What is the best way to calculate my maximum heart rate? I know that there are a number of calculations (220 - age etc.) for calculating max HR - are there any better formulas or empirical ways of calculating?

I think on a bike it would be harder to reach max HR, but in running it is easy.  Find a hill (say 1/2 KM long) that is reasonably steep.  Warm up for 20 minutes of running, and start doing hill repeats.  Aim for a pace where you can do about 6 repeats.

Do the first three at increasing paces, and then for 4 and 5 start pushing to the max you can handle.  As jensgram said in his answer, push till you are about to faint, or vomit, or whatever your body uses to tell you to stop.

This is pretty darn close to your max HR.  At least functionally, before your body ups and quits on you.


ideal dérailleur height for a Deore on non-round/oval Cranksets (e.g. a Biopace)? Reading on every site about front dérailleur adjustment, the distance from the bottom of the outer dérailleur plate to the bigger crank cog should be "one penny".

Mine is around 1cm! it does shift OK. not perfectly, i have to spin it very slowly and constant for the chain to move. but works. never dropped the chain or jammed.

The front dérailleur is a Shimano FD-MT60-AL, Deore (if you look at the pic here, it's showing a much closer distance, but it's also showing a rusty chain... so I will not mimic it right now :)

The crank is a biopace

Here's a pic of my bike. Since the crank is not round, i've set it up on the "closest" point to the derailleur

Here's another pic.

Another angle. There's no height adjustment, and there's no mark on the frame suggesting it ever was at another position. Can it be some lack of lube internally or bad cable messing things up?

The bottom of the front cage on your front derailleur should be about 2mm higher than the chain ring, when the derailleur has no cable tension.

That is, when it is in the smallest front gear position.

On Bio-pace rings, that doesn't change. but it must be measured at the point when the chain ring comes closest to the derailleur cage. (The hardest part of your large ring.)

Some older derailleurs may have had different expectations. But not that I am aware of.


Can I change rotor size with disc brakes? I have a new bike with 160mm rotors and Avid BB5 brakes. I wanted to step up to Avid BB7 brakes as they seem easier to adjust. The BB7s come packaged with rotor options -- 160 / 180 / 200 mm.

Can I go up a rotor size?
What would limit this? My fork has a brand but the manufacturer's website has no indication of rotor size limitation.
Is there any advantage to going up?

I should mention that this is for an electric-assist bike with 20" wheels.  I do drag a trailer and live in a hilly area, so good/better brake performance going downhills is definitely appreciated.

Rotor size is determined by the brake mount adapter.
So everything else ie. the caliper - stays the same. Only the Adapter changes.

You must check your fork manufacturer for the maximum size of rotor the fork can be safely operated with.

Also check frame clearances (at the rear) for enough clearance for the size of rotor you are selecting.

Going up rotor sizes is specifically for more braking power.


AXA bottle dynamo noise I'm looking for advice on AXA HR Traction bottle dynamos and others like it if there are any, as I have seen others on this forum discuss them specifically on other threads. My partner is running it with a clamp on her fork, its alignment with the tyre is as correct as I can possibly make it, but still no matter what I do the screeching/screaming noise when she rides is unreal - especially considering I have read on sales websites that these higher-end bottles are supposedly on the "silent" end of things. I'm not expecting sudden miraculous silence, but given we've tried all kinds of position tweaks and running it both front and back, I'm instead wondering if there's a chance this thing is internally faulty?

Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks.

It does indeed sound like your bearings are shot. In some cases a worn bearing (if it's very worn) can cause the stator (non-rotating part of the motor/dynamo) to start rubbing against the rotor (the force the tire exerts on the dynamo pushes the rotor/rotor axle out of alignment causing it to rub against the stator in very bad cases. This would increase the amount of sound more than just a worn bearing.

Note: in some cases a slide bearing/plain bearing/teflon bearing will be used in which case you can't easily service it when it's worn, you could look for replacement parts but it's unlikely they will be available. Bearing type I am referring to can be seen in this image:

From what I've read so far there are two types of bottle dynamo design, one where the stator core (soft iron core) is positioned around the rotor such as in this image:

Disassembly of this type can be seen in this video:

And another type where the winding of the stator and the core are positioned around the rotor, as can be seen in this video:

I am not quite sure what type your AXA HR dynamo is but in practice it doesn't matter much.

They appear to be relatively easy to disassemble judging from the disassembly videos posted above. You could firstly check for play prior to disassembly as suggested by @carel . After disassembling (if there is play/the bearing feels bad) you can take out the bearing, clean the balls/cage(if present), clean the bearing races, apply new/clean grease. And reassemble. You could theoretically replace the bearing but you'd most likely be better off buying a new dynamo when considering the part/labor cost.

I could not easily find bearing replacements specifically for the HR Traction but if you measure the ball diameter you can find those ball bearings seperately and replace them, but do keep in mind the bearing races will probably also be worn and these are in general non replaceable parts. So you will most likely not get it as good as new by replacing only the balls. Tool used for measuring ball bearing balls:  You can also use a caliper or micrometer if that's all you have.

What you could perhaps also try is to loosen the nut that secures the cap of the dynamo a bit, if that is over tightened than I believe your bearing will also be too tight (just as a headset bearing can be too tight and will cause the bearing to not run smooth at all). Try loosening it a bit and see if it runs more smoothly/quietly afterwards.

Also make sure to clean the dynamo properly, even though sand/grid getting under the cap or even in the dynamo is quite unlikely, it could be considered a cause of excess noise depending on how the bike is used (in muddy conditions I could imagine sand getting under the dynamo cap).

In my experience it is quite normal for bottle dynamos to make some noise, you will definitely know when they are engaged due to the sound they produce. So they won't be fully silent, for that you'd need a hub dynamo.

There are many alternatives to axa HR bottle dynamos, they are quite common in the Netherlands: here are a few: https://www.internet-bikes.com/zoeken/11506779-11506787/?search=dynamo


Time Trial/ Tri Aero Wheels Query I am in constant debate with my colleague regarding the use of aero tt/triathlon wheels (82/101) for normal/general road use (fear of buckling etc?). I was wondering what peoples thoughts were on this?

any thoughts to help me settle this would be appreciated!

thanks

With the exception of a very few wheels that have a low maximum rider weight, the only real reasons not to use your TT wheels all the time are:

Cost - do you want the daily road grime all over your $2,500 carbon wheels?
Surface area - cross winds when your rolling >80mm dishes can become interesting
Braking surface - related to (1)...you will eventually wear down the braking surface.
Flats - these days a lot of TT wheels are clinchers, but if yours are tubular, carrying a spare tire all the time may not be ideal. For more than a race, you'll need to really protect the glue.

I might add a (5) that some people will think you are a poser with more money than talent...but I personally think rolling around in some deep carbon is cool.

The few wheels that have the low max weight could fall apart as they get beaten on the bumps and dips of daily riding, the vast majority are probably just about as strong as (or possibly stronger than) the wheels you are rolling right now.

Happy Riding.


How do I get this cone nut off? I’m attempting to remove a freehub and have removed the locknut and washer on the non-drive side. However, the cone/cone nut doesn’t seem to want to come off. Is this nut supposed to unscrew from the axle, or is it supposed to pull straight off? Do I need a vise, or am I making this more complicated than it needs to be?

It's not totally clear what's going on here, but:

If this is a cup and cone hub, your problem describes a left cone that is stuck somehow, maybe crossthreaded or the threads otherwise damaged, and you'll need to find some way of getting more purchase on it. If you have access to the right cone wrench flats, a clear way of doing that is to lock the right side locknut and cone against each other and put a cone wrench on the right cone for leverage, then unscrew the left one. If you don't have access to the right cone wrench flats, you could take the left side locknut and lock it down against the right side locknut to play the same trick. If the threads are damaged but not toast, a 1mm thread file on the axle and an M10x1 tap on the cone may help.
It looks a little like this could be a cartridge hub and the left side cone-looking bit is torqued down against the bearing inner race, whose other side is secured against a shouldered axle. If it's actually totally immobile, that would be an explanation as to why. Hubs like this usually have internal 5mm allen wrench flats on one or both axle ends to help in such spots. If not, and if you in fact need to get this part off to replace the freehub, and if the right side cone's wrench flats are inaccessible, you will probably need to do something similar to the above.


Can mountain biking shoes be used with road bikes? What are the pros and cons? Is there anything wrong with wearing mountain biking shoes (SPD) with a road bike? I find that it makes sense because you can still walk around with them on but you still have the ability to clip in and pull the pedal up like a normal road bike shoe would allow. Am I missing any aspect of the situation?

I wear my MTB shoes with my road bike all the time. A number of the other guys in our group ride also do, nothing wrong with it at all. Road shoes are often stiffer than MTB shoes but not always. My SIDI's are just as stiff as the road version.


Can I leave headset spacers above and below the stem I am in the process of building a bike with a new frame and fork. The groupset will be from a donor bike. When it comes to fitting the bike and cutting the steerer I would like to do some trial rides to check the fit prior to cutting the steerer.Can I leave the steerer long and install spacers above and below the stem until I get the fit correct? Could I leave a spacer on the top so potential resale would be more likely?

Yes. I do this on most of my bikes so I can do a quick fit for a friend when needed and to broaden the appeal for resale. Just make sure to snug up the compression like normal prior to tightening the stem and you will be good.


Bought slightly too big outer tube - options? I've had good experience in the past with riding a racing bike with cross-bike outer tube (grip, protection against flats) in the city. So I bought similiar outer tubes again for my new racing bike.

Now, the outer tube on the front (did not install the rear one yet) touches the brake (body) with it's outer diameter and wont turn. Do I have any reliable and safe options to mount the wheel a bit lower? We would be talking about 2mm or so, I could adjust the brake pads if the wheel sat lower. I tried to use cable ties as istancers, but I don't trust this solution.

I would have the same problem with the rear wheel, But I think I have more options there (the part where the axle goes is adjustable in the horizontal, so I could get the wheel a bit away from the brake.

I could hand the tubes back to the store, but then I would be stuck with having to spend 70€ there and the tires I got are the best fit to what I want - hence this question.

You can't make your front wheel sit lower without replacing the fork, and even if you switch to longer-drop brakes (I assume they're dual-pivot calipers if it's a racing-style bike), you can't easily move the mounting bolt.

The only options I can think of are:

if moving the rear wheel in the drops works, keep both tyres for the rear wheel and buy a single smaller tyre for the front (cost: 1 extra tyre)
get wider rims, to flatten the tyre's cross-sectional profile (this is a lot more expensive than just buying new tyres though, and I'd hate to speculate on what width you need to save your 2mm+) (cost: 1 or 2 wheels, depending on 1)
get a new front fork, only if 1 works (cost: 1 fork + maybe paying your local shop to cut the steerer tube)
just get new tyres and sell the old ones - say they're unused and didn't work for your bike (cost: depends on what you can sell the tyres for)


Are derailluers always or usually compatible with any cassettes? Is it OK to choose a derailleur without taking into consideration the cassette that will be used with it and vice-versa?

No.

It's best, though not always entirely necessary, that the number of speeds match. There are some cross-compatible options, but if you're unsure it's better to just stick with a derailleur and cassette that were designed to work together.

It's also important to consider the size of the cassette in comparison to the amount of chain slack that the derailleur is capable of taking up. A road derailleur will often not work with a mountain bike cassette because it can not take up enough slack to account for the size of a mountain bike cassette.

Generally speaking, a cassette and derailleur that are the same number of speeds, made for the same type of bike, and made by the same manufacturer will be just fine.


Can I use microshift bar end shifters with 9-speed deore lx rear derailleur and 10-speed cassette? Can I use indexed 10-speed microshift bar end shifters (on retroshift levers) with 9-speed deore lx rear derailleur and 10-speed 11-36 cassette? If not, What rear derailleur would work with the microshift shifters in indexed mode with this cassette?

So long as it's a 10s shifter with a 10s cassette it should work. Many derailleurs will work so long as they have enough chain capacity and they can fully extend to the highest and lowest gears


How to store bicycles outside during winter Okay. I have a bike which I would like to store for around six moths. Winter temperatures can be as low as -30 C. The problem is that I do not have an indoor storage space, so it is going to reside on a balcony. We also have lots of snow.

So, my plan is:
1. Inflate tires to max
2. Greasing
3. Wrap bike in plastic wrap.

Any suggestions?

Here's my solution.  Take off wheels, pedals, and handlebars, and place the bike under the bed.  Ok, that may not be the right solution, but it might point you in the right direction.  If you start taking parts off your bike, you can fit it in a pretty small place.  You might even want to consider taking parts off and storing everything but the frame inside your apartment.  Take out the bottom bracket and leave that in the house.  Wheels can be easily stored inside.  The seat/seat post is dead easy to remove and can be stored just about anywhere.  Basically you should store as much inside as you can.


What's this part from inside the steering tube? I wanted to replace a stem with a new one, so I first tried to screw the top cap off. What happened is that instead of the cap, the piece in the picture came out. What is the name? Is it bad that it came out?

I managed to take the top cap out of it. Is it enough that I screw that piece back on the star nut?

What you have looks like upper part of an expander bolt. If the lower part is still in place, you can just screw it back. If not, you may have to fish the rest of the parts from the steerer tube and put it together before installing.


What was the rationale for reverse brake levers? The Porteur style of bicycle popular by newspaper delivery men in France in the 1940s-1960s had reverse brake levers, seen here in this diagram from an article from Bicycle Quarterly (the photo jpeg is titled rebourherseville1960.jpg):

A bunch of manufacturers including Dia-compe used to sell brake levers that were reversed and there are also some contemporary reproductions:

Was this just purely for style reasons? I can't think of many advantages of a reverse brake lever (except style) and can think of major disadvantages (it will hook or catch on things as you move forward). What were the rationale for having brake levers like this originally?

Period sources preferred.

If you look at drawings of old bikes, both types of brake configurations are depicted. This supports the idea that it was merely a design choice with no significant pros and cons over other configurations other than aesthetics. I suggest that it just so happens that builders in the place and time period you cited used this design because it was fashionable.

There is very limited risk here for "catching" unless the rider is literally going through shrubs (and in that situation, catching would be the least concern). Also, bizarre freak-accidents aside, no one is going to be "speared" by a reverse brake handle. Think about what would actually have to occur for that to happen.


Should I choose 26" or 28" size BTWIN Triban 100 with dropped handlebar? My height is 5 ft 9.5" (176.5 cm). I went to Decathlon and tried out both the 26" and 28" bicycles there. Both sizes felt comfortable. But I cannot really tell unless I ride for a long distance. I had to raise the seat of the 26" and had to very slightly decrease the seat height of the 28".

Which bicycle size should I choose?

Vertical height is easier to adjust than 'reach' or the horizontal distance from the handle bar. Check which one is more comfortable there. I would err on the smaller size myself, as long as it isn't too small, since the reach being even slightly longer causes neck and other pains.


Do eliptical chainrings give you an advantage Has anyone tried oval chainrings? Are they worth the time and money? Any brands worth considering? I'm trying to gain any advantage I can get

No, they won´t give you any advantage. It didn´t show a benefit in comparison with normal chainrings since the transference in watts doesn´t change. If you want to get any advantage you should look for loosing weight as much as possible on the bike and having better performance parts will surely help but in the end, the only way to get advantage is training. Unless you do 28 hours a week, you should focus in your training first.


Making my dream bike come true my name is Benjamin and for quite some time now i have been riding my bicycle to college and other places. The bike i have now is only very simple but has saved as a great alternative for transport and is just simplify great to ride. Having ridden my bike so many times for so long i have now started to grow a taste of what kinda bike i would like to have, my dream bike. The features i would like for my next bike to have would be as followed:

(27 gears) making going up hill much easier and going down hill much faster.
(Efficient front and rear brakes) ensuring full controller over the bike.
(FOX XTD REMOTE LEVER) to adjust bikes suspensions for any journey ahead.
(Remote lever seat post) for maximum comfort when riding on rough terrains.
(Generated back wheel) to supply power to front and back lights.
(large rear rack) to allow for transportation such as bags.
(Onboard lock for back wheel) to allow for added security.
(Onboard portable pump) to ensure good inflation for tires.
(reflectors including wheels) for added visibility.
(battery powered lights) for having to stop in dark where path is not available.

Crazy i know! but as you can see with me wanting such a pasific bike with all these features finding such bike is just impossible leaving me to this question.HOW IN HELL DO I GET SUCH BIKE? is there some place where this beast of a bike can be made? or would i be better off buying a bike and instilling these upgrades my self? if i do take the second option how would i have to go about it and what would i have to do step wise and be wary of?

Super exited to hearing what you guys have to say to my questions and thank you.

Honestly i have 2 of what you describe with a few variations - for gearing you don't need more than 2X11.  Light i would consider looking at a dynamo hub like SON 28.  Rear rack look at Thule, bike pannier rack (use to be called Freeload).

Suspension and dropper post these days come almost standard on most bikes and you don't need to go spend $7k plus to get one either.

I would buy an out of the box bike and change that you want to change by sourcing parts from Chain Reaction Cycle or get your local bike shop to custom build you one.


How effective is checking spoke tension by ear? Sheldon Brown's Wheelbuilding page links to the article: Check Spoke Tension by Ear. Obviously a tensiometer would be ideal, but Sheldon suggests that checking spoke tension by ear is a reasonable alternative. The article was written in 1987 and updated in 1997; are there any developments from the last 10 to 20 years that would invalidate the technique or require adaptation? For example, the article mentions that dished wheels require a different pitch on the left and right sides, but how great should this difference in pitch be? In general, how effective is tensioning by ear?

That depends on how good your ear is. If you can tune a stringed instrument effectively, then tensioning a wheel by ear is very effective. Identical spokes that have the same pitch when plucked should have the same tension within the margin of error for any tensiometer reading. The catch is you need a tensiometer to get the relative tone for the proper kg/f tension on the spokes, unless you have perfect pitch and can remember up to four different tones for a single wheelset.
Keep in mind that for a wheel with any amount of dish, the tension, spoke length, and therefore the pitch, will almost certainly be different from one side of the wheel to the other. Therefore, once you have your tone for a given kg/f reading it will only be accurate for one side of one wheel (there are exceptions, such as a front road wheel, or a flip flop rear wheel). Flange heights and spacing vary from front to rear hub and side to side as well, also with some exceptions. Also worth noting that different gauges and shapes of spokes of the same length and tension will have a different ring to them. In short, don't assume that the pitch of properly tensioned spokes on one side of one wheel apply to the rest of the spokes on the wheelset, and certainly don't use the pitch of a spoke on a wheel as a reference for a completely different type of wheel.
Anecdotally, I was discussing this very issue with a friend of mine the other day. He said that he believed tensioning by pitch gave a valid reading, but that he couldn't do it because he was mostly tone-deaf. So to reiterate, if you don't have a pretty good ear musically, then this isn't a viable method of checking tension.
To summarize, with a good ear you can use pitch to check tension on spokes, but it's more of a timesaver than a replacement for a tensiometer as you need a baseline tone at proper tension to check the rest of the spokes against.


Why top touring bikes have no suspension forks? I'm in the search for a new long distance touring bike, and I'm surprised that most top models have no front suspension (IDWorks, Tout Terrain, Koga, etc.).

It looks like front suspension is a rarity at the top, but available on middle class trekking bikes. The top bikes with specific long distance touring geometry and specs are less available with front suspension. Some trekking bikes that I've found with front suspension:

Cannondale Tesoro 1 2014
Rose Black Creek
Koga-Miyata Feathershock
Giant Expedition AT 2013 (not sold anymore)
Schwalbe's balloon bike concept in general http://www.balloonbikes.com/en/

Background:

I have been riding a Cannondale Headshock bike for commuting and touring in the last ten years, and I loved the front suspension. I find it softer on the hands/wrists, especially on long rides. If the suspension is off, and I ride a full day, my hands get much more tired, vs. with the suspension on. Handwriting for example is much harder after a long day of riding, with suspension off.

I had zero issues with the fork, functions since 2004 without issues. I do have a front rack, too. The bike has wide tires (IRC Lover Soul, 26x2.25).

So it seems the benefits are there, there are no maintenance issues (was serviced regularly), racks can be mounted on them, and cost in the upper segment shouldn't be an issue. And the top touring bikes are still offered without front suspension. Why?

Edit:

Let me ask again: my question is NOT about the pros and cons of using a suspension fork in touring in general, or whether you think I need it or not, or what is my definition of a touring bike, or whether there are touring bikes with suspension or not (there's a lot of them).

My question is:

Why is that while many middle range touring bikes are with front suspension (1000-2000 Euro bikes), then most of the TOP of the line touring models (4000 Euro and above) are without?

My logic would be that if it is offered in mid range, it's also offered on the top bikes, too.

See for example the range of Rose bikes, who are one of those manufacturers who sell among the highest number of touring bikes. Rose has 20 different "Tourenräder" for 1000-2000 Euro, so these middle range touring models are almost all with front suspension. If I look at Tout Terrain for example, from the 10 top of the range models, they only have two model with front suspension, the Panamericana, and all the rest is fixed fork.

Money: it is not a reason while these bikes are over 4000 Euro anyway, and mid range bikes are with suspension.
Ease of repair: I see not a reason while disc brakes, carbon drive, hydraulic brakes, XT derailleurs are equally fine machinery that need care, and difficult to repair on site. To me, the dérailleur is the most delicate part of any bike, it gets damaged during transport or hard terrain easily, and very difficult to repair. And anyway, parts can be delivered by DHL anywhere. And again, mid range bikes are with suspension.
Weight: these bikes are 15+kg, just the Schwalbe tyres are 700-800g each, the pack is around 20kg, so shaving off 200-300g from the bike weight doesn't matter.
Force: if a fork can withstand downhill, they should handle touring.

So none of these justify why offer lots of mid-range touring bikes with suspension, and then the top range much less.

There are a couple of reasons.

The KISS Principle

If anything vital breaks while you're touring and you can't fix it on the spot, you're stranded. You're too far from home to call your mom for a ride. Unless you have a spare for the broken part, your options are some DIY jerry rigging and/or praying that someone with a truck comes by who will carry you and all your stuff to the nearest town. There's less that can go wrong with a rigid fork, so less chance of being stranded.

Standard parts are easier to replace and repair

Rack-ready suspension forks are irreplaceable, irrepairable abominations. Ok, that's an exaggeration. But it's definitely harder to get a replacement or get it repaired. Head shock? Only one of the three bike shops in my town sells Cannondale stuff. If you end up in a smaller town with one bike shop (or none) you may be out of luck. If you find yourself limping along to some no-name town in the middle of nowhere, your best hope for repairs is to have standard parts.

It's true that you can find mounting apparatuses (apparatii?) that will allow a rack to mount to a standard suspension fork but they all require additional parts, violating the KISS Principle.

Weight

In spite of (or perhaps, because of) the abundance of gear that tourists carry, there are weight-weenie tourists. Suspension forks are heavy. Or at least heavier.

Efficiency

Another reason is that a suspension absorbs energy, and rationing ones energy is a primary concern of the long-distance tourist.

Physics (supposedly)

When I first got into touring there was a notion that suspension forks weren't designed to withstand the lateral forces of braking well enough to add weight to the fork. The idea was that the forward force of the bike's weight on the steer tube and the forward weight of the panniers on the lowers would flex the fork and damage it. This seems to have either been overcome or disproven, but old ideas sometimes die hard. This is probably the reason that Giant used such a bizarre contraption on the front of their Expedition AT, to compensate for those forces.

Most people just don't need it

Most people tour on the road where suspension doesn't really do enough to justify all the other costs.

As others have mentioned in the comments, if you're having wrist pains there is most likely a fit/setup issue with your bike. There are any number of possible solutions, all of which would be specific to you and your bike. See your LBS for advice.


Does a small bolt cutter do OK cutting spokes for a wheel build? I'm hoping a cheap bolt cutter will make easier work and put less stress on my cable cutters when cutting and threading spokes for a wheel built. (My hands get knackered pulling on the shortish cable cutters, so 12 inches of leverage would be nice) While the cable cutter did a decent job of keeping the spoke end square-ish, I assume the bolt cutter, which is like a couple chisel points meeting, will give me a chisel-like point on the spoke end.

I'm wondering if anyone's used a bolt cutter for spokes during a build (not a disassembly). I've got a feeling the Hozan threader might not like the non-square end.

To be clear,if you are cutting spokes to size and threading them yourself, any method of cutting that does not bend the cut end of the spoke is probably OK.

You can use a small file to remove burrs or sharp edges afterwards, and make a chamfer if needed by the thread cutter.


Hole inside fork's upper tube, air-spring side? I've disassembled my Reba fork (FS-REBA-RL-A6) and found a hole in the inner wall of the top tube, air-spring side leg. Doesn't look perfectly round to me, even though it can be an effect of a bit of grease remaining there.

It's where my index finger is on the next pic, towards the bottom and a bit towards the front of the fork. Doesn't look aligned either, and I can't figure a reason for a hole being there...

My question is: is it a manufacturing defect??

I've opened the fork because it suddenly sounded like popping, lost some air (it immediately smelled like rubber) and sagged quite a bit after a while.

Afterwards when I got home, I've also noticed the big wiper seal between upper and lower tubes popped out (maybe because of the pressure of the air that escaped the chamber?).

Thought a seal was broken but to my eye all was good inside (except for the hole!). Also, I was expecting some oil on the lower legs but there was only drips (and some butter grease). It was also very difficult to separate lower legs from top, even after some not-so-gentle taps on the screws...

Considering using my warranty. Thanks in advance!

I don't think that's a manufacturing defect.

Common manufacturing defects of suspension forks (though defects in general are not common) are defective oil seals and/or air pistons, improperly peened/stamped steerer tubes/stanchions, inadequate fluid (oil), and general machining problems such as caliper bolt threads.

Very very very rarely would one mistakenly drill a hole through the bottom part of a stanchion.

Now, your fork is a Rockshox one, right? If I recall correctly, some systems of RS forks (DebonAir, I think) automatically equalize pressures between the positive and the negative air springs after pumping up by cycling the fork through its travel.
That hole is most likely an air port utilized for such systems. (RS forks used to have a feature to separately pump each air spring to your preference.)

If you're really that worried, you can contact Rockshox themselves and have them sort that out for you.


New Trek 1.5 wheels need to be trued after 2 rides, normal? I took my new Trek 1.5 out for 2 spins after I got it and the front wheel is running a few mm off true. The back is too but it isn't that bad. I rode it approx 35km.

I stupidly didn't check the wheels to be properly trued when I left the shop but I didn't think I rode it that hard.

Is it normal for new wheels to need to be trued after bedding in or could they have been off true from the factory? Do I have to be really paranoid about every little bump in the road?

Rims:
Bontrager Tubeless Ready
Tyres:
Bontrager R1 Hard-Case Lite, 700x23c

I'd say it can be normal because there are many factors can stress a wheel and depends on the quality of the wheels, they might need to be trued again. There's an article about how they build wheels at Bontrager: Inside Bontrager Wheel Factory.

tldr;

Expensive wheels are trued, stressed, trued, and stressed again, trued again. Your wheels were trued in the factory (maybe only once), then you stressed them and now somebody needs to true them again.


Electric motor: rear, center or front? I'm looking for an electric bike. I see motors available on rear, center, and more cheaper, a wheel with a motor to adapt to front. Any experience to help me to make a decision?

I had a front hub motor in a retrofit kit.

PRO: Its really easy to fit, just leaves a lot of wires hanging on the frame.

CON: Any motor adds weight, and if your bike has suspension it could be unsuspended weight which is not ideal.

CON: The front wheel carries less weight than the rear, so it can slip easier.  Powering through a corner is a bad idea, and I even got wheel slip by taking off from the lights with power on and pedalling hard.

My motor was a hard on/off switch, with no sensors or throttle, and was rated at 250W.  So you could press the button and just glide with no pedalling.

My general knowledge of pedal assist bikes is that you have to be pedalling to get assistance.  This can produce some interesting effects at low speed, when turning under power, and when pushing hard to take off.

A rear hub motor will have the most oomph for the same wattage, but it will add even more weight to the rear of the bike.  This can contribute to rear punctures and rear wheel slips when cornering.

A center motor/BB motor distributes the weight evenly between wheels, and keeps the weight low down.  However they generally need a special and custom frame.

Don't ignore batteries either - they're always too small in capacity and too big in weight.  I had Sealed Lead Acid batteries, and lithium would have been much nicer.


How bad is switching derailleur gears under load? I have heard several times the wisdom that you should not switch derailleur gears while pedalling hard ("under load"). The "right way", according to those people, is to pick up speed, stop pedalling, then switch gears, then pedal lightly (without any force actually pulling the bike) until the chain switches, and only then can you resume pedalling with full power.
Otherwise Unspeakably Bad Things are supposed to happen.
My wife however doubts this, and upon a little thought I have to admit, I don't see anything that could go wrong either. But then neither of us are very experienced.
So... how bad is it to switch gears while putting a lot of force on the chain? Is it total bullshit; will the bicycle explode immediately; or something inbetween?

The answer heavily depends on the groupset construction/generation and personal perception of what is "bad", among other factors. Below are a few aspects that I am aware of.

Switching gears in the traditional bicycle drivetrain assumes there is a momentarily side load on the chain, twisting it and forcing it to jump/fall from one cog to another. The chain is very flexible in one plane, but has limited sideways flex before the metal becomes too stressed. In the worst case, "Unspeakably Bad Things" is one of links of the chain breaking because of that excessive side load. Usually, bad shifting manifests itself as horrible metal clunking and abrupt pedal jerking, but nothing breaks (yet).

Aside from the chain, similar side load is experienced by the cassette and chainrings. Similarly, a potential for bending individual teeth on them exists.

The probability of a mechanical problem during shifting can be increased by several factors. Among them are: front-shifting while loading the pedals, back-shifting while pedaling hard, weak pin in the chain, fast shifting over many gears at once causing the chain to twist too much; misaligned derailleurs; worn drivetrain components; bad luck.

Older (more than ~40 years old) cassettes were made of plain cogs without any features to help shifting. Recent cassettes and chainring have ramps and pins that assist shifting, making the opportunity window for chain overload smaller. Most modern MTB cassette designs were reported to greatly alleviate the problems with shifting under load in either direction, according to many reports I've seen on the net. Even for cheap Deore 12-speed cassettes, it is said to be safe to shift without taking it easy on the pedals.

Your description of events "to pick up speed, stop pedaling, then switch gears, then continuing pedaling" applies to internal gear hubs, but not to the cassettes/derailleur designs. In order to complete the shift, one must keep the chain moving over the cogs, which means pedaling (even if with less effort) during the whole shifting process.

In terms of practical advice, I'd say that there are several situations.

It is usually safer to shift to smaller front or rear cogs while pedaling hard than the other way around.
It is usually safer to shift at the back than at the front under load. The twisting angle at the cassette is usually smaller than it would be at the chainring.
It is recommended to be conscious about shifting when pedaling uphill. The pedaling torque is the highest in such situations. If possible, one should choose the right gear combination just before starting the uphill movement, at the trajectory's lowest point. Making such predictions requires some experience.
Similarly, never shift while standing still. The torque is high at the starting point, the chain may be cross-shifted over multiple cogs, making it more twisted than usual. If you cannot safely start in current gear, it is safer to lift the bike and pedal "it in the air" with your hand to complete the shift.


Older road bike: squeaky crank? I have an old Free Spirit road bike. It's in good shape and runs fine, but I started noticing that when I'm going uphill or pedaling in a high gear there is a squeaky sound coming from what seems to be the crank.

Any tips on fixing it or could it be another issue altogether?

I noticed my crank making a noise when I would crank hard, and it ended up being the pedal. It was the cheap plastic pedals that came with the bike (before I switched to clipless), and the pedal itself was starting to break. It would bend when I was cranking hard, and it finally broke on me (thankfully, just down the street from my house).

So, I would check the pedal, and check the bolts for the whole area to make sure everything's tightened down properly.


8 speed free wheel with single speed crankset I would like to change my bike setup. I have a 8 speed freewheel and a 3 chainrings crankset and I would like to add a single speed crankset in front (around 50 teeth) because I am not using my front derailleur anymore. Is it a good match? If so, what kind of chain do I need? Do I need a new bottom bracket?

Thank you

You probably don't need to purchase a new crankset.

You can remove the the rings you don't need and simply add a new ring. You'll need to know the distance of the bolt holes of your current chainrings/crank. This is known as the BCD (bolt circle diameter) and you can usually find it stamped on the chainring. Common sizes include 130mm, 110mm, 94mm, etc.

Ideally, you'd want a chainring designed for single speed use. Rings designed for multi chainring drivetrains have pins, ramps and cut away teeth to help the chain smoothly move from one ring to another. Since the chain isn't moving, you don't need them.

You will also need single speed chainring bolts which are shorter than double ring bolts.

You may or may not need a new bottom bracket. In a perfect world you want the chain to be in a straight line to the middle cog in back. If you mount your single ring in the middle position of a triple ring crankset you'll probably be good to go. If you decide to go with a dedicated single ring crankset you'll likely need a new BB with a shorter spindle length.

Chain needs are more a function of the rear cogs/derailleur than the front. Any chain made for a 7,8 or 9 speed drivetrain will work fine.


Do we have a bike insurance in the US? I ride my bike at least 4 times ( 4 * 10 miles ) a week.

Is there any bike insurance which covers both bike and life?
Is there any bike insurance which also covers rental biking?

Is there any bike insurance which covers both bike and life?

The short answer to this is "yes".

Is there any bike insurance which also covers rental biking?

The short answer to this is "not that I know of".

The longer answers...

In general in the US, casualty (theft/loss), liability (payment to others when you are at fault), life, and health insurance are separate classes of policy. Many auto policies combine casualty and liability (and minimal health) coverage.

Often in the US, theft or damage to your bicycle will be covered under a homeowners or renters policy. Unfortunately you will want to make sure that the coverage is very specific about actual value vs replacement value, deductible, depreciation, incident location, security requirements, etc. A common deductible amount is $250, and in a claim the adjuster would likely assess very rapid depreciation to a bicycle; 25-30% per year or more. So if your moderately priced bicycle is more than a few years old you would collect almost nothing on a claim.

There are at least two companies in the United States that offer bicycle insurance plans that are similar in nature to motor vehicle insurance (Markel and Velosurance). Because companies and plans come and go, you should just use your preferred search engine for terms like "US Bicycle Insurance".

The few specialized policies that are available differ significantly, so you would want to compare them closely. That said, you should be able to purchase policies in the US now that cover:

Liability if you are at fault (you crash your bike into someone or something and cause damage).
Your out of pocket expenses if you are injured in an accident for which a liability cannot be established (like a hit and run).
Damage to your bicycle if you crash and it's your own fault (similar to comprehensive/collision car insurance).

That said, when I have looked into it, bicycle insurance was comparatively expensive. It made far more sense for me to self insure the bicycle against theft/damage by creating a "new bike fund" and just paying myself. My health insurance covers me if I am injured. If you have significant assets, like a nice home and car, and you are worried about being sued for causing damage while bicycling, you could look into a general personal liability (umbrella) policy.

Coverage for theft or damage to a rental bike you are using may be available when you rent the bike. In addition, many credit card issuers in the US have "purchase protection plans", but you would have to check with your card issuer regarding coverage. Liability coverage for damage or loss that you cause to others or other property would fall under an umbrella liability policy as above.


Are black bikes really stolen more than other colors? Is there any evidence that thieves prefer one color of bike than others?

I'm not asking for opinion but for a citable reference.

Finding statistics is extremely difficult, but one set of data was located from the Chicago Stolen Bike Registry http://chicago.stolenbike.org

Their statistics page (http://chicago.stolenbike.org/report-statistics) is now dead/404-ed but if you go to the WaybackMachine, you can get archived data from September 2012.

And tada!

This one is probably a bit less than scientific, but seemed interesting.
Also, unlike all of our other stats, it's based on a free-form text entry,
rather than a select-box type field.
Color
Black   14.23%
blue    7.60%
Red 5.28%
Silver  5.21%
White   4.87%
Green   2.30%
Grey    1.63%
Yellow  1.26%
Light Blue  1.17%
ORANGE  1.15%
Gray    1.09%
purple  0.91%
Gold    0.83%
Black/Silver    0.80%
Brown   0.74%
dark blue   0.74%

However, to make sense of this data we'd also have to know what proportion of colors are the most popular amongst bike sales because if Black bikes make up 25% of the market but only 14% of thefts, then black bikes would be proportionately less likely to be stolen. So some further research is needed.

Screenshots:


6800 FC to R 8000 FC upgrade I would like to replace my 6800 FC 52/36 and 6800 FD with the R8000 FD and FC 52/36. I'd like to utilize my existing 6800 brifters, which operate flawlessly.
Are the cable pull on the brifters (6800 vs 8000) identical such that the 0.4 mm difference in chainring spread between the listed chainsets will be dealt with by way of a new 8000 FD?

Yes, all Shimano 11-speed road cable pull is the same.
The long armed 11-speed FDs like FD-5800, 6800 etc can all be and frequently are replaced with the toggle models, i.e. FD-R8000.


Is there a lock rating system in the US? There are several questions already about what's the best bike lock. I'm just looking for information on lock rating systems. I've found a couple rating systems in countries like UK (Sold Secure) and the Netherlands (ART).

Is there a similar rating system in the US? Do they have a decent website that you can search on?

I've found that Sold Secure has a searchable site, but it does not have all of the US brands and models in its database.

The simple awnser to your question is no.

However their are a few other nations that have well established bike lock reviewer's, including "Thatcham and Sold Secure in the United Kingdom, ART in the Netherlands, SSF in Sweden, and VDS in Germany" (1)

With this in mind I'd suggest considering that individual bike lock brands will likely have their own security rating, which you should take into consideration depending on how much you value your bike.


Why is my Ultegra 6600 much noisier when cross chaining compared to my Deore XT M8000? This has been bugging me for a while. The Ultegra has no visible wear. The chain has no measurable stretch. The Deore is silent even when dirty and not oiled. The Ultegra is much noisier when freshly cleaned and oiled. After a minor crash which resulted in a bent derailleur hanger on the Deore equipped bike, I straightened it without a proper tool (obviously not perfect) and it's still quiet. No crashes with the Ultegra bike. The difference is so big it's not even funny. I know you're not supposed to cross chain but I find front shifting so inconvenient (large paddle throw, slow shifting compared to rear, you know what I mean). I'm looking for the hard facts, what is it that Shimano did that it's improved so much? My guess is 11 speed (more lateral flexibility in the chain) and different derailleur pulley wheels design but I'd like some expert opinions.

I am not sure this is a fair comparison. 6600 ultegra is now three generations old (6700, 6800 and now R8000 come after).

I rode 6600 for many years, rear shifts are still among the fastest out there. But as you noticed cross-chaining was not great.

I moved to 6800 last year. Shifting speed was compatible (I still feel that a well maintained 6600 is faster, but we are splitting hairs), but cross chaining is much better.

When 6600 came out in early 2000s 11-25 was a monster road cassette for climbing. My current road bike has a 12-32 and I would not go back to a smaller cassette unless I was racing cat 1/2 again.

By comparison XT M8000 became available on bikes just a couple years ago so it represents a much newer group set. A lot has changed in intervening years, and Shimano has tweaked their offerings to match market demand/ current trends.


Reverse center pull cantilever brakes (how to set up and issues) Questions

Q1. For rear cantilever brakes, are there any off-the-shelf parts or brake designs that route a rear brake cable from underneath the saddle cable instead of above?

Q2. If not, then can anyone suggest an improvised, but proven setup using existing, readily-available parts?

Q3. What concerns should I have with a reverse-pull cantilever brake setup (e.g. safety, maintenance)?

Background

I have a mixte frame with standard rear cantilever brake bosses on the seat stays, with standard cantilever brakes such as these:

Since the frame is a mixte, the rear brakes are higher than the "top tube" of the mixte, along which runs my rear brake cable.

I've seen that some mixtes use a reverse cable attachment to side-pull caliper brakes so that the cable makes a single arc from the top tube to the brakes.
My goal is to roughly mimic this cable routing, but with cantilever brakes instead.  Here is an example (but mine does not have a rack to work around):

The original build is pictured below (not the actual bike, but same model, etc.) and has the rear brake cable running along the "top tube", curving along the back of the seat tube, and then going over a pulley that is attached to the seat tube clamp bolt.  That pulley acts as a housing stop and so it's a center-pull from the top.  I am looking to improve the rear brake responsiveness, put less stress and wear on the cable, and have fun engineering a more elegant solution.

You can't do this with traditional cantilever brakes, because the straddle wire has to be pulled from above to tension it - attempting to pull it from below would pull into the wheel.

You could pull from the side by using direct pull cantlievers, a.k.a. v-brakes. A Problem Solvers "Travel Agent" could probably be hacked up to work, and a clean implementation could probably be done with one of the no-longer-produced World Class "V-Daptor" adapters, if you could find one.

That said, both of those approaches are probably less elegant than the already-existing pulley method that it sounds like already works on the frame.


Is there a specific cyclocross wheel? If you want some versatility regarding a bike (I have a Fuji sportif) what sort of wheels should I be looking into? I know there is some technicalities regarding road vs cx riding but if the bike can do both what could I use as a global use?

Since no-one has written an answerr for this yet, I will have a go, but be warned I've never done any cyclocross so I'm no expert. So a lot of this is based on gut feel.

The main difference between road and cx are the tyres, in particular their width. Typically on the road you'll ride 23 or 25mm slick tyres, for cyclocross, you're looking more at 35mm or so, with a tread pattern on them.

This can have a knock-on effect with the width of your rim, as a rim will have a range of compatible tyre widths.

So, first thing, decide what tyres you want to run, and choose your rim accordingly.

You'll need to take account of possible clearance issues between frame/brakes/wheel also - it might well be that the frame you have restricts what tyres you can use, so bear this in mind.

Aside from this, on road wheels you frequently find deep rims, which help with aerodynamics (in particularly for things like time trials). I'm guessing that such rims would be no use whatsoever when you're riding cyclocross, in fact I'd go so far as to say that shallow rims would likely be an advantage. (You can also ride on the road with shallow rims, and in fact they offer better stability in crosswinds, so they are a lowest common denominator,m if you like.)

Does a wheel designed for cx need to be stronger than a wheel designed for the road? I'm not sure about this, but I'd certainly have thought that riding through a field would be more stressful on the wheel than riding on a road. In general, at least. So you might want to look at "sturdier" wheels, for example something with lots of spokes and a strong tangential lacing. I'd certainly be wary of wheels with fancy radial patterns.

You can get bladed spokes on high-end road wheels, the thinking being that the blade faces forward and gives you lower wind resistance. Again, when you come to talk about cx, I can't see how you'd get any gain from this approach, and again I'd be tempted to go for strength over performance.

Lastly, I very much doubt that your choice of hub would make any difference between road and cx.


Switching a 11 speed cassette+wheel with a 8 speed freewheel+wheel. Any compatibility issues? I'm trying to get a pair of training wheels to swap out for my race wheels. I dug up a pair of freewheel compatible wheels and I'm trying to buy freewheels now to fit the bike. The bike's drivetrain is 11s (Shimano Ultegra) but it looks like freewheels only go up to 8s. Would these be compatible with my bike? If not is there an easy way to make them work?

No sorry, this is not practical.  Freewheels mostly stopped at 7 speed, and 8 speed was rare because of excess unsupported axle causing bent axles due to leverage.

Your suggested plan would require fitting 8 speed shifters and an 8 speed rear mech.  That's too much faffing about when you want to swap wheels.

Instead, you could find an 11 speed hub with the same spoke count, and buy an 11 speed cassette.  With luck the donor wheel's spokes will suit, and you can reuse the 8 speed wheel's rim in a new wheel.

The front wheel should be a direct swap, other than checking brake pad alignment.


How can I make road-bike rims survive tree roots on trails? It would be nice if there was in my area an extended network of bike paths on regular roads.

Unfortunately the network is in its early phases, and given the speed it's introduced at, it may be another 100 years until it's done.

But I'm not here to preach to the choir.

Since bike lanes are a rarity, I generally use trails, even though they're not well-maintained. Every few minutes, I'll encounter root damage. It's usually visible enough because they're highlighted with an orange marker.

With a mountain bike I don't worry about hitting these obstacles, even when they straddle the path perpendicularly. The tires will take it.

With a road tire on a road bike I'm less sure. What would you / do you do?

If it seems like just a 1cm / 0.5 " protrusion and the tire is properly inflated, just fly over it. The rim will not become an oval after that. Nor will the aluminum rim have a nasty (and irreparable) dent.
Reduce your speed, and go around the tree root. The unpredictable grass would in this case be more rim friendly.
Avoid bike trails that have root damage altogether. Stick to city streets. At least pot holes are easier to go around.

The physics of the problem

I was able to appreciate the suggested solution intuitively, but not rationally. If you're also wondering "but why would rising help?", head on over to Physics SE for the answer. Succinctly, you squeeze (crush) the light/fragile frame between the ground and your body mass (which is substantial compared to the frame).

Simply unweighting the saddle is enough to roll over most tree roots even on skinny tyres. On my 28mm tyres I don't even need to bother doing that very often. You may want to lift the front wheel in severe cases, or on the very lightest (low spoke count) front wheels.


Headset labeling - Does this qualify as EC30? I am currently in a dispute with an eBay vendor about the sizing of a threaded headset I purchased. Before I initiate a refund claim, I would like to make sure I'm in the right.

The headset's manufacturer is XLC and the model is HS-S01. The eBay listing describes its dimensions as "1" EC30/22.2 EC30/26.4". When installing it on my bike frame, the cups went into the headset bore without requiring any press-fitting, and they are so lose that they slide right off when not held in place.

The frame has a headset bore of 30.1mm. According to my research from the Park Tool documentation and other sources, this is compliant with the EC30 SHIS standard, and a headset advertised as EC30 should achieve proper press-fit.

There is actually no mention of a SHIS code on the part label, which simply describes the item's dimensions as 22.2/30.0/26.4. It's unclear if the 30.0mm figure refers to the frame bore diameter, as the manufacturer's website seems to indicate (see the link to XLC above), or the cup diameter. On the part I got, I measured a 30.03mm cup diameter.

My argument is that the vendor's mislabeled the item by adding the EC30 SHIS code, which specifies a bore diameter that is incompatible with the part, regardless of how you interpret the manufacturer's labeling. If anything, this is an EC29 part, which would fit the actual cup size.

Based on the information above, is that argument correct?

30.03mm is a measurement one might expect to get off the OD of a 1" JIS cup (called EC29 in SHIS, from the 29.8mm frame bore). That's consistent with the "22.2/30.0/26.4" on the label.

However, 26.4 is the ID of a typical crown race from a 1" ISO/Campy/Professional headset, aka EC30.

You are in possession of a mixed standards headset. These have always been around because some bikes actually come with a mixed standard on their parts, for reasons I can only speculate on. In SHIS parlance this would be EC29/26. The cup size plus a forward slash followed by the SHIS name for the crown race size is how this is communicated in SHIS.

In pre-SHIS days (SHIS is young in the history of bikes), the "22.2/30.0/26.4" label would be the piece of information that communicates this mixed standards configuration. It is naming the physical sizes of the parts, not the frame fitment. It's kinda implicit that this is the case when you look at it, but for a tricky reason: the way the numbers line up, as you've noticed, "30.0" could be taken as either the OD of a JIS cup or the ID of an ISO headtube. This has always thrown people for a loop. But 26.4 is only the ID of an ISO race, as a JIS race is the very different 27.0, so it should be assumed that the label is stating the dimensions of the parts inside, not the frame/fork dimensions.

Mixed standard headsets are pretty obscure, so this is an understandable mistake on the seller's part.


Perfectly setting up gears - how? Every time I have my bike serviced, the bike shop sets up the gears on a stand in their workshop. The gears change perfectly on the stand, but when the bike is on the road, the rear derailleur doesn't change smoothly, and some gears are jumped.

I've fiddled with this myself, but can't improve over the default setup. Is it possible, or does this mean the Shimano gearsets are worn/the springs worn out on the rear derailleur?

The first rule is make sure the rear derailleur is adjusted correctly before adjusting the front derailleur.

There are three adjustments that you can do on the front derailleur:

Clamp Position
Low limit stop
High limit stop

Clamp Position

Here you can adjust the height of the derailleur, normally this is recommended as a 2mm clearance between the bottom of the outer cage and the teeth of the large chainring.

Picture from bicycletutor.com site

You can also adjust the rotational angle of the derailleur.

Picture from Parktool site

Limit stops

The Limit stops are for adjusting the inward and outward travel of the front derailleur. Limit stops are marked "L" for Low and "H" for High. The L-stop will stop the movement of the derailleur toward the smallest chainring. The H-stop will stop the movement of the derailleur toward the largest chainring.

There is a good guide on the Parktool site that gives a lot of detail on adjusting the front derailleur.


Is it possible to use custom maps on Sigma ROX 12? I wonder if it's possible to somehow upload custom maps to Sigma ROX 12 bike computer? The default map that is available on it for my country is not very good, so I want to customize it.

p.s.
When I say "maps" I mean maps and not routes.

Looking through the specs of the ROX12 it should be possible to store custom map data on a compatible SD card.

The device itself seems to use OSM format, this is Open Street Format that can be downloaded from either
Open Street Map

Or

More Open Street Map Info

According to the manual ROX12 User Manual you should be able to select custom maps from within the device. You will however need a PC of some sort to download the maps and place them on the SD Card, also note the maximum SD Card is 128GB so you want your custom maps being to big.
The advantage of using the first Open Street Map website i linked to is you can pretty much pick any size map, if it gives you an error of maximum export size exceeded you can easily make the map smaller just by dragging your mouse over the page.

Hopefully this helps the OP achieve what they need.


odd noise on new disc brakes After 200 miles on my LaPierre X Control 229 equipped with basic Avid hydraulic disks, I can hear the front wheel disk ventilation slots grinding through the caliper when I brake moderately! (Shimano 160 disk). I did the normal thing of re-aligning the caliper; slacken bolts, apply brakes hard and re-tighten bolts. This made no difference. Should I be changing pads to organic?

Is there any loss of braking power associated with the noise? Does it feel that the brakes aren't working fast enough? Brakes do make a similar sound when water gets on the rotor for no loss of power.

From what you are describing and because you have realigned the caliper I would suggest your pads may have become contaminated or glazed and therefore not engaging properly. Check the pads for chips, hard spots or a glassy appearance (there may be a toe formed at the leading edge of the brake which is ok). Sand the top layer of the brake pad off until it is rough and dull again.

Also check the rotor for any greasiness (make sure your hands are clean and dry). Wipe the rotor with isopropyl alcohol or other non-residue type solvent to remove any decontamination.

Hopefully this will remove any scraping sound and take you back to the turkey gobble and squealing normally associated with Avid Elixirs.


Is there a technique/tool to assist with rear derailleur high, low, and index alignment? Everything I read gives this picture like this:

Yet the reality of this alignment, it can be somewhat difficult.  Is there a better technique or tool to help get the high, low, and index shifting alignment perfect?  Or is visual vertical alignment the only way?

Well, the first thing to check is if the derailleur (usually the hanger) is bent. There is a tool for the case of a bent hanger, namely the Park Tool DAG-2. You should also visually inspect for the derailleur pulleys to be aligned in the right way.

Then, you do the standard derailleur adjustments, which you'll get right after practicing (limit screws, B-screw, indexing).

The whole thing becomes a combination of visual inspection and testing and practice, as DRH remarked in the comments. But most cyclists who are going to do their own maintenance will have to deal with this a bunch of times in their life time anyway, so they'll get used to it. And cyclists who don't do their own maintenance will likely just be fiddling with the indexing adjustment a bit and if something more is necessary (e.g. if they had a crash), they'd head to a shop.


Upgrade old Gary Fisher MTB drive train to 10 speed Las year I purchased a old 1998 or 1999 Gary Fisher Tassajara MTB. It came with 519 Weinmann wheels 26x1.5/559. There is no brand on the rear hub, I believe they are part of those Weinmann wheels.

Will a 10 speed cassette fit? Running 8 speed cassette at the moment.

Yes. The same Hyperglide freehub body spec is used for 8 through 11 speed drivetrains on mountain bikes.


How to be certain a Boardman ADV 8.8 would fit without prior road bike experience? I'm looking to buy my first road bike - an adventure/gravel road bike.

Question: How can I be certain it's okay or not? And should I be looking for a bike that's closer to my estimated frame requirements, and with ideal clearance/reach?

Background information: I went to Halfords today and rode a Boardman ADV 8.8 (size large, 55.5cm) around the store. It's great value for a 10.5kg gravel bike. I'm a 5 ft 11 male with a 34 inch in leg size. So using the livestrong calculator apparently best for me is 57.86 frame size & 76.26 saddle height.

I loved the bike but i wasn't sure whether it was too small - specifically, i'm referring to the efficiency/comfort of my leg rotation/angles on the pedals. It felt like my legs were coming too high up and meeting some resistance from myself. So the staff raised the seat more and it became noticeably easier.

The staff didn't want to keep raising the seat saying the bending down could become uncomfortable. Whilst with 1 1/2 / 2 inches of standing clearance between the bar and the crotch, they worried an XL would be too high and I wouldn't have enough reach.

I'm not sure whether it just feels new and different compared to conventional cheap hybrid bikes i've been used to, or whether there's a problem. It is obviously smaller than my estimated frame requirement, but apparently the XL wouldn't work (reach & clearance).

So the question: How can I be certain it's okay or not? And should I be looking for a bike that's closer to my estimated frame requirements, and with ideal clearance/reach?

Thanks for any advice.

This is why people recommend not going to Halfords. (For the benefit of people outside the UK, Halfords is primarily a car accessory shop, which also sells bikes).

If you go to a proper bike shop, the staff will insist on fitting the bike to your properly, rather than coming up with excuses not to. They'll also let you take the bike on a proper test ride, rather than just riding around the store.


Seatpost clamp arrow and too wide saddle rails I have two questions in one: :)
The first would be what direction does this arrow on the seatpost's top clamp indicate? Is it towards the front or rear of the bike?
Second would be what should I do if my saddle rails are too far apart to fit the clamp?

Thank you. I actually just screwed the clamps in and it seems to work pretty well.
None of them (top and bottom seemed to fit.


How do I know when to change my crank bearings? My crank makes a bang when I pedal hard or up hill and don't know what makes the noise

To check the bearings related to the crankset, specifically, the bottom bracket bearings, one can use a few techniques. As part of my regular drive train maintenance, I check the crankset for excess lateral play by holding a crank arm while the bike is held secure and pull and push the arm several times in the sideways, perpendicular to the length of the bike, direction. I take note of any movement or sounds generated by my efforts. If excess play is noted here, it calls for tightening the crankarm fixing bolts in a system that has the spindle incorporated with the bottom bracket bearings ie: square taper or splined cartridge BB's.  If the play remains after proper torque of the fixing bolts is achieved, this is an indication that the bottom bracket itself is worn and needs replacing as a cartridge BB is not serviceable. Prior to it's removal is check that the left, adjustable cup is properly torqued and that the movement I'm sensing isn't the wiggle of the entire BB. This movement would be more up and down as opposed to lateral when a left cup is loose. Lateral play in cartridge BB's infers significant internal wear of bearings and spindle within the cartridge body.
For a system featuring external BB bearings like Shimano's Hollowtech2 or SRAM GXP, where the crank spindle is attached to the right crankam, when lateral play is detected by trying to force the crankarm in a lateral direction as above, it may be a situation where the bearing preload is too loose and needs to be adjusted properly. Depending on the system, either a left sided crankarm "fixing bolt" is used to load the bearings (ala' Shimano. I use quotations around the bolt because it doesn't "fix" or secure anything, it's a bearing preloader and the actual fixing is done with pinch bolts on the left crankarm that squeeze the splined spindle an hold it in place).  SRAM utilizes wave washers to adjust preload.  So at any rate lateral play of these systems may infer incorrect preload as opposed to excess bearing wear and needs to be addressed first.  Excess play in these systems where the preload is correct and any shims if present are in proper position is evidence of excess wear in the bottom bracket.
Another technique to assess the BB bearings is to spin the crank with chain and it's associated noise and vibration is removed from the equation.  One can simply derail the chain and get it onto the BB shell of the bike. This will allow you to turn the crankarm's while you look, listen and feel for abnormalities like grinding, excess resistance--especially when it's irregular, happens in one spot of the rotation and not the others--or the knocking or similar sound or feel associated with crank arm rotation. If you place your hand on the seat tube or down tube as close to the BB as possible without interfering with the crank rotation, one can feel the grinding or vibrations emanating from the contaminated and compromised bearings of a worn bottom bracket.  Normal findings will be silent, vibration and grinding -free, smooth rotation if the crank. The chain ring(s) should track true without lateral run out. You may be surprised, as I first was, that the spin of the crank isn't as free as, say, a wheel.  Packing with grease and preload on the bearings contribute to the lack of a comparable amount of free spin in a crankset.   Obviously this doesn't apply when there is irregular or excessive resistance to rotation, but I wanted to make note that you won't spin a chain free crankset and watch it go round and round for dozens of rotations before it pendulums to a stop.
With external bottom brackets, it's relatively easy to remove the crankset with it's attached spindle and stick a couple of fingers in the bottom bracket and turn the bearing housing back and forth. Detecting grittiness or rough rotation infers contaminated or worn bearings requiring service or replacement of the bottom bracket as most are not made to service, only replace.


Cyclist vs Van. Who is wrong in this scenario? I often find that some drivers disregard cyclists right of way, and as a result put cyclists in danger.

For example, when a cyclist takes their right of way, some drivers ignore this and assume the cyclist has no right of way and should swerve to avoid them. Its almost as if they are thinking "vehicles over cyclists in every scenario".

See this animation:
https://jsfiddle.net/mdegt3ez/

Explanation:

Point A.

Cyclist obviously looks over right shoulder (assumes driver has seen this).
Does not indicate with right arm, due to keeping both hands on handle bars to turn right safely.

Point B

Driver sees cyclist turning right.
Does not slow down, instead maintains speed/accelerates to around 3ft away from cyclist.

Personally I think the driver should have slowed down as he would for a vehicle turning right. But when we politely exchanged fight worthy words in the middle of the road, he exclaimed "where was your signal to indicate".

Who was right in this particular situation? Did I have right of way, and whose fault would it of been if I got hit?

What can be done by cyclists who are put in danger by careless driving? If you note the number plate, is there a fine for the driver? Do you need video proof?

The cyclist is clearly in the wrong.

A turning vehicle must indicate some distance or time (depending on the jurisdiction) before changing lanes or making a turn. There are no exceptions for bicycles, or keeping hands on the bars.

I think the driver has done well to avoid the danger created by the cyclist.

See also Best ways to avoid getting hit by cars?

And How to get over anger at inconsiderate drivers


Where to get the short wire of the cantilever brake? I was riding my bike and rear brake fell apart. As a result I lost the short wire of the cantilever brake, or at least that what it seems to be called. Where can I buy that short cable please ? Here is the same piece of the front brake:

I know an answer has been selected, but I wanted to post this here for future reference.

First - the common name for that type part is a "straddle cable" or a "link wire" depending on the variations or the manufacturer.

Second - my primary source (after my LBS) for less-common parts, especially parts for older bikes or the bike-shaped objects the neighborhood kids want me to fix is Loose Screws.

Here is their Straddle Cable page.


Headset/fork adaptor from semi-integrated to integrated? I'm building a Frankenstein fixie from a variety of parts lying around and have run into a problem with my forks/steerer. I suspect this is because the frame that the forks were taken from had a semi-integrated system (I think that's the right terminology - when you remove the fork, the ball-bearings are exposed), whereas on the new frame the bearings are enclosed.

Anyway, other than the ridiculous aesthetics and maybe some exposure to grime, there is this looseness to the assembly that causes a clunk on bumpy roads and a bit of wobble during normal riding that I can't get rid of at the risk of over-tightening the whole assembly.

I have read some good resources here (and of course on Sheldon Brown's site) (Frame/fork compatibility), (How do I fix movement in headset), and others.

The reason I'm still posting this question is:
1. Is it even possible to use these two incompatible systems and is there a generally accepted way to to it?
2. If I'm ordering a new headset based on this configuration am I more concerned about the frame specs or the fork specs?

Thanks for your (gentle) answers – I'm a rank amateur with only a handful of builds under my belt!

You've used whatever crown race was installed previously on the fork. It appears to be for a looseball type headset. Crown races from such headsets are matched to the other parts of the headset and, unless designed otherwise like a few manufacturers do within their lineups, have no interchangeability with other headsets, and certainly not with any type of cartridge bearing headset. Cartridge headsets take flat-faced crown races to interface with a cartridge bearing. The kind you have has a curved face to interface with a ball bearing.

In some cases one might be able to find an individually obtainable crown race to match an existing headset. There is high interchangeability between many integrated and internal cartridge headsets and crown races, but it's not a given. Bearing face angle and seal interface are both factors that can come up sometimes.

Look into buying a new crown race for your existing headset, or swap it from the old fork if you've got it. If those avenues are not options, buy a complete new headset. The removal and installation tools for all of this can sometimes be improvised and sometimes not, but there are many questions here about this.


Change light switch on Supernova E3 Pure (Specialized AWOL Evo) I bought a second hand Specialized AWOL Evo a while ago. I have problems with my wrist so I bought it as a last try on dropped bars with the backup plan to change the bars to a flat bar or maybe a really flared dropped bar. Maybe in combination with a Velo Orange Cigne stem.

What I didn't realize was that it's not just to change the bars. The light switch is in the right side of the drop and the USB charger plug is in the top of the stem. All cables runs up and down inside the steerer tube down to the fork.

The previous owner had fiddled with the electricity so the USB plug doesn't work (I got a good discount on that) but I'm not bothered. I'll never use that anyways. He had also moved the rear light (when he removed the rear rack) cutting cables in the rear (that I have restored now since I use a rear rack). I'll rewire the front part as it's really messy rewired as well.

Here is what I would like to do but I'm not sure how. Feel free to tell me if it's just plain stupid :)

Remove the USB plug
Get a new on/of switch - installed almost anywhere but maybe just below the top tube?
What kind of switch should I buy?
Or if that's too hard just buy a new E3-light with the built in switch?

The specifications are:

Supernova E3 PURE 3 front light
Supernova E3 TAIL LIGHT 2
Supernova The plug USB charger
Shimano Dynamo DH-3D32-QR

Are there any other solutions or ideas?

Thanks a million and sorry the long question. I'll update here once I find a good solution for it.

To get a switch in your system is pretty straight forward, get one of this switches.

Make sure that you install it in the negative(common, ground, black cable, etc) lead. It's good practice and for other appliances safer. Make sure to tape everything properly and if you can, get some heatshrink wrap.

Fo the usb "The plug" I assume, just take it off as any spider cap and disconnect the terminals and take it off.


Identify Peugot from France, 1975-1980 I just bought a Peugeot from southern France. I guess it from 1975-1980. Can anyone help me identify it? Are there any scans from the original catalog available online?

It seems to be a mid-1970s Peugeot UO8 (@mark in the comments note it may be a same-period AO8) to my eyes, essentially the male version of the 1975 mixte UO18 that I own. All of the components are identical to what I have including the MAFAC brakes and the decals.  A google image search confirms:

A good reference website for the UO8/AO8:

http://www.mytenspeeds.com/My_TenSpeeds_1/Feature_Bicycles/Feature_Bicycles_France/Peugeot_UO8%20_BlueDump/PEUGEOT_UO8_DUMP_1_Start.htm

Note that if that's the original AVA stem, you should immediately replace it. Google "AVA Peugeot Death Stem" if you want to know why (basically, it has a tendency to er... snap ... while riding).


How to repair sticky Ultegra shifter I have Ultegra 3x9 shifters and derailleurs that were installed just a couple months ago.  I purchased them on eBay and although they were new, they had been sitting in inventory for a couple years so not "new" in that sense.  New cabling was used when they were installed.

Today my rear shifter suddenly stopped working for no apparent reason.  When I attempt to shift up to a smaller cog, the entire brake lever moves with the trigger, so they basically cancel each other out.  I inspected the cables and derailleur and everything seems fine.  Shifting still works perfectly if I hold the brake lever so it doesn't move with the trigger, and downshifting to larger cogs works fine also.  This tells me it's probably the shifter itself, not cabling or derailleur.

Googling around I find many posts advising the use of WD-40 to free up a sticky shifter.  The idea is that the grease Shimano uses hardens with age and WD-40 will clean it out.

Two questions:

Is this likely the problem?
If so, how do I re-lubricate the shifter after the WD-40?  To do it properly would require at least partially disassembling the shifter, which from what I've read and having seen the schematics, is something I really don't want to do.

Well, I tried soaking it with WD40 and then re-lubing it with spray lithium grease.  No improvement whatsoever.  So I took it to the LBS, which declared it DOA.  They say they've seen this before with Shimano shifters.  Some internal part gets even slightly bent and the shifter fails completely.  And they're not really serviceable, so that means replace it.

This was a one-month old high-end shifter.  It was never damaged or misused.  Next bike will sport SRAM or Campy components.  They use half as many parts, work just as well, and can be field serviced.

So thanks for the answers.

UPDATE: Contrary to what I'd been told about eBay purchases, Shimano honored the warranty and replaced the shifter.  I spoke to a customer service rep about it first because I was told I needed an RMA to return it, but that's not true either.  Simply fill out the warranty form available on their web site and ship the item to them with the completed form.


Anxious about riding in traffic after 20 year absence from cycling I have got back to cycling after 20 years and whilst I can ride easily where there is no traffic, I am struggling with the following:

I am anxious and struggle to maintain balance in traffic when vehicles are coming from behind even though I am in the bike lane.
I feel like I will fall over when turning.

Is this something which is natural and with practice it will be fine? I have ridden almost 200kms but the fear is still there.

[Merida Scultura 400D : 50cm]

Good to hear that you are back on a bike!

From what you are saying about struggling to maintain balance, I suspect that you are riding slowly, and pedaling slowly. The part about feeling like you'll fall over when turning is consistent with that too.

Maintaining control when riding slowly is actually one of the hardest skills to master. So I recommend going somewhere with no traffic and practicing the things you're having difficulty with. Try riding in a figure 8, in as small space as you can, like two car parking spaces end to end, and then in one parking space, without crossing the lines. Aim to do the figure 8 ten times. You'll find you need to pedal and brake at the same time to get the figure 8 really small.

The next skill to learn is to look back without wobbling. Even if you get a mirror for your bike, this is still worth practicing. There are many times when you just have to turn your head and look. So again, where there is no traffic, try riding along a line and turn your head to look back. It's extremely hard to not wobble at all, but try to get the wobble down to, say, 15cm (6 in). You'll find it easier to do if you ride faster, and in a lower gear, so that you are pedaling much faster.

And the next skill leads from that: learn to pedal much faster. Try to pedal as fast as you can count. You're aiming for at least 60 pedal strokes (with each leg) per minute. If this sounds fast, then I should point out that this is the slowest you should pedal. Eventually you should be pedaling at 80 or 90 rpm, or even faster. By pedaling quickly, you will put much less effort into each pedal stroke, and this will reduce the amount of wobble.

The last skill I recommend is to be able to make confident hand signals without wobbling, so that you can do it, and to tell the drivers around you what you intend to do. Practice in the same way as looking back.

When you feel confident to go back to traffic, remember to look ahead and plan your path, so that you can ride in smooth, straight lines. This helps you maintain speed, helps the drivers predict where you will go next, and avoids wobbling at low speed if you have to carefully go around some obstacle, such as a pothole or parked car.

Remember that the drivers are not actually trying to run you over. They are just not bike riders and have no idea how much room you need. You have to take 100% responsibility, because they don't know what they're doing.

So, improve those skills, so that you can ride more confidently when you return to the traffic. Regularly practice new skills. I wrote a list here.

Enjoy!


Disc brakes are squeaking I bought a new bike that has mechanical disc brakes. They were squeaking really hard. I tried aligning the caliper. Now the squeaking noise is gone form the front brake, but not from the back brake. I noticed that the brake in the back has less space between the disc and the brake pads, but that shouldn't be a problem. The brake pads are new and so are the discs, and I cleaned everything. What should I do?

Ugh! Bicycle disc brakes are not without their weaknesses.  The frequent attention and adjustment they require due to noise or pad rub is particularly irksome to me, closely followed by the system's ridiculous intolerance to pad contamination (really?  That sort of flaw considering the environment they're to be used in?), the recommended "fix" being pad replacement.
Park Tool's mechanical disc brake tutorial is one of the best discussions regarding mechanical disc brake set-up, alignment and trouble shooting I've seen.  The best advice I can give you is to watch the video and/or go thru the text.
A couple pointers: 1)often times when there is noise or rubbing that won't go away after resetting the caliper alignment, if you  re-do  the alignment loosening only one of the caliper fixing bolts, it helps to quiet the problem. 2) a disc brake rotor needs to be trued more often than people realize.   Brake noise that's refractory to resetting the caliper almost always has rotor issues at it's heart. 3) the value and importance of bedding in new pads and rotors is often understated. Learn how to do it correctly.  AND DO IT! 4)don't use the brake lever's barrel adjuster to tweak the pad distance in a mech. disc system.. These are only for countering cable stretch. 5) be mindful of the contamination issue and keep oils, greases and your fingers away from the pads and rotors. Keep rubbing alcohol on hand and use it to clean pads and rotors often. Use a clean rag for this.


Do Shimano Nexus hubs lose efficiency as they get older? I ride a 5 year old commuter bike with a Shimano Nexus 8 internal hub gear, that's done about 20,000km.

I'm not sure if I'm imagining it, but it seems like my bike has lost a considerable amount of mechanical efficiency recently. I now seem to be the slowest bike on the road; everybody passes me and I never overtake anyone, despite keeping the types pumped and the chain lubed. I don't ride any other bike, so it's hard to benchmark, but it feels like the hub slips a little inside as it operates, compared to the feel of a derailleur.

Engagement and changes is still 100% reliable in all 8 gears however.

Is this a known problem with ageing hub gears? Has anyone had this kind of experience before?

In the 5 years have you had the hub rebuilt / repacked with grease? The maintenance schedule for the Nexus 8 speed is every 5000 km or 2 years, which ever comes first (I believe).  If you have not had any maintenance in your 5 years this is likely the culprit for decreased performance.

20,000 km should be no problem for a properly maintained hub; however, if you have gone without maintenance there is a chance you have started damaging the internals though intrusion of dirt and water. I would hesitate to speculate what may be going wrong (perhaps the roller clutch), but there are quite a few parts that all require proper lubrication.

Either way, I would take it to a certified Shimano dealer to have a look over.  They can tell you if the hub is still viable hub, and if so, what maintenance needs to be done.

If you are interested to learn more about the internal workings of your nexus hub, may I suggest starting here.


Is the Shimano UN55 bottom bracket in 68x122.5 and 68x127.5 sizes JIS square taper? On one online sales site there's a drop-down widget showing various sizes of the Shimano UN55.  "JIS spindle" appears as a bullet-point next to someone of the size choices but not all of them, hence my question:

Is the Shimano UN55 bottom bracket in 68x122.5 and 68x127.5 sizes JIS square taper?

A technical document on the Shimano website didn't resolve my doubts since it doesn't address the spindle standard, and it doesn't mention the 122.5 and 127.5 lengths anywhere, and it shows this BB as available with either English or Italian threads, so who knows if the spindle shape changes too?

Many online vendors include generic pictures with their BB listings and often have incomplete descriptions, so that the inexperienced customer (like me) is often in doubt.  For example, I just bought a BB online that had 1.37 stamped on the body in the accompanying picture which turned out not to be 1.37 at all. It had 36mm OD cup thread, not 35mm (1.37).

It is JIS.

Shimano doesn't have separate Italian taper cranks, and it does not make sense to them to make BBs that do not fit their other products. Italian taper has been practically obsoleted since Campagnolo switched to two piece cranksets in the 2000s. If you manage to find one now from a competent vendor, it will be clearly marked as one.

Regarding your experience buying online, it does not sound like the vendor did know what they were doing.


Do I need better "springs" on my disc brakes? After 20 years commuting on old/cheap bikes, I finally evolved up to a nice solid touring rig with cable disc brakes (Avid BB5).  I love the bike and the brakes.  They're much easier to maintain, replace, and adjust than my old rim brakes were (as a result, they are more effective more often).

However, recently I have been getting a periodic pad-on-disc noise that I have had difficulty getting rid of.  After the pads have been used a while and are say 1/2 worn, they seem to "stick" so that some part of a pad is touching the disc.  This is especially true after a session of braking hard (usually at the bottom of a hill).  Sometimes I can knock them loose by braking again or tapping the brake levers hard, other times, even that doesn't work.  Today, I actually dismounted and tried to work the pads apart by hand because the noise was really bugging me and I was worried that the disc would overheat.

Are those little springs that go between the pads the problem?  Can I make them stronger somehow?

I've tried taking the springs out and bending them out before reinserting them, but no joy there either (at least not yet).

The problem may be in in your cables. If the cables are dragging inside the housing the pads may not fully release. You can isolate the problem by disconnecting the cable from the brake. Then manually cycle the arm on the caliper. If it doesn't drag or stick after you release it, the problem is the cable. You can try lubing the cables it may help. It may also be time for new cables.Are you adjusting for pad wear with the cable adjuster or with the adjust screw on the caliper. If you are using the cable adjuster you may be pulling the caliper arm to the point of binding.


Pedal decision factors I’ve been thinking of getting new pedals as mine are worse for wear.  What are the best factors to consider when choosing pedals?

I’m on an electric cargo bike and ride fairly fast and aggressively.

I’m not interested in pedals with clips..

My personal preference goes out to MTB Flat-pedals because they offer good grip and a large platform for the foot (which is more comfortable for the foot in my experience). Make sure to get them with metal (replaceable if possible) pins if possible, some cheaper models have plastic 'pins' which are part of the pedal's plastic body (so they are non replaceable) and they wear really fast compared to their metal counterparts.

This is what they look like (mtb flat pedals):

When getting metal pins it is best to get the pins which have the screw head (the head used to unscrew the pins from the pedal) on the bottom side of the pins (the side of the pins facing the middle of the pedal) such that the head does not get damaged when scraping the pins against concrete and such, if the head is on the 'wrong' side this is not such a big issue though since the pins can still be removed with pliers in almost all cases. If you want cheap replacement pins you could consider getting some threaded rod in the correct size and cutting it to length/using it as pedal pins but it's probably not worth the effort since the pins are not that expensive to begin with.

I would definitely recommend aluminium body pedals over plastic pedals, the plastic variant tends to break (around the axle in general since it's the weakest there) when you strike the pedal against something (a curb, bollard etc.). Similar to photo below. This is quite an extreme case usually a crack forms along where the axle is located and you can use the pedal for some time after but eventually it will fall off and you'll have only the axle left.

There are versions of flat pedals which only have a bearing on one side but I would strongly recommend getting the 'regular' version which has a bearing on both sides since it will last longer and is stronger and also cheaper in most cases.

Make sure the pedal is 'servicable' as in you can remove the pedal body/bearings from the axle to lubricate/service/replace the bearings. Some cheaper models cannot be disassembled and need to be replaced entirely when the bearings are at the end of their life.

My personal preference goes out to cartridge style bearings since they require no maintenance, are relatively cheap and easy to replace. But cage/ball bearings are not so bad either, if you have a relatively common ball size (sounds weird :P ) the replacements should be easy to find and cheap.


Will tires with spikes on a loaded heavy touring bicycle puncture the tubes? I am thinking of buying Schwalbe "Marathon Winter Plus" or "Winter" tires with spikes. I intend to use them on a touring bike which when loaded will have:

about 25kg (55 pounds) of luggage (2x5kg on the back rack and 2x5kg on the front, 3kg on the handle bar and 2kg for odds and ends).
Myself 77kg (170 pounds)
The bike itself, a Surly Troll around 18 kg (39 pounds)

I normally inflate both tires to 3bar (43 PSI).

Questions

Will this load cause the spikes to puncture the tubes?
What is the likelihood of the spikes puncturing the tubes?

The current generation of pre-manufactured winter tires you'd get from brands like Schwalbe do not use 'screw-in' style studs that have a point on the inside surface.  They have a pocket and flange design:

I don't know of a source for actual data on this other than personal anecdote, so I can offer that.

I have never had the stud on a commercially made/retail bought winter tire come through the casing and damage a tube, and I've never heard any of my colleagues complain about it.  But I have never used particularly cheap ones/off-brand, and most people around here have Marathons because that's what the stores here stock.

Certainly with a Marathon PLUS your studs are already outside what is supposed to be an industry leading protective layer, so I don't know what else you could do if it were a concern.

On the other side most of the so-called 'old timers' at the bike co-op will still recommend splitting and fitting an old tube on the inside of a winter tire if asked.  This bit of wisdom seems to be corroborated by Chris H's answer where some people have reported inconsistent quality with Schwalbes.  (Perhaps it is worth the extra $ for the 'Plus' model!)


what is difference between remote lockout and hydraulic lockout? hey does anybody know if a hydraulic lockout can be used with a remote?

like if a bicycle has an option of remote lockout.

does that mean the remote has been added to mechanical or hydraulic lockout?

its confusing as the remote lockout itself is not a type of lockout but just a remote added to an existing lockout technology like hydraulic or mechanical. but which one of the two is it is what i wanna know

Remote as a general term means "controlling from a distance".

From that perspective it can work with either hydraulic or mechanical lockout. It is a separate entity to the lockout and is just a way of controlling it from, say the handlebars.


Bottom bracket bearings grinding only when installed into frame I recently purchased a new carbon frame direct from a Chinese manufacturer (link to the particular frame here).  The frame has BB86 bottom bracket. I am using the SRAM Press Fit GXP BB86 Bottom Bracket. Outside of the frame, the bearings seem to run smoothly when I move them around with my finger. However, once I press the cups into the frame, there is a significant grinding/drag present in the bearings. Here is a video that hopefully explains better what's going on.

I contacted the manufacturer of the frame, and they suggested that either the bottom bracket is broken, or has been pressed in "too hard". I'm relatively sure nothing is broken with the bottom bracket itself, since I purchased it brand new. I have also removed and reinstalled the bottom bracket several times with varying levels of force, with similar results. I am using the installation washers included with the Park Tool BBT-90.3 and a long threaded rod with two nuts on either end to install the bottom bracket.  Any idea what's going on?

Bearings are never as buttery once they've been installed, they all feel rougher after they're put under pressure. I put GXP BB90's in my carbon 29er frame and it was the same, though not too bad. It looks like you've installed them properly, it may just be that the frame could be a bit on the tighter side. Riding the bike will loosen things up a bit though, take it for a ride then check the bearings again to see if there's any difference. Unfortunately there's really nothing else you can do about it except hope that it smooths out a little from breaking it in. Those bearings are a closed system, you can't adjust them. The only other solution is to try a different bottom bracket.


How do you lock up your bike trailer? Many of us pull bike trailers - whether one-wheeled or two-wheeled -- cargo or kids.

What is the best way to lock up trailers - especially when you're commuting? Most trailers come with a quick-release attachment to the bike, which means they're also easy to steal.

I have a Burley pet/cargo trailer and when I take it to the store, I use a long (~ 3 meter) cable with a loop on the ends. I loop the one end around itself on one wheel, loop it around the hitch bar, thread it through the spokes of the  other wheel, loop it around the hitch bar again, then lock it through my bike's U-lock.

It's not super secure since the wheels have quick releases (as does the hitch bar), so it wouldn't take long enough to pop them off and untangle the cable from the hitch bar, but it's a mild deterrent against a quick "smash and grab" theft.

Plus they'd have to leave the wheels behind, which would make the trailer pretty useless, especially if the thief is going to try to sell it so he's probably not going to want to have to buy replacement wheels.

On the downside, it's just a 10mm cable, so wouldn't take much work for a thief to cut through it.

I wouldn't want to leave it parked all day like this, but for a shopping trip with bike rack in a high-traffic location near the front of the store, it's worked out fine.