How to choose grips for trail riding AND commuting? I use my mountain bike for trail riding (a few hours on weekends) and for commuting (20-50 minutes each day), on paved or dirt roads (I have 2 different routes).

I would like to replace the grips on my handlebars (because my existing ones are getting too old). I would like to understand which grips fit the very different styles of riding I do.

My current thinking is like this: I can do the commuting without gloves, to minimize the equipment I mess up with on daily basis, – and then I need smooth grips, which probably are a bit worse for trails. I can choose to always ride with gloves, and then I can get deeply-grooved grips (that would be better for trail riding?). Which important factors do I miss here?

I used ergonomic grips in the past, like in this picture; didn't like them.

I use Oury Mountain Grips on my mountain bike and my city bike.

They have a cheaper slide on version (about $10-12 USD) and a lock on version ($ about $30 USD) which I prefer.  The lock on version avoids the 'slippy grip' issues you sometimes have when water eeks under the edge of the grip and it slips on the bars.

These grips are smooth and cushy enough to wear without gloves and are good and sticky when used with gloves.


New front fork has steel caps on V-brake mounts - can these be removed to expose threaded mounts beneath I just bought the red front-fork below which has these metal caps on the V-brake mounts:

But my old fork looks something like the below, where the mounts are very different:

As you can see; those mounts are very different and the ones which my brake-assembly actually fit.

Hence I am wondering:

Have I bought the wrong fork or can I remove those metal caps? If I can remove them, how do I do that? And if I do remove them will I find the same mount-type as the purple fork above? Any links/videos would be most welcome, thx.
If I have bought the wrong fork, what is this brake mount-type called so that I do not repeat my mistake in the future?

Thanks for your help.

These caps are indeed removable. They are protective caps on your brake mount bosses, to prevent the paint getting on the surface of the brake mount or threading, in the factory.

They've done their job so simply remove them and install your brakes as normal, they should just pull off.


How to start a grassroots DH race? I'd like to start a DH race at my local ski hill (which has a few DH trails) and I'd like to know how to setup the following:

Registration
Practice/Qualis/Race runs
Timing/Results

I realize this is pretty broad, and I have the general idea of how a race weekend goes from watching way too many PinkBike videos, but most of those are large races with sponsors, etc.

Also, the size of the first race will most likely be less than 50 racers or so.

Am I correct in thinking (based on your PinkBike comment) that you've never personally participated in a DH race?  I would very highly recommend you compete in a few before trying to put on one of your own.

There's a ton of things you'll need to think about, and the best way to get a good list is by attending one yourself and looking around with a critical eye.  Off the top of my head, other things you need to prepare

Bathrooms/porta potties
Race bibs
Food/water
Course marshals
Parking
Prizes

Other suggestions from comments
Insurance - @Daniel R Hicks
Medical support - @Jahaziel
Course preparation @Jahaziel
Race Categories - @Jahaziel

Competing in a race would give you a chance to look at all these things, and how they can be done well/poorly.  It would also give you a chance to speak to the race organizers in person (although they'll likely be quite busy, you may need to wait until the end) and pick their brains.

If going to a different race isn't an option, you might still try to contact organizers and talk to them over the phone.

In response to your specific questions, I know there are websites to handle registration; you might check out http://racesonline.com/, they've done a few races I've been to.  Or you could probably get all the info you need with a Google Drive Form, but that might be a little hard.  On the upshot, it would be free.

As far as timing, there are companies that will rent/come out and operate chip timing equipment (I don't know any off the top of my head), but the budget way to do it is to start two stop watches at exactly the same time in the morning before the race, then send one to the start and one to the finish.  Then you have a person at the top recording the starting time of each bib number, and a person at the bottom recording finishing time.  At the end of the day you go through and subtract all the start times from the finish times, and presto!  This is very cheap, but it's imprecise, and it means you don't get results until the end (unless you have more people with radios communicating times back and forth, which is doable but requires extra hands).

Practice runs seem like they're more or less up to you, and could probably be handled with a chalk board.


Why the adjustable spring tension on the cage of Shimano rear derailleurs? Why do some Shimano rear derailleurs have an adjustable cage spring tension and what is affected by increasing it (default is low tension)?

It's a way of mitigating chain slap and chain retention issues, primarily for more aggressive riding styles. The tradeoff is drivetrain efficiency and shifting smoothness. It's a feature that's basically been supplanted by rear derailer clutches.


What is the purpose of greasing BB threads? As is known for Shimano sealed bottom bracket cartages (e.g. page 16 here), if the BB cup is made out of metal, grease should be applied to the frame-cup thread. If the cup is plastic, grease should not be applied.

My question is what is the purpose of applying grease?

On a side note, I have heard of a couple of explanations, none of which I can prove or disprove. Firstly, to prevent difficult removal of the cups due to corrosion of cold welding. And secondly, to prevent intrusion of water and contaminants through the threads.

To prevent galvanic corrosion. When grease is appied, there is a thin film of grease that prevent direct contact between two different metal.
To prevent water and contaminants, especially salt in the winter season, that would otherwise accelerates corrosion as discussed in (1)
This will not work with plastic or carbon fiber (+epoxy as matrix) materials as grease will reduce the material's strength over time, i.e. epoxy on carbon fibre is weakened.


Saddle rail breaks often During the last few years, I've had a broken saddle rail every year or so. It always breaks just in front, or just behind the clamp. I wonder what the reason could be, and how I can avoid this.

Here are two pictures:

Some information:

I'm ~75 kg (165 lbs), so not exactly heavy
I'm only cycling on paved roads, no bumps whatsoever, roughly 12 km (7.5 miles) / day
My bike is an ordinary city bike, Shimano Nexus 7 speed, roller brakes, size 37-622 tires, no suspension
Most (affordable) saddles over here in The Netherlands are by a single brand 'Selle Royal'. Therefore I expect the size of the rails would be the same for all of them, and shouldn't be an issue
Two years ago I replaced the clamp, because the old one looked worn out. This seemed to solve my problem, but today, I found it broke again

I found this question (Saddle Rail Failure?) but was wondering if there could be other reasons.

UPDATE 20 aug 2018

I spoke to the guy at the bicycle shop. According to him it is probably caused by a combination of the rails not being centered properly, and maybe also the way I ride over (speed)bumps. So Andrew, you were right after all, I guess (although I would have to wait another year to be sure ;-) ).

The clamp in your seat post is unusually narrow, and this generates higher than normal high bending forces on the seat rails. A seat post with larger clamp should solve this problem.


RIm brakes squealing in wet conditions I have rim brakes on my fairly new bike which I ride to work every day. An issue I have with this bike is that the front rim brake starts squealing as soon as the conditions are slightly wet. There is no reduction in performance for my purposes.

I looked at other questions in the forum and they all address rim brakes squealing all the time (How do I make my rim brakes stop squealing?) or disk brakes squealing in rain. (Why do my disc brakes squeal when wet?). Nothing I found addresses rim brakes which only squeal in the rain.

Should I just accept the fact that since I have decently powerful rim brakes, they will always squeal in the rain or can I do something?

Please be gentle, this is my first question.

Brake pad squeal when wet is not unusual. If they do not squeal in dry conditions, the brake pad is the most likely suspect. Some brake pads perform better in wet conditions and some are much quieter. I like Kool-Stop pads ... the Salmon or Dual compound pads would be a good choice.


Trying to figure out which tires/tubes I can use I have a road bike tire with the following markings:
50-559

26x1.95

K935-001

I weigh about 200lbs and will probably carry a pannier holding 40lbs. Some research said that my tire should inflate to about 110 PSI. This tire reads that it doesn't support a PSI over 65 (bought the bike used). So I figure I need a new tire.
However, from here it’s been hard to research what I should get.  When I search Amazon I don’t find a lot of tubes that describe the width as 28mm.  Instead I see a lot of measurements like 26x1.95, which is the dimension my current bike has.  I figured maybe the 1.95 represent the width in inches, but when I convert it to millimeters it’s about 44 millimeters, way bigger than what I found recommended.
So I’m just not clear one how to reconcile all these incomplete and contradictory-seeming sources of info.  All I really want to know is:  When I go on Amazon to get the tubes for my bike, which measurement (or ranges) do I need to search for to be sure it fits and won’t explode under me?

50-559 means 50mm wide tire, for a rim that measures "ERTO 559mm" in diameter. This is a very common size.
The "inch" equivalent is a tire for a 26" wheel, with a width of about 2 inches. Any "26 inch" tire that's about 2 inches (or 50mm) wide will fit your bike, such a 26x1.95. The difference between 1.85, 1.95 and 2 widths is not large.
You could potentially get a wider tire, like 60mm / 26x2.4 inch, and it will fit your rim, but you would have to check if the wider tire will rub on your frame or fenders. Wider tires will ride better, but be heavier.
You could also get a narrower tire like 35mm / 26x1.5, and if should fit too, but the current trend is towards wider tires. Narrow tires will ride worse but be lighter.
Tire pressure that you should use is relative and will depend on your weight and the tire size. The number printed on the tire is the maximum tire pressure not to exceed. Usually, you will run less pressure than the max. On my cargo bike I run 26x2.5 tires with a max of 60psi. I actually run 35-40psi.
Tubes will work for a range of tires and you don't need to be exact. Practically any 26 inch tube between 1.5 and 2.5 inches will work for that whole range of tire widths. So you can use a 26x1.95 tube for a 26x2.25 tire, for example. The important thing is the correct wheel size (26") and a width that is reasonably close to rhe tire width.


Are ultra high racers available commercially? In the Hessian woods today I saw a recumbent where the rider was positioned very high; his entire body was higher than any of the wheels.  In this position, he was at least as visible as an rider on an upright bicycle, and more visible that one on a ducking bicycle.  Is such an "ultra high racer" (as opposed to ordinary high racer or low racer) available commercially or may I have been witnessing a custom built / modified bike?

Unfortunately I didn't manage to take a picture, recumbent cyclists are fast :-)

This is a low racer:

The frame goes lower than the wheel's axles, and as a result the rider's shoulders are somewhere near even with the top of the wheel.  In extreme cases, the rider's head looks to almost rest on the back tyre.  It can be very hard to see forward from these positions, but its the most aero.

This is a high racer:

The lowest part on the frame is above the wheel's axle line.  Rider has a better view forward, but has a higher frontal area to catch the wind.

I'm not aware of anything higher than the high racer design.


For a 9 speed shimano chain, must I use a shimano 9 speed connecting pin? Are connecting pins interchangeable irrespective of whether it's a 7,9,10, n speed bike?

If it does matter, are they interchangeable in some cases?  i.e. you could use a 7-speed connecting pin for a 9-speed bike but not a 10-speed?

What's going to different is the length of the pin. The outside width dimension of higher speed chains get progressively narrower, so the corresponding connector pin would also have to be shorter.

You definitely would not want to use an 11 speed pin on a 9 speed chain as it would not be long enough and the chain would be weakened. A 9 speed pin on an 11 speed chain may protrude too far and catch on adjacent sprockets or even the derailleur cage.

Given that pins are cheap and readily available I would just always use the correct type.


Unable to loosen IXOW Wheelguard Gravity nut I have a Canyon Commuter 7.0 which uses IXOW Wheelguard Gravity skewers and nut. I want to take my front wheel off but am unable to loosen the nut on the front skewer.

The standard procedure is to flip the bike upside down and then loosen the nut. This does not work. The instructions state that if the nut cannot be loosened, it should be tightened a little before loosening as doing this should release the locking mechanism. This approach worked for the nut on the seatpost clamp (which uses the same type of nut), but has not worked for the front wheel.

The recommended tightness for the front wheel nut is 5-7Nm. I've already increased it to 8Nm when tightening in an attempt to loosen - it slipped at this point, so I don't want to try much more force in case I damage it.

I've tried flipping the bike upside down a few times, to no avail. What else can I do to try and loosen the nut?

Exact same problem here. Same bike. I got it off finally by just turning really really hard using a non-torque wrench. Make sure it's rotated so that the two dots are UP (12 o'clock). If installed correctly the lock should be at 12 o'clock when wheels are on the ground. So if you installed it in the wrong orientation (i.e. lock at 2 o'clock or 9 o'clock etc), then turning it upside down will not be the correct position. So rotate the bicycle around until the two dots are at 12 o'clock.

You can see from my photo it seems that when tried to loosen it, the tab on the black washer that is suppose to be in the fork dropout rolled into the plastic dropout insert which was causing it to bind. Going to write Canyon about this to see how I can get it repaired. Same thing happen to you?

Explained in the instructions from IXOW--packaged separately from the urban manual.


Modern gumwall light touring tires? Are there any modern road/light touring tires which look like the gumwall tires of yesteryear?

In particular, I'm looking for all-weather road tires with serious puncture resistance, i.e. a more-or-less-direct competitor to Schwalbe's Marathon line.

Those are called gumwalls. With this keyword you can easily search for them. Brands I see mounted on my friend's bikes are the likes of bontrager, panaracer, schwalbe, but Id say that most tyre manufacturers have a gumwall offer.


Where to get replacement bike frame cable entry grommets? Does anybody know where to get more of these ?

These hold shift and/or brake cable ferrules where the cables enter the frame.  Here is what they look on a bike if that helps:

These specifically are for a Dengfu frame, but it seems all the Chinese open-mold design frames use this same part, and some big-name manufactures as well.  Note that this type has a molded spring-type arm so they clip in the frame without need for fasteners or tools.

Before somebody says "contact Dengfu", they are located on the other side of the world and they are looking to ship frames, I'd prefer to find a closer / more convent source, and this seems to be a relatively standard part so I would figure somebody out there will sell these in relatively small consumer quantities.

The closest I've found so far is:

https://www.excelsports.com/main.asp?page=8&description=Chainstay+Cable+Stop&vendorCode=CERVELO&major=11&minor=11

I suppose I could try these, but the shape is somewhat different (you have to look at the images closely to see, the shape is similar but definitely not exactly the same), and at $8 each for a part that probably does not cost $0.05 to make this seems excessive.

Does anybody know of a source that is an exact match and/or available for a more reasonable price?

I discover your post because I have a Dengfu frame (recognized it on the photo!) with the same problem. I had a contact with Dengfu (Jame Yang). They can send me a pair for free but I have to pay $10 for the shipping. I found this too expensive and besides, i presme I'll have the same problem after a while. So I just put a nice black strap around the downtube of the frame holding both clips. It's very discreet and cheap!  ;)
Hope this helps and does not come too late!
Rudy


Sit bone pain and drop handlebars Looking for some advice.  A little background:  Admittedly, I am new and just taking up biking (or trying to).  I am undecided on which type of bike to buy - a flat bar or a drop style.  I realize this has more to do with where and what purpose I ride.  I'd like to reserve the ability to leisurely ride some trails, but most rides will be on pavement and I've found that perhaps a hybrid or fitness bike is where I should be looking.  So, for as long as I can remember, biking has caused ischial bone pain for me. After lots of research, I am finding that my problem is likely geometry and bike setup, so please know that I will be fit at a bike shop before I purchase.

Last night I took my daughter's fitness bike - an xs and I will likely fit a medium - and experienced the same bone pain.  I know the bike is too small for me, but when I tried to adjust my seating position, the most comfortable position was for me to lean forward in a more aggressive way - I rested my forearms on the flat bar and this took all the pain away. My question is this:  Could this be indicative that my body prefers this more aerodynamic position?  Should I be seeking a drop bar instead of a flat bar?  I know there are lots of factors here, seating position, length of seat to handlebars, my weight, etc (or so I've read) but I'm really questioning the front handlebars now.

I'd love to hear your experience and advice.  Please be gentle, I'm new to this, would love to get into it, am willing to spend some money to get a decent starter bike ($1100 maybe?) but I want to ensure I'm getting the right kind of bike.  Again, I realize there are lots of factors going on here, but is there any value to what I experience last night...that my body might prefer to be more forward?

Thanks,
Kris

First, about flat bars...

Flat bar - one hand position, all of them uncomfortable. It isn't about the type of bars. It's about your posture on the bike.  Drop bars provide a lot of different hand positions, and that's really very useful on longer rides.  Flat bars don't. Imagine doing a 5-6 hour ride with only one way to put your hands on the bars.  If you don't like being bent over, there are drop bar bikes that have you in an upright posture just like you'd be on a straight bar bike.

As for this:

  I rested my forearms on the flat bar and this took all the pain away. My question is this: Could this be indicative that my body prefers this more aerodynamic position?

Probably not.  That probably just means leaning forward and resting your forearms on the handlebar put less weight on your sit bones, both by rotating your hips forward and putting more weight on other parts of your nether regions and allowing your arms to also take some weight. Your arms/shoulders and those "other parts" might not feel so good when you're in that position for a long time while riding.

So you won't really know if you'd be more comfortable in that position until you've actually been riding for a while.

And when you first start riding, there will be things that are painful because your body simply isn't used to doing that.

Your bottom will hurt for a week or two no matter what your posture is.  Don't go out and buy some big, thick, gooey "gel" saddle to "fix" that, or anything else.  It will go away.  Probably.  There's a reason why almost no one who rides bicycles for long distances or long periods of time rides anything but saddles that to the uninitiated look too hard and too small:  they're actually the most comfortable once your body is used to it.  Such saddles don't move when you pedal.  Big, soft saddles will move around under you when you ride.  Movement means friction.  Friction over hours means holes in shorts and holes in skin...  Any padding comes from your shorts, and with good shorts that pad does not move against your skin at all.

Because saddles are like shoes - they either "fit" and you can ride them, or they don't.  And everyone is different.  Unlike shoes, however, you can't tell for certain until you've actually ridden them for a good while.  Multiple hours, probably.  At least after the initial "OMG! I've never ridden a bicycle a long time before!" pains subside.

The good thing is most people can ride any decent saddle for a good bit, so you won't likely have to play "musical saddles", trying different saddle after different saddle to get the one that works for you until you've started doing multiple-hour-long rides.

Don't overthink it - most people can ride a pretty wide range of bikes for a decent amount of time without any problems.  There is no "one right bike" or "one right way to ride".

Just make sure you get a bike you want to ride.  Getting something cheaper that you don't like and therefore don't want to ride is a waste of money.  Just note one thing:  there are a lot of people who buy flat-bar/hybrid bikes who wind up riding a lot who then go out and buy a "faster" drop bar bike.  Almost no one who rides a lot and who started out buying a drop bar bike then goes out and buys a flat bar/hybrid bike.

Be sure, though, to have enough budget to address problems that may arise.  If you blow your entire budget on your bike, then find out you need to swap saddles around or get better shoes because your feet start hurting an hour into your rides, you need to be able to address that.


Front derailleur change My son has a Boss Stealth mountain bike, The front derailleur has stopped working. It is a 3 cog Sunrun 42t (picture 1) which I am finding difficult to find.

The bike originally had Grip Shift changers and was changed to lever/brake combo about 6 weeks ago and worked fine so I don't think that has anything to do with the issue.

I have looked on Ebay and found so many different type I'm not sure which model I can replace it with. Picture 2 looks similar and has the correct teeth configuration. Picture 3 I'm not sure where the cable would attach.

Can anybody suggest a suitable replacement unit please

I think probably a Shimano Tourney top-pull derailleur that can accommodate the chainring sizes you have will work. You can see the basic specifications here to help pick out the correct model.

Front derailleurs are very basic mechanically and don't 'stop working' unless they actually physically break. It's possible you simply have the derailleur badly adjusted, or there is something wrong with the cable or housing.

Inspect the cable run from the shifter to the derailleur and make sure the housing is properly in the shifter body and all frame stops.

Disconnect the cable, tension the cable manually and work the shifter. Check the cable pull in and let out smoothly and does not hang up in the housing.

Verify the derailleur will swing from the smallest to largest chainring (it helps if you can pop the chain out of the cage).

If all that checks out, follow a front derailleur adjustment procedure. Park Tool has a good page and video with step-by-step guidance.


Hit by a car bent rim I have a new 199.99 Schwinn I got from Wal-Mart a few months ago.

Just the other day, a lady didn't stop for me and knocked me off my bike. The front wheel was stuck under her SUV, rest of the bike is fine. Now, it's still rideable but has a bent rim that wobbles when I ride.

Is there a way to repair by straightening it rather then replacing it?

It depends on how much the rim is bent, and if the deformation is lateral (side-to-side) or radial (in the direction of the spokes).

Take the wheel to a bike repair shop and get it evaluated. The shop may be able to true it. If it's not repairable they should be able to recommend a replacement.

As a safety precaution, don't ride the bike in the meantime.


Road tyres on mountain bike I bought a Repco Warrior 29 mountain bike 3 months ago. The back tyre is now almost bald and needs to be replaced. Because of where I live there are no bike shops, so I can't buy tyres here and will have to order them from overseas.

My problem is that 3 months seems a short time to have to replace tyres (although it does see a lot of miles since I use it a lot). I don't ride offroad, and I'm wondering if that's part of the issue with the rapid wear.

Before I order any tyres, can anyone tell me through experience if it's a good idea (or even possible) to put road tyres on my mountain bike. Are there any pro's and cons to it? Should I replace both tyres or just the back one?

Update:- I now have my new tyres, ordered brake pads as well, and immediately noticed the smoother, easier, quieter ride on the way home (about an hour) Cheers all for the advice.

It's totally fine to use smooth tires on a mountain bike, if you use it as you describe. You will find it even more comfortable, just be a bit more cautious whenever it rains.

As @MikeBaranczak points, be careful with the size, 27, 29 are nowadays quite common. BUT ALSO have a look:

how fat they are and if they fit with your actual wheel.
valve type, again check it fits with your actual wheel.

Best and easiest way is to check what you have now and order the same size, valve and thickness but in flat.

About having to change them each 3 months, I would say is not normal (of course depends on km) but the first new-bike tires are usually a bit soft/not-good-quiality and they get flat very fast... maybe if you don't change them in 3 more months you have them already flat and you don't need to change them :)


Front derailleur is hard to shift into the big ring. Where to start? I have a shifting problem on a bike that has a crank with a triple set of chainrings.  The bike is a tandem.  I have to put a great deal of effort to get it to shift into the big ring.  Where should I start?  Is there a simple adjustment I should look at first or should just jump right to replacing cables and housing?

Vitals:
 * STI shifters
 * 2004 Shimano Tiagra
 * triple
 * tandem
 * probably same cables/housing from 2004.
 * bike has 4000 miles on it, maybe more

First off, of course, lubricate the cables and assure that the derailers are properly adjusted.

After that, make sure you're not cross-chaining too much when shifting up -- you should have your rear near the outer cog before up-shifting the front, so that the angle of the chain isn't fighting you.  Also, understand that you must let up a hair on the cranks when up-shifting the front -- don't do it under full load.

But if not that then likely the rings are worn out.  Even if the chain and rings gauge out OK (did you check them??) the ramps on the side of the big ring may be worn to the point that they're no longer effective.


Unable to get into a 'TT' position, is my bike fit wrong, or am I just fat? I've been road cycling since July 2017. I am an overweight guy, the cycling has helped shed some kilos but I'm not at my ideal weight yet, and most of my weight is stored in my belly. A month after getting my bike, I got a professional bike fit done, and it has made me very comfortable on my bike. However, when I go on group rides I see the more experienced riders always get into a TT position (forearms on handlebars) during long stretches of roads. I have tried to get into that position but its uncomfortable, and my peddling becomes extremely inefficient. My question, is this because i'm overweight and lack flexibility, and this will just come with time, or is my bike fit wrong?

A bike fit is not intended to make any position you can adopt on your bike work.

If the bike fitter did their job correctly, then would have set you up for your current level of flexibility, strength and desired riding style. You say you are 'very comfortable', presumably in the position you ride in most of the time, so the bike fit should be good.

If you have only been cycling regularly since the summer, starting from less than ideal physical condition, I would not be at all surprised that getting into a slammed position on the bike is going to feel pretty horrible.

The good news is that you can lose weight and improve strength and flexibility over time, and you will be find it easier to adopt a more aggressive position.


How should a good CX riding position "feel" (alternative to highly scientific measurements...) I'm switching from MTB full-suspension down-hill riding to something more flat - at the moment I'm looking at a CX for 80% road, 20% offroad usage.

Unfortunately, I've never, except for short test rides, used a road bike for any amount of time. So I know somewhat how to sit on it, but I don't have much experience with how it should "feel".

So I'm quite at the mercy of salesmen right now. Sure, I will assume that they have the best intentions, but the problem is that I find it hard to judge whether a specific bike geometry is as it should be. It could well be that there is the perfect bike out there for me, but as I'm not used to the lower riding position I may only notice that after a few weeks of riding, after my body adapts and all such.

Is this the case, in your experience, or should the "correct" position just feel great right off the bat? I am not talking Tour de France performance level here, just standard hobby riding (I am reasonably fit and agile). Are there particular "body signs" I should be looking for, which tell me that the bike is a good fit; in addition to the expert at the store measuring my limbs and all that good stuff?

Most of your riding is on the hoods.  I race CX, city ride CX, and road ride on a CX.  I spend very little time in the drops.  In the city pretty much no time unless into a head wind.

On the hoods out of the saddle it should feel a lot like a mountain bike but no shock.  Come off a curb out of the saddle.  If you feel like you could go out the top it is too small.

Since you are not used to it you should feel only slightly stretched out.


Will 2x11-speed front derailleur work on 2x9 system? mine Shimano 105 FD-5501 broke (I stripped thread for screw which holds it on braze) and I need to buy a new one. Will 2x11 speed front derailleur work with mine 2x9 system?

Thanks for help.

The short answer is yes, it should work.  I like to refer to Sheldon Brown's site because it tends to be clear and fairly technology-neutral.  It has this to say:

Pretty much any front derailer will work with any modern chain system.
It is true that the cages have gotten slightly narrower to match the narrower chains used on systems with more rear sprockets, but this is rarely a problem in practice.


One Month to Build Endurance I've got a seven day cycling session in the Alps coming up in about a month. Unfortunately, I've not been great about getting on the bike in the past month (or even the past year, to be honest). From many years of cycling, my fitness is still quite good — enough that I had a great double century last month, before I took a month-long break. But I'm still far short of where I'd like to be, especially in the climbs.

What can I do over the next month to maximize my climbing endurance for this trip? On average, a day will be about 8kft of climbing, with the biggest day being somewhere around 16kft. Should I be focusing on long-distance riding at endurance pace? Hour-long hill repeats? Something else? If you had a month to prepare, what would you do?

I'd say you could go with HIIT (high intensity intervals) on a treadmill.
For example a particular training I like and find helpful is:

6-8 sets of:

1 minute very fast (18km/h for me)
1 minute middle speed (12km/h in my case)
1 minute slow (8-9 km/h)

and no stops in between.

That's a very good yet pretty hard training. Do not more than twice a week.


Broken rear brake - told it was unfixable I have an older model Trek mountain bike. I took it to the shop for an annual tuneup and they called me to say that the rear brake broke off the frame and that it can't be fixed. The entire brake is off the frame - is there really no fix for this situation?

The brake pivot broke off the frame in a very unusual way. A framebuilder may be able to contrive a pretty cheap way of fixing it by putting a new pivot stud in. This would still require removing the paint in the area, but it wouldn't necessarily be that bad.
Minimum prices for framebuilders to even get into repair j jobs are typically in the $100-200 range in the US depending on where you are. It's the kind of thing where a simple and fast fix may be possible but the equipment and skill to achieve it are costly.
Removing and replacing the canti braze-on entirely would be technically easy but far more time consuming. The offset needs to closely mirror the other side, so either both would need to be replaced or the left side replacement would need to be carefully selected and/or modified.
The bike shortage situation is such that some things that weren't worth it in the past might be now.
You could also fix it by just putting a long reach BMX sidepull caliper on the back, like an Odyssey 1999. These are mediocre brakes but this would be a cheap way to get it functional again. You would need to be careful to get one with long enough reach. To be honest this is a pretty obvious path and it doesn't speak well of the shop to not suggest it, unless they did the measurements and found it was longer reach than brakes exist for. It doesn't look like it though.
I see what happened and would not hold the shop at fault for it breaking in the first place. The main way for it come off like that is poor brazing at the factory.


Maillard sprocket: is really this rare? Due to (understandably) large wear after 16 years of usage, I wanted to replace sprocket, chainwheel and chain on my byke.

With my surprise the workshop where I took my byke was not able to find a spare for the sprocket, a 6 speed Maillard, and told that in the Netherlands they are pretty rare. They tried to install a 6 speed Shimano but it did not fit.

I did also a quick search on some spare parts dealers in Italy, and also they didn't have it.

Is it really that rare, or I have been simply out of luck?

If the Shimano freewheel didn't fit, it means that your bike uses French threading for the freewheel (which isn't surprising given that it has a Maillard freewheel; the other non-bmx standards are interchangable). You're basically out of luck and need a new wheel (or at least new hub).

Depending on the hub, you may have to re-space the frame(*), since 6 speed likely means 126 mm rear spacing, where a newer hub would be 130 or 135 mm. This isn't difficult, and a shop that has a decent amount of clients with older bikes should be able to do this easily. You can also still find 126 mm wheels on the market if you look (Velo Orange still sells them, for example), so you wouldn't need to respace the frame. Or, you can respace it yourself. But this is the way I'd go.

(*) Assuming its steel, which given the age, it probably is.


Through Axle Wheels thread P1.0 or P1.5 I'm looking to use some Pinheads on my bike. The front wheel is a through axle wheel. From Pinhead's product website they have an option for P1.0 or P1.5 thread - I'm looking for a M12 124mm long bolt.

I'm unsure what P1.0/P1.5 signifies on the thread, and also unsure on how to measure it.

Can anyone explain what the P-value signifies? And how I would measure it?

That's the thread pitch, i.e. the distance from the peak of one turn to the peak of the next. The best way to measure it without a gauge is to count 10 turns and measure how much length they take up, then divide by 10. For this sort of value you can measure the length of a single turn with callipers  but that's a less reliable method.

It looks like there are M12x1.0, 1.25, 1.5 and 1.75 through axles so you do need to be accurate. The way I've written it in the last sentence is the more common notation in engineering.

Metric threads have a pitch, which is a length, while imperial threads usually have the thread separation given in turns per inch (tpi). You may be more used to the latter.

Further reading:

http://bikeandskiblog.com/wp/2016/01/12/mtb-thru-axles-who-knew-there-were-so-many-standards/


Chains and casette are rusty I used to live in Australia where rain is scarce. I've recently moved to SEA where it rains almost everyday in the past month. Hence, the road conditions are less favorable as they are always damp regardless the time of the day.

Recently, I've noticed rust on my chain and the surface of my cassette. This did not happen in Australia as I clean my bike after every ride, and a thorough wash every week. Hence, I'm not sure whether the weather here is the pain in the ass or there's just something wrong. I've always been using dry lube because I've bought bunch of them in Australia. Will that be a significant cause?

If so, what should I do with the rust? They could be scrubbed off fairly easily but there are still some left between the ridges. Should I bring it in to the LBS or just shrug it off and try to get some wet lubes and observe for some time?

A great rule of thumb is "Dry lube for dry conditions, wet lube for wet conditions".

A bit of surface rust on an otherwise well maintained cassette and chain is only a cosmetic problem. If this is a concern, clean the chain, lube with a wet lube, wipe dry. The trick is to 'over lube' the chain and then wipe off the excess. I might be tempted to leave wiping the chain for a day or two to let the lube migrate around the links.

As far as the cassette, give it a light spray of WD40 after cleaning. Don't get too much on the chain as its not a lube and you don't want it displacing the lube you just put on.


Do you know as soon as you are riding on a flat? Today I did a 55km ride and at some point I got a puncture on my rear tyre. The problem is that I do not know if I kept on driving for a while on it and damaged the tyre or the rim, although the rim does not look damaged when I look at it from the outside. For some reason, which might be because I thought that I was pedalling more than I should, I looked at the tyre and saw that I got a flat, which at such point, stopped immediately. This is my first puncture and I am going to my bike shop to repair it this time around, and then buy a repair kit, since today I was lucky that I stopped at a common place from where they could pick my up, and I am not going to risk getting stranded in the middle of nowhere some time in the future.

My question is, if you do not look at the tyre and you get a flat, do you realise that you have a flat? Or you may end up driving for some kilometres before you take notice? Especially if you are tired after a long ride?

My question is, if you do not look at the tyre and you get a flat, do you realise that you have a flat?

Typically I can catch well before the rim starts bottoming out without looking. If the bike ever feels "off" I will give a quick check by it plopping my self down on the saddle.  If the tire is going down this will usually bottom out the rim which I know shouldn't be happening. At this point I start visually checking things.  If the bike feels a bit soft (I.e., we have lost some pressure but not enough to bottom out the rim) I will give it a quick visual by looking at the tire bulge when I bounce on the saddle.  Finally if the bike feels solid I know it's my imagination and continue riding.

  Or you may end up driving for some kilometres before you take notice? Especially if you are tired after a long ride?

After a while these checks become second nature and you start doing them without thinking even when tired.


Riding with one hand I have been riding a bike for years.

The one thing I've never managed to do is to feel comfortable about letting go of the bars with even one hand.

This is actually not exactly true, I can ride without a problem with my left hand only on the bar and the right hand in the air or wherever... (I suppose it is because I am left-handed so keeping control of the bar with only the left hand feels more right).

Still, how can I train to let go off the bar with the left hand too (which is more useful for signaling than the right one, since turning right is always easier in countries where we ride on the right of the road)?

Every time I try to let the left hand off the bars, I have the reflex of getting a tighter grip on the bar with that right hand and after a couple of meters I start feeling unsafe and my trajectory stops being completely straight and I catch the bars back with both hands before losing balance.

I don't intend to learn this just "for the trick",... I just believe it is useful in the ride.

Any tips for me?

From your description I would guess that your problem not about learning how to do it (you can do it, but only on one side) but more about fear and confidence.

There are two things you will need:

some quiet spot to practice with smooth surface and not many obstacles, maybe a parking ground or so,
a bike that has a preferably upright riding position.

The reason for the latter is, that your hands on the handle bar serve two purposes: the hold the bar to control the front wheel and they support your upper body. The bent over your upper body is on the bike, the more weight has to be taken by your arms to support your body and the more can your upper body influence the steering behavior (as already mentioned in webbgeek's answer). With an upright position the weight of your upper body is lasting on the saddle via your hip and the arms only have to steer.

So if you have different bikes at hand, chose the one with the most upright position you can get – chances are good that this is your grandma's bike or something similar ;-) If you have no other bike but different possibilities to place your hands on the handle bar, start your practice with the hand position that allows for the most upright position instead.

When on your safe spot now, try to ride some straight lines and circles while putting as less weight as possible on the handle bar. Also try not to wrap your fingers around the bar but only put your palms or the joints between hand and fingers on the handles while keeping your hands open, so that you have only the friction between your palms and the handles to control the steering. By trying to put as less weight as possible on the handlebar you also will sit more upright which will make it easier to use your upper body and hips for steering.

You will also realize, that you don't have to hold the handles tight like you tried to squeeze water out of them. Once you feel safe with this situation you can now try to take away the weight from one hand completely without putting this weight on the other hand and also without closing the remaining hand to fasten its grip. Maybe it helps, if you don't take away the weight by just lifting your hand but by rotating your shoulders a bit, so that the shoulder of that side, where you want to take the hand away, goes slightly away from the handle bar. Now you can again first practice going straight and then some (hopefully now intentional) wiggly lines which should give you more safety while riding with one hand.

I also would recommend to do this not only with your weak hand, but practice with both hands and watch if you unintentionally fall into some certain behavior while riding with your strong hand.


Thumb ring and index finger I have a new bike for 3 month and after about 20 Km my ring and index finger on the left hand became numb. Just as an information for my hand position: These fingers are always on the brakes. Here is my handlebar and brake lever position. Any idea how to adjust them to get rid of this problem?

There is nothing obviously wrong with your handlebar setup. As long the shift and brake levers are easily accessible and you don't have to rotate your wrists or shift your hand laterally along the bar to reach them everything is OK

Maybe I'd consider moving the levers slightly outwards (and I note there is a slight difference in position, the right hand one is slightly more inboard.

Numb hands are a common problem. You don't have to ride with your fingers on the levers all the time. Try moving you hands around the bars and bar ends and flexing your fingers from time to time.


Total brake failure - trying to understand what happened As I've mentioned elsewhere I recently had quite a bad crash - broken collarbone, shoulderblade, and a rib.  The circumstances are rather unusual: both brakes failed totally.

Crash details for those that want to know (TL;DR: I'd been using both heavily, let them off, they didn't come back on):

   I was descending a mountain pass, as I often do, taking it rather slowly as the light was fading and the road was damp with some loose material.  My habit when picking my way down that sort of road is to use the back brake lightly and continuously to control speed, and use the front brake for significant slowing before bends.  Coming out of a bend I released both brakes as the next 100--200 m was straight and not too steep.  When I was fast enough, I squeezed the brakes but carried on accelerating.  I spent a few seconds trying to slow down, braking hard while rolling over the strip of grass up the middle of the road in the hopes of losing some speed, but knew I couldn't make the next bend, let alone the next few km of unbroken descent, so I headed for the grass off to one side to lose speed/hit something softer.  I did manage to drop from around 35 km/h to more like 25 km/h but hit a rock with my front wheel and another with my body (and the aerobars with my helmet, hard enough to bend the aluminium armrest).  Just before I crashed the brake started squealing, and the ceramic pads are normally silent.  The ride on Strava shows that only 20km earlier I'd had enough of a descent to put the brakes through their paces; at the top of the big descent I tightened the barrel adjusters and fixed pads a little as there was more slack than I would have liked -- and I tested them.  A few days post crash the brakes stop the bike while it's being pushed, but the front wheel isn't rideable to test.

My bike has done about 16000 km and I recently had it serviced, including new brake pads. They're ceramic (I usually use metal), and normally have plenty of stopping power though I've had to tweak them a few times in the 1000 km since they were fitted -- new cables settling in?  The brakes are Promax Render-R cable discs (BB5-style pads) and are normally good, barring one case of contamination.

I haven't taken the back wheel off but the front came off to get it home and I took the chance to inspect the pads:

(L) moving pad, (R) fixed pad.

The wear on the moving pad is strange.  The pale patches are shiny metal backing and the actual pad is worn into a wedge shape.  Update: I've measured the pad diameter, it comes in about 0.1 mm bigger than an old set of metal pads I had lying around, and the rotors are perfectly flat.

Further update: There are possible signs of melted material at the back, in the rotor air holes and the edges of the pad, and the pads turn out to be 70% ceramic (and 30% organic I assume).  The front rotor has a groove worn into it to match the pads shown above, and has worn more in the month/~1000 km since these pads were fitted than in the previous 6 months since it was new.  The rear rotor has also taken a lot of wear recently.

I'm as sure as I can be that I wasn't skidding the back - I was steering normally, not fishtailing.  I didn't notice a different feeling in the levers, but I had bigger problems on my mind.

What could have happened? Could they really jam in the off position, perhaps due to heat? With one specific set of pads? I'm happy to replace the brake mechanisms when I can ride again, but want to understand the cause.

Since recovering from my crash, I've put a bit more thought into this.  I replaced the calipers, rotors and pads, with Avid BB5s - so very similar to the Promax ones that were essentially copies of the same design.  The Avid ones make it slightly easier to tweak the fixed pad, and this turns out to be a good thing.
Fixed pad wear makes other issues worse: One thing I've since noticed with BB5-style brakes is that they're quite sensitive to the fixed pad position, and therefore to fixed pad and rotor wear. This makes other issues worse, and unlike getting them filthy, gets worse the more you brake.  Riding in mucky conditions it's important to check and set the fixed pad clearance fairly close periodically.  This certainly wasn't the only cause of my crash, as seen from the melted material in the rear rotor, but I think it goes some way towards explaining the uneven moving pad and rotor wear at the front.  On brake with only one moving pad, the rotor is bent to contact the fixed pad.  If the fixed pad and/or rotor (in my case, certainly both) are worn excessively, the necessary bend increases, meaning two things: more of your braking effort goes into bending steel; the contact between the moving pad and the rotor is concentrated nearer the axle, producing the uneven wear in the photo above.  With slow wear this should be a small effect as the pad will take on a small taper, but if things wear too fast (or you somehow back the fixed pad off instead of driving it further in) this either won't happen fast enough, or it will wear down to the backing.
On the Promax brakes, adjusting the fixed pad with the wheel in was tricky - there was a knurled plastic part to turn by hand but the adjustment was too stiff (so I was used to thinking the adjustment had bottomed out when it hadn't), meaning using a less than ideal screw in an awkward place.  The BB5s adjust in the same way but nicer.  I'd checked and tightened earlier in the day, in daylight, but everything was wearing so fast (though I didn't know it) that I gave the fixed pads another tweak not long before the problematic descent, this time in the dark.  At the front it still wasn't enough.
Conclusions:

I'm personally not going near "ceramic" pads again: this bad experience; they seem to wear rotors very fast; and the description is fundamentally not to be trusted if they can melt.  For some people they might work.
Check the fixed pads frequently.  If braking seems soft, stop and tighten, perhaps also cleaning the rotor (pre-injection isopropanol swabs are good for this).
If you run out of travel, fit new pads immediately.  Wear is very dependent on riding (weather/surface) conditions as well as road surface and load, so you can run out fairly suddenly.  Range of adjustment determines when the fixed pad wears out, so it can look like there's plenty of material when the pads are no good (much more than for the moving pad). I always carry a spare set (since an earlier issue which in hindsight offered hints about pad wear) and have changed them at the roadside, mostly recently coming back from a 2-day 200 km tour with rain, mud, steep hills, and gravel (and a record 4 punctures in 2 days).


Why does this hollowtech crankset have play? Background

Shimano deore crankset (not XT)
The crankset has done about 10000km (6200miles).
It is from a touring bike.
Most of those 10000km was done with the
bicycle loaded (bags on both front and back racks).

Problem

The crankset in the picture has play in the directions shown by the arrows.

However in this position (180deg opposite) the crankset does not have play.

I do not notice the play while riding. I notice the play when tugging at the cranks with both hands.

When I take off the crankset, clean everything, then grease and re-install the crankset, the play is gone but comes back after about 100km (62miles). The play does not seem to get worse.

On half of the inside of the crank (non chain wheel), there are teeth marks. The teeth marks are smooth as far as I can tell.

Here the marks.

Here on the other half no marks.

On the axle / spindle there are similar marks on the one side but not the other side.

Here with the marks. Again the teeth marks are smooth.

Here the half without the marks.

Questions

Is the play indeed due to a worn out crank? (I have not got the tool to remove the bottom bracket, so I cannot test to see if it is the BB)?
Are the markings, or rather this type of wear normal? The original crankset was a deore XT which never had play and did about 20000km (12400miles).
When buying a new crankset, should I buy the more expensive or the less expensive? I was told expensive means light materials but quicker wear of the chain wheel, and cheap means heavy materials (metal) but the chain wheel lasts longer?

The marks on the splines look about normal. It's hard to tell absolutely from the pics. You're looking for any sign of deformation or rounding, which occurs if the pinch bolts are loose while riding. Always make sure the pinch bolts are nice and tight, 14Nm or about as much as you would ever put through a long-handled 5mm L-wrench.

You need to be able to torque-check your BB cups to go further. If one is loose that can cause all the issues you're experiencing. Replacing the BB entirely at this mileage is within reason too, although if it still works and feels great then by all means keep with it. Note they can have issues with looseness that's not accompanied by poor bearing feel. For example, the black plastic "top hat" of an HT2 BB can get cracked or come apart and preload will be erratic like you're experiencing even if the bearing feel is good.


How do I tell what needs repaired/replaced/cared for? What items on an older bike should I check for wear and damage and how do I differentiate wear/damage that can safely be ignored and wear/damage that I should repair/replace?

At the start of this summer I started riding my dad's old bike (a 2008 Specialized Hardrock Sport) to/from my summer internship, and I expect to continue riding it regularly when I go back to classes in the fall. Until this summer it was only ridden occasionally, and spent most of the time in the garage. As far as I'm aware none of the original components have been replaced. Everything seems to run fine at the moment (after I re-tuned the derailleurs and tightened the brake cables), but many components have very visible wear-and-tear, and I don't always know how to differentiate cosmetic damage from other damage.

Ideally I'm looking for a list of common components to fail or need replaced, and how to tell if they are about to fail/are ready to be replaced.

I currently have to store the bike outside, if that changes what I should be looking for.

Clean and oil the chain regularly.  A "chain washer" (about $30) is good for cleaning while making minimal mess.

Since you have to store your bike outside, use "wet" chain lube (at least in rainy season).

Buy yourself an inexpensive "chain wear indicator" for about $10.  Replace the chain when it's stretched to about 0.8, and, when you replace it, check your cogs to see how worn they are.  (The Park Tool site likely gives some hints as to how to check for cog wear.)

Visually check your brake blocks every now and then (assuming rim brakes), and replace before the metal part comes close to touching the rim.

Occasionally inspect your cables for fraying or excessive rust, and replace if indicated.  As the bike is stored outside, occasionally put a few drops of lube on the cables where the inner cables slide into the outer housings.

Occasionally inspect your tires for wear, and for cracks in the sidewalls that indicate they are "drying out".  (And, of course, get a good "floor pump" with built-in gauge and check your tire pressure at least weekly.)


Are there electronic/active theft deterrents for bicycles? In addition to mechanical/passive deterrents (locks, chains, etc.), what electronic/active bicycle theft deterrents exist?

* My dear bicycle was stolen two weeks ago and I then vowed to dedicate my life to the eradication of cycle theft. I calmed down since, but am still interested in knowing what's out there.

You can get GPS trackers for bikes, just like cars and motorbikes. The good ones warn you immediately when your bike starts moving (eg via text message to your phone) and you can see where it is on a map for recovery (you might want to call the police rather than tackle thieves yourself). Of course the downside to GPS trackers is than they stop working if the bike is put in the back of a van.

A google search should give you plenty of results.


Which tires should I buy for an old road bike? I am upgrading an old road bike, which has Reynolds 531 tubing. (just to date it for you!)
I know the wheel dimensions: 700 x 28c, and have found several sets of tires, but am unsure which to choose. The bike will be used as a road bike, if that helps?

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_249652_langId_-1_categoryId_242553

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_811429_langId_-1_categoryId_242553

Any help much appreciated!

It depends on how you intend to use the bike. If you're intending to race, you'll probably want something lightweight and very grippy. If you're commuting or touring you should tend towards the durable end of the tire spectrum

With a nice steel frame like that you'll get lots of comfort, so it seems to "fit" with putting wider, comfortable, durable tires on it.

A wider tire is more comfortable with the only disadvantage being that it is a bit heavier.

If the bike originally had 28mm tires, I would expect it to take 25-35mm with no problem, but check the rims for any other indication.

The two you've listed don't have a great reputation for durability, so it may be worth investing a little more for something that will last longer and save you the frustration of punctures.

Consider Continental Gatorskins or Schwalbe Marathons. Both are more expensive, but offer good puncture protection which, in the long run, shortens your journey time more than a few grams of weight saving.


Tire clearance on 2019 Trek Crockett Has anyone tested max tire width on a Trek Crockett (2019 frameset)? Wondering specifically if I can fit 45mm tires on 19mm inner width rims.

Suggests that 19mm is the upper limit for 45mm tyres but should still work.

If you have any choice, 23mm wide rims would be better.  Depends if in the future you want larger than 45mm wide tyres, or smaller.


How do I find out which channel size I need in my seat? How do I find out which channel size I need in my seat? I am male and want what is the healthiest choice.

Pretty much all of the cutouts in modern seats will achieve the desired effect (less pressure on the nerves that run through the crotch area), so it comes down to what is most comfortable for you.

There are quite a few different models out there, such as ISM Adomo, Cobb saddles, Fizik, etc. Many people that are quite comfortable on one are not comfortable on another. Your best bet is to find a cycling or triathlon shop that has a "try and swap" arrangement, i.e. if you try it for a couple weeks and find it really uncomfortable, you can swap it for a different model/brand.


Has the Mongoose Black Diamond 2 Frame been released? Does anyone here knows if Mongoose has already produced this frame and is out on the market?

Or it was just in their drawing table and didn't produce it? Because i haven't seen this frame on their offering in their site. I like this frame because of its simplicity and beauty though I haven't ridden this bike before.

Answer No (as of 2018-02-07)

There is a mongoose Black Diamond Double in 2008 which looks like this, but the pivots are in different places.

Second data point is that the top google match for "mongoose black diamond 2" is this question.  So that is a good indication that it doesn't exist by that name.

Its very hard to prove the non-existence of something.


Where can I find replacement pads for a bicycle helmet? I have a Bell bicycle helmet that is probably two years old, and the pads for the front and sides have disintegrated from sweat and are now little more than pieces of fabric attached to the velcro pads inside the helmet.  Does anyone know where I can get replacement pads for the helmet?  I have looked on retail sites like jensonusa.com and on the bellhelmets.com site and I can't seem to find them.

Visit the friendly folks at your local bike shop at a quieter time of the week and ask. Chances are that they will have plenty of spare pads tucked behind the counter. Buy something else at the same time and they might let you have them for a favourable price.

This is one area where a local bike shop can provide the service that you do not get shopping online, where it is all too easy to get the wrong bits and pay postage for the privilege.


Bicycle with 1 tire with Presta valve and 1 with Schrader valve One simple question: I have a mountain bike that has 2 tires with schrader valves. I bought a new tube with a presta valve by mistake.

Do you see any issues with replacing one of the tubes that had a schrader valve with a tube which has a presta valve and keeping the bicycle with one of each, or is this not recommended?

I swapped out both tubes on my mountain bike with Presta (less chance of crap getting in to the valve and it means I can carry the same CO2 inflator as I do on my road bike) and got the bushings - once they were in I've had zero issues with the valve stem. I'd definitely recommend putting one in since there's the chance that the valve stem could rub against the edge of the hole or the tube could even prolapse through the hole.

I have two of the Presta to Schrader adapters, mostly in case my CO2 inflator dies and I need to try and fill from a gas station (it happened once and I didn't have 'em). Just walk into your favorite B&M store and they'll probably have 'em in a container on the counter. I think I paid just over a dollar apiece. If you're really concerned about losing it you can screw it onto the Presta valve and leave it there; just make sure the valve is screwed shut before you thread the adapter on.


How to select double leg kickstand I have to park my bicycle, leaning it against a low metal fence. Unfortunately the frame of the bike gets scratched. Though I try to protect it by wrapping it with polyethylene, some parts are still unprotected. So, I decided to buy a double leg kickstand: to keep the bike standing straight, so it won't touch the fence.

I found out, that there are cheap and expensive kickstands:

1-st kickstand costs 99 GBP
2-nd kickstand costs 43,52 AUD
3-rd kickstand costs 21,99 AUD

What is so special in the 1-st and 2-nd kickstands, that makes the price so high? The 3-rd seems ok to me.

I have the Velo-Orange double-leg, folding Copenhagen kickstand. The folding styles are much better compared with rigid style (aka, motorcycle) kickstands in that they fold out of the way rather than at risk of being hit by your ankle or the cranks.

I bought a cheap pair of folding kickstands and disprefer them to the VOs. The problem with the cheap one was that the plastic "boots" on them fell off easily as they were not tightly fitted or easily secured with an allen screw.  The spring is also not as strong and the manufacturing tolerances greater so it "clunked" a lot when I rode over bumps.

But it looks like you're in Australia Russia so the VO may not be available to you. Still, I'd ask at your local bike store if they have a high quality version similar to the VO. The VO is US$33 so this gives you a sense of how much you should pay for good kickstand -- but be aware that some unscrupulous ebay vendors will charge ridiculous amounts of money for cheap merchandise in the hopes of catching a rube.


Best way to patch road bike tubes I've scoured the internet for this answer, as I recently just tried to repair a tube on my Purefix fixed-gear bike which I assume uses tires and tubes similar to road bikes, as the tire size is 700cx28. Anywho, the patch pinched the tube and was no longer usable. I used the pre-glued ones, but the problem seemed to be that the patch pinched the tube.

Does the type of patch (pre-glued, non-pre-glued) matter a ton?
Should I apply patch to a partially inflated tube or deflated tube?
Does the tire-liner stuff really work in preventing flats?
Are my tires to blame for all my flats?

This is my first time on a bike that isn't a mountain bike, and I've had 3 flats now in 2 months and I haven't been able to patch them. Thanks for all the info guys and gals!

When I make a repair, I also do the following extra steps, to make sure that the patch holds. I have never had a patch come off/leak when using this technique.

Use a little bit of sandpaper to remove any ridges on the area to be patched, such as a manufacturing join.
Clean the area to be patched, this makes the glue/solution adhere better to the tube. Especially so if you have sanded the area. I would usually use methalyated spirits and a lint free cloth of some sort.
Once the patch is applied, apply some chalk dust to the area, this makes sure that the solution/glue does not bond to anything else.


Is it considered rude to draft other random cyclists? On my commute to work, if there a cyclist in front of me, is it rude to catch up and draft?  To effectively draft I would usually need to be within a foot of their back wheel.

There are two situations:

Trainers
There is one part of the commute that is often used by individuals and groups of riders who seem to be training rather than commuting. Generally I would draft these guys if I can sprint to catch them.  As they are going quicker than I can sustain, I never take a turn at the front.

Commuters
I think any fellow commuter is probably ok to draft and if they slow down enough I'll take a turn at the front.

There was a post on this subject on The Guardian Bike Blog.

I think there are a couple of issues with drafting random cyclists:

it could be unsafe, particularly if they don't realise you're doing it.
some people will object to being drafted - it can be considered an invasion of your personal space.

I think your best bet is to ask before drafting, then there's no problem.


Pros and cons of mixed hydraulic/mechanical brakes vs pure hydraulics Title of question is self-explanatory.

Recently, it was added to the market brakes that are an hybrid mix between the mechanical Bowden steel cable and hydraulic system, which their oil tank is near the wheel disc.

I just want to know the advantages and disadvantages of this type of brakes over pure hydraulic ones.

Background

For most of cycling history, we've actuated derailleurs and brakes by pulling cables. One of the possible disadvantages of cables in general is that as the cable housing exerts a bit of drag on the cable as you pull it through. Also, housing can get contaminated with dirt. You could ameliorate the latter problem with full-length housing, as is done on many modern mountain and gravel bikes, but more housing = more drag.

More recently, disc brakes actuated by hydraulic lines emerged. The advantages of hydraulic lines over fully cable-actuated disc brakes were discussed in this previous SE answer: it's possible to brake hard with one or two fingers, and the calipers self-adjust as the pads wear. Also, they have a lot less drag than cable actuated systems, even though you (obviously) have to run a full length hydraulic hose to the brake. Last, that sealed system doesn't get contaminated in normal operation. The best hydraulic disc brakes are better than the best cable-actuated disc brakes. To my knowledge, almost all mid to high end mountain and gravel bikes have hydraulic disc brakes.

Quick note: Hydraulic brakes need a master cylinder. This converts force (e.g. you pulling a lever) into hydraulic pressure; in full hydraulic systems, the master cylinder is located in the integrated shifter/brake lever. This is why there are two versions (rim brake and hydraulic disc brake) of most mid to high end road bike groupsets. (There are more versions if the groupset has an electronic shifting version.)

Cable-actuated hydraulic disc brakes

Some cable-actuated hydraulic disc brakes exist. Here, a hydraulic master cylinder on the brake itself is actuated by a cable. Examples include the Tektro Hy/Rd mentioned by Argenti in comments and the Yokozuna Mokoto. Also, Giant's Conduct system is installed on some of their mid range bikes. This system's master cylinder mounted under the stem. Any type of cable-actuated hydraulic disc brake system pairs with traditional mechanical shifters (i.e. they use steel brake cables).

I have no personal experience with any hybrid system. However, from reading reviews, there seem to be two advantages. One, they're actuated by cables. If you have mechanical disc brakes, you have mechanical shifters (i.e. on a road bike, shifters for rim brakes). You can thus upgrade the bike to have hydraulic braking without changing shifters, which saves some money. Two, they are likely to be easier to install than full hydraulic systems. You would often have to bleed the brakes after running the hydraulic lines in full hydraulic systems. Three, people who travel frequently often have to bleed their hydraulic brakes on arrival. With cable-actuated disc brakes of any sort, one can install a splitter in the cable that disconnects for packing. There may be decouplers for hydraulic systems that accomplish the same thing, but these don't seem to be well developed yet (see some of the author's statements in [this review] of a travel bike that used mechanical disc brakes)6.

Additionally, there are probably the usual pros of disc brakes over rim brakes: you have increased braking power (conditional on having a good pad compound), and the brakes may work more consistently in all weather conditions.

Do note that some semi-hydraulic brakes may self-adjust (as the pads wear) and some may not. Yokozuna's system does not, as stated in its Cyclingtips review, but Tektro's system does, as stated in the Road.cc review.

Hybrid hydraulic systems do appear to retain some of the cons of cable-actuated disc brakes: you are pulling a cable through a housing, so there will be cable drag, and even more so if that's a full-length housing (from the brake lever all the way to the brake, as you would have to do on bikes with internal cable routing). They may also need more lever pull to produce the same braking force than in a full hydraulic brake system.

So, why is Giant equipping some newer bicycles with its Conduct system versus just giving them full hydraulics? I'd speculate this is to hit a price point and/or to provide partially hydraulic braking options to bikes equipped with Shimano Tiagra and Sora groups, which are relatively low end road groups that lack hydraulic brake options to begin with. Once you get up to a bike equipped with Shimano's 105 groupset or the equivalent, I would question why not just equip the bike with regular hydraulic brakes.

As a side note, it appears that Giant is selling the Conduct braking system at retail for $200, which includes the master cylinder mounted to the stem, both calipers, hydraulic hose, and cables to go to the shifter/brake levers. It appears that the master cylinder needs to mount to a Giant stem as well, and that is not included in the kit. I can't think of a reason to recommend that anybody buy this at retail.


What kind of shoes can you use with Garmin Vector pedals? I was looking at these Garmin Vector pedal power meters, and the site says they are "Look Kéo Compatible". Can you put different cleats in them for other brands of shoes? Would they work with regular tennis shoes?

You don't need to buy Look brand shoes to mount Look cleats on them. You do need shoes that have mounting holes that fit Look cleats. Look-compatible mounting holes are the dominant standard for road cycling shoes so almost any road cycling shoe will work (but dominant doesn't mean universal so you should check).

As for the cleats themselves, there are many third-party cleats that claim to be "Look compatible." Many are fine; there may be some that are such cheap knock-offs that they fit poorly.

Tennis shoes won't work. The Vector pedals rely on a solid connection between your foot and the pedal so it can accurately measure the forces being transferred. A sloppy connection will result in sloppy measurement.


Accidentally clipped into Shimano PD-A530 BACKWARDS -- won't release! OK, I'll bet I'm the first person to do this boneheaded move: while waiting for a pedal wrench to remove old pedals and install new Shimano PD-A530, someone asked me to demonstrate how the shoe clips into the pedal.  Making sure I grabbed a right foot shoe and the right side pedal, a proceeded to demonstrate -- without realizing I had the pedal 180 degrees in the wrong orientation. After pushing harder than usual, it clipped in -- but it absolutely won't clip out!

Not sure if it makes it worse that my cleats are SM-SH56 "multi-release" cleats.  I really don't see how I can get them to release.  Any expert insight?

Pedals

Cleats

You are right that  these cleats are "multi-release" which should help.

So try twisting the shoe straight up, but given the cleats are backwards you may need to lift/rotate the TOE end of the shoe not the HEEL end.

Good luck!


How to change 2x11 to 3x11 on mtb Hey I was wondering how you would change a chainset from 2x11 to 3x11 on a Carrera Fury (SRAM components) Thanks

Sorry to say that you can't if you want to stay with SRAM.

Looking at the list of SRAM cranksets:

Mountain: https://www.sram.com/sram/mountain/component/cranksets
Road: https://www.sram.com/sram/road/component/cranksets

There are none that have 11sp and 3 chainrings.

But looking at the spec of the bike that I think you have:
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bikes/carrera-fury-mountain-bike-2015

It appears that it's 2x10, rather than 2x11 (it says 20 gears "SRAM X5 20 speed").  Can you check if it's really 11sp that you need?

If you need 3x10, then you'll need to change the crankset and the left shifter - and possibly the front derailleur - though you can probably get away without it.

You can find a matching X5 SRAM 3x10 crankset online pretty easily e.g. http://www.ebay.com/itm/SRAM-X5-GXP-175-10-Speed-44-33-22-Crankset-/272056712049

Note that going to 3x10 does not give you easier gears.  It just gives you smaller jumps between gears.  If you want easier gears, then there is a much simpler and cheaper solution: get a smaller small chainring, and/or a cassette with a larger big cog.


Can regular bike forks be modified to allow front drivetrain setup? Can regular bike forks be modified to allow front drivetrain setup?

Some bikes have front drivetrains instead rear drivetrains. The problem is that bike stores don't seem to carry forks that have a derailleur hanger. Forks don't always outlast the bike and custom building another fork is likely very expensive unless it's mass produced.

It's possible that you want or need a different style of fork. One might prefer metal instead of carbon fiber for safety and a larger room for errors, one might need a different style for panniers and fenders for touring and commuting purposes, one might need a different shape for fork lights or cameras, one might prefer mounting holes for a disc brake caliper, you nane it.

Here are some bikes that have a front drivetrain:

Can you widen a steel fork from 100mm to 130mm to accommodate 8 through 10 speed hubs using the cold set method? 30mm of widening sounds quite large. It's almost three sizes up. I've heard of 10mm. What are the risks? Once you widen it, how do you install the derailleur? Can you tap a custom shaped steel bar and use it as a derailleur hanger?

You can find standard spacings for hubs and seatstays here:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html

To cold set a regular fork by 30+ mm would no doubt weaken it far too much to use. The better starting point would be something like a 135 mm fat bike fork, common sizes are also listed in the Sheldon brown table you linked.

Notice however, that three of the four pictures you found feature extensive modifications to strengthen the fork or supporting frame to handle the pedalling forces. None of them will have off the shelf forks, they will all be custom made, along with the whole frame; they have totally different riding positions to a regular bicycle.

If you are serious about getting a bike with front wheel drive, it’s worth doing properly which would mean sourcing something specially designed for the purpose.


BMX Bike Sizing and Changing Parts? I'm a 4'11" (150 cm) tall girl who just started riding BMX, and I'm riding a 20.5" (52 cm) frame. I find that it's really big and quite heavy for someone my size. Is 20.5" too big or should I just suck it up and keep going?

Also, if I were to get something smaller, can I just change the frame and use the existing tyres etc?

20.5" is way to big. You likely want something more around 18.5".

There are a number of bmx bike sizing charts out on the net to help guide you. Two examples are:

https://www.usabmx.com/tracks/1709/pages/492
https://www.danscomp.com/serve/products%7Ccharts/riderchart.htm

Other items you'll want to consider changing in addition to the frame size are going to be crank length, stem length, bar rise and bar width. Assuming you bought a pre-built bike, likely they are all oversized (for you) on your current bike. You may even be better off with a different wheel size.

If you were to get a smaller frame and move parts over you would want to make sure the new frame used all the same sized parts. Specifically you would want to make sure the new frame used the same type/size of bottom bracket, headset, seat post, dropout and wheel.

Do you have access to a local bike shop that has someone knowledgeable about BMX racing on staff? If so it might be worth stopping by and having a conversation with them.


replacing a chain - which coating type or make (nickel vs silver vs TI Nitride vs diamond like)? I've been riding a 2017 Giant AnyRoad CoMax for about 2.5 months now and today I checked the chain wear with a Park Tool Chain Wear Indicator:

http://www.parktool.com/product/chain-wear-indicator-CC-3-2

The wear is between 0.5 and .075.  I plan on replacing the chain when it gets to .75, which is probably about a month away, perhaps slightly less.

So, its time to look at ordering a replacement chain.  Upon going to the web page for the bike:

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/anyroad-comax

The specification for the chain is "KMC X11", seems simple enough, but upon searching Amazon for "KMC X11":

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=KMC+X11&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3AKMC+X11

or the KMC page for 11 speed chains:

http://kmcchain.us/chaintype/11-speed/

I find I'm overwhelmed with the options.  They include:

-"DLC" (Diamond Like Coating)

-TI Nitride

-Silver

-"ECO PROTEQ"

-Nickel

Weights seem to include L (light), SL (super light), and XL (extra light).

The most popular choice on Amazon seems to be the "KMC X11.93 Nickel":

https://www.amazon.com/KMC-X11-93-Nickel-Plated-Silver/dp/B00P26H1AO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480788326&sr=8-1&keywords=kmc+x11+chain

which is also the least expensive by far at $24.  All the others listed above are at least 2x as much, some 3x - 4x as much.

I ride my bike 90+% for commuting, so saving large amounts of weight (ex. carbon vs aluminum frame) is significant, but when getting down to counting grams it doesn't much matter for my riding purposes.

Of course the manufacturer's description of the more expensive chains (i.e. all the options other than Nickel) imply that they are worth the extra cost and provide all-worldly benefits, but I'm skeptical I would notice a difference.

So here are my questions:

-What are the advantages of Silver or TI Nitride over Nickel?

-Is there such a thing as "Diamond Like Coating" or is this just manufacturer hype?

-Would I notice the slight weight difference with the L vs SL vs XL, or is this something that would only matter to a competitive cyclist trying to shave a few seconds off a run?

-Other than the coating, are the more expensive chains actually built more robustly?  Of course the KMC website claims the more expensive chains are more resistant to stretching, but is the difference enough to be significant?

-My inclination is to go with the $24 Nickel chain, is there a compelling reason that the 2x-4x more expense chains would be better for a non-competitive cyclist?

Edit: somebody linked a semi-related post that mentioned Nickel plating, thanks for the suggestion, but that post did not address by other inquiries

In a different order than asked:

Weight: The differences in chain weight are well under your body's weight change during the day (or even a ride). Wanna save weight? Don't eat that bag of chips. It's not going to make a difference in performance.
Platings/Coatings: They're supposed to increase wear resistance and run a bit more smoothly. Not a huge effect, especially if you lubricate your chain properly. More expensive might be a bit shinier or work a bit better. Mostly aesthetic though.
Price: Going with one of the cheapest compatible options doesn't hurt -- any difference in longevity and durability is far less than the price (and dirt will make the best chain probably die before the worst chain in a respectable manufacturer's line). I generally buy SRAM or KMC though, cause I don't like Shimano's rivet system. Obviously if you run Campagnolo, most of their stuff is not friendly with other manufacturers.

I generally buy the second/third from the bottom chain in a product line -- you get chrome hardened-ness and sometimes chrome plating with it, so you get a bit less rust in winter.


Can you run 52/39 chain rings with an 11/32 cassette? Seems most bikes either come with 50/36 rings and an 11/32 or 52/39 rings with an 11/28 cassette. I live in hilly terrain and do need lower gears but often feel spun out with my 50/36 by 11/32, could you run a 52/39 with an 11/32?

Yes, you can, although you'll need a longer chain to go with it.

The important thing here is the capacity of the rear mech you're using.  However, since your bike already has 50/36 11-32 gearing, changing the chainset for a 52/39 actually reduces the amount of chain slack the rear mech has to deal with (52-39 < 50-36), so there shouldn't be any problem.

Just remember to adjust the position of the front mech (move it up the seat tube) to accommodate the larger chainrings.


Dynamo, Difference between trans am and tour divide Mike hall used dynamo on his tour divide record.

He didn't use dynamo on his trans am record.

What would be the differentiating factor to use or not to use dynamo?
My guess is that trans am route has more service stations you can charge your batteries?

edit

He says he's not using dynamo in a vid, but I think he might have changed his mind before actual run..

If you look closely at the front hub, it is not thick.. dynamo hub seems to be thicker.. (http://bikepacker.com/mike-hall/)

In 2014, Mike Hall finished the TABR ~20 hours ahead of the second-place finisher.
Dynamo hubs impose a drag of 1–6 W when they're disengaged, and 1–25 W when engaged. There's a fair amount of variation between hubs, and in the loads that different headlights impose on them, and the loads vary with speed.
Ride Far has an analysis of how much time dyno hubs would be engaged in a bikepacking race and how much net loss they'd impose. This analysis is in terms of the TCR, not TABR, but even allowing for that difference, it seems that a dyno hub would add 2 hours or less to Mike Hall's time.
There are a lot of unknowns here. Did Mike Hall waste any time charging lights or other electronics when he would have been riding otherwise? Can we compare his performance in 2014 to performances in other years?

I think it's fair to say Mike Hall would have won TABR 2014 with an impressive time even with a dyno setup, and I'm surprised to learn he didn't use one.
The problem with relying on public facilities to recharge your electronics is that charging is slow, even if facilities are guaranteed to be available exactly when you need them. Headlights that might only deliver one night's worth of useful light (or less) can take 5 hours to charge (I'm looking specifically at the B&M Ixon Space). Even high-capacity power banks with modern fast-charging capabilities (which didn't exist in 2014) can take 4 hours to fully charge, but could be used to recharge a headlight several times.


Aerodynamic kid's trailer with suspension I'm looking for an aerodynamic kid's trailer to tow behind my Velomobiel Quest. Some corner points:

Needs to be attached at axle height
don't care for the coupling, because that needs to be replaced anyway
suspension is a must
large enough for one up to 8-10 year old kid with a bit of luggage, e.g. swimming pool stuff, something to eat/drink
two-wheeled (trikes can't tow inline trailers)
aerodynamics are pretty important
rain-proof

I live in Germany, so it should be sold here or at least there should be a vendor that ships here.

Edit: A bonus would be if there was a way to somehow carry a kid's bicycle on the trailer such that the kid can ride as far as he wants and then climb into the trailer and I can continue.

Generalisations on child-carrying trailers

Based on stroller designs, so suspension is rare.
Small wheels on cheaper designs.
Seat is positioned for visibility and for an adult not to stoop too far to attend to the child. This is bad for stability and aerodynamics.
Built like tents: frame with some kind of fabric over it. I've seen trailers/strollers with mesh fronts and ones with rollable plastic fronts, but as the overall shape remains a modified brick with fluttering fabric, I doubt they'll be very aerodynamic. Your velomobile is designed to have a minimised wake, so the trailer gains no aerodynamic advantage from following it.

What I would do: Make my own.

Find a suspended cargo trailer or design and construct one from tubular sections of aluminium or steel.
Create a fibreglass clamshell from scratch using insulation board for the former, like the Kingsbury Quattro
Or find a junk fibreglass boathull, invert it and add a vertical section until the interior height is sufficient. Fit a polycarb window on each side, but your child probably won't appreciate a porthole which shows the rear of your velomobile.
Use good hinges and hydraulic struts to hold the shell open (like a car hatchback)
If the shell needs catches or straps to hold it shut, there should be a release mechanism on the inside.


What is the cheapest way to send a bike from Australia to Germany? I would like to know of any cheap ways to get a bicycle from Australia to Germany. So far, I have looked at UPS, TNT and other larger logistics companies. They all seem to be 500 AUD and above for a single bike.

I am flying to Europe and could disassemble the bike and take the frame as oversized baggage. However then I am at my weight limit and I would still have to ship the 28" wheels. I thought of packing a box and ship the small parts with AusPost. However the wheels would be slightly to large for their largest box size.

Are there any cheaper ways to ship a bike from Australia to Germany?

Check with the airline you are flying with. Airlines generally have a small surcharge for taking a bike along, since people frequently travel with sporting equipment.

I looked into flying with a bike from Canada to France last year and it was only a $30 charge on the airline I was flying with (they even accepted tandems). I can't guarantee your airline will be as reasonable, but it's definitely worth looking into.


mountain bike switching tyres I get a puncture, why, am i doing something wrong? I have a mountain bike with 2 sets of tyres, a road set and off road set, when I switch between them about 1 in 3 times I seem to get a puncture, and I can't see why?  I've gone though 4 innertubes now doing this.

So I'll inflate the tyre, cycle around for 30-40mins then I'll notice something wrong, and it's almost flat?

Am I doing something wrong?  I deflate the tyre, flick off the tyer and innertube (using a plastic thingy from Evans, so no sharp bits there), put the innertube inside the other tyer, put both back on the wheel and inflate.

Any help would be appreciated, if I don't reply right away I'm probably walking down the cycle shop buying another innertube. :-)

A theory:  There is some damage or debris on the inside of your tire.  A second theory is slightly out of position rim tape.  A third theory is your technique may be leading to a pinch flat.

Questions to help diagnose:
When you switch between tire sets, does the flat happen only going to one set of tires?  Or does it happen no matter which tire?  If it's just one tire set, then inspect the inside carefully for debris or other issues.

Next time the tire is off, look at the rim tape carefully and run a finger along it. It should be smooth and sturdy. You may also want to check that it's secure all the way around. If it is moving around during tire changes it could be exposing a spoke nipple.

The third theory would be that if the tire it tight or tough to get on then perhaps you are pinch flatting during the tire change. Advise here is to go carefully...


Max sizing for wheels and tires? I was given an old 2006 Trek 1000 and I've been working on replacing everything.

I just ordered a new Shimano Tiagra 4600 groupset last night and now I need to get wheels and tires.

The bike currently has 700x25c wheels on it, with a 23mm tire in the front and 25mm tire in the back.  Both are completely flat and I haven't even ridden on the bike.

Here's pictures of the brake/frame clearance with all of the old components on.
http://imgur.com/a/lRQgI

I'll be commuting with around 25-30 pounds every day, ~70 mi/week on mostly flat terrain.  I'm 5'9" and 150 lbs.

My priorities are:

Reliability
Speed
Quick repair time
Comfort

With that being said, what size tires should I put on new 700x25c wheels?

Thanks!

How much clearance do you have on the front wheel? Doesn’t look like you can fit much more than 25mm width there. With your weight and luggage I’d go as wide as possible. Maybe 25mm in the front and 28mm in the back (if the brake has enough clearance).

Of course it also depends on the quality of the roads.


Why are cyclocross bikes stiff and what impact does it have on performance? I bought my first cx bike at the beginning of the summer and started watching a few races on YouTube and such, not because I plan to race but just because it was interesting to me. All summer I've been riding on paved trails until recently I took it off-road to a bike trail in the woods. Instantly I noticed how stiff my bike is (2015 Giant Revolt 3) and I started to feel each and every bump my wheels came in contact with.

So this made me question. Why are cx bikes so stiff if they are used to ride off-road a lot? Races are all off-road with bumps/hills/etc. as well. It makes sense for road bikes because they're riding on smooth paved road and don't need to worry about sudden bumps in the road.

My question is, why are cx bikes so stiff and what impact does it have on performance? I'm mainly interested in performance changes for off-road biking or cx racing.

Thanks.

Race courses in city parks are not that bumpy.  Most racers run closer to 40 psi (on a 34 mm) but it varies.  Clincher tires to run low pressure with pinch flats is common. The bike is stiff for speed.

The Revolt 3 is not a true CX bike.  It probably came with a 35 mm. That bike will take a 50 mm.  You can safely run 50 mm at 40 psi (check the range on the tire) and get a pretty soft ride.


Shimano 105 rear derailleur issue I have a specialized roubaix of 10 years old. With shimano 105 group. I’m having trouble with my rear derailleur. I want to adjust it so i start on the smallest gear at the back and change gear one by one until i’m on the biggest one. For that part everything works fine. But when i go in the opposite side, it’s all wrong like if the cable or something wasnt coming back like it is suppose to. My cables a new and free in the tubes so it’s probably not that. Does somebody have an idea?
Thank you

It sounds like you are having trouble downshifting from any larger gear to a smaller one.
If a rear derailleur won't go from a larger gear to a smaller gear it's because:

The cable is binding preventing the derailleur from getting enough slack
The derailleur spring is too weak

Starting from a smaller gear on a 105 rear derailleur and moving to a larger gear happens because of tension on the cable. You move the lever and it pulls the cable which moves the derailleur. As the derailleur moves a spring in the derailleur is compressed storing energy.
When you move the lever to shift from a larger gear to a smaller gear the cable is given slack. The rear derailleur spring takes up the slack and moves to the smaller gear.
Get the bike on the rack or into a position where you can pedal and make the rear wheel move.
You can test to see if the cable is binding by:

Disconnecting the cable from the derailleur
Hold the just disconnected end in one hand and move the shift lever with the other. The cable should move easily in both directions.

If you feel any binding you'll need to hunt down the source and fix it.
It could be due to dirt/rust in the housing, a kink in the housing, a kink or hard bend in the cable etc.
With the cable disconnected you can test the derailleur spring by:

Turning the pedals with the rear wheel spinning
With the rear wheel moving use your hand to move the derailleur to shift into the larger gear.
Release the derailleur - keep pedaling - the spring in the derailleur should crisply shift back into the smaller gear.

If the derailleur won't move the chain from the larger gear to the smaller gear the spring may be weak or broken.


Choosing a foldable 20" bike: Schwinn S2280 vs. Citizen Bike Miami At the moment, I'm in the market for a foldable 20" bike, for commuting purposes. I've done my research, and have found two appealing models:

Schwinn S2280
Citizen Bike MIAMI

Which of them would you recommend? How are they different? Any differences in terms of weight, ease-of-use, ease-of-tuning, stability, accessories, size, portability, durability, joy-of-use/misery-of-use (it's for my dad)?

I think the real difference is the weight: Schwinn 47 lbs, Citizen 32 lbs. That's substantial. If your dad is going to be carrying it much that 15 pound difference will really count.

My impression is that the Schwinn is compromised to get the low stand-over height, and everything follows from there. That can be important if your dad has limited mobility, but if it's not essential don't buy a bike that adds 15 pounds to get it.

Realistically the rest doesn't add up to much - they're both bottom-of-the-range folding bikes that use cheap components and will probably not last very long (a thousand miles or so). I think you need to be clear what you want the bike for and what you expect from it. If your dad is too heavy or rides too much the bike will fall apart quite quickly. Both bikes will be heavy, unwieldy luggage when folded.

I would be concerned about the wheels on the Schwinn, the "6 spoke" pattern wheels look like a gimmick to me. they might go out of true easily and look hard to fix. But they look pretty. The Schwinn is 7 speed, the Citizen 6 speed, but that's pretty irrelevant as neither bike will cope well with hills or high speeds.

The Schwinn comes with a bag, for the Citizen the bag is $29 extra. If that's important to you, it adds 15% to the price of the Citizen. But I think the Citizen is a (slightly) better bike - they've focused on a basic bike with basic components rather than paying extra for marketing bullet points ("sprung saddle", "pretty wheels"), so they can spend a tiny bit more on slightly better parts.


Bike GPS computer with real-time elevation profile I'm looking for GPS bike computer (for road bike) for affordable price and with reasonable battery life. I don't care about brand, I just basically need 2 functionalities:

map which is shown on the display and I could move along the route and generally work with the map during the ride
elevation profile which can be shown during the whole ride and which is real-time, so I can see if I am in the middle of the climb, on the top, etc.

The elevation profile is actually most important for me, but it looks that it's not standart for bike computers. I don't need heart rate and different fancy analysis as this my watches already do. I saw Garmin Edge, but people are often complaining about the ClimbPro function there and maybe I would prefer Open street map.

i use my mobile phone and bought a universal bike phone holder which sits on the handle bar,i use 3 different apps (not at the same time) strava, relive and komoot, all have a free app or paid subscription  personally i prefer strava because you can download the data to a pc then upload to relive to create an videomap of your trip, photos can be included along the route