What brand is my chain? It has '3f-2' stamped on the plates but I can't tell what the brand is. Thank you.

It doesn't matter. Chains are commodity components made to standard sizes, and the chain you have doesn't seem to be a high-end chain, as it has none of the weight-saving cut-outs that a fancier chain would have.

You need to get a chain that's the same width and has the same number of links. The width is determined by the number of cogs you have on the rear axle (and chains are literally sold as, e.g., a ten-speed chain). You'll need to shorten the new chain to the same length as your current one by breaking links with a chain tool; there are plenty of videos on YouTube that will explain how to do this, or just get your local bike shop to do the work for you.


Zéfal Air Pump gauge not working The pump works, adds air to the tire but the pressure gauge does not work anymore... so I can not measure the amount of pressure for the tire... not an ideal situation.  Is anyone familiar with this pump having a valve or o-ring inside the pump that can be replaced or repaired to regain the pressure reading.  Loved the pump for 8 years or so... might be just time to replace it... Thanks

I've had something similar on my Topeak Road Morph; in fact you remind me I need to strip the gauge again.  My pump stays on the frame in all weathers.  Maybe yours does too and suffers in the same way.
What I've found is that the gauge can get muddy water in it, with enough grit to make the moving parts stick, either completely or partially (the latter cost me a tyre when I overinflated it and blew out the sidewall).  It wasn't seals that were the problem, but the spring and sliding indicator.  A good rinse and re-grease did the job for a year or so.
Even if you can't fix it and the gauge is in the head, you may be able to replace the entire head, either with an identical one (probably the best idea for portable pumps as you don't want it flapping around) or a similar one (on a track pump).  On my track pump the gauge isn't on the head but on the pump itself - it does however use a standard pressure-fitting thread so any pressure gauge of the right range would do.


Should I use gloves or track mitts? What are the differences between gloves and track mitts? (other than the obvious lack of covered fingers)

Fit: Track mitts have a very different fit around the palm because the cut does not have to take care of finger length, especially the change of finger length when bending the fingers.You will notice mitts fit snug around the circumference of the palm. This allows to use different materials, which do a better job of protecting the palm from chafing or road rash. Gloves need room at the back of the palm to accommodate the pull of material around the knuckles of bent fingers.

In my opinion, track mitts have a much better feel on the palm, even with a comparatively stiffer material.

Protection: Track mitts only offer protection from controlled crashes where you land on your palms. Mountain bike gloves are made to protect the outside of the hand, particularly the knuckles. The gain in protection is well worth the downsides in fit and chafe protection. Additionally, rides where you need protection of your knuckles are not as long usually. (Mmmhhhh 100km downhill!). Btw, historically, track mitts started as breaking gloves. 100 years ago, they used to brake with the leather palm.

I do have winter gloves that are made specifically for bicycling, and they do a good job of warming the hand. But the more elastic material on the palm shifts all over the place on long ride, despite the seemingly snug fit of the gloves.

Btw, I once had some particularly comfortable track mitts that completely failed in the protection department, on a crash the palm material just peeled away from the palm. Go leather, I say.


Specialized Phenom seat for TT So I have raced TT's locally for a couple of years and have decided to (finally) get aerobars and am tuning the bike to fit, however, my seat at it's max tilt downwards is probably 1 degree up (see photo for how seat rises at tip.) this isn't an issue for normal road riding, but for tt and tri position it is uncomfortable and unsustainable for 30 mins.

here is a similar seat image (not my actual seat). I was wondering if I should add some padding over the tip (i normally shuffle forwards on the seat even though its as far forward on the rails as possible) or if i should get a new TT specific saddle (will this be ok for road riding?). Any ideas?

p.s. im a newbie to bike stack exchange, so critique me if you want to :), cheers

here is a similar seat post to my actual one

Aside from getting a TT specific bike,

1) Get a new seatpost which allows for more saddle adjustment

2) Get a new saddle

are probably your options best options. I don't think the padding will help. When you added aero bars, you changed the riding geometry, and pretty much aside from swapping out stems/bars and tweaking heights there, your only other option is a new saddle and/or seatpost.

I don't think the padding is a good idea, given that you shouldn't be sitting on that part of the saddle anyway.


Use of winter (studded) tires on only one wheel? Does anyone have any thoughts on use of winter (studded) tires, such as the Schwalbe Marathon Winter tires, on only the front or rear wheel (and with a standard tire on the other wheel)?

One winter tire is better than none if you're going to be riding in snowy conditions, so go ahead and throw it on. If you do end up running only one tire, you'll probably want it on the front wheel so you don't lose traction while cornering and so that you can maximize braking performance.


Does brake modulation matter, for efficiency, beyond having enough to avoid locking the wheels? Edit: To Clarify this is regarding going as fast as possible, i.e. racing, off-road.

I can't see why "modulation" matters so long as you have enough to apply near maximum braking force without locking the wheel.

Surely the brakes should always be used to near maximum stopping power, while using the duration of application to give the desired deceleration in as little time as possible (as late as possible)?

Wouldn't any other approach be inefficient and result in riding slower?

I have held this (logically derived) belief for a while and been around similarly minded people, but recently I have come across a surprising amount of  people who always go on about modulation when brakes are being discussed and how they need great modulation to get "just the braking power they want".

Is their preference a matter of what they want trumping what they actually need for maximum efficiency?

I was always led to believe (with sensible reasoning) that dabbing or feathering brakes or in any way applying them, to anything other than near maximum capacity, is simply incorrect brake use (when efficiency is at stake.)

Am I missing something?

You say "Surely the brakes should always be used to near maximum stopping power". This is where the first need for modulation comes from. Stopping power has at least as much to do with grip between the wheel and the road than the torque your brakes can except on the wheel. Maximum stopping power comes from the front wheel (plenty of discussion about that here) and you really want that to not skid. Thus you need to modulate the front brake if you're riding on varying surfaces. Similarly if for some reason you need to brake on a bend, you'd better make it gentle. In both these cases pulsing the brakes at a humanly-feasible frequency won't help - the initial loss of traction when you jam them on its what will start the skid. I don't think you can assume perfect or even constant grip anywhere let alone on a trail. Think of leaves on a packed surface - the grip can deteriorate with little to no visible change.  A bike set up for one set of conditions will be used in a variety. By using your brakes only at max strength (which would have to be quite high) you're removing a useful degree of freedom.

Riding in traffic - as you may do on any bike, even if just to get to a trail. you may want to go slowly to catch a gap or just because you're stuck in a queue. Your pulsing technique would work better here, however it makes for a very jerky ride - not what you want if one hand is off the bars to signal, especially if it's the hand that works your front brake. It wouldn't really be a good idea to set up a MTB that couldn't brake gently. In design you also have to assume a rider who is inexperienced of unfamiliar with the conditions; the latter especially may want to brake progressively which requires modulation.


How do I make Shimano SPD cleat lock into pedal more securely? I bought Shimano SPD pedals and shoes for MTB. They’re great for uphill and straight gnarly sections.
There is one problem - when I’m clipped in I have a ton of movement.  I have tightened the spring but there is lots of movement so how do I get a tighter feel?

You're probably talking about "float", the way your foot rotates over the pedal. This is considered a feature, not a bug. There are different cleats you can get with different amounts of float; looking around, I do see there are "zero float" cleats that you can get for SPDs, and others with only 4° of float. The spring adjusts your release tension, not your float (I think).

After having ridden zero-float pedals for a long time, I'll take all the float I can get.


Ball size to ball bearing lookup possible Just found a tiny metal ball in my bike fiddling corner. I haven't worked on any ball bearing since the last cleaning, so I'm a bit confused where it might have dropped out of. It's pretty exactly 3mm in diameter. Is there any chance to infer which ball bearing it may have dropped out of at some point?

Pedals usually have 1/8". Depending on how you measured the diameter, maybe that's what you found. I think you'd notice fairly significant play in the pedal for a ball to have fallen out though.


With a cartridge BB if the shell threads are aligned on the same axis can the cartridge be unthreaded drive side with NDS cup in place? If the BB shell's drive-side and NDS threads are aligned on the same axis, can the cartridge be backed out of the drive side while the NDS cup is still in place in the shell?
Edit: When I tried to do this as an experiment the cartridge got pulled away from the NDS bearing, so that the drive-side spindle got shorter:

Most cartridge BBs have a shoulder on the drive side, which is also the side that's integral to the bearings and spindle, plus a non-shouldered left cup. Some are the opposite, and some have no shoulders. Some have two similar cups, one of which may or may not be shouldered, and then the bearing and spindle unit is a third piece.
Drive vs non-drive side is unimportant to the question you're asking. Shouldered vs non-shouldered is though. What's important is that when you're done, it's all properly torqued against each other. If there's a shouldered side, that needs to be torqued against the frame, and the non-shouldered side needs to be torqued against the main BB unit.
If what you're asking is if on a common BB with a shoulder on the drive side and the bearings and spindle integral to that piece, and an unshouldered left cup, whether you can leave the left cup untouched when you take the the main unit out, no, that's not really ideal. Unscrewing the drive side in that situation can easily rotate the NDS side out a little, such that when you reinstall the DS, proper contact with the NDS cup isn't made. Or, if it doesn't move at all, the ways things settle could cause you to be torqueing the BB against the left cup and not the shoulder against the shell. The better practice would be take out the DS, unscrew the NDS a turn, torque the DS back into the frame, then torque the NDS down properly against the DS.


Rain Booties that go over Cleats I use clipless pedals for bike commuting, and I'm looking for suggestions on waterproof "booties" that can go over a pair of cycling cleats.

I can find some products on-line, but can't ever see the bottom of the "bootie" whether it covers up the cleat or not! What's the name of the thing I'm looking for, so I can search for them?

Shoe covers/booties will help keep your feet dry, but there's really no such thing as "waterproof" shoe covers/booties.  The best of them merely delay your shoes filling with water for maybe 20 or 30 minutes in any decently heavy rain.

Even if the material itself is waterproof, there are too many ways for water to get in.  First, water is going to run down your legs into your shoes. Shoe covers won't help that much if at all. You can help keep water out of the tops of your shoes by wearing tights or some other clothing that fits over your shoe tops and directs water outside the shoes.  But even that won't keep all the water out. ("Hey, I'll just wear waterproof pants!"  isn't an answer - after a few minutes that can be like cycling in a sauna because waterproof works both ways...)

Water is also going to get in through the soles via the cleat holes, unless you have specially-designed shoes such as "winter cycling boots" that are designed not to have this problem.  Or don't have cleats at all...

And even then, if you don't have fenders with a good mud/spray flap on the front, the spray from the front wheel will rapidly soak your lower extremities anyway.  Spray enough water onto your shins and your shoes will be filled no matter what they're made of and no matter what you do to keep water out of the shoe tops.

So, if you want to keep your feet truly dry, you need to start with fenders with a good mud/spray flap to keep most of the water off your feet and legs in the first place, and leg coverings/tights/pants that direct most of what does get on you away from getting inside your shoe tops.  Then, you need to prevent water from coming up through the sole - and that requires special shoes, or not riding with cleats at all.

Shoe covers/booties are in the "keep your feet from getting totally soaked for just a few more minutes" category.  If that's all you need, that's fine.  But they won't keep your feet dry.  To do that, you need a lot more help.


Will I be able to change my fork? I currently have a 26" enduro bike. It already has some years but it works perfectly. Good front 160-180mm forks for 26" wheels are becoming more and more rare. The front 26" fork will eventually die at some point. Is there any way to put a 27" fork with a 26" or 27.5" wheel? Will this destroy the geometry?.

I am just curious if I will be able to keep my bike for more years without the need to hunt for second-hand 26" forks?

Best to stick to 26" specific forks. 27.5 forks will alter your ride handling due to the increased fork offset/rake and increased axle to crown length.

Increased fork offset/rank will reduce the fork's stability (ex. self-centering effect). The fork offset issue is a major issue, especially for higher speed gravity-assisted riding. The steering twitchiness increases, which can lead to micro-corrections when cornering (rather than a calm smooth arc) and the wheel is more liable to deflect left/right when hitting bumps head on.

Increased axle to crown length will rotate your bike's geo back, notably increasing BB height (compromised cornering and stability), slackening the seat angle (compromised seated pedaling position). Also, the reach is shortened, stack is raised, and rear center length (horizontally chainstay measurement) is increased.

You can mitigate the axle to crown length issue by running less travel up front, but then you compromise on your travel and dynamic geometry, which includes your ride height at sag and such, which would require further fine tuning.

Note that you can still get upgrade kits and custom tuning for 26" fork chassis, if you feel that it's becoming out of date. For example, RS offers a Charger damper for 26.

The industry has abandoned 26" for 27.5 for modern high end performance MTB designs. You will see fewer options down the line for forks, tires, and wheels. Expect production to be further discontinued, due to lack of demand; note that manufacturers of complete bikes are undoubtedly the biggest customers, not retailers and individuals in aftermarket.

I personally have a Stumpjumper FSR EVO with a 26" BOS Deville fork, and it has less significantly less breakaway resistance than a new Pike and 36. The damping is different, but I can't subjectively say if it's something I prefer or not; I just know that it hasn't let me down nor is repulsive in any way. Versus the prior CTD fork, I've been crashing far less (from often to almost never), but a bit of the bike's playful and thrilling character has been lost in the process (feels more behaved and mature).


Cycling gloves sizes I am willing to buy some cycling gloves from an online store, but can't seem to find any details about the sizes. They range from S to XXL, but how do I know which best fits my hands? If it helps, I am willing to buy the Cube Teamline gloves.

Try some other gloves in a store, to see what size fits you on average.

E.g. in a shirt I'm a medium or a large.

However I bought my gloves in a store, after looking at the whole range on display, and trying on a few of them for feel.

They 'fit me like a glove'.

When I was looking for winter gloves (with full-length fingers and an inner lining, which are more difficult to fit that finger-less gloves are), in an outdoor sports store with a cycling-clothing department, I found a great variation in the quality of the design, and in the quality of the manufacturing (i.e. the stitching).

Most I tried were not comfortable. I chose the best for me.


Loose axis of Shimano Deore FC-M591-S Hollowtech II I noticed that the right arm (drive side) of the Shimano Deore FC-M591-S Hollowtech II is getting loose. The right side has the axis attached to it as shown in the image.

When I take off the left arm (non-drive side) I can see the axis moving up and down within the frame. I tried tightening the connection with the crank lid tool which helps somewhat. The set is from April 2011.

Two things, if you take off the drive-side (R) of the crank and the 'axis' moves while you hold onto the chainrings, then the crankset needs replacing (or at the very least, this drive-side part).

Secondly, if there is too much play in the 'axis' while it is still in the bottom bracket, then the bottom bracket cups are probably worn out and will need replacing. I've heard it is possible so service these cups by taking off the plastic rings, but never tried it myself. The cups are usually inexpensive.

Square taper bottom brackets usually last longer but are heavier.

I'm assuming these are already attached to your frame, so you'll need a tool like this too:


Can I switch through all rear gears with a two chainring crankset? I'm very new with bikes, I just got my new bike since I was a kid like 25 years ago, I bought a Trek Marlin 7 2020 which comes with a 2 chainring crankset and 9 rear gears. I've been hearing that is not good to use the small chainring with the smaller rear sprockets and neither the opposite the biggest chainring with the biggest sprockets but some people says that with a 2 crankset it's safe to use all gears with any of the sprockets, so I'm very confused... In your experience what would be your advice? Thanks a lot!

This is "older" advise that used to be gospel but these days has been engineered to be less of an issue.

The chainrings and cassettes are constructed in opposite directions.  That is the big chainring is on the outside, and the big cog in the rear cassette is on the inside nearest the midline of the bike.

Upshot, when your chain is on "big-big" meaning the biggest chainring and the biggest cog, your chain will be doing a zig-zag, with bends where it leaves the cog and where it arrives at the chainring.  Same goes for the "small-small" combo.

Realistically, this is far less of an issue than it used to be with better engineering.  Your chain may wear if you crosschain occasionally, slightly faster, but not measurably so.

Given that your bike is new, its engineering will be of modern standards and not that of 80s bike transmissions.

If you're grinding up a hill, you should be in the smaller chainring.  If you're on the flat you should be in the bigger chainring.  But a few seconds in big-big when pulling away from a red light won't upset anything.


How to keep my testicles from freezing on a recumbent I wonder how to keep my testicles (plus part of the perineum) from freezing. I ride a recumbent, which is making it worse because it exposes those parts to the wind much more and I use unpadded tights (i.e. no isolation from the padding). I have seen the question about pants in general but the problem is that those are overkill: expensive, hard to find, too warm (watertight but not breathable is not acceptable), not tight/aerodynamic or a combination thereof.

What I'm searching for is an additional layer to combine with my usual tights. I'm searching for solutions which are good in the -15°C to +10°C range where at the low end my legs would be comfortable in long tights and a long warm base layer and at the warm end short tights only.

This is my bike, if it's relevant:

Flevobike Greenmachine with under seat steering. I lowered the seat angle a fair bit.

Clutter removed from central question text: I was cycling at ~+5°C in light rain wearing warm woolen socks, short tights, standard shirt, vest and summer gloves when this problem occurred to me. My testicles were uncomfortable during the ride, then briefly hurt a lot when warming up again back inside. I should have worn something to cover my ears, but apart from that and my testicles I was perfectly comfy - I'm an extreme cold weather person.

First: merino wool boxers. EDIT: Also windproof boxers, see other answer below

Second: Vest and short tights are very little for ~5°C, raining. You are losing a huge amount of body heat through your arms and legs, and this leaves little for body parts without active muscles. Wear more, and your balls will be warmer too.


Difference between Shimano HG51 8-Speed Cassette and Shimano HG50 8-Speed Cassette Can anyone tell me the difference between Shimano HG51 and HG50 8-Speed Cassettes?

I can't find any information online about this so was hoping someone might be able to help me.

I am looking to replace the HG50 8-Speed Cassettes on my mountain bike but searching online there don't seem to be many about and they are more expensive than the HG51 which seem to be in higher supply as well. So I'm thinking of buying the HG51 to make some savings but not sure if its compatible, I'm thinking it might need a different chain to the HG50 or something?

The only difference is the model number, and the year of the design. They are fully compatible, assuming the number of gears is the same, and that you buy the appropriate match to your bike. The road version is Tiagra 8 speed. The mountain/hybrid version is Alivio 8 speed.


9sp/10sp compatibility in Shimano SLX drivetrains This is related to my previous question about SLX chainrings.
I'm half way through upgrading my drivetrain from 2x9 to 2x10.  I currently have:

Shifters: SL-M670-I (10sp),
Chainset: FC-M665 (9sp double with bashguard),
Rear mech: RD-M675-GS (10sp),
Front mech: an old Deore 3x9 that doesn't play well with the other parts and needs replacing.

I'm trying to make this drivetrain work at as little cost as possible, and I have two concerns:

I understand that, officially, the M665 chainset isn't 10sp-compatible, but people have reported (in this thread and on Bikeradar) that it works fine.  Are there any complications in this?

I shouldn't use the newer FD-M675 front mech because the chainline doesn't match that of the chainset I have (48.8mm and 46.8mm respectively).  That leaves me with the FD-M665 front mech, but will this be compatible with my shifters?

Edit: This thread suggests that the 9sp front mech will work with the newer 10sp shifters.  Can anyone confirm or provide more information?

In response to PeteH's comment: In short, what I don't understand is:

Why exactly should the M665 chainset not be 10sp-compatible, while the M660 is?  Are the chainrings too wide, and if so, why do people report that it works anyway?

Do the 665 and 675 front shifters have different cable pulls?  If not, is there any other reason I've missed why the front mech from one groupset might not be compatible with the shifter from the other?
Unfortunately, the cable pull ratios are elusive and seem to be unpublished.

The difference in chain width between 9s and 10s is less than 1mm so it won't make much of a difference once the mech is adjusted correctly. I have M660 on my bike and M665 on brother's bike and they aren't so much different, so if 10s is proven to work on one, it should work on the other.
Front shifters have the same cable pull, but front derailleurs have different travel rate between 9s and 10s. Therefore if you want to use a 10s shifter with a 9s crank it's actually better to use a 9s derailleur. Although both would work, a 9s would be more accurate in this case.


I am willing to switch from 700x23c to 700x28c (front) and 700x25c (rear) I've just bought Orbea Onix TDI Road Bike that has 700x23c tires. They are very tough on the roads that I have around - I go to mountain highways and there's a lot of pavement cracks that feel too bad for me with the tires that I currently have. Plus, my bike is 8yrs old (in perfect condition though, barely used) and the tires are 7-8 years old, too.
I'm looking to put:
- for rear tire, Vittoria Randonneur II City Tire - BLACK, 700 x 25
- for the front tire, Continental Ride Tour City/Trekking Bicycle Tire, 700x28
The reason I have to go with smaller on a rear is because 28mm won't fit there. I'd love to go 28mm on both.
My question, is this configuration will be ok for my road conditions.
P.S. I've been cycling for about 2 years and had a hybrid Trek bike, that I use now only for flat roads along the beach

I used a 28mm front and 25mm rear for years on a road bike where the seat stays were too tight for a 28mm on the rear.  I felt that it was the wrong way around (the "fat" tyre should be at the back) but it worked fine.  I never had any issues with control or skidding or the bike feeling unstable.

In my case I used Continental GP4000s in summer and Continental Gatorskin in (Australian) winter, but I used the same model tyre on the front and back - just different sizes.

You'll be fine.


Advice on buying a new bike I am looking to buy a new brand new bike but I'm not experienced at all with bike specs and quality and things to look out for etc. I have previously only had second hand really basic bicycles in my life that have done the job but I've always gone from issue to issue with then and I decided to stop putting money into a bad bike and spend a little extra on a brand new bike. My needs are not that extensive. I need a bike to go about 15km a day, 6 days a week to and from college. I'll be travelling on road surface but I don't really want a racing bike per say. My budget is 300€ but I have no problem (and I kinda wanna) spend right up the budget to get a bike that I know will last. What I really don't want to is to have problems of any kind (with the exception of flat tyres obviously because this is not the manufacturers fault) really in the first year or 2 of buying the bike.

What I have been looking at so far: http://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/mountain-bikes/carrera-vengeance-mountain-bike-2011-2012-large-20#tab4

This bike seems to fit my needs but is it good? the reviews would lead me to believe that its no professional show stopper but its not gonna break in the next 2 years or so. It is also being sold from a respectable company (Halfords, not Carrera).

Bottom line question: should I buy this? Is it good?

Mountain bikes are fine for road commuting too.  The advantages are fatter tires which make the bike more stable and the upright riding posture, which many find to be more comfortable compared to road bikes.  This disadvantage is mountain bikes aren't as efficient.  You'll need to expend more energy to get to the destination compared to a road bike, due to wind resistance (from the upright riding posture) and tire friction (from the wider tires).  You may get there on a slightly slower ride too, so it will take a tad longer.  Still, I think a mountain bike is a good choice based on what you say.

What I'd look for is a good quality aluminum (or cro-moly steel if they still make them) fully rigid frame, and , most important, Shimano's economy components all around.  Skip everything that is unnecessary, like disc brakes, hydraulic brakes, 10 and 11 speed cassettes, etc.  Stay with traditional cantilever or V-brakes (really just another type of cantilever).  The more basic, the better.  You could easily get by with 10 total speeds, in a 2 x 5 configuration, though I doubt you'll find that available, but the few speeds, the more robust the drivetrain will be.  For the frame, the more standard, the better.  Avoid unusual drop out dimensions, etc.   And, most important of all,  the more the component set is one that sells in large volumes, the better.  It will be much easier to obtain parts in the future.

After that the most important thing to look for is fit.  Take a test ride on at least 3 or four bikes of various sizes before deciding.  If you think you might want to use the bike for actual mountain biking -- like riding on steep dirt trails -- error on the "too small" side rather than the "too big".  Otherwise, just choose the size that seems to fit best from the test rides.


Why are hand-built wheels considered to be better than machine-built wheels? Why are hand-built wheels considered to be better than machine-built wheels? I would think that a machine-built wheel would be better and cheaper, since machines generally do a more precise job than humans.

I think a machine-built wheel can be just as good as a hand-built one, and vice-versa. This is probably an algorithmically solvable problem, so given fair conditions, whether human or machine - following the same rules for truing a wheel and tensioning the spokes - should achieve indistinguishable results.

There are three factors, though, that enter in the game:

There are some "tricks" to improve wheel quality that involve more than just turning the nipples. The most critical one, in my experience, is to properly bend the spokes around the point where they interlace one another, as recommended by Sheldon Brown here (look at the picture with the hammer, and the one where he uses a crankarm to bend the spokes).
Humans are better than machines to cope with the unexpected. In case of a malformed nipple or spoke, or any other surprise, a human can identify and correct a fault that a machine could let pass undetected.
The very REASON why a factory would choose to use a machine instead of a hand-building scheme has to do with cost-benefit of mass-production. It is not infrequent for this to go hand-in-hand with lower quality. So, a hand-built label would work as a "no-compromise" label for some products.

Hope this helps!


How to pump this bicycle tire with this pump? How to pump this bicycle tire with this pump?

In general, what are some good material to read to become well knowledgable about bicycle pumps?

Do it like this:

Remove (unscrew) the plastic (?) cap over the Presta valve - if it is there (sometimes it may have already been removed).
Unscrew the small knurled knob at the end of the Presta valve (the bit sticking out of the tire) as far as it will go.
Press down on the end of the knob a couple of times (momentarily - for less than a second), to loosen the valve in its stem - you should hear air escaping.
Screw on the adapter (as you have done in your third photo).
Push the lever on the pump head flush with the body of the pump head (as in your first photo).
Push the hole in the pump head firmly down over the adapter and flick the lever out 90 degrees (as shown in your second photo).
Pump.......
Flick lever in, remove pump-head, unscrew adaptor, screw in knurled knob.
Ride.......


How can I fit a bigger rear tyre when limited by the front derailleur? I've recently bought a hardtail, just an entry-level bike, but I've only got entry-level skills.  The tyres it came with are WTB Nano 2.1". They aren't exactly ideal for the sort of conditions we have in the UK in winter (lots of deep mud, wet tree roots, muddy rocks etc.) and I'd like to fit something (i) knobblier and (ii) a little wider.

At the front this is easy, something like a Maxxis Shorty 2.3" or Magic Mary  would easily fit.  At the back, there's also plenty of room except behind the front derailleur

where there's about 3 mm (and that filled up with mud today)

There are 2" tyres for mud, but they're reputed to have a harsh ride on anything else, and not grip well on wet rock/tree roots -- something I need at my skill level as my lines aren't up to much and I don't always carry enough speed.

This is the only bike I've owned with a top-pull FD.  And I can see why they've used one rather than have cables under the BB getting coated in mud and even bashed.  But it takes up much more room than any of the bottom-pull FD's I've got.  Is it because it's a cheap FD? Because it's a triple? It's an Altus 3×9 drivetrain.

Is there an upgrade that would gain me a few mm?

As an aside: I picked it up in a hurry, lightly used/ex-rental and without a test ride, for around half the shop price. I'm happy with it apart from this, and assumed that I might upgrade consumables (perhaps as they wear out). I looked at the specs in detail to be sure the fundamentals were there, but is there any way I could have spotted this?

Put a larger tire on the front and don't worry about running a larger tire on the rear.

Back when North Shore BC riding was just starting to take off (i.e., 1990s) we often did this setup as we were equipment limited. At the time the "thinking" was that it was bizarre ride a tire bigger than a 2.0 anything but a dedicated race downhill bike. So we would often swap a fork and run bigger rubber up front as there was clearance issues in the rear. Now  25 years later and anything less than 2.3 is pretty much considered anemic for most riding.

Anyway, the mismatch tire size works fine. The front is where you are often traction limited as you brake and steer with this tire.  A small rear tire may mean a bit harsher ride (i.e., higher pressure with all other things equal) and a tad less traction, but you can afford this compromise on the rear.

Plus, one tire is cheaper than two, and if any one asks just tell them the setup is more aero (#AeroIsEverything - /sarcasm).


Should I eat breakfast before or after morning ride? I am planning to do some (1-2 hours) base training rides in the morning before work. Should I eat something before the ride?

From my knowledge, there should be enough glycogen in muscles to power me. Are there any other considerations? What if I increased load to strength and interval training?

I think that is question can at least be partially answered by whether or not you can tolerate food in your stomach.  While having a big heavy meal would probably be bad, having something in there, plus doing some refueling along the ride will help you keep from bonking and also make sure you are not running on a deficit for the rest of your day.

I find that if I have a light breakfast and then add to that energy gels about every 45 minutes I am pretty good.  My riding buddy, on the other hand, eats a McDonalds McMuffin and hash browns which would make an explosive exit if they were in my stomach.


Ultegra CS 6800 Cassette I have Dura Ace set up with an Ultegra CS6800 12-28 cassette. I want to alter to 12-32 but the CS6800 isn't available anymore.

Is the R8000 a suitable replacement and what else would I need to complete the upgrade?

Googling 'Shimano CS-6800 cassette' should convince you that Ultegra 6800 cassette are still available, even though that groupset has been superseded by R8000.

Any suitably high-end and light 11 speed Shimano compatible (i.e. Shimano and SRAM) cassette that you can find in you desired spread of sprockets will work.

You will need to check that your rear derailleur has the required total capacity (difference in teeth in the cassette + difference in teeth between chainrings), and can handle a 32 tooth large sprocket. If not you will need to swap the derailleur for a compatible one with a longer cage.


how to translate MTB wheel specifications? I am looking for a pair of wheels for a MTB build project, but I am lost when I read the specifications for wheel sets.

What I am looking for is a pair of wheels with a 9mm rear axle diameter and a 15mm front axle diameter.

But how do I know if a pair with quick releases will fit when it says nothing about the axle diameter?

Example "Available with 9mm or 15mm front axle" so? What is the rear axle diameter?

I am not asking what kind of wheelsmyou like or which you think I should and shouldn't buy. I need help understanding the specifications from the manufacures.

Rear wheels have never had 9mm axles, they have always been 10mm. For all but "downhill" MTB[2] and fatbikes[3], they are  either 135mm 10mm or the new 12mm 142mm maxle standard.

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/12x142-explained.html

Unless it specifically states otherwise I would assume that the rear wheel of an MTB wheelset is a 135mm 10mm axle. Anything that "looks" like a standard QR should be 135mm 10mm. But the vendor should make that pretty obvious, and if they don't it should be easy to ask. Wheelsets are expensive, it should be simple to get the answer to what dimensions are used in the rear hub.

[2]- Downhill MTB has a 150mm thru-axle standard.

[3]- Fatbikes use asymmetric 135mm axles (hub shifted to the driveside, relative to the rim) 170mm symmetric axles and 190mm/197mm thru-axles


Tubeless tire became leaky I've been riding my MTB tubeless for the past year without any issue, but for the past couple of days I've noticed that the tire deflates heavily once on a ride. I can't give you exact measurements, but I ride with 2 bars when I leave home and when I'm back home it's probably around 1 bar. It's so bad that I feel the tire 'swimming' when I corner/jump.
I've readded tubeless fluid and tightened the valve nut (I noticed some fluid leaking there), to no avail. I didn't notice any damage on the wheel or the outside of the tire.
What could be the reason that a tire becomes leaky over time? The tire is quite old (~2 years) and also not tubeless-ready (it's a Nobby Nic), but I never had issues with it for the many months I ran it tubeless. Could it be that the tire is just 'too old'?

It could be anything. Submerging the wheel in water will be useful. You might need a new valve, new rim tape or a new tyre. The air may be leaking around the spokes, around the valve, through a hole that is not properly sealed or just through the tyre material (least likely).
Be aware that a hole that is not properly sealed might be leaking air only during the ride when the tyre material is being deformed.
I do not thing you can get a definite answer without testing the real physical wheel.


What kind of road bike wheels do I need to replace my stolen ones? I am looking to buy a pair of second-hand wheels, to replace a pair that was stolen off my 2012 road bike, but I'm nervous about compatibility.  I'd like to ask how exact I need to be in the following areas:

I believe (but am not 100% sure) that the old wheels were marked "622-14", which I guess means the rim width is 14 mm.  Do I need exactly this rim width?  I have Shimano BR-R560 rim brakes, but the manual for these does not specify what range of rim widths they will accommodate.
The cassette was a Shimano 105 10-speed, 11-28T.  Do I need this exact make, brand, number of speeds, and range of cogs?  I'd guess I should stick with Shimano and 10-speed, but there's no need to stick with the 105 brand or 11-28T?  However, that is a guess.

Is there anything else I am forgetting?

I'm aware of hub widths front and rear, but I've read that these have been standard on road bikes at 100 and 130 mm respectively for a long time - please do correct me if wrong!

Your hub widths are correct for non-disc wheels (disc rear wheels are 135 mm).

You need a non-disc road wheelset with a 10-speed hub which is Shimano/SRAM compatible. Your cogs need to be a 10 speed set from Shimano or SRAM, and you want to have similar gear sizes. The particular set of replacements will depend on what rear derailleur you're running (which will set limits on the max cog size and a few other things).

The rim width doesn't have to match exactly, but should be matched (roughly) to what size tire you want to run. See Sheldon Brown (or any of a variety of other sources, e.g. the Schwalbe website) for a table of what rim widths are good with what sized tires. These aren't hard and fast rules, but if you exceed them grossly, you may have issues.


How do I stop my rim brakes making a squeaking/squealing sound? I bought a Schwinn Frontier Sport few months ago and started riding happily. After a few weeks my front rim brakes started creaking. It's so annoying in public places. My rear brake doesn't produce any sound but isn't as powerful as the front brake.

The retailer says cleaning would solve the front brake's issues and I got it cleaned, but nothing changed. Is there something I can do something myself to fix this?

V-brakes can be hateful and make a lot of sound if they're improperly adjusted- sometimes they're noisy even when they're properly adjusted, especially on braking surfaces that are not machined. You can usually alleviate this with one or more of the following methods.

First and foremost, make sure your pads are properly adjusted. This is better demonstrated than described, so check out this youtube video to save yourself a lot of reading. If the link goes down, just google v-brake adjustment.
Make sure the braking surface of the rim is clean. Use rubbing alcohol and a green scrub pad to scrub off any crud, and then wipe the braking surface off with a clean towel with a dab of alcohol on it. Using anything besides rubbing alcohol may leave a residue and make the problem worse.
Toe in the brakes. I found this image which not only illustrates what "toeing in" your brakes is, but shows a nifty little trick to set the gap appropriately:

You may need to toe them in more that what this picture is showing if they continue to squeal on you.


Rec for bike backpack with side zipper into main compartment I got a used SAG Life Air Force 1 backpack from a friend, after deciding that a messenger bag was just too heavy when it was full for my one shoulder to bear. I primarily use the bag for urban commuting, hauling everything from my work stuff and u-lock to groceries.

After using the SAG backpack for a year, I'm again on the search for a new bag. This one is good overall, and the capacity when it's extended and full is insane (this picture does it justice), but generally it doesn't fit me well. It's way too long in the torso, even when it isn't full, which I can tell by where the hip belt hits my hips-- more around my bum than waist. I suspect its too-big fit is because the bag is primarily designed for dudes, and I am a lady with a smaller frame.

However, the SAG bag does have another, crucial, game-changing feature: a side zipper that allows me to get into the main compartment of the bag. This way, I can just slide it one-shouldered around to my front and get into the bag from the side, messenger-bag style,  without taking it off and unrolling the top. (This photo sort of shows what I mean with a laptop, but I can get into the whole main compartment of the bag this way.)

Are there other brands of stock (i.e. non-custom-made) bike bags that have this feature that make expandable backpacks? Is it something that anyone has seen on a bag that isn't a SAG Life bag? The other problem is that because this brand is Japanese, it's kind of hard to find in the U.S., so even another SAG bag with smaller dimensions might be hard to find so I can try it on before purchasing.

I've looked at Timbuk2, and as far as I can tell from the photos and product descriptions, the bags that they say have a "swing-around" feature, there's only access to the laptop sleeve, except with the Phoenix, which seems to have the same dimensions as the Airforce 1 bag and it doesn't come in other sizes.

I've also looked at Chrome and Mission Workshop and neither company seems to have a bag with this feature.

Am I going to have to go custom to get this feature on a bag that will fit me?

Most of the nicer courier bag/backpack companies don't do a zipper down the length of the bag because that creates a weak point for not only loss of contents, but water entry. Some will do laptop pouches, but if you're looking for a heavy duty courier bag it's slim pickings for external zippers into main compartments.

The closest I came to finding something like what you're after is from either Crumpler that have some laptop sleeves and/or zippers to main compartments or Freight Baggage that have a smaller secondary compartment that is easily accessible. I looked at RELoad, Freight, Seagull, Bailey Works, Trash Bags, Banjo Brothers and some other smaller companies.


New D-lock failed locked up This doesn't appear to be a dupe of any of the stuck lock issues -- I've only been using the lock for 3 days and the key turns fine.  It's an Abus Ultra 410 which locks at both ends and only one end unlocks.  I suspect there's a spring or something failing to return the bolt to the unlocked position at the other end.  Unfortunately this is the bottom end of a D-lock that's locked round both chainstays and a rather solid post, so gravity is against me.

The shop where I bought it are trying to help, but I'm looking for ideas as well.  There's no room for a bottle jack (deliberately, and not that I have one), and I don't have a cordless angle grinder available. I do have the key (both of them in fact).

It turns out that one of the bolts doesn't retract with the locking mechanism (the lock is bolted at each end rather than a hooked end and a single bolt).  Here's a full writeup in case it helps anyone with similar difficulties (I couldn't find much online).
With gravity to help, the lock works OK,* but with the dodgy end at the bottom it doesn't unlock.  This probably explains why I had no trouble before, but this time the bad end was lower than the good end (though almost horizontal). I couldn't lift the tail of the bike on the rack because there was too much (including another bike) in the way.
In the following pictures the red tape marks the bad end.  Locked then unlocked with the bad end at the top -- all OK:

Locked then unlocked with the bad end at the bottom -- bolt still visible:

According to the manufacturer tapping the end nearest the faulty bolt should free it up. Actually it's not enough just to tap the end (I used a large adjustable spanner), you have to jiggle the key (in and out of the unlocked position) while tapping away at it.  That was less tricky on the bike than testing for this post (but scuffing the paintwork isn't a worry on this bike).  Pressing the bolt with a finger and no shackle makes this obvious -- you can't push the pin in with the key fully in the unlocked position, only in a position where it doesn't stay by itself (almost fully unlocked).
I also managed (off the bike, and only the first time) the get a shim into the relevant hole with the lock unlocked and jiggle everything to free it up.  There's not much clearance to do this, the drinks can shim had to be bent just right.
*It got worse while I tested it to write this post.


cable housing with braided metal hard to cut? Jagwire makes some cable housings that look like braided metal (called "sterling silver", "titanium", "carbon silver", and "gold"). I have a vague recollection of a review that said these metallic housings are more difficult to cut than the solid colored ones. Can anyone confirm or deny this?

(I have a decent bicycle cable/housing cutter that worked fine on the solid colored Jagwire housings.)

I can't confirm, but it's worth noting that if the reviewer was a do-it-yourselfer, then they might've been trying to cut it with a pair of regular wire cutters instead of a bicycle-appropriate pair of cable cutters. As long as your cable cutters are sharp, you should be able to snip it without excessive trouble.


Are there rules for how many riders can be in a World Tour team? Pro teams take nine riders to a grand tour, and fewer riders to other races. Of course, not every rider will ride every race.

Is there an upper limit to the total number of riders a team can have at any given time?

Alternatively, is there another mechanism to keep the relative strength between the teams in check?

The UCI does have rules for the maximum number of riders. The base max is 28, but you can get extra spots for having new pros on your roster, up to 2 extra spots. The rule comes from section "2.15.110 Riders" of the UCI regulations. This cycling blog has a good explanation of it written up: http://inrng.com/2011/08/max-team-size-uci-rules/


Did I pay too much for repairs? So I left my road-bike (Specialized S-works) into a local bike shop (that deals in Specialized) to have its service, the only problem it was giving me was a little chain rub because of the front derailleur not being adjusted.
Well, I thought it a good idea just to leave it in for a complete service anyway just to be safe. A week later I get a call to tell me that the bike needed some new cabling, the chain needed to be cut (apparently it was too long - though it was brand new), brakes adjusted and a new tyre ... ok so during the phone call the mechanic quoted me £100 ($127) which was fair enough, but while we were on the phone I asked could he take a look at the cassette because I thought there was a little lateral play on it so he said he would, great! Later on that day I receive a call to say the bike was ready and that he had taken the cassette off and found that it was just a little wear and tear and that there was nothing much they could do except clean and tighten it but that ultimately it would still have a little play in it but according to him that was fine, in addition to this he said he had cleaned the one of the hubs and replaced the bearings in the other (on the wheels) - and just to add they were very friendly when I left the bike in, mentioning that they would have to take the bar tape off which was fine by me because I had new tape in the house lined up and ready when they heard me say this they said "sure man throw it over and we'll pop it on for you np..." - said in such a way that made me think they were going to do it for free, like a favour or freebie.
Anyway, when I actually arrived at the shop to collect the bike they hand me the bill and it came to £368 ($469). I was completely shocked and when I asked the guy (not the mechanic he was on lunch) to break down the costs (like how did we go from £100 at lunchtime with everything nearly done to £370 just for looking at the cassette?!?!??!) he was a little woolly but went over all the costs anyway, and they are as follows:
Replace bar tape = £15
Cycle safety check = £40
Replace Rear gear cable = £15
Stainless gear cable = £8
Labour = £40
Tyre = £25
Replace rear tyre = £10
Adjust front break = £10
Gear out = £4
Replace chain = £20 (why? Can't you 'cut' a new chain without needing to replace it?)
Replace rear bearings = £40
Bearing = £15
Freehub body kit = £40
Adjust rear brake = £10
Replace front gear cable = £15
Total: £307 + VAT (£61) = £368
Does this sound right to you? I'm not a bike expert and I do like to do as much of my own repairs as possible but some of this stuff seems really overcharged/priced for what it is so I would love to get some external opinions on it because I'm thinking of ringing them to discuss it.

I think one thing is for sure, they did not communicate to you effectively. Regardless of whether the bike really needed all that stuff or not, they failed in this regard. At my shop, if a repair exceeded the estimated cost by even twenty or thirty dollars we would contact the customer and wait to do it, unless we happened to have a particularly close relationship with them. Our customers were mostly students and postdocs on fixed incomes, so it was imperative that we be sensitive to their budgets.
As for the line items, it seems strange that they charged you for a freehub body kit, but did not replace the freehub? At least, from your description you say they couldn't fix the lateral play in the cassette and told you it didn't matter (which is true). So did they replace the body or not?
Bearings: it's always nice to have fresh bearings, but they are not like brake pads that should be replaced at the first sign of being worn out. A cartridge bearing will develop play that will get worse over time – it takes time for it to become catastrophic. I would occasionally open up loose ball bearings and squirt some grease in, but I wouldn't ever press in new cartridge bearings without warning the customer. If nothing else, that conversation would be a chance to up-sell them on nicer bearings.
As for the chain, it actually is essentially the same amount of work to replace it as to shorten it, so it's not all that unusual to me to just charge the same price for either.
Not sure what "gear out" means, nor a "cycle safety check." We would check every bike first for safety, for free – that's the only way that we could assess what repairs, if any, were needed. The only thing we charged for was actually fixing problems.
There's a lot of typical bike shop invoice bloat there that doesn't look too wrong. But the point is that the bill was almost three times as much as the estimate and that's no good. There should have been one, if not multiple phone calls made. This is exactly why my policy was to never do a repair that was more than $100 without printing out a detailed itemized estimate for the customer and explaining where things could go wrong that would affect the final bill. It's always in the mechanic's best interest to be forthcoming about the bill.
If you want to have a conversation with them, I'd suggest not mentioning that you came to the internet for advice. I also wouldn't necessarily question the repairs that were or weren't done. Mechanics always get defensive – ego is our weakest trait. Rather, just be explicit that you are disappointed – not mad – that they didn't give you the opportunity to sign off on the repairs, and that you happily would have agreed to the charges anyways, if they'd just let you know ahead of time (even if this is a lie, it'll make the conversation easier). Obviously, this is if you're still interested in using their services in the future.
edit: why are there so many different labor charges? My instinct is to defend bike shops but I don't feel great about this shop.


Unbranded cranks vs FSA Vero cranks? What is the difference between the unbranded-cranks found on the Motobecane- USA- Mirage Sport vs the FSA Vero cranks(sometimes LSC) on the Motobecane-Record or Grand Record? Are they basiclly the same thing quality wise?

In general, there are several factors that go into a crankset:

Mounting: What kind of bottom bracket do they go on? Square Taper, Octalink, etc. Are they cottered? cotter-less? one piece?
Single/Double/Triple: How many chainrings do they have?
Chainring Shape: Some chainrings like the Biopace are somewhere between a rounded rectangle and a circle rather than circular. Biopace is supposed to be more comfortable than the usual circular rings, for example. You can also design different tooth shapes to improve shifting performance. Other chainrings seem to have slightly different vertical profiles (SRAM X-glide for example).
Chainring Type: How are the chainrings mounted? Are they fixed into the crankset? Are they 110 BCD and replacable?
Chainring Material: Usually Aluminum for the outer two, Steel for the inner for a MTB triple, but other options are possible. This affects durability and weight- just because you're using the same materials doesn't mean the quality is the same.
Crank length: 170 mm is probably most common.
Chainring size: A compact road double is usually 50t/34t, for example - different chainring sizes give you different gearings.
Q-factor/Tread: Width of the crankset. This will affect comfort and is usually narrow to match how we walk.
Crank Profile: The angle of the crank arms leaving the bottom bracket. If you ride with your toes outward, this prevents interference and affects Q-factor.
Crank arm material: Affects durability, strength, weight.
Power Meter: Some high end cranksets have a power meter built into them for measuring riding power which can be sent to your cycling computer.
"Speeds": Often these days, cranksets are marketed with a different number of speeds in the back in mind. Mostly marketing.
Pedal type: Pedals come in 1/2" or 9/16". You need to have the right sized holes for the pedals to screw into, for a given set of pedals.

Between manufacturers of compatible cranksets (i.e. they can be mounted to the same bike and have essentially the same geometry (Q-factor, crank length, number of chainrings and chainring sizes), there are likely to be different durabilities of chainrings, weights of the crankset assembly and aesthetics.

In your particular case, I'd guess the non-name brand one is probably a bit heavier and has softer material for the chainrings so they don't necessarily last as long. The geometry may also be slightly different. Its hard to tell with Motobecane when the parts aren't exactly specified since something just shows up on the bike depending on whats in the factory that day which meets the specs stated online.


Picking a bike for a cyclist new to riding on the road? I've gone a few years without riding at all, and I'm getting back into cycling to improve my fitness. I've typically ridden light mountain bike trails in the past. I want buy a new/second-hand road bike for commuting but I don't want to spend a huge amount of money. I'm still new to riding on the road, and don't know if it's something I'll be able to keep up.

Recently I was told by someone I know to be a proficient rider not to spend any less than £500(GBP) on a road bike if I wanted anything worthwhile. However, I don't want to become a typical "all the gear, no idea" by blowing all my money on a bike that is way beyond my needs or ability. My problem is picking a bike that matches my needs and ability with limited knowledge of commuting by bike.

I guess you could translate my question to "What should a new road cyclist look for in a bike?"

For example: With a little shopping around I've seen this bike which is appealing to me: Woodworm White Lightning Road Racing Bike  Would that be suitable?

My usual answer to the question of "What sort of new bike should a (relatively speaking) novice cyclist get" is "used".  Better to ride a year or two on a moderately priced used bike than to drop a bundle on the WRONG new bike.

(Nothing wrong with your "light mountain bike", BTW, other than you'd want smoother tires, the suspension may be too soft, and maybe your bike can't mount a rack very well.)

Eventually you need to decide:

Straight bars or drops?
How many gears?
Rack?
Fenders?

The answers to these questions can only come after you find out how often/far you're going to commute.  You may start out loafing along and discover that you like to sprint all the way (meaning drop bars would be a good idea).  You may start out a fair-weather cyclist and get so into it that you're riding in the rain (where you'll really appreciate a bike with sufficient wheel clearance for fenders) or in the snow (where your current mountain bike, with studded tires, might be just the ticket).  You may start out cycling just a half-mile each way to work, then discover that you like to take "shortcuts" of a few miles.  (I ride 10 miles to work, but commonly take a "shortcut" in the morning that adds another 25.)  You may discover that you bike to the grocer and to the theatre on weekends.  You may carry a change of clothes in a small fanny pack, or you may need panniers to carry clothes and laptop/papers for work.

Or you may discover that you don't really like cycling that much and just do that occasional half-mile jaunt.

And it's also important to get a bike that FITS well, especially if you'll be riding any distance.  This means the right height for your leg length, the right top bar length for your torso length, an overall geometry that suits the flexibility of your body (understanding, BTW, that excess avoirdupois significantly limits ones ability to lean forward and low on the drops).  Some of this a good bike shop person can help you with, but to a large degree you must learn "fit" from trial and error.


Spindle diameter on the FSA Gossamer TT MegaExo crankset What is the spindle diameter on the FSA Gossamer TT MegaExo crankset? 24 mm or 30 mm? I can't find a direct answer anywhere. I have seen MegaExo described as 19 or 24 mm, but "Gossamer" as 30. I'm looking at the aforementioned crankset for my Giant Trinity BB90 bottom bracket shell, but I don't want to go 30 mm.

I believe Gossamer is more of a ‘level’ of FSA products rather than a particular crank model.

MegaExo is an FSS external bearing bottom bracket type for BSA threaded shells. It uses a 24mm spindle diameter.

According to this article  24mm spindle external bearing road cranks are compatible with BB90.


Rear hub-adjuster thing - What does it do? I bought a basic wheel set for a hack bike project.  The rear wheel has a single speed cog, and a dangly adjuster thingy - maybe 2 inches long.  What is that for?

The dangly adjuster thing is most likely the toggle chain for an internally geared hub!

The tension on that chain shifts the hub internally (rather than through a derailleur and cogset). Bike hacks with three-speed hubs are quite common, but get very complicated. Here is some information on Sturmey Archer hubs courtesy of Sheldon Brown.

Below is a picture of the toggle chain and rod which is attached to the inside of the hub. Good luck!


Usefulness of high-pressure/high-volume switch on a track pump Among the track pumps (floor pumps) on the market, I see one advertised with the following feature:

  foot-activated high-pressure/high-volume switch

I'm interpreting this to mean that the pump has two modes:

High pressure and low volume, suitable for pressures between 80psi and 160psi.
High volume and low pressure, suitable for pressures between atmospheric and 80psi.

Is this interpretation about right, and does this feature make it more attractive than other models for someone who'll use it mainly for road bike tires, but also occasionally for mountain bike tires?

I'm intrigued by how they achieve this, since a first guess of how to build it would involve changing the diameter of the tubular air compartment, not exactly something that can be obtained by a switch. But that's for another question (perhaps on some mechanical site).

Are you riding on Tubeless tyres?  If so, the high-volume pump can help to "seat" a tyre to the rim.

Some tubeless-focused track pumps have a reservoir which can be charged with air, and then released in one fast PHSSSSST to "pop" the bead out to the rim and establish a seal.

Note they should not be stored charged, so its not like a portable air tank or a CO2 cannister.

I've never personally seen a track pump with a switch like you describe, but guessing its trying to be more things for more people.   A conventional floor pump will probably work fine for your bike maintenance needs.   Get an entry-level track/floor pump and go from there.


On frame geometry: does it matter so much? I bought my MTB without much thought, really. I wanted a hard tail but thats about it. Now I'm researching on whether my bike is appropriate for xyz application. I've been looking at frame geometries.

Since I don't jump off cliffs or race (even for PR), other than changing the tires and maybe getting a more expensive fork for modest drops, I don't understand the significance of differentiating between cyclocross to endurance road to performance road to touring and all that.

My bike is for general commutes but also for daytrips and future whatever. Definitely 3-4 days touring. Maybe some offroad but nothing crazy. Am I missing out?

Yes, geometry matters. If you're happy with your bike, then you don't need to worry about it.

There are a lot of different cycling disciplines and sub-disciplines: for example, within mountain biking, there's cross-country and downhill and others. Within road racing, there's criterium, point-to-point, time trial, and so on. And there are bikes with geometries, material selections, wheels, tires, and other components that are optimized for each of these disciplines. Sometimes the differences are tiny, and the sort of thing that very few need concern themselves with.

Consider, for example, that a bike with very sharp handling will be beneficial in some situations (like criteriums), but if you don't need that, you're just going to expend more energy keeping your bike going in a straight line, which at the end of a long ride would leave you more fatigued. Or that some touring bikes are designed so that they handle better when panniers are mounted on the forks. Or that using a racing bike for touring may leave you with your heels hitting your rear panniers because the chainstays aren't long enough.

Bike fit and geometry are intertwined, and different sizes of the same model bike can have different geometry to produce similar "feel" for the intended rider. If you were on a mis-sized bike, in addition to having poor fit, you'd also be getting geometry designed for a person of a different size.

If you were buying a new bike, I'd suggest that a mountain bike probably isn't the best bike for you, since you don't sound like you'll spend much time riding in the dirt, but like I said, if you're happy, don't sweat it.


How to mount TT shifters and TT brake levers together? I am starting a new project to build a custom bike with bullhorn handlebar. It'd most likely be made either with road or hybrid type of frame. I am planning on having both front and real derailleurs, and brakes (writing all this because, you know, fixies :) There are many unknowns/choices (obviously!), but I am really struggling with one detail in particular: shifters and brake lever mount to the bullhorn handlebar. I was searching a lot and came across this bike:

This is way aero for my taste, but check out that brake lever/shifter combo on the right side of the handlebar. Does anyone know what these components are? I searched Vision's site, but couldn't find TT brake level with opened top to which TT shifter could be mounted. And the lever doesn't look to be crosstop one; so I am really confused.

Does anyone know how can this be done? Thanks!

I can't tell for sure what's going on in that picture, but I think it's a modified older Vision lever that clamps on the OD rather than inside the bars, and then the shifter is just stuck out the end. Ways of doing it with off the shelf parts that I know of are the Jtek Aerobrake, Ultegra ST-6871 and DA ST-9071, the Record and Athena tri/tt EPS levers, and SRAM eTap blips (their equivalent, kind of).


2 speed (double) shimano road shifter on triple chainring crankset? I would like to put a 2-speed Shimano road shifter on my bike.
The bike is 3-speed front crankset.  Could I put these two together?

Yes, but....

If your shifter is a 2 position brifter (ie an STI lever) then it will only be in the right place on one chainring.   The second position may be acceptable, or it may be off enough to create clatter.   The third chainring will be unavailable to you completely.

If your shifter is a friction shifter, then the entire set of chainrings will be reachable and tuneable assuming you have sufficient range in the front derailleur.

I successfully shifted on a quad chainring using a thumb friction shifter on a custom bike.   You could also look at using a bar-end shifter in friction mode.

Since you mention road bike, its going on drop bars, and STI / brifters is where its at for roadies.  You'd be best off getting a triple-position left brifter (used shouldn't be too expensive)

The other option is to look into a compact double crankset, which will let you use a smaller inner chainring, paired with a wider range cassette at the back could approach or even equal a 1:1 ratio with an 11-32 cassette and a 32+48 chainring setup.

Depending on the age of your shifter, it may have a pseudo third position which is the trim setting.  This lets you do a sub-shift on the front mech so to avoid the chain clattering away on the cage as you ride in a sub-optimal gearing like big-big, or less often in small-small.   This Trim position should not be confused with a triple shifter.... when in doubt check the web for the part number.

Generally speaking a triple anything ends in a 3 in the Shimano world.


answers for why the bike wobbles back and forth when standing on the pedals and working it So I read all these answers about the bike moving underneath the rider back and forth when standing on the pedals.  So how much is actually effective and how much is for "show" (looks cool)  I have a friend that ocassionally uses my bike and throws it violently back and forth when getting on the pedals.  I don't think he is strong enough to really radically make the bike do this but after the rides the back wheel becomes untrue and the brakes rub because the wheel is that much out of line.   I have to take it for the wheel to be trued.  What advice should I give him about properly riding on the pedals so that I don't have to have the wheel trued everytime?
I am fairly powerful on the pedals but I don't have that much movement.

The way he's riding is bad because it damages your bike. That in itself ought to be enough reason to stop. You could point out that all the effort spent pushing the bike from side to side is wasted; he could use he energy more effectively to push the bike forwards using the pedals.

I suspect that if your friend was riding his own bike, he'd be less cavalier about his treatment of it.

I'd be inclined to say one of the following things to him:

"Please return my bike in the condition it was in when I lent it to you; either don't damage it, or get it properly repaired before you give it back", or
"You're not borrowing my bike any more"

Note that different types of bike are designed for different purposes. You've tagged this as "road"; we generally want road bikes to move forward efficiently, but BMX riding (for example) is very different. It sounds a bit like your friend isn't used to this kind of distinction.


The sprocket wheel on my Shimano Nexus 7(SG-R46) no longer rotates freely when free-wheeling my bike The hub has just been serviced at a bike shop. With the bike on a work-stand, the rear wheel rotates when I turn the pedals backwards. There is a lot of resistance if I hold the wheel and turn the pedals backwards. If I turn the pedals forwards and stop suddenly, the wheel will stop turning within 3 - 4 rotations instead of free-wheeling for 30 seconds or so. With the chain removed, the wheel rotates completely freely. I had earlier complained to the shop about loose wheel bearings after the service and they 'fixed' this problem. It was then I discovered the stiff rotational resistance on the sprocket. Regards.

OK. I love the nexus series. They are great pieces of kit with a lot of utility in crappy environments. Low maintenance, ease of use and nearly bullet proof.

Except when it comes to water. Your model uses grease to lubricate the internals, not oil. Water intrusion, even in small amounts, will cause the symptoms you describe. The hub most likely needs to be taken apart, cleaned and repacked with the super special shimano grease (I wouldn't play with that one here as the wrong grease might cause damage.) It's pretty straightforward if you take your time.  For more information, including diagrams, instructions and shimano factory manuals go to Sheldon Brown's (RIP) at Nexus Internal Gear


How to loosen cable tension in disc brakes I have a Victory VEGASJACKPOT bike with cable disk brakes, and I need to loosen my cable tension. How do you do this? I've already done it all the way on the screw/knob by the brake lever.
Thanks!

I got the following from this website, and if you go to the website there are pictures as well.

  On the actual brake, loosen the caliper fixing bolts with an allen
  key, both top and bottom. Once you do that feed the cable through the
  brake caliper from the barrel adjuster at the top of the caliper
  through the fixing bolt at the bottom, and once you have achieved the
  correct tension then fix it down by tightening the bolt with an allen
  key. The next step is to squeeze the relevant lever whilst jiggling
  the caliper sideways in order to help it find its best seated
  position. Once you have done this, and keeping the relevant lever
  squeezed, you can now tighten the top and bottom caliper fixing bolts.
  After this, you will need to back up the inner dial (fixed pad) a
  couple of clicks before ending up with the brake pad in the middle of
  the caliper.


Is having your hands "on the hoods" of drop handlebars safe for braking? I've never had a bike with drop handlebars, but may get one for commuting in busy London (likely a single-speed with mechanical disc brakes).
This would mean riding with my hands mostly on the hoods, but it seems like a slightly awkward position to use the brakes from:

Riding on the drops seems to offer better access to the brakes, but is apparently "less stable due to narrower hand position" anyway — so when talking about cycling with cars, vans and busses around, doesn't seem like the best choice either (for a non-professional).

Overall, is that just all in my head, or is there some cause for concern?

Also, is there any reaction speed data compared with flat handlebars, or other such studies, for this?

Personally, I'd be most worried about situations where I need to react quickly, as well as situations that are usual but I need to be consistent in my braking.
Flat handlebars are like second nature to me, would those be safer?

I commute every day in SF with drop bars. It's not an issue for me. You quickly adapt to the hand position, if you bike is set up in a way that is comfortable for you.

The real safety issue you should be worried about, IMHO is not braking itself, but rather the "heads-down" position you can be in on the bike itself. You have to get used to looking around you/behind you for cars, etc. That's why your position/comfort on the bike is so important.

You can also install cross/interrupter levers for a second braking position option, usually at a nominal cost (not sure if this works with your particular breaking system).


Could someone please identify this bike and tell me the cost/price? I found this bike in a junkyard, perfectly functional and looking like it hadn't been used in awhile. I brought it home and cleaned it up a little; I googled everywhere online but I can't find this exact bike and I'd also like to know the price.

It's a Schwinn Frontier circa late 90s. You can read the branding on the tubes and the 90s part comes from the rigid fork and similar matches in Google image search.

  I googled everywhere online but I can't find this exact bike and I'd also like to know the price.

The price evaluation is discouraged on Bicycles SE, but knowing the model you can look for ads and see what other people sell/buy it for.


How do I get a cleat that's stuck in a pedal, detached from the shoe, out? While out riding on my XC bike today, I encountered an issue with my cleat: The connector between the cleat and the shoe - the part that you screw into - died, and I lost a screw. So I had the shoe attached to the pedal, unable to unclip - because I was able to completely turn the shoe around without the cleat detaching. (The other cleat still worked, and I noticed that I couldn't unclip in a safe enough situation that I avoided biting the dust.)
When I got home, I detached the shoe my turning it around enough times that it unscrewed. (Trying to tighten it by screwing it the other way didn't work.) Unfortunately, now the shoe is detached, leaving the cleat itself still inside the pedal, with a single screw sticking out:

How do I get the cleat loose?

Your goal is to apply torque to the cleat as you would with your foot in a shoe.  So essentially you need something like a gigantic flat screwdriver.   I have a mini crowbar that would do the job, for example, but if you have any metal tyre levers they might be big enough.

Slacken off any tension adjusting screw first


Rear dynamo light (tail light) or reflector without rack? I have a light / reflector designed to mount to a rear rack. It has two horizontal holes for bolts, like this:

I do not have a rack.
But I do have rack mounts like these on the seat stays:

Is there an adapter that would allow me to mount the light / reflector to the frame?

Rack upper eyelets of that sort don't have a standard distance between them, so there are no off-the-shelf brackets that would attach to both of them and center the light, if that's what you're thinking.
Busch and Mueller makes a bunch of brackets that let you mount 50mm and 80mm generator lights (yours is 50) intended for rack mounting and stick them to other things.

You could use this one to attach that light to one of the eyelets, but it might stick out too far to the side.
If you want to do it in a way that's free and made out of trash, one thing I've done several times is take the plastic 50mm/80mm light bracket that comes with Topeak racks and also has the vertical two-hole pattern for reflectors, then bolt it to a seatpost reflector bracket.


What are the most comfortable endurance bib shorts these days? I generally ride for 30-70 miles each outing and am wanting to get a couple pairs of quality, comfortable bib shorts for summer weather. I tried on a couple Castellis but the fit just isn’t right and for one of their $200+ shorts, I would think they’d be more comfortable. The material seemed scratchy which obviously isn’t good for hours and miles in the saddle. I don’t mind spending extra as long as I’m getting top quality comfort, performance and durability.

Any recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thanks! Ride on!

This is completely dependent on your body dimensions (the exact shape of the relevant parts) and the exact way you sit and move your legs and the rest of the body. Everyone is different. There is no other way then to try riding in some bib shorts and see if they work well or not. That may even change if you get or loose some considerable amount of body fat or muscles in those areas.


What kind of wheels use spoke washers/nipple washers? Just that, what kind of wheels use spoke washers?

Is this a nice addition to any old wheel, or are certain rims designed to use these?  Would these perhaps help with a damaged spoke hole in a rim?

I'd guess you would not normally want to use these with rims not designed for them, because it would elevate the nipple head into the space occupied by the tube and tire.

Spoke washers are used at the hub end, between the flared out cap and the hub itself.  The intention is to take up extra length between the bend and the end, to help prevent the spoke from breaking.  Common use is on hubs with thin flanges (for lightweight or because they're cheap) and on heavier loaded bikes to spread the load.

Notice how the lower spoke is snugged closer to the hub?  The upper spoke is more likely to break sooner.

The nipple washers are for spreading the load at the rim end of the spoke.  You're right that the washers have to fit inside the rim track/valley but that's so they lie flat against the inside of the rim, rather than touching in two places and focusing the stresses.  Again, touring bikes or load bikes would be the place to find these.  Race bikes wouldn't have them.

Nipple washers are used to allow the spoke to leave the rim at a strange angle.  Normally the spoke leaves slightly away from 90 degrees (pardon the pun) so the nipple is not flat against the rim, and the spoke is under a slight bending load.

Here's a rim with large domed washers that let the spoke stay straight.  I think this might be a motorcycle rim, but the concepts are the same.

If you have a damaged spoke hole, a washer may help, but its a judgement call about how much damage you can safely ride on.  If the spoke nipple fits through the nipple hole, I'd not ride on it even with a washer, because all you've done is put the load on a stamped washer then onto the edge of a damaged hole in the rim.

Would you trust this rim if it had a 2c flat washer below the cracked piece?  A curved rim washer would just make it worse.

Tubeless tyres take away the worry of pressing on the washer - here's an extreme example on a fatbike wheel:


Giant Defy Advanced 2 brake replacement I just bought a 2019 Giant Defy Advanced 2, with Giant's "Conduct SL Disc" brake system and it's the only thing about the bike I don't like, for many reasons. But my question is, are the rotor mount holes "universal" i.e. can I replace the Giant system with Shimano 105 mechanical brakes? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

There are two standards to mount disc brake calipers that are relevant to you:

flat mount
post mount

Have a look at Nathan Knudson's explanation to identify what your bike has. Its specs sheet might also help.

These are industry wide standards. A Shimano flat mount will fit, for example, on a bike that came with SRAM flat mount.

There are adapters for flat to post mount available. However, it is better to avoid these. In particular post mount calipers on flat mount frames are quite a bodge.

All rotors and calipers are cross compatible (at least all that are relevant to your case). It will be enough to align the new calipers for existing rotors. However, one needs to check brake pad compatibility. Some (mostly very cheap) rotors must not be used with sintered pads.


Shifter clicks in but chain stays on the largest cog, when riding I am able to change (click through) the shifter but the chain stays on the largest cog and does not move (This happens only when riding) but the gears shift as usual when the bike is stationary and I turn the pedals with my hand.

The bike is new, about a month old, everything worked well until last week and no, I'm not able to push the derailleur with my hand. I had a problem before when I was not able to shift (shifters won't click into the 3rd) into the 3rd gear (the largest cog), this was corrected when I took it to a bike mechanic. Now (about 4 days later) I've got a problem shifting between 2nd and the 3rd. Sometimes it shifts and most of the time it doesn't (shifting into and out of the 1st works fine). Btw I lubricated the chain after I got back from the bike mechanic.

Given its only a month old - return to the shop for the first "tune-up" which is standard in most parts of the world.

If you bought the bike on line, you can either learn to do it yourself or take it a bike shop and pay for a tuneup.  Depends on your mechanical aptitude.

Sounds like your bike mechanic visit missed something.


Is it possible to get distance travelled without gps The GPS on my phone KILLS the battery life. If you going on a decent ride which I will be once i have the fitness required, then you'll need a portable battery of some sort.

Is it not possible for a speed and candence sensor to track distance without gps signal? Mine doesn't seem to be working. IT's one of these

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/topeak-panobike-speed-and-cadence-sensor/?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&sku=5360562630&kpid=5360562630&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=UK_PLA_Accessories&utm_medium=base&utm_content=mkwid|sjqteoBIm_dc|pcrid|67090793462|pkw||pmt||prd|5360562630uk&product_id=5360562630uk

I.e. have I bought something that doesn't do what i need it to do.

the fallowfield loop isn't 0.06km long

Yes, it is possible, and bike computers have had sensors like yours before GPS existed. Either your sensor is broken, in which case you can have it replaced, or you have installed it wrong.


Require a star tool to remove disc rotor I need to change my disc brake rotors. I discovered that I require a star tool. Here is a picture of my rotor bolts. Can someone point out a tool that will fit this? Prefer a bike tool.

To give some indication of its size. The first size of hex key that becomes too big to fit within the star is: 4mm. 3mm fits within the star.

I have one of those wonderful screw drivers that come with 40 or so heads to fit all those different screw types (cheap china Ebay job), but the star in this kit does not fit snugly and I don't wish to risk rounding.

You want the correctly sized Torx driver. When I had to swap to a new wheel set I used a T25 driver.

I just found a Park Tool TWS-2 that has 9 different sizes. You can probably find just a T25 driver at a hardware store.


Why Do I Need a Better/Lighter Road Bicycle to Train For 'Fitness'? I'm about to purchase a bicycle in the very near future and have been shopping around at different bike shops to see what I like and what they offer.

My primary goal here is to commute to work.  It's a 6 mile / 9.5 km ride (each way).  It's all paved road, mostly bike lanes, for the duration of the trip.  And that's what I tell the sales people.

Twice now, I've been asked if I intended to use my bicycle for 'fitness'.  And when I say, 'Well, sure, maybe it'd be nice to do that too...' the salesman points me away from the bigger 'commuter' bicycles and towards the smaller road bicycles (one said a road 'cruiser' would be best, the other just suggested a 'road' bicycle).

I didn't think anything of it until I was at home - but now it's bothering me.  How does having a lighter, more efficient bicycle, that promotes a more aerodynamic position ENCOURAGE fitness?  Isn't that the exact opposite?

Surely for any given course/distance the cyclist with the heavier, less efficient, bicycle would be working harder.  I'm not a cyclist, but I do know if you go to the gym and use a stationary bicycle the more resistance you have the harder the workout.

What am I missing?  Would you not get a much better workout on a heavy bike with an extra 70 pounds and sitting in an upright position....than on a top-of-the-line road bicycle?

Or is it just a reason to get me into a higher price-range?

Rob, you are correct that a heavier bike will give you a greater fitness benefit over the same distance.

The only real counter-point I have is that the most effective bikes for fitness are the ones that get ridden. So, if some reason a lighter bike would more fun or appealing to you (while still be a "good enough" commuter), than a lighter bike could be a better choice for you.

In my experience, extra weight is not noticed much for commuting, so I'd rather have the durability of CroMoly over aluminum or carbon, and the practical benefits of fenders, racks, lights and bags.

An anecdote: My wife rides a bike with electric assist. You might think electric assist would reduce the fitness benefit, but opposite is true for her. She takes more trips because she has electric assist (including carrying one or two children plus cargo), and thus ends up riding-- and pedaling-- more than if she had an unassisted bike.

Some will suggest that you should get a lighter bike for "social" riding. That depends on who you ride with and what their fitness levels and interests are. I'm personally a stronger rider, and prefer to ride with my wife, parents and older friends, as well my children. For me, having a bike that's a bit heavier improves the social parity and helps to me ride naturally closer to the same speed with the people I prefer to ride with. If you want a hang with "Group A" club rides, lighter would be way the go instead.

Whatever gets you out riding the most is best bike for you.


When I am pedaling hard my chain jumps but doesn’t go to higher or lower gear I have this problem with my bike when I put an amount of pressure on my pedals the chain kinda jumps but doesn’t change to a higher or lower gear and it usually happens when I go on 3X7 and 3X6 when I change it to 2X7 it doesn’t happen as usual as 3X7.  I have even changed my chain and derailleur but it still happens what could the cause of this be.

Your chain may slipping over the teeth of the cassette sprockets if they are badly worn. This seems the likeliest as the problem occurs when you put increased force on the pedals. Slipping is more likely to happen when on a smaller chainring at the front because the greater leverage is putting more force on the chain. The solution is to replace the cassette.

Another possibility is that you are getting incomplete 'ghost shifting'. The chain is catching the shift ramps on an adjacent sprocket. This should be fixable by indexing the rear derailleur properly.


Bike too small some help? Just bought an used xs specialized sirrus sport in great condition. I am 5'8 and just realized that is too small. Just wondering if there anything that I could to do to make it fit me? Got it today so I haven't try anything yet

You can follow the advice of Chris H : Change bicycle.

But, if you have access to cheap-already-used-spare-parts you could try to change the seat tube and the stem.
Though, it will probably never be as comfortable as the good frame size.


What is the best way to stop and restart at a stoplight? Since your feet should hardly touch the ground when the saddle is at optimal height, what is the best approach to stopping at a stoplight and then quickly re-starting when riding in traffic.

These are the options I use depending on the circumstances:

Trackstand: Requires a lot of practice and it is a bit of a swhowoff. (This is the one I use the less)
Partially Dismount: Preferred when riding cleated pedals. Dominant foot stays on the pedal, and the pedal is kept ready for a full stroke (at 45 degrees over the horizontal as the other answer says). The other foot goes to the pavement. Preferred on busy crossings or when I have to use a lane not next to the curb.
Right foot on the curb: My Right foot is the dominant one, but when I get to stop besides a curb, the fact that I remain in the saddle almost makes up for having to take the first stroke with the left.
Use your hands: When there is a light pole or a suitable road sign, I keep mounted (and cleated) and use my hand to keep balance. Sometimes I can even put the shoulder against a pole or wall or the end of the handlebar. This one lets me re start fully engaged to pedals.


Cinelli old-school road bicycle I would like to change the front fork to my road bike, but since I do not know which specifications to follow, I prefer to ask you guys

Looks like you need a 1in threaded fork. You'll also want to measure the night of the threaded tube to match it as closely as possible in length and make sure that you get one for a caliper type brake rather than post mount.


What's easier to change: largest or smallest tire for rims that support multiple sizes? I have a set of rims which state their size is:

26 x 1.50/1.75

Which I believe means I could take tires which are any:

26 x 1.50 (40-559)
26 x 1.625 (44-559)
26 x 1.75 (47-559)

The new tires I am going to buy are relatively stiff / tough, but I also frequently have to do roadside tire pulls and tube repairs.

Which size tire would provide the easiest hand-pull off and on the rim, the largest or smallest available size?

I actually run two tyres identical except for the width, and when I first fitted them it made no difference at all to the difficulty. My situation is a little different: they're marathon plus 28 and 32 mm (700c).

There's much more variation between brands, types, and maybe even batches, with anti puncture tyres generally harder to get on/off than cheap multi purpose tyres and some coming up big, some small (which makes a big difference)

To be honest though, if the time to take a tyre off and change the tube is significant, something else is wrong. I've just had my first puncture in over 3000 miles on fairly rubbish tarmac, for example.


Do I need to replace 10 speed chain if using a bigger cluster, also 10 speed? Most similar questions are asking about using the same chain with a bigger cluster with more gears (10 speed chain vs 11 speed cluster).

My concern is being able to simply buy a higher gear ratio cassette and still keep the same chain?

I have Shimano Ultegra 10 speed system, but my cassette is an 11-24 cluster. I want to replace it with another 10 speed cassette but 12 to 32, with grannies for massive hill climbs.

Surely I don't need to replace the chain if the number of gears on the cassette is the same - ie: 10 speed?

It all depends on how long your chain is currently. Also it depends on if your rear derailleur is a short or mid cage. I would say that a jump up from 24 to 32 is a bit to big for any chain. Of course without seeing how much slack is in your chain right now the right answer will vary. You certainly can put the new cassette on and you will know right away if it work or not. Be warned that you ABSOLUTELY do NOT want to add any more links to your used chain. This is a great resource for drivetrains in general: http://sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html#chain


Is it safe to remove "lawyer tabs" on a carbon fork? Is it safe to file off the "lawyer lips" - the little tabs on the end of the fork dropouts - on my carbon road fork? What about cyclocross forks?  I've heard it's "common sense" to remove them...

Depends on the fork and the brake type used. With disc brakes, don't do it.  A disc can generate enough force to pull a wheel.  That's why most, if not all new MTB forks come with a burly, deep recess for the QR and the dropouts face forward. With the caliper on the back of the leg, it wants to drive the hub downward when the brakes are on.  If the dropout is closer to horizontal, then it pushes the hub axle into the fork instead of out of the dropout.  It's another reason why fork manufacturers are switching to thru axle forks.  Stiffer, yes, but also less chance of a lawsuit.

On road and cross forks, you are probably okay, especially if the "lawyer lips" are tiny. A couple of little bumps missing aren't going to do much.  If the fork has a recessed area for the QR molded into the dropout, then the effort needed to remove them is going to suck and you might affect the integrity of the dropout.  Of course, you will void the warranty.

Something to think about.  Pro teams file them off and there are no reports of riders crashing because the wheel came out.  Of course, all of the equipment is top shelf stuff, maintained by some of the world's best mechanics, and gets replaced instantly if there is a hint of an issue.  Also, no Pro is on any fork older than a year, if that.  Most likely, the bike they race on is less than 6 months old.


Calorie burn information is dramatically different between Strava IOS App and Cyclemeter IOS app. Which is more accurate? I use Cyclemeter to track rides on my iPhone 6, then when the ride is over, I send the info to Strava. When I look at the ride in Strava the calculated Calories burned for a 17 mile 90 minute ride is ~500 while Cyclemeter says ~1100 (My weight is 225lb). I do not have a heart rate or cadence monitor, so the only info being used is the GPS (distance and elevation data) and barometer(I assume) and then my weight. What factors could account for such a big difference? Do the 2 services use vastly different data from maps? Which one should I trust?

RANT - Do not read if you do not want to be offended.

A lot of calorie burn questions popping up at the moment. The problem is biometrics has become the latest fashion accessory, and everyone (manufacturers and users) are clambering on the band wagon without stopping to think what they want this data for. Manufacturers want to sell gadgets and make money, users are buying into the marketing hype. Ask yourself why do you want to know how many calories you burnt exercising? So you can justify the cream doughnut you are about to stuff in your mouth, or because you are an ultra endurance athlete struggling to main high enough calorie intake, or something in the middle?

RANT OVER

Calorie burn can only be accurately assessed in a lab by measuring your O2 intake and output and calculating how much O2 you burnt. A very close approximation is a power meter, especially if used in conjunction with the results from a lab test. The reality is we are all born different, and just like car engines, some of us are more efficient than others, some idle less efficiently (Basal rate) and some  produce power more efficiently. To cap it off, how efficient we are depends on the food (car analogy - fuel) you put in.

A usable, but not great approximation for calorie burn can be achieved by using a heart rate monitor, your weight and height, and the results from max heart rate test ideally including a V02Max test, and tables collated by measuring lots of people of different shapes and sizes and presuming you are average (Keeping in mind the average person is not average).

Given this complexity exceeds the capacity of Marketing people to comprehend, they simplify it to a point its useless. If you buy a device and it claims to tell you how many calories you burnt, you can believe it - but if you continue to believe after a few minutes of research, I bet you also believe the earth is flat and man never landed on the moon. If you don't believe me, ask yourself how the above apps account for wind in their calorie burn calculation. Do they ask for you bike weight for hill climb calculations?

However, the equipment is useful (if you are a bore at parties) - if gives you  a number you can brag about.


Where did a '95-'96 Sycamore mtb fit in the Mongoose product range? From what I've managed to piece together trawling the internets, this period was before quality dropped for Mongoose, but that Sycamores were low- to mid-range models. I'm considering how much time and effort to spend on overhauling a bike like this for commuting btw, I'm from outside the States, if that matters.

The Sycamore could only be considered a mid-range bike. It had reasonable entry level components but nothing great.

The tange chromoly frame would make a good base for a commuter but I think this was only a part frame so it may be quite heavy as opposed to a full chromoly frame. You would struggle to find a replacement fork if you were changing that due to its 1 inch head set. Not sure on the bottom bracket if it was cartridge this would be an easy change. It doesn't have tabs for disc brakes.U