Do brakes provide full power when used from the hoods? I have been riding mountain bikes for over 20 years and am just going back to a road bike. I find the modern bars and hoods and combined levers a very strange position. I have actually loosened them and pushed levers further down bars to be more like a 60s or 70s brake position and redone the tape. I think perhaps I should have not done this and just got used to the modern position.

However, I am worried about braking. I was going down to the drop position to use the brakes and found this uncomfortable and a stretch. But I see some people use them with their hands on the hoods. Can you get full brake power in this position? Is it safe enough for going down big hills?

most mid level and up brakes / levers will offer 75% or better power from the hoods. Max brake power from the drops.

The handle bar position is critical on long rides to offer 3 or so different hand positions. Start with the hoods level, to just above level and move around from there. I tend to micro adjust them as i get comfortable on a new bike. Seat height, frame size, stem length all play a factor in finding that sweat spot.


Building a beginner trial bike I'm slowly turning my XC biking time into trial sessions. For now I'm only doing some track stands, endo's and wheelies, but I'm probably going to go for more as soon as I can do these properly. I'm probably never going to reach the level of Danny Macaskill, but that's for sure the kind of stuff I want to do.

I currently have a good, trustworthy mountain bike. And I'm using it for this basic trial. Alas, I'm afraid I could badly damage it, as my wheelies landing are not as smooth as they should be, and so are my endo's. I need this bike to go to work, and it really has a high sentimental value, so I can't afford to break it.

I'd have a few questions related to this.

Is there a (non-obvious) risk I could badly damage the fork or frame of my bike by doing some badly executed trial figures? I know for a fact that my front wheel hub is already bent. How about the wheel slots?
Should I decide to go for a specialised trial bike, what kind of gear should I get? I've seen some low-profile hard tail frames, they seem essential. What kind of wheel should I take (size ?), etc.
Again, if I'm making a new bike, I'd like to keep a reasonable budget. What are the parts that must be of good quality, and what are these who can start "small" to be improved later if needs be?
Would rim brakes be sufficient for starters, or do I absolutely need huge and expensive disk brakes to start?

Thanks for your help. Don't hesitate to be verbose: I might have been riding for a while, it's really this year that I started maintaining my bike myself.

Perhaps you'll have more luck with answers on specialised trials forums, like http://www.trials-forum.co.uk/. However, I'll try to address your questions briefly.

Risk to damage the fork/frame? Yes, absolutely. But all depend on what you are doing and what bike it is. I've snapped a few frames doing trials and stunts. But chances of damaging are less if you are using trials frame.
Wheel size is a great debate in a trials world. There are 26", 24" and 20" (19") wheels. All down to the preference and rider level. I'd start with 26" and then once you know what you want/need, decide on the sizes. If you are very keen on trials and have finance, definitely get a trials bike. Many times while learning I found my bike stopping my progress.
Good quality parts... get a good chain and good freewheel. Because if freewheel slips while doing gaps - you are going down. And that can lead to an injury. Also get a great rear tyre with good brake. A lot depends on that. Other parts are essential, but these are high priority.
Breaks are another point of debate in trials world. Magura HS33 - hydraulic rim brakes used to be very popular 10 years ago. Now I'm not quite sure about the trends. Certainly I'd put some cash in for a good rear break - that is a vital part of the bike.

A lot of your questions are down to experience. You'll know when you need a better rear break and what other parts to change. And you'll slowly assemble a great bike, going along with your skill level.

And good luck!


Trouble With Upper Tube Race Installation I was able to install the lower race without issue, but I cannot seem to get the upper one installed.  I am installing a new threaded headset on a newly painted bike.  There is no new paint blocking the surface.  I do not have any professional tools for this installation, just a hammer and a block of wood.

Is there any trick to getting it in there or do I need to have my LBS ream it out?

I think you should use the "recommended" way to do that (even if that means using a home-made solution:

Find two plates (wood, metal) which you can drill a hole through;
Put each one of these (already drilled) plates on each end of the head tube, with the cups already positioned for insertion;
Insert a long bolt or threaded rod through it all;
Insert two nuts on each end, and press the system together, so that the cups are forced inside the frame in the proper position.

If you have a wise bench bench vise, you can do the same, but I would recommend using the plates too (not the raw jaws of the vise).


What are the benefits of joining a team/club and when to join? This is probably a stupid question and the answer is more or less subjective, but when should you join a team or club?

I've just started to take road cycling seriously and noticed on my rides there are many teams/clubs out riding where I live.

Is there normally a criteria for joining?

Right now I go on 30 mile rides and average around 13-14mph. That's somewhat pushing my limits. How far and fast should I be able to go to keep up with and consider joining one of these teams?

I will have to wait around 30 years to join the 50 and over club, but truth be told I probably couldn't keep up with them anyway lol. They are no joke where I live.

Keeping it general - if you're interested and keen on cycling for health or fitness, or you have a competitive streak, then joining a club is a good idea at any age, and at any skill level.

We can't speak for specifics of the clubs in your local region.

Most clubs quieten down in the winter/off months, more so at Northerly and Southerly latitudes.  Or they might shift focus to indoor riding if there is access to a velodrome facility.

The main benefits are

Access to experience and social interaction
Motivation to get out and ride
On a ride - a target or pace to maintain - gets you that little bit faster and fitter sooner.
Bulk purchasing power.  One club I belong to can supply consumable parts cheap, cos they keep a stock.  Any profits are turned back into the club too.

Drawbacks might include

Minimum attendance.  Some clubs have "members in name only" who don't contribute.  So its not totally odd to have a clause like "you must join in at least two rides a year."   Its not onerous.
Costs - Clubs have to charge subscriptions to cover their costs.  While it costs you nothing to ride your bike, the club will have
Socialising - Cycling is inherently an individual thing.  So it attracts those of us who might not enjoy team sport.  Being "forced" to socialise might be perceived as a downside.
Ridicule - I ride old bikes, and when I turn up at an event with my horizontal top-tube alloy bike from the 90s, there's always someone who looks down their nose at you for having not-the-latest kit.  Stuff'em!  Best thing to do then is put in an admirable time, better than last time.  Bonus points if you beat Mr Longnose!

If you don't want to join a club, that's okay, just ride your bike.  Tools like Strava can give you information on your progress and the competitive nature of segments helps.

Nothing is the same as keeping up on someone's wheel in real life, and feeling the boost of a draft.

Finally - clubs tend to run open days or public-access days where a ride or event allows non-members to participate.  Ask about locally and find out if such a thing is happening soon.  You can try it without committing.


How can I install a 1 1/8" to 1 3/8" Synapse fork onto a 44 mm headtube? I know you get headset questions all the time, hopefully this one mixes things up a bit. I recently acquired a 2015 litespeed CX frame, which has a 44 mm head tube.  It is listed as having a height of 12 cm. I picked up a fork, from a Cannondale Synapse 2018, size 58.
To my great surprise, the fork is listed as having a 1 1/8" to 1 3/8" tapered steerer.  The headset on the Synapse is listed as a "Synapse Si". Most sites I have found are about trying to fit an alternate fork into a Cannondale headtube, as opposed to the other way around.  I have found the following webpages:
https://www.cannondaleanswers.com/definitive-guide-cannondale-frame-headset-fork-compatibility-for-mountain-bikes/
https://cannondaleexperts.com/products/cannondale-synapse-carbon-1-3-8-tapered-headset-no-crown-race-k35038?variant=31365859639433
Is there any way to get this fork onto my 44 mm headtube?
Thank you!

A lower akin to an EC44/40 could be made to do this, but it doesn't exist commercially. In other words it would be an EC44 frame interface and take the sort of bearing that goes in IS49, whereas EC44/40 does the same but with IS52. This hypothetical lower can't be described in SHIS because Cannondale 1-3/8 forks all have integrated crown races.
So yes, but it would have to be a custom made cup, i.e. turned out on a lathe just for the purpose. Using EC44 on a bike intended for ZS like this will of course slacken the geometry.


Can I fit v brakes on 2003 Marzocchi MX Pro Suspension Forks I've got some very similar forks to this

and I want to know if I can use v brakes with them. It looks like there is a thread to screw in some bosses, but I'm not 100% sure.

Yes you can, but you need adaptors such as these.

Edit: To the best of my knowledge, all Marzocchi v brake adaptors are the same, but you might want to ask the eBay vendor just to be on the safe side :)


Can you identify this Pinarello model? I am currently eyeing this bike but can't seem to figure out what model it is nor does the current owner. I do know it has Campy Record and the ONDA carbon fork. I am just trying to do my research before I go look at it. Thank you in advance for your help


Chain keeps falling off chainring I picked up an old Raleigh Sirocco from the 1980s ish and am attempting to convert it to single speed. I thought it was finished, but when taking it out for its first ride, the chain kept falling off the chainring in the front (yes, the chain is tightened properly). The bike has a 48/52T SR Apex crankset with two chainrings. I wanted to just leave it on and install the chain on the smaller 48T chainring to save having to replace these parts (especially since it has an obsolete 118 BCD). I installed a single speed 18T 3/32 freewheel in the rear.
Maybe I am unable to use only one chainring of the double set in this way? Originally there was a front derailleur, which I removed - is that why it keeps falling off? Perhaps I need to reinstall it to keep the chain "in place", even though I won't be using it to shift gears anymore. Or alternatively, Should I remove both chainrings and install a new one instead (provided I can find one in the right size)? And if so - is there a difference between single speed and geared chainrings? Or do I need to replace the entire crankset? (I hope not...)
I checked the chainrings already and they do not seem bent / excessively worn.
Thanks a lot!

Chainrings meant for a derailleur setup are designed to facilitate the chain's movement from ring to ring.
The derailleur itself keeps the chain from going too far.
Conversely, 1x-specific chainrings are designed with chain retention as a top priority.
If you're not keen to replace the crankset and chainrings, I would get a retention device of some sort.
There are very simple & lightweight "dogtooth" chain keepers that prevent the rings from falling towards the frame.
In the off-road cycling world, which is approaching universal adoption of 1x drivetrains in new bikes, there are chain keepers that essentially look like little tiny derailleurs.
One of those would be your next try if a dogtooth keeper doesn't cut it.
However, fitting one of these with a double crankset in play may prove tricky (I have not tried it).


Which spokes go on the non drive side and which go drive side? I just wanted to make sure I understood the guy at the shop.

The spoke calculator gives you left side and right side spokes lengths

Left side go on the non drive side i.e. the side where the rotor is, right side goes on drive side i.e. the side the free hub body is on, yes?

Just out of curiosity what would happen if you got them the wrong way round? Are there signs that suggest you have done so?

Yes, right side is the drive side. Assuming that both sides use the same "cross" arrangement the shorter spokes go on the drive side of the rear wheel, so that the offset due to the drive mechanism will be compensated for and the wheel will be centered.

If you swapped the L/R spokes, the drive side spokes would be to long and the non drive side spokes would be too short.

Note that if your spokes and spoke lengths are the same for both sizes this won't matter, of course.


Endomondo without autopause Suppose I saved my training on Endomondo (android)  with autopause option disabled. I have my training stored and I can view it on the endomondo.com site.

But I want to "simulate" autopause i.e. I need to obtain the same (similar) statistics as when autopause is enabled. Is it possible?
Maybe I need to use "special" editing this track (maybe with other software? - what software?).

Technically, it's highly possible, since you can export your routes to .gpx files and manipulate the timestamps.

A .gpx file is actually an xml file which is similar to html files with tags. Each tag tells you the current longitude, latitude, and the current time stamp.
You actually can edit the .gpx file with a text editor, i.e. notepad and edit the file by yourself. However, you need to know the exact long-lat where you want to "pause".


How much rest (tendon or ligament), for a novice? Given that 'training' is a valid topic, can you say how much rest a novice needs?

My ambition is to commute 18 km each way, every week day: in Toronto (mostly flat, some hills, mostly bike lanes and some bike paths). I have a bike and I am currently doing the 18 km in about an hour and a quarter (so, about two and a half hours total per weekday).

My schedule has been:

Full days (18 km each way, 40 km total) since the Tuesday before last (8 days ago)
No riding (complete rest) last weekend (2 days)
About 10 km/day, for the 6 days before that
Virtually no exercise (occasional 1 hour on an exercise cycle) before that (this is a new job and a new bike) ... so, I'm a novice
I'm 49 years old, have a sedentary (computer) job/life-style, male, not over-weight (6 foot / 185 cm and 170 lb / 77 kg).
It's been a little cold (down to about -8C; I've been wearing jeans, and caring more/only about my core temperature, so maybe the back of my knee got cold; certainly my feet got cold sometimes; it wasn't especially cold today though, about +4C, when the pain started)

I've been loving the rides, and I want to continue.

Today I developed a pain at the back of my knee at the top of my left fibula. I don't know whether that's a ligament or a tendon (I'm presuming it's one or the other). I'm using Shimano SPD shoes with the clip at the default position (centre of the ball of the foot). My right knee is fine. The one other thing I do with my left knee is, when I stop, I put my left foot down on the road: which means pointing my left foot down, putting my weight on my left toes (not heel), while my right foot is still on the right pedal; but maybe that's not relevent.

Towards the end of my ride I tried unclipping my left shoe, and rode with the pedal under my arch (instead of under the ball of my foot, to reduce the work being done by my calf ... because I couldn't work out why it's the back of my knee that's hurting: I would have expected the front, if most of the force/work is from the front thigh) and that seemed to help: less acute pain.

I don't care much about short-term pain, except that it might be a warning of worse chronic pain to follow.

Why am I getting that pain there? What should I do or change, to remedy it? Am I resting enough and if not how much more rest should I take?

I am not a doctor, so please take this with a grain of salt.

You can't expect to go from zero training to big training in a week. You may try taking it slow, like two days a week at first, or three. Once you don't have a problem with that, go on for more. A 40km commute is nothing to be scoffed at.

Personally, I avoid commuting below -2°C because if I don't wear special protective clothing, I get pain in the knees. I don't want to change clothing at work, therefore I take the bus when it is cold.

Generally, knee pain can have a lot of sources:

Lack of training - muscles in the knee not up to the job. Or lack of strength in the back, arms, shoulders leading to a sagging posture, off to one side, etc.
Temperature
Pre-existing damage to your knee, that you didnt notice before (sedentary lifestyle)
Bicycle settings: seat height, handlebar width, distance, clip position etc. Experiment with it.
Habits: different pattern of force application on the left leg. Always using it to start? Watch what you're doing. Move about the bike. Change the settings.
Jeans might be interfering with the blood supply - try with bicycle pants. If you feel uncomfortable on the bike, this may be the reason.
Saddle
etc.

My experience when I had a severely damaged shoulder, it became nearly impossible for me to bicycle, because I got problems in the left knee. I had ridden 10k km per year before. Left arm broken, left knee hurts. (Or any other improbable combination, really)

I then moved to a recumbent, and my right knee hurt when I did a 150km a week commute. After much experiment, I noticed the pain stops when I move a few centimeters to the right of the seat.

After the accident and before getting the recumbent, I slouched for three years, with next to no bicycling. When getting back on the bike, despite having ridden so much before, it took an astoundingly long time to get back to the 150km commute (44yo, sedentary lifestyle)

After some training on the recumbent, there is no problem on the upright any more. Okay, the shoulder is 95% fine now. This took two years, though.


How do I keep sweat out of my eyes? Heading into the southern hemisphere spring I'm starting to contemplate another summer of having sweat running into my eyes and down my face.

I have a couple of lightweight headbands from Netti (that I can't find anymore) that have been reasonably good. They still get saturated on a long ride though and they're old enough that they're starting to smell.

There's an interesting thread here with some discussion around this area.

I've done some research and seen a couple of options:

Halo Headband

http://store.haloheadband.com/default.asp

Aside from the incredibly lame website they look like a reasonable option, with a fairly unobtrusive design and also the features to redirect sweat away from the eyes when they get saturated.

Sweat Gutr

http://www.sweatgutr.com/

This looks like it's very effective, but I'm not 100% sold on having all the sweat running down near my ears. Plus how would it fit with helmet and glasses?

Cotton Bandanna

The general opinion here appears to be that once it's wet, it's useless.

When wearing a helmet (and you're in Australia, so I assume you are) I almost always use an undercap, be it a classic styled cycling casquette, a skull cap or, in winter, a thicker beanie, perhaps with ear protection.

In summer a casquette works well because I find that the sweat does form on the peak, but can then either drip off or evaporate more easily.


Which spokes to get, Wheelsmith or DT Swiss Spokes? I'm building two sets of 26" wheels, one pair of 32h triple cross with Bullseye hubs with machined sidewalls for rim brakes, and another pair of 24h double cross with Alex A-Class hubs with Sun rims for disc brakes.

I'm now looking for which spokes to buy. I'm comparing double butted spokes between Wheelsmith and DT Swiss. The Wheelsmiths are slightly cheaper per spoke, but I'll end up paying the same because of the purchase quantities, so price isn't really a factor.

I'm looking specifically to compare the Wheelsmith Black DB14s 14/15/14 ga (2.0x1.7x2.0mm) vs DT Swiss Black Competitions (2.0x1.8x2.0mm), but if there are other opinions between the straight spokes (2.0mm) - Wheelsmith SS14 vs DT Swiss Champion, that would be also of interest.

Some issues I've heard before:

The DT Swiss butt transitions are nicer
The 1.8mm DT Swiss diameter makes the wheel feel more rigid (not always a good thing)
The 1.7mm Wheelsmith allow more elasticity and give a nicer ride
DT Swiss is more readily available (not a large concern of mine)
Wheelsmith spokes work better with Wheelsmith nipples

At this point, I'm still on the fence between the two. Wisdom, experience, or differences would tip the scales.

I don't know if this helps, but Peter White is a well-regarded framebuilder and wheelbuilder who has strong opinions on the Wheelsmith vs DT Swiss issue:

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/spokes.asp
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/DTspokes.htm

The gist of his argument boils down to two (current) main differences:

1) DT Spokes have a 6.3mm elbow length vs Wheelsmith 6.1mm (assumed) which can accommodate larger flanges, but are undesirable.

2) DT Spokes have a sharper, 'triangular' transition into the head, which has led to more cases of the DT Spokes popping heads off than Wheelsmith, which have rounded transitions.

In addition, there WERE a large number of issues with DT Spokes relating to their specification change in 2001 from 6.1mm to 6.8mm, causing problems with slop in the hub and sharper elbow angles making the lacing more difficult. These have since been remedied and the elbows are now down to 6.3mm, but not back to the original spec and WS hasn't changed their specs around (perhaps this is circumstantial evidence, but it makes WS seem a more steady design than DT).


Bicycle production/sales figures? Is there a way to find out how many of a particular bike model were produced and/or sold?
For example, "how many Schwinn LeTour bikes were produced in 1979?" The Schwinn LeTour question is just an example--I'm hoping to find a website or search strategy for finding this data for any arbitrary bike model.

I often enjoy looking at used bikes (and sometimes buying them), and I speculate that knowing production numbers would a few advantages:

High-production bike models might be more likely to have OEM parts available for a long time.
High-production models may have more rants/raves/discussions on web forums, which can give indications of reliability and build quality.
If enough data is available, it'd be cool to sort a big database of bike models by "highest to lowest production."

Note: by "high production model," I just mean "many examples (tens of thousands?) of this bike model were manufactured."

Production numbers for cars are generally easy to find (Wikipedia has a lot of them), but this question has been much harder to answer for bicycles.

I can only answer on the second bullet point of your question:

...may have more rants/raves/discussions on web forums...

Instead of infering this by the production count, you can directly find out how much discussion is happening for each particular bike model.

A simple way is to use Google. For example:

https://www.google.com/search?q=schwinn+letour gives "About 43,800 results"
https://www.google.com/search?q=schwinn+voyageur gives "About 705,000 results"

That definitely means that you'll find more written material on the internet about voyageur than letour.


Riding from San Francisco to Los Angeles I am planning a San Francisco - Los Ángeles bike trip next spring. Is it better to do LA to SF or SF to LA? Thanks, regards from Mexico City

Assuming you're riding the Pacific Coast route, North-to-South is clearly the favorite over South-to-North, at least among Crazy Guy on a Bike users. I'm not sure why that is. I'd recommend reading some of those tour diaries to see if they explain the reason.


Metal vs. plastic tire levers What are the advantages of buying plastic over metal tire levers? (or vice versa).

Which ones are easier to use?

It largely depends on the usage you want to make of them and the particular tire/rim combination you use.

Plastic levers are usually small and lightweight, and if they are of good quality, they are enough for most tires that are properly fitted to the rim. I mention this because sometimes, rims and tires can physically differ from the nominal size they bear in their labels, so a tire may fit way too tightly in a rim. Other times, the wire collar in the bead may be too stiff. These two situations make them very hard to pry out, thus a tiny plastic lever may break, however, this is a rather rare case.

Small and light tire levers are ideal to carry in the emergency tool set for on the road or on the trail repairs. And for most cyclists that may now and then perform a tire swap at home.

Metal tire levers may be heavier or more expensive (due to being manufactured from fancy metals), and usually are bigger and better suited to shops where several tires are swapped or repaired by the same user each day. In this situation the large lever makes the work easier by providing (you guessed it) more leverage. They are also well suited for the situation described above, specially if for any reason you are forced to almost always use a tire that "almost fits".

Another reason to prefer plastic levers is that it is very difficult to damage a rim or a tire bead, while a poorly polished metal tire lever, or a poorly used one may easily damage the rim or the tire.

In the other hand, I would advise not using plastic levers that are too flexible or too thin and brittle.

Keep in mind that there are also levers made of a metal core covered in plastic. They are kind of in the middle of both sides.

Note: I consider tire levers survival equipment, along with patches and glue and/or an extra tube, thus, if first time buying tire levers, or first time buying that brand/model, I strongly advise testing them at home before engaging on a long tour alone or you being the only one carrying emergency items like these, so you don't get stranded in a far place with a puncture and a pair of failed tire levers...


Preventing ergonomic handlebar internal rubber cylinders to stick I have a bike with ergononomic handles (Fuxon brand).
Those are kept in position (as in prevented to rotate) with a mechanism which fits inside the handlebar.

This mechanism works by compressing two rubber cylinders along their axis, so they expand in the diameter.

Whenever I need to remove them for any reason (last time replacing the bar ends) it's a long battle. The rubber cylinders don't move even when the pressure is released. I risked many times ending with the rubber cylinders stuck inside the handlebar. Still, it takes no effort to push them in, but don't want this to happen again.

Any suggestion to prevent them to become stuck? Could I use some grease/lubricant, without making the situation worse or making them ineffective?

The current "solution" is to relieve pressure by unscrewing the thing, and wait. It took several weeks, until one day the thing came out by pulling.

Grease would make the rubber slip, defeating the purpose of the mechanism. And it might cause the rubber to deteriorate.

Best solution is to just throw these grips in the garbage, and get some better-designed ones. I've seen several types that use an external clamp (or two clamps) to hold the grip in place - I'm sure that would work better.

But if you're really set on keeping these grips, and don't mind getting "creative", you might be able to make an alternate locking mechanism. The expansion plugs that they use with carbon steering tubes would be ideal - except they're too big. So you want something that works on the same principle, but fits inside the handlebar. Go to the fastener section at a hardware store, and see if you can find expansion bolts that are the right size.


Replacing the handlebar grips with ergonomic ones? I had bought this set a while back and I eventually managed to replace them the other day, but... It didn't work! The length of the bar is too short to reach the end of the new grips, i don't know where to buy a metal bar, and even if I do, it'll cost a lot to get them and have them cut in two small pieces as attachments to these grips. I noticed this thread reel is tight enough if I squeeze into the vertical attachment from one side and the main bar from the other, but I'm not sure if it's strong enough. Is there any other way I can get around with this?

It is a little hard to tell from your photos, but do you have grip shifters?

For setups with grip shifters, the grips are generally much shorter / narrower, as part of the "grip surface" is the shifter itself.

If you do indeed have grip shifters, you can do as ojs suggested & move the shifters / brakes in towards the stem, or, you could return the grips you purchased & get something sized properly to work with grip shifters.

Notice the difference in width of these grips:

The ones on the left are made to work with trigger shifters, while the  ones on the right are made to work with grip shifters. For reference, some examples of grips meant for use with grip shifters can be found here.

(Edit: I'd avoid the thread spool idea. Go over an unexpected bump while resting on the bar ends & they pop off because they were secured with a thread spool... loose control & crash!!)


road bike to road bike with mountain bike fram with full suspension I currently own a specialized sirrus comp, and I was wondering if I could swap all the parts on that bike other than the frame to a demo 8 frame with 200mm of travel. If it is possible to add full suspension to my road bike, that would be prefered.

Adding rear suspension to an existing bike not designed for rear suspension is hard - you'd have to cut the tubes, weld them and make sure the result is safe.

Adding front suspension to a bike is not so hard, but it will change the geometry. You need to find the specs of the fork and headset that are in the bike already, and then find something compatible (threadless/threaded, steerer tube diameter). However, adding a front suspension to a bike which wasn't really designed for it is not necessarily advisable -- the rest of it may not hold up to the abuse you may be thinking of giving the bike after you put on a fork.

As pointed out in DWGKNZ's answer, you can't swap a lot of the parts (the Specialized Demo 8 uses pressfit BB, so you'll get a new crank at the minimum), but given the tools required and the fact that the sirrus comp is a nice bike, you're better off selling it and buying new parts. On top of that, the parts for mountain biking (e.g. derailleurs, etc.) are built more robustly for mountain biking than for the road so you'd likely want to buy better parts anyway (esp. for a nice frame like a Demo 8).


How to avoid sore nipples while riding I have a recurrent problem when riding in high humidity climate, either with hot or cool weather: after some hours riding, my nipples (in the chest, not in the wheel :o) get very sore from friction against the shirt's fabric.

It seems that it has to do with salty sweat, the waving-flag movement of the shirt fabric against the skin, and perhaps with cold causing nipple erection, further increasing the friction.

A more experient friend of mine has reported the same recurring problem, having even seen people bleeding from this.

So I ask if anyone else has suffered from this problem, and how I could expect to solve it. I am considering to take along some band-aids, but I think there could be some preventive measure before the band-aids be needed, in the first place.

Thanks for any insight!

This happens to runners more than bikers but is the same thing you describe... friction.

I've done band-aids, tape and even special products (Nipguards) made for covering just the nipple area but the best remedy I've found is compression clothing. Even in the middle of summer, I will wear some skin tight Under Armour shirt. Heat Gear (odd naming, but actually cools the skin too) in the summer just to prevent friction between cycling jersey and the nipples. I'll switch to their cold gear during the winter, but always wear something skin tight under my upper layers.


9 speed chain doesn't fit 9 speed cassette In all my years of working on bikes, this is a first. Bought a new 9 speed KMC chain and 9 speed cassette to replace a worn 9 speed drivetrain recently (single chain ring). Went to put everything on tonight, except the new chain is way too short -- even on the smallest cog the derailleur is so stretched I'm afraid turning the cranks will rip it off the hanger.

Comparing the new chain to the old chain (also a 9 speed chain, in case it isn't clear) shows that the new chain is about six inches shorter. I don't know how many links are in the old chain, but the new chain supposedly has 116 links and the highest link chain I can find on the internet is 120. I've never had so much difficulty overhauling a 9 speed drivetrain before.

Can anyone explain what the hell is going on here? I've got pictures on my phone I can include if the description doesn't make sense.

Pretty simple - the new chain is too short. Maybe you bought a chain with too few links, maybe it's a production error.

The pitch (distance between pin centers) of bicycle chain is 1/2", so it's easy to count links by measuring.

Chain length required is determined by chainstay length and largest chainring and sprocket size. Usually you get a chain a few links too long and cut it to size and re-join. When replacing a chain you can use the old chain to size the new one. If the old chain is lost chain length can be determined by fitting to the bike. Park Tool has a good video on how to do that.


Does carrying a chain lock around on the frame reduce a bicycle's performance? I have a Montra rock 650B MTB. I use 2 lock systems - 1 cable and 1 chain lock for added security. Both are attached to the frame while I cycle. The chain-lock is pretty heavy (around 700 grams).

I was wondering if the mass of the locks attached to the frame affects the bicycle's performance. If so, is carrying the locks in a backpack instead a better solution?

Yes your bike will be heavier but it the only performance reduction putting it into your back pack wont change it. Personally I carry mine in a back pack but it is because I cant find a place in my bike where to carry it and bike it self feel more heavy. I can feel how it affects the balance setting it higher and making the bike unstable.

So as a personal chose I prefer to carry by bike lock in a backpack. If you feel ok carrying them on your bike go on. You only problem will be the added weight.


Lots of chain slack... Time for a new chain? Bad derailluer? I got home from a short ride up the street today where there was a lot of clicking and skipping of chain links and when I got home I realized my chain had a ton of slack. After looking around on the internet, I tried moving the rear wheel back, but there's more slack in the chain than there is room to move the rear wheel back, so I'm stuck.

A cursory understanding of bikes and reading the internet suggests that it could be a stretched out chain or an issue with the derailleur. This is an old steel 12-speed Raleigh. Granted, I don't take the best care of it (not sure where I'm supposed to wash it and store it - I live in a small apartment), but I do depend on it.

Here's the picture of the state of things:

It appears your rear derailleur pulley cage spring is not doing its job. In your picture, it should be pivoted back towards the right side of the picture, maintaining chain tension.

You'll have to remove and clean out your pulley cage, clean up and lubricate the spring and reassemble it. If that doesn't solve your problem, you'll have to replace the derailleur. You can see how to service many brands here: http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/rear-derailleur-overhaul


How to remove hex crank bolt I have been looking online for tutorials on replacing a chainring (or three) for my Scott mountain bike: https://www.thebikelist.co.uk/scott/aspect-40-2012

When trying to take off the chainset so that I can remove a chainring to replace it, the crank bolt holding the chainset on looks different to most of the tutorials I've been watching online. I am wondering what tools and what procedure I would require to remove this so that I can replace my chainset.

The bolt is a hex bolt which has 'CH 12.9' printed on it.

Here are some photos:

A 13 mm (or possibly a 15 mm)  socket should do the trick for removal.  You won't be able to budge the crank arms after removal of these.  For this you'll need a Crank puller.  One aspect of this tool threads into the center of the crank arms (not the same spot as the fastener you just removed but right around there).  Then a second bolt tool with a special head threads into the first part, pushes on the spindle of the bottom bracket which affects the movement of the crankarm off the spindle.

Here's a link to a Crank puller.
Here's a couple "for instance" chainsets that are around the level of your current one:
Shimano Tourney,   SRAM
Should you choose to remove and change your bottom bracket, which the specs for your bike state is a Shimano cartridge-type BB-UN26, you will need a bottom-bracket tool.

Cartridge bottom brackets last a long time, so it's likely you don't necessarily have to change it as long a the spindle is in good shape and there doesn't appear to be any grinding or roughness when you spin the cranks (with the chain off is best as you get a better feel for the status of the bearings without the noise and vibration of the chain).
One aspect to think about, is if you choose to remove your old bottom bracket, that will open up your options as far as cranksets go. Now days, the bearings are external to the bottom bracket shell, are far lighter than cartridge bearing BB's, and the cranksets are two piece: the right arm with it's chainwheels also has a spindle attached which the left arm slips on to and connects the system together.  While they sell and advise the use of special tools for these bottom brackets and an aspect of the crank, one can get by with more common tools used with good sense


My front rotor seems to be making a grinding noise, I have a relatively new bike and I’m not sure what’s causing it I’m new to cycling and I have a road bike with hydraulic disc brakes. I noticed that they are making a quiet, but audible grinding noise. I’ve heard this noise before and since I have a new bike, could this noise be caused by the brake pads needing to be bedded in? When I heard it the first time, it was much louder and then it started to dial down a bit. Anyone know what could be causing this? Thanks

It could be that the brake caliper is not aligned properly. It is a simple procedure described in this video by park tool
How to Align a Hydraulic Disc Brake on a Bike


What are the benefits and drawbacks of different recumbent seat styles? I've just bought a project recumbent.  It has no seat yet.  There are many different types - why would I choose a mesh one over a solid one?

Mesh style - a HPVelotechnik "ergomesh"

"Bench" style - a HPVelotechnik "bodylink seat"
This same shape comes in metal or wood as well as carbon fibre.

an AAZZAA brand seat

A homemade carbon fibre seat

A homemade steamed and laminated plywood seat.

Edit: In the end I was lucky enough to find a used M5 seat for sale, was a lot easier than making my own.  Since then I've acquired a complete HP bent, so no need to make one.   Both seats are in the shape of the wooden one pictured, and are made of fibre-reinforced plastic with a topper pad for comfort.
The main takeaway from my time on both seats is that ventilation and the ski-jump are critical, while the head support is relatively low importance.
Lack of Ventilation means that after a commute I end up with a puddle of sweat in the small of my back, soaking into my clothes.  Dressing lightly to the point of being cold helps some, but its unavoidable.
The ski-jump is the lip/crest at the bottom of the seat, the foremost part.  Picture #2 and #3 have quite a lip up, whereas the HP seat I have now has a curve down, which is horrible and feels like you're sitting on a wire, and sliding down.  Perhaps my back-side is a poor fit, so I ended up padding it with pool noodle around the front which helps. Basically if you're large, a mesh seat would work better.  If you're small/thin then a narrow solid seat would be fine.  For touring/all day rides get a mesh seat.  For going fast, a narrow solid seat.

In short: There is no definite answer and there are better places to ask.

Having used two different mesh seats (both with a cushioned sit upon part and a mesh back) and one kind of hard seat, I feel I can give some advice. But as most is a case of availability and preference, I will not be able to give a definite answer.

When cycling you sweat and with your back on or against your seat (depending on how much upright you are) you want ventilation.
So your wooden seat is out unless you can introduce a ventilation layer or system.

Next your position on the bike is such that you have much less options to take your weight (as you would do on any bike where your pedals are below you) so your seat will have to work with whatever springs and shock absorbers you have on the bike.
The more absorbers you have, the less flex or cushioning you need in your seat.
On a bike with no spring or shock absorbing you need a seat that takes up all shocks, not a hard one. Cushions can work but are hardly anytime enough.

On all 'bents I have never needed anything to keep me in place. On the other hand, I prefer to be able to change position a bit so I can use different muscles or skin spots to avoid problems on longer rides, just like you may want to shift around on a horses saddle or an upright bike.

The ventilation and cushioning can be aided by the cushion you select.
Ventisit pads are one kind which I have often seen in use, but as far as I know they are not the only kind around.

While I love the stack exchange sites, I feel a question as important as this should be asked where a lot of recumbent riders come together, exchange information and are willing to help out others. Like the Bentridersonline forum.
Again, there are others, but this is one I know that works.

Added:
If your bike is more or less standard or you plan to repair it to standard, why not go for a seat that is standard for the bike or as near to it as you can get it?
The designers have experience with bikes and the design is proven.


Raleigh Motus Tour 2018 - Chain electric bike replacement I have to replace the chain of my Raleigh Motus Tour 2018.

Do anyone knows the specify chain I have to buy?

Because it is a electric bike I am almost sure that I should buy the KMC "e9 EPT for e-Bike" or the "e9 Silver for e-Bike", which has 136 links.

https://www.kmcchain.eu/chain-e_bike-multispeed-9_speed

Edit 1:

My bike has a Bosch engine (Active Line) as well and it is 46 cm frame size.

Edit 2:

After going to a bike store where I could find one like mine I could take the picture of the chain and get the model.

It is a KMC X9, but it has 126 links. The ones I found on the internet has only 114 links. It is not possible to find a KMC X9 with 126 links.

Another important info is the fact KMC chains has 6.6 mm of pin length. Shimano and others brands has 6.5 mm. After that, I am questioning myself if the guy who measured the chain knew it and made a proper diagnostic when doing the M check on my bike.

Anyways, I still seeking for the right answer. In case the chain is not good, should I buy a KMC e9 EPT and remove some links as it has 136?

Any 9 speed chain will do, of those two, one claims anti rust, the other not. For a well maintained bike, it makes no difference (except maybe cosmetics).

If the bike has a hub motor it makes no difference as no power is transmitted though the chain.  If the drive has a mid-drive motor, power is transmitted though the chain, but there is some debate if there is debate over if the label 'e-chain' is more than marketing.

An elite rider can output well over 1000W vs 200-300W for a ebike, so strength of the chain to handle high load is not the issue, any bike chain can handle the power of an E-Bike motor. In terms of torque, similar argument - torque of a 100kg rider standing on cranks is 175Nm, and an elite rider can probably double that momentarily, while most eBike motors produce half of that.

Wear is likely impacted as you ride further and mostly importantly, faster on an ebike. Chains wear out, that is a given. How much faster a 'normal' chain wears out over an ebike chain, and cost and inconvenience of replacement,  is the reason to go an ebike specific chain.

Personally I would not pay a premium for an Ebike specific chain.


Front derailleur doesn't change from grear 1 to gear 2 I have a Shinamo Tourney front derailleur that doesn't change well from gear 1 to gear 2 (I'm new to bicycles so I don't know standards, so I think I should specify that gear #1 is the smallest).
In fact, it does sometimes change, but only after a few minutes of pedaling, and it keeps making a rattling sound as it's still on gear #1, but the "command" is to get to gear #2.
The problem only holds when I change from 1 to 2, never viceversa. I think, but I am not 100% sure that the problem might be correlated with my chain falling off a while back (I don't remember the details, as in which gear I was and all that, sorry).

I'm not sure if I got to detail the problem as I should be, just because I'm new to this, but if you are willing to help and feel that I missed some information, please let me know and I will give you the information you need.

If you don't find the "barrel adjuster", what you could do is pull the cable a little bit more.

Find the bolt on the derailleur that holds the cable.
Just in case, check that if you pull the cable by hand the derailleur cage moves outwards. If so, set the derailleur to the lowest gear.

Hold the cable with pliers, and with a hex key release the bolt slightly, then pull the cable to make sure it's very tense. (It won't go too far, just a little.) Tighten the bolt again as you still hold the cable with the pliers.


Can replacing the bearings on a hub untrue a wheel? Backstory: I've never paid so much attention to my bike.

I recently bought the wrench that allows me to take my axle off, so that's what I did.  After cleaning the parts/bearings and replacing the grease, I put it back together.  I put the wheel back on the bike, and spin it to make sure everything works.

The wheel spins, but there is an amount of untrueness that I wasn't aware of before.  I know that I put all of the bearings in, and the nuts are as even as I can tell by looking.  They might be a little tight, as I'm hearing a bit of clicking.

So, is it possible that the changes I made untrued the wheel, or is it most likely that the wheel was already untrue, and I'm just noticing it now?

(is it "untrue", or "untru")

No you can't affect true.

The hard part of doing cone and cup loose bearings is setting the cones just right - not loose - not tight. Usually takes a couple of tries.

There are a few things you (or the guy before you, or the factory) can get wrong.

wrong number of bearings
different number each side
wrong size

There seem to be some people/bike mechanics who believe fewer bearings =  less friction, and the deliberately leave one or two balls out. Personally I think it is total voodoo b.s. , but surprisingly common in these parts.

I put the wheel over a shallow tin/box when I open up the bearings to catch them as they come out so I know how many there were, and what condition (pitting)

I recommend replacing ALL the balls any time you clean them, as they are just so cheap. When you pass a bearing shop get a bagful of 1/4" (rear) and 3/16" (front) balls.

Balls fail first, then the cone, and rarely the cups.


How do I tighten the loose chain given an enclosed Nexus rear hub? How do I tighten the loose chain on my son's bicycle given an enclosed Nexus rear hub (3 gears but no visible external cogs) ?

There are two mechanisms for chain adjustment on non-derailleur bikes, either: the frame should have horizontal slots that the wheel axle fits into, and is secured with large nuts on the threaded axle ends. Chain tension is adjusted by moving the whole wheel within these slots; or the bottom bracket is mounted in a eccentric cylinder in a oversize bottom bracket shell.

Park Tool has a video on single speed chain installation and adjustment that you may find helpful to adjust the chain tension correctly.

As noted in comments, you should check that the chain is not worn out. (The pins and bushings wear and become slightly looser which causes the chain to elongate). A worn chain accelerates wear on the sprockets.


Mounting Stiff Metal Fender with Strive Bolts I am trying to mount a metal fender on my bike that was formerly a cross bike. I explicitly moved to this one (used) because the "crossy", plastic ones tend to slip to one side or another, and are not long enough in either direction.

The fender came with four screws that are, I believe, translated to English as "Strive Bolts" (German: Strebenbolzen/Klemmschraube). In the below image, the screw will sink into the "center" ring, and thus the hole becomes tighter.

One centrally on each fender (see below)

to connect the metal bar to the fender, and two to connect it near the wheel's center on the frame (back) / front fork, to be secured with a nut on the other side.

The holes in the frame/fork are threaded.

This gives me the following problem: Since the direction of the hole is somewhat predetermined by the angle from which the metal bars come, the suitable position for the strive bolt is only every 1/2 turn.

Now it seems to me that I either have it such that the metal bar is loose and will slip right out (and it did already on a pothole), or I turn it another half rotation before trying to insert the bar, and then the hole starts to get covered because the bolt "sinks" into the cover-thing (center, first picture) and I cannot fit the metal bar in at all anymore.

I also cannot screw the bolt further in after inserting the metal bar into it, because the metal bar is connected to the fender which is already mounted on top to the fork.

What am I missing? To me, it seems like the "strive bolts" are perhaps supposed to be inserted in a non-threaded hole on the fork where they can spin freely, then insert the metal bar in the bolt, and then lock the metal bar in the bolt by screwing the nut on the other side tighter and tighter, thus pulling the bolt in and closing the hole. Am I thus trying to combine two incompatible designs?

Bikes from certain times and places have used large (compared to today) unthreaded holes and draw bolts for fender attachment. Many old French bikes are like this. You've wound up with hardware for one.

You need the type of hardware used to connect the same struts to an M5 eyelet. They're sometime's called R-clips or -clamps. Here are the Velo Orange ones, probably around the cheapest out there.


Unable to pump air in my bicycle tube I am a new biker. I got some tubes to replace, but I am not able to identify the valve, I try to force air with presta convertor but the moment I remove it air blows off in a second. Please help identify valve and suggest how to fill air

I think its worse than that - your valve core is not there, but the thinner thread where you connect the airhose is there.
That tells me the shaft of the valve core broke off, the acorn nut was lost, and the guts of it fell into your tube.
This is what a removable valve core looks like:

Your tube appears to be like the one on the right, with no removable core.

You have the coarser thread as an integral part of the valve stem.  Had the valve core been removed, that coarser threadded part would be gone too.

Answer Your tube is dead and need to buy another tube.
The only way to save it is if those two threadded sections can be separated by unthreading the end.  And I suspect they won't because I can't see any flats for a wrench/spanner.
Sorry for the bearer of bad news.   If you want to find some less expensive tubes, search online resellers like wiggle or chain reaction.  Their Lifeline brand tubes are about $4 eurodollarpounds.   I buy them in 5 packs and keep them in stock.


Is a tri frame suitable for track racing? I'm considering getting a fairly cheap bike built up for track racing at my local club, reusing my old carbon tubular road wheels.

However, most track frames have a narrower hub spacing (120mm) versus road frames (130mm).

My options seem to be at present to stretch an old steel track frame to fit the road wheel, or to use a tri frame which should have the needed 130mm hub spacing.

I wouldn't. Track frames are purpose-built for racing at a velodrome.

Your tri frame will have a much lower bottom bracket. This can easily result in a pedal strike on the banked corners of the velodrome. Pedal strikes on corners with a fixed gear are bad; since the drivetrain is always turning, it will cause your rear wheel to jump perpendicular to the track surface. This will throw you into the bike on your left, and cause a spectacular crash.

Not as bad is that your frame has vertical dropouts instead of horizontal ones. Horizontal dropouts are made such that any loosening of your rear skewer bolts can only cause the wheel to move further into the dropouts. With vertical dropouts, any slip can potentially result in you losing your wheel.


I need help identifying my derailleur I want to replace my rear derailleur shown in the photo above. I don't know what kind it is and and I was hoping someone could tell me which cage it is?

As @jimirings said its hard to tell from the photo.

To identify which derailleur you have there are a few options:

If this is the original part on the bike use a site such as bikepedia to determine what came on the bike as new.
Look at the rear shifter pod, if this is SRAM it is more than likely it is a SRAM derailleur, if it's Shimano its more than likely SHimano, they are not generally compatible.
Count the sprockets on the rear cassette, this is a good starting piece of information to help working out what it is.
Find any words on the cage, something is written there, google this.
Find any other writing on the derailleur and google this.

Derailleur cage length is determined by largest chain ring and cassette cog. Once you know what derailleur will work you can calculate what cage length will suit.

From what I can see from here, I'm guessing you're probably running something similar to this derailleur


How to register a custom built for Kryptonite's ATPO Program? When registering for Kryptonite's ATPO Program here, you are asked for a bicycle make and model. With a custom-built, I have no idea what to provide there. I contacted customer service, with no reply after a week. Given the limited time frame where one can register for the ATPO Program after lock purchase, I am getting worried. From the corresponding terms and conditions, I see nothing that would exclude custom-builts, which would at least explain asking for a specific make and model.

From the Kryptonitewebsite,  looks like both the make and model are open-ended text entry forms. So I think you’d be ok to write something like:

Make: Bike-builder’s-name
Model: your-name

So if you had John Jones make your bike and you’re Carla Carlson then you could say:

Make: JJones
Model: Carlson
Model Year: 2020

If you built the frame yourself, then I think you could name it anything you want.
For kryptonite, they need the bill of sale if you bought it or an appraisal if you built it yourself.
Kryptonite is a little famous in being ... slow ... in paying out on their “insurance” so you may be better off just listing your bike on your homeowner or renters insurance policy.
What’s important to remember is that from the perspective of kryptonite, insurance companies, the police, etc is that the frame is the bike for all intents and purposes. So you use the frame number for the serial number of the bike.


Is it possible to make a larger bike fit a smaller person? I bought a used road bike to commute into school each day (only about 4 miles roundtrip) and to go on casual rides for fun. I've only had it for about 3 weeks and prior to that have not had a bike since I was a kid. Anyway, I went to a bike store for the first time in this area and as I was getting a replacement tire for a flat, I was fitted. According the salesperson there, the bike I own is for a person 3" taller than me.

He suggested I test ride some bikes from the store and buy a new one, but I'm not able to do that right now. Is there anything I can do in the meantime to adjust the bike to better fit my body, besides buying a different bike?

A couple of things to tide you over:

Obviously, put the seat down as far as you can. If the post can't go any lower, you might see if you can get a shorter post, or have the current post "chopped" to a shorter length (although that will probably cost you).
Move the seat as far forward as possible. To do this, you loosen the seat from the post using a hex-wrench; move the seat up, and then tighten back up. To really get the most possible, you can even try tilting the seat forward, although this might leave you feeling like you're sliding off of the bike (this is what my wife did to fit into her antique 3-speed).
You can loosen the handlebars and turn them upward, so you're not as stretched over the frame. To take it one step further, you can remove the handlebars, turn them around, and put them back on backwards ("bull horn" handlebars), but that will require re-taping and doing some more serious cable adjustments. It sounds like you just want to make a quick fix without too much work.

In general, being 3" too short for a bike probably isn't too bad. All of these fixes will lead to the overall fit changing. Stay on the lookout for someone who looks a tad too small for their own bike, and maybe you can engineer a trade at some point!


Discouraging motorists from stopping at an intersection when they have the right-of-way Where I live, bicycles are widely accepted in traffic; motorists are on balance considerate and careful around us. But on an almost daily basis, I run into motorists who are too "polite" at intersections. They stop and try to wave me through when I have no right to be in the intersection and, in some cases, when it would actually be dangerous for me to enter.

Two examples come up most frequently:

At a four-way side street intersection, where I am at a stop sign and the motorist has no sign or signal of any kind. Usually the only vehicles visible are myself and the car. I usually try to wave them through instead, and give them a friendly "thank you, anyways" wave and a smile.
Crossing a busy three-lane one-way road, where I have a stop sign and am not moving, feet on the ground. Motorists in the lane closest to me like to stop -- with traffic now stopping behind them and streaming along beside -- and try to wave me past. Here I often pretend to not be paying attention, but usually have to resort to a vigorous "keep on going" wave, with the same "thanks" as they eventually give up.

I run into other configurations as well,* but the core issue remains the same: it's far easier, and often much safer, for them to just continue and allow me to move through the intersection after them.† When I'm stopped and the car is moving, it will be out of my way a lot faster than I can get moving and past. I really do appreciate their consideration, but in the broader picture, I'd prefer they just continue in their right of way as if I were another motorist.

Ignoring the stopped car has only mixed results. Are there any other tactics I can employ to indicate that I'm perfectly happy waiting, and keep these well-intentioned people from stopping in the first place, moving on their way and out of mine?

*One that causes genuine confusion is dual-purpose marked crossings, where the same sign indicates the presence of bikes and pedestrians. The latter should be yielded to here.

†In some cases I think they're even committing traffic violations.

This is not strictly a bicycling issue. Do-gooders who ignore the rules and want to give the right of way all the time are also irritating to other drivers. They are not necessarily safer drivers, because "scared" is not exactly the same thing as "safe". There isn't anything you can do; just take cautious advantage of the right of way and keep going. The most aggravating of the lot are those who act as enablers aggressive drivers, like those who cut in to get ahead of dozens of cars in a traffic jam.

It's not really appropriate to enter into anecdotes, but I'm compelled to give one anyway. Once (while driving, not cycling), I stopped at a stop sign in the middle of a residential neighborhood (properly, I might add; a full stop behind the painted line).  Another driver was going cross-wise, not herself facing any stop sign and thus having the right of way. This driver stopped, motioning me to proceed. I shook my head and pointed at the stop sign to indicate that I'm simply following the rules and expect everyone to do the same. She simply refused to budge, so I turned off my engine and engaged the parking brake.  I cannot remember who first yielded (or should we say, "unyielded", if you will), but I do remember that minutes passed. I remained calm and maintained an amused smile while she appeared to become angry.

Some of these do-gooders are, evidently, quite vehement about pushing their viewpoint that the rules of the road are not entirely satisfactory and should entirely be ignored in their entirety (and perhaps not even known at all) in favor of some inefficient ad-hoc social protocol.

In my experience as a driver with several hundred thousand km under my belt, you better just do what they want you to do, otherwise minutes will be wasted like in the above social experiment that I don't care to repeat. However, make eye contact with a driver before jumping in front of their car, and do not waffle; if you're given the right away, take it swiftly.


Right crank arm feels uncomfortable After a loose bottom bracket and some prevailing knee pain I have made a few adjustments to the bike. I have managed to greatly reduce the pain in my left knee but the right still has some pain. I have noticed that since the bottom bracket came loose that my right foot if positioned the same as my left  will knock against the crank arm. I have to perch my foot on the edge of the pedal. I'm not sure whether this is something that could be attributed to a bending of the crank arm or something else?

Well, the thing to do first is to determine if the crank arm is bent (or loose/poorly fitted to the shaft).

Prop the bike up and "pedal" it backwards with your hand (from the right side).  Observe whether the shaft of the pedal maintains the same horizontal alignment all the way around.  If the crank arm is bent then generally the pedal shaft will be "pointing upward" at the top of the crank cycle and "pointing down" at the bottom of the crank cycle, and you can usually both see this and sense it with your hand.

(Note that a bent pedal shaft can produce the same symptom, though.  But if the pedal shaft is bent it will be obvious if you unscrew the pedal -- the shaft will "wag" around as you unscrew it.  And either way you'll need to replace some components.)

It should be noted that, on bikes with 3 front sprockets, the right pedal sticks out from the frame slightly more than the left pedal, making your ankle slightly more apt to bump the right crank arm than the left.  But the difference is slight -- maybe 4mm.


What to expect from an e-bike service? My e-bike manufacturer recommends a service every 1000km. Tomorrow I'll bring my bike to the shop where I bought it for the first service. I already had a mini-service for free at around 300 km in which I don't know what they did exactly, probably some fine screw tuning.

My bike is a city bike built by a reputable manufacturer. I ride it nearly everyday to work. The city has some serious hills.

What can I expect the shop where I'll bring my e-bike will be doing for this ~1000km service? (And will it be the same for every 1000km services in the future?)

The first free service is usually just to account for "bedding-in" from new. They originally build up and tune the bike with all new components, but as you ride it for a few months, it's common for cables to bed in a little more snugly to their fittings as well as for bearings to push into the frame a little more, requiring the components on either side to be tightened up. The bolts on the bike may be a little loose from all of this, so it's always a good idea to get it fully checked over once it's been ridden for a while.

After 1000 km, it would be checked over for all of that as well as for the general wear and tear. Components requiring cleaning and lubricration will be inspected along with any bearings. Depending on motor position, ebikes might wear out a drivetrain more quickly or require wheels to be trued more often. If you know how to clean and lubricate your bike and measure the chain wear, it's unlikely to need such regular maintenance, but the recommendations tend to be based on the worst case scenario. Someone who rides in all weather, locking it up outside during the day and just puts the bike back in the garage every evening without cleaning it can extensive maintenance within 1000 km.

To minimise maintenance required, there are some basic things to do at home. If the bike gets dirty, clean it off, taking care not to leave it soaking wet for a long time afterwards. Regularly (every 300km or so) degrease and relubricate your chain and pump up your tyres to the correct pressure. An honest bike shop will usually take a look at a bike to tell you whether any more work is required at the time. Unfortunately it can be hard to know how honest your shop is of you aren't an expert, so you should ask your friends for their opinions on the local shops


Can it fit the rim i have? Will a 26x1.50 or 26x1.25 slick fit on a rim that I now have with a measure on the tire 26x2.00 and the rims I have are 26inch bontrager AT-550?

The Bontrager AT-550 rim is a standard 26" mountain bike rim. A typical MTB 26" tire, including the narrower 1.25" should fit, yes.

You should compare the bead diameter on the original tire to the new tire.  it's the three digit number on the tire that matters.  Usually, for these tires, it would be 559mm.

You should make sure that the tire width is a minimum of 1/8" or 5mm wider than the width of the rim.


Cannondale carbon synapse rear cassette size increase. I'm a 66 year old, 6 ft 3 inch (190cm)  18 and 1/2 stone (117kg / 259 lb) biker !

I own a cannondale carbon synapse with a 32 tooth cassette on the rear wheel that was okay for Mont Ventoux climb last year. This year our group of skinny bikers ( I'm the heaviest by 4 stone) are planning all the passes in the Lake District over 4 days.

Can I put on a 36t cassette without changing all the front chainrings and chain as long as I keep the same number of cogs on the rear cassette i.e. 8?

These are serious climbs:

Cycling in the Lake District – Leave the big ring at home
Eight iconic climbs of the Lake District

Not high, but hard, some with gradients of 25% and even 33%

Kudos for Mont Ventoux. It's long, but the gradients come nowhere near these climbs!

For such climbs, you'll want the lowest gearing you can possibly get. If your front rings are the stock compact 50/34 ones then the 38 rear you are considering is a good idea.

But if you have the Shimano 105 5800 GS rear derailleur  (or similar), then you're out of luck, because 32 teeth is the most it can handle.

So, you'll be needing either

a new rear derailleur, and / or front derailleur, or
borrow a bike with seriously low gears  (a carbon MTB with road tires would be good).

The next thing is training. Although you didn't ask here are my suggestions ... but firstly the good news ... hauling your body mass up a hill like Mont Ventoux means you have a serious level of strength and fitness. The key is to loose some of the mass while keeping the strength and endurance.

From my observations for most males (it doesn't work the same for females) the best thing for weight loss is a 40 minute training ride before breakfast. To maintain strength, do hill repeats or efforts on gradients of 8 to 15% Find a steep and climb it once a month to track progress. Mix these rides with Long Slow Distance rides to maintain aerobic condition. Be careful not to overtrain; 3 rides per week is enough.

I'm sure you don't need advice for the actual climbs, but for others who read this, such climbs should be started slowly, they get hard enough soon enough!

Enjoy!


How to avoid hand strain when landing with a road bike? Whenever landing from a bunny-hop or jumping a couple of stairs, my hands strain just above the wrist. How can this be remedied?

Things I have tried:

Warming up before going out.
Position the handlebars, so that the hoods are parallel to the ground, so that my writs are straight. This results in extremely uncomfortable drops position (wrist rotate at an extreme angle if I want to clear the brakes).
Staying relaxed on impact. Absorbing as much as possible with the legs.
Keeping the wind away from my joints.

Things I haven't tried:

carbon forks
gel gloves
lower tire pressure (35x622 tires @ 7bar)
landing back tire first

Meta: This is no question, whose answer can not be verified quickly. I have upvoted all the answer and will, or will not, accept one as 'best' some day.

I used to experience this when I switched from doing a lot of mountain biking to BMX - you really have to learn precisely how to absorb the impact. I thought I was doing it right until I no longer had a suspension fork. Simply absorbing with your legs isn't all there is to it.

You want to land flat and carefully set the bike down. What I mean by that is extending your limbs - just like suspension travel on a full suspension bike would extend once airborne. As you land, the bike needs to touch down the front and rear wheel simultaneously, or ever so slightly tail heavy (touch much and it will slap the front down though, and that's no good!) And the moment before impact your should already initiate absorbing the impact; this is the "careful set down" part. As for the absorption part, we're talking 95% in the legs. Get your weight back. The picture below really shows what I mean. If your weight is way back, the front wont impact as hard. Yes, the rider would've landed very tail heavy to absorb the initial impact of a drop of that magnitude, but the point here is shifting your weight back. His hands/arms are not in a position to absorb much of anything, rather, they're a pivot in the suspension system that is his body.

Of course, you've always got the disadvantage of the road bike geometry and proper riding position. But, you can also see in the photo how much space is available in the cavity between the rider's body and the frame. There's plenty of space for a road frame in there!

Hope this helps you!


How to tell how many speeds a wheel is designed for Let's say I have a freehub wheel with no cassette.  How do I determine how many sprockets it's designed for?  In particular, the wheel in question is a Mavic Aksium.  Looking at the manufacturer's spec page, I don't see anything about number of speeds.

For Shimano and SRAM, at least:

8, 9 and 10 speed cassettes are designed to use the same freehub body. As higher speeds became available the sprockets were made closer together rather than the cassette getting wider. The freehub spline width is 34.95mm.

For road groupsets, the freehub body had to be made wider by 1.8mm (36.75mm) to accommodate 11 speed cassettes.

For mountain groupsets, the 11 speed cassette fits on the narrower 10 speed freehub. This is possible because the larger low gear sprockets on a spider can overhang the inboard end of the freehub body.

Old or cheap 7 or less speed systems use an narrower freehub body.


How do I get rid of odor from cycling shoes? So I have a pair of: Diadora X-Country 2 MTB Shoes (pic below)

How would I go about cleaning them, primarily to remove odor? I am tempted to put this in the washing machine- but the cleet is totally stuck to the shoe (imagine 7,000km, mostly in the wet). Brush + washing up liquid? What about the inside sole etc?

Any tips?

Update:
I ended up using some handwash (with anti bacterial) and a brush/toothbrush and got the following results:

Simple, yet powerful solution - pour max 1 teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda, found in any store) into the shoes before or after wearing them. It will kill the bacteria and any other "stuff" that produces bad smell.

It has no negative effects on skin whatsoever, except when applying it to freshly shaven skin - as it may cause inflammation of the skin (but, hey - everything does under that conditions).

It also doesn't paint socks or shirts (if you use it as a deodorant replacement).

I use it on daily basis. Also, it's great if you don't want the irritations on skin from the deodorants.

Sodium Bicarbonate is odorless itself.

More info on Sodium Bicarbonate

Cheers!


Can absoluteBLACK's 48/32 sub-compact chainrings be mounted on the Quarq DFour (for 4-bolt Shimano chainrings)? When I bought my Quarq DFour for Dura-Ace 9000/Ultegra 6800/105 5800 chainrings last year, I had planned to mount my o.symetric 50/34 chainrings. However the asymmetric shape of the inner ring couldn't be mounted due to a ring of some sort on the crankset.
Luckily, I had a pair of absoluteBLACK 50/34 oval chainrings collecting dust which could be mounted and works like a charm (although I still prefer the shape of the o.symetrics).
I'm planning a mountainous 4,000 km ultra endurance race, and hence want the following gearing: sub-compact 48/32 chainrings and a 11-34 cassette (or 12-34 frankensette).
Since I couldn't mount the inner o.symmetric ring, I'm afraid that the inner absoluteBLACK 32t ring won't fit. Will it?

A way of getting a pretty good guess is find a laid-flat image of the ring in question, open in photoshop or gimp or cad or whatever, make some paths or circles that exactly cover two opposing bolt holes, then make a line between the centers. Get the measure of that line in whatever application you're using and the irl physical measurement of your spider, and then make a circle whose center is the midpoint of the line and whose diameter is scaled to the in-image length of the line as ratio between the spider diameter in mm and 110. That should give you a good idea whether it's way off, may take minor filing, etc.


Drill into steel frame for cargo rack So I have a bike without pegs for the mounting of a cargo bike rack.

It is a steel frame so I was thinking of installing make-shift pegs myself.

Is this going to breach the integrity of the frame?

I know some types of metals and constructions aren't intended to be drilled through.

It mostly depends on the thickness of the tube.

Chainstays and seat stays tend to be quite small tube, so drilling them takes a larger percentage of metal away.  I would not drill a stay unless I had a welder to add metal- instead I'd use a clamp-on fitting.

For downtubes and seat tubes, the tube itself tends to be wider.  I've successfully used a nutsert or rivnut to add bidon mounts to a steel road bike.  This involved careful drilling, then using a special tool to mount and crimp a special insert into the frame.


Bicycle access options for a week-long stay in Paris I'm going to be in Paris this month for about a week for some conference. My accommodation is about ~15 min away by bicycle from where the conference in held, and for most of the days (say 4 or 5) I'll just be traveling there in the morning and going back in the evening.

Now, I don't have a bike that I'm bringing with me, but I would like to use a bike in Paris. I can...

Rent one
Borrow one
Use the municipal bike share which I've just noticed - Velib

Intuitively I would think the public bike share would be my go-to option. But I'd like to ask the more experienced: Is that really the best options? Would it be cheaper than the other two options? Are the velib stands ubiquitous enough to not add too much walking to my route? Is it customary to use something else?

either rent or borrow I suppose. My question is: In broad strokes, what are the options for renting or borrowing a bike for a week-long stay? Is that common at all in Paris? Should I try to do this through certain websites? Local bike shop? Some other way? Or - perhaps

Also or use some public bike system if one exists

Velib makes the most sense for you. The use case you outlined is exactly what bike shares were designed for: short point to point trips where you don't necessarily expect or need to take the exact same bike back with you.

Check out the prices:

So, you'd take a < 30 minute one way ride in the morning for 1 Euro, ditch the bike for the day, then take a (probably different) bike home for 1 Euro. 2 Euros round trip. That's probably cheaper than taking transit, and I challenge you to find a bike rental for < 15 Euros daily. Even if you can, as noted in the comments above, you then have the additional worry of theft/ vandalism, and hassle of having to return it to a bike rental place when you're done.

If you want to do a longer bike ride or full day of bike exploration before or after your conference, you could do a one-day proper bike rental for that.


Why are disk brakes not completely round on the outside? Why are disk brakes not 100% round? Why is the outside edge "rough"?

Here's a pic of what I'm describing:

For the brakes to self clean and remain effective, the surface of the pad must transition from metal to void at least once every revolution across the entire pad (i.e. no continuous line of metal). The 'sawtooth' rim achieves this. Some very cheap disks do not achieve this.

You may find the very good answer by @trailmax in this question useful.


Foot pain with cleated shoes I have cleated shoes. My feet do a lot of work floor miles and get I pain in ball of my foot. I feel like the cleat is pushing on the ball of my foot.

I was considering changing the shoe liner; would this help or not? I have N.W foot wear, they are at least 6 month old.

Usually shoes for walking/running and cycling shoes are constructed quite differently: shoes you walk on are usually far less rigid, most have a much softer sole to absorb shocks/bumps, and of course do not have cleats.

As this is ergonomics and people are quite different, there is probably no general answer: I find walking in SPD Trecking shoes uncomfortable, but not enough that I would not use them every day.

For your specific problem, I guess changing liners could help. However you'd need very stiff liners that actually distribute unevenness. I have not yet seen those.

Assuming you have static workplace: maybe you could arrange having a second pair of shoes specifically for walking there?


Axle flex under load normal for freewheel hub? When using a freewheel'd hub is it normal for the drive side of the axle to flex a little bit?

I replaced the kickstand on my bike and the new one sits closer to the rear tire with about 2 mm clearance.  However, since I did this I picked up a squeak/rub, but only when I'm applying power.  I back off the power or coast and the squeak goes away.  Upon closer inspection I have found that the tire is rubbing in spots, but with very little force.

This is the same setup in another question of mine where I was having axle troubles (Reoccurring Bent Axles, any reasons or upgrades?).  I have replaced said axle with a stronger one (so the LBS told me) close to the same time, and so far, no other major issues.  The wheel is true, but tire does have a spot or 2 where it is out of line.  I have checked for play in the bearings, but none is there.

Given that it only rubs though when applying power and it doesn't at all when on the stand then I'm lead to believe that the driving forces is causing the drive side of the wheel to move forward and causing my issue.  Am I right here and is it normal?  If it is normal, is such a flex going to be a bent axle later?

As @Batman says, 2mm is VERY little clearance on a bike. It is more likely to be the frame flexing (more so the chain and seat stays) causing the tyre to move around a bit. I would see if there is a way to mount the stand a little further forward on its bracket. You want to create as much distance as you can between your stand and the tyre as possible.

Video example of a frame flexing to show what is meant by flex


Should cassette "wiggle" Recently My freehub broke and so I removed the cassette to replace the freehub and noticed, whilst off the bike, 4 of the remaining bolted together 8 sprockets wiggled (4 wiggled together but separately from the other 4). (10 speed shimano hg62-10). I also noticed some scratch marks on the freehub body (see pic) and wondered if this had anything to do with it. Does my cassette need replacing, or is this OK?

If you're saying that, off the body, the sprockets move slightly relative to each other, that's not a problem.  The sprockets are only just "tacked" together so that they remain in the right order and orientation while off the body.  The body provides the strength to hold them.

If, on the other hand, you notice that the sprockets slide up and down the body after installation, or if they seem to wobble as they turn, that suggests that they were installed incorrectly relative to the notches or that a spacer is missing.


What are the side effects of blood doping? It has been in the news that endurance athletes such as cyclists sometimes increase their red blood cell count by blood doping. I don't understand how you can just pump more blood into yourself, there must be some bad side effects to doing this, right?

Basically, the intended effect is to increase the number of red blood cells in your system, which in turn gives you increased oxygen carrying capacity to the working muscles. This extra oxygen allows your muscles to work longer and harder.

In the early days of "blood packing", circa the 70's and 80's, it was basically taking a couple of pints of blood out of the body, storing it and letting the body naturally replace it, then transfusing it back into the athlete before their events.

Erythropoietin has actually been around since the early 1900's, and in the 60's, they found that it stimulated blood marrow to produce extra red blood cells. In the late 80's, a synthetic EPO agent was created, and this is what led to the EPO use as an athletic enhancing agent, other than its legitimate medical uses (Anemia, and other diseases).

The biggest effect from extra blood cells (Other than the risk factors of homologous blood {Blood from an outside donor}) is that the blood becomes thicker and more viscous. This can lead to blood clots, strokes, heart attacks and pulmonary embolism. This becomes more likely at rest/sleep, as the heart rate slows quite a bit.


Compatible tyre widths for 622 × 17 rims? I have 622 × 17 rims on my hybrid and currently have 700×40c tyres on (came with the bike).

I need a new rear tyre but I am not sure what I can get. From what I can find I should be fitting fairly narrow tyres in the 25-28C range?

If you don't have a specific reason to change size, get the same.

This kind of combination is common, but over the last years there has been some fuss about too narrow rims, in some part because people with limited riding experience like to repeat what they have heard and in part because manufacturers are pushing wider rims.


trouble inflating tires I've watched several youtube videos on inflating bike tires. i have presta valves on mine.

When I the top is screwed completely on it works but i'm told this is just pressurizing the inside of my pump. When I unscrew the top to open the valve, the tire doesn't inflate at all. What am I doing wrong?

After opening the valve, I put the pump on the stem and push all the way down with the switch perpendicular. In this position I can hear air coming out of the tire.

Then I put the switch up so that it's parallel to the valve and the rest of the pump piece. Then I can hear air stop leaking and it seems ready to pump.

However, when I actually pump to put air in I can hear the air going everywhere except in my tire. What am I doing wrong?

Practice with a spare tube outside of the tyre.  You'll see it start to inflate on one or two pumps.

Could it be the pump you're using locks-on the other way?  When its clamped down you should not be able to feel air moving out the end, around the valve.

Possibly your pump is a schrader-only style?  There are wee thread-on adapters that let you use a schrader (car valve) fitting on a presta bike valve.  They also work as caps to protect the valve.


Top up hydraulic brake fluid? So I've just gotten a new bike which has disk brakes, and it's my first time using disk brakes. One of the brake pads is rubbing a little on the rotor, so I decided to turn the barrel on the lever anti-clockwise to "take some tension off the cable" (bear with me).

When I pulled the lever and fluid shot out I became aware of 2 things:

there is no "cable" because my brakes are hydraulic.
I'm an idiot.

The brake still works but now that there's fluid missing do I need to top it up?

(I also need to learn about hydraulic brakes).

Your brake is a closed system, and your brake cable is filled with a mixture of brake fluid and air. Air is compressible, while brake fluid isn't. So, the larger the proportion of air in the system, the more compressible it will be, the more effort is required to actually stop the bike, and this is frequently described as "spongier".

Now, in your specific case, you need to judge whether you have enough stopping power for the environment/conditions in which you ride. If the answer is "No", then topping up the reservoir (i.e. replacing air with brake fluid) might make sufficient difference.


What is a simple mnemonic for remembering the thread direction when removing pedals? Given that pedal threads are different on the left and right pedals: the right side pedal has a right-hand thread (removes counterclockwise, installs clockwise); the left side pedal has a left-hand thread (removes clockwise, installs counterclockwise), I often find myself trying to remember which way to turn the wrench to loosen a pedal.

Does anyone have a good-- preferably humorous and easy to remember-- mnemonic device to forever ingrain in my memory which pedal goes which way and keep me from over-tightening when I am trying to loosen?

What could be simpler than remembering that the left-hand pedal has left-hand thread?


Is it ok to use a 9spd link on a 10spd chain? I accidentally broke the master link (a.k.a reusable missing link) on my 10psd KNC x-10 chain.
Since I only had a SRAM 9spd replacement link, i used that to connect the chain.
I rode 30 Km without any issue, but is it a good idea to leave the 9spd link in place, or should i replace it with a dedicate 10spd link?

The problem you might run into is too much movement in the link. This will not show any problems for a while, maybe months, but the more movement there is the more damage you are causing the link and it will eventually fail.

Depending on what you are doing at the time when it fails, you might just be inconvenienced and have to walk home or, in my case when I was 18, launch yourself over the bars at 25 MPH, slide down the road and open your elbow to the bone, spend 3 hours in the ER digging out all the gravel, have a wound that smells like rotting meat, and a scar that takes up 25% of your arm 20 years later... Swap out the link when you get a chance, or better yet, buy a new chain, WAY cheaper than an ER visit!


Left Brake Lever Slack First attempt at a bike tuneup.  Day 2.  I just replaced the front brake pads and finally got them with enough space so there is no rub on the rim.  Now I squeeze the right brake lever and it applies the brake properly but I have to pull it all the way to the bike handle (pic1). So the brakes do work but I though I should leave space between handle and lever when brake is applied.

So, here is what I have tried: Adjusting the V brake cable (pic2) - however, if I tighten this the brakes will rub against the rim.  I also tweaked the brake adjuster near the brake lever (pic3) but this does the same and creates rim rub. Also note that both of these methods do not appear to resolve the slack.

Grateful for any help!

You are correct that there should be some space between the lever and handlebar when the brakes are fully applied.

I think I can assume that you have set up the calipers so that the pads are the correct distance from the wheel rim - a few millimeters (or a bit more if your wheels are a little out of true), as you say that adjusting the cable causes the pads to rub on the rim.

If the lever hits the handlebar there must be excess slack in the cable somewhere.

You say that adjusting the cable at the caliper or using the barrel adjuster does not improve the lever travel. If you pull the lever, does the caliper move immediately, or if there cable slack being taken up before the caliper moves?

I'm guessing that something is binding in the cable run somewhere causing the caliper arms to retract to a certain point, but there is still slack cable between the caliper and lever.

You can check the cable run between the lever and caliper, ensure the housing is properly seated, unhook the caliper and check the cable runs smoothly in the housing. Apply tension to the cable by gripping it with some pliers and check the lever pulls it immediately.

You could also choose to replace the cable and housing, which is a common thing to do when tuning up a bike.

You can check if you have set the brakes up properly be checking out some online resources. Park Tool Company has some great brake adjustment videos on their YouTube channel. Here is the V-brake video.

Update based on new info in comments:

The problem seems to be: one caliper arm is retracting less that the other and then rubs on the rim. You then find you need to slacken off the cable to stop that non-retracted arm from rubbing.

The solution is, of course, to fix the non retracting caliper arm. It's a common problem for the V-brake arms to get sticky and not retract symmetrically.

Remove the caliper arms, clean the arm bushings, posts and springs, re-grease and reassemble.
Adjust the spring tension screws on the caliper arms so that the arms retract symmetrically (see picture below).


Does Strava display live watts while biking? Does Strava display watts from a bluetooth power meter along with a bluetooth heart rate in real time while I'm riding?

Not with the free version — it displays a delayed average. If you sign up for the premium program you get real-time, live monitoring.

What you can do to get live Watts is to use another program (for example the one provided by your wattmeter) to record and view your data live — then export the track to strava after the fact.


Giant Defy 2 Bottom Bracket I'm considering upgrading to an Ultegra groupset, found a very good price online, but I do not know what bottom bracket is in my bike. I have a 2015 Giant Defy 2, aluminum frame, and to me, this looks like a press fit bottom bracket. However, the technical documentation that I got when I purchased the bike from a local bike shop says it has a Shimano BB4600, which is a threaded bottom bracket and looks nothing like what is on my bike so far as I can see. The only press-fit option with this groupset available is the BB71-41B. Can someone tell me if this will possibly work with my bike, or how I would go about determining compatibility? Additionally, since the crankset on the bike now is a Tiagra crankset, would it be possible to just swap it out with the ultegra crankset and leave the BB alone? Thanks.

Ultegra is still hollowtech II. It seems like the Defy 2 in the UK has a pressfit bottom bracket for hollowtech II cranks, while in the US it has an usual threaded hollowtech II bottom bracket. In any case, you need a hollowtech II compatible bottom bracket, which you already have (Tiagra is Hollowtech II only).

Just remove the current crankset and put in the ultegra crankset.

Aside: This guide from BikeRadar summarizes bottom bracket standards.


SRAM force rear shifts go in the wrong direction when on largest cassette I got a new bike about 6 months ago with SRAM Force on it.  It's my first time riding SRAM and I love it except for one thing:

If I'm climbing and my RD is shifted all the way up ( to 28-tooth ) and I try and downshift further, it allows me to click once and stops the 2nd click so I get an upshift instead.

Anyone know how to fix this?

If your rear derailleur is in the 28t cog, there is only one click available, because shifting to the next (non-existent) cog would put your chain in your wheel.

Because of the way the Double Tap levers work, the first click will release to the next gear down, either 27t or 26t depending on your cassette.

There is nothing to fix. This is proper behavior for this group set.


Standard forces on a bike frame Let's say I was going to design a bike frame for a specific size of individual. I'd start with some basic frame geometries, then I assume I'd calculate the necessary member sizes, stiffnesses, etc. by calculating the force on each member in a number of standard load scenarios (i.e. maximum force applied during standing pedaling, force on seat tube when sitting, cornering at high speeds, braking, etc.) Given these forces, I'd be able to correctly size each tube/member.
My question is: what are reasonable forces to be used in these load scenarios? I assume there are some standard forces used by bicycle designers for different load cases, but thus far I haven't been able to find these loads.
(For context not relevant for this question but perhaps of interest to the casual reader, I'd like to use these forces and a generative design-based software tool (Autodesk Fusion360) to design a bike frame that is near optimal for someone of my size and desired riding style. Probably will eventually try to machine said frame from wood. I know this is not a mainstream material choice but has been used to pretty good effect here).

What you are asking is engineering. Even if you can calculate the correct thickness for all "reasonable" impacts and forces thrown at a bicycle, you still need to take into account that the bicycle will be used, so the material will undergo hysteresis.
A frame can stand a single impact providing a force of X, but it may fail after one hundred impacts of smaller force X/1000 (yes, you are reading correct, standing a single impact of force X, but failing after a cumulative impact force of 1/10 of X).
If you then bring into the picture a material that evolves with time, like wood, you should expect ... a lot of trial and error.
An example: you draw your ideal wood bike, knowing the tensile strength and other parameters of wood you calculate that the top tube should be long 30cm, have a diameter 1.8 cm and a thickness of 2 mm. However, with the use you realize that such a tube will produce some resonance and some vibration, so for some unlucky reasons hysteresis will cause the connection of the seat stays (calculated to be long 22 cm, diameter 1.2 cm, thickness 1.9 mm) to fail on average after 500 km.
You try to reinforce the connection, but the solution maybe is just to have a top tube with a larger diameter, or shorter, to dampen the vibrations/resonance.
How to proceed? you have two choices:
[scientific/industrial approach]

the mechanical engineer way, such as this page hosted on sheldonbrown site
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/fea.htm or you check the latest peer reviewed research: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1687814017739513

[empirical approach]

you take some frame building courses, where you get the experience of learning by doing, so you have a "feeling" for what is the right thickness/shape/angles etcetc.

It is not that the calculation of forces is complex or there are industrial secret preventing us from its understanding (well, there are industrial secrets on why a certain thing is built a certain way, but physics is not an industrial secret :D ).
The fact is that we have a very rough understanding of reality and forces at the microscopic scale, but we can obtain insight on the resulting macroscopic behavior of materials only via:

engineering/advanced calculus/tests and experiments (use Finite Element software to calculate stresses and plastic behavior of the material and then you obtain the composite tube shapes of a Kestrel road bike https://www.compositesworld.com/articles/ultralight-carbon-fiberepoxy-road-bike-from-kestrel )

Kestrel co-owner Preston Sandusky credits the low weight to the bike's
"modular monocoque" frame, fabricated from three individually
bladder-molded parts: the triangular front frame, and two two-pronged,
U-shaped forks, which form the seat stay section (running from the top
of the seat tube to the rear wheel dropouts) and chain stay section
(from the bottom of the seat tube to the rear dropouts). Developed by
former aerospace engineers at Kestrel's headquarters in Santa Cruz,
Calif., U.S.A., using Pro-ENGINEER and RHINO 3-D Solid Modeling
software (PTC, Needham, Mass., U.S.A.), the frame structures are
fabricated

via empirical reasoning (Columbus steel tubes works great to build a bicycle with drops, why? because it does! )

I would NOT be surprised if, after doing some calculation based on very simple principle, you would find out that a steel frame with thickness 0.1mm and a weight of 500 grams would be able to stand all the forces related to a standard cycling scenarios.