Compatibility issues with upgrading a 1991 1400a Miyata Road Bike I've only just started getting into bikes recently, so i'll try and be as accurate and succinct as possible. Apologies in advance if I confuse anyone.

I want to upgrade the wheels and crankset on my above mentioned Miyata with the hope that it will turn it into a leaner, meaner riding machine. I love the bikes aesthetic and frame quality, so i'm willing to spend money upgrading components. (Providing they will make an obvious improvement to its motion)

However, it's current configuration is 700cc Wolber rims, 7 speed Shimano 105 hyperglide cassette, 105 front and rear derailleur, 105 7 speed downtube indexed shifters and a double Sugino VP crankset. I was wanting to upgrade to Fulcrum 5's/Mavic Ksyrium Equipe wheels, with Shimano freehub (or something in similar quality) and a modern 105 (or ultegra, money permitting) crankset. I really would like to keep my cassette and derailleurs as they are, if possible.

So, (using Sheldon Browns 6-11speed article as reference) would I be able to install the wheels on a 7 speed cassette with a 4.5mm spacer without any problems?
Would I also be able to use a 9 speed chain ring (as 7 speed 105 chainrings defeats the purpose of the upgrade, AND they are hard to find) with a 7 speed chain without any shifting problems?

Also, if there is anything I've not considered or if any of you have a better idea of going about this, please tell me. I'm all ears. I just want to make the bike faster.

Thanks!
Jack

The Miyata 1400a is made of aluminum. A  7 speed Shimano 105 system uses a rear spacing of 126 mm, which is smaller than the 130 mm needed for a modern 8-10 speed system. For a steel frame, its no problem to stretching the frame and get the wheel in. On an aluminum frame, you really shouldn't.

That being said, people have done this at their own risk, by either fidgeting with lock nuts or spacers or whatever. I wouldn't recommend it though.

The reasonable thing to do is keep the bike as is, maybe with a different cassette if you need different gearing. You can use the 9 speed chainrings in a 7 speed drivetrain. You can also put 7 speed brifters if you want to feel more modern (you'll end up shifting more often).


How come my bike has such a short seat post? The bike is a 1983 Dawes Galaxy and upon trying the raise the saddle this morning, I found this stubby little thing.

Is this normal for bikes of this age? In either case, why so short?

For road bikes of that age, showing just "a fistful of seat post" was considered good frame fit and style. Otherwise the frame was likely too small for the rider. Of course that was before the advent of sloping top tubes. If the bottom bracket is not too high, stand over height of the top tube should be no problem even with such small seat post extension.


Can I swap a shimano free hub body for a campag one and be able to attach it to the existing Deore hub? I want to convert my Surly Cross Check into a Campagnolo set up. The problem I am having is i have Shimano Deore Hubs on Mavic rims at present. I would rather not buy new wheels, so I am looking at the possibility of swapping the free hub body to a campag splined one free hub body.

I am finding it difficult to get answers to the question if I can swap a shimano free hub body for a campag one and be able to attach it to the existing Deore hub or if I need to replace the complete hub for a campag one?

I haven't found any campy replacement freehub for a deore... esp since shimano uses different incompatible freehub bodies for its different hubs, and Deore being a mountain group, campy being mostly road, I don't see there being any market for such a conversion.

That being said, if you find a replacement campy rear hub with a similar flange size, you could just swap the hubs. YOu would need a spoke wrench and truing stand, and some general wheelbuilding knowledge.

EDIT: not sure how much of a perfectionist you are, but you could just run a campy rd and shifters on a shimano cassette. See:
http://sheldonbrown.com/drivetrain-mixing.shtml


What pannier rack for Cube Cross Race? I am trying to find a suitable pannier rack for my Cube Cross Race, but due to weirdly placed eyelets I can't find any.

Can you recommend any that would fit?

The eyelets on this bike are not made for pannier racks. Their intended use is to mount fenders, so they are probably not built to withstand the loads of a full rack. So unfortunately I suspect that the answer to your question is: "there is none".
But you can go with bikepacking-style seatpost bags if they fit your use-case (which is what I do).

Source: I own almost the same bike (different model year and higher-level components, but same frame).


Second wheel set for winter I commute every day on my trekking bike and when it is snowy/icy, I replace my normal tires with some studded tires.

The studded tires are ace, but replacing the tires is a real pain in the ass.

So I'm thinking of buying a replacement set of wheels to fit the winter tires onto.

What do I have to consider when buying new wheels?

I also considered doing this.

Firstly what type of brakes you have will depend on what you need.

You need to look for

size. Most important get the same as you have already. Also check the rim width with rim brakes as mentioned in comments below
weight -if you have money to spend get some quality lightweight ones. If they are better than your existing ones, consider these you new summer ones and use the old ones for winter
brakes (disc or rim) If you have disc brakes you will need rotors too, or you'll be swapping them out all the time too.
cassette. You'll need a wheelset which can accommodate a cassette that matches the the current one on your bike. There's no need to replace the chain if you are getting the same speed (number of cogs) cassette. Genreal consensus in the comments below is also to replace/swap the chain.

Also cleaning the chainset will help a great deal in looking after your bike for the winter

So in summary you will need a new cassette and new disc rotors if you have disc brakes to save you swapping these out all the time.

How often do you change the tyres? is it worth the cost if you change them 4 times a year?


If I change my cassette, should I also change the chain? If I change my cassette to a new one, should I also change the chain?

I measured the chain with a wear gauge and it's ok.

Just to emphasize the obvious: I'm changing the cassette to one of exactly the same type.

Depends on how worn the chain is. If it's relatively new go ahead and use it. If it's at or approaching 0.5% stretch, just get a new one.


Finding DISTANCES on longer bike/hike paths I want to bike along the Oxford Canal for several days.  I need a way to determine distances to plan for where to sleep and eat.

Mapping apps tend to tell you where to go instead of telling you about where you decide to go.

Are there any websites or apps¹ that make it easy to determine the distance along a path I will indicate?

¹I prefer IOS, but I do have an Android device.

I use Google maps (set to 'cycling mode') and Strava to plan routes. Both try to find the 'best' route between the start and end points but allow fine control of the route by setting intermediate waypoints.

Each will give you details of the route including distance and a gradient profile.

Google maps tends to find routes based on cyclepaths, bike friendly roads and trails. Strava uses its 'heat map' built up from recorded rides. Both have their pros and cons.  It can be a bit of a struggle to get both Google maps and Strava to adhere to a specific route, but it is doable with judicious placement of waypoints. Strava can be made a little more controllable by turning the 'use popularity' option off.

I tend to use Strava if I want to upload the route to my Wahoo bike computer app.

I've not used RideWithGPS but I assume it has the same fine control over route planning.


Will changing pedals every week lead to long-term problems? I have clipless pedals that I love and my standard flat pedals with toe clips. However, the clipless pedals just aren't comfortable for me to wear without cleated/clipless shoes, and they tear up my regular shoes. I don't want to bring extra shoes with me every day to work, so every weekend I've been changing out my pedals for clipless and on Sunday evenings changing them back to flat for the week's commuting. I don't mind spending 15 minutes a week doing this, but will this lead to long-term problems, like the crankshaft/pedal getting stripped or getting stuck?

Changing pedals every week should not cause problems long term if correctly done.

Here are the possible types of issues changing pedals could create.

Cross threading - this includes normal cross threading and getting the wrong pedal on the wrong side.
Thread wear - from installing and uninstalling - cranks are aluminum (usually) and pedals are steel (usually). Wear would be on the softer material - usually aluminum.
Over / under tightening - over tightening damages threads in the softer material, under tightening risks the pedal working it's way out tearing out the last few threads in a worst case scenario.

All that being said correctly uninstalling and installing pedals should not cause long term problems.


When I stop pedaling my bike the rear gears keep turning, is this an easy fix? Bike is a vintage Raleigh Grand Prix Raleigh Grand Prix chain and rear hub keep turning when coasting

When you stop pedaling the freewheel on the back wheel is supposed to spin so that the wheels can keep turning but the chain, and the pedals are stationary.

Something is preventing the freewheel from doing it's job.
First guess is that it needs lubrication.

Repair Options:

Pull the rear wheel off and try working a little oil into the freewheel. This involves turning the freewheel backwards while applying oil in the gap between the moving part of the freewheel and the stationary part.
Disassemble the freewheel and lubricate
Replace the freewheel. This will require a special tool, your local bike shop should be able to help you. If it's off the bike some will remove the freewheel for free - others will charge.

Part number 42 in this diagram from Sheldon Brown's website

Here is an list of the previous answers to this question (not a complete list). These articles contain information on what lubrication to use and detailed instructions for lubricating a freewheel.
"How should I lubricate my Shimano freewheel?
"What should I use to lubricate a freehub?"
Bike pedals turning when coasting (not a fixed gear)

By the way, Sheldon has an article on the Raleigh Grand Prix 1968 to 1977 and a Raleigh catalogue archive


key broke and stuck in U-lock with bike locked Luck would have it my key broke off when I was trying to unlock my bike. The lock is U shaped ABUS. I've read people had this before, however biggest problem is that bike is now stuck at the school, locked to a metal grid. Half of the key is inside the lock and there is no way to pull it out. Obviously I can't take it to locksmith and my moves are pretty limited due to position it's locked in. I don't care about the lock. I wish to free my bike without losing the front wheel. Any suggestions?

Edit: Issue solved, by smashing lock few times to dislodge it since key broke very close to open position.

If the key's broken flush and you can't grab it with a pair of needlenose pliers, you should call a locksmith or the police.

In all likelihood, they will just cut the lock with an angle grinder or a hacksaw with a diamond blade.

Though from the picture, it looks like the lock mostly is open and maybe a good hit with a hammer might dislodge the lock.


Booting a road bike tire I ran over a thorn which went through the tire and punctured the inner tube. The thorn left a small hole of about 1-2mm in the center of the tire.
The tire is a pretty new Specialized turbo.
Considering I ride with 100+ PSI, will it suffice to just fix/replace the inner tube or will I have to boot the tire?

Thorns generally don't make neat round holes as per your picture.  While its not impossible, this looks more like a wear indicator, a hemispherical pit on the tyre's tread, intended to show when the tyre needs replacement by wearing off.
If you can hold the tyre up to the light (when its off the rim!) and see light through, then your inner tube could herniate out and will wear another puncture in short order - perhaps 100-200 km of riding.
If you can't see the hole on the inside, its not worth worrying about.  There may be more than one wear-indicator pip on your tyre too, so look around.  Also check the other wheel, if you have the same brand/model of tyre on both ends.


Replacement rear wheel to match an existing front wheel I found a discarded Mongoose Alta frame which has an front wheel marked Araya - Japan'.

The wheel reads 26 x 1.50 HEGP710, what rear wheel should I get?

Any regular mountain bike wheel with diameter 26 inches, rim width between 20-30 mm and a freewheel would likely to work. Cheap wheels in this category cannot be too wide for you, and absolutely most of them have 135 mm hub width and QR skewer to attach the wheel, which should be what your frame's rear dropouts will accept.

You will also need to buy matching tires (anything from 26" × 1.5" to 26" × 2.1" to your liking), inner tubes (almost any marked as 26" will do) and a cassette that fasts to the wheel's freehub. The choice of cassette depends on how many gears your rear derailleur has; for an 8-speed derailleur you will need a cassette with 8 cogs etc.


What is the common "vocabulary" for the captain and stoker to communicate? My wife and I recently rented a tandem for a day. I found that, because everything needs to be communicated -- starting, stopping, changes in cadence, shifting (which might cause changes in cadence), etc. -- we were talking continuously. This was good.

What I would like to have is a simple, efficient vocabulary for communicating the essential information. Does this already exist in the same way that riders communicate on group rides?

While I realize that we could just make up our own shorthand, if someone has already figured it out, that would be better.

I posted a link to this question to the Bike Friday Yak list - tandem riding is popular there - and got back a few responses, this one in particular. I'm posting this here simply because nobody else seems to have an answer; If this isn't typical, please feel free to edit this answer.

A standard signalling vocabulary seems to not exist. Teams need to ride together a lot until signals evolve in time, and every team seems to develop their own shorthand organically. This may not be the most efficient way to do this, as the loss of one rider in a team essentially means that the rider left will need to form new signals from scratch.

From poster John S. Allen:

  In my experience, it's either "slow down, I'm scared" or "wow, this is fun!"

  But seriously, see this by Bill McCready:

  http://www.gtgtandems.com/tech/propmethod.html

This article spends a lot of time on how the team needs to function as a unit, getting a rhythm going. McCready uses the example of mounting the bike and starting, but it's easy to see how this applies to shifting, leaning into turns, etc.

  Also these pages by Sheldon Brown:

  http://sheldonbrown.com/tandem.html

In particular, this quote is relevant to this question:

  The team becomes more than the sum of its parts. An experienced tandem team develops a very special level of non-verbal communication, via subtle weight shifts, variations in pedal force, and general empathy.

  After a few hundred miles together, you will find yourself coasting at the same time, shifting without the need for discussion, and and maneuvering smoothly even at slow speeds.

  This is not just a matter of each rider's acquiring captaining/stoking skills; when two equally experienced teams switch stokers, something is lost, and this special communication doesn't happen...it really is unique to each couple.

While I can imagine that things might be different in competition, it seems there are no standardized communication cues. A tandem team needs to suffer through the initial stages of learning to read both the situation and each other.

(Again, I stress that this answer is only the results of my research. If the information here is incorrect, please downvote and leave a comment.)


First road bike, decade old quality or lower end and new? I'm looking at buying a 2009 Trek Bontrager Madone 5.2 for $1200. This bike is basically new as it has under 50km on it. I'm new to the world of biking and have been looking for something within the $1000-$1500 price range. I can get a low end specialized new for this price point but is this deal worth it or is the technology gap too big?

Thanks in advance for your responses!!

For context, my current road bike is a 2010 Cannondale Six Carbon, which would be a comparable model to the Madone you're looking at.

I would say you will still get much more bike from the used Madone than from any new bike in a similar price range.  But to help you out, let's go over what has changed in the last 10ish years in the road biking world at the mid-high end, and how much of that has trickled down to more entry level models.

Groupsets: Drivetrains have moved from 10 speed to 11 and now even 12 speed.  On the high end, electronic shifting has gone from rumored, experimental tech to near ubiquity, but this has not yet trickled down to entry level models, so it's not especially relevant to this discussion.  As for the addition of the additional sprocket or two, it does generally give you a slight bit more range if you live in a very hilly area, but otherwise I expect you won't notice much of a difference.  Note that some tech has trickled down in terms of design and machining, so the entry level components on a new bike are actually very similar in build quality to the midrange components the 2009 Trek would have.
Brakes: The last few years, the bike industry has made a significant push to introduce disk brakes into the road cycling world, and a new bike will probably come with disks rather than rim brakes.  This change has actually been somewhat controversial, with many cyclists unhappy that they are being "forced" to move to disks and questioning whether there is actually enough benefit from disk brakes to justify the additional costs and difficulty in maintaining them.  But that is a whole discussion on its own...
Frames: In general, carbon fiber frames have gotten lighter and more aerodynamic, although surprisingly not that much stiffer.  The biggest difference is the introduction of vibration damping elements, such as Trek's IsoSpeed decoupler, which have increased the comfort of newer bikes without sacrificing other performance characteristics.  Having said that, a high quality carbon frame from 2009 will still be lighter and better performing than an entry level aluminum bike from today.
Wheels: Fairly minor changes all in all, but most people have moved from 23mm wide tires to 25mm or even 28mm; as a result, rims have gotten slightly wider.  On the high end, deep section carbon rims have also become much more popular, but any bike spec'd with carbon wheels is going to be several thousand dollars.  Going along with the groupset point above, wheels from 10 years ago will probably not be able to hold an 11 or 12 speed cassette, which is often the limiting factor when upgrading an existing bike to a new drivetrain.  Similarly, old wheels will not have mounts for disk brake rotors, for whatever that's worth.
Saddles: No groundbreaking changes to saddles, just minor refinements, but newer saddles are probably a bit more comfortable.  This is a highly personal thing that's easy to swap out, though.
Cockpits: In the name of aerodynamics, integrated cockpits have become increasingly common on high end bikes.  These certainly make the bike faster in the wind tunnel, but are proprietary and importantly may restrict the amount of adjustments you can make to find your optimal fit.  Regardless, they have not (yet) found their way onto entry level bikes.  Basic aluminum handlebars and stem are mostly unchanged in the last 10 years.

As you can see, while there have definitely been many improvements and technological shifts in the bike industry in the last decade, most of those improvements have not trickled down to the entry level, are comparatively minor, or may even come with their own drawbacks.  On balance, I'd lean towards the old, high end bike, but with the awareness that standards have changed and it may be more difficult to get parts for it over time.  If there's any reason to avoid the old bike, that'd be why.


Steel Frame Creaks while Braking My steel BSO has developed a creaking sound when I apply the front brake. I only hear it when I am beginning to brake, when there's not a lot of pressure being generated. I can recreate this sound by pushing the front wheel back with my hand, imitating braking pressure.

All the sound happens while I'm going from no braking to very light braking. Going from very light braking to very hard braking makes no noise.

I'm pretty sure the sound is either coming from the frame's head tube or the fork tube. I have inspected the frame and fork crown. No visible cracks.

I replaced my very weak front brake recently, and I have been enjoying doing stoppies and stuff. Could this have started a crack somewhere? And if so, where is it most likely to be?

Edit:

After following some of the advice you guys offered, I have further narrowed it down.

I do not have a suspension fork. My headset is not loose. The wheel is not the source of the creak.

I have found that the fork tube is also not the source of the creak, based on the way the sound behaves when the bars are turned one way or the other.

I am almost certain the noise is coming from the frame.

Follow Up:

I got it welded, and I haven't had problems since.

You need to isolate this noise to identify the cause.

Its great that you can duplicate the noise without having to ride.  Try these suggestions to help narrow down the cause.

squeeze the rear of the front wheel and the downtube together with your hand.  This will replicate some of the stopping forces on your headset.

We know the brakes show the problem without being the cause.

take the front wheel off  and push/pull the fork tines/legs back towards the downtube.  You might prefer to use some light rope in the dropouts and pull the ends back towards the bottom bracket.

This removes the wheel as a possible source.  Also eliminates the brakes and brake mount.

hold the top tube between your thighs, the down tube between your calf muscles.  Hold the tops of your bars and push away from you.  This duplicates the previous test but from the other side of the headset.

You should not hear any clicks or clunks, and you should not feel any movement.

finally wrap an ungloved hand around the top of the headset where the steerer goes into the frame.  You should not feel any motion between the steerer and the frame, other than rotation of the steering.

The fix will likely involve removing your stem and handlebars, and cleaning/regreasing the ball bearings in your headset.  Then adjusting them to be Just Right.  At the moment I think they're too loose.

Hopefully you've caught this problem before the bearing races have been damaged.


Change nexus 8 brake I bought a Shimano Nexus 8 IGH with shimano nexave, but I would like change it to disc brake.

Is it possible install a rotor disc brake adaptor? Will it work?

When you are braking you are putting quite some load on the frame where the brakes are installed. (Newton's 3rd principle of dynamics: to each action corresponds an equal reaction with same intensity and opposite direction)

If the frame is not designed for this, you are aiming for disaster.

So, if the fork was not designed to have disc brakes installed, don't do it.


Mountain Biker wanting to change to cyclo or road? Which one? I ride an inexpensive Trek modified mountain bike and I spend some of my ride on the road and some on the canal, which of course is rather flat. Sometimes at the mid point of my ride I will decide to get off the canal and get onto road with lots of hills. Obviously the mountain bike is not made for this however I enjoy that challenge. Right now I am looking at the Crux Elite EVO. Would that be a good choice, is it worth the money and how much faster would I be on it? Or road bike???

I've had a hardtail mountain bike for a few years, and used it for all kinds of rides -- singletrack, rail trails, roads.  A few months ago I got a cyclocross bike (Norco Threshold) in addition to the mountain bike.  So I'm in pretty much exactly the situation you describe.

I am enjoying the cyclocross bike and I feel like it's made me about 3-4mph faster.  I am surprised that I like the drop handlebars better (more comfortable) than the straight handlebars on the mountain bike.

I already had a set of slick tires for the mountain bike that I installed for road rides, and switched back to knobby tires for singletrack rides.  If I only had knobby tires, the speed difference would probably be even greater.

The Specialized Crux that you're considering seems like a pretty good choice.  It has 38mm tires out of the box, which is nice especially since you're used to mountain bike tires.  Tires of that size have a much less harsh ride than thinner tires (28mm), and don't slow you down (people used to think that, but research has shown that it's not the case).

Two things to consider about that bike: The brakes are cable/hydraulic hybrids; there is a brake cable that connects to a hydraulic piston.  I'm not sure if those are as good as regular hydraulic brakes; there is probably a bit of friction in the cable.  The other thing is the gearing: for hills you might want an 11-32T cassette instead of the 11-28T.  Depends on how strong you are and how steep the hills are.

If you care about riding in the winter, go to a Specialized dealer and ask if you can install fenders on that bike, and what size tires will work with fenders.  To attach fenders, you generally need eyelets (threaded holes in the frame). If the frame doesn't have any of those, it makes it very difficult to mount fenders.


UCI rules on allowed brakes? I'm considering buying a TriRig Omega X braking system front & rear for a bike I intend to use in UCI events. I can't find the right document on their respective website, so I'm asking here hoping someone could elucidate whether or not the TriRig brakes are legal?

 from https://www.tririg.com/store.php?c=omega

this is Nick the owner of TriRig and the designer of the brake.

Short answer: yes, Omega X has been allowed to race in all stripes of UCI events, up to and including multiple appearances in the Tour de France.

So generally, it appears it has been ruled legal. Of course, there is some level of unpredictability in how any given commissaire will rule on any given day at any given event. We have heard a couple rogue reports of the commissaire requiring the Front Plate to be removed. But in general, you should not have a problem. Thanks!


How often to sevice suspension forks Consider a SunTour XCR coil fork or any similar. Service manuals suggest "full service" every 30 hours of riding time.

I take that to mean removing the boots and re-lubing the stanchions.

However, this includes the removal of the grips, in order to remove the hydraulic front brake lever. I am worried that the grips are being worn out by this process, causing them to turn freely and thus be very inconvinient for rideing.

In this situation, how often should I service the fork?

I think 30 hours is probably conservative, it's too often and won't add much additional value. That would be about right for an air sprung fork with an oil damper, possibly even a coil with an oil damper, both in dusty conditions.

Fork service interval for each fork is dependent on the fork, the type of riding you're doing and cleaning you do after each ride. Servicing is done to ensure optimal performance, prevent accelerated wear and prevent failure. Generally servicing of forks includes a replacement of oil and seals, a thorough clean (to remove grit) and a lubrication.

Suntour coil forks use a sealed unit for damping and the coil spring. This means there is actually very little servicing the can and should be done. Apart from the dust seals I don't think there are any seals inside the fork to replace, so pulling it apart would only be to clean out any grit that had got past the dust wipers/seals. Servicing would be pretty simple once the fork was apart clean the dust seals, degrease anything that had dirt contamination, re-grease and check the elastomers to make sure they aren't deteriorating.

In terms of removing the fork, if you have a repair stand you could remove the brake caliper and drop the lowers off. I imagine you have the XCR RLO and the remote is why you need to remove the grips, apart from lock on grips or split clamps there's no easy way sorry. I've always found grips give out pretty quick anyway and start sliding around so now stick only to lock ins.


How tight should the tandem front chain be? I have a Thorn Me'n'u2 triplet (three seater tandem), and was having a problem where whenever I tried to accelerate suddenly (either solo or with stoker(s)), the front chain seemed to fall off (happened at least once every time we went out).

I tightened it up (removed a link and turned the offset bottom bracket) so it was then pretty tight (taught top and bottom, only moves a bit when squeezing the middle), and that problem stopped happening - so far so good.

Later on tour we saw someone with a similar tandem but their front chain seemed very saggy - they were stopped, and it was drooping very noticeably both on top and bottom.  I didn't have a chance to talk to them, but presumably they weren't having the same troubles.  Does this suggest something else is/was wrong on mine, and that it should be ok with a much looser chain?

The sync chains should always be tight enough that they're not physically capable of falling off, and there shouldn't be any easily perceptible droop, ideally in any rotational position. If you pull the chain up and down, it should have a little bit of flex and "give" to it, the feeling of the pins having some aggregate movement to give in their inner plate bushings. Some sources like to give specific amounts of free movement that indicate a properly tensioned chain, but this is the wrong approach because it depends on the length and the internal clearances of the chain. Too tight is when you can feel any binding or extra friction. Sometimes parts with poor concentricity or damage force compromises where there may be some spots with slight binding/friction. On a nicer bike like this one would hope not, but it's not the end of the world.

Incorrect chainline will encourage dropping in a sync/singlespeed chain capable of it. But mostly the right answer is the chain shouldn't be capable of it, and if it is then problems are likely.


What year is this Specialized Stumpjumper FSR? I'm interested in buying this, but was curious as to what year the frame is? Any help would be much appreciated.

Actually, I don't believe it's a Stumpjumper, I think it is a 2001  Specialized  S-Works FSR XC.


Rear derailleur cage bigger than cassette necessity I use a Shimano Ultegra 6600 rear derailleur with short cage in a 11/28 cassette. The derailleur is at the end of its useful life and would like to exchange for a cheaper one, since I intend to exchange the complete groupset in the future.

I found a really cheap 105 5701 rear derailleur, but only the medium cage version is available, that is compatible with cassettes up to 30 teeth. If I use that medium cage derailleur with my 11/28 cassette, is it possible I'll have any performance issues?

An RD-5701 rear derailleur should work just fine as a replacement for an RD-6600.  I've used an RD-5701 with an 11/28 cassette for the last 6-7 months with no issues, including swapping my crankset from a 50/34 compact to a 53/39 a few weeks ago.


Separate hex keys vs. combined multi-tool for bike adjustments? Are separate hex (Allen) keys better than a multi-tool for adjusting and maintaining a bike at home?

Some of the separated sets also have ball-ends for the 4/5/6mm keys:

Apart from Torx T25 screws for the disc brakes*, my bike has hex screws mostly everywhere — so a small multi-tool would do the trick:

In other words, if you had to pick one or the other:

Does having each hex wrench separate offer any notable advantages? What about torque (e.g. for pedals)?
For day-to-day purposes on a modern bike (where most screws are easily accessible), will the ball-ends be useful?

* In my case, I only need the Torx T25 to adjust disc brake pads — little force required.

For use at home, there's no question that separate keys are more useful and more economical.

A multi-tool has limitations that make it cumbersome to use in tight spots because all the keys are attached to the tool.  Separate keys suffer no such limitation.

Separate keys can be bought and replaced individually and very inexpensively -- not so with a multi-tool.

I wouldn't buy the ridiculously expensive set of keys you show in your post.  Just buy the keys you actually need. Drop by any local hardware or automotive parts store and buy the hex keys you actually need.  They are inexpensive and should last a lifetime as long as you don't buy the cheapest thing they have.  Like all tools, it pays to buy quality.  Although you can buy them online, I prefer to buy tools where mechanics buy them.  Automotive supply shops such as NAPA in the US are usually your best bet.  They cater to mechanics so they won't sell cheap crap.

Torque: There's no way you'll ever produce correct torque with a multi-tool unless you're an experienced mechanic who "knows by feel" from thousands of repair jobs.  Individual wrenches are also longer and give you more torque than a multi-tool.  If you need even more torque in order to remove things like pedals, you just use a bit of pipe to add leverage.  I keep a narrow piece of steel pipe about 12 inches long in my toolbox just for this.  You just slip it over the long end of the Allen key and it gives you all the torque you'll ever need.  Some people prefer the wrenches with plastic handles attached such as those made by Park Tools, but that's purely a matter of personal preference.  I prefer plain wrenches with no handles on them since the handle means it can only be used in one orientation, not two like a wrench without a handle.

Losing them: My set of Allen wrenches dates to the 70s. I don't understand how you lose tools from your own garage.

But on the road? Yeah, sure, I carry a multi-tool like everyone else; but your question was about home use.


Is my cassette or chain worn out? I bought this road bike as my first road bike in 2011. I have not changed the chain or any parts on it since then and I bike on it almost daily. It's been running great, but sometimes I have trouble changing gears and I feel like the issues are getting more frequent. I had a major accident on this bike in 2012 learning how to use the clipless pedals but the bike landed on the opposite side of the cassette.

Are the scratches in the picture below "normal" for a bike this old? Do I have to replace any parts? Is it safe to ride as-is?

Here are some pictures:

Use a chain wear gauge to see if the chain needs replacement (e.g. Park Tool CC-3.2).Generally, these err on the side of replacing a bit early, but if you want to be pedantic about it, you can use the Sheldon Brown link below to measure with a ruler.

As for the sprockets or chainrings, I'll defer to this page by Sheldon Brown. The upshot is that worn teeth look like ramps and a non-stretched wont sit properly in the sprockets as shown in the image below (from Sheldon Brown)


What is the difference between brake cables and derailleur cables? What is the difference between brake cables and derailleur/shift cables? When I look online for replacement cables I see "brake cables" and "shift cables."

From the images they all look the same.

Furthermore, what is the difference between mountain bike specific cables and road bike specific cables?

Cables:
The main difference that I am aware of is the diameter of the cable. Most brake cables are 1.5 or 1.6mm in diameter. Most shift cables are 1.1 or 1.2mm, galvanized shifter cables are 1.3mm.
I'm sure that there is a lot of science behind the difference but I'll leave that to someone else.
One major difference in MTB vs road BRAKE cable is the different sizes and styles of head: road cables have mushroom like ends where as MTB brake cables have barrel like ends.
Shifter cable ends are the same. Although nowadays many cables come with both ends, one on each end, and you can cut off the one you're not using.

There are two basic types of cables; brake and shifter.  Brake cables are thicker, typically 1.5/1.6mm in diameter.  Brake cables come with a choice of three different heads - one for mountain/flat bar brake levers, one for Shimano road/drop bar brake levers (compatible with most non-Shimano levers), and one for Campagnolo road/drop bar brake levers.  A Shimano cable head is slightly larger than a Campy head so it may not fit into a Campy road brake.

A.  Shimano Brake Cable
B.  Campagnolo Brake Cable
C.  MountainBrake Cable
D.  Shimano Shifter Cable
E.  Campagnolo Shifter Cable

Derailleur cables are thinner, 1.1/1.2mm in diameter.  There are two
heads available on derailleur cables - Shimano and Campagnolo.  A
Shimano cable head is slightly larger than a Campy head so it may not
fit into a Campy shifter.

From Bikeman
Housing:

Just like with cables, housing comes in two different types: brake and shifter.  From the outside they may look the same - but they are in fact very different.
Brake housing is built around a wire that coils down the length of the cable.  This structure gives the great strength needed for the power generated by the brake lever.

Shifter cables see different forces so the housing is built differently.  Shifter housing is built around many length-wise running cables that make the housing 'compressionless' which aids in the crisp feel of shifting - especially needed on today's 8/9/10/11 speed cassettes.

Shifter housing also comes in two different outside diameters, 4mm and 5mm.  New bikes and shifter sets typically come with 4mm housing.  Most 4mm housing will have plastic ferrules at the ends while 5mm housing uses metal ferrules.  Here at Bikeman we recommend using 5mm shift housing.
Other variations of housing include housing made from many aluminum segments, like Nokon housing.  On the positive side the aluminum housing is stiff, lightweight, and reusable.  On the negative side there is a lot more set up time, cost, and care must be taken to be sure that the frame is protected as aluminum housing will rub paint off where it contacts the frame.
Please Note: Due to their construction, brake housing should always be used with brakes and shifter housing should always be used with shifters.  Shifter housing could fail if used on a brake (not good when you want to stop), brake housing could make that shifter feel a little dead.


Project idea: Upgrade old MTB to road groupset for commuter? I'm thinking of building up a fat-tire commuter bike. I need fenders, racks and wide tires since I live in the northwest (potholes, rain, more rain, hills). I also need it to be fast since I want to be fast on my commute.

I was thinking about buying an old MTB and replacing the groupset with something like the Shimano 105. There's plenty of nice old steel MTBs on Craigslist for ~$100. I would essentially only want the frame.

The dropout spacing on the old MTBs is 130mm, just like the 105 hubs. I'd have new 26" wheels built around those hubs and use the 105 crankset, rear and front derailleurs. I'd also put in a drop bar and I think I should be able to use the 105 brifters with the MTB cantilever brakes. Then I'd finish it off with tires like gatorskins or marathons.

Does that sound reasonable? Anything I forgot to think of?

V brakes and mechanical MTB discs aren't compatible with normal road levers. You'll need either V-brake specific drop bar levers or cantilever brakes.
Road cranks have narrower chainline and larger chainrings and MTB chainstays are wider. You may run into compatibility issues here, too.
You probably won't be using the highest gears anyway, since Marathons or Gatorskins have huge rolling resistance compared to proper road tires
Fast, potholes and rack don't fit together. Get a messenger bag or backpack instead.
Drop bars and road components aren't going to make you that much faster. The most difference is in ergonomics.

What I would do would be MTB groupset with road cassette, V-brake compatible levers and bar end shifters.


What causes a tube to become deflated on its own? I recently went to get my bike ready for a ride, and I noticed right away that my rear tire had completely deflated. I took off the wheel, and took out the tube and checked it for puncture but didn't find anything. So, I put the tube back in and inflated the tire. As usual I had the tube inflated to 120psi, the max for the tire.

I went on a ride, it did not go flat on me. I put my bike away, and lo and behold the next time I looked it was completely deflated again.

What causes an inner tube to deflate on its own?

It also gets very hot in my garage. Does heat play a part?

I assume a new tube will do the trick. Is there a reason to worry, or can I safely ignore the problem and just inflate the tube every time?

Sometimes the puncture in an inner tube is very small and the air leaks out very slowly.  This is called a slow puncture.  The classic technique for finding a slow puncture is to immerse the partially inflated inner tube in water and watch for the appearance of any bubbles.

In my experience even the slowest punctures usually get bigger somehow - I don't know how but I prefer not to wait until this happens so I'll usually fix the tube or replace it.


Is it normal that the tyre fits effortless the rim? I've been constantly having problems with my wheel going flat. I couldn't find anything on the rim but I changed the rim tape and I bought a new tyre.

The old tyre was a bit worn. It was also fitting the rim too easy, something I was attributing to the fact that it was old and also that I've been changing the tube a lot.
Nevertheless, now I noticed that the new tyre also goes a bit too easy, as in, I didn't even have to use any tool to put it.

I am sure they are the right size and I don't see any evident sign in the rim to make me think it is not usable anymore, although it is a bit hit here and there but nothing particular as to make anyone think it shouldn't work fine.

Is this normal? Should I check something else?

EDIT:
The  tyre size is 37-622. It is a city (Grandma/Grandpa-like bike).

Not all tires are hard to put on (depends on type) and rims also have a variation in size (both between different types of rims and sample to sample variation within one model). In fact, I'd say many tires for urban and mountain bikes can be mounted without tools if you know how to. There are obviously counterexamples that are notorious for being tight.

Unless you can get the tire off easily and without tools too, you should be fine.


Can I attach a trailer to a Bixi bicycle? Do the bikes used by the Bixi bike sharing system, in cities like London, Boston and New York, accept trailers like Trail-a-bikes and Tag-a-longs?

Many trailers attach via a hitch on the rear axle of the bicycle. Since bike share bikes use proprietary fittings to reduce theft, it would not be possible to install one of these on a bike-share bike.

The trailers you are asking about appear to attach to a seat post. Bike share bikes always have adjustable (but not removable) seat posts. You should have no problem adjusting the post and installing one of these seats.

You may find it's not worth your effort attaching and detaching a trailer when you're likely to be only using the bike for a half hour at a time.


Rear derailleur lifespans How should I know when my rear derailleur is getting worn? I can measure/inspect chains, tyres and brakes;  gears tend to show problems on a new chain if they're worn. But when changing my chain at the weekend I noticed the that there seemed to be quite a bit of play in the pivots - more than I'd expect from mechanical bits in general. Also the jockey wheels were quite worn (and didn't run very smoothly even after a good clean and dry PTFE).

In my specific case it's only Altus, with about 20 000 km on it, and the bike doesn't get cleaned as often as it should.

I cannot comment on derailleurs in general, just my own experience.

My retro ride is 35 years old, and in that time I've ridden it about 150,000 km. It has Campagnolo Record derailleurs, and both are fine. Shifting is still good with the downtube shifters. The parallelogram is rock solid.

I cannot claim to have maintained it especially well. It's only had about 10 chains and clusters in that time.

Observing the milage of others, I think the main end of life event is a crash. Some people do seem to wear the jockey wheels, perhaps due to running lower quality chains.

My conclusion is that it all depends on the initial quality. We get what we pay for.


What model of bike does Jock use in the film Young Offenders Its the guy on the left / red bike if you have not seen the film. For that matter any of the bikes jack uses in the film would be good to know.

White Bike

Black Bike

Yellow Bike

More bikes

There are some moving clips  at

             but blurring detracts from the details

The red bike seems to be too small for the rider - which may be because he's just stolen it and has not adjusted to fit his height.  Noted it has a front suspension and a disk brake.

Also, most of the bikes used in the film look like BSO MTBs with front suspension - that is they're hard tails.  Also noted that only a couple of them have disk brakes - rim brakes being a mark of a BSO.  That's odd because one might presume a bike thief would steal the nicest bike they could, which would have a higher resale value.

The masks are an excellent idea for hiding the face of stunt riders, but riding in a rubber hood would be horrible in practice, due to sweat and limited visibility.

Specific to the Yellow town bike "It's a girls bike - its got the fanny dip thing"   from

                It also has a 3 speed nexus internally geared hub at 68 seconds.

There's a brown mixte frame in the back of one shot - that looks like an 80s bike.

All in all, it looks like the bikes have been chosen to be representative of a low-income area, where old bikes live for years, and nobody would own an expensive bike.


Clicking noise from crankset A month ago I bought a Scott Aspect 60, and for about a week everything was ok. Then, I started hearing a noise coming from the crankset.

First thought was that it was the front derailleur - after adjusting, the noise is still here.

Next, I tried cleaning the chain and lubricating it - didn't help with the noise.

The noise happens regardless how I pedal - sitting on the bike, standing, on a stand, forward, reverse.

If it means anything, the noise is gone if I remove the chain.

The noise is more-less constant, something like clicking, but irregular, perhaps more like scraping, but I checked, the chain doesn't touch anything other than the
chainring.

Is there anything else I can do on my own?

You may need basic tools for most of the following, but if I were you I would check these components in this order:

Your rear quick release. If this is too loose it can creak or click. This is especially true for newer external cam (aka exposed cam) quick releases. This is the case more than you would expect and requires no tools to fix. For the external cam QR type you might want to put a couple drops of lube on the moving parts to reduce friction. If it's an internal cam type QR, just make sure it's tight.
Your crank arms. If they are not properly tightened or greased, they can also make noise. If they are especially loose you can ruin them or they can fall off while you're riding (but this is also true for any part), so make sure they're tight.
Your pedals. Sometimes even when properly tensioned you will get a minor click from pedals. Make sure they're well greased and tightened to spec.
Your chainring bolts. Same deal. Make sure they're tight and greased or loc-tighted.

There are other potential issues but the ones listed above are the most likely culprits that are most closely related to the drivetrain.


If I am using Bar End Shifters, is there a compelling reason to change the old brake levers? I have old dull aluminum break pulls on dropbars with suicide levers.  The new brakes are Tektro long reach.  Should I change the levers?  If so what is a good quality/price lever to buy?

Well, you don't have to… That said, Tektro makes some very nice and inexpensive levers – both drop bar levers (RL340) and interrupter levers (RL720) which are much more effective than suicide levers. At the very least, I would take off the suicide levers, I've never had good luck with them. The problem that I had with suicide levers was that they had so much flex in them that it was hard to get good braking unless your wheels were perfectly true and the brakes were adjusted very close to the rim.

Found an extensive discussion on suicide levers here.


I am 1.7 m tall and bought a MTB with a frame that is 3-5 cm too big The frame is 5 cm too big for me (in the length from seat to handles). I have major discomfort in my shoulders. After getting a shorter stem, the shoulders are 95% improved, but the "jewels" go dead after ~25 km.

Is this still the size issue or what else can I play around with?

A bike with too much 'reach' i.e., the bars are to far forward and low would only affect seat comfort if you are not able to band your spine enough and are having to rotate your pelvis forward as well.

I'd check your seat height, fore-aft position and tilt for proper adjustment first. There are many guides for seat height and fore-aft position available online. For for-aft position look up the 'knee over pedal spindle' (KOPS) method which will give you a good approximate seat position.

Note that moving the seat forward to be more upright in your upper body also moves your feet relatively further back which can rotate your pelvis forward and exacerbate the discomfort you are experiencing.


Freewheel with lock ring, what is this? I rescued a bike from the trash and want to convert from 7 speed to 9 speed.  The biggest sprocket has "Lock Ring Type" printed on, so I assumed it was a 7 speed cassette (and I wanted to see if the free hub is a modern type that fits a 9 speed cassette).
However after taking the wheel out I noticed it looks like a freewheel rather than freehub with cassette.  Why does it say "Lock Ring Type" on the biggest sprocket?  Is this actually a freehub with a lockring that's unfamiliar to me?
I have included a picture (I removed the axle to have a closer look).

It's a freewheel with some words on it. The tool splines will always spin with the cogs if it's a cassette.


What is this "missing security cable"? I recently purchased a Bell Overpass 200. On the outside of the box it says, "Warning: User must secure bicycles to carrier with additional security cable, not included. See the enclosed owners manual for proper installation and use of your bike carrier." Four rubber straps are included, though not mentioned on the box. There is no owners manual included, just the setup and takedown instructions.

edit  This is a car boot-mounted bike carrier

It sounds to me like your four rubber straps are to hold the bikes together more tightly unless they're used to clamp the frame to the carrier.

The missing security strap is an anti-theft cable. Robberies from the backs of vehicles seem to be on an increase and any deterrent you can put in place to prevent theft is worthwhile.

In this case, the manufacturer is deferring the anti-theft security over to you so they are not liable if your bikes get stolen f I'm the rack.

When you're mounting your bikes, it's worth using some old rags or similar to help prevent rubbing and scratching in-transit too.


Shimano Steps error E010 and W013 After the last update of the system, which allows optimizing the ECO option with three levels of assistance, Low, Medium and High, in the last 2 trips with the Medium option, several errors have occurred several times: E010 and W013.

Does anybody know if the problem comes from this latest update?

The above is a machine translation of the original post:

Después de la última actualizacion del sistema el qual permite optimizar la opción ECO en tres niveles de asisténcia, Low, Medium y Hight, en las 2 últimas salidas con la opción Medium se han producido varias veces los errores E010 y W013, alguién sabe si el problema proviene de esta última actualización.
Gracias

E is for Error.  It is listed as "A system error was detected." with a fix of turn it off and on, and if problems persist see the dealer.   But its not the root cause.
W is for Warning, and that is an alert to tell you something.   W013 means "Initialization of torque sensor was not completed successfully."
The Shimano manual says

Note: Power assistance may be lower than usual.
Resolution: With your foot off the pedal, press the battery power button and turn on the power again.  If the situation does not improve, contact the place of purchase.

So turn on your bike and then put your foot on the pedal.  If this doesn't help, then your torque sensor or its connecting harness may be damaged.
There is a STEPS manual at https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/um/UM-72F0A-001-00-ENG.pdf or the Spanish language version is at https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/um/UM-72F0A-001-00-SPA.pdf


I have steel pieces after using my turbo trainer? How can I solve this problem? Is this is a problem? I am using an Elite Directo 2019 turbo trainer. After every ride I have some pieces around my bike. How can I solve this problem? And where to search the issues? thank you for the answer. I am using a carbon framed bike.

So after Googling your model of trainer, it appears the dust is likely coming from the resistance mechanism.  With the wheel off the only bicycle components I could see generating it (and depositing it in that area) would be the chain or cassette, which seems unlikely.  There are a couple of reasons I could think of for the dust.  One could be dust that was left over from manufacturing in the trainer, vacuuming or air washing the unit could help determine if this is the case.  A second could be dust created by metal parts on the unit which are possibly breaking in and would theoretically lessen after a few rides (I'd check with the company's customer service on this front).

Personally, I'd clean the unit (with a vacuum and/or air compressor) to remove the pixie dust and if it is still appearing after two or three hours of riding I'd contact the manufacturer.  It's normal to expect some break in period for mechanical products, and an issue like this goes away after a brief period of time and the unit continues to function, it should be fine.  If not (it doesn't go away or doesn't continue to function) then the manufacture should replace it or provide a refund.


Safest way to store bike outside (city) I bike commute and just moved to a tiny third floor walk up. I was willing to give up some of my precious space to store the bike, but it turns out that the narrowness and curvature of the stairs makes it extremely difficult to get the bike up and down. If I was going to store the bike outside, what is the safest way to do so in terms of lock configurations? There's a thick lamp post that I can see from my apartment that I'm considering locking it to. Thanks!

EDIT: The bike is fairly expensive (~$1000) and I use it for both commuting and amateur triathlon racing, so I don't think a folding bike is an option. The cellar of my building is even less accessible than my apartment. Based on everyone's advice, sounds like making some small modifications to get it up the stairs and stored safely is the way to go.

Not answering your actual question, but this might be useful to you.

To get a bike through narrow or awkward spaces, hold the handlebars and pull it up onto its rear wheel so it is pointing straight up. It relatively easy to balance a bike like this and push it around on its rear wheel while holding the handlebars. In this orientation it's about as wide as a person and can be turned in place. It's easy to go down stairs and it's even possible to go up stairs by walking backwards with it. The rear brake can be used to stop it slipping backwards.

If you use this technique you may find you are able to more easily get the bike into your apartment, which will be much preferable to locking it up on the street, with respect to both theft or vandalism and the effects of weather.


Shimano 105 11 speed rear derailleur won't shift It happened the last time I washed the bike. It's happened again this time. The rear derailleur won't shift the chain up even though I was careful about not pushing the cog wheel up or down. Last time the bike mechanic sorted out stuff but I can't do this every time I wash the bike! What has happened and how do I re-adjust the derailleur after every wash?

This is an interesting one - if we treat it as a derailleur that won't move right, perhaps work backward to the cause, instead of working forward from "where could water go to cause this?"

Start by cutting the problem in half.  Suspend the bike from a work stand or hang it up with some rope.   Pedal with one hand while hauling on the wire that runs down the downtube.  You should see one derailleur move.  If its the wrong one moving, pull the other cable.  As you add tension, the rear derailleur moves closer to the wheel/an easier gear.  The front derailleur goes the other way - gets to a harder gear as you add tension.

The point of that is to see if the issue is in your shifter lever up the top, or the derailleur.

Next is to gently push the derailleur with a finger while pedalling slowly.  Do watch out for finger-eating gear bits - possible damage can range from "ouch" to "I can only count to nine and my bike is painted blood red"  You are duplicating the action but taking the cables completely out of the picture.

Why?  Cables can rust up and mess with shifting.    Going around them can show that.

Finally, take some decent pictures of the rear cassette area and post them in your initial question.  Then we can go a bit further.


How would I go about getting this Zefal pump to work with a Schrader valve? I have a seemingly well-functioning Zefal pump that I'm unable to identify that has a head on that I'm also unable to identify (maybe it's just Presta?).

All my family's bikes use Schrader valves.

Would there be a sensible way to convert the pump to Schrader? As I can't identify the pump I'm struggling to find a replacement aftermarket head.

It's quite likely the head is dual type switchable.

Unscrew the retaining cap.
Remove the rubber thing. You might need some gentle encouragement with pliers.
Spin it 180. If the other hole is Schrader sized, You're in luck.
There will be a plastic widget under the rubber bit. This also needs to be flipped 180 to expose a pin.
Put the head back together. Widget, pin up > Rubber Thing, big hole up > Screw Cap.

Not something you want to do if you're working with varied valve types all the time, but as you say your family has one type.


The spring in my front dérailleur is jammed My front derailleur is jammed by dirt (grease + fine dust), because of this the gear doesn't shift perfectly and chain is thrown off the cog. The spring is a bit unreachable because the derailleur arm comes in the way. How should I clean the spring and protect it from jamming again.

I went to my favorite cycle mechanic and he dropped kerosene on the derailleur and then brushed the dirt off easily.


Risks of pedaling with outward pointing knee During my pedaling action I always try to keep my knee moving in plane parallel to the plane containing the frame, or, in other words, my leg parallel to the frame.

I have however noticed other fellow cyclists who tend to spread their knee outward during part or all of the pedaling cycle, like they are about to corner even though they are travelling straight.

Is it just a matter of esthetics, or is one of the two styles safer for joints/bones/muscles?

I am not asking why they do it (as in this question), but rather if it is neutral to the health of the cyclist.

I think this usually happens when people have the saddle extremely low. Having the saddle too low is bad for knees and power output.

According to my bike fitter a bit of sideways movement in the knees is not bad and mostly a matter of training (if your fit and shoes are otherwise okay). However, keeping it to a minimal is desirable and apparently some professional cyclists train this by strapping styrofoam to the sides of their frames.


What cadence saves power when climbing? I'm doing some amateur climbing with a hybrid bike up on a road and I have the following question:

How am I going to save more power - having a lower gear but spinning faster in order to maintain certain speed or getting up to a higher gear but spinning slower to aim for that same speed?

I would love some feedback as I'm experimenting in the mountains but every day is different in regards to moisture, temperature, sun exposure, nutrition in the morning, etc. and at this point it's hard to make a good conclusion so I'm looking for some science to help with this question.

Honestly, as an amateur cyclist I would suggest focusing on learning how to pace a climb first over more finer details such as cadence.  Many amateur typically go out too fast on a climb, go anaerobic, accumulate a lactate debt, then find themselves suffering terribly the remainder of the climb.  This gives most the idea the climbs are harder than they could be. Ideal, you want start easier, settle into a sustainable pace, and only max out your effort at the top of the climb.  This can take practice.  I would err on the side of going too easy for the whole climb.  See how that feels. Next time you do the climb try upping the effort a bit.  Keep doing this until you find yourself blowing up on the climb... congratulations you found your aerobic threshold. Next time you will know to back off a bit and this will be pretty much your max sustainable pace.

In terms of cadence, try different gears until you find one that feels good.  When left to their own devices people tend to self select a suitable cadence for their training and muscle coordination. (I am sure there are exceptions to this, but once people learn how to change gears many do a good job of self-selecting an appropriate cadence.)

Higher cadence climbing tends to be a technique to "save" your legs for later hard efforts like sprinting (i.e., you are trying to avoid tapping your fast twitch muscle fibres on the climb, these fibres are what drive short hard efforts).  This trade-off can be important if you are racing, less so if you are a causal rider. (Unless you are riding with friends and there are fish signs sprints - it can be important to be at your best so you can win all the beer!)

Anyway, I digress... Fast cadence climbing is a technique that has to be trained. If you do all your riding at a slow cadence, you will not have efficient muscle coordination for climbing at a fast cadence.  I personally found things like fast paced club rides a natural place to hone the fast cadence riding style.  Training it on your own might be a bit tedious and boring, but can be done.

Strangely, enough lower cadence climbing may actually be more efficient in terms of oxygen consumption (i.e., cardio-respiratory system work; see Determinants of “optimal” cadence during cycling). This is consistent with the idea of "saving" your legs, where you are stressing your cardiovascular system a bit more in order to try and reduce some of the stress on the muscular system.


Trainer tire for Specialized mountain bike with a Cycle Ops I am looking for a trainer tire to use with my Cycle Ops and Specialized Hard Rock mountain bike that uses a 26 x 2.00 tube for outdoor. I have not been able to find this size in a trainer tire, what can I use? My regular tire is very loud when using with the Cycle Ops.

I appreciate help...

Kindest regards,  jeanie

You can use a tire that is narrower than the regular one for use on a trainer. You can even use one that is nominally too narrow for the rim as the tire is not supporting any weight or resisting cornering forces. As along as the tire is not narrower than the outside of the rim it will work.

Also, if you can’t find a trainer specific tire you don't have to use one, any road tire with no tread or a light tread pattern will work.


What is this sheet of clear stickers that came with a new MTB? I just ordered a new MTB through the mail (Santa Cruz Bronson). In the spare parts and accessories bag was this weird sheet of heavy vinyl clear stickers. I can only assume they are for frame protection or something? But I can't really figure out where they fit, and the fact that the two "hook" shaped ones aren't mirror images seems odd to me. I doubt I need then for anything... this is more just idle curiosity at this point, thanks!

These are protective stickers for the chainstay, bottom end and some spots on your frame where the brake and speed cables cause frictions with the frame, scratching the colour.


Low sprocket exceeds derailleur max teeth but total capacity within range of derailleur I plan on keeping a 2x10 drivetrain on a couple of bikes, and I've come across a sale on 10s cassettes. One of the cassettes is a Shimano HG-500 with 11-42t count. The front drive will be either 34-24 or 38-28. My rear derailleur is an XT RD-M781 SGS cage which specs out as max low sprocket of 36 and total capacity of 43t.  If I were to put the 11-42 cassette on, the total capacity count is 41.  I realize that Shimano is very conservative with their specs as far as maximum tooth counts, but six teeth over the max low sprocket spec may be a bit much.
Anyone care to chime in on any experiences with a similar set up? Or thoughts on the question, if I've exceeded the tooth count on the max low sprocket but not the total capacity of the rear derailleur, can I expect good shifting?
Notes: yes, I'd like the low ratio to defeat some steep berms that have thus far defeated me.
I typically match up a dedicated chain to a specific cassette, so the 11-42 would come with its own sized chain.

If the RD is suited for 36 teeth it may work with a 38 but highly unlikely with a 42. Shimano is conservative with teeth counts, you're right but still there are limits to get things to work. It is mainly a problem with geometry. The cage will have trouble to take up the extra length of chain. And also not to get into the way of the sprockets. You could try with one of these devices that put the RD 2cm lower but you'll trade it for less precise or more sluggish shifting.
The size of the front rings plays a lesser part if the difference the two is between more or less standard, although with smaller sized rings you may have trouble for FD height with a braze-on mount.


Inner Tube Replacement I have a Schwinn Volare 1200 Youth Road Bike that need Inner Tube replacement...However, the 26 x 1.0 measurement of its tire is so hard to find. So, Is there any other measurements that can be used as replacements?

Thanks

650c x 25 or so should work fine as a replacement for that if all else fails...  This is because they are the same ISO Diameter.  That's an International Standard for measuring tires that takes the diameter of the bead as the measurement, since that's the primary interface from wheel to tire.  Most tires are labeled by their inflated diameter, + or - some cheating on sizes, deep tread patterns and just generally not having good standards in the industry among different countries making them.  ISO takes none of that into account and simply measures where the tire meets the rim.

Both 26x1 and 650c are 571mm ISO.  The second number in any of the Metric tires is simply the width.  Your 26x1 is about 25mm wide, so you should look for a 650cx25 tube, or thereabouts.

One more thing, I say that size or thereabouts because tubes are rubber.  They stretch.  It usually isn't a problem if they are just a little big or a little small.  Given the choice, err on the side of them being a little big.  So even if the closest you can find is 26x1.25 or 650cX28, that should work fine too.


Do mid-low end bike manufacturers only design their bikes to last 1000 miles? When exploring a braking system, I noticed with surprise that they tested their brake actuations to match the 1000 mile quality life expectation of a comfort bike. This seems to imply that this is the expected design life.

Since the page is oriented towards bicycle manufacturers, can we imply that 1000 miles is the expected design life of mid- and low-end bicycles? The lab itself seems rather legit:

This does hinge on what "quality life span" and "comfort bike" mean.

tl;dr: Is there evidence that the industry believes that 1000 miles is the reasonable lifespan of a low- to mid-end bicycle?

have a look at this : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_life

and this : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mean_time_between_failures

It is all a matter of statistic and probability of failures in the lifetime of the component.

This means that the component should have a normal life of about 1000 miles before a certain percentage of failure (can) start appearing on a number of components.

Another example, my washing machine has a design life of about 14 years [1]; before that the number of failure should be minimal according to the manufacturer, after 14 years, the number of failures should start to statistically increase.

It does not mean the component will fail after the design life, but that the probability of failure increase.

[1] http://homeguides.sfgate.com/expected-lifespans-washing-machines-67293.html


Can I use any pump to fill up shock? So I have a Fox float shock (a standard air shock) and I was wondering if I could use a regular tire pump or do I need a special shock pump to fill it back up? Also, are there side effects of using either one? It's a rear shock and low on air.

As far as physically attaching the thing, that's easy, any shrader pump should fit as long as the head is small enough to clear anything in the way.

I've used a minipump to fill forks in an emergency, but it's not easy.

Shocks run at much higher pressures though and I'm not sure you're going to be able to get high enough with most pumps. Some quick Googling says Fox Shocks have a max of 300PSI, that's a lot.

A cheap shock pump can be got for $15, just buy one. The right tool for the job is usually the best way to go.


Overtightned the rear derailleur cable clamp. It is now blocked I have over-tightened the bolt on the rear derailleur clamp (Shimano tourney). There is no resistance on the bolt, when tightening it or untightening but the clamp does not move anymore. I don't want to force something the wrong way anymore. How can it be unblocked now?

I would back off the bolt in a manner similar to your second image. With a small screw driver pry the clamp away from the derailleur toward the head of the bolt. When the clamp is free, you will notice a small "nub" protruding from the derailleur. The purpose of this nub is to prevent the clamp from rotating when it is tightened. My guess is your clamp is on the "nub". This is preventing the clamp from seating against the derailleur and holding the cable in position.


Hybrid mountain bikes for the city? So I'm currently looking for a new bike and would like to get another mountain bike as it's most important to me that it's resilient and that I can ride all terrain.

However most of the time I'd use it for the city.

Are there mountain bikes (or are there ways for adjusting them) that are more fit for cities? In particular I'd like to sit comfortably on it.

I don't have much expertise with bikes which is why I'm asking here.

The standard advice if you want to ride a mountain bike on the road is to fit slick tires rather than knobby tires, and lock out any suspension if you have it (since you don't need it on the road). That being said, you're going to typically have lower gearing than a road or hybrid bike (due to the nature of mountain biking), though you may have some room to adjust this with cassette and chainring sizes.

At the end of the day, if you're going to be using this bike only on the road, it isn't going to be as nice as an appropriately hybrid or cyclocross or road bike, and it would be preferable not to get a mountain bike. Note that hybrids/cross bikes are often suitable for things like fire roads, gravel and what not (light off road situations); they won't take well to dropping as much as a mountain bike, but you have to ask yourself if this bike is ever really going to do this (and whether you'd be better off just renting a mountain bike when you want to do this, or buying a mountain bike specifically for this purpose).


Inflating airspring fork with Topeak products Today in receipt of a Topeak "Pressure-Rite Schrader Valve Adapter" to inflate my airspring fork, thinking it would work perfectly with my Topeak "JoeBlow Pro" floor pump. It doesn't work very well, as the pressure is not read at all accurately. Does anybody have experience using these two products, or similar? Or will I have to buy a specialist shock pump to accurately inflate my airspring fork?

Many thanks for any insights.

A floor pump like Joe Blow has a massive piston, and the problem I can see is not about reading the pressure, but actually pumping such small amounts of air for this to be accurate (although the manometer may also not be too precise...). Technically you can use this, but as you mentioned it will not be accurate and there's not much you can do about it.

You don't have to buy a specialist shock pump, however I'd recommend it. Hand pumps may be good enough, but you have to choose the right one, i.e. the one that can fit around the valve (there's often not much space around them), and that can stand high pressures, especially in case of rear shocks may be over 200psi (screw-on heads are preferable).

There are also three features that put a shock pump in advantage, based on my experience with a few:

They are thin and it's easy to pump up accurately even very small air chambers.
Most of these pumps have a button that allows to release small amounts of air if we pumped a bit too much.
This button also prevents air from leaking from the valve while unscrewing the pump head.


When in a UCI race, does the helmet have to be to be fitted properly I noticed that Nibali's helmet was very loose when he went down during one of the last stretches of the 2016 Giro d'Italia. A helmet is almost useless if it's not properly fastened. I understand that the pros loosen their helmets on the uphill to breathe more easily, but is there a rule about wearing it properly when at high speed?

According to UCI's official regulations

Section 1.3.031

(emphasis mine)

  Wearing a rigid safety helmet shall be mandatory during competitions and training
  sessions in the following disciplines: track, mountain bike, cyclo-cross, trials and BMX,
  para-cycling, as well as during cycling for all events.
  During competitions on the road, a rigid safety helmet shall be worn.
  During training on the road, the wearing of a rigid safety helmet is recommended.
  UCI CYCLING REGULATIONS
  E0616 GENERAL ORGANISATION OF CYCLING AS A SPORT 74
  However, riders must always comply with the legal provisions in this regard.
  Each rider shall be responsible for:

  ensuring that the helmet is approved in compliance with an official security standard
  and that the helmet can be identified as approved;
  wearing the helmet in accordance with the security regulations in order to ensure full
  protection, including but not limited to a correct adjustment on the head as well as a
  correct adjustment of the chin strap;
  avoiding any manipulation which could compromise the protective characteristics of the
  helmet and not wearing a helmet which has been undergone manipulation or an incident
  which might have compromised its protective characteristics;
  using only an approved helmet that has not suffered any accident or shock;
  using only a helmet that has not been altered or had any element added or removed in
  terms of design or form.

By the letter of the law, Nibali could be punished for loosening his helmet strap at any point in competition.  Interestingly, USA cycling's regulations further clarify that "any point in competition" includes ANY time you are on a bike at an event, including warming up prior to race start and cooling down after the finish but before any awards ceremony (riding on rollers and trainers is exempt, however).

In reality I don't forsee any UCI officials wanting to punish one of the sport's premier athletes over something so minor; no one benefits by doing so, but it would cause anger and resentment amongst Nibali, his team, sponsors, and fans.  In the end, sometimes you have to pick and choose your battles.

That said, don't follow Nibali's lead here.  Wear your helmet properly or, as you say, it's entirely useless (not to mention, assuming you are not a WorldTour rider, you ARE liable to get disqualified by an overzealous local official).


Evidence on "Uglify Your Bike: Effective Theft Deterrent?" Does anyone have any evidence that uglyfying does or does not work as a theft deterrent? It doesn't have to be scientific: even anecdotal evidence helps (and maybe well-founded opinions)?

This question was originally part of this one but I was asked to separate it.

I would guess that hard evidence is going to be difficult to come by -- doing anything resembling a controlled experiment would be enormously expensive, and cyclists are too disorganized (by this I mean lacking unified organizational structure) to do some sort of sampling-based measurement or epidemiological study.

I would just observe that, in my opinion, bike thieves come in several varieties, with differing motivations, and the likelihood that a particular bike will be selected for theft depends a lot on the type of thief:

Glitter-attracted impulse thief.  Someone sees a fancy/shiny bike (by their standards) that catches their attention, has low self-control, and so just rides off with it, on a lark.
Necessity/opportunity thief.  Someone is in an immediate situation where a bike would be handy (eg, it's raining, or they're in a hurry), sees one, and rides off with it.
Theft for personal acquisition.  Someone sees a bike they like, feel that it would be a good bike for them, and takes it.
Theft for resale.  Someone steals bikes to sell for money.

In the last two categories there's also the division of theft for the whole bike and theft for parts (or removing parts from the sitting bike).

Of these categories, the first will probably be put off by "uglification", but it will have relatively little effect on the second type of thief.  (In fact, the second thief may be apt to pick a less-expensive looking of several equally available bikes, to lessen the seriousness of their crime -- at least in their own minds.)

The third thief will have specific attributes in mind for a bike and may or may not be put off by the obfuscated appearance, depending in part on how perceptive he is.  (But keep in mind that of the four he's the most likely to spend time studying the fine points of the bike.)

The fourth thief will likely know how to recognize a valuable bike, even obfuscated, but may choose to pass over one that has been permanently defaced or which would take too much effort to clean up.

You can also evaluate these categories based on how effective locks will be.  The first thief is apt to be deterred by a halfway secure lock but may (or may not) have at hand the wherewithal to defeat a lightweight one.  The second thief will almost certainly pass over a bike that is at all encumbered with a lock, even skipping a bike locked only by the QR-attached front wheel.  The third thief may be willing to spend some time defeating a lock on a bike he desires but may not be especially skillful, while the fourth thief will have the skills and tools to defeat many locks quickly.

The character of the neighborhood, time of day, etc, will affect the mix of these different thief types.


How to keep my manbag in place If I'm going out in the evening and don't want to carry a big pannier bag or rucksack, I keep my lights and whatever else in a small 'man-bag'. It's like a smaller version of a messenger bag: about 20 x 15 cm on a shoulder strap. I try to keep it towards my back rather than under my arm, to stop it swinging around, but invariably it slides out (especially on right-hand bends) and towards my front. If I leave it, it dangles under my chest and rubs on my knees as I pedal.

What can I do to keep it in place? I've tried shortening and lengthening the strap, and I've used it nearly empty or quite heavy, and it doesn't seem to make a difference.

At the beginning of this video:

http://vimeo.com/41982043

it looks like this bike messenger has an extra strap for his bag that comes up under his left arm to stabilize his load.  Looks pretty neat, like it can be easily unsnapped to get the normal messenger bag access, and possibly be DIY-able.


Improve my riding experience I'm new to cycling and I've got a borrowed, older, road bike. I believe it's a 10 speed, with 700 series tires. From what I've been told it was a very expensive bike in the 90's. I'm training for my first century ride in Tehachapi CA and I'm riding for a fundraiser. https://www.generosity.com/community-fundraising/riding4rett and need all the help I can get.

Anyway in my training, I've discovered that I do about a 75-80rpm cadence, but I can't seem to get over 16 mph, on flat land, plus hills kill me. Does anyone have any suggestions how I can get more speed and make the hills easier to climb? I've been told I need to change my cassette, but don't know what my cassette is. Is it the rear gears? Any help will be appreciated.

No magic solutions am afraid. Train. Try an get cadence to 90 as the norm. If you want to get better at hills do more of them. Make sure you take it easy at bottom and aim to be able to have enough left to ride away at top strongly.
Also consider using heart rate zones to train


Compression clothing First, some context: I commute to work on a fixie and go for longer rides on weekends on a road bike.

I often find my legs get sore/tired, especially when I've been on a longer ride or have pushed the speed on my commute... sometimes it's so much fun I can't take it easy :)  My calves seem to be more affected than my thighs

My question is whether compression clothes are very helpful. I haven't tried any, but am quite interested. Also, would you recommend compression gear during the ride, or after riding, for recovery.

Apparently, studies have shown no significant benefit to compression clothing in terms of leg fatigue. What I notice more so is that the hight at which you sit and the bend of your leg play a much larger role in leg fatigue. That compounded with the position and way you push the pedal probably are the most significant causes of fatigue.

What you want is to have your seat high enough so that your leg is only slightly bent at the lowest position of your pedals on either side. Also you want to push more with the front of your foot. This will use the calf muscle more and put less pressure on your knees.

Also you can see these questions for more info:

How do I determine the correct position for my bicycle seat?
How do I make sure my bike's the proper size?
At what height should I have my seat on a road bike?
What is the recommended procedure for adjusting the fit of my bike?
What are some good exercises to prevent knee pain?


Can double chainrings be used with a clutch-type rear derailleur? I've been reading up on Sram's CX1 1x11 cyclocross-specific group. It hinges on two technologies to minimize the potential for dropped-chains/chainslap. The CX1 clutch rear-derailleur keeps the chain in tension, while the wide-narrow single chainring resists lateral movement.

I am curious if there's any possibility to leverage the benefit of the clutch rear derailleur for chain stability, but still use a standard double-ring crankset?

This does not work in the specific case of a Sram CX1 rear derailleur, or the case of any other X-Horizon™ mechanisms.

I purchased the CX1 derailleur and attempted with a 46/39 front chainring combo. The CX1 RD allows the front shift to occur, but has no tolerance for changes in chain length (e.g. front shifting).

The change in chainring size impacts the upper-pulley distance from the cassette cogs. Adjusting the B-limit for one chainring size results in a bad configuration with another chainring size.


What to get? How do I know whether what I'm looking at is a BSO? (Bicycle Shaped Object); what should I do about the multiple chainrings? I'm about to get a ridiculously cheap bike (~$200) sometime soon and have limited my options to two bikes.
One is the BTwin Riverside 120, which people here in India who have put up reviews don't seem very happy about..
https://www.decathlon.in/p/8389398/bikes/hybrid-cycle-riverside-120-grey-yellow
Another one is Mach City Munich 21 speed.
https://machcity.com/munich-21-speed/
The reviews I've read about it are great everywhere I've read them on the internet, and the bike store guy also said that it's a great bike (he's trusted). However, since both are different brands, he couldn't draw out a comparison of which one would be better..
Anyone who can help? It'd be primarily ridden on bad Indian roads (image attached for reference, that's not how all parts of the road are, but significant enough to be considered).
Both have 700×35c stock tyres and can accommodate 38c tyres as well.
If I choose to buy a Mach City Munich 21 speed, I'd also like to know if I should simply remove two chainrings of three (if they're detachable, which I am yet to find out) to help "ease" my riding? It'd be mostly ridden on flat terrain with maybe a 50m 5-6% climb, so I'm not sure, but I don't really think I have any practical use of three chainrings.. By ease, I mean I want to eliminate the risk of putting the chains through a lot of stress and risking the chain falling off every now and then while also causing more wear and tear to the parts than is supposed to happen. I happen to be a student who doesn't really want to go to a bike repair shop all the time, so I'd try maintaining it myself, I've obtained resources for the same in a previous question of mine, thanks to the community here.. If the suggestions still remain to keep the triple chainrings, how to I "properly" shift gears? Is there any guide for the same?
Since I'm buying a rather "expensive" bike for the first time, what else should I be getting with the bike? I've currently understood that I should be getting a helmet, a good quality lock, mud-guards that cover the whole wheel (we actually have a monsoon season), a bottle stand, and a bell. I won't be buying lights because I am not thinking about riding in the dark. I want the bike to last as long as it can, so should I also get a chainstay protector? Anything else that I should be getting?
How do I know something is a BSO (Bicycle Shaped Object)? I also want to know whether any of them are a BSO? I don't even clearly understand what BSO means, given the fact that I don't have a "proper" bicycling experience (I've only ever ridden a ~$60-70 ss bike as of yet).. Are BSOs bad to have?
I've read various questions related to BSOs here but none seemed to answer my query.. I may have missed out on a relevant one though, but I tried not to.

That Munich "21-speed" is really a 7-speed. It doesn't have a triple chainring or front derailleur (and doesn't seem to have a planetary-gear rear hub). Not sure why they call it that.
Both bikes seem pretty comparable. Decathlon is well-known in Europe as selling cheap but decent products. I've never heard of Mach City. If a brand's reputation is worth anything, that's something to consider.
One of the hallmarks of terrible BSOs that I've seen in the USA is thin stamped dropouts with tubes that are pinched onto them (see below). Neither the Mach City nor the Decathlon bike seem have this kind of construction. Another hallmark is the one-piece crank.


Damaged (scraped) tire - what to do? First of all, I am either inexperienced or very lucky because I have never had a flat bike tire in my life. Now comes the question.

I have a basic "Specialized Sirrus 2013" hybrid bike which has run 2500 kilometers (over 1500 miles) in various conditions. The tires are "Specialized Nimbus 700x28c". Today I accidentally noticed that the rear tire is indeed damaged:

I have no idea how long it has been like this or what is the cause (maybe a very sharp rock?). The cut/scrape is about 1 millimeter wide, 6-7 millimeter long and 3-4 millimeter deep (0.04x0.25x0.15 inches). It is clean of substantial debris but stays open like that when normally inflated at 115 Psi.

What actions should I take? The tire is not flat and I am able to ride normally but should I be concerned?

It does not look to me like the cords are damaged, which means the tire will still have its strength to hold the air pressure of the tube.

You have three easy options. Personally I would take the last:

Ignore it. It will probably last until the tire has no tread left. The cut itself will bulge a little, so this will be the point of failure of the tire. The bump may cause the tire to make noise of vibration as you ride- If you notice this the tire has little life left, or may quietly wear down till with the rest of the tire.
Put a sleeve in. Get a piece of tough material like canvas (the side wall of an old MTB tire is great), insert it under the cut. This will provide a stronger area around the cut and prevent the weakness causing further problems and extend the life a little more as it will reduce the size of the bulge caused by the cut. Its a technique used as a temporary repair for tires to get you home, and works for tires with significant cuts (I have seen it used successfully on a MTB ride for a tire with a 2-3cm full thickness cut.)  As we all know, there is nothing more permanent than a temporary fix that works.
Replace the tire. A shredded tire on the road is really a pain. Unlike a puncture, which is generally repairable, the only fix is a new tire - do you carry a spare tire? Although I always carry a tube and repair kit, I only carry a spare tire for very long rides (and usually just one in our group will carry a spare). If I have a spare tire in good nick, why would I leave a dodgy tire on the bike?


How do I mount this Topeak rack onto this road bike with disc brakes? I've browsed several closely related questions already, but haven't found one quite like my issue yet.

I have the following rack, a Topeak Tourist for Disc Brake bikes (with a matching Topeak trunk bag with panniers)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ZKHN6Y/

And I have a 2014 Diamondback Century Sport Disc. It has 700c tires, which the reviews for the above rack suggested would be fine. Anyway, clearance isn't the issue at hand. Here's some pictures of the bike - hopefully they're helpful.

http://imgur.com/a/O7dfS <-- More pictures of bike!

Up until now I've been using a hybrid bike with no panniers... so I have next to no familiarity with racks. I've looked into the issue, but feel increasingly suspicious about whether there's any way to mount these. If I can I'd be most pleased, although I'd need the method pointed out (and I've experimented; for example, you notice the two bolts above the quick-release lever in the last picture? those are too large to work double duty for the rack; they don't fit the thing) - but if not:

I've heard stuff about p-clips (like Halfords 19mm Luggage P Clips - again, no link). I'm not sure what problem they exist to resolve; it looks like it's mine, but - there's always two different places to attach a rack (triangles and all that), plus more than that in different styles of rack (some attach to a seat post, apparently) and I'm not entirely sure if these would help my issue or the one I'm not having.
I heard a recommendation for the "Tubus Adapter Set for Quick Release Axle Mounting." Ignoring quality concerns (I can make a judgement call), would that be a good purchase for me in that it might resolve my problem?
Same for the "Tubus Clamp Set - Rack Eyes for Seat Stay Mounting," which is apparently related to p-clips.

You have the seat stay mounts on the frame (those are the two thin tubes that go from the rear wheel drop outs to the top of the seat tube). What you need is mounts on the rear wheel drop outs. Typically, they are part of the dropout and/or frame. In your case, you have none.

That being said, the P-Clips and Tubus Clamps will not be useful.

The Tubus Adapter Set for Quick Release Axle Mounting should solve your problem. It is built for a Tubus rack which has two mounting holes at the bottom that are meant to be used simultaneously, thus the two slots. You can choose which one is appropriate once you loosely install the rack and check how level the top is. Installation instructions and a drawing to go with it can be found here.

I should say I have not done this actual installation myself, but I see no obvious reason why this would affect anything else. There are comments from people that have used this with discs and there's a spacer to keep the mounting plate away from the frame, so you should be good.

The only concern I have is there seems to be nothing to prohibit the mounting plate from rotating fore or aft. You may want to invest in a couple lock washers and a proportionally longer quick release.


Can not replace Shimano Octalink with 105 Crankset Hello! I am trying to upgrade my bike’s Octalink BB 118 mm to a 105 5600 BB and crankset. The problem is I can not make the plastic pin of 105 left leg fit the hole. I think the axle is too short or BB is too wide? Thanks in advance.!

Check your shell width. Shimano road cranks only work with 68mm shells and require 'road' version of the Hollowtech BB. (MTB cranks / MTB BBs work with 68 and 73mm shells.) I think it's likely you have a 73mm shell.

See this answer for details on the difference between road and MTB BBs.

Update: just looked at the pic of your old BB and it is in fact marked '73'.


Who has right of way at a staggered crossroad I live in Manchester, United Kingdom.

I cycle to and from work everyday. On my route there is a staggered crossroad where I have to go straight on.

Above is the traffic lighted junction I have to navigate, I travel from Liverpool Road to Great Bridge Water Street and vice versa on the way to work.

If I'm the green arrow and a car turning right(North North East in the image) is the red arrow - who has right of way?

Tonight a White Fiesta (New Shape) (red arrow) Thought he would show me who was boss and swerved towards my bike (green arrow) intentionally because he must have thought I was in the wrong.

This isn't the first time someone has done this at this junction

I am quite shaken-up from the intimidation - is there anything I can do?

If I do have right of way - I am only really left with one option find a different route because drivers just don't get it, However if im wrong then how can I approach this junction correctly?

Yes, this is a tricky situation. I think this section of the highway code should cover it, but is very light on details like this.

I think there are two ways to interpret the situation:

1. As two T-junctions a small distance apart, with you turning left and then right.

In this case it's a fairly clear cut - see rule 180. You've turned left, already on the main road and have priority over vehicles trying to join your lane, including ones turning right out of the road you're about to take.

2. As a normal crossroads, with you going straight on, the other car turning right.

For case 1, from Internet discussions like this from Yahoo and this from the RAC there seems to be little consensus on this. Many say that the traffic going straight on has priority, but then add that you have to give way to traffic coming from the right (as you would on a roundabout), which seems contradictory.

My opinion

I think this needs official clarification, but in practice it would seem sensible to interpret it like rule 170: "watch out for pedestrians crossing a road into which you are turning. If they have started to cross they have priority, so give way".

When at a give way line, all vehicles must give way to others not crossing the give way line. So if you arrived at the junction and there was no other traffic coming, of course you would start to cross. Being a bike you're usually slower than a car, so a car which later arrives opposite you at their give-way line should give way to all traffic already on the junction or the other road.

Furthermore, from the look of it this is a box-junction, so the car must not proceed until its exit is clear. In the image below the green car attempting to turn right is in a very similar situation to the one you mention.

If you both arrived at the give-way line at the same moment, then given the above image, you might still have the priority (de jure), but it's not obvious and my instinct is to let the faster vehicle go first.

As others have mentioned, us cyclists have to be careful as collisions are usually more serious for us. Whenever cars do show you consideration, always give them a wave or nod of thanks, even if you have priority.