ParkTool CC-2 chain checker incorrect readings My bike is equipped with Shimano Ultegra CN-HG701-11 chain. After only 600 km I measured it with ParkTool CC-2 and it gives 0.75% wear. ParkTool says

  For 11 and 12-speed chain, replace at or just before the 0.5% reading.

Then I measured the outer distance between 10 links L2

and the inner distance L1

The actual length between 10 links is

L = (L2 + L1) / 2 = (134.44 mm + 120.0 mm) / 2 = 127.22 mm

Wear = (127.22 - 127.0) / 127.0 * 100% = 0.173%

Many sources including Sheldon Brown suggest to replace the chain just before  chain pitch grows over 0.5%. Should I trust the CC-2 or there are more accurate tools for quick check? Maybe my CC-2 is damaged or I use it improperly?

Your high CC-2 reading likely relates to how much pressure are applying. The CC-2 device is not particularly solid and its readings are sensitive to how much pressure you apply to the pivoting gauge.

From the manual:

  Instructions

  Set pivoting gauge so “0” is visible in viewing window.
  Lower CC-2 so fixed pin rests between chain’s inner plates.
  Lightly push pivoting gauge just until it stops. Forcing gauge will damage the CC-2’s pins, resulting in inaccurate measurements.

I also have moved to measuring chain stretch via Vernier calipers, however my approach differs from yours as I try to mimic the cc-2 type inner measurement but with more precision (see below for methods). According to my calibration chart your L1 measurement suggests a chain stretch of 0.4%, which seems like a lot for 600 km, but not impossible. I would try repeating your L1 measurement a couple more times to be sure. Either way, you will likely need to change your chain soon.

Using Vernier Calipers To Measure Chain Stretch

Because you are also attempting to use Vernier calipers to estimate chain wear I thought I would share a method I derived for using Vernier calipers. I decided to follow the same method as the Park tools (inner measurement - your L1 approach - for 10 links) as I wanted to include wear on the bushings (as this is what the cog interacts with). As many have pointed out there is no perfect way to measure chain elongation.

  I have, over the years, struggled with this question, consulted with tool brands on the designs of chain-wear indicators, and have measured innumerable chains with many different methods. I have yet to come up with a definitive way to do it. I have ended up choosing one chain checker that I found to be the easiest to use, and I use it frequently and try to figure out its idiosyncrasies to ensure first and foremost that I replace my chain soon enough that it doesn’t fry my cogs, and secondly that I don’t replace chains too soon and throw good money down the drain by disposing of perfectly good chains.

  -- Lennard Zinn, Technical FAQ: Chain wear measurement

So my approach has been to take an approach and improve the precision so that I could use it to do things such as estimate chain wear rates and predict service dates.

Example of an inner link measurement (10 links apart)

I settled on your inner measurement approach (pictured above) and calibrate my Vernier calipers against a CC-2 device, so I could translate a linear measurement into an approximate % wear. I did this by creating a calibration regression chart converting the Vernier L1 measurement to a stretch percentage (see below).  I figured that while the CC-2 can be difficult to use consistently, it should at least be generally accurate. Note that my calibration measurements involved only a very light push on the CC-2 gauge.

Calibration

I repeated three measurements of the CC-2 gauge at the 0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75% and 1% gauge readings.  I then took the average and did a simple linear regression against the gauge readings (below).

The regression estimates were then used to create the following reference table:

I believe this is a reasonably decent calibration chart as I hit 0.5% or 0.75% on the chart, the other Park Tool CC-3.2 pass/fail gauge nicely slides in at the 0.5% and 0.75% sides respectively. The conversion table is of course not perfect as some chains came with an initial stretch measurement less than 0% (i.e., the CC-2 gauge would not fit in place). As such, 0% does not represent true zero. That said, we are really interested in the 0.5% or 0.75% wear, which the chart seems to approximate well (for how Park Tools measures chain wear).

As you can see your measurement of 120mm suggests 0.4% stretch.  Typically I will measure the chain with Vernier calipers in three random places and take an average, then compare against the chart.  I also record these measurements and regress them against the current distance or duration to get a better estimate of the current wear rate, as well as projecting service intervals.

Predicting Service Life

I typically take periodic measurements over the course of the chain life in order to predict my Service date.  Below is an example for a KMC X11-SL chain.  As you can see it will be time to change the chain at about 3,250 km.  Given how much wear you have observed in 600 km you may wish to reconsider your maintenance regime or chain brand.

Wear Rates by Product Tier

You can also use this approach to compare the performance of different product tiers within a chain brand or even between brands.  Below is an example of 10 speed Shimano chains: Tiagra vs Ultegra vs XT.  Note I use duration as chains are on different bikes that travel at very different average rates of speed so I didn't think standardizing against distance would give an apples-to-apples comparison. All three give the same wear rate estimate (slope of 0.0003) which suggests this a sensible comparison approach.

The XT chain was run on a gravel bike and was in dusty conditions for most of the time. The ultegra chain was run in clean road conditions and the Tiagra on dirt (similar to the XT). More recent XT chains (not displayed) seem to have the same initial reading as the Ultegra chain so I may have lucked out with the XT chain in the plot.

It is scary how bad the Tiagra chain is, out of the box it's stretch measurement is nearly 0.5% and I would be surprised if I get 40 hours of riding out of it (less than a month commuting) if I wait to 0.75% before I change.

All three product tiers have the same wear rate (slope), but it would seem that Shimano's strategy is to have the lower priced tiers have a worse starting point so that their life is shorter.  If the lower tiers (e.g., Tiagra) had a tighter tolerance chain life would have been the same as the higher product tier, despite being constructed with "lower quality" materials as suggested by the marketing department.


Rear Axle Reassembly I have a 2009 Specialized Hardrock, with a Shimano FH-RM30 QR rear hub and a Shimano MF-TZ31 freewheel. I took apart basically the whole wheel assembly trying to repair the freewheel. Now it's a week later and I need to resassemble, but I don't recall how the axle was configured. I think I have the pieces in the right order in this photo(?), but in the middle row you can see a washer and a spacer...no idea where those would go, and my Google searches are coming up empty. I'm sure a real mechanic would know how, where and why to use those spacers, but I'm clueless. Can anyone help?

This isn't FH-RM30. It's a freewheel hub. MF-TZ31 is a freewheel and the drive side axle hardware pictured is that of a freewheel hub. Also the skewer and dust shield type (thick and inflexible) are non-Shimano.
As you indicate in the comments, the dust shield can't go over the thin spacer. So therefore the thin spacer needs to be next to the cone. The shield should be able to fit over the locknut by itself.
Always make sure the drive-side cone and locknut are torqued hard against each other before beginning reassembly.


Shimano Tourney Front Derailleur Cable Question I'm trying to install a new front derailleur cable on an old mountain bike I've been helping to fix up for a friend. The derailleur is a bog-standard Shimano Tourney.
After removing the old cable and threading the new one through to where the derailleur is, I've realised I can't remember how the cable is attached! I'm not sure if it just fixes directly to the bolt or if it kind of wraps around part of the derailleur before going to the bolt.
I've attached a few photos to show both sides of the derailleur. Could anyone tell me exactly where the cable goes?

Assuming you didn't change anything except the cabling, that is a bottom-pull system, because the cable comes up from below.  The other system is a top-pull, and is less common.
When the derailleur is at rest, the internal spring is pulling the cage toward the middle of the bike, making it a "low-normal" which is again most common.
Upshot - there is an arm on the derailleur that will move down as you manually pull the chain-cage out to the right.  Your inner cable needs to pull that arm down.
I would try like this:

It is possible to put the cable the other way around the pinch bolt, which may help with angles, but that little step-lip is probably to help define the pivot point.
Front derailleurs are fiddly things to set up perfectly.  If you haven't moved it on the frame, and have not changed the limit screws, then that makes it a bit easier.   Good luck!


On what basis are bikes categorised? I am sick of hearing guys, categorising their MTB as per the money they put on to it. Is it really that much, or their is something more like stronger, more aerodynamically built. So far, I have found expensive bikes to be more lighter and durable.

But still the question remains, what are the factors that affect more when categorising a bike. By categorising, I dont mean MTB, Road Bike, Down hill bikes. I mean what some refer to as as High Level MTB, Mid-Level MTB or some as Tier-3 Bikes or Tier-2 Bikes.

Weight and durability are indeed factors, but it's also about the performance of components. The "high level" bikes are for a "high level" of performance. They're usually designed with competition in mind.

The shifting has to be perfect, the brakes need just the right amount of power, the suspension has all kinds of adjustments, tires specific to the terrain on that day are used, etc.

Of course, Average Wealthy Joe will buy one of those bikes and brag about it, but hey, be happy he's financing your favourite bike companies. ;)


Modify modern wheels to fit old frame I would like to upgrade my wheelset to something newer. Specifically I was thinking about Mavic Aksium (although it remains to be seen what becomes of the current issues with the company). I have an old 80s frame and the dropout spacing is 126mm. I've heard that one can simply cut 2mm from each end of the axle and re-dish the wheel to have it fit the frame. Is this true, and would I be able to usey current drivetrain. It's set up as indexed downtube shifters for 6 speeds. Suntour groupset if it matters. I also saw a couple options of building a wheel from the hub. Velo Orange makes a 126mm hub and there is a complete wheel available from Harris cycles. I don't know to much about either of those options as far as weight, reliability, strength etc... Which route do you recommend? Thanks as always!

Don't cut hubs or respace hubs for this purpose. People who say to do that don't understand how compromised the left to right side tension disparity becomes. And it's not possible with a nonstandard axle set like the one you propose.

Which way to go really depends on whether you're talking about modernizing the drivetrain. You can just respace the frame to 130 with near total impunity if you want a modern group or some aspects of one. The spacing and rear triangle alignment requires string and a 2x4. You'll need dropout alignment tools to do the job right and don't let anyone say otherwise.

Respacing rather than slamming it in is better at preventing fatigue failure over time. There are many questions here about this. Dropout alignment is critical to preventing fatigue failures after a rear end has been respaced.

If you were going to half-convert the drivetrain, ie keep most of the existing parts but make it 7 or 8 speed friction with a cassette hub, Mavic wheels are somewhat of a uniquely poor choice because they've essentially always been 11-speed compatible with the extreme tension disparity and poor drive side bracing angle to boot. Not to say it'd be the end of the world, but you give up something for nothing there I feel. Better to get a common 8/9/10 hub in that case.

If you wanted to keep it 126 freewheel and get a new classic type wheelset, you could go either VO as you say, or the cheaper Origin8 RD-2100, a Quando hub that probably exists by other names as well. If you're US, the wheelsets that J&B does with that hub and which any shop can sell you are a good value for doing this sort of project for pretty cheap. They come paired with a Sun M13II, which is basically perfect if you want something that looks vintage. The equivalent VO set would be nice too, but pricier. Both of these hubs have the drawback of being 126mm freewheel hubs with axles that aren't particularly any more resistant to getting bent than other freewheel hubs but are proprietary shouldered units that would be trickier to replace if needed. The only workaround for that problem in a 126 freewheel cartridge hub is Phil.


Upgrading Groupset: Old to New First time here.
Am thinking of upgrading my '86 Schwinn Peloton's brakes, shifters, and derailleurs with lightly used indexed Tiagras including brifters. I ride the bike so much that I really want to feel safe in traffic and see what lighter, modern components can do for it. I'll keep the original stuff and restore them to the bike if I decide to sell or hang on the wall.

Any problems with my plan that any of you can see out there or is it too much trouble?
Thanks.
JM

You will need a new rear hub that can fit a modern cassette, and to spread the rear fork for the wider hub to fit.

Also, you need cable stops that fit at the place of down tube shifters. They may be included in the groupset, but if not you need to buy them separately.


Innovation in cycle wheels Do you think there is still some innovation that can be done to cycle wheels? Like changing the cycle spokes pattern? Or is it already in an optimised state?

I’m not aware of any significant innovations in the last 4000 years. The spoked wheel was invented 2200–1550 BCE.

Sure, we have carbon rims and spokes now, straightpull spokes, disc wheels, tri-spoke wheels, tubeless tires, disc brakes …

But all of those have really been mostly incremental improvements. So judging from the past it’s unlikely much will change in the future.


Post race analysis of performance So I did my first bicycle race this weekend.

The watts graph was very varied, there was a lot of low watt (150-200w) and short bursts of +400w.

I would like to know how many bursts there where, and how long and what wattage they where on. Looking at the data in Strava I only see the 25w distribution or the maximum watt given a time (power curve).

I don't want to do this manually.

Are there any good tools for analysis of this sort?

If you have a power meter than download something like Golden Cheetah to analyse the data.
Otherwise, if you are just using Strava's predictive data - I wouldn't bother as it won't be accurate enough for detailed analysis.


What kind of nut is used on Shimano hub dynamo with rollerbrake? I tried using the normal cap nut that is also used for my Shimano internal gear hub on my back wheel. The issue I have is that the axle on power side is quite short and the nut does not get enough "grip". When tightened, it jumps back. The axle on the brake side is much longer and the nut sits tight.

Another thing that bothers me, is that the axle has a groove that looks like an anti rotation washer similar to the ones that come with the Nexus internal gear hubs belong there. I have spend a few hours looking on the Internet, but I cannot find any information on what kind of nut should go there.

The dynamo hubs model number is DH-C6000-3R.


Derailleur tension causing chain friction? I have a foldie which recently seemed a bit harder to pedal. Specifically back pedaling seems harder than it should be (if I kick the pedal back, it barely travels a quarter or half turn. I noticed that if I push the bottom jockey wheel up a little, reducing the tension on the wheel, the backpedal test results in 2-4 times as much travel. This problem is also only pronounced on the lower (bigger sprockets) gears. I recently detached and reattached the RD, to install a derailleur guard on the wheel, and subjectively it has seemed different from that time, though objectively I have checked a few times and it seems installed correctly. I also have a squeaky chain lately which I believe means it needs to be lubed, which I am going to do over the weekend.

TLDR: Does the dry chain explain why the back pedaling seems so bad? Is it a matter of lubing the RD jockey wheels? Or is it some other issue. I also see some rust on the RD springs, not sure if it has any effect.

An un-lubricated chain will definitely cause losses in the drive train. Problems with the jockey wheels may also cause some losses, but probably not as much as the chain

You should properly clean the chain, sprockets and derailleurs and drive train before lubing the chain. There are numerous guides on how to do that on-line that you can easily look up.

Servicing the jockey wheels is reasonable easy and again there are guides available on on-line. The Global Cycling Network YouTube channel has a good  video.

General drive-train wear may also be an issue. so check the chain and rear sprockets for wear when you are cleaning them. There are inexpensive chain wear checking tools available such as Park Tool Company's CC-3.2. Checking sprockets for wear is more difficult as you have to examine sprocket teeth by eye. Worn teeth become asymmetrical and look like curved shark fins.

You say you disassembled the derailleur. If you disassembled the cage and took the jockey wheels out, is there a chance you swapped them around?  The top and bottom jockey wheels are different.


Shimano Sport Camera ANT+ Software I own the Shimano sport camera, which per specs, will read speed, cadence and heart rate via ANT+. I am told that the data from the devices is recorded onto a .csv file that is stored on the card with the video. To put the two together, you are supposed to use software from Shimano. I can't find a download link anywhere online.

Does anyone know if the above procedure is correct, and when Shimano will be releasing the software?

I need to buy an ANT+ HRM and cadence/speed sensor but am not going to waste the money if they aren't going to release it this year.

Camera Info: http://bike.shimano.com/content/sac-bike/en/home/articles/shimano-sport-camera.html

The first result on google is http://www.shimano-sportcamera.com/us/application.php - if you click the little youtube video, it shows how to integrate Ant+ sensors and the video.


Fort Frame head tube cracked I have raced my Fort Bike for some time now. The head tube holding the forks has split /cracked open. What do I do now, who do I contact ?
Dennis

The only Fort frames I've seen have been their cyclocross bikes and all of those were aluminum. Assuming we're talking about the same Czech made Fort frames then your only option is a new frame. Aluminum is effectively not repairable the way titanium, steel or carbon are. Depending on the age of the frame you might be able to get it replaced by the importer under warranty assuming you're the original owner. Then again, an alloy frame designed for racing (and especially cyclocross racing) isn't expected to last forever. Head tubes do take a major beating, especially in cross. Between the bumps and braking forces it's not exactly uncommon to see cracked head tubes.


What do the symbols on a tire mean? What do the symbols on tires mean for example
kenda nevegal
(54-559)
k1010-009
1113513C
/\ / 167  (/\ / symbol of two triangles)
NYLON
I want to find out when my tires should be replaced.
Thanks.

"kenda nevegal"  is the brand and model of tyre
54-559 is the width of the tyre (about 2.1 inches) and diameter of the bead (a 26" MTB tyre)

The other numbers are useless to you.

Curiously, none of those numbers say anything about tyre pressures.


How should I route the front derailleur cable on a bike without lugs or guides? I have just realised that the old touring frameset I bought has doesn't have routing lugs for the front derailleur cable.

The downtube and the top of the right-hand chainstay have lugs for the rear derailleur cable. For the other one, nothing. There's no bolt-hole underneath the bottom bracket to mount a guide either.

It's a steel Dawes Galaxy. I suppose I could drill a hole underneath the bottom bracket to mount a guide, but I'm puzzled how the cable would have originally been run.

Either Adam's suggestion or this:

If you're going with a very recent FD, like all the Shimano toggle ones and many mountain FDs in general, a lot of them have integrated stops also, so you could do the same sort of routing. Some not super recent mountain FDs have stops for full housing too. If it would play nice with whatever you're building the bike back up with, one of those options plus a bolt-on housing stop as pictured is the cleanest-looking match with what you've got, although it does have the downside that upwards opening housings are bad news in general because they invite water contamination. Most functional would be adding a nylon BB guide as you say, although not very aesthetic since having a top mounted chainstay stop marries you to the RD cable guide you've got.

I believe there have been a handful of old front derailleurs with weirdo integrated cable guides that reach all the way down. To my awareness these are all super low end, and I wasn't able to find a picture. I don't know much about Dawes but I doubt this what it came with, and it's likely not worth pursuing now.


Play in the suntour front suspension of my raleigh hybrid bike, what exactly is the problem? can i repair on my own? I have a Raleigh Misceo 700c bike, and recently I can feel some play in the front suspension. At first I thought it was from the headset, so I did some adjustment by tightening the screw on the top area of headset but the problem is still there. After keen observation I came to know that there is some movement in the suspension area. Bottom legs are giving slight movement against the top one which create slight play while applying front brake and also while crossing over a bump. So what exactly is the problem? can I repair it on my own?

Yes, the play is front and back. And it is at the point where upper and lower legs meet. Suspension is Suntour nex sf14

A play of the inner (upper) legs inside the outer (lower) legs is typical for cheap suspensions.

Repairs would mean exchange of the outer legs (if you can find the parts, which is rare for this pricepoint), but it is not uncommon for these entry level parts to come with some play already from the factory as my local retailer assured me when I complained about it. I asked for a replacement and they said I could get an even worse one.

If it bothers you I recommend an upgrade, if you are just concerned, I'd say ride it till it gets unusable. Remember, bike shops sell them like that, and many customers never see an issue.

Suntour offers many of the current entry-level forks and some argue you'd be better off with a stiff fork instead.

If you want to upgrade a-la-cheap, a used Rockshox, Fox or Manitou suspension fork would work fine (I would just stay clear of very old ones, as they are not service-able anymore due to lack of service parts). With some patience you can find them in 700c size.


Adaptor for 20mm Shimano saint 810 hub to 15mm? Currently I'm running a Shimano Saint 810 front hub and fork Lyrik coil 20mm. I've a good offer on a brand new Manitou Mattoc 2014. But this fork uses 15mm axle. I'm looking for an adapter to be able to use this fork with the saint 20mm hub. I've looked everywhere, forums, online stores, etc, no luck so far. Seems I will need to change the hub and rebuild the wheel. Any recommendations?

20mm hubs have an axle width of 110mm whereas a 15mm thru axle is 100mm. This means that there is no backwards compatibility on the hub unless it was already designed that way (such as Hope 2 hubs). The M810 is simply too wide.

You would need to replace the front hub at least to run a 15mm TA fork.


Only regular wrench key for wheel mount like this? With the wheel mounting system like on the photos (sorry for poor quality - this is the best my phone can do) - is my only option to dismount a wheel is to use a wrench? Wheels: CUBE RA 0.8 CX. On the left side it seems that there's a visible thread but I'm not sure what is it for. The ride side shows the end of the axle so I guess nothing to do there.

That looks like a thru-axle that has lost its handle. You can see the threaded bit in the first photo where a handle should have been bolted in. This can happen if the retaining bolt vibrates loose during a ride.

Luckily the axle has flats so can be removed with a wrench but you’ll want to track down a new axle for when you need to remove the wheel by hand when out on the road/trail.
It’s probably a 12mm x 142mm rear thru-axle but length will need measuring against the current part along with the seat type (square or conical) , thread pitch and thread length. The frame manufacturer (Cube) might provide you with an exact specification.
This blog discusses the technical differences in depth very well.
EDIT Changed last paragraph because thru-axles are not standardised.


How do I know what size tyres can I fit on my rims? I have a hybrid bike with Alex DP17 32h rims (700c).  They still have the tyres that came with the bike on them, 40c konda's, but I'd like to replace them with some puncture resistant, narrower tyres with a slick centre strip since most of my commute is on road/tarmac path.

I can't find the rims on the Alexrims site, so how do I find out what tyres it is possible to fit?

measure the interior rim width (you need to remove your tyre to do this)
look at this chart, from Sheldon


Should the hands be used for absorbing the impact after a jump? I am trying to learn some very small jumps and bunny-hops. It seems that upon landing from either, there are two options. I am talking here only about the moment of the impact with ground, and not about manoeuvring pre-jump or in the air.

Upon landing, one can push with the handlebars down. This seems to have the advantage of delegating the work of absorbing the impact to the forks, which is what they are made for (assume hardtail).
Alternatively, one can strive to stay centered on the bike, relaxing the hands, and absorbing most or all of the impact by the feet. This seems to be achieved by kicking downwards when the bike is just about to land.

IS any of those techniques the correct approach? Or am I completely off?

Your assumptions are wrong. Yes, riders do extend their hands and feet just before landing, but not to make the bike work more. They do that so they can make room for the inevitable hand and feet compression which will happen when contacting the ground. If you don't extend hands and feet then you only have:

40cm absorbtion of hands and feet compression
15cm absorbtion of fork and rear shock (on a 150mm travel bike)
2cm absorbtion of tyre compression

anything else is pain on the body and bike.

If you do extend the hands and feet just before touching the ground then you have:

80cm absorbtion of hands and feet compression
15cm absorbtion of fork and rear shock (on a 150mm travel bike)
2cm absorbtion of tyre compression

This video shows an extreme landing at 1000fps but it displays the extend-before-land technique very well:


Which kind of bicycles is better and comfortable for shorter communtes, 4-5 km daily This kind straight handles

or this kind?

My priorities:

Right size for you. A must.
Light weight as possible/desired
Low price - it needs to be do a simple job without being a thief magnet (at least here)


Single speed chain alignment I have a seasoned 26" Dirt Jump bike where the time has come to replace the bottom bracket. The bike currently has Profile BMX cranks, with a single speed rear wheel (not an MTB freehub). Current BB uses external cups which means that the standard 5.5" axle is too short to tighten up correctly and occasionally have the cranks work it's way loose. With the external cups the chainline also isn't great.

Now the simple option is to go back to an internal Euro BB, but was surprised to see how expensive these are now, so was looking at my options given that 1x drivetrains have become popular. Would also give me the opportunity to go up a couple of teeth on the sprocket to 32.

Am I likely to run into any issues converting to a modern MTB crank. It looks like I can find a 73mm BSA threaded DUB BB/Hollowtech. My two main concerns are:

What chain compatibility do I have we a 1x chainring, can I use a single speed chain?
1x drivetrains are common on bikes with 142 mm rear spacing compared to my bikes 135mmm rear spacing. Will my chainline be ok on a crank designed for a wider rear spacing?

update: I've found the driver on from the manufacturer. Doesn't specifically say what chains are compatible unfortunately, but I'm guessing I could measure the width of the teeth to see if a narrower multi-speed chain would work or am I oversimplifying this? link

At $40US for a Profile internal Euro BB I'm struggling to see what you're hoping to gain here. One major thing you'll lose is the narrow Q of your current cranks, which most would consider negative.

But,

Normal BMX 1/8" chains like a 410 or 410H will work on a narrow-wide ring. I haven't put a halflink chain on one but I don't imagine there being a problem. Note that the NW profile might as well not be there in a singlespeed drivetrain and is basically money wasted, but they do work.
142x12 is essentially the thru-axle adaptation of a 135 QR rear end. The bigger number is due to how the ends of a 142 hub recess into the frame. So for the most part, 142 and 135 bikes have the same chainline considerations and use the same front end configurations. Presuming you have some kind of SS freehub, you should be able to use spacers to get your chainline good, but it will be different from where you've had it. Most 135 SS freehubs can go to about a 55mm chainline at the outside. Since Superboost cnailine is 56 that probably means you have impunity between getting a 142, Boost, or Superboost crank were you to do this.


What Turbo Tyre On CX Bike I have a CX bike that i would like to put on a turbo trainer. The bike is Boardman CX Comp.

The question i have is what turbo training tire could i put on my wheels Mavic XM319?

My current tires are Schwalbe Tyrago Kevlar Guard 700 x 37c what tires could replace these?

What tire options do i have and am i limited to what turbo trainer i can use?

I have yet to try any tire and i have tried to google to get an answer but dont fully understand the reply.

Generally, you can use any 700c trainer tire like the Continental Hometrainer , Vittoria Zaffiro Pro Home Trainer, Kurt Kinetic's Trainer tire, etc. Most come in 700x23, but some come in larger sizes (700x32 for example for the Continental Hometrainer). You can also just use a regular tire on a trainer, but the tire will wear out faster due to the additional heat versus the road. On a road, you don't want to go too far from a particular range of widths due to either flats or handling issues, but since you're bolted into a trainer, theres not a problem in using a smaller 700c tire on the wheel.

As for trainers you can use, pretty much any trainer supports 700c, but as always, check the specifications for the one you're going to buy.


How to center a quick release rear wheel regularly Just got myself a new quick release rear wheel. Fantastic, right? Well, it's sort of a pain because I'm always worried it's going to get nicked. Usually, I just take off the front one and thread the lock through both wheels and the frame, but in unusual situations (eg When locking up two bikes with my one lock) it's necessary to remove the rear wheel. When I put it back on, I worry that I haven't centered it absolutely perfectly, and that I'm going to destroy it by riding it like that.

So, question: how can quickly be sure that I've centered by wheel, other than by just 'eye-balling' it?

EDIT AUG 3 2011

So thanks for the answers, but a lot of people are addressing how to safely lock a bike. I appreciate that, but my question (italicized above) is regarding centering a wheel. There are other reasons to take off both wheels, like if I need to fit the bike in a car. Thanks again, everyone, because it's also helpful to have tips on how not get your bike stolen.

There are two types of rear dropout, ones that are vertical and ones that are horizontal.

With vertical dropouts you put the gears in top at the back and low at the front. Then you put the wheel in. Then you put some weight on the seat and fold the quick release lever over, applying whatever adjustment needed to get the quick-release tensioned correctly. The lever should fold up rather than down, forward or back as you don't want passing vegetation or other cycles to come into contact with the lever.

Horizontal dropouts require pretty much the same procedure however you have the problem of making sure the wheel is equidistant to the chain-stays. This is best done by having good eyesight and holding the wheel in place whilst you fold over the quick-release lever.

More generally you have a time penalty each and every time you lock/unlock your bike. You may want to consider investing in a cable loop to go through your D-lock and around the back wheel. These are affordable and need be not that bulky as someone is less inclined to saw through it to get your back wheel than they would be if they were able to get your whole bike. It will deter the casual rather than the determined thief.

The other option is to get a set of replacement quick-release levers with Allen key or 'special key' heads. In the UK these need not set you back more than fifteen pounds for the simple Allen key versions:

The 'special key' versions are worth the premium because you need more than an Allen key to get them undone:

These are a lot cheaper online, you can get the set for all of £8 if you Google 'Trans-X' quick release skewers.

the only pain with them is that the key needs to be carried and that does not fit onto a standard keyring too well.


Clothes during touring? Are your touring-riding clothes a lot different than, let say, clothes for riding to work? Do you wear better or different clothes for touring? Have you found some good way to wash your clothes during touring? And how does washing affect your choice of clothing? How do you keep your touring clothes during touring? You surely need to separate dirty, clean and wet-clean clothes. How do you manage them? If you just washed your clothes in some sea and you need to continue riding, how do you guarantee that the water will evaporate? Do you choose your clothes in a way that they get dry fast? Which criteria you have for touring clothes?

When packing for a tour, I'll often spend as much time deciding which clothing to pack as I will for all other packing combined. What clothing one wears on tour is a personal decision, based on the rider's preferences. Below, I've written what I wear, and why I prefer it.

When riding, I wear padded lycra cycling shorts with breathable t-shirts. I'll usually bring two or three pairs of shorts, two t-shirts, and three pairs of wool cycling socks. I'll also bring along a pair of tights to wear over the shorts in the morning, and a light cycling jacket. Even in the hottest part of the summer, it's quite cold in the morning where I live, so this is important. Lycra dries fast, and that's part of why I wear it, but my primary reason is that it's comfortable.

Cleaning clothing: Lycra washes easily and dries fairly quickly. I'll usually stop at a laundromat to do a load of laundry a few days into the tour; sometimes my host for the night may offer the use of a laundry machine and dryer. If I know I won't get a chance to do this, I'll wash my shorts and socks by hand in a public restroom. (Some cycling shorts specify washing by hand or on a gentle cycle anyway.) I don't worry about wearing a dirty shirt or tights, but I don't want to re-wear sweaty shorts or socks.

If you camp in areas that don't have public restrooms, you'll want to get camping soap that won't harm the environment, like mgb wrote.

Drying: I'll bring a clothesline along with me and string it between two trees, but when it's humid out, that won't always work. In that case, I'll hand my clothing to the outside of the camping roll that's strapped to my rear rack, tucking the clothing under the bungee cords. An hour or two in the wind will dry just any cycling clothing. If I have a trailer with me, so much the better; there's more space to act as a drying rack.

In cold weather or rain, I'll have more clothing. Some of these can be washed the same way as lycra, such as the balaclava and glove liners, but some cannot: rain pants, a rain jacket, heavier cycling pants, winter gloves, and so on. Any of these heavier items that need to be washed can wait until I get to a laundry machine. (You don't sweat much in the winter in any case.)

I'll also pack off-bike clothing.  I tend to favor cotton pants or shorts, black tee-shirts, and sweat socks. These roll up tightly, and are comfortable. I'll also bring something to sleep with, although clean bicycle tights and cycling jackets are good extra layers for cold nights in a tent. Cleaning cotton, which is unsuitable for riding in any case, will wait until I get to a laundromat.

In my panniers, I'll segregate dirty clothing from clean by bringing along a few plastic grocery bags and sealing the dirty clothes in them as best as I can. While doing laundry, I'll sometimes let my panniers air out.

In summary, a little time spent planning will help keep your panniers light, and an hour or two spend every other day will keep your critical clothing clean.


Can I damage my brakes by testing them vigorously? My understanding is that it’s important to regularly test one’s brakes, by grabbing the lever and squeezing it hard, perhaps all the way down to the bars. The theory is that if they’re going to fail, it’s far better that they do so on the workstand than during a panic stop.

My question: does this testing itself cause wear or damage? And if so, how can I mitigate or compensate for it?

To clarify: This test is designed to see if anything is broken, not tightened sufficiently, etc., rather than “do the brakes stop the bike”. For example, this weekend I discovered that the cable had worn down over a corner [aside: I have an appointment to re-route the cable] by breaking it during this test.

As others have noted, your brakes probably aren't set up correctly if you can squeeze the lever so far that it touches the bar while the bike is stationary. That said, squeezing the brake levers while the bike is on a stand won't cause any more wear than normal braking would [1].

If you want to determine how hard to squeeze the brakes while on the stand, a good test is this: ride at a moderate speed in a safe environment and then try to rapidly stop.  Your brake levers should not touch the bars, and (obviously) nothing should break loose.  A properly adjusted rear brake should be able to skid the rear wheel (but it is considered poor braking technique to skid the rear wheel).  A properly adjusted front brake should should be able to lift the rear wheel off the ground (you don't want to actually lift it, so use care).  Try to get a feel for how much pressure you apply to the levers when you practice a panic stop and then apply a little more when the bike is on a stand.

Please note that it is unsafe to suddenly fully-apply the brakes (suddenly squeeze both levers as hard as you can) while traveling at speed.  If your brakes are properly adjusted, you should be able to easily lock either wheel by pulling hard on the brake lever.

For the rear wheel this is less of a problem: You will simply skid the wheel, wearing down the tire.  If you do this enough, or at a high enough speed or with a thin road tire, you risk wearing down the rubber to the innertube.  If that happens, the tire will rapidly deflate and you will be riding on the rim (this is bad).

Locking the front wheel is a bigger problem: the front wheel will NOT skid. If you lock the front wheel, you will go over the bars and hurt yourself.

[1] Within reason, of course.  If you're some sort of Olympic weightlifter, it's possible that you might squeeze hard enough to damage something.  Also, if the brakes are "looser" after you squeeze really hard (ie, if you have to pull the lever farther, not harder, to make the brake pads touch the rim) then you are either squeezing too hard, or you need to readjust the cable and tighten the cable clamp on the brake.


How can I remove a fork if the bolt on the stem is rusted? I got run over a car a few weeks ago and now i have to change the fork.
It's an old racer, as you can see in the picture, with a 1 inch fork. I am trying to loosen it from the frame, but I can't loosen the bolt marked with 2 because of the rust and now it's completely gone. Any advice?

I couldn't post any picture, but the stem and fork is similar to this one:

And the bolt I am talking about is the one that is in the stem and goes to the fork.

You'll need an allen key - probably a 6mm one to take off the stem, which is the silver part that holds your handle bars. If you loosen the bolt and it keeps coming up, hit it with a plastic mallet to knock it back down which should loosen that.

Once the stem is off you will need a headset wrench, probably 32mm. Having 2 helps because it's basically a double nut that holds the stem on. The lower one holds the stem in place and the upper one locks it into position. If you've stripped the nut, I would take it to a shop and they'll have to do some additional work on it and most likely replace your headset.

If you were in a crash, I'd have a bike shop inspect your bike front to back. A crash can do a lot of damage that the untrained eye will not be able to spot and you could be riding a cracked frame or otherwise dangerous bike.


How do I adjust my rear coil suspension? I have a full suspension bike with rear spring-style suspension.

I find the rear suspension too soft. How do I make it firmer?

With coil suspension you will need to purchase a new spring that is suited to your weight. Resistance comes from the spring so you need to purchase a heavier and thicker spring for harder suspension. There is usually a preload adjustment for fine tuning resistance but wouldn't change the feel drastically.

Most mid-high level suspension brands have a selection of springs (usually coloured for different weights) that you can purchase for different weight bands.

Air suspension allows you to adjust the pressure (volume) of air to change how soft it is.


How to clean disk brakes? I want to clean my disk brakes and am wondering if it is sufficient to only remove the pads and use water & soap when washing the parts.

If not, is there a list of stuff to avoid when cleaning disk brakes?

Thanks!

In most cases a mild bike wash soap gets you past the minor services, no problem. Used in conjunction with a toothbrush or the like.

What you want to avoid is any cleaner that is oil based(petroleum, paraffin etc.). These leave residue and will affect your stopping power. I have even found citrus de-greasers leaving residue films behind.

During major services you want to get the wheels and brake pads out after the normal wash. You can then use isopropyl alcohol to bush the caliper out. Isopropyl is also great if you found the pads contaminated and can often save the day from having to buy new ones. In addition, isopropyl is also used to wipe down the rotors' surface and that is very important to keep clean.

Isopropyl alcohol is cheap and easy to find, often branded as some type of household cleaner. So you can add it to the shopping list or swing past a chemist/drug store. In addition, if you are working on brakes, this should be part of your standard tool kit. It is the go-to for removing and cleaning DOT brake fluid of the bike as well. Also, when you go to the auto parts store, they will have brake cleaner as well. Usually more expensive and mainly pressurized isopropyl alcohol.

Avoid sandpaper. This is the very last resort. Unless experienced, you are almost guaranteed to get the surface not flat and out of parallel with the other side and rotor surfaces. This will decrease stopping power, cause squealing and require the pads to be re-bedded. So effectively you'll sand away some of  the pad and the lose more trying to get it bedded again. Have used it in the past for very specific problems and then you'd be looking at 800+ grit, super flat working surface and circle motions.


Cannondale Lefty DLR Ti Fork Rebuild/Maintenance I have a mountain bike with a 2003 Cannondale Lefty DLR Ti fork. As I've been riding the bike this season, I've noticed that the fork is behaving strangely. It doesn't seem to lockout fully and it is a lot "squishier" than it used to be. Also, when it decompresses after a hard compression, I notice a strange noise -- it's hard to describe but it sounds almost like gurgling fluid. I've already tried adding air to the fork using a shock pump (the pressure was very low) and that did make it a little less "squishy" but it's still not working like it used to.

It seems to me that it's time to do some serious maintenance on the fork; possibly even a full rebuild. How complicated should I expect this repair to be? What specific skills and tools will I need? What is the procedure for doing a rebuild?

I would like to evaluate the level of difficulty of this repair so that I can decide if it is something I'd be comfortable doing myself.

First thing you should do is read the tech sheet on your fork. I believe the link below is the correct one.
http://www.cannondale.com/CMS/Technology/10_HeadShok_Tech_Pages_CUSA.pdf

There are also a bunch of manuals here but I didn't see one for the DLR Ti.
http://www.cannondale.com/usa/usaeng/Instructions

As far as a rebuild goes it will be similar to rebuilding any fork with oil in it you'll only have one leg though. I found an illustrated tear down which might help you with the decision or whether this is for you or not.
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=221683

The big question is, should you do this yourself. I do all my own maintenance, build wheels and the only thing I don't touch is forks. Most home users just don't have the facilities to really do this easily. If you have a nice shop stand setup and are mechanically inclined then go for it. I know I would if I had the space but I don't.


How can I mount a pannier rack on my (carbon fibre) Trek Madone 4.5? I want to be able to mount a rack on the back of my trek madone but it has no braze-ons and I can't mount a rack to the QR because of a little wall/lip thing surrounds the QR.

There are some racks that mount directly onto the seat tube and utilise a quick release clamp; they only take a small load tho.

This would avoid clamping onto the carbon. As others have hinted its not such a hot idea to do this as carbon is not designed for that kind of compression. You can find evidence of this with car racks where carbon frames are not recommended for down tube clamp racks.

You should be able to get some p clips that go onto the skewer but may require modification for your drop outs.

That chain look like its fit for the bin.


Does leaving a flat for months damage the wheel? I've left my road bike standing on a flat tyre for at least six months. I'm going to replace the tyre and tube, but I want to check first if I might have damaged the wheel

Leaving a flat for months won't damage the wheel assuming the flat is the only factor in the equation.
If the tire going flat was part of a chain of events there might be damage.
If the tire was sitting in a half inch of water, the tire went flat and the steel wheel was now sitting in water the rim might rust. Even in this example I doubt the rust would be bad enough that the wheel would be unusable.


Rear Derailleur Curled Up I recently bought a bike for the first time in 10 years and after riding it for a couple of days the rear derailleur curled up like an insect ready to die. Is there any way I could fix that or am I gonna need a new shifter?

If the derailleur still shifts normally, you may have nothing to worry about. It sounds like it could be a few things:

Does your rear wheel sit in a dropout, or is the length of the wheelbase adjustable front to back? If it's adjustable, it's possible that the wheel skewer bolt got loose and allowed the rear wheel to slide forward, causing excessive slack in the chain.
Your chain somehow stretched dramatically
The spring in your derailleur is shot


Replace 7 speed 14-34 cassette I want to replace my cassette which is 7 speed 14-34 shimano. The problem is I can't find exactly the same one. All I saw its 13-34 or 14-32 cassettes. So the question is: It is possible to replace my cassette with 14-32 or even lower e.g. 13-26 without replacing a chain or any other replacements? Thank you in advance.

As long as you're not adding larger cogs than you've got on right now, your existing chain should be a functional length.

One more thing to consider is that if your current chain has significant wear, running it with a new cassette can damage the cassette (effectively very rapidly turning your "new" cassette into your "old" cassette), so even though your old chain should work fine with your new cassette, it may be worth it to replace it anyway.


Seat post slipping down It looks like my saddle/seatpost is slowly sliding down into the frame, so every 2–3 months I have to move it up by 1–2cm. Yet I tighten the clamp pretty tight, so I can't move the saddle by hand.

Is this a common thing? Should I fix something?

I weigh about 55kg and cycle on the road, about 50km per week. I try to lift my weight off the saddle over bumps. The bike's a hardtail.

It may seam counter-intuitive, but in the case like you describe a little grease may be the solution.

NOTE: If you have a carbon frame or seat-post, carbon specific grease and a torque wrench should be used. It's very easy to destroy a carbon frame or post by over-tightening when installing parts.

Remove the seat post and clean it and the inside of the frame thoroughly with a little degreaser.
Remove the seat post clamp if it has one (some frames have braze-ons through which the seat bolt is installed rather than a separate clamp) and clean the inside of the clamp and the outside of the frame.
Apply a very thin coat of teflon or lithium grease to inside of the clamp, and to the threads of the clamp bolt. I generally do not apply any grease to the outside of the frame.
Apply a very thin coat of teflon or lithium grease to the seat post and the inside of the seat tube - just enough to facilitate installation and inhibit corrosion.
Install the post and adjust the height.
Tighten the clamp to the manufacturers specification.

The cleaning should remove any grit or dirt that may have been working like tiny ball-bearings and allowing the post to slip. The small amount of grease on the clamp, frame and post should allow the parts to constrict and tighten evenly with out binding in one particular spot.

If, after cleaning, lubricating and reinstalling you still have a post that slips you may have a frame that has deformed, or a post that is slightly smaller in diameter than spec. You can try either replacing the collar/clamp with one that is a little "beefier" that can be tightened to a higher torque, or you use a shim like a piece of thin aluminum between the frame and the post.


How to find a replacement and replace a broken kickstand? My bike came with a kickstand, but today after a ride I noticed part of it had fallen off somewhere, as shown in the picture below:

It used to look like this:

As I don't have the part of kickstand that fell off somewhere, I'm thinking of buying a replacement kickstand. I assume that I'll need to remove the old kickstand and install a new one. Can that be easily done? What type of a kickstand should I buy? Is there something else I should take into notion when buying a kickstand, like different sizes etc?

Managed to find replacement kickstand that would fit my bike. In my case it was Ursus rear  kickstand with 18mm fixing plate (there are also ones with 40mm fixing plate). Very simple to install with just two bolts.

Here is the catalog of Ursus kickstands:
https://ursus.it/products/urban-city/kickstands/


Bicycle computers with nonvolatile memory The one thing that keeps me from pulling the trigger on some bike computer is the lack of information about the odometer, the lifetime mileage on the bicycle. When you change the battery in your car, your electronic dash odometer doesn't go to zero. It would be stupid. When my Samsung Note 4  battery dies right in the middle of something, I remove and replace with my hot spare and it remembers right where it left off. I've been told not all bike computers are nonvolatile like this.

Which cycle computers are able to remember information when the battery is changed? Or better yet, is there someplace in the spec sheet or other way to find out if it has non-volatile memory without buying it?

I am also searching for a computer with non-volatile memory.
According to Sigma the computers

BC 5.16
BC 7.16
BC 7.16 ATS
BC 9.16
BC 9.16 ATS
PURE 1 (according to the reply from Sigma customer service)

do not save your values after a battery change (however, you can manually set the odometer). And following Sigma computers retain data:

BC 14.16
BC 16.16
BC 14.16 STS
BC 16.16 STS
BC 23.16 STS

According to VDO M Zero loses memory after battery change.
But following VDO models have non-volatile memory:

M1.1 WR/WL
M2.1 WR/WL
M3.1 WR/WL
M4.1 WR/WL
M5
M6.1
M7 GPS

All settings must be re-entered for bike computers Prophete 0511, 0512, 0531 after the batteries have been inserted.


Wind's effect on light rider? I live in Florida which is flat and often windy. I am a light rider, weighing about 125 pounds (57 kilograms).

How significant is the wind push around for someone my size?

My wheels are Reynolds Strike SLG carbon clinchers 622mm

There are lots of cross and head winds here, had me down to 13.6 mph today for a bit! I am a triathlete and have a big race coming up in Panama City, Florida, and ready for some aero benefits. I normally ride in the 18-20mph zone.

This is pretty simple. All things being equal, aerodynamic drag is a function of the relative wind velocity squared. Doubling the effective wind speed increases the drag force by a factor of four. Head winds could easily account for the loss in speed you are experiencing. Your body weight isn't a factor in dealing with head winds. Indeed if you are relative small, your drag will be lower than a larger rider. Weight is much more of a factor on hills, but in Florida that shouldn't be much of an issue.


What maintenance is required after riding through deep water? The road where I live is on a flood plain and tends to flood every winter. Despite this, I have continued riding to work through the water.

I'm trying my best to dry the bike out at the end of the day, but I have noticed now (on the third day of the flooding) that the steering has become a lot heavier and there's some rusty residue coming out from the lower race of the headset. I'm planning to clean and re-grease it tomorrow, but I'm wondering whether any of the other bearings will need the same treatment.

Specifically, I'm worried about the wheel hubs and the bottom bracket. While the water isn't deep enough to submerge them, it does mean they get a thorough soaking. Is the water likely to cause the same problem with them? What about if they did become submerged?

I had first hand experience with what a full immersion can do. Racing through 3-foot deep muddy water and diluted mud isn't as great as it sounds!

The biggest problem comes from your bearings, no matter what type they are. At the time I had a sealed square taper bottom bracket which is more or less impervious to getting grit and fluid and inside. However, repeated immersion (only over the course of an hour) caused water and dirt to get inside which caused this nasty grinding sound. Any other bearing is going to be similar. In my experience cage style headset bearings tend to dry out faster but pick up more grit, which is probably why your steering appears to be less responsive.

As for the rusty water you're seeing, it could be coming from uncoated areas within the frame, and unprotected parts going through the frame.

To answer your questions, yes you will experience similar issues. However, these could take more or less time depending on how much water they are exposed to and how well you mitigate those effects. Making sure water is removed (drying the bike, turning it on it's side or upside down) will help. You will also have an accelerated maintenance schedule which means cleaning bearings and regreasing parts. Following a proactive maintenance schedule will give your bike a much longer life than if you wait until something is wrong.


Left-right play at bottom bracket Today I noticed that there's a left-right play at the bottom bracket of my bike. You can see a video below. On the video, it looks like I am moving it with force, but I am not: it slides with ease, even if pushed only with two fingers.
Questions:

Is this normal? I assume not.
If not, can you point me to instructions on fixing it?

I happen to have a box of tools borrowed for the weekend, so it's the perfect time to try to fix it.

This photo shows the drive side:

This is actually an easy fix, but requires some special tools.
On Shimano cranks, the left hand crank arm clamps the axle. When this is installed the crank and axle are pulled together by tightening the plastic cap that threads into the axle through the crank arm. This sets the bearing pre-load and removes any axial play.
From the video it looks like you have lost the cap and that has allowed your crank to slip off the axle a little resulting in that axial movement.
Once you have a replacement cap. all you need to do is loosen the crank pinch bolts, finger tighten the cap to set the pre-load (the cap should not be over tightened) and re-tighten in pinch bolts.
However, you need a special tool such as the Park Tool BBT 1 -2 to tighten the cap. Also you really need a torque wrench to tighten the pinch bolts properly to avoid over-torquing them and stripping the threads. Conversely, under tightening the pinch bolts allows the crank arm to walk around on the steel axle which deforms the splines in the arm. Both are rather emotionally traumatic experiences as you realize you now need to buy a whole new crankset.
This is a good video showing how the crank is removed and re-installed, including setting the bearing pre-load.


What else will need replaced when I replace my wheel set on my vintage KHS road bike? I am needing to get a new wheelset for my vintage KHS road bike. I have been looking into it and to get my 6-speed cassette to work with the Shimano 501 wheels it looks like I will need to get a spacer. Is this true or do I have to upgrade the cassette as well? If the cassette gets upgraded, what other parts would need replaced to get the bike running again?

Thanks in advance!

You don't say what components it has now (Shimano or Suntour and which specific parts, right shifter indexed or not, etc), what the rear end spacing is (probably 126 if it's a 6spd cassette), and whether you care about indexing if you do have an indexed right shifter.

But, if you have a 6-speed Shimano Uniglide cassette, all but the smallest cog can in fact go on a modern Shimano-compatible wheel. More info on this here and here. You'd then get a modern smallest position cog and a lockring, and spacers for behind the cassette to take up all the extra room. You'll also need some very thin spacers to get the cog-to-cog spacing right on the small cog. Again according to Sheldon's numbers, you need .5mm worth there if you use a cog from a 7spd Cassette, since that cog will have a built in spacer for 5mm cog-to-cog and you want 5.5. Shops do have cassette spacers that thin, but they're very seldom used now so you may have to hunt.

To be clear, the main point of doing this would be an interesting and esoteric bike geek project. After you go through all the trouble of setting it up, you'll have to get another vintage cassette when you finish wearing out this one. (Although it may be possible to make a new one by re-using the spacers from your old one on a new 7spd cassette, or machining your own spacers, etc... again, esoteric.)

The simpler thing by far in a lot of cases is just going to be use a new 7spd cassette and 7/8-speed chain, which will still need a 4.5mm spacer, (plus a 1.8mm spacer on an 11spd freehub, if you're looking at other wheels too). That plan may or may not work seamlessly depending on what else is on the bike, but it probably will, and for cheap. You'll be running it friction unless you add a 7spd indexed shifter, but those are available both new or used/vintage for not much either.

If this is a 126mm spaced steel bike then it's more or less okay to just jam a modern 130 wheel in there and go. If you want to take the best care of the frame possible, you should respace it though. If it's 120 you should definitely respace it, and if it's not steel you shouldn't do it.


New bike rear derailleur not working correctly I got this new bike over a week ago, and I was trying to fix the bike's derailing system and I can't seem to get it fixed.

I tried watching a ton of videos online on how to adjust your derailleurs and the outcome is the same for me; nothing works.  So I'm wondering if anybody could give some advice on what I could try to do.  The current problem is that the rear cassette keeps skipping shifts whenever I try to shift; I can't adjust it properly.

Note: I have made this bike into a e-bike so not sure if that would make a difference for anything.

Here is a link to a video of the shifting not working correctly https://streamable.com/jot1hu

This is a photo of the rear derailleur:

Here's a way to set an initial cable position for your rear shifter.

First, if required, open the limit screws on the rear mech so that the chain can get out to the biggest and smallest cogs.  If you didn't change these, they should be okay.

Set the right-hand shifter on the hardest setting (that's the one with the most slack on the wire)
Set the chain on the second-smallest cog.
Set the barrel adjuster to between 1/3 and half-way in.
Relax the pinch bolt on the rear mech that is holding the inner cable.
Make sure all the cable outers are in their stops, both in the frame and up at the shifter.  They can pop out sometimes.
Pull through as much cable as you can without significantly moving the rear mech, and tighten up the pinch bolt enough for testing.

Now as you hand-pedal the cranks, the chain should drop into the smallest cog.  Work through the gears while slowly pedalling, and the chain should move one cog per click.

If you press the shifter for an easier gear (larger cog) and the chain isn't quite moving up, then back out the barrel adjuster a half-turn at a time.

Likewise if you pull the release for a harder gear and the chain doesn't move down, the wind the barrel adjuster in a half turn.  Check through all gears whenever you make an adjustment, because everything effects everything.

Two last tasks,

make sure the pinch bolt is done up tightly enough to not slip but not so tight it strips the threads or the head.
check the limit screws - the chain must NOT be able to jump over the top of the biggest cog.  It should be barely just able to stay there in normal riding, because frame flex and your leg power can give it the chance to get over the top and that will break things.  Perhaps not so bad with your super short spokes, but not good.   The lower limit screw does the same, but at the small cog a chain off can damage your frame and axle.  Neither is good.


Can my headtube take a tapered fork? I'm trying to replace a Suntour XCT fork on a '14 Cannondale Trail 4.

I think it's a got a 1 1/8" straight headtube looking at the specs here: https://www.vitalmtb.com/product/guide/Bikes,3/Cannondale/Trail-29-4,13741

On Ebay all the forks seems to be tapered. I.e Rockshox Reba or Judy.

Looking on CannondaleAnswers here - https://www.cannondaleanswers.com/definitive-guide-cannondale-frame-headset-fork-compatibility-for-mountain-bikes/, it shows that a conversion is possible for some headsets with a KP205.

The issue is I don't know what I have! the headset has 'Tange Seiki' on it. Does that mean its SI integrated?

Anyway advice is greatly appreciated! we are both new to mountain biking so have very limited knowledge!

Thanks.

'Tange Seiki' is just the headset manufacturer.

Reading this https://www.cannondaleexperts.com/Si-Mountain-Headsets_c_1569.html it seems that Cannondale SI Integrated headsets were used on Headshock and Lefty forks, so there's no reason why your bike would have that type.

SI bearings are pressed directly into the frame so if you have separate bearing cups they are definitely straight 1 1/8.


What is the technical name for this nut-bolt thing with inner hubs? Its size is 2.2cm times 1.5cm. The width of axle is 0.92 cm (measured on the curved area, not probably the right way to measure) for axle in the hub Shimano Nexus SG 8R20 (12mm stop washer but cannot find its axle width from service manual). Its thread is unknown.

Please, see the picture. I want to learn how to measure the tread inside the thing and other conventions by which such things are named, such as the maximum torgue in Nm, so I can buy the thing in any unknown store. My local hardware store said that you cannot get it as bulk product because it has special thread. I am however interested whether there is any cheaper non-bicycle-store substitute to this thing. If not, I am still looking for ways to substitute this thing for inner hubs.

[Update, more images]

You can see that the left cap nut is in a very bad condition, it was new 6 months ago. The washer seems to be a bit damaged when looked from the side. The metal spaghetti shows that the internals of the cap nuts are broken.

The serrated washer eats into the paint, making very bad to the frame.

I am looking something better options to this inner hub thing, the expensive easily-broken cap nuts and damaging paint are not the way to go again.

Related

question with similar sizing problem covering nuts and axles here but front wheel
Harris explaining the axle hassle that affects the nuts here
investigating only the axle length, probably the reason why the cap nuts gets broken seasonally, here

They called cap nuts, and often the washers will have an anti-rotation tab on them that is bent in so it slots into the dropout. They have an oval hole in them to lock onto the flats on the axle.

If you're lucky the thread is an M10 fine (M10x0.1mm) and an industrial fastener outlet will have them (I use www.bolt.com.au), but there are a few fairly common sizes around so it would pay to make sure. If you are working on older bikes and buying tools a small thread pitch gauge would be a useful thing to have, they're under $20 here. But trying to measure the thread inside a cap nut with one is very hard work and youŕe likely to get it wrong. The better alternative is to buy an axle thread set - basically a short section of each of the common threads on a backing plate. You try the axle or nut you have on each until you find the one that it fits (the tool is clearly labeled).

From your torque question and the pic above, I suspect you are trying to do up the nuts to stop the wheel sliding forward in the dropout. For that you need serrated washers that cut into the dropout. And damage it. The better option is a chain tug as previously discussed here. A torgue wrench won help much with old nuts and axles, as they tend to lose strength as they wear.

Edit after the new photos: The Shimano anti-rotation washers are nice and thick, also serrated, so need to go on the outside of the frame (where they are now). You've already done enough damage to the dropouts by digging things into them. So you need a thin chain tug to fit inside between frame and hub. Also one that you can file off any protruding aligning bits, since your dropout opens forward rather than backward. I would look for one that has two screws rather than one, so it will be more stable on that curve at the back of the dropout. I have one like that on my commuter.

 or at least an outline of where it should go - obviously behind the frame rather than in front of it as sketched.


What should one eat while cycling? What should a bicyclist make sure to eat before and after riding a bike?

Bananas

and as I need at least 15 characters, don't forget to eat bananas during your ride as well.


Bike won't shift at all I have old old 90's Cannondale that has been sitting in a spare bedroom for the last three years just collecting dust (has not been ridden in those three years). I bought a bike trainer over the weekend and so I wanted to throw that bike on the trainer and use it for indoor use.

I set it all up and when I got on the bike and started shifting the bike shifting in the back to the largest cog (so lowest gear) but now I am unable to make it shift at all to a higher gear. Bike was shifting completely fine the last time it was ridden but now not at all. It also doesn't feel like there is any tension in the actual shifter when I push on it.  Does this type of problem sound familiar to anyone?

For what it's worth, the shifters are Shimano RSX.

I'm familiar with RSX brifters (brake and shift combo units)  If that's what you have then its likely the grease has gummed up, stopping the under-lever from engaging the release.

You might be able to finangle it a couple times by manipulating the underlever carefully, and you'll feel it catch.   A blast in the guts of the brifter with brake cleaner or similar can help short term too, but for the long term fix its at least an hour of messing around.

Here's a pre-existing answer where I wrote up the full procedure for cleaning a RSX brifter:

STI shifter sometimes doesn't catch in cooler weather

And here's the howto video showing... how to.

Answer: if a squirt of brake cleaner helps, then the full fix should make it right again.


Is Likessale a scam? I'm looking at a bike for sale on Likessale. It seems way too good to be true, based on a Google search for prices for the same bike. Has anyone bought a bike here or can verify whether or not this is a scam?

I looked up likessale.com on WHOIS, and it appeared to be registered only a week ago. It seems fishy that there are reviews from before that.

I'm confident to call it a scam.

The same bike is on Amazon for $2162 to $3856 USD.

https://www.amazon.com/Diamondback-Bicycles-Podium-Vitesse-Carbon/dp/B01HHQ1BWA/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_200_t_1

Manufacturer gives it a MSRP of $3700 USD.
To expect to pay 5% of that price is MASSIVELY suspicious.

Also notice the site lists MTB-style frame sizes (Small-15.5/Medium-17/Large-19/XL-21), where the bike is built in metric sizes (XS 50; S 52; M 54; L 56; XL 58cm)

I see the word "diamondback" never appears on the remote web site at all in text - it only appears on the bike photos which appear to be lifted from standard advertising materials.

TL;DR Yes its a scam.  Send your money at your risk.  If you ever do get a bike delivered, it will be an inferior knockoff product.

Just don't.


Internally geared hub on a 20 inch wheel The bicycle has a two gear automatic IGH, which I would like to replace with a 5 or even better a 7 gear hub. I am very much a beginner with this so I would need any kind of help and advice you can offer.

The reason I am doing this is because I need a little more assistance when cycling up hill and also a little more speed when going on flat land. Right now the e-bike i capped at 25 km/h.

My questions are:

Can I use any kind of IGH or are there some differences in size or number of holes or such? Note I only use the bicycle in the city so no wild rides or anything like that.

What is the cheapest way to get my bicycle to have a little more range with the gears? I assumed it was replacing the IGH but maybe there are other options.

Anything else you want to share would be appreciated as well!

I'm also enclosing a picture if that helps.

Replacing a hub means building up a new wheel, which means you need to match the hub width to the frame, number of spokes to the rim and what not. See this page on wheel building for more details. Rebuilding a wheel or building a new wheel is pricey and time consuming. If you want to reuse the rim, you will need to look up the spec sheet for the hub and give it to the person you're having build up the wheel to make sure the new hub you select matches.

On top of this, you need some transmission stuff - namely a way to shift (which would require running shift cables on a frame that was likely not designed for them) as the Automatix hub takes care of shifting automatically. Since this is a folder, its more complicated than on a normal bike since you need to run cables for the folding (and the irregularly shaped tubes make attaching the cables a bit harder, e.g. no clamp on cable stops). Also, you'd need a hub with a coaster brake as well unless you want to run brake cables as well (it doesn't seem like the bike has mounts or cable stops for a rear brake either based on the picture).

To my knowledge, nobody other than SRAM (which only has the Automatix) and NuVinci make IGH's which are automatic (and I don't know if the NuVinci ones, e.g. Harmony are offered with a coaster brake or operate without the shift cables). In this case, it seems like the rear wheel is just a plain 20" wheel with a coaster brake Automatix hub and 130 mm hub spacing (double check this with say your LBS), so you could conceivably put another 130 mm IGH wheel with a coaster brake in the back and jury rig the shift cables in if you choose a wheel with an IGH that isn't automatic [if you choose an IGH without a coaster brake, you may have to jury rig a brake mount as well]. I'd personally feel less comfortable about bodging on brakes - if shifting goes wrong, you can usually get home in one gear.

It sounds like you want both a lower low gear and a higher high gear which means you need a larger range of gearing overall - its not as simple as just putting in a bigger or smaller chainring or a bigger or smaller rear cog (the rear cog would be a better option, with the former option giving you better climbing but lower top speed and the latter the reverse). So you're going to have to change the gearing in the rear to fix this.

I'd recommend replacing the bike for one with a larger range of gearing instead of futzing around for a new rear wheel and bodging shifters on, as the rear wheel will likely need to be a pricey custom job. The other option is to simply become more fit/deal with it.


After conversion, Paramount OS is super squirrely All,

I have a custom made Paramount OS from 1991. I converted the bike to be my bike for family rides. To do this, I replaced the handlebars and put larger tires on the rim ~ nothing crazy, just a broader, more durable road tire.

The bike is beyond squirrely. Prior to the conversion, it was easy to ride no handed (Paramount's didn't have the shortest wheelbase's or the most aggressive geometry), now it's actually difficult to ride with one hand on the bars, let alone none.

EDIT-

BY squirly, I mean the bike's handling is loosey-goosey,touchy,unstable etc. I swapped from Cinelli drops to a straigh-bar, don't know the length. No trouble with the fork, headset and no other changes. Perhaps the weight dist. is off as someone suggested.
I turned this bike into a kicker as I wanted to upgrade to shifters on the drops, but the rear triangles on my OS were too narrow to accommodate the 8 gear cassette.
FH

What might be causing this?

If the headset is good then you need look at tire balance

The tire itself could be out of balance and also it could not be seated evenly.

Examine how tires are seated.

Put it on a stand or upside down and see if the wheels hold in position. Rotate 1/8 turn and check all 8 positions.

For the rear you can spin the pedals - at high speed does it wobble?

If not balance then pull the tire and remount it.


What is this frame feature for? I have a Kinesis Tripster ATR.  The drive-side seat stay has a lug on it whose purpose I can't work out:

There's no such feature on the other seat stay.  What is it for?

Its a chain hanger.  Purpose is to hold the chain when you take the wheel off.

The idea is to support the chain and stop it falling through itself, making a tight loop and shortening the life of those links.

They're not common on carbon bikes any more, but handy on any working bike.

Don't forget to undo the chain after reinstalling the wheel and before riding away.


Can a bike have both rim and disc brakes? Was just wondering if a dual option like this was possible or even desirable.

If you are asking one of each type on the bike, yes.  As disc brakes were becoming popular, many companies produces bikes with a disc in the front and a rim brake in the rear.

If you are asking about one of each type on a single wheel (three or four brakes total for the bike) yes that would also be possible, but there wouldn't really be a point.  Also common during the industry's transition from rim to disc brakes where frames that were designed for either.  Bikes on a manufacturer's less expensive spectrum would have rim brakes and for a few hundred more, the same frame could be had with disc brakes and perhaps nicer components.

If one was to actually install a disc and rim brake on the same wheel, there would be some obstacles to overcome (assuming you wanted to actuate both brakes with the same lever).  To make the brakes grip roughly the same (ie not one just one doing the work and the other making no contact) you'd have to make sure the actuation ratios or cable pull was the same for both brakes.  After that you'd need to use some sort of BMX style adapter to make sure both were being pulled by the same lever.  You'd also have to carefully adjust them to make sure they making contact at roughly the same time in the pull.  Finally you can expect that since disc pads and rim pads probably don't wear at the same rate, all the work would have to be redone often to keep the two working in unison.

All in all you'd be paying for twice as brake for a setup that would probably work less consistently than either brake alone and require much more maintenance than either alone.  If you were just wanting more stopping power, you could simply install a larger disc brake (AM or DH sized) and deal with much less setup.

EDIT:  I hadn't considered the possibility of a coaster + rim or disc.  Since a coaster brake would be actuated separately (by pressing back on the pedals) it could be potentially more useful and much less tinkery to maintain.  That being said ANY brake should be able to lock up a wheel so it still won't gain you anything except a safety backup in the case of your primary brake (whichever you chose to use) failed.

TL;DR Possible, but not worth the effort.


Buying from AliExpress I've notice that the business to business site AliBaba and it's more consumer friendly AliExpress website have a number of bike components for sale. They tend to be complete component groupsets and the like but are some quite reasonable deals, especially if you are building a bike from scratch.

I've used AliExpress before to purchase electronic components, which have been good quality and are what they say on the tin.

Has anyone used AliExpress to buy bike components and have they had any trouble? (quality, counterfeit etc.)

One benefit is that your money is held in escrow until you receive the item and aprove the payment so some safety.

Crapshoot. You may get something fantastic for your money, or you may get something that will leave you feeling burnt. Worse yet, you may get something that will fail catastrophically and get you really, really hurt. I have personally seen all scenarios play out with friends and former customers.
I recommend you try to find reviews for whatever parts you're looking at from folks who have owned the product for years- not months or weeks, or the "I just ordered it and when it gets here it's gonna be awesome!" guys.


Narrow or comfort saddle? I have just purchased an e-bike that came with a wide "comfort saddle". I am used to riding a hybrid with a narrow saddle, and that seat was very comfortable on long trips. Should I replace my comfort saddle with a narrow saddle, or stay with the original?

You should ride whatever you find comfortable.  If the old saddle was good, swap it to the new bike.
If you intend on riding both bikes, keep eyes open for a second saddle of the same brand/model.  You can store or sell the original saddle.
Saddles are a personal thing, noone can tell you what will be comfortable.  Since you call the narrow saddle comfortable, go with it.
And if you don't like it on the ebike, swap back with no harm done.


Are all skewers compatible with all bikes? I'm switching from a 1999 Rock Hopper mountain bike to a new Jamis Aurora road bike. I want to move my cheapy security skewers over to the new bike, but they look a bit different from the skewers the new bike came with. Are all skewers compatible with all bikes, or are there different types?

Generally speaking, the answer is no. Not all skewers are compatible with all quick release wheels. There are different diameters and widths of skewers. Notably, many downhill bikes have beefier skewers that are built with a much larger diameter to be more durable. Bikes with wider and narrower axles will have less standard skewers too.

In your case, it is likely that the skewers will be compatible. Even if the skewer isn't quite long enough to have threads protruding from the nut, it will still be okay if the difference is less than 2mm.

See this forum post for more info:

  True, the standard nowadays is 100mm up front and 130mm in the rear, BUT

  When you start talking about different types of bikes, you get into different width hubs.

  Tandems have a standard rear spacing of 140 or 145mm, some downhill/freeride bikes have a whopping 150mm rear spacing and 110mm front hub spacing and monstrous 20mm through bolt skewers, older bikes with French or Italian standards can have wacky sizes from 91mm 96mm, the list goes on.

  But you are correct in saying the "standard" size for skewers is 100mm up front and 130mm in the rear.


Why does cycling use a measure of time ("century") as a measure of distance? Wikipedia only attempts to explain the origin of the riding distance event but not why the term was used and why it "stuck".

A distance of 100 miles (161 km) is often referred to as a century. Century is also a common designation for 100 years, but that is not its exclusive meaning. The English word derives directly from Latin centuria, a group of 100 [etymonline]. This is a form of centum (or CENTVM if you will) which simply means (one)hundred.

A ride of 100 miles is thus aptly named a century ride, without having to resort to metaphors or figurative meaning.

Chris H mentioned another instance where century is used to count something other than years: In the sport of cricket, a century is a score of 100 or more runs in a single innings by a batsman [wikipedia].


Clearing excess wax from chain links Is there a simple way to clear excess wax from between the links of freshly dipped chains?

When I pull my chain out there's a pretty decent coating I can wipe off. The interior stays full of wax even after a good wipe off.

I'm using 100% paraffin and removing the chain when the wax cools enough to form the beginning of a skin on the surface of the pot.

I've tried making an S-bend and running the chain up and down, brushing the chain with a short-bristled brush. The only thing I've found that works is manually clearing each link with small enough a blunt tool.

Is there something I could run the chain through quickly and get the wax between the links out without spreading it everywhere? Putting it on the bike and backpedalling makes a bit of a mess.

Typically when hot paraffin waxing I dip the chain for 15 min, then remove and hang. I typically hang the chain very very gentle as I don’t want to dislodge the liquefied wax from the rollers/bushing interface. I don’t wait for the pot of wax to cool. When hanging the excess wax immediately drips off, and rarely do I have  more than a thin coating between the link plates. Only the last link has excessive wax which is quick to clean out manually, once the chain has cooled back to room temperature.

While excess wax does drains off, enough remains in the bushings and rollers as I typically get hundreds of KM before the chain makes the painful “no lube” sound. Chain longevity has also been good using this approach, about twice the mileage I get from running the same brand/model of chain with chain lubes.

About the only issue I find is breaking the frozen links after the chain has cooled as the solidified wax sticks the inner/outer link plates together. To get the links pivoting again I manually run the chain over a small diameter metal shaft. This forces the links to bend and quickly gets the links free so that the chain runs properly when I put it on the bike.

I would suggest the way you let the chain cool off, after being waxed, is contributing to the links becoming filled with wax.


E wheel needs an 8sp free wheel instead of cassette My new electric wheel requires a free wheel set up. I have an 8 speed Shimano cassette which obviously won’t work.

Can I find a free wheel that will be similar to my cassette? I realize I may have to get a 6 or 7 speed free wheel to allow for space on my frame.

This is difficult to answer without more information.

8-speed freewheels were made, although not for very long. They'll be hard to find and will be "new old stock" if you do. 7-speed freewheels are still being made, mostly for low-end bikes.

However, if your bike has 8-speed indexed shifting, it's not going to work right: The gears on a 7-speed freewheel are spaced 5 mm center-to-center, on a Shimano 8-speed cassette, they're spaced 4.8 mm. You might be able to fake it if you get the derailleur perfectly aligned on the middle gear, but you'll be 0.6 mm off at the outside gears. Which doesn't sound like much, but the sprockets are only 1.8 mm thick. As always, the late, great Sheldon Brown has the info. If you want the shifting to be bang-on, you're going to need different shifters (or you'll need to switch to friction shifting). If you really want to go nuts, you might be able to disassemble the freewheel and reassemble it with narrower spacers to get the same center-to-center spacing.

Another dimension you might want to check is the hub width. Is it 135 mm? 130 mm? What about the spacing on the frame it's going into?


Tiagra 9 speed triple front with a 10 speed group I want to temporarily swap parts on two bikes for a trip - I currently have a Tiagra 9-speed setup and a bike with Ultegra 6600 double/10 speed. Is it possible to use the triple front shifter from a 9-speed group with the Ultegra group (substituting an Ultegra triple crank and FD that I'd buy) ?

Yes, it will work, but you need to double check shifting range settings — stops — on the front derailleur.

I recommend use second and third positions of shifter for inner and outer rings respectively (not the first and second).

If you will use not only triple front shifter but also a triple front derailleur you must consider that shifting on double crankset with triple derailleur wouldn't be as fine as with double derailleur (because of triple derailleur frame form).


Help identifying a Murray bicycle I know it is a Murray its serial number is M06 140 60056. It is chrome, had a 3 speed rear hub and triangular sears branded reflectors. I unfortunately didn’t take a pic before tearing it down.

And yes I turned the handlebars upside down. I’m intending on converting it into a motorized bike (I am keeping all the original parts just in case, though the rear will needs a few spokes).

According to a thread called "Murray serial number project" on thecabe.com serial number "MO6 140 60056" indicates 1966.

  In 65 they were changing there serial number style and by then they were on the left rear dropout. Some 65 bikes had an MO5 which stood for Murray of Ohio 1965. After these 3 digits was a 2 or 3 digit model number followed by and X and a 1 or 2 digit number that I will discuss momentarily.
  MO5 = 65
  MO6 = 66
  MO7 = 67
  MO8 = 68
  In 69, they changed the layout yet again. They dropped the O. They also went to a 4 digit model number.
  M9 = 69
  M0 = 70
  and so on.

So, in your case the format should be
MO6 = 1966
140 = model number
60056 = ?

Finding a 1966 Murray catalog to verify that such a bike was made took me to "1966 Murray Specials Catalog" at tapatalk.com

Sadly, the page is cut off so that the model name is not visible. Even cut off the bike's name looks like "MONA ---" rather than "MONT ---"
What we can see of the description indicates that there was a three speed made in 1966 but the men's model was metallic green - not chrome.
Squinting at the head badge in the picture just right might convince you that the head badge is a match.

There is something that might be a model number in the picture "6-130X66 BOYS 26". If that's the model number it might be that the "140" on your bike refers to a chrome three speed Monterey and the "130" refers to a painted some other name.
Lots of speculation there.
Murray made different bikes for different retail outlets at the same time. The same bike might have had different model names or finishes.

On a side note,
These bikes did not have a good reputation for standing up under rough usage.
Motorization will put stress on this frame that it was never designed to handle. It would be wise to select a different frame to motorize.


Specific Conversion to IGH What do I need to research to switch to an internally geared hub?

Having looked at the above Q and A, I have a followup question.  I have a Globe Work 2, that I'm considering converting to an IGH.  Will I need to replace the rear wheel?  I ask because Globe makes a Work 3 with an IGH and as far as I can tell, the bikes are otherwise identical.  Does this indicate that the wheel will take an IGH without modification or am I just being hopeful?

I'm really just curious because I'm considering doing this myself, but I don't want to get in over my head, so I'm trying to figure out how much work this is going to be before I decide.

The switch to an IGH is never as simple as it looks. There are a couple of things to consider:

Wheel: Yes you will need to have a new wheel built replacing the hub with a IGH hub. You can reuse the rim (if spoke count matches) but will also require new spokes.
Dropouts: The Globe Works 3 has a semi horizontal rear dropout while the Globe Works 2 has a vertical dropout and hanger. Derailleur bikes rely on the RD to tension the chain, IGH relies on placement of the rear hub in relation to the crank, this is where horizontal dropouts work well as you can slide the wheel to the right place. Without these you need a separate chain tensioning device.
Chain Tensioner: Without horizontal dropouts you need to find a way to ensure chain tension. The most simplest and effective is an eccentric bottom bracket which allows the crank to be reposition slightly to achieve chain tension. Other devices hang in place of the derailleur but add moving and noisy parts.
Crankset: IGH work with a single crankset and fixed chainline. You would need to modify your current crankset to a single ring (if possible), keep the multiple rings only using one or buy a new crankset.
Shifters: IGH use different shifters to derailleurs so you will need to also purchase new shifters.


Is there a standard equivalent for effort between distance and elevation? I'm starting to keep track of how far I ride on paper and while it's nice to have the data, I'd like to know how different rides stack up.

I have one path I like to take which is really flat and goes about 30 miles out (I usually only do 10 and then turn around), but I've found this ride is much easier for me than the other route I take which nets me about 12 miles and about 500 feet in elevation.

I saw on another SE that they calculate 500 feet elevation gain into one mile, but this doesn't seem that accurate for a bike.

So, what I want to know is if there is a standard calculation for "effort" or distance between distance and elevation gain, given perhaps average speed or any other relevant factors.

If you really want to measure how much effort you're putting in, you should look into getting a power meter. It measures the actual wattage you output, and can therefore be used to calculate total energy output. However, they are quite expensive.

The other option is to get a heart rate monitor along with cadence and speed meters which together can give you a reasonable estimate of how much energy you used.  This ends up being much cheaper than a power meter, but is less accurate.

These are the preferred methods if you a really want to track how hard you are training. This is because many things can effect how much effort it takes to cycle such as hills (like you mentioned), but also wind, your body position, and the road surface itself.


Which mapping/route planning source should I trust for elevation I'm planning a few routes, and while I've generally used Google maps and cyclestreets, the former makes exporting to GPX a pain (there are third party tools, but once you've customised a route they sometime refuse to work, and Google doesn't pass on the customisation properly) and the latter doesn't allow custimsed routes (though its 3 options are generally good).

After hunting for another tool I tried Strava's route builder planning tool (I don't feel any need to log my rides online so don't use Strava for anything else). This apparently uses openstreetmap data.

Now when I put the same loop into Strava and Google I get a difference in elevation gain, and not a small one: 522m from Google and 774m from Strava which is 48% more.  The distance is within rounding error (Google: 68.5km; Strava 67.7).  At 10% or even 20% I wouldn't be too worried but that's a big difference.

So which one should I trust?

None of them will be "right"

Strava may throw away your elevation data depending on the device used to record it.   So for any phone-based app the height is ignored, and your track is placed on a map, then the known elevation is read off that.

For devices with known-good barometric sensors (Garmins and some others) the data in the upload IS used by strava.

The weather was horrible at the start, cold spitty rain.  About 20 riders simply chose to abandon before starting.   The rain cleared about level with "Lincoln" and the road was dry by about halfway.  So the air pressure increased, throwing the Garmin sensor out of calibration.  This rider had about 800 metres of climbing

  Here's my recording of the same event in March 2017. My recording shows 1820 metres of climbing, and this graph represents the real road elevation properly.

Furthermore you might think a map would be accurate, and in the main it will be.  Except the elevation of a map is based on contour lines, lines around the slope at the same elevation above sea level.

There is generally no continuous elevation data for a road.

Instead the map is divided up into square blocks and an "average" height for that block is calculated.  If the blocks are 1m square then its pretty good-enough.  If the blocks are 10m square, its "okay" because that's about the width of a roadway.  If the blocks are 100m square, then its terrible.

Consider this road with a 7% grade.   If the elevation blocks were much larger than 10m they could be positioned up or down the hill, giving an artificial high/low spot, increasing your recorded elevation gain.    The hillside here has a slope of about 45 degrees so its the same as a 100% grade.