SRAM Maxle Compatibility My bike has a Rockshox Pike Select (FS-PIKE-SEL-B4). The front axle is a Maxle Ultimate with the following dimesions (as printed on the axle):
Size: 15x110 mm
Axle Length: 156,5mm
Thread Length: 9mm
Thread Pitch: M15x1.5

Now I wanted to replace this with a Maxle Stealth (I rather not have a lever flapping around), but I can't find one that has those exact spects. The closest one I found was
Size: 15x110 mm
Axle Length: 158 mm
Thread Length: 9 mm
Thread Pitch: M15x1.5

but the Axle Length is a bit longer. Will it fit?

If there was no published information about this fork, we would first observe the potential replacement is longer but has the same threaded length. Therefore it is possible to construct a scenario where, say if the current axle fit exactly flush and the dropout had 9mm of threads, that you would need to use a washer to keep the new one from bottoming against the threads and not the axle shoulder as it should. So what would you do is use the depth gauge on a vernier caliper to measure the distance between the two outer faces of the dropouts and also the threaded length of the fork, then do the math against the specs of the replacement or other available replacements.
The above is what you go through when matching a Maxle on to whatever random fork to see if it can be a suitable replacement. But because yours is a Rock Shox, you can figure it out easily by looking up the axle in the SRAM/Rock Shox spare parts manuals. SRAM has arrayed their thru axle lineup such that there's only one choice per axle spacing, so yes, it will work.


shimano xc30 mtb spd shoes for CycloCross? I am planning on attempting my first cyclocross race on the cheap and cant decide on what shoes. As it will be very muddy and rainy (like most British weather) I want to make sure I get the shoes with the right level of grip. Will these Shimano xc30 mtb be enough with a pair of studs in the front?

If you throw some studs on those XC 30s ( don't skip that step ) you'll have plenty of grip and all around performance. Unless you travel into some higher price ranges where the really aggressive tread patterns usually live, you'll be hard pressed to find too much of a difference between MTB shoes and cross shoes.

If you end up in love with racing cross, you'll start to get a good handle on which equipment works best for you.


Diameter of valve hole in the inner wall of the rim Let's say I have presta valve, so the outer hole in the rim is 6 mm (the visible hole). However rim can have inner "wall" inside with inner hole in it -- to my surprise the hole has bigger diameter.

Is it sign of low quality or is it norm around rim manufacturers?

My first reaction is "low quality" because bigger hole allows the tube to be rotated slightly, while the tight hole forces tube to be seated correctly with valve perpendicular to the rim.

The area at the bottom of the valve stem where the stem joins the inner tube has a larger diameter than the stem itself, and hence requires a larger hole in the inner wall of the rim.


How can I spin a dynamo wheel at road speed for bench testing? I can check my dynamo works by spinning the wheel on the workstand or just riding, but I'd like to do some more involved testing. I'd like to develop some custom electronics to use the extra power available at high speeds (for charging),  to drive an additional rear light that's always on even if the front light isn't, etc. The first step is to measure the output. I can make a start with a battery oscilloscope in my top tube bag, but that won't get me very far.

Road speed is something like 300 rpm, and I can't achieve that by just spinning the wheel by hand, let alone work my oscilloscope at the same time, so I'd like a hands-free solution. Ideally this would work on the bike, as I'd like to try this with the existing lights as well.

I have tried running the chuck of a cordless drill against the front tyre, handheld. The speed ratio should be about right given the diameters of the chuck and wheel, but there's too much slippage from the hard curved plastic. Something cheap and easy to fit/remove would be ideal.

Sounds like you have the same requirements as the Rubbee, which is a small wheel pressed against the tread of the tyre.

Have you got an old inner tube (perhaps a 2" MTB sized one) where you can cut a slice off, and mount that over your drill's chuck?

If the diameter of the chuck isn't quite large enough, a wooden disk with a larger radius could be mounted in the chuck with a bolt on the disk's center.

Don't forget that some drills have gearboxes with multiple stages.  2 speed is common.

A last resort might be to disregard any battery powered drill and check the effective RPMs from a mains powered drill.

I've successfully mounted a spoke magnet in my pillar drill and used it to test a bike computer sensor.  (It topped out reading 150 km/h)


What makes a folding bicycle so difficult to ride? I got a folding bike from Citizen (like the Miami) with dreams that I could take it on the road with me when I go to conferences but it's REALLY hard to ride very far with it. Is it because of the little 20 inch wheels?  Are the more expensive folding bikes easier to ride?

By, "hard to ride" I mean that after a few miles on relatively level ground I get tired of riding whereas on a regular bike I could ride those same miles and I'm hardly affected. Kids had trouble too... they noticed it took way more effort to ride the small bike.

Some folding bikes are quite good for long distances. Unfortunately, most of them seem to be optimized for short hops, by design (or by the fact of their design limitations). You're correct in thinking that more expensive folding bikes can be much easier to ride, where the  money is going for stuff like custom configuration or (even a custom-built frame). Folding bikes aren't unique in this regard, but economies of scale place additional limitations on them.
Fit Limitations
How to properly fit a bike has been covered in detail elsewhere, so I won't get into issues of seatpost height, reach, bar height, bar width, and so on. But most mass-market folding bikes seem to be built in a one-size-fits-none design.
It is quite possible to get a folding bike that's sized properly. However, since folding bikes are a small slice of the bicycle market, they're somewhat pricier. And keeping several frame sizes in circulation is even more expensive. Until more people buy folders, I think we're gonna keep having this problem. And very tall or very short people (or very heavy people--most folders have a weight limit of 200-225 pounds) have a lot of trouble finding folding bikes that will fit.
Frame Flex
Bikes that have frame hinges--like Citizens, and Dahons (and their clones) and the Raleigh 20's--are subject to frame flex. This can be combated by keeping the hinge joint tight, but many of these bikes will never be as stiff as a bike without a frame hinge.
Essentially, when sitting in the saddle, if you can move the handlebar forward and back, you've got frame flex. Some bikes can also have a flexy stem post, creating similar problems.)
(The Raleigh 20 has an angled hinge joint that, I'm told, mitigates the problem. From test-riding one, I'm inclined to agree with that; the bike didn't feel flexy at all.)
Smaller Wheels
Also, smaller wheels do tend to be a little "squirrely", in that they're harder to control. This does tend to be more if an issue with 16" wheels than 20" wheels, however.
This is fairly self-correcting, though, and it's something that the rider learns to compensate for fairly quickly. Until that point, though, it can impact the rider's ability to use the bike for longer rides.
Handlebars
Most folding bikes come with flat bars. As with all bikes, the more potential hand positions you have, the happier you'll be on longer rides. Bar ends will do this, and you may be able to fit them on the bike without compromising its ability to fold.
Gearing
"Do you have to pedal faster with those small wheels?" It's a common misconception that small wheels make the cyclist work harder. When properly geared, small wheels can perform well.
However, many folding bikes come with three-speed hubs, for a variety of reasons. (Less maintenance, cheaper and lighter than 7 or 8 speed hubs, and derailers can get your pants leg messy when you have a folding bike on the train.) This is only an issue if you have hills, and it's not one of your specific concerns, but it is a factor for general use of folding bikes.
However, faster gears can make a longer ride more pleasurable--and shorter. My 3-speed folder tops out around 26 MPH, which means it's not so great for a long day of touring. (For some, speed isn't an issue, so this won't matter to parient riders in very flat areas.)


My friend wants to sell a second hand helmet, I strongly dissagree, am I correct? My friend has recently purchased a new bike. The guy who sold it to him was clearly giving up the sport, so he gave to said friend his helmet as well (MET parachute for MTB).

As my friend already had a functioning helmet, he is now trying to sell the second one (within our rough group of people with whom we ride primarily). Now I personally believe it is just morally wrong to do this as he cannot know what the helmet has lived through, although it appears to be free of dents and has few scratches.

So am I being silly or is it just wrong to sell a second hand bicycle helmet?

Note: He sells the helmet he was given with the bike.

I personally would not sell or give away a bike helmet that is not brand new, kept in its packaging or is guaranteed to be unused and undamaged.

Bike helmets protect the head in a collision by absorbing energy and breaking down. Any prior damage takes away from the ability to absorb energy. It's impossible to truly know what damage a used helmet has sustained, therefore, you should not use such a helmet yourself nor pass on a helmet on to anyone else because you have no idea how it will perform in a crash. Yes, you can inspect the helmet for marks on the shell that would indicate if the helmet has taken any impacts, but it's not reliable enough, IMHO.

However, if your friend fully discloses how he got the helmet and that its history is unknown then he is acting ethically, because your friends can decide to take the risk or not.


Is it necessary to buy a special tool to open the chain lock I've installed a chain lock to my chain. It looks like this (mine is not KMC):

Now I need to unlink the chain to clean it, but I can't do it: the lock is too tight. I found a special tool on ebay to open such locks:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/KMC-Missing-Link-Removal-Tool-Fast-and-Effective-Black-/171101004843?pt=AU_Sport_Cycling_Parts&hash=item27d66a242b

Is it the correct tool to open the chain lock?
Is it possible to open it using home tools?

That is the appropriate tool to open KMC (and similar) style missing links.
It is possible to open them with some needle nose pliers but is much easier with a missing link removal tool and you are less likely to damage the chain (or yourself.)


Where to get tiny tyres (~12 inch) I have a small Japanese (Nippon) fold-up bike and I need new tyres and tubes (road/commuting).   The wheels are about 12" diameter*.  Where would I find replacements please (preferably by web/post), London.

I'm not entirely sure how to measure them, the outside diameter is 13 and a quarter inches; the rim diameter is 10.5 inches. Tyre width is 1 and a quarter inch.

(It also says "1.4 x 1.50"; "Ornate" and a max pressure in pascals on the side of the tyre). Picture: https://i.imgur.com/OljrZHI.jpg  Some parallax

Tire/Rim sizes can be quite confusing. Often times, in American sizing , a wheel listed as a 12-1/2 for example is actually quite smaller than that. The 12-1/2 actually is a rough measurement of about how big it will be with a tire and the wheel is actually only about 8 inches. Another example would be a 24" rim.. which generally have an ISO/bead seat diameter of 507mm, which when converted to inches is actually only 19.96" not 24" as they are listed.

So to correctly find what tire you need, you will need to first find out the Bead seat diameter of the wheel. The easiest solution may to be to take it to a bike shop and have them look at it.

Otherwise it may be helpful to read through these two Sheldon Brown pages, which fully explain how to find the ISO and what exactly it means.

Image from SheldonBrown.com

More from Sheldon:

Rim Sizing

Tire Sizing

Reading through those links will tell you how to determine the BSD of the wheel and in turn tell you what size tire you need. It may be a Japanese or European size that i am not overly familiar with so i don't want to guess on your behalf, just thought it may help to provide some resources and data.

You should look for a number in a format XX-254 on the tire, where the XX would be the width in millimeters and the 254 is the ISO diameter in mm, for example 50-254 would a 14" tire that is approximately 2" wide.

If i were to guess though it will be a 14" tire, if it is a 14 x 1.5 it should have a marking of 38-254 somewhere. They have a ISO of 254mm which translates to 10" which looks to be about the size of the wheel in the image. Purely a guess though, i would take further measurements to be sure.


Should brake lever move if you press the (V-brake) calipers together? The "normal" way is pretty clear: you press the brake lever, it pulls the bowden, which then forces the V-brake calipers together.
However, the question is: should it work also the other way round? I.e. should manually pressing the calipers together also cause the bowden to slide inside the housing, and hence pull the lever on the handle bar?
Case in point: yesterday I replaced my front brake calipers and bowden/housing on my bike, and observed the mentioned behaviour (which I am 99% sure was not the case previously). The brake lever does not go all the way, but it does move considerably (I would say 20-30% of all the way).
I can interpret this in two ways:

I did something wrong during the process (maybe not fixed well enough something, which should have been fixed?). In particular, I am concerned about the lever being too lose (I intended to replace it as well, but unfortunately, the replacement I bought turned out to be too small.)
Since the bowden/housing is new and greased, maybe the bowden can just slide more easily, so the force, instead of bending the housing (which was probably the case before), makes the bowden slide smoothly, up till the lever.

Some more thoughts:

On the old rear brake caliper, this does not work. The bowden for the rear brake has 3 sections: the first one, which runs from the lever to the top tube of the bike is inside a housing. Then, it runs "naked" (without any housing) below the tube, and the last section (which connects to the calipers) also has a housing. If I press the rear calipers together, then the wire slides up to the "naked" section, but then it bends at the "covered" section of the front.
In case the answer to the original question is "yes" (i.e.: yes, with a well-greased bowden,  pushing the calipers together should move the lever), can this be used as a test to tell if the bowden needs greasing ("press the brake calipers together: if the lever does not move, you need to grease the bowden")? And if so, would this test work also for the rear brake, or only the front brake? (In case of the rear brake, I can imagine that due to longer bowden, and the covered/naked sections, the force will always cause the cable to twist at some point before moving the lever, no matter how smooth the bowden runs inside of the housing.)

I think you have the right idea. When you push the brake arms together, you are shortening the system, without changing the inner wire length. This in effect makes the inner wire 'longer', and because it is fixed at one end, it wants to move up towards the lever, exerting a force and causing the lever to move.
It seems likely that the low friction of the new housing/cable is helping to send all of the force to the lever end. I suspect that if there was more friction somewhere, you would see a different result, maybe the noodle would pop off the end of the housing, or the housing would come out of the lever at the barrel adjuster, but the housing would find some way to accommodate the relative increase in length of the inner cable, like this perhaps. At the moment, the lever itself is giving the least resistance and pivoting, perhaps this will always be the case.
The effect is further evidenced by you observation with the rear brake. Because the housing is interrupted and there is bare cable exposed, it is able to flex and bend into a curve so that the 'increased' length is accommodated and the cable slackens. This can actually be a useful aid if you want to disconnect a brake or derailleur temporarily, without undoing the cable pinch bolt. A kind of quick release.
On the front brake with uninterrupted housing, the cable is constrained by the housing and is unable to flex, so acts more like a rod, pushing the lever.
All of this, I think, is just to say 'yes' to your own observations and explanation, although I would be doubtful of its diagnostic merits, its just a fun thing you can note. Visual condition of the cable is more useful as well as the lever feel and responsiveness as you use the brake. these will degrade a little as the cable deteriorates.


Using PTFE spray on rear derailleur springs Have noticed that the rear derailleur springs and pulleys are picking up lots of road gunk.  I use a wax for the chain and as this breaks off I can see it getting stuck on the pulleys.

So after cleaning out the chain and rear derailleur with citrus degreaser can you use PTFE spray, as in WD40 400ml High Performance PTFE Lubricant on the rear derailleur spring.  PTFE is basically teflon, but does it then over coat the spring and restrict movement ?

You most certainly can use a PTFE spray after cleaning, but, I would use a high quality chain lube instead.

I use this dry teflon lube on my drivetrain and use a precision applicator to lube my derailleurs after I clean the drivetrain.

Personally, I wouldn't use any WD40 branded lubricant on my bike.  Also, I'd recommend not using a spray type applicator to apply lubricant on small parts.  I like to use the precision applicator, i.e. the long, skinny straw, to be able to reach into all the pivots of the derailleurs and accurately apply the lube.  The spray can be messy and will often contaminate other parts of your bike, like rotors or brake tracks on your wheels.

The 'Dry' lube is nice because it doesn't pick up that much road grime in the derailleurs.


When is it time to replace the gear-cable housing? Please keep in mind that this question is specific to mountain bikes which roll through lots of dirt and mud. I heard stories of bikes that had their cable housing last for years, but I doubt that this applies to mountain bikes (or maybe it does).

How would I know when the housing needs to be replaced? Several options occur to me:

As a rule of thumb, always replace the housing together with the cable. The reasoning is probably mostly the low cost of materials which is a few dollars.
To the other extreme, do not replace the housing unless you get some indication that it needs replacement. For example, visual inspection finds some wear and tear or the cable won't move freely while tugging it.
Something else.

My current practice is to follow option 1 but I would be interested in knowing if there is perhaps a more efficient option backed by the experience of the masses.

Most quality cable housings now have a plastic lining. This allows the cable to slide freely and prevents binding and rust formation. If you use stainless steel cables they don't rust. My local shop has plain steel cables for $2.99 or stainless for $4.99. I am a big fan of Jagwire cable sets. The mountain sets include a small plastic sleeve for the exposed sections of cable. The housing ends are sealed by a small rubber section that extends into the above mentioned plastic sleeve. There is no way for any grit to enter easily. I change the cables only when there is evidence of fraying or breakage. I have had the same housings for 3 years and they seem to work like the day I put them on.


What is a good sandal type of cycling shoe for summer riding? I am looking forward to the southern summer and was wondering if anyone could recommend a good sandal style cycling shoe (I have SPD pedals)?

I bought a pair of Northwave Shark shoes this year which are SPD compatible and used them in the short British summer.  They have open vents on each side so are kind of sandal like.

Weird thing is that the site www.northwave.com, only shows these in the PDF catalogue and not in the Product listing.

I had been looking for some time to get this style of shoe so grabbed them when I could.


Can anyone identify this wheel? I have been trying to identify the front wheel on my all-road/gravel bike, which was bought second hand (the original wheels were replaced).
The only distinctive feature is a logo, accompanying the number "29", on the rim – see photos below.
Does anyone recognise this particular wheel or the brand's logo?

The logo is from a Carrera (Halfords) bike, so the wheel will have been on a Carrera originally.
You can google the Carrera logo and see that the C is styled in the same way on their full logo.
The 29 is simply referring to the wheel size, a mtb '29er' which has the same ETRTO rim diameter as a typical road/gravel bike, though widths can vary.


Brake line is unwound can I cut part off? Putting together new bike and then brake line got frayed (just one piece) going pretty far back and cannot thread it now. Can I cut the one frayed piece or does that ruin the brake line functionality?

Thank you

If it's only one strand then you can safely cut it off.  The problem is that this leaves a jagged end that will hang when you try to thread it, so some very careful work is required to get the cut end bent tightly back against the remaining cable.  Often this is more trouble than it's worth.


Homemade bicycle degreaser liquids Does anyone have a recipe for a homemade bicycle degreaser solution? I'd like to make my own degreaser solution instead of buying one. I have read about using lemon juice and various types of alcohols - white spirits, etc.

EDIT: I should have actually explained I was looking for a homemade bicycle degreaser liquid, not just cleaning liquid. I have now edited the title and wording. Sorry for the wrong title.

I am an industrial chemist, and manufacture commercial-grade degreasers and other cleaners.

Firstly, there are 3 main parts to a degreaser:

Alkaline booster, to increase the pH, allowing the dirt, grease and grime to be effectively removed, for faster cleaning
Solvent, to cut through tough grime and grease, as well as extract grime and grease from hard-to-get areas
Surfactant, to hold grime and grease in the cleaning solution, preventing it from depositing back on the bikes surface once lifted off by the solvent and the alkaline solution

(there are also other components in professional degreasers, such as water softeners, hydro-tropes, anionic and ionic surfactants, specific application solvents, etc...)

The main source of the above 3 parts can be from using baking soda as a alkaline booster, methylated spirit as a solvent (I would use methylated spirit because it is water-soluble), and a small amount of dish-washing liquid as a surfactant.

An example formulation by volume would be:

50% Methylated Spirit
40% Water (H20)
5% Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)
5% Dish-washing Liquid

The methylated spirit and the sodium bicarbonate will work together to extract and lift the dirt/grime/grease, and the dish-washing liquid will work as a surfactant to stop it from depositing back on the bike again.

The dish washing liquid will also act as a wetting agent and a foam booster.

EDIT ----

Please also note, that the methylated spirit will prevent (or nearly prevent) any foam or the like from forming. If you want foam, you will have to substitute the methylated spirits with a mild solvent that is hydrophilic and not oil-based (lipophilic).


Is an old mtb with replaced gear safe to buy? I believe this question to be on topic for this site, I want it to be more factual based than opinion, another similar question is this one. If its not feel free to close it.

I am looking at buying an older (10 yrs old) Giant NRS 1 MTB, it has very good reviews for the frame especially, but other parts have been replaced (it has a new front wheel, cables etc.). Should I be worried that other parts will be about to fall off, or are replacements a good thing?

EDIT: Ok so the wheel was replaced due to hitting a stump at night time, the cables were getting old, it has had plenty of action, but was well looked after. The rear sus has a tiny bit of play in the top bush (not enough to realise when riding)

It also has a leaking front fork, not a big issue (probably new seal, or not worry), but makes me wonder if it is worth it, will cost around $400 US ish, do you think it will have other issues?

cheers in advance!

With a mountain bike parts do wear out. I would be more cautious of a 10 year old bike with original parts unless it had original tires and I could still see the manufacturer 'tags' (i.e. like new) showing it had been ridden only once or twice and been a garage ornament for all but the first 2 weeks of its life.

If the bike has been ridden regularly you will be wanting a well maintained one. This means parts replaced as they wear out or get damaged.

I have bough several second hand MTB's - you get a better bike for you money than new. The ones I have always ended up buying have had many parts replaced, as its these bikes that the riders are using regularity and keeping well tuned and maintained.

With respect to the edits - a leaking front fork could simply need a new seal or it could be a new fork - its a deal breaker for me.


Is it practical to switch from tubeless to tubes every few weeks? Part of the allure of a gravel/cyclocross bike has been the possibly of having a "do it all" setup.  I recently purchased a gravel bike with 38c tubeless tires on it, and I also have a set of 30c tubed/clinchers.  I don't have any experience with tubeless but from what I've read they seemingly are a bit tricky to get setup compared to a clincher.  If I have the right equipment (air compressor, sealant, levers), how practical is it to switch between tubeless and tubed depending on the terrain I plan to cover that week?  Ideally one complete swap every month or so, tubeless knobbies for most training (16mph/25kph) and tubed slicks for events (20mph/32kph).

If you value your time at US\$20 an hour or higher, you’ll find you’ll quickly benefit by just getting a spare set of wheels, leaving the tires permanently mounted, and swapping wheel sets as needed. Otherwise, you have to clean sealant from the tubeless rims which make them a pain and buying a new bottle of sealant every now and again is going to start adding up.

You can often find a suitable set of wheels by buying a used donor bike. Just make sure they’re true.


Replacing Crankset. Do I need to replace chain? Then do I need to replace cassette? Over the past year, my road bike's crankset has gotten pretty bent up and out of wack. Not due to abuse, just wear and tear I guess.  It's pretty bent and has a nice wobble that I can see as I look down at it while pedaling.

So I'm interested in replacing the crankset. But I've read there are various rules of thumb to follow when replacing cranksets, chains and cassettes. When you replace one you have to replace the other or something along those lines. Something about teeth wearing evenly.

Do I need to replace anything else if I replace my crankset?

If you replace the crankset you almost certainly get new front sprockets.  Compared to the cost of the crankset and sprockets a new chain is chicken feed, so get a new chain.

Whether you need to replace the rear cassette is a whole 'nother question, pretty much independent from the front.  If the cassette is badly worn it may cause your chain to wear slightly faster, but not enough to worry about.  And you may find that the rear shifts poorly with the new chain, or suffers some "chain suck", but probably it will be OK, if it is now.


Repair vs replace my Trek 1.5 Just brought my 2010 Trek 1.5 into my LBS to get a tune up. They quoted me 475 based on needing to replace both rims as well as the slightly bent handlebars. Which gave me pause in that maybe I should just buy a new bike instead.

LBS guy said that I could've prevented some of the rim damage if I cleaned the bike between rides to prevent salt buildup on the pads and such. I use the bike to commute to work, and last thing I want to do when I get home after a 15 hour shift is wipe down my gross wet bike.

So: Do I fix my bike or get a new one, maybe something like the Specialized Allez Elite? Or is that just going to require the same level of repair in a year, and not end up saving me any hassle? Or if I do get a new bike, would I be better off getting something a little less delicate and more forgiving to the rough environment of winter in upstate NY?

I would always repair a bike unless its crash damaged.

Since it sounds like you ride then put away the wet/dirty bike, this has been more of a gradual decline rather than sudden damage.

Remove the wheels from the bike, and remove the tubes/tyres/rim tape.
Fill a container with warm soapy water - pick a container you can put 60 degrees of rim into.
Clean your rim with a dish brush or perhaps light steel wool - may need to soak each bit then scrub.  Clean rim around and between spoke nipples too.  Also clean up the spokes while you're there.  Avoid getting a lot of water in the axle bearings.
Then true your wheel using the bike as a frame.  This will require a spoke key - its very hard to do without the right tool.  Aim is to get the wheel flat.   Then refit the tyre and tube and remount in bike.
Finally tweak and adjust the brakes.

If you are looking for an excuse to buy a new bike and can afford it, then go for it.  No need to seek justification from random people on the internet.


Upgrading 8 speed shimano Acera RD-M3000 to 11 speed Deore XT M-8000? I want to upgrade my existing setup, but i wanted to know if the frame will have enough space to make it possible ?

Thanks,
Sam

Yes, as long as your bike has normal 135mm spacing, there's no obstacle with frame spacing or other frame compatibility. Despite the addition of new rear end/spacing standards, compatibility with standard 135 QR frames hasn't been dropped.


How beneficial is it to swap bikes? Today I finally got a couple of Urban Cruisers I ordered a while ago.

For the last 7 months I have been commuting on a very heavy cheap 29er mountain bike. These new ones feel incredibly light by comparison, comfortable, rolled beautifully, brakes that actually work, and on my test drive I was flying around, but all in all it was a bit unsatisfying, it was just too easy and it felt 'twitchy'. Skinnier road tyres, lighter frame.

Should I switch bikes every so often to build up my leg strength faster, or will these new bikes do the same thing anyway? I only ride on the road.

More importantly, could I actually lose some leg strength going with the lighter bikes (I didn't feel I got anywhere near the workout I usually do)? Or am I just nitpicking because I'm not used to them?

Bike weight and performance is only one factor.  Your average speed and whether or not you have inclines would also factor in, of course. You can have a light bike with skinny wheels and burn as many calories by averaging 18mph, or a heavy bike and burn the same calories at a lower speed, etc...  Coincidentally, this month's Bicycling Magazine has a brief illustration on how much power is saved by tweaking tires, helmet, clothing, etc...


How can many people move a car -trailer with bicycles? I need to move a trailer like this one here but with 4 wheels (two on both sides). I have no access to cars. The distance is about 100km or more, and I am a bit unsure how I am going to move it:

where I should move it on pedestrian way or on car road?
How should I do it?
I am ready to buy any bike to move this type of things so some recommendations for this type of cargo moving with bike? Diamond-framed may not be the best option. I have some friends on the journey so I have considered to hack a dandem or tri-bicycle or weld old touring bikes together to form one larger X-cycle.
I have noticed that my bicycle brakes are not really enough to move larger cargos, any ideas how to upgrade brakes in bike or some hack to the trailer? Or how many bicycles would be enough to stop this at least 1.3Mg beast?
I think we are going to move during night anyway but we may need to use some car roads - what kind precautions should I do with the trailer besides installing a lot of blinking lights and reflectors?

The first question is what the legal situation is. I am fairly sure that in Australia that trailer would not be a legal bike trailer because of the overhang past the rear axle, but the police would stop you because it's too large (they generally don't know this part of the law very well). Either way, I doubt you'd get far before they took an interest.

If you can tow it legally, I'd look at how to activate the brakes in the trailer. You will need to be able to do that relatively easily, because those will be your only effective brakes. That trailer will push a bicycle with it's wheels locked up quite easily. So, make the trailer brakes work.

Then I would build a quick semitrailer-style load tricycle, either a tandem or triplet. Somewhere on the net are photos of a bike shop move (in north america?) where they built a couple of semi-trailer style trike+trailer units for the heavy stuff (workbenches at 200kg+). Broadly, a solid axle between two wheelbarrow-style wheels, one side driven, very low geared, upright trike. You would probably want gears in there, but the main thing is to mount the towball as close to that axle as you can. Have the rear rider operate the (trailer) brakes, and the front rider operate the steering and gears. I would fit brakes to the trike but only for legal reasons and so it can be ridden separately from the trailer.

Depending on the weight of the trailer and the slope of the hills, you may find that you need a few extra riders to help push the trailer up hills. Either way, walking speed is a fair guess at how fast you'll go. Partly because you don't want to go faster than that down hills either.

You will probably have better luck if you do it as a charity ride - it doesn't really matter which charity, just pick one you kind like who will let you use their name and start advertising "fund raising ride - five idiots pull a big trailer from Here to There using a tricycle". With a little effort I'm sure you could even make enough money for them to be really happy :)


Where can I get a fork that will fit a 7 speed gear and a disc brake? Or how could I make one for said specification? Im trying to insert a 7 speed gear and disc brake on the front wheel of a recumbent cycle that I'm trying to make. However its difficult to find or almost impossible to get forks with widths that accommodate such components. My aim is to make a FWD cycle. Can it be fabricated if not available as such? If so, can someone tell me how?

If you are looking to re-purpose off the shelf components: Fat bike forks use dropout spacings of 135mm and 150mm, I believe. Road disc brake bikes and some mountain bikes use 135mm rear spacing, so you should be able to combine a fat bike fork and road rear disc hub. A 135mm rear hub will have space for an 11 speed cassette, but you can use spacers to fit a  7 speed cassette.

If you are building a front wheel drive recumbent, you'll have to at least do some fabricating for the frame attached to the fork that holds the bottom bracket bearings, cranks, derailleur etc. That would include welding steel or aluminium tube. If you can do that you can also design a fabricate a custom fork.


Podium girls: when did they first appear? This is a question related to competitive cycling. I would like to narrow it down to the historical aspect. I am interested in the political and social aspects, but I would gently ask to leave them out from the specific question asked here.

Does anybody know when and where the first podium girls appeared at a cycling race?
(I do not exclude answering myself the question in the near future, I am asking in case someone already did this research)

"As soon as cycling races started" is probably one way of answering your question "when and where the first podium girls appeared at a cycling race?"
I had a look at Greek art related to sports. A lot of it shows women which seem to meet the Greek ethos of female beauty. On that basis I would argue the idea of attractive women accompanying male sports winners is as old as sport. It is unlikely the first presence of a podium girl at a cycling race is documented, but I think it is safe to assume they were pretty much always there.
I know it was goddess Nike and not just a civilian, and I'm sorry if you were after a specific event name, date and location but hopefully you can see this as one way of answering your question.
If you were after the oldest specific, traceable record/mention of a podium girl at a cycling race, then you may want to reword your question.
Examples below - possibly NSFW.
From this

From this

From this

From this


Are my cycling shoes too big? With 3/4 inch of room My shoes came in the mail and I have about 3/4 inch of room to the end. On a short ride I didn’t notice any slipping when I had the boa tightened all the way up. I also don’t have any hotspots or blisters. If my shoes are too big will they affect my efficiency or are they fine?

1.9cm (3/4 inch) is a lot of room. I assume you looked at the imprint of your feet on the insole.
I have about 1cm room in my Specialized Expert shoes and I regret not getting them at least half a size smaller.
Things which annoy me about my too-large shoes:

Walking can be awkward because my feet float a bit and especially ankle stability is just not there because the foot can twist inside the shoe. I’m also more likely to trip over the tip of the shoes.
The shoe’s tongue goes too far up and starts biting into my feet after some time. Fortunately it’s possible to push it further down.
It’s easier to hit the front wheel in sharp turns.

Riding itself is fine since they more or less just have to provide a secure platform for your feet. I can also move the cleat far enough backwards.
There is a slight advantage in cold weather because you can easily wear two pairs of socks or waterproof socks.


Why/How should I bed in disc brake pads? Why should I bed in my disc brake pads and what's the best way to do it?

Bedding in brakes removes any glaze from your new pads, and any contamination from your disc rotors. It also transfers material from the pads onto the rotors, which helps them work together. It's essential to get the optimum performance from your brakes when you change pads. Follow these steps:

Clean your rotors - you don't want them to transfer any grease and
grime to your new pads. You can buy dedicated brake cleaner.
Fit the new pads and find a place where you can build up a bit of speed. A hill is helpful for this.
Build up some speed and then brake to a gradual halt. Repeat a few times.

That's probably all you need to do. However some people, myself included, like to pour water  over the hot brakes. I'm not sure this actually improves anything but even if it doesn't it sizzles and steams, which is pretty cool


What to Look for In Gloves for Winter Commuting We live in Buffalo, NY where winters are harsh. My husband rides early in the morning and afternoon about 6 miles each way. The temperature is often below freezing, especially early in the morning – wind and snow make the cold worse and make his hands very wet. He says he arrives at work every morning with numb fingers and can't type for the first 20 minutes or so until they thaw.

I want to buy him some gloves that will keep his hands warm in the conditions he deals with. What should I be looking for? What features make a good glove for winter commuting in a cold, wet climate?

You'll need gloves that allow you to still hold the bars and use the brakes and shifters. Standard mittens don't work well since you have to grab the brake with all your fingers.

Durable waterproof ski gloves with five fingers are one of the best options, especially those which come with a hand warmer pocket for extra warmth capability. Some folks prefer lobster style gloves since they are split and allow you to wrap two fingers around the bars and two on the brake on a flat bar setup. They still suffer a bit when using STI shifters, but they are usable.

Gloves that have a separate outer an inner layer are very helpful for longer duration riding as you can keep a set of dry liners handy to swap out if your hands sweat a lot, since moisture will transfer cold from the liner to your fingers. I've found this a lifesaver on long rides where my hands begin to freeze up. If using on commutes, it's nice to have separate liners for to and from trips, in case your liners don't dry through the day.

For extra cold conditions, a lot of people prefer to combine thinner gloves with pogies / bar mitts. These provide a lot of wind shielding as well as some insulation, enabling you to forgo super heavy gloves.  They are available for both drop bar and flat bar setups, but they are more optimal on flat bars.

Some popular brands of gloves to check out are:
45nrth - See Sturmfist gloves (some of the best deep winter cycling gear)
Pearl Izumi - See Pro Softshell Lobster Glove (one peice, makes layering hard)
Planet Bike - See Borealis Glove (lobster style, separate liner)
Swany - See X-change Gloves (some of the best ski gloves, also awesome for winter cycling)

Popular Pogies:
45nrth Cobrafist (Flat bar only)
Revelate Designs (flat bars and jones loop bar compatible models)
Dogwood Designs Pogies (Flat bar only)
Barmitts (Both Flag bar and drop bar models, simple neoprene design)
AMF Threadworms Moose Mitts (Drop bar and flat bar models available)


Do cyclocross races permanently damage the grass they are run on? I am considering putting on a cyclocross event and was wondering if anyone has any experience with the after math of the race.

I've observed a number of cyclocross races in public parks in the area I live. These typically include paved areas, grassy areas and some dirt. If there's been rain recently (or raining during the race), the grass along the race course looks like it's been turned to mud. If you look more closely, you can see that the individual blades of grass are all intact, they're just bent over and muddy. A few months later, you can't even tell where the race course was anymore.

I believe it depends on the type of grass. For well-established and regularly mowed grass, such as is common in parks and for playing sports on, the damage is temporary and cosmetic. The ruts settle out on their own.

It seems like areas of slope that cause the racers to dig in and slip around more can get more damage.

Here's a photo essay of some cyclocross races the day of and several weeks later:
http://api.ning.com/files/zdPAeE6CK7J69K-gbRX4ru1-SAay5M6pkU6QqXD5QiNJnWx4-gdFn9oV0w47vypkoo67sVWzznYDLM4RwIDwgGVxfQP8Ivn0/AfterEffects.pdf (from http://www.ukcyclocross.com/profiles/blogs/after-effects-of-a-cyclocross).

Cyclocross races are generally run during a season that grass is dormant. It may not fully recover to looking nice until a few months later when the sunny/warm season starts up again.


Lemond Frame - what model/year? I bought this Lemond frame online. I have an opportunity to get some components for it before I actually receive the frame. Hoping to get more info on the bike (model/year) in the hope of getting some kind of spec sheet. Any help is appreciated.

it could be a 2001, i'm rebuilding a rare one, came with a threaded Icon Air Rail fork, but i used a threaded to non threaded stem converter :D


What bike crank do I have and how can I re-attach? So during quarantine i've picked up a hobby of bike riding. Recently while going for an afternoon bike ride I noticed one my pedals were shaking but I just ignored it. When I was finished riding I parked up my bike in the garage and I checked to see what the problem was. While inspecting/testing both my pedals one of the cranks just fell off. It turned out being only the crank was the problem. I was trying to figure out how to re-attach it looking at numerous threads and videos on the internet with no luck. I noticed my crank was different from a lot of the others I seen on the internet (mine having no bolt at all). This bike has been chilling in my garage for years unused (nor do i remember how it ended up there lol) so I couldn't tell you what type of bike it is or the model. Here are some photos

Based on the new photos, there's a nut missing.  Its been loose for a while, because the square taper hole is a bit wallowed-out.  That may have killed the crank arm, have to try refitting it to be sure.
You need a suitable nut that fits the threads on your bike's bottom bracket axle, if the old one is not trapped in the head of the crank.
I'd pop off the silver cap in the middle, lightly grease the taper, then refit the crank arm.  Then fit the nut and do it up tight with a socket - you can't use a spanner on this because its recessed.

I suspect this crank has been loose for a while.  You probably didn't cause this oritginally, but have exacerbated it by continuing to ride with the loose crank.
Tomorrow, retighten the nut again.  The crank will slide harder onto the taper over time.  Since its already damaged, you may as well try to save it.
If it breaks then you needed a new one anyway!
Check locally for a Bike Cooperative or similar - a left-hand crank arm, square taper shouldn't be uncommon.  It may be that you need a new bottom bracket axle too, depending if there's damage to the taper.

The reason yours has a (missing) nut and not a bolt is that its an older design, functionally the same.  A more recent cartridge BB would have tapped holes in the ends for bolts, the effective differences are a tiny bit of weight saved,  requires less space under the cap allowing for thinner cranks, and a smaller box volume.


Fixed Gear Chainring Centering I have a fixed gear bicycle with a chain that gets periodically tight and loose as I complete a rotation of the pedals.  How do I center my chainring so that the chain has even tension throughout?

I want to provide an initial answer to this question with some resources that I have discovered and attempted.

Sheldon Brown's Chainring Centering Guide
Velowood Cyclery's Chainring Centering Guide (Updated)

Basic Strategy:

Loosen the chainring bolts until they are finger-tight
Rotate the chain until you reach the tightest section of the chain
Strike the top of the chain lightly with a rubber mallet until you have loosened this tight section.
Continue to rotate and strike any tighter sections that you encounter, gradually softening your blows on subsequent strikes.
Once your chainring is centered and no more tight spots are observed you can tighten the chainring bolts in a star pattern.

Troubleshooting:

If after several attempts you can't loosen a tight section there are two things you can check:

Check for a bent chainring / crank, or off-center bottom bracket (suggestions on how to do this?)
Check for an unevenly worn or stretched chain

Use a chain wear tool and measure the chain wear along the entire length of chain.  Lay the chain down on a piece of paper and write down the wear measurements for each area, then crossmatch those measurements with the tight spot.


Clicking sound coming from rear In the middle of one ride my bike started making clicking sound from the rear.
And I can't find the source since that.

Here is a video of it:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/RZKb7C3L76TbnMVF7

As many times suggested on this website, I tried adjusting L, H, B screws as well as cable tension and it didn't help. The sound is most noticeable on the lowest cog, but somewhat present on all.

Bike is one month old and it is built on Shimano 105 R7000. Chain is KMC X11EL.

Any advice please?

P.S. when separated, neither hub nor chain make any sound

UPD: I took the bike to the shop. After some time they said that the problem is with the hub and they fixed it. However they didn't give me the details about the fix.
After I came home - I found that nothing is fixed and the sound is still there. It just wasn't noticeable in shop's ambient noises

If you have a one month old bike bought new you should be able to take it to the shop you bought it from for a free drivetrain and brake tune up, and to address problems like these that crop up in the first few weeks of ownership.

The click is very loud and occurring at low speed. It does not sound like the indexing being off a little. It sounds like the chain in catching on something  but I cannot see it moving on the smallest sprocket so it's not trying to jump to the next largest sprocket.

I'd look to see if the chain in catching on something around the derailleur cage.

Check that the wheel is seated in the dropouts properly. If the wheel shifted significantly the sprockets will not be parallel to the derailleur cage. Another possibility is that the derailleur hanger has been bent which will also misalign the sprockets and derailleur cage.


Panasonic/Tange brake cable guide removal and replacement As someone who has never had a bike with internal brake cable routing (in this case through the top tube), I bought an '87 Panasonic DX 3500 bike for restoration.

The frame as well as many of the components are made by Tange, a Japanese manufacturer.

Before removing rust and touching-up the paint, I am going to strip the frame entirely and that would include the black plastic guides the brake cable enters and exits the top tube through. (BB and headset need replacement, so I would have stripped the frame nonetheless.)

The outer cable is routed through said guides; pulling it on each side makes it move on the other side as well, which means and the guides are attached on the top tube like shown on the photo below:

Having broken hard-to-replace plastic components before, I really don't want to use any force before being sure that's the only way to do this.

I would expect there to be a release pin on the cable guides, but I haven't found any.

Does anyone have an idea about how to remove the cable guides — and in case of emergency, knows how to find a new replacement or if they are non-removable, even for maintenance?

This is going to be hard work given you want a bare frame.

If it were a simple swap of cables, you'd feed the new outer onto the old inner, and pull that up.  The new outer would follow the end of the old outer, and it would find the top exit hole because its on the old inner wire.

Once the new outer is in place, you whip out the old inner, and then feed the new inner through the new outer and connect like normal.

You basically don't know if the outer that passes through the frame is encased in a guide tube of some description, or if its just bare in there.

The only way to try this would be to hold the outer at one exit point and try and shove more outer in at the other exit point.

If there's a constraining tube it will be impossible to push any more outer into the tube.
If there's NO guide tube in there, you should be able to push several centimetres of additional outer into the tube where it collects in a mild corkscrew shape.

Finally - it might be a good excuse to go buy one of those endoscope cameras... I've wanted one of them for a long time but never had a justification.   You could whip out the headset and look along the tube to see what you see.


How to fix a crack in a silicone grip I have a brand new pair of silicone grips. Somehow, one of the grips got a crack. Its mostly an aesthetic issue, as no fragments of the grip where lost.

Is there any glue appropriate for silicone to fix the crack?

Your only options are to replace them with a non cracked set, or to cover the crack with something else.

Silicon does not glue very well.

Personally I have used a 10cm section of 30mm heatshrink tubing, and used a hot air blower to contract the tube down on itself.  This makes a grippy top-skin for a handgrip that was breaking down and going tacky.

Downsides, most heatshrink is black and often has lines of text printed on it.  Some variants have glue on the inside, which helps too.


How to adjust brake level movement on hydraulic brake? My bicycle has Tektro Auriga hydraulic disc brakes. I can adjust how far the level stitches out with a small screw (see here, figure c2).

I was wondering if it is possible to adjust how much the brake lever can be pulled before it bites. There seems to be considerable difference between the front and rear brakes in how much pull is needed.

With V brakes that use cables, one can simply pull the cable a bit on the brake's end. Is there a simple solution with hydraulic brakes?

Aurigas don't have bite point adjustment. For the most part it's a feature found only on some upper end hydraulic brakes.

The rear brake being a little softer and longer to engage is normal since the line is longer. But if it's more than a little, that can be a sign of other problems that bite point adjustment wouldn't help with anyway, like air in the line or a piston movement problem. If the rear pads are getting worn out that will also contribute.


Front gears won't shift I am very new to the bike maintenance, but want to learn how to do it myself. I have got a MTB which won't change the gears at front. It's basically stuck in the granny gear at the moment. I tried to lower down the front derailleur as it was too high I think, in order to do that I had to slack the cable a bit. It still unable to change the gears. Any advice what I can check will be appreciated a lot. I attached some photos.

Cheers

The derailleur does look too high in your second picture. The bottom of the outer cage should be about 2-3mm above the tips of the teeth big ring when directly over it. The cable is probably too loose which is preventing the shifter from pulling the cage far enough outwards.

I'd run through a step-by-step adjustment process as front derailleur adjustment can be tricky to get right.

Start by disconnecting the cable from the shifter and making sure the derailleur can move through it's full range by pushing it by hand. The spring is quite stiff so there will be quite a lot of resistance.

Check that the shifter and cable runs freely. Pull on the end of the cable and  work the shifter. I'd also check the cable housing to make sure it's inserted into the shifter and frame stops properly. You may want to take the cable out and clean and lubricate it, or even replace it.

A complete description of the full derailleur adjustment process is more than can be provided easily in text here. There are numerous videos and articles on the web that show you how to do it, but the best by far I think is the one by Park Tool Company: https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/front-derailleur-adjustment.

BTW, I think the tab under the cable shift bolt seen in your first picture should be rotated 90 degrees anti-clockwise, so the finger goes over the cable.


...why do male cycle commuters outnumber females? I haven't been able to find any usable statistics but from my observation of cycle commuters men appear to out-number women by around 10:1

This is in a relatively bike friendly city, at least by North American standards (Vancouver Canada).  In my office, a downtown mixed office building, there are no women commuters.

There are many more women cycling in road clubs at the weekend and lots of women committed to cycling groups and promoting cycling.

Is there any reason why women don't commute by bike and is there anything that can be done to boost the numbers?

(rephrased to make this a more useful question - rather than a friday afternoon thing)

Oddly the well publicised bike counts down here don't seem to be quite so free with their results.

I did a bit of counting back in 2001 and got about 20% female cyclists. Fewer on major roads, more on bike paths. 1300 cyclists over 3 months in a perimeter count (because the official stats only counted 5 major entry points). Interestingly despite the compulsory helmet law only 74% wore helmets (I didn't count "helmet on handlebars" as wearing a helmet).

In Melbourne there are stats here, the "cycling to work" and "cycling in Melbourne" pdfs. First graph shows approx 25% female, and in the outer suburbs mostly under 20 years old, with a broader peak in the inner suburbs (interestingly, fewer school age kids than the suburbs)

and a second chart showing that as cycling percentage goes up so does the proportion of female cyclists - women are more likely to ride if a lot of men do.


How to build surge brakes on bike trailer? There are a couple of pretty good answers in How to make a cargo trailer?.  After looking at those, at the answer to What are the safety concerns of a high vs a low mount trailer hitch? and doing some other research, it seems that heavy trailers have significant safety issues around braking.

All the references I found so far indicate solutions that involve disconnecting the bike's rear brake and connecting the cable to trailer brakes.  This solution has issues of its own (mainly around not going to the trouble).

There is common solution often used on rental automotive trailers, called a surge brake.

When the tow vehicle slows down, the trailer pushes against the vehicle and that force applies the trailer brakes. In automotive solutions this is done with hydraulics.

After thinking about this a while, and noticing there are many inexpensive used kids bikes with manually applied brakes integrated in the rear wheel.

Are there any proven approaches to using surge braking on bike trailers, either with used bike parts or with new purpose constructed parts?

The simple answer to your question is yes, people have built surge brakes and they do work. Specifically, I have built one, but I called it an inertia brake.

This page has some notes and photos. The mechanism was fairly simple and robust, a telescoping towing arm with a couple of standard brake cables leading to V brakes on the front wheels of the trailer.

The major caveat in my opinion is that by the time the trailer is heavy enough to need these brakes it's too heavy to be towed safely behind a two wheeled bicycle. I say 'two wheeled' because in many countries legally speaking a bicycle has "two or more wheels" - so to a lawyer my quad bike is a bicycle. I built that trailer for the quad and would not suggest towing it behind a two wheeler. Mostly because if you fall off the bicycle the trailer brakes will not be applied so the trailer will roll straight over the top of you.

You may also find "does anyone sell bicycle trailers with brakes?" useful


Deep cleaning - crank, derailleurs, hubs I recently completed a 100 mile sportive that included a lot of riding through big puddles, fords etc.. bike got very muddy/gross and was making a lot of noise by the end of it! I gave it a quick once over with muc-off and a rinse after the event but really my bike needs a proper clean. I regularly lube my chain and keep that and the rear cassete clean and I often give the bike a good general clean but seeing as I've owned it since 2010 and never cleaned the other more fiddly bits can anyone offer any advice on what to watch out for when de-greasing/re-greasing derailleurs and whether I should bother with the crank and hubs?

In a nutshell, I just bought some muc off de-greaser and some grease.. I'd like to give the bike a good proper service. I do NOT want to accidentally de-grease a wheel hub or whatever and screw it up!

I love my bike and I'd like to get into servicing it fully, but I don't have much time in my life to spend a whole day on one hub.. any advice? Also, I don't want to pay an LBS a fortune to do it for me!

Cheers,
John.

It looks like what you are asking for is a complete overhaul. Questions similar to this have been asked before so you can see answers like this for checklists and procedures.
The one thing that makes your question different is the time issue. I agree you don't want to spend all day on one hub, and with a little study and practice you should be able to do a home-mechanic level overhaul in a couple hours.
While you are working up to it, you can do one system at a time. For instance, one weekend you can deep clean the drive train. Then next weekend clean and lube the hubs (and possibly true the wheels). Then take a day and maintain brakes and cables. Take another day and overhaul the headset...
By doing one system at a time you will break the job into manageable pieces, and build confidence as you complete each one. And, you can continue to ride in between jobs.
A final advantage to breaking the job up is that some task require, or are much easier, with specialized tools (cone wrenches, crank puller, bottom bracket tool, etc). As you work down the set of tasks you can check whether you have the tools, and if not can either beg, borrow or buy, or can decide that particular task is one you will leave to your local bike shop.


Bike gears not shifting how they should So I've not cycled in a while but my step dad was using my bike and he has a habbit of breaking stuff. I have since decided to start cycling to work again and I replaced various parts due to rust etc (Chain, Cassette, brake pads, cables) and seeing as they didn't work properly in the first place I decided to take some time to tune the gears. Now I think I understand them but the issue I have is: On the cassette at the back the gears will happily and smoothly shift from 7 to 1 under load or not under load. But going from 1-7 it will ignore me when I switch to 2 but when I then go 2-3 it will skip over 2 and onto 3.

So the question is: Why does it work perfectly from 7-1 under any load but then under any load it will not go 1-2 but every other gear works? It's literally that 1 down to 2 that won't work.

Please take note that there is no grinding noise or anything when i flick from 1-2 it quite literally just ignores me and makes 100% no attempt to switch but it happily jumps over 2 to 3 when I flick down to 3.

A rear derailleur moves two ways: the tension from the shifter cable will pull it one way (usually towards the larger rear cogs) and spring tension within the derailleur will pull it back when you shift down into the smaller cogs.

It sounds like the spring tension is not strong enough to overcome the cable tension / resistance when you're shifting.

If you had to replace other rusty parts, you can try oiling or just replacing the derailleur cable and housing.  If those are rusty or sticky, then your derailleur spring has to pull a lot harder to get things to move.

I have also had shifting troubles when the derailleur hanger is bent, causing the mechanism to swing the wrong way when I was shifting.  You can get a bike shop to check / straighten the hanger, or if you don't have a hanger (claw type derailleur) you can try to do it yourself.


Multiple double holed punctures on the rim side of tube Got a new trainer tire, so I removed the regular tire and tube from the rear rim and replaced them with the special trainer tire and a thinner tube. When I plied the old deflated tube for storing, I noticed that it was leaking air. On inspection I've found 3 pairs of holes which are apparently on the inside of the tube, toward the rim. I inspected the rim tape and it looks fine. In the past I've had put some extra electrical tape on the rim and then the rim tape over it. They both look fine, the electrical tape is not damaged or cut where the spoke wells are. The rims are double walled. I inspected the rims, spoke wells, rim tape, the tire - can't find the cause of the punctures. They seem to align with the spoke wells, though. What makes it weird is that all three punctures are double, there's one cut and next to it there's another, not quite parallel. It looks something like this: / \ . Check the pics also. With the tube deflated one of the puncture has the cuts 8mm apart, other has the cuts 4mm apart and the last has the cuts 2mm apart. What baffles me is that the wheel was not losing air before I took it apart. It was inflated! Only after I removed the tube I've seen these holes which are big enough that I can't inflate the tube now with a hand pump.

What can cause this? It's got to be the rim, right? Somehow the rim tape slides about and exposes the spoke wells. But why it looks fine and why did it stayed inflated until taking it off?

Wheel 26", tire 57-559, tube 40/60-559.

Thank you!

These are pinch flats, also known as snake bites. For more info, you could have a look at What are pinch flats?, Best practice for patching snakebite pinch flats on skinny tubes
 and Is there anything I can do to prevent snakebites (pinch flats)?


Loose spokes after only a few rides I have recently joined the cycling world after committing to losing weight. I am a heavy rider at about 28st (390 lbs) and have after some advice gone for a GT Avalanche. I have had the bike less than a month and only have around 15 miles on the bike.

I use the bike to travel to work which varies from light off road to road.

I was riding back from work and realised that the wheel had started to buckle. Upon getting home I have noticed that some of the spokes were loose. Is this normal and if not is it due to the weight the bike is being asked to carry? Will a home fix be enough to mend the issue?

Update:

I have contacted the seller who has advised me to get booked for their free 6 week service where they can service the bike and they can also true the wheels.

The question I have now is until I am able to get the bike serviced am I able as a temporary measure able to fix this at home and use it as I use the bike for getting to and from work?

Unfortunately, most bikes are only rated to 300lbs or less. However, if this is a new bike, you should take it back to the shop and get them to fix it.  They can't claim they didn't know you were a heavy rider when they sold you the bike.

You might need to get more substantial wheels with more spokes. Wheels designed for touring bikes might be more appropriate. Also, when riding, you need to be careful to avoid potholes and other bumps in the road and don't go up and down kerbs. If you can't avoid a bump, lift your weight off the saddle so your legs and arms are acting as suspension – this applies to riders of any weight and it's more comfortable for you as well as the bike!


Looking for info on replacing MTB derailleur My previous derailleur went into my spokes and twisted up the hanger.

Bike is a early 2000s Minelli 7 speed.

How do I choose the best derailleur for rough off-road riding? I need one that won't budge too much since I plan trying jumps. I need something sturdy.

Looking at the Minelli web site it seems their bikes are fairly inexpensive, using Acera, Altus and Alivio groupsets.

The latest Acera, Altus and Alivio groupsets are all 9 speed so I have to assume you have a slightly older bike when those groups came in 7 speeds, Or you might have a Tourney derailleur I guess.

Basically, you will just have to find a compatible 7 speed replacement derailleur. I'm afraid you don't have much choice in terms of 'sturdiness' as 7 speed drive-trains are now the lowest level, cheapest offerings. The good news is that a replacement will be inexpensive.

If you want to upgrade the bike, don't do it a component at a time, just buy a new or used better bike. There are plenty of answers to questions on this site that show how drivetrain component upgrades inevitably require replacing most or all of the drivetrain, and sometimes wheels, which is very definitely not cost effective.


How can you recognize a department store bike? You can obviously avoid department store bikes by buying from reputable local bike shops, but how can you tell whether a used bike is a department store bike? Are there any telltale signs? I have a friend who is looking to buy a used bike, and I would like to tell him what to look out for.

As per @Mikes Answer, but a bit more than fits into a comment.

Only buy a bike with the brand/model of major components able to  be researched.

On a Mountain bike, shocks are a dead giveaway, and if rear suspension, look at the shock, although they sometimes don't have a model, the good ones always have a brand. From there, pictures will get you close enough. Also look at the geometry - if it looks like a light weight motorbike it's rubbish (Unless it's a top end down hill rig)....  keep in mind age makes a big difference here, so search teh internet for parts of similar ages.

Brakes - Disk brakes should have a brand/model than can be researched. Rim brakes usually have something, but it's always a bad sign if not.

Seat / Seat post - worth a look, not a bad sign if no brand.

Drive train components can be tricky, many shops put an expensive rear derailleur on an otherwise cheap bike (That is all many people look at). Look at the cranks, the front derailleur, the shifters etc. These will usually have model information somewhere.  Wheels and hubs - again look at the brand/model - most came out with labels.

One useful guide is overall weight - lighter bikes cost a lot more. BUT make sure you compare like for like. No point comparing a carbon frame to a steel frame and assuming the carbon is better because it's lighter.

For a novice stick to a brand/model that you can get the details off the internet. Look for a bike that has signs of light or no use. Everything should work smoothly and reliably. No groans, squeaks, clattering of any sort. The problem is any of these can be a sign of big money or a 2 minute tweak to fix and it takes expert eye to tell the difference.


How to decelerate effectively with a rear brake? My front brake is not operational and it will be a couple of days before the replacement Shimano Deore arrives. There are probably other use cases for braking with a rear brake. For example, pad glazing or boiling fluid due to  excessive use of front brake downhill. Or sudden brake cable failure (has happened to me - the cable got cut at the caliper).

I have determined that my stopping distance is about 3 times that of both brakes operational.

Because the center of gravity of the rider is not located on the line between the two contact "points" of the bicycle with the ground, when decelerating an overturning moment is generated. The result is more weight on the front wheel and less on the rear wheel. More weight equals more traction or more stopping power.

Are there any techniques for effectively stopping with only a rear brake? Some way to put more weight on the rear wheel?

Brakes: basic Shimano hydraulic discs
Tires: Schwalbe Land Cruiser
Use: commuting and local autumn trails

Yes, there's a technique, however I strongly recommend you to fix the front brake. Rear only is dangerous.
The rear wheel tends to block much sooner than the front one because of reasons you mentioned in the question so the obvious way is to avoid blocking as much as possible. First, you can emulate ABS on the car by quickly pressing and releasing brakes in series, this way the wheel will likely block, but with less tendency to slide sideways.
Another is moving your mass center towards back while braking - not cool, but it helps, actually.
And again - fix the brakes, repairing them is not a hard job.


Disk brakes swap on a new road bike with rim brakes I am planning on buying an Atomic Covert road bike.
Can I put disk brakes on it? Are there adapters for rigid forks/road bikes or do I need to replace parts?

Can I put disk brakes on it?

No. You cannot effectively convert a rim brake frame or forks to disc brakes.
(Alternative answer:

do I need to replace parts?

Yes, the frame and forks.)
Seriously though, if you are buying a new bike, buy the bike you actually want rather than planning to convert or upgrade. There are disc brake road bikes available across a wide range of price points theses days.


Can a Shimano BR-M965 caliper be replaced with a newer one? I run my little bike repair shop and a customer came to me with a bicycle with Shimano's Dual Control setup:
http://www.cambriabike.com/StM966-BRM965-PreBled-Hydrlc-Disc-Brake-Kit-XTR-Grey-Fr-750mm.asp

Braking was extremely poor, and although we couldn't see oil escaping, I was eventually able to confirm that both calipers are letting oil go around the pistons.

The levers themselves show no problems.

He would like to replace only the calipers, if possible, because he likes the Dual-Control levers.

I'm thinking about two possible issues:
- Connecting the line: is that the same connection since that time?
- Oil flow: Does, like with the short and long cable pull "standards", the amount of oil pushed from the lever and the pushed surface in the caliper have different combination or does it simply not matter from a fluid's mechanic perspective?

Thank you.

The short answer is no, the Dual Control levers are not compatible with current calipers.

Long answer:

Both reasons you mention are valid.

The master cylinder piston on a brake lever is sized very specifically for the caliper cylinder size, the type of hose, and the reservoir size.

In addition, the hose fittings are pretty specific to year and model. They may work, they may seal short term, or they may not hold at all.

Last, Shimano will not warrant brakes used with different combinations than designed. Which means that if you choose to mix and match a brake setup for a customer, the liability is on you.

If their brakes fail, you are in a world of hurt.

Great question, though. :)


Ancheer electric mountain bike cuts out under load My year-old 250W Ancheer electric mountain bike currently has an issue. When going up hills, the motor is put under a lot of load and the battery turns off. It remains off until reset by toggling the on/off switch of the battery. The bike is able to go longer without cutting out when the battery is fully charged, and this problem worsens with use.

To diagnose the problem, I've used a multimeter on the battery while going up a steep hill. It begins at 40V 14A and cuts out at 31V 7A. I believe the issue is with the motor drawing too much power (~560W at the start), resulting in the battery (which is not designed to output that much power) dropping in voltage and cutting out. I've rode this bike for a year and the motor has slowly gotten weaker over time, now being too weak to climb steep hills on its own.

An I correct? Is this an issue with the motor or could it be something else?

Your battery pack is failing under load and your battery management system is shutting off to prevent your pack from going up in flames.

A voltage drop like this is often a sign of one or more cells in your pack has gone bad - whether due to age, too many charge cycles, improper battery management, or a manufacturing defect. Or the pack could have simply been sized, engineered or manufactured without enough high current capacity for your motor’s maximum current needs.

You could also try to eek more life out of the pack by dropping the assist level when going up hills. Cells often fail when under severe load like this. Cheap ebikes are occasionally cheap because the battery packs are made by recycling old laptop cells, so your pack may have arrived already pre-aged.

If you’ve had it for a year and have ridden it every day, it may just be the natural end of life for the pack. Getting a new pack from the vendor may solve some of your problems. Your bike isn’t that powerful (250w nominal) and the hill you describe is quite steep (10 degrees) so even in the best of circumstances you might have to pedal hard while turning down the assist level.


base training with or without added energy? I am trying to build some base strength in the winter, doing some endurance training. I am mostly following the TrainerRoad Base plan (which seems to be similar to the Bicycle Bible).

So I've tried to do a couple of 2-3h sessions per week. Should I add any energy during such a session?

I read that one would get better fat oxidation doing water-only rides, but would also get more tired, and experience a longer recovery time.

Any advice? I'm training for one 300km race, if it matters

Edit: i mean some added sugar to the water bottle, bars or gel.

Edit2: found this http://triathlon.competitor.com/2014/06/nutrition/inside-triathlon-magazine-fat-burning-machine_31034
This guy seems to do a mix and add energy after 2h.

Let me expand on the answer provided by @Mac. There are two important concepts here that need to be unpacked, 1) endurance training when in a fasted state and 2) eating either before or during an endurance training ride.

If your goal is improved fat metabolism, endurance training in a fasted state (e.g., 8 hours without food, no eating during exercise) shows larger gains than training under a fed state (i.e., eating either before or during exercise).  Eating carbohydrates at any point inhibits fat metabolism, if improving fat metabolism is your goal, then this is bad.

That said, I am also skeptical that prioritizing fat metabolism should be your training goal.  See below for more details.

Background

The goal of base (endurance) training is typically to improve the metabolic efficiency and recruitment of your type 1 muscle fibres, the muscle fibres type with the greatest ability to perform endurance work.  Training must be done by using slow long rides (typical heart rate zone 2).  The low effort ensures most pedal force is generated by type 1 fibres and because type 1 muscle fibres generate the energy largely through fatty acid oxidation, your activity will be mostly powered by fat metabolism.  If you start heading out of zone 2 (harder effort) you will recruit more of your type 2a muscle fibres and start using glycogen and blood glucose to fuel muscle contraction (note some blood glucose is used even during fat metabolism, this point is important, see the bonking section) as well as accumulate a lactate debt (your mitochondria in your muscles will no longer be able to process the lactate within, dumping lactate into your blood stream).

Endurance training in a fasted state.

A large number of  studies (e.g., De Bock 2005, De Bock 2008, and Van Proeyen 2010) have show that consistent training in a fasted state (i.e., glycogen depleted state) can resulted in an increased capacity for muscles (type 1 and some evidence for type 2a) to oxidize fatty acids and as well as other health benefits (e.g., insulin response/glucose tolerance, reduced weight gain under higher energy diets) and other performance benefits (e.g., faster glycogen resynthesis see De Bock 2005).

These same fat metabolism benefits were not obtained by individuals who were well fed with carbohydrates both before and during the exercise.  The fasted individuals had abstained from eating for 8 hours prior to the exercise regime and did not eat during.

Depending on the study individuals exercised between 1-2 hours at an output of about 175 W.  This part is key as the studies used shorter periods than the 2+ hours for your training plan.

Fat metabolism actually requires glucose to prime the reaction.  If you ride too long in the fasted state you will eventually run the risk running out of blood glucose you will feel the sensation called "hitting the wall" or "bonking."  Low blood glucose levels also affects neurological functioning, you can become light headed and will have trouble focusing.  Your muscle firing patterns will also deteriorate.

As such you need to be very careful if trying to do prolonged endurance training in a fasted state.  The participates in the science experiments where carefully monitored during both the exercise and the recovery periods.

Eating while exercising?

This gets us to your primary question of whether or not to eat.  If you are aiming to train in a fasted state, eating during exercise will also inhibit the prioritization of fat metabolism (De Bock 2008).  This will be the same if you ingest carbohydrates prior to your ride.

Therefore if you want to maximize fat metabolism, exercise in zone 2 in a fasted state and don't eat carbohydrates either before or during.

Eating before exercise, but not during.

I haven't found any studies that test eating a meal before training, but riding without food (please correct me if I missed a study).  I suspect when you start out your body will prioritize glycogen, the switch to fat as your stores run low.  I am not clear how efficient the transition will occur or if you increase the probability of bonking.  Even if your body successfully made this transition, you would still have a smaller window of prioritized fat metabolism and therefore lower gains.

General Advice / Caveats

In my opinion training in a fasted state is an advanced technique that should be done  carefully and under supervision and restricted to pro/elite athletes who know their body well and can intercept when something is going wrong (e.g., deterioration of muscle firing efficiency, bonking, etc).  If you insist on attempting to training in a fasted state, I suggest caring energy gels and food so that you can intervene if you start to bonk.

In terms of improving your fat metabolism, the theory is that this could help you reduce glycogen consumption during a race leaving you with more energy later in the game when decisive tactical maneuvers are often made.  While I am sure this is true, I think it may be over emphasized for most amateur athletes.

You can also maintain your glycogen stores simply by regularly consuming carbohydrates during a race (see Coyle et al 1986).  If you are at a Pro / Cat 1 level then better fat metabolism could give you an additional edge, but I am highly sceptical that athletes below this level will see real benefits over improved training volume and improved focus during training.  Both of these will be inhibited in a fasted state.


45mm fenders + Schwalbe Little Big Ben I'm building an All-City Space Horse with 700C Velocity Dyad rims and 45mm Velo Orange fenders. What do you think the maximum tire width will be that I can use? I'm thinking of getting Schwalbe Little Big Bens, but I'm not sure if that will fit.

tl;dr: The 38-40mm Little Big Ben tires will fit your bicycle but (maybe) not your fenders

The webpage for http://allcitycycles.com/bikes/space_horse clearly indicates that your thickest tire is a 700c x 42.

Since the Little Big Bens are 38-40mm in width, you should be ok with them on the Space Horse ... except ....

.... the only Velo-Orange fenders that would fit unmodified in the 42mm forks would be the 37mm ones -- which have a maximum tire width of 27mm. So that'd be a nope. With modification (i.e., a dremel tool) you could get the Velo-Orange 45mm ones to fit in the 42mm foks, but those have a maximum tire width of 35mm, so still nope. Also with some judicious bending, cutting, hammering, duct-taping, and jubilee clipping, I think you could still get it to fit, but it may look janky to you.

Note that @Criggie has pointed out that the V-O requirement that the tire be -10 mm smaller than the fender may be conservative -- allowing for mud clearance which might not be an issue with the tires you want. But you won't know unless you put it all together.

If you're not into bodging fenders, then you would need to get the 37mm fenders and find wheels with a maximum width of 27mm (to be on the safe side). The safest thing is to wait until you have the bike in hand and can measure the actual fork distances and see if the 45mm fenders will fit -- but even then, your tires might not, so you still have to look for thinner tires -- or use different fenders.


Converting my bike to use quick release wheels I have an activ folding bike designed by raleigh. I was wondering if I can swap the stock wheels for a wheel with a quick release? Or does the frame have to support it?

I also read I can use a quick release skewer but on their website it said that it's not suitable for bolt on hubs. How do I know if mine is a bolt on hub? It does look like it has a bolt going through it with a nut on either side.

It's a definite MAYBE. You'd have to rebuild the "bolt on" hubs you have to replace the solid axles with hollow ones, or replace the wheels entirely. You'd not have "lawyer lips". And the existing axles may be oversize and QR wheels might not fit well, or there may be other reasons why the skewers will not clamp tightly enough on your frame.


Schwinn Meridian trike not pedaling I'm the third owner of this trike and I ride it EVERY day.I noticed a few days ago that I had no resistance when pedaling and then this morning it stopped altogether, I hopped off and checked it. The axle there the back chain connects was moving, but  where the front chain connects was not moving. I started to walk it home and it started to work again.

What's wrong and how do I fix it? I live in a town where NO ONE does trikes or bikes, and I don't have any way to take it somewhere to fix.

EDIT

Underside of a Schwinn showing the jackshaft/intermediate shaft and both chains in place.

Update: 2018-06

I posted about this about two years ago and the other trike is no longer on the road. New trike (got it about a year ago) is now having the same issue as the last. It's no longer pedaling. I have a video on twitter that I just did to explain it better.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1005178798915178502

Please help! This trike is my only ride!

I'd guess the single-speed freewheel/freehub on the jackshaft has something wrong with its pawls.

That's the bit that lets you coast along without pedalling, and the rear chain will keep moving with the rear wheels.

To fix it temporarily you could try flooding the freehub with solvent and wiggle it lots.  When its moving better let the solvent dry off, and lubricate it after a while.

The permanent fix  would be to replace that freehub unit on the jackshaft.

The prevention would be to store the bike in a garage or inside, and to rinse the transmission off after every winter ride - I see a bit of corrosion there which could indicate the cause.


Adding gears to a childs trike pickle pashley I'd like to add gears to my disabled son's pickle pashley tricycle. I have made a start by adding a 5 speed casette, but I'm stuck trying to work out how to shift the gears as there is no where to mount a derailleur and not enough vertical clearance anyway. Any suggestions for alternative gearing solutions would be appreciated.

Normally I would say "you wouldn't start from there", but since you have...

Since you've managed to add a cassette, I assume you're reasonably confident with tools. You're going to have to make a derailleur hanger that sits in the right place. If you can get a sealed bearing over the axle it'll be easier, but if not you will need to make a plain bearing that can be split to get it onto the axle. Then use that to locate a short arm that attaches to the frame and holds the hanger in the right place. I suggest starting with a scrap bike (from the tip if possible, you only need the derailleur hanger and a short length of frame, the rest can be damaged beyond recognition). One problem is that the derailleur will hang very low, with those small wheels it might not survive long in the hands of a child.

If that sounds impossibly daunting... sorry. That's why I started with "I wouldn't start from there". If you have to pay someone else to do much of the work it'll end up cheaper to buy a trike that has been built with gears from the start.

Quick Sketch

Looking from the back of the trike,you need to build the blue bit. The green bit is the bearing on the rear axle, and the really bad photo of a rear derailleur shows where that will go. The blue blob at the top is where you bolt the new part onto the frame of the existing trike.

Where I'd start from if I could?

While I'm usually reluctant to say "this brand, and only this brand" here, there really aren't any other options for readymade kids recumbents that I know of. So... The KMX kids recumbent trike (or in the UK). If you can find one and put your kid on it, see what happens. If you can get him off it without tears and screaming... maybe look at an upright trike again. If you do need to go with an upright, I'd approach Pasley and see if they can put gears on that trike, or suggest a framebuilder who can. But if you can braze or weld, building something like that will be a good start on a second career as "building stuff for my son" because from experience, you will get a better product even if you're a bit ham-fisted, and you'll definitely save money. But that assumes you have the "spare" time to do this stuff :)

But seriously, try a recumbent trike, anything that he can even vaguely fit onto will do as a first attempt. They're more stable and more robust, so as a result more fun. You might find it helps to use toe clips with heel support, or the Shimano SPD "clipless" shoes and pedals - I can't imagine riding a recumbent without them.

Also, able bodied kids ride the KMX trikes... or want to :)

To make shifting easier you could try longer levers. These are some vintage ones:

But you can more reasonably get shorter ones from a scrounged bike and make an extension for one of them. Take the other one off, they just unbolt. That way if you stuff up the first attempt you can try again with the other one :)


Bleed port diameter on Magura HS 11 rim brakes? Although the bike is barely six months old and the brake pads are very far from worn, I find the HS11 brakes a bit soft/spongy: I like the brakes to work with a short run.
Tightening the adjustment bolt didn't make much of a difference.
Magura suggests bleeding the system, but I'd first like to try and burp it, like I do on my other bike, with Shimano hydraulic disk brakes, with great success.
But to buy the right oil funnel, I need to know the diameter of the bleed port on the lever.
Does someone know?
Thank you.

Edit: Starting at 1m33s, this video from Magura show how to insert a syringe at the lever.
For just a filling/burping, it should first be filled with mineral oil before pulling the lever, hitting the cable + brake cylinder, putting the lever at the horizontal level and then at a -45° angle as a way to get rid of air bubbles.

The threaded ports on Magura brakes I have worked on are bigger in diameter than Shimano, so the bucket tool in your picture would not fit, don't waste money on one uneccesarily, though you can get kits like that to suit a whole range of different brakes.
However, Magura have a feature called "Easy Bleed Technology" where you only need to put a syringe (minus plunger) into the lever bleed port. There are manuals and other guidance on the website https://www.magura.com/en/components/techcenter/?p=2633  (also https://www.magura.com/media/1742/hs11_hs33_2014_en_06.pdf though you note this is an old version).
This would allow you to do a simple burp of the lever with just a syringe, though I would use original Magura brake fluid to maintain the warranty ("Application.of.not-original.MAGURA.parts.and.lubrication.products" would void the warranty, as will "Incorrect Maintenance").
Note that in my experience, Magura brakes, especially entry level, have an amount of flex and therefore modulation. This can be good for many users, however it can feel spongy if you are used to a stiffer feel. So if once you have burped the brakes, the brakes stop the wheels well but have plenty of modulation, it may not be due to air in the lines. Just bear that in mind.
It sounds like something you're comfortable doing it but if you have any doubts, no harm in waiting for the bike shop.


Is my bike fit a problem, I'm experiencing achilles tendon pain? My calves are super tight when I finish my ride, and my Achilles are sore for days after a 20 mile rolling hill ride. Could it be that my seat height is too low? If not, what could be the root cause?

The achilles pain and some tightness in the back of the calves comes from ankling too much, by pedaling high on the balls of your feet. I find that I do this when the seat is a bit too high.  Lowering the seat slightly and making sure my cleats are positioned more toward the center of my foot as opposed to toward the toes helped me to alleviate this.

Try to notice whether you are pushing with your ankles while pedaling, this is the motion that causes the stress on the tendon. I lowered my seat such that it didn't feel like I was overextending my leg during a pedal stroke or trying to tip/toe at the greatest point of extension.

See sheldon for more info on pain in the tendon.

Related question on cleat postion:
Why not place the cleats further back on the foot?


Will these dents make this aluminum bike frame unsafe Yeah is this small dent fatal?

Noone can answer this authoratively for you.

The common suggestion is for you to include this area of the frame in your monthly maintenance.  Look at it super-close and look for changes over time.

One aid is to take a photo of the area from a cellphone or similar, every month, and look for variation.  Try and keep the lighting and angles the same, and roughly the same time of day.

If the area doesn't change over time, you're probably good.  If it does move and change, stop riding and re-evaluate.


Should I switch to a 13-23T or 12-25T cassette? I am currently riding a Fuji Sportif 1.5 with original configuration. I am not using clipless pedals currently.

The bike come with 50/34T chainrings and a 9-speed 11-32T cassette. I noticed that most of the time I am using only 16-24T. Sometimes with 28T for climbing.

As a result, I am considering to switch to a 13-23T or 12-25T cassette. However, I am a newbie and do not have experience of switching cassette.

Are my thoughts correct? Moreover, are there other issues that I have missed? For example, compatibility with my bike.

Should work. Put a new chain on.

New chain as a worn chain will wear the cassette as it is stretched and does not match up.
If the chain is severely worn it may even jump.

Chain is cheaper and should be replaced unless it is almost new.
A cassette will typically last 2-3 chains.

If you sometimes use 28 then why are you giving that up?
Is a closer gearing really worth giving up the range?
Why not like a 12-27T?


Water safety during touring? This question raised a new sub-problem of which I was not at all aware of.

I carry a heater to boil the water before I drink it but I am unsure whether it removes all dirt from water. Please, note the water may contain some mineralization (noted in the earlier question). There are different types of tools to test for different mineralization such as arsenic but probably many others. Please, teach/show how to handle water during touring.

Helper questions

How do you maintain your water?
How to operate with water bags?
How to maintain water-containers?

Related questions

Water tests during travelling? - a general question here.
How do you carry the water suitable for touring? Answered here.

Rather than boiling water get one of these filters from katadyn  or MSR

It won't remove all chemical poisons - but neither will boiling - it can remove some depending on how soluble they are. See Water filter use

And unless you are drinking from chemical waste spills for weeks on end I wouldn't worry, if one area is high in arsenic the next won't be !


Is it better to have a slightly big or slightly small bike? I'm planning to buy a Scott Speedster S30 (This is my first road bike) and I'm looking at the size chart. I'm around 177 cm tall, and this fits exactly in between the M and L section. Just wondering, in general, is it better to choose the bigger or smaller option?

If this is your first bike, go to your local bike store and have them fit you professionally. Then, ask if they have loaner bikes so that you can get a feel for the size of the bike before you invest. Some people prefer bikes on the smaller side and some prefer them a bit larger. You'll get a definite feel for this over time, but I wouldn't recommend learning this by purchasing an uncomfortable bike!

I, for example, generally ride a 56cm road bike. However, I once rode a 56cm Surly Long Haul Trucker that felt too large. Some of that feeling was the components (stem length, in particular), and some of it was the frame geometry. Road bikes are built with a variety of geometries catered to every style of riding. Each bike is as different as each respective cyclist, but riding an uncomfortable bike will ruin riding for you. Your LBS will be able to help a great deal in picking a size and adjusting everything to fit you correctly.

Lots of people ask for definite answers based on their exact leg/inseam/PBH/height-leg-ratio-distance-whatever...but most of it will come down to what fits comfortably.


Constantly engaged disc brakes, how hydraulic brakes retract? I'm building a little velomobile and I'm thinking of creating a handbrake (park brake) feature where I'd engage the brakes when I leave it somewhere so it can not move (slope, get stolen or whatever). I'm concerned if having my brakes engaged for a long time can introduce some damage to the system like bending the rotor as well as I'm not really sure how the retraction works. I'm using a pair of shimano hydraulic disc brakes purchased them assembled and filled with oil. If the pistons are being retracted by springs and were not designed to remain engaged for hours on end I suppose that the springs could loosen and not do their job so good after some time, while if the retraction is achieved via the vacuum from the retracting fluid inside then I suppose I would not have to worry, which I'm keen is the case but I guess I'm looking for a word of comfort since I could not find this information online, it's all about mechanic vs hydraulic everywhere.

Hydraulic brake pistons are actually retracted by the rubber seals. The seals are deformed slightly as the piston advances, then they re-form to provide the retraction force. This works because the retraction distance is actually very small. The seals design also allows piston advancement to take up pad wear. As the pads wear the piston moves slightly beyond the deformation limit of the seal and slips through it a small distance.

There is a good Park Tool video that shows how this works.

I would definitely be concerned that holding the brake on for a long time would affect the rubber seal. What might happen is the seal will slip back on the piston while it is pressed up against the rotor then not retract it properly.