Why are bicycles priced the way they are? This question may not fit the criteria here.
Feel free to close or edit it.

I spent six hundred dollars Canadian funds on a Norco Yorkville Hybrid.
The rationale being that for that price I would get better than an entry level bike. It's a retirement gift to myself. I deserve better than an ordinary bike after forty plus years work.

Now it has become evident that while it is a good bike it is rather ordinary. I look around and see riders spending one,two and almost three grand for what they want. Is this just a case of buyers remorse?
I like the Yorkville. It is nice looking but I wanted something special.A bike that performs better than average.
Why are bikes priced the way they are?

Simply put, you are paying for the research and development that it takes to produce the top end framesets and groupsets. It takes a lot of time, trial, drafting, creating, testing, and reiteration of all the above steps to create a marketable product that also performs. (To some extent, you are also paying for the free product that goes to sponsored teams, but that is much smaller slice of the pie).

The good news, especially if you are working from a limited budget, is that you don't necessarily need the top end, current year models, unless you are intending on riding it for quite some time, or you really do need the small edge that the latest and greatest will give you.

The reason for this is that technology trickles down year after year, and/or you can purchase top of the line a couple years later for a much cheaper price. I don't know the exact rate at which technology does move down, but the current SRAM Force group (Their mid range groupset), is probably just as good or better than the Red groupset of a few years ago, because as the Red group evolves to be better, they don't get rid of the older tech, it just bumps down a level and becomes Force, and the old Force bumps down to Apex, etc etc. (That is very simplified, but basically true). Or, because you don't need that slight edge, you can buy a used group a couple years down the line for much less than new.

The same holds true for bike frames. While the newest framesets have all the aerodynamic and construction/design tweaks that hours in the wind tunnel produce, you can easily get a top of the line frame from a few years ago and reap most of the advantages that you would need. For a long time, the gold standard in triathlon frames was the Cervelo P3, which outperformed just about every frame around, even 4-5 years after initial release.

Yes, it's always fun to get the new shiny, but unless you are at the pointy end of the spectrum, you will get much more bang for your buck buying a few years old.


How do I know which size and type of rim strip to buy? I have a Gary Fisher mountain bike. I was changing the tube in my rear tire. The rim strip (rubber lining around the wheel to protect the tube from the spokes) had moved a bit so I went to adjust it and it broke at the hole made for the valve. I've never shopped for this part before. How do I know what size to buy? Are there different types? My tube size is 26 inches.

There are a couple of types of rim tape available:

Cloth - This has a glue backing and is very long lasting.  If you need to replace a spoke nipple, depending on the age of the tape, you will most probably have to also replace the tape since it will no longer stick to the rim.
Rubber - This is continuous loop of rubber (stretchy) and the stretch is what holds the tape in place.  As it ages there is a tendency for the area around the valve stem hole to break.  The rubber can also perish or become brittle with age.
Plastic - This is a slightly stretchy plastic in a continuous loop that can be slipped over the outer rim.  I found that the tapes have issues as they age with cracking, particularly when you are using high pressure tyres.  You can get little splits in the tape just above the holes of the rim.

My personal favourite is the cloth tape, over time they have been the most dependable.

It is very important to get the right width of rim tape.  If the tape is too narrow you can get the tube being pinched into the rim hole, or cut by the hole.  If the tape is too wide then you can get the tyre being lifted of the rim when at high pressure (not instantaneous and leads to a huge bang).

I know you can get both the cloth and rubber tapes in various widths for the various wheel sizes, so shop around to get the right one for your wheels.


Cable pull, indexing of Shimano's IGH vs. deraileur What's the exact cable pull and indexing of

Shimano Alfine SG-S700
SRAM G8/9
Shimano ROAD RD-5800
SRAM Force Rear dérailleur
other...

The idea is to use ST-RS505 brifter with an IGH. Not entirely impossible as it seems.

Whatever you may read this CAN'T work properly simply because the gaps between each of the shifts are different on the Shimano Alfine SG-S700, there are THREE different gaps. The only shifters not made by Shimano to operate this hub properly are:

Jtek 11 Speed Bar End Shifter

and:

11 Speed Microshift Inter11 STI Levers


Aluminum seatpost stuck to a steel frame I'm trying to free my aluminum seatpost corroded to a CrMo frame. One of the methods is to heat the aluminum seatpost and then to let it cool. In theory, the aluminum will expand twice as fast as steel and hence the expansion/contraction should crack the bond.
Some recommend using a blow torch or even boiling water. I don't have access to a blow torch, but was wondering if there was something better than boiling water.
Recipe for disaster?

I have an identical problem, having been rinding the bike without seat clamp for more than two years now.

I suppose you have already read something about it, if not I recommend Sheldon Brown on the subject. But I must warn you that the ammonia theory didn't work for me, and I tried ammonia on some aluminum sample parts without any visible effect (corrosion, oxide removal, whatever).

The problems are:

Aluminum oxide occupies more space than pure aluminum. This, oxidation of aluminum posts create EXTRA VOLUME inside the seat tube, and this can create huge forces;
Aluminum and steel create a GALVANIC PAIR of metals, inducing electrolytic reaction between them, with dire consequences as you have already noticed.

I believe the solution, failing the chemical approach, must be oriented towards two possibilities:

Dilation, a drastic one, but TO THE COLD! Since aluminum dilates more than steel, you should FREEZE the seatpost, by pouring some very very cold substance inside. Liquid nitrogen (frostbite danger), dry ice (perhaps not cold enough) and CO2 cartridges (doesn't remain inside for too long) are good candidates. Perhaps if you wrap a towel around the seat tube, pour boiling water on it, then pour the freezing stuff of your preference inside the seat tube, you'll crack the bond indeed, as you planned.
Total mechanical disintegration. You'd look for some heavy machining tools (lathes and all) and eat the post from inside. Some damage to the inner surface of the seat tube is very probable.

I don't believe too much in brute force if the seatpost is frozen inside for too long (more than three months since last "movement"), but skilled shop owners have been asuring me that it is possible (I didn't go all the way with this for now because fortunately the current seat height is working and I don't want to risk being too many days without the bike).

Hope this helps, send some feedback if you get some result!


Accessory mount extender for curved bar: stem bolts vs double clamp I've recently got a Giant Revolt 0, 2020. Obviously, I need lights for it, so I bought the Spanninga Axendo 60 front light. That is where the story begins :)
Namely, it turned out, that the "straight" section of the bar isn't actually straight, but has a slight angle (like, it's not 180 degrees, but, say 200 degrees). Which means, that when I mount the light on the bar, it illuminates one side of the road, not the area in front of me - quite noticeably so.
My rough sketch below hopefully gives a better idea of what I'm trying to describe.

The problem got me thinking and googling, and I found out about the existence of extender mounts. These seem to solve my problem - almost. So here are my options as I see them:

Extenders mounted via double clamps (like this one). My concerns here:

The angle of the bar will likely interfere with parallel mounting of the parallel clamps

Stem-bolt mounted extenders (like this one). Seems to be the better option for my situation: can be mounted as is, without bending stuff; also such a mount looks significantly more stable.
Concerns here:

will the bolts hold the light?
there are very few of these around, unfortunately

It would be great to hear your opinions and recommendations! Thanks in advance

------------------ UPD ------------------
Much as it hurts my pride to admit it, the light does have the necessary tilt adjustment. Thanks for all the comments nevertheless!

Most batery lights can be tilted a few degrees. The mount of your Spanninga light looks exactly as if it may be tilted as well. Check by removing the light, and look for a screw inside the bracket. If there is one in the centre, sligthly loosen it, tilt the light, and tighten again.
If the bracket cannot be tilted, consider to return the light. It appears you bought it most recently and might still return it. Then get one of the countless lights that can be adjusted properly. That will be cheaper, nicer, and more reliable than improvising a mount that fits.
I do not recommend to mount anything to stem bolts. That may work well, however, in the slim chance that it doesn't the consequence could be serious. I rather do not introduce another source of failure to fasteners of my bars and stem. If you need it at the stem, get a stem with a dedicated light mount. They are available in limited sizes and tend to be expensive premium products.
A utility bar clamped with two clamps will be even more difficult to mount as they would mount to angled bars.


Cantilever cable adjustment device I'm about to build up a frame (Motobecane Fantom CX) with cantilevers and drop bars. I plan to use my old Campy 9-speed levers. Obviously, those levers don't have any way of adjusting the cable length - so I'll have to add some way to adjust it. I know I can buy a front cable hanger with an adjusting barrel, so that takes care of the front. It's the rear that I can't figure out: this frame already has a cable stop for the rear brake, so I don't think I even have the option of installing one of those adjustable hangers on the seat bolt. I think what I need is some sort of adjusting barrel that can fit into the existing cable stop - does such a thing exist? If not, how can I make one?

You can get in-line cable housing adjusters.

A pair is listed on http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/cable-hardware-brake.html, part CAH32. I think those are made by jagwire, and they should be available at virtually any bike shop.

edit: those inline adjusters are for derailleur cables only. Use this http://harriscyclery.net/product/qbp-mickey-cable-barrel-adjuster-1061.htm for brake cables. It goes in the cable stop. Being a QBP product, you should also be able to obtain those at virtually any local bike shop.


SRAM Cassette on Campy Wheels I wrecked my current wheel set in a crash and am considering purchasing a set of Campy Hyperons from a friend. AFAIK the wheels are stock and haven't been tweaked in any way.

I would like to know if I can use my current SRAM PG 1071 cassette with these wheels or if I'll need to also buy a new cassette to play nice with the Campy hub.

Campagnolo wheels are available with both Shimano/SRAM and Campagnolo cassette compatible freewheel bodies. Ask which cassette your friend has and if they have Campagnolo, you can get the correct freehub body as a spare part.

SRAM/Shimano and Campagnolo cassettes have slightly different cog spacing. You can mix them, but the derailleur adjustment will be slightly off.


Is it safe to use a spacer that reaches above the steerer tube? I have a spacer that reaches from the top of the stem and over the top of the steerer tube. I am able to lock it down with the top cap, but I was wondering if it is safe to ride like this, or if I should get a smaller spacer so that the spacer and top cap is flush with the top of the steerer tube. The picture below illustrates the situation (hopefully).

You actually need something sticking up above the top of your steer tube. It can be either a spacer or the stem itself. This is because the top cap squeezing down onto the stem/spacer stack is what keeps the headset bearings snugly in their cups. If the top cap is flush with the steer tube, there will be play in the headset which is bad.

Park Tools has a very detailed set of instructions about headsets that you might want to look over. The following image is from those instructions and shows the amount of space that you need. More than that is acceptable as well, as long as it's not so much that the stem or spacer at the top is barely holding on. In your case, as long as the steer tube protrudes 2/3 of the way through your top spacer, you're probably ok. If you shuffle it around and put the stem on top of the stack, you'll want to make sure that the steer tube is well above the pinch bolts.


What bottom bracket fits a Truvativ E450 crank? My bike has a crank that is so cheap that you won't find it mentioned on SRAM's web pages. This cheap crank is a Truvativ E450, and it has a square taper bottom bracket that is worn out and needs replacement. I have however noticed that there are multiple types of square taper bottom brackets, and since SRAM's web pages provide no useful information I was wondering if anyone could answer what kind of bottom bracket this crank uses?

It's just an older style of BB. It's a square taper BB. Simply remove it and it should indicate width of the axle and the cup size (very likely 68mm). Then go order a Shimano BB-UN52 for less than $20 online. It'll outlast the rest of the bike. BTW, you can still find these cranksets on ebay. Good luck!


What brand is this handlebar stem? I just purchased a used bike recently and I am curious to the make of my handlebar stem.
Would anyone be able to identify the brand logo?

I believe that's the logo for Dyno which was acquired by GT in the '80s.


Resistance for different gear ratios Why are some gear ratios more difficult to pedal than others on a bicycle.
It feels as though I’m missing some very simple piece of reasoning!

To add to Nathan's correct answer, the concept at work here is mechanical advantage. Different gear ratios offer different mechanical advantages, and let you divide or multiply your torque to suit different conditions.

It's the same with a car: you pull away from a stop in 1st gear in a car, not 4th, because the engine doesn't have enough torque to manage it in 4th.


Identify my rear aero brake I'm looking to buy a new aero brake, after the noodle holder on my old set has snapped (and apparently i need to replace the whole thing).
Problem is that i can't find the model anywhere.  I've looked at the trp T925 and trp 925.1, but I'm pretty sure that it's not the same.
As a starting point, it came from a felt b16 (2016/2017 i think) (responses from their european branch have been limited, i assume due to the current climate).
Here are some pictures:

Any help is appreciated!

It looks like the T822. But I don't think you necessarily need an exact replacement. Shimano, Campagnolo, and other companies have made bottom-bracket direct-mounted brakes as well, and any of them would probably be a drop-in replacement, although clearance could be tight. I think the T850 would also work.


What is guttering the peloton Rider_X refers to "guttering the Peleton" in his answer to this question.

What is "Guttering the peloton"?

Bicycle racing is both about taking whatever small advantages you can, and putting your opponents in as disadvantageous a situation as possible. It's easy to understand this when there is a headwind; in that case, you get the most protection when you are drafting someone else. However, when there is a crosswind, the favored position isn't exactly behind the rider in front. In that case, depending on the strength of the wind and the speed of the peloton, the best position is behind and slightly alee of the rider ahead. Thus, if the wind is coming from left to right, the favored position is behind and slightly to the right of the rider ahead. This is called an echelon, and the riders will be arrayed diagonally from the left side of the road over to the right edge of the road, and they will rotate counterclockwise. If the wind is from the right, everything is reversed. However, the size of the echelon is limited by the width of the road. At some point the echelon is spread across the road and there will be riders in single file right against the right side of the road. Those riders are "in the gutter," and they are not nearly as protected from the wind as the riders in the echelon; their future is bleak unless they can somehow get into echelon.

A strong coordinated team can wreak a lot of havoc on opponents in a strong cross wind. They will put the entire team on the front and make the echelon just barely wide enough for the team, and will place a "gatekeeper" at the end of the echelon to prevent other riders from sneaking in. This will "gutter" the rest of the peloton. Smart riders will start forming new echelons behind the original.

Related Image from team sky.

A video explanation and example is available from Eurosport here.


Changing the wheels on a hybrid giant escape I have a spare set of Giant SR2 wheels lying around and I was thinking about buying a Giant Escape 3 and changing the wheels over.

Would there be any issue with doing this?

Cheers!

It will work fine provided you put an appropriate speed cassette on it -- they have the same hub spacing, both are 700c and both ship with Shimano compatible freehubs (so you can indeed put an appropriate cassette on both of them).


Changing Crankset on a bicycle I have a fixed gear BTwin My Bike White.

I need to upgrade but the resale value is too low for it.

So I was thinking of adding gears to it which might click the real deal for me.

Can I convert it to a 3 speed front crankset and 5 speed rear gear bicycle? (in total 15 speed bike)

You've got two basic problems: namely the spacing of the rear dropouts, and the style of the dropouts. You've got a smaller problem of the chainline.

If (and only if) your frame is steel, you can respace the frame. Otherwise, you're limited to hubs that fit within the existing frame spacing. Given I assume your bike has rear facing horizontal ("track") dropouts your best bet would be an internal hub. Shimano make/made a number of 3-speed hubs that fit 120mm track spacing (on hubs this is called the over-locknut distance or OLD.

Assuming the bike doesn't have cable eyelets, adding a front derailleur is much harder. You need something for the cable outer to provide a reaction force against, else the cable will have no tension. Cheaper vintage bikes used to have clamp on cable hangers, but I've not seen anything like this for sale.

Be aware that whatever you decide to do, this is potentially a very big/expensive project. You may well be better off with a second hand vintage 10-speed.


WD40 on Single-Speed Chain Simple Question: May I use WD40 to lubricate my single-speed chain? Does it not have any negative effects in terms of the chain performance and biking in general?

AFAIK WD40 would clean, but won't lubricate. And generally isn't really meant for bikes. Also one should be very careful with WD40 around wheel rims and breaks for obvious reasons.

As to the lubrication I've been told in a shop to use a lubricant after every ride (I live in Ireland, YMMV). Wipe the dirt, drop a drop of the lubricant on every link, wipe it again.


New chain, skipping off small sprocket in front when under load Got a new chain, for ten speed rear cassette. Slightly shorter than old chain, but can still reach large sprocket, large cassette ring, although tight.  Skipping off small sprocket in front under load.  Is there an adjustment possible or do I need a new front sprocket?

The small chainring in your picture looks fairly worn - not bad but not good.
I can't see much of the big chainring to make a judgement there.
Here's a silhouette of a sector of new chainring, with this one piece mirrored left-for-right.

Compare this with yours:

The top photo has a definite "up and to the right" look while the flipped second image has a "up and to the left" look.
its not a straight-on photo but you get the idea.
As a test, you can try flipping the chainring, but this will mess up the horizontal offset so can't really be ridden like this with indexed gears.  If you have friction gears this may work.   Also the chainring bolts may not seat very well against the other side - this is only a suggestion to help test the wear of the chainring teeth.


What inner tube do I need for this tyre? Can anyone tell me what spec inner tube I need for this tyre? I discovered the one I'd previously bought didn't look fat enough when I got my first puncture with it the other day, now I'm in the process of getting the kit I need to quickly fix punctures on the way to work.

Thanks very much!
John.

Looks like 28 x 1 3/8 (although I did have to squint a bit!), or 700 x 35 if you prefer metric. I think they're pretty standard, I seem to remember having a hybrid that had this size wheel.

For example, the first result on a google search shows one on Amazon. That particular one is a Kenda but I'd lay odds that all the main manufacturers will make this size.

As regards an on-the-road fix, I carry a repair kit (glue & patches) but to be honest would only use if absolutely necessary. Its pretty cheap, and certainly easier, to carry a spare tube. That plus a couple of levers, plus a small pump or CO2, should get you home. I like to carry some disposable latex gloves as well, just to minimise how mucky I get.

If you start getting regular punctures, look more at what tyres you're riding.


Bought a Vintage Bianchi 1985 road racer, came with Shimano 600, can I easily turn it into index shifting? As my title says bought a:

Bianchi 1985 vintage in almost mint condition
Shimano 600, 12 speed (2x6) with freewheel, friction shifters
I'd like to turn it into an index shifter.

Do I just swap out to index shifters Shimano 6 speed?
And then get a Shimano SIS rear derailleur, and I'm golden? Are there different sizes I should know about?

Any suggestions? Anything else I should know?
I'll be happy if that's "simple". I'll try to tune it up as much as possible if not bring it to a bike shop. I'm very new to modding things and starting to learn and try things myself.

Thanks in advance!

Some pictures of the levers and the RD may be welcome and clarify the situation.

Shimano 600 was an indexed shifting system and stands at the beginning of the Ultegra line of products. It can be switched from friction to index by turning the toggle at the side of the right down-tube lever (if you have the original Shimano 600 levers). However if you have standard friction levers you'll have to find a pair of original 2x6 levers. Although the 2x6 thing bothers me a bit as the 1980s Shimano 600 tri-color that I own is 2x8 and cassette type instead of freewheel. It suggests that there are some non-original bits in your recent acquisition. Pictures please!

Indexing happens in the command levers, there is no such thing as an indexed rear derailleur. So there is no need for acquiring a different RD if it is indeed a 600.


Website with bicycle only paths in Europe? Does anyone know of a website that has a map of bicycle paths in Europe that are bike/walkers only, i.e. no cars?

OpenStreetMap (a collaborative project to create a free editable map of the world) has a very up to date and accurate cycle route layer available. I have used it before in Europe to plan large trips.  There are also lots of online add-on services that allow you to use the cycling OpenStreetMap to plan cycling routes and run them either on smart phones or on GPS cycling computers. Garmin has even used the service to create the specialized maps on their Edge GPS cycling computers.

Some example services include:

BikeRouteToaster
Garmin Connect
... more to come (or add them in the comments)

As a side note, other proprietary services such as Google maps also have good (and constantly improving) cycling maps.  I however personally find OpenStreetMap is a little more up-to-date and accurate, likely due to the fact anyone can submit a fixes and new pathways.


Fixed-gear vs single-speed for clipless pedals I currently ride a single-speed bike with a flip-flop hub, both for my daily commute and for pleasure/exercise a couple nights a week. I've decided to pick up my first set of clipless pedals and shoes. I've never used toe-clips of any kind or ridden a fixed-gear so I'm curious if I should consider switching to a fixed gear setup.

My commute runs through the city and hits several intersections where I'm stopped by red lights. I know with a fixed-gear I could learn to track stand at intersections, but I'm unsure whether that's easier than clipping-out/in at red lights. Conversely, the same commute involves a large hill that I can't pedal fast enough to keep up with, and I don't know how difficult it would be to control my speed with a fixed-gear.

I'm not sure if there is a non-subjective answer to this, but I'm basically wondering if there is a case for or against fixed-gear instead of single speed with clipless pedals.

Track standing at intersections is more about showing off than about being quick off the stop line. By the time you can track stand consistently (btw, you can learn to do this on a freewheel bike, too), you will have mastered clipless pedals and you'll be able to clip and unclip very quickly. Other than that, riding fixed vs. SS is a matter of taste. Do you like to coast down hills?


Blood sugar spikes from high GI foods - a problem? I read a lot of people saying you shouldn't fuel with sugary/high GI (Glycaemic Index) foods, as you'll get a blood sugar spike, an insulin release to cope with it, and then a subsequent blood sugar crash afterwards that will leave you feeling crap and with little energy. I can understand this if you're just sat on a sofa doing nothing, but have there been any studies monitoring blood sugar in cyclists/athletes as they take in something like energy drinks and exercise at medium-high intensity?
The body can apparently absorb 60-90g of carbs an hour - is there a problem with taking on that amount of carbs in one go (e.g. a common combination of maltodextrin/glucose/fructose) and then cycling for an hour, rather than spreading it over an hour?
I've tried riding with low GI foods and they just didn't seem to give me enough oomph, maybe okay for relaxed touring but I tend to like making progress even if I'm not racing. The boost from an energy drink or handful of dates doesn't last too long, granted, but I can definitely feel it when it's there.

During a short ride you mostly fuel with pure sugars and as simple as possible - so mainly glucose in gels. For longer events you also want more complex sugars that take longer, but still mostly carbs - rice cakes, croissants, sandwiches, musli (granola) bars.
You are correct that you cannot sustain a long ride (a road race) just from the glucose gels, you will get hungry. But it is possible for short two hour or slightly longer events. Professionals in Ski Classics mostly only use energy gels and drinks for the long-distance skiing. Cyclocross events are one hour or less and you won't see any eating during that, just some drinks or perhaps a gel.
It is impossible to overeat when going full gas. Your concern is to give your body enough fuel in frequent small doses.
Large amounts of proteins and especially fats are too difficult to digest during the race, you have them later for dinner.
You were asking for studies and this one should be of interest for you: International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutrient timing
I select just one paragraph:

Extended (> 60 min) bouts of high intensity (> 70% VO2max) exercise
challenge fuel supply and fluid regulation, thus carbohydrate should
be consumed at a rate of ~30–60 g of carbohydrate/h in a 6–8%
carbohydrate-electrolyte solution (6–12 fluid ounces) every 10–15 min
throughout the entire exercise bout, particularly in those exercise
bouts that span beyond 70 min. When carbohydrate delivery is
inadequate, adding protein may help increase performance, ameliorate
muscle damage, promote euglycemia and facilitate glycogen
re-synthesis.

They recommend every 10-15 minutes.
It is supported in the article body:

For example, Fielding and colleagues [50] required cyclists to ingest
the same dose of carbohydrate every 30 min or every 60 min over the
course of a four-hour exercise bout. When carbohydrate was ingested
more frequently, performance was improved.


Adding a derallieur hanger extender So I have bought a bike but the easiest gear on the cassette is a 30 tooth and the derailleur is a short cage derailleur, the chain keeps falling off this gear and back to the next easiest gear, is this the limit screws and if so which one, or is it the short derailleur and if so should I get a derailleur hanger extender?

Firstly, like what @Michael has said, I recommend dialling in the settings for the derailleur first.
The limit screws can be dialled in easily, and there are numerous guides online, especially from Park Tool.
The B screw is one that you need to play around with too. You need to ensure that the guide pulley wheel actually clears your 30tooth sprocket, and have at least 3mm of space in between.
Secondly, like what @Criggie has said, because it's a new bike, there's sort of a breaking in period for the cables. New cables tend to get "stretched" in the first few rides, therefore losing tension. The loss in tension might be what causes the derailleur to not be able to push the chain up to the 30tooth.
It's easy to re-tension your cable, and there are guides online, such as those from Park Tool as well.
Typically, you can simply turn the barrel adjuster anti-clockwise to increase the tension. But that is for micro-adjustment. If there's a need for heavier tension, it can only be done by undo-ing the cable pinch bolt, and pulling the cable, then pinching the cable again.
Thirdly, is your derailleur hanger aligned? A good way to check is to backpedal. If the chain falls off to a different sprocket when back-pedalling, then it might mean that the hanger is bent. A bent hanger is common, from crash or just bumps onto the derailleur itself. It wreckeds up the indexing of the derailleur, and it could be why the derailleur cannot clear the 30tooth sprocket.
It's easy to fix a bent hanger, just use a big adjustable spanner to bent it back into place (at your own discretion). Or else get those hanger alignment tools such as the Park Tool DAG-3 to bent it back. Otherwise get a new hanger.
Lastly, on the topic of new hanger, a hanger extender might not be the best solution to clear bigger sprockets. I don't know the make of your bike or the hanger compatibility, but a rule of thumb is that the derailleur cage should be as short as possible to accommodate the biggest sprocket you are going to use to avoid compromising shifting performance.
For example, the Shimano 105 R7000 derailleurs. It comes in 2 sizes, the R7000-SS short cage for clearance up to 30teeth, and the R7000-GS medium cage for clearance up to 34teeth. If I am using a 28teeth sprocket, I will choose the short cage version as if the cage is too long the shifting might be compromised.
*but it could just be purely marketing for product proliferation
Point is that whatever your bike came spec'ed with, it is probably the spec'ed that works.
Hopefully this helps, I believe that it might be good to play around the settings on the derailleur first!
Nevertheless, a derailleur hanger extender might be a good choice too, because a new bike part a day keeps the crashes away.


How do I remove this style of bottom bracket? I am attempting to remove and replace the bottom bracket from a cheapish 1970s American department store road bike. I've gotten the lockring off, and now the non-drive side looks like this:

[Whoops, I definitely took photos of the drive side by mistake. You can look at them if you want: head-on view of drive side, angled view of drive side.]

The situation on the non-drive side is similar, but the only photo I have right now is slightly less clear:

That photo's from a few days ago and I have since gotten the lockring off the usual way. What's the tool or technique that will let me get the bottom bracket cup itself out? My shop doesn't have a bottom bracket tool with notches like this, nor have I seen one online. I tried a pin spanner to no avail. It's difficult to see in the photos, but the sides of the notches in the BB are somewhat sloped, so the pins don't get any "grab" and just slide right out when I start to turn them.

That's what I've tried so far. What am I missing, or what else can I try?

When I fixed up my old bike it had a typical BB with fixed and adjustable cups. I planned on replacing with a cartridge BB so I didn't want to get the special tools just for a removal operation. Though I did get the special toothed socket needed to install the new BB (a cheap version online since I'll only use it a few times). Using a slot screwdriver, or better, pin punch or cold chisel, and mallet/hammer, you should be able to get the cup turning. Make sure you're driving it in the correct direction. To remove non-drive side, drive it counter clockwise. To remove drive side, turn clockwise. A small amount of penetrating fluid can help too.

Edit:
Forgive my crude sketching abilities, hopefully this helps. As in the side view, hit the notch perpendicular, and as in the top view, keep the pin/punch as parallel as you can to the face of the cup. (in this sketch this is for removal of the non-drive side). Depending no how stuck it is, it might help if someone holds the bike upright with the brakes on.


Bike lock bar jiggles in locked position -- indicative of weakness? I've been using the same bike lock for a number of years now (one like, but not necessarily exactly the same as, this one). I noticed today that when in the locked position there is quite a bit of jiggle to the bottom bar. This may have always been the case to some extent, but either it's gotten worse or it's just the first time that I've actually ever thought about the implications of it. Is this a security weakness? Does it suggest weakness of the lock to any sort of attack more so than if there isn't a jiggle?

Correction: The lock I actually have is this one.

Well, its a pretty low quality lock to begin with, so I'd go for a better lock to begin with (e.g. Kryptonite Evo Mini 5).

See this thread. I've found that this jiggling happens over the years anyway to a lock (and a lot of locks do it out of the box), but I don't believe it affects the security significantly on a decent lock. Some locks have little rubber O-rings to prevent the rattling when you're moving it (you can buy some at your hardware store and put them on yourself).


How to repair pedal snapped off crank arm? The pedal axle snapped just where it enters the crank arm. This left the threaded portion of the pedal axle in the crank arm hole. How do I remove this to replace the pedal?

If there is a substantial length of axle sticking out of the crank the easiest approach is to remove the crank, grip the axle stub in a vice and turn the crank to unscrew it. You may also be able to use a vice-grip wrench instead of a bench vice. Remember that the left crank has a left hand thread.

If there is less axle sticking out: file a couple of parallel flats for an adjustable wrench. You might be able to use a Dremel or similar rotary tool to grind a slot for a large screwdriver.

If the above approaches do not work, the axle will have to be drilled out.

Steel pedal axles are far more robust than aluminum alloy crank arms, so hard to imagine the crank is not damaged also. If the pedal axle thread looks damaged at all, toss the crank - unless you want to attempt re-drilling and tapping it with a helicoil. If the crank is bent or cracked it needs to be replaced.


Can I upgrade to newer groupsets despite my frame not supporting internal cable routing? I was given a 5 year old bike with alloy frame with an old Sora groupset and I'm planning to upgrade to the newer Shimano 105 r7000 groupset. Apart from my Shimano R500 wheelset(which I know only supports up to 10 speed) do I need to change anything else? Also my frame does not have internal cable routing, will that be a problem? TIA.

Internal cable routing is not a requirement, as long as you have functional cable stops on your the frame, you should be able to cable up a newer cable group set without issue. In fact it should be easier than internal able routing, which can be quite fiddly to get the cabling to pass through restrictions.

The primary advantage of internal routing is aesthetics, followed by straighter cable lines and less maintenance (because of protection). The latter two are possible, but are not a guarantee with internally routed cables as it largely depends on the design of the frame, and some of the recent internal routing schemes are clearly prioritizing electronic shifting over internal cables.

A good example of the importance of implementation, is my winter road/summer gravel bike, which has decent internal cabling lines and for the most part is well sealed against the external environment, except for one weak spot which allowed water to dribble into the rear shift housing and pool inside the internal tubing by the bottom bracket. The pooling also brought fine grit and eventually cause  shifting to deteriorate substantially. It took me a while to track down the problem as this small area was hard to access and I only determined the issue after replacing all the internal tubing (as a last ditch effort).

With externally routed cabling I would have been able to track down and fix much easier, as it is easy to access all points.  If you ride in poor conditions, and you don't have full length external cabling, there are also ways to better seal external routed shift cables (e.g., Shimano's cable end cap seals) making external routing more robust to poor conditions.

That just leaves aesthetics as the primary benefit of internal cable routing, and maybe straighter cable lines, but recent frame design seems to be negating this positive.


Does too high "B-tension" increase wear This answer suggests that having B-tension adjusted so that the chain sits far from the cogs increases wear. Can anyone cite a source that says that? Experimental evidence would be preferable, but a statement from an expert would suffice.

Sheldon notably doesn't mention it, instead saying that proper B-screw adjustment leads to quicker shifting, so I'm wondering if it's really the case.

FWIW, the mechanical engineering analysis that I have read about the mechanics of chains states that almost all the load is spread across the first 3 links that are in contact with the sprocket. So as long as you have 3 links in contact with the sprocket, you aren't increasing the load.

But this is all largely arguing in a vacuum. Set your bike up so that it shifts well, check the chain wear frequently and replace the chain when it starts to show signs of wear. Gears don't "wear" significantly until the chain starts to wear and elongate and increase stress on the gears. If you always have a "fresh" chain, your gear cluster will last a very long time,
regardless of how the B-tension is adjusted.


Aspects for choosing a bike to ride across Europe I've been planning to do an "Orient Express" tour for a while now and I realised it would be a good idea to ask for advice regarding choosing the bike.
I was born in a mountainous area and used to ride a lot up until I was around 23, mostly on road and gravel, but featuring hills. "A lot" is subjective, I'm talking about 300-500 kilometres a month. I could do a 100 km day without issues.
I am now 29, have a sedentary job, did not cycle for a couple years, and choosing big goals is generally how I am able to make progress. I'm not planning to do the tour next week.
I need a proper bike for it, however.
The itinerary is Paris - Istanbul, a lot of flat areas, on the road, but I would also like to challenge some passes in the Alps, like the Furka in Switzerland.
I've travelled before with very little stuff and I don't need much luggage, just the basics.
I've been looking at a few bikes, the Trek 520, the Surly Disc Trucker and the Kona Sutra seem to stand out.
What are the aspects I should pay attention to when it comes to making a decision?
The one I like the most is the new 520 Grando, but I can't even try it since it's not available on European markets and I'd have to find a way to get it transported to me from the U.S.
I feel like I might be making a vanity decision here and for the purposes I need the standard 520 might even be a better choice.
TL;DR: I've fallen out of touch with the biking world and I would like to make a smart decision and not just pick something that looks "cool". Thank you for your advices

There are a few factors to consider.
How much luggage do you want/need to carry?
Stopping in hotels, or carrying a tent etc?
Is speed/efficiency important?
Can your flexibility/core strength support long periods in a more aerodynamic position?
You certainly can't go wrong with a traditional touring bike like the ones you mentioned, but there are other more modern and lightweight options available.
My personal preference for such a trip would be a race orientated gravel bike (like a Cervelo Aspero for example) fitted with bike packing bags. Fast, efficient and fun to ride, but with features that are good for touring like extra bottle cage mounts and top tube bag mounts.
But that is my preference for how I like to ride - others would have different ideas and priorities.  The best we can do is give ideas/options, but only your own preferences and experience can tell you the right answer for you.


Can I use a Presta tube in a Schrader rim? I keep losing pressure in my tires, and among other things, I'm looking at the valves in the tubes. It's an old mountain bike with 26 inch tires. Can I use Presta tubes on rims drilled for Schrader valves? I know the valve will be smaller than the hole and could cause issues there, but has anyone had success (or failures) with this?

As you mentioned, one of the primary differences between a Presta and Schrader valves are the diameters--with Schrader valves being slightly larger--and therefore the valve holes on bicycle rims are drilled to suit one size or another.

Your foremost concern with using a Presta valve in a rim drilled for a Shrader valve shouldn't be 'movement' of the valve stem, as geoffc suggested, but rather a 'hernia' of the tube through the excess space at high pressure, leading to a blowout.

Most mountain bike tires sit at a low pressure, therefore you will probably get away with it, however, there is a very inexpensive adapter, sometimes called a 'valve grommet', which is made out of rubber or metal and serves to make the valve hole small enough for a Presta valve to fit snugly. It will also not come loose under high pressure, unlike geoffc's 'old tire' solution.


Replacement bottom bracket compatible with BB-UN100 My bike has recently developed creaking noises from the bottom bracket area so I decided to take everything apart, give it a good clean, apply some lube and reassemble.

What turned out to live inside the bottom bracket shell was BB-UN100 with plastic cups which I promptly ruined on reassembly. So I am looking for something more sturdy and preferably not made of plasticine.

The spec for my bike shows that it normally comes with BB-UN26, mine for whatever reason did not, but from the picture it seems that at least one cup it comes with is made of plastic.

My BB-UN100 has the following etched on it:

BC 1.37x24
LL123 BC 68

I gather that 68 refers to the shell width, which is 68mm indeed, 123 to the axle length which a quick glance at a vernier caliper confirmed to be 123mm, and the thread type is English. No idea what LL signifies. I came across some manual that said it is a code for 113mm spindle length, so I'm a bit confused.

BB-UN55 looks like what I want and is available in 68 122.5mm size. Will it fit? The fact that they bother to specify the axle length to a tenth of a millimetre (the only length like that) makes me nervous.

Otherwise what other options do I have?

Any square taper bottom bracket with BSA threads (1.37inch by 24tpi), 68mm shell width, JIS taper and axle length roughly 123mm will work.

Changing axle length from 122.5mm to 123mm makes 0.25mm difference to chainline, which is unnoticeable. Many stores list BB-UN100 bottom bracket as 122.5mm, so it is possible that there is actually no change at all. I could not find any Shimano documentation for the letter codes, seems that Bartnett's explanation does not match reality.


Presta to Schrader Conversion I've been procrastinating for several years about converting from Presta to Schrader on my Trek 4200 with Bontrager AT650 (erto 559x19) wheels. What finally convinced me was getting three flats on a recent ride. I had only one spare tube and getting a repair shop here in Thailand to deal with the Presta valves was a challenge; even though I had an adapter.

What still concerns me is assertions that doing so will weaken the rim.

I also have a Trek 7.2 FX which uses Bontrager AT750 wheels which have much narrower rims but use Schrader valves.

Does Bontrager do something special with the 750s that enables them to use the larger valve stem hole without weakening the rim?

Or, will I be OK drilling the 650s out to 8.5mm?

Regarding original question: I have personally drilled out approximately 6 wheelsetsto convert them from prestato schrader valves. I have not yet had any of these rims break even though I use them to drive down flights of stairs and such. Mind you I am a lighter rider (approx 80kg), these (aluminum) rims were used on hardtail mountainbikes. Make sure to debur(remove sharp edges from ) the drilled hole properly.

To try and decrease the amount of flats you get you could do a few things:

-make sure the rim tape is in good condition (no tears/holes, make sure it's properly aligned in the rim)

-remove rim tape and check if any spokes protrude more than approx 1-2mm past the top of the spoke nipples, if they do consider shortening these spokes with a file, dremel or the like or adjusting the spokes such that they are no longer protruding (if possible whilst keeping the wheel true/round)

-check rim bed/edges (where the tire contacts the rim) for damage (sharp/pointy spots which could potentially damage the tire), if you find any sand/file them down so they're smooth

-check your tire for pieces of metal/glass/other objects embedded in/under the surface (by rotating the tire whilst removed from the wheel and pinching it every 2cm approx to reveal any splinters, do this on both the inside and outside of the tire

-check if valve hole has any sharp edges

-whilst installing inner tube make sure it is not pinched in between rim and outer tube (inflate inner tube just a bit, check if it is not pinched anywhere and if all is good inflate the rest of the way)

For fixing flats I personally find it useful to clamp the inner tube with patch in between a bench vice (potentially with some pieces of wood in between the vice and the tube/patch for wider inner tubes), you could also use screw clamps for this purpose.

If you're a heavier rider you might want to refrain from drilling the hole larger but as mentioned I have had no issues with it so far and have been using the 'converted' wheels for considerable time now.


Huffy rear derailleur replacement I have a Huffy All American 10-speed road bike and looking for a replacement for the rear derailleur. Any suggestions?

To be honest, that might be salvageable.   Slacken the B screw and see if you can pull it down to the normal position.  You will have to remove the chain from behind the freewheel anyway.   This could be tightly wedged in there.

That mechanism doesn't look original - so this may have happened before?

You'll want to eyeball the hanger, then test it with a straightedge ruler, and then gently bend it back to position if its not straight... and if it snaps, you'll have to obtain a replacement.

Second part is "how did this happen?" then "what can be done to stop it reoccurring?"

Often the rear mech catches a spoke and gets pulled around, but in your case it looks like the chain jumped the big cog and is now wedged between spokes and freewheel.

Stop it happening again by adjusting the big-cog limit screw on the RD mech.  You may also choose to fit a spoke protector/dork disk under the freewheel.  My old 5 speed had a classy metal one, but most are clear plastic.

Follow-on damage might include where the chain has munched on the curve of the spokes.   I had this on a MTB and because I pedalled a bit, the chain had bitten halfway through some spokes.  They broke soon afterward, in the next week or so.

Getting the chain out required removing the freewheel/cassette.  You might be luckier if its not as tight.


Wheel conversion to Fixed gear (threaded hub) I would like to convert a wheel with a threaded hub to fixed gear.
Here the wheel:

Herer the "fixed gear set":

When I mount them together, there is no place to put the lock ring.
Without putting a lock ring, can I use it as a fixed gear?
Any other suggestions?

Fixed cog can't be properly installed on your wheel. Hubs intended for use with track cogs have a separate smaller reverse thread for the lockring. The reason for reverse thread is that when you apply reverse torque, it unscrews the cog but tightens the lock ring so that the cog stays in place.
If you absolutely have to use track cog with this hub, there are bottom bracket lockrings that fit the same thread. With thread locking compound and lots of torque it sort of stays in place. This setup is called suicide hub, and it really should not be used except with rear brake and very careful braking.


Still confused about clipless, walkable shoes and dual-purpose pedals I've read everything at What should I look for in clipless pedals and shoes? and I'm still not sure I can have what I want.  I mainly use the bike for commuting (which will be bike-train-walk) and running errands, including with a baby seat when I don't want to be clipped in.  So I'm looking for:

Ability to ride in normal shoes as well as cycling shoes.
Cycling shoes I can walk some distance in (say a mile at a time), and sit around in on the train.

To me the second point suggests the cleats should be recessed - but does this then rule out the first point? Shimano M424s (cheap/beginner option) and MT50 both allow normal shoes but I can't see how they'd work with walkable clipless shoes.  Should I give up and just get some half clips and normal shoes?

I've also looked at walkable clipless pedal shoe to replace normal shoe? but there's no definitive answer there either.

For many years, I used cheap Forte pedals (Performance Bicycle house brand) with a platform on one side and SPD on the other side. This was on a mountain bike. Shimano M-324 pedals look very similar ($45 at Amazon)  I used these pedals for years for all kinds of riding, including singletrack.  The dual-sided nature of the pedals made it a bit tricky to get started in difficult spots on the trail, but it would be very easy if you're riding on the road

I also have Shimano M038 shoes that have a recessed SPD cleat and are very good for walking around.  The cleat doesn't touch the ground.

These days I use a different bike with Shimano M-520 pedals, but I still use the M038 shoes for commuting occasionally.


Where to buy 2005 Shimano 105/Ultegra brifter hoods? I have a 2005 Trek 1500 WSD road bike with original Shimano 105 STI brake/shifter levers.  I'm looking for replacement hoods for the brifters because the originals are wearing out.

I believe the groupset model number is ST-5510.  I also believe that ST-5500, ST-6500, and ST-6510 hoods should all be compatible (55xx = 105, 65xx = Ultegra, xx10 = Flight Deck).

Can anyone point me to a source to buy a pair of hoods for these levers?  I've searched and searched and come up empty handed.

My hoods were degrading too causing me to get black rubber on my hands after every ride.

I called Shimano and they said that they no longer support the ST-5500 lever and they do not carry any replacement parts.

I called Hudz, and they said that they do not have hoods that are compatible.

A STOPGAP SOLUTION: Rub your hoods with baby powder. It makes them much less sticky, and no more black residue.


Alternative options for Trek FX 7.1 brakes Around four months ago my parents bought me a Trek FX 7.1 for my birthday while I was at work.  At first I was fairly excited and happy with it over my old Supercycle which served me well for the past ten years.  However, once I started riding it I came face to face with a few issues.

The breaking is weak and needs a stopping distance of around 7-8 feet.
The vibration is violent once you hit gravel road surfaces.
The tires cannot handle small curbs at relatively high speeds without going flat.
The tires lose traction on wet surfaces causing me to lose control and damage the bike.

I tried having my brakes adjusted but the stopping distance is still rather long (5'5" - 6'5") considering when you need to stop in an emergency situation.  Now since there is no front fork suspension it has quite a violent vibration especially when the tires are fully inflated within the optimum PSI pressure range.  In regards to the miniature curb, both my tires burst while I was going at a relatively fast speed before impacting that few inch high curb.  It's rather annoying to have to slow down just to ride over it safely.

So as of now, I am looking for some professional or just good fellow cyclist advice on what I can do to improve the brakes, tires, and vibration issues.  I'm sure replacing the front fork would be idiotic so I would not even go there, and I clearly have no space on my bike for any form of disk brakes.

Thanks in advance.

The trek FX 7.1 is more of a hybrid/road bike than your supercycle. When you use it on roads your ride should be a lot faster and easier than on your old bike. However, your new bike will have the issues you describe:

It is less comfortable on bumpy roads.
You can't just race it onto a curb or over similar steep ridges without a good chance of bursting a tire.
The brakes are less heavy duty, and (on roads anyway) your speed will be higher, this will lead to a longer stopping distance.
It doesn't deal very well with gravel/loose sand.

Some things you can do:

I think your bike has caliper brakes they are light, and usually enough for road bikes. If you need more stopping power you could see if you can fit v-brakes or another cantilever-type brake
Perhaps counterintuitively, if you want to prevent your tires from bursting or springing a leak when you hit a ridge at speed, your best bet is to keep them inflated at the optimal pressure or a bit higher.
You could fit your bikes with stiffer leak-proof tires. Those are mainly meant to reduce the risk of puncture leaks, but will help a bit with the impact-leaks you describe.
Try to lower the impact of ridges on your tires when you hit them at speed. Stand up on your pedals when you are about to hit them, bend your knees so that the flexing of your knees absorbs some of the impact. The weight of your body represents most of the impact force that your tire has to absorb when you hit that ridge. If you bend your knees they function like the springs did on your supercycle.
Your new bike has road tires, they have less profile (to reduce rolling resistance) and hence less grip on wet roads or roads with some gravel or dust on them. You can get tires with a flat rolling surface in the middle, and deeper profile or even knobs to the sides. That way you have low rolling resistance when going straight but better grip when cornering.

One thing to keep in mind is that your new bike is more a road bike than your old one. You will go faster overall because it is a lot lighter than your supercycle, it has narrower and larger tires which have lower rolling resistance, and less profile on the tires which also greatly reduces rolling resistance. It is not a drop-in replacement for your supercycle. It is not really meant to go over ridges at speed, and it is not meant to deal with gravel roads (though with good tires a road with some gravel on it should present no issue) let alone go off-road. If you still have your supercycle you should consider keeping that for when you want to go off-road and enjoy your new bike for when you want to go on the road.


Upgrading 9spd Allez to 105 I've got a ~2007 Specialized Allez double with a Sora/Tiagra drivetrain that's gotten pretty worn from years of use. I'm thinking of upgrading it to the the latest 105 R7000. Would be my first time doing something like this. Any gotchas to look out for here?

I'm aware that I'll need new wheels/hubs as well for the 11spd cassette.

You don't necessarily need a new wheel. Some larger 11 speed cassettes can fit on a 10 speed road freehub body, as the larger sprockets allow a wider spider that can overhang the inboard end of the freehub body. A 105 GS derailleur max small sprocket is 34 teeth, but that can very likely be pushed to 36.

There should be no compatibility issues. On a 2007 bike you presumably have a threaded bottom bracket shell and external bearings. R7000 cranks still work with that. You'll have 130mm rear hub spacing, that's not a problem for chainline with R7000 cranks.

Here's the potential gotcha: cost relative to a whole new bike. Add up the cost of a 105 rim brake groupset bundle, new wheels, tires, all the miscellaneous bits you should replace at the same time (cables, housing, bar tape, tubes ...) and the special tools you'll need (BB tool, chain whip ...) and you may find that's a very significant part of the cost of a new 105 equipped, alloy framed bike. Remember with a new bike you get better comfort, modern geometry, ability to run wider tires etc.

That said though, it's worth looking at the used market for wheels. With the switch to disc brakes there are deals to be had on highish end rim brake wheels.


How to dismantle Campag Ergolevers (hex key won't turn) Following my recent question Overhauling 1998 Campagnolo Chorus Ergolevers, I attempted to take apart the right hand lever. But I got stuck at pretty much the first hurdle: undoing the bolt that retains all of the inner workings. Using two hex keys, one from the back and one from the front, and lots of force (enough to round off a cheap hex key!), the bolt would not budge.

Am I doing something wrong?
Is there a known problem with these sometimes seizing? If so, any ideas about freeing the seized part?

From my experience (see below) since asking the questions, the answers are:

Am I doing something wrong? NO
Is there a known problem with these sometimes seizing? YES - known now by me!
If so, any ideas about freeing the seized part? YES thanks @ojs for the suggestion.

My experience was that I broke the plastic body of the lever. This was because it was held in a vice and I was putting a great deal of torque (lefty-loosey, thanks @haniel-r-hicks :-) ) through the seized bolt in a last ditch attempt dismantle it.


Adapter for moving bottle cage up/down while using frame's bottle cage braze-ons Are there adapters available for moving a bottle cage up/down in the frame? I am trying to move my seat tube's bottle cage down 4-5 centimeters and I prefer using the braze-ons.

Note: the question is about options using the frame's braze-ons, not external adapters.

There are a number of commercial products available to move bottle cages up or down from the existing braze-ons. They're marketed as a Bottle Cage Relocator or Bottle Cage Adapter, but essentially they're all a flat piece of metal with holes drilled into it that may have some finishing work to make it look nicer. Given they're in the $10 range it's probably a better use of your time to buy one than DIY.


How many teeth should be on my chainring? I have a seven speed cassette and 3 speed chainring how many teeth should there be on the largest chainring. I am asking because I think I need to get a new chainring.

There's no universal correct number of teeth for the largest chainring. For MTB triples 42 teeth is common, while road triples usually have 50 to 53 teeth.

If you think that the chainring needs replacing because teeth are worn off, then counting isn't the way to check. Teeth are evenly spaced, so if one has broken off, then it should be easy to spot. You also need to look at the profile of the teeth. They shouldn't be too sharp or more worn on one side than the other. Google has plenty of pictures of new chainrings and worn ones if you're unsure.


Towing with a Recumbent Trike, Tadpole or Delta? I have some experience towing with an upright bike I am considering getting a recumbent trike, as my back side does not last as long as my legs. With an upright bike I automatically move my weight forward, back or center to manage traction. On a trike that would not seem to be an option (have not ridden one yet).

I primarily ride on 'rails to trails', with surfaces running from paved to gravel to grass. Fully loaded my trailer is around 100 pounds (45 KG). My primary concerns are traction during starting, braking and cornering. I am almost exclusively riding up stream, and drifting down with top sustained speeds of around 7 miles per hour (11 KPH). My trailer does not have brakes, adding them is an option.

With a trike in general it would seem the end with two wheels is going to have half as much load per tire, with twice as much surface area, as an upright. Does this balance out the friction/traction or impact when starting, braking and turning?

For towing is a Tadpole or Delta the best option?

Before you buy one, ride a couple of different trikes. It's worth spending $500 doing that before spending $5000 on buying one. You might be able to find a local recumbent group, or a retailer with demo units. The IHPVA is a good start for the former, or the usual social media.

  half as much load per tire...

Trike weight distribution and handling is something that varies a lot. Most of the delta trikes are rear-heavy, tadpoles range from equal to rear-heavy, with extra rear weight more common when they're loaded up. Rear biased does tend to encourage understeer, but for the most part those trikes are the less sporty ones (and for heavily loaded tadpoles the rear wheel will probably fail catastrophically before losing traction... I think, I've never actually seen it happen).

  I primarily ride on 'rails to trails'...  my trailer is around 100 pounds (45 KG) ...

It sounds as though you already have the trailer, so that just becomes part of your filter criteria. You have to decide whether the total cost of "trike + trailer adapter + shipping" is worth it to you. Obviously if they don't have the adapter or can't ship to you there's a bunch more cost and thinking involved. But Hase and Greenspeed delta trikes both come with trailer hitches, so it's not unusual.

  For towing is a Tadpole or Delta the best option?

For lightweight loads like the ones you're talking about it doesn't matter. That's well within the design limits of all the commercial trikes I'm aware of, and it's quite reasonable if you're building your own. You're better to focus on a trike that works for you in other respects, I think.


How do I improve my cycling at my age (77 years) I am 77 years old and newly come to riding a road bike. In the better weather I do between 75 and 100 miles per week, consisting mainly of fairly easy roads with four or five reasonable hills, depending on length of rides. I do routes of 17 miles, 23 miles and a Sunday ride of 40 miles.

I average speeds of about 14 miles per hour and can get up all the hills but fairly slowly, I have trouble standing up to rest or get a boost in climbing. I do stretching and power exercises and three lots of HIT on an exercise bike each week. I cope with my mileage OK but would like to improve my hill climbing.

You are already doing quite a bit of training.

What might help is training on hills specifically, or when on the trainer, raising your front wheel to simulate being on an incline.


How to use a vapor barrier with cycling shoes for cold weather riding? I've heard many people like to use plastic newspaper bags or grocery bags as a vapor barrier when cold weather cycling. I'm already wearing winter cycling boots which prevent outside water infiltration, but I've been considering this for really cold days or longer rides below freezing since my insoles eventually get soaked with sweat eventually and become very good at transferring the cold from the bottoms of my shoe to my feet.

What is the most effective way to use vapor barriers inside shoes to keep warm? Should I wear the vapor barrier over my socks, under my socks, or between two layers? What is the theory behind it?

I rode a couple winters as a bike messenger in the northeastern US, and this is a classic messenger trick for the worst cold wet days. While your feet may still become somewhat wet, at least they will be warm and wet. I liked wearing a thin sock on the inside, the plastic bag, another pair of socks, then shoes.

This is not really a dry-day technique. Then, as @hillsons said, you will just have wet feet for no reason. When it's dry and really cold, put flat pedals on your bike and wear normal civilian winter footwear. Hiking boots, for example. But when it's 35 degrees and raining and you are silly enough to be on your bike, the plastic bags trick is the way to go.

One place to search advice on vapor barriers is in the camping/backpacking world, there's been plenty of experimentation with them since at least the 60s in that community.


Should I check puncture-resistant tires for glass etc.? I'm running 700x35 Marathon tires with their Greenguard puncture-resistance layer (not as thick as the Marathon Plus's, but it's there). Should I check the outside of the tires for bits of glass or similar material? If so, how often?

Mostly-urban riding; there's a bar en route to work that does sometimes sport the odd smashed bottle in the street.

Even if the glass doesn't work through the puncture proof layer (which it will, eventually), it's still a good idea to check once in a while for cuts etc, especially in the side walls, which almost never have a puncture proof layer. It's a "better safe than sorry" approach, but it takes all of five minutes to check both tires, so in my opinion that's time well spent if you know what happens when the tires blow out on a descent or, in your case, running a green light very late.


Would a quality derailleur improve a cheap bike I bought my son a cheap mountain bike last week, it did 2 miles before the chain mashed up the drailleur. is it worth replacing with a better quality component. im a novice , but handy enough to upgrade. he loves the look of the bike but my question is , is it worth the effort..

If your bicycle is a BSO (bicycle shaped object sold at discount mass retailers), then likely no. You'd spend $100+ labor on the derailleur and a new chain, but then the next week the brakes would fail,  the handlebar would come off, or the frame would crack. BSOs are money pits. Furthermore, it's unlikely you could just replace the derailleur, you'd have to also buy new shift levers or brifters, depending on what you're replacing it with. If the derailleur ate the chain, then it's likely that the derailleur hanger will also be bent or misaligned.  I'd use the return policy of the store to return the bike. It was clearly misassembled.

If your son's bike was a quality used bike (like a late 1980s hardtail Specialized Rockhoppper)  then it's likely that the "bones" are good and that upgrading some components would be worth your while. A better derailleur would lead to faster and smoother shifts. But you'd still run into the problem that by the time you get new derailleurs and shifters, you might have spent enough to buy a used 2000s Trek mountainbike. There's plenty of life in the older hardtails and many people prefer them to the newfangled things.

Update:  A store return isn't possible as it was bought off of the street and that the owner has £85 in sunk costs for a bike that would be about £130 new -- i.e., a little bit above a £50 BSO but not yet into the middle end. With £85 in sunk costs, I think you want to keep your repairs to under £25 given that you already spent a bit on a new tire and tube.

The likely thing that happened is that the old derailleur's high or low-limits were not set correctly. Thus when your son unknowingly shifted up or down (likely up), the chain skipped merrily off the rear sprockets into either axle (from the highest -- i.e., smallest-- gear) or the spokes (from the lowest). This then jammed the rear wheel, yanked the derailleur into bits, and it's lucky your son didn't have an accident.

First, you need to assess the damage. The rear derailleur is mostly probably bent/broken beyond repair (while tempting you cannot unbend it). Check the chain carefully, it is likely to have some bent or damaged links. Check the rear sprocket, are any of the cogs damaged? Check the spokes if the chain damaged them. Check the derailleur hanger, is it still straight? Check the front chain ring and derailleur, do they look good?

If you're lucky, the damage is just limited to the rear derailleur and to the chain. If the chain appears to have any damage at all, it's safer to get a new one (a bend in the chain or kink will cause chain suckage again).

The problem is finding a new derailleur. You want to keep the old shifters if possible to save money. There are two factors: one is the number of gears (7/8/9) on the rear and the second is the shifting mechanism. If you want to DIY, then you could purchase a new rear derailleur (assuming you have a 7-8 cassette on the rear, they go for around £10-20 for the cheapest models, but again make sure it's compatible with your shifters). Then look online for detailed instructions and be sure to set the hi/lo limits on your derailleur correctly -- and make sure your derailleur hanger is straight.

If you need a new chain, then you'll need to get a chain breaker tool as well, so budget that in. Other tools you may need will include a set of hex keys (allen wrenches), screwdrivers, adjustable wrench, bandaids (for skinned knuckles), pliers (to crimp the ferrule of the derailleur cable, don't forget to get some ferrule caps), and a BIG adjustable wrench if your derailleur hanger is bent.

Again, it's not trivial to install and adjust a rear derailleur correctly and not really a project for a brand new bike mechanic, especially when the test subject is your son.

Otherwise...

Find a local bike store that appears to have been around since the time of the Wright Brothers. The greasier the better.  Go to it with your tail between your legs and ask if they might have an old, used derailleur that will fit your bike. Do not wear nice clothes when you go. Bring your son and have him make puppy dog eyes.

If your store is anything like the place that I have downtown, then they can dig out an old, compatible derailleur from their parts bin for £3 (US$5) and might even put it on for you for a few quid more. Be sure to patronize them in the future.


Open up blocked Dunlop valves When I try to pump my bike tires (Dunlop valves), the valves resist letting air in. It's as if I'm trying to pump air through a blocked valve. If I push really hard and I have a lucky day, something inside gives way and the valve starts working normally, inflating the tire.

Some weeks later, the problem is back to square one and I have to perform the procedure again. I have tried at least three different pump brands. Outside temperature is around 10 degrees Celsius. My hardware is not very old, one or two years, and I have 4 tires with this problem.

Is there something simple I can do to remedy the problem? I'd like to avoid replacing inner tubes and valves if possible.

There are two types of Dunlop (or English) valves. I shall come back to these below. All valves have commonalities.

First of all, one has to overcome the pressure in the tire before air flows into it. Unlike the valves on a car, the valves on bicycles are check valves that are held close by a higher pressure on the inside. When you pump, you will sense that the pressure builds up in the pump, its hose, etc, until suddenly the valve opens and the air streaming in may be heard.

Any valve may also have dirt or other objects in side, check if your valves are clean. You can remove Dunlop valves and wash them in water with a small amount of dish-washing soap.

Old Type

The higher pressure in the tire pushes as rubber hose against a hole in the valves stem, sealing it. This type of valve is now uncommon in most of Europe, but may still be found on older bikes or, for instance, in China.

The rubber hose may degrade. This typically leads to the tire leaking. That it sticks to the hole is conceivable. Tire repair kits often have these little hoses included. In a pinch they allow for quite a lot of improvisation. Otherwise they ought to be replaced with the new type.

It is conceivable that the rubber hose is very tight and that you have to blow it up like a balloon first. However, that is just a wild guess. I have thrown these valves right away when I found one in an old bike.

New Type

A small rubber or metal ball inside a ferrule is pushed by the internal pressure up against the valves opening. A very common type of valve in parts of Europe. This type of valve is often called a Blitzventil in German speaking countries.

This valve is somewhat susceptible to dirt, and ought to be used with its cap only. Usually dirt will prevent proper seal such that the valve leaks a little. Oil, grease, or harsh detergents may foul valves with a small rubber ball. It is conceivable that it gets sticky and clings to the opening.

Some of these valves tend to become slightly harder to open when they were pumped to a high pressure before. In that case the rubber ball is wedge very hard against the valves opening, and it takes more force to push it inside. Since one has also to work against the pressure in the inner tube, it may be significantly harder to pump it up.

In my experience, this is not much of an obstacle it just takes one tough pump stroke, and its free. However, your valves might be worse in that regard. If cleaning doesn't help, consider replacing the valves with other Dunlop valves. They cost about 0.5 Euro a piece.


24V Vs 36V Brushless DC HUB Motor For Electric Bike I am considering buying an electric bicycle using brushless DC Hub Motor. What is the difference between 24V Vs 36V motor? Is it related to the maximum torque produced by the motor? If yes, what does that mean to a bike rider?

As far as motors go, usually the higher the voltages the more efficient they run. However there is a trade-off because usually the higher the voltage, the less efficient the battery is! Different systems may balance these factors at different points depending on how they expect the system to be used and what parts they have access too. I don't think you will be able to strictly say one is better than the other, you will need to compare the specs and a whole package and figure out what package suites you best.


Training Tires or racing tires I was browsing this site http://www.fastwheelsets.com/resources-2/ and it's talking about 2 different sets of tires.
Is there a necessity to have both tires or I can go fast enough with my training tires ..... do you really feel a difference with the racing tires?

The difference in rolling resistance is small but can be seen in time trial results and maybe in mass start races. The more noticeable difference is that typically race tires have smoother ride because the thinner casing transmits less vibration.

Note that the categories are not clear and one manufacturer's tire marketed as training tire may have less rolling resistance than other's fastest race tire. One web site to check is http://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/.

Is there a necessity? If you are racing and it is necessary to do everything possible to improve your placement.


Bike handlebars loose with front wheel If I put my leg on the side of the wheel and rotate my handlebars in the direction of my leg, the bars get out of sync with the front wheel as seen in the image below.

This is a threadless headset.

Do y'all have any ideas?

Tighten the pinch bolts, not the centre bolt.

I recommend putting a drop of oil on the pinch bolts thread or greasing them, as they are steel-in-aluminium, and prone to corrosion.

The two pinch bolts (on the back side of the stem) hold the stem on, and perform two separate effects

They stop the handlebars rotating
They lock the steering bearings.

The top bolt is for setting the pre-load of the steering bearings.

BUT once the pinch bolts are tightened, it does nothing, as the stem is now clamped in place. You cannot tighten the bearings UNTIL you loosen the pinch bolts. If you loosen the pinch bolts, then you should check that the bearings are still set right.

If you try to tighten the bearings by cranking down the centre bolt without loosening the pinch bolts, then you pull the star washer up or you can shear it, as it is only an M6.


Is there a free speedometer app for Android phones which beeps if I am deviating from a pre-set speed? I have seen that on bumps races, some coach signal to the team by blowing a whistle in different rythms.
Is there a free phone app for Android phones, which I can set a speed for my ride, and if I am deviating from that speed, it will beep differently?
Let's say I set it to 25 km/h, if I go below 23 it beeps, below 21 it beeps even faster... Same with 27 & 29, but maybe on a different tone.
I don't have a bike computer & usual speedometers, so I would like to utilize my phone to do this. I know that Strava can make audio announcements, but that is something I have to be a paying subscriber for.

The bike computer app I use will do almost all of this: IpBike. It's not free long-term, but you can try it for free for long enough to know whether you like it.  Its "Workout" mode allows you to set a target speed (or cadence, heart rate, power) specified as a range, and have feedback when you're out of range.  This could be as an interval in interval training, or could be for an arbitrarily long time.
I've never used it myself, so don't know what the feedback is like, but you can configure beeps and speech.  I'll have a play, and the author of the app has been known to visit here.
Edit after testing:
In the few minutes since I answered I configured a workout with a speed target of 21--27km/h for 8 repeats of 5 minutes after a 1-minute warmup, and went for a ride.  Below 21 km/h I got a falling tone every 10s (configurable) with an on-screen notification; above 27km/h I got a rising tone.  It lacks the more urgent tone for being further from the target that you'd like, but you can always glance at the speed.
I had text-to-speech disabled in IpBike (couldn't hear it well enough, and couldn't quite get the output I wanted), but testing at my desk in GPS-only mode, I get "Below Target". You can use GPS or ANT+/Bluetooth sensors; it sounds like you'd use GPS as I do.


How to determine if a decline is too steep for safety? I often find myself confronted by a steep and bumpy bit of hill on the trail, or one or two steps on the path, and end up with three possible results:

A) ride down with no trouble (usually)

B) step off the bike and walk down (often)

C) attempt to ride down and flip over my front tire when it hits the bottom/flat (only once)

I realize that this depends on conditions, technique (as in this answer), and bike (I'm tempted to blame my front shocks for my flip), but it seems like, all other things being equal, there should be a rule of thumb for this sort of thing.

So, how steep is too steep?

Ultimately there is no limit to what you can ride beyond your own skill. Many people say "too steep" is a cliff, but some riders just look at that like a drop and ride it anyway.

You need to evaluate whether the places you are walking are because you lack the skill to ride them, the confidence to ride them, or improper equipment. Yes, you could theoretically ride an entire downhill track on a fully rigid, carbon XC bike, but wouldn't it be a lot easier on a 8" travel, full-suspension bike?

Looking at the steep section that flipped you over, see if you can find why you flipped. Too far forward on the bike? A big rock/root in the way? Application of too much front brake? Remedy each of these things and you might find yourself riding steeper and steeper hills.

So how do you fix it or get better?

Practice! Hours in the saddle is the best way to get more confidence riding these types of things. Find a smaller decline and practice shifting your weight back, feathering your brakes, and keeping your eyes scanning for obstacles.
Ride with someone Don't underestimate the value of riding with someone better than you. Politely ask them if they could show you how to ride some of things you're struggling with and watch them do it and have them watch you.
Speed is your friend I know it seems counter intuitive but like riding over rocks/roots on flat terrain, a little speed goes a long way. Again, practice this, don't just go charging over the edge of a super sketchy hill and hope for the best (although that can be really fun).

Lastly, what type of riding do you want to do? A lot of XC trails are relatively tame in regards to steep downhills because the bikes aren't really meant for that. But if you're looking to get into freeriding or downhill you'll need to get comfortable with this.


Why is BMX gearing so low I was watching the BMX racing on the 2012 Olympics and the gearing seems incredibly low. About half way down the start ramp they are already going too fast to keep pedalling and they barely seem to be able to pedal effectively any other time through the race.

Why don't they adjust the gearing to be higher so they can get more power down through the course?

The tracks do not have many long stretches and so cornering and getting ahead of the pack is a lot more important than going fast in the flats. The gearing on a race BMX is higher than on one you will buy out of the store. Most BMX will come with 44:16 gear ratio where racers will use 46-48:16, and I have seen higher. (There are different rear sizes but the standard is 16 when talking about Gear Ratios, even if you ride 9t or 14t rear you almost always know the conversion to 16t.)

Most racers will start with 44/45:16 then move up when they build their leg muscles to handle the higher ratios, but even then you really need that hole-shot a lot more than you need the higher end speed.

If the tracks had longer straights like a mountain bike course you might see more bikes with multiple gears and even higher gearing. As it stands, the berms are where you make your moves and getting in and out of the berms require more power than raw speed. I raced 44:16 against guys with 46:16 and never placed lower than 3rd. You want more power than over all speed on a race track.

On street or in park you want even lower gearing, especially when you are trying to get that last pop before jumping up onto a rail.


FSA MegaExo crank tensioner bolt, can I use any 12mm bolt? I have a FSA MegaExo (which just came with a bike I bought 2nd hand). As usual the bike needed service because the previous owner did not do anything before selling.
Crank tensioner bolt FSA 12M was stuck, so I had to cut and remove it.
Would you just look for any 12mm bolt or buy the original one (5euro + shipping)?
Bottom bracket was dead as well, and I realize this is quite expensive because of the strange size of the axle - 19mm. It costs 35 euro
Is it worth buying all this or not really worth for this just generic crankset?

I'm inferring you have one of the FSA 19mm cranks with a Shimano-style pinch bolt and slot arrangement to secure the left crank to the spindle.

Any 12mm bolt that can make contact with the left crank can do the job of setting the BB preload. Under normal circumstances that bolt does nothing while riding. However, it does have the secondary function of keeping your crank from falling off for a while if the pinch bolts come loose. Maybe a random bolt and some washers would do the same, maybe not.

The 19mm BBs are not the greatest. I do feel like they get a slightly unfair bad rap because usually riders who burn through them also never adjust them. It's somewhat a matter of opinion whether it's worth it to keep 19mm FSA cranks going. New cranks tend to give you a relatively good deal on fresh chainrings, so that's part of it, but making good use of them needs a new chain and cassette.


Mongoose Threshold 2nd hand The front quick release lever of my Mongoose Threshold is missing or broken.

I don't know the year of the bike and do not know how to determine it. There is a sticker that says ATB4130, another one that says "All Terrain" and 32" size. The tires are 26"

Can I just buy a new skewer, or just replace lever? How do I know skewer size to buy or can I repair what I have?

The quick release lever is standard and you should just be able to pick one up second hand or from your local bike shop.  Make sure you get the one for the front and not for the rear.


Rear shifting - Unable to shift to toughest gear I was adjusting my rear shifting following the advice in this video:

It was when I took off the wire tension and screwed the high limit all the way out that the chain wouldn't make it to the toughest gear. Instead it was stuck at the second-toughest gear.

So it seems that even without the wire pulling on the derailleur, it is too far on the left (i.e. towards the easier gears). What could I try to track down the problem, or better, what exactly is causing this and how can I fix this?

I was then continuing to adjust the derailleur, making the chain switch to my second-toughest gear when I try to shift to the toughest gear with the shifter at my handlebars and making the chain switch to my easiest gear when I try to shift to my second-easiest gear. This worked fine and the chain is currently not skipping gears on its way up or down, it just can't reach the toughest gear.

The first thing to do with any rear derailleur problem is to check if its bent. If it is bent, go to your LBS and see if it can be unbent (there is a special tool for checking unbent-ness, Park Tool DAG-2 or similar) -- bent derailleurs cannot be adjusted properly in most cases (and even a minor spill can cause a bent derailleur). If its not bent, then try adjusting it.

If you can't reach the smallest cog with the cable released (assuming a typical non-rapid rise derailleur, i.e. one which goes to the smallest with no cable tension), it likely means your high limit screw is mis-adjusted (too tight). [Typically, the problem upshifting into the smallest cog is usually a bent derailleur/cable friction, but you should have eliminated those two options before you got to this].

Some good tutorials for adjusting derailleurs are Sheldon Brown and Park tool.


Putting pin(s) back into chain While trying to put a new chain on a bike, I rather stupidly removed the "wrong" link in the chain, and it's already very short, so I can't simply remove yet another link in order to get the "correct" combination of links for connecting the chain back together (see the parts in the photo); Is there any way to put the chain pins back in in order to make the chain useable?

It's safer and way easier just to buy another MissingLink (KMC's name for their master link design) of the same type (pin length) the chain came with, leaving you with an inner link that has one on either end. They're around $2US.

In addition to saving the trouble of getting the pin back in there, there's also the question of the integrity of modern outer chain links once they've had a pin pushed back through, even in the more normal circumstance of pushing a link halfway out for chain removal. Every current major manufacturer of derailer chains except KMC says not to do this, due to the risk of the fit not being as tight after re-insertion as it's supposed to be. I've long wondered whether there's actually anything different about KMC in this regard, but I know that modern chains in general are prone to breaking, usually during hard or fumbled front shifts, when they've been reconnected the "traditional" way. I wouldn't venture to guess what the odds are of it happening, probably quite low, but putting in another MissingLink eliminates the risk. They're very trouble-free. Having a couple close together may seem goofy but doesn't cause any issues in practice.


How do I purchase a drop bar bike that will be converted to flat bar? I really like the Kona Sutra from both a price and specification point of view. As I have only ridden flat bar bicycles I am not sure if I can used to the drop bar. In case I cannot, I would like to convert the bicycle to Velo Orange's Crazy Bar. I know for sure, I will like that.

What do I have to know when I purchase a Kona Sutra? I know that drop bar bike frames are shorter and that I need be careful about the brake and shifter pull ratios (i.e. MTB vs. Road bike components). The second is not a problem in case of the Sutra, but I am a little bit afraid of purchasing a bigger size bike just because of a potential conversion.

Is there anything else you need to watch for?

Converting between drop and flat bars is generally a huge amount of hassle. As you say, there are all kinds of incompatibility issues around brakes and shifters, and the geometry of the frame is designed with particular bars in mind, because changing the bars makes a big difference to riding position.  There's no point spending £1400 on a bike and then spending a couple of hundred more to turn it into some weird Frankenbike that will ride  worse than a hybrid costing a quarter of the price.

I wouldn't advise spending anything like that much money on a bike that you're not sure you'll be able to ride comfortably. Decathlon will sell you an entry-level road bike for £250; Halfords will sell you one for £180. You can probably get an old, second-hand one for £50 – and then sell it again for the same price.  Even if you get an old bike with down-tube shifters, you can still evaluate the riding position. Or hire a bike for a weekend or a week.  Do you know somebody who can lend you one?

Once you know what you want, you can consider more expensive options.


Shimano 5700 group set with 5800 crank Can anyone confirm if a Shimano 5800 crank would be compatible with the 5700 group set ?
What issues would I face in doing so, if any?

11-speed cranks on 10-speed bikes almost always work without issue. The reason is that the width jump in that generational change is the smallest because it's one of the speed plus-oneings that was done primarily by making the cassette longer rather than the spacing a bunch narrower. See chart from bikegremlin.com

10 speed cranks in 9 speed bikes often make you need to drop in chainring shims to avoid the chain rubbing in certain gears. 11 to 10 rarely has that problem. It's still possible, and the reason is short chainstays where even the right crank would barely not rub. It's usually tri/TT where you see that most. So, it is possible you need to drop in one or two sets of 0.1mm microshims on each chainring bolt, which several companies make. You could do one set premptively because 0.1mm is basically half the width difference, and the shifting will only improve, but it's not usually necessary.


BB Lockring won't completely tighten I am trying to put the lockring back on my BB after adjusting it to reduce the play, but I am unable to full tighten it. I can hand tighten the lockring, but as soon as I try to use my hook spanner to tighten it more, it kind of slips and becomes loose again.

Are my threads toast? Is my lockring warped? Or could it be something else?

I did this same maintenance on my bike less than two weeks ago and I didn't encounter any problems.

FYI: My bike is a 1980's Raleigh Capri 410 with regular threads (righty tighty, lefty loosey)

I had a similar issue last year. The threads on the frame to take the bottom bracket were too worn to hold the bottom bracket in place. A bike mechanic should be able to confirm this for you (for no fee). After some research I found two solutions, one of which is considerably cheaper than the other:

1: bike frame specialists / frame refurbishers can re cast the frame thread with a tough resin, and then rethread the resin, allowing a bottom bracket to sit securely. This is the expensive option.

2:You can buy bottom brackets that tighten onto them selves to stay in place. This is a sample: http://www.kingstreetcyclery.com.au/self-tightening-bottom-bracket-u118.html
However! do your research before you buy; there are different spindle lengths and other options. I replaced mine with one from ebay for about £40. After retightening a few times initially, I have had no problems since.


Problem with chain skipping without trying to shift (even with new chain and gears) I have a mountain bike where the chain intermittently skips when put under load on the middle (and very rarely on the smallest) chain ring. It is not related to shifting.

I've taken several steps to correct it including:

calibrated front and back gear shifters
replaced the chain
replaced the rear gears
replaced the middle gear at the pedals (which was the most affected)

To my great frustration the problem is still there! Could this be because of the derailer? The chain seems tight enough. Help from any gurus out there would be greatly appreciated.

Update: I've tried fiddling with the back screw on the back-derrailer (not the L/H-screws) in the hope that it was a chain tension issue but it did not help. I've also checked the chain for stiff links but could not find any. I am not able to reproduce it when not riding the bike so I am not certain where and how the chain skips. I am at my wits end and planning to bring it to a different repair shop with a sensai mechanic so hopefully he will be able to sort it out.

Update 2: Solved. See below.

The gears at the pedals are the chainrings. Replacing the middle one rather than the smallest if the smallest is where the problem happens is odd, but you've done it so move on.

In order, the things I would check now that you've done the above are:

rear derailleur hanger alignment (see answer here)
chain length (how to tell). If there's an extra link in your chain the extra slack in the lowest gear might be enough to let the chain skip. Especially if you're not in the largest rear cog at the time. Technique matters here - if you mostly use the lowest "granny gear", then shift back to the middle chainring rather than onto smaller rear cogs this "too much chain" problem will not happen.
frame damage, specifically cracks around the head tube, down tube and chainstays. In the smallest chainring is when the forces on the frame are highest, so problems will show up in this gear first. Clean the bike, then carefully check the frame for damage. If the paint is chipped or cracked paint over it (with paint or nail varnish, anything that dries hard) then do a test ride under the conditions that cause the problem and check the new paint for cracks. Any new cracks mean there's too much flex, and might mean underlying frame damage. Or possibly just that you're too heavy/strong for the frame.
try adjusting the rear cable while riding the bike. Frame flex is probably the issue here, and doing the adjustment with your weight on the bike might make the difference
try re-routing the gear cables in crossover rather than parallel. The gear cables cross under the down tube - the rear cable starts on the left hand side of the head tube. This may mean new cables. This addresses shifting while you're out of the saddle swinging the bike from side to side (lateral bending rather than vertical).
new gear cables and outers. This should have been done earlier if they're not in perfect condition. Even if they look perfect, if they're more than half a year old I'd replace them just because it'd be really annoying if this fixes the problem after I'd spent ages trying other things. It's ~$20 of parts, so it's cheap compared to what you've already spent.

With a new chain a sticky link really shouldn't be an issue, but just a question: you do lube your chain, right? Especially if this happens off road, a dirty chain might cause issues.

Edit: middle chainring, not smallest

That does change things. The "too much chain" option is unlikely, as is frame damage. I would really have to put the bike in a workstand at look at exactly what happens when you're using different rear cogs and the middle chainring. Also, check for wear/slop in the rear derailleur (can you push it back and forth without shifting the gear lever). Unfortunately it's in the "I'm not sure what exactly I would be looking for, just anything that doesn't look right".

Going to a different mechanic, especially one know to be an expert, is about all I can really suggest. Sorry.


Are there any 'anti-fly' masks on the market? I keep swallowing flies, because I'm mostly cycling along a canal.  I'm cycling quite hard, and mild hayfever means that I can't just breathe in through my nose.

I've bought a 'buff', but I'm getting too hot in that, and I'm not worried about pollution (small particles), so I'm after a lightweight mask that I can breathe through easily.  Are there any masks on the market suitable for this?

Buffs are useful for a time, but I understand that they can get uncomfortable after a few kilometres. Try something like this mask from Respro - you can buy replaceable filters and I think they look kind of cool too; you can even shove them in the washer after a particularly muddy or sweaty ride.