What are these cracks in the side of my bicycle tyre called? Does this mean that my tyre is gone? I found out cracks in my bicycle tyre. I am not sure if the tyre is damaged. Following is a picture for reference
I would like to know what can be the possible causes for these cracks and how to avoid them.

I'd say, it's time to replace the tire. It doesn't really matter what caused it - could have been low quality, age, or extended use. The cracks mean the layers the tire is made of are separating and in the long run you will see more punctures because the material is softening. A brand-name tire costs 15 to 25 EUR/USD/GBP which I consider low enough to not take the risk of punctures.


Should tire pressure be equalized or slightly offset? I am wondering wether I should match the recommended PSI of both my tires (equalized) or if I should have the front tire slightly more deflated than the back or vice versa (offset). Are there occasions where front and back tire pressure is slightly and preferably modified, such as a pro cyclist preparing a road bike for a time trial in comparison to a mountain bike for difficult terrain.

Tires usually have a inflation pressure range, or maximum pressure specification rather than ab absolute recommended pressure. The pressure you should be using depends on how much you weigh, the surfaces you are riding on and your preference for ride comfort.

Unfortunately there is no way to definitely determine what you tire optimum tire pressure should be, but you can experiment with different pressures.

Similarly there does not seem to be any definite guidance for different front and rear pressure other than the front should be a little lower because most riders have a rear weight distribution bias.

Personally, I ride a drop bar bike with a moderately relaxed position so I run the front about 10-15% lower than the rear.


Red bike frame BMX don't know what it is I have a red bmx bike with flat plates on both sides in the front it has circles through them I don't know what kind of bike it is it's just the frame I bought from a friend he said he thought it was a diamond back but I never seen one of them made like this one can anyone help me out. Thanks

It looks a lot like a bike made by Giant branded in different ways for different markets.
There are several frames made with a circle cutout and a sort of X shaped gusset. The circle in the middle with a rolled edge is rare.
Here it is as a 1983/1984 Repco Team Hotfoot
It was made by Giant for Repco

bloggingadeadhorse.com
Here's an 82 Team Giant with a similar frame

Here is a 1981 Giant GMX-250 with a similar frame

bmxmuseum.com


Are sealed bearings equal to cartridge bearings in single speed hubs? Single speed hubs are often speced with sealed bearings. In my brief market search I haven't seen any hubs with cartridge bearings in the specifications.

Are sealed bearings used synonymous with cartridge bearings in the context of single speed hubs? How to identify if a hub has cartridge bearings?

In general, the presence of a seal does not depend on the type of bearing. A cup and cone bearing may be sealed while a cartridge bearing may lack a seal. However, track bikes (velodrome) usually have cup and cone bearings for adjustability and lack seals to reduce friction losses. This may have led to such hubs' bearings being referred to as unsealed.

See also a related question on hub bearings.

I'd take a cartridge to mean an entire unit, with bearings installed permanently and not intended for any servicing beyond a grease/lubrication.

A Sealed bearing would describe the seal around a bearing race, whether it be a ball bearing, a needle bearing or an angular contact bearing or whatever.  Some bearings are described as "shielded" or "double lip sealed" which adds drag.

Generally drag is to be avoided because it costs watts, but on your mud bike or commuter that's less important.  A track bike wants to minimise drag at all cost, and well-adjusted cup and cone bearings are perceived as lower drag than any sealed or shielded bearings.

So IMO a cartridge bearing would be one that doesn't have loose balls, and the "sealed" bit means how resistant it is to water ingress.

Sealed cartridge bearing from a front wheel hub:


Should I bike or drive to work? (6.8 mi) I am moving next month and I need to figure out how to get to work.

Option one is driving to work, which will take 15 to 20 minutes one-way.
Option two is biking, which will take about 35 minutes according to Google Maps.

The distance is 6.8 miles one-way, and the road is mostly flat.

Assuming money/cost is not an issue, which option would you recommend? I really like the idea of biking to work, because I sit in my cubicle all day, and I want to incorporate some exercising to my commute (currently I walk 20 minutes to get to work.) My main concern is that I am not athletic enough to bike 6.8 miles one way. Is that a doable distance for beginners?

Thanks!!

I estimate 6.8mi as about 11km.  That is definitely doable for a novice, though it may not be as fast as Google's estimate at first.  Unless there aren't any traffic lights or stop signs, you should figure your overall average speed at no more than 15km/h initially, so budget 45-50min your first time out.  (Google is notorious around here for not allowing enough time for stop lights in their time estimates, and that's without having to get back up to speed.)

Of course once you've been doing it for a month you'll definitely start bringing that time down.

If you're asking in this forum, you have to expect we're always going to recommend that
you bike! :)  That said, there are places/roads that even I don't feel comfortable cycling regularly.  I can use them occasionally, but wouldn't want to ride them every morning and every night.  You'll want to check out the route so you know you'll feel safe (or have a bail-out option) even if it's a busy rush hour, or you get caught in a sudden rain, etc.

I would recommend taking a weekend morning and doing a test-ride to work, stop and have a coffee, then ride home.  Take at least a half hour break, unless you're feeling really good.  You can get a decent estimate of how long the ride will take.  Plus it's the weekend, so if you're slower on the return it's not a problem and it'll definitely give you confidence to do the ride on a regular workday.

Cycling to work is one of the best things about my current job; the exercise in the morning - especially on a sunny day - really helps me arrive at work in a good mood, energized and alert.  And the ride home literally helps burn off the stress of the day.


How to pick correct front derailleur replacement I just got 26 inch Huffy mountain bike at Walmart. It looks fine except front derailleur spring is too tight. I checked everything. Cable is moving fine, I checked derailleur on my similar bikes, so more or less I confident that derailleur spring is too tight. It makes it very difficult to shift it into the highest gear.
I was thinking to replace spring, but looks like whole derailleurs are not too expensive. So my question how do find correct replacement for my derailleur:  SR Sunrun 42T.
For example, would this one work: ebay.
Also given that this is new bike, should I just return it to Walmart or try another one? I am concerned that for this price there will be always something to replace even on the new bike
Update
I tried to loosen H and L screws completely. On front derailleur it is easy to see how they work and I can confirm that I set them temporarily to provide to limiting at all.
I also tried disconnecting cable and handle twists freely without any problems. So if it is routing issue, then it is probably something beyond my area of expertise, I can only check something obvious.

I would suggest you return the bike to Walmart. If the derailleur doesn't move it is not a spring that is too tight. There is something either out of adjustment or broken. The problem with buying a bike at Walmart or other department stores is the skill of the person assembling the bike varies from competent to no idea what they are doing. The bikes they sell are at the lowest possible point. They generally don't work well right out of the box. If you replace the derailleur yourself you have potentially voided the warranty for any other issues that show up.


How can I test gloves for long ride comfort? Preface: for about 15 years I have used always the same pair of gloves, which worked as a charm. Since they started to show their age and that version is since long time no longer produced, I looked for another pair.

I tried one, which had a padding in the palm, and they felt comfortable on my hands. Only after wearing them a few hours on the ride I noticed the padding, pushing on my palms, made my hands numb, so I had no other choice than not wearing them.

Is there a way to assess gloves comfort in the few minutes one can try them in a shop?

When testing for something, you wanna make sure you are providing the similar environment for testing as for use.

Exhale some warm moist air on handle-like things, make sure you warm your hands up to the maximum extent by rubbing vigorously, hold them firmly for next 5 or so mins (doesn't matter riding or not).

This'll let you judge 3 things basically:

How they deal with sweat, is the grip impacted!
Is the cushioning sufficient, because we generally don't make such tight grips continuously while riding.
When you remove them and touch their palm side with bare hands, their temperature will tell you about material too. if they're properly ventilated or not.


How to do a track stand? I want to be able to do a track stand. I can almost come to a halt on my bike without taking my shoes out the cleats - but not quite.

In theory, on a fixed wheel it should be easier, but I can't quite manage to maintain position, I always find myself rolling forward.

So I'm looking for snippets of advice, without being able to see what I'm doing wrong, can anyone tell me something to do right so as to perform a decent track stand; on either a free or a fixed hub, advice for either is fine.

What's your secret?

I promise that I'll go out and practice somewhere quiet ...

Here are my snippets of advice from when I learnt to trackstand:

Start off by practising on a slight uphill. This way you only need to practice the forward pressure part of the movement. As you get better you can move on to smaller and smaller slopes. In urban riding, you can often use the camber of the road as your slope.
Use the right gear. Not really an issue with a fixie, but on a bike with gears you want a gear that is in about the middle of the range. Too low a gear will give you too much leverage and you will tend to over correct. Too high a gear and you won't have enough leverage to move the bike easily.
I find it easier to track stand standing up, pedals horizontal with my good foot forward and with the saddle braced between my thighs. Later you can progress to seated trackstands.
If the bike starts to lean towards the direction that you've turned your front wheel, then a slight pressure on your leading foot should shift the bike back under you.
If the bike starts to lean in the opposite direction, then you have to ease off the pressure on your front foot and let the bike roll back down the hill slightly. This is probably the trickiest part to get the hang of as it is a fairly unnatural backwards motion at first, but once you get the hang of it your trackstands will progress well.


Kickstand compatible with 2011 TREK Utopia Will a kickstand fit on a 2011 Trek Utopia? I'm told the standard that bolts in near the front gear won't fit and I read that the one that mounts near the rear axle won't work with disc brakes.

You should be able to get a standard kickstand on there unless there is some proprietary frame weld-on by Trek where the stand usually goes. Get a Greenfield kickstand with a plate that looks like this: http://harriscyclery.net/images/library/catalogs/soc/p350X350m/KI1005.jpg

I'll bet this can be made to fit. However, truth be told, a kickstand doesn't really belong on a mountain bike unless it's a bike from a department store like walmart, etc.


Effects of longer and higher stem on rider position/comfort and handling My first road bike, and the bars feel a little low and a little close. What would be the effects of switching to a stem that is 10-20mm longer, and either the same angle so the bars are slightly higher, or angled slightly up so the bars are more noticeably higher?

Is there a formula for moving bars away and up to maintain comfort/reach, similar to when moving your saddle up/down after change the fore/aft position, or is it just based on rider perception?

I guess I’ve always thought of an aerodynamic position as being about getting low down, but stretching out must achieve a similar end and help to get horizontal forearms, a flatter back etc?

edit – this has come from me feeling like I could stretch out more on the hoods and still be comfortable, and the drops feeling too low to maintain a comfortable position without feeling it in the lower back. I have 86cm inseam and ride a 60cm bike, but long upper body and arms hence thinking of a longer stem.

There is no magic formula for handlebar position, so some experimentation is necessary.

If you feel your hand should be further forward, get a longer stem. Think about where your hand want to be on the drops and decide if you will go 1cm or 2cm longer.

You can experiment with bar height. If you have spacers on the steerer you can move the stem up and down. If you want the bar higher still you can flip the stem.

By the way, many riders find the drops uncomfortable for long periods of time. Spending time in the drops, stretching and core strength exercises help.

With regard to handling a longer stem moves mass forward which makes the bike a little more stable and slows steering due to the longer radius between contact points on the bars and the steering axis.


What to use to clean your chain (and cogs)? I've just tried cleaning my chain and cogs with some really hot water and washing-up liquid. I also used a toothbrush, j-cloth and a non-scratch scourer. After over an hour of some serious elbow grease I could shift some of the outer dirt and muck, but still can't get the base layer of grease off. What can I use to completely strip the grease and muck off the chain?

A degreaser, whether aerosol or not, is an excellent way to remove grease from the chain.

http://www.finishlineusa.com/products/citrus-cleaner.htm

http://www.finishlineusa.com/products/speed-clean.htm

The degreaser will reduce the amount of elbow grease required but be careful and use a set of nitrile gloves to protect your hands.

My simple chain cleaning method is as follows:

Shift into the big ring and little cog, wet the rag with the degreaser

Grip the chain (lower portion, going from big ring to the derailleur) with the rag, focusing on holding firmly onto the outer plates.

Turn the crank putting the chain through the rag. Readjust as necessary as you remove grease and grime from the chain (ie. don't keep rewiping schmutz back onto the chain).

When sufficiently clean, remove the rear wheel from the bike and place it between yourself and a wall (ie. tyre against your stomach/tyre against the wall keeping the wheel propped between yourself and the wall) over a garbage can.

Using a thin screwdriver or a cleaning tool ( http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=4&item=GSC-1 ) clean the grass and grease build up from between the cogs of the cassette/freewheel. Lightly apply degreaser to the brush portion of the tool and scrub at the cogs to free up the grease/grime.

Using a rag, with degreaser on it, insert the edge of the rag between the cogs and 'saw' back and forth with your hands thus spinning the cassette and fully wiping the whole cog. I typically move from top to bottom of the cassette (keep the grime flowing downwards).

Wipe down cassette, hub and any spokes/rim that could have been contaminated. Reinstall the wheel in the bike and one last time wipe down the chain with the degreaser rag.

And typically ... that method suffices for cleaning any of my bikes. The one caveat is that I typically don't let the chain get grease/grime covered and thus this takes about 3-5 minutes max and works really well. The worse your chain, the more you have to do.

You might want to look at your derailleur pulley wheels and using a flat edge against the pulleys as you spin the crank, remove the grease rings from the pulleys.

You might want to pre scrub the chain (similar to how you did the cassette) to loosen the grease/grime on the chain. A tooth brush w/ degreaser or the GSC-1 mentioned above would be sufficient.

Andddd... that's about all I've got for now. There are a plethora of other methods using chain cleaning tools, removal and soaking of the chain and nastier solvents but for the majority this method seems to work fairly well.


Do Kevlar Belts really offer puncture protection? My local bicycle shop is offering "premium kevlar belt tyres" and are "extremely puncture proof" how much of this is true? Does this "kevlar belt" offer good puncture protection? What does this protect against? Shards of glass? Stones?

Kevlar fibres do resist cutting, and the kevlar belts in my tyres have certainly stopped lots of sharps (mostly glass and flint).

What it won't protect against are pinch flats (which you can avoid anyway by keeping your tyres at the right pressure) and, if it's just a central belt, it may not protect against sidewall cuts either.

There's generally a tradeoff between ride quality and puncture resistance FWIW: my tyres are lighter and faster than Schwalbe Marathon Plus (for example), but also less tough.

If you want anything more than generalities, you'll need to name those tyres and ask about them specifically.


How old is too old for aggressive cycling? Downhill, freeride, dirt jumping, BMX. Am I too old for complete experience of these styles at 28 ? Have no prior experience, but think to jump in. I did extensive reading on this topic, forums, blogs and reddit mainly, it usually starts off with how it is never too late, but when I scroll to bottom, there are horror stories like chronical aches, bones never healing properly, repetitive stress injury and other things I don't want in 30s and 40s.

I'm 65, and doing 60-70 miles a week on local roads, trails and hillsides. I'm not a kamikaze biker anymore, but it's still wholly worthwhile. Injuries just take longer to heal, and I'm not so patient anymore.
You're only in your 30s and you're wondering if you're too old? Find a safer sport, buddy.
Ironically, I'm wondering when I'll be too old. Not even close, yet.


Teaching a child to push off My four year old started riding a pedal bike a few days ago, and thanks to his balance bike took to it like a fish to water; he's going up and down the street or park like a pro already.

He sometimes is able to push off to start, particularly downhill of course, but on straightaways he gets frustrated sometimes.  I've taught him to adjust the pedals to the optimal starting spot (about 1 or 2 o'clock position, right?) and to try to get a little speed with his off foot, but sometimes it's just too hard.  He's used to the balance bike, and can get plenty of speed there, but just doesn't seem to 'get it' with the regular bike.

If it's relevant, he's on a 16"/40cm wheel bike with the seat in the lowest position, and is about 44"/110cm tall; the balance bike he used was a 12"/30cm wheel bike with the seat at the highest position.  When he's on the seat his feet reach the ground, but I'm not sure if they get completely flat to the ground.

Is there a proper way to teach a young child to push off?  Anything I can do to help him other than just letting him keep trying?  He's fairly persistent fortunately, so 'keep trying' is entirely reasonable, but if there's a better technique to teach I'd love to get him started right.

In my experience, kids don't realise that they have to push hard at the start.

It seems obvious (even "intuitive") to us, but not to them.

On the balance bike, one can just push along gently, but this new bike is bigger and heavier, and the gearing makes it harder.

So my advice is to encourage him with an enthusiastic "push hard" call. Or go further and tell him to stand on the pedal.

I solved this problem in a different way: I built my son's bike with a gear cluster at the back (no derailleur) with the chain on the easiest gear. As he got stronger, I gradually moved the chain across one cog at a time.

The main thing is to have fun with them.


Can one replace a tubeless tire with a tube? I have a tubeless tire on a mountain bicycle which is old and wasn't taken care of, and I want to replace it with something more maintainable, as (according to the YouTube videos I've seen) tubeless tires are harder to change.

Would I buy a tube and new tire and replace the old tire with it, or are the rims different?

All tubeless compatible rims can run tubes - that is how you deal with a puncture in on the track.

As far as tires, you can go with any tire that is the correct size for the rim. If you get a tubeless-ready tire, its possible to run a tube and then go back to tubeless using a sealant like slime or Stan's, and they are much lighter than a tubed tire.


What is the cause of "speed wobbles"? Update

As mentioned, The speed wobbles were symptomatic of a harmonic interaction. The wobbles have not returned after adjusting the weight distribution on the bike.

Recently encountered speed wobbles going down a bridge at 40 mph.  I am interested in understanding what triggers the wobbling.

My first thought was that this may have occurred from unevenly tightened spokes. Any information regarding this frightening phenomenon is appreciated.

There is a lot of material online about the causes of speed wobbles, but I haven't seen spoke tension as a common cause.  It usually something created by, and stopped by, rider position rather than anything on the bike (I know you didn't want to read that).

Just a thought though: wouldn't uneven spoke tension show up in the wheel not being "true"?

In any case, look up Jobst Brandt's book "The bicycle wheel".  It's the definitive text about this subject, written by a very meticulous engineer and cyclist.

http://www.amazon.com/Bicycle-Wheel-3rd-Jobst-Brandt/dp/0960723668
http://sheldonbrown.com/brandt/


Replacing Ultegra R8000 'long cage' derailleur (crash repair advice) Today I did the unthinkable and crashed my pride and joy, a 2018 Specialized Roubaix comp. It's completely my fault I was commuting to work and in my pre caffeine state rode through what I thought was a puddle but was actually a massive patch of black ice.

I went down straight away, I came off the bike and we both landed separately. I'm ok (cuts & bruises + massively damaged ego) but the bike is damaged.

Fortunately it went down on the handlebars & rear derailleur, the bar tape was damaged & and the rear mech is bent and scraped badly.

I've checked the frame for damage and it looks ok, I'm going to give it another inspect after a thorough wash but I'm chancing that the frames ok.

I'm going to repair the bike, since all thats really damaged is the rear mech however I'm unsure about sourcing a replacement.

I bought the bike from Evans cycles, they state the spec as: Shimano Ultegra 8000, long cage, 11-speed

However wherever I look online (Shimano's own site), it looks like they only sell a short & medium cage derailleur.

My cassette is 11-32 so I do require a longer cage. The medium cage derailleur does state it can take a 34T max so I'm going to order that.

My question is, why would the bike specs specify components that don't exist? Did a long cage ultegra derailleur ever exist (the bike is 2018 spec).

Are there any checks you guys do or 'must replace's after crashing out (I usually buy a new helmet for example). I'd say the crash was a more intense version of everyone's first crash when learning to ride clipless pedals at traffic lights (a straight drop).

I usually do all of my bike maintenance myself (minus the hydro brakes), would you recommend taking it to a shop for a once over or is that just a faster way to part with my money?

The Evans site is in error. Generally road derailleurs come in SS (short) and GS (medium) versions. The SGS long types are found in MTB groups.

Your derailleur may be scraped up but not bent and still servidable, the derailleur hanger typically gets bent in a crash which saves the derailleur.

My experience of crashes where I've gone down on my side is the frame is fine as impact is taken by the bar, shifter, pedal and derailleur. Going over the bike looking for issues is obviously a good idea. I'd check the shifter, bar and stem alignment in particular.


Schwinn Johnny Pro Stationary Loud Noise Near Sprocket I have an older Johnny Pro.  All of a sudden it began making a loud noise, like a bang, from the area near the sprocket. this occurs approximately every 1.5-2 revolutions of the pedals.

I have investigated, but cannot pinpoint the problem.  It may be that the bearings/washers/whatever between the sprocket and the body of the bike are worn.  I tightened the bolts at the base of the pedal, hoping that would do the trick, but no.  I then removed the bolts, trying to disassemble the sprocket connection, but I can't figure out how to take it apart; nothing moves.

Looking at it from above, it appears that the sprocket wobbles a bit and that there is an uneven space where the bearings are.  I still cannot tell exactly from where the noise originates; my daughter thought it was when the chain was trying to right itself on the crooked sprocket.

From your description it sounds like the 'bottom bracket' bearings have become damaged. These are the bearings that the crank axle runs in in the frame of the bicycle.

To confirm, turn the cranks by hand, if you feel an area of extra resistance, any 'grinding' or a 'notch' or 'clunk' that the cranks pass through the bearings need replacing.

I found a lo-res exploded drawing here of the Johnny Pro, it indicates that the design uses a 'three-piece' crank (two separate crank arms, axle and bearings in a cartridge type unit). The cranks typically fit onto a square taper or splined interface on the axle. If the bolts at the  base of the cranks are removed the  cranks do not come of the axle, a special crank puller-tool is needed for that. The cartridge axle and bearings thread into the frame but a special tool is needed to interface to them to unscrew them.

Here's a video that shows how these things come apart.

The bearing cartridges themselves are not very expensive. You'll have to make a determination if you want to try this on your own or get a bike repair store to help you.


Can a road bike BB work on track bike? I have Merida track 500. It comes with a 175mm FSA vero track crankset and JIS square taper cartridge.

I want to change it with Miche Pistard Air track crankset, 165mm and for that I need to change bottom bracket also.

I wanted to know whether I can use road BB into my track bike. Here is the compatibility for Miche crankset.

BB compatibility:

-Evo Max 36x24tpi (ITA) - 1,370x24tpi (BSA)
-Evo Max 68x42 (BB30)
-Evo Max 68x46 (BB30)
-Evo Max 86,5x41 (PF86)
-Evo Max 86,5x46 (PF86)

The size of Shimano BB I am looking forward to buy is BSA 1,37x24.

Will it go with the crack?

Please help ASAP. Are these two compatible?

Bottom brackets are incredibly confusing--there is a huge number of standards, and some of them refer to the diameter in the name, some the width, etc.

The compatibility chart for your new crankset lists BSA as an option. BSA uses the same bottom-bracket threading as JIS--which we know is already working on your bike--so that is the correct BB to get. What you'll be getting is just a set of thread-in cups and bearings, rather than the cups, bearings, and spindle as you had on your old BB.

Italian bottom brackets are also threaded, but the thread pattern is different. And the other BBs that the crankset is compatible with don't use threaded cups at all.


Can the Garmin Edge 130 obtain heart rate from a fitness wrist-band? I know that Garmin sells HR monitor chest band, but I'd prefer wearing a fitness band on the wrist, that can also measure HR (likely less accurate).
Would it be possible to connect the Garmin device with such a fitness band? I have searched for some hours but couldn't find any example for this.
(I haven't bought any gear yet, that's why the fitness band is not specific.)

GPS-based computers, which are often called head units, typically use two communication protocols: Bluetooth (which is the same as many personal electronic devices like smartphones use) and ANT+, which is a protocol developed for the cycling world. I think that ANT+ was initially developed for power meters, but it can be used for other devices.
Correspondingly, many of the things you might want to connect to a head unit broadcast data using either or both ANT+ or Bluetooth. You can very often connect any brand of device to any head unit if they both have ANT+ or Bluetooth. ANT+'s own page lists a set of devices that have ANT+ and that are known to be compatible with the Edge 130. Obviously, Garmin's own heart rate straps are compatible, but straps from Garmin's main competitor Wahoo, as well as Bontrager, Timex, Tacx, and a number of brands I don't recognize are compatible as well. In general, if the device you want has either ANT+ or Bluetooth, it's very likely it can pair with a head unit.
However, the question refers to fitness bands, which I would assume means watches like Fitbit. One of the exceptions to the above rule is with these items. As @AdamRice noted in comments, the Apple Watch and the Fitbit can read heart rate data themselves, but they will not broadcast it to head units. They have the hardware to do so, but the restriction is in their operating systems, and this can't be changed by the end user. The ANT+ page I linked to listed many Garmin watches as compatible with the Edge 130 (and most likely with other head units), but these watches were clearly designed such that head units can see them as standalone heart rate sensors.
Many smart watches may be able to pair, at least in theory, with cycling sensors. With the Apple Watch, someone would have to design an app for this. Thus, in theory, I could connect my Quarq power meter to my Apple Watch via Bluetooth, if I or someone else were willing to write an app. This is akin to treating a smartwatch like a head unit.
Just for interest's sake, what are some of the more unusual things you could connect to a head unit? You can connect tire pressure sensors, as described in the comments on this question - some gravel racers use them, but they are expensive. You can connect muscle oxygen sensors, which are thought to be another way to measure effort. People with electronic shifting systems can often connect the system to their head unit, and thus gain a gear display. You can connect smart trainers, which enable you to do virtual cycling. The Edge 130's compatibility page lists the Kayak Power Meter, which is obviously a power meter, only for the sport of kayaking - although I'm not sure that I'd go kayaking with an Edge 130 head unit. Several companies make smart lights that broadcast over ANT+, but only Garmin has implemented this protocol on their head units. Thus, Garmin head units can control smart lights, while Wahoo head units can't. Apparently, the ANT+ light protocol is not a straightforward thing to implement. Garmin makes a rear-facing radar that detects and alerts you to cars behind you, whose ANT+ protocol several companies apart from Garmin have recently implemented - hence, until late 2019, only Garmin units could control their Varia radar, but now Wahoo and at least one other company's units can do the same.


Shimano 3 Speed Internal Hub Gear on child bike popping chain on 3rd speed my daughter got a S'Cool bike that's a 3 speed internal hub gear system. It works fine in the first two speeds but when it goes to third gear it makes a bit of noise - like a small "whizzing" sound that often comes a few seconds when changing gears before the cassette switches over. Sorry, I'm not very technical yet on my bike knowledge.

After about a minute or two of riding in third gear the chain will pop off. She's 5 years old, very average weight so there should be nothing about too much strain on the bike. I've replicated the problem by holding the bike in the air and manually activating the pedals for about 30 seconds and then chain will pop off with almost no load.

This is the model she has (though she picked a real "pride of the irish, blazing orange color) https://www.scool.de/.cms/503-1-374

Put the hub in each of it's gear selections ( esp the one where the chain falls off ).  Attempt to twist and push the cog.  If there is any play in either regard, that is probably your issue.  Could be adjustment of the shifter, but....


Are there research graphs for the Rotor Q Ring system? I was looking into Rotor Q Ring system that supposedly increases power by 4% which is rather significant especially when climbing. It should shave off quite some time off your resulting time due to this info.

But I can't seem to find any detailed research done by comparing classic round cranks against Rotor's Q Rings.

Anybody knows where to look?

Yes. If you want to know about independent research, a good place to start looking is PubMed. If you do, you'll find this: The influence of elliptical chainrings on 10 km cycling time trial performance, which is a comparison of Rotor Q rings at two different orientations (100 and 110 deg) against round conventional cranks. The riders were "blinded" to the cranks (the cranks were housed in a guard or shroud so the riders couldn't see which ones they were using). The experimental design was randomly counterbalanced. The result was that no statistically significant difference was detected in power or RPE (rating of perceived exertion) between the Q rings and the round ring. Heart rate was higher to a statistically significant degree with the Q rings. The "4%" improvement in power was not observed.

As an aside, if you are testing round vs. eccentric chainrings, you must account for the difference in cadence within the pedal stroke for eccentric rings. This means, for example, that you should either test power differences with a Power Tap or on a rear wheel driven ergometer -- crank-based power meters assume that cadence is constant within each pedal stroke so they can simplify power calculations. If crank angular velocity does vary within the stroke (and high force corresponds with the lower velocity) the estimated power will be biased high. The degree of bias will depend, of course, on the individual rider's exact mix of angular velocity and force application but 3% bias is not unexpected.


Replacing broken road fork with same model but shorter steerer tube. What can I expect for handling issues? My road bike is an '05 Trek 1000 54 cm frame size.  The Bontrager carbon fork (Satellite Plus) was destroyed in a non riding accident.  I have found on eBay a replacement fork--same model , identical paint scheme, etc.  The only difference between these forks is the potential replacement has a steerer tube that measures 250mm compared to 285mm on my broken one.  I can remove 3 ten mm spacers from beneath my stem to get the end of the new, shorter steerer into a more appropriate clamping position.

My question is how will the loss of 30mm of stem height affect handling of the bike? How much can a variable like this be altered to be noticable to.the rider?  Are there techniques to compensate for the loss of steerer length if I want to keep my current stem?   I'll soon be forced to choose whether to purchase this fork or let it go, so any advice or thoughts will be greatly appreciated.

Steering will not really be directly affected at all, because you are not changing the steerer tube angle, fork length or rake, or the stem length.

What will be affected is your riding position. Dropping your bar 30mm is a big adjustment. (BTW, standard steerer tube spacers are 5mm, so you may want to check that you can actually drop your stem 30mm.)

You really need to ask yourself if you can tolerate such a big drop in your handlebar position, or even if it would be desirable.

You could possibly replace the stem with one with a greater rise angle to bring the handlebar back up.


Shimano freewheel removal I am having trouble removing the axle/skewer from the below MF-ZO15 shimano freewheel.

It is threaded and secured with bolts rather than quick release and the only way I can see to remove it is using a freewheel remover tool. I have a 20mm shimano one that a lot of other threads suggest is the right one but it doesn't fit over the bolt you can see in the photo below that appears to be attached to the axle/skewer itself.

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!

The 'bolt' you can see in the picture (nice clear picture by the way, thanks,) is the outer locknut of the axle. If your tool won't go over it, you'll have to take it off. This is fairly simple: one spanner over the nut on this end and another over the nut at the other and unscrew. Either the nut comes off this end (together with spacers), in which case you got it easy, or the nut comes off the other end and you have to pull the axle through the hub. No biggie, just don't lose the bearings, keep everything clean and don't disturb the spacing at the other end - it will make sure the alignment's right when you put it back together again (with some fresh grease).


How can a beginner cyclist build up power? I am a 44-year-old guy, 250 lbs (yes, overweight). I have not been on a bike in over 15 years.  I just picked up a 12 Trek Marlin (Gary Fisher Collection) this weekend, and after riding for about 2 miles, I was done...

How can I build up my muscles and endurance so I can ride longer?

Keep on riding. Ideally every couple days. If you can't ride, do some other form of cardio exercise, such as going for a walk. I'll bet a couple days after that ride you'll find the same distance a little easier and might even be able to go a little further.
Get a day of rest. If you've pushed yourself really hard and you're "done", take a day off before getting back on the bike. (or at least before doing anything hard on the bike)
You may need to tweak the bike fit. Make sure you can inhale fully. Forward/aft position of the seat as well as vertical position of the seat can make a difference in power. Ball of your foot should be on the spindle of the pedal, when the pedal is straight forward your knee should be over the pedal, and at the bottom of your pedal stroke your leg should be near full extension (but still knee a bit bent). You shouldn't need to stretch your leg or rock your hips to reach the pedal at the bottom of the pedal stroke.
Build your leg strength, especially quads. Squats or leg presses.
Pay attention to your pedaling technique. Don't mash the pedals hard in a high gear. Move them faster in a lower gear, move your leg smoothly through the entire pedal motion and try to pull your foot up a little as it comes up, but without removing your foot from the pedal.
Interval training. This is the most important thing for building your endurance. Once you're warmed up, ride as hard as you can for 30-60 seconds, then ride easy for several minutes. As you build up endurance, increase from doing that once to doing that several times during a ride. If you can't do 30 seconds, do what you can.

Above all else: have fun riding. Don't torture yourself. Enjoy yourself. If you have fun you'll keep it up and keeping up the riding will make more of a difference than any small details.

So that's the "thorough" version.  But Neil Fein's version covers it pretty well:

  Ride often. Rest. Repeat often.

Have fun!


Night Riding With Heavy Traffic I live in a fairly urban setting and there are plenty of cars around when it gets past dark. The main point of having a bicycle light/backlight (I contend) is not for you to see, its for others to see you. Besides just using lights, there are plenty of other reflective Doohickeys that purport to make you visible at night. (see this thread for an example)

In practice this works just fine in relatively suburban or lightly trafficked areas. Where an extra light on the road does stand out and people notice a bike rider. However, I live in a fairly urban area, and down-town is saturated with light that a dincky bike light will not stand out in the crowd.

I've experienced this both from the POV of a driver and of a cyclist. Just today I was driving downtown and almost hit a biker with the notorious right hook. Luckily we didn't make any contact, but afterwards I recognized why I didn't notice him even though he was wearing a reflective vest and had a decently bright light. His light made him blend in more with the backdrop of downtown. The oversaturated lighting of downtown desensitized me to certain visual cues that usually would tip me off to the presence of a biker or a car (i.e. their glaring lights in my mirrors). If I was driving down a darkish residential street I would have noticed him right away.

So what are some good tips on biking at night in urbanized areas, where there are more than just a few cars out after dusk. More specifically, what can you do (that you normally wouldn't do during the day) and besides making yourself brighter that would make your night ride safer?

When winter arrives and brings shorter days, I add additional lights.  As you say, this is just more urban lights, but a bike light--especially if it is blinking--does make you more visible.  I prefer a light with an erratic blink pattern, such as Planet Bike's BLAZE with superflash mode (http://ecom1.planetbike.com/3047.html).  This erratic pattern forces you to the forefront of attention.

Lights and reflectors are essential but are not the whole answer.  I ride at night to be right where the motorists can see me.  It is always important to do this, but more so at night.  When there is no bike lane and no wide shoulder, I take the MIDDLE of the lane.  This is particularly important in an urban setting like Oakland or Sacramento, CA--where I ride.  Traffic in the city is heavy and often not much faster than I am.  Often cars are maxxing out at 25mph whereas I'm riding at around 15-18mph.  I can ride in the middle of the lane and if they're anxious, they can pass me.  The downside of this is that I hear a few drivers sounding their horns in protest.  The upside is that no one is surprised by me.

No driver wants to damage their $20,000+ automobile by hitting a cyclist.  I'm a big guy, too--I'd damage their car.  So I ride right where they see me.

Most places where I ride are urban city streets--usually with two lanes in each direction, sometimes a left-turn lane.  I use all of these just as a motorist would--and California state law supports me in doing this.  My goal and the goal of the law here are to be visible and predictable.  I ride like I belong there--without trying to be a jerk about it.  The motorists have a passing lane to get around me--and if they don't, I let them pass whenever it's safe and with easily-recognizable hand signals.  If they're right behind you, after all, you have their attention.

Be both visible AND predictable.

Have good situational awareness--know what's going on all around--and react to motorists who may not be doing the same.

Have a safe ride!


What qualities of bicycle bearing grease? What are the qualities of bicycle bearing grease that make it suitable for that use?

(The reason I ask is that I need to get some and I'd rather get the non-bike equivalent grease at the auto parts store a mile down the road than at the bike store 15 miles away.)

(I'm assuming the same grease can be used for bottom bracket and hub bearings -- true?)

It's a surprisingly tricky conversation. All the differences at play are so close to totally negligible, it can be easy to tally them up differently. It mostly just doesn't matter as long as it's some type of conventional bearing grease.

In terms of how well a bearing system full of a given grease is going to function, if the bike is ever going to get ridden in wet conditions, then waterproofness and washout resistance are the most important variables by far. If the bike isn't ever going to be ridden in wet conditions, then it doesn't matter at all unless you want to try to save watts with your grease. If you do then my money is on Dura-Ace grease as being the best you can get, but it's a black hole of a debate topic.

For shop use, I have come to view grease compatibility as being the most important differentiator, because it seems like getting it wrong there is the main way your choice of grease can actually have meaningful negative consequences. I'm a fan of White Lightning Crystal as general purpose grease because it's biodegradable, non-toxic and non-staining, but the problem is that aluminum based greases like it score badly on the compatibility chart, meaning arbitrarily squirting it into other people's greasy things you're adding grease to is probably a bad idea.

Hub main bearings, bottom brackets, headsets, and pedals generally all take the same grease. Cup and cone type freehub or freewheel mechanisms generally need either heavy oil or light viscosity grease.


Understanding overunder intervals I'm reading The Time Crunched Cyclist and trying to work out a training plan for a century later on this year. I am having a really simple problem understanding the overunder (OU) interval shorthand. For a ride listed as:

90 min. EM with 3 x 12 min. OU (2U, 1O) (8 min. RBI)

What does the (2U, 1O) designation for the OU interval refer to?

I know I'm supposed to do 3 repetitions of 12 min. at some pace with 8 minutes in between. But what is that timing/pace -- how long under and how long over? I can't seem to find it explained anywhere in the text.

I had a difficult time understanding this too.  the 2U, 1O stands for 2 minutes under your threshold, and 1 minute OVER your threshold.  (that's a capital letter O, not a zero, which threw me for a long time).


Chain skip happening seemingly at random with a new chain My bike's a 24-gear trail/road hybrid, and I've had it for about three years (although I've been riding it much more lately than in previous years).

For a long while, I've had an issue with chain skip happening seemingly at random, even on level, paved paths, however this issue was always more serious going uphill. I decided to replace my chain yesterday (it's appropriately sized, was pre-lubed, and none of the links locked upon inspection), however on this morning's commute I still got the same amount of skip, likewise more serious going uphill.

I've tried using best practices to avoid this issue, as well:

I avoid pedalling while changing gears
I've checked my front and rear derailleur alignment (and adjusted it as best I could, there's still a very, very slight amount of scraping on the front derailleur if the chain has to travel too far laterally e.g. between my largest front sprocket and the smallest sprocket on the cassette on the rear wheel)
I've double-checked that the links don't block, multiple times
The teeth on the front sprockets as well as on the cassette don't seem to be overly worn down

Two more factors could be relevant to this; this new chain has those "tool-free" break links (you bend the chain to attach or detach one side of the link and break the chain), and I'm a more heavyset guy, so I pedal hard - I think this could be putting more stress on the chain.

I'm not sure what else I can do to reduce chain skip.

Update: I've gone by my LBS and apparently one of the chain gears is in fact worn down (I just didn't know how to tell, apparently).

Pedaling while changing gears in important to avoid damage to derailleur and chain.  Gear shifting proper technique by Sheldon Brown.
Shift the gears so that chain is on the middle chain ring(at the pedals) and approximately on the middle gear on the cassette. Verify that the derailer with the chain is vertical, if not adjust accordingly.
Also, it is possible that chain may be skipping if the derailleur is slightly bent - in this case bring your bike in to a reputed local bike shop(LBS) and have it checked out. It may save your derailleur from further damage and possible need to replace it.
Changing to an easier gear just before you climb and spinning pedals (lower effort but slightly higher pedal cadence), instead of mashing on a tougher gear (applying greater force and lower pedal cadence) helps avoid chain skipping.


Can't tighten thru-axle Long story short, my cone nut came off while riding.
Can I put it back without dismantling my freehub?
And why I can't tighten my axle anymore?

Only way I can tighten axle is without wheel. As soon I put on wheel (with or without nut), my axle will just spin around. I have removed rear wheel multiple times and never had this issue before.

Could I have lost something during a ride when my wheel came off? Or maybe I don't know how to put nut back on?

I suspect that with the wheel in the thru-axle is not aligned with the thread in the drive side dropout and isn't engaging.

If a nut came off your hub you really need to inspect the hub and check to see what else fell off. That looks like a locknut to me (can't see a bearing surface), if so you'd need to re-adjust the bearings at least.


What to do about a broken rear derailleur inner cage plate? The chain on my road bike got caught in the rear cassette and as it snapped it broke one of the guide tabs on the inner cage plate of my new Shimano Ultegra 6800-SS rear derailleur. My two questions are:

How safe is it riding with this cage plate, given that it's only a guide tab? A mechanic at my LBS said that I can keep riding for a while, as long as the chain doesn't jump over the cage when I downshift.
Where can I get this cage plate without having to buy the entire derailleur?

The relevant document is Shimano EV-RD-6800-3608A (Jun.-2013-3608A), which gives an exploded view and part numbers for each of the parts of the derailleur. For the Shimano Ultegra RD-6800 SS, you're looking for Shimano Y5XH08000 for the inner plate. (This also applies to many of Shimano's other parts to find replacement pieces)

Given that you've invested in Ultegra level gear, I'd not risk it and just wait for the replacement to arrive.


Can i fit 26 x 2.3 tyre to 559 x 19c rims? If yes, is there a problem?
And what is the max tyre width for that rims?

Thank you.

It will be on the squirrely and unstable side, especially if ridden aggressively, but this combination was common when narrow MTB rims were more fashionable and ubiquitous, so it will in all likelihood function without major incident. You can do it but probably shouldn't.


Cheap, effective degreaser recommendations? Maybe it's just me, but most of the commercial degreasers sold in bike shops seem pretty expensive for what they do.

While they work well for lightweight grime, especially when used regularly, they just don't cut it when it comes to cleaning off months' worth of caked-on road grease and filth. Lots of time and elbow grease required (or a stiff brush, which can damage the finish on some parts).

Community mechanic that I am, I often end up sorting out friends' bikes for them. Now when it comes to salvaging a neglected bike, there is only one thing that is cheap and potent enough to make my task bearable: petrol (gasp).

Yes, I know. Awful for your skin and lungs, and the surrounding environment, and a stupendously good fire hazard, but it takes off just about any gunk in seconds. I realise that this may just spell death for a nice laquer finish, but I always use it quickly and sparingly, and I've never seen any ill effects to date. A nice rub down with oil and wax afterwards, and the job's a good 'un.

Seriously - 5 litres of petrol is cheaper than 500ml of degreaser. It is also 5,000,000,000 times worse for myself and everybody around me. Without hating on me for being a terrible being, can anybody recommend me a suitably cheap alternative?

Go to an auto parts store. In the case of cleaners and the like they typically sell the same things in larger packs and larger quantities than bike stores. They often also have a house brand that's cheaper than the other stuff.

You can get degreaser in the spray can (something like GunkFoam or also a non-foam version). Or you can get a solvent as used as parts cleaner. The linked one is 5 gallon but you can find it in 1 gallon as well.  This is good for soaking parts or dipping a small brush to clean parts.

You can also try household degreaser like Purple Power – it works better than you would guess.

And another trick is tire cleaner. For that profession detail look.


My front wheel was steering to the right... now it's steering to the left. What's the cause of this? I already tried removing the cables that might pull it to the left. Still the same. I straightened the seat. I aligned the wheel properly. It's starting to annoy me. I cant ride my bike right. All the shops I visited told me to replace my bearings, which I did. It still it steers to the left. What else could it be?

Factors that have an impact on the steering include external forces and internal forces. External forces include things like cables, the riders centre of gravity and forces coming from the wheel (out of true, dead hub bearing). Internal forces have to do with the headset itself, if the bearing cups are not parallel, if the adjustment is incorrect, if a foreign object made its way into the headset, if there is pitting in the bearing cups. A bent steerer could also be it.

If you have eliminated the cable pulling (or pushing) as a problem, and your wheel is true, try adjusting the headset bearings. They should be as loose as possible without having any play or knocking. A dead bearing on one side of your hub would probably have a negligible contribution. If you've done that and it's still a problem, I would suspect the seating of the bearings not being parallel or the
 steerer tube not being perfectly straight.


Cable stuck in Shimano twist grip shifter If anyone has any idea how to get the broken end of a cable out of a twist grip shifter mechanism I would love to hear them. The shifters are Shimano Revoshift. The cable runs through a plastic guide and the end is completely recessed so there is no purchase on it. The plastic is one moulded unit so there is no access to the cable.
I have tried lubricating it and pushing it through from the other end to no avail.
Many thanks!
Gill

When an "O" ring pick fails I used a small drill bit. First attempt is to drill a small hole in the (1/8 inch or smaller) cable anchor. Carefully try to start a small sheet metal screw into the drilled hole. pull on the screw with pliers. Method 2, drill a small hole through the plastic part just behind the anchor. Use an "O" ring pick to push the anchor out.


How can I DIY a smaller Anything Cage/Versacage, or a mini bottle cage In my perpetual quest to carry ever more stuff without panniers, I'd like to fit a second bottle cage under the downtube, for small bottles (e.g. 200 ml of stove fuel).  There's space for something small, as my tourer is massive with relaxed geometry, but even an adjustable bottle cage like the Topeak modula EX won't quite fit (and won't  go thin enough for such a small bottle).  The shapes of the Salsa Anything Cage and Topeak Versacage are ideal, but they're bigger than standard bottle cages, not smaller.  The mounting hardware to use the versacage without threaded bosses also adds a lot of standoff, unlike cheap bottle cages that are designed to fit with cable ties or straps.

I took this photo for something else, but it illustrates the available space under the downtube and above the toolcase.

So, assuming there's nothing on the market, how can I make something, perhaps starting from a bottle cage or even a pump mount?  It needs to be pretty robust as it's hanging under the frame, and wants to carry a bottle around 50 mm in diameter (about 2/3 of a standard water bottle).

There is an option on the market as well, in the Specialized Burra Burra.

While the cage itself doesn't really 'hold' anything, I have one and find it super useful for strapping in any range of item sizes (water bottles, MSR fuel bottles, growlers, etc.). I didn't love the straps it came with, but a cheap ski strap (e.g., this one ) works perfectly. Anything cylindrical stays seated very well against the aluminum tubing of the cage.


Broken Shimano FD-R453 I have a Shimano FD-R453 front derailleur that needs replacing. 50t and bottom pull with a 31.8 clamp.  There are three gears in the front and 9 gears in the back.  Could somebody help me with getting something similar as they don't make these anymore.

Looks like The FD-R453 is a non-series (i.e. it does not get the 'Tiagra', '105' etc label) component. I believe it's roughly equivalent to Tiagra in quality though.

Any Shimano 3x9 front derailleur is going to work, Tiagra 4500 series - which is not current but is probably available, Sora 3400 or 3500 series also. The Sora FD-3030-B looks right.


Why aren't average speeds computed over distance? Average speed is computed so that average speed = total distance / total time. This means that if you go up a hill, which takes a long time, your average speed drops. This isn't regained on the downhill, since going down takes so much less time.

If you compute the average over distance instead (i.e., your speed every tenth of a mile), the uphill and downhill are equally weighted, since they have the same number of samples. This means that your average is closer to what your speed would be on flat ground.

Your speed over flat ground seems more important to me. It doesn't depend on how hilly your route is, and that way you could compare cyclists more easily. Why don't we compute the average speed over distance instead?

Clarification edit: I know that average speeds are computed with time because we care about the average speed -- it'd take me that same amount of time to travel a certain distance if I traveled my time-average speed.

I don't care about time anywhere here (minus speed) -- the definition of average speed doesn't bother me, I'm just wondering why this isn't a more widespread metric.

This is an interesting point of view. Let's unpack this a bit.

Assume I have a ride that is 10 miles of flat, 10 miles of ascent, and 10 miles of descent.
On the flat I maintain a constant 20 miles/hour.
On the ascent I fall back to a constant 10 miles/hour.
On the descent I maintain a constant 30 miles/hour.

My average speed for this would be:
(10 miles + 10 miles + 10 miles) / (0.5 hour + 1.0 hour + .33 hour) = 16.39 miles/hour

By the proposed calculation I would have:
(100 tenths/mile * 20 miles/hour + 100 tenths/mile * 10 miles/hour + 100 tenths/mile * 30 miles/hour) / 300 tenths/mile = 20 miles/hour

If I had an average of 20 mph I should be able to complete the course in 1.5 hours.  The trouble is that the course would actually take 1.83 hours to complete at the actual average of 16.39 mph.  I know it hardly seems fair, since by all rights you did the vast majority of miles at 20+ mph.  The caveat is that you spent by far the greatest amount of time at 10 mph.


Shimano Nexus 8 IGH : recommendation or changes in bike setup for high altitude ride I have bought a second hand bike (VSF T-100) which incorporates Shimano Nexus 8 IGH. The balls wobble inside the gear. So gear is not smooth. I have to change the IGH with a new gear and rim. I will do that in a bike shop (as I am not expert for IGH). I bought this bike for touring. So far I like it even with wobbling balls inside the hub. I want to ride in Alps region (not gravel/mountain roads) with this bike for multi-weeks/days touring. The chain cog/teeth has been changed from 19 teeth to 22 teeth for high altitude ride.
What can I change or upgrade in the bike so that I can even ride faster in the high altitude with Nexus 8 IGH? Any suggestions are highly appreciated :)
note: I am very rookie for IGH incorporated bike...
Correction The rear cog has been changed from 18 to 20 teeth.

It sounds like your hub needs basic service and you'll likely be fine. It may just need bearing adjustment, but on a used bike it's a good idea to go a little further to make sure all is well.
Take it to a shop that's proficient with modern IGHs and ask for a dunk. The Shimano hubs are intended to have their core pulled, externally cleaned, dunked in an oil bath, certain parts greased, and the core reinstalled and the main bearings adjusted. While you're in, you can get a visual that the pawls and gears are looking good (every once in a great while you see a broken one, and they can typically be replaced.) The bearing races can also be inspected, but it takes a lot to mess them up on Nexus hubs. I've only really seen it much in maritime poor storage/maintenance type cases. The whole thing takes maybe 30-45 minutes, a lot of which is spent getting things clean. If there are problems that really warrant replacement, the shop will typically not charge you for the time spent to figure that out if you do them the courtesy of having them do the replacing. But that's not usually how it goes.
Shimano has lowest allowable gear numbers for all their hubs. This is their way of keeping you from breaking something by putting too much torque through the parts. Ask the shop to get you that gearing setup. They may do it by changing either or both the gears, depending on the bike, clearance considerations, what you have now, etc.


Can I use gear oil on my chain? I don't have any chain oil right now, but I have some gear oil left over from working on my car.  Would it be an effective chain lubricant?  It's listed as 80W90, but reading the Wikipedia article suggests that that's not equivalent to motor oil viscosity ratings.

Short answer: No, you shouldn't. Heavy oils attract too much dirt, grit and grime which will damage the useful life of your chain.

You need a light lubricant which will wick it's way into the internals of the chain, rather than simply coating the external portion of the chain.

A good Teflon carrier lube like the Finish Line Teflon works well, lasts a good while and doesn't pick up dirt when properly applied. Using something like that will extend the useful life of your chain.

Gear oil is too thick, and designed for a higher heat production than you get on a pedal driven bicycle. It relies on engine heat, and the gears moving at high speed to produce enough friction to reduce the viscosity of the oil enough to be thin enough to flow as a good lubricant.

It would be better than nothing, but hardly a good choice.


What is the foam tube on the top of bmx frame for? What is the foam tube found on some bmx bikes for?

Here's an example:

Besides for advertising, I'm guessing its there to save biker's legs when doing tricks, but I could be wrong, because I've seen most bmx bikes without it.

What exactly is it for?

It's to ensure that young boys who ride BMX bikes will be able to have children when they grow up.

Fine print: More accurately, it’s to assuage the worries of the parents that are buying the BMX for their young male child that they might not have grandchildren. Actually efficacy for such purpose is under debate.


Can I replace a 26"/2,0 rim with a 26"/1.75 rim? My bike's front rim bent and I want to replace it.

I bought a Apollo Summit 10 for 250$

After some time the front rim bent when I fell down on the street and when I asked in the market its 120$ for a 26"/2.0 aluminium front wheel.

I searched for the rim online and i found one that is 26"/1.75 Can I use 26"/1.75 aluminium rim for the same Tyre and Tube?

Is it going to work properly ?

2.0 is the diameter of the tyre/tube in inches.  So a 1.75" tyre will be smaller and slimmer, and probably a little faster.

26" is the diameter of the whole rim, but check the tyre for its ISO number to be sure.  Its likely to be a ISO-559 size.

answer: yes that rim will probably fit fine.  You'll need to check and adjust rim brakes, or if its disc brakes then that needs to be right too.

Front wheels tend to survive better than back wheels.  If you're after a replacement wheel search out a local bike cooperative.  Our has dozens of spare front wheels and a lack of good rears.


Rebound doesn't work on a Rock Shox Recon Air On my Trek Fuel Ex6 I have a Rock Shox Recon Air fork with rebound valve. The valve has a 2,5mm allen key for adjustment, but it seems broken. The Trek Suspension Setup Guide tells me to set the rebound to 8 clicks out, however if I turn the screw it does not click any more. Two months ago when I turned it it did click.

Any option to fix this problem?

UPDATE
The problem was in the screw. It was damaged. It wasn't griped. So the only solution was to carry it to a specialized bike store

Try to gently "tighten" the Allen setting all the way. Then try backing it out. I never hear clicks. I just feel them.


What features to look for in a replacement gear cabling? What features are recommended for gear cabling to suit Shimano Tiagra front & rear derailleurs?

I'm pretty happy with the performance of the cabling the bike came with, I haven't had any issues shifting. I don't have any information on what components were used though.

I've found PTFE coated stainless steel inner cables, non-PTFE coated stainless steel inner cables, and non-lubricated outer housings all sold separately. I've also found pre-lubricated & sheathed outers included with kits that come with the complete set of inner / outer / ferrules / endcaps.

Would I run into any shifting issues if I used a less expensive inner or outer that didn't come pre-lubricated, and if so could I apply a 3-in-1 chain lube or teflon grease to the inner cable to improve shifting? Or would I really notice a difference with shifting on a 2x10 Tiagra groupset by installing a higher end kit that came with all components included and pre-lubricated? Would there be any issues with replacing the inner cable only?

Edit: Bike is a 2019 Giant Fastroad SL-1 with Tiagra 4700 groupset.

For better or for worse, Shimano has been pushing coated cables as the default option for their road groups for a while now. There are two 10-speed Tiagras; 4600 came with normal uncoated stainless cables and the more current 4700 comes with Optislick cables, their more basic coated option. All the 11-speed groups come with some type of coated cable.

Coated cables aren't strictly necessary but are more a response to the fact that with smaller cable pull numbers comes increased sensitivity to friction. The same is true for lubricated housings, which are a mixed bag in that compared to running cables dry, they will tend to make things work really well up front with the downside that over time the lubricant can attract and hold in contamination.

One of the compounding factors, which also prevents a universal answer, is that a lot of bikes have bad cable routing and need all the help they can get to have functional shifting. Coated cables absolutely help in these cases. STIs with under-the-tape shift routing always have some extra friction to contend with, and depending on the bar and mounting position it can get pretty ugly, another reason for coated as de facto.

If you're working on your own bikes then there's little harm in trying basic stainless slick and seeing how you like it. If you need to maximize performance up front then coated is basically how you do that.

Putting a new cable in an old housing in a pinch is fine if you need to replace it because of fraying or a kink or something like that, but housing is cheap, has a major impact on performance, and the philosophy of pre-lubed modern housings is pretty much to replace it liberally to keep performance up.


Diamondback Sorrento for first starter bike? I'm looking to get my first bike since high school.  I'm wanting to do paved roads but mostly light trails (no jumps, rocks etc., but want it to be sturdy if I go off-road).  Since this is my first bike and I don't know how often I'll get to use it (once per week?), I'm wanting to stay in the $300/$400 range.  I understand this range gives me really basic, cookie-cutter Chinese bikes, and I'm fine with that for my first one.  The Sorrento seems to feel right sitting on it, though I haven't had a chance to ride it more than a few feet in a little circle in-store.

My questions are:

Can you confirm that the Diamondback Sorrento is a good choice for me?
It comes from Dick's, which is, of course, not a good place to expect a bike expert.  Would purchasing it from Dick's/Amazon and then taking it to my local bike shop to do the assembly/initial setup be a good idea? or will they tell me why I shouldn't have gone to Dick's? (I just want it set up correctly and I'm no bike expert)

Thanks!

You're an exceptionally experienced programmer, you know by now that life is a series of compromises and trade offs. Yes the diamondback is a good bike for that price, but you get what you pay for. If you really want a bicycle you'll enjoy, go to a family owned local bike shop and trade a little extra money for an experienced employee to fit you to a bike that's just right for you.


The conservation or renovation quandary I have an early 90s Raleigh in below-average condition. The frame colours are a bit naff -- sort of sky blue meets white with black serif lettering.
It was bought cheap off eBay after sitting in a garage for decades. The bike is at the end of its natural life and needs most components replaced. My plan was to give it a new lease of life with an all over spray from spray.bike and new vinyl lettering, with a name of my choosing, new tyres, tubes, handlebar grips -- the works. I would keep only the red/gold Raleigh badge on the head tube.
However, my immediate neighbours -- cyclists in their 50s and 60s -- have a soft spot for Raleighs, particularly from this era, and seem to think conservation is better than renovation. This has given me pause, and made me wonder if I wouldn't be losing something by spraying over the bike.

Is there a consensus that renovating a classic bike from a reputable company is fair play, or would I be breaking a tacit bicycle commandment by doing this?
Has anyone regretted carrying out such an operation?

1 Is there a consensus that renovating a classic bike from a reputable company is fair play, or would I be breaking a tacit bicycle commandment by doing this?
2 Has anyone regretted carrying out such an operation?

Question 1:
There is no consensus on renovating vs. conserving
There are no global tacit bicycle commandments.
There are localized tastes and peer pressure. Localization may be just the group of people you know. Some attitudes may be city, county or country wide.
The role tacit bicycle commandments should play in determining what is best for you in your situation is questionable.
Question 2:
Yes, there are people who have regretted carrying out such an operation.
I have regretted both conservation and renovation.
There are also people who have enjoyed and have been happy with both operations.
Here's my story
Renovation - once it was all done, time and money spent, I rode the bike every day. The lovingly painted frame chipped up, the new parts dinged up, and common usage took it's toll.
My conclusion was that it's better to ride a dinged up bike than to renovate it to new and ding it up again. I began to see the wear and tear as a sign of a well used bike and not something to feel bad about.
Conservation - once it was all done, time and money spent, I had a bike I couldn't ride for fear it would get dirty or more dinged up. It became a museum piece. Now it collects dust in my basement.
Before you start on either project ask yourself "What will I do with this when I'm done"
Do what meets your needs and your aesthetic.


Electronic bike keeps getting flat tire on the back A month ago, I got my first flat tire on the back tire on my electronic bike and I have fixed it, it was a Nail. Yesterday I got it again, it was a hole in the whole tire, so I changed the tire and the inside.

Today  I got it again but I see no hole in the tire.

What do you think it is?

If you have an e-bike with a rear hub-motor (and with the battery pack over the rear tire), you should note that you have considerable unsprung weight on that rear tire. You should try to make sure that you have the tires properly inflated -- on the high end of the maximum PSI the tire can handle.

Try to ask your LBS when you're replacing the tire what type of puncture you're getting. If you are getting pinch flats, then you need to think about inflating your tires to a higher pressure. If that's not possible, you can also explore getting wider tires.

If you're getting road debris punctures, then kevlar belted tires will help. Also, as ow3n notes, having some sealant inside your tube might help although I find that this often just creates a huge mess when you get a flat that is too large for the sealant to contain.


Lower gearing for a Trek 520 I have a stock 2016 Trek 520 bike and I'm a newbie to road cycling.

It has Alivio front derailleur and Deore rear derailleur with Deore triple-chainring crank.
The 2016 came with 26/36/48 front chainrings and 9-speed 11-32 cassette. I would like to get it as low as possible by replacing the smallest front chainring from 26 to 22 (while keeping all other components.)
Will it work or is this something that I need to experiment with to find out? I'm hoping that someone already tried this and can share their experience.
will shifting up/down between 22 & 36 cause a problem? (A difference of 14T instead of the stock 10T)
we can assume that I will never ride in the smallest chainring and the smallest 4 rear cogs.

Shimano prides itself on seamless shifting and it's specs are quite conservative to preserve that reputation. With a little sensible caution and a chain catcher you should be able to replace the 26 with a 22. 22/36 is a big drop. If you are just going to replace a single chainring, I'd suggest a 24 rather than 22. When cogs are that small, even 2 teeth is a much smaller gear. 48/36/24 is a very standard touring triple ring config.

If you've got a bit more coin to spend I would highly recommend going to a Deore XT 10 speed triple, it comes with 24/32/42 and can easily be swapped out for your crank and a 22t replacement works just fine. It will work fine with your current 9spd drive train and provide a more reasonable set of gears. I did this with my 2017 Haanjo Exp which has very similar specs.

https://www.ebay.com/p/Shimano-XT-M780-10-Speed-Triple-175mm-24-32-42t-Crankset-With-Bottom-Bracket-MTB/1200053828?iid=192866758545

That price is kind of high IMHO, you should be able to find it cheaper.

Another change you might consider is switching to a 12-36 9 speed cluster in the rear. This will work just fine with your components and provide more usable gears in the middle and high chainrings. The difference between 26/32 and 26/36 will be significant. You'll need to learn what the "B" adjustment is on a derailleur to get this cluster working properly.

https://www.jensonusa.com/Shimano-CS-HG400-9-Speed-Cassette-12-36T?pt_source=googleads&pt_medium=cpc&pt_campaign=shopping_us&pt_keyword=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjJOfr-Sd4gIVjbxkCh26UAvIEAQYASABEgLmy_D_BwE

That price is about the same as a 22t chainring and probably the cheapest way to get lower gears on that bike.

With a Wolftooth Roadlink, you can even go as big as 40t in the back with a 9 speed Deore derailluer. Finding a 9 speed cluster with a 40t isn't cheap, but it is possible.

While it's getting better, standard gearing that comes with most bikes makes very little sense for the novice rider. 48/11 is a huge gear and if you've got steep/long hills 26/32 is not low enough to climb w/o going into the red zone. Especially on a touring bike that is meant to carry loads.

There is a point where the gearing gets too low to ride. It depends a lot on the terrain and rider, I found that 22/40 was too low for me even on steep dirt. But having a 24/40 works for me for long fire roads at altitude.

There is a lot to learn and you may outgrow your gears, but the best investment you can make in gear starting out is gears that work for YOU!, not tour de france racers.


Aero spokes cross pattern Does it make sense building a wheel using a 2 or 3 cross pattern and aero (bladed) spokes? Or are aero spokes used with radial lacing only?

Bladed spokes are used on rear wheels, which must have cross lacing on the drive side at least. Disc brake wheels obviously require cross lacing front and rear too.

You'll tend to see bladed spokes with low spoke count and radial lacing together because they are all elements of higher performance wheels. However,  I don't see why bladed spokes would not give some (perhaps slight) aerodynamic advantage if used on high spoke count 3-cross wheels.


My rear disc brake makes noise when I ride fast I have a full suspension mountain bike with disk brakes.  When I ride fast, my rear disk brake starts to make a noise similar to the one you would hear when sharpening a knife.  It happens when I don't brake.  If I brake, the noise disappears, I only hear the smooth braking sound.

I presume something is wrong with the rear tire - visual inspection when it rotates fast shows that it wobbles.  I tried to demount it and mount it back again two times, but no success - still wobbles.

Can the non-aligned rear tire cause by disk brake to be noisy when I ride fast?

Shall I simply buy a new tire, or could the solution be elsewhere?

This is an update - with videos showing the wobbling tire.

https://youtu.be/_9Wor0KFL34

https://youtu.be/Bju-LyKCOi8

although it seems to be redundant now, as Jackson and Rider_X already suggested other solutions.  Thanks guys :-)

With disk brakes the disk rotor is attached to the hub and not to the rim so a wobble in the tyre is unlikely to be the cause of the noise.

What I'd be looking at is the following:

Are the rotor bolts tight?
Is the rotor warped?
Are the brake pads worn?
Is one or both of the pistons sticking?
Is the calipar aligned properly?

1 and 2 you can check easily.

For 3 remove the pads and make sure that there is at least a couple of mill of braking compound left and that the springs (if present) are in good shape.

For 4, with the pads removed check that both pistons are extended by an equal amount; alternatively with the pads still removed push the pistons back (carefully with a soft implement not a screwdriver) and then squeeze the brake lever, do both pistons move in and out evenly?  Be very careful not to push the pistons out to far! How you sort out a sticky piston is going to depend on the type of brake you have.

For 5 look at the disk rotor as you press the lever, does the rotor displace to one side?  If it does this indicates that the pistons aren't applying equal force to the rotor - this could be a mis-aligned caliper or it could be a sticking piston so you'll need to check 4.


Bike derailleur, keeps flicking back when I pedal I have changed the derailleur on my daughters back, bought like for like.

Now fitted.

When I try to pedal the derailleur, it flicks backwards and the bike won’t pedal forward, it remains stuck.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I think we can rule out the chain being too long. The OP replaced the derailleur but does not state the chain was replaced. Also, that does not look like a clean and shiny new chain.

The chain is threaded through the cage correctly, it's just that the derailleur had rotated 90 degrees rearward so that the cage is sitting behind the sprockets rather then underneath them. If the derailleur was rotated back it's possible to see that the chain would run in front of the top jockey wheel and behind the lower one.

Here is my theory: the cage is not tensioning the chain, it should be trying to rotate clockwise under spring tension but is not. I think the cage was somehow rotated clockwise before the chain was threaded through it, unloading its spring.

To fix, remove the chain, rotate the cage anti clockwise so that its spring is wound up, rethread the chain through the cage and rejoin. The chain should be under quite a bit of tension when you join it.


Mounting the front light on the frame instead of the fork or the handlebar? I've had my front light mounted on the handlebar for the last 4 years or so. I never liked the bulky look and more importantly, how it jumps around in a response to my handlebar movements (if I'm on a rocky road avoiding obstacles and people are walking in front of me, it unnecessarily scares them).
So to have the front light point in the general direction of the bike instead, I'd have to mount it to the front of the frame somehow, like this:

Problem is, I can't find any lights on sale that'd be compatible. I even found wheel axle mounted, but not frame mounted. Is there a reason? Is this a bad idea?
This discussion mentions how frame direction lags behind where you're looking at, but I won't be cornering this fast in these seemingly extreme conditions, so shouldn't be a problem.

The light is better on your handlebars or fork than on your frame - the frame lags and always points at some tangent to where you're going while turning, so either you need a really wide beam, or you have to ride into the dark.
Fortunately there are solutions, and some of them are pretty vintage.

Steerer mount.   In the days of threaded headsets, there was a stack of anti-rotation washers needed.  It was common for one of these to be extended out the front and upward, to support a "bicycle lantern"
As time went on these changed from oil lanterns to battery powered by two D cells.

this last one is a particularly vintage unit, but shows how it is mounted on the bike, below the threaded stem's retainer nut.

A variation on the above is to mount the lamp from the front wheel's brake bolt.
 Downside of this is its getting quite low and can be obscured by wires.  Also many brakes don't have bolts long enough to go through more thickness.  However if your bike has a cantilever, V, or disk brake, then this hole is either spare or used only for a mudguard/fender.  Worth considering.

There are a ton of options for mounting things under the bars too, which helps clean up your working area.  Risk here is that some lights are built with a certain intentional beam pattern, and flipping them will light up other road users in an non-legal manner.

If you have to mount your light to your frame, there are two ways to do it.

Secure a longer flashlight/torch to the side of your top tube, such the front lens area is forward of the head tube.  Downside, a torch makes for a bad headlight because the beam pattern is wrong.

Get a gopro handlebar mount, and put it around your headtube with the clamp between the top and downtubes.  This will let you use some kind of gopro to your-light adapter.
I use this for my gopro on an older road bike, and the footage is really directional, makes me look quite pro while riding.


20 inch ebike wheel motor exchange Hi members eres something that I would like to know. ..
I have a viking gravity 20 inch ebike wheel motor.
If I  exchanged/refitted  this motor into say a 29inch wheel with all the same parts/kit controller etc, would this then make/alter the speed/cutoff mph?
Thus improving top speed and limiter on the 29inch sized bike.

Depends how the limiter works.  If it knows about RPM of the motor/wheel then the increase in diameter will effectively raise the top speed.
Example - if the motor's limiter is at 18 mph on the 20" wheel, then that's
63 inches circumference.
18 mph is 19008 inches/minute.
That works out at 301 RPM on the motor.
So reverse that, 301 RPM on a 29" wheel (which is 91 inch circumference)
is 27,391 inches/minute is 25.9 mph.
However there's always a tradeoff.  In this, the cost is in torque/acceleration.  Your bike would take much longer to accelerate, and would "stall out" sooner as the grade increases.
Additionally, some locals have legal restrictions about the top speed a pedal-assist motor can provide.  25 mph may be faster than your local laws permit.  While you're very unlikely to be pinged for the bike, if there was an accident you may be legally "at-fault" even if its not your fault in a road-rules sense.
More practically, your wiring may not be long enough for a larger frame.


Could I have damaged the bearings/cone when replacing a tire? Front wheel wobbles side to side Last evening I installed new tires on my bicycle. The front wheel now wobbles side to side. I notice a small movement about 1-2 mm near the hub/axle cone.

I checked to see if the skewer is all the way set in the fork brackets, also checked that skewer is tightened firmly. The wheel is properly aligned in the center.

After reading this post (How do I know if my cone/cap/bearings need to be adjusted?), I reckon that my wheel's bearings may need to be adjusted/replaced; I recently had my wheels trued at an LBS.

There was no wobble before I changed the tire. Is it possible that I could have damaged the bearings/cones while putting the wheel back?

Inputs on how to avoid this next time are welcome; as I will be changing to wider tires during the winter commute.

Any time you change your tire it's a good opportunity to check the condition of your cones and bearings.

What sometimes happens is that the cones or retention nuts are starting to loosen, but the compression of the mounting nuts or quick release skewer holds everything together tight enough that you don't notice. After changing the tire, you may install it with less tension on the mounting nuts or skewer, and this allows the slack in the system to be noticeable.

It's easy to fix with a set of cone wrenches, or a regular combination wrench. An advantage to specialized cone wrenches is that they are normally thin enough to tighten or loosen the cones while the wheel is still on the bike.

It's unlikely you damaged the cones or bearings while changing the tire, but you can destroy the entire hub very quickly if you ride on a hub with loose cones.


How to clean brake pads properly to stop squeal? I bought a new MTB recently that came with TEKTRO HD-275 hydraulic disk brakes, after two weeks it has started to squeal, then I clean both front and back pads with Isopropyl alcohol and 120 sandpaper, now back wheel squeal is okay, but the front wheel squeal is still there?
What should I do? Replace front pads with new, or again clean with Water + Isopropyl alcohol + Rub more with Sand Paper?

BrakClean is the best. Spray on a rag and wipe the rotor and pad. I have rim brakes and am not sure first hand of the benefits of scuffing the pads off the bike so someone else will have to speak on that. However, BrakClean has stopped squeal on my rim brakes without having to adjust toe when they get "contaminated."
On car disc brakes you just have to bed them with several stop from 20 MPH or so to prevent squeals. I am not sure if bike brake pads are the same or if your really need to scuff them with sandpaper. Someone else will need to comment on that who has first hand experience for bikes.


How do I get a custom-printed helmet? I've found a few places that will put a logo on a helmet (e.g., here), but I haven't found anywhere that will let you fully design the art on the helmet, produce it, and ship it to you. I'm interested in this for some corporate swag. Any suggestions?

The technology is called hydro dipping or water transfer printing. A quick search will find several companies that do it. I would expect you can find one that handles the production and shipping when you provide the design.


Which disc brake pads do I need for Tektro Auriga? I have Tektro Auriga Sub disc brakes and the pads need replacing.

The only pads for this make I could find online were discontinued. Do I need to get the same make, and if not how do I know they'll fit?

Disc brake pads looks like a minefield. There are so many makes and types. Are there any general things you need to look out for.

Not an answer you want to hear, but Tektro parts are very sparse because they are entry level, and low budget. No one really makes parts for them other than tektro. So if its discontinued you may see if a bike shop can make something else fit, but online you will likely not find a match by visual.

Avid or hayes make brakes that are more universally supported.


What do I do wrong to get hip aches after biking? I ride about 17 miles each session. After the ride, the outside of my hips sore: only the parts near the outermost joints, most likely the tendon (although this is only a guess). My knees are fine, my ankles are fine, etc.

The only thing that might not fit perfectly for me is the seat height. I'd rather have a longer post so I can lift the seat up an inch or two. Do you think this might create the soreness in the area of the outer hips?

I have personally experienced that precise symptom, from mountain biking rides or from commuting rides.

Although I am not sure what causes it, I have observed that when it happens to me, I have ridden up steep inclines in "too high" gears while remaining seated or seated too far back on the saddle. For these reasons I have changed my pedaling technique a bit, using a lot more gearshifts.

I can also recall that my problems appeared when I changed my saddle for a narrower one, so later I found that to accommodate my sit bone, I tended to sit further back, so I could catch a wider part of the saddle. No doubt I changed my saddle's fore/aft position by half an inch towards the front.

In some rare occasions I have gotten hip pain from riding in too tight, non stretching pants, like jeans, specially carrying objects in my pockets. I suspect the problem here is the pressure the clothing excepts over the hip joint while flexing up the leg. Objects like phone, keys or tools in the pockets make this worse.

Check if any of these issues is affecting you and, if you find so, try changing one thing at a time, to see if something helps.


Chain slipping in cassette when under load, could a different type of cassette work better? This is my second modern bike and I got the same problem each time. The chain slips when under load (usually when I'm standing, but I can slip starting at a light and still sitting too). At first I had an aluminum cassette and the dents broke quickly. I replaced that old cassette (that actually came off as it completely broke) with a steel cassette.

The steel cassette has been working well in the sense that the dents are still all looking good and it has not come into pieces yet, however, the chain still slips.

In both cases, I had 9-gear cassettes when I use the smallest gear 99% of the time (San Francisco type of hills still require me to change gear, otherwise, I rarely change anything, so I could assume that the small gear of the cassette gets worn down quickly...)

Would it be possible to have a cassette with longer dents to avoid the slipping? My old steel frame bikes had cassettes with really long dents, in comparison. Could a find similar cassettes that are compatible with my new bike? (I have a specialized Roubaix now)

The chain will typically slip under the following conditions:
 1. the chain is worn out (this can be measured with a cheap tool,
    or by your LBS).
 2. the cassette is worn out
 3. one or more of the chainrings (the cogs on the crankset) is worn out
 4. the chain and/or cassette/cogs/pulley wheel are dirty and full of oil/road-grit/gunk.

These can occur simultaneously - a dirty chain causes rapid chain wear, a worn out chain causes the cassette to wear out.  If you have been riding with a slipping chain for long, you are very likely to have worn out both the chain and the cassette and will have to replace both.


What substance do they use to grease bottom bracket, crank, pedal bolts etc? When watching bike assembly videos I wonder what substance do they use to grease carving of bottom bracket, fork, crank, pedals etc? Here is video and screenshot example:

For the bottom bracket and most bicycle components , generally it is just a multi-purpose bicycle grease, on bottom brackets anti-seize should be used if it is a titanium frame or mismatched metal that are known to seize or bond to one another, but can be used in other frames as well. I have also heard of people using teflon tape that is made for pipes etc. Although for most applications including pedals, headset, crank and so on a general use grease is perfectly fine.

The following are all common and a lot comes down to personal preference.


Difference between grease Is there a sensible difference between special bike grease (i.e. park tool grease) and grease used in vehicles?

Is it worth (when speaking about cheap bikes) spending 10 times more money for special grease, or will vehicle grease be enough?

Each kind of grease will perform best at a certain temperature. And is designed for a certain speed of movement of the parts it is used at to reach and not exceed that temperature.

So yes, it is worth it to use the special grease for bikes or get an other kind of grease that is designed for the speeds/temperature your parts will get.

I found that when a friend opened the ball bearings of one of the rear wheels of my recumbent trike and showed me dried out grease, which had just never gotten warm enough to spread through the bearing. He replaced it with grease for slow moving ball bearings. From then on the trike did run much better.

For the grease that does not move, there are also different ones. And again designed for different work. For those parts of your bike where you hardly ever want movement, you want grease that does not stick when it gets old. It should not go soapy or sticky because it changed character.


How differently will two bikes handle that have 1 degree difference in their head tube angle? I am looking to buy a new mountain bike and comparing two models with different head tube angles.  How big of difference does 1 degree of slackness make?  Would an intermediate rider be able to feel the difference?

Both bikes appear to be fairly slack.

The first bike has a 67 degree headtube angle.
The second bike has a 68 degree headtube angle.

There is far more to the stability of a bike than just fork rake and head tube angles. I have designed bikes for a couple of years and the number of parameters is sometimes beyond believe. I have seen research that proved that a bike with a 90 degree head tube angle will stay upright by itself. Aha, you will say than it will be the centrifugal power from the wheels! Nope, the bike had two small skate wheels stacked on top of each other, so no influence there. It turned out that for this bike 'simply' altering the balance by shifting a weight made it stable :

             or look for Two Mass Skate Bicycle on Google.

So to answer your question : you will not notice the difference in the headtube. What you will notice is the overall difference in handling between the two bikes coming from the sum of all components in the frame design. So go and test them to make sure you get the one that fits you best.


Installing mechanical group set on "electronic only" frame I've been upgrading my Cannondale CAAD3 road bike from 2005 step-by-step over the years as things get worn out. Now its time to upgrade the frame.

I have an eye on a Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod frame but if I understand correctly this frame is designed for electronic groupsets only.

Would it be possible to non-intrusively install a mechanical set on this frame? (that is, without drilling anything, for example, by just using tape externally or some other pieces, might not look that good though).

At some point I will get an electronic groupset (I'll need to replace that in the next year/2 years anyways), but I don't want to do it now, yet I need to replace my frame.

I have a solution for you (if you haven't got the electronic groupset already), inspired by road bikes from '70s and '80s era.

Namely, the rear brake cable on the top tube.

on some of those bikes runs through the large eyelets through a very lengthy outer cable (the eyelets merely hold the cable in place):

while on others there are two cable stops near the ends of the top tube and the inner cable is visible:

Now, if you do the same with your derailleur cables, namely run them through lengthy outer cables, the force required for shifting is in fact exerted only near the brifter and the derailleur itself, thus places prepared for clamping.

The only question is whether the outer cable stiffness (in length) is high enough to assure shifting accuracy.

  I don't own the pictures, they are purely for illustration.


New headset cups loose against the frame Trying to replace the headset cups and race faces on a steel frame for 1" fork. Removed the old cups by gently knocking them in a circle with a steel pipe of the correct diameter. However, the new cup are a hair too small - although no wobble, they are freely inserted and removed from the head tube. The slack is much less than a mm.

The LBS said that this is normal, and that they can fix it, by inserting something in between the head tube and cups. So is it normal? The headset is this one and the fork is a cheap Zoom 1 inch threaded fork.

What should be inserted, so that the cups can be correctly installed? (I was planning on using the hummer and piece of wood technique)

EDIT:

I purchased a calliper.  30.0mm cup, 30.2mm frame. Тhe cup is really easy to insert while pinching it with fingers, although it does not wobble.

EDIT:

I purchased 2-component glue and nailed the thing in place.

What the LBS may intend to do is add some Loctite or similar chemical retaining compound. The compound is going to glue the cups into the headset. The material will fill in the very small space between the two pieces. The space may be due to machine tolerances with the frame being on the large side of the spec and the headset on the small end of the spec or previous damage to the frame.