Alternative Chain Grease/Lube Can I use this general-purpose lithium grease on my chain until I can get some Finish Line lube?

Not ideal.  You need something that will penetrate into the chain, and grease will not readily do that.  If your chain really needs lubing and you can't get any proper chain oil then plain old engine oil would be a better choice.  ("Sewing machine oil"/3-in-One oil would be a second choice, but it's probably a hair too "light".)

The real bike maintenance nuts used to melt paraffin wax, beeswax, and kerosene together and soak their clean, dry chains in that.  This is essentially the lube applied at the factory.  But modern liquid chain lubes work as well with less trouble/mess.


Why are bolts on bikes so wide? Most bolts to mount accessories and minor parts to bikes are M5. A good example are bottle cage bolts. Components are often attached by M5 and sometimes even M6 bolts (eg long bike in quill stems, threadless stem preload).
Even the worst property class of an M4 bolt offers tensile strengths of at least 3.5kN, that is way in excess of what is needed for a bottle cage or a stem bolt.
In soft materials ripping off inner threads is a concern and may occur well before the bolts fail. However, it is not clear at all if wider bores are stronger. The minimum thread engagement at least is smaller in narrower inner threads.
In case of rivnuts, and braced on threads, smaller diameters might cause less stress concentration in bike frame tubes (see mattnz's comment).
What are the reasons that speak for large bolts?

M5 is used far on far heavier luggage too, like rear racks. You don't want too many sizes to keep in your spare parts (I carry a couple of M5 and a couple of M6 screws on the bike in my toolkit, plus nuts, and have used them).
Standardisation is useful even when you've got more room for spares and don't care about the weight - the vast majority of the screws in my optics lab are M4 or M6, though I've used everything from M1 to M10 there when necessary, and not just in my own designs.This holds at manufacturers too - they don't want a massive parts inventory, even of cheap parts.  Similarly on bikes, other sizes are used if necessary:there are M3 and perhaps smaller screws in gear assemblies; I think  I've seen M2.5 holding covers on housings, but axles are big.
We should assume they're screwed into aluminium, where fatigue on the mating thread is an issue, and, we should also assume they're taken in and out a few times, torqued quite hard each time, as you would fitting a luggage rack. A challenge for you is to try stripping a range of threads in aluminium, all with the same depth engaged - perhaps drill and tap into 3mm aluminium plate. Maybe a thought experiment would do, though I have the tools to try it here. With a few mm of engagement, M3 will strip with some effort, M4 possibly, M5 unlikely and M6 only with a cheater bar. But each time they're done up the aluminium gets weaker. That will soon make up for the thicker plate you'd have in reality - as would using a screw that's a little short.
One  way to get round the limit of threads stripping is to specify a maximum torque - and that's what we do  on bike stuff.  Typical engagement calculations don't treat this as a variable. Engagement length is reduced with bolt size, but the number of turns remains roughly constant.  Note that the usual calculations for minimum engagement length are based on the screw breaking before the thread strips.  That's only one failure mode and in many applications there simply isn't that much material.  This table starts at M6 but expects over 12mm into aluminium alloy, 6mm into steel.  You'd be lucky to get that much on disc brake mounts.   At that point the larger threads should allow more holding force in the same depth, up to a point.  The deeper threads of larger sizes mean far more material which will deform less.
Another factor, common on steel into aluminium, is the threads seizing (grease helps avoid this). Then you want a big enough hex socket head to avoid stripping the thread. A big head means a big thread. Bike bolts, especially for accessories, are often button head, which normally uses a smaller hex key than cap head (disc brake attachment bolts are often cap head). on bikes, special button head screws with bigger sockets than you'd expect from other fields are common. It's quite easy to round out the head in a normal M4 button head, far, far harder in a typical M5 on a bike.
Another reason is tolerancing.  Going from M5 to M4 wouldn't be too much of  an issue, but going to M3 would. Those bottle cage screws don't line up perfectly between bikes; there's a reason cages have slots.  You'd need unusual wide heads to give as much freedom.  Washers would provide a bit, but not as much and add hassle.  This is also very true when parts are being modified in a workshop, where M5-M6 threads are at a sweet spot: easy to cut the thread, not too easy to break the tap, and taps are cheap.  This would apply in traditional frame building as well.
Rust makes much o  this worse, but it holds for stainless fasteners too.


How tight should my chain be? I recently put new tires on my bike, and in so doing, removed and replaced the wheels.  It seems that now my chain has more slack in it than before, and if I pedal backwards while in the smaller cog in the main set of gears the chain rubs on the deraillieur.  Is this normal?  Why is my chain more slack now that it was before, if the wheels are the same?  What shold I do to fix the problem?

Dérailleurs exist not only to change gears, but to add tension to the chain as well. If you are noticing chain slack, and nothing else has changed or been replaced, the reason for chain slack is that the dérailleur has lost this ability.

This could be for a few reasons:

The dérailleur has lost some of it's 'springy-ness'. This can happen over long periods of time, but also can be indicative of damage, but is less likely.
The dérailleur has shifted positions. Some dérailleurs bolt directly to the frame, but some do not, and instead are positioned in the dropout. If you have this type of dérailleur, and recently removed your wheels, it's possible that the dérailleur has 'slipped' in the dropout.


Popping/clicking noise from road bike first posting here. I bought a second hand Madone 4.5 which makes this weird popping/clicking noise on a few gears, here’s a video to better describe. This happens on my stand or while riding. I noticed that the noise might be from the bottom pulley trying to grab on the spokes...
What I’ve done so far:

Clean and lube the chain, pulleys, front and rear derailleurs.
Changed shifter cables to Dura ace with polymer.
Indexed and adjusted shifting.

Bike components:
It’s a 10 speed Madone 4.5 with an 11 speed cassette.

Shifter: ST-5603 Shimano 105

Rear derailleur: RD-6700 Shimano Uletgra

Cassette: CS-R7000 Shimano 105

Front derailleur: Shimano 105 FD-5700

Chain: HG CN-6701 Shimano Ultegra

Can anyone help me solve this problem? Thanks in advance for your help.

You have a Shimano 105 5603 series 10 speed shifter paired with a Ultegra 6700 series 10 speed rear derailleur, as those are both 10 speed they will work together.
Those will not work with a R7000 series 11 speed cassette. Even if you thought you could just select 10 sprockets out of the  11 that does not work. Sprocket spacing is different between 10 and 11 speeds.
Also the HG CN-6701 chain is 10 speed specific and would not work properly on an 11 speed cassette.
Get a 10 speed cassette to make this setup work.


deore LH crank on 105 chainset I have a 105 triple chainset (hollowtechII) and the left hand side has developed a crack. Now I can't find any replacement 105 LH cranks but there are some Deore ones on the ebays that aren't too expensive.

So will they fit? I know since it's Shimano nothing is compatible with anything else, you're supposed to just go out and buy a whole new bicycle, but I'm hoping…

All Shimano Hollowtech II road crank arms are compatible, however, the Deore is a mountain range. I don't think these are compatible, but I can't find anything.

You might want to look for a HT2 road crank arm. The Shimano road ranges are DuraAce, Ultegra, 501, Tiagra, Sora and 2100. Not sure if these all offer HT2 cranks.

Also, you'll need a special tool (TL-FC16) to install the preload cap.


How do you download OSM maps to Garmin Edge? How do you download free Open Street Maps (OSM) data on to an SD card for garmin edge 800 / 810 for use in navigation and turn by turn directions?

You can get map files that work on Garmin devices (I haven't tried with Edge) from this site. You can select predefined areas (countries, provinces) of the world you want, or create custom selections of just your area. They generate a map of your desired area and send you an email when its ready so you can download it.


Best ways to avoid getting hit by cars? When riding through city traffic, what are the best ways to increase the chance you are seen, given a bit of space, and are not touched by any vehicles?

As cyclists, we are vulnerable to any collision. A collision with a truck, bus, car, bicycle, pram, skateboard, rollerblader, pedestrian, dog, or even a domestic cat, will almost always cause a problem, if not an injury.

Vehicle drivers are just people like us, except that they are in a comfortable safe box, maybe with crying kids in the back, and a have just dropped an ice-cream on their lap. You cannot expect them to be looking out for you all the time.

So it's up to us to take 100% responsibility for our own safety. It doesn't help us if we were 100% in the right, but are 100% dead.

So ...

Choose where you ride. Avoid high speed and congested roads. Statistics show that the probability of a collision rises rapidly after the speed difference between two road users exceeds 20 kph (12 mph). So choose paths without vehicle traffic, or roads with lower speed traffic. See How does the risk of a cyclist colliding with a vehicle vary with the speed difference?
D'oh! I originally left out Ride where other people ride, or ride with a buddy. Drivers are much more likely to notice multiple riders. And when there is more than one of you it's not so easy to justify squeezing past. Finally, those drivers who might be tempted to drive dangerously close are intimidated by the you having a witness.
Avoid turns in the middle of congested intersections. If you feel in danger, then ride at the side of the road across the intersection, wait for the lights to change, then continue on the crossroad. In my town this is called a square turn, in other places it's called a hook turn.
Keep reasonably close to the curb, about half a meter (yard) to one meter out. You need to ride in a straight line so that the vehicle drivers can predict your path, so ride where the road surface is at least adequate. In light traffic, move toward the curb a little as the vehicle approaches and then resume your position after the vehicle passes. In heavier traffic, just maintain your path. Some cyclists like to have a mirror to know what's happening behind them.
Traffic behaviour can vary in different parts of the world, so take your local traffic conditions into consideration. In my town, the inner city traffic is congested but used to seeing cyclists. So if there is no bike lane, cyclists are generally able to mix with the traffic fairly safely when the bikes are moving faster than the cars.
Wear brightly colored clothing. In some parts of the world, black is fashionable. Avoid it. One advantage of a lot of so-called Lycra is that most of it is brightly colored. Some people wear hi-visibility industrial safety tops.
Always ride with lights turned on. If legal, then set them to flash mode. Choose lights that flash more than once per second. Slow flashing lights can be missed as drivers shift their attention quickly. Some places (Germany?) forbid flashing bike lights.
And stay alert. Listen for traffic. Don't rely on them seeing you.
In some situations, you need to take a whole lane, so that the drivers behind don't drive too close by trying to squeeze past when there is not enough room. You should only do this when the traffic is moving at a similar speed to you.
And as mentioned by mjsqu in comments, keep away from parked cars to avoid doors.


ISO narrow-wide steel chainrings in higher tooth counts >30T I know Surly, Sram, RaceFace and Wolf Tooth have offerings in small BCD and proprietary fixing systems (cinch & X-sync), but generally only come in one, MTB-range size.
Anyone know of a manufacturer with something more suitable to road/gravel drivetrains? i.e. 38+ teeth, 110/130BCD? Must be stainless steel!

Specific product recommendations are off topic here. However, we can point you in the right direction. At the time of writing SRAM makes 1x drivetrains for road, gravel or cyclocross bikes.

Perhaps start with SRAM Apex-1 or Rival-1.


Problems with front derailleur shifting on an inexpensive bike I bought a cheapish bike (Nakamura) couple of years ago, and it generally serves me well. Main problem that I have is that shifting gears, especially front gears often gets out of tune. After only a couple of rides it stops being smooth, and than I soon start having real problems while trying to shift gears (e.g when I shift 1->2 it gets stuck on 1, then i push to 3, and back to 2 and then it clicks, or similar scenarios. At one point before tuning, just trying to switch to 1 meant automatic chain falling from cogs). I tried tuning it myself, and had it tuned at LBS, but results are the same.

Question is, I guess, what can I do about it? Should I buy new derailleur? Maybe cables are bad? Bike is 3x7 and all the new stuff is 3x(8, 9, 10) would buying 3x8 be a problem? What if I go nuts and spend money on entire new power-train (front/rear, cogs/dereilleurs) which would probably be only slightly less that I paid for entire bike? Would it make sense?

Also worth mentioning is that I don't ride a bike that much. In last couple of years, I've barely rode 1000km,and so far I haven't change any part on it, or done any maintenance aside from cleaning/lubing, and derailleur tuning.

I'm sure you're a better judge of how effective your LBS employees are than people on an Internet forum, but in my experience it isn't uncommon to find some LBS employees are not very enthusiastic about working on bikes they view unfavorably for whatever reason: too old, too inexpensive, and so forth. Some think that working on an inexpensive bike is like polishing a turd, and I have run into more than a few who view it that way.

If the bicycle is similar to this one, I would encourage you to check out some YouTube videos regarding derailleur tuning:

Tuning a front derailleur
Tuning a rear derailleur


15T Freewheel Which Works on Flip Flop Hub I am building a Single Speed Freewheel and I read somewhere that manufactures don't make 15T freewheels that fit on a Flip Flop hub; only 16t and bigger. However, I would like a gain ratio above 3 and I already purchased a 48T chain ring.

Is it true that you can't buy 15T Freewheel that will work on a regular non BMX wheel?

The normal freewheel thread is too large for cogs smaller than 16T. One source for the information is Sheldon Brown's singlespeed page. It is a good one to read before buying any more parts.

A BMX flip flop hub will, however, take smaller freewheels that have smaller thread. Fixed/free flip flop hubs have the larger freewheel thread and similar sized thread with lock ring thread on the other side, these do not work with small freewheels.


How do I reduce the risk of pinch flat punctures while riding up stairs on my hardtail? I've got a Specialized Pitch, size 27.5". I do a lot of urban MTBing and tricking.

I know how to ride up stairs - up to four stairs at the moment, working on getting more - you lean back, get the front wheel up the first three or so, then lean forwards and pedal, keeping the weight off the back wheel. I work up a bit of speed and then pedal up, with gears set at 1 in the front and 3 in the back (I've got 3 in front and 8 in the back). The back wheel is at ~40 PSI.

But consistently, I'll make it up this staircase ~5 times in a row, and then, at some point, inevitably, I'll get a pinch-flat puncture.

This has been the main expense on the bike recently - this one staircase has cost me hundreds in replacing the inner tube.

Is there anything I can do to avoid getting these punctures? Am I simply not doing it correctly?

I used to get snakebites like crazy doing urban riding, even running really high pressures. I'm a big guy. What finally helped was running higher volume tires and wider. See if you can fit a wider tire in your frame, and look at getting some wider rims.

Increasing the volume of air adds more cushioning. As Batman mentioned, going tubeless also helps, since the tube displaces some of the volume between the rim and the tire.

If you're sticking with tubes, get some DH tubes. Normal tubes are around 1mm or less, DH are often around 1.5mm. They will weigh more, but might hold up better.


MTB with gears or non gears, suspension or non-suspension for stunts? I am planning to buy an MTB for learning stunts...(BTW my family wont allow me to buy a BMX because of its height).
So my question is shall I go for MTB with front suspension or not and with gears or not?

What i think is i should consider bike with gears,although they add extra weight but they can be removed later if i find them annoying...
However i have no idea about front suspensions whether they will make a bicycle stronger/flexible for stunts or not...

and which one will you prefer for my requirement btwin or  schnell

If you want to learn BMX type tricks then rigid

BMX bikes come rigid
BMX bikes also come single speed

Suspension and gears cost money.
Put that money into better frame and components.

In a mtn bike don't worry about dedicated single speed.
A single speed conversion kit lets you go to gears later.
Even if you don't want to convert it for yourself it will tend to have better resale

Get mtn bike with a low slung frame and a tube that lets you go way down with seat
(some seat tubes have a bend).

Consider a 26" used mtn bike with a nice frame that has a worn out shock and gears and convert it to rigid single speed.
Since mtn bikers want 29" there are some really good deals on used 26" mtn bikes.
Especially 26" mtn bikes without disc brakes.
You don't want to go so old that it has the 1" treaded fork.
You want a 1-1/8˝ threadless steerers.


Do disc brake rims ever need to be replaced? Obviously the brakes do not place any wear on the rims. But are there other factors that could lead to the rims needing to be replaced? I'm excluding damage from accidents.

Aluminum alloys have a zero or very low endurance limit (amplitude (or range) of cyclic stress that can be applied to the material without causing  fatigue failure).

Aluminum rims will therefore eventually fatigue and crack, most likely from nipple holes as this is where force is applied and stress is concentrated.


Shimano V-Brake Loose cable at handle The brake cable is loose at the brake handle.  Can it be fixed?  The metal end of the cable has pulled out of the little device that screws into the lever.

thanks,

ed marshall

I think you are saying that the brake housing has come out of the lever. It can simply be re-inserted back into the lever, however, if the cable was slack enough to allow this to happen in the first place, the brake needs to be adjusted properly.


How to lace up a mishapen brooks? I have a brooks saddle that has bedded in, slightly out of alignment so that one side is lower than the other. I have heard that it is possible to 'lace up' the saddle in order to retain its shape? How do I do this, and is it advisable?

You usually can only lace a leather saddle when it becomes sunken in the middle. Lacing the bottom across underneath will tighten up the sagging middle. This wouldn't likely be a "do it yourself" project without the proper tools/equipment. From your description, it sounds as if you're sitting on the saddle off to one side. I'm not sure this could be corrected by lacing. If you've had the Brooks saddle less than two years, then it should be covered under warranty if there is a problem with the leather itself or the seat frame construction that allowed this to happen. You'd need your receipt and return it to the dealer where you purchased it. It the saddle isn't under warranty, I'd suggest you take it to a horse tack shop in the area and see if they could straighten it up, reinforce the bottom and punch holes at a proper spacing to lace it up for you. Here's a link about the Brooks warranty, just in case.

http://www.brooksengland.com/getting-in-touch/contact-forms/info-request/warranty-claim/


What is considered a good "safe biking distance" to bike to work? I'm curious about what is the maximum distance you can live from work so that it's a reasonable biking distance.

I am interested in biking about 30 minutes to work. It would be about 5 miles away. I have a heavy cruiser bicycle (Schwinn). It would be a leisurely ride.

A good safe biking distance is the distance that one can enjoy the bike ride to work, get there a few minutes early to clean up or shower and after work enjoy another bike ride home and still spare some time to spend with family/ loved ones/have a life besides work and the commute.

I limit my bike commute to about an hour each way.


Fox Talas full travel not reachable Last 20 mm of my new Fox 32 Talas 29" 130mm 2013 fork is not possible to reach. It gets quickly hard before the full travel. It is ridden for 150 km so far. Tested both on trail (hitting rocks on hard descents, yet no jumps from 2m or so) and statically.

I've heard the Talas is quite a progressive trail fork but I would describe this behaviour rather as an edge than progressive.

Without an air pressure, the full travel is possible to get (with squelching sound at the end) but as the pressure goes up the raising edge is killing the end.

With very low pressure of 50 PSI the edge is still almost at the end
With pressure of 75 PSI (optimum for my 80 kg) the last 20mm is
just unreachable (neither on trail nor by pressing down hard)
Behaviour at pressures around 65-85 is similar.

The fork is mounted on Specialized StumpJumper FSR Elite.

Is it an error or a „feature“?
Will it get better over time?
Is it possible to set it up? E. g. by a tuning in a service centre. Or is that edge just a design not possible to tune?

My answer assumes that you've correctly set the sag of your fork. You need to have 15%, 20% or 25% of sag depending on your riding style and trail types you usually ride. If not, then go ahead and fix that first. You can also remove most of the air from the fork (just leave 5 PSI) and see if it gets full travel (by pressing down statically), just for making sure that it does work. Then reinflate to correct pressure.

  the last 20mm is just unreachable (neither on trail nor by pressing down hard)

It would be very wrong to be able to reach that by pressing down hard. It would also be wrong to use that 20mm on a soft trail ride. That 20mm is there for dealing with the very rough stuff such as jumps or drops to flat, hitting rocks or roots hard etc. That 20mm may save you from falling once or twice and is also there to prevent you from damaging the forks. Note though that bottoming out the fork once per ride is not very bad and will most probably not damage the forks.

Also note that I've also used a talas 32 100/120/140 2009 for 2 years and the last 20mm of travel would only work on drops and hard hits on fast downhill runs.

  Is it an error or a „feature“?

Feature. The air spring is progressive (not linear). Thin 32mm stanchions (which means less volume for the air spring mechanism) usually make this worse.

  Will it get better over time?

No. And if it does then something else must be going on. E.g lost air pressure.

  Is it possible to set it up?

Yes, by removing air from the fork.


Derailleur On A Single Speed Earlier today, I saw this bike with an absolutely bizarre drive-train. It looks like a single speed, but it has a derailleur on attached to it. The derailleur does not move horizontally, but only along a vertical axis. The bike is a Mongoose Alta, but I could tell that it was heavily modded. The bike is not originally a single speed, and has a different derailleur.

Does anyone know why this would be a desirable modification? I'm really curious.

The derailleur is there to act as chain tensioner. In a frame intended for derailleur the rear wheel can't be moved to tighten the chain, so a separate spring-loaded chain tensioner is needed. The cheapest and ugliest way is to just use whatever derailleur was on the bike before conversion.


Electronic bicycling ranking for the office cyclists? in the office many of us cycle to work. We though it would be cool to have ranking of cyclists with different sorting (distance, avg. speed and such). We can track our trips with Android or iPhone apps (like Strava Cycling).

We are mostly developers, so if we find a tool or device that can easily display a ranking (per week, month, all time) we can use the tools to track our trips and compete with each other :) Can you suggest something that might work?

Strava has an API so if you all use it to log your rides, you could pull the data for each rider and do any analysis you want.

There are heaps of people (including me) using the API for additional statistics and analysis.


Freewheel: 8-speed to replace 6-speed This is for the Freewheel (Not Cassette Freehub) swapping problem.
I would like to know if it is feasible, regarding the axle breakage.
Assuming that I have:

Good clearance and spacing for freewheel
Matching derailleur and chain/chain line

Question:

Would it be likely for me to break the axle, or the hub, under power
pedalling?
Have anyone broke their hub or axle using freewheel with
inappropriate speed? (Please do not discuss in theory, I would like
to see reference or your own experience)

Before we get into axle breakage, let's discuss your axle spacing, which probably isn't going to work going from a 6spd to an 8spd cassette unless you install a new, longer axle with more spacers, and you'll need to re-dish the wheel slightly.

In terms of breakage, I've seen all speeds of freewheel axles break over time. Freewheel hubs' axles are just more likely to break because of the leverage you can get over the axle. Here's a great diagram that illustrates this point:

The red circles are where the bearings brace against the axle. The drive side of a freewheel hub has a lot more axle acting as a lever than does a cassette hub, and this is the primary reason they break.

Is an 8spd spaced freewheel hub more likely to break than a 6spd spaced freewheel hub? Yes it is, but marginally. Even working in a shop for years, I cant say that I saw a statistically significant sample of broken axles come through to say that 8 speeds broke more often than 6 speeds- probably the opposite as the 6 speed hubs were older and had seen more use. The bigger comparison here is freewheel vs cassette wheels, and I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that cassette hubs hold up better.

Since a cassette hub isn't what you're looking to use though, I would say don't concern yourself with the increased likelihood of axle breakage when going from 6spd to 8spd. You're probably going to be less likely to break the axle, assuming you buy a new axle for the conversion as you'll be starting over again on the fatigue life for the axle.


Which cables and housing do I need? I am going to build my own bike. I purchased the 105 5800 groupset the other day and was examining the different components.

The shifters came with some cables and cable housing. I have attached a pic of the cables and housing. As a newbie I can't tell what the cables and housing are for, ie are they both sufficient for the gears and brakes or do I need to purchase some extra? Can someone clarify for me please.

Much appreciated!

Those are just gear cables, you will need to buy brake cables and outers.

Good on you for building it yourself, it's definitely do-able with a modicum of skill and even with limited experience. But... there's quite a few things you can do slightly wrong that will make the bike unsafe to ride. I think it would be good to have someone check over the bike before you ride it.

There are lots of online tutorials showing you how to install brake and gear cables, any search engine will find them for you (I couldn't find one using the search box on the top right of this page). Similarly for most of the other steps, and finding this site will hopefully help you with the other questions you'll inevitably come up with.

Also, it's probably worth reading some of the questions here about upgrading components and building from scratch, as it almost always works out more expensive than buying a whole bike, and can be hugely more expensive. Unless you work in a bike shop or can otherwise get new components at wholesale or better, it will be more expensive. That's especially true if you compare a second hand bike to buying new parts. Note that buying second hand parts to fit an existing bike is a fairly skilled task (you need to know how all the sizing works on the various parts as well as which parts will work with what you already have).


Are "V" brake rims safe to use with discs I'm new to this forum and would like to ask if it is safe to use a V brake rim with a disc? I'm using Shimano Deore M555 hubs with discs laced to Mavic EX 721 32 hole rims and DB spokes. Apologies if this has been queried before.
Thanks in anticipation.
Paul C (Chaz)

Not only is it safe it is fairly common. When disc brake became more affordable many after market manufacturers sold dual brake wheels. Disc hubs and "V" brake rims. Just don't use "V" brakes on a disc only specific rim. The dual use wheel may have been a way to limit new inventory to one type of wheelset.


Koga touring bicycle bottom bracket loose, does it need replacing? I have a 2009 Koga Signature high-end touring bicycle (internal hub gear, hub generator, half-open chainguard, ...). I'm cycling around 100 km/week (8½ km one-way commute) plus trips, so I've probably done over 10.000 km (bicycle+odometer is currently at the local workshop, so I can't check the exact number right now). I live in a sub-Arctic climate with 5–6 months per year of temperatures below 0°C, typical mid-winter temperatures of -20°C with extremes down to -40°C, and snow lasting from October to May. I cycle year-round and have so far surrendered to bad weather only once (on my previous bicycle, in 2008). I live in Kiruna, Sápmi, Sweden.

Since yesterday, I have noticed that the crankset moves sideways and the bottom bracket is almost entirely loose. The problem may have existed before, but it should have been significantly less severe or I would have noticed earlier. Although cycling is still possible, I didn't do so out of fear of damaging the bottom bracket shell. This morning, I brought my bicycle to the local service place, and the handyman at the workshop immediately said that it needs replacing, and ordering from The Netherlands (where I indeed bought the bicycle; as a footnote, I am positively surprised that this was the immediate reaction, as responses when I asked advice earlier were along the lines of "I have never seen such a thing before" in response to some part of my bicycle — not many people around here go regularly by bicycle, and I really do hope the people working at the local workshop know what they're doing). Ordering the part will take time, at least a week, probably longer. A long time to be bikeless :(.

Questions:

Does the bottom bracket moving sideways indeed mean it needs replacing?
Is it normal that this happens already after 2½ years, under the aforementioned conditions, on a Koga (not the cheapest kind of bicycle)? If not, might I still have guarantee? Unfortunately, it is not practical to return to the store where I bought the bicycle, as this is approximately 2665 km away.
Is it indeed potentially detrimental to continue riding, or is this fine? If it is fine, I could do so until the new bottom bracket arrives.

Similar but different questions:

Does my bottom bracket need replacing?
How do I know when to replace my bottom bracket?
Bottom bracket making noise, should it be fixed now or can I wait until regular maintenance?

Hard to say without knowing a bit more.

The BB could use a cartridge or could use loose bearings.  With loose bearings the situation you describe would generally only happen if one of the cups came loose, in which case the balls could slip out of their races, leaving you grinding metal-to-metal.

With a cartridge, if the cups retaining the cartridge get loose the cartridge can slip-slide around a bit, but a real problem would only occur if a cup came loose enough to let the end of the cartridge slip out, at which point the cup would be nearly ready to fall out anyway.

Either of these loose cup scenarios would be immediately obvious to the trained eye of the service tech, without having to take the BB apart, and either could be simply rectified.  So more likely there is a cartridge and it has come apart internally (though along the lines of the loose bearing scenario).

Normally a bottom bracket should last a long time.  Loose bearings can be repacked every 10-20 thousand km or so, and cartridges may need replacing at maybe 50,000 km.  The type of failure you describe (absent the involvement of a clumsy mechanic) is unusual.

If indeed the cartridge has disassembled itself internally then probably no great harm would come from riding on it, other than it could lock up suddenly without warning, or at the very least leave you stranded somewhere.  But with a loose cup scenario you should not ride the bike, as this could damage otherwise-repairable parts.


Sram Red AXS Crank Bolt Cap missing - how to remove crank, if at all? I've got an Sram AXS Dub Crankset on my bike and noticed a few days ago, that the black cover around the crankset bolt (chainring side.. where you tighten/loosen usally to remove the crankset) has apparently.. fallen off. I didn't touch that but it's gone. I asked my dealer and he said Sram doesn't offer these covers, yet so he sent me a replacement crankset which is nice, but I am having problems removing the old crankset in the frame.

I tried and tried but couldn't remove it (by turning counter-clockwise with an 8mm hex key) so I started googling and it appears that this particular black cap is actually needed to remove the crank - is that true?

Or let me ask another way: is it possible (and if so how) to remove the crankset as is / shown in the picture?

Yes, it's true!

The design is known as a self-extracting crank, you can find some excellent videos on how they work, by searching online. You'll see on page 24 of the installation manual that when the crank is removed in steps 1 and 2, it has the little cover with the four small holes in around the crank bolt (where yours is missing). The crank bolt turns against this cap to drive the crank off the spindle. The crank bolt might be nice and tight, but it is designed to be turned.

There isn't any other good way to remove the crank. Some people might remove the bolt and then start hitting the crank until it falls off the spindle, but I wouldn't do that unless it was a last resort to save a bike with a crank which will be scrapped.


Tools for 2011 Santa Cruz Heckler tuneup Hi, I have a Santa Cruz Heckler from 2011 that was in storage for the last three years, and before that I was riding it a few times a week on local trails. I never did anything maintenance-wise beyond changing tires and brake pads as needed. I've started riding it again and it clearly needs some tlc. The issues I'm seeing are:

terrible shifting and skipping drivetrain,
creaking from all over the place.

I plan to regrease all bearings and replace the chain.

I am interested in suggestions for maintenance under such a situation and also what tools I will need to do these repairs for this particular bike?

Update: I got to work and here is what I found.

-Headset and rear wheel bearings were dried out and needed grease
-drive side bb brearing was toast
-cassette and middle ring on the front are worn and need replacement
-The kona pedals came apart easily and could be greased

Thanks all for the pointers!

The maintenance you need to do depends on how many miles you put on the bike before it went into storage. Assuming you were riding it regularly between 2011 and it going into storage you just need to do a 'well used bike refresh' which includes replacing a number of parts that wear out.

As others have said, start out by giving that poor bike a good cleaning. It was not a good idea to store it wet and dirty and that may have contributed to some of the problems you are seeing now. As part of that process thoroughly de-grease the chain, cassette, rings and rear derailleur idler wheels. There are a number of bike cleaning videos out there that make recommendations for cleaning supplies.

You will need a basic tool kit: hex wrenches 2-12mm, open-end/box wrenches 6-17mm, small and medium needle-nose pliers, set small to medium flat and Philips screwdrivers. On some bikes with disc brakes a T25 torx wrench is needed. A  bike-specific torque wrench is nice to have. I'd recommend at least a 2-8Nm one for small bolts. You'll have to decide if you want a larger one (up to about 15Nm) as well.

There are many good instructional videos available on all aspects of repair and maintenance. I personally like Park Tool Company's YouTube channel. These will tell you the specialized tools you need, but I'll mention them below as well.

Go over the bike and check for general obvious problems and loose bolts or fasteners.

If you were riding the bike regularly a new chain is a certainty. You will also need to check the cassette sprockets to see of any of them are too worn, and replace the cassette if required. If you need to replace the cassette you will need a chain whip and cassette lock-ring removal tool. I believe most lock-ring tools require a 25mm wrench, a large adjustable wrench will work. You may want to invest in a chain wear tool as well. Chain rings wear more slowly than cassette sprockets but check those for excessive wear also.

While you have the chain off, check the derailleur idler wheels, if they do not turn freely they will need servicing and re-lubricating, or just replace them.

Also with the chain off, check the crank spins freely in the bottom bracket bearings. If it does not turn freely, but there is no roughness you may be able to service the bearings. Research the particular type of bottom bracket you have for serviceability. If there is resistance and roughness it will need to be replaced. You will need the appropriate external bearing bottom bracket removal tool for your bottom bracket.

I don't know if chain quick links existed in 2011. If yours does not have one you will need a chain tool to break the chain, and to connect the new chain if you get one without a quick link.

When the new chain (and if needed, cassette and rings), perform a full front and rear derailleur adjustment (Park Tool's derailleur videos are particularly comprehensive). It's more than likely that you will need to replace the derailleur cables and housing to get your shifting working correctly. It's a good idea to replace them anyway. You'll need a special cable and housing cutter.

Service and adjust the brakes. I'm guessing they are mechanical disc which I don't think require special tools (someone please correct me in a comment if I'm wrong here). As with the derailleur cables the brake cables may need replacing. The same housing and cable cutter required.

Check for play or roughness in the headset bearings. If there is play but no roughness you can adjust the bearing tension. If there is a gritty feel you will need to disassemble, clean and repack the bearings.

Check for play or roughness in the pedal bearings. Depending on what pedals you have there may be as service kit or replacement bearings available if the bearings are worn out.

Check the wheel axles for play or roughness in the bearings. Depending on the hubs the bearings may be serviceable or replaceable. You'll have to research your particular hubs. Check rims for trueness and check for loose spokes. If the wheels needs truing I recommend having a bike repair shop do it.

Forks and rear shock may need re-build or servicing but that is beyond my knowledge.

The various creaks you will have to individually hunt down and address.


Do you think I can put road bike handlebars to this bike? Im new to bikes so I just want to ask a question. Is it possible to put a road bike handlebars on this bike. And if it is do I have to get a new stem also or just the handlebars?

Let's assume that by 'road bars' you mean drop style handlebars.

You can replace the bars, but you will also need to find some drop bar brake lever / gear shifter units that work with the existing brake calipers and derailleurs.

Looks like someone fitted a riser bar and stem and some inexpensive twist shifters. We can't see if the derailleurs have been replaced as well. If you add info about the derailleurs (or pictures) we can provide more specific advice.

A drop bar bike would typically have a longer stem, so you will want to replace the current one. you can choose a stem length to get the riding position you want.


Can I flip my worn chain to extend it's life? Assuming my chain is showing that it's worn and getting close to needing replacement due to chain 'stretch'. I know you can flip single speed chainrings to extend their life when they become worn. Can I flip the chain around to extend it's useful life? I  doubt it would double it due to some overlap in wear on rollers, but possibly extend it a bit by putting load on the opposite side of the pins.

I would say that this won't have any effect.

Flipping the chainring on a single speed makes sense as you use the other side of the teeth on the chainring which have not been used before. But with the chain it's a different story: The stretch is independent of directions so reversing its direction won't change anything. Also on the small "rolls" in the chain links on which the chain lies on the chainring I wouldn't expect any effect as they aren't fixed in the links but can rotate and therefore should wear out equally all around their circumference.


Replacing front gear cable without removing cable housing I have recently had problems with my front gear cable. I know for a fact it's not a problem with the cable housing. Is there a way I can replace my front gear cable without removing the housing and the Bar Tape? I'm on full Shimano Sora groupset.

I’ve never had any issues with only replacing the cable (they break from time to time). The important part is that the housing sits snuggly against the brifter so that you can hit the hole with the cable. If it does not you can lift the rubber grips and try to guide the cable into the housing.

Just make sure the cable end is not frayed when you remove it. It can get stuck and/or destroy the housing.


How to put bigger tires on it I have a 1985 Murray Phoenix high tech racer. It has 26 X 1 3/8 tires. I want to switch it over to mountain bike tires. How would I do that?

26x1-3/8 is ISO diameter 590.  Common Mountain bike tires are ISO 559.  I'm not aware of any 1-3/8 tires that are knobbies, and the only way you're putting Mountain tires on that would be to change the rim or wheel.  The problem you'll run into with that is the brakes won't be lined up and there may not be a brake that will reach the rim.  Long answer short: No.


Picking Chamois Creme What should one look for when picking Chamois Creme? Are there ingredients to stay away from or that should be in a quality creme?

I would look for the following:

Doesn't transition from smooth (good) to sticky (bad) over the course of a long ride
Easy to apply before a ride, and during if needed
Reasonably easy to wash off from both skin and shorts
Hypoallergenic if possible.  Even if you're not initially allergic to the ingredients, it's possible to develop something after enough use -- happened to me with sunscreen during a summer of touring.

I've been using BodyGlide for randonneuring for about 3 years now and it meets all of my criteria.  It comes in a deodorant stick format which is easy to apply and doesn't seem to break down even on 600km rides (although it does need re-application every 200-300km).  The only problem is it doesn't ever completely wash out of the chamois, but that almost seems like a plus.


How to get a very tight tire back on the rim? I needed to change the tube as a consequence of a flat tire and I am in the situation that it's just impossible to put the tire back on the rim.

In almost ten years of experience with road bikes and MTB, I never experienced this.

I tried to use any possible tips, for example from the question How to get the tyre back on to the rim easily?

Every time I try, I end up pinching the tube and it's just impossible to put the tire in. How can I fix this?

I am hypothesizing crazy things, like: dilatation of the rim, need of industrial tools, ...

Edit (to address Neil's question): the troubles are given by a 700x23c tire on a 700C rim of a fixed gear.

The above video shows how to fit a tight tire / rim combination. Although it shows the Marathon Plus tire, it applies to any tire.

The crucial point he makes on the video is that the tire bead doesn't stretch and is the limiting factor in getting the tire on. Thus you need to push the bead into the well of the rim on the sides opposite to the last bit you're trying to get on. Doing this gives you the room you need to get the last bit on.
The extra room will make it easier and you will be less likely to pinch the tube. You can use straps to hold the tire in place if you need to.

I have the Marathon Plus tires and it used to take me an hour of frustration and sore hands trying to get them on. Using the technique in the video it takes me 5 mins like any other tire.


Crank sliding 1 mm right left I just had my bottom bracket replaced on my road bike (Cervelo S3). I went for a ride and realized on the way back that the crankset was sliding right-left... That's not normal right?

Here is a video:

Thanks for the help!

There's been a problem in your situation with preloading the bearings is my guess.  Based on the external bearing cup and a glimpse at the end of the video of your left crank arm, it appears you have a SRAM crankset installed? This video from SRAM, notes that insufficient preload of the bearings before full torque is reached may result in lateral play of the crankset.  This is shown around the 3:30 mark of the video.  While this video features a non-BBright  bottom bracket shell, the similar problem to yours is fairly meaningful and if not the exact reason or answer for your case, I think it'll be along those lines.

The other video that's linked at the end of this paragraph features BBright bottom bracket and compatible FSA crankset install. Significant here is that with this particular crankset and others that mate to the BBright system, bearing seals and wave washers need to be placed and a fair amount of torque--around 45-50 N-m--is required for the fixing bolt.  Missing the washer placement or less than adequate torque will lead to symptoms such as yours.
BBright bottom bracket and FSA crank install

If a LBS did the BB install, it's best to return the bike to the shop and discuss it with them.  The rework should incur no additional cost (IMHO).


Should I buy a Dahon or wait for a Tern folding bike? I am currently thinking about buying a Dahon folding bike to replace my existing Dahon folding bike. Brompton and other marques are not really a consideration because I like Dahon for many reasons - sensible gear range, better hinges (they owned the patents) and they are also possible to fold without a degree in engineering (unlike Mezzo).

However, in researching if I will be able to get an Alfine 11 on a Dahon any time soon I discover that Mr Hon's estranged wife and his son have taken the intellectual property of Dahon plus a few of the factories and setup this new company called 'Tern'. Meanwhile, Mr Hon has gone to court and tried to get a restraining order on the new upstart.

'Tern' could be the new Dahon and take over the UK distribution, in which case I would be stuck for spares down the road if I was to get that new Dahon Mu now. So, what do I do, get a Dahon or wait for a 'Tern'?

http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/us-federal-judge-denies-dr-david-hon-s-request-for-tern-to-quit/011621

I think that the only possible answer for this is to wait and see. If I needed to buy a folder now, I'd stay away from Tern until they became a more established company. While it's possible they may take over the market and distribution channels, it's also possible that this new company may fold (no pun intended).

Dahon seems a good bet for the near-term. Just supposing that Dahon stops distributing all spares tomorrow. If nothing else, there are many Dahon spares already in the wild, and will be available for puchase on eBay if nowhere else. Tern is a new company and doesn't even have that. (This is, of course, discounting the possibility of Tern and Dahon using any of the same parts.)

If you want a Dahon, I'd go ahead and buy one. The company's not going anywhere just now. If the Tern bikes look sweet, when they become available you can pick one up. Just remind yourself that they're a new company and spares may or may not be available. And lastly, if you want to stay away from the whole mess, you have other options for folding bike brands, as has been pointed out. However, you're pointed out that your preference is to stay "in the family". In that case, is upgrading your current folder an option?

(This question can't really be answered satisfactorily either way, and I hope that in time someone else will write better answer as more information becomes available on the Tern/Dahon rivalry.)


Maximum weight an average bicycle can carry? A few years ago, I've bought this (see edit) bike. At that time I was around 90 kgs and I didn't have any problems.

Today I'm around 120 kgs and I was considering (among other things) starting cycling again. Is this bike "good" enough to carry me? What should I expect? Any tips?

EDIT! Apparently, Drag have renamed some of their bikes in the last few years, so the above information is a bit wrong. This seems to be my bike. At first I didn't recognize much difference, but this one has suspension on the front which mine also has. Does this change anything

On a road surface you will be fine - try not to jump any kerbs ;-)

Compared to the force when a bike with even a light rider goes over say a pothole or a jump the static load from a 120Kg rider is small.

You might want to check the spoke tension reglarly - those are the parts that will suffer most.


Butt pain during riding I am an recreational cyclists and I like training, but on my last training ride I developed pain in my right buttock, I also got a bit of swelling, the area is on the back of the thigh just under my right buttock.

My background as a cyclist: I ride for several years mostly in the summer season, this season I have around 160 hours over the last 4 months and around 5000 km.

I must mention that in the same area I had saddle sores which now are solved because I am lubing the area before each ride with some sort of sports cream.

I suspect something is off with my riding position since it puts too much pressure on particular area, but it is strange as on the previous training ride I haven't felt any problem. I would like to avoid fiddling around with my saddle position as I haven't changed in the last 2 years at all.

Any idea what could cause this and how to manage it?

I would check your saddle. They can and do wear out and collapse. I had the same issue and it was solved with a new saddle.


Please Assist in Identifying This Frame! I ran across this site and thought someone may be able to easily identify this vintage racer. My neighbor passed and left it to me and I was hoping to at least know what it was. He worked on bikes for many years several decades back and raced as well. It is extremely light. Campagnolo hardware, Cinelli seat and stem. I’m thinking Cinelli but can’t find any bike with holes in the frame connections as seen. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Nice looking frame. Some nice looking, desirable equipment attached to it too. Would be cool to see it finished off and back on the road. Probably holds more value if you keep it authentic to the era/leave as is.

The holey bits are called the frame lugs, I guess they are ‘drilled lugs’ if that helps bring up any more search results.

Possibly it’s from a big brand, or maybe from a small custom builder, made specially for your late neighbour. Either way it’s probably a quality example, someone’s gone to a bit of trouble making it.

I think the more successful searches are for a bike with original branding and equipment spec from the biggest manufacturers. Then it’s a matter of hunting for archived catalogues etc. Otherwise it’s a bit of a guessing game/luck if someone else has the same one.

But... get some more good quality pictures of the whole bike from all kinds of angles and keep asking around on various websites, maybe you’ll start picking up clues. I think it’s interesting/distinctive enough to warrant a bit more asking around. Maybe seek out some framebuilders and get their opinions.


How can I stop a saddle from creaking in a spinning bike? My housemate bought a spinning bike since all fitness places are closed due to corona.
It has an ordinary (non-road/mtb) saddle which creaks when pressure is applied on its edges (nose, back, left/right).
The sound appears to originate from the saddle rails itself.
We've tried replacing it with another saddle, but the sound remains.
We've tried taping the rails, hoping to reduce metal to metal contact, but the sound remains.
How can I reduce the creaking sound of the saddle? I've included a picture of the saddle below:

Possibility 1: Take the clamping system apart and clean the parts. Then reassemble with the metal to metal contact surfaces properly greased.
Possibility 2: Replace the saddle with one of better quality as the most probable cause for creaking could be the saddle itself, especially where the rails are lodged in the shell. If you want to go a step further and if the bike allows for this, replace the seatpost as well with one of better quality to get rid of the ancient one bolt clamping device.
The kind of clamping device that holds your saddle has come out of use and has been replaced by one-piece posts for mainly two reasons: weight, though this is not a problem on a spinning bike but also because the serrated surfaces work against each other through the dynamics of the moving cyclist, thus bringing in play into the system and requiring constant tightening, hence the squeak. They also permit incremental tilt adjustment only which is less precise than with two bolt seat-post heads.


Different kinds of Handlebars What different kinds of bike handle bars are there?  All kinds welcome, the common and the nameless.

If possible include the pros and cons of the bar

One bar per post

Flat bars
The simplest kind of handlebar, these are a straight bar with grips on the end. Flat bars were traditionally only used by cross-country riders but now you see them in more general application.

Flat bars (image credit)

Flat bars offer more space to mount lights and computers than drop bars. These bars have  bar ends attached for additional hand positions. (image credit)


Recommendations for inconspicuous helmet-mounted video camera I'm looking for recommendations for a good, water-proof (or at least weather-resistant) video camera that meets the needs of recording general commuting rides. Some desirable attributes are:

Several hour battery life.
Ease of video download and erasure.
Ease of basic operation; the ability to turn on and off with gloved hands without looking, for example.
Inconspicuous and light when mounted; something that could go pretty much unnoticed on the side of a helmet.

I know there are quite a few new products in this category, but am having trouble coming by experiences of actual riders.

I bought a DOGCAM Bullet HD Wide camera, on the basis of a decent camera at a good price. The Contour HD is a nice camera but too expensive for me.

The DOGCAM Bullet is compact unit, 80mm long and 22mm diameter. Waterproof so strapped to my helmet for kayaking, on the bike I tend to strap it to the bars. It'll last a couple of hours on a battery charge, it's an internal battery which is charged via the mini USB port in the back of the camera. Plugging in via the USB it just appears as a removable flash drive on the computer to copy the video's.

My only real gripe with it is the on/off switch, there's very little tactile feedback to know if I've pressed the button. It does have a small LED at the front to indicate when it's recording or the memory card is full but in daylight conditions it's not the easiest thing to spot. When it's on my bars I really have to lean forward and squint to see the LED.

There is a fair review and example video on Cycleseven


Do I need a special rack for my Schwinn Ascension hybrid bike with disk brakes? Do I need a special rear rack for my Schwinn Ascension Hybrid bike that has disc brakes? Or will the regular Schwinn bike rack work

There is nothing special about that bike that necessitates any special rear rack. You'll want to make sure that the bottom bolt that attaches on the disc side is not so long that it pokes the disc but that's true with any frame.


What advanced cycling skills are useful for a commuter or city rider? I'm a commuter; I mostly ride around the city to get to work, go shopping, visit friends, and stop by the pub. I have basic cycling skills down; proper mounting and dismounting, signaling turns, standing on my pedals to sprint up short hills, and so on. But I've seen some more advanced skills and tricks that I don't know how to do, such as bunny hops, track stands, and the like.

What advanced cycling skills are useful for a commuter or city rider, and how can I learn to do them? I'm interesting in things that are useful, not just showy, and interested in city riding, not mountain biking. For instance, learning to bunny hop might be useful for that one point where the curb cut to get back on the bike trail is half a block down from where the trail actually is.

For each trick or skill, describe it and how it's useful in the city, any limitations it might have (can only be done on a fixie or a mountain bike with front shocks, or should only be done when you have plenty of clearance on both sides, etc), and describe how to learn it, either directly in the answer or by referring to a good resource on learning it elsewhere.

Some important skills for commuters:

Looking directly behind you without turning.

This is a surprisingly difficult skill to master. When a rider looks directly backwards, it is common to turn in the direction they twisted their head. It takes a lot of practice to make resisting that turning automatic. The importance of looking behind you in traffic should be obvious.

Rapid countersteering

It is not uncommon to come up to an intersection when a vehicle in the crossing direction will come in front of you, and you will not have enough time or space to stop safely. Sometimes what is required is a countersteered* turn into the direction the crossing vehicle is traveling. This requires a quick turn of the handlebars in the opposite direction you want to turn, which will cause your center of gravity to rapidly swing to the side you want to be going. Returning the handlebars to turn in the direction you want to go completes the turn, and by doing so you can turn very rapidly with a very tight radius.

You might not be able to stop, but it can be preferable to make a sudden turn rather than crashing into something.

Stopping suddenly

Not many riders are highly skilled in using their brakes. Practice slamming on your brakes, especially using only the front, and get a feel for how much force it takes to get your back wheel off the ground. Practice to the point that when you are in a panic situation you don't simply clutch the levels with every ounce of strength, practice so modulating your brake power is a purely mechanical, automatic skill. Also practice stopping on sandy, wet, and icy surfaces.

Lesser but still important skills

Watching for people in parked cars that might open their door right in front of you while biking alongside them.
Recognizing when one of the common collision situations are upon you and how to respond defensively.
Riding on slippery surfaces.
Never stop at the stop line where 18 wheelers are turning, always stop a good distance behind so the truck has room to turn.


What is this skip-tooth bike? What kind of bike is this?

What type of seat did it have?

I only found a number stamped under the crank: 1620

This era of bicycle is especially hard to pin, it could be a Elgin, Hawthorne/Wards, Phillips, an Iver Johnson or many others that were making similar bikes. Do the pedals have any words on them embossed in the plastic?

If i had to guess i would agree that it is a Pre-WWII as other have said probably around mid to late 30's. Many frames back then had the dual top tubes however many had a bend in the upper one and a "gas tank" in between them. I assume there is not head badge or any other kind of markings? If original the hub and components may lend some information but it is difficult to say from this era.

The saddle was likely a dual rear spring leather "brooks" style saddle that looked something like the one seen on this Iver Johnson:


New disk pads glazing during bed-in procedure My bike is equipped with Sram Force Etap AXS and I've been using some BBB pads for quite a while. My bike shop recommended these, stating that they were compatible (and yes, they worked pretty well).
Now I need to change my pads. I've had some spares from the Swiss Stop brand for a while. I understand that this brand is quite good. Earlier this year, I purchased the model Disc 26 E because it's for Avid Elixir/Sram XX (same as my BBB pads). But since the purchase, they have released the Disc 35 E which are designed specifically for my brakes and I intend to purchase these in the future.
I've been trying to set-up the Swiss Stop Disc 26 E for a couple days now. But I have some noise problems which I didn't have with the BBB pads.
I set up the pads while being careful not to contaminate them, and I cleaned the discs using isopropanol. After following the bed-in procedure from sram (brake 20x from 15-20 km/h to walking speed, then brake 10x from 30km/h to walking speed), I noticed that the brakes were squeaking a lot.
After unmounting the pads, I saw this:

The scratch in the middle appears to be glazing because it's very shiny. I'm a bit surprised because I've heated my BBB pads a lot more and didn't observe any glazing.
I then sanded the pads to recover their original green-ish color.

I tried new bed-in procedures/sanding several times with the same results.
Does anyone has ever observed anything like that? Any tip how to fix this?
Thanks a lot!

This is something that can happen with new brake pads when they are getting too hot before being bedded in properly. You should be good to go after cleaning the disks again and with the sanded pads. You just have to bed them in again, this time maybe a little more careful.
I had experienced this by myself a few times and this method always worked for me perfectly. The performance was the same compared to pads that didn't need a second try.
Edit: Bed in one brake at a time as mentioned by Jeff. It's easier to modulate the breaking power if only using one brake. Using both while bedding in would result in unequal results between front and rear because of the weight distribution.


New bike, tubeless tire will not inflate I got a new road bike with tubeless tires. I can't get the back tire to hold air. I got the front tire inflated but for some reason, as I am pumping the air all I hear is it coming out somewhere from the tire. I don't see a hole. It was shipped from another state and it came  completely flat.

There could be many causes for a flat tubeless tyre, especially on first installation.

Check the tyre is actually tubeless compatible
Check the tyre beads are seated the whole way round
Check the nut on the valve is tightened (finger tight)
With the wheel off the bike, shake the wheel and listen for sealant.

If any of these conditions are not met, rectify the problem before trying again.

If they are all met, then you have a hole in the tyre - not at all unheard of in tubeless ready tyres which are designed for use with sealant.

To find the hole, get a helper to operate the pump for you, whilst you carefully inspect/listen to where the air is escaping.  Whilst still pumping (to generate some air pressure), rotate the wheel so the hole is at the bottom.  This will cause the sealant to pool in that area and plug the hole.


One extra position on front derailleur besides trim After I changed shift cables, I have 4 positions on my front derailleur. WTF?

I have a double chainring. I have a trim position as well, but after shifting to the big chainring, I can still move the STI lever a tiny amount. If I do so, the derailleur will click into a 4th position and the derailleur moves out a tiny amount. From there I can downshift back to the 3rd position.

This only appeared after I changed gear cables and fiddled around with the limit screw. What should I do?

Presumably it is a further trim position if you have double (not triple) shifters, and previously the limit screw was preventing the cable movement. Now you’ve installed a new cable and changed limit screws a bit maybe you’ve allowed access to a high gear trim position.

My 105 5700 double shifter does the same thing, and I can prevent it from happening by tightening the high limit screw


The outside diameter of the brake rotor rubs against the caliper I have upgraded my bike with a new front suspension fork. Bought and fitted an adaptor from Shimano as the fork is laid out for 160mm (Postmount 6) and my disc front wheel brake rotor is 180mm. However, when I fitted the wheel I noticed that the outside diameter of the rotor catches against the caliper.
The problem disappears if I fit a spacer between the fork and the adaptor but that is not a solution that I am keen on. The wheel can rotate but the problem is clearly noticeable.
The fork and the caliper are both post mount and I have double checked that the adaptor is fitted the right way up.
What am I missing?

You're not missing anything. Sometimes this just happens.
There is a bigger question at hand regarding what aspects of the relevant parts dimensions are truly standardized, and which are the kind of informal follow-the-leader standards the bike industry often uses. It doesn't really matter and I couldn't write that answer.
Use up to 2mm or so of shim/washer on each bolt. Normal M6 washers are fine, or you could use fancy ground ones if you have them. Make sure the bolts keep at least 6mm of thread engagement and use longer bolts if not. Other than that, all you care about is the pad contact on the rotor. You are shooting for no overhang of the pad, such that the entire pad face is contacting with no potential for a lip to build up as the pad wears.


Can I use a Shimano BL-MT200 lever on a Shimano BR-M446 brake caliper? I have a leakage on my lever, and can't find any Shimano BR-M446s for sale. Was wondering if Shimano BL-MT200s were compatible.

The corresponding lever for the ALIVIO BR-M446 caliper appears to be either the BL-T445 or the BL-M425 (depending on the size; 3 finger vs. 2).  You might have more luck searching for those product numbers instead.

The ACERA BL-MT200 seems to have very similar specs to the ALIVIO BL-T445, though based on the angle to the clamp it may stand off the bars a bit further.  Specifically they use the same hose kit, SM-BH59-JK-SS, so the hydraulics should be compatible.  My major concern, however, would be that the Shimano site explicitly notes that the ACERA part has "braking power tuned for entry level riders."

A leak might just be down to the hose - or fittings - though, so you might want to find out if your LBS can service it for cheaper than getting in new levers.


Freehub disengages and then rengages — what is the issue? I have a Hope Pro hub and shimano freehub body with 11 speed cassette on my MTB. Recently when pedalling on occasion the resistance in the pedals disappears (like the chain has come off). It seems as through the freehub has disengaged. When I stop the freehub and pedals re-engage and I can continue for another few miles or so. It has only started happening recently ... never had this before.

Any idea what is happening. Do I need a new freehub body or do you reckon a service will do the trick?

Thanks all.  I'll take the freehub off and take a look.

The thing that is odd (to me) is that I'll be pedalling and suddenly it will freewheel. There is no sound -- it is like the pawls suddenly retract ... i would have thought when pedalling it would have been hard / impossible to retract?

Most likely pawls or other parts of freehub's engagement mechanism have become sticky. Opening it, cleaning it up and applying light grease (if at all) should help.

Much less likely but not impossible is that the pawls have become worn. Replacing them is then in order. In any case, servicing the freehub is the first thing to do.


Different looking bearing races So I’m cleaning my bearings and the cups and I’ve just realised one of them looks like it’s been bent inward. Is it supposed to look like this or has something happened?

Expanding on my comment cos a picture is worth many words - this is the line which is the bearing surface, that the ball bearings "bear" onto.

The slightly bronze circle that is closer to the hole in the middle is important as it provides support for the critical area, but the shape doesn't really matter.  Yes the inside edge looks slightly deformed, but since its not the track on which the balls roll, then its not important.

Here's a modified cutaway from figure 6

If you want to put this to the test, clean your parts and the old balls and then draw on the bearing race with whiteboard/dry-erase marker.  A sharpie might work.  Either way, avoid black.  Reassemble your bearing completely dry of grease and spin it by hand for a couple revolutions to put witness marks into the dry marker-pen.  Only need to do one side of the axle, not both cos its only a test and not for riding.  Use the old balls so you don't scuff up new ones.

I think we were talking about different silver circles in comments.

The other possibility is that there is some artefact you can see directly that isn't showing in the photos. Damage like on this spalled cone may not be visible in the photo, which would be completely different.


What foods do you consume after biking to retain energy? I am a vegan and I bike around 10 miles to and fro from office everyday. After biking to office, I find myself in a low energy state which persists all through the day. I tried having couple of bananas right after I reach office and although it does improve a bit, I still feel low in energy. Also I am losing weight steadily. What sort of foods do you eat before/after biking to ensure that you are in high energy state all through the day?

Unfortunately, I don't feel able to talk about food QUALITY, since even "vegan" can mean a lot of things these days, and this understanding varies from person to person. Just to illustrate, I'm not sure to suggest cheese, honey, milk and eggs, although I do find these to be excellent heavy-fuels for cycling.

Now what I do feel sure to advise, being an everyday commuter that likes to eat and sometimes get burnt-out or otherwise energy-deprived due to hunger, is about AMOUNT and TIMING.

I cannot ride to work without having an at least a decent breakfast, otherwise the weakness manifests itself as soon as I start to pedal. Usually, this is enough to allow a morning of productive work until lunch time;
At lunch, I am always hungry eat a very substantial amount of food.
When I go home for lunch (50% of the times), sometimes I feel the power to pedal is not so good due to hunger. This only improves some 20 minutes after I start the meal.
During the afternoon, about two to three hours after lunch, I start to get hungry. Then I take a snack, otherwise when it's time to go home (by bike) I am already starving.
I get home ALWAYS starving, this is the time of day my internal clock demands food, and usually I take some sweet stuff (bread with jam, milk, and other breakfast-related foods). I'ts a requirement, for myself, that I eat until I get totally satisfied, otherwise I cannot be in a good mood (my family knows it best than I do).

Even though, and I have to agree, this seems like a nutritional abuse, my health is fine, and my weight is steady. That was not so in the beginning of this lifestyle (bike commuting every day), but one tends to get used to lifestyle changes eventually.

Of course I would not suggest you to do the same, but I'd suggest the following "general principles":

If you commute by bike, you simply HAVE to eat A LOT. There is no magic here: your increased energy consumption demands this energy to come from somewhere;
Most regular bikers have a diet that could turn sedentary people ill, due to the amount of calories and what I call "heavy-fuels". Vegan heavy-fuels would be coconut, nuts in general, avocado, lots of bananas, etc.
Since the demands are not just caloric/energetic, but also constitutional (you need to rebuild cellular methabolism overloaded by effort, high turnover, exposure to pollution, exposure to climatic factors). So the QUALITY of the food is also important, but since you'r vegan, that should be for you to judge.
(EDIT!) Sometimes what you eat just after commuting matters less for your well-being than what you've eaten in the hours, or even days, before the ride. If one is "well fed", it's possible to endure vigorous exercise and be able to bear some hours of fasting until the next meal, specially if you do everything (ride, eat, work) more or less at the same time of day, everyday.

At last, you said you're losing weight. If you were overweight, that might be the expected thing to happen. Now if you were normal weight, and are at the same time losing weight and feeling burnt-out, that is a very serious warning sign. If self-management of food intake alone doesn't solve it, perhaps you should see a professional.

Hope this helps!


Parafin wax vs wet lube for bike chain lubrication? So im thinking of waxing my chain (with parafin wax) what would the advantages of this be over wet lube (i use muck off). Anybody have any experience with waxed chains?

Thanks.

I have been using paraffin wax this year on my "fast" road bike as a bit of an experiment. This was using the hot wax approach, where paraffin wax was melted (in a slow cooker) and a clean chain dipped in the hot wax.
Pros

Very clean drive train, even after 2000 km the cassette and rings sparkle. Straight paraffin (i.e., without bees wax) does not attract dirt. I rarely find myself cleaning the drive train as it just isn't needed.
Efficient - feels quite efficient when pedaling. Nothing earth shattering, just a positive feel. Perhaps this is confirmation bias, due to the Velonews research.  I haven't tried to quantify any differences yet.
Longer period of time between maintenance. Typically 400-600 km between needing to reapply.
Reapplication of hot wax can be quick 15 min - if you have the setup.
Lower wear rates.  My preliminary results have shown lower wear rates relative to wet lube, but I need more data before I can sign off on this. See ParkTool CC-2 chain checker incorrect readings for an example of how to measure chain wear rates  precisely measured in the field.

Cons

Time consuming to prepare a chain for first waxing (ALL LUBE must be removed).  This step is critical and time consuming (see below).
Chain runs a bit nosier, especially if cross chaining.
Chain must be removed from the bike to re-wax
More paraphernalia required (e.g., slow cooker, wax, gloves, solvents, jars)
You need to be organized. Wet lubes are easier, if you don't plan.

Typically, I have about 3 chains pre-waxed which I rotate once the wax has worn off.

Additional Details on Hot Waxing
When done right paraffin wax adheres to the metal and takes up the space between the rollers and inner links. Because the wax is solid at room temperature, this means the chain is running on a film of hard wax, which increase efficiency and reduces roller wear.  This only works if you prepare the chain correctly, otherwise the wax will not adhere and the wax will not remain between the rollers and inner plates/bushings (inner plates act as bushings in modern chains).
Initial Preparation
Probably the most critical step for a successful hot waxing is preparing the chain.  All lube must be stripped off. EVERYTHING. No residue, just bare metal.  This is actually more difficult than it first sounds. I typically follow this tutorial by Molten Speed Wax (although I haven't tried their wax yet). The mineral spirits do a good job of stripping out oils, but they do leave a residue.  Mineral spirits is therefore followed by rubbing alcohol (isopropanol) baths, which leaves bear metals.  After drying the chain is ready for a hot wax treatment. Regular bike degreasers will likely not be strong enough.
Solvents are expensive and potentially harmful to the environment so I  reuse my solvents, but moving them down the chain. I use about 6-7 sequential baths (4 mineral spirits, 3 alcohol).  Tedious! Afterwards solvents will need to be disposed/recycled at the proper facilities- not down the drain!!!

Example of the debris removed from a new chain after the first solvent bath.
Multiple Chains
Because of the tedium and work involved I tend to prepare batches of chains then rotate them on a bike.  This makes re-lubing as easy as swapping a chain. I also use master a link, which I tend to reuse a number of times before replacing.
Re-waxing
Re-waxing is as simple as wiping any dust or dirt off of the chain and re-inserting into hot wax again. Any remaining dirt tends to fall out of the chain as you mix the pot, settling on the bottom.  Afterwards you can cut out the dirty wax which settles to the bottom of the pot.  I typically keep my re-waxing wax separate from my first time wax which is pristine.
Known Unknowns
Right now I get good longevity in the dry, even better in the cold and dry (as the wax is harder), but I have no idea the longevity in the wet and muddy.  I remember the Velonews test showed good friction performance (the paraffin keeps out mud) but I am not sure anyone looked at longevity (i.e., how long before re-waxing).
Once I set my commuter up on a waxed chain I will have a better of how this may pan out.

UPDATE 1: Wear Rates
The wear rate of Paraffin treated chain is significantly lower (p < 0.001) with a wear rate about 40% of the wear rate measured while using oil.  In the figure below oil was used on the chain for the first 100 hours before switching to paraffin.  The slope of the regression lines indicates the wear rate, with the shaded region indicating the 95% confidence region for the regression line. Note that the measured wear drops slightly after switching to paraffin, my best guess is that the wax fills some of the space between the roller and pin, effectively reducing measured stretch.

UPDATE 2: Wet weather
Wet weather riding with a paraffin waxes chain is a mixed bag. The waxing doesn’t last as long as in dry weather due to the wet and grit wearing away the wax. Typically torrential down pour conditions on gravel tracks I get about four one way commutes (about 100 km) before I swap chains.  If it is light or misting rain I can get a week’s worth or more. To rewax the chain I wipe off the dirt off the chain with a wet rag, let the chain dry then throw it into the hot wax.
The one big plus is that the drivetrain remains relatively clean and can be polished in a couple minutes with a wet rag. Wet lubes would produce a nasty mess under the same conditions.
In the end there is no free lunch, there is always more  maintenance in winter.


Is it acceptable to mountain bike on narrow hiking trails?(Minnesota) I've recently been getting more into mountain biking. I like to take my bike out every so often onto unpaved trails, but the closest designated mountain biking trails in my area are not a short trip away.

However, there are several un-paved trails that are within my area that are not designated as solely hiking or biking trails. I've been taking my bike out on these trails recently, but am worried if what I'm doing is acceptable practice. A lot of the trails I tend to go on are narrow trails that are wide enough for a single bike to ride on. It feels that if there is a hiker on the trail, there is very little room for them to pass if I yield.

This made me wonder if there were any regulations on biking down these trails. I know that larger parks designate their trails for either biking or hiking, but is it right to assume that small parks that have no noted designation on their trails can be used as a shared trail?

It depends on the local laws, both regional and countrywide. It's not really a question of acceptable or not.

e.g In England trails can be strictly footpath which means no bikes. Bridleways, Byeways and Byeways Open to All Traffic (BOATs) can be ridden by bike with pedestrian priority.

Find out the local laws for your region.

If you do find that all your local trails are fair game it's still up to you to ride in control and with courtesy. Any person & bike collision will be your fault.


Chain slipping on newish bike I've looked at most of the answers for related questions and they all speak about replacing parts that are old.

I just bought a new bike from a friend who rode the bike for about a month before leaving it in their garage for about 3 years only riding it on occasion.

When riding it home I came round a corner and was about to head up a slight hill. I shifted gears and the chain came off.

Yesterday I rode it to work and it was fine, but the chain keeps slipping whenever it is under reasonable load (such as going up hills).

I did some research and watched a few youtube videos. I also have a housemate who has been riding for years and we adjusted the derailleur this morning. But on my way to work this morning it still slips regularly. It is not slipping into another gear just crunching for a split second. It also changes gears without problem.

I looked at teeth on the gears and everything looks good as new. It is a 21 speed with Shimano gears.

Although everything is quite new could the chain be stretched just sitting in storage? What else should I be checking?

Update to cover some of the points in the answers:

The chain only came off once on the day I was riding it home after I purchased it. The chain is now just slipping. I think it came off due to the way I changed gears.
I'm not sure if the slipping is happening on the front or rear gear or as it goes through the derailleur
It's not my gear changing technique. At first I thought this may be the issue so I tried going easy on it yesterday and it still sleeps even if I have been in the same gear for 2 minutes before going up hill.
I have noticed it slips if I can't maintain the same pressure on the pedals. So if I slightly weaken the pressure for a second or pedal slightly slower it will slip.
There is no visible rust on the gears or the chain, but I will look at some of the other posts and see how to clean and lube the chain and will check this weekend to see if there are any stiff links. There is also no visible damage to any of the gear teeth, front or back. However the derailleur does look dirty.

Learning some better shifting technique may solve this. It also could be that, despite your best efforts, the derailers are out of alignment.
Two questions:

Is the chain falling off on the front chainring or on the rear cogs? If so, is it happening on the inside or outside? (If it's happening in the rear and the chain is hitting the spokes, this can be an extremely serious problem that can be a danger to the rider. Other scenarios are not as serious.)
Can you tell us more about the bike? You mention a Shimano drivetrain; Shimano makes differing levels of components, and even top-level components won't work very well if a bike is assembled poorly. Is this a reputable brand of bike purchased at a bike shop, or is this a big box bike?

Shifting technique
This is particularly a problem with bikes that have twist-grip, bar-end, downtube, or other shifters that allow the user to shift through many gears all at once--or at least allow them to try; this will often pull the chain off the gears. The solution to this problem--aside from designing the bike to not do this in the first place, or having it adjusted more regularly--is to shift gears slowly, preferably one at a time. If you must shift quickly, at least slow down near the end of the shift!
You mentioned that the chain is coming off when shifting under load. On derailer bikes, you really are meant to shift while continuing to pedal but letting up a bit on the pedals. Shifting under load is not advised. I can't stress this enough.
A big part of proper climbing technique is getting into the habit of shifting in advance to avoid having to shift under load. (If you're stuck in a difficult gear, sometimes you can coast for just a second while you shift. You'll lose a little momentum, but you'll avoid walking the hill.)
Mechanical causes
If none of these solve the problem, you may need to face that your derailer adjustments may not have done the trick. I'd bring the bike into a shop and have a pro wrencher adjust the derailers.
Cable stretch tends to come about with use more than time, but it could be a contributing factor. A derailer service will include adjusting the cables.
There are other possible causes, although they're less likely than shifting technique problems or derailer maladjustment:
Chain stretch is actually the wearing away of the insides of the metal links, and it only happens with use. While a stretched chain can increase problems like this, I suspect that chain stretch isn't an issue. However, it's at least possible that the bike came with an older chain, and it's so easy to check for chain stretch that it can't hurt to do so.
Similarly, worn gear teeth can also cause this, but this is extremely unlikely to be the cause. (Checking for those is a little more involved than checking the chain.)
It's also possible that the bike has the wrong size of chain on it, or that the chain is too tight (or too loose).


What is a "road" bike? Don't they all ride on a road? Trying to learn about bicycles.  I have heard the term "road" bike a lot.  What is the difference between a "road" bike and a regular bike?

Yes, all bikes could ride on roads. However, a road bike is one that's optimized for riding on smooth pavement. It usually has skinny tires (no wider than 32mm, often much narrower) with a very light tread. (If they have any tread at all. Some road tires, such as the Kojac, are treadless or "bald", to cut down on rolling resistance.) Road bikes usually have handlebars that are designed to be comfortable for long stretches of time, sacrificing a little bit of fine control that you'd get with a wider flat bar or riser bar.

By way of contrast, mountain bikes come with wider tires that have more agressive tread ("knobby" tires) designed to grip gravel or dirt.

Road bikes can sometimes ride on packed dirt or gravel, but the ride will be very harsh. A bike optimized for off-road will be easier to control and can ride on surfaces that'd be problematic on a road bike, such as rocks, gravel, loose dirt, or pockets of sand. There are even bikes that will accept extra-wide tires (3 - 4"). People who ride on very bad roads that have had potholes and cracks installed copiously may prefer a mountain bike to a road bike, or may decide to get a hybrid bike, which is exactly what it sounds like.

In the end, road bikes can sometimes do a little bit of off-roading, and mountain bikes can ride on the pavement, but these kind of bikes have different strengths.


Can I use bar tape on my (non race bike) bike with flat handles (not drop bars) My handle bars are slippery so during the drive they often start sliding off. Could I use those nice cool tapes on my handle bar? If so, which ones should I buy?

You can use any road tape on a flat bar. The main reason people do it is to make the grips thin and firm. Even a thick tape will be thinner than a thin grip. It's important to choose a wrap orientation where the torque from your hand is working the tape in the tightening direction. For a typical flat bar that means turn the tape clockwise looking at the bike from the right or counterclockwise from the left. Usually it works better to locate the finishing tape on the end of the bar as opposed to the brake lever because you want to avoid twisting on it directly, but that part depends on where you prefer to put your hands on the bar.

Finding the wrap orientation that resists loosening for you depends on habits and weight distribution and can tend to require some experimentation, but most riders find there to be one that works best.


Determine width of rim to match tyre I need some 5 ray rims but the ones I find on the internet are way too expensive, so I decided to "roll my own" by creating a 3D model and having it machined from a piece of aluminum.

I've chosen to go with 20x2.125, or roughly 500mm in diameter and 50mm in width, tires for my rim. I'm looking at the nominal section widths of the standard and for this size tire I see that a size of 21C, 23C, 25C rim is required. Nowhere is mentioned what C stands for tho. I assume it's from crotched but I'd like a word of comfort on that. So basically this means that my rim's inner width (the one labeled 19 here) must be between 21 and 25 millimeters?

Usually the inside width of the rim should be at least half the tire width and can be almost as wide as the tire itself. So for a 50-622 tire anything between 25 (a bit less would probably still be okay) and 50mm should work.

The problem with wide tires in narrow rims is that the tire will be unstable in corners at low pressure and can break the rim at very high pressures. I’ve ridden 35mm cyclocross tires inflated to less than 2 bar on 13mm rims and  wouldn’t recommend it.


Upgrade Shimano Sora shifters to 105 I want to upgrade my 3x9 Sora shifters to 3x10 105s.  However, looking at the Shimano Compatibility Chart, it appears to indicate that I'll have to replace my front and rear derailleurs in addition to the cassette, which I knew I'd have to replace.  But I'm not sure I'm reading that chart correctly.

The bike currently has a Shimano Sora bottom pull front derailleur and a Shimano Tiagra rear derailleur.  Can I get by with just replacing the cassette?

I posed a similar question (or at least a question which raises similar issues) on here a few months ago: Moving tfrom Shimano 9- to Shimano 10- speed

The issue is not the different Shimano ranges per se, its going from 9 to 10 speed.

You can imagine that the 10-speed shifters will be expecting a 10-speed cassette at the other end of the wire - these things are indexed after all.

The other complication in going from a 9- to 10-speed cassette is the chain. You'd need a new, slimmer one. And unfortunately this means a new real derailleur too. Strictly speaking, this again knocks on to the front derailleur. And the chainrings. But as regards the front setup, I was advised that I should be able to get by with my existing setup.

Unless you specifically want to go to 10-speed, you may have some luck doing what I did - jump over 105 altogether and head for the old Ultegra 6500 range.....which was 9-speed. I suspect if you could find shifters from this range, it would do the trick. Alternatively you could go not quite as far and upgrade to Tiagra - I believe the current Tiagra range is now 10-speed, but its not so long ago that it was 9-speed. (The bike I raised my question about was a 2011 model.) Obviously Ultegra will give you better quality but you'll still find Tiagra shifters a noticeable step up from Soras.

If you really do want to go to a 10-speed 105 setup, well I think I costed it as something like GBP400 or more...not a lot less than buying the whole 105 groupset (which can be bought as a single product). But I seem to remember the biggest single cost was the shifters, so take that as an indication.


Grip shift won't move Just bought a used shockwave sus:550 bike with grip shift shimano gears.
The grip shift won't move no matter how much force is applied. Also the chain skips as one rides despite a recent lube job. Any suggestions on how to solve this?

You want to try moving the derailleur by pushing it with you hand, which will isolate whether the mechanism is stuck, or if the grip part is stuck.  If you have exposed inner wires, then try pulling them with your hand to see if the derailleur mech moves.

Could be corroded wires in outer sheaths, damaged grip control, or corroded/frozen derailleur.

Note that twist shifts/grip shifts were pretty low on the quality scale, and tended to indicate a budget bike.  You might be on a hiding to nothing spending money on this bike.

Chain skip sounds like worn sprockets on the rear wheel, an elongated chain, and possibly impacted dirt between the sprockets stopping the chain sitting on the teeth properly.

Consider posting clear and well lit closeup photos of the parts, which may help others answer more accurately.


How can I fix the hook of a weather proof pannier? I have a pair of Mainstream panniers (msx sl 55) but the rivet that holds the hook on the bag fell off. You can see it on images outside and inside

How can I fix it while maintaining it weather proof?

I just used a 5mm bolt with locking nut, and a ~15mm wide washer on the inside when this happened to my Ortleib. If you use stainless steel bolt, nut and washers it won't rust and the pressure against the pannier materials stops it leaking. I'd use the biggest washer you can find on the inside, but the biggest I could find was only 15mm. If you look at the other rivet you will probably find that the washer is smaller than that, and possibly that the other rivet is also about to fail.

My repair has lasted several years of regular use, and I still have the pannier today as a backup (I bought new ones when I wore holes in the fabric after more than 10 years of use)


Tire size switch out to wider tire , is that possible I have a Bacchetta Sparta with 650x 23c tires, can I switch out to a wider tire ? Seems it would be more stable.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html Yes this link will give you and idea of the limits .


What can cause the front wheel to lock up when going over a small bump? I was going over a bump. When the front wheel hit the bump, it suddenly stopped moving, the rear wheel lifted off the ground, and I was thrown face-first onto the road. I sustained injuries to the face, hands, chest and knees, and had to go to emergency (see edit 2 for photograph of injuries).

I'm fine now, but I wanted to understand this so that I can be safe next time.

This happened with two different cycles, so I know it's not a defect specific to a unit or to a model. One was an e-bike, with small wheels (maybe a foot in diameter), poor or no suspension, and was going at its maximum speed of 25kph.

Since I was asked, here's a photo of my riding posture:

The brake:

And the brake lever:

(These were taken on another unit of the same model, but they're identical AFAIK.)

The other cycle has the usual-sized wheels, no suspension, and was going at 25kph or slightly slower.

In both cases:

I was going more or less straight.
The road was dry.
I never pressed either brake.
The bump was tiny, half a cm at most, and the bike can navigate much bigger bumps at full speed safely.
The road was otherwise smooth.
It was the front wheel that caught the bump.
I was thrown over the handlebars.
There was no indication of anything going wrong before I was thrown over the handlebars — no skidding, no scraping sound, no loss of balance, nothing.
The vehicle didn't have apparent damage either before or after the incident.
I wasn't carrying any loads.
I didn't have loose clothing that can get stuck somewhere.
I wasn't applying the brakes.

Is it because the bump caused the front brake to apply spontaneously? Is there anything I can do to be safe, because at this point, I'm a little concerned about using bicycles or e-bikes any more.

If you have quick-release or bolt-up front axle that is not properly tightened, then going over a bump could cause it to come out of the fork dropouts. Normally dropouts are equipped with lawyer tabs to prevent this, but they aren't 100% effective or your bike may not even have them. Once it drops out of the dropout, the fork would then no longer be supported and would drop onto the tyre brining it to an abrupt stop, likely catapulting the rider over the bars.