How can I connect two pieces of square aluminum tubing together to make a bike trailer using n55 docs? Me and a friend are trying to build a trailer using principles found here ...

http://www.n55.dk/MANUALS/SPACEFRAMEVEHICLES/DIY.pdf

They are using 25 mm aluminum square tubing with a 2mm thickness and 6.5mm holes.

At the bottom of the docs is a bill of materials listing the materials.

It appears they are just drilling holes and than inserting a bolt and nut to connect the pieces.

Is this what they are doing?

More specifically does their need to be a washer on both sides?

Here is a nice clear picture of the basic joint used in constructing things from their website.

There is a washer on both sides.
Their bill of materials calls for stainless bolts, stainless washers and stainless self-locking nuts:

B O L T S & N U T S
M6 SELFLOCKING NUTS, stainless (DIN985) - ca. 150 pieces (TWOSEATER: 200 pieces)
M8 SELFLOCKING NUTS, stainless (DIN985) - ca. 5 pieces (TWOSEATER: identical)
M8 NUTS NORMAL, stainless - ca. 5 pieces (TWOSEATER: identical)
M6 and M8 BOLTS with Hexagon head, stainless, (DIN931):
6mm x 140 mm - ca. 2 pieces (TWOSEATER: 3 pieces)
6mm x 90 mm - ca. 15 pieces (TWOSEATER: 20 pieces)
6mm x 90 mm - ca. 5 pieces in DIN 933 (full thread) (TWOSEATER: identical)
6mm x 60 mm - ca. 60 pieces (TWOSEATER: 120 pieces)
6mm x 65 mm - ca. 10 pieces (TWOSEATER: identical)
6mm x 40 mm - ca. 25 pieces (TWOSEATER: identical)

8mm x 120mm, 2 pieces (TWOSEATER: identical)
8mm x 100mm, 2 pieces (TWOSEATER: identical)
M6 WASHERS - ca. 300 pieces (TWOSEATER: 400 pieces)
M8 WASHERS - ca. 10 pieces (TWOSEATER: identical)
Concerning galvanic corrosion:

Stainless steel fasteners in aluminium plates or sheets are normally considered safe, whereas aluminium rivets or bolts holding stainless steel parts together is an unwise combination, as there is a practical risk of corrosion.
An example of the safe use of stainless steel and aluminium together is where stainless steel fasteners and hold down bolts are used to secure aluminium roadway or bridge parapet guards.
Even with no insulation between the metals, there should be little risk of corrosion.

A drill press will make life much better for a project like this.


How much of a difference would shifting from a (24/34/44, 14x28) to a (28/38/48, 11x34) configuration make when going downhill? I currently have a Proton MTB with a 24/34/44 crankset and a 14-28 cassette. I have found the configuration to be lacking when going downhill: The front chain ring doesn't feel stiff enough on the highest gear resulting in me pedaling too hard.

How much of a difference would it make if I shift to a 28/38/48 crankset and a 11-34 cassette? This configuration is found on the Giant Roam 3 (2018) which I am considering buying. I've done some math:

On the MTB, running the highest gear, I am at an effective gear ratio of 44/14 = 3.14 while the Roam 3's config would give me 48/11 = 4.36. On paper, this is a 38% increase, but I am not experienced enough to know if this translates to a significant difference when pedaling.

The other configuration I've mentioned is actually on another bike that I am considering buying (Giant Roam 3 2018). I am not looking to modify the current bike.

38% is a huge difference, and very noticeable on road. Since the bike you are considering has 622mm rims, it adds even more to the effective gear ratio.


What's the proper way to fit a hybrid/commuter bike? What's the proper way to fit a hybrid/commuter bike?

Most detailed bike fit articles seem to apply to road bikes but not so much for hybrid/commuter bikes which cycle commuters, recreational cyclists, and weekend warriors often use. A good bike fit can encourage cycling for transportation, improve fitness and health, and shorten trip times because it increases comfort, reduces injuries, improves power output, and reduces the risk of neglected muscle groups while exercising.

From what I learned, posture actually affects which muscle groups are emphasized. It's about as important as learning how to pedal properly. Using more of our muscle groups can increase endurance and power. It may even improve blood pressure responses during exercise which is especially important for those with a heart condition. A study showed that exercising with our arms led to higher BP than exercising our legs. Arms have smaller muscle groups than legs. They should have fewer capillaries too so the heart has to work harder at the same blood flow. Rolling our hips forward increases glute utilization. With a good bike fit, it's easier to pedal smoothly.

For hybrid bike fitting, can we determine the saddle height by the 30 degree knee angle, heel on pedal with the knee straight, or 109% method?

Would the knee over pedal spindle method be reasonable?

How do you know that the stem length and angle is correct? Road bike fitting often have the back angle at 45 degrees, and the shoulder angle at 90 degree but what should they be for a hybrid bike fit?

Since hybrid/commuter bikes don't have drop bars, should a mountain bike fit be used instead?

Hybrids are very similar to hardtail mountain bikes in their geometry, but a significant difference is the width of the bars: the hands can be much further apart on a mountain bike (as sold, my MTB was 100mm wider between the grips than my hybrid, now it's more like 150). Even allowing for a change in elbow angle, this will have knock-on effects on reach.

Another difference is that MTBs tend to be set up with a low saddle despite the high bottom bracket, as the rider needs to often stand with bent knees. This isn't suitable for hybrids in general, and one of the first things to do when converting a mountain bike from trail use to commuting is to raise the saddle. This will then affect the desired stack (and reach). A high saddle over a high BB will make the ground a long way down when the saddle height is "correct" (for efficiency and knee health). If this makes stop-start riding tricky, it will have the opposite effect to that desired. Luckily hybrids tend to have a slightly lower BB than mountain bikes, and thinner tyres, so this isn't necessarily an issue. (This one is a bit personal as having a child seat on the back makes holding and starting the bike harder with a significant lean, and also means that getting going from standing over the toptube is harder)

As a fit for comfort (rather than performance) is desired, it's possible that an MTB fit would be too aggressive anyway, and although efficiency is desirable, the difference between an OK fit and a perfect fit won't be noticeable on most hybrid journeys.

Comfort fits are rather subjective anyway(so measurements will only get you part of the way), but it takes a fairly long ride to get a feel for the last little bit.

As an example, I bought a hybrid and used it for occasional day rides before starting a 15km each way commute. It was the right nominal size and all I did was adjust the saddle height and fore-aft position (the latter because I slid forwards). Only when I started doing rides of 3-4 hours (up to 70 km) did I do anything to the reach/stack, and also made the bars narrower.


How important is it to clean your drivetrain? For the first time in my life I took the time to properly clean the drivetrain of a bike. How proper it was might be debatable, but for the first time I saw that the gears are not actually black.

I've owned bikes since I was a kid, when I grew out of one my parents bought me another one. I never regularly commuted by bike, but at times I was cycling quite a lot. I never though of cleaning my drivetrain and I never noticed any problems with it. I do remember lubricating it, but I'm pretty sure we didn't clean it before and we certainly didn't degrease it.

After I started cycling as my main mode of transportation, I also started reading and watching videos about bike maintenance and cycling in general. Some people seem to point out the importance of a clean drivetrain whenever they get a chance, whereas others don't seem too bothered. Cleaning your drivetrain is probably one of the cheapest things you can do to improve your bike's efficiency, so in a racing situation, I don't see why you wouldn't, but for normal commuting it doesn't seem that obvious.

For most people, the difference in efficiency isn't important. They are more interested in spending as little time and money as possible on maintaining their bike. Not cleaning your drivetrain will definitely save you time, but will it also save you money?

I understand that there are a lot of variables to consider here, but the main one is how much faster your chain and sprockets will wear out. Things like price of components, cleaning products, and time spent are also important, but much easier to research and estimate. I know quite a few commuters that never clean their drivetrains, for some, even keeping good tyre pressure is too much of a chore, and they are riding the same bike, with the same drivetrain, year after year.

On more expensive bikes with more expensive drivetrains, it's obviously more important, because the components are more expensive to replace, but is there a point where your drivetrain is so cheap to replace that you might as well not bother with the maintenance or just do the bare minimum? Like, could you get away with just lubricating the chain, without cleaning it?

When you google the subject, you find results that say that your drivetrain will last much longer if you keep it clean and lubricated, but I haven't seen anyone quantifying it. Much longer could mean anything. Is it 10%, 20% 50%, 100%, 200% or 1000% longer? Also, how much longer will your components last if you clean your drivetrain once a week, compared to once a month, or once a year?

I don't mind you sharing your opinions and personal preferences, but please do back them up with empirical data and maths. I'd like to see some proof that my efforts are worthwhile, beyond the fact that I like the feeling of riding with a clean drivetrain. Ultimately, I would like to be able to make an informed decision about how much effort I spend on bike maintenance.

I used to work on a fleet of cyclists' bikes who used their bikes as part of their full-time job, where it was usually raining and dirty. I changed a lot of drivetrains and oiled a lot of chains over the years. That said, I don't have any kind of empirical data to say that doing x will make your chain last y% longer. But I can speak generally about the relative factors at play, and what is worth considering when you're looking at your own personal bike / fleet and trying to decide where to invest your time and money.

First, it makes a huge difference who is riding the bike and how they ride. If they are a bigger person who likes to mash the pedals, they will burn through drivetrains much faster than a smaller person who tends to spin. Some people, the 200lb+, aggressive riders, needed new drivetrains every 2 months. A smaller, more cautious rider who tends to spin might take a year or more to wear out the same chain.

Another big factor is what kind of lube you use, and what conditions the drivetrain actually experiences. The ultimate cause of the chain wearing out is the holes for the pins will wear out as the pins rotate under tension and sand or dirt works in, effectively acting as sandpaper along the inside of those holes. How you oil the chain, and what kind of oil you use, also plays a big role in how much dirt and grime get picked up. Personally, I think a wax lube is really good at keeping grime and sand out, and makes my chain last longer while needing less cleaning. I probably apply a fresh coat about once a month. But you might also consider using a dry-season lubricant and a wet-season lubricant if you experience big seasonal swings in weather.

Ultimately, though, I think it comes down to how much you ride and what kind of relationship you want to have with your bike. Some people identify strongly as a cyclist and get a lot of personal satisfaction out of optimizing their ride and keeping their drivetrain and bike perfectly clean. You can certainly go the other way, I think the majority of people who own a bike will probably never clean the chain. Most people probably never wear through a chain, either. So if you do either, I think you're on the right track.


What is the loud screeching noise coming from my bike? I can ride my bike for ~10 minutes before a very loud screeching noise starts. It only happens when I pedal; when I brake is the only time there is no sound. Once this noise starts I cannot ride my bike for the rest of the day without the sound, but if I don't use it for a day I can ride for another 10 minutes the next day. I have had two repair shops look at the bike (when the sound was not happening) and they could find nothing wrong. Is this a problem with the pedals?

So you are saying that you have a time windows of 10 minutes more or less, so this indicates IMO that expansion by heat is causing the friction and sound.

Also you said it only happens when you pedal, and it stops when breaking, but you didn't say if it happen when coasting. Assuming that it doesn't sound when coasting, that means when you load the drivetrain(wich is asimetrically loaded when pedaling). On this scenario I will be checking the back hub because it can be a number of thing, like: Broken/twisted axle, broken bearing wall(sealed), loose open bearing cones, gunk on the ball seats, etc.

Then if that fails, could be the Bottom Bracket. Had a couple Oddisey Sealed Bearing BB, with 4 Bearings(2 on each side), that had one of the bearings exploded and that made a horrible sound when pedaling. Altough I can't remember if it was hearable all the time while pedaling, It could be felt throught the pedals, tho.

While checking the stuff, clean and lube everything.

Cheers

EDIT: Commuting I've thought of another thing you can check on. The cassete(freewheel, cogs, etc) Depending on what kind of cassette you have, can also mean that broke a prong and is dragging. But this is like the ultimate problem. Probably, you should know that you pretty much destroyed the hub.

And also, if you had a double suspension bike, could be some of the pivots fricction with small rocky dirt, not helping to slip that constraption.

Have a day...


SRAM Guide R brakes pad adjustment I've replaced my old brake pads in SRAM Guide R brake set, and I've noticed that the old pads were sitting much closer to the rotor than the new ones (I've also definitely used all of the old pads). As a result, now the rotor is being squeezed by the new installed pads.

How can I adjust the pads to the desired (more space between them) position? Could I just release some brake fluid (while bleeding) to decrease the pressure in the system and hope that it would pull the pistons back? Or is it more likely that my system is contaminated and I should clean the pistons?

Looks like this:

You did push the pistons full back into the calipers before installing the new pads, right? That should provide enough room for the new pads.

There seems to be a widespread misunderstanding about how hydraulic brakes work which leads people to think that removing some fluid will make more space for pads or set the pads further apart.

You cannot reduce the amount of fluid in hydraulic brakes, because it is variable and has a reservoir in the lever units to draw from. Fluid is drawn in to compensate for brake pad wear and gradual advancement of the caliper pistons. Also, fluid can move back and forth as the temperature changes and the fluid expands or contracts.

The way this works is when the levers are at their 'at rest' position the reservoir is connected to the lever cylinders by a small hole which allows fluid to move in or out. The first part of the travel of the lever piston in the  cylinder cuts off that hole to the reservoir and seals the system. Then, as the lever piston applies pressure the caliper pistons are pushed out to apply the pads against the rotor.

The small hole connecting the lever cylinder to the reservoir also allows you to push the caliper pistons back in to the calipers when replacing the pads.


Safe to use 10-speed wheel in a aluminum frame bike made for a 7-speed I have a '91 Trek aluminum road bike which was originally equipped with a 7-speed drivetrain. I upgraded the drivetrain on another bike, so I transferred the old 10-speed drivetrain, to the Trek. The 7-speed hub spacing is 126mm and the 10-speed is 130mm. I spread the stays to accommodate the wheel (not cold setting). My question is it safe to ride given that the frame is aluminum?

With aluminum, dropouts cracking from the fatigue caused by this is a real thing that can happen. It may take a long time, or it may not in the case of a frame with a long life of fatigue already on it. There are a lot of factors like rider strength/weight and how good the dropout alignment was to begin with.

Chunky dropouts can somewhat mitigate the risk, but the problem there is the axle will flex instead of the dropouts, which can ruin bearing life and cause drag.


Bottom Bracket Compatability Question Good afternoon all!  In previous questions, I've mentioned that I intend to rebuild my 2000 Trek 7700 Multitrack.  Well, I'm beginning by replacing the bottom bracket.  According to the spec sheet I got from Vintage-Trek.com, the BB is Shimano BB-LP27 73x113.  I've searched for BB-LP27 73x113 and come up empty.  I assumed this is an obsolete part, but there must be a current part which will serve the same purpose.  How do I decipher what current part would work in this application?

I'm adding the technical sheet I found on vintage-trek.com.

Here's the Shimano datasheet. So we know it's a square taper, ISO-threaded BB. So a UN54/UN55 is the replacement part (take the UN55).

73 is the shell size: 73mm.

113 is the spindle length: 113mm.


What is a good way to learn how to ride a bike on rollers? After seeing a few questions about rollers pop-up, such as this one, it has spiked my interest in these things again.

So how do you learn how to ride on rollers? How long does it take you to get the hang of it? Is it like learning to use clipless pedals where you are almost guaranteed to fall off a couple of times before you get it nailed?

how do you learn how to ride on rollers?

Believe you can do it.
Do it!
Do it in a doorway.
Practice

  How long does it take you to get the hang of it?

Took me about 30 min. on a set of plastic parabolic rollers before I felt comfortable enough to take the rollers out of the doorway and just be next to a wall.

  are almost guaranteed to fall off a couple of times before you get it nailed?

No... and maybe. Depends on your comfort level of being on a bicycle, hand eye coordination, and what kind of rollers you are riding on. I have yet to ride off of or fall off of my parabolic rollers. I had spent a lot of time on a bike before ever getting on the rollers the first time and my balance is fairly good.

If I had learned on a pair of cylindrical rollers, I think I would have ridden off or crashed at least a few times before really getting the hang of it. Not looking down and getting the wheels spinning makes a big difference. The hardest part is getting going. I found it fairly easy to start out by holding on to the doorway and having my bike in a middle gear so I didn't have to shift when starting out. I would then have one hand on the top of my handlebars and start pedaling. Focusing on getting my wheels spinning, I would slowly let go of the doorway but keep my hand there so I could grab the doorway when I wanted. Once I was starting to get comfortable, I slowly let go of the doorway and put both hands on the handlebars. Success!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikeride/250957762/


Safety vests: Yellow vs. Orange? What are the factors that should affect whether my visibility will be higher with a "high visibility Yellow" vs. a "high visibility Orange" vest or jacket?

It seems too simplistic to simply say "Yellow is better" or "Orange is better' - there are a number of conditions that I often note affect my perceived visibility (n-1): day/night, foggy vs. direct sun, perhaps the ambient foliage? I want to separate this question from discussions of retroreflective strips, retroreflective tapes, or nighttime lights - I'm trying to understand the differences between the two colors first and foremost with this question.

I have reviewed the following questions but did not find discussions of color-based visibility:
How can I make my bike (and myself) visible at night? - Focuses exclusively on night-time conditions, primarily focuses on retroreflectivity and adding lights to the bike
Night cycling: Is it worth using electroluminescent wire? - Same as above
Is fluorescent clothing effective? - Does not address different color options for high visibility clothing

The short answer is that, in practical terms, the difference isn't great. The longer answer requires some explanation of "visual conspicuity."

In optical engineering, conspicuity is the study of what makes things "conspicuous," and some researchers split the tasks into "detection" and "identification" (see, for example, the works of A. Toet et al, such as this one). Because the rods and cones in our eyes have differential sensitivity to light and color, some colors are more easily detected in low-light conditions, such as dusk or dawn (the rods are more sensitive than the cones but are essentially insensitive to color -- that's why all cats are grey in the dark). However there's still the "identification" task, and that's where the choice among high-visibility, naturally-rare, colors matters.

In general, in order to be conspicuous, you want both to be detected and to be identified as a cyclist. Experiments with the visually impaired (and color blind) show that contrast is the key. Contrast can be achieved by shape, motion (which is why emergency vehicles have blinking lights: to achieve "optical" motion), and color. What this means is that the color you wear should be differentiable from the background, so you want a color that is both detectable in a crowded visual field and also that is uncommon -- or rather, uncommon compared to other objects in the visual field but common to cyclists so that you can be identified as one (cf. here and here). The fluorescent colors of high-visibility yellow-green and high-visibility orange are pretty unnatural so the likelihood that it will be "lost" in the visual field is low but in addition, the fluorescent yellow-green seems to be commonly used only by cyclists and emergency workers (like firemen) -- at least, in the US. Conversely, hunters wear orange both because it's not just a good idea, it's THE LAW, but also because it's instantly identifiable by the conventions of hunting.

So the bottom line is that both are detectable though there may be some (slight) advantage to using the color that is most commonly associated in the public view with cyclists since it is both highly detectable and also identifiable. Should you be riding in an area where another color is (predominately?) associated with cyclists you might decide, of course, to use that instead; for example, during some long-distance randonnees (see, for example, the requirements for the quadrennial Paris-Brest-Paris ride), the organizers may require that the cyclists wear a belt or vest or other device of a particular shape or color so that drivers can instantly recognize and identify the carrier of such a device as a cyclist.


Why might my inner tubes be getting consistently punctured? I recently had a flat and replaced the inner tube. It pumps up just fine, but then when I leave it and come back it's completely flat. I replaced the tube twice more, with the same result each time.

The the punctures were

Just to the right of the valve on the rim-side, not a clean cut but a small hole as if the material had been stretched or twisted too far.
Roughly opposite the valve, a 6 or 7 inch gash, not straight. I couldn't tell whether this was rim-side or tyre-side.
Just to the left of the valve, rim-side, a clean hole about 5mm long.
edit: replaced rim tape, put in new inner tube. 2 minutes later I hear it go pssshhh, same result as number 3.
edit: added second new rimtape on top of first, new tube, 2 minutes, pssshhh, same result as number 4.

I'm using the process described in this video, except that I don't use a tyre lever to put the tyre back on after inserting the new tube (because I've previously made the mistake of pinching the inner tube and making a hole), instead I just use my thumbs to push the bead over the rim.

I've examined the inside of the tyre and the rim, I haven't found any aberrations (no spokes sticking through rim tape, no holes or foreign objects anywhere). Edit: chap in repair shop had a look at the tyre and confirmed it seems fine.

Could these different failures all be caused by the same thing?

So, I think the problem is that I have a 25mm tyre on a rim designed for narrower tyres. That means the rubber surrounding the valve is distorted into the narrow valley of the rim, which puts stress on it. As @Batman suggested, failure #2 seems to be a red herring.

So, I've opted for the narrowest tube available and furthermore used a cutting from an old tube to provide padding around the valve, like this, so that the rubber doesn't have to distort so much to reach the base of the rim valley.

It's still inflated so far, will mark this solved if it's still inflated at the end of the day!


Do I need to use the QR Skewer that came with my trainer? What sort of lubricant do I need to use? For christmas, my wife picked me up an Elite Qubo Fluid trainer. It comes with a quick release skewer and nuts. However, my bike currently has a QR. On a whim, I checked and the stock QR bolt from my bike (GT Transeo 2.0) fits in the slots of the trainer. It seems to work with no problems. The shape is the same of the nuts holding the skewer in place.

Do I need to replace the skewer with the one provided by the trainer?

If I DO need to replace the QR with the one from the trainer, what sort of lubricant should I use? I keep seeing mention of "oil" or "grease" but I can't find out what specific type of oil or grease (for instance, I highly doubt teflon oil or white lithium grease would be appropriate).

You should use the QR skewer which came with the trainer for several reasons:

1) Its cheap and ruining it (rather than your own skewer) will keep your nice skewer which came with the bike in good condition. It may also be stronger than your (possibly boutique) skewer in the trainer. (Safety)

2) It has markings which can help bite into the cups of the trainer which attach to the skewer. (Safety)

3) Liability -- the manufacturer said to put it there. If you don't, you're SOL if it goes wrong with the skewer. Plus, it takes about 5 seconds to swap the skewers so why not do it?

That being said, as you found out, many enclosed cam QR skewers will fit into trainers, but why risk it? I would not recommend it (as the trainer manufacturer probably wouldn't either).

The lubrication of the QR skewer is for the cam - you don't need to do anything for a new skewer.


Noisy chain when under tension I've recently purchased a second hand Orbea with a 105 groupset, and I've noticed the chain makes a rubbing-like noise when in the big front ring.

It's not rubbing anywhere though - the gears are perfectly indexed, both at the front and rear, and the limits are set correctly on both. Gear shifting is perfect, both on the way up and the way down, on both front and rear derailleurs.

I'm not sure of the history of the bicycle, nor how many miles it's done, but my first task was to degrease the chain and cassette and lubricate everything back up again - so it's very well lubricated and free of any dirt and grime - but no amount of lubricant makes this noise go away.

The noise disappears when in the smaller front chain ring, specifically when the rear derailleur puts the chain under less tension. The chain is practically silent.
When in the larger front chain ring, the rear derailleur puts the chain under more tension and the noise appears.
If I keep it in the large front chain ring but take the tension out of the chain by moving rear derailleur by hand, the noise disappears.

Does anyone know what might be causing this?

Hard to diagnose without visual access to the bike, but in my experience, some causes of such noise can be misalignment of the rear deraileur - possibly caused by a bent hanger. Watch this Park Tool video on rear deraileur hanger alignment: http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/rear-derailleur-hanger-alignment


How does a mountain racing team work together? For a road race, I can imagine riding in a pelton has an advantage against air drag.

However, for MTB this does not make sense. XC races are slower than road races, and in a DH race having someone closely in front of you seems to be just another way to fall from the bike.

So what does it mean a mountain racing team? How do they function as a team? How do they behave during a race?

I guess a team of professional riders will have near identical skill level. On the other hand, a team of amateur enthusiasts can have vastly varying skill levels. How does this affect the answer?

Each type of racing is able to take advantage of certain team dynamics, and a few things are common across all disciplines.

Specifics:

DH/Super D: Downhill "teams" are more associated by sponsors and bikes than by riding together during a race. Since each run is done one at a time there's no drafting or anything like that. However, during track walks and practice teammates can help each other with line choice and bike setup suggestions.
XC/Marathon/Cyclocross: Cross country teams sometimes act more like a road team with drafting happening on straights and doubletrack sections. Teammates can also help pace each other through longer races. With teams that have riders across multiple levels of competition or age groups, some team members may act as support during another member's race (hand ups, mechanical, etc.).
Enduro: Though relatively new as a competition (in some parts of the world), Enduro takes facets from both XC and DH. Typical Enduro races are one at a time affairs where each rider is on his own, but might benefit from teammates during practice like a DH race. However, in races like the Megavalanche with a mass start, teammates can help to protect each other or advance a rider through a pack.
Other: 4X is pretty similar to BMX and DH in that practice usually assists the teammate more than during the race. Trials is the same. Short track is closer to road and XC in team dynamics, but more like a Criterium in pace and tactics.

Shared:

Training(Bike): Most teams have at least a few training sessions as a whole team. Obviously this can be difficult logistically if team members are further apart (other side of the country/world/state). Sometimes this takes the form of special trips, such as to an area of high altitude, for working on specific training. Other times it's just regular rides or skills work.
Training(Other): Large teams have associations with gyms an trainers to provide their athletes with good off-bike training as well. Team workouts happen along with individual workouts tailored for the rider's needs.
Nutrition: Again, larger teams usually benefit more here with a dedicated health person who will work with the athletes on their nutrition and food intake.
Race support: Mechanics, cheering, pits and everything else that happens on race day is supported by everyone on the team. Whether that's a teammate on the sidelines cheering you on up a grueling climb, or your mechanic making that last minute suspension change before your finals run.

Ultimately, a team is what you make of it. I know guys who ride for a team, but are pretty solitary and keep to themselves. There are other teams that seem more like a traveling party, but they know when to train and when to have fun!


Secure front fork when mounting on roof rack I would like a way to secure my front fork/handlebars so they are always pointing directly forward when I load my bike on my roof rack.

It makes it hard to get the fork on the fork mount when the fork is turning as I struggle to get it up there.

Does anyone have an idea how to do this?

I take it you are talking about the process of loading the bike, not when the bike is up there and the car is in movement (since most bike racks have a kind of trough that keeps the front wheel aligned).

What I have done on occasion is to loosen the handlebar and turn it backwards about 75 degrees relative to the fork. The handlebar is then more or less aligned with the front wheel. Re-tighten the handlebar in this position. Then a bungee or other elastic material can be used to fix the handlebar to the horizontal frame bar.

This does mean using an Allen key in most cases, but I figure it is worth getting the key out.


What is the difference between a TREK 7.2 FX and a TREK 7.3 FX? I don't understand the numbering system on TREK bikes.

Is it the lower the number the better, or the higher?

What is exactly is the difference?

This higher numbers are upgrades.  Trek website

Upgrades on 7.3 FX from 7.2 FX

IsoZone grip and handlebar system
Bontrager Race All-Weather Hard-Case tires
Alloy FX Fork


Bargain-basement component brand lines? So it now seems obvious to me that brand name alone is not a good quality heuristic; my Shimano Revo shifter just went south and was replaced after two years, which seems far too soon. (LBS put a SRAM of some variety on it; I hope that's better.) But I do know Shimano makes good higher-quality, more-expensive components (right?).

What are the lesser-quality component lines from the big brand names? Are there any rules of thumb -- other than price, obviously -- for recognizing them at the LBS or on readymade bikes? I'm not looking for manufacturer flamewars here; I'm interested in quality differences within a given manufacturer's lines.

Or is it just price?

While price is not the defining factor, there is no doubt that it is a key indicator of quality.

List of Groupsets

Below is a list of the three largest manufacturer's groupsets for Road and MTB applications.

Each manufacturer's offering is arranged in descending price/quality.

The number of sprockets of the cassette in each groupset is shown in brackets.

The total number of gears is determined by this number multiplied by the number of chainrings, for example a bike that has a double chainring and a 10-speed cassette has 20 gears, although some of them overlap.

Road:

Shimano - 2009

Dura-Ace 7900 (10)
Ultegra 6700 (10)
105 5700 (10)
Tiagra (9)
Sora (9)
2300 (8)

Campagnolo - 2009
Super Record (11)
Record (11)
Chorus (11)
Athena (11) - new for 2009.
Centaur (10)
Veloce (10)
Older Campagnolo groupsets that were discontinued from 2009 are the lower-end:
Mirage (10)
Xenon (10)

Campagnolo also offers 3 triple chainring offerings for steep hill-climbing:

Comp Triple (10)
Race Triple (10)
Champ Triple (9)

SRAM - 2010

In 2006, SRAM released two groupsets for racing bicycles, aimed at competing with Shimano and Campagnolo's offerings. The top SRAM groupsets are called 'Red' and 'Force', being the pro-level and amateur racing level lines, respectively.
It is worth noting that SRAM has trickled down its technology at an accelerated rate to compete, and that each year production groupsets feature several upgrades, some years more than others. In 2010 SRAM have released a new groupset, Apex, which is aimed at a more casual level.

Red (10)
Force (10)
Rival (10)
Apex (10)

MTB/General

Shimano - 2011
XTR (10)
Saint (9)
Deore XT (9/10)
Hone (9)
SLX (9/10)
Deore LX (9)
Deore (9)
Alivio (8/9)
Acera (8)
Altus (8)
Tourney (8)

SRAM

XX (10)
X0 (10)
X9 (10)
X7 (10)
X5 (9/10)
X4 (8/9)
X3 (7)

SRAM also offer parts under several different marques as they've slowly bought out several smaller, specialist bike part manufacturers. These include:

Brake systems - Avid
Cranksets - Truvativ
Mountain Bike Suspension - Rock Shox

SRAM are phasing out 3 ring front chainrings in their MTB range for a 2 front chainring, 10 sprocket rear cassette setup, commonly found on road bikes.

Specialist

There are some groupsets which are designed for a specific purpose (track cycling, downhill etc.). Some are just partial groupsets which are intended to be used with other groupsets.

Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 7970 - (10) - electronic shifters and derailleurs intended to be used with regular Dura-Ace 7900 parts (cranks, cassette, chain, bottom bracket etc.)

Shimano Dura-Ace (track) - (1) - Track bikes

Campagnolo Pista - (1) - Track bikes

Campagnolo Time Trial - (N/A) - Time Trial components with bar-end controls, chainrings with oversized toothing and super-light brake levers in composite material.

Shimano Hone - (9) - Enduro and Freeride applications

Shimano Saint - (9) - Downhill and heavy-duty applications

The Shimano Nexus began as a internal hub only and has slowly grown into its own groupset including a higher end internal hub (Alfine, previously Nexus 'Redline'), chain, shifters, cranks, brakes and calipers.

Shimano Alfine - (8) - Internal (planetary) hub gearing, hydraulic disc brakes or mechanical calipers

Shimano Nexus - (8) - Internal (planetary) hub gearing, drum brakes or calipers
[edit]See also

This information was copied wholesale from the linked Wikipedia article.


Bottom Bracket Size for Specialized Roubaix Elite C2 2009 I think my bottom bracket has worn and I would like to replace it.  I was looking at the Shimano 105 BB.  BikePedia lists the size as 68mm, which is fine, but there seems to be another dimension.  I can get 68 x 109 mm or 68 x 118 mm.  Is it possible to work out which size I need without removing the current BB?

update
I'm not sure which of the below answers is correct.  In the end I bought a SM-BB6700 Bottom Bracket BC1.37 which worked fine (techdocs here).

It is best to remove your current bottom bracket to check, but as a rule of thumb, a triple (3 gear) front crank uses a 118mm. A double (2 gear) front crank uses a 109mm.


Replacement cassette for Schwinn Jaguar 7-speed? How would I figure out the correct replacement for a 7-speed Schwinn Jaguar cassette?

I'm newer to working on bikes (but lots of automotive experience).

Got this bike inexpensively. Chain keeps coming off. I gave the chainwheel a little adjustment with the hammer, looked like some of the teeth were out of alignment. Replacing the chain. The cassette looks pretty chewed up as well.

I see some $18 7-speed Shimano cassettes online. How would I know if I was getting the right one?

Clearly this post is in regards to a newer Schwinn rather than the originals from the '50s and '60s, as the latter were all equipped with Sturmey Archer internal-gear  hubs.  Searching for "Jaguar" on the Schwinn website yielded nothing so apparently Jaguars aren't manufactured anymore.  Getting a little more desperate, I consulted the Walmart website and found what I figure is a reasonable facsimile of a Jaguar and downloaded its manual, which suggests that what you're dealing with is in fact a freewheel, not a cassette.  The manual offers no insight into the brand, but you might look for a brand on the rear hub--the freewheel will have to match the hub, so matching brands there should get you what you need.  You might also look at the freewheel's tool interface (see Sheldon Brown link) to spot brand differences.


Tandem drivetrain--right side front drive From what I am reading, there are 3 attested tandem drivetrains:

1) crossover drive, with timing chain on the left, and main crankset and drive chain on the rear right. This seems to be most common.

2) Crossover drive, but with the main crankset and drive chain in the front instead of the back. This uses a very long drive chain, but has lower frame flex and better chain line.

3) Right side drive, with the main crankset on the rear. Right side drive has low frame flex, low weight, and low width.

What seems to be missing is:

4) Right side drive, but with the main crankset in the front. This would seem to combine the width , weight, and flex advantage of right side drive, with the chainline advantage of front-crossover drive. However, I have never seen it.

I'm building a tandem with no front derailleur, And I'm concerned about frame flex and weight. I'm thinking about trying it. I will just use small sprockets for the sync chain and a larger sprocket for the front/drive chain. Will it work? Anyone ever seen this done? Any problems?

I suspect #4 doesn't exist because it makes the stoker's position hard to get power out of.

If you have one very long chain on the RHS, with the chain passing over and under the stoker's chainring, then there is minimal tooth engagement on top, and  perhaps none at all underneath.  Certainly not the "toothcount/2" teeth engaged on the front wheel.  This would make it very hard for the stoker to get power down.

A solution might be to use some jackwheels, like jockey wheels but to press the chain down around the stoker's chainring to give more tooth engagement.  But this would add complexity and potentially jam up.

Since you only want one chainring, cheat.  Have two at the rear, and one at the front.  Power the rear mech directly off the larger chainring, and use two smaller equal-sized inner chainrings for the timing chain.  You could even use 1/8" chain for the timing chain, and use 3/32" from the stoker's chainring to the cassette/derailleur.

In hindsight I think my suggested solution is similar to your #2.


Wahoo heart rate monitor issue I've gone through 3-4 wahoo HRM this year. They start off fine but then start reading 40-50 BPM after a few weeks. Does anyone else have this issue? Should I just get a more expensive / higher end HRM?
Thanks!

It is 2020, and we have had heart rate monitors for quite some time. Additionally, we have had the Bluetooth and ANT+ communication protocols for some time.
Note that this answer is primarily based on reasoned opinion - we tend to prefer more objective answers on Stack Exchange, but we have no basis for such an answer. My instinct is that by now, reliable enough HRM straps with wireless transmitters should be a commodity product, i.e. they're easily mass produced. I'd expect consumers to be able to get an HRM strap of any price point from any reputable brand and not worry about its reliability. You shouldn't need to pay for a premium HRM to increase reliability. If you are getting a low-cost monitor from an off brand, e.g. something generic from eBay or Aliexpress, I would be more concerned about reliability - but note that all our electronics are made in China anyway, so I'm not calling out Aliexpress solely on its national affiliation. Your experience does suggest that Wahoo might be having some design issues with its devices or that you are, for some reason, unusually harsh on your HRMs, which will be briefly discussed later.
If you ask about brand specific information on the web, it can be hard to parse out the noise from the actual signal. It is probably impossible for us to objectively point to reliable brands based on actual data. I could point you towards review sites like Cyclingtips, DC Rainmaker, Bike Radar, Velonews, probably some triathlon sites, the list goes on. The issue is that those reviewers will often not have a review device for long enough to surface many durability-related problems, and moreover they will only have one device at a time. I would expect that even for a low-reliability brand, the proportion of HRMs failing in the first year should be low in absolute terms.
You could, if you deem the effort worth it, continue to pursue a warranty claim with Wahoo. They should warranty the strap. They have generally made reliable products in the past, so I am surprised to hear of your continued issues - albeit I have had one Tickr X warrantied for a similar fault as yours (mine either reported a heart rate of 122-124 BPM regardless of effort even though it looked like reasonably random data, or else it appeared to work for a few minutes then reported a constant 225 BPM). If you don't want to stick with Wahoo, then obviously you should not. Per our FAQ, we don't do specific product recommendations, so I will not recommend a specific brand here.
You did not indicate if you have a chest strap that reads electrical signals or an optical HRM. Electric signal-based HRMs are considered to be more accurate than optical HRMs. However, the durability of the straps on electric HRMs might be a limiting factor, and some people might be unusually hard on their straps - do note that with electric HRMs, the strap contains part of the sensor assembly. One of these might be your sweat composition. If you are one of these people, you might consider an optical HRM, where all of the necessary sensors are in the HRM unit and the strap is just a strap. Be aware that skin tone, hair, and other factors can affect the accuracy of optical HRMs. Also, I believe optical HRMs draw more power than the electrode-based ones; the former have to generate enough power to shine a light through your skin. Thus, they typically rely on rechargeable batteries, which require recharging more frequently than the coin cell ones used by electric HRMs.


Converting my old mountain bike to a cyclocross I have a 1992 Bridgestone MB-4 that I am converting to a cyclocross bike.  It is a 3 x 7 (21 gears).  I am going to put down bars on it and to change the older over shifters and brake levers.  As it is an old bike, I am looking to keep the cost down on parts.  Does anyone have a recommendation of combined brake/shift levers that will work with 3 x 7?  I have Deore XT rear and front derailleur. Any other suggestions/recommendations for this conversion are also welcome.

Integrated drop bar shift levers are inherently expensive, so I'm not sure how much you will be able to keep the cost down.  Also, you will probably have a hard time finding 7 speed integrated levers. They would either have to be old, or low end.  And even the low end stuff is quite highly priced.  Based on the searching I've done around the web, it doesn't appear Shimano ever did 7 speed intergrated shifters above the Sora Level.  When Dura-Ace and Ultegra were in 7 speed, they were still using down tube shifters.


Remaining tire life estimate I am looking for a ballpark estimate as to how many miles I have left on this rear tire:

Do you get a lot of punctures while riding?  I got a puncture every month or two while commuting.  When that suddenly increased to a weekly puncture, it becomes time for new tyres.  It was 80% the rear wheel.
I can still see the central tread line in the middle of your tyre, so it looks perfectly fine to keep riding IMO.   Also, its probably got a little faster as the central knobs wear off, assuming you ride smoother roads.
If you're riding off-road aggressively (ie competitively), then the lack of central tread may become more important.
When punctures get more common suddenly, then replace both tyres.
Estimate: 500-1500 km, (300-900 miles)   I'd certainly ride that tyre.


Shimano disc brake hose compatibility I have a bike with Shimano XT disc brakes, model BR M775, which have too short brake lines for my new stem.
So I want to replace them with longer brake lines. But when I go shopping for brake hose, there are many different ones. Shimano LX, XT, XTR, Saint etc.
I realize I have to get plain hose without banjo bolts, but can I use any of the Shimano ones?
And are there any 3rd party ones worth considering?

You need any BH59 hose with the right ends. The commonly seen current model kit would be BH59-JK-SS, comes in black or white and 1700mm or 2000mm.


How to warm up / stretch and cool down? I'm starting to ride again after a couple of years of not doing any sports at all. I dimly remember some stretching exercises back from school, but I don't know if I'm doing it right at all.

Instead of listing what I'm doing and asking for "correct, yes/no", I'd like to know how exactly one should prepare for a bike tour. I'm currently doing small tours (20km) to get used to it again, but plan to go bigger during summer.

Just a few minutes ago I stumbled upon the following article, explaining a few stretching exercises. Unfortunately, it's focused on running, and I believe that there aren't exactly the same muscles involved.
Five Fantastic Stretching Exercises (pdf).

The article also mentions a cool-down phase, which I don't remember at all from school.

So, to conclude: How should I warm up, how long, what stretching exercises should I do, and when? How should the cool down be done?

Stretching has become somewhat controversial among exercise physiologists.   I listened to one such lady on NPR's Science Friday a couple of months ago, and she said that the university she worked out of had conducted a number of fairly extensive tests and surveys indicating that very little benefit accrued from this practice.
Other than that it felt kind of good. Wired's Pre-Exercise Stretching Is Killing Your Workout article discusses such studies.

I've never bothered with pre-ride stretching.  In fact, the standard wisdom is that one should first warm up and THEN stretch.
Ride slowly, let the legs get used to spinning and the arms used to bearing a bit of weight before increasing your pace.
I used to stretch post-ride; the standard quad and hamstrings stretches and also calf-muscle stretches by standing with my toes on a stair and letting body-weight stretch the calf... But I admit I hardly bother anymore.


Disc brake system for downhill and dirt trail I have a 2000 GT XCR4000 I would like to put disc brakes on. What size of disc brakes would I need to do this upgrade the brake system for downhill and dirt trail ride.

Probably 200mm for down hill. 180mm will work if you are not too heavy and don't ride hard.

Disadvantages of bigger rotor is heavier and more prone warping and getting damaged. Advantages are more stopping power and better heat dissipation. However, that's presuming same quality brakes. Better brakes trump a bigger disc.

Does you bike have mounts for discs?


Quick Release for Accessories Is there a way I can make my bolted-on accessories quick release?
I'm looking for something that allows quick removal & replacement of accessories like lights or screens that come with a hex bolt, philips head or similar fastener similar to the mount on this bell:
One possibility I thought of would be cutting a hole through the front of the bottom part of the plastic mount, a thumbscrew that could slide in & out of the hole and a washer or nut on the bottom to prevent the screw from slipping out of the hole unintentionally. I'm not sure how practical that would be though.

I think in most cases there's going to be a better solution than actually doing this, but wing bolts are one way to go.

Since most of the accessories brackets in question have recessed holes for the bolts, you may need a spacer of some sort in between, like a presta ring.


Best brake pads for long distance travelling? Me and a friend of mine are going on a long bike trip (which will take us a month) and we're finetuning our bikes for this.

We will be bringing about 14kg of luggage each, only riding on paved roads (with the occasional badly paved road). We leave here in Belgium, riding as far as we can in one month, towards Italy.

What would be the best type of brake pads for this purpose? I'm thinking of several aspects here:

Brake-safety, even when wet
noise
ease of mainenance
I wouldn't like too much wear on my new rims

The trick with rim brakes is to get ones with replaceable blocks. In that way you can setup the brakes once so that they have perfect toe-in (small gap at back so they do not squeal) and so that they hit the rim dead-centre (not at an angle, falling off the bottom or hitting the tyre). Then, when the brakes get worn you can simply replace the inserts and not have to start again with the setup.

Due to different places selling different stuff and having made an investment in your setup, it then becomes a matter of what are the most widely available inserts. In the UK this probably means the 'Aztec' brand. From my personal experience the after-market Aztec blocks and shoes are better than the cheeze-o-blocks that Shimano supply. 'Kool Stop' are also pretty good and widely available in selected markets.

As for choice of rubber, if you are undecided, what is wrong with dual compound? In that way you get durability and stopping power all in one.

I am not wanting to specify a shop/endorse a brand, however, here is what you should be looking for (as Googled earlier).

You can always try the different compounds to see what works best front/rear, what wears your rims out quickest (soft on rear is a good idea as rear rims wear quicker) and what fits your budget.

Moving forward, the replacement shoes are a double whammy of time savings and money savings. Not only are they quicker to replace, they are cheaper and you do not lose your settings.

And finally...

Enjoy your tour!


Ride a bike only using the pedals Is it possible to ride a bike standing? I mean properly standing, not sitting up straight. Your feet are on the pedals but you do not touch any other part of the bike. If not, is it possible to roll/steer while standing?

For maximal clarity I added this handcraftet picture. You may only have contact with the blue parts, and especially not with the red parts:

I have seen that done with monocycles, but I am afraid that doing it with a bicycle is going to be more difficult if not impossible.

The reason I think so is that when you stand up and pedal you are also unbalancing your bike right and left. If you do it while holding the bar, you can compensate it in a certain way. (think cyclist standing while going uphill or sprinting, see how most of the cyclists in this picture are standing and their bike is tilted)

If you are not holding the bar, your bike will start zig-zagging and the only way to control it would be using your hips. But that can happen if you sit and can transfer your hips movement to the frame via the saddle.


Tyre fiiting with 20x2.4 tyre I have 20x2.4 tyres and need to fit it on 20x1.95 rims but I don't know if I can fit it on is it possible to do this

You should be able to fit it as the tire width is wider then the rim width BUT you should check if the tire will fit in your frame.


Fatbike tire footprints? I am curious if there are any empirical experiments, or theoretical computational results, comparing the "footprint" size of the various fatbike/29er/mountain bike tires?

There are lots of claims about how this tire can get through that material better than this tire.  But, at the end of the day, the reason for these differences is the size of the tire makes with the surface of the road/trail/snow/mud/sand.

I get that these things change with tire pressure as well, so feel free to add that as a variable.   I weigh 180 pounds, so that's what I'll be using if I do this experiment this weekend.

My lack of results in Google may be due to my unfamiliarity with the right terms.  If there's a better term for what I want, I'd love to know that as well.

There are more variables that you are missing.  Rim width is also a factor as well as the tire "setup" itself (tubeless or tubed).  So all the variables you would be looking at are tire width and size, rim width, tire pressure and wheel setup (tubeless or tubed).  For any or the data to be meaningful, you'd need all of that data.  Generally you will get the widest footprint/contact patch by riding a wide tire on a wide rim at low pressures with a tubeless setup.


Ice tires for winter commuting on non-icy roads? Can a tire like the Schwalbe Marathon Winter be used for winter-long commuting (40 km/day) on roads which are mostly or usually not icy?

I might want the studs occasionally (and lower the air pressure to get them), but not on most days.

This is Toronto where it's subzero at night, with snow etc., for about 4 months (it's snowing today for the first time), but they plough and salt the roads.

I wouldn't want to have to swap the tires daily or weekly depending on the weather: only once a season.

I think the tires would be durable enough (my winter commute in nearby Kitchener, ON is about 20 km/day and my Marathon winters hold up pretty well) but they're definitely going to feel more sluggish than a road tire.

If you're normally running them with enough air pressure to keep the studs clear of the pavement, I think that kind of defeats the purpose of them (and that much pressure makes the ride a little harsh for my liking as well). Carbide studs will last as long as the carcass of the tire holds together, and there's always a chance of running into an icy patch somewhere, even if 99.5% of your route is bare and dry.


How to get back on the road again? I am from Mumbai, India. And as some of you might be knowing, it is a pretty crazy traffic on roads here. Many times, it so happens that trucks, cars etc. may force you to get off the road while you are riding (there might be other reasons like dogs, children playing, cows etc.) And that drops you to a level about 3-10 cm lower from the main road.

My question is, whenever one tries to get back on the road, climbing 3-10 cm road height, while being parallel to the road, almost surely makes the bike skid and makes rider fall (head in the traffic position).

The problem is worse when it is 'mumbai-rain' raining!

Getting off the bicycle - climbing back on road - riding, can't be a solution. Traffic is way too crazy to allow you doing that.

I ride Trek marlin 29er, But I have put slick (700c-35) tires on it, so it doesn't have good grip sideways. And many of my friends ride locally made cheap bikes, which certainly-certainly do not have good grip on the road whatsoever.

So what are the techniques one should use for this kind of problem?

The situation you describe is critical, but when conditions allow, I would suggest you a technique I developed exactely for that.

The secret is to "ride the wall" as you were in the tilted section of a velodrome, that is, making a curve with your bike.

Most falls I have seen or heard, or even almost had myself, are caused by making a curve to the left while trying to climb the ramp sloped towards the other side. That makes the front tire skid if the step is steep, or if the surface is somewhat slippery.

Then, the trick is:

Go as far as you can from the main road, on the side lane;
Turn left (assuming a right-sided traffic) and start getting closer to the road edge;
About half-way, straighten the bike and START TO TURN RIGHT, in an "S" shaped trajectory;
When you climb the road edge, you will be turning right, then you "ride the wall" and by the end of the turn you'll be already up the road shoulder, going parallel to it.

The "centrifugal force", and the leaning of the bike, will prevent your tire from slipping. Of course this depends on actual conditions (rain, traffic, road height) at the moment.

Hope this helps!


Bought new chain. Do I have to remove links? I have this bike I got it from wal-mart many years ago. Same as this one on amazon:  Denali

The chain rusted. I noticed that it listed the chain on amazon. Chain: KMC Z 51
I bought this one.

I'm trying to put it on and figure out how it goes through the derailleur I think I figured it out. But it seems too big. Maybe I just didn't put it on right.

Do I need to resize the chain to fit my bike? Are they standard sizes?

Chains normally come with more links than you need, and you should use a chain tool to remove the excess links from the chain prior to installing it.

This link from park tool shows you how to size a chain (but the easiest way is normally to just match the length to your old chain provided it was adequately sized and you didn't change anything else). This link will show you how to install a chain.


I live in a place where it frequently floods. How can I keep my chain from rusting? My poor bike's chain lasted all of three months before it gave in to the winter floods where I live. Storing it indoors is not an option, and despite my maintenance efforts, the knee-deep floods that come once a month or so, rain every other day, and ocean only a quarter of a mile away has made it pretty much impossible to keep my chain dry. It's deteriorated beyond a useable point, so I have to buy a new one now. I'm new to bike maintenance on this level so I'd really like some advice on how to avoid replacing it again in three months.

If you're getting knee-deep floods it's destroying the bearings along with the chain.  You need to hang the bike up somehow.


How can you remove markings from a headset? I'm trying to remove logos and markings from a headset, but I think they're laser etched. Does anyone know if it's possible to remove them?

If the item is laser-etched there will be a slight recess in the material.  Nothing will remove that short of filling it in with autobody fill/bog, sanding smooth, and then painting the whole thing.
You could make it more discreet by simply painting the part with spraypaint, the same colour it already is.
If the logo is a decal you can use very gentle heat to soften the adhesive and then acetone or any goo-removing product to melt the adhesive.
Another simple option is to cover that part with something useful, like a headlight or a bike computer/headunit.
Is too late, but you could also prefer to buy parts that don't have the logos in the first place.


Bike is slightly too large, shorten the stem? I feel that my bike frame is slightly too large because I'm stretching out quite a bit even when on the hoods.

I'm considering swapping out my 90mm stem for a 35mm or 40mm stem

It seems like these aren't designed for road bikes, but would they still be okay to use considering the clamp diameter is identical to that of my roadie's?

A relatively cheap way to make the reach shorter without compromising handling is to move grips little closer to you. Applicable on most drop bar handles. Most bicycles have grips set far forward and moving them back 2 centimeters is safe and won't move them up too much. Expenses - new duct tape to fix cables onto place if they are not internal and a screwdriver if you don't have one.


What is "crank preload" I'm in the middle of swapping my BB30 cranks from stock FSA Gossamer to a (shorter length) SRAM BB30 "IA" S950.  The S950 has a "crank preload" adjuster on the NDS which the spindle is also attached to.  The instructions are just some brief drawings, and I've had no luck finding good install instructions online.  One question I have is:

What the heck is "crank preload".

Thanks!

Crank preload is there to ensure that cranks are not over tightened so that they cause premature failure of the bearings. It allows the cranks to be "finger tightened" prior to the pinch bolts been done up to the right torque. It's a way of ensuring the spacing is correct on the crank axle.


inner tube to fit in a 26 X 1.5 bicycle tire I have a tire 26 X 1.5 what size tube should I buy for it?  As yet I have not tried tubes because I don't know what size to buy.

A tube can usually fit a range of different tire sizes, because the tube can stretch a bit when it is being inflated.  The range of tire sizes is written on the package that you see at the store. Since your tire is 26"x1.5", you need to find a tube that is labelled as being appropriate for a 26" (diameter) tire and a width range that includes 1.5".

For example, look at this picture:

Among other things, the label says 26x1.5/2.20. This means that it's intended for 26" tires where the width is between 1.5" and 2.2". So this one would work for you. I hope this helps in deciphering the labels if you go to a bike store.

A previous answer mentioned the two different kinds of valves; this is important. You just have to look at the valve on the old tube that you want to replace and figure out if it's Schrader or Presta.

Presta valves look like this:

And Schrader valves look like this:

If you want to buy it online, here are two that would work:

With a Schrader valve: http://www.amazon.com/Avenir-Regular-Schrader-Valve-1-50-1-75/dp/B00165PA1W
With a Presta valve: http://www.amazon.com/Diamondback-26x1-5-Threaded-Presta-Bicycle/dp/B00MJYP0KU


Rack (& Pannier) for a bike with disc brakes I'd like to get a rack for my bike (Haibike Land). The problem is that the bottom screws are blocked by the disc brake:

(If it is not obvious from the photo, the brake and its mounting screws are in the way of the rack.)

Are there any solutions for this problem? In my LBS they just told me that bikes with disc brakes are not meant to have racks (although they've told me this after telling me it should fit fine and ordering it). But I'm sure I'm not the only one with this issue.

I've thought I could put some washer or spacer there but I'm a bit worried about the torque caused by such solution.

EDIT

To clear things up, here is the side photo (from bottom in the direction of the saddle):

2019 Update

Racks specifically designed for bikes with Disc brakes have become much more common. It shouldn't be hard to find something now.

Original 2011 answer

I think the LBS is partially correct, that bikes with disc brakes aren't generally designed to hold a rack.  That said, I think there's a few solutions (other than getting a bike built to have disc brakes and a rack):

Get a seat-post (or similar) mounted rack.  Downsides: very low weight limit, often not good at holding panniers, and probably prone to spinning around.
Use "p-clamps" instead of the built-in holes.  These are rubber-covered clamps that would go around the seat stays to give you a hole for a rack up above the problematic disc brake stuff. This is more usually done on bikes that simply don't have a place to bolt anything on. Downsides: may put the rack too far up, may put the rack too far forward, may slide, may not be as strong.
Spacers and a longer bolt with a somewhat wide rack. So that the rack's stays run to the outside of the brake hardware.  It seems to me that too much weight would tend to try to bend the bolts down and the holes up.  Would be much better if you could find a rack that could use both holes.
I don't know the right term, but it might be possible to find a metal piece that screws into both of those holes and gives you a new hole behind that location.  I've seen some racks mounted like that to get the rack back further for more heel clearance.
There are racks made to go on bikes with disc brakes.  The one I found first ( http://www.topeak.com/products/Racks/ExplorerTubularRack_discMount ) basically has the spacer I suggest in #3 built in.  The second one I found ( http://www.tubus.com/en/rear-carriers/disco ) basically comes into the holes from behind instead of directly above, like I suggest in #4.

A rack specifically designed to mount on a bike with disc brakes would be best, of course.  The other options might be cheaper.


Road bike to CX/Gravel conversion I have a Cinelli Experience 2016 road bike with rim brakes that allows up to 28c tyres as per Cinelli's specifications. Somehow, Cinelli keeps mentioning it's fit for gravel as well.
I'm looking forward to gaining more tyre clearance by swapping the current 700c wheels with 650b or even 26 inch wheel. Having taken in consideration already the fact that I may need long reach calipers and even choosing an appropriate rim width to not bulge the tyre that much, I have run into the issue of finding actual wheels, given the fact that I need 650b rim brake 11s wheels in 2021.
Building my own wheels could be one option, but my first option is buying professionally made wheels. Most of the semi-compatible wheels have only 7s to 10s cassettes. My current Shimano 105 groupset is 11s and therefore, my questions are:

Can a 7s-10s wheel be converted to 11s by changing the cassette body?

Can a 11s groupset handle an 10s casette without much trouble?

Is there another option of fitting gravel/cx-like wheels on a road bike with rim brakes?

Having solved the vertical clearance, theoretically at least, what should be the minimum horizontal clearance from the sidewall of the tyre to the frame I should keep?

Buying a gravel/cx is out of the question for now. I'm perfectly happy with this particular bike, I just want tyres wider than 30c for riding in Eastern European citites with poor infrastructure and taking gravel paths in weekends.

I'm looking forward to gaining more tyre clearance by swapping the current 700c wheels with 650b or even 26 inch wheel.

Even if you mounted a pair of long reach calipers (probably something like the Tektro 559, which has a reach of 55-73mm, but I'm not sure if they're still made), you would probably not have enough room to fit big tires. The chain stays, seat stays, and fork blades won't have enough clearance for gravel width tires. That's the main determinant of how much tire you can fit. If you have calipers, try measuring how much clearance there is between the stays at the midpoint of the tire, then move the calipers down about 20mm, then see how much additional clearance you have. I suspect you have very little. Also, if you mounted 650B wheels, you would now be riding wheels with a shorter vertical distance than the bike is designed for. You risk hitting pedals on obstacles on the ground.
I don't know where Cinelli says that this frame is capable of gravel, but 28mm tires are fine for many unpaved roads without loose gravel.


Training for The Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer (approx 200km over 2 days) I have registered for the The Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer next July (Montreal to Quebec City approx 200km) and am keen to make sure that I prepare adequately in terms of cycling practice, other exercise for fitness and nutrition.

I am looking for advice from anyone who has done something similar, and also wondering if anyone in my area (West Island Montreal) is going to do this so that maybe we can buddy up and train together.

I'm a keen cyclist but have never done more than 50km in one day, so I'm new to this distance and keen to talk to anyone who has achieved this event in the past.

Thanks in advance,
Kelly.

Last year I did my first double century, and have subsequently done a few centuries. Before that, I was primarily a short distance rider - perhaps I can provide some insight as to my Personal experience.

First, and perhaps the most controversial, I didn't (and still don't) find it necessary to do a lot of long training rides in preparation. I find that if I stay in good shape and make my shorter rides count (i.e. push hard), I'll be just fine strength wise. I recommend at least one long ride before the event, just so you know what it feels like and are not surprised. Otherwise, I generally finish in the top 20% in centuries and rarely train distances greater than 30 miles (but my 30 miles are on hills pushing hard).

The three things that I had to learn about distance riding were 1) moderating my pace and 2) keep fueled and 3) comfort matters.

1) Pace: If you are used to shorter rides, you know that you can get away with pushing hard. For a long ride, you should never push your legs to the point of feeling a burning sensation. In your training, practice climbing hills in an easier gear and spinning faster. Learn ways to push faster without necessarily pushing harder.

2) Fuel: You can get by with no or little food in a short ride, not so with a long one. Teach yourself to eat consistently while riding. Get yourself used to drinking something other than water (energy drink, chocolate milk, etc), and drink often. You want to be used to your favorite riding food before your long ride and have your stomach used to digesting food during a ride. I can't tell you how many riders fail due to an upset stomach when trying new foods for the first time during a ride.

3) Comfort: After a few hours in the saddle, especially on the second day, little things start to matter. Your hands hurt, your butt hurts, your back and shoulder hurts. Get good gloves, high quality padded shorts, and good bar tape - and break all these in before your ride. If you haven't already, get a professional bike fit - it will make a big difference on your knees. Do not underestimate how much mental drain the small aches and pains put on you.

In reality, though, 200km in two days isn't really that far. Lots of people do more in a single day. Get out on your bike, ride hills, do sprints, and ride regularly and you should be just fine.


Brifters for Shimano Acera M3000 9 speed I'm trying to find out if I can swap the handlebar on this bike
Trek Lync 3 for a dropbar one. It has 9 speeds and Shimano Acera M3000 rear derailleur. Would any Shimano 9 speed brifter work? (wishful thinking I guess)
What options do I have?

Thanks!

According to this article on Bikeradar, "Current 9-speed road components are backwards compatible with older 9-speed road and mountain bike components, excluding the aforementioned exception" as well as "Current 9-speed Shimano mountain bike components are compatible with older 9-speed road and mountain bike components, excluding the aforementioned exception". In this case, the exception is pre-1997 Dura Ace componentry,  so that shouldn't be a concern for you. This means that you should have no compatibility issues at all regarding shifting. The pull on Shimano road levers will be fine for the Tektro Novela brakes as well.

While you won't have any compatibility trouble just swapping the shifters over, you may find that the gearing is far from ideal for a road bike. 44-11 is a very low top gear for a road bike, so you might find that you want to swap the crankset with two chainrings as well. You will still be able to use your rear derailleur, but this will mean that you need to add a front derailleur to your bike and a new chain as youlr currrent one will be too short as well.


What kind of tail lights can I attach to the rear of my rack? Every taillight I've owned has mounted to the seat post, but when I load my rear rack the seatpost light is no longer visible. Instead, I'd like to mount a light to the rear of my rack, which has a single centered screw hole for mounting a light. What kinds of lights can I mount with this kind of setup? Are there lights specifically designed to be mounted on the back of a rack with a single screw?

The best picture I can find is below:

I recently bought a new rack specifically because my old rack had no good spot to attach a light to. Well, that, and it has a broken weld causing it to rattle.  The rack I bought is this one. I got the Bontrager Flare 2, which easily attached to the rack with a single bolt. The light has 3 modes, which are steady, strobe, and random. Random works well if you're riding in a group as the light can be too bright otherwise with all the LEDs on at the same time.  Also, check out this Tail Light Review on an amazing site.  The chart shows which mounting options are included with the light.


Finding other riders for a cross country tour for charity I'm in the early stages of planning a long distance bike tour, and I am looking for people to ride with across/around the country during the summer months.

If you have suggestions on how to find people to ride with, I would appreciate it. Thank you for the read.

Do you mean the ride will take place from May to September or happen sometime in between those months?

A good place to start would be at your local bike shops, hang out, get to know people in the scene so to speak. Join some local weekly group rides which are done by most bike shops and make some friends. You may also ask the local shops if they have somewhere they would let you hang a flyer or set a stack of them by the register. A couple shops by me have a cork board they will let you hang business cards or flyers on for example.

The issue here is a ride of that magnitude is not just a weekend kind of thing, people will need to make plans ahead of time, take off work, pontentially buy touring gear or any number of other things. Cross country trips take careful planning and execution.

In my opinion one of the best routes will to be to ride with as many people ahead of time so you can to ask around for people that would be interested and get to know the locals that are into this sort of thing. You could also join your local cycling groups on Facebook and start spreading the word and gauging interest through them. One more option would be to take out a classified through either an advocacy group, online, or in a local newspaper if you want to go really old school. With today's technology Facebook may be one of the easier ways to begin. Meet some people interested and take a couple group rides with them before hand to see if you mesh.


Why did the chain on my kid's bike slack after I changed his tire? I changed the rear wheel on my child's bicycle today.  Once I was done and put it back together, the chain is inexplicably longer; there is a lot of slack.

How did this happen and how do I resolve it?

Edit: looking at the photo, I think I may have to move the rear axle backwards.

Edit x2: Photo of successful results, following my suspicions and Paparazzo's answer.

Move the wheel back in the dropout.  Equal on both sides.  Go for 1/2 to 1 inch of play in the chain.

And that valve stem might be leaning a bit.  Probably not enough to matter but ideally it is straight.


At what point should you stop repairs and get a new bike instead? My bike has passed its prime, one by one parts start to break, and replacing them keeps eating more and more money. Which made me wondering, is there any rule of thumb of when it is more economical to get a new bike instead of replacing parts all the time? Up to which point are repairs the financially better choice?
(I do all the work myself, so in my case it's just about the cost of material.)

If doing the work by yourself, and your are satisfied with the frame, never.
If you replace the whole bike, you have to purchase each and every of its parts in a package. Usually the package is not very good: for example, many manufacturers save money by using non-Shimano parts in a less visible location like wheel hub. Those wheel hubs will be hard to replace -- in fact, replacement of the hub is probably one of the hardest replacement jobs in a bike.
If you replace only a failed part, you have to purchase replacement just for that particular part.
Not only that, but by replacing failed parts, you have the opportunity to customize your bike by selecting which replacement part to purchase. You won't have that opportunity if you purchase a whole bike. Very often, after observing a failure, you have the opportunity to purchase a more durable part to replace the cheap part that failed.
I would argue that purchase of a new bike is a good idea only if its frame can do something your current frame cannot do. For example, some modern frames are asymmetric in the rear to allow even spoke tension in the rear wheel. If rear wheel is what isn't working for you, perhaps this asymmetry could help. Similarly, new frames may support disc brakes whereas old frames probably do not. Also, many new bikes have electric assist whereas old frames cannot accept electric assist motors.
As an example, I bought a new drop bar e-bike that hasn't arrived yet. I am not happy with its component choices. It is not a good bike. It is the least poor e-bike I found. I bought it because my current frame does not accept a Bosch motor, because the frame was designed before the era of motors.


Rear wheel replacement: freewheel -> freehub and cog size changes I've replaced the rear wheel on my bicycle. The new wheel is different in two respects:

I got a 8-speed freehub because 7-speed freewheel hubs seem to be difficult to find these days.
I had a 7-speed cassette with 14-28 teeth and replaced it with 12-32, using an extra 12T cog as a spacer on the distal side.

Two problems emerged:

The previous cassette had a lot of space between the smallest cog and the dropouts. Not so with the freehub cassette. I had to put the spacer cog on the distal side rather than the proximal one because otherwise the chain had no clearance when on the smallest cog. Even then the lock ring touched some sort of round screw head used to secure the derailleur. With a wrench, I was able to bend the steel (more exactly, unbend it; without wheel, I measure 133 mm rather than 135 between the drop outs and they still bend a little to the inside in the back) on the drive side and now it doesn't touch anymore. However, the clearance is very small when the QR skewer is tight (less than 1/2 mm). The question is: is it a good idea to file the screw head a bit or bend the drop out more so as to get more clearance? I'm worried that under heavy load the frame will bend in a way that there is contact with the lock ring.
The derailleur can't handle the chain being the two largest cogs. This crossed configuration is not something that I would ever use, at least on purpose. Is there anything I should be concerned about here?

Yeah you're entering a world of hurt by changing one thing, and the slippery slope of knock-on upgrades start...

6/7/8 speed cassettes all use about the same spacing between gears, so they get wider as you add cogs.
8/9/10 speed cassettes all use the same width of cassette, so the cogs get closer together as you add more cogs but all fit on the same width of freehub.

Bending the dropout more sounds like a bad idea.  It should be parallel to the other dropout, and have the correct OLD spacing for your hub.

I've had to file off the backside of the derailleur hanger on a couple different bikes, but that bolt is anti-rotation and isn't doing much to hold the derailleur on.  So it can be thinned down successfully.  Its not hardened steel so a normal file should do the job fine.

Your other option is to adjust any spacers you have on your wheel to re-center it, and possibly adjust every spoke nipple to move the rim over a bit and keep it centered.

7 speed casssettes are totally available from a decent LBS, or you can order them from wiggle or CRC online.  There's not a huge amount of choice, but 12-28 is not uncommon.


Can't shift front gear, despite loosening, tightening, etc. What could be wrong? Disclaimer: I'm clueless and am piecing together what little information I know from reading this site and from watching YouTube 'intro to repair' videos.
I've been gifted a used mountain bike, my first since I was a kid. It had a few issues, though. I managed to fix the brakes, but the shifter is giving me problems.
The bike in description is a Giant Boulder SE from the 1990s. It's got 3 speeds on the front and 7 on the rear, and operates using thumb switches.
Main problem
I can't switch gears on the front at all. By loosening the shifter cable a little, I gained the ability to click through the gears, but the derailleur/chain never makes any changes. It's always stuck on the outermost ring of the front... set of rings. (Cassette, I think.)
I think the larger ring represents a higher gear, but clicking through to top gear and then lowering it back down to 1 does nothing.
At top gear, the shifter cable tension is such that I can get a finger between it and the frame, and wobble it about 5mm, but it's still taught. On first and second gear, the cable is much looser.
This is a problem because riding in first gear kind of sucks, and by kind of, I mean really.
I have tried adjusting the limit screws. At first, I saw some movement, but now tightening or loosening either screw seems to do nothing at all.
Secondary problem
The rear shifter starts at 7th/top gear and 'releases' downward, towards gears with less resistance. I can go between 5th, 6th, and 7th gears, but trying to go any lower than 5 won't work, as there's just too much resistance from the shifter.
I don't think this is a huge deal, because 1st-in-front-5th-in-rear is a plenty low enough gear to get started/climb the kind of hills I'll be climbing anytime soon. But I thought I'd mention it anyway. My instinct is that this means the cable is too taut, but my instincts are garbage because as I said, I'm clueless.
Any help here would be really appreciated. Can't really afford to take it into a shop or that's what I'd do.

First note that if you get full movement in your rear gear shift you will probably have all the range you need. I think this would be EASIER than working on front derailleur. SO I recommend working on your Secondary Problem first! :-)

NOTE: Allow plenty of time for fiddling with your gears. Do it in a warm dry place when you have time so you can learn how things work in a relaxed manner. The less work you have to do the better! :-) Take it step-by-step. Adjusting loads of things in one go without having done it before could leave you with gears not working at all!

Main Problem
Three sensible things and one that is not for the faint-hearted:

CLEAN and OIL the front derailleur. Does the front derailleur itself move up and down (in and out) if you push and pull it with your hand (or you might need to use foot!)? It should move babck itself pulled by the spring. Clean the derailleur - it can get clogged with dirt - and oil it after cleaning. Because your cable moves but your derailleur doesn't this is the first thing to do.
CLEAN and OIL the cable Does gear cable move freely and pull on the derailleur properly? If you pull on the cable strongly with your (gloved) hand does the derailleur move up and down? Rust or dirt in cable might cause it to get stuck. Clear out cable with oil and take it off bike and lots of manual movement. Replace the cable if it is rusty or damaged.
Adjust the limit screws on front derailleur. The small screws H-stop and L-stop. One is top limit, the other is the bottom limit. They prevent the chain jumping beyond the rings and getting stuck - which is bad.
NOTE: Lowest gear is small cog on front, large cog on rear.
NOTE: Highest gear is large cog on front, small cog on rear.

turn your bike upside-down or put on stand or lift where you can freely pedal and also operate the gear lever

NOTE: You can do L-stop or H-stop in whichever order you prefer. It doesn't really matter.

move gear lever to lowest setting
pedal(gently) and adjust L screw until chain moves onto lowest gear (smallest cog)
pedal(gently) and check you can click up and down from lowest into next gear
move gear lever to highest setting
pedal(gently) and adjust H screw until chain moves onto highest gear (biggest cog)
pedal(gently) and check you can click up and down from highest into next gear

SECOND-LAST STEP: pedal(gently) and move to highest and lowest gear. You may have to adjust the stops again.

FINALLY: pedal(gently) and click all the way up and down through the gears.  If something is not right then you can repeat the process from start - you will soon get a better feeling for when the stop is adjusted correctly.

More info: http://sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Properly-Adjust-The-Front-Derailleur-On-You/step3/Front-Derailleur-Limit-Screw-Settings/

(Probably better NOT do this!) It is possible that the front derailleur attachment to frame is not right. Maybe it got knocked. You could unscrew and adjust height on frame or angle. BUT it is VERY tricky to get things working again if you move it! The attachment is usually very tight and not prone to being knocked into the wrong angle.

Note it is tricky to get the limit screws adjusted properly. But learn how to do it and it's very useful and will save you time with any bike you own.

Secondary Problem Which I think is both EASIER to improve and will give you more BENEFIT.
Similar three things (1. 2. and 4.):

CLEAN and OIL the rear derailleur. Springs, moving parts, screws and cogs. This will help loosen things up and gear cable will be able to pull better.

Check movement of rear derailleur. Move the derailleur in and out using your hand or foot. Does it line up with gear cogs correctly? The rear derailleur is prone to getting a bit bent or twisted. Some brute force can help (of course applied in the right place in a gentle mechanically sympathetic way!).
CLEAN and OIL the cable As in main problem. I think your rear gear cable is moving okay though.
Adjust the limit screws on rear derailleur. Small screws H and L again and another indexing adjustment screw. THIS is probably what will actually solve your problem!.
NOTE: Lowest gear is small cog on front, large cog on rear.
NOTE: Highest gear is large cog on front, small cog on rear.

turn your bike upside-down or put on stand or lift where you can freely pedal and also operate the gear lever
move gear lever to lowest setting
pedal(gently) and adjust L screw until chain moves onto lowest gear (biggest cog)
pedal(gently) and check you can click up and down from lowest into next gear
move gear lever to highest setting
pedal(gently) and adjust H screw until chain moves onto highest gear (smallest cog)
pedal(gently) and check you can click up and down from highest into next gear

SECOND-LAST STEP: pedal(gently) and move to highest and lowest gear. You may have to adjust the stops again.
You can repeat the process from start - you will soon get a better feeling for when the stop is adjusted correctly.

FINALLY: pedal(gently) and click all the way up and down through the gears. If chain is not happy to stay on cog for some gears then adjust the indexing screw.

More info: http://sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html and http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/rear-derailler-adjustments-derailleur


175 FC-TY301 crank set upgrade Im a newbie to the MTB scene, I have a trek bike that has a Shimano 175 FC-TY301 crankset. Today the pedal has come loose and flogged out one of the cranks. While I'm going, what's a good crank upgrade for this that will just go straight into the current housing without having to make any modifications.

I'm in Brisbane if that has any bearing on recommendations.(availability etc)

Cheers if you can help at all. Don't want to be buying parts and them not fitting and wasting money.

On a Shimano Tourney equipped bike I would not bother upgrading much. You could put an Altus, Acera or Alvio crank on but there is no point going beyond that.

The TY301 fits on a cartridge square taper also bottom bracket. Altus, Acera and Alvio ranges all have triple crank that fit on such a BB. The trick is that different cranks need a different length BB axle to get the right chainline. What you'll need to do is match the new crank to your current BB - OR - get a new BB with the new crank.

Shimano makes this really easy by publishing all the compatibility information. The FC-TY301 page lists the BB's it is compatible with, you can look up other cranks specs here https://productinfo.shimano.com/#/lc.


Is there such a thing as 'eBike specific' freewheel? I've recently had the LBS replace the freewheel on my eBike after 500 ish miles of riding.  The sprockets were not worn out, instead the freewheel bearing (not the hub bearing) had become loose.  It looked like this was due to the bearing cup loosening on it's thread.  My attempts to tighten it were futile, the LBS appeared unwilling to even attempt to do so, rather assuming that it was due to a low quality part.

They also claimed that it might be because it was not an eBike specific freewheel.  Does such a thing even exist?  If it does, what about an eBike makes such a thing necessary?

I challenged the LBS on that claim.  They say the freewheel sees additional load.  For a mid drive eBike that might make sense, but for a hub drive I don't see how that's possible.

I agree with you that a hub drive e-bike should not impose any more stress on a freewheel than a conventional bike.  Whichever wheel you drive, the torque supplied by the motor is not going through the freewheel.  The torque transmitted by the freewheel is all generated by you, just as on a conventional bike.  A stretch would be to claim that you can generate lots of torque in short intervals, then let the motor drive you in between, while on a conventional bike you would have to be working all the time so the torque peaks would be lower.


Drop bar to flat bar conversion Gearing             14-Speed Shimano A070 STI
Crankset            Prowheel Ounce 42/52T Double Chainring Alloy Crankset
Shifters            Shimano A070 STI
Front Derailleur    Shimano Claris
Rear Derailleur     Shimano A070
Brakes              Tektro Dual-Pivot Caliper Brakes
Brake Levers        Shimano A070 STI

Above is what I currently have. I am looking to convert from drop bar to flat bar to use the bike as a casual fitness and commuter bike. All I know is that some parts are road bike specific and may need replacing if I want the conversion done. I hear that the front derailleur, shifters/brake levers (obviously since it currently has STI) and the bar it self. Is there anything else that needs to be changed? I would like someone who has more knowledge in bikes than me to possibly tell me what parts from the above mentioned list needs to be changed. I am not looking to do any upgrades. Just looking for cheap budget parts since it will just be a leisure bike.

Thank you all

Sincerely

Tom.

It's almost certainly going to be more cost effective to replace the whole bike, and selling the current one.

There are potential problems with both brake caliper and derailleur compatibility going to flat bar shifters.

Aside from replacing shifters, drivetrain and bar, drop bar road bikes have shorter frames than flat bar bikes, because the rider's hands are placed forward of the stem head on the drops or hoods, but a flat bar places them approximately level with stem head. You may find the seat to bar distance is too short with flat bar installed.


What is the best way to train a person to ride? I have two scenarios of people proving too hard to train a bike.  I am wondering how best to help a person who can't balance herself on the bicycle but yet can use the pedals well?

Also I have another person who can balance very well on the bike but can not use the pedals well?  By that I mean can actually pedal without any assistance.

This is kind of two separate questions on the same topic.

Person 1 can pedal okay, but can't balance.  A Trike might be the solution here.  It almost totally removes the need to balance, but trikes are much rarer, and being wider are less versatile.   Another idea is to remove the pedals, and get her to scooter around like a balance bike.  Optionally the entire crank/bb axle could be removed too else it risks catching the rider in the shin/calf.

Person 2 balances OK but cannot push the pedals?  That's unusual.  I'd suggest putting P2 on a trainer, or an exercise bike so they can focus on pedalling.  Rollers are not suitable because they need balance and pedalling together.

If there are medical or developmental reasons for these difficulties, you might need to consult with a doctor or a physiologist, or someone specialising in whatever condition may be the cause.

If these are young kids, don't stress too much.  Just encourage practice as play and make it fun.


3x6 to a 1x6. Smart or Dumb? I currently have a mountain bike that has 6 gears in the back and 3 chainrings in the front. Is there a way I can change the front 3 chainrings to just 1 chainring using the middle chainring?
I'm sorry if people have a hard time understanding this but I am new to biking and mountain bikes and I really don't know what I'm doing.

You can do a couple of things to accomplish using just the middle front chainring: 1) set the front derailleur "Hi" & "Lo" limit adjustment screws so that the side to side travel of the derailleur cage is stopped from moving the chain onto the smallest and largest chainrings (you should still have some lateral cage movement in order to "trim" the front derailleur to avoid cage chain rub. 2) Remove the front derailleur and manually position the chain onto the middle chainring (you can remove the front shifter mechanism and cable if desired; if a grip shifter I would keep it mounted). 3) Remove the large and small chainrings from the crank arm. The derailleur can be removed or left in place, but see option #1 for proper set-up if left in place. You will more than likely have to obtain new chainring hardware to effectively mount the middle chainring due to now having a missing ring(s) that would have taken up the extra space in the mounting hardware.
Because your rear gearing is designed for use with 3 front rings you may find that you do not always get to ride in the most appropriate gear ratio when only having the middle front ring available and riding on varied terrains (hills, soft surfaces)
I highly recommend that you become acquainted with the proper methods for shifting both front and rear derailleurs, and become proficient at utilizing the full range of gears on your bike. After all, I assume that is why you have an 18 speed bike; unless it was given to you and you just want it to function like a basic 6 speed bike.


Pizza box rear light I work as a delivery man on a bicycle, so I often ride my bike after dark with a black pizza box attached. My rear light attaches to my seatpost, and is completely useless when the pizza box is there.

Are there any lights designed to attach to the pizza box, which has not many obvious features except for a clasp, or is there some good way of mounting a standard light to the box itself?

One possibility is to mount the tail light on your bike's seat stays. As an example here are a couple pictures of my preferred tail light (the cygolite hotshot) mounted to the seat stay of a cross bike:

There are a bunch of options out there for this sort of mounting, from lights specifically designed to be mounted on a seat stay to ones that come with seat stay mounts in addition to the normal seat post mount.

A few things you want to keep in mind when choosing/using a seat post mounted tail light:

Make sure the light's mount has enough adjustability so you'll be able to correctly aim it.
Make sure the light's mount will fit properly on your bike's seat stay. For instance, the seat stay mount for the cygolite hotshot I use won't fit on the extra skinny seat stays on either of my road bikes but fits fine on my hybrid and CX bikes.
When mounting the light, make sure it is extra secure, you don't want to risk the light getting knocked into the bike's wheel because it was installed too loose.

Another possibility is a rack mounted light. Again like the seat stay mounted tail lights, there are lights specifically designed for rack mounting as well as mounts for that allow other tail lights to be used with racks. In the example of the cygolite tail light I use, there is an optional rack mount available, although I was actually able to adapt an old rear reflector mount to serve in this capacity.