Adjust brake tension / stopping power My CAAD9 is fairly slow to stop. I read that giving the brake pads more travel can help — ie: making it so that you have farther to squeeze.

How can I do it with this brake setup?

With caliper brakes like yours that's not the case. With some cantilever brakes adjusting them so that they contact the rim later can increase the mechanical advantage (leverage), making the brakes more powerful if then adjusted properly. But that's a usually-minor effect on a type of brake you don't have.

For your bike the suggestions Blam made in comments are correct. Start by cleaning your rims and pads.That means sanding or filing the dirty surface of the pad off, and wiping the rim with a wet cloth. Don't do that the other way round! Damaging your rim is expensive to fix, but brake pads are cheap. Most people don't bother trying to clean pads at all, they're cheap enough that it's easier to buy a new set.

In your case you appear to have two-piece pads, where there's a metal holder that accepts a rubber insert. That makes it even easier. First, buy new inserts. There should be a little split pin that holds each insert in place, which you need to pull out using pliers. Then slide out the existing inserts and put the new ones in, with new pins. Then adjust your brakes.

There are several web pages describing that process in more detail, like this one


New bike advice - Singlespeed/fixed, mountain, or road I'm looking at getting a new bike to replace my current hardtail mtb for commuting about 8 miles a day, plus possible train travel, and longer commutes elsewhere.

With a budget of under £400, do I go for a mid range singlespeed/fixie with a flip flop hub, and just man up and struggle through the hills, or get a bottom/low range road bike, risk it getting stolen/trampled/damaged, but have the ability to go on longer rides (which doesn't really interest me, but will still happen occasionally).

As I see it, a singlespeed is less flashy, so therefore will not attract as much attention with regard to theft, and although would be a struggle on longer pleasure rides, will outweigh the benefits of a road bike with gears?

There are only really two things. First, as you identify, there is the issue of gradients. If you think that difference goes away if you just "man up", good luck with that. Even if you had the leg power (most of us don't, we'd end up pushing the bike and likely mashing our knees in the process), it would be very difficult to select one gearing that would be suitable for all gradients.

The second thing is maintenance. Single speeds are a bit easier to maintain because there is no derailleur arrangement. Get your chainline right and you're basically down to fixing punctures. So if you're not into diy, or money will be tight as regards keeping the bike on the road, then that could be a factor. But you still have tyres, brakes and less frequently bottom brackets and chainrings to worry about, just like a road bike.

I think your reasoning about theft is likely wrong, or at the very least governed by geography. I can imagine certain places where it is ultra-cool to ride a fixie, and therefore they would be in strong demand. For example, London, Tokyo, probably other cities too. I mean, these things are largely fashion accessories. Also I think buying a bike because it is less likely to get stolen is a recipe for disaster (especially when it gets stolen).

I think you're right in terms of your price analysis though. In the "new" market, a budget of £400 will not buy a good road bike. You might have a chance of finding something if you're wanting a flip-flop, although my flip-flop (a nothing-special Charge Plug) retailed new at around £600 iirc. Secondhand gives you more scope, of course (I got mine off eBay), but you need to know what you're looking for.

You mention mountain bikes in the title, but not really in the question. The pros/cons of these are pretty much the same as the pros/cons for road bikes, in this context at any rate.


What is the twin-link four bar suspension designs trying to solve? In another answer on suspension spring load calculations, @Criggie provided some examples of different suspension designs, 1) the standard four-bar, and 2) the twin-link four-bar:

Clearly there second has a more complicated linkage, but what is the twin-link four-bar suspension design trying to solve?

The twin-link seems to have a bigger virtual pivot point and the magnified axle path seems to swerve less laterally, but it's hard to tell from the exaggerated diagram.

The images originally came from the following
article:

An updated article was released last year with a mountain of information about
suspension designs:

I suspect the twin link system was a way to circumnavigate the patent on the Horst link whilst providing similar suspension performance.


How to stop the corrosion? I have a silly question maybe.. How to protect the frame of my bike from corrosion? The bike is not new.  Are there any accessories?
Thanks

Assuming your bike is made out of steel (since aluminium and carbon fiber don't corrode in the way you're most probably worried about):

Get "helicopter tape" to protect any areas of the bike that might get dinged (the top tube and down tube from parking the bike against parking meters, etc.). Or if you're cheap or worried about theft, use ugly duct tape / pipe insulation / electrical tape/etc. I use retroreflective tape which serves two purposes -- keeps me lit up at night and protects me against scratches.
Make sure your rear right chainstay has a chain protector on it.
Get some touch-up paint from either your bike dealer or from an auto-parts shop and make sure to quickly touch up any dings and scratches. This is where corrosion will start.
Get some Boeshield or frame corrosion protection spray (JP Weigle Frame Saver is another brand) and spray the inside of your frame. The seat tube and top-tube can be sprayed if you take the seat off. The down-tube often has a drain hole but can be hard. Read the directions of what you're using to make sure it's safe for your bottom bracket or headset.
Spray boeshield or another waxy protection film on all exposed bolts.
Try to never leave your bike out in the rain and if you do, wipe it down as soon as possible.
Keep your bike clean. Dirt and salt attract water and aid rusting.
Occasionally make sure all of your frame drain holes are clear.
Don't worry about a little rust, wear it with pride.

Many of the answers here are also applicable: How do I make my frame water tight?


Accommodation (or "breaking in") of cycling shoes I recently decided to switch to cleats on my technical bike, and I have bought leather mtb shoes.

Based on previous experience with leather trekking shoes, I know that the first 3-4 days (about 40-50 hours) wearing the shoes will feel uncomfortable, until the leather adjusts to the shape of the foot.

So far I have used the shoes for a couple of hours (non-stop) with no complaints, but I would like to have them broken in before a long trip I am going to start in a couple of weeks.

Will wearing the shoes during my daily commute to work (40-50 minutes each way) do the trick, or do I need to wear them non-stop for longer time?

Breaking in shoes is a personal thing.  Some people can wear anything straight away, some people take ages.  I had a set of boots that took over a year to become comfortable but they lasted for a decade.

You don't need to be riding to break them in.   If you can, wear these shoes at work or while sitting down, will help the shoe conform to the foot.  This becomes harder if the cleats are exposed, but MTB shoes are often recessed for increased walkability.

Leather is an interesting choice - if you treat it with beeswax or dubbin then it will become more soft and pliant.   Regular routine application of nugget helps preserve them and maintain water resistance.


SRAM double tap road shifters, MTB derailleurs? Can I run SRAM double tap road shifters with MTB (X5, X7) derailleurs and cassette/chainrings? I want to get lower bottom gears than achieved with a 50-34 chainset and 34-11 cassette

Back: All the SRAM rear derailleurs which have "exact actuation" (1:1 actuation ratio) should work. This includes the X5 and X7. You can run a "mountain" or "road" cassette, its pretty much just marketing that differentiates them provided the derailleur has enough capacity to use it.

Front: On the other hand, in the front, the cable pulls are different, so you will need the road SRAM FD. The FD should be matched to the type of front crankset (double or triple) and the spec sheet will tell you the constraints on the chainring sizes which the derailleur can shift.


Mounting mini-pump on frame I recently bought a mini-pump from Amazon, it was very cheap and,  so-far, I'm pretty impressed with the build quality. I never intended to mount it on the bike but then realised that it came with a thin metal "bracket" that attaches to the pump.

As you will see from the photo below, the pressure tube for the pump is actually housed in a separate plastic container connected to the pump itself:

If I attach the bracket as it is, the pump and the container will be protruding sideways outside the width of the frame. Do you think the manufacturer intended the bracket to bend once bolted to the frame so that the pump and tube are neatly stored within the frame profile? If yes, then what does the cut-out part of the bracket achieve in this scenario?

(Before you ask, the instructions don't mention the bracket and I have tried contacting the manufacturer but they appear to be another company who don't actually monitor the mailbox they advise customers to use.)

The metal bracket is designed to fit the lugs of a water bottle cage.  If you have a bottle cage, the bracket goes between it and the frame. If you don't, it can just be mounted directly: the lugs on your frame will already have bolts in them, to stop the rain getting in. In either case, you might need or want to bend the bracket a bit, either to give more clearance for your bottle or to move the pump more within the frame. That shouldn't damage the bracket, as long as you don't bend it right back on itself or repeatedly bend it back and forth.

Mine lives on my down-tube. Unless it sticks out a long way, your legs shouldn't come close to it and, in any case, the pump will be between your legs and the bracket. If you're still worried about slicing your leg open, use a metal file to round off the edges and remove any burrs. Actually, that would probably be a good idea anyway to avoid hurting your fingers when you need to use the pump.


What to consider when looking for a chainguard? Alright, the inner seam of my jeans is about done for, and I'm worried that I'll take a nasty spill the next time my pants get caught in there. Given that I don't want to wear gaiters or Lycra, I'm looking to install a chain guard on my bike (2014 Novara Safari).

What are some of the things to consider when looking for a chainguard? I know that front derailleur compatibility is a major issue. What else?

I bought 2 of these half chaincases:

One of them is fitted to my wife's commuting mtb and does the job of keeping trouser legs and shoe laces out of the chain rings (with a guard disc fitted to the cranks as standard). I just couldn't get it to fit my hybrid without rubbing on the chain (and it was fiddly on the mtb). Both have 28-38-48 chain rings and i don't think it would fit anything bigger.

I think the reason I couldn't get it on mine was the length of the chain run (it's an XL frame) possibly combined with the 11--32 tooth cassette. The shape of the crank arms might have something to do with it as well -- clearances are tight. You should consider ease of fitting/opening/removal for working on the chain, compared with how often you need access to the top of the chain run. You may find that it's more total effort than a clip or tucking your trouser leg into your sock every ride.

There are similar chain guards out there. She's got an e-bike with one on. It looks like it would fit 2 chain rings but not 3 and has not branding on it.


Shimano Nexus 3 — what anti-rotation washer to use? As I described in my previous question, I attempted a gradual conversion from a dérailleur to a Shimano Nexus 3 gear hub. I have installed the hub, keeping the dérailleur's pulley for now, with intention to remove it completely when I buy a new chain (this one is worn out anyway). However, I noticed when installed the wheel, the washer doesn't match my dropout, but I'm uncertain which one should I buy instead.

Here's how I have it now:

From your photo, it looks like you're fine. The load from the hub is being taken on the anti-rotation arm that you've attached to the lateral tubes of your mixte. So the anti-rotation washer (I'm presuming you're talking about the orange washer) is not being loaded.

Also, as described in the responses to your previous question, your dropout is just horizontal enough that you can get about 1-2 cm of movement - enough to tension your chain if you can shorten it, so that you don't need a derailleur.


What do I do with this during SR suntour lower leg service? I'm trying to do a lower leg service on my fork: SR Suntour Epixon  29er
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B014UQDX9Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've removed the rebound dial expecting something to stick an allen key into as normal. Instead it is this:

What do I do with this? Do I need to pull the bit in the centre out so I can fit an allen key in? Or a socket wrench that unscrews the whole thing?

If anyone knows of a better service manual than the one provided with this fork, or service videos for this model please share.

Thanks

[Based on the exploded diagram it looks like each side of the fork is a little different:

Side 1 ("air side" composed of parts 5a, 5b, and 5c) looks most like your picture.
Side 2 (composed of parts 3a and 3b)looks most like what you were expecting.

This video at 2:17 shows a fork end that matches the picture in the question

You'd use a wrench on that side rather than an allen wrench.


Brompton: where to find the higher supply of second-hand bikes in UK, or anywhere in Europe? We are 2 french hitchhikers looking for 2 second-hands brompton folding bike (M6R, black).

We are ready to hitchhike to get them anywhere in UK, Belgium, NL or Germany for a "reasonable" price. Logically the UK should be the best place.

We are looking for specific shops name that would have for sure some stock when we will arrive because it will be quite a challenge just to get there (hitch-hiking), and for the same reason nearly impossible to run after private offers (without taking into account the risk of concealment).

Have you seen more than 4 of them in a single spot, in which country, which city? Any advice will be warmly welcomed!

ps: we chose this brand because the size matter a lot for us. We just could not find anything else we could carry on our hitch-hiking trips.

If you'll be in the Netherlands any time soon, many used bikes are sold via www.marktplaats.nl. There are also a lot of addvertisements from shops, including these to:

Advertisement 1

Advertsiement 2

The second one has some 2013 M6R Black bikes.
I don't have experience with these shops. I do often use marktplaats.nl.


135mm Hub Bodies that accept XD driver So I'm looking around for a way to convert my three ring crank 8 speed drive train to a single cog 12 speed setup. I currently have a 135mm hub. My idea is to buy a new wheel and a compatible hub and lace it up. The issue I am having is locating such an animal as far as a 135mm Hub that will accept the XD body. I have looked a SRAM 900 bodies but they are thru the roof and then adding the XD body well my bike isn't going on any title rides.. Any ideas on how to put this together on a budget? I have the wheel so the focus is in the hub..

Have you looked at the 12 speed group from Sunrace? https://singletrackworld.com/2018/04/found-sunrace-has-a-new-12-speed-mz90-11-50t-cassette/

Or just released from SRAM is the new 12 speed NX group that uses at standard freehub:
https://www.sram.com/sram/mountain/family/nx-eagle


Protective Gloves for bmx / trials I'm just back from hospital!

I was having fun in a skatepark with my trials bike, and something quite unfortunate happened. Basically, my thumb flexed the wrong way around.

That won't stop me though, and I plan to go back as soon as the doctor allows.

But I wish I could protect my fingers, at least from flexing the wrong way around.

Is there any glove or bandage that could help me?

It sounds like you have a kind of injury that is common in skiing. What happens is the ski pole handle gets trapped under the thumb when falling, causing the thumb to bend the wrong way. You can find supports such as this one. I can't speak for that one specifically, but if you look up "skier's thumb" on the internet you should be able to find lots of information on the injury and ways to prevent it.

Also, something like a rollerblade wrist guard might do the job, but I'm not sure how well you could grip the handlebars with something like that.


Why do riders swing the bike out sideways when jumping? When people do really big jumps on a bicycle or motorcycle, they'll swing the tail of the bike way out to the side once they've taken off. Then it rotates back under them by the time they land.

Do they do this just because it looks cool? Or do they have to do it for stability reasons?

EDIT: After hunting up a bicycle image of this effect, it's clear that it's a trick.

It's a trick -- it looks good on camera and would count for points accordant with degree-of-difficulty and "sticking the landing" at an adjudicated comp. The bike and rider become effectively parallel with their upright-riding stance; as opposed to perpendicular when in contact with the ground.

It's also a marketing cliche in biking. Like an "ollie" or a "kick-flip" on a skateboard - landing this grants credibility and implies talent, courage, maybe stupidity ... depends on the actual vs. perceived talent level.

To be clear - cuz looks cool.


Stiff but short daily commute leading to "heavy" legs I'm a long time bike commuter (over 10 years), I was living some 4.5 kms from my workplace, a mostly flat commute (well, maybe 40 m up-and-down). After two years of that commute, it had made my significantly healthier and fast.

A year ago, I moved to a place a bit closer to my work, but much higher. I have now a 3.3 km ride home going 160 m up, most of which in the last kilometer (maybe 10% average in the last bit). While I had no problems with my commute just after moving in, over the time, it became increasingly more difficult, and now, I always have "heavy" legs when I start the ride home, and I take much less pleasure in my commute...

Do you have tips to avoid this ?

How hard do you ride? If you ride hard and in hard gears it could be that your legs are accumulating fatigue and simply don’t have enough time to recover from one day to the next even though it’s only 3km. It’s made worse because you don’t have an easy start to warm up.

Even pro riders don’t do hard training every day, most of the training is spent at an easy “endurance” pace.

Take it easy (at least every second day or so) to allow your legs to recover and get stronger. Get easier gears if you don’t have them.


How to assemble bike chain with no Master link? I just bought a KMC chain on Amazon, and to my surprise, it didn't come with any kind of master link or connecting pin. I thought this was standard. So, did I just forget to order the part, or can you assemble a chain without using a master link? Both end of the chain terminate in a "small" link.

I haven't seen any specific instructions on how to assemble a chain without a Master link. If your Google-fu is superior to mine, please post a link!

Note this is a 1/8" chain.

You could try using a simple chain breaking/Rivet tool to break the chain at one point (while still keeping the pin in the link) and then put the chain on and use the tool again to push the pin in and join the chain like that. That's the way I always do it. Here's a couple of tools that you could try:

TRIXES Rivet Tool (Very Low Cost): http://amzn.to/1X9NWXI
Topeak Super Chain Tool (Branded Tool): http://amzn.to/1MDggwF

Best of Luck,
Robert


Can I run aluminum backed organic brake pads with Elixir Avid 5 hydraulic system? The old pads were steel.  I bought the aluminum thinking they would disperse heat better but if it's going to cause a problem with the braking system I'll go back to steel at less than half the price.

Yes, there are aluminum backed organic brake pads available for the Elixir series brakes.

The SRAM part number is 11.5015.040.020 with the description [Disc Brake Pads Organic/Aluminum - Elixir 20 sets], according to the 2014 SRAM Spare Parts Catalog.


Replace SPD pedals for road pedals... which system to choose? I ride mostly two bikes: one for commuting/touring, one for training (and soon racing).

I ride SPD on the commuter and installed SPDs on the racing bike that I bought a bit later so I did not have to buy new shoes just for this.

Problem is that as Iam taking training/racing more seriously, I would not want to be limited in the choice of my shoes when I get to buy some in the future, and the only SPD compatible ones are either touring/commuting/MTB or very bottom-of-the-range road ones that have both the 3 road drillings and the 2 SPD drilling.
I want to be able to choose some shoes that have very road specific features such as lower weight and very stiff soles...

Plus, SPDs are fine for touring/commuting/MTB but if they're not commonly used for road training/racing, there has to be a reason...

So this all leads me towards a switch to road pedals...

Just wondering about the system to pick:
- standard Shimano SPD-SL that seems to be extremely standard, good value (both the pedals and spare cleats)
- Time? Look? Mavic? that seem to their fans
- Speedplay: I really like the 2 sided system and there seem to be good reviews but they're expensive, bot pedals and spares...

What should I pick?

Consider that I will continue touring and commuting with SPDs so, while I am ready to lose shoe compatibility on all bike, I don't want the transitions between systems to be too tough, hence my liking of the Speedplay system and its double sides ...

I've ridden commuter and road racing bikes both for decades and can validate your decision to go specific in regards to your shoe/pedal setup.  Start with the shoes - try a bunch on and find a pair that really fit well and seem to work for you.  Most modern shoe/pedal systems use the three bolt pattern common to Shimano and Look systems so there's not a lot of compatibility issues anymore.

Speedplay is the outlier for sure here - I wouldn't worry so much about single sided vs double sided.  Getting in and out is a bit trickier for road systems but you'll figure it out quickly regardless.  What you want to concentrate on is float and release pressure.  Since you're used to clipless on your commuter, it will be fairly straightforward to try systems out.  Work with a retailer who will let you try different systems while using a trainer, that way you can get a feeling for how they work.  If you don't have a retailer close by who will let you do this, look for a fitter and ask them to fit you.  It costs about $100-$150 to get fitted properly with new shoes and pedals on your bike but it's well worth it in the long run.


Shimano shifter not working I’ve got a Shimano Sora shifter and it’s stoped shifting all together on the rear mech recently.

I thought it was the cables so I changed it today and still no joy. I’ve also cleaned it out with WD40 but still not catching.

Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks!

You’ll need a little more than WD-40, but should be able to loosen up the ratcheting mechanism. Peel back the rubber, unscrew the plastic guard plate, and now you can look at the bolt that contains the rotary mechanisms. Usually what happens is a piece of wire frays off the cable and wraps around the bolt. Look carefully and use a thin knife or something to fish it out.


If you remove rear coaster brake shoes will it affect the rear gear? If I remove the coaster brake shoes to disable the brake, will it make the gear loose or malfunction?

If your coaster brake system is anything like the one seen in these videos:

You might risk unscrewing the 'çlutch cone' from it's threads on the 'driver' (see image below for which parts are which) when you backpedal (too many turns) with the brake shoes removed. If you could somehow limit the movement of the clutch cone such that it will always stay on the driver you might be good. you could perhaps consider drilling through the driver and installing a bolt which will prevent the clutch cone from screwing off of the driver. maybe alternatively you could think of a way to use a locknut with a big flange or two shallow nuts interlocked with a ring together on the hub axle (part 10) such that the ring/flange sits approximately where part 11 is located (such that the ring/flange prevents the clutch cone from running off the driver's threads), but it might be difficult to achieve that in the limited space.


What's the strongest way to bond a cable stop to an aluminum frame? I recently picked up another well loved GT road bike frame- it's in great shape aside from a missing downtube cable stop. The model is a ZR 4000 probably from 1999, it's 7005 heat treated aluminum. My best guess is that the cable stop was originally glued or bonded to the frame somehow based on a lack TIG weld lines or braze. I'm not sure if the cable stop snapped off from poor storage or when the frame was in use last. It's a CL find and lived in a garage for a number of years.

What's the best way to reattach a new downtube stop? Would I have a stronger bond if the new cable stop was aluminum or plastic? I have a great work space with appropriate ventilation and equipment, but after preliminary research I've found a lot of aluminum specific products (like those used on airplanes) can't be purchased online or by individuals, so whatever product needs to be accessible in that regard.

I'm also open to non-adhesive/epoxy solutions, but the tubing is ovalized and very oversized, so using downtube shifter clamps doesn't seem feasible. As a last resort, would using a hose clamp be safe on ovalized, aluminum tubing once I got it tight enough to withstand the forces of shifting? As a last, last resort, I am prepared to run cable housing all the way from the brifter to the cable guides under the bottom bracket. I'd like a pretty bike, but ultimately this one is just for riding and not show.

Since you have a relatively "flat" spot there (at least flat in the longitudinal direction) you have two options:

You can epoxy on a replacement boss

I did this on a recent Al frame with the exact same problem. I bought a metal (steel) cable boss from the local bike builder and epoxied it myself. I used Loctite's Metal/Concrete epoxy since it's designed for:

machinery, appliances, tools, lawnmowers, automotive components, pipes, embedding bolts and screws into metals, concrete or stone and sealing electrical components against moisture and vibration

Although lots of other epoxies will probably work.

If you do this be sure to read the instructions on the epoxy, clean the surfaces on both parts, and create a good clamp for the piece. It'll take 24 hours to dry fully and you aren't going to achieve good results by holding it with your hands.

Once's it's dried be sure to test it by attaching whatever brake/derailleur the boss is for(in your case the rear derailleur) and running cable through it. You need to be sure that the epoxy will hold the forces that will actually be applied by the brake/derailleur** Don't expect your results to look pretty though.

you can rivet on an replacement boss

There are many options here depending on what type of cable stop you need.

You could easily do this your self but you'll likely end up with a rivet gun and a box of 100 rivets you'll never use again (on a bike at least).

Whatever method you chose, I'd suggest completing it before any of the rest of your bike build (I'm guessing from the missing front end that you're rebuilding this bike). If you can't get it fixed you might have to scrap (or at least rethink) the project and you don't want to waste any money on other parts until you know for sure.

Regarding welding:

Aside from the heat issue of welding aluminum, you'll also have a tough (impossible?) time finding someone who can weld a steel boss onto an aluminum frame. Or you'll have an impossible task of finding an aluminum boss to use instead. Think about it.. there's a reason the manufacture glued the boss on in the first place.

** Be extra careful if you are repairing a brake boss. It holds more force and obviously has more dire consequences if it breaks off again.


What's in this patch kit? I have a patch kit (from Bike Hand) and it includes:

Rubber solution

Metal rasp

Patches

Along with the aforementioned supplies there are two small rubber tubes, hollow, and about 1cm long.  What are these and how would one potentially use them with the patch kit?

The little rubber tubes are for repairing Woods/Dunlop valves. The valve core does not have any valve mechanism in itself, but relies on the little rubber tube to seal. The tube fits over rounded end of the valve core shown below.

Most of new tubes come with similar-looking valve that has a ball and spring mechanism instead of the rubber tube.


Upgrading tires on my road bike I'm very new to the complex world of bicycles, so apologies ahead of time...

I have a 2012 Giant Defy 1 (https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/defy-1-2012) and am looking to upgrade the wheels to something more commuter friendly. The tires on my road bike are stock 700 x 23 and the rims are stock Giant PR-2.

My questions are:

What's the best size tires to use? I read that 32's are too wide,
but my worry is that 26's might be too narrow.
Will I need to get new rims to accommodate the larger tire or will
the stock PR-2 discs, which currently use 23's, work?

Well, 26 will feel a whole lot better than your current 23. You can get away with lower air pressure because of the larger volume supporting your weight. Lower pressure means smoother ride. Of course two tires of the same size can feel very different because of the quality of the casing and rubber. For commuting, I would say get as big as you can fit, which is hard to know without seeing the bike. Many modern road bikes can fit up to 28mm, but you'll have to look and see. There are three potential spots to look at: fork, rear brake bridge, and rear chainstays. If you can measure the gap between your current tire and each of those three spots, you can get a very rough idea of how much bigger you can go.

Your rims should be fine with anything at least up to 32mm if not more. They can accommodate a fairly wide range of tire widths. As the tire gets wider, it will tend to make more of a lightbulb-type shape which can be less stable, but that usually isn't bad until you get extreme in the differences.


Tire Rubbing Against Chainstay The specifics:

Have an older Litespeed Vortex (2005) frame.  I think back in these days the super skinny 20mm tires were in vogue.  Anyways it seems like the frame might be super optimized towards these skinnier sizes?  I put 25mm tires on and now when I'm out of the saddle on the downstroke I can hear an ever so faint rub for a second.

How dangerous is this situation - can I try tightening the quick release on the back wheel down super tight - or possibly something else?

Thanks :D

Assuming the wheel is good (is fully seated and centered properly in the dropouts and is true; if you spin it along its axis, there shouldn't be lateral movement) you shouldn't be running a tire that rubs on the frame. This can eat out the paint of the frame, the frame, and/or the tire.

Try moving to a different tire (possibly a smaller one, like a 700x23) if the wheel is good. Remember that you need some space between the tire and the frame, since the bicycle flexes under load (damaged frames can flex more than the undamaged frame, so might be something to check up on).


Why doesnt my chain fit on my cog? I ride a fixed gear bike and I wanted to change the rear wheel, I'm sort of new to all the bike knowledge but i couldn't find an answer to this. i ride 46 x 18, i don't know if its good or bad, i can change it to 46 x 16, which is better?
another thing is i got this rear wheel which has a fix cog on it but it wont sync with my chain, whats the deal with that? i have no clue what to do, can i please have a hand?

Chains for modern bicycles all have a 1/2" pitch - the distance from roller to roller or from pin to pin. However, multi-speed bicycles have rollers that are 3/32" wide (or narrower), while many single speed drivetrains (fixies, track bikes, BMX) have rollers that are 1/8" wide. Similarly, there are chainrings and cogs which accommodate wider or narrower chains. Since single speeds and fixies have diverged from the world of track bikes, lots of bikes are set up with parts from multi-speed bicycles (i.e. ubiquitous 3/32" chainrings, cogs, freewheels, and chains) rather than with wider 1/8" track parts.

Unfortunately, if you use a narrow chain on wider chainrings/cogs the drivetrain will bind up! The opposite is possible - a 1/8" chain on 3/32" hardware - because the chain is wide enough to fit over the teeth. It's possible that you bought a wheel fitted with a 1/8" cog to mesh with a drivetrain fitted with a 3/32" chain. The easiest thing to do would be to buy a 1/8" chain. There are different opinions on mixing component widths, but so long as it is adjusted properly it should work quietly and safely.

Before you do anything, measure the width of your chainring teeth and compare it to the width of your rear cog teeth.


Can anyone help me with what kind of bike this is? This is definitely an old bike, lots of modern work done to it but has original frame. The serial code on it is just under the seat at the back of vertical part. It’s HBK 367 25PC. The front badge simply says ‘bsp made in holland’ And also on the front it says "hand made steel frame"

I’m looking to sell the bike and don’t want to get ripped off.

A quick google search sends one to the Dutch bike manufacturer BSP: https://www.bsp-fietsen.nl

According to what the internet says it's a Dutch family company started in 1986. They build their bikes in the Netherlands, according to what their webpage says.

As it comes to the geometry of your bike it's the typical Dutch "oma fiets" - grandma bike. I wouldn't be surprised if the bottom bracket was a threadless press-in style.


How is Sir Bradley Wiggins 3D printing his titanium handlebars? I just read an article about how Sir Bradley Wiggins is going to try to break the 1 hour distance record soon. In it they mention

  One of the unique new features is a set of 3D printed titanium
  handlebars

How is that possible? I thought you can only 3D print plastics?

This is how. An engineer explains:

Basically, it's a layering process. Layer by layer, the 3D printer lays down a thin sheet of powdered titanium and a laser melts and fuses that titanium where the part needs to be. It starts at the bottom and works up. When it's all done, you simply remove the unfused titanium and voila, a new part emerges.


Can I charge an ebike from another ebike battery? I have a fiido d2s, and I love it. I'm not sure if I could upgrade to a bigger bike, because it fits so well in the back of my car and public transport. Anyway, it doesn't have a detachable/replaceable battery.

I've used this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07TG8WB27/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00 and the charger that came with it while out and about to extend my range. It basically takes DC power, converts to AC, and then converts back to DC. I believe the bike's battery is about 280 Wh and this gives me another 80 after some loss, give or take.

But I'd really love to double or 2.5x my range. I've looked up tutorials like this one:

            , which end up with a battery that can charge a scooter (or ebike) using the DC input that comes with the bike for charging.

But getting enough batteries alone (aside from other parts and me probably screwing things up) costs almost as much as one of these: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bicycle-Ebike-lithium-li-ion-Battery-24V-36V-48V-10Ah-20Ah-1500W-350W-500W-1000W/174033645919 (not almost as much, but also not insignificant).

Some of the ebike batteries have 36v, 2a discharges which is the same as the charger that came with my bike. Is there any way to take those and charge my bike's internal battery?

Edit: I appreciate all the suggestions. For the record, I know that charging and riding at the same time will work. I do it with my 100 Wh battery pack already. And I know I use more electricity riding the bike than can be pumped into it. But I think if I could charge at the maximum (36v, 2amp) while riding the bike, I could extend the continuous riding time from 3 to 5 hours and maybe the total riding time to 7 or 8. I’m sure I could do this if I just bought a 300+ Watt-hour battery pack. Something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07DVGYDL5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vTlEEbJ1GRQ9R

But I can get a lot more watt-hours for a lower price and in a friendlier shape with the ebike batteries, vs that thing.

I’m wondering more if there’s a simple process to connect the discharge port of the ebike battery to the dc input of the bike. Or does it need some sort of conversion?

Yes in theory but the gain is not practical. You’re better off swapping batteries than trying to jury rig something.

Let’s do the calculations.

You note that the AC charger puts out 36VDC at 2 amps. That’s 72 watts per hour.

Even a modest eBike has an 8Ah battery, for a total of 36x8 or 288 watt-hours.

At 72 watt-hours per hour charging it takes four hours to charge. So you’re trying to fill your “gas tank” with a very tiny spigot, so to speak.

Your internal batteries BMS charging  may stop taking a charge well below the output of your external pack. My 36v bike for example wants to see 42v on its input. So you’d need a boost circuit.

Add to this charging inefficiencies which are usually on the order of 85-90% with each step and it’s not worth it.

So just get another spare pack and exchange when your empty. Or rebuild your current pack so it’s larger but scale the BMS accordingly.


Are 23mm tires on a 25mm rim (21 mm internal width) safe? Odd situation here, I'm putting together a 2nd road bike (I commute daily and need a backup for when my main ride needs adjustments, part replacements, etc).  To stay on the economical side, I purchased Zipp 30 Course aluminum rim-brake clinchers:

https://www.zipp.com/wheels/30-course-rim-brake-clincher/

rather than going with carbon.

These rims have an external width of 25mm and a very wide internal width of 21mm.

At the time I ordered these I was not aware of the internal width being the driving factor for how wide a tire ends up being after mounting/inflation.

I mounted 25mm Continental GP 4000 S II on these rims and after inflating the tires are 27.5mm - 28mm wide.

The clearance with the frame I'm using (which is stated to take up to 25mm wide tires) is extremely tight at the rear, where the tire passes both the seat stays and the chain stays.  I haven't finished assembling the bike yet, but the clearance is so tight I'm pretty certain there will be a clearance problem under load.  If anybody is curious the frame I'm using for this build is a Dengfu R02 http://www.dengfubikes.com/ROAD_FRAME/131.html

Can I use 23mm wide Continental GP 4000 S II on these rims?  If I try, will they mount?  And more importantly, if I can get "23mm wide" tires (which would probably end up being about 25mm on these rims) to mount, is this a safe configuration?

It would be a shame if I could never use rims I just paid $950 for, however I consider safety to be far, far more important.

Actually, tires narrower than rims have an aerodynamic advantage, there's a "105%" rule of thumb that states your rim should have width equal to 105% of measured tire width. That's why aero rims are getting wider year by year, all in order to accommodate a wider tire, which also brings comfort and lower rolling resistance. Here's an explanatory article (archive) by Joshua Poertner, who used to be a technical director at Zipp (source).

In your situation, the only factor that limits tire width is frame/fork clearance, you will be fine even with a 23mm real width tire, not mentioning a Conti tyre that runs wider than claimed.

On a side note, 25mm outer / 21mm inner rims aren't even that wide by today's standards, there are 28mm (I own a set) and even 30mm road rims available.

Update: recently, I had the same question about 26mm tire on 25 ID rim and some people pointed out this might cause riding on sidewalls during sharp turns. Something to keep in mind for sure.


Switching tires from larger to smaller I have a 29" tire on my mountain bike and want to know if
I can I use or switch to a 27.5" mountain bike tire?

No. 29" tires fit on larger wheels than 27.5".

In principle you can switch to smaller wheels if your bike has disc brakes, but that will lead to other problems with ground clearance and handling.


What kind of bicycle clamps are these? What kind of bicycle clamps are these? I'm hoping to find a specific name because the bolt for them snapped and I can't find it, along with this roundish cylinder thing that used to hold it together; I found a screw that doesn't quite get it snug enough, but it holds it together to take pictures.

Thats just a standard single-bolt seatpost clamp -- almost every seatpost on the market uses that clamping mechanism. Laprade was the original company who designed that type, but nobody uses that name with it.

In order to get the (clamp) nut/bar (cylinder) and bolt, you can check your local bike shop to see if they have something that fits in their spare parts bin or contact the manufacturer of the seatpost to get one or canibalize a donor seatpost.


Replacement Freehub cassette I'm planning on changing my cassette to 11-32.
Im running a Shimano 12-28 8 speed at the moment.

I have no markings on my old cassette and I'm a little confused at all the letters and numbers they use.

Obviously they mean nothing to me as I have no markings to compare.

Can I safely assume If I buy a Shimano 8 speed cassette it will fit my freehub?

For the most part, yes, all Shimano and Shimano-compatible (SRAM, Sunrace, etc) 8-speed cassettes are interchangeable in terms of their overall length and fit onto the freehub body. However, hubs from the early years of cassettes might be either Uniglide or have the original Hyperglide freehub design that precluded use of an 11t cog. Much more info here.

Shimano comes up with different schemes for how the ramping, shift gates, and other design aspects of their cassettes are supposed to work together. The codes stamped on their cogs deal with what scheme that cog belongs to and what gear position it's supposed to be in it.


What is the usual value of a Fit bike pro bmx second hand? There are some photos of the bike http://imgur.com/a/rIozR

Can I get a rough value of it?

$50 max. First, take some real photos of the bike. Fix the lighting and photo the drive side. I can't say that loudly enough, NDS photos baffle me.

Fitbikeco has a fine reputation but that looks to be a pretty old model. (Do you know what year it is? That is obviously helpful.) Strikes against it just based on the photos:

Not microdrive (correct me if I'm wrong).

Cranks and bottom bracket are throwaway.

Frame is probably hi-ten (to get $100 plus for a used bmx you're gonna need cro-mo).

That front tire is some sort of bargain store replacement.

The way the brake cable and straddle are sagging makes me question the maintenance history.

That seat is at least three generations behind.

You don't name any components which means that are all stock with no upgrades/replacements.

You might get $50 if you're in a small market and someone has $50 max to spend on such a bike and they don't feel like negotiating or waiting (for you to drop the price when it doesn't sell).

But good luck. Clean it up, lube it up, take some good pictures, and write a solid ad.


Rim brake pad interchangeability? Working on rehabbing donated bikes for Christmas Anonymous, I regularly encounter bikes where the rim brake pads have hardened to the point that the brakes are ineffective.  We have a stock of salvaged pads that we've generally drawn from as replacements, but that stock is getting pretty thin.

So I took a pad from a bike (a BSO with relatively conventional cantilever brakes, which is the most common config we see) and visited a local bike shop.  Here they sold me a couple of pairs of Shimano BR-CT91 pads.  These were a pretty close match in terms of appearance -- the actual pad is a hair shorter, and the mounting shaft lacks the ribbing of the old unit, but otherwise pretty close.

But when I went to install the pads they wouldn't go in.  The mounting shaft of the new pad was ever so slightly larger in diameter than the old one, so it simply wouldn't fit.

I'm suspecting that the Shimano pads are intended for V-brakes, not cantis.

So, the question is:  What different configurations of brake pads are there, and how do you tell them apart?  And is there any terminology (other than obscure manufacturer's part numbers) that will distinguish one type from another?  (This is particularly important if we want to order some replacement pads online.)

I've made some observations checking out different bikes here and there and at today's workshop for Christmas Anonymous --

We will assume, for the sake of this discussion that brakes fall into three categories, calipers, cantilevers, and V-brakes.  (Yes, there are others, but not common enough to worry about unless you're really into odd bikes.)

Calipers appear to (almost) always use simple pads with threaded studs.  I'm vaguely recalling from the past that there are some variations on this scheme, but I haven't observed them of late.

I have observed at least four variations for cantis:

(Updated) A pad with a female thread, designed to accept an Allen-head bolt.  This pad appears to be very much similar to the pad for V-brakes.
A pad with an unthreaded stud with striations running parallel to the stud's length.
A pad with an unthreaded stud with "ribs" (shallow grooves) about every 2mm along the stud's length.
A pad with a smooth unthreaded stud.

(Note that I've been shown/sold pads of both the #3 and #4 variety from local shops, and both are labeled simply as "canti" pads.  It's not clear how one differentiates.)

From what little I can tell, there is a slight variation in diameter between the three varieties of unthreaded studs.  The stud with parallel striations (#2) has the smallest diameter, while the smooth stud (#4) has the largest diameter.  The #3 is somewhere in-between.  This variation is probably not enough to make a #2 unstable in the mount for a #4, but a #4 stud will not fit in a #2 mount, and a #3 stud is borderline fitting into a #2.

(Updated) V-brakes appear to always use a brake pad with a female thread, designed to receive an Allen bolt.  On the bolt are typically washers and bushings that allow the pad to swivel, after a fashion, for adjustment.

(Everyone, of course, is encouraged to reply with your specific observations on this topic.)


Is there a way to attach a safe box to a bike? I'm looking for a way to store small items on my bike frame when I go for a run. It would be mostly to store and conceal objects than to really secure them (I'm thinking house keys, not wallet).

For instance, if I take my car to go later for a run, I would leave my house keys in my car and keep only my car key with my on my run.

Is there a way to reproduce the (low) security of the car inside on a bike, for instance by attaching some sort of safe to the frame?

I understand this would only be as secure as the bike attachment itself or the attachment of the safe to the bike, but anyway I would be interested to see some solutions to this problem.

There's a product called a Northcore Keypod which is essentially a combination padlock with a key box built in.  I've got one (it's meant for locking under your car with the car key in while surfing etc.)  I strongly suggest that if you use something like this you make sure your address isn't marked anywhere on the bike or in the keybox.

Combined with a looped cable you could use it to lock up your bike, but only somewhere quite secure.  I'd use a D-lock as well, locking the helmet and front wheel with this and a cable.

Anything like this will be a bit of an ovious target.

Something I've considered for emergency cash is hiding it in a screwed-shut rear light (the sort that's screwed to the bike's rack).  A mini penknife screwdriver would then open it up. Most of my lights would take a key, but there's a difference between losing (accidentally or by theft) a little cash, and losing your house key.  Further downsides: the screws aren't really meant to be used that much; it's a bit tedious.  But it could be good for a one-off if you're otherwise stuck.


Left side of my foot -- 8 inches up leg numb? First of all -- I know this isn't Medical-Overflow-Exchange, sorry.

But, I think my issue may be cycle related. I've been riding a lot lately, and actually just started riding Fixed again. And for about 3 weeks the whole left side of my foot and about 6-8 inches up my leg are completely numb!

I've read it could be related to my back, I've been cycling and when even not cycling carrying a sling bag for work; with a Laptop and a few notebooks in it.

Anybody come across this before?

I've heard that sling bags are terrible for your back. They don't distribute the weight evenly at all, and can cause major problems I don't know why they are so popular. I guess backpacks look too "high-school".  But I would start by getting a backpack. They make a few of them that are specially equipped for carrying laptops.

If it's the bike, you might want to check that everything is aligned properly.  Ensure that your seat is straight and level.  Ensure that you handle bars are properly aligned. Check for a bent axles in the wheels and bottom brackets, although that may be less likely.

I guess a couple clarifications could help diagnose some other posibilities.  Do you have brakes on your fixie? If you do have brakes, do you use them? Do you wear bike shoes or have toe clips?  Is the pain always there, or only after a prolonged ride? If it's continuous, I'd definitely get myself to a doctor. That's way too long to be numb in such a large part of your body.


What is the carbon footprint of a new bike? When you look at the complete journey from bauxite to bicycle via China, a big container ship and the bicycle showroom, there probably is quite a lot of CO2 emissions involved in making a new bicycle.

Are their any easily quotable figures for this?

Are there any handy equivalent metrics, e.g. equivalent to x miles in a family saloon or equivalent to x hundred packets of Walkers Crisps (at 80g per pack)?

I would like to know a generally agreed figure as I have found myself being stumped in conversation with motorists that (after conversation has moved onto their planet trashing ways) have the cheek and audacity to criticise cyclists.

What happens is that they go ad-hominem, 'pointing out' that buying a new bicycle is 'bad for the environment', particularly one made on the other side of the planet. Rather than have no defence I would like to be able to say 'yeah but that is only equivalent to x hundred of your gas-guzzling miles/hours 'sat' in traffic.'

Has anyone done a carbon audit for a bicycle yet? If so, are there any particularly low-carbon bikes out there?

Note:

I mention the Walkers Crisps in passing - no I don't want to know that cycling has a huge footprint if the fuel (food) is caviar/fancy-mini-corn from Zambia/lamb from New Zealand/fish from the Arctic (or even a nice pack of Prawn Cocktail crisps prepared with sunflower oil grown in Eastern Europe). Just the carbon footprint from whatever bike brands have bothered to measure it, not the on-going fuel costs (food).

I don't have numbers on hand. But if you're after a cogent argument, I would point out that the car they drive has a far larger manufacturing footprint, even assuming it is manufactured in the local economy, which is rare. If it is, then was the raw steel manufactured there or shipped in?

For that argument of theirs to be effective, they must start with the idea that their car popped out of thin air. Even assuming that the manufacturing footprint is identical, the car continues to build that carbon debt, while the bicycle mostly ceases to charge that card after the manufacturing is done.

Of course there will be minor maintenance items, and consumables like tires and tubes, but the car has those, too. No matter how you look at it, a bicycle doesn't burn fuel to function and a car does.

So the car will use far more resources over the course of it's useful life.

Also, whether you believe that global warming is real and important, or not, it will affect your finances far more to drive a car than to ride a bike.


AC dyno light on battery pack? I'm running a Supernova E3 PRO 2 of my dynohub. However I would like to use my non-dynohub front-wheel whilst still being able to use the same lights on battery power.

The lights have an internal AC/DC converter, so I can't just go around that. Would is be possible to just hook up a couple of AA batteries or an USB-powerbank?

UPDATE

Turns out you do need a DC inverter. It works for a few minutes, after which the light turns off. After connecting it to the dynohub it was working again.

If the AC/DC convert is a simple rectifying bridge plus filter and voltage stabilizer, it should work with a direct current source as well. The only question is how many batteries connected serially you will need to reach the minimum acceptable voltage. Given that specifications for your lamp say to use 6 V A/C you can go with four AA batteries or two 18650 accumulators.


How exactly does cross-chaining accelerate wear? I've heard all over that cross-chaining "wears your drivetrain out faster". I must admit I'm not 100% convinced that this is true, because I can't see a scientific basis for it.

Could I get an explination of exactly how and why cross-chaining wears out your chain/cassette/chainrings?

When the chain is bent sideways, the load at links is concentrated on one end of the pin and single side plate while the link is turned. This is supposed to wear that side of the link faster. Once the link is worn asymmetric, even straight chainline will concentrate load on the less worn side.

No, I don't know if there are any actual measurements on this.


Can you use bicycle boulevards for effective interval training? Using commutes for training can be a time saving idea. Let's say biking to work takes you 5 to 10 hours a week. That's plenty of time for exercising. Why not use that time to actually get fit which has many benefits?

Intervals are usually required for if you're looking into breaking the plateau. With frequent stops, maybe power meters make staying in our target zone easier.

If your only options are bike boulevards, greenways, trails, and low volume residential streets, can you effectively train? Safety is important. There's curbs, roundabouts, stop signs, yield signs, downhills, major street crossing, etc which can cause interruptions.

The intervals include anaerobic, VO2 max, threshold, and sweet spot. Some workouts say to do 20 minute threshold or sweet spot intervals, and others say to do VO2 max for a few minutes.

I'm doing sweet spot base training, and I plan on doing general build.

How much interruption is too long? Can I just aim for 40 minutes in the target power zones and for the rest of the ride recovery zone? It's likely to be interrupted 20 times by major street crossings. Each intervals might last 2 minutes followed by half a minute of waiting for the lights to change. Maybe they can be used for mini recoveries.

Can workouts also be split? Say your commutes are shorter or you're busy. You might split your workout throughout two or more rides or days, or use your breaks at work or school for your workout. For example, if you 4x10 or 6x10 intervals can you do 2x10 in the morning and 2x10 in the afternoon, or 3x10 on Monday and 3x10 on Tuesday? It's commonly agreed that you can split workouts without compromising health benefits but would you hinder gains in endurance or rely more on glycogen?

In principle yes, but keep in mind that, while you will be using public places you will be likely meet other cyclists who are not there to train and will act, to your eyes, just like moving obstacles: kids riding and suddenly stopping or turning, flocks of teens looking at their phones while riding one hand and then suddenly stopping their bike across the lane, elderly people just taking a ride to enjoy the sun, etc.

You, while busy in training, might even call them like CSO (Cyclist Shaped Object), but in reality they are as legitimate users as you are. And I know fellow amateur cyclists who prefer to practice peloton techniques on the highway rather than on a cycling lane (dumb, isn't it?).

With that in mind, how heavily will that affect your training schedule? If you are really chasing the numbers and the performance I assume the impact will be heavy, and maybe it is better if you look for a better place (either less used or dedicated to training). If you just want to put some more effort, go for it and take it as a good chance to also improve your reflexes.


Trying out saddles in the UK I've been on the lookout for a new saddle recently and everywhere I look on the web it suggests you should try lots of saddles before you buy.

I went for a professional bike fit, which was great but the guy didn't have many saddles to try. My local bike shop(s) don't offer a try/buy service.

Is there any saddle swap/service available in the UK that will allow me to try some saddles? I contacted Wiggle (popular online bike store) and asked if I could return a saddle if it didn't work out - they said no as the rails will get marked.

What should I do? Just buy and ebay?

I'm not sure about UK-specific swap service, but here are a couple of things you can try:

Check with your local bike shops and see if they have loaner saddles. My fave local bike shop has loaners of almost every saddle they carry and a sign out ledger. You can sign out the saddle and leave your credit card info. If it's not returned within a couple weeks, they bill you for the full price.
Buy a saddle you're interested in, and carefully wrap a long strip of electrical tape around the saddle rails. The rails are thing enough that the width of the tape can pretty much go around. Then clamp them just firm enough to stay in place, and you'll find that after removing the tape, there are no marks. Voila, you can return it according to the return policy of most shops ("no marks on rails"). If the saddle comes zip-tied into a cardboard backing or box, just buy some dollar store zip ties of the same color to put it back in. I've done this with great success. Just make sure not to lean it against a brick wall or ride in your retro 70s punk studded leather bike shorts.
Check your local bike forums/ club scene and see if anyone is willing to loan out a saddle you're interested in for a few days/ weeks (offer them a safety deposit).


Quick Release vs Thru-axle specifications when buying wheels I'm experiencing some confusion pertaining to axle choice as I'm attempting to purchase some wheels, if somebody in this forum could provide some clarification it would be greatly appreciated.

I just recently completed a bike build with a cyclocross frame, the Dengfu FM286 specifically:

http://dengfubikes.com/Cyclo_Cross/112.html

So far, I've been using wheels/tires from a 2017 Giant AnyRoad CoMax that I'm now going to leave as a backup/2nd bike.  The wheels are Giant PX-2 which are very heavy so I'm planning on replacing them with this:

https://www.yoeleobike.com/carbon-wheels-38mm-sat-c38-road-db-std.html

The Yoeleo 38 mm deep carbon clincher road 700C disc brake wheels, 25 mm wide.

I should mention that the Giant PX-2 quick-release wheels fit the FM286 frame perfectly.  I measured the distance between the inside of the drop-outs on both the 2017 CoMax and the FM286 at about 100 mm front, 135 mm rear, which I'm under the impression is the industry standard for traditional quick-release skewer type axles.

Now on to the source of confusion, which is the axle choice drop-down box on the above linked Yoeleo page, which offers the following options:

Scrolling down further under the "Description" section the following additional information is found:

I'm under the impression that "O.L.D." = Over-Lock-nut Distance, i.e. the width of the axle between the threads, which should correspond to the distance between the inside of the drop-outs on the frame.

I'm trying to figure out what the drop-down options mean and which is the correct choice in my case.  Here's my best guess as to an expanded explanation of the options in the drop-down (also using the information from the description section):

"QR / QR for Shimano/Sram 10,11s" means:

front axle is a traditional quick release (100 mm wide), rear axle is a traditional quick release (135 mm wide), compatible with Shimano or Sram 10 or 11 speed cassettes

"15mm / 135mm QR for Shimano/Sram 10,11s" means:

front axle is a thru-axle (15 mm diameter, 100 mm wide), rear axle is a traditional quick release (135 mm wide), compatible with Shimano or Sram 10 or 11 speed cassettes

"15mm / 142x12mm for Shimano/Sram 10,11s" means:

front axle is a thru-axle (15 mm diameter, 100 mm wide), rear axle is a thru-axle (12 mm diameter, 142 mm wide), compatible with Shimano or Sram 10 or 11 speed cassettes

"12mm / 142x12mm for Shimano/Sram 10,11s" means:

front axle is a thru-axle (12 mm diameter, 100 mm wide), rear axle is a thru-axle (12 mm diameter, 142 mm wide), compatible with Shimano or Sram 10 or 11 speed cassettes

"12mm / 135x12mm for Shimano/Sram 10,11s +$10" means:

front axle is a thru-axle (12 mm diameter, 100 mm wide), rear axle is a thru-axle (12 mm diameter, 135 mm wide), compatible with Shimano or Sram 10 or 11 speed cassettes, at $10 additional cost

Is my understanding correct?

Returning to my specific situation, I'd like to stick with traditional quick-release skewers at both the front and rear, and I used an 11 speed Shimano Ultegra rear derailleur with the FM286 build.

So, considering all of the above, I'm under the impression that the correct choice in my case would be the first axle option in the drop-down, "QR / QR for Shimano/Sram 10,11s", correct?

Can anybody confirm my understanding of the above?  If I'm incorrect in my interpretation anywhere, please clarify, thanks!

You have it correct. You basically need any QR disc road wheels. Note that 135 is the standard for QR disc rear ends but non-disc road is 130, and some other bike genres use other numbers.


Deore FC-M615 single 64 BCD chainring I want to build a 1x9 drivetrain MTB so I'm wondering if I can set this FC-M615 crankset to a single 64 BCD 28T chainring, from what I can see the XT M8000 is compatible and allows 11-speed cassette but I can't find any more information.

Why 28T? because it is what I felt more comfortable with, I have made the gear calculation on this site

Regarding the initial question, is that possible? will it work properly?

You need an offset chainring for this to work well. Otherwise the front chainline will wind up too far in, and when you're riding it with the small cog the chain angle will be extreme and likely problematic, i.e. as though you were crosschaining a double. There's a Wolf Tooth 28t x 64bcd ring that does this. (I'm assuming your frame is either 135 or 142x12; if it's Boost there's not a way for this to work reasonably.)

Presuming you're suggesting using the small ring off a double FC-M8000, that won't work because it's just a normal ring for derailleur use. In addition to not being offset and thereby putting the chainline too far in, it will want to cause rather than prevent derailment in the smaller back cogs when used without an FD in the way. There is zero reason to not use a proper NW ring.

Exactly how bad the results are if you go with a chainline that's too far in also depends on chainstay length and frame alignment.


Best bang for the buck to improve a cheap fixie? What are things to improve on a cheap bicycle that make a real difference? I'm looking at the bang for buck tradeoff.

The bike is an inexpensive Fixie/Track Bike (less than 150GBP).

11 kg steel frame
Flat bar
Front and rear V-Brakes

In that order (my opinion, of course):

Tires. Bad tires suck your energy and are prone to flats. Good tires can make your bike fly, sometimes even act as a suspension. As an extra, tires aren't actually part if the bike, so if you have good tires, you can use it in other bike(s);
Brakes and brake levers. This is safety and comfort. Bad brakes can make your hands sore, if you have to squeeze them too much to stop. Good brakes give you much more control of the bike than anything else. Good brakes are THE things that allow you to go really fast if you want/need.
Saddle and grips. These are contact points on the bike. In the end, all the bike-rider interaction flows through them (and the shoes you use to pedal, but they are not part of the bike). These parts alone can turn a very nice ride into a very painful one, and vice-versa.

I think if these are OK, it's possible to live with a relatively cheap bike, provided it fits and don't require too much mainteinance, which are also required for a nice biking experience.


is it compatible the left crank arm of ultegra 6600 with ultegra 6800? I would like to buy a power meter and the nearest I found to my shimano ultegra 6600 crankset is the ultegra 6800 left crank arm. It is the same size though.
many thanks

Both the 6600 series and the 6800 series use the same diameter spindle(24mm). The interface is Shimano standard Hollowtech II.


Will regular removal, cleaning and re-placing of my chain weaken or damage it? When I'm cleaning my bike, the quickest way to degrease my chain is to remove it and degrease it in a small tub. Will constant removal / re-adding to the bike cause damage? I don't have a quick release chain.

Depends on the chain. If it's a chain with cylindrical pins (most singlespeed and some narrow chains) then the damage will be negligible. Even if you always use the same pin you should be fine the first 10 or so times.

If it's a chain with profiled pins you'll need to use a new replacement pin every time and the replacements can't readily be removed (doing so damages the side plates). So you'll be limited to about 100 chain-cleanings before your chain is entirely made of replacement pins. And you will have spent more than the cost of a new chain buying pins.

There's two things to look for: damage to the side plates, especially dishing around the pin; and a pin that is too easy to remove (it's loose). Either means you're likely to have the chain fail in use. Replace that link.

The easy way is to buy a quick release link and use that. They're generally only good for 20-50 open/close cycles, but the failure mode is that they become steadily easier to open, making it easy to tell when you need to replace them. And they're fairly cheap - typically $5 or so each, compared to about $1 for a single-use replacement pin.


How do people ride road bikes without fenders? I want to buy a bike. The road bikes look very gorgeous. However I noticed that they come without fenders to protect from water! I was really surprised for that actually and that made me wonder about how do people protect themselves when driving on wet roads.

When one drives on a wet road then you get smashed by water and your clothes get dirty. So how do people protect themselves when driving a road bike?! Are the tires somehow made that they prevent water? Or what is the secret?!

Most road bikes are the equivalent of an open-top racing car. You just don't ride them in the rain. And if you do, you are expected to be hard core enough that a little rain isn't worth the weight and aerodynamic drag that the fenders would cause. And there's also a reason that hardcore racers wear sunglasses during the day or transparent glasses in the evening -- they help keep bugs and rain out of your eyes. And as many people note, you'll be soaking wet from sweat anyway if you're riding hard.

That being said, there are some slim fenders that can attach to some road bikes -- although many/most road bikes currently being sold come without fender eyelets and are so aerodynamic that there isn't enough space between the wheel and forks/stays to put a fender that would work a darn. If you want fenders but like the road bike drop-bar style, look at expedition/touring bikes or cyclocross bikes.

Or, if you're like many people, you instead have a beater commuter with fenders that you ride in the rain and you keep your gorgeous carbon fiber racer for sunny days. One can never have too many bikes.


Adjusting Tiagra Front Derailleur FD-4700 I'm trying to adjust a Shimano FD-4700, brazed-on type installed on a 2019 Giant Fastroad SL-1

I recently changed cranks from Shimano RS400 34-50T to Shimano 4700 34-50T. I took it for a test and the ride wasn't terrible but I noticed the chain was slipping off onto the crank side every few up-shifts.

I'm using a couple of guides as information:

Ask A Mechanic: Front Derailleur Trim Set Up & Adjustment

Shimano's FD-4700 Dealer Manual https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/dm/DM-FD0002-05-ENG.pdf

There's also a good park tool guide, but it seems to be less-specific to the FD-4700 https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/front-derailleur-adjustment

I might be a bit out of my depth but where I'm up to is trying to get the outside edge of the cage flush with the outer chainring as shown at the bottom of page 8 of the dealer manual.

I was hoping I could align the derailleur using cable tension only. Is it possible I could avoid adjustment of the support bolt and secure the cable with the derailleur held in the position shown on page 14 of the dealer manual?

I'm a bit worried about adjusting some of the front derailleur components after what happened last time. I did my best to follow the park tool tutorial but the last time I adjusted the limit screws to set the clearances the shifter cable got frayed and had to be replaced.

Is it essential that I align the outer of the derailleur cage with the largest chainring before proceeding? Is there any chance I could avoid adjusting the limit screws? Is there a way I can avoid damaging the cable as I did the last time I adjusted the limit screws?

Update 1:
Currently I'm having trouble getting the derailleur to shift to the large chainring. I've been following the instructions from step one in the dealer manual and video, starting with adjusting the fixing bolt with the cable detached. There isn't enough tension available from the barrel adjuster: the barrel pops out of the shifter before the chain moves onto the top chain ring. I can sometimes get it to shift up there with my thumb holding the shift lever as far as it will travel. There was as much tension in the cable before I tightened the pinch bolt as I could manage with a pair of pliers while the shifter was in the bottom-trim position.

Update 2:
I might have had some success. I pushed the derailleur outward a little with the pinch bolt loosened, allowing me to pre-tension the cable a bit more than I could by pulling it taught with pliers from the low-trim position. I still need to test ride.

Update 3
I took the bike for a test ride and had a mechanic look over it and it's all good :)
For me there was an additional step required that I didn't see in any of the sources I was using:

Pivot the derailleur outward toward the top chain ring by applying pressure at the outside edge next to the pinch point before pulling the cable through and securing the pinch point. This is will add some additional tension to the cable.

Is it essential that I align the outer of the derailleur cage with the largest chainring before proceeding?

Yes!

  Is there any chance I could avoid adjusting the limit screws?

Absolutely not! Unless you like having the chain fall off the rings. Having the chain come off between the crank and frame is at best a pain and at worst damages the frame.

When you swapped in the new crank the derailleur adjustment should not have been too far off. It sounds like you just needed to adjust limits and indexing, but the height and angle were OK. What I would have done at this point was followed the Park Tool video, checking hight and angle, then setting high and low limits and indexing according to their procedure (referring to the Shimano manual for specifics for adjustments). You might have been able to do this without detaching the cable.

If you have detached the cable, or adjusted the position of the derailleur on the frame just work through the procedure from the start. I've done well with the Park Tool guide, the Arts Cyclery video seems a bit more specific to Shimano. Front derailleur adjustment is tricky, it's certainly harder to do than rear derailleur adjustment. Don't skip steps, that will just cause worse problems later.

BTW, I'm gratified that you followed my advice about upgrading the crankset :-)


Gates belt drive: installing larger front sprocket I ordered a Cube Hyde Race bike with Gates belt drive. I live in an area where it rains a lot, and I use my bike year round, so I was sold on the promise of virtually maintenance-free drivetrain.

The bike has a 46 teeth front sprocket (Gates S150 CDN 46T), 22 teeth rear (Gates CDN 22T) and Shimano Alfine 8 hub. If I understand correctly, the maximum gear ratio is 46 / 22 * 1.61 ≈ 3.37, compared to 48 / 11 ≈ 4.36 on my current bike. Probably enough for daily commute, but not for faster rides (I ride with my friends outside of town every now and then).

I tried to find belt drive bikes with higher maximum ratio, but 46/22 (or similar ratio) seems to be the most common. However, it is possible to order front sprockets with higher teeth count: 50, 55, ..., 70, which I will probably end up doing.

Will I need to order a longer belt as well in this case? If so, how do I calculate the correct belt length?
There also seem to be 3 different types of belts/sprockets: CDX, CDN and CDC. CDC is obviously different mechanically (does not have the center track), but are CDX and CDN compatible? Can I use CDX front sprocket instead of CDN?
Any other things to consider?

On Gates' site there's a free spreadsheet called Gates Drive Calculator  that you can use to determine your belt length needed. It's  a weird tool in that instead of plugging in your desired gears and chainstay length, and minimum/maximum adjustment range and outputting what belt length you need, which would have been the smart or at least more intuitive way to do it, it makes you plug in your gears, then plug in a given belt length, and it outputs the resultant center-to-center dimension, minimum installation center-to-center, and minimum center-to-center for tensioning, which you then check whether it's in your adjustment range, and you have to repeat until you find a belt that fits.

Gates lists the pitch for their belts as 11mm and wants you to have an adjustment range of X-10 on the slack end and X+2 on the tight end, where X is the calculated center-to-center. So you could alter a magic gear calculator spreadsheet by replacing the 12.7s with 11s and that would be another way of figuring it out barring the Gates tool.

CDN and CDX belts have the same form factor and only differ in construction and materials. According to Gates they're cross-compatible.


Bicycle spokes poking through rim, what can I do? I bought an old road bike, and after fixing it a little went on my first ride and ended up with two flat tyres. Replacing the front tyre was fine, added new rim tape repaired the tube and was good to go. The rear tyre however, has 3 spokes which are poking through the rim and I have no idea how to fix them. Is there anyway I can repair it at home or will I need to visit a shop?

Well, the easiest would be to trim off the excess of the spoke, preferably with the spoke not in the rim during this process. Or, more preferably, replace the spoke with the one of correct length.
However if you tend to keep the current spoke it may occur that due to incorrect length it does not have enough thread for the nipple to provide proper tension adjustment.

What is more important here is why is this spoke protruding the nipple? Is it of incorrect length? Is the rim not true? Is the lacing wrong?

Could you, perhaps, post a picture showing how this wheel is laced?


Vista Sport Vintage Bicycle Can anyone tell me what happen to the Vista Bicycle company?  I'd like to know where to find parts, and did another company buy out Vista?

My Vista Sport 27inch 10 speed bike was purchased 40 years ago.  I live in Richmond, Va. There's a bike races coming here in a couple of weeks which got me to  dig out the Vista and clean it up.

Edit:
It took me a while to get back here, but I have found all the parts are SunTour parts. I have found all parts needed on EBay, except the Crankset.....I am still in need , but wonder if I can substitute the Suntour crankset set.

In all likelihood the parts you need weren't made by Vista. The only things that are likely to be proprietary might be an "innovative" bottom bracket or perhaps the fork and headset. Most everything else would have or could have come from a third party. If you can be more specific about the parts you're looking for we can probably help – or at least commiserate…


How can I look unsafe to a car driver but be safe This research seems to show car drivers give you more space if they think you are more likely to do something unpredictable.

It claims that where a cycle helmet often results in drivers giving you less space.

So how I make a driver think I am not a safe cyclist without being unsafe.

Is this the reason why the cyclists I always saw in Cambridge without lights never seem to get knocked of their bikes, but “safe” cyclists I knew with good lights and reflective jackets etc did sometimes (not often) get knocked of their bikes?

Direct link to research and a blog post by the researcher.

Try not hugging the edge of the road, drivers will be more tempted to squeeze past through smaller gaps if you're right at the edge. Instead ride about 1/4 of the way across the lane, it might p*** off a few drivers, but it will make them think twice about squeezing past with overtaking traffic / parked cars / etc.


Need replacement cones for Shimano front hub I am rebuilding a Shimano HB-M475 front hub, but having trouble finding the replacement cones. This one has the M9 axle, but all of the replacement cones I have found are for a M10 axles. I need to know where I can find these cones for a 9 mm axle.

According to this Shimano TechDoc, the axle of HB-M475 (Front hub, 100mm OLD, 6-bolt disc mount) is M10.

If you find a different model number marked on the hub, Shimano techdocs are listed here.


what is this protrusion on one side of my platform pedal for? I've bought new pedals like on the picture. They are good, but i'm confused about the part, marked on the picture.

I've always thought that pedals have no 'up' and 'down' sides, so i can't realize why it's assymetric.

Can you explain me the use of the marked part?

When you fit toe clips to your pedals, that spike is there to help you flip the pedal over so the clip is on the top.

The pedals have an up and down orientation when toeclips are fitted.


How to choose the right brushless outrunner motor for e-bike project I am planning to build my own electric bike and I have stumbled apon some confusion. I want to use brushless outrunner motors for this project as I have used these motors many times for other projects, I have experience in using them. But I am quite unsure which rated motor I should get. I want to reach 25mph, more is better. My plan is to have the electronic speed controller (ESC) connected to my Arduino board so that I can control speed, battery level, etc. Unfortunately, with the hub motors, the ESC are different, meaning that I can't interface them with the Arduino.

As you can see, the wire that's hanging off at the bottom, is the wire that will be connected to the Arduino board.

Any help is appreciated, thanks for your time.

Sid

I assume you're using model RC (car or helicopter) parts. When I built my first e-bike several years ago, I also used similar model RC parts.

The control wire on the bottom of your photo leading from the electronic speed control (ESC) uses standard servo control signals.  If you don't absolutely need the arduino, then you'd control the ESC through a servo tester. These are about $5-15 eurodollars. You'd replace the potentiometer on the top with something easier to control - either a bigger paddle, an on/off button, or to a throttle that has potentiometer outputs (most have hall-outputs, so you have to buy carefully as you also have to match resistance range):

Note that you can control a servo ESC through your arduino. You just need the arduino servo library. I refer to this after talking about the servo tester because it's less fault tolerant (and you still need to find a pot-throttle). You don't want your throttle control to fail-closed - that is, to fail in a way that leaves you at full throttle. With arduino  or any CPU-control, this is a possibility, so you should have an immediate battery cut-off switch that uses a different cut-off mechanism (I.e., a contactor to your main battery) near your controls.

And finally about the motor selection. The tiny little motor you have in your photo only has sufficient power at very high RPMs (thousands of RPM). You'll have to figure out sufficient reduction gearing to get it to wheel speed (which are only a few hundred RPM). That's tough to do in a way that also allows the motor to safely freewheel.

Generally, e-bikes tend to operate at higher voltages (36 volts or more) than RC models (which tend to operate at 6s or 24 volts max). This is because you generally want at least 250 watts of power -- if not 750 or beyond. Higher voltages mean less current for the same power. But it also means you have to select a motor that is wound for as few RPM/volts as you can.

You also have to select your ESC (speed controller) carefully as very few can handle high voltage and high current.

There are more options than when I did my project, but you'll also find that once you price a good brushless motor ($80-120) and a good high-power ESC ($100-150) and the necessary mechanical, electrical, and electronic hacking that you have to do, you're within spitting distance of a ready-made hub-motor or mid-drive motor that are designed specifically for e-bikes and are plug-and-play.

Have fun!


Bike rear wheel assembly I am assembling my rear wheel and I have question related the lengths of spokes. Is there a big difference between the length of spokes taken from right and left sides. Can I get into big problems if I didn't separate the long and short spokes ?

Yes. The shorter spokes go on the drive side. Satisfy yourself by looking at the picture below:

Imagine two right-angled triangles sharing a common side (the red-dashed line). The hypotenuse of the left triangle (non-drive side) is longer than the hypotenuse of the right triangle (drive side). Generally only by a couple of mm, but it makes a difference.

Failure to observe this will mean in the first place that you might not be able to attach all the spokes to the rim. Even if you manage this, you'll likely not get the wheel in dish. Assuming that you asked the question because you've actually done this, my advice is to undo it and to start building the wheel again. On the plus side it is likely you won't make this mistake again ;-)


Buying new thru axle road wheels - What do I need to know? I got a crazy good deal on a 2018 Cannonade Synapse - So much so I didn't pay attention to it having huge wheels/tires (21c rims and 30mm tires) until I got home. So now I want to swap out the wheels so I can run smaller tires.

Iv'e never dealt with a thru axle before - What do I need to know when buying wheels?

The axle has a lot of numbers on it
Rear: 17 L4 QR51X-12-160-P1.0-16.5
Front: 17 L1 RQ51M-12-125-p1.5-10

Other than knowing it is a 12mm axle, do I need to pay any attention to anything else? Didn't know if there was a width measurement or anything I needed to deal with.

Would I just use the axles that came on the bike with different wheels, or will I need to buy new axles?

When getting the same 142x12 and 100x12 standard wheels I advise to take note of the following:

If your frame requires special dishing or not. Synapse probably doesn't.
Outer rim width. With wider rims, the rim clearance might become an issue. Not your case, though.
Rotor fitting standard, 6 bolt or centerlock.
Freehub body, 10-speed or 11-speed HG, Campagnolo or whatever comes out next (SRAM XDR, Shimano Micro Spline).


How to access seat-post lever on the handlebar? I would like to change the position of my seat-post lever but in order to do so, I have to untighten its screw.

The problem is that I can't manage to access the screw, due to the presence of the hard metal cable going to the lever: it's right over the screw!

Here is a picture:

So here is my question, what's the type and size of the screw? How to access it?

In my line of work as well as on bikes, a cut down Allen key can be very useful. A dremel or good hacksaw applied to the short end of the tool can be used to make it even shorter, just be sure to tidy up the cut.

In your case the long end of the Allen key could then stick out at about 10 o'clock (in your picture). You'd only get around 1/6 of a turn at a time but that's OK.

Another useful tool (though not always a good idea on tight screws) is a ball end Allen key. A set is well worth having. These allow you to drive the screw without the tool being among the screw axis, so once the screw is slightly loosened with the cut down key, you could easily take it out with a ball end key.


What kind of chain to buy for internal gears? What kind of chain should I buy if my gears are internal in a drum?  I have seven gears but should I buy a one speed chain?  What would happen if I would use a seven speed chain?

The chain you need is 1/8 inch chain, usually sold as singlespeed chain.

A derailleur chain, which are sold as multi-speed chains, is narrower and the cogs may be too thick to fit.

EDIT: As said in the other answers, some singlespeed and internal gear hubs have narrower cogs and can use the 3/32 inch chain. An 1/8 inch chain may be slightly noisier with these cogs, but works.


Presta valve won't let air in on a new tube During a ride I had a flat tire and used a brand new Joe's tube with sealant.
For the first time in many years of riding i was not able to pump air in. It appears that the pin inside the valve won't go in to let air flow. I've tried also with the tube out of the wheel but no luck.

I suspect strongly that the valve is gummed up with sealant.  From the photo it looks like you may be able to remove the "core" of the valve.  That would allow you to either clean it, or replace it.   The core is the silver part that is screwed into the brassy looking part.

Otherwise, if you can't blow the blockage into the tube with a pump, and the tube wont deflate through the valve if you hold it open, then it's time for a new tube.

For what it's worth, tubeless tires with sealant work much better than tubes with sealant.  They do sometimes suffer this problem too, but in that case you can remove the valve completely and clear it by poking a spoke, nail, or stick through it.


What is must-have gear for mountain biking? All types of biking, mountain biking in particular: what are some must have items/gear to keep with oneself on mountain biking trips? I'm think of items such as extra inner tube, bike pump, etc...What products or items do you use? Specifics would be helpful, thanks!

For long rides of 1-3 hours, I carry the following:

Tube + mini pump (CO^2 if you want, tire leavers for new or difficult tires)
Mini tool with allen keys, spoke key and a chain tool
Water
Snack

For longer trips, you'll want to consider panniers (carry bags) and a hydration pack so you'll be able to carry the load more effectively. In general, advice on backpacking trips should apply.


What is the best charging practice for my bike light's lithium ion battery? I have a Light and Motion Seca 700 with a Lithium Ion battery.  It has a multi-chem smart charger.  I have heard that some batteries like NiMH have "memory" and should be mostly drained before recharging, while a LiIon battery is not supposed to have "memory."  How should I charge the battery to insure a long run time and battery life?

You should fully charge the battery after every use.

Ignore outdated concerns about early NiCad batteries that exhibited a 'memory effect' when discharged repeatedly to the same Depth of Discharge (DOD)/ State of Charge (SOC).

Almost all secondary (rechargeable) batteries will benefit from regular, complete charging.  The less you discharge a battery, the more total lifetime capacity you will get from it.

That is, If you take the same battery and regularly use 25% of it's capacity then charge it, you will get C Wh of capacity out of it over its lifetime.  If you do the same, but use 95% of its capacity, you may find you only get 0.5C Wh over its lifetime.

Regarding Lithium batteries generally, it is extremely important to use the correct charger for the battery, or the correct mode on a multi-chemistry charger.  Otherwise there may be a fire...


Chain is choking and pedals fly forwards when going up hill or standing on the bike pedals I have a 2 month old Vodoo Bizango from Halfords in the UK. I have had this problem about 2 weeks into having the bike where if I'm on the highest gear and want to do sprints (standing on the pedals) the chain will choke/make a churning noise and then the pedals will just fly forwards, I have not been able to replicate the same thing when I turn the bike upside and lay its on it's seat. This caused one of my bike chains to snap, supposedly they replaced the derailer and the chain but I'm still having the same problem. It's now started to creep to lower gears now when I'm climbing up hills too.

I'm a complete novice at bikes and the mechanics but I need this sorting, it's my main mode of transports especially to work.

All help is appreciated, thank you.

Sounds like the problem might be that your freewheel isn't freewheeling.


Do cartridge BB's have both ends removeable? Apologies if this is a dumb question!:

I am teaching myself some bike maintenance skills and was removing my crank and BB.  However, the ParkTools videos I've been following show BOTH ends of the BB cartridge having a cup to remove.

When I tried the same on mine, I could remove the non-chainring side, and then remove the entire cartridge through the chainring side.  I don't know if the cup should be removable, or do some have them built in.

This is all the info I can find on the cartridge and I couldn't find any writing on the cartridge itself:
Bottom Bracket - VP square taper, 73mm shell, english thread

Most of the standard square taper bottom brackets on the market (e.g. Shimano BB-UN54/BB-UN55) have one cup permanently attached to the bottom bracket (usually drive side) and the other one removable.

However, some manufacturers make ones with both sides removable (e.g. Phil Wood) and some other variations on installation (notably threadless ones like the Velo Orange Grand Cru Universal).


Do oversize pulley wheels increase derailleur capacity? Do the large custom pulley wheels and cages increase the capacity of a derailleur significantly? There are reasonably priced ones on E-bay with 16t pulley wheels.

Every demo of these I've seen says you'll need to install a longer chain when you switch, but does that really imply that the capacity of the derailleur has increased?

I am mostly interested in this question because I'd like to run an 11-40 cassette on my gravel bike and use Campagnolo components if at all possible.

All else being equal, a longer cage will increase the capacity of the derailleur.
For example, the only difference in Shimano's long- and short-cage 105 5700 rear derailleurs is the cage.  See https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/ev/EV-RD-5700-3042A.pdf
Per https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/si/SI-5X90B-003-ENG.pdf that the short-cage SS models have a 33-tooth capacity while simply changing to a longer cage gives the GS model a 39-tooth capacity.
But note that the largest supported sprocket size remains unchanged, but that appears to be because the location of the jockey wheel closest to the sprockets also remains unchanged with the cage swap.
It also seems reasonable to assume that increasing the size of the jockey wheel closes to the sprockets without changing its location would result in a smaller maximum usable sprocket size.
I'd say you'll get more capacity, but you may not be able to use a larger cassette to take advantage of that larger capacity.
I also suspect that larger jockey wheels is likely to result in degraded shifting performance since the larger wheel could allow more side-to-side movement than a smaller wheel would.  "But the marketing says it's stiffer and the bearings have tighter tolerances."  They would say that, and it might even be true.  When it's all clean and new and unworn - how durable and free-spinning will those ceramic bearings be when they get grit and grime inside:

“Ceramic bearings are beneficial in environments not requiring grease lubrication,” says Lew.  But a bicycle is expected to cope with a vast range of conditions, rain and dirt, and where maintenance schedules may be less than optimal, and the last thing you want is to ride bearings without grease. It’s this requirement to cope with the conditions common to cyclists that offset the promised lower rolling resistance of a ceramic bearing, according to Paul Lew.
“The rolling resistance of a ceramic bearing compared to an ABEC 3, 5 or 7 steel ball bearing is offset by the resistance of the grease,” he says.  “In order for a ceramic ball bearing to out-perform a steel ball bearing, grease is not an option. Does this mean I should run my ceramic ball bearings dry or with light oil? Yes, but you won’t like the result in an environment where the bearings can become contaminated.  If you run your bearings dry they will feel gritty and rough.”
Hope’s Alan Weatherill concurs with Paul Lew’s conclusion that ceramic bearings are not suited to the demands of cycling and says their suitability to industrial machinery doesn’t necessarily provide the performance benefit for cyclists that many people and companies claim they do.
“Another issue with using them [ceramic bearings] on bicycles is their hardness,” says Weatherill. “While this again is an advantage in many industrial applications, it's a major drawback on bikes. The shocks from hitting potholes and other road blemishes impact the hard ceramic balls into the softer steel races commonly used. This dent in the race is then felt when the bearing is rotated, giving you rough bearings.”


My 6 geared Shimano bike doesn't shift from higher to lower gears but does the opposite smoothly My 6 geared(Shimano gears) mountain bike with the grip shifting system shifts really smoothly from the 1st gear to the 6th (biggest cog to the smallest). However when I try to twist the shifter from the highest gear to the lowest, the grip feels tighter and tighter and then gets impossible to shift at the 4th or 3rd gear.

Stuff you may need to know:

Pressing against the derailleur with my thumbs manually changes the gears perfectly.
Removed the cable from the derailluer to check the shifter itself and it pulls and pushes the cable perfectly too.

Please help!

Separating the derailleur and shifter by undoing the cable is the correct diagnostic process. You now know the derailleur articulates freely, and the shifter shifts freely also.

Next step would be to pull the cable at the derailleur end while working the shifter to see if tension produces friction or binding in the cable and housing.

Also closely inspect the cable run. Make sure that the housing is inserted into frame bosses properly. Look for kinks in the housing, runs of housing that are too short or anything where the cable might bind up  Pull the cable out and check for kinks or fraying.


Is riding on hilly road better than flats for long distance training? As you may know from my previous questions that I am training for a 150km ride. I want to know if riding on hilly road for 20km is better than riding on a flat road for 40km?

Better? Don’t know. Useful? Yes.

One way you can use the hills to your advantage is to get your heart rate up. A good workout could be 4 minutes riding hard, then 3 minutes recovery, repeated 4-5 times. Riding hard means getting your heart rate up pretty high (171-180 for me) and this happens naturally and more consistently when you’re riding up hill. It’s also straightforward to do on the turbo.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/17414804/

Maybe you can find a route with a few medium size hills that take a few minutes to climb, or ride up and down the same hill.

If you warm up riding gently for 15-20 minutes before and warm down for 15 mins after, for example, then you’re likely to cover around 20km in around one hour.

Of course it is still necessary to do a long ride every week for the training adaptations and to practise nutrition strategy, building up the distance weekly.


Vintage Campagnolo hood I'm looking for a Campagnolo hood like the one in the photos below. Will the newer ErgoPower hoods fit? If not, what should I do?

I found a perfect replacement on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=321463814720