Repair service specifically for bike commuters? I'm not sure if this question is suitable for this site, Startups SE or neither, but here it goes: Is there already any sort of business model catering to bike commuters for expedited repair issues? If not, why not?-- is this not a viable business model?

Background and motivation

Where I live, if something happens to my bike and I need it repaired, the waiting time for it to get repaired is a minimum two weeks any time of the year there isn't 90% chance of precipitation and/or below-freezing temperatures. However, for people who use their bike as a means of commuting, this is obviously problematic. Moreover, if I tell people at the bike shops: "I need my bike to get to work [e.g. tomorrow, on Monday, etc.]" they basically don't care†: To their bottom line, there is no difference between someone who has their bike in the cellar 10 out of 12 months a year and has to get it repaired and someone who cycles 365 days a year.

Alternative solutions

Since there is no way for me to throw money at my problem (see motivation above), when I have a serious problem with my bike on a weekday, I basically cancel everything I have planned for the evening, buy the required parts right now because all places in the city which sell bike parts are going to close soon, and then spend the evening at home frantically trying to get the bike working in a ham-fisted manner with the help of YouTube videos since I've never had to deal with this problem before.

Although this method of "solving" my problem does force me to learn things about my bike and exercises my creativeness, as you may have guessed through my language, it is not a pleasant experience.

Conclusion

I know for a fact that I am not the only person who commutes daily by bike and the other commuters I know in fact do all the work on their bikes by themselves at home. Excepting those people who actually enjoy doing this work themselves, I imagine there is a huge market niche which is not being exploited... so why isn't it? Am I the only human being alive who likes riding bikes every single day but hates working on them and has the financial means to pay someone else to fix them?

† Perhaps the employee talking to me in fact does care, but since he can't do anything to make me wait less than two weeks, the business itself (referred to with the magical "they") has proven that it in fact doesn't care. This is the same with every single shop in this country. The only difference elsewhere might be that, in bigger cities, you might have a chance of finding a shop which doesn't have quite as long a wait.

You don't need such a repair service.  There is a different, more practical solution: a loan bike.

In The Netherlands, most bicycles are used by commuters, so expediting wouldn't work.  However, there are also many places that rent bicycles.  A good bike shop can simply have a couple of dozen bicycles on hand that they then loan out to a (regular) customer, so that they can still go to work, school, social outings, etc..

This is already common practice in The Netherlands.  I believe there exist car garages that do the same, so I don't see why it would be any different for bicycles.

If the bike shop is unwilling to loan you a bike, and you have the money, you can just rent a bike to cover the period you won't have access to your own.  If it happens frequently, you can buy a secondary bicycle for the same purpose.


Please suggest a Hitch Bike Rack Theft Protection Solution Recently I purchased hitch bike rack. This is my second bike rack. My first one was stolen when I left it installed on car (car parked on street).
The one which got stolen was a THULE bike rack. The new one I bought is Yakima. But I think they use same kind of locking mechanism, Details here. I do not trust these locks much. Previous one has a similar lock but got stolen.
Is there a way I can make it difficult to steal? Right now only this lock is a deterrent (and rack weight, its 50 pounds).
I could not find any product as such which addresses this problem.
I am fine with any solution(like securing the rack with car's frame with a strong  metal chain), as long as it makes a strong deterrent for a professional thief.
Please suggest a solution. Too see the product visit here https://yakima.com/products/fullswing .

As suggested in the comments, removing the rack is by far the most secure option.
The hitch rack pin can be replaced with a locking pin. Alternately if the end of the hitch is accessible and sticks out past the end of the hitch socket, a padlock can be installed.
A chain from the rack to a fitting on the car that prevents it from being removed is possible. This may require having a suitible securing point mounted on the car.
All these help protect the rack, but a determined thief will defeat them all. My hitch is bolted to the car with just 6 bolts. 10 minutes with the right size socket and/or spanner will easily have the whole thing off the car and on its way to a new home.


Crack/fissure in the headtube My 2007 Ghost AMR 5700 developed a crack or fissure at the upper end of the headtube. I do not know whether it developed over time or whether there was a specific event leading up to it; it looked like that when I discovered it first.

Still, everything else on it is in good condition. The bike obviously is not worth its weight in gold, but it would be a bummer just to throw it away.

Questions:

How on earth can a crack develop at that point (it's about 10:30 o'clock when viewed from the sattle)? I am riding slow and methodically on single trails, I don't race downhill, and am pretty sure that I never once "punched through" the front suspension (sorry, don't know how you would call that in english); I do tend to not put my full body weight on the handlebar anyways for the sake of my wrists. The location just seems a bit arbitrary. Or is that a common place for these kinds of injuries, for some reason?
The bike is the entry level of the AMR line from Ghost, it cost about 1700€ (?) in 2007, and the parts are certainly not high-end, but appropriate to my needs; I like the bike as much today as in the past, and have not tried other fullies since then, so have no comparison anyways. That said, would you say it makes sense economically to look for a new frame (Ghost or different brand) and move everything over? I do have a family member who built his own road bike for a world tour from scratch, so the necessary know-how and maybe even most of the tools should be around, although he has no experience with suspension.

But I have no idea how to select a proper frame, and frankly don't want to make this my "project" for the next year. I guess I'm asking how hard it is to find a fitting frame, or how easy it is to botch the choice. It would only make sense if the result would be able to run single trails again (not crazy downhill with lots of jumping, I'm not getting younger).
I don't even dare to ask, but will do so just for completeness: would a competent welder be able to fix that crack, and would you trust your own life to it afterwards?

The crack itself:

The specs from their 2007ish paper catalog:

Q: "[W]ould a competent welder be able to fix that crack[?]"

No, that frame is done for. By attempting to weld such a crack, a welder would prove their incompetence.

Even if you fix that crack you might find another crack on the right hand side, mirroring this crack. What is more, the crack will go considerably deeper.

I had a crack at the same spot and we asked the manufacturer (Corratec). According to their frame builder welding would warp the head tube too much to seat the head set properly.

Q: "[Why] can a crack develop at that point[?]"

Aluminium is susceptible to fatigue under light dynamic loads.

The upper bearing of the headset is pressed into the headtube at this point.

The position of the crack suggests it is caused by a force pushing the upper bearing forward. Due to the great mechanical advantage of the fork/headset system forces pushing the wheel backward require the upper support to bear a force pointing forward. This strains the upper support. (The lower support is compressed).

When you pull a ring from the inside it will typically break at the same points your tube cracked. (If I remember correctly from undergrad engineering ±2/3π from the direction of the force.) (Try it for example with a bagel.)

If your headtube showed cracks at any other place it would suggest machining tolerances not met. A head tube that is too tight cracks when the upper bearing race is pressed in. These cracks would then grow, for example, due to stress corrosion cracking.

Q: New frame?

Have you tried to ask Ghost? Corratec have given me a new frame when their ten year old frame failed in the same mode.

PS: Do not ride your cracked bike! Not even a single metre: it might fail catastrophically without warning.


Can anyone help identify a (presumably) vintage Battaglin bike for my uncle? My uncle fixed a man's shed, and was paid with this bike. He knows the man was quite into cycling before he retired, so we're presuming its quite a good bike, but we can't identify any more than the manufacturer; Battaglin.
We are torn between keeping it and using it, or - if its worth something - selling it on, and buying two cheap run-around bikes.
Does anyone have any tips on where we can look to find the model? Sadly, the bike shop on the sticker closed down some years ago.
Any help you can provide would be hugely appreciated!
Kindly,
R.

I'm going to go against the grain a bit here, and say that you've got a great example of something from the dark ages of Italian bicycle manufacture. It is an early 90s bike. I know this because the phone number on the shop's sticker starts with an 01, dating it to after BT changed all the area codes.
The welding is dreadful/ugly and while the bike will be quite exciting to ride and is a great colour, they tend to be quite harsh and unforgiving, so you'll know it in your bones after you've been out for a long ride. The aluminium aero fork is completely badass though, really nice, though firm!
Last year (2020) I sold a very similar Coppi that had come from the tip; I valued it at £100 after researching past ebay listings for similar bikes. You can try the same method. The guy that has it now really likes it because it looks cool and it has a famous name on it, but it isn't a valuable bike.
Enjoy it for what it is, a cool looking bike with some Italian flair but missing the craftsmanship associated with the older bikes of the same brand.

I'm just going to add that the Coppi Gavia I'm referring to could actually be based on the exact same frameset as the details look pretty much identical.


Cassette, chainring, chain compatibility I've taken on trying to nurse my husband's bike back to life.

It is a 2012 Specialize Venge with Dura-Ace Di2 (very old version); Specialized pro FACT carbon chain rings, Ultegra 10-speed cassette.

It was "repaired" by someone who changed the front chainrings to something that, with a little reading, is incompatible and incorrectly fitted and hasn't worked well since. It also has new Ultegra cassette. I've decided to change chainrings to the Praxis Works Buzz, I now have a couple of questions

Will the Ultegra cassette work with the Praxis chainrings?
If yes, will an Ultegra chain be okay or should I use the Dura ace?

Will the Ultegra cassette work with the Praxis chainrings?

This is not quite the right question. The rings have to be compatible with a 10 speed chain that you'll be using on a 10 speed drivetrain. The Praxis web page for Buzz chainrings is unhelpful but other pages I found said that they are compatible with 11 and 10 speed systems.

Presumably you are putting these on a Dura Ace 7900 series or Specialized FACT 10 speed crank which will ensure the ring spacing is correct.

As long as the Ultegra chain is a 10 speed then it's compatible with the rest of the drivetrain. A Dura-Ace chain will be slightly better (and more expensive), as will a high end KMC or SRAM chain. Wear the Ultegra one out then make a decision about whether to upgrade.


(Apparent) chain slippage causes on new bike - usual culprits already eliminated I recently purchased a new bike (~7 weeks ago). Since day one, it has had an issue with chain slippage. I initially took it back to the bike shop from which I bought it, to be told that it was likely just down to "cables not yet being bedded in" and told to "just give it more time". (I am more than aware that cables don't need to "stretch" once installed; after a ride or two, the only thing that will change is cables/ferrules/etc being properly seated in their housing, and stable)

Given that reaction from the bike shop, I have tried to locate the problem myself.

How the problem presents itself:
When pedaling normally, the cranks slip in a way at least similar to chain slippage. Typically, I hear a few single 'popping' sounds as if a part is moving back and then forth, before finally feeling the chain jumping feeling. Note that I only say "feeling" - as it could well not be the chain jumping, but something else which feels like that - the cranks rotate freely through what feels like 1 or 2 cog teeth (from experience), but perhaps it could be the freehub body?

It doesn't happen during shifting - shifting performance is good
It doesn't appear to matter which chainring I'm in
It doesn't appear to matter which end of the cassette I'm in
It is not caused by cross-chaining (I avoid cross-chaining)
It doesn't appear to matter whether or not the system is under high load; it still happens when pedalling moderately
It doesn't happen "regularly" - ie, it isn't every pedal stroke/every chain full revolution/etc. Sometimes it will happen multiple times in quick succession, and other times it will be 10 mins between occurences.

Here are the key facts and what I have noted to try and eliminate possible causes:

The parts are (of course, being a new bike) all new - no wear on the chain/jockey wheels/chainrings/cassette.
The parts match - all are part of a Shimano 105 groupset (no aftermarket/3rd party parts, including chain and quick link)
There are no sticky links in the chain, having checked the entire chain
The bolts on the chainrings are properly tightened
The bolts on the derailleur hanger are properly tightened
The derailleurs are both properly indexed and high and low limit screws are set properly
The rear derailleur hanger does not appear to be bent
The chainrings aren't bent and are in alignment
The cassette cogs aren't bent and are in alignment, and secured properly on the freehub body

Frankly, I'm out of ideas. In the first instance, I am going to take the bike back to the shop to be looked at once more (now that I have "given it more time" as requested, however dubiously). That said, I would still like to understand possible causes of this in case they aren't able to or are unwilling to find the root cause.

What could cause the above-described issue which hasn't been covered off by the above checks?

EDIT: for reference (since it's now relevant having solved this issue): my bike make and model is a Pinnacle Arkose 4 (2016), the groupset is full first-party Shimano 105 and the wheel set has KT hubs.

If everything is shifting smoothly and the hanger is aligned, it's very likely the freehub body slipping intermittently, which feels much like the chain slipping. Usually it takes a visual to be sure it's the freehub and not the chain.

Different freehub designs call for different procedures to fix and investigate this. The root cause could either be overly viscous/gummy lubrication causing the freehub pawls (or other engagement element depending on the design) to not spring back rapidly enough, causing incomplete engagement, or an issue such as a broken, mangled, or out of place pawl spring. I've seen both on new and new-ish bikes. Ideally at this point one would put their eyes on the freehub internals themselves to check for damage, which can occur from skipping with partial engagement, often in the form of a pawl tooth getting blunted or torn. Some designs make such a check easy, i.e. many cartridge bearing hubs, but others make it impractical, like generic OEM cup and cone hubs where freehub disassembly isn't really intended to be possible.

The good news is that usually it's just some overly thick lubrication at the pawls and fixing it is often as simple as getting some light oil worked in to reduce the overall viscosity. Usually Tri-flow or similar. If it's a "closed" design freehub it can just be dripped in at the crack, sometimes by temporarily pulling a seal first.

By taking the cassette off the wheel and turning the freehub by hand, experienced mechanics can take a pretty good guess whether there's something wrong inside. Not 100% accurate but there have been many times where I've done this and found it to be obviously rough or felt something jangle inside, implying a spring issue.


Mountain bike -- exciting after-market parts, modifications or paint jobs I have a Specialized Stumpjumper Comp FSR from 2009. My previous bike was a mean-looking matte black Cannondale Jekyll 1000 with a Lefty fork. Now I've got this vanilla, grey boring looking bike that I love to ride but is so boring to look at.

How can I make this Stumpjumper cooler looking?  The only thing I've done thus far is get some cool new grips and that helps a little. Other ideas for parts to replace? Has anyone had experience with paint jobs?  Any other ideas? ;) I'm willing to put some money into this.

Basically, I'm looking tips based on what other people have done to make their mountain bikes look cooler — more eye-catching.

Let's create something of a (price) ordered list:

It all depends on what kind of look you are hoping to achieve.  I would suggest if the bike is a neutral color like yours, you try to find a detail color from, say, a decal, and replicate that in various places over the bike by hunting down the parts that match.

This process is an endless rabbit hole, after which you realize you would have been better off building your own.

You can even go the best function route, which may end up looking inconsistent to the uninitiated, but you'll know it looks good :)

Almost Free

Valve caps
Clean and Polish!

Cheapest

Grips, check
Brake discs
Brake pads (caliper brakes)
Colored bolts (but be careful - because they are normally aluminium and significantly weaker)
Handlebar end caps
Different color chain
Handlebars

Middling

Tyres
Saddle with Shiny bits or Brooks, according to preference
Cranks and rings, shiny, anodised or matt, machined or forged
Frame repaint (strip, sand blast, powdercoat or automotive paint, sealer/clearcoat)

Crazy

All the parts have to be made of Titanium and/or Carbon Fiber

I'm sure there's plenty more that I've just forgotten.


How do I determine current value of a used bicycle? I'm looking at purchasing a bike from a private seller. I know the price of the bike when it was brand new and the bike appears to be in almost new condition and contains all original equipment.

How do I determine what a good price for a bike might be, given its age and condition? Is there a website I can go to that lists used bike prices?

eBay is a good tool for determining value, search for your item selecting closed auctions and you often get a list of your item, bike in this case that has already sold (or not).  The price of those transactions helps me determine relative value.

Likewise craigslist shows you another view of what people are asking.  If your target bike is being listed for less or more than your deal, you have more information.  Sometimes you have to search outside your area to get a few hits, especially if your target bike is popular and scarce.

Some other things to consider, is the person a 'dealer or private person who sells a lot of bikes'? Or, is it a person selling their own or a friend's bike? If possible, take the bike to your bike shop/mechanic and have them look it over.  Just because it shifts right today does not mean the drive train is not worn out.  Example, my Trek Nav looks like new, rides like a dream, but has 1500 miles on it and I'm pretty sure it needs a chain, cassette and who knows what else.

Good luck!


Using Loctite for integrated head set and bottom bracket installation I'm in the process of building up a new bike from scratch. Since the last time I have done this many things have changed, reading varios forums and watching numberless videos on YouTube have not helped.

I have a carbon frame with a carbon fork without a crown race. The crown race is laminated into the fork. The bottom bracket is a press fit one.

Now what is the best way to install the integrated head set and bottom bracket.
Some suggest to dry fit the bottom bracket, other grease it, yet other use Loctite.

Various forums suggested Loctite 641 or it's stronger form 609. There seem to be various opinions if one should use the Loctite activator 7471 or not. Also some say you must clean the frame with a special Loctite cleaner before applying.

I have settled to use only Loctite 641 without the cleaner and activator, as I see no benefit in using both. The contact points can be cleaned with alcohol or similar. The activator will only speed up the process from 30min down, I'm in no rush here.

But will the Loctite cure without the activator, and is this the best/correct way to do this. Obviously I want to be able to remove and replace this parts if they wear down.

As a general rule: if the manufacturer says it's press fit, then it really is press fit meaning it will be plenty tight after normal installation, and also meaning that because of the small tolerances any extra layer (like loctite) will make it harder to fit.

Not saying there aren't exceptions but none of the press fit bike components I ever installed had problems or became loose. In fact before I had the proper tools for press-fitting I just used to hammer the components into the frame and when you do that it is obvious you don't need extra: it takes some serious meticulously aimed hammer strikes to get the cups in. No way they are going to loosen. Same story getting the cups out again: it takes sheer force - but the adequate tools provide this. Just to illustrate you should not need anything special at all for installation/deinstallation.


105 R7000 front derailleur with 105 5800 crankset I was thinking of upgrading my Tiagra derailleur with new 105 FD-R7000, but then I read that it might not be compatible with my 105 5800 crankset because the new R7000 crankset has different spacing between chainrings. Will I have a problem if I upgrade to a R7000 front derailleur with 5800 crankset?

Shimano lists the FD-R7000 front derailleur as compatible with the FC-5800 crankset in their products compatibility information, but the R7000 crankset wont be compatible with the old derailleur.


What kind of tires I can use with tubeless rims? I bought a Trek FX 7.4 last summer, and now, as the conditions are getting more and more slippery, I'm thinking of getting a bit more winter-y tires. The rims are tubeless, but I'm a bit confused of what kind of tires I can buy. Are all tires compatible with these tubeless rims? Do I need to fit an inner tube with some tires, or do all tires work "tubeless"?

The rims spec'd with a lot of new Trek bikes (including yours) are "Tubeless ready". This means that you can run tubeless, but you can also run regular old tires with tubes (i.e. clinchers).

The primary advantage of running a tubeless tire (which will be marked as tubeless) is that you can run a lower pressure without getting pinch flats, which is advantageous in the winter. However, you have to faff about with sealant (and the right valves, rim strips) to get this done [along with obviously buying the tubeless tire]. Note that if the seal fails, you should be carrying an inner tube (regardless of running a regular or tubeless tire) so you can throw it into the tire to get you home.

If you run a regular tire (i.e. a clincher -- tubular tires are a specialty item for track racers, so don't get the terms confused), you should an inner tube in and install as normal. If you're running the tires that shipped with the 7.4 FX originally, you have a regular tire (which has a tube), so you just find another tire which is about the same size (probably something around 700x32), pop off the old one and pop on a new one. Regular tires are also a bit cheaper.

There are people who run regular tires as tubeless (at their own risk - some tires take this, others don't). You can try this at your own risk, but for winter, I'd probably just go for a regular clincher tire with inner tube. The tires you can fit onto something like a 7.4 FX will be narrow enough that the lower pressure advantage of a tubeless tire will not really help you. Maybe a regular studded tire depending on where you are and what your road conditions are like.


Garmin Cadence Sensor I have just changed the battery in my garmin cadence sensor on my road bike, but when I press the reset button only the red light shows but no green light. Anyone know why? Thanks

The red light flashes when the magnet passes the pick up sensor that you attach to the frame.  The same sensor has an adjustable "arm" on it to pick up the magnet mounted on a spoke.  It should flash green if it senses the magnet as it goes past the sensor arm.  My experience is either the arm and or the entire sensor needs to be adjusted.
Good luck.


How to tighten the Hollowtech II (on R2000 Claris) cranks? The owner's manual on my new bike (with the new Shimano Claris, not the old one with Octalink) asks me to do this:

  After the first 20 km tighten the crankset and also tighten the pedals in the crank arms. Check if crank bolts are properly tightened. Check whether left crank arm screws are tightened firmly when bottom bracket axle is integrated with right crank arm.

I found many tutorials on the web they are about assembling the cranks, replacing them and they all include removing the cranks. But if I understand the manual, it specifically instructs me not to do that and leave such operation to a specialist:

  Important warning! No check of crank arms fastening ... may result in ... Such damaged crank arms must be replaced with new crank arms. Please contact special bike service for crank arms replacement.

Park Tool's website has quite a few "fix your bike" tutorial videos.  You may have already seen this one:

Crank Removal and Installation - Two Piece Compression Slotted (Hollowtech II, FSA)

I do wonder how many bike shop mechanics go to Park Tool's website and watch the videos for tips on how to work on obscure parts.

In this case, "how to tighten the crankset" is a necessary part of installing such a crankset.  For this video, that starts about the 4-minute mark.  In this case, all you probably need to do is get the proper Allen wrench and make sure the two clamp bolts are tight.  (And that doesn't mean King Kong tight...)

There's nothing special about doing your own bicycle maintenance - there's nothing really hard about any of it.  Even building your own wheels from parts is actually easy if you have the patience and can be done with just the proper spoke wrench (preferably a good butterfly one, as using some of those tiny spoke wrenches to build a wheel can be tough on the fingers).  In some cases, you will need special tools.  For a Hollowtech II crankset removal, you need something like a Shimano TL-FC16 Crankset Arm Tool to get the dust cover off.  (Hint - you have to loosen the two Allen bolts holding the crank arm tight to get that cover out...)


Tools needed to unmount bike pedals My two pedals are squeaking a bit and probably need to be lubricated. But, I'm not sure which tools I need to buy to unmount them.

What's the size of the square drive sockets to get to unmount the pedals? After googling the pedal size I see that the majority are 9/16", but the square bits are usually in mm. Is 14mm the right size?
I suppose an adjustable wrench will also prove useful to remove the pedals from the crankset. Is there another component needed for that?

Below is a small picture of the pedal in question:

Look on the inside of the crankarms, where the pedal threads into the crankarm, if there is a socket for a hex wrench. Cheaper pedals don't and I'm guessing these don't.

Pedals require a narrow spanner, as indicated by Willeke, thus an ordinary adjustable wrench ... could work but probably won't. Google around for pedal spanners to see how the professional ones look like.

Lastly, I once again agree with Willeke to try and oil them in place. Even if you removed them, disassembling a pedal can be a challenging and tool-requiring business.


Is it possible to buy a frameset from Trek that isn't listed separately? I am thinking of buying a Trek CrossRip or 720 touring bike, but I want it with Ultegra Di2 and the bikes are only listed on the Trek website with lower-end components.  So I'd like to buy a frameset and build it up the way I want...but how?  I don't live in the US and the official Trek LBS I've been to is outrageously expensive for everything, so ideally I'd want to buy online.  The Trek 720 is a brand new model so finding a used one in the right size seems very unlikely.

Some brands list framesets on their websites separately, including Trek, but the particular frames I'd want aren't listed this way.

No, Trek will not sell you just the frame if they don't offer it in their product lineup. And a bike shop wouldn't either, given that they have to buy the whole bike anyway. It's just a massive headache to allow things like that for manufacturers. And many manufacturers generally aren't all too keen on letting people sell their bikes online (accessories are fine to some extent).

Moreover, why would you put Di2 on a crossrip? It's frame isn't designed for it (e.g. mounting the battery), and its quite low end compared to what people would run Di2 on (a Di2 groupset costs more than most of the crossrip models out there, as complete bikes!)


Something wrong with my brakes I bought a new bike with hydraulic brakes in september 2019. It was working fine for a few weeks but after that I started to notice my disks blackening and the brakes lacking power.I got told that there was probably air in the system so went to the shop to get it fixed which they did for free as it hadn't been over 6 weeks since the purchase.This is a link to the old thread which helped me a lot but I haven't had a chance to visit the shop due to bad weather. Hydro brake disk blackening
It's been about 2 to 3 months since that thread and the weather finally settled this weekend so I took my bike out only to find that none of my brakes work at all now.Im not sure what to do now.Id be grateful if anyone can help.BTW they are Clarkes brakes

Black stripes on the disks usually means contamination. Disks should look shiny and clean.

This could have been picked up from the road e.g a splash of oil or diesel, or the callipers are borked and leaking fluid or oil depending on what Clarkes use.

Take the callipers off the bike and examine them. They will be dirty but shouldn’t look “wet” behind the pad or near the bleed valve or anywhere really. That would be a sign that they are leaking. If they are leaking they need to be fixed or replaced.

You need to decontaminate the disk by removing it from the wheel, sanding lightly with very fine grade sandpaper on a flat surface and cleaning with isopropyl alcohol. You can get the isopropyl from a car supplies store very cheap. It’s called brake cleaner.

The pads might be able to be decontaminated by cleaning  with isopropyl and sanding lightly. More extreme is setting them on fire (outside) with the alcohol and again cleaning/sanding but also likely is that you need a new set of pads. Organic pads soak up contaminants and emit them like a sponge.

You can tell if your brake lines have air in them if the levers are spongy/springy when you pull them hard. The bite point should be relatively hard in air free lines. Do this with the wheels installed, don’t pull your brake levers when there’s no discs between the callipers.

All these cleaning things are super easy to do at home with a hex wrench and screwdriver. There are many good YouTube videos on the topic. GMBN has a good one on decontaminating disk brakes.


20 yr old specialized rockhopper needs new crank gears Any help in what front pedal crank replacement gears to buy for my old Rockhopper.  It is a Altus A-10 crank.  I believe the crank to be fine but the gears look to be worn quite a bit.  Took it to a bike shop and they replaced the rear wheel gears, but still slips a little.

The "front pedal crank gears" are called chainrings. Just searching for the word should find several options.

There are several different bolt circle diameters for 5-bolt mountain bike chainrings. It's best to measure. Aftermarket parts from brands other than Shimano are fine, look for chainrings designed for 8 speeds or less and correct bolt circle diameter (BCD).

For changing the chainring, you need a chainring bolt tool to keep the other side of bolt from spinning.


Old 6 speed casette on a new modern wheel I've had this old Batavus sprint bike sitting in the shed for years, and recently got into road racing. So I've bought a newish used modern road race bike and recently upgraded it's wheels. Since the old wheels were just lying around I tried fitting them to the good 'ol Batavus.

They were a little squeeze (research has shown there's a 4mm difference.. 126mm vs 130mm on the newer ones), but I got them in fine.

Of course, the only problem is is that there's no cassette on the rear wheel I fitted. My question is, can I fit the old cassette on this new wheel? Or will the cassette body be totally different? Or can a cassette body be transferred to the new wheel? I'm not sure how that stuff works.

It's a Shimano 600 6-speed setup.

The old "cassette" is most likely a freewheel. You can see the difference between a cassette and freewheel here

So no, I don't think you will be able to use the old freewheel on the newish wheels (they probably take cassettes). You can just buy a new cassette though (they're cheap), assuming what I said was correct.


Are advantages of a 11/28T cassette noticeable over a 14/28T cassette? I have been riding a road bike for 2 years now and I am being forced to replace it due to damage. I am now considering upgrading to a 11-28T rear cassette. Would doing so give me a major advantage as opposed to a 14/28T cassette?

Like another answer pointed out, there will be a difference in how the transition between gears feels; assuming they have the same number of sprockets, shifting from one gear to another on the 14-28 should feel "smoother" than on the 11-28.

From a performance standpoint, the 11-28 will give you the option of more speed, by virtue of you having smaller sprockets available.

However, you asked whether these things are noticeable, to which I would say: it depends. Here's why:

If you are a commuting or more recreational cyclist, the answer is likely no. Many commuters don't spend much (or any) time near the bottom of the cassette. If you're more of that style of rider, you may only get to the bottom of the cassette during a steep descent. Many of the commuting cyclists I know have about as much use for 11t cassettes as they do 53t chainrings.

On the other hand, if you are a more of a competitive or racing cyclist, you will most likely be able to notice the addition of the smaller sprockets; both on descents and flats, depending on ability. Some of the racing cyclists I know regularly find themselves near the bottom of their cassettes, during hard efforts. If you're a racing or aspiring racing cyclist, you'll probably notice the advantages of the 11-28 cassette.


Should I replace the bent Derailleur hanger? My friend (also on a bike) collided with me while we were riding together. As a result of the collision, I now have a bent derailleur hanger. Should I replace it alongside the Derailleur?

The bike is a Carrera Vengeance

Yes, replace it. It's too bent to be straightened, or will be weakened considerably if it is straightened.


How to clean rim brake track efficiently? What are the most efficient and effective ways to clean brake tracks on rims?
It is generally understood that rim brakes work better and pads last longer on clean brake tracks. Dirt on brake tracks tends to tenaciously sit in grooves.
Any method must meet the following criteria:

Work Safety: no exposure to toxic or carcinogenic substances
Easy Disposal: if cleaners cannot be disposed with household waste water or rubbish, or contaminate the ground in one's yard they are out
sufficiently clean: the method ought to lead to sufficiently clean rims, if your method is a wipe with an oily rag, explain why that's enough.
practical: the method needs to work with tyres on, preferably wheel in bike, and better be quick

Fold a paper towel a couple of times and stick it between pad and rim.  Squeeze the brake lever and rotate the tire.
Depending on the contaminant you may want to wet the towel, douse it lightly with a solvent, or (to get solvents off) use alcohol.


How can I stop air leaks unscrewing a tire from compressor? Most portable car air compressors seem to have ditched the quick release attachment for Schrader valves in favor of a simple screw on attachment. Both of my bike's tubes leak a lot of air while I unscrew the compressor after filling them. Am I doing something wrong? Is there a secret to disconnecting a screw fitting without draining half the psi in the process? Why are there no quick release attachments any more?

These compressors are intended for cars, and because of the much higher volume of air in those tires, they won't lose enough air to matter when unscrewing them.  As noted by another poster, you can get a replacement head with a Schrader valve.  Some of these compressors have a crimped-on end fitting, so to replace them you would also have to get a suitable crimp and crimping tool, although a barb-type with a hose clamp will also work.  These compressors can work well for bikes, as most won't compress above around 125 psi, which, while much higher than is appropriate for many tires, is not likely to blow the tire off the rim if you get distracted while inflating.  However, some go as high as 200 psi, so you will have to pay attention.  I would agree with another poster, though, and get a good floor pump and throw it in the car.  I think the Silca Super Pista is the best out there for bicycles.  They are not inexpensive, but will last a lot longer than the car inflators, and they provide a bit of upper body exercise in the process.


Freewheel in vinegar I'm renovating an older bike. I took the 6 speed freewheel (Shimano mf-tz20) off because it was rusty, disassembled, chucked the parts in vinegar overnight. The rust came off, but so did the goldish tint of the cogs. I'm assuming the steel cogs had some coating applied to them to prevent rust/harden, I'm not exactly sure. My question is, what kind of coating did I strip off the freewheel, and what can I do to prevent rust on the now bare steel surface?

Baked on grease can look yellow or the manufacturer might have coated it with something. In this case, it looks like the manufacturer gave it a light coating.

Normally the lube from your chain (especially if you use a tacky lube) is enough to prevent corrosion. But if you're worried, why not just give it an extra coating of silicone oil.

For bare metal parts, I also use Boeshield, figuring if it's good enough for BOEing to SHIELD aeronautical parts from corrosion, it's good enough for my bike. I use it on places like hex bolt heads which seem to attract corrosion but you could also use inside your cassette.

Fineprints: But (along the lines of what  @Criggie points out) it might be cheaper to buy a new freewheel than a can of Boeshield... Another side note is that using an acid to strip rust can be a bad idea because it leaves the exposed metal in a particularly vulnerable state for corrosion. Because rust on the sides of the sprockets really doesn't hurt you, I would have just degreased with a citrus degreaser and left the rust alone -- or bought a new freewheel.


What causes the different types of tire skidding noises? Short: What mechanisms are relevant to the production of that noise and what are their parameters?

Up until a couple of years ago, I had only ever heard a quite, low, rubbing sound when the tires skidded on asphalt.

That was all on relatively standard sized tires (i.e. 28") and bicycles (i.e. upright non-folding or anything).

Now on my recumbent with 20" wheels when I brake sometimes I hear a loud screeching sound like on a car.

This happens when the wheel is skidding (i.e. speed difference of tire and ground somewhere between 0 (excluding) and forward speed), but not locked up (i.e. wheel not turning at all, speed difference of tire and ground equals forward speed). If it's locked up completely, then the sound is the quiet low rubbing noise I'm used to.

I haven't been able to pinpoint exactly what causes the different sounds. Maybe it's the asphalt type (new one seems to promote screeching?), pressure (lower=more?), wheel size (smaller=more?), wheel width (wider=more?) or braking technique (the noise mostly seems to appear when I get it just right and am only almost skidding).

What I can say is that I've been riding disk brakes for years and those specific disk brakes for some fewer years. I have readjusted them, changed pads, had annoying noises appear, made them go away again. This never seemed to change the screeching noise I described above.

The screeching that you describe is unlikely to be caused by the tyre skidding. It's more likely to be the contact between the brake pad and the braking surface causing the sound.

On an alloy-wheeled rim-brake setup, this is the rubber pad rubbing on the rim. If it's squealing, then it could mean that the surface of the pads has picked up some shards of the brake track and is scraping them on the brake track.

On a carbon-wheeled rim-brake setup, this could just be the standard sound. Some carbon wheels are just loud under braking and there's nothing to be done.

On a disc-brake setup, this could indicate that the pads are contaminated, requiring replacement. If the pads are sintered, then like the carbon wheels with rim-brakes, there's only so much you can do. Sintered pads are just known to be a bit noisier.

In any of these types, worn-out brake pads can also cause a screeching sound. If this is the cause, then you just need to replace the brake pads.


Safety of old brakes I found an old bike and I am not experienced with bikes. I am wondering if these brakes need to be changed:

I am not sure if this is in all bikes, but the mechanism of the brakes looks too old to me. You just press the brakes and those cables get stretched and the bike stops. Is that ok/normal and safe?

Those are cantilever brakes and as long as the cables are still intact, everything works as it should and the pads still have plenty of material left, they're perfectly fine. From the photo it looks like the pads are still okay, but replacing them can never hurt. A drop of oil on the hinges might not be a bad idea, too.


wind noise obscuring traffic noise My eyesight isn't so good so I'm more reliant on my ears to let me know that there's traffic close by.  Normally I'm fine, but at higher speeds, the noise of wind blowing past my ears can obscure the sound of car engines, so I get a bit less warning when there's something near, especially of drivers coming up from behind.  As far too many drivers coming up from behind are really inconsiderate and pass too close when overtaking or tailgate you, not knowing that there's someone coming up is something of a problem.

How can I deal with reducing wind noise so I can hear my surroundings more clearly?

There's a product called cat ears (reviewed here) that claim to reduce wind noise. They attach to your helmet straps and disrupt the flow of wind.

I've also found that headbands worn over the ears help a lot. Something like these are good. I even wear them in summer as they help stop sweat running into your eyes.


How wide of tires can I run on a Victory Vision road bicycle? I'm new to road bicycles, sorry if this question is beat to death. What I'm wondering is what to measure as far as frame clearance, rim width, etc. to put the 'widest tires that will fit' on my road bike for durability purposes?

The bike is more or less a glorified BSO, and because of this I can't find any real specifications other than the amazon.com page: http://www.amazon.com/Victory-Vision-Mens-Road-Bike/dp/B002D126EW

The ones that came on it are unmarked, but appear to be 27mm or 28mm, the rim width is 25mm. How do I know whether 32mm or larger will fit before buying them, without rubbing and such?

What tire width can be safely used it mostly determined by the width between the bead seats in the rim.  This can be measured and is often listed in the specifications for your rims.

Then I use Sheldon's Tire sizing chart to figure out which tires will work.  That link is to a long article on tire sizes, the rim vs tire width chart is red & green and is near the bottom of the article

Edit

Near the top of the linked article is a nice picture showing where to measure inner rim width.  This determines if the tire will stay put on the rim.  Both too wide a tire on too narrow of a rim and too narrow of a tire on too wide of a rime will not seat correctly.

As freiheit points out you also need to check for clearance issues around chainstays, seatstays brakes etc.


Anyone make a 31 or 31.1 mm seatpost? Some time ago, I bought a used Giant full suspension MTB.  The guy cut the original seatpost too short for me, so I needed a new one.  The post was some weird size, either 31 or 31.1 mm.  Closest I could find was a 30.9.  (Isn't that the standard?)  Needless to say this kept on sliding down as I rode.  I stuck a small strip of metal between the post and frame -- yeah, I know you're not supposed to do that! -- but it still slowly creeps down (about 5 mm every couple hours).  I checked eBay and Giant's web site, to no avail.  Anyone know if I can find one somewhere?  Or anyway to fix it?  (Its amazing how hard it is to slide the post up and down with that homemade "shim" in it, and how hard I tighten up the clamp -- surprised it hasn't broke yet -- yet it STILL slides down!)

According to info from Sheldon Brown, Your Giant post is most likely to be 30.8 as this seems to be a common size on with that brand - however you don't give the age and model of the bike, so it could be Giant changed to another size. The conspiracy theorist in me thinks its so they sell a whole new bike when to can't find a matching seat post.

I have also had this problem (With another brand), and beyond trawling ebay and craigs list in the vain hope sellers will put the size on the listing and its accurate, your best bet is to try your luck with your corner LBS (Not the chain-shop who only has this years stock and is shiny and flash) - good chance they have one in back somewhere. Shops that have been around for a while tend to keep boxes of odd ball sized parts such as these, (rather than throw them away) as it's good for business being the "The only guy in town who...." kind of place.


When did Square Taper Bottom Brackets retire from racing? I haven't been able to find any hard data on this. I have the impression that most top-end bikes made the switch around the year 2000.

It would be great if I could get an answer for both of these:

When was the first alternative to ST used in pro racing?
When was ST used for the last time in pro racing?

"First alternative" is a little tricky because if you looked hard enough you could potentially find a pro riding Sweet Wings cranks in the early 90s, which use a spindle and bottom bracket design thats very much a forebearer of external bearing cranks. And if you're not just talking road, you'd be able to find plenty of examples of MTB/DH and of course BMX riders riding Profile and other splined spindle tubular chromoly cranks also in the 90s. There were other 90s high end non square cranks too made by Bullseye and Tioga that could have found their way on to pro bikes.

Campy held out on ditching square taper for a long time. I want to say Ultra-Torque wasn't released until 2007 and before then all their cranks were ISO square. I would suspect the last square cranks in the peloton were on all-Campy bikes.


Best clipless pedals for sore feet? After having used platform pedals, I've recently started using Shimano SPD pedals on my cyclocross bike, which I mainly use on paved roads. I really like being clipped in, however, I have a condition with sore forefeet, with the pedals just making things worse due to pressure being applied in quite a small spot.

My question:
What are the best pedals for distributing pressure across the largest possible area on the foot?
Something like Shimano SPD SL?

All clipless pedals, including road versions, have very small contact patch. Even though road pedals are large, most of the size is just mechanism and actual contact patch is the small metal patch over the axle. The largest contact area is probably with MTB pedals that have metal frame around the clipping mechanism.

What you need is shoes with stiffer soles.

I have had flexy shoes from Mavic for both SPD and road pedals, and those were painful to ride. Stiffer shoes have been just fine with the same pedals.


Flashpoint FP80 / SRAM S80 - rear hub specifications? I'm looking for the specs of a SRAM S80 rear wheel hub. I dearly wish to replace its 9/10-speed freehub body with one that can accomodate Shimano 11-cog casettes.

SRAM S80 was a 80mm-profile aero wheelset for TT/tri (formerly also named FlashPoint FP80, before SRAM acquired Zipp). Its rear hub bears no ID or name and given the wheels' age, I can find no trace of it on the internet, so if anyone here knows... I'm all ears. But the hub does look conventional enough that I'm hoping I could source a compatible 11-speed freehub body (spline) for replacement.

Alternatives (and why I don't like them):

Manual widening (shaving off the spline flange) - difficult even with the right tools, and more importantly, the derailleur might end up too close to the spokes. Risky idea.
Campy freehub + Campy 11-sp. casette - Campy 11-speed casettes fit 9/10-speed Campy splines (and the latter is available as a replacement part), but buying both is as expensive as buying a completely new hub and relacing the rim. Plus, shifting with a Shimano derailleur is said not be 100% accurate, despite the cross-compatibility.

Rationale: I'm buying a budget road bike, which I'd like to make a bit more TT-friendly (aero bars and wheels), and I already have the S80 rear wheel after a relative of mine. But I don't want to buy a 10-speed drivetrain just so I can use the wheel, so...

The hub on SRAM S40/60/80 uses a Reynolds freehub.  This freehub body will upgrade it to 11speed.  http://www.jensonusa.com/Reynolds-11-Speed-Freehub-Body/
This freehub comes with new endcaps.  The non drive side is slightly longer and the drive side is slightly shorter.  To avoid having to redish your wheel you may need to use the old caps or just use the the drive side cap side cap

I have heard the Reynold KT 11 speed freehub will also work but I have no personal experience with this.  This freehub is extremely hard to come by in the States, UK has greater availability.


Will adding duck/duct tape in my tires stop punctures? Mountain bike Kawasaki kdx226fs

Answer: No, not really.

Duct tape, "duck" tape, or any adhesive tape by itself is not enough to stop a puncture.  At best the extra layers will slow down ingress of a sharp foreign object in your tyre carcass, but no different to a thicker rubber tread.

If your tyre is getting worn in the middle, there's often an uptick in the frequency of punctures which indicates.  Adding layers of cloth or paper on the inside is nowhere near the same as the thicker tread of a new unworn tyre.

Other options:

If the tyre is worn, replace it.
Confirm your air pressures are suitable.  Too low-pressure means your tyre can't stop the rim from banging into rocks or the road, so you get one or two "snake bite" punctures.  If this is the case, increase your pressure a little, and work on your technique to stop impacting things as hard.
Tyre liners - these are hard plastic strips that lay inside the tyre and around your inner tube.  They are harder and work to deflect inbound sharps.  Downside is an increase in rolling resistance and weight.
Sealant - there are liquids you can run inside your tube/tyre to seal leaks.  They're not guaranteed to work but they do help smaller holes.
Tubeless - if you need low pressure for off-road riding and tubes aren't low enough, then converting or replacing your tyres with full tubeless allows lower pressures.  I have no personal experience of this.
Technique - practice how you ride, and work to avoid the things that cause punctures.  If you flat after landing hard, then stop landing hard.  If you have broken glass in your tyre, then avoid riding through broken glass.

Looking at the spec of your bike, its a 26" with rim brakes and 3x7 gearing with "revo" shifters and sub-Tourney parts.   Its not a high-end bike, so all stock parts will be low-end to meet that price point.  Not a bad thing, but a stock tyre is generally worse than what you can buy new.

The date is hard to pin down but it appears to be a ~2006 vintage bike, so if the tyres are original then they may be cracked or perished.  The tubes can also suffer from embrittlement or perishing.  Same for brake pads.

So the first thing I'd suggest is replacing the tubes, tyres, rim tape, and you may consider new brake pads at this time too given the wheels will be off.


Crack in fork or just paint Yesterday I saw something like a crack in the carbon fork of my roadbike. Now I don't have any clue if this is a really a crack or just the paint.
Maybe someone can help me or tell me how to find out. Thanks!

EDIT:
Thanks again for all your answers. I took the bike to my dealer, he communicated it to the TREK warranty department and I got a brand new fork. No bigger problems, just some e-mails and pictures (from the dealer, he also sent the broken fork in). Thumbs up TREK!

On the surface it doesn't look good, but I wonder if there is a reinforcement wrap for the brake posts, with an unfinished edge). There are some informal ways to try and confirm whether the structural carbon has been damaged.

  'Carbon usually has a very crisp sound to it [when tapped] and when it’s damaged the tone changes completely,' says John Hansell of Yorkshire-based Fibre-Lyte, which offers a full inspection and repair service for carbon frames.

  -- How to assess a cracked carbon frame

Others will argue that this is a difficult method, or that it only tends to work when the damage is already very visible. Typically, I would tap with a solid object (e.g., smooth end of a screw driver), with a consistent force.  Tapping with your fingers might not work well.  There may also be pitch changes where the underlying material has change (e.g., many frames bond aluminum to carbon at places such as drop outs, steer, etc).  The tone to listen for is a dull thud.

As suggested by David Richerby you could compare and contrast the sound of the potentially damaged area against the other fork leg (which I assume does not show any signs of damage) to see if are any notable differences in sound when tapped.

Another technique I have been told to try when inspecting used frames was to squeeze in the area around suspected damage.  If the carbon feels "softer" it is a sign of structural damage.

None of these techniques are definitive, as it requires you to essentially "read tea leaves" some can do it, some miss signs others pick up on.

The definitive answer would be to scan the carbon (e.g., X-ray) to look for anomalies or damage. This however would likely cost more than the bike is worth and requires access to a skilled technician who can correctly interpret the results. Thermal scanning may be another option in this realm, but I don't know the availability of this technique, or whether it has been validated.

Ultimately, you may need to send the frame into Trek's warranty department and allow them to assess and replace if required, they do have a good warranty department.


Brake pads from new dual pivot calipers dont reach the rim in the rear wheel I bought a bike exactly like this one some time ago (bonvelo, a small company here in germany):

I wasn't really happy with the brakes so I decided to search for a good used ones. I found a good offer for the shimano 7800 BR and bought them.

I installed the front one without problems but the rear one is being a nightmare.

The problem: When I try to install the shimano brakes one pad reaches perfectly the rim but the other one (opposite side than the cable) does not reach the rim and collides with the rubber of the tire.

I can't find which model of brakes did the bike had, I can only see the brand written and it says promax.  Here are some photos of the two brakes:

I can't see what is wrong with the new ones, that doesn't allow the right side to reach the rim, because the height of both seems to be the same. The width of the tyre (28) should not be the problem as the front one works perfectly There is a washer that was in the old brakes but does't make any difference for this problem if I put it or not.

To show better the problem. This is the bridge:

This is the probem where the brake pad collides with the tire:

And here the brake pad reaches the rim if I have a little angle between the bridge and the brake, but I can tighten the brake in that position:

Is there anything I can do to install this brakes in this bike?

What you really need is brakes with longer reach. Reach is the measurement from mounting hole to rim, you can measure it with a measurement tape and it is listed for most of rim brakes.

If you absolutely want to install these brakes no matter the cost or reliability, there exists a component called drop bolt. These used to be more common in days of classic steel frames and single pivot brakes, but NOS parts are still available. I would recommend disassembling your brake and verifying its mounting bolt is compatible before buying anything.


Upgrading priorities What is the first component upgrade to a 105 groupset? do I need to stick to Shimano? The crankset is Oval Concepts 520, forged 6066 arms, 52/36T.

The bike a 2016 Fuji Altamira 1.3, STI 11 spd, brakes are tektro dual pivot. Stem, handlebars and seatpost are entry level Oval Concepts

What are your goals in upgrading?

Shifting?

105 components are already quite good, and the bike is mostly 105. While 105 cranks will probably likely shift a bit better, perfect front shifting rarely has much impact on performance. Front shifting is more of an annoyance than anything. and you would be hard pressed to notice any stiffness or weight differences from the cranks that are already spec'd on the bike.

Speed?

If speed is the priority, removing drag from your clothing and position will be the first place to start. Skin suits (or form fitting kit) and low drag helmet will be the biggest bang per buck. Next up, wheels can also be a good upgrade, but to be honest you will likely need to spend more than the cost of the bike before you will really notice this upgrade.

Bling?

If you are upgrading simply to out do your friend or riding partners, well then all that matters is what matters to them. Ask questions and I am sure they will tell you to through your money.

Just an opinion

Honestly, the best would be to focus on maintaining the bike, ensuring your clothing and contact points are comfortable and just ride your bike. As it stands you have a good entry level bike. The performance should be quite good, getting that extra bit of performance that remains will be very costly endeavor if you take the upgrade route. When you are ready for a faster bike, save and purchase it outright. Used or old new stock can be a very economical way to go. I would largely avoid the upgrade game as it is often 10% performance, 90% playing with money.


Lugged carbon frame repair In broad terms, I'm wondering if it is possible to repair a high quality lugged carbon frame, say a Colnago C60, that has been cracked in the top and/or down-tube.

Normally once a carbon frame has a crack or chip it is considered unsafe to ride and it will usually get scrapped.  However, it seems like if one were to crack a lugged frame, it might be possible to take it apart and replace only the tube that has cracked.

Is this possible and if so what does the overall process look like?

It should be possible to repair the frame, the big question is whether you'll be able to find a replacement tube or will you have to make it yourself. Making the tube isn't hard, it's just messy.

The repair will involve cutting out the damaged tube, working out what else (if anything) is damaged, and paying careful attention to the other tubes. Then once you're clear on exactly what needs to be done (and that the person paying for it is happy with the price) you start. This may end up  cutting an undamaged tube so that the new tubes can be fitted, depending on just how rigid the frame is (it should not be that rigid unless you have a very short tube)

ideally dissolve the glue that holds the tube ends into the frame and pull the two tube ends out.
if not, cut/grind/scrape them out
clean up the lugs
insert new tube dry and make sure the frame is exactly true in the jig
pre-coat the lugs with glue
coat the tube ends with glue
insert new tube
carefully make one last check that everything is true and correct
wait :)

I would be tempted to use a slightly extra thick tube to get a little more strength, since you broke the last one. But that's a path that can lead you to completely rebuilding the frame.


Are tubeless mountain bike tire systems appropriate for winter riding? Are tubeless mountain bike tire systems appropriate for winter riding in below freezing temperatures?  Is there a low temperature limit that I should avoid riding in?  Does the cold affect performance of the sealants?

All of my winter rides are tubeless now.  I have successfully used tubeless setups with Stan's at -40F.  Many other riders in my area have used them extensively and without issue at temperatures well below zero.  Stan's happens to be the fluid used by my LBS, but I am sure there are others that work as well.

The hard part is getting the initial seal to work properly on fat tires.  If they don't fail on the initial ride, they are just as reliable as in warmer temperatures.


Repaint over a pink bike My son is now 6 years old and has outgrown his small bike. There is a bike available from his elder sister but it is pink colour. This pink bike might work for him for a year or two before he outgrows it, but he might want an other colour.

I am wondering if there is a simple way for me to paint it over with a red or black colour without removing the existing paint ? I would like to keep it on the cheap side, around 10 or 20$.

Use this as an opportunity to teach him how to paint. Yes, you'll do much of the work, but you two can work together to pre-sand the existing paint, mask the parts you're not painting, and spray the new paint on.


Lower vs. Taller Bottom Bracket Height The bottom bracket height on some bikes can be adjusted 7.0mm by flipping a "chip" in the shock mount linkage. This also affects head tube angle by 0.5 degrees.

Theoretically speaking, What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a lower bottom bracket setting vs a higher setting?

in my experience. BB height affects stability of your ride, but mostly while standing on the pedals since you weight is then directly on the BB. but raising it 7mm may or may not make a difference in your ride. however, raising it ABOVE the axle height will make a dramatic difference in stability. BMX bikes are incredibly nimble (aka unstable) due to them having a BB higher than their axles, where as 29'ers will feel solid as a rock since they have a dropped BB height relative to their axles. it has to do with torque applied while standing. (i know wheel size also plays a factor but we're assuming spherical cow here). so considering that the DROP or RISE from the axle height affects the ride more than height, a 13in BB height on a BMX will feel much different than a 13 in BB height on a 29'er.

my track bike has a BB height equal to its axles, and its nimble and fun to ride, where as my road bike has a BB drop height relative to the axles and feels like a cruiser in comparison (both on 700c rims).

TL;DR higher BB, in relation to axle height, means a more nimble bike, lower BB is a more stable bike. especially while standing.


Shimano Adjustable Crank Arm Length I currently run Shimano 105/Ultegra/Dura-Ace (2X11) components on my road bike.

Chain Dura-Ace
Cassette & Crank 105
Derailleurs Ultegra

I am looking to replace my cranks when I wear out my next chain and want to experiment with different crank lengths (e.g 165, 170, 172.5, and inbetween etc.) without buying extra Shimano Cranks for $$$. I also want to make the jump up to 53/39 from 50/34 that is on there now.
I know Shimano does not make any adjustable length crank arms.
Do I have any off the shelf options to be able to use my other Shimano components and possibly use a 3rd party crank to get adjustable cranks without spending tons more than what I would on a Shimano Crank set?
Thanks
---- Update
I'll probably go about trying to see if I can rent or try out a crank arm for a bit to ensure the fit is good and then buy the full ultegra crankset. Just as a bit of a follow up does anyone know if you can buy the right side crank arm on for an ultegra crank set new as I see the left side sold separately, but not the right?
Thanks

There are sizing cranks that are primarily used by fitters. They're expensive and heavy and usually intended for a fit machine more than going on an existing bike. Ones I'm familiar with are square taper so getting them on to modern bikes would involve jumping through some hoops, but there may be a 24mm one out there.
Trying all the lengths in a short amount of time and with minimal contrivance would be a good thing to find a fitter's help with. Crank length and saddle fore-aft are numbers that play off each other, so you want to get your fore-aft dialed at the same time if you can.


Is this bike XC or Trail? My bike is a Exitway R16 with Rockshox Recon suspension. I was wondering if is this bike for XC racing, light trail riding or both. The bike is not the fastest nor the slowest, I have a little hard time doing bunny hops.

Your bike is an entry level hardtail MTB with quality components. I just did a quick google search and looked at few pictures of the bike. It looks like it isn't specifically XC or Trail bike, it's more like an all round MTB.

It will work for both XC racing and light trails, every XC-Bike is suitable for light trails, just look at the more technical sections of the track in XC-races.

Your bike is just as good for bunny hopping as any other MTB, bunny hops are more about the right technique then about the bike you use. Keep practising.


Wheel Build spoke length I want to get a wheel built using the components below:
https://www.ryde.nl/andra-40
https://bike.shimano.com/pt-PT/product/component/nexus-c3000-int7/SG-C3001-7D.html
The 36 spokes version,  3 cross pattern.
What is the length of the spokes I should use?
Thank you.

To answer this question, you need some measurements.
The rim ERD, from the Ryde website.
The centre-to flange (left and right) measurements of the hub and the spoke hole circle diameter. These you may need to measure yourself as they are not always published.
This information is then entered into software (or a website) that performs the spoke length calculation for you. You could do this manually if you prefer but I often use the EDD spoke calculator or the one at kstoerz.com
Would you like any help making the measurements?


Mercier road bike - biggest tire/wheel possible on frame I have a fixed-gear/single-speed (Mercier Kilo TT; http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/kilott.htm#specs; http://www.cyclesmercier.com/geometry_tt.html) road bike with 700Cx23 tires; I'm basically looking to ride using a bigger tired, something more fitting for cyclocross or more "rugged" terrain.

My main issue is determining what the max size tire my frame will fit. Does it vary widely by frame? Is it universal? I'd like to go up to at least a 700Cx32 with better treads...

Apologies for the scatterbrain wording, let's hash this out whilst I browse the similar questions. Thanks!

No, it is by no means universal. Frames are built with a maximum tire size in mind. Some bike include a maximum size in their specs, so you might check to see. Otherwise, it is easy enough to figure out. Since you have tires on the bike already, you can check the existing clearance and get a very good idea of what will fit.

Start by measuring the clearances. Here's where to look:

At the top of the fork – measure (or estimate) the clearance between the tread of the tire and the fork crown and the sides of the tire and the fork blades. One easy way to gauge the clearance is with a drill bit or Allen wrench.
At the chain stay bridge – here you want to look for clearance like you did at the fork (tread to bridge and side to stays) and you want to check how much room you have to install the wheel with the tire inflated. If you have vertical dropouts or track dropouts this isn't much of an issue, but with "old school" horizontal dropouts where the wheel moves forward in the frame to come out of the dropout, it can be the limiting factor (especially if you'd rather not have to deflate the tire to get the wheel out).
At the brake bridge – measure like the front fork. In my experience, this is not where the problems will lie, but double check just to be sure.

Once you know how much clearance you have you can get a pretty good idea of how a larger tire will fit. The "other" dimension on the tire is, roughly speaking, the diameter of the cross section on of the tire – imagine the wheel as a pizza, if you cut a slice and look at it from the side the tire is the outer crust (the thick round part), the 23 or 32 is the diameter of the "roll" of crust at the outer edge.

So, for you, to be able to go from a 23 mm tire to a 32 mm tire you need about 9 mm of extra radial clearance (clearance between the top of the tread and the fork crown and bridges) and about 4.5 mm of lateral clearance (between the tire walls and the fork and stays). I call this "extra" clearance because you want to maintain some additional space to allow for an untrue wheel and for junk that gets picked up by your wheels as you ride. On my Trek 620 I've got maybe 5 or 6 mm between the fork crown and my tire (they weren't thinking about fenders when they designed that bike), but 10-12 mm on the sides – aside from the fender issue that seems adequate (although it might not be if I was riding tires with a large open tread that tended to pick up rocks.

The final issue to keep in mind is that while the tires are spec'd as if they were round in cross section, many are not – the Schwalbe Marathon line for example is more oval than round, they account for this in their ISO sizes (they use the larger number, which on these tires is the radial dimension), but use the smaller size in the "700c" measurement. For example the 700x35c Marathon is a 37x622 in the ISO size. So to run this tire you'd need more "extra" radial clearance than side clearance.


Replacing Raleigh record ace forks circa 1978 I wrecked my bike 7 years ago, in a bad crash. I rode home in shock. I went through a lot.

I replaced the tires, tubes, wheels and brakes. The forks are bent and at higher speeds there is some weird vibration in the front end at times. The forks have a springy twist rarely. How do I find, and how do I judge, what is a safe replacement.?

I'm poor and this bike has sentimental value.

I've worked on two bikes with crash damage, and helped bring them back to rideable.

Please post some clear and well-lit pictures of your bike.  We also need to know how the crash happened - was it a straight head on or a side impact?

I'd start by removing the fork from the frame.  You'll need to pop the quill stem out first but will not need to strip the bars, (yet).  Note all the ball bearings in the headset are possibly loose so anticipate they will drop. They may be in a retainer, but don't count on it.   Remove the front brake caliper and any mudguard too.

Clean the fork with hot soapy water and scrub off any oil and dirt.  When dried, example it closely for cracks or damage.

Get a straight edge, like a steel ruler, and check that the steerer tube is straight in all directions.  Eyeball down the steerer tube and the two tines should not go backward at all, not in the slightest.  They may be straight down for the upper part of the run, but never ever backward.

Take your bare fork to somewhere with a very flat and level surface.  The kitchen benchtop is a good candidate, but do cover the bench in newspaper or similar.   Lay the fork on the bench so the dropouts are down and it rises up in the middle, then the steerer end is on the bench too.  Use that steel ruler to accurately measure how high it is off the bench.  They should be equal measurements on both sides.

You can also put your steel rule vertically between fork and bench.  It should touch the fork at the same place on both tines, and be at 90 degrees to the steerer.  This is more of an optical test than a measured test.

why? If the fork is damaged and twisted, it will show up here.  Fork damage really should be a replacement with an un-crashed fork.

A serious head on crash will often make the front tyre touch the underside of the down tube, leaving rubber witness marks.

Often the wheel will survive a serious frontal impact that distorts the fork or frame.  So for you to have already needed a replacement wheel suggests it was a heck of a crash, or possibly more forces were exerted than straight-on, or it was a cheap/weak/worn wheel to start with.

More briefly now, cos I suspect your fork is knackered.  Bur for completeness.

Check the bearing surfaces in the headset now the fork is out.  After cleaning all the grease off they should be silvery chromed and shiny with zero dents.  An impact can shock the ball bearings to dent the races on one or other side, which leads to poor turning, and a definite "seating" feeling as the dents act as detents.  The fix here is a replacement headset.
Check the frame on the head tube and the downtube approximately 50mm / 2 inches aft of the head tube OR where the lugs end if it is a lugged frame.  A bike with a front collision often suffers a ring of rust at this point, because its the most elastic point of those tubes, and is the foremost bit unaffected by the heat of welding.

Here's a (newer) bike that's been in a crash, and the frame is severely bent in the two places suggested (plus a third just forward of the seat cluster!)  Steel bikes will rust here after frontal crash damage.

Examine the whole bike frame.  Take your time and explore all the tubes, and where they enter lugs.  Get the wheels out of the way and look at the inside too.  Use some hand force or light leverage to push things.  Not too much - you're trying to expose any cracks not bend the frame.  Perhaps combine this step with a good clean too.
Time for that ruler again.  Get some string and set up the bike like this:

You want to measure left and right displacements all over the frame - you're looking for what's not even.

That last picture came from https://www.sheldonbrown.com/steel-frame-repair.html and there's a far better writeup there of stuff to explore.  So go read that site too.

So my last chunk will be about why you should consider shelving the bike.

Bikes are cheap - Be in the right place and time and you can score a nice used bike for low cost, or a kerb freebie for nothing.    Consider salvaging all the good parts off your Raleigh and then hang the old frame up as wall art.

Personal story - I rode a 1981 Raleigh Arena for a couple years, and it was a learning experience.  I repaired seat stay damage and rode it for 3,440 km.  However it was always twitchy at speed, and downhills were limited to about 55 km/h.  I changed to a slightly deeper-section wheel and then it got Utterly Terrifying, where downhills generated oscillations in the rear at about 35 km/h.  I could even generate the same on a flat road with a good tailwind.   In the end I bought a used Cannondale frame+fork and moved all the components over.  Everything transferred fine and I've now got 800 KM on that.  The old Raleigh is in the shed, waiting to be hung in a mancave someday.

More photos of that bike at https://criggie.org.nz/pictures/?gallery=bikes/raleigh_arena

I get the sentimental nature of the bike too - its easy to get attached to Ol'Faithful.   But consider it a retirement, not an abandonment.


Ways to increase handlebar height? Recently got my first bike with drop handlebars.
After riding around for a while, I noticed some neck/trap/shoulder strain.
I have tried adjusting the seat height, but I think the next best solution might be increasing handlebar height.
I have been trying to figure out the best ways to test into a good handlebar position that reduces strain:

Turning the handlebars up slightly to bring the hoods closer just rotating them slightly in this direction -

Getting an adjustable stem and using it. So I have seen adjustable stems online - looks like Ritchey makes some of the best ones - are these okay to use on a road bike? I found one that matches my handlebar diameter but I’m not sure if it will fit the steerer head tube (name?) width. Any recommendations on how to get the head tube diameter without pulling stuff apart? I know my Headset Cap is 1 1/4”.

Getting an adjustable stem to find the right angle and then buying a stem at that angle. Is this a waste of money? Am I better off with #2?

Getting a Steerer Tube Extender? I just found out about this and it seems like a monumental task compared to installing an adjustable stem. Is it more trouble than it’s worth?

I’m curious if I’m missing any options here. I’m new to bike maintenance and am curious about cost/complexity/effort. I have most basic tools but would probably need a torque wrench if I’m going to be messing around with parts like the stem, head tube, and handlebars

There is an option to have raised drop handlebars. That would give you another couple of centimeters of height:


How do I prevent STI shifter cables from blocking access to my Randoneering Bag or Handlebar bag? I've got drop bars with Shimano Tiagra STI shifters and want to use a Rando Bag on my small front rack or a handlebar mount bag.  Currently the shift cables jut out between the drop bars and hit in to the sides of my bag and can't be bent around it.  I have to run the cables under the top flap of my rando bag to get them out of the way, but this makes it hard to access the contents of the bag on the road.

What can I do to prevent this cable from interfering with my rando bag that doesn't involve switching out my shifters?

The best solution is probably to move to either a different shifter setup like newer shimano 105/ultegra or SRAM (with cable routing under the handlebars) or to a barend setup like most randos employ. I know this isn't your preferred solution, but it's probably the easiest and most effective. If you mess with the routing/length on your shift cables, you're going to start experiencing shift slipping and improper shifting.


Wheel Build Questions for Those who have done it To the experienced builders. What are the absolutely neccessary tools to build a reliable trued wheel? The wheel will be a 700c wheel for a standard road bike.

There are definitely more sophisticated tools for this but in my mind the essential kit includes (1) the right-sized spoke wrench, (2) a flathead screwdriver, (3) grease for spoke threads, (4) the front dropouts on an upside-down bicycle with brake pads for truing, and (5) lots of patience if you haven't done it before.

All of this assumes you have a rim and hub with the same hole count, along with correctly-sized spokes and enough spoke nipples.


Which STI name plate is this? The spec sheet on my bike says I have Dura-Ace 9000 components.  I want to buy a replacement name plate.  The one on the left is genuine Shimano Y63X98020 and the one on the right is what I'm trying to get replaced.

More photos of the to-be-replaced part below:

Original item photos

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/gear-spares/shimano-duraace-st9000-name-plate-fixing-screws-right-hand-y63x98020/  says that Y63X98020 is a name plate  for the right hand lever of a ST-9000 brifter.

A review on that link says:

  unfortunately I mistakenly ordered st9000 I returned for credit and ordered the correct st9001 very happy

So from that I conclude you have ST-9001 brifters, which are 30% "thinner" and therefore a subtly different shape in the hood/body.

Some googling about suggests the part number you need for a ST-9001 is Y00G98020 but take this with caution, I'm certainly no expert.

Photo of the suggested part number - looks about right, but hard to know for sure.

Fortunately its only a $12/£12/€15 item, but then it is also a single piece of plastic.


Do tires with worn sidewalls need to be replaced? My bike needs a bit of a tune up, particularly the tires since the back tube has a hole in it.  The rims on the bike are 26"x1.5" and the current tires are 26"x2" and both have great tread, but the sidewalls look like they're worn through in spots (I can actually see through the fibers in a few spots of the sidewalls).  Should I replace the tires, too, or is replacing the tube sufficient?  Also, is a 2" tire OK on a 1.5" rim?

Here's what it looks like:

Yep, that tire needs to be replaced.  (It appears that either it's been run underinflated or you've been using your foot on the side of the tire to brake a lot.)


What type of lever is this cable for? I recently bought a rear brake cable for my 60s era Schwinn:

I was expecting it to have a lever interface that looks like:

But they are clearly different:

I was browsing eBay for another cable and came across this:

Looking closer, the lever interface looks like it matches what I need:

Both packages say "Weinmann Tourist levers only, yet they are clearly different.
My question is, what type of brake cable was in the package I purchased? It doesn't look like it's meant for Tourist levers. When I return the cable I purchased to the seller on eBay, I'd like to let him know what type of cable he sent me.
Thank you!

You wanted a barrel end brake cable for straight brake levers.
What was sent to you is a curved or racing lever brake cable with a pear cable end (we called them mushroom).

Cable end terminals (anchors): The steel cables have welded end pieces (see image) that are shaped to fit into slots in shifters or brake levers and because cables are not interchangeable as to their purpose, there are three main types of inner-cable sold. A brake cable has either a barrel-shaped end, for bikes without drop-handlebars, or a pear-shaped end for the racing types with drop-handlebars. Cables for shifters have a button-shaped end. The free end of a cable is usually welded so that the wires cannot fray while the cable is being threaded through its housings. Some cables for brakes have a barrel at one end and a pear-termination at the other so that the user can discard the one that is not needed. These latter types are referred to as universal though the term is also used to describe some products that contain a complete brake or shifting kit that is long enough to fit most bikes.

Wikibooks


Why are there almost no bikes with a single chainring? Bikes with two or three chainrings are the norm, and then there are singlespeeds, but except for kids' bikes, you see almost no stock bikes with a single chainring in front but a cassette and derailleur in the back. It seems like for a lot of people this would be a nice balance with respect to simplicity, weight, maintenance, so why are there so few?

1x9 setups are more common on a mountain bike or commuter bike setup with rapidfire shifters than a drop bar setup. However, due to a lack of front derailleur they can have chain jump issues due to the effect of the rear derailleur on the chainline.  This has to be compensated for, often with a chain guard on the outer side and jump stop on the inner side of the front chainring. It's also a bit weirder to have 2 STI brifters and only have one of them for shifting on a road / cross bike. Especially when brifters cost a lot of money.

Most groupsets come with all the drivetrain and shifting gear for a 2x9 or 2x10 setup. So, they install it on the bikes as a set, It would probably be cost prohibitive for manufacturers to break up the groupset and they would probably have to pay for extra parts (like a chain guard) to make it work.

There are however several bikes on the market with a single front chainring and an internally geared rear hub. These bikes don't suffer the downfalls of having to deal with chain jumps as much as bikes with derailleurs since the chainline stays consistent (and hopefully releativly straight).

UPDATE: Modern mountain bikes and some cyclocross bikes have been switching to 1x drivetrains as a standard drivetrain option. New technology, clutch rear derailleurs, narrow wide chainrings (there are several variations), and wider range rear cassettes (up to 44t) have made it so you can have a wider gear range and get rid of the extra chain retention gear that you used to need for this setup. SRAM and Shimano both sell 1x drivetrain groupsets and now some frame manufacturers are dropping support for front derailleurs.


Normal wear on five ten freeriders? So these are my five ten freerider elc shoes and I’ve had them from december last year (2017-present). The pedals on my bike are 2013 dmr v12 and cleaning my shoes recently I saw that a hole is being worn in and was wondering if that is normal wear and tear?

Cheers

How often do you ride? Short answer, yes this is pretty normal if you ride quite a bit. Shoes designed for use with platform pedals tend to have softer soles to improve grip with the pins. Unfortunately softer also generally translates to faster wearing.

In addition it looks like those particular pedals have a bit of a hollow portion to the pins, whether it is an allen wrench relief or otherwise. (My eyes aren't good enough to tell) I have found pedals that have an indentation or hollow portion in the center of the peg tend to tear up shoes a bit faster as they act like a sort of cookie cutter.

I have sense changed pedals and shoes on my MTB for similar reason. I find using a decent flat bottom skate shoe such as globe, etnies, DC or other similar style works just as well for me and i don't mind the slight difference in grip for general trail riding. Dirt jumping or similar you may feel the extra grip is worth the expense of wearing out shoes quickly.

I have also found Shoe Goo or similar works quite well for extending the use of such shoes once they start to wear. It seems to be pliable enough to work well with pinned platform pedals.


Can disc brakes be considered safe for road group rides? I know aero bars are considered unsafe for peloton, does this extend to disc brakes whose rotors can be hot and sharp? I'm not talking about races, just casual training rides: is it reasonably safe for others in the group?

I have never ridden in a peloton but I would say they should be not more unsafe than the chain blades that are already on your bike.

While riding, the only parts of your neighbour's bike that you would be able to hit should be the handle bar and maybe their pedals. Everything else is far less outstanding than those two parts and you should collide with your neighbours body before coming even close to say their disc brakes.

So the only real chance to hit someone else's brake rotors might be in case of a crash where you fall on their bike or their bike falls on you. In this case, there are a lot of parts on a bike that could give some bad injuries, for example the chain blades. And you will also hit the ground, so chances are high that you get injured by the fall as well. Adding disc brake rotors (which even are somewhat "shielded" by the wheel itself) might not add significant injury risk in this case. So I would consider them safe in these terms.

Another point that might be worth a thought is their performance. Image the guy in front of a group is the only one to have disc brakes and does an emergency stop. With their bigger brake performance they might decelerate much faster than the ones with the conventional brakes behind them, causing all others to hit him from behind.


Finding the cause of a tubless loss of sealant Today I had a complete loss of pressure while parked. This is what I came back to

I haven't been able to find a hole in the tyre with a visual inspection or by feeling around the inside of the tyre. One thing that stood out to me was the tape around the rim has a puncture at one spoke point. I don't know enough about tubeless setups to say that this would be the cause or not.

The rest of the spoke holes look fine, this is the only punctured area of tape.

On a tube setup I'd normally re-inflate the inner tube with some soapy water on the exterior to find the source of the leak before replacing the inner tube. With the tubeless tire I'm having trouble getting it on the bead the whole way around and I only have a floor pump.

How can I find the cause of the original pressure loss and begin to make repairs without access to shop air supply? Is the tape puncture the cause? Can I use methylated spirits to remove the remaining dried sealant?

Thanks in advance!

update 1: LBS who retailed the bike recommend following the specs on the tyre. The tyre was running right in the middle of the rated range.

update 2: Giant recommended running within 5 PSI to the centre from each of the upper & lower limits specified on the tire, with a few caveats. Backpack, panniers, would push the recommended PSI up a bit. Rider weight & personal preference would also have some bearing on the running PSI.
  100 PSI (dead centre of the recommended range) shouldn't be a problem for the tape at my weight at all but If I desired a softer ride I could drop the pressure a bit.

If the tape has a hole in it, that's definitely the problem. I'm not sure why the tape would suddenly fail as there is nothing rubbing in it, although the spoke hole in the rim looks strange to me. Is there a sharp edge there that punctured the tape?

If the tire had a large leak you be able to see sealant coming out of it, same if there were a problem with the bead seating on the rim. If you have not seen this your tire is probably OK.

You'll need to replace the tape, perhaps with a heavier duty type. If you can't seat the tire bead yourself enlist the help of a bike repair shop - that's what they're for: backup when you don't have the tools or knowledge to do it yourself.

Methylated spirits or isopropyl alcohol works for removing dried sealant.


How to carry a quadcopter on a bicycle? I would like to take my quadcopter to interesting places. So I can do some flying and aerial photography etc.

Assuming a reasonably large quadcopter or drone - eg DJI Phantom, Cheerson CX-20, Syma X8C, or similar style. So about 350mm x 350mm square, and about 150 mm deep with the legs. It is possible to reduce this size a bit, by removing the propellers, legs, and camera, but I would rather not do that before each flight.

Plus the accessories required, eg the controller, spare batteries and camera.

So how to carry it comfortably and safely on a bike? Some sort of large messenger bag, or a rucksack? Or some way of attaching it to a rack?

It would need something to protect it from getting bashed, ie some sort of padding. And preferably some sort of cover to keep the rain off.

I don't own quadcopters nor fly them, but for something of that price, a hard case, filled with foam cut to size, seems to me the obvious choice.

As for how to mount the case on the bike, I'd probably make an S-shaped hanger

_
 |
 |_|

to hang it off the back rack—probably on the right side, so I could still lay the bike down on the left side. Or put it in a handlebar basket or a pannier, if you can get one big enough.

If the case-and-contents is small enough and light enough, you can alternatively carry it in a backpack. For any significant weight, getting the bike to do the carrying is preferred.


Ball bearings replacement for Windsor 4500 After riding my Windsor 4500 for about 2 years, I got some advice to replace the ball bearings for both tires before going on a long bike trip. I plan on replacing these myself. Could someone tell me what size bearings would be appropriate for this task?

Thanks.

You should replace them with the exact same size that are already in there.  If you don't know what size, take it to the local bike shop and they should be able to tell you the size you need and order them for you.  It's likely they are sealed cartridge bearings in which case you can't replace individual ball bearings, and you have to buy new cartridges. Although I wonder why one would have to replace them after only 2 years of use. Unless you've ridden the bike a lot more than the average person would ride it, they should last much more than 2 years, especially if they are sealed cartridge bearings.


Is it worth upgrading my wheels on a commuter? I'm looking at some Fulcrum racing 5 wheels but Im not sure if they would serve my daily rider better or my weekend bike. My daily work commuter is a Giant Escape and my weekend bike (mainly for fitness and fun) is a specialized Allez.

Yes, I think it's totally worth it.  It depends on if you have a budget to spend on extra parts of course.

I have a specialized secteur as my commuter and after a year or so of owning it I replaced the stock wheels with some mavic aksium wheels.  Now, the decision was made as part of a groupset upgrade.  The bike was equipped with a low end shimano 8 speed and I got the wheels as part of an upgrade to an 11 speed groupset.  That said, the wheels are on the low end of an aftermarket wheel and they still make a huge difference.  They ride much better than the stock wheels, are lighter (but still heavy by road/race standards), more responsive, and brake better.

I also bought some locking skewers with them and don't ever worry about carrying an extra cable or anything besides a good lock.  The downside is that you need to carry your skewer key around everywhere, but I usually just keep mine in my bag.

Of course, they might get stolen, or your whole bike might get stolen because it draws more attention, but if it's something you want to do and aren't going to be upset if it happens, don't think twice about it.  Make the upgrade.  I'd recommend getting a used wheelset.


How does riding on bumpy road while suspension fork locked and without slow down effects? Is urban riding on bumpy road while suspension fork locked and without slow down harming to my bike or me? I don't care about my comfort so much. I don't want to slow down or to lose energy.

On a bumpy but fairly level road, absent any suspension, energy goes three places:

Friction between tire and road
Wind resistance
Vibrating your body up and down

The reason #3 is a factor is that you jiggle as you ride, and that absorbs a lot of energy -- the more you jiggle, the more energy is required.

You can reduce jiggle by using lower air pressure in the tires, but this increases tire/road friction.  You can add front and/or rear suspension to reduce jiggle, but the suspension itself absorbs energy, plus it tends to make pedaling less efficient.

So it's a tradeoff -- at some point in the transition between smooth and really rough roads it probably pays, in terms of energy efficiency, to unlock the shocks.


Test drive of bike derailed chain easily ... bad sign or nothing? I tested a bike at a bike shop today. I rode it about 30 feet / 10 meters, turned left up a very shallow hill, hit the left (forward) dérailleur and the chain came off (went past innermost front sprocket).

I walked it back to the store. They put the chain back on. I did exactly the same thing again, 30 feet, left turn, up hill, switch gears, chain comes off.

I put the chain on myself this time and then walked it back. The bike shop adjusted it a little and warned me not to go completely diagonal on the chain (left most front, right most back or vice-versa). I didn't try it a third time.

I'm not a cyclist by any means but I've owned bikes in the past as a mostly casual rider and never had one derail the chain that easily.

Is it most likely just a matter of adjusting something, or is that bike (or its dérailleur) probably a lemon (bad)? How would I tell?

Excluding the factor of very-very cheap bikes with unknown components, damaged components etc, this particular situation is quite typical for front derailleur which was not set up properly. To be able to shift gears without chain falling off on either side you need to make sure to set up front derailleur correctly, starting with height and rotation angle, and ending with limit screws which are designed specifically to avoid the described situation :) After that you can expose your bike even to several meter drops and chain should stay in place (on a mountain bike, with appropriate rear derailleur), not mentioning just a plain simple ride like you had even without shifting.

Many people hate front derailleurs because setup could be tricky. It took me a while to figure out how to set it up and now I can do it even in the field without a stand. So answering your question, I believe that there is nothing wrong with the bike, but setup was done by somebody not really experienced. One of the ways to see that it's not set up properly is to try to shift front derailleur - it only shifts perfectly if every part of the setup is done well.

Useful links on how to set up limiting screws to keep the chain on:
https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/front-derailleur-adjustment#article-section-4

Video version of the article, here they also demonstrate which setup leads to chain falling off: