Cycle tyre and tube burst I pumped my cycle front tyre to 105 psi (700*23c) 5 days back and cycled some 60 km on the same day without any punctures. Afterwards I parked the cycle in my bedroom for the last 5 days (due to security reasons I always park them in my bedroom).

Today in the evening the cycle tyre burst and I don't know for what reason. The burst occurred on the middle of the tyre and since not only the tube but also the tyre burst it couldn't be a slow puncture. The temperature in the room would have hardly reached 30 degree Celsius. I have ridden a total of about 4000 km and the tube-tyre set is from the manufacturer.

Does anyone know the reason for this and how to prevent this?

Since the actual tire has burst, I think the most likely cause is that over the course of the 4000km you have ridden, the tire has suffered a cut or other damage that you did not previously notice.

While sitting in your room, the pressure of the tube has gradually stretched the damaged area, and then burst.

Inspect the other tire to check for cuts or severe wear.


Hi does anybody know the model ? Thanks Hi does anyone know which model this bike is ? Thanks

2009-ish Specialized Langster seems to be a good fit (with the bits of the bike we can see in your photo.)

Wheels likely not original.


Can an aluminium frame rust from the inside if water has been in it for some time? My bike has been sitting out in the open for a few months due to lack of space. When I finally decided to strip it down and bring it inside, a lot of water came out of the frame. It could have been sitting there for a few months. The chain and the cables have started to rust but that's an easy fix. I'm worried if the frame could have began to rust from the inside and should I expect it to break unexpectedly in the future?

Technically rust is limited to iron.   What is bad is the rust starts and continues.  The water / oxidizing agent is not consumed.

Aluminum will oxidize but it forms a protective coating.  An aluminum frame will not "oxidize out".

Some iron alloys such as stainless steel prevent rust.  I don't know why you don't seem to see stainless in bicycles.


Uneven Disc Brake performance I'm using Hayes CX-5 Mechanical Disc brakes with Avid The G2 CleanSweep Rotors on my cross bike.  I believe the Pads that come stock with Hayes CX-5 brakes are semi-metallic.

I'm experiening uneven braking, it's really a pain to feather my braking to slow down because of this.  It seems that the brakes engage on parts of the rotor, but seems to slide more freely over other sections. I wind up over braking to slow because of this.  The rotors are a month or so old and do not appear to be visibly bent at all.

What is causing this?  How can I even out the performance of my braking?

You say the rotors are relatively new. Have they been bedded in properly? The usual procedure is to get up to about 30km/h, brake hard until you almost stop, and repeat. You should feel the braking power picking up each time you do so.

The bedding in process transfers some pad material to the rotors - this is what the pads grab, rather than the actual steel surface. It should be done any time rotors or pad compounds are changed.


What is the best place to buy a folding bike for $350-$400 in Canada? I'm looking to buy a folding bike for my commute to work and want to spend $350-400. The bikes at Vela.ca look very good but I want to make sure I get the best deal.
Shipping costs are also a concern. Vela has a flat rate of $35 which is very low.

I'd suggest starting with your local bike shop. They're the ones that will do some of the servicing (I'm guessing) and having a good relationship with them is always important. If they can't even come close to pricing or won't get a folding bike for you then your local Craigslist might yield some results.


Crankset for SRAM Apex Groupset I have SRAM Apex Shifters, FD, RD, and Brakes.

Can I use a SRAM Force BB30 Crankset?

Thanks
Paul

Can I use a SRAM Force BB30 Crankset?

Unfortunately, you will not be able to use the BB30 on your bicycle. You will need to search for a Sram Force GXP Crankset. You will also need to verify if your particular Bianchi is Italian threaded or not as not all Bianchi are.


Road bike assembly - required tools could you please list a COMPLETE list of required tools to assemble a road bike? I purchased a shimano 105 group set and a Chinese carbon road bike frame with a fork. I'd like to put together my first bike and having this list would eliminate a lot of potential frustration.

Optional: toolset suggestions.

Frame - http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=171304286297
Group set
Shimano 105 5800 Groupset 34/50 Chainset & 12/25 Cassette
Shimano 105 CS-5800 Road Bike Cassette - 12-25 / 11 Speed
Shimano Ultegra 6800 Bottom Bracket - Black / English (BSA)
Shimano 105 5800 CNHG600 Road Bike Chain
Shimano 105 BR-5800 Road Bike Brake Callipers - Black - Pair
Shimano 105 FD-5800 Road Bike Front Derailleur - Black - Black / Braze On
Shimano 105 RD-5800 Road Bike Rear Derailleur - Black - Black / Short Cage SS
Shimano 105 ST-5800 Road Bike Gear Levers - Black
Shimano 105 FC-5800 Road Bike Chainset - Black - Black / 172.5mm / 34/50 / 11 Speed

Tools will be dependent on the standards of the bike. A overview would be:

General

bike stand
grease
carbon paste
torque wrench

Headset

tools to chase and face head tube
bearing press
crown race setting tool
steerer cutter

Drive Train

tool to chase and face bb
bb bearing press or bb spanner
chain breaker
cassette tool
cable cutters
cable stretchers
hex wrenches
torx wrenches
crankset preload tool
screwdrivers


How do I prevent play in the steering post? I recently changed my handlebar stem to an angle-adjustable variety and now there is a little bit of play in the bar coming up from the front suspension through the frame, onto which that stem is bolted.
I've tried pushing down to compress everything up when fitting the stem, but I can't seem to get rid of the play.  Any ideas what I should be doing to get rid of the play?

It sounds like your headset is not adjusted.  Your stem cap is used to adjust this.  Specifically, the more you tighten the stem cap, the tighter the bearings will get, and the less play you will feel.

Here is a picture from Sheldon Brown's article on adjust headsets:

My process for checking headset adjustment:

Check the headset adjust:

Grab the front brake with your left hand, and grab the interface between the frame and the top of the headset with the other.  This is the "No Wrench Flats" in the image above.
Rock the bike back and forth with the brake on.
If you can feel the top of the headset moving independently from the head tube, it probably needs to be tightened.
Pick the front end of the bike up by the top tube, and let the handle bars/front wheel/fork "flop" from side to side.  If they flop around loosely and don't bind up, you haven't over-tightened the bearings.

If the headset is out of adjust:

Crack loose the stem Pinch Bolts.  Don't take the stem off, just get it loose enough to slide around.  When locked down, the stem will hold everything together, so we can't adjust anything.
Tighten the stem cap bolt (labeled as "Top Cap" in the images above) by about a quarter turn each adjustment and then check the headset again.
If you have over-tightened, back it off by an eighth turn and check again.
Once everything is adjusted, line up the stem with the front wheel and lock back down the Pinch Bolts.
Give it one more quick check (nothing should have changed, but it takes two seconds, so why not?).
Best part:  Test ride!  See how she feels.

Once you've gone through the process a few times, it gets to be very quick.  I usually check my headset ever week when I do a quick once-over of the bike.


Best way to hang a bicycle from a ceiling pipe I've just moved to a new place, and it's pretty small, so I'm looking to put my bike out of the way by hanging it from a (plenty sturdy) pipe that runs along my ceiling. At the moment I've got it jury-rigged with bungee cords, but that's obviously not a long-term solution. It seems that most of the hooks sold online are either wall-mount (not viable for me since my walls are concrete) or screw into the ceiling (not viable for the same reason). Is there any other method - such as hooks that are meant to actually hang off of something else - that might work here?

My current setup

Assuming you have room to hang the bike vertically by the rear wheel, it's pretty easy to assemble what you need from parts at the hardware store.

Look for a cushioned hanger to put the rear wheel in.

Then Google pipe hangers to find something to attach the hanger above to the pipe.

You could also look for a coated S hook for the bike wheel.


MTB Crank on a Cyclocross Bicycle? I have a new FELT Cyclocross frame and i am looking for a BB30 Crank to go with it.
I don't really need more more than one chainring, so i end up looking at a lo9t of MTB cranks on eBay.

What are the CONS of putting a MTB crank on my Cyclocross Bike?
Any known Problems?

There may be something that I don't know about, but if the crank fits on the bottom bracket, and if the chainring is reasonably close to the position of a middle ring on a triple chainring setup, then your chain line should be fine and everything should work. A lot of bike targeted at young riders have a single front ring and 7 or 8 gears in the back.

The chain line is the most important thing to consider, since you don't want excessive torque on the chain when you are in either the lowest or highest gear.


BR505 disc vs Ultegra 6800 caliper I'm looking to get a built bike with either Shimano BR505 disc brakes or Ultegra 6800 caliper brakes. The bikes I'm looking at basically have the same frame and components. They both have the same frame, it's just that one is for caliper and the other is for disc brakes. They both have straight Ultegra 6800 components except for the one with the disc brakes, ST-BR505 shifters and BR-RS505 disc brakes.

I've ridden a bike with Ultegra 6800 components and found that the shifting was really smooth and the same goes with the braking. From what I've read, the BR505 is 105-level. I haven't really tried 105s yet, (I've tried a Deore SL-M591 mated to a 105 5700 rear derailleur; does that count? Although I found it not as smooth as the Ultegra 6800.) so I'm not sure how the shifting and braking would feel on the BR505s.

Would there be a noticeable difference in shifting? And, I guess, the more important question, would there be a significant difference in braking power between the two brake sets? The price is the same for both bikes so that's why I'm really having trouble deciding on which to get.

PS
I plan on racing/exercising with this bike. Don't really plan on commuting with it since I already have a commuter.

The bikes are Giant TCR Advanced 1 and TCR Advanced 1 Disc if that helps.

They're not entirely the same bike (despite the model names). You have to engineer a disc brake fork to be reasonably stronger in some ways than a rim brake fork.

You probably won't notice a difference in shifting or ergonomics once you get past a certain point (for a lot of people, I'd say this is Tiagra/105; however the psychology of having an ultegra shifter or whatever will make things feel smoother even if they aren't noticably smoother, for some people). The braking will be stronger with the disc brakes, and easier to stop if you ride in wet weather. On the other hand, repairing rim brakes just requires a few hex keys and a few minutes and anyone can do it (vs a hydraulic system).

Really though, you have to try both bikes in the context you'll use them. You may like one better than the other. You also have to think about how teh disc brake and rim brake bikes cost the same -- disc brifters+brakes are more expensive than their rim counterparts, along with the cost of the wheels and stuff. So, where is the rest of the stuff being cut down in price?


Pedals not turning together I have just tried to tighten up the nuts at the end of my crank but for some reason the pedals don't work in unison and now the left and right pedals are at a 90 degree angle instead of 180 and I'm not sure what's wrong.  How could I fix it?

Think of it as instead of one pedal being at 6 o'clock and one at 12 o'clock like normal, one is at 12 o'clock and the other one is at 3 o'clock.

Did you take one of the crank arms off at some point?
Did one fall off accidentally?
Or is someone playing a trick on you?

Remove dust cap if its in the crank's axle.
Unscrew the nut of the left side crank, probably a 14mm socket.
Take the pedal crank off - it should be really hard and you need a crank puller, or it will be suspiciously easy.
Put crank arm back on so its the right position compared to the other side.
Reinstall nut/bolt and tighten it up good and tight.
Reinstall dust cap if you had one.

I've been guilty of doing it wrong... mostly because of working later at night when tired.


Can I add a gear to my Tourney 14-34T freewheel tl;dr
Is there a way to easily add a smaller chainring to a tourney 7 speed 14-34 freewheel without replacing the hub/wheel

Details:
I have a 13" Fuji Women's Adventure 3.0. I've been shopping for a road bike; however, at my short stature (4'8"), options are limited to none. I did find one (Specialized Sirrus Sport step-through) all others were too tall for me to stand over.... but the Sirrus doesn't have the drop handlebars I want, and I don't want to spend that much on a bike and still have to make changes.

The 13" Fuji, although more of a MTB, is the perfect size for me. I'm in the process of adding dropbars and upgrading the appropriate components for compatibility purposes - Shimano Claris 8 x 3 shifters/front derailleur and avid shorty canti brakes. However, it currently has a Tourney 7 speed 14-34T freewheel. Adding the 8 speed shifter opens up the idea of upgrading to 8 speeds, but I'm wondering if there's a way to add something smaller to the existing freehweel - like 11t or smaller - short of upgrading to a freehub and cassette.

Your 7 speed freewheel is old tech and is a bit of an orphan too - adding cogs increased the unsupported length of axle leading to more bent axles.  7 speed freewheel is really beyond the limit for most riders, and yours has probably survived this long because of your reduced load.

For the cheapest - you can get a freewheel that has a 13 tooth small cog.  For example https://harriscyclery.net/product/shimano-13-28-thread-on-7-speed-freewheel-2694.htm at $23 USD. You'll want a new chain too.

However that only gives you 1/14th higher gearing AND you loose some climbing gear too dropping from 34 to 28 tooth.

There is a "mega7" 7 speed freewheel which ranges from 11 to 34 tooth, but good luck finding one.  http://www.sheldonbrown.com/mega7/ shows 11-13-15-18-21-24-34 as the tooth counts, and looks like this:

They're long discontinued, so Ebay would be the best source.

On the other hand, you're wanting to get a better bike then its time to consider stepping up to exactly what you want.

A bike build starts with the frame, wheels and bars.  They dictate everything that comes afterwards.

Instead of a 26" wheel look at a 650b road wheel size, and a road frame that is a suitable size for your leg length.

You're as far to the short side of "average" as I am to the "tall" side of average, so I know your frustration on sizing, but from the opposite side.  You have the advantage of fitting onto a young-adult's frame which doesn't exist on my end of the sizing spectrum.

I'm not making a product recommendation here, but as an indicative example something like https://www.specialized.com/us/en/kids/bikes/allezjunior/128824  may be a good fit for you.

 Its a 650 wheel, and has 8 speeds.  You're unlikely to find 10 or 11 speed bikes in the smaller size wheels because there's just that much less room for the rest of the wheel's hub.  Has the same dual-pivot brakes a larger road bike would have, and the cassette is 11-32 with 8 gears and proper road bike brifters.

In terms of gearing, 34/46 with 11-32 on 650 wheels gives you a lowest gear of 26.2 gear-inches and a high gear of 103.3 gear-inches.
That's pretty jolly close to my 700c wheel triple crank road bike with 24.5 gear inches to 101.1 gear inches.

IE its a full-on road bike with all the road bike features, and not a modged-about MTB.

I'd strongly stick with a decent brand name kids bike, because cheaper bikes are slightly more likely to be BSOs where the kid grows out of them rather than wearing them out.

Your final option is to replace the rear wheel hub with a 8/9 speed cassette-based hub.  Shopping list of parts

New hub with a cassette freehub.  Number of spokeholes has to match existing rim.
Matching cassette, 11-34 tooth 8 or 9 cogs.
New right-hand shifter with matching 8 or 9 gears.
New chain of 8/9 gears to match
New gear cable inner and outers - they're cheap and may as well do it now.

You may require

New rear derailleur, if your existing one can't move quite far enough to get to the top and bottom cogs.
New spokes if the old hub and new hub are different dimensions
New rim if the rear hub has a different number of spoke holes etc.

It is frequently cheaper to buy a new wheel complete than to try and rebuild an old rim onto a new hub.  An 8/9 speed 26" MTB wheel should be relatively common to buy complete.

You should be able to re-use

Existing chainrings provided newer thinner chain fits
Front derailler, but thinner chain will shift a bit worse.  You may need to overshift and then trim back, or maybe compress the FD cage a bit  for the thinner chain.

Downside, this will leave you with a MTB frame with more gears, still heavier than a road bike.  Plus braking performance may suffer using the MTB wheel brakes with dropbar brake levers.   Really, not recommended for both price and performance reasons.


What is the deal with the new weird Gazelle chain case design? I was about to buy this bike (a Gazelle Arroyo c7):

http://www.gazelle-fietsen.be/assortiment/arroyo-c7
when I realized the chaincase is seemingly deliberately designed so that the chain constantly rubs against the bottom while you pedal.  Their website mentions something about aesthetics. This seems too bad to be true, given that Gazelle has a good reputation as a Dutch bike brand, and this isn't a cheap bicycle.
What is really going on inside the chaincase?
Update: I did buy the bike and 5 years later and I'm still riding it daily. The chain got noisy and I replaced it once. The cables all died, and the plastic shimano gear shifter is in bad shape but still mostly works. I've broken a few spokes but the wheels have so many the wheels stayed ride-able until I replaced them. Maybe it's notable that I haven't had a single derailment in all 5 years? For me the drivetrain has been extremely reliable. In  the 5 years this bike only stranded me once (with a flat tire, before I upgraded to schwalbe marathon pluses). Once the gearhub had annoying problems due to a known manufacturing problem in a certain manufacturing plant, and was replaced for free at my local shop at shimano's expense.

Found an English Language site that explains it. From

http://www.cycle-heaven.co.uk/bikes/brands/gazelle/gazelle-chamonix-c7-women-s-2015/

  All Chamonixs feature Gazelle's innovative transmission design with a
  chain tensioner inside the chain case. This keeps the chain always at
  the correct tension, needing less maintenance and giving a quieter
  ride. The frame is able to use vertical rear droputs which makes wheel
  removal and puncture repairs much easier.  We also think it gives the
  bike a more streamlined look.

It's called the FlowLine chaincase - here's a picture of it:

So it's not what you think. I can't say whether it's a good idea or not, but it seems at least a plausible solution for a City Bike.


Is Megavalanche suitable for beginners? I have a huge desire to attend on Megavalanche in France, but I don't know if I am good enough. I don't ride park and only do descents from the local mountains where you "need" a full suspension bike (I have a Giant Trance 3 enduro bike). I can ride anything, except 2 meter drops.

Megavalanche is pretty hardcore. Does anyone know any similar (not downhill, but events with more descent than ascend) in Austria or Italy?

The Mega is not a single mass-start race. There are qualification stages on the days preceding the main event.

You might get an entry into the Mega, but if you don't qualify, that's a very expensive learning experience!


I'm wanting to replace some parts I did some work for my neighbor and he gave me some cash plus a road bike. I've used it for about 3 years but I was wondering if I could upgrade it a little. The chain slips off some times and it's got lever shifters. I don't know anything about road bikes so I was wondering how upgrading the front and rear derailleur works. I found original parts but they are 300$ plus. I just want reliable and affordable. Also the wanting to upgrade the crank and other little parts. All I know is it's an Italvega Nuovo possibly 63.

I want to tell you you have a classic old bike with original components and you should preserve it that way, but I'll provide some guidance.

Be aware there may be many things that need fixing in order to make the bike truly usable. If you just want a bike that works better for everyday riding an option is to sell the Italvega and buy a used modern bike.

If you want to get the drivetrain working better, you may not actually need to replace the derailleurs or crank. A new chain and freewheel may be enough. You likely have an Italian standard thread size on the hub which is a little different from the modern standard thread size, but according to this page a modern freewheel will actually fit.

Replacing the brake and shifter cables and their housings will also make a big difference.

If you need to replace the derailleur the easiest thing to do is get a low-end Shimano Tourney level derailleur that will work just fine with the analog shift levers.

Replacing the crank is a slightly trickier proposition as you very likely have an Italian threaded bottom bracket, which is different from the modern standard. However, I believe Italian threaded square taper axle bottom brackets are available which would allow you to fit an inexpensive new crank.

I'd also want to check out the wheel bearings, head (steering) bearings, and service and regrease them. You may also find that you crank just needs a bearing service if the rings are not too worn.


Where can I find out more about this bike with a spoke-less back wheel? I saw this really cool, very unusual type of bike which does not use spokes for the back tire.

Can you please tell me if you are experienced and interested in such bikes how can I find one of those or build one. I've tried reversed image search engines like tineye.com but I couldn't find any results.

Furthermore if you are a fan of such type of bikes could you supply me with some 'juicy' links.

The "Lunartic Cycle"
Here you go:
http://www.yankodesign.com/2010/08/13/no-spokes-cycle/
Complete with movie.
As for your extra reading material:
http://bicycledesign.net/
Hope that helps!


GPS systems for bikes I have never seen a GPS system available for when you buy your bike I'm wondering if the technologies out there for the bikes I know the technology is small and if its not available how do I get a patent

Yes, plenty of manufacturers make GPS units for bikes. Some models to look out for if you want to research their capabilities include Garmin, Polar, Powertap, Lezyne and Mio. Depending on the model, these allow for recording of routes while you ride, or pre-loading routes for guidance.

Additionally, apps are available to use a smart-phone in this way.


Is this a real Kinetic? Someone on Craigslist is selling this Kinetic bike trainer for $100. I was interested when I saw the title, but I thought Kurt Kinetic trainers were green and this looks wrong. Is this a knockoff?

Yes, it is a real Kinetic. The older Kinetics used to be black and had a much different logo.

"But for some time now, I’ve been wondering how much different the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine is from my ‘old’ trainer. Well, it turns out that Kurt Kinetic hit on a winner with the original design… and except for a new ‘hair color’, the two units are nearly identical. Wisely, Kurt Kinetic decided to not fix something that isn’t broken." http://cycling-review.com/accessories/bicycle-trainer/kurt-kinetic-road-trainer/


Do you need to lubricate gears after cleaning gears and chain? I just cleaned my gears and chain with a biodegradable degreaser. I'm going to lubricate my chain. Do I also need to lubricate the gears or do I just pedal and make sure that I hit all gears? Will the lube on the chain lube the gears?

I always wash off the degreaser, lube the chain, and then run it through all gears to get a bit of lube worked into everything. Don't need to lube the gears specifically.

I think the key is to be sure to wash off all traces of the degreaser. Last thing you need is residual cleaner gunking stuff up.


Croozer bike trailer optimalisation for less tire detoriation We love to travel by bike. Last summer we did a trip of about 650km on mostly asphalted roads (with quite some medium long climbs and descends) with our son in a bike trailer (type Croozer, see picture below).

During this trip we had to change the outer tires of the cart two times. The first change could be related to previous use (intensively used for commuting), but after another 400km we had to change them again due to wear (all rubber deteriorated on the outer tires).
As you can see on the picture above the cart has wheels that are a bit tilted, making it more stable. We noticed that the wear appeared not in the middle of the tires but more towards the inside (due to this tilting).
The cart is coupled to our bikes with a kind of spring mechanism, which allows free rotation in all directions and some vertical and horizontal movement. The spring has some negative effects. You notice the effect of that when braking (the cart itself has no brakes). Going downhill the cart tries to break out. Would changing this to a ball hitch contribute in solving my problem?
The wheels each have their own axle that makes it easier to remove the wheels. This is handy when taking it on a train or parking it somewhere (you can lock the cart to a post and remove one wheel so nobody can ride away with it). However, due to this system there is a little bit of play on the axles. The tires are size 20 x 1.75.

The wear on the outer tires makes it difficult to take longer trips because you need to take spare outer tires for every 400km you plan to do. I was wondering if I could make adjustments to this trailer in order to improve the lifetime of the outer tires.
The wear was a lot slower when using it for commuting (no steep descends on the road) compared to our holiday trip (climbs and descends of 5%, load at 80% of the max load allowed by the manufacturer).

What I found on sheldonbrown.com already helps a bit in determining the tire pressure. I think I will inflate them a little bit less. I always used maximum pressure (4 bar, 60 Psi) so I would need less force to pull the cart. However this can contribute to faster wear apparently:

Trikes and two-wheel trailers are very different from bikes, because they don't lean in corners. Most tire wear comes from cornering forces. On a bike, these forces act on different parts of the tread, according to how far one leans into various corners at various speeds.
With a trailer or trike, all of the wear is concentrated on the middle of the tread. If you overinflate the tires, you'll be riding on only the very center of the tread, and it will wear rapidly.
In addition, wheel alignment is never going to be perfect. As a result, the paired tires will always "scrub" a bit. If the tires are rock-hard, this will cause rapid wear. If the tires are softer, they can flex slightly sideways to accommodate the scrub, without wearing the tread off.

However I want to improve lifetime further. Which steps can I take next?

My VidaXL yellow/black soft bag trailer wore the tyres due to parachuting effect caused by the empty compartment and top cover letting wind inside. Also the axle retainers were wrong way round promoting too much toe out, I flipped them over and there is some toe-in, that decrease when pulled along. I now leave top cover off empty trailer so wind doesn't drag it down, top cover is placed on floor and used when it is full of cargo. It is also imperitive to angle the hitch downward so the trailer is level or front low which is better, a trailer that planes like a boat also put undue load on tyres. The towing bike is 20x4 fat bike


Remove Maillard freewheel I'm trying to open the freewheel from an old bike that I have, but I can't find how. I even searched for tutorials on the Internet but I can't find one that looks like mine (please see picture).

And I have an old tool that looks like a fit tool (see picture below), but the inner diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of that central part of the freewheel,  therefore I can't put it in.

I also found this tool (see picture below) like it would fit in there but I don't have it yet.

Can anyone help with this? Which tool do I need for this and, more Important, is it possible to open it with a hammer and a screwdriver?  And if so, which part should I try to open, the middle black cylinder or the yellow toothed one?

Thank you!

EDIT:
Mine looks very similar to this:

Re-iterate the question. Do I need to open the cylinder with the two circular holes or the inner one with the two notches, in order to detach the freewheel?

You're probably not going to find the freewheel remover for a reasonable price easily for this freewheel (and its probably going to be a 1-time use item). Though it probably doesn't hurt to ask around.

It looks like you cut the hub out of the wheel which was a big mistake -- it makes it a lot harder to remove the freewheel from the hub.

Anyhow, you can follow the usual destructive freewheel removal instructions (for when you don't need to reuse the freewheel and don't have the correct tools). Basically, you'll use a punch and a hammer to remove the bearing cone and then take things out as they fall out. Then, use a vise to remove the part of the freewheel attached to the body.


My bike is slipping only in highest gear I used to ride my bike in highest gear all the time, even uphill, and didn't shift down unless i absolutely needed to.
Then my highest gear started slipping on uphill and even on straight road if i pedal a bit harder.
All the other gears work fine, and i'm currently riding in the second highest gear no problem

The smaller sprockets can wear quickly because they have so few teeth. You can try getting single replacement sprockets, but generally you’d replace the whole cassette. Be aware that you’ll probably also have to replace your chain because you should only use a somewhat new chain on a new cassette.
For the future you should:

Get bigger chainrings if possible so you don’t have to ride on the smaller sprockets all the time. Also gives you harder gears, since you seem to like them and have few hills.
Replace the chain early enough. A badly worn chain will speed up wear of the cassette and chainrings. Get a chain wear gauge (they are cheap) and replace the chain at ~0.75% elongation.
Increase your cadence. Riding in hard gears at low cadence can tire your muscles quicker and can be bad for your knees.


Resources for finding dirt roads for planning gravel grinding rides What are good resources to use to find dirt roads, fire roads, gravel roads, or disused paved roads for planning a gravel grinder or ultracross style ride.

Any particular atlases, online mapping resources, government departments to check?

Good quality road maps will differentiate between paved and unpaved roads. I really like my Gazetteer State Maps


Are there any high power bicycle generators? I have been searching for a generator or 'dynamo' (preferably one built into the hub) to run lights for night riding, but it seems that most are rated for only about 3W (presumably to meet German bicycle standards).  I currently have a DiNotte 400R tail light that serves me well, running from a battery.  I'd like to add a high-lumen headlight (at least 800 Lumens) and run the whole thing from a generator.

I've measured the average power consumption of the 400R on one of the blink modes to be about 2W.  A reasonable ballpark estimate for LEDs is about 100 Lumens per Watt, so I'd need a generator that can source an average power of at least 10 Watts for the head and tail light combined.  I have some experience with electronics so an unregulated output in the range of, say, 5-30 Volts is acceptable.  Storing energy to supply the power surge when the tail light is 'active' is something I'm confident I can handle.  A typical cruising speed would be something like 20 mph (30 km/h).

So: Generator (preferably in the hub) that can output 10 W at a reasonable voltage at 20 mph. Does anyone know of such a thing?

Typically you need to purchase a light designed to work with a bicycle dynamo due to the power characteristics of a dynamo (lights need DC current).  A well sorted hub dynamo (I personally have had great luck with Schmidt hubs) can produce up to about 6W of power depending on your speed and the design of the hub, which is a reasonable amount of power to work with.  The 3W rating you read may have been a minimum power spec at a specified slow speed.

In terms of your overall goal of a 800 lumen front plus rear the answer is yes (with caveats).

Headlights

There are two headlight options (that I know of) that can output 800 lumen:

Exposure Lights Revo Mk1
Super Nova E3 Triple

I researched the Supernova E3 Triple a while back and they seem to do some impressive trickery to get that output.  Basically them seem to selectively turn LEDs on and off depending on your speed.  The full output will likely be at a reasonably  fast velocity (not sure of the exact numbers). Make no mistake either is a pricey option.

Tail lights

If you want to be fully dynamo powered you will need a dynamo specific tail light.  Both companies also taillight options and often you can use different brands of dynamo tail lights with a dynamo head light.  That said, in this case I would carefully research these possibilities as these high output lights as they are doing some funky things to get that max output, which may limit their compatibility with tail lights.

Note for Commuters

Finally, I would warn against using these high output dynamo head lights for commuting (your ultimate purpose was not stated) as both of these head lights shine above the horizon, like a car high-beam and the 800 lumen output also approaches that a car's headlight.  When you shine above the horizon it is great for seeing overhead branches (on the trail), but you blind oncoming vehicles and cyclists. Ever had a car drive at you with their high-beams on?

There are other dynamo LED options which have mirrors designed not to shine above the horizon (similar to a car's regular headlights).  These are often quoted as passing German road regulations.

In North America I don't believe there are any regulations for bicycle lights.  As such, I have noticed more and more riders using very high output trail lights (e.g. excess of 1000 lumen) on the road and blinding everyone with glee.  I have nearly crashed on a bike path as a result of being blinded (I couldn't see anything for a minute afterwards).  While not illegal, it is totally inconsiderate.

I may start throwing my metal water bottle at offenders this winter :-)


What's wrong with my shifter? This is a Nexus 7 spd hub gear twist shifter integrated in the brake lever. I had to undo the gear cable to get my rear wheel out. I therefore turned the bicycle upside down (some say that this alone can wreck this type of shifter). I reinstalled the cable on the hub, but ever since the shifter won't work. I re-undid the gear cable at the hub end and now nothing seems to work anymore: arbitrary amount of cable length that I can pull out at the hub end (but never enough to reinstall the gear cable on the hub) and arbitrary amount of positions I can click the shifter in, no matter what I do (gear cable adjustement bolt completely in or out etc....). Is this shifter broken or am I missing something?

Looks like the barrel adjuster has been broken off and has floated down the shift cable, so the shifter end of the cable housing is not anchored.

The shifter unit should look like this

You might be able to glue the inner barrel back on to the shifter body. The housing is pulled back into the shifter so the glued joint would be compressed rather than pulled apart.


Is there a standard for water bottles? It's prudent to use water bottle cages that will adapt to bottle diameters within some range, to allow using multiple bottles in the same cage.

Naturally, this flexibility is to be hedged against safety. If the bottle needs to be squeezed in or out, that just distracts from the road.

In any case, I ordered a water bottle cage that turned out to have a fixed diameter of about 2 3/4", or about 70mm. A smaller bottle will rattle, and the full circle enclosure won't allow anything bigger.

A fixed size might be a good thing. If there exists some international / conventional size for bike water bottles, then a perfect fit will ensure that pulling a bottle and returning it can be done effortlessly (and hence safely).

Does such a conventional diameter exist?

I'm rather partial to metal containers glazed with ceramic, since these guarantee they won't react with the water, but since these seem to be available only in carabiner format that's not suitable for cycling, I'll have to settle for plastic bottles.

Update (following Carel's answer)

After two searches it's clear which brand Carel means. A big advantage is that those bottles are indeed listed as having ⌀ of 71, and so perhaps there does exist some convention at that diameter.

There are also stainless steel bottles from other makers, which should be perfectly safe, as well as ecological since they would last forever (unless/until lost).

I see an ISO standard for bikes and another for bottles, but no ISO standard seems to exist for bike bottles.

Update (following Vladimir F's answer)

It's nice that the standard size is quoted in a wikipedia article (though without references). I wish the manufacturers were notified of the existence of this convention. Cycling aside, it would be nice if knapsack makers also followed the same convention.

As for getting a bottle-cage pair as one product, I'm not crazy about getting bottles and holders from the same maker, because I would have a hard time deciding what's better, to get a bottle from a bike maker or to get a cage from a bottle maker.

Product recommendations are generally not the thing here. There is however a reputed 4-letter Swiss company that has been producing internally glazed aluminium water bottles especially for cycling, properly fitting in standard bottle cages for many decades now.

And since it is Swiss it will certainly go on for much longer. The problem however with internally glazed metal bottles is their relative fragility. cycling bottles tend to be dropped and hard contact with the ground damages the coating which makes the bottles expensive garbage.

Most modern plastic bottles no longer have that specific 'plasticky taste' that cycling bottles used to have and can be used without restriction. Also all companies produce recyclable ones and some are even biodegradable after some months when lost in the outdoors, if this helps to lighten your conscience.

Concerning cages: cages that have a certain flexibility and that are slightly tighter keep a much better hold of bottles on rough terrain. When pros ride on cobbles the team mechanics often stick strips of skateboard tape to the cages to give the bottles a better hold.


Dent on aluminium frame? I have a Cube Stereo 120 2018. When I was driving today a car hit me. I'm fine but the bike has a dent in it made by the car door.

Can it be fixed?
Can I still ride it, and go MTB?
Can I make a sort of modification, reinforcing the frame from outside?

Pictures:

This is only engineering judgement, not technical analysis: the damage does not appear particularly serious or significant at that location. As Daniel advises above, keep an eye on it for cracks developing. If you are just a "normal" everyday type user it could be OK for quite a while. The Al frame will eventually crack and fail, not necessarily at this location. If you are a strong hard core competitor, then you wouldn't even consider using it for highly demanding duties would you?


Overhauling 1998 Campagnolo Chorus Ergolevers I'm about to dismantle a 1998 Campag Chorus Ergolever, as I suspect that the G springs need to be changed. I then hope to reassemble them having replaced worn parts. I'm looking for any useful information that supplements what I've already found:

Exploded diagram on Page 41 of Campagnolo's 1998 spare parts catalogue
Video of Overhauling Campagnolo Ergopower Ultrashift 2009

However, there's quite a difference between the components of the 2009 and 1998 levers, so what I'd most like to find is a video showing the disassembly and reassembly of the 1998 levers. Or anything else that you think might help me.

What's wrong with the levers? The rear gears shift to lower sprockets of their own accord. They hold in gear for maybe 20-30 seconds before shifting. I've tried the suggestions from @mikezs in Right campagolo gears slipping. The right-hand lever has almost no audible click - this leads me to suspect the G-springs.

I have managed to overhaul early 2000s Veloce and Mirage, which have the exact same mechanism down to spare part codes, using only the exploded view from the spare parts catalog.

The exploded view looks like an explosion of small parts, but in reality the parts can all be removed and added one at a time, like in the UltraShift video. The mechanisms work on similar principle, the main difference is that the Ergo is disassembled only from the back. If you are only overhauling the index mechanism, you don't need to remove the brake lever. Instead, you pull it back and it exposes a large hex head. Insert a hex key here and it supports the axle (EC-CH135) while you disassemble the rest. For replacing the downshift return spring (EC-RE137) you need to remove the brake lever.

No video, sorry.


Help in identifying Fuji Suncrest bike based on serial number I got an old Fuji Suncrest Mountain bike that has a serial number F1106059.  Is it possible to deduce the year of manufacturing based on this?

Perhaps.    However, that model name was produced in years:

1994-1996 (steel frames)
1999-2000 (aluminium frames)
2003-2004 (aluminium frames)

according to: http://bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?year=1995&brand=Fuji&model=Suncrest

So if you compare the components to the specifications for each year, you might find a match.... this assumes that its running original components still, or that you can pick out and ignore the obviously changed parts.


How accurate are the power numbers from a Tacx Flow? How accurate are the power numbers (watts) from a Tacx Flow?

Multiple aspects :
Absolute number : can they be compared with numbers from other power meters ?
Relative : if ride two times at 200 W for one hour then did I do the same effort ?
During a ride: if I start at 200 W and after an hour am still riding at 200W then do I still do the same effort ?
Are the numbers still the same after using the same Tacx Flow a couple of years ?

The Flow appears to be quite consistent though, depending on the mode in which it is used, it can be quite inaccurate.

Below is a plot of reported power for speed on the Flow, with each line representing a different "scale factor." All of these data were collected at a coast down calibration of 0, with the same tire, at the same ambient room temperature; however, the red dots represent data that were collected 4 months later than the black dots. As can be seen, when conditions are matched, the consistency of the Flow appears to be quite good.

The plot above compares the Flow to itself. Similar to what zenbiker has noted above for the Tacx Fortius, when compared against an on-bike power meter the Flow tends to underreport -- though as one might expect from the plot above it underreports consistently. In my own case, with my own tires, a better agreement between the Flow and a Power Tap (which had been statically-checked for accuracy) could be achieved with a coast down calibration of 4 and a scale factor of 120, though I suspect that could differ from tire to tire.

A greater problem for the Flow is its ability to adjust load while in "ergo" mode. In that case, one sets the power level and then, in theory at least, one can pedal at different cadences and speeds while the Flow adjusts the load to keep power constant. Sadly, here the Flow was overmatched. The plot below shows the percent error for three different scale factors (80, 100, and 120) when plotted against the ratio of "ergo power" to speed. That is, suppose you set the Flow to hold its power in ergo mode at 250 watts and pedaled at 20 km/h, then 30 km/h, then 40 km/h, and so on. The ratio of ergo power to speed (in km/h) would be 12.5, 8.3, 6.25, and so on. If the Flow were able to adjust its load at different wheel speeds, each group of points would be horizontal and parallel, and, in an ideal world one could adjust the scale factor to move some group of points up or down until it hovered over the zero error line. Why look at the ratio of power to speed? Power is the product of wheel speed and wheel torque (and a constant) so dividing the ergo power setting by wheel speed gives the torque at the Flow's roller.

What you will see is that the groups of points are far from horizontal so the error between the power desired and actual power (as measured with a Power Tap) is not at all constant. At high wheel speeds the Flow is unable to generate enough load to maintain constant power. Whether that inability is related to the load generator itself (which is also used in the I-Magic) or the Flow's control head, I could not determine.


Replacement dropouts with derailleur hanger for Kona Unit A friend of mine has a single speed Kona Unit and wants to make it geared. The model he has (likely 2012 or 2013 model) uses sliding dropout. He currently has single speed dropout plates without a derailleur hanger. What replacement plates are available for the sliding dropouts with a derailleur hanger?  Are these paragon dropouts (or compatible with paragon), Tange dropouts, or custom to Kona?

Any suggestions on which dropout plates to use to replace the drive side with a geared dropout plate would be helpful.

FYI: I referenced all sites listed in the following question and didn't find sliding dropouts for this bike on any of them:Determining which derailleur hanger is compatible with a frame

Current dropout looks like:

(source: bikeman.com)

Is this what you're looking for?

KONA #CMPHCC Derailleur Hanger


Cause of spalled cones? Was getting a sort of rubbing sound from my front wheel, like rubbing brakes, but the sound continued even with the bridal loose.  So I disassembled my front hub.  Everything looked good until I got to the cones.  One has a rather noticeable line worn by the balls (more so than I've seen on other bearings), and the other has what I would call a spalled spot in addition to the line, with a rough, wavy area for maybe 15 degrees of arc.  The cups, on the other hand, look factory fresh.  This is a Shimano RSX hub.

Any idea what would cause this?  The hub has 25-30K miles on it, but has been overhauled twice.  The sound came up over a period of maybe 100-200 miles riding.  I don't go off-road and I don't jump curbs.

Anyway, since the cups look good and the rim probably still has another 10-20K of life left, I'm thinking of getting a new hub and just swapping the cones, vs replacing the hub or buying a new wheel.  Any reason not to do this?

More info:  I took a closer look at the cones.  One is not really that worn -- there's just a barely-perceptible mark from the balls, and I'd not suspect it at all if it weren't for the other cone.  The other is spalled to one degree or another all around, however.

And, oddly, the two cones are not identical.  The "good" one has the plastic seal washers, while the "bad" one has no groove for seal washers.  Clearly, one or the other (probably the "bad" one) has been replaced in one of the two bike shop overhalls.

So the question is, why was the old cone replaced?  Presumably it was spalled as well, so what could be causing one cone to spall?

I haven't removed the dust caps, so I can't get a REAL good look at the cups, but will have a shot at it again, using a flashlight.  But on my several inspections so far the cups look smooth and shiny.  And I'm certain the balls were replaced the last time around.  (Unfortunately, inspecting 18 tiny ball bearings is just about impossible.)

Here are pictures:

Unfortunately, my camera only does a middling job with macro photography.  In the first shot the bad cone is on the left and the good (stock Shimano) one is on the right.  The second shot is the bad cone removed from the axle.  The line you can see, up close, looks kind of like a bead of weld, with "puddling" -- little dents kind of pushed up against each other.

When I went to remove the cone I discovered that it was very difficult to remove.  Something had snarled the threads on the axle, at about the junction point between the cone and the lock nut.  It was impossible to say with any certainty, but it looked like the axle was very slightly bent at that point.  It may be that a bent axle was the cause of the failure (though I don't know how it would have gotten bent, or how a bend at that point could cause a bearing failure).

Anyway, swapped in the axle from a new hub (also replaced the balls and repacked it) and the noise seems to be gone (though hard to tell for sure, as it was so windy for my test ride).

Grrr!!!

The noise is back, with the new axle, cones, and balls.  Have not taken it apart yet, but I'm guessing one of the cones will be pitted when I do.

And looking for a new wheel, I can't find anything on the internet.  It's a Shimano HB-A410 hub, Mavic 622x18 rims, 36 hole.  So far I've not found any 36-hole front wheels, and most of the 622 road wheels I find are "aero" -- not exactly the style for my touring bike.  I'll check the local shops to see what they can get -- failing that I suppose I'll have to build my own.

"Final answer": Pretty much convinced that the hub was bent and came that way from the factory.  This is consistent with the repeated spalling and the damage to the axle that I found.  Replaced with a nearly identical wheel from Peter White and things seem fine.

Time traveling here...

If that type of spalling occurs after several thousand miles, then that's most likely normal wear from the little bit of play vs road vibration, etc.

If that occurs within 200 miles, then it means your cone nuts are too tight.  Some people here say there should be no play, but that is incorrect.  There should be a tiny bit of play in the axle/bearings.  If you smack the axle, you should hear it tap lightly.

If you have it too tight, you'll feel very little or zero play, but when you twist the axle by hand, you will feel it grab or catch very slightly.  Or, if you hold it by the axle ends and spin the wheel, you'll see it grab periodically (change in friction makes it twist a little in your hands).

That is the minor imperfections in the races and the bearings fighting each other.  There should be just a tiny bit more space than the largest imperfection combinations (for a micron or two of grease).  That means, most of the spacing will have just a tiny bit of play.

I find that every hub is a little different, but it usually takes 5-10 tweaks to get just the right amount of play when reassembling the wheel bearings/axle/cones/locknuts.


Convert Sturmey-Archer AW hub to AWC I have a 1972 Schwinn Breeze with a Sturmey Archer AW 3-speed hub (no coaster brake).  I would like to replace the internals of the AW hub with the internals of an AWC hub (which has a coaster brake).

Is this conversion possible without replacing the outer casing of the AW hub?  Not sure if the two hubs have interchangeable internals.

My AWC hub was incompatible with AW hubs.
I find re-spoking much easier than working inside 3-speed hubs.
I left those 3-speed bikes behind at a beach house, but based on memory:
- AWC internals are removed from the coaster brake side, while
- AW internals are removed from the sprocket side.

3-speed hubs that I disassembled seemed beyond repair,
but to help reach your own conclusions about relative difficulty,
this video seems representative:
 Clean/Lube Sturmey-Archer 3-Speed Hub - YouTube


How do I differentiate the many varieties of brake/shifter cables? I am fixing several old road bikes (all with stem shifters) and I have noticed an abundance of different types of brake/shifter cables. One set of cables that purchased I had to file down to make them fit

I need to buy some cables/housing/ferules in bulk, as well as some brake levers.

How do I differentiate the many varieties of brake/shifter cables, as well as the appropriate types of housings so I can purchase the right equipment to fix these old bikes?

You can easily buy shift (Compressionless/Index compatible) housing and brake (conventional helical) housing in bulk -- most bike shops buy it by the roll (of about 40-50 meters). Note most housing is shift only or brake only, and you should never use shift only housing for brakes (it will break). With non-index shifting though, you should be able to get acceptable performance with using brake housing for shifting. Expect to pay 1-2 USD per meter in bulk.

Note that there are housings that are suitable for both index shift and brake, such as some made by Nokon (but these are expensive; about 50 dollars/ meter).

Ferrules you can also buy in bulk -- you can easily buy them in little tubs of 100 or so for a few cents a piece.

Brake and shift cables will need to be bought individually (in the sense that you can't buy a roll of them and cut them yourself; you can obviously buy big lots of them at a discount). This is because you need to have the cable ends attached so that they can hook into the shifter/brake lever, and this needs to be done at manufacturing time. There are different varieties for different shifter and brake types. This is partially due to manufacturers, and also the different styles of the shifters/brakes. It's not a big deal -- no different really than needing a few different parts for working on a Honda than on a Ford, but you just need to know which ones you need.

These days the shift+brake cable types are relatively standard (since Shimano/SRAM are the vast majority of drivetrains out there): Most non-flat bar bikes (e.g. drop bar road bikes) will use the same brake cable (A) in the figure below, and most flat bar bikes (many hybrids/ mountain bikes) will use (C) for their brakes. And most bikes will use (D) for their shifting.

The people who need (B,E) would know a priori that they need them (since they spent a lot of money on their Campagnolo drivetrains).

Note that many Shimano/SRAM cables are sold double ended -- one has the road end on it, the other has the mountain end. You just cut off the end you don't need and use it as you would if it only came with the proper end.

(Figure from Bikeman)

For some classical shifters/brake levers (old Suntour, for example), the original cables used different ends than whats on the market now (e.g. a shift cable with a  ball end with diameter of the similar radius to (D) rather than (D)). In these cases, it doesn't hurt to do a google search to see what people are running for those cables. Or, take it to the shop -- they should have a copy of Sutherland's handbook which will tell them what the right cable is for practically anything. In some cases, you may end up filing another cable end down anyway (which isn't ideal, but sometimes it has to be done). Back in the old days, there were a bunch of manufacturers of stuff and things weren't as standardized as they are now (since Shimano has overrun the market, and SRAM is Shimano compatible for a lot of things).

A few remaining points:

With older (pre index shifting) setups it doesn't make much difference with quality of cables/housings (particularly for shifting) and carefulness of installation. But you might see a perceptible difference if you install cables/housings poorly on modern (index shifting) setups or use poor quality stuff.
The retailer you buy your stuff from can make a huge difference in price (also, what kind of bikes you have, which determines how much housing and stuff you need). I think I spent about 10 USD a bike last time I did this.
It probably doesn't make sense to buy bulk rolls of housing -- it's going to take forever to get through it for most people in a non-shop setting, and it takes up space. You don't need to replace them that often, and for one or two bikes, 50 m may be enough to last you close to the end of your riding life.

Further reading: Sheldon Brown's always good. This page from Bikeman in the comments is useful too.


What brand of bar tape does Raleigh use on brand new bikes? I really liked the bar tape my bike came with, but I don't know what kind it was. It has a distinctive texture and a sort of tacky feel to it. Would like to find the same bar tape again. My bike is a Raleigh Capri 2.0, purchased in July 2012.

The possibilities I've found that look similar are:

Avenir Textured Gel Tape

PRO Digital Carbon Tape

Raleigh sells components and accessories by various brands including its own Raleigh Special Products RSP line.

http://www.raleigh.co.uk/ProductType/?pc=2&pt=297


Bought a Genesis bicycle for £100 and wanted to know if it was worth it since I can't quite identify the exact model I'm not seeing any cue in regards to the model, thought that maybe there's someone here who could help me identify it.
Thanks in advance :D

It looks like a moderately modern road bike that has been refitted with MTB flat bars to make it a rigid hybrid commuter.

Modern threadless steerer and a cartridge BB suggests its within the last decade or so.

As for value - if you needed a bike and could afford it out of pocket, then you're doing fine financially.  Now just ride it and enjoy not paying for operating costs of a motor vehicle, or per-ride costs of public transport.


What are these parts? It fell from the front hub/disc brake/fork area (most likely brake caliper) on my friend's bike which I'm servicing for the first time and I have no idea what they are!

They're shims for adjusting the disc caliper lateral position, for disc brakes that don't have ISO-style mounting bolts.

Those ones fall out easily and are annoying to deal with in general, so they've been replaced by "shim washers" which are equally thin, very flat washers made specifically for the purpose. Normal washers are stamped out of sheet metal and are rarely flat and often not even either, so using them as shims will leave your caliper at a slight angle and often slightly twisted as well due to the two washers not being exactly the same. In the worst case that will make hydraulic brakes leak.

You can fake these to some extend using washers cut from aluminium cans, but you're better off using proper shim washers despite the price.


Is an IP68 rating sufficient to protect a phone during a 12 hour ride in heavy rain? I would like to bring my IP68-rated phone with me on long rides where the weather might be very wet.
As I understand, IP68 means it can withstand immersion at a depth of 1 metre for 30 minutes.
However, does this also mean that the phone will be fine for extended periods in very wet conditions?  Can I keep it in a waterlogged pocket for 12 hours? Or on the handlebars in extended heavy rain?

It should be.  That's how I navigate on all my rides, wet or otherwise (phone on the bars).  I've done this for a few years, but not completely without incident.
Some tips:

Make sure all port covers are tightly closed; I even grease mine very lightly.
Consider how you will charge if necessary (I might otherwise plug in to a battery pack or my dynamo while going along)
It's possible for phones to leak after taking damage, even seemingly cosmetic damage.  My last phone did this after coming off the bars one too many times*.  I dried it out successfully a couple of times but then needed to replace the screen.  It's now my backup phone and not waterproof.
If it fails, how bad is it? Will you be lost in the cold and wet, down a large sum of money for a phone, or will you be able to ride home on known roads and repair it?  Should you have a backup map/route sheet?
Touch screens don't respond well when wet - will you need to touch the screen while riding?  I made a little windshield that keeps the rain off while I'm moving, but on steep hills or in stop-start traffic it gets annoying.
If you're considering putting it in a waterproof pouch for further protection, I've found they aren't all very waterproof, and anyway the clear plastic fogs to the point you can't read the screen if you let in even the slightest moisture (the window is colder than the phone).

BTW Garmin only claim IPx7 for their dedicated devices, so it's up to how well you trust the manufacturer and whether the seals have suffered over time.

* It's too heavy for most phone mounts and tends to find the weak spots and snap them, too fat for others so doesn't clamp securely.  The screen turned out to have slightly come away from the shell after the last impact with the ground at 35km/h.  It already looked battered.  The replacement has a lanyard clipped to the bars


Bottle dynamo wiring a headlight and taillight on 1980s bike I'm restoring a 1980 DBS Winner bicycle, and I'm having trouble wiring the dynamo to the headlight and taillight. As a disclaimer, I know very little about electricity and wiring.

The dynamo has two outputs on the bottom, one is labeled S and the other is labeled B. There's a wire between the S and the headlight. From B, however, a wire goes directly to the frame itself (screwed-ish to the head tube). Below the crank is a similar screw-ish contraption, from which a wire goes to the taillight. I'm thinking the current is lead between these contraptions, via the steel frame.

None of the lights work when the dynamo is on. I tested the bulbs with a battery, they work. I've tested the dynamo output with a voltmeter, and it seems to work. I also tried connecting the wire from B to the side of the bulb in the headlight and the wire from S to the bottom of the bulb, which worked when the dynamo was on. Do both the taillight and the headlight need two wires each? I find it strange if that is the case, since the bike came with one wire to each light, and it's weird to remove only one wire from each for whatever reason, isn't it?

Update: Added some images.

@Plasma says: I got it working! You're right @Carel, the frame itself wasn't negative, but the back fender somehow was. I didn't check if the entire frame was positive, though, so can't say anyrhing about insulated wires or not. Anyhow, the problem seems to have been a missing connection between the positive and the taillight bulb. I DIYed a new socket for the bulb and did some (possibly redundant) new wiring to connect everything properly.

(because I don't like unanswered questions)


How to replace hub motor cable in e-bike? The hub motor wires are cut from near the axle and looks like I can't repair it without completely replacing it. The motor is similar to this one on Ali Express. I failed  to open the motor because the screws are so tight and rusted. I am thinking of cutting some part of the rod and join the wires. This seems an easier but not a good solution. Any advices?
Update:
I was able to get my motor working by cutting the cable from near the sensor board, pulling the cable inside the motor through the shaft and rejoining/soldering from where it was originally cut. This shortened my cable few inches and it was barely reachable to the controller. See the picture below. I wanted to know if the cable can be completely replaced with no need for these joins but it's not easy as the cable was the part of the motor coil itself.

I had a similar problem with a motor broken during shipment (luckily the manufacturer sent me a new one). I tried to fix the broken one by replacing the cable, but it's quite hard to do, because the space inside the housing is quite small, and when I tested the motor it worked for a while until the housing, by rubbing the cable, shortened the sensor cable, and broke the sensor board in the motor. I could reasonably run it sensorless, but you need a sensorless controller if this happen. Long story short is not easy at all, I'm quite good in soldering but failed in this regard. And disassembling the motor, at least with my geared unit, is not so easy as well, so if you have nothing to lose you might try it, but be prepared for a long evening of struggling.


Can different size feet be a cause of knee pain? Left foot is close to a full size bigger than right.  I have always had some left knee pain since going clipless.  Have always went with the shoe size for the larger foot.

Foot size difference is unlikely to cause pain directly, but having an oversized shoe on the smaller foot may provide insufficient support or too much movement.  Try additional socks on the smaller foot, or an extra inner sole.

Given one foot is smaller, is it possible that leg is a bit short too?   You'd need to consult a sports physiologist, or possibly get a professional bike fit.   You can use longer bolts on your cleat, and some packing between the cleat and the shoe.

Finally, could it be a simple cleat mis-alignment?  I have recently gone clipless, and its shown me my left foot prefers a different position to my right foot.   Mind you my saddle always feels wrong unless the nose is 2-3 degrees to the left.


Best bike for park routes? I'm looking to buy an affordable bike for routes like Stanley Park in Vancouver. Something comfortable to ride on both paved and unpaved routes.
Thanks in advance!

It depends on your budget. If you have $200 to spend that's a very different answer to $1000. Also 'Stanley Park' means nothing to me. Is it a small paved park, a mountain bike park, thousands of acres of rough tracks?
Roughly most people looking for a beginners bike will tend to buy a hybrid like this one:

The main feature of these bikes 'front suspension', which is good for doing hardcore mountain biking, but not that useful on normal bikes, especially as the cheaper ones (say $500 bikes) will always have low quality suspension.
So look for a bike similar to that but without the front suspension

The other features to consider on a bike tend to be:

number of speeds in the rear - more is not really significantly better, but new bikes with 7 speeds or less are badly equipped, simply because that's how bikes are marketed - more speeds is better, so less speeds is bad. So something with 9 speeds or more is generally going to be fairly durable and high quality. 8 speeds is ok too.
freewheel or cassette - a freewheel rear wheel is not switchable to cassette, and freewheels are features of low-quality non-durable bikes nowadays. So check you have a cassette. If your bike is very cheap then maybe this will be the only option
brakes - the cheapest versions of bikes similar to those above may have v-brakes. this is a sign nowadays of a very cheap bike. v-brakes work fine, but probably such bikes will be cheap all over. Most people now go for disc brakes. Hydraulic disc brakes are lower maintenance and most people prefer them. If comparing two bikes one with hydraulic brakes and one with cable brakes, then prefer hydraulic.
fork - if you go for a rigid fork, as you likely should, then a lot of bikes have carbon forks. these have some vibration-absorbing properties. carbon forks can have alloy steers, a full carbon fork is a bit more expensive than one with an alloy steerer.
tyres - typically a bike will be designed around a given tyre size. Road bikes nowadays tend to be around 25-28mm. This can be ridden over smooth off-road and will be very fast on-road, but it's intended for riding on-road mainly, so if you willl cycle most of the time off road then you will want tyres wider than this. MTB tyres, otoh are usually over 2" (don't ask why one is mm, one is ", that is bikes). A 'fast hybrid' will tend to have tyres around 32mm (1.25"), while a slightly more off-road oriented one will be around 40mm (roughly 1.6"). Tyres can be changed after market, but a bike fitted with 32mm tyres may not have clearance for 2" tyres, while one with 40mm tyres will probably be slightly heavier than one with 32mm tyres, and the rims might be too wide to fit a very narrow road tyre too.

The fastest bike is a road bike. The entry-level is Shimano Claris R2000. Any higher series is better, but Claris R2000 is very high quality already. However the road bike will really come into its own when you are covering long distances on open roads. They won't provide any benefit in stop-start traffic or in parks. However you should be aware of them in that they are the best bike for some jobs.
If you buy a used bike then you can probably get more for your money, but if you don't know how to look for worn parts such as bottom brackets, freehubs, etc. then it can be expensive in repair costs. You might check out a store/bike co-operative that sells used bikes that are serviced and ready to ride, as this could be cheaper for you than playing the lottery on ebay.


How to install a cartridge bottom bracket (threaded) in threadless shell? Is it possible to install a threaded cartridge bottom bracket in a threadless shell which has a PF30 installed?

If you want to be able to install any ISO threaded BB, the way to do that is use a press-in adapter.

They have the disadvantage of not necessarily solving the creaking issues that might have gotten you to this point in the first place.

If you just want a simple way to run common 24mm or 24mm/22mm cranks, there are adapters that plug in to an existing PF30 or BB30 for that.

If the shell is metal and you want to run square taper, you can in theory get it cut to T47 and run a Phil Wood BB in it with their T47 cups. Despite being insane, this is the solution most likely to result in zero creak issues.


What type of lever of a hydraulic rim brake is this? What is the manufacturer and the model of this brake lever of a hydraulic rim brake?

I am puzzled because it's connected to a Magura hydraulic rim brake caliper, and there is a 11 on it - so I always assumed that it is a Magura HS11. By web  search, I could verify that it is actually not the HS 11 - but I couldn't find the real one. (Specification `11' directs reliably to the HS 11...) Does anyone know this type?

Based on the picture here I would assume it is a Magura HS 11, but perhaps a older model.  The link has a different color body, but the style is the same.  Additional searching yields other similar results, some with the same colors even.


What electric bikes are for sale in the US, and how good are they? I am interested in purchasing an electric bike but am puzzled as to what brand is best. It seems as though most companies are importing their products from China, which is great because they are low cost but they look bulky and maybe even cheap quality. There aren't many electric bike manufacturers let a lone traditional bike manufacturers in America.

One of our bikes is an electric bike.  It's an older iZip HG 1000, and although we got it through the American "manufacturer" (Currie Technologies), like most of the low-end ebikes it's made in China of heavy steel and uses cheap, cheap, cheap components.  For example, it has these awful band brakes because they're slightly cheaper than cantilevers.  (Those pics are not of my bike.)

When we bought it a couple years ago, most of the department stores (WalMart, Zeller's, Canadian Tire) had bikes of similar (low) quality available under a variety of brand names - iZip and Schwinn (both also from Currie) were the most common.

However, even though I've always referred to our ebike as a cheap, made-in-China piece of junk, in the first 6 months we had it I commuted 40km a day and put 2500km on it.  It hasn't been used as much since then, but it's still going.  OTOH, it has required some work...  For various reasons, it has a two-part drive-train: a short chain from the cranks to an intermediate sprocket, then another chain from there to the freewheel.  As shown in the following picture, I managed to shear off all 4 bolts that held the two cogs on the intermediate sprocket together.  (And to get access, I first had to take apart 4 or 5 pieces of plastic bodywork.)

So it comes down to: you get what you pay for.  If you don't abuse it, a cheap ebike might do ok, but fundamentally it's made with heavy, low-quality steel, and cheap components.  Bikes like that can be serviceable, but are simply not very good.

One brand that seems to be associated with somewhat higher-quality bikes is BionX.  I think they are still mostly a supplier of LiIon battery packs, motors and controllers, and many different companies sell ebikes built with BionX drive systems.  You could look for local dealers who sell bikes made with their components.  I'm sure there are other companies that supply drive systems to bike shops.


My Rockshox fork won't close I have a Diamondback Apex with Rockshox xc30 and all I did was turn the knob for the preload adjustment and it suddenly came off. I tried putting it back together but it won't go all the way back in. I try riding it but even the lockout won't hold the crown from slipping all the way down. This makes the hole spring be seen and the handlebars very low. The suspension is now rough and useless.
What should I do?

You probably broken something in the fork. Bring back to the shop to have it check!


Does an old tire become tight? I'm asking this question (see the title) because I wasted so much time/energy (after having a punctured tube) trying to remove the tire and to put it again, while the guys I see on Youtube don't seem to face the same difficulty when replacing a tube.
And at the end, when the tire & the new tube were in place on the rim, the tube started leaking air again.

The tire in question is clearly worn from the outside even though from the inside there is no visible hole.
Do you think if I replace the tire, I wouldn't have a hard time again to stretch the tire on the rim when I have to replace the tube?

P.S: The wheel is a 700x32C (Continental City Ride).

Certainly, old tires get stiffer as the rubber dries out, and this makes them harder to remove and install.

But what you've probably experienced is the difference between brands and styles.  Some tires are a hair oversize and slip onto the rim quite easily, while others are a hair undersize and are much more difficult to deal with.  It's hard to predict which you will encounter unless you are familiar with the brands involved.

(The leak you experienced after replacing the tube was probably due to damaging the tube while installing it.  Unless you really have to, DO NOT use screwdrivers to lever the tire off/on, but use plastic "tire irons", or, better, a "Quick Stick" tire lever.  Using screwdrivers frequently causes tube damage.)


What are the advantages/disadvantages of press fit bottom brackets compared with threaded? Many standards for bottom brackets have been gaining popularity recently such as BB30 and PF30. What are the benefits of these press fit systems over the threaded system that has prevailed for decades? Any drawbacks to be aware of?

Advantages:

It's cheaper to manufacture cups, even with fine surface finish and reasonable tolerances than threaded shells.
Especially with carbon frames there was an issue with inserting threaded shells which needed to have perfectly parallel faces. With press-fit cups and cartridge bearings having some factory loose, the tolerances are not so strict.
A press-fit bearings are just a bit quicker to install. The difference may not be huge, but is significant when assemblig thousands of bikes.
Removing a threaded bottom bracket after a few years can be a daunting experience. Especially when no grease/thread glue was applied and it was mounted on a steel frame.
Thread could easily be damaged when replacing a bottom bracket without care.
A new standard is always a good opportunity to use for the advertising department.
Although sometimes recommended, no tools are usually needed for installation.

Disadvanteges:

Press-fit connections wear out more quickly when you replace the bearings often.
Bearings which have to account for imperfections in cup mounting, don't last quite as long.
It is possible to re-thread a damaged bottom bracket shell thread while it would be way more complicated to replace press-fit cups.
Bearing removal requires care and experience to protect cup surface from damaging.

There are more diferences, but they are more specific to a given type of bottom brackets, and the ones above are more general. Most of the advantages of press-fit are felt by the manufacturers rather than users, although I do appreciate the ease of installation of these bottom brackets.


one side of cantilever brake pads does not spring back Same as this question one side of brake pad retention problem (i.e. attached to rim) but mine is a cantilever brake. The answer there doesn't work as mine doesn't have those screws and the brake holders look very different.

The bike is a mountain bike if it matters.

If you have cantilever brakes with no adjustment screw you can usually bend the spring.

At the top of the arm the metal spring probably pushes against a post. On the side that's stuck to the rim unhook the spring and push the spring away from the rim. Don't do it too hard to start with. Hook it back to the post and try to see if it's balanced the brakes. Keep trying until the brakes balance.


Which are bicycle-politicized groups or advocate groups? Well, that is it. I want better roads, more safe roads, better maintained roads to bicyclists so I am looking for bicycle-politized groups or advocate groups around the world. I believe they may have done a lot of pioneering work about bicycling like in the safety -issue. So do not let the word politics stray you, I am also interested in their research and material/projects they may have.

The question is general, I am not limiting this answer to any specific country.

I don't know of any truly worldwide organizations of that type, and doubt any are out there. I believe you'll have an easier time finding a local organization. I believe a local organization is also going to be more effective at achieving the goals you mention.

Bicycle advocacy of getting better infrastructure (roads, paths, lanes, etc) will have to be focused on the government agencies responsible for constructing and maintaining that infrastructure. Laws about bicycles are an important aspect, too. Cities, counties, states, provinces and countries are responsible for roads and laws, not international/worldwide organizations.

For example, I live in California, in a city about 50 miles from San Francisco. There's a local county-wide organization (bicycle coalition) that works with the county-wide government and the governments of many of the cities inside the county. That county bicycle coalition is affiliated with an organization that covers the whole San Francisco bay area and deals primarily with programs that cover that whole area. Then there is a California-wide coalition. And there are several US-wide national organizations, with one (the League of American Bicyclists) that they all seem to work with somewhat.

There are also organizations that advocate for non-automobile ("alternative") transportation, for pedestrians, for public transportation, for less fossil-fuel usage, etc. Some of those are focused specifically on their particular issue, but many include some amount of bicycle advocacy, too.

League of American Bicyclists (nation-wide US organization) has list of international and US nationwide organizations on their website.
Ask at your LBS like @ChrisW says above. The bike shop is likely to be a member of at least one advocacy organization, since better bicycle infrastructure will help them sell more bikes.
Find out about local public meetings related to planning for cycling infrastructure, show up and look for other bicyclists there (does your city have a council/board that meets regularly and publicly that you can find out the agenda for and check when there's transportation issues on the agenda? Maybe a committee or board or something that plans the city's transportation?).
Get some other dedicated bicycle-people together, start your own, and figure out who in your local government to talk to in order to improve the bicycle infrastructure in your own area.


What is the difference in procedures for bleeding different disc brakes? I want to learn to bleed my new disc brakes. While there is a wealth of knowledge on the topic, it is difficult to tell the difference between pedantic explanations and sloppy work.

In the official Avid bleeding instruction video a meticulous procedure is explained, of course using their proprietary kit.

Shimano disc brake bleeding seems much simplified, and the kit is different (simpler).

Questions:

The avid kit looks really cool, with the clips on the hoses. And is not very expensive, at $60. Can it be used to bleed any kind of brake? With an adapter?
The avid instruction stresses removing any air from the liquid prior to the bleed (they clamp the hose of the syringe and pull on the piston). Why is this not done in the Shimano video? I went to a (good) mechanic with my Shimano BR-M395 and he didn't do such a thing. He didn't even unscrew the caliper fluid bolt - only operated on the lever.
Is Magura Mineral oil fully compatible with Shimano mineral oil brakes? Can the two kinds of oil be mixed?
At the LBS they told me that the procedure is complicated with Avids, because their caliper design is awkward, easily trapping air. On the other hand, Shimano brakes are expected to fill up properly and without air by just tapping the hose while filling. Is this true?
Any other differences between the procedures for Avid, Shimano, Magura, Tekrto, Clark's?
Is it true that the oil is very dangerous for the skin and the eyes, and gloves must be worn?

It's necessary to understand the design of the systems to understand why Avid requires a separate bleed kit.

There is a significant difference in the design of the brake system between Avid and other manufacturers such as Shimano and this is the main reason on why Avid have a proprietary bleed kit.

Although an 'open' hydraulic system Avid's Taperbore resembles a 'closed' system, one that operates in a vacuum. The Avid system uses a small reservoir fixed amount of fluid in the system and a bladder around the master piston with air in it. Shimano and other brands use a larger reservoir with a bladder separating the brake fluid (in this case mineral oil) and air. In both cases air is used to compensate for the fluid in the system expanding.

Because the Avid system operates in a vacuum it requires all air to be removed from the system and that is why you need the two syringe set, other designs simply require fluid to be topped up in the reservoir and air worked out.

All the different brake fluids have different characteristics (boiling points, freezing points, amount of expansion etc.). Avid specifies DOT 4 and 5.1, which is a pain. Like all solvents you don't want to get it on your hands but it isn't going to kill you unless you work with it everyday without protection. DOT fluid is hygroscopic, it attracts water so although you can buy it in larger quantities cheaper than through Avid it doesn't have a good shelf life once opened and probably shouldn't be opened again.

To bleed Elixirs you don't need a Avid bleed kit, just a hose barb that fits and some generic hose. I use the brass hose barb which is for my Rockshox x-loc and generic hose and syringes.

Also you can do a less complicated 'speed bleed' to remove air from the system, but a full bleed is better. I bleed the brakes on my hack/ commuter but leave it up to the wrench at my LBS to bleed the brakes on my XC bike (I just don't see the point in paying a few hundred for good brakes and then not getting them optimised by a professional).


Chain falling off front sprocket I have a 7 speed Mongoose Bike. The chain often falls off the front sprocket.  There is only one chain ring in the front.  Any ideas what to check for?

Thanks,
Paul

Worn chain or chainring can cause this, as can a very dirty or un-lubricated chain, especially is there is a stiff link pin. A bent chainring can also buck the chain off.

Another possibility is the derailleur is not providing enough chain tension. This can happen if one of the tensioning springs has broken or has become weak. Check the 'B' spring (at the attachment bolt) or the 'A' spring (where the cage pivots).

Unfortunately the tendency to drop the chain may just be a 'feature' of an inexpensive bike. You might look into fitting a chain tensioner to keep the chain on. Modern 'one-by' drive-trains with a single chainring use 'double-wide' chainring teeth profiles which are much better at retaining the chain. However, this is not an option on inexpensive bikes where the chainring is integral to the cranks.


Can I change a 3speed sturmey archer to a derailleur system? Might be daft but can I change an internal hub for a derailleur option. I have an old bike which is slow but I do love it. I want to upgrade my running gear but the "chassis" is still tip-top. I don't want to loose my beloved but am sick of the three speed granddad option. I'm aware that this might not be possible but any help you chaps can offer would be great.

Most three speed internal hub wheels are physically very different in configuration from derailleur (external gear changer) style wheels. Internal hub wheels are fairly symmetrical side to side, but on wheels used on derailleur equipped bikes, the spokes are nearly flat on the gear side and dished on the opposite side.

To add a rear derailleur, you would need a complete new rear wheel.  There is also the issue of a hanger for the derailleur. Most bikes with internal hubs do not have one. It may be possible to braze one on, but that is complicated.

Adding multiple chainrings in the front is a problem because you still need a chain tensioning mechanism, which is usually done by the rear derailleur mechanism.

Sometimes three speed hubs are added to bikes that are designed for derailleur systems (to multiply the number of gears) but rarely the other way around.

Consider saving the old trustworthy for leisurely rides and investing in a new multispeed bike for more intense activities.


What tools do I absolutely need to replace brake cables? I'm happy with the job I did replacing the drivetrain on my road bike, and I'm ready to tackle replacing the brake cables. Unfortunately, I did a little research and it's been suggested that I need a few new tools. If I go by what's been recommended, I'll be spending well over $100 on tools.

I'm okay with buying used tools or brands other than Park Tool, but I don't want to cheap out on the brakes. Stopping is pretty important!

Fourth hand cable stretcher - I think this is one tool I'll need to get, or something similar. I see Pedro's makes a version of it, I'm not sure if it's made as solidly or not. What should I look for when buying one of these?
Cutter pliers I have a couple of similar cutting pliers, I don't think I need to get another one. Or is there something special about these?
Cable housing cutter - Looks to me like this is a fancy wire stripper. Is there anything about brake housing cables that I need to know that would make using a sharp wire stripper problematic?

Please keep in mind that I'm not a shop, and will be replacing cables maybe every year or two at most. I'm okay with the job being less convenient, but not less safe.

Fourth hand cable stretcher - I think this is one tool I'll need to get, or something similar. I see Pedro's makes a version of it, I'm not sure if it's made as solidly or not. What should I look for when buying one of these?

Never found I needed one, typically I pull the inner brake cable as far as possible then close the brake calipers all the way (i.e., engage to the rim/disc), then attach the cable. Usually, I missed a bit of slack pulling by hand, which is taken up by the caliper return spring. You may need to repeat a couple times to get everything settled.

  Cutter pliers I have a couple of similar cutting pliers, I don't think I need to get another one. Or is there something special about these?

If you have cutting pliers that could cleanly cut shifter inner cabling, then you are probably fine.

  Cable housing cutter - Looks to me like this is a fancy wire stripper. Is there anything about brake housing cables that I need to know that would make using a sharp wire stripper problematic?

This is the only item on your list I found invaluable, bit it depends on the quality of brake cable housing you intend to.  If you already have cutters that can cleanly cut shifter cable housing then this will likely work on regular brake cable housing that uses a coiled construction.  If you are using "compressionless" brake housing, then only the best of the best cutters can make a clean cut.

Cable housing cutters are a special type of cutter that does a shear cut, I found most general cutters will leave large burs at the end of the cable housing (which you can file away or trim with a blunt cutter) or will not make a clean cut through higher end housing.
.


Raleigh Twenty wheel/rim replacement options What replacement wheels/rims that can be fitted into Raleigh Twenty bike are available these days?

Below I focus my requirements on the rims as they are probably easier to come by than complete wheels but if there are new wheels available then I'd love to know the vendor/manufacturer.

Ideally I would like not to modify anything and stick with 20" × 1-3/8" size with 28 spokes taking ISO 35-451 tyres if such option exists at all.

The next acceptable option would be same size with 36 spokes which would require replacing the hubs (which I hope can be obtained more easily).

Yet another possibility is any other wheel size that would fit the bike without modifications (with the exception of the hubs).

The least acceptable option would be a solution requiring mudguards removal, front fork replacement, brakes change etc. However, out of curiosity I would be happy to see what more drastic routes can be followed.

The old stainless steel rims can be a pain to stop in, and when it rains, it's pretty much impossible...I'm a member of The Raleigh Twenty forums, gives good info about the bikes. The technical data for the rims is provided below, but there may be other options aside from what's listed.

According to The Raleigh Twenty Resources:

  Rims:
  Alienation Ankle Biter  20 x 1-1/8" . Lightweight high-performance junior-BMX race rim. Double-walled. Eyeleted. Theoretically available in 28, 32 and 36 hole drillings. I have the 32H version on two bikes. They're very good. Patchy availability.
  Sun Ringle ICI-1  20 x 1-1/8". Similar to above. 28 and 36 hole drillings. Currently available.
  Halo JX-2  20 x 1-1/8". Similar to above. 28 and 32 hole drillings. I'm about to build a set. They look very good. Currently available.
  Crupi Rhythm 20 x 1-1/8". Similar to above but non-eyeleted. Range of anodized colours. 28 hole drilling. Currently available.
  Bombshell and RCR carbon-fibre 20 x 1-1/8". Currently available but WAY TOO EXPENSIVE!!!  And, may not take high pressures.
  Ukai and Araya "old school" BMX race rims  20 x 1-3/8". These regularly turn up as "New Old Stock" on eBay. They were made during the BMX boom of the early 1980s, and are normally 36H only. Being single-walled and non-eyeleted, these are basic rims that are no match for the lighter and stronger modern alloy rims listed above. Patchy availabilty.
  Ukai "mid school" BMX race rimes 20 x 1-1/8". From the 1990s or early 2000s. Occasionally turn up NOS on eBay. These double-walled and eyeleted (sometimes double-eyeleted) Japanese rims are top quality. Rare.
  Unbranded Chinese 451 carbon-fibre rims, direct from the factory online or via eBay. Caveat emptor! Currently available.


How to carry skis on a bike? I don't have a car and think about biking to ski resorts. So the question is how to carry my XC skis on a bike. Have anyone tried doing this and what was the solution?

Thanks.

I have seen people trailer them, but for a local race here, many people go car free and strap them to the top tube extending back behind the seat, usually onto the rack.

Found many images using google image search for "carry skis on bike"
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5132/5471607772_40dc377ed0_o.jpg


What to wear when it's cold? If I put on heavy clothes it will be very hot inside them after the warm-up. If I wear only a T-shirt I'll freeze.

What's the solution?

I ride around 20 km in a hilly city, with temperatures between 0 and 30 celsius.

I have a continuum of clothes that I add on as the weather gets colder.

During the summer, I ride like you do with shorts and a t-shirt.  As things cool of a little bit, down below 60F/15C, I'll put on a windbreaker over my t-shirt and some full-finger gloves on my hands.  The next step for me is to add an Under Armour Cold Gear shirt (many companies make equivalent tops) but to stick with naked legs, they're doing all the wok after all.

Once temperatures get down to the 45F/7C range, I'll add som snazzy leggings in a fabric similar to the Under Armour top mentioned above.  When things start to freeze, my final move is a fleece vest over the long sleeve top, but under my windbreaker.

If things get even colder where you are, Icebike's clothing page is a good place to look for further advice.  Keep two things in mind: you need a lot less clothing once you're moving and generating heat than you do standing around, but you also need to be prepared for a problem that might leave you standing around for some time.  Dress light and carry extra clothes in a backpack.


Can I estimate tyre pressures on a road bike? Can I estimate my road bike tyre pressures by pressing my thumb into the tyre? I don't have a tyre pressure gauge, and feel that the tyres on my new Merida Scultura are pumped too hard.

No, not really. It is difficult to get an accurate idea of tyre pressure by pressing it.

Especially for thin, high pressure road bike tyres - they should feel pretty hard. Even if they do feel hard, the pressure may be much lower than it should be.

Best option is to get a good pump, with a built in pressure gauge. Many mini pumps will take a lot of effort to get the pressure high enough, a 'track pump' would be a lot easier.

Tyres do lose air over time - especially thin, high pressure tyres - so it is a good idea to check them regularly, and inflate as required.


Why are road bikes (not time trial bikes) used in many triathlons? I've been watching triathlon videos lately and I couldn't help but notice that, with the exception of Ironman Competitions, only road bikes and not time trial bikes are being used. Is there any reason for that?

The OP linked 4 videos, the first 2 videos were  long-course Ironman races, where time trial (TT) bikes were used, while the latter 2 videos were of short-course draft legal races where road bikes were used. In the latter two videos the competitors were either pros or elite amateurs. These individuals typically have multiple bikes and would be using a TT bike if it was the right tool.

Originally, all triathlons used to have a no-drafting policy, which made optimizing your personal aerodynamics critical.  Hence the rise of TT bikes in the early history of triathlons.

Relatively recently drafting has been made legal in many short track triathlons, making TT bikes both dangerous and not suitable for the format.  When you have drafting you essentially have a road race, which a road bike is the right tool.  Quick handling is key as you need to be able to maneuver and keep your front wheel within 2-6 inches of the bike you are drafting in order to get the full draft effect.  You also need to be able to accelerate, brake, and change direction quickly to close gaps and respond to group dynamics. Groups can at times move incredibly fast, 65 kph on the flat is not uncommon for pros or elites.

In contrast, Ironman events still have no-drafting rules in place making TT bikes the right tool as its about individual riders against the wind and not responses to group dynamics.

  NOTE: the answer is intended to address the races explicitly highlighted by the OP, not all world wide triathlon events, nor the large array of amateur races where participants may be balancing a number of  considerations (e.g., cost).