casing construction, rider load, and the forces imparted by different styles, situations, and terrain types. It would probably still be a gradient more than a binary, but the person who could really answer that might be able to find some areas where it gets closer to being a binary, i.e. if there are certain proportions in some situations where if moved beyond things get rapidly worse. It's probably one of those seemingly mundane topics in cycling that would actually take something like a graduate level physics class to crack into.


How to slow yourself down (for playing nice with others) I have a road/touring bike that I take on longer rides with other folks. Sometimes other folks are riders of similar ability, and sometimes not. When I ride with people who ride slower, rather than changing my touring configuration (more upright bike, getting rid of clipless shoes/pedals) I'd like to just add some resistance to slow myself down/make myself work harder on the bike: this would make me go same speed as other folks while training harder than I would otherwise. I can imagine attaching an old-style bottle generator, but are there other good ways of adding drag/resistance to an existing bike setup?

Focussing on the "training harder" aspect of your question:

A simple way for training hard while keeping your speed comparatively low would be to increase your cadence.

The easiest approach: Try switching a gear or two lower than you normally feel comfortable with, meaning you will have to pedal faster to keep the same speed.

One of the advantages of high cadence cycling is less force on your legs, and therefore accumulated fatigue,  leading to a faster recovery after a long ride.

There is actually a nice GCN YouTube video on this topic: GCN: Improve Your High Cadence Cycling.

Focussing on the "playing nice" aspect of your question:

You could offer to carry a bigger share of supplies and equipment. Collect those spare tubes, an emergency pump, patches, and maybe an extra water bottle, and the additional weight will make it certainly more challenging for you (and easier for your companions), especially if your tour includes some nice climbs.


How to remove branding from tire? I have bought a new tire. It has big white labeling on each side which I don't like.

Do you know any method to remove this white text from the tire?

In the words of the Rolling Stones: Paint It Back. You may need to experiment to find something durable but it should be quite easy to find something suitable.


click noise from chainrings I'm experiencing clicking noises when I put pressure on the pedals (either side). The bike is a CAAD12 105 (it has FSA chainrings).

I've done some investigation to pinpoint the source of the clicking. I'm able to isolate the problem by standing on the crank arm (not pedal) while the front wheel is being held perpendicular to a wall. This isolates stem, handlebar, saddle, and pedals.

Of course it could still be spokes, fork, frame, or drivetrain. But I made a discovery: when I release pressure from the crank arm, there's a corresponding click. Moreover, if I remove the pressure slowly the click doesn't occur unless I press the inner and outer chainrings together with my fingers afterwards.

This leads me to the conclusion that the noise is coming from the chainring/bolt/spider interface. I have removed, lubricated and torqued the bolts back (12nm as specified by FSA). But the clicking persists.

Sounds like your crank bearing. I had the same problem. It would only do it while I was riding. Drove me crazy. If it happens every crank rotation, this could be culprit


Always cycling in highest gear, why? For all my life I have noticed that I always cycle in the highest gear (most of my bikes had at least 3x7, so it wasn't a lack of options) whilst most serious cyclists cycle on relatively low gears and are spinning like crazy from my perspective. Now, I get that taste definitely plays a role in these kind of things, but what I would love to know is whether serious cyclists learn to cycle in lower gear consciously or whether "it's just me" that loves cycling in a style where I move my legs as little as possible.

I realize this question is fairly broad and I hope the answer is fairly clear cut, but just to be fair it could theoretically be split up in:

Is there something bad about a cycling style in relatively higher gears?
What causes such a cycling style in the first place?

But I will keep it as a single question as those things are I believe extremely closely related.

Left to their own devices many will cycle at a cadence (a measure of how fast you spin) that approximates cadence of walking, an RPM of about 50-60.  So the fact you prefer a slower leg speed is not unusual. Trained cyclists will often have a cadence between 80-110 and up to 200 for sprints (track).

  Is there something bad about a cycling style in relatively higher
  gears?

Generally, many believe that pedaling at too high of a gear and too low of a cadence can cause more muscular and ligament stress.  Whether or not this bears out in terms of experimental evidence I am not sure (does anyone know of some experimental evidence?).

A confounding factor on this is an individuals neuromuscular responses (i.e., how well they fire their muscles for the activity of pedaling in circles).  People that are not "good" at pedaling will often pedal more slowly and their inefficient pedaling patterns may also be responsible for higher muscular and ligament stress.

  What causes such a cycling style in the first place?

Generally, a faster cadence has been born from performance considerations. Cycling is not a natural activity.  It is an activity we invented that co-ops a lot of our mechanical and neurological pathways used for walking (e.g., corrective steering, steering into a fall, is very similar to walking when you step in the direction you are falling).  As such we need to train our neuromuscular responses to be more tailored to an activity like cycling.  Everyone who spins fast specifically trained to do so.  Most who train and cycle lots prefer to spin faster.  That said, there are some trained athletes who pedal relatively slower (although likely still faster than a non-cyclist).

In terms of an "optimal" cadence there is still a lot of debate (e.g., Ansley and Cangley 2009) as it depends on what you are optimizing for (energetic costs, muscular stress, perception of effort, peak power).

Most will optimize based on perception of effort.  If you have not trained your neuromuscular pathways for the cycling motion it will be less developed and a slower cadence will likely feel more optimal.  As you ride more and your neuromuscular pathways become more efficient (i.e., you are better at recruiting muscles for the pedaling action) and a faster cadence will likely feel more "efficient."

Of course this is a somewhat anecdotal assertion. I haven't personally run experiments tracking peoples progression from non-cyclists to cyclists. I have however accumulated years of observations from running cycling clubs. And as always there is lots of individual variation and the possibility of exceptions.

In the end it is best to pay attention to your body and choose a pedaling speed that bio-mechanically work the best for you.


Picking an inner tube size So I need to replace my inner tube as it got destroyed beyond any repair I can make (a hole right under the valve) but unfortunately I dont know what size the inner tube should be and I cannot figure out the different types of measurements of tubes. The metal part of the wheel has the markings 700x22 A/C, while the inner tube is too worn out to make out anything on it (Ive had it for like 2 years and I patched it 3 times :D )

The wheel is on the front and its a mountain bike, If that matters.

Look at the tire. it will have a size on the sidewall. Something like 29" x something or 26" x something or 700/700c x something. Tubes are sold with a range of sizes like 700c x 20 mm - 25 mm. You just need to be within the range (or close to it).

Alternatively, you'll find a number like ISO/ETRTO 20-622. The 622 is the wheel size in ETRTO standard (in this case, 700c for common people), and 20 is the tire size. So the above 700 x 20-25 mm would work here.

I'd guess that you're running a 29er with a 22 mm rim width, so you'll need a 29" x something tube.

Also, check the valve -- the common ones are presta (little screw you have to undo to pump) and schrader (like a car). You'll want to match this with the rim (use whatever is in the rim already).


KMC Z8S IG or HG compatibility I have bought a KMC Z8S chain , but it slides over the rear cassette . The model of the cassette is Shimano CS-HG30-81 , it is not worn yet , and the chain length is also perfectly calculated . The problem is in IG / HG compatibility in my opinion , because the chain is a little bit wide , and it has a little play along the teeth of the cassette. Do you have any information about the compatibility of this chain with Shimano HG cassette ?

That model number you provided does not end in the numeral "1". Rather, it is the letter "I" which stands for "interactive glide." That means that although it is of the Shimano HG model series it is only compatible with IG chain. IG chain has an external width of 7.1mm compared to HG's 6.6mm.

Your KMC Z8S chain has a outside width of 7.1mm. It is therefore in the family of Shimano IG compatible chains along with KMC's Z51 and Z72. What you may try is adjusting your B tension screw on your rear derailleur. Adjust it so that your upper carriage/gear pulley is close to the low gear sprocket but not hitting it. Doing so will improve chain to tooth engagement.

Also, check that your derailleur/gear hanger is not bent and that your derailleur limit screws are properly set.

If this doesn't work then your sprockets may be worn despite appearances. I have encountered freewheels/cassettes that appeared un-worn but exhibited the slipping you mention even after installing a new chain. The problem was solved upon installation of a new cassette. Slipping sensation may also be caused by a worn or damaged hub body (aka, freehub) as the pawls fail to properly engage the freehub teeth. In such case it isn't the chain but the freehub itslef that is slipping but it can feel like a slipping chain.

Lastly, if your chainline is way off you may have chain rub or slipping front or rear. If you recently changed the bottom bracket, serviced your rear hub, or swapped sprockets within your cassette cluster check that all spacers were replaced properly. Also verify your new bottom bracket spline width and offsets match the old.


Looking for Techniques for Riding Uphill on a Single Speed I commute on a Single Speed (SS) bike about 13mi round trip. Going home is not a problem as the gradients are low and I can climb them. However, going in to work the gradients are much steeper and I have a hard time climbing them. I usually need to stop and walk a bit. I am looking for any pointers on climbing hills on an SS. Thanks

Edit: I am not really looking for ways to avoid hurting myself, I am young and fit so that isn't my biggest concern. I am more concerned with making my pedaling technique more efficient, especially for hill climbs. Another point I should mention is that I am using clipless pedals to increase my power output.

Verdict: I added this because I can only choose one best answer. I think that @GuyZee best addressed my question about technique, but @Steven offered a great deal of help with regards to getting a better mechanical advantage. Thanks to both of you for providing great answers.

I ride both SS/FG and approach climbing hills much of the same way I would if I were on a geared bike with one very big exception...MOMENTUM. When on a heavily geared SS/FG I gain as much speed as possible going into the hill and push hard to maintain it throughout the climb.

Basic climbing tips:

Slide back on saddle and drive heels through the bottom of the pedal stroke
If you need to stand, do so while minimizing body sway and unnecessary counterproductive upper body motion
Get into a rhythm - climb at your own pace
Stay upright to keep lungs operating at full capacity
Pull handlebars into your thighs as you drive pedals forward

Hope this helps!


Wheels for CAAD 10 Disc I have a CAAD 10 disc frame and want to find the right wheels to match.

I've seen that the Maddux RD 2.0 rims come with many complete bikes for the CAAD 10 but can't find much information on them.

What size should I be looking for to match this frame?

Thanks

The CAAD10 disc frame uses 700c wheels with standard hub spacings (135 mm rear, 100 mm front). The width of the rim  you should choose depends on the size of tire you intend to run (which is limited by your frame). It looks like the bike was originally spec'd for 700x25 tires. Based on other Cannondales, I'd guess this is somewhat tight to begin with, but if you're lucky you might be able to run 700x28's. So, pick the rim width accordingly (likely 13-17 mm).

I'd suggest buying complete wheels (or getting a wheel made by a competent wheelbuilder, who should work with you on selecting appropriate rim+hubs+spokes for your needs). Note that you need disc brake hubs on a CAAD10 disc, and your rotors have to be compatible with the hub (or you have to use an adapter).

Often, you can't get the exact parts spec'd from OEM's (there are lines of parts specifically for OEMs). But its not hard to find equivalents or improvements for around the same price (even if you can get them).

Note that a decent number of wheels (especially cheaper ones) need some adjustment before they're ready for the road (even if they're brand new) -- you'll likely want to use a bike shop for this.


Is disk brake effectiveness mitigated by tyres losing traction under strong braking? So I understand that disk brakes are superior to rim brakes and this leads to faster stopping particularly in wet weather.

I have wondered though, in wet conditions when you wish to stop as fast as possible doesn't the superior stopping effect of the disks result in the tyre losing traction ? At some point the benefits of being able to stop the wheel moving is presumably overcome by the tyre being unable to maintain traction on the road surface.

I'm assuming a decent quality tarmac surface and commuter type tyres on a day that is wet enough that rims and rim brakes would be compromised to some extent.

I realise there are a ton of variables here but I presume somebody has looked into this and I was curious to know.

Thanks.

Ideally, the brakes should be able strong enough to break traction otherwise you will not be able to brake maximally (i.e., just before the threshold of losing traction). Rim brakes can do this, even in wet weather, if set up correctly.  The real advantage of disc brakes in wet weather is other aspects of how the brakes perform.

From personal experience, disc brakes have superior wet weather performance for the following reasons:

Modulation: as stated above maximal braking is when you are on the threshold of losing traction.  Good hydraulic disc brakes are typically renowned for their feel and modulation (i.e., enacting finite changes in brake force), letting you approach those thresholds with more control.
Response time: while a well set up rim brakes can generate strong braking forces, the response is often delayed in the wet due to the need to first clear the rim of water before effective braking can occur. In a similar manner disc brakes must clear water from the rotor, but this tends to occur much more quickly due to rotors being better protected than rims and the slots in the rotors giving water a place to go when the bake pads are engaged. This gives disc brakes responsive brakes even in down pour conditions.
Wear/longevity: rim and disc brakes both use some type of brake pad, and in both cases these brake pads will wear faster in the wet. That said, brake pads associated with rim brakes tend to wear proportionately faster due the rim braking surface being closer to the road causing it to get dirtier quicker than a disc brake rotor which is close to the wheel hub.
Structural integrity: Disc brakes have a dedicated braking surface (i.e. the disc rotor), where as with rim brakes the braking surface is built into the rim.  Wearing the braking surface of rim brakes can eventually result in rim failure without regular inspections and replacements. Where as rim brakes require a wheel replacement or rebuild, with disc brakes wheels should theoretically last longer as it is fairly trivial to replace a disc rotor. Furthermore, damage to a rim will affect braking for rim brakes, but not disc brakes.

In dry weather and/or clean conditions there is arguably less of an advantage to disc brakes compared to a well set up rim brake.


Painting for mudguard is needed! I want my mudguard(for cycle) in style but I don't have paint.  When I search web it is very costly.  Can I do it with water colour or fabric painting? Or there is any other paint but it should be below 500 rupees / $7 USD / 6 euro

I'd suggest starting with enamel paints from a model shop.  They come in small tins, and you will need one tin of each colour your design requires.
Enamel paints used to mean oil-based, but now there are "acrylic enamels" that can wash up in water, but still have oil based qualities.
Additionally you will need multiple small brushes, on a size to suit your design.  Fine pointed brushes for fine lines and details, and some wider brushes (10-12mm) to fill in larger parts.
Preparation is key - literally.  You need to prepare the surface so it will have a key, or tooth, to hold the paint.  That means sanding, and you might require an etching primer too.
Lastly once your design is done, you will need multiple layers of clearcoat on top to protect the paint from impacts, dirt, weather, and fading from UV light.
Another significant issue is vibration and cracking - a bike is ridden and the mudguards/fenders will flex.  This could crack the paint and make it fall off over time.   I suggest you try a small test before investing a lot of time in something that may look awful after a few rides.

Sadly one pottle of paint is around $4 USD so your budget won't go far.  I'd suggest you buy some 220 grit sandpaper $3, one colour of paint $4, one spray can of clearcoat $12, and a paintbrush $2.  There will be leftovers of course, but you're in for at least $20, or 1500 rupee.  You might be able to source things cheaper, or perhaps you already have some items.
Either way, if you just slap paint on an un-prepared surface, it won't last very long.  In that case, might be better to not do it at all.


Long post v-brake (or canti) shoes? (Canti studs not sufficiently inboard) Someone built me a small, custom recumbent bike recycled from older bike frames. He did a generally decent job, but seems to have messed up placing the rear canti studs. They should have been spaced inward toward the rim at least 5mm per side. At least, that's the estimate I get doing some measuring and initial setup. Where there's only about 4mm of pull left there (pads are contacting the rims at that point) there should be about 40-45mm between the noodle end and the right lever -- according to tektro's directions.

I had first hoped to solve this problem by finding longer threaded post brake shoes. No one seems to market anything like that as a feature. The posts on these are 25mm, which look about the same as any others I've had in the past. I found nothing longer.

Next, I tried to approach this with a pair of female-male m6 spacer on each side, but I can't get enough male threaded post to install correctly.

My other potential option is (not my fave) canti brakes since he did put a canti stop bridge up top, just out of the photo. However, I'm not sure I won't have similar issues with the spacing, depending on post length. It appears that if I use a smooth post canti, like an altus, I might be able to get the far enough inward, since they secure by a loop pulling on them perpendicular to the direction of the post. (Probably should have gone for the canti brake first -- cheaper than the spacers were!)

But not knowing the length of those posts (anyone?) I wasn't sure they'd solve the problem, and I wanted to avoid having to buy new brake levers as well, plus match the front brake to the back. (On this bike, the front doesn't carry much weight, so it should really have a weaker brake than the back to avoid locking up and washing out...)

The final option that I brainstormed was to use some 5mm or 7mm thick by 20mm wide aluminum stock and build a short adapter that attaches to the inside of the brake arms (toward the rim, thus providing the inward spacing) and secures with an M6 screw to the brake arms where the shoe normally mounts. Offset about 8mm to the side (opposite, across the arm center point, for max rigidity) a 6mm hole to mount the brake shoe as normal, with the beveled spacers for making angular contact. Up/down would be accomplished with the normal slot.

That would give me the spacing and the pieces are thick and short enough that they shouldn't flex much. It's a couple hours work with hand tools, I guess.

Adding sketch. The stock I've got is good quality, pretty stiff, and mounting as shown in the sketch actually places the shoe post a similar distance from the middle of the lever arm as the stock mounting slot, and the flats of the middle of the arm are pushing the adapter toward the rim too. Second photo shows midline of the brake arm better than my sketch.

Anyone ever run into a similar issue? Anyone know of longer threaded post shoes or happen to know what the post length is for smooth post canti shoes?

Builder is willing to take it back, redo the rear end, which would mean re powder-coating as well, plus two trips shipping across the country. He won't charge for the fix of course, but it seems like a lot of effort and material, so I'd like to explore less resource-intensive options first.

Failing longer studs, taking any and all ideas!

A rear wheel with a wider rim could make up the gap, depending on what you have in there now. There are a wider selection of wide rims available now, although I do not know if this extends to smaller wheel sizes. Wider rims will likely mean running a larger volume tire, but there is plenty of room.


Presta valve pump or presta adapter I have a bicycle with Presta valves.

Should I buy a Presta pump or a Schader pump and a Presta-to-Schader adapter?

You don't actually have to decide :-)

For bicycles you want a pump that is capable of pretty high pressures (at least relative to a car) and most bicycle pumps can do either Presta or Schrader valves. Many floor pumps have a reversible head (two heads in one). For frame pumps it is common for the pump head to be convertible between Presta and Schrader.

Unless you have a reason to support Schrader valves life will probably be simpler if you have your pump set up for Presta valves, but I think it is a good idea to also carry a Presta-to-Schrader adapter with you. They are very light. If the rest of your world is Schrader then it might be more convenient to just put adapters on both of your wheels and pretend that they have Schrader valves. Moving the adapter around on a regular basis will probably get old.


How do I bleed Avid Elixir brakes My bike has a set of Avid Elixir R hydraulic brakes. The front brake barely goes on when I pull the lever and the back brake feels pretty soft. I think I need to bleed them. How do I go about doing this?

I think the brakes got like this because I pressed the brake level when the bike was upside down or when the wheel was removed putting the bike into my car.

All Avid brakes require the proprietary brake bleed equipment and that a fairly complex procedure is followed. Avid/SRAM sell a brake bleed kit that comprises:

two syringes
caliper and level hose barbs with hose and clamps
T10 Torx allen key
DOT 5.1 brake fluid
caliper spreaders to hold the caliper apart while bleeding

The kit is quite expensive and several eBay sellers provide a cheaper alternative kits. Any hydraulic brake fluid that complies with the DOT 5.1 standard is suitable for Avid brakes. It is possible to assemble your own brake bleed kit by sourcing some 20ml syringes, M? hose barbs, neoprene hose, hose clamps and using some US quarters or UK 2pence pieces to spread the calliper pistons.

The bleed procedure is documented by SRAM in a youtube video:

and also in their service manual PDF:

https://www.sram.com/service/techdocs/hydraulic-disc-brake-hose-length-adjustment-bleed-guide

The procedure involves:

prepare the brake fluid by using a partial vacuum to remove bubbles from the fluid
connect a 50% full syringe to the caliper and 25% full syringe to the lever
close the brake lever and clamp with a rubber band
pull on the caliper syringe gently to remove bubbles from the caliper
push the caliper syringe until around 25% of the fluid has transferred to the lever syringe
open the lever while gently applying pressure to the caliper
remove the caliper syringe and replace the bleed screw
pull gently on the level syringe to remove bubbles from the caliper
apply the brake lever and repeat until all bubbles are removed
remove the lever syringe and replace the bleed screw
clean all traces of brake fluid with alcohol or soapy water

At this point you should have properly bled brakes. Test carefully before heading back out on the trail!


How long does it take to get used to a hard saddle? I recently "upgraded" to a Romin Comp Gel saddle from a soft racing saddle because my old one, while extremely comfortable on long road rides, wasn't working for the TT position I'm now practicing for an upcoming Ironman.

I've been professionally fit with the seat, so I think things are lined up well.  I've ridden nearly 200 miles over the last week with it and the problem is: it still freaking hurts.  It's not chafing; it's pressure right in that, uh, under-area that's supposed to sit in the gap of the saddle.

Can I expect it to get awesome any time soon, or should I try another saddle at this point?

Edit:

Regarding seat position, I have my current seat all the way forward, which is where I've been steadily moving it over the last two weeks since my professional fitting.  Moving it forward did help, but now I'm stuck again (and I have one of those bent seatposts that is pointing forward as well).

Take it back and get a different one. A decent bike shop will let you do this. I went through 3 saddles the last time.

The goal is that the "saddle fits you", and not, "you fit the saddle".

  It really doesn't take weeks.

to determine whether a saddle is right or not! A long ride will do.

An anecdotal note... My current road bike saddle would qualify as a "hard leather saddle". At the time I bought the bike, I didn't like the original saddle, then tried a Specialized, then a Fizik, and then settled on a Selle Italia. I'm not knocking either Specialized or Fizik or any other brand; it's just that the Selle Italia saddle worked for my anatomy, and I often spend an entire day+ sitting on that saddle. Saddles are like shoes, they have to fit the wearer. A 30 mile ride told me which saddle to get.


Proper fork length for a bike with 5.5 inches of rear shock I purchased an older Santa Cruz Blur frame today.  From what I can gather the shock mounted on the frame gives 5.5" of travel.  I'm looking to buy a fork to match.  Do I need to go with a 140mm fork, or would something like 120 work?  What are the problems associated with differing lengths of suspension between the front and rear?

Thanks for any suggestions.

The different lengths of suspension will affect the geometry by giving your bike a steeper (or not) head angle. Too much travel might make it tougher to pedal as well, depending on the fork's settings. A too long/short fork (compared to what it was designed to use) might put some unnecessary stress on the tubes and for that reason forks outside of a certain range void warranties.

The blur is designed for a 5.5 in / 140 mm fork. I'd suggest going to a local Santa Cruz dealer (if such a thing exists where you live) and ask them if 120 mm is fine too.


Unconventional, pretty bicycle helmets My wife and do a lot of urban riding - mostly on bike lanes - and usually we don't wear a helmet for these rides. But I'd like us to start, and I'd like to get her a nice helmet, one that doesn't look like a standard bicycle helmet. I found a couple of companies that make the sort of thing I'm considering - for example - Yakkay, Nutcase or Lazer. Other than being more expensive, do these helmets have serious drawbacks? We live in a pretty hot, humid climate, so ventilation is definitely a concern.

Some clarifications:

I want to point out that even though I described it as "hot and humid" here, lots of people - probably a sizable minority - do ride with helmets. I ride with one on the longer rides, but I have a habit of skipping it for the short urban ones. The two of us agree, in principle, about wearing a helmet, but I think she'll be much happier starting with something pretty.

Here is Tel Aviv, by the way.

Personally, I think that good cycling helmets are beautiful. The lines are elegant. The transitions between the surface of the helmet and the vents are graceful. The way that the helmet increases in size from front to back is reminiscent of the wind. They're really quite astounding pieces of technology, if you really look at them.

On the other hand, cheap bicycle helmets just look bulky and blunt. And the type that most people seem to be linking to, the "brain buckets" that look like skateboarding or horse racing helmets, are just hideously ugly.

I know that doesn't really answer your question, but as you mentioned ventilation is a big issue and I really think it's worth it to have a good cycling helmet. And there's a big difference in ventilation between a $40 and a $100 helmet. I think if you drop the money on a good cycling helmet, you'll be much happier with it than you will with a "fashion" helmet.


MTB 9 speed sram shifters/rear deralier, shimano 9 speed cassette (HG?) only shifts to 8 cogs I have an old KHS Team ST frame that I just threw components on about 15 years ago.  the drive train is SRAM esp 9.0 shifters and rear derailleur with a shimano HG cassette.  I have never been able to shift into the smallest cog.  I wonder if this frame (most likely 1999 or 2000) is compatible with a 9 speed drivetrain or if I am just absolutely horrible at bicycle maintenance.  I am also no longer certain that my chain is a 9 speed chain, but it probably needs to be replaced so I will be doing that anyway.

What are some things I can look at to fix this problem.

If you've already checked the lower limit screw of the derailleur, and also checked for a bent derailleur hanger, another thing to consider is cable friction. To get to the smallest cog, the derailleur spring has to move the derailleur all the way to the outside. While it's doing that, the spring is pulling the shifter cable out of its housing.  If there is a lot of dirt/oil/gunk buildup inside the cable housing, that would make it difficult.

Given that the bike is fairly old, it's worth removing the shifter cable and lubricating the inside of the cable housing. Then you could either reuse the old cable if it's in good shape, or better yet, get a new shifter cable (should cost just a few dollars).


Canyon Strive AL 6.0 - SRAM GXP or a Pressfit GXP bottom bracket? Does the 2016 Canyon Strive AL 6.0 Race have a SRAM GXP or a Pressfit GXP bottom bracket?

It's a SRAM GXP in a threaded bottom bracket shell.

Here's how I found out:

The Canyon web page says just 'SRAM GXP', so I looked for some reviews thinking they might provide info about the BB. This Mountain Bike Review page has a picture that clearly shows the BB area, and you can see the bearing is an external type, not a press fit type.


At what temperature do you say its too cold to ride a bike? It's been a great winter here in DC, its mostly high 30's but the last few days it's low 20's and in at night a little windy?

Anything colder than -55F (-48C) is difficult to mechanically maintain.  Most lubrication products on the market for cold weather are rated to -60F (-51C).  Which means that at -50F (-45C) they become almost unrideable and at -55F (-48C) pretty much unrideable.

I am aware of products rated for colder than that, but they have issues that when stored at room temperature, they will turn liquid and drain out of whatever compartment they are attempting to lubricate.

Personally, I have several zones:

Anything above 70F (21C): too hot to ride comfortably

70F (21C) to -10F (-23C): perfect riding weather

-10F (-23C) to -30F (-34C): possible to ride comfortably with proper prep on appropriate bicycle

-30F (-34C) to -50F (-45C): not comfortable, but rideable (similar to 70F+/21C+)

below -50F (-45C): Not rideable mostly due to mechanical conditions

You may also check this quesion for answers regarding prep work for cold weather riding.


Upgrading suspension fork I am currently thinking of upgrading my suspension for to something like a Rock Shox.

This is the bike I have:

https://www.cyclerepublic.com/catalog/product/view/id/4535/s/voodoo-bantu-650b-mens-mountain-bike-2016/?gclid=CjwKCAiA9f7QBRBpEiwApLGUiizwX2OekS8GOrEvZOcExb0Kroack3qj-VU7L0xlUn0AN8KaBu5L0xoCMWoQAvD_BwE

I was wondering what should I look for in term of specs so a different fork will fit my bike (i.e stem width and threadless and axle size)

Thank you for all answers

A good place to start is looking up the specifications of your current Suntour fork: http://www.srsuntour-cycling.com/components/fork/XCM-27-5-5617.html

The important points are:

Straight 1 1/8" diameter steerer tube
Post type brake caliper mount for 160mm rotor
9mm quick-release wheel attachment

You will also need the axle to crown length to be the same or at least close. The Suntour page does not give it but you can measure it easily. I'm not particularly knowledgeable about MTBs but I am  guessing that most 120mm travel forks for 27.5" wheels will have about the same length.


How to keep a huge cargo bike safe in the city? I have been biking for transportation and pleasure the whole time I've lived in Chicago, and I'm familiar with the basics of locking up and storing my commuter bike.

Yesterday I added a Yuba Mundo to my stable because I'm getting rid of my car and I'd like to still be able to go places with passengers. I rode it to the grocery store and was just barely able to lock it to the bike rack there, and only because one whole side of the rack was free.

A U-lock won't fit around both the frame and a locking-post because I can't get the frame close enough to the locking-post. I've been using Kryptonite cables to tether it to a post, and then locking the U-lock through the cable, frame, and front wheel. I also plan to cover it with a tarp when it's parked on my patio, to keep birds off it as well as to hide it a bit from would-be thieves. Next to the giant tubes of the Yuba, the Kryptonite cable looks like a little thread.

I can't park this thing indoors because it won't fit inside most places (including my third-floor walk-up) and it has me laying awake at night worrying that the cable will be cut.

What other steps besides locking it to itself, cabling it to a post, and covering it with a tarp should I take to ensure the safety of my bike, both at home and out and about?

I'm answering my own question because I took a combination of the steps above, plus some other steps.

I took steps to make getting it back in event of theft more likely:

registered the bike with the Chicago police: https://portal.chicagopolice.org/portal/page/portal/ClearPath/Online%20Services/Bike%20Registration
I plan to register it with https://www.nationalbikeregistry.com/ as well
Made sure the store I got it from keeps bike serial numbers on file
Rolled up an extra copy of the receipt, with my name and phone number on it, and put it inside the seat tube
Made sure it was covered on my renter's insurance

I figured out a hardware setup

Heavy chain (the Fuggedaboutit lock+chain) for locking the frame to a post, instead of the flimsy cable.
Tethered the seat to the frame with a small cable
Normal U-lock for locking the front wheel to the frame.

I'm hoping to deter based on looks also

Covering up brand-name info with a unique combination of stickers
Chose a bright, unusual color when I bought it


Bent fork, is it replaceable? I got into an accident on my Raleigh Revenio 1.0 nearly 5 years ago. I've ridden it 400-500km since then with no problems. I don't see any damage to my top tube, down tube, or head tube. It turns out that I bent my fork, but I didn't know that until just last week.

I've moved from the USA to The Netherlands recently and I my local bike shop guy says professionally he thinks it is unsafe to ride, but personally he'd ride it. I have a few questions:

Can I get this replaced? My LBS guy says it's some kind of integrated system that is out of date now. Also, the bike is American and I'm in Europe. Maybe I can get a replacement more easily in the USA?
How dangerous is this to ride? I have a race (triathlon with 40km bike) in 2 weeks and I'm hesitant either to switch bikes now (plus I'm kinda broke) or to use a rental for the day.

I know tons about swimming and running (coached both for many years), but next to nothing about cycling, so any help will be very much appreciated. I know my bike is a 56cm frame, but beyond that I'm a novice. Thanks for any help you can provide.

You have three hazards.

First, there is some danger that the fork could fail catastrophically.  But if you are religious about inspecting the fork for cracks on a regular basis (and taking action of some sort should a crack appear) then the danger of this is low.

Second, having the wheel pushed back reduces your toe clearance, which can result in nasty spills if your toe hangs up on the wheel.  But there are many bikes designed with less clearance than yours, so this is a personal choice kind of thing.

Third, and possibly most significant, the damage affects the delicate geometry -- the "rake" and "trail" -- of the front wheel.  This affects handling and stability in subtle (and not so subtle) ways.  But if you've been riding the damaged bike for 5 years and not noticed this you've either become accustomed to this or the effect is not strong enough to worry about.

The bike looks like a reasonably popular one in the US, though I can't say about the specific model.  It's possible you could find a damaged one to scavenge parts from, but you'd have to be sure the "donor" bike did not have front end damage.


What do I need to consider for a cheap wheel for a Specialized Tri-Cross to use on a trainer? I am wanting to buy a new rear wheel to make my life easier when wanting to use my turbo trainer, so I don't need to change the tyre on my current wheel every time I wish to go out/stay in.

My current wheel is an AlexRims Ace19 with a internal width of 17mm.

As this is my first time buying wheels, what would be some considerations for getting something cheap that fits the bill? I say cheap because I'm using a used adventure bike, so nothing is expensive in my setup.

From your other question we know you have a Specialized Tri-Cross 3x9 with an XT MTB derailleur.

This is what you need to know:

Rim brakes and quick release hub.
Rim diameter: ISO 622 or '700c' - you can look up bicycle wheel rim diameter conventions
Rim internal width: You can go a little narrower or wider than 17mm as tires work on a range of rim widths. Check the min and max rim widths of the trainer tire you will be getting.
Hub width (between the frame dropouts); Your bike will either be 130 or 135mm. It's easy to measure with the rear wheel out.
8/9/10 speed compatible. The cassette freehub body width for all those speeds is the same. On 11 speed wheels it's a little wider to accommodate 1 extra sprocket.

You don't care about spoke count, weight or stiffness so you can literally get any wheel that meets those specs. I'd look around on Craigslist or Facebook for a used wheel - but make sure it's reasonably true and the hub bearings are not worn out. Alternately you can get a new cheap wheel from either your LBS or one of the online bike component stores.


Road shifter to Mountain Bike derailleur compatibility (Example: SRAM x7) I am wondering what's involved in switching out Mountain Bike (MTB) shifters to integrated road shifters while keeping the rest of the MTB drivetrain (derailleurs, cassette, etc.) unmodified.

Note that I am not interested in bar-end/ friction style shifters as is popular on touring bikes. I'm already aware that's an option. So below, by road shifter I mean integrated shifter/brake lever like Shimano's STI or Sram's double-tap.

A similar question was asked here but the answer focused on the derailleurs and didn't say much about shifters.

I'll ask this question in three parts (feel free to only answer one):

Generally speaking, do all MTB derailleurs have some road shifter with which they would be compatible? Or if you were planning on buying a MTB with the aim of switching to road shifters, would you need to be careful about your initial choice of MTB drivetrain? I.e. can you just buy whatever bike and build you like, then find the road shifter that will work with it? Or do you need to restrict yourself to a subset of MTB derailleurs for which you can actually get compatible road shifters?
What are the criteria for finding a road shifter that will work with a particular MTB derailleur?
For a specific example, and to clarify why I'm interested in this, I want to get a fat bike but because of some wrist problems, I have trouble with flat bars but no trouble with drop bars (where I usually ride on the hoods). In the price range I'm looking in, I'm seeing that a lot of fat bikes are built with Sram 1x chainring and x5 or x7 rear derailleur. I would like to know if there is an integrated road shifter/brake lever that would be compatible with this rear derailleur (and also mech disk brakes, e.g. BB7). I picture putting this setup on a flared drop bar like a Salsa Cowbell or Woodchipper.

Thanks.

Most SRAM 10 speed road levers will work with a 10 speed x5 or x7 mech.
Its to do with cable pull ratios - SRAM are using a 1:1 ratio they call .
'Exact Actuation'

Follow link for a list of compatible products


Are eliptical chainrings effective? Possible Duplicate:
  What is the deal with oval chainrings?

I know that eliptical chainrings have been around for a long time and their use seems to have peaked back in the 70's & 80's.  I recently saw a professional rider using them in the TDF and I started thinking...

Is there any empirical data that supports or refutes the claim that eliptical chainrings provide more power output with less muscle fatigue?

Sheldon brown offers a full breakdown of the biopace rings here

This answer here may be what you need


Front derailleur wont shift to small gear I have removed the cable and loosened the range adjustment screws to take them out of the picture.
Spring on front derailleur now pushes the cage all way to left. Looks correct so chain should move to smallest gear. But just stays on middle gear and rubs cage.  Won't hop.
Nothing is jamming the cage from moving inward; it is at max inward and lined up with inner gear. Its not bent nor mounted too high. Everything looks correct.
Any ideas?

Make sure the derailleur is clean and nothing is jamming the mechanism that is preventing the cage from moving inboard.
Make sure the derailleur is mounted with the cage parallel to the chainrings, and isn't mounted to high.
Possibly the cage is bent.


Adaptive seats because of Total Knee Replacement After TKR (total knee replacement) have a difficult time in foot placement on pedal, my right foot falls in middle due to range of motion? Any ideas or suggestions?

I thought if I found a seat that sat back, it would allow for right foot to hit at ball!

There’s a company called Rans

http://www.ransbikes.com/

that makes bikes that they call crank forward.  You might say it’s halfway between a recumbent and a conventional bike.

They cost more than I would be inclined to pay, but your seat will be back.


What is a cheap puncture-proof tire against tackweed? Lately, each time I ride my bike around the Bay Area, I get tackweed onto my wheels where upon one or both of them flatten overnight. Most of those are five minute rides to my local library. So, I have had to replace the tube at least ten times already for a two-month period. Details of the situation:

Road Bike that I got from Costco.
Tire is 700x40c, Kenda (42-622)

I'm not very verse in bicycles, but my final solution is that I need to find a tire that does not get punctured by tackweed. My problem is that I have not found such tires at a cheap price with the right size. By cheap price, I mean something around $25-30 if able; otherwise, I would alright with something less than $70 as long as the size can be fitted onto the rim.

Forget the slime, thornproof tubes, and tire liners.  IMO, the best puncture protection for under $40 are Vittoria Randonneurs.  I've had excellent luck with them.  I had a pair of Gatorskins before the Randonneurs, and trust me, Kevlar belts do not work as well.  Because the Kevlar is a woven material, very sharp objects can penetrate between the Kevlar fibers.  Happened to me at least six times with the Gatorskins over a two year period.  Blackberry thorns, glass, and even staples penetrated the Kevlar.

Also, since you say you're not very versed in bikes, I have to wonder if you may be pinching the tubes when mounting them, or leaving whatever punctured the tube in the tire, allowing the next tube to be punctured as well.  Are you checking for any sharp objects poking through the inside of the tire, or for any burrs along the inside of the rim?  I always try to find the puncture in the tube before removing it from the rim, so I can concentrate on that area of the tire for a closer inspection.


Will the topeak FX & RX mudguards fit a Carerra kraken? I have this bike

Will these mudguards fit OK?

I don't know much about fittings, but there is a picture on the bike link.

From the Topeak website, the front one attaches like this:

and the rear one like this (onto the seatpost):

so it's likely they'll both fit.

A search for the Topeak FX Mudguard on Google Shopping gives me various ones at less than £9 as does the Topeak RX Mudguard. This place allterraincycles.co.uk appears to have both the front and rear in stock and will charge you 2 quid less including delivery, than the ebay one you're looking at.


Do I have a genuine GT frame, even though it's not engraved or stamped with the GT logo? How can I know whether the bike frame I have is a genuine GT? I found the serial number u31036009 on the bottom of the hub. It has no GT logo stamp or engraving anywhere on it. Could it still be genuine?

My awnser is that it COULD be a real gt,but probably one made strictly for racing(not publicly sold) or a prototype made by some one working for the company at the time. My big brother once had a profile complete bike(When they only sold bars to the public) because he was racing at the time and it had no serial numbers or logos/stickers. Its because it was a prototype and a R/D guy asked him to check it out and give him feedback about it. He then gave it to my brother when he was finished with testing. And when my brother told his friends they laughed at him saying he was lying because "They only sell handlebars". No body would believe him except me( I was there) so It could be some reason they didnt put logos on . Probably a prototype if not,could be a fake


How to pass a bicycle while driving a car I understand this is more of a driving question, but I'm curious to know the answer from the bicycling community and perhaps gain insight into how to act both as a bicyclist and driver.

The other day I was driving on a local two-lane 60mph highway when I encountered a bicyclist. Naturally, I slowed down to assess the situation, waiting for oncoming traffic to pass, and pulled into the oncoming lane in order to give the bicyclist a berth and pass them. This was on a busy country highway with high speed traffic but no bicycle lane nor really a shoulder for them to ride on to avoid cars, so it wasn't the best road to be biking on, but regardless I tried to pass them safely.

To my confusion and amusement, the bicyclist flipped me the bird.

Previously, I had considered to best way to safely pass a bicycle would be to pass them like a car: signal, move into the oncoming lane, move back once the road is clearly seen in my rear view. This apparently was not the correct course of action to the irritated bicyclist, and I am curious to know what the safest and most respectful way to pass a bicyclist is, particularly on a road where there is not a ridable shoulder or bike lane.

The problem is ambiguity.  Sometimes you'll be unfairly judged by cyclists you're trying to pass.  It will happen.  Sometimes it helps to reduce the sting of the judgement with some perspective on what's going on.

When you’re on a bicycle, cars are death monsters. You spend your time trying to keep distance from them. You wish they would all just disappear. Even when they're trying to be friendly. It’s like you’re walking around in the woods, and suddenly you’re approached by a woodcutter who wants to have a friendly chat with you, but he’s carrying a running chainsaw casually in one hand, and walking really fast. What are his intentions?

Same sort of thing with drivers zooming up to you. People don’t even realize their mistake, because most people have never had it happen to them. Cross-country bicyclists deal with it all the time.  (I am one of those.)

People will cruise up within inches of you at a stoplight and ask “where ya goin’?”, expecting an answer while you’re madly trying to determine if they intend to go straight or turn right when the light changes, potentially obliterating your bicycle and ending your life. If you don’t respond, you’re being rude.  It sucks for everyone.
People will honk their horns at you as they drive by, startling you as you attempt to balance on a narrow strip of shoulder, and unless you look up into their window and parse their faces and their upraised hands, you’ll never know if they were honking because they want to encourage you and cheer you on, or because they hate the sight of you and intend to plow you into a ditch.
People will slow down to a crawl behind you, stacking up the traffic, even though you’ve given them the entire open lane to pass you by, while you ride over rocks and garbage in the gutter to make yourself as small as possible. They will hover there, and you have no idea if they are displaying chivalry and waiting for a clear oncoming lane so they can veer into it and give you a wide, respectful berth – or if they are malevolently cursing you for having the nerve to ride such a ridiculously slow contraption on their highway, and getting ready to scream at you or throw something at you from an open window as they shoot forward. You have no idea because you can hear them, but you can’t see them.  Or if you have a rearview mirror (like I do, and like I recommend every cyclist obtain), you can see them well enough to know there's a car there, but you still can't see their faces.

In all of these situations, people are either trying to be model citizens—or they are planning to seriously endanger you—and you have absolutely no idea which it is until it happens.

I was driving my car across Nevada once.  It was sweltering outside.  I passed a cyclist slowly rolling in the other direction and I knew he would be thirsty.  I turned around at a pullout and went back the other direction, passed him again, then went another half a mile ahead of him before I slowed down and stopped.  Then I shut off the car, got out with the water bottle in my hand, clearly visible, and waited there while he closed the distance.  It was a gallon of water and he was grinning ear-to-ear as I handed it to him, and sure enough he drank half of it on the spot, in one go.  He'd underestimated the heat of the day and I knew he had another 50 miles to go.  We had a great chat about touring and took a few photos together.

I wouldn't have known to approach him that way if I hadn't already had a dozen encounters of my own on long tours.  And I have to take the rarity of this knowledge into account, for however long I ride:  People just aren't going to know what it's like.  It's always going to be ambiguous.  They will always scare you without intending to.  And you just gotta accept that your life is in their hands and hope they mean well.

So, it's a scary situation, and there aren't very many good ways to reduce that fear.  But there are a few:

When you're interacting with a bicyclist, never honk your horn.  If they're new to the road, just the sheer surprise of it might make them accidentally steer into a ditch.  With experienced riders, you can sometimes toot your horn after you've passed them, while also waving to show you're not furious, but usually just waving works as well.  Believe me, they're got their eyes on you at that point, they'll probably see you wave.  And that'll make them smile and feel relieved, which is great.  We're all on an adventure together!
When you see you need to pass them, be assured that they see you and are trying to do what they can to make that pass happen so you can both be rid of each other as soon as possible.  With this is mind, try to hang back as far as you can while still keeping your own view of the situation in the oncoming lane.  The closer you hover by a cyclist, and the longer the time, the more nervous they become.  What's worse, sometimes long-range cyclists attract a lot of attention just because of their gear, and people will hover behind them just out of curiosity, which they find frustrating, especially when there are other cars around to complicate things.  But that's not your situation, and it's rare in general.

Do your best to drift back as far from them as you can until the opportunity to pass presents itself.  The very fact that you are drifting back—that you were closer and now you're farther—will signal to them that you are taking things seriously and understand their perspective.  That said, number three:
Pass as soon as you safely can!  Get out from behind them and get on your way as soon as the visibility and the space is adequate.  If you're not on a busy road, chances are the cyclist was riding in relative peace and quiet until you appeared, and is eager to get back to that, rather than this constant state of panic.  The longer you linger back there the higher his/her panic will rise.  Every cyclist, everywhere, would much rather have you ahead of them than behind.  All that deadly force is then pointed the other way!

Please employ these tactics.  Every cyclist on the road will appreciate it, even if some of them still react badly in the moment.  It's sometimes just a no-win situation that way.  But believe me, most of us really get it—we're all drivers too (unless you're in a dense urban environment where cars are optional)—and we'll truly appreciate that you hung back, then made your move ASAP.  The almost businesslike appearance of this when it's executed well is especially refreshing.  Thank you for asking this!


First road bike: mech disc brakes vs dual pivot sidepull brakes? I'm keen to buy my first road bike to do some rides around London (evening and weekend rides for exercise and travel), I've narrowed it down to 2 within my price range:
Example: Carrera Zelos from Halfords  and Triban starter from Decathlon  There doesn't seem to be too much in it but I was just wondering whether anyone had any advice or thoughts on which might be better for a beginner?
Specifically  I've read so many different opinions on mech disc brakes vs dual pivot sidepull brakes but I'm still not set either way... mech discs better in rain vs sidepulls lighter and easier to replace(?). As someone who has never maintained a bike before I don't want to go with mech disc brakes if that means having to have expensive replacements down the line that I can't do myself.
However, Halfords appeals as they offer lifetime bike health checks, warranty on the frame and Carrera seem to be a decent brand for a beginner?
Also the dual hand position brake levers (interrupter levers) on the Triban looks appealing but the handlebars seem to be quite narrow at the top and I'm thinking when I get more into cycling they may become an annoyance/no room for lights etc?
Any advice at all is much appreciated!
Many thanks in advance :)

While specific shopping comparison questions are off-topic here due to their tendency to become obsolete, there is a perfectly good generic question here where these two bikes can be used as examples, so I will take that angle on it.
The two bikes in question have similar price points, but the braking system on the disc one is eating a lot more of the price tag. To compensate, it's a 7-speed freewheel bike in 2021 and has essentially the worst road bike components money can buy, and the unnamed brakes that are getting room made for in the price tag are probably themselves very mediocore. This dynamic is common with bikes: there's a must-have feature that stands out to consumers, so in order to fit it in at a given price point, everything else is downspecced to the point where the overall level of functionality is arguably worsened. Product managers who attempt a more balanced approach at the entry level price points, where there exists a greater amount of ignorance to be exploited, are punished for their integrity and don't stick around the business. The sidepull bike in question is more in that direction: something someone who knows about bikes would choose for themselves if that was the budget they were working with, but which lacks features deemed essential by a hype-driven market. (Few low-end road bikes are pure examples of this because of the massive impact of brifters on their price tag.) So if you do get it, you will have to live with the fact that you've chosen a bike with the wrong look and bullet-point features, and your only consolation will be that it's saner and better.
It is true that disc brakes have advantages for wet weather conditions, but people rode in those conditions avidly long before them. Meanwhile, getting and keeping bottom-end mechanical discs in good adjustment can be challenging for the novice, even assuming the brake in question is a good enough one where it's even possible (not a given), whereas sidepull caliper brakes tend to be much more approachable and easy to deal with in terms of common pad and cable type adjustments. It is very common for cheap disc road bikes out in the wild to be found with barely adequate or inadequate brakes.
Disc road bikes of all kinds, cheap or otherwise, have the advantage that they can take mudguards/fenders when a similar sidepull bike couldn't, or not with the same tire size. This may or may not be important to you, but it's a factor to consider. Contemporary cheap sidepull road bikes do often have "standard" aka 47-57 aka not short reach calipers that are capable of taking them if the tire is small enough and the frame/fork take advantage of the reach.


Compact gears and chains Wanting to know if you can use a compact crank and also use a compact cassette , I have placed both on my bike but the chain seems to be at the extreme when placing the chain in the smallest gear and then also the biggest gear.
Or is this normal?

This is probably normal, but if the chain goes slack in small/small or completely taught in big/big, you may need to adjust the length of your chain accordingly. If it does both, you likely need a longer cage derailleur, but keep reading and you'll know how to check on that last case and know for certain.
Each cage length for a given derailleur is designed to take a minimum sprocket size, a maximum sprocket size, and a maximum number of teeth difference between running the bike in big chainring/big sprocket and small chainring/small sprocket known as "maximum capacity" or "total capacity". That final number basically defines how much extra chain the derailleur cage can take up and thus how wide of a gear range you can run. For example, a Shimano 105 RD-5700 rear derailleur has a minimum sprocket size of 11t, a maximum sprocket size of 28t, and a total capacity of 33t. To find out whether your drivetrain is within the total capacity range of the rear derailleur that you're running, use the following formula:
([teeth on largest chainring] + [teeth on largest cog of cassette]) - (teeth on smallest chainring] - [teeth on smallest cog of cassette])

for a 50/34 crankset in combination with an 11/23 cassette, you would have
( 50 + 23 ) - ( 34 + 11 ) which is equivalent to 50 + 23 - 34 - 11 = 28. You might see different orderings of this formula, but it's simple arithmetic so the number will come out the same.
If the number comes out to less than or equal to your derailleur's total capacity rating then you should be fine.
It's worth noting that you can push this if you feel comfortable doing so, but it's likely that the gears you're supposed to stay out of anyway (the aforementioned big/big, or small/small) will become totally unusable. For this reason it's probably best that you just adhere to the manufacturer's rating.


Tightening rear quick release stops rear wheel I have a medium sized Trek Mountain Track/Antelope with a seven speed freewheel. When I tighten the rear quick release, I have to carefully back off on the tightness so that the wheel will actually turn. This is not a brakes issue, I'm dropping the wheel in while the bike is upside down, and I can spin it freely when the quick release is loose. I don't believe its has to do with lateral rim alignment, because that would hit a brake pad in one or a few distinct areas. I'm getting even friction when the q/r is too tight.

My first guess is that I have badly adjusted cones on the axle, and I'm guessing this because I don't know how else the dropouts would apply so much friction.

What should I look to next?

Update
I adjusted the left hand cone looser and I was able to get it adjusted to take a normal amount of pressure on the q/r and it still rotates well. The cone races are kinda gravelly by the feel, I think I'll definitely keep this a light duty bike.

The hub is adjusted too tight, or there is damage to the bearing track which cause higher than normal friction when the bearings are compressed.

You're on the right track.


Dismounting/mounting the back wheel on a "Eurobike" My son has a "Eurobike" (hybrid/"comfort" bike with Nuvinci variable speed rear hub and fully-enclosed chainline).  He broke a spoke (which is another discussion) and since the spoke broke at the nipple we had to dismount the rear wheel to replace the nipple.

Anyway, this is the first time any of us (two grown sons and myself) had dealt with such an arrangement, so a little fumbling was exspected.  We removed the two screws securing the cover over the hub area and, after some fiddling, pulled out the wheel.  Replaced nipple and spoke, did some "by guess and by gosh" wheel truing, and went to reinstall the wheel.

Well, long story short, somewhere in the process of getting the wheel back in the chain jumped off the front sprocket.  This created a royal PITA situation in the relatively controlled circumstances where we were (concrete surface in the shade at a camp site) but would have been a total disaster if repairing a puncture on the road.

The remaining 5-6 (tiny, easily lost) screws securing the chain cover were removed, but it would not come off due to the crank arm blocking it.  So it was a matter of the three of us fishing for the chain with the broken spoke (while prying the halves of the cover apart) to get the chain back on the sprocket, a process that took an extra 10-15 minutes.

Granted, inexperience was a factor, but it would seem that there's got to be some "trick" to keep the chain in place, other than to just hope to have better luck next time.

Does anyone have experience with this and know what could be done differently?

On a bike with a full chain case, any operation that requires removing the rear wheel is a bit of a pain. That would include replacing a spoke or a tire.

Repairing a roadside puncture, on the other hand, can usually be done without removing the wheel; and that is indeed the traditional method in countries where this sort of bike is common. Henry Cutler of Workcycles describes the procedure as follows (source):

  Set the bike on its handy parking stand.
  Try to find the source of puncture and set it in an accessible spot.
  Open the tire from the left (non-drivetrain) side.
  Pump a little air into the inner tube to locate the puncture(s).
  Remove (all of) the offending objects and remaining air.
  Patch the inner tube.
  Refit left tire bead onto rim, making sure valve sits straight.
  Pump tire up and continue cycling.

The traditional Woods valve (aka. Dunlop, English, Dutch, blitz) adds an extra dimension to this, as you can effectively replace the valve as well without removing the tube from the wheel. In Norway where I live, a replacement valve is often included in patch kits to this day, even though most new bikes come with Schrader or Presta valves.

This all makes sense, I think, as practices developed at a time when rubber was rather expensive. Make your tube last as long as possible by patching holes and replacing valves as needed. With such practices established, the advantages of a full chain case may outweigh the added complications in the remaining cases where you do have to remove the rear wheel.


Bike Shorts, Do you wear things under/over them? So I am going on a 200mi ride (over 3 days) soon. I was at the bike store getting my bike a once-over before I go, and I was told by the bike specialist, that I would really want to consider buying some bike shorts (the tight spandex kind) with padding. While that is fine, and I am going to take his advice, I dont know anything about wearing said bike shorts.

Do you wear underwear with them? Can I wear shorts over them? Do I really need them?

Do you wear underwear with them? Can I wear shorts over them?

Absolutely not. Nothing over or under, just the bike shorts.

  Do I really need them?

For 200 miles? Hell yeah. Your ass will thank you.


Determining if a road is safe to bike on How do you determine which roads are safe to ride on and which should be avoided? What traffic patterns do you feel comfortable riding in, and which ones set off alarms? What sorts of intersections do you avoid? How about for nighttime riding; are the same roads safe at night, or do you take a different route at night than you would during the day? Are there any statistics on ratio of accidents to total bicycle usage on certain roads to help inform this decision?

There are several streets in my area that I will always avoid. There are a few parkways with no shoulders whatsoever, narrow lanes, winding roads, fast moving traffic, and very few stop lights and side streets to calm traffic. There are several that I feel pretty confident on, with reasonably wide bike lanes, low traffic, and frequent intersections that mean that traffic doesn't usually get too fast and drivers are on the lookout for people turning in. I'm just wondering if there are any more objective criteria I can use, or good rules of thumb, for where it's safe to ride.

I consider several factors.

Traffic density
Traffic speed
Road shoulder or not
Bike lane or not
Route efficiency
Road condition
Bus and truck traffic density
Streetcar routes

The main combination that I really work hard to avoid is high density, high speed, and no shoulder or bike lane, with poor road condition thrown in as a bonus. I will ride on high density, low speed roads without a lane/shoulder most any time.

For intersections, if possible, I tend to avoid ones that are poorly signaled; but on some routes I just have to be extra careful on those. At night, high speeds and poor road conditions gets extra weight.


New brake pads, very slow to stop I just bought some new brake pads for my caliper brakes on a bike I am fixing up  and when I apply the brake, it takes at least 10 feet to stop no matter how hard I apply them; basically I can't get the wheels to skid even when I try.

I tried tightening the brake pads to be closer to the tire but the problem persists. Is it just the case that my bike's brake mechanism sucks? Or is this a symptom of something else?

Thanks.

There are a few things to do when your brake pads aren't stopping your bike well:
-It could just be that they're new and haven't worn in yet, rub some sandpaper against the braking surface of the pad to remove the surface layer. Then use something to clean it to get off the lose rubber and grease from your hand. This can also happen on old pads with plenty of surface left, the pad can "glaze over". This hard layer can be removed in the same way.
-Your rim could have oil or grease on it. Clean the rim and the pads with hot soapy water and leave to dry naturally.

If the pads were very cheap you could just take them back if these methods don't seem like they'll work. You might as well try the washing one because you're bit altering anything and they would still take the pads back.