Damaged Forks on Giant Tough Road 2 I have recently crashed my Tough Road 2 and slightly damaged the forks at the point where the pannier rack is attached. The retaining bolt is slightly lifted and I am concerned that the forks are broken beyond repair. The local shop suggests that I need to replace them......a wait of 11 weeks. any suggestions to worth while repair or replacement would be appreciated. I am currently using 29*2.1 Schwalbe Big Sam tyres

A quick google suggest this bike is fitted with composite forks. I would follow the shops advice and replace them. In composite forks damage can be more substantial than is immediately obvious and fork failure could produce a horrible crash.

If the wait is too long for an exact replacement then there are after market alternatives (such as as exotic carbon forks or planet-x/on-one forks). The key dimensions to match are the steerer size (probably tapered), axle to crown measurement (measure between the underside of the crown bearing race and the centre of the axle) and the wheel attachment mechanism (quick release, through axle etc).

Even if longer term you wanted the 'correct' fork an after market item would allow you to use the bike until the oem item can be obtained.

Note the forks mentioned are available in the UK market, if you are none UK then these might not be an option for you.


Can chain-slap cause damage to a chainstay that is beyond superficial? Yesterday a coworker insisted electrical tape on his chainstay was necessary, as "[he] gets so much chain slap [he's] literally snapped frames".

Now there's a couple dubious aspects to this--but my question is simply: can chain slap result in structural damage?

YES and NO

Depending on the type of frame and type of riding you are doing it could be a problem.

YES (you might have a problem)

If you have a steel frame slapping of the chain can damage the paint which is very important in keeping oxidants like water and air away from the bare steel. Steel will rust and eventually fail catastrophically.
If you have a composite mountain bike frame, chain slap can damage the outer layers of fiber which generally carry the most load. Nicks made by the chain in the frame's resin could be propagation sites for cracks that can lead to delaminating and failure. If you are missing or have worn through the factory included sticker guards, I would apply some type of wear guard.

NO (It won't be a problem)

If you have aluminum, stainless steel or another relatively non-corrosive metallic frame, no amount of beating with a chain is going to cause the thing to break. Aluminum and stainless steel are ductile materials and are very hard to damage without hitting them very hard with a large mass or by using some type of lever to bend them.

Probably No...

If you have a composite road bike, chain slap can damage the outer layers of fiber or could cause cracks in the frame as well, however the likelyhood of this happening is very small. Composite frame manufacturers generally include one ply of weave fiber on the lower chain stays to increase the durability along with a plastic sticker which should be more than adequate for many years of riding.

For what it’s worth I have <14 lbm composite road bike and I would never think of adding electrical tape (I’m counting grams here) for something as silly as chain slap.


Can I use Avid olive and connector insert in a Shimano brake? Basically, this is the question:
I can use the olives and connector inserts proper for Avid in a Shimano Deore M596 brake/hose?
Has anyone tried and can report if it worked perfectly or if there was any problem?
Thank you very much.

No you cannot.  They are not cross compatible.  Shimano Olives, hose and inserts only work with Shimano components. The same is true for Avid brake equipment.

Beyond not being designed to work together you void any warranty claim by not using compatible equipment.  You also give up any legal approach to the manufacturer if you use other company's parts.  So if you crash because the brakes failed and want to say that's Shimano's fault and it actually was.  They will say it had Avid olives and inserts on it.


Adding disc brake to a bike without rear disc brake mounts I'm seeking advice on how to install disc brakes on a bike that does not have rear disc brake mounts. The bike I have is the Trek 7.1 FX.

Does the Trek 7.1 FX have the mount for installing disc brakes?

Which disc brake option is better to go for, mechanical or hydraulic?

Which brands are reliable, or does Trek provides some custom kit?

It doesn't look like that bike includes the caliper mounts, and the wheels hubs do not have rotor mounts.

Converting a bike like this to disc brakes would require custom frame work, a new fork and new wheels (or at least new hubs and a wheel build).  From a financial standpoint it makes a lot more sense to buy a bike already equipped with disc brakes.

This question covers the pros and cons for different braking systems.

EDIT I stand corrected on the issue of 'required frame work' as @cbamber85 mentions below, there is a product called Brake Therapy Conversion Kit available that will allow you to mount disc brakes on your rear triangle.  Looks like the cost is about $150 USD and you would still need new hubs.


Why are brake ferrules longer than shift ferrules? I'm having a lot of trouble finding short brake cable ferrules. The ones I've found are all long and tapered as in the picture below.

I don't understand the purpose of this design. The brake housing only fills half the ferrule, so the cable is effectively rigid for an extra centimeter. The housing is also loose because all the ferrules I have in this style (various brands) measure 5.2mm internally on the female side. The tapered end is loose in the cable stops on my bike and doesn't fit my mountain V-brake shifters.

What's the point? Why are the only short brake ferrules available the cheap crimp-style?

Stepped brake ferrules, the long type you mention, exist for using 5mm compressionless (aka braided) brake housing on levers and brakes that have a plain 5mm bore, intended to take conventional spiral brake housing without a ferrule, such as many brifters and road calipers. You must use some kind of thick-ended ferrule with compressionless brake housing, or else the wires will pull through, same as using compressionless shift housing without a ferrule. Using them elsewhere, such as housing stops, is basically incorrect.

If you want more premium 5mm ferrules than the commonly encountered plated ones, a couple companies make them, Wheels Mfg and Jagwire for example.


Weird gear ratio for a couple of seconds after crash Just yesterday, I was riding my mountain bike along a sidewalk and out of nowhere hit a stop sign pole mounted in the middle of the side walk. I guess that’s what happens when you get too preoccupied with the scenery around you while going at 20 mph (32 kph).

The crash created a really strong jerk that forcefully pushed me and my bike backwards. I was unharmed and still managed to stay on the bike seat; however, my bike acted rather strangely — it seemed that the force of the collision somehow adjusted my gears to the lowest setting, without me even touching the shifters on the handlebars. I assume that because right after the collision, I went to test ride the bike and noticed the pedals were turning really quickly, as if the gears were on the lowest configuration (I don’t know whether it was the front, back, or both gears). At that moment I knew something was wrong. But, after 5 additional seconds of anxious pedaling, the gears readjusted themselves back to their original setting I had them in before the crash. Again, this was without me touching the shifters. Fortunately, the bike seems to be in decent condition now, but what are your guys’ thoughts on the weird automated gear shifts? Is this normal? The bike looks Ok, but then again, I'm new to biking.

Thanks!

The crash made the chain drop from the currently selected front chainring to a smaller one (i.e if you have 3 rings and you where on the middle, it jumped on the 1st - lefmost- smaller one).

The crash didn't change any gear on the shifter though, it just made the chain pop to a smaller ring. Maybe not fully, but partially.

Afterwards cranking a couple of pedal strokes made you feel that the pedals where "moving fast". After a while though, and since the front deraileur was still in the original position (maybe middle ring), the chain moved again back to the middle ring making the gearing ratio as previous.

Dropping the chain is common in MTBs without a chain guide. What happened to you is normal.


Lock ring won't reattach on bottom bracket I purchased a road bike and the lock ring wasn't attached, it just hangs loosely on this spindle:

It doesn't seem to reattach by screwing it in like one would expect. I tried screwing it in either direction and it simply doesn't catch. How do I reattach this ring, and what are the consequences of leaving it unattached?

Not attaching it will be bad, the thing it's there to lock will loosen or tighten as you pedal. What it does depends on whether it's a left hand or right hand thread.

Looking at it, it might be a right hand thread, meaning a French or Italian bottom bracket. So it will tighten up as you pedal. That's unusual and may be the reason the lockring is loose (whoever took it off turned it the usual way, it didn't go on, they gave up). If so, you're lucky and it's just a matter of putting it back on by tightening it the usual (right hand/clockwise) way. It may even be that the BB has a right hand thread and the lock ring is a replacement with left hand thread, and that's never going to work.

But it might not be, the photo is not really clear. The thread is quite fine so it can be hard to get it started. If the thread is damaged you're going to have to fix or replace it, so it's worth spending a bit of time trying to get it to screw on.

You may well find that the reason it's loose is that it won't screw back on, and possibly that the reason the bike was sold is that that renders it unrideable. Or, if it is a right hand thread, that they're so annoying to work on and relatively rare as a result, that the owner decided to give it up as a bad idea.

Fortunately the parts required are relatively cheap and readily available. Unfortunately you need special tools to do that change.

You will need:

a 6mm or 8mm allen key to undo the crank bolt (visible in the photo)
a crank puller (maybe)
a bottom bracket spanner (BB spanner)

(edit - thanks Carel) It looks very much as though there are "self extracting" crank bolts - if you undo the bolt in the crank it will hit the ring that's been screwed in (you remove that by gripping onto the two little holes in it), and push the crank off. If it's been there a while it will help to lubricate the bolt/ring interface, ideally with grease but oil will also work. Removing that crank will give you much better access to the lock ring.

You can do this two ways: find a replacement lockring and BB cup and just swap those. The parts should be nearly free... if you can find them. It's not worth paying someone to do this, so you'll need to rely on the friend who has the parts also having the tools.

The other way is to buy a modern cartridge/sealed bottom bracket and fit that. You really need to know which threads are on both sides of the BB to know what BB to buy, so first you need to pull the cranks and extract the existing BB. Personally, I would buy a sealed BB to replace that open one, so I wouldn't be too fussy about how exactly I removed the bottom bracket. But keep the axle, you need to measure that to determine who long it is because that's the key measurement when buying a replacement. Be much more careful about pulling the cranks, you need to keep those.

This is what a bike shop will do. You're probably looking at $40 or more for the bottom bracket and $20-$30 minutes of labour. Or buy the BB and borrow or buy the tools ($30-$40 off Amazon or eBay, more from your local bike shop).

Assuming it's not a standard/British bottom bracket, your choices are a non-threaded "universal" BB that just sits in the frame held by screwing the two parts together, and a threaded one that actually screws into the frame. The former will probably be easier to find, but be aware that it will almost certainly damage the threads in your bike over time, so once you put one in you can't go back.


Rear brake doesn’t grip/slips through and doesn’t stop the bike sharp or at all I cleaned my bike about a month ago and since then I tried to fix both of my brakes.
I have hydraulic disk brakes (Tektro Auriga). After I replaced my pads, I was bedding them for over three days of consistent biking and braking on low and then high speeds, but it didn't work. I bled my bike more than five times, and it didn't help. I sanded those pads with 200 grid sandpaper and rubbed them with isopropyl alcohol. It fixed two of my pads - I guess because the front brake works fine (70-90% of the strength it used to provide), however, the rear ones don't.
The brake feels sharp, not spongy or anything (I bled it twice specifically), but it feels like it's contaminated with oil because when I brake, no matter hard or not, the wheel slides through the brake pads and stops very slowly. In rare cases, after 20-ish minutes of active braking (bedding in-like process), it starts squealing and bites just a tiny bit more, however, the very next day it appears from the very start e.g. close to no grip.
The only thing I haven't don't yet - burning or baking the pads.
BTW, I ordered new pads, but I still want to investigate why this occurred and how to fix it, because the pads which are used right now are two weeks old.

This sounds like a classic case of pad contamination. You are well advised to try to determine the cause to avoid it happening again.
My first suspicion would be your washing process. How did you wash the bike? Is it possible you got a cleaning product on the pads?
I'd definitely inspect the calipers very carefully to make sure you do not have any leaks. Clean the calipers and rotors thoroughly with brake cleaner, then with the old pads or a brake block in place try squeezing the lever hard a few times. Recheck for any fluid leaks.
If you are getting good resistance when squeezing the levers and there is no 'sponginess', it's unlikely that bleeding is required. You said you bled the brakes more than five time, I do have to wonder whether you are maybe casing contamination when you are performing the bleeding.


Bikepacking on a New Rockhopper So my bike just got stolen a week ago. A little Fixie Thruster that I put a lot of miles on commuting, and joyriding. I went as far a 250mi weekend trip on it. My gear was just kind of lashed on with in various places. I had a torn handlebar bag that I had to tie on and a little rear trunk rack.

Well I just bought a 2016 Specialized Rockhopper as a commuter and to hit the trails. I chose a hardtail 29'er so that I could go on the occasional bikepacking trip with greater efficiency. Probably not more than 10 days at a time, usually just a weekend, or week long trip.

This is my first real MTB and I assume it will hold up well with whatever I try to do with it. So I wanna load it down, but the more I look into panniers and handlebar bags and racks and frame bags and this and that, the more lost I seem to become.

Can some one just kind of point me in the direction of some sturdy, durable gear. Or at least what to look for when buying. I think I'm most concerned with a good set of rear panniers, a handlebar bag, and a frame bag. I can improvise for storage on the front forks and other little places. Any advice is welcome

Old setup

Bikepacking tends to be more lightweight and generally doesn't involve panniers or racks. Just look at the rigs used by tour divide riders (http://bikepacker.com/2016-tour-divide-rigs/). If you think you need pannniers, then perhaps you are talking about touring rather than bikepacking.

Bikepacking luggage will typically require one or more of the following:

handlebar harness
seatpost pack
framebag

This sort of setup is especially useful for off road/trail riding as weight is kept to a minimum and storing your heaviest items stored at the bottom of your frame bag will keep your centre of gravity low and improve handling. Something not so important in touring


Why have MTB tyres with strong front / back design disappeared? Back a few years ago was easy to find tyres with a particular design based on their position, back or front, see this sample image fron a pair of Nokian Boazobeana:

Riding with those was pretty nice, especially with the front one, which provides a great driving precision and security.
So it's strange why is so hard to find something similar in the market today, someone knows why?

They haven't
https://www.schwalbe.com/en/mtb-reader/eddy-current-rear
"FRONT:
• Reliable cornering grip paired with high braking traction.
• Excellent transmission of steering corrections throughlong grip edges even when less weight is on the front wheel in ascents. The result: Understeer is more controllable.
REAR:
• Maximum propulsion and braking traction throughmassive blocks that transmit sufficient power to the ground, even on the steepest climbs.
• Hard wearing thanks to large-volume center studs."
https://www.schwalbe.com/en/mtb-reader/racing-ray
"RACING RAY
THE FRONT WHEEL SPECIALIST. The completely new, extra aggressive XC profile paired with the versatile Addix Speedgrip compound makes Racing Ray a XC weapon and an ingenious addition to Racing Ralph."
Also
https://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/off-road_tires/fat_albert_front_477
Also given that rolling resistance is more important at the back due to weight distribution, it's common for riders to mix tyres, so you don't really need a 'front' and 'rear' tyre designated as such, you can just choose two different tyres - a harder compound and/or less grippy pattern at the back, and a softer compound with more knobs at the front. Also different tyre widths is common.
See e.g. here
https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/product_news/best-mountain-bike-tyres-323130


50t / 38t Shimano Zee crankset double 10 speed casette old mountain bike commuter conversion I'm creating a commutter from an old mountain bike - a 2006 specialized rockhopper pro.

I have a bunch of components hanging about and I have a Shimano Zee front crankset with a 38t and I have a 50t ring (104 bcd compatible). With long chainring bolts/nut I could get a 50t ring and the 38t on it. A set up a bit like a compact chainring on a road bike.

Rear is a 10 speed casette long cage slx. I have been running it wiht a 1x10 for mountain biking use but essentially I am trying to add a 50t on the front and still wrangle it so the chainline is ok.

I also have a fairly old front mech bottom pull and a new-ish slx front shifter that is 2/3 speed compatible.

Issues I may face:
- distance between chainstay and 50t ring
- chainline
- length of chain for 50t ring and biggest ring on 10 speed at the back.
- left shifter doesn't work with old front derailler.

Most mountain bike triple chainrings have a 48t large ring. Is there any reason I couldn't use the 50t ring?

Length of chain does not matter. The issue you will face is the rear derailleur's total capacity. Basically it's rear derailleur's ability to take up chain slack.

Total capacity = (difference in tooth count of front rings) + (difference in tooth count of largest and smallest cassette sprockets)

You can see the size of the biggest ring is not an issue, it's the difference between the two rings that counts. 50-38 38 is 12, which is less than standard road bike difference of of 16 (52-36, 50-34 etc.) so you should be fine with long cage derailleur.


Bicycle acts like it's braking when I walk it When I walk my bicycle, every few feet it stops like I've pulled the hand brake. It will roll some more then stop again. What do I need to do to fix it?

I'm assuming you have rim brakes.

Lift each wheel in turn off the ground and spin it. Does it appear to snake from side to side as it spins? If so, your wheel is out of true (it's no longer a disk but a sort of round Pringle) and it's catching against the brake pads at some part of its wobble.

If the wheels look OK when they're spinning, place the bike back on the ground and try to push the bike sideways by putting your foot against the axle. Does the wheel wobble against its mounting? If so, its bearings are bust.

Both of these are things that only an experienced bike mechanic would have the tools and skills to fix, so unless I've missed something, you're going to have to take it to a bike shop.


How to secure the fork when there is no stem On my half recumbent tandem, there is no stem on the front steerer tube. I would like to change the upper cup of the headset (related question Play in headset with no upper bearings on a tandem bicycle). But the stack for my new headset is a little higher than the previous one, and there is not much clearance between the top of the headset and the front seat.

Since there is no stem to secure the fork in place, there is a kind of lock ring with a bolt to do it. This is my understanding of how this system works. Am I right ? Is this lock ring really necessary ? (I'm pretty sure it is so but it adds to the height of the headset).
What would be the proper name for this kind of lock ring ? This design is not rare on cargo bikes, but when I look online to buy that kind of lock ring, I find only one model, and my use case (securing the fork when there is no stem) is not listed in the product description (https://problemsolversbike.com/products/headset/locking_spacer_-_6788).

Yes, this "lockring" is important. It functions like the stem on a regular bike (with a threadless fork) to hold the headset together. The cap on top is used during adjustment, but is not intended to hold everything together. See this description from Park for more details of headset adjustment: https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/threadless-headset-service.

With regards to finding alternative lockrings, as Carel pointed out in the comments, there are seat clamps with the proper internal diameter, and it appears that is what your headset has instead of a stem. I can't tell from the picture for sure what your diameter is, but it is presumably either 1" (25.4 mm) or 1 1/8" (28.6mm). Seat clamps are available in both sizes. Just search for "seatpost clamp 28.6 mm". See if you can find one that is not as tall as what you have now.

One final detail to note: In order to keep the headset together properly, the clamp must extend to just above the top of the steering tube, so if you are already very close to that height, then it is the steering tube not the clamp that is determining the height. To reduce the overall height once you have a shorter clamp, you will need to cut off a small bit of the steering tube so that it is below the top of the clamp.


My santa cruz heckler ghost shifts from frame flex. Is there anything I can do? I just bought a 2013 heckler used and found that it ghost shifts under heavy pedaling. I weight 230 so I am probably putting more pressure than average. But this only happens when I have smallest cog in front and largest and 2nd largest in back, fairly common gear ratios for a MTB.

My shifter cable housing runs all the way through to the derailleur and my LBS just changed the cassette and chain. I can physically see my rear wheel shift slightly off center when I apply a lot of pressure to my pedal while keeping the brakes on. I think this is the root cause, but don't know what to actually do about it. I don't think there's any damage to the rear triangle that I can see.

I'm also wondering if a bent hangar could play a role. I had a branch jam up in my hanger and it ripped it off and snapped the little metal hanger attachment. But I really think the derailment is coming from the top vs from the bottom. As in, I've caught the bike mid skip, and you can see the chain where it leaves the derailleur is in the correct spot, but above it the chain is 3-4 cogs below where it should be.

Any help is appreciated. This issue is sullying an otherwise amazing bike.

Given that the cassette is tied to the axle, if the alignment is changing, you have a few possible causes:

Freewheel is worn out and has a significant wobble
The pivot where the chainstay and frame connect is worn and loose
Axle itself is loose, either through the hub, or at the dropouts

When applying pressure to the pedal with the brake on, it will naturally pull the alignment of the axle so that drive side is further forward than the non-drive side.  You also mentioned that the whole wheel moves, so I would lean towards a pivot or axle problem.


Ultegra 6800 shifter with R8000 rear derailleur? I'd like to replace a Shimano 105 5800 11-28 cassette on one of my bikes (CAADX 2016) with a CS-HG800-11 11-34 to get a wider range of gears.

My rear derailleur is Ultegra RD-6800-SS, which can't take a cassette this big. I am thinking of replacing it with RD-R8000-GS (current generation of Ultegra, medium cage, takes up to 34t).

Are there any potential issues to be aware of with this combo (6800 shifter, R8000 derailleur, CS-HG800-11 cassette)?

P.S. The bike has a 44/34T cyclocross crankset. Both the front shifter and the derailleurs are Ultegra 6800 (11-speed). I plan to keep all of that as-is.

Should be OK. Both shifter and derailleur are 11 speed, only 1 generation apart. AFAIK Shimano did not change the cable pull or derailleur movement ratio.

All the other derailleur specs check out:

As you say, the R8000-GS goes up to a 34 tooth max sprocket.

Your front ring tooth difference (10) is within R8000-GS max of 16

Your total capacity required (34-11 + 44-34 =  33) is well within max of 39.


Replacing SRAM Red chain set with Ultegra - bottom bracket? I have a cyclocross bike with an Ultegra 6700 chainset and a road bike with SRAM Red. I'm looking to get a Stages Ultegra power meter (left crank arm mounted) that I can swap between both bikes. This means I'm thinking of changing the Red chainset over to Ultegra 6700 (or Dura Ace) since the left crank arms aren't compatible.

The bike in question is a 2011 Scott Addict R15: www.bikes.org.uk/scott-addict-r15-2011-road-bike

It's listed as having a SRAM Integrated BB Press Fit but after doing some research I can't figure out whether the bottom bracket will be compatible with the Shimano chainset or not. If I have to get a new BB then that's fine, provided that the frame will accommodate it of course.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated, even just helping me identify exactly what BB I already have.

The other option of course would be to put a SRAM Force chainset on the cyclocross bike, if for some reason doing the conversion this way round is any easier.

You'll need a Shimano PressFit BB, to go with Shimao cranks.
Shimano and SRAM just don't share the same spindle specs. It won't cost you much however, compared to the price of the crankset.
If you don't have the dedicated tools at hand, go to your LBS and make them work.


Is my derailleur hanger too bent? I bent the (steel) derailleur hanger on my 9spd cassetted (steel) Bianchi Volpe about 1.5 yrs ago, and I just did it again, but worse. This time the derailleur got sucked into the wheel and really did a doozy with the actual hole stretched and deformed.

Is this a lost hope or is it fine to ride, so long as I can straighten it / re-tap the whole and get it shifting?

I suppose my only options are to add a new hanger if that is even possible or make it a single-speed.

Update
To those who may experience the same thing, I was able to successfully bend this back into place and get everything shifting well, despite the hole now being deformed (the derailleur still threaded properly after bending without re-tapping the hole).

There are several suppliers of universal derailleur hangers. The intended use is to mount a modern derailleur to vintage bikes. At one time the derailleur hanger was part of the derailleur and mounted under the axle nut. Cambria Bike.com Harris Cyclery both have several models that start at $1.00. You could also try to find one of the older derailleurs like a Shimano Tourney mega range that have the hanger built onto the derailleur they can be had for under $25.


Widely available cassette cogs: recommendations? I'm trying to determine what are the most widely used/available cassettes and corresponding cogs. I don't care much whether they are high-end components or low, though I expect the low-end ones to be most widely available since they will be found on low-end production bikes sold in the thousands. Durability is of greatest concern to me, with things like weight being a decidedly secondary factor. The chains in use on the wanted cogs will be 3/32.

Background on my question. I know how these cassettes are constructed and have taken them apart, having done quite a lot of bicycle mechanicing in my lengthy bicycling career (of over 50 years). I also know the economics of buying full cassettes as opposed single cogs: I'm prepared, if economic concerns so dictate, to buy whole cassettes to get just the cog I need from each one, though I don't like the idea of just chucking the rest of the cassette into the garbage.

I have a very specialized project for which I will need a reliable source for cogs for some years to come. The project involves further modifying the complex drivetrain of my custom-built recumbent tandem trike (delta). My idea for the modification will involve using single cogs at either end of the jackshaft on this bike, in place of the cassette/freewheel that are now attached there. The gearing will instead be moved to the rear drive wheel, possibly to an IGH hub like a Rohloff (the only IGH hub, it seems, rated for tandem use). The cogs I will be needing will probably be in the 22-26 tooth range, though I still need to do some more detailed calculating to determine what size will be optimal for this project. Obviously, I will be needing to replace those cogs periodically over the bike's lifetime, so having a ready supply for some time to come will be important.

Input on widely available cassettes/cogs (brands, models) will be appreciated.

P.S. I need the cogs to be completely flat to attach them in the manner I'm envisioning (they will bolt on rather than sliding over a splined central cylinder), so I'm ruling out freewheel cogs, which have a bit of a lip around the threaded hole via which they attach to the freewheel body. I'm located in the U.S., btw.

11-28 through 11-46 cassettes are all pretty ubiquitous these days.

Sprocket sizes for a few cassettes in this range:

11-12-13-14-15-17-19-21-23-25-28

11-12-13-14-15-17-19-21-24-27-30

11-12-13-14-16-18-20-22-25-28-32

11-13-15-17-19-21-23-25-27-30-34

11-13-15-17-19-21-24-27-31-35-40

11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-37-42

Just based on how common they are, I'd say that choosing somewhere in the range 12 - 28 teeth will be safe. However, larger sprockets are attached to a spider and some smaller ones have a built-in spacer. Fundamentally there are probably many issues with choosing to use cassette specific sprockets. You might be better off looking an single speed or internally geared hub sprockets, which do exist in non-freewheel versions for 3/32" chain as well as 1/4".

Another alternative is to look at the small end of chainrings in common bolt patterns, 22, 24 and 26 teeth are pretty common. There are plenty of 3x7, 8, and 9 groupsets around for inexpensive bikes and that is not likely to change soon. Chainrings are usually flat and can be purchased individually.


Is this article accurate? If so, why is the hype about loosing the FD on enduro bikes? I read an article on full suspension bikes, explaining antisquat and pedal kickback. They say the bicycle is the only vehicle, where the gear affects the suspension characteristics. This is great, they continue, because the kinematics can be made so that in some gears of the front chainrings the cranks and rear axle are isolated, while in others pedalling blocks the suspension travel.

Firstly, because some people are commenting that the article is grossly incorrect, I would like an opinion on that.

Secondly, as every mountain biker looking to spend some bucks knows, the fuzz is Enduro now. And 1x10 or 1x11 drivetrain. If the article is correct, this setup is robbing FS bikes of a lot of their potential. How come no one is raising the alarm?

A few quick points about the article

The author did not provide all the math and formulations so we need to take it on faith that the correct formulae were used and there are not implementation errors.
The author also only considered one bike, the 2015 Giant Reign 27.5".
Finally, the results seem reasonable to me.

The main take home from the article (which is well known) is that the drive train affects rear suspension performance, and that the chain angle (vertical chain line) also impacts rear suspension performance.

Right now there are a myriad of rear suspension designs, each with different characteristics and all optimized to a different set of characteristics the designing engineer considered important.  Taking an older design that was optimized for double (or even triple) chain ring set up and putting on a 1x drivetrain could have unintended performance effects as suggested by the author.  Running extra wide rear cassettes can also have an effect.

What would be an interesting follow-up analysis would be to look the anti-squat/pedal kickback characteristics of full suspension bikes marketed with 1x drivetrains. I am sure the designing engineer knows of these problems and took a particular path to optimizing the solution.

It would also be interesting to compare the numbers from fundamentally different suspension designs (e.g., virtual pivots, Horst linkages, single suspension arms, free floating designs... the list goes on).

Finally we shouldn't overlook the type of shock used in the design, some are designed to mitigate peddling input and shocks designed to block out pedal bob would facilitate using a design with less anti-squat.

What does it all mean?

I raise all these issues to illustrate that there is no simple single answer.  No one is "raising alarm" because gross generalizations are simply not possible.  There are a lot of engineering nuances that need to be considered and unfortunately cannot be summarized in a simple one-size fits all statement that might trend on twitter.

Caveat - I am neither a suspension designer or an engineer. It would be nice to hear input from someone who if officially trained and practicing.


Is a recumbent trike faster than a non-recumbent bicycle? I am seriously considering getting a recumbent trike, probably one in a tadpole configuration, and was weighting up how much time I would save during my commute when compared to my normal bike.

Currently, I ride Giant Cypress and my speed averages about 22kmh on my commute. My commute is about 16kms, one way, and is over a mixture of forest trails and asphalt bike paths.

I am also thinking about using the recumbent bike over the winter months as well.

All other things being equal (which admittedly, they never are), a recumbent trike will be slower. It has more frontal area, more rolling resistance, and more weight.

I don't have a recumbent bike, but I do have a conventional racing bike and a recumbent trike (a very low-slung tadpole, not a delta). On a frequently-ridden 37-mile loop, my average speed on my racing bike is about 15.5 mph, average on the trike is 14.3 mph. So at the speeds and distances you're riding, the net time difference won't be that great.

All that said, the trike is a lot of fun.


My husband is a beginner in cycling and needs some motivation My husband is 40 now. He used to ride a bicycle till he was 15. But now he wants to start cycling. We bought a mountain bike and he started cycling. First day he just managed to ride 4 Kilometers. Some part of the road was sloping too. He was having trouble while climbing slopes.

Do you think 4 Kms distance is good for beginner at this age. How to motivate him to continue even if it is a small distance is covered? Is it normal for beginner to feel tired for the first day?

Update : My Husband has managed to travel 6 Kms to his office in the morning without any rest, but slowly, and returned 6 Kms back in the evening. Thank you all for your motivation.

I had the same "motivation" thingy when I tried to keep my wife motivated in joining me during weekend rides.

First we did a really short and slow trip around the city (about 4 or 5 km at such a slow pace that my legs were hurting).

Then I tried to combine cycling with other activities we both liked. Being both foodies, I tried to find, in every outing, a convenient place for this. So for example once we stopped by to visit some wine makers, some other times we stopped for lunch break to a farm where we bought honey, fresh baked bread and local made cheese and had them for lunch, and so on.

These small rewards for going out with the bike helped her in overcoming the struggle of the learning curve.

You can try the same with your husband (assuming he has some passion which can be easily squeezed in a bike ride), and always try to balance the push to go a bit further with the awareness of what he can do without overdoing.


I have a 13 mile commute, and I'm looking to buy a new bike I'm currently riding a mountain bike from Wal-Mart, takes me about an hour. When I get my tax return, I plan buying a more appropriate bike for the commute. I'd like to stay around $300-400, and this would be the second bike I would buy, so I'd appreciate any suggestions and advice.

Used. You can find some decent used bikes in that range.  A hybrid might be a good choice.  You find people that paid $800 - $900 for bike they never used and it will sell used as low as $300.  Be patient and low ball.  Learn how to inspect a bike.  If you are on a budget you need to learn how to maintain a bike.


Replacing bottom bracket on 98 trek 820 I'm trying to replace the bottom bracket assembly on my 98' trek 820.  The current one grinds and needs replacement.

The bracket that came in it is a shimano bb-ct92.  I've looked online and can't find it for sale...what should i do to replace a minimum of parts and get this bracket changed out?

The dimensions are 68x116, but apparently because the front derailleur attaches to the bottom bracket, or complicates things.

Any suggestions?

Out of curiosity, how difficult/costly would it be to move to a normal style derailleur?  One that would allow me to use a standard style bottom bracket?

TL;DR - Just about any square taper bottom bracket that has a 68mm shell and roughly 116mm spindle should work fine. You should be able to find one for very little money at either your LBS or online.

As far as I can tell, the derailleur mounting to the bottom bracket doesn't make a lick of difference in selecting your bottom bracket. I've never actually used one, but from what Sheldon Brown says and the images I've found, it seems like it's just a ring that is held in place between the bottom bracket and its shell.

There are four things to worry about when replacing your bottom bracket:

The threading
The shell width
The spindle type
The spindle length.

Your bottom bracket appears to have standard English threading. This is by far the most common type of threading on the market. Just make sure that they one you buy has English threading (or, at least, doesn't list some other type of threading) and you'll be good on that front.

The shell width is the "68" in that 68x116 measurement that you mentioned. 68 and 73mm are the most common shell sizes. Many bottom brackets are sold to fit either one, some are specific to one or the other. The universal ones have a spacer that you just leave out for a 68mm shell.

Your bottom bracket appears to be a square taper bottom bracket. This means that the spindle is square and tapered. Sheldon Brown has an excellent image comparing different bottom bracket spindle types. You're lucky in that square taper bottom brackets are both common and inexpensive. There are also varying lengths of taper. Yours appears to be a JIS square taper, which is again, incredibly common and inexpensive.

Finally, you need the spindle length to match (more or less). The spindle length is the "116" in your measurement. I say it needs to more or less match because often have some wiggle room on a geared bike. Whether or not you have wiggle room, and how much you have, will depend on a lot of other factors. If you can, it's easiest to get an exact match.

For the sake of completeness, I should mention that there are also external bottom brackets. But those are a whole different ball of wax designed to work with a completely different crankset and probably not worth worrying about in your present situation.


Setting up a bicycle for someone with restricted knee articulation My father, now in his 70's, had a left knee replacement several years ago. He has limited movement in that knee - probably about 85 degrees on a good day. His knee can extend fully, but cannot bend as much as it should. As a result, he cannot pedal a bike he cannot get his left leg over the top of the pedal stroke.

He is desperate to get back onto a bike, he knows he won't be ripping up the road and winning races like the old days, but wants the freedom to go for a slow easy rides.

Does anyone have suggestions as to a solution to the problem. We don't mind spending money if we know the solution will work, but he can't afford to throw big money at wild ideas that may or may not work. If we find a solution, a new bike is likely.

We have access several mountain bikes in a range of sizes to trail ideas, and we have all the tools and skills to build bikes up from parts and rearrange things as needed.

EDIT:
Thanks everyone - all great suggestions. What am am going to do is got tto the LBS and get hold of a cheap set of short cranks for around $30- probably from a kids bike, in the 120-150 size range, and see if he can ride that. Depending how he goes, I'll try a standard right crank and a short left crank. If all else fails, we will go for the Power Cranks

UPDATE: In case anyone else has similar problems.
Got some 152mm cranks for $30. Set an old  mountain bike up with the seat as far back as possible. The old man is able to ride reasonably comfortably, now has a smile from ear to ear - any suggestions how to remove it - doesn't fit with the grumpy old man image :)

Has got me wondering how many people with minor knee problems would benefit from short(er) cranks.......

Look at Power Cranks.  They are a crank set with the ability to freewheel independently of each other.

It allows a slow build to fully articulated movement if additional rehab is still a goal, and using each crank independently means using a bike is still possible, even if doing so uses a pedaling motion which would be awkward for someone who had an option for full movement.

They also have adjustable crank lengths on each independent arm, which would allow you to use a shorter crank on the leg with the limited movement.

They are often used as a rehab tool, are a real, readily available, and not ridiculously priced product, and are install-able with normal bicycle tools.

One caveat: They are shifting to a new poly carbonate fixing cap. If you order, I recommend requesting the old alloy fixing caps. The last set of poly caps I installed broke easily.

FTR, I have installed and used this product, and have no relationship with the manufacturer, nor will I be compensated in any way for this post.


When replacing brake pads, brake loses its grip I wanted to replace my front wheel disc brake pads (Shimano BR-M785).

For the purpose, I removed the front wheel and removed the existing pads. Then I tried to place the new pads and found out the would not fit properly.

After asking, I was advised to "push the pistons back to the callipers", This is, to use a non-metal device to push back to their place the two circular pressers (pistons?) that where outstanding preventing me from inserting the new pads.

Sure enough, after doing this I could install the new pads. Placed back the wheel and now when I brake there isn't enough pressure to cause any effect. The brake pedal is totally loose, as if there was nothing to brake with. Looking carefully, it seems that the pads are moving slightly and touch the brake disc, but nothing enough to make it brake.

Any advice? No liquid has leaked, nothing seems broken.

I'm sorry I don't know much about any of this, I though I could save some money doing it myself... seemed easy enough.

Thanks,

This may not be an answer but it was too long to comment.

When you compressed the pads did you open the system? Meaning uncapping the reservoir, or did you simply push them back without doing anything else? Sounds like air has gotten in the system and it will need to be bled.

One of the steps of bleeding is creating a vacuum to pull air out of the fluid that isn't normally visible in bubble form. If the caliper pistons are pushed back without opening the system you may have done the opposite in a way and pressurized the system, then upon pulling the brake level you may have recreated a vacuum that pulled air from the fluid and caused an air bubble internally. That's the best way i can think to explain it anyway.

'Tis but a guess on my part but it sounds like a bleed is needed either way.

Pulling the brake while there is no pad or bleed block in there is also a no no and will lead to having to bleed the system.

Bottom line, bleed it or pay to have it properly done and i bet you're back in action. Also don't get fluid on the rotors or your new pads. and follow a proper bed in/burn in process.


Using 57-559 (26x2.25) tire instead of 54-559 (26x2.1) on a mountain bike? I have a ZAC 79 front rim with a Deore HB-M530. I just found out I've got a flat tire (after thinking last week "Hmmm, probably I should get a new tire soon..." :D). I'm going to buy the Schwalbe Smart Sam Plus HS 476. However one thing struck me - I actually have one Smart Sam Plus on my rear wheel and it's of size 54-559 (26x2.1) while actually one the front I have one 54-559 (26x1.95) no-name tire that I've taken from a previous bicycle of mine. :D Both fit fine so I was wondering what the actual margin is when it comes to picking tires and whether I should by a 26x2.25 one for my rim. Speed gain (thinner tire better than fatter tire) is not such an issue here (I hope :D). I'm using my mountain bike on paved roads mostly though sometimes I also ride through woods (nothing too rocky) etc. and that's why I picked these tires.

You've got some margin for tire width—at least 10 mm (although I don't know whether your current tires are at the narrow end or wide end of that range). It's also worth pointing out that the width printed on the tire can vary by a few mm from its actual width.


Compatibility Look-Keo/Look/SPD-Sl Plates & Pedals i got some old Look Road Pedals (see picture).

Now i found plenty of Cleats for cheap, but they all are for either Look Keo, Delta or SPD-Sl.
Are those compatible? Did anything change from the old Look Pedals to the new Keo Pedals that could cause problems?

What cleats can i use?

Look Keo 2 and Look Keo are Look's current/previous range and they are compatible with each other.

Look Delta are Look's earlier range. I'm afraid they are not compatible with Keo's or Keo 2's

SPD-SL are Shimano's version of road pedals. These aren't compatible with Look products, (neither therefore are Look products compatible with them).

Checking out Look's web site, you don't see Delta pedals on there any more, but if you look at the various Keo pedals, they are clearly a different shape to yours.

Doing a quick web search for Look Delta reveals many images, including some on this page (Exustar pedals which are compatible with Delta's - I haven't embedded the image here in case there are copyright issues). What do you think?

Note lastly that even within the "Look Delta" genre, you can buy different cleats. The difference between them is how much your foot is allowed to move whilst in the pedal (known as floating). Red cleats offer 9° float, whilst Black cleats are fixed (0°). The general rule is to go for the more flexible red cleats unless you have a reason to do otherwise. (This applies to spd-sl and keo also, in fact for spd-sl there are three options.)


Can I combine narrow wide chainring in triple chainring? I have Shimano crank (MT300) with triple chainring (44-32-22), I want to change the outer chainring(44) with the bigger (maybe 50 or 52), can I use narrow wide chainring in outer gear? so the new set up will be (50-32-22). Any problem with shifting up and down after I use that new chainring?

Narrow-wide chainrings are specifically designed for single chainring drivetrains and cannot be used on double or triple derailleur cranks. A 50 tooth ring won't work on your setup either.

Narrow-wide chainrings are designed specifically to stop the chain coming off them, which is exactly what you don't want in a derailleur drivetrain. The derailleur likely will not be able to pull the chain off of or onto the ring at all.

Regular chainrings (and cassette sprockets) have ramps on the inner surface and specially profiled teeth which help the chain hop on and off the ring. A narrow-wide ring lacks those features that and has taller teeth that protrude further through the chain links.

Narrow-wide rings of course have alternating narrow and wide teeth that fit between the alternating inner and outer plates of the chain. If a derailleur were able to shift the chain into a a narrow-wide ring, half the time the teeth and chain links would be mis-aligned and the chain would not be able to drop onto the teeth.

Front derailleurs have a total capacity limit, which is the difference in number of teeth (and hence diameter) between the smallest and largest rings. if you put a 50 tooth ring on the crank you'll have to move the derailleur up on the frame, and the cage will not reach the smallest ring. Additionally the 32-50 tooth size difference between the middle and outer rings would be too large to get the chain to shift properly.

And, mountain bikes typically don't have chain-stay clearance for a 50 tooth ring.


What to look for in bone conduction headphones for bike voice navigation? I am getting lost. Easily. And looking too hard at the screen (phone mounted on the handlebars) makes me lose concentration. Luckily, Komoot I'm trying now, and Google Maps, provide voice navigation. The problem is, either I put it on speaker and I do not hear it on busy roads I need it the most, or I put it on the headphones and I don't hear other road users. Quite awful and safety issue either way.
I think that bone conduction headphones would solve that for me. But I don't know how to choose. Note, I am not looking for particular product recommendations. What's available for you now may be unavailable for me here and for sure will not be an optimal choice in two years. So I want to ask how to look at them? What really matters?.
What I need them for, in order of priority:

Hearing outside world.
Navigation, of course!
Listening to unobtrusive music. Quality does not need to be good, but no irritating squeaks and creaks.
Answering urgent phone calls.*

My rides are usually no more than 6 hours long with up to 4 hours of actual riding in it. Headphones needs to last that much. Ability to recharge from powerbank would be appreciated.
With this in mind, how should I proceed with selecting model for me?

* I'd prefer microphone that would work, but knowing there is a call would be enough - if there would be an unobtrusive way to reject that call or automatically stop ringing sound after one or two rings.

Point 1, hearing the outside world, is mostly easy.  If the audio is too-high a volume it can still drown out the background, but that's got to be quite loud.
Point 2, these headphones have to work with your device.  If that means bluetooth, then battery life becomes a consideration.  If your device has audio-output jack then that's another option.
Do note - Bone conduction headphones use their internal battery all the time.  Bluetooth is additional power usage.
Generally speaking, the music fidelity of bone conduction head phones is down there with cheap AM radios.  So your point #3 is going to be hard to match.  It is certainly audible, but quality is low.   They are great for audiobooks though.
4, phone calls.  I have BC headphones that are just headphones, no microphone.  So they can beep should a call or message arrive, but I can't take the call.  There are variants that have a microphone and call control button.  If you use an audio out jack, you might need a 2.5mm 4 way TRS connector, or maybe a 3.5mm version.
Unmentioned - sweat.  Some BC headphones have a control box partway down the cable.  For me, that used to clip to the collar or the HRM strap, which worked well.  But sweat tends to get inside the controls and make them flaky, then non-functional.
Another feature, is some way to easily turn them off.  Ideally a button that you can hit without looking, that shuts off the sound should you need to focus on something else going on.
Cost is the last mention - you could spend multiple hundreds of dollars, but thats overkill for on a bike.  Something down around $50 USDish would be less upsetting when they do eventually break.


Derailleur Configuration - Anyone ever seen something like this? Can't find anything on Google because I guess I don't know what search terms to use.

I am wondering if anyone has ever seen a derailleur setup like I have drawn in the picture. It is NOT for installation on a normal bicycle, but a normal derailleur takes up too much room below the gears and will not work for what I want to do.

(Using a small wheel in larger frame - I have lost all but 4" from gears to ground.)

Please advise on this 'central sprung gear' idea - if you've seen it, if it would work, etc.)

OH_ That three-gear center assembly would slide back and forth sideways on shafts to allow chain alignment.

I Designed wire and cable machines for about 10-years and a previous life and have indeed seen your setup many times as a system for maintaining tension on a cable; For that purpose it works great. If all you were trying to do was maintain chain tension at varying lengths, you would have something.

But as Carel points out in the comments (and I've spent years testing this), You absolutely want the application pulley/gear to be as near the point of application as possible. Failing to do so will guarantee that your chain will walk up and down the cogs at will and will not shift when asked to.

Your design would have to be modified such that the fixed pulley nearest the rear cogs would move in/out and forward/back as the gears change. Once you do that, you have something that looks very much like a modern derailleur (funny how that works).

The truth is that a derailleur is a pretty elegant and simple approach that has been tested, proven, and improved over many years. Your best bet, in my opinion, is to play with the placement of a derailleur so that it is less in the way.


Why do some bicycles have much bigger wheels than most motorcycles? Let's consider a mountain bike and a motorcycle. Each one has a need to be as usable as possible and overcome obstacles more effectively. Larger wheels usually mean greater cross-country ability. So what is the theory behind bicycles usually having bigger wheels than motorbikes?

Gearing is a factor, although by no means the only factor. Common wheel sizes allow for conveniently sized sprockets, both front and rear. The bike industry has always been driven by what racers need, and pro cyclists can reach 100 kph+ on a downhill. The higher a gear you can be in, the less likely you are to "spin out" and no longer be able to pedal effectively. The larger the wheel, the further you move in one revolution. The internal combustion engine can achieve 1000s of RPM, an order of magnitude above what human legs can sustain, which at least in a lab setting start to lose efficiency by around 100 rpm (http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00421-004-1175-5), and above a certain point (which is perhaps the topic of it's own question) are totally unable to keep up with the pedals, let alone apply meaningful power. That's why penny-farthing style bicycles had such big wheels, since the cranks were attached directly to the wheel, the only way to go faster was to get a bigger wheel.

Chain drive and gearing fixed this issue, allowing for smaller and lighter wheels and a top-tube below crotch height. But there's practical limits to how how large a chainring and how small a rear sprocket you can use. Too large a chainring will start to flex (this was more of an issue before modern materials), and currently the smallest rear sprocket on a standard cassette is 11 teeth, on old 5-speed freewheels it was usually a 14 tooth. A 700c wheel with a 25mm tire can reach ~73kph @ a cadence of 120 rpm with a standard racing 53 tooth chainring and an 11 rear sprocket. To get the same gearing, a 20" BMX wheel would need a 75 tooth chainring that would be roughly 12" in diameter, and a 16 inch folding bicycle wheel would need an 83 tooth, 14" diameter chainring.  As well as flexing, they would need to ensure the bottom bracket was high enough to keep the chainring from brushing the ground when cornering or on rough terrain (curbs, potholes, roots, and the like).

And some bikes do actually have very small wheels, like folding bikes. But their top speed is limited. Some rear cassettes with 9 tooth smallest sprockets have been made (See http://www.sheldonbrown.com/capreo.html), but engineering concerns make them expensive and prone to wear. And even then, standard 26" and 28" (aka 700C aka 29") wheel sizes were set 100+ years ago, and folding bikes tend to look "goofy" to people compared to more conventional bikes. And the UCI likes mandating that modern racing bikes have roughly the same form as they did in the 70s, including a diamond frame and wheels between 55 and 70 cm.

Another standard reason given why mountain bikers should favor 29" wheels over 26" inch wheels is that they "roll better". The larger diameter means that it gets stuck less in small ruts and holes, rolling over it rather than down into it. The larger tires also mean a larger volume of air, and thus less need for suspension. Motorcycles are already much heavier (with the requisite power to move much more weight), so beefing up the suspension is less of a problem. The 26" vs 29" (vs 27.5") question is far from settled, but the trend is moving towards bigger wheels, not smaller ones.


Ultegra BR 6800's; Increase the reach to 53mm-54mm? Can Ultegra BR 6800's pad-reach be increased to say, 53-54mm by filing the arm slot longer with a round file? Is there enough aluminum to do this without getting too close to the end of the end of the slot?

I increased the reach of my front 6800 by about 1 mm with a Dremel tool because the tops of the pads were extremely close to the tire mounted on my dynamo-hub rim when the front light was mounted. I don't recommend modifying the brakes in this way. No doubt it will void any warranty. I didn't have time to replace the brake with one with a longer reach before I left for a bike trip. I've ridden more than 2500k since the change and don't notice any difference in function. However, I believe my 1 mm modification was about 1/3 of what you're suggesting.


Quick link too easy to remove after installation, is this a problem? As I always do, I've used a an 11-speed KMC quick link to close my 11-speed chain. However, this time the quick link was particularly easy to fit (and similarly very easy to remove). Is this an issue? In other words, could there be a situation, under normal use, in which the chain is not operating in tension and the quick link unexpectedly comes apart? If I compress the chain by hands the link easily opens and I'm a little nervous that the same would happen when I'm out on the road.
Update: I took the bike to my local bike shop and they replaced the KMC link with a Shimano one saying "the KMC links tend to be on the loose end, so we prefer to use Shimano ones"

If the link can be easily opened just with your fingers I’d say that’s unacceptable. I don’t know what the probability of the chain coming apart is, but I would not risk it.
Quick links are relatively inexpensive so just replace it.


Why did my last trip give me a bum blister? I don't do a lot of MTB tracks, but there's a team event coming up soon and I'm doing some flat single-track to prepare.

After two 15 km laps I have a blister on my left butt-cheek, right at the top of the leg.

I normally wear tight cycling pants with a pad made from coolmax (the orange stuff) with normal pants over the top. That is normally okay for road.

Questions: Is there a difference between padded pants for MTB vs road cycling?   Why else would I be getting blisters when the same clothes on the road are fine for 80+ KM trips?

I'm using look road clips and road shoes, mostly because I already have them.
Its a 21" hard frame - no front or rear suspension.  I suppose you'd call it a hybrid or commuter frame.
Saddle is a relatively thinly-padded Giant brand that is mounted flat.

No, I'll not post a picture of my injury.

I worked it out - its the cleats and riding a MTB trail that caused my blister.

Hows that?  I noticed today that when there's a mound or little crest, I've been locking up my legs and the rear wheel gets lifted up by the cleats.  When I'm off the saddle, sitting back down drives the chamois pad downwards.

The fix was to wear a belt with my bike pants to hold them up, or to take them in a bit next time the sewing machine is set up.   Or buy a smaller size.  Or wear normal pants over the top of the padded biking pants.


Can't adjust headset correctly Summary - I'm using an FSA Orbit MX threadless/integrated headset in a brand new steel frame. My problem is that I cannot seem to adjust the headset to the right tightness - either it is too tight and the forks do not turn freely, or it is too loose and there is substantial play/knocking.

To elaborate on the problem - I'm building up a new bike from scratch. Rather than try to install the headset myself with homemade tools I took it to a mechanic last weekend to have it professionally installed.

After building the bike up I noticed that the headset was quite loose (a lot of play when tightening the front brake and rocking the bike forward/backward).

So, I tightened it by loosening the stem bolts and tightening the top bolt. That made the play go away, but the fork would no longer swing freely. Loosened a little, and the play returned. I tried for an hour but could not find a middle ground. Either it's too loose or too tight, I can't get it right. Removing the spacers didn't help. The star nut seems to be located properly, a few mm below the top cap. I removed the fork completely and reassembled the upper and lower bearing races and seals, ensuring they are properly seated. No luck.

It's a mystery. Before I bring it back to the mechanic - is there anything I'm missing?

Edit - some photos of the headset, as requested. Sadly I don't have enough reputation to post more than 2

Mystery solved today. I took it back to the shop and a second mechanic had a look. He suspected that the crown race wasn't seated quite right - it turns out the first mechanic hadn't faced the bottom of the steerer tube and there was a bit of paint there. The crown race looked quite beaten up so he had probably forced it on. The new mech prepared the steerer, re-seated the crown race, and its looking great now. Thanks for all the input.


Can't find a helmet that's large enough please help! I have tried the largest helmet I can find the bern 2xl 3xl wont fit.
The problem I am having is the width of the helmets are not wide enough.
I have a big head.

Helmets.org is a nonprofit organization that compiles lists of helmets that fit specific needs, including a list of helmets that fit particularly large heads. Their website ToS bars verbatim copying (even though data like that is probably not protectable), so all I can do here is link.


Replaced chain, bike makes grinding noise? Recently, I started going to a community bike shop to learn how to maintain and service my own bike.

Ever since I changed the old, worn-out chain to a new chain with a master link, I've been experiencing this grinding when I ride. I can feel the vibrations in my feet when I pedal and the handle bars when I have it on the stand and am examining it. The chain also jumps a lot (feels like it shifts gears without me doing anything, then stays on the same gear anyway).

The bike shop thought it might be the rear gear cog being worn out, so I replaced it and it still happens. We also adjusted the derailer, but it didn't help.

The bike shop volunteer thought it could also be the bottom bracket of the pedals. Which, upon closer inspection, seems likely...it's just weird it only started happening after I changed the chain (which they helped me size, to make sure it was right for my bike).

After looking on here, I think I'll pop off the chain and see if the pedals still make the grinding noise. If they don't make the noise, I'll try a different chain or try flipping the chain (just in case). My next step is taking it into the actual bike shop where I bought it and having them diagnose the problem.

Anyone have anything to add? I'm curious why all these problems only started after I changed the chain. Could it be something else?

Edit: we suspected the cassette was worn and already replaced that, but the problems kept occurring.

Update:

I finally made it into the bike shop again. Last time I was there, we adjusted the back derailer and I guess we didn't get it quite right. I had help adjusting the derailer again and now the chain jumping and skipping is gone!

For the grinding noise, the volunteer I talked to suspects it's the front derailer/chain guard/cogs. Something is rubbing against the chain near the pedal. I'll be working with him next time to further diagnose the problem.

As you have a master link, removing the chain should be easy.

My guess - you threaded the chain in the wrong way through the rear derailleur. There are a couple of metal extrusions between the rollers, intended to keep the chain from jumping.

With the chain still attached, look at the part of the RD I have tried to mark with "1" and check if the chain is rubbing against anything there.


Where can I find Shimano jockey wheels? I have a Shimano RD-M510 rear derailleur that needs both jockey wheels replaced.  Were can I find them for this older unit?
Jerry

The compatible part is SHIMANO RD 5700 and the part number is 5XH9812. The set come as a pair and is available at a number of places such as Chain Reaction Cycles and Wiggle.

The only thing to ensure if using generics is that they are the right chain size.


Cycling to work - 30 mile return I have recently made the decision to commute to work via bike. It’s about 14 miles each way (so just under 30 miles return). I initially started on my old bike but it clearly wasn’t really appropriate for what I consider a fairly long commute, so I purchased an Ebike (a Cube Acid). I love the bike; it’s really opened the possibility of commuting 5 days a week whilst still giving me a decent work out with reasonable heart rate pushes.

I’m now 1 month in, have cycled every day (rain or shine) & am generally really enjoying it.

However, after nearly 500 miles saddle time I’m experiencing quite uncomfortable saddle pains & really sore / numb thighs / legs. I also feel quite tired at points during the day & in the evening.

A lot of the above seems obvious, I am after all putting in nearly 150 miles a week. I also like to push myself some days using Strava to set new Personal Bests (PBs) etc.

My questions are:

Is it normal to feel such pain on the saddle, and is this possibly the cause of numbness in my legs?
Is it possible a bad saddle position is causing a pinched nerve like effect down my legs?

I do wear padded cycling bottoms (although they are cheap Decathlon ones).

Another thing, due to the nature of an Ebike you tend to sit and ride the whole journey, no standing up to push up hills, etc. Is this bad?

I know a lot of people will mock the Ebike, and I know this makes life easier, but although it is making life easier I’m still pushing hard and averaging fairly high heart rates over a 50 min commute each way (better than driving a car, right).

Hopefully a few experienced rider / regular commuter might be able to offer some words of wisdom here.

Even with an e-bike going to 150 miles a week is a big jump. Likely you just need to have a few rest days to allow your body to adapt and recover. 3 weeks is the range in where you start run into problem with long term recovery.

I'd suggest switching down to 3 days a week until you feel completely recovered every day. Also lay off the strava, going for Personal Bests (PBs) is something you should keep to a minimum in daily rides. Focus on a pace that allows you to arrive at work w/o feeling stressed at all. This will help with the leg soreness/tiredness during the day.

The saddle problem is a completely different one that every bike rider has to figure out. Some of it is just that you are spending a lot more time in the saddle, but most of it is finding the right saddle that works for you and your position on the bike. Unfortunately, there are no simple fixes. There are various saddle fitting guides out there, but nothing works for everybody and almost every saddle works for somebody. The best solution would be to find a local bike shop with a saddle demo program that will let you try different saddles until you find the one that works for you.


Bike pedals turning when coasting (not a fixed gear) My pedals are moving when I'm coasting, and if I try to stop them the upper segment of the chain gets really loose, and the rear derailleur does this thing, where it gets almost horizontal, and then something gives and the chain moves – then the whole process repeats.

Here's a video that shows what's happening – you may want to download the video, otherwise the quality is quite poor.

This makes the bike pretty much unridable – I'm new to bicycling, I'd appreciate any suggestions for how to figure this one out.

EDIT 8th Sept 2015

Thank you guys for helping me.
I read the link given in second answer, and there were a lot words unknown to me, so I focused on common speeds, and according to that, I have a freewheel. I took it apart and cleaned it, according to this Youtube video.
It didn't fix my problem.

But, I took a couple of photos of my cassete/freewheel (I'm not sure what it is), so maybe you guys can tell me what it is after all: Photos (download for full resolution).

Most likely it is drag in the free hub / freewheel.  You can start with breaking it down and cleaning it and lubricating.  There are videos on YouTube.

Saw the update to the question.  Does the freewheel spin freely.  Of the bike if you spin it will it make 3+ revolutions.

What is all the brown stuff?  Clean and lube in general.


What do you call the crankset system type on the Sram Apex? I see these everywhere, but no one can come up with a consistent name for them from company to company. GXP is the closest I can come to a name for the bottom bracket.

http://www.sram.com/sram/road/products/sram-apex-crankset#/path/term-id/254

Sram apex is a double chainring crankset which uses a GXP (aka Giga-X-Pipe) bottom bracket which is an external bearing bottom bracket.

I think External Bearing or Outboard bottom bracket are both commonly accepted terms, however there are several different incompatible types of external bottom brackets such as hollowtech, GXP, and Ultra Tourque.


Is Marseille a safe place to ride a bicycle? I learned to ride a bike quite recently and I was thinking about moving to Marseille next year to study.

I love bikes and I would love to be able to get one there and move around the city using it. I've also seen that there are a lot of beautiful locations surrounding the city and I would love to know if I could get there using the bike.

I mentioned the fact that I learned to ride quite recently because I am still afraid of the cars and I would prefer not to ride along the cars in the road. So, is there any kind of cycle lane to move around the city?

Also if anyone could tell me if it is usual for the residents to move around using a bike it would be great.

Marseille was voted worst French city for cyclist in 2013 (see here), but apparently they are trying to change that. Here are potentially useful links: maps of cycle lanes in the city, and a city bike rental scheme run by the city.

You should keep the following in mind also: Marseille gets very hot in the summer and is one of the worst French city for air pollution. You should also get a very good bike lock as theft is rife in some neighbourhoods.

Despite all this, I think it doesn't hurt to try it for a while using the bike rental scheme (first 30 minute is free apparently) and decide if it's for you or not.


Why does my bike stick in low gears? When I change into a low gear (i.e. onto a bigger cog) on my back cog all is fine. However, when I later change up again the chain sticks on the larger cog. I commute about 10 miles a day and this has been happening now for about 3 days. It usually rectifies itself after a period of frantic pedalling. I'm riding a fairly old (2004ish) Specialized Rock Hopper (in good nick) with road tyres.
My thoughts are that this is being caused by either the gear cable sticking somewhere or by a problem in the derailleur.
Any tips on how to diagnose where the problem lies? I guess I could just get a new cable and see if this fixes it.
Thanks!

What is happening is that you have enough force in your hand to move the whole mechanism towards one direction overcoming the failure point, but the spring in the derailleur doesn't have the required force. As you pedal (and ride) vibration helps momentarily reducing friction and allowing the spring to pull back, so it finally shifts.

The most common cause of this issue is rust between the cable and the cable housing. There are also a few other closely related:

Dirt can accumulate inside the cable housing.
The lubricant used on the cable (if any) gets clogged or dries up, also catching dirt.
The lining of the cable housing or inner of the housing itself has
degraded due to wear.
The cable is deformed or frayed inside the housing.

All of the previous are cable related and can be easily diagnosed by disassembling the cable, pulling it out of the housing and visually check the cable. It should look even, without rust and without any permanent sharp bends, i.e. if left hanging it should hang straight or barely and smoothly curved. Also you should be able to pull and push cable in and out of the housing wit almost zero effort (no "perceptible" friction).

The easy way to fix is to replace the cable and the housing. If this is not an option you can clean the cable, try to unbend it, lubricate and reassembly. Frayed cable can be reused by removing the hole strand of wire up to the head of the cable. The cable can survive with one or two strands out. But all these are temporary remedies only, you will quickly observe the symptoms again, specially with frayed cable, chances are it will fray more. Very old cable or too rusted is better not to attempt any of these solutions as they wont last enough to be worthy.

Also remember to clean the housing internally. This can be achieved pouring rust remover or fine oil inside the housing and hope it will get out by the other end dragging the dirt and debris out. This can be messy and time consuming.  If you can blow through it with an air compressor, it may help if the problem is just trapped dirt.

But then again, these are temporary solutions,as most of the time, the housing will be damaged on the inside, due to wear, and this causes rough spots that easily trap more dirt or simply cause friction, so the whole system wont perform as good as with simple brand new cable.

A badly installed cable can also be the cause. Check the hole travel of the cable looking for sharp turns, or the cable being pulled against parts of the frame or components or accessories where it is not supposed to.

If all the previous is verified and corrected as needed but the problem persists, the derailleur itself must be checked. Here the most common causes can be:

Too much dirt trapped among derailleur's linkages
The derailleur is badly bent or otherwise has lost its shape.
There is rust in the pivots
weakened spring due to rust, deformation or excessive wear, or even misplaced spring

All these can be diagnosed for sure with close and careful visual inspection under good light. Nevertheless to be sure you can disconnect the cable, remove the chain and carefully move the derailleur along its designed travel. You should feel clear resistance from the spring and the mechanism should quickly return on itself when you release it. If it presents lag in the return, re-check the above.

The obvious solutions are clean the derailleur and lubricate it's pivots. In case of a misplaced spring, it can be relocated using long fine nose pliers, just be careful. If the spring is too damaged, maybe is better to change the derailleur or try to find a spare spring somewhere, if it's free, better.

If the derailleur is bend or otherwise deformed, you better get another one. Almost only steel ones can be rectified but it is rather difficult and time consuming, it's not worthy most of the time since steel derailleurs tend to be cheap.

Do not forget to inspect and test the shifter lever. The easy way is to disconnect the cable from the derailleur and while gently pulling it outwards the housing, actuate the lever back and forth. The cable should move accordingly. If the shifter is the indexed type, the cable movement should be crisp and without lag. Generally, the lever just needs some lubrication. I do not recommend dis assembly of indexed shifter levers as many are rather complex.

When you finish reassembling the system most sure you'll need to adjust derailleur properly. Sure you'll find lots of methods/tutorials in the cloud or in other questions posted on this site.

If any of the above help you diagnose the problem better take your bike to a local shop.


Purpose of locknuts+adjustable nuts on sealed hub bearings What is the purpose of these locknuts? How tight should they be?

EDIT: I'm asking because even if I remove all the nuts from the axle, leaving just the axle and the bearings, it still won't have any play, and it will turn just the same. The axle won't slide out.

How much to tighten the inner nuts (the ones touching the bearings) against each other (when they don't seem to make any difference)?

The straightforward answer is their purpose is to establish bearing preload, they should be adjusted so that the hub bearings are as loose as possible without play, and they should be tightened against one another to  about 15-17 Nm. (Those are Shimano's generic values but the same numbers can be used pretty safely for locknuts on pretty much any steel hub axle. If you don't have a torque wrench, or the ability to get one on there, just making them nice and tight is fine.)

Usually on hubs like this you're tightening the pair of nuts on each side against one another to lock the adjustment in place. If you were to instead to tighten the inner locknuts (the ones that contact the bearing inner races) down towards each other and then outer locknuts down onto them, you'd tend to end up with a preload adjustment that's too tight.

In reply to the edits: on one side, turn the locknut finger tight against the bearing, then lock it in place with the other locknut. Repeat for the other side.

As to what is the purpose of them, there's a significant hub design element to this question, in that there are many cartridge bearings hubs with no adjustability, where on either side a single nut or endcap pinches the bearing inner race against a shoulder on the axle, instead of a hub like this with preload adjustment via a pair of locknuts. A few hubs like the one pictured use what's called an angular contact bearing and have unshouldered (aka standard) axles, and therefore need the locknuts so they have some way of establishing preload, but most have shouldered steel axles.

I don't know what a hub designer would say about it but I suspect that a reason why a lot of nutted BMX and track hubs with shouldered steel axles are like this is that with only a single locknut per side, it would be too easy for those locknuts to come loose in the process of loosening and tightening the axle nuts. They also may be something of a perceieved insurance policy against tolerance issues between the bore-to-bore spacing on the hub shell and the shoulder-to-shoulder length of the axle, because then even if the axle shoulder spacing is a bit under at least you can use the locknuts to have one inner race be pinched firmly between shoulder and locknut while the other inner race floats on the axle.


Increasing speed and reducing effort on steel MTB on the road I have a low end steel MTB, which is heavy by itself, and I also a heavy man weighting in at 100kg, and on my MTB I have knobby dirt tires.

As you can imagine, riding on the road any faster than 20km/h is a pain. I would be satisfied if I could cruise at 30km/h easily, which I can't now. I'm finding comfort in 20km/h.

What do I need? Road tires? Loose weight? Get more fit?

I was thinking on purchasing a set of Schwalbe Marathon tires, in 26x1.75 size for my MTB to potentially lower the rolling resistance and go faster.

Currently I have Kenda tires, made for the dirt in the 26x2.10 size. These tires also sound horrible, making a lot of noise on the pavement.

How could I increase the speed of my bike?

Also, at what pressure should I inflate my current Kenda tires to potentially go faster? I currently have them at around 60PSI.

Free stuff - start with your bike fit.  Make sure your saddle height is high enough, but not so high your hips wiggle while pedalling.

Check brakes for rub - adjust brakes or true wheel if required.

Carry less stuff - wear fewer clothes when riding.  Roadies tend to avoid big flapping jackets, and their clothes are more close-fitting.

Carry the right stuff - Water and some fuel is useful.  A small thing like a lolly or a square of chocolate or a gel per hour of riding works for me for up to 3 hour rides, after that I need a more solid snack like a muesli bar or bliss balls.

Lock out any suspension on the road.  Bobbing along slowly saps your power.  If there is no lockout, then some bikes have tuneable suspension, so you can make them more firmer and loose less power.  Downside is you still have to drag the useless suspension parts around with you, as excess weight.

Technique - look closely at others and see if you can observe differences between your technique and theirs.

Ride straight, but defensively - I see a lot of slower riders wiggling in and out of parked cars in the stationary lane.   Turning reduces your forward speed, and ducking in between cars for a few metres is dangerous.  So take a position on the road and ride in a straight line.  Wear high vis colours and so on, but be perceptive to your surroundings in front and behind.  I found the faster I go the further away from the kerb/curb I want to be.  Be a door's width from parked cars.  Ride with lights, even DRLs in the daytime.

Then a service - clean/lube your chain, clean your cassette, check wheel and BB axles for play/wobble.   If you can do this yourself its free, otherwise its a service cost at the LBS.

Next options cost money, sorry.

New commuter tyres is your first and easiest gain.    Inflate towards the higher end of the pressure range.   Store your old tyres in case you want to take the bike on something offroad and gnarly someday.

Long term free things:

Carry less weight - Develop and implement a weight loss plan.  I started at 105 kilos and have dropped to 95 over two years.  This has certainly helped.  However a lot of the weight loss has been offset with muscle mass.

Ride more/train more  -  Developing both fast and slow twitch muscle fibres will help with your raw burst power and your endurance respectively.  This is not an overnight process, but better legs will totally help you go faster for longer.

Ride with others - Some of my best times have been gained while in pursuit of other riders.  Organised rides help keep the motivation up, and show you routes or methods that could help you.  Plus draughting/drafting can be a good 30% saving on your power input.

After that, you can look at getting more aerodynamic, but at some point you have to stop spending money to "put makeup on the swine" and start saving for a road bike.

As motivation, consider a lot of lighter road bikes have a maximum rider weight of 90 or 95 kilos, so consider setting this as a target weight before buying a new bike.


What is the correct inflation pressure for hybrid road/city bike? I have a road bike and I got a flat tire probably after going back on the road from the sidewalk very carefully. I guess I pinched my tire.

I usually inflate my tires to 7 bars. Is it enough and can I avoid this kind of issues with a higher pressure?

I also discover that I can replace my tires with some with Kevlar on it. Is it a good alternative?

When you take the tire off to fix the puncture- find where the hole(s) are. If there are 2 holes approx the rim width apart, then you have a pinch flat. If it is just one hole, then its probably glass/thorn etc. You will get punctures from glass/thorn no matter what pressure you run at.

Once you have checked, if it's a double hole- run your pressures higher, suggest you look at your tyre and run just below the max (eg. if max is 100 psi (7 bar), run at 90 (6.2 bar). If you run them at the max pressure, it can feel very "hard" on the road (but is used for maximum efficiency)

If it's a single hole- then looking at tyres with Kevlar/other puncture protection would be a good idea (especially if it continues to happen).


Help identify vintage kids bike I found this bike under our house we recently purchased. Wasn't able to find anything online and was wondering if anyone knows this type of bike? and if its worth fixing up for my son.

I would consider it scrap metal. There are a few safety concerns. While millions of us survived childhood on bikes like these they don't meet current safety standards. The single coaster brake means that if the chain broke or fell off there would be no brakes. Modern bikes have hand brake mounted along with the coaster brake. The lack of a chain guard is a danger as a pant leg could get caught. The fork also appears to be bent as if the bike was in some sort of frontal crash. If your goal is an inexpensive bike consider used as children quickly outgrow them and most have limited use.


Clicking with each pedal stroke, warranty? So I recently bought a trek marlin 7, mostly to commute to work, nothing rough so far, and this week when I'm going uphill specially, or downhill, or accelerating; sometimes is downright random, it makes two click noises, once per pedal stroke click, click, then click, click... weirdly sometimes it throws three click cl... click! two for the first stroke and one for the second stroke.

I'm getting pissed because the worst is that I can feel them in the pedals, and I don't know if it's going to blow up at some point and throw me out the bike, specially when I'm going fast. But it happens randomly and rarely, however quite audible. I checked the derailleurs to the brakes and the seat, nope, the sound occurs in any gear.

But this bike is fairly new, will it be covered by the warranty? I'm broke now after I bought it.

It's hard to diagnose the problem remotely, though the suggestions in the comments are good things to try.  Normally, I try to give "educational" answers that show people how to fix problems on their own, but I don't feel I have the expertise in this case, so I'm going to make the non-educational suggestion.

Your bike is brand new, so you should take it back to the shop you bought it from. New bikes almost always need a little adjustment after a few weeks and your bike shop will be happy to fix the problem for you. There's probably nothing seriously wrong and it won't even be treated as a warranty issue unless parts need to be replaced.  They'll just make the necessary adjustments, very likely without charge.  From a purely mercenary point of view, they want you to be a happy customer so you come back and spend more money there. But, actually, my experience is that bike shops seem to be full of genuinely nice people who want you to be happy cyclist because they care about cycling.


Traction, sidesliding Has anyone experienced poor traction and side sliding using these Kevlar type tyres. My front wheel has slid sideways and caused me to come of the bike on three occasions now since I had them fitted. Would be grateful for your response. Thanks Tim

I'm guessing it's not the Kevlar belt that's causing the issue so much as the correlation between a Kevlar belt and an overall stiff tire. One of the most important qualities of a tire is its suppleness: how easily it deforms and contours itself to the uneven surface of the road. By deforming easily, you maximize surface area and increase grip. By adding lots of layers of puncture protection, some tires become rigid and don't handle sideways load all that well.

I don't necessarily recommend different tires: only you can determine whether the added puncture protection is worth taking more gradual turns. Push down hard on the outside pedal while cornering, and avoid taking turns over manhole covers, raised paint, train tracks, or any other type of road adornment, because they all can be pretty slick.


How strong is the remote lockout on rock shox? I ask because I realized yesterday that I had left lockout on for hours of riding at a bmx style track hitting jumps and wallrides.

I found the lockout helped a lot and I'll continue using it for that if it doesn't damage my shocks.

EDIT: The exact model of fork I have is

Rock Shox 30 Silver TK Solo Air
Tapered Steerer / Remote Lockout
Reb. Adj. / 100mm travel

First, you should understand how suspensions with lockouts work. Fluid suspensions(oil or air) like yours have a valve inside them that lets the fluid flow through at a constricted rate on the way up, and very quickly on the way down. This is what gives the dampening effect on suspensions. Lockouts effectively completely close off that valve.
However, obviously the valve is not infinitely strong. At some point, it will give way and let the air through. This is where blow-offs come in. Blow-off basically refers to that point where the lockout 'fails' and dampens the shock anyway.
The model you have has something called TurnKey which is Rock Shox patented name for blow-off. It has an adjustable blow-off point which will let you set the amount of force required for the blow-off to occur.
Now that you know how these systems work, consider your case of riding your MTB as a BMX on a track. If you set the turnkey/blowoff too low, you'll risk it suddenly dropping on a big landing and if you are taking a turn or something immediately after, you can risk losing your balance. If you set it too high, you probably can damage the valve in the shocks by stressing it too much.
So to conclude, not really, riding on the lockout won't affect the suspension too much because as soon as the wheel hits something too hard, the lockout will 'fail' and go back to normal damping as long as you don't set the blow-off so high that it is practically impossible to hit the bow-off. Just don't set it so low you hit the drop-off all the time and defeat the point of locking out.


Liability Insurance - What if you break the law? Are there any insurance policies out there that cover you if you have an accident while say, jumping a red light or cycling the wrong way on a one-way road?

Note that 'liability insurance' is for damage you do to others, and 'personal insurance' is for damage you sustain. So your title suggests you want cover for, eg, running into a Rolls Royce when jumping a red light, while your question body suggests 'what happens to me if I go round the barriers and ride under a train?'

It's almost impossible to find insurance for illegal activities in general, and often even for non-causal/incidental minor infringements. That makes sense if you start from the extreme cases "I want to insure my house before I set it on fire" or "I want to buy life insurance before I kill myself" and work backwards until you find a nice easily-defended place to draw the line... "it's illegal so you're not insured".

Your normal cover on just about anything (per Matt) should give you some liability insurance and it may well pay out if your infringements are not considered relevant. But if it goes to court you will almost certainly lose because the other side will be very keen to point out the law-breaking.

For personal cover it's harder. There's are lots of UK articles about how to invalidate your car insurance by breaking trivial laws, like this one but they are all very careful to say "might invalidate" or "may cause insurer to deny". So if you, say, are on the wrong side of the road, hit a pot-hole and go over the handlebars you could well be covered because you would probably have been hurt even if you were obeying the law. But if you hit that Roller above and wreck your bike you're unlikely to be covered for anything and Murphy's Law says the Roller will have a QC behind the wheel.


How do I stop chain from moving and jamming up when I stop pedaling my multi-speed bike? When coasting (not pedaling) on a multi-speed bike, the chain does not stop moving and starts piling up on itself between the pedals and rear gears.

How do I fix this?

That means that "drive" is coming in through the rear wheel.

Normally there's a one-way escapement in the rear wheel's hub called a freewheel or a freehub, but they do the same job, which is to let the rear wheel spin when the cassette remains still.

Yours sounds like it has sufficient dirt in it to carry a rotational torque across the interface.  Fancy words saying its dirty, and not disengaging properly.

Inside the freehub will be a mechanism something like this:

Those Pawls (not pauls) push one way, but when your wheel is going faster than the cassette, they're supposed to fold down against some spring pressure.  That's what makes the click or buzz or whirr of coasting.

In your case, they're not fully moving out of the way, or there's another obstruction in there, which is allowing the wheel to push the cassette around.

SOLUTION Open it and clean it.

Remove rear wheel from bike.
Remove cassette from wheel.

If you have a freewheel, then the clicky parts will be on the cassette.
If you have a freehub, the clicky parts will stay on the wheel (this can be removed from wheel but exact methods vary—often an 8/10/12 mm hex tool is needed.

Manipulate the parts and see where they're crunchy—that's the cause of your problem. You can probably use solvents or cleaners to improve the situation, by soaking the part, or pushing the cleaner fluids through cracks. If you have an ultrasonic cleaner then that can be perfect.  Rinse, flush, repeat, dry, and if they're running better, relube and reassemble.

If that doesn't help a lot, you may need to open the freehub.  THIS IS RISKY. There could be a hundred small ball bearings inside this unit, and no guarantee it's user-serviceable.  A straight-up replacement might be your answer instead, but do be aware there are many brands and fitment designs, so you need the same as what you removed.

More info at https://www.missionbicycle.com/how-do-freewheels-work