Correctly and incorrectly mounting a bicycle I am very fond of mouting bicycles this way:

Stand to the left of the bike.

Put the left foot on the left pedal.

Push forward with the right foot to set the bike in motion.

Swing the right leg over the back of the saddle, sitting on it as the
move is carried out.

You can see it at 0:51 in this video.
However, Sheldon Brown advises against that technique, which he calls
"the cowboy monut":

The cowboy mount places the rider's weight on the bicycle while it is
leaning over at a sharp angle. This puts considerable lateral stress on the
frame and the wheels. Bicycle wheels, in particular, are not designed to
withstand serious sideways stresses, and this poor mounting technique is
very hard on your wheels.

I don't have one tenth of Sheldon's expertise on bicycles,
but that explanation seems insufficient because

The angle involved in the cowboy mount is nearly perpendicular
to the ground (as the video shows).

On curves, bicycles are certainly subject to sharper angles than
on the cowboy mount.

Warning against "sideway stresses" sounds insubstantial. I can't
imagine anything worse than a unbalance and subsequent fall happening.

Instead, Sheldon advises the rider to start by standing astride the frame.
Indeed, this provides
the most controlled start, especially in irregular or ascending terrain,
but it also takes more time to set off than the cowboy mount.
Assuming regular, flat terrain, are Sheldon Brown's arguments against
the cowboy mount solid and thus should the classical mount
(or maybe some other mount) be preferred, or is it exaggerated?

I do not buy the stressing argument, any sprint out of the saddle will stress many parts of your bike much more.
I would only be concerned with your stability during that mount and the risk of a fall in harder terrain when running. And the issue of possible slip of an unclipped left foot from a clipless pedal that may not support an unclipped foot enough - that depends on the type of your shoes and pedals.
The cyclocross mount that is most often taught is similar, but from the ground straight on the saddle. Only then you clip both of your feet. But if you dismounted with the usual technique to the left before, your cranks will be in the same position as you have them so if it is easier for you, I would continue using the cowboy mount.


Question about Wheel Bearings I live in Virginia and built a wind mill using a bike wheel.  Do I need to remove the wheel so the cold weather won't destroy the bearings?

It doesn't really get all that cold down in most of Virginia that you have to worry about the cold/do special preparation for the cold for a bike.

So, I wouldn't worry about it. Also, you're not riding the wheel, so if the bearings aren't in perfect condition it isn't the end of the world anyway.


How to find key values of a chain? My chain says "Z KMC 3C-2 RB" which I suppose refers to as 'Z8 RB 1/2" x 3/32"'?

The bike shop where I have bought from until now doesn't have this exact model. So what are the key properties of the chain, so I ca buy another brand?

I want to get the best possible quality if possible.

Update

It is a 7 speed.

Update:

Based on your other question: Possible to identify sprocket without taking the bike apart? - you have a Nexus internally geared hub, which would mean you may need a single speed chain.

For derailleur gear equipped bicycles you just need to get a chain compatible with the number of gears ('speeds') on the rear sprocket cassette. More gears require a chain with a narrower outer width because the sprockets are closer together.

Generally speaking derailleur chains are available in  6, 7 and 8 speeds; 9 speeds; 10 speeds and 11 speeds.

Just for completeness and to address the 1/2" x 3/32" measurements on your current chain:

All bicycle chains have 0.5 inch pitch (distance between center of the pins)
All chains for derailleur gear equipped bicycles measure 3⁄32 inch between the inner plates. (Single speed chains use a wider 1⁄8 inch inner width.)


Recommended handlebar style for short daily commute? I am looking to buy a bicycle for a San Francisco city commute totalling 4.1 miles (about 6.6km) in each direction.

My question is, what handlebar position (and riding position) would be recommended for such a ride?

I notice drop bars are very popular here, but I am concerned that the bent over position would be stressful given that I will be commuting 5 days per week. At the same time, I do not want to overly stress my quads. Perhaps a compromise is recommended?

For a short commute in street clothes I opted for flat bars with bar end extentions. This allows some different hand positions and for me a more comfortable upright position. If you are riding for the first time is several years, bike fit is more  critical than bar type. A bike that is the wrong size will never be comfortable no matter what type bar it has.


If I don't use a torque wrench, how do I tighten to the approximate torque? What can go wrong? I don't think I can drop $50-$100 for a torque wrench right now. What parts of a bike are the most critical to get the torque just right? Is there a way to make sure the torque is ok without a torque wrench? I know what would happen if you don't tighten enough. Too tight is probably better than not tight enough!
Is there a way to make minor adjustments based on some sort of observation or feel?

You can't approximate torque by feel. Loctite, grease, carbon compounds can all alter the 'feel' when you are tightening down bolts and if there was anyway to 'approximate the feel' these variables render it fairly impossible.

If you use ti/aluminum bolts, carbon components, high end aluminum do not cheap out, get the torque wrench.

If you tend towards stainless/steel bolts and less expensive components, you can forgo the torque wrench and just ensure you are working to even torque. For example, if it is a faceplate make sure that the gap between faceplate and stem is even all the way around.

Saying 'too tight is better than not enough' is not true. Too tight can create stress risers in a component (specifically I am thinking handlebar) that can lead to catastrophic failure down the road. Too tight on a square taper crankset (specifically the fixing bolt) can cause deformation of the taper fit and eventual loosening of the crank.

Hopefully that helps.

Noticed I didn't answer the question fully.

Faceplate/Bar interface
Stem/Steer interface
Crankset (whether pinchbolt or square taper style BB)

Those are areas where I would ensure proper torque. Seatpost is dependent on style of bike (ie. Madone seatMAST, or carbon post/carbon frame) as to whether torque is super important. Rotor bolts, brake mounting bolts etc... but with increasing importance as exotic materials increase.


Carbon frame chipped by chain - how to repair? I found out my chain is damaging my frame near the cassette. How can I repair this?

It was damaged by my cassette in the indoor trainer which I am not using anymore.
This is how it looks:

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Most Carbon fiber bike frames utilize some form of alloy dropouts. What you are seeing here is merely cosmetic damage and is unlikely to affect the bike in any way unless you deliberately continue to expose that part to damage.
For repair, I would consider a light coat of epoxy which you could even out and spray paint afterwards to minimize the aesthetic imperfection.


Painting Chromoly Steel I was trying to paint my bare chromoly steel bicycle frame and fork. I sanded the frame and fork with 120 grit sandpaper to give it a slightly rough surface for the paint to adhere to. I used a quick-drying acrylic rattle can spray paint to apply primer to it.

I waited for more than 24 hours to apply the top coat (same brand and paint type). I stuck masking tape to check if the primer would come off, it didn't. I applied a little too much of the top coat so there were runs on some parts of the frame. I tried wiping the runs with a rag thinking that only the top coat would be wiped off. Unfortunately, when I wiped it off, the primer went with the top coat.

Is that supposed to happen when I wipe off a fresh top coat? I'm not sure if the metal was still too smooth for painting but it is scuffed. Also, for runs, if I can't wipe it off, do I just wait for it to dry and sand to smooth out the surface and then reapply another layer of top coat?

By the way, these are the instructions on the can:

It doesn't say how long the paint dries

As mikes indicated, the chemicals in your top coat reactivated your primer coat, much like if you were to write something in sharpie, it is dry to the touch, but if you were to wipe alcohol over it it would smear.

I use aerosol cans for a lot of different types of painting, and unfortunately drips are often impossible to remove without a lot of sanding or starting over. The best method is to avoid them in the first place with good technique. I realize this sounds a bit arrogant but correcting them often leads to more issue and the clear coat not laying smooth.

You can wait for them to dry, sand the entire area or tube smooth and start over. Don't only sand the area of the drip or you will get an uneven surface.

As they say in the autobody world, paint is 90% prep and 10% skill. When using rattle cans it also helps to let the cans sit in warm/hot water for several minutes before use. This allows the internal temp to rise and allows the paint to atomize more efficiently. You may also find "artists" paints used for graffiti murals don't drip as easily and they are very heavily pigmented and a bit thicker paint. Brands as an example would be, Belton Molotow, Montana, Loop, and Flame amongst others.

Also when sanding large areas or tubes, you should not hand sand as your fingers push at different pressures making the sanding stroke uneven, this can be remedied by using an electric sander, block or something similar, ive also found for round tubes a thick cloth or towel behind the strip of sand paper works well for pulling around a circular shape, the cloth helps prevent the sandpaper from tearing and gives nice even pressure.

Good Luck!


Claris 2400 rear derailleur paint touch up I was planning to do a touch up paint for my 2400 claris rear derailleur. Does anybody have an idea on what palette of paint closely resembles this particular rear derailleur?

The cheap and easy option is to drop the derailleur off the bike, and take it to a big-box hardware store, and in the paint section will be hundreds of colour swatches.  Compare until you find something close enough, and ask for a "test pot"  that will cost less than a 4 or 10 litre and even a 100 or 200 mL test pot is going to be heaps.
If you want a colour match, there are automotive paint companies that will mix paint to precisely match your sample.  I paid $90 for some paint in aerosol cans, 15 years ago.  Its not cheap, a new mech would be cheaper.

Personally and honestly?  Paint it all one colour and you're sorted.  Its not a valuable antique, exact colour doesn't really match.
You have two main options -

Full disassemble, clean, sand/key, prime, ( sand, paint, wait) ^2, (light-sand, clear-coat, wait) ^2, and finish with some buffing compound, then reassemble and refit.  OR
Drop the chain out, wipe it clean, sand it, mask behind with some cloth/newspaper/cardboard, and put a light coat on from a rattlecan.  Remember to spin the jockey wheels so they get coated all round.

As for colour choice, you could go with plain options like:

Plain flat matt black
High gloss black
some mid grey vaguely similar to the original

Or you could get creative

Paint it the same colour as your frame, bars, saddle, pedals
...chrome (actually very hard to do well)
...bright white, because I've never seen a white derailleur
...mud-coloured so it doesn't ever need cleaning (maybe not)
...artistically random - alien acid, blood splatter, or icecream ripple

A third option is a wrap - these tend to work better with large flat areas.  You might find book wrap (coverseal) works, or perhaps coloured heatshrink.
Lastly, a water transfer might suit you, putting darn near anything on it.  Takes practice to do well and then you have to clearcoat it.
Oh and the null case is do nothing   There's little chance of the paint chips causing problems - rust is your biggest danger and that will take years to do anything more than cosmetic.
Good luck and have fun personalising your bike.


What can I do to keep my knees warm? It's getting chilly out there and my knees are starting to hurt from my short commute. I tried layered trousers (thick jeans + windstopper on top), but to no avail - my knees still get cold, while my whole legs sweat.

I am thinking of some kind of kneepads. If a product could provide (listed in decreasing order of priority):
(1)warmth
(2)comfortable to wear all day, under baggy trousers
(3)knee joint support, as this is the joint I (ab)use the most
(4)knee protection during falls
it would be perfect!

I tried two types: volleyball sports soft pads, and medical support pads (from the pharmacy, very cheep). The volleyball are wonderfully warm; however both begin to come loose after maybe half an hour of riding.

You can get explicit cycling knee warmers - I have a pair of these which see a lot of use (and sometimes go under jeans, very comfortably, if I'm out of an evening too). They are great for the morning commutes where it is cold but likely to be warmer by the time of the return journey, but also for the longer rides where you start colder than you'll finish and you need the flexibility to remove bits of kit. You can get fleece lined versions which are even warmer.

They're not cheap - but there are other cheaper alternatives designed to a similar style.

They don't offer explicit knee support, but if you need support for your knees when going about your day, then I doubt a cycling Q-and-A site is the best place for your question.

Similarly, if you think your cycling is causing your knee pain, I'd recommend a visit to your local bike shop and ask them about whether your bike is fit and adjusted properly.


Chain Slips off Front Gearset New to all of this, so I don't really know the terms. Bear with me.

Got a bike from a garage sale about a year ago, in nearly brand new shape, haven't really rode it.

Over the past few months I've been using it quite often, biking roughly 8km to and from work.

Yesterday, the chain was skipping, and then later fell off of the largest front gear, to the right. Since then, if I put a heavy load on the pedals, such as biking uphill, or attempting to accelerate really quickly, it will fall off.

I've looked into fixing the front derailleur, and played around with the two unlabeled screws out front, but had no luck.

The chain still falls off due to heavy load, regardless of the position of the screws adjusting the front derailleur.

Unfortunately, I an not too sure if my front derailleur is properly "calibrated", and was debating on playing with it until the chain maybe fell off less? I seem to have gone through a bunch of options with no luck.

I'm assuming that the front derailleur isn't he problem, or that I should keep adjusting it until the problem stops.

In conclusion, I am not too sure what to do. Do I seek a new problem, or do I continue adjusting the front derailleur?

First verify these assumptions:  The chain rings are not bent (causing unintentional shifting), the chain ring teeth are not badly worn or the chain itself is not worn and stretched (causing the chain to jump teeth and perhaps feel like shifting), the bottom bracket is correctly adjusted and not wobbling (causing contact with the cage and unintentional shifting), and the leading edge of the large, inner Front Derailleur (FD) arm is not bent away from the bike (forcing a shift completely off the large chain ring).

How your FD works: As the FD cage moves in and out, one or the other of two arms of the FD cage puts sideways pressure that shifts (de-rails) the traveling chain from chain ring to chain ring.  The FD should be securely attached in the correct position on the Seat Tube so that at no point in its travel does either cage arm contact any part of a chain ring and at no gear combination does the chain itself drag on the rear spacer that holds the two FD arms together to form the cage.  The arms should be smooth (not worn), parallel with each other, and parallel with the chain rings (and therefore in line with the chain that is traveling through the cage.) The FD spring typically forces the cage towards the IN position.  Pulling on the FD shifter cable forces the cage towards the OUT position. The inner cage arm is typically wider and longer than the outer cage arm because it requires more pressure over that larger surface area to lift the chain up to a higher gear than it needs to simply drop the chain down to a lower gear. The two adjusting screws are used to limit how far in each direction (IN or OUT) the cage can move.

Now let’s do a complete FD adjustment with the bike suspended in your work stand:  While hand pedaling the chain through the FD cage, carefully shift and center the FD cage over the small inner chain ring.  Shift the Rear Derailleur (RD) into the largest freewheel sprocket (closest to the wheel).  At this point, there should be only very slight tension (and no looseness) on the FD shifter cable.  Loosen the cable clamp at the FD and adjust the inner limit screw until the cage is exactly centered above the small inner chain ring.  Remove any slack in the FD cable at the FD cable clamp and tighten in place.  Shift the RD into the smallest freewheel sprocket (furthest from the wheel).  With the chain moving through the FD cage, shift and center the FD cage over the large outer chain ring, and verify the chain is not touching either cage arm and the cage is clearing the large outer chain ring.  Now tighten the outer limit screw.  Test all possible shifting combinations several times while hand pedaling on your work stand―first slowly then faster and faster.


What is the recommended type of tire for riding on wet pavement? I am commuting in rainy Seattle, and the rain has started.  Right now I have Continental Gatorskin tires on my commuter, but yesterday I noticed I was braking to stop the wheels and skidding quite a bit on wet roads.   I know I can gradually adjust braking on front and back to come out of the skid, but I was wondering if i should replace my tires to get a little more grip.  My LBS seems to think thin slicks are fine however.  Is there a study or data on tire types on wet pavement?

If you are riding on the road, slicks are fine in the wet. If you need to go over any mud, etc. then you'll need something else.

From Sheldon Brown:

  Bicycle tires for on-road use have no need of any sort of tread
  features; in fact, the best road tires are perfectly smooth, with no
  tread at all!

  Unfortunately, most people assume that a smooth tire will be slippery,
  so this type of tire is difficult to sell to unsophisticated cyclists.
  Most tire makers cater to this by putting a very fine pattern on their
  tires, mainly for cosmetic and marketing reasons. If you examine a
  section of asphalt or concrete, you'll see that the texture of the
  road itself is much "knobbier" than the tread features of a
  good-quality road tire. Since the tire is flexible, even a slick tire
  deforms as it comes into contact with the pavement, acquiring the
  shape of the pavement texture, only while in contact with the road.

  People ask, "But don't slick tires get slippery on wet roads, or worse
  yet, wet metal features such as expansion joints, paint stripes, or
  railroad tracks?" The answer is, yes, they do. So do tires with tread.
  All tires are slippery in these conditions. Tread features make no
  improvement in this.

Also worthy of note is:

  Car and truck tires need tread, because these vehicles are prone to a
  very dangerous condition called "hydroplaning." This happens when
  driving fast in very wet conditions, which can lead to the tire riding
  up onto a cushion of liquid water. When this happens, there is a
  sudden and total lack of traction.

Bicycles can NOT hydroplane because:

A bicycle tire has a curved road contact. Since a bicycle leans in
corners, it needs a tire with a rounded contact area, which tends to
push the water away to either side.
A bicycle tire is narrower, so not as much water is in contact with
the leading edge at once.
The high pressure of bicycle tires is more efficient at squeezing the
water out from under.
At high speeds, hydroplaning is just possible for car tires, but is
absolutely impossible for bicycle tires.


Inner tube for Michelin tyre New to all of this. Which ranges of inner tube would fit in a 29 X 1.4 SLICK MOUNTAIN BIKE TYRE WILD RUN'R? Should I also worry about valve size? If possible, can I have a good source for learning what those numbers mean?

Bike tire sizes are a confusing topic. This page is a bit dated, but still worth bookmarking.
There are two valve types: Schrader and Presta. Presta is skinnier and will fit loosely in a Schrader opening; you can get adapters to shim up the difference (technically there's a third type, Dunlop, but I've never actually seen a Dunlop valve).
29" is mountain-bike terminology for what roadies would call 700C; both have a bead-seat diameter of 622 mm. So you can use a tube marketed for road bikes, although a 1.4"-wide tire (about 35 mm) is at the outer edge of what you'd find on road bikes.
In general, you have some latitude when fitting innertubes. As long as they're not bunched up or stretched taut inside the tire, they're fine.


What's the difference between All-Mountain, Cross Country, Freeride, Downhill bikes? I'm somewhat new to the world of mountain bikes and I'm seeing various terms to describe different bikes. What is the difference between all-mountain, cross country, freeride, and downhill? Are they just marketing words or do they represent actual differences in the bikes (or maybe a bit of both)? Are there any other types of mountain bikes I missed?

The following list contains the basic characteristics and differences for the aforementioned types of MTBs plus 2 types of bikes that you didn't mention. Note that I've tried to summarise and "average" the characteristics of modern MTBs used today by amateurs and pros. So 9 kgs for XC bikes means that you can easily find 8 and 11 kg ones.

Cross country (XC) bikes:

9 kgs
hardtail (front suspension only) usually 80-100mm front suspension (air)
very steep head tube angle
carbon or aluminium
gears: 1x11, 3x10
29, 27.5, 26 inch wheels
will allow you do 80km rides across mountains and do incredible ascends. Sometimes these bikes are considered the "road bikes" for the mountain.
photo:

All mountain (AM) bikes:

13 kgs
full suspension (air), usually 120-160mm
steep seat tube angle (good for pedaling), slack head tube angle (good for downhilling)
carbon or aluminium
gears: 1x11, 2x10
26, 27.5, 29 inch wheels
will allow you do 30km rides on the mountains which will include bug ascents and very nice downhill-like descents. These have been marketed as "do it all" machines. They can actually do it all almost good but nothing very very well. Also marketed as "trail bikes" or "enduro bikes" with some minor differences.
photo:

Freeride bikes (FR):

18 kgs
full suspension (coil), 180mm
slack seat tube angle, very low seat, slack head tube angle
aluminium only
gears: 1x7 - 1x10
26 inch wheels only
will allow you to hit 2m+ drops to flat, hit burly lines, gap large jumps, descend on uncharted territory. To get to the top you usually push the bike or have someone get you there by car.
photo:

Downhill bikes (DH):

15 kgs
full suspension (coil or air), 200mm
slack seat tube angle, very low seat, very slack head tube angle
carbon or aluminium
gears: 1x7 - 1x10
26 inch wheels mainly
built for going downhill at high speeds. Used for racing.
photo:

Dirt Jump bikes (DJ):

12 kgs
hardtail, 80-100mm or rigid (no suspension)
lowest seat possible, very stiff setup, rear brake only
steel or aluminium
gears: none
26 inch wheels
built for groomed jumps, pumptracks, skate park riding
photo:

Slope style bikes (SS):

15 kgs
full suspension (coil or air), 140-160mm
low seat possible, stiff setup
aluminium
gears: none or few (1x7) with lever on frame to allow spining of bars
26 inch wheels
built for park competitions containing insanelly large jumps, wallrides and stunts. Can be used in 4X racing or dual slalom races.
photo:


Will this power2max power meter be compatible with Cannondale Synapse? I have a 2015 Cannondale Synapse - specifically, this one: http://www.swiftcycles.co.uk/334/products/2015-cannondale-synapse-carbon-105-6-road-bike.aspx. I would like to add a power meter, and power2max looks like the best option to me because it looks very universal as I upgrade other stuff. Over the next few years, I'm sure I will replace my wheels, maybe my pedals (considering Speed Play) and almost certainly the bike itself. As power2max spiders off the chainset, the only thing this power meter would limit me to is crank and chainset - and I'm happy to stay with a compact at the moment.

The Synapse as far as I understand has a BB30A bottom bracket, which I believe means that the crank diameter has to be 30mm. 24mm cranks seem to be compatible with more frames, so I am looking to instead purchase the following:

power2max Type S power meter with 110mm BCD
Rotor 3D24 cranks with 172.5mm crank length (matching my current cranks).
Keep my existing chain rings & pedals (Ultegra pedals)
Rotor BB30to24 bottom bracket
Unsure whether or not I need to purchase chain ring bolts - can I use my existing ones?

As far I'm aware, that should all work with my BB30A bottom bracket. Before I shell out a load of money, I just want to make sure this is all correct - look forward to hearing what you all have to say. Thanks!

Yes, you can install a Type S - Rotor 3D24 on your Synapse using the following adapter:

https://www.c-bear.com/en/products/bb30a-cannondale-synapse

You also have the option of Type S - FSA MegaExo (Gossamer or K-Force Light) and Type S - FSA BB386EVO (Gossamer or K-Force Light). Please have a look at the following chart from FSA:

http://www.fullspeedahead.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/POSTER-BB-2014-ROAD-A234.pdf

If you have any other question, please feel fre to ask !

Andrés
power2max Team


Advice for getting Campagnolo Zonda wheelset on a 2000 8 speed shimano rsx So I have an old road bike and instead of coughing up cash for new one I've decided to just start upgrading parts now and slowly build a better custom bike, one piece at a time.

My bike currently has shimano rsx group set minus the shifters which were replaced with Shimano sora flight deck triple shifters. Old stuff I know!

Triple ring in front and 8 in back.

So I wanted to get this wheel set: http://www.wiggle.com/campagnolo-zonda-clincher-wheelset/

But it says compatible with 10 and 11 speeds.

How can I get this working on my bike?

without having to get a newer crankset (10 or 11 speed) or group set. I want to get a new group set but rather get wheels first to make riding more fun and fast.

Any advice is mush appreciated! Relatively new to upgrading.

Campagnolo (not Mavic) make a Shimano-compatible cassette body for the Zonda.

It's the same unit as they also use on the Fulcrum wheels and it will take a genuine Shimano cassette directly.

Whilst the cassette body is advertised as 10/11s, it will work fine with 8s - the spline pattern on the inside of the cassette sprockets is the same.

You will need to use the supplied spacer under the cassette in order to lock it firmly in place.

HTH, Graeme -
Velotech Cycling Ltd -
Campagnolo main UK SC


Bottle dynamo vs. hub dynamo I have SpinPOWER USB charger kit, and I am using a bottle dynamo with it. I have heard that the power output from a hub dynamo is higher than from a bottle dynamo. Does anyone have any information about the merits of using hub dynamo vs. bottle dynamo? Also, what is a good hub dynamo, and what is a price range for the installation?

I have not used a bottle dynamo for a very long time, but have a hub dynamo. Broadly, the hub dynamos are more expensive but more efficient - you get less drag for the same power output. Most systems put out 3W peak power for historical reasons, although a lot of new lights use less than this. Bottle dynamos are noisier and wear on your tyre, which may be an issue if your tyres otherwise last a long time. A good bottle dyno will be nearly as efficient as a hub dyno and cost about half as much, plus you don't have to build it into the wheel. A cheap bottle dyno should be removed and thrown away.

Some dynamos will put out more than 6V, which is how you can get more power out of them (the Schmidt ones do - I used to run a 5W white LED straight off one). Often at decent speed they will go to 12V at the same 500mA, so you can get 6W. There are also dynamos specifically designed to do this, and they usually come with a regulator and various output options for charging things like phones.

Hub dynamo systems cost at least a couple of hundred dollars because you need to build the dynamo into a wheel. But they last a long time (I don't know how long as I've only had mine for 10 years and the ones I know of that have failed have done so when the bike was destroyed around them, or the owner pulled them apart). Any decent LBS should be able to get them if they don't stock them, or refer you to one who does. Peter White Cycles is one of the better dealers in the US with a wide range of options, likewise St Kilda Cycles in Australia.

I think this is a reasonable overview and this gives more details, specifically discussion of the "more power" idea.


Dahon Vitesse frame latch I am repairing a Dahon Vitesse. The frame latch was incomplete. I have the new frame latch parts but cannot work out where they go, particularly the washers and small springs. Does anyone have a diagram or instructions please?

I do not have a dahon brand bike, but folder latches are all reasonably similar because they do exactly the same purpose.

Latch in closed position, with safety removed.  Front of bike is to the right.

Latch half-opened.  Notice the lever is connected to the latch by a cam mechanism, so as the lever moves the latch moves.  You cannot have the latch closed and the lever open.

Latch is now fully open, and the frame is free to fold.

Finally - here's a shot from the front showing the two grub screws used to adjust the seating position of the latch.  Too far in and the closed joint has play, too far out and the latch is hard to close fully.

Finally - the safety.  This bike doesn't have one because it fell off unnoticed and was lost.  So we use a velcro strap around the frame and it works fine.

The safety was a black plastic block which was screwed to frame just forward of the hinge (you can see the threadded boss in the photos.)  The safety block dropped into that slot you can see in the lever, and was held there by gravity only.  Not confidence inspiring.


Benefit of high belt drive tension? I have a Gates carbon belt drive on a NuVinci hub.

I haven't bothered with the the whole tensioning using the app and everything, but I have a set-up where it is perfectly quiet and I've never had it skip.  But the belt feels quite loose.

My question is whether there is any benefit to higher belt tension apart from preventing skipping?  It seems the belt does not stretch and too high a tension causes all sorts of problems like bearing strain, noises etc.

So is the ideal tension then the tension that's just high enough to prevent skipping but no higher?  Or is there some benefit I can't think of tensioning past that point which is what the app/tools etc. attempt to do?

Thanks in advance!

Don't have a belt drive myself, but a guess would be:
Running appropriately snug (I assume they crafted the app for a reason) would make sure that the stresses and load on the belt is distributed appropriately. Consistent tension on the belt has to be better than a looser belt undergoing stress fluctuations as portions of the belt change from a loaded state (on/between the rear hub and the front crank) to an unloaded state. I expect that higher stress fluctuations on a looser belt would create additional 'belt fatigue' and reduce the belt life.


Rear wheel is loose and wobbles at even the tightest setting I recently had my rear wheel and hub replaced because the older one was bent. When I came back home I found that the guy who fixed it left it loose, so much so that I could pick up the wheel and shake it about in its place. Also, it may seem that my rear cassette is a bit loose but the wheel was the only thing i could shake by hand

I don't want to take the bike back to him, how can I fix this myself?

It's hard to see from the video exactly what is loose. However, you are presumably tightening the quick release properly so any looseness in the wheel must be from the bearings in the hub.
I see you have a 7 speed 'cassette'. It's quite likely that you actually have a 7 speed freewheel and relatively simple cup and cone style hub bearings. If that is the case you can attempt bearing play adjustment yourself.
In cup and cone hubs the axle is threaded, ball bearings are held between 'cups' in the hub and 'cones' threaded on the axle. Bearing play is adjusted by tightening of loosening the cones.
Here's an RJ the Bike Guy video where he's adjusting bearings after replacing a bent axle. It's a front wheel but it should give you and idea of what is involved. You can search for other videos or guides of course.
You'll need some special thin wrenches to adjust the cones and locknuts.


Cyclists that are out to get your Strava KOMs - should I challenge or? A comical question more than anything, but yeah a personal one as well.

One "clown" recently took a KOM I've had for over 2 years, and he did it fair-and-square. No argument there.

However, he argued with me that I had that KOM because I drove a car, yet I've got proof I rode over areas that a car cannot go on, and I don't own a motorbike.

So he went on a vendetta and took out all of my KOMs! Bloody hell!

Ok, so he's faster than me. So what?

Or should I raise up and take him head on?

Do we really care about KOMs that much? Is it all meant to be friendly competition, or do some of you actually defend these things to the death?

There is way too much emphasis on Strava KOMs, especially seeing there is minimal data integrity control.

There are people in every region that I've tracked that make it their mission to be on top. Quite frankly they can have it and some people need that validation.

Strava as a system has so many holes, that the 'value' you can assign to the data should be minimal.

For example:

You can manually manipulate your xml data and achieve any KOM you want
You can use any powered vehicle and no-one would know
There is no consistency in GPS coverage, esp between devices. I've seen multiple segments with 2s/3s times just because the data got messed up due to mobile coverage.

If you feel the need to challenge a rider, enter a race. Timing is better, and head to head you can see who's got it in real life.

On the other hand, I find it very useful for training - plotting your mental state against actual times. Typically you would use the same setup for most rides, so you can expect the same data integrity and therefore plot gains as relative to your own performances.


What features should I look for in a new wheelset? I am building a custom bike and I can spend $500-$1200 on wheels.  What are the best features on a set of road wheels?

It would be nice if they were lightweight for climbing but I live on the flats so aerodynamics are also important.  Basically an all around road wheel.

Current rim depths tend to be between 20mm and 80mm.  You can choose along this spectrum to trade weight for aero, but for general use 30mm or 40mm is probably reasonable.

Hand-built wheels are an advantage if done well, because they are less likely to have broken spokes.  There are plenty of custom wheel builders out there, plus some mass-market manufacturers who advertise hand-built wheels (obviously they'll automate what they can, but hopefully the important parts are done by hand).

For hubs you will find two types: cartridge bearing and cone bearing.  The former are adjustment-free and you generally can replace the bearings if needed, whilst the latter require adjustment to get the perfect spin.

You'll probably want butted spokes of some kind.  I dislike aero spokes (with flattened midsections) because they are painful to work on (you inevitably whack your hand with the spokes when working on the bike, and bladed spokes can actually cut you).

A recent trend is toward wider rims, which allow more tire volume and are sensible if you will run 25-28mm tires.  It's also easier to install and remove wheels if the tire is not much wider than the rim.

In your price range you should be able to find 30mm deep wheels around 1500 grams, give or take.


Direct mount vs. hanger derailleur Currently repairing a bike that I got off the road for free years ago. Around three years ago, a stuck link caused a chain jam while pedaling at high speed, causing the metal around the b-knuckle on the rear derailleur to shear, rendering it irreparable.
Currently have gotten into biking again and am trying to repair this bike by first cannibalizing a derailleur from another broken bike I have. I got the shifting to work relatively well, except the current derailleur is bolt-on and the parallelogram gets caught on the derailleur hanger when up or downshifting between gears 4 and 5 (see picture).

The derailleur hanger, for some reason, is not removable unlike the others I have seen online while researching. Thus, I want to buy a derailleur that mounts onto the dropout. I've already found the tooth capacity I need [(48-28)+(28-12)=36], but now I am not sure on the mounting method to use. If the dropout looks like this, should I buy a hanger or direct-mount derailleur?

For reference, I would have bought one to match the still functioning front derailleur, but the model, a Shimano Exage 300 LX, seems to be out of production (and used ones are a bit too expensive, I'm looking for something <$40). Any recommendations on compatible derailleurs to buy?
Also another issue I've noticed is sometimes the chain "skips" on a single gear under load (not between gears) What could be causing this? I checked every link individually and none are stuck. I've searched online and only found a solution where the guy said he replaced all the chainrings and cassette without mentioning what the problem might be. I don't want to replace anything outright if I don't have to, any ideas?

The derailleur in the first photo doesn't appear to be mounted correctly. See how there's a big gap between the axle and dropout slot? I think you should just go with a regular, bolt-on derailleur. Non-replaceable hangers are usually found on steel frames (check yours with a magnet) and are perfectly fine to use. With steel, you can just bend it back into shape if broken, or even cut it off and weld on a new one if i remember correctly. Any 7 speed (it might even be 6/7/8 compatible) derailleur should be the right one.
The chain skipping could be caused by worn out drivetrain components like you mentioned, or it could be due to the wonky derailleur setup. I would wait until the correct parts are installed and it shifts fine before sorting that problem out.


Front bag/basket configuration that works with butterfly/trekking bars? My bike has these butterfly/trekking bars. My possibly-mistaken sense is that the hooks most front bags and baskets rely on are designed for flat bars, such that they will be too far apart to hang from the center of the bars and too close together to hang from the far top/front of the bars.

Can anyone suggest a front bag or basket attachment mechanism I can look for that will work with these bars? Are there bags/baskets with adjustable-distance hooks?

I suggest you look for a bag or basket using the Klickfix system. There are a wide variety of handlebar bags and baskets using these mounts.

The Klickfix mount is about 85mm wide. It is designed to fit either side of the stem, so for a typical stem it needs about 20mm on either side. This section of the bar has to be mostly straight, though the mount will probably fit on bars at a small angle.

Depending on how big a bag or basket you are using and the angle/direction of the handlebars, you may find the curves or ends of the bar get in the way of the bag. If so, you can get the Klickfix "distance set". This extends the mount, so moves the bag a bit further away from the bars. Or you can adjust the angle of the mount, to position the bag above or below the handlebars.


What bag should I buy first for my gravel-touring kind of bike? I have bought a new bike, and I would like to start equipping it with bags, as I plan to do bicycle tours in the future. At the moment, however, I only do day tours, and I would like to buy a bag that would also serve me as a day pack. Basically, I would like it to be big enough to fit a couple of pieces of clothes, some snacks, my phone, and whatever else I might need for the day. I would like to have an easy access to all that stuff as well. What type of bags should I be looking at?

I was thinking about a handlebar bag, and was having a look at those. But I seem to come across three types of bags: 1. roll up bags with no easy access to contents 2. accessory bags that seem too small for my needs 3. large handlebar bags that seem to be more suited for city bikes. Is there a handle bar bag that could suite my needs? Or should I be looking at other types of bags?

My bike is a kind of gravel/touring type. It does not have a rack, but I think it is equipped with all the possible mounting points.

In case it makes a difference, here is a picture of it:

For one day you are often fine with your jersey pockets and a small saddle bag. If needing more I would:

increase the saddle bag

and/or

add another small bag above the top tube behind your stem.

Photo Topeak

I would leave large saddlebags, handlebar bags, frame triangle bags and so on for serious touring. They can be awkward but have their place when you have to carry a lot of stuff.

The next bag for me to add would be a frame triangle bag, but only when needed. It is still stable, fixed in the frame and does not move.

Photo Bikerumor

I see a lot of handlebar bags carried  by tourists on their hybrid bikes that are popular here, but for me they spoil the handling characteristics of the bike, you have to fight the bag when turning and they can move during the ride and so on. For a more serious rider I would add them when you need more stuff, not for a day ride.

The frame triangle bags can cause interference with your legs, the friction may damage your lycra shorts (if prolonged), so I would also add them later when needing more space.

Although gravel bikes often do come with mounting points for racks/panniers, those are unpopular in modern bike-packing solutions where the preference is on carrying everything in the axis of the bike (not on sides) and the rear bag is mounted on the seat post.


Clutch rear derailleur vs chain tensioner / guide I've got a 1x10 set up. Sometimes I have a problem with the chain falling off at the front. I've been reading that a clutch mech will help to prevent this.

My mech is Deore long cage without clutch. What is the dis/advantages of a clutch mech vs a chain tensioner / chain guide?

Bike is 2006 Specialized Rockhopper Pro. Chain is correct for chainring. Its not worn, nor the chainring etc. Chain line looks fine, but maybe this could be tweaked slightly.

"Once or twice per ride" - that is way beyond what I would consider only. That would destroy my confidence in the bike and ruin any enjoyment I got from riding.

A new dérailleur might help, but might not. There are other things I would look into first, PeteH in his comment is correct - the number of drops you are suffering is an indication something is very 'not right'. If a new Clutch dérailleur appears to fix it, its is probably just masking the problem. Chain guides hide all sorts of evils, but are a practical option that will work.

Shimano 1x10 was not an out of the box set up, what was the original setup and what has been replaced with what?

What chain ring are you running, is it damaged at all?. If you are running a normal 3x or 2x chain ring, a chain-ring for a single will help, especially a narrow/wide.

What is the chain line like. When you drop the chain, is it in normally in a particular range of gears

Along the same lines - is the chain length correct. As its a long cage dérailleur you have a lot of scope for too much chain.

How worn is the dérailleur - its more likely a new one will help of its been used a lot.

With so many unanswered questions,  I would consider a new dérailleur if the other is well used, but would focus on chain (how old, does it need replacing and length) chain line and chain ring first. If these are all good (and the chain ring is dedicated for single, ideally narrow/wide), the choice is a new dérailleur which might work, a a chain guide while will work.


Improving turning radius on an under-seat steering recumbent? This under-seat steering tadpole has a pretty large turning radius. The limitation seems to be that the handlebars will bump into the seat. When this happens the actual steering linkage seems like it would have more travel that could be used.

I'm looking for advice on how potentially to improve this. I'm not adverse to some new parts or modifications if that seems necessary / beneficial, but obviously if there is some kind of adjustment that would be worth trying first.

I can start taking things apart but thought it was worth looking for insight here before just monkeying around. In particular I don't want to mess up the wheel alignment or something like that.

Here are photos of the steering linkage etc.:

Its a Sun EZ-Tad CX. Not the lightest thing out there but fun to ride :)

For a start, I would suggest you loosen the indicated pinch bolts, and push the bars forward a little, and rotate them outboard a little.

This is an adjustment, not altering the curve in the metal... the sketch is misleading.

By moving the bars forward in the indicated pinch bolts, you'll get more wheel-turn for the same movement of the handlebars.
Rotating the bars so they're further apart will give you more space before the bars stop on your seat.

And the best part - all that is completely reversible if you don't like it.

Modifying the push rods is going to be a lot more brutal and permanent.  I'd start with a mock up using something cheap and disposable, perhaps plastic pipe or cardboard roll-centers temporarily.

I'm hedging a bit here but I THINK moving the pushrod at one or both ends will alter your steering like you want.

Downside is the width of the straight-ahead window will be much smaller, so you're going to have to actively steer a lot more when not turning.

Since its going to be very hard to change the steering arm on the wheel's hub, you might be better off checking with the supplier in case they offer any options to achieve your goal.  A steering arm replacement with a hole that is closer to the kingpin would be much safer than you attempting to drill a new hole for the swivel.  Note that the swivel will be a tapered hole too.

The safest solution would be to make an adapter plate that attaches to the main bar, and make two new shorter pushrods.  That way you can revert to stock with no changes.

Also, consider making a scale model of the steering, using cardboard and pins to get an understanding of the relationships between your ideas and their effects.


How to prevent my chain from breaking? After my chain has broken what should I know about buying and maintaining a new chain (apart from lubing it and replacing when it 'stretches')? Do you keep a spare chain, or a spare link?

I have a commuter bike (a Kona Dr Dew) with Shimano dérailleurs.

The first chain was replaced "worn to at least 100%" after the first 6 months/5000 km. The cassette seems OK and not worn. This was the second chain, replaced two months ago. I noticed occasional slipping gears but don't know whether that was the chain, or the indexing of the gear shifter.

The chain (the replacement chain, which broke) is an SRAM PC-951 which Google says is "our most economical chain".

Update - it wasn't the removable SRAM link, it was one of the factory links that broke. Because it had been skipping and the previous chain worn more than 100%, I asked to replace the chain and the cassette (even though he agreed that the cassette didn't look really worn, he said 5000 km is too far for a chain); and got a chain stretch measuring tool, if replacing the chain every 6 months isn't often enough. Anyway it's tight again now. The new chain is a more expensive SRAM PC-991 (which cost more than the new SRAM 950 cassette). The original parts I think were all Shimano.

To keep your chain from breaking, keep the derailers properly aligned, ease off of pedaling when you shift, and don't "stomp" on the chain when it's not fully in gear.  (Folks who don't go back to the non-indexed days probably never got into the habit of coasting while shifting, but it wouldn't be a bad thing to practice a bit.)

Broken chains are exceedingly rare, and are almost always the result of putting load on the chain when it's not fully in gear.  The other likely source of damage is having sprockets that are so badly hooked that the chain gets sucked into a knot.

Update -- 6/14/18

An observation I made this week, working on a bike for Christmas Anonymous:

The bike (a 26" full susp BSO) came in with a mangled chain, a mangled rear wheel (half the spokes were broken), and a broken rear derailer.  The chain had actually been twisted 90 degrees at one point (amazing that it didn't break), something I'd never seen before.  It seemed like the chain had gotten twisted up in the rear cluster perhaps, after the rear wheel had gotten mucked up.  (Perhaps a garage accident -- hard to tell with such things.)

So I found a new rear wheel, a new rear derailer, and a new chain, and put it all together.  The rear derailer worked fine, once I got it adjusted (involved some cussing), but then as I tried to get the front derailer to work (blasted twist shifters, plus a cable that was routed so that it collected rainwater) I started having trouble with chain suck on the small front ring.  I could see that this chain suck likely caused the chain to knot up and twist, and it was only after that that the garage accident occurred, taking out both wheel and derailer.

Since the chain suck was consistently on two teeth a one point on the small ring, I was able to use a round file to smooth out the teeth and eliminate the problem.  I'm guessing the teeth had burrs from when the ring was manufactured, and the bike never got used enough to wear them off.


Why does rear tire lose 35 psi in a week with new innertube and tire? My hybrid bike recently got a piece of glass through my rear tire and innertube.

I bought both a new tire and innertube (700x35c schrader).

I filled up both tires to 65psi.  A week later the front tire had 57 psi but the rear tire was at 30.  The same thing has been happening for a couple of weeks now.

What can cause this?  Did I just cause a small hole while installing the innertube?  Is the solution to just replace the innertube again and hope it doesn't happen in the future?

A possible (even likely) cause is a leaking valve. The simplest thing to do first is to see if blowing air out if the valve (by depressing the pin) solves the problem. You wouldn't see the dust if it was there; the only way to know is to inflate the tire and wait a few days.

If that doesn't solve it, or you are less patient than that, go straight to the next step: remove the tire and tube.

When removing the tire, use some chalk or some other means of knowing how it was mounted on the wheel (regarding the valve position and which is the drive side). With the tube, also take notice of which way around it is on the wheel. Now, if you find a hole in the tube you know where to look for the cause in the tire.

Remove the tube and check for the leak by immersing the entire tube in a tub of water.

Be patient, because the leak is slow.

You could have pinched the tube when replacing it (common, but usually leaks faster). But more likely, you still have some glass in the tire. Line the tube up with the tire and check carefully. Patch the tube.

But I really suspect the valve. From my limited experience with Schrader valves they a more prone to leak, especially if used without valve caps.

Other possible causes are a foreign body onside the tire or something (eg a spoke) protruding from the rim.


How to remove the fork off this Peugeot Nouveau I have this Peugeot Nouveau fold up bicycle that I'm trying to restore, but I can't manage to remove the forks from the frame. I've removed the handle bars and the stem(?) as well as the pieces that were holding the bars but there's another piece that I can't find the name of, that I'm unable to remove which is preventing me from removing the forks and bearings.
Does anyone have an idea of what the name/ piece is and how to remove it?
So far I've tried placing a piece of wood on top of the frame and hitting down in hopes it'd slide off but the wood is taking more of a beating.

I believe the chrome steel collar, this collet type piece that it grips, and the cut out area of the steerer they're sitting on are how the stem is held tight on this bike. The aluminum collet piece may be there so it's an aluminum and not a steel thing gripping the steerer threads. So, it may not be threaded as such, but is pushing up against threads and probably has indendations of threads formed into it. It's an old aluminum-on-steel interface with lots of contact area, so you may be up against aluminum oxide corrosion if it's stuck and could use anything you'd use on a stuck seatpost. My current favorite to make quick work of it are thermal products like Finish Line Chill Zone.
If it's stuck, you may get somewhere by putting a screwdriver or other similiar tool in the slit and twisting it just enough to flex it open.
A strap wrench could also be your friend here because it won't hurt the part and is the ideal way to get leverage in situations like this.
It appears that the top race of the headset is a common French type with knurling on the outside and a toothed washer on top, so this collet and clamp assembly you're working with is likely not part of what adjusts or holds the headset bearing adjustement.


What should I factor in when moving from a 50/34T to a 53/39T I have a 11-32 cassette.

I'll be looking to do this for short 30km rides and long 100km rides on the weekend. the 30km rides have a few hills, nothing major, whilst the longer ride is generally quite flat.

Other than changing the chain to compensate for wear as well as factoring in the larger diameter of the new crank what else should i consider?

Apologies, I am very new to cycling and not sure where else to ask or where to look for information.

Changing from a 34 to a 39 chainring is roughly the same as changing from a 32 to a 28 max rear sprocket.  In other words, you'd lose your lowest gear.


How to fix a detached brake cable? My rear brake cable detached yesterday while riding. When I pull the level all the way back (which I can now do with no tension), I think I can see the end of the brake cable inside the brake hood, but it's no longer being pulled by the lever.

2 Questions:

Is this a common problem? It seems like the cable shouldn't detach easily, but if something is wrong either equipment or technique-wise I'd like to correct it post haste
Is there a way I can re-attach the cable without disassembling and re-taping my handlebars? (My bike has standard road drop bars)

Without pictures or a better description, it's hard to know if it was a failure of the cable or the brake lever. If the brake lever has broken and can no longer grasp on to the end of the cable, you'll need to replace the lever itself. However, a more likely scenario is that either the nub on the end of the cable that the lever holds on to has come off. You may also have a lever where the nub can pop off of if there's no tension in the cable, which can happen if there's too much friction in the cable housings. This may also be caused by the cable having become detached from the brake: you're pulling the lever, but it's not attached to anything.

The quickest and easiest thing to do is try to simply re-cable the bike. This can be done quickly (time: 15m) and cheaply (cost: $10), and in doing so will also help diagnose if the problem is deeper. You should also go ahead and re-cable the other brake lever and the shifters as well — if this was caused by a failure in the cable, the other cables may be ready to fail as well.

To get the cable out of the brake lever, pull the brake lever until you can see the cable, or where it should be. Find where the cable comes out of the other end of the housing and push it through until it comes out through the handle. To replace it, just thread the new cable back through and clamp it on the brake. It should look like this:

If you feel a lot of friction pulling the cable out or installing the new one, you should replace the housings. This will take a little bit more time (45m) and some more money (housings: $10, bar tape: $15), but is still pretty easy to do. Unwrap your handlebars and re-insert the brake cable, replacing the old housings as you go. Wrap the handlebars back up, and you should be all set.

If the nub end of the brake cable isn't being gripped by the brake lever, or the piece to do so is missing, you will have to reinstall a new brake lever. This will be a good bit more expensive, and will also require that you re-wrap the handlebar tape.

Best of luck!


Annual technology gap of high end road bikes Somewhat general question. Could someone give me an idea of how much of a 'technology gap' there is between annual models of high-end road bikes (~$2000)? Specifically:

Which components generally see the biggest improvement each year?
In what sense is carbon fibre technology improving? What does this mean for your average non-pro (but enthusiastic) rider?
Some sort of guestimation of when we can expect to see electrical gears on high-level road bikes as standard.
Do like models necessarily improve every year?

While not disagreeing with the first answer above I think there are a few more complexities that haven't been addressed.

Changes in bike technology are not linear but rather generational. Component improvements don't happen each year but rather every 3-4 years. Aside from pro and sponsored riders most riders would not see any value in replacing a bike for the next years model and the industry recognises this. Better to sell a new frame together with other new tech as it's released so people actually are getting something new.

Di2 was first used in the Tour in 2009 and it became commercially available in the same year. In 2011 it was released on Ultegra, which marked the first trickle down. In the last 3 years it has still not been released on 105. Until they are released in 105 it won't be available on mid range bikes and they will sit in the $2,000-$3,000 price range. That change should be due in the next year or two, unless for other commercial reasons Shimano sweat the Ultegra Di2 line and the new 11 speed 105 line for a few more years. 1 year after releasing 11 speed 6800 they released the 6870 Di2 version for Ultegra. They released 105 5800 in 2014.

It's worth noting that in electronic shifting they have no real competition from SRAM or Campi's EPS (as opposed to  mtb where after Shimano released shadow+ SRAM quickly followed and released type 2 and then 1x11) so will continue to milk their mid range Ultegra until they see sales of that dwindling.

Electric gears will never be standard because there is a cost/ weight/ don't care ratio to consider. There's a point where most people won't be willing to pay (or maintain) an electric shifting system.


Rear Derailleur compatability? I am replacing a broken Shimano RD-2200, and trying to find the right part.  How do I determine compatability?  The largest sprocket is 26 tooth, and the cassette is 8 speed.  Will anything by Shimano for an 8 speed work?  Or do I need to get more specific?

Anything from Shimano with 8 speeds should work. The problems can only start when your cassete's biggest sprocket is too big (you are well under limit).


Trailforks for road bikes? Is there an iPhone app like Trailforks but for road bikes? I'd like to see where paved paths (bikes only, no cars) are located.

Google maps will show you paved trials open to bicycles and roads with dedicated bike lanes.

If you are a Strava user, you can use the route creation tool with heatmap turned on. That highlights bicycle trails very effectively.

Ride with GPS has a bicycle trails overlay in its route planner.

Really, any significant paved bicycle trails in a given location will be easy to find with a simple Google search, for instance searching for 'paved bicycle paths washington dc' turns up all the major paths in the area.


My front dérailleur doesn't shift into the big ring neither in the small one. If I pull the shifter nothing happens I have a Shimano Sora groupset and my bike is 1 year old. I already tried everything with the limit screws and the cable tension but now nothing moves when I pull the shifter.

I'm not sure how to identify the problem and I don't know how to find out if the cable is broken.

Try to set up the derailleur from scratch.

Unscrew the cable clamping bolt to disconnect the cable. If you cannot move the derailleur when the cable is disconnected, the problem is there. If the disconnected cable does not move when you move your shifter, the problem is in the shifter. Check that you can move the derailleur all the way in and out.

If the checks are OK: Connect the cable back with such a tension that the chain on the small chainring is in the middle of the derailleur cage. Then set the limit screws according to common tutorials. There are many tutorials on Youtube and elsewhere. Just search for setting up front derailleur.


No Tourney or Altus parts on Shimano website? Why are there no Tourney or Altus parts on Shimano site, only Acera?

http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/products/mountain/acera_9-speed.html?

Did they stop producing anything less than 9 speed? Or am I searching in the wrong place?

They still exist - they just aren't high enough in quality/product line to appear on the front page for Shimano (i.e. they aren't useful marketing points for Shimano, but you can still order parts in those groups from most cycling retailers - almost everyone who buys Tourney/Altus is an OEM or a bike shop who needs something very cheap for repairing BSO's; In fact, Tourney does appear on the better BSO's now, and Altus on the bottom rung of non-BSO's which is usually upgraded to Acera/Alivio when needed anyway).

Here is the link for Tourney and Altus. If those links don't work, go to this link and select them under the mountain bike drop down.

Also, for what its worth, heres something regarding personal experience: My commuter was a 7 speed bike with Acera trigger shifters. They happened to be damaged, and the only new part on the market for 7 speed was Tourney. The only way I could describe Tourney was "starts with s, ends with t, and the word isn't soot" - wouldn't stay in adjustment, horrible brake feel, etc.

Ended up throwing out the Tourney stuff shortly after, and upgrading to 8 speed and Alivio shifters and brake levers. Its not hard to find the 8 speed Alivio shifters anymore (despite them not being current), and I needed a new freewheel soon anyway (yes, my commuter runs a freewheel, not a cassette), so I took the plunge.


How often should rear suspension frame linkages be serviced? I recently (2015) purchased my first full-suspension mountain bike.  As time goes by it is increasingly making creaking noises when I climb.  Initially I thought it was the press fit bottom bracket but have now come to the opinion it is the frame linkages.  Is it typical maintenance to remove the rear triangle and re-lubricate the pivot points on full-suspension mountain bikes?

No, it's not typical maintenance, but you do have to take it apart to either replace or perhaps just service (degrease and relubricate) the bearings once in a while. Which you do may depend on what you found and how much disassembly of the bike's other systems it took to get there, which has become everything but the fork and front brake on some bikes, where the link and the internal hose/housing/wire routing are tightly intertwined. You do this more for bearing wear than creaks per se in most cases, although a creak may be the symptom that gets you looking.

Riding conditions have a major influence on the level of maintenance required. I live in the US Pacific Northwest, and we have a lot of fine clay soil and moisture that at times seems to create an almost perfect assault on suspension bearings, which would have a much easier life in other regions.

The more common thing to do for creaks is drop light oil or dry lube into the pivots, cleaning as well as possible first to avoid working in grit. Also make sure to keep all the hardware properly torqued. Torquing and lubing is the first thing to check when there's a creak from a linkage pivot.


Techniques to increase average cadence for endurance-riding? According to the Wikipedia entry here:

  Recreational and utility cyclists typically cycle around 60–80 rpm.
  According to cadence measurement of 7 professional cyclists during 3
  week races they cycle about 90 rpm during flat and long (~190 km)
  group stages and individual time trials of ∼50 km. During ∼15 km
  uphill cycling on high mountain passes they cycle about 70 rpm.1
  Sprinters can cycle up to 170 rpm for short periods of time.[citation
  needed]. The professional racing cyclist and Tour de France champion
  Lance Armstrong is known for his technique of keeping up high cadences
  of around 110 rpm for hours on end to improve efficiency.

What are the techniques to improve cadence? I am not targeting this question to touring or long-distance but for endurance-riding, meaning training for longer-distance with higher HF and higher speed. I like to do short repetitions for about 10 minutes with high rpm above 120 but I am not sure whether it is ideal and I am not sure how much resistance I should add during such periods. What kind of exercises do you do? The exercises do not necessarily need to be even on bike, as long as they meet the goal to train endurance-riding with higher cadence over longer time.

I am not sure what the last sentence in the wikipedia means actually: to improve efficiency through cadence? Anyway, I am looking for ways to improve average cadence — perhaps it will improve my efficiency also, not bad thing at all.

Some Perhaps Related questions or Useful Info

How can I improve my stamina?
A-bit-fuzzy and targeted-to-runners article about "faster running and better long-distance results" (using short sprints with hills) but perhaps good training also for cyclists, here
Perhaps helpful about endurance and speed, also about running, question here targeted to younger audience. Not sure whether relevant to improve the cadence.
In running, they have a trendy thing called "barefoot running" or "neutral running", this answer here claims that it can improve the cadence at least for running, no idea whether something like that could work in riding a bike.

If you want to change your cadence, just change it. Take your cruising gear on your bike and calculate what your current cruising cadence is. Let's say you usually cruise at 16mph and your typical cadence is 75. If you want to be at 90, go into a lower gear and try to keep the same speed. This will increase your cadence.

The benefit of a high cadence is that the higher the cadence the more aerobic you are (more cardio, less muscular). This will naturally increase your lung capacity providing increased stamina at any cadence because your vo2 max (google this) will increase with regular cardio sessions.


How to carry Xtracycle by car? What is the best way to mount an Xtracycle to the roof of your car?

Xtracycle has a few suggestions particilary a Thule or RockyMounts Tandem rack.

We have a Mazda CX-9 with factory cross bars.  The problem with Xtracycle's suggestion is it will cost around $800 to buy all that gear.  We are looking for a cheaper option.

We were considering the Sea Sucker Talon.   That looks like it might work.  It will be a task to get the big bike on to the roof of the car but we will only be doing this occasionally.

Our bike is a converted Bianchi which looks similar to this one.  It's around 50+lbs.

If the length of the bike is makes it legal, hitch rack with the bike sticking out would be the cheapest and easiest - You would be no wider than trailers and trucks, but care would be need to remember that. Get a rack fabricated that holds the bike vertically off the hitch, Strop the top roof the rack back to the roof bars. For ideas have a look at here and talk to an engineering shop.

Have a look for ideas to carry tandems - Here is one idea that would work.


Back wheel continuously coming loose I’m a total amateur when it comes to biking... I recently purchased a new Bergamont Summerville N7 and took it out today for the first time longer than an hour (I’ve had it a week and been to the shops twice with no issues)

However today about 40 mins in the back wheel became incredibly stiff. When I looked I noticed the wheel had shifted position and the tyre was rubbing against the kickstand.

After further investigation it was obvious that the left ‘bolt’ attaching the wheel to the frame was loosening no matter how tightly I fixed it. One of the ‘washers’ is different to the other (which is the one causing an issue)

The one causing an issue also seems to be shearing into the frame itself... I have pics but for some reason this won’t let me upload the images.

Any help would be greatly appreciated before I email the store I purchased from.

Thanks in advance

I suspect that the hub bearings are wonky and are causing the axle to twist.  This will tend to unscrew the right side fixing bolt.


Road wheel conversion to single speed wheel I am looking to upgrade the stock wheels on my canondale caad10 rival. It came with a Fulcrum racing set. I was interested in converting this set of wheels for use on my single speed - a surly steamroller with an eno freewheel.

I have seen several options including rebuilding the rear wheel to thread on a single speed hub or just adapting the current hub through spacers to achieve a proper chainline.

I'm searching for a safe, but reliable and cheap conversion. Would anyone have any tips or suggestions for going forward?

[UPADATE] Just to bring some closure, and thanks, I used the front wheel as-is and ended up having a rear wheel built at my LBS. Went in to discuss options and found out they were running a $5 (yes, that's right) labor special. Parts + $5 and I was off and running, or pedaling. Thanks for the assistance, everyone!

The Steamroller has 120mm spacing (i.e. track hub spacing) in the back (based on the 2011 Surly complete catalog). A modern road hub is 130 mm spacing.

My recommendation is to buy a wheel with a 120 mm track hub on it and thread the cog on it -- you could spread (i.e. cold set) the frame in principle (spreading can be done if and only if the frame is steel) to take the 130 mm hub, but I would not recommend it (esp. on a nice Surly frame). Since it is more than a 1 size jump (120->126->130), you pretty much have to do the cold setting if you want to go through with this plan (you may want to get a bike shop to do it, esp. for the fork).

But, if you do choose to take the plunge and spread the frame, the option you should probably take is get a bunch of spacers and a single speed cog and put the spacers on to get the right chain line. Many companies sell "single speed conversion kits", which sell the spacers as well as the cog together for a n-speed cassette hub, which you can get for a fairly low price. Less ideal options include things like just sticking the wheel in as-is (with a multi-speed cassette) and aligning the chain as best as possible, but if you're willing to buy an Eno freewheel, this is silly.


Converting a short cage rear derailleur to a long cage derailleur Is it possible to convert a short cage rear derailleur (for example the Huret Svelto) to a long cage derailleur by just taking the lower cage and replacing it by a longer one?

Yes, if the derailleurs are the same model, and you can get all the parts, (which isn't usually a straightforward process) youcan convert from short cage to long cage.


Why is the steering so twitchy? Steel 90's MTB fork EDIT/UPDATE: I've removed the fork and don't see any sign on impact/damage. Mabye folks on here can spot something that I can't? I think I'll put a new fork on, as I don't see any signs of damage to headset or frame. Still baffled as to how it got so bent. I feel like I would have noticed this last year when I built it up..

I rebuilt this Peugeot last year with modern drive train. Never really rode it and had it stored in the basement - I've gotten it out recently and somethings seems off.. The steering is very twitchy, and I'm not at all able to ride with no hands without promptly tipping.

Visually, the fork appears to be sitting in a far more relaxed position. I have been reading about trail and rake but can't totally wrap my head around it.

Whats going on here? Is my fork bent or is something else out of wack? I've looked up other images of the same frame model and noted that mine definitely seems off.

Picture below:

Short answer - your fork is stuffed.  Stop riding it.

Longer answer - Here's your bike with the main lines drawn on top

And compare that with this approximate equivalent Peugeot bike.  Spot the differences and compare with my list below...

Headtube angle is steeper on your bike - closer to vertical
Negative trail -

A line drawn straight down from your front hub hits the ground at a point.  This is where the tyre touches the ground.
A line drawn down your head tube center line hits the ground after the first line.
This difference is called trail, because the tyre's contact patch "trails" behind the head tube's axis.  Normally, the larger the trail, the more stable your ride is and the more effort it takes to turn. The trail is what helps a bike go straight by default.
Your bike doesn't have positive trail... it has negative trail, or "lead" if you like.  Your bike's head tube angle is continuously pushing the front wheel to a side and you have to actively correct this.

Additionally, notice the top tube slopes down.  That was not done on MTBs where the top tube was horizontal or sloped up to the head tube.  Since the fork is stepped forward at the end, the front is now lower.  As a compromise, someone has fitted a small A bar from a kid's bike into the quill stem.  This weird set of angles will also compromise handling - you've effectively got 20+ centimetres of stem and the handlebars are noticeably higher than your saddle.

Upshot - you're riding a clown bike that is trying to murder you and may fail at any moment with little to no warning.

The fork is your problem - it needs replacing outright.  Once that's done, the existing wheel and brakes should fit up normally.  I'd strongly suggest getting a flat bar not that double-stack - once the fork's fixed then the extra height will be more of a hinderance and you won't want to be sitting up like a dutch bike with your arms straight forward.

Do check the headset bearings too - there's a chance they've been damaged.

There appears to be too much bend there for a safe un-bending.  Steel is nicely flexible but it has bend limits, and you've likely exceeded them with that level of distortion.   If you continue to ride this, the fork is being extra-stressed in the back under the headtube, and this is where it will fail first.

Please ride safe bikes.  Right now, this is not a safe bike.   This bike can be safe again, with work.


What does the chainring have to do with SRAM YAW I'm shopping for 110 BCD chain rings and I noticed that some of the SRAM ones are labeled "YAW FD only".  As far as I can tell the derailleur doesn't touch the chainring so whats so special?  Can I safely use this chainring with a shimano FD?

To quote SRAM on YAW:
"The front derailleur cage rotates to maintain a consistent angular relationship with the chain. Yaw technology eliminates the need for shifter trim. As a result, shifts feel more direct, more precise, and combined with the new Red crankset and chainrings, delivers an unmatched performance advantage in front shifting."
According to Velonews, you can use the chainring* with a Shimano setup, but you might get some chain rub (scroll down to compatibility grades). If you are not running a SRAM Yaw FD, I'd probably just avoid these rings and get normal ones.

See the "Swapping chainrings" section of the same article on issues with the small ring.


Can I replace my mountain bike's back wheel quick release? I was wondering if there is a way to replace my bike's rear quick release with something which would be harder for someone to steal.

At the moment all that someone has to do is pull the leaver and they can take my wheels, so I just wanted something which is safer and can be opened when needed with something like an allen key or something.

Yes. There are many, many products exactly as you describe, with mechanisms ranging from simple hex keys to actual locks. A web search for "theft proof quick release", "anti theft skewer" or something like that should find some of them.


Analysis of Stages high-speed data A while ago Stages added a new feature to their power meter:

  High Speed Data recording added to capture pedaling force (kgf) and torque (Nm) 64 times per second for post ride analysis (.csv format).

I captured part of a short ride with this, which produced data like this:

Timestamp, kgf, Nm
"2014-06-26 19:21:25.025",,
46441, 7.3, 12.2
46473, 7.5, 12.6
46505, 7.9, 13.1
46537, -1.7, -2.8
46569, -2.2, -3.7
46601, -3.5, -5.8
46633, -4.0, -6.7
46665, -4.1, -6.8
46697, -4.2, -7.0
46729, -5.6, -9.3
46761, -6.1, -10.2
46793, -6.8, -11.4
46825, -7.1, -11.8
46857, -4.8, -8.0
46889, -1.1, -1.9
46921, -6.4, -10.7
46953, -10.7, -17.9
46985, -9.0, -15.1
47017, -5.7, -9.4
47049, -6.7, -11.2
47081, -6.8, -11.4
47113, -6.8, -11.4
47145, -7.3, -12.1

(the complete file file, captured with firmware v2.051)

I could well be mistaken, but the data seems either useless or broken to me:

the kgf column is almost exactly equal to the Nm multiplied by 0.6, so both only measuring the torque, not the pedal velocity.. so you cannot recalculate wattage..?
There is no obvious way to tell the angle of the pedal.. so you cannot reliably visualise torque throughout the pedal stroke..?

Is there any interesting analysis that can be done with this data? Searching only finds articles like this and various news items on the release

The raw pedal force or torque data are difficult to work with but you can extract some information from them. First, note that Stages mounts the strain gages (or gauges) permanently to the crank, so the crank length is constant and they know what it is; that means that there is a one-to-one relationship between the kgf and torque columns. In this case, it appears from the given kgf and Nm data that your left crank is 170mm long.

Stages say the data are sent at 64 Hz but note that the timestamps are not all equally-spaced; there are some gaps in the timestamps. In any event, to make things simple, here is a plot of the first 128 kgf samples from your data set (if the data density were truly 64 Hz, these first 128 samples would represent exactly 2 seconds of data):

The data are not stamped with the crank position or crank angle but all is not lost: we can calculate the elapsed time between the peaks of the data. For those same interpeak intervals we can calculate the mean force or mean torque. Dividing the mean torque (in Nm) over each revolution of the cranks by the elapsed time over each crank revolution (in seconds) gives us the average power over each revolution in watts, since a Nm/s is a watt. Note that this will differ from the data usually reported since that is power over a second of time rather than power over a crank revolution. However, note that this is exactly how most power meters currently on the market calculate power: they average torque over a complete crank revolution, then divide it by the elapsed time for a revolution. Most (but not all) power meters currently on the market use a reed switch to determine when the crank passes by a fixed point. Thus, they know the elapsed time between closings of the reed switch and the position of the crank only once per revolution. In addition, although most power meters transmit data to the receiving head unit either once per second or sometimes at a nominal 4 Hz, they generally report the average power over the last completed crank revolution before the scheduled data transmission.

How do we know that this is a valid approach? Below is a plot of torque and crank angle from Kautz's classic study of pedal force and crank torque. From this plot it is clear that the torque peaks only once per crank revolution. Note, by the way, that the Kautz data were collected from an instrumented pedal on only one crank, so the torque is measured only on one side, just as Stages collects only on one side. These data show that the assumption that the torque peaks observed in the data here also only occur once per crank revolution, even though we are plotting against time rather than crank angle. Importantly for this analysis, maximum torque is more easily identifiable than minimum torque. If you look at the first plot above, you can see that maximum torque is (in this sample) single-peaked but minimum torque can sometimes have a "blip" or other anomaly that makes identifying the peak-to-peak interval easier to find than identifying the trough-to-trough interval.

Below I have plotted your data file with the x-axis converted from "Timestamp" to seconds of elapsed time and with torque (in Nm) on the y-axis. For each crank revolution I have done as described above and calculated the mean power in watts between torque peaks, presumably equivalent to crank revolutions. The average power between peaks is shown in red. Note that over one of the intervals the average torque as measured by the left crank was negative -- I have not suppressed or cleaned up the data so that shows up as -20 watts for the period from roughly 14 to 22 seconds on the plot (presumably, your right leg was generating positive torque at that point but we cannot see it). A slightly larger version of the plot below can be seen here.

Note that other power meters (including the Garmin Vector, the Power2Max, and the new Pioneer, among others) use a combination of force-sensing strain gages and acclerometers just as the Stages does to determine force patterns and thus power. In fact, the Power Tap uses only strain gages and elsewhere I have shown that its "virtual cadence" estimated by variations in torque measured at the hub provide a reasonably good estimate of cadence as measured by a dedicated reed switch on the crank. Once again, this supports the approach taken here of using torque or force patterns as a way to determine time taken for a full crank revolution.

Since we calculated the elapsed time for each crank revolution, we can also calculate the cadence (in terms of revolutions per minute). I had calculated 28 values for the power over the 28 interpeak intervals in the plot above. The plot below shows the cadence and average torque for each revolution corresponding to those 28 values, with the cadence and average torque pairs sequentially identified by a number from 1 to 28, indicating which crank revolution is shown (thus, the first combination of cadence and torque is labeled "1", the second by "2" and so on; the point with negative average torque is off the bottom of the plot). The dotted red lines are isopower contours at 100, 150, 200, and 250 watts. As can be seen from the plot, for the first 16 or so peaks, cadence was higher and torque lower than for the final few pedal strokes. That is consistent with the first plot above of torque against time-stamp: you can see that the pedal strokes are farther apart and the torque peaks are higher.

Thus, you can see that even without nominal crank angle, it is possible to reconstruct reasonable estimates of power and cadence from these data, tedious though the effort may be. If your data sample were longer you might want to pass the torque data through a filter to strengthen the "signal" and suppress the "noise," then difference the filtered torque values and look for records where the difference passes zero from above; this will identify a torque peak (this method is essentially the same as examining the first derivative of a function to identify transition points and then examining the second derivative to determine whether the transition point was a maximum or a minimum). Then you can calculate the elapsed time and average torque between peaks as described above to derive power and cadence.

Is there a way to check that the cadence values derived in this way are correct? Not with only these data alone. However, almost all usual Stages data sets will include wheel speed. Wheel speed is typically measured by a reed switch (see this bicycles.stackexchange answer for a description of how speed is measured) and it is possible to use measured speed and estimated cadence to calculate the implied gear ratio. Except for the rare bicycles with continuously variable transmissions, gear ratios are discrete. That means that if you plot the putative gear ratio based on speed and cadence over time, they should fall into easily recognizable discrete rows rather than into a random scatterplot. As an example, below you can see calculated gear ratios based on speed and cadence from a ride. Unfortunately in this plot you cannot see the speed but the measured cadence is shown in the top panel, and you can verify that it is not constant but rather varies up and down. The bottom panel shows the calculated gear ratios and, as expected, they fall into discrete and easily identifiable rows. If the cadences estimated for the Stages high-frequency data were correct, the gear ratios derived from them would both fall into discrete rows and also would coincide with the gear ratios defined by the actual chain rings and cogs on the rider's bicycle. That would provide a check and validation of the method of estimating cadence from the peak-to-peak intervals.

In summary, these data are not easy to work with but, evidently surprisingly to many, it is still possible to glean some information from them. In combination with other information that will probably be available from the usual Stages data files (speed and power) you could verify that this approach produced the correct high-frequency torque values to be consistent with the 1-second data. Then you could use the torque values to examine application of power around the pedal stroke with some amount of confidence that the data were complete and consistent.


Tri bike or track bike? I am in the verge of buying an Argon18 E-114.

Can anyone please advise me as to whether it is a track or a triathlon bike?

Looking at the hub spacing on the rear and the bb height it seems to be a track bike. The seller says it is a tri bike.

The manufacturer has uploaded a video for the E114 stating that it is a triathlon bike.

             Argon18 Video on youtube.


flat tyre even after replacing the tube? So I bought a used Specialized Sirrus 2011 model as my first bike (so I'm new here) recently and I love riding it, light weight, smooth handling and comfy to ride. Rear wheel was flat when I bought it so guy gave me some money to replace the tube.

I took the bike home and removed the tyre (tyre size is 700*28cc), took out the tube and I could see a puncture on the tube when I inflate it. Was quite happy as I found the reason for the flat tyre. I replaced the tube ride for about 30 mins and put it back in the garage. But on the very next day, the tyre was flat again.

I took the tube out, inflated it but couldn't find a puncture. So I left the inflated tube for few hours and could see that it's deflated a bit. I checked the rim to see if there are any spokes sticking out and no, seems it's all good. Couldn't find anything on the tyre as well.

So anyway, I inflated even more, hoping to find the puncture in the tube. I was squeezing the tube and it got BLASTED!

Now I'm wondering what to do? Should I try with another tube? Also the given that the rear tyre is quite worn out and could see wear marks (rubber on the top center has brown color here and there), and has fibres coming out from sidewalls.

If I put a new tyre and a tube, this should solve my issue right? As there are no visible spoke problem with the rim. This's driven me really impatient, what should I do?

Start by replacing your tyre.  If you can see any part of the fibres at all, then it is long overdue replacing!  Buy a new tube too.

Then, inspect the rim and rimtape, if anything looks like it may chafe or cause an issue, then repair / replace it.

Tubes go flat if left for a long time in any case. If you buy a decent tube, they will keep their pressure for longer. I only buy Schwalbes for my roadie and easily pay more than $10 a tube, but I ride competitively, and I know that they will keep their pressure for at least a month before needing topping up.


ID a funky (old?) very distinctive bike This bike I found on a Brazilian mountain bike Instagram page, they caption it as a bow and arrow with wheels.

Anyone ever seen this strange looking beauty before? I can't quite tell but it might be an early folding bike. I'm saying is old because it's got a rod brake.

This is a very old military bike, estimates say circa 1898, credited to a French officer and cycling advocate Captain Gerrard (although actually probably designed by someone else). It is indeed a folding bike, one of the first of its kind. Soldiers on bicycle were a relatively common thing prior to the first world war. Lots more information here, The BSA & Military Bicycle Museum ; and here Captain Gerard history


I'm looking for a chainring compatible with bb86 I'm trying to invest in a new powermeter (never had one) but my current cranks are FSA Gossamer which are no longer in stock by most. I looked at power2max and they don't have a compact chainring. Is there a list/chart with chainring compatibilities? If not is it possible to use a bottom bracket adapter to something more common? (like shimano 105 5800?)

I'm not sure about a list of chainring compatibilities.
I had a similar issue when I wanted to upgrade my drivetrain. My BB30 wasn't compatible with the DA9000 crankset, so I had to buy an adapter. Shimano makes an adapter for the BB86 if you'd like to buy a new crank based power meter, however, it may be worth investing in a pedal or hub based power meter instead as drivetrain changes can be finicky. As a side note, I've never had any problems with my BB30 Adapter and I've been running it for a little under a year. Good luck!


Chain repeatedly tries to click into place without gear change While pedalling, every 10 seconds or so, the chain on my bike makes the sound it makes during a gear shift - it "clicks", as if it's clicking into place in the new gear. But there is no gear shift going on - it just skips periodically as I pedal.

It feels as if I briefly lose control, so I'd like to fix this before the problem gets worse. What could be causing this?

Since this occurs every 10 seconds, this leads to believe that you have a frozen link in your chain or a defective link in your chain.

If it were a cable or dérailleur adjustment, it would occur all the time while pedalling. The pause leads me to think that the chain is fine when continuing around the big sprockets in the front, but when it gets to the cassette and dérailleur, the size of the cogs and the angle at which the chain is being bent causes the stiff link to manifest itself.

As something you can fix at home (in the event of a stiff link), lube the chain with any bicycle lube.

If that doesn't help it, you probably have a defective link and the bicycle should be brought to the local bike shop.

Best of luck!


Why does my chain slips when I put pressure on my pedals When I get on my bike and put pressure on my pedals or stand up and pedal, my chain slips. I want to know what the problem is so I can fix it myself as I don’t have a lot of money for a bike shop to fix it. Any help would be appreciated.

My whole chain slips when I put pressure on my mountain bike's pedals. I have a 3 speed at front and 7 speed on the rear.

Bike is approximately 5/6 years old. it happens on all gear combinations but happens mostly in front 2nd gear. And it steadily happened and got worse over time. Chain has not been replaced.

These are things I have experienced that have caused chain skipping under load:

Running a new chain with a worn cassette
Rear derailleur out of adjustment
Badly worn chainring
Freehub engagement problem

The last one isn't actually the chain skipping, but it feels similar


Possible to utilize magnets only to spin a bike front wheel for a longer duration (less drag)? Possible to engineer a new front bike wheel hub that would spin more freely, and for a longer duration, due to the use of magnets ?
The mechanical advantage is (not motor) and uses magnetic forces only. The objective is less friction, and more rotational force, to therefore enable the wheel to spin more freely and for longer duration.

sadly, no.
You cannot use permanent magnets alone (it's a physic impossibility, a consequence of Earnshaw's Theorem). You need to lawyer your way out of it, which you can do either by removing "permanent" (i.e. employ active electromagnets also; this is what is commonly done with magnetic suspensions for lamps etc.) or by removing "alone".
it has been pointed out to me that Earnshaw's Theorem only holds with ferro- and paramagnetic sources. The addition of diamagnetic materials does allow stable configurations with permanent magnets alone. Werner Braunbeck's trick, though, only holds with diamagnetic materials, and those have a strength that's whole orders of magnitude below high-flux rare earth ferromagnets. So, unless the wheel is large enough to support a half ton of diamagnetic bismuth shield, I'm afraid passive levitation isn't a thing for bikes.
Earnshaw's Theorem actually applies to a whole class of forces, so you can use no combination of those to wiggle out of "alone". No electrostatic fields, no gravitational fields. You're pretty much left with superconducting pinch-effects and, again, mechanical bearings (you can replace a mechanical bearings assembly with permanent magnets as long as you keep at least one bearing).
You could have a spokeless, hubless wheel where the weight is borne by magnets between an inner rim and the tyre, with mechanical bearings to keep the two rims aligned (the bearings would only be subject to lateral forces). This allows the magnets to spread out the weight and thus exert a minimum force.
And at this point you need to keep grit out of the space between the magnetic poles. You need a seal, and that's going to need to be mechanical, and problems with friction will resurface. Also, the magnets will be heavy. A toroidal N41 magnet, circularly magnetized (north pole in the hole, south on the periphery), 4cm wide, 2cm thick and 5cm of inner radius, weighs about six kilograms; you need another wider segment to stay above, and that will probably weigh two to three kilos; this will get you a repulsion of around 200 kg, i.e., unless you thrust 2000 newton of force downwards, the magnets won't touch. One advantage is that it will double as suspension. A big disadvantage is that anything magnetic will be attracted to the hub with great force (you can harm yourself pretty severely with those kind of babies).


Broken bottom bracket? Pedals are pretty loose Unlike the rest of the broken bottom bracket questions, my bottom bracket does not make any noise or feel like anything is grinding.

There is about 1/2cm of play left to right that i can see on the top chainring. I can definitely feel it being loose.

What is the worst amount of damage that I can do to my bike riding like this? (assuming that I dont fall off and die etc because of this little matter)

The bracket itself is new(ish) it was installed there about a year ago, but I did ride 50 miles per week on it since.

What could have caused this to happen? My best guess right now is that someone did this to my bike because I park it out doors while I am at work.

edit:
My level of expertise in that area of the bike is pretty low, so here is a video of what is happening:

(set quality to HD)

I noticed that on the side of my chainrings there is a noticeable gap between the seal and the bottom bracket.

So what is going on here?  and more importantly can I fix it myself without special tools

Can I expect any kind of a warranty from the bike shop who put this in a year ago ?

Solved:
Took out the bottom bracket.  It is fine and so are the cranks. The threads on the frame are not fine though. I need a new frame :P

Here's a quick test. Grab the crank arm that you say is moving and wiggle it. Does the arm on the other side move? If so, you've probably got a bottom bracket problem. The answer then depends on whether you have a sealed or loose bearing botton bracket. As mentioned previously, a sealed shouldn't do this after 2600 miles. (Neither should a loose bearing, but it is more likely).

If the other arm is not moving, then the one wiggling is probably coming off of the bottom bracket spindle (the axle). The spindle may be rounded off, or the crank arm may be rounded off. The only way to really tell is to take it off and see. This probably means that it wasn't installed securely in the first place.