Mechanical disc brake calipers: Removing pads from top side vs bottom side Regarding mechanical disc brakes, is it preferable to have a caliper with pads removable from the top side? Shimano BR-RS305-F calipers use pads removable from the top; Shimano BR-R317 uses pads removable from the bottom side. I'm not certain about Avid BB7 calipers; they look like the pads are removable from the bottom but the pad spring is inserted from the top side. I'm also considering the TRP Spyre mechanical caliper but can't tell how pads are inserted/removed. Any wisdom here? Am I wasting my time? Thanks to all.

Swifty, you're right on. I neglected to say I'm riding an ebike with a Rohloff hub, and as such, removing and re-installing the rear wheel is harder than a standard bike; that's why caliper design is important to me. Anyway, as far as I can tell, the Avid BB7, the TRP Spyre, and the Shimano BR-RS317 calipers all load from the bottom. The Shimano BR-R305 loads from the top to the best of my observations.

I would say if it’s relatively simple to take your wheels out then it’s trivial which you go for, ie make decisions on other factors. You won’t be swapping pads out all that often (or if you know you will do, then you might already know which you want).

If however, it isn’t so easy to get the wheels out, because of a rack or dynamo or hub gear, or hub-drive electric bike, (belt-drive etc etc) then you might well prefer to insert the pads from the top. (Not that I’ve fact-checked whether those model(s) do indeed load from the top.) if you ride in all conditions, commuting for example and will wear pads down quickly then that might be a factor but the decider for me would be how easy it is or isn’t, to get the wheels out of the way.


Wider tires offering faster speeds and safer ride? I'm looking at riding again. I took a two year break after I crashed going down a hill when a tree branch was down and I went over my handlebars.

I've always assumed that thinner tires were better for riding but I was watching this video from Global Cyclist Network. In the video the rider makes a strong argument for wider tires.

What I'm wondering is there any literature or empirical studies that are public that show these results? I found some small things that corroborated this but I was sure this would be the right place to ask.

Depends what you mean by 'better', and under what circumstances. The major tire considerations are, in no particular order:

Drag or resistance
Comfort
Grip
Durability / puncture resistance
Mass
Aerodynamics

What constitutes a 'better' tire for you depends on your preferences and what kind of riding you want to do.

The hypothesis that GCN puts forward in a few of their videos is that narrower tire width and higher pressures do have lower rolling resistance on a smooth surface, but wider, lower pressure tires actually offer less overall drag over irregular or bumpy surfaces because they have less suspension losses.

The idea is that because wider tires don't necessarily have more drag you can run  wider tires and get better grip and comfort without a penalty.

GCN did some relatively well controlled experiments on cobbled surfaces. Here is a video that talks about what they did and the results they got:

Some more experiments on bumpy surfaces: https://janheine.wordpress.com/2016/06/14/suspension-losses-confirmed/


Ultegra R8000 groupset want to convert to flat bar shifter I have searched but could not find any answers for my question.

I have the Ultegra R8000 mechanical rim brake group set on my road bike and I want to convert it to a flat bar setup.  I have searched google and it shows that the Shimano SL-RS700 works for the R8000? is this correct information? I don't want to purchase the shifters and brake levers if I end up not being able to use them.

Thank you in advance.

I didn't know that Shimano made 105 flat bar shifters and brake levers. Interesting.

Shimano road 11 speed groupsets use the same shift cable pull increment and derailleur actuation ratio, so the SL-RS700 shifters will work with Ultegra derailleurs.

The BL-R550 brake levers are obviously made to work with road caliper brakes. (Different brake systems have different cable pull and caliper leverage ratios. A set of levers for V-brakes for instance would not work with road calipers.)

One thing to be aware of is that replacing drop bars with flat bars is going to significantly reduce the reach geometry. If that is one of your goals that's fine, but if you have a good position when on the hoods of the drop bars your will probably find the flat bars cramped. You may need a long stem to get a good position.

frames for drop bars are generally have a shorter reach measured to the head tube than frames for flat bars. This is because drop bars add more reach than flat bars.


How much value do groupsets gain/loose per year? What is the difference in value of a last-year component, and the equivalent one from this year? For example an SLX rear derailleur, an X0 crankset, a Fox Float fork.

How substantial is technology trickle-down. If a brand new bike from last year costs x, and the frame is unchanged, what could be expected the worth of the components to be, compared to the 2014 model? For example 5% less?

In my experience, it depends on how much has actually changed. Usually the lower quality groups (Shimana Alivio/Deore, SRAM X5/X7) don't change too much because they are very similar to the OEM parts. However, the more expensive groupsets incorporate the trickle down method you mention. Things like clutch derailleurs are becoming available in the middle price ranges versus the top tier. Adding something like that will greatly decrease the previous year's model, while increasing the new one's.

Most of the time though, it's like a car. As soon as you drive it off the lot, the value drops. Even if it's brand new, as soon as the next year rolls around it's lost value. Marketing and hype are what sell product and new product is always pushed first.


Can I use Kerosene for lubing the cogs and the chain I recently went to a bike mechanic and he dropped some kerosene on the cog and chain for lubing them. He said that it keeps the dirt off and is quite volatile so will evaporate after sometime leaving some part behind which acts as a good lube. He said that he knows this by experience. Is it good to use kerosene as lubricant?

No, Kerosene won't leave behind enough of a layer to protect the chain.

It might be useful as a solvent to clean the chain before applying a proper lubricant.


mtb deraileur for 1998 s-works (8 speed) I recently installed a Sunrace R90. The chain jumps in the middle gears. This may hurt my sprockets. I wonder if it is the shifter being worn that causes the jumping back and forth, for example from 5th to 6th. (The shifter is Deore XT.) Also one screw or spot on the hanger is stripped. The bike mechanic says he would start by changing the housing and cable first. I have already had adjustments made.

Any thoughts?

If the derailleur is correctly adjusted at one spot in the gear range, but not throughout the full range of movement, this can indicate the gear hanger is no longer aligned properly.

If the hanger is bent towards the wheel, each step in the derailleur's movement will be too wide and its path will be shallower (it may hold the upper jockey wheel closer to the large sprockets than it should, or if the B-screw has been adjusted to keep it away from the large sprockets, the jockey wheel would be further away from the small spockets than it should.
If the hanger is bent away from the wheel (only really happens when someone "overcorrects" a bend towards the wheel, or an impact occurs when the rear wheel is not present), the derailleur won't move far enough for each step and the path will be steeper (closer to small sprockets but far from large sprockets).

If you get correct shifting at the low and high gears but not in the middle, your derailleur is probably configured correctly and your gear hanger undamaged, but your cassette is probably worn out in the gears you use most often. You will experience more problems with new chains on old sprockets.

A common rule of thumb suggests the service life of a cassette is about 3 chains, assuming you don't delay replacing worn chains and make reasonably even use of each sprocket.

Chain wear gauges are readily available, costing about the same as a cheap chain. They often look like a capital I (or very wide H, depending on your point of view). Usually, one side is calibrated for +0.5%, the other +0.75%. On each side, one "finger" will be hooked, the other straight. On a tensioned chain, place the hooked end into one of the chain gaps. If the straight finger drops into another gap easily, the chain has worn such that each pin is that percentage further from its neighbours than spec.

+0.75%: Replace the chain immediately
+0.5%: Replace soon.

The teeth of the sprockets, chainrings and jockeywheels are worn more quickly when the distance between chain pins is over spec, so for a cassette's "3-chain" life, it's better to change the first chain early, whereas the third chain can be run slightly longer since the rest of the drivetrain is approaching end-of-life.


Cannot remove freehub body I have searched through Stack Exchange and found another question about a stuck freehub, but I am confused about which direction to turn the 12mm hex wrench to loosen the freehub. It is an 8-speed SRAM freehub on a 2016 kid's bike (Islabikes Beinn 24).

There is a sleeve in the freehub that prevents access to the 12mm flats from the drive side. I cannot tell if the sleeve is removable. I have a long enough 12mm hex key to used from the non-drive side, and I have placed the box end of a 12mm wrench around the hex key. With the torque I can apply by hand with a standard 12mm wrench I could not get the freehub to budge.

Before I start increasing the torque, I want to make sure that these are right-hand threads threading into the hub body, so from the non-drive side I should be turning clockwise.

A comment on the above-referenced thread about the 12mm flats being a nut gave me pause -- I've never seen that configuration.

I live a plane flight away from any bike shop so local expertise is not available.

Thanks!

When pedalling the bike the torque is,applied clockwise on the drive side of the hub, therefore to undo it from the non-drive side you were correct originally, you'll need to turn it clockwise


JIS and ISO square taper I've read Sheldon Brown's page on JIS and ISO and have read exchanges in forums about the pros and cons of using ISO cranks on JIS bottom brackets.

If my understanding is correct, these standards define the shape and dimensions of the BB spindle and thus have implications for the cut  made in the crank that must fit on the spindle.

The reason for my question is that a vendor of ISO cranksets  is telling me that their cranksets will work on an ISO or JIS bottom bracket if the bike is a folding bike.  Does whether the bike folds have anything at all to do with this compatibility between BB and crank?

Does whether the bike folds have anything at all to do with this compatibility between BB and crank?

Executive summary:

NO!

Longer answer:

Here's the Sheldon Brown link:  https://www.sheldonbrown.com/bbtaper.html

Even though both ISO and JIS have the same taper angle, ISO spindles are narrower than JIS spindles, so an ISO crank won't go all the way onto a JIS spindle.

Depending on the specifics of the crankset and spindle, how far the cranks go onto the spindle may or may not be sufficient to both be safe and able to withstand usage for a good amount of time.

But I wouldn't do it for any bike I might ride - I view the situation you've described as a somewhat unethical attempt to make a sale.  It might work, but saying it will just because the bike folds is, well, sleazy.

Because whether or not the bike folds doesn't matter.  The specifics of the bottom bracket spindle and the crank itself matter.  And a crank where the design prevents full engagement of the load-bearing surface with a close-but-not-quite-right bottom bracket spindle isn't a configuration I'd be able to recommend with a clean conscience.


Should I get a reflective jacket/coat, or more lighting and reflective strips for the bike? What with daylight saving time ending and it now being pitch black by the time I finish work, I'm not exactly trusting of just a couple small lights on my bike being enough to make me visible to drivers. Seeing a couple cyclists around here wearing them got me thinking, would it be worth my while to get a reflective jacket? I did a bit of a hunt and found a place near here that sells them.

The general price I seem to find is $50 for an uninsulated one, $100+ for insulated. Neon-yellow with reflective stripes, same stuff construction workers would be wearing. Heck, some even have a spot for a name tag :-P

I'd likely get the uninsulated one, just so it can be used in a wider variety of weather, and I can layer clothing under it easier.

So my question is, would it be worth putting my money toward the jacket, or toward getting a new light and some reflective stripes for the bike itself?

EDIT: Re-reading this, I made a mistake in what I was saying. I have a couple lights, they're just not the brightest going.

While the obvious answer is that you really should have lights and a reflective jacket or vest, I'm assuming this is the real world and you have limited resources! Let's go by what conditions you ride in:

If your route is mostly well-lit and being seen is more of a requitement, I'd concentrate on a decent cycling jacket or safety vest. I prefer uninsulated jackets, but I also have one that's lightly insulated; I sometimes wear the safety yellow jacket over the black insulated cycling jacket. You can also get small, cheap LED be-seen lights you can clip on your helmet or wear on your head if you don't wear a helmet.
But if you ride in the pitch-black, I'd suggest a cheap safety vest, making do with a non-cycling jacket you may already have, and put the rest of your money towards a good light, something like a Dinotte or a MiNewt. They aren't cheap, but they're worth every penny.

One final point:

Reflective gear and a good headlight are more than just safety equipment, they're good PR. I get compliments on my safety equipment, particularly my 200 lumen headlight, quite often, from people in my town (often parents with children), drivers (more than once, someone at a red light will roll down a window to tell me my lighting and safety equipment are uncommon, and keep it up!) and once from two New York City cops (who yelled out "that's the way to do it!" as I rode by at night).

Yeah, the idiot wrong-way "ninja" cyclists make us all look bad; but cyclists with safety equipment make us all look good.

Whatever you decide for now, keep in mind that this isn't an either-or choice in the long term: As I'm sure you know, you can always get more safety equipment later on. Yeah, it may seem as if those dinky lights don't do much, but when you have a lot of them, they make you quite visible indeed.


How do I select a rear deraileur for my mountain bike? I have damaged my rear derailer and are looking for a replacement, aside from replacing it with the exact same model, what do I look for in terms of compatibility.

I note that there are long medium and short cage sizes, what is the difference?

Also, there are 7, 8 and 9 speed versions.

Some models I have seen have large plastic pulleys and look like they are definitely not for a mountain bike. What is this about?

A derailleur for your mountain bike should match the specifications on the original derailleur. That is, while it doesn't need to be the same model of derailleur, it does need to be the same brand, in almost every case.

It also needs to match the number of gears, or have more intended. Meaning a 7 speed will fit for 5 and 6 speed bikes. An 8 speed will work for 7 and 8 speed. A 9 speed will work for 8 and 9 speed, and sometimes 7 speed (but no promises.) A 10 speed mountain derailleur has more limitations. It may work with 8 or 9 speed, or it may not, depending on model and brand, and other variations. It is the newest, and least tested, with non 10 speed systems.

In addition, the cage length, either short, medium, or long, should be the same as the original. If you don't know what yours is, then long is the safest bet, but you may also need to change the length of your chain. The difference between long and short cages is the amount of chain the derailleur is able to absorb, which in turn determines the size of the gears you can run, particularly as relates to the front chainrings.

The large plastic pulley derailleurs you have seen are called Mega Range derailleurs. They are generally used for department store quality bikes, or hybrids, and are definitely not intended for a mountain bike. They give a very easy climbing gear, but are low quality, and often shift very poorly.

I hope that helps. If you need more info, feel free to ask.


How to plan routes for touring? I am a bit lost even to find the shortest safe way to the nearest city. How do you choose your routes for long journeys? Do you need to do compromises very often or change plans?

There's a variety of touring styles to consider. There are people who plot every single metre of the journey and then there are people who just ride until they run out of time or money. I assume there are people who do whatever seems interesting on the day or who just obey whatever directions they get from whoever they meet. I've kinda done all of those.

In outback Australia direction-finding is often very easy: there's one road, you follow it. After a few hundred kilometres you might reach a T intersection and have to make a decision (at Newman in WA, for instance). At the other extreme is navigating the old medieval parts of European cities where there's a maze of little corridor-sized streets.

My preference is to plan a route based on roughly 50km a day through an area with a reasonable density of interesting things. So if I fly into Christchurch, NZ (don't do that right now, ok) with a month to spend I might plan on riding down through Tekapo, out to the coast at Moeraki then back, for a nominal distance of about 1000km (30km/day). But when I actually ride I expect to find diversions - ride up to the Hermitage (Aoraki), through the Otago Rail Trail, and so on, probably riding more like 1500-2000km. My goal is that if I see a sign saying "historic dam 5km" I can ride up to see what that is. Or if someone says "you have to see the eccentric monolith" I can ride that way. It's a balance between planning and aimless wandering that suits me.

For CANC2 we spent a couple of months planning out where we'd ride, how long it will take (roughly) for each stage and what food and so on we'd need posted to each drop point. We also started contacting communities along the way to set up media and school visits, but that's pretty much what you expect for a political ride. I've never done a solo or friend-group ride with that level of planning.

The intense planning usually means looking not just at distance, but conditions - gradients, expected weather, road conditions and so on. Read tour reports from other people, look at nearby tourist attractions (for whatever type of tourist you are), work out where you want to stop each day. Often you start with the list of attractions and work from there. Friends of mine who've done that often start with an event (like PBP, SPEZI) or some other reason to travel, then work out how long they can afford to tour for and buy air tickets accordingly.


What type of valve do shock pumps use? Do all shock pumps use a schrader valve?  I've just taken a look at a couple of product listings and found no mention of the valve type.  I guess that might be to avoid people buying those pumps for regular tires after reading that they connect to schrader valves, but right now I'm trying to figure out what is correct for my new fork.

The fork description states that it has a schrader valve, and I was able to confirm that with my roady style hand pump, but obviously only top it up a tiny amount.

Yes, very nearly all, if not all shock pumps certainly do use a schrader valve.


Changing my P1s cleats I was wondering if it was time to change these Powertap P1s cleats. Do we have a rule of thumb for this?

Also, can anyone share his/her feedback to 0-degree cleats of the same model? Thanks!

I change cleats when they're worn to the point of a corner/ledge is missing chunks.

At this level of wear, the cleat can unclip easily and sometimes spontaneously.  In this state I can still ride, though not as aggressively on take-off or high power.

If you have an event coming up, like a race, a long ride, a group ride, or similar, then change your cleats before they get to the "pieces missing" stage.  Do get at least one test ride in before your event to make sure the new cleats are positioned well.

For your photo, I would call the cleats MARGINAL .  Certainly change those for an event this weekend, but if you're just commuting then there's a month or two left in them.

I guess you're a left-foot down rider (like me), cos the shoe on the right of the photo seems to have more wear than the other.  I always save my worn cleats, sometimes getting months more wear out of two former-right-foot cleats.  A pair of utterly-knackered cleats make for great inserts so you can ride the bike in flat shoes too.  Good for a shopping trip.

Do notice that cleat wear is almost exclusively from walking about in your shoes.  There is almost no wear imparted from riding, other than putting your foot down at a red light or stop.

Cleat wear can be minimised by not walking on concrete, and by avoiding spin-turns on the ball of your feet when walking.  You can get cleat covers, but they're easily lost and still hard to walk in.

I sometimes wonder if aluminium cleats would be practical.


Tire Gauge to Avoid Over-Inflation I just purchased a tire floor pump with a gauge for my bike. The gauge seems to start off at 0 PSI when I connect the pump to the tire. So, do I need to use a separate tire gauge to first measure the current pressure of my tires prior to using the pump so as not to over-inflate them?

Additional info: I purchased the Serfas TCPG Bicycle Floor Pump and the gauge does not move at all when the hose is attached until I start pumping. Not sure if that's correct or if I'm doing something wrong.

The pressure dial doesn't measure the pressure in the tube - it gives the pressure in the entire system (tube + hose).  When you connect your pump, you need to pressurize the hose to the same level as the tube before it will read anything.  I usually find this takes two or three full pumps, and the resistance jumps up massively once the tube and tire have the same pressure. At that point, the dial will show you the pressure in your tire.


Why would hydraulic disk-brakes become sluggish in cold winter? Just an incident or due to the cold? Related question, I haven't bled the brakes (again a possible error).

I bought the bike as second-hand and the seller said that the mineral oil cannot be the problem. He said that the mineral oil in the brakes is one-year-old and his dealer instructed to buy a new bike (so I got mine 2-3 years old, driven 10k km). I cannot really trust the words so the rear brakes (no problem with front brakes) may have discolored oil, a thing to watch for according to Shimanos' guide. The caliper is Shimano BR-M485, and apparently other parts are proper (not verified), original Crescent Sport bike brakes apparently (not verified). I haven't yet checked that the brake pads are over 0.5mm as instructed but I feel it is not the problem, speculating. So possible errors:

not bleed the air from the brake system
discolored oil
not tighted some knob(?)
too worn-out pads
weather: perhaps some water in the tank and it freezes or oil vaporizing
unknown factor (?)

So why would you hydraulic brakes stop working in cold weather? The question is a bit confusing -- the problem started during cold winter and it persists in room temperature. I have earlier repaired inner hubs so is the procedure the same: break thing up to logical pieces and then follow Shimanos insructions or have you found better ways to repair broken hydraulic disk brakes? Again, the term broken is ambigous, the brakes work in a way that you need to press a lot more but now they feel loose (not with the front brake).

Could someone explain what the term bleeding here actually mean?
Must I really use Shimanos' mineral oil and not some cheap substitute?
Which minimum equipments are needed to repair|maintain the-brakes?

Tips to maintain the disk-brakes on low budget welcome.

Hydraulics are the same for car brakes, as for these style brakes, as anywhere else in the physical universe.

Liquids have an amusing property that they do not compress well, if at all.  (They do of course compress, but not very much in the grand scheme of things, and it takes a lot of pressure to noticeably compress them).

Thus your hand started breaking force is transmitted direct to the brake, through the medium of the fluid.

If the fluid is getting viscous, due to cold weather, it might become thicker, and thus less responsive to your hand pressure.

The reason to bleed air out of the system is that air compresses very nicely, thank you, unlike a liquid, and so destroys the hydraulic principle in use.   Bleeding in this context means to release any trapped air inside the hydraulic cylinder.

Same as in car brakes.  First the air compresses, absorbing much of the energy being applied to brake, until finally the liquid starts to transmit the energy.


Cheap alternatives to avoid tire punctures If you head to Walmart and see the slime bike liners for in the tire to stop goatheads and small nailes from actually running the tire.
Is there anything around the house or shed that can be used also?
Also the slime ones only seem to not cover the side of the tire wall. I do rock and outdoor bike riding and once hit a soft dirt patch that sunk my tire and a small nail got in from the side.

Any suggestions?

Puncture resistant tires and liners are hard to DIY since they are made from kevlar and other specialty materials which are not easy to come by on the consumer market.

Flat protection opions:
Puncture resistant tires $35 to $80 a tire - most expensive, best protection, only good for the life of the tire. My favorite lightweight ones are panaracer t-serve, most protection panaracer ribmo.
Tire Liners - $15-$25 a set- cheaper, reusable when you get new tires, adds a bit to rotating weight.  Mr Tuffy and Slime brands are available. I haven't used these personally.
Tubes with sealant - $10-$15 per tire - will seal small punctures with a liquid sealant. This is pretty much the same liquid in tubeless tire setups. This can have mixed results. Slime can get messy and clog valves. I don't think these are worth it.

Really, none of these will prevent pinch flats either. Your best bet is to use one of the first two options and keep tires inflated to the proper PSI regularly. Always carry a patch kit and tools to fix a flat and a spare tube is nice to have as well, it pays to be prepared.


Upgrading front drailleur I have a Sora 2x9 front derailleur, and a Tiagra rear derailleur.  I want to upgrade the Sora component.  Do I need to be concerned about anything other than getting another 2x9 front derailleur?  Thanks.

You need to be make sure the new front derailleur is compatible with your existing shifter and cable.  If your shifter is Shimano, it's best to stay with a Shimano part for this one, to ensure compatibility.

I understand where you're coming from and the front derailleur shifting can be frustratingly marginal.  If it's that frustrating you might look at going to 105 or even Ultegra, depending on the parts and price you find.

The (assumed) sketchy front shifting could also be a function of worn/bad cables and housing, and even shifter.  It's probably worthwhile to replace that shift cable and housing as part of your upgrade.  Or even try the shift cable and housing replacement first before upgrading the derailleur.  Someone may have installed a less-than-optimal cable and housing for your particular derailleur.

If you really feel like going for it, you could get a new shifter too.  But that's a slippery slope... of course you'd have to replace both shifters to match, etc.

In the meantime, you could find someone else who's really good with derailleur adjustments to try adjusting it one more and see if you get lucky... Just not whoever adjusted it last time!  Worth a shot... The derailleur clamp positioning on the seat tube may have shifted enough to cause crappy shifting.  If that's happened, the adjuster screws may not get the job done, and the clamp may need to be loosened and repositioned to get the cage in the right spot in relation to the chainrings and chain. Someone who is really good with these will usually spot that, as well as cable/housing issues.


Tektro Brake will not extend pistons after bleed I bleed my brakes today and I'm not able to get my pistons to extend. They are current retracted, but nothing gets them back out even with the air bubbles removed. Also, the brakes have no tension. I made this video that reveals what the issue and what I did. Please provide advice.

You're bleeding them wrong.
Tektro has been making decent hydros, but the clarity of their published bleed procedures has still left a lot to be desired, so I don't blame you.
Their published instructions differ a little across models, but what I do for most of them is put a bleed block in, position them such that the port on the lever is the highest point and the port on the caliper is the lowest point, put a syringe on each end (starting with the new fluid in the caliper end), and push the fluid up while applying gentle back pressure on the lever syringe plunger. This is where you'll see most of your bubbles. Then if what came out is dirty, I remove and drain the lever syringe, replace it, refill the caliper syringe, and repeat until I'm getting clean looking fluid all the way through. Then I push it back and forth a few times, keeping the syringes upright to collect the air. You could bonk on the caliper and lever with a soft tool to loosen bubbles if you want, but I typically find it not necessary. When you're not getting any more bubbles in either direction, remove the syringe from the caliper end first and close the port tight, then the lever end. Once both ends are sealed, squeeze the lever with the bleed block still in, and it should be rock solid. I never actuate the brake lever before this with Tektros.
If you only have one syringe (the Tektro consumer kit only comes with one), I believe you do it by setting up a collection bag at the lever end and pushing fluid up from the caliper, but to be honest I never do it this way so I may be missing something.
No bike brakes today are bled without a bleed block in place between the pistons. You don't want the pistons able to move around during the bleed process because then the fluid will be overfilled and your pad gaps will be all screwed up. You can improvise one by cramming whatever in there and holding it in with tape or a rubber band. Or, in most cases a Shimano block of the same pad type will go right in too.
Actuating the lever like you're doing in the video with the caliper bleed port still open is going to cause the exact behavior you're seeing of shooting fluid out of the bleed port without moving the pistons. The pistons have some resistance to overcome from the seals etc, but the fluid will move freely. There's not really a circumstance I can think of where it makes sense to squeeze the lever with the caliper bleed port open.


Can't find the B-tension screw in rear derailleur I am trying to register my old rear derailleur (a 15-year-old Shimano "7sis"), and I'm trying to find what every guide calls the "B-tension screw". I looked everywhere and couldn't find anything that looks like it. I only have the two screw for the upper and lower limit.
Here are a couple of pictures:

Can anybody point me in the right direction?
Thanks

As other comments have stated some older derailleurs did not come with a "B" screw. This is also true of newer low end components.


SRAM Drop bar to MTB hydraulic brake interoperability In a previous question I asked about compatibility of drop bar shifters with mountain bike derailleurs. Now I'm curious about drop bar hydraulic brake lever compatibility to mountain bike hydraulic brakes. Is that something that can be made to work?

For example, if I got a bike with SRAM "Level" hydraulic discs, will SRAM integrated drop bar shifters/brake levers work with them?

I know the gear shifting will work as long as the levers and derailleurs are all 1:1 (SRAM's "Exact Actuation"). Is the same true of hydraulic brakes?

If that can be made to work, please provide an example SRAM drop bar lever that would work with those brakes.

Thanks.

I was very interested in this question, because I have a set of Apex road brakes (levers & calipers) mismatched with one flat mount and one post mount. As noone has provided a satisfactory answer, I thought I'd do it myself.
For my new frame, I need post mount brakes, but the HRD calipers are rather hard to find and expensive. Also I have a set of Avid Juicy 3 brakes sitting around, one fine, the other seized.
At a glance, and without taking any measurements, the Juicy caliper looks very similar to the Apex Post Mount caliper with a very similar size and shape body, similar pad area and very similar piston diameter, so I hooked up the front of the bike with the standard Apex setup and the rear of the bike with the Juicy caliper.
The brakes feel similar to each other at the lever, enough to say there's no difference. The Juicy caliper works very nicely though does provide a little extra braking power. In my opinion, the SRAM road disc brakes are a bit weak, so this is welcome.
I doubt there will be longer term problems but I will update with how things go as the (new) pads wear down.


Is it ok to stretch a steel fork from 90mm to 100mm? I want to fit a 100mm front wheel on it but the current wheel seems to be 90mm wide..

You can spread steel forks safely (never spread aluminum/carbon fiber), and its not a trivial task to do at home, since you need to keep the fork blades spaced symmetrically and you don't have the same type of leverage available for the rear triangle. Then re-bend the axle mounts, as Criggie points out in the comments.

Sheldon Brown has some tips on how to do it (pull the fork apart, check for alignment, use a rubber mallet when necessary), but I'd leave it to a shop if you can find one that can do it.


Help identify this vintage bike I would appreciate help in identifying this bike.
I was thinking the bike could be a Raleigh as they are common in the UK however the moulding on the tubes is strange to me. I'm guessing the bike is from 1979 based on the sturmey-archer hub having a 79 and 4 engraved.
Any further information on the bike would be really appreciated.

The following link provides the same photos.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ejkchd1vtSSiqGbRA

That bike has certainly had some changes since it was new.
I can see someone brush-painted it green, without bothering to remove the outers for the gear cables or the brake calipers, though they do appear to have missed the cranks when painting.
The cranks are cottered, so those are probably 70s or earlier.   The pedals may be newer than that - they're not clear in the photo.
Your bike was probably a drop bar when new - the flatbar look like that wasn't done - if you wanted an upright position, you got a dutch-ier style of bike with more rise and sweep in the bars.   Point is, the flat bar is probably a much more recent change, along with the shorter quill stem.
On the other hand, I suspect the saddle is from an older bike too - the saddle rails have that green paint slathered on, but the style of the rails and springs is not in line with the frame.  So I suspect the big sprung-saddle was swapped in somewhere midlife.
The wheels look odd too - the rims have a "look" of aluminium in your photo, this can be tested with a magnet which will stick to steel rims and not aluminium.  They would have been "28 inch" when new, and I can see the brake calipers are not at their limits so probably still are 28 inch, or ETRTO 630mm diameter.

Could you check the Right hand side of the rear dropout for a derailleur hanger?  If you find one, or remains of one being cut off, or even the dual imprint of a crow's foot hanger in the right dropout, then thats a sign it was originally sold with a derailleur.
That the SA hub has "79" on it suggests the hub is that old.  But the bike's frame appears to be older again to me.  I'm very confident the bars were changed, fairly confident the saddle was changed, so theres every possibility the rear wheel was swapped out too.

It does have the overall look of a Raleigh frame, but that's common with many other english frame designs too.  The long curve on the fork means its a riding bike, not the fast twitchiness of a race bike.
I'd be concerned about the slap-dash paint job.  Someone's not bothered removing parts before painting, so they're likely to have not bothered removing or treating rust before painting either.  Have a good look over the whole frame, looking for anything soft.
I found a reference to Davies Components:

Davis Components was a Birmingham based company who manufactured lugs and frame fittings such as your bottom bracket. The numbers "61 .. 64" typically refer to the angles.
From https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/755602-frame-stamped-davis-components-who-were-they.html

So they made parts, not whole bikes.   Thus Raleigh would not have this, because Raleigh was an integrated vertical who made everything for themselves.
If you really want a name on your bike, get a water decal or sticker make saying whatever you want.   "Richard's Bike" is accurate, or you could call it "The Incredible Hulk" or even "Cervell-faux" or "Heck" or "cannoodle".


I feel long rides exclusively in my quads, should my calf muscles be doing more work? I notice a lot of cyclists with massive sculpted calf muscles, especially the kind that clearly ride as a life-style without worrying about minimizing body weight.

I've switched cities, and gone from a 7km round-trip commute to 25km round trip. I've been cycling hard as a hobby and often clocked 200km or more per week. After 6 months, I find that it's my quads that are getting larger, and my quads that are sore and tired after long rides, while my calf muscles feel hardly involved.

Does this suggest something wrong with my technique and/or posture? Should I be working to involve my calf muscles more?

Possibly relevant: I cycle with a pretty aggressive bent-over posture, on a touring bike with drop bars. I use clipless shoes and have been working on applying more power in the upwards-stroke. I ride with my seat relatively high, but comfortable and I'm certain I'm not over-extending my legs.

I don't think you have a problem here. Physiologically, your thighs are the engine room of your legs. They are designed for endurance and power and can keep working at a high output for extended periods of time.

Your calves are more for short bursts of power, such as jumping or sprinting. They can't sustain high power output for any length of time. In distance cycling, your calves should be fairly passive. Attempting to work them harder will probably just result in fatigue and injuries.


Chain drops off outwards betweeng plastic guard and last cog on crankset Chain drops off outwards between plastic guard and last cog on crankset. This effect i mostly managed to remove by moving front derailleurs inside (not happened since). But looks like the core issue is not solved. Sometimes under applied torque chain getting of the cog and just slips few teeth with cracking noise. It's not happening on the stand.
I drove not more than few hundreds kilometers.
I cannot move front derailleur even more, as frame will start rubbing the chain.
Drivetrain: Shimano Claris 3x8. Shimano chain CN-HG71 7/8 with KMC masterlink.
Chain is new and waxed, front and rear derailleurs are new and installed by me. Wiring is also new.
Crankset is a bit older than other components but does not look obviously bent. However I do not know how crakset behaves when I'm applying the torque.
How I can diagnose core issue ?

The front derailleur needs to be correctly adjusted for height, rotation and then for the H limit screw adjustment/cable tension
There is a good guide to the procedures here
https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/front-derailleur-adjustment
I would also strongly recommend that you review the Shimano documentation. https://si.shimano.com/#/en/DM/GN0001
The front derailleur helps keep the chain on the largest ring, so if it's not properly adjusted it's not unusual to fall off.


Slow leak on front cruiser tire I ride my cruiser to the supermarket and back, using either a trailer or a basket over the front wheel for carrying groceries. The bike has developed a persistent slow leak on the front wheel, and I've replaced the tube without it helping. I can't see anything puncturing the tire, and the spokes aren't poking through the rim tape that I can see.

These are 26" wheels with low pressure (around 40 - 50 psi). What else can I look for that might be causing this?

Mark your tire where the tube's valve stem is located, remove the tube, inflate it and put it in a bucket of water.  Look for bubbles. This is where your leak is. Now inspect the tire and rim at the correlating point for something that may be causing the leak.

Good Luck.


Why is this STI shifter cable corkscrewing? I have a roadbike with an older Shimano 105 set of brifters.  The left hand / front shifter has always had problems getting the chain to the big ring, to the point I often have to dismount to reset the chain.
Recently someone pointed out that my shifter outer was "weird-looking"  and I had no idea, because this was all hidden by my stem while riding normally.
 sorry for fuzziness - was a balancing act
The outer lies normally when untensioned but twists like this when I change to the big ring only.  Shifting to the middle ring from the grannie works fine.
What has caused this?  It used to work acceptably but has never shifted well.

The corkscrew shape of the housing strongly suggests that the cable is under great tension, and putting excessive compression on the cable housing.  Since the cable doesn't completely fill the housing, it will be ever so slightly shorter around a curve than the housing that contains it.  You've put so much tension on the cable that the housing is bending under the pressure.
The most likely cause is that your derailleur is seizing up at the end of its range; normal pressure will move it over the lower part of the range, but it takes extreme pressure to move it the last bit.  I would inspect the pivots for rust or dirt, clean them and apply penetrating oil and see if you can loosen it up that way.
I see some suggestions of a broken cable strand; I wouldn't expect that to cause a problem only at the end of the action.  But if a strand is broken just where the cable exits the cable housing at the bottom of the down tube, it could be hanging up just inside the termination of the housing.  But in that case the other end of the broken strand would be visible in the exposed length of cable, which I assume you've checked.


120 mm fork with a frame designed for 100 mm fork? I have a Cube Reaction Team 2011. It came with a Fox Alps 32 fork, 100 mm travel (26"). The fork is now ruined and I need a replacement (on a rather tight budget) and I found a good price for a Rockshox Reba RL Solo Air fork. It's 120 mm, but I think it can be adjusted to 100mm - I'm wondering though, would the extra 20 mm travel be a problem for my frame?

My point is basically these two questions:: firstly, would it ride/handle worse, and secondly - would it put more stress on my frame, especially if the stress could be potentially fatal for it (it's a carbon frame and it's one that's difficult to get anymore, so I'd rather keep it intact).

Also a side-question - is there any possibility that a 100mm, 26" fork would NOT fit my bike? I probably cannot install the fork myself and I'd rather not buy one and then find out at the bike shop that it cannot be installed on my frame.

Before starting, your fork looks pretty nice. Are you sure you can't send it to FOX and rebuild it? Why do you say it is ruined?
About the fork size, please check the cube FAQ:

CAN I INSTALL FORKS WITH MORE TRAVEL AS PROVIDED IN THE STANDARD EQUIPMENT?
NO. The installation of a fork with more travel will void the warranty. The bike geometry will be changed in a negative way, which leads to a different handling of the bike and can damage the frame permanently.
It is also not approved to install double bridge forks into CUBE bikes.

If your bike is still under warranty, I don't think it is worth it. If it isn't, it will for sure put more stress on the frame but I don't think it will brake. This depends a lot of your weight and ride style, and keep in mind Cube says not to do it, so it is your entire responsibility. I wouldn't do it.
I am pretty sure you can change your suspension between 80, 100 and 120mm of travel. Please check here. Rock Shox has really good manuals so you might even be able to do it yourself, otherwise take it to your bike shop.
Changing a suspension is simple, if you have the patience and the time to learn, and you just need one or two allen tools for most of it. However, sometimes taking the bottom part of the headset from the old fork is a pain. Search on youtube for fork replacement. If you feel like it, I think you can try and if something goes wrong take it to a shop in pieces. They will figure it out :)
Before buying, confirm with the seller the fork will fit the frame, specially if it is an used fork he might have shorten the part of it that goes into the headset and it's shorter size might not fit your frame or your favorite stem position.
IMPORTANT: Please see @mikes comment below.


Chain cassette noise Hello fellow cyclists,

I just bought a new Home Trainer that has a Shimano 105 Cassette.

My Bike has an Ultegra drivetrain with less than 600km (375mi).
I have checked the wear of the chain which seems clearly well off the .75

Yet I get a clicking/ratcheting sound. Video at slow speed almost no load (hand cranked):

Video at higher speed with bigger load:

What would you do ?

Thanks a lot !

EDIT:
With this view, the alignment seems right and an indexing problem less likely ?

Here

Also, it seems the noise comes from the chain/cassette separation on top:

Here

The most likely scenario is that the freehub/cassette on your trainer do not line up exactly the same as they do on your normal wheel, and you need to make small tweak to your indexing.

In your second video, it definitely sounds like it is trying to change gear.


chain jumping when puilling away in a higher gear I replaced the rear cog as the chain I had snapped and I thought it had taken some teeth off. Now when I pull away in 1-3 gears it's ok, but if I am in gears 4-7 and I try to pull away ( say I have stopped at lights and not had chance to change back up to 1st) then the chain slips and bounces off the cog its on. If I change up through the gears when I am already riding it isn't a problem, just seems to happen if I put any tension on the chain in the higher gears when I have stopped and start pulling away again. Could this be a cog problem? set up or chain problem? Its done it for a while now and I have put up with it, but I am overhauling the bike and would like to have a heads up as to what I should be looking at to fix/ replace.

When you replace the cluster (rear cogs) you almost always need to replace the chain too because they wear together.  If you put an old chain on a new cluster, you often experience that kind of because the length* of the links in the chain is slightly longer than the spaces between the teeth on a new cluster.

*Note the links don't actually get longer, it's just that the rollers wear out and allow a little play and the links sit a little further apart.  This is known as "stretch" though it's different to the way something like elastic stretches.


Shimano 105 front derailleur has some “extra shift” after shifting to small cog I have a new bike (about a month old). It has Shimano 105 2x11 group set.  The shifting works fine but I have noticed something odd on the front derailleur shifting.

I am in the big cog at the front. I shift to the small cog by pushing the lever as far inwards as it will go. It shifts nicely to the small cog.

However, I can then push the lever inwards some more and the front derailleur will “shift” a bit further. This doesn’t affect the gears at all as far as I can tell.

I have put the bike on a stand and done this whilst watching the front mech closely and sure enough, I shift to the small cog (really making sure to push the lever all the way across) and I can see the mech move. But then, I push the lever again and it shifts a bit more and the moves a
My partner has almost the same bike with same group set and her’s does the same thing.

Hopefully I explained that in a way that makes sense.

Is it normal?

Ben, congratulations on your new bike!

Yes the behavior is normal. The large cog should have a similar setting, i.e. if you don't shift all the way to the small ring, but just click gently, it should move into an intermediate position as well.

This is called "trimming" and is important to allow the chain to access all rear cogs without scratching on the derailleur. The trim position which you access with the extra click is suitable if you are running a lower gear at the back.


How do I know if I can replace the 27 inch wheels with 700c wheels on my MIELE bike? I need a help with choosing a wheelset for my Miele bike.I can't fully understand if it is possible to replace my old rigida 27 inch wheels for 700c coz i have too little free place.I visited a site where there is a size table of wheels and saw that it is possible(judging by numbers).There are no 27 inch wheels in my country at all,so im made to think of whether to  put 26" or if possible 700c.

There a lot of charts posted on the internet explaining the complex data of bicycle wheel sizing. In your case you likely have standard 27 inch wheels that equate to a 630mm iso wheel. A 700c wheel is iso size 622mm, slightly shorter than your current wheel. The primary concern is if your brake pads can move close enough toward the axle to contact the brake surface of the wheel. Then you need to match the axle mounting type, basically bolt-on or quick release. Then comes hub width. Ideally you would like to match your old one however there are articles about drop out spreading on steel framed bikes. Definitely not recommended for aluminum or carbon frames.


Is the second decimal important in the ring/cog ratio? The ring of my single speed is starting to wear out now that I'm approaching the 10k km and I'm planning to do an upgrade.

Most of the crank sets that I find interesting only come in 48–51 teeth.

I'm currently riding a 44 teeth with 16 teeth rear cog, that makes 44/16 = 2.75. I really like the setup as it is enough to get away with most hills near my city and I still can ride quite fast.

Will I notice any difference if I go with any of the following?

48t and 17t = 2.82 (+0.07)
50t and 18t = 2.77 (+0.02)
49t and 18t = 2.72 (-0.03)

48 x 17 = 2.82: 2.7% difference

50 x 18 = 2.78: 1.0% difference

49 x 18 = 2.72: -1.0% difference

I guess you might notice the almost 3% difference of the 48 x 17, but not the +/- 1%.


Why does the chain misalign in the lower pulley when shifting to the small front cog? Almost every time I go from the big, to the small, front cog on my SRAM Red 2011 (with a KMC chain), the chain ends in the lower pulley position, as shown in the photo. Why?

Because you're cross-chaining -- creating a bad chain angle.  With any dual derailer bike the chain angle is straighter if you use big front cogs with small rear cogs and vice-versa.  And with bikes with lots of rear cogs the chain angle can get bad enough to cause this situation.

Basically you need to learn to avoid cog combos that create a bad chain angle, and, in particular, when down-shifting on the front you should generally be at least 2-3 cogs away from the smallest on the rear (given you have a 10-speed rear).  (Keep in mind that you should tend to do this naturally if you're making good use of your gear range -- slowly shift down (larger cogs) on the rear as difficulty increases, then shift the front when you're fairly far "downshifted".)

In other words, don't try to muscle ups a hill in a high gear and then downshift with the front when the effort gets too much -- take it in steps.


Larger sproket on a single speed crankset? I recently bought an urban bike that comes with a single gear crankset with a 42 tooth sprocket and an 8 speed rear with 12-36 teeth. I would like to swap out the front sprocket to a larger one to gain more top end speed. I'm thinking 48-53 teeth depending on what I find. I wonder how I would go about doing this. Can I just screw off the 42 and attach a 48 to the existing crankset and then lengthen the chain a bit? Or would I need to purchase a new crankset? Would I need to adjust the rear derailleur if I run a larger front sprocket?

You'll have to wait until you get the bike & measure the distance between the holes, using this method. Then you can order the appropriate size chainring. Such as those here.

Rather than trying to lengthen the chain, I would recommend you buy a new one as you will be much less likely to have a tight or bent link this way.

You should not need to make any adjustments to the derailleur if you are only changing out the front chainring.


Sora 9 Speed on Campagnolo Cassette I have a wheelset with a Campagnolo cassette body. I want to run Sora 9-speed brifters with my wheelset. Will this work?

I believe that it will because according to the information posted on Sheldon's site (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/cribsheet-spacing.html), and that a Campagnolo cassette with Shimano spacers is within 0.03mm of a Shimano cassette's spacing all the time, and this matches the tolerances of a SRAM cassette - which is known to work with Shimano components.

A Campy cog is 1.75mm thick. A Shimano cassette is 1.78mm thick. A SRAM cassette is 1.8mm thick. However, SRAM spacers are 2.54mm thick. Shimano spacers are 2.56mm thick. So it appears that SRAM makes up for its extra cog thickness by reducing spacer thickness. There is a 0.05mm difference between a SRAM cog and a Shimano cog, but the spacer is thinner on SRAM setups - by 0.02mm, so the net difference between Shimano and SRAM in terms of cog center to cog center is only 0.03mm.

A Campagnolo cassette with Shimano spacers will similarly have a 0.03mm tolerance as Campagnolo sprockets are 0.03mm thinner than Shimano cassettes.

So, will it work? Any real life experiences?

Yes, it works. I ran a Campy hub and cassette with Shimano DuraAce shifters and derailleurs with no problem. Chain was usually SRAM or Shimano. 9 speed is wonderfully versatile in this regard! Just make sure your rear derailleur hanger is straight. That tends to exaggerate tolerance discrepancies more than anything else.


How many balls to put in a bearing? I'm cleaning out most of the bearings on my new (second hand) bike.

I'm replacing the grease inside the pedal bearings and I was wondering.

How many ball bearings should be inside? I thought there had to be just enough to fill the full circle, but a friend of mine told me I should fill the circle to its fullest and then remove one ball.

The reason, he said, is that else there is to much pressure on the bearings.

Is this true? And is it true for all the bearings (say, the ones in my hubs)?

And also, I'm putting vaseline (the yellow heavy-duty variant) inside the bearings – is that a good idea?

The reason behind the "full less one" is that you need at least half the race full (rounded up) for it to work and performance improves with more balls past that point, but if it's too full you get a dramatic loss in performance. So "full less one" is an easy guide.

In practice most bearings spread a little as you tighten the cones so "full" when you're adding balls is not actually full in use. You can usually see this - when you're adding balls they generally sit in against the axle, then when you add the cone it spreads the bearings slightly. So filling the race is almost always fine.

Don't be tempted to add one more to fill in the extra space created when you tighten it up, this is exactly the situation the "full less one" guide is trying to avoid. That "full plus one" means all the load is on one bearing (and one section of the cone), plus the bearings are really grnding against each other as the wheel rotates. If you're lucky the wheel won't rotate in this situation, but if you're unlucky you're wreck the cups and have to replace the cups (or hub, if the cups are not replaceable).


Insect stings while bike riding This year, whilst bike riding, I was stung two times by insects, one time a bee and once by a wasp (most likely; I didn't see it but from the feeling, size and heat of the stung area I can't think of anything else).
After some research on different websites (https://www.roadbikerider.com/bee-stings-and-how-to-deal-with-them-d1/ / https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/1080561-insect-stings-while-riding.html) this has happened to others, though I never heard about it before. I only heard about insects getting into helmets, but my stings were on the lower arm through a longsleeve and the other one on the shinbone.
Now I am asking myself, why/how is this happening? Do insects feel threatened by bike riders and attack them? Are they smashed into riders when there is heavy wind? When going too fast on a bike and "overtake" an insect, do you ride into their sting?
I was riding on a road bike with an average 30 km/h both times with one time heavy headwind.

It happened twice to me to be stung:

once a wasp entered from the neck under my loose shirt, and being trapped between the fabric and my chest didn't find anything better than stinging me.
another time I was cycling along the coast and felt a sudden burn between my thumb and my pointing finger. Something stingy was there and had the idea of sticking its harpoon into my flesh.

And if we don't consider stinging but insect accident in general...

another time, while I was speeding downhill, a bumblebee loaded with pollen splashed onto my glasses. Not painful for me, but my face was half covered with a yellowish goo.
while panting for a climb, some mosquito decided that my mouth was a nice place to rest (forever)

Now, I ride for more than 30 years, so I would dare to say, based on my sole experience, that mishap with insect are rare but can happen, and if they feel threatened they fight back.

Wear tight shirt to avoid them being trapped between the clothing and your skin, keep your mouth closed as much as possible, and wear glasses to protect your eyes. That should do for most of the cases.


Tubus Rack Compatibility on a 29er With Discs I have a Trek 520 with a Tubus Tara rack on the front and a Tubus Cargo (not the newer Evo model) rack on the rear. I'm thinking about trading in the 520 for a 29er with disc brakes, probably a Salsa Fargo.

So I guess my question is two parts:

Would disc brakes interfere with mounting the racks? And...
I know I could run 700c tires on the rim if need be, but would I have the clearance for fat tires as well?

Has anybody tried this?

I have a salsa Fargo, with the tubus duo and logo racks. The cargo appears to be a more basic logo, so you should be fine for the rear.

The fargo's caliper mounts are inside the rear triangle, and the bike is designed to be a touring bike.

With the duo, you will sacrifice using the fork mounted bottle cage mounts. Its most likely the same for the Tara. That upper loop on the Tara may interfere with a 29er, but I have no first hand experience.


Increasing stamina while in the office I started to bike again after 3 or more months of hiatus. I'm currently using a XXS Merida Scultura 300 (I previously used a Trinx R300 needed to upgrade because of the wrong geometry). Thing is I lost most of my stamina from my break (no exercise, lots of carbonated drink intake) and I also started using cleats which is kind of hard I fell a lot just from clipping out.

I am also a weekend rider. Since I go to the office every weekdays and got no more time to bike before or after work. I asked my friend how can I get back my stamina. What he suggested was to buy ankle weights and wear it every time. Do legs raise while in office and climb the stairs while skipping one step.

Question is, is this an effective method? Or you guys have more training methods while in office?

Edited: since Cadence isn't the question here but of endurance and to last more on biking long distance. Sorry question was written quickly in the office.

The best way to improve at riding is to ride -- but many people do have limitations on their time that make it difficult to ride as much during the week as they would like.

At one end of the spectrum, there is some amount of almost all fitness-building activity that is transferable to cycling fitness. Cycling is mostly an aerobic sport, so vigorously climbing stairs or vigorous lunch walks can help. Parking or getting off the bus a few blocks away from work and then walking vigorously the rest of the way can help your overall aerobic fitness.

At the other end of the spectrum, you may want to investigate purchasing (or borrowing) a magnetic or fluid trainer on which you can place your bike so you can train at home. Many people who live in cold climates who do not wish to ride outdoors or after dark in winter either train at home or in gymnasiums to good effect, and are ready to ride on the roads when spring arrives. There are training plans and software you can purchase to guide you in indoor training.


Alternative to Cane Creek 200TT Brake Levers I'm newbie.

Looking for silver TT levers (not aero) for bullhorn on single speed (caliper brakes).

I'd like all silver levers (without tblack parts).

There's Cane Creek 200TT. But it has black parts nad I don't sure I like the shape.

Is there other alternatives? Something by Tektro, Die-Compe?

Thanks

There are other options out there, just one i came across are these Origin 8's that are 99% silver, they have black endcaps but wouldn't break the bank.
Tektro's version below them.

Soma Urban Pursuits are pretty sweet:

(source: singlespeedshop.com)


Commuter/ road bike from a MTB frame I have an entry-level 27.5 mountain bike and I will be moving to London this summer. Since I won't be riding it on trails anymore I thought I can keep the frame and wheels and build a commuter bike or road bike. I also read lots of posts where people suggest buying a proper road bike than struggling with building something that will be mediocre in the end, but I want to keep my frame at least, since I am attached to it.

What parts should I buy on a budget? I must mention that it would be really nice if I can get a 1x10 or 11 setup.

The bike:https://www.insportline.eu/26274/mountain-bike-devron-riddle-h1-7-27-5-2018

On a budget:

Get slick tires with low rolling resistance (maybe with some puncture protection if you’ll ride a lot in the city).
Lock the fork and optimize your seating position for better aerodynamics and power.
Maybe get cleatless pedals and shoes.
Get cycling clothes. More comfort, better aerodynamics.

For commutes you might want to add a rear rack, mud guards and good, street-legal lights. Don’t forget to get a strong lock (U-Lock or high quality folding lock) if you plan to leave the bicycle unattended in the city.

Changing the gears to 1x10 or 11 will be expensive since you’ll need a new  rear hub, cassette, shifters, chain and crankset. It doesn’t gain you a lot, except maybe some convenience and weight reduction (on a bike which is so heavy that it doesn’t really matter). So I wouldn’t go for it. If you want faster or slower gears it’s relatively easy and cheap to change gear ratios. Just get chainrings or a cassette with a different number of teeth. For example if you need faster gears you could change the large 42 teeth chainring for one with 48 teeth or even better change all chainrings together from 42-34-24T to 48-38-28T.

If you’d pour a lot of money into this cheap mountainbike you’d end up with a mediocre road bike with a heavy mountainbike frame and strange (for a road bike) wheel size.


Can I fix my Park Tool CCP-22 - the round head came off? At some point I somehow managed to break my crank puller. The round head that pushes against the axle has come off.

Can I get a replacement handle / fix it myself or do I just need to buy a new tool?

I would contact Park Tool's customer service and inquire about warranty replacement.  Their hand tools have a lifetime warranty against manufacturer defects to the original purchaser.


Ancheer 250watt Motor Hall Sensors? I need to replace  the 3 hall sensors in this 36v 26" hub motor for ancheer bike.
I purchased the 41F/0H41/SH41/SS41F/S41 Bipolar Hall Element Sensor TO-92UA
but it is bigger and does not fit. i squeezed them in to make them fit but they dont work. motor does not respond to these they are the wrong model. anyone can suggest which hall sensors might work. the originals are lableled 4010 1724
and nothing like this exists online. ancheer also doesnt know.

You most likely need digital hall sensors (instead of analog versions). Most bldc motors use digital hall sensors. You should check your controller specs to see what type of hall sensors it supports but most likely you will need digital.

have you tried testing the hall sensors with either a multimeter or controller tester to see if they  switch on and off when rotating the wheel? Are you sure your hall sensor leads are correctly connected to the controller? Is there voltage on to the GND and +5V wires going to the hall sensors? (Measure voltage across these two wires when the controller is turned on, the motor doesn't have to be moving for this.
Are you sure you didn't damage your hall sensors during installation?

Is there any other text/marking(brand perhaps) on the original hall sensors? Could you attach a/some photo(s) of the original hall sensors for reference?


how to identify chain type How can I identify the make and model of a chain?

I need to take a chain off and clean it.  (It's a new-to-me used bike, and I'm giving everything the once over.)  The chain doesn't have a master link, so I'm going to have to break it and add a master link.  To do this, I need to figure out what kind of chain it is so I can get the right master link.

(It might make sense to just get a new chain given relative prices, but I'd rather keep the chain I have because this is my knock-around bike and I don't want it to look new, I want it to look not worth stealing.)

Looking at the chain, it says KMC, NARROW, with a stylized Z.  The bike is a 3x7 department store bike.  The rear cogs say Shimano MF-TZ21.

Here's a picture.

Any brand link that is rated for a 7 speed chain will fit. Sram refers to there's as a Power Link, KMC calls it a Missing Link other are quick connect. What is important is that it not the type with the "U" clip that it together. That type is only for non derailleur bikes.


Choose medium or long cage? I am upgrading (or downgrading ? :P)  my MTB to 1x, currently on compact 2x10.

I will be changing chainring, derailleur and cassette.
I will get 11-42 Sunrace MS3 10-Speed Cassette.
Also Shimano XT M8000 Shadow+ 11 Speed Rear Mech

I will be using the mech with 10 speed shifter, I read and was told on multiple places they work better than 10speed mechs with the large cogs.

What I don't know yet is if I should go for long or medium cage? Im on a hardtail

For 1 by X, a medium cage has enough capacity (11-42 needs only 31).

Refer here for details of compatibility between different drive line equipment.

Using an 11 speed derailleur with a ratio of 1.1 vs 10 speed is 1.2, with a cable pull of 3.4mm, across 9 shifts, gives an error of 3mm. If you have have the derailleur perfect in the center, you are out by 1.5mm at the outer cogs, which is getting to be a little far out for my liking.  Many say it works, but I have seen no one report back after the chain, cassette and cables are no longer new and shiny and in perfect working order. However, I have also heard and suspect it to be true, that the M8000 provides a better 10 speed 11-42 setup than a 10 Speed derailleur.

Better alternates to the M8000 if you don't want to go to 11 speed are third party upgrades to your 10 speed derailleur, e.g.  Rad Cage, Goatlink, or both.

I looked at going 1x for my 3x10, and decided it was either go the whole hog and do it properly with 1x11 or stick with what I had.


Shimano 105 brifters - rear shift jumps multiple gears I have a Specialize Roubaix that's about 10 years old with the Shimano 105 component set. I've started to develop a problem in the rear derailer where when I shift to a higher gear/smaller cog, the shifter "jumps" multiple gears. Happens whether I'm on the middle or big chainring in front. And yes, I know it's jumping multiple gears because it takes multiple shifts to get back into the gear I started from.

This seems to be the opposite of the stickiness most people complain about. :) Any ideas on how to address it, short of replacing the shifter? I've already replaced the cables, adjusted shifting, checked the chain for wear, etc.

Often, this is a problem with derailleur adjustment, so I'd double check and triple check that first.

The first thing to do is check if the rear derailleur is bent. If it is, get it un-bent - it is near impossible to adjust a rear derailleur which is bent adequately. The second thing to make sure you have adequate cable tension, proper cable installation and your derailleur is adjusted properly. Here are some good directions on doing that (as well as here).

Assuming your cables are installed properly and you've adjusted your derailleur correctly (and as correctly as possible) and your chain+cassette aren't worn, then I'd start by replacing the rear derailleur (you may have developed a lot of play in it, and it is significantly cheaper than a shifter) and then look into replacing the shifters.

IIRC, the Shimano 105 shifters from about 10 years ago were shoddily built, so it may be the shifters after all.


Why is my drivetrain so noisy after replacing the chain? I ride an SE Lager fixed. On the 30th of May this year I did a bit of an overhaul, replacing the rear cog, chain, wheels, tyres and brake pads.

I measured the chain last weekend and discovered that it was already over .75 (which I asked about here), but less than 1.0. So I decided the replace the chain with a new KMC Z410 chain. I use a Surly track cog 1/8 inch, 17t on the back and since it was only a few months old and with a single chain I decided not to replace it. The chainring is also not old and looks to be in fine condition.

Here is a photo showing the old cog (on the left) and a brand new cog (on the right). I couldn't see any appreciable difference which I took as reinforcing my decision that it didn't need replacing.

Unfortunately the next day I went for a ride the drivetrain was incredibly noisy. Clunking and grinding. I could even feel roughness through the pedals. I was thinking maybe the bottom bracket (the only drivetrain component that has not been replaced yet) might have completely fallen apart. What is causing this noise?

Fair warning: I have the answer to this question that I will post shortly. According to my  research, asking and answering a question is encouraged as a source of information

Update: I should clarify that I don't have the answer to the question. I know how I fixed it, but that doesn't preclude another answer being more informative

Fixed gears don't have as much tolerance for mismatched wear patterns as geared bikes, because there is no "give" in the drive train system.

The small amount of wear shown on the used cog is enough to cause this kind of noise in the case of a fixie. I'd be surprised if the same amount of wear caused you any problems at all on a geared machine.

It's also possible that the chain was over tensioned. I know you said that you use a tensioner, and that you didn't change the settings, but you used a new, unstretched, and therefore shorter chain. You may have needed to relax the tension by a small amount.

As you removed the wheel to change the cog, It may be that the tension has changed as well. Hard to say for certain, as you made the noise go away.


Hydration rucksacks on and off the bike? I suffer from diabetes insipidus, body fluids and inability to keep them inside.
I'm not a fan of using a rucksack on a ride, prefer the bike to carry the weight, but am wondering if a small hydration pack would be good for riding and walking when off the bike? Ideally I'd use some hydration mix, rather than just plain water. A good idea or would I be better with the bigger, 660 ml, water bottle and carry that in a handlebar bag over my shoulder when off the bike?

You don't say how long your rides are or how much water is needed per hour.  Going by my personal experience, you'll want 1 bike bottle (also known as a bidon) per hour in neutral/comfortable temperatures, and more if it gets hot.

I did a 12 hour ride and ended up sucking down 8-9 litres of water over the period (a bottle and a 2 litre pack, filled up three times) and that is consistent with a bottle an hour.

Locations: You can have two bottles inside the main frame triangle. a couple on the bars in holders, and two more aft of your seat.  You can also put stuff in panniers or on a bike rack on the back.

Bottles are available in up to ~800 mL sizes too - don't bother with the little ones.   Don't bother with insulated ones either - they plain don't work at keeping the water cool.  Instead you can add ice cubes to both bottles add the hydration bladder before topping it off with water.

Liquid - hydration bladders are terribly hard to clean and dry, but if you don't they will go mouldy.   Only put water in a water bladder, as per the instructions.  Anything with sugar should not be in the hydration bladder.

If you want to carry electrolyte drinks, use a normal water bottle for them.   I've tried them but they taint the plastic, so I can still faintly taste the electrolyte powder flavour several rides later.

I tried using the hydration pack on my MTB frame, but there was a long way to lift the water up the hose to drink it.  I found the pack to be good on the back, and because it was 2/3 ice helped keep me cool for the first few hours of my trip.


In shop maintenance - Specialized I have been riding less than 6 months, mainly commuting to and from work. I got a Specialized Crosstrail Sport 2017.

Now, when I bought the bike, they suggested I bring it in every 3 months for servicing. This includes general maintenance and cleaning, and an extra charge for maintenance of the "Specialized Fitness Brain" suspension.  I get the feeling every three months is a bit too often to get in-shop servicing done. I only ride 200 km a week and, although the weather isn’t always the best, I would say it only rains 25% of the time.

I have been learning basic maintenance tips from from video tutorials and this website but my main concern, from what the shop said, is the suspension and hydraulic brake system. I most definitely don’t have the skill or knowledge to maintain those.

All together – should I take my bike back to the shop for servicing every 3 months?

Probably not, given that amount of riding.

From a shop perspective, giving a recommend maintenance interval is trickier than it may seem, because you want to account for the rider who's riding a lot but doing absolutely no maintenance or adjustments beyond air and chain lube, and probably not even doing that consistently or well. To keep that person, and shops deal with a lot of them, on a reliable bike, 3 months is a pretty reasonable number. It's conservative but I don't see it as gouging.

What I tell people first when asked about how often to bring it in is that a little bit of maintenance on your part goes a long way to increasing the interval. This mostly includes learning how to use your barrel adjusters, lube your chain, and occasionally torque the key items. Do that and the 3 months will become 6, 9, 12 etc depending on how much you ride and conditions.

Getting your brakes bled once a year is a commonly cited timeframe, but in reality most people are better off doing it as needed. Doing it preventatively doesn't buy you much if there are no issues. Unlike bearing system overhauls, there aren't really outcomes with hydros that leave us saying, "If you had brought it in sooner it would have been fine, but now it's trashed."

That fork, unless I'm really missing something, is a basic grease-lubricated coil or elastomer fork that's intended to never be serviced. You might specifically ask the shop what they would actually do to it in a tune up. I'm guessing the basic response is check that it still works on the test ride and replace it completely if it doesn't. If there's an external adjustment specific to the Brain then it's probably something you can do yourself.


How do I stop my brake from sticking? The rear brake (calliper) on my road bike sticks. When I pull the brake it pulls down but only half springs back and there's then slack in the leavers.  This is causing rubbing on the rim.

It's a fairly new bike (last year) so I wouldn't think it's just normal wear and tear. I've tried adjusting the tension using the adjuster and rebalancing but it doesn't seem to fix it.

Any idea what the problem is and how it can be fixed?

A few things off the top of my head:

Not enough brake cable tension.  This is very likely if it's fairly new and hasn't been tuned up -- brake cables stretch over time, especially when new.  The amount of stretch can be more than the barrel adjuster can compensate for, so you would need to actually pull more cable through the cable clamp on the caliper.
Broken (or worn out) caliper spring.  Less likely, but you should be able to see if it's broken, depending on the model of brake.  Your LBS might also be able to replace the spring rather than buying a whole new caliper.
Frayed cable or housing causes cable to "catch" and not spring back.  Might be harder to find, you'll need to inspect the cables and housing for damage (may need to pull the cable out completely).  The good news is that these are relatively cheap & easy to replace.


disc brakes start squealing after just a bit of use The rear disc brake on the Jitsie Varial 24" Hybrid that I recently got (for Christmas, so about two weeks ago) started squealing and losing its power. This was also a problem on the hardtail mtb that I was riding on before.
I've cleaned the rotors with isopropyl alcohol, sanded down the brake pads, and bedded them in by riding around my neighborhood and slightly pulling the brake lever. This would fixed the squealing noise and loss of power for about a day then it would come back. When that didn't work, I tried replacing the brake pads. That would fix it for slightly longer, but it would still come back after maybe a week.
I have tried to be very careful about not contaminating the pads. I haven't washed my bike with anything yet, and I wear rubber gloves when touching the rotor. Before riding trials I never had any issues with squealing brakes. Is it normal for that to happen continually and after such a short period of time? If not what could be the problem? I did notice that both bikes were running Shimano B01S Resin Brake Pads. I'm not sure if that could be a problem.

A couple things to look at:

Perhaps try Brake Clean to clean the rotor and spray on a rag then wipe the pad surface. I successfully use it on rim brakes when they occasionally squeal and it is not due to the toe angle of the pads. However be careful with it as it is stronger than rubbing alcohol so do not get it all over the place.
It could be possible the rotor is out of true. In which case, you should go the shop you got the bike at to get that addressed.
You could possibly have a bubble in the brake line which is causing a lack of pressure to close the caliper and that in turn is causing vibrations as you slow along with the loss of braking power. Again the shop that you got the bike at should be able to address that for you pretty quickly.

Hope that helps.


No resistance when pedalling on BMX When I’m pedalling on my BMX it has no resistance - it feels like a mountain bike in low gear. Does anyone know how to fix it?

I believe most bmx bikes use a single speed thread on freewheel. If the cranks, chain and rear sprocket turn independently of the wheel your freewheel broke.

Thread on freewheels are not expensive and are fairly easy to replace, but you need a special tool that engages with splines on the freewheel body to unthread them.

Park Tool has a good video showing you how to replace a freewheel. The freewheels in that video are all multi sprocket but the procedure is the same for single sprockets.

When buying a replacement you just have to select the right sprocket size. The thread sizes are standard


How does this type of thru axle work? I have a similar question to Non-quick release through axle - a few questions. My rear axle is similar to that one so I seem to be sorted from that question.

However, the front one is different. It does have a lever, but not a quick-release one I am used to or which I can find in all tutorials. It also has an allen key screw in the centre.

The manufacturer is Mr. Control (12x100mm) and from the Catalogue I ques it could be the QR-MF5-12X type. The description just says "Lever can be adjusted from rotational position. Max force to 150kg".

For regular opening like changing a tube or tyre do I open the little bolt or do I use the lever? What does the little screw with much smaller torque rating? Do I need to have a torque wrench in the field with me for that one?

For regular opening like changing a tube or tyre do I open the little bolt or do I use the lever?

You take the axel out by unscrewing with the lever (left loose). The bolt allows you to change the orientation of the lever relative to the axel, if you care about such things.

  What does the little screw with much smaller torque rating?

The lever usually has teeth to keep it in place so you do not need a lot of torque to keep the lever from slipping.

  Do I need to have a torque wrench in the field with me for that one?

Only if you feel that you need to change the orientation of the lever relative to the axel while out in the field. I cannot think of a valid use case.


max weight that the shimano Rs400 can carry ? I am intending to buy the shimano RS400 pair of wheels to replace my 20 spokes wheels. I intend to use them for touring and commuting when an expected heavy luggage.  Was wondering the maximum weight that these pair of wheels can handle. and how to know in general ?.

Shimano RS400 is pretty old now - I know my 1998 frame had the wheelset new.

Here's a photo of my rear hub.  I can't show the front hub because that was replaced with an WH-R560 by a previous owner.   Why it was replaced, I don't know - it was either a speed optimisation or a failure where a new wheel was better than fixing the original.

Generally speaking, touring wheels are built for strength not speed.  So touring wheels should be at least 32 spokes on the front and more would not be bad.


What's the purpose of cycling gloves? I haven't cycled for many years already and long ago when I was cycling I didn't pay much attention to equipment. Now I see that many cyclists wear a certain kind of gloves - that only cover the palm and leave the fingers uncovered.

What's the purpose of wearing such gloves (and not usual gloves for example)? In what non-cycling activities can such gloves be useful?

Cycling gloves come in different varieties (like full-fingered or half-fingered). Typically:

Cycling gloves have extra padding at the palms, which for me makes a difference when riding for hours at a time.
They protect your palms in case you attempt to use them to break a fall.
Like regular gloves, they can keep your hands warm in cold weather, especially since your hands aren't moving as much as your legs.
My particular pair of cycling gloves have a "towel" built in at the base of the thumb "finger" so I can actually wipe off water/sweat by running my fist over it.


Chainring Compatability I've recently purchased a - 2nd hand - downhill bike which runs an 8 speed drive-train. Some components could do with an upgrade - specifically the shifter which is damaged. I have all of the necessary 9 speed components on a different bike which I'm happy to swap, the only problem is that I'm not sure if they will be compatible with the 8 speed sprocket / outer-ring?

It also seems difficult to track down decent, new 8 speed mountain bike components for further upgrades. Do I have to replace the sprocket / outer-ring?

Thanks in advance!

In short: it depends.

Chainrings tend to be much more compatible across gear counts than anything else in the drivetrain. It amounts to "does the chain fit", and when you're talking 8/9 speed the chain width is the same anyway, so yes, that will work.

The real question is whether the bolt pattern is compatible between the two, because that's where the real variation is. But it's probably obvious - look at it, try it. Pull one chainring off and hold it next to the other bike. If the bolt holes line up you're good to go.

If you're asking whether you can swap the cranks with chainrings attached, that's harder to answer. The first question is whether the bottom brackets are compatible. There are several sorts these days, with the traditional square taper being superseded by larger diameter axles of various shapes. If those are the same, the next question is clearance between the chainrings and chainstay. The only reliable way to test that is trying it, for which you'll need the right tool(s) to pull the cranks off. With many modern bottom brackets that's as simple as undoing the bolts and pulling them off by hand, with square taper you need a special tool. When putting the other chainring on, watch that you're not pressing the chainring against the frame as you do the bolts up. Then make sure there's a few mm of clearance between frame and chainrings.


My front suspension keeps auto locking, brand new bike. Bike shops useless right now I bought a Daymak Wildgoose electric fatbike bicycle. It has Forgo Zoom front suspension which I know is a lower end shock.

Since riding away from the store when I unlock the suspension and hit any bumps the suspension locks up and doesn't work. Even with the switch still in the unlocked position. For it to work again I have to move into the locked position and then back to unlocked. But as soon as I hit a tiny bump they lock straight away again.

I talked to the shop about it but given the times were going through right now they are near useless. If anyone has any ideas as to how i can fix this on my own please throw `em at me. Thank you in advance.

I would suggest getting an assertion from the bike shop that this is warranty work, even if you can't get it there anytime soon.

You could also ask the shop to simply ship you a pre-tested replacement fork (and a star nut) and you get to swap them over, and then ship back the faulty one.

Ultimately the retailer will pass the warranty costs onto the wholesaler/manufacturer back up the supply chain.

Admittedly life's a bit off-base right now with C19 pandemic, but at least establish your case with both the reseller and the manufacturer.  Ultimately you as the consumer deserve a bike that works right.  It is brand-new!

So give them the chance to make it right, but also keep at it.


Peugeot PX-10 with Shimano 105 Triple with BB-6700 Upgrading my french PX-10e with shimano 105 cranks. What bottom bracket can I use with this 68mm bottom bracket with french threading?  Is there a threadless BB available?

Velo-Orange makes threadless BB's and French threaded BB's under their Grand Cru line. There is always also Phil Wood if you're rolling in money. They are all JIS (square) tapered. Some other companies (like Stronglight) have also made threadless bb's (for frames which typically have had their threads ruined) in the past - I don't know if this is current.

I'm not entirely sure what BB-6700 has to do with this, though.

I think I see why BB-6700 may be there - you're trying to get a hollowtech/octalink/some other type of setup going. As far as I know, nobody makes a product which will allow you to do this.

You'd either:

have to force some other BB on there and ruin the threads for the BB
take the frame to a frame builder and see if they can do some magic to get one of these things in.

Shimano does still make new cranksets which are JIS tapered in the Sora line, but if you want something fancier, you'll have to go with an older used crankset. You can always get nice new replacement chainrings if they're a bit worn.

Edit: Just saw the outboard bottom bracket page from Phil Wood. Its expensive, but I think it may work depending on the crankset you want to use.


What is this adjuster in the shifting cable? In the shifting housing leading to my Shimano R7000 Front Derailleur sits an adjuster (see attached image). I could not find any documentation on the Shimano Website. Does anybody know (1) what this is, and (2) when to use it?

It is an inline barrel adjuster. By holding the end closest to the Shimano "O" and rotating the knurled end you can finely adjust the shift point of the front derailleur. If looking at it from the knurled end, counterclockwise rotation will make the adjuster longer.Clockwise rotation will make the adjuster shorter. This movement will increase or decrease cable tension.


Is it possible to convert Deore Crankset FC-M612 to single speed? I would like to change this crankset to singlespeed, it has 96 BCD so I was thinking to order bash guard replacing the 40t chainring. The bashguard is this one http://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/products/96-bcd-bash-ring-for-shimano-compact-triple . Is it possible to remove the smallest 22t chainring to virtually have a single speed crankset? Thank you for your answers

Yes, it is possible. Just unscrew the bolts holding the smallest ring.

However, the chainrings in double and triple cranks are designed for easy shifting. With single chainring, it's a good idea to change the ring to one that has been designed to keep the chain on. So-called narrow wide chainring is one design to accomplish this.


What brands of handlebar tape match the Brooks B17 Aged saddle? This is kind of a frivolous bike question, but I am rebuilding a 1980s road bike to look like an old French porteur bike. The frame of my bike is a light silver blue color and I'd like to swap out the current saddle with a Brooks Aged B17 saddle. But I can't seem to find handlebar tape that matches the Brooks Aged saddle. Any ideas?

I've attached a photo of the road bike (a 1982 Miyata). The drop bars will be replaced with VO Belleville bars and Dia Compe inverse brake levers and, of course, the saddle in the photo will be replaced with a Brooks B17 Aged saddle. Besides leather I'm open to cotton cloth tape and could do a shellac coating but don't know what color cotton tape and shellac to use to match the Brooks saddle. I find photos on Amazon, etc. tend to show one color and when the product arrives it's a completely different color.

Brooks makes leather bar tape for some large amount of money (I think 75-100 USD), which matches their saddles.

They also make a cotton bar tape in a similar color (for some large, but not as large amount of money).


How can I tell if a chain has a master link? I need to remove the chain on my internal-hub cruiser to clean it (i.e., no rear or front deraileur), and I'd rather not remove my back wheel if I can avoid that. What do I look for to find the master link?

Edit: Unfortunately, there's no differently-colored pin, and running my fingertips over the chain (both sides) didn't help. Do I have a one-piece chain?

Usually when I talk about or hear someone use the term 'Master Link' they mean something like this:

They are links that can be seperated without the use of a specialized chain tool to push a pin through the rollers.  There are others besides those shown, one of the more common being an SRAM Power Link which looks like this:

If you don't have a link like those that is visibly different what you most likely have is a Shimano style HG or IG chain that requires the use of a chain tool to remove a pin from the roller.  Frequently the pins will have a little indentation where the chain tool seats.  When you break the chain with a chain tool, you normally reassemble it with a replacement pin that looks like this:

After the chain is back together you break off the insertion portion of the pin with a pair of pliers.


Rechargeable Bicycle Light Storage For an expensive rechargeable bicycle light that is bright enough for daytime use, does it detract from charged state if left in a hot garage in the summer?  In other words is it better to bring in the house, especially if you customarily charge them in the house.

While this is more a question of battery science in general, it should be stressed that most batteries don't like heat and should be stored accordingly.

Also worth mentioning that all batteries lose some charge over time, even when disconnected and properly stored. The rate of self-discharge depends on the battery type and since you mentioned the equipment being expensive, I'd bet on it having a li-ion battery. Frequently charging them to full is a bad idea because they will suffer damage if kept at full charge for long, plus they self-discharge rather slowly. Aim for 70% charge every few months instead.


Will the 26" tyre fit my 25" rim bike? I have this 2002 Esperia which, and I need to change the tires cause I am getting back to it. The tire dimensions appear to be 25 x 1.90, 50-559. I read a bit about these new and old dimensions specifications, but I cannot find 25" (or col, I am not sure whether it's inch or col) in the online stores, but I can find 24" and 26".

Any advice? Will all (or none?) 26" fit my rim or what?

Additional question - I plan to ride on roads. Do I get slick tires?

The significant numbers are the "50-559" which translate to 26" x 1.90" – my best guess is that what you're seeing is a molding problem that causes the '6' to look like a '5'. The 50-559 is the ISO size of the tire. The first number is the width (50 mm) and the second is the "bead seat diameter" (559 mm).

Beware of 26" tires – there are two sizes that are called 26" and they are not compatible. The easiest ways to tell them apart are by the width where you will see either a decimal width, say 1.50", or a fractional width, say 1 1/2". The other method is to compare the ISO size which would be something like 37-559 for a 26 x 1.5 inch tire or 37-590 for a 26 x 1 1/2.

For riding on roads slick tires are nice, they give you the largest contact area for a given tire size. You need to balance that against durability and availability. Tires like the Schwalbe Marathon are built for durability, but aren't really slicks (at least not in the sense of a tire like the Kojak). Do look for a tire with a "slick" strip down the middle which is where you'll be riding most of the time.


How comfortable is it to wear a u-lock holder this way? I have never used a bike lock holder or holster but this handmade one looks practical and cool: https://www.vespoe.com/contourandco/shop/u-lock-holder.
I would like to know if it's practical to use on a daily basis.

tw: extreme anti-hipster /snark

Ahh! The u-lock belt holder. The perfect accessory for hipsters, literally:

Advantages:

Everyone will know you're a hipster
People may think you're into hardcore bondage
No ugly plastic u-lock holder marring the beautiful lines of your pristine lacquer-coated steel fixie
If you get mugged you have something to fight back with assuming you haven't parked and locked your bike
When you walk into a bar with your u-lock on your hip, all the other hipsters will admire your fashion sense and dedication to the art and science of hipsterism. They may even buy you a craft beer.

Disadvantages:

Everyone will know you're a hipster
People may think you're into hardcore bondage (thanks Mattnz)
Unless you're a bona fide bike messenger (who usually just carry their bikes into the delivery address rather than locking them up), you presumably don't have to wear your lock most of the day. So you have to keep your lock holder on you for the entire day, just for your 20 minute commute from Queens to Brooklyn
Everytime you change your trousers, you have to rethread your belt through it. Of course, real men never wash or change their jeans.
You are committed to wearing jeans or trousers with sturdy belt loop holes when you ride your bike. Then again, hipsters are allergic to lycra and would also never do a WNBR
if you fall while wearing it, it may hurt severely or actually cause you damage (thanks Criggie)
Hanging a 3 kg / 6 pound weight on your jeans is going to cause it to sag. But that's why you wear only the finest underwear.
Remember, too, that true hipsters do not tuck in their shirts -- so an empty holster would be hidden. So if you want that free craft beer from your fellow hipsters in admiration of your dedication to hipsterism, you need to carry two u-locks, one to lock your bike up outside the bar and other to carry on your hip properly holstered. Or you can go to the bar, sans bike.