Is there a way to syncronize cycling activities from Movescount to Runkeeper or vice versa? I have used Runkeeper for years to track my cycling activities with my Smart phone.

Recently bought a pulse watch Suunto Ambit 2 that stores activities in the Movescount portal when the watch is docked, and my question now is if there as a easy way to record activities with the watch and then synchronize or push them to both Movescount and Runkeeper?

Strava is now connected with Movescount so you can sync together your stuff via this site.


Why did my rear derailleur fail in the middle sprocket? Yesterday, I replaced my cassette and chain, having ridden the previous ones through the winter, and re-indexed my rear derailleur and checked the limit screws. Today, I had ridden slightly less than a kilometer on that when I noticed the pedaling got stiff in a manner slightly unlike being in a too-high gear, so I shifted to a smaller gear (i.e. larger sprocket), rode about ten meters and heard a snap and a ping.

The snap had been the rear derailleur breaking and I suspect the ping was from the spring in the bit left attached swinging to the extreme position. The derailleur was pointing diagonally upwards, and the chain was on a sprocket near the middle of the cassette, intact.

The derailleur was a Campagnolo Centaur 11, the cassette was Shimano Ultegra CS-R8000, the same size as the previous one, and the chain a Shimano Dura-Ace CN-HG901-11. The brifters are also Campagnolo Centaur 11-speed.

How did my rear mech fail, and what should I pay attention to when installing and maintaining the replacement so as not to have this happen again?

Edit: I received the replacement mech and when I was installing it, I noticed the hanger is bent inwards. I'm not sure if this is a cause or effect.

From the information available I would advise you to make sure:

Chain is of correct length
Derailleur is not running too close to the cassette (B-screw adjustment)

In the workstand pay close attention to what happens with chain on the largest chainring and simultaneously shifting towards the largest sprockets, especially if shifting several gears at once.

I've seen cases where the chain and derailleur can get jammed with the cassette here when derailleur is setup too close to cassette, leading to situations such as this.


Road bikes rim brake or disc brake I am about to buy a new Road bike and there seems to be a host new road bikes with disc brakes, I've had a Mountain bike with disc and it's fine, just wondering what the pros and cons of having a road bike with discs apart from the looks, should I stick with the traditional proven rim brake or have a more in depth look at disc brakes as the industry seems to be inclining towards discs.. I will not be changing bikes for at least 3 years so want to make the right decision.

Any experiences from roadies who have used disc brakes would be welcome as well as your opinions.

Many Thanks
Savio

I have a road/gravel bike with a disk front brake and there are almost no downsides for solo riding from my experience.

Pros:

Much more flexibility is choosing wheel size and tire. I can run fat tire 650b wheels or skinny 700c wheels.
Much better braking in wet conditions, braking in dry conditions is similar, but with better control (i.e. modulation).
Easier to get wheels off when you have a flat.
Most are either self-adjusting for pad wear or have a simple finger adjustment.

Cons:

Slightly heavier wheels and brakes.
Rotors get hot, brake fade is a possibility if you consistently drag the brake. Long steep descents take some "brake heat" management. This can also be an issue with rim brakes, but generally it takes a much longer descent and more abuse to cause problems with rim brakes.
Hydro brakes have more mechanical complexity, difficult to impossible to make on the road repairs.
I use wire disk brakes on my road bike with no issues.
Putting the wheel back on is a bit more fiddly.
If you ride in a group often, there are some safety issues around hot rotors and potential crashes.


Gazelle taillight Power Vision user manual I have this battery-powered tail lamp. It has one button to switch on/off and, when pressed for few seconds, probably "lock" lamp, which indicates this by flashing 3 times ("unlocking" procedure is the same).

I'd like to know how to activate movement / light sensor on this lamp, in which it's probably equipped with. It has also some kind of battery level indicator, which I'm not sure how to interprete. User guide for this model would be appreciated.

The Gazelle Power Vision taillight has no independent manual.  As it is only sold on a bike, the manual for the bike contains the information you need.

You can determine if there is an automatic function built in to the light by checking the power switch. If the power switch only has 2 positions, you have a manual only light. If there are 3 positions, then the light has a sensor function.  The function you are thinking of as a lock, may be the auto function. If not, you appear to have the manual version.
If the sensor function is active, then the light will turn on when the bike is moving. It will remain on 1 minute after motion stops. Some models also have a light sensor, and will stay on longer in the dark.
The battery indicator is automatic. It will begin to flash when the light calculates 10 hours of battery life are remaining.


Unsure of Proper Tire Pressure I purchased a new bicycle and I'm confused about the tire pressure.  The guy at the bicycle shop told me to inflate to at least 100psi.

However the bicycle itself has the words 'Maximum inflation - 65 PSI'

The bicycle is a Giant Escape.  I can't remember if they called it a commuter bicycle or a road cruiser (it doesn't have the drop style handlebars).  The tire itself is a 'Giant S-X3, 700x32' and it says '32-622'

I rode the bicycle at 65 psi and, while I'm new, it felt kind of low to me.  I wasn't hitting the rim or anything extreme like that; I just prefer a stiffer ride - but I'm afraid to go past what the tire has printed on it.

Can anyone tell me what I should be inflating my tire to?  I'm ~175 pounds if that matters, most of the sites I've found on the topic give recommendations based on weight.  Still, I'm worried about damaging the tire or rim.

I will be doing 100% street riding.

Thank you

I don't know what kind of tires you're running, but 65PSI is a really low maximum pressure for a 700x32 tire. I wouldn't exceed it if I were you. I'd probably throw them out and get a pair of tires that are a little more confidence inspiring.
Tire pressure is more of an art than a science (even moreso with mountain bike tires), and much of it is going to come down to preference. The skinnier the tire, the higher the pressure. The bigger the rider, the higher the pressure. To a lesser extent, the higher the TPI (threads per inch), the higher the pressure. There is a sweet spot between the min and max pressures, and it depends on the mentioned factors and more, and each rider just has to feel it out for themselves. That said, Michelin has a chart that can provide a decent starting point for road tires and you can go up or down from there as you please. Keep in mind they've designed this around their own tires, and ultimately other reputable sources probably have other opinions on the matter.
In Michelin's words:

 Just as with your car tires, proper inflation pressure is very important to how your bicycle tires perform and last. And as with car tires, the most important variable that affects what the proper pressure should be is the load your tires are asked to carry.Thanks to more than a century of tire technology research, Michelin engineers have found that there's a certain amount of deflection in the tire profile that's optimal for balancing grip, efficiency, comfort and durability. That deflection is based on the tire's construction and the weight of the rider. Obviously, your style of riding can have an effect too, but the chart below should give you a reasonable guide of where to start when experimenting to find the proper tire pressure for you.

There are a few related interesting tidbits at Michelin's site.


Any countries where there's a general speed limit for bicycles? This not about e-bikes/e-bicycles or e-scooters, it's about the conventional human powered 2/3 wheeled vehicles, about the plain old bicycle.
I would like to know which countries (Europe mostly) have a speed limit for bicycles in their general traffic law (with article/reference or link if possible, language doesn't matter) for driving in built-up areas or not, on cycle paths or on the road.
Not interested in specific rules in a certain city/province but country wide rules and we all assume bicycles need to obey speed limit signs and regulations in cities, pedestrian zones etc.
All I know for now is Spain where the speed limit is 45 km/h built-up areas or not, but you can go faster if road circumstances allow a greater speed (and it's safe to do so I would add) - Real Decreto 1428/2003 art 48:

e) Para ciclos, ciclomotores de dos y tres ruedas y cuadriciclos ligeros: 45 kilómetros por hora. No obstante, los conductores de bicicletas podrán superar dicha velocidad máxima en aquellos tramos en los que las circunstancias de la vía permitan desarrollar una velocidad superior.

Many countries have some sort of road rule that says "drive to the conditions"  so you use common sense and best judgement, ie don't drive 100 km/h in fog just because that's what the posted sign says.
I'm not aware of any location in the world that legislates that bicycles must have a speedometer compulsory.
In the UK you can be charged with wanton and furious cycling

Laws that apply to motorists but NOT cyclists…
Speeding offences Because bikes aren’t fitted with speedometers, cyclists can’t be charged with speeding offences. HOWEVER, if they are considered to be going too fast for the conditions, they could be charges with ‘wanton or furious cycling’ which is a criminal offence under section 35 of the Offences Against the Persons Act 1861 (as amended by the Criminal Justice Act 1948 s1(2))

From https://www.roadlawbarristers.co.uk/wanton-and-furious-cycling-a-guide-to-the-road-traffic-laws-that-apply-to-cyclists/
(this is a short but interesting read too)


Identify Zipp hub version Which version / year is this 303 Firecrest hub?
The hub has this number: 11sp z3001 13 0863 and the wheel is tubular

To identify the wheel from the serial number you will probably have to contact Zipp customer support.
However they do have some useful pages on their website with quite detailed descriptions to help identify their products.

Hub Timeline

Wheel Timeline


Do I need a different bottom bracket? I have a road bike that has a triple chainwheel setup (48x38x28)in which the chainwheels are not replaceable.  (Made by SunTour)  The middle chainwheel has broken a tooth so the whole thing needs to be replaced.  What a waste...

Anyway, I want to upgrade to a Shimano M361 crankset with the same tooth size chainwheels (48x38x28) that has the nice benefit of having replaceable chainwheels.

I have a Shimano JIS sealed bottom bracket; 117.5 spline size on the bike right now.

My question is do I have to replace the bottom bracket with a different size or will the existing one be fine?

The three bike shops here in town were no help.  One tells me it will work, one says it will not, and the last wasn't sure.

Thanks for your help!

The datasheet for the crankset says it calls for a 123 mm spindle length. This would mean that your crankset would sit about a half centimeter further out than the existing one if you use the Shimano recommended bottom bracket, which will affect the chainline.

I'd go for trying it out as is -- it will probably work. If the shifting is fine, and the chain isn't jumping or derailing when its not supposed to, you're good to go. If it is having problems after adjustments, get a new bottom bracket.


Are neutral service bikes actually useful? In the races I've watched, occasionally a rider who has suffered a mechanical will be given a neutral service bike to continue racing on. I always wonder if this does any good because the rider never seems to make it back onto the peleton or breakaway group.
This article from bicycling.com says:

Generally, the rider will stay on the neutral service bike for only a few miles before pulling over in a better spot and exchanging it for a team-supplied spare with the correct fit coordinates.

I've never noticed this happening, but that may be because I mostly watch women's racing, and maybe they don't have as many team spare bikes at the ready as the men? Nor have I ever noticed anyone crossing the finish line on a neutral service bike (although I'm sure that does happen).
My question can be answered with the following: has a rider on a neutral service bike ever gotten a top-10 result or been able to sufficiently perform domestique duties, directly assisting a team member in getting a top-10 result?
In my research, I found two interesting incidents in which the service bikes were unhelpful:

Fabio Aru "couldn't really pedal" because of a high seat
Chris Froome's neutral service bike had Look pedals instead of Shimano

Note: since I'm new to cyling, I've probably made some incorrect assumptions here. Please feel free to correct any of them

The problem is the lost time due the break down. The question is 'can a ride catch up after a break down', the neutral support bikes gives him a chance, no matter how small.
After a breakdown, the rider has two choices - wait for a team support vehicle with a bike fitted for him, or take a neutral support bike and get moving (likely at a slower pace) while the support teams sort out a bike and arrange a suitable place to swap.  (I suppose he has a third choice - withdraw from the race)
From  a pure racing perspective, the answer is as simple as filling in the variables - Lost time waiting vs lost time on the slower bike and a second bike swap. In some cases the second swap may cost more than the slower bike, in which case finishing on the neutral support bike would be pragmatic.  All this is easy to say on paper - in the heat of the moment this is all a judgement call.
However, the neutral support bike has a significant safety advantage where the breakdown has occurred in a location that the support team cannot get well clear of the other riders. The rider and neutral support team can be cleared from the dangerous situation in the shortest time possible, and a safe location for the riders support team to setup the bike and hand it to him can be chosen. The pressure to get the rider moving comes off the riders support team, who may compromise safety in the heat of having a rider standing around waiting for them. The team also have more time to set the bike up exactly right for the rider, so less chance of an incorrect configuration.


Paint crack or more? I am looking to buy a used bike: a Cannondale Super Six Evo. The seller has sent me a picture about which I am not sure what is wrong. It seems like a paint crack, but can experts share their opinion? It will help me buy this bike. Thanks in advance!

[]

There are 2 marks that I see:

The black mark - as someone noted in the comments - looks like it is due to the brake cable rubbing on the frame. Fairly typical.
The "cracks" on the white paint are a type of paint failure I have seen before, though it might not have been on a bike frame. It probably is nothing to worry about.

When/if you meet them, ask them whether the bike was in a crash. It probably wasn't. Take comfort in the fact that they posted this picture; only an honest seller would note such imperfections in an ad.


Fatigue after changing bike type? My hardtail MTB was stolen. As a result I started looking for a new bike.

After much research, I realized that most of the biking I have been interested in over the last few years seems to fit the bill for this newfangled thing they are calling a gravel bike.

So I got a Specialized Diverge Comp E5 with Future Shock. I am riding in a new posture and for the first time in my life attempting to ride the drop-handlebar posture as I have never ridden a road bike or anything like it.

I have much to write about this machine, and my experience of it, but for this post suffice to say the following:

I am amazed how different everything is. It's like learning to ride all over again. I feel either exhilarated or terrified most of the time, the latter especially downhill over MTB type stony terrain.
The bike fit is not yet right. I need to tune it. But it is not very off.
After doing even short rides on asphalt/tarmac/paving, say to the tune of 30km, I am absolutely knackered. 2 days on my thighs are killing me.

Is this normal for switching bike types? I was planning a longer trip in the next few days but right now I don't have the confidence. I think I may have to delay as everything seems so shockingly different and  my body is in permanent tension. What should I expect in this situation?

It's entirely plausible that you are experiencing muscle pain and fatigue on a bike with a substantially different and more aggressive riding position.

If riding on the drops is very unfamiliar and difficult, try riding on the hoods most of the time and switching to the tops to get a different hand position occasionally. (A lot of riders spend most of their time on the hoods rather than the drops.)


How to make sure that the brake cable anchor bolt properly holds the cable? I am referring to the bolt, in the V-brake, that holds the cable on the opposite side of the noodle (as in this question). Yesterday I loosened that bolt to take the wheel off (I learned later that there is an easier way, it is enough to take out the noodle), and even though I fastened it again after putting the wheel back, I don't know how to check if I did it properly enough, and that the cable won't just come loose while I ride and cause the brake to stop working. Of course, I tried the brakes a couple of times, even while circling on the bike, and they seemed ok. But the question remains:
Is there a way to make sure that the cable will never come off from under the bolt? I.e., that 1.) it seats deep enough (and with enough of its surface *) under the bolt AND 2.) that the bolt is tight enough?
* Another question I asked myself is: why is (was) the cable guided only on the top and side of the bolt? Why not give it a full turn, so that it has more surface under the bolt? Would the only problem be, that then it would be sticking upwards, instead of downwards?
N.B.: Even though in this case I unfastened and fastened it (although it was not necessary to do so), the question could apply to many other scenarios (installing new brakes, making sure a newly bought bike, or a bike unused for a long time are safe, ...)

To check the holding ability of the screw, while stationary, squeeze the lever as hard as you can and see if the cable anchor retains the cable. There should not be enough slack to allow the brake lever to contact the handgrip. The reason for not wrapping the cable around the screw is the cable strands are more likely to break from the tight bending. It also would make it difficult to reposition the cable to adjust for wear or pad replacement.


Constant squeaking when pedalling My bike has had an ongoing issue for a couple of months. Most of the time I pedal there is a constant squeaking noise (which I can't pinpoint but seems to be from the chain). This noise only occurs when I'm cycling on the big chainring and completely disappears when I cycle on the small chainring. The noise came back even after I got my bike serviced and changed chain (for general maintenance). The only solution I've found is to wet the chain with a hose before cycling but even then the noise will come back after an hour or so and it's obviously very bad for the chain anyway.

If anyone has any solutions they would be very appreciated.

The most common reason why is your chain squeaking is because there is none or not enough lube on your bike. apply some lube on your chain one drop per rivet and wipe the access lube off (You can choose not to wipe the access lube but it will attract dirt & dust.). A chain with no lube will wear much faster than a chain that is lubed, and it will rust easily too.


What does "LL" mean on BB spindle? What does that "LL" mean, stamped (along with the length) on my Mountain Bike's  Shimano BB spindle?

I don't know anything about bottom brackets, but I found this document which says (on page 16):

Shimano cartidge-bearing bottom-bracket spindles are marked with letter codes that correspond to different length spindles. These codes and the corresponding spindle lengths are:
Code Length
MM 107mm and 110.5mm
LL 113mm
D-H 115mm
YL 116mm
XL 118mm
ZL 121mm
NL 122.5mm
EL 127.5mm


What are optimal fabrics for cycling clothing? The title says it all.

However, should I vary the fabric through the year? Should I go with lycra in the summer and wool in the winter? And maybe, should I wear cotton?

I do 2 types of riding. Commuting and endurance cycling.

There are optimal fabrics for cycling and for athletic gear in general. What should I look for regarding cycling clothing?

October - April = Typically wet and cool/cold. We don't get much frigid weather, but it does occur for short periods.

May - September = Usually warm and dry. We don't get a lot 90+F temps, but do at times. Out on the coast it can be cool and damp this time of year. East of the Cascades, hot to very hot and dry.

Can this be converted to a community wiki? It has become apparent that the optimal fabric is personal choice and climate determined. Personally, I prefer merino wool and lycra/synthetics; but others find cotton to be their optimal choice.

Wool, particularly Merino wool, is tough to beat. It's partially hydrophilic, cooling you by wicking sweat away from the skin while also retaining warmth when wet. It's lightweight, soft, and has natural mild antibacterial and antifungal properties that reduce the amount of funky odors.

The main downside compared to synthetic fabrics is probably cost, especially for cycling-specific apparel.


Aluminium front and carbon rear wheel on hardtail? I recently got a used hardtail MTB. (Specialized Epic Elite)
It's got Roval SL Control 29 - which is pricey. The front has 24 spokes and back has 28 spokes.
Now I want to install a dynamo on it and found out there are not many dynamos for 24 spoke wheels.
And I'm not sure If it's a good idea to use 24 spoke wheel on a long distance (I asked a separate question for this
I stumbled upon a aluminium wheel with SONdynamo built into it
Does using the Hunt wheel (aluminum) on front and carbon wheel on rear makes sense?  Buying another Roval carbon 28 spoke wheel and building dynamo on it myself would cost me probably 2.5x the price.
Should I stick with carbon on front as well at least even if it's not the same model?

You’ll be perfectly fine. A carbon rear wheel on a hardtail is actually a pretty good idea because of how much you’re smacking the back wheel around, thanks to the lack of suspension.


Would these upgrades give me a better bike than I could buy with my budget plus the sale of my current bike? Thanks to everyone who commented on my previous post. I’ve narrowed my options down and would really appreciate advice on the more specific ideas I have in mind at this point.
I'm considering making the following upgrades to my 2019 Specialized Allez. I’ve budgeted about $500 (not including LBS install costs). I've listed the current specs first, followed by the set of upgrades. I would appreciate any advice about compatibility issues, alternatives, or costs (or inadvertent downgrades) I may be overlooking.
For context, I need to replace the rear derailleur due to damage and I want to replace the cassette with a narrow-range alternative because it’s pretty much flat everywhere here and I’ve found that I never use the top 2 or 3 largest gears on my current 8-speed 11-32. I don’t think I’ve ever used the 11, either. The other upgrades are for performance and safety.
So, here goes.
Current specs
Brifters: R2000 Claris
Front/Rear Derailleur: Claris
Crankset: R7000 105 with 52/36T rings
Cassette: SunRace 8-speed 11-32
Chain: KMC X8 w/ Missing Link™, 8-speed
Brakes: Tektro, alloy, dual-pivot
Wheels: Axis Sport
Tires: Espoir Sport, 60 TPI, wire bead, double BlackBelt protection, 700x25mm
Additional specs about the frame, etc. are listed here: https://99spokes.com/bikes/specialized/2019/allez
The only difference from the specs listed at that link is that the bottom bracket has been swapped for a SM-BBR60 round bracket.
Upgrades
Rear Derailleur: Replacement Claris RD, plus a new shifter cable ($32)
Cassette: SRAM PG-850 8-speed 12-23T ($30)
Chain: SRAM PC-870 Chain 8-speed ($18)
Wheels: Campagnolo Calima (cheapest I’ve found is ~$180)
Tires: Continental Grand Prix 5000 (~$105 with tubes)
Brakes: R7000 105 Dual-Pivot Caliper Set ($92)
Total Cost: $457 (on a ~$500 budget)
I'm leaning toward making these upgrades because selling my bike would probably net me at most $500, which would leave me with a budget of about $1k.
Accounting for the above upgrades to my Allez, could I buy a much better new (not used) bike at the $1k price point? Or would making these upgrades be the better option? I'm leaning toward upgrading, but please let me know if there are better new bikes at the ~$1k price point that I’m overlooking.
Upgrading to 4700 Tiagra 10-speed would cost about $260 more, which I could save for, but I don’t know that it would be worth it. I’d also appreciate any advice on this point.
Thanks!

$1K USD new would get you in the range of 9 speed Sora with a low to mid-range aluminum frame, so it wouldn’t be too bad of an option either. In the used market, you could likely get 105 11 speed mechanical on a mid-high end aluminum frame.
Those Campagnolo wheels appear to come with the campy freehub body, so you’ll need to factor in the cost of a conversion to HG for Shimano cassette compatibility.
If you’re happy with the 8 speed setup, go for it. If you want to go to Tiagra, then just buy a new or used bike with the additional budget. Having a shop install an entire groupset will get expensive quick. Speaking of which, how much of this work would you be willing/capable of doing yourself? Your own time and/or LBS expenses need to be factored in too.


Are these shallow gouges and imperfections on a new carbon fork steerer benign or serious? I have never had a carbon component on any of my bikes, so I have no idea what sorts of imperfections are perfectly normal minor blemishes that pose no risk.  I'm building the bike for a family member and don't want to install anything dangerous.
These photos are from a new fork we just received.  It cost almost $300, which isn't high-end by any means, but it is triple what the low-end forks are costing, and it was from an eBay Seller with over 15,000 feedbacks and a 99.9% positive rating, so I figured there would be a basic level of QA that would prevent a defective fork from being sold, and I hope I was right about that.
Are the shallow gouge and the other blemishes on the steerer just above the crown benign?
P.S. I should also add that at 9 o'clock on the steerer, when looking down at the tube from above if you were straddling the front wheel, there is a palpable ridge that runs from the crown up the conical taper. The other side of the tapered section is perfectly smooth. I've added a picture that shows that palpable ridge.

I don't normally go around inspecting fork steerers, but I suspect that's highly abnormal and a significant cause for concern.
I don't clearly see torn fibers. If you did, that should mean the steerer got gouged in transit. Raoul Luescher is a carbon fiber repairer and consultant with extensive aerospace and bicycle industry experience. He describes some common manufacturing issues with carbon fiber. I think that the gouges might be related to porosity, which stems from improper compaction.
Basically, carbon fiber is a bunch of sheets of little carbon threads. These are immersed in resin, and then the assembly is baked at high temperature and pressure. The carbon plies and the resin are supposed to compact, i.e. come together. If are holes, i.e. porosity, this compromises the structure's strength. (Although normally I would suspect that porosity is inside the structure, not on the surface.) Alternatively, you can have areas that have too much resin, where the resin pooled and perhaps disrupted optimal compaction, or you can have areas with too little resin where some carbon fiber is left exposed. Either of these are bad as well.
Without a background in the subject, I can't be sure what caused these surface imperfections. They definitely look out of the ordinary for a new component.
I suspect you are correct that normal factory quality control would have caught this item and probably destroyed it. In theory, I have heard speculation that some people resell factory second items, like ones that were QC rejected. There are cases where factory seconds with only cosmetic issues get sold. To my knowledge, in the bike industry, these tend to be for accessories. For example, Spurcycle, which makes very high quality and expensive bells has an annual sale on what they call "Frankenbells". These have cosmetic but not functional defects. I haven't seen cosmetic seconds sold as new equipment in official distribution channels. It does seem possible that the rough spots in the steerer might only be cosmetic. However, that steerer is taking a lot of load, and I wouldn't chance it. This isn't a case of paint chips on a used carbon bike.


Mountain bike crank hits derailleur cable Just bought my first bike and it was put together by the store. I was wondering if this little cable/wire is okay, it's hitting my pedal every time I’m riding. It doesn’t really bother me, but I don’t want it to end up messing something up really bad. Help please new bike owner

Nope, it won't hurt anything. It's unlikely, but the worst case is that you might knock the cable crimp (the cap on the end of that cable) off eventually, which could then cause the cable to fray, which would then eventually need to be replaced.

I would try to bend the cable so that it is tucked away behind a piece of the bike frame or the front derailleur (the thing that shifts your front gears) so that it is silent and worry-free.

Enjoy the new bike!


Cube Scape seat creaking Having some problems with my seat. I have a Cube Analog Disc 2012 bike. After only 100km, the seat started creaking. I sent it back to the shop and received a brand new seat instead. But unfortunately, after another ~200km, the seats started creaking softly, but I believe that in a few days, the irritating creak from the first seat will come back.

It's worth mentioning, that the creak comes from right under the seat, from the plastic that sustains the fabric; right between the front and rear supporting points. Also, I have only 66kg, so weight is not the problem.

I've included a photo so things would be clearer.

Has anyone stumbled upon this issue? What should I do? I believe it's not a solution sending the seat back for replacement once every two weeks...

It's unlikely that the issue is the seat itself.

In 99 cases out of 100, the issue is that seat clamp at the top of the post that holds the saddle rails is loose, or wearing.  Usually loose.

Grab your set of allen keys, find the 5mm or 6mm which will fit the 2 bolt there, and tighten them up to about 10-12 Nm. If it still creaks, consider replacing the post, but it shouldn't come to that.


Any compatible trigger shifters for el-cheapo TD ONE derailleur? Bought a cheap RoadMaster MTB's as a first "grown up" bikes for my daughter. For the price (~$60 in a sale) they play nicely, but it shows the poor quality of the components.

The biggest gripe is the grip shifters (as in each and every Walmart bikes). I'd like to change the shifters to trigger type. The rear cassette is  6-speed and the derailleur (as the rest of components) is some "TD ONE" generic brand. I know the shifter must match the actual derailleur type, due to differences in the pull ratios between brands.

Any suggestion on what type of shifter would be compatible with the TD ONE derailleur?

You need a 6 speed shifter.  These are likely to be rare, so a 7 or 8 speed shifter should work, but will have 1 or 2 ghost positions which may be confusing.

Another possibility is to use a friction shifter, where the rider has analogue input and can put the chain where it needs to go.

But from another point of view, you're throwing good money after bad.  A cheap bike is okay while they're still growing, but at some point you're better off saving for a good bike.

If there's a bike cooperative in your area then they may be able to assist with take-off parts or similar.


Can 37-622 tyres replace 32-622 tyres? I used my old Trek mountain bike last winter (Helsinki, down to -25C, lots of snow) for commuting to work (8km each way, roads) but it probably needs too many repairs to be worthwhile.

I got a new sports hybrid thingy (Crescent Zetta) in the summer, and it might be ok for winter use with some studded tyres. It has disc brakes and 32-622 tyres. I don't know the size of the rims.

I have 26" Nokian Hakkapeliitta W106 studded tyres for the mountain bike, which were very good last winter. These obviously won't fit on the Crescent's bigger 28" wheels, but the W106 also comes in 37-622 (700x35c).

Would 37-622 tyres fit in place of 32-622 tyres or is it too big a difference?

You'll probably have lots of room. Mountain bike frames generally have lots of room in the fork and stays for various sized tires. But it would be best to measure it.

The supposed size difference in your tires is 5 mm, so hypothetically you would need more than 2.5 mm of clearance on either side between the tires and the forks on the front and back of the bike. However, you will absolutely want more than this amount of clearance for several reasons.

advertised tire widths are not necessarily accurate. It could easily be off by a milimeter or two. Especially if one tire is lugged and the other is not.
Tires will move around a little when you are riding. If it's only clearing the fork / stays by 1mm in the stand, it will definitely make contact occasionally while riding.
If you have fenders, be very wary. Fenders are often designed to only fit a certain tire size. Be extra careful measuring clearances here.

So I would only recommend investing in the sidegrade if you have 1cm clearance right now, or more.

As a more general answer for this question to others seeking similar information, you should also check that the brake arms will clear a wider tire. It shouldn't usually be a problem with cantilever brakes, but with calipers a wider tire is often not going to fit. It's not an issue for Hugo because he is running disc brakes.


Cone size for Shimano Type D on Schwinn Cruiser What size wrench do I need for the rear hub on my Schwinn cruiser?  It is a Shimano Type D. Also, what grease is recommended that I might be able to by locally.  Thanks to all.

You probably need a 15mm cone wrench and a 17mm regular wrench. If you're going to buy a cone wrench, the 13/15mm double-ended wrench covers most hubs.

I recommend any PTFE-based bearing lubricant. You can buy a huge tub of it from an automotive store for very cheap.


Should or can I (car) wax my frame? Having spent the whole summer taking a bike apart, painting it and now in the process of building it again, I was thinking about waxing it. I want the finish to last as long as possible, after all, I've spent sooo many hours on this project.

Would it help in anyway? Protecting the finish etc.
Or could it instead harm the bike?

Using car wax on your frame could certainly help protect it over time, though storing it indoors is much more important so that all of the components are protected from the weather.

There are bike specific products like Pedro's Bike Lust but if you don't want to go that direction you should be just fine with any auto wax. In the past I have heard of people using furniture polish as well to give the bike that just out of the shop shine.

You will want to avoid the harsher products that contain aggressive abrasives like rubbing compounds, especially if you have carbon portions of your frame, as these will remove the clear-coat and can lead to damage or failure.


spinning handle bar grips - can it be dangerous I did have spinning handle bar grips on my bike. I have now replaced them with some specialized lock on grips i.e. bolted on.

For example if you're cycling on the road, could spinning grips upset your balance to the extent the bike washes out from beneath you?

This may be a stupid question but I don't want another trip to A&E and 6 stitches to my chin.

In my humble personal opinion, I don't see it being an issue unless you are in an extreme situation such as downhill or freeride stuff, it which case it could result in a crash. Even then I feel like a good lock on grip is just fine and when tightened I have never spun one.

According to WTB is can be dangerous though as their newest line of grips is aimed at stopping exactly that.

  Rotated grips. They end rides, dreams, and winning seasons. So, we solved the problem. In doing so, we also created a more comfortable grip, which utilizes a tapered inner-grip cylinder that interfaces directly with PadLoc-ready handlebars to eliminate rotational slippage entirely. It’s so unique that we applied for US and international patents. And yes, it rules – riding hard with comfort should have been figured out long ago – fortunately, we nailed it. Ride it to believe. Never go back. Locked comfort perfected.

Although i can see the comfort side of their design i feel like they have created a solution to a problem that wasn't a very big one.

With that said i do feel like spinning grips could be potentially dangerous in the "perfect storm" sort of circumstance, especially with it in mind that if they can spin they could potentially slip off as well if your really yanking on them in the turns...

However, under normal everyday commuter and similar conditions I don't think it is something to stress about unless they are loose to the point of spinning freely. Lock ons are proven to work, as is using hairspray between the grips and bars for a little extra grip.


Alternatives to cycling shoes for touring with big/wide feet There are loads of questions on here about cycling shoes for wide feet, but most of the links are years old and broken, and most of them are suggestion for cycling specific shoes. I've all but given up on using any sort of proper cycling shoes, and am seeking tried and true alternatives. I wear a US 13 (47-48 EU) on what one blogger generously described as "challenging" feet. Extra wide, flat feet with plantar fasciitis, Tailor's bunions, the start of a regular bunion, etc.
I've accepted my foot fate and ride on wide touring pedals with either power grips or oldschool metal cages. But I'm still in need of a stiffer shoe. On my first long-distance tour a few years ago I tried out several different insoles with my basic running shoes. I settled on a stiff insole designed for ski/snowboard boots. Recently getting back into riding after a long hiatus during grad school, the stiff insole still works alright for shorter rides, but I get toe numbness/neuropathy after about an hour. Longer ride times (3-5 hours) aggrivate my fasciitis and give me hot-spots galore. I'm thinking that there has to be something with a more rigid sole that might help me out.
I'm curious what solutions other riders with "challenging" feet have settled on. Is there a specific type of shoe (other than workboots) that is known for having rigid-ish soles? Don't have to be cycling specific, but if you've tried them out one longer rides, that's a big plus.

There have been related questions (1, 2) before. You might want to refer to those threads for ideas.
What I suggested in a previous thread was custom cycling shoes, which are very expensive, but should fit perfectly. There are a few companies that make these.


What do I do if I get chain lube on my brake pads? I was being extremely stupid and accidentally applied a little chain lube to my brake pads? I tried to sand them down a little and cleaned the disc rotor with rubbing alcohol, but the performance is still lower than normal. Is there anything I can do to save them?

I've seen recipes for decontaminating brake pads floated around but the easiest and safest thing to do is simply replace them.


"Old" vs new Shimano 9-speed compatibility? I'm dusting off a 2002 mountain bike to use for commuting, and the existing old Deore LX 9-speed shifters are shot and need replacement. It looks like the current 9-speed Shimano options might be Alivio or Acera, but I wanted to make sure that they would be compatible with my old XTR rear derailleur. A newer derailleur might perform better than a 20-year-old XTR, but I would prefer to keep the classic one on there if possible. Will this new Acera with old XTR combo work ok for me?

Yes, the rear derailleurs are completely acceptable, the cable pull ratio did not change. You will not get any new features of SHADOW PLUS you get in new generations of XT.
A year ago I still saw XT M772 Shadow on offer, but it seems to be unavailable now. Deore M592 Shadow seems to be still available here and there. You might be interested in that instead of the lower Acera or Alivio lines.
A new derailleur might function better than a used 20-years old one, but you certainly won't get such tight tolerances, such good materials and such high-quality pivots in the low-end lines. Be prepared they may not remain in such a good condition, the old one remained to be, for such a long time. The pivots might become loose, for example.


What are the things called that you attach a rack to? I'm looking to purchase a bike for my commute to work and want a bike I can attach a back rack to. Looking around on-line it is very hard to figure out with which bikes this is possible. What is the term for the points that you connect a rack to? Or more generally, what should I search for that tells me a bike has these points?

I'd call them "rack mounts", which is what pake, surly, and all-city tend to use on their websites to describe them.  Alternatively you could call them "braze ons for racks" or even "rack bosses".

From Sheldon Brown
http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_bo-z.html

Boss
A bump or protrusion. This term has several specific bicycle usages:
Cantilever bosses are the brazed-on pivots attached to frames and forks for cantilever brakes.
Shift lever bosses are brazed-on pivots for down-tube-mounted shift levers. Most newer "road" bicycles have the shifters mounted on the handlebars, so they use the old-style lever bosses as attachment points for housing stops
Older style freewheel pullers had two (or four) protruding bosses that engaged the notches of the freewheel body. This system was prone to failure when removing freewheels that were unusually tight. The development of splined freewheel removal systems made this obsolete

Braze-on
A small fitting permanently attached to a frame. On traditional steel frames these attachments are held on by brazing, but the term "braze-on" is also used for fittings that are welded, glued, riveted or molded onto frames of other materials. Typical braze-ons include cable stops and guides, water bottle cage mounts, shift lever bosses, cantilever brake bosses and cable stops, pump pegs, etc.


which type of bicycle should I consider for bicycle routes I have no experience in biking and have never made any tour/route. I just like riding it. I love extreme and travelling in general and I am planning to start from small bicycle routes. I understand that it is a very general question, but what kind of bicycle would you recommend me to buy for it ? The tracks I am observing and choosing for future are mostly with surface: Paved, Unpaved, Gravel. So, I am more like a nature person, so I suppose I would choose mostly off road tracks. I was thinking generally about Touring Bikes. Maybe you would also give me some specifications I should pay attention. Any suggestions?

I'm going to suggest you try a cheaper used bike before committing to anything expensive.

Your only real requirement is to make sure it takes larger-sized tyres.  Off road benefits from wider tyres than on-road.

The top thing you need is a bike on which you feel comfortable.

In a year or so you can take your learnings, and decide what kind of bike will suit you best.  Your riding conditions may change as you grow fitter.

Many keen cyclists own more than one bike.  There's a running joke that all cyclists own N bikes each and they always want just one more ( ie N+1 )


Welding steerer tubes I've cut my bike's steel steerer tube too short.  The bike has a fully integrated headset.

I've asked both a neighbour who's an ex Specialized concept (Certini) mechanic now with his own shop (Bristol UK) and has some really nice DH rides and another neighbour who's a coded welder and also has a few very nice DH rides.

The question is "to weld or not to weld" to re-extend the steerer tube to a useful length?

It appears that it is possible to extend a steel steerer. In this thread on Velocipede Salon, one person posted a video from a framebuilder, and one other person I assume is a framebuilder also responded that it is possible to weld an extension on to the tube. It may also be possible to replace the steerer entirely.

You should consider if simply buying a new fork would be more economical. Alternatively, depending on how far you cut it, it might be possible to achieve a similar riding position with a riser stem.

Your post mentioned two people with "dh" rides, which I assume means downhill mountain bikes. I am not familiar with welding, but I'd expect that welding your steerer might reduce the steerer's strength. Also, I'd expect that an improper weld would have a stress riser that could eventually break. You would want to confirm if a repair is wise with your friend. Trusting the repair to a framebuilder might be a safer option. And I'd also expect that downhill mountain biking will stress all parts a lot more than road cycling will, so it may be better to just get a new fork after all.


WTB Horizon 47c - small crack in the middle of the tire I’m headed off on a 3 week bike trip and just now noticed a small hole in the middle of running tread of my front tire. I have a few more days before heading off into a more remote area and wanted to know if this is something I should take care of beforehand. The tires are WTB horizon 47c’s and I’m running them with tubes. Attached is a picture of the crack

Thanks!

One of the go-to sites has this to say: "Cracks in the tread are harmless. Small punctures in the tire such as are typically caused by nails, tacks, thorns or glass slivers are also harmless to the tire, since the tire doesn't need to be air-tight."

I commute daily, and by the time my tires are about half way through their lifespan there are dozens of minor gashes like that in the tire.  You just want to check that there's nothing lodged in there that will work inward and puncture your tube.


Troubleshooting a bent mech hanger I think I bent the mech hanger (right term?) on my Schwinn MTB. Now changing gears is hard. I'm trying to better understand my options. What I understand so far as to what I can do:

Look for a new mech hanger for this make/model
Try un-bend (using force) to correctly align hanger

From my visual inspection, the bend looks slight, yet has a big impact on the gear. A few pics:

I'm biased towards a do-it-yourself solution, if possible. Thank-you.

It looks like both the Hangar and the attachment from the rear mech to the hangar are bent?
You could try to straighten yourself with pliers or a small wrench but I would suggest a visit to the LBS who will use a Hangar Alignment Tool

http://www.parktool.com/product/derailleur-hanger-alignment-gauge-dag-2-2?category=Frame%20&%20Fork

With a bent hangar you will never have smooth, crisp shifting at all.
That chain needs a degrease by the looks of the first photo. If it's an old chain, it may have "chain stretch" which will also affect shifting and start to ruin your cassette. Ask the LBS to check the chain length as well?


What's the proper science-driven way to treat mild scrapes/abrasions (that have a bit of dirt in them) from a mountain biking crash? I tried to research this using search engines and found such a random variety of recommendations. Some were saying to make sure you have your tetanus booster while others were citing a study that shows the antibacterial properties of dirt/clay. It's hard to know who to believe.

How should one treat common mountain bike crash abrasions on their knee?

Briefly, a quick rinse with clean water, and possibly dressing it, are probably all you need to do on the trail. This assumes a day visit to a typical trail centre or cross country riding near to facilities in a country with a reasonably accessible healthcare system, i.e. most mountain-biking. This was also confirmed by an outdoor first aid course I did recently (these are a very good idea).
You don't know what's in the dirt, so studies discussing antibacterial properties of certain mineral compounds aren't very relevant, even if they're effective against the bacteria that might be an issue, in the wild as opposed to in the lab. As an extreme example, consider coming off into fresh dung on a rock - slippery, unhealthy, but still capable of causing a graze.
Alcohol wipes are now deprecated for wound cleaning; first aid kits now include sterile saline wipes instead, but apart from using a folded corner to flick particles of dirt away, they're not very effective.
Rinsing with your water bottle is about as good as you'll get for cleaning while on the trail. This is a good reason to have plain water in (one of) your bottle(s) - most other drinks would not be such a good idea (similarly, washing muck out of important bike parts). Getting enough flow from a Camelbak isn't so easy, and you need to have plenty of water with you to do this. Some ride leaders I know carry a spare bottle that they don't drink from, for this, dehydrated novices etc., but in general the wounded person's own bottle should be first choice.
Once the wound is fairly clean it may be a good idea to dress it to keep it that way, but on something like a knee that flexes a lot while riding, this can be more trouble than it's worth, though if you're bleeding probably it's a good idea to cover the wound. Large stretch fabric sticking plasters (band aids) are ideal, though in my riding first aid kit I have a selection of these and bigger dressings. I carry more than most people as I'm used to leading kayaking and road riding. A more thorough clean might be needed when you can, e.g. a shower, or several bottles of water when there's a tap.
After a recent tumble leading to unsightly grazes on my knee and elbow (and that first aid course) my preferred dressing for wounds on moving parts is now the sort with a sterile pad and built in conforming bandage - it doesn't rely on adhesion so is more sweat-proof, and flexes well, while looking rather like a cartoon bandage.  Zinc oxide tape is a also good for holding down dressing, if you use plenty.
Keeping your vaccinations up to date (tetanus being the most relevant) is an important general rule, regardless of what you do at the time of the injury.


How to make studded tires Has anyone ever made a set of studded tires?  What did you use?  I read about a method somewhere but I cannot recall where.  I heard that you can:

Drill/make a small hole through the tire
Screw a screw through the hole
Cover the screw in part of the screw with duct tape

I am somewhat skeptical if this would work or not.  Anyone have any suggestions?  I was thinking rivets might work better.

Picture source.

ICEBIKE has a good page describing studded tires, including how to make your own.  The basic process is as you describe: drive screws from the inside of the tire and cover them with something to protect the tube.

Count the knobs and evenly spread out the 25 screws for each side.
Punch holes, from the outside of the tire, into the designated knobs.
Use Robertson bit in the drill to drive the screws in the tire from the inside.
Put liner inside tire and make sure it covers the screw heads
Put a generous dusting of baby powder between the liner and the tube.
Mount tire on the rim (ouch! watch out for the points!)
Inflate to maximum pressure. Put the wheel on the bike (mind the points). Spin the wheel to make sure that the studs don't catch on anything.

I think the takeaways here are that you don't need screws in every tread block and that the screws shouldn't be in the center.  Screws placed in the center of the tread will simply wear down quickly; you really just want them on the outer tread blocks, positioned such that they barely touch the ground when the bike is upright.


how to install a chainguard, when the chainring doesn't have screw holes? I'd like to install a chainguard like this:

on a bicycle that's will be spend it fair amount of time commuting, but on closer inspection I see that the largest chainring doesn't have the necessary screw holes, to my surprise (naively enough I assumed this would be "standard").

Also, since this a Hollowtech crankset, using something like this seems to be out of the question as well:

Is there a way to attach a chainguard to a bike like this, without having to resort to a full-size chainguard?

The obvious mounting points for a chainguard are the chainring-spider bolts.

There are many 'bash guards' available that mount like an extra chainring that are intended to protect the chainring teeth, but would probably do just a good a job of keeping pant legs away.

Most are designed for small MTB chairings but larger ones seem to exist with road -bike BCDs. Try googling '50 tooth chainring bashguard'.


Which kickstand to choose? I need to replace my kickstand because it broke, so I need tips like is there any strategy on how to choose and install that part? Do they all fit into that hole where they need to be attached, or are there different sizes of stand for different bikes?

Pletscher and Greenfield both make decent kickstands. The most common kickstand is a single leg model that attaches just behind the bottom bracket. Pletscher also makes a double leg kickstand that mounts in the same place and Greenfield makes a kickstand they call the Stabilizer that attaches near the rear dropout on the non-drive side.

The double leg kickstand is nice if you need the bike to be stable while you load cargo or if you use a single-wheel trailer like the B.o.B Yak or Ibex. On the other hand it is a, small, bit more trouble to use since you have to lift the bike a bit to all the legs to fold down.

Most kickstands seem to come in a size that is too long. The leg(s) need to be cut to a length that is appropriate for your bike. It's easy as long as you have a hacksaw – on the Pletscher you just measure from the ground to the center of the bottom bracket and then find that dimension on the where it is marked on the kickstand and cut it off.

Depending on where you park the bike you might want to get a foot for the kickstand either to protect a floor or to provide some resistance to sinking into soft surfaces.


How often should we add inner tube sealant liquid? When I recently bought my new MTB: CUBE ACID 29" 2017, the shop put sealant liquid in the inner tubes. So far so good, great, no punctures, no loss of air, really happy. My questions:
How often (or mileage) do I have to add liquid? Do I have to replace the inner tube? Any other recommendations about that? Thank you all!

It depends. If you have regular tube tires and the sealant was something like Slime, then in theory you don't have to put more in unless you have a flat. In reality, Slime thickens over time. You can't really add more, so you might expect to change tubes every couple years. Riding your bike regularly will help prevent the Slime from coagulating in one spot and causing an unbalanced tire.

If you have tubeless mtb tires, and used something like Stan's then you should reseal every 2-6 months according to the manufacturer, more often if you have punctures or loss of air.

In either case, you want to keep the total volume of sealant the same over time. Which means you do not want to add more unless some has leaked out or you're able to remove it through other means (this is easy with tubeless tires; it's near impossible with tubes).


What kind of bike should I get to accomodate me? I’m a plus sized female (about 135 kg, 295lb, 5'7") from NYC and I’m looking to get into bike riding again. I haven’t ridden a bike since I was about 12 years old and I loved it.

I’m looking to purchase a bike I can ride in central park or just about any park here in the city. I don’t know where to start. All I know is I don’t want to pay 700 dollars (531.68 pounds) for a bicycle at this time.

What should I do? Is it possible for a supportive bike? I’m concerned about tires and flats. I don't know much about bikes since it’s been so long but I’d appreciate all the advice you people can give me.

You really seem to have two questions:

1) As a heavier person, what should I look for when buying a bike?
This has been handled a couple of times here, but the core answer is to stick with middle of the market components. If you buy low end, the components are poorly made and will break easily. If you buy high end, they will likely be ultralight, and designed for lighter riders and will break easily.

Most bikes you will find in a reputable bike shop will be sufficient. In particular, I would look for wheelsets with traditional 3-cross spoke pattern - radial laced wheels will likely have more problems under heavy load. Something like a "hybrid" or a flat-bar road bike would work, as would a hard-tail mountain bike with slick tires if you are sticking primarily to roads a paved paths.

For more information look at these questions

How to find a mountain bike that can handle a heavier rider.
What should a big guy look for when buying a road bike?

2) As a heavier person, how can I get a decent bike for under $700?
We generally don't give recommendations for specific bikes and brands because that information goes out of date quickly. That said, I would second the comment by Daniel and recommend that you look for a used bike. You should be able to find an excellent used bike that would meet your needs as a beginner for around $500 and likely less.

Take a look at this previous question:

What should I look for when buying a used bike?

If you decide you really don't want to bother with finding a used bike, I would strongly suggest you go to your local bike shop, tell them the kind of riding you want to do, and tell them your budget. Take a couple test rides, and ride a bike a step or two above your budget to get a sense of what the trade-off in price will be.


Why did the hydraulic disc brake stop working when riding down a steep mountain? I rode my mountain-bike with a bicycle trailer attached. Three kids (age 4 to 8) were inside the trailer (trailer made of steel). We went down from about 500 m above sea level to 150 m above sea level with an inclination of around 15 to 20 %.

My hydraulic disc brakes (Avid Juicy 3 with 180 mm discs) got very hot and something began to smoke and stink. When I was at about 250 m above sea level I stopped the bike, because the kids were complaining about the bad smell.

When I wanted to continue the ride, the front brake didn’t work at all. I could easily pull the brake lever with no resistance! As if the cable was broken and the fluid inside was gone. I stopped again. It was in the evening (dark), and I couldn’t find anything.

I continued the ride very slowly, only using the rear brake, pulling the front brake lever again and again to understand the problem. The more often I pulled the lever the resistance to pull it grew and the brake started to work again.

To summarize the problem: The brake stopped working completely after I had stopped the bike (but before it was working like a charm, only with a bad smell). And started to work again, when I pulled the lever a few times.

Now the questions:

Why?
What happened?
Since then the brake is working as usual again. How is that possible?

What you experienced was brake fade. There are two reasons why it happens:

The fluid inside the brake boils releasing gas into the system which makes the brakes feel spongy and then non-existant.
The pad and rotor heat up sufficiently to not work, this feels like you are applying the brake but it doesn't work.

You look to have experienced the first. This is exacerbated by water in the brake line as that boils at a lower point, the DOT fluid in the Avid brakes is hygroscopic and will attract and retain water in the brake fluid. You may have also had air in the line which would have also exacerbated the problem.

The additional weight of the trailer and kids (I'd estimate an additional 100kg nearly) put more work on the brakes to keep speed low. This is the main cause of the brake fade and why you may not of experienced it before. Braking technique plays a big part although in this situation outside of your control. If you drag the brakes (long continuous periods of moderate braking) rather than short bursts you will see the brakes heat up much quicker.

In the first instance let the brakes cool to get you home. After that it would also be worth bleeding the brakes with new DOT fluid as well to purge the system of air and water. Also I wouldn't try to take that much weight downhill on a trailer.


Barrel Adjuster Strategy - What's the best way to use barrel adjusters? I was taught that barrel adjusters are to be used as an on-the-road way to adjust brakes or derailleurs. I think the exact quote was "Leave the barrel adjuster for the customer to use on the road"
When in the shop, at home, or whatever use tools to adjust brakes using cable tension and the cable anchor. Even with index shifting - don't use the barrel adjuster to remove obvious slack.
When maintaining a bike:

Screw the barrel adjuster all the way in - brakes or derailleurs.
Adjust the brakes using only the cable anchor and cable tension.
For indexed derailleurs get the cable tension right using the anchor bolt and then do fine tuning with the adjusting barrel

Are there alternative strategies for using barrel shifters?

I think you've described best practice for a couple of reasons. Firstly, cables will not tighten themselves, only slacken, so you provide the greatest adjustment to the bike owner; they have the full thread of the adjuster to use. Secondly, the only adjustment the owner can make in the first instance is to tighten the cable. The uninitiated rider can't slacken their own cable by mistake. Thirdly, if somebody else sees your work, if they notice this detail they will see it as best practice too and see that you took the care to get this right.
Reasons to do otherwise, that I can think of are if it's your own bike and you want to make adjustments in either direction because you know what you're doing,  or if you are instructing someone remotely, such as online, you can tell them to set it halfway to begin with, which is a little more forgiving of their skills in setting the tension correctly.
That's it really, your options are to wind it all the way in and then set up the cables, or to set it not all the way in to make use of the adjustment.
Sometimes when setting up a particularly cheap component, there is so much flex in the brake for example that fine tuning without using the adjuster is a bit of a pain. But those should be rare examples.
It is fairly basic procedure to set up a v-brake or cantilever caliper such that it has good braking lever travel and you can also release the noodle or straddle wire to open the brake up and remove/insert an inflated tyre.  However, if one finds this difficult to achieve, then setting the barrel adjuster halfway allows one to slacken the cable to remove the wheel. Sometimes noodles are difficult to un/hook if the cable is on the tight side.


Need some experienced eyes on removing cog/rear wheel mechanism I've looked all over the net and can't find the proper tool or D.I.Y tool to take this apart. It's a single speed (with a ratcheting mechanism), and I'm trying to take it apart to make it a fixie.

In the inner ring thingy, I counted 9 splines, and on that outer ring I counted 6 grooves. I compared all of this to park tool pictures, but did not find anything fitting.

Home solutions and advice are welcome.

The outer ring looks like a lock ring. This should help you get it off:


How to attach streamers to handlebars? I bought streamers for my kids bikes:
https://www.pushys.com.au/bikecorp-handlebar-streamers-shiny-purple.html
How do I attach them? I was told I just need to push them through the holes on the sides of handlebars but they seem to be too narrow for this. Pictures attached:

Do I need to make the white plastic things thinner? Do I need to open or widen the hole on the handlebars somehow?

If the grips are rubbery, the streamers should push in, though some force will be needed. That tight fit is necessary as there's only friction to stop them falling out again.
I certainly wouldn't cut the grips, but if you're really struggling, shaving the end of the plastic plug so it's more tapered will be all you need to do as once it's started you can push quite hard. That assumes the grips have a hole at all, as pictured. Most do on kids' bikes but some don't (e.g. the ones I put on my daughter's bike that came off my mtb)
It's a few years since I fitted streamers, but I didn't have my full tools with me at the time, and didn't have too much trouble.


My new tubeless tyres wont stay inflated I had some new tubeless Sendero gravel tyres put on my 650b HUNT wheels. They refuse to stay inflated. Both of them. I am guessing the sealant has not been properly distributed by the bike shop? Any solutions or recommendations on what to do next would be welcome.
Thanks.

A reputable bike shop that did work on your bike with unsatisfactory results should make every effort to make it right at no additional cost to you.  If you have a receipt documenting the service and amount you paid, bring that and the bike along with you. Even if it's been a bit of time (a couple weeks to a month), it's perfectly legitimate to bring the situation to them and expect them to fix it.  Management--as well as a quality mechanic--would want to know (and correct) any problems resulting from their work.  It may be a situation where some product isn't working as expected, or perhaps a new mechanic needs more or different training. In any case, they need to be aware a problem exists in order to correct anything, and that's where you come in.
This is what I've taught my children:  when you purchased a product or service and that product is defective or the service incomplete or done poorly, you should make the store or responsible person aware of the defect or your disappointment in a polite and clearly stated summary of the problem. Conclude the summary with a sentence or two that definitively states your expectations. No one can meet your expectations if they are unaware of what they are. Having in your possession a receipt or other documentation that outlines the work performed helps to bolster the legitimacy of your claim, although absence of such things is not a reason to not stick up for yourself.
In your case, the question you've posed to Bicycle Stack Exchange would be alright at the bike shop. Add to it a sentence or two stating your expectations.
The advice in the comments above--especially trying to find where it's leaking with soap and water solution-- would be something you could do to show you've made some effort to help find the problem.  Marking any areas where you've noted air bubbles (using something impermanent like tape or chalk--just nothing that would mar the product in case they choose to take them back).  Should an employee of the shop refuse or in any way impede your expectations, politely request to visit with a manager on duty and again restate to him or her the clearly defined problem and your expectations.


Are Campagnolo and Shimano 11 speed chains interchangeable? I have an Athena 11 speed group set, but can get a good deal on the Shimano 9000 chain. Does anyone know of any reports of issues combining the two?

Leonard Zinn has discussed Shimano and Campy 11-speed drivetrain compatibility several times in response to reader questions.

Technical FAQ: Drivetrain compatibility for 10- and 11-speed

Technical FAQ: Follow-up on 10- and 11-speed compatibility

Drivetrain compatibility hidden in plain sight

Although Zinn doesn't specifically address chain compatibility, I'm not sure how you could successfully mix drivetrain components if the chains were incompatible.


Will Stans No-Tubes (or other tubless tire sealant) work in a standard tube to prevent leaks? I typically buy tubes with removable valve cores (Qtubes brand typically) and I have some stans leftover from a tubeless tire setup for my mountain bike.

Would adding Stans to the tubes on my commuter bike help prevent flats? Or would this cause more problems than it's worth?

Are you having problems with flats too frequently for comfort? If not, leave them alone.

If you are, whats causing the flats? Punctures? Too low tire pressure? If its the latter, sealant won't help.

But, people do put Stans sealant into tubes to do the same purpose like Slime to deal with punctures. It comes with the usual caveats just like Slime (possible gumming up of the valve which can cause air leaks at the valve, the movement of the sealant, etc.), but for people who get punctures which are sealable by Slime frequently enough, it can be useful. Stans has a different viscosity and drying time to Slime, so its probably not as good (and its probably more costly to use Stans for this purpose than Slime).

So, yes it would work, maybe not as well as Slime-like sealents, but it would probably be more economical just to buy Slime and use the Stans for your tubeless applications. I think if you're not getting punctures frequently enough to be annoyed, its probably more trouble than its worth to use a Slime-like sealant in the first place.


Charging mobile phone using the battery of a rechargeable bike light? Most rechargeable bike light are charged via USB port. I wonder if is it possible to use them as a power bank for your mobile phone as well? Or only a subset of them can be use as a mobile phone charger?

Answer No, you need an item designed for this purpose.

Whether yours do or not, it totally depends on the product.

Many modern lights are charged by USB, but they can't supply USB to other devices.

There are other products which combine a USB battery with a light, but the batteries inside these are much larger than a plain light.  Notice 80%+ of this item is batteries, and it probably weighs quite a bit.

That claims to be a Rugged 3Watt speaker and hands free kit with 8Ah Power Bank, in-built Charging Cable, LED Flash Torch and Bike Mount.  The price is not small.


New shifters: is Acera SL-M360 a good buy and how much better is SL-M310? I was going to buy the Shimano Acera SL-M360 (but now the shop only has the SL-M310 ones), so I wanted to double check if it's what I'm actually looking for. I just want them to last long and do their job properly, no extreme conditions functionality required..

Basically I just want to know if those are good and if there is any difference between the two (and if there is, how significant it is).

Acera is on the lower end of Shimano's line of components for hybrids and other bikes that aren't going to see an exceptional amount of stress. They fit that bill relatively well, but being built mainly of plastic they do have a tendency to wear out over time. Having said that, it's probably the best deal you're going to get in terms of usefulness and longevity per dollar.


Will 40-635 tyres fit on a 21-622 rim? I'm from a place where finding a standardized size for tyres bigger than 26 inches is mostly a hassle, to say the least..
But sadly (or not) I have a bike that I've been riding for a while now and have used it enough to wear out the tyres. The stock tyres on the bike were 700×35c. The rims on the bike are, as I mentioned above, 21-622 ETRTO. Now, the tyres that are bigger than 26' that are somewhat widely available around here and are ETRTO 635mm tyres. The confusion looms because, well, both of them are referred to as 28' tyres by more than just a handful of people..
It's simply used for commute on roads I won't particularly describe as best, and I avoid most bad potholes, if that helps.
So, if I'm unable to find 700c or 622mm tyres, it is safe for me to be using the 40-635 tyres without changing the whole wheel? I mean, I can probably find a tire that has a smaller width but a smaller diameter tyre seems to be hard to find around here..

The diameter measurement in an ETRTO specification is the rim bead set diameter in millimeters. You must use a tire with the same bead diameter as the rim of it will not fit.
If you have a 622 rim you must use a 622 tire. A larger diameter tire will simply blow off the rim when you try to inflate the tube.
With regards to width, there is a maximum tire width depending on the width of the rims but the frame clearance is usually the limiting factor. See What is the maximum or minimum tire width I can fit on my bicycle.


How te remove the front wheel on a Merida misson cx400 I need guidance on removing front wheel of my Merida cx400. I could not find any allen key or quick release provision.  Could you anyone please help me with tool set for the same.

Looking at the specs on Merida Website you have Fulchee through axles, FH1200 and FH1700.
Looking at these on the Fulchee website (for the front FH1200 at least) I see that the lever for releasing the thru-axle is integrated and needs to be pulled out for use, termed a hidden lever design apparently. You'll see a slotted piece instead of a hex key fitting, you need to pull this slotted piece out and it is the lever you need to use to unthread the thru-axle.
Unusual!


Is there more than one ideal seat post height based on type of riding? Assuming one has the correct frame size for one's height, can there be more than one perfect seat post height for the type of riding? I usually ride only in the city with traffic and less than 3 miles one way most of the time.

But when I am doing longer rides I prefer to the seat post higher and my riding body said that there should only be one height- its either perfect or not..

I should say that my bike is an aero carbon road bike which I prefer to use even in the city but also on longer rides in the weekends about 25 miles or so.

Yes.  However, it varies by type of riding and conditions.  All Mountain is probably the extreme example of this (and the main market for dropper seatposts).  All Mountain bikes are designed to be able to climb and for that generally one would want the seat in a "high" position to be efficient.  During a technical descent, however, the seat is generally preferred to be low and out of the way, useful for providing additional movement if necessary, but low enough to get behind for extreme braking.

Other riding types may have only one "ideal" position.  Trials bikes, for example, will most often have no seat, since it is rarely used and only adds weight and gets in the way.  So there is an "ideal" position.  Most road disciplines generally have what is considered an ideal position and will not vary by riding conditions in that discipline.


The quick release on my shimano sora brakes pops open during braking Occasionally, when using my bike with shimano sora brakes on the front and rear, the quick release will pop open during braking, reducing my braking power.  Is there some way to prevent this?  Is it likely that I have something adjusted improperly?  Do I just need to buy more durable brakes?

As a note: I am using these brakes on the bike I use for bike polo, so often times, I am jamming the brakes very hard to stop quickly after a sprint.

On Sora brakes, if adjusted correctly, it should not be possible to force open the wheel release lever by applying the brakes.

Likely, your brakes are adjusted too tight to allow the lever to close completely. Try releasing a few millimeters of cable, and see if the problem continues.

If it does, you may have a damaged or defective brake. Take it to your LBS, and have it checked out.


San Francisco Bay Trail: current map of completed/proposed routes This gap analysis is from 2005.

I want to start biking from Redwood City to San Francisco. I'd rather not bike near cars, which is what googlemaps suggests. and I'd love to bike along the shore.

related: bike routes around san francisco?, but I also am interested in the timeline for completion.

Your first link is to the site that runs the trails and they have a trail map.
baytrail.org/baytrailmap


I have jetwashed my mountain bike twice... will it cause any damage? I jet washed my bike around 6 months ago and decided to do it again having got it caked in crap! Only for a mate to tell me how daft I was. Will this have damaged my Carrera Vengeance (I know it’s only cheap) but I’m 15 and I worked hard for it so I would hate for me to have caused permanent damage. Have any of you mountain bike gods out there got any advice for me? Thanks.

If you aim the high-pressure water jet at sensitive parts like bearings (BB, wheels, suspension, headset...) the water will get inside, and your bearings will rust and die. High-pressure water jets are also pretty good at filling your cable hoses with water, and getting past the seals on suspensions. So when using high pressure to clean a bike, stay clear of the sensitive bits, keep the nozzle like 2 feet away so it gets mist.

However if you only aim it at the frame and chain, then no problem. High pressure is really good at getting the muck out of a chain, chainring, and cassette, but it also gets the grease out, so everything needs to be lubed afterwards. Just don't aim it up close to anything that contains a ball bearing or a seal.

As a side note, if you don't want stuff to rust... Your chain and cogs are made of steel because steel is very strong and cheap. Stainless steel is weaker, a stainless chain wouldn't last. Steel rusts though, but it needs to be in contact with oxygen to rust. The oil on your chain forms a film which protects it from oxygen (and rusting). After a good MTB ride, your chain and transmission will be full of crap and if you rode in mud, the water will have removed some of the oil. So if you can't clean your bike straight away, a quick spray of oil will protect the transmission against rust. No need to overdo it, just a little bit of oil is enough. When you clean it, this also removes the oil, so spray a little bit of it.


Is there a difference between big chainring and big sprocket, and small chainring and small sprocket? I am using a road bike as commuter its and old bike and have weird front gear selection 52 and 42.

So I took it to work this morning and thought that for a change I will ride it on big gears. While I was getting more tired and lowering the gear I had a thought is there actually a difference between going on low front and back gear and going high front and back gear, but both having the same gear ratio.

Depends - you are cross chaining when in the big/big and small/small combinations.  See this question:

How bad is cross chaining?

Also, theres a question of ratios, but this is more theoretical.

Assuming your rear cassette ranges from a 12 to a 28 tooth, and the front chainring is 52 and 42, then Sheldon says these are your Gain Ratios.

 Gear chart using Gain Ratios
 For 700 X 28 / 28-622 tire with 12-13-14-16-18-21-24-28 8-speed cassette

      52        42    23.8 %
 12   8.7       7.0   8.3 %
 13   8.0       6.5   7.7 %
 14   7.4       6.0   14.3 %
 16   6.5       5.3   12.5 %
 18   5.8       4.7   16.7 %
 21   5.0       4.0   14.3 %
 24   4.3       3.5   16.7 %
 28   3.7       3.0

so expressed another way, here are your overlaps, where 1 is the biggest cog and 8 is the smallest.  (42/13 is almost the same as 52/16)

 52       1   2     3   4 5   6 7 8
 42   1 2   3   4 5   6   7 8

So if your comfortable speed for a road is in the middle of the range for 42 tooth chainring, its at the bottom of the range for the 52 tooth.

To say that another way, the 42 tooth chainring has more ratios closer together in one are, at the cost of having no ratios elsewhere in the range.

So on our hypothetical 8 speed there are two gears almost identical, 42/13 and 52/16.  Why choose one over the other?

Cross Chaining - the smaller chainring will be "happier" with the cassette at 1-5 and the larger chainring will go better with 3-8.  There is overlap.
What's coming up - if you know theres a climb, a descent, or an obstacle/stop then you might choose to be in 42 for the climb, or in 52 for the descent.  For a stop, you'll probably change gear, 42/13 would be a bit hard to pull away from a dead stop.

If everything else was the same, I'd choose the bigger pair over the smaller.  More teeth in contact with the chain means slower wear.

Play about with Sheldon's calculator at http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/


Wheel axle too short on the fork I think my front wheel axle is too short, it is only half the size of the fork notch, see the picture:

But if I remove the nut, the fork would touch the wheel and the disc brake.

When I insert the quick release axle it looks like this:

Is there something wrong, or it is okay?

It is counter-intuitive but the axle is not holding the wheel onto the bike.  That's the job of the skewer and Quick Release.

The axle is in the dropout to hold the weight of the bike from above - your photos are from below.  The axle also provides support for the surfaces where the bearings and therefore the wheel run.  So almost all the time, the axle is under compression forces.

Personally I'd expect to see a little more metal there, but that part should be fully functional as-is.

Possible causes its a real weight-weenie bike where every gram counts, or the wheel is from another bike/fork which had a different thickness of dropout, or its just a cheap bike saving on materials.


Rim cement as a replacement for rubber cement Can I use aluminium rim cement for patching flat tire instead of using rubber cement?

No. For patching punctured innertubes, you must use vulcanizing rubber cement. Vulcanization which crosslinks the polymers in the tube with those in the patch. Most types of rubber cement, which are used for crafts, are not vulcanizing. Aluminum rim cement is designed to bond aluminum, not to vulcanize rubber.


How to properly clean and lube the bearings on a sram apex bottom bracket (GXP)? For this bottom bracket type I am not sure you can take the bearings out to lube them. How do I get grease in there. Also how do I get the old grease out? Does it even matter?

I found this video (External Bottom Bracket Cup Bearing Removal) where someone removes the bottom bracket bearing cup, but they never showed the bearings.

SRAM GXP bottom brackets can be user serviced, but it is usually unnecessary.

To service your BB bearings, first remove the crank arms.  Then place your thumb in the BB spindle hole, and bend the joint enough that your knuckle makes firm contact around the entire ring surface of the spindle hole.  Pull outward using fairly firm pressure, and if necessary, rock your thumb side to side.  This will pull free the outer, plastic shield, and expose the inner rubber bearing seals.

Then take a scalpel, or a sharp awl, and use the tip to gently pry up the edge of the bearing seal.  You may need to lift it at more than one area around the edge, but it should pop free with a little force.

Once the seal is removed, clean and degrease the exposed bearings, replace the grease with fresh grease, then replace the seals.  Repeat on the bearing on the opposite side of the BB.

One word of warning: while this is possible, and not likely to cause any issues, it is not intended by the manufacturer, and will not be covered under warranty, should you damage the BB in the process.


What parts of a bike could potentially be harmed by degreaser? I'v been using citrus degreaser to clean my bikes for years. I usually get a gallon jug of it from the auto parts store, and it lasts a long time. I use it for cleaning the drivtrain, either using a chain cleaner or by soaking the chain overnight. I've used it with a rag to clean the rims. I'll sometimes even use it to scrub a nasty bit of dirt or grease off the frame. However, some of the discussion in this very good question has got me wondering:

Are there parts of your bike that can be damaged by degreaser? Obviously, keep it away from the bar tape or a leather saddle, but what mechanical parts could be harmed by citrus degreaser? Also, are there types of degreaser out there that are gentler and could be more appropriate?

Degreaser acts like a solvent (although I'm unsure if it is technically a solvent, or more of an emulsifier).  With all solvents you'll have to be careful with what they contact--however degreaser is relatively safe compared to stronger solvents.

Each type of solvent has its own list of things it will dissolve--and even brand-to-brand can make a difference, so spot-testing is always recommended.

In general though, the risky things are:

Rubbers
Adhesives
Organics (leather, etc)
Porous materials
Paints
(obviously) Grease/lubricants

Your main concerns should be your tires, your paint, and (as you mentioned) components like grip-tape and seats.  Getting degreaser on these has the potential to stain--so extra precautions may be in order.  Typically your best option is to try and prevent it from contacting them, and cleaning it off quickly with mild soap & water if you do make a mess (although soap and water itself will stain things such as leather if you're not careful).

A secondary concern is that you fully remove the solvent after it's done.  Leaving excess solvent/degreaser behind is a very bad idea--see Rubbing Alcohol below for tips.

As for other solvents/degreasers:

Rubbing Alcohol is fairly safe.  It has the risk of drying-out leather and rubber, but is very useful for cleaning parts--and especially useful for rinsing degreaser off of things such as chains (it also evaporates and leaves them dry--ideal for re-lubricating).
Naptha (a.k.a. liquid lighter fluid, not butane) can be very effective as well and is generally safe
Acetone is a stronger solvent, and likely to be less safe.  It should be used with extreme care, but is a very powerful solvent and can get the job done well and quickly.


Is this old chain of a different type? My friend's bike needs a new chain. Looking at the chain, it looks like the pins have a slot for a flat head screwdriver? Is this just cosmetic or does this type of chain require unscrewing the pins? If so could it be replaced with a regular modern chain (of appropriate type [10-speed road])? My question is referring specifically to the pins of this chain which are visible in the attached photos. You can't see it in the picture, but the chain is HKK brand and it was on the bike when he bought it (used)

Different chains, including modern ones, have all sorts of patterns or markings on the tips of the pins. On some there's some level of intentionality to it as a shift aid. There are no bike chains where all the links are screwed together. (There are some half-link styles where the pin screws in place, but that's a tangent.)

The pictured chain is an older bushing-type chain, which was the norm until bushingless chains took their place.

From the look of the cranks/rings/guard the bike is a bike-boom era 10 or 12 speed (as in 2 front chainrings and either 5 or 6 rear cogs). If so, chains specific to such drivetrains, which are labelled 5/6 speed usually, are still made and available. You could order one, but many shops don't carry them, instead choosing to use more modern 8-speed chain for replacements on such bikes, which works perfectly.


Finding the right length of chain lock for my road bike I am trying to buy a chain lock as I would be leaving my cycle in quite a busy area. I am not sure what length of chain lock I will need if I wanted to secure my bike using a chain that runs through both the wheels and the frame.

The 90cm Kryptonite looks two small to run through two wheels,
I am not sure if I need two 1m chain locks or if I could do with one 1.5m chain lock

I looked at the pragmasis protector 16mm chain lock with padlock. Anyone have any advice specifically on what length of chain lock i will need or if it is better to get two short chain locks both for the front and the back wheels

I faced the same dilemma a while back.
Getting a big chain implies carrying way too much weight around. Even a small, good bike chain is pretty heavy and can easily be 1/3 the weight of your bike.

The best way to protect your bike and be able to carry the locks around is to have a chain or a U-Lock, and with these you can easily secure your frame and a wheel, and then use a small cable like this to secure the other wheel. One wheel is less protected, but a substantial part is under a good lock and the weight is not too bad.

From these I actually prefer a small chain to a u-lock because it is easier to lock the bike to a tree for example, but if your city is bike friendly a u-lock offers very good protection and is much more manageable.

When buying locks keep in mind price usually means security. I recommend you check the independent tester of locks Sold Secure. They have a catalog with different locks they have rated.


How to know what size bottom bracket to buy I feel like I'm missing something and can't figure out what size bottom bracket to buy. I'm planning on building a bike and am picking out all the parts before I buy them. I am planning on buying a Poloandbike CMNDR frame and Sugino Pista Crankset. I was looking on the geometries for the frame and couldn't find a description for the size of the bottom bracket I need. Is this something I would figure out in some other way?

More than likely it's a 68mm wide English threaded BB shell on the frame. You may just want to wait until you get the frame to verify that. The Tech Specs on page for the crankset actually do say that it's designed for "103mm bottom bracket" and "JIS Square Taper". Those should be all the measurements you need (assuming the frame is 68mm English): 68/103/JIS.

If you want a matching Sugino BB, here's one: https://www.ebay.com/b/Sugino-Square-Taper-JIS-Bicycle-Bottom-Brackets/177805/bn_5810397


Help me to attach inner ring I have cranks with 4 holes for outer and middle rings attachment. There are no holed for inner ring attachment. On my other bikes crankset middlering has 8 holes 4 for cranks and 4 for inner ring. I tried to take them and attach to my other outer chainring and cranks and put it on bike, everything works perfect. The problem is I can't find  middle chainring with 8 holes for sale in my country or on ebay. Should I drill 4 more holes on my crank. Or what should I do please advise!

Some IMGS:

I. My other middle chainring with 8 holes, I can't find it for sale:

II. My crank inner side with 4 places for drilling maybe :D

I dont remember how did I connected here yesterday, so now I writing connected with gmail with my phone.
Anyways, I took 32T attached to 22T from XCT SR SUNTOUR V3 22t,32t,42t crankset, I bought it from ebay, sorry cant give you the link now. Cranks with 4 holes only are FSA alphadrive. XCT also has 4 holes only on crank.

EDIT: cranks with middle chainring which has 8 holes.: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280915668543?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649


Commencal META AM v4.2 I'm looking to purchase this bike, I'd like to know if it has lockout suspension but I can't seem to find it on the SPECS section.

Is there something that I'm missing?

Lockout is a function of the fork and shock. Look up the specs for these to find out. Out of interest I did this myself.

Fork - Lyrik RC has two position remote with setting Firm and Soft, does not appear to have lockout.

Shock - : RockShox Deluxe RT - External rebound, 2 position compression (Open/Pedal) again, does not appear to have lockout.

The question to ask is why do you want lockout. With modern shocks, especially those with 'pedal' modes, and bike geometries, lockout on an AM bike does not make sense, in that you do not buy an AM bike for its pedaling efficiency, and locking out such a bike does not magically make it perform like an XC bike.


What size rim is OK? I have a 700x35c rear rim, it's bent pretty bad, but only can find 700x38c rims, is that ok to use? Or should I keep hunting for the same size rim?

If the width of tires you want to run are a little narrow for a 35mm rim, a 38mm rim could cause problems, otherwise there are no issues I can think of.


Which way to wrap handlebar tape Seing this thread showed me what the tape should be wrapped up from the outside of the handlebars (left side handle wrapped clockwise seen from behind, and vice versa) but looking at some videos at youtube I see that some does it opposite or say that it doesn't even matter. Is this a matter of the bikers way of holding the handles or is there a strict rule I really should stick to when applying my new tape?

The idea is to wrap them so the friction against your hands when riding tightens rather than loosens it. I find I have to swap the direction of wrapping as I go past the shifters. Start at the bar ends and go "up the inside and down the outside" (cw on right, ccw on left). If you do an extra loop around the shifters you can change direction for the tops.


What direction of rotation should I mount my tyre? I have a panaracer rampage tyre which I have mounted on my front wheel. This tire has knobs in the centre tread which have a ramp on one side.

The tyre does not have a direction of rotation marked and I'm wondering which way around to mount it. I heard it can be mounted one way for 'better breaking' and the other for 'less rolling resistance'. Which way is which?

I want to set it up for less rolling resistance. When looking at the bottom of the tyre, and pushing the bike forward, should the ramped or square side of the knobs be making contact with the ground first?

I've seen this related question, but it doesn't really answer my specific query:
Which way do I orient my bike tire's tread direction? and why?

I don't own these tyres but looking at the knobs I think it's obvious which direction would have more traction for climbing - with the "sharp" edge pointing backwards and thus prevening the wheel to slide back - and the other way round for better braking and less rolling resistance.

From what I've read, some people recommend using "less rolling resistance" setting for the front wheel and "better climbing traction" for the rear - seems quite natural. But the choice is yours.


What kind of tires should I buy for an e-bike, commuting on maintained off-road? I need to buy a new front tire for my new e-bike. Let me give you a few of the conditions I'll be riding in, and I'd like your advice.

First of all, this bike is primarily going to be used to commute to work. I live near an airport, and my work is on the other side of the airport. The consequence of that is that I have to ride 5 miles along a 55 mph road. It doesn't have a bike lane, but there is a large path of gravel right next to the road, which I will most likely use extensively.

I should also say that I would like an affordable tire, but I am willing to invest more in a tire that will last me for longer.

If you'd like to see my bike, see this question. It's pretty obvious that the front tire is quite flat, and in fact, it just needs to be replaced...

EDIT: Here's a few pictures of the current tires.

In general, the softer the ground, the bigger the tire should be. A fat tire will let you "float" over the surface instead of sinking in, like a snowshoe. If you're sinking, it takes tremendous effort to keep riding, and you can't really steer.

Gravels vary widely. Coarse-edged crushed rock locks together to create a firm, traffic-bearing surface. Round-edged "pea gravel" shifts under load, dispersing energy - this is good under playground equipment. There are different sizes, and some are mixed while others are consistently-sized. Which one you're on will have an effect on what kind of tire you need.

I like to choose the fattest tire that works well in my frame / under my fenders. I avoid knobbies because I think they have way higher rolling resistance and wear out faster. Since you're already hauling a battery, you can definitely afford the weight of the rubber.

Also, if you ever find yourself in ground that's too loose and you can't steer, shift your weight back. Unweighting the front wheel will let it steer without sinking.