How to select an inexpensive road bike for a heavier rider? I want to start riding a bike from home to work so I need to buy a bike. I don't want to spend a lot on the bike and also I'm not interested in bikes that Target and Walmart sells. I want something cheap yet worth the money.

My main concern is my weight. I'm a heavy guy and I'm afraid of breaking the bike in just one week! I'm 186cm (6'1") tall and 117Kg (257 lbs). Is there any problem with bikes for a over weighted person like me?

I'm looking for road bike that is priced between $300 to $500 that can handle my weight. I know for you bike lovers it's not enough to offer a good bike but unforgettably I can't spend more.

I just give an example that is in my target price range:

I looked online and found the Windsor Wellington 3.0 on bikes direct:

EDITED to make question more useful for other people. :)

I know that you can buy lots of things online and that prices are competitive online, however, you do need to know exactly what you are buying, and, given that you have posted this question here, you might not be there yet...

Please visit your local bike shop, explain to the sales staff what you are looking for, what distance you are having to put in, whether that is going to be all on roads or on trails, whether you are going to be a fair weather cyclist and what you are going to need to carry. Also mention what sort of money you were looking to spend.

Then let the shop show you 2-3 bikes that meet your criteria. See how the bike feels and, if they will let you, go on a short test ride. Ask about the brands pulled out the rack and why the shop sells them. Also, ask about how much the accessories will cost. You might need lights, you might need the tyres changed for the road and you might want a lock. Hi-viz clothing, a track pump and maybe a helmet also comes into the deal, you will be able to better negotiate a price if you include the accessories - a lot of bikes have a price that the shop (online or otherwise) has to sell at or else they lose the dealership rights, they cannot do a deal on that but they might be able to do a deal on the accessories.

Customisations can work out better of buying from the shop as swapped out tyres can be put back into stock. The same with a seat and pedals (if you go clipless).

Remember that your local bike shop have to compete with the online box shifters, they may not be able to do so on absolute price but they certainly can with service. They are easier to get to for a warranty return and they may well put a free service into the price.

Shops also have cosmetically 'shop soiled' bikes that work absolutely fine but have incurred a scratch during their time in the showroom. You can negotiate a price on these, particularly if they are a 'last year's model'.

Size is really important. Given that you are 6 foot+ you will be needing to look at the 'Large' size or maybe the 'X-Large' size. You can only determine which is best for you for a given brand if you go to the shop. Remember they might not have your size in your preferred model on the showroom floor, they may have one in the warehouse or be able to get one in for you in a matter of days. So, just because your preferred model is not there in your size, don't be put off - try the next model up if it is in your size and then try to order the model/size you do want.

As for your weight, that should not be a problem. However, you will need to keep those tyres inflated to the value shown on the sidewalls if the wheels are to survive. The best way to keep tyre pressures good is with a track pump, these come with a gauge and only take a minute or two one a fortnight/month.

After visiting the local bike shop and finding something you want, you can go online and get a better price. This mail order bike will come in a box and you will need tools and a spare weekend to get it right. If you order from the shop then they will do all that for you, usually to a higher standard than you can do yourself. Plus you will be saving postage. If the local bike shop accessories (e.g. lights) are bought with the bike then expect them to be fitted too.

Hope that helps!


Getting back on the bike after bad fall, how do I get over my fear? On Nov of last year I had a bad stupid crash that broke 2 of my front teeth and left one loose. I was descending from a very rocky steep hill and my wheel got locked, threw me off my bike straight to a rock. My bf said it was bc I wasn't going fast enough to keep momentum. Anyways, make long story short I am terrified. I've been road biking with clipless pedals to build confidence but I just can't seem to have it when it comes to mtn biking,any advice on how to get rid of this fear and nervous feeling?

Up front, I must say I'm not a mountain biker.

But I have had some big road crashes, and done a fair bit of off-piste downhill skiing. I understand the fear you describe. Let's analyze what you've told us. Understanding the cause and learning is the key to going beyond. Like when I broke a leg ski racing - I got over-confident and over-rotated into the tightest steepest gate, caught the outside edge, and with a sound like a gun-shot my tibia exploded. The point is - I learned the cause, and learned to ski better.

You say "a stupid bad crash ... my wheel got locked". Translation: "I was riding beyond my skill (and maybe equipment) level and got found out".

How to get back? Firstly, learn from it. What skills did you need right then that you could not call up right when you needed them? I already said I'm not a MTBer, but I have a few suggestions

Concentration - did you loose concentration at just the wrong time? One skill to learn is "switch on". Approaching a tight bend - switch on! Approaching a steep descent - switch on! You get the idea - switch to full alertness and concentration.
Steep downhill - revise all you've learned about the basics of downhill, and practice starting back with really gentle, safe descents. Relearn those skills, doing it again and again. Gradually working up to steeper and steeper hills, with a variety of trails and surfaces.
Reframe - you say you're terrified. Think of it as respect. You've learned a whole new respect for steep hills, and rocks.
Be positive - you only broke a few teeth. It could have been worse. Perhaps you'll wear a full helmet next time you go someplace like that.
Your road skills have nothing to with the crash. It's great that you're riding at all, but you crashed doing downhill; they are the skills you need to revise.

Don't expect or force yourself to ride beyond your skills and new found level of respect. And don't let anyone pressure you either. The key is confidence. Not over confidence. Without confidence, like me skiing a steep slope, you are certain to crash. But with well-founded confidence in our skills we can do much better.


Does there exist optimal damping setting for all terrains? When ζ = 1, there is a double root γ (defined above), which is real. The system is said to be critically damped. A critically damped system converges to zero as fast as possible without oscillating (although overshoot can occur).

Wikipedia

Does this mean that for constant rider+bike weight, there is optimal setting for the fron and rear shock? I had an impression that the terrain and style of riding affect the decision of settings.

Furthermore, if there is optimal damping, does it mean the rebound and compresison damping should be equal (as in the simple model, discussed in wikipedia)? If not, is this because the linear time-invariant model of second order is unable to represent the cyclist as a system adequately? Why?

EDIT (clarifications):

Hmmm, so let's ignore pedaling efficiency. The question still remains relevant.
Optimal as in absorbs terrain irregularities best, resulting in smoothest (closest to straight line) trajectory of the rider.

Without digging too deep into the physics of damped motion now, I say "there isn't an optimal damping setting for all riders and terrains".

Let's consider first the critical damping case as defined in the wikipedia article. This is based on the case that you "excite" your system (i.e. set it into motion) once and then leave it alone until it has calmed down again due to damping. The best approximation in real life cycling would an isolated pothole or curb on an otherwise smooth road: once you've hit that obstacle, your suspension compresses and then returns back to its initial state, if there is no second bump during the time it takes the suspension to relax again. As the suspension is only uncompressing here, it's also only rebound damping that matters.

So what happens now as we go to a rougher surface where the time between bumps is shorter than the time constant of the damping, i.e. the time it takes the suspension to return into its initial state? Lets say the first bump you hit fully compresses the fork and as it has relaxed halfway back you hit another bump of the same strength which will set your fork again to full compression (if it could it would maybe even compress further). On the second bump your fork will only give you half of its travel as it is still halfway compressed from the first one. now consider an even rougher surface where the suspension can only uncompress 10% of its travel between bumps and you (hopefully) can easily see that sooner or later you will ride with your suspension nearly fully compressed, leaving you with no suspension at all.

To overcome this, you can reduce rebound damping which enables your suspension to uncompress faster at the cost of overshooting. Therefore your suspension gets more wobbly but it can react better to frequent bumps.

Compression damping comes into play when the suspension compresses (surprise?). A stronger compression damping reduces the speed the suspension compresses which is also the reason why most higher priced forks and shocks realize their lockout mechanism through high compression damping – this way you still have some suspension left for the really hard bumps. A stronger compression damping on your rough surface also means that your suspension is using less travel for the same sizes bumps, however, this time it is not converging towards the maximum compression level but tends to stay at sag level, i.e. the compression it has under rider weight. As a consequence, you can "save" a bit of travel for the really hard bumps if you raise your compression damping at the cost of a harder riding experience and a slower reaction of your suspension.


How to fix precession in pedal axle? The axle on my bike that supports the pedals appears to have loosened, so that there is precession in it - I can slightly jiggle the pedals back and forth in a perpendicular direction to the axis.

Since this is a cheap bike, I am not particularly surprised. Is it possible to correct this, for instance by buying a new set of pedals and replacing them?

You have a loose bottom bracket. It needs to be replaced.

You need to buy a new bottom bracket, along with two special tools: A crank puller and a bottom-bracket tool.

If your current bottom-bracket is cup-and-cone style (I'm betting it is), it can be removed with basic tools and elbow grease. If it's cartridge style, it can be removed with the BB tool.

Here are links to all three at Amazon:

BB

BB tool

crank puller

Or, you could take the bike to your LBS and have them handle it. This is a common operation and probably wouldn't cost much.


FSA Tempo crankset is not compatible with FSA Vero I just purchased a new FSA Tempo Adventure JIS crankset - 46/30 to replace the FSA Vero Compact 50/34 JIS crankset on my 2018 Cannondale Synapse Sora 9 speed as I need lower gearing.
Both are shown as FSA "Road" and should be compatible.
But they are not...
On the Vero, the interface to the BB sits slightly above the plane of the inner chain ring.
On the Tempo, the interface to the BB sits a few mm below the plane of the inner chain ring.
Net result is that the chain rings of the Tempo are closer in to the frame, and actually touch the chain stay so cannot be fitted.
Does anyone know if there is a way to to overcome this problem?
Maybe there is there a replacement BB that would compensate for the movement of the Tempo cranks closer in to the frame?

First, just that both say "FSA Road" doesn't mean that they are compatible.
The answer is to look up the documentation for the crankset. It's the first Google hit if you search with the name and then look for bottom bracket. It says 118mm (which is unusually long) and JIS. You need a bottom bracket with axle like this.
Edit: Looking at the bottom photo, it looks like the crank has originally been designed to be used to be used with triple chainrings and has been converted to supercompact double by just leaving out the largest ring. 118mm spindle is in the normal range for triples.


Is there a way to share a tight staircase/steps with pedestrians? One of my destinations in the city has a peculiar access route - I need to descend a very narrow set of steps, a staircase, which has barely enough space to let two pedestrians pass.
I'd estimate its width as 150 cm. It's not as steep as staircases which we use to access higher floors in buildings - its inclination angle is maybe 50%. It's an outdoor set of steps, which connects two streets.
An alternative route exists, but it is longer and is less fun for me.
I have never tried descending there with my MTB, because if a pedestrian tries to ascend the staircase while I am going down, he will probably get scared.
Trying to think from the pedestrian's perspective:

The guy on the MTB doesn't look he is going to stop, and there is absolutely not enough space for him to pass by! So the only way to prevent a crash is to [do something desperate and stupid]!

Objectively, this is nonsense, because I have no problem stopping, and legally and ethically I am obliged to do so. But subjectively, the situation can be very intimidating. I guess that shouting something like "Don't worry, I'll let you pass" will only make it worse.
Can I prevent this situation?

I've had to commute routes where I need to use a narrow staircase to go up and down a pedestrian bridge over a highway.
For starters, any place where you have to share narrow space with pedestrian, the polite way to do so is to dismount.
I shoulder the bike or walk it. The bike always goes to the far side ( If there is  a fence or wall, the bike goes towards that fence or wall or guard rail. ) so there is less chance to hit another person with a protruding pedal or handlebar.
While going down stairs, I sometimes roll the bike on its rear wheel, holding the handlebar up and using the brake to control it. That way my combined bike+rider width is minimal and that will let another pedestrian pass, even if they are also carrying a bulky load.
Consider that even if you believe to have good control over the bike, there might be something out of your sight that may cause you to temporarily lose control or may need you to perform an unexpected maneuver (e.g. a piece of garbage you ride over and it makes you lose traction). If that happens at the wrong time, you may hit another staircase user. Better to play it safe and dismount.
I've ridden in a city where there are shared bridges (pedestrian/alternative transport) but it is mandatory to get off your bike, skateboard, or whatever you are riding. You mount again on the other side where there is a wider and dedicated cycle path and a walking lane.


What is the deal with serrated/non-smooth rim sides on a bike wheel? I recently decided to replace the rear wheel on my road bike since I couldn't disassemble the old Helicomatic freewheel

I now have a new rim, which oddly has slightly serrated sides (I'll add a picture tomorrow), while the original wheel was smooth. As a consequence, the rear brake doesn't create a lot of friction which I think is dangerous.

However, the seller insisted that the wheel was meant for rim brakes. Am I being lied to or what do I need to do to get proper brake grip on the rim?

These are just machining marks from the tool that cut the braking surface. Rim manufacturers don't bother to get the braking surface completely smooth.

The tiny grooves don't negatively affect brake performance and will eventually wear away. You'll need to look for other causes of brake performance problems. Do you have new pads. New pads on a new rim make need 'breaking in', i.e. get a little wear before they achieve proper friction.


How can I carry a tripod on my bike? I have a tripod for my SLR camera that I want to carry on my bike. It's just a generic tripod like this one, but if I strap it to my top tube it rubs against my legs while riding (and it's slightly too long for that).

I do have a pannier rack, but I haven't been able to attach it in a way I'm happy with yet. Do I have any other options?

Your best bet is to find a good way of attaching it to the rear rack.  Anything attached to the main triangle much larger than a bottle is likely to cause interference with your legs.

One way you could attach it to the rear rack would be to buy some pannier hardware and make your own pannier for it.  Or possibly attach the hardware (zip ties?) to one of the tripod's legs, making it into its own pannier?

The other option is to strap it down to the rack deck.  A nice sturdy rack like the Surly ones (archive) should give you plenty of stability, using a couple bungees to tie it down.  I've hauled 3 foot long loads on my rack this way without any trouble.


Trek Aluminium Grade Comparison Looking through the Trek archives, I see they have frame materials described as:

Alpha Black Aluminum
Alpha White Aluminum
Alpha Gold Aluminum
Gold Series Aluminum
100 Series Alpha Aluminum
etc

How do these compare to other manufacturers who list the alloy number (6061, 6069, 7005, etc) and double/triple butted?

It sounds like they compare very directly with other manufacturers who list the alloy and butting, except that Trek doesn't release that.  My guess is that some of those descriptions actually overlap and are just marketing hype that changes every couple of years.  Your best bet would probably be to contact Trek directly and and see if they will "translate" their marketing terminology for you.  Based on that forum, it looks like some people have already had limited success with that.


Is it bad etiquette to ride road bike through a small residential area? Is it considered bad etiquette to ride a road bike through a small residential area? Not talking about a cheap bike and riding on the sidewalk but a nicer road bike at a decent pace. I don't want to upset anyone by cutting through their neighborhood but it would be a lot easier for my commute.

I wouldn't consider it to be bad etiquette IF:

You're not breaking the posted road speed limit.
Watch not only for cars backing out but for kids.
Watch for dogs.

In small neighborhoods like this it's also not a bad idea to stay out in the lane and not hug the curb. This gives you much more time if a car or child comes hurtling out into the road and you're not going to be slowing down a following car very much.

Edit: include the warning to watch for dogs. This is pretty important.


is this cassette and chain ring combination good in terms of number of teeth? I recently bought a used bike which has a shimano alivio 8 speed gearset. When I look at the drivetrain, it really looks small to me. Below are the size of them in terms of the number of teeth:

chainring: 24t,34t,42t

cassette: 11-23T.

Is this combo ok? From what I read this is not the standard no of teeth for chainring and cassette? Are their any drawbacks of using this combo?

EDIT

It's a hybrid bike (Specialized Sirrus) and has 700*32 wheels on it. As for my riding style I mainly ride it on the road, pavements and bicycle trails.

I read that as you already have a bike with this gearing, you're asking if its okay, not whether it will fit and work.

You might want to recount the teeth on the big ring.  42 is not impossible, but 44 would be more common based on the other two.

Assuming this is your 11-23, 11-12-13-15-17-19-21-23, and that you're on a 700 wheel with 23mm tyres, then Saint Sheldon says this at  http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/

Little Middle Big chainrings

4.2   5.9   7.3 (metres of forward roll per complete pedal revolution, 11 tooth)

3.8   5.4   6.7

3.3   4.6   5.7

2.9   4.1   5.0

2.5   3.6   4.4

2.2   3.1   3.8

1.9   2.7   3.3

1.6   2.3   2.9  (same, but for the 23 tooth gear)

So its a road bike with a granny gear for steep hill climbs.  The 42 chainring limits your top speed a little, and the 11 tooth rear will have mechanical loss of efficiency compared to a 12 or 13 tooth.

There is nothing wrong with your combination.  Use and learn what you want, and where you struggle. Personally I have a 25 in the rear and a 22 on the front, and I still struggle with steep 20% grades.

Once its a bit more worn and you know what you want, then replace the chain and cassette with a range to suit your riding needs.


Are there mechanical advantages and disadvantages of various front derailleur styles? In general there are:

High clamp
Low clamp
Braze on
Top pull
Bottom pull

And in particular, is any of those better choice regarding reliability and durability for touring bicycle.

Touring → fenders. So, you need enough space for the rear fender. That's why a bottom-pull design is preferred.
Most of the touring bikes designed to use this type of derailleurs.
About high clamp/low clamp/braze on — this is frame-specific.


Cycling glasses life span I've had my Tifosi sport glasses with photochromic lenses for about 4 years. Lately, when I rode them in 10 am morning sun, my eyebrow and eye started to feel terrible pain, that passed once I removed my sunglasses. A friend of mine, that works in a bike shop said that polycarbonate lenses have a life span of about 3 years. I've bought a new pair of glasses, but now I'm trying to decide what to do with the old pair. So the question, do polycarbonate lenses really degrade with wear, time and when wiping them?

Sunglasses have two enemies: dirt and UV rays.

The polycarbonate itself is fairly tough and can last over ten years. It’s likely to  get scratched up before the UV starts to cause it to yellow or ‘craze.’ The coatings are more delicate. The anti reflective coatings are easily scratched especially if you use your sweat and dirt soaked jersey to 'clean' them.

The photochromic layer itself is activated by UV light but is also damaged by it. Generally, one can expect photochromic lenses to last 1-3 years depending on use. Keeping the sunglasses in a case (and away from UV rays) when not using them helps protect them.


Eranger Montana Ladies E-Bike Bike now 4 years old and battery not holding charge like when first purchased. Been n touch with Eranger cannot help said bike no longer being produced so now left with a £1100 bike and cannot buy a new battery. Any suggestions where I can get a new battery appreciated.

Part of the problem with new technologies is that it is difficult to have a universal standard. Also the as the technology improves things get smaller  stronger,cheaper,etc. This causes items to become obsolete quickly. In the U.S. there are several  battery specific retailers (Interstate Battery for one) that have the ability to repair or rebuild batteries packs. They open the case replace damaged or worn out cells and reassemble them. This can be a pricey purchase . My employer spent $800 U.S. for a rebuilt battery pack for a Infra-Red camera that was $14,000 when new. In that case, a worthwhile investment. Depending on how many damaged cells need replacement it it may or not be cost efficient in your case.


Too much Travel when installing Mechanical Disk Brake I am replacing the cable for the rear mechanical disk brake on my brothers MTB, because it is all chewed up. Now when loosening the cable on the rear brake (barrel adjuster on lever and brake all the way in), I noticed that there was a preload on the brake arm that pulls the pads together, meaning that the cable was clamped while the lever was already moved up a bit.
This was as it originally came from the factory. The brake is a Shimano (Alivio controls) and looks something like this with only 1 adjustable pad.

Every tutorial I found for brake installation doesn't put a preload on the brake arm, even the official Shimano service document doesn't mention to move the lever up before tightening the pinch bolt.
On the other hand I can see why it came from the factory like this, because when clamped in the arms neutral position, even with both barrel adjusters turned out, the brake would only start to grip with the lever already fully pulled towards the handlebar.
So should I preload the brake a bit when installing the new cable or what am I missing?

Without having serviced that exact design, I'd expect that at the very least you'd need to take up the slack in the mechanism. Some slack is to be expected as in similar designs the pads sit back into the housing but pass in through the rotor slot. That means more travel is needed fitting new pads than in operation, easily dealt with by a little preload on the cable. It doesn't surprise me that it's not mentioned, though maybe it would be helpful. Setting the cable position in the pinch bolt with the barrel adjuster wound in is normal for many brake types.
Preloading slightly against a spring also helps keep cable ends nicely seated.


Using a cassette and derailleur with different sprocket/cog specifications I am trying to make a cheaper (500ish) bike work with a Tacx Flux (2018 version). According to their website, the Tacx Flux only supports 8-11 speed cassettes, but my bike has a 7 speed freewheel (14-28T) on it. So I looked up and found out that I am able to use a 4.5 spacer to fit the 7 speed cassette on the Flux's cassette hub. However, all the 7 speed cassettes that I found online have 11 or 12 teeth top cogs, while the  derailleur on my bike requires a 14 teeth top cog. I was thinking of just replacing the top cog with a 14t one, but I couldn't find a way to just replace one cog in a cassette. I am new to this stuff and wasn't sure if my understanding of the situation was correct. The Shimano website states that the top sprocket max and min for my derailleur is 14T (https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/tourney/RD-TY200-GS.html) Does this mean that I have to use a 14-28T cassette for my bike to work or am I understanding this incorrectly?
Thank you in advance!

I don’t think anything bad will happen if you use a cassette with 12t smallest cog. At the worst shifting to it won’t work reliably but you probably don’t need the cog on the trainer in the first place (and using it often would wear it down relatively quickly due to the low tooth count).


Black threads are coming of my tire. Does it need to be replaced? One of my bike tires have started shedding long black threads. I'm assuming that this means that something is not right. The tire has a folding bead. Does this mean that my tire should be replaced as soon as possible, or is it nothing to worry about?

That's thread from the layer of fabric they use to cover the tire bead, they sometimes fray a  little, just cut them off, they're not part of the tire structure.


Are tall bikes more efficient? I am considering getting a cruising bike to swap out riding with my existing, shorter mountain bike. I saw one I liked, for several reasons, in the store that is a 29" size. I am tall and could handle the tall bike, but the question is - is there a practical advantage with a taller bike? I live on FLAT terrain, in town. Thanks.

Different wheel sizes have different advantages/disadvantages.  Larger wheels tend to roll over obstacles better (more comfort), and be more efficient once up to speed.  Smaller wheels (generally lighter) are easier to spin up to speed, more maneuverable for highly technical terrain and often thought of as stronger (owing to shorter spoke lengths).

While it's true that many (almost all) cross country and trail bikes have gone to the 29" format, many other categories have not or have only moved slightly away (650b|27.5").  Downhill rigs are now largely 650b or still 26".  Dirt jump frames are still largely 26" format as well.  Due to the nature of these disciplines, the smaller wheel format is more appropriate.

Like anything else in cycling, equipment should be properly matched to use.


Achieving Correct Beltline for Gates Carbon Drive I’m building up a Soma Wolverine with a Gates Carbon Drive and Alfine 11 internal gear hub. The Gates literature indicates that the beltline should be 43.7 mm +/- 1mm.

I am trying to use an old crankset I have on-hand, a Sugino RD2, which has a 45mm chain line when using a 103mm bottom bracket. Obviously this is slightly out of spec with the Gates belt line requirements

My question is, can I use an adjustable Phil Wood bottom bracket to make up the 0.3-1.3 mm difference in beltline? Would it be better to have the bottom bracket built with an offset spindle, which it sounds like Phil Wood can do? Or best to just buy a crankset from Gates?

I did end up completing this project. I talked to several people, just calling up bike shops that sold or specialized in belt drive bikes and asking for opinions.
I spoke with someone—I think it was a fellow at Ben's Cycle/Milwaukee Bicycle Co.—who had lots of experience fitting belt drives to frames. He had even worked with Gates on building several belt drive-specific bikes. His take was that I was worrying about nothing. A 45 mm belt line was well within what he would expect to work without issue, even if it was specced for 43.7 mm. I even tried to let him talk me into buying a fancy Phil Woods bottom bracket or a Gates crank and BB set. He said it would not be worth it in this instance. 45 mm was close enough to work.
At that point I just went ahead and installed my 103 mm bottom bracket and the Sugino RD2 cranks. I finished the bike and have been riding it pretty much daily since. I don't think I'll go back to chains if I can help it. The Alfine hub shifts super smoothly. The whole setup is quiet and reliable. It's great not worrying about keeping a chain clean and oiled. I highly recommend it.


Install hub dynamo on new cyclocross I'm buying a Cannondale CAADX 105 Disc and I'm planning on installing a hub dynamo, perhaps an SP PD-8.

1.) I haven't done this before, but judging by what I have seen on YouTube: Get the new spoke length right, make sure spokes are "woven" in the proper order and then true the wheel. Are there any pitfalls where a newbie like me would think that everything was in order to leave me with an unpleasant surprise on the test ride or on my bicycle vacation?

2.) Since the nipples are brand new, is it sufficient to only buy new spokes?

3.) Would it be possible to buy a new wheel with the dynamo installed already? I have looked around but not managed to find anything other than very, very basic wheels with dynamos online.

1) Wheel building is non-trivial and takes practice but there are some good references (and J. Brandst, The Bicycle Wheel). I don't know if a dynamo hub will be harder than a normal hub, but the first order of business is finding a decent dynamo hub which takes a disc rotor.

2) On reusing nipples: Given how cheap nipples are, why would you bother? Though you can probably get away with it safely.

3) A built wheel is probably your best bet (along with selling the old wheel to get some of the money you're going to have to put into even getting a decent hub dynamo). Some people like Peter White Cycles (no affiliation) do wheel building for many compatible decent hub+rim combination.

Note that you'll need access to a few pieces of special equipment for wheel building on top of the components - a truing stand, a spoke wrench, a dish stick and a spoke tensiometer. [Well, you don't really need the last two but they'll make your life easier]. So if you're looking to just save money (and it sounds like you are with question 2), you might find that in net, getting the wheel built by someone whose good at wheel building and stands by their work saves you money in net (and time too).


Rusty chain and back cassette – Replace or repair? Reference of the chain: KMC Z51
Reference back freewheel: Shimano TZ21 14-28 Teeth 7 Speed
Reference of the bike: BTWIN Rockrider 340

I recently acquired a second-hand bike and decided to repair it:
The chain and the freewheel cogs are in very poor condition and rusty as you can see in the pictures below:

The bike has not been used for a year by the former owner. As I don't have that much knowledge about it;

I was wondering: Should I change the chain or repair it? as for the freewheel, can I even repair it?
If I have to repair them how can I achieve it?

As long as the crank arms, chain and freewheel turn freely and all as one. Without clunk's, slipping or sticking at any point there should be no need to replace any of it. The surface rust will not prevent it being fit for purpose and should wear off with use and some decent lubricant. You could always try a wire brush to remove surface rust without having to disassemble any parts and also just for reference if you do decide to change your "cassette" be advised that is a freewheel and not a cassette they are not interchangeable so avoid disappointment ordering a part that will not fit. The part you would need to order if you decide to is a 7speed freewheel not a 7speed cassette.


How to test the endurance of a frame? I am planning on throwing a challenge to create a bamboo frame for a unicycle, but to declare a winner I shall test some endurance criteria.

The frame should be able to withstand this kind of tension:

The problem is that I don't know which tests I can set up to try the frames endurance repeatedly and reliably.

Do you think there is any low-tech test I can make to test this?

Thanks a lot in advance,
Jaime

If the frames are being designed on a computer, CAD tools may help but these are high tech. Companies spend a lot of money on doing detailed analysis for durability and strength of frames. I don't know what design tools people did other than force diagrams and other mechanical engineering things before computers (which use a lot of finite element methods) in the bicycle industry, but a simple civil engineering stress visualization method was building models out of a photoelastic material and seeing where the stresses built up.

Several articles have been written on doing (multiple links) tests for bicycles, normally with some applied stress then measuring deflection. You can try to mimic them on a unicycle to some extent, but they don't have all the same parts that a bicycle has, and testing for trick ability is even harder. They can also build a few frames and run them until they break in stress testing (which would be hard to do if people are building these bamboo unicycles by hand).

Unfortunately, the low tech way to test this will likely be just taking the thing out for a spin (and likely getting injured [especially if the people making these frames don't have experience designing unicycle frames and/or don't understand the properties of bamboo  (for example, how do you join 2 bamboo pieces appropriately?)]). There are companies which make bicycles out of bamboo, so you may want to look up some bamboo bicycle builders and try to talk to them about it (since they're botique manufacturers, they will likely not have as much if any testing going on; however, they've likely trained as regular frame builders before so have some intuition on how to design the bikes).

I should add that there are likely legal liability issues which will come up in this challenge - everything stated in this post is at your own risk, obviously. I'd think its non-trivial to make half decent unicycle without having the ability to do tricks to begin with, though.


Are upright conventional bicycle more comfortable than a recumbent trike over forest trails? This question was prompted out of a short discussion from this question when it was proposed that a upright conventional bicycle is more comfortable than a recumbent trike when riding over forest trails.

The reasoning is that on a upright conventional bicycle, you would just stand up and let your legs be the suspension when going over the bumps. Obviously, this is not possible with a recumbent trike.

So which one is more comfortable?

Comfortable is very subjective. I hate to use a car metaphor, but someone in a trike might find it more like steering a station wagon than a bike when it comes to tight turning. So in one concern, you're replaced an uncomfortable upright posture with a possibly stressful steering style.

I would search for recumbent videos and see how many you can find that show riders sliding sideways and flipping. Three wheels is more stable for an object at rest, but what a trike lacks that a bicycle relies on is the inherent meta stability provided by counter steering. Consider on a bicycle, your front wheel is constantly steering, even if subtly. This gives it remarkable "technical" navigation skill, which MTB riders must rely on.

The length of your wheel base also has an effect. A tadpole trike, with longer wheel base, might make pitch sway over bumps less pronounced. However, you get more roll swap left and right than on an upright, because you have two wheels on the side that are hitting roots at different times.

Trikes have different clearances for obstacles than bicycles. The tadpole recumbent trikes that I'm picturing only have about three inches of clearance under the seat. This is often due to smaller wheels and a road riding design.

The diameter of the wheels affects bounce and shake as well. A 29er will ride a trail more smoothly than a 20 inch kids bike for obvious reasons. If you are looking for comfort, you want a trike with large wheels. This also has an effect on pedaling style - recumbents want a faster cadence to make up for a lack of standing-weight pedaling power. If you are going uphill over roots, you might feel like you are pedaling a lot faster and possibly going slower.

I like riding my Rans Tailwind, it is comfortable, but I notice it's a lot jouncier on gravel paths because it's got 20 inch wheels. I don't get neck strain, but I really don't like hitting roots or potholes with it. If I'm on an upright bike navigating roots, I tend to be looking down and not out at the horizon anyhow, so I don't feel neck discomfort in those situations.

Comfort is subjective. Your setting and riding style has a lot to do with what equipment you want to use.

Update
(As per Mac's point) In my experience, which excludes recumbent trikes but includes small wheel recumbent bikes, you are very unlikely to pitch forward if you hit a bump or root badly, so a recumbent orientation is much safer in that respect. The frame sag is noticeable to me, when I strike a root or pothole on my Rans, I notice that I slow down, possibly slide forward in my seat a bit, and my whole body jounces up and down. That also tends to make my steering wobble because I hold onto my (over the seat) handlebars tighter. I presume on a trike, you would feel a roll as one of the outter wheels hit a bump, possibly turning your vehicle towards the direction of the bump as the opposite side was now travelling faster, you might want to practice "steering out" of strikes. If you are riding a delta, you would want to be cautious of forward flipping when striking one rear wheel on a downhill, I suspect, you couldn't lean back to compensate. A one wheel strike on a tadpole could be compensated better by leaning forward towards the strike. (Please tell me to hush if I'm putting my foot in my mouth.)

Is it more comfortable? It sounds to me like it could be but takes different steering techniques. I guess it depends on how much suspension you have for each wheel on your trike, too.


Downshifting problems My wife has a bicycle like this.  It is only a few months old and it gets light use on weekends on (smooth) some dirt roads.

Recently it sometimes fails to downshift at the rear (i.e. shift to the smaller gears). When she stops I can see that the cable is loose.  The spring in the derailleur doesn't seem to pull it tight. Moving the shifter or gently moving the derailleur fixes it temporarily, but then it may happen again an hour later.

What could have triggered the problem?

What should I try to fix it?  Simply lubricate parts?

Once possibility is a rusty cable/housing.  When the cable or cable housing gets rusty it can be the case that the spring of the derailleur can't provide enough force to overcome the friction of the cable moving through the housing.  You can test this by disconnecting the cable from the derailleur and seeing if it is difficult it is to pull the cable manually (after you've switched the gear down).  If this is the problem, the solution for this is to replace the gear cable.


Bearings vs. bushings in rear derailleur jockey wheels - which should be more resistant to contamination? This question came up in a forum I frequent. As background, many of us are familiar with ball bearings, as they are used in many places on bikes: the bottom bracket, the hubs, the headset, etc. Not all of us may be familiar with bushings, which look like this image from the Wikipedia link:

Basically you just put an axle through there. The axle rotates against the bushing. Bushings may not be as frequently used on bikes, but they are often part of MTB suspension components, and they may be used in your rear derailleur. Bronze has been used for bushings in other applications, but on bikes, plastic bushings appear to be more common.

This test by Ceramic Speed showed that some rear derailleur pulleys (aka jockey wheels) rotate on bushings, and some rotate on ball bearings. In particular, they showed that for Shimano's 105 rear derailleurs, both pulley wheels use bushings. In Ultegra, one wheel uses a bushing and the other uses a bearing. In Dura Ace, both wheels use bearings. And Ceramic Speed measured about half a watt of friction savings going from 105 to Ultegra, and the same from Ultegra to Dura Ace. So, perhaps bearings have lower friction when not contaminated.

However, some of the posters in the thread said that in their experience, bearings wore out faster, or they could seize in a muddy race.

The question is: are bushings actually more resistant to contamination than sealed bearings, or do they operate better under contamination than sealed bearings? If true, can anyone explain why this is so? In cycling, this is potentially a big deal if you just regularly commute in bad weather, plus it obviously might be a concern in mountain biking, cyclocross, or gravel.

I'm aware that you can clean both bearing- or bushing-based jockey wheels. However, I have to be frank - I basically just replaced the pulleys when they were worn. I bet many riders do the same. That said, I do intend to pay more attention to cleaning those things out now that I have a gravel bike, and to do so on my road bike also. This post on SE asked about cleaning jockey wheels, and the poster referred to the innards as bearings, but the picture does seem to show a bushing, as indicated by Nathan Knutson.

I've replaced bushings with bearings in derailleurs I've had and noticed  improvement. I've had bushings get gunked up and bind or freeze, and have had bearings do the same, but over all when my derailleur is clean, there is less friction and the benefit is noticeable.

Derailleur pulleys, like all other parts of the drive train should be kept clean. I do most of my riding on trails, so gunk is an issue. I occasionally pop the cage off and wipe everything down, spritz with some citrus degreaser, and reassemble, about every fourth or fifth time I pull my chain off to clean it.

I think bushings are cheap and useless. It makes absolutely no sense why any company that manufactures bicycle components would sell me a drive train component with bushings rather than a sealed cartridge bearing.

This is a fun question. I've thought about this quite a bit. This one area that I base my understanding completely on my own experience.


Why would my rear brake pads wear faster than front? It has already been established that most of braking power comes from front brake. Now, several times that I have been replacing brake pads on my commuter cyclocross bike I have noticed that rear pads are worn out but front still have some rubber in them. Does this happen to anyone else, and why would this happen?
The brakes are Shimano cantilevers, previously I had no-brand min-V's that did the same.

There are a couple of factors that might come into play.

The first is that you may be braking more than you think at the back. Which brake is controlled by your stronger hand? Are they adjusted the same?

The second factor is dirt. The front wheel throws up dust and muddy water, some of which can reach the back wheel even with mudguards. This can abrade both the pads and the rims. This will be much reduced on disk brakes.

If you use the brakes a lot downhill you may find yourself using the back lightly to stop yourself accelerating. This seems to cause quite a lot of wear, perhaps because the brakes don't remove the dirt like they would in a hard stop and perhaps because it's a lot of wheel revs with the brake touching the rims.

I used to notice this on stock pads and the cheap dual compounds I first replaced them with. The KoolStop pads I now use wear much less and I don't notice a difference. This is on ordinary shimano V brakes. This was despite only taking up the slack in the back brake when coming to a hard stop, but I had a couple of steep downhills.


Can I use 26" electric hub wheels on a vintage road bike? I got this old road bike that I bought for $20 and fixed up a bit.  I'm having to use it for a very long commute in the meantime until I can get other transportation so I was looking at a cheap electric kit solution.  The mid drives are too expensive because my budget is only about $400 so I was looking at hub drives but all of them I find are 26".

My bike currently has 23.  The side of the tire says [700 x 23C]

If I get one of these 26" hub wheel kits will it fit my bike?

It's quite unlikely. The axle length (hub spacing) will probably be rather different.

Here's a list of axle lengths. The same page also discusses how you might get away with it on a steel frame with quite a lot of effort.

Then you get onto the wheel building, which isn't easy and had to be good for electric wheels with their greater stresses. The 26" wheels wouldn't reach your brakes, so I assumed you use the hub motor and your existing rims with new spokes.


How to estimate price of an old CrMo frame? So it happened.

My old good CrMo friend got hit by a car and the blow was heavy enough to affect the whole frame. Now the car driver is expected to pay back the expenses but I am not sure how to estimate the price of such an old frame.

It is a road bike frame, order-made in Japan somewhere in nineties and all I know is its serial number. Can take pictures of some particular parts if it helps for the estimate.

What are the signs of high-end or a low-end frame, so that I know how much to ask?  Where to look?

Pictures:

In this sort of negotiation, typically you end up meeting somewhere in the middle. You provide a number, the other side provides a lower number, and the actual number is somewhere between those two numbers (possibly close to what the other side offered initially). Even if the number you supply is accurate and well-supported, I'd wager they will offer less.

If I was in your shoes, I would start with the cost for a similar bicycle today. Call the shop back and ask for a price, and spec the bike with a similar level of modern components. If it was Ultegra, ask for Ultegra. Clearly this is just a starting point; they will certainly not pay this amount. I would also look for roughly equivalent mass-produced bicycles that could serve as a back-up. Do your homework, and with any luck you can find some comparable bicycles from around that time which have been sold or are for sale (eBay, or some equivalents).

Here in the States, one Web site that might be of interest in a situation like this is BikePedia; one could use a site like that to collect some data points of the costs of comparable bicycles. Since your bicycle was not brand new, I wouldn't expect to get anywhere close to the true replacement cost, but don't help the other side by low-balling the value of what you've lost.


Can I repair this valve stem hole? Today I got a stick wedged between my frame and tubeless valve stem. In addition to snapping the stem I widened the hole a bit.

Any suggestions on how to fix it? Current plan is to go over the whole area with some fiberglass cloth and then redrill the hole.

I would not fibreglass it - instead I'd remove the black coating 10-15mm around the edges of the hole and just over the "curve of the well".

Then I'd use a thin piece of aluminium plate and carefully conform it to the bed of the well.  This would be a lot of careful hammering with a ball-peen hammer and perhaps a cold chisel.  You also want the edges napped or relieved to smooth the transition up and down for the rim tape.  No sharp edges !

Once its all fitting in place snugly, I'd drill the valve stem hole in a pillar drill, and carefully chamfer the edges of the hole.

Weigh the final piece now.

Clean both surfaces and then use a 2 pot epoxy to snot the patch part in place.  Use a bolt temporarily through the valve stem hole to retain it while the epoxy sets, and leave for at least the maximum "hardness" time on the epoxy instructions.

You want to keep it totally below the "terrace" beside the clincher bead hooks, so the repair doesn't interfere with seating of the bead.

Also, you may choose to make a second plate of equal weight to adhere diametrically opposite the valve, to help with balancing the wheel and reduce vibrations at high RPMs.


Alternatives to Crankset Shimano M523 Octalink 40-30-22T I have recently purchased a Merida 2015 7500 One-Twenty 3x10.
Link to bike specs: http://online.fliphtml5.com/pvouz/azox/#p=12
The crankset chain rings are very worn and need replacing.

More Pictures of Crankset: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=1sHKCdlJYe0ygDfoz3sI7e0QFI-eXPZkE
The current crankset is an Shimano M523 Octalink 40-30-22T 10s. This seems to be quite hard and expensive to purchase here in the UK.
Do you have any recommendations replacing this worn crankset ?
I could replace just the chain rings or the whole crankset.
I could also change the bottom bracket as well to be open up my options.
Any help would be very much appreciated.

If you're just riding casually, then a simple chainring replacement is probably all you need.  You don't have to match the styling, just the Bolthole Circle Diameter (BCD) and number of boltholes.     It looks like a 4 bolt pattern, but there are a number of standard sizes (naturally)
Personally I use a 100% printout of the PDF at https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0230/9291/files/Measure_BCD_5ad6ccfa-f146-4048-ac0f-e2279602c9e1.pdf and then overlay the chainring on the page.  You can see what BCD you need.   From https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/pages/how-to-measure-bolt-circle-diameter-bcd
The four chainring bolts can probably be re-used without issue, provided you remove them without damage.
Staying with the same toothcount makes things simpler too, though you might choose to change things if there's a need, like if you're spinning out in 40:11.
There's a good chance you need a new chain too.  Based on the wear on the big chainring, its really quite worn.  Depending on how you ride, the middle and grannie ring teeth might be okay, but that big ring needs replacing.
I see no point changing a working octalink BB for something else, until it breaks down, and then you look at what options are available. You have matching cranks already.   If the bike us for a long distance trek or all-day MTB in the back country, you'd want to have decent options so replacing working parts might be reasonable then.  Or if the BB was crunchy and not suitable right-now, then a replacement might be in order.
However I'm firmly in favour of wearing it out - otherwise you're throwing away parts with life left in them still.
Do let us know how it goes too - final followup is always useful.


What criteria should I be looking for in selecting a new hybrid bike model? As a result of asking this question - Fracture in folding frame - safe to ride? - I've decided to look into getting a new bike.

As stated in my previous question I cycle quite a lot, but I know next to nothing about bike engineering. So I need a reasonably good bike, but I don't have the knowledge to make a good choice about what the best model might be.

I use the bike wholly on relatively short journeys on city streets, so some sort of hybrid commuter/road bike would seem to be ideal. A moment's research demonstrates that every reputable bike company makes one of these, often in a wide array of varieties.

My budget is only about £400 (that's ~$600). Having looked at the options in that range from just two manufacturers, I'm thoroughly confused.

Aside from the obvious (a strong, light frame etc.), I'm looking for a bike that:

Doesn't have an insane array of gears, and can control gears from the handlebars.
Can easily mount mudguards and panniers.
Has easily-changed brake blocks that I can do myself.
Eagle-eyed users will spot that my existing bike from that question is a folding bike: this is no longer an issue. I don't need a folder any more.

But to be honest, I don't even know how I can tell from the manufacturers details whether any given model will do what I want.

So: what should I be looking for when choosing a good bike model? I am not asking for a model recommendation (given that it's opinion-based) - just information on what I need to be looking for/asking about to guide my own choice.

For the frame, I suggest a bias towards strength over weight, epsecially if you're adding luggage which puts the weight up.  The other issue for frames is fit, which on a flat-bar bike can be quite forgiving so long as the frame is broadly the right size.  Selecting and setting up the bike is something any bike specialist should be able to do, though some are more competent and willing than others (a less-than-ideal experience with Halfords and a road bike a few years back).

All modern bikes have gears controlled from the bars, though the actual shifters vary.

Any bike in your price range is likely to have V-brakes.  Changing and adjusting them is something you can learn to do in less than an hour assuming you've never done anything like it before but can use hand tools.  By the third time it will be a 5-10 minute job.  NB you might find cable disc brakes at that price, but entry level V-brakes seem better than entry-level discs.

As you appear to be interested in it just working rather than maximum speed or ability to handle rough terrain, I strongly suggest anti-puncture tyres.  I ride a similar (marginally more expensive a few years ago) bike so a few ideas:  I wore out a set of Schwalbe Road Cruiser 35s (over ~5000 miles) and liked them, and am now on the tougher, more expensive marathon plus, which I find less grippy, but I've also gone for narrower tyres.  Continental comfort contact are similar to the road cruisers.  Mounting anti puncture tyres can be hard work -- get the bike shop to do it when you buy the bike.

Depending on where you are you may have access to one or more single-brand bike shops (I could easily get to Giant and Specialized).  They are worth a look even if only for comparison on price/range/service with someone independent.


Bottom Bracket Creaking I have a 1993 Rockhopper frame that I'm riding as a singlespeed.  I have some creaking around my bottom bracket.  I've just recently stripped and painted the frame, and there wasn't anything suspicious around the bottom bracket shell.  The bottom bracket is a sealed cartridge type.  I've had some problems with the nuts that hold the chainring onto the crank coming loose, so I'm wondering whether that's the source of the noise.  What is the best way to go about determining what's causing the noise?

I've had some problems with the nuts that hold the chainring onto the crank coming loose, so I'm wondering whether that's the source of the noise.

It is very likely. It often requires a special tool to tighten firmly, but tightening it will either eliminate a "creak candidate" ... or the noise itself :)


Speed and comfort of a racing bicycle? I just saw this guy called Jason Rourke breaking the record of 112.94mph (181km/h) on his bicycle. I wish I could have such a bicycle to ride, but I have never ridden a racing bicycle with gears.

I want to use the bicycle for the 26-30mi commute that I do everyday and if it is a racing bike it could potentially save time. But I have some doubts/questions:

Do these cycles really produce speed of around 60 - 70 km/h? If so, where could I get them?
Are these stable at these high speeds of about 50km/h?

I want to use the bicycle for the 26-30mi commute that I do everyday and if it is a racing bike it could potentially save time

A trained cyclist can definitely ride farther and faster on a road bike than on a hybrid bike, based solely on wind resistance and bicycle fit. However, the speeds you list are completely unrealistic. Bike speeds are based primarily on the rider. Other major considerations include the route and the physical shape you want to arrive in.

A 30 mile commute means you are riding 15 miles in each direction. I know a lot of people who bicycle commute this distance every day. They are all in excellent physical shape and ride at least 2,000 miles a year. (3,218 kilometers)

Assuming:

A 15 mile route with few if any stops
A good road surface (paved, minimal bumps)
Few intersecting roads
Dry weather
Fairly flat ride

All of the commuters I know could easily finish the ride in less than 1 hour. (averaging over 15 mph). Many of them could average 18 mph for the entire ride. A few might be able to average 20 - 21 mph.

However, They will all arrive at their destination dripping sweat and need a shower and a change of clothing. If it rains, your average speed will go down significantly, since it just isn't safe to ride as fast on wet pavement.

So practically speaking, unless you are a highly trained athlete, doing 15 miles any faster than 20 - 21 mph is probably out of the question. Much more likely that you will do 15 - 18 mph. (And that's for a trained cyclist.) You then have to worry about cleaning up once you reach your office.

Getting one of the special bikes you mentioned will most likely slow you down, since they are designed for ultra high speeds with gearing that simply won't work in a city.


Kind of a pennyfarthing with the big wheel in back Can someone give me information about the bicycle in the photo?

This is possibly an American Star high wheeler, or a replica. They were known for having the small wheel in front, to prevent the forward tipping issue common with Ordinary high wheelers.

If it is an original American Star, it dates from the 1880's approximately, and has serious collector value. If a replica, not so much. :)

They are still considered an Ordinary/Penny Farthing/High Wheeler.


I purchased a "new" bike from my local bike shop that is five years old--should they have disclosed this? The bicycle is a Moots Mooto X RSL.

I bought the bike in June 2017 and just learned when I registered the frame that it was manufactured in 2012.

The tag on the bike showed that the price as offered was about 30% less than the original price. Big discounts for last-years stock are common. Such a discount is usually less than 30%.

Typically Moots are made-to-order, but through a dealer network; this bike was offered for sale as a complete bike though I suppose it is not uncommon--i.e., someone orders, pays the deposit, but does not return to take delivery.

Last week, when I registered the frame with Moots, I learned that the frame was manufactured in 2012 (and assembled and shipped to the LBS in that year).

The components--which might be original, I don't know--are about the same age; for instance, the particular XTR component set was discontinued in 2013.

I purchased this as a new bike (I don't think this LBS sells used bikes in fact); I don't know for a fact that this bike is used, but the fact is that it was five years old when I bought it.

So for instance the resale value of a 2012 model versus a 2017 is substantial.

Should the LBS have disclosed the fact that this bike was a 2012 model--given that I bought it in 2017 from a shop that only sells "new" bikes?

If it's actually used, as in previously owned with real mileage, they should have disclosed that. If it's in new condition, or new condition with some amount of the discount being for shop wear or due to being a low-mileage return, then I would say there's nothing disingenuous about omitting the manufacture date unless asked directly.

For better or for worse, it's not the standard practice in bike shops to include the model year on the sticker, as is seen for example on a car lot. Maybe it's a reasonable question whether that makes the whole industry that much scummier, but following the practice doesn't make any particular shop especially scummy.

Many who work at or run shops don't have great feelings about the industry's general insistence on model year cycles. The way it tends to play out is the model year cycle is one of the back industry's tools to generate sales based on perceived obsolescence, whereas we in shops know if a bike was good and worth standing behind 5 years ago, it very probably still is today. Meanwhile, however, the model year cycle creates a need in the retail environment to constantly worry about selling through stock before it becomes last year's model, an artificial panic which really doesn't do the retailer any good in the end. This is only to give some background about common attitudes in shops on the topic.


What are the ESSENTIAL tools to do a basic strip and rebuild? I can't currently afford to pay someone to give my bike a complete strip and rebuild (I need a wheel rebuild, which is essential, so I am paying for that this month!)

So, given I have a hybrid, disc brakes, shimano crankset, I think all bearings are cartridge...what are the ESSENTIAL tools I need to do the job myself.

I already have:
Full set allen keys,
Screwdrivers of various sizes,
Mole wrench (adjustable/lockable),
Pedal spanner,
General spanners/all-in-one cycle spanner,
Grease and oil,
Pliers.

I don't have:
Bottom bracket removal tool,
Work stand.

I am not a bike mechanic (hence not having many tools) but willing to give each part of the strip down a go - one at a time...so headset one weekend, front hub next etc.

What you have is a pretty good start... specialty tools needed depend on how far you want the strip-rebuild process to go.  I would recommend the following

If you are changing your cables and housing get a cable housing cutter.   I use mine to also cut the cables but a normal (sharp) wire cutter will do that trick as well.  You may be able to get by with a dremmel tool for those cuts if you have one
Chain tool.  It you have a bike with gears, removing and replacing your chain can have dramatic effect on shifting performance
Crank Arm removal tool.  If you are going to change/repack the bottom bracket you will need to get the crank arms off
Bottom Bracket Removal tool
If you are planning on replacing (or tightening ) your cassette you will need to cassette removal tool and a chain whip
Cone Wrenches... these wrenches are needed for repacking the wheel hubs.


Chain slips to lower gear when pedaling backwards I have a hybrid 18 speed bicycle which is able to shift through all gears on both the front and rear sets of gears.  When on the largest gear on the front set (by the pedals) the chain will try to slide to the next smaller gear when pedaling backwards.  It is as if the chain in bent or not moving in a spot.

There is also a cyclical click when pedaling forwards in higher gears with an occasional slip.  It seems the chain may be uneven in several links.

What is the most likely cause/fix for this?

This sounds like a stiff or separated link in your chain.  There are other options, but this would be easy to eliminate, and a likely cause.

Get off the bike, and very slowly pedal backwards while looking at the chain as it passes through the rear derailleur.

A stiff or broken link should jump as it goes through the derailleur.

If the chain starts to come off the gears, check the chain at the point where is is coming off.

Most likely, you will need to replace the chain. If the chain is new, the link where it was joined may be the issue. In that case gently flex the chain side to side (against the link plates, not in the direction they pivot) at that point and it may free the stiff link.

If not, replace the chain, taking care to join the links more carefully this time.


Should I fight a ticket I got for riding my bicycle in a crosswalk? I was riding my bicycle home. I live on a one way and was waiting in the crosswalk while oncoming traffic down the one-way was green. This was at a 4 way intersection. There was no oncoming traffic and all other lights were red. I rode into the crosswalk and was nearly through when the light turned green for the oncoming right side traffic. A man flew through the crosswalk, not seeing me, and we collided. I hit his mirror off, made impact with his door, and fell down. I was then treated by the EMT and taken to the ER for further evaluation.

I am suffering no broken bones, but a painful hand contusion, cuts and bruises, as well as enhanced neck pain from a previous neck injury.

The cop found me still very frazzled in the ER and told me I was getting issued a citation for going the wrong way on a one way (while the man who hit me got off scot-free). The cop also said she could be giving me 3 other tickets but was trying to be "nice." I thought you didn't have to do that if it was a traffic infraction...

I understand that local bike laws in Santa Barbara say you are treated as a car. However, I was in the crosswalk (which is parallel to the one way street) when I was hit.

I need help understanding the laws regarding these specific circumstances. Is this worth fighting in court?

According to Santa Barbara City Ordinances:

10.52.130 No Bicycles on Sidewalk.
No person shall ride a bicycle on any sidewalk except at a driveway; provided, that a person may ride a bicycle on any area designated by the City Council as a bikeway.

So, unless this was a designated "bikeway," you were clearly in violation of at least one law. I'm a little unclear on your story, but it also sounds like you crossed against the signal. That would, of course, be a second infraction.

You mention that you live on a one-way street but were crossing at a four-way intersection. This doesn't make sense. A two-way street crossing a one-way street is a three-way intersection. But I'll do my best to make sense of it.

If you were riding on the sidewalk on the left side of a two-way street, or if you were riding the sidewalk against traffic on a one-way street; the ticket for riding against traffic also sort of makes sense. It may or may not be entirely correct, but a case could be made.

In short, you were clearly in violation of some law, probably several. If you try to fight it, you may get out of the ticket you were specifically given but you may also end up with several others.

I would also encourage you to read all of section 10.52 in the attached city ordinances as well as the California Vehicle Code Sections 21200-21212, all of which pertain to bicycling in California. For the best understanding, read the state laws first and the local laws second and look at the local laws as an addendum to the state laws.


What is this -- seems to be bike-related? I'd love to know what it is that is pictured below:

It is worth driving 320 km to pick it up. (Makes no sense.)

I am trying to win a bet that I can find out what it is.

Looks like an adjustable quill stem.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/TAQ-33-ADJUSTABLE-ALUMINUM-STEM-ST3/dp/B001DGGVQ2

oh, and not worth driving that far to get one.


Do cyclists warrant special consideration under traffic laws? I recently saw a YouTube channel where a motorist with an agenda has taken it upon himself to film cyclists as they break traffic laws. Most (perhaps not all) of the actions I observed would be what I consider reasonable out of necessity or convenience (nb: cycling bias!), such as:

riding between the parking lane and the traffic lane.
passing on the right when safe.
yielding in lieu of stopping.

In most jurisdictions where a Motor Vehicle Act is applied to non-conventional vehicles in the roadway (electric, pedal, etc.), there seems to be an unspoken grey area where the letter of the law is not recognized by cyclists.

Has anyone codified this grey area in traffic law vs. etiquette in a way that's better defined & acceptable to both motorists & cyclists? (Arguably everything should be covered by traffic laws.) Could a better definition of this grey area help justify the need for special consideration under the law, or do you think "bikes are traffic, period"?

Before posting this list, I need to preface it with my position that riding in a predictable manner, as much like a 'vehicle' as possible is safest to me.  To a large degree I disagree with treating bicycles differently because:

It confuses interaction with
motorists, especially at
intersections where the risk is
highest for cyclists.
Not all motorists or cyclist will know their
rights/responsibilities.  It's hard
enough to educate both side now.
I think the time/speed/safety gains for
the average cyclist would be very
small.

That said there are exceptions in almost every jurisdiction already, allowing use on paths and sidewalks, allowing passing on the right, etc. - these are the common arguments I hear in favor of different treatment, primarily as it relates to an Idaho style 'Stop as Yield' law:

Bicyclists have to expend their own energy to start and stop--it's a courtesy to let them pass just as it is to yield to someone carrying something heavy or bulky.
Bicyclists have better awareness of surroundings (better field of vision, higher than cars. fewer distractions).
Bicyclists can avoid collisions better (sharper turning radius, much less width, less speed and weight to manage, can become flush with the side of the road almost instantly, can stop in a shorter distance);
Most bicyclists treating a stop as a yield pass through stop signs at a similar speed as most motorists (who usually don't stop), but comparing the straightaway speed difference, it may seem like the motorist is "stopping" while the cyclist isn't.
Stopped cyclists are unable to avoid the pollution of stopped cars. Pollution tends to be highest at stops.
Cyclists waiting in traffic can cause more problems for all--not only by blocking turns (which often elicits prejudicial anger from motorists) but there is an increased chance of being rear-ended for the cyclist. (Proper lane positioning avoids this - gr)
Frequent stopping is associated with long-term chronic knee problems from the pressure required to start again.
Most cyclists responsibly "run" stop signs at present, showing that the law simply doesn't work for people.
Cyclists don't endanger the public as cars do and have not been properly accommodated for--this is due in large part to short-sighted planning that doesn't recognize the benefits of cycling.
Places that treat bicyclists as special users, with high levels of accommodation have much lower bicycle fatality rates than the USA (e.g., Netherlands, about 1/13 our fatality rates per mile traveled). One of the reasons is that they give cyclists a head start through red lights, with special zones ahead of motor traffic, and special bicycle-only green lights.


What does "SRAM Custom" (front derailleur) mean? I'm going through specification of Specialized Epic Comp bicycle (link) and there is in column FRONT DERAILLEUR: "Custom SRAM, 2X10, high direct mount". What does it mean? Is it some kind of specific derailleur for this bike? Does it mean it is not possible to use ordinary SRAM x7, x9, x0 series? Thanks in advance

If you look closely at the zoomed photo on Specialized's site, you can see that the label on the "custom" front derailleur says only "SRAM" and "2x10".  The regular ones made by SRAM say "X0" or other model names on them, e.g. here: http://www.competitivecyclist.com/sram-x0-2x10-high-direct-mount-front-derailleur-srm0437

It appears that the style of mount is readily available, but perhaps not the precise model with no labeling that Specialized is using.  Maybe that means they're using something "between" the regular SRAM grades, or maybe a different surface finish, or....  But this shouldn't matter if you simply need to buy a replacement.


Campagnolo crank spider inter-compatibility between 'standard' and 'compact' chainrings Will a Campagnolo Athena (2014) crank spider and crank arm from a 'standard' chainring setup of 39/53 accommodate 'compact' chainrings of 34/50, also Campagnolo Athena (2014)?

No, compact chainrings have 110 BCD (bolt circle diameter) while standard chainrings have 135 BCD.


Does the diameter difference between road and mountain bike handlebars make some bikes incompatible? I'm shopping around for a new set of handlebars, I want to give trekking bars (aka butterfly bars) a try.  They're reasonably cheap so I'm willing to dive in as an experiment.  I'm wondering though, mountain bike handlebars have a greater diameter than road bike bars do from what I read.

Should I be concerned whether or not a new set of handlebars I buy will fit in the handlebar stem of my bike frame properly?

If it helps anyone, I have a windsor tourist touring bicycle, and the handlebars I'm looking at are these.

Thanks everyone!

This article and Sheldon Brown are good links to look at for the dimensions associated with handlebars.

In particular, you have to worry about where the stem clamps on, as well as the rest of the bar (where your brake levers & shifters are attached, that is, the grip area) - thus, there are two diameters. The clamp is usually 1 inch for most bikes now (contrary to the first link), but they can differ (older road and MTB bars often use different clamp sizes). Most MTB type components (riser, flat, butterfly, etc.) have a 7/8" rest of the bar while most drop bars (excluding the Walmart ones) are 15/16". So, you can't clamp road shifters/brakes to MTB bars and vice versa.

To summarize the relevant measurements and their applications, see Sheldon Brown's Handlebar Crib Sheet.

In this case, the clamp is right (25.4 mm), but the rest of the bar is 7/8". Your shifters are designed for 15/16" bars. This means new shifters (probably thumb shifters or trigger shifters) and brake levers if you switch to this bar, since you can't really bend STI levers to fit. Also, even if you did manage to get them mounted (with some small shimming or something), the shifting action would be pretty unnatural.

If you want to use trekking bars, I'd probably go with thumb shifters and some short pull brake levers. Note that if you choose to use trigger shifters, they have to be from the Shimano road group (i.e. the Sora flat bar shifters) due to the different cable pull of the road front derailleurs and mountain front derailleurs. Alternatively, you could try a mountain front derailleur with possibly a different crankset (50T/52T rings are big) and use any Shimano mountain bike shifter set, or grip shifts like the SRAM Attack.


When was the last Chicago built Schwinn I have a 1983 Schwinn Sierra, one piece crank, badge # 2733. Frame seams appear Chicago. Any thoughts?

That may very well be Chicago.  Here is a guide to the different badges they used:

http://re-cycle.com/History/Schwinn/SwnC_Badges.aspx

As I remember, the biggest giveaway was if the badge was affixed with machine screws, it was from Chicago.  If it uses rivets, it's overseas.

Oh, and 1982 was the last Chicago Schwinn.  So if that one is 1983, you missed it by a year.


Properties with Belt-driven Chains? This reply about belt-driven belt got my interest here. It does not need lubrication at all according to the replier. What are other properties with belt-drive chain? Where does the idea come from? Are belt-driven chains used in cars or some machines? Are they durable? Do they last in all kind of weather? Like in freezing winter to sunny summer? Do they stretch like steel chains? When should you change them?

The main difference with belt drive is that you can't break the belt, so you need a specially built frame that allows the belt to be fitted. On a chain-driven bike the chain usually runs though the frame between the seatstay and chainstay. This makes retrofitting a belt drive impossible on most bikes. Similarly, you're limited to the belt lengths available from the manufacturer.

I have seen bikes with exposed belt drives but that does not seem like a good idea to me. Once you get mud or dust in there it's going to grind away the belt and pulleys, and parts are usually expensive (because they're uncommon). I don't know much about how they wear as I've never seen one that's had much use (which in itself should tell you something).

Once the belt is fully enclosed it becomes just like an enclosed chain drive, except that it can't be serviced by bike shops. I suspect this is the real deal-breaker for most people.

Belts usually have higher losses than chain drives, making them unattractive for high-performance bikes and hindering their adoption in other bikes (because much of the profit for bike shops is in the more expensive bikes).


Leave a bicycle in the rain for a day - is it safe? I use my bike (gt avalanche 1.0) to commute to work. Now it's autumn and so rain can happen just every day.

So the questions are: is leaving my bike outside harmful? Should take the seatpost with me or better leave it in place?

It's no problem, but there are a few things to consider:

Keep all the moving parts well oiled. Note that even if you only ride on roads there will be more dirt getting on it, so you'll need to give the chain a good clean, let it dry, and oil it.  This should stop the mechanicals getting too rusty, some screw heads will rust but not too badly.
Wet rims don't brake as well, especially if the wet isn't pure, so after riding off the first stop may take longer (and be noisy). If the rain has stop it may be worth applying the brakes (carefully) once or twice right after starting your ride, to get the rims dry.
Get a waterproof saddle cover, then take it off when you want to ride - so much more comfortable than a wet saddle, especially if the saddle has stitching which lets the water in.  This is better than a plastic bag, because you can leave it on, and only remove it if it's wet. Alternatively, get a saddle with a plastic surface, then you can just wipe off the rain.
If you're expecting really heavy rain, your lights might not take it (as I found out recently) so you might want to take them with you (of course you might want to anyway so they don't get stolen). This is for removable lights; if you have lights that are meant to be installed permanently (for dynamo use), they will gererally be watertight.

If you ride in the rain, then keep the bike in a shed on a damp day, it won't dry out properly for hours anyway, so the actual outside storage isn't much extra punishment on top of the ride (assuming of course that it's wet all day)


How should I select front and rear gears? Just bought a Falcon Interceptor bike with Shimano gears - whatever that means.
I've had bikes in the past but only those with one set of gears for the rear wheel.

What's the need for front and rear gears? What should I be doing with them?

What are the front gears for? What should I be considering when selecting front gears and rear gears? Are they (front and rear gears) interdependent or independent?

Having more than one chainring (one of the front gears) expands the total gearing range available to you. Having multiple chainrings gives you a higher high gear for cruising at high speed as well as a lower low gear for spinning up hills.
The difference in the number of teeth between chainrings is much larger than the difference between sprockets in the rear. You can think of chainrings as being for major adjustments and sprockets for minor adjustments. You don't need to change gears in front nearly as often as in back.
The simplest gear changing strategy is to adjust the rear gears as needed and then change the front gears whenever you start to cross-chain. Cross-chaining is using the big chainring with a big sprocket or the small chainring with a small sprocket. It accelerates drivetrain wear and sometimes produces noise and grinding feeling.


Frame failure sudden death? I had a serious accident, my fork suddenly snapped when riding.
I sent my bike for repair (to get a new fork installed) and the guys at the shop hammered the frame in place, as apparently the frame bent from the crash.
Now after the very scary crash I had, I am wondering if I should even ride the bike in that condition? I know it is impossible to predict how much time will it take for it to fail, but other than checking very often if the area next to the bumps changes, what else can I do? I know that getting new pieces welded is not an option as it is hard to weld aluminum and it is probably less expensive or equally expensive just to get a new frame.

If an aluminium frame has to be bent back into alignment, it's trashed. Aluminium cannot be deformed without causing weakness in the material.

If the bicycle repair shop literally hit the seat stays with a hammer near the dropouts to straighten the frame is probably weakened in those areas and is very likely unsafe. I personally would not ride that frame.

The bicycle repair shop should have told you the frame was un-repairable and not replaced the fork. Maybe they wanted to make some money of a repair job but I can't believe they passed up an opportunity to sell you a new bike.


Is skin or fabric more aero? Which is more aero, bare skin or fabric?  I have always assumed bare skin, because fabric would at best be flat to the skin and at worst introduce wrinkles, folds, and flapping in areas where it is loose.  But this begs the question then of why male professional riders wear jerseys.  I can think a few potential reasons for this:

jerseys allow for advertising
jerseys are used for sun protection
jerseys are used for minor scrape protection if a rider falls
jerseys allow for back pockets
jerseys allow for more modesty

Do professional riders wear jerseys for these reasons despite disadvantaging them in the races, or are they actually more aero as well?

The simple answer for professional riders is that clothing is regulated by the UCI. Part 1 Section 3 of the Regulations of the UCI say,

When competing, all riders shall wear a jersey with sleeves and a
pair of shorts, possibly in the form of a one-piece skinsuit. By
shorts it is understood that these are shorts that come above the
knee. Sleeveless jerseys shall be forbidden. However, for downhill,
four-cross and Enduro mountain bike events,  BMX, trials and indoor
cycling, specific provisions are laid down in the part of the
regulations concerning the discipline in question.

The question of aerodynamics is more complex and is similar to the findings of swimming suits in Olympic competition: a properly-designed swimsuit is faster than swimming naked. For cycling, loosely-fitted or wrinkled clothing is much less aerodynamic than bare skin but well-fitted clothing can be more aerodynamic than skin if designed and fit well. This is particularly true for the upper arms and lower legs since they tend to present close to a cylindrical shape to airflow, but can also apply to the back and, to come extent, to the sides of the trunk.


1x GRX chain sizing with 42T cassette I'm trying to convert a bike to a Shimano GRX 1x setup using the following components: RD-RX812, CS-M8000 (11-42T), CN-HG701-11 (and FC-RX810-1, 42T). The problem I'm stuck at is when shifted to the easiest gear (i.e. the 42T), the topmost rear derailleur jockey wheel sits too close to the cassette, causing the chain to not run smoothly from the cassette through the rear derailleur (see picture).

Can you help figure out what I am doing wrong here? Is the chain too long? I have seen images of GRX setups where the lower jockey wheel is pulled much more forward when in the biggest chainring (example). At the same time I am a bit reluctant to cut my chain, as the current length is exactly what Shimano recommends (adding 4-6 links to the length when wrapped around the biggest rings but not through the derailleur). Any pointers are most appreciated.

You need to adjust the derailleur B-screw. That adjusts the distance between the top jockey wheel and sprockets. Winding in the B-screw will move the jockey wheel away from the sprocket. The gap should be ~5mm.

See https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/rear-derailleur-adjustment. The last section deals with B-screw adjustment.

You are correct that you should not change the chain length.


Can I cut the steerer tube with a pipe cutter? I found out that Hozan lists a pipe cutter among its tools, and as far as I know all Hozan tools are made for bike mechanics.
From one of the pictures it looks like this could be used to cut an aluminium steerer tube. Also, by looking at the price on most retailers, it looks like a cheaper solution against the combination saw plus sawing guide.
Is this meant to be actually used for steerer tubes, or something else? Is there any disadvantage in using this for cutting aluminium steerer tubes compared to, say, a Park Tool saw?

A pipe cutter is an excellent tool for this application. Properly used it results in a perfect, burr free cut that is 90° to the longitudinal axis of the steer tube.  The outer aspect of the cut remains burr-free by virtue of the rollers smoothing the outer aspect of the workpiece as they pass over.  The tool, like any other, should be in good working condition with a nice sharp cutting wheel that is not deformed or dull.  The rollers opposite the cut wheel should be smooth and free of foreign material that could scratch the workpiece or cause the tool's cut wheel to not track true.  Size matters as well since pipe cutters are rated for different ranges of pipe diameter. Thus, a pipe cutter that includes 1⅛" diameter in it's working range should be selected.
Here is a link to a PDF file outlining the proper use of a pipe cutter.   A few things I'll add to this tutorial is that in order for the outside of the cut to remain burr free on completion of the cut, the rollers should follow the leading cutter wheel. It really doesn't matter which way you turn the tool for a proper cut, however.  Clockwise rotation with one's right hand aids the biomechanics of having to turn the adjuster clockwise every rotation or two.  Keep in mind that it's a process of scoring the metal with consecutive passes of the cut wheel and there shouldn't be excessive clamping force applied to the steer tube by over tightening the cutter's adjusting wheel.
Using a pipe cutter is not recommended for cutting a carbon fiber steer tube.  A fine blade hacksaw, a saw guide, and respiratory protection from carbon fiber dust generated by the cutting process are called for in this situation.


Would the airzound bike horn cause hearing damage even if used well under the duration limit? Would the airzound bike horn cause hearing damage even if used well under the duration limit?

The Airzound is 115 dB which means according to the NIOSH standard, the duration limit is 28 seconds using a 3 dB exchange rate!
https://mecart.com/blog/2016/06/03/stop-noise-from-harming-your-employees-health-and-productivity/

A safety conscious college instructor taught his class that when loud sounds caused ringing, you've already permanently damaged your hearing.

Customers on Amazon mentined that the Airzound caused ringing in their ears. I experienced ringing in my ears when exposed for less than a second! That means according to the instructor, I've lost some hair cells. Is that really true?

An example here is a cyclist using it for 10 seconds in total in a day in the worst case during a round trip commute. It's possible to have a few right hooks, close passes, etc in one day. If 10 seconds in a day is enough to destroy hair cells and it's repeated once a week, it may become noticeable years later. Light duty hearing protection may be enough to prevent hearing loss. It needs to be light enough for hearing the traffic.

A little differently: the 115 dB exposure is culmulative with other noise that day. So the tables tell us that if you work in an environment of 85 dB(A) for eight hours and you use the horn on your way to work, then you will damage your hearing.

Ringing in your ears is a great warning sign from the body that you are risking damage to your hearing.

Ear protection has its uses; you want it to bring your noise exposure down to 85dB(A) or below, which is quite difficult especially from 115 dB. It would be much better not to use the horn at all, instead of using ear plugs, because that’s a better risk management strategy.

After all, noise-induced hearing loss is preventable.


Plastic insert damaged when tried to open gravity wheelguard ixow Can anyone tell me where I can find to buy the plastic insert from the wheelguard?

For completeness - this is a part custom to your brand and model of frame.  It doesn't seem to be related to your choice of wheel skewer.

So your best option is to contact the manufacturer of your frame directly, or their authorised agents in your area.

Based on the linked question, you have a Canyon Commuter, and their contact information for you is based in Koblenz, Germany.  https://www.canyon.com/en-ro/contact/  You can use telephone, live chat, or email.


What's the benefit of a titanium skewer? What's the benefit of using titanium skewer beside the fact that it's light?
Is it strong enough to hold my weight?

Aside from weight, there is no real benefit. Titanium is an alloyed steel, and has no limitation on weight or riding style, generally, although there are likely ultra light versions which do have limits.


Are there brands that sell weather-resistant chains? I have to bike in bad weather and especially at work i have no way to store my bike in a dry place, this means that my bike chain picks up rust like nothing else, forcing me to clean it a lot. Now i'm wondering whether there are any brands of chains that are made for this kind of environment (and maybe cost a bit/lot more)?

In other words: I'm looking for the quality product in the chain world that's in a similar place of status as a Brooks saddle in the saddle world.

Lube your chain frequently. As in every time it rains if you need to.

Depending on the drive-train, you can get Shimano or SRAM chains at places like Nashbar or Performance Bike, but even top-of-the-line, expensive chains will get rusty if they're out in the rain all the time. The same will hold with a Brooks saddle. No matter how awesome it is, if it's exposed to poor conditions without proper maintenance, it will deteriorate quickly. So lube your chain frequently, and dry it off whenever you get a chance before storing it.

Disclaimer: If you go riding around with tons of lube on your chain in dry, dusty conditions, you'll pick up lots of dirt in your drivetrain.


BB386EVO-24mm Press Fit Bottom Bracket Cup Removal Good day to all!
Issue
My road bike has a BB386EVO bottom bracket standard with a 24mm internal diameter (I.D.) bearing set.
I'm utilising a 24mm spindle crankset so no issues there.
What I am seeking to accomplish is the replacement of the bottom bracket, but I'm not 100% the best way to remove the current bottom bracket.
My current bottom bracket is similar to these:
C-Bear (https://www.c-bear.com/en/products/bottom-bracket/bb386-shimano-rotor-race-face-fsa)
Token (https://www.tokenproducts.com/bottom-brackets/553-BB386PS)
Where the bearings have 24mm I.D.,
NOT using any reducers/adapters like this one from FSA below
(https://fairwheelbikes.com/fsa-bb386-evo-to-shimano-24mm-reducer/)
Tools
Park Tool BBT-90-3
(https://www.parktool.com/product/press-fit-bottom-bracket-bearing-tool-set-bbt-90-3)
The shaft is nominally 22mm and "fingers" are stated as 26mm O.D.. It is meant for bottom bracket standards dedicated to 24mm spindles.
I understand that the tool's fingers are supposed to whack against the "lip" of the bottom bracket cup where the bearing's outer race sits against for the preload, but because it is meant for 24mm spindles and the finger's O.D. of 26mm, I'm not sure if it will reach the "lip" of my BB386EVO bottom bracket cup.
Shimano TL-BB13
(https://www.bike-components.de/en/Shimano/TL-BB13-Hollowtech-II-Bottom-Bracket-Tool-for-SM-BB92-p34454/)
Same concern as the Park Tool tool stated above, I'm not sure if the tool can reach the "lip" of my bottom bracket as this is designed for Hollowtech II bottom brackets (basically 41mm BB shell width).
Parameters
Price
I don't wish to splurge $50+ on a new tool.
I'm Aliexpress friendly but all those I found doesn't seem to be very suitable.
(https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?trafficChannel=main&d=y&CatId=0&SearchText=bottom+bracket+bowl&ltype=wholesale&SortType=total_tranpro_desc&groupsort=1&page=1)
Ease of repeatability
For future-proofing.
Worse comes to worst, I'll just remove the bearings and use a screwdriver to whack the cups out.
But please give me some advice, the Feynmans of the bicycle world. Thank you all!

I've have good experience with the BBT-30.4:

That seems a lot more likely to be properly aligned when it's whacked with a hammer to remove the bearings than the BBT-90.3.
It's also a bit cheaper, if not exactly inexpensive.


Restoring the original color of metal and chainrings I bought a used bike and I want to pimp it up and make it cleaner. I found rust on the chainrings and I would like 1- to remove it and 2- get the original color of the metal back. How to do that? Here are the pics of my bike: Painting a bike with minimum cost

p.s. I need to do that in the cheapest way possible because I'm a poor student.

I doubt you're going to be able to get the original color of the metal back, and the rust is pretty much aesthetic, so don't worry about it.

If you really want to try this, you'd likely need to take the chainrings off the bike (which may require a crank puller, which you likely don't have), use something like phosphoric acid to remove the rust, then either paint them or powder coat them or something to prevent the rust from coming back. By the time you've done this, you could have probably bought a cheap new/used crankset that was rust free to begin with.

Or, you could just leave it and not worry about it, like a normal person.


How tight should brake lever clips be? I've ordered some second-hand handlebars from one seller on eBay, and brake levers from a different seller. Both claim to be 22.2mm diameter but the clip on the levers (as photographed) will be a very tight fit if it will fit at all.

Am I right in thinking that the clip as photographed doesn't come apart into any other pieces?

The levers do say 22.2, I can't find any markings on the bars. Am I right in thinking that 22.2mm bars and 22.2mm levers go together?

Figure 1. Clip is flush with end of handlebar

Figure 2. Clip raised slightly from end of handlebar

The clamps most probably got a bit squished in the mail. You should be able to make them a bit larger with a pair of needlenose pliers.

I would try expanding them (without the tightening bolt) so that they fit over, then bringing the two arms together with the pliers and putting the bolt in.


Food to keep in pannier long-term until it's needed? For long planned cycles, I'm able to plan to feed myself. But sometimes in the evenings I leave work and just decide to set out for an extra half an hour's cycling about for fun - then four hours later I'm up a hill in a strange tiny village wishing I had something to eat. But this situation only comes up once every few weeks. I've been trying to think of good ideas for 'emergency snacks' that I can just put in my cycling bag and forget about for weeks until I need them;

It should survive being knocked about a bit and sometimes having heavy stuff dumped on top of it (so not biscuits or bananas).
It shouldn't expire for at least a month or two.
Ideally it wouldn't add too much weight or take up too much space.

My best idea so far is a couple of those half-size tins of fruit (like peach slices) with ring-pull tops and a tea spoon.

I like to carry PowerBars, because they taste sufficiently foul that I'm never tempted to eat them just because I'm bored or peckish. Which means they're there when I really need them. The expiry date printed on them seems to be imaginary, I've eaten them when the foil wrapper is intact but so worn that it's hard to make out what flavour the bar is supposed to be. One subtle advantage is that they're flexible, so you can wedge them into a corner of a bag and they'll conform to the space available. I often shove one in with the rain cover on my backpack and camera bag, so if you carry a rain jacket you could probably put one in that.

In my experience carrying sugar is a waste of time - it just causes insulin surges and makes the whole experience less pleasant. I go from hungry to hyper to hypo to wondering what I just did to myself.

Shopping hint: In response to Daniel R Hicks' comment above, if I'm shopping at a generic chain store that seems to have what I want, I'll buy one each of the more likely options and eat them over the next few days. Or open them, taste them, and bin them if they're not at all what I want. When I find one I like I'll buy 10 or more of them, ignoring the shelf life, and just eat one a ear or so later to make sure they're still edible.

They're manufactured as effectively sterile bar, and they're so energy-dense that anything growing in there will have a hard time unless the package opens and water gets in. Honey and jam work exactly this way - the high sugar content and low water content means anything that tries to grow has the water stripped out of it and it dies.

That's why I still have a stock of powerbars that are probably 10 years old, and I'm not sure how many I have because when I bought a bunch ten years ago I stashed them all through my camping/hiking/touring gear and they still turn up from time to time. It's easy to find an inconspicuous place to carry something, but that also makes it easy to forget when unpacking :)