How much fork to tyre clearance do dedicated cyclo cross bikes need? I wish to take part in my first cyclo cross race but would like to avoid buying anything (other than tyres) until I have tried it. I currently ride a Kona Honky Tonk which I believe has enough clearance to have 32c tyres without fenders. Will this be enough clearance for all the mud or will it gum up the entire area and create friction and stop me mid race? Also It has dual pivot calliper brakes.

It would be very tight, looking at the bike I think 32c with knobbies might not even fit. It also has to do with the height of the tire. By adding the knobbies I doubt you will find a CX tire that will fit under the brakes.

There are not many options for 30c or smaller CX tires. If you can find some tires that fit (will be tight) it will clump mud, but might not lock your wheels up. It depends on the mud, not all mud is the same, some sloppy/wet mud will not clump.

But extra clearance doesn't mean everything rolls smooth. The mud in a race two weeks ago on my 29er was so thick that both front a rear wheels locked up.

All that being said, you can find a CX race that has less mud. Great fun and highly recommended. Another option is to race on a mountain bike to see how you like CX racing.


Cycling position for commuting I'm looking into buying a commuter bike. Observing other bikers I see some are hunched over their bikes and some are almost vertical. What is considered the best position for commuting?
[I will be commuting about six miles in NYC (mostly flat save for the bridges); I will not be carrying a lot of luggage]

Also a dumb question what attributes of the bike contribute to the rider's position? Is it just the ratio of the height of the seat to that of the handlebars?

I'm speaking very generally here, but sitting straight up can be comfortable for quite short periods. Probably the most upright are sit-up-and-beg bikes, and if you go over to Holland you'll see 70- and 80-year-olds riding them. The downside is that they're not the fastest bikes around.

At the other end of the scale, take a look at professional road racers. These guys are as close as possible flat down to the bike. Efficient, but mightily uncomfortable.

The reality for the rest of us is that something in between is the most comfortable, but our geometries all tend to be different so different styles suit different people.

I think the good thing is that, based on what you say about distance, speed, terrain, climbing, load etc., your requirements aren't very demanding, so you'll have plenty of choice of styles so you should really be able to find a bike that is comfortable for you. (This also opens up the second-hand market, if you wish.)

I've ridden in London and I assume NYC is similar - be prepared to get a couple of decent locks, and make sure the bike you get will be able to carry them around somehow.


Bolt holding saddle to seatpost broke I have a saddle somewhat similar to this one. One bolt holding saddle clamp to the seatpost.

Some half a year ago I was riding with no hands and leaned back a bit. Suddenly, I fell down the bike on my back yet later to realize that the bolt simply broke, its head unattached from the threaded shaft. Luckily, I didn't have any serious injury, and neither did bike.

So I replaced the bolt.

Today, same thing happened. But I wasn't even riding hands free, I had one hand on, and was talking on the mobile phone with other. This time I managed to stay on bike and discovered again that the head of the bolt unattached from its shaft.

Now, maybe I put the saddle to far back so I had extra large lever and too much pressure on the screw. However, the flat part of the metal construction is a lot shorter on my saddle than the one here in the picture and I really don't believe I can put it that far even if I want.

Maybe I over tightened the bolt, there was no indication on how much pressure to use, but I was careful, at least the second time.

Do you know what might be the cause for this? Is it possible to over tighten the bolt? Is there something else that might cause this?

PS. Not that it's your business but I weigh 90 kilograms (199 pounds)

PPS. Please save me from the comments "don't ride no hands" and "don't talk on phone while riding". I realize this is somewhat dangerous and I know it increases pressure on the bolt, I wanted to know is there some other thing that might have caused this that didn't occur to me.

You need to use high tensile bolts for high tensile positions like this.

A class 8.8 bolt (metric) or grade 8 (US) or higher is appropriate.   Cheese-grade steel from the local discount hardware store is not up to the task.

 US Grade 8 head marking.  These have a min yield strength of 130,000 PSI. (900 MPa)

 Metric Class 8.8 head marking, with a min yield strength of 640 MPa (93,000 PSI)

Your second option is to replace the seatpost with one that has two bolts for fixing,  This will decrease the flex possible on one bolt.

  One style of two-bolt saddle clamp, but there are multiple other designs.   They're all integrated with seatpost so its got to be exactly the same diameter as the seatpost you're replacing.

Underlying - your monthly maintenance check on your bike should have tested the saddle wobbliness and noticed any increase in play.  At that time you'd retighten the bolt to torque.  If it was over-torqued a low-grade bolt could have stretched and deformed, leading to eventual failure.

Finally - be a responsible road user and put the phone away.  Ride with your hands on the bars.  If not for your own safety then for others on the road with you.


Shimano cassette compatibility I am upgrading my mtb, an '04 Specialized Epic. Currently, it has a Shimano 9sp cassette on Mavic xm317 wheels, and I am looking to change to a 10 or 11 speed cassette. I am aware that I need to change shifters, derailleurs etc to get this to work, they are not part of the question.

My question is: With all Shimano components, is the limiting factor in compatibility the hub? Are there other aspects/parts which limit compatibility with newer cassettes?

Mountain hubs are the same for 8, 9, 10 and 11 speeds. 11 speed cassette is wider, but instead of making the freehub body wider, the largest cog hangs slightly over the freehub body. This means that it is possible but not likely that there is clearance for derailleur with 9 or 10 speeds but not 11.


What are the causes of rear derailleur chain noise? My rear derailleur is making some noise and I'm having trouble diagnosing the cause. It seems like it's coming from the rear cogs and sounds similar to chain noise. I'm re-building my bike after an accident, so it's possible that something was bent though I don't see any gross damage to the RD. I've spent some time browsing this site and others for ideas, and have checked the following:

Checked hangar alignment
Lubed the rear cogs
Lubed the chain
Checked the b-limit setting
Indexed the gears & ensured they shift well
Checked for chain stretch (chain only has ~250 mi on it)

Can you think of any other causes for a noisy rear derailleur? I have a video if it's helpful.

EDIT: Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions! It ended up being a combination of a bent hanger and a twisted derailleur cage. I replaced the hanger with a new one which helped to reduce the noise, but there was still some prominent noise coming from the jockey wheels, mostly on the smaller cogs, and only when in the large chainring. I changed the derailleur and the noise is now gone.

Check for hair, grit, etc caught up in the derailleur wheels; most likely the guide pulley wheel; remove both wheels: attach the tension wheel last after cleaning/oiling.
Make sure you pay attention to which wheels go where; and the direction arrow on the tension wheel. A google search will show you a diagram of both wheels labelled and the turning direction of both wheels. eg. guide wheel is the largest wheel located nearest to the cassette. Both wheels should have labels `etched' on them.


Why do my rear caliper cable becomes loose after some squeezes in the brake lever? I have bought this bike one week ago from a friend of mine, and when I checked it, it was clear that the rear brake caliper cable was loose. I could see, under the frame, the steel wire bulging from the lack of tension.

So I thought it was a easy fix, just tension the cable again, adjust the rear caliper and everything works, right? Apparently, no.

After retensioning the cable and adjusting the caliper, with a few squeezes in the corresponding brake lever, the tension disappears and the cable becomes loose again. I don't think the problem is the caliper cable nut, as the cable does not seem to move there.

One symptom it has, is that the lever is much more hard to squeeze compared to the front caliper one. I think that is a problem with the cable/housing, because I have removed the rear caliper from the frame and it does not seem to be blocked or stuck in any way.

Do you think the solution is to replace the cable?

Besides these problems with the cable, I am a little bit concerned that the quick release mechanism of the rear caliper has some kind of issue. It feels very hard to move compared to the front one, and I am actually able to drive it further the locked position (past the two white dots aligned). I don't know if this may also explain the loss of cable tension.

FYI: caliper/levers are 2016 Shimano 105.

If you fasten the cable anchor with the quick release at its "tight" position and then it's able to slip into a "loose" position, that sounds like a likely culprit to me. I haven't encountered a misbehaving BR-5800 QR yet so I don't actually know what to tell you there, but I think either the silver part in front comes off and is covering a bolt head that holds the whole thing together, or the whole anchor assembly threads in and out of it. I would investigate that and get the issue you describe taken care of either way. You want those dots to have zero ability to come unaligned unintentionally.

Other possible causes of the cable slackening issue:

The cable is slipping from the anchor bolt.
You've got braided    housing that's bursting through a ferrule,
possibly the hidden one    going into the brake lever. Or it could have been installed without a ferrule. (Coil housings
don't need a ferrule here    but braided/compressionless ones do.)
Someone installed a poorly fitting ferrule at the brake lever end
and it's gradually getting wedged further in.
The cable is in the process of fraying apart    somewhere.
There's a rubber cable doughnut or three caught in a    housing stop
getting gradually squished more and more.
The piece of housing going into the brake lever isn't long enough, and as you squeeze the brake, it's getting worked in further as it gets increasingly kinked where it leaves the tape.


Can't get the front brakes to stop these style bikes I started working for a company assembling bikes and I get paid by the piece which is usually fine till I get to this one bike.  The front brakes just never hold no mater how tight I get them.  Is it just the chrome rim and I can leave them as is convince the store it's got to be bedded-in by the child that buys it?  Cause I can't be taking sand paper to the rim or they'll be marked damaged.

Welcome IRMacGuyver!

Looking at the photo, it appears you have the cable housing barrel adjuster attached at the lower point between the two arms (on the front caliper), with the cable clamp nut at the higher attachment point (back caliper). Except for images of Bropton brakes, I've never seen that arrangement.

Try reversing the connections so that the barrel adjuster is on the back caliper, with the housing coming from above. I believe you'll find that provides better braking power.


Increasing reliability of a hardtail MTB What affects the reliability of bike more, better suspension or heavier tyres?
I have bought a hardtail (Rockrider ST520) with 80mm front travel and 27.5 x 2.0 all terrain tyres.
The bike is meant for slightly rugged trails but I intend on taking it out on some fairly rough ground, it will probably hold as I am only 60kg but what upgrades are possible to increase its strength and reliability, should I invest in a better fork or heavier tyres?
I'm a college student so finances are how you would expect them to be.

There's no point replacing the fork. A better fork will be more robust but replacing a major component is not cost effective. A better fork will cost a significant fraction of the whole bike as a separate component. If you want a better fork you should have spent the money buying a higher spec bike in the first place.
Wider tires are relatively inexpensive and will definitely help smooth out the trails. Go tubeless if your wheels allow for it as this will allow running lower pressure without risking pinch-flats.


Seeking advice: single speed conversion, Fuji ultimate road bike (old!) - Which kit? Which chain? etc First off - I'm a complete amateur when it comes to doing repairs on bikes. Anything exceeding changing tyres, tubes and perhaps adjusting the brakes is something I've never attempted before. However, I feel like I should get better at it, and this should be a great project.

Here's a pic of my bike, a vintage (don't know precisely how old it is) Fuji Ultimate road bike (10-speed):

I'd like to do the following things:

Temove derailleurs, related cabling, gear shifters from bike
Replace the cassette with a single chain ring at the back, but not a fixed one. I'd like it to be single speed.
If possible, still use the cranks on the front (the small ring), without having to do any removal / replacement
Get a new chain and put it on
If possible: replace the current brake calipers with up-to-date (cheap-ish) ones, e.g. tektro brakes (but still leave the current brake levers on the bike)

I'd specifically like to ask you all for some advice regarding how to go about this project:

Which parts will I need to buy, and what specifically would you recommend? I don't want to end up accidentally buying the wrong size ring/chain or something like that.
What tools will I need? I have a basic toolkit, and some pocket bike tools.
Are there some online tutorials you could point me towards?
Will new (Tektro?) brakes fit on to this bike?
Will I manage this? :D

Finally, here is another picture of the rear wheel / hub / cassette of the bike, to provide slightly more information to everyone:

A bike this age will have a freewheel type hub (as opposed to a freehub). Sheldon Brows says a BMX freewheel can be used to replace the existing 5 speed freewheel. Hopefully the chainline would then align with your inner chainring, but you may have to re-space the rear hub and re-dish the wheel.

See https://www.sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html

BTW the term cassette is generally only used to refer to the stack of sprockets used with a freehub, not a freewheel.

The tools you need will include a chainwhip and the appropriate freewheel removal tools. Park Tool Company has a good set of videos on freewheel removal and installation that includes identifying the appropriate tool. Link below.

I believe that BMX freewheels will come with a sprocket designed for a  1⁄8 in (3.2 mm) chain as also commonly used on single speed bikes, so that's the chain you'll want. You will need to look for a 1⁄8 in chainring that fits the crank spider. The existing rings will work fine with that chain - you'll want to check whichever ring you want to use for wear of course.

While we're talking about the cranks - your bottom bracket is likely to be worn out so you'll want to service and potentially replace that.

I can't see the dropouts in the pictures you included but you'll need a way to tension the chain properly. If the dropouts are slots that allow the wheel to be moved front to back you are good, otherwise you'll need an add on chain tensioner of some sort.

Park tool:


Protecting yourself from briars / brambles / jaggers while mountain biking Riding in the northeast US, I find myself encountering a lot of overgrown mountain bike trails in the spring.  Many of these trails are bordered by briars / brambles / jaggers.  I can't totally avoid them, so what can I do to protect my legs from them while not subjecting myself to overheating in hot weather with high humidity?

I have used shin guards since the 1980s, growing up in Hawaii and now riding in Utah (both get pretty hot) and I found that wearing knee high socks help with the "heat" factor, but even then, as long as I am wearing shorts, I don't even think about my legs being warm.

I have been using the LizardSkin shinguards for about 15 years now and will continue to use them as long as I ride! (I am still riding the same pair, they are frekn very durable!)

For the shin-whacks nothing protects better, they have a V-shaped insert that virtually eliminates any hit. And if you want to ride without that layer of protection (or to wash it) you can take that insert out really easily. Even without the insert, it has a pretty durable front with some padding that would help with any sticks or whatever slapping you.

The neoprene has holes for ventilation but not really a big help, but the back gives me a gap of about 2 inches, and I have skinny legs. I have ridden a lot of downhill trails and they have helped a lot through the brush.

They even come down low enough to give your ankles some protection.


Seeking a very deep/long reach dual pivot brake caliper. 90 mm drop required I can get a single pivot caliper deep enough, but the performance is inadequate.
Does anyone know of a dual pivot caliper that's at least 90mm deep? Or another solution? It's for the front of a cargo bike where a disc brake or roller brake is not possible.
I've done a lot of Google searches without result.
Thanks.

Even a dual-pivot brake probably isn't going to solve the problem you found with a single-pivot brake: after a certain point, those long brake arms are flexing and absorbing the energy you're trying to put into the pads. This is why you generally don't see caliper brakes on fat-tire bikes. I did a quick check, and even Tektro's long-reach calipers aren't long enough for your application.

Cantilever brakes would be the more orthodox solution to this problem. They're widely available and a known quantity.


What is the difference between the different oils for a suspension? I am trying to rebuild a fork and quite confused on what I need for oil and some of the terms for the types of oil.

I have seen the following:

Suspension oil
Damper oil
Semi-bath oil
Gear oil
Motor oil

The manuals I am looking only say "oil" or "semi-bath oil" (without a particular difference being mentioned) and only specify 5WT.

What are the differences of these?  Should I care and just use the same "suspension oil" for everything?

In bicycle hydraulic brakes, there are systems designed for DOT (3/4/5.1) brake fluid, and systems designed for mineral oil. Using the wrong fluid can damage seals and cause terminal failure (and death).

As far as I know, all oil used in MTB suspension is essentially the same basic fluid, plus additives. Citroën did use mineral-based "LHM" fluid for decades but eventually gave in and fell in-line with the rest of the auto industry.

Bicycle suspension forks tend to use light oils.

Gear oil will be too thick. Motor oil may have additives to help it perform in an engine which might interfere with the operation of your fork. The first three in your list are usualy synonyms.

The owner's manual for your fork should specify the oil grade and either a volume to measure or a method to judge the right level. If your fork also uses grease, I'd be more concerned about using the original manufacturer's fluids and grease, but otherwise any suspension oil of the correct grade should be fine.


Using a Cateye Strada Smart and Strava I wonder has anyone had any experience using the Cateye Strada Smart in Mirror mode and uploading the ride directly to Strava.

I am having problems with the data on Strava being different than on the Cateye Atlas site and am wondering if anyone has solved this problem already?

Thanks in advance.... :)

First rule of on-line bike ride tracking... every single one has secret-sauce that they use to tweak your ride data.

Strava ignores height information and simply plots your path's point locations on top of a map and that's how high you were.  This method is pretty flawed if your GPS has placed you 20 metres off the road and you're in a deep cutting or on the side of a mountain with a hundred metre vertical drop to that side.

I don't know anything about the Cateye services.

The only answer is to take their results with a big pinch of salt, and merely work on improving the difference between the rides.  Don't compare rides between different providers.


Lefthand crank arm for spinbike BH SB 1.8 i am trying to buy a new crank arm however there are 2 different type, a rhombic hole or square. After looking at the picture on Amazon, they look both the same. any help would be welcome.

Look at the square hole at the root end of the crank. You'll see that the square hole type has a square where two of the sides are kind of parallel with the crank.
Looking at the rhombic hole, the pictures will show that whilst the square hole is still square, it is turned 45 degrees and you could say it is more like a diamond, the edges of the hole are pivoted.
The holes will be the same, just turned by 45 degrees so it's important to match the existing good crank so they end up aligned. So if you are replacing just one crank, look at the square and see which way it is lying and match up accordingly.


Should a chain be replaced even if it's not stretched? This question suggests using a tool or ruler to assess chain stretch to determine when to replace a chain. I have one such tool (Park Tool CC-3), and it tells me that my chain is not stretched even to the 0.75 level (is that %?).

My chain has at least 2,000 miles (~3,200 km) on it, so I am wondering if it should replace it just as a matter of practice (i.e., preventive care). I try to take care of the chain: wipe it down after rides, lubricate regularly (good advice here), etc.

So is it inconceivable that the chain is still in good shape after this many miles?

Is there any other reason to replace the chain other than elongation, assuming it otherwise appears to be okay?

The 2000 miles is an estimate of when the chain will stretch.  Your chain may last longer than that.

As far as replacing it goes, I think it depends on your financial situation.  If you can easily afford a new chain, I recommend buying one.  A replaced chain means that you don't have to worry about your current chain stretching beyond the limit and damaging your bike.

If your budget makes buying a new chain difficult, you'll be all right to keep riding.  Just check the chain stretch every so often to determine when it's getting near absolutely necessary to buy a chain.


How important is centring dual-pivot brakes? My road bike has Shimano dual-pivot caliper brakes like these.

Whenever I remove or refit the mudguards, or even sometimes just getting the wheel out, they seem to go slightly off-centre, by which I mean rotated around the mounting.

The effect of this is that, when the brakes are applied one pad contacts the rim before the other. Looking carefully the wheel also moves a little to the left or right as one pad pushes it to the side.

I try to rotate the brakes so that both pads contact the rim at the same time to minimise this movement, but as the act of tightening the mounting screw also rotates the brakes slightly, this is tricky.

So the question is - does it matter much if one pad makes contact slightly before the other? What are the likely effects of it doing so?

The danger of this is your rim may begin to rub the brake pad – especially when you put in hard out-of-the-saddle efforts.

In theory, if your caliper has become off-centre then one pad will have come closer to the rim and the other will have come further away. You should simply be able to push and rotate the caliper by hand back into a central position without loosening (or tightening) the retaining nut. Pull the brake lever a couple of times and if the caliper does not return to a central position, your brake requires balancing i.e. one pad is moving more than the other towards the rim and causing them not to touch the rim at the same time. The other effect of this is it may cause the caliper to rest off-centre.

There is a small balancing (tensioning) screw on top of the caliper. Turn this left or right until both pads move the same amount to the rim.


I want an cool urban/track bike with 3speeds. Could you recommend me one? Good afternoon,

I would like to buy a cool urban bike based on track design: sort like a tuned fuji feather and so forth. I would like it to be light and instead of a single speed, have 3 speeds. I want a simple cool urban bike I can fix myself, but not a fixie or a single speed which is not enough because I like the road too.

I have been looking all over the place and can't find any bike that suits me.

Can you recommend me one?

Thank you :-)

I know exactly what you mean. I had the same desires and I ended up buying an SE Draft on ebay and fitting a wheel with a 3 speed hub. If you can find a bike shop that are keen on building and customising they might be able to sell you a single speed bike and then fit a 3 speed hub.

An Australian online store, Jelly Bean bikes give the option of buying the bike with a 3 speed hub, but they don't ship overseas. You might be able to find a similar store near you.


What is the best way to approach train tracks? I commute on my bike through an industrial area and cross many train tracks. They very in degrees: most are perpendicular to the road, but some have a very low angle.

This question is two part:

What is the best way to cross tracks. It is commonly known that perpendicular is best, but sometimes that is difficult to do given traffic and road circumstances. Also, should one "hop" to reduce impact on tires, or is their some other better technique? It can feel quite jarring to fly over tracks - is there a risk of damaging a bike?
Assuming that some kind of altered riding pattern is preferred, what is the best way to do so without impeding traffic or upsetting drivers. Some of the tracks I cross have no shoulder but they do have anxious cars speeding up to get on the freeway. A dismount would be very unpopular in those settings.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Firstly I would say that you should always ride in a way that is safe for you. If drivers have to wait as you take the necessary care, then so be it. They would have to wait hours if you fell and were killed. The only person taking responsibility for your safety is you.

Here in Melbourne (Australia), in addition to train tracks, we have tram tracks.

Rails tracks usually cross the road at angles from 90° to 30°. But tram tracks run along the roads, and also cross at various angles. Everybody falls at least once on the tram tracks, after allowing the front wheel to drop into the slot.

Danger

The danger is not just an embarrassing fall. Other traffic can hit you as you are suddenly launched sideways, under their wheels with fatal results. Less severe is if the wheel get caught in the slot, resulting in a buckled wheel.

If the tracks cause, as you say, jarring, then there is a risk that you can loose control. So slow down. Just assertively signal your intentions to surrounding traffic, and do what you need to do. If you travel the same route at regular times, the other drivers will get used to seeing you.

The main risk to your bike in my experience is pinch flats. So keep enough air in your tires.

The issues

Many people can hop one obstacle, but two in quick succession, less than a bike length apart, is not in my skill set.

With both train and tram tracks, there are two issues to assessed for every crossing and one item concerning your bike

How rough is the crossing? Is the road surface level with the tracks, or is it broken?
How wide is the gap?
How wide are your tires?

Crossing

Sometimes the road surface is not level with the top of the tracks, or is broken. If this is the case, cross as close to 90° as you can, as slowly as you can.

Tram tracks in good condition have a gap of about 5cm (2 inches). At worst they can be 10cm (4 inches).

Train tracks occasionally have a gap as small as 5 cm (2 inches) but usually have gap of about 7 or 8 cm (3 inches), and sometimes much wider.

For a level surface, the angle is dictated by your tire width and the gap. For typical 23mm road bike tires, the minimum angle I recommend for tram tracks in good condition is 30°, and for train tracks in good condition it's 45°.

Having said that, I typically cross tram tracks at angles as low as 20°, using what Daniel called levitation.

As with many uncertain cycling situations, ride "hands and heels", with your bum off the seat, so that the bike can pivot under you.

If you are crossing at a low angle, extend your arms and legs before you get to the tracks, so that your body is at it's highest above the bike. As the front wheel gets to the first track, pull the handlebars up, so that the wheel has little or no weight on it as it crosses the track. If you are clipped in, or are proficient at bunny hops, do the same for the back wheel. And repeat for the second track. Again: this is only good for narrow approach angles.

Another technique to use in combination is to steer so that your front wheel crosses at a greater angle than your overall direction of travel. The front wheel would follow a sort of straitish S bend.


Chinese carbon clinchers - cheap but safe? Ok. I won't mention links, ebay posts, or anything that may tempt you in any way, like I was. However, they are growing in popularity at my local and some guys swear by them.
We all know buying local helps the local economy, jobs, and generally you get what you pay for ie local=quality!

BUT

Most of us cannot afford Zipps at around $2000+ (AUD), that really look no different to those Chinese carbon clinchers. I mean, have we've been ripped off when most of these wheels are really made in China anyway? Are we just paying for the decals!?

Please share your Pros and Cons on why and why we should not look directly at the Chinese carbon wheelset market more seriously?

First of all, you need to rid yourself of the idea that "It can't be top-notch if it's made in China". Don't let all the cheap junk that comes out of China make you think they don't manufacture top-quality products.

When you buy Zipps, you're not just paying for the decals... free-market competition sees that this doesn't happen, at least not much.

Name-brand stuff is generally a bit more expensive, not necessarily because the brand can get away with charging more, but because the product generally passes through more middlemen, partially due to said name-brand being less specialized.

If someone is selling "just like Zipp" wheels for $500, corners are obviously being cut. But if they are asking $1500, chances are they're probably just about as good as the Zipps.

If there's no brand name at all, that's a bad sign. They're trying to avoid accumulating a reputation. I would never buy anything new if they didn't at least have an (English) website.

So to sum it up, if the wheels are significantly cheaper (like $500), they're either heavy or dangerous. Or both.

If the price is believable (more like $1500), it may be worth it if you do a bit of a background check on the company.


Hitch mounted bike rack swaying Should hitch mounted bike racks move or sway when traveling?

My current one (1.25", two bike trays with arms clamping on the tire) will sway and move when traveling with bikes on it.

During the weekend, I had a discussion about racks where the other person stated his didn't sway during traveling.

Update

I had a closer look at my setup last night. The swaying comes from the hinge between the rack and the receiver tube. There is a bit of play there enabling the rack to move and sway.

The rack has a feature of being able to angle it away from the car in order to get access to the hatch, or to store it closer to the tail gate when not in use.

Manufacturers recommend a strap to stabilize a (class 1) hitch-mounted bike rack so it doesn't bounce or sway.  For example see Stabilizing Strap for Hitch-Mounted Accessories, and especially the review video lower on the page.

(This is not a product recommendation, just the first thing that popped up in a search.)


Phillips brand c1950? Please help me identify this awesome old frame! Here is all I know:

Seems to be a 26" frame.

Lug construction on main frame but the seat stays are bolted on.

Serial number at seat clamp: 3051CT

Has strange hole in bottom bracket shell.

"Made In England" stamped on underside of BB.

Forks are of a pretty old construction style.

Has tiny holes to mount a badge on the head tube.

Possibly a Raleigh Bomber from the early 80s, but I am thinking it is a 1940s-1950s Phillips frame from their 'Cyclemaster' line. That filler hole and no Raleigh stampings make me think it is a Phillips...

Attaching pics of my frame, plus two from the Phillips catalogues. Bottom right is frame, fork is center in the other pic.

What do you all think? Year range is hard to figure out from Google.

(Raleigh bought Phillips in the 60s i think, and looks like they dug into Phillips' back catalog 1980 for the Bomber frame - it's nearly identical.)

THANKS!

There are numerous Vintage Bike Resource sites available. Old Roads.com, The Headbadge, are a couple I use. The Headbadge has a nearly complete list of Raleigh Catalogs for most years. It appears you have a frame at least similar to a Canadian Model 99 Gents circa 1954. It can be difficult to date a Raleigh bike visually as many models were made for decades with very few visual changes. The bolt-on chain stays aren't that unusual. I haven't found any definitive reason why they were used. Some feel it was just a hold over from the days of fully enclosed chain cases. It may also may have been to allow the chain to be removed without breaking the chain. For many owners a Raleigh was a once in a lifetime purchase. Hence the oiler port on the bottom bracket and wheel hubs.


Adding gears to adult tricycle I would like to add gears to my adult tricycle. How difficult would that be and would it be very costly?

Probably the simplest is to replace the hubs with internally geared hubs.  There are many of those on the market with a wide range of gear capabilities.  You may find it easier to buy complete new wheels.  You need to check all the interfaces of the wheels-the width and diameter of the axle, how it mounts to the frame, the width of the rims if you are using rim brakes, the width and height of the tire fitting in the frame.  You need to add a control for the gears and cable back to the hub to carry the information.  Presumably your dropouts are horizontal so you can set the chain tension properly.  This will be maintained with internally geared hubs.  You might need to change the size of the front or rear gears depending on the gear range you desire and the hub you select.  That will impact the length of the chain, which is easy to adjust.  I would go into one (or a few) local shops with your question and see what they suggest.  It would be good to determine where your problem lies.  Do you want a lower gear for climbing hills?  Are you close, but just need one a little lower?  Are there some hills that are far too hard?  Do you need a higher gear because you can't pedal fast enough?  Again, are you close or far from what you want?  These will help the shop with recommending the proper solution.


Shimano 10 - 11 system hub compatibility - MTB I have Shimano XT 11 speed compatible rear wheel (on Novatec hubs, the ones that came with Kona Process 134 DL 2016). Can I use Shimano 10 speed MTB system on this hub?

Can I use Shimano 10 speed MTB system on this hub?

Yes, you can, but a 2mm spacer might be need.

10 speed Shimano MTB cassettes require same freehub body width as 11 speed. Meanwhile, Shimano road-specific cassettes are ~2mm wider. To be sure, I'd measure freehub body width (36.75 on that pic). If it's about 37mm, that means rear hub can accomodate wider 11 speed road cassettes and you will need a spacer for sure. Otherwise, you can put a 10 speed cassette as is.

On a side note, Novatec (Joytech) produces a wide variety of hubs, same models can have both XD, 10 and 11 freehub body options.


Parking a bike with wide tyres in a narrow bike rack I park my bike at work in a rack like this:

At the moment I have 26 x 1.9" knobbly tyres and the wheel just squeaks into the rack. However I'd like to replace these with 26 x 2" Schwalbe Marathons for a smoother ride and better puncture resistance, and these almost certainly won't fit.

What's the best way of putting my bike in this rack if the tyres won't fit, preferably without annoying colleagues by taking up more than one space? So far I've thought of:

using the lock cable to 'tie' the wheel to the side of the rack - possible but a bit of a faff
fitting the bike with a kick stand so it doesn't need the rack to hold it upright - not ideal
getting the 26 x 1.75" tyres instead - would work but I'd prefer the wider ones for best grip as my ride is partly on offroad paths and a cobbled street (and nothing to do with thinking the wider ones look better, honest).

But are there any other techniques or products I haven't thought of?

(Security of this type of rack is not a big concern, incidentally, as the rack is inside a shed with a code lock.)

The solution in my particular case turns out to be that the 2" Marathons are actually no wider than the 1.9" knobblies - when fitted on my wheels and at my current inflation pressure of about 3 bar, at least - so the bike still fits in the rack.

This won't help anyone whose tyres actually are too wide to fit in a narrow bike rack, but it may help someone in a similar position to know that tyres may be slightly narrower than their nominal width.

In a year of riding on the Marathons, incidentally, I've had one puncture, compared to about one a month on the standard tyres. I also found the difference in rolling resistance compared to knobbly tyres was surprisingly noticeable.


I'd like to upgrade my SRAM cassette, but confused by options I have this bike: http://www.cxmagazine.com/blue-bicycles-norcross-al-cyclocross-bike-review,  with a 48/34 chainring and 11-26t cassette. I'd like to add some lower gearing.

SRAM offers at 11-32 cassette (https://www.sram.com/sram/road/products/pg-1050-cassette), and it's supposedly for Apex, but I've been told I'll need a new rear derailleur as well - is this true? And will the 11-32 cassette work with the compact crankset? Thank you!

The length of the cage on the bottom of your derailleur that holds the two small cogs is what decides the size of cassette you can use on your bike.

There are 2 numbers that matter, the max size and tooth capacity.

Max size is is the largest cog the derailleur is designed to clear and the capacity is the largest difference between the small-small and big-big gear ratios that it can take up the slack in.

--

Since your bike came stock with a 11-26, I'm going to guess it has a short cage derailleur, the largest cog this can accept is 28.

SRAM road derailleurs come in short and medium cage, and have a max cog size of 28 & 32 and a max capacity of 33 & 37 respectively.

You may also need to change your chain, not a bad idea anyway with a new cassette.


Help identifying bike model and worth I am fairly new to working with bikes, and I have this vintage Nishiki Meridian bike, with a Cunningham design. I have tried searching online for this specific bike model but I cannot find much.
I am looking into restoring it. However, I do not know its worth and if it is worth it to restore it instead of buying a new bike.
It is rideable, the gear shifting is wonky so I would have to fix/replace that. I would also need to take it apart and clean every bit of it, and most likely completely replace the breaks as they are old.
Any help would be much appreciated in estimating if it is worth it to restore it or just to buy a new bike.

That's an awesome bike - would be called a MTB back in the day, but now we'd call it a rigid MTB.
You probably have to replace the brake pads (the rubber blocks, 4 in total) because they go hard with age/ozone/UV and don't brake as well.   That style of brake is called a cantilever and while less-common now, they can still work perfectly well when tweaked correctly.  If you did replace the brakes, then your options are more canti's, or V brakes.  It may take long-reach caliper brakes, but those generally have lower performance than your existing ones.  You cannot have effective safe disk brakes on that bike as-is.
Gears - they likely need a clean, lubricate, and then adjust the cable tension.  I see friction shifters on your handlebars, which may feel vague compared to modern trigger shifters.  However there's nothing wrong with them.
The cassette appears to be a 7 speed, so it could be a cassette or a freewheel.  If you wanted, it could potentially go to 8/9/10 speed, but that would need a new wheel, rear derailleur, cassette, chain, and right-hand shifter.
There's nothing wrong with leaving the front mech as a friction shifter if the rear was updated.
If the tyres show cracks or perishing, then you might want to consider new tyres. For normal street riding, aim to get less~no tread blocks which will allow you to go faster.  If the current tubes hold air fine, then just ride it and get some wear out of the existing tyres, and delay spending on replacements for now.   The current tyres are relatively street-oriented.
Finally - I really like that paint job.  Its a great looking bike and sure beats walking.  And since you can't get anything else right now, any bike is better than no-bike.


How to maintain a Shimano Nexus gear hub? I have a bicycle with Shimano hub gears (Nexus 7 speed). I would like to know what type of maintenance it needs, besides the normal tuning.
I believe it needs some greasing, but I have no idea how to do it. This type of transmission is not common at all where I live. The local bicycle shops can't help.

I have a bicycle with Shimano hub gears (Nexus 7 speed). I would like to know what type of maintenance it needs, besides the normal tuning.

There are four types of drivetrain maintenance you may want to do on a hub geared bicycle:

Add chain lubricant when the chain squeaks
Re-tension the chain as it wears and the chain slack increases.
Replace the chain and possibly the front and rear sprockets when they are too worn
Re-grease the internal gear hub

Of these, the three first trivial. The problem is the fourth.

I believe it needs some greasing, but I have no idea how to do it.

That's the problem. Few people have an idea how to do it. This is different from derailleur bicycles where the maintenance needed is very simple, although more frequent than on internal geared hub bicycles.
Some instructions are available on the Sheldon Brown web site:

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/nexus-mech.html
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/nexus7.shtml

Internal gear hubs are ideal for people who ride short trips, and are unable to perform maintenance on a bicycle and thus want a bicycle where the service interval is long. People who continue walking and push the bicycle when the rear tire gets a puncture (it's almost impossible to change the rear inner tube on an internal gear hub bicycle unless you consider getting your hands oily acceptable).
If I had an internal gear hub, I would just do chain and sprocket maintenance and ship the hub maintenance. If the hub wears out, it may be a sign that internal gearing might not be acceptable for the use case.


Name of part - Rear wheel spacer screw I have a single speed bicycle which has a spacer screw that controls the position of the rear wheel and hence the tension of the chain.

The screw goes through a small hole in the frame, which is threaded, and in to the drop out area. With the pair of screws at a level pegging, the proper position the wheel is assured and the chain tension is maintained.

What is the name of this part? I've bent one of my screws and need a replacement but can't find a hit on "rear wheel spacer screw."

Dropout adjustment screw.  Here's a thread from the Bikeforums with some links and such to check:

http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-274077.html

Unfortunately they do not appear to be standard... You might try haunting more established shops to look through their old-parts boxes.
Most hardware stores carry a very wide variety of metric fasteners; you might be able to find a suitable screw there


How do mini penny-farthings ride compared to regular size pfs? I'm considering buying one of these with a 28" front wheel, pneumatic tires and rear caliper brakes. How do they compare to actual penny-farthings? I've read on another forum with unreliable responses (non-riders giving opinions based on movies) that any high wheel bike should only be ridden on pavement to keep from taking a header. Would this be an issue with the kind of bike I'm interested in?

I wasn't actually asking about functionality as a commuter bike. For that I like a cruiser. I want something to have fun with. Oddly enough I don't like heights so penny-farthings make me a little anxious. I suppose it's from being fairly high up without much of anything beneath me. I do know that it is necessary to pedal against the bike when slowing down. Applying the back brake first is helpful in preventing a header within theory. Most people walk a penny-farthing down hills. True penny-farthings have solid rubber tires. This one has pneumatic tires. The big wheels are supposed to just roll over ruts unless they are big ruts. This front wheel is much smaller. Does that mean that it takes a header over every rut? The high wheel bikes put the rider almost over the pedals. This one technically puts the rider slightly farther back since the legs are longer in relation to the radius of the wheel. Does that help keep the bike from flipping forward? Sorry to be so techincal but that's sort of why I was hoping someone here rides one.

My impression is they're a toy only, not to be used for travelling, just tootling around a park or around home.

My unicycling coworker has said that they are essentially unicycles with a training wheel, and are a lot of fun for playing about.  Also, I've seen video of them being used in street performances like a juggler or similar.

But no, you wouldn't commute on one, and the ergonomics would make training on one uncomfortable.   The 29" wheel would suit a kid, not a grown adult.

Additionally, with no gearing, their top speed is limited  to one wheel circumference per pedal revolution.  So this 29" wheel will have a rolling circumference of about 29" x pi or about 91" or 2.3 metres.  At 60 and 80 RPM that would be 8.2 km/h (5 mph) or 11 km/h (6.8 mph) which is a fast-walk/slow-jog to an "average runner's speed".

Said another way, they probably fixed gears so you cannot coast, you have to pedal.

The rear brake will be mostly useless - the common wisdom is that the front brake of a bike does most of the real work of braking.  Trying to stop with the rear brake only simply drags it out longer.  Your mini-farthing will likely stop poorly on brakes, relying more on fixie-skills like reverse pedal pressure, and that its overall speed is low.

I'm sure they're a lot of fun, but not a lot more than that.  With practice and good technique, I'm sure they can be ridden all sorts of places, but perhaps not aggressive/risky offroad/downhill etc.

  Example of a MPF with quite a lot of rake.

 Highly vertical forks with minimal rake.

The two bikes above would have massively different handling - no conventional bike would risk having such a vertical head tube.


Can I mix brands of chain and missing link If I stick to the same speed (e.g.  do not mix say 9 speed and 10 speed), can I mix the brand of chain and missing link safely. For instance, can I use a Shimano missing link on a KMC chain, or should I only use KMC links on KMC chains and SRAM links on SRAM chains?

Shimano recommends their 9 &10 speed chains be reconnected utilizing the specific speed link pin, which is inserted with a chain tool.  In my experience, there has not been any issue, including noise, using KMC's "Missing Link" or SRAM's "Power Link" to join a Shimano chain.  Note that SRAM's 10 speed link is termed "Power Lock" and is suggested for use "one time only" because of the tighter tolerances present in ten speed systems.  In practice, these can be used multiple times, no problem, but I base this on reading others' assessments not my own experience. Shimano's 11 & 12 speed systems use a connecting link, the "QuickLink."
Typically bike shops I frequent have KMC, SRAM, and Wipperman (whose product is called "Connex") connecting links to choose from.  Prices are similar between brands within same speed categories.  Connex are a bit more money it appears to me.  At any rate, based on the selection, why not stay within same brand for chain and connecting link?  Regarding Shimano, I use the replacement link pin but again, no problems have been noted by myself or others when a Shimano chain is joined with a connecting link from SRAM or KMC.
Wipperman's design is shaped differently which may limit it to their brand of chains only.  I neither have experience with nor seen anecdotal evidence to say whether a Connex link will work with other brands of chain.


Does the SM-BBR60 bottom bracket come in 68 and 70mm widths? I ordered an Italian threaded bottom bracket, model number  SM-BBR60. The box has two check boxes, one for 68mm and one for 70mm. The 70 mm is checked.

My bike has a 68mm bottom bracket shell. Everywhere I look shows this model as only one size. But the checkboxes?

Does this bottom bracket come in two sizes? And is 70mm useless to me?

I did a web search with the model number, and the first hit is to Shimano product page that says that the bottom bracket comes in 68mm and 70mm widths. That, and the fact that your bottom bracket is marked as 70mm, suggests that the bottom bracket indeed comes in two sizes. If you are still unsure, you can use a ruler to measure the actual BB.

The 70mm model is useless to you. If it was sold to you as 68mm model, you should be able to return it. Even if you mistakenly bought the wrong model, you should still be able to replace it.


How often do you need to grease the crank? Haven't done maintenance on my bike in years.  Recently cleaned it up and repaired some spokes.  Greased the front and rear wheel bearings and degreased the chain.  Looks good but only thing didn't do was grease the crank.

It is likely, unless your bicycle is quite old, that it has sealed bearings in the crankset, so there is no real need to grease them yourself. It is good practice to visually inspect and clean them regularly, but they do not need deep maintenance unless you encounter rough movement or an unusual sound coming from them.

Ciitation: Bicycle industry work experience.


Disassembly and Shipping of bike I have a road bike lying around in a garage in California. I would like to use it here in Illinois. However, there's no one out there who can disassemble and pack the bike for me in California, ALTHOUGH there's someone to open the garage :-).

Is there a service that disassembles, packs and ships the bike for me? Or at least disassemble and pack the bike so that I could use a pickup service myself?

Some bike shops will disassemble and pack a bike for shipping. For a fee, of course.


Why doesn't my new SRAM XG-1295 cassette bolt turn freely? I am trying to install a brand new SRAM XG-1295 cassette. I watched many videos and it seems very straight forward. Place the cassette on the freehub, match the splines in back, tighten with a cassette tool.

But for some reason, the bolt(?) on the cassette does not turn. This has nothing to do with the freehub. I'm holding the cassette in my hand, trying to turn the bolt but it does not turn.

Any help would be appreciated :)

-MIke

It sounds like you solved the problem, so I'm going to hijack this thread slightly to provide some general info. The cassette you have uses the SRAM "XD" technology, which is unusual in using a "lock tube" instead of a traditional lock ring. The lock tube is integrated into the cassette and enables the cassette to have the otherwise too small 10-tooth cog. The tube is the part marked in the OP's photo.

Although the OP's problem is with the movement of the locktube within the cassette, there have been a number of complaints in the past few years about the locktube seizing against the freehub, since there is a significant surface area of contact between them. Compounding the problem is the fact that the splines on the lock tube have a very low profile, so when excessive torque is applied to try to turn a seized lock tube, the splines shear off. Very often the result is that both the cassette and freehub body must be replaced. Search "SRAM XD cassette seizing up" for stories.

The take-home message is that you should liberally apply grease or anti-seize to the freehub body whenever installing this type of cassette!


Servicing a Vuelta XRP Disc Hub I can't for the life of me figure out how to get the freehub body off of this hub. Everything I can find online about the Vuelta hubs says that I should be able to stick a 5mm hex key into both sides of the axle and just loosen them, but this hub only has hex on the drive side. When I try to loosen that, only the non-drive side nut comes off. This is a 2014 Vuelta XRP wheel. Thanks for any advice.

Update: The second part of Nathan's answer was correct. When I put a 5mm wrench in the axle on the drive side as well as a cone wrench on the not lockring on that side I was able to remove the nut.

I don't have specific experience with this one, but the pictures suggest it works one of two ways:

From where you're at now, you bonk the end of the axle on the non-drive sufficiently hard and the axle slides out, possibly taking the freehub with it, or if not then letting it be removed.
You put the 5mm allen in the drive side end and a cone wrench on the bit with the cone wrench flats next to it, figure out if it's a left or right thread, break that connection and unscrew it, and the hub comes apart that way. I think this is more probable.


Does it make sense to switch to single chainring on an older mountain bike? Very recently I've started seeing a setup like this on pretty regular bikes:

(Image taken from CyclingID forum)

Appeal of the single chainring

To me the positives of this setup became quite obvious the moment I saw it: fewer parts to clean and maintain, no "dead" chainring-cogset combinations (and the occasional "thumb fight" that comes with it), less clutter on already busy handle bar. Weight is not an issue for me (see below). Price for many new parts is the single disadvantage I can think of, but I'm doing it for fun and money isn't a big problem.

My current bike

I have an older (10-15 years) 26" aluminium frame mountain bike with a suspension fork and hard tail. Shifting is Shimano SLX 3 x 9 with short derraileur tension arm and some very worn out levers.  I upgrade and update the bike regularly for both practicality and the fun I get from taking the thing apart and making it a bit nicer. The scale of upgrades goes along the lines of upgrading the supermarket-grade fork to RockShox Tora Air, basic Shimano V brakes to Avid Juicy 5, nice sturdy Remerx wheels and so on. Weight is too horrendous to even mention but I don't mind (and don't want to mind). So basically a very expensive fairly crap bike. The original basic Shimano chainrings are getting old (and too worn, I fear) and I'm thinking about he best replacement.

The question: a small update or big upgrade

The chain, chain rings and cog wheels need replacing, and I'd happily swap the old (and perhaps a bit worn, too) square tapper bearing bracket for something nice as well. I'm not happy with the overal gear change function (caused by old age of the system from levers through wires to improper part combinations I came to over the years) and I'd like to overhaul that as well. So there are two options for me (see further down still), and I want to avoid the possible trap of the appealing and fashionable new thing, the silliness of which I fail to imagine in advance. Are there any downsides of the second option apart from higher part costs? Is there something important I am missing in the shopping list for the second option? Does the second option even make sense?

Option 1 - What I'd upgrade anyway: Chain, cables + cable housing, gear change levers, frame bearing bracket, crank arms with chain rings, cog wheels.

Option 2 - Upgrade to single chain link: Chain, fewer cables and cable housing, one more expensive gear change lever, more expensive crank arms with integrated bearings, new rear derailleur, a new hub with all that goes with it if necessary (I'm afraid it will be).

Update I don't want to buy a new bike even though I'd get more of a modern bike for less money. I'm drawn by the prospect of less shifting and less maintenance and am looking for possible drawbacks or obstacles one can't imagine until one bumps in them mid-upgrade.

The more general form of the questions is: is it worth upgrading a bike vs buying a whole new bike?

In many cases it is not worth it. Individual upgraded components are compromised by remaining lower end ones. Full upgrading of components is as expensive as a new bike. The bike is still saddled with older technology (such as rim brakes).

However, if the point is to mess around wrenching on a bike, give it a new lease of life, the components to be replaced are worn out anyway, and the limitations are well understood; then that in fine. Especially so if the builder is prepared to spend some time on Craigslist and Ebay finding cheap serviceable parts.

[Full disclosure - I own a mountain bike with components spread over two decades.]


Bike recommendation for daily commute I am a 6ft, 172 pound being. Just moved to boston and now that the weather is better, I am looking for a bike which I can use for my daily office commute (around 3ish mile one way). I am willing to spend around 350-500$. Rather than relying on some random bike store's recommendation, I would ask here.

Open to all recommendations, road/hybrid bikes, fixie/geared, etc. Am a casual biker, but am capable of assembling/servicing the bike if need be.

Road conditions: apart from the cracks and some rough roads of boston, should to good. No off-roading with this bike.

Goods: Will have a backpack, laptop and some minor stuff.

Purpose: Commuting and pleasure riding on weekends, nothing competitive.

Folding bike: Don't see any use of it.

Given the added details in the question, I'd probably agree with @tommy_o's answer and @armb's comment, but would also say this:

It sounds like you do not currently ride and are looking to start. If this is the case, I wouldn't be tempted to spend too much money first time around.

Obviously you need to spend enough to be comfortable that what you buy is not going to fall apart. But beyond that, your scenario will probably go one of three ways.

You'll end up using the bike just for commuting. In which case 30 miles a week is not heavy use and you don't need any kind of special bike, you just need some tlc every now and again, so there's no point spending lots of money.
You'll end up riding the bike while the sun shines, then leaving it in the garage when its cold or wet or you're running late or you just don't feel like it today. Eventually it'll live in the garage, growing cobwebs and rust. In this case obviously any money you spent on the bike in the first place is lost, so there's not much point spending a lot in the first place.
The third option is the most interesting, and this is what happened to me. You'll use the bike for commuting and will enjoy it so much that you'll start using it more and more at weekends. And as you cycle more, so you will develop tastes, for example for road cycling or off-roading, trails etc. And its very possible that you'll want to get yourself a bike that is more appropriate for your taste. But of course the difference between then and now is that what the time comes, you'll know exactly what type of bike you want and you won't need anyone else's opinion, least of all a bunch of strangers on SE. So again, I'd buy a cheaper bike now, just one that does the job, with a possible view to buying another bike as and when want to take that next step.

By way of example, the bike that got me back into cycling, I bought from a local bike shop who were having a clearout. It was a reputable make, had a Shimano groupset, but beyond that was nothing special (and frankly I wouldn't have known if it was!). It was old even when I bought it new. Cost me just under GBP100 (USD150ish). So not a massive investment. And I used it for commuting roughly the same distance as you.

After two years of commuting I'd had great use out of the bike, it had paid for itself many times over, but I was ready for something better. In my case it was a no-brainer to upgrade to a fixie - not even a second thought.


V brake lever with calipers I am converting an old road bike to fixed gear with brakes. I am opting for long reach calipers as the brake reach is 70mm. As i am going to put a flat handlebar I am thinking of buying brake lever but can't figure out should go for v brakes lever or not.
Will V-brake lever work with long reach calipers?
Thanks

MTB vee brakes have a different pull ratio than road caliper pull ratio.
They make specific levers for each.
I've used normal mtb vee levers on road bikes before and it was fine, when I used the brakes, it just felt like it stopped with small amounts of movement of the lever. So modulation wasn't great. But it worked.
Alternatively, you could use "cross top" levers which should work better than normal MTB levers.
Cross top levers, used a lot in CX and touring bikes.


Can you help me identify the year of my specialized frame by serial number? I have a Specialized Stumpjumper Sport. trying to figure out what year. Does anyone know how to identify by the serial number? I believe it is an 86 or 87.

!
Above picture is the 1986 version of the Stumpjumper
And here is a link that may help you research the exact year of your vintage Stumpjumper: Vintage Mountain Bike Workshop


Places with car roads turned into bike roads What can we do to minimize car usage and petroleum and other car energy consumption? I was thinking designating some car lanes as bike-only lanes could work in some places, or even having an hour where only bike traffic is agreed or something like that.

Bikes could have special carts attached to them for transporting whatever messed to be transported during those hours, and some special vehicles would be nevertheless authorized.

How would this work? Where has a similar system been implemented, and what are the details?

In my city, they shut down the parkway and the roads in the provincial park on Sunday mornings during the summer for bicycle traffic only. Its a great way to get people out on their bikes when they aren't comfortable in traffic. It also helps relieve congestion on the shared bike/walk paths that would be just swarmed with riders in these areas if they didn't close the roads. The roads aren't really that busy outside of weekday rush hour traffic anyway.


How good or bad would chainsaw bar lubricant be as a bicycle chain lube? A former coworker asked me this today, and I don't have a good answer.  He has access to plentiful quantities of chainsaw bar lubricant, the stuff that helps a chainsaw's chain move around the metal support poking out the front of a chainsaw.

Bar lube is primarily intended to decrease friction between a non-moving metal surface and the backside of a cutting chain.  Secondary effects are lubing the chain and helping to transfer heat away from the chain to the bar.

Its got to be better than CRC or WD40, but would bar lube be just simply worse than proper chain lubricants, or a lot worse?

Personally I'd just use proper bike chain lube. The question is specifically about chainsaw bar lube.

On a chainsaw is it called bar lube (not chain lube).
It is designed to lube the bar.

This is chainsaw chain:

Not the same beast as bicycle chain.
I don't even think there are rollers.
Bar lube is more viscous than bicycle chain lube.
Bar lube does not need a long life - it is going to get thrown off.
There is an excess of bar lube and big gaps compared to a bicycle chain.
The chain itself only needs to last longer than the cutting teeth.

Yes they are both chains but that is about all they have in common.
It is a bar lube.

I would chose 3 in 1, motor oil, or transmission fluid over bar lube.
Yes I would use bar lube on my bicycle chain if I had nothing else in the shop but I would not use it just because it was free. I would even use WD 40 for a single ride and get chain lube the next day. Not a great lubricant but WD 40 would not gunk up the chain.

You pay $20+ for a decent chain. Why would you skimp using a product not designed to protect the chain? A good chain lube is not very expensive and goes a long way.


Need new chainwheels for a cheap racing bike - which price range makes sense? Couple of years ago I bought a rather cheap racing bike after my mountain bike was stolen. I didnt use it much at first. Now, with Corona I spent a lot of time on my bike and probably did around 1000-1500 miles in the last 3 months.

What do I Need:

Now the chain isn't that stable anymore and I guess I need new chainwheels. I went to a forum and asked about details on how to measure the size to replace them. The users were mostly amused/shocked about how used my chainwheels look but did not really answer my question. There was one good suggestion to directly invest in a crankset, which makes sence.

What do I need it for:

Like I said my bike was rather cheap ~315 Pounds (https://www.decathlon.at/rennrad-triban-500-rot-id_8377759.html). But I am perfectly happy with it, since I can do my daytrips of 20-60 miles or multiday trips 250-400 miles and I dont care much if my bike is 2 pounds more or 10% slower.

My Research:

First I spent quite some time researching chainwheels and how to replace them. But I am also fine, changing the wohle crankset (if they include new chainwheels :)). I found that cranksets are much cheaper for mountain bikes than for road bikes. Might be due to the weight but I also read that MTB cranksets might also be used on road bikes, so I am not sure.

The price range seems to be insane, like 20 - 1000 Pounds and more. I prefer a lower price but am aware that the quality should be good enough that the material does not break too fast.

Quality Brands:

My Research indicated that Shimano has good quality material.
But still there also seems to be a wide price range for them

Cheap alternatives:

If I may add a few examples:

Shimano 1

Shimano 2

Shimano 3

Decathlon

That price range makes perfect sense for my current bike, from my current perspective.

Question:

Are there arguments for not using one of these for my bike if I plan to ride around 1-3k miles the next years?

Edit:

Concerning doubts that I require new chainwheels. Please don't laugh too hard, Biking just started as a corona-replacement hobby and escalated quickly ;)

You probably foremost need a neww chain and you will also need a new cassette.

What you are linking are chainsets. You can normally just buy new chainrings for your existing crankset. As others mention in the comments, check first, whether the aluminium thing we see in the photograph in the top-right corner is a bolt that can be released with a hex key or a rivet. If it is a rivet, you will need a whole new crankset. See the bottom of the answer for a new crankset.

First for the cassettes

You can buy any 8 speed cassette that fits your rear derailleur in terms of size of the cogs - sprockets. The current one is 12 - 25. You likely have the RD-32 derailleur with max cog 28T and total capacity 39T. That means you cane safely go to even to 11-28T cassette.

In general, 8 speed cassettes are pretty cheap but those with older sprocket sizes (like yours) tend to cost more. I do not know why, but I do see it n the shops. But you can look around for the best deal, they are intercompatible.

With a triple crankset you can keep your small range cassette 12-25 but you can think about a wider 11-28. You get a bigger range, but also bigger differences between gears and more overlap between chainrings. But as I wrote, for some reason they appear to be cheaper and easier to find. Like here https://www.bike-components.de/en/Shimano/Claris-CS-HG50-8-8-speed-Cassette-p35939/

But shop around, look for HG-40, HG-50, HG-200 or Suntour 8-speed cassettes and see if they also have a cheap 12-25 somewhere. I did see it on Czech eshops but they were more expensive.

Do not forget that firstly you need a new chain and measure the chain stretch regularly next time so you do not neet the buy the cassette next time. A new chain is much cheaper. A chain measurement tool (chain gauge) is worth the investment. Even in terms of money saved.

From the update it is clear you also need new chainrings:

Buy new chainrings, unless there is something really bad with your cranks that you did not show. But I regard this as unlikely. If the chainrings can be released by the hex key.

You probably have this crankset http://www.pro-wheel.com/main/?product=ounce-631-tt or a very similar older model. The linked one is 9-speed but you may have an 8-speed version that is no-longer advertised. In that case it is 130 mm BCD and 74 mm BCD. It is best to measure it yourself. Or, you would at least give us a better picture of the crankset. Best with some scale, like a tape measure. In the Decathlon link the BCD size is actually written on the

You can also buy from other brands, not just ProWheel. You also can change the sizes. You have 50, 39 and 30T but that can be changed, if you keep the difference. If you are not experienced judging what is fine, I would keep 50, 39 and 30, though.

For example, something like this https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/chainrings/compact-chainring-steel-110mm-bcd-5-arm-silver-50t/  Just to give you a picture how it should look like. You have to shop around in your country.

If you want to buy a new crankset or even a combo with a chain and a cassette, remember that you need a triple one. Currently you have 50-39-30. You will often see 48-38-28. That should work too. It may require readjusting your front derailleur.

With a new crankset you will probably need a new bottom bracket. They are sold with different length. You will have to find out the correct length for your new crankset. And, if you ugrade to something with a different bottom bracket type (like Octalink or even Hollowtech II) you need the correct type. The cheapest cranksets use all square taper bottom brackets but with different lengths.


Front derailleur cable keeps snapping, change of riding habits perhaps? My front derailleur cable has snapped within three months of changing. As a result I’m seeking advice on good biking practice.

I ride a Specialized Hardrock Disc SE 26 from 2014. I ride on a college campus and go off road (albeit quite elementary of a “trail”) often. There are a lot of hills and I’ve noticed that almost none of the other riders touch their shifters.

I on the other hand, treat my bike like a car, and shift constantly. I start with (1,4) front and back, and go through the 21 speeds, while skipping some.

This might seem silly, but do I have the whole concept of bike riding wrong? Am I shifting too much, causing accelerated wear and tear, because a bike’s gears aren’t meant to be shifting constantly? As noted above, I don’t see some other riders touch their shifters at all.

Kindly give me your thoughts on the matter

I appreciate your help!

Matt

[EDIT]. I was riding thru the woods when a twig got stuck in my drivetrain. The gears were thrown out of whack and my chain broke. I took it to get fixed and it ran fine. Then I noticed that the front derailleur cable was slack. It wasn’t taut as it used to be. It shifted well though, and I ignored it. Then today I shifted into gear 3 on the front and didn’t feel the resistance when pedaling. I glanced down and sure enough, cable was sticking out and the chain had not moved. The cable had snapped.

[EDIT] The Cable broke at the derailleur end, right where it was anchored to a point on the derailleur mechanism in the front. As user ojs suggested, it is indeed a pull-up type of shifter. I shall add more pictures.

[EDIT] I appreciate your patience with me, this is my first post. I've uploaded three images which I believe aid in our investigation.
Attached is the link to specialized bicycles. The page is the manufacturer's specifications of the Hardrock.

Specialized Hardrock Disc SE Specifications

Excessive force or frequency in front shifting habits may be able to play a role in a cable breaking, but it's very likely that it was primarily caused by factors beyond your control.

Front derailleurs vary in how much bending in the cable at the anchor bolt is created as they move through their range of motion. Some recent mountain front derailleurs push this to extremes, which is unfortunate because in doing so they add to the risk of breaking cables.

Mechanics are at times faced with a decision in setting up cables whether to accept there being a previously anchored section between the final anchor point and the lever, or of clamping partway over a previously anchored spot. This can happen as a result of anchoring the cable and then the derailleur's mounting position needing adjustment or by needing to have less starting tension or a more inbound low limit screw adjustment. The problem with allowing this is that it creates some degree of a weak point, and whether it's enough to lead to breakage is impossible to say conclusively. Typically the more skilled a mechanic is, the better they are at sticking to an order of operations that negates this, while newer mechanics may not even realize it's something they should care about.

At some point, the scrupulous decision becomes to put a new cable in and start over, but it doesn't always happen when it should. When cables break at the anchor bolt, I think this is the most common primary reason.

As for shifting habits, most people on multiple-chainringed modern bikes (as opposed to 10 or 12-speeds, say) stick to choosing a chainring that matches the current terrain and then adjusting their rear gear as needed. So in other words you're shifting in back far more frequently than in front. Because the jumps between gears in back on modern bikes are relatively small, not much is lost with this approach in terms of pedaling efficiency, and the inefficiency and hassle of doing all that front shifting is saved. Older bike drivetrains with smaller numbers of gears in back and larger jumps pushed one more in the direction of making constant front shifts in order to find a reasonable gear to be in.

There are stylistic and strategic elements to shifting too. Some people just like using muscle to get through spots where a lower gear could also be appropriate, or conversely might choose to force themselves to operate at a higher cadence when a higher gear would also work. From an efficiency standpoint, these things have to be weighed against the lost efficiency of bothering to shift, especially in front.


guide to correctly assemble a Walmart bike I bought a genesis max air from Walmart last fall used it a few times before the winter and two weeks ago brought it back out.  For the last two weeks me and the wife have been riding about 8 miles everyday and went and rode some trails last Sunday.  So far the bike has been alright but I think I would feel better if I reassembled it.  So I was seeing if someone knew of a guide or video on how to tear it down and put it back together or really any suggestions on it.

Problems I've already noticed is the front derailer won't shift into third it's like the cable is all the way tight in second and the disc on the front wheel is sitting way too tight in the brake.  I don't have any experience working on bikes but I own a construction Company and am a trained mechanic (I service all of my equipment) so I think I could figure it out with some help.

If you are mechanically inclined most of the adjustments are straight forward. There are many on line tutorials, Park Tools website and the often mentioned Sheldon Brown are my personal favorites. As @ Batman has stated BSO (bicycle shaped object) can be frustrating to maintain. I have serviced them and the bearings don't get any smoother when I assemble it than it did from the factory. The primary concern from the design is will it function (not is it smooth ,is it light ,is it durable)  with parts from a certain pricepoint To use a comparison you may relate to. If I buy a tablesaw for $125 it may last me 20 years of occasional homeowner use, if you used it commercially it will fail much sooner. A Walmart grade bicycle will function fine for an occasional ride before it needs maintenance. A higher quality bike (not just when new but after years of use) will be easier to tune and stay in tune longer. It will be repairable and upgradable.


No more chainguide from Sram? I remember I saw somewhere new Sram system that does not require chainguide. Don't remember the model, but could you please tell me more about it? How does it work?

SRAM XX1 is their new single chain ring setup. Very expensive and I have not even tried a demo, very wide range on the rear 11 speed cassette (10 x 42) and lots of chainrings available for the front.

My understanding is that the chainrings are designed to 'hold' the chain on. The chainring teeth are designed (wider and taller) to have a better grab of the chain.

Good review/article here: http://www.bikemag.com/gear/first-impressions-sram-xx1/
Good image of the chainring enlarged teeth here: http://www.bikemag.com/gear/srams-1x11-group-new-details-emerge/


Is this hub beyond repair? I recently took my bike in for a service and they told me that the hub and bearings had worn out and they needed to be replaced. I took the wheel off and rotated the bolt thing going through the center and there was a bit of a grinding feel. I took it apart and cleaned it up and it didn't look so bad

Its a bit hard to focus on such a small item but it seems to have an ok mirror shine and I only found a few minor scratches on some of the balls

If I apply new grease to this and put it back together should I expect it to work fine or is it actually in need of replacement?

https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/hub-overhaul-and-adjustment might be worth a read.

The cones do not look too bad.  Hard to see from the photo what the hub is like - are the hub cups pitted? This is what will require replacement. If the cups are not replaceable, the free-hub body might be. However, it boils down to cost and parts availability. Chances are a new wheel will be cheaper than replacing the hub if the hub cannot be rebuilt.

If the cups are not too bad, I would go with new bearings and cones as these are cheap.

From the shops point of view, if they try to service the hub and it fails after a short time, they are on the hook and their reputation is toast. As big chunk of the cost of servicing is labor so it's more cost effective to replace rather than repair. If you are prepared to do it yourself it costs a small amount of money to gets a bit more life from the hub, making a service worth while.


How does the SureStop braking system work? There's a new braking system put out by a company named SureStop that controls both front and rear cantilever (side-pull) brake systems with a single brake lever.  They seem to be mainly appealing to the safety / children / new bike owner's market.

They say their technology can prevent end-overs as well as skid-outs.

How do they do this? It appears to be more complex than a dual-cable brake lever -- i.e., there seems to be some fore-aft balancing magic that's going on.

Bonus question: If the rear pad loses traction against the wheel (for example: it wears down to its nubbins, slips off the rim, or the rear brake cable breaks), does the user lose all braking - front and rear? Does this then violate the redundant brake regulation in bicycle consumer sales laws?

For example, Japan's JIS 9301:2010 regulations requires "separate braking systems operating on the front and rear wheels respectively" and SureStop says that they are compliant with this standard. Because the front and rear brakes are linked in SureStop, it's unclear to me how they are "separate."

You've got a brake lever and a rear brake both with typical mechanical advantage characteristics. One of the rear pads has a spring-loaded sliding mechanism where forward momentum captured from the back wheel when braking causes it to slide forward and actuate a cable going to the front brake, which is controlled only in this manner. (The head of the cable is in the moving pad, and the stop for its housing is a stationary part of the pad. Movement between the two generates the cable movement, same as a brake lever.) Some assumptions are built-in about weight distribution and total weight on the bike, and the manufacturer chose a distance for the slidey bit that will keep the front brake from ever being able to lock if those assumptions are correct.

Maximum braking power is decreased compared to a normal system owing to the aforementioned one-size-fits-all design assumptions, which have to be conservative for the system to do its thing, which in the scheme of things probably makes them less safe for most people, not more. They are adequately powerful for most purposes when set up correctly. Their marketing/product material touts the line that they're a pure, unequivocal upgrade over conventional systems, which is not correct because they reduce the overall amount of braking power available.

Another safety drawback, especially for novice or fearful users that might be most drawn to the system, is that not adjusting the rear brake's barrel adjuster as the rear pads wear will create a situation where the entire bike has inadequate or no brakes much faster than in a conventional two-lever setup. For a rider that simply will never use their barrel adjusters, SureStop is much more dangerous. Compounding the issue is that the front brake has its own adjuster, but using it properly is a little more complex than normal (see their videos for more explanation.)

Another way of looking at how it works and the effect on power is that you've got a normal rear brake you can set up and use however you want, and for your front brake someone put an arbitrarily sized block of material between the lever and the bar so the lever will always bottom out against it at a certain point in its travel.

Any loss of grip between the rear pads and rim, or any mechanical failure of the rear brake, will keep the front brake from operating, rendering the bike brakeless. In other words, the system eliminates one of the key safety features of other bikes with two brakes: redundancy in case of mechanical issues, especially in emergency braking situations where cable systems in particular are stressed the most.

A theoretical advantage of this kind of system is for one-handed users, especially if the one braking hand available has compromised strength. Unlike split levers, they don't have the drawback that they're dividing one hand's braking force between two different brakes, since they're making use of otherwise-wasted energy to actuate the front brake.


What does the Cycliq "Universal" Adaptor connect to? I have a couple of Cycliq cameras that use this 1/8 turn connector. What type of connector is the other end (the two protrusions with a hole through them)?

Photos taken from https://www.wildfiresports.com.au/cycliq-universal-adaptor

The two circular holes will mount to a Go-Pro type mount. This is clever as the Go-Pro mount is available for a wide variety of surfaces include suction cups, helmet mounts, sticky mounts, handlebars, selfie poles and the like.

Notice the adapter has two tabs and a hole.  That's a "downward" facing part, so its to go into a matching part with three tabs and the bolt/nut for retention.

Here's a gopro camera showing the two downward tabs in clear plastic:

So your adapter is intended to have the circle side facing upward, to mount the Cycliq light onto a gopro mount on the bike, not to mount a camera.


Is this old steel frame MTB too big based on standover clearance? Background: I'm a road bike rider but I bought a cheap but well kept old chro-moly steel frame 26er mountain  bike (80s or early 90s model Miyata). I am planning on converting this to an ebike with a Bafang mid drive kit.
I can ride the bike fairly comfortably with the seat post most of the way in. No problem with reaching the handlebars. BUT if I'm standing over the bike in my shoes, the top tube is definitely touching my balls and pushing them up. There's no clearance. I know the importance of standover clearance is debated so I'm not sure what to think about this. The bike definitely feels large but I don't know how much this is a function of the frame being an older design with a horizontal top tube, me not being very used to MTBs or it just being too large.
Would you say that the frame is too large for me? I like the frame but I don't want to use it for the build if it's too large. I'm just not familiar with how these old bikes, and old MTBs especially, should feel.
Thank you!

This is intended to be used on road 100% of the time, for commuting up some steep hills.

If the bike is comfortable to ride for you, then it is a good size for you.  While standover room is important, you might choose to lean the bike more when stopping, in order to reach the ground.
One option is to fit some slick 26" tyres to gain some extra tolerance for the bearings  - you'll want to do that anyway.  Something like the "continental Grand Prix 26 inch" is 1+1/8" and has a road biased design.   Compared to a 2" tyre you'll drop the frame about 35-40mm.   Do consider pedal strike on the road though.


What Factors Should I Consider When Picking a Base Bar So I have a road bike, with STI shifters, but I'm looking to do an Iron Man. I've done centuries before on the bike just staying on the low bars, but I've found that the swim is just so exhausting for my arms and shoulders that I really need to go to aerobars.

I wanted to just get a new base bar with integrated aerobars so I wouldn't be carrying the extra weight of my roadbike handlebars. What's involved in that though?

I'm assuming that I'd need to replace my shifters?
I'm looking for aggressive posture, but I'm assuming this will require my handlebars to come with a fair amount of padding given the duration?
The Ironman I'm doing is very flat, should that play into my selection at all?

You're going to need a lot of stuff to make this change.

Bar end shifters for the ends of your aero bars.
Bar end brake levers for the ends of your base bar.
Base bar & aero bars or an integrated option.
Potentially a new seatpost.
Potentially a new stem.
Maybe a new seat.

You might want to look into clip-on aerobars. These attach to your existing bars and typically have a slightly less extreme position so you should be able to get away without too much of the extra fit stuff above. This'll give you a chance to see if you even want to use areobars, they're not for everyone.

You're also going to want to get a good amount of training in in your new position, if your event's less than a month away, I'd be wary of making this change now.


How many years an aluminium frame lasts in a touring bike? How long does an aluminium frame lasts in a touring bike?

[Removed extra questions to be clear.]

Background

So far I preferred aluminium vs. steel for many reasons, but if steel lasts significantly longer, for my next touring bike I will go for steel.

My Cannondale Badboy 2004 has a crack in the alu-frame. I was surprised by this, I thought my bike will last 20+ years easily. The workshop they said this is a high quality, strong frame, but after 10 years alu frames can get tired. Especially if I use my bike both in winter and summer, as the heat change wear alu faster. They say it can be welded, which will cost significantly less vs. a new frame (if it is available), but I should be prepared for other cracks to appear. The workshop contracts a welder specialized in bike frame welding and repair.

I also found a scientific research article on this topic. If someone has access to ScienceDirect (Cicero et al. (2011): Analysis of the cracking causes in an aluminium alloy bike frame), I'd be interested in the conclusions.

I'm interested in touring bikes, not road bikes, city bikes, etc.

I'm happy to update/clarify my question if needed, make a comment.

Topics I have researched:

Maintenance on an Aluminium frame
Which type of frame is better for a touring bike, steel or aluminium?
Is it possible to repair a dent on an aluminium frame?
What are the pros and cons between an aluminium and carbon frame?
Is torque relevant for steel/aluminium? Where do I find torque specs?
non-steel frames and longevity
http://forums.mtbr.com/frame-building/aluminum-welding-cracked-frame-134600.html
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/repairing-a-cracked-frame

Crack in the alu frame near the rear axe (the bike is upside down):

There are a lot of question so I will settle on the one in the title.

How many years will an current aluminum frame last of a touring bike?

Depends:

Don't know what aluminum frame
Construction is a larger factor than material
Don't know the use
Use is a larger factor than material
Don't know how you are going to care for the bike
Care/maintenance is larger factor than material

Aluminum has not changed in the 10 years

All we know is your last aluminum, high quality, strong frame bike lasted about 10 years

The best guess is your next aluminum, high quality, strong frame will also last 10 years
Really that is the best guess

That is as vague as how long will a current pair of sneakers last me?
And the best guess for how long my next pair of sneakers will last is how long did my last pair last.

Aluminum fatigues and steel does not fatigue.
As stated in a comment steel does fatigue - well not always. Mild steel will not normally admit fatigue crack growth if the applied stresses are below about 10% of the strength of the material. Materials, such as aluminium alloys, do not have any such fatigue limit. If a cyclic load is applied, aluminium alloys will always fatigue.  For the same strength a steel bike is typically going to be heavier than aluminum.  But you get a bike that is much much less susceptible to fatigue.  With steel you also get a bike that will take a ding (dent) and not compromise structural strength to the extent of aluminum. Not exactly the same thing but at the molecular level they are related. Frame Materials

Found a quoted number.  Just because it was on the Internet does not make it right but here is a 5-10 year quote.
Bike Frame: Aluminum Vs. Steel

  Aluminum frames possess the shortest fatigue life of any material used
  to manufacture bicycle frames. The typical aluminum frame possesses a
  life expectancy of five to 10 years. The fatigue life of steel is much
  longer, but the material requires more maintenance. To prevent rust
  formation steel frames must be cleaned and polished regularly and
  periodically coated with rust stop on the interior of the frame.

If you are discounting steel because it will rust then you are not caring for the bike properly.  A properly maintained and stored steel bike should not rust.  And for sure it should not rust out in your life time.   You stated bikes from you fathers era lasted 40-50 years - pretty sure they were steel bikes.

If you want fatigue free and rust free then get titanium.


what power did alex dowsett put out during his hour record? Alex Dowsett recently set a new world hour record of 52.937 kilometres, how much power did he have to produce for an hour to be able to achieve this feat?

We cannot know exactly unless Dowsett's team releases it, but we can make a reasonable estimate. The most important unknown is Dowsett's drag area, or CdA, so below I have calculated the power needed to average 52.937 km/h for various values of CdA, given the assumptions noted on the figure. Notably, rho is air density in the velodrome and a trackside observer provided the estimate of 1.16 kg/m^3; Dowsett is listed as 75 kg for his "official" weight so 85 kg is an estimate of the rider plus bike plus shoes plus helmet plus suit; eta is drive train efficiency and for fixed gear bikes with a good chainline losses tend to be around 2.5%; and the coefficient of rolling resistance for track tires on a smooth wooden velodrome surface will be in the range of .0025 to .003. Thus, if Dowsett's drag area were around 0.195 m^2, his average power would have had to have been about 400 watts.


How to know when to bleed a hydraulic disk brake / tips for improving disk brake performance? I've had a new bike for a week or two. I bought it online and I'm paying the price of not being able to chat to the store about the brakes.

It is a cyclocross bike with SRAM Rival hydraulic disk brakes.

The front brake seems to be fine, although it is definitely a little bent already, which I will attend to. When the level is applied, the stopping power seems to be quite strong. It bites quickly and is powerful.

However, the rear brake is very ineffective. The reach is the same as the front brake, it is reasonable and if the brake was powerful, I think it would be fine. However, once I reach the point of contact it is very spongy and ineffective.

Is there an obvious way to tell whether it might need bleeding? It strikes me as unlikely, due to the fact is almost brand new.

Are there other things I can try to improve the performance?

I've read about adjusting how close the brake pads are to the disk, I will probably try bringing them close to see if that helps.

Is there a sure fire way to bed in the brake-pads? I'm not convinced they are bedded-in yet.

What's the best way of cleaning the rotors and pads to ensure I haven't managed to get an WD-40 or anything on them?

Any other tips?

Bad disc brake performance is almost always either air in the lines or oil on the pads.

Air makes the levers spongey and oil stops the pads grabbing the disc.

Your problem sounds like air, a bleed should sort it out. A bad bleed from the factory is not that uncommon.

If you've patience you can try turning the bike so the line is as vertical as possible and gently tap the calliper, line and lever to see if you can convince the bubble into the reservoir, this is a temporary fix but will confirm that the problem is air.

An oily pad will feel firm if you pull the lever but will not grab the disc when you're riding. They often feel just fine if you push the bike with no weight on it.

To test this you could pull out the front pads and see if they work better, be sure the clean the disc with some alcohol first.

The easiest way to fix dirty pads is to buy new ones.

Brakes that are not run in properly feel like oily ones, just not to the same extent, and are easily fixed by following the run in procedure in your manual. This is usually getting up to speed and stopping as hard as you can 5 or 10 times.


Can I install a double chainset on a bike that was originally designed for a triple chainset? I have a BTwin Triban 3 which has a triple chainset that needs replacing. I am thinking of replacing it with a double chainset this time. Is this possible, or do I need new shifters and a different rear cassette? Could someone please link me to a good tutorial that will show me how to replace the chainset.

You'll need a new bottom bracket with a different axle length, a new crankset of course, front derailleur and matching shifter. Since you'll probably need to buy a complete set of brifters it will be quite an expense. And while you're at it you'll probably have to get new cable housings and cables for the brakes. Not to mention new bar tape. At least you can keep the rear derailleur  and  the cassette if the resulting new gears suit you, but you may need a new chain.

And if your triple has less than 10 gears on the cassette you'll probably have to find an older double crankset and matching shifters.

INMHO I would keep the bike as it is because the expense will be quite hefty.


Chain vs chainless options Could someone provide a comparison between having a bike with a chain, with a shaft drive and with a belt drive like the Gates Carbon Drive?

It could be good to know who fares better in terms of low maintenance, durability, and efficiency.

For fixed, single speed and hub gears belt drives are great, if slightly more expensive initially.  They don't work with derailleurs.

The key difference is that as chains wear they also wear the sprockets and chainrings and therefore all need replacing if you leave it too long or don't lubricate often enough.

Belt drives are used in many applications which are harsher and less maintainable than bike drivetrains - 70k Miles @ 3000 RPM for a car cambelt should give you confidence to fit and forget a belt on a bike. Also used on big motorbikes (Harley, Yamaha, Buell) as a chain replacement.

Shaft drive is too inefficient and heavy for practical use on a bike.

I have both chain and belt drives on different bikes - they do different things but are both fit for their respective purposes. The chain needs lubricating frequently and replacing from time to time. And the belt-drive simply doesn't.


Choosing the right size frame I'm planning to buy a bike. Based on my height (I'm 5 foot 6 inches / 167 cm) people suggested me to go for anything between 17"-18" frame.

When I calculated its coming as 17.5"

My dilemma is if I go for 17" (43 cm) as the frame is readily available is that right fit? Does 0.5" (12.7mm) makes a big difference in terms of comfortability and ride quality?

I'm looking for MTB or Hybrid. I'm 27 and my height is just below average.

Common wisdom is that upper body length, true inseam and riding style are important to bike fit, as is where/what you will be riding.

Riding offroad needs more frame/rider clearance than street or park riding.  You should have 4 inches/10 cm for true off-road mountain biking, and 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) for road or commuter riding.

One of the better bike fit sites: http://www.competitivecyclist.com/Store/catalog/fitCalculatorBike.jsp