Can my bike support a kickstand? I recently purchased a 2015 Salsa Vaya 3 and am mostly using it for commuting. I can't seem to find any reliable source of information that explicitly says if I can or cannot support a kickstand.  Does anybody know if this is possible?

There are at least four different places you can mount a kickstand.

From left to right:

Orange arrow: Rear axle kickstand. These come in one-sided and two-sided varieties. The one sided are not that stable and since your bike has what looks like a child carrier, I wouldn't recommended it. Axle mount kickstands are very popular on children's bicycles:

The two sided are very heavy but are very stable. These are very cheap but don't fit on many derailleur bikes as they foul the  rear derailleur. They are popular with IGH cargo bikes and so-called "mom bikes" (in Japan) as they will not tip over under load:

Lime-green arrow: Chainstay mount are inexpensive but not that stable - although better than rear-axle. They look much like the rear-axle mounts. The most important thing to match is the diameter of your chainstay (the horizontal bar that my limegreen arrow is pointing to) and the clamp of the mount. However, in your case you have a rear disc brake and you need to make sure your chainstay mount won't interfere with the brake cable (the brake cable should be able to pass over your kickstand mount bracket without problem, but a particularly thick mounting bracket might interfer). Better chainstay kickstands also mount to the seat stay as that provides more leverage against the kickstand torquing or rotating on just the chainstay or bending the chainstay under weight. Note this design also allows a passthru for the rear disc brake cable. However, there are more fit issues if you have nonstandard chainstays or seatstays or rear triangle design, which can lead to complications if you have rear suspension for example.

Red-arrow: Chainstay-bottom bracket bridge mount: This is the traditional kickstand mounting place for many bikes -- and many bikes have a welded bracket for a kickstand here (the photo here is taken of the bottom of the bike):

Without a bracket, you have to be sure that there's enough space behind your bottom bracket (where your pedals attach) and the tire for the kickstand. Most if not all kickstands will come with bridge mounting plates/clamps and you do need to observe the mounting bolt torque limits as too little torque will cause the kickstand to slip while too much can crush the chainstays. And you should avoid the clamps if you have a carbon frame bike (your Vaya isn't carbon fiber so you have nothing to worry about).

There are both singlesided and double-sided  bridge mount kickstand varieties. As usual, the double-sided kickstands are more stable than singlesided:

Blue arrow: Trekking bikes or bikes carrying trailers will occasionally use top-tube stands. These are not very useful for commuting. While trekking, many people will just use sticks or their hiking poles.

Fine print: One thing to note about almost all kickstands is that they will clank around if you hop curbs or take jumps. Bridge and chainstay kickstands can also get in the way of your pedal or feet if you don't check clearances, as well as hit curbs and other obstacles if you're not careful. My bridgemount double folding kickstand almost hits my disk brake rotor on my folding ebike and will limit my ability to move to a larger rotor.  Larger double sided axle mount stands can affect your cornering ability. Your mileage may vary, buy from a store that'll let you return it if it doesn't fit.

to;dr: The best option for your particular bike varies on what your needs are. If you're carrying kids on a rear seat, you may want a double-sided axle mount or bridge mount. If you're commuting, you may want the simplicity of a single-sided bridge or chainstay mount kickstand.


Recommendation for trainer tire 28 x 1 5/8 x 1 3/8 I started with a 700x32c Continental Hometrainer tire.  It seemed to work out OK at first, but in the last few times I've had to switch between my commuter/road tire and the trainer tire, it seems to have become more and more difficult to get the tire even around the rim.  Tonight, I was putting it on, and I have pretty much given up.  There is about a 6-8 inch section that is definitely not seating the bead to the rim, no matter how much I carefully work the whole tire around the rim as I inflate it.  I've checked the inner tube, and it is not twisted or anything.  It seems that the tire is simply small for the size of the rim for which I've gotten 28 x 1 5/8 x 1 3/8 commuter tires.

I'm looking for a recommended trainer tire to get as a replacement.  I've searched via Google and Amazon, and there don't appear to be any direct 28 inch sized tires for trainers.  Any suggestions?

Regards,
Bruce

The rim you have is a 700c (ISO 622) rim. You can use any 700c trainer tire on it (the tires will be labeled as ETRTO __-622 or 700x__ possibly with a "c" somewhere). The tire you commute on is a 700x35/37c tire and the trainer tire you have selected is one correctly sized trainer tire for this wheel.

It's probably best to refer to the wheel as a 700c wheel, since that will be the terminology most people will be familiar with. Tire sizing is a mess due to different standards, so I suggest you refer to the wheel and tires you need in the forms above. Most people are not familiar with the inches+fractions system of tire sizing (which is not interchangeable with inches+decimals), and it can lead to confusion. The French system (700c) or ISO/ETRTO systems (ISO/ETRTO 622) specifications are much more common (with the tire sizes specified above).

We don't do product recommendation here, but if you're regularly switching between trainer tires and road tires, you should consider getting a second wheel set which you can mount tires just for training (well, if you're using a trainer, just a rear wheel). This is a decent strategy if you do tire swaps regularly. The wheel doesn't have to be expensive, just compatible with your drive train.

Also, see our various questions on difficult to mount tires, such as this one. Some tire and rim combos are difficult.


One vs. Two wheeled bike trailers I am considering making or buying a bike trailer.

It seems to me that the most important desision I need to make is whether to have a one wheeled bike trailer like the Bob or a two wheeled bike trailer.  It seems to me that both have their advantages.  Does anyone have any reason why one is preferable to the other?

One wheeled bike trailer (Bob trailer):

Two wheeled bike trailer:

One-wheeled trailers are more agile and don't increase the width of your bike.  They lean with the bike. If you're going to go really narrow places, you need one-wheel.

Two-wheeled trailers can generally carry more weight and are less prone to making the bike fall over when you stop.

So, what are you going to do with the trailer?  Going up and down mountains with narrow trails: get a one-wheeled trailer. Carrying 50kg of equipment from the hardware store home using streets and wide paths: get a two-wheeled trailer.


Different turning behavior after changing tires I recently replaced the both tyres on my tourism bycicle, going from a semi slick pair to a threaded pair, but keeping the same size, 700 x 28c.

The semi slick I had were these

while the new I have are these

Since then I have noticed a different behavior when I bend to turn.

While with the old tyres I had to "push in the curve" to keep the bike into the turn, with the new tyres I have to "pull out the curve" to keep the turn. In other words, with the old tyres the turning bike had the tendency to go back straight, while with the new tyres it has the tendency to close the turn.

Is this normal and will fade with some wear of the tyres, or do different tyres affect the bike dynamics?

You should read up on bicycle handling dynamic to understand how various elements influence how your bike behaves during cornering. You did not provide the actual sizes of each tyre, nor the pressure you use in them. My guesses to explain why your cornering has changed so much would be:

Your new tyres have a significantly bigger outer radius, hence affecting the trail of you bike.
Your new tyres run at lower pressure and are therefor flexing more when leaning in corners.
Your threaded tyre offer increased grip on the edges, while your slick have a reasonably constant grip regardless of leaning angle.


Shimano 105 5800 front derailleur installation I am currently installing a front derailleur as part of a new bike build.

It attaches to the frame via a braze on mount. I can't get it to shift onto the big ring. It shifts onto the big ring only when I'm on the smallest cog in the rear cassette.

Appreciate any help!

It could be possible that the cogs and chainset are too far out of line. You might need a different bottom bracket. I had similar problems converting a ladies Raleigh Richmond to 21 speed. A new bb solved it


Is the plastic piece between the seven gear sprocket and the spokes hard to replace, and how? I was given a 21 gear mountain bike as payment for some work I did for a neighbor which had been in his backyard for about a year. Though it cleaned up very well there is one part I would love to replace: On the back rim, there's a plastic piece separating the seven gear sprocket and the spokes. It's pretty beat up.

Is it hard to replace, and can you tell me how? I'm no bike mechanic, but have gotten my hands dirty.

This is called the spoke guard and prevents the chain from getting tangled in the spokes if the rear derailleur is improperly adjusted.

Properly adjust your rear derailleur and you will have no need for the spoke guard and can throw it away.


Getting a Brompton on and off a plane without going broke After the damage done to my Brompton by StarPeru, and from the information in my previous question, I now have a Chubby.  It protects the bike better than the B-bag, and my carry-on goes in it between flights.

But the previously onerous task of finding the right flight price has become much worse, because I have to search each airline's website, and try to understand the convoluted baggage fee rules (if I can even find them) to get the real cost.

Traveling Overseas with Bikes has some good information, but it cites a page that seems to contradict some of that information.  It also seems to only be pertinent to Europe (I'm headed to Taiwan and Korea) and also to having a car to get the packaged bike to the airport.  (I get to the airport on the bike, usually.  Dumped the car seven years ago.)

Looking at those two references and others, I get some messages that I should NOT tell them it's a bike and some saying that telling them is protection (which it certainly wasn't in Peru).

Any actual experience here taking something like the Chubby on a plane?  Especially interested in other than Europe.

Saving a hundred whatevers on the ticket is no good if I spend two hundred on the bike.  Saving two hundred on the bike is no good if I spend five hundred for repairs.¹

¹Last trip, an iPad was stolen, and only then did I find that the insurance had a three hundred dollar limit.

You get what you pay for - you cannot travel heavy (A bike is traveling heavy) and cheap. Traditionally US has the highest baggage allowances in the world, international travel outside the US (cattle class), a baggage allowance of one 20kg bag is common. Excess baggage is often calculated at 1% of a first class airfare per kg or something similar. Most airlines have concessions for sports gear.

This is the main reason why there are still Travel agents. They should know this stuff and have access to much better travel planning tools than you do. Their business model today is stepping in when google (an patience ) fails.

Second part is shop (and you get what you pay for) better travel insurance, and read the policy before you need to claim. You seem overly concerned about getting your bike damaged or lost, to the point its stopping you in your tracks and you are not enjoying the travel experience (planning being a part of that).


Protection against saddlebag straps How can I protect my bike against abrasion and scratches from bikepacking saddlebag straps?
It is mostly for a full frame bag, like the Apidura one.

There are several things that I can imagine to achieve what you want.

Use frame bags that have "grippy" straps, such as those with silicone strips or similar. This should suffice unless you ride in very aggressive conditions. But in that case, your bike would become scratched all over the place enough to not worry about just the effects of the bag.
For simpler velcro straps, you might put a protective layer between the frame and the bag. There are clear coat frame protection sets, both generic and bespoke for specific frames.
You can be inventive and create your own sort of protection. Wrapping a short section of inner tube, or applying a run of duct tape would work. Or you can apply liquid silicone to add grip to the back sides of existing velcro straps.
Certain frame bags are actually bolted to the frame at the connection points, instead of using a band to wrap the tubing. These are mostly custom bags for specific frames.


Multi hour ride nutrition Ok. We're talking about when you'll be on the bike for 5+ hours. For example, a Century or 200K.

What is the best nutrition for a ride of this type?

So, I'll be on the bike for 5+ hours, with few or no stops. (pee stops and water refill and otherwise nothing else)

Should I go with the food provided along the way (a supported century), or junk food, or should I prepare my own deal?

FWIW - 30mi/50k ride does not count. That's a training ride in 2 hours or less.

  Update... Here's what it came down to. We used Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem. Basically, Perpetuem is a bunch of maltodextrin + some protein + some fats. We made up 8 hour water bottles which was basically like slurping down pancake batter. The Century ride had 7 stops along the way. Not counting water refill and pee stops; we only made a real stop for lunch at the 6th stop. The 8th stop was the end, but we continued on for another 30 miles to meet up with our ride back home.

I must add that the Perpetuem mixture started out well, but was extremely revolting by the end of the ride. However, it did the job. Since the May supported century, I've done several 80 - 100+ mile rides. Perpetuem works well as fuel, but I did add some tastier, solid foods to my jersey pocket for a change of pace.

Informally, I find that on long rides, your body will simply know what it needs. You pull off at a stop; the trail mix and pickles look delicious, so you eat them.

More scientifically though, your body can process about two servings (e.g., bottles of gatorade, gel packs, etc.) of carbohydrate per hour. Any more than this, and you can experience gastrointestinal distress (politely put) as the excess carbohydrates back up in your gut. For this reason, I prefer to drink water on long rides, and use food or gel packs to replenish salt and sugar. This way I can decouple hydration from my carbohydrate intake — if I'm parched, I'm not stuck with the choice of getting dehydrated versus consuming too many carbs.

But first and foremost, listen to what your body tells you it wants. Drink plenty of water and try to spread out your consumption of food and drink evenly. Lots of small snacks will be easier on your digestive system and keep your energy level even, as opposed to a few large binges.


How can I increase my speed on my hybrid bike? I have a Specialized hybrid bike, and when I'm out biking with friends who are on road bikes, I'm always lagging behind.  Besides just plain getting better at biking, which of the following would make the biggest difference in increasing my speed?

Switch to clipless pedals.  Right now I'm just on platform pedals with sneakers.
Switch to thinner tires.  Right now I have 700x28c.
Switch to a dropbar...  I think this is more of a comfort thing though.
Switch to a road bike! Obviously I'm wondering how close I can come without switching out the bike frame :-)

Thanks!

It really depends on how you're lagging.  If it's because of feeling tired keeping up with them then reducing friction might be an option.  I'd suggest that the most likely reason for lagging behind is that there is a fundamental speed difference though.  See whether you're having to pedal faster than them to keep up.

Your top speed is governed by your cogs.  Take a look the number of teeth on the front and back.  If you have a 13 tooth smallest cog on the back you could get that cassette replaced with one that starts at 11 teeth.  Up front you're probably running a 46 tooth chainset whereas your road bike friends are probably running 50 teeth.  Again, you can replace that if you fancy it.  Just be careful if you do make it faster that you don't lose the low end you want for getting up hills.  You should be able to get quite a decent range with the right set of cogs.

Reduced drag from narrower tires may reduce the friction allowing you to accelerate more easily and maintain speed better but won't affect your top speed appreciably.

Clipless pedals may allow you to improve your efficiency with pedalling.  I would only look at these when I was happy with a bike though, rather than as a solution to a problem like that.

Update:  Based on zenbike's comment I'd say the switching to a road bike warrants more consideration.  Assuming it is the gears he's right that a hybrid may well be difficult to alter to run the gear ratio you want to keep up with your friends.  When thinking of getting a new bike take a look at how similar it is to the ones your friends ride.  Simply getting a cheap heavy one if they have light racers may well leave you with a similar problem.

If 2 bikes have the same gear ratio but one is heavier it will be able to go as fast, but it'll be more effort to get it up to speed, and a little more effort to cruise at the same speed.  It's less of a problem than not having the right ratio, but you'll probably find your self lagging a little at first.


Reference Request: Best practices for urban commuting I'm thinking about commuting by bicycle for the first time. What are some resources (e.g. books, websites) I should take a look at for tips and best practices to follow.
I'm looking for further reading that contains the type of advice given in this question:

What do you wish someone had told you before your first commute?

Oldie but goodie: Effective Cycling by John Forester.


How to use this third hand tool I have looked all over youtube and the web and cannot find any explanation of how to use this tool:

From https://www.amazon.com/Third-Hand-Brake-Adjuster-Yellow/dp/B0787T5KWD
Can anybody explain how to use it?

They hold rim brake pads against the rim. When and whether this is useful has to do with both individual style and the brakes at hand, which is also to say the predominant ones in whatever locale or historical era you're in.
Some mechanics view this tool or ones like it as one of the core fundamental bike service tools. Usually that person's default style of setting up a rim brake will go something like this:

Set up the pad position before the cables are run or anchored.
Clamp the pads against the rim with a third hand.
Set the barrel adjusters a distance away commesurate with the target amount of lever travel when finished, minus some accomodation for the cable "stretching."
Run the cable and anchor it pulling it tight with pliers to take out slack.
Release the third hand tool.
Dial the barrel adjuster in all the way.

You can also use a spacer like a credit card or a coin to do the barrel adjuster part. It's two ways of doing the same thing. My bias is the barrel adjuster because it gives more granular control.
It's a fine way, and note that the third hand tool has sophisticated, expensive versions (VAR), simple commercial ones as pictured, and then all the way down to improvised ones made of scrap. That is a big part of its popularity in many times and places. Fourth hand tools can do a lot of the same things but are a little fancier and more complex by nature.
The late 70s bike boom saw a very large number of bikes produced with centerpull brakes that used fixed-length straddle cables and relatively strong return springs. My understanding is third hand tools were popular then because they're useful in keeping the setup process straightforward, where it can be clumsy otherwise. For example, one can clamp the pads, set the barrel adjuster, pull the cable tight as it passes through the yoke with a fourth hand or pliers, and then anchor the cable.
Another application for them is to help get more precise control over the angles during cantilever brake setup. One of the fundamental areas of concern with canti geometry is the angle created by the point of pad contact with the rim and the cable anchor on the arm as one line and the arm anchor and the straddle cable's point of contact with the yoke as the other. To establish this angle how you want it, you either need a way of holding the pad against the rim or simply visualizing or otherwise "knowing" it. Experienced mechanics tend to get good at the latter approach, but third hand tools can help do it the former way, which is also fine. Using the tool this way you would establish your brake pad position without any cables attached, then apply the third hand, then anchor the yoke on the main brake cable at the point that gets the geometry you want, then dial out the barrel adjuster as above, and finally pull the straddle cable tight with a fourth hand or pliers as you anchor it to the brake arm, then dial in the barrel adjuster. In particular, 90s Shimano and similar low profile cantis can be set up with good results this way by using a 90 degree angle and setting the post extension such that the flat part of the arm is parallel with the rim sidewall. The third hand isn't explicitly needed but it can help give more control for someone that hasn't learned all the shortcuts yet.


How to replace brake lever from integrated shifter? I had recently upgraded from grip shifter to thumb shifter. I have attached the new ST EF50 shifter for my Btwin RR 340vtt. Just today I broke the brake lever from the shifter. I don't want to replace the whole set. I just want to replace the brake lever. is it possible? I have some brake lever which may fit with that. Is that really possible? the brake lever cannot be welded as its an alloy. Do I have any options.

I don't know the answer to ST-EF50 in particular, but usually the lever blade (the part that broke here) is indeed able to be mechanically removed and reinstalled, given the willingness to go that deep with disassembly. However, Shimano doesn't sell replacement lever blades for many or any brake levers anymore, and definitely not the more entry level ones such as this. If you were able to replace it, it would tend to need to be an exact matching part; there's nothing like standardization for this. So that suggests that if you are able to replace it, it's going to be by way of a blade scavenged from another of the same unit. The good news is that ST-EF50 is one of if not the most populous flatbar such part from the last decade or so, so a lot of shops that keep broken shifters and derailers for cannibalization may have one in a bucket somewhere.


SRAM eTAP cassette compatibility I'm having trouble understanding SRAM road component compatibility "map" as they call it, specifically the cassette and rear derailleur part.

For example, the PG-1130 cassette has no black box marker for the 11-28 size. What exactly does that mean? How can specific casette sizes be incompatible with ANY derailleur size (neither medium nor short)?

In my specific case, I'm upgrading to eTap and since I have a spare new PG-1130 11-28 cassette with PC-1130 chain, I was going to use that, but now after checking the chart it does not make any sense to me. Anyone could explain this?

My interpretation: dots indicate availability. Bars under the cassette sizes indicate compatibility with medium and short cage derailleurs.

I assume in previous years SRAM made a 11-28 PG 1130 cassette.


How do I prevent disk brakes from squeaking in the rain? When I got my new bike with disk brakes, I thought that they would perform much better in the rain.  While this is true, they still squeak quite loud in wet conditions, which is quite annoying.  Is there a certain type of disk brake or brake pads which perform better in the rain and aren't so loud?

The only way that I've found to get them to stop squeaking is to burn the water off.  Big steep hill and stop at the bottom.

As for performance, I don't notice any difference in the feel of my BB7's in the wet vs. the dry after a couple seconds of use.  Even in rain puddles up to the bottom bracket.


Mudguard bracket clearance I am trying to fit Bluemels mudguards for the front wheel. I am a bit unhappy about tire to mudguard clearance, but I can't move the mudguard more away from the tire because the bracket is touching against the ring that is attached to the end of the tube where the fork comes out (feel free to replace this description with the appropriate name :D). Would it be safe to just put some sort of spacer on the bracket screw so that I can pull up the mudguard further? I can't unfortunately replace the bracket because it is preinstalled on the mudguard.

Easiest approach is simply to bend the top in a vice to get it to clear the head set:


Fasted training - is it worth it? Is it different when the focus is endurance? One thing I notice riding with an endurance-focussed club is that I need more, and more frequent, feeding than many of the more experienced riders. As I start to think about longer days (e.g. 400km) and consecutive days with a few hundred km each, I've started to wonder if fasted training will help. This would seem like a good time of year to start as I'm unlikely to do more than a few 200s before the weather improves, then I'll want to seize the chance to get the longer stuff in.

I'm not trying to lose weight, but to be able to make better/earlier use of my fat reserves.

Recent cycling literature seems to be in favour of fasted training in the context of performance, but says little about endurance. There's general agreement that this is a fairly low intensity training ride but will take some recovery.

The consensus appears to be that a 45-90 minute fasted session once a week is beneficial, and that's something I could build in to an extended commute. But does this hold true when the focus is on endurance rather than weight loss? Or do I need longer fasted rides? There are suggestions of a small calorie intake after about 45-60 minutes, or a little protein intake earlier in the ride. Does this change if the goal is endurance?

I'll preface this answer by saying i don't have any formal qualifications or education to answer this, but it is an area I'm particularly interested in, and have spent a lot of time reading about (and trying out in practice).

With the above out of the way, the short answer to your question is yes.

In fact, the primary reason to be undertaking this type of training is for endurance/performance reasons rather than weight loss.

Your body is perfectly able to burn both carbs (either stored glycogen, or from recent intake), or fat.  Burning carbs is easier, therefore, as you increase the intensity of exercise the proportion of carbs that are burnt is higher.
Fasted training is about teaching the body that carbs aren't needed, and that fat should be its preferred fuel source at low intensity.  By burning fat for energy, we are preserving our stored glycogen (and therefore energy levels) for longer.
By starting off in a low glycogen state, and not providing any more carbs, we accelerate this learning process, and very much replicates the latter portion of a long ride when our glycogen stores are getting depleted.

I experimented with this type of training (and continue to use it) with great success during 2017 as an attempt to improve my endurance before undertaking the NC500 route in Scotland.

You need to be disciplined to get the most out it, and stick to HR/PZ2/3.  It can be very dull, especially if you aren't used to it, and requires some advance planning to avoid prolonged steep climbs.  For your example of commuting to work, this would mean no traffic light sprints etc.

For me, after trial and error, I found this was more convenient to achieve by 'low fuelling' rather than dedicated fasted rides.  I would do my two interval sessions each week fully fuelled to get best quality.  I would do shorter endurance rides (up to 2hrs) on only water.  And for longer endurance rides I would ride the first hour on water alone, and then take half my usual carb intake for the remainder of the ride.

The process is very much like bringing yourself to the edge of a bonk in a slow controlled manner, without ever actually bonking.  For this reason, i'd always recommend taking a couple of emergency gels on these rides just in case.
It is often fairly unpleasant, with slightly increased breathing rate and a tired/lethargic feeling, but if things are going well, you should still feel you are applying the correct power to the pedals.


Options for servicing Speedplay Zero pedals I have used Speedplay pedals for ages and I think I am on my third set of pedals. I have the new aero walkable cleats and at the weekend I replaced my old knackered cleats with a new set.

Now that I am on the new set of cleats my left leg (the one I un-click at lights) is popping out of the pedal. It also doesn't feel right and is not a very solid click feeling when I click in and out.
When pedalling it occasionally feels like it half pops out. My foot then feels like it is at an angle. After this happens I can fairly easily just pull my foot off the pedal without twisting.

On my old cleats I had similar issues but I assumed it was because the cleats were knackered.

I have only had these pedals since January last year so I've only done about 6000 miles on them. I have not had to replace the bearings or anything in there. This is 6,000 miles of commuting through London so many stops at lights.

I am going to buy a new set of pedals but I Was wondering if I have any options for fixing my existing set as a spare. I have looked but can't seem to find any replacement pedal bodies for Zero pedals.

Is there anywhere I can post the pedals to that will service them?
I am in the UK.

There are various rebuild kits available on the web, the site Excel Sports has various options, from replacing just the bowties if the main pedal is sound, or the entire pedal surface.

I have custom length spindles to accommodate foot splay, so I have used both a couple times to avoid the big outlay on replacement.


Replacement vintage Raleigh chain I'm refurbishing a 1988 Raleight winner with an original worn chain. It has a 5 speed rear freewheel and a 2 cog crank. Advise please on which chain I need and where to purchase.

You need a standard 3/16" wide 5 speed chain.  They're relatively uncommon now-days, so you may end up with a 6-7-8 speed chain which should be adequate.

Downside is fitting a new chain to a worn cassette/freewheel will probably run even worse.  Do consider fitting a new freehub too.

Lastly, check the front chainrings for wear.  If the teeth are worn-looking then consider a hat-trick and replace all three.

At this point you might be looking at more cost than the bike is worth, at least as far as new parts go.  You'll have to make a call if its financially worth doing.


what is the correct chain size for my bike I broke my chain and I am trying to find a new one to buy. I have tried looking though had no luck.

I have a 2014 giant boulder with 3 at the front and 8 at the back. So all I need is a size.

You need an 8 speed chain that is 3/32" wide.  This is a "normal" bicycle chain.  Often sold as a 6/7/8 speed.  This chain will be somewhere between 112 and 118 links long.

You also need the old chain to figure out how many links it had.  Lay them out side by side, and notice the old chain will appear to have longer links due to wear.  Figure out which pin on the new chain lines up with the **same-number* of links on the old chain.  Then use a chain breaker tool to mostly-remove a pin and take off the excess links.

You might prefer to use a quicklink to rejoin the chain, or refit the pin that is mostly-out.

Do not bother getting a 9, 10 or 11 speed chain.  Its a waste of money for an 8 speed bike cassette.

However depending on the wear of your cassette, it may be worth replacing that too.  Old chains and old cassette wear together, and just replacing the chain may give you chainskip.  If that happens, time for a new 8 speed cassette.


Could I have deformed the wheel of my new bike by being too heavy? I bought a new hybrid bike (Saracen urban X2) and after two days, the rim of rear wheels got trouble. The shape of the wheel slightly changed from circle to earth like shape. A very little but I can see the bump. I ride with the bike only on road not that bad condition. (Some part of the road is not very smooth but cannot say rough road). Now my question is how this can happen? Is my weight (220 pounds) too heavy for riding this bike? I am not an expert about bicycles. Please help.

220 pounds (100kg) is not that heavy.

At £459 or about US$600 retail, the Saracen is also not an inexpensive bike. It should be more than able to handle your weight unless you're doing very aggressive biking (such as hopping on and off curbs or doing wild jumps without the proper technique). Riding on rough roads is well within the design parameters of this "hybrid" bike.

If your wheels are deforming**, it is likely either a manufacturing defect in the rim or your spokes were not properly adjusted/checked by the dealer. As @Orb notes, you should have also gotten a request from the dealer to come in after the first week to tighten things up as part of the new bike service. I would immediately go back and demand that it be fixed or replaced. I would myself insist on new wheels and insist that the spoke tension and hubs be properly checked before they are reinstalled.

** Note that I'm assuming your wheel (the metal bits) are deforming. Your description is vague. If your tire (the rubber bits) is bulging, then that could be caused by a local weakness in the tire wall. In either case, take it back to the shop to get it replaced.

The UK has good retail trade laws so you should be well within your rights to demand resolution.

ps. I do hope you bought it from a local bike shop rather than online. It's much harder to yell at people online, I've found.


What's the difference in threaded and threadless headset and stem What's the difference in threadless and threaded headsets and stems? Why change it? is it because it's easier for maintenance?

There's a page on here explaining the basics, Terminology index - a list of bike part names and cycling concepts

There are some advantages for maintenance, it is simpler and faster to adjust the bearing preload with the central bolt through the top cap, rather than using the lockrings on a threaded headset. Threadless also requires only hex keys to adjust, as opposed to specific lockring spanners.

The overall system of threadless headset and clamp on stem is probably lighter and stiffer, but I'm guessing... if true it's a big reason! i.e. lighter weight and better steering.

The larger stem with threadless headset allows material for the modern handlebar clamp with four bolts, enabling you to remove the whole handlebar assembly easily. It is able to achieve this without significant weight penalty. With a lot of quill stem designs, the clamp forces you to remove brake levers etc from the bar to remove the bar from the stem by sliding it through. There are two bolt clamp designs for quill stems but arguably 4 bolt clamps are a superior design.

With threaded, the quill stems have a tendency to get rusted in place, worsened by aluminium vs steel combinations, so rust or galvanic corrosion can prevent removal of the stem, thus adjustment or bearing servicing becomes impossible if a threaded headset is neglected for too long. This is less likely to be a problem with a threadless headset.

Also for threaded steerers, the steerer must be cut to fit the frame head tube and the headset stack height quite accurately. Replacement headsets must match this stack height quite closely to be compatible. Whilst this is an unusual occurrence, more significantly the fork/steerer tube cannot be re-used in a taller head tube on a different bike. Both these issues are more easily managed for a threadless system.

Hope that helps, no doubt there's more reasons than this!


Why choose a traditional frame over an aerodynamically streamlined frame? I'm not talking specifically about triathlon frames, just frames which have aerodynamically shaped tubes. As I understand it, both types of frame are legal for road-racing under UCI rules.

So, why would one choose a traditional frame with round or "squoval" tubes over an aero frame? For example, why would one choose to ride a Cervélo R5 with (more) traditionally shaped tubes over a Cervélo S5 which would seem to be more aerodynamically sound?

Does it boil down to personal preference, or are there specific conditions in which one out-performs the other?

Aero frames are generally slightly heavier than the standard frame you'd compare it to, though the difference might not even be enough for the average person to notice. Someone who regularly competes in time trials might want the increased speed on relatively flat ground, competitors will certainly notice the difference.

If you're not competing in time trials or triathlons and you don't have an extra couple thousand dollars burning a hole in your pocket, you would probably choose the standard, more compatible, traditional, and lighter frame that is going to perform perfectly well on your average terrain. If you frequently ride on hilly terrain, the added cost and weight of the aero frame isn't likely to be worth the trade off.


ask about size and how to solve it i just bought and build a BLB classic frameset. size 53 and im using 700x28c wheelset. but after that, my toe clip touching the front wheelset especially when i want to turn right or left. please help me to solve this prob.

You have one of two things happening:

Your fork is on backwards
Your frame has toe overlap.

A backwards fork should be easy to resolve.

Toe overlap is common on many frames at low speeds. If thats what it is, you'll just have to get used to it. It's not really a big deal. See this Touching the front wheel with my foot when turning for more info.


Ultegra 6800 front hub plastic cover loose The plastic cover on the right side of my Ultegra 6800 front hub (red circle in the photo) is loose and rotates freely independent of the hub.

Is it normal ? If not how can I clamp it back?

The plastic cover is there to protect the wheel bearings.
It prevents dust from entering in.
So it's totally fine if it's loose.


Why are so many ramps on dropbars tilted downwards? When looking at drop handlebars, it's noticable that most ramps are tilted downwards. I find that rather uncomfortable for my hands as they slide down into the hoods of the brake levers and get squeezed into that v-shaped valley where the ramps meet the hoods.
While I much more prefer almost horizontal ramps, I'm sure there must be some reasoning behind this.

This is a function not just of the shape of the bars and brifters, but of how the bars are clamped into the stem, and how the brifters are clamped onto the bars, as well as various other factors to do with fit and grip.  There's a lot that can be adjusted without changing the bars.
Modern bars seem to have a tighter upper bend than many older bars, and often have a straight(ish) section in the drops.  The tighter upper bend makes for a more obvious flat region of the ramps, and setting this horizontally (by loosening the stem bolts and rotating the bars) is a good starting point which will minimise the region in which your hands can slip downwards - of course they could still slip forwards.  I've seen it angled significantly up or down.  Very slightly up might help though it wouldn't suit me.  Of course this changes the effective stack, at least when you're on the hoods.
My combination of Sora brifters on 2017 Genesis stock bars has no downward bit between ramp and brifter that I can measure wherever I put a spirit level. In fact because of the shape of the hoods, to get a flat top the ramps are tilted very slightly down. On these bars the upper bend is more than 90°and quite sharp.  For reference the clip-on aero bars are angled up about 6°

By clamping the brifters high on the drops you can further reduce the dip before the hoods, but you need to be careful here or the brake levers may become hard to reach from the drops.  You may have a reach adjustment to counteract this.
The specific issue with your hand sliding forwards/downwards may be improved by a number of things.  Perhaps your bartape is slippery, at least in combination with whatever gloves (if any) you use.  Suede-effect gloves are better than bare skin in the wet, so long as they fit well.  I've got my bars double-wrapped above the hoods with quite firm tape, almost rubbery on the surface, over the top of softer foam tape.  This may help but it may not.
How you grip the bars makes a difference too.  I have big flat hands so may have more options than you but here are some ideas:

When riding on the hoods I generally have 1-3 fingers behind the hook (top row). I can still cover the brakes with 2 fingers, though to have my ring finger in front of the hook (top right) requires the brakes to be well-adjusted. It's easy to move into a 3--4-finger braking position (bottom left) without even letting go of the brakes.  This is good for steep wet descents, maximum braking if the pads are getting worn, or just avoiding tired hands/forearms after hours of riding; this is a tourer and often laden.  What I rarely do is the bottom right.  It's quite a secure position, except that gripping too tight tends to squeeze my hands forwards especially in the wet.  I do often hold the bars this way when riding one-handed, e.g. eating with the other hand.


What can cause vibration and noise from the chain? I just replaced my front cogs and back sprockets with new ones (I didn't use a torque tool or replace the chain). I also replaced the sealed bearing bottom bracket on my pedals. The old bearings were 115 mm long and the new one is 117,5 mm long.

Now I feel some sort of vibration, and there is a noise like the gear wants to change, but the rear derailleur is set correctly with one click per gear. What can cause vibration and noise from the chain?

If you changed the crank length then the front derailer likely needs to be adjusted, and the rear may need a few tweaks.  Also, when you change the rear cluster there can be a difference of a mm or two between old cluster and new, requiring adjustment of the rear derailer.

Have you readjusted both derailers "by the book"?

(Whether or not you used a torque wrench would have little bearing on this issue, though you need to be sure to check that your crank bolts are tight every 200km or so for the next 1000km.)


Vintage 1979 Peugeot roadbike rear derailleur change Hello guys, The rear derailleur (6 speed) on my bike (picture attached) shattered all of a sudden while biking uphill after a few months of problems with the chain not fitting immediately on the cassette when I shift gears.

The derailleur's mark is Simplex (made in France). Could you please guide me as to whether I should replace it with a Simplex or can I go with Shimano or something else? what are the characteristics I should be looking for when buying the new derailleur.

Thank you for getting back to me and for taking into account that I am a first-time bike owner (no experience in parts and repairs)

Cheers!

Nagi

If you have friction shifters, they don't really care what kind of rear derailleur you put on them -- just that they can pull enough cable to move the rear derailleur from the highest gear to the lowest gear.

If you're not concerned with having a matching vintage set, I'd suggest pop  picking up something like a Shimano Altus or Acera rear derailleur.

But you may want to have the bike checked out by a bike shop -- when a rear derailleur goes, it may bend the mount on the frame (easily straightened with a tool bike shops have) and if it hits the spokes of the rear wheel, it may de-tension or damage some of them (this can be a bit more annoying).


Keeping the bottom of your legs warm in very-cold-weather biking I come from a country with a warmer climate,but am now living in the Netherlands. It's not that bad really, but in winter, it sometimes gets to -5°c / -6°c - and occasionally with strong head wind when I cycle to work. I'm also very sensitive to the cold, and can catch a cold very easily, so I need to cover up. I'm wearing street clothes, rather than cycling-specific gear.

Now, I'm doing that well enough - for the most part: Gloves, balaclava, winter coat with a head piece, wind-and-rain overpants (is that a word?), gloves and well-insulated shoes. So, I mostly stay nice and warm.

There's one problematic spot though: Where my shoe ends and my pant-like clothing begins:

None of it is long enough to "grip" the shoe, nor do I think I want it to be.
It's a shoe, not a boot (and I dislike boots); so not long enough to tuck the pants inside the boot/shoe.
If I wore two pairs of socks, one on top of the other, I would have a hard time fitting my foot into my shoe.

What do you do, or what would you suggest, to keep that tricky area warmer?

I would suggest shoe covers, which look like a boot and cover the ankle.

Or wear mid-calf or knee length socks and roll the upper part down for double or triple coverage on the ankles.

Or, mini ankle warmers :-).

Pics of my Pearl Izumi MTB overboots. The sole is exposed so walking is possible. (Not a product recommendation, just what I happen to own.)


How to alter a sports cycle to avoid wheel bend I have a Hero Hawk Nu-Age, which I bought it two years back. In India, this cycle was mostly used for sports. As this cycle has very thin wheels 27 * 1-1/4, I could not ride this on bumpy roads for long time. Whenever I drive on a bumpy road, the wheels bend and had to be corrected. So now I decided to get the cycle replaced with Shimano tyres and get the drop-down racing style handlebar replaced with straight handlebar. Can anyone please suggest or guide me on this.

If your rims are bending under normal loads there are a couple of things you should check and maintain:

Tire Pressure: Running at the higher range of pressure for your tires will help you avoid bending the rims when you hit holes or other obstacles.
Wider Tires: If your brake clearance supports it, you can run slightly wider tires. This will give you a smoother ride at the higher pressures you are running in (1).
True the Wheel, Tension the Spokes: Have the wheels professionally trued and the spoke tension equalized. When the wheel is out of true and the spoke tension has marked differences, you are far more likely to break spokes and bend the rims.

You should not have to switch to a different size rim, and doing so may not work with your brakes anyway. Riders for decades used 27" rims and if maintained well, do so with few problems. Note however, that if your current rims are in bad shape, they may not be able to be trued, and in that case, new wheels of the same size are recommended.

If you are riding on bumpy roads a lot, learn to true and tension the wheel yourself to save money. Constantly riding cobbles or bad roads may require you to true the wheels every few days or weeks.


Replaceable cartridges for rim brakes I have a set of Shimano CX70 canti brakes the pads of which are replacable by changing the pad only (cartridges).

I see in no document for any specification of a cartridge that fits. Are brake cartridges universal?

The world of brake pad inserts is sort of a crazy world. Since there is lots of info, I'll be broader than what is required for the Shimano CX70s you have... Generally, the Shimano-style system (side grooves and one set screw dimple) is the most popular. Avid also has its own system for cantilever and linear pull brakes (a ridge with two clips). Campy has their own design as do a few other manufacturers, but this will be the starting point in your journey towards madness.

To complicate matters, there are hundreds of colored compounds specific to alloy rims and to carbon rims. There are grooves, channels, wedges, and fins. There are paired rims and pads that will stop your heart if you're not careful. Lots of marketing shtick that will get you nowhere for some extra cash.

Cartridge pads for linear pull brakes vary in length from 73 mm to 70 mm, and so on. Shimano is super common and it is easy enough to compare images of the pad to determine what will be compatible. Below are some Avid-type pads.
Caliper-style pads are generally ~55 mm long. There are lots of different designs and materials which can make it difficult to find the right ones.
Cantilever brakes are a toss up. Some manufacturers use longer pads and holders, others use shorter ones. Your Shimano CX70 brakes take pads that are 55mm long - standard road-Shimano-type pads.

As a rule you should measure your old pads and measure the new pads and write that info down so you don't have to go searching again in the future. Compare the actual pads (or pictures) to be sure of the mounting system. When you do buy pads, buy two sets so that you aren't stuck on unsafe pads when your current set wears out. You can always upgrade the pad holders as well, but if you're unsure about replacing those holders head to a qualified mechanic. Brakes are one component you need to be totally sure about.

If you're riding a vintage bike, take a look at Kool Stop's website, they manufacture a lot of hard-to-find replacements.


Is there a permanent (non-emergency) patch/boot for a tire, NOT for a tube? I have a discontinued tire with a tiny hole in the sidewall. I’d rather keep/use the tire if possible. I’m very familiar with emergency tire boots, but those are for emergencies. I’ve left them on slightly larger holes, and found they wear through, not necessarily just from abrasion of the road, but just from constant flex inherent with a tire. I’m looking for a more permanent patch for the inside of my tire, and NOT the tube. I searched and could not find anything.

The hole is in the fabric of the tire, and causes a slight bulge with an outside radius no larger than that of a pencil.

Is there such a product in existence?

It is not clear from your answer if "tiny hole" means your tubeless sealant has a problem sealing it or that your inner tube is bulging through.

If the hole is really tiny, you can patch it with a tube patch. There are also dedicated tubeless tyre patches that are the same, but bigger and thicker. If the hole is really "tiny", they should work. If not, they could bulge through as well.

If the hole is bigger it can be sewn together. That can be then covered with a patch from the inside and with a polyurethane glue from the outside.

Only you can assess how dangerous that particular hole is and non-emergency such a repair can be. The higher pressures you use the worse it could be. Thin road tyres with 100 PSI and thick MTB tyres with 20 PSI are something completely different.


Chain stuck between cassette and spokes and damaged rear hub - any way to fix it? My rear derailleur didn't have limit screws properly adjusted so when I shifted to the biggest chainring the chain jumped in between the cassette and spokes.

I managed to get it out but then noticed that the hub wasn't coasting anymore - when I push the bike the pedals are also spinning (just like fixie).

I removed the cassette to check what's wrong and saw that the hub was damaged and now it's rubbing against that moving part where I mount the cassette (don't know how it's called). Is there a way to remove that moving part and smoothen damaged side of the hub? Or I need the new wheel?

Here's the pic of the damage so it's a bit more clear what I'm talking about:

EDIT: As Argenti Apparatus advised I brought the wheel to the bike shop. They assessed it and fixed it - filed the side of the hub so freehub can spin again and replaced 7 spokes.
My wheel wasn't super expensive (Shimano RX31 I think) but repair price was still much cheaper than buying the new wheel.
Also thanks to everyone for your input and teaching me about the freehub!

That's a bit of a mess. Looks like the chain dinged up the hub, freehub body (that the cassette mounts on) and the spokes.

The freehub body is removable, and you could possibly use a fine file to remove any metal burrs that are keeping the freehub from rotating.

What is far more worrying is the state of the spokes. All the drive side spokes are gouged and at least one is bent. I'd have a bike repair shop look at it to assess the extent of the damage. Best case you can replace a few spokes, worst case all the drive side spokes need replacing, or if the hub is not salvageable you are looking at a new wheel.

Have the bike repair shop adjust your derailleur while you are there.


What size are the nuts holding the front wheel? I am trying to install a front wheel on a bike - the axle of the wheel is threaded, but I'm having trouble finding out what size thread it is, and what nut can go on this. The size of the thread on the axle is the same as an 8 mm screw, but a standard M8 nut (with 13 mm hex) does not fit on it. Do bikes have some special kind of nut there?

If I look at the thread, and at a standard M8 screw, the thread on the bike axle is a bit more dense then on the screw, but I am not aware of existence of two kinds of M8 nuts, so far every M8 nut I've seen fits every M8 screw.

Park Tool list a number of common sizes.

  3/8 inch x 24 tpi Some solid axle bikes, including coaster brake
  3/8 inch x 26 tpi Solid rear axle
  10mm x 1mm    Most quick release rear axles
  10mm x 26 tpi Rear axle, quick release, Campganolo®

Note that the difference between 24 and 26 tpi is small and can be subtle, meaning that if you're using a spanner to do the nut up you can wreck the nut without really noticing that anything is wrong. The symptom is often that the nut strips before ever becoming tight. To avoid this put the nut on by hand until it is right over the axle. If it still spins freely it is the right thread pitch.

Less commonly you will find 12mm or 14mm axles, often on load bikes and Asian or African bikes, and some mountain bikes. But those are fairly obvious. Some older front axles were 9mm or even 8mm, and they bend easily. It's sometimes possible to replace a 9mm axle with a 10mm one, depending on the bearing cups you have available.


Is there a way I can record the rides I do on a Tacx Flow T1682 turbo? I recently bought a T1682 turbo trainer second hand - the one with the orange and grey head unit, like in this video. It can display speed, distance and power, which is what drew me to it.
I'm curious to know if there is a way I can record the rides I do, using either Garmin Connect or Strava. I've done a lot of googling and I can't find a straight answer. The head unit has a data cable input which perhaps I could plug into a computer and use the Tacx desktop app, but I don't know the cable (it looks like a small ethernet lead). My Garmin Edge 520 also cannot see anything when I search for "Indoor Trainers" or "All Sensors" - Garmin's website (here) leads me to believe it should work through bluetooth or ANT+.
Any advice on recording rides on this trainer would be much appreciated.

Garmin's website (here) leads me to believe it should work through bluetooth or ANT+.

Garmin are referring to fully smart trainers, unfortunately the trainer you have is only semi smart.
Although your trainer will be able to send speed and power to apps like Zwift it is limited so power will not be that accurate, IIRC Zwift have non smart (or wheel on trainers) set at a limit of 3 to give a rough power guide.
Garmin 520 units will also only connect directly with a fully smart trainer.
Unfortunately you wont be able to directly link your trainer with your Garmin 520 but you do have some options.
Use a 3rd party app like Zwift, Rouvy, RGT, BKOOL (others do exist but these are the most popular) - You may find BKOOL the better option if you have saved routes you wanted to ride, you can upload them and ride them through the BKOOL app.
Any of the above apps have the ability to send recorded activities straight to Strava after you have finished the ride, if you have your Garmin Connect account linked to Strava you should see the finished ride available in both Strava and Garmin.
All the above is based on the fact you have access to a PC or Laptop, BKOOL and Zwift can be used with a smartphone or tablet.


Need help identifying bmx bike I recently got a ton of bmx parts and 2 frames for free from someone on nextdoor. He left the parts at the end of driveway, so I couldn't ask any questions. I'm curious about this race frame he gave me. I put this mostly together from parts in the box. The decals have been removed, and there was only an Answer sticker on the bottom of the frame. I'm hoping the gusset on the headtube may help someone identify it for me

![enter image description here]
(https://i.stack.imgur.com/7Dvfq.jpg)

Generally speaking you can tell if a bike is good quality by the attention they paid to finishing it.
So, for example, and expensive bike has the welds ground off and sanded, so that the joins between the tubes look smooth. This also reduces the chance of rust getting in.
The chrome plating will also be higher quality and very shiny (and easy to polish as a result). If the chrome is tarnished and peeling, it's a sign of less attention being paid in the factory.
To me it just looks like a mass produced bike. Perhaps not bottom rung quality, but not the best either.
The weight test is another simple way to tell. Cheaper bikes can also double as boat anchors :)


White bike components I would like to simplify the colors on my bike using white on components above the top-tube (saddle, seatpost, stem, cyclocross brake lever, LED lights, grips).  I am having a hard time finding a white cyclocross brake lever.  I have found them in black and silver and several colors in anodized alum.

Anyone know where I can find white cyclocross brake levers?
White LED light?
White seatpost?

Thanks!

Searching on Google, I found plenty white LED lights such as this one.  The problem might be that color is not a good criteria for selecting bike lights. The most important factors being reliability, light output, and battery life.  You should first choose a light that meets those criteria before worrying about color. Most of the high end stuff I see is either black or silver. Perhaps silver could be a good compromise.

As far as seat posts go. Just go a Google Image Search for white seat post and you'll find many different models from high quality manufacturers. For brake levers, are you asking about drop bar levers or interrupter levers? You can get replacement brake hoods in white, but I don't think I've seen any drop bar or interrupter levers that are white. Here again, you may want to use silver as a compromise.

The other option being get unpainted aluminium and paint it yourself.  I'm not sure how good of a result this would get.


Trek 3700 XC Hardtail - looking to convert to temp road bike Bike Description

Front suspension, knobby tires

Frame: Aluminum w/semi-integrated head tube, bi-oval down tube w/integrated gusset, rack & fender mounts, disc compatible dropouts, replaceable derailleur hanger

Front Suspension: Front suspension SR Suntour XCT w/coil spring and preload, 80mm travel
Wheels: Formula alloy FM21 front hub, FM31 rear hub; Bontrager 550 36-hole rims w/brushed sidewalls

Shifters: Shimano EF51, 7 speed? Something like that.

Brakeset: Tektro linear pull brakes w/Shimano EF51 levers

19" frame- I believe.

My son is in his first triathlon end of May. He is 12, 5'2 and 31" inseam. So we gather he needs a Med bike 19"+(50cm) but going through growth spurts... We would love to get him a new/used road bike, however it is a big expense, and he just grew two inches this month (and summer is coming with more spurts on the way). I don't want to invest in a bike that will be too small for him in June, so finding a way to make this work.

So, we are looking at the temporary. We all have mountain bikes, and was recommended to us, that we switch out the suspension with light weight, rigid forks, and also switch out our wheels/tires. It is not a road bike, but will get us through till our son gets to a more interchangeable height.

What size, or type of fork is recommended? Is there a difference in size? We can afford alloy, or aluminum for both wheels and forks, and looking to spend about $200 for the temp. situation. And then tires, what is recommended. Are there additional things that are missing in the componentry that would be needed to pull this together? Not as in brakes or gears, just bear bones. We are not looking to build a bike, just have a go between solution while my son is growing.

Suggestions, appreciated!

Cheers

( Yes I got the inseam right. You should see all of his high waders. He is leggy. Enough that the rest of him will be catching up soon.)

If you want to use a mountain bike on the road, you put on slick tires (this is all I'd recommend doing for bang for your buck).

I wouldn't recommend changing out the wheel sets, since this is pricey and doesn't give you a ton of gains unless you're really at the top.

A rigid fork would be a bit lighter, but you do need to match it to the type of fork you have there (this would be a good thing to consult with your LBS on, given that you need to get the fork cut and what not). I don't think this is strictly necessary (weight isn't that much of a killer, and this is a bit pricey for a bike that the kid is going to outgrow in a few months) - just lock out the fork (if you can) and move on with your life. It isn't ideal, but it wont make or break you.

Most importantly is to probably fit the kid as best as possible to the bike you have.

Also, 31 inch inseam seems high for a 5'2" kid.


How much should I spend on my helmet? I'm finally going to buy a bike next month.  And a helmet.  I'm wondering how much I should budget for buying a helmet.

I'll be riding around New York City, so I want good visibility around me.  And safety is a big concern for me as well.

Testing of helmets shows that there is little difference in impact protection. A better quality helmet, defined in this case as one that fits your head, is well ventilated, and looks good.

A well ventilated helmet prevents you from overheating while riding, especially at high speeds. A helmet that fits stays put on your head during a crash. And one that is comfortable and lightweight is less noticeable while you ride.

From a pure safety standpoint, buy a DOT/ANSI certified helmet, and you'll be fine. If you want to enjoy riding, and not mind wearing the helmet, be willing to spend more. $300 dollars is not out of line for a really high quality helmet, but that doesn't mean you need to spend that.

Find one that fits, ask your LBS to explain the ventilation differences between it and its more expensive cousins, and find one that fits in your budget. Looks good can be important, too, but that's personal and subjective.

  The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute
  submitted samples of six helmet models
  to a leading U.S. test lab: three in
  the $150+ range and three under $20.
  The impact test results were virtually
  identical. There were very few
  differences in performance among the
  helmets. Our conclusion: when you pay
  more for a helmet you may get an
  easier fit, more vents and snazzier
  graphics. But the basic impact
  protection of the cheap helmets we
  tested equaled the expensive ones.

  The results are a testimony to the
  effectiveness of our legally-required
  CPSC helmet standard. Although our
  sample was small, the testing
  indicates that the consumer can shop
  for a bicycle helmet in the US market
  without undue concern about the impact
  performance of the various models on
  sale, whatever the price level. The
  most important advice is to find a
  helmet that fits you well so that it
  will be positioned correctly when you
  hit. We have a page up with details of
  the testing.


Cyclocross Tire Pressure I have never raced before but there is a cycloycross race a mile from my house this weekend.

Course has a fast bumpy downhill.

On my mountain bike with fixed carbon fork and tubeless at 40 PSI the downhill is easy but I timed myself and I am slower by a good margin.  6:10 versus 6:30 on a three lap test course.  Even riding the CX second when I was more tired.

A buddy of mine raced me and we switched bikes and we both agreed the CX was faster but just getting banged around too much.  At the bottom of the downhill on the CX can hardly see.  In a heat of 75 riders on a small course I want to see.

On related question someone posted a link to last year's race.  The hill I was afraid of is on the course but the decent is three long switch backs.  And even then it is late in the course so the field will be spread out.

The CX is clincher and not tubeless - that is not going to change.
I cannot put my mtn wheels on my CX as the mtn is disc and the CX is not.
I put the biggest tire I could on the CX (38 mm) and the lowest posted pressure for the tire of 55 PSI.
Tire still feels hard.
Tire does not even come close to bottoming out.
At 45 PSI the tire starts to soften up.

So finally a direct question.  Is it safe/sane to run a 38 mm at 45 psi when the posted range is 55-90?  I weigh 165.

Yes you can reduce the pressure and it will remain safe (cyclocross isn't a high speed high turning force type of racing).

Your biggest issue will be pinch flats and rim protection.

Weather and ground conditions should drive your pressure choice as well. The muddier the track the more traction you'll need.

I'd look at 30-35 psi to start and try the track on that.


Where is the proper location to measure the tube size? I need to replace a tube in my bike. I know there are many tire sizes. I bought 26', assuming that my bike was that size, and realized when I got home that I didn't even know where to measure from. What is the correct location to measure in order to get the correct size of tubes?

Look at the tire.  It will have the size embossed on the sidewall -- either inches diameter & width (like 26x1.5) or metric sizes (like 700C-32).  Use a tube that says it's for that size.

Tubes generally are made to fit a range of sizes.  Eg, a single tube may fit both 27" and 700C tires, and 1.25-1.5 inches or 32-38 mm wide.


"Inherited" Bike... Lots of questions My mate was massively into his bikes but badly broke his wrist several years ago.   He finally decided to sell on his bike.   Its a Serotta Ottrot S frame, Ultegra gearset, chris king hubs and stem.   The wheels are Mavic Reflex Sup.

While the bike is easy to ride, I have don't like the wheels.   Given that the bike is great for long rides (6hrs+), I'm not looking at aero wheelsets.

My questions:
1.  If I swap the wheels, say within the £500 range, are the hubs going to be as good as Chris King's?
2.  Do I keep the hubs and put them in the new wheels?

Thanks.

A better approach to deciding is to figure out what wheel as a whole you could get for your money, by

Buying factory pre-built (e.g. from Mavic or DT Swiss)
Buying custom built wheels with a choice of components from stores such as www.wheelbuilder.com, or using a local wheelbuilder
Custom built by local wheelbuilder using the Chris King hubs, you get to choose rim and spokes.

With the last option you are not paying for new hubs, but you will have to pay for the wheel to be built up.


How to tell if Hollowtech II bottom bracket cups are aligned? I've heard all over about how important it is that you face a frame before installing a Hollowtech BB, as the cups not being aligned could be the difference between your BB lasting 1k and 10k miles.

Is there is any way of ascertaining how aligned the cups are on an installed unit?

No, there's not a way of measuring it on an assembled bike. (On a bare BB shell, one could hypothesize some ways of measuring the parallelism, but it's not something anyone really does.)

In an extreme example you would find it was impossible to adjust correctly for adjustable preload types such as Shimano, or was tight and didn't turn freely in automatic (wavy washer or elastomer) preload systems.

Usually it's more subtle than that though, with the only real diagnostic method being, "Gee, for some reason this isn't spinning as freely as it should, let's face it to eliminate that factor." Or it's suspected someone is wearing out BBs seemingly prematurely, especially if a fresh one seems to not spin well.

Just pre-emptively facing and chasing the BB is really the way to go. That's the only way to actually know it's right.


Dimensions of Mudguard suitable for Fuji Absolute 1.9D 700mm or26.5 inch tyre I am looking to buy online mudguards for my Fuji Absolute 1.9D hybrid bicycle. The TIRES are    Vera CityWide, 700 x 28c, 30tpi w/ Phalanx flat protection (26.5 Inch diameter)

Please let me know the optimum dimensions of the mudguard that will protect me from dirt but at the same time do not look too bulky on the bike.

Thank you in advance for your help

I'm going to try and answer generically.  You can apply this to your own bike.

A mudguard/fender has one main task, to stop water and muck from transferring from the tyre/tire to the bike and the rider.

ROAD

So, the best-performing mudguards you can buy will be "full" ones, something like this:

Points to note:

guards are pretty close to the outside of the tyre.
front edge of rear guard goes right down to the bottom bracket.  This protects a lot of the bike's transmission
rear edge of rear guard trails behind the whole bike - its a good place for mounting lights and reflectors.  Also protects other cyclists behind you from the taste of road water.
front guard is only a quarter circle, but there's nothing in front of you to protect.
front guard also allows the suspension to work as normal.
neither guard messes with the function and performance of the brakes, whatever is on the bike.
both guards are supported by two additional struts, as well as the brake mount point and the rear's chainstay mount.  More support means less rattling.

Materials - some people prefer plastics, some chromoplastics (plastics that look like metal) and there's also steel and aluminium/aluminum options.  Probably have a hard time finding carbon fibre/fiber ones, but they may exist.

MTB

These ones are primarily for off road or muddy use.  They flap around a bit more, weigh less, and catch a lot more air.  They also tend to snap off in any form of accident, which is not altogether bad but they're also not overly durable.  Almost always made of plastic, these MTB ones don't have a lot of support other than one bolt or clamp.

MTB ones may not provide a lot of protection for the drive chain - this picture has an additional one down low on the rear wheel, but in really serious mud this could clagg up with grass and pog.

Significant plus is that these are a lot cheaper than full guards.

Emergency

This is an Ass-Saver (tm) (etc)   There are many emergency guards, but this one has the cheesy name.
They clip into the saddle rails and jutt out the back.  That's all.

They're short but on a road bike that's okay.  Downside is that they're so far from the wheel that roadspray still flies up and hits me in the back of the thighs anyway.  These also do nothing to protect the bike or the components of brakes or transmission.  For a tenner they're overpriced.

I've also been known to slip a medium flattened cardboard box between my back-side and the saddle.  It worked.  This chap has wedged cardboard in the back seat stays.

If you have a rear carrier, you can put a layer of cardboard or reuse something made of plastic.  This is what I have on my wetbike, and it works well enough, no photo sorry.


Gap in headset dust cover--what am I missing? I replaced my stem with one that has a taller stack height. I learned about proper gaps for the headset preload and had to requisition a thinner spacer to ensure there's ~3mm between the top of the steerer and the stem spacers. (I initially had the top cap too far from the top of the stem and did a 10 mile trail ride like that)
After installing the thinner spacer and torquing everything down, I noticed the dust cover/top cap of the headset bearings has a gap. It's flush on the front of the bike and ~3mm uncovered on the back. I disassembled it, cleaned out all the muck, and put it back together (tightening the top bolt first, then adjusting the stem position, then final torquing the stem bolts), but can't figure out why the bearing and split-ring washer thing don't go into the head tube far enough for the dust cover to be flush with the frame. The teen at the bike shop said sometimes you have to tap them in with a hammer. Is this correct?
There's no binding I can feel, but the front occasionally feels like it wanders on my test drives--like the stem/steerer connection is too loose. I can't tell if this is all in my head, or if the bearing slightly protruding from the headtube is indeed the culprit.
When I got the bike this spring, the headset/head tube made a ton of creaking and groaning, which was solved by disassembling and greasing everything with Park's PPL-1 lube. I've learned a lot more about bikes maintenance since then, but don't remember having any leftover parts after reassembly!
What have I done wrong? I can't find any 2020 Specialized Rockhopper parts diagrams to confirm whether a spacer or something is missing. The bearings pretty obviously only fit in one way, same for the split ring guys on the top and bottom. But maybe I have a compression ring upside down?

I think the answer is that the Range stem needs spacers with an outside diameter small enough to fit inside the "shelf" ridge inset into the top and bottom of the stem (the depression that Andrew noted in his comment). This shelf is perpendicular to the steerer axis, not sloped, so any spacers properly seated on it will be flat and flush. This also means that at least one spacer is required beneath the stem, as it looks like the headset top on the Rockhopper will not seat properly in that shelf.
Here's a view of the PNW Range stem I found online that clearly shows the shelf:

Just for reference, here's a promo photo of the stock Rockhopper 2020 from Specialized:

If you click to open the image and zoom in, you can see that the headset top is flush with the headtube top, and the spacers above that along with the stem all seem to be flat and flush.
This is consistent with Criggie's observation that the OP's bike photos show a stem with curved bottom and top surfaces, which suggests the root of the problem.


"261E" seat tube on an old bike frame I've bought an old second hand bike frame and I'm trying to build it up into a road bike. Things have been going quite well, but I've got a bit confused by the seat tube. At the top of the seat tube in the frame, there's the text "θ 261 E" (it might be 264 - the "1" is a little bashed up). I assumed that meant I needed a 26.1mm seat post, but they seem impossible to find.

I also used a pair of calipers to measure the inside of the tube and it seems to be about 25.5mm (presumably it might squeeze down to less).

Does anyone know what this marking means, and what size seat post I actually need?

Many thanks.

Well, the seat tube is definitely 25.4" (thanks for the help, Criggie): I've bought one that seems to fit. I still don't know what the stamped text means, but I guess it doesn't matter.


Rohloff gear can only shift between 3 and 4, even when gear disconnected from hub My Rohloff gearhub will only shift between gears 3 and 4 (I think; display long ceased to be readable, but it's two low gears).  I tried adjusting the shifter cable tension but it makes no difference.  When I disconnect the gearbox from the hub it still doesn't shift.

The owner's manual troubleshooting section has an item "twist shifter does not turn freely", but beyond 3 and 4, my twist shifter does not turn at all, not even under considerable force.  When I do shift (heavily) between 3 and 4, I do see a slight movement in the cables.  I am not able to manually pull the cables out of the gearbox.

Until yesterday, shifting worked through all gears albeit somewhat heavily.  I took the bicycle on a train, where I strapped it.  After I got off the train, the problem appeared.

What might cause this?

Check the cables.

Rohloff classifies the gear shifter cables as a consumable.  They may wear out and need replacement over the years.  Check the gear shifter cables carefully for any damage; they might need replacement.  Be aware that they are not ordinary cables, but that you need special Rohloff gear cables to fit.

In my case, there was a damage in the gear shifter cables.  Replacement resolved the problem.


Drivetrain replacement or upgrade - 2009 Cannondale Six 6 A couple different shops have suggested that it’s time to replace my drivetrain. Chain has stretched and gears are losing shape. The rear cassette is an SRAM PG-950 12-26 9 speed. Crank is Tiagra 30/39/50.

Question is whether I replace the drivetrain apples to apples or use this as an opportunity to upgrade? I’m not sure what I could upgrade without also having to change the tiagra shifters or derailleurs. But I want to keep investing in this hike.

I use it mostly for commuting with the occasional 20 or 30 mile weekend ride (I replaced the stock tires with 28mm Armadillos). I climb hills and often use the 30-26 combo and could use something even more helpful.

Personally I am a fan of a regular, low cost maintenance,regime and not a fan of 'upgrading for upgrade sake - its a great way to overspend because you inevitably throw away perfectly good parts. A 2009 bike with 12Speed drive train might be better than original, but it is not a 2019 bike.  If you sell the old bike and take the upgrade money and put it into a new bike, you will often end up with a better bike.

9 Speed is pretty good for longevity and lack of maintenance. Replacing whats worn will be cheaper - probably only chain, cassette and maybe chainrings. If you decide to stay with 9 speed you should still be able to get parts for many years and there are 3rd party manufacturers making some very cost effective 9speed parts  (Microshift).

The other option is replace the entire drive train, which adds the cost of shifters, derailleur, and to make it worth while, chain rings and maybe cranks and front shifter.

I would only consider replacing the entire drive train if the bike was failing to meet some requirement - not enough gear range, too much spread between shifts etc.  If you have big hills to climb, strong winds to battle and you are reaching for a lower (or higher) gear, it may be time for an upgrade.

Ultimately the question comes down to you budget, and tolerance for spending money.  There is no need to spend money for an upgrade, if you want to spend the money, go for the upgrade.


Are Shimano Hollowtech II bottom bracket spacers unique? I'm moving my Shimano Hollowtech II XT crankset and bottom bracket over from a bike with 73mm bottom bracket to a 68mm bike. The only problem is that I only have 1 spacer and now I need 3 bottom bracket spacers.  Do Shimano external bottom brackets have a unique spacer or can I just use any bottom bracket spacers of the correct diameter and thickness?

This link implies there's no difference, and looking at what the spacers do I agree. Since they're a purely passive component that just fills up space, it's only the physical size that counts. Even with an extra 5mm of spacer I suspect you'll be ok, but I would be somewhat concerned if you had to put all the spacers on one side to maintain chain alignment.

BTW, this pdf and this page match my experience of those BBs. They're not great.


Heavier Thicker Chains and Gears for Winter due to Salt? I have two bikes: one having gear-things outside and one with inner-hub. The gear-outside-bike has suffered a lot due to the salt during this winter, the other hilariously looks like a new one. I noticed that some XC bikes have very thick chains and the metal used in chain is different, a owner told me that he changed to a thicker chain during winter. I am planning to do similar upgrade to my salted chains that salt has destroyed during the winter and perhaps to gears as well -- actually I must change everything at once because leaving destroyed gear-round-things would destroy new chain pretty quickly (heard this from an engineer). So:

What should I look in chains and the gears for winter?
When switching to larger gear-round-things and thicker chains, are there some special restrictions?

I have currently (3x9, 3 front and 9 back) gears.

Bike chains come in two sizes, 1/8inch (aka BMX chain) and 3/32inch (aka 9 speed chain). 1/8inch chains are designed for single speed or internal hub geared bicycles and the chain is designed in such a way that it can not be derailed from the sprocket. A 3/32inch chain is designed for a derailleur geared bicycle and is designed to ease shifting from one sprocket to another.

The thickness of the chain will have little if anything to do with how the chain behaves or wears due to road salt. People have many different views on how to keep your chain happy and prevent it from wearing, my advice would be to either invest in a full chaincase (for a singlespeed bike) or to dry and lube your chain after it has gotten wet.

The trick to lubing a chain is to use a rag to remove any dirt. Then apply a small amount of a thick bicycle chain oil to the inside side of the chain (the top side of the chain at the bottom side of the bike, or the bottom side of the chain at the top side of the bike, if that makes sense). Finally, spin the chain good and proper to get the lube into the chain (it's useless if it's sitting on the outside of the chain, it needs to work its way inside the links) and then use the rag to remove any excess.

Excess chain oil sitting on the outside of the chain will attract dirt which will cause your chain to wear prematurely.


Guidelines for buying a new seat So far my only approach to buying a seat is "That looks like a good one, I'll buy it and hope it works for me."

That isn't very cost effective... I don't think the bike store will let me return it after I ride around on it for a few hours. Which means if I don't like a seat that I bought, I'd have to buy yet another one just to try it out.

What are some good guidelines for selecting a new bike seat that doesn't feel like I've been sitting on a block of wood? How do you select one that "fits" when trial-and-error isn't an option?

I own a mountain bike and enjoy trail riding, but these days I ride on pavement most of the time.

Many bike shops actually offer demo saddles so riders have a chance to try them out without buying them.  You should call around any see if any of the shops in your area offer such an option.

If you can't demo the saddle, the first thing you need to figure out is why your saddle is uncomfortable.  Saddles can be uncomfortable for two main reasons: because there isn't material where you want it, or because there is material where you don't want it.  When you're sitting on your current saddle, where are you feeling pressure.  Ideally, it should be on your sit bones.  If it isn't, do you need a saddle that's narrower or wider?  If you're having issues with numbness, you might find it beneficial to adapt a saddle with a cutout.  If you're experiencing chafing, you probably need a narrower saddle with less padding.

You may also wish to examine the angle of your current saddle.  A typical rider will want to have the saddle horizontal, but even a few degrees of tilt can make a huge difference.


Replace Brompton folding pedal - what tool is needed? I've managed to completely break the folding left-hand pedal on my Brompton.  The bit where it fastens onto the crank* is fine, but the rest of it gone.

What tool(s) do I need to remove the broken pedal and fit a new one?

I'm asking this because I want to compare the price of doing it myself (pedal + tools) to the price of getting my local Brompton dealer to do it (pedal + labor + loss of self-respect).

Thanks.

*Please forgive me if my terminology is terribly wrong! :o

If it's a pre-2012 non-titanium Brompton, it takes a 24mm socket.  If it's a 2012 on-wards, it needs an 8mm Allen key.  The 2009 to 2012 titanium Brompton used a 10mm Allen key in a Ti pedal bolt.  The official Instructions are available on Brompton's site.

Very important: remember that the left hand pedal is left-threaded -- the reverse of normal.

Note that pedals can get quite tight.  A standard 8mm Allen wrench might well not be enough leverage.  An 8mm Allen socket combined with a larger  socket wrench is a better tool.


Why do low-quality bikes have horizontal dropouts, even though they aren't fixed speed? Though convenient vertical dropouts and standard derailleur mounting are appearing on low-end bicycles, a lot still use horizontal dropouts, without any fittings for trim to return the wheel axle to exactly the same position when it is removed. The hapless users of these bikes have to fiddle with the wheel after fixing a flat or whatever. Moreover, without those limiting screws, the axle can slip under load, jamming the wheel against a chainstay.

The only purpose for such a drop-out is that it provides a way to tension the chain on a fixed-speed bike. But these bikes will never be converted to fixed speed. So why do their frames have horizontal dropouts?

Is it because cheap frames cannot be manufactured accurately enough to have precisely aligned vertical dropouts, or is there some other reason?

Also, if I may stuff the question a little bit: why aren't the dropouts just used at their very end position? These bikes always have the axle positioned in some mid-position in the dropout, even though no such position is necessary for the sake of the chain, which is tensioned by a derailleur, and will likely work fine in any possible dropout position.   Ah yes: the derailleur hanger typically has a stabilizing screw that goes through the dropout also, rearward of the axle. But couldn't that be solved in some other way, though, like having that screw located forward of the axle?

I feel certain that the reason comes down to cost.  Quality frame builders surely hold the seat tube, chain stays, seat stays, and the dropouts in a fixture when being welded together.  But surely accurate alignment costs money: more expensive machinery, fancier robots, and more skilled workers.  And of course frames that fail the dropout alignment test must be rejected or reworked.  Having horizontal dropouts eliminates these costs.

After having spent years maintaining a series of cheap department-store bicycles (BSOs) with chromed-steel rims and bolt-on axles, I was thrilled the first time I took the rear wheel off my first quality bicycle.  A quick-release skewer!  Dropouts with exact alignment!  A wheel that stays true, even!  With the BSOs, half the work in any maintenance procedure that involved removing the wheel was getting the rear wheel alignment correct after reinstallation so that the brake shoes didn't drag on the rim.


Hard to diagnose squeaking I am in an ongoing battle to try to get a squeak to go away.  Here is what I know (sorry for the length):

1) The sound is a very loud squeaking (chalk on the board) that, at its worst, persists throughout the entire revolution of the crank.  It seems to be coming from the crank/chainring/BB area, but I would not bet my life on it.

2) I think that it is likely from that area, because its periodicity seems to be linked to the crank speed, not the rear wheel speed (i.e. it sounds the same for all gears in the back, there is only one front chainring).

3) I cannot replicate this sound when the bike is in a stand, it needs to have some (not much at all) resistance.

4) I have tried pedaling with one leg at a time (hard with flat pedals) and it seems to occur for both sides.

5) When it gets really bad, nothing with shut it up while riding.  But, when it is just starting to make noise, back pedaling several revolutions will quiet it down for a minute or so.

6) It seems to be quieter in the morning than evening.  Could just be my imagination, or temperature differences.

7) The sound totally goes away when I clean and lubricate the chain, only to return about 15 minutes into the next ride.

8) Fed up, I replaces the chain, cassette, and chainring a couple weeks ago, but the sound persisted.

9) It shifts great.

So, I have a hard time believing that it is the pedals or bottom bracket given point 7.  I thought it may be some weird compatibility with the chain and chainring, but it shouldn't be.  I currently have a Nashbar 9 speed chain and a Vuelta 42t chainring (says it is compatible with 7-10 speeds).  The old setup with the same noise was a Shimano 9 speed chain with Surly fixed gear chainring.  The rear derailleur is 4-5 years old.  I thought that there could be some issue with chain tensioning, but I can't really see that either.

I think I've provided everything that I know about it, but let me know if anything was too vague.  Thanks.

One thing you haven't mentioned: when does the noise occur relative to crank position? Does it make the noise through the entire revolution of the crank arm? Is the noise loudest at a certain point in the crank revolution (say 2 o'clock)? I had a customer come in one time with a sound they absolutely could not get rid of and they went through most of the steps you mentioned. Turned out is was one of the chainring bolts. A little grease on the threads and the problem was gone. It was a ridiculously easy fix for a ridiculously maddening problem!! May not fix your problem but it only takes a couple of minutes to try this solution. You should make sure that all threaded surfaces have grease or anti-seize compound on them. Bare metal threading into bare metal is no-no as it leads to annoying noises, bolts coming loose or bolts seizing/corroding. Good luck!


Sound when pedalling I have got a new mountain bike(hardtail wtih powerspline bb) and it is on 100 kms. When I push the pedals I hear little sound from the left side. It is only from the left and I think it can be the crank or pedal?! (not sure if it can be the BB as long as I hear it from the left). The sounds comes when the crank is almost in maximum down position.

The interesting is that when I go out for a ride the sound/creak comes after 8-10 kms. After that I return home>clean the bike>go out for next ride>it comes again after some kilometres. It is very strange. Is it possible to be something different, like mud from the tires or something like that?

I have checked the cranks and I think they are tighten enough to the BB. I am not sure about the pedals, however. Will it help if I apply on them chain dry lube and tighten them?

Thank you in advance!

Maximum down position is odd - that's when the power stroke is over so its not the pressure causing your noise.  Did you assemble it yourself?  Could be a loose pedal, or a pedal bearing needing lube.

Try popping the chain off the chainwheel and pretend to pedal.  See if the noise still exists.  If yes then its not your chain.

Finally - since your bike is new, have you taken it back to the shop for a tune up?  Almost all bike shops offer a tune after 6-12 weeks to fix up cable stretch issues etc.  A minor creak like this should be covered by that, or by warrranty.


How to clean sticky brake dust from carbon fiber fork? After having wiped by Specialized Langster 2017 carbon fiber fork with a water soaked cloth, there's still some sticky brake dust left. How do I remove that without harming the carbon fiber or the matte paint?

Can I use benzine (rensebenzin in Danish)?

These are what I've used in the past to clean oil grease and brake dust from my Argon 18 Matt finished frame.   using any sort of polish will eventually make your bike shiny. Find this a quick and easy way to keep my bike clean


Bent chain segment during installation I am new to bike maintenance. When I tried replacing my bike chain at home, the connection rivet was very tight and I wasn't able to loosen it without using a screw driver and force it between the two metal plates. Now the connection rivet is loosened, but I noticed the upper plate is slightly bent, Oh!

My question: is this chain done? Or I am fine riding it with limited time? Or the segment would be durable and I am completely fine?

Presumably you drove the connection pin (the one with a snap-off leader section if its a Shimano chain) in with a chain tool, then found that pin was tight so prised it apart with a screwdriver? Just FYI the proper thing to do is flex the link until it loosens up.

The link does not seem too bent and it may run through the drivetrain and shift OK. I'd be worried about having weakened the interference fit between the bent plate and the pin.

One easy solution is to get a quick link type connecter which replaces one outer plate link. You MUST get the correct connector for the brand and speed of chain you have, SRAM, KMC, Shimano etc use slightly different links.

If you had a Shimano chain (I know you don't from comments, but this is for future readers) another solution would be to get two new connector pins, remove the bent outer plate and the two inner ones either side and splice in three new links from the bit of chain you have leftover from cutting the chain to size.


Studded tires for small wheels I'd it possible to purchase 16" studded tires? I have an old Dahon I use as a winter bike, and I'd like to replace the tires with proper snow tires if this is possible. If not, has anyone here successfully made studded tires from smaller-wheeled knobbies?

The best thing to do is make your own studded tires from the old tires you have. You can buy roofing nails for very cheap, and put lots of studs on the tire (most commercially available studded tires don't have that many studs).

Push the nails through from the inside of the tire, wherever you want them. It's a good idea to put some on the rolling surface, and some on the sides for cornering. Once you have placed all your nails, put a layer (or two) of duct tape over the heads of the nails to protect the tube. You'll probably need to trim the nails down to the desired length with metal clippers. That's all there is to it!

EDIT: I have had luck with nails in the past, but on looking around at studded tire designs online, I realize that screws may in fact be a better option, as they will better resist backing out, and would be easier to replace. Scroll down on this page for DIY instructions.


Dropped the Wedge of a quill stem in the head tube Trying to remove a seized quill stem and did a beginner's mistake of removing the stem bolt.
I could not thread back the bolt.

Is there a better way to thread back the bolt to the wedge for me to start all over again the process of removing the quill stem?

Thanks

Have you tried removing the stem so you have better access to the wedge? Often if you do that you can screw the bolt in and pull the wedge out, then reassemble it away from the bike.

The other approach is to again lift the stem out, remove the front wheel, then turn the bike over and push the wedge out from the fork side. If you have a front mudguard you will need to remove that too, but almost always the bottom of the steerer tube is open so you can get the stem bolt or another long, thin object against the wedge and push it out that way. You may need to hammer it a bit, so preferably use a long punch or spare bolt, rather than the stem bolt that you need to make it all work.


Bike temporarily feels like it switches into a lower gear when rapidly braking? It’s hard to describe this, and I’m not sure whether there’s something wrong with my bike.
Say I’m cycling along a long straight in sixth gear. If I brake enough to slow down rapidly (like round a corner) my bike suddenly acts as if it is in a lower gear (i.e. first gear), then after a few rotations of the pedals the bike snaps back into sixth. I find this infuriating as I suddenly need to pedal faster temporarily otherwise I will lose my speed.
I spoke to a friend about this but they insisted it was intentional and due to the bike’s “Shimano gear system”, but I haven’t experienced this on other bikes at all (they remain at sixth at all times).
Is there something wrong with my bike? And if so, what?
Edit: Added some photos. It seems to be an Apollo bike from Halfords.

This seems very much to be a case of freewheel/freehub pawls (the mechanism which allows the wheel to rotate without turning the cassette and pedals) sticking and not springing back into drive mode immediatly, after coasting.
You say when braking, but it might be when coasting or backpedaling before a corner, which happen alongside braking.
It usually happens when the lubricant in there gets old, thick and sticky. Or if it's been contaminated somehow.
"I suddenly need to pedal faster temporarily otherwise I will lose my speed" - this may be a sign of some partial pawl engagement, or it just seems like engagement because of excessive friction in there.
I'd analyse this carefully with the bike in a bike stand or upside down, or have it checked at a local bike shop and get the faulty part serviced or replaced. You can do it at home, there are instructional videos on Youtube on how to service freehubs and freewheels, but you'd need special tools, and sometimes they are not worth servicing.
I don't think the bike actually shifts gears. You say the bike "feels like" and "acts as" if it is in a lower gear, and I'm pretty sure you'd have noticed the sound and feel in the pedals if actual shifts were taking place.


More freehub removal problems. So helpful folks here helped me get the cog and lockring off, and now I'm stuck with this. I looked on Park's website again for "removal of freewheel" help, but mine didn't fit with any of the methods. No hex wrenches, screws, bolts or anything. The ratcheting mechanism just seems sort of...on it.

There's two notches (picture below), screams "two-pronged tool" but I'm starting to think this wheel simply cant be converted to a fixed wheel. New rear wheel perhaps?

If the notches are about 25 mm apart, this may be your baby:

On the Park Tool website there are two very informative documents on freewheel removal, and destructive freewheel removal, which should answer all your questions.