Are Adjustable Stems With Reasonable Merit? [Question overhauled after I realised it appeared snobbish, narrow and not in good faith, as pointed out by @gschenk . This sentiment originated due to a recent failure with a critical bolt mechanism which elicited wariness for all 'extra' bolts on bikes at large. Feel free to read the older version.]
This question is not exactly objective, of course, but I intend to get to know the objective merits or anecdotes of the lack thereof to find "reasonable cause" for classifying adjustable stems as either a 'pro' or a 'con'.
In judicial jargon, similar to establishing "reasonable doubt" with a jury.
Having no personal experience with this myself, I cannot possibly have a valuable opinion devoid of bias and speculation. Hence, I request your anecdotes, and opinions based on experience of using adjustable stems.
To be specific in terms of what 'merit' or reasonable cause' counts as, I'm curious about where they fall in the following criteria in particular , although of course, I remain open to other criteria :

Reliability & Durability
Cost & Value
Realistic Extent of Effect On Riding Posture
Unique Advantages Not Seen In Standard Parts
Level of Precision Adjustment Possible Realistically
Severeness Of OCD Possible (or Lack Thereof) Adjusting to the Ever-elusive 'Sweet Epot' (by a Finicky Rider)

How did I come to this question ? What's the original purpose and motivation ? As mentioned in my comment in reply to the aforementioned @gschenck :

...considering if they were a real advantage or a "meh" or if they were solving a problem that didn't exist ( a solid con in my book) when my friend asked me to recommend him a bike and there were two with basically the only component difference being one has an adjustable stem...

Also as mentioned in this comment :

...apologies for the unintended snobbish appearance.

Whether they work: Short answer yes, they do not have major widespread problems. Most problems that do occur are related to undertightening the bolts on them to start with, or adjusting them without following the right sequence (on the ones with the out-of-view bolt underneath the extension) or without proper torque or lubrication. Most of them are designed in a way where they're fairly overbuilt and will get some wiggle long before there's any danger of failure. There are some sketchy ones, but that shouldn't reflect badly on all of them.
They do add a maintenance point and some weight. Depending on a cyclist's priorities that could be a non-issue or a dealbreaker.
Adjustable stems can be a way for multiple riders to share usage of one bike and have the fit accommodate each better. The one-rider-per-bike paradigm has always been more prevalent among cycling cultures that tend towards leisure, and even there we are now in an era where some families are purchasing large, expensive cargo e-bikes for utilitarian purposes such as transporting children, groceries and home goods, commuting, etc. There is often financial and logistical/spatial incentive to buy one that can be shared among family members. Adjustable stems are not a perfect means in all cases to facilitate this by themselves (this could be its own question), since the way most of them work is that you bring the bars way in at the same time you bring them up, but they are part of the toolbox to be sure. In particular, they have limitations when one rider is taller than the other but both want intermediately extended riding positions, but where they're almost the ideal solution is when the riders are fairly close in stature but one prefers or needs a much more upright position.
As for the problem-that-doesn't-exist question more broadly: they can be oversold by manufacturers and dealers as able to solve more fit needs and issues than they're really capable of, but they can also be of use to someone that either needs a very upright position and can't or won't get it any other way, or to someone that may need to start more upright and acclimate downwards a bit and doesn't want to buy new stems along the way. People's physical needs for bike fit do change sometimes; retiree comfort bikes, for example, are a pretty appropriate place for OEM adjustable stems, in my experience.


What direction are the threads on Ultra Torque bearing cups? I need to remove the bottom bracket bearing cups from my 2010 Athena groupset. Do they both unscrew anti-clockwise, or is one side different (and which one)?

For English-threaded Ultra Torque, the right (chain) side cup unscrews clockwise, the left one anti-clockwise. For Italian, both unscrew anti-clockwise.

It's most likely that you have English. I don't know how you could tell for certain though without asking your bike maker, measuring the size, or seeing which way they actually unscrew.

For the reason why the English is 'correct' see the link in the comment below.


Road bike carbon fiber frame life span I have read in several places that the carbon fiber has a shorter life span than the aluminium, and i was wondering just what would it be.
I am not referring to accident related failures of the frame. I would like to know how much would a frame hold for a road bike if i didn't have any accidents and road it almost daily for lets say 10 miles.

I read somewhere ( sorry cant find the link ) that carbon fiber frames will tend to crack after 4-5 years.

Absent some kind of abuse or extraordinary stress (like falling on top of the bike while it's lying on the ground - stressing the tubes from the side, riding with a friend sitting on the top tube...) a carbon fiber frame should outlast the rider.

Lennard Zinn covered durability of Carbon Forks for Velo News a while back.  Here are some quotes from that article in case the link breaks:

From Kestrel

  For carbon forks in
  general, there should not be any
  limited life span, as carbon
  composites themselves are not subject
  to fatigue failures as metals are. So
  the fatigue life of a properly made
  carbon composite is 'infinite'.

From Look

  There is no limitation because carbon
  has a natural flexibility. It can be
  used a hundred years while maintaining
  the same stiffness.

From Easton

  The good news is the fatigue life of
  carbon fiber is immensely more than
  that of metals. While the writer
  expresses concern about his carbon
  fork lasting as long as a metal
  component, there is nothing to worry
  about in terms of fatigue life on a
  composite fork.

Having ridden since the early 80's I've been through this twice, once with aluminum frames and now with carbon fiber. As high end competition bikes were made of the materials there were questions of durability.  Over time, as the frames became widely available, those concerns were shown to be largely baseless.

I believe most frame builders warranty carbon frames for life now. I personally know of at least two riders with carbon fiber bikes that have been ridden in excess of 100,000 miles.

That said, you should periodically inspect the frame for cracks and wear, especially at stress points like around the bottom bracket (just like you would with any frame).


Importance of spoke count for touring? I bought a used bike which has 24 front spoke and 28 rear spoke.
I'd like to use this bike to go Tour divide.

Do I need more spokes on front?

I'd like to setup a dynamo system, I see there are not many brands which offer dynamo hubs for less than 28 spokes.

Is it a bad idea to use dynamo hub on 24 spokes when you are riding a ultra long distance such as tour divide?

The main reason for reducing spoke count is to improve aerodynamics. This usually goes along with a deeper-section rim, which makes up for the strength lost with the missing spokes. Generally when there are fewer spokes, each spoke is at a higher tension, although that's not always the case. Highly tensioned spokes are more likely to be pushed past their limits of elasticity, which leads to breakage.
Too few spokes will increase the likelihood of spoke breakage. I'm not sure if 24 is "too few" in this context. The effects of a broken spoke are magnified when there are fewer spokes--the wheel will go farther out of true.
The fact that you'll be using a dyno hub will not affect the sturdiness of the wheel. I think this comes down to how handy you are, and how risk-averse you are. You should at any rate be carrying spare spokes for an ultra event. You'll be buying a new hub and new spokes anyhow; you could buy a new rim for added peace of mind.


Help to choose the right bike multipurpose bike I spend about 45 mins everyday commuting (less than 2 miles) to work on a formal dress, shoes, carrying a backpack that consists of a laptop, charger and little more stationery (about 10-12 pounds, I guess), amd probably get groceries way back home (5 pounds of stuff or so)

During weekends, I run errands for about 3-10 miles each day. I own no car, no scooter, no other vehicle. The only mode of transport is by bus, train majorly, perhaps walk and live in a 2nd floor house (but I don't mind carrying it up a 45 degree stairs). I even like to go off road during weekends, but that seems to be asking for more, but it would be great to have a bike that will atleast allow me to reach a hiking spot (slight muddy roads etc).

So with these things on mind, and a budget of $200 (I can double if its worth it, as this is the way its going to be for next 5 years atleast), I've been browsing and looking at different posts here. Particularly its focused on UK products but I live in US, New York; and I feel the bikes specifically are different than those available here, and the pricing. But few other links pointed out me very well, especially Jeol's choice of scooter and bike. Other option is Dahon c7 folding bike

The choice of different options and the upside price really confuses as me, a first timer. I am a software engineer living in New Jersey and travelling to New York by PATH/Subway trains so anyone who is of the same commute, please share your current choice, and the take away from it.

I had a ligament tear a year ago on the right knee, recovering but still finding it tough to walk on formal shoes in particular, and more painful to run errands walking during weekends. Kindly cast your recommendations. I am looking for a few choices so I can narrow it down, but right now I am even unable to oversee what I would need exactly for my purpose, and the choice of geek transportation system is worth the price.

Update after a year of bike usage in New York City and then Southern California

I bought a Dahon Vitesse from Craigslist and used for about 6 months in NYC. It was fun, very useful for errands. The thing I hated is lifting the bike up-and-down on the Subways. The folder though small is not the light-weight stuff.

I had moved to SoCal, did not have a car and badly wanted some bike to get groceries and food (public transport is pretty bad - wait 1 hour for a bus). I again went for a Dahon, this time the D7 model, and a brand new one. Still the bike is useful but for the nature of the city I think I should have gone for a light weight full hybrid bike.

The Dahon folder is great to commute for up to 10 miles for me. Great for plains, not so for elevated areas.

From your question above, i would only suggest the following (doesn't mean I don't know about the other bikes):

Folding bike - for work and city/cycle lane/fairly normal surfaces only. You can also get away with usual city road hazards such as potholes and cracks (but not too extreme), also good weight support (e.g. laptop, clothes, etc.). You might find it a bit weird to suddenly switch to a folding from a normal road/hybrid/MTB. But overall, it is really great as my gf bought a Tern C8 last month(she is 5'4") and even I find it nice to ride (I am 6'3"). You can also carry it on the train and even on the aeroplane if you want. Some folding bike tyres are quite sturdy compared to hybrids so the bumps and holes can be ignored a lot more. I would still give a trial ride if I was you in order to be sure about the comfort. THIS IS QUITE PRACTICAL if you are just living a professional life and city-side commute with occasional shopping bags (about 6 kgs) behind you.

MTB (Mountain Bikes) - If you want it to use on a rougher surface as well as in the cities. They are a bit heavy, but can take poundings like no other. You could even go over some road kerbs that are raised by appx. 3-4 inches. I apologise to be mean, but if you are not young enough to handle the bike weight, you might feel it difficult to go around the hills with these heavy bikes. But if you think you can, Go for this one. My suspicion based on UK prices is that you can probably get a very good MTB compared even when you double the price (if you are lucky, you might get one with suspension springs too, COOOL).

It is also possible to attach some rack or similar thing behind your MTB so that you can carry weight such as your laptop and clothes to work. I never saw anybody doing it for MTB, but that really does not mean you cannot.

Short answer is, if you are happy to sacrifice outdoor activity, folding bike is the answer. Otherwise, get an MTB, get rack, and voi la.

Bear in mind that no matter what bike you buy, there is a maximum weight for that. I would recommend staying about 6-7 Kgs under the prescribed weight by the manufacturer/seller. It was never an issue for me anyway as I carried shopping on my folding and hybrid, about 6-7 kgs of shopping.

I am really sorry but cannot guide you about the US price. If any other user finds this answer suitable, but want to edit it to put the price information, be my guest. Normally, I would put the UK prices but this would be confusing as you said yourself that the prices and the types of bike vary in the US shops.

Hope this helps. If you were interested in the brands at all:
Folding - Dahon, Tern, Raleigh, Brompton (around $800 sometimes due to the high demand)
MTB - Jamis, Trek, Pinnacle, Raleigh (Off-road series), Fuji, Bianchi

The choice is now yours, If you think I can give you more information please post follow-up comments :)


The Scope Of The Lance Armstrong Doping Scandal I know that Lance Armstrong has decided not to fight the allegations of his doping; while technically not an admission of guilt - he is being sanctioned/punished for doping.  I've also read that several of his team-mates and team doctors have also been sanctioned/punished/banned for life for their involvement in doping.

Is there a single, comprehensive list of everyone from the team (for the various) years that either has been busted or hasn't been?  Is it pretty much accepted that everyone cheated, or were there people involved who were actually clean and unaware of the cheating?

While there are a lot of riders that have admitted doping, and/or been sanctioned for it (As well as others involved in the teams), I don't think anyone has compiled a single "Lance list". If you want to know, you are pretty much going to have to look through the team members and then check each of them individually.

In addition to US Postal, Trek/Discovery and other Lance variations, many riders of the same era from other teams have also been sanctioned, among them Ulrich, Vinokourov (sp), Pantani, Basso, and the list goes on.

Now that the USADA information has been released, the number of people named/sanctioned that testified include 11 former teammates in the USPS/Discovery days, among then Hincapie, Christian Vandevelde, Levi Leipheimer, Frankie Andreu. There are also quite a few redacted (Blacked out) names that are either not riders or are foreign riders. There have been quite a few resignations and firings among team staff related to this. There is an excellent interview with Levi here: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20121016/ARTICLES/121019643

Note: Some of the following is hearsay type material: There is also speculation that the UCI itself was complicit in Lance's case, letting the team know when testing would occur, etc. (End vague, hearsay type evidence).

One of the running jokes I've heard is that if they do actually take the titles away from Lance (Which is still up in the air, that's a UCI decision and will probably eventually end up in CAS [Court of Arbitration for Sport]), they will have to find some club riders to give it to because nobody else would be left.

In short, it's a big mess, and it's probably safe to say that doping was (and still is) rife in elite cycling, and the ones that get caught are the ones that simply aren't paying attention.

Oh, and for the record, Lance has tested positive twice, once for corticosteroids (1999), which was not outside the legal limits and attributed to a saddle cream, and another test in the 2000's was tossed out because the sample wasn't handled properly.

I think it's a bit of a misnomer to label it all as the "Lance doping scandal", however. Lance is just the most visible part of a very large iceberg.

And to add, now that the iceberg is starting to break up, many sponsors are leaving Lance (As of 10.18.2012) These include Nike, Giro, Trek, Anheuser Busch. Honey Stinger (Of which he is an investor) is removing his likeness from packaging, and he has stepped down as chairman of Livestrong. There is speculation that SRAM is attempting to buy back his shares as he is an investor there as well.


Which exercises a cyclist should do before/after any ride? Any exercise that can help the muscles to have more optimism while riding, or relief sore on muscle. I also accept any special massage.

I get enough stretching while getting my pants on before a ride.  I take the first 10 minutes fairly slowly too, because its in traffic with lights.  A drink of water before you go helps with pre-hydrating.

Afterward, do a cooldown ride for the last 5-10 minutes, not too fast.  A hot shower helps, followed by clean fresh clothes.  Then go clean your bike.

Some people use sports massage or self-massage with a roller to beat up tense muscles.


Should my pedal be this shape or is it bent? I took my pedals off my old bike to grease them and I noticed that they were both splayed outwards on the outside edge.  This means that either they sit on the top of the axle cup (if that is the name) on only one side.  If they are in place on the outside cup the inside edge rolls round the nut of the axle.  I wanted to replace the dust caps to stop them gunking up inside but it would cause them to sit in this position.  Are they bent, should they be like this? If they are can I just bend them back?  They need replacing at some point but I can't do it at the moment.

Should my pedal be this shape or is it bent?

Yes, your pedal is bent.
I drew some straight lines on your photo to illustrate the places I see bends.

"Side A" is bowed in toward the pedal axle.
"Side B" - the ends are bent toward the crank arm.
In a more direct top down picture I think it would be clearer that your pedal is no longer a rectangle - a quadrilateral with four right angles - and that the whole pedal cage is off square.

can I bend them back?

Yes you can bend them back.
If you:

Figure out exactly what it should look like.
Analyze where you need to bend to get it back to ideal
Carefully apply force in the correct place

You can get it closer to the original but probably not perfect.

If they are in place on the outside cup the inside edge rolls round the nut of the axle. I wanted to replace the dust caps to stop them gunking up inside but it would cause them to sit in this position.

I'm not sure what this means - possibly that the cage is no longer connected to the axle housing preventing the installation of the dust cap. Straightening the cage may help, but it also might make it worse.
It might be best to ride what you have until you can afford to replace the pedals and not worry about the dust caps.
Maybe look for some used pedals in better condition.


What kind of handlebar should go on a fixie to sell it? I've seen fixies with mtb handlebars, sawed-off mtb handlebars, drop bars, and bullhorns.  The fixie I built has drop bars, but I'm wondering if I should change that if I want to sell it.

Handlebar type and shape is largely a matter of personal preference - especially on trendy fixed-gear and single speed bikes.

I would sell it as is. If you change the handlebar there is a likely possibility that you will also have to change the brake handle. That's a lot of needless expense. Let the buyer swap it out if they want something different.


How to fix the tension in these shifters? I have these shifters in my old bike and it has problems with the gears because the shifter for the front gears doesn't change the gears at all. It seems like a tension problem. So I need to make the tension higher but I have no idea how to do that because I'm not experienced in bikes at all.

This is a picture for the shifter I have.

Follow the cable from the shifter down to the front derailleur. At the derailleur the cable housing will end and the inner cable will continue to a screw on the derailleur that clamps the cable, take a moment to look at derailleur and find the lever that the screw is on and push it. That should move the cage of the derailleur (the part that shifts the chain).

If the derailleur is moving freely, check the cable it should be relatively tight and should move when you move the lever. If that's not happening – perhaps all you're doing is changing the amount of slack in the cable, then adjusting the tension should help.

The short explanation is to move the lever all the way up (to slack the cable as much as possible). Then loosen the clamp screw on the derailleur and pull the cable through to take up all the slack, then tighten the screw.

For more detail, check out this post on adjusting your front derailleur from Park Tools.


1 inch threadless headset with hollow cap for cable routing Lets skip the questions about why I want to do this, but I would like to run my front brake cable through my headset. This is an older race frame with a 1 inch headset. Most headsets built for this are BMX and I can't seem to find a 1 inch one.
So I want to know if anyone knows of any parts that would work for me?
Also is there a way to jerry rig the "AheadSet Hollow Cap and Bolt 1 1/8 Threadless Freestyle" to make it fit?

You're looking for a Potts Mod, which allows you to route the front brake cable down through the fork's steerer and out to the front brake caliper.

This will allow the front fork/wheel/bars to do a complete rotation without binding on cables.

A Potts Mod does not work for a back brake - for that you require a "detangler" or to fit coaster brakes, aka back-pedal brakes.


Learning to listen to my body and stop over-exercise I have the tendency to push myself too much, resulting in exhaustion and 4+ days of required rest and more than a week before I can train normally again. Two weeks ago, I went on a 35 mile ride which includes several steep hills (7-15%) and I just wore myself out too much. I just can't keep cool and cycle slowly- a reason why I have never ridden more than 40mi. I don't know when I am doing too much. Or rather, I ignore my HR meter and think "just this bit and then I will slow down".

In the wake of that, I discovered spinning as a great way to constantly monitor my HR and not push myself too much. I thought I could maybe use spinning as a way to learn to listen to my body?

Every summer, I partake in a TT race. I would love to finally earn some silverware. The TT is short (13.3mi) and I think it doesn't take much for me to improve. But I just can't improve, because I always over-do it. Is there something that I can do? I have dropped most of my cycle workouts for spinning in the past month because I recover much better. But I want to get back on the road, especially with the weather improving.

I also do weight-lifting, which is easier to do because if it's too heavy, it's too heavy. But with cycling, I can always tap into a reserve.

Clear question: What excercises are there (aside from resorting to spinning) to stop over-exercise during a bike ride? How can I improve my awareness?

Learning to listen to your body equates to developing discipline in your training.  Changing the type of exercise can help you give specific muscle groups rest but you can still exercising without the discipline to meter your effort and therefore not actually rest.

My suggestion is to write out your exercise plan and journal how you do.  The aim of the plan is to allot time to hammer your body with space to let your body recover.  That also means you choose your exercises and routes appropriately - no hills on easy days.  Keep track of what you do, be diligent to stick to what you write down.  If something isn't working, change your written plan, but follow your plan.  DISCLAIMER: Consult a doctor regarding your efforts, 4 days of forced recovery means you aren't recovering and you risk severe injury and burnout.

Discipline is an additional "muscle" that you will need to exercise, strengthen and push to its limit. The harder you work on your discipline the more consistent you will ride, the better you will recover and the more you'll know about what your body can handle.

Developing a plan and learning to meter your effort will pay dividends for you TT as well.  No amount of strength will help you in your race if you blow your energy within 1 mile and struggle the last 12.3 miles.

Best of luck.


adding bottomless tokens for rockshox Rock Shox 30 Gold Solo Air 100mm Is it possible for me to purchase bottomless tokens for my fork without having to upgrade my fork?

I find I keep bottoming out my fork unless I put alot of air in it. At which point it's alittle harsh going down minior rocky decents.

If I do have to upgrade my fork, my problem is it will be expensive since I need to swap out  both my wheelset because they're qr 9mm and higher end shox tend to use maxles.

Sadly, RockShox doesn't list your fork as compatible with any of the Bottomless tokens.

However, they're just lumps of plastic that thread onto the bottom of the air-spring cap, you might well be able to find something from a 3rd party.


Change derailleur for new cassette? I currently run Shimano SG-B-53/39 chain rings coupled to a 9 speed 13/23 cluster. If I was to change my cassette to a 9 speed 11/32 would I need to also change my derailleur?

As ojs says in comments - depends on the derailleur, but it's very likely that you would have to swap the derailleur to accommodate an 11-32 cassette. Older 9 speed groupsets were not designed for wider range cassettes, they had small gaps between ratios instead. You may be able to get away with a 12-28 though.

The derailleur specs you need to find are: max rear sprocket size and total capacity. Total capacity must be equal to or larger than (largest sprocket teeth - smallest sprocket teeth) + (large ring teeth - small ring teeth).


Has a BMX bike ever been transformed for touring? BMX frames are notoriously small and nimble for acrobatics. I was curious if the same frames and the same 20" wheel bikes were ever used for touring.
Obviously the single-gear and the low-seat would need to be changed. I can imagine that adding gears plus a longer seat post can make for quite a comfortable trip - many Bromptons and folding bikes are used for touring. But I cannot find anybody having done this for BMXs.
Reason I am asking is because the smaller wheels and frame might be a good choice for tourers that need to transport the bike on trains, buses or airplanes. BMX frames seem like a good middle-ground between a normal diamond frames (which are heavy and bulky to put on public transport) and the folding bikes (which are weaker - for heavy touring weights - and more expensive).

A good example of using 20" wheels for a serious bicycle is the Moulton.
Although there is nothing of a BMX bike except the 20 inch wheels.
The problem with using a BMX frame is that it is sized very small. This makes it difficult for a rider to find an efficient riding position for long rides.
The points about the smaller wheels benefits in the question are exactly why Alex chose that size wheel for his design.

In the late 1950s, disillusioned with the design of the classic bicycle, Alex Moulton set about creating a new design. He thought the classic diamond frame was inconvenient to mount, difficult to adjust for size and not suitable for both sexes, and that 'Ladies' open frame bicycles without the top tube of the diamond frame were structurally compromised for ease of use. He believed that classic bicycles (especially with small frames and smaller wheels known as 'shopper' bicycles) were uncomfortable to ride without the use of wide, low-pressure tyres which increased rolling resistance. He also thought large wheels made a bicycle slow and cumbersome to store, and did not easily fit emerging societal commuting patterns in the developed world, which often combined more than one form of transport.
Wiki


Correct tool to remove Uniglide freehub? I have a coworker's rear wheel to repair.  The freehub pawls ceased engaging, resulting in free-spin in both directions.  A replacement freehub body is ludicrously expensive, so I want to remove the existing one and try a clean/service.
What is the right tool to remove this freehub body from the hub?

There are two slots, with a depth of 4mm and the shell has an internal diameter of 29 mm

A Park FR-2 has two tangs but they're about 7mm thick and will not engage.
A Park FR-3 has four tangs so will not fit.

I tried making a form-driver from some stout pipe by grinding it to size (essentially a really big screwdriver) and using the leverage of the entire rim, has broken the corners off my makeshift tool.

I am tempted to try hardening the ends of this pipe, but this is getting well off into the desperate category.

Here's my current collection of freehub and cassette fittings.  I was tempted to grind down the lugs on my FR-2 (front left) but that is hardened steel and may destroy its usefulness for regular usage.
What is the right tool for this job?

The freehub attaches to the shell with a big hollow bolt you access by poking a 10mm allen into the drive side. You can transplant an HG freehub body onto it, ideally one of the same or similar length (6, 7, and 8-speed UG existed) and also a matching cone and other axle hardware for the drive side so that the sealing works right. The upside here is a replacement cassette will be much more obtainable when the time comes. Wheel dish should be checked and corrected when you do this.
But, your question: to do a simple de-gumming type clean, the expedient thing is to take the freehub body off the hub, gently pry up the rubber seal on the back and take note of its direction, then run through whatever thoroughness level you deem necessary in of solvent/air/oil. Usually just working in something like Tri-flow or other light oil with penetrating qualities is good enough.
The 4mm splines take the Shimano TL-FH40 freehub body disassembly tool. This is one of the most fantastically seldom-used tools in all of bike wrenching. Full disassembly of the freehub is almost never necessary to get them working, and is very time-consuming because of the large number of teeny bearings inside. But, it is the only way to adjust acquired play out of a Shimano freehub body, which is done by removing one or more of the micro shim washers inside, which are there for that purpose.
The race that the FH40 engages with is reverse threaded to resist bearing precession loosening it. It's got things spinning against it on both sides so how that works is way above my head.
Edit: If this is 7400-level Dura-Ace, the freehub body attaches with a TL-FH10 and is only interchangeable with other similar Dura-Ace Uniglide freehub bodies. The 7400 hubs are the only Uniglide models with this caveat, to my awareness. Some hack replacements with more common units have been done, but I don't have anything to report about that.


Labour cost in building a wheel What is the labour cost or time involved in building a wheel. I want to use a different hub with an existing wheel

It depends. If an inexperienced person such as your regular consumer does it, it could take a few hours especially if you don't have the proper tools or preparation.

If an experienced person at the shop does it with their tools, it could take half an hour if all the spokes are the right length, it's a standard lacing, or they've done the same wheel before. For example, in this youtube video, a skilled wheelbuilder only takes 7:30 seconds  to built a new 32-spoke wheel up from scratch using pre-measured spokes. Dishing and tensioning the wheel would take perhaps another five to ten minutes.

These days, many "hand built" wheels are really hand finished. The machine does the initial lacing and tensioning, the human does the final tension balancing. This could take less than five minutes of human time.

Note that if you give your shop a random hub and a random rim, it'll take some time to research what spoke length you'll need for the lacing you want. Spokes might also have to be special ordered and/or cut to length. This type of research and prep work would add onto the actual time spent building the wheel. Rear wheels take more time in general than front wheels because of the dish. Disc brakes will also take more time because of the dish or if you change the lacing on that side.

So I would say in terms of shop labor time, on the short side it'd be 0.5 hours of labor for a hub and rim that they're familiar with and have premeasured spokes for; to 2.0 hours for a hub and rim they've never seen and will have to do some research and maybe special ordering or fitting before they can start work on it.

In the USA in 2017, shop labor is between US$40-80 an hour depending on location. This includes shop overhead such as rent and tool use. The shop may cut you a break depending on how much you are a regular.

Tl;dr: Between 0.5 - 2.0 shop hours depending on how much research, special ordering, and preparation is needed as well as the complexity of the job.


tubular tire replacement So two days ago I bought this Peugeot vintage bike (from the '80s) and it has tubular tires on it that aren't usable anymore.
Is it possible to install a normal tire on the same rim instead? I'm a student and don't have a budget to buy tubular tires and from what I saw the installation was complicated with the glue n stuff.

Thanks in advance.

No, as offered by @NoCo, is the correct answer. This merely offers some additional information.
When you're talking about "normal tires," you mean clincher tires with tubes. These will require new wheels. Unfortunately, if you bought a 1980s bike, you may have an older standard rear wheel - current bikes are 130mm in the rear dropouts, as are current rear hubs for rim brakes.
You could likely get a new front clincher wheel for cheap on eBay or through local classified ads, since rim brake wheels are not the most current technology. You may be able to find a rear wheel to match the rear spacing, but that might take some searching. This is the best route to take. I would measure the dropout spacing with a ruler. See this page for more information.
You could also keep those tubular wheels and change the tires...
If you talk to tubular aficionados, they may state that tubulars aren't that hard to glue to rims. This is true, but you have to learn how, and the logistics chain is quite different from clincher wheels. You'll need glue or glue tape, and you'll ideally want to carry a pre-glued spare tire to deal with flats. You'll ideally want an unused wheel to stretch new tubular tires on before mounting. Furthermore, if you don't glue your tires properly, your  tire could roll off while cornering and you will crash.
You may want to remove some old glue first. With wet glue, you'll definitely have to apply several coats of glue to your rims and new tires, letting the glue dry between coats, and you have to guide the tire onto the rim. If you stick with tubular wheels, tubular tape alone will be easier, but this leaves open the question of what to do if you flat - you'll still want to prepare your spare with wet glue, as a taped spare would stick to itself.
If you stick with the tubular rims, you should be able to find training tubulars for relatively cheap if you look. Most of the tubular tire users are professional road and cyclocross racers, and some weird aficionados. Actually, it so happens that I'm one of them - I have a pair of tubular cyclocross wheels, although I use clinchers on all my other bikes. Nevertheless, you are likely to mainly be seeing very expensive racing tubulars when you search.
There are relatively cheap ones, you just have to keep searching. Just as one example, the Continental Giro training tubular is selling for $40 per tire at this online store. You could get a bike store to help you mount tubular tires as well. However, this may be a lot more hassle than you're willing to put up with, and I don't blame you - I get a store I trust to mount my tubulars, and in my experience, not all the mechanics at bike stores are going to be experienced with mounting tubulars.
Why on earth do people still use tubies?
This is just for information and is tangential to your question. In the past, clincher technology was clearly behind tubulars. Until perhaps the mid 2000s, tubulars had lower rolling resistance and a better ride than clinchers in general. In addition, if you puncture, tubular tires are more controllable than clinchers. You can actually ride a flat tubular tire, albeit carefully, for some distance, whereas a clincher tire (tubed or tubeless) is liable to come off the rim. For example, Abraham Olano (Spain) won the 1995 men's World Championship road race despite a flat in the last kilometer. This article doesn't explicitly say that he was on tubulars, but tubies were de riguer for all pros then. If you doubt me, you're invited to keep Google searching.
In cyclocross, very low pressure (15-20 PSI) can help with tire traction on loose surfaces. At that pressure, tubed clinchers will pinch flat. Some tubeless clincher tires are liable to burp (that is, the bead may come partly off the rim, and you will lose air) at that pressure. To my knowledge, although tubeless clincher use among pro CX racers is rising, tubulars are regarded as the optimal equipment.
On the road, best current standard clinchers with latex tubes and the best tubeless clinchers have lower rolling resistance than the best current tubular tires. Pro road cyclists seem to be relatively slow to change their practices, and they have many mechanics who are trained in tubular tire mounting, plus they still desire the safety factor if they flat. Nevertheless, the use of tubed and tubeless clinchers is rising among pro roadies.


My derailleur completely "opened" up. It is now almost a straight line. What have i done to my derailleur? I had a flat on the side of the road.  So I took my wheel off to replace the tire with a temp to get me home.  When I reinstalled the wheel, the derailleur "opened up" completely...what have I done/forgot to do? Can I fix it or is it done?

Figure 1. The way Shimano imagined it.
It looks like you have the first link of the mechanism mounted 90° clockwise. Try again.


Do dirty brake pads cause them to wear faster? I have a road bike and a mountain bike which both use shimano B01S brake pads. The road bike has done 4000km and the mountain bike has done 320km. The brake pads on the road bike look brand new while the mountain bike pads are almost worn out.

The most obvious reason for this is I take the mountain bike on steeper paths and use the brakes more but I use the road bike in the hills a lot and for commuting so I use the brakes on the road bike a fair bit as well. It seems remarkable that the road bike with the exact same brakes and brake pads has lasted more than an order of magnitude more while still being in a much better condition.

I asked some people about this and they suggested that the mountain bike pads would be getting more dirt in them which could be wearing them out faster. Is this a realistic cause for brake pad wear? Should I be cleaning the pads after use?

Yes, dirt is a realistic cause for increased brake pad wear

According to Chain Reaction Cycles

  Organic pads – also referred to as ‘resin’ pads – are made from a high-density ceramic and have a softer compound than metallic sintered pads. Organic pads generally provide better stopping power and heat dissipation, which means that they are slower to heat up and so are advisable for use in braking systems with a low boiling point. However organic pads can wear out more quickly in wet and gritty conditions.

  Sintered pads: Also referred to as ‘metallic’ pads, these use a compound with added metal content – usually copper shavings. This makes them noiser, and they heat up faster, but in wet conditions they last far, far longer than organic pads. Ultimately your choice may depend on the prevalent conditions you ride in, with sintered pads advisable for the typical wet/mixed weather encountered in the UK (unless you have no problem changing your pads often).http://hub.chainreactioncycles.com/buying-guides/components/brake-pad-buying-guide/

It depends on many variables but cleaning the pads after each ride might help.

The dirt on the pads at the end of a ride won't be there at the beginning of the next ride.

If the next ride has less dirt then not having the previous ride's dirt might help a lot.
If the next ride gets dirty quickly then the benefit is reduced.

Sintered/Metallic Pads

There is an on-going debate over the wisdom of switching from resin to metallic
According to Shimano:

  The SM-RT30/53/51 rotor should be used together with resin pads. If it is used with metal pads, the pads will wear out very rapidly. https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/si/SI-8JW0A-001-ENG.pdf

Determining what works best for you would require some experimentation.


Name that frame! (Likely Japanese, likely made in 1986, with known serial number, likely a Bianchi) (This post was substanically edited/updated on 5/8/14.)

I have a bike frame of unknown lineage.

What is known:

The serial number under the bottom bracket is IS513786. This fits with the serial numbers for Japanese made Bianchis.
The frame has Shimano EF rear dropouts that are stamped with 'IJ'. That means they were made in October 1984.
Although I can't be sure that the fork is original, the steering tube has "Tange.5.I" and a 'J' and 'S' in a circle stamped on it. Also, the crown race was originally JIS sized.
I got the bare frame, not the complete bike, and the paint is not original.

The dropouts were made in late '84 and we now know that the last two digits of the serial number do not represent the year. (E.g., this '89 Japanese Bianchi has a serial number ending in 86.) So the frame is likely from a '84 or '85 Bianchi (since the dropouts were made late in '84).

FWIW, I've posted pictures below; I've made sure to point out things that could help identify the frame (braze-ons, lug style, etc.). I've tried to arrange the pictures with the most identifying characteristics first.

FWIW, Here is a similar looking, but not identical, 1986 Bianchi Brava. (That Bianchi has the chainstay cable stop on the underside, while my bike has the cable stop on top.)

(I posted this information on a couple bike forums a few years ago. If you want to see what people said, here are the links to the two threads on bikeforums.net and roadbikereview.com.)

The bottom of the bottom bracket, including the serial number. Also note that there is a chainstay bridge.

The front of the headtube front. Note that the lugs have points in the middle (unlike some other Japanese lugs from that era).

The Shimano EF rear, drive-side dropout. Note that there are no eyelets. The date stamp is on the back side, so it is not shown.

The top of the seat stay cap has a flat surface and has nothing written on it. (Some bikes, like high end Miyatas, have curved caps and/or the company name cast into the caps.)

The head tube has a pump peg.

EDIT: The whole frame:

The side of the bottom bracket:

The frame's downtube shifter mounts:

The seat stays have a chain hanger. Edit: it's hard to see, but the chainstay cable stop is on top of the chainstay -- not below it.

The fork:

I think i may have the answer to your question. I believe your bicycle is a Takara.  This is currently my girlfriends bike, and i have attached some photos.  The only things that do not match up are: 1) The front of the head-tube does does not have pointed lugs.


Is a fatter tire likely to get fewer flats Everything else equal is a fatter tire likely to get fewer flats

Actually misread another question
Is a bigger wheel likely to get fewer flats?
So I am posting this question to match my answer

The two most common types of flats are
1) pinch
2) puncture

Can also have the spoke puncture the tube from the inside but nothing a tire can do about that.

A fatter tire is more resistant to both pinch and puncture flats.

A larger tire will also have softer ride (due to lower pressure) and better traction due to more tire in contact with the road.  This durability and comfort come at a cost.  A larger tire is heavier, more wind resistance, and more rolling resistance.

Wheel sizes are reported in a number of ways.
The actual actual wheel size or actual wheel size plus nominal tire size.

For sake of fair comparison I will use actual wheel size.
For example ISO 622 is the same as both 700mm and 29".

Will compare ISO 622 wheel diameter and tire diameter of 1" versus 2".
Same rubber in each tires and same thickness.
A fatter tire will tend to be thicker but for the sake of head to heads comparison assume same thickness

The tire must support the weight of the rider and bike.
If I am 170 lbs and 60% of the weight is on the rear wheel then let's call it it 100 lb on the rear wheel.

The 2" diameter tire will run at a lower pressure.
Let's assume the 1" tire runs at 100 PSI and the 2" at 60 PSI.

A bigger tire runs at lower pressure because it has more contact area.
In this example the 1" tire will have a contact area of 1 square inch.
And the 2" tire will have a contact area of 1.67 square inches.

Pinch Flat

Pinch flat is when the tube is pinched against rim and splits open.
When you hit a blunt object such as a curb.

A larger diameter tire is more resistant pinch flat for two reasons
 1. With the larger diameter the outer tire (starts) further from the curb.
 2. Due to the bigger diameter the  fatter tire builds surface area faster so it does not need to deform as far to match the force of the curb.

Puncture Flat

A sharp object penetrates tire and tube.

Identical rubber will have the same force per surface area to penetrate.
The rubber does not know if it has 1" or 2" or buddies.

Assume a triangular piece of glass 10mm by  10mm by 10mm.

Along comes this this fat soft tire.  The tire deforms and the rubber makes contact with the road around the glass like the glass is not even there.   Because the tire deformed and made contact with the ground the glass never exceeded the minimum force to penetrate the tire.

Even if the fatter tires comes in contact with more glass is still distributes the load.
Would you rather stand on a bed of nails of lie on a bed of nails.

Then along comes a hard shinny skinny tire that cannot absorb the glass and at the point it is just tire on glass there is sufficient pressure for the glass to penetrate the tire.  The higher pressure tire did deform but not as much as much as the lower pressure tire.  In this example when the tire was directly on the glass no tire was in contract with ground to take the part of the load.

A smaller piece of glass in which both tires deform and touch ground around the glass the softer (lower pressure) tire is always going to have more tire on ground around the glass and take more weight off the glass.  The large tire is going to take enough weight off the glass to avoid penetration for a range of heights and sharpness.

This is not an artificial condition.  A glass bottle is about 4 mm thick. The small sharp shards of glass from the bottle are 4 mm.

Even a piece of glass that penetrates both tires the glass will penetrate the harder (higher pressure) tire further.  Because of deformation the glass will not be pushed in all the way.  Again the softer tire has more deformation.  So could have a case where the glass penetrates the tube on the hard tire but not the softer.

If you ride the same piece of glass long enough it will eventually works its way into both tires.  So inspect your tires for glass.  On a regular basis.  For sure every time you air them.

Tire Pressure

Tire pressure effects both pinch and puncture flats (and rolling resistance).

Increase pressure reduces pinch flats.

Increased pressure increases puncture flats because the tires does not deform as much (spread the load).

So there is a sweet spot.  Go with the manufacturer for that sweet spot.  Tire will have a pressure range.  If you weigh 180 of more then use the maximum.  If you wight 140 of less then use the minimum.  In between use liner interpolation.   If you weigh 160 you are 1/2 between and should use the pressure 1/2 way between.

Mountain bikers like to run at lower pressure for more contact (traction) and to absorb  roots and rocks.  If you are running at a lower pressure then be aware and don't bang on roots and rocks as hard.

Tubeless

Tubeless tires offer the advantage of no tube to pinch so no pinch flats.  Can run them at a lower pressure.  A tubeless tires with sealant is not less susceptible to a puncture flat but it will seal small punctures.


Front-derailleur bolt undoing: pliers and threadlocker When I unscrew the front derailleur bolt to adjust the cable (wrapping around B and C), the entire parallelogram rotates.

Part A: What is the appropriate way to unscrew the bolt?

Hold the parallelogram in place with a pair of pliers, or
Just rotate. The hinges in the front derailleur are designed to take the torque for removing/tightening the cable.

Part B: True or False: Since there is threadlocker applied to this bolt, there is no such a thing as a minor adjustment (unwind a little, set the cable right, wind back). The threadlocker must be re-applied, and so it's anyway necessary to first remove the bolt completely.

This is a sequel question.

Just push the cage inward with your hand while undoing the bolt. Use a wad of rag to protect you hand or wear a heavy duty work glove. If you use a pair of pliers you'll scratch the finish.


What's the cheapest way to get into training with power? I used to train with a  stopwatch, and later on, heart-rate. Both required relatively inexpensive tools.

Now I'm interested in training with power (measuring the watts produced) and I'm finding that the tools are at least an order-of-magnitude more expensive.

I was hoping the ANT+ standard would drive down prices a bit.

There is a new website/download/software package called TrainerRoad that will allow you to train with Virtual Power for the price of a Trainer, ANT+ stick, Speed/Cadence sensor and $10/month subscription.

Checkout the compatible hardware page (linked on the main page) to see if you already have a trainer on their list of known power curves. If not the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine has a very consistent power curve and is available just over $300.

Add an ANT+ stick ($20-$40 online) to plug into your computer, it will pickup the signal from the speed/cadence sensor.

Add a Speed/Cadence sensor (Garmin $25+ - Timex $37+)

Optional (for virtual power) is an ANT+ HR strap

You could start to use the Virtual Power (with nothing but your bike and computer to start with) for under $400, much less if you already have a compatible trainer. The $10 subscription can be canceled anytime and they offer a 30 day money back guarantee, so almost free to try it.


Rear dropout adjustment screws on fixed-gear conversion I have a Surly Cross-check that I absolutely love and adore to pieces. I've also converted it from a geared bike to a fixie and am wondering if I still need the adjustment screws (see picture, in case you don't know what I'm referring to).

The issue I have right now is that my chain is a bit slacker than I want it to be, but with the current position of the adjustment screws, I can't move the rear wheel any further back in the dropout. Are the adjustment screws necessary at all on a fixed-gear bike, or are they only needed when you've got a derailleur system? I'm a bit clueless on them, this is the first non-vertical dropout bike I've owned.

They aren't necessary, but they are a great help to properly aligning your wheel in the dropouts in an efficient manner. If these screws are adjusted correctly, you'll be able to just put your wheel in, pull it all the way back and tighten your axle nuts and your wheel will be arrow straight in the frame. If not, You'll need to manually align your wheel each time you take your wheel off to change a tire or do maintenance.

To solve your chain problem, you can either adjust the screws out so you can get your wheel further back in the dropouts or you can remove a link or two in your chain.

Either way, you want to make sure that the axle nuts have a good bite on your dropouts. This means that the entire nut is in contact with the dropout (save for the portions that are aligned with the openings)


How brake pad dust/residue affect braking and rim life? You know the dust that's left on the rims' groove after a while, does it have any significance in braking or rim life? When washing the wheels I just realised that the dust must be coming from brake pads but couldn't figure out whether or not I should wash the wheels more often to keep it clean. Will I make the pads and rims wear out faster if I clean more often?

Cleaning the wheels regularly will probably help the life if the brakes, but most likely only modestly. The most important reason to clean the wheels is to remove the road dirt/grime that builds up and can wear on the pads faster, but the brake dust most likely isn't causing undue wear.

Cleaning the rims shouldn't adversely affect the life of the rim if you are doing it correctly and making sure that the rims are dry after cleaning.


Barrel Adjuster hard to use and loose This is a Shimano Tiagra ST-4500 shifter. More explicitly the problem is with the Tiagra Double controlling the front derailleur.

1) The barrel adjuster is hard to use because all parts around it seem to move when I turn it. Only when I firmly hold one part of the adjuster and turn the other, it does what it's supposed to do. 2) When relaxing the cabling I can simply pull the outer casings out everywhere like shown in the picture.

Compared to the rear shifter which currently looks more solid (and where the adjuster is usable as one is used to it) this feels like a mess. How are these components usually kept together? Does something need glue? Or lube?

Inline barrel adjusters shouldn't need be glued or anything -- they're held where they are due to friction.

Depending on the adjuster, you put ferrules on both ends of the housing and then stick it in the ends of the adjuster, or you put some ferrule-like adjuster on one side of the housing and then a ferrule on the other and stick both ends into the adjuster or similar. All of them will do something like this if you remove the tension and pull them apart. And you normally hold one part and turn the other.

Other barrel adjusters like the ones on frame stops will thread in or have some other locking mechanism.

As for the particular adjuster you have, that seems to be a Jagwire inline adjuster which is normally installed in the middle of a cable -- normally, the STI shifters come with something like this installed as the adjuster (Shimano Y6UM98010, see this EV for example):

After market options include Jagwire BSA035 and Ritchey STI Barrel Adjusters and what not.


How should I restore braze-on brake cable housing guides? I own a 1988 Schwinn Le Tour. It's beginning to show its age-- the original paint is chipped in many places and the frame is rusting underneath. The worst areas, by far, are around the rear brake cable housing guides on the top tube, which I believe are brazed on.

I plan to completely strip and repaint the frame. However, I'm wondering what to do about the cable housing guides.

I don't know if the original cable housing guides are worth saving (I'm not sure it's even possible to save them), but I don't have the tools or experience necessary to braze a new set onto the frame. I would like to avoid having a shop braze on a new set for me, unless it costs me less than, say, $50. (Aside: I don't even know if any of the bike shops in my area still do braze-ons.)

Aesthetically and functionally, I think braze-ons are the best choice, but I'm open to other solutions. I have found some clip-on, clamp-on, and stick-on housing guides.

I've dealt with the plastic clamp-on variety on another bike, and I found them to be absolutely worthless (they readily move around and rotate, so the cable never stays put).

I've never tried clip-on or stick-on guides, but I'm wary of what could be a similar lack of permanence-- I don't want to have to repeatedly reposition my cables because the housing guides are wiggly.

In summary, I see these possible ways to approach this (I would welcome any additional suggestions):

Attempt to salvage the original guides, if there's anything left of them under the rust. I have to imagine that this would seriously complicate the stripping/painting process.
Use clip-on/stick-on guides, or clamp-on guides that work better than the ones I've used.
Suck it up, get the proper equipment, and learn to braze.
Try to find a bike shop or framebuilder that can re-do the braze-ons (and preferably doesn't charge exorbitant amounts of money for it).

Which should I choose, and why?

A long time ago I used some clamp on cable housing guides on a frame & I didn't have any issues with them moving.  I did have a slightly larger cable housing  with teflon sleeves inside, so that the clamps could be screwed down fairly tightly and still allow for easy movement of the cable inside.  You might want to see if you can get perhaps another brand of clamp.  From memory I had some Gran-Compe by DiaCompe.  Alternatively you could try putting a thin rubber shim around the clamp to get it to grip to the frame better.

The only other alternative I would consider would be to get a local framebuilder to remove the old guides and braze on the new ones.  I don't think it will be that pricey.  My old LBS used to do this sort of work once a week, and a job like that would only have taken about 10 minutes to do.


In clincher tyres, are folding tyres easier to put on and remove than the tyres with wire bead? In clincher tyres, are folding tyres easier to put on and remove than the tyres with wire bead?
I was trying to swicth from decathlon resist+ tyres to Specialized Allsport and found it really really hard. I cant imagine being able to change a tube on the roadside with such a hard and difficult tyre.
I am a weekend/leisure rider for hobby. for that, if i get a ouncture on road, would a folded tyre be easy to take off and switch tubes than using a wire bead tyre

Both the easiest and the hardest tyres I've mounted have been wired, but all the folding tyres I've had have been at least moderately hard.  When fitting you don't want the bead to fold, you want it to be almost a perfect circle (just very slightly distorted as you pop it over the rim).
Wired tyres tend to get a bit easier to remount after they've been used for a while, but folding tyres don't seem to.  The wire is wound, and I suspect there's a tiny bit of stretch available.  Also if the wire isn't perfectly round to start with, fitting it for a while will pull it into shape.
It is possible for tyres to go on too easily, then they pop off again.  I've had that with a wired winter tyre that was easy to fit the first season, and wouldn't stay on when I refitted it the next year.


Typical fastener torque values for bicycles I'm thinking of getting a torque wrench (or something similar) for working on bikes. The ones I have for cars are pretty ungainly and I think I'd be at the low end of the range where they aren't too accurate most of the time.

So, does anybody know – or have ideas for how to find out – the range of torque values one would want to have covered? Also, how precise does the tool need to be? Wiha has some screwdriver & t-handle tools that are spec'd at ±6%. Is that close enough?

I have 2 torque wrenches. One that goes up to 20Nm and another that goes from 20-60(ish)Nm. The little one is necessary for most of the things on my bike like my headset bolts and hollowtech crank bolts (around 7Nm and 14 NM from memory) and the big one is mainly for the cassette (40Nm) and bottom bracket (can't remember) and (just quietly) undoing stuck things (it's my longest spanner, so if I can't undo it with that I need to go get some pipe).

Unless you're doing super precise stuff with them a lot you'll probably be okay with cheap ones. I got mine when they were on special at Aldi, and probably use them less than once a month, but it's good to have them when you need them. I balked at the cost originally, until I ruined a set of cranks by over-torque-ing the bolts, which cost me quite a bit more than if I'd just got a torque wrench in the first place).


What are some notable visual observations one can make of a cassette that indicate wear? And to what degree that wear has progressed? Last summer I bought a '02 or '03 Specialized Stumpjumper. 3x9 speed.  I replaced the crankset this summer with a Shimano FC-622 triple. Yes its 10 speed but I've experienced no problems and felf reassured by Sheldon Brown's experience that a "one generation difference (between crankset and chain width) doesn't affect performance." https://www.sheldonbrown.com/speeds.html
I've now replaced the cassette and chain, staying with 9 speeds (Shimano XT M770).
The pictures above are of the removed cassette which based on the lockring is a Shimano CS-HG80-9.  The tooth counts also jibe with the numbers listed as HG80's stock numbers. The old chain is Shimano DuraAce CN-7701. Chain measures 12¹/16 per 12 links in a couple three spots. I'd like to use this cassette and chain together on another bike. What are some visual signs on the cassette that would indcicate too great of wear? What is your opinion of this cassette's wear?  Prior to my purchase of the bike, I have no history on it's use. It appears to be in good shape and the paint in vulnerable areas of underside of down tube, BB shell and fork aren't even chipped. The old crankset was likely original (strongarm II). Teeth were worn and in a couple spots either broken off at the tip or these were the normal undersized ones suffering great wear. It's life ended pretty quickly (<20 miles) when the non stock right pedal reamed out the hole in the crank and fell off.  To sumerize, I've no idea on the milage or time the cassette has on it.  I'd like to use the chain/cassette combo for the rest of it's useful life.  Thoughts?

Chains wear faster than cassettes, so check the chain wear first. A simple chain wear gauge is cheap and gives a accurate indication of wear - or at least it will tell you if the chain is worn out or nearly so.

If the chain is OK then there is a higher chance that the cassette has not been used with a worn chain. Riding with a worn and elongated chain accelerates sprocket wear.

I cannot see any bad wear on the cassette. Hard to say how much life it has - it totally depends on your riding style. I say install it and try it out. If it skips or you have poor shifting try a new cassette and chain. You won't loose anything by giving this one a go.


Is it usual for a freehub to have play? I have a new rear wheel (Shimano Ultegra WH-6800) and the freehub has about 1mm-2mm of play in it. When the cassette is installed and the wheel is on the bike I'm getting a lot of wobble which is noisy and affects shifting. The cassette is installed correctly. All the spacers are in place as per the Shimano manual and the lock ring is tight. The wobble is so bad that the chain moves laterally while pedaling which is causing all the noise and slippage.

My old wheel had no play in the freehub at all. I've canvased my friends and one guy who's always had problems with shifting said his freehub had play but everyone else said their freehubs have no play. I've taken the wheel to the LBS and one mechanic said that there shouldn't be any play but another said that there is always some play and it seemed OK to him. There is also conflicting information about this on the wider Internet.

Is it common for a freehub to have 1mm-2mm of play?

No, this sounds like way too much play, even though the lock-ring is tight it  could be tightening up against the freehub and not the cassette. If you can wiggle the sprockets apart a bit, or slide them along the freehub then the cassette is not being held properly by the lockring. Then you just need to add some spacers. Shimano lock-rings should "click" loudly as you tighten them up usually. I install several a week and would be concerned if even the cheap ones had as much play as you mention.


Using "disk-only" rim (proper sidewalls) with rim brakes I have an unneeded disk wheel. The rim is "disk-only", but it has sidewalls just as though it was for rim brakes. The sidewalls are painted though and not machined. (I even suspect it's some older model re-labeled with "disk-only".)

What can go wrong putting it in a rim-brake bike? After a few first slowdowns, while I take some care, the paint wears off.

Can sidewalls of "disk-only" rims, while looking just like their old rim-brake-compatible counterparties, be significantly thinner or otherwise unsuitable for using with rim brakes?

I'm looking for facts, not guesses or hypotheses (which I have more than enough myself :-) )

Facts are few and far between on this topic. It's best to assume that a disc brake rim won't have sufficient sidewall material for braking, and this is true the majority of the time.
There are some notable examples of rims where by all appearances, the extrusion sure looks exactly the same between the disc and rim brake versions. DT TK540s and TK540 Discs are one such.

However, there aren't very many current examples of rims like that, but there are a good deal with parallel looking sidewalls that are or should be assumed to be too thin to be a brake track.
The structural efficiency and weight savings of foregoing the brake track are very real, and now that disc brakes are the norm there's not a lot of impetus for manufacturers to eke more value out of an extrusion by using it for both disc and rim designs.


Difference between 22x635 and 40x635 wheels/inner tubes? Today I had my first encounter with the wildly variegated world of inner tubes / tires / wheels sizes. My wheel shows this, no info readable on the tire:

I already discovered that 28x1.5 and 28x1 1/2 are two completely different sizes, as I bought the former inner tube and I couldn't manage to fit it in (it was too large). Now my question is:

I found a shop that sell 40-635 (28x1 1/2) inner tubes. Are they the same as this 22x635 (28x1 1/2)? Can I buy it safely or the tire itself may play a role?

If they are, why does the first number change so much? I thought it was the width expressed in millimeters!

The 22x635 is the rim telling you its own ISO designation, which is internal rim width x bead seat diameter in millimeters. The 28x1-1/2 in parentheses is an attempt to help make it a little bit clearer what tire goes on it, or maybe help out in the case of a tire, presumably an old one, that only has that size printed on it. (28x1-1/2 and similar numbers are nominal sizes, and they make tire sizing confusing in a number of ways.)

Presuming your tire has an inflated width of around 40mm (say 37-43mm), and also presuming the valve type is correct, the tube you are looking at is the right one. I'm pretty sure virtually all 635mm tires are around that width.


Shifter cable types for Gripshift I am changing the shifter cable on a bike with grip shift.  I heard the cable casing is different than other types.  Is the cable different?

This is a slightly fringe topic that will draw some blank stares at many cable-selling establishments.

Common shift cables come in 1.2mm and 1.1mm thicknesses for the cable part. SRAM (and I believe Sachs before them) specs 1.1mm for all Gripshift models. Shimano and most other companies use 1.2mm.

The difference of course is tiny. It's negligible in most cases, and a lot of people aren't aware it even exists. Nevertheless, the notion is out there that SRAM Gripshift can have issues with binding or excess friction due to internal clearances if a 1.2mm is used. Personally I haven't experimented much with using the technically wrong thing so I won't speak to how much difference it actually makes and when.

Many third party cables are 1.1mm for maximum compatibility, but not all. There are no disadvantages to using a 1.1mm in a Shimano shifter. Also Shimano Revoshifts, sometimes colloquially called Gripshifts, use 1.2mm without issue, like all Shimano shifters.

If you want to keep it simple just buy any uncoated SRAM cable (I just noticed they list their coated ones as 1.2mm). Many brands won't say whether they're 1.1mm or 1.2mm on the package. But it's very likely a marginal difference if any regardless. Gripshift is the only context where I've ever heard talk of it mattering.

Shift housing manufacturers do not typically list any compatibility distinction between 1.1mm and 1.2mm cables.


Which will wear longer, a single chainring with 11-speed cassette, or triple chainring with 8-speed cassette? I am thinking of replacing the latter with the former. Someone said that the chain having to stretch 11 different ways would wear down the drive train faster. I think that the chain will last longer if it's not being thrown around at both ends. Who's right?

To all practical purposes, neither person is right.

Even if cross chaining wears out drive lines (highly debated), 1x11 cannot cross as much as 3x8. A correctly choose chain ring on a 1x11 means you will normally be in a mid rear cog, so in normal riding, very little cross chaining would occur. If you ride extremely hilly country, and often sit in very high or very low gears, then you will probably still have a similar chain angle to a 3x setup most of the time.

Chain wear and lifetime of drive chain comes down to a combination of regular maintenance, how much and in what way a bike is used. Within measurable parameters, a 1x11 will not wear out faster or slower than a 3x8. Over a large number of samples there might (although I have doubts) be a very small but statistically significant difference.

Why are you worried about wear. A 3x8 speed drive train is much cheaper than a 1x11, so replacement is cheaper.

There are valid reasons to go 1x11, and valid reasons not to, but wear is not one of them.


Folding bike for commuting and touring When looking for a compact bike for storage and carrying reasons, a folding bike seems a great deal. But how do folding bikes perform for trips longer than 20km ?

I'm looking for a bike I would use for commuting with important traffic and frequent stops (Paris), together with touring (Europe). The bike has to be compact enough to be stored in a small flat and to be taken in trains and carried inside train stations.
Brompton bikes are known to be stable and robust. But due to the position of the rider and the size of the wheels, these folding bikes are never used for long trips (more often 30km, but also few 150km trips travelling between cities). Does it exists any kind of hybrid bikes which would combine both compactness and comfort with long distance ?

I've tried the Grasshopper FX a foldable recumbent bike, which doesn't seem to be great for city commuting. How do 700c foldable bikes perform ?

Some people do tour with Bromptons, so don't rule it out: Touring on a Brompton, Brompton cross country touring, The genius of Brompton touring, Brompton touring.

I don't know about France, but in the UK, not all trains allow large wheeled folders. If they do, something like a Dahon Espresso is a quick fold, but not very compact (folding handlebars help, and newer models have them as standard). The Dahon Cadenza is slightly less bulky, but slower to fold.

The Jetstream is 20" wheels, doesn't fold as small as some other small wheel Dahons, but would cope with some sorts of touring better because of the suspension compensating for small wheels to some extent.

If you ever want to take the bike on a bus, you will almost certainly need a small wheel folder.

Another possibility is a Riese und Müller Birdy. They do get seriously expensive, but fold nearly as small as a Brompton (compared with a large wheeled folder; if your main use is commuting with public transport, the Brompton fold is enough smaller and neater to matter). (There is now longer a Birdy model specifically named "Tour", but they are still used for touring.)

(Photo below from http://www.pbase.com/image/83944065 is an older model Birdy.)


Wrong way on a bike lane? Is it OK to ride the opposite way on a designated bike lane? I'm in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. The reason I ask is because most of the lanes near me are only on one side of the road. The picture below is an example of the type of lane.

The law where I live allows me to ride on the road, bike lane or not.

Is it better to ride the opposite way or ride on the roadway as you would if there wasn't a bike lane?

Edit: I added a different picture that better represents the bike lane. It is actually a two way street with one bike lane in one direction.

In general, if a bike path (lane) is on a road, follow the direction of traffic on that road. If there isn't a bike path on the other side, then bike carefully in the road if permitted, or find a different route.

If a bike path is separated from the road and there aren't directional signs, stay to the appropriate side of the bike path depending on where in the world you are (right for most of the world, left for fans of the queen typically). If there are bike paths on both sides of a road, use the direction of the closest bit of road.

Do not go the opposite direction of what is marked!

(*) In the original post, there was an arrow indicating what direction traffic on the bike path was to go; in this case, it should be obvious -- follow the marked direction.


Occassionally Dropping Chain On Downshifts Very occasionally my chain will come of the small chainwheel on a downshift. It is not at all predictable, except that it always happens when the I'm doing an unloaded shift in preparation for a climb. I don't think it has ever happened under load.

The limit screws seem to be set correctly. Most (>99%) of the time I can shift onto the small chain ring without any problem – both under load and without a load.

I'd appreciate suggestions for what to check or ideas about what could be causing this.

From the way you describe the problem it seems less likely to be one of the common mechanical causes, like a stiff chain link or bent chainring. I have two guesses as to the cause. One is a subtle mechanical problem that requires the right conditions to set it off. The other is about technique.

The rear derailer may not be taking up enough slack when you're in the small chainring. (This is not always obvious.) If you happen to shift around the time you hit a little bump or dip, or while you throw your weight forward to stand, or while you adjust your cadence, the slack chain gives a bounce and off it comes.
You may be shifting improperly on these rare occasions. If you shift to the innermost chainring while you're in the outermost cog, and the chain line is angled too sharply, off it goes. Also, to reduce the odds of dropping the chain, a front shift ought to be done like this.


Does MTB tyres wear off fast in City - gravel pavement streets, city road? I want to buy a Cross country MTB that I want to use everyday to work within the city in weekdays. In weekends I want to take it for off-city roads with partially mud and grassy terrain.

Will the MTB tyres wear off fast when using the city?

Yes, absolutely. The knobs will get rounded off at an accelerated rate, particularly down the center of the rear tire, and the tires won't offer as much traction off-road. This doesn't happen instantly, but it will happen soon enough on a knobby used for primarily road riding.


Deepening the front fork dropout I have an old 27" road bike in a long, lazy and cheapish process of restoration. I'd like to put 28" wheels on, which requires 4mm longer brake reach. The bicycle used to have fenders and the existing 27" rim is already a bit far from the fork crown (and from the caliper bolt).

I had an idea to try to deepen the fork dropout in order to get the wheel closer to the crown, there seems to be enough space to do that, and still keep enough to get the axle bolt tightened.

Is there any reason I shouldn't do that?

Yes- structural integrity and your own well being. 4mm is a lot of metal to remove in the scheme of things. If I were you I would be looking for a long reach brake caliper instead of modifying the dropout by removing material.


Hybrid flat to drop conversion advice I have a Whyte Portabello hybrid, I wanted to swap to an adventure bike with drops. I thought as an alternative it might be easy to convert my existing bike instead, and save a bit of money.

It has hydraulic disk brakes but most brakes on drop bars seem to be cable operated?

The rear derailleur is a Shimano, so would I just have to get some Shimano road brake/ shifters and fit some cable operated calipers instead? Or is it a bit more complicated than that?

thanks

Simple advice: don't do it.

You'll need to replace a lot of components because the derailleurs and brakes used on flat-bar bikes aren't compatible with the levers typically used on drop-bar bikes.
You'd end up with a bike that doesn't handle very well because you're moving the handlebars to a completely different place and the rest of the bike geometry doesn't match that.

Sell the bike you have and buy the bike you actually want. If that doesn't fit in with your finances, a second-hand bike is almost certainly a better option than trying to convert your existing bike.


Password protect Shimano Di2? I'm working on a bike with Shimano Di2 (electronic shifting with servo motors in the derailleurs), and I use the e-tube software on a laptop to configure it.
What I would like to do is be able to password protect the derailleurs setup so it is not able to be changed unless the owner wants it changed. So it's not able to be changed by someone else without the owners permission.

This is an odd question. The sentiment that the only security here is physical security is correct. Think about the following:

The Shimano Di2 components are not mated/matched to a specific computer or instance of E-Tube software. So there's no 1:1 relationship.
Therefore, any computer equipped with the SM-PCE1 or SM-BCR2 programming cables can be used to modify the configuration and firmware of the Di2 componentry.
This has to be done via the junction box/charging port.
Firmware can only be downloaded from Shimano and applied through this interface. And while the application has comprehensive logging, it's unique to the computer. There's no audit trail on the devices themselves.
Since this is the case, where or when would there be an opportunity to password-protect anything? You could protect your computer, but any computer can be used. The devices are relatively dumb, and the firmware is likely overwritten during updates.
E-tube is basically used to apply firmware and manage custom settings. You can save presets and load from a configuration file, but firmware is not revved very often.

Given all of this, use common sense. You can just keep the bike secured or limit access to the bike's junction box (think low-tech, like duct-tape or hot-glue). Or you can inspect settings and check firmware revisions.

In the end, the Di2 junction box is the brain of the system. Someone with ill-intent (and physical access) could just replace the entire module in 30 seconds or so. You're seeking a technological solution to a people problem.

pix!

physical junction box and proprietary port

programming interface recognition

application and communication logging

device settings

firmware revision dialog


Invested too much in my car! How can it be worth cycling to work? I am a promoter of cycling in general, especially for commuting to work. Convincing people, especially motorists, to cycle to work is a challenge. Most understand the benefits of cycling, even if its only a couple of days per week. Health, well-being, money and the environment are definite pros. Let's be honest here. For those that commute via bike, MONEY saving, compared to a car, is a big plus.

Everyone's situation is different (distance, weather, work changing facilities etc..). Several motorists are fond of the idea of cycling to work, but most stop there never take any steps to put it into action. The thought is fleeting, despite most people owning a bike. Some people are plain lazy, but for others it just isn't feasible.

For those who are lazy, they can usually provide some justification. Time, weather, showering at work, bad roads, no cycle lanes etc...

However there is one argument that I have come across that is compelling.

  "I have spent so much on my car. Tax, insurance, petrol, servicing and the car itself. I can't justify riding my bike into work if I'm investing so much money on my car in the first place"

For the motorist that says this, is there any appropriate response that offers a solution to their predicament that encourages this person to cycle (even if it's just one day a week?)

My first approach would be to outline the health benefits, but for some, money talks.

It is a known psychological fallacy (sunk costs fallacy) that already having spent too much resources (time, money…) on something that turned out to be a mistake somehow justifies persisting in doing that instead of switching to something else. Because it is irrational, it is hard to use rational logic to persuade.

Maybe pointing out that the very feeling is irrational, and that feelings should not be placed before logic and hard data when making certain decisions will help somewhat. Point out that new information obtained later on can and should affect people's reconsidering of past decisions, instead of living in the past. Also, maybe asking on a forum dedicated to psychology will give better results.


Bike trainer 11 speed cassette compatibility with Ultegra 6500 9 speed groupset Disclaimer. I don’t know much about bike mechanics. I had to do a lot of reading just to be able to name things right and to be able to write this post :)

I bought Elite Suito bike trainer a few days back and now I think I’m in trouble. Elite Suito comes with 11 speed 11-28 cassette. My bike has an old Shimano Ultegra 6500 groupset with 39/53 crankset and 9 speed 11-23.

So what are my options?

Can I do minimum upgrade to get my bike to fit 11 speed cassette?
Can I downgrade my trainer cassette to 9 speed to match my bike?
?

Can I do minimum upgrade to get my bike to fit 11 speed cassette?

Nope. You'd need derailleurs, crank set, shifters, cassette and chain at least. Given that groupsets bought as separate components cost a lot more than they do as part of a complete bike, I almost always recommend buying a whole new bike to make this upgrade.

  Can I downgrade my trainer cassette to 9 speed to match my bike?

Yes! All you need is a 9 speed cassette and a 1.8mm cassette spacer.

11 speed road hub freehub bodies are 36.75mm wide, 8/9/10 speed are 34.95mm, hence the need for the spacer (on the inside of the cassette).

All Shimano and SRAM 8/9/10 and 11 speed cassettes use the same 'Hyperglide II' freehub body spline pattern, so the new cassette will go right on.

You will need a chainwhip tool, cassette lockring tool and a big wrench to change the cassette yourself. The tools may cost more than the cassette itself, but a good bike repair shop will do it for you quickly and for a nominally small fee or for free if you have a good relationship with them and buy some small items at the same time. (Disclaimer, that's my experience in the USA, YMMV elsewhere in the world.)

You may find you have to adjust the rear derailleur indexing a little between the trainer and rear wheel as the hubs on each may not laterally position the cassette  exactly the same relative to the bike frame.

Another consideration: if your chain is getting worn (a $10 chain wear gauge is a great investment) it would be a good idea to replace the chain along with the new cassette. A worn chain accelerates wear on cassette sprockets.


I don't want to be the next Eddy Merckx; Is competitive cycling right for me? I've been toying with the idea of joining competitive amateur (road) cycling for a while, but am unsure as to if the sport is right for me: I'm in very good shape and enjoy "basic" road cycling as well as weekend trips, but I have not joined any sort of cycling clubs because I don't feel like a Cyclist™.

I don't want to quit my day job-- I just want to have some competitive fun with other cyclists, and I don't know if "fun" in itself is a realistic expectation for official competitive events-- is this achievable, or is competitive cycling only for the most gung-ho?

Cycling community

What is the atmosphere like in most cycling clubs and at larger competitive events?-- are people in pelotons generally friendly, supportive, etc. or does everyone basically hope the others get hit by a bus so they end up winning? Do people e.g. go for a drink together afterwards? I don't know anyone who cycles as arduously as me, so I'd have to "find" some "cycling buddies", and am not sure how much of the "buddy" part I can expect.

Technological competitiveness

As stated above, I have no intention of making a career of cycling, and I see little reason to spend e.g. $10,000 on a hobby. Some people enjoy spending that much on something they will ride at 10kph on Sundays, but I have neither the capacity nor the willingness to do so. However, at local (amateur) competitive rides, I have pretty much only seen ridiculously expensive carbon-fiber/aluminium bikes and lots of flashy Lycra. There is nothing stopping me from riding e.g. a 40-year-old bike at such a race, but it's also no fun to be struggling at the back of the pack when others are whisking along effortlessly. In the end, fitness trumps technology, but, basically, I'd have to be ridiculously fit to keep up in a pack of 5kg bikes with brifters on my 15kg down-tube 10-speed. How "good" should my setup be in order to enjoy such an event and easily stay with the pack?

Treating "competitive cyclists" as this single unified group (with three subgrouping) belies some  prejudices.  Like all walks of life there are a diversity of people, all with different motivations, morals and life experiences.  As such there is no single correct answer your various questions.

For example:

  are people in pelotons generally friendly, supportive, etc. or does
  everyone basically hope the others get hit by a bus so they end up
  winning?

Yes to both.

  Do people e.g. go for a drink together afterwards, or do they put
  their $10,000 bike in its own personal transport before being
  chauffeured back to their hotels?

Yes to both.

Anecdote for the good in people

I have met many great people in competitive cycling who were very friendly and helpful.  For example, during one long, hot road race a professional rider (who I trained with) waited for me after I got caught in a crash (one of our juniors collided with another member took out our whole team!).  He helped first made sure everyone was ok, then we worked together to get back into the peloton. He didn't need to, and it was a lot of extra work for him to do so as it took us nearly a lap to catch back in.  He still went on to podium that race, but maybe he would have won.

Anecdote for the bad in people

Once a number of years back when I moved to a new location my first club ride encounter was rather nasty, with a rider threatening to brake check me into the ditch if I drafted him again before the sprint.  It turned out it was the club that was toxic. They even  maligned and mistreated an amazingly friendly and fast former pro from Europe who had recently retired and moved to the area.  Racing pro in Europe is damn hard, the fact he was willing to give his time and energy to the local community was cool, that club had no idea what they were passing up. The ex-pro ended up starting his own club and superseding the toxic club.

Take Home

There is no single unifying experience that makes up competitive cycling.  There are definitely "gun-ho" types.  (It is a competitive sport after all).   Some are abrasive, some are are outgoing and nice, some are reclusive... you get the idea.  Like any competitive sport you will get encounter more Type-A types than you would in regular life.  But that is sort of the point, isn't it?  You are looking for other people to be competitive with.

My best advice would be to shop around.  If your area has a lot of clubs, do a trial ride with each club to see which one jives with you best.   Some are competitive, some are recreational, some do both.  Some people in the clubs are amazingly friendly and kind, some others are less so.  Also make sure to try and shelve some of your prejudices about "competitive cyclists". Sure some spend too much money on bikes (the bike industry really pushed that hard), but there are many who are quite sensible and still very fast.

Like all of life, you gotta pick and choose.

Finally to answer:

  How "good" should my setup be in order to enjoy such an event and
  easily stay with the pack?

I personally ride a steel bike and have no problems keeping up on fast rides (i.e., 40+ kph). Whether or not you stay with the pack has a lot to do with your base fitness, your max power threshold, how you ride (i.e., positioning in the pack and length and frequency of pulls), how well you anticipate moves within the pack  and the condition of your gear.  If your equipment is not kept up well, doesn't fit, or is highly inefficient then it becomes a hinderance.  Without knowing what you ride this question is too open ended to answer.

PS.  Quitting your job happens when the nice hobby becomes an unhealthy obsession. That said, others would argue you have simply dropped the shackles of societal expectations and become a free spirt.  All I know is that my kids still need to eat.


How to change chainrings on this Tiagra crankset? I want to switch to 46/30 but don't know how to begin. The crankset is Shimano Tiagra FC-4700, 50x34T, 170mm

The crankset (110 BCD - Bolt Circle Diameter) is unlikely to accept a 30T chainring. It definitely isn't supported by Shimano. You need a new crank.
Look at subcompact cranksets like, e.g., FSA Tempo Adventure (10/11 speed). Note that this specific one also uses a different bottom bracket.


Shimano Integrated ST-EF51 Shifter and Brake Lever I have: Shimano Integrated ST-EF51 Shifter and Brake Lever (7-speed), on my stock Marlin 5.  I'm having trouble shifting with the cassette (back Wheel gears).  It seems I'm skipping a gear from 7 to 6, skips 6 and goes to 5.  I need to play around up and down the lever so I get the right gear.  What do I check?

Is there any Budget friendly upgrade, taking in consideration making the least amount of changes on my gear changers?

The most common cause by far is the cable tension needs to be adjusted. The other potential causes and contributing factors are cable/housing friction, housing damage, derailer hanger misalignment, derailer damage, barrel adjuster unscrewed all the way and flopping loose, cable anchored incorrectly, cable donut caught in housing stop, wheel crooked in frame, b-tension screw adjustment, extreme cassette/chain wear. Since for you the problem is happening at the high end of the cassette, the limit screws should also be checked. The chain should be reasonably lubricated as well.

The basic troubleshooting would be make sure the wheel is seated squarely in the frame, check (or really sense) that the cable is moving through the housings with minimal friction and lube or otherwise address it if needed, eyeball that the limit screws are doing their thing by constraining the derailer's range of movement correctly, while doing so also eyeball for a bent hanger or derailer, and then check that when shifted onto the smallest cog position you have cable tension in the ballpark of being just taut with no slack but not much tension beyond that. That sounds like a lot but once you know what you're looking for it's pretty automatic. From there you fine tune the cable tension using the barrel adjusters so that it shifts smoothly in both directions. If that's not possible, the most common cause is hanger misalignment.

The shifter itself is typically only the problem if it's clearly broken, or if it's missing clicks due to lack of internal lubrication, which is correctable. Either of those occurring is fairly common. A Shimano Rapidfire type shifter clicking through fine but shifting poorly due to inadequate precision, acquired or not, is a distant theoretical possibility, but not really something you see.


New stem, bars & shifters on old Bridgestone 700 I recently bought a 1980's Bridgestone 700.  I have trouble feeling confident on this bike between the narrow drop bars and the downtube shifter. This is my all-steel commuter and I'd like to put either wider drop bars or possibly even flat bars on it.   The current bars are 25.5mm diameter (hope that's close enough to an inch) by 16 inches wide. The fork/ stem is 22.2mm diameter. My modern road & mountain bike forks and stems make sense to me but this is a whole different era. I'm also thinking of changing the shifters. Everything is Shimano 600 currently.  My questions are:

Is there any way to get a modern stem with some rise in it on to this bike & what parts will I need?
If I decide to add a more modern shifter/brake combo what should I look for to ensure that the new shifters work with my existing deraileurs?

Thanks!

you should be able to get a variety of 22.2mm quill stems. For instance SJS have a fair selection (picked because they came up first in a search for 22.2mm quill stem, I have no connection with them). 22.2 is a standard size and still common.
If it has indexed shifters you should have no problems, but Shimano 600 may not be indexed, and might be 6 speed. In which case you can look for thumbshifters with a friction mode or change the drivetrain. The cost of buying new 7 speed drivetrain parts is enough that I wouldn't suggest it - you'll spend a fair chunk of the cost a new cheap bike doing it. If there's a bike recycling group or tip shop in your area you should be able to avoid spending most of the money - old bikes with 7 speed indexed gears are pretty common.


Problem with Apollo Gradient clunky and missed gear changes About four months ago I decided to get back into riding. I bought an Apollo Gradient mountain bike. I know this is quite a cheap/basic bike but didn't want to spend a lot if I didn't stick with it. I have stuck with it and will eventually upgrade to something better but can't afford to right now.

Now onto the problem, the gear changes have never been particularly smooth but over the last month they have got worse. The gear changes themselves, while clunky, aren't a particular issue. What is an issue is that it sometimes misses a gear especially 3rd and 6th gears (so when I change from 2nd it will go straight to 4th or from 5th straight to 7th). This is more of an issue as you will think you are in the right gear and then it will snap back into the correct gear later on. This is a particular issue when cycling up hill as it throws my feet off the pedals. I've got massive bruises on both knees from where they have hit the handlebars at these times. This happens when riding on relatively smooth roads so isn't even anything to do with the type of terrain that I am riding on.

I have taken the bike to a shop to be serviced and they seemed to think it was ok but it is still happening. So with that information and the fact that I can't afford to upgrade my bike straight away what can I do to try and solve this issue with gear changes being clunky and gears being missed (or being missed then snapping back into them as I am riding)?

The first thing to check is that the rear derailleur indexing adjustment is good. I.e. the derailleur cage is aligned properly with the individual sprockets in each gear. If cage is moving slightly too far at each shift it could push the chain two sprockets over instead of one. I would expect a repair shop to be able to adjust indexing properly, and bad indexing causes the chain to rattle on the sprockets - which you don't mention - so this may not be the issue.

The next thing to check for is a bent derailleur hanger resulting in the  derailleur cage not being parallel to the sprockets.

Another cause of shifting problems is the shift cable sticking in the housing due to corrosion or contamination, although this tends to cause 'delayed' upshifts (from larger to smaller sprockets) as the derailleur spring cannot pull the cable through the housing.