How can I prevent my next bike from being stolen? I park my bike in my building's bicycle room, in the parking garage in the basement.

The garage door can only be opened with a remote fob, and the bicycle room is locked as well.

In the garage, I secure my bike using a U-lock, and a chain lock.

This morning, I came to find a hole in the door, and the two locks cut by what looks like an electrical saw.

What can I do to avoid that should I buy a new bike?

That sucks. I'm sorry that your bike was stolen.

If thieves are willing to break into a locked garage, break into a locked and fully enclosed mesh bike parking area then cut two bike locks using power tools: there's not much you can do about it.

If there are lots of bikes in the bike parking area you can make your bike a lower priority target by increasing the number and strength of the locks, and by making the bike itself look less desirable.

Looking at the first picture, it seems the bike parking area door could be easily opened from the inside. The thieves were able to cut a hole in the door and reach the door release - not the most secure setup. Also, it's likely that someone let them into the garage - i.e. one of your neighbors.

Just store your bike in your apartment if you can.


How can I mount my phone and my battery pack to my bike? On long bike rides, my phone dies often. Is there any way I can mount my phone, a galaxy s5, and my battery pack, pictured, to my bike? I'd say that mounting to the handlebars would be ideal, but I'm open to suggestions.

Battery pack is a "Fremo P130"

How about a top tube bag?

I've had a couple of handlebar mounts and they haven't lasted long in crowded bike sheds. Even mounted quite centrally they're vulnerable to knocks and aren't very strong.

A top tube bag with a clear lid works better for me. Do be sure to get one big enough though.  It will take the battery pack as well and should do a decent job of keeping everything dry (even if you have a waterproof phone you probably want to keep water out of the charging socket).


Is it better to breathe through your nose or mouth when cycling? I just watched the 'Road to Glory' documentary about Team Sky.  I noticed when they were warming up on their Turbos, some of them had cotton wool up their noses.

Is this because it's better to breathe through your mouth than nose?  If so, why don't they have cotton wool up their noses during the actual race?

Breathe however you need to in order to get oxygen in. This goes for your mouth, nose or a combination of both.

Riders warming up on their trainers have cotton in their noses that contains something like vapor rub that helps open up the nasal passages. They don't have it in their noses during the race itself.


Is it normal to need to replace my brakes every few months? My journey to work has uphill and downhill segments in both directions (a fact I'm sure to share with my future grandkids one day). In two of these segments, I have to brake pretty hard to arrest my speed.
Despite having my brakes replaced recently, and despite having worked from home about 50% of the time and not using my bike as much, I am once again in the situation where maximum-effort braking is no longer enough to slow myself down to a stop on these slopes.
Is the need for regular new brakes something I should just accept? Or are there higher quality brakes available that I should ask the bike shop to install?
EDIT: I think the brakes are disc brakes. This is what they look like:

I am vaguely aware that on some brakes you can adjust something that allows you to tighten the remaining brake material against the disc, but I'm not sure how you'd do that.

That seems too frequent and perhaps something else is going on with respect to cable tension that is preventing you from applying maximum force through the brake assembly.
For instance, if you still have material left on the pad and just feel like when you pull the lever in all the way that you are not slowing, then perhaps there is too much slack in the cable in relation to the resting position of the lever.
On my bike, I can use my barrel adjuster to get the pads the right distance away from the rim such that I have very little play in the lever before the pads touch the rims. If you have more than 1-2mm between the pads and the rim, then that is too much space.
Hope that helps and for a frame of reference I have several thousand miles on my Shimano 105 brakes, but I don't have too many major descents where I am really pushing them.
---- Edited Due to Pic Posting-----
Yes you have disc brakes and with the rust on there, it looks like you potentially could have a caliper that is sticking. I assume the pads are worn to the backing material when you take them off correct? If so, most likely a caliper that is not releasing for some reason or another.
I only have experience on car disc brakes, so will let someone else comment regarding the bikes, but if you have a sticking caliper, replacement of it/faulty parts perhaps is best vs. eating through pads and eventually the disc.


Are v-brake pads compatible with cantilever brakes I have a set of Avid Shorty 4 cantilever brakes, well two sets (front and back) and wish to upgrade the pads.

These are centre pull, linear pull brakes and have brake pads which are mounted from the centre, ie the post (which is threaded) is centred in the pad.

Looking for new pads I see that there is a much wider variety of v-brake pads than cantilever pads.  As v-brakes are a subset of cantilever brakes can I use v-brake blocks with my cantilever brakes?  I note these tend to have more brake pad at the back of the mounting post than at the front of the pad.

I would also like if possible cartridge mounted pads any recommendations would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.


Saddle for long rail trails, streets and dirt paths I recently purchased a 2014 HardRock Sport Disc.

I ride on a variety of road surfaces, including pavement, gravel and dirt.

I don't currently have plans to race, do long touring rides, or rough technical trails.

I am riding mostly for fitness, and doing rides up to 40 miles (65 km)

Specialized has a "Help Me Choose a Saddle" section on the website, but I am not sure how I fit their categories.

I would consider me Fitness/Recreational, but according to the website that's more people who do short rides.

Also I would think that road saddles would have more cushion since your sitting on them for long extended periods compared to a mountain saddle when you're standing up off the saddle more, but it seems to be the opposite.

That is, road saddles tend to have the least cushion.

When I did 25 miles (40 km) on the rail trail I wasn't tired but my toosh was extremely sore during and afterwards. To note I'm using the standard saddle that came with my bike which does not feel cushiony at all to me so I would assume I would want something with more cushion. But the ones with the most cushion seem to be not recommended for roads.

Gel seems very appealing to me but have heard negatives about that as well.

Can someone recommend what saddle(s) might be best for me? I'm fine with $40 to $100 US Dollars price range (less of course better if possible) and I'm a 26 male 5'9'' (175cm) around 160 pounds (72 kilograms) if that affects the recommendation.

To note the Milano Sport Gel looks like one option. The Targa description looks more like me but without gel it doesn't look like it would be much more comfortable/cushiony than the standard saddle I have now.

The kind of biking you do is exactly the kind of biking I do. I was once a devotee of the Cult of Saddle Cushioning as well.

I was wrong. Painfully, chafingly so. Ow.

You don't want the gel. You don't want lots of cushioning. What you probably do want is springs (saddle suspension) and perhaps something a bit wider in back than your typical Lycra Laddish roadie thing. You may also want to invest in bike shorts with a good chamois. You definitely want to invest in a decent skin-lubricating cream (hunt around here; several posts on that).

I splurged on a Brooks leather saddle for my tourer, and while I'm still breaking it in, I can already tell it's a much better ride than the cushion-packed saddle I replaced. If Brooks is too pricey, but you still want leather, Velo-Orange has some less-expensive ones (though caveat emptor: I've seen some poor reviews).


How do i figure out the maker of my bike? There are no words on it, it is a chrome frame and the only markings i found on it were a serial number that reads G1109025563. Is there any way i can get any information on it?

90% chance its a generic BSO.  If you have a distinct feature, post a photo and someone might recognise it, but...

Why do you want to bother identifying the maker?  You already have a frame that will have certain dimensions or bearing sizes.  There's little if anything to be gained from buying parts from the manufacturer.

Your best tools are likely to be a vernier caliper and a thread gauge, to find specs for parts you might need to make frame into a whole bike.


Accurately replicating the resistance felt whilst riding via a resistance fan diy turbo trainer If I were to build my own Lemond Revolution style turbo trainer (link below) could I use the air speed in meters/second^2 the rider is moving into as a good indicator of what type and size of fan to use?

Or put the other way around could I use the indicated airflow that is moving through the fan at a range of revolutions per minute to provide similar resistance to what is found outside, resistance increasing with the cube of speed?

Would this information be enough to begin building, experimenting and testing fans for a diy turbo trainer?

If the fan has an aero map which states its lb/min in airflow at a given rpm (which is within normal cadence of a geared bicycle) is this a good indicator of potential resistance that is will provide (once converted from statute to metric)?

Lemond revolution trainer link: http://greglemond.com/#!/revolution

The two main forces that are provide resistance when biking are the rolling resistance and the air resistance. The rolling resistance though becomes a small fraction of the resistance once you achieve a constant rate of biking.
Here's an article illustrating this idea.

So analyzing exclusively the wind force while riding will cover a large part of the picture but leave some of it out. The best way to mimic the force of riding a bicycle is to match the kinetic energy (or moment of inertia).

You can achieve this result in many ways (mathematically indefinite), as you can either have a huge fan that will spin very slowly, a small fan that spins very quickly, or anywhere in-between.

So any type of fan will work, you just need to manipulate the gear ratio between the crank and the fan so that it matches the energy of the rider. Butt I'm a little confused on the site saying air speed is in m/(s^2) since speed is m/s, and would not use that as the metric for the rider's resistance since it doesn't factor in all resistances felt while riding a normal bike.

This all being said, if you have access to an electric motor you could tie into the fan (with controllable output), you could output wattage of an average rider (or your wattage), see how fast it spins, then using gear ratio calculations between the crank and the fan, see what ratio you'd need to achieve this speed. Any small errors in calculations could be compensated by the ability to change gears so they wouldn't be noticeable.


What's the difference between a Gran Fondo and an Étape? I guess you can include Century in the list too.  Are they all just long rides or are they races?   Do they have to be for time, or just fun?   Some seem to be for charity.

All three terms refer to mass participation events that are open to amateur cyclists. They are timed events but they are not races, although some of them are very competitive and there are sometimes prizes on offer for the best times.

The Etape du Tour is French. Each year two stages from the Tour de France are replicated on closed roads for amateur cyclists to enter.

Gran Fondos are Italian. They are timed events with one of the best known being the Maratona Dles Dolomites.

Century Rides is the term used in the United States.

In the UK and in France they are also called Sportives or Cyclo Sportives.

These events are very popular with cyclists and the largest attract thousands of participants.


Are there fenders designed specifically for bikes with racks? I have a bike with a rear rack and want to buy a rear fender. Is there any fender that is specifically designed to be used in a combination with a bike rack?

Fenders don't fall into an "ok with racks" or "not ok with racks" category. Generally speaking, most traditional fender designs will work on bikes with racks attached. There may be certain combinations of fenders and racks that are problematic, but those are the exception.

An example of a problem would be a bike whose rear rack is very close to the top of the rear wheel - it would be hard to fit a fender in there, but that's a specific problem which requires a specific solution.

That said, when putting a lot of accessories on a bike, we should expect to be bending and cutting and filing as we go. We should not expect a front/rear set of fenders and racks to be a perfect fit on a frame out of the box unless each of those parts were specifically designed to be a fit with each other.


How does this brake calliper securing nut arrangement work? This comes from a set of Weinmann Type 370 calliper brakes. The two nuts you see are normally firmly located inside the plastic hood, not as they are shown.

I think they are intended to function as some sort of self-locking/clutch system, so that the nuts don't work their way off, while still not preventing the callipers from moving.

In this particular case, I am not satisfied that the nuts are securing the callipers on the bolt as tightly as they should be. As I rotate the plastic hood, the nuts move down the bolt, but then further rotation doesn't tighten mechanism; the hood just rotates over the nuts instead of rotating them.

How is this actually supposed to work?

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/components/weinmann-components.html says:

  In the late '70s or early 1980s the domed centrebolt on the standard side-pull calipers was replaced by a plastic cover over two plain steel locknuts. These brakes were centred using an inverted allen key tool.

but that doesn't shed any light on the how the two-locknuts-in-a-plastic-hood arrangement is supposed to work.

IIRC, the cover slides off by pulling on it, the two locknuts are locked against each other to adjust the caliper play (usually with the goal of creating as little slop as possible with no binding of the arms), and then the cover is pushed over the two locknuts. I believe the idea is its got lots of little notches inside so it can grip both nuts at once, making it impossible for them to vibrate loose.


Why do spoke nipples keep falling out? I have a road bike with road tires. I commute on a paved trail that is fairly bumpy through a couple places due to roots pushing the asphalt up.

My problem is that about once every week or two, I have a poke nipple completely loosen and fall inside the wheel.  I've had them replaced with brass nipples, but even those will fall out.

Is the bumpiness the cause of this?  Should I expect the wheel hold up to this seemingly normal amount of wear and tear?  Should I ditch the wheel and buy a new one?  What's my best and hopefully most economical choice here?

This is a strange problem you're describing. Having them chronically come loose to the point of falling off is not a common problem, and even so the obvious solution is more/proper tension, but if the wheel was essentially rebuilt already (all new nipples?) then one would hope it's in the reasonable ballpark, 100-120kgf drive side depending on the parts used. If you only mean to say you've had the lost ones replaced with brass, then getting the whole wheel tensioned up would hopefully fix it.

The other thing to do is apply a no-disassembly-required spoke prep such as DT Spoke Freeze or a wicking oil-resistant low/medium-strength threadlocker such as those made by Loctite or ND Industries. A small drop is applied at the spoke/nipple interface on each nipple, and it wicks in. It only takes a minute to do the whole wheel so it's a cheap solution if it works. Many but not all bike shops have this in the shop.


Upgrading mechanical disk brakes I'm considering upgrading from Avid BB5 to BB7 mechanical disk brakes on my fat-bike and upgrading to Avid Speed Dial 7 levers. While I'm at it I can easily move up a size or two from the existing 160mm rotors. The mounts are 51mm IS front and rear and there are no clearance issues apparent with the front fork -- it looks to be parallel well past the point that even 203mm rotors would sweep past.

Avid's come with adapters and am I correct in assuming that the adapters included for a 180mm rotor would correctly space the calipers out from the 51mm IS mounts?

Going from 160mm to 180mm would effectively increase the radius 10mm; going from 160 to 203mm would increase radius about 20mm. Is there any issue with rigidity or or alignment going with much larger adapters?

Thanks!

As the comment mentioned, if there is an issue it will be with the fork.  The rotors are designed to withstand the additional braking loads.  However, for what it's worth, I've always felt that larger rotors were easier to bend in a crash.  There's more area to strike on a rock or something, and you get better leverage on the rotor.  But there are plenty of people who think that's just superstition.

I think you might find that you don't need the larger rotors, though.  I switched from BB5s to BB7s (and then to SLX hydros), and felt that the BB7s stopped harder than the BB5s, even at the same rotor size.  And I was using crappy levers, too.


Is this an abnormal rate of spoke breakage? I just broke a spoke and this is the fourth spoke I've broken in the last 12 months.  This one was very puzzling because it came at the very end of an easy 30 mile (48 km) ride.  I was pedaling very slowly into my driveway when it snapped.

All four have been on the drive side of the rear wheel.  This is a Specialized Allez, one year old, with factory wheels.  I weigh 175 lbs (79 kg) and ride about 2000 miles (3218 km) per year.  Just recreational riding on good road surfaces.

Is this an abnormal rate of breakage?

And if it is an abnormal rate of breakage, what should I do about it?

EDIT:

I took the wheel into the LBS today. They didn't seem surprised by 4 broken spokes in a year, but everyone else is, so I'm going with everyone else. The mechanic checked the tension and they were all correct with one slight exception, so that's not the issue. The wheels are factory wheels and not exactly top flight. The spokes are 1.2 mm rather than 2 mm, so pretty thin. And they're 28 spokes per wheel, so that's cutting it even thinner from what I can gather.

Rebuilding the wheels is $125 each, so that's just not worth it. I can find much better wheels for not much more, so I'm on Amazon looking at wheels while trying not to deplete my life savings. (What some people will pay for wheels boggles the mind.)  I'll have them fix the spoke and check the tensioning so I can sell them and ride until I get replacements.

Gotta buy the tools and learn to replace spokes and true wheels....

Yes, as the comments pointed out, this is abnormal.

I would make the attempt to take the wheel back to the LBS where you bought the bike. The might be able to work with Specialized and get the wheel replaced completely. Once at the LBS, have the mechanic inspect for any external factors (derailleur strikes, etc).

If they can't get it replaced, then I would either: (1) have the wheel completely rebuilt replacing at a minimum the spokes but taking a good look at the rim once it's disassembled...as noted in the comments, it might be warped; or (2) buy a new wheel. Having it rebuilt can often be pretty pricey and you can get a decent wheel these days for a couple hundred.


DIY computational fluid dynamics for aerodynamics? Has anyone experimented with using consumer 3D software to do CFD-like aerodynamics simulations?
Specifically, I was thinking:

Setup the bike on a trainer (with rider)

Take a series photos, and plug them photos->3D model software (something like AgiSoft PhotoScan or such as any of these free applications)
This would hopefully give you a reasonable 3D model of the bike. Would likely require some cleanup, and possibly modelling of smaller elements if they are relevant (like spokes/chain)

Bring the model into a 3D package with a fluid solver (e.g SideFX's Houdini)

Simulate fluid (air) flowing around the bike model

Somehow extract useful numbers, measurements or possible position-adjustments from the simulation

With my limited knowledge of Houdini, I manage to make something kind of interesting looking, using it's fluid-solver's velocity visualiser:

What use could all this be? For example, could this method be used to:

see the impact various riding positions have on the flow of air (although I guess this is slightly hard to verify without a wind-tunnel)

you could theoretically estimate CdA by seeing how much the object is pushed by the fluid. This could be verified relatively easily with a power-meter, e.g with the Chung Method

Could there be any worthwhile insights gained from this? Could it be any more effective than the more elegant method of using a power-meter?

I think you could take this technique pretty far, but probably not all the way (at least usefully).

I see a lot of use for the first part of your plan: taking multiple pictures and reconstructing a 3D model. If you try this for multiple postures I think it should be possible to determine an optimal position for you on your bike based on just looking at the 2D area you take up perpendicular to your riding direction (through the cutout method described in the article about the chung method you linked).

But this is where the use stops I fear. Some more insight might be gained by looking at the flow of air around your 3D model in something such as the fluid solver you link, but the accuracy is going to be too low to discern between different postures. When you go for that level of detail small things such as the ripples in your shirt or even the fabric of your shirt can have an impact, and the errors you made in the 3D reconstruction will be far larger than the differences you can make by slightly improving your posture on the bike even more than you did in the first step. Apart from this, I think that a fluid solver for movie effects is optimized for visuals first, not for scientific accuracy, so I'd be suspicious of any result it produces.

If you want to try the full fluid mechanics simulation thing you would have to use a 3D scanner or some other very accurate method to produce the 3D models of you on your bike, and then I'd still try and find an actual scientific fluid solver.


Brakes for a mountain bike frame (26'r) with 27" road wheels I have converted a mountain bike to a commuter. the frame accommodated 27 " wheels, so I installed for a better ride. I have a road carbon kinesis fork up front with a v-brake, but need a rear brakeset.

The boss positions for the rear brakes, however, are too low on the seat stays for a standard set of v brakes to properly contact the rim.

Is there a brake that is long enough to contact a 27" rim when installed on a 26" mountain bike frame?

I have not tried, but at Paul Components say these Moto BMX brakes might work with 700c rims on 26" frames. But they might turn out to be too expensive for your purpose.


How to recognize a tubeless tire? I suspect that the used bike I want to buy might have a tubeless tires, but one is flat. Is there any external feature to look at that would allow easily to tell this for sure?

I have no experience with tubeless tires and would not know how to replace it.

While your question of identifying a tubeless tyre has been answered, I think that might not actually be what you have to worry about. A bike might come with tubeless tyres, but that doesn't mean that they're set up tubeless. The tyres might still have a tube in them, so your concern should be identifying whether there's a tube inside or not. The easiest way to do that is to look at the valve stem, because a tubeless valve will almost always be secured with a substantial lockring, whereas a tube with a presta valve might have a little silver lockring or usually nothing at all. Any wheel with a Schrader valve is almost certain to have a tube in it as tubeless Schrader setups are extremely rare. This isn't foolproof, because some people will put a big lockring on a tube and some might put a small one on a tubeless valve, but I'm confident that this will be accurate over 95% of the time.

Schrader valve:

Presta valve (tube):

Tubeless presta valve:


Does effort require to pedal depend on the gear ratio or the gear inches? I have a 20x1.75" 6-speed folding bike with 52x14-28t drivetrain. Even with the gearing at 52x14, ~3.71 ratio, I can still pedal uphill.

I also have a 700x25C fixed gear with 49x17t gearing or ~2.88 ratio. I have yet to try riding it on uphills so I'm not sure if it's going to be difficult to pedal with that gearing.

I know that the gear inches depend on the ratio multiplied by the diameter of the wheels. Given that, I know that the gear inches of my folding bike is at around 74 while the fixed gear is at around 79. But which one actually determines how hard it is to pedal, the gear ratio or the gear inches? If it is the gear inches, would 5 inches higher be that significant? If it is, I'm thinking of getting an 18t or 19t cog.

Gear inches. Gear inches are, for better or worse, the most commonly recognized way of making the kind of comparison you're trying to make here, which one is harder to pedal. Gear inches are simply how far one complete rotation of the cranks moves the bike forward. The higher the number, the harder it is to turn the cranks.

You hear people make reference to ratio all the time, but usually it's within a niche where the wheel size is implicit, i.e. cross racers talking about 46/11 on a 700 or BMXers and 25/9 on a 20". Gear ratio independent of wheel size is meaningless.

Gear inches are actually a deeply flawed concept because it doesn't account for crank length. Sheldon Brown's proposed Gain Ratios system solves this and is pretty easy to argue as the best system possible for describing bicycle gearing. It's based on the movement of the pedal and not the crank.


Reinstall a Shimano nexus 7 wheel after puncture? I took my back wheel off to fix the tube. When trying to put back together the "gear cassette" I was struggling, it just wouldn’t fit.
I eventually checked a youtube video that explains how the yellow dots should be aligned. By doing that it worked however the length of the gear wire is now messed up and when putting the gear on 4 the yellow dots DO NOT ALIGN. They did before I dismantled the gear cassette.
I think the gears work but it doesn’t seem right. I cannot test the bike because the tube is leaking again and I need to fix it again, nightmare! I worry I have messed up the gear cable and I wouldn’t know how to put it back how it was before. Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated!

The yellow dots should be lined up when in a specific gear, which is gear 4 for a 7 speed nexus, (gear 6 for an 11 speed alfine)
Generally speaking, to change tube on an IGH wheel you need to get the wheel off the bike.

Release rim brakes to make room for tyre to pass through
Undo wheel nuts with 15mm spanner - your bike won't have a quick release.
Unclip the control cable from the rotary part, and pull the chromed cap off the retainer.

Then the wheel should come free (actual method depends if you have a tensioner, or if the bike had dropouts or trackends, etc)   and you can do the tube swap or patch the hole.
To reinstall the wheel, its roughly the reverse.   You should not need to adjust the cable in any way - the clamped on stop on the inner cable won't have moved.
If you've somehow undone the "cassette joint" and parts are coming off the side of the hub, then something has gone quite wrong.  Please post a clear well-lit photo of the right side of your hub, and perhaps the right side of your bike too.


How can I replace my front cog... or fix slipping off on folding bike? I have a Faulkner folding bike and I notice often the 6th gear, high gear falls off switching to high gear. Someone mentioned that the cog might be a bad choice for the front of folding bike and may be why it has the plastic guard around it - not just for keeping it off your pant leg.

It's generally been falling off and pulling the guard off, which it sticks in now... the deraileur high setting seems right as I moved it a bit and had other problems... it stays in the right gears adjusting it back.

Should I take the cheap plastic guard halves and the little screws screwing them together and replace with screw+bolts to make it more secure, maybe insert a metal shim? or replace the whole front crank? I found this but it doesn't list a place to size and purchase replacement front cog. https://www.downtube.com/pages/convert-to-triple-chain-ring-should-you-do-it/

EDIT - Here's a picture of the problem crank:

If a new chairing is the solution, then the best chainring to solve your issue is a 1× specific narrow-wide chainring. I'm not able to identify your crankset/chainring interface from the Amazon link. Once you know this, you can see if there's such a chainring available or if you'd need to replace your crankset entirely (probably too expensive to be worth doing on this bike).

I would also be tempted to check if you can shorten your chain by one link. This would mean that your rear derailleur would hold the chain on the chainring more tightly.


What's the deal with compressionless brake cable housing? Ok folks, I'm confused and in need of advice.  On my commuter (touring) bike, I just upgraded my BB5's to BB7's.  In the process, decided/realized that I also need to replace my cables and housing (@mikes was right in his answer to a past question of mine).

In surfing the 'net I see that I can get compressionless cable housing or "regular" cable housing.  Compressionless seems to be preferred by folks interested in higher levels of performance.

That said, I have always trusted Sheldon Brown's advice on a variety of bike related topics.  He seems to say that compressionless housing is made for (and should only be used for) indexed shifters and it might be dangerous to use it for brakes.  However, there are several vendors (1),(2) who sell compressionless housing made specifically for brakes.

So, is Sheldon wrong?  Will I be introducing additional risk in my braking system by using them? Will compressionless cable housings make a significant difference in the performance of my mechanical disc brakes?

I recently upgraded my brake cables with some Jagwire of the compressionless variety. jm2 is correct in saying the steel housing is reinforced with kevlar to prevent the longitudinal wires from buckling. The performance is very good and my brakes are far more responsive than with the old, traditional spiral-wound housing that was there before.

That said, installation is made a bit more tricky because:

The cable is not as flexy (it's a lot thicker than gear housing) so lengths must be cut appropriatly and secured well with the correct ferrules/end caps.
It is very difficult to cut. I tried first with a proper, full-size hack saw to get a smooth cut and it was immediately blunted. They must use very hard steel. I then just used some high-quality wire cutters which just about did the job and I smoothed up the cuts with a file. Make sure you have decent cutters if you're using compressionless.

It's also debatable whether compressionless is needed for brakes. It's needed for gears as they are indexed so need precise cable draw for a given shifter movement. Brakes have no such need, if you need more caliper movement just squeeze the lever a bit more. It probably gives some finer modulation but I reckon most of the improvements I experienced were just due to new cable vs 8-year-old ropey cable.


Pannier rear rack with no eyelets I have a rear bike rack similar to this one, but I have no top or bottom eyelets on my Lemond bike. I want to attach it with p-clamps for a 3 day tour. How much weight can p-clamps hold? Do you have any recommendations on which specific p-clamps to get?

For the upper mounts, there are brackets that clamp on the seat stay or the seat post and provide the regular braze-ons.

I'm betting the p-clamps will hold more weight than the rack will, however try it well before your tour.


Thinking of putting wider tires on intro Scattante w330...thoughts? I'm buying a used Scattante 44cm w330 with starter components and I'm fairly new to biking/commuting by bike.

My commute to work is fairly short, but its through a busy downtown area. I'm not so comfortable balancing on these skinny tires, much less weaving my way through traffic on them (700x23)...

Would it be plausible/wise for me to place wider tires on this bike?

If so, what would you recommend?

Maybe distance tires? I hear they are wider...

Thanks in advance, (we were all noobs at one point, right?)

^.^

Oh yeah, definitely put some 28s on there. They'll give you better traction, better handling ( especially on most commutes ), and more comfort. Go for a nice, durable city tire.

Whatever you do, don't try to save money on tires, spend a few extra dollars on high quality tires and you'll never look back. Nice tires will last longer, perform better, and save you time and money by preventing flats. If you buy cheap tires, you'll just end up spending even more money on tubes.

http://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/continental-sport-contact-tire-700c

Edit: Try to make sure the tire you choose fits your frame, your local bike shop shouldn't have any trouble helping you with this.


Can I use Rockshox RS1 with Mavic 15X110? can I use a Rock Shox RS-1 suspension with Mavic Crossmax Pro Carbon boost 15X110 wheel?

The RS-1 is supposed to be used with a predictive steering hub, which has special teeth to engage with the fork - a standard boost hub will not have these.

You can see more details in this answer from zenbike:
https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/a/39048/14027


Threading for BB (British) for Hollowtech 2 or square taper crankset? I have square taper crankset from Sugino (compact double 48-34). I am using their aluminium cartridge BB (I think it's 68mm). Anyway, I was wondering what is the difference, if any, regarding the threading between Shimano Hollowtech 2 BB and the Sugino cartridge BB? The reason I'm asking is that I'm considering to change the crankset to the Hollowtech because of the wider diameter of the bearings. I think it's 24 for Hollowtech and 17 for square taper cartridge. And can anyone tell me what is the difference between the "press-fit" BB and the normal BB for Shimano Sora? Can I use either or will only the normal BB fit my frame? Thanks.

The normal threaded, road, Hollowtech II B.B. is designed to fit in a regular 68mm British threaded B.B. shell just like a square taper cartridge B.B.  so there is no difference in the threading (1.37x24TPI)

So if you have a 68mm wide threaded shell, the B.B. should go straight in and you can install a Hollowtech II crankset. It’s something I’ve done on one of my bikes.

The difference with PressFit is that the frame does not have any threads in the B.B. shell. Bearings are then pressed into the frame instead and the tight fit holds them in place - so not compatible with a threaded frame. There are lots of slightly different sizes of PressFit bearings, which you could read about, but luckily you probably don’t need to


Is it OK to bunnyhop on a Kona/Fastrax AF2 while in Lockout Mode? I recently got a Kona Tanuki 2012 bike that sports a Kona/Fastrax AF2 Rear Shock. Sometimes while on the road I miss bunnyhopping over things.

Is it wise to lockout the Kona/Fastrax AF2 Rear Shock and bunnyhop like i just don't care? :)
If i over do it, something is going to break?

See my answer to this question for a similar answer:

Does ProPedal on FOX RP2 rear shock wear out when on during downhill?

Basically, you could cause damage to the shock by supplying pressure to either the oil or a part that wasn't meant to handle that much force. Now, do I think it'll break after 10 bunnyhops? Probably not, but it could cause much faster wear on the parts involved inside the shock. Also, are you bunnyhopping like a trials rider going 5 or 6 ft in the air? That's a lot more abuse than hopping 4" over that pothole in the road.

So, the bottom line is no, but probably someday. But then again, that's how you'll break anything...repeated abuse!


What is the purpose of an insert pin for Magura brake hoses? I just upgraded my broken Magura HS11 brake lever assembly to a HS33R. The new HS33R was packaged with a sleeve nut and an olive, which I used to connect the brake hose to the brake lever assembly. This all works as intended.

If you look online for "Magura olive" you often find sites, that sell them as a kit with an insert pin. Do I need one or are they only used with disk brakes? What is the purpose?

I also found an official video guide for shortening the brake hose and the manual, but neither mention them.

I assume by 'pin' you mean the following part:

This part is called the 'insert' or 'connecting insert' and its purpose is to 'support' the (non rigid) brake hose in order to prevent it from crushing/reducing drastically in diameter when the sleeve nut is tightened causing the olive to be compressed onto the brake hose.

In other words: When tightening the sleeve nut the olive will be compressed and its inner diameter will decrease slightly (eventually causing the olive to seal against the outside of the brake hose). The insert serves the purpose of supporting the brake hose in order to get a better seal (more pressure in between olive and brake hose which in turn results in the olive/outer surface of brake hose to get a better seal relative to each other).

Brake hose inserts are not unique to Magura by the way, I believe (almost) all bicycle hydraulic brakes use a similar insert when working with a sleeve nut tightening system. Designs may vary between manufacturers however, so use the type specified by the manufacturer of your brake.

I would highly recommend istalling the insert to be sure that you get the best seal possible/your brake won't leak. Sometimes you can reuse the insert (if you manage to get it out of the brake hose), you can burn/melt the brake hose away if it's really difficult to get off in other ways, a new olive would definitely be recommended over re-using an old one to prevent possible leaking of brake fluid.

A similar insert is used for plastic central heating pipes in order to prevent them from 'collapsing' when press-fitting the fittings onto the pipe.

This video shows you how to install the insert/'pin' :

( watch from 2:39 )


B.o.B Yak Trailer on car Any suggestions for how to carry a B.o.B. Yak (or Ibex) on a roof rack? I drive a small station wagon and the trailer is a bit big to fit comfortably in the car with our other gear when we travel with the bikes.

The yoke spacing on the BOB Trailer is quite a bit wider then a typical front fork mount bike rack, you could probably modify one with wider spacers and use a trailer skewer (or similar fabricated part) to mount the trailer yoke.  The wheel tray will need to be long enough for the span of the trailer and the fork mount will need to be high enough (or the tray low enough) otherwise the trailer will stall on the wheel tray when you try to mount the trailer yoke in the fork mount of the bike rack.

I had an extra roof top, frame clamping, bike rack on hand so I designed and fabricated a bracket that combines the yoke mounting of the trailer with the roof top mounting of the bike rack so it mounts to anything in the same way that the roof top bike racks mount:


How do I choose which kind of shorts to wear for mountain biking? There are so many different kinds of shorts available for mountain biking.

I would like to get a pair that is:
durable, can have padding shorts (either insert or worn under), stretchy and flexible material, doesn't make a huge amount of noise when I pedal, lightweight, quick drying.

Usually I would wear just lycra but having done that last season and taken a couple of falls with no protection I'm looking for something a little more protective.

There are so many kinds of shorts out there though how do I know what is purely fashion and what is function? and is it worth wearing anything but lycra for xc?

I wear baggies for non competitive XC. Just like baggies on a road bike is a fashion crime, Lycra and MTB is a fashion crime (unless you riding at national competition level events) :)

I have two sets of baggies - one is stretchy, light, quick drying and surprisingly durable -  think light weight running shorts with Lycra added. As they stretch, they are closer fit than many baggies.

The other is less stretchy and heavier fabric, and baggier(Fox brand), but still not heavy and dries reasonably quickly.

Go to you LBS / Sports shop and shop around. You cannot do this on the internet as you need to feel and see the fabrics.


Last grand tour won on aluminum? What was the last grand tour won on an aluminum frame?  Also, any details about the bike itself and the rider would be appreciated.

Abraham Olano won the 1998 Vuelta on an alloy frame. That might be the last Grand Tour win on alloy - as the Vuelta is the last Grand Tour of the year.


Drop handlebars with drops that don't fit. Replace or adjust? I bought a Surly Long Haul Trucker a couple years ago, and it has the stock handlebars. My hands don't really fit in the drops, and I sometimes would like a lower handlebar position where I can still reach the brake levers. For windy days, going down a hill real fast, going faster for the heck of it, etc. Having my "go fast" hand position be one I can't reach the brakes is kinda scary. My girlfriend recently got a Trek 520 (this year's model) and seems like with her handlebars my hands would actually fit in the drops.

What's my best option for getting that extra hand position?

If the answer is "buy new handlebars", what should I look for in those handlebars? There's a lot of options with "traditional bends", "ergo bend", "variable radius bend", flare, etc. and it's not really clear to me.

It's a "touring" bike but I have it outfitted as a commuter. I believe the handlebars are "PMT" which turns out to be nearly impossible to google usefully for. The drops appear to be directly beneath the ramps (no flaring). The classic older 26mm (?) clamp diameter. I'd say a small reach and a small amount of drop, but not quite sure how to measure. Width measure (center to center) came out to about 44cm.

Either way, handlebar tape is about due for replacement anyways.

I spend maybe 75%-90% of my time riding "on the hoods", a small amount of time on the top flat part, and even less on the drops.

Pictures:

(click for bigger view. And yes, it's the wrong hand but it was easier to take photos that way. )

I can ride with my hand somewhat like this:

But my hands don't really fit forward in the drops where I can reach the brakes. Unless I rotate out and/or squish my hand up a bit; neither of which isn't comfortable:

Handlebar setup pics:

It looks like you're treating it as four positions: tops, hoods, vertical part of drops, horizontal part of drops.

Compared to my bike, your bars seem to be rotated forward, and the levers seem high up the bars. It strikes me that you might be able to try rotating your bars back and move the levers further forward. This would make the hood part of your bar flatter, in the photo when you're holding the hoods, the bar there seems to be going down-hill, and the hoods are going up-hill, but with by rotating the bar and moving the levers, that area would be flatter.

And, you'd end up with one 'in the drops' position where the bar would be angled at about 35/40 degrees, and you might well be able to both fit your hand there nicely and be able to reach the brakes from that one position.

I'm not sure if this Surly has the same handlebars, but whatever they are, they definitely seem to be rotated back more as I described. The ends of the bars seem to be vertically under the tops: http://lockouttoout.blogspot.com/2010/11/surly-long-haul-trucker-54cm-bike-black.html


Pulley alignment of Shimano derailleur I noticed a misalignment between the two pulleys on a brand new Ultegra R8000 derailleur. It's less convincing on the photo than in real life, but still very much visible. I came across this discussion, where they start off with a similar observation, but switch to noise mitigation strategies pretty soon. I also came across this Shimano manual where the bottom figure on page 12 shows the bottom pulley at a slight angle with respect to the other one and the cogs, very similar to my photo. So while I've concluded that this is not a faulty part, I do wonder why they would design it that way. I would expect this to wreak havoc on the chain, compared to a perfect alignment, so what's the benefit?

PS: Both pulleys are firmly installed, don't wobble, and turn like they should.

Upon initial inspection, the issue described may seem alarming. However, the newer Shimano derailleurs are slightly bent and twisted to aid in shifting performance and meeting the ever increasing demands of larger cassettes.
For instance, the XTR M9100 derailleur is slightly bent and twisted and angled in such a way that the lower pulley wheel is facing towards the chainring. This helps when shifting down the Cassette and prevents damage to the pulley arm when the RD is at the 51T cog of the cassette.
In a nutshell, the slightly bent and twisted cage aids in shifting up/down larger cassettes and mitigates the damages of cross-chaining (which is inevitable on 1x drivetrains).


Where can I get U.S. size 15B SPD clipless shoes? I want to get some large clipless shoes for an indoor stationary cycle at my gym, which I presume uses SPD. I wear a U.S. size 15B and it is difficult to find shoes that long, let alone with a narrow width? Shoes I could source in Toronto, Canada, would be best, but I can get them in the U.S. if I must.

I feel your pain…

One place that I've found that seems to stock large shoes is Bike Tires Direct. Both Shimano and Sidi seem to make models that go up to at least size 52. If you don't want to order from the US, you could still use their listings to find some candidates and then ask your LBS what they can order for you.

The shoes will come in two styles "road" and "mountain." Road shoes have a flat sole that the cleat mounts onto (and thus are quite unpleasant to walk in). Mountain shoes have a recess for the clear. Road shoes often use different cleats than mountain shoes (three-bolt vs two-bolt). Cleats usually come with pedals, not with the shoes. You can also buy cleats separately.

So find out what kind of cleats your bike needs and then get shoes & cleats to match.


Food during touring? A problem with this kind of tasty food here is that you become depended on it, usually having no such luxuries so a more spartan question.

I use a lot of vitamin supplements for B, C, D and Calcium. B, D and Calcium require oil to absorb so they are in green containers like in the picture. C is water-soluble so it is in blue container, good after tiresome touring to get them fast. I use different sized containers such as this large one and this small here but use these ones here for color-coding. You cannot use permanent marker on the aluminium surface because it gets away fast, I used scissors to do the markings. The black one is for emergency, details here.

Then, I use a lot of dry things such as soy powder (protein), muesli(good to have in pocket, just because I like it), salt(essential to get after long riding) and sucker (good to get energy fast). They don't weigh much. Then, I just throw random things I can pick during journey like vegetables and fruits. What about your food during touring? How do you eat during touring? I am interested in a self-sustainable way of living that guarantee necessary intake of important vitamins-calories-and-such-things. I have no idea whether soy powder, for example, is available everywhere so perhaps you must substitute its protein with something else in different locations. So what is your touring food?

Something about Protein sources

How to cook insects?
Cheap sources of protein?

I take almost the opposite approach - I eat almost all natural foods when I'm touring. I prefer rice + milk + sultanas + sugar for breakfast so I boil the rice the night before and it slow cooks overnight. The rest of the day I eat fresh fruit and veges when I can, bread and cheese or peanut better etc. I eat a bit of road kill when I can, and buy hot chips if they smell good enough. For dinner I eat a lot of pasta and noodles, usually the fast cook sort (not very natural :) I do self-contained touring, and generally free camp.

My diet is determined largely by listening to my body, which amounts to "eat what I feel like eating" or "eat what smells good". And lots of carbs. In hot weather this can mean hot, salty chips every day for the salt and calories, but also usually means a lot of whatever seasonal fruit and vegetables are available.

I ride a recumbent when touring, and the slightly odd bike generates a lot of interest from people when I stop, so I get invited to eat with locals a lot as well. So often my evening meal is whatever I'm offered.

When I can't get fresh fruit and veges I eat a fair bit of dried fruit, especially dried bananas. Also dried vegetables. In the dry parts of Australia food is trucked in, and is generally service station/roadhouse/corner shop type food (and expensive too). The local water is often heavily mineralized, usually to the point where long term consumption is not recommended. So I get dried camping type food posted to me and buy as much bottled water as I feel I can afford (usually 20%-40% of my consumption).


Fit a chainguard when there is a front derailleur My bicycle has a front derailleur. It's a hybrid. I use it to commute and would like to fit a chainguard.

Is there any chainguard that can be fitted when there is a front derailleur?

There are a few plastic chainguards for front derailleurs.

I never found a full chaincase but managed to fit this de Woerd Wave chainguard to a mountainbike used for commuting (3×7 gears I think).  I failed to get the same model working on my 3×8 hybrid, though it had the same chainrings as the MTB. I would go on, but I couldn't avoid it rubbing in some gears because I couldn't get the bottom bracket clamp to sit straight, and never got round to modifying it enough to make it work to my satisfaction.

Holland bike shop has a wider range of de Woerd parts; some are specified for double or triple chainrings.  I'm sure there are other makes, but these are the ones I've come across

A double chainring would be easier to work with than a triple, but you may have to modify the chainguard a little - easy if it's the fairly soft plastic part, but harder if it's the mounting brackets (which have to be secure to be safe).


Broken front derailleur 7400 Dura Ace The chain came off a couple of times while I was riding yesterday and when I tried to put the chain back, the small screw came off from front derailleur.

I think maybe that’s a thing to attach the plate and where it moves.

Is there any way to fix this problem?

You should connect the holes visible in fig. 2 using the screw in fig. 1. It is not very well visible, but the small piece should accept an Allen key and it is screwed from the rear side (see first picture below). It should ultimately be screwed into the bigger piece marked in the other picture below.

I marked the relevant place on a photograph from pedalpedlar.co.uk. I hope this counts as fair use.


Riding in nice office/casual clothes? I'm a little new to bike riding, I've only been a commuter for the past couple of years so maybe I'm only now observant of this sort of thing. So over the past few days I've noticed people commuting in what looks like stuff you would wear to the office. I literally saw a guy riding his bike in a shirt and tie today!

Granted it's still not too hot out, I live in Manitoba and lately it's been around 20-25, but has it suddenly become a thing to look like a fashion model while commuting to work or are the Humans around me just denim-wearing demigods who can't break a sweat? As for me, I'm usually wearing crappy t-shirt and a thin pair of shorts and I still sweat like a pig on my 8km commute to work.

I guess what I'm trying to ask is whether or not this is normal behavior, maybe I'm just out of shape?

Those people you mentioned seeing in 'office clothing' most likely don't have a very long commute. Depending on where you live it may be like here in Switzerland; it has become some kind of trend. People show off their dutch style bicycles and feel awfully cool, which might explain why you perceive them as looking like fashion models. You will also notice how many young and trendy guys ride a women's bike because they idealize the authentic dutch hippie bike. I just pass by and smile at their confusion regarding bicycles.

For my part I ride ~ 10km to work on my old Batavus Champion, in every season. A little perspiration is normal, but I don't really need to change clothes when I arrive.

I think the key to successful commuting over longer distance is having an exceptionally good deodorant.


How can I tell if a rim is bent or if the wheel is just out of true? How can I tell if a rim is bent or if the wheel is just out of true?

The common qualification here is an important one: truing is a skill that benefits from practice and experience (chicken, meet egg). Your wheels are important, and it's important to have somebody who knows what they're doing at least check your work if you're just learning (or if you're disinclined to trust your well-being in dense traffic to wheels you trued yourself).

Having said that, a rim that isn't bent should have more or less even spoke tension across all the spokes when it is true. On the other hand, a bent rim will require higher tension in some spots and lower tension in others. So, noticeably uneven spoke tension in a true wheel is one sign that the rim might be bent.


Appropriate oil viscosity for the inside of a freewheel body Without taking one apart, I have seen people spraying WD40 into a freewheel body to clear it out, and then dripping Phil's tenacious oil into it for lubrication. The thickest stuff I have available at the moment is wet-weather chain lube. Will this work or destroy the freewheel? How important is viscosity here?

The only freehub-specific lube I have found is from Dumonde Tech. They offer a freehub lube in both oil and grease form; depending on your preference. Those are what I use when servicing my rear wheels. Cleaning with WD-40 isn't bad practice as it's just a water displacement solution (Thus the "WD") and only imparts a very, very light lube to whatever surface it covers. I use it for cleaning bike and motorcycle parts all the time and to add some protective covering to parts with exposed raw metal.


What subtle factors affect performance in unsubtle ways? As a non-professional biker who commutes on a bike daily I've been noticing that some factors that I didn't think would make much difference in how fast I go or how quickly I get tired have a much bigger impact.

For example, sideways wind. I did not think that a 5-10 mph wind from the side would slow me down as much as it does. Even tail wind doesn't seem to help.

Another is cold. I think that I can bike much faster when its 30C outside vs 0C. Its a little bit hard to say though because I can never compare them side by side.

This question may seem a bit vague, but what other factors affect performance in either positive or negative ways that one would not necessarily consider as making much of a difference?

Small changes in bike fit make dramatic differences in performance.  Heat and humidity make a big difference.


How to improve/restore vintage Peugeot bike, or is it even worth it? I've got an old Peugeot bike I've been riding, and I like it but I'd like to make it better for long rides. I'd like to replace some parts, the steel rims aren't good for braking and I'd like handlebars / brakes that are more comfortable.

I can try grabbing random used parts and replacing them, or buying new ones, but I'm wondering if its even worth it. Would I be better off just buying a new bike, or what parts would you recommend I use to improve this?

Thanks!

This is often called "the slippery slope of knock-on upgrades" which can get expensive  quickly.

There are two simple and relatively cheap upgrades to try.

Replace the brake pad inserts with modern compound Kool Stop.  They will brake better than the original ones, which may also be a bit hardened with age.  There will be a model that fits your brake pad holders.  A relatively invisible upgrade.
Replace the bartape with something a bit nicer.  I think you've got the thin nylon strap stuff, and its come away from the corners.  Try some new modern material/retro style.  You might choose to remain with white to match the brake levers, or a more dirt-hiding black to match the saddle, or some other colour that appeals.  But wrap it properly and it will be more comfortable.

If you change the wheels to get aluminium braking track rims, then the brakes may not reach - modern wheels are 622mm and yours are probably 630mm or maybe 635mm.  This would mean new brakes, which may mean new brake levers as well as new tyres and tubes.    See how the knock-on effect works ?

Other option is to sell it on and buy a more modern bike.  Someone would love to own that loverly `80s beauty.


Are road bikes durable for use on roads full of cracks and potholes? I live in Reading UK and commute between home and workplace 5-6 days a week (round trip about 6-7 miles). I know that hybrids are good enough for pretty much anything, but I find road bikes really light and good for the job, especially to go around curbs and very high slopes (about 45 degrees). However, most of the roads in Reading are quite broken and full of potholes and cracks. I wonder if it is a good idea for me to use road bikes in general for my daily commute? How badly will it affect me?

A specific example of cracks and potholes I am referring to can be found here or here.

I am really frustrated and want to know how badly will I damage a road bike if ridden on these kinds of roads.

I know the roads around Reading very well. I commute 10 miles into Reading every day. I also ride a lot at lunchtime. I probably ride 5,000 miles a year in Berkshire. I ride a Bianchi C2C road bike which has an aluminium frame and carbon fork. Any modern road bike of reasonable quality will be fine.

The roads around Reading aren't that bad. I've never had a problem with the roads damaging my bike. That said, I do take reasonable care, including:

Avoiding the really bad bits by looking ahead and steering around them. Be aware and cautious of traffic when you do this.
Hitting rough bits lightly. Bend at your elbows and knees, and absorb the shock. Don't let the shock transmit up to your body as the weight puts stress on the frame and wheels.
Not riding up and down raised kerbs. If you have to cross a kerb, get off and lift your bike.
Only riding asphalt surfaces (i.e. roads or good cycle tracks). Don't ride dirt or gravel routes, such as the one alongside the river.

If you want to check out some bikes, I'd suggest AW Cycles in Caversham (I have no affiliation with them other than as a customer). They have a good range and are knowledgable and friendly.


Can I convert flat bar to drop bars on a hybrid bike I'm fairly certain that the bars should change out quite easily; I'm more concerned about the shifters and brakes. Currently I have a hybrid 18 speed with cable disc brakes and Shimano Deore XT derailer. I know that these are typically mountain bike parts. I'm eyeing up the Shimano 105 STI dual control shifter/brake. Is this even going to work?

My main reason for wanting the change is after riding the road for quite a few years with flat bars my wrist are starting to take a bit of a beating. I put some bar end on the flat bars to change my grip position, which helped my wrists, but now I feel my grip is too wide.

If pictures would help i can try to upload some tonight, any advice would help.

The 9-speed road and mountain shifters and derailleurs from shimano should be compatible (at least with 105 / Tiagra). Make sure you get 9-speed shifters, however some people have luck using alternate cable routing (attach the shifter cable to the oppisite of the clamp on the rear derallieur) to use 9-speed drivetrain with 10-speed rear shifter.  Keep in mind, You can't mix and match 10-speed road gear with any of the mountain gear labeled 'Dyna-Sys' as they have modified the cable pull ratios for those components. If you need to adapt different speeds and brands, you may have luck using a compatibility solution like Jtek Shift Mate.

Your brakes may have different cable pull ratios as well.  You likely need to swap your disc brakes for ones with compatibility with the shorter pull that is provided by road STI shifters.  Avid makes BB5 and BB7 road models which would probably work well.  You probably don't need to swap your rotors, just the calipers.

If you want cheaper alternatives to STI levers, you can buy long pull brake levers that will work with your mountain disc brakes and use a different type of shifter like Retroshift (which offers a long pull brake lever option) or 9-speed Shimano Bar End Shifters.


Finding the right size wheel for a electric bike kit I want to convert my trek cross bike to a electric bike.  I have 700c rear tire.  The kits wheels seem to come in inches.  What should I do?

Most ebike kits with hub motors are sized for 26" mountain bike tires and not the larger 700c road/hybrid tire. There are numerous reasons for this:

the smaller the wheel the more torque it can handle as well as deliver
*conversely, the larger the wheel the larger the hub motor has to be (adding to weight) or it has to be a geared hub motor, adding to complexity. In either case, hub motors for larger wheels are more expensive.
mountain bike frames are built more solidly and can take the extra weight and abuse
contemporary consumers tend to prefer the mountain bike styling and as a result cheap MTB frames are much more commonly available than 700c frames
if you only want to stock one SKU you'll stick with the most common one.  It doesn't hurt that a 26" wheel is cheaper to ship than a 700c one

As a result, it's much harder to find an off the shelf 700c rimmed hub motor compared to a 26" one. In most cases, you have to get a hand laced 700c rim on a hub motor. This adds cost and expense and is non-optimal as the motor was likely wound for a smaller wheel and will deliver weaker performance in a 700c.

Most end users  give up and instead get a cheap 26" mountain bike for their donor bike rather than using their 700c bike.

And if you have to ask: no, it's not possible to put a 26" wheel in a 700c frame -- not without considerable pain and expense. Seriously, just get a 26" BSO frame or be prepared to pay more for a boutique 700c hub motor.

Ps. If you're intent on keeping the 700c frame, a better option may be to use a bottom bracket (also known as mid-drive) motor. Bafang is the most common vendor of aftermarket BB motors  and if you google (bafang bottom bracket) you'll find vendors. However, they do tend to be more expensive than hub motors.


Bought used bike, Shimano derailleur does not work - how to repair or replace? So I'm new to biking and I purchased a really good bike at a reasonable price. It's a 7 speed bike and as you can see the derailleur is messed up. I'm not sure how to find one that will work. I found another Shimano Deore model: RD-M53P SGS. Can anyone tell me if this will work? If not do you know one that will? Thanks a lot.

The derailleur in the picture has been scratched and the cable is connected wrong, but it should work if you install the cable correctly.

Searching for "RD-M53P SGS" does not find anything except this question. However, all Shimano rear derailleurs specified for 9 speeds and below have the same actuation ratio, so any of these should work. The derailleur in the photo looks like 9-speed model and it is installed in 7-speed bike.


What is the size when folded of the ORI M9 or Mezzo D9? ORI M9 and Mezzo D9 seem to have the same frame design. Does anyone know the dimension of these bikes when folded?

This article states the following.

While the D9 doesn't fold quite as small as a Brompton (690x685x360mm to the Brompton's 550x580x280mm)

So the Mezzo D9 folds down to 690 x 685 x 360 mm. Which equates to 27.17 x 26.97 x 14.17 inches.


I cleaned my cassette and changed my chain, now my freehub is slipping. What are the possible causes? I removed my cassette, cleaned it and put a new chain on my mountain bike. All seemed to go well and went back together nicely. However when I took it out for a ride the free hub seems to be slipping with a sort of judder. It's like it engages, but then slips almost like the chain is slipping.

I'm fairly confident it's not the chain slipping though as it's doing it an every gear (more so in lower gears where there is more tension) and the derailleur doesn't seem to bounce/move at all when it slips.

I pulled the cassette back off to check it all looked like it's assembled correctly, but I see nothing wrong.

Thanks!

Update 1
I've inspected the cassette fairly thoroughly and am fairly convinced it's not warn. There is no angling on the teeth and no visible sign of the chain not sitting properly. Watching it carefully and it looks like the cassette is spinning with it when it slips, not the chain slipping over it.

The old chain wasn't massively overused, it'd been on the bike maybe 8 months and done maybe 1000km. It was replaced due to a link failing, not because it'd warn out.

It's slipping a lot almost to the point it's completely unrideable. I'll stick the old chain on later and see if it stops, but I can't see such a massive difference being likely?

Update2
Thanks for all the answers trying to help. I've added some photos of the cassette. https://imgur.com/a/TY1Z7

It is likely that your cassette is worn.

A new chain on a worn cassette will skip, because of the mismatch of the shape of the teeth on the cassette with the chain's spacing (which is shorter than what the cassette expects due to wear).

You can visually inspect your cassette for wear by either looking for gaps in how the chain meshes with the cassette, or looking at the teeth to see that they aren't well shaped.


How to retrieve broken off end of gear cable from inside Shimano 105, 11 gear, lever? The gear cable was badly frayed in the handle system, where it bends through 90 deg. I had to cut it to remove the cable...but in doing so, the tip with the cable end (about 10mm long), has moved on round the corner and on into the lower part of the handle where it is very inaccessible.
I am able to get hold of the cable end with pliers but unable to pull it back, even with the gear changer set in it's highest gear because the nipple is stopping it.
Any ideas?
Do bike engineers in UK shops take these brifter gear levers apart or do they just advise replacement?

I just got done doing this to my 5800-series brifter. Looking at it, it seems to be kind of fortified against amateur disassembly.
However, I discovered that this took a lot less disassembly than Criggie's answer had led me to believe. Indeed, you could do it with the brifter still on the handlebar.
All it took is undoing one screw on the underside of the lever:

This let me remove the two bottom parts of the brifter's case and access the part of the mechanism the stub of wire was in:

As a reassembly note, the larger piece is backwards in the image, those "teeth" point backwards in the assembled brifter.


some resources for a bianchi I've got a 1981 (i'm told) bianchi 10-speed road bike. I am having trouble left and right. is there anything as basic as a site wherein i could provide the serial number and get some general information on the bike in return;, when it was made, the model maybe?

a lot of love for you guys, i'm new today and have a moderate amount of experience servicing bikes

We don't usually supply lists of resources here, because they don't really fit with the general SE question-with-one-best-answer approach.

Interest in retro bikes and cycling gear is at an all time high, and so is the amount of information available.

I'm answering because I hope to give you, and others who end up here, an example of how this information can be found

In this case I Googled "1981 bianchi catalog" (press enter after following the link) and got a bunch of hits.

The best seemed to be Bianchi 1981 Catalog. It should answer a lot of your questions.

Many old catalogs have been digitized and can be found in a similar way.


Widest tyre you can safely fit on 700c wheel (17mm rim width) I am riding a no-suspension hybrid with rigid reinforced fork and 700c wheels.
I go on touring trips with very flexible itinerary. I stay on gravel/tarmac/trail 80% of the time but occasionally I like to link parts of the tour by going off-road or on rough trails.

I currently run 700x35C touring tires and I am very pleased with their performance on good surface. However I would like to get some oversized (preferably foldable) tires that I can pack when touring and put on for a day or two during the tour when necessary. Here are some cases from my recent trips when my 35c's felt "not enough" and I wish I had wider tire:

Here are few details:

Rims are WTB 700C
Rim inner width measures just under 17mm
I currently run 700x35C
Disc brakes, so brake assembly will not be a limiting factor
Frame and fork will not be an issue as well (both look like they could accommodate 55+ size and still have plenty of clearance)

Rim inner width:

Ample tire clearance (pictures taken with Schwalbe Marathon Plus 35c tire in place):

Sheldon Brown says I should not go above 37mm...
Yet I know that this bike came from the manufacturer with 47c continentals fitted...

Any advice is appreciated. I would like to hear not only what is OK for this particular case but also what are general considerations. How does one decide when tire is too wide and unsafe.

UPDATE:

Additional problem that I am facing is that it is hard to find wider 700c tires. For gravel / hybrid tires advertised as 700c sizes go from 25mm up to 37mm.

For mountain bikes (29 inch wheel) sizes begin at 2.25 inches which is approx 57mm.

There appears to be a gap between 37mm and 57mm and it is very rear that one come across a tire that falls in that gap category. Or am I not looking for a right thing?

There are loads of 2.1" MTB tyres, and a few 2.0. I've got some WTB nano 2.1s that were on my hardtail when I got it, and I've got a Rapid Rob 2.1 on it now.

But your current tyres look pretty slick. Putting a dirt touring tyre like a marathon mondial on there would certainly help (and that comes in 35, 40, and 50mm widths). Those are OK on road, though slower than I'd choose for all-tarmac use. I take my tourer off road too (though not laden) and have really noticed the difference between the marathon mondials and the slick marathon supremes I switched to (or indeed the marathon plus on my hybrid), even with both at 35mm.

The footnote to the table you link suggests you can go a fair bit wider - in fact my hardtail has narrower rims than my tourer. You're likely to be limited more by the clearance batten the chainstays/seatstays/forks.

The tyres I mention are just examples, based on what I've used.


Time to replace chainring? I ran a squeaky chain for a while on my bike and subsequently destroyed the chain and the cassette. Both were swapped out at the exact same time for a new chain and cassette.

Now I am afraid that the chainrings have been damaged. I suspect that the chainrings have been damaged because it's only been about two months with my new chain and I am not a frequent rider. I ride in almost pristine conditions - I ride on regularly maintained roads and have NEVER gotten a puncture on the road I put in most of my miles on. I only put about 500 miles (if that) on this chain. The path is dry and the only objection that one might be able to raise is that it's slightly dusty at some points. The only maintenance I've done is a few squirts of White Lightning Semi-Dry Lube after breaking in the chain. It came to me pretty greased up so I left it as is until I rode it for a fair bit before giving it a quick shot of lube.

So I'm pretty surprised that my chain looks to be pretty worn judging from a quick ruler measurement.

In the attached pictures I have lined up the 0 marking on my ruler with the end of a roller and from what I've read online, if a chain is new, the 12" marking of the ruler should be covering up most if not all of a roller. On my chain the 12" marking is barely covering up a roller. I've taken the chain off the bike, yes, but I've stretched it when laying it across the ground. Even on my bike where the chain has been tensioned, the 12" end of the ruler still fails to cover up the roller.

I also did an informal test in which I shifted the bike into the big chainring and pulled on the chain to see how many teeth I could expose. I saw at least 3-4 partially exposed teeth with this method. I read that if you can see more than half an exposed tooth, then your chain is stretched.

So:

Should I consider replacing the entire crank or just replace the middle chainring - the one I use 99% of the time? I have a Campagnolo triple crankset, 9 speed. It's also square taper.
Or should I just start leaving the chain on the big chainring which has seen probably no more than 5 miles (seriously)?
Is my chain really stretched? I read that some chains show a high initial stretch reading when new, but this isn't really an indication that they're done for. I have a KMC chain if that matters.

From Sheldon Brown

  The normal technique is to measure a one-foot length, placing an inch mark of the ruler at the side of one link pin, then looking at the corresponding link pin 12 complete links away. On a new, unworn chain, this link pin will also line up exactly with an inch mark.

From what I can see in the second photo, the edge of the ruler represents the 12 inch mark, which lines up exactly with the middle of the pin on the end of (what I assume is) the 12th link.  The chain looks fine to my eyes.  (For what it is worth it has been my experience that KMC chains are pretty tough.)

The difficulty with using a ruler is also why chain wear tools also exist, these also include wear on the rollers as part of the measurements (which measuring the inter-pin distance will not consider).  Worn rollers will affect the realized pitch of the chain.

If your chain ring is too worn, the teeth will look like a shark fin and a new chain will slip under pressure.  For more info see: Does this chainring need to be replaced?  If your middle ring does go, I would suggest looking at replacing it before you change the whole crank set (Just my opinion!)


Can this frame be used or is it done? I have a cheap mens Huffy mountain bike which I noticed has 2 holes in the frame. Would this be too unsafe to ride?

If it were mine I wouldn't ride. It appears there is a crack connecting the two holes. This would indicate there has been enough flex to cause the frame to crack.


How to remove stuck Shimano Hollow-Tech bottom bracket cups? When I tried to remove the bottom bracket bearing cups using the BB tool it was very hard to move or it's just stuck. Tried WD40 then slowly tapping the tool using a mallet didn't work. To cut the story short, the tool moves but the cups didn't. Other to remove these? As you can see in the picture, the tool left marks on the cups.

If you want to re-use these cups without a lot of tool marks, using a high quality removal tool that fits the cup splines closely is advisable. A thin sheet of plastic between the BB cup tool and the cups can take up space, give a firmer purchase on the grooves in the cup and protect the cups from tool marks. (Credit to John Cannings of GCN for this tip.)

Make sure the tool is all the way on the cup and held there firmly. If you tool has a hole through the middle you can use a long bolt, large diameter washers and a nut to hold the tool on. (Similar to using a QR to hold a cassette lockring tool in place.)

Make sure you are turning the tool the correct way. The right hand side is left hand threaded, so to loosen: clockwise on the right, anticlockwise on the left. (I doubt you are getting this wrong as the HT cups have the tighten direction printed on them, but I included it for future readers.)


Anyone know a way to get a profile of a ride from google? I'm considering adjusting my ride to work a bit - considering a change that will make it slightly longer, and probably a lot hillier.  But from looking at the route on google maps, I can't really tell, even with the terrain layer turned on.

Anyone know of a tool that will graph the profile of a route for me?

Edit: Ideally, I'd be able to just link the tool to my route on google, and not have to redraw it.

(The routes in question:  Current route, proposed route)

GPS Visualizer will do the job. From this thread:

  Plan your route as normal in Google Maps.
  Click on "link" above the top right corner of the map.
  Copy the top link.

  Go to:  http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/profile_input

  Paste the GM link that you copied into the field titled:  "Or provide the URL of data on the Web:"


Minimize freezing of brake cables Is there something I can spray on my brake cables to keep them from freezing up in cold weather?

I want something preferably that will not attract dust.

Brakes froze when temperature was 20 degrees F.

They are likely freezing because water is getting into the space between cable outer (cable housing) and the cable inner (the wire brake cable). Water expands as it freezes, in doing so it takes up more space than is available in an otherwise the restricted system.  Because the cable housing is relatively inflexible to expansion (it needs to be otherwise your brakes would be mushy) this ends up binding the inner brake cable causing your brakes to metaphorically and literally freeze.

About the only way to fix the freezing is to prevent water from getting into that space.  Adding oil or grease will likely not be enough to displace all the water, and as the remaining water expands when turning into ice you are left with the same problem.

As a quick fix you can bring your bike into someplace above freezing and hang it so that the water can drain out of the cable housing.

A more permanent fix depends on whether or not you can fully seal the system against water ingress. This depends on the type of brakes you have and how the brake cable is routed. I have only ever experienced freezing of brakes in sub-zero conditions on a bikes that were using full length brake housing, with the rear mechanical disc brake was mounted on the lower chain stay with no real seal between the brake housing and the disc caliper.  Rain water would slowly drip into the cable housing from the open end at the caliper and pool somewhere mid-chain stay.  Then when the weather dropped below freezing the rear brake would freeze solid.

The only to prevent this is to have some sort of seal that prevents water ingress into the housing from happening (e.g., see below)

If you have another type of brake system or a different cable routing from what is pictured above I would need to see a picture to try and diagnose how water is entering and remaining in your brake housing.

UPDATE

From your picture your cable boot on the rear brake appears to be dislodged. This will allow water to enter the system, where it will pool in the cable housing just after the brake noodle (see figure below).


How to increase speed on my hybrid bike with flat handlebars and 700X35C tyres? I have Montra Blues 1.1 hybrid bike with flat handlebar and 700x35C tyres. When I try to lean forward and try to increase my speed, my hands get fatigued and I can’t do it for longer durations.

How can I go faster on a hybrid bike with this tyre and handlebar combination? Can you suggest ways to increase my speed?

Edit (added from comments): my average speed is 11mph and max speed is 20mph. I usually ride for 40-50 mins daily.

Before looking to improve the bike, I'd look to improve your fitness.  I was able to average 13–14mph on my hybrid for 1–1.5hrs; at that time, I was commuting 3–5 miles each way per day and maybe a weekend ride of 15–20 miles once or twice a month.

Hybrids aren't designed for going fast but, at 11mph, there's not a huge aerodynamic difference between the more upright position on a hybrid and the lower position on a road bike.  Make sure your bike is properly maintained – a rusty chain and, especially, soft tyres sap a lot of power.

I'm assuming your bike has reasonably smooth tyres but a possible bike upgrade that hasn't been mentioned yet in other answers is narrower tyres.  I wouldn't spend any money yet but your tyres will wear out eventually and that would be something to consider then.

You might find that tracking your times on a site such as Strava helps motivate you to improve. Their app will work with your phone's GPS.


How do I tune slipping gears? My kid's bike has some gears that aren't working properly (rear derailleur). They "slip". That is, he's pedaling along and suddenly the gear slips, as if it is going to change gears, but doesn't actually change gears. This happens repeatedly. It doesn't just slip once and then stay, no, it continues to do it over and over again while pedaling without making any adjustments on the gear selector.

Another interesting symptom is if I try to keep track of which gear it is supposed to be in, and which gear it is actually in, I get a table something like like this:

Gear it's supposed to be in - Gear it's actually in
1 - 1
2 - 1/2
3 - 2/3
4 - 3/4
5 - 4/5
6 - 5

... where the "/" indicates that the gear state could be one or the other, sometimes depending on whetheur it was shifted into from the higher gear, vs shifted into from the lower gear (shifted up or down) and/or the two gears it is slipping between.

How do I go about tuning them?

First got though  this park Tools guide

If you are still having problems, I suspect the derailleur cable. Either replace it (best option as they are cheap) but its worth flicking the outers off the bosses, cleaning and lube as much of the cable as possible.  If this improves things, a new cable may be needed.

If this does not help you probably need to check the derailleur alignment. unfortunately your derailleur has an integrated hanger so its harder to check. Fortunately, as its only 5 speed, accuracy is not so important. If noticeably bent, you can straighten it using an adjustable spanner, but will have trouble getting it accurate.

Another possibility is the derailleur is flogged out, although in my experience kids don't change gears enough for this to happen


Bicycle Computer Mount for Small Diameter Handlebars I have a steel bike with handlebars that are about half as thick as today's bikes. Where can I find a computer mount for these bars or should I just use some type of spacer? Thanks!

Most computer mounts come with plastic spacers that can be placed between the hard plastic mount and the handlebar. If yours didn't come with that, I have used Athletic tape to build up the bars to the point where the mount will grip the bars adequately.


Can I mix & match different chainring brand/model? I want to change my 36 Race Face Evolve chainring (in a 22/36 setup) for a 32t. I've found a "cheap" Race Face Turbine 32t. Will it be compatibile with the 22t "Evolve" chainring or I will get shifting problems?

Should be fine, if the new 32t ring is made to be used in a double or triple crankset then your gold. If it is made to be run independently in a 1x drivetrain (Such as a narrow/wide ring) then it will cause shifting issues.

The larger of the two (or three) rings has shifting ramps and/or pins that help guide the chain up during shifting. If it is made to be used in a multiple ring setup then these should be present, generally they rings will list what type of setup they are intended for as well such as 1x , 2x or 3x.

The other thing to check to to be sure the bolt pattern (BCD) is the same so that they will bolt together. You may also consider getting a new chain at the same time if it has been awhile.


Difference between Shimano SM-RT81 and SM-RT81-A rotors? I am working on a retro/new bike project and I have bought the Shimano SM-RT81-A 160mm discs whit Shimano SLX-M7100 brake calipers.

I have seen that the brake pads on the front rotor are about 5mm too far out.

Now I am wondering if there is a difference between the SM-RT81 and the SM-RT81-A version?

You need to determine the model number of the SLX brake caliper as the BR-675 caliper requires a wide-type rotor and pad as well.  New BR-7000, 7100 & 7120 SLX calipers use narrow type rotors and pads.  The SM-RT81 rotor is a narrow type and only compatible with the latter SLX model numbers. Shimano's Compatibity Chart for disc brakes/rotors.  Also note the section "Interference Between Disc Brake Caliper & Rotor.". Significantly it advises one to avoid using an M675 caliper with RT81 rotor.
Whether this is the reason your pads are sticking out is still in question.

Determining the model numbers of your caliper and pads and comparing to the compatibility chart linked above would be a good place to start.   The "A" at the end of a model number represents "standard" version of the small part (which is what the "SM" represents). Based on my interpretation of Shimano's published info, the variation in the model number SM-RT81 is related to differing diameters available.  These different sizes are denoted SS, S, M, L as a suffix at the end of the rotor model number.

Some other considerations mechanically are that the rotor pistons have been pushed back in after the old pads removed and prior to the new going in. Check the new pads return spring is oriented correctly and that the eyeholes of pads and spring line up.


Is SRAM RED AXS Power Meter, 48/35T compatible with Tarmac Pro Disc – SRAM ETAP I am interested in purchasing specialized "Tarmac Pro Disc – SRAM ETAP" bicycle that comes with "SRAM Force AXS, 48/35T" crankset.  I want a crank power meter and want to know if the "SRAM RED AXS Power Meter, 48/35T" is compatible.

Yes they should be compatible - the difference is in the materials/manufacturing:
SRAM Tech Support - Difference between Force/Red AXS

However, you can upgrade your Force AXS crankset to have power:
SRAM Tech Support - Adding power to Force AXS crankset


Why do my front wheel/disc brakes squeal/moan when NOT braking 1 year old Trek 520 with mechanical disc brakes.
When I am pushing the bike around, both with and without loaded panniers, the front wheel frequently makes a low pitched "squealing" sound--almost a moan.  With the front of the bike lifted off the ground, the wheel spins freely, with no apparent interference.  There is no noise or any apparent problem.  The noise appears to be accentuated when the wheel is not aligned with the bike--ie, turning left or right, but it can happen whether straight or turned.
The brakes seem to work fine.
There is no obvious sideways play in the wheel.
Since the brakes seem to work fine, and the noise doesn't happen when riding, I've been riding anyway--but I'm concerned that there might be some brake issue or something else I'm not thinking about.
What else should I be thinking about/checking?

One of the pads is lightly touching the rotor. When you push the bike at low speeds the pad makes the rotor vibrate at a resonant frequency - like a bow on a violin string. When the rotor rotation speeds up the resonant frequency isn't excited any more.
The pad can be touching lightly enough that there does not appear to be any resistance.


Creaking bottom bracket I have a Trek 3900 Mountain bike that had a serious creaking problem whenever I would pedal.  I found that the ring that holds the Shimano sealed bearing was really loose.  I tightened it up and it helped somewhat.  It loosened up again and I put loktite on the threads and really tightened it up but it is still creaking a little.  The bearing cartridge seems fine.  Any ideas?

Take the shell off of each side of that bottom bracket and grease each one up, along with the spindle. When you tighten that bottom bracket back on, don't over torque it or under torque it, if you over torque or under torque that bad boy is going to squeak. If you aren't sure of the torque or you don't have a torque wrench, visit your local shop.

Take the shell off of each side of that bottom bracket and grease each one up, along with the spindle.


Does the value of an old bicycle depreciate if old tires replace with new ones? I have a 1969 Columbia Newsboy Special that I have had for many years and I have never replaced the tires. Got the bike out of the garage and pumped up the tires to ride and the front tire poped. Rear tire still good. Will replacing both tires depreciate the value of the bike if I ever decide to sell it?

In my opinion the original tires would only matter to a very small segment of the people, and only then if it was considered a "museum piece", and what are the odds of that? You could always remove the tires ( and possibly wheels ), and replace them with a functional set of wheels and tires, and store the originals if you feel the need to keep them around. Rubber tires don't last forever and will continue to degrade even if stored in a basement. I've been through the Bicycle Museum of America that has an extensive collection of bicycles from the late 1700's to present. Many of these bicycles have parts that aren't original due to accidents or simply being used up over the years they were ridden, but that certainly doesn't detract from their historic value. Wooden wheels and solid "rubber strips" for "tires" didn't last long on the roads they had in those days. Repairs and replacement parts are a part of the history of that particular bicycle.


Buying a bike (new or 2nd hand) at start of EuroVelo 6 My wife and I will traveling from Nantes in France, to Budapest along the EuroVelo 6 Cycle Route. A distance of ~2300km

For various reasons (travel ahead of time, logistics of transporting bikes etc.) we would like to buy our bikes for the trip, at the start of the trip. Either in Nantes itself, or in Paris which is our last stop before starting the trip.

Our budget for buying bikes is around EUR700 per bike (including panniers etc.)

Our knowledge of french is v. basic.

My question:

Where is the best place to buy a touring bike for our budget, either new or second hand, in Paris or Nantes, specifically for someone with limited local language knowledge. Have had Decathalon suggested, but general experiences with big sports stores is fairly negative.

Thanks!

Richard

Decathlon and InterSport are decent enough shops, but I wouldn't want to walk in, spend €700 on a bike and kit, and ride 2300km. There's also a Giant store in Nantes. In an ideal world you'd get something second hand and have it serviced (or buy second hand from a bike shop that has already serviced it). Getting all the luggage fitted and everything set up nicely might involve you taking or buying tools, and a trip to a hardware shop

Nantes seems (according to Google maps) to have a decent selection of independent bike shops with good reviews. A chain bike shop that does servicing could also be good. These places will be able to fit racks, extra bottle cages etc. without difficulty.

Even a big shop doesn't actually hold much stock, so your chances of riding out with something suitable are low. You'll need to plan carefully. One advantage of the big retailers is that you might be able to try a bike in a branch near you, and order it in to a suitably located branch to be built up for you. I'd probably go down that route because I struggle to find bikes to fit, especially second hand, but if you're more of a normal size than me, contacting a shop that sells second hand, and explaining what you need, could be very useful. I would write in French with the aid of Google, but include the same message in English underneath.

I've ridden a fair bit (day rides) in the Loire valley, and there are plenty of little bike shops in case things go wrong in the first few days, or you find you need something extra. These aren't necessarily the places that have much stock of unusual parts.


Hitting bumps on a locked out suspension fork I just bought a mountain bike with a Suntour XCM fork with lockout.

Being a BSO rider, this is my first ever bike with a lockout on the fork. I will be riding trails, but most of my riding will be in an urban setting.

The fork bobs and steals energy while I'm riding, so I figure I'll have it locked out while I'm on pavement.

I ride aggressively, and I occasionally hit potholes.

My previous bike was a rigid steel BSO. It took some hard hits while street riding, but nothing ever happened to it.

This brings me to my question: How strong is the thingy that locks out the fork? Will it break if the front wheel takes a hard hit while the fork is locked out?

I have read about damaged lockout systems from big hits while locked, so my advise is treat a locked fork as a fragile fork unless you want an expensive repair bill. Probably the key point is what is "a hard hit" and "high load"  for a fork? That said, I have taken a couple of what I would call big hits with my fork locked with no damage, but I weigh under 70kg and what I call big is probably nothing to some people.

The manual for the Suntour forks is somewhat contradictory. In one line it says "...This system protects you when riding in demanding terrain in case you forgot to unlock the fork."

Then immediately it states
"...The fork may become damaged when it is compressed under a high load...."

The take away I get is it protects you but will possibly be damaged. In your case, I would suggest cranking up the pre-load when on the road, and only using the lockout when you know there are no potholes around.


Practical cleaning routine for a commuter bike I regularly (almost daily) ride my bike, often in bad weather. I mostly ride on roads, but sometimes through parks, forest etc. on unpaved surfaces. My bike is usually rather dirty, at least the lower parts, especially when the weather is rainy. I do have mudguards, but they can't keep off everything.

I would like to keep it reasonably clean, both because it looks nicer and to avoid unneccesary wear. On the other hand, I don't want to spend an hour every week keeping it clean.

So what would you recommend as a cleaning routine that strikes a reasonable balance? Just hose it down? Only wipe critical parts? Use some wonder cleaner?

And are there functional problems or increased wear due to dirt, or is it mostly an asthetic problem?

Related question (more about maintenance in general):

Periodic maintenance tasks for bike commuters

Overview
As needed or as inspired, rinse off bike with water, clean with soapy water and degreaser, wipe down, rinse off. In practice, I do this every month or two or... of commuting. And yes, there are advantages to cleaning your bike; a clean bike will last longer, perform better, and serve as proof of the love of a proud owner.
Materials

rags
sponges
bucket filled with warm water and soap
scrub brush with plastic bristles
simple green or citri-solve in spray bottle
lube

Methods

Rinse bike off with water
Liberally apply soapy water to entire bike with sponge
Wipe dirt off everywhere except drivetrain with sponge
Wipe dirt off drivetrain with a dedicated greasy sponge
spray drivetrain with degreaser
wipe down drivetrain with rag
rinse again
apply lube to drivetrain
remove excess lube with rag

Notes
this answer focuses on cleaning the bike, but cleaning is also a good opportunity to check the bike for mechanical issues, including worn or loose parts:

tires
brakes
bolts
all other parts, including frame


Can I use brake pads for carbon wheels with aluminum wheels? I bought a bicycle with carbon wheels, and for training I purchased an aluminum wheelset. I have SwissStop brake pads. Can I use them with aluminum wheels? I don't care much if these pads wear out quickly (I am going to buy new pads for races) but I worry more about braking performance.

In short yes you can, carbon brake pads will stop you but you shouldn't. Firstly the brake pads will not be as effective on the alu rims. Secondly the change between alu and carbon rims could be risky to your carbon wheels, a tiny fragment of alu from the training wheels could damage your carbon rims (source: Swiss stop website).

So to answer your question yes you can, but is it worth it for the 2 minutes it would take to switch between the correct brake pads when you change wheels? Personally, I think no but it is down to you.


Can metal polish damage carbon frames? I have found a PUROL metal polish lying on one of my shelves and I was wondering if you can in any way damage a carbon bicycle frame by using this polish on it. The only thing stated on the tube is that, apart from metals, it can also be used on hard plastics, but is not suitable for car polishing. The reason I ask this (despite the paste saying its clearly for metals), is because I think the polish does not even get to the carbon frame - it stops at the level of the paint job on top.
If that is so, I can simply use this to give the paint a bit of a shine and use the polish up.
Thanks for the answers!

I would image anything abrasive enough to polish metal would damage the clear coat over paint. Save it for unpainted metallic parts of the bike,things like spokes, crank arms maybe the little chrome bit on the cable housings.