How to keep the pants from getting dirty If it is wet, not necessarily pouring rain, it is easy to get the bottom of the pants and the shoes dirty. My tires have protective platesfenders, yet it is not enough. If there a way to avoid that?

Protective plates?  You mean Fenders/Mudguards?

I can think of 3 things that could help, other than simply bringing a change:

Bigger fenders (wider, and/or go down the tire more).  Basically, some fenders are better than others. A front fender that's wider than the tire with a stay (rod) going back for support that hugs the tire fairly closely  and extends down to the height of the bottom bracket is ideal.
A mudflap hanging from the bottom of the front fender.  This is a flap made of something flexible (rubber, leather, etc) that hangs from the bottom of the fender.  It effectively extends the fender down even further without it being a problem if it hits something.  Some fenders/mudguards come with this. Or you can add one.
Protective pants over your regular pants.  I have a pair of yellow rain pants that I put on over my regular pants when cycling in the rain.

Nothing will be 100%. It's always possible to get splashed by something else from the side.


Are reflectors mandatory by the UK highway code? I bought a set of mudguards recently, the rear one attaches onto the seat post.

I have a red reflector that also attached onto the seatpost, so if I have both the seat has to be too high and only my toes can touch the ground when seated.

I've removed the reflector, is this OK or is it required by the highway code?

There is a good "common language" guide to the bike specific regulations in the Highway Code here.

The relevant paragraph reads:

  At night your cycle MUST have white front and red rear lights lit. It MUST also be fitted with a red rear reflector (and amber pedal reflectors, if manufactured after 1/10/85).

So, while I am not a barrister, nor a UK citizen, the answer appears to be that you have to have a rear reflector somewhere. However, there may be some wiggle room since the law specifies at night.  It seems unlikely that if you only ride during the day that you will run into a problem if you remove it.

Most jurisdictions in the US and other countries have similar laws.  While safety experts generally agree that a rear light is much more effective (and UK law seems to recognize this by requiring not only the light, but that it be lit), you can usually get away with a rear light that is also made out of red or amber reflective material.


How does weight and strength of a person effects the riding of bicycle at higher speeds? I weigh very low about 56 kilograms and height is 5 feet 6 inches.I use a hybrid for fun and commuting.

While riding i use the hishest gear on my bike always i.e 48 tooth front and 11 tooth back.
I usually travel at the speed of 26km/h - 30 km/h (16.15 to 18.64 mile per hour) on flat  with very little opposite side wind but when i  push harder i go about 40 km/h (24.85 miles per hour) on flat with very little opposite side wind while only for short bursts of 1 minute or so.

I was wondering if increasing my weight to say +10 kilograms would help me gain speed since its the weight of the body which is used to push the pedals and you can push only so much as your weight considering newtons thrird law of motion,

  Every action has equal and opposite reaction

i.e your push on pedals pushs your body upwards so  the max amount of force or push that can be applied on the pedals is equivalent to your body weight unless your shoulders are tied to the frame of the bicycle.

TLDR -  Weight training is the wrong activity for improving both your sustained  speed (26-30kph) and your 1-minute speed (40kph).  Read below to understand why.

Background

There are three main types of skeletal muscles: slow twitch (type 1), fast oxidative (type 2 a) and fast glycolytic (type 2 b). Your make up of the three types determined primarily by genetics (with some interchangeability between type 2b and type 2a).  These muscles differ by the metabolic pathway used to power contraction, as well as contraction speed and strength and ability to perform repeated contractions.

Slow twitch (type 1) are weak and slow but are what power sustained efforts. These muscles generate power through aerobic glycolysis (i.e., "burning" oxygen).  While weaker total force output these muscles have high endurance (due to the use of oxygen). If you are doing any sustained activity over 1 minute in duration you are primarily using these muscles.  If you are a professional endurance cyclist you were likely gifted by genetics with a higher proportion of type 1 fibers than the regular joe.  (Aside from doping, it really is easier for them.)

If you are sprinting (efforts under 1 minute - like your 40kph efforts) you will be primarily using type 2a.  When you are mashing the pedals hard in a maximal effort (under 10 sec) you are using type 2b fibers. Type 2a uses a mix of anaerobic and aerobic pathways while type 2b only use anaerobic pathways.

What weight training actually does...

That leaves us with the question of what will happen when we weight train and gained 10 kilos of muscles (hypertrophy). Muscle hypertrophy occurs primarily through chronic anaerobic, high-intensity resistance activity.  This means you will be developing type 2b primarily along with some type 2a (actually changing your type 2a behave more like type 2b) and a bit of type 1 (the actual splits depends on type of resistance training).

Your ability to accelerate quickly would likely improve the most. Your 40 kph (type 2a powered) could increase a bit.    Your sustained 26-30 (kph) might increase a little bit, if you kept up aerobic training as well.

The specificity principle

This gets us to the specificity principle.  The training needs to be specific to the task.  This comes in terms of strengthening the right muscle for the action (circular pedal motion), building up connective and support tissue (strong core is important - you can't fire a cannon from a canoe! - although...) and muscle recruitment pattern (how your brain activates individual muscle fibers).

For cycling, the circular motion is un-natural.  As such we need to train your muscles with the activity at hand.

Improving sustained efforts

To improve you 26-30 kph sustained speed you would need to stay away from the weight room as we need to train type 1 muscle fibers.   We can't make these muscles much bigger per say, but more efficient.

This means improving muscle recruitment. (ask stack exchange for pedalling exercises)
This means improving aerobic metabolism efficiency. (Long Slow Days - LSD)
This means improving the lactic acid threshold. (Aerobic threshold efforts)

Most when they go on endurance rides they laugh at (1), then ride somewhere between (2) and (3); doing what we commonly refer to as junk miles.  You will need to specifically train these three components individually to get the biggest improvements your sustained speed.  A coach can be highly beneficial here.

Improving 1 minute efforts

Here we want to train our type 2a fibers and perhaps "recuit" some type 2b to be like, or function more like, like type 2a (this is a bit of a disputed topic as to the mechanism).  They gym may help a bit but something like interval training (repeated hard efforts, e.g., 2 min on 1 minute off, repeated 8 times) will do wonders.  Interval training is generally hard to do and hard to get right, a coach is recommended.


Can I use a Shimano 105 10 speed BCD 130mm 52t chainring as a replacement in my 9 speed tiagra triple crankset? I currently run Tiagra triple 9 speed crank, 50/39/30
The BCD on the 50 being 130mm.
I'd like to replace the 50t with a 52t to make it 52/39/30.
I'm looking at a Shimano 105 52t chainring but it says it's intended for a double crank and 10 speed drivetrain.

But you think I can make that ring work in my setup?

Should work fine, assuming the BCD on the 105 52t chain ring is also 130 mm (and not 110 mm - compact).  The 105 chainring will be profiled ever so slightly thinner for the 10 speed chain, but will not affect 9 speed performance. Make sure to orient the new ring in the correct position with the small metal tab (that catches an errant chain)  pointing  toward the crank arm.


Which cycle is preferable for daily commute to office in India? I have two questions – which cycle and which bag?

I need to travel everyday 20 KM to and fro by office cab. I want to switch to bicycle.
Could you recommend a good enough bicycle in India at low price? I am planning to buy it on Amazon.

I also need to carry a backpack (for my lunch box and perhaps a book), I found messenger bag to be good (Why do cyclists prefer messenger bags over backpacks?). But since I'm not a regular cyclist, I want to know if 10KM is a short distance or long and any backpack is good enough for this distance. And when should I prefer backpack to messenger bag, because I think the strap of messenger bag would uncomfortable as it may keep shifting while walking or riding?

And I also may use the bicycle every weekends for going to library which is 15KM far from my home.

I am ready to buy bicycle and backpack soon after I get an answer. Please help me here.

I'd suggest that you start with a used bike – perhaps the Indian craigslist would be a place to start. You could observe what people are using for commuter bikes in your area, maybe even talk with some of them, and get some ideas about what sort of bike would be appropriate for you. A used bike will be less expensive and you'll lose less money if you decide to sell it and get another bike once you learn what works for you.

Regarding the bag, 10 km isn't too far, if you've got a backpack start with that. You'll probably find that the pack is hot on your back and you may prefer something else – but for starters any bag that isn't too uncomfortable to ride with will get you started. For myself, I don't like having any kind of bag on my back when I ride, so I use panniers – but I have the luxury of feeling relatively comfortable leaving them on the bike for short stops. If you want to get off you bike and go into a store or office with minimal fussing with the bike I think a messenger bag or backpack would be a better way to go.


Wheel builder London? Bought a new bike and rode it for a week. Unfortunately the spokes loosend until it was unrideable. No idea how this came about but it looks like I need someone to rebuilt the wheel.

Does anyone know of a good wheel builder in East London or London in general? I need a wheel rebuilt and I thought I might just go with the best guy for the job!

edit: this is a Dutchie Dapper 3-Speed I bought four months old from someone who couldn't handle the size of the bike.

The wheel that finally worked for me is a Mavic A719 with Sapim Strong spokes and a spoke freeze as well as the thickest Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyre they could fit on the wheel. It was built by Mamachari Bikes in Dalston, London. I've been having no problems with it since a few months now.


How can I mitigate the risk of public urination charges on long rides? Qualifying offenses for the sex offender registry
can include public urination. Though the chance may be small, the potential consequences are severe. Unfortunately, bladders are apparently designed in ignorance of these laws. A few obvious solutions, such as intentionally becoming dehydrated or only riding in urban settings, are impractical.

How can cyclists avoid becoming sex offenders when nature calls on long rides?

Plan your route accordingly.  Make sure there's a couple gas stations or restaurants along the way that you could stop at if the need arises. It's probably a good idea to be somewhat close to civilization not only for urination purposes, but also in case you have some major mechanical problem with your bike, or you fall and get hurt.  This doesn't mean your route has to be urban, but you should be able to plan a route such that you pass by some kind of civilization every 40-60 minutes.  Alas, if you are that far out, you could always go off a side road or into the bush and relieve yourself there.  If you're so far from civilization that you can't make it to a gas station, odds are that there won't be many cops around to prosecute you either.


Cone of axle damaged? Looking at the provided image, is the cone sufficiently damaged that it need replacing?

Thanks!

That's pretty heavy pitting. If you check the hub inserted race, you'll probably find that it's also pitted, though nowhere near as bad. There's more surface area on the cup, so the cone usually pits a lot more, which is good because the cup is typically not replaceable. If the cup is pitted, however, the cone will prematurely start pitting again, though it will take a while.

The good news is that this isn't likely to result in an unexpected failure that leaves you stranded. These cheap cup & cone hubs will go on and on and on with damaged races and most riders never notice it. In the "old days" of Normandy and other cheap, European hubs, it was rare to find an unpitted cone in a used hub, even if it had never been contaminated with dirt or water. I've seen inexpensive Taiwanese hubs that can go thousands of miles and spin as smooth as a sealed bearing hub. Pick up the front end of any well-used, inexpensive bike and give the front wheel a spin. The amount of rumbling you feel in the handlebars is an indication as to how much the cones are pitted.

BTW, one of the really nice things about hubs with sealed cartridge bearings is that the entire bearing is easily replaceable. As long as these hubs use standard bearings, as most do, the replacements are quite inexpensive and you can replace one in less time than it takes to clean and regrease a cup & cone bearing.

You shouldn't have any problem getting replacement cones through a shop. Check the rest of the wheel carefully and if the rim is true and spokes are in good shape, then by all means go ahead and rebuild the hub with a new cone. Just be sure to replace the balls as well.


Identify old bicycle w/locking steering column? Pulled this bike out of an old shed on a property we just purchased. Believe it to be an aluminum frame but was more intrigued with the locking steering column. The badge is not on it; can anyone tell me more about it?

Additional Info:

The home is located in MS and was built at the turn of the century. The young girl who rode it would have been 12yo in '38. I had moved the bike to a garage and took this photo. Regarding the badge, I looked at the head tube and saw two holes (vertically spaced ~2-3 inches apart) and an outline. We were visiting over the holiday and unfortunately don't have the opportunity for more detailed photos at this time.

Could be a Aluminium Monarch Silver King.
Good luck!


Help identifying Freewheel lockring I've recently acquired a retro steel bike which needs some work.
Has anyone ever seen a freewheel with this type of locking system? I haven't been able to find any tool which seems like it would be designed to open it. Note the splines are opposite from a normal lockring (ie: small gaps on the outside).
I've heard some older freewheel bikes have 'unremovable' freewheels- is this perhaps one of them?
There are no identifying marks or brand logos.

(https://i.stack.imgur.com/pcbXT.jpg)

Uniglide. Cassette, not freewheel. The small cog is the lockring. Remove with two chainwhips.


Can I use a cyclocross bike for regular road-biking purposes? I want to race cyclocross, and I also want to ride some longer rides out on the road. Can I buy a cyclocross bike and use it for both cyclocross and some serious road rides (I'm talking century type rides)? Or will I be uncomfortable riding long rides on a cyclocross bike?

You can absolutely ride road on a cx bike. Many of the components are actually road components, including the wheels, so slap a pair of 700x23's on the stock wheelset and off you go.
Things to consider: 1)Cross bikes are going to be a little heavier than a road bike in the same price range- probably a couple to a few pounds. Ultimately not that big of a deal if you're not riding road competitively. 2)Some may argue, but it's ok to be wrong... cantilever brakes are inferior to road calipers, at least on the road. I wont get into why cx bikes use cantis as there are plenty of explanations across the interwebs, but you won't get the same control out of a pair of cantis (or v's/mini-v's) that you'll get from road brakes. There's a reason that they're different. The best substitute, and they're getting much easier to get your hands on now since discs recently became UCI legal for cx, is frame/fork combo built to accept disc brake calipers. Again, they're slightly heavier than canti's or v's, but the overall feel is worth it, both on and off the road (and especially in the mud!)
3)This is probably the biggest one in my opinion...
Though they are similar, ultimately the feel between a road bike and a cx bike is noticeably different. Among more subtle differences, Cx bikes have longer wheelbases, higher bottom brackets, longer chainstays, and slacker headtube angles than road bikes do. These are all good things when riding off the road and in the mud because they lend to the bike's stability. On the road however, these geometry differences translate into a slower steering, more sluggish feeling bike. Once again, there's a reason that they're different.

That said, my cx bike probably sees the same amount of mileage as my road bike does. I ride it on the road regularly even for longer rides and it is a great commuter. If you need one bike to do it all and you don't plan on hitting seriously gnarly mtb trails (they can handle light to moderate singletrack duty), a cx bike is the most versatile machine you can own.
To answer the next part of your question, you 99.99% of the time you are going to come out on top financially by purchasing a complete bike as opposed to piecing it together by buying parts separately. Building a bike from scratch is fun and you get exactly the build out that you want, but in my experience with many bikes it has never once been cheaper
Finally, to find the right bike, go to several of the reputable bike shops around you and try out what they have. Due to geometry differences you may like one bike better than the next or one may fit you better than the rest. Test rides are key. There are a ton of great bike brands out there and a lot of your choice may come down to personal preference. Find a shop with a good fitter. Bike fit is important for all styles of bikes, but it's crucial if you're going to be spending a bunch of time on the road. Some shops will throw a professional fitting in with the purchase of a new bike. Be sure to ask.
Good luck!


Dropper seat post with 150 mm of travel Are there dropper seat posts with 150 mm of travel on the market other than Rock Shox Reverb Stealth and Kind Shock (LEV & Supernatural)?

I can't find any other posts, unless they are boutique and don't sell online. However it looks like Thomson, Fox, and Crank Brothers all have posts with 125mm which seems to be the next step down. From there, a few have 110mm and the rest are at 100mm.


Which combination of single chainring and crankset goes with 6 speed? I have 90s Bianchi "Project 2" which is early hybrid of MTB and roadbike it says. I want to customised to single chainring narrow wide (somewhere between 48 to 40T), but leaving original rear 6 speed (14-28T). I like this old 6 speeds since I don't ride so much on hills.
First question is, is this set up make sense? Does keeping 6speed makes more complication for further set up? Such as finding apprortiate chain, crankset, other parts, etc. If easier or eventually cheaper to install other setup, please let me know.
If keeping 6 speed is possible. I would like to know; which chainring (narrow wide between 48T-40T) and crankset goes well together?
I have a BB-CS11 but I can also replace with other.
I am beginner and stepped into a mud of bike tuning :)
thanks!

It makes sense if it makes sense for you. As you use the same rear cassette/freehweel, you'll need to stick to using same 6-speed chains as before.
I assume your current setup has a triple front chainring. If there are no issues with exclusively using the middle front chainring with all 6 rear cogs, neither from the drivetrain (no rub/noise/ chain jumping etc) nor from the rider, then I'd say the triple can be replaced with a single chainring put in the middle position.
You should look out for the chainstay-teeth clearance; the middle ring sits closer to the frame than the biggest ring, and as so it has to be relatively smaller to clear the frame. Unless you plan to go with something crazy however (48 teeth might be the case), I am sure you'll be fine.
6-speed chains are a bit wider than 9/10/11 speed ones, which narrow-wide chainrings are designed around. Also, your derailleur won't have a clutch to maintain chain tension. This means that chain retention will be less than it could be, but for the hybrid bicycle usage cases, I do not think you will notice that.


Lockout Lego on after going down a flight of stairs I recently was biking on some roads with my Specialized Pitch Sport 2015 MTB when I found a dirt trail, and forgot to shut off my lockout. I did a bit of hopping on my suspension, but the path was relatively smooth. I only realised after riding down a staircase that my suspension was locked.

Did I damage my suspension by going down the staircase, hopping on the suspension or going 30 mph on somewhat smooth asphalt?

FYI the fork is a Sr suntour xct modified by Specialized and I weigh 100 pounds.

It is highly unlikely that you have damaged your suspension.  At worst you may have shortened its life by some small and immeasurable amount.

As long as it functions okay now, all you need to do is remember to service it at the appropriate interval.

You can't possibly damage locked-out suspension by riding on flat smooth road because that's exactly what its designed for.    Hopping and stairs would be the cause of any damage.


Shimano shifter neither reaching top nor bottom gear So, I have the Shimano shifter, depicted below that selects from the 7 rear-wheel sprockets.
To my surprise it no longer reaches highest nor lowest gear.
At first I thought the cable could have lost tension, but that is not the case. Also, if it were the case, I would expect it not to reach lowest, but easily reach highest.
What is going on with a shifter if it can't reach the extreme positions anymore?
It used to work just fine.

Common reasons for a derailleur not getting to the low gears (larger sprockets) is the shift cable slipping through the pinch bolt that secures it on the derailleur, cable housing has come out of shifters or frame stops or bad adjustment via the barrel adjusters.
The common reason for a derailleur not getting to the high gears (smaller sprockets) is the cable hanging up in the cable housing and preventing the derailleur spring from moving the cage outwards.
First follow the cable run from the shifter to the check the cable housing is properly inserted in the shifter and all frame stops.
Detach the cable from the derailleur, tension the cable by pulling on it with a pair of pliers, work the shifter and make sure it shifts through all gears and pulls in and lest out the cable smoothly. If the cable does not move through the housing smoothly take the cable out and wipe it off, if you still have problems replace the cable and housing.
With the back wheel of the ground, manually pedal and carefully push the derailleur cage in to make sure it will move between the smallest and largest sprockets. If the derailleur range is too limited check the limit adjustments and look for anything jamming the parallelogram.
Reattach the shift cable and follow a guide for derailleur set up and adjustment. Park Tool has a really good one.
Cleaning the chain, derailleur jockey wheels and sprockets and re-lubing the chain will help also.


While pedaling standing up, bike crank gives in as if shifting, what is causing this? While standing up and pedaling, the cranks give in as if shifting.

It seams like I am shifting down, but my hands are off the shifter, almost like the chain is skipping a link.

I took it to a bike repair shop that charged me 30 bucks to replace a chain. However, the problem still exists. What are the likely causes of this?

Since it only happens when you stand I would say it is definitely a combination of a worn chain and worn chainring, and nothing to do with shifters or derailleurs.

As a chain wears, it 'stretches', meaning the distance between the pins in the chain grows. This is a result of the side plates wearing into the pin. Once the chain starts to 'stretch', it starts to wear on the teeth of the chainring. If you look at it close you will likely notice that the valley's between the teeth on the chainring are not uniform, and the the tips of teeth are wearing down, compared to a new chain ring.

When you apply torque to the crank, each tooth of the chainring pushes against the roller on the pins of the chain. On a bike with a rear derailleur, there is a spring which keeps tension on the chain. As the chainring teeth wear out, and you apply a certain level of torque on the cranks, it becomes possible to exceed the tension applied by the derailleur and the chain will simply 'roll' up and over the teeth on the chainring, effectively skipping a tooth. This usually happens very suddenly.

The only right solution is to buy a new chain and new chainring (or chainrings). Putting a new chain on a worn chainring or a worn chain on a new chainring will only accelerate the wear on the new item. The bicycle shop should have sold you both.


Are there other explanations for slow tyre pressure loss? I rode my road bike on Friday and the tyres were at the correct pressure then, around 100psi.  On Tuesday, I jumped on without checking them and quickly realised something was wrong with the rear tyre.  It wasn't completely flat but was fairly soft.  I hadn't gone far so went home and took the car to work instead.  When I got home later, I was surprised to find the tyre, while still soft, hadn't lost all pressure by any means.  It was around 40psi and felt the same as when I left it in the morning.

I decided there must be a slow leak somewhere, but I couldn't find one anywhere, putting the inner under water and going around it methodically looking for bubbles.  I've never failed to find a leak before that way.

I've switched it out anyway because I don't want to mess around with my commute, but I'm curious ... is there another explanation for that amount of pressure loss?  Or must there have been a puncture somewhere that I missed somehow?

The tyres (whole bike) are pretty new and in excellent condition.

Could be a faulty valve that only leaks under high pressure.  You won't be able to find this kind of thing by putting it under water because there's no way you'll get the tube up to 100 psi while it isn't on the rim with the tire on.  It could also be due to very very small holes in the tube, again which don't make any difference until the tire is at very high pressure.  You may be able to test this if you fill the tire up to full pressure and then leave it in the bath tub or other large sink.  you should be able to see if air is escaping from the valve this way. Not sure if you would be able to see air escaping from very small holes in the tube though as they might not be visible due to the tire/rim.


Making the pedals on my kid's bike rotate when I push so he'll learn to pedal I bought a 12" bike with support wheels for my kid. He is 2.5 years old. He is not pedaling the bike, so I push the bike from the back. The bike moves forward, the wheels rotate, but the pedals do not move. Since the pedals do not move, my kid just puts his feet on them and will not pedal.

How can I make the pedals move when the wheels move so that he'll learn to pedal?

So your boy is simply sitting and not pedalling, so you push him along?  Of course he's not going to pedal when he's getting a free ride from you.

Stop Pushing!

Firstly, does he understand how a bike works?  Do you ride?  Does he see you or others riding?

You might consider going the other way, and remove the whole transmission and the training wheels.  Essentially revert the bike to a balance bike until he gets the idea that he has to push.

Something like this:

Eventually he'll realise how slow the balance bike is, and want his pedals back to go faster.  And that's awesome.


Will 26 x 2.0 tire fit on bicycle with 26 x 2.125 size tire I am planning to purchase Maxxis Larsen TT 26 x 2.0 tire for my Firefox Cyclone D 26 bicycle.

My bicycle currently has 26 x 2.125 tire. Just wanted to know if the above Maxxis tire will fit or not.

Yes. It will work fine.

Judging by the description of the rims, it is likely they are Weinmann 519 or Zach 19s, or something very similar. Most of these generic double wall rims fall right around 19mm for inner width. This means they will comfortably hold a tire from 1.20" to 2.50". Many if not most big box store bikes use this size for that exact reason. There are a lot of readily available tire options and they are one of the more mass produced sizes so the cost of purchasing the rims as well as tires is cheap.


Bike bag options for commuting to and from Airport I've got a quick trip later in the year to Italy and I'm considering biking on my full sized road bike to/from the airport at both ends of the trip. I'll have my trusty Chrome Industries Rolltop 37 with me for clothes/tools but I was wondering if there's a fold-able or collapsible bike bag that I could use to transport the bike that would be small enough to fold up in to my backpack? When I get to Italy, I'll have an 80Km cycle so it would have to be lightweight.

An alternative and front runner for now is, getting a ride/taxi to my local airport with bike in a cardboard box (that they ship to shops in) and then hopefully obtaining a box from Safe Bag when I depart. UPDATE This is not available at the airport I'm travelling to but looks like a good product.

This is an EU to EU flight. Cost of bringing the bike on the flight will be about €100. I'm flying with Ryanair and their bicycle policy is as follows:

Bicycles - MUST be contained in a protective box or protective bike bag in order to be
accepted for travel

Bike rental is not something I'd like to consider at this time. The return flight is quite early so I'm not even sure I'd be able to return a rental I was to consider that option.

Any suggestions would be great.

You could pair a Burly Travoy with a bike suitcase if you're willing to put up with a trailer while you're touring:

+

The bonus is that you get to use the bike suitcase to hold all your belongings in a nice, watertight compartment while on the road. The downside is that it looks wonky. I'm not sure if the Travoy is designed for hundreds of miles of touring. It's certainly heavier and more unwieldy than an axle-mounted trailer. And you'll likely get hit with extra baggage fees for the bike suitcase.

In any case the Travoy+bike-suitcase combo what some Bromptoneers and other folders do, albeit our bikes are much smaller and so it's actually workable since we don't pay extra fees for our bikes. Here's a youtube video of someone doing it with a Tern.

Alternately: there's nothing that stops you from doing this with another type of trailer (such as an axle-mount). Or that would stop you from designing your own bike suitcase with detachable wheels so that it turns into a trailer (or trailer into a bike suitcase):


Use of Shimano long-reach calipers with "New Super SLR" brake levers/shifters So my bike has Shimano Tiagra ST-4600/4603 brifters (it's a triple) but is fitted with long-drop BR-R451 calipers. In theory, these should be incompatible because of the change in cable pull ratio, which Shimano seem to call "New Super SLR" that happened in the 4500->4600 / 5600->5700 etc. transition.

However, I have found conflicting sources as to whether this is OK, including the Shimano compatibility chart at hosted at Celebrazio which firmly says "No!" (although if you're using the flat-bar lever it's OK?); whereas the Shimano Line-Up chart seems to think it's all right to use as an alternative to the short-reach in-series caliper. Also, a previous edition of the compatibility chart says that mixing the older brakes with newer levers is permissible.

I presume this is the same situation as using the short-reach brakes from a previous series of the groupset with the newer levers, in which case is there any solid advice about making the setup work?

I am currently using a mixed set of calipers, a Super SLR BR451 front and a non-Super SLR BR600 rear. I was using an older non-Super SLR Ultegra 6600 levers and the braking was good but not outstanding. I have recently switched to Super SLR 105 5700 STI levers. The front braking is noticeable better. The rear has fine power, but the amount of force needed to actuate the brake has increased. I first suspected poor cable and housing routing, but it was not that.

I plan to get and try a rear BR650 caliper in the near future.


Should thighs touch the stomach to reduce flab? I got myself a new bike and i have been told by many to reduce the seat height or bend more to cycle such that the thighs touch your stomach or atleast closer to stomach as you cycle. They say it will reduce the flab quickly and better workout.

Is this true?

I think that this is a bad advice you've heard (by many?).

For pedaling seated, the seat has only one position; the proper one. See How do I determine the correct position for my bicycle seat? for info on how to set it correctly.

Regarding the flab thing, as far as I know touching your stomach with your thighs (or any other part of your body) will not contribute to a better workout or a six pack. For that I guess you'll need lots of proper training and a consistently proper diet.


Swapping cranks on SRAM Force AXS eTAP I'm looking to swap out shorter cranks on my bike. It's this bike, but of note has a SRAM PF30 bottom bracket and SRAM Force eTap AXS, 48/35 chainset.
I'm trying to work out if these will be compatible. They look the same, and I can see DUB on my bike, but I'm really struggling to find a definitive source that says they are compatible. Can anyone answer or at least say what needs to be matched?
My second question is does anyone know how involved switching these will be? All LBSs are booked for months so was planning to attempt myself but is still advisable for a relative novice? As far as I can see I'll need a torque wrench up to 50nm(I've already got a smaller one) but again, I'm struggling to find material on how to go about this from start to finish. Any advice would be appreciated - the best I could do was how to install a spider power meter which does involve taking the crank off the spider.
Thanks in advance!

They look to be compatible. The website says they'll work with any road DUB BB, which you have. Changing the spider shouldn't be too difficult as long as you follow the video. You can also find more info on the SRAM Service website. For example, here's the spider and chainring installation guide.
Here's the DUB BB compatibility manual: DUB™
MTB and Road
Cranksets and Bottom Brackets
As for the big 50Nm bolt, either take it to a bike shop or even a car garage and ask to borrow their torque wrench ("It's just one bolt, can't I just use it for a quick second!"), or just guesstimate the torque, perhaps with the help of a little math to find the amount of force needed with your own wrench. As long as it's on pretty dang tight, it shouldn't fall off.


I'm looking for options for carrying 2 children on the back I'm looking at the Yuba Mundo with 2 Bobike Junior seats to carry my 4 and 6 year old children.

First, does anybody know if those seats will mount on a Mundo?

Second, I'm open to all other recommendations, but would like to keep the cost under $2k, so I think that rules out the WorkCycles Fr8 and any bakfiets.  (I've got a Mundo dealer here in Chicago but would consider having a bike shipped).

thanks!

Maybe you'd be interested in a moederfiets (dutch for "mother's bike).

This page appears to be selling them:
http://www.tmannetje.nl/index.htm?errors/404.htm~mainFrame


Slipping gears on new Electra Townie 8i I just got an Electra Townie 8i bike and the gears are acting weird.  I hear clicking noises when pedaling and sometimes it slips down to a lower gear.  This is especially true for 4th gear.

Is this a known issue for these internal gear systems?  How can I fix it?  Is this something an amateur can repair?

The 8i uses what Shimano calls a cassette joint. It's wraps the cable around the back side of the hub and as the shifter pulls the cable it moves a bracket counterclockwise backwards on the hub body. Cable tension on a brand new Nexus/Alfine 8-speed hub needs to be precise.

Do this:

Shift the bike into 4th gear
Find the cable tension indicator. There is one on the top and the bottom of the hub. The top one is a small plastic window. The bottom one is a small piece of metal painted yellow. It may be easier to find if you can flip the bike over
Turn the barrel adjuster on the shifter until you see the outboard yellow line move
Keep turning the adjuster in either direction (probably out, counterclockwise) until the yellow lines are aligned
shift into 3rd gear, then back into 4th and adjust again
shift into 5 gear, then back into 4th and adjust again
repeat until you're satisfied with adjustment.

This should stop your gear slippage. If the shifter cable isn't properly lubricated or there's binding somewhere then you should see a problem while dialing in the adjustment. If you can't get this adjustment right to your satisfaction take the bike back and have the shop do it. They shouldn't charge you for this if the bike is new. Make sure they test ride it so they can experience the problem.

If this is an old hub and you've ridden it misadjusted for a long time it is possible to damage the hubs innards. Replacing the hub guts should only be done at a shop that deals with these hubs regularly and has the special lubricating bath that they require for proper maintenance.


Is the durability of more expensive chains better than cheaper ones? Do expensive chains last longer? I get 300-400 miles using Wally World's $10 8 speed chains while riding off road or dirt.  I monitor and replace the chain at close to 1 percent stretch. Would a 'better' (i.e. more expensive) chain last longer? Has anyone done a comparison of chain life and longevity vs price?

No. The only advantage of expensive chains within a specific brand is the minor reduction in weight. The ones with extra plating do look nicer and provide some corrosion resistance, but it takes almost no effort to keep your chain rust free.

There are differences between various manufacturers, but in general those relate to shifting and how the quicklinks work, not the chain life. (i.e. if you like how SRAM chains work on your bike, buy the cheapest SRAM chain. )

300/400 miles is a very short life span for a chain. Two things might help you extend the life of your chain.

If your rear cluster is worn, that will quickly wear out a chain.
On the other hand if you replace your chains regularly a rear cluster can last a very long time. If you have lot's of miles on the rear cluster consider a replacement. Any time you replace the rear cluster you should replace the chain. Front chainrings can also cause wear, but they take a lot longer to wear out.
Excess lube on the chain. In a dusty dirt environment any lube on the outside of the chain creates a grinding paste that will wear a chain quickly. Chains actually move very little. All they really need is enough
lubrication to prevent corrosion inside the rollers. If you're riding in
dirt and dust wipe the outside of the chain as clean as possible before installing it.

Point 2 is controversial, all I can say is I ride on fine clay soils that destroy chains and it has worked for me to greatly extend the life of both chains and expensive gear clusters.


Post head-on crash w/ another bike, shifters no longer shift Hi everyone on bicycles StackExchange,
I had a head-on crash with a drunk guy who rode his bike into mine and since both shifters stopped shifting. the right hand shifter clicks but does absolutely nothing in moving the derailleur at the back. The left shifter barely clicks and also does not move the front derailleur at all. The cables (something, I gather, responsible for moving the derailleurs?) are relatively loose. How might I approach this problem? Like what are the steps you would take to verify X and then Y, and then Z to diagnose this?
Here's a video I made to demo the problem

Here's a video showing the pulling of the shifting cables manually.

Thank you very much!

Obviously no cable connection between the shifters and derailleurs, both front and rear.

The cable housings may have come out of a frame stop
The cables may have been snapped, or the ends detached from the shifters or derailleurs
Cable may have been pulled through derailleur pinch bolts
There is a possibility that one or both shifting mechanisms in the levers were broken

First follow the shift cable housing from shifter to derailleur and check the housing is firmly inserted into the frame stops. Both front and rear should have stops on the down tube near the head tube, and run though a guide under the bottom bracket shell. The rear cable will have stops on the drive side chain stay.
Check the rear derailleur cable is actually attached to the rear derailleur. (The alloy end cap that fell off just stops the cable fraying, and is easily replaced.)
Pull the cables to tension them and work the shifters to see if they are pulling or paying out cable at all. If not you'll have to inspect the shifter mechanism and see if the cable has snapped in the shifter.
If the shifters do actually pull and pay out cable, I think you may just need to detach the cables from the derailleurs and re-set-up the cable and derailleurs.
Park Tool has good step by step guides: https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/rear-derailleur-adjustment, https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/front-derailleur-adjustment/.


will increasing cadence ability hurt my climbing strength? I tend to spin rather slow when I am riding.  50rpm is a comfortable rate for me to spin for as long as I want to ride.  90rpm seems to be the rate at which I expend maximum power... I can't spin this longer than about 2 1/2 minutes on a -2% (downhill) grade, but going uphill I can sprint at least 15 seconds on a +12% grade starting at 90rpm (corresponding to close to 30mph), before I start to slow down appreciably, and correspondingly I have found that I perform much better on hills due to the lower cadences required.

Now my concern is higher cadences are generally recommended (I especially see this when people are asking about higher gear ratios to go faster), and I have been told that 50rpm is way too low for a cruising cadence.  But if I do something like interval training to increase my cadence I am concerned that this will affect my climbing strength.  Is this something I should worry about, or is there a specific approach that can result in me being able to tolerate higher cadences, without losing power at the low end?

The general advice is that we should aim at 90 for an average cadence, and pushing slower than that can produce knee pain and injuries, and back pain and injuries.

However, everyone has their own best cadence. For example, I have not raced and find 110rpm is good for me on a flat-ish ride. My brother who has raced stays at around 120rpm on the same terrain. I find I'm changing gears if my cadence drops to 100, unless I'm on a long hill greater than about 6%, when I drop below 100rpm with my 39x26 lowest gear.

Climbing ability is a combination of your strength, endurance, and the gearing. Cadence enables the delivery of higher power. As one example, look at runners - sprinters aim for high step rates. For a cycling example, look at sprinters on the track or at the end of a road race. They also aim for high cadence. Going back to my personal examples, I can push to 180rpm in a sprint, and my brother passes 200rpm. Cadence is where the power is. If the cadence is too low on a hill, then we need better gearing to get back to where the power is.

Cadence is also where the muscular endurance is. For a given speed, at 50rpm your legs are pushing twice as hard as my legs at 100rpm (all else being equal). So my legs are generating half the power per revolution than yours. Cutting a long story short, the legs working harder will tire more quickly.

Cadence is supported by your cardiovascular capacity. A good cadence is where your performance is within your Aerobic capacity. This is essential for endurance.

So, to answer your headline question -no, increased cadence should not hurt your climbing strength.

The reason for the caveat is your mention of interval training. Interval training is about increasing your power and lactate threshold, not cadence. It does this by going faster for short periods, requiring you to work at or above your aerobic capacity. While valuable for developing endurance, it is not about training for cadence. Cadence training requires pushing a light load (for example rollers or riding behind or scooter) for long periods.

BTW, using the calculations provided by R Chung in this answer, suggest that your sprint on a 12% hill is producing close to 2kW. If your figures are correct, then that suggests you should be racing :-)


How do I mount rear derailleur on frame without separate hook part? (Language barrier warning! Please edit if I used wrong english terms)

After few years my generic rear derailleur started to fall apart, so I got new shiny one aaaand I have no idea how to mount that thing. Video tutorial authors seems to consider this an obvious task, with which I have some problems as my hardware seems to lack that hook thing to which you mount those hellish spiny devices with french sounding name that eludes my browser thesaurus.

I have no idea how half of those parts are called in my language, let alone in english, so I made pictures! Also, I never replaced this part, treat me as newbie.

Right next to wheel nut I have this hook thing pointing straight down.

And here is old and new:

Old one was Shimano Tourney that came with bike, new one is Shimano Acera. Gearing is 7x3. (In my region choice is between no-name trash, pro-parts with pro-price and variety of Shimano, so I am pretty much stuck with this brand)

Old one was attached with this:

As it stands now when I just attach new one directly to frame, which is quite bothersome when its all coiled up, it can freely rotate around mounting screw (seems like feature) but nothing blocks it from going up (and screwing itself into cassette, which seems bad).

Can i just mount it and proceed with servicing?
Do I need some kind of adapter?
Or maybe it is not compatible?
How do you call that sideways regulation screw (with blue paint) near
attachment point?
Should this contraption go up on its? Is its position regulated by
chain tension?

(Yes, I am replacing all cables as well)
(Yes, I still have some cleaning to do)

Some Tourney derailleurs have a sort of extension ('hook' as you call it) that your new Acera derailleur does not. That is fine. The Acera derailleur simply bolts to the derailleur hanger on the frame (the piece if metal pointing downward in your first picture)

Your new Acera derailleur has what is known as a 'B pivot' which I believe the Tourney derailleur lacks. The B pivot is located where the derailleur bolts to the frame. The entire derailleur rotates around the B pivot, the B pivot spring tries to rotate the derailleur anti-clockwise underneath the cassette.

(There is also a 'A pivot', around which the jockey wheel cage. rotates.)

The blue painted screw you mention is the 'B screw', which is used to adjust the position of the derailleur about the B pivot. It is likely that your B screw simply needs to be adjusted properly so that the derailleur is moved away from the cassette

You can look up instructions on how correctly the adjust the B screw. Park tool has a good video on derailleur adjustment which includes B screw adjustment.


When to lube a chain? Should a chain be lubed each time after riding in the rain*?

What about a 100km mudride (occasional water up to the hubs)? Should I stop in the middle of the ride to re-lube the chain? If so, is it essential to wipe the chain? Note that wiping with a piece of paper will be much less effective than with the cleaning device at home, so some mud and sand will be pushed into the rollers by the oil.

Can dry chain be felt somehow, instead of relying on mileage and weather observations? How to do it?

* - many lubes are marketed as holding a film for months

I think it is a judgement call, but I don't think you can separate lubing from cleaning.

I will basically lube the chain every time after I've cleaned it. Mostly, cleaning will be simply wiping with a paper towel, occasionally it will be the other extreme - I take the chain and the cassette off the bike completely and bathe the lot in degreaser. But after each clean I apply lube.

To quantify, in your situation, I think if I were doing 100km muddy rides, I would clean the chain in between every ride. To lube during a ride.....well I can't see any point in doing that. You'd just be lubing dirt.

In my situation (and I'm a road rider) I will generally clean/lube every week or 10 days, or every 2-3 rides. I count this as standard maintenance, just like pumping the tyres. A "deep" clean, where I take everything off, will be maybe every 3 months or so. I use one of two lubes, depending on season/weather - a light, dry-weather lube (which would certainly be washed off in the rain) or a more sticky wet-weather lube.

As regards your last point, if you do start to "feel" something, then probably what you'd be feeling is damage that had already been done. I view lubing as preventative, so I'll lube on a time-driven basis rather than an event-driven basis.


Nearly getting hit by reckless vehicles. What can be done? Today I nearly got hit by a driver not paying attention:

I was stopped, waiting to turn right.  She was turning right off the
road. She did not indicate.
It was a quiet residential area, daylight.
The driver saw me around 1-2 seconds before stopping her car about 1/2 metre away from me by emergency stopping. The driver had dark shades, and looked like she was not paying attention when turning. I had to jump off my bike and run out of the way.
She exclaimed "Sorry, you were in my blindspot".
This is in England.

This is not the first time a driver has nearly hit me by reckless driving.

Id like the make the roads safer in general for all cyclists.

The questions:

What would happen to the driver if I had recorded this incident and reported it? Do I need video evidence? What is the official law? To me, a vehicle can be used as a weapon, and not paying attention could clearly be fatal.
How would these consequences for the driver make the roads safer for cyclists in general?
What actions are the government taking to make the roads safer for cyclists?

Thanks

What would happen to the driver if I had recorded this incident and
  reported it? Do I need video evidence? What is the official law? To
  me, a vehicle can be used as a weapon, and not paying attention could
  clearly be fatal.

The relevant law is most likely Driving without due care and attention (Road Traffic Act 1988):

  A person is to be regarded as driving without due care and attention
  if (and only if) the way he drives falls below what would be expected
  of a competent and careful driver.

The Highway Code (Rule 180) states that when turning right "Do not cut the corner", so it seems quite likely that doing so and nearly hitting someone would constitute careless driving.

The driver could be given a fixed penalty (probably 3 points), or made to go on a driving course, or taken to court, or let off with a warning.

If the driver came up with a different version of events to yours then a video recording or a reliable and credible witness would be useful. There might be other evidence, e.g. skid marks on the road.

  How would these consequences for the driver make the roads safer for
  cyclists in general?

In general, it probably wouldn't make any difference. The particular driver might improve their driving, but it's difficult to see how this would have a wider impact.

  What actions are the government taking to make the roads safer for
  cyclists?

Not much. There's £316 million over the next 5 years to fund cycling and walking infrastructure. That's a tiny amount compared to how much countries like Denmark and The Netherlands spend.


Should I get a smaller chainring or bigger cog? I built a single speed bike about a year ago, and am starting to change out parts to make it more comfortable for me. The first thing I'm wanting to change is the gear inches, which I didn't give much thought to at the time of riding. I have a 700x25c wheel with a 16t cog , and a 46T chainring that also has a 165mm crank arm. If I calculated the gear inches right, it's 79.2 in. I'm in a pretty hilly area, and I'm wanting to see what effect having a gear inch more around 70 in will have. I'm thinking of either getting a chainring that is 40 teeth or getting a cog that is 18 teeth. Is there any argument for which would be better to replace? Also, is there anything else I should be thinking about or considering when purchasing them?

For the same gear ratio, more teeth each end means:

More weight
Weaker chainring
More chain
Reduced angle at each chain pin as it wraps round the sprocket.
Potentially reduced vibration (this is complicated, I'll work on an edit later)


Replacing needle bearing threaded headset with an ordinary one I got a bicycle like this one (90's trekking/city bike). When I got it, the headset seemed overtightened, when I took it apart I saw that it was somewhat damaged (looks like ridden for some time while being too loose). I noticed that the bottom bearing is needle, upper was regular ball bearing. I managed to get it together and tighten it just right, but I think it should replaced anyways.

Will I be able to replace it with ordinary ball bearing based headset (I guess I won't be able to find the same ball/needle set easily)? Are head tubes for threaded headsets all the same?

In replacing a threaded headset on an older bike, there are two other considerations we need to make beyond selecting between ball bearings or needle bearings (though, IMO needle bearings are ideal for a number of reasons that I won't get into.)

First, you need to measure the stack height. Stack height is the amount of space the headset takes up, not including the parts that fit inside of the head tube. If you measure the entire length of the steerer tube and subtract the height of the head tube you wind up with a difference that is taken up by headset cups, bearings, the keyed washer, and the lock nut. You can add or subtract spacers to make fine adjustments.

To measure the stack height, simply measure:

You'll wind up with a measurement in millimeters. Try to find a new headset with a stack height equal to or less than what you have. If there are spacers installed (smooth or knurled rings between the top lock nut and the upper race) ignore them, but be sure to include the height of the lock nut and keyed washer (just under the lock nut.) If you wind up with a new headset that is just slightly too tall, you can omit the keyed washer if you use some thread locking compound on the lock nut, but it would be better to just get the right dimension in the first place.

The second thing you need to do (and this will be more difficult) is to verify that you have an ISO headset (as opposed to a JIS headset... more extensive information about different headset measurements and how to adjust them Sheldon Brown and Headsets here.) ISO is the standard size, but JIS headsets were used on lots of Japanese and Taiwanese bikes from the 70s until the early 90s. There are many other sizes, but for most 90s bikes this will suffice.

To finally get to your question...no not all bicycle headset frame cups are identical. Another measurement, the diameter of the fork crown seat, also varies between standards. Two common threaded headsets you'll run into are 1" ISO and 1" JIS and they are ever so slightly different. If you have access to a lock nut wrench and metric calipers discerning between the two will be pretty straightforward.

Remove or loosen the fork in the frame enough to see the fork crown race when you push the fork down and lift up the bearings and retainers. You need to measure the inner diameter of that fork crown race.

The fork crown race in the photo is bronze colored, while the seat at the bottom of the steerer is silvery. The seat is slightly larger than the steering tube, so measure right where the seat and the race meet. In an ISO headset that measurement will be 26.4 mm. In a JIS headset that measurement will be 27.0 mm. I will tell you from my own experience that the two are not interchangeable. Additionally, the frame cups for an ISO headset are 30.2 mm in diameter while JIS cups are 30.0 mm. It is much easier to fudge installing 30.2 mm cups in a frame designed for 30.0 mm cups, but have a shop do it (and only in a steel frame.) Finding cheap JIS headsets is easy enough and, like I said, ISO is pretty standard.

One final note: replacing a headset is actually pretty doable for most people so long as they're careful and reasonably clever. If you're unsure about any of the steps you should take it to a shop. It is a quick installation and relatively inexpensive. They have all of the right tools which will make the process far easier than using homemade tools.


How can I tell number of speeds on my road bike? 9, 10, 11? How can I tell how many speeds my road bike has?  I have a Shimano Ultegra groupset.  Thx

Traditionally 'speeds' meant the number of gear configurations available. This is the number of sprockets in the cassette (or on the freewheel for older bikes) multiplied by the number of chainrings - hence the iconic '10 speed racer' for a bike with 5 sprockets in the rear and 2 chainrings.

These days people tend to use 'speeds' to refer to just the number of sprockets in the cassette, and it seems to have come to refer to the technological advancement or quality of the groupset, as newer more expensive grousets have more sprockets and older or cheaper groupsets have fewer.

If you want to talk about the number of gear configurations you bike of groupset has, most people now write [number of chainrings] x [number sprockets in rear], e.g. '2x11' (spoken: 'two by eleven') instead of '22 speed'.


How to measure bottom bracket size? I need to replace bottom bracket on a 1991 Peugeot bicycle. What size should I measure when shopping for a new part? Size A is 140mm, which seems to be a rather strange size. Do I need to include the thread in the measurement?

The dimension you need to match is B in your photo. The length of a BB axle doesn't include the threaded ends.
You also need to measure the shell on your bike, though it's probably 68 mm.
See Sheldon Brown for more details.
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/bbsize.html
So a fully specified cup-and-cone type BB would be something like 68x113, meaning it is intended for a bike with 68 mm shell and 113 mm long axle.
FYI: your replacement BB might have threaded holes in the ends of the axles, instead of male threads. (eg Shimano BB-UN26). You'll need bolts to go along with the new BB.


Rear derailleur low limit adjustment changes under load I have a hybrid bike, which, when I am sat on the bike, shifts and remains into the largest cog on the rear cassette with no problems.

However, if I take my weight off the bike, then when I start pedalling again, the chain skips between the largest and second largest cog until it settles back on the largest cog. Also, it is impossible to get it to shift into the largest cog when the bike is upside down.

I've tried loosening the L screw, but it hasn't worked yet. I'm guessing that if I keep loosening it it will eventually work, but the fact that the adjustment is so dependent on the load on the bike is making me think that something else might be wrong. Is there anything to worry about out or should I just go ahead and keep loosening the L screw?

Before you go any further, you should check (or have it checked at your LBS) your derailleur hanger. Oftentimes when the RD acts up and won't "tune", it has a poor reference point to start from. The derailleur hanger is easily bent out of alignment,and can render the rear an unreliable little beast.
Double-check for any side-play in the crank, to see if that isn't a contributing factor, and get that hanger looked at. Good luck.


How do I tell if jockey wheels need overhaul or replacement? I am refurbishing a bike and am deciding how much to clean out the rear derailleur.  It's in pretty good shape.  But after I take off the chain, I tried spinning the jockey wheels with my fingers (after cleaning grime off the sides), and they only spin as long as I'm touching/pushing them -- they don't spin freely.  Should I be concerned enough to take apart the derailleur and clean/re-oil or re-grease the jockey wheels?

If the teeth on the jockey wheels appear to be in good shape then you probably have nothing to worry about. Many jockey wheels use bushings instead of bearings, and either way they are not going to spin for very long just because there's not much weight to them and therefore they don't carry much inertia.

If there is noticeable resistance when you try to turn the jockey wheel- as in it leaves an impression of the tooth on your finger when you try to spin it- then they need service. If you want to do it youself you can take the cage apart and check the bushings/bearings and replace them if needed. Servicing instructions should be available from your derailleur's respective manufacturer along with replacement part numbers. Be sure to use a very small drop of threadlocker on the threads of the bolts that hold the jockey wheels to the derailleur cage when reassembling, and be sure not to overtighten those bolts.

It doesn't sound like this is a problem in your situation, but for completeness I'll mention that you don't want to let the jockey wheels themselves get over-worn, either. As they wear out the teeth may become narrow and pointed or short and blunted, depending on the riding conditions and the condition of the bushings/bearings. Here are a couple of extreme examples:


Is the cable pull of Shimano GRX FD-RX400 same as the one of 10- or 11-speed road groups? What is the required cable pull for FD-RX400?

AFAIK Shimano road 11-speed front deraileurs require the same (larger) cable pull, while 10- and fewer-speed FDs expect lower one (with exception of Tiagra 4700, which uses the "11-speed" pull).

Does 10-speed GRX belong to either camp?

11 speed GRX 810 and 600 are compatible with 9000, 8000, 7000, 6800, 5800 etc. 11 speed road groups - so it obviously uses the 11 speed cable pull ratio.

10 speed GRX 400 is compatible with the Tiagra 4700 10 speed road group only, so it uses the ‘11 speed’
cable pull ratio as well.

Shimano is nice enough to publish very comprehensive (if complicated) compatibility info: https://productinfo.shimano.com/#/com?cid=C-453&acid=C-454.

Look for Drivetrain for ROAD, Gravel/Adventure, URBAN (METREA) components then Rear drivetrain compatibility and
Front drivetrain compatibility.


Looking for Bar-end shifters (Shimano Golden Arrow) I want to use bar-end shifters instead of downtube shifters on my '85 Koga Miyata Traveller, but I don't know if it can be done easily.
I believe all components are original, because the derailleurs are:
Front Derailleur Shimano FD-A105, 105 Golden Arrow
Rear Derailleur Shimano RD-A105, 105 Golden Arrow
I guess, I need friction shifters, because it's easier, right? If it's also possible to use indexed shifters, which would you suggest?
For example, would they work:
https://vintagenosbicycleparts.com/suntour-bar-end-shifters-accushift-plus-7-speed-barcon-nos/ ?
Any hints/suggestions are much appreciated.

Generally speaking, friction shifting works fine as long as you have the skill to shift, and that the shifter can pull enough cable to cover the whole width of movement needed.
Bar end shifters can be friction, indexed, or switchable between both.
Your existing derailleurs are probably fine to use with any friction shifter.
The linked Golden Arrow ones are quite vintage and will command a high price to find in decent condition.


Loud free hub suddenly become quiet I have a fulcrum racing 5 evo which has a loud free hub (like other campy) for about 5 years now. I like the loud noise when coasting because I don't need to put a bell on the bike. On my last ride, I just notice that the wheel has become quite (like a shimano).

Can anyone tell me is that something I should be concerned (and get a bell), or is it just need servicing? I also don't know if it's serviceable because it has cartridge bearings. What is happening and how is it affecting the ride?

It's the pawls riding over the catches that make noise. If you hub was previously "loud" and is now quiet, something is likely keeping them from dropping energetically into the catches. I'd disassemble your hub and inspect/clean/relube.

As others (@Daniel R. Hicks) have noted, the issue is that if the pawls aren't catching, the ratcheting systems of the freehub is no longer working properly. As far as bicycle malfunctions go, this isn't the most dangerous thing that can happen as your brakes will still work, steering is unaffected, just a sudden reduction of power to the road.

Whatever is causing this (dirt or rust most likely) is likely to also have secondary effects, chiefly drag, but also the possibility of undue wear on the freehub. Five years is a decent amount of time for water and road grime to make it's way in. You probably don't need to get to your LBS today, but plan on stopping in this week. They should be able to confirm the cause in a few minutes.

Happy Riding.


Lower back pain cause? How much of lower bike pain over longer rides due to bike fit or body positioning versus core strength?  I have spent many years "fixing" my fit but have never had a professional fitting.  I have also ebbed and flowed on my core strength over years and can't pin down it's role in "saving" my lower back pain over time.

I often experienced lower back pain during and after rides on my roadie. Stretching helped me significantly. Try regularly stretching the muscles below, above and around your hip / bum, perhaps using hip-focussed yoga poses.


Alternative excercise to biking Are there any alternative exercise to biking while it's raining?

I have been fortunate enough to solve my insomnia with biking...something with it seems to connect and works well to solve my ages old problem of sleep.

The part that helps me most is climbing hills, not so much the flat parts.

Jogging, walking, etc. somehow DO NOT seem to have the same effect in my case.

I am wondering what I will do when winter comes in and it  starts raining... any suggestions other than buying a costly stationary bike?

You can train inside your house with a trainer stand. Is quite cheap compared to stationary bike and it can be stored more easily.


Panniers for a Giant Defy 2.5 (2009) I was wondering whether anyone had any retrogradations for a lightweight rear pannier rack and a rack bag which would go on my Giant Defy 2.5 (2009).

I'm doing a 3 day cycle in a fortnight and will need to carry the bare essentials (i.e. toothbrush, travel wash, spare inners, jacket etc.

Thanks.

nick.

Based on what I saw on the Giant Bicycle site, it looks like that model has braze-ons for attaching a standard rack - so just about any rack will work.  My personal favorite for light use (commuting and short tours) would be the Blackburn EX-1.  If you need additional support for heavier loads there is a model with an extra support strut.

For the panniers, you have a ton of choices and need to weigh factors like size, materials, attachment mechanism, water resistance.

My favorite budget panniers are the house-brand bags put out by REI in the US.
Novara Transfer Panniers

For heavier use, better performance in wet weather, etc, I would recommend you look at bags by Ortlieb and Arkel.

If you are really only carrying the bare essentials, and don't need the full packing volume you could use just one pannier, or you could use a 'rack trunk' that sits on top of the rick similar to this one made by Arkel, or the Novara Commuter Rack Trunk.  My favorite is the Novara because of the side pockets that fold out and expand into mini-panniers.

Good luck with your tour.


How to improve my climbing? I can ride on flat at high gears all day without a problem I usually go way faster that most of riders. But once it comes to hills I die... My heart beat rate jump up my stamina go away and I get tired in seconds. Even older folks that barely have any cadence on flat can beat me on hills. I need to get down from my bike , take a break and keep on foot. Because once on bike again my heart rate will go crazy again and I will get tired in seconds.

I am doing something wrong ? I always go to the lower plate and lower cogs on climbs but if it is too steep even the lowest one kills me.

I drive a lower end hybrid bike. It have I belive 14-28 (7 rings) rear cassette and 28/38/48 front gears. How much it matters compared to how fit you are ? I mean 1:1 relation it is should be more that enough to climb.

Too much info for a comment, I've checked the suggested duplicate and this is slightly different.  This question is about effort and approach, not climbing technique.

Answer You're going at the hill too hard.  Learn to PACE your efforts.

Medical rule of thumb, your maximum heart rate should be 220 minus your age.  I'm 40 so my heart rate should not exceed 180.  However my HRM in strava shows peaks in the high 170s.
So 200 BPM might be a maximum heart rate for a fit 20 year old.

If you're doing decent flat speeds, then don't expect to travel uphill at those same speeds.  I think you're trying to keep the same speed and blowing yourself up.

Instead, find a quiet grade of about 8%, and start by riding up like normal.  Note how high you get before you have to stop.  Then turn around and go down, resting and recovering.

Second time - go up the hill in your bottom gear (that's the small front and the biggest rear cog)  Focus on keeping your pedalling cadence at "normal" and avoid pedalling too fast.  Also avoid bouncing in the saddle, but stay seated.  You will ride slower, but see how high you get before you have to stop.  I bet it takes much longer, but you will well exceed the turnpoint of the first attempt.  And you'll be less shattered passing that point too.

Climbing is all about PACING your effort.


Help Identifying BMX My old bike which I inherited from my sister back in the 80s. Would love to do this up for my children, maybe get it sandblasted and resprayed. But would love to find the replacement stickers and maybe new tyres if possible.

Anyone help identify it?

Have looked up the number and websites for a couple of days now but cannot find a match?

BS6102 is a British Standard for cycle safety.  Released in 1981, and compliance became mandatory in 1983.  It specifies rim dimensions, lighting/reflective gear, dimensions of spoke nipples etc.  Does NOT cover helmets.  So this bike post-dates 1981/2 and predates ~2005 when the European GPSR rules were adopted.  So that number is useless for anything other than a 24 year window.

  Personally, I'd make it mechanically sound and fun to ride, and then ride it.  Maintain it, care for it, store it inside, and it'll last decades more.

Universal Cycles were known for producing low end bikes, probably one step above a BSO but not particularly high end.

As for decals - you might want to simply clearcoat it plain over the paint, or make your own that say "KGBigman BMX Bespoke Model" or something.

You could even be horrible to a future researcher and badge the bike as something its clearly not.

  There are heaps of decal sets to order on the web, even ebay has plenty.


Does exercising solely through cycling cause injuries? I get most of my exercise through cycling. Does cycling without cross-training cause injuries? If so, are there specific injuries to which cyclists are susceptible (knee, hip, etc.), and is it possible to prevent them?

Assume that the bike is well fitted, since bike fit and knee pain is discussed in the question:
How to adjust seat saddle and saddle position for knee pain?
Other related questions include: How to avoid knee pain when cycling,
https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/14971/should-cyclists-use-weight-training-to-strengthen-underutilized-muscles, and How can I get rid of I.T. Band pain caused by cycling?

First, of course, we must exclude accidents, collisions, and component failures -- these obviously can result in injury.

Beyond that, in almost any physical activity it's possible to apply so much force to a muscle that you produce a muscle or tendon pull.  In cycling this would be, eg, when you're climbing in too high a gear and exert enormous force on the pedals, sufficient to cause an injury to your leg, arm, or back.  This would be more likely in a person who has gained strength in some other activity and only recently begun cycling intensely, however, such that their muscle and tendon strength was imbalanced for cycling -- unlikely to occur in a regular cyclist.

That leaves the knees.  While most cyclists never have serious knee problems, a substantial fraction do.  This would be due to any or all of three problems:

Poor knee "geometry", either as an inborn trait or due to some prior injury.
Cycling with the seat too low and/or in too high of a gear.
"Imbalance" in the muscles supporting the knee, due to lack of "training" of some of those muscles, while others are being strengthened.

Knee problems can be avoided/controlled by assuring that the seat is at proper height (and that the bike is otherwise properly fit), using a gear appropriate to the conditions and your degree of training/tolerance, and doing knee-strengthening exercises.  It is imperative that one not try to "work through" significant knee pain, but instead address it, correcting the problems leading to it.

The most common form of knee pain is "patellofemeral pain syndrome", a condition where the kneecap gets "off-center" relative to the thigh bone.

Finally, it should also be mentioned that there are about a dozen inherited "minor metabolic disorders" -- myoadenylate deaminase deficiency, McArdle's disease, CPTII, and others -- that maybe 3% of the population carries.  If a person has been exercising regularly for some time they would already have become aware of these, but if someone begins a program of fairly vigorous exercise for the first time in their life (cycling or othewise) they may encounter muscle pain/soreness that lasts beyond a few days, severe muscle cramps, or other such conditions.  If these symptoms continue for more than a week or two they should consult a physician (oddly, the doc to see is a neurologist).  In many cases it will be possible to continue reasonably vigorous exercise, if the condition is properly treated and accommodated.


Exact dimensions for Wheelsmith Rim Rods? Does anyone have access to the Wheelsmith Rim Rod ERD measurement tool?

I need to reproduce this no longer manufactured tool.

Specifically, I need the length of the yellow portion of each rod, the diameter of the yellow portion of each rod, and the length and diameter of the alloy portion of the rod. Bonus points for the angle of the nipple seat at the join of the alloy portion and the yellow portion.

Can anyone help me?

Why bother? There's 5 sets on eBay right now:

Wheelsmith Rim Rods on eBay


How could I have avoided this accident? On Sunday I wanted to use my free day and I planned to do a half-day ride with my mountain bike. The weather wasn't really good, but at least it wasn't raining as the days before.

I rode up a mountain for approximately 2 hours and then after a short break I wanted to ride down the other side of this mountain. I'd chosen a small path that was very muddy. Actually, it was so muddy, that my front wheel got stuck into the mud and I flew over my bike. Fortunately it wasn't too steep there and I hadn't been riding too fast (~30 km/h) so that I didn't hurt myself expect for some minor scratches on my arms and a not so deep cut in my forehead.

I finished the rest of my ride very carefully, but while I was riding, I was thinking a lot about how I could have avoided that accident. Obviously it would have been a good idea to avoid the situation in the first place, but once when you're on such a path what is a good tactic?

Should I ride as fast as possible so that my wheels can't get stuck? Or should I ride slowly? Which brakes should I use to brake?

My tactic would be slower not faster and basically minimise the weight over the front wheel as much as possible by moving my backside as far back as possible. With higher speed and weight at the front I'd say you're more likely to dig the front wheel in.

Again I'd use the back brake, you need the front for steering as much as possible and you may loose that with braking on the front, also with the weight at the back the rear will be better for braking.

Forgot to add,  try braking as much as possible before the muddy bit, and as little as possible whilst going through the mud. Braking will load up the front wheel and hence more likely to dig in.


Rear internal hub won't shift gears I have a 1963 Sears cruiser, three speed, which I bought very recently. On my third ride, the middle speed stopped working, and went loose; there wasn't any "traction" when I pedaled. It happened as I rode in a particularly hilly part of town. I'm new to biking, so perhaps I shifted gears at the wrong time? The highest and lowest gears still work fine, only the middle speed doesn't work.
Before buying this bike, the mechanic realized that the lowest gear had this same problem, and fixed it pretty quickly. Do I simply need to tighten or loosen the changing mechanism? Or do I need to replace it?

Thanks,

Have you tried changing the tension on the shifting cable? There's usually a tension adjuster on the outside of the hub. It's unlikely to hurt, and it's easy to do. I'd tighten a little at a time until all the gears work well.

If that doesn't do it, you may need to have the hub looked at. There could be some dirt inside the hub (it happens, even with "sealed" units.) Or it could be a mechanical issue; getting an internally geared hub fixed can take time and money. If you end up doing this, I'd look for a shop that knows what it's doing; it can be a little tricky.


Mechanic says not to use top three/bottom two gears or the chain will throw I just bought a BTwin Fit 5, all stock, fresh from the distributor, Decathlon. Took it for light pacing at the store and things seemed OK. About 100 metres out the door, I shift up to the top end of the range, pedalling firmly but not hard, and it promptly throws the chain to the outside.

Returning to the store, the mechanic puts the chain back on, adjusts the tension on the derailleurs and tells me not to use the top three or bottom two gears (i.e., the 3 highest resistance and two lowest resistance shift positions in the drive train's range), or the chain will throw again. I asked why, but unfortunately, I'm a foreigner and don't speak the local language well enough to understand any of his explanation. Please note I definitely did not misunderstand the bit about not using the gears; this was crystal clear.

Wild speculations on what he may have said about the reasons for this:

Chain tension or play due to the lateral shift between the inner and outer gears of the front and rear cassettes when shifting
Chain length
Something about the derailleurs

Again, there's a substantial language barrier and I have zero confidence in my understanding of what he said about why I shouldn't use those gears.

If you're not familiar with Decathlon, it's a sports department/box/super store. Definitely not a high end or dedicated bike shop. The house mechanic struck me as less than an expert, to put it gently. I've definitely read some reviews online griping about the inability of Decathlon staff to correctly set up the drive trains of new bikes. However, it's important to understand that this quality of expertise is representative of (or better than) that of every shop within an hour's travel.

This advice seems utterly mad to me. What on earth could be the reasoning behind this? What can I do about it? Aside from the obvious of taking it to a better mechanic, as that presents substantial difficulty for me on a number of fronts. The bike shifts without a problem, including before the throw. I did test out every gear during my test ride. I haven't yet experimented with trying to reproduce the problem yet; I'll do so in the next few days most likely.

The bike has a Shimano Sora groupset and Shimano Deore shifters. I'm an experienced rider but no mechanic; I haven't done anything beyond basic maintenance myself. I can provide additional pictures and am game to make relatively minor adjustments, but even just clearly nailing down the issue would be considerably useful.

Additional pictures, shifted to big-big.

You have a double front, right? The usual advice is to not shift into the highest 3 gears in the rear cassette when in front the chain is on the large chainring, and to not shift into the smallest 3 cogs, when the chain in front is on the small chainring.

This prevents cross-chaining, which wears the chain quickly, produces noise and difficult shifting. Furthermore, some derailleurs may not even support those extreme combinations, when the chain is crossed.

On a side note, the chain should not be dropping in any gear combination, probably the limit screws should be touched a bit, as linac describes.


Should I get a size up or a size down bike? I'm looking to buy a Trek DS 4 bike. In the store the sales person measured me and said I'm right in between sizes 19 and 21 and he wasn't sure which one I should pick. I test drove both sizes and didn't feel any difference, though I have only spent a few minutes on each and I suspect the differences would show themselves on a longer ride (like how tired my back and hangs get etc).

Any recommendations on which way (size up or size down) to go for more comfortable/efficient rides?

I would be cautious of any blanket advice suggesting that everyone should make the same decision. Whether to size up or size down depends on a number of factors:

How you ride (e.g., relaxed or aggressive)
Your flexibility
Your body proportions
Your fit window (range of fit positions you find comfortable)
Availability of components to modify fit (e.g., stems)

Many will suggest that you size down when in doubt, this likely comes from observing that professionals (e.g., road riders) tend to use smaller frame sizes.  This is done to get the rider in a more extreme aerodynamic position, these positions are generally not that comfortable and not advisable for most riders (remember the pros have access to daily physio sessions to constantly undo the effects of these positional contortions).

Ideally, you should be looking at your body proportions when making this decision. For example, I personally have longer legs, shorter torso and longer arms than average (BTW - no average person exists).  While my legs are longer my femurs are relatively shorter (i.e., lower legs are relatively longer). This puts me a bit taller and forward on the bike as such a frame with more stack (i.e., size up) tends to work better as long as the frame's reach dimensions are reasonable. My slightly longer arms means I tend to use standard stems. For frames with longer reach geometries this may not work out however work out as well.

Below is a good summary of how short/long legs impacts your proportions and therefore whether you may want to size up or down.

  Bike Sizing Guide - Road Bikes

  Short legs

  Short legs will also mean a long torso, so there is danger of the rider being too hunched up on a height suitable bike. The short legs will also mean a lower saddle height, so the distance between saddle and bars is reduced anyway. With a bit of luck, the short legs may also mean short arms which would balance out the long torso! The biggest danger here is selecting a bike based on top tube length i.e. larger than normal for overall height, but then suffering from cranks that are too long. A better compromise may be the use of a longer stem.

  Long legs

  Sorry for all these long legged people, but this is the worst case for achieving an optimum bike fit. The long legs will mean a high saddle, so the bars become relatively far away. Long legs imply a short torso, so the reach to the bars becomes excessive. One could consider a shorter top tube, but this would also tend to come with a shorter head tube which is counter-productive. What tends to happen with very long legged people is that stems have to be short and as high as possible, often achieved by flipping them over as well as using all the available spacers. In many cases this is still not enough and the saddle also has to move further forwards than is ideal. Many people do not like the aesthetics of this stem configuration, in which case the best option is to select a bike with Sportive or Touring geometry, i.e. one with relatively long head tube or Stack for its size.

Therefore if all else is equal, short legged people would want to size down and then select a long stem, while long legged people will want to size up then select a shorter stem. All of this gets further confounded by other issues you may have such as poor flexibility, back pain (you typically need to be more upright) and how you want the bike to handle (longer stems slow the handling a bit).

In short, there is no one size fits all advice as to whether you should size up or down.


What do I clean disk brakes with? I know I need to keep the disks clean on my bike, but if I've got them covered in grease, what should I clean them with?

the pads are likely trash, but you can use isopropyl alcohol to clean the disk rotors (say, to remove grease BEFORE it gets into the pads).


MTB 1x vs 2x cross chaining I've got a good deal and bought a new bike with full Shimano XT groupset and 2x Drivetrain which I am not fully satisfied with, it has 34/24 and 11-42 setup.

I would prefer 1x more but not going to invest in transformation at the moment.

My question is - as it's not a good general practice to combine lowest-lowest and highest-highest rings (I'm coming from Roadies world), will it be bad to use 34T in front in combination with 42T on rear?

I'd rather not to use the front derailleur at all (would be happier with dropper instead).

The same rules apply to mountain bikes as they do with road bikes when it comes to crosslining the chain. You can agrue it's even more important on mountainbiking as the chain bounces more on rougher terrain.

When you change to a 1x system, the front chainring should have a chainline in between the current 24/34. So the crossline is not as extreme as with 2x systems, when you are at the lowest and highest cogs on the back.

So the answer would be, it's not good practice. But it might be fine. You might experience more chain wear and possibly more chain drops.

To turn into a 1x, all you would need is remove the front shifter, the front mech, the 24/34 chainrings and replace with a 1x narrowwide chainring. Which chainring you need depends on your crankset, the number of gears on the rear, the rear hub spacing.

Also see this disscussion on 1x system crosslining


Options for replacing a 7 speed Shimano cassette / chain I would like to replace my 7 speed HG70 cassette and chain. My problem is that it is increasingly difficult to find quality parts for 7 speed system.

My bike is a Trek 970 from 1993, originally with Deore XT / DX system.

Last time I changed I could bought a 7 speed HG70 12-28 cassette and a HG70 chain, but now these are super rare and are only possible to find on eBay for NOS prices.

What I would like to ask is that what are the exact steps and parts I need to change if I would like to upgrade for an 8 of 9 system, as mentioned by Sheldon Brown? Other than buying a 9 speed cassette, a 9 speed chain and a 9 speed rear shifter, what do I need to buy or fix?

You don't need to buy NOS. 7 speed cassettes are still manufactured, we stock them and they start at $20 all the way up to $36 for a Shimano HG50 which comes in 12-28. Go with a matching Shimano HG50 chain.

Unless you buy a new rear wheel, you cannot go above 7 speed. 7 speed freehub bodies are shorter than 8+ speed freehub bodies. An 8+ speed cassette is too wide to fit your freehub.


What bike+equipment for a long daily urban commute? In the (distant) past I commuted 6 km (more than half an hour) each way, on a cheap bike with big knobbly tyres.

Soon I'll have a new commute: 18 km each way, daily. That's much further than I've done in the past, and I don't want it to take 2 hours each way; but this reading suggests that it's feasible:

  Most people who reside 10 to 20 kilometres away will also find it quite easy to cycle to work, although the distance in the high end of this range will become a little more demanding.

If I can do it in 80 minutes or even less each way, that would be ideal. I'm 49 years old, 6 foot tall, and weigh 170lb, and I want to commute by bike because otherwise I'd be getting no exercise in my week at all.

I've never bought or ridden anything but a cheap bike.

What equipment should I buy then, to commute 11 miles each way through a city (Toronto) on  flat, paved roads, shared with cars:

Wheels?
Tyres?
Clipless pedals and shoes?
Gears?
Handlebars (e.g. flat or dropped)?
Frame (size, shape, material)?
Mud-guard/fender?

Here I'll summarize everyone else's answers (because of all the Q+A scattered through in the comments), with some additional information that I got elsewhere from reading inspired by people's answers.

Wheels+tires: 700 x (28 - 38, maybe ~30), tires; slicks or light treads, not knobbly. The larger wheel makes it faster (because of 'gearing') and the ride a little smoother (because of the 'angle of incidence' when rolling over an obstacle). Possibly puncture-resistant tires, especially if you experience many puntures. Reinflate them weekly. With the narrower tires, beware storm drains, streetcar tracks, dirt roads, and cornering especially fast and on wet roads.
Clipless pedals and shoes: up to 35%-50% more efficient than without, but practice with them for 1/2 day to 2 weeks away from traffic first, because you must expect to fall off (everyone does). The normal type of clipless, for commuting, would be SPD: SPD are not impossible to walk in (unlike some other types). The stiffer the sole of the shoe, the better it distributes force over the whole sole of your foot. {Prefer a system which lets you clip onto either side of each pedal?}
Gears: multi-speed (e.g. 7, 8, or even 14-speed) internal-hub gears cost $300+ (which is more than derailleurs), and tend to exist only on more expensive (above $1000) bikes; internal-hub gears means lower maintenance, chain is less likely to fall off, easier to have a chain guard even, and you can change gears while stopped, maybe 2% less efficient that derailleurs, and takes a different kind of chain. Derailleurs are more common. A 2-position rather than 3-position derailleur on the front would be adequate if there are no hills.
Handlebars: as you wish (however, many/most people recommend flat instead of dropped); at commuting speeds it's more a matter of comfort than aerodynamics (and a more upright position is deemed more comfortable). Dropped affords more wrist positions; you can ask for interrupter levers on dropped handlebars, to access the brakes from more than one hand position/location.
Brakes: disc brakes work better or more reliably than rim brakes, especially when the road is wet (or the wheel isn't true); and if you go downhill at 70 kph you might want hydraulic disc and not just mechanical disk brakes (hydraulics are more expensive, are difficult or impossible to self-maintain, require less or no maintenance or routine cable adjustments, and require less finger-force to actuate).
Frame: not too important i.e. no-one offered advice on that; as long as (for speed) it's not a mountain bike, especially not a bike with suspension (suspension is inefficient). Aluminium isn't lighter than steel, because it's not as strong (and therefore there needs to be more of it). Aluminium is stiffer than equivalent steel, so (for comfort) higher-end bikes add (more expensive) carbon forks and/or seat posts to aluminium. Aluminium won't rust.
Other equipment: lights; fenders/mudguards; rack and/or saddlebag and/or panniers; bike lock[s] (maybe one chain and one U-lock: not a cable, which is easy to snip); maybe mirrors (you can/should shoulder-check as well, but many/most urban bike accidents happen while the rider isn't looking ahead); maybe a trip computer; a tire pump, able to inflate to about 110 psi (so not just a little hand-pump); bus fare (in case of a flat or irreparable tire, or horrific weather).
Store: find a "good" Local Bike Store (LBS), where you can meet the mechanics (a "good LBS for commuting" isn't necessarily the same as "good for road-racing" or "good for MTB"). Pretty much any decent LBS will allow ~30 minute ride: take a few for a test-ride, before you buy, to see which one feels right. Furthermore, expect to pay at least $600/year in maintenance costs (as much or more than the cost of buying the bike), visiting the shop at least 3 times/year: which is another reason why it's important to find a "good" LBS.
Speed: expect to average 20 kph at most, in the city, when there are stops and lights etc.
Cost: a decent $700 (including brakes and gears but perhaps excluding 'extras' like lights) bike from a good store should be "great" (but it won't have internal-hub gears, nor hydraulic disk brakes, nor any carbon components)

Additional comments or advice will be welcome.


Mountain bike tires vs. road tires - from crushed limestone to pavement I've had my mountain bike for three summers now and I love it.  I bought it for the ability to ride on different terrains and build endurance.  Since my primary goal is weight loss and cardiovascular health, I've found that I ride mostly on paved surfaces during typical rides.  I do often ride on bike trails for long endurance rides.  These trails consistently have crushed limestone surfaces, as well as pavement.

I've considered purchasing road tires due to my extensive presence on pavement, but how well do road tires perform on crushed limestone and/or tightly packed gravel?  Do road tires sink a little on crushed limestone, causing lots of friction?

I don't want to spend the money on the conversion just to find the answer on this question.

I will be riding on paved & crushed limestone/gravel during the same ride.

Gravel tires are normally a little knobby:
 versus completely smooth for a road tire.

One strategy is to run a gravel or combination tire in the front and a road tire in the back. A combination tire is one which is nearly slick in the middle with knobs on the sides, so you might want to try one road tire on the back and one gravel tire on the front. Combination tires aren't great at road or off road, but they're passable on each. Certainly will be an improvement if you're running big knobby tires on the road, but not as much of an improvement as if you went to complete slicks. Two combo tires might be more durable than a combo/off road tire and a road tire though.

The main issue is that gravel is sharper than asphalt, so you'll want a bit tougher of a tire. On the other hand, if you're mostly on the road, knobs are bad. So you'd have to play around with it to some extent.

For what its worth, I currently have an old mountain bike with Geax Evolution tires on the front and back (they're combination tires). If the gravel is packed enough and you're not overly zealous, they seem to work fine. The rolling resistance on the road isn't bad either (though they are a bit noisy, and you'll want to play with tire pressures for gravel and road). Another good option might be something like Kenda Kwick or WTB All Terrain or Specialized Burrough (all slightly more expensive and not exactly equivalent, but the idea is there).