Should I replace my tyres with something thinner? I'm looking to buy a preowned Voodoo Marasa 2014 hybrid bike (full spec available here).

The bike comes with the original 700 X 45C tyres, but I'm wondering if it is possible to replace them with something thinner, and if so, whether it is worth it.

From the very limited understanding of bikes that I have, I gather that thinner tyres mean less friction, and so you go faster. I do most of my riding on the road or cycle paths (almost never off-road), so a thinner tyre seems like a more sensible option, but I don't know whether the benefits would be very noticeable or cost effective.

Rolling resistance depends much more on the tread, the shape of a tire, and the suppleness of its side walls. A few points to explain this:

A tire with a very pronounced tread will roll less smoothly over hard roads and requires more energy than a slick tire of same width.

A ballooning tire that is considerably wider than the rim will have to deform more as it rolls.

A stiff tire dissipates more energy for these deformations.

If you like to reduce rolling resistance, you might try to get a slick tire, or a tire with small treads. (There is by the way no aquaplaning concern with slicks for bicycles.) This will bring by far the greatest gain you may get. Marginal improvements may be had if you get a tire that is only slightly wider than the rim and is supple. However, the trade-off for the latter are a higher risk of flats, less comfort, and considerably higher costs per tire.

Also note, in general a tire that is narrower has to be used with higher pressure in order to avoid pinch flats.

Estimate

If you like to calculate how much a reduction of rolling resistance may bring in a best-case scenario you could use this calculator. Enter your weight desired power. Also increase the cross sectional area to something closer to 0.7 m^2 to reflect the more upright posture on a hybrid. The rolling resistance coefficient 0.004 assumes very well running tires. Calculate the speed once with this value, then double and tripple it.

Example calculation: For 100 kg weight, at sea level on a flat, and 200 W power I get 9.15 m/s, 8.53 m/s, and 7.82 m/s for coefficients 0.004, 0.008, and 0.012, respectively. For lighter riders rolling resitance matters less.

Further reading:

Sheldon Brown, tread patterns

ibid, tire width and pressure

Jan Heine, suspension losses


How do specific tubeless valves compare to bodging it with a cut-off tube valve? How do specific tubeless valves compare to bodging it with a cut-off tube valve? Would the bodge work? Thanks

I've seen it done that way when the whole tube is split and used as a liner to make a tubeless system out of a non-tubeless wheelset.  As pointed out in the comments, if you already have a tubeless wheelset, the couple of bucks you save probably isn't worth the hassle you will experience trying to get the "bodged" valve to seal to the rim.  It might make more sense as an emergency measure if you have destroyed a tubeless valve.


Can Shimano Rear Derailleur Lever Be Fixed? I have the old style gear lever - simple metal stick thing? Use a screwdriver to tighten up the screw on the outside to change the 'tightness' of the lever.

Trouble is it always comes loose again.

Can this be fixed or I need another type of lever?

Those are "stem shifters"

Problem is its not just a simple bolt.  There are washers in there that do the actual gripping and it sounds like they may be dirty or worn to not be holding so well.

If you're handy, take it apart completely, clean with solvent or citrus cleaner, and then reassemble in the reverse order.  Take lots of photos to assist with rebuilding.

If you're after a quick fix, take out the screw/bolt, squirt some "locktite" on the threads and reinstall.  Leave it a day to harden and then ride like normal.   Superglue (cyanoacrilate) can be used instead in a pinch.


Advantages and Disadvantages of Bibs vs Shorts? I have so far used cycling shorts for my road cycling attire, but have noticed that bib shorts are prevalent with many road cyclists including many pros.

What are advantages and disadvantages of using bibs vs cycling shorts?

Any quirks, caveats or major pluses for each?

Bibs

Don't move.
Looks more pro.

Shorts

Easier to put on.
Easier when the you hear the call of nature.


Can I remove my thru axle when the lever is disengaged? I was changing a tube on my Breezer Doppler pro today, and when I went to reinstall the thru axle, everything threaded together smoothly but then the cam lever became disengaged from the axle. Now the lever spins freely in either direction, without engaging the axle at all. It's just tight enough that I can't close the lever, but I can't tighten or loosen it. No Allen key hole on the there side either.
Is there any way to get this axle out easily? A non-destructive method would be ideal, but I'll be replacing it anyways, so anything you got, as long as it doesn't damage my frame.
My first instinct when I saw these axles was to replace them immediately, but I didn't, and here we are. They have worked flawlessly for almost a year. Just seems like a really poor design.
I apologize that this is basically arepeat, but none of the answers here or on other forums seem to provide a workable solution. It seems like a really common problem that I just haven't seen a good fix for.

Because necessity is the mother of solving problems caused by poorly designed components, I'm answering my own question.
I tried vice grips, as someone recommended, but the alloy in the axle was too soft to get any bite before they slipped off (did manage to mangle the exposed threads though, so that was fun to file off before removing it).
The solution that ended up working was to jam (force) a ball-end hex wrench that was just too big into the open end of the axle, press hard, and turn. For this axle it was a 3/16" (4mm was too small, 5mm was too big). As soon as I got it backed off just a hair the lever engaged as it should, and all was right with the world.
For reference, I also tried this approach using various sizes of Philip's head screwdriver without success. My next plan was to file a slot in the threaded end for my jumbo sized flat head screwdriver. If that didn't work, I was going to buy a reverse-treaded screw extractor. Based on my experience, either of those approaches should have worked as well.
I'm fairly confident that if I had taken this approach from the start I could have salvage the axle (at least until my new one comes in the mail). Live and learn.


Protecting gadgets against rain during touring When carrying laptop / camera around I'm always stressed out when it starts raining. Living in a city one can easily avoid rain though - but on a long touring trip there will inevitably be cases when you have to bike through rain.

What's the safest way to protect gadgets (laptop, camera + lenses, phone, ...) from rain during a long bike trip? What kind of bag would give me complete peace of mind? Or should I just put them in a backpack and wear a good raincoat over the backpack? Anyone else biked with gadgets during rain?

The main compartment of most handlebar bags waterproof when closed. Better models have pockets to keep passports dry. There are also plenty of models on the market that have padding for cameras and lenses.

The brand most synonymous with waterproofing is Ortlieb. They make handlebar bags and camera kit inserts for them. There are plenty of other makes on the market, one feature to look out for is the Klickfix bracket that lets you quickly remove the bag for when you are off bike.

As for the computer, the best range of bags can be found in High Street computer shops. For light weight get a neoprene cover with no fancy handles or extra pockets. You can then put your neoprene sleeved computer in a pannier.


Securing a Penny Farthing- HOW? Penny-Farthings aren't cheap as anybody who owns one will attest to at £1,300+ for a UDC Penny-Farthing. So I'm keen to secure it from theft, especially since I'd need to be able to evidence that I made reasonable efforts to safeguard it, were it ever stolen for insurance purposes!
However, as a Penny-Farthing doesn't have a closed frame like a safety bicycle but rather a spine, the standard security chain solutions which require the chain to loop back on itself effectively reduce the chain length 50%. So by the time I run the chain through the forks and wheel, there's not enough slack to secure it to a fixed object! This leaves the thief free to toss my Penny Farthing into the back of a pickup truck where they remove the chain with an angle grinder at their leisure.
So conventional security chain solutions don't really work given the unique shape of a Penny-Farthing. Any ideas on how to secure a Penny Farthing?!?!?

Intro:
What started out as a question on how to secure a Penny-Farthing has evolved through significant peer review (see comments) into a broader discussion of really a comparison of competing security options to protect expensive bikes- Penny-Farthings or otherwise. So somebody interested in securing their expensive street or mountain bike could benefit from reading this article.
This solution has been significantly peer-reviewed and I've updated the answer to incorporate the useful feedback in the comments from @Michael, @Criggie, @DanielRHicks (from his comments in the "Question" section"). Thanks to all who took the time to contribute to improve the quality of the answer; I'm most obliged.
Security Design Plan:
The security is to prevent theft of the Penny-Farthing while garaged.

The security should not be able to be defeated with bolt cutters, but require advance tools like an Angle grinder which will be loud, attract attention and take increased time to defeat the security

Immobilize the bike in a way to prevent a thief disassembling the Penny-Farthing to defeat the fierce chain & shackle. ie: the thief can't remove the rear wheel fork, remove the front wheel and/or slide the chain off of the spine using disassembly techniques.

Once immobilized in such a way that a thief can't leave with enough parts to be useful through disassembly, chain the Penny-Farthing to a fixed object to prevent it being removed to a location the chain can be cut using an angle grinder or other heavy-duty tools.

Alternatives Bike Security Considered But Rejected:

U-Locks: After researching solutions, I saw too many pictures of these on the 'net being defeated by cutters. U-Locks were therefore quickly removed from consideration.

Standard Bike Chain: I tried using one of these, but the effective length of the chain is only 50% because the free end must be looped-back to the shackle.  Although the Penny Farthing could be immobilized, there was insufficient slack to chain it to a fixed object. So a thief could throw it in the back of a van or truck and subject the chain to an angle grinder at their leisure without risk of getting caught.

Longer Non-Bike Chains: Bike chains are crazy expensive. But to be fair, they're pretty fierce and incorporate features to defeat cutters and leverage attacks. For the sake of completeness, I investigated potentially purchasing just a long length of commercial chain. However, it was expensive and no where near as tough as the bike chains.

Hybrids: Producing a solution from using different security types. The cost of these generally exceeded the cost of the ultimate winner, the "Kryptonite NEW YORK CINCH RING CHAIN 1213" which provided an integrated approach where the system was designed as a whole. So a hybrid system of separate lock types and chains tended to be more expensive and introduce weaknesses into the system as a whole.

Solution: The Cinch or "Noose" Chain:
This chosen solution below uses a single chain "Kryptonite NEW YORK CINCH RING CHAIN 1213" to achieve the security design goals. Could be used when cycling, but at 10.55 lbs (4.79 kgs), you'd need to be a pretty sturdy person to lug it around ;-)
After being unable to both render the bike inoperable AND secure it to a fixed object using a standard security chain, I discovered the "noose" chain. Its' genius is that instead of using one BIG loop to chain both ends to a shackle, it allows you to create a "noose" around the  wheel & spine/frame while creating a SECOND loop around the fixed object giving you the maximum possible effective useful length of the security chain. And this solution is extensible to ANY type of bicycle.
On one end of the chain is a large round link that allows the free-end to be fed through it.  Now there's more slack to wrap the chain around a fixed object and then join the shackle to it.
A few illustrative pictures on how specifically to secure a UDC Penny-Farthing follow.  However, a cyclist who uses a "safety" bicycle can also immediately see the benefits of the noose chain.
The model of chain depicted in the solution is:
"Kryptonite New York 1213 12mm 120cm Bike Chain Lock With EVS4 Shackle"
Step 1:
Pass the the chain through the front wheel and then pass the free end through the big "circle" link on the chain's other end ABOVE the mount pegs on the spine of the Penny-Farthing to create a "noose" and cinch it tightly. Alternatively, one could "noose" through the front wheel & forks.

Step 2:
After "noosing" the front wheel to the spine/frame, run the free end of the chain around the fixed object. Ensure that you choke-up as much free slack between the cycle and the fixed object when joining the shackle: this prevents the thief from loosening the noose to slip it over the mount pegs. PLEASE NOTE: I know a movable ladder is not a great fixed object and only used for illustrative purposes. I'm not going to show how I secure things on the Internet. I also have a cameras with motion detection ;-)

Step 3:
The Final System: Remark that the "noose" chain employs TWO loops ensuring you get the maximum effective chain length for your money!

DOWNSIDES:
This chain is HEAVY.  So not really very portable unless you're The Hulk. However, when toodling with friends on our Penny-Farthings, we tend to take them into pub gardens and "stack" them together next to the table, so they're never really unattended. I really just use the "noose" chain for when it's garaged.
Conclusion:
I accept that given enough time and opportunity, ANY bike can be stolen. I'm merely trying to increase the level of difficulty to stealing an expensive bicycle. Anyway, after ages of racking my brain trying to secure my Penny-Farthing, hopefully this saves others the same grief.
This is ONE solution; I'd be keen to hear how others have solved this problem!
About the Security Designer:
Although a Linux & Network Engineer now, I served formerly as a New York City Police Officer.  So I have some insight into how naughty people behave (or rather "misbehave"). And I cycled in New York City, where if one leaves their bike insecure it will be gone in the proverbial "New York Minute". Indeed, that's why Kryptonite brands their fiercest locks "*New York". BTW, I've never had my bicycle stolen living in Gotham which I consider quite an achievement ;-)


What is the relationship between block, gear speed and derailleur? With Pictures I am buying a new bicycle. The seller tells me it is "14 speed with 8 speed block, but the derailleur won't reach the lowest gear, so I will switch to 7 speed block".

How many gears will the bicycle have, what problems can I expect from this setup?

I have some photos:

\

Sheldon Brown to the rescue: http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_ba-n.html#block

Short for freewheel block; cluster.

My understanding is that the bike has 7 speed shifters and for some reason 8 speed freewheel. Only 7 cogs work, so the seller is planning to switch to 7 speed freewheel. 7 and 8 speed freewheels nearly same distance between cogs, so wrong freewheel can actually work the way described.

One possible problem is that 8 speed is wider than 7, so the frame may have been bent to make room for the wider freewheel and may be bent at the process.


Bunny hopping and meerkat position I've been watching and trying out Seth's tips on bunny hopping by doing the meerkat position first. I was able to get the feel of actually pulling with my weight and it kinda feels like floating a bit.

I was just wondering when getting to the meerkat position, does it really suddenly get "lighter" halfway towards the peek? I was able to do it but was shocked that it suddenly started pulling to my waist faster as it got higher. I'm not sure if I was about to loop out at that point but I don't think I do because I was standing up and my weight was probably a bit ahead of the rear axle.

According to my experience the bike does tend to feel a bit lighter, usually when nearing the apex of the movement (manual-type movement) so I have to compensate and move my hips toward the bars - I compensate for the lifting of the bikes front end (put the bars in my lap)at the same time I stand up explosivly (read-jump). At this stage the bike does get ligter. After this do not forget to scoop the rear wheel off the ground and push the arms forward. After this relax and straighten your arms and "brace for impact".
I hope that this helps you in any way...I am not in any way a professional of a teacher of mtb-ing  for that matter although I helped a few of my friends lift their wheels off the first time :)
P.s. the images for this answer were from Phil Kmetzs video on bunnyhopping (

            ). I do not claim the ownership of this video and/or images that I used.


Campagnolo Veloce compatibility - small rear derailleur with larger (29 or larger) cassette? I recently bought myself a second-hand Condor Fratello. It is fitted with Campy Veloce (mix) groupset, currently with a 12-25 cassette. I'm coming from riding a 105 (11-32 cassette) for years, and this new ratio is really tough for me. So, I want to upgrade the rear cassette and chain, but keep the other existing hardware.
As far as I can tell, I have a short Veloce rear derailleur (Given that you can buy two versions of this derailleur, a 'short' or 'medium' version, see here: https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/campagnolo-veloce-10sp-rear-derailleur/rp-prod57880). See below for a photo of the derailleur as it's mounted to the bike.
Here's my question: I'd love to get a cassette that provides the 'easiest' gearing possible, ideally something close to the ratio I had on my 105. Will the Veloce 13-29 (https://www.wiggle.co.uk/campagnolo-veloce-10-speed-cassette) work with this derailleur? Moreover, could I go ahead and grab a Campy cassette from a different product range with an even more comfortable gear ratio?

All the Campagnolo deraileurs of that era were rated for 29t. If you want to try 32, you will need to find a mid Potenza derailleur (which despite being branded 11sp, will work properly with your 10sp shifters) and use an aftermarket 10sp cassette that provides the 32t sprocket.


Topeak rack - rear light bracket is annoying My wife has a Topeak Explorer rack.It has an bracket on the rear for a light or reflector. It is useless to mount any of the rear lights we own and is ugly. Anyone find any use for it or cut it off? I really like the rack and bag mounting system but loathe that weird metal bracket. Topeak appears to sell a light for it, but not a very good one IMHO. Thanks for any answers.

Sure you can cut it off after all you bought it.
Personally, I would keep it as you never know down the road if you want to mount something on there and it is not all that ugly.
For example what if you want to buy a rear facing bike rader (e.g. Garmin Varia) that has really poor factory mounting hardware. For me it took almost a week of periodically thinking how can I mount this thing to my road bike without risking it falling off and keeping my underseat bag where I have my flat kit. Finally I came up with a solution that involved a 3rd party bracket and the light strap on my underseat bag. I certainly would not have expected to use that strap on my bag in that manner when I bought it almost 2 years ago. So if I was just to say well let me cut it off, I would probably be buying a new bag in order to run my current setup.
Until you find a better use for the area, you could always try to use the area to add more visibility with things like a reflective sticker or even reflective circles that screw into the holes already cut in it.
Hope that helps.


Shimano 105 FC-5501 chainrings replacement I have road bike with old 105 5500 2x9 groupset. My crankset chainrings worn out from wear and need to be changed. My crankset is 105 FC-5501 52/39 Octalink 130 BCD. I looked for 5500 series chainrings in e-shops, but I didn't find anything for this old model except e-bay where I can get all crankset with crank arms. Could you advise which ones of chainrings would be appropriate with FC-5501? Can I use for example a Shimano 105 5700 10 speed 130 BCD chainrings on my crankset?

Shimano might not say it's okay, but you can use any 130BCD chainrings that you can find with that crankset1. You'll get the best shifting performance if you pick a matched set of chainrings from a single vendor. The one thing to avoid is any chainrings that say Narrow/wide in the description, these are 1x specific and won't work well on a double crankset.

When replacing chainrings, it's important to line them up with the crankarm for best shifting. There will be a mark or bump in the chainring that indicates where the chainring should be installed relative to the crank arm. The outer chainring generally has a small metal pin to prevent the chain getting wedged in the crank arm in addition to this bump. The whole process will be much easier if you get a chainring nut wrench like the Park
CNW_2.

If you've ridden the bike long enough to need new chainrings, you will likely need to replace the chain and cassette as well. Chainrings are generally the most durable of the 3 drivetrain components.

While you are buying stuff, get a chain checker. Replacing your chain before it wears will greatly increase the life of your chainrings and cassette.

1- I know that everything up to 11 spd will work fine, I've no idea about 12 spd stuff as I have no experience with that yet.


Prescription glasses getting dusty and greasy I cycle to work each day, about 2.5 miles in each direction through a moderate sized town on paved roads (I don't use any dusty trails or go offroad etc).

The climate is somewhat dry and arid with temperatures varying between 30c and -15c (I wear a scarf covering my nose when it is much below 0.) This issue does tend to get worse when it's very cold, but that could be due to it being more dry then also. I am in Colorado, USA if it helps, not right in the mountains but still at substantial altitude, thus the arid climate.

However when I get to work each day my glasses invariably seem to be covered in both road dust, which I know how to deal with, but also a greasy film like layer which I do not notice until I try and clean off the dust then ends up smeared everywhere and requires several through cleanings with soap, cleaning solution and cloths and is nearly impossible to fully remove, giving a cloudy smeared look to the lenses.

This is less of a problem on my way home as I can soak the glasses in appropriate solvents which eventually seems to clear them fully, but at work it really makes my day difficult.

I would really appreciate any advice on either different prescription glasses I could use to avoid this issue, or some way to avoid this stuff depositing on them in the first place, or even something to wear over them. Though if possible I would prefer avoid anything that would look enormously out of place doing road biking in a city (if it makes a difference, I am female and in my late 20s). Given I mostly road bike I am not an expert on the various equipment used for this kind of thing.

Eventually I might just get laser surgery to bypass the issue entirely but this is not an option for the next 6 months at least as I am recovering from another medical procedure.

An ex-coworker of mine got a pair of goggles that he could put over his prescription glasses.  In his case not so much because of dirt on the lenses, but because wind bothered his eyes.

A lot of the ones you'll find are the high-durability ones for mountain bikers (with thick heavy frames), but it is possible to find lightweight (and not so ugly ones) like these:

(Note that this is not a product recommendation; I don't recall the make of what he actually has, this is simply the closest in appearance that I can find in reasonable time.)


How to remove and find a compatible chainring for my FSA Comet 1x10 I currently have a 30 tooth chainring on my Devinci Kobain.  The gearing is a little too tough for my current fitness level.  I am considering putting a smaller chainring on it (as per this question).

I would like to know two things:

What is the procedure to change the chainring?  I watched the Park tools video on Crank Type Identification but was unable to tell what kind of crank I have.
When looking for a chainring how do I tell if it is compatable with my bike?

Relevant Info

Info on my drive train from Devinci's site:

Crankset: FSA COMET MEGA EXO B148 30T
Cassette: SHIMANO 10S 11-36T
Chain:    SHIMANO 10S

Images of my crankset:

Model Number:

Right-hand side:

Take the right crank off with a big high-leverage allen wrench or socket (I think it's a 10mm). It's got a self extractor so all you have to do is unscrew it, although occasionally disassembling, cleaning and re-greasing the self extractor is good. Use this special tool to remove the lockring that holds the chainring on. Replace ring, torque lockring. Clean spindle lobes, crank bore, and crank bolt threads, regrease all of them, and put it back together with proper torque.
This is one of the more totally proprietary ones. You need a specific FSA chainring, unless someone is making third party parts for it. I'm not sure whether the extremely similar looking Cannondale standard is actually the exact same spline pattern for the ring/spider. If it is you may be able to get something like this to work, potentially giving you more options, although keeping the chainline right is also a consideration. Same deal with using the other FSA ones such as the Afterburner rings with the same spline pattern - it's possible that each crank model may want a different offset on the ring for correct chainline.


U/D lock or folding lock? I have the black mounted lock you see below, and would like to buy a U/D lock or folding lock, so the bike can't be moved. I would prefer a 12mm wire where one end goes into the mounted lock, but many videos suggest that they can be cut.

There are lots of videos on YouTube, where they use a grinder to saw over the locks, but I am not so concerned about these types of attacks.

Below have I found an U/D lock, which I have no idea if this particular model is good compared to an Abus or Kryptonite of similar weight, but I like that it also functions as a luggage carrier.

Question

How concerned should I be about the leverage attacks, as this U/D lock is fairly long?

Which strengths and weaknesses does U/D and folding locks have compared to each other?

I think you need to start from the point where you say that any lock is breakable, if the thief is sufficiently determined. But I do think your insurance arrangements will have a bearing on what lock to buy.

So, rather than asking "what lock should I get to prevent my bike being stolen?", I think it makes more sense to ask "what lock do I need to get so that if my bike gets stolen, the insurance co will cough up?"

So essentially rather than asking your question on here, it might be more useful just to contact your insurance company and ask them for a list of approved locks. You don't say where in the world you live, but in the UK there is a "sold secure" scheme which I think a lot of insurers use, with different levels (bronze, silver, gold) required depending on the value of the bike.

Its also worth noting that the lock on its own is most likely only part of the story - my own policy places restrictions on what I can lock the bike to (must be immovable) and where and for how long I can leave the bike unattended.

On the Sold Secure scheme itself, I've spoken to people who say that it is all a marketing ploy to get you to buy certain locks over others, and their rating of a particular lock has no bearing on how good the lock is. This may or may not be the case, but again I'd stress that its not about preventing the bike from being stolen, its about the insurance company paying out.

I'm making an assumption that your bike is insured. If it isn't, you're really taking a punt when you buy a lock. It might be worth going over to the "Sold Secure" web site (or seeing if there is an equivalent scheme in your country) but as I say it is questionable just how objective these schemes are.


What are the pros and cons of a Turbo Trainer over Training Rollers? For the winter, I'm looking to get either a Turbo Trainer (like this one) or Training Rollers (like these)

What are the pros and cons of each?

I don't think I like the idea of not being able to turn the front wheel.  Mind you, I do a fair bit of spinning, and it doesn't bother me there.

The rollers 'look' better, somehow more natural.

What are your experiences?

Stand trainers

Pros

no concerns of falling over/slipping off, especially for certain types of training, e.g. one-legged drills
better for interval/spike training, where transitions in speed are not smooth
more options for variable/controllable resistance

Cons

less natural riding style because of bike's fixed position
may develop pedal stroke imbalances (or allow them to go undetected)
requires special mounting skewer (most brands)
can cause significant tire wear

Rollers

Pros

more natural style; bike responds more like actual riding
can help develop smoother pedal stroke and better form

Cons

easy to fall off and cause damage (to body, bike, and surrounding objects)
fewer options for variable/controllable resistance (only a few makes/models offer this and they're expensive compared to options for stand trainers)

Many folks I know have both a stand trainer and rollers and focus their training using the relative strengths of each type, i.e. stand trainer for "power" workouts, and rollers for "form" training.

As to your specific concern about natural movement: there is at least one stand-type trainer that is somewhat more natural than a fixed stand. It is considerably more expensive and occupies a lot more space than a normal stand trainer, though.


Rear sprocket clicks or points of engagement I'm a dad learning about BMX racing and I want to know what the difference is between a sprocket which the bike shop says as 90 odd clicks, then starts talking about points of engagement. Does the amount of clicks have anything to do with the points of engagement or they totally separate meanings ?

Sounds to me like they're talking about the pawls inside the freewheel body.  The pawls click every time they bounce over a tooth.

Here's a freewheel opened to show two pawls and 20 teeth, which is two points of engagement and 20 clicks per wheel rotation.

At worst case, the pedals could move 20/360 of a full rotation (18 degrees)  before the pawls drop, catch, and then the power goes through the wheel.  The average will be 10/360 of a revolution before catching (that's 9 degrees of arc of the rear cog.)

In theory if there were 90 clicks, and everything else was the same, power would be transmitted to wheel from chain in 2 degrees on average, or a worst case of 4 degrees.

What's the point?  The more sooner the slack is taken up, the sooner the power comes.  When the rider's brain says GO the muscles have to move, the mechanicals have to move, then the bike has to accelerate.  All parts of this flow have slack or lag or tolerance or reaction time, that adds up and increases the overall delay.

So if someone is making a break, the extra lag between pushing hard on the pedal and getting moving may make a difference between catching the break or not.  (that's road speak - not sure if BMX has anything similar.  However brain says GO and power takes time to arrive, then that's not going to help)

What's the practical difference?  Assuming your bike has a generic "do everything" setup of:
 * 20" wheels (406-44)
 * 1.75" tyres
 * 45 tooth front chainring
 * 16 tooth rear cog

then the gear ratio is 2.81 meaning the rear wheel will revolve 2.81 times for one full pedal revolution, and the bike will go forward 4.2 metres, and the wheel is doing 80 RPM.

Two totally identical riders, one with a 20 point contact freewheel and the other with a 90 point contact freewheel both apply power at the same instant from coasting at 20 km/hour which is 5.56 metres/second:

18 degrees is 0.0375 rear wheel rotations before the pawls lock
9 degrees is .01875 rear wheel rotations before the pawls lock
4 degrees is .0083333333 rear wheel rotations before the pawls lock
2 degrees is .0041666666 rear wheel rotations before the pawls lock

So,

18 degrees is 11.8 cm of forward movement at 20 km/h
9 degrees is 5.9 cm of forward movement at 20 km/h
4 degrees is 2.6 cm of forward movement at 20 km/h
2 degrees is 1.3 cm of forward movement at 20 km/h

Note: If both riders are pedaling or stopped at the start line, then all this is irrelevant, because the bike will be tensed up, and the pawls will be ready to go, so 0 degrees of slack lost.


What is the name of the hex screw that holds the brake cable The opening in the hex screw that holds the rear brake cable has become much looser than it used to be. What is the name of the part so I can order another one? (Hopefully they have some made of harder steel.)

Brake cable anchor bolt, cable clamp bolt.

They usually have a special kind of washer that helps grip the cable.


Where to find bolts for an old Raleigh Bicycle? The college kid in our family has a old/ancient Raleigh 3 speed bike with long fenders.  Those fenders are held in place with a strange bolt that is threaded on both ends and has a head near one end.

The short end is screwed into the frame, the long end accepts the fender rods, and then a bolt tightens down on them.

I removed the bolt with an 11/32" socket, but the closest fit I can find is a metric size.  However that fit is either too loose (5mm 0.8) or too large (6mm 1.0).  So I'm guessing some wonky British bolt, or some proprietary Raleigh bolt.  Anyway, do you know of any place that might have bolts that fit this kind of bike?

I've emailed the local Raleigh bike shop and either they don't know how to work their email, or they have no answer....

Image from comments, in-lined to prevent link rot.

I spent my formative years in a Raleigh Five Star Dealership that just so happened to buy up all of the vintage Raleigh mudguards of the steel type for 26" wheel 3 speed bikes. (Raleigh had a warehouse clearance.) That was in the UK and we had mudguards for everything going back to AFTER the requirement for the white panel on the rear mudguard. Nothing from the the 70's onward had the bolt type you describe, although we also had a lot of frames including ones with the 7/32" x 26 TPI eyelets. Sounds to me that you either have a U.S. special, something really obscure, something really, really old or something after-market.

I suggest that you put some new mudguards on there. It will be a lot less hassle.
For those new mudguards you can drill out the existing holes or use 5mm nuts and bolts, obviously with a fair few washers in there.

If you want to keep the retro look of the existing mudguards, you could make your own 'P' clips with a bit of tin, some snips and a drill. These could then be attached with a metric nut and bolt.


My bike key is broken off inside the lock My bike key is broken off inside the lock, I already remove the key from the lock but I have no backup key to unlock it.

It is a very ordinary key, just like this:

Is there any way to unlock my bike? Will the brick or a saw be helpful?

Thanks

Is it a cable lock like in the image? If so, bolt cutters. You'll be surprised and dismayed to see how easily you can cut a cable lock with a set of bolt cutters (maybe enough to invest in a better quality lock?) They're cheap, easy to find, and will get through most wire cable and some chain (depending on hardness.) They're also the go-to for most bike thieves, so don't be overly conspicuous about using them.


How can I find an adult-sized passenger trailer? Are bicyle passenger trailers limited to child sizes? I have looked for larger sizes but most stores only offer trailers sized for children. It would be an inline trailer sized for a small to medium size female, 160 pounds (72kg) or less.

Equinox makes a larger version of a child carrier for passengers up to 200 lbs.  See: http://www.equinoxtrailers.com/store/item/19


What are some recommendations for a trainer to get better at going uphill? Right now, I have a Specialized Epic Expert '07 and a set of Bike Nashbar Rollers. It is pretty fun to roll and watch a movie, but it gets boring fast and never feels safe.

I was looking into different trainers to do something different and actually work towards a goal which is getting better at hills.

I have been looking at Tracx Vortex Smart T2180, Kinetic Fluid Trainer Rock 'N Roll Smart, and CycleOps FLUID² but it seems that there are so many nuances from each.

I have a Garmin 520 and do not have a power meter on my bike. I understand that the Tracx is the most smart, but does not provide the road feel of a fluid trainer. The Kinetic is great for getting out of the saddle and getting those extra muscles working out, but it uses a non standard connection to broadcast stats.

Is there something out there that would be quiet to use, provide the most road like feel, have the ability for smart functions that my Garmin 520 can use, and get me better for going uphill?

Whilst it is true that there are some differences in muscle recruitment between pedalling uphill and on the flat, the main difficulty hills present is an increased power output for a sustained period of time (unless you have a tiny gear of course).  However the main factor it comes down to is fitness - pure power/weight ratio - 200W is still 200W whether its uphill/flat/downhill.

Riders that struggle with hills tend to fall into one (or both) of two categories

Heavy riders that are held back by their weight and lack the muscular endurance to sustain a high power output over a long period
Weaker riders who lack the raw leg power to push the pedals round.

Any of the trainers you mentioned should be fine for your needs - find workouts that work on either improving your lactate threshold, or improving the force you can apply to the pedals at low cadence.
If you want to more closely mimic hill climbing, then put your front wheel on a tall riser block, ride with your hands on the tops of the bars, and concentrate on pedalling smoothly from the hips.

For reference, I use the Fluid² you mentioned, and have seen good gains over the last 12 months doing 2-4 minute big gear intervals (60rpm) to build leg strength and get used to applying force smoothly.


Innertube patch don't seal for long I'm quite new at biking and I got my first flat yesterday. I was able to remove the inner tube and patch it, thanks to a lot of youtube videos. But today I found the tire without pressure. And I found that the patch was leaking. I replaced the tube with my spare one. But I want to know if this is normal, for a patch, to last a few hours and then unstuck itself and let air pass?

Thanks

Self adhesive patches are less reliable. I carry them (because they are so small) with my spare tube with my tubeless tyres to get home when the crap hits the fan but I witnessed some repeated struggle with some. I cannot comment your particular brand but my colleague had to re-apply some every 20 km or so.

I would use them to get home when the spare tube got punctured too. To permanently repair a tube use the traditional patches with a vulcanizing glue.

On my bikes that use inner tubes I carry the traditional patches. I want the reliability of those and have the space for them.


When Installing chainrings which are pinned, how should I orient the chain drop prevention pin? I'm setting up a double crankset with a new front chainring which is ramped and pinned.  How should I orient the outer front chainring with respect to the chain drop prevention pin?  Should this line up with the crank arm, opposite the crank arm, etc?

The pin should line up with the inside of the crankarm.


Benefits and drawbacks of Dropper posts? From what I've seen, the last couple of years saw a new product type come into light, and since its inception it has started to appear on bikes (such as this one, this one, or this one) as a stock item.

I'm talking about the "drop seatpost".

For the un-initiated, these are seatposts that are adjustable "on-the-fly", either by remote or a lever under the sadle. The idea is to allow the rider to find an optimal seat height to suit the conditions. This seems like a great idea, but what suffers as a result? I believe there is an inevitable weight penalty that would burden the gram-conscious amongst us, but what else might sway a decision for or against the purchase of one of these items?

I assume the potential problems will include weight, mechanical failure and cost, but what else might there be to the equation?

From what I have gathered these nifty looking contraptions come in a plethora of variations, and notable brands have created their own versions. I've seen them made by Fox, Rockshox, Crank Brothers, Specialized, KS
and Gravity Dropper. Perhaps there are others as well.

So in addition, what differentiates each of these models and brands? What are the pros and cons of each? Is there one that stands out as a clear winner in the field?

Any help or insight is warmly welcomed, so thank you in advance!

There are generally two types of dropper seatposts, mechanical (e.g. GravityDropper) and hydraulic (e.g. RockShox Reverb). Mechanical dropper seatposts use a spring to move the seatpost and a bolt to keep it in place. This is a very simple design and there are few things that can break or jam, and the weight is also kept very reasonable since there are few parts needed to make it work. The drawbacks are that you only have a fixed number of height settings, i.e. fully extended, halfway extended, and fully lowered. This is because the seatpost is being held in place by a pin that goes through a hole in the seatpost.

A hydraulic seatpost on the other hand uses hydraulics to move the seatpost and thus allows you to place the seatpost at any height you like. The drawbacks are that they are more complicated, usually weigh more, costs a lot more and requires more maintenance. The advantages are the ability to lock the post at any height you like.

Mechanical dropper posts:

 + Mechanically simple and easy to maintain
 + Low weight
 + Cheap
 - Only a fixed number of positions for height adjustment

Hydraulic dropper posts:

+ Freely adjustable to any height
- Complicated
- Requires more maintenance
- Expensive

Static QR seat posts:

+ Requires no maintenance
+ Cheap
+ Low weight
+ Can be adjusted to any height
- Rider must dismount to lower and raise seat


MT 8000 rings with 105 5800 set up has anyone tried using MT 8000 front rings with 105 5800 set up. I'm hoping I can just change the crank and rings and adjust the front  derailleur. Any advice?

They have totally different bolt patterns, 96mm asymmetrical for 8000 and 110mm asymmetrical for 5800.


New bottom bracket and crankset - what spindle length? I have a bike that I'm doing up as a project and I need to replace the bottom bracket (old-school square taper). Since the front chainring (single, 46 teeth, riveted) is pretty badly worn I was going to take the opportunity and replace that as well. But what to get as replacement?

At the back I've got a 6-speed freewheel with a chain line of 38 mm. The bike is nothing special, it's more for fun and the learning experience (my first project..), so I'd like to keep the costs down. I was looking at some budget cranksets on ebay but most of them don't specify what kind of bottom bracket length to use. How do I find a crankset/bottom bracket combination that will work and also give me a narrow enough chain line? Is it just a matter of trial and error (that could get quite expensive if I'm unlucky I guess..) or is there something I should look out for?

I found a cheap one that for a change specified BB and chain line: 131 mm BB and 50 mm chain line.
https://www.rosebikes.com/article/m-wave-single-crankset/aid:485066
Can I just use a shorter BB to get a narrower chain line or will that not fit? Do you know of a combination that could work?

Thanks a lot!

Chainline is important, more so for modern 10+ speed systems. A six speed system is more forgiving of misalignment than one would guess. Since both BB are square taper all you need to do is remove it and see what the size is on the BB itself. The shaft will only allow a crank on so far (that's why its taper). By buying the size currently in the bike you should come pretty close. You'll see plenty of cross chaining with modern bikes and they survive. Although not the same exactly, I think you'd be OK as well.

(Not so cheap but) Simple Solution:
Why not just replace the chainring if it is that worn? Much easier to do, and much cheaper. Also, if your chainring is in that bad of shape it is likely your freewheel is damaged too, as is the chain. You'd be better served by replacing the drivetrain entirely. Removing freewheels are not as easy as hubs, but it can be done. You'll have the ride you wanted without the compromised components causing mischief and making you think it is a chainline issue.

Good Luck!


Replacement of cup that holds bearings on huffy beach cruiser I have a 1980 Huffy "Good Vibrations beach cruiser which has been in parts for a little while.  I was able to find and put back together everything except I am missing one of the metal cups which are at the top and bottom of the head tube of the frame where the handlebars/fork assembly goes through.  This little cup holds the bearings allowing the handlebars to be rotated freely without wobbling so this little piece is somewhat important to make the bike ridable again. I'm not sure of the exact name of this part unfortunately.

Where would I be able to find a replacement for this piece to be able to get my beach cruiser back on the road?

You're looking for a headset. These come in two forms, threaded and threadless, based on whether your fork has a threaded steering tube. Both are available for all budgets.

Headsets come in a couple of sizes, so use a pair of vernier calipers to measure the size you want. Park Tool has a howto on servicing a threaded headset, however assuming you don't have the right tools:

you can remove the old headset using a long flathead screwdriver and a hammer (both the cups and the crown race);
It's best to install the new headset with a headset press, however, you can gently tap the cups in with a dead drop hammer and a piece of wood, but pay attention to the alignment of the cups, they must be aligned else you'll get weird steering effects.
Similarly you can install a new crown race using an old seat tube (etc.) larger than the steerer (but not so large it will damage the race). Again alignment is important.

Make sure everything is installed in the right way. It's an easy part to accidentally install upside down because you've had one too many beers. If your steering feels funny or wonky or is binding up, there's a good chance you've installed a part in backwards.


I went riding almost immediately after applying Squirt Lube (wax-based) on a brand new chain, should I degrease my chain and reapply? I replaced my old chain with a new chain (factory lube removed) this morning. I applied Squirt lube, a wax-based  The instructions for new chains read "wait until dry". I don't know how long that would have been, but... something came up and I had to use the bike to get around town, so was forced to just ride it anyway.

During the ride the chain sounded a little crunchy when pedaling. Nothing crazy, but it had made a noise which I would call "I should lubricate the chain" sound.

Do I have to restart the process from scratch? Take the chain off, degrease, put back on the bike and reapply? Do I just wipe it down and lubricate it now?

Just re-apply it and let it dry. Stripping the old lube is done to get oils off that will keep the wax lube from bonding, but that shouldn't be a problem now.


EZ-1 Super Cruiser Weight limit I am trying to find out what the weight limit is on the EZ-1 Super Cruiser.  I have found a used one in great condition, but I am 319 pounds, so do not know if it would be a good option or not.

Assuming your talking about the older Sun EZ-1 recumbent, the weight limit is 300lbs. You would probably be alright as most weight limit are a "lawyer number" meaning that is not the maximum capacity but for legal reasons they set it at that.

If you do get it i would recommend replacing the wheels on it at some point as the ones that come on it are so-so. And a heavier duty set of double wall rims and decent spokes would hold up a lot better over time if you'll be using it a lot. The wheels that come on them are Weinmann 519's which are a generic single wall rim.

The good thing is most the parts are very similar so if you need something as a replacement more than likely they are still being produced and available.

The company has sense changed it's name for recumbents to Sun Seeker, and is the house brand of J&B Importers a national parts distributor who also owns Origin8. The newest owners manual for the EZ-1 Classic (very similar) can be found here


Planetary gears slip transmission I have Shimano gears and recently it starts slipping transmission under a pressure. That is pretty annoying and painful sometimes especially when you go uphill or accelerating on the traffic light.

I use the bike for already 6.5 years. Is it fixable or I have to change gears?

I didn't do much service, I think I oiled it 3 years ago.

I'm going out on a limb but if you only maintained your internally-geared hub just once, three years ago, then its probably excessively worn due to poor maintenance.  Also the oil is likely carrying metal flakes which are doing continuous damage to the gears.

IGH are low maintenance but not zero-maintenance.

An oil change right now might be enough to bring it back but excessive wear will likely have shortened its overall life.  Depending on wear, you might benefit from a new 1/8" chain and new cog too.

If you can't or won't do maintenance yourself, then simply book it into the local bike shop for work annually and pay for someone else to do it.


Is there any functional point of using alloy jockey wheels? Jockey wheels seem like the most pointless thing to upgrade on a bike. I can see swapping out the usual grey ceramic jockey wheels for an anodized alloy one to match the look of the rest of the bike, but I can't see any possible performance related reason to do so.

Do they aid in shifting quality at all? I know that dura-ace and ultegra derailleurs use jockey wheels with bearings instead of bushings to improve durability, but they still use ceramics.

Is there any benefit of using the alloy jockey wheels?

The material itself is not so important, I think, but for sure the alloy jockeys last longer than plastic ones.

Besides that, the main adventage comes with the (often coming together with alloy pulleys) BEARING you already mentioned. Besides eliminating lateral play and so improving shifting precision (in my perception), they also decrease rolling resistance and improve drivetrain efficiency. Finally, these bearings work better suffer less without lube (don't wear out inside like plastic pulleys), and require much less lubing in the first place.

Well, these are my insights. Hope it helps.


How to safely dispose of extra chain lube I was trying to revive my old dirty chain for a few weeks while I waited for my replacement cassette to come in, so I partially soaked it in some chain lubricant.  What's the safest way to dispose of a small amount of dirty chain lube?

Depends where you are located.

Where I live in the US the county has a hazardous waste disposal facility that takes used oil - usually from people changing car and lawnmower engine oil.

As an aside, soaking a chain in lube to get it clean will not be very effective. Clean a chain with a de-greaser or solvent (preferably a  environment friendlier citrus based one), then re-lube.


Using cheap bike computer as a cadence indicator, possible? Has anyone ever tried just using a cheap ($5 for example) bike computer but instead of using the wheels, placing the magnet on the crank arms and then calibrating it to show cadence instead of road speed?  I may try this but the computer I use only allows a 1 to 3 mm gap at most and that may be difficult to get down there.

This has been done before in pretty much the manner you're describing (and its basically the same way that a decent number of commercial cadence sensors work, e.g. Garmin GSC10, which attaches a magnet to the pedal arm and uses the same type of sensor at the wheel).

An example of someone doing this is this instructable. Basically, the guy attached a bunch of magnets to the crankset's granny ring equally spaced due to how his meter read out (*), and bolted the sensor to the downtube near there.

The main challenge is getting the readout to be readable on your bike computer and also aligning the magnets + sensor.

That being said, Bontrager among others sell ANT+ cadence+speed sensors for around 30-40 USD, so you might not be saving all that much by using this if you already have an ANT+ phone/bike computer.

(*) Assume the bicycle computer is programmed for a tire circumference c (which will be set within some range of values prescribed by the computer manufacturer). Each time a magnet passes the sensor, the sensor counts 1 circumference of tire worth of distance. by putting n magnets on the granny ring (which is the closest and therefore easiest to trigger the pickup), each revolution of the crankset reads nc distance. By setting the tire size on the computer to satisfy cn*1 rpm= 1 km/h, the readout of the computer in km/h will be the cadence in rpm.

The main problem is that your computer probably won't read past say 100 km/h. So, you can do something like set circumference of tire to satisfy  c*n*2 rpm= 1 km/h which would give you half the rpm as a readout, or similar.

You also need the magnets to be spaced far enough apart (or of suitable strength) that the sensor (most likely a reed switch, less likely an inductor or hall effect sensor) can switch on and off to register each of the magnets.


Can't get tire to seat right when changing tube I can't change tires for the life of me and I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.  I go through the standard procedure:

Slightly inflate the tube
Put the tire halfway on the rim
Stuff the tube into the tire, being as careful as I can to make sure it's even
Put the other half of the tire on
Inflate

However, I'm obviously doing something wrong because every time I try this, on every bike I try it on, the tire is never round, and the ride is always bumpy.  I've tried inflating to beyond the recommended pressure to pop it into place, but have never had luck with that technique.  Also, since it happens more or less every time I do it, it's obviously something I'm doing wrong.

What should I be looking for here?  What can I do to prevent it?

It depends on your rims.  Some rims are much worse than others, and the effect is exaggerated with some tyres.  Some things I've found that sometimes work:

Inflate hard, let the air almost all out, then try to seat by pushing/pulling the tyre into the bead seat by hand.  Pump back up.  You may need to do this a couple of times.
After it doesn't pop into the seat properly by inflating hard, release quite a bit of the air (though not as much as in the previous suggestion) and bounce/roll the wheel (while leaning on it if you're rolling it). Add the air back gently, rolling every now and then.

Taking this to extremes: ride (gently) with the tyre almost as soft as you can without risking the rims.  Just for a few tens of meters and slowly. Pump back up.

Sometimes wetting the tyre bead to reduce friction helps.  I would use plain water for this, as it doesn't damage anything and once it evaporates it leaves nothing behind.


Could I use the Ogio Mach 5 bag for cycling? I commute to work by bicycle and had a recent incident that involved Supermanning over the bonnet of a car and landing on the tarmac. I'm a software developer and carry a high-end laptop with me which was damaged in the fall. A motorcyclist friend recommended the Ogio Mach 5 which is designed for motorcycle riders and has a hard shell. I'm thinking of using this for cycling.

Has anyone here had experience of this bag? Do you think it would suit cycling?
Otherwise, any other hardshell bags out there that would carry a 17.3 inch laptop and suitable for cycling?

My thinking is that MTB riding position is similar to some motorbikers so it could work well.

Trying to stick to objective points. When choosing a backpack for cycling you need to consider a couple of things beyond normal backpack considerations.

Fit - can the straps keep it stable as you pedal or will it flap
around
Weight - does it add too much?
Back ventilation - will you back get too sweaty
Aerodynamics can also be a consideration - shape, flappy straps etc.

Fit and aerodynamics are probably fine as this is meant for motorcycle use. You'll definitely want to check the weight. Back ventilation could be a problem as it obviously is meant to be worn over a heavy motorcycle jacket.


How to remove this eccentric bottom bracket? One of my bikes has an eccentric bottom bracket with a Gates belt drive and a Shimano Alfine 11 IGH.

For a few days now, I've experienced some creaking noise when pushing on the right pedal. Even removing the right pedal, cleaning it, greasing it, and putting it back on didn't solve the issue.

So I figure I should do the same thing with the chainring, but I don't know how to do it: After using a 10mm Allen key followed by an 8mm Allen key, I could successively remove the two screws on the left side (shown as "1" on the picture), but then, I'm left with empty space where a standard bottom bracket axle lives.

Should I use some specific spanner to undo the rings shown at "2"?

Thank you.

Those are self extracting crank bolts.

Sram / TruVativ use them. They work like a charm.

The BB cups require a special wrench. The BB should be a Sram / TruVativ GXP.

These require a special wrench that will be referenced as having 16 notches, as there are 16 depressions in your BB.

You can find cheap ones or expensive ones. Up to you.

Remove the BB cups, clean everything really well, grease generously and put a new GXP.

They are well priced, and in my experience they are reliable and efficient. Also you couldn't get any easier to adjust. Good luck!


Felt carbon steerer compression plug removal How do I remove a compression plug (aka. expander bung) like this one?

Most guides I could find assume that there's a 6mm hex Allen opening that allows tightening/loosening the plug (example pictured below) but that's clearly not the case with mine.

I read there are designs that require screwing in the bolt partially and hitting it with a hammer until the expander's loosened but I'd rather ask first. The → REMOVE and INSTALL ← markings seem to suggest that there's another way to remove it.

Note that the 2mm gap visible on second picture was caused by the plug being loose enough to be pulled up when tightening the top cap - the spacers can rotate freely and the whole fork gets slightly loose after a few days. Adding another spacer only caused the plug to slide out a bit further so I'd like to anchor the expander properly.

@DWGKNZ was right, turned out that there was a 3mm hex at the bottom. Picture of the removed plug, upside down:

Thanks for quick and useful advice.


Star Nut Replacement Size A total newb, I busted the star fangled nut on my new road bike, while trying to tighten the headset. Generally speaking, how does a person know what size star-nut to use?

In my case, a quarter fits snugly inside the steerer tube while resting on the old star-nut, which indicates to me that I need the 1" star nut. Is that correct?

Thanks!

Measure the external diameter of the steerer. This should be either 1" (25.4mm) or 1 1/8" (28.6mm).

This is not the sole determinant of star-nut size, as a variety of materials may be used for the steerer tube, each requiring a different wall thickness.

As your internal diameter is at least 24.26mm, this would mean a maximum wall thickness of 0.57mm for a 25.4mm external diameter, which is insufficient even for steel. With a 28.6mm external diameter, the wall thickness would be up to 2.16mm which suggests the steerer is made of some grade of Aluminium alloy.

If you ask your local bike shop for "a star nut for a 1 1/8" alloy steerer", they should be able to supply an item that fits. The star nut will be about 26-27mm in diameter as it needs to embed itself in the steerer wall.

I don't recommend fitting it yourself unless you have the proper tool; It is easy to misalign the nut and bend the tabs.


Is it rude to take the lane, then filter when encountering congestion? In the city I live in, there's a lot of two lane roads.

I feel much more comfortable taking the lane, as to not have a car come up from behind and clip me while overtaking.

However, when I encounter congestion ahead, I can safely ride between cars, (because I'm the one judging the spacing).

This seems rude to be riding in a way that I'm not allowing people to overtake me (unless using a different lane to), but then allowing myself to overtake others. Are there any etiquette guidelines concerning this technique?

In general, yes it is rude. But there can be times when it's acceptable.

I'm sure we all understand that you are trying to maximize your own safety. It is a tricky balance to achieve. Especially since how you ride depends on the local driver and cyclist cultures, and local laws.

In many places we cyclists struggle for respect and acceptance by the motoring majority. There are multiple overlapping factors / factions involved:

The might is right faction. For whatever reason: permanent inferiority complex, transient anger, whatever. Logic will never prevail here, but don't give them a reason to target you.
The cyclists don't obey the rules faction. Reinforced every time a driver sees a cyclist run a red light, ride on the footpath, or in many cases / places - split lanes, take up a whole lane, ride without a helmet, ride with no hands (on the handlebars), pop a mono, have fun, you name it. To them, if a cyclist does anything they as a driver can't do then it should be banned: the rules are written and unwritten.
The cyclists are unpredictable faction. These people may appreciate that every cyclist is freeing up road space, but cyclists vary in experience and predictability. And in peak inner-city traffic it can be hard to know where we are: "Did I pass him yet? I can't see him; did he turn off? I don't want to hit him ...".

In summary: obey the local rules.

For example, I ride in 4 different conditions, when I'm not in a bike lane or on a bike path:

Inner city, generally with heavy and congested (0-40kph) traffic. The drivers generally see lots of bikes, and have learned to accommodate. Because their max speed and mine match, I take a full lane when it's available. At lights, there are "bike boxes" painted on the road in front of the stopped traffic. Bikes are expected to start from there, so that they are visible to the traffic behind. So bikes often filter through the lanes when the traffic is stopped. This example supports taking a lane, but it is a limited case.
Inner city, traffic dominated by recreational and fitness cyclists (Kew Boulevard, for those who know it). The speed limit is 50kph, so on the downhills we usually take the whole lane. Elsewhere, we mostly use the bike lane, unless there is too much bike traffic to fit.
Outer city (the 'burbs). While the traffic here has greatly improved in the last decade, taking a lane is putting your life in their hands. Some drivers are very bike aware, completely changing lanes to overtake. When other drivers see that behavior, they often copy it. But some drivers can look you in the eye and just not see you. Taking a lane is dangerous because to these drivers you simply don't exist. It only takes one to take you out.
Outer city on regular cycling routes, with no bike lanes. If alone, I ride about a meter out from the curb, to avoid all the broken pavement and any rubbish. The local law says vehicles must drive "as near as practicable" to the side of the road. I only take a lane when it would only be for a short distance, and the motorists are aware of me, and safety depends on it. If in a bunch, we would take a whole lane unless it was unsafe.

The third example sounds more like your case. The other examples show how the local conditions and expectations can change things.


Where can I buy a Cannondale saddle or parts in general for that matter? I am using a Cannondale Topstone Sora as a roadbike.

  https://www.cannondale.com/en-us/bikes/road/gravel/topstone-alloy/topstone-sora/2019

Where can I buy parts that I know will work with this bike? Cannondale doesn't seem to sell parts on their site. I've tried googling around, but am not confident in any of the results.

Based on the look of that clamp, this piece of the bike doesn't seem to reject parts that are not proprietary.

There are certainly parts which are specific to certain brands of frames, and to specific models too.  Examples:

Aero seat posts.  Being non-round, they could be any weird shape, which has aerodynamic advantages, but also lets the frame maker copyright their profile, so that there are no cheaper alternatives.
Integrated stem/bar combinations - same as seat posts
Hangers - every other frame seems to have its own special hanger setup.  There are manufacturers of aftermarket hangers.
Odd little covers, to match Di2 holes or similar.  These tend to be too small and low profit for aftermarket makers to bother with, so original tends to be the only option.

While there are special designs for saddle mounts, the vast majority of them are the standard two-rail design.  The rails are almost always 7mm in diameter whether they're made of steel or carbon fibre.

However some saddles come with 8mm or 9mm round rails, or 7x9 or 7x10mm oval rails. These tend to be expensive MTBs.  Some older saddle designs have four rails (eg, some Brooks leather saddles)

Here's a single-rail I-beam - again super-expensive bikes:

And there are doubtless custom-proprietary saddle mount systems too - I'd suspect expensive Tri bikes have a range of mounts.

Upshot: your bike has a normal dual rail system, on a normal two piece, two-bolt clamp.  Back off the two visible hex-bolts, remove saddle, and fit the new one.   The hardest thing is finding one to buy that you find comfortable, and then dialing it in just right can take time to get perfect.  But its eminently do-able.

Any LBS can help you out, or buy online.  You do not need to buy a branded bike saddle from the maker of your bike.


Mountain bike, chain skips when force applied from stop or going uphill. I am trying to diagnose my issue. I commute to work about 14 miles round trip per day 4 or 5 days a week. I have some hills and I also cross a 2 mile farm via dirt road. I have put hundreds of miles on it since a tune up.

Lately from a stop at a light,  when I apply pressure to start off the chain will skip. It simply pops off the rear derailleur  and will not let me move forward. I am not a bike mechanic but I can learn quick. I am not sure how to diagnose the problem or even fix it. I can make this issue happen very easily by starting from a slow or stopped and pushing hard or riding up and pushing down on the pedal. The problem does not occur if I push lightly and start off as softly as I can. I can give more information if required.

In my experience, chain skip can be caused by various factors, some are easy to fix and some are more difficult. Lets work our way down.

1: dirty/dry chain. A chain that is not properly cleaned and lubed will cause shifting problem. Get a good chain cleaning tool and de-greaser and clean your chain really well. Then apply a good chain lubricant generously. Afterwards, wipe as much of it off as you can with a dry rag. It is important to use a chain lubricant (not wd-40 or something like it), that is meant to not collect dust. It is also important to wipe off the lube when you are done. You won't be able to get it out of the pivots - which is where it counts. This will fix most shifting problems.

2: Stretched shifting cable: If you recently had your bike tuned, it is likely that the rear shifting cable was replaced. New cables will stretch. The cable tightness will need to be adjusted after a month or so of riding. Either research how to do this tuning or take it by the bike shop that tuned it - they probably won't even charge you.

3: Worn chain: Chains wear, and they wear differently based on how they are used and maintained. A worn chain won't engage properly with the teethe of the cassette and will cause major shifting problems. If you are serious about maintaining your bike, you will need a chain checker. I personally like this one (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AYMR7Y/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

4: Worn cassette: If you change your chain on time, a cassette will generally last in the order of 3-5x chain changes - but eventually it will need replaced. There are plenty of resources to help with that (http://www.artscyclery.com/learningcenter/determiningcassettewear.html)

5: Old cables: Shifting cables and/or housing that are old and potentially frayed or rusted will cause shifting problems. Likely, though, this will have been addressed during your tune-up. You might want to verify though.

6: Other: Those mentioned above are the most likely culprits. However, there are other reasons that are more advanced to troubleshoot. These include, but are not limited to; a bent dérailleur, poor shifting adjustment, a cassette not properly tightened and a bad a bad chain link.

I suspect that if you address items 1-3 in order you will find that your problem goes away.


Changing 700c x 28mm wheel/tire to 650c? I'm new to the biking community, I was wondering if I would be able to change my wheel/tire from 700c to 650c since I am short. How would I go about it, any recommendations for wheel/tires? I have a Retrospec Mantra Single Speed XS 43cm frame with 700c tires.

If this is your bike then no.  It has rim brakes, and they won't line up properly if you try to install smaller wheels.
You say that you are short; the only thing that smaller wheels will change is the standover height (height of the top tube).  All the rest of the bike's geometry will be the same, including distance to the cranks and distance to the handlebars.  It might actually cause problems because smaller wheels will put your bottom bracket closer to the road, increasing the chance of a pedal strike.  (Unless you also change your cranks.)
Perhaps you simply need to buy a smaller bike?


pedaling gap after shifting internal hub I have a 3-speed internal gear hub. After switching between gears no pedaling is possible until I rotate the chainring about a half turn. Is it normal or did something go out of adjustment?

That is a sign of the gears getting out of alignment due either to the cable stretch or the rear wheel axle sliding back from the drop out. That pause will become longer as the misalignment gets worse. If you have a Sturmey-Archer hub, you can tighten the axle indicator by half a turn. This is a derailleur system equivalent of a chain sitting halfway between rear cogs and a barrel adjuster used to compensate for it.


Fixed-gear bike: How to ride backwards? I have flipped over my hub to try out the fixed wheel for a change, I am finding it very difficult to keep balanced while attempting to ride backwards!  Does anyone have some advice or is there any trick to learning how to go backwards?

Bicycles are designed in a way that makes them very stable going forward, at the cost of being unbelievably unstable while riding backwards. The most common fixed-gear geometry (inspired in track racing) doesn't help a lot. As a comparison, BMX is a modality where riders usually ride backwards in half-pipes, but the bike geometry is very different.

What I tried to do (before giving up), and what I have seen people doing, is to try to ride backwards IN CIRCLES, perhaps lowering the saddle a bit to a more relaxed position. I don't think the clipless or toestraps are key here, but a lower gear ratio might be very helpful.

After you perform some circle attempts, you can try to switch sides. Trying to do it very slow aids to gain inside as to which movement you actually have to do, since this movement is very counterintuitive: when you are leaning SLIGHTLY to one side, you have to point the handlebar the opposite way, so that the bike will go under you again.

I could manage to go some 4 meters back when I was trying often, but with almost no control over the direction the bike was going.

Perhaps a good video to start (with interesting links on the sidebar) is this:

Hope this helps!


Shimano gear indicator stuck I've got Shimano Deore shifters like the one on the picture

and XT rear derailleur.

The shifter and the derailleur work perfectly well, the chain and the cassette are quite new. Bit the problem is that the indicator is stuck on the "high gear" - at the right and is not moving.

Should I replace it or can it be fixed?

Remove those two screws visible in the picture and lift off the indicator. It may be that the mechanism to move the indicator has become dislodged.

You could, as I do remove the indicator completely. Sometimes underneath there is a blanking plate you can use to cover the hole. You don't need to see which gear you are in and it means you can move the lever closer to your brakes for a tidier bar layout.


How to mount wire bead tyres without damaging them? I have a Schwalbe Marathon Plus 700x25 tyre which is very difficult to mount on my rim. The rubber has almost no flexibility. The wire make the tyre directly goes either outside the rim, or inside the edges of the walls of the rim. I can mount it though, but with damages to the edges of the tyre:

and with one or two broken levers:

How to mount these tyres without damaging the beads of the tyre and without too much strength?

The classical trick is to move the beads of the tyre into the well of the rim  down to the center of the valley, so that the apparent tyre diameter become larger than the rim diameter. Then the tyre can be pressed with both hands towards the point where the lever can be finally used to insert the bead into the rim.
However, this is almost impossible with Marathon Plus tyres, which have a very strong wire and a inflexible rubber: when one spot is moved into the well of the bead, others go off, so that the diameter is never increased sufficiently.
To solve this issue, I tied several knots around the tyre with strings, so that the tyre is pressed into the rim.

However, with a classical knot, it would not be possible to press the rubber sufficiently so that the tyre would fit into the well of the rim, because these Marathon tyres have very little flexibility. To I used a Tarbuck knot, which makes it easy to get the sufficient pressure. One knot every 3 or 4 spokes allows to get a constant pressure.

It is then quite easy to push both sides of the tyre towards the point where the remaining work can be done with the levers, but without excess force.


What wheelset comes on this Trek? Apologies if this is the wrong type of question to ask here, but I was just wondering if anyone knows what particular wheel set comes with this Trek 1.5 2013 bike. I'm pretty sure this is the one I currently own, but other than the fact they are Bontrager I can't figure out what specific ones they are. I recently was hit by a car on my bike and (thankfully) the only damage is to the front wheelset, so I was looking to find out the weight so that I can replace them appropriately.

According to Trek's website :

Wheels: Alloy hubs w/Bontrager Approved alloy rims

And according to Bikeradar's website :

Front Wheel Weight: 1370g
Rear Wheel Weight: 1970g

I fear that you won't be able to replace the wheel with exactly the same thing since they seem to be generic wheels built for this bike. You can try the dealer you bought them from, they might have a replacement available or you can look for a different set elsewhere. In that price category you might have to buy a set (front+rear wheel) thought, but at least that means they will match.


Vintage Power King valuation? I recently got this bike for very cheap... cleaning it up and will sell it since I have no use for it. No idea what to ask for it though.

Anyone know anything about these?

Rear hub is an internal 3 speed hub.

The only markings I see are Power King. Made in Taiwan. On seat-tube I see a "Korvettes Laboratory Approved" sticker.

I'm honestly amazed at how well it is cleaning up. All of the chrome is shining up well, every bearing is still turning smoothly and the shifter and hub even work.

I see a stepthrough frame dating from the 70s or earlier, based on the cottered cranks.

The rims have a dull sheen to them which suggests aluminium alloy not the period steel.  Test with a magnet, and check if the tyres are 27" / -635 size, or have been swapped for a more modern -622 size.

E.J. Korvettes was a department store in the US from 1953 to 1980, and Power King seems to be their house brand.

Do a google image search for "korvette bicycle" and browse a lot of results.

Here's a 1978 power king 10speed  http://oldtenspeedgallery.com/owner-submitted/john-hs-1978-e-j-korvette-power-king-10-speed/

The contrary point is the "made in taiwan" wording, which implies later than 1970.  Taiwan was only coming into its own as a manufacturer in the 80s.

You obviously have a bunch of bikes based on the background.  I'd suggest getting a cane or wicker front basket for the PK and use it as a shopping bike.

None of your other bikes have mudguards - this one has full-length guards and could be ideal as a rain bike with the internal hub and chain guard.

As you've noted, the bearings are working fine 30-40 years later, and it appears to be a great bike.   As they say "the correct number of bicycles to own is N+1"


Torque for Shimano Alfine 8/11 Speed Internally Geared Hub Axle Nuts? I Googled for this, but couldn't find the proper torque (in Newton-meters) for Shimano Alfine 8- and 11-speed IGH axle nuts. I'm putting the hub back on the bike after removing the rear wheel.

I'm no techie, but I read that an IGH must be tightened to the correct torque, neither too tight (risk of damaging the IGH) nor too loose (speeds won't change correctly).

What is the correct torque for these nuts?

Here is how I found the answer (30-45 N-m):

Followed the link in the first comment on the question (or I could have done a search for something like "shimano alfine hub service pdf").
The link Gordon provided was led to several Shimano products identified only by part number, so I did another search for "shimano alfine 11 hub" and found a listing on Amazon with the part number (SG-700). Shimano's part numbers are pretty transparent – if you know the two letter code that they use for different components – so you might be able skip this step with a lucky guess.
From there I opened up the service manual and scanned it for the step where the cap nuts are tightened.


What is the best gear ratio for speed on 20inch frame I'm trying to figure out the best gear ratio for my 20 inch frame

One may assume that you're a rider somewhere between 5'9 and 6'1.
The best gear ratio for *SPEED will depend on your ability for a) high cadence and b) power in harder gears.

Since I'm predominantly a roadie, I'll provide an answer based on road cycling / TT alone. Let me know if this is the incorrect context.

Since we are talking about speed, I'll start with the harder gears (big ring in front and the small gear in the back).

A lot of bikes ship with compact chainsets (a fairly recent trend have brought back doubles, 52s) which are a 50-34.  That means that the big ring will have 50 teeth on it.  For every pedal stroke, you will feed 50 gear linkages through your rear cassette.  Thus for SPEED, for the fastest riding, you'll want your chain on the smallest gear in the back, which would typically be an 11 (or a 12, but let's assume an 11).  So, if you're on the 50, for every pedal stroke you will force 50 chainlinks through an 11 tooth gear, which will turn the wheel 50 div 11 times. If it's a typical 700c wheel with 23 road tyres, that's usually around say 2.098 metres per turn, or 9.539 metres per pedal stroke.

Get that to 100 cadence (100 pedal strokes per minute, and you'll be cruising at over 57kph) ... ; But, unless you're a pro, you'll probably not be able to do that on the flat.

Cadence. Cadence simply is the name for the number of pedal strokes you can do per minute.  If you are better able to pedal at a high rate than at grinding a difficult gear, then you might get your bike above the same speed mentioned above, by spinning a 50 chainring through a 16 gear at about 147 cadence.  I know of track riders who ride fixed gear 48 on 16 and in sprints can get to 180 cadence, which is over 75kph.

*SPEED: Assumes the fastest speed you can ride the bike.

So, unless you really really know your abilities very well, and want to fine-tune your bike to be specifically fast for your abilities, I would recommend you look no further than perhaps the simple basic compact (50-34) on a 12-28 cassette.

You'll be faster up hills once you build your strength, and you'll hardly ever spin out your hardest gear once you've built your cadence.


Impossible to index front chain ring! My chain is struggling to get onto the big chain ring and when it does it has quite a bit of chain rub.
The limit screws are quite literally on the limit! And there doesn't appear to be a barrel adjuster.
I tried loosening the cable bolt and pulling on the cable to tighten but it didn't seem to have anymore to give.
Anyone have any advice?
Chain on small cog on rear cassette.

It does look like the cable has missed the channel it should come up through the mechanism vertically, i.e. it is at the yellow arrow but should be at the blue arrow aperture (if I'm identifying the cable correctly):

Little differences like that often mean that the force is incorrect, or that the cable is restraining the movement of the derailleur.  If it's otherwise correctly routed, you might get enough slack another way, to guide it into the open aperture i.e. by moving the derailleur out by hand. Superglue is quite effective at tidying up a frayed cable if you need to re-route it. Twist it so neat and then dab in superglue. Not too much glue tho or it's too bulky.
Double check the support screw is doing work against the plate as well.
Shimano tech doc extract:

If you haven't made use of the Shimano Dealers' Manual then give it a study. Set up on this style is quite different to traditional designs. There is even a mark to show when cable tension is correct and advice on which trim position to use for setting the high limit.
There is a kind of in-buit barrel adjuster, that outward facing Allen bolt on the top assembly. I think you would loosen it off when the cable is undone and once cable is in again, tighten the bolt to add tension.


Help please - Dent in top tube of double butted aluminium frame I have a ridgeback velocity which is labled as double butted aluminium. Around the middle of the toptube is a dent shown in the photo. There is also a short line above it which I can feel with my nail. Would it be safe to ride?

Yes it's safe to ride. That "line" it's just a crack on the paint surface, I would suggest painting it with something like clear nail poslish jusft in case. A dent on a commuter bike is nothing to worry about.


Centermounted kickstand on touring cyclocross I just got a new bicycle (cyclocross meant for touring) and a center-mounted kickstand (Pletscher Twin), but it seems it won't fit with the standard mounts. Is this a common issue, and do I have to make a custom fitting to get around it?

This is how they want me to mount:

But this is what my bicycle looks like (too tight for the standard mount):

Update: Inspired by Batmans suggestions I ended up going for an Upstand: http://upstandingbicycle.com/about-us/

You probably can't get a safe mount for that type of kickstand on that bike (and likely not any kickstand - the space is just too small). In general, kickstands on good new frames (even touring frames like the Surly LHT) are tricky since they stress the frame in ways the manufacturer did not intend. See this page from Surly, for example.

You may want to try a kickstand which doesn't attach to the bike, such as the Click-Stand.


Upgrading straight handlebars to drop handlebars I have a two-and-a-half year old Giant FCR 3 (with a road-bike-like frame and thin tires; it's somewhere in the loosely-defined "hybrid" range) that I use to commute to work, twenty-five miles round-trip, once or twice a week. The bike has straight handlebars, and having gotten used to the idea of commuting via bike, I'm interested in upgrading to drop handlebars. It looks like I'd need new break/shift levers to go with the handlebars; the whole upgrade looks like it'd run a couple hundred dollars. This is a sizable fraction of the original cost of the bike, which leads me to wonder if I'm better off saving my money for a new bike that's a little better adapted to my use.

Is upgrading my bike's handlebars a reasonable investment?

I did this on my previous bike, and while it was a lot of fun (and I enjoyed riding the resulting bike) it was also quite expensive, almost half the cost of the bike.  You should also be prepared to put in a fair amount of research to determine if all the parts will work together.

Here's what's involved:

New bars (of course)
New stem -- unless you can find drop bars you like that match your flat bars' diameter.  Most road bikes now use "oversized" bars, which requires a stem with a larger clamp.
New shifters.  I went with "brifters" (integrated shifters + brake levers) but these can be quite pricy.  Bar end shifters (on my current bike) can be considerably cheaper and should fit most bars.  Down tube shifters also cost less but your bike probably doesn't have the mounting points.  Of course, if you're very clever you may be able to keep your current shifters if you find a smaller diameter bar and mount the shifters on the flats.  Road and MTB shifters are interchangeable (within the same manufacturer and # of speeds) so compatibility is not a problem.
New brake levers, if not using brifters.  But road bike brakes use a different amount of cable pull versus MTB brakes, which means...
New brakes!  This is where it can get fairly tricky (and where I almost gave up) as you'll need to find something that will fit your wheel & brake mount combination.  I went with cantilever brakes but this had the added problem of needing cable hangers in the front and rear.  Another option is to choose drop bar brake levers which are designed for MTB brakes (they do exist), but this rules out using brifters.
New brake cables and housings.  Your existing cables will likely be too short for drop bars so you'll need to replace all four cables plus the sections of cable housing that reach the bars.

So if you're trying to keep the costs and headaches down, look for bar end shifters and brake levers designed for MTB brakes.

Is it worth it?  If you really want drop bars, enjoy working on your bike and it costs less than buying a new one, then yes.  But make sure you plan & price it out.


Replacement for Suntour Superbe Tech Rear Derailleur I recently picked up an 85 Cannondale ST500 with a Suntour Superbe Tech rear derailleur. The cage is bent and the bearings in the guides don't feel too fresh. I'm just starting to get into bike maintenance - what's my best option for replacing this? I've noticed I can get something like a Suntour Cyclone for around $30 on ebay - would that work?

Thanks!

You have friction shifters so you don't need to worry about shifter compatibility -- any derailleur can be shifted with a friction shifter provided the shifter pulls enough cable to get through the range of required shifts. So, all you need to worry about is the capacity and extreme cog sizes.

I'd just buy some Shimano derailleur like a Shimano Acera one for 15-20 bucks.


Bike Shorts and Metal Eyelets I'm looking into buying some bike shorts and wanted to know what was economical and yet still better than normal gym shorts (which I'm using now for about 17 or 34 miles per day). Walmart has bike shorts for $30, but I'm not sure what the metal eyelets are for. Do they serve a purpose or is it simply for 'looks'?

I believe the eyelets are there to allow water to drain out of the pockets. There's probably no practical need for them unless you ride in torrential rain.

The manufacturer may include them to give an impression that the shorts will make you prepared for all possible conditions, or they may be trying to mimic the style of board shorts (as suggested in a few of the comments).


What is the maximum number of cassette teeth compatible with Shimano 11 speed 53-39T, 52-36T & 50-34T crankset? I want to upgrade my bike which can speedup in flats but also climb efficiently in slopes. Can someone give the maximum number of teeth that would be compatible with those 3 cranksets, if I where to use a MTB RD? Also, I prefer Shimano as they are abundant here in our area and way cheaper than SRAM.

The rear derailleur mostly determines maximum cassette sprocket size. The absolute size of the chainrings does not affect it, but the difference in size between them can limit it.

The largest cassette sprocket size is determined by two rear derailleur specification: the  max sprocket size of course, and the total capacity.

Total capacity = difference in min/max sprocket teeth +  difference in min/max chainring teeth. It's basically a measure of how much chain slack a derailleur can take up.

However, for standard modern compact and subcompact cranks the chainring size difference is always 16 (52-36, 50-34, 48-32 etc), so normally the rear derailleur max sprocket size specification practically limits what cassette you can use.

If you combine an MTB rear derailleur and a road crank, the total capacity might limit the max cassette sprocket size to less than the derailleur's max sprocket spec, because MTB double cranks typically have a size difference of 10 teeth rather than 16 (at least Shimano's recent offerings do).

If you use a derailleur hanger extension or other method to accommodate a larger cassette sprocket, then total capacity does need to be taken into account.


My crankset stops the pedals from turning when I tighten it onto the bottom bracket This sounds like a stupid question however, I'm pretty sure I took these cranks off my current set up before. I wanted to ask if there is such a thing as a spacer on the bb axel ever that I might be missing?

Shimano stronglight double crank.

Square drive BB 68 shell. I'll have to check the axel.

Usually I would presume that the crank axel is too short, but the space between the crank and chainstay is fine.

There is no BB Spacer for a square taper crankset (and is a very bad idea to start).
From the image, it looks like you have an (square) ISO crank on an JIS (low profile) spindle. I can see the outer square of the crank was severely deformed.

There is not much you can do but to start thinking of changing the crankset, or keep holding on to it til the day it depart.

Edit:

Sorry, I missed your question. But before answering, can I ask you to check:

If the crankset touches the BB?
If it is a dead-lock or a severe friction on the spinning of your crankset?
If it makes noise when you try to spin the crankset on the BB?


8 speed flat bar set up with Dura Ace RD-7700 or new Claris RD-2400 I'm buying a new drivetrain (cranks, cassette, chain) for my flatbar commuter that was mostly built of parts.  I currently have a Dura Ace 7700 short cage derailleur on it, I got it from a friend a few years ago after he rebuilt it.  I've been using it with Claris 2x8 index shifters, and the shifting has been so-so.  I'm swapping out my old Ultegra/600 FD for the fd-2400, because I know there are issues with flat bar shifters, road chain rings, and [old] derailleurs.  I'm basically wondering whether I will have better performance from a new 8-speed derailleur (because of trickle down tech over the course of 17 years), or from my old Dura Ace 7700.  I mostly use this bike for fast 12 mile commutes in NYC and weekend overnight (much slower) rides with my wife in the surrounding area.

The 7700 is higher quality when new than a new Claris derailleur . In particular jockey wheels are sealed bearing and more durable than those on cheap r/ds sold today.
http://www.disraeligears.co.uk/Site/Shimano_Dura-Ace_derailleur_7700_GS.html
A new rd might be better than a worn out old one with worn out jockey wheels (which you can replace), but inherently the 7700 is certainly better, and there probably isn't a better (when new) rd today that will work with your shifters
You can replace shift cables and outers and this will often give improvements without changing any other parts, depending on when they were last changed.


SiS tourney A050 thumb 1x7 to either a 1x10 or 2x7 So I have this cheaper end roadbike sporting a Tourney A050 sis shifters (I don't know what they are called, they are those roadbike shifters sitting on the horizontal handle bar) 1x7, quite a pain. I am quite a noob at upgrading so I wanted your help. I wanted to know: is it possible and how to upgrade to a Deore 1x10? Along with the shifter the cassette and the derailleur do I need to change the wheel and chain too? And is it possible to shift to an integrated brake shifters of any kind? Please explain.

It's unclear whether you have drop bars or a flat bar. Normally 'roadbike' would strongly imply drop style handlebars, but you talk about 'horizontal' bars and are thinking about upgrading to Deore which is a mountain bike groupset. 'Integrated shifters' would normally mean shifters for a drop bar as mountain bikes have moved to separate shifter and brake units. However, the answer is the same.

If you have a 7 speed cluster of sprockets on the rear wheel, you either have an old-style 7 speed freewheel or a 7 speed freehub and cassette. See here for a description of the difference. In either case you will not be able to upgrade to 10 sprockets on the hub. Freewheels only go up to 7 speeds; the freehub body for 7 speeds is slightly shorter that those used for 8, 9 and 10 speeds and cannot accomodate a 10 speed cassette. To get 10 speeds in the rear you would need a new rear wheel with a 10 speed compatible freehub. You would then be able to fit a 10 speed road or mountain groupset. However, at this point you are looking at replacing more than half the bike, so it probably makes more economic sense to look for a used bike with a 1x10 or 2x10 drivetrain.

If you are prepared to stay at 7 speeds in the rear things are a bit easier. the Shimano Tourney line has 3x7 speed shifters for flat bars, Microshift makes Shimano compatible  3x7 road bike integrated shifters/brakes I believe. You could use derailleurs from Shimano's lines above Tourney as 7, 8 and 9 speed derailleurs all use the same actuation ratio.

Obviously for 10 speed you'd need a 10 speed compatible chain, but if you stick with 7 speed I'd replace the freewheel or cassette and chain as well so you have a complete new drivetrain.


The pump needle broke off, leaving the base in the nozzle. How to remove the stuck base? I was using this bicycle pump to inflate a ball. I inserted a needle pin to the nozzle, but the needle broke off after trying to insert it into the ball. The base of the needle pin is now stuck in the nozzle. What is the best way to remove the stuck base?

I just had this same thing happen last week. I straightened out a paper clip and bent a small hook in the end. Put the hook through the small hole in the center of the needle base and pull up. It came out pretty easily. Make sure you release the tension on the pump head first.


Will this adaptor fit my cranks? Looking to adapt an old(er) set of FC-M952 XTR cranks to fit new chainrings (see here).

Looking at this auction - how would I determine whether or not I can use it? If it fits I'd also need to buy 9sp chainrings compatible with same old(er) XT/XTR system.

I believe that in terms of compatibility, there's only one iteration of the Shimano 8-spline spider design that was used on various Shimano cranks, so the spider in question should work on all of them, including FC-M952.