Mystery grease source - Alfine 11, Gates Belt drive, Shimano bottom bracket I have a 2012 Spot Acme and it's been great, everything is still smooth and working well into its second winter. However I picked it up to bring it into the office a week ago and noticed grease all over my hands, just like a chain would do. Here's a picture.

It's like a heavy black graphite-looking grease, definitely oily and not just dirt. There are no signs of leakage from the Alfine SG-700 hub or the bottom bracket. (Hub oil is a much lighter product more like automatic transmission fluid and there is only 25cc of it.) If either the hub or the bracket had leaked all its lubricant I would expect at least some creaking or other noise but it's still all smooth and silent.

I haven't ridden in anything but normal wet weather. If I had gone through a big puddle of grease I would expect to find some on the frame, my clothes, experience disc brake issues - but everything else is clean.

Gates technical support says that the belt would not deteriorate so quickly and even if it did it would not release any residue, and that it can be removed and cleaned with no ill effects.

Any suggestions as to what I should check next? If this stuff came out of the bike then something needs some attention. If it didn't, how can it be confined to the belt and sprockets?

Update: It almost certainly is a leak from the Alfine 11 hub, Spot Bikes say it has been known to happen and there are a few search hits with people describing exactly this problem. The bike is in for service with a local shop now (under warranty), I'll update again with the outcome. Annoying to be without a bike...

Second Update: I'm picking up the bike tonight, after a cost-free fix under warranty. The hub was inspected by Shimano's representative and pronounced OK once the seal was replaced. The Gates drive components were decontaminated and everything is said to be fine now. If I experience any further leaks, shift issues or if exposure to Shimano's $$$$$ hub lubricant has had any negative effects on the drivetrain I'll continue the saga here.

Third Update: I've put a few hundred km on the bike after the fix and everything seems OK in terms of seal. I might be mistaken but it seems be slipping a bit more often when I put a lot of power on the pedals. I'm watching it and will start making some noise about a complete replacement from Shimano if it gets worse.

Fourth update (early April 2015): It's leaking again. Have asked the bike store to talk to Shimano about replacement :-( When it works it is a nice product but at this stage I would not recommend it to anyone - maybe if they give me a replacement and it works for 12 months with no leaking I might change my mind.

Fifth update (early June 2015): The hub is back from Shimano after being with them for approximately two months. The repair note, once it came back, says "replaced internals and seals". I don't know if that means my hub is now the equivalent of a current production Alfine 11 or if it has just had a new seal installed. Maybe it has just been patched up like it was the first time and it will start leaking again in 12 months of moderate use - or maybe it is now as good as current production Alfine 11 is claimed to be. In any case it has cost me a not-inexpensive wheel build + $20 more to ship it to Shimano, and I'm not that confident. Overall this has been a negative experience and I will be thinking carefully about whether I get another wheel built using this hub or just leave it on a shelf in the shed.

Sixth update (late July 2015): I built a new wheel with the hub. Left the wheel leaning against a wall for a couple of days until I had a chance to properly clean the Gates sprocket after the last leak. When I went to complete installation of the sprocket, shift lever etc. - I found it leaking again. Shimano can now replace this with a new one that doesn't leak. Or I give up, try something else, and do my best to help the rest of the world avoid the Alfine 11 hub.

Oil leaking from the hub has been an ongoing problem for me too.
When the bike was still new there was an oil leak from the gear changer side which went to Shimano (twice) before the internal seal was replaced (the external seal was replaced the first time to no effect.

Over a year later the leak started again and this time Shimano have had the wheel for almost a month and I'm starting to get frustrated. The decent thing to do would be to replace the hub and apologise for all the time wasted.

(Móż: edited in from comment because it seems useful, thanks OverTheRainbow)

On their "how we maintain your Shimano hub" page RideYourBike.com says:

  It is our experience that Alfine 11 speed hubs seep oil out of the main seal.
  we now consider this normal! simply wipe off any excess and add more oil periodically.
  Newer hubs seem to leak less than previous.
  If the seal is over-torqued it will deform and leak.


Bike computer which connects to iPhone? I got a bike a few days I go and I started to use Strava app on iPhone to track my rides, its pretty cool.
But I should go to iPhone, open Strava app and say I want to start tracking. That's too much work, let's put it this way for now.
Is there any device out there that does something similar? I'm imagining it should be tracking all the time and sync with iPhone (or Apple Watch).

There are two ways to do this, either using a device with GPS which connects to an app on your phone via bluetooth or wifi at the end of the ride. In this case you can ride for as long as the battery on the bike computer, and your phone's battery is not used during the ride. E.g. Garmin Edge series or Wahoo.
The other way is to use the GPS from your phone connected using bluetooth to a computer. This gives a lower cost device.
E.g.,
https://www.cateye.com/intl/products/computers/CC-RD500B/
A full list of supported Strava devics is here
https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/223297187-How-to-get-your-Activities-to-Strava#devices
Very old GPS computers used to require you to use a USB cable to upload manually. Now they pretty much all have apps and the process is seamless. So be careful if buying a used GPS. I don't know about iPhone but whatever you buy you'd want to check that there is an iPhone app
E.g., this page shows the Wahoo Elemnt app on Iphone which automatically connects using the Wifi chip in the Wahoo elemnt computer to upload to Strava.
https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/218366788-Wahoo-ELEMNT-and-Strava


Can I zero the gauge on my floor pump I ordered a zefal husky pump, and it just arrived today. I am pretty excited about it. (Who doesn't get excited about pumps?)

The downside is that the gauge is reading ~50psi instead of ~0psi I wouldn't mind if it was off by 5psi or so, but this is ridiculous. Is there a way to fix it, or do I have to return it?

I figured out what was wrong and managed to fix it. It was a minor enough issue that I'm not going to return the pump.

As shown in the image above, the pressure gauge is protected by a plastic cover. It's pretty easy to slide this cover up the shaft of the pump and out of the way.

Once this is out of the way, the pressure gauge can be removed by unscrewing it counter-clockwise.

The problem is that the pin indicating the current pressure can slide up its axis to a point where it is going to be turned by the axis when the pressure changes, but it won't start at 0. The way I fixed it was by jiggling the guage until the indicator fell back into place where it should be. I suspect it came loose when I biked the pump across town.

Once it has been re-zeroed, you can screw the gauge back on and slide the protective cover back. Then you're done.


SRAM Red 53/39 10spd rings and 172.5 crank work with 11 speed cassette upgrade? I want to upgrade my 10 speed to 11. Will my SRAM Red 53/39 10spd rings and 172.5 crank work with an 11 speed upgrade? Looking to upgrade to SRAM eTap with the "kit". I understand the need for a new cassette (11-28), front & rear derailleurs, shifters and 11 speed chain.  Do I need new crank and chainrings?

11-speed chain is narrower than 10-speed. You keep the crank but you must put on 11-speed rings which will most certainly fit judging by the pictures on SRAM's website. The shape of the cranks remains the same and the BCD is identical, of course.


Cheap prototypes for bicycles? Got the idea to this question from this one, guiding in framebuilding.

I cannot jump directly to welding before I have a cheap working prototype, due to tight budget. In architecture of houses, they use balsa or bass woods to build scale models. Bicycles are  in a way more complicated to houses that you have gears, cogs, anti-vibration-structure and equipment -positions to design. When you suggest prototyping, please, tell me how you use it? For example, how can you kill vibration in the very beginning?

What actual problem are you trying to solve, or what experiment are you trying to perform, what question are you trying to answer, by making a prototype? E.g. architectural models may try to solve problems like, "What will it look like?" and "Is there enough space for the plumbing?"

However models, which have a different size and are made of different materials than the finished product, don't necessarily model/simulate the physical performance/behviour of the finished product (e.g. vibrations).

  For example, how do they plan weight distribution in their models? How do they beforehand see vibrational problems?

To experiment with physical properties like vibration, I'll guess they use full-scale prototypes, made of actual metal: identical to the finished mass-manufactured article, except hand-made one-offs instead of mass-produced.

You might be able to get by with a scale model (e.g. quarter-size), so long as it's made from a sufficiently similar material (e.g. welded steel). Using anything else (e.g. LEGO blocks or balsa wood) would not, I guess, be a useful prototype, because its mechanical properties are too dissimilar.

Another possibility might be a computer model.

On the other hand (as an example of a different problem being able to use a different kind of prototype) if you were trying to model the wind resistance instead of the vibration: because a thing's interaction with the air depends on its external/superficial shape, more than on mechanical properties like stiffness, for that you could use a different material.

In his autobiography, Freeman Dyson asserted that the reason why motorcycles are reliable is because there have been so many different generations of them since they were invented, with each new one building on and correcting the problems with the previous versions (he contrasted that with nuclear power stations, saying that there haven't been 100s of generations of those).


What tube do I need to buy for a Cube SL Road Race Bike? Sorry for such a newbie question but I truly am in need of some guidance to make sure I buy the right thing.

I recently bought a Cube SL Road Race which I've been out on a few times, covering about 60 miles. When I came to use the bike today I found the front tyre had gone flat so I find myself needing to get hold of a replacement tube.

The tyre is a Schwalbe Kojak with markings which read 35-622 28 x 1.35, 700 x 350. 4.0 - 6.5 BAP, 55 - 95 PSI. The wheel is a Fulcrum Racing Seventy Seven Db

Can anyone help me to understand what replacement tube I need to buy? I'd also appreciate any guidance which might help prevent punctures in the future.

Many Thanks!

When you buy your new tube, consider also getting a puncture repair kit as well at the same time. Then you don't have to throw away the current tube ($) and you can repair punctures away from home too.

To understand the numbers, the most meaningful set is 35-622. This code is saying that the tyre is 35mm wide and has an inner diameter of 622mm.

The tube will stretch to fit a range of tyre sizes. See the image below of a bike tube packet, there is a list of numbers showing all the different  tyres it is suitable for, I've highlighted the two columns of information. Looking down the list on the left, we can see 32-622 and 37-622. We're after 35-622 which fits between these, so this tube will fit in our tyre nicely.

The other important aspect is the valve type, Presta or Schrader. We have explainers here, Presta and
Schrader and I see from your photo you have a Presta valve (also known as a Sclaverand Valve). It matters because the rim will have a hole that suits one type - road tyres are normally the narrower Presta type.

To understand the other sets of numbers:

28 x 1.35 and 700x35 C are old ways of saying the tyre size but mean just the same thing. The first is in inches and the second is in French. You can state these and be understood, they are equivalent.
4.0 - 6.5 BAP, 55-95 psi are two different ways of stating the pressure range the tyre should be inflated within, using two different sets of units.


Why no tires made of Vibram? Top-notch mountain trekking shoes are advertised as having Vibram soles. They are supposed to be durable and have superior traction on wet stones, mud etcsetra.

This is what we want from na mtb tire, right? Then why no vibram tires?

Vibram is simply a brand name for rubber soles made by Vibram S.p.A. of Italy. The actual composition of the rubber and the lug design used differs across their product line, with specialized compounds for hiking, industrial use, and for their "Five Fingers" barefoot running shoes.

They began as a manufacturer for hiking shoes and were one of the first to make them with rubber soles, which helped them become a well-known brand in that market.

The manufacturers of MTB tires are continually experimenting with new rubber compounds and balancing durability, weight, and traction. I'd expect that Vibram S.p.A. doesn't see much opportunity in becoming a bicycle tire manufacturer.


Why don't seat tube lengths on modern bikes match their assigned sizes? I was under the impression that bikes were sized according to the seat tube length; thus, a 56 cm frame would have a 56 cm seat tube length. However, on some modern bike frames (see Specialized Tarmac SL6 frame sizing below), a size 56 frame has a seat tube length of only 50.1 cm. What is the reason for this discrepancy?
I am speculating that on modern bike geometries, the traditional measurements such as seat tub length, top tube length, etc. are not enough to indicate whether the bike would be a good fit for a potential rider so the manufacturers estimate an "effective seat tube" length useful for sizing?

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/s-works-tarmac-sl6-disc-frameset/p/171355?color=271763-171355&searchText=70620-0744

ANSWER The "frame size" is no longer a physical measurement on the bike. Instead its a "virtual" distance.
Remember traditional horizontal top tube frames?  These have been "normal" for decades, and were still prevalent in the `90s
from https://fitrecovery.wordpress.com/2013/12/07/compact-sloped-or-traditional-horizontal-top-tube-its-up-to-the-rider-a-not-so-traditional-take/
A design like this measures the "frame size" from the center of the BB axle straight up the seat tube.  Some variation exists on where the measurement ends, but its either "centerline of the top tube" or "top of the seat tube" or "center of the seatpost clamp bolt"  This contributes to some slight variation between brands.
As frame designs changed from the 90s through to now, the top tube became more sloped.  Effectively there's less metal resulting in a lighter bike, and more standover clearance.  But the seat post is now longer and subject to more torque, so it bends easier.  The answer there was to make the seatpost thicker, increasing from 25.4mm steadily  toward 31.6/8mm.  A wider pipe gives more strength without a linear increase in mass.
From https://georgenaterry.com/the-effect-of-sloping-top-tubes/
As a rider, there are only the three contact points with the rider, the saddle, the pedals, and the hands.  If the bike's frame takes some torturous path, but those three points stay in the same relative position to each other and to the ground and axles, it will feel the same when standing still.  (slight handwave on forks/rake/trail here)
So the frame size measurement is based on what that frame would have measured if it was a horizontal top tube.

In your case, the red line is 50.1 cm and the hot pink line is 56 cm, but isn't to a physical feature on the frame.
This is one reason why many makers now use small/med/large nomenclature and have to produce and stock fewer total frame sizes, instead of increments of 2cm or 1inch, between 48 and 60cm.


More speed or more distance for weight loss? I have been cycling for some months. I started cycling for weight loss, now I am addicted to it.

I have an average speed of about 23 to 28 km/h. I usually ride around 3 to 4 days a week and 80 to 100 km total distance. My weight loss has plateaued which I have not been able to break for some time.

Please guide me in what sort of routine or action I need to follow to overcome this hurdle. Do I go for more average speed or increased distance?

Most important - Well done in losing weight, what you are experiencing is very normal, don't let it put you off.

A word of warning - despite the common perceptions, most people do not lose weight exercising. Their appetite increases to compensate for the the increased calorie demands, this could be what's happening to you.

Personally I think focusing on weight is at the expense of overall health and well being detracts from the progress most people make and demoralizes them needlessly. Take the weight loss as a part of the equation, but focus more on your fitness and progress.  When you started, how far and fast, how often were you riding, how does that compare to now? Are you happier now? Focus on the wins.

Exercise builds muscle, which is heavier (and healthier) than fat - if the weight loss has leveled out because you are building muscle, keep doing what your doing. It may be too late, but measurement is a better guide to progress than weight - did you measure yourself before starting? If not, are your cloths looser, are they still getting looser?  Are you feeling less flabby?

To continue to make progress you may need to mix it up a bit. Adding resistance exercises would help - I am a fan of body weight exercises - pushups, pull ups, squats, burpees etc will balance out the cycling. No need for expensive gym memberships and machines, the only thing most people are missing at home is a pullups bar.

As far as cycling, you can also mix it up - instead of training all the time at once pace, you need to have sessions of slow, long distance and sessions that are short, high effort. Also look at doing sprints after a good warmup, - 30seconds at absolute maximum effort, 30-60 seconds to recover, repeat 5 -10 times then cool down. Do these in a short session (if you do this properly, it will be short)

A good guide will be 3 - 4 sessions a week, one will be half you weekly distance at a steady, comfortable pace. One will be short and fast.

Have a look on the internet for suggest training program - they will look something like this:

Day 1 - 50% of weekly distance at slow steady pace
Day 2 - rest
Day 3 - 20%  weekly distance at max effort
Day 4 - rest
Day 5 - rest
Day 6 - 30% weekly distance at 'race' pace
Day 7 - rest

One of my favorites - "You don't get fit exercising, you get get fit recovering from exercise."

Hopefully this is enough to get you started - there is a lot of information out there, some will not agree with what I believe. We are all different, sift though it and work out what's right for you. If what you doing does not work, or stops working, no matter who says it, change something.


Mountain bike saddle rails extension Please give me the benefit of your expertise.

I'm 6'3" (190 cm) tall and, though I have the largest sized-mountain bike available I'm bent over as I cycle because I can't push back my saddle any more on its rails.

Is there any way that to remedy this situation?

Your best bet would be to get a proper fit at a bike shop, that way they can tell exactly where you are stretched that you shouldn't be. It could be a simple fix or a more complex one.

The confusing part of your question is, if you moved the seat back further wouldn't you then need to be bent over further to reach the bars? Maybe the solution is moving the seat forward on the rails if your too folded up..

Or look into a lay back or offset seat post or stem size/angle adjustments.


Great/Classic climbs near Lausanne Are there any "classic", highly regarded, or even little known gem climbs around Lausanne - within range of Lausanne, maybe maximum 60-80 km out so it could be ridden in a day with Lausanne as a base, ideally closer to Lausanne the better!

I'm not sure if this is off-topic, for me this is a cycling question and the help pages gave no guidance on this sort of question and similar questions appear to have been asked previously... List of UK hill climbs.

Since I have not ridden in Lausanne, I rely upon Stava. I don't know if you can follow the links posted below without being a member, if not then you can join up for free.

Once on Stava, going to the Activity Search page, I enter Lausanne, Switzerland and hit search.

A few interesting rides come up ... there are many others too ...

Along the lake side to Chexbres and up Mont Pèlerin 55 km, 2:45-3 hrs, 860 m climbing, 8 x cat 4 climbs, 1 cat 3.
Mt Tendre 82 km, 3:25-whatever hrs, 1527 m climbing, 5 x cat 4 climbs, 1 x cat 2, 2 x cat HC climbs.
Col de la Croix 145 km, 6 hrs - whatever, 3,283 m climbing, 10 x cat 4 climbs, 3 x cat 3 climbs, 3 x cat 2 climbs, 1 x cat 1 climb.


Can I use a SRAM PC850 chain on a 6-speed bike? I want to buy a chain for a 6-speed bike. I know SRAM chains have the special link, meaning that no tools are needed. I've seen a very good deal on the SRAM PC850 chain, but their website lists this as an 8-speed chain (rather than 6/7/8).

Does anyone know if this chain is suitable for a 6-speed bike? Would I be able to remove "spare" links with a bog-standard chain tool?

Thanks!

You may want to contact them to see if they have changed their design. I am currently using a PG 850 on a six speed. I seem to remember when I bought it, that it was labeled as a 6,7,8 speed and at the time the 9 speed was unique. Perhaps they have made changes to  make it a more popular 7,8,9.


148-to-141 conversion effect on spoke length? I'm building a set of wheels using:

WTB KOM Light i40 rims - 27.5"
Hope Pro 4 Hubs - 100mm front / 148mm rear

However, I have converted the rear hub to a 141mm using Hope's QR conversion kit.

Does this change have an effect on the spoke length calculation?

I have used the DT Swiss spoke calculator with the values from WTB and Hope for ERD, and PCD/offset. But I'm unsure if the PCD/offset values are changed by the conversion to 141.

The PCD of the hub flanges cannot be changed. but the flange offsets might be. What might happen is the hub body is shifted left or right relative to the centerline by the axle conversion.

The offsets are easy to measure, a millimeter scale ruler gives sufficient accuracy. Try this page: https://leonard.io/edd/howtomeasure. I'd personally check the published measurements anyway.


Rear Tyre torn at rim - what was the cause? I had a blowout the other day.  On investigation, it was a C-shaped cut in the tube.  It patched okay and on reinstalling I found this culprit :

The tyre is not new but its not old either - plenty of tread left.

I've seen very old / weathered tyres where the rubber has deteriorated and the bead has separated but the cords remain.   However this has torn about 20mm worth of cords.

I've wondered if it was too-high pressure, but the tyre sidewall says 40-65 PSI and I run them at 50-60.

The tyre may be too wide for the rim - but its the original tyre which came on this bike from new.

There is no noticeable roughness on the rim at any point, so abrasion seems unlikely.

The bike is a 20" folder and has done 1,300 km since I bought it used.  Previous owner did minimal riding, so its done maybe 1,500 km total (1000 miles)

Lastly, I do occasionally use this bike as a tractor to tow a trailer.  Its done 50km towing some amount of weight on a rear-axle mounted trailer, and despite moving some decent loads the nose-weight of the trailer has never been more than 10-12 kg (20-25 libs)

Question What was the cause of this tear in my tyre?

Edits

Yes this is the rear tyre.
Its a folding bike that started as 1x6 and this wheel was rebuilt onto an 8 speed cassette hub so its 3x8 gearing.
yes it has rim V brakes

You mentioned that it's your rear wheel and that you tow a heavy load. Rear wheels in these setups get a lot of lateral (sideways) loading from the trailer.

This can put stress on the bead that it's not designed for. A higher pressure would help stop the tire from rolling side to side -- but you've said you're already on the high end of its pressure range. Maybe look for a tire that is known to have stiff or reinforced sidewalls.

I'm going to call herniated sidewalls: a "criggie" from now on.


Exchange FSA K-Force Light chainset with a SRAM RED I'm the lucky owner of a  Fuji SST 1.0 from 2010 (mounted with a Shimano press-fit bottom bracket). I would like to exchange the front chainset from a FSA K-force 53/39 to a SRAM RED 50/34. Can you help me to what bottom bracket I need to purchase and get fitted?

If you have the GXP Red cranks (more normal) you want a Pressfit GXP Bottom Bracket.

If you have the BB30 Red cranks you want a Pressfit 30 BB

However not all press fit systems are created equal. I would have your LBS check compatibility, and supply and fit a suitable part.

SRAM make both of these in the whole range of series from Red down to non-series Truvativ-branded versions.


Can I put bullhorn bars on a bike with hydraulic disc brakes The most comfortable bike I've ever owned was a road bike with bullhorn (aka pursuit) bars. I actually had a pair of STI levers on it, mounted upside down (with the handles pointing forward). They looked kinda scary, but they were really good that way - I found it was much easier to use the levers that way than on normal road bars.

I've since moved on to a flat-bar road bike with hydraulic disc brakes. So my question is - is there any way of getting bullhorn bars going with the current setup - ie hydraulic levers and mountain bike style gear changers. I could conceivably turn the brake levers upside down again and then get bar end shifters for the gears. Would that work?

Or is there an off-the-shelf solution?

Your options are fairly limited, nearly all bullhorn bars are sized for 23.8mm road brake levers, while mountain levers are sized for 22.2mm handlebars.  There do appear to be some 22.2mm bullhorn bars listed on eBay currently, but your mileage may vary.

You may also have luck finding some 22.2mm "north road" style bars that you can flip over or trekking bars with close to the right shape that you can cut down. Alternatively, a set of hydraulic brakes with suitably modifiable clamps.

As far as better levers than just using your mountain levers, it's expected that drop-bar hydraulic levers are coming in the not-too-distant future due to disc brakes' recent legalization in UCI cyclocross.  In the interim there are some pretty ugly hacks, basically involving running a set of cables from a cabled brake to an interim hydraulic lever. It's not elegant, to say the least.


Help me find model of recumbent bike? I am new to the community but used to ride pretty heavily for 2-3 years back in college (2015-2018) and am hoping to get back into the hobby, and am hoping to track down my old bike make/model.

I owned a lovely recumbent, it had all the necessary items. It was SWB and USS. The front tire was 16"x 1-3/8" and the rear wheel was 700c (x 20-25c). It also had a built in fairing mount up front.

Despite the 3 years of riding, and approx 1300 miles I put on this girl, I have exactly 3 photos with her even in them.

These are trash photos, I understand. The ones I took of her when I got her, and when I was riding more actively, were all on a phone that I ended up losing to the bottom of a lake. I'm hoping that these 3 and the specs I have are helpful enough. I am approx 5'10" in the picture, if that helps any.

I have been looking all over, and unfortunately specs of bents just aren't super easy to come by.

Additional details: I did at one time track then the make/model of the bike, so I know it wasn't a home brew, although there may have been modifications to her before I got her, specifically in the seat area. It had 3 gears up front and 7-8 in the back. Shimano shifters. The seat mounted on with 4 bolts, but that might have been modded. The chain crossed over itself, and it did have an idler, that basically looked like this, although it was yellow. I believe the frame was straight from the rear gear to the front one, but at an angle (you can kind of see the angle in the picture) so the bar didn't have a bend in it, like the Vision bikes do. The front wheel was also VERY close to the seat,and the handle was actually above the frame as it was heading towards the pedals, although still under the seat, which you can see in the picture. It had a rack on the back, aluminum and thin, but that could have been modded as well. I bought it in March 2015, on craigslist, in Phoenix. I believe I remember the manufacturer was from the west side of the country, but that might be incorrect.

That's about all I can remember. If you have any specific questions, I might be able to job my memory. I don't have any specific serial numbers or anything like that unfortunately.

Thank you all, hopefully we can find it.

Those photos miss out most of the useful parts for identification.

It could be almost any USS SWB bent, but a quick scan of
 https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=USS+recumbent+SWB&oq=USS+recumbent+SWB

suggests it may be something like

Haluzak Horizon    from https://bicycleman.com/brands-we-dont-stock/haluzak-recumbents/  but I note the stem is different.
HP Velotechnic Street Machine    from https://www.hpvelotechnik.com/produkte/sm/gt/pressespiegel/recumbentcyclist_070804_e.html


Should my new 203mm adapter go over the existing one? Do they stack? This is my fork:

and this is the adapter I got (SM-MA-F203P/PM):

(click to enlarge images)

The adapter is missing screw holes on the sides to fit on the fork. The bolts it came with are long enough to fit through the brake calipers, the 203mm adapter, and the adapter currently on the bike.

Does this mean they're meant to stack? Or should I go and buy another adapter with holes on the sides so I can remove the existing adapter and only fit the new one directly to the fork?

You bought a post mount adapter but needed an IS. Stacking it should put the caliper in the right place and would likely more or less work, but it's not a good idea given the alternative of getting the right part.


Brompton Rear Brake Caliper Assembly Schematic What is the list and order of components that thread onto the Brompton's rear brake assembly from the brake caliper through to the Lower Stop Disc for an M6R?

At some point on a recent ride down through the Himalayas my Lower Stop Disc fell off, and I lost many other components that belong on the rear brake caliper bolt as well (ie: washers, nuts, concave washers fit to the frame, etc).

There’s no Brompton dealer in this country, so I need to buy the replacement parts online. But how do I know what I’m missing? There doesn’t appear to be any schematic that shows all the components that thread onto this rear brake bolt. If I had a list and image of these components, then I could figure out what I don’t have, order the parts, re-assemble the parts, and be on my way. But the only relevant schematic I could find for the LSD only shows the components of the LSD itself--not the components in context found on the brake caliper bolt on which it threads

https://trade.brompton.com/Uploads/QPart/QPart-Datasheets/ds-lsd.pdf

Can someone with an M6R please take some close-up photos of their rear brake that captures all the components that thread onto the rear brake caliper bolt that passes through the rear rack and ends with the Lower Stop Disc? Photos of it disassembled with the components lying exploded & in-order would be excellent too

Thank you

I cannot comment to the previous answer so I will write a new one. The order specified in the previous post is different compared to what the data sheet says.

The order of components for the brake caliper assembly are documented in the datasheet ds-brcal issue S1062. Unfortunately it is not seem to be publicly available on https://trade.brompton.com. However, an online search can reveal the documents on other sites [1] [2].

Rear brake caliper
M6 washer
Carrier platform bracker (rear rack)
Mudguard bracket
Concave washer
Hole in rear frame
Concave washer
M6 washer
Spring washer
Lower stop disc assembly (including nut)


Hydraulic disc brakes and road shifters I want to build a road/cyclocross bike with a Dura Ace 9000 rear derailleur and a matching shifter (Dura Ace 9000), but I really want to have disc brakes as well. My understanding is that a mechanical disc brake will work fine with any shifter, since it uses the same kind of cable as a V-brake, but I haven't been able to find any information about whether I can use whatever shifter I want with hydraulic disc brakes. Do I need a special kind of shifter or lever for a hydraulic disc brake on a road bike?

Update: as the answers pointed out, I do need special brifters (thanks for clarifying the term; it made googling easier and more accurate). The compatible brifters are indeed very rare and so far I've noticed that they only come as part of an entire groupset, i.e. I haven't been able to find standalone hydraulic brifters; I can, however, order a complete Shimano 105 or Ultegra groupset with hydraulic brakes (sans rotor) and brifters from certain online retailers. Secondly, what I suspected turned out to be true - Dura Ace 9000 isn't offered with hydraulic disc brakes out of the box.

You need a hydraulic shifter to use a normal hydraulic disc caliper as there is a piston that moves fluid which a mechanical shifter will not have.

There are mechanical to hydraulic systems where the cable from a regular shifter actuates a hydraulic system on the caliper itself. They are usually a little more bulky looking. This would probably be your best option if you can't get hydraulic brifters but must have hydraulic calipers.

You can however use your mechanical shifters with cable pull disc calipers as you noted. This works well. You don't have the hydraulic advantage of nearly zero friction in the system. You don't get that with cable to hydraulic either but you may or may not get better modulation with a cable to hydraulic.


How do I determine the "length" of this derailleur? What length is this derailleur please. Cannot determine if its a short, medium or long.

It looks a lot like the Shimano TY-300-SGS on the product page, which would be a long cage rear derailleur.
However there's no strict guarantee that the current derailleur is the best one for the job, and the definition of short, medium, long changes with time. There are other specs on the product page, like total capacity, low sprocket min/max, etc, which you can check are suitable for your gearing. Sometimes it's better to check the specs first rather than just choose medium or long.
You might find that you could select a shorter length cage for your needs, which could give better ground clearance with those small wheels, for example.


Intermittent disc brake rubbing My partner has a Kona Sutra with Avid BB-7 disc brakes. The front brake rubs intermittently on the rotor. I just went to see if I could figure out what the problem was and right now the disc runs true and quiet. The disc is a Shimano CenterLock on an Alfine dynamo hub.

Usually when we notice the rubbing it is part way through a ride. Our usual route takes us down a relatively steep hill early in the ride. I'm wondering if the rotor could be warping from the heat of braking down the hill – though I'm not sure why it would stay warped for the next 20-30 minutes (for the rest of the ride).

Any suggestions for things to check or ways to isolate the problem?

After working on this for way to long, I think the problem is a combination of oversized dropouts and not enough tension on the quick-release. I discovered that if we stopped and loosened the quick-release while making sure that both axle ends were seated in the dropout that noise would stop.

I think what was happening is that the force applied on the disc would cause the wheel to shift a bit in the dropout and start rubbing. Each time I did this I tightened the quick-release a bit and after a few tries it seems to be resolved. I'm surprised by how much I had to tighten the quick-release. It is way tighter on this bike than on my bike which has rim brakes.


Is there such thing as a freewheel that doesn't click? The clicking sound of the freewheel on my singlespeed when it's coasting is annoying for me, so I flipped over my back wheel and rode fixed for a few months in blissful silence.  But having to pedal all the time even when going downhill, over bumps and around corners, was probably even more annoying - so today I am flipping it back again to the freewheel.  Then I wondered, is there any such thing as a silent freewheel hub that I can buy?  If so, what's the search term I'm looking for?

As already said, Shimano used to manufacture Silient Clutch rear hub. But that has been stopped a few years ago, so if you manage to source one - you are lucky man.

I used to have one of them and it was truly silent. It was heavier than standard shimano LX hub, but it was silent and with instant engagement.

Also I used Chris King hubs. If you put a lot of grease in their mechanism - they also become silent.
Pretty much with most of the freewheels, if you put a lot of thick grease in them, you'll silent them for some time. Unless you ride Hope hubs -)

I've heard about Stealth hubs - they are claimed to be silent, but I never had a chance to try them out.

You might as well read this thread about silent hubs for further information.


BMX: Freestyle vs Supercross? So I understand the difference between the sports but how diifferent are the bikes? are they essentialy interchangeable or are there special racing BMXs?

BMX bikes are all very similar. Short, stout frames, tall handlebars, 20" wheels (and maybe the occasional 24" for a very tall BMX rider), and wide tires. The difference between Supercross and Freestyle BMX bikes is in the gearing. Supercross bikes will have a higher gear ratio for getting up to speed in races, while Freestyle bikes usually have a lower gear ratio to make pedaling easier at low speeds. Some freestyle bikes will come equipped with brake cable gyroscopes, to allow for barspins, but they aren't as common now as they were during the height of BMX's popularity.


Can you brake and operate gears at the same time with MTB Dual Control levers? The videos I saw so far show that with the same lever you can brake or change gears. OK.

But can you do it in the same time? For example you downshifting, lever is pressed down, can you start braking (pulling lever) without letting it go up?

Or in reverse, you are braking, you pulled lever already, can you also push it down without releasing the pull (braking)?

I have in mind MTB DC levers.

The answer is yes.  That was a complaint about the setup from many riders that often your would accidentally shift while trying to break.  The problem is worse when you are trying to brake while the front end is jumping all over the place.

I had a friend with the setup on a Kona Stinky Primo back in the day and I tried it on one shuttle run.  I decided it definitely was not for me.  I was told you can get used to it enough that the instance of accidental shifts is close to zero, but I am not sure I bought into that theory.


What is considered the maximum safe downhill speed on a road bike? I've heard between 30-40mph, but I am pretty sure I have hit 45 and felt safe and in solid control of my bike. If you look down and see you are above XXmph, you decide it is time to put on the brakes...what is that speed?

Edit: In summary, how can one determine what a safe speed is for a particular bike in a particular situation?

I think it depends both on the rider (as @moz pointed out) and on the bike. And of course, you should have a clean road also.

If you have a high end road bike in good shape, you can get to very high speeds if you've got the skills and the clear road ahead.

In Tour de France downhill sections, they can go at speeds as high as 65 mph / 110 Km/h, even losing the motorbike reporters.

As a counter-example, I had to brake at less than 30 mph / 45 Km/h on an old road bike, as the wheels were shaking due to bad balancing/tired axles/etc...

On a side note, I think going over the cars legal limit is a very bad idea on open roads (this refers to the Tour de France-class of speeds).


should i replace the tires/tubes to sell vintage bicycle? new to this site.  I have a vintage GT Pro Performer from my youth, all original and am considering selling it.  The tires are original but would fall apart if someone tried to ride it.  Is it worth replacing the tires/tubes with new ones to get more money when i go to sell it.  Trying to figure out if I should just leave it alone and let the next owner worry about it or if it would add value to the sell greater than the price of the tires?
thanks...

If it's really vintage (collectible) and has value for being vintage and the tires are original, don't change them.
When people buy vintage (collectible) thing, they want everything vintage, even if not immediately usable; if you change anything thing, it will loose value (as a collectible object)
The best thing would be for you to find good working order original tires.


How do I find a replacement Seat Post Binder screw for CAAD8 I was in my garage getting my bike ready for a ride, tightening up the seat post binder when I noticed it said 5NM on it so I decided to grab one of my cheap Harbor Freight torque wrenches from my automotive toolbox 2 feet away and I'm guessing that wasn't a great idea as the bolt wound up snapping.

Does anyone know the size of the screw? If I go to a local bike shop will they be able to sell me one? Do I need to know the exact year, size, anything about my bike other than make/model? Will I need a whole new seatbinder?

The thread is almost certainly M5x0.8, which is the most common small fastener size on bikes, and common on many other things. Any bike shop and fastener/industrial supply stores as well as any hardware store with metric bolts should have it. Seatpost clamps usually take a hex cap bolt but they different in what length they need and sometimes are particular about the fit of the shoulder. The simple thing in your position would be to use a flat screwdriver or a pick to work the snapped bolt out and just bring the rest of the clamp in when you go get a new one.

Model year type data for something like this isn't really how it's done on bikes.


Bike washed with pressure washer. How to recover? I lent my bike to a friend of mine who washed it with a pressure washer. I already replaced the bowden case, which prevented me from using the brakes due to the washed out lubrication. I lubricated the chain as well.

I haven't experienced any other problems yet, but I'm worried about damaging the bike if I ride it without further repairs.

Is it necessary to repair or lubricate something else?

You've basically got three sets of bearings on your bike: hubs, bottom bracket, and headset.  It's pretty easy to check if the grease has been blown out of any of them by listening to them spin or by checking for play in the part.  If anything sound gravelly when you spin it the bearing definitely needs some love.

The wiggle check is a little more drastic, but also worth trying.  If your dropouts are tight and you can still wiggle the wheel by grabbing the rim, you need to repack your hubs.  If you can wiggle one crank arm and the other wiggles, you need to repack your BB.

Play in the headset is probably the biggest risk, because a sloppy headset is one of the few maintenance issues that, left unchecked, can actually ruin a frame.  If there's slop in your headset and you ride the bike, the impact of the steer tube rocking back and forth can ovalize your head tube, and then you're kinda hosed.  So be really careful to check that your headset seems solid.  Turn the bars so the wheel is at 90 degrees to the frame and rock the bike forwards and backwards.  Put your fingers on the interface between the headset and the frame, headset and the fork crown, and headset and spacers, and feel for any play.  If it feels solid, you're good.


Alternating brakes on descents: is it really useful? I heard from many sources (some of them on this site, e.g. on answers to this question here) that you should be alternating the use of your front and rear brakes.
Most people give as a reason that the brakes can cool better that way.

I have been mostly doing the same, but I never really understood if it actually helps and/or if there is a good explanation for it.

The way I see it: when descending we transform all our potential energy (at some altitude) first to kinetic energy, then to heat in the brake pads/rims/disks.

Does it actually matter if we first heat up the front brake a bit more, then the rear brake, then front again etc. compared to just braking evenly with both of them?

I looked at modelling this and it's surprisingly complicated.  There are quite a lot of time constants and heat flows to consider.  If I had a bunch of logging non-contact thermometers I'd consider an experiment.

In practical terms you might want to think about the failure modes if both brakes are working equally hard: If you need to slow down more but both sets of pads/rims/discs/brake fluid are already hot you have less in reserve than if one is cooling while the other is heating -- that last bit of braking might be enough to tip you over the edge.

For a finite length of descent, getting one brake hot enough to lose significant amounts of heat early in the process can help, but heat transfer is linearly proportional to temperature difference,  which will counteract the effect of having one brake hot early. The front brake will get more airflow and so cool faster than the back brake; but if you need to stop you'll need the front brake to work well (and predictably), so running downhill with the front brake lightly on probably isn't a good plan.

For the same total heat input per brake, if the peak temperature of the braking surface is higher it will lose heat into the air faster, potentially (and this is the hard part to model) reducing the transfer to the rest of the system (tubes for rim brakes, fluid for hydraulic discs).  In addition this can only increase the heat lost to air from the working face of the pads as a hot pad touching a hot rim can't give up heat, but a hot pad close to a hot rim with air blowing though the gap can. This is more applicable to rim brakes as the airflow over the pads in a disc sysyem is tiny -- clearances are smaller and there's often a mechanism blocking the airflow. Most pads have poor thermal conductivity meaning little or no heat out the back (sintered metal disc brake pads are an exception).


Is my Tiagra rear derailleur missing a screw? Just flipped my bike over, spotted this hole in the underside of my Tiagra derailleur. Looks like a screw should be in there, but there it is not. Should there be? Should I worry? What is this screw for/called?
If no, what purpose does this bike serve?
Note these are pics of the underside of the derailleur.

I'm not sure if there are different Tiagra rear derailleurs, but if you look at the exploded view of the Tiagra RD-4700, I don't see any screws coming in from the underside (except for the bolt that clamps the cable), so I don't think you're missing anything.


What is required for a proper boost chainline on a 1x drivetrain - only a boost chainring or an entire crankset? To obtain a proper chainline for a boost rear hub (~52 mm), is it enough to fit a boost (3 mm offset) chainring to a 1x crankset which is originally non-boost, or is an entire boost crankset required (i.e. not only the chainring but also the crankarms)? Namely, I am buliding a boost bike and can get a very good deal for a SRAM groupset that has a non-boost DUB direct mount crankset. The simplest and cheapest way to go for me would be to buy the groupset and replace only the non-boost chainring (6 mm offset) with a boost variant (3 mm offset), while keeping the rest of the crankset. Would this work?

Answer: The entire boost system has to be used with all the pieces together to have a proper chainline 53 mm to my taste.

I've already had a boost hub, and a non boost entire crankset. At the end of the first month the chain touched the frame. On a race I confirmed a noisy chain, and finally had some missed shifts (twice).

Exactly what I have been searching for 3 weeks now, and found that as SRAM and one up moves the just chainring, and Shimano offer change the crankarms.


Tires for cyclocross bike I have cyclocross bike with alu frame (Focus Mares). It is currently running on Continental Cross tires which are  around 400g. I mostly ride it in city and sometimes go for weekend tours in countryside, but also on solid roads. Now I thinking on putting Schwable Marathon Plus 37-622 tires on it which are around 960g. Is it fine to do that? I get more robust tires, but at the same time solid weight increase. Will it make any bad impact on frame reducing its lifetime for ex.?

No, mounting different tyres will not affect the frame or bike lifetime.

Schwalbe Marathon Plus are very common tyres on this type of bike. Focus sells the commuter version of the Mares AX even with such tyres (Conti Touring Plus).

However you will experience a different ride. For instance grip, comfort, and rolling resistance suffer a little with tyres with such good puncture protection. The weight is only a minor factor. Reduced suppleness due to the protection layers is the main reason for this.

Still, Marathon Plus are excellent tyres and will serve you very well for the described use cases. For equal puncture protection and a faster ride you would have to pay twice as much. For good roads you might consider a good all-round road tyre in 28-622.

You may check the touring tyres section at https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com for additional info, and an article by Jan Heine for further information on the matter.


Is there any advantage to removing rust? I mean a functional, noncosmetic, advantage. If I left the rust that was already there, would it weaken the parts? If it would cause more damage to some parts, which ones?

The effects of rust are typically overstated. Where is you concern?  Remove rust (or replace the parts) on moving components such as chains and cables, they will run smoother, more efficiently and quieter.

On non-moving surfaces such as frame and handle bars etc, forget about it. Under normal use high quality steel gets nothing more than cosmetic rusting, and low quality steel bikes are so over engineered the loss of strength due rust won't make any difference to the serviceability of the bike.

If you ride the bike in winter where the salt roads, or at the beach, then you may want or need a bit of protection, however the moving parts will be rusted solid a long time before the fame fails.....

Another case you may want to consider is if the risk of rust stains on clothes and such like is a concern. In this case then treatment might be needed.


Please identify my Orbea Bicycle helps in my exercise to lower cholesterol. Like the way it coast and how light it is.

It isn’t really identifiable, it’s not the original bike that left the factory. The bike has been altered a lot from new, it looks like currently it is a singlespeed, flat bar conversion with front brake only; not legal to ride this on public roads in sensible countries.

The frame is an Orbea brand, can’t see the model name but the carbon rear stays on (I think) alu frame date it by a few years at least. You can look at old models and compare this feature to narrow it down.

It has a double chainset but no front derailleur or chainkeeper. I can’t make out any shifters in the bars. There may be a rear derailleur acting as a chain tensioner, or it is a dedicated tensioner, but there is no cable run to the rear either. So no shifting.

The wheels are Bontrager, a Trek brand. They have a low spoke count and are probably road wheels, so likely have a freehub. Hence saying it’s a singlespeed. You can check by looking at the rear wheel for a freehub.

It has a couple of Shimano parts, look for part numbers on these (like BR6600), they might help to date the bike, but they might not be original.

If it’s fun to ride, enjoy, but it’s a conversion made up from old bike parts so identifying the ‘bike’ is more of a narrative answer. You might have luck browsing through old Orbea models to identify the frame.


Calculate frame stack and reach Is is possible to calculate stack and reach for framesize 63?

Yes! Well, sorta. You can get an approximation using.... ~~trigonometry~~

In order to get an accurate reading, you'll need to divide the frame up into right triangles. We'll assume that the top tube is horizontal, parallel to the ground. This makes everything much easier because you automatically get right angles. However, many bikes will have sloping top tubes, which complicates the work. The first step therefore is to determine what slope the top tube has. For this particular example, the chart gives measurements that strongly suggest the top tube is horizontal, or even downward sloping, so this method is likely viable, but double check anyways.

But anyways, assuming a horizontal top-tube parallel to the ground, here's your frame broken up into right angles and the proof for stack height:

We want to find the stack height, which is length l.

l = p = n

top tube and ground are parallel; therefore, the line segments perpendicular to them are congruent lengths, and because everything is either parallel or perpendicular, all their vertices are right angles.

∠EHC = EGC = 90°

As per the rule above.

∠ECG = 73°

This is the seat-tube angle, given by the geometry chart.

∠HCE = 17°

90° - 73° = 17°

k = 63°
cos(17°) = p / 63cm

cos is the adjacent over hypoteneus (♪ soh-CAH-toa ♪)

p = cos(17°) × 63cm
p = 60.25cm
now, because p = l, the stack height l must be 60.25cm.
∎
Here's the diagram again with all the measurements filled out:

Now calculating the reach is easy. We know the height of the stack is 60.25cm, which is one side of a right triangle with a hypotenuse of 63cm. Knowing this you can use the Pythagorean theorem to determine the remaining side, a segment of the top tube is 18.41cm. We also know the full length of the top tube is 59cm, so the remaining segment must be 59cm - 18.41cm = 40.59cm. And that's your reach!

Hope this helps, and hope my math isn't too bad here!


32H 2x rear wheel for velodrome - is it ok? I'm building new wheelset for my track bike which I am going to use on velodrome only. I have H+SON SL42 rims and Miche Primato hubs, 32H. I've ordered some cheep spokes and suddenly realized that I calculated spoke length with 2-cross pattern.

After some investigation I've found that 32H wheels are being built with 3x pattern, 2x is used for 28H and for 32H it may be less stiff and less durable. Is it really serious problem and will I feel the difference? And is it worth ordering new spokes and making it 3 cross pattern?

For the front wheel it does not matter, it can be even radial as it does not transfer the power from chain, but the problem is about rear wheel only.

There is no hard and fast rule that matches spoke crossing to spoke count. It's more of a continuum. More spokes and more crossing = More durable wheel. Less spokes and less crossing = lighter wheel (possibly more aero as well).

So you can build up a 32h 2x wheel and get wheel that is not quite as durable as a 3x wheel. You don't see this in production, because the weight savings is minimal and people choosing 32h tend to want a durable wheel.

I've build a couple of 32h 2x wheels for myself just because the spoke length for 2x matched the supply of spokes I already had. They are on my MTB and have had no problems for several years.

Similarly, you could build 3x 28h spoke wheels which would be slightly heavier and slightly more durable, but this isn't done because people choosing 28h have already decided that lighter is better.

IMHO, the quality of the spokes and the build of the wheel is much more important than the difference between 32 3x and 28 2x.


What is the difference between Rockshox Pike RCT3 and others? I could not find any reliable source. I saw that RC version is OEM only, but we could find it on online stores. Some said that RC lock has just 2 settings (normal, locked) and RCT3 has 3 (open, trail, locked). Some others say that this is just cosmetic, the inner damper is the same, and you could place lever in mid position to get the trail.

Can anyone answer to this with sources ?

Thanks

The main difference is in the damping, both have similar other options like Dual Position and Solo Air, length etc.

With RC it's more like a 'progressive' dial. From full open indexed as you dial to locked. This affects the 'stiffness' of the fork. In other words when riding uphill, you dial to 'lock', it firms up and you have less front end bob. Whilst it helps a great deal, the fork is not completely 'locked' as you would expect and the dial is more targeted at low speed compression. It does however firm up quite a bit.

With RCT3 you have presets for the 'stiffness' and a low speed compression dial. With this setup you get more of the actual lock-out from the O/P/L(Open, Pedal,Lockout) dial and the low-speed adjustment (the dial for RC) is now a 'fine-tune' dial on top of the O/P/L dial. This system acts more like the actual meaning of the words, whereas the RC 'emulates' more.

Make no mistake, even the RC is butter smooth. As far as simplicity goes for feel, the RC Solo Air is a very good fork. Add air by rider wait, dial rebound according to terrain and just go smash it.

No offence, but if you had to ask what the difference was between RC and RCT3, I would suggest that the additional 'features' on the RCT3 wouldn't make a difference for you in regard to ride experience - they are more for advance/experienced riders really.

Whilst it is somewhat poorly done, you can have a look at the SRAM specs for detail.


Trying to figure out what brand this frame actually is Trying to figure out what the original brand of frame this is. The original owner said it was repainted and it doesnt seem to be an s-works frame

With a lot of patience (i.e., if your time has no value to you) you can try to match partial parts of the serial code (you probably find it under the bottom bracket) with serial codes on the site bike-index.org. This way you may (I stress, you may) have a clue about the original manufacture/assembler of the bicycle you are interested in.
My suggestion is to let it go, it may look like a S-Works, it may have parts that looks like a S-Works, but there is no guarantee that it is even properly assembled. In my opinion, it is likely to be a zombie-bicycle that will let you stranded in the middle of an intersection and consequently being maimed by a truck.
Good luck!


How long do helmets last? Assume there's no visible damage to a bicycle helmet and it's been under normal use (2000-4000 miles/year).

When would you replace it? After 3 years? 5? not at all assuming it seems visibly OK?

Five to eight years seems reasonable.  See here: http://www.helmets.org/replace.htm - some helmet makers recommend somewhere in this range, and longer than eight years you start to see deterioration from sun damage, occasional knocks, etc.

My last helmet lasted only four years in high-UV riding, about 15,000 km total, before the plastic strap around the back simply cracked in half.  This didn't make it 100% useless or ineffective, but it surely prompted replacement.  But this was a lot of riding, mostly in bright sun and high temperatures.


Updating equipment on old Team Raleigh frame I was given an older Team Raleigh frame, serial #WBK 601376 R. I use it as my commuter bike to school where I teach. I want to update the frame with new equipment.

My local bike shop was able to put newer Sora drivetrain, shifters, and brakes on it. Now I want to update my steering system so that I can:

use 700 wheels up front
put on wider handlebars
shorten my reach

I want to be able to do all the work myself.

Can anyone knowledgeable tell me if my list of equipment sounds right?

new fork for 700 wheel, 1" threadless.
handlebars 31.8, 420 wide
headset for 1" threadless fork
80 mm stem (or so) to shorten up my present 100 mm. stem.

Can I find these things used, do it myself and save some money?

What advice and/or cautions can you offer? Can anyone tell me anything about the frame by the serial number? Is this from the middle 90's?

MHarv

I've been doing exactly this with a Raleigh Arena 10 speed bike.

Its ridiculously expensive to buy new parts for this old bike, so I was fortunate to pick up a crash damaged road bike that had frame damage but the transmission was okay.

You need long-reach brake calipers to move from the 27" wheel to a 700c wheelsize, which is 4mm smaller.   I got some NOS Tektro R556 dual pivot calipers cheap, and while they fit the front wheel perfectly the rear still doesn't reach the rims.  More work required here.

  From https://www.bikeman.com/bicycle-product-reviews/product-testing/1028-tektro-r556-dual-pivot-long-reach-caliper-brake

The donor bike had Shimano 105 3x9 and that has transferred across okay.  I was astonished that the cartridge BB fitted right in.

The front derailleur is clamp-on and requires a shim for the smaller seat post.  I also had to be creative with the pull cable routing given its bottom pull and the original front mech was a top-normal bottom pull "Spirt"

Rear wheel spacing was also surprising in that the rear wheel fits perfectly, but in the smallest gear the chain binds on the frame.  So this needs fiddling.

Up the front end, I chose to stay with my original drop bars.  The quill stem stays for now too while I fiddle with fit,  but it will likely change to a much shorter one.

You do not need to replace the fork to change the wheels.  However aluminium rims will do a lot both for safety on braking and for overall lightness.  The old Chromed steel rims didn't brake very well, and got worse in the rain.  You can get Quill Stems down to 20mm in length, and it saves the cost of a replacement fork.  Getting a safe 1" threadded fork is going to be hard enough, plus the threadded to threadless adapters are a bit of a bodge.  I'd get a nice used quill stem off ebay,

I intend on running 35mm tyres, mostly because I have them already and they fit fine.

Not sure about the stubby mudguards.  In reality they aren't worth it, but they look so right on the bike.  But mine are completely rusted.

Why am I doing this with a bike that isn't valuable or even nice? In the late 1980s I rode a green version of this bike to high school.  Stupidly I threw the bike out when aged mid 20s, thinking "I have a car, why do I need a bike?"  (yes, really) and I utterly regret this decision now.   This blue Arena was in my neighbour's shed and he gave me a bunch of bikes, so I kept it.  When the donor bike came up, I knew it was time to progress this restoration.

Note this shows the 105 brake calipers which don't reach.  I'm also missing the top nut that your bike has around the quill stem.  Don't loose that!

Here's my home-made dropper which was finished today.  This question provided the motivation to get on with it.

More photos are found at https://criggie.org.nz/pictures/?gallery=bikes/raleigh_arena/rear-brake-mount


Is a cannondale scalpel 3 full suspension capable of trail/ downhill? (100mm Suspension) I have found myself to be more of a trail rider than an XC rider and would like to get into downhill. I have a cannondale scalpel 3 and I was wondering if I can make this bike work. Possibly buying the new 130mm lefty supermax or other mods. Or just trade in for a new bike.

A lot depends on what you mean by "trail/downhill" and by "work".

It wasn't that long ago that a full squish 100mm fork bike was a full on downhill machine. However, the big drawback to that bike as a descender is the relatively steep head angles.

Putting a bigger fork will help with that, but it won't help with the issue of how robust the parts are relative to the use. Lefty forks are meant for XC lightweight
applications, not for landing 10 ft drops. Putting a slightly longer and more robust fork on that bike will help a lot with feeling in control on descents, but it's still an XC bike and has limitations in how hard you can ride it.

It all depends how rugged your trails are and how hard you intend to ride.  If you still want a mostly XC bike that handles descents more effortlessly then a fork upgrade makes sense. However, if you're looking to go beyond that then you really should consider getting a different bike.

Having said all that, outside of a terrain park, I don't think there are many trails that couldn't be descended with that bike. It's just a question of how fast, how much fun and how much skill is required.


How do I determine my wheel size Would someone explain wheel sizes.

If I am not mistaken, the wheels on my Trek 520 touring bike are 700C. There are no markings, and of course, no documentation of any kind. I assume 700 means 700mm, so 700 / 25.4 = 27.56 inches.

If I measure the rim however, its diameter is approximately 25.1 inches.

If I buy Continental tires, the size is 28 inch, but I have to buy 27 inch Bontrager tubes.

To make matters worse, per this link, tires come in sizes of 26, 27, and 28 inch, and size 700.

http://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/road_tires/marathon_420

How can I determine my wheel size, and are these various sizes interchangable. Also, is the 'C' suffix important, and what does it mean?

Of course the tires are marked, but I am under the impression (per the dealers comments) that Continental marks their tires differently than everyone else. Also, the tire markings don't help for ordering a new wheel.

With so many tire sizes available, how can I know if I am using the correct size.

After reading the various answers here, I should explain that my confusion on this matter stemmed from the fact that I used to work as an auto mechanic. In the auto industry, car tires are based on wheel size, 13", 14", 15" etc, and there is no possible way to mount a 15" tire on a 13" rim for example.

So when I saw all these different tire sizes, I assumed they all required a different wheel size, but in fact, there is essentially just one wheel diameter for my type of bike, which they refer to as 700C, which is actually 622mm.

I also initially assumed that the C referred to the wheel's width, but that isn't true either. The C is apparently just antiquated terminology.

So at least in theory, I can mount a 26", 27" 28" or 29" tire on my 700C (622mm) rim. I just need to verify the width of the tire is suitable my wheel width, which is what Sheldon Brown's article explains.

Also, I measured my Continental tires, which are marked as 28 inch. They actually measure 27 inches (fully inflated), which must be why my dealer calls their sizing non standard.

I too own a Trek 520 and the bike does indeed come with 700C wheels and has for quite a number of years.

The labeling of a 700C tire is somewhat misleading due to historical reasons.

Originally, tires were sold in sizes based on the outer diameter of the tire. 700A, 700B, and 700C tires were all 700mm in diameter. However, the 700C tires were the thickest and the 700A tires were the thinnest. This difference was made up by using a smaller diameter rim for 700C tires and a larger diameter rim for 700A tires.

Nowadays, all tires labeled as 700C mount on a 622mm rim. Most tires will have both labels on them. 622 is the size recognized by the International Organization for Standardization, or ISO but 700C has become so common that it is the de facto industry standard label and is how most people will refer to that size.

Tire widths are (sort of) an additional complication. This page has a chart showing what widths tires are compatible with what width rims. However, I have run all sorts of widths on my 520, have never worried about rim compatibility, and have never had a problem in that respect. (I have mounted one brand of 700x35 that was big enough to rub on my frame, even though lots of others worked fine.)

All of this information and more is available on Sheldon Brown's tire sizing systems page, which is a fascinating read if you want to dork out over tire sizes for a while.

The following is in response to your edit:

It is not correct that you can mount a 26" or 27" tire on your 622mm rim. 26" and 27" tires are two different entities and each mounts on a different size rim. A 26" tire mounts on a 599mm rim and a 27" tire mounts on a 630mm rim.

Also be wary of 28" tires. While some mount on a 622mm rim, others mount on a 635mm rim.

When in doubt, trust the ISO number and stick within the widths on the chart mentioned above.


Patched up my tire and still lost air again I recently popped my tube and I took it out and put a patch on it and made sure that there were no other holes and I didn't find any so I filled it up and rode on it for about an hour, then the next day it was flat. Can you guys please help me!?

And I also patched up the hole in the tire so if anyone can help me that would great.

As well as checking for debris in the tyres, applying the patch properly etc., you need to be careful not to give yourself a "pinch flat" when you put the tyre back on the rim. This is caused when you trap the tube between the tyre and the rim, putting a fresh hole in your recently repaired tube.


Brake doesnt apply properly I have my Giant Talon 4 2016 with Tektro hydraulic brake system. For a month or two I stopped riding and today when I used it, my front brake doesn't seem to work properly. I mean, the brake applies, the pad also seems to be grabbing the disc as its supposed to, but the brake is sloppy. Am I missing something here?
Any help is appreciated. Thanks,

There are a few possibilities that come to mind, but there may be others:

If the brake pads have been contaminated by something, such as oil or a lubricant, they’ll be almost useless. The pads will move in normally and at the lever the feeling will be of the pads making good contact, but they will be pretty ineffective in slowing you down. You will need new pads.
If there is air in the hydraulic system the lever will feel spongy, so it won’t bite very well. The pads will move in and make contact, but you’ll be able to keep pulling the lever a bit more, and they won’t be as powerful as they should be. You will need to bleed the system to remove the air.
If the brake pistons have been moved outwards, away from the rotor, the lever will move further than it should before the pads make contact with the rotor. This could have happened if the pistons were pushed outwards by the rotor when installing the wheel, or just by normal flex in the frame, fork, and wheel when riding causing the rotor to push the pistons. To fix this, try removing the wheel from the bike, then giving the brake lever one gentle pull about 1/2 or 3/4 of the way through its travel. Hold it there for a few seconds and then release. Then reinstall the wheel and try again. You may have to force the pads apart a little to fit the rotor in again if the pistons have moved too far inwards. If they didn’t move far enough you may need to repeat this a couple of times, pulling the lever slightly further each time. Be careful not to overdo it. If you have had to move the pistons in a long way you may need to top up the system with some more brake fluid. Be sure to use the correct fluid for your system.


Help Identifying This Custom Sprayed Specialized...? Can anyone from the pictures identify this specilized frame? Im assuming its a Specialized FSR of some description as its been re-stickered at some point? Serial number has been sprayed over so cant really tell. Any help is appreciated.

Regards
Luke

A Specialized FSR XC between 2005 and 2008. See the Blue Book for variants on the pierced and forged seat tube style.

Note: That’s a really low end shock on the bike. Unless Specialized did a budget coil shock for really low end versions for some markets I’m guessing that’s a replacement. The original air shock on my 2006 FSR XC Comp wore through and I had find a replacement.


Mixing components: 105 and Deore XT When I bought my bike back in 1999, it was mounted on Shimano 105 except for rear derailleur and cassette which are Deore XT (all 9-speed, Hyperglide). The vendor then told me

  "..and you've got a Deore XT derailleur, more solid than the 105".

Sure Shimano won't suggest such combination however I wonder what kind of problem this can create. Shifter/derailleur compatibility? Chain/cassette compatibility? Cassette/hub fit?

NOTE: 105 was 9-speed in 1999.

The Deore XT is a mountain bike derailleur and as such has is long cage dérailleur. Long cage dérailleurs can run larger cassettes for a larger gearing range (at the cost of larger jumps between gears).  I don't know what the Shimano product selection was like in 1999, but you can now get Shimano 105 as either long or short cage depending on your set up (see images below).

As for Deore XT being more "solid" in 1999 we were running 105 short cage derailleurs on downhill bikes with a single front ring, so that we could run shorter chain lengths and have less chain slap.  The 105 derailleurs survived many crashes.  (Speculation/Humour - I personally suspect the shop was smoking some impressive substances, as was often the case with bicycle shop owners in the 90's)

Compatibility Notes

For more technical description you should see a previous bicycle.stackexchange question:
How to calculate the capacity of a rear derailleur

Short cage - Short cage dérailleur can only take up or let out so much chain slack.  Therefore your gearing setup may require more chain slack than your derailleur can give or take up.  For example on a double front ring (road bike) set up you can't have a rear cassette that has a cog larger than 27. That said, on the right setup the chain slack is tighter and shifting should be more precise.

Long-cage - Long cage dérailleurs can take up or let out much more chain slack due to the longer pulley cage.  You can run a larger array of gears as a result.  The downside is that shifting isn't quite as precise and the chain isn't under as much tension and you are more likely to get chain slap on rougher terrain.

UPDATE: Since posting I have learned that there are now short, medium and long cage derailleurs.  Same basic idea still applies.

Visual Distinction Between Short and Long Cage Derailleurs

To give you a better idea about what a short and long cate derailleur look like I dug up the following images from google.  Your Deore XT will have similar proportions as the Shimano 105 long cage derailleur displayed below.

Short Cage Shimano 105

Long Cage Shimano 105


Help identifying motobecane bike Any and all information about this motobecane would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

It looks like a 1978 ladies Mirage with a different seat.
Catalog page:

Parts list:

In 1978 Motobecane went to an SR AX crank. In 1977 and 1976 it was a Tourney crank but those bikes had drop bars.


Do riders bodies go numb after hours of riding? When talking to people who don't bicycle themselves, I've noticed that every time I mention bicycling long distances, people seem to think that your body goes numb, like it does when you run long distances. Does it? Is it in any way related to how fit the individual is?

Yes - numbness denotes a problem with bike fit or a thermal problem.  Here's my personal experience.

Fingers - riding a MTB with "ergonomic" grips, the sort with a wee wing that rests under your palm.  With these I get numb fourth and fifth fingers on both hands.  It takes a three hour ride to start, and if I go 4+ hours then the numbness can last into the evening.
Feet/toes - I have road shoes that are perhaps too small.  If I wear thick socks by mistake, I can lose feeling in toes, again after a long ride.  Answer there is better-fitting shoes, but the interim fix is thin socks.
Neck - More sore than numb, but a generic helmet often has a brim or visor.  This is fine for a MTB but makes you lift your face more on a road bike, leading to a sore neck.  Unclipping the visor is a cheap and easy alievement.
Backside - an upright posture puts more weight on your saddle, via your bum.  A good saddle holds the sit-bones, and not the softer tissues.  A poor saddle presses the wrong things and makes a ride uncomfortable, and numb.  The fix is a saddle replacement, or temporarily spend more time on your feet/pedals and be less efficient but less sore.
`nads - this one is related to repeated friction inducing chafing more than numbness.  A ride under 20 km doesn't need special clothes generally.  Longer rides you'll appreciate padded pants.  A bad fit will leave somewhere scraping back and forth every pedal revolution.

Personal Story - A flat singletrack MTB course with minor ups and downs, made my padded pants drop a little so the pad's seam was rubbing on the top of the thigh.  I wore a blister that popped.  Since it was around the corner I couldn't see how bad it was, but the hot shower made it quite obvious.  The fix?  tighter pants and pull them up.  No underwear underneath, and last resort is to apply some kind of friction-reducing cream.

Cold - if you're cold you're going to go numb.  Earlobes, nose, cheeks, fingers/toes, and limbs.  I also notice a cold stomach when I stop.  This is exacerbated by the wet.

Personal story - I once rode through a deep unexpected puddle of snow-melt and got wet up to mid-calf.  My shoes were light "hard drive bag" open-weave.  And then I had to ride ~20km home through a cold easterly wind.  When I got off the bike, I could not feel one foot at all.  The numb sensation did not go away with a hot shower - it took a full 24 hours to vanish completely.
Thermal generally - be prepared to pull up or roll down your sleeves, unzip your top while riding.  If you have an uphill ahead, drink 2 minutes before the start and open all the vents.  If you have a fast downhill coming, button things so you don't get chilled on the way down while coasting.
Rain - if its predicted to rain, consider not riding, or take the wet-weather bike with mudguards/fenders and treadded tyres instead of the slick roadbike.  Take/Wear a waterproof outer layer and put it on if it does start to drizzle.


Correct spring for 2018 RockShox XC30 I just got a new Cannondale Trail a few weeks ago (March 2018) and it came with RockShox XC30 100mm travel 29" wheel front fork.  I'm heavier than the average rider so I need the XFirm spring for it.  A quick internet search found lots of sellers selling the 11.4018.010.030 part.  I purchased this and It's too short by about 2cm making my suspension travel substantially lower.  RockShox's parts guide reveals that it is for the 2012-2015 (A1-A3) XC30 shock.  The same parts guide lists a 2016 XC30 B1 shock and a different part number for the spring that I can't find listed at any store (11.4018.010.165) (edit: online, in the US).

I don't want to make the same mistake twice so before I ask my LBS to order this part.  Am I getting it right?  Is this the right part or is there a 2018 model year XC30 shock with yet a different set of parts?

My LBS called rockshox.  It looks like I had the right part number but it's moot because they don't make the springs anymore.


Rider weight limits regarding a bicycle purchase So I’m a 5’9 little over 400lbs, and I’m changing my life style. I’m eating better and swimming for exercise. Exercise is hard so I want to start riding a bike also. I’m only going to be riding on flat land, no curbs or hills. I’m looking at a Mongoose Dolomite fat tire. It’s about 300$ which is where I’d like to be price range, but the manufacturer weight limit is 350. Will it support me? I looked into Zike and those bikes are 2500-5000$. I’m not riding for sport or doing marathons. Just looking to ride 3-4 miles every few days on flat ground. Please any info would help, even spending 300 on this mongoose will be a waste if I can’t use it the way I need to or it breaks.

I bought a Mongoose Dolomite as an experiment.
Bottom line - It's poorly made, assembled, and designed.
Here is what I learned.

Four inch tires have no benefit of any kind in normal riding. (At least the tires on this bike anyway.  I didn't try in sand or snow so maybe there is some value somewhere.).
I was hoping to find a tire pressure that would be super comfortable - roll over cracks and bumps.
I experimented with tire pressures ranging from the recommended pressure to just 5 pounds in 5 pound increments. At the recommended pressure the tires were so bouncy the ride was very rough. At 5 pounds the pressure was so low the tire wanted to crawl off the rim and steering was dangerous. There was no happy place it was always too bumpy or too soft.
The bikes parts are poor quality.
From the wet noodle cranks arms to the stove pipe steel frame there was nothing close to adequate in component quality.
Nothing was assembled correctly.
To get this bike adjusted correctly everything has to be lubricated and adjusted. Every bearing group (always too tight), every cable, every nut and bolt has to be checked and adjusted.
The gearing was wrong.
The stock chain ring was too large causing the gearing to be a higher range (too hard to pedal) than worked well on the bike. I replace the wet noodle crank arms with a slightly better crank arms that had a triple chain ring and only used the smallest chain ring. This allowed the bike to be ride-able.(Sorry, I don't remember the tooth numbers. I made a video about my experience - should I link to it?).

Note: These are issues common to department store bikes.

If you enjoy attracting a lot of attention while riding your bike this is the bike to have. The fat tires drew a lot of attention.

Finding the right bike
mikes has a good suggestion - a used older steel frame mountain bike with no suspension.

Also, visit a local bike shop, more than one of them if possible. Be in "I'm only shopping" mode. Talk with them and see if they will let you test ride some bikes. This will help you form conclusions about what works for you.
There are many good bike shops that enjoy talking about bikes and helping people find the right bike for the task. If you find a shop that is high pressure or snobby just keep looking, good shops are out there.


Problem with inside of shoe clipping crank arm Crankset Shimano FC-S125, 105 Golden Arrow and I know I'm using the right bottom bracket (119mm)

The pedals Shimano Clipless SPD M505

My shoes Broken link, please fix

I've got a problem with my shoe scuffing the crank arm when I turn.

Potential issues

I'm using mtb shoes on a road bike
Old crank (not a smooth molded
form)
Pedals
positioning of cleat?

Any ideas or advice appreciated.

The bike (excuse the weird cinelli decals, I bought it like that. I am not sure if it is a real cinelli).

The proximate answer is that your shoes at the closest point, are too close to the crank arm, but that hardly solves your problem!

This distance is affected by a large number of factors: your cleat position, pedal axel length, pedal float, bottom bracket length, and crank arm construction.

Pedal float becomes a factor if you heel-in during your pedal stroke (some peoples hips naturally make them "duck-footed."  In this case a longer pedal axel or shifting the cleats to a more inboard position can help.  However shifting the cleats too far can also cause hot spots in some situations as the pedal platform will not be supporting the shoe as evenly as a more centred position.

Too add to the confusion people may also take a duck footed position to compensate for pedal stance (often referred to as the Q Factor), the distance between the pedal attachment point and the centre of the bicycle.  Q Factor is a function of both the bottom bracket width (axle length) and the crank arms construction.  Different cranks have a different nominal Q Factor measurements.  If your bike has a wide Q Factor and your body prefers a more narrow stance, and your pedals have enough float to accommodate, you may pedal heel-in to reduce the realized stance, which can also cause the shoe/crank rubbing.

Finally, you may be pedalling in a mostly neutral heel position and simply have wide feet and short pedal axels and/or an outboard cleat position.  In this case a more neutral cleat position (inboard vs outboard) or longer pedal axel may solve the problem.

Without more information it is impossible to diagnose which factors are applicable to your situation.


Down tube and seat stay I've noticed that in a lot of bikes (though certainly not all), the seat stay and the down tube are parallel or nearly so. Is there any structural reason why a manufacturer might make that choice or is it a more or less arbitrary choice?

The two are not directly related.  On a conventional diamond frame the downtube angle is dependent on the length of the top tube and seat tube, and, of course, the seat tube angle.  The length of the seat stay is dependent on the seat tube length and angle, and the length of the chain stay.

Obviously, the two "share" the seat tube length and angle (which is related in part to the overall bike "size"), but the length of the top tube is determined by the desired "reach" of the bike, while the length of the chain stay is determined by the desired overall wheelbase (longer for road bikes, eg), and the wheel size and desired clearance (eg, for fenders) between wheel and seat tube.

If you look at Google images for bikes you will see a wide variation in relative angles.  Usually the seat stay is at a steeper angle than the downtube.


Is a bike faster than a car for the first ten metres? The city I live in has just installed cycle boxes in front of traffic at light controlled intersections. This has spark a lot of debate online.

My experience is that I will generally, through timing and being ready in the correct gear, be able to clear the intersection from a stand still before any cars will.

Is there any science to back up my observation?

It's a size versus distance thing. You are lighter and so your acceleration has a more immediate effect (and I'm sure some physicist will tell me I'm wrong on the cause...but this is how my memory stored in when I took junior high physics MANY years ago). For a short distance you should win if you can come off the line in the right gear and at the right time. You can probably beat most cars that aren't really flooring it for about 30'.

If the distance is shorter, a runner would win. Even shorter and an ant would take the checkered flag (if memory serves, the ant wins at 1cm or shorter).


Shimano SIS Rear derailleur fixing problem I have the shimano sis rear derailleur which needs fixing. I took it off the wheel while I was fixing the puncture in the rear wheel. Now I am not able to fix it. It keeps coming off when I am pedaling especially while going on the hills.

As you can see the fitting end is not a ring. So it comes off easily. Also there is small bolt, not sure what it name is, is blocking the derailiuer going fully into the axle.

I need help please. Until this is fixed, I cant use the bike.

Thanks in advance.

What you need to do is ensure that the plate which the small bolt is attached to is located in the frame dropout. You should see one side of it is curved to match up to the drop out. You'll need either a Philips screwdriver or a 9mm wrench to tighten the bolt and hold your reach mech in place. I've attached a photo from Shimano's tech doc illustrating what I mean. Once the rear mech is back in place, tighten your wheel nut up and ensure the wheel is central in the frame, this type of design allows the wheel to occasionally slip to one side when you're tightening it, causing the rim/tyre to rub on the brake or frame. If you're using a torque wrench to tighten these parts then the mech bolt is 4nm and the rear wheel is around 32nm.

Hope this helps!


Press fit bottom bracket replacement I'm looking for an upgrade to my crankset and I would also like to replace bottom bracket. My current setup is Shimano M522 (3 x 10) which I would like to replace with SLX M677 (2 x 10) and current bottom bracket is First R30. Are there any compatible bottom brackets from Shimano that can fit in my bike frame (73 mm wide) and which will be compatible with SLX M677 crankset? Shimano recommends BB-MT800-PA as compatible press fit bottom bracket but according to specifications it is available in 89.5 - 93 mm.

I'm confused about options and alternatives - please help.

Sounds like you have a BB30a bottom bracket (30mm spindle and 46x73mm shell). In order to run any Shimano Hollowtech II cranks you will need some form of adapter to reduce to a 24mm spindle. There are a few available (obviously your existing one) as well as some such as WheelsMfg.

The Shimano bb-mt800-pa is too small a diameter for your BB (41mm vs 46mm), you need an adaptor. The 89.5-93 is the full length to the outer shell. On a 68mm bb you need spacers between the bb and crank.

Both the M522 and M667 are Hollowtech II so the new cranks will work with the old BB.

Other considerations for shifting from 3x10 to 2x10 are chain line, front derailleur and shifter.


upgrading components on a Brava late 80 early 90 I want to switch to STI gear shifters for this 7 speed bianchi brava, that has sun tour components.  I know that sun tour is not compatible with Shimano.  I also would like to upgrade wheels, etc.  any suggestions for the STI and derailed?   I have end bar shifters which i feel are not safe while riding.

nancy elliott

So many changes - unless you're particularly attached to that bike, consider a new one with the components you want.

Otherwise your shopping list is new shifters, new cassette/freewheel, new chain.

You probably need to check the new chain will run on the existing front chainrings, else they need replacing.
If the new cassette/freewheel fits the existing wheel then that's good, otherwise its a new hub, possibly new spokes and a wheel rebuild, or a complete replacement wheel.

The rear deraileruerueuruer is probably OK, they are not indexed and don't really care.   However if the wire pull is different between gears, this needs changing too.

The front one is likely OK, unless you want the same type of shifter lever front and rear.

Just remember, a new bike will be lighter and have a warranty, and you could choose one with disk brakes if that appeals.


My bike got stolen a second time (in Amsterdam) - what should I do? I've moved to Amsterdam a few months ago, and have started using bicycles; I mostly cycle from home to work.

I've been using typical old(ish) used bikes, black-color omafiets of some obscure make, with a front basket mounted. It had a (simple?) ring lock and a 20-25 EUR chain lock.

My first bike was stolen from near work. Never mind the circumstances, but I bought another one and made sure to always keep it in my workplace's locked bike shed where I feel it's pretty safe.

However, just last week, my second bike was stolen from near my home. I had parked it at a main intersection - assuming the visibility numbers would make this a safer choice. Both locks were on, and the chain affixed the bike to a metal bike-stand. Still, it got stolen overnight.

I'm wondering what to do...

Should I plan for my bike occasionally getting stolen and repeatedly buy cheap ones?
Should I buy a more sturdy, more expensive lock for my new bike?
Should I spend money on customizing the bike so as to make it more theft-repellent?
Perhaps I should just change my assumptions and park my bike someplace less conspicuous to begin with? It would make the bike less visible to bike thieves, but would allow them to operate more safely, since few people would notice and if someone noticed they could just run off.

Advice would be highly appreciated.

Notes:

Amsterdam-specific (and Amsterdam-popular-bike-model specific) answers are welcome; and that fact, specifically since the city is very prone to opportunist bike theft, makes this question a non-dupe in my view.
I can't keep my bike indoors overnight - I'm living in an apartment building with a narrow staircase and not much room, this is not a relevant solution (for me at least). Obviously if I could keep indoors it would be a whole different issue since bike thieves don't break into people's houses (that makes them burglars).
I'm not going to find my bike, so I'm only asking about next time.

Buy more secure lock(s) for your bike - I have a Kryptonite New York Standard and a Kryptoflex cable that I leave in work for my commute. I also have a New York Fahgettaboudit Mini for using about town on my single speed (no quick release installed on this bike).
Utilise new/better lock from above to secure your bike in a more productive fashion. Personally I will place the u-lock through the rear wheel and seat tube like the image below

You also have to consider that thieves want a quick and easy job. If your bike is secured like the picture above with a strong lock, they'll probably just move on to an easier target unless it's a very valuable bike which you've locked in public, something I'd advise against.


Does it make sense to fine-tune saddle forward-backward position without also adjusting the height? Context
To reduce bum pain after switching from cycling shorts to winter clothing (base layer + cycling waterproof trousers, with no gel pads), from an otherwise just-about-right saddle position, I moved the saddle forward (on two occasions, by 2 mm each time). I chose forward because my sit bones were losing contact much of the time with the saddle. Now one ligament (the left) in one leg (the left) hurts after riding (pain level 2-3 out of 10). I'm trying to figure out a compromise.
Question
In the figure below, the point of contact of the dashed circle and the dashed line segment is the point where the sit bones touch the saddle.

Assume you have already figured a "just-about-right" adjustment of the saddle height and the saddle forward-backward position. Assume also you did not tilt the saddle. It remained parallel to the ground.
From that initial adjustment you can assume (?) that the distance of your pelvis from the cranks (large dashed circle) is about right.
Now, every time you decide to fine tune this (already about-right) adjustment by moving the saddle forward, you also need to adjust the height of the saddle, since otherwise you'd be changing the distance to the cranks, when you have already decided that that distance is already good.
Is this true?
Conclusion
If saddle height and fore-aft are not independent adjustments, the conclusion would be that the basic adjustment sequence (saddle height; saddle fore-aft; reach) is flawed. The sequence would be either:

Repeat until there is no pain:

Adjust height.
Adjust fore-aft.

Adjust reach.

Or, since fore-aft itself affects reach:

Repeat until there is no pain:

Adjust height.
Adjust fore-aft.
Adjust reach.

Yes, you are correct. When adjusting the fore-aft position, you do also have to adjust the height. But it is only a few mm max. Many people cannot determine their otimal saddle height with such precision.


Do I need to put some grease on free hub or keep it dry? I have a dilemma with put on some grease on the freehub body or not. Because some people recommend to keep it dry?

It never hurts to put a very light (invisible) coating of grease on exposed bare metal surfaces.  But the grease should not be put on painted metal or on plastics.


Pad spacer and mechanical disc brakes My bike, a Trek, has Tektro mechanical disc brakes. Do I need to insert a pad spacer when the wheel is removed to prevent the brake from locking if the lever is accidentally moved?

No, mechanical disc brakes do not auto-compensate for pad wear like hydraulic brakes do. They will fully retract every time, pads or no pads.