Best bicycle for a moderate to extremely hilly suburbs? I've moved to an area that's notoriously hilly. I had gained a lot of weight but managed to ride it off by cycling in a well built but extremely faulty and wastefully heavy chinese bike. The gears gave me the hell (those shitty gears that force you to turn them like a motorbike) and riding up a hill was extremely difficult. I've busted it up by now so this time I plan on asking some experts on which bike I should get.

I'm slightly over weight.
Smoked a bit (stopped) so need to get in shape.
I live in a hilly area so gears matter.
I don't trust bike stores here.

Please just need general over all advice on what type of equipment should be loaded up on my future bike to make my ride easier.

If you're after just a rough outline, I've listed the below:

Type of bike: Do you think you'll ride on-road or off-road too, i.e. would you need a road bike or a mountain bike? It is possible to get a hybrid bike, which is essentially just a mountain bike without shocks and road-appropriate tyres
Gears: Most modern bikes these days will have gearing of up to 11sp on the cassette in the rear. You'll also often have the choice of up to 3 chain-rings ion the front. Smallest ring in the front and largest gear in the back makes for easier hill-climbing.
Brakes: If it is very hilly and you'll want to have good stopping ability, disc brakes would definitely be a good call.

Most importantly, when you sit on or ride the bike, it should feel right and it must be comfortable.  Most bike shops will let you do a test ride.  Go around the block a couple of times and make sure you are comfortable and can work the gearings easily.

Don't spend more than you want to. It is really easy to spend many thousands and thousands of $'s on a bike.  Set a budget and stick to it as far as possible.


What is the best commuter bike tire? My fiancee expressed interest in going on rides together, so I borrowed my mom's old purple Univega Via De Oro that's running 21sp Shimano STX-RC.  I replaced the cables and overhauled the shifters, and rides had been going well.  Yesterday I pulled the bike off the wall to find that the front tire was flat.  The tires are TopGear Stratos 700x35c on Mavic 622x17 rims, and they're feeling kinda brittle.

Edit:
Which compounds make up a tire or what should I look for in a tire to meet the following qualifications:
Thorn resistance
Comfortable ride
Enough width to reduce getting trapped in ruts
I don't care too much about rolling resistance.  We're going on fun rides.  I just don't want to worry about changing the tube frequently.
Thanks in advance!

Whenever you are not aiming for riding in a race, go for serious puncture proof tires. Especially if you are a casual rider who can't just fix a flat within 10min on the road side. I certainly can't, even though I've patched enough tires for a lifetime. You are not going to get significant enjoyment out of being able to ride 0.1km/h faster, but you are going to get significant enjoyment out of not having to stop and patch every 100km, or so.


Bike seen in Florence I was in Florence Italy last week and saw this bike parked up. Can anyone help to identify what model this may be. Any information would be useful.

In the comments the point is made that there are several bike brands with bikes similar to this.

As an example (not an endorsement) here is one sold by Olmo


How to protect brake cable that runs beneath top tube while hanging bike on rack My bike's brake cable runs underneath the top tube. This is a problem when I hang the bike on my rack as the bike compresses the cable against the rack. I came upon this question here:

Bike rests on brake cable while racked

...but it seems that the only answer is to get a new rack or find a way to store it without pinching the cable. Those are not options for me, so I am wondering if there are ways to protect the cable. I came upon the brake line protectors below, but don't really see them being used for anything other than protecting against friction. Are there any kind of tapes or foams that I can wrap around the cable to absorb the weight of my bike against the rack?

Personally I wouldn't worry about it.

One solution is to use pool noodles over the rack's supports where they touch the bike.   Pool noodles are cheap and flexible and can be cut with a sharp knife.  Once in place you can bind them down with tape or old inner tubes.

Also, just a layer of old inner tube wrapped around the rack will be sufficient protection too.

Consider the tension you add to the brake inner cable while braking, its a lot more than the weight of the bike would cause.

The images in your question show a spiral which is for either wrapping two cable outers together, or for protecting a frame from rub.  The black things are longer versions of the mini-doughnuts some bikes wear on their exposed inner cables.  Neither will really do much for you, unless the bike rests on a black long-doughnut, but it could encourage sideways roll, and the bike to wobble more.

If your bike allows it, perhaps a rack adapter like this:

Personally I just ride the bike rather than carry it.  The very few times it goes in my car, tends to ride inside.


Drum brakes - ineffective when cold I have city bike with Sturmey-Archer X-FDD front hub with drum brake.

Last week, after cold and wet days (drizzle, 2 C), the temperature dropped below -10 C.
I store this bike outdoors, I ride it every day 10-30 km.
Because of u-lock malfunction it was grounded for 3 days. When I eventually managed to free it, I observed very poor front brake operation. I suppose it is  about 30% usual effectiveness.
I ruled out the cable - braking cord is moving back and forth with no problem.

Has something wrong happened to the brake linning? What could cause such behaviour?

Edit:
As I'm lazy person, I didn't want to disassembly the hub and see what's wrong.
I supposed there is some ice on the surface of the lining, but after few dozens of hard brakings thing went even worse, ie. brake was less and less effective.

What I eventually did was riding for some not so long distance, using brake when pedalling with mudulate force. After that brake suddenly gain it full effectiveness.

@Emyr is probably right. There sholud be a lot of ice. Long braking melted it and let the brake dry.

Moisture may have collected on the friction surfaces and frozen.

Warm the bike up and re-test.


Stripped threading on upper rear rack bracket One of the rear rack holes on my aluminum frame have become stripped after a year of taking the rear rack off at least once a week. I've been using this bike for commuting and weekend riding, so I like to remove the rack when I'm not carrying panniers.

I've asked a few bike shops about rethreading the hole and have gotten multiple responses. One shop there is a tool that some shops have that can rethread it. Another said I was out of luck. One criticized me for taking the rack off often. The last one I asked said some shops could do it but you'd have to go up a screw size.

What's the consensus here on this type of frame repair? At the moment I can still use the rack since it's still secure with the one loose screw. I intend on getting a new bike at the end of the year for non-commuting, so I will make this a dedicated commuter bike where I can leave the rack on it when that happens.

A few ideas:

Buy a seatpost-mounted rack (this would be a good solution for the long term if you want to keep taking your rack on and off, but check the weight limits).
If you're going to keep doing this, when you've solved the immediate problem, put some stainless studs in the holes with threadlocker and use a nut on the outside. You should probably use a dome (acorn) nut to avoid hard edges.
If there's a rubbish thread but just enough to get a bite, degrease the hole, cover the first few turns of a stud in epoxy and screw it in. Leave overnight before fitting the rack.
P-clips onto the seat/chain stays can replace the mounting bosses for all but the heaviest racks.
You could probably tap it out. I'm used to M5 rack mounts so you'd need to go to M6. I'll the hole out with a 5mm drill then use an M6 tap. You'll probably need to start with a taper tap then change to a bottoming tap. You'll also need to open the hole on the rack to a little over 6mm (if you can't get a 6.2mm drill, use 1/4"). I reckon a metric tap set is worth having, but be sure to get one with pilot drills as these are otherwise uncommon sizes.

On my bikes I'd go for (1) P-clips (or tap if high loads and plenty of material); (2) tap it out (3) seatpost rack; (4) epoxy and only on my old bike.  But I already have all the tools/materials for all these options.

All links are examples rather than recommendations.

It should probably go without saying but if you've got a child seat mounted on the rack, you should probably forget about the repair, or using the rack in its current state. But you can get a seat that fits to the seat post.


Does the chain direction make a difference? Recently, I helped a friend install a new chain on her road bike, and for the first time read the instructions for installing one. It seems to claim that there's a forward direction, and that it actually makes a difference.

Does anyone know if that's actually true? My LBS (which I love dearly) just replaced my chain, and I thought it was installed it backwards. The new chain, if it makes a difference, is a Dura-Ace, 10 speed, CN-7801.

Does it matter? Do I care enough to reinstall it?

This Bicycle Repair Guide says:

  One- and three-speed bikes use
  1/8-inch wide chain, which use master
  links. There is one master link per
  bike chain. These snap on and off
  easily. There are two types of master
  links. Two-piece master links are
  opened by loosening the chain, then
  gently bending the link toward the
  outside, so the outer plate of the
  link is free to be lifted off.
  Three-piece master links have a clip
  that slides to one side and then lifts
  off. When reinstalling three-piece
  links, install the clip with the open
  end facing away from the direction of
  rotation, so that friction between the
  bike chain and clothing, chainguard,
  etc, will not accidentally remove it.

It's also covered on Bike Forums, here's one of the answers:

  Chain direction matters if the chain
  is worn. If you remove and soak your
  chain regularly (which, by the way, is
  not recommended, regardless of how
  easy it is to remove the chain), then
  you won't have a problem regardless of
  orientation of chain. If you remove a
  well worn chain and install it in the
  reverse direction, you'll end up with
  a mysterious skip in your drivetrain.
  Reverse your chain to see if that's
  the cause.

  There are two exceptions - if the
  chain has an "inside", i.e. points to
  the cogs, and "outside", i.e. never
  contacts cogs, except the pulley of
  the rear derailleur. If you have such
  a chain, you'll need to make sure that
  the inside is inside. You can still
  reverse its direction though, unless
  it is also directional, i.e there is a
  left and a right (the second
  exception).


Larger cassette options on a compact set up? I've been thinking of getting a larger cassette for my bike to tackle hills better, and I'm just looking for some thoughts.

I have a 2011 Honky Tonk (http://www.evanscycles.com/products/kona/honky-tonk-2011-road-bike-ec026518), with an IRD 12-28 on the back (the IRD is kind of meh, shifts rough).The setup is pretty middle of the road components wise (Sora on the front, Tiagra on the back, 9 speed).

Harris Cyclery offers a 13-30t cassette. Which would fit my current derailleur. But if I wanted to get something like a 13-34t cassette which long cage derailleur would people suggest swapping to?

This ships with a Tiagra SS.

Derailleurs come in 3 lengths: SS (narrow range) , GS (medium range), SGS (wide range).

If you want to move past 30t, you need to switch to a SGS derailleur, likely from the Shimano mountain range (e.g. Deore M591) - its 9 speed so the cable pulls are the same between the 9 speed deore and 9 speed Tiagra. This is what I'd likely do if i wanted a bigger cassette.


What is my bike frame .    What are those numbers on my bike frame?

The numbers that are often punched into steel and aluminium frames below the bottom bracket are a serial or identifying number. You may have a look at Wikipedia for an explanation what a serial number is.

If you know the make and model of your bike the number may help to identify your bike after it was stolen and recovered. For example: "This 1996 Giant TCR is my bike and not just any of thousands of Giant TCRs because it has the very frame number I provided to police when reporting the theft." It is therefore prudent to note the number.

With the exception of rare hand-built frames it has no other use.


Shimano 5800 10 speed cassette I have an 5800 set on my bike. However I changed the rear wheel, which comes with a Shimano FH-M756AL hub, which does not support the 11 speed cassette. So for now, I removed the 21 cog and added a spacer before the largest cog. So the shifting is kind of working, but I'm not 100% sure it is fine. I'm looking for a solution which does not require any hybrid cassette.

If I purchase a 5700 10 speed cassette will it fit on the hub and will it work with the ST-5800?

Or is there a MTB cassette that will work with ST-5800?

Thanks

Unfortunately you have no good solutions here.

There is no reason why the shifting should not work with a missing sprocket, you just have to get the indexing correct. The jump from 19 to 23 may be poor though. You may be able to prevent the shifter from shifting off the truncated cassette by winding the low limit in. This is obviously a kludge and you are missing a gear ratio.

You can't use a 10 speed cassette because the spacing of the sprockets is different on 10 and 11 speed cassettes. Also 10 and 11 speed chains have different external widths. See http://blog.artscyclery.com/science-behind-the-magic/science-behind-the-magic-drivetrain-compatibility/

Shimano retained the 10 speed freehub body width for 11 speed MTB groupsets. The reason this works is that the large inner sprockets can overhang the spoke flange slightly. Some Shimano 11 speed road cassettes can also do this, but they are all wide range models with 36 tooth or more (I think) large sprockets.

If you have a 5800 SS (short cage) derailleur the max large sprocket is 28, is you have a GS (medium cage) the max large sprocket is 32. See https://productinfo.shimano.com/download/?path=pdfs/archive/2017-2018_Specifications_v028_en.pdf, search for 'RD-5800'.

Really the only proper solution is to get a a wheel with an 11 speed hub.


DX derailleur 1990 maximum teeth? I'm trying to upgrade my cassette on a (commuter road bike) bike that uses a Shimano rear DX derailleur from ca 1990. What would the maximum tooth count be for this RD?

The model says rd-m650 but I'm not sure if it is the SS or SGS version? How can one tell?

It doesn't look like a short cage to my eyes but it's easy to trick ones eyes.

From what I found the it would be either 28T or 32T maximum. Do you think that a 34T would work? I understand that the extremes (smallest-smallest or biggest-biggest) won't work, but I don't use these gears anyways.

Thanks

A quick detour into BING produces the manual from this link:
RD-M650
and partially shown below:

For your derailleur you're correct, 32T is the biggest cog you could have at the rear. It's possible a freewheel with a bigger cog (34T) would work, but you may have to block off that cog by adjusting the limit screws if the derailleur cannot handle it.

I don't recall these derailleurs being available in different cage lengths, they were long cage by default.


What are the pros and cons of Double Butted vs Straight Spokes when building a wheel? Straight spokes will have the same diameter through the whole length, double butted spoked are thinner in the middle than at the ends. Here's my current understanding of the benefits of each:
Double Butted Spokes

Lighter than Straight Spokes
More elasticity in the wheel (less rigid / will flex some before breaking)
Spokes will bow out less at the crossings
Easier to bend/lace
When overtightened or stressed too hard, the spoke is more likely to snap than the rim eyelets or the hub's flange

Straight Spokes

Stronger than butted spokes
Less elasticity in the wheel (more rigid / may break before flexing)
More available at bike shops
Cheaper

What are other reasons to use one over the other, or more pros/cons that may influence one's decision to use one over the other when hand building wheels? ('Straight spokes are easier to machine lace' may be true, for example, but doesn't help me decide which to order)

In his book 'The bicycle wheel' Jobst Brandt, says that double butted spokes will be more resistant to fatigue failure when built into a wheel.

This is because spokes break because of the cyclic stress they suffer as the wheel rotates.

As the spoke rotates thru the bottom of the wheel it experiences a reduction in tension.

Butted spokes are more elastic so this reduction in tension is spread over more spokes, each experiencing a smaller reduction in tension.

Wheels are an order of magnitude stiffer than the tyres they roll on, so any stiffness differences will not be noticeable. A wheel built with butted spokes will be able to carry a heavier load before any of the spokes become slack. At this point the rim is no longer restrained and the wheel will be more likely to collapse.


Clicking while pedalling Hi all while I'm pedalling I get clicking noise I feel it in the left side of pedal I change the pedals I thought that may of been the problem  but it's still there but funniest  thing is if I stand up on the bike while pedalling  the noise isn't  there any ideas?

If the clicking stops when you stand up, the first suspects are the parts you sit on: saddle and seat post.


Why isn't my quill stem controlling the front wheel of my bike? Please excuse me if some of my terminology is off. I don't know much about bikes.
When I came home from college I noticed that the seat of my bike was way to high and the headset was really low, I have a old style quil stem head set,. So I decided to raise the headset. When I raised the headset I did not know that I was not supposed to completely remove the headset stem bolt. I tried screwing it back in but it doesn't work. So now the headset does not control the front wheel, and I have no idea how to fix it. Can someone PLEASE help me!!! I also have a question, why is it that when I hit the bicycle stem bolt with a hammer it fixes it but only for a short time period?

Completely remove the bicycle quill
Hang the bike up-side down
Take out the wedge. If the wedge is stuck, try inserting the quill bolt alone (no quill, just bolt). Take care not to push the wedge further in. Try to thread in the wedge, and remove the wedge when there is enough grip.
If wedge is truly stuck, remove the front wheel from the fork. The fork should have a hole so that you can push the wedge from below (with rod/hammer)
Re-assemble the quill and wedge with the bolt correctly. Make sure you know how to do this, it should be straight-forward.

Good luck

Bicycle terminology (regarding quill stem, which often seen in old bicycle):

Wedge (sometimes 'Expander'): a device that wedge/expand the quill inside the fork steerer tube. This is achieved via compression of the wedge/expander into the quill, using a quill bolt.
Quill: a device connecting (fork) steerer tube and stem. Usually the stem and the quill comes together as one part.
Stem: a device connecting the handlebar to the fork (via quill).


Aluminum forks vs. carbon forks (with aluminum frames) what are the trade offs? The all-aluminum frame bike will be cheaper.  The aluminum fork should be more robust and less prone to breakage.  The carbon fork will be more shock absorbing and comfortable.  That's kind of how I see the basic trade off.

Given that I like to ride a touring bike with wide tires (25 to 28 mm) and I use low pressure, I am wondering if I would feel any comfort benefit at all from the carbon fork.  And, should just go for the aluminum one.

Is that how you see it?

What is the make/model of the bike you are considering?  It may help in answering your question more pointedly.

There are all carbon forks (which are very expensive), and more commonly, carbon forks with carbon fork arms and an allow steerer tube.

I think you will find the carbon fork much, much better in terms of weight, performance and comfort compared to an alloy fork.  Most entry level road bikes ($700 and up) from the big brands come standard with a carbon fork.  Road touring is more or less the same.  I have an older Specialized Secteur which has relaxed touring geometry and some touring affordances.  It came with a carbon fork and I wouldn't want to ride it without one.

As far as durability, it all depends on the built quality, but I think you'd have to try pretty hard to actually crack a carbon fork while touring.  I've hit massive potholes and never damaged my fork.  I've blown out a lot of tires but the fork remains in tact.  They are very durable.  I'd be more worried about my alloy frame failing from fatigue than my carbon fork.

A touring consideration, If you want to mount racks or fenders, you need to make sure the carbon fork has eyelets or some hardware to do so.  It is not advised to use p-clamps on carbon forks.

So, if you can afford it, I wouldn't think twice.  Get the carbon fork.  It will steer and handle better, be lighter, and you can pick up the front end of the bike easier (like when hopping your front tire over obstacles to avoid impact).

For me, once I put some carbon on my bike, I usually and up wanting more carbon on my bike.  It just has really suitable characteristics as a bicycle material.


New brakes for 90s road bike I am riding 90s road bike with Shimano 105 dual-pivot brakes and brake levers, and 2x7 downtube shifters. Since braking becomes less and less reliable I want to replace both brakes and levers with something new.

There's a plenty of good opinions on 105 br-r7000 but I am having hard time to find matching levers. I don't think there are any compatible shiftless levers. Can I go with cheaper claris shift levers or do I need to pay for 105?

Bonus question: could I use 11 speed 105 shifters to work with 7/8 rear derailleur if I do STI conversation?

EDIT:

First, thanks for so many great comments. I see I have missed some important information:

my goal is to improve braking performance - it feels underpowered and my rear brake lever has a crack already.
I have already replaced cables, brakepads (swisstop) and my bike is running brand new wheels (frame was cold-set to 130mm)
fit 28mm tires

From what I have found, here are some interesting brake / lever combinations:

Shimano BL-R400 ($35, brake levers, no shifter, SuperSLR) + BR-R2000 ($50, NEW SuperSLR)
Claris: ST-R2000 ($130, NEW SuperSLR) + BR-R2000 ($50, NEW SuperSLR)
Claris+105: ST-R2000 ($130, NEW SuperSLR) + BR-R7000 ($75, SLR-EV)
105: ST-R7000 ($185, SLR-EV) + BR-R7000 ($75, SLR-EV)
SRAM S 500 ($75 brake levers) + SRAM Rival 22 brake ($75)

Most likely the problem is not with the actual brakes, but cables and brake pads. Replacing these is very likely to fix your problems.

If you want to replace everything and keep everything in official Shimano spec, it seems that there aren't non-shifter brake levers. The options are to install the expensive and useless shift levers, non-Shimano brakes or use a non Super SLR lever that results in slightly mushier feel.


Usage experience with anti-theft GPS trackers Does anybody have any actual experience with anti-theft GPS trackers like BikeSpy? Their website looks terribly unprofessional and there are only very few testimonies online, but the idea is intreaging. I am especially interested in hearing from people who have tried products like BikeSpy in the US, since they rely on cell phone networks.

Are there recurring costs?
How long does the battery last?
How difficult is it to remove the product with common tools?
How reliably does the unit report unauthorized movement?

I have found the following similar questions, but none of the answers seem to come from people who have actually used the products in question:

Are there electronic/active theft deterrents for bicycles?
GPS bike tracking (locks)

I have a good lock but live in a metropolitan area with ridiculously high rates of bicycle theft. I am not looking for an alternative for locking my bike, but for "insurance," in case my bike gets nicked.

In my experience active GPS trackers are not very suitable to protect your bike at the current technology level. However they are suitable if you are more interested to catch the thief rather than as 'insurance'.

While a general GPS tracker has a good price tag (around 20 GBP) these bike-specific ones seem to be way more expensive. So they are

-increasing the value of what is stolen (bc it gets stolen with it)

-increasing the weight you carry around for any acceptable battery life. But expensive bikes are expensive largely because they are light (for road practical use)

tend to require often recharging every few days so most users will stop attending to their tracker soon before their bike might get stolen
need configuration with cell phone providers data plans are recharging at least each year with no use.
they have to be covert otherwise the thief will take them out but the reason security works is usually because the thiefs know it is there so they are averted from stealing in the first place

I think new technology devices will be coming out soon that will make their daily usage more effective. Until then they are great for increasing the probability of catching a thief (priceless?) in case your bike gets stolen.


E Bike speeding (>32km/hr) Penalty? In Toronto, Ontario, Canada, what is the penalty for riding an electric assist bike thatsurpasses 32 kilometres per hour on flat terrain? Also, what is the penalty for an e bike that surpasses the 500 Watt maximum? I'm looking for sources and public records if possible.

The law says

  Q3: Can I modify my e-bike so it can go faster than 32 km/h?
  No. Modifying your e-bike to increase its speed beyond 32 km/h will no longer qualify it as an e-bike.

Which means that it's no longer a bicycle, it is a moped, scooter, or motorbike. Note that the bike can go faster, you just can't have a motor that operates while the bike is going faster. It's an interesting thing to police.

The exact penalties that will be applied depend on the discretion of the law enforcement process you experience. A Police Officer might just ticket you for, say, "1. Drive motor vehicle, no permit" which is $85. Or they might be persuaded that you should attend court and explain your behaviour to a magistrate, in which case

  Dealing with vehicle not conforming to standard

Which is "no set fine" offence and you could face quite a lot of excitement, starting with "we will give your bike only to an approved mechanic who has agreed to modify it so that it is in conformance with the standard, and who will release it to you only once it does". If you are exceptionally lucky they will agree that turning it back into an e-bike is acceptable, but they could easily say "must be a conformant motorbike", and good luck with that.  If the legal system wants to make your life unpleasant, they can. The trick is not to make any of them want to do that.

This "getting away with riding an illegal e-bike" is only partly humorous, there is good advice.

  Obey traffic laws. Do not do tricks. Do not ride like a jackass.  Avoid congested roads. Do not endanger others when you ride.

Viz, pick the law you want to break (fast e-bike), and obey the rest.


Fixing/replacing rim/wheel with Internal Gear Hubs (Nexus 3) My rear wheel's rim is severely damaged and I want to replace the rim. I don't want to respoke it, so first question, is it possible to buy new prebuilt wheel somehow without the transmission itself, may be with hub shell, without hub internals? Or I have to buy rim and respoke it?

I don't think you're going to be able to swap the guts of an internally geared hub on to a prebuilt wheel that doesn't have the same hub on it to start.

If you buy a new rim, you should be able to do a rim swap relatively easy if you have a truing stand.  Simply tape the rims together and swap the spokes over to the new rim one at a time.  Then you'll need to re-tension the wheel from scratch, but you won't have to worry about re-lacing the wheel.  If you're not comfortable with this process, you may want to take it to a bike shop and have them rebuild the wheel for you.

Here's an overview on how to do a rim swap in more detail.
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?doc_id=4888


Interupter brake lever compatible with hydraulic mechanical disk brakes? I have recently Installed JuinTech R1 Hydraulic mechanical pull disk brakes to my road bike. I would like to add some cyclo top or interrupter brake levers. Does anybody have any experience with this? Any issues?

Those brakes are designed for cyclocross which means using STI "brifters" as you no doubt have on your bike.  Interrupter levers are also designed for use with STI levers.  The trio should be perfectly compatible.

One exception to the above would be if you had "mountain" brakes designed for MTB levers.  But that's not the case here.


What is the problem with my suspension fork? I have a Manitou Skareb. I think it is a 2005. It was working fine the last time I rode it. I pulled the bike out after about 1 month of not riding and I could push the fork down about 1.5 inches with very little pressure on the fork. When I lift the front wheel off the ground, the wheel drops down immediately.

The air pressure in the fork is 140 psi.

Any idea what the problem might be or how to fix it?

Your fork has both air and oil in it; if the air component is fine it follows that the oil component is not.

If it was not stored upright the problem is probably that the oil is in the wrong part of the fork and will gradually make its way beck to its designed location if you leave it the right way up for a day or two.

Check for oil leaks at all points around the fork (and oily residue wherever you had stored it).

The other possibilities are:

an internal seal has failed and is no longer controlling the flow of oil/air within the fork leg as it should be;
the oil has become contaminated with water;
the oil has broken down into a foam.

In any of these cases it will need to be disassembled and serviced: I would leave that to the professionals.


Single Speed / Fixie - Chain tension / uneven tension I recently changed my chain and noticed it has uneven tension (probably my chain ring being out of rounds). I followed Parktool's video and set the tightest spot to have about 0.25 inch movement up and down.

I wanted to confirm that I did everything correctly, it’s been sort of hard for me to judge if the tension is correct. I’m also not sure if the noise that the chain makes is normal, or if it’s too tight. I have attached videos for the tension and noise.

I would appreciate it if someone could confirm if everything seems good? Thanks!

Chain tension (I start the video at the tightest spot)
https://imgur.com/a/7CFWc0b

Chain sound:
https://imgur.com/a/8fgiLlH

I'm going to disagree with Mike and say that chain is far too tight. I race singlespeed MTB and have a fair amount of experience setting chain tension. In the fixie/singlespeed world; a loose chain is a fast chain, but not TOO loose. There is a "Goldilocks" tension to chains where the chain can freely move up/down along the drive line but not enough to jump teeth on the cog or chain ring.

All chains will "stretch" over time and require periodic re-tensioning but a chain that is set too tight will exacerbate wear on cog, chain ring, and the links.

FWIW, I run oval chain rings on my MTB and those are even more finicky to set up. Tension is set on those when the oval portion is at its widest position on the y-axis, then goes slack through its rotation, but never slack enough to de-chain or skip teeth.

Just an example of my chain after a race earlier this year where you can see how slack it was but still connecting and putting power to the tire.


25 degree rise stem vs 6 degree rise stem with taller head tube - how is handling affected? All,

I’m shopping for a new road bike with endurance geometry (more upright position and shorter top tube), 9mm drop saddle-to-bars.  I’ve had a Guru fit done by a professional fitter. The main problem is I’m 5’5” with 29” inseam, and one arm is 2” shorter than the other. So it’s been hard to find a small frame with a short enough reach and tall enough head tube (enough stack) to put the bars close enough without compromising handling.

Most of the 48cm or 49cm frames I’m looking at have a top tube that is too long and/or the head tube is not tall enough. Many 50cm frames don’t have enough standover clearance. The fitter has spec’d a 70mm 6 degree stem as a minimum and doesn’t want to go shorter.

I thought it might work to use a 70mm stem with a 25 or 30 degree rise, to effectively reduce the reach and get the handlebars high enough. It’s sort of like making the head tube taller and the top tube shorter, but with a riser stem. However, my fitter has advised against this, saying that using a riser stem with that much rise may adversely affect handling and weight distribution.

My question is, how is using a stem with 25 degree rise different from having a frame with a taller head tube (more stack) using a 6 degree rise? Is there a handling difference, and why?

Thanks

The weight distribution is affected only by the location of saddle and handlebars related to the wheels. It does not matter whether it is by higher rise stem or higher head tube.

The difference that might affect handling is that system of frame with high head tube and short stem is stiffer than one of lower head tube and longer angled stem. You can feel the difference when pedaling hard, but any modern stem will be far stiffer than old-fashioned quill stems used to be.

There is a financial difference, is your fitter recommending custom frames?


What is causing my disc brakes to loosen when it rains? I have Tektro Aquila disc brakes, and I have recently noticed that the brakes need tightening every time it rains. I don't see mention of this model in Are there any major outstanding recalls of bicycle parts?, nor does there appear to be a recall for Tektro brakes.

The brakes are about four months old, and have about two thousand kilometers on them, plus the barrel adjuster on one of them is most of the way out, so I suspect brake pad wear is a factor. I'm going to swap out the brake pads, but is there something else I should be looking for?

EDIT: I got done changing those pads and one of the worse offending pair was literally worn to the backing plate.

It's difficult to know for sure, but my guess is that the rotor is getting wet and it and/or the pads end up contaminated, preventing them from gripping as well. You've been solving this problem by tightening the brakes, which works, but it's a sledgehammer fix at best.

Try sanding the pads with a file or some sandpaper. Alternatively, try using sintered pads if you aren't already. This will wear the rotor out faster though.


Crank arm doesn't go all the way on square taper axle Doesn't matter what I do, I can't seem to push the arm all the way, even though the bolt is tight and it feels stable:

I just replaced a worn out and damaged arm but they look similar enough to not have this gap (old on the left, right is new):

Crank arm looks like it is actually fully on the tapered part of the axle. Square taper cranks don't mate up to the frame bottom bracket shell, there's supposed to be a gap there.

See: Sheldon Brown's page on square taper cranks/bottom brackets.

The gap does look a bit large to me though. Are you replacing crank arms? (Crank arm in pic looks new.) Is there a difference in fit of new vs old arms?

Update after pic of old crank added.

Wow! You really did let that crank get bad! Old crank arm that badly damaged would sit further onto the axle because the taper has been enlarged.

I'd take the bike to your local bike store and ask them to tighten the crank bolts up to the proper torque with a suitably large torque wrench (they'd likely do this for free or for a nominally small charge) to avoid recurrence of the issue.

Update 2: for reference here’s an old BB and crank I dug out. Bolt is not torqued down, but it shows where crank sits on the taper.


Buy Time-Trial bIke or convert road bike I have started doing triathlons but don't want to invest in a Time-Trial bike until later. What are the problems with converting a road bike to a Time-Trial bike?

The geometry is the major problem with converting a road bike into a TT/Tri bike, road bikes have you sitting much farther back relative to the contact points on the handlebars.

You may be able to offset this with a different seatpost that puts you farther forward (assuming saddle is adjusted all the way towards the front).

Other changes may include a shorter stem, different saddle.

You may be able to make your road bike work, just don't expect to be comfortable mid ride switching from the aerobars to the hoods/drops. You have to pick one and stick with it.


Does the BB axle (spindle) lengths 1:1 compare for square taper and octalink? When measuring the axle length of a square taper bottom bracket, can I pick a new octalink bottom bracket with the same axle length?

I can think of some offset added or removed by the difference how the axle is mounted to the crank.

The crank set will be replaced too, of course.

No. And not only that, if you were to stay with square taper cranks you would find that the BB length for one crank does not necessarily match the BB length for another crank.

In other words, if you use a 103mm square spindle bottom bracket A with crank B, it does not mean you would use a 103mm bottom bracket C with crank D, regardless of whether bottom bracket C is square or octalink.


Why does a Bella cargo bike not act like a car driving in reverse? This is crazy you could never make any vehicle have this kinda steering layout. You would imagine that it would be horribly unstable at high speeds +30 km/h. I can't see this being a good idea but it seems to work.

There's a reason why 100% of street vehicles have front steering.
So how tricky is it to drive such a trike?
Could I take a normal trike and flip some stuff 180 degrees and have the same results?

You are not wrong to ask how tricky these things are to steer. They are very disconcerting to manoeuvre until you are quite familiar with them.

They certainly would be unstable at 30+ km/h. But good luck with that; you'd need to be quite an athlete to achieve such speeds. If you could pedal fast enough though, I think you would have a quite hilariously dangerous vehicle in your hands.

In practice, they are ridden at much lower speeds, where the rider doesn't find themselves caught out in ever-greater cycles of steering over-correction, and where the outward movement of the back end isn't rapid enough to be destabilising.


What do i need to know about buying a new back wheel for my mountain bike I'm trying to buy a new wheel for my mountain bike and I went online and was lost in the different specs of the wheels.

I currently have a 1×9 on the bike.  I don't know anything else about the cassette or wheel because I bought the bike used.

I plan on getting a new groupset as well, do I need to buy both the wheel and set at the same time?

To answer the other part of your question, No you can upgrade the groupset later.

Assuming you buy a wheel with an 11 speed hub, then your existing 9 speed cassette should fit it, and an 11 speed cassette is the same width but with thinner chain.  You'll need a new chain of course, and a right-hand shifter that has 11 positions not 9.

You should be able to use the front chainring as-is, subject to wear.

I can't say whether you will need a new rear derailleur or not - you should get away with the current one, but its not guaranteed.

New shift cable and housing too because why not?

Since you've mentioned Tubeless in a comment, probably best to add new tyres and sealant.  Add a spare tube to your pack as well, for bad punctures. If your front wheel is not tubeless compatible, you're up for a new wheel there too unless you only want tubeless on the rear.


Brand new bike. Briefly removed the rear disc brake caliper, now it's too tight I have a 2017 Cannondale Synapse Carbon Disc 105 with less than 10 hours of ride time on it. (I got it in March as unsold stock from last year) I noticed that after I had ridden for a little while, the rear wheel started squeaking obnoxiously as I rode, even while coasting. After a bit of troubleshooting (i.e. removing the caliper), I determined the rear disc brake was definitely the problem; it was presumably misaligned or something. However, when trying to reinstall the caliper after learning this, I noticed the pads seem too close together, to the point where I had trouble fitting them back around the rotor. Now that I've roughly gotten the rear caliper into position, it is constantly rubbing against the rotor however I align it, and the brake lever feels much tighter. Again, this is a new bike with new Shimano 105 parts and I haven't changed anything out. What happened? How do I recalibrate the brake so it works properly? (If it turns out I somehow ruined something, I still have a warranty tune-up at my dealer where I can get it sorted out)

As mentioned in comments you most likely applied the brake without the disc between the pads. The pistons advance and do not return all the way to their original position - this is how hydraulic brakes automatically adjust for pad wear.

The pistons can be pushed back in. Remove the pads then use a tire lever to push the pistons back in. Then replace the pads. You should be able to find numerous videos showing you how to do this on YouTube.

You should check your disc is not warped, and then reinstall the caliper unit. Again there are plenty of how-to videos explaining how to align the caliper. One way is to loosen the caliper bolts, apply the brake so that the pads grip the rotor them tighten the bolts, then release the brake.


Trouble with spiral folding bike lock - jammed I use a spiral folding bike lock similiar to the one here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/RockBros-Theft-Folding-Hamburg-Colors/dp/B00MB7NUB6

It was a fairly decent lock, but now it's jammed; I've tried all of my spare keys and everything and the lock just refuses to budge.

Here's what happens when I insert the key and twist it: I am able to twist it fully as if I would open it, but then when I pull the key out, the locking mechanism refuses to pop out; it sort of just stays there when in fact it should release the lock.

I have no clue what to do to open it. I'm not sure if a hacksaw would work as this thing looks strong enough to take one and I have no clue how to fix the jam.

Here's a picture of the bike lock:

Jiggle it, wiggle it, slap it around a little.  The latch part is probably not retracting when it should.   You can also blast the lock with a penetrating lubricant and repeat the jiggle/wiggle/tap.

You could try contacting Rock Bros at http://www.rockbrosbike.com/article-info.php?artid=6   for advice and possible replacement.

Its slightly disconcerting that their email addresses are given as
rockbrosbike@gmail.com and rockbrosbike@hotmail.com

Is your bike locked up somewhere else?   I'd recommend you go and add more locks to it until this one is removed.  If you give up, use a grinder to cut the lock completely and throw it away.


Child bike seat usage when approaching max weight I've been reviewing some of the options for commuting your kid around (bike seat, trailers, mid tails, long tails, etc) and am having a hard time determining the best option.   My daughter is 45lbs and is at or approaching the limit of most bike seats.   Is the easy option of a bike seat the way to go?  Or will commuting a kid at the max weight of a seat be too cumbersome (and short term)?   Are the other options a better choice here?

Note I don't currently own a bike so all choices will involve a purchase of some kind...

Even if you decide to buy the seat now, presumably there'd be an issue as she grows? And by the sounds of things, it won't be long before she passes the upper limit.

So I'd look at other options, which as I see it, are:

a trailer

one of those things where they're sitting on their own saddle, over their own wheel, but are actually being towed by you

or last, get her her own bike. From experience, this one has pros and cons. The obvious pro is to get them cycling as soon as possible, the con is that until they become pretty proficient, they ride mightily slowly!

While I was googling, I also came across this article which might help (and this is where the pics came from).


Left Turn Across Major Intersection I'm new at biking, and have seen many examples of left-turn situations, but none that quite match this one.  Simply, what is the proper / best way to complete the turn pictured below, or is it smarter just to dismount and act like a pedestrian?

I'm hoping for a catch-all answer, but if it matters, this is in the California bay area.

At any intersection that has marked turn lanes, I position myself inside the outermost turn lane, inside the line enough that I can't be squeezed between a turning car and one going straight.

I then proceed through the intersection on a slightly wider path than the car will take so as not to impeded traffic any more than possible, and head for the bike lane.


Do 16g CO2 cartridges have a shelf life? I mainly use my road bike during the triathlon season and now that the season is coming back around again, I am finding some old, unused CO2 cartridges from last season (fall).

I typically use 16 gram CO2 cartridges and they usually fill my bike to about 90 psi.

Are these cartridges still safe to use after months of inactivity?

I've tried researching the matter online but all I've read applies to airsoft, etc. and not necessarily the 16g bicycling cartridges I'm concerned about. But, from what I did read CO2 cartridges have a chance of leaking if not stored correcty and may indeed have a shelf life.

They last pretty much forever provided they haven't been damaged (e.g. punctured or rusted or something), so go ahead and use them.

If you really want to check them, you can buy a few new ones and weigh them on a scale (and compare the weights of the old cartridges to the new ones). If they're significantly lighter, they've leaked and throw them out. Else, go ahead and use them. But a few years (say less than a decade) is pretty much nothing in terms of having issues with the cartridges leaking.


Cost of lending out a child's bike? My son's elementary school teaches kids to ride a bike in gym class. Basically, they adjust the schedule so the 2nd grade kids (7-8 year olds) have extra gym classes during a 1 month period and during these classes the kids are taught to ride. The school (technically the PTA and more technically an off shot of the PTA) owns 30 pedal bikes, 30 balance bikes, and 30 sets of safety gear so that there is a bike for every kid in the class. The PTA has arranged with the local bike shop to service the bikes during the first class (the PTA pays for parts and the bike store donates the labor). The bikes sit unused for 11 months of the year. Our school is very large and the bikes are essentially in use 5 hours a day for the entire month.

There is talk of loaning the bikes and safety gear to other schools so that they can offer bike riding lessons also. The concern of the PTA is that this will cause the bikes to have a shorter life span and additional maintenance costs. What is the best way to estimate the cost of loaning/renting the bikes to the other schools? Our PTA is quite good at circumventing rules/laws so the legality of rental payments and liability are not a concern.

[UPDATE: We are now in the second year of lending the bikes out. Last year we lent the bikes to 2 other area schools and this year the plan is to lend them to 4 school. The final activity is for a group of the kids to ride the bikes to the new school to hand them off. The other school returns the bikes in the same way. Our LBS had no problem with the arrangement. The deal with the other schools is they need to work with an LBS to do a safety check and pay for anything that they break. We decided on no money and they seem appreciative. So far it has been a win all around.

The marginal cost of cycling is extremely low (i.e. the cost for an extra bit of use), especially as kids' lessons are going to be light use (I doubt they're hurtling off kerbs, for example). Kids' bikes are also heavily built in proportion to their riders, who are weak compared to adult riders, while the chain (for example) is unchanged.

Depreciation of bikes has little to do with distance travelled and more to do with age (unaffected by the loan) and apparent condition (e.g. rust - how are they stored? How often are they dropped on painted parts?).

If the bikes are being serviced once a year anyway, that's probably enough for some extra riding, though they may want a safety/basic check after being transported between sites (have the brakes been knocked, is there air in the tyres...?).

Ultimately this is a form of business decision (though I dislike the term in this context). It's highly unlikely for the extra wear to shorten the life of non-consumable parts, so if you covered your consumables costs (with a possible allowance for extra wear) you should be fine. Accident damage is another matter (also theft etc.). I suggest you enquire about insurance but probably choose to self insure.

You should talk to the LBS volunteers to get an idea of whether they think they'll need to do more, and whether they'd be happy to do so on the same terms.

So to actually estimate what it might cost, I'd start from an average consumables cost per bike per year from your records. This is for a month's use, so I'd try to recoup that per month lent out. This is almost certainly more than enough alone as rust and perishing rubber are a function of time, but if the number you get from that seems low in the context of the market (sorry!), a safety factor wouldn't be a bad idea. Obviously if you do end up with (extra) insurance costs you'd factor this in, and you'd gauge interest in advance to know how to share that between renters.


What are those washers for? I recently serviced my FH-RM66 and was surprised to find that the cones have a couple of washers in the middle. The cones are monolithic, so the weashers can't be holding it together or absorbing vibrations.

What purpose are those washers serving? And how were they mounted in there?

That washer is a part of the "seal" system for the hub.  If you look at the hub there is a lightweight metal cap pressed into the hub over the area of the bearing race, and that washer (which is plastic) fairly snugly fit into the hole in that cap.

This doesn't create a water-tight seal, but it's tight enough to keep out a lot of the dust.

I've never studied closely how the washer is placed there.  I would assume that the cone is made of two pieces that are swaged together during manufacturing, but I can't say for sure.


Protecting formal shoes from scuffs I'm a utility cyclist. Usually when I ride, I wear good outdoor shoes that are waterproof and hard-wearing, so it's OK if they get scuffed on pedals or splashed with mud or oil from the road surface. (Proper mudguards help a lot but still aren't 100% effective.)

On occasion, I go to an event in formal dress, which entails wearing black, polished leather shoes. It's a lot harder to keep these clean and shiny. If I've a long ride to get there, I'll usually wear some shoes that are better for cycling and keep my black pair in my bag. But if I'm only riding 10 minutes to get to an event in town, having to pack a second pair and change them is a lot less convenient.

Is there an easier alternative? A plastic bag over the shoes, secured with elastic, would keep them clean, but not (I fear) protect them from scuffs; besides, I'd be afraid of slipping when I put my foot down. Any other ideas?

There are a number of rubber overshoes that would work. Two of the most common brands are Totes and Tingley. Try a search for "rubber overshoes" on Google or Amazon.

These will protect your shoes, provide some traction, and can be rolled up and strapped to the frame or seat with velcro.

Below is an example of the Totes brand:


Threaded headset wobbles after riding This is my first time adjusting a threaded headset.

After thoroughly cleaning, inspecting and greasing the bearings, I attempted to re-assemble the headset. The piece is interesting in that the lower cup is somehow stuck in the frame, while the higher cup threads on the steer tube, effectively being inverted to what one would expect (i.e. in order for both bearings to be facing the cups, both bearings are seated with the separators downwards and the balls pointing at the sealing). The frame has a race face to accomodate the bearing separator.

I tightened the upper cup until there was no wobble (as strongly as I can by hand and then a quarter of a turn with a wrench). Then I threaded the stopnut. The latter revealed some thread damage upon inspection, and indeed does hold only until certain tightness (maybe a couple of kilograms on a 1/3 meter wrench), then "jumps".

After riding the bike for a day through some road bumps and holes, the headset was loose again, visibly shaking.

Do I need a new headset, or is it more likely that I am assembling the thing incorrectly?

If the locknut can't be tightened down without slipping, there will be no way to keep it tight.  Hopefully the fork threads are ok and not damaged otherwise you're looking at a new fork.  Also check to see that you're using at least 5 threads for the locknut - if the locknut is being tightened on only a couple of threads it's probably not going to hold and you'll have to either remove a spacer or use a lower profile top cup or get a longer fork.


converting to fixed gear, chain problem I just got a 16 tooth and tried to put on the old chain, BUT while it fits on the pedal cog (46 tooth), it does not on the rear cog. How can I solve this? a different cog in the back or a different chain? (on the rear cog, the chain has bigger "holes" than it should, so it doesnt fit...)
Thank you so much for any advice...!

You might have bought the wrong width chain. For road bikes/fixie there are two possibilities. These are the width of the chain.
3/32" and 1/8"

a 3/32" chain will not fit on a 1/8" cog but a 1/8" chain will fit on a 3/32" cog (but with extra space around the teeth).

If it is the length of the chain you are talking about then get a new chain. but the pedal cog might also need to be replaced.

More economic route might be buying a used rear cog (be warned this might be unsafe if you end up riding a lot wear will be faster)


Pulley for 10 Gear Derailleur for 9 Gear Chain I am using a 10 gear XTR derailleur on a 9 gear cassette with a 9 gear chain and the tension pulley of the derailleur looks like needing replacement (despite teeth being very sharp it seems to work OK so far so i know i don't have to replace it, but i'm going on a tour so don't want problems during it). Should i replace the pulley with a recommended replacement (i.e. Y5XC98140) or use a pulley for a 9 gear XTR derailleur instead (i.e. Y5VW98120) since i am using a 9 gear chain anyway? The number of teeth is the same, so what's the difference between those pulleys? Can they have a different axle diameter as suggested here?

Changing your pulley/jockey wheel to a higher/lower tooth count will not change the shift indexing of your derailleur, it'll only change the tension of the chain. (if you replace an 11 tooth jockey wheel with a 16 tooth, you might wanna add a few links on your chain)

Changing jockey wheels shouldn't matter for as long it has no conflict with the cage of the derailleur (the plate thing holding the jockey wheels), either being too large to fit or having incompatible axle-bearing contact/diameter (very rare though).

I'd recommend having narrow-wide jockey wheels especially if your derailleur doesn't have a clutch. There's a reason why SRAM adds it on their derailleurs and roadies/CX riders like it.

Also, no need for sealed-bearing wheels. Jockey wheels with bushings are sufficient especially if you plan to replace them every 6 months.


How should I lock my bike in a public front wheel bike stand In front of my gym there is front wheel bike stand that means a regular D lock will not be able to  reach from the stand to the frame.

Around the corner is some Sheffield style locks but they are out of the view of the gym - meaning easier for criminals.
I am wondering what is the best approach for locking in a situation like this.
Should I invest in a long chain as a second lock to reach the frame.
Would a thin cable be suitable?
Is it better to go with a Sheffield even if it is not in front of building.

The same racks were installed "temporarily" at my local station at the beginning of the year. This is somewhere where a bike with only a cable lock is unlikely to last a week of commuting before being stolen.
It's often possible to put your back wheel in these racks, being careful of the rear derailleur (you may need to select a very high gear). Then a long D-lock can reach to the chainstay, possibly even through the wheel to the opposite chainstay. My kryptonite series 2 won't go through the wheel as well, but my masterlock will. I also use a cable to the front wheel. I considered using 2 D-locks, one locking the wheel to the rack, and the other locking the frame to the first, but didn't do it in the end.
Putting the back wheel in makes things a little awkward for other users - but so does overlapping handlebars when every space has a bike parked forwards. So try not to park right next to someone.


New to Drop bar Road Bike, severe upper back/neck pains Took my new Cannondale out yesterday and 40 mins into ride started getting pains just below neck top between shoulder blades, the bike is the right size a 56 I am 179cm, is this due to me not being used the drop bar posture or am I doing something wrong ? Have been told it may take a few rides for the muscles to get used to the posture, just mystified any advice would be welcome.

You should try a professional bike fit.

Just because you are 179 cm doesn't mean a 56 is right for you (the sizing of a bike with a given number varies on the type of bike and manufacturer and model). Normally, when you switch to drop bars, you will be sore (but pain is different, and should be alarming, though going for a 40 minute ride while just starting out may be a bit much). The geometry of the bike can also cause problems - racers may cause more pain than touring bikes due to their more aggressive geometry, for example.

Here are some tips from sheldon brown on pain, and what to do about it.


Flickering light, Lumotec IQ Fly Senso Plus with SON hub-generator Halfway through my third winter my Lumotec IQ Fly Senso Plus (powered by a SON hub-generator) headlight has suddenly started fluctuating, after I returned from Christmas holidays. While riding in the dark (and darkness lasts 20/24 hours here this time of the year), my light semi-regularly switches from bright to faint and back to bright. The faint light looks like the standlight, so very much less than the bright light. I ride in the dark around 5 hours/week during around 5 months, so with around less than 500 hours of dark riding, the LEDs should still be fine — or do LEDs degrade much more quickly in the cold (<-20°C)? My own hypothesis would be as mentioned on this forum:

  The flickering of the previous light could have been caused by
  adjusting the light when it has been firmly screwed down. This could
  cause the contact lip to turn in the housing and loose contact with
  the bulb. If this happens bend the lip forward again, and ease the
  mounting bolt a bit before readjusting

but I'm not sure if it applies to my model, I don't know what lip to bend forward and how. I've already firmly attached the plugs on the outside, but maybe something got loose on the inside. As I'm a bit afraid of starting to disassembling things I can't assemble again, I'd need some advice.

What can I open, firmly attach, adjust, etc. in an attempt to tighten all connections that need to be tight, and how do I do this?
What other problems may cause the observed behaviour, and how would I handle those?

(also posted at this Dutch forum)

Since it is an halogen light (correct me if I'm wrong), there is a socket inside, with a spring or something, where you "screw" the lamp. Maybe the spring got weak, there is some rust, or some other sort of bad-quality electrical connection.

Since the lamps are meant to be replaceable by the user, you could do it yourself perhaps without any tool, or perhaps with a small screwdriver or some sort of tiny plier.

If you are in doubt, you could take the light to some friend or shop to take a look inside, for obvious bad-connections caused by rust or misalignments. A simple cleaning would do it, the lamp connections are always quite similar.

The forum refers to adjusting the light angle, twisting the whole headlight, while it could be too tightly fixed on the bike. That would mean the headlight outer casing and/or internal structure got a little bent and misaligned. A movement in the oposite direction coud straighten things back to normal, perhaps.

Hope it helps.


Is it possible to change my bike standard headset to a internal headset? Its a non tapered headtube fitted with a standard headset with a 30mmx30mm ball bearings

The head tube of the bike has to be designed to specific dimensions to seat a specific type of headset cup. Hence, if your head tube isn’t designed for an internal headset, you can’t simply fit an internal headset to the frame. It is completely impractical to change the head tube. It may be possible in theory, but definitely not economical, because you’d have to cut out or de-bond the head tube from the rest of the frame, attach a new one, then repaint, and you would need a new fork as well since forks are designed to mate with different headset types. And you’d want to repaint the bike. If it were an aluminum bike, you’d need to heat treat the frame.
Why do you want an internal headset anyway? If the answer is to lower your stack height, then you could experiment with a stem with a lower angle (e.g. find a -17 degree stem). Presumably you would have already tried removing headset spacers. Unfortunately, this may only get you so far. If this is your problem, it would still be more economical to sell the bike and buy one that fits rather than to try to replace the head tube.


Can I upgrade cassette without replacing rear derailleur? On my road bike, I have an old 8 speed Shimano 600 Cassette like this:

I'm not 100% sure about tooth count on each cog, but I think it's something like:
23, 21, 19,17,15, 14, 13,12 (probably?)

I'm having issues with the size of the cogs. Climbing even basic hills is very hard even on the biggest cog. (It's wearing out my knees).

Can I change the cassette to one with bigger cogs without replacing my rear derailleur? Or would I have to get a new derailleur also?

While at it, can I get smaller front chain rings without replacing the front derailleur?
I have 53T/42T chain rings.

The derailleurs are usually matched to the size of the cassette/chainrings.

the cage length of the rear derailleur is matched to the largest cog.  that is why you see mountain bikes with a 34 tooth in back with long cage derailleurs and road racing bikes with the little derailleurs matched to the corn cob size cassettes.

The curvature of the front derailleur is often matched to the size of the chain-rings.  This feature improves shifting.

if the differences in tooth count are not too drastic, you might be able to get away with only swapping out cassette and/or chain rings.  Also the number of links in your chain may have to be adjusted.


How much space do I need between my tire and brakes to change from 700x23 to 700x25 or 700x28 tires? My concern is that the actual one (700x23) is quite close to my brake (about 3 mm). It's safe for me to buy a 700x25 or 700x28? I would like to have a slightly wider tires.

WRT the photo - I'd be quite confident you can fit a 25mm in there without issue.

A 28mm looks like it would probably fit acceptably, but I doubt a 32 mm would fit.

The best solution here is to take your bike to a Local Bike Shop, and buy your 28mm tyre/tube from there, on the provisio if it doesn't fit on either end you simply swap it for a 25mm.

Second option is to buy the tyre you want, and if it doesn't fit then sell it on ebay/local auction website, but you'll probably take a hit on the value.

Remember, you need to look at chainstay/seatstay clearances at the back, fork clearances at the front, and brake caliper clearances at both ends of the bike.

The other thing that may hold you back on tyre width is rim internal width.  The wider tyres prefer to sit on wider rims.  A 23mm tyre should be on a rim with a width of 13-17mm.  A 28mm tyre wants to be on a rim from 15-21mm.   More info at What is the maximum or minimum tire width I can fit on my bicycle   Though do note these numbers are somewhat fuzzy edges.

Relevant thoughts - wider tyres do make it harder to drop the wheel through the brake pads.  You may need to change your methods, by only inflating the tyre once the wheel is installed in the bike.  Or you may have to look at how to get slack in your brake cable with a quick release or similar.  Not a problem, but it can be frustrating to have to deflate a freshly inflated tyre to get the wheel through the brakes.  More-so if you just used your last cartridge, or have to do it with a minipump (perhaps again!)


Bontrager crank removal I'm struggling to remove the cranks from my bike. I have a 2005 or 2006 Trek 2100 road bike with Bontrager Race cranks (triple chainring, marked "9 Speed" and "ISIS Drive"). It appears that the crank bolt is flush with the edge of the crank, with no dust cover. It takes an 8 mm hex wrench.
I've put a good deal of force on both crank arms without it budging. Is it just a matter of putting enough torque on it, or am I missing something? Are either of them reverse threaded?

The crankarm fixing bolts are normal, right hand threaded, so removal is anticlockwise.  They do call for significant torque (43-48 N-m, one of your pics show).  A simple "L" shaped Allen key used by hand may not provide enough torque to break loose the fixing bolt.  Using a ratcheting wrench and a socket that terminates in an 8mm hex head might be the easiest solution.  There are several different designs that get a hex head combined with a wrenching tool, and its something along that line that will give you enough power to free the crankarm fixing bolt.  You may or may not know that after the fixing bolt is removed, a specialty tool called a "crank puller" will be needed to get the crank arms off the bottom bracket's spindle.
Here is Park Tool's crank puller with an instructional video on its use.  If in fact your bottom bracket spindle is ISIS drive splines, you'll use the larger business end in the crank puller to remove the cranks.
Here is a link to a metric hex head socket set as an example of what I'm referring to in the first paragraph.  Using these with a ratcheting wrench should allow you to deliver the power necessary to loosen the fixing bolts.


Need advice on choosing the right folding bike I'm looking for a bike for about half an hour of use a day in town. Don't have room in my flat so it will be a folding bike, and it has to cost less than £200.

I consider buying this one

Is it a good choice, or are there better options in the same price range ?

There no bike on the market that is very good at folding and also very good at “biking”!  So you have to decide if you care most about the folding or how well it works as a bike.   For a bike to fold into a small space it must have small wheels.  Small wheels are never as good a ride as full sized wheels.

The Brompton is consider to be one of the best folders about if you care mostly about the “folding” side of the equation, however it costs a lot more than £200 unless you get a very good deal on a 2nd hand one.

For £200 I think you will have to look on the 2nd hard market for anything good.
However even a “bike shape object” is better than walking or sitting in a road jam!  The bike you have linked to I would put in this category, check you are happy with its weight if you have stairs to need to take it up.    You will also not be able to take it on most public transport as it does not fold small enough.


Hybrid, touring, or road bike for new commuter? I live in Los Angeles and have a 2hr commute to UC Irvine by train with bus connections on either side. After doing this for a year, I am looking to start bike commuting to and from the train stations to get back in shape. Because the routes are so different, I'm wondering which bike type is best?

The ride to school is 2 miles with a downhill incline to Union Station on a busy street without bike lanes. Then I can hop on the train with plenty of bike racks. The ride to school is a nice 6 mile ride in paved bike lanes and paths the entire way, and very flat. I would ride the opposite way home, but the ride is slightly uphill the entire 2 miles home in busy traffic.

A road bike sounds like a great option for the 6miles near school, but would this hold up well on a busy paved street in Los Angeles? I'm just starting to get back on the bike after 15+ years with I borrowed mountain bike, so I know I can make the trip at least :)

8 miles each way is a reasonable commute.

In the city a pure road bike is not as stable.

You should test both flat and drop bars to see which is more comfortable for you.  Drop are a little more efficient but that is not a long commute.  For an uphill I think flat bars are fine.

A full touring bike is probably more than you need unless you are looking to mount racks and also using it for longer rides.  And you probably don't want rack or fenders loading it on and off bus and trains.

Look for mid sized tires (like 32mm).

A light bike is also nice for getting it on an off bus racks.

The also have styles of bikes called urban or city.

Even a mountain bike with street tires would work.  Not a first choice but if you found a good deal used.

A local bike store (LBS) will help you out with fit and selection. You can get some decent new bikes for $600.

If you are on a budget then CL but be careful.

I like a cyclocross bike fit with touring tires for commuting but maybe not the optimal for you.


Crank sliding horizontally through the bottom bracket Was out biking today when I noticed the pedals were moving side to side, with the pedal arm almost coming off the left side. As I was investigating the washer with "LH fsa AL" actually came off in my hand. I re-installed it and tightened it up by hand, but obviously its tight with a big gap between the pedal arm and the bottom bracket now as below.

Is it simply a matter of removing this washer, pushing the arm back towards the bottom bracket and tightening it? And if so what tools do I need? I've got allen keys, screwdrivers and various other general tools, but I haven't got anything with 6 holes like it looks like id need to remove it.
Thanks

You need a large allen key, often an 8mm to tighten that centre bolt right down.

It'll pull the crank arm onto the spindle and secure it.

The LH-FSA-AL ring is the self extracting bolt, the internal hex bolt pushes on the back of it to pull the crank off without extra tools. That has a left hand thread so that it doesn't unscrew as the internal bolt unscrews. It only really needs to be tight enough to stop it from coming out, finger tight probably isn't enough though.

You need a pin spanner for this which is a pretty specialised tool, I've certainly never had need to buy one, so you might want to pop down your LBS and ask them to tighten it up.


Can I fit a modern internally geared hub on an old bike ? I have an old Hercules frame that I have no use for but don't want to get rid of - I am in need of a new "town" bike for running around on, however I need something practical with a nice gear range... I like projects and building things, so the thought of building up my old hercules into a useable everyday bike has crossed my mind :) But... is it possible ?

I thought a Nexus or even Alfine speed hub would be perfect, however there would be a 135mm hub spacing required from such hubs, of which my frame is a lot smaller. Its a steel frame so I think I should be abled to modify / cold set the frame and increase the spacing to support a 135mm hub ... ?

Is there anything else that I should take into consideration ? should I worry about the bottom bracket and crack spacing ? can I also upgrade the bottom bracket and crank to something more modern on such an old frame ?

Thanks !!!!

Jon

While you probably could cold set it, the Sturmey-Archer XRF-8 is available in a version with 120mm OLN dimension.

(And you almost certainly can fit a modern bottom bracket. Worst case, have the existing threads removed and fit a threadless bracket. Bottom bracket size guide.)


The Value of a Chair on a Touring Trip I'm going on my first big touring trip (2 weeks – that's big for me). I've found some nice light-weight camping chairs and I'm wondering if it's worth investing in one.

Two basic options seem to stand out:

The Eureka Helinox is a proper foldout chair. price ~$100. weight: ~1kg. very well reviewed, folds up small.
Thermarest plus is basically a frame for your thermarest sleeping pad (which i already have). price ~$40. weight: .2kg. very well reviewed, and folds up even smaller than than helinox.

I'm happy to spend the dough if it's worthwhile, but I don't want to waste money or space on something totally frivolous. Put another way, a bit of luxury would be nice but I dont want to be cursing my every pedal all trip either.

Does anyone have experience with this? Is it the sort of thing where you're like 'I'd kill for a chair after biking all day' or is sitting on the ground for weeks totally fine?

thanks!

In my experience (week long camping / bike touring trips), I have never thought "Man, I wish I had a chair." I have often thought, "I have packed way too much stuff."

There are a few things to consider. You have looked into weight and cost, but there is also space and time considerations.

Volume: Do you have space on your rack to put this? How small does it fold up? Does it fit in a bag, or will you have to strap it on top? The surface area can also be a factor: a smaller profile is going to be nice to have on those windy days.
Time: How long is it going to take to unpack this item / everything else? If it takes 5 minutes to unpack this and another 5 to pack it up, then you probably are not going to bother with it for a short break or even a lunch stop.
Utility: How many uses does it have? Do you have other items that would work just as well in a pinch? For example, if you already have a towel, you can sit on that or use it to lay down.

So... as it always is with these questions: it depends. Personally, I just sit on the ground.


When does a trackstand "officially" ends (or how to measure its duration?) Trackstands (a trick in which a rider, usually on a fixed-gear bike, keeps balanced with zero speed, by pedalling back and forth with minimum displacement) can be employed either on the track or on the streets, mainly at traffic lights.

In the track, the rider can slow down and create a hard time for an opponent. On the traffic light, one can keep himself on the bike and be ready to go. That makes the trick "desireable", so it is either regulated on official events, and used itself for "trackstand competitions", mostly in the fixie subculture.

What I have to ask is:

What are the UCI criteria for the judge to stop the countdown for trackstand duration?
What are the criteria traditionally used on informal competitions for taking a "competitor" out?
What SHOULD BE a reasonable way to tell when a rider degenerated from a correct trackstand to something else (forward or backward movement, too large a change in position, etc.)?

Thanks for reading!

(too big for a comment)...not a real answer, just a partial:

From UCI part 3:

3.2.039 The rider on the inside of the track, unless overtaken, shall lead at least at walking pace and make no manoeuvre to force his opponent through until reaching the pursuit line on the opposite side of the track. A maximum of two standstills shall be permitted for each race. The maximum period for a standstill shall be 30 seconds following which, the leading rider shall be directed by the starter to continue. If he fails to do so, the starter shall stop the race and declare the other rider the winner of the heat. In a three or four-up race, the race shall be immediately rerun as a two or three-up race, without the relegated rider.


Uncomfortable SPD pedals I have just started using the SPD system.

Having ridden without for years, it's proving to be a challenge and sometimes uncomfortable.
A challenge, because the stop/start through traffic is a hassle clicking in and out.
Uncomfortable, because my left shoe seems to be angled strangely.
Will I get used to the system?
Many thanks

There are three main settings on your cleat:

Fore-aft position, which should let you pedal with the metatarsal heads over the pedal axle, more or less;
Lateral position, which should let a few free milimeters between the inner part of the shoe sole and the crank arm;
The most important for you, which is the ANGLE between the longitudinal line of the cleat and the longitudinal line of the shoe.

For the third setting, you have to consider that SPD allows for some lateral play of the foot over the pedal. The position you pedal naturally MUST be the "midway" between each lateral-limiting position. Mind that human feet are not naturally parallel, the heel is a bit inwards and longitudinal lines of both feet describe an angle, which varies from person to person.

Pedalling with your cleat "locked" against some of the limiting positions induces a terrible stress on the knee and the ankle. You should take a tool with you for a setup ride (usually 4mm allen), and keep setting up as many times you need until you feel comfortable. Olny tighten it fully after having found the right position, since the cleat bites the shoe sole permanently then.

As for unease to clip and unclip, you'll get used to it, but you should start using the lowest spring preload that is enough to keep you cliped even when pulling the pedal up with the shoe. A minimal amount of oil on working surfaces might ease things in the beginning, but SPD pedals don't typically require constant lubrication.

Hope this helps!


Shimano 11 speed road shifters with 10 speed hub? is it possible to use Shimano 11 speed road shifter with 10 speed hub/cassette?

if yes, how?

I have a set of Shimano Hydraulic 11 speed shifters but I don't want to upgrade hub to 11 speed. Is it possible to use the shifters in some way?
Checking online on compatibility I realized that pull in shifting is quite different between 10 and 11 simano road.

Thanks in advance!

It is possible to use MTB 11 speed cassette on a 8-9-10 speed freehub body.
Although not officially compatible, the recently introduced 105 derailleur RD-R7000-GS can physically shift up to 42t cog, but Shimano introduced also a 11-34 11-speed cassette which fits 10-speed freehub body, so there's plenty to choose from in 2019.


Preparation/tips for 50 mile ride I've been cycling for most of my life but I'm not an endurance rider - the furthest I've ever cycled in one go is 20 miles. I do a modest amount of riding daily - a couple of miles. Soon I'll be leaving my home for a work placement (I'm a student) and the trains are extremely expensive to come home on every week, so I'm considering cycling instead. The terrain is almost entirely road with occasional dirt tracks, and my bike is a MTB Cycletech mountain bike. The first question I have: is this 50 mile ride feasible for someone of my experience? Secondly: if so, what sort of preparation should I be doing? I'm thinking of bringing several bottles of water, but I'm unsure as to what foods would be sensible to bring, and how much of them I should be consuming. Any other tips on top of this would be extremely useful.

50 miles is feasible but it will be hard work.  Think about how tired you felt after cycling 20 miles. Then cycle 20 miles again from that tired start and think about how tired you'll feel then. Then, cycle another ten miles.

The other answers give lots of good advice which I won't repeat. Since you mention trains and coming home every week, I assume that your plan is to cycle home on Saturday and then cycle back to the place where you work on Sunday.

While I think you can do 50 miles in a day, I doubt you can do 50 miles twice in two days. You should seriously consider taking the train one-way, so you're only cycling 50 miles once a week. This also has the advantage that you could travel home on the train on Friday evening and get more time there. The problem is that British one-way train fares are often almost as much as the return (e.g., when I take the train to visit my parents, the return fare is £104 and one-way is £103; no, that's not a typo, seriously, it's only a pound cheaper).

So, I propose this. One week, buy a return train ticket on Friday or Saturday and take your bike home on the train; cycle back to the place where your job is on Sunday. The next week, cycle home on Saturday; take the train back on Sunday. This works because the return half of your ticket is valid for a month. When you feel you can cycle twice in the same weekend, start doing that.


I have a foreign bike, and don't know what pressure to pump it to I have this old bike, I assume it's Italian from what I've been told by the former owner, and a Google search, but some parts say "Made in France" and "Made is Switzerland", etc... The tires are very mysterious in the way they display pressure. "25-622 (7000)" is what the tire says, along with "25-622 700c  Michelin —ELAN" I don't know the unit, and 622 psi seems wrong. Someone please tell me how much pressure is acceptable?

25-622 and 700C are both ways of stating the size of the wheel, not the pressure.
25-622 is an ISO size: the tyre is 25 mm rim-to-rim, and 622 mm in diameter. 700C is a more traditional name for the diameter, which is more often known as 28 inch. ISO sizes are somewhat out of fashion these days, as there's less variation in wheel size. See the late Sheldon Brown's excellent tyre size guide for more information if you're interested.

According to VeloBase, Michelin Elan tyres are "rated to 100 psi" but shouldn't be inflated to more than 90.


Does weight and climbing cause strain on bike? I‘m a heavy (260 pound) male rider using my 2011 NORCO 24 gear hybrid to commute to and from work. It’s a 6 mile trip each way with a +450 foot climb in the last 2-3 miles coming home. The ride is all on hard surfaces with an occasional curb. I have ridden this commute about 80-100 times.

I have been having issues with the rear-shifter and chain. Also with spokes on the rear rim. Started with the rear-shifter breaking off but despite three visits to the dealer’s shop and one to a different place, new cables, replaced spokes and so on I still have problems. After a couple of rides the spokes rattle and the gears go out of sync. The issues with the gears seem to happen when going up the hills (when I assume the most pressure is on the bike).

Two questions:
If I assume the two repair shops are competent then what might be causing the gears from going out of sync 3-4 trips after I get them adjusted? What’s causing the spokes to loosen up? I suspect the strain on the bike climbing (taking in mind my weight).
What type of bike would be appropriate considering the combination of climb and level riding plus the weight?

To answer some questions and some further info:

What do you mean by "the gears go out of sync"??:
The gears don’t correspond to the setting I have. I gear but see the chain hasn’t moved. I might have to switch back and forth before I get the desired setting. Chain falls off the gears. There is also a lot of creaking and groaning (and not from me!).

Do you change the gears while climbing / fast pedaling?
Not so much while fast pedaling but definitely while climbing. It’s not a steady climb so I try to gain as much speed as possible and then drop the gears fast while climbing.

have you replaced the chain and rear cluster yet?
No. I probably need to change the chain. There is a chink in the chain after the last fail.

I’m ready and willing to replace parts if required. However if the cost start mounting I wonder if I’m better off getting a more robust bike.

Thanks for all the great suggestions and ideas!
Since it’s a rather spread and open question I can’t really pick any one as best but I wanted to post one final question and my action plan:
I will go back to the dealer and replace the chain and rear rim with higher performance items, plus have the bike overhauled. Think his mech is competent but will insist on talking to him directly. So yes – I intend to extend the life of my NORCO.

For my type of riding – paved roads, occasional curb, hill climbing… is the hybrid the ideal bike-form?

The spokes and gears are likely unrelated issues.
You have done 2000km on the bike - have you replaced the chain and rear cluster yet? At you weight and those hill climbs, I would not be surprised if they are just worn out. It is also possible that at your weight and that distance the spokes have come out of adjustment, and/or now have fatiguied to the point of breaking or stripping threads on the nipples. I would also be checking for a broken axle and the bearings not being adjusted properly.

The bike shops should have picked up all these issues, however, are they aware of the distance you are riding? Many such bikes do 50 miles a year and they may be servicing it based on that assumption. It is a mistake to presume that any LBS is competant, servicing is and art and a passion, and (putting it politely) some mechanics are better than others.

What to do - ask around for recommendations on bike shop. If you are comfortable, take it back to one you have used, but make sure you let them know how much use the bike has had. Talk to the mechanic directly, don't be fobbed off by front counter salesmen (And walk out if you cannot get access to the mechanic). Ask him to measure the chain and check the cluster and chain rings. Check the spokes/bearings and axle. Be prepared to replace parts.


Is it possible to get a slow leak straight after installing new tires? So I decided to replace my bike tires to Gatorskins to prevent punctures.

Anyway, so I installed them and they seemed to be okay. I had checked it a day or two afterwards and it was okay. But this morning, after 3 days, I see the tyre is flat again.

I hadn't rode it since putting the new tires in (well I rode it quickly round the block to see how it went but that was like 2 minutes). So I'm struggling to figure out what happened. I know sometimes installing a new tire, you can accidentally puncture the new tube and that's happened a few times for me. But they're usually because I've left the sharp object in the tire or I've damaged the tube somehow when trying to install it. Usually if I stuff it up like this, the leak will be apparent and I'll know straight away.

But this time I'm putting in new tyres and I also used a new inner tube. And the leak took several days so hole must be very slow. Since I haven't rode it, it must've been from me installing it, but what could've caused this? Is it possible to get a slow leak from installing a new tire?

Could it have something to do with the tubes I've used? Maybe they're defective?

I would more suspect a leaking valve.
If you pinch the tube putting it in then it is typically not a slow leak.

If the valve is removable the pull it and look for any debris or defect on the seat.
I had a set of cheap tubes that had like 1/2 loose valves.
Remove it with pressure in the tire to blow out debris you cannot get to.


Is Sram PG850 cassette a substitute for Shimano TZ31 freewheel? I need your advice.

I have a Giant Escape 2014 UK model bike and it's time to change the chain and the original cassette/freewheel, which are worn out.

My question is, if I get this Sram PG850 8-speed cassette, will it fit nicely instead of the original Shimano MF-TZ31 Tourney 7-speed freewheel?
They say Sram cassettes are Shimano compatible but I just want to be sure, I'm rather a newbie to cycling.

Will it combine well with the bike's current Shimano Tourney TX55 6/7 speed rear derailleur and Shimano EZ FIRE 40 21 speed shifters? (I don't mind having only 7 speeds on the new cassette).

Thanks for helping!

SRAM Cassettes are compatible with Shimano Cassettes, but a cassette and a freewheel are different components. You will not be able to use the SRAM Cassette to replace your Shimano Freewheel. You will need to replace your freewheel with a freewheel.

The difference between a cassette and a freewheel is that a cassette is just a bunch of cogs that slides onto a free hub. This allows the wheel to spin without the chain moving. With a freewheel, the cogs and freewheeling mechanism are all in a single assembly, and this is screwed onto the hub of the bike.


How to adjust RST fork travel? Today I own a RST Champ fork with 100mm of travel.

After doing some research I found that there are 3 travel options 80mm, 100mm and 120mm.

I also find out that the adjustment is done by adding or removing things called "travel spacers".

I've done a lot of research but I couldn't find where are they inside the fork and how does it look like.

RST YouTube channel doesn't explain this, fork manual doesn't either and I couldn't find nobody even doing this adjust in their forks...

Any guesses?

After ask for help RST support, I received a brief explanation by e-mail.

"Dear Euller,
Regarding CHAMP travel adjustment, it needs to be adjusted to be part #2.
You must first remove the part #2 from the fork."

I think that is enough to start and open the fork.


How can I offer a test ride while selling a bike? I am selling a bike to someone I don't know from Craigslist. I expect that the prospective purchaser will want to test ride the bike before making the purchase.

How can I prevent  them from riding away with my bike during a test ride?

The simplest answers are ask for their ID, or for their car keys if they arrive by car. There are plenty of other options on various forums like

https://www.bikeforums.net/general-cycling-discussion/446194-selling-bike-craigslist-test-rides.html

https://www.bikeforums.net/general-cycling-discussion/687171-how-do-you-let-potential-buyer-test-ride-your-bike.html


Impossible to disassemble a Sturmey Archer 3 speed I have a relatively recent Sturmey Archer IGH 3 speed (CS-RK3) that has a broken part in it (HSA119 Gear Ring Pawl to be precise).
Unfortunately, I am unable to unscrew the HSA824 F30 Ball Ring to fully disassemble the hub.
http://www.sturmey-archer.com/files/catalog/files/300/PART%20LIST%20-%20CS-RF3%20CS-RK3.pdf

I have tried multiple approaches, from banging the wrench with a hammer, to extending with a long lever. I have tried a bit of penetrative lubricant to help, but the lubricant goes through the spoke hole.
I have two questions:

Can someone confirm that it is a right-hand thread (aka normal thread aka lefty loosy) ? All the videos I watch showed that it was the case, but this hub is a bit different (it has a freehub instead of a single sprocket), so I don't know.
If yes, what magical tools could I use to unscrew the cage ?

Thanks

Found it !
It is indeed a right handed thread.
Official video of Sturmey Archer :

I ended up being able to unscrew it by using two clamps to maintain the wrench in place, and banging on it like my life depended on it. I need a bigger hammer... :


Servicing/fixing an Ultegra bar end shifter After almost 15 years of flawless service my 8 speed Ultegra bar end shifter has suddenly stopped working.

With the wire detached from the derailleur so there's no tension in it the lever now only moves through 5 clicks.

If I switch it into friction mode the lever seems to be limited to a smaller sweep of motion than the left hand lever. I think they used to move to about the same extent.

Is there anything I can try to get the lever working again? Anything to look for that might explain the symptoms?

There are pawls inside that allow for the clicking of one gear to the next.  After years of service it is quite common for those little pawls to shear from their body and become lodged in between the shift space of two gears.

Even if you free the pawl the shifter will only work in friction mode as the pall will no longer be there to click anymore.

8-speed ultegra should be able to found readily and cheaply.


Need help identifying replacement parts compatible w/ bike model I have a 2003 Haro V3 mountain bike, and the 8 speed gearshift no longer works.

Additionally, the rim brakes are finicky and I wish to swap to disc brakes. Lastly the front fork is work out and no longer absorbs shock.

So all together I need a new fork and gear shift, and if it’s possible I’d also like to swap to disc brakes.

I’m new to bike modification, and I don’t want to buy any parts that won’t work with my bike.

Here’s a link to all the specs of the bike. The only difference is the seat, pedals, and handle bars have been changed.

https://www.bicyclebluebook.com/value-guide/product/38580/

If you really want disc brakes, it's new bike time. If you are replacing the forks, at least half the drivetrain and the wheels (you need disc brake hubs, and if you need to replace hubs then you really need to replace the wheels), then with installation costs you will likely be paying a very significant fraction of a decent new bike. Even a lowish level Altus/Acera/Alivio equipped bike will be better than the Haro just due to how more advanced components have become over the years. Even the lower level Shimano groups have hydraulic disc brakes now.

If you are willing to stay with rim brakes, then replacing the fork and some of the drive train can make sense. When replacing the fork there are two main things you need to deal with:

1) The steerer tube diameter, and whether it tapered and has larger lower bearings. Likely it has a 1 1/8" straight steerer tube.

2) The fork travel and axle to crown distance. The axle to crown distance is important to preserve the steering geometry of the frame, but does not have to be exact.

With the drivetrain you'll need to decide if you want to replace just the rear derailleur and shifter, both front and rear, or the whole thing including the cranks. Shimano Altus/Acera/Alivio grouos are 9 speed, and better groups are 10 speed or more so you'll be replacing the cassette and chain. 9, 10 and 11  speed cassettes will fit on the freehub body of your wheel.

If you go for a 9 speed group then you can probably retain the current crank, but you should determine if the bottom bracket is worn out and needs replacement. If you go for a 10 speed group the current crank really will not work.


Need to face head tube? I'm building a bike from scratch, and went to my LBS today to get the head tube faced. They told me I don't need it (they also told me they don't have the tool), but when I look at the frame, there is some visible unevenness at the top end of the head tube. Also, the bottom end is far from flush. This is the first time I do this, so unsure to keep looking for a shop that can face the tube, or just install the cups. It's an new aluminium frame. See the picture below, does it need facing?

I'll be installing a zerostack headset with industrial bearings btw, not loose ball bearings.

Any actual bike mechanic will understand the value in facing/reaming preemptively. Unless it's clearly already been done, visible symptoms don't really count for much here. It is true that it's pretty rare to come across a frame that needs it in the sense that otherwise it can't be a bike with a reasonably adjusted headset.


Can a universal derailleur hanger be a suitable long term solution? I've recently snapped my derailleur hanger for an old Apollo Raceline Peleton road bike. Have had no luck sourcing a replacement that fits, and neither have local bike shop.

Has anyone been in a similar situation and used a universal derailleur hanger to suffice?

Could something like this work? https://problemsolversbike.com/products/drivetrain/universal_-_21655

The particular derailleur hanger you linked is not going to fit your bike, I'm afraid. It's more of use with the bicycles that have the almost horizontal forward-facing dropouts.

What you can do is take the remainings of the hanger you have, inspect it for any markings and on a page like https://www.internet-bikes.com/versnellingen/derailleurhangers (I'm not affiliated with them, though I buy my parts there) find the closest match to your broken part.

Or even take your search a step further and browse the webpage of the manufacturer of those hangers and match your part with their catalogue: http://www.marwi-eu.com/gh-catalogue.php (again, not affiliated).

Good luck!