How do I patch a tube's ribbed area? Normally, when applying a patch to a tube, both the patch and the tube surfaces are smooth and it is easy to press the patch onto the tube.

However, some tubes have small ribbed areas where it is hard to get a patch to fully adhere.

What do you do to avoid small air leaks by a rib?

Photograph:

Recently, I had another leak in the ribbed area so I took the advice and used a smaller patch, scratched things up better, waited 5-10 minutes, and pressed down with my full body weight. The patch lasted about a week before developing the following slow leak.

More careful buffing - the ribs stop the sandpaper/scratcher from getting into the butyl rubber and exposing raw rubber, so the vulcanising agent can't work so good.

You don't need to buff the ribs off completely, but scratching up beside the ribs helps a lot.

Also, over-size the area that you cover when you spread agent.  Those orange edges should be stuck down firmly.

Another help is to use a larger patch in these areas, but it means more buffing because more surface area.  You can also rotate your patch 90 degrees to cover the length of the ribs more.

Also make sure to wait 5-10 minutes after applying vulcanising agent, before pressing the patch on.  Then press patch firmly.  I use a roller the width of two coins, but a large round coin works fine too.


Where can I return a Gobee bike in Paris? The Terms and Conditions says that bikes cannot be used for trips outside France in section 3.a.iii but also mentions "areas listed as sanctuarized (crosshatched)" ("zones répertoriées comme sanctuarisée (hachurée)" in French) and a "predefined usage zone" ("zone d’utilisation prédéfinie") in section 8.a. There is no indication of what is this "predefined usage zone" or even if it is a form of exceptional exclusion zone like an airport or nature preserve or if this include all the Franch territory except Paris proper. The bike availability map shows bikes parked outside Paris in some locations like Montrouge and La Défense but no crosshatched areas.

I need to go to Cachan (4 km outside Paris, closer than La Défense), would it be possible?

I asked Gobee via Facebook and I was told that the bikes can be returned to the banlieue proche (nearby suburbs). I asked for a map, but I got no response yet. I will try tonight to see if I can return it in Cachan and maybe later I also try other cities that I may visit around Paris then I give feedback.

EDIT:
Just locked one in downtown Cachan and it worked like a charm :-)

EDIT 2:
My impression about my first trip was fairly positive. During the trip there were no areas in the map that showed crosshashed, so I guess that the bikes can be dropped anywere in the Parisian region, which is an advantage over the Velib which is restricted to Paris and at most 1,5 km away from the city limits. Not necessarily you will be able to get a bike after you drop it in the middle of the suburbs since the one I dropped in Cachan never appeared in the map thereafter (someone got it quickly?). The bikes are light and the single speed is very low, which helps for uphill or for beginners, but in the flat or downhill for a fit male like me it is very slow. The saddle is just too low and can't be moved. The app seemed to be easy to use but the lock refused to move in the first try. I have to help the unlocking motor applying some force to the lock lever with my hand since the lock was stuck closed, but that was a simple fix. Yet using a smartphone to unlock the bike is not way as practical as using a contact card like the Velib. The bikes otherwise look in very decent condition since they are new, but I have to wait a few months to see if they are holding well after the winter. The Facebook chat was very responsive and the person in the other side appeared to be very well informed, but again the service is new now and probably I was serviced by a manager which must have very little work to do at this point. The price is a big downside over the Velib since it is paid after 1 minute while Velib is free for the first 30 minutes. If you find 5 minutes later that the bike is not good, you lost 0,5€ (unless the costumer service agrees to refund your balance, which still is a lot of trouble). I will keep using it since when I come back home there is no bus service in the evening and I had to walk 30 minutes from the closest Velib station to home while in the morning I take the bus and there are no plans in the foreseeable future to have a Velib station in Cachan (there are rumors, but none have a defined date). If this changes I will go back to Velib.

EDIT 3:
They also answered an e-mail that I sent before I contacted them via Facebook and I was informed that while they don't have a strict limit, they ask us to deliver the bikes within Paris or Lille metropolis or their "petite couronne" (nearby suburbs). This means that I could even pick a bike in Paris and return in Lille or the other way around :-). Still the second Gobee I returned Friday in Cachan was still sitting in the same spot Saturday afternoon and it did not show up in the map.


Can I use a 27.5 fork on a original 29er (2015 Cannondale Tramount 3)? I have a Cannondale Tramount 3 e-bike that I would like to make better and lighter in every way I can for as little cost as possible, but with quality used or discounted parts.

Can someone help me with a tip for which fork to use (now it has a Suntour XCR, which is over 2.6kg) I think that with a 27.5 it will stand a litle more on its head but I think I still will have place for a 2.3 x 29 inch wheel. Originally it had 1.9, now it has lightweight 2.2 Maxxis tyres.

The key to swapping forks is the axle to crown measurement - the distance from the center of the front axle to the seat of the crown race that is the lowest part of the headset. You want the replacement to be as close to the original as possible, to preserve the designed geometry. There are forks that can take either a 27.5 or a 29er wheel.
The suspension fork is heavy, if your goal is light weight then you should consider the correct length carbon rigid fork. You will need to balance weight, cost...and what is available. Remember that you need to find a fork with the same steerer diameter - you can't put a tapered fork on a bike built to accept a standard 1 1/8" steerer.
The difference between a 27.5 and a 29 can be large or small, depending on the tire size you choose - if you put a 27.5 wheel on the front with a 27.5 plus tire (3 inches wide) then the out diameter is nearly the same as a regular 29er tire, with a rigid fork you would have some suspension, too, without the weight.
Good luck!


What parameters should I consider when choosing a crankset? I have to change the crankset on the quite old bicycle. I need to order it online so what parameters should I consider when choosing the right chainset? It's used 7 gear bike and I don't know what type of crankset it has.

In general, the basic considerations are:

Number of chainrings and chainring bolt center diameter (BCD) which dictates the chainring sizes that can be fitted.
Bottom bracket type: cranks are generally advertised as being compatible with a particular type, of which there are many.
Crank arm length: measured from center of crank spindle to center of pedal spindle, typically 170, 172.5 or 175mm.
Chainline: how far away from the center line of the bike the chainrings are, this needs to be compatible with the width of the rear hub and position of the cassette.
Rear cassette speeds: 9, 10 and 11 speed drivetrains use progressively narrower chains which means the chainrings can be closer together.

In reality it's not quite as complicated because a crankset intended for a particular style of bike will have the appropriate combination of BCD, choice of bottom bracket types and chainline.

Older bikes used a threaded bottom bracket shell with either a loose or cassette type bearing and spindle. There are a couple of different types of interfaces between the spindle and crank arms. The bottom bracket bearings on an older bike may be worn out so replacing the bearings should be considered - this also gives you some more crank choices as the there are a few types that work with threaded shells.

If you add photos of the existing crank and bottom bracket from both sides we can give you more specific guidance.


Convert SRAM Force 11 to single chainring I bought a bike with an SRAM Force 11 groupset a few years ago and my local bike guy says I'll have to replace the cassette soon. I only use the large chainring in front and that's apparently why I've worn the cassette so much with cross chain riding (if that's the term).

He suggested converting it to a single chainring instead by simply removing the front shifter and changing the front ring and the cassette. Does that sound viable?

Thanks,

Torkil

I'd find a new local bike guy. Although the "evil of cross chaining" is a very persistent myth in the bike world, you might not be able to find any shop guy that doesn't preach this nonsense.

All you really need is a new chain and cassette and a chain wear checking tool so you can replace your chain before it gets worn enough to destroy the cassette. If you replace the chain often and keep it clean, your cassette will last many thousands of kilometers.

Switch to a single ring if you want, but doing so to "avoid cross-chaining wear" is complete nonsense. Seriously, do the math. Switching to a single ring crankset is going to move the chainring in about 3mm at best. The change in the widest chain angle is going to be 0.43 degrees assuming a 40cm chainstay.


What is the best Anti-Pollution Mask? I bike everyday in Paris and I am looking for a mask with a particulates filter.

Today, the major part of city masks were made to avoid breathing dust as @mgb said, you need more than a simple mask to stop micro particles. Anyway try http://www.u2sportmask.com/ (for example).


lock box to hold phone/wallet that attaches to my bicycle I want to bike to the beach, lock my bike up and swim. I am looking for a high security box that either threads through my U-lock, bolts to my bike frame... so I can keep my wallet and phone in it while swimming.
Thoughts?
jg

High Security + Bicycle + Marketable Product is a formula no one has solved.  People keep trying.
A lot of them never manage to launch.

Some seem to have an initial production run then quietly vanish.

Those are just two examples I had literally from memory without delving into google.
Basic problems:

anything you can carry on a bicycle and manufacture for reasonable costs can be defeated in 20 seconds with tin snips or a battery angle grinder.  Moderately 'secure' hardside motorcycle saddle bags cost more than the sort of bicycle you'd generally leave unattended at the beach!
as anyone who has ever had their own lock vandalized or fail and needed to "steal" their own bike can tell you, passersby are totally unfazed by brazen broad daylight bicycle theft and readily accept "it's mine, see some kid jammed the lock to prank me."  So anything "more secure" than the not-that-hard-to-cut U-Lock shackle is no harder to steal than just the entire bike and now you made it look valuable.
the market for this type of thing is a demographic that has extremely exact specifications in mind for the particular thing that is their preferred solution, and is a bunch of avid DiYers....

The best you can do is a 'keep honest people honest' approach of a small hardsided toolbox or similar that the U-Lock shackle can pass through or the type of combo lockbox realtors use to store keys that shackles to a doorknob that you could pass through the U-Lock.  If you need to leave a phone make it a cheapo android, don't leave both a house key and an ID with the address of that house at the same time, etc etc.


Fork oil spilled out. Rebound Damper Assembly is missing I took my bike out of the car, and it spilled lots of oil from the fork when was on the tarmac, ( Manitou Six Elite 2002 ) through a screw-hole where the "Rebound Damper Assembly" is supposed to be. I searched my car and couldn't find the rebound damper assembly.

Oil fell out and this thing has gone:

My fork is trashed?

Fork service manual: https://www.manitoumtb.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/2002-Six-Owners-Manual.pdf

Specifically, I parked my car on uneven ground... I checked my phone: "is uneven ground bad for car suspension" the next day, I took out my bike. The bike suspension was broken. true story.

According to the 2004 Six service manual, the rebound damper screws into lower casting, just like on (I think) any other Manitou fork:

  From the right leg dropout, use a 6mm hex wrench to turn the
  compression rod counterclockwise until it screws into the casting. You
  may have to apply pressure from the top of the comp rod using a long
  6mm hex to start screwing it in.

For some mysterious reason, your lower rebound compression rod has unscrewed and let the oil in the leg out. Did your fork have a rebound adjustment knob down there when you put the bike in? Was it even there prior to that? If later, there's no "lost screw" to look for. And, as I said earlier, the rebound assembly won't fit through the hole.

At the very least, you'll need to perform a complete fork service, maybe ask your local bike shop if you aren't feeling up to task (oil can be super messy). If you did lose the knob, I'd try looking for a second-hand option or email Manitou and inquire about replacement part, their customer service is great.


Traveling Overseas with Bikes My wife and I are planning a cycling trip through Europe. This will be our second, and we're planning to build a pair of dedicating touring bikes for this (and other) adventures. We'd like suggestions on how to most cheaply and reliably get our bikes from the United States to Europe.

On our previous trip, we ended up having to change carriers, as Delta wanted to charge us a total of $1,600 ($200 per leg per bike, with two bikes and four legs round-trip) to get our bikes back and forth. We switched to Continental, who thankfully only charged an extra $400, but the experience makes us worry about future travel. What we're most worried about is the uncertainty: we may expect the fees to be one amount, but a change in oversize baggage surcharges or a disagreement over the policies with airline personnel could result in us being charged far more than is reasonable. And we may only find this out at checkin, which would be far too late to alter our plans. Thankfully, after getting conflicting information from two Delta staff members over the phone, I confirmed the excessive bicycle surcharge in time to change our flight. Next time, we might not be so lucky.

Since we've decided to build our bikes, my first thought was to spend the extra money for S&S coupled frames (the awesome Surly Trucker DeLuxe) and a matching S&S hard case. This right now seems like the best approach, but it might be annoying with hub dyno powered lights. Two problems come to mind with this approach: 1) I ride a 62cm frame, which still may not fit into a regulation-sized case, and 2) airlines lose baggage all the time. I can't think of a more depressing situation than to wind up in Europe ready to go, with our bikes nowhere to be found.

Another option is to skip the couplers and simply our bikes. From what I've seen, this is simply prohibitively expensive. For instance, Bikeflights quoted us over $2,000 to round-trip our two bikes in standard hardshell cases.

Neither of these seem great, so I feel like we're stuck between a rock and a hard place. Does anyone with experience in traveling with bikes have suggestions?

So, I'm a US Expatriate. That is, a US citizen, living in Dubai. We travel. And we travel with our bikes.

There is no need for stress regarding traveling with a bike. It just requires preparation. When you buy your tickets, tell them you will be checking a bike case. It legitimately falls under the sporting goods exemptions for oversized luggage. Most airlines have a flat fee. American, who we're flying with in 2 days, charges 150 USD each way.

Print the airline policies regarding bikes to take with you to checkin. Many airlines employees don't know their own policies, so you need proof for their sake.

Use a hard case. Some airlines require it no matter what, and others won't guarantee the condition of your bike without one.

S&S couplers are a good idea, and the electrical issues can be worked out.  A 62cm frame will fit most boxes, especially if you have couplers. And if you're unsure, look at B&W Bike cases. Good quality, plenty big, and airline safe. As for losing or breaking your bikes, nothing to be done there. Except check the bikes thoroughly before you leave the airport, and make them pay. They must replace or repair a damaged or missing bike. While it will be unpleasant, it won't be the end of the world.

Mostly, it's not too big a deal. Delta's policies state that their 200 USD fees are not supposed to be for each leg. It's supposed to be for The whole distance, city to city, unless you booked each leg separately.

That's the average, about 200 each way. Be prepared, and don't back down. You'll be fine.


Bike sharing services and systems What are some bike sharing services out there? I know that there have been some in Europe. Here's wikipedia's entry.

This is one that I heard of recently in NYC.
http://www.transalt.org/campaigns/bike/bikeshare?

I think that as cities make themselves more green, these will become part of the norm like rental cars or Zipcar.

Do you know of any new ones? Hear of anything starting in your city?
Anyone out there that is a member of bike sharing services? What worked and didn't work?
I'm really curious about what can make them successful.

My hope is that this post will generate honest and useful feedback so that companies offering these services or new companies can utilize the info here to improve on current offerings.

Also see: European cities have bike rental stations? on Travel.SE.

Barcelona
Barcelona has had a bike sharing program for about 3 years now, Bicing. Overall it's been a success with a huge amount of people signing up and using them every day.
Things that didn't work:

Bike stations weren't properly designed, it was easy to steal bikes. They have fixed this recently.
The lever to secure the seat was too small and people had trouble loosening it, they've now put huge levers on all bikes
The first bikes weren't at all reliable, for about 6 months I had trouble finding bikes that didn't have one or more of: tyres/brakes/seat/handlebar/chain/gears broken. I haven't used the service much in the last year because I got my own bike, but the times I have they have seemed more reliable.
Bike availability and parking spot availability. Stations that are on the top of hilly areas are always empty and stations near busy areas are always full. Solving this would require a lot more micromanagement of the bikes.
Instead of making an accessible web service for checking bike availability they decided to make an iPhone only app. This boggles my mind.

Other than that it's a great service when there aren't problems (I got charged 20 EUR when either the bike I had used got stolen or their system had a stroke and their records showed me having a bike for 8 hours, when I'd returned it after 26 minutes).
People have criticised using vans to micromanage the bikes, arguing that it offsets any ecological gains.
It initially cost 20 EUR/year, and is now 30 EUR/year. The pricing is:

First 30 min free.
Every 30 min after, and up to 2 hours total, 0.50 EUR.
After 2 hours, 3 EUR per hour until you return the bike. After this happens 3 times you get kicked off the service.
Steal a bike: 150 EUR.


What can bald guys do to prevent helmet sunburns? In the cooler months I normally wear a skullcap like this, which both keeps me warm and covers my scalp under my helmet.

Now that summer is around the corner that skullcap is way too hot.  I'd like a way to protect my scalp without completely overheating... do any of my fellow bald guys have any tips?

Edit: To clarify, yes, I am wearing a helmet.  Any solution would have to be something that would work under the helmet.

Get a thin, tropical-weight wool cycling cap.  It'll keep the sun off your head but still breathe and wick sweat.  I have one from Walz that's been just wonderful.


Schwalbe Marathon Plus vs Continental Gator Hardshell Schwalbe Marathon Plus and Continental Gatorskin are two of the most established and most-discussed lines of tyres on this site (171 results and 90 results respectively if you search "Marathon Plus" and "Gatorskin" on the site). Continental Gator Hardshell is a puncture-resistant version which competes directly with Marathon Plus.
I have been comparing the characteristics of both tires and am not sure which I would prefer for commuting. For the sake of putting numbers on each tire, Marathon Plus could have something like on the order of 1.1x more rolling resistance and 350g extra weight per tyre, but 1.3x more puncture resistance (according to one site's imperfect measurements).
If you had to choose one over the other for a five-mile urban commute (trying to avoid a couple of smashed bottles each way) and could buy them at the same price, which would you choose (taking into account rolling resistance, weight, puncture resistance, and other relevant factors)?

There are reviews of both tires on bicyclerollingresistance.com: https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/tour-reviews/schwalbe-marathon-plus-2015 and https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews/continental-gator-hardshell
The Continental Gator Hardshell is considered a road bike tire, albeit a very puncture resistant one. The Schwalbe Marathon Plus is a touring tire. It’s heavier, available in wider versions, more puncture resistant and has a bit of tread.
If you need/want more than 32mm width you are out of luck with the Hardshell.
Otherwise it pretty much boils down to personal preference. Both are high quality tires with their own strengths and weaknesses. Personally I can live with patching a tube every month or so. At the same time I like to go fast/far and light. The Gator Hardshell is pretty much the heaviest, slowest tire I would even consider using. The Schwalbe Marathon plus is way too heavy and slow for me.
I’m currently using Continental GP 4 Seasons on my travel cyclocross. In the city I have about 2 or 3 punctures per year (2*6km commute). I can live with that.
If you need/want all the puncture resistance you can get there is no way around the Marathon Plus.


Compatibility of Shimano Ultegra and Sora components My road bike has an Ultegra groupset, but some parts need replacement (chainrings, chain, and cassette). The chain is worn out, the cassette is sliding with a new chain, and the chainset is also worn out. Can I keep my 3-9 derailleurs and mount new Ultegra chainrings with a Sora cassette (9) and a Sora chain to save some money, or should I keep riding and mount ultegra chainrings, chain, and cassette when they are fully worn out?

Most groupset parts don't wear out on a predictable replacement schedule. Derailleurs, brakes, cranks, and brifters should last for a long time, barring unusual wear or crashes. And I hate to say it, but if you do get to the point where you want to replace those parts, it might be cheaper to buy a new bike.
Modern Sora and Ultegra chainrings are 4-bolt, and are completely incompatible with your 5-bolt Ultegra cranks. You could replace the entire chainset (aka crankset), but a modern Sora chainset will be incompatible with your bottom bracket (your Ultegra chainset uses a separate BB; the Sora and other higher-end Shimano chainsets today integrate the spindle into the left crankarm), so that would need to be replaced too. You might be better off looking for NOS Ultegra rings.
Sora-grade chains are lower quality (less precise spacing between rivets), which will wear out the cassette and chainrings more quickly.
The Sora cassette will work.


Missing a part from an internally threaded steer tube I recently obtained and then disassemble a Kink Co. BMX. It had a threadless headset. Unexpectedly, instead of having a star nut inside the fork's steer tube, the steer tube was internally threaded (threaded on the inside) and something screwed in. I lost that "something" and have no recollection of what it looked like. What am I working with here? I have never seen a fork like this. I obviously need to replace a part, but can't without any names whatsoever.

I think you're after one of these.

Does the same job as a top cap and star nut but has a hole you can run the front brake line down.


How long should a bike last before the wheels wobble? I bought a bike for my girlfriend about six months ago. It's a women's road bike.

She's rode it a bit, but all of it on the road. She's never crashed it and it's always been in good care.

She's taken the wheel off a few times to put into a car. But yeah, each time we've taken good care of it.

Today, I noticed that the wheels were touching the brakes. It's been doing more and more later, so I've had to re-adjust and widen the brakes, but today, I realized that unless I completely undo the brakes, it won't touch.

I turned the bike upside down and realized that it was touching, because as the wheel is spinning it was kind of wobbling.

Now I'm not sure what has caused this. Like I've said, we've had it for six months, but it wasn't like we rode it all the time, the bike has never crashed and as far as we know, we've always taken good care of it.

So is it like a fairly normal thing? Is it possible to get it fixed? Could it be a flaw with the product? Should I be ringing up the bike shop I bought it from to complain? Or is six months like too long, and I should be expecting things like that to happen?

I have a Fuji Absolute 4.0 - it's been a fairly good introduction for her into riding I think. Nice and light.

It is normal for a wheel to have an initial break in period.

As you ride the bike, each spoke has its load released, and retensioned each time it passes around the bottom of the wheel. Since some parts of the wheel are aluminum, and others are steel, the aluminum parts compress. This means that the spokes are not under as much tension as they need to be.

Since not every spoke will compress exactly the same amount, it makes some spokes looser than others.

A wheel's strength comes from having the spokes act like the wires of a suspension bridge. As long as they are under the correct amount of tension, and the tension is equal on each spoke, the wheel will stay straight and strong.

A single loose spoke will allow a wheel to detension, and come out of true. If you ride the wheel in the detensioned state for any length of time, you can damage the rim, and make it impossible to make the wheel perfectly straight, round, and strong again.

This process of break in takes different periods of time for different wheels and different riders, but most bike shops recommend a service on the bike within 30 days of riding it the first time. That should include a wheel service.

Six months is too long to expect them to fix it free, although they might do it to build good will with a customer of theirs. I would not go in and complain, but do go in and ask them to explain why it happened. Make sure you speak to a professional mechanic or manager, and not the high school apprentice mechanic.

Be friendly about it, and a good shop will likely fix it, if possible, without charging you. At the very least, you will get an idea of what kind of shop they are, and a real idea of it is repairable or needs to be replaced.

I hope that helps.


Sora front derailleur friction shifter I have Sora front derailleur (bottom-pull), and I want to use friction shifter with it. I installed Dura Ace bar end shifters (on thumb shifter mount).

No matter how I adjust the tension the shifter doesn't hold position. It always pulls to the smallest chain ring. I wonder is there anybody who come across something this.

I begin to think the combination of derailleur and shifter is not compatible.
Any thoughts will be appreciated.

You may be able to adjust the friction. Adjusting the tension in the cable probably won't help.

This is a bit of a known issue with some combinations:

https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-mechanics/1069395-shimano-rd-5701-hard-shift-friction-shifters.html
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/components-wrenching/shimano-friction-shifter-adjustment-183941.html

Unfortunately you're unlikely to be able to find a weaker return spring to fit.


I want to convert a 1-piece crank triple chainring to a double I want to convert a 1-piece crank triple chainring to a double. Do I need to worry about the chain line? Do I need a spacer of some sort?

Is this a simple swap of the chainrings?  If not, what size (inner/outer diameter, width) spacer would I need?

Reasons, or what I'm trying to accomplish:  I want a higher gear ratio.  I recently converted an old junker "mountain-style" bike to an ebike with a conversion kit.  I find myself "running out of gears."  I counted the big ring at 42 teeth.  A quick perusal of ebay shows 52/40t double chainrings for 1-piece cranks.  So I want to swap out my current 42/x/x triple to a 52/40 double.  The ebike is driven by a hub motor, so I don't need to worry about the higher gears putting more strain on the drivetrain.

Alternatives: The most straightforward option would be to swap in a 48t triple.  This is the fallback option.  I'd prefer the higher top-end of a 52t if possible. Another option is to replace the 6-speed freewheel, but I haven't found one that is geared "bigger" than currently equipped 14t.  I've read that 7-speed freewheels are an easy upgrade, but I have an indexed twist shifter, so that route also involves a shifter change.

Yes, you need to consider chain line, but that does not mean you cant swap in larger rings on the middle and outer positions.

Sounds like right now you are are using the middle and outer chainrings exclusively on your triple crank. If you put two larger rings on the middle and outer positions, there's no actual difference in how you are treating the chain.

Obviously it would be better to use a double crank as this will put less strain and wear on the chain, but using the two outer triple rings may be acceptable, as it's the lowest cost option, especially if you are careful to always avoid cross-chaining from the large ring.

BTW, you'll want to make sure that there is clearance between the new large rings and the chainstay.


Day-trip bike for hefty 40-year-old woman? I have an Electra Townie 7d, and I'm quite fond of her (sorry, I do anthropomorphize my bike) as a commuter and farmer's-market hauler, but I'd like a more efficient bike for afternoon-trips (say, 50 miles round-trip), mostly on rails-to-trails with gravel or dirt surfaces.

I have done 40 miles on the Townie, but it's harder than I think it needs to be. She's slow (I sometimes have trouble keeping up with my husband on his Trek FX), she absolutely loathes even slight uphill inclines, and because so much of my weight is thrown backward, the longer rides give me a numb butt.

About me:

Hefty. Figure me + gear + water = 250 lbs.
Casual rider
Forty. FORGET about anything but a relatively upright position.
Not great at bike maintenance (I can fix a flat, change brake pads, and adjust my saddle... that's about it).

What I think I'm looking for (feel free to disagree):

Something in the hybrid/fitness/touring line
Aluminum frame (I don't trust myself to maintain steel properly; also, my Townie is heavily scratched, so...)
No fancy "suspension" forks, please.
Women's geometry (mixte or step-through a plus, but not required)
Straight handlebars, possibly with upright bar-ends
Quality components and minimal maintenance a HUGE plus. Internal hub, maybe?
Braze-ons for two bottle cages and a rear rack (I'm old; on day trips I carry first aid for the bike AND for me...) Rear fender a plus, but I can live with a mudguard.

What bike models might work? How do I best eliminate models that won't? Let's say a maximum of USD$3000 for price, but cheaper would be fabulous. Please also rec good components that I should be looking at, considering my weight.

Any standard non-racing bike can handle 250 pounds.
If you can handle those maintenance items you're better than the average cyclist.
There's no extra maintenance required for a steel vs aluminum frame -- it takes decades for rust to damage a steel frame even if left outside most of the time.  An aluminum frame, being a softer metal, is somewhat more easily damaged (though the difference is probably negligible in normal conditions).  But aluminum may be 2-3 pounds lighter.
If you're having trouble keeping up with your hubby you probably want something with a few more gears.  An internal gear hub likely is a step in the wrong direction.

I think basically you just want a good quality "hybrid".  The Cannondale Quick 3, for instance, would meet most of your requirements, though there are no doubt a dozen others.  The only real problem with the Quick 3 is that it's got 700C wheels and, depending on your height, you might be better off with a 26" wheel.  Unfortunately, good women's bikes in smaller sizes are a rarity.


Equipping a commuter bike for a 5 mile city commute My commute is a bit over 5 miles each way through the city. It's not that long a commute; in traffic, it takes about 35 minutes door to door, and I'm never far from public transit that I could use in an emergency. I tend to prefer to travel light; rather than lugging a lot of equipment around so I can spend a while fixing my bike in the middle of my commute, I'd rather just lock it up and hop on the train or walk the rest of the way; this isn't a bike I'll be taking on long trips out in the middle of nowhere. Beyond the commute, I'll use my bike to get around town on weekends as well, but usually for similar sorts of rides.

What would you consider essential equipment for such a commute? What kind of bike would you choose for such purposes?

Is it worth it to carry a tire patch kit with me in such situations, or pump? How much rain gear should I have, or should I just give up and take the train at the slightest rain? Regular pedals, toe clips over normal shoes, or should I look into clipless pedals? Lights are of course a given, since I ride home after dark. Anything else I should think of?

Equipment/Accessories:

Fenders — keep you dry if it's rained recently.  I prefer the "full-coverage" kind with a mudflap, but anything that keeps you from getting a stripe up your back is probably sufficient.
Regular platform pedals (or even better: BMX style pedals) - clips or clipless and frequent stops don't go well together and might mean needing to lug shoes with you.
A basket or rack — better to put your stuff on the bike than on your back, and you're bound to need to carry something sometimes.
Some kind of minimal rain gear.  There's some cheap packable rain pants and rain jackets out there.  You might be able to make do with a rain jacket you already have.  Very preferable if the rain gear tries to be "breathable".  Check the weather for the day before you leave in the morning and leave at home.  Or maybe a packable rain cape...
Tires — smooth tires that try to be puncture resistant.
Water — bottle cage (or two) and water bottle (or two).  Might want one of those water bottles to be insulated so that you can have ice water on hot days. (I love my travel mug for a hot beverage in cold weather, and that works for cold beverages on hot days, too).  Don't necessarily need the water on the bike for every trip, but you should have a way to easily carry water on the bike.
Pant leg retention — Something to keep your pant leg from getting into the chain.  Some bikes have a cover for the chain...  You can get a velcro strap...  Or you can just roll your pant leg up or stuff your pant leg into your sock...
Sunglasses — Especially nice if you have some with swappable lenses, because sometimes you want light or clear lenses just to keep the wind and bugs out of your eyes.
Lights — forward white and rear red.  Blinking optional.  These could go on your helmet, be removable from the bike or permanently mounted on the bike...  Leave them home when you're not going to be riding at night.
Reflective stuff &mdash If you're concerned about night time visibility, look for retroreflective things. Reflective vests similar to what construction people use are common, cheap, and making your torso visible can be more helpful than making the lower bike parts visible.. Some reflective tape on various parts of the bike. The normal set of reflectors bikes usually come with. Reflective details on clothing, etc.

Bike:

Any bike you like the feel of riding. Properly fit. A hybrid (flat handlebars, wide-ish road tires) bike marketed as a commuter would probably be ideal, and they often come with everything.  However, any halfway decent bike would be fine for what you described, really.

If there's any risk of carpal tunnel or similar issues from your job and/or other hobbies, seriously consider a handlebar setup with multiple hand positions. (bar ends on the flat handlebars, bullhorn bars, drop bars, etc...)

Repair kit:

Unless you're particularly into bike repair, forget the on-bike pump and patch kit, carry enough cash for a bus or taxi instead.  And keep track of where the bike shops are (and establish a relationship with one or two). Most bike shops can fix a flat in a few minutes without needing to be scheduled ahead of time, and they'll probably only charge $5-$10 (plus the cost of the new tube, of course).

On the other hand: a pump can be mounted to the bike and doesn't weigh much, and a patch kit's pretty small. You'd need a tire lever or two (or multitool that includes them) also.  I do carry a pump, spare tube, patch kit and multitool with tire levers, but didn't when I was first bicycle commuting.  If you're using a bicycle with for short urban trips and are able and willing to use a secondary emergency transportation option (bus, taxi), flats should be very rare.  Changing a flat only takes a few minutes, so unless you get a flat right as the bus is coming it's probably still faster to change a flat than take a bus.  And it's reasonably easy...


Dual water bottle brackets on a single frame mount? I'm looking for a way to mount two water bottle cages on the seat tube. Is there any way to make this hold two water bottle cages on one bracket / mount point?

There are lots of clamp-on bottle cages (google link), letting you add bottles wherever you have space on your bike (this is just one design, and not a particularly good one IMO, better to have two clamps):

Or some clamps that let you mount conventional cages:

I suggest grabbing a couple of bottles and trying to fit them into the frame.

Also, Advantages of mounting bottle under frame has a discussion of places to get more bottles onto your frame that might give you some ideas. There are lots of clamp-on bottle cages available, so you really can just screw one on wherever there is space.

Finding a single part that will bolt onto your existing mounts is going to be hard. Putting the bottles side by side will make them too wide for you to ride comfortably, so I'm guessing you were imagining something like this?

That's a long, skinny bit of metal, that has to hold a litre or more of water... weighing a kilogramme or more. It's going to be hard to build.


Are stem height extenders safe to use? I was trying to determine the longest length I can safely cut my steer tube, then I learned about stem extenders. I have to wonder, if you cut your steer tube to the maximum recommended length for above and below your stem. Is it still safe to add on a stem height extender? Is using an extender any different than merely cutting your steer tube extra long?

This is a very good question, and one that a lot of people get wrong or approach thoughtlessly.

The answer is no, it's not significantly different in terms of safety whether your stem got where it is using an extender versus an uncut steerer.

The spacer stack restrictions on carbon and aluminum steerers are concerned with limiting the amount of leverage applied to the steerer right above the upper bearing contact. That's their entire purpose. You can't use an extender to cheat the restriction, because the amount of leverage generated will be virtually the same.

However, another side to this is that manufacturer spacer stack restrictions are (or at least should be) specified with the worst case scenario in mind in terms of rider weight, stem length/rise, and rough usage. So in the scenario of, say, a light rider with a short stem who needs to get up higher, the argument can be made that the restriction can be cheated some amount on that basis. Unfortunately there is no magic rule that will tell you by how much, because the manufacturer is always the only one that has actual data on material, heat treatment, etc. What it boils down to though is that there are many light riders on aluminum-steerered road bikes with stem extenders that get away with it just fine, although it is an at-your-own-risk thing. Extender manufacturers tend to be weirdly blase about this issue.

Steerer extenders should never go on carbon steerers because the stakes of the steerer failing without warning are too great; even in the case of a carbon steerer that was cut too short, they should be avoided because of the extra stress their pinch bolts put on the steerer. Carbon steerers should be handled exactly as their manufacturers specify, and none of them would condone an extender. Manufacturer instructions for extenders do also tend to say they should never go on carbon.

With normal wall thickness (1.5-1.6mm) chromoly steerers (as opposed to the more exotic steel ones a few companies have put out over the years, and those are generally pretty tough as well) you can make it as tall as you want and it will be fine.


Why are rear shocks at a 30 degree angle and the mud-guards so high? For bikes like these, why aren't the rear shocks (the shocks are directly above the pedal) vertical like those of a motorcycle? I don't see how the bike can take shocks when the shock absorber is at such a low angle.

A friend said the mud-guard is so high because there's no other way to attach it to the cycle at a lower height. Is that really the reason why the mud-guard is so high?

What's above the rear wheel for vertical shocks to mount to?

It's pretty clear from the provided picture that the fulcrum for the rear wheel is near the bottom bracket. An upward force against the rear wheel will cause it to lift, reducing the distance between it and the mount point of the shock, allowing the shock to resist that movement.


How do you tighten Shimano disc brakes? I have just brought the Trek Fuel ex8 (on Christmas) and already the back brake is squeaking. Also both the front and back are not very sensitive and are not stopping the bike very well. I've looked on youtube how to tighten them but there not really giving me a direct answer. Any help?

Trek Fuel ex8 - has hydraulic disc brakes.
Hydraulic disc brakes do not require adjusting - they are self-adjusting.
In that, as the pad wears - the distance between pad and disc is adjusted automatically.

The squeaking and squealing of disc brakes is a common complaint.
My first advice would be to
- bed the pads in
- make sure the discs and pads are clean (small contaminants - especially oil will cause serious braking problems)

Bed the pads in by taking the bicycle up a long hill and coasting back down whilst lightly dragging the brakes. This causes the discs to heat up and bed the pads in.

Hydraulic disc brakes should have a "snappy" feel to them. If contaminated - they will lose power.
If you have dropped any oil (even the smallest amount) onto the disc caliper - clean the pads and rotor thoroughly. Pads will have to be removed and can be baked (facing down) in the oven on top of grease proof paper.

Hope this helps.


Mini Pumps For Roadbike (120 psi)? I'd like to buy a mini pump to keep in my bike bag, but I have some doubts if these pumps are really that usable.
My current pump is rated at 90 psi, but I would be surprised if it does 60.

For example, this one claims 160 psi, I doubt it:

Pumps I am considering:

Lezyne Sport Drive HP (120 psi)
Micro Floor Drive HPG (160 psi)

How long does it take to pump up a tire with such a pump? Normally I use 120 psi, I haven't measured the minimal psi I would need to get home from a long trip, maybe around 100 psi.

Does it make sense to get one with a hose or a pressure gage? Probably they can't blow a tire anyway.
Any other recommendations?

I prefer a pump to be prepared for multiple flats and not carry expensive cartridges, as well as for environmental reasons. It feels a bit frivolous to use two cartridges for a tire and throw them away afterwards. I am not a pro, just enjoy riding on the weekend.

A longer frame pump is advantageous - a lot of them can be mounted along the length of your top tube and work a lot faster/easier than mini pumps. Mini pumps (and frame pumps in general) always take forever (at least, it feels like forever, though some are better than others due to chamber size and if they can inflate on the push and pull stroke of the pumping action among other design factors) and are tough at higher pressures. You just need to get enough air until you can get to a track pump - In theory and by design, you could probably get to full pressure with a good frame/mini pump but in practice, you may not due to tired-ness and other factors that come with a ride. The amount of time and effort it takes obviously depends on the volume of the tires and pressures you're running as well as how quickly you can pump. If you look at some reviews, you can probably find the highly variable measurement of how long someone took to pump their tire in "pumps".

When you use a hand pump like a conventional frame/mini pump, you lose the advantage of weight and upper body muscles you use with a floor (track) pump (aside from the typically smaller volumes) [but you can get this on the go to some extent with a frame-mounted floor pump]. The Lezyne Micro Floor Drive HP-HPG looks interesting as a small frame-mounted floor pump (similar to the Topeak Morph line, but oddly much cheaper and possibly more ergonomic) and according to a review does quite well on the pressure and inflation efficiency front.

I don't think a gauge is necessary, but a hose is useful - you avoid transferring your momentum of pumping directly to the valve, which can cause some damage if you do it too much (i.e. not careful). Sheldon has some tips for doing this (my current frame pump does not have a hose, but I do wish it did).

If you do get a mini pump though, try to get one with a CO2 inflator built in as well and carry some CO2 cartridges (or at least a mini inflator). Some day you may be too tired or in need of a quick inflate (e.g. in the rain), and this could really help you (though they can't do minor adjustments of a tire pressure like a pump can).  Also, try to avoid flats in the first place - kevlar belted tires, proper tire inflation, etc. will save you the agony of having to use your pump. And always have a way to get home otherwise (e.g. bus, calling someone, etc.).


Shifting from Shimano 2300 to Tiagra I have a road bike that I use mostly for touring (2-3 day trips) and my daily commute (~25km). It's loaded with the Shimano 2300 (2013) 3 X 10 groupset. I know it's not the most efficient or lightweight, but for my purposes it has served me well.

I just broke the rear derailleur. My policy is to always replace parts with ones of the same or better quality.

My problem is that 8-speed parts are becoming less and less common for road bikes, so buying better or equivalent parts for the 2300 is becoming difficult (I live in Singapore).

Is it worth it to upgrade to a complete higher tier groupset like the current Tiagra? My hope is that with this change I can access the market of 10 X 3 speed components and have room to upgrade part by part later if I want to.

Would I need to change more parts than the ones included (derailleurs, shifters, cassette, crankset, BB) other than the chain if my bicycle already handles 2300?

As usual Sheldon has the answer. However you can also find a great range of second hand parts such as derailleurs from your local bicycle shed.

There's little point replacing the entire groupset, however if you want to move up to 9-speed then there's no problem replacing the rear derailleur, cassette and shifters. If you're replacing your cassette, replace your chain.

Sheldon writes:

  In general, all Shimano Cassette Freehubs will work with all Shimano
  cassettes, any number of speeds.

Your crankset, front derailleur and bottom bracket can remain as they are (matched groupsets are a lie sold to everyone by Shimano). If you do decide for a lighter crankset, you can still leave the front derailleur alone so long as it suits your chainring choice. Similarly you can reuse the bottom bracket if it has the right interface and spindle length.


Change my Shimano SIS rear derailleur of 7 speeds to a better one? I recently broke my rear derailleur of my road bike it was a Shimano SIS 7 speeds, so I am thinking if I can get a better one like a sram or deore or I don't know.
Thank you for your help.

You could use any Shimano derailer. I would go for Acera or Alivio, since they have good quality and good price.

Some SRAM might work, but beware that SRAM and Shimano have a different "cable pitch" (amount of cable pulled for a given amount of lateral movement of the derailer pulley). Even though, SRAM manufactures a few models which are compatible with Shimano levers, and also some shifters which are compatible with Shimano derailers.

Also, if the "cable pitch" of the system is correct, you only need to match the cassette model and the shifter model (in your case, just keep your cassette and your shifter).

Hope this helps

EDIT: if it is a road bike, perhaps Acera and Alivio couldn't be the best choices, but I'm not up to date with Shimano options for road derailers. Anyway, they are interchangeable regarding "cable pitch".


Ants infestation on bicycle During the recent trip my road bicycle was mounted on the rack on top of the car, and since I didn't wrap it, nor used the cover, flies and other small insects got stuck on the frame and handlebars. After the trip I gave my bike a thorough wash to clean the remains of the insects, but soon I noticed bunch of ants crawling over the bicycle.

While I can safely use repellents or poisons to get rid of the ants from my home, I'm interested if there are any considerations I have to take when treating the bike with such products, in order not to damage the components or paint (FTR, my bike has alloy frame and carbon fork, Shimano 105 group).

The ants don't really have any reason to stay in/on your bike. Worst case, depending on how bad it is, I would wash it down using soapwater. That way if there is any sweet juice or bug parts left to eat and make your bike more attractive to ants, it would no longer be a problem. Good Luck, I hope you can reclaim your bike back from the ants! Next time the ants should buy their own bike... not satisfied with an anthill I guess :-)


My front brakes contact the rim at different times instead of simultaneously. Is that normal or are they misaligned? here's the video for reference

When I lightly apply the brakes only one part makes contact with the wheel which makes a squeaking noise.
How can I change this? I'm afraid one part of the brakes will wear much quicker than the other, also I don't know if it is due to this but my brakes don't feel as "tight" or responsive anymore.

When I lightly apply the brakes only one part makes contact with the wheel

There are two adjustment screws (Spring tension centering screw on the picture below) which are meant to center pads of V-brakes. Screwing one in makes a corresponding pad to move farther from the rim, screwing it out does the opposite. It makes sense to loosen one screw a ¼ turn and simultaneously to tighten the opposite one by the same ¼ turn, control the result and repeat it until you are satisfied with the alignment.

my brakes don't feel as "tight" or responsive anymore.

Pads wear over time, which makes their surface to be farther away from the rim. This feels at the brake lever, it has to travel more until the pads hit the rim. This can be compensated by either screwing out the adjusting barrel at the lever (the picture below), or, if that option has been exhausted, by repositioning the cable at the brake cable anchor bolt (the picture above).

However, if you see the need to re-tighten the cable at the bolt, if often means that the pads are already almost worn. At this point, replacing the brake pads may be a better solution. Of course, with new pads the adjusting barrel has to be returned back all the way into the lever to allow future wear adjustments.


50km for someone who has no experience cycling long distance I'm considering cycling along a sand dune which is 50km. The bike path is mainly flat. The longest I've riden on a bike is probably less than 1 hour. I do occasionally cycle within the city but it's just short distances. I was wondering if 50km will be too much for me? And will an e-bike help?

Jessie

I can just imagine myself back then when I bought my old vintage bike and rode it 103km to my hometown without proper training or gear. There's a lot of hills along the way but I manage to reach 60km pedaling my bike before my legs felt tired and started walking on climbs but still pedaling on flats and down hills. I have no helmet and cycling shorts back then, so sun burn and butt soreness was really an experience I don't want to happen again. I have learn a lot from that experience. Now I ride 40-50km every weekend for practice to prepare myself for another epic and longer ride.
From that experience, I recommend you to consider the following.

For you:

Health - If you are healthy enough without any injuries or any health issues which can be triggered by fatigue, then 50km is good.
Terrain - Terrain is the most important part when you go on a long bike journey. This will be the defining factor regardless of distance. Just imagine the amount of effort you will exert when you go on a 50km hill climb vs a 50km flats. The more effort/power you apply, the less gas and distance you can finish. I suggest you read a map of your desired route and look for how high or low you'll be climbing. If you're sure it's all flats, then 50km is no worries for beginners. If there are a lot of climbs, then you might shorten your desired distance first for maybe 15-20km.
Speed - Same law applies with terrain. More effort/power the less gas & mileage you can accomplished. So make sure you're only pedaling at your comfortable/easy cadence. You want to tour then you have to take it slow and enjoy the journey.
Padded Shorts/Pants - Trust me, butt soreness is never a joke. This is a must.
Protective gear - helmet, gloves, reflectors or lights (if you're riding at night), UV protected clothing against the heat of the sun or jacket if it's cold.
Food - Bring plenty of carb rich food like bars or gels.

For your bike:

Wheels - Make sure your wheels are still in good condition and bring extra tires, pump, tubes if you're in a clincher wheels.
Water - Bring enough water. 2 bottles will do.
Toolkit - For any repairs along your journey.
Money - If you want to buy stuff along or worse your bike broke and you can no longer ride it safely, then a payment to a nearby repair shop or a ride home.

Is there anything I missed? Feel free to edit this answer or comment down below.


Best option to get my cleats closer inwards to the crank due to a narrow stance I recently bought a road bike and also SPD-SL shoes/pedals, but have not been able to find a cleat position that feels natural to me. After long rides the hamstring tendon that attached at the outside of the knee starts to hurt and I feel like it's due to my feet being too far outward away from the center of the bike. I think my hips are on the narrower side and thus my stance also is.
My cleats are already positioned maximally to the outside of the shoe. What I don't understand is that the cleats can only be adjusted sideways about 5 mm. How can such a small range be sufficient for people with legs/hips of all sizes?
My question is: what is the easiest way to get my shoes closer to the center of the bike.
Photo of my bike and shoes: I would like to move the shoe such that is almost touches the crank. This feels most natural to me.

First, I should mention that when pedaling, we generally want the cleats' lateral position to be such that our knees are in line with the center of the pedal. This is a common principle in bike fit, as illustrated by the picture below courtesy of Rick Schultz, posted on the Bikefit blog.

You correctly deduce that having the wrong stance width may cause knee or other problems (but remember that knee pain is complex, and new cyclists may sometimes not have the correct intuitions about why their position is wrong - actually, the same is true for experienced cyclists as well). The blog post outlines a number of solutions, but most of them are aimed at widening your stance, not narrowing it. Anyway, changing the lateral position of your cleats is probably the first step, and you already chose the correct path of moving them outward on the shoe (which moves your stance narrower, not wider; note that I corrected some wrong language from my earlier response where I got confused). At this point, it is likely you would benefit from seeing a bike fitter.
That said, I am a 5' 5" tall male cyclist. The range of lateral adjustment available on both Speedplay and Shimano SPD-SL pedals has been sufficient for me. I don't think that many people will need narrower cleat positions than are available commercially (because most people below my height are women, whose average hip width is wider than men). If do you actually need your cleat position to be narrower, you may be an edge case not well-handled by the available equipment, and you would definitely benefit from a professional fit. If you can get your knees in line with the spindle on your current setup, then I'd urge you not to go narrower than that. If you can't, then a fitter is likely to know about available options.
Just to put one option out there, Speedplay pedals can accommodate narrower stance widths than most others. The link goes to an article on Slowtwitch (a tri website) written by Dan Empfield, and he articulates a number of other advantages of Speedplays.
Pertinent to the cleat stance issue: Standard model Speeplays ship with 53mm spindles, which I believe is about the same as the default spindles on Shimano pedals. However, Speedplay cleats appear to have a total range of 8.9mm of lateral adjustability (I measured this with calipers, measuring from the center of the mounting screws in both the extreme positions; note that Empfield characterizes the range as about two spindle sizes, which is 6mm; more discussion below). I believe SPD-SL cleats have a total of 5mm of lateral adjustability, plus the yellow ones allow 1.5mm of lateral float.
Last, Speedplay pedals may be available with custom 50mm steel spindles, i.e. 3mm shorter than stock. I say this because Wahoo recently bought the company, and I'm not sure if the company will continue to make these spindles available. While the titanium spindled versions are very expensive, they come in a stock 50mm length. Either the custom steel or stock ti spindles may be an option if you truly must have those last 3mm of adjustment. Also, I know that some China- or Taiwan-based eBay sellers may offer aftermarket titanium spindles in the lengths you would require. At the time of writing, I have heard good feedback about J&L, which is based in mainland China. I believe they've been selling spindles for some years. NB: their continued existence is not guaranteed, and there are likely to be at least a couple other aftermarket players.
Note that Speedplays require significantly more maintenance to both the cleats and pedals than Shimano pedals. I've written about this here. You will really want to take that seriously, otherwise you will chew up their cleats, and those are expensive.
Revisiting your question if the standard cleat position is really suitable for most human cyclists: it may well be, and moreover, many cyclists are not that sensitive to their cleat position. Consider that many cyclists switch between road and mountain bikes without major issue, and MTBs have much wider pedal stances. Many pedal manufacturers do make longer spindles available, and Speedplay have +3, +6, and +9mm ones. Apart from Speedplay, I only know of one pedal with a shorter than stock spindle (Shimano's XTR pedals have a -3mm spindle). As I said earlier, there are very few men my height and shorter, so I don't think there is a large market for narrower spindles. Additionally, if you have your feet that close to the spindle, your shoes may rub your cranks.
Last, I reiterate the need for a bike fit if you are having muscle or joint pain. While they are expensive, it is well worth it for serious cyclists. You may think the issue is your cleat position, but you and I are not trained in bike fit and physiology, and we could easily be wrong.
Side note: cleat rotation
For many of us, our feet probably don't point straight ahead naturally. Most likely, the OP's bike store set their cleats up pointing straight ahead. Shimano's yellow cleats have 6 degrees of angular float, which is likely to allow most riders to find their natural foot position. (NB: this is 3 degrees left and 3 degrees right of the pedal centerline, not 6 degrees left and right.)
If the OP's cleats need further rotation, or if they got the blue or red cleats which have 1 and 0 degrees of float, rotating the cleats consumes some of the available room for lateral adjustment. Stock Speedplay Zero cleats allow up to 15 degrees of float, which should mean that essentially nobody would need to rotate a Speedplay cleat. (NB: you can't actually rotate Speedplay cleats.)
The OP is almost sure to have yellow SPD-SL cleats. Blue SPD-SL cleats only come stock with Dura Ace pedals, their top of the line pedal. Red cleats must be purchased separately. Many commentators think the red cleats are a bad idea, especially for amateurs. Even many professional cyclists appear not to run the red cleats, or Look's equivalent zero float cleat. Zero float may help very competitive cyclists who are putting out a lot of power and want to waste zero motion, but it's not clear if this is just a placebo effect.


Internally-geared hub and chain case: running away from maintenance chores and grit damage First off, the context of my question is 80% urban commuting and 20% weekend road trips of up to 70km, with a bit of casual trail riding mixed in. I ride my bicycle for transport and I value minimal maintenance and frugality a lot!

With that goal in mind, over the years I've noticed that besides punctures it's drivetrain wear that causes the most damage (because of rain and winter weather). I admit I've neglected to maintain the chain lots of times and rode for weeks with poor efficiency, increasing the wear on the parts. So I thought of tackling this issue on my next bike by going with an internally-geared hub and chain-case. (I will probably get the chain-case custom-made in a workshop¹). Speed and performance are not important, reliability and versatility are. Currently I ride single-speed.

What I hope to get out of it:

Nearly 0 maintenance
No maintenance after a ride through rain/sleet/snow
Longer-lasting parts
Better chain clearance, more protection from rocks/curbs/sticks
Always clean hands and pants
Puncture repairs that are still simple to do

However there are trade-offs involved. Compared to the standard derailleur setup there's:

Increased weight – I love light bikes and packing light
Decreased gear range – will it be enough if I want to take a trip in the mountains?
Lower availability of parts – in case something happens on a tour
Price – definitely can't afford Pinion or rohloff. Alfine 11-speed tops.

My question is: am I overreacting to the maintenance needs of an exposed drivetrain? Would going internal be justified, or should I stick with the more common derailleur setup... perhaps there is some lubricant or other products that protect it better that I don't know about?
What about if we're talking about a folding bike (20" wheels)?

1. Said workshop is run by a friend, so I may get a better price. I don't really care as much though, because of the IKEA effect.

This borders on an overly opinion-based question. It's also worth pointing out that while there are a lot of bikes with real chaincases in the world, they are pretty far outside of many people's experience.

Full, traditional chaincases are fantastic and do everything you want except simple flat fixes. They often fail pretty hard at that, especially when paired with a modern IGH, where the cable comes at the hub in a manner far less convenient for the purpose of a chaincase than going into the end of the axle like an old AW hub for example. They can go together different ways in the dropout/crank access areas, but generally speaking if you're someone of the mind that you want to deal with as little stuff as possible when you get a flat, they are going to give you some stuff to deal with that you'd rather  not. They play very nice with extra-flat-resistant tires, Marathon Pluses being the archetypal one these days, but then that's going against the goal of low weight a bit.

I would highly recommend you get it fabricated by a bike framebuilder or other shop that does bike-oriented fabrication work. Someone who's not as enamored with the concept as you are and/or who doesn't know bikes will have many, many things they can get wrong. Chaincases have a lot going on.

Also you'll have to be very particular about what crank and of course ring size you use. Clearing the crank, including after the bumps and jostles of real world conditions, while also sealing well is one of the major design challenges of chaincases, and always winds up being the troublesome part of doing major/refurb type work on bikes with them. If you're getting it fabricated I would highly recommend leaving the choice of what crank to use to the fabricator.

The gear range is a personal question and it of course depends on how much you're willing to lop off the high end, which mountains, how much you're carrying, etc. Generally speaking, yes an Alfine 11 can give you access to the kind of gearing most people would need for touring. It's good to play with a gearing calculator when figuring this kind of thing out.

The more modern approach of course is use a belt drive. Personally I think chaincases are way sweeter, by virtue of being 100 year old technology that keeps your drivetrain going with very little maintenance, but in all fairness belt drive does do a lot of what you're after here, and because it's all off the shelf parts would be way, way cheaper presuming you're working with a frame that's set up for it. They're also much lighter and all the parts involved will be just an order away, as opposed to having something custom going on.


Im going to a 1x is there a freewheel with more than 34 t on the large gear/cog? My problem is that I'm going to a 1x I need more than 34 teeth on my large gear cog does any know of a freewhee with more than 34 teeth on the largest gear cog on a freewheel?

The largest freewheel I found was a 10 speed with 14-36 teeth, or Shimano's "megarange" ones that generally go 14-32 or 14-34.
The rear mech will probably have a model on it.  Searching for "brand model spec" will often give you a manufacturer's specifications page.  To use an arbitrary example, a Shimano Tourney RD-TY300-SGS  google returns https://bike.shimano.com/en-NZ/product/component/tourney/RD-TY300-SGS.html
That page says in part:

Item
Value
Comment

Low sprocket_Max.
34T
The biggest cog should be no-larger than 34 tooth

Low sprocket_Min.
28T
and no smaller than 28 tooth

Max. front difference
20T
Not relevant to a 1x drivetrain

Top sprocket_Max.
14T
The smallest/hardest cog must be 11-14 tooth

Top sprocket_Min.
11T

Total capacity
43T
And this is also irrelevant to a 1x

Aside - your rear derailleur doesn't care if you have a freewheel or a cassette on a freehub.  But it has to match the rear wheel's fitment.
So find your model, search for the specs, and see what its capable of.  You may choose to push the published stats by a little, and probably get away with it.  Something rated 34T will probably be fine at 36T, but 40 would be pushing it.   50 is right out.

Instead of going big at the back, you can also choose a smaller chainring at the front, with the natural consequence of not having a high-enough gear for a big-tailwind or a downhill.
Another option is to have two 1-by chainrings, and use a mechanical system to change from one 1by to the other 1by.  I've heard its possible to have three 1by chainrings on the same bike, potentially giving a sub-1:1 gear ratio at the lowest gearings.
 Seriously though, there's no shame in a double or even a triple chainring if you ride a lot of hills, or even just the occasional steep one.


Is there a reason for levers to be reversed on bikes with hydraulic brakes? I recently bought a MTB with hydraulic disk brakes, and am finding really hard to adjust to the braking system. From the very beginning I was cycling with the front lever on the right. But now it’s reversed, and it’s really confusing me a lot.

I asked my mechanic about this and he says front brakes on the left is the European style of braking. So I should get used to it.

But, why exactly are brakes reversed on such bikes? And to add up, my mechanic claims that the brakes cannot be switched. Is this true or, am I just being punked?

It's not for hand signals. "Left hand only" signals were originally designed for cars. You couldn't use your right hand out the window, so you could only use your left. Using both hands to properly signal on your bike is far more clear. It's used on motorcycles due to the fact that the throttle is on the right hand, so you want to keep that engaged at all times.

Reversed brake routing (front on the right, back on the left) is called "moto" routing and is primarily used in MTB and cyclocross bikes. On a CX bike, it's done so you can have greater controlled braking with the left hand on the back brake while your dismounting your bike for a barrier and your right hand is on the top tube. The front brake offers more power, while the back offers easier minor speed control while approaching a barrier.

To answer your initial question, there is absolutely no reason the brakes cannot be switched on your bike. Either the mechanic is lazy or doesn't know how to work on hydraulic brakes. In either case, you should take it to another more capable shop.


Bike purchase advice: looking for a fast tarmac/gravel bike Bike purchase advice: what type of bike for 70 percent road, 30 percent light gravel use, budget around $3k for the bike with $1k for upgrades. I already own a Cannondale Slate Force 1 (which I love) for longer trips and rougher gravel, as well as an Enduro MTB.
Something like the SuperX would be ideal, as I would like to be faster on the road but not freak out if it turns a little rough. Trek Checkpoint, Giant TCX, 3T Exploro all look good, and even the Vitus Energie with Sram etap is tempting (and too good to be true for the price).
I have heard good things about the higher end GRX components, and I am of course familiar with the Force 1 groupset. Wheels would be the first upgrade ($700), then handlebar/stem if needed for fit, finally seat/seatpost for comfort - within the $1k upgrade budget.
I am looking forward to your comments, particularly the reasons why you would chose that specific bike (new or used), and how you would upgrade it within budget (if at all). Please stick to bikes and parts that I can easily purchase in the US online (ie. not shipped from Europe) and not so rare that I will not be able to find it (ex. a used Moots titanium bike in size 56).

This is a potentially complex question, because we don't know exactly what 70% tarmac and 30% light gravel means. Light gravel might mean a dirt or crushed limestone road, or it might mean smaller bits of gravel. A roadie might think of light gravel differently from an MTBer.
Consider the surface
Cyclingtips recently proposed a grading system for gravel. I'm posting the sample photographs and descriptions of two grades that could be classified as light gravel.

Grade 2
Suggested tyre size: 700×28 – 700×35

Dirt roads. The native habitat of our crew in Boulder, where well-made, hard-packed dirt roads offer a road-like experience but without the traffic. A 2WD car will have no problems getting along here; a road bike will be mostly fine but some rutting and looseness will mean that it’s getting a little out of its depth. At times, may be even smoother than bad paved surfaces.

At the rockier end of the dirt road spectrum, you start to approach…

Grade 3
Suggested tyre size: 700×32 – 700×38

Reasonably smooth gravel. Discernible small rocks over a hard-packed surface mean that you’re struggling to pick a line on narrower tyres; a bigger volume tyre allows you to keep your speed up. In wet conditions, there’s a fair bit of muck kicked up from the surface so rim brakes, even if they allow the tyre clearance, might not be ideal.

The types of surfaces that are available depend on where you live and where you want to travel. Also, a rider's experience, preferences, and handling skills might allow them to handle a higher grade of gravel on a more road-oriented bike.
From personal experience, I took my road bike on a ride that had about 40% grade 2 or maybe 2.5 gravel, and the rest tarmac. The bike had nominal 25mm tires, which actually measure a bit over 27mm. It was totally fine. On the sectors with some visible gravel stones, I had to be more careful about picking a line. If there were a significant amount of real grade 3 gravel, that bike would not be my first choice.
Also, rain and mud would have modified my preference. I did one ride later in the that was 70-80% on grade 2-2.5 gravel, but it had snowed some and the roads were muddy. I used my gravel bike, and I know that I would have regretted my road bike.
Indeed, the Belgian Waffle Ride in the US explicitly says this in its FAQ:

The kind of bike you ride will depend on the type of rider you are and how comfortable you are in the dirt and during long races. The uniqueness of the BWR is that it really causes great consternation as to what weapon to bring to the fight. Too much bike and the 90 miles of road will zap you. Too little, and the rocks, sand, gravel and water will make you suffer or flat ...

On race day, you will notice there are road bikes with 25mm tires; plenty of Canyon Ultimates will devour the course from the front. There will be plenty of Canyon Grails, a unique gravel bike that provides clean comfort in any dirty detour. There will also be a lot of cyclocross type bikes, like the Canyon Inflite, where 32mm tires and plenty of clearance make for a speedy steed. Still others will be on the Canyon Endurace, with its endurance-optimized relaxed geometry, enhanced control features and race comfort; this bike is as at home on the road as it is in the gravel. You will even see mountain bikes, like the Canyon Lux, a light, full-suspension XC ATV. What you won’t see are e-bikes, time trail bikes or tandems.

The bike you should ride is the one you are most comfortable on for both road and dirt...
Road and gravel bikes are both evolving
Another complicating factor is that the road and gravel bike markets are evolving. Briefly, endurance and even performance road bikes can accept wider tires. This enables them to take on rougher surfaces. If it matters to you, some aerodynamic wheels are even becoming optimized for wider tires (usually nominal 25-28mm tires, paired with internal widths of 23-25mm). Simultaneously, the gravel market is bifurcating into a road-like sub-market and a more adventure-oriented, MTB-like sub-market.
NB: Any specific bikes mentioned here are simply the ones I've read about recently. They're not an exhaustive list. This biases the list towards bikes that have been reviewed, and the named examples tend to be from major manufacturers, or at least ones that are prominent to me for some reason.
The 2020 Trek Domane is an endurance road bike. However, it can accept 38mm tires, and it even has built-in pseudo-suspension. The 2021 Trek Emonda, which is a semi-aero climbing bike, is officially rated for 28mm tires, but it appears has enough space to fit significantly wider tires than that. The article stated that there was 42mm of lateral space at the narrowest point on the frame between the chainstays, and typically about 5mm clearance is recommended, implying that you could run tires measuring 32mm, perhaps a bit wider if you can accept some risk. The Specialized Venge, an aero road bike, was described as being able to accept a 32mm tire.
On the gravel side, one part of the market offers bikes that are like endurance road bikes with clearance for tires up to about 45mm on 700c wheels. As of 2020, the Trek Checkpoint, 3T Exploro, and Cervelo Aspero would clearly fit in this category. All-road bikes may be a synonym for this type of bike. They basically handle similar to endurance road bikes. This type of handling is more than capable off-road. In my view, especially as an owner of a bike like this, these bikes are less fun to handle on singletrack, i.e. in repeated tight turns, with steep descents, on very rough terrain. I have completed some singletrack loops for fun on my Parlee Chebacco. It was fun just to do them, but they were clearly not that bike's ideal terrain.
Some gravel bikes are taking more design cues from MTBs. I've heard them referred to as adventure bikes. In terms of geometry, this tends to mean longer top tubes, shorter stems, and slacker head angles. These produce much higher trail than road-like gravel bikes. This design improves the bike's stability at high speeds and on loose terrain. It makes bikes descend much more confidently on steep singletrack descents, whereas on my Parlee I felt like I might risk flying over the bars (NB: I didn't). This design also produces a larger amount of wheel flop, which makes the front wheel more willing to accept a steep turn at slow speed (e.g. on singletrack). In terms of other equipment, these bikes can take even wider tires, e.g. 50mm tires on 700c wheels. They also may have more equipment mounting points, which can help for things like carrying bikepacking gear and water.
What might this mean for you?
As stated in the FAQ, we prefer not to make product recommendations. Specific bike models might be discontinued, or they might evolve significantly (e.g. the Specialized Diverge was a road-like gravel bike, but it is evolving towards the MTB side of gravel bikes). Road and gravel bikes might evolve in ways we can't anticipate. You have not stated your preferences in bikes, but even if you had, this might boil down to having to take a test ride.
Given the spread of bikes that you already have, you might want to consider a performance road or endurance road bike. As stated, these perform more than acceptably on tamer off-road surfaces. However, you indicated that you have an MTB background in comments. You might actually prefer a more adventure-oriented gravel bike, as it will handle more similarly to the bikes you are used to. This type of bike will still perform more than adequately on road with slick tires.
One minor thing to consider is the gearing. If you intend to do group road rides, road riders often prefer to have narrower-range cassettes. This enables them to attain their ideal cadence at the group's chosen speed. You might have 50x34 chainrings with a 11-28 or -30 cassette. I have that chainring with a 11-34 cassette on my gravel bike. The gearing is not ideal for cyclocross, and it's ill-suited to singletrack. It's relatively steep gearing for gravel, but it's still acceptable.
A 1x setup will have big jumps between gears, which can be annoying in a group road ride. Smaller front chainrings may not quite be steep enough gearing for group road rides. Again, there may be compromises.


My front disc brakes are rubbing despite my efforts I tried everything

Reset pistons
Reseat caliper position
Credit card method

Brakes become very tight after a few squeezes

Update:

I went to the bike shop twice, they reset the brakes twice, wheels spin nicely at the shop but brake pistons stop retracting once I ride home, disc rub comes back again.

Getting tired of this. How do I tell them to check if the pistons are really working? And give me a new caliper?

It sounds like your pistons are failing to retract when the brake lever is released.

The mechanism used in bicycle hydraulic brakes to advance the pistons as the pads wear and to retract the pistons slightly when the brake lever is released is flexible rubber seals that surround the pistons. The seals deform as the pistons are pushed forward then pull the pistons back as fluid pressure is released.

It may be that your seals or pistons need cleaning. Check out this Park Tool video that shows how the seals work and how to clean them.


Cassette jerks chain forward intermittently I have a 3 year old road bike with Shimano Ultegra 11 speed freehub CX-75 and cassette CS-6800. Recently I started hearing clunking noise from the drivetrain during freewheeling. It appears that the cassette turns forward along with the wheel for a small angle, pulls the chain with it (this squeezes rear derailleur and creates slack on the upper chain run, since the crank is not moving), then releases, upon which the derailleur springs out quickly with the clunk.

I can almost reproduce the problem at will. It happens more often in cornering. And the chain does make a clunk or two if I wobble the handlebar quickly a few times when going straight. The common denominator is a sideways acceleration, but whether the problem is triggered by a little frame deformation under side load, or the inertial force on derailleur or other components, I cannot understand. Clunking does not happen when I set the bike hanging on a stand.

I could not also find any description matching the symptom. Should I replace the freehub? It must not be worn at 3 years, and probably way under 10K miles, Ultegra being pretty higher end set. But I cannot think of anything else.

Since the cassette is being driven by the wheel, the freehub mechanism is catching instead of releasing.

Confirm that by removing the rear wheel, remove the cassette, and spin the wheel/freehub off the bike (ie in your hands)

When powering it through the freehub the wheel should turn like normal, but as soon as the freehub is not driving the wheel, it should stop and will make a faint or loud clicking sound.    If you feel the freehub still being pushed around by the wheel, it needs work.

Fix0 - clean all the impacted dirt and oil, hair and grass out from behind the cassette and around the freehub.   Consider removing the dork-disk if its cracked or brittle or not sitting right.

Fix1 - blast the whole thing with cleaners, then let it dry, and lube it up again before use.

Fix2 - disassemble the freehub and attempt an interior service.

Fix3 - replace the freehub mechanism (last resort)


Can I replace a Shimano MF-Z012 (freewheel) with a MF-TZ510? Can I replace a (6-speed) Shimano MF-Z012 with a (6-speed) MF-TZ500 or MF-TZ510 freewheel?
Bonus question: apart from the "T" both models seem to belong to a related series. What does the "T" mean?

Both of these models are freewheels not cassettes. They are for the most part interchangeable. The only area of concern would be the size of the largest cog. Too large a difference from you original model may necessitate a longer or shorter chain. You may also need to make some small adjustments get the shifting optimized.


What chainrings are compatible with the Dura Ace 7900 crankset (apart from 7900 chainrings)? I need to get a 52t chainring for my 7900 Dura Ace crankset but am not willing to spend 150 euro on a chainring. Would an Ultegra 52t 6700 chainring work on the 7900 Dura Ace crankset ?

You need to check on three things to ensure that your new chainrings will work:

The number of arms on your spider. Road bikes typically have five.
The bolt spacing. This is most commonly expressed in BCD, or Bolt Center Diameter. The idea of BCD is a simple one, it's the distance from the center of a crankbolt to the crankbolt immediately opposite it on the crank. However, this is not necessarily an easy thing to measure. For one, the crank is not flat and it's difficult to measure across the bulge in the middle. Further, on a five arm spider the measurement has to be taken from an imaginary bolt since no bolt has a direct opposite. However, Sheldon Brown comes to the rescue as usual. His site has an explanation of how to find the BCD measurement with a ruler and a bit of math.
It is also a good idea to consider is the original chain compatibility (compatible with 9-speed or 10-speed). 10-speed chainrings should be used on a 10-speed drivetrain, but you can probably still get away with using 9-speed stuff in most cases. The chainrings may vary in width slightly due to slightly narrower chains on 10-speed drivetrains. It's rarely a problem using a ring that is too narrow on a larger chain, however you probably couldn't use an chainring intended for an 8-speed drivetrain on 10-speed drivetrain.


Transitioning mountain bike into city commuter bike In effort to transition my mountain bike to a city commuter- can I replace the mountain tires with thinner city tires without changing the bike wheels?

Short answer: Yes, you can.

The rims on most mountain bikes will support a tire as thin as 26 x 1 inch. 26 x 1.25 is virtually guaranteed on any mountain bike at all. (As long as it is a 26" wheel bike.")


Using a 700x23 tire on my wheel (which currently accomodates 700x25) I have Mavic Reflex 622 x 13 (700c) wheels which currently hold 25mm tires. Can I use 23mm tires on them?

Looks like it, see
Sheldon Brown (as usual).  There's very little difference between 23 and 25 anyway.


Bike travel bags, hard cases, and homemade bags I am regularly using airplanes for transportation
between race destinations. In fact, travelling with
a bike is always a very stressful situation. Usually, I am
very afraid when I have stopovers, because most
of the airport staff do not handle my bike bags
politely. In line with this, when we arrive on
final destination, bag is very dirty and some
parts are even broken or damaged. Despite of many
bags that I have already used, I am wondering if
there is a possibility to create a bag at home.

Has anyone experience with homemade bags?

I am still looking for appropriate material. Wood
seems to be very heavy, whilst cardboard boxes are
too soft.

What do you think?

If you travel regularly, buy a decent, high quality hard shell or accept your bike will be damaged. Even with the very best case, your bike could be damaged - either accept it as a cost of travel, or purchase travel insurance that covers the bike.

Depending on your travel and carriers, you will probably find a home made case will offer poorer protection and cost more in baggage charges due to it being heavier. Its unlikely a home build case can be made light and strong compared to a commercial hard shell.

Also consider the cost of a damaged bike is may be far more than the cost of repairs. If you bike is badly damaged going to your destination, your entire holiday could be ruined. Travel insurance can help here as you would not need to be concerned about cost of repairs at destination (e.g. say you bend a derailleur and the only available replacement at the bike shop is Ultegra or XTR, insurance would cover the repair cost).


Can you put disc brakes on road forks originally intended for calipers? I've decided I want a disc brake, at least on the front, which seems a good enough reason to go bike shopping, but am I overlooking the possibility of fitting a cable pull disc brake to my current bike?

I've been using a ten year old road bike as a commuter.  It has carbon front forks with road caliper/rim brakes and integrated Shimano road brake/gear levers.

To install disk brake, you need brake mount tabs on your fork/frame. Like this:

Original Image

And hub with mounts for brake rotor:

I've seen a few attempts to create an adaptor for fork/frame to install disk brakev tabs. But none were good enough for real life.

So your best route is to replace your fork and front wheel/hub.
But sometimes it is easier to get a whole new bike.


Why are ball socket allen wrenches Anecdotally, I see a lot of bike mechanics on the Internet use ball socketed allen wrenches. Is there an objective reason to using them over the 'regular' hex allen wrenches? Are there particular tasks or scenarios that make one style of wrench better than the other (e.g., prevent marring, or stripped socket hole)?

The ball-end wrenches are really handy when there's an obstruction in front of the bolt, since they can be inserted at a slight angle.

But since the contact area is smaller, you're slightly more likely to strip the hole. So I would use a regular wrench when possible.


How to convert a commuter CX bike to an Electric bike? I would like to convert my current bicycle into an E-bike.
While there are many conversion kits available and plenty of sites with tips on this, none of them quite meet my needs, or they fail to explain exactly why certain choices have been  made.
I am looking for an answer that provides insight into exactly what matters in this type of conversion.

Current situation:

I commute to work on my bike 2 times a week, which is 75Km (45 miles) round trip. My bike is a 2010 aluminium cyclocross bike with 700 x28 road tires and standard canti brakes, otherwise Shimano Ultegra parts. Front fork is carbon. The terrain is flat, with about 5% gravel roads. Location is Northern Europe, so plenty of rain.
I normally ride this distance with an average speed of 26 - 28 Km/hour (16 - 17.5 M/h), depending on wind and traffic.

Budget for converting is not very high (few hundred $, certainly below 800$), but I am willing to spend quite a lot of time on sourcing the right parts and am pretty confident in my DIY skills, including building wheels and batteries if need be. Getting another bike to commute on is not an option.

Reason for converting

Main reason for wanting to go electric is reducing travel time.
The two commutes a week per bike are a part of my exercise schedule, so reducing tiredness or getting to work easier/without sweating are not important. Ideally I would like to convert and still get a reasonable amount of exercise, only get to work faster (35-40 Km/h)/(22-25 M/h). This means that I still put in the equal amount of energy that I currently do (meaning I can reach 28Km/h on my own) and the motor supplies the extra energy required to go 35 Km/h.
 In case of a removable battery, charging at work would be an option, but an effective range of 75Km to be able to make the round trip without charging would definitely be very nice.

Decisions to make

Motor type and placement: What I understand so far is that within my budget, a direct drive 48v hub motor would be best. I do not really care about their added weight or drag when not active. For weight distribution, a front wheel motor would probably be nice, but I am not sure how well this goes along with my carbon front fork, and if it even fits (over locknut distance). When looking on e-bike motor sites, almost all of the motors seem to be very high power (500W/1000W). I really doubt whether I need this amount of power, when all I need is a little support to get from 28 Km/h to 35 Km/h. I do not expect the bike to pull me along without myself delivering most of the effort. Would something like 200W not be enough?

Choosing a controller:Controller should be compatible with the motor and battery, and not be limited in speed to at least 50Km/h. Regenerative braking would be nice, mounting to a drop-handlebar is nice, but I expect to have to make some custom solution for this anyway.

Choosing/making a battery:
Obviously, some form of lithium ion battery is best for performance/weight. But what are other (budget friendly) alternatives? Is a sealed lead battery really such a bad idea?
How much costs savings can I expect when building my own battery out of Lithium cells? and how feasible is it to import them from China? Battery mounting will probably be some form of custom rack.

Getting second hand parts:
What are my options regarding second hand parts, what is the life expectancy of an e-bike system (excluding battery, of course)? Is getting a second hand donor bike for electric parts a viable option (they are often found quite cheap here, when the battery has died they are sold for 300$) It is of course difficult to find exactly the parts (mostly motor type) you need in a second hand bike.

Question

Is there anyone with experience with such an conversion who can provide some insight into what really matters to make a fast bike go even faster with a custom DIY solution, without me having to empty my bank account?

I live in the southern most part of Nashville, TN (quite hilly with a major hill between my community and the rest of Nashville). I ran into @Blam's point exactly and have been considering investigating this new technology.

http://senseable.mit.edu/copenhagenwheel/index.html

The weight is the lowest comparable to other options (battery variable).
TOP SPEED   US: 20 mph, EU: 25 km/h
BRAKE TYPE  Rim brake and regenerative braking (downhill and back-pedal)
WEIGHT  5.9 kg / 13 lbs
DROPOUT 120 mm (single speed), 135 mm (single speed and multi-speed)

I haven't ridden one yet but it may be worth investigating.


Training for 340km in Greece I'm flying to Athens, in 5 weeks. I'm going to do a 340km route from Athens to Patras and back, on the both sides of Ionian Sea.

Right now my max achievable distance is 200km (trekking bike, avg 24km/h). Two weeks ago I began doing gym twice a week, spinning twice a week, and long (100-200km) ride during weekends.

Are those 5 weeks enough to train myself for such distance? (with decent avg speed)

Also, is this route a good choice for late October? I dont want huge cold wind blowing on my face the whole day.

Try it out! For long distances it helps me personally to remind myself that anybody can cycle 100 km when I only have 100 km or so left. It may hurt, but really, any cyclist could do that. This turns your ride into 240 km, which is only 40 km more than what you seem to be comfortable with. And of course anybody can do 40 km ;-)

It all happens in your head, especially when you leave your comfort zone...

Planning/scheduling also helps me a lot when covering long distances more-or-less non-stop. Make a conservative schedule, e.g. based on 21 km/h (or whatever is "quite slow" for you) and taking planned longer rests (one or two?) into account. Based on that figure out your scheduled time for each 20 km and write it somewhere accessible while riding. If you planned conservatively, you will be able to stay ahead of your schedule. Then you can stay calm, and just ride with the feeling that you will manage. Use some of the "buffer" for smaller breaks.


What tool is needed to remove KMC X11 w/MissingLink, 11-speed chain? I need to take it out and then clean it- its full of sand. Maybe even replace it. Does any universal chain tool work. Should I get one from the manufacturer.

Any tool that can be used on an 11-speed chain should work to 'break-the-link', i.e. push the pin (rivet) out.  I have never updated my Park CT-3 tool in years and have used it on a variety of chain variations, from 8 speed up to 11.

You should look for a KMC replacement master link, as most manufacturers do not recommend using other manufacturer's master links.

I'm not a huge fan of pushing pins back in place, but if you have the right tool, it is doable, the simplicity of the self-locking master links makes reconnecting the chain way easier--I carry both 10- and 11- speed links with my, never know when you might need one, or can help someone out, they are light and cheap enough.

I personally have the KMC Connector and Removal tools, I really like the connector tool, as the 'stomp-on-the-pedal' method seems sketchy, imo.


seat post bolts won't fasten + spares? got into a slight accident at home and my saddle has slid off my seat post. It looks like the rear bolt is now bent out of shape and the front bolt won't tighten at all into the nut. I wasn't sure where I could find spares for these, as I don't know precise lengths or whatever – all I know is that a 5mm Allen key is what I need for fastening these.
Does anyone here know why my bolts won't fasten, and where I could get some spares? Thanks!

Most likely they are standard bolts having a metric thread. To be sure, use caliper to measure the thread width (you measure the major diameter from a "hill" to a "hill", not the minor diameter from a "valley" to a "valley") and thread pitch (pick 10 threads, measure the distance between these, divide by 10).
If the thread matches the coarse threads at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_metric_screw_thread (for example if the width is 5mm and pitch is 0.8mm), you will very easily find a replacement. If the thread is a fine thread, finding a replacement will be slightly harder but not impossible.
It's also possible it's an imperial thread measured in inches: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Thread_Standard
Also you need to be sure to replace the bolt with one having equal strength. If there's a marking such as 8.8 or 12.9 in the old bolt, be sure to select at least this strength. If the seller of a bolt doesn't specifically state the strength grade, most likely the bolt is junk -- don't buy such a bolt. If unsure, pick preferably 12.9 or at least 8.8.
You also need to select stainless vs ordinary steel. Stainless bolts usually can't be made to the highest grades, so ordinary steel bolts have a higher tensile strength and thus you can find bolt grades such as 12.9. However, in environments such as riding in salted roads without fenders where the bolts are subject to corrosion, stainless may be preferable.
Lastly, don't forget to select the correct length (measure the length of the bolt and pick a similar length), and don't forget to grease the bolt threads when installing the new bolt.