Checking that the dynamo hub works I just bought a second-hand bike for my daughter knowing that the dynamo hub was not working and now I would like to try and repair it.
I tested that the dynamo does not produce electricity.

I also verified that the positive contact wire is always in short-circuit with the hub body, both before and after disassembling the hub.
That to me means there's something seriously wrong inside the dynamo and I will need to replace it, at least the internal magnet.
I am just not 100% sure with these new (to me) hubs.

Can anyone confirm that there should NOT be any contact between the wire and the internal assembly ?

Edit: this is a Shimano DH-3N20 Dynhub. There's only one cable coming out of the assembly. I used a multimeter on the cable and on the shaft. I suspect the previous owner attempted some clumsy repairs, perhaps damaging the cable.

After some pondering, I ended up buying a new hub, hoping to replace the center part without the need to re-build the whole wheel. I share here some information that might be helpful:

even the new Dynamo showed electric contact between the two terminals, so they are NOT isolated from each other and checking that is no proof the dynamo is broken.
opening the new dynamo, without the lever of the wheel to help, has proven challenging even with the proper tools. I had to build a custom one with a plank of wood, drill a hole and nail the dynamo to it. This way I could close the dynamo in a vice and use the plank to apply enough force.
after I successfully replaced the dynamo, I tried to put back together the old one, just to keep spare the parts. As I did that, I rotated the dynamo and felt current on my fingers. I was able to isolate the little wire properly and now I have 2 working dynamos

It is clear, at least to me now, that a dynamo that is short-circuited is very difficult to turn. When the little wire is not making contact the dynamo spins much more easily.


Does headtube angle affect which fork you can use? If there is a fork designed for a slack headtube and you put it in a steep headtube, will the dropouts be affected by the different direction the force from the wheel is coming from? Will the wheel also be secure enough in the dropouts?

Mainly asking about threaded steerers with quick release if that makes a difference.

No, dropout security isn't considered to be affected by the match between fork and head tube angle.

On bikes, concerns with QR hubs coming unseated from loads encountered is all about the relationship between the brake pad contact location on the rim/rotor and the orientation of the axle slot. The frame doesn't change that relationship.

It is true that one could contrive a situation with a forward-oriented disc fork pointing up to the sky once you had a slack enough head tube angle, such that yes, forces from the ground would be trying to unseat it. That does sound sketchy but I'd be surprised if it ever just happened by accident, because forks like that have a good amount of downward angle in the slots.


Can anyone identify this Raleigh bike? And whether it's worth buying for $175?

Answer Its a late 80s bike, maybe an early 90s. The frame is a mixte, so probably sold as a woman's bike.  Almost certainly a steel frame.

The brake hoods have sissy bars, which were common in the 80s for those who didn't ride on the hoods and preferred to ride on the tops.

Shifter levers are up on the quill stem, so its more recent than downtube shifters.

The metal dork disk on the back wheel dates it to late 80s as well.  Plastic was more common later.

Can't see a lot of the transmission, but it looks like a 2x5 or a 2x6, which means a freewheel not a freehub.

The mudguards / fenders are not original, and maybe the saddle is a replacement as well.

If you test-ride it, particularly check out the tyres before riding.  Gumwalls like that could easily be 20 years old now, and haven't been commonly sold, so they're a minimum of a decade old.

DANGERS  It might be the photo but the left hand handlebar looks odd.  Almost looks like its a sharper curve than the right hand side, which makes me wonder about crash damage.  Inspect it closely.

Valuation We don't do valuations here.  You need to compare it to other similar bikes in your vicinity and see if its in-line with other local offerings.  Something's value is determined by what one person will pay for it, which is related to scarcity.   Don't just buy it because you like the colour.


Calibrate Tensiometer I want to calibrate my Park Tool TM-1 for my weird spokes. I want to build a box with some kind of weight measuring device where a spoke can be put under 1600N of tension.

Rumours on other boards say that using a spring scale would yield wrong results, because the spring would move while measuring. I don't quite know if that is true or not?

Because I want a cheap solution, I don't want to spend 50 euros on a digital scale. Now I found a "butcher's scale" on ebay here. Can I use that for my purpose, or will it also yield wrong tensiometer reults? I don't really understand the rational behind a spring scale messing up the results. Can someone shed some light on this?

Edit: Here is a picture and the discussion from some other board.

I'm not sure what you're after here. Is your spoke type not available on Park's TM-1 Tension Meter Conversion Table? You're after relative spoke tension when you're measuring your tension as it's going to be different at different points from the hub to the rim. 1600N is well within the range of measurement for the TM-1 on almost all spoke types


single speed freewheel Shimano SF MX 30 vs Shimano SF-1200 What is the difference between:
single speed freewheel Shimano SF MX 30 and Shimano SF-1200 ?
Why those freewheels donesn't appear on shimano website?
P.S. From the pictures it's clear that the removal tools are different.

The removal tool is the main difference. The one on the right is a more widely used fitting, and this  is the tool you would want.The design on the left is more hassle to remove, so most companies use the other style now. Regarding your other question about freewheels, this MX 30 is a fine component, but the White Industries freewheels have a cartridge bearing and the ratchet has more points of engagement and is easier to service, etc. Well worth the money for the lifespan of a component like this.


Rock Shox Recon does not "completely" lock I recently bought the 29er CUBE ACID 2017 equipped with a RockShox Rrecon front fork (Silver TK AIR PopLock 100mm).

I have noticed that even when the suspension is locked, there is still a movement (compression) of the stanchions of about 20mm. It is not completely rigid, not locked, even though the knob and the crown of the fork is in the LOCK position.

Is it supposed to work like this (as the shop I bought the bike from tells me) or is it somehow faulty? I am new with bicycles and I would appreciate your help!

RockShox FAQ FRONT SUSPENSION Remotes/Lock Outs:

  Why Isn’t The Lockout Function Completely Locked, Instead, There’s A
  Bit Of Travel?
  Please know the lockout setting on most RockShox forks is not a “hard
  lockout”- meaning you will have about an inch of movement when the
  fork is the locked mode. We call this feature Small Bump Compliance,
  and the intention is that the wheel will continue to track over
  ground with control, even in the locked setting.


Rack and fender on one eyelet spacing issue I just had fenders mounted on my bike, but there is a minor issue. Here is the picture of the situation:

The two fender stays can be see going to the left of the image, and the rack stay is the middle of the image. Currently, the top fender stay and the rack hook where you clip bags onto are pretty much touching. This makes it very difficult to slide a clip onto the rack hook without a struggle.

I was wondering what the best thing to do is. My plan is to buy a longer bolt and add a washer or two to space apart the fender stay and rack stay.

The problem is that I am concerned about cantilevering the rack stay too far from the eyelet. Is that a real concern? (see here)

The solution could be to also switch the ordering so that the rack stay is closest to the eyelet. But I feel like the fender stay could still get in the way because it would have to curve back to the fender. Is that a worry? I want to buy the right length bolt without having to experiment too much.

edit: situation update

After taking a closer look, I realized that the top fender stay runs under the seat stay, so having the fender stay go in front of the rack stay is not an option. I see two ways forward now:

Use washers (with possibly a longer bolt) to space apart the rack and fender stays, even though the rack stay will be outside of the fender stays.
Move the fender stays to P-clamps mounted on the seat stays.

Final update (3-20): I ended up using the same screw, but I added an additional washer between the fender stays and the rack. The screw was long enough to still fully thread the eyelet. And yes I did increase leverage on the screw from the rack ever so slightly. But this was the simplest and easiest solution. The way the fender stay is angled, it's impossible to have the fender stay outside of the rack.

A longer bolt is indeed a risk because of the extra leverage. The second photo suggests that even a tiny bend back away from the rack will solve your problem - you only need 5mm or so.

If you're willing to bend the fender stay that is a much better solution. The simple, crude way is just to bend it on the bike. Simply hold the fender in place with one hand and push the stay in towards the wheel with the other. You'll probably need to move the fender out using the stay adjustment system to get it to sit straight on the wheel. Unless you need a really big gap (more than 10mm) this should work. You'll have a curved stay and it will look very DIY.

The more organised way that lets you deal with a fender with no adjustment is to pull the stay off the bike and bend it in specific places using a vice. That will let you put a matching set of bends on the other side of the bike so that the fender sits straight. You still need extra length available because the bends pull the fender in towards the wheel.

If you don't have the extra length available you will have to fall back to using a longer bolt. Try to keep the extra length to a minimum. I suggest using a button head bolt rather than a square head because that bolt head will wear a hole in your pannier.


Can't fit damper back into suspension forks I'm driving myself mad here trying to fix this. I work in a local bike rental / repair store, and took apart a bike's Suntour NEX 4610 V4 (2012?) forks from one of the rental bikes - now I can't fit the forks back together again. The 'damper unit' won't compress back to its previous state, it can't fit in.

Previously the bike's suspension hadn't been working, it seemed permanently locked and the lockout knob wasn't having an effect. I'm not too worried about that, but while doing some basic maintenance I took the forks apart, and from the right leg (leg with the lockout, so I figure it's related) came a compressing rod that manuals call the damping unit. It was already compressed to its maximum inside the fork, which must have been why the suspension wasn't working.

Anyway, I took the rod out and tested it a few times, and while doing so it suddenly extended past its original least compressed state, or longest length.
I tried pushing it back, and now it cannot, literally cannot be pushed back to how it was originally compressed to fit into the fork. It barely goes half way.

... I haven't made much progress during my hours of fiddling. There's definitely the sloshing sound of oil inside. I was tempted to try opening the thing up and changing the oil - maybe there's too much inside - but there's no point I can open. The lockout knob on the top is firmly attached and the screw at the bottom is holding it tight, and isn't designed to fit a spanner. Probably not meant to be removed?
Curiously I did on one occasion make slow progress; I twisted the rod, messed randomly in frustration with the (old hard to turn, seemingly broken) lockout knob at the top, and found I could kind of lock it at certain points, which I could kind of use in increments to compress the whole rod tighter, getting closer to its original compression. I got fairly close, but once I let it go it just slowly slid back to the overly extended position. There were definitely a lot of sloshing sounds during that whole process. Again, the oil is maybe the problem? Or did I do something stupid with the lockout?

I don't care anymore for fixing the suspension, I'd like to just try get it back in the bike for now. But the task seems impossible. As is perhaps clear, despite working in a shop I'm not actually too experienced with this. Would really appreciate any tips or advice, even direction towards where I should focus would help.
I've attached some photos. I can't find a manual that details anything on this for the Suntour Nex 4610 V4. I did at least find the exploded view here. Makes me think that the rod I'm dealing with (top left of exploded view) isn't meant to be disassembled so oil isn't meant to be messed with. Also it shows the lockout cap removed, but through no amount of force can I get the cap off (might be because bike's old and that cap's very chewed up. I can barely fit a thin knife under it).

Something is likely blocked or broken inside, and there's not much you can do it about it unless perhaps you contrive a way to open it up, which probably wouldn't be all that reasonable to attempt given the hassle and low ultimate odds of success. They're meant to be unserviceable in every way.

In a shop context the thing to do is call Suntour on the chance they either have a replacement (possible) or a fix (unlikely), or would warranty the fork  Their US office is helpful; don't know where you are though. If not that then replace the fork, which is usually where this goes one way or another.


Cetma Front Rack Clamp Part? I just bought a used Cetma front rack and I'm looking for these types of "clamps". I need the right diameter for BMX handlebars so 22.2mm I believe in diameter (7/8 inch). Does anyone know what they are called so I can't search for them online or ask for them in a hardware store? I kind of assume these are some kind of standard off the shelf parts I can get and not custom made by the guy who makes Cetma racks.

Found out those "clamps" are called conduit hangers:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/2-ACC-Conduit-Hanger-67820/202077114


Is it normal for an Inner tube to bulge when inflated? I recently bought a pair of inner tubes and when I partially inflated one of them before putting it into the tire (only a few pumps with a floor pump), I noticed a portion of it was bulging out considerably. It looked like a snake who had swallowed a giant mouse, there was a huge bulge on one section of the tire. I went to get my camera to take a photo of it, but it then burst before I could take a photo.

Went back to the LBS and got a replacement tube, and when I partially inflate this one it also bulges quite a bit too, although not nearly as extreme as the last one that popped.

Is it normal for an inner tube to bulge out as much as this? I'm just worried this one will pop as well.

Yes, inner tubes do that. They are like balloons, except that the butyl rubber they are made of doesn't stretch like natural latex rubber.

You are not supposed to inflate tubes outside a tire. Tires have fabric casing to withstand the pressure.


Removing top cap and stem from Acros headset? I recently bought a used Canyon Ultimate that has an Acros headset on it. I'm trying to remove the stem but for the life of me can't figure out how to take it off. The top cap doesn't have a vertical bolt but instead is just hollow.

I've removed the stem bolts and the stem freely rotates on the steerer tube,but I can't take it off because of the top cap. I've never encountered this type of headset before, surely I must be doing something stupid?

Picture of what I mean:

Nevermind, yes I am an idiot. You literally just pry the top cap off.


Broken stem, how to fix? My crappy bike (Aldo Cadenazzi) was squeaking for the last two days. Then today the stem broke. Luckily I was very slow when it happened.

How can I fix it? I have read a little bit about threadless and threaded stems, but I am not sure if a threadless stem will fit to this old bike. (I am not even sure if it is worth it)

Just replace it. The part is called quill stem, it is not threadless-compatible, and it is still widely used. The only type of quill stems I heard of have 1 inch diameter, so you can just find one that is of the same/similar height and length.

The simplest is to take it to a local bike shop and they will do it for you. If you want to replace it yourself, get a wrench that can undo those two bolts at the top of your picture (hard to tell, but I think it is something in 12 - 15 mm range).

Unscrew the stem from the frame and from the handlebars; grease the new stem's shaft that goes into the fork with any sort of machine oil/grease you have; then screw it back into the fork and attach the handlebars.

It may happen that the fork-stem surfaces have rusted together if no grease was used at installation time. In this case, you will have a hard time removing the stem. Look for advice on this site how to help it.


How to buy machine-built wheels for a touring bike? I may be in the market for a wheelset for my touring bike, a 2004 Jamis Aurora. I know very little about buying wheels; what are the things I should consider? I don’t need anything fancy, and I’d like to keep the cost down, so machine-built (as opposed to hand-built) seems like the logical choice.

I run fairly wide tires, 28-35mm.

The answer “don’t buy machine-built wheels” would also be perfectly valid; I’d be curious to hear the reasoning in this case. I spent a good bit of time on rec.bicycles about 10 years ago, and that community was really down on machine-built wheels.

Note that I really enjoy building wheels so I'm a bit biased here, but...as long as you inspect them when you get them, machine built wheels are usually okay.

The (main) differences between machine and hand:

Quality of components. Generally machine built wheels use cheaper components.
Logo in the right place (you should see it centered under the valve hole) - purely cosmetic.
Tension brought up slowly and evenly on hand built wheels. This (and hubs) would be my main concern. The machine will make sure everything is true, round, and dished...sometimes better than a person can do...but it may not get there smoothly.

With (1) my concern would be the quality of the rim, mainly the braking surface and the weld, and the quality of the hub. The hub quality, especially at low speeds, is going to have the most impact on how "fast" a wheel is. Weight (spokes/rim mostly) will have some effect on climbing, but not much and with the big tires you are going to roll, I wouldn't have much concern here.

My concern with (3) is primarily how well the wheel will hold true and round. Most folk will occasionally check trueness of the wheel, but ignore roundness. You can check both without a truing stand, but to check roundness you need to take off the rubber. If you're willing to check a couple of times after you've put some good miles on them you should be fine.

My $0.02 is to look for wheels that have decent rims and good hubs and then give them care, especially during the first 1,000 miles or so. On a budget, I'd rather see you pick up some machine built wheels with good hubs then some hand built wheels with bad hubs.


Repair priorities, bike wheel or brakes Money's been a bit tight lately for a number of reasons and I commute 2 hours a day on my bike for work. Slowly, but surely my bike has taken a toll and I REALLY need to do some light maintenance on it. At the moment now, my bike wheels (rims?), due to a crash, are bent and it looks like it's unnaturally pressing against my tires. They wobble and it's much more noticeable when going fast, but other than that I do not see any issues with it. The other major repair is my brakes are completely out. The do not work at all. The method I use to slow down is to put my feet out and drag them well into advance if I even think I need to stop. The problem with this, is very obvious as it is rather dangerous and it is quickly eating the soles of my shoes which I cannot replace those either at the moment.

As much as I would like to take public transportation or get a ride, that is out of the question. I am too far out and none of my coworkers are willing to drive roughly an hour out for me. There is no public transportation near my home, so I have to actually ride a good distance to a bus stop inside of the city.

I managed to sell what little I own as I only need to survive for less than two weeks to get paid and have proper repairs done, but in the meantime, which one of the two repairs should I have done, wheels or brakes?

Both. It's a bit like asking whether you should fix the brakes or balding tires on a car - you need to fix both to be safe on the road.

But you don't need to shell out a huge amount of money. See if there isn't a bike coop or community repair station in your neighborhood:

Truing your wheels requires some elbow grease but shouldn't require any parts (unless your spokes are broken). In terms of tools, at minimum you need a spoke wrench ($5) and ideally a truing stand, but you can do a fair job truing against your brake pads. The coop will definitely have spoke wrenches and may have a truing stand.
Repairing your brakes at most would require new pads ($5-10) and maybe new brake cables ($10-15). Replacing brakes and cables requires just an assortment of small hex wrenches and allen wrenches, which the coop will have.

The true cost is in the labor and if you can do it yourself with youtube and human help, you should be able to get it in at least running conditions. For the wheel truing, I'd try to go for just "good enough" and not perfect -- and try to get someone to supervise you -- as it's easy to mess up truing if you go too far.

If you don't have a coop in your location, the spoke wrench, Allen wrench, and small hex wrench should all cost less than $25 total for cheap ones or for a multi tool that has them all. The real value of the coop is someone looking over your shoulder to help, especially with the wheel truing.

Given that an accident on your way to work  will cost you lost wages, maybe losing your job, and perhaps a hefty hospital bill, spending $25 for a self-tune or around $100 for a bike shop to do it is money well spent.


If I report intentional dangerous driving to police, will it have any effect? Today I was riding ~3 feet out from parked cars (dooring is the most common way to get killed) and this pickup truck comes up behind me and just lays on its horn for an entire block. The driver was also revving his engine and coming within a foot or two of my back wheel.

The driver intentionally cut me off forcing me to swerve to avoid the back of their truck. As he passed me the passenger rolled down his window and informed me (using very crude language) that I should get off the road.

I have had three or four incidents like this in the last year and I am getting increasingly infuriated by them.  They have all been on residential streets that drivers are using to avoid the city's arteries.  I do my best to be courteous and don't accept this behaviour.

I think that I need to do something so that I don't end up throwing my bike through someone's windshield doing something inappropriate.

I have been considering getting a camera on my bike but wonder if this would be useful.

Question:  Has anyone ever contacted their local police regarding aggressive drivers?  Were the police helpful?  Would video evidence be useful?  (I suspect that a camera would help to remember an aggressive driver's information even if video evidence was not required by the police).

Question: In the case of an accident would video evidence be useful to press criminal charges against a driver?  If I am injured would video evidence be useful if I wanted to seek damages in civil court?

I live in Ontario, Canada.

Related: "Is complaining to companies about bad driving like howling at the moon?"

I'm convinced that the prevalence of cameras is changing the attitude of certain drivers.

For the last year or so, I've ridden with a helmet cam. I'm now on my second camera and I'm toying with mounting my old camera (lower definition, poorer lens) on the seat post to face to the rear.

It wasn't for this kind of situation, but it would certainly be useful as evidence. If you search YouTube there are many, many examples of similar behaviour. If the police can't or won't help, just publish the footage on the web - the driver will almost certainly never see it, but you never know.

I've had several situations where a rant from an angry driver has suddenly become an embarrassed silence when I've pointed out that they're being recorded and I'd be quite happy to post the results to YouTube, the police, their employers (this does work well if it's a work van or similar) ...

There have been several cases here in the UK where dangerous and aggressive driving has been prosecuted successfully solely on the basis of the cyclist's camera evidence.

On the civil side, I know personally of one accident victim who was knocked off his bike and whose claim was enormously aided by the footage from a cyclist behind them who had been wearing a camera. Anecdotal, I know, but he is certain that the claim was processed more smoothly because of the video recording.

If this seems like a good idea, the answers to what-is-a-good-camera-arrangement-for-city-riding or recommendations-for-inconspicuous-helmet-mounted-video-camera might be useful in finding an appropriate camera solution.

In the first case, though, I would definitely contact your local law enforcement agency. You never know, maybe this miscreant has done it before. If a handful of independent people all report them, there's an increasing chance of something being done. And you're raising awareness in the police that there are people willing to stand up and complain.

It might also be worth talking to your local councilor - ask about what they might consider doing to make life safer for their electorate ...


How to remove dried vulcaniser from cotton clothes? Months ago I changed a tyre on my utility bicycle in street clothes.  An unfortunate set of vulcanising stains are now on street clothes I'd like to wear more often.  How do I remove dried vulcaniser from medium weight cotton cloth?

I don't know if the clothing was cotton, cotton blend or what have you, but this has worked for me in the past:

Using your fingernails or a dull knife or scraper, pick off as much of the excess cement from the fabric as you can. You can try gently pulling, scraping or rolling fragments as best you can
I've used a little petroleum jelly rubbed on the cement to loosen it further. Repeat step 1.
Use a spray solvent like Goo-Gone. Let it soak for a few minutes and repeat step 1. You may want to rinse with lukewarm water and repeat applications of the solvent.
Launder your clothing as normal, using the hottest temperature recommended for the material. You may want to dab a bit of your normal laundry detergent on each glue spot before washing as well.

By no means will this always work. Depending on the fabric and dye, even if you get all the glue off the clothing you may still be stuck with visible spots or stains. But, if like me, you got cement on a favorite pair of work pants while fixing a flat on your morning commute it's probably worth the effort. If it doesn't work, you weren't going to wear the clothes much with the stains anyway.


Shimano roller brakes: differences between each model and interchangeability One of my bikes has mounted a Shimano Roller Brake (BR-IM35 FF in my case).
These brakes on my bike are basically not working anymore and I would like to replace them (it's not a cable issue. They were already bad when I bought the bike, I've never worried about greasing them and now they are null...)

My problem is now to find which one to choose. There's more than one version but I haven't found anywhere what is the difference between them (besides the price!). For example these websites have some examples:

https://en.hollandbikeshop.com/bicycle-parts-city-bike/bicycle-brakes/shimano-nexus-brakes/nexus-roller-brake/

https://bcbikeshop.dk/rullebremser

What I can guess is that the IM denomination comes from "Inter M":
https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/technologies/component/details/shimano-inter-m

I've found these other discussion but no answer:
Difference between BR-IM and BR-C Shimano drum brakes?

And on the Shimano website there's no information whatsoever. I've even tried the spanish, american and japanese website :D. I've found googling only some assembly drawing like this one for my brakes: http://si.shimano.com/pdfs/ev/EV-BR-IM35-FF-2776.pdf

Does anyone have any idea?! Are they still on production?

And well, if you're ending up on this discussion, you'll find some information on the might Sheldon Brown page:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/rollerbrakes.html

For all I know the roller brake mounting mechanism is the same for all the Shimano roller brake models and all use the same cable pull ratio.

Different (ly priced) models have different stopping power adn cooling (although none are recommended for long braking on descends etc).

Cleaning and regreasing them usually helps. Shimano roller brake grease works fine in my experience, although I suppose (haven't tested) that molybdenum disulfide grease from a store should work fine (NLGI 1 hardness seems apropriate).

Made a video showing how to dissassemble, clean and reassemble a roller brake (lubing is not shown).

There's also a long and detailed explanation of the Shimano roller brakes on Sheldon Brown website.


Front derailleur doesn't seem to be moving I'm trying to troubleshoot my 24 speed hybrid bike.  As it was, the front shifter was having very little effect. I would change gears and not much would happen.

When I had a chance to look at it, I noticed that the derailleur seemed to be barely moving when I shifted from 3rd to 2nd, and not at all from 2nd to 1st. I tried a few troubleshooting steps to tighten, loosen the cable, but nothing seemed to help.

Now I have completely disconnected the shifter cable and the derailleur is sitting in between 3rd and 2nd gear.

I'm wondering if that's normal resting place, and if it's reasonable to see very little movement when shifting like that.

There are basically 4 possibilities:

The derailer is bent.
The derailer is gummed up, has mud in it, or is otherwise being prevented from moving.  (You said the cable has been completely loosened, right?)
The limit screws are misadjusted
It's the wrong derailer for that gear setup.  Eg, a double derailer on a triple crank.

(It is curious that the decal says "8 speed" -- not something you'd expect as original equipment on a 27 speed bike.)

(It appears to be a down-pull style derailer, and it should center over the granny gear when the cable is fully released.)


How to "fit in" a cycling bunch? This is a genuine request for ideas on how to be effective in not following the "Velominati" rules. How to keep cyclists of all persuasions together and be accepting of others, from leadership to newbies.

The alternative:

https://humancyclist.wordpress.com/2014/05/03/the-rules-rewritten-cycling/

Basically

we ride, we do what we want

I ride, I do what I want

and look how I want

How can we keep bunch riders together, have regular rides, and not slip into this elitist Velominati (it's not even a word)?

I am after tips, DO's and DONT's on how to keep a smile and not feed into the egos in the bunch. That's pretty much it.

I've heard once: if a person offers you a gift and you don't accept it - it remains the property of the other person. And it's the same with criticism. And thus, if you engage yourself into a discussion you most likely end up in a fight over the colour of your bar tape.

Assuming that you are not the only one hating the rules try not to get into the discussions. You can use some responses to the comments on your gear (socks, bike, etc.), I've sorted them out from the least offensive:

if it goes about the socks and such, go "laundry day, sorry, I'll do my best to match them next time"
remarks on how old/outdated your equipment is can be replied with "gets me going but I'd be glad to try yours if you say it's that great. I know what to upgrade."
general remarks can be replied with "don't worry, next time I'll go slower so I stay behind you and don't fall into your field of sight"

Whatever you say, don't engage into further discussion. Simply don't and stand your ground - you're there for the ride and not for the looks.

This will most likely introduce a split in your group to those who blindly follow Velominati rules and those who, like you, want to enjoy the ride. Only the time will tell if the division remains or dissolves.
Of course some basic rules apply concerning safety and correct gear (road bike).

And worst case scenario is that you become the only outsider. In such case this group wasn't meant for you.


How do you check your road bike tires for wear? What is the best way to determine if your tires need to be replaced?

If you're not getting regular punctures due to the thin-ness of the tire or the fabric of the tire is showing/damaged, you can keep the tires on (Sheldon). Unlike a car tire, a tubular tire just requires the tire portion to prevent the tube from getting cut up. And road tires should be smooth since you don't need tread.


Suspension not compressing on Rockrider ST520 I have an almost brand new decathlon rockrider st520 (bought it 3 weeks ago) and noticed if I preload the bike the suspensions just don't compress. They will compress only if you hit the front brake and push down on the handlebars.
I got it for my birthday and I use it just to cycle around my town and go to school, so I don't go on trails.
My friend has the older rockrider 520 and his suspensions compress way easier even while you're on the bike. Also, the bike has a weight adjuster for the fork and nothing else.
Could it be a problem of the suspension or is the bike just made like that?

There are many factors affecting the behavior of a suspension fork that may be in play. Let me describe those that I can recall and which can explain the difference between the two identical bikes (one older, one newer).

Many (if not all) suspension forks have a "break-in" period in the beginning of their service. During that period of riding, the fork gradually "loosens" as its internals start to play with each other. I definitely felt such a break-in on my new fork. Some manufacturers list the length of the break-in to be as long as 50 hours, which I think is an overestimation.

The bicycle in question is at the lower end of price and quality ranges, and so is its fork. It may happen that characteristics of such forks simply vary wildly across the production batches. By a pure (bad) luck, your friend got a softer fork, you got a stiffer one.

While such entry level forks are not very configurable, there may still be some adjustments that affect the feel and dynamics of the fork. In this case, these two forks are simply set up in a different manner, and it should be possible to try doing some adjustments. More advanced forks typically have a few tuning knobs that allow to configure air pressure, compression and rebound.

You and your friend are in fact built differently (weight, height), and so are the seemingly identical bikes (frame size, frame geometry etc.). Same named bike models, if they have different model years or are from different production batches, may in fact have different components. Two forks looking identical on the outside may have different internals.

Finally, a fork that is slower to compress does not mean a worse fork. A suspension that compresses too easily can result in the front end of the bike being lower more of the time, which is not optimal. The tune of the fork depends on the riding circumstances and rider preferences. Many pros run their suspension very stiff because of the terrain and speeds they deal with.

My advice would be to continue using the bike with the fork for a while (a couple of dozens hours of riding). If you are content with the feel it gives you after that, just keep it as is. Otherwise, you may play with the tuning it has, but be sure not to wreck it in the process (do not unscrew things all the way out!). It is unlikely to make any difference however, I am afraid to predict, but I may be wrong.
If you are still not content with it, your best option would be to look for a better fork, or a better bike. In the urban setting and without any tricks involved, I do not think that you'll be at a disadvantage with your current whip.


Cannondale six13 52cm Carbon top tube? One for the Cannondale nuts:

I've got a real soft spot for the Cannondale six13 and have been after one for ages. A 52cm has popped up for sale which would be ideal but I've noticed that it has a aluminium top tube rather than the carbon top tube I've seen on other examples.

Is this because of the size? Do all 52cm six13's have aluminium top tubes? Or did they change at some point? It has the carbon down tube like all other six13's.

From my research on your question, it seems that the 52cm Cannondale six13 Road Bikes should have aluminum head tube, seat tube and rear triangle, with the top tube and down tube being carbon fiber. Here's a very good link that describes the Cannondale six13.

http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/latest-bikes/road-bike/cannondale/six13/prd_321143_5668crx.aspx


How do I change my single-speed to a fixed gear? I've been biking on single-speed for a few months and would like to play around with a fixed gear. I've heard of a flip-flop hub, but I'm not sure exactly what it is. And without any fellow bikers - I'm completely lost.

Benzo and Glenn Gervais are right on, but I thought I'd include a photo for any visual learners. This is a typical fixed/free, high flange rear hub. Quite often they're available in 120mm and 130mm OLD to fit different width dropouts. These hubs generally have solid axles without quick releases to prevent the hub from slipping and slackening your chain.

The right side is for a fixed cog. (The hub in the picture has a lockring installed already). The left side is for a single speed freewheel.

Below is another example (a White Industries ENO Eccentric) with two big differences. First, instead of two opposite-threaded areas for a cog and lockring, this hub has splines for a splined cog and threads for the lockring (left side of the picture). The second difference is the eccentric axle which allows for chain tension adjustment on bicycles with vertical dropouts (single speed or track specific bikes have horizontal or rear-facing dropouts for chain tension adjustments).


Rebuild or replace rear wheel on Giant Escape 2 (2016)? I've had my Giant Escape 2 for just under a year. I do a 10 mile daily commute (total) in the hilly/crappy-road Atlanta area. I weigh 205 and carry 10-20 lbs of stuff in panniers on a rear rack. So as I understand it, that's a situation that puts a bit of extra wear/fatigue on the mediocre stock wheels of this bike. Still, I was a bit disappointed when I broke two spokes within a couple weeks (both right at the spoke nipple). From a bit of web searching, and from going back to the LBS where I bought it, it sounds like I need to either rebuild the wheel or replace. What do y'all think? The LBS says it'd be about $75 to rebuild with new spokes. That's not terrible. Then again, I've grown very frustrated with this particular LBS and am looking around at other shops. I emailed another place, and they suggested upgrading to a higher quality wheel for $185--but I don't know the details yet of what they're thinking. Anyway, I'm just trying to cover my bases and ask around for different perspectives. Trying to find the right balance between a solution that will meet my needs (ie, not break spokes or axles!) without spending a disproportionate amount of money (the bike itself was only $500 new). For reference, the Giant Escape 2 has 700c wheels, rim brakes. I have a very new Continental TourRide tire on it that I'd like to keep using, and I'd rather not replace the Schrader-valve tube if I don't have to. Thanks!

You're not peloton-svelte, so I'd recommend a 36 spoke rear wheel/rim that otherwise duplicates all the measurements of the stock rim.

More spokes is a stronger-better wheel.  40 and 48 spoke is also possible, but they're a bit more rare.

A $500 USD bike is better than a BSO, but it will still have average wheels at best.   An upgrade to the rear wheel is a good idea, if you like the bike and it fits you well.   Shop around, you might find a pair for fair price, being not a lot more than a single.

The other option is to buy a rim/spokes/hub separately and have a good LBS build it for you.


How easy are Parabolic v. Standard Rollers to use? I cycle a track bike and want to do some training over the winter. After a bit of research I've decided to go with rollers.

I haven't used them before but I'm sure with a bit of perseverance I'll get the hang of it.

My budget is €400 max inc. delivery and I think that resistence will be necessary considering the lack of gears.

So far I've boiled it down to:

CycleOps Aluminium Rollers with Resistance Unit
Elite V-Arion Parabolic Inertial Rollers with Integrated Resistance Unit.

I like how simple the CycleOps look and the option of using outdoors but am mildly worried that the non-parabolic rollers will be a lot more difficult and that I wouldn't be able to watch tv etc. eventually.

Would you say that parabolic rollers only lessen the learning curve and are much the same as standard rollers after, or are they always easier?

I've never ridden parabolic rollers myself but I do have a pair of cylindrical pvc rollers. It takes a bit of practice, but after a short amount of time I was able to watch tv quite easily from my cylindrical rollers. A bit after that, I was able to sit up, lean back down, take a drink, and ride with one hand or one foot while watching tv. Not all at the same time, obviously.

It is my understanding that parabolic rollers are easier to learn to ride simply because you can't ride off the edges. However, riding off the sides isn't a big deal. The bike comes to an immediate stop. The friction of your tires isn't enough to overcome your body's lack of inertia. You smell burnt rubber and may leave burn marks on your carpet, but that's about it. If you put a towel under the rollers, you won't have to worry about the carpet.

One other thing to consider is the diameter of the riding surface of the rollers. I believe that on average parabolic rollers are smaller than cylindrical rollers. Smaller rollers heat up more quickly and as a result are harder on tires.

I've really only addressed the issues between parabolic and cylindrical rollers here because that seems to be the brunt of your question. For a more comprehensive disucssion of rollers, see this question and the questions that are linked to in the accepted answer on that question.


Advice for buying a new crankset for my bike Long story short: I recently bought a second-hand bike (good condition), but the guy who sold it to me screwed the pedals in the wrong sides. After two months of riding, the thread on the inside of the crank arms (where it connects to the pedals) is completely stripped away, and can't hold the pedals in place. My understanding is that I have to replace my whole crankset, but I'm at a loss as to which one I should buy.

The crankset I currently have is the Shimano FC-2203, my derailleur is the Shimano FD-R443, and the bottom bracket is a Shimano BB-UN25. (Specs available online, sorry I can't link them).

I can't seem to find a Shimano FC-2203 crankset online, so I assume they are no longer produced. Am I correct in thinking I'd need to buy a new crankset with the following specs? Which are important and which are not?

Crank length of 170-175mm (the best is 170mm based on my height, but I'm currently riding a 175mm with no issue, so any number in that range should be fine).
Triple crankset for a road bike (my current chainrings are 52-42-30, so something close to that is ideal).
No more than 22 teeth diff. between top and bottom chainrings, and no less than 10 between the top and intermediate (derailleur requirements).
Compatible with my 68mm, square-tapered bottom bracket.
Compatible with an 8-speed chain and 9/16" pedals.
Chainline of 45mm (or close) to match the derailleur.
Spindle length of 113mm (or close) to match what I've currently got.
Are there any other specs I should be worried about? Let me know if more information is needed.

The cranksets I've currently found are:

Shimano Tourney 7/8 Speed TX801. This looks close, but it appears to suit a spindle length of 123mm and a chainline of 50mm. Am I right in thinking this won't fit with my current setup, and could grate against the frame?

Shimano M131. This appears to use a shorter spindle than what I have, so could that also be an issue?

Shimano Tourney FC-A073. Looking through the Shimano specifications list, this appears to be my best bet. It meets all the specifications above, so will this fit my bike properly?

Sorry about the long and confusing question, but I just want to know whether I'm on the right track to finding a replacement crankset, and what I need to look out for when buying.

Thanks so much for the help.

You're doing the right things. Since that crank was made, Shimano basically has completely dropped 30/42/52 all across the board in favor of the more practical 30/39/50, which is good in many ways (most people using a triple have no need for the 52). The A073 will work but the gearing will be different. It's also a non-replaceable chainring crank, and personally I think it's always a little sad to put such cranks on bikes that actually get ridden, although it's not a huge deal because the steel rings will last a long time.

If you wanted a crank that was a) Shimano, b) a 100% drop-in replacement including ring size, c) has replaceable rings and d) still real cheap, that would be FC-2303, still available on ebay. (Also this isn't a likely-to-become-outdated recommendation, because that model will probably remain the last one Shimano ever made that fits all those criteria).


Older Carbon Bike Safety I have an older Trek 2100 that has carbon fiber tubes with aluminum stays (The frame is used early 90's 2100/2150/2200/2300 road bikes)

After a recent accident with a car (going down hill, guy pulls into the road from a driveway  and just... stops, so I bounce off his door) I took my bike to a shop to check for frame cracks, which they didn't find thankfully.

They did point out though that in the lower frame joint (by the front derailleur) the carbon tubes are separating from the aluminum joint. This is apparently unrelated to the accident and something that naturally happens as the epoxy ages and the bike is regularly used.

How dangerous is this? How likely is it to catastrophically separate outside of an accident type situation (i.e. just riding around)? And is it possible to rebuild the frame with fresh epoxy (I have access to a machine shop and some industrial grade epoxy)?

I love downtube shifters too much to just toss it away :D

As far as I know carbon is most prone to catastrophic failure of all frame materials. Depending on the type of separation you see it could be a bit dangerous to keep on using your bike as is. The catastrophic failure occurs because the epoxy becomes brittle over time. A new layer will probably extend the life of your frame just by protecting the original epoxy from the elements. However, it will also hide the progress of the degradation of the material underneath, so you won't be able to monitor the extent of the degradation. I'm not sure you could repair your frame to the extent that the new layers will be strong enough to replace the old ones.

But I'm not an expert, so I could be very wrong. Maybe your best bet is to send these guys a picture of the damage and ask them for their professional opinion.


Bicycle trainer tyre - understanding the sizing The weather where I live is very bad sometimes. I was thinking of buying either a magnetic or fluid trainer or rollers. I read that the tyres wear out quickly on those and one should use specific tyres for indoor trainers and rollers.

I'm a little confused about the sizing. In a sticker on my rims, it says

ETRTO Rim size: 584 x 19C Inner Rim Width: 19C
ETRTO Recommend Tire Section Width: 28mm - 62mm

On my tyres there's the following

37-622 (700 x 37C - 28 x 1 5/8 x 1 3/8)

What do these mean?

The indoor trainer tyres I'm looking for have a few options:

26 x 1,1
700 x 23C
26 x 1,75
700 x 32C

Which one of these suits my rims?

You're on the right track buying a trainer-specific tire- trainers generate a decent amount of heat and eat tires.

Your current tire is a 700c x 37, so out of the list, I'd go for the 700 x 32. The 26 options won't fit on the rim.


Creak in frame best practice? Has anyone troubleshooted a creak issue by  leaning the bike at an angle and pushing down at the crank at about a 6 o clock position , causing the bottom frame to kind of flex to listen for any type of creaks?.... Is this a normal method of troubleshooting because I was pissed when I saw this done to my bike.

Yes. I do exactly this to the carbon bike almost every week just to check when I hear something even resembling a possible creak... well, that is if you ignore that I actually do something similar but even more stressful for the bike every single day; every time I take a corner fast in the woods and feel the tyres losing grip.

So far checking out creaks this way has led me to tighten the BB once and to tighten the crank arms once. However usually it's actually a seat post related creak (sometimes still heard when doing the above). A quick clean and some mounting paste sorts out the post.

If this procedure actually breaks your frame or something, then be happy, very happy. You avoided a serious injury.


Noticeably more Muscle on one leg than the other? One of my legs is noticeably more muscular than the other.  I am also more prone to knee pain in the more muscular leg.

Could this be related to my frequent (I ride 5+ days a week) cycling habit?  Are there any exercises I can do to even this up?  I have to walk/climb stairs a lot at my job...

Should I even care about this?  What habits can I break that might cause this?

It's normal to have a small amount of imbalance on one side vs the other. Significant imbalance can be due to injury or neurological issues on the weaker side. If either of those apply, it's also common to have knee pain on the stronger side as it is trying to make up for the weaker side. Even after recovering from injury or neurological problems, it can take months for the weaker side to catch up, even longer without physical therapy.

Have you ever hurt your knee, leg, foot hip, or ankle on the weaker side? Any lower back problems? Sometimes nerve impingement can manifest itself as weakness without pain, but it's more common to have both.


V Brake does not snap back The rear brake lever on my hybrid does not seem to snap back after I release as quickly as it used to, and it doesn't release as quickly as the front brake.

These are standard Shimano V brakes, in service for about 6-8 months.

I suspect that I need to lubricate something, but I am not sure what.

Normally, in freezing weather, this is caused by water freezing (and being helped in its task by grime, e.g. salt and dirt and stuff).

My procedure for this is generally:

1) Bring the bike inside or somewhere warm so that any ice/water can melt/evaporate off the bike. The evaporation is key -- if you just let it melt and then re-freeze, its going to cause more of a headache. I normally bring the bike in for the night when I want to deal with this.

2) Remove the brakes, thoroughly clean the bosses and brakes with rubbing alcohol and regrease and reinstall them. The brakes should move freely on the bosses. I find that this helps, but I find that cleaning the bosses and replacing the V-brake itself is sometimes a better option -- its not very expensive, and sometimes the crud works itself into places that you won't be able to clean out.

3) Make sure the cables are in good condition. If your cables are old/grimy/worn, you may need to replace them. Some people suggest lubing the brake cables, but this is against many manufacturer recommendations -- ymmv, if you choose to lubricate them.

4) Adjust the V-brakes the usual way. Not really specific to the problem, but you may as well do it at this point.

Fenders may help with preventing grime to get in, but they're a bit of a hindrance if ride in snow since it gives somewhere to pack...

As for greases/lubes, note that their viscosity and properties change with temperature, so you may want to take that into consideration (e.g. regular old white lithium grease vs a low temperature one).

And there's a good chance you'll be dealing with this multiple times in a given winter.

If its not cold, steps 2,3,4 are still good ones to follow for troubleshooting sticky V-brakes.


How to identify lead paint? I'm starting renovation work on an old bicycle. One of the things I want to do is a new paint job.

I guess before that I'll need to sand the current paint off the frame. So I bought sandpaper. On the back of the sandpaper packaging, they state "beware when sanding lead paint".

Makes sense, I guess, don't really want to be intoxicated with lead. A quick research on Internet showed that somes bikes had lead paint or lead rust inhibitor.

So the question now is: is my bicycle lead-free? Is there any way to identify lead paint? The bike is an old Flandria, probably dates back to... I have no idea really...

What if it turns out to be lead paint? Is there a safe way to sand it, and be eco-friendly with the resulting dust? Or should I just paint over it? What about the existing rust patches?

Rough up the paint with sandpaper, and then use Aircraft Remover to get the paint off, if you try to sand it, you'll go crazy. DO NOT use aircraft remover inside, and wear a filter mask, it will make you sick if you don't. It will rip the paint right off.

http://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/auto/paint-chemicals/aircraft-remover


Cube Travel Pro - First Tour (HELP) I need a bike for my first ever bike tour, and desperately need some help...
I'm quite new to the "bike world", and have a hard time understanding all the technical jargon.
After some research, I'm thinking this might be a good choice;
https://www.cube.eu/uk/2021/bikes/city-tour/offroad/travel/cube-travel-pro-blacknteak/
A few questions then:

Anyone with personal experience of this model, who'll give a quick review?
If no personal experience, does it seem like a decent enough touring bike, or are there any big red flags based on the listed components?
According to their size chart, I'm in between two sizes (S,M). Sadly, no local dealers nearby, so I can't physically try it before buying... so, which to choose? Is smaller generally better for not destroying your back, or is it the other way around?

If anyone has the time to answer, favorably in a "biking for dummies" sort of language, I would be eternally grateful!

We try to avoid specific product recommendations here.
Looking at the specs, the things that jump out at me are:

The weight. Even for a touring bike, this is pretty heavy. It does include kickstand, rack, and lights, which makes up for that somewhat.
The gear range: this has a planetary gear with a 307% range. That's OK for in-town riding and riding over fairly flat terrain, but if you're going to be doing any serious climbing, you'll want a wider gear range than that.
Flat bars: they give you only one hand position. I prefer drop bars, but this is a matter of personal preference.

The most obvious tradeoff with size is that a smaller frame will pull your torso down more (which can be fatiguing if you're not used to it), a bigger frame will have less clearance when you're standing over it. Pick your poison.


Noticed a scratch on my carbon steerer, should I be worried? Pictures: https://imgur.com/a/0cWtcsS

My nail gets caught in the center and it feels sort of rough. I had my stem tightened at 4NM and the headset seemed to be properly adjusted. I have once reinstalled the stem; this time, tighenting the top cap a bit more (slightly more than needed to remove play) and setting the stem bolts torque to 5NM.

Any opinions on what this scratch could be from and how can I prevent it?

Really appreciate it, thanks!

Update:

I inspected again and it seems there is another mark from the spacer below. I think the marks may have actually been from the spacers rather than the stem. I thought I had tightened the top cap enough. Here are some pictures. https://imgur.com/a/6nkznf2. It’s very faint but there’s a line below.

Looks like a surface scratch, so no need to worry.

Obvious source of a circumferential scratch on the steerer is the stem being rotated around the it, although in this case I suspect the stem moving up and down slightly from the normal varying forces on the handlebars during riding. Just check for a rough edge inside the stem.


How to keep bikes safe while camping with a car I'm planning to make a trip through Europe this year with my girlfriend. Bikes are going to travel on a roof rack. We are going to sleep on campgrounds in tents most of the time. So my biggest concern is how to store our bikes safe while we're asleep or gone somewhere on foot.

My only idea is to detach front wheels and put them in the trunk of my SUV each time. Also hiding them under some kind of blanket would be necessary not to draw attention of the potential thief (we ride Canyon Nerve & Trek X-Caliber).

I used to take the family bikes over to western Europe and never had a problem leaving them overnight. This would have been maybe USD3000s worth of bikes at various places in France, Germany and Benelux.

First of all I was able to lock the rack onto the car - it was a pretty Mickey-Mouse lock but would nevertheless deter an opportunist thief. Next I would lock the frames together, and to the rack, using a couple of my regular bike locks. These were much more heavy duty, Fahgettaboudit locks.

This combination worked fine for me. It was obviously enough to put people off. We didn't park in the centre of cities, but nevertheless these were public locations in quite substantial towns.

So I didn't detach the wheels, but I did lock each up with a combination of chains and D-locks. For any would-be thief, their quickest option would have been to steal three bikes and a rack all in one go, which I guess could have happened but fortunately didn't.

I guess the moral is to have some good locks visible and in use, and to be aware of where you're parking.


Buying slicks for a cross bike The whole rim/tire size thing baffles me.  I have a Specialized cross bike that has DT Swiss rims (622x 14). The tires are Tracer Sport (700 x 33). I would like to get a pair of slicks for longer road rides as I cannot afford a whole new wheelset at the moment.

Best I can tell, there is no such thing as a slick tread in that tire size, so what is the range of tire sizes I could get for those rims?

There are multiple ways to talk about wheel/tire sizing. "700c" is an old standard that's actually the exact same size as "622" or "29er".
622x14 is the ISO standard way to refer to the rim's bead seat diameter.
700x33 is "622x33" in ISO standard sizing. 622 means it will fit a 622 rim. 33 means that on some standard rim, the width of the inflated tire is 33mm. There's no real standard used for measuring tire width, so "same size" tires from different companies may differ by 1 or 2mm...

According to this handy chart on Sheldon Brown's website, anything from about 20-28mm width should work great on your 14mm rim.

Look for 622x20 to 622x28, or 700x20 to 700x28. You could go as large as 33mm wide, like your cross tires, but I think you'd prefer the on-road handling of tires that are more safely within the recommended range.

Whether you go more towards the high end of that range or towards the low end of that range should depend on the kind of roads you'll be riding on. If the roads are nice and smooth, 20-23mm tires may be the way to go. If there's bumps, potholes, train tracks, etc, go with 25-28mm.


Knees touching rib cage when riding in the drops A few weeks ago I got a used road bike, my first bike to have proper drops. I don't have previous experience with riding in the drops. I enjoy it a lot so far.
One thing I did however notice was that when I do, my quads and knees seem to touch my rib cage. Is this a problem / is there a way to tweak things so this does not happen? Or is it normal and/or fine as long as it doesn't cause problems? I guess it means I can't easily get more aero however for more of a hobby rider like me that is not that much of a concern.

In an aggressively aero position, it's not uncommon for your knees to be very close to your rib cage. For example, here is the first image I found on the web of a bunch of pros in the drops. Notice the first rider in particular is just about at the top of his pedal stroke and his knee is quite close to his chest. As long as your pedal stroke is not impeded, there's no problem, although many people find it uncomfortable to ride in such a position for a long time. If your back is not as flat as his, it is possible that your bike is not long enough, which can be remedied with a longer stem.
If you do find it uncomfortable, raising the stem slightly is an easy solution. If you want to keep the aero position, but need more room to have a proper pedal stroke, shorter cranks will reduce the height of your knee. You may also want to experiment with moving your saddle forward (and probably up at the same time to compensate) so that your hip does not have to compress as far at the top of the pedal stroke.


Judging a bicycle show At the end of the month, I'm helping out at a Car Show that has a new Bicycle division.  They want me to judge because I work in the bike industry.  I've never done this, and any recommendations would be helpful.  We are doing two categories, Custom & Vintage, and I need help with what criteria to judge and how to weight it(points per category), and any other advice would be much appreciated.

Some things i would consider, some could possibly be grouped together. Perhaps others can add on with more answers.

Custom Class

Originality/Creativity
Function
*Can you actually ride it semi comfortably or is it just cool looking
*Can it do something normal bikes can't?
Use of colors or materials (could lump into creativity)
Wow factor
Overall theme

Vintage Class

Period correctness (50's era components on a 50's era cycle)
Original parts (as much as possible)
Cleanliness
Paint/Chrome quality (new or original)
Function (are all required parts present and in working order)

For your points system, decide on what things you would like to judge , using my list as an example you could give each a 20 point value, 5 topics totaling 100 points maximum - Highest score wins


Spokes for Shimano Ultegra Wheelset I had a minor run in with car early last month and my front wheel got trashed:

LBS says between labor, paying for the proprietary spokes (you have to buy for front and back as well I guess), and the possibility it can't be re-trued, I may as well just buy a new wheel.

So my question is...if I can scrounge up a couple spokes can I try and put them on and see if it'll true up myself? If so, have any spokes or know where I can just get three?? Can I use used ones?

Thanks!

I recently went through a similar process with my Easton EA90 SLX wheel.

In my case, 2 spokes broke at the same time (or one immediately after the other).  After special ordering the spokes from Easton and lacing them up, I quickly realized that the rim was bent beyond the point of repair.

The fewer spokes your wheel has, the higher the spoke tension needs to be.  With such a high spoke tension a broken spoke can not only cause the wheel to become un-true, but also cause the rim to bend (which permanently weakens the integrity of the rim).

I would recommend taking it into your LBS, and maybe even sending back to Shimano for inspection.


Steel (531) road bike conversion to disc practicability Are the stays on an old PX-10 frame (531) sturdy enough for disc brakes? I ask this, because this frame has nice, wide stays for wide rims and tires for use as a bad-weather bike. I would consider having disc mounts brazed on if I knew the stays could withstand the forces.

Answer: Its not worth doing, from a financial stand point.

Adding disk brakes to a frame is expensive, risky, and ruins any vintage value the frame had.   The stays are not engineered or designed for the new sideways loading.

Also, you talk about stays, but braking on the rear wheel is nowhere near as good as braking on the front.

If you're dead-keen on fitting disks to this frame, then a better solution is to buy a new front fork with disk mounts, a new front wheel or hub with disk mounts, a front caliper and rotor, new cable/hose, and a new brake lever that suits.   Keep the old fork and parts too, that way you can revert to original spec for no cost.

If you want a disk brake bike for bad weather, buy a second-hand MTB and fit mudguards, leaving your loverly vintage bike for rides.


What brand is this bike seat logo? Trying to figure out what brand this bike seat is. Thank you very much for your help!!

The logo says   "CODA"   which appears to be a name applied to some Cannondale components.

They have cranks and saddles branded as CODA.

Note that there's a Jamis model called a Coda - that's different again.


What exactly are Quest bikes? My wife has about 10-15 years old, but very rarely used (thus in quite good condition) bike with a large "Quest" label in place, where all other bikes has its brand name.

By reading all the labels on that bike, I managed to read this:

  Quest Courage, 20 inch, 21 level Shimano, Quest Courier

Not much, but I thought, that using Google etc. this will allow me to learn more about these bikes. However, when I tried to search the Internet, I found very little toward nothing. All I found was this site, but it seems to be about completely different product.

On some old forum there was a post claiming, that this is a marketing name for Dick's Sporting Goods, but searching this site for Quest name brought no results around bikes.

I also read a few claims, that this is a very, very low-end and very low quality line of products. Some even said, that if you plan to ride more than 10 miles on road or take this bike off-road then you should definitely forget about "Quest" line.

All these claims seems to be contrary to what I have and to what many bicycle repair shops claimed about my wife's bike (saying, that it looks like a good quality and in good condition, taking its age).

Can someone shed a light, what exactly is this brand? Is it still in production or when it was produced, if it is off market right know? Is there any website or support or anything?

Quest was sold by Oshmans sporting goods in the 90s with mid range
 cro-moly frames and Shimano components.


Rim tape doesn't quite meet, but covers all spoke holes - OK? The ends of my rim tape are about 1mm apart, but the spoke holes are covered. Is this ok, or should I pull it off and start with a fresh roll?
Here's a picture.

This is usually ok. as long as it has strong enough adhesive to stay in place. It's better to overlap it, of course, but as long as the spoke holes are covered it should be ok.

A bigger issue is that usually, when the tape comes up short, it means that roll was designed for a 26" wheel, and is going on a 700c rim. If that is the case, make sure the tape is not too wide, because if it is, it prevents the bead of the tire from seating, by filling some of the space in the beadlock on the rim.

If it curls up on to the side walls of the rim at all, that is not a good option. There are different widths for 26" tape, so even if it is 26", it can still be the correct width.


Is there a reason why one's calfs would ache on a Turbo or Spinner, but not when riding on the road? I'm not on my own on this one as at least two other people in my Spinning class suffer the same:  when Spinning or on the Turbo Trainer, I can feel pressure on my calf muscles after a bit of time (usually less than 45 minutes).  But I can ride on the road for up to 3 hours without feeling any pressure.

I think it's something to do with leg angles:  on the road, the bike changes angle slightly to best match the angle of the leg, but on a spinner or Turbo, it's fixed and so can't move.

Are there any proven reasons why calfs would ache on a static bike but not on the road?

There are likely a few different reasons, but my primary suspicion would be fit. Presumably your road bike is set up to fit your body geometry and angles, where the spin bike is not. Small differences in how a bike is set up can have a big impact on how your body feels while riding.

My n=1 example, when doing higher intensity efforts on the road, I would get high calf cramps after about an hour. When I had a Retul fit done for my time trial bike, the fitter told me that because my feet were somewhat duckfooted, I needed to move to speedplay pedals with longer spindles to allow my heels to drift inward more than my old pedals. Solved my calf cramp problems.


Can I use super glue for punctures? I want to fix my puncture with super glue, can I use it ? I do not have any glue left in my puncture outfit so can I use ordinary super glue?

It won't work very well at all. Superglue, unlike rubber glued with rubber cement, doesn't stretch. It will probably open up again as soon as you inflate the tyre. If it holds at first, it's likely to let you down soon.

If you're absolutely desperate it might be worth a try, especially if the tube doesn't have to expand much to fit the tyre, but only to get you home or to the bike shop. And it's risky - the tyre could go down quickly when you don't want it to. You'd probably have to replace the tube after that as a proper patch wouldn't stick to the dried superglue.

Among household glues, evostick or a similar contact adhesive (that's used in the same way as patch cement) would be a better bet, but would still probably write off the tube


How do I change my disc brake pads? How do I change my disc-brake pads? How do I avoid letting the fluid out?

Generally speaking you should just be able to take off your wheel and grab them with some needle nose pliers.  I just grab onto the tab (see picture) and slowly ease them out.  Mine are just held in with magnets.  More info is probably needed for a better answer.


Does my chain need to be replaced because it has looped itself many times? A snapped off derailleur caused my chain to loop itself so unsure whether it needs replacing.

If it's just tangled, untangling it is fine, but if your derailleur has suffered there's a good chance your chain has too, which will weaken the chain. Laying it out on a flat surface, it should look flat once you've taken out the loops.

If you've got twisted links, they're likely to snag on the derailleur or gears, possibly only under load. If you try to straighten them, they'll probably end up stiff, and will be weaker. I recently trashed a rear derailleur and definitely had to replace the chain. Some links were badly twisted, and even with those removed the remaining chain was fragile (I snapped it twice in 5km of gentle riding). One almost new chain in the bin. You may be lucky, or you may be in the same position.


tricycle engine compatibility? Hi I was wondering if any bike engines would be compatible for a adults tricycle?
An example of the bike I am talking about:

TinyURL: http://tinyurl.com/otuo2d2

Thank You

Most front wheel motors will work on the trike and will install in a very similar way. There are a lot of kits on ebay, ranging in price from a couple of hundred dollars up through sensible prices to quite silly. See this question for some opinions on the cheap kits.

Most crank motors will also work and be easy enough to install. This Sunstar kit, for example. The advantage is that it uses the gearing system on the trike, so it works better than a hub motor when the trike is going very slowly. The disadvantage is that it's a pedal-assist motors, so it only works if you're pedalling.

My suggestion is that you find a local bike shop that has experience with electric bikes, ideally one that sells kits, and get them to supply and fit a kit for you. While it's possible to do the work yourself, unless you have the rights tools and experience it's very easy to make mistakes and end up with something that's unsafe, doesn't work, or is unreliable.

You can also buy ready-made electric trikes like this one. It might easily turn out to be cheaper to do that than buy a trike plus a kit if you don't already own the trike.


What model and year is this bike? What model and year is this bike? Stickers/Decals say Cannondale but not 100% sure if it is.

I have looked at catalogues of cannondale from 1997 to 2010 and can't see this bike.  If anyone could help I would be really thankful.its frame number is A9H64776 if this helps

If that's a Cannondale, it is a Chase, probably a Chase "2".

http://www.bikepedia.com/Search.aspx?Q=cannondale%20chase


Can I use a 3x10 shifter/brake lever on a 3x8 bike? I have a 3x8 road bike, but mistakenly bought a 3x10 Shimano derailleur/brake lever.  Will it work or should I exchange?

No, the cable pull is different between 8 speed and 10 speed. You will need to exchange it.

There is a detailed explanation here, but the short version is that there are no 8 speed rear derailleurs that are compatible with 10 speed shifters, or vice versa.


Puncture/Tear at base of air valve. I have replaced three flats on my new bike and found each time a tear or hole at the base of the air valve. What can cause this.

As Kibbee suggests, the wrong size valve.
A badly-formed valve hole in the rim.  It's not that unusual to find that there is a "lip" of metal at the hole that will cut into the tube.  This requires a bit of filing with a small round file to correct.
Running the tire flat or with very low pressure.  As an under-inflated tire rolls on the ground it tends to "walk" along the rim, tugging on the valve stem.
Poor tube installation technique.  Most importantly, inflate the tube slightly before installing -- just enough that it rounds out (though it should still be limp).


Rear axle swap on Mavic hub Is it possible to change the rear axle from a 12x142 thru axle to a 9x135 qr on a Mavic Ksyrium wheel?

https://shop.mavic.com/en-gb/ksyrium-disc-rr0889.html#1028=3283

Compatibility
Rear axle: 12mm thru axle, convertible to Quick Release with optional adapters (not available in Germany)

This listing offers various adapters, including a QR option, which may fit your hub:
https://shop.mavic.com/en-gb/rear-axle-adapters-oc0672.html#1040=3808


Which rims should I purchase to avoid breakage of spokes? I might need to replace my rims soon. I've had frequent problems with breakage of spokes, so it's a good opportunity to buy stronger rims and/or spokes.

What characteristics should I look for if I want to fix this problem? Should I pay attention more to the spokes or to the rim?

Some details: I don't do racing, so weight is not an issue. I do trail riding, including jumps. I have disk brakes.

You should pay attention to both.  Ideally, if I wanted to make the strongest wheel possible, I'd build a 36 spoke wheel with a double wall rim with eyelets, and double butted spokes, and lace it 3-cross.  All of these components help absorb or redirect impact.

Double wall rims are definitely the biggest part of this.  The torsional stiffness of a double wall can definitely keep things rolling straight. I've even had a wheel with two broken spokes that had a very tall double wall rim, that I rode like that for 2 years before replacing those spokes, because the rim wasn't that far out of true.  Of course, this was on a fixed gear with no brakes, so brake rub wasn't a problem...

Eyelets reinforce the spoke/rim interface, making it stronger and helping to avoid nipple pull-through.

Spoke count makes a pretty big difference simply because the more spokes, the more impact gets divided between separate spokes.  The cross pattern matters because every point two spokes cross, some small part of the energy divides off to the crossed spoke.  More than 3-cross can be a problem though, since you start having spokes crossing at the j-bend where they go into the hub, which can cause more problems.

This last one is going to seem a bit counter-intuitive.  Double butted spokes are thinner in the middle than they are at the ends.  One thing this does is make the spokes a little bit compliant.  Whatever forces are acting on them, they can stretch or contract just a little to adjust for.  Also, the weak point of straight-gauge spokes is at the J-bend where they enter the hub.  Any mechanic will tell you, that's where they break.  The double butted spoke adds a perceived weak point, the middle of the spoke, where it's thinner.  Since that part is the smallest bit compliant, it can absorb more impact without breaking.


A gap in the hole when inserting JIS square BB to a Truvativ Crank I push the BB inside a crank hole without any tool but I expect a few milimeters gap.

The Truvativ crank definitely uses JIS interface, but the question is: DOES the gap make any problem? or is it normal?

some images:

If you have correctly tightened the crank bolt then this normal. The recommended torque spec is 305-390 in lbs. If the crank axle came all the way to the end you would run the risk of the bolt bottoming out before the crank was seated.


Shimano 105 early- to mid-1990s SLR groupset on eBay worth it for 70s SuperCycle rebuild? Is the below groupset a good value for this frame?

I picked up a vintage SuperCycle Medalist frame (I'm guessing 1970s) and am looking to make a comfortable but capable bike for commuting and general urban cycling. It has a few parts that I'll clean and evaluate while I rebuild, but for the sake of argument, let's say that I only keep the frame/fork, cable guide clamps, and perhaps stem.

I have found a Shimano 105 early- to mid-1990s SLR groupset on eBay for ~$480 shipped. It includes:

BR-1055 brakeset
HB-1055 + FH-1056 Hubs 32 holes laced to AMBROSIO Elite Wheelset 700C 622x13C (pictures indicate tubes and tires may also be included, although that's not a huge concern)
FD-1056 + RD-1055 front and rear derailleurs, respectively (will need a 28.6 mm adapter clamp for the braze-on FD)
BB-UN71 bottom bracket, English threading
STI-1055 shifter 2x8 speed
FC-1056 Crankset SG 53/39 (170 mm, 9/16x20)
Shimano 105 Headset Italian Thread (I'm guessing HP-1055)
Shimano PD-1056 Pedals
134 cm chain
Shimano Freehub 8 speed (13.14.15.17.19.21.23.26.) (I'm guessing standard HG50)

The issues with my bike are minor and twofold. First, my frame and fork spacing will need to be widened slightly by cold setting: from 126 to 130 mm in the dropouts and from 96 to 100 mm at the fork. Second, I would require nutted brakes and perhaps a longer reach as I plan to use 700C wheels in a bike that was likely 27". So instead of using the BR-1055 brakes, I'd pick up some Tektro R559s.

The question is whether or not this groupset + wheels is a decent value. It is attractive for me given that individual parts come with individual shipping costs and vintage/used parts are excruciatingly difficult to source locally where I live. I built a bike last year with Shimano 600 components and while the final product is absolutely amazing, the costs for sourcing individual parts added up quickly.

For not much more than that ($600 dollars), you could put a new Tiagra 10 speed group on the bike. So in my opinion, no, that is not a good price for those components.

Even if they were unused, it would be a high price. You are the only one who can make that value judgement, though.

Do you want the vintage look and feel? Are the components unused? Do you think it's worth close to the same money as a newer, better quality group set?

Then it may be.


Tick sound on every pedal only for 5 minutes I am having a new MTB Montra Rock 1.0D 2016.

When I ride my cycle, for first 5 to 10 minutes, I hear a tick sound on every pedal when my pedal is at 3'o clock to 6'o clock position on my right foot.

After few minutes, no noise at all and everything is quiet and smooth.

Next day, same happens for first few minutes.

I couldn't figure out source of the tick.

Also to note that, when cycle is standstill, no tick sound at all when moving pedal with hand, not for few minutes also, means no tick at all and thats what I want.

If i ride cycle, then only I hear tick for first few minutes

Can anyone help me?

UPDATE

BIKE SPECIFICATION

Possible cause:

Without any further knowledge about your bike, I'd guess that the clicking noise has something to make with a grease in either the pedal or the crank bearings. (As you mentioned that the sound occurs only when the pedals are in the very same position and when you actually put some force on them, I'd say it isn't caused by something like an unevenly tightend handle bar or loose seat post etc etc..)

Since you only hear the clicks within the first 5 - 10 min when riding, I assume this is the time the grease needs to "warm up", as in become slightly more fluid due to the friction it experiences. During this time some of the little balls inside the bearings could cause the clicking noises.

Possible solution:

Make sure that the pedal bearings arent tightend too much (in case
you can open them at all).
check on your cranks, whether they're tightend properly
check on the more unlikely sources for the click (i.e. seat post, saddle, etc.)
replace bottom bracket

I'd also advice you to do these steps iteratively, so you get to know the source of the problem.


Can't push lever to shift into big ring, lever will not move all the way I just installed a new 6800 groupset on my bike for the first time, and everything went O.K except for the front derailleur. I can't shift it into the big ring, if I push the lever to change to the big ring, it won't go all the way, and it won't make a click.

If I push just the smaller lever (to get into the small ring) it makes a click just fine, but if I push the big lever, it will move a bit but not enough to click.

If I disconnect the cable from the FD, I still can't get the lever to move and make a click. Is the cable stuck somewhere?

Check the limit screws -- if you set them in the wrong way they might stop the full movement of the cage, irrespective of the cable.  If the cable is disconnected and if you cannot move the cage so that the chain goes on the front outer right that is either because of limit screws or the bottom bracket is so far out the outer ring cannot be reached by the cage.

Check out this page and see whether you get something out of it:

Park Tool front derailleur adjustment

PS as PeteH mention in his comment, if you cannot 'click' the levers, check whether you have installed the cable correctly -- I personally think this is a very unlikely situation, because cables can normally be installed only when the shifter is in one specific position.  Worth a check though.


Crank arm loose (squared taper). Can it be fixed? My problem is that my squared taper crank arm keeps on coming loose no matter how hard I tighten the bolt - it also starts creaking.
Here’s a video of the problem
https://giphy.com/gifs/RlN0wNSZsWluF5izKz
I’m thinking replacing the crank arm would do it since it seems to have become larger than the axle. But I’m curious: can this be fixed somehow?
Edit: I’m thinking the whobbliness is normal since the bolt is suppose to tighten it against the axle. But the problem is that the axle has come all the way through the space for the arm, making it impossible for the nut to squeeze it against the axle.
Here you can see the axle coming all the way through the arm. Is this normal? Shouldn’t it stay inside so the nut can squeeze it against the axle?

Ideas if this can be fixed? I’m thinking that a new axle could also have the same issue
Edit 2: I’m thinking perhaps a washer that is as big as the crank hole walls could push towards the axle?

This question about loose crank arms has been asked and answered several times before on this site, but yours is the worst I've ever seen I think.
Unfortunately your crank arm is ruined. If the alloy crank gets loose and is ridden on the hard steel spindle wallows out the relatively soft alloy. It does not matter how tight the retaining bolt is done up the deformed crank arm will continue to come loose.
Replacement crank arm (or both crank arms) is the only solution. The bottom bracket and spindle are probably fine (unless the bearings are worn out).


What are the long-term effect of riding with a chain that's too short? I bought my bike late November 2017, and have been riding it with the same chain ever since. I've only done very light riding with the longest rides I've ever done amounting to 60km. Last week, I took my bike to a bike shop to get my bearings repacked ang regreased, while the mechanic was tuning my gears for accurate shifting, he noticed my derailleur was too stretched out when at the largest gear(Shimano SLX 2X11). Long story short, he explained to me why he thought my chain was too short.  For the four years I've ridden my bike, I have never had any issues with it, so when the time came to replace my chain because it had 0.75 wear, I purchased a brand new Shimano CGNHG701 11S chain (same model as the previous). It's about to arrive in a few weeks, and I'm worried about my drivetrain (which was used for four years for over 2000km) possibly having any issues with my new chain. Any response is appreciated, cheers!

The main problem with a chain that is too short, is when you're in a combination of gears where the chain is too short to go around both chainring and cog.
You'd have to be moving the chain from a lower to a higher-tooth count gear, so at some point in that first half-revolution, the chain will bind, the cranks will resist you, and any more force on the pedal will start to snap and bend components.
Since you've already ridden so far on the chain, it might be more a case of possibly a little short for optimal vs the catastrophic "too short" described above.  Or you've never ever put the chain into big-big.
Frankly I wouldn't worry, but when the new chain is fitted make it one link longer and see how that rides.    Remember to count links, not measured length when comparing it to the current chain.


Spring frame in place of shocks? Could a bike frame be springy like an athletes prosthetic spring leg instead of rigid?
The frame would look like a bow, of a bow and arrow, open end ending at the tires.
What problems may arise that I cannot anticipate, or other engineering issues?
Is there a bike like this?

Softride is one of the bigger names in this area.  Their main bike design exchanged the top/seat tube and seat stays for a composite materials "beam" that cantilevered back to a saddle in the regular position.  Originally for MTBs, they pivoted to Triathlon bikes in the mid 90s.  The company stopped making frames in 2007 mostly because the design was no-longer UCI legal.  The frames never conformed to the double diamond required of road bikes, but tri bikes had more lenient rules.  While softride still exists, they make tailgate protectors and straps.
By AndrewDressel - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62716747
Notice the chainstays are much more substantial and therefore heavier, to hold the rear wheel.  The stub top tube is also beefy because not-only is it holding much of the rider's weight, it is levering downward also requiring strength in the fastener.    As such there are much smaller weight savings than you might imagine.
Another downside is that the suspension beam is made of slightly flexible material (actual composition is unknown) but imagine that snapping and dropping the rider down.   The beam should be engineered to minimise sideways flex and twisting forces, I don't know how well they succeeded.
More info  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softride

Your idea of a flexible frame will have poor handling characteristics in a corner.  If the effective wheelbase can change, then the bike will get longer and shorter which will make cornering feel weird.
While its a known technique to brake hard on the front going into a corner, to load up front-fork suspension which effectively shortens the bike for the short duration of the turn, having the frame change from long to short to long with every pedal stroke will be disconcerting to the rider.


How to clean sealant stuck in pump head? I have a old trusty pump that over the years has the presta head filled with tubeles goo. Noways it pumps the tires very slow. Is there any chemical way to remove it without melting the plastic?

You should be able to disassemble the pump head and clean out the blockage manually.

I’d try 70% isopropyl alcohol as a solvent to help remove sealant.


Recently washed road bike now squeaks when pedaling or coasting I just did a wash in what I felt was the proper way (I've watched the tutorials lol) of my Cannondale CAAD12 roadie. I lubed it up like I normally do with some dry teflon lube on the chain and some spray teflon lube in the important bits... go out riding today and it's squeaky as hell, fairly high pitched. Happens when pedalling and when I coast (for a bit after letting off the gas). Where should I start to look? Did I mess my BB?
Thanks guys in advance you usually help me out quite a bit!

When does it squeak?
If it squeaks even while you are coasting it can’t be the bottom bracket, chain, pedals or rear derailleur. If it only squeaks while you are coasting it could be the free wheel.
If it squeaks all the time it could be the brakes (should be more of a rubbing sound) or hub bearings (though those usually don’t “squeak”).


How much hydration is enough hydration during long rides? I have been doing some experiments to see if I'm hydrating enough during rides of moderate length and intensity. Basically, I weigh myself (naked) and my water bottles before and after a ride, to measure my weight loss and water consumption. Also keeping track of ride time, average speed of the ride, and the outside temp (per my phone's weather app), and any snacks I eat.
My questions is: if I'm hydrating enough, should I expect my body weight to stay approximately the same before and after a ride? Or would I expect to lose some measurable amount of weight independent of water loss (i.e. from respiration of CO2). For example, this weekend I did a 48km ride in ~2:00 hours, over which I consumed ~44oz of water (with electrolytes and sugar mixed in, no other snacks). After the ride, I was about 1 lb (0.45kg) lighter than when I started, though I wasn't feeling especially parched or exhausted. Is this difference mostly water weight? And if so, should I be drinking an extra half liter of water on similar rides? Or is it possible this weight difference was mostly from calorie burn, and my hydration level was adequate?
Obviously it isn't too much trouble to make up a small water deficit post ride, but I'm training for my first 200k brevet, and trying to establish a good baseline for staying hydrated over a substantially longer time-frame. For context, I'm a fairly overweight dude at ~225lbs. So I may need more water than other riders would on a similar ride.

When I first started doing longer distance rides, the rule-of-thumb I was told was "drink a bottle every hour."
Obviously, that's a very rough figure, and it's going to depend on a lot of factors, including how much you're sweating (a combination of workload and heat+humidity), how much you weigh, and just generally how much fluid you personally need.  The first time I did a century (160km/100mi) I was loaded touring and it was very hot; that day I drank 9l of water on the road, and still needed to keep rehydrating that evening.
But to get to my point.  After many years of riding, I've found one of the best indicators that I'm getting adequate hydration is that I keep regularly needing to urinate; if I find I'm going more than 2.5h without needing to relieve myself, I'm getting dehydrated.  Again, there's a certain amount of knowing your own body here, and my numbers won't be the same as yours.  But if you're doing a long ride, you're going to need nutrition; metabolizing nutrients (especially protein) produces water and metabolic waste products you need to get rid of.  If you're not doing so regularly, it means that your body is starting to hoard water and you need to drink more.


Should I get an air sprung or a coil sprung rear shock FS mountain bike? I have not bought one yet, and I am very new to the sport. The type of riding I will be doing is dirt jumps (rather large ones) and rugged trail riding. I used a BMX for these things previously, which actually worked out pretty well. As a newbie to the sport, I am just wondering: which type of rear shock would be best to look for: air, or coil?

I want something that is going to be easiest to maintain, and most efficient while riding. A bike I have been looking at is the Scott Voltage FR 30/20/10 models (these all have a spring rear shock) or a Trek Slash 9/8/7 model (which have a hydraulic type shock). I am leaning towards the Scott Voltage bikes, they look simpler, but I am unsure.

You're mixing up two different concepts.

The damper, which is what slows things down.
The spring, which is what holds the weight and absorbs shocks.

The damper is usually hydraulic, oil being forced through a small hole.
The spring is either a coil or pressurised air.

Without a damper, you'll have a very bouncy ride and without a spring, you'll have a very stiff ride. The 2 work together to provide a nice ride.

Also, those 2 bikes target different styles of riding.

The Slash is an Enduro bike and the Voltage a Freeride bike.


Which brake posts do I need? I have a Schwinn Rocket mountain bike with front and rear V-brakes. While removing the rear brakes to be replaced with higher quality ones, I managed to twist one of the brake posts out of the frame while it was still attached to the brake itself. It appears that the brake/post bolt is seized and won't budge.

How much effort should I invest into separating the bolt, brake and brate post trio? The whole train wreck is soaking in PB Blaster overnight, so I'll try one more time tomorrow.

It seems to me that a brake post is the type of hardware that I should be able to buy at any bike shop. However, as with anything coming from the highly balkanized bicycle industry, I'm wondering whether there are many sizes of brake posts out there. How can I tell which one I need?

I recently looked (in France) for break post studs and it was surprisingly difficult to find them. The only place I found it was a bike shop that would sell and repair the same bike I had to repair.

The major things that distinguishes break post studs are the diameter and the thread. There are many models (Is it proper to link to shopping sites that sell those kind of parts to show the kind of models?).


How are these plastic rings used on my Shimano disk brake mount adapter? I boughtt a Shimano SM-MA-R160 Disc Brake Mount Adaptor for my bike.

It came with these black plastic things in the lower right corner of the photo below. I have a bunch and don't know what are they used for:

What are those plastic thingies called?
What are they used for?
How are they applied?
How important are they?

The stop rings go over the head of the bolt.  The grooves on the ring line up with grooves on the bolt head and encourage it to keep from rattling loose.  They are simply snapped or pushed over the head of the bolt once it is tightened in place.

I suspect that in some country, they may be a requirement for manufacturers.  However, I haven't ever actually used them on any of my rigs.  Some loctite and regular maintenance are what I tend to rely on.  But, if you have had a bolt rattle out on you before, perhaps they could make you sleep easier at night.


Rusty Front Derailleur – Replace or Repair? My front derailleur has stopped shifting. Have a look at that rusty spring. Is it worth trying to fix, or should I just replace it?

It looks like a cheap enough derailleur that replacing it shouldn't cost too much, and the rust is severe enough that if the derailleur has stopped shifting I'd replace it.

If you can force the derailleur to move with your hand it's very likely to can repair it just by pouring sufficient oil on it and working it backwards and forwards for a while.

But whatever has caused it to rust will still exist afterwards, so unless you fix that problem the new/repaired derailleur will just rust again. If you buy a slightly more expensive one it will use better steel so will rust less readily, but the real solution is to stop leaving it out in the rain, or at least cover it. If the problem is salt spray, all you can really do is put a coating of grease on everything and reapply that every few months. Which is a good idea with derailleurs anyway, especially cheap ones.

Use chain lube that's grease-plus-solvent and put a few drops of that on to the derailleurs when you oil your chain. You can save money by doing this, as $5 worth of chain lube will double the life of the chain, and probably the derailleurs too.

For bikes like this a half-decent chain lube is often a miracle cure. Run it into the brake and gear cables, put it on all the pivot points you can find, coat the corroded metal with it, go a bit wild. But 3-in-1 oil and a top coat of grease will work better on the derailleur spring - you want thick and gooey for that. I use "TriFlow" but any of them will work (with the caveat that WD40 and so on are degreasers, not lubricants)