Raising the bars on a stock Giant Escape Hybrid I have a stock Giant Escape 1 Hybrid which I would like to raise the handle bars on for a more upright position. I'm looking for comfort not speed on my commute.

Am I right in thinking the easiest way is to replace the stem with a steeper angle / shorter length? I was thinking something like this so I could "dial it in"?

Is there an easier way and / or am I barking up the wrong tree?

If utility is more important that looks, a stem riser will get you a long way (well 50 - 80 mm, about 2 to 3 inches). There are various makers, but they all look more or less like this one. Prices run from about US $15 to $30. The riser and the existing spacers take care of the holding the headset, you don't need spacers under the stem with the riser – just the spacers between the bottom of the riser and the headset.

After that an adjustable stem like you suggested and/or bars with an upward bend will all help. Shortening the reach may also help.

Keep in mind that as you raise the bars you may find that cables are coming up short. You may have already done this, but a "trick" that works for me is to "visualize" where I want the bars by riding with my fingertips or even no-hands as I look for a place where I will feel comfortable. I've found that I can get very close this way and it's a lot less work (and money) than changing parts. Once I know about where I want the bars, I buy the parts to fit.


arm and elbow position -- sticking out or straight, also pushing or pulling on handlebar All,

I've been riding on the road for 20 years, mostly without much discomfort. But for the past 2 years I've ridden only MTB. I recently had a professional road fit done where my position was analyzed. The fitter told me I should not stick my elbows out (which I do). He said my arms should be a little flexed at the elbows but in a straight line when viewed from the top (ie not sticking out). He also said I should be gripping the hoods with my hands pretty strongly and pulling rather than pushing on them, which uses abdominal muscles more than shoulders. He said that neck pain can be caused by pushing on the bars which hunches my shoulders up.

He was convinced that he set me up with the correct top tube length, stack/reach, correct bar width, stem length, height and angle as well as saddle position. So basically he thinks I need to work on riding using the form he described. But when I tried keeping my elbows in it was very uncomfortable. Gripping the hoods and pulling back didn't feel right either.

So I'm wondering if anyone has read expert opinions that either agree with him or conflict with his suggestions. I wasn't able to find much on Google about this.

Ultimately all road bike positions are a compromise between comfort, power and aerodynamics.  The balance between each component depends on your goals, experience, flexibility and any underlying injuries or physical dysfunctions.  If you find a position that works for you, that is outside the "typical" road positioning, then you should consider it as valid as more typical positions. A good fitter should be able to accommodate unique personal characteristics. That said, you must also be careful in that non-stand positions may also lead to other unintended problems over time if you do not have a good awareness of how your body operates biomechanically.

What follows are some answers to some of your explicit in-text questions.

Elbows in or out

  The fitter told me I should not stick my elbows out (which I do). He said my arms should be a little flexed at the elbows but in a straight line when viewed from the top (ie not sticking out).

A lot of road positioning is about reducing frontal area. Keeping your elbows in reduces your frontal area thereby reducing the amount of new turbulence created as you move through the air.  Reducing your frontal area allows for greater speeds to be attained for the same level of effort.

While critical for racing, a recreational rider may benefit from comfort over aerodynamics.  I recently shifted to much wider road bars (44 cm instead of 42) with an additional flare in the drops (which adds another 4 cm).  This sticks my elbow out relative to more standard road bars.  I know I am less aerodynamic with this setup, but I am also a lot more comfortable.  It opens up my breathing, and makes the bike easier to handle on mixed terrain (i.e., gravel and dirt).  For me this compromise is worth the loss of efficiency (for this bike).

Pulling or pushing on the hoods

  He also said I should be gripping the hoods with my hands pretty strongly and pulling rather than pushing on them, which uses abdominal muscles more than shoulders.

I am suspicious your fitter is really only considering performance fits.  If you are racing or doing large efforts (e.g., 250+ watts sustained effort) you need a way to resist the force generated by your legs.  In this case a low body position and pulling back on the hoods works well.  If you are riding in a more relaxed pace (e.g., under 175 watts), this body position makes little sense as you have less force to resist.  This is why touring and endurance positions typically have shorter reach and more upright (higher stack) as you do not need as closed of a body angle to resist the force generated by your legs.

If your cockpit is setup too long and low for the type of riding you do (e.g., performance fit cockpit given to an endurance or recreational rider), then you will feel you need to consistently push against the hoods to keep yourself upright as you are not generating enough force from your legs to fully support your upper body weight with your core muscles (i.e., your core muscle do not have enough force to resist against to keep you upright so you rely on your arms).

Neck Pain

  He said that neck pain can be caused by pushing on the bars which hunches my shoulders up.

While it is true that neck and back pain can be caused by hunching up the shoulders there are multiple possible sources that can cause you to hunch your shoulders (not just the one pushing on the bars).  For example, a cockpit that has a reach that is too short and a stack that is too low can also cause you to hunch your shoulders.  Even how your pelvis is rotated on the saddle can affect your spinal alignment leading to hunching and neck and back pain (personal experience).

Ultimately, fit is a tricky subject, often depends on an individuals goals, underlying flexibility and pre-existing injuries.  It is also a bit of a moving target that can change day to day especially if you have unresolved injuries or flexibility issues.


Half speed internal hub gear? Rather than resort to radical gears such as a very small granny chainring (such as 20T) and a very large rear cog (40T), both of which can cause some problems for derailleurs as well as other problems (such as chain tension issues), why don't they just have more reasonable gears and have a 2 speed internal hub gear to basically give you 2 ranges of however many speeds you have?

For example, suppose you have a 2x10 setup but the lowest gear is nowhere near low enough for steep hill climbs.  Perhaps it is 20 gear inches.  Instead of tweaking the cassette for a lower gear, it would be nice if there was an internal hub gear that would reduce everything by 50%.  Then your new lowest gear would be 10 gear inches which would let you climb just about anything (at very low speed) but the point is then you wouldn't have to use the lowest gear cuz everything would be lower and you could select the proper gear (perhaps 3rd for 4th gear for example).

I would think a small 2 speed internal hub wouldn't add much weight and the dual range of gears would be very useful.  The higher range of the internal hub would just be a direct drive so it could be considered 1 speed internal hub but with a lockup (direct) high range.

The closest to that is the Sachs DD3 "dual drive" hubs that are a 3 speed IGH with a standard cassette mount, available in 8,9 or 10 speed cassette versions. According to this site the ratios in the hub are 0.73,1,1.36 giving 1.86 between high and low gears. That's wider than a double chainring setup but narrower than most triples (a 20/30/40T triple has a ratio of 2.0 for example).

Those apparently weigh less than a triple crank and derailleur, but since you want that as well as a double or triple you will be adding the weight, as well as the cost and complexity rather than substituting it. Sheldon Brown has done this with the older 3x7 version and seemed to enjoy it.

The issue is the size or complexity of the shifts. Rather than just having two overlapping gears from two chainrings, you now have 6 or 9 overlapping gears in much of the range (so there's lots of ways to get a given gear ratio). When shifting from high to low in the hub you either experience a big jump in final ratio or have to shift significantly on your other levers at the same time. If you went from, say, hub low on the 15T cog on the cassette to hug high, you'd probably want to shift to about 25T cog so the jump was a normal step between gears. Typically that will be three or four cogs.

The Schlumpf Mountain Drive gives a 2.5x gear down in the bottom bracket but I'm not sure they're still manufactured. I've used one of those and found it effective but the jump in gears was huge. It was more like shifting between low ratio and normal in a 4WD vehicle than a normal bicycle gear change. Typically I'd go from bottom gear on the derailleur system to the smallest cog on the cassette when I changed, but often the bike would almost come to a halt when i did that because I was going up a hill and not pedalling hard for the 2-5 second gear change cost me all my momentum. I fear that a similar shift in the rear hub would have the same effect.


Soma Wolverine: Ultegra crank with Shimano XT cassette? I'm hoping to pair a Shimano XT cassette (11-42) and an Ultegra crank (50-34t). Would this work for a Soma Wolverine v2.1 (someone mentioned this wouldn't do for "road cranks on mountain bikes") ?

The Wolverine is a road bike (or 'monster cross') not a MTB. The Soma web site says that the rear spacing is 135mm, I assume the BB shell width is 68mm. If that is the case you can run a Shimano road crank and road chain-line.

Compatibility between the crank and cassette is not what you need to deal with. Presumably you are either thinking of installing an MTB drive-train with an Ultegra crank, or a road drive-train with a MTB 11-42 cassette.

An MTB front derailleur will have trouble with a road 50-34 crank. Most road derailleurs will not handle a 11-42 cassette.


Is a Racing-Bike making creaking noises a sign of equipment damage? Last Sunday I noticed that my bike makes creaking noises (similar the hull of a ship, but on bicycle scale - imagine a rat making the sound "creak"). It seems to me that this is related to stressing the bike frame, but I can't generate the creaking in a ready manner, and sometimes it goes away. It also isn't connected to pedaling or bike movement. I can't pin-point a source(like a screw or bolt, or shaft).
It sometimes creaks when I just get on it, then I can ride 10 minutes without a sound.
Still, this is a new sound to me, and I've and I wouldn't want something in my frame to crack when I'm doing 50 down hill and going into a curve.
I've gained 6kg since I bought the bike, might the extra weight be a problem?

Should I worry, or has someone experienced something similar before?

I'm not gonna ding you with a "duplicate question", but see, eg, Creaking from cranks/spindle. How to fix? .  And there are several others.

Creaking is a fairly common problem and can be due to a number of causes:

The crank arms shifting on the crank axle. (This is by far the most serious of the conditions, since, left untreated, it can result in expensive damage.)
The pedal threads creaking in the crank arms.
The bottom bracket cartridge shifting between the cups.  (Though this is more apt to make ticking or "ping!" noises than creaks.)
The handlebar.  With lightweight bars there is a short tube-like stiffener glued over the center portion of the bar, to create a more robust mounting point for the stem clamp.  The bar proper can shift in the tube and creak.
Wheels/spokes.  Very often "crossed" spokes will creak or go "ting" where they cross.
Seat/saddle.  Springs may creak, or any of several parts may move relative to each other.
Frame.  This is rare for a steel or aluminum frame, but may be more common with carbon.  Generally creaking from a steel frame would suggest imminent failure, but it's harder to say about the others.
The rider.  I know I creak more and more as I get older.  (And I actually do have a trick ankle that will audibly "tick" at times when I walk (loud enough for others to hear), though generally not when I'm riding.)
Stem in the headset.  If there is some play/looseness in the stem's insertion in a threaded headset, then the shifting weight/pull/push on the handlebars can cause vibrations that make it creak.

Other than the frame and the crank arms, creaking is generally not a serious concern.  But it can drive you crazy.


When do bearings need to be replaced? How do I know when bearings need to be replaced?

Should I go by time? Or is there a symptom to guide me?

I refurbish a lot of older bikes for re-sale.  The first thing I do is to pop off the wheels and manually turn the axles to see if the bearings are suspect.  If the axle turns roughly, has side-to-side play, or is hard to turn...They probably do.

There should be "no more friction than supplied by the grease" when turned by hand.  You cannot do this with the wheel on the bike.
If you have the tools; cone wrenches and such, then a wheel rebuild is both easy and cheap.  The best-grade #25 bearings are inexpensive.   If the cones are shot it's a different story.

Time?  My police patrol bike, with well over 3000 miles, still feels perfect.  If you ride in the rain a lot, or ride off-road through mud and sand and through water crossings, naturally you're going to need more frequent maintenance.
Bearings are something to check say...Yearly for most riders.


Independent drivetrains on tandem bicycle On a standard tandem frame, is it possible to build a tandem bicycle with independent drivetrains for the two riders? Is there a custom frame builder that would build a tandem like this?

I'm aware of the half-recumbent tandem that has independent drivetrains, but I'm specifically interested in the classic/normal tandem frame.

EDIT: By independent drivetrain, I mean that I would like each rider to be able to coast independently of the other. The cadence can remain constant between front and back when both are pedaling.

Here's a picture of a half recumbent tandem

from https://www.ucycle.com/merchant/2856/images/zoom/hase-pino-allround.jpg

Here is a link to a video of people riding a recumbent tandem.
https://binged.it/2TXkxJC
The video does a good job of explaining that the front crank has a freewheel mechanism that lets the riders pedal at different speeds. The front rider can also stop pedaling.

If this is what is meant as "independent drivetrains" then the functionality is in the crank rather than the frame itself.

The key to having a regular tandem like the recumbent tandem in the video is to find someone who makes a crank with a freewheeling chain ring. Like the old school Schwinn Suburban's from the late 70s with Shimano Positron FFS (Front Freewheel System).

Here's a link to a product for mountain bikes with a freewheeling chain ring
https://dirtmountainbike.com/news/hxr-easy-shift-crankset-allows-change-gear-without-pedalling.html

With this part - or something like it - any tandem frame builder should be able to get you going.


Using non-Shimano link with Shimano chain? I know the official answer from Shimano is you can only use their quick link, but practically is it okay to use SRAM or KMC links?

Specifically, I have the Shimano HG-40 chain.

In general a SRAM or KMC link for an 8 or 9 speed chain will work fine with a similar Shimano 8 or 9 speed chain.

If you are dealing with a 10 speed chain I believe you will run into a compatibility problem as one brand is sightly narrower than the other (I can't remember which way and I only deal personally with 9 speed or lower).

I've used a SRAM power link on a Shimano HG-40 for a while now with no problems.


Storing bicycle in a shed for the winter I am living in Canada and it is the sad time of the year where I have to stop riding and store my bicycle for the winter. This summer I acquired a full carbon bike and I want to make sure it stays intact until the next summer.

Considering that the temperatures can drop to -30°C, is it bad if my bike is stored in a shed?

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/04/bikes-and-tech/technical-faq/technical-faq-carbon-in-cold-conditions_111530 summarises to "No problems"

  CF (carbon fibre) components are used extensively in launch/reentry
  vehicles and satellites where the temperatures range from superheated
  to near absolute zero. The ultra low CTE (Coefficient of Thermal
  Expansion) of carbon fibre make it ideal for these temperature
  extremes. I find it very hard to believe that a bicycle sustained
  damage during winter storage in a cold garage – regardless of the
  earthly location. I have seen “green” (not fully cured) paints and top
  coats crack in extreme temperature conditions but never a CF composite
  structure.

Although if your bike had water in it and that froze, you would have a different problem.   To deal with this, dry your bike, and hang your bike so it drains - often there are two breather/drainholes at the aft end of the chainstays... but do eyeball them first.


Does it matter what way the tires go if no directional arrow? As the title suggests, I have just put on two new tires but now I'm not sure if I put them on in the right direction.

No directional arrows so I presume anyway is fine, however me being me it made sense to have the tread pattern going in the forward direction.

So do these look right or should I flip them around?

Tires with directional arrows usually have a tread that's asymmetric in terms of rotation of the tire about the hub (i.e. the tread appears to "point" forward or backward along the direction of travel of the bike).

Asymmetric tread is designed to improve traction in certain scenarios. For example, they can be designed to encourage water, snow, mud, and other liquid or semi-liquid items to move out from under the tire, improving traction. Mounted incorrectly, they will do the opposite and encourage the same stuff inward toward the center line of the tire.

The direction arrows you mention are to reduce the guess-work and just tell you exactly how to mount the tire to get the tread pointed the right direction. If there is no explicit arrow, look at the tread and see if it has a pattern that "points" in one direction (forward or backward). In every case I've seen, the pattern should point behind towards the back of the bike when it contacts the road, or forward when you look at it from the top.

If there is no direction arrow, and the tire is either slick or has a symmetric tread (doesn't "point" forward or backward), I would say mount it either way. Shouldn't matter.

Also, make sure to look very close for the arrows. Sometimes they're painted onto the tire and easy to see, but other times they're just traced with a raised ridge of tire rubber and that can be hard to spot. Check the entire perimeter of the tire on both sides, in good lighting.

Summary

Did the tire manufacturer include an explicit rotation direction arrow printed or embossed on the tire? If so, follow that.
If there is no explicit rotation direction arrow included by the manufacturer:

Is the tread asymmetric in the direction of rotation, i.e. does it appear to "point" forward or backward? If so, mount the tire so the tread is pointing
forward when viewed from the top of the bike.
Is the tread symmetric (doesn't appear to point forward or backward)? If so, mount it either way, rotation direction doesn't matter.


Chain Slippage on MTB This is my first time posting on this site so bear with me. I've got a 2009 Fuji Tahoe Comp 29er MTB with upgraded SRAM x.7 components and I'm having a couple issues. It is currently set up as a 1x9 and on gears 2-4 and sometimes 5 I'm having severe slippage when under pressure. Back in June I had pretty much the entire drivetrain replaced (front chain ring, bashguard, rear cassette, and chain) and had it tuned up for the summer. I took a pretty hard fall a month or so ago and bent my wheel a bit. I've since had the wheel re-trued and it's just fine and also had the derailleur hanger replaced because it was bent in the fall. My LBS stated that everything was fixed and I shouldn't have any more slippage. It rode fine on flat ground but as soon as I hit uphill terrain and rocks, I started slipping and it basically ruined my whole ride because the technical trails in my area require a lot of lower gears. Anyways, I was wondering if there was anything I could do to fix this. All my higher gears work just fine and the sprockets that are slipping don't show any wear (not rounded off at all or bent) so I doubt it's the cassette. The chain seems fine as well. The LBS I originally took it to said that I may need to replace the derailleur in the near future, which could very well be the issue, but seeing as though they couldn't fix the problem in the first place and that they don't really have a reputation for top notch work I take their opinion with a grain of salt. Please feel free to let me know if there's anything I can do, short of replacing the derailleur, to resolve this problem. I'm dying to get back on the saddle now that the weather has cooled. I'm also back in school and out of work again so the cheaper the better (can't really afford to spend $120 to replace the derailleur). Thanks for your time!

Little more about what's going on: When I have the bike off the ground and proceed to pedal, when the chain slips it seems to bounce back and forth between the rear cassette and the bottom cog of the derailleur if that makes sense. The gears shift just fine with no problems, it is only when under pressure like going uphill where slippage occurs. I take good care of my stuff and I degrease and re-lubricate the drivetrain after just about every ride so it shouldn't be gummed up too much. I want to avoid taking it back to the LBS unless I absolutely have to, so let me know if you have any suggestions for me or if you have any more in depth questions about the bike and whats going on. Any help whatsoever is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

My first thought that with a new drive train this would be either:

A bent derailleur hanger
The rear shifter cable has an issue

As you have had the hanger replaced recently I would tend to think that it was likely that it is a cable issue.

The first thing I would do is inspect the cable and make sure it is moving freely in the housing and there is no fraying or bends and that the end caps are all seated well in the cable guides. The more likely thought (and timing for this would also seem right) is that the cable has stretched and this is the cause of the slippage under pressure. There are barrel adjusters on your shifters which allow you to fine tune the indexing between the cogs (the H and L screws set the outer limits). There are many different ways to do this but Park Tools provide a helpful guide here.

My assumption (without seeing it) is that a new RD would not need to replaced so soon unless something was visibly broken or bent beyond repair.


Online spin classes with a smart trainer I have a smarttrainer that I use primarily with Trainerroad and Zwift.
My wife is interested in Peloton style classes. We're considering getting a Peloton, but considering we already have the gear (trainer w/ power meter, a bike that fits her well), we'd like to explore options that DON'T involve buying a Peloton bike but still has the benefits of live classes.
What can you tell me, objectively, about the following:

How's the Peloton app-only experience when using a smart trainer rather than a Peloton bike?
Are there any online cycle apps that are built to integrate well with smart trainers so they can provide things like leaderboards and perhaps auto resistance changes

Thanks

To the second part of the question, there are a number of apps that use smart trainers. You use two. Training-oriented apps like Trainer Road or Sufferfest or virtual worlds like Zwift, Rouvy, and RGT take your power from a smart trainer or an on-bike power meter, or an estimate of your power from a trainer's resistance curve. The former class of app is mainly interested in your power, although it may control a smart trainer's resistance to simulate climbs where you need lower cadence, high-resistance efforts, or to do ramp tests (which estimate your power around your VO2max, and then estimate your functional threshold power from there; these tests involve ramping up the power until you can't pedal anymore). Virtual world apps move you through a virtual world, and they will vary smart trainer resistance to account for terrain.
I don't use Peloton. My understanding of Peloton bikes, based in part on this article by DC Rainmaker, is that they do measure your power, but they do not broadcast it over ANT+ or Bluetooth, which are the two open source protocols that just about all cycling devices use. Additionally, Peloton bikes have controllable resistance, but because they don't use the two transmission protocols I mentioned, a different app can't control them. So, a Peloton bike will be inherently less flexible. That said, someone is using Kickstarter to fund a device that could render a Peloton bike controllable via Bluetooth. (In general, we don't give product recommendations, so this isn't a purchase recommendation. Additionally, not all Kickstarter projects succeed, and you usually get left empty handed. Or they could succeed with a lot of delays.) If this device or similar ones came to market, this could render Peloton bikes more flexible. Peloton doesn't seem to have an incentive to re-engineer its hardware to broadcast over the common transmission protocols.
Approaching the question from the other side, we could ask what inputs Peloton classes take, or perhaps what inputs the standalone Peloton app takes. I am not certain. It does appear that you can use the app on any spin bike or even a real bike (although presumably not on the road). Mom Tech Blog seems to imply that the Peloton app can be run without any sensor input, e.g. heart rate or cadence, at all. The app may not be designed to acquire sensor input and transmit it to the instructor. Sipping and Shopping, another blogger, described how workouts often rely on a certain cadence, and she got a cadence and speed sensor for her spin bike. She used them with the Wahoo app. However, again, I'm not sure if your cadence from a Bluetooth cadence sensor would be transmitted to the instructor. You might not get personal call outs from the instructor this way. This might or might not impair the experience enough for your wife to be dissatisfied. It does appear that the app may have a short free trial period, as do all the apps I mentioned in the first paragraph. Also, you can manually change the resistance on your smart trainer from its own app, so this might help you stay in tune with a Peloton session better than a regular wheel-on trainer.
I'd speculate that Peloton is aiming at a different market than the cycling-oriented apps. Peloton might never really feel the incentive to integrate external sensor input into their own app. Many dedicated cyclists would probably weigh the cost of the Peloton bike against a road, mountain, or gravel bike, a premium set of carbon wheels, or something else. That said, I don't know Peloton's breakdown of profits and losses by segment, but I would guess that the subscription part of their app may be more profitable than the bikes. Bikes, after all, are mechanically complex and require service and maintenance. It's possible they might decide that modifying their app to take external sensor inputs could be a potentially profitable move, or at least a relatively low-risk one. Feel free to prod them on social media.
In terms of live classes, I know one cycling studio near where I live. (NB: I'm linking them as an example, not as a recommendation.) Their business model has centered on in-person indoor training, coaching, bike fitting, and other services. I don't think this business model is that common, but I suspect it's not unheard of, at least in areas with a big cycling community. This store has done a lot of online classes during the pandemic. It's possible this segment of the market will grow and will offer live but remote classes for people who don't want to be there in person. The rationale for this is that the indoor segment is much more conducive to structured training. For instance, I don't believe I have a segment of uninterrupted road or bike trail where I can reliably perform a 2x8 minute FTP test - I can get there very early in the morning such that almost nobody is present, but there's simply not enough road. For competitive but time-constrained athletes, structured training can be more time-efficient than unstructured training.


Long-arm vs short-arm v-brake linear-pull brake: understanding the sizing When a manufacturer's linear-pull brake comes in two versions, a "short-arm" (82mm) and a "long-arm" (108mm) where/how is that measurement taken?

Is it merely the length of the brake from the tip to base?

Or is the measurement taken on-center from the top-bolt (up near to the noodle) to the bottom bolt (holding the brake to the frame)?

I just measured some Tektro brakes that I have. The measurements coincide with a center to center distance. I measured from the center of the brake arm mounting hole to the center of the cable clamp bolt. One consideration is tire size. Larger tires may hit the brake cable on the short arm models.


Help identify antique rear steer tandem bike I'm trying to identify an antique tandem bike.  I have looked at over 6000 of them on the internet with no luck.  Many are similar, but this one has some unique items.  Not the top rail, it stops at the passenger seat.  The bottom frame rail is quite beefy in comparison to others.  It has dual drum brakes.   The rear steering setup is very crude looking, like a prototype.  It appears to be a 6 speed bike.  The head logo has a sticker over it, so I can not see the head logo, but I will try to remover the sticker soon.

It didn't leave a factory like that.

From the area around the rear handlebars you can see it's been modified. A head tube (blue rather than the black of the rest of the frame) has been welded to the front seat post, reversed. I suspect the rear top tube has been cut off, weakening the frame a lot, and the steerer parts attached to the stub of that. It looks like the top of a set of forks is still present and used in the linkage. Close-ups of the top of both seat tubes and the areas around them would help be more certain.

It looks like the front bars have turned with the wheel. Is it front and rear steer? It's also interesting that it's got a single brake lever at the front. Disabling one brake on a tandem seems a bad decision, or does the lever operate both (or have I missed something)?

It's a curiosity, but I don't see it being a worthwhile restoration project given the way the modifications affect the safety.


Why are my quill pedal cages "wobbling"? The plates and connectors on my old quill pedals "move around" in relation to the pedal axle itself: In the photo below, I'm pushing the pedals to opposite sides to show how the pedal cage "distorts". The fact that the plates and these connectors are loose in this way causes them to "wobble" while riding, which means not only that the pedals move around a little bit while riding but— more importantly— they make horribly annoying metallic rattling/squeaking sounds when riding.

it looks to me like the cage part of the pedal is pressed together you may be able to remove the pedal and pound the end of the cage part back into the frame of the pedal thee type of connections are held together by distortion of the metal ie widening of the end of the piece to be held by widening by pressure like a rivet so possibly u could re hammer them together


Can I fit a cassette with a larger range with my Shimano Tiagra 10-speed ( GS-4600) derailleur? I'm currently running a 2x10 shimano tiagra 10-speed drivetrain with a 50/34 compact crankset, a 12-30 rear cassette, and a Shimano Tiagra GS-4600 derailleur (that's medium cage aka road long cage) on a light touring / road bike.

I tend to ride a lot of hills and want a touch more range for tough climbs.  Can I make this work with an 11-32 or 11-34 mountain cassette or do I need to get a long cage derailleur?

It looks like I might answer my own questions, becuase the specs say, they say I shouldn't really run more than a 30t max in the rear. However, I'm wondering if anyone else has tried this and had success going past spec with this derailleur or if I should resign myself to spending more cash on a new derailleur.

With the b-screw tightened all the way on the medium cage GS-4600 tiagra derailleur I was able to install the 11-32 cassette. It was obvious from the appearance that I wouldn't be able to squeeze any larger of a cassette on the rear wheel without switching to a long cage mountain or touring derailleur.

There were no issues when shifting with the 34t front chainring in or out of the 32t rear cog.

However, using the 50t front chainring, shifting out of the large 32t cog was a little off. It worked, but it was lagging a bit and having a harder time jumping to the next cog, probably due to the chain being too short since I didn't adjust the chain length.

This should be solved by adding a link or two to the chain. However, I'm going to be swapping in a 46t large chainring, so that should address the lack of slack. I shouldn't even be in the big ring in the back and the big ring in the front anyway to avoid cross chaining.


Standing vs. high rpm for acceleration I've been working on my cadence for several months now, and I feel like I've gotten to the point where I'm more comfortable using high cadence instead of standing up when I want to accelerate hard.

At stoplights if I'm really gonna accelerate hard, I'll start in first gear and shift up when I get to 140-150 rpm.

I stay seated the whole time. I feel like I'm faster this way than I am standing up, but I'm not sure. Until recently, I've always assumed that standing up in a higher gear was the best way to put on speed fast.

Can someone provide data or logic that points one way or the other?

The only way to be sure is to measure.

You can use an app such as Strava during the ride, then look at it's analysis later. It will show you how fast you were going at each point, and also gives an approximation of your power output.

We don't know what algorithm or assumptions it uses to calculate the power, but since it uses just one algorithm you can compare results for seated and standing sprints. Strava doesn't know what the wind speed is, nor does it know what your frontal area is (which changes when you stand), so the power values are not correct in an absolute sense. The speed measurements are more useful.

I would expect that you'll be producing most power at the higher end of your cadence range, 120-140 rpm.

In my experience a standing sprint is good for a short burst, rather than the extended acceleration you describe.

Using the higher cadence will be better for your knees over time.


Choosing a new chain I am going to buy a new chain for my bike, and read the answers for this question: Is the durability of more expensive chains better than cheaper ones?

The accepted answer said, that there is no difference between inexpensive and expensive chains.

Then I googled and found this post where the author says, that Shimano chains are bad, and KMC - good. There is a difference in price:

Cheap Chinese chain 116 links - $9.54 + free shipping
KMC X9 chain 112 links - $14.89 + $4.04 shipping = $18.93
KMC X9 chain 116 links - $27.46 + $7.37 shipping = $34.83

Questions:

Can I trust to the post author, suggesting to buy KMC chains?
Why the 2-nd chain has only 112 link, while normally there are 116 for a 9 speed bike? I counted number of links in my current chain, and there are 104.
Is the 3-rd chain better then the 2-nd? Seems to be the same model.

This is the best test of chain wear I know of: it's in german, but the graph should speak for itself. His comment: "Chains were used under subjectively similar conditions - with exception of SRAM PC69 which, in nice conditions, lives for 1500-1800km"

Personally I think I rode unknown KMC, Shimano (probably HG-53), and afer having stumbled upon said findings, the Record C9. Different chains definitely have different lifetimes (and failure modes: some tend to tear, some lengthen quickly thus unusable). I have very good experience with C9, however, it is harder to mount (no missing link), and apparently it is incompatible with some slightly worn chainrings, but I'm not sure there. I posted a question on that problem here. IIRC, with me, Shimano chains wore fastest, KMC were somewhat better, maybe in the 2000-4000km range. The C9 lives some 10000 km for me. However, you seem to be located in the USA, apparently it's quite expensive there.

With cheap no-name chains I'd guess it depends on your luck. A bad quality chain will wear maybe in a couple 100km, and may tear.


Fitting front derailleur to one-by hardtail Would a front double derailleur be possible on these hardcore hardtails?

In grey: Kona Big Honzo (carbon)
In black/yellow: Transition Throttle (carbon)
In blue: Ragley Blue Pig (steel)

I only ask the question regarding the frame architecture, not about the parts I will have to change.

Thanks !

Everything is possible, the question is "is it worth one's while".

When fitting a front derailleur to a bicycle the following aspects need to be considered:

affixing the derailleur to the front tube - is there a hanger already or one needs to be put, or a clamp-on derailleur will fit
is routing the cables possible - are there the suitable eyelets
can the shifter be easily added or perhaps a brifter needs to be installed

For the first one - putting any clamp on a steel frame with round tubes is easy as pie. Even brazing a hanger (if you plan on painting the frame afterwards). For oddly-shaped tubes you are facing a challenge, and remember not to overtorque the clamps on carbon tubing.

The second one on steel and aluminium frames can be solved by attaching some routing guides with pop rivets (or brazing those on for a better visual effect if you plan on painting the frame afterwards). Carbon is not that easy to customise. You can install an electrically activated derailleur (e.g. Di2 from Shimano, EPS from Campagnolo or eTap from SRAM) and simply attach the wires with tie-wraps or electrical tape.

The third issue is the easiest to solve but depends on your current setup. And remember not to overtorque the clamp if having a carbon steering bar.

Thus, it is possible. But if you are looking for more speed range I suggest you watch this RJ The Bike Guy video where he converts a 2x7 to 1x10 and explains how the current speed range is kept in the new setup (see the chart from 13'54").


Are modern frame locks "safe"? In the older days I remember that frame locks were soldered onto the frame, but today they seem to be just screwed onto it (example film of installation can be found here).

Doesn't this open for the possibility that someone just unmounts the lock and removes the wheel? (And then takes the wheel to his shop where the lock could be forced and then the wheel combined with another bike that was stolen because the owner only secured the rear wheel to a fixed object)

It doesn't look like the screws becomes covered when the lock is locked.

I assume that the thief would not like to force the lock at site and that the bike frame and front wheel is locked to a fixed object (using a separate lock). The purpose of the lock would then be mainly to counteract someone stealing the rear wheel.

They are not any less secure than the old style where they are built into the frame. Even if you were to undo the screws, they would still be a solid ring around your wheel, and would prevent the bike from being ridden as it would come into contact with the seat stays, chain stays, and ground as the wheel went around.  However, in general, these types of locks aren't very secure as they are highly susceptible to the "pick it up and walk/drive away" method of theft. Once the thief has the bike in their own garage, the lock can easily be cut with basic tools like a hacksaw or a grinder/dremel with a cut-off disk


How much does wind affect the speed of a professional cycling peloton? It's a well known fact that due to air resistance increase of speed on a bike takes non linear increase of power, so the huge marginal increase of power needed to go faster while riding at around 40-45km/h has made average top speeds of the peloton stay in this range for many years. I was wondering if the air drag plays such a major role why doesn't wind affect the average speeds more?

I'd imagine that given at these speeds air resistance is a major factor (it's almost like a wall if you look at the power curve) the cyclist relative 'airspeed' in the wind should also be a major factor but it doesn't look so judging from the single day race results like Milan-San Remo (which has constant almost straight route so should be strongly affected by the wind). You can see results here: http://www.bikeraceinfo.com/classics/Milan-San%20Remo/milan-san-remo-index.html. If I were to guess I'd expect that wind should make the differences on range of at least -/+10 km/h but clearly this is not the case (it's more like a 37-45km/h range). Why is that so?

(There was an incredibly interesting question here about the increase (or lack thereof) of avg speed of TdF winners over the years: Why aren't Tour de France riders going any faster? I understand that in multiday event the wind effects and tactics will cancel out but what about single stage races?)

One thing worth noting is that battling a headwind of, say, 10 km/h will not entail an increase the effort as large as would be incurred in increasing you ground speed by the same amount.

The basic equation for the power required to overcome air resistance is:

P ~ 1/2*ACdV^3

where A is frontal area, Cd de coefficient of drag and V the ground speed = air speed. If now we add a headwind v:

P ~ 1/2*ACdV*(V+W)^2 = 1/2*ACd(V^3+Vv^2+2vV^2)

The net power increase due to the headwind is therefore 1/2*ACd(V*v^2+2*v*V^2).

If instead of a headwind we increase the ground speed by the same amount v, we have:

P ~ 1/2*ACd(V+v)^3 = 1/2*ACd(V^3+3*V*v^2+3*v^2*V+v^3)

The power increase in this case is 1/2*ACd(3*V*v^2+3*v^2*V+v^3). It is obviously larger than in the headwind case, by 1/2*ACd(V*v^2+v^2*V+v^3).

This is a factor in explaining why winds do not affect average speeds as much as you expected.


Can you use a 8 speed Shimano shifter with a 7 speed cassette? I want to use an 8-speed shifter with a 7-speed cassette.  I saw this question, but I am unsure if this would work, since I believe the spacing is the same between a 7- and 8-speed, but the length is not.

You can do that, the spacing is the same.

As already pointed, you're going to have a "phantom gear" on your shifter.

If you let gear number 2 on the shifter correspond to gear number 1 in the cassette, you should take care not to press too hard on the lever when you are already in gear 2, since this should overstretch the cable or the lever.

If you let the normal order until gear 7, and have an 8th gear on the lever as an "empty" or "ghost" gear, there is no danger to overstretch anything, but the shifter cable might become too loose, to the point of the housings coming out of their stops.

Anyway, the gear spacing is the same, and there would be any necessary damage in any part, except one of the positions of the shifter not being used.

Also, this could be a good alternative to upgrade the shifter, and only some time later to upgrade the rear wheel.

At last, have in mind that these systems are not in production anymore (as far as I know).

Hope this helps


What is low gear and what is high? I read around the net that 1 is low and 3 is high, but it's opposite on my bike. Is this correct? I have a Sturmy-Archer src3 ll.

On a derailleur bike, its easier to see this. Let the gear ratio be the # of teeth in the front chainring divided by the # of teeth on the rear cassette. Higher gears have higher gear ratio, lower gears have lower gear ratio (so if you keep whats in the front fixed, smaller cogs in the back correspond to higher gearing).

Lower gears will be easier to pedal than higher ones. Usually, these are numbered on the shifter the same way you would have on a car/motorcycle (1 is low gear, the big cog in the back, 2 is the second biggest, etc.). But nobody's really stopping you from numbering them in the opposite way.

You have an internal gear hub, so you can't see it, but the lower gears will be the easiest ones to start from.


Which Type of Bike Would You Select If You Needed To Commute, Ride Fire Roads, and Regular Roads With 1 Bike? In the market for a bike
Novice/Beginner skillset
Looking to spend a decent chunk of money on one bike that can be used for commuting, fire roads, and standard road riding
Riding location would be Marin County/Mount Tam/Fairfax if that provides more clarity on the terrain type
Won't be in any competitions with this bike. Mostly after comfort and rideability verse speed based on my skill level.
I'm open to spending additional funds for running multiple wheelsets/tires but would prefer to run a single wheelset/tire
That being said, I'd prefer a kit verse a custom build out due to supply chain delays
40 Miles of Road/Week Commuting + 25 to 50 Miles of Gravel/Fire Roads/Road + Dirt Routes

I've looked at Cyclocross (Canyon Inflite), Gravel (Evil Chamois), and Endurance Bikes (Canyon Endurance).

Cyclocross looks the most appealing but I'd have to pick my fire roads a little more wisely. Riding a ton of miles also might catch up to my body due to the geometry
Gravel looks to be the best all-around fit but might be a little slower than I'd like on the road/would need to get a road wheelset which isn't time friendly
Endurance most likely wouldn't be able to take the fire roads / heavy gravel I'd be riding

Thank you in advance.

"a decent chunk of money on one bike"   this is a very slippery slope.
If this is your first bike, look for a used hardtail MTB for relatively low cost, and simply store any leftover money.  You'll want to buy accessories over time like helmet, tools and lights and so on.
Ideally the fork would have a working "lockout" lever, to disable the bounce while on-road.
Something with unfashionable 26" wheels might be perfect, when combined with a new pair of slick 26" road tyres.

Once you get 6-12 months of riding in, (and the associated fitness improvements!) then you'll have a better idea of what you want.  At that point you can spend the remaining money on a more targetted bike, whether that be for road, or a full-squish MTB for whatever you find most appealing.
Upshot, you're a beginner, and could go either way.  Don't commit all your money to something you might not like.


Skipping on new chain, new cassette, new derailleur For a long time I have been having issues with chain skipping on my 1999 Trek 6500.  I took a video to illustrate exactly what I mean by "skipping":

Over the last few months, in the course of trying to fix it, LBS has persuaded me to replace the chain, rear wheel & cassette, rear derailleur, shifters, and cables.  Derailleur hanger angle has been checked, limit screws and cable position adjusted.  None of these have completely fixed the issue.

As it is now, I can reliably reproduce the issue by riding over a large bump, or doing a bunnyhop to cause a physical shock to the bike, then riding for several seconds while standing up and accelerating hard.  If I remove the bump from the equation and just accelerate over smooth pavement, the issue does not occur.  There is generally one skip per bump - i.e. After a skip occurs, I usually must induce another bump before it will skip again.

What other candidates are there to investigate as the cause of this issue, and how would one test them?

You could try removing a link or two from your chain to reduce the amount of slack in it.  A chain that is too long may cause skipping.

(Ensure you can still reach your entire gear range with the shortened chain length)


Bike chain slips off sprocket as I pedal during repairs. Any idea why? I am having an issue with a 26 inch Beach Cruiser.

Everything was put together by a bike shop however one of the chains slipped off the sprocket during transport home. When I went to put it back on, which should have been easy (flip the bike on its handle bars and reattach the chain by taking off the back wheel and pulling it backward further into the rear dropouts to apply tension to the chain).

As a precaution I test pedaled it while it was still upside down the chain still slipped off.

I'm pretty sure the bike kit came with a second chain tensioner and for some reason I don't have it, probably due to bike shop error.   If anyone can confirm that these kits come with two, I'd appreciate it. I hate to think I'm missing a part when I'm actually not.

Side note: The bike is also motorized, I don't know if that was a needed piece of information or not.

My question is, how do I get the chain to stay on when I pedal?

Figured out the issue. The cotter pin behind the sprocket needed to be removed and the sprocket moved backwards.

Edit: that did not fix the issue. I'm still working on it.


Change Tiagra Cassette 12-28 to 11-34 I have an Opus Spark 2 which has a Tiagra cassette 12-28 (10 speed). I would like to change for a 11-34. The cassette exists in, a guess, the same series (http://bike.shimano.com/content/sac-bike/en/home/components11/road/Tiagra4700/cs-hg500-10.html).

Is there something else I should check to be sure it is compatible? Will I have space problem with the derailleur and the jockey wheel?

You are sort-of correct in the assumption that there is a 11-34 cassette in the Tiagra range means it is compatible with a Tiagra rear derailleur, but it's actually only the long cage (GS) version that will take a cassette of that size.

Shimano has a nice set of pages that detail compatibility within a groupset, here's the Tiagra page.

The Opus web page for the Spark 2 shows it has a Tiagra 4700 series rear derailleur. It's not specified which cage length but the picture clearly shows a long cage (GS) version.

You can also check the RD-4700-GS spec page and see it is compatible with a 11-34 cassette.

You also need to check that the derailleur works with the FSA crank chainring sizes, which are 48-32 assuming you have a size S frame or larger.

Maximum front difference is 16 teeth - you are good there
Total capacity (the difference between the numbers of teeth on the largest front ring and rear sprocket, and the smallest front ring and rear sprocket) is 39 teeth - you need 39 (34+48-11-32), so again you are good.

If decide to fit the bigger cassette you will need a new chain as the required chain length will be longer (chains should be replaced when cassettes are changes anyway). You will probably also need to adjust the derailleur b-screw which controls how close the upper jockey wheel rides to the cassette sprockets.


How do I get rid of this clicking sound in the back wheel? Difficult to diagnose, I know.

Basically, I bought a single speed Schwinn a few months ago, and after riding it for a couple of weeks it started clicking in the back wheel somewhere.

I've taken it in for a tune-up, mentioned to them there was a clicking sound, but they didn't notice anything (or didn't pay attention), and it still clicks.

It doesn't click, however, if you just pedal it with your hands, but seems to have something to do with putting your weight on it when you're actually riding.

Should I just take it in again? Or is there something cheaper I could look at?

The problem could be the lubrication on the rear hub. Perhaps it wasn't well greased at the factory. A tune-up should have caught this problem, particularly as you mentioned it. Another possibility is that there is a ball bearing missing from the rear hub, so that once every time the wheel turns around, the axle falls into the small gap created by the missing bearing (this happened on my daughter's new bike after about 3 months of occasional riding).

If the bike is still under warranty, then I would take it in. The problem should have been fixed the first time.

If you want to try fixing it yourself, you will have to take off the rear wheel and disassemble the hub. This isn't hard, but if you've never done it before, try finding a local bike shop that will show you how. Some towns have co-op bike repair shops where for a small fee you can use their tools and there will be a mechanic on hand to guide you.
(for example Ottawa - http://www.re-cycles.ca, Waterloo - http://www.theworkingcentre.org/ct/cycles/cycles.html) Try looking at this wiki for a shop near you.


Protecting steel bike from salty roads There is still a lot of salt on the roads in Ottawa, Canada, but I am thinking about starting to use my road bike instead of my mountain bike because the snow is mostly gone.  (At least temporarily).

My mountain bike is aluminum so I have not been worried about it rusting/disappearing.

My road bike that I want to start riding is made of steel so I am more concerned.  What can I do to protect it from wet salty roads?

My steel road bike currently has a good paint job with few to no chips.  I was thinking before I take it out the first time I might spray some greese onto a rag and give it a quick wipe down.  I am not sure if this will be effective or a good idea so I would appreciate any feedback possible.

Should I begin riding my steel bike now while the roads are still wet and salty or should I wait until summer and/or get a temporary winter/spring bike?
If I am going to ride my steel bike what can I do to protect it from the wet salty streets?

Steel will rust, given time. Riding a nice bike on salty roads will scratch it up, but you can minimize that.

Frame exterior:

Wiping a steel bike down with a greasy rag as a preventative measure certainly won't hurt, and it may help (particularly if you already have any scratches in the paint). I think you'd be better off concentrating on cleaning it frequently. If you can, clean the bike at least somewhat after each ride, concentrating on removing salt and sand from the drivetrain. I just let my bikes air-dry, but patting them dry when you're done makes sense.

There's a lot of good cleaning advice in this question's currently accepted answer, so I won't repeat it, but the important bit is to get rid of salty water as quickly as possible.

Frame interior:

Protecting the inside of a frame seems to come down to mostly preventative measures. Essentially, you can oil the inside of the frame, seal it off completely, or both.

There are frame saver sprays you can get, and I've heard of people using either fish oil or linseed oil to coat the inside. (Food-grade linseed oil, also known as flaxseed oil, can spoil if not refrigerated, and I suspect fish oil can as well, so I'd be wary or using either.) Sealing it off can cause condensation to evaporate much more slowly, so I'd avoid doing that in very humid climates. In most areas, this probably isn't a concern unless you live by the sea or ride through torrential downpours regularly; salty water, like you'd pick up from wet, salted roads is much more of a problem anyway. I don't live in a particularly humid area, so I've never worried about the insides of my steel frames.

In conclusion, a combination of preventative care coupled with frequent cleaning will keep your bike happy in the winter.


Neck Pain on Road Bike I used to alpine cycle with my road bike. Now ( years later)  I am commuting and pulling a child in a burley tralier, earning awful neck pain. Does commute cycling require a different bicycle? If so, what sort? I am having a hard time also with braking in time for things. Could I convert mine to a touring bike? Very frustrating to want to bike, but knowing pain will come along with it. The road bike is a Bianchi steel frame carbon fork. Older, 2005 model Eros. Many thanks for your time.

If you don’t have any medical neck issues this is probably related to your position on the bike. Before you try any drastic measures I’d suggest playing around with the seating position. First of all make sure your saddle is in a good position. You should be able to ride with your hands hovering over the handlebars. Raising the handlebars is probably possible and should help too.

Maybe because of your braking problems you are constantly looking forward and never relaxing your neck? Try to look down from time to time and change hand positions on the handlebars (that’s what road handlebars are great for!). Braking power could probably be greatly increased with new, good pads and cables.

I’ve noticed that keeping my neck muscles warm helps too. It can also take some time to get used to it. Try to keep the first rides short and relaxed, take short walking breaks, especially before/after longer descents.


Do Shimano MTB shoes in half-sizes make a perceptible comfort difference? My 10+ year old MTB shoes are finally dying. I'm looking for replacements.

My shoe size is usually 7 UK (42 EU) for the left foot and 7.5 UK (43) for the right.  I see Shimano do European half sizes (under size guide).
Some shoes are available in half sizes, others not.

Does anyone find that Shimano MTB shoes in EU half-sizes make a perceptible comfort difference compared to full sizes?

Simple maths will show that for 50% of the population, a half-size will be closer to their “true” foot size than an integer size.

But the same maths will mean it won’t make a difference for the other 50% of the population.

We can’t tell which half of the population you’re in and whether you’d benefit.

P.s.  this assumes that the sizes of human feet are a continuous rather than discrete range. This is not a trivial assumption as long-term wearing of discrete (integer) shoes may deform half-size-feet into a shape closer to integers. It also assumes the same foot size on both feet which is definitely a dangerous assumption.

Version 2 of my answer.

If we want to assume different size left and right feet we have to do more stats.

So ... assuming you have different size feet, that the shoes have to be bought in the same size, and that half sizes are available, I think the statistics would be 1- (50%*50%) = a 75% likelihood that one or both feet will be closer to a better fit when you have half sizes.

This is compared to only a 50% likelihood when using integer sizes.

There’s lots of false assumptions in v2 but the simplification (most notably the difference is size between two feet is assumed to be random) would lead to a lower likelihood and thus its likely that the actual improvement is greater than +25%.


Trying to fit a Blackburn EX1 rack to my bike My wife brought a second hand CoPilot Limo seat for her bike which came with a Blackburn EX1 rack.

I have just tried to fit this but came accross a hopefully minor problem.  Her bike is a Giant Revel 3 - this has two rear dropout eyelets for the bottom part of the rack but no eyelets underneath the seat to bolt the silver rods onto.  We live in Brussels and I went to a local bike shop to see if they could help, but the guy just shrugged his shoulders and said that there was no solution other than to buy another bike seat that clips onto the metal frame.

I've been reading about using p-clips instead but just read on another website that they can slip.  I need too obviously find the safest solution.

I've never heard of a problem with P-clips. They are the standard way to mount a rack when the bike doesn't have upper rack braze-ons.

I don't see how the P-clips can slip. The rack you're using is solid, not hinged, so if you only mounted it to the fender eyelets, it could only rotate forward/backward around that point. As soon as you locate it with P-clips as well, there's nowhere for it to slip.

It might be possible for the nuts and bolts you use to affix the P-clips to come loose. You can use nuts with nylock inserts, or just retighten them as needed.


My bike keeps making this grinding noise around the back wheel/casette/chainring area when I get speed on a tech/ jump trail It is an older bike that hasn't been used in years and I recently got it serviced and began using it on the trails.  It is a specialized stumpjumper from around the 2004/2005 era and everything seems to be running smoothely except for the noise.

There are many...many potential root cause for the noise.
Firstly, you mentioned that you had it serviced. It could be good if you describe what kind of service it entails?
Many a times, shops claim full service but it's just a wipe down. (in my country)
If the service is complete, there shouldn't be any noise right?
Let's assume from here that the service is a wipe down.
Secondly, the drivetrain.
Was the cassette installed properly? - If not, the cogs may not be fully engaged in the freehub body and cause some slippage.
Was the chainring installed properly? - At speeds, a little anti-squat can cause your chainring to rattle.
Is the chain too long? - Exacerbates the anti-squat effect. + of course chain slap.
Is the derailleur properly indexed? - If not, at jumps, the chain might be forced to shift or rub against the next cogs excessively.
Thirdly, the wheels.
Is it only freewheeling that you hear the noise? Or does it happen at high speed pedalling too?
Is the tyre bead seated properly in the rim bed?
What's the lacing pattern on your wheels? - could it be that the spokes are rubbing under constant fluctuations in tension at speeds?
Lastly, the bottom bracket.
Is it installed incorrectly? - This is the least likely root cause, as it'll cause problems regardless of speeds.
Hope you understand that like doctors, just because it hurts, doesn't mean the doctors know what syndrome you have. I believe that more information is needed. :)
Also, I didn't even mention the rear shock (I'm guessing there's one). By itself, it requires so much TLC, and that's a whole new topic already.


Which parameters should I track with bicycle computer so I can analyze changes in my riding? I'm building Arduino-based bicycle computer with GPS at my free time as a hobby project.
So I have to find out which parameters of ride will be useful to track to see a progress (or any changes) in riding. Later I will surely write software to analyze recorded track.

What will be recorded anyway:

Trackpoints (latitude, longitude, elevation + time),
Cadence,
Current front gear number,
Current rear gear number.

Which parameters should be also tracked to get the best result in ride analysis?
Or maybe there is some articles about bicyclists training on the web, that I can read to get more information that could be usefull?

You will obviously be able to get this from your trackpoints, but it can be useful (depending on the frequency of collection of trackpoints) to take speed - directly from your front wheel tacho if possible. This just gives you a higher degree of accuracy.

Other nice to haves:

accelerometer input - both fore-and-aft, and left-and-right - these can give a good correlation between the movement of the bike and the cadence and gear readings so understand how the power is being transmitted to the road.


Riding wrong size frame I’m riding Trek Domane 4.3 2015. According to my height (165 cms) I should be riding 52 frame size(according to Trek size chart). The current bike my riding is 54. The only modification I have done is reduced stem size from 90 to 70 mm.

I have done many long distance rides on my current bike. The longest distance I have done is 1000kms that too comfortably.

One of my rider friend suggested me that right frame size can make me efficient and faster.

Do I seriously consider buying right frame size? Or should I continue riding current bike?

Frame size is one number. Bike fit is made up of many variables, some of which are fixed to the frame, some (add you've found) aren't. And people aren't all the same proportions (see for example the ape index).

If the bike is adequately comfortable for the rides you do, it's worth sticking with. It sounds like you might have found yourself an endurance fit, so for short races it could be possible to get more efficiency. If you're not racing (even just a friendly sprint), I doubt you'll notice the difference.

Perhaps your friend is giving you an excuse to buy a new bike, but you don't need it, and in your position I certainly wouldn't get a new one if that meant losing this one that seems to suit you.


Wrench to be used with a bottom bracket tool? It looks like a wrench with a cup at the endpoint. I was wondering what is this tool called and whether it's meant to be used by itself or in combination with a bottom bracket tool, like the PT BBT-22, for example.

The tools being used there are:

Bottom bracket tool
Large socket to engage with the large hex head on the BB tool
Sliding T-handle socket driver

Some bottom bracket tools such as the Park BBT-22 have a 3/8 socket drive built in, so the large socket isn't necessary.


How many fingers on the brake lever? I have seen people stop with one finger, two fingers or the whole hands on the levers. Is there a recommended number of fingers on the brake levers when stopping/anticipating an emergency stop? Do brake types or riding style (DH, road ..) affect this number?

For downhill and all forms of trail riding (freeride, enduro, all mountain etc) the prefered way is 1 finger (index) on each lever. Anything else can be dangerous. If the brakes are not powerful enough for dealing with this then they either need fix or replacement to proper brakes for this type of riding.

Also, riders position the levers closer to the stem (leaving 1 to 2 inches space between the grip and lever clamp) in order to enforce that only 1 finger can go on the lever. This also helps the finger pull the lever from its most powerful spot.


New Bicycle - Brakes Squeak I just bought a new Schwinn Cutter, but my brakes are constantly squeaking when I apply them. It has nothing to do with weather as I haven't taken it out in the rain. The rims on the bike do have some colored trim, but I'm not sure if that's the reason. Any ideas on reducing the break squeaking as it's embarrassing?

Follow up: these are not disk brakes.

Take the new bike to the bike shop where you purchased it and ask for the brake pads to be adjusted. They may need some break in time/miles, but usually an adjustment of the brake pads so that the front of the pad makes contact with the wheel first, will keep the pads from squealing when used. We're talking millimeters in difference...hardly noticeable at all with the front of the brake pad being closer to the wheel. This reduces the vibration you're hearing.


Acera rear derailleur / freewheel compatibility I'm looking at buying an e-bike conversion kit with a rear geared hub motor that requires a freewheel.

On my current bicycle, I've an 8 sprocket cassette (Shimano HG CS-HG41-8an) and my rear derailleur is Acera (RD-M340).

Will this be compatible with a Shimano 8 sprocket freewheel?

How do I go about determining if these are compatible? Is there any compatibility info online?

Derailleurs don't care if you have a freewheel or cassette. Also, you don't have to buy a Shimano freewheel; all modern freewheels will be inter-changeable in their threading/usage (most likely you will end up with a Sunrace or random Chinese one, anyway).

You have several parameters when you buy a rear derailleur (aside from things like direct mount vs non direct mount for getting the derailleur on the bike); these specs are on the info sheet for the derailleur:

Max/min cog (gears in back) sizes (self explanatory)
Derailleur capacity (how much slack the derailleur can take up in the chain); the necessary capacity depends on the cog and chainring sizes; the necessary capacity is (largest chainring - smallest chainring) + (largest cog - smallest cog)
Compatibility with the shifter (with an 8 speed shimano setup, you can use <=9 speed Shimano mountain derailleurs/ <=10 speed Road derailleurs)

Derailleurs are sold in short/medium/long cage versions, with higher capacity as the cage length increases.

Changing gearing may also necessitate adjusting the derailleur and replacing the chain (on length grounds, though most people coincide cassette+chain replacements anyway).

If the parameters above fit (cog size, capacity; since your derailleur is already mounted and working with the shifter), you just need to do adjustments. If not, you'll probably end up buying a long cage Shimano mountain derailleur which is 8 or 9-speed.


MTB Why are 29ers considered better then the legacy 26'' or 27'' tires? this is my first time here however I am a long time stackexchange user.
I am planning to get a new MTB. Haven't ride for a long time 10y ago, as a kid I was always riding a MTB (I had an old low budget MTB and I don't want to ride it anymore).

I was considering to get this bike:
http://www.cube.eu/en/bikes/mtb-hardtail/analog/analog-29-black-grey/

As you can see it's a 29er. Basicly I wanted to get 27.5 or 26 however at every store at my country they are telling me that 29ers are the best.
Can anyone of you more experienced users tell me why should I prefer 29'' tires?

Also what can you tell me about the bike? I don't have much experience since my last ride on a mtb was about 10y ago.

This bike is 720eu at my country and I am getting it at a 20% (570eu) discount and this is as high as possible for my budget.
So am i getting something worthy for the price?

Simple answer 29er wheels roll better that 26" wheels this means better rollover and higher speeds. These are good things for mountain bikes. The trade off is, because they're a larger wheel they require a larger frame. This is especially true for suspension. Usually 29er don't have the same range of suspension as 26" wheels. The larger wheels compensate for some of this on rough ground, but that doesn't help if you're taking large drops.

So really it comes down to what kind of riding you want to do. If you want light trail use and cross-country riding the 29er is ideal. Since you're considering a hardtail I think this is you.


Pain in right leg, related to asymmetric leg position? I've been cycling two years now and have only just noticed mainly from using my new turbo trainer that when I'm pedalling my left leg is about 1" or so from the top tube whilst pedalling but my right leg is 4-6" away from top tube. Ordinarily this wouldn't concern me but recently I've been getting a lot of pain in my right leg from my hip downwards. Could this be my problem and does anyone have any thoughts on what to do, get bike fit?

Before you start looking at bike setup/fit and/or different bike parts I would get your flexibility assessed. With one knee deflecting nearly a 1/2 foot more than the other, this suggests either underlying flexibility issues or functional issues. A bike fit can help to some degree to mitigate the issue, but a good fitter will also tell you that modifying bike fit is no substitute for fixing any underlying flexibility/functional issues.

Knees do not take kindly to off angle loads, in fact neither do most the joints in our legs and hips.  Often flexibility issues can cause us to modify our pedal stroke to compensate, including knee deflection, which can lead to repetitive stress injuries.

Do you sit down a lot for work?  This combined with cycling can really do a number of hip joint flexibility, which can have far reaching functional ramifications outside of just cycling depending on how your body compensates for any lack of flexibility.

Do you have a regular stretching routine?  If so, good.  If not you might need to consider this (especially hip and hamstring flexibility) as part of your regular routine.

Do you release muscle adhesion (and potentially muscle shortening) in your legs? - Sometimes referred to as muscle knots, these can also affect range of motion and therefore realized flexibility. Self-message (e.g., leg rollers) can be used to release these.  IMS treatment also works well.

  Anecdote:  Muscle adhesion and shortening in my upper quad were affecting my range of motion through the upper portion of the pedal stroke causing knee defections inwards (my compensation behaviour) which resulted in IT band issues (outer knee and outer hip discomfort).

Above all I would consider getting an assessment from a physiotherapist who can identify functional mobility issues. This is the best place to start, especially considering one knee is deflecting out nearly 1/2 foot more than your other. When one knee tracking is this far off, it is only a matter of time before repetitive stress injuries arise. Bike fit changes can compensate, but the issue will likely re-emerge especially if there are further change to flexibility and functioning. Once issues are identified, you will likely be given strengthening and stretching routines to help address the issue. It is worth sticking to them for long term health.


Need assistance identifying new tire options for Fuji 4130 Fuji 4130 bike with ARAYA Japan rim 26x1.50 HE VP-20  Old tires are dryrotted.  ( old tire code reads 26x1.80 c-863)  have no idea what to buy to fit. (rim measures 22" diameter, roughly)

26x1.80

26 means 26 inch and is the nominal diameter of rim and tire. It basically means the smaller type of wheel used on older MTBs, with a rim diameter of 559mm. ('27.5' - 584mm and '29' - 622mm being the other sizes in more common usage now.) 1.80 is the nominal tire width in inches also.

Some MTB tire manufacturers still use the inch measurements, some use the ETRTO size system which uses millimeters.

You definitely need a 26'/559mm MTB tire, but you have choice in tire width as a range of widths will fit on a given rim width. The safe choice is to stay with 1.8", but you could go a little wider if you frame and rim brakes have enough clearance.


How can I prevent or mitigate the front wheel coming off the ground when climbing steep hills? On one of my bicycles (a 2012 Trek Madone 4.7), when climbing very steep hills, I have had problems with the front wheel coming off the ground. This creates an extremely dangerous situation because when this happens one loses all steering control.

Do I have any recourse beyond choosing a less steep route, getting less fat (catch 22), or using a different bicycle?

Move your weight further forward to keep the front wheel weighted. Shuffle forwards on your seat and bring your chest closer to the bars. Standing can help for the steepest parts, but can cause your rear wheel to slip on loose surfaces.

The front wheel is lifting as when your bike is on a slope the wheelbase is effectively shortened, bringing your weight closer to the rear axle, and the most vertical part of the wheelie is already done.


How did bubbles form on my tire? I was riding recently and kept hearing a noise similar to a rock stuck in a tread, but I have no tread.   When I got off and inspected the tire, I found these weird bubbles had formed.   I have replaced the tire (the bubble doesn't telegraph through to the inner wall), and the tube appeared just fine.   I can't figure out what caused this though.  I'd really like to know, so if it's something I'm doing, I can keep from doing that.

It was my rear tire, and the tire only has about 1200 miles on it.

I suggest taking it back to the shop you got it from, as it looks like a manufacturing defect. Since the bubble isn't visible on the inside it's clear that the layers of cloth inside the tyre have separated, and that's not supposed to happen. You should be able to get a warranty replacement.

Sheldon Brown has an explanation of how the tyre is made that may help you picture what's going on: http://sheldonbrown.com/tires.html


How do manufacturers designate women specific designs on their bicycles? Is there a tell-tale sticker or serial number code that can be parsed to tell if a frame is intended for men or women? Basically, can I take a serial number sticker and lookup somehow what physical sex it was designed for?

As an example if you consider the following bike search for a Trek Chronus and search the hits for women you'll find 2 hits. At first glance they don't stand out all that much from all the other frames besides them, so I'm wondering if I were faced with buying a used one, how could I tell which bucket it landed in?

Generally, it's impossible to tell anything from bicycle serial numbers. Manufacturers do not provide a way to look up serial numbers and get a model name or a description of the original configuration.

Some women's specific models are sometimes marks as such. When women's specific models started to appear they often had paint schemes based on pinks and purples, because these were thought to be 'women's colors'.


RevoShift doesn't move cable between 6 and 7 I have a Shimano RevoShift 7 speed (indexed), that has trouble shifting between 6 and 7th gear.  I disconnected the cable for a test, and I see that for the other gears, each click moves the cable about 2mm.  But between 6 and 7, the cable only moves about 0.5mm.  Is there a way to fix this?  I do hear clicks for all gears.

Revoshift and gripshift have to be the cheapest, nastiest, most accountancy-driven parts on any bike.  They don't appear on mid-range or higher, only on bottom-entry level bikes.

SRAM and Rohloff twist shifts are much better, so its not a concept problem, its a design and materials problem.

Your best option is to buy a 7 speed pod shifter, which might also be called a thumb shifter, or even fit an old-school friction shifter with enough range.

A Shimano Altius M310 shifter as pictured should work perfectly for you, and its really cheap.

Do consider replacing the gear cables inner and outers at the same time, because you may-as-well.


how to go from front suspension to full suspension? I got a bike for my birthday, a cheap one, 200€ 27,5 with front suspension, but I want a full-suspension bike.  My question is: is it cheaper to buy a full-suspension frame and move the parts to the new frame, or buy a new bike?

You have a "BSO" and as such is built down to a price.  A bare full-suspension frame will cost more than that whole bike, and no guarantee the parts will move over.

I suspect you're a teenager?    Your best bet is to just ride your new bike.  Develop endurance and leg power and aerobic capacity.  While you're riding, look at other riders and learn.

Even though you call it a "cheap bike" its still worth looking after.   Store it inside at night and not out in the rain.  Tune it up occasionally, and don't biff it around.   Lock it too.

In 3-5 years you can decide to replace it outright with something that you've saved up for - so budget to save 10 euros a week and in 3 years you'll have over 1500 euros to spend on the bike you want.  By then your legs should be fully grown so the current bike frame will be too small.

And be grateful that someone bought you a bike, even if its not exactly what you wanted.


Why doesn't this V-Brake fit my frame? As part of a bike rebuild I'm working on, I replaced the old cantilever brakes with new Shimano V-brakes.

The problem is that the new front brake doesn't seem to fit with the wheel.
The rim walls are relatively low compared to brake pads and the brake pads can't go any lower. In fact where they sit now is also problematic because it's always touching the rim walls.

Attached is a photo of the bike.

Update: It's a 28/700c Villiger frame. I double checked it.

Your frame is designed for the type of cantilever brake you already had, which has pads closer to the pivot than modern brakes. Unfortunately it looks like you are stuck with your old brakes.

The old brakes can be improved with new cables and pads and lubricating the pivots.


Tubeless conversion on schrader valve rims Situtation
I have an old hardtail collecting dust. I occurred to me that a rigid fork, and some wide (i.e. >50 mm), slick tires would make it a pretty ideal commuter for me.
Then I thought it'd be great the setup those wide, slick tires tubeless.
Unfortunately, I just recalled that the rims on that bike are drilled for schrader valves. I had forgotten because when I bought the bike I immediately purchased the grommets necessary to use presta valves on the rim.
I notice two things

The first is that it doesn't appear the tubeless schrader valves are readily available (http://www.universalcycles.com/search.php?q=tubeless+valve)
The Stans conversion kit comes with tape with a valve already attached (http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=1208)

Question:
Will leaving those grommets in place allow me to set up the rims tubeless, or am I stuck running tubes since the are rims drilled for schrader valves?

I mean, put enough Stans in to the wheels, and you can run tubeless on just about any rim setup.

If you have non-tubeless tires, you may run in to an issue with the tires themselves being too porous, and that is hard to get around.  But I imagine that the combination of rim-tape, grommet, and Stans will be fine.  The rubber wedge/plug thing on the base of the Stans valve stems is pretty wide, I bet it would work even without the grommet.


Why do the front and rear brakes work independently? Why do bicycles have two individual brake levers that work independently to brake each wheel? I've always used my right brake lever because it is more comfortable to do so and I haven't noticed any difference between the two.

I see several reasons:

Redundancy of an essential safety feature is good.  If there's a problem with one brake lever you still have the other brake. Being totally unable to stop could be disastrous.
It is a legal requirement in some places to have two independent brakes for a bicycle used on public roads.
Limited human hand strength. One hand can't pull the brakes as hard as two. If you need to stop really quickly this could make a difference.
Separate control of braking.  The rear brake is much less effective and prone to skidding. The front brake is more effective for quick stops, but locking up (skidding) the front wheel will lead to a crash. @Stephen Touset wrote up a detailed answer covering the control issues.
Allows signaling with either hand and stopping at the same time.  Sometimes you need to be slowing down to prepare for a stop or turn and signaling at the same time. If you can take one hand or the other (but not both) off the handlebars that can be useful. (I prefer the arm straight out in direction of turn signal instead of the left arm hooked up to signal right turn)
Simplicity of design.  A single lever controlling both brakes (via two cables?) would be tricky to adjust right, and if it wasn't adjusted exactly perfectly you'd probably end up braking with one wheel and the other never really happening. The longer cable (rear brake) would get more stretch (housing compression) just because it's longer, so you'd probably need to be fiddling with barrel adjusters on that cable quite frequently. One lever controlling both brakes just seems difficult to engineer right and likely to need much more frequent adjusting/maintenance.

Personally, I tend to use the rear brake for controlling my speed (slowing down just a little) and either the front brake or both brakes for stopping (especially a fast stop). An awareness at any given time of which tire is more likely to slip and using the other brake is good, though.

Worth noting: it's a specialty item, but you can get a brake lever that controls both brake levers at once.  This is mostly popular with bike polo players (who use one hand for a mallet) and people with physical conditions that limit their ability to use the brake with one hand. If you don't have any special reasons to need just one lever, you're probably best off with separate levers. http://www.paulcomp.com/duplexlever.html


27 1 3/8 tires on 27 1 1/4 rims I have a bike with 27 1 1/4 rims. I plan to buy  a pair of Kenda K161 (27 1 3/8) because the roads get really slippery during the winter. Will these tires fit on my rims? I aldo don't want to buy a new 200c wheelset because it's expensive. Another option is DIY studded tires but buying these tires seems the cheapest option.
There is a similar question here but the answer isn't really conclusive.

Tires that are 27 x anything all have a bead seat diameter of 630 mm, so they should fit on the rim as the tire diameter is the same.  (Assuming of course your current tires (27 1 1/4) fit correctly). That leaves the following questions:

Are your rim width wide enough for the wider tire?
Does your frame have sufficient clearance
If you have fenders, do your fenders have sufficient clearance.

The widths of the two sizes in question are 32 mm  and 35 mm respectively, which is a small change in width, so it is likely that if again if your current tires (27 1 1/4 tires) currently fit correctly, the slightly wider tires should be fine.

Finally, whether or not the Kenda K161 are appropriate depends on what you mean as "slippery".  If "slippery" means wet, then the tire compound matters most (bicycle tires are too narrow to hydroplane), look for soft tacky rubber. If "slippery" means compacted snow, then the lug pattern (see below) could help.  If "slippery" means black ice, few if any tires will be sufficient (maybe the Continental Top Winter Contact, but I have never used them). If "slippery" is actual ice, then studded tires are best.

Kenda K161


Why are bike frames getting so much bigger This is just a general interest kind of question, but I've really been wondering about this lately.  We've had a lot of advancements in bikes over the years, and people are always trying to make them lighter, yet for some reason it seems that the frames keep on getting bigger. Just comparing my old steel road bike to my new aluminum touring bike, here's a quick list of things that are bigger.

Wider diameter handle bars
1 1/8 inch steerer vs. a 1 inch steerer tube.
Wider seat and chain stays.
All main triangle tubes, but the biggest culprit is the down tube.
Fork is a little beefier.
Stem is almost twice as thick.

After you add all this up, I have an aluminum bike that isn't any lighter than the old steel bike I have.  Why has virtually ever part of the frame been made so much larger?

From metallurgy for cyclists:

  a tube's diameter increases (D), the stiffness increases to the third power of that number (d is the inside diameter). Comparing a one-inch tube and a two-inch tube of equal wall thickness., the fatty is going to be eight times as stiff as the little weenie tube. And the weight will only double. Now does the ride of those Kleins and Cannondales start to make sense?

So wider diameter tubes actually allow for less material to be used for the same amount of stiffness, making for a lighter bike with a similar ride.


Why can't a child bike seat be mounted on a carbon frame? I have bought a BoBike junior bike seat for the rear of my bike which is a Cargo bike but the seat instruction says it can’t be mounted on carbon frames, baffles me as to why?

Carbon tubes tend to be very strong at withstanding forces in the direction they are designed for, but weak at resisting other forces (such as clamping forces compressing the tube), hence why bolts for carbon bars, seat posts etc are usually only torqued to 4-5Nm.


Difficulty installing new folding bead tires I'm an amateur cyclist trying to change worn out tires for the first time. I ordered some new tires from Amazon and got them in folded form.

The tires are flat like a belt and just won't go on the wheel. I bend them from the edges but they go back to being a flat belt like shape. Is there some special procedure I need to do to get them in shape or are these faulty?

The procedure is mounting the tires on rims and inflating them. When mounting the first bead of the tire, it helps to keep the part already on rim pulled tight so that it does not fall off the rim.


Should I oil new cable housings? When installing new cables and housing, is is wise to oil the housing?

If so, how? Here Hicks recommends spraying (but for re-newing  old cables). On the other hand, I have found it intuitive to put a drop of oil onto the entrance of the housing, then thread the cable through it.

My rationale is that oil reduces friction, and cables and housings enjoy lack of friction.

So does oiling new housing help, or is it reserved for servicing old housing systems?

I would suggest leaving new cable housings as they are. From my experience with riding MTB bikes in different conditions, lubing them only attracts more dust. I suggest regular cleaning and using oil only for short term reviving. These cables need to be replaced once in a while anyway.


Knee position while on the aero bar I find that my knees are coming ahead of the pedals while I am on the aero bars. I am not sure whether this is right or wrong.
In the below image, I don't feel pain on my lower back for a long duration but I am seated on the edge of the saddle. This results in a painful pelvic girdle. But I am worried that my knee is too far ahead of the pedal on the horizontal crank arm position.

In the below image, I am seated on the middle of the saddle which brings my knee a little closer to the pedal. But I experience lower back pain after a very short time.

I am afraid, both the positions are wrong because both the positions bring my knee in front of the pedal.

Now my question is, where should my knee be with respect to the pedal or toes?
Also how to correct it (if wrong), should I reduce the stem length or bring my saddle forward? Invite other suggestions as well!
Currently the stem length is 100 mm.

Proper fit in an aerobar posture is designed to allow you to race well. In order to race well you will need to be comfortable enough to produce power, to reduce aerodynamic drag, and to handle the bike well and safely for the duration of your race. If your fit otherwise meets all your needs, you shouldn't be concerned about where your knee is positioned relative to the pedal. Under UCI regulations (see section 2 of chapter 3 here), the nose of the saddle should be a minimum of 5 cm behind a vertical line through the bottom bracket; morphological exemptions can be made to bring the nose of the saddle up to the bottom bracket. Some riders do not compete under UCI rules and the saddle can be forward of that; and many time triallists will sit only on the front half of their saddles, effectively bringing them even farther forward. The forwardmost position of the pedal will be determined by the bottom bracket and the crank length. Some riders use "short" cranks to improve their aerodynamic position, and that will also change the position of the knee relative to the pedal. The location of the cleat and the length of your foot will also determine where your knee is positioned relative to your toes.

Optimize your fit to achieve your other goals. Don't focus solely on where your knee is positioned.


Run tubeless tire on standard rim as long as I use a tube? I have some standard rims and I (accidentally) bought tubeless tires. As long as I use rim tape and a tube, can I run these tubeless tires? I know I won't be able to run low tire pressure. But if the tube holds all the pressure is there any danger of the bead unseating?

Yes, no problem. It's conceivable there could be some kind of exception someday, but so far not that I've seen or heard of.


A clicking every couple of pedal turns (video included) I have been using a hybrid trek for a couple of weeks.

The bike is still very new with only around 150 miles done.

This morning on a ride it kept clicking every few pedal turns.

I cut the ride short as I didn't want to damage it further.

Any ideas from the video?

It looks to me like a stiff link in the chain. In the video there is a noticeable jolt in the chain through the derailleur every time there is a noise.

The chain makes a full revolution only every few pedal turns, hence it’s a few pedal turns between each jump.

Have a read here: https://www.bikeride.com/stiff-chain-link/

You could diagnose and fix it yourself, if you have a chain tool, but if it is a new bike, it’s something the shop should help you with in the first instance.


Has anyone ever tried to estimate peter sagans ftp and 5 sprint power, if so what would they look like? Does Peter Sagan's FTP and 5 second power differ hugely from someone like Mark Cavendish or is Mark Cavendish close in his FTP power range but not world class like Sagan?

As Mark Cavendish is 70kg and Peter Sagan is a reported 74kg? What prompts this question is the performances of Peter Sagan during stages 6 and 7 of the tour of California where he managed a very high placing. Despite being labelled as a sprinter and classics rider in a Shaun Kelly mould.

I found a discussion of Peter Sagan's SRM data from an early stage in the 2012 Tour De France.

Also an article which discusses normal power output for various effort durations.

What matters for sprinting isn't their FTP, rather it's their power output over 5 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes... For the last 5 seconds a top sprinter will be pushing 22-25 W/kg, whereas 6.0 - 6.5W/kg is realistic for HC climbs.

In addition to his weight advantage, Cavendish is also one of the most aerodynamic road sprinters. This article suggests a 10% decrease in CdA can result in a 3 metre advantage in a 14 second sprint. That's a humiliating margin.


Bike Repair Information in Germany I have been riding a bike for many years now, but I am embarrassed to tell you all that I  am an novice when it comes to repairing and maintaining bikes. I have always had a problem with repairing bikes.

I am very interested in learning about bike repair. I want to build a custom bike someday... :) I would be open to do some volunteer work and learn on the job.

I do not have all the tools or the workshop to learn on my own and cannot afford these...
If someone have some information where I can approach, I would be really glad.

EDIT:  I study in Germany and am looking for some information specifically in Germany  :)

I am extremely Sorry, if its not the right forum to post such questions...

Not to worry! Get yourself a part time job in the local bike shop in a supporting role - maybe not sales (unless you have the product knowledge), maybe not the workshop but something in between.

Start with what you can do - punctures, wheeling bikes in and out the yard, keeping the place tidy. A couple of weeks later have a go at assembling bikes. You will know if you are going to like it by then.

The cycling season has started it should be all hands to the deck in your local shop, show confidence and enthusiasm and you won't go wrong.


Swapping a road bike frame for a bigger one? I happened to be given a decent bike - Trek 1000 - in a good condition. The only problem is that the frame is only 56 cm while I am quite tall so I need ~62 cm. Is it possible to take all the nice parts from the current bike and put it on a new/used larger frame? I think all of the parts should fit the new one, I am just not sure about the fork. I do not know much about bikes neither I ride a lot (at this point), so any advice is greatly appreciated!

This is a very doable project. However, the cost benefit will vary. You need to be very sure of what parts will be reusable.  If you are going to pay your local shop to do the work then as @Eric Smekens has said, sell the old one and look for a bike that fits. If you are planning on doing it yourself it is an excellent way to learn how your bike works and how to do your own service. You must consider the cost of the special tools you'll need to buy, and if they will be used enough to justify the expense. Some cost considerations you may not have thought of. You may find some of the bearings serviceable, but not worth paying someone to reinstall them. Some parts may need to be replaced because they won't fit the new frame.


Increase teeth on cassette from 11-32t to 11-34t 9 speed I have a new (to me) road bike with a 11-32t rear cassette and have Sora 9 speed derailleur. Even though I have been riding mountain bikes for some time I am struggling for a lower gear on the hills. I live in a very hilly area. Can I change my cassette to a 11-34t for a little lower gears. Or is it a matter of conditioning (as the guy at the bike shop states)? Thank you. This is my first post. Great site for bicycle stuff.

One of the functions of a rear dérailleur is to take up the chain slack when the rider changes to the smaller gears.  The length of the derailleur limits how much slack it can take up, which puts a restriction on how big a gear can be on the rear cassette.  This review says that 32 teeth is as large a gear as a Sora rear derailleur can handle, but it's possible that things were different the year Shimano made your derailleur.

It might be possible for you to change your small chainring (in front) for a smaller one, but there are similar restrictions with the front derailleur: too small of a chainring will cause the chain to rub on the front derailleur cage.  Your LBS should be able to help you determine if you can change gear sizes, and can order the parts for you also.

I suspect that it won't be inexpensive or easy to put an easier gear ratio on your bike, and that the guy at the bike shop is right: training is the way to go.  Personally, I had lots of trouble with hills after I moved to a hilly area, but I decided to embrace the challenge and take them on, and I'm glad that I did; I'm much stronger now, and I have a lot more fun cycling.  Your mileage may vary of course.  Good luck!


Bicycle keeps 'skipping a beat' Bicycle keeps 'skipping a beat', especially when I exert more force, or go uphill. I don't know what you call this.

What is the problem and how can I resolve it?

Lubricating it helps get rid of the problem for a bit but soon it resurfaces.

It is hard to tell, but it is most likely one of these (assuming you have a cassette and free hub system):

The cassette and chain needs to be replaced.  This can happen when either a tooth is bent on the cassette or the chain and cassette teeth are not lined up.
The free hub body needs to be serviced or even replaced.  This can happen when the springs in the ratching mechanism are not pushing down into the teeth that gives you the bite.

For both of these, you would require special tools to remove the cassette and possibly the free hub body.