What's the most secure type of bike lock that costs less than $30? I already have the cable cable kind with the combination lock.  It just seems cheap and easy to break into.  Is that sufficient or are the U shaped ones better?

Honestly, I must say that there is no such thing.  Sometimes you can find a U-lock used on Craigslist or similar websites and you might get a better deal.  Otherwise, $30 is below bottom-of-the-ladder for U-locks.

And think about it.  What are you paying for with that 30-50-even $90?  It's a one-installment insurance policy on your bicycle.  I would suggest that you lay down some real money and get a good lock.  If you don't, you can either

Never take your bike anywhere that won't allow you to bring it inside with you.
Plan on replacing your bike frequently and encouraging the bike thieves.

My frivolous answer:  Really.  Maybe you shouldn't spend a bunch of money on a bike lock.  If you get a cheap lock, the bike thieves will have no reason to learn how to open the more expensive type which will leave my bicycle all the safer!

Bike locks cost real dough because they are designed to stand up to real abuse.

I once had a job where I routinely went around a park with a pair of huge bolt cutters, removing the bike locks (and sometimes bikes) that were abandoned there.  The cheap locks are a hellva lot easier to cut off of railings than the beefy OnGuard types.

You do get what you pay for, here, at least in the range of $0-50.  Cheap locks are almost not worth buying.  A $50 U-lock will stand up to several tries with a pair of bolt cutters that have three-foot levers attached to the handles.


Can I use 10-speed Shimano STI shifters with a 9-speed drivetrain? I need to replace Shimano 105 STI shifters on a 9-speed road bike which was damaged in an accident, however there are few places that still stock 9-speed Shimano 105 STI shifters.

Can I use the 10-speed Shimano 105 STI shifters with my 9 speed cassette and derailleur? How well would this work?

I have 10 speed Ultegra shifters working 9-speed Ultegra everything else.

I've not had any problems.

Even the 10-speed cassette went on the wheel with no adjustments needed, nor any adjustments to the derailleur. Surprised me, but it worked.


How much water flies forward to the drivetrain Due to the rainy weather and my daily commute, I've decided to invest in some SKS Raceblade fenders. The fenders extend only just past vertical of the axle, and so I wonder about how wet I/my drivetrain can expect to get from the remaining exposed tire.

Has anyone looked at this carefully/experimented with the amount of water coming off the tire at different angles/speeds? I would assume that most of the water stays near the ground, and incrementally less water goes around the frame.

What I'm trying to understand is whether I need to buy another fender to block water that will hit my drive train, or if so little will be present by the time it gets past the fender that it won't really matter.

I've uploaded a photo to illustrate my question.

That rear mudguard/fender is definitely better than nothing, but its not a good full-coverage guard.  As you note, water will fly off the tyre and hit the frame and underside of your legs while riding.

A good rear guard will start low at the back, perhaps even with a mudflap. Then will go over the whole outside circumference, with its lowest point below the BB/chainstays.

If your roads have any dirt on them it will be picked up an ddeposited on the rear of your seat tube, and possibly on the top of the kickstand bracket if your bike has one between the chainstays.

Most-all full guards have stays that support and brace the rear of the guard.  I can't see any in your pic, but I bet the guard's a bit floppy and perhaps even buzzes on the tyre while riding.

Related - the tread on your tyre has a lot to do with how much water is carried around the wheel.  A blocky MTB knobbly will throw road water like a rooster tail, but a road bike in the same conditions and at the same speed will throw far less water.

Separately, that front mudguard is okay but not great.  It could go down further, again with a mudflap to protect the BB and chainrings and your feet from road water.


Saddle seat post screw length I got an S-Works carbon saddle and it feels great. However, siting on it during workouts, I am feeling small nudges from these two screws on my seat post. Is it something that I did wrong? 87kg (191 lbs) rider.

Can anyone suggest a workaround? Can it be trimmed/cut using a saw, or, perhaps I should look into similar and shorter screws at a Home Depot/Walmart.

Seats, in general, have different heights. So the point of contact and rail distance changes in different saddles.

If you get a saddle with a narrower seat to rail distance (as yours) that's when you get this problem.

You can 100% cut or replace the bolt and it will not affect safety. (As long as you don't cut it too short, ie the bolt should be long enough to use all of the saddle clamp nut threads.)

Before you do decide to cut though, make sure you are 100% happy with the saddle position. If you cut the bolt to short and decide to change the position, you can compromise the saddle by not leaving enough threads for to grip properly.

If you should to cut, make sure you don't damage the bolt threads as it could lead to damaging the saddle nut threads.


Why cant I unscrew the bolt from my top cap? I have been trying to unscrew my top cap bolt to change the stem. I have been doing the unscrewing motion for more than 5 minutes and the bolt doesn't seem to come off.

Like I keep turning the key to the anti clockwise direction and the bolt keeps spinning and doesn't come off

Is it really stuck like that? Any solutions?

Presuming a metal steerer (as opposed to something going wrong with a carbon compression plug), the main dynamic I've seen is the bolt seized to the central threaded piece of the star nut due to no lubrication , which then causes it to break free from the outer toothed part and spin freely when reefed on to try and turn it.

If you're lucky you may be able to get it by twisting the wrench sideways to try and get some friction between the toothed bit of the star nut and threaded bit. This is unlikely to work if the threads are really seized though. You may try hitting it with penetrating oil first, either blasted through the stem crack or the underside of the fork, but it probably won't help enough to overcome how it's also going to add lubricant where you want friction.

I fixed one once by pounding the star nut with a punch from the underside of the crown until it didn't hold anymore and came out. Putting reverse load on star nuts can scar up steerers, especially  aluminum ones, so if you want a gentler approach, then dissecting the top cap with a dremel cut off wheel and then working or cutting the star nut out once you have access to it also works.


Converting 3×7 speed into a 2(chainrings)×1(sprockect) I own Firefox Rapide 21s, which has Acera 7s(14-28t) groupset are rear and Tourney 3s(28-38-48t) groupset at front.

In a recent accident, the rear derailleur took some impact and is bent now, it doesn't latch on to 7th &1st gear. I went to a mechanic he applied some pressure to make it straight, he said it(method) could potentially make the derailleur straight, and I don't want to spend money in getting a new one.

While coming back home, I tried to shift up to 1st gear to see what happens -- it dug into one of the spokes, locking the tyre, making me fall. Now that spoke is bent and has become loose.

However, the real question is:
Now, I don't like the method he has proposed to straighten it. Hence, I have decided to remove all the gears and make it a single speed.
My focus always has been higher speed, so I'm thinking of getting 53t×11t(chainring×sprocket).
But I'm also thinking - the ratio that setup makes might be a little bit too much for me in all circumstances.
Therefore, I was thinking of fitting a double crankset up front(possibly 34-50t or 39-53t) and single sprocket(possibly 12t or 14t, respectively).
Or is that even possible?

I goolged and looked at most places, but could find any answer.

Without a rear derailleur one cannot switch gear on the front chainring. The length of the chain would differ between chain rings. The derailleur compensates this by running the chain a longer path that may be shortened by moving the derailleur arm. It also tensions the chain due to its spring, which hold the chain on the chainring.


Mixed Tire Size and Speedometer Setting Which Circumference do you use on the speedometer (Cateye Strada Wireless) when running a larger rear tire versus a smaller front tire (25 verus 23)?  Does the larger tire determine speed, distance, etc. over the smaller tire?

Thanks,
George

The tire on the wheel you are metering decides it.


Why do cyclocross/touring bikes seem to have longer top tubes than road bikes? After using some online fit calculators, I was looking around at some bikes and frames. Surly says to pick one based on the effective top tube, for which a recommended length for me is 53.5 cm. Some shops have told me to ride a 54 cm frame, others 52 cm, mostly just based on standover height. I have been sampling some bike geometry and noticed that CX/touring bikes sometimes tend to be very long for their height:

| Bike            | Purp | Size  | Eff. TT |
|-----------------|------|-------|---------|
| Surly Straggler | CX   | 52 cm | 54.6 cm |
| Jamis Quest     | Road | 51 cm | 53.0 cm |
| Giant Defy      | Road | Small | 53.0 cm |
| Jamis Aurora    | Tour | 53 cm | 55.2 cm |
| Jamis Renegade  | Adv. | 51 cm | 53.2 cm |
| Jamis Renegade  | Adv. | 54 cm | 55.1 cm |
| Jamis Bosanova  | Tour | 51 cm | 54.0 cm |
| Jamis Bosanova  | Tour | 54 cm | 55.5 cm |
| Soma Smoothie   | Road | 52 cm | 53.0 cm |
| Soma Double-Cr. | CX   | 52 cm | 55.6 cm |
| Soma Double-Cr. | CX   | 46 cm | 53.1 cm |
| Trek Domane     | Road | 52 cm | 53.0 cm |
| Trek 720        | Adv. | 52 cm | 53.8 cm |

So, for example, if I wanted to get a Soma Double Cross, by the effective top tube recommendation, I should go for the 46 cm frame? That seems tiny. By the top tube recommendation, Surly doesn't even make a Straggler small enough, but the extra 1 cm could be handled with a smaller stem? Is there a reason the CX/touring bikes are relatively longer? Wouldn't that result in a less upright, and therefore less comfortable position for long rides?

On touring and Cyclocross bikes usually the handlebar is higher than a road bike. When the handlebar is higher the reach will be longer (like when you lift your hands they are getting further away from you body). In order to compensate on that longer distance, you can either have a longer stem or, in that case, a longer top tube.


Is my local bike shop asking to much money to change a rear cog? I normally have much love for my LBS, but I've moved recently and am a little unsure about this new one due to the fees he is asking.

I have a flip flop hub with a fixed gear (18 tooth) cog on one side, and a freewheel single speed cog on the other side. I need the fixed gear cog replaced. As I understand all you need to take this off is a special tool every bike shop would have. I assume the whole replacement process would take all of 5 minutes - quicker (like 2 min) for an experienced mechanic -- is this true?

The shop wants $50 labour to do this. Seems a little steep, I think! Am I right to think that this rate is unreasonably high?

Ah the internet.

Answered my own Q:

It takes about a minute. Yay!

Watch at 2:13: Replace Fixed Cog (broken link)

Instead, try

How To Change A Track Bike Or Fixie Sprocket  (splined).
FIXIE COG INSTALL #3 (threaded)

For DIY: need a chainwhip and a lockring wrench / lockring spanner

...or a multi-tool with chainwhip & lockring wrench!

Done.


What GT bike is this? I am thinking of buying this e-bike off of Craigslist but I am having difficulty figuring out if it an actual e-bike or a regular bike that has been converted.

I wiki'd the list of GT hardtails and Google Images didn't show me anything that popped out.

What we know:

Hardtail Mountainbike
The make is GT
The Tires are Bontrager, possibly XR1

The guy isnt exactly answering my questions in complete English sentences.

Doesn't look anything special - theres a one-piece crank, indicates a cheap low-grade bike.

The brakes are cantilevers which would be 90s at best.

The tyres will have been replaced at some time, so brand means nothing to the bike's model

The whole front wheel looks like its been swapped out for one of those hilltopper electric kits, which are not bad for a simple-fit kit.  Batteries tend to be expensive.

The whole bike looks like an overgrown BMX with a derailleur and rider bars with a reinforcement strut.


Quiet and strong chain recommendation for fixed gear commuter bike I went through a couple of chains on my fixie bike, but I was not too happy with any of them.
Basically they seemed pretty noisy when more pressure was applied where cycling.

Could you recommend one that would be both strong and quiet.

Thanks

Chain noise is not completely avoidable on fixed-gears, due to the stress from chain tension, etc. However, there are many types of chain which would be inappropriate to use and would cause extra noise.

Be sure to purchase a 'track' chain (some are produced by Miche, Izumi, and KMC) and expect to pay $20+ for a quality chain.

Also, be sure to keep your chain clean and well lubricated! Even on regular bikes, the majority of chain noise comes from a dry chain.


How to nail clipping into race pedals without looking? I was persuaded to switch to race SPD-SL pedals after losing the old MTB pedals to theft (along with the bike!). They're one-sided, though, unlike the MTB pedals, and I find that coming off of a red light full stop, I either pop my down foot right into the pedal, or I miss and have to toe it across the intersection while trying to get the cleat in. It's too dangerous to look down and watch the pedal when this happens.

Is there a strategy that makes this easier and more consistent (and therefore safer)?

The best way is to practice, practice, practice!

Do it enough times and it'll become second nature.

When I was first starting with my road pedals (Keos, but they're pretty similar) I would push my shin against them after setting off to steady them before trying to clip in.


Bottom bracket sleeve is not fixed I gave my bike to the mechanic a few weeks ago since I have had some problems with my Token bottom bracket. He mounted a new Rotor BBright 4624L on my bike. Coming back from a gravel ride yesterday I heard that there is sand in the bottom bracket somewhere and I took off the crank to clean everything. There I saw that the tube that usually is connected with the bottom bracket is loose. Hopefully you can see this on the pictures. I have never seen something like that before and want to know whether this is normal.
My bike is an Open U.P.

The sleeve provides a tiny amount of extra protection for the bearings and is not structural in this instance.
They are often fiddly to fit on these "boutique" bottom brackets and even people who deal with them frequently can cock up the tube alignment from time to time.
You may be able to break it up with a screwdriver, if it's brittle enough, to remove the pieces. Otherwise you will need to whip the BB out to remove it. Not having the tube there won't affect bearing life in any meaningful way unless you regularly fill your frame with sand.


Is it harmful to store a bike in a repair stand when held by the seatpost? I am currently storing my bike in a repair stand where it hangs by the seatpost. I was wondering if this might not be ideal and that the prolonged hanging might put too much stress on the bike and that I should instead store it standing on the floor. Does this way of storing the bike pose any chance of damaging the bike compared to storing it standing?

I don't think that this should be a problem. The force that is transferred through the seatpost to the bike when you sit on it and ride some bumpy road is vastly more than the stress that your bike might get from hanging on the bike stand.


Which usually wears faster - wheel rims or brake blocks? I was wondering which you'd expect to wear faster: wheel rims or brake blocks.

The reason I ask is that my mileage has shot up the last couple of years so I'm seeing a lot of wear on things I never knew could wear.

I'm told that chain, cassette and front chain rings should generally be replaced together. As per comments and answers I won't be using that cycle shop again.  Luckily it didn't cost me too much cash.

I was wondering if the same applied wheel rims or if or if wheel rims are expected to last much longer than brake blocks?

Edit

So here's what prompted the question...  I have some "Mavic Open Pro" rims bought two years ago.  I've burned through less than 2 sets of brake blocks since.  This last month I've started hearing about rims wearing and the existence of markers.  Here's where I get stuck.  I can't find any markers.

So although the above seems a stupid question I'm trying to figure out if it ever had them?  I'm presuming not because I would have thought I'd notice and I shouldn't have worn them smooth yet judging from comments.  I'm also trying to figure out if I don't have them what the sign would be if they need replacing.

By the sound of it I wont need to worry for a while, I've got a few brake pad changes left in them yet... but for piece of mind I wonder if there's a way to know if they're out of tolerance without markers?

Rims last a lot longer than brake pads. It's difficult to put a number, as it depends on so many parameters, but personally I change brake pads roughly once a year (2-3'000km), and I haven't ever changed a rim due to it wearing out. (There has always been other reasons to change them.)

On many rims there's a tiny groove in the middle of the braking surface. You're supposed to change the rim when the bulk of the rim has worn down to that level. (But as I said, it hasn't happened to me yet.)

Regarding your other advice, 'replacing cassette, chain ring and chain together', it's not the most common of advice, to put it bluntly. The advice you're likely to get is to  change the chain when it's starting to wear (you have to measure the length of it, either with a special chain-tool, or with a tape measure. If it's increased by 1% it's time to change.) If you don't change the chain it will start to wear down the cassette, and eventually the chain ring - but that takes a lot longer.)


Change gear cables for Shimano Tiagra 4603 Can't seem to figure out the way to enter the cable shifter which broke while riding!!!
Can't also find a manual or video out there helping me to replace it.

manual is here
https://si.shimano.com/api/publish/storage/pdf/en/dm/ST0001/DM-ST0001-05-ENG.pdf
exploded diagram here
https://si.shimano.com/api/publish/storage/pdf/en/ev/ST-4603/EV-ST-4603-3155.pdf
all via si.shimano.com
Video for similar shifter


Spokes keep breaking A couple of weeks ago, I broke 2 spokes and my rear wheel (27 inch) was seriously bent. I replaced these spokes and re-trued the wheel, but the next day the same thing happened, another 2 spokes snapped and my wheel was bent again. So I replaced the spokes again and re-trued the wheel.

Sure enough, the next day I broke 3 more spokes. I have repeated this "cycle" 5 times now within the last 2 weeks and I have no idea what I am doing wrong.

At first I thought the spokes were too lose so I made them all tighter, while ensuring that there was even tension around the wheel and a little extra tension on the freewheel side. When this failed I thought that maybe I had them too tight, so I tried again with the spokes a little looser but this failed too.

This wheel was purchased only 2 months ago and I have probably ridden it probably 1500 km. I also weigh about 85kg (190lb) and I very rarely ride on anything not paved. I am not convinced that the wheel has met its expected end of life based on this.

I cant determine why my wheel keeps breaking over and over again. Either there is something I am doing critically wrong in the truing process, the wheel is irreparable, or the bike shop just sold me a bad wheel. At what point should I just give up and buy a new wheel?

Edit:

I have been spray painting the spokes as i put new ones in and i found that the non painted spokes were breaking. Also they were breaking at the hub flange.

I have fixed the wheel to the point where I can ride it without the spokes breaking, but i still need to true it a little more. Im still not sure what I was doing wrong though.

The biggest cause of broken spokes, that I know of, is inadequate tension. When the spokes are tight enough they flex a little bit with every turn of the wheel as the spokes at the bottom of the wheel unload slightly and then tighten again as they move around to the top. Over time this bending back and forth weakens the spokes – usually at the bend where they pass through the hub – and eventually they break. The cure is to build the wheel with sufficient tension to prevent the flexing.

If the wheel is old (and since it is a 27" wheel, I'm inclined to think it is) then the damage may already be done – although it sounds like you've replaced close to half of the spokes by now.

All of the above assumes that you're riding a more-or-less normal bike in more-or-less a normal way…

To be much more help to you it would be helpful to have answers to the comments on the original question above. As a very quick and dirty check of tension you could grab a "handful of spokes" (a set of 4 from both sides of the wheel) where they cross and try squeezing them. It should be quite hard to get any flex out of them.


Shift lever and rear derailleur compatibility I have got MTB with Shimano RD-M410 Alivio Rear Derailleur 8 speed. It has  brake/shift lever for it model ST-EF50-8R. I would like to move to disc brakes and therefore want to change to ST-EF505 shift/brake lever. Does anyone know if it is compatible with the Alivio RD-M410 rear derailleur?
Actually I plan on buying the 8 speed version of the st-ef505-r. https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/acera-m3000/ST-EF505-8R.html Does it have the same cable pull as the st-ef50-8r?

Yes, you can use any Shimano 8 speed shifter with a Shimano 8 speed derailleur and cassette.
Generally Shimano (and SRAM) used the same sprocket spacing for all cassettes with the same number of sprockets (more sprockets means narrower spacing though). All MTB shifters up to 9 speed use the same cable actuation ratio (ratio of cable pulled to cage movement), and all shifters pull the right amount of cable per shift for the number of speeds they are for.


Lost bearing on disc brake for Kona Jake The Snake 2016 I have this bike, and I appear to have lost the bearing on the front wheel, causing the disc brake to rub up against the fork when I'm riding. (I'm not a bike expert, so sorry if I'm using the wrong terms.)
I was going to donate this bike, but now I don't want to give up so easily, it's a good bike and I like it a lot. Is there a part that I can buy that would fix this issue? Something from here for example?

You have not lost the bearing. Bearings are pressed into hubs and don't come out easily. What you see in the middle of the brake rotor is the bearing - you can see the black plastic dust seal. What has gone missing is the hub end cap. Many wheels have replaceable end caps that allow conversion between through axle and quick release forks or frames.
Finding a replacement end cap might be difficult. The web page you linked to says the hubs are Novatech. Try contacting their customer support and asking of they can supply an replacement part.


After bump, bicycle feel as though tyre is flat (it is not) I ride a 1970s steel-framed french racing bike. A couple of days ago I went over a small pothole whilst leaning on the front brakes at some speed, and although nothing happened it's since felt strange when riding in a straight line, almost tramlining. It's as if the front tyre is flat; there's an unnatural resistance to changing direction that there never used to be. Both tyres are pumped up, both wheels are true, and there's no discernible play anywhere that I can find.

I'd be grateful for any suggestions as to what this could be the cause of this!

One possibility is brinelling of the bearing race, a good impact in just the right orientation could cause brinelling.

From Wiki:

  Brinelling /ˈbrɪnəlɪŋ/ is the permanent indentation of a hard surface. It is named after the Brinell scale of hardness, in which a small ball is pushed against a hard surface at a preset level of force, and the depth and diameter of the mark indicates the Brinell hardness of the surface.

Generally this occurs in old bearings that have been heavily used, but a hard impact could have helped it on the way, and now your bearings are settling in the indentation causing the resistance you are describing.

If this is indeed the case, replacing the headset, or at very least the bearings and races, should remedy the situation.


Rear Shimano Acera derailleur skips chain ring after replacing cable I've had my Schwinn High Timber F5 mountain bike for probably 15 years and decided to replace all the cables. I've also already borrowed the rear wheel from my guest bike while I figure out how to properly true up the old one (another question will be coming on that).

After replacing the cable and wheel, I cannot get the shifting to work properly. It always skips a sprocket on the way up and down the cassette, never skipping the same sprocket in either direction. I've successfully indexed my gears before, but I cannot get them indexed with this new cable.

Things I've done to the bike so far:

Straightened out a very bent derailleur hanger with the Park Tool DAG-2.2 Derailleur Hanger Alignment Gauge. I wonder if my derailleur had somehow adapted to the bent hanger or was adjusted accordingly at the bike shop when they installed it. Now that I've fixed the hanger, could it be causing indexing issues?
As mentioned, replaced rear bike wheel. I've had this wheel on my bike prior to replacing the cable and it shifted no differently. The cogs are identical in size and spacing so far as I can tell
Ensured that the limiter screws are properly adjusted

Thinking of just buying new derailleurs, but am hoping I am just doing something wrong.

An impact hard enough to bend the hanger is likely to have also distorted the derailleur.

For each index of the shifter pulling a consistent length of cable, the derailleur normally moves a certain distance along a path angled to be similar to the cone angle of the cassette, that distance corresponding to an axial (sideways) distance which matches the cassette spacing.

If the derailleur is deformed between the mounting bolt and the parallel plates, the angled path will be flatter, meaning the same movement along the hypotenuse will be a larger axial movement. There is a tolerance designed into the widths of the sprockets, chain and cassette gaps, so when you shift far enough from the point where you indexed the gears, the total excess movement from the flattened path will exceed the tolerance.

If the derailleur's inner plate is bent such that it's shorter than the outer plate, the distance moved along the angled path will be inconsistent, but the impact on shifting will be more extreme in the easier gears regardless of which gear you used when indexing.


How to verify bicycle by frame serial number I have a problem to verify the model of the bicycle.

I have frame number - A4D58277 but can't check anywhere in Google, by which company was made.

Basically, the answer to the title question is "You can't." There's no global database and each manufacturer just uses whatever scheme they want. Unless you've already narrowed it down to a couple of candidate manufacturers, the serial number won't help you.


Choice of two Stevens bikes, which one makes more sense? I'm going to need a new bike for next summer, my local shop carries and suggested Stevens. I've sort of narrowed down my selection to two, but since there is a steep price difference I'm not particularly happy about taking advice from the people I'm about to buy it from.

I'm looking at 7X LITE DISC vs. 8X SX DISC RACE, see comparison chart for comprehensive differences.

The main difference seems to be a fixed vs. a suspension front fork (I don't do a lot of off-road biking, I'm mostly on tarmac or grit, albeit steep roads), however I don't know whether all the other differences are significant. Is the 650 Euro price difference warranted?

As you noticed yourself, the largest difference is suspension fork. It adds complexity and usually weight, but these bikes are almost same weight. That means that the one with suspension fork has lighter and more expensive components. Whether it is worth it and do you need the suspension at all is a separate question.


Quality to/from work bike I want a bike that will take me to and from work quickly, but not make it too easy.

To get to work, I have to ride a quarter mile up a steep hill, which will be difficult on a bike. I want to spend less than 1k on this bike, but I want it to be high quality.

I'm 6/2 masculine build 230lbs

Probably what you want is a "hybrid" or "commuter" bike. Flat handlebars (like a mountain bike), smooth road tires (but a bit fatter than on a racing bike), usually the right stuff for mounting a rack and fenders.

Go down to your Local Bike Shop and look at what they have. Make sure it's a store that basically just does bicycles, not a department store that does everything.  Tell them you're looking for a hybrid or commuter or "urban" bike.

It all depends on pricing in your area, but pretty much every shop has 2 or 3 hybrid bikes in the $500-$1000 price range, typically the same basic model with an upgrade option or two.

If you're worried about a steep hill, when you look at the bike, make sure that the front includes a fairly small cog and that the back includes a pretty big cog. Something where the biggest rear cog is about the same size (or even a little bigger) than the smallest front cog. That kind of thing is common on hybrids of this type.  If you're looking at online specs, the front will be called a "crank" or "crankset" and have 3 numbers (you don't want one with only two front gears) such as "48/38/28" and the rear (or "cassette") will typically say something like "11-32, 8 speed" (note in this example that 28 is smaller than 32 so this does match what you're looking for). Sometimes there's marketing terms like "megarange" for this kind of thing, but the marketing terms aren't important, only having a low enough gear is.

All the major bike manufacturers make "hybrid" or "commuter" type bikes.  Trek FX, Specialized Sirrus/Vita, Giant Escape, etc etc...  There's differences, but the most important thing is which one fits you well and which one you like.

If $1000 is what you have to spend, consider getting a bike that's under $750 and using the other $250 for accessories like lights, fenders, a rack or basket, etc.


Is there difference between a Shimano HG200, 11-36, 9 speed VS HG201, 11-36, 9 speed? Is there difference between a Shimano HG200, 11-36, 9 speed cassette and a HG201 11-36, 9 speed cassette?

CS-HG200 is black, CS-HG201 is silver.  Otherwise they are the same.


MTB Conversion For Lighter Commuting Just want some opinion. I have a MTB bike, but I want to make it lighter. So here are some of my thoughts currently on what I think I should change:

700c rims and tires
Cantilever brakes
Rigid fork

The details of the bike are as below:

Disc brakes
26er wheels with road slick
Suspension fork

Additional details:

Bike frame weighs 11kg with suspension fork without wheels
Current wheel set (rim and tire) weigh 2kg
7x3 speed
Flat handlebar

Other related questions:

Should I change the gearing of the bike into that of a road (7x2 speed)?
Should the 700c rims able to withstand 10-11kg of frame? (note that the rider is 75kg)
The rear end of the bike does not seem to have a place to mount cantilever brakes, but has two small holes that can somewhat screw in something on each side the frame. What is it actually for?

Thanks for sharing your opinion and information.

Its not a light bike, even by MTB standards, and will never be a great road bike as it will always be heavy.

Start with the easy and relatively cheap stuff - tires and tubes. Dump excess rolling weight by getting light tires an even going tubeless. The next biggest bang for your $$$ will be replacing the fork. You should be able to pick up a second hand fork for next to nothing - just watch the geometry. If you do this, canti brakes on the front is likely worth doing.

Replacing wheels is probably not worth the effort, you will shave off  a few hundred grams (admit-ably rolling weight), but it will cost big money.

Look very hard at the costs of any proposals. My guess is that for what you are proposing, a cheaper option that will give you a better outcome would be to buy a second hand bike that does what you want, rather than trying to make your current bike into something it is not.  You may have access to cheap parts, but in that case you probably have access t cheap bikes.


Do I need a separate dishing tool for building wheels with park tool TS-2.2 truing stand? I'm trying to get started with some wheelbuilding. I've got a Park Tool TS-2.2 truing stand. Can I just rely on the calipers to provide a guide for centering the rim and dishing rear wheels or will I need separate dishing tool?

A properly aligned TS-2 truing stand will show dish, as well as alignment.  You rarely need additional adjustment after using it.  However, if the stand is out of alignment, you may need to re-dish the wheel.

The easiest and most accurate check for TS-2 alignment is a properly dished wheel.

The best way to ensure that the wheel is properly dished, and thus an accurate alignment check, is with a dishing tool.

Bottom line, if you can afford the TS-2, a dishing tool shouldn't be a major expense, and is worth the cost, even if you only use it as a final, double check of the truing stand.


How to fit single speed tensioner onto bike? I have recently replaced my old Gusset Bachelor SS tensioner for a new Gusset sprung tensioner with a jockey wheel (https://www.gussetcomponents.com/shop/chains-and-chain-devices/squire-ss-tensioner/). However I can't seem to tighten the bolt into the mount (the hole next to the drop out, where the tensioner attaches). I'll add some pictures to make it clearer. When I tighten the bolt with a hex key it just keeps spinning and will be loose, however if I take the spring mechanism out of the housing the bolts tightens just fine, so the spring is blocking part of the bolt to be tightened maybe. I'd appreciate any advice.

Is it a push up or pull down spring? As far as I know, the chain can be put in tension both ways, but a specific tensioner will work only in one direction (either pulling up or pushing down, therefore the chain should run above or below the jockey wheel.

Emergency fix: run the chain above the jockey wheel and zip tie the tensioner to the frame.


Upgrading a dual sport bike - a geometry question I want to ask a somewhat general question in the context of actual events: I picked up an Evo Swift Ridge 7 for about 200 from a discount retailer, thinking it might be a good platform for upgrade-as-I-go. Second wheelset for dedicated XC, wider bars, lose the triple crankset, etc. Of particular concern regards upgrading the fork.

OOTB it comes with an Evo branded Zoom fork with 60mm of travel. I'd feel more comfortable with higher quality fork.

Will adding a 100 - 120mm travel fork throw off the ridability of a dual sport setup? With the intent of making this both more trail worthy as well as usable for family bike rides?

TIA!

That bike is what it is, a great urban and light trail machine built to a price point. You got what you paid for. Get out and braap.

Most worthy upgrades like wheels, drive train, brakes and suspension will cost the same or more than you paid for the whole thing originally. So don’t spend any more than you need to cover breakages/maintenance.

The limiting factor in that bike is geometry aligned to a 60mm fork and a bargain bucket grade aluminium frame that will be relatively heavy. A fork with 100mm travel will likely throw the geometry out too far.

Treat that bike well and save your $ to buy at least a “comp” level bike from a well known brand if you decide you want to ride more off-road.

The lowest end of most name brands trail ready model lines include quality SRAM Eagle or Shimano Deore components with a decent air suspension fork. The frames on those bikes are often the same as the high-end version and are worthy upgrade projects. Clearance previous year models will be available at a great price.

Even though all working bike maintenance is a money pit, to upgrade that bike will be “putting lipstick on a pig”.


How to replace handles? I've got an old bike from my friends, which basically looks good (just needs some oiling), but its handles are really beaten up and greesy. I couldn't find any screws or anything which keeps these handles in place - please see photo.

Is it possible to replace handles without replacing the whole gear switching mechanism?

The rubber degrades and goes super tacky and gross as you note. The rubber and plastic part does remove by pulling outwards - and could therefore be replaced - this is how you change cables on these SRAM gripshift. The problem however is that the rubber rotating part is probably not available as a spare part. The shifter unit itself is generally considered cheap enough as a whole.
Searching online for 'SRAM rotating grip assembly' does bring up some spare parts, though I can't see a straight match and they are about the same cost as a whole replacement unit. These seem to be for higher tier units.
A visit to your local SRAM Dealer might be helpful, they could look up the current spare parts catalogue with you and see if it's even listed as a spare, more categorically.
Bear in mind that replacement units come with their own inner cable, so it might be a reasonable time to go with new units and saving the cost of the inner cable as a nice part to freshen up too.


Wheels for fat guy - 27.5" vs 29" As a 140kg, 1.8m tall (79.5cm inseam),  I will be mostly riding roads until I lose some weight, but I was thinking which wheels do you think would be better given my situation, given I want a mountain bike? Would the 29" be better since I will be mostly ride roads (at least at the start, until I lose weight and maybe try some off-road)?

In theory, a smaller wheel is stronger than a bigger wheel if hub and rim section are the same.
This is largely due to the length of the spoke and it's contributions to the stiffness/flex vs spoke braking force.
Whether the difference between a 27.5 wheel and a 29 wheel is in of itself enough to mean a real world differe, I don't think so.
I think a strongly made (ie specially made for heavier rider) 29er wheel, will be stronger than a generic OEM (for the masses) 27.5 wheel.
I would strongly suggest you pick the bike you will enjoy riding more, and replace the wheels with a stronger wheelset when you need to.
This is exactly what my friend (125kg) did, he bought a bike, and I built him a stronger rear wheel with a Hope Pro 4 hub, DT Swiss eBike specific spokes (brass nipples) and a downhill rim. It was heavy, it will outlast his bike frame...


How is the quality of carbon wheelset from taiwan? Recently I read from some websites, it sells taiwanese carbon wheelset,
How is the quality of the carbon rim, spokes and hub from those wheelset made in taiwan ?
I didn't see any brand name, so it's blank name,

Spesification :
Size       :700C full carbon wheels 20mm deep in clincher
type       : road bicycle wheelset
material : 100% carbon fiber
finish:     3k clear coating finish
cassete body:  shimano 8/9/10 speed or campagnolo 10/11 speed.
Hub      : Novatec hub A271SB/F372SB,sealed bearings,front 2,rear 4
               (black/red/white colors are available)
Nipple: aluminium (black/red/silver colors are available)
Spoke : mac aero 494 spoke from cnspoke from taiwan(black)
hole :Front 20H   Rear 24H, special hole also can be ordered
weight:  1430g +/- 30g each pair
including Skewers and brake pads

Thanks

If it is an unbranded wheel from Taiwan, it is one of 2 things:

A quality wheel from a reputable brand being sold grey market.

or

A quick and dirty design Made up so that somebody can make a fast buck on th Internet.

Given the quality of the hubs and spokes referenced, in this case, it is the second option.

I wouldn't buy those wheels. You will likely regret the purchase.


Cramping While Riding Possible Duplicate:
  How to Prevent Cramping

I get cramps in my feet and calves while riding.  I was told eating bananas and taking electrolyte pills would help.  Once the cramping starts is it too late?  How long does the benefit of the bananas or pills to make an impact?

Once you are already cramping, it's generally too late for electrolytes to have a great direct effect. Hydration on the other hand is often a cause of cramps and taking on fluids can provide fairly quick (couple of minutes) relief...and for some (myself include) absorbing fluids is faster if there are some electrolytes in the mix.

Good article on cramping at Livestrong: http://www.livestrong.com/article/413398-bananas-for-leg-cramps/

It suggests in a non-direct fashion that maintaining a diet with the right minerals will help prevent cramps in the first place...and this is where the banana comes in. Eat it before the cramps for best effect.

Happy Riding!


How to use drop handlebars properly? This might seem like a really basic question, but there's no harm in asking. I've never had a bicycle with drop handlebars. I've always had sort of standard horizontal bars with only one hand position, which is on the rubber grips. I'm outgrowing the bike I have now, and thinking of upgrading next year to something faster. Pretty much every faster bike has drop handlebars, but I'm not sure how to use them.

I understand that there are multiple hand positions. I'm sure I can figure out for myself which ones are more comfortable than others just by feel. But I don't want to necessarily do what feels natural, I want to ride properly. What are all the different hand positions available on drop bars? Which positions do you use in which scenarios?

I just don't want to put myself in a dangerous, uncomfortable, impractical, or stupid-looking situation by having my hands in the wrong place.

There are 3 basic hand positions that most people use on a drop bar:

On the Hoods - This position allows you to reach the brakes and shifters without moving your hands and allows a fairly upright, and comfortable body position. Most riders spend 75-90% of their miles in this position.

On the Drops - This position is ideal for more aerodynamic body positions, or more athletic efforts. When you want to go hard, go here. You can reach brakes and shifters, but may have to move your hands, depending on your setup. This is generally used for descending long hills, or an aggressive position. It is less stable, and it is used for maybe 10% or less of most riders' mileage.

On the Tops - This position allows a comfortable alternative position for more relaxed riding. It is generally used when going at an easy pace, and in situations where you are certain of the road conditions, traffic and other hazards. You definitely can not reach the brakes or shifters from this position without moving your hands. It is less stable due to narrower hand position, though it may not feel like it. Most riders use it as a cool down position for 10% or so of their mileage.


What hub to purchase for a GT aggressor? I have a GT Aggressor 1.0

Specs here: http://www.gtbicycles.com/2013/bikes/mountain/trail/aggressor-1-0

Recently on a long ride, the crank started to roll freely after a long downhill.  i.e. when pedaling, the cycled does not move because the rear freewheel simply rolled freely without engaging.  I think the problem is with the rear hub which may need to be replaced.

From looking at the specs, the hub is a "Alloy Cassette Disc QR".  Trying to find it at amazon.com, there were so many to chose from and did not know which one to purchase to replace this.

Any advice is much appreciated.

Thanks you!

There are plenty of wheels that will fit that bike, and they may very well be less expensive than having the hub overhauled.

You want to find a 26 inch wheel with an 8/9 speed cassette compatible hub, with 32 spokes ( that's the 32H part )

I actually don't see any on Amazon.com that fit the bill. This is one of those times I would head into the local bike shop to make the wheel replacement process quick and easy.


CdA of a bike without rider This question at aviation.se got me calculating the acceleration of a bike strapped to the outside of a plane if the straps broke.  As you do. I couldn't find a figure for CdA of a bike without rider anywhere, and it seems to me that the rider's body will dominate the system CdA.

A more realistic situation for most of us would be consdering the forces on a bike on top of a car, again from the point of view of secure attachment (e.g. tryiong to fit an unusual bike with home-made brackets).

So are there published figures for the CdA of bikes (any type) without riders?

There are, but measurements typically will be protocol-dependent (and vary slightly between different wind tunnels).

For example:

Here is a link to a comparison done at the A2 Wind Tunnel in North Carolina almost a decade ago, on bicycles standardized to frame and wheels, but without saddle or handlebars. Other protocols may include saddles, handlebars, and the standard wheels and tires provided with the bike.

Here is a link to a comparison done in 2012-2013 by Trek on their Madone in the San Diego Low Speed Wind Tunnel. Note the differences in protocol.

Here is a link to a Trek whitepaper on their Speed Concept.


Overhauled hubs: still some noise I've just, for the first time, finished servicing the hubs on my bicycle. They are of the cup & cone type (Shimano). The cones of the front hub where pitted so I got them replaced, along with the bearing balls. The cups still looked smooth. I've packed them with a generous amount of grease and adjusted them for minimal play when out of the fork / no play when the QR is closed.

When I turn the axle by hand it feels smooth. However, with the front wheel installed, when I lift the front and give the wheel a spin, there is some clicking/scratching noise. It only seems to be present when running at a certain speed. My guess is these are the bearings touching each other? Is this normal?

Are you sure you've got the cones locked against the lock nuts correctly? I have a front wheel on which it's not possible to tighten the lock nuts against the cones, and as a result it will almost entirely seize after about 5 miles.


Freewheel not working properly I have an older Trek Mtn bike with Shimano components.  Just today the pedal started spinning without turning the wheel.  I can pedal forward and backwards and occasionally it will start turning the wheel.  The bike has thousands of miles on it.  I am guessing the freewheel is worn out.  Is this something that can be replaced easily.  I have a tool to remove the cassette and have taken that off but am not sure how to proceed.

Thanks in advance, Paul

While freehubs on modern high-end hubs tend to be easily serviced and can be detached for inspection with regular tools, I found that at least lower end Shimano parts are more troublesome in that regard.

For example, to remove a freehub from my Shimano Deore XT hub required a specialized Shimano tool which turned out to be an allen key of either 12 mm or 12.7 mm size, do not remember exactly. This is not something everyone has at home. Different hubs may need other exotic tools.

Once you manage to remove the hub body, you will need to make sure that all ratcheting pawls and their springs are not blocked by dirt. Be careful as these little springs can jump and fly away in an unknown direction quite easily.

If it is the normal wear that made things malfunction, then you should look if a replacement freehub can be bought separately. Sometimes it is the case, sometimes your only option would be to buy a complete identical rear hub and transplant the freehub from it. Or, as long as you have a whole new hub on your hands, replace it altogether. Any way, knowing the hub's model number is essential.

For example, here's an exploded view of FH-RM30.

The body fixing bolt part 13 is clearly detachable. It is only a question what size of a hex key is needed.

Here's a view on how it is done:

            .


Which is the safest side to place a foldable rack-attaching bike basket? I recently received a foldable bike basket which attaches to my back rack as a gift, which I am really excited about - it will make my commute a lot easier. However, I am not sure which side of the bike to attach it to. It seems like putting it on the right side makes sense but when I add groceries or other things to carry it will put the balance out of whack, since the gearing is also on that side. I suppose this is going to happen either way with a single bike basket. Having two would allow me to keep weight and balance even. But with this in mind, should I specifically place the basket on the left side to keep weight more even?

I'm speaking from personal experience here.  Looking at the bicycle from the back.  The drive train is on the right side, and when you use the kickstand it leans to the left.

When I commute to work, I tend to put my messenger bag with rear rack attachments on the left side.  Mostly because the bike is already leaning that way.  Once, when I was getting ready to leave work. I placed the bag on the right, and proceed to begin to tie my pants so they wouldn't get caught in the chain.  The whole bike, bag and all, fell right on top of me.  The incline of that particular part of the parking lot and the weight of the bag were enough to throw the whole bike of balance and rendered the kickstand useless.

Since then, I've always put my bag on the left side.  The idea of my bike falling on the right side and bending or breaking a derailleur just freaks me out since I've yet to learn how to fix them or adjust them.


How can somebody with Type I diabetes keep blood sugar levels acceptable during and after a multi-hour ride? I recently upgraded my bike to a Merckx EMX1 and started doing some serious riding.  I am riding 50–70km(30–45 miles once a week usually including a second cat climb and sometimes one or two 3rd and 4th cat climbs.  I have read through some of the nutrition questions and although the answers and suggestion apply in a general sense.  I have more often than not had problems of super high blood glucose after a ride, not problems with hypoglycemia.  This is because I am very worried about have a hypo while on a long ride.  I would be stuck far away from my car or possibly anywhere where I could get the instant help I need.  I am also usually alone (though I am looking to get involved with a group ride).

I am looking for some help and advice on how to effectively eat before during and after a ride.  I usually stop half way through and test my sugars to make sure I am ok and see if I need to add more food.  I don't usually drink electrolytes but I make sure to stay well hydrated.  I carry nutrition bars and energy gels on my rides, usually way more than I need.

I do this excercise to stay fit and to lose weight.  I am 185cm (6ft 1") tall and 87.5KG (193 lbs), I would like to get down to around 80kg (176 lbs).

My question is really how can I eat and take insulin effectively avoiding high and low blood sugar whilst making sure I am not eating too much that I have no net weight loss.

I too am a type one diabetic and I understand your concerns, how ever I might have some suggestions to help with your problem. I always make sure to carry a Camelbak pack with me to enure I have my Glucometer and other supplies along. I check my sugars before I start the ride, if possible I might have a little extra food at the time, just to get me started.

I also make sure to carry along some chocolate bars if my sugars get low. I find Oh Henry or Mars Bars to be good, since they have various types of sugar in them and they also have peanuts to help sustain the glucose intake. In addition to the sugar I bring along, I also bring protein bars since those have carbs in them, but also a lot of protein to help release the glucose in to your system slowly.

The name brand or protein bars I use is called "Clif Builders" and you can get them at Costco in Canada, hopefully you could get them in your area as well or a similar product, the important thing is that the protein bars release the carbs slowly.

I also drop each of my insulin dosages by 2 units on my morning dose and sometimes my evening dose also gets adjusted because after a long ride your body continues to burn sugar at an accelerated rate.

This helps me not need to overeat, the high problem of high sugars after a ride is due to over compensating for the amount you fuel being burnt on the ride and most important of all at least until you get to know you routes really well and what you truly need for food intake, make sure to check your blood sugars on the ride before you eat and on a regular basis and bring along extra protein and chocolate bars, they don't take up much space and the Camelbak will have lots of room for them. Remember the Chocolate bars are only for when your sugars get low, otherwise stick to the protein bars.

You will also find your rides will be better and more energetic if your sugars are in the nominal range. The other advantage to lowering your dosage on riding days, is that it will help you lean down. It doesn't help you at all if you have to overeat to keep your sugars at a normal level, but if you lower your dosage and understand that the bike riding it self will lower your sugars to a degree it will make it easier, it really is about knowing your body how it burns sugar and how to balance it all on days you ride.

P.S. My longest ride so far was 55Kms and I found by dropping my morning dosage, it helped me out in not battling the insulin to keep my sugars up at a normal level. Perhaps if you are going on a longer ride you might need to lower your dosage another unit or two, don't make huge changes in dosages until you know your insulin needs. 2 units less is quite safe and make sure even if you lower your dosage to bring plenty of food along.

I hope you find this information helpful, enjoy the rides.


Competing against a 10 Speed Bike with 7 Speed bike? I have been cycling for almost about 9 years now. I believe, I have worked myself up to become quite a efficient cyclist. Still, I never felt the need to upgrade my gears to 10 speed, except in races.

Now, here is my recent small story

  A fresher, who just bought a expensive bike with everything the
  modern technology offers, is suddenly bullying a 7 speed bike of mine
  in the race.

  Here I am cycling my butt off, with maintaining as much high cadence as I can.
  And there he comes, cycling with a very average cadence without even the
  breaking a sweat and pulling up way ahead of me.

There has to be something like skills or techniques an fairly experienced rider can pull-off to at least become competitive with 10-speeders?

I'm not necessarily sure that the number of gears here is the key issue - it's going to be the upper and lower range: what are the extremes of your gear ratios (or gear inches, if you'd prefer)?

Maybe your largest gear just isn't large enough. Maybe you need a bigger front cog (or a smaller rear one) to allow you to get up to the same ratio that he can use.

cadence * gearing = speed

The extra gears on his bike just means the transition between gears is smoother - less of a leap between neighbouring cogs.


What tools do I need to carry when riding tubeless? I'm thinking of getting a pair of tubeless ready wheels for riding on the road.  I've never ridden tubeless and was wondering what tools and equipment I need to carry to fix a flat?

Normally, while riding with clinchers I carry a spare tube, CO2 and nozzle, tire levers, a small multi-tool and allen wrench.

What should I carry for riding road with tubeless tires?

Anchovies and a fork.

I don't mean that as a snack :) They are actually small "rope plugs" made of butyl rubber that can be plugged through the help of a "fork" when the puncture is more nasty and when you see the air is leaking from the tyre. They are called anchovies in the MTB circle, but they can be used on road tubeless tyres as well. You can read up more about that in this review, where they were tested on road Schwalbe One tyres: https://road.cc/content/review/183575-genuine-innovations-tubeless-tire-repair-kit


Slotted or unslotted crown race with tapered carbon steerers Does a tapered carbon steerer (40mm at the crown) typically require a slotted crown race if the steerer lacks an integrated bevel on which the lower bearing can rest?
I have a Cane Creek Forty headset with an unslotted crown race whose inner diameter is 39.8+ mm  and a tapered carbon steerer whose outer diameter is 40mm "on the nose".
Having read about the dangers of tightening a stem onto the upper section of a carbon steerer without a compression plug inserted into the tube and properly torqued to provide resistance against the inward forces, I am concerned that this Cane Creek crown race might not be the right one to use with this particular carbon steerer.
What are typical tolerances here?  Is this steerer typical at 40mm or a bit chubby?  Is 39.8+ mm typical for unslotted crown races, or a bit skimpy?

The Cane Creek 40 system uses cartridge bearings.  The crown race of this bearing system is generally to support cartridge bearing, ie: it doesn't actually have bearing balls "racing" on it. Those are contained between the 2 halves of the cartridge bearing.  What this means is that one can use a split crown race without interfering with the bearing function or setting of the bearing preload.  As you infer in your question, a split crown race requires far less force to seat, making installation onto a carbon steer tube far less risky.  Even if it's proven that proper installation of a closed crown race upon a carbon steer tube is 100% harmless there's the peace of mind factor to consider using a split crown race.
One can split the provided crown race using a cutting wheel on a rotary tool or a hacksaw supplied with an appropriate fine-tooth blade. It may be best to split the provided crown race as it's typical protocol to use a crown race that comes together with the headset. One can obtain a separate, split crown race that will work if it shares the same dimensions as the provided race.  Apparently you will have to obtain a split crown race from another manufacturer as no listing for a split crown race is found in the "replacement small parts" section of Cane Creek's 40 web information.  Indeed, specific directions or cautions for installing Cane Creek headsets on a carbon steerer tube are absent, at least within the 40 section of their website.  I favor splitting the provided crown race and gently installing that as it would be most economical and preserves the unity of the headset.
Regarding your tolerance questions, I quote from Park Tool's Threadless Headset section discussing pressed cups and bearings: "There must be a slight diameter difference between the two pressed surfaces. Typically, the pressed headset race outside diameter should be between 0.1mm and 0.25mm larger than the head tube inside diameter." Your posted diameters differ to within this range, and so your parts are sized as they should be.


creaky sound when cranking My bike seems to all of a sudden developed a creaking sound when I pedal. It appears to be there in every gear. Bu t I noticed it appears to only happen when I put pressure on the left pedal. What could it be ?

It could be:

The pedal itself (even if it moves freely)
The other pedal
The bottom bracket
The saddle
Loose crank

Try to isolate each one of these by taking the weight off each in turn.

I was recently convinced my saddle was creaking as it only happened when sitting down but it turned out to be the left pedal!


Where can I find a wheel of this design? I have done some extensive googling trying to find a place to buy these wheel.  Here is a picture of one of the front wheels:

And here is the description from the design which can be found here/n55.

FRONT WHEELS 24”x1.75 equipped with a reinforced axle (M12, 8.8) for
one-sided attachment

A google search pulls up this stack exchange article which calls this a

wheelchair wheel or wheelchair hub

However these "side mount" wheels are commonly found on bike trailers as
well as most recumbent trikes - see here
My goal is two buy a pair of these wheels, but I can not find a way to effectively google them, find them and buy them from a distributor.
I want the wheels for the n55 design.
Example wheel here:

This type of wheel is fairly common on "tadpole" design recumbent tricycles, meaning that there are two front wheels and one rear wheel. Therefore, many companies sell such wheels in this size. Look for stores that sell replacement recumbent trike wheels.
The exact axle size is variable, so you should decide on the wheels that you are getting before you drill the hole in the frame to accept the axle, and then drill an appropriately sized hole.
A second consideration is brake mounting. The n55 instructions recommend mirrored drum brakes or disc brakes, but do not provide instructions for mounting disc brake calipers. You will need to work out how to do that. Using drum brakes will eliminate this issue, but wheels with drum brakes are much less common than those with disc brakes.
UPDATE: OP has indicated in comments that 1) brakes are not necessary and 2) cost is a concern. Given those constraints, some other options are

find a discarded wheelchair and take the wheels
DIY a one-sided wheel by acquiring two discarded BMX bikes with over-sized axles (20" wheels will be much easier to find than 24"). Remove the axles from the wheels and replace the front wheel axles with the longer ones from the rear wheels, adjusting the cone positions so that the excess axle length is entirely on one side. You may need to cut additional threading into the axle to accomplish this.
If 24" size is extremely important, find a kids mountain bike with 24" wheels with the same spoke count as the BMX wheels and lace the BMX hubs to the 24" rims. You may need to get new spokes to do this. There are many nonprofit bicycle co-ops that have free or inexpensive BMX bikes for salvage to do this project.


No locked off youth gearing restriction for road racing British National Series/Championships Can anyone correctly confirm (by providing a link to the exact rule in British Cycling rulebook), if the use of locked off gears is permitted in Youth (A, B and Junior) National level series or championship road races? We have had experience of different rulings this year, 2017.

I cannot find any reference to this rule on the British Cycling website, but have found reference to it on a forum that didn't specify any country, and also a page on US Youth Cycling.

UPDATE: Further advice/comment we have received is that there is a International/UCI (race) ruling stating that youth (A, B, Junior) level are not permitted to use locked off gears, and that the full range of cassette/rings must be within the limitations of that category. Whether British National Series events are included within this appears to be on a race by race basis - and the best advice I can give anyone reading this post is to (a) check well in advance of any race what the ruling is to be applied on the day and (b) you may as well go out and buy from the start the correct limited gears.

A year and a bit on, I'd like to answer my own question. In the UK, I've not seen anyone turned away from National Championship races for having locked off gears, and the ruling that was sent to us, wasn't necessarily implemented at the event we attended.

However, if you are going to race in continental Europe (such as Assen Youth Tour, or any other race for that matter), then you have to ride on a specific chainring and 10 or 11 speed cassette for your category with full range, and this therefore, is not locked off. We therefore had to switch to this format for all our bikes (spare wheels as well, of course), and thus you negate the whole need to lock gears off. As I stated in my original question, the best advice is to fit the bike from the start with the appropriate cassette (you'll have to dig around to source them).


3- 5 gear special gearset? So, a while back when I was rebuilding my vintage Shogun 6-speed, I realized that I only use 2- 3 gears on my commutes to and from school, crew, and other daily rides. The next day, I went to my local used bike parts dealer and bought a 10 speed cassette, the type that has the 3 screw- in pins on the back and plastic spacers, and tried different variations of 3 non- lockring gears; one large gear, one medium gear, and a medium- small gear, which with the required 2 lockring cogs makes 5 total cogs.

Anyway, what I was wondering about is if it is physically possible to have a gearset like this; would the gaps between gears be too big? Is there any way possible to make a 4- 5 speed gearset, and not have the chain fall in between gears or not be able to grab the next one at all?

Also, I'll upload pics soon.

Yes its totally possible.  The single-cog version is one way to make a single-speed on a multispeed wheel.

The downsides are that you don't gain any lateral strength in the rear wheel because it is still offset, and that the single or fewer cogs are pressing into the freehub with far smaller area, so you're much more likely to damage your aluminium freehub.   See How to prevent freehub body damage?

In your case you want a couple of gears but not all of them, so you would fit the 3-5 cogs you want, and then pack the rest with spacer as per the photo.   Don't put spacers between the cogs.   Aim to have the cogs so the middle one is in the middle of the freehub, which will give the straightest chainline.

Then adjust the high and low limit screws on your Rear Derailleur mechanism.  Its quite possible they won't go in far enough, and you may need to find some longer screws with the same thread to do the job.


Is there legal recourse to drivers passing too close? I'm a daily commuter on my road bike. I commute into Manchester NH. Over the years drivers seem to have gotten better and better at passing me safely. I attribute this to the following:

Me learning how to influence the driver (body language, lane position, eye contact)
Regular commuters on my route getting used to seeing me on the road
Actually speaking to drivers and telling them the law. (Some people have slowed down after i shouted "3 feet" at them and I was able to tell the that NH is a 3 foot Law state

However there are still drivers that pass much too close. I typically stop immediately and call the non emergency Manchester PD line to report it. At no time have I ever been followed up on a call. Also dispatch is not interested in actually filing a police report. I feel that filing a police report is important so that the city and state actually record when crimes occur. The worst scenario is when dispatch tells me I need to ride a far right as possible rather than
as far right as safe.

I could escalate with the PD but I am in no way interested in making a name for myself as someone who thinks the local PD isn't doing their job for something as 'small' as riding to close to a second class citizen cyclist.

My question (finally) is what reasonable options do I have to help educate the few problem drivers that still exist. Thoughts of small claims court for 'damages' are some things that come to my mind.

I can relate to your disdain for being passed to close. Preferably, everyone would give you at least 3 feet. But as you mentioned, as more and more people ride their bikes and drivers get used to your presence and others', it will get better.

The problem with your wish is, it's kind of like prosecuting someone for stealing five cents from you. Sure, it's against the law to steal five cents from you, but no judge is going to hear the case. It's small potatoes. Too small.

You could get one of those shirts that has the 3 foot rule on the back though. http://www.3footrule.com/


Can't remove SHIMANO Nexus FC-C6000 Crankset I'm stuck trying to remove my SHIMANO Nexus FC-C6000 Crank from the SHIMANO BB-UN55 bottom bracket. I've removed the bolts fine but can't get the cranks apart. Any suggestions?

You need a crank puller.  It threads in to the crank arm, and presses on the bottom bracket spindle to pull the arms off.

http://www.parktool.com/product/crank-puller-for-square-taper-cranks-ccp-22

A video here from Park Tool on using their crank puller:


Max weight for Weber Coupling trailer My trailer is attached to my roadbike with a weber coupling system. How much weight can I pull safely without breaking my frame?

I can't comment on your specific hitch, here's a generalisation.

The normal quoted figure for an automotive trailer or caravan is ~45% weight on each wheel and 10% on the nose.

A bike trailer is likely a single axle - if yous has 3 or 4 wheels then it should stand by itself and noseweight is rough;y half the weight of the drawbar.

I've successfully pulled trailer with two heavy loads.

First was 68 kilos of car tyres, pulled for 20 km: thus

I've also carried 100 kilos of UPS hardware for 6 km.  That was right on the limit of comfort.  However I know the nose weight was around 9 kilos and each tyre carried 43-44 kilos.

NOTE This assumes your load is just stuff.  If you're hauling live people then absolutely stick to the manufacturer's recommended maximum weights.


Rear derailleur hitting chainstay (video in the post) I filmed a little video of the process: https://youtu.be/ejJsIWrrFTU

Does anyone know how to solve the problem? Apart from attaching piece of rubber to the chainstay? It is really annoying, because if terrain becomes even a little bit rough, like messed pavement with pot holes and cracks, there is always that rattling sound. I heard that SRAM RD's are better and do not hit the chainstay. I'd like to stick to 9 speed if possible. I am currently running 1x9 setup. As you can see 9 speed cassete alivio or acera (not sure on this), Deore - RD, and Acera shifter. I want to upgrade to 1x11 eventually, but for the time being I just don't have much money to spare. I was thinking about buying SRAM 9 speed for ~60$, will it help? Will it work with my shifter? Are there any other solutions?

Thanks

Rear derailleur adjustment can be a really pain in the neck. What is more likely happening is that you have to adjust the B screw:

  B-Screw Adjustment After setting the L-screw, check the "B-screw" for
  an adequate setting. The B-screw controls the derailleur body angle,
  hence the name, B-screw.

You can find detailed information about all the setting for a rear derailleur here, including the screw (B-screw) that adjusts distance to the bike frame. You should adjust this AFTER the other two screws that adjust upper and lower limits relating to the cassette are properly adjusted, so follow ALL the steps one by one and you should be good.

It is also possible your derailleur hanger needs alignment. Watch your bike from behind and see if the body of the derailleur goes down parallel to the bike frame. If it doesn't, you need to adjust with a specific tool, so you should take your bike to a shop because it's not worth buying it. You can find more information about hanger adjustment here.

Good luck!


Rotating 12-speed SRAM GX chain I have a new mountain bike with an SRAM GX 12-speed drivetrain. I am thinking about rotating the chain to make maintenance easier and to increase the lifetime of the cassette. I would swap between two chains every 250 km or something.

But the chain comes with an SRAM PowerLock.  SRAM advertises these links as a one-time use link. This makes me think that I have to use a new PowerLock every time I am swapping between the chains. This cost would make it less desirable for me. But they are cheap, so it is surmountable.

So my question is: How can I rotate chains on an SRAM GX-12?

Is it worth using a new PowerLock every time?

It is not officially recommended to reuse single use master chain links, but in reality everyone re-closes them all the time (even roadies, I read somewhere). The worst that can happen is that the life span of the master link will decrease after reuse, but you were about to throw it anyway ending its lifespan. Carry a spare new one with you so that you can replace it in an (unlikely) event of breaking. Just don't sue the manufacturer in that case.

If stakes are high and you are in some serious competition, obviously you don't want a mechanical problem; otherwise, you should be prepared for on-trail repairs anyway.

The last thing: do not carry old master links over to a new chain. if you throw away a chain, its master links go away with it.


What is the safest type of pedal for all-weather city cycling? I've been commuting by bike for many years on different types of strapless platform pedal and have always been nervous about clip-in pedals.  Excluding any accidents caused by getting used to a new pedal, what type is safest for all-weather commuting in the city with traffic?

There are lots of different types of pedal:

Platform, no toe clip.
Platform with half toe clip, no straps.
Platform with toe clip and straps.
Clip in, of which there are many types.

It's not obvious to me which ones minimize the risk of causing an accident, or are the safest in the event of an accident.

Is it safer being clipped in to minimize risk of your foot slipping and causing a fall?  Or is it safer to be unclipped so that if you do fall you detach from your bike easily?

Is there much difference between the types of clip-in pedal?  There are road, SPD, and SPD "Click'R" (designed for easier release).

I can't find much online aside from anecdotes, so I'd really like to know if there has been a study done on this.

There is a lot of discussion about this topic (i.e. a lot of anecdotes) because pedals are a very personal matter (cf. LondonCyclist or Zach Gallardo). However, I think that you're over-thinking this in some way: The "safest" pedal is the pedal you're most used to and comfortable with.

Consider, for example, a hypothetical case where clipless pedals have been "empirically proven" to be The Safest Pedal: You then buy some fancy clipless pedals and have no idea how to clip in and out and then you fall at a stop light and some car behind you runs over your leg.

Of course, this answer wouldn't be complete without me giving my own two cents (i.e. anecdote):

Since biking in the city (esp. "all-weather" cycling) involves dealing with a lot of unexpected obstacles/dangers/stops/etc., you should be able to quickly and confidently dismount your bike and re-mount with little hassle. Perhaps if you've got really good reflexes and you're very used to your own clipless setup then doing this with clipless pedals is no issue at all. However, there still may be some unexpected event which happens just a bit too quickly for you to properly unclip, and that split second which makes the difference between properly unclipping and falling may lead to problems like those described in the preceding paragraph.
Likewise, you should have good contact with the pedals. If you wear leather-soled shoes, then please make sure you have rubberized pedals: Slipping on your pedals can be very painful and this will happen if you're wearing leather soles and your pedals get wet.


Would Putting BMX Bike Brakes on my Road Bike be Ok? I am a bit of a bigger guy (260lbs) and I'm not too confident with riding my bike at higher speeds just yet. Mainly because I feel as though my brakes, (Stock V brakes that came with my Specialized Sirrus) are just not beefy enough to adequately perform under the stress I put on them.

I do not ride my brakes. I try to use them only when necessary. But I am a bit bigger than other people, and I feel like my pads will wear out faster because of that, as well as feeling like I'm putting them through too much.

The other day I was at my LBS and I noticed a set of BMX brakes that seemed a bit more sturdy. The pads were twice as thick as my ones I have now. The brakes appeared to be caliper brakes, and just appeared to be better than my stock v-brakes.

My question is, given that the sizes matched and I technically could switch them if I wanted too, would that be the best option? Or should I simply buy some larger pads and maybe change my brake cables?

(P.s. Unfortunately I don't have the model of my current brakes or the ones I saw at the shop, I was just looking for some general advice.)

Not easily.

V-brake levers pull twice as much cable as a calliper brake levers, so you'll not be able to swap them without swapping the levers too, and these are often attached to the shifters, so you'd end up swapping an awful lot of parts.

Additionally V-brakes are mounted to a pair of bosses on the seat stays & fork legs whilst calliper brakes are mounted to a hole in either the bridge of the seat stays or fork crown, you might have these holes on your frame, but it does leave the ugly V-brake mounts unused. Although BMX brakes seem to use the 2 boss mount like V-brakes, I'm not an expert in BMX, that's more my brothers area.

As an aside, what makes you think the BMX stuff will be better? BMX stuff is usually designed to be robust rather than the absolute best.

Your V-brakes are almost certainly good enough.


Can't press shifters (stuck) My rear shifter says the chain is on gear 4, but actually it is on gear 7. When I try to swap the gear, I just can't press/pull the lever: it's stuck. The 2nd problem I have is that when I'm riding my bike and I put some pressure on the chain, it like skips every 2 seconds. I think the 2nd problem is a consequence of the first one. I don't know much about bikes, but I hope one of you can help me :), ask me anything I forgot to say.
P.S. Sorry for my English

How long have your cables been on the bike?

The cable may have frayed causing this problem. Also, check if your derailleur is in working condition. This might be a result of a stiff derailleur spring which causes the problem you are facing.

Get a new cable, rear mech and cable housing and your shifting will shift nicely.


Advice on carrying a video tripod on a bicycle, please I wonder whether there is anyone who carries a video tripod (Manfrotto 525 - 75mm bowl head) on their bike, rather than a dslr tripod. The thing is that although I use a DSLR camera for my filming, I am often using long lenses and accessories such as monitors, lens hood, lights, etc and I need a sturdier tripod. DSLR tripods just don't cut it for the kind of work I do.
I like the mobility of a bike as I can be anywhere so quickly, but I would like to be able to carry a video tripod. I have seen some people using a pannier rack but I wonder whether a video tripod would be too much?
Any advice would be immensely appreciated.

Regards
Sam

Racks have load ratings, and high-quality racks may be rated for 30–40 kg loads. Your tripod should be well within those limits.
How you attach it is another story, and you may need to get creative. A longtail cargo bike might be a better bet if you're routinely hauling long lenses and tripods.


Is frame number the same thing as serial number? I'm registering my bike with Kryptonite anti-theft scheme and it asks for the serial number. My local dealer wrote down the frame number for me, saying I might need this for insurance purposes. Are these two names for the same number or are they distinct?

Yes, two phrases for the same thing.

More specifically its the frame's serial number.  Other components may have their own serial numbers too.

Any electric shifting component will likely have serial numbers which can be read by software, as will power meters or other sensors.

Small priced items generally don't have serial numbers.


Promotional Odwalla bike My son won this bike at work, and never got a chance to use it before moving for a job. He has asked me to sell it but I don't know anything about it or how much it's worth.  Any help would be appreciated

Looks like a fairly generic beach cruiser to me.  The wide saddle (seat) implies a comfort bike.

There's no suspension, but the tyres (tires) look fairly wide so it should roll over most street things without a problem.

I cannot see any brakes - either they're not installed yet, or it may be a coaster brake in the rear wheel.  There are no disk brake lugs on the front fork, so it has to be rim brakes.

Its either a single speed/fixed speed, or there might be a internally-geared hub in the middle of the rear wheel.

Full mudguards (fenders) would mean this is fine to ride on wet days.

The only odd thing I can see is the metal disks in the middle of the rear wheel - they may be packing protectors for the mechanicals back there, or they may be some part of the chaincase protection.

We don't do pricing or valuations here, but its a new bike.  You could assemble it and ride it yourself, or list it on ebay/CL for a low start.  It is worth whatever someone is prepared to pay for it.

Or you could keep it for the grandchildren :-P


Side pull rear brake is weaker after changing the cable I bought an old city bike (and I think I overpaid for it) and after a couple of weeks both front and rear brake cables snapped the same day.

It has side pull brakes. I changed both of the cables, but the brakes don't feel as strong as before, especially the rear brake. Note that I adjusted the rear brake pads before installing the cables.

What did I do wrong?
Should I also change the tubing? If yes, should I put oil/grease inside the tube?

PS. I am planning to change the brake pads with leather face pads for rainy days anyway.

Here are some photos (ignore the uncut brake cable, click for larger):

UPDATE

I have changed the brake pads, I have put some oil inside the tube for the rear brake. While I am at it I have also put some oil around the center pivot bolt so both calipers can move with less friction.

For a couple of days it was worse than before. But now I think the new brake pads have worn out a little bit and fit to their position better and they are strong enough. The rear brake still feels a little bit weaker but it is much better.

Here is the old brake pad and the new brake pad. The old one is worn away pretty badly.

I will also try to install ferrules soon.

It's hard to see what the surface of the brake pads looks like and how it is aligned with the rim, but I would look to see how flat the pad surfaces are and how flush they are with each side of the rim... when the brakes are pulled on.

If the pads have developed a concave profile where they used to fit on the rim, and don't fit there any more, it could explain reduced braking power. Replace the pads if they are no longer flush with the rim.

The black outer cables should have metal ferrules on the ends, in photos 2 & 3 at least. They’ll help, but if they weren’t there before then it doesn’t explain the reduction in power you’ve had. I would also thread in that brake adjuster on the top brake arm, all the way down (back off the locknut first).


Wahoo KICKR Core Smart Turbo Trainer and Giant CONTEND 1 2017 - Cassette options I would like know which Cassette should I get for the Wahoo KICKR Core Smart Turbo Trainer
I own this cycle: Giant CONTEND 1 2017 - https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/contend-1-2017
It has a Rear Derailleur Shimano Sora. I first thought of getting the 11 Speed Cassette, but I believe this won’t compatible with the cycle due to the Rear Derailleur. Instead, I believe I should get the same Cassette as on my existing bike (SRAM PG 950 11x32)

Let me know what are my options when it comes to Cassette?
Will a 11 Speed Cassette work with existing Rear Derailleur Shimano Sora?

Unless you upgrade your shifter to 11 speeds, then you don't want to use an 11-speed cassette. The shifter, the derailleur, and the cassette all need to work together. So unless you plan to do that, use a 9-speed Shimano cassette.
You'll need to install a 1.85-mm spacer inboard of your 9-speed cassette on your Kickr. It may come with one (check the "what's in the box" details).
You could get a tighter cassette if you wanted. It doesn't need to be the same gearing. Conversely, you probably could get away with an 11-34. Also, if you'll be using your trainer primarily in erg mode, then it doesn't matter what your gears are.


Fox Talas RLC fork not rebounding, and compressing under no load I have an older fox Talas RLC fork. It rebounds under no weight fine, but even just sitting and pedaling it compresses fully.

If i pull up it will rebound, or get off it will rebound. But it seems to slowly sink when im on the bike.

Lock out still works, and the PSI is at 90-100, and I weigh 185. So that seems to be within normal range.

I'll try to help, but I'm not sure about EVERY details of your fork, so let's see:

RLC means (adjustable) Rebound, Compression and Lockout.

If it rebounds, there is still some preload on your fork, but if your weight is enough to make it go down, perhaps the preload is not enough. Since your fork is air-sprung, it would make me think of very low pressure on the air-spring compartment.

Lockout works, so there is oil inside, which is the mechanism used by most lockout systems: entirely closing the compression oil valve.

You said PSI is at 90-100, which in some models is too little pressure. I have an RST model which demands me to put 170 psi. In the other hand I had another (larger bore) suspension which was fine with 40 psi. I don't know if this pressure is enough.

Even so, perhaps your model has MORE THAN ONE schraeder valve, so one would be "positive" pressure, the other would be "negative pressure" (or "low speed compression", or any other fancy name the factory creates).

The most interesting part is "it seems to SLOWLY sink when I'm on the bike". See questions later.

I have this questions, which you could put on comments or re-edit your original question:

Do you have the manual, and what PRELOAD air pressure do they recommend for your weight?
Do your model have more than one Schraeder valve? If yes, how are they named, and which one has the pressure you mentioned (where is it located)?
While the suspension slowly sinks, this happens while it is working (absorbing bumps and rebounding back), or just statically applying your weight on the bike while stopped? If you pull it down half travel, does it come back bevore continuing to sink, or continues to sink from this half travel position?

Hope it helps


Sharing an 11 speed SRAM wheel with an 11 speed Campagnolo I have two bikes, one with Campagnolo and one with SRAM red. I want to be able to swap wheels (Primary for Triathlons) but also on my trainer.
Why do I need to be aware of?

In theory, you would want to make sure that the cog-cog distance for each cassette is preferably equal, or at least close enough. You may need to adjust your limit screws as well when changing wheels. Campagnolo maintains variable spacing between its cogs, whereas neither SRAM nor Shimano do. Ergo, while the average cog-cog distance is identical, the actual distance between cogs is slightly different on Campagnolo cassettes.
However, these differences are not of practical significance. 11s cassettes are functionally interchangeable across all 3 manufacturers. This is widely known.
Some riders report that they prefer to keep a like chain or a 'neutral' chain (as opposed to a competitor's chain) with a like cassette to maximize shifting performance. For example, with a Campagnolo cassette on a Shimano drivetrain, riders might prefer a Campagnolo chain, or if not then a KMC or Yaban chain. However, I'm not certain how much of this is a placebo effect versus an actual shifting difference.
12s cassettes from the big 3 groups should be interchangeable as well, at least in terms of cog-cog distance. There simply isn't enough space left for them to vary in that dimension. If you are planning to interchange cassette types on a 12s system, note that SRAM's AXS 12s chain may only be officially compatible with SRAM cogs and chainrings, because that chain has slightly larger rollers specified. I believe I have heard some riders remark that this is, again, not a practical concern, but I haven't kept track of this issue.


50cm road bike for 5'8 height The road bike I'm planning on buying is only available in 49cm and 50cm. Will that be okay given that my height is 5'8/9?

Very unlikely a 50cm (small?) bike will fit you. I'm about the same height and fit a 54/medium in most road bike models.
Some people about the same height with short legs fit a 52cm frame with a long stem fitted.
The manufacturer of the bike you are looking at should have a sizing guide that takes height and inseam measurements into account.
Don't compromise on bike size, get the bike you want that fits you. A frame that is much too small will be a  pain to ride.


Can I run an internal dropper post on a small size 2014 Giant XTC Advanced 2 (2014)? The specific bike model is this one:
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/au/xtc-advanced-27dot5-2-2014
The dropper post I am looking at is this one: Brand-X Ascend CX Dropper 105mm
I was thinking I could swap to a 1x10 gear setup and use the run of the front derailleur cable, but it exits below the bottom bracket, when I look down the seat post I can see the top of the crank bearing and it looks like the frame opens into the bottom tube, but I can't see the derailleur cable...  Is it possible to wiggle it around the corner or are they actually separate compartments?

The frame does not have dedicated dropper post holes for routing the cable internally, as you have correctly noted. Here are the options that I can imagine in this situation.

Attempt to draw the cable via the bottom bracket via existing holes. It is hard to tell if you could pull this off, without seeing close-up shots of the area. I've never seen a "blind" seat tube, there is always an opening to the BB to at least drain water. But it does not mean that there is space to drag a cable. Besides, the sharp angle at which such cable would bend when transitioning to the downtube might cause friction in it compromising the action of the dropper post.

Drill a new hole in the seat tube to get the cable out of the seat tube, and route it along the down tube. All associated risks that come with such unauthorized frame modification are known.

Find a dropper post with external routing. This obviates the need to fish the cable out of the seat tube, as everything is routed externally along the top tube.

Find a wireless dropper post. This solves all the issues with the cable. I used a Magura's wireless post on such a frame that did not have provisions for internal dropper routing. The culprit here is of course that it is more expensive than rather affordable Brand-X seatposts. RockShox's wireless posts are even more expensive. The biggest issue I see is that your frame has 27.2 mm for the seatpost diameter, which is not the most popular size, and I do not know if any wireless dropper posts in such size exist.

In my opinion, the third option, an externally routed seatpost is the most reasonable one, especially for seat posts with the 27.2 mm diameter.


Which derailleur should I use with a Shimano 7 speed freewheel 14-34T megarange? Which derailleur should I use with a Shimano 7 speed freewheel 14-34T megarange in order to prevent the derailleur from rubbing the cassette in 2nd.

This one.

Or this one. Or any 7 or 8 speed Mega Range rear derailleur from Shimano.

This issue can also be an adjustment of the B tension screw on your existing derailleur.


Can a bike with an internal bottom bracket be retrofitted to have an external bottom bracket? External bottom brackets have been appearing on higher-end bikes in the last few years.  Can older bikes with bottom bracket shells that come stock with square taper internal ISO 68mm or oversized ISO 73mm bottom brackets be retrofitted with external cups when it comes time to replace the bottom bracket?  I am well aware that the cranks will have have to be replaced, too.

The external bottom bracket uses the same thread size and shell width as an older internal BB. They were specifically designed to allow use in a standardized frame without redesign.

They do require a new crank set, and depending on the model, and what is on your current bike, that may mean the purchase of extra components in order to be compatible with the correct number of gears/width of chain. If you are going from 9 speed MTB to 9 speed MTB components, for example, a like for like change, then it should be just the crank set and BB that change.

An external BB is also designed to fit on either a 68mm or 73mm shell. They are universal, as long as you dont have a pressfit BB, or an Italian thread BB. Similar crank sets are available for non-english thread BB's, but it must be designed for your frame's BB shell type specifically.


Shimano Hollowtech left crank arm getting loose After 2 years of good use, left crank arm on my FC M542 crank set has started to get loose quite often (cca 500 km). It is usually indicated first by few now an then click-clanks somewhere in the region around BB. When checked, the bolts are loose, and the safety plate loses it's "nose"

As far as I can see there are 2 visible problems:

The spline on the crank arm shows some wear, but they do not seem completely damaged.
One of the fixing bolts is not original Shimano one M6x19, but M6x20 from hardware store with filed head so that it can be inserted in crank arm. It is also missing washer.

I intend to buy original bolt with washer. Other than that, is there something I can do to delay changing the whole crank set?

Maybe using some threadlocker like loctite 242? Where would I apply it on the bolts or on the spline? If it is applied to the bolts, does that mean that I have to use more force while tightening them, or just use force as usual?

Anything else?

Thread lock will help hold the bolts on. I would apply it to the bolt thread, and not the actual crank arm thread. You will need more force to remove them when you do come to remove the crankset. But they shouldn't need any more strength to put them on. Just tighten them to the recommended torque setting (it should have it written on the crank arm).

Fundamentally though, it sounds like you have a few problems which only a new crankset and BB would solve.

I got a Tiagra Hollowtech chainset on ebay for around £30-£40. It might cause more harm than good trying to threadlock it all together, and give you more problems when trying to get it off and replace it later down the line.


Can I use Shimano trigger shifter with my X3 SRam gears? My bike has SRam X3 gears and a grip shifter. I'd like to change for a trigger shifter. In the bike shop where I bought it, they say that I can change for a Shimano shifter (they don't have SRam). I've read that they aren' compatible.

Is it true? How can I discover if they are compatible before changing the shifter and the grip?

SRAM X series and most (all?) of the road stuff has a 1:1 ratio. Shimano is (I believe) 1.5:1; you are asking for drive-train tuning hell if you mix.

Cassettes, mix all you want. Shifters and derailleurs should be matched.


can someone identify the year this bike was built? The serial # is D6 9704 75M01 it is a trail 5. At least the decals on the bike say trail five. Thank you

Possibly a 2010. Note that the "Trail 5" is actually the "Trail SL 5". Your bike looks like the Trail SL F5 on page 60 of the 2010 US Catalog. The 2010 catalog is the first year to include the Trail SL, so it appears your bike would not be earlier than this. Later catalogs don't have the Trail SL 5 in the right color (in Europe or the US). However, there are some differences between your bike and the F5 in the 2010 catalog. Some would be due to component changes (your bike has what look like TRP brakes, for example). More importantly, The F5 had a "5" decal, not "five" as in your photo. I am only speculating, but if 2010 was the first model year, maybe there were some changes to the decals somewhere along the way.


What is the widest range IGH available? (and how does it compare to derailleurs) What is the widest range (in gear-inch ratio) available on an Internal Gear Hub (IGH) without the use of a supplemental derailleur or internally geared crank (aka mountain drive)?

And how does this ratio compare with what is possible with a standard 3x9 or 1x11 derailleur setup (standard as in what would be available in a mainline, non-modified, off the shelf bicycle).

The Rohloff "500/14 Speedplay" has 14 gears and a difference of 526%, so the fast/high/hard gear is 5.26 larger than the slow/low/easy gear.

So this is roughly equal to a MTB 24/34/44 triple and a 12-34 rear cassette, which would have a range of gears of 519%

An advantage of the IGH generally is that the gears are sequential so there's only one action to move through the range.

An advantage of the derailleur bike is that the gears are closer together in broad swathes so you have smaller jumps between gears.

Neither MTB nor Rohloff bike has the high gears of a fast road bike, like a gear of 52front/11rear but there are not a lot of times when such gears are needed outside of racing and fast downhills.

Much more reading at https://www.rohloff.de/en/experience/technology-in-detail/gear-range-comparison/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohloff_Speedhub