New Bicycle - Chain making noise Hi I recently purchased a new bicycle. I have only been out on it twice and the chain is making a sort of clink and clunk noise. Is this common as its a new bike with new chain? Does the chain need to bed in and the noise will stop?

Please advise.

David

Chain 'bedding in' is not a thing. Most likely the rear derailleur indexing adjustment is a little off so the chain is not running true on each sprocket. The shift and brake cable do stretch a little, requiring adjustment after a few hours riding.

If you bought the bike at a bicycle store, take it back for a tune up. In the USA this is typically done for free. If you bought it at a department or big-box store, a local bike shop will do a tune up for you.


ANT+ to Bluetooth Low Energy bridge? Does anyone know of a stand alone ANT+ to Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) bridge device?

I have a Garmin Edge 810, which uses ANT+ ... but I would also like to track my rides on my iPhone 5S (which has BTLE, but ANT+ is a hassle).

I'm looking for a device that will correctly bridge ANT+ to BTLE so the iPhone will pick up the data as well as my 810.  I specifically want the bridge to work with a HRM, speed/cadence sensor (combo, like Garmin GSC10), and separate speed & cadence sensors.

I've tried the 4iiii Viiiva, but it doesn't work properly due to a proprietary protocol (or just lack of adoption by the app developers).  I had high hopes for this device, but it can't provide accurate data (yet).  http://www.geekyramblings.net/2013/12/03/viiiiva-hrm/

I know about the Wahoo RFLKT, but I don't need the display and would prefer something cheaper that I can stuff in my jersey pocket or seat bag.

I need something that will handle multiple devices at the same time without dropouts.

Update 9/29:

The manual upload issue is kind of moot now, as Garmin connect can now upload my rides to Strava automatically.  I can now turn on BT at the end of my ride and the 810 will upload the ride to Garmin Connect and Garmin uploads to Strava.

The live tracking was never a critical function.

I'd still like to get some kind of bridge so I can use my ANT+ accessories on the bike when using a trainer and an iPad trainer app without having to use the Wahoo ANT adapter.  I'll probably be upgrading to a lightning based iPad and I've heard the 30 pin adapter for lightning devices tends to be iffy.

The Wahoo RFLKT+ is the only device on the market as far as I am aware (and I have looked).

As a BTLE user I can tell you you're better off with ANT+; I get far more sensor drops than my ANT+ co-riders.


How to adjust Avid Elixir 1 hydraulic disc brakes? I have a Trek X-Caliber and the rear disc is rubbing a little. So I want to adjust the brakes so it doesn't rub and make things a bit easier of course.

I see many videos about brake adjustment but none for this model (Avid Elixir 1) and I am very worried about playing around with the system and then end up making things worse...or with no rear brakes at all.

I live in thailand and there isnt a good bike shop where i live.

The manual says they are self-adjusting but a shop told me you can adjust them slightly by loosening the rear caliper from the frame, squeezing the brake pedal gently, and tightening the caliper back down to the frame (to specs of course). Also, be sure not to loosen the screws holding the two sides of the caliper together, otherwise you'll let the fluid out and air in.


How to cope with being rattled by the wake of a fast car? There's one long road that I bike on that has a decent bike lane, but the speed limit for cars is 50 mph. Needless to say, they drive 60+. Often I find myself being shaken or rattled by the turbulent wake of a car that has just sped by. This is not severe enough for me to lose balance, but I always fear that I might. These fears are amplified when there is a gutter by the edge of the road, because if I waver, the wheel might slip in and throw me off balance.

Now I realize that there is nothing I can do to change physics - fast cars are going to cause this effect. But mentally or physically, as a biker, how can I deal with this? Is this just a matter of confidence in biking on such roads or do you brace yourself for it if you sense a car coming up behind you?

It sounds like an unpleasant road to ride on, I'm sure you would use a different route if one was available.

If you can feel the slipstream, to the extent that it moves your bike around, things are passing to close. Paradoxically you may find that by riding further from the curb, passing vehicles will leave you more room.

People tend to leave as much room between themselves and you as you give yourself between you and the curb. More importantly if you ride hard against the curb, you are out of the area that drivers are paying attentions to, you become part of the background, invisible, cars will pass without having to move over, the car behind them wont see you, or notice the car in front move to pass you and so on.

All this may sound odd, its fairly mainstream Vehiclular Cycling, . If you are in the UK there's an excellent book Cyclecraft


Disc brakes stop working after a wash I washed my bike few days ago with soapy water. I didn't directly wash the brakes, but I assume I got some soapy water on them.

Now my disc brakes do not work. I can see that cable is tight enough, and the pressure is there, but it does not stop.

The front brakes are better after 1 day of driving (but still are weaker than before). The rear breaks are pretty much useless.

Details about the bike & brakes:

Bike: Cyclocross (bought last year)

Brakeset: Tektro Lyra mechanical cable actuated disc brake with 160mm wave rotors and Shimano ST-2300 STI brake levers

As @Carel mentioned, try using rubbing alcohol to clean the discs. It's often called Isopropyl Alcohol or isopropanol.

You may have inadvertently contaminated your pads which often means replacements. Did you use any sprays which may have blown on to the disc? Frame protector and water displacers like gt-85 or wd-40 will play havoc with your braking power.

I suggest taking the pads out and keying the surface with some emery paper. It'll take a little while to re-bed them in but it might bring them back to life.

If a contaminant has soaked in to the pad too deeply though you'll need to swap them out.

You may also want to take the opportunity to re-centre the calliper whilst you're tinkering.


Will my drivetrain freeze if left outside in the winter? I have to leave my bike outside at work for 8-10 hours at a time.

If it's -3°C or -6°C, is there anything special I need to do to ensure it will still ride when I'm ready to go home? i.e., will it freeze up?

Also, I can bring it inside at home but I read somewhere that the constant defrosting/refrosting could be worse than just leaving it out in the cold 24/7. Is this true?

Frequently lubing your components (especially your chain) is crucial in cold weather. Lube (which won't freeze) pushes out water (which does). Besides the protection against freezing, it also will help extend the life of your components even in the face of sand, salt, and gravel debris from cities deicing the roads. Fenders with mud flaps are useful as well, as they will protect your drivetrain from slush. Basically, anything you can do to keep the bike's componentry dry is crucial.

To this end, I would bring the bike inside overnight every day in order to warm it up. This lets water drip off of it, and you can wipe off any that's left with a pile of used rags before you take it on the road each day.

The temperature flux might cause wear on the components, but I suspect the amount pales in comparison to the damage done by freezing (ice expands, putting pressure where it shouldn't go), salt (which corrodes steel), and sand (which prematurely wears components due to grinding).


Do I need to protect my leather saddle from the sun? Most questions about leather saddles seem to be about keeping them dry, but what about too dry?
I just bought a new bike with a Brooks B-17. I've applied proofide and I will be getting a cover to protect it from the rain (it's stored outside unfortunately). However, currently it's extremely hot and sunny where I live. Should I be getting a cover more urgently to protect the saddle from hot sun?

I'd think a white opaque plastic bag over saddle would do fine.  The leather has to breathe - if you wrap it tightly then it might grow mould.
You might have to treat your saddle leather a little more frequently if it lives in the sun/heat a lot.
Ideally, store your bike inside, a garage, or at least under some rain protection.  A balcony/porch/etc is better than out in the weather.   A wall-hook or lift might let you utilise unusable space.


Where should my sit bones rest on a leather hammock/sling saddle? Where is the ideal / designed location for my sit bones to push on a leather sling/hammock style saddle?  (Relative positioning, that works for any saddle width)

While I'm riding on my leather saddle, I notice that my sit bones seem to press the saddle very close to the rear metal part of the saddle (i.e. near the rivets).  This metal bar with the rivets is U-shaped, with the tails curving forwards at each side.  Are my sit bones supposed to fit within the curve?  In front of it?

Referring to the grid below, my intuition is that I should get a wider saddle with a wider metal U such that my sit bones are in the relative locations of: center-of (C-D,2-3) and center-of (C-D,4-5).  Am I correct that the U should "cradle" my sit bones?

(Also, I notice most leather saddles use 6 rivets in the rear, so we can refer to them as rivet #1 through #6.)

You are correct about the position of sit bones between C-D 2-5.
If the leather on the saddle has stretched, even if you rest your sit bones in the C-D 2-5 region, your sit-bones might be digging into the metal part.

Measure your sit-bones distance, reference to another SE question
If your sit bones are narrower than widest part of the metal bracket (about C,D 1-6) then tightening the saddle bolt will help a great deal.
If your sit-bones are wider than C 1-6, then tightening the saddle may not help much, you may have to consider getting a wider saddle.


How to find compatable cassette for older Shimano I have a 2002 Diamondback Oakpiont. The derailleur says c201. Is it freewheel or cassette? If it's cassette, the last gear seems to be the nut (12 notches). Here is link to the bike on Bikepedia.

How do I get the right cogs/freewheel? And will this tool set work for my needs?

Take your rear wheel off and visually inspect the cassette.   Compare with this answer https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/a/21406/19705  and see which  you have.

Given bikepedia says 8 speed, its most likely to be a cassette.

This is a freehub with a cassette.   Note the ring of indentations just inside where it says 12T.  That silver ring will unscrew and all the cogs can slide off.

By comparison,this is a freewheel.  If you undid the black lock ring then the guts of the freewheel will still be on the wheel.

Image credits to Sheldon Brown's website http://sheldonbrown.com/free-k7.html


Is this a good bike light? And should I give these people my money? I was was checking out this bike light.  It looks good enough for me.  I (rarely) get lost on trails around dusk, but more importantly I commute - a lot by bike.  I really just want to be seen.

What caught my eye was the review: there are nearly 500 5 star, and a mere 17 1 star review.  I'll take my chances.  But this is where it starts getting questionable.

First off, they make sure  you get to read #1 Bike light on Amazon, if it is.  Okay.  But, in the video they use to advertise it, they claim that most bicycle accidents happen at night - they don't, as you can read about here.  They also flash statistics in the video that aren't related to the time of day... at all....

That said, this government source says it is more risky to ride at night (more people probably ride during the day.  Is it proportionately more dangerous?)

Is this marketing practice unethical?  I don't want to reward unethical advertising with cash, but in the grand scheme of things it's probably more important that the are selling a quality product if they say they are.

Could the ratings have been (partly) faked?

Has anyone used one?  I can't seem to find a review of the dang thing on youtube, as popular as they are supposed to be!

OK so I do a lot of bike light reviews. I originally started writing them for this very site's community blog, and now I run a separate website called The Bike Light Database.

  Has anyone used one? I can't seem to find a review of the dang thing on youtube, as popular as they are supposed to be!

I've reviewed this light specifically, and can say that while it is cheap, it's not a good choice for someone who seriously bikes at night. The build quality is poor, it doesn't put out much light, and the optics are crap. There's no side visibility. The mount is annoying to use and bulky. The light dims quickly as the non-rechargeable batteries drain, and the contacts are of poor quality so sometimes the light just stops working unexpectedly.

  Is this marketing practice unethical? I don't want to reward unethical advertising with cash, but in the grand scheme of things it's probably more important that the are selling a quality product if they say they are.

I think their page makes a lot of dubious claims. The taillight in the video isn't the taillight they include. My rule of thumb is, if the Amazon product title says anything more than the name of the product or is more than 1 line long, I don't buy it. They're trying too hard to sell it and it's probably crap.

Furthermore, some of those pictures are very obviously other products. This is a real beamshot of the light that I took. You can see an interactive version to compare it with other lights on the site.

  Could the ratings have been (partly) faked?

Looking through the reviews on the page you linked, many of them are verified purchases, but not all are. I think it's unlikely that most would be faked, but there may well be some fakes. The real issue is that to a lot of people, it seems like a perfectly good bike light because they've never seen a good bike light. It's cheap, it does what they expect (lights up), and it doesn't have any immediately obvious problems, so it gets 5 stars.

For people with a small budget and simple needs, this light is just what they want. That doesn't mean the advertising is truthful, and it doesn't mean the light is any good. It's the same as asking somebody who bought their bike at WalMart if they like it. "Oh yeah, 5 stars, it's great! Totally has pedals, moves forwards, even stops when I use the brakes!" And yet we know better here than to buy a bike at WalMart.

I've also addressed the issue of "eBay China lights" in my FAQ. While on the surface the specifications look just as good as any other light, it's the details of the design (not to mention the ethics of the company and their marketing) that make the difference. There's also a lot of lies in the specs that companies list - I highly doubt this light actually puts out 200 lumens, for example.

Hopefully that sort of answers your questions. If you'd like to talk more about lights, ping me in the site chat or leave a comment, I like discussing lights! And if you're looking for a better light to choose, I have some pretty detailed suggestions on my lights site!


My back brakes don't lock the wheel (skid): feature or a bug? When I apply rear brakes only (I know this isn't the proper way to stop), it slows me down but never locks the wheel to the point of skidding (on dry pavement anyway). This is a new 'cyclocross' style bike with disc brakes. It has both regular road bike levers and auxiliary brake levers, if that matters. I am exerting quite a bit of force on the lever and they do not touch the handlebars (bottom out). It seems like a defect to me because that's not what I'm used to from my old hybrid bike with V-brakes, but having had it in the shop a couple of times, I'm starting to wonder -- are these brakes ineffective or is this a design feature to prevent skidding?

If this is a flaw, what is wrong - the brakes, the pads, the cables/adjustment or something else?

If it's a feature, how does it work?

Disc brakes should be capable of locking the rear wheel.

If this is a new bike I would suggest it's a set up/ breaking in issue rather than a fault.

I'm not sure of the brakes you are running, but guessing they're cable discs due to having axillary levers. I'd ensure :

the brake pads are bedded in
the disc brake rotor alignment is good
the pad contact point is correct (refer to your brakes manual)

Check out this question, Disc brake break-in?

If that didn't help I'd check that the auxiliary levers aren't impeding the full cable pull.


Would a moist cloth wrapped around the nose be reasonably effective as compared to an anti-pollution mask? On looking at the prices of masks and filters, I figured that it could eventually get rather expensive for me. Moreover, there's an article in a newspaper that these masks don't really help:

  Don't be fooled by safety masks (Sep 30, 2001)
  According to a
  two-year painstaking study conducted by a group of researchers in the
  department of chemical engineering, Indian Institute of Science, no
  mask being sold in Bangalore is effective against the most common and
  harmful pollutants: carbon monoxide (co), sulphur dioxide (so2),
  suspended particulate matter (spm), oxides of nitrogen (nox). The
  study, commissioned by the council for scientific and industrial
  research (csir), has been examining all the material used in the
  filters inside the plastic masks. To their utter dismay, researchers
  found that people using these masks are being fooled beyond
  imagination. says senior scientific officer Mr.J.R. Mudakavi: "we have
  tested more than a dozen such masks available in the city's markets. I
  am sorry to see that none of them informs the buyer what it is
  effective against, what load it can take, if the filter is recyclable,
  et al". The most injurious of all, CO, is not filtered by any mask.
  sulphur dioxide is absorbed by some filters to some extent, but given
  its concentration in the atmosphere, these masks are effective only
  for 2-3 hours. no user is told that if the filter is washed it can be
  used efficaciously a few more times. one of the dreaded pollutants is
  spm (small particles from industry, stone crushing, construction
  materials, exhaust, etc) which when inhaled in large quantity gets
  deposited in the lungs and can cause silicosis.

Ok, so if even the anti-pollution masks can't filter out CO or SO2 properly, then that leaves the danger of the particulate matter which in my opinion, could be prevented with just a cloth wrapped around the nose and mouth.

Not a thin layer of cloth. A cloth where the folds form a couple of layers over your face and nose. If this cloth is moistened a bit, shouldn't it be effective against particulate matter.

For a short ride of maybe 30 minutes, won't a simple cloth be more cost effective and offer a reasonable amount of protection against pollutants?

that leaves the danger of the particulate matter which in my opinion, could be prevented with just a cloth wrapped around the nose and mouth.

Diesel particulates are mostly in the 3-30 nanometre range of sizes. This is very fine and will not be stopped by normal cloth.

3M say a P2 (EU rating) filter should reduce exposure to diesel particulates. A P3 mask should remove a higher proportion of particles. I suspect these filters might not remove the finer diesel particulates.

Most of these masks are not intended to supply a large volume of air, they are workplace masks not sports masks.

Some cycling mask makers write about PM10 filtering. Note that PM10 are coarse dust particles 2500 to 10000 nanometers in size. That's a lot larger than most diesel particulates.

The key to an effective filter is a good air-tight closure against the skin around the entire perimeter of the filter. You cannot obtain the necessary fit using cloth alone.

If anecdotal stories have anything to teach it is that you should expect a white filter to become blackened even on short rides and that you therefore need to replace the filter every ride.


Biking across a four-lane bridge - Why was I wrong to bike across the bridge? I am an avid bike-rider living in Spokane (Washington State). Spokane is a fairly large city, with many bridges built across the Spokane River. One such bridge is the Maple Street Bridge, which was built in the late 1960s and four lanes set to 45 miles per hour and a caged sidewalk on the west side.

In the summer of 2015, I was riding my bike in the right-hand southbound lane, and my presence in the lane angered many of the drivers on the bridge. The speed limit on the bridge is 45 miles per hour, but when a driver encounters me, s/he becomes enraged and flies past my bike faster than the speed limit.

I lost track of how many times people screamed at me as they passed after the fourth time. Also one man drove so close to my bike that his car's wing mirror brushed my jacket. I consulted my Grandmother about the incident later and she told me that riding a bike across the Maple Street Bridge is illegal. However, I thought biking on sidewalks is also illegal, and the City of Spokane is pretty good about letting bikers know via signs where they can and cannot ride a bike. I did not see any such warning sign while approaching the bridge, and the approach to the bridge is about one quarter of a mile long.

This bridge as I have mentioned only has one caged sidewalk on the west side. Once I am on the bridge deck, I cannot turn around and I cannot enter the sidewalk because of the cage.

Why was I wrong to bike across the bridge?

I can't speak for this bridge specifically, but here in Ottawa, Canada, we have at least one similar bridge and in our case, the part you're calling a sidewalk is actually a multi-use pathway from what I can understand, and bikes are expected to use that. As such, I would never use the traffic lanes on the bridge I'm referring to. The sidewalk/pathway part is still narrow so you have to slow way down and proceed very carefully when you encounter pedestrians, but it's worth it to avoid the car lanes on that particular bridge.

One thing I find helpful is to check out the roadway in question on Google Maps with the bicycle layer turned on. In the case of my bridge, it clearly shows the bike lanes on the side of the bridge as dedicated pathways, which may not be obvious to a newcomer to the bridge:

In your case there are no bikeways of any kind showing: pathways, or even shared lanes (dotted lines) on the bridge:

But there are lanes visible on roads on either end of the bridge. So either your municipality has uploaded incorrect data to Google Maps for the bridge, or you're technically supposed to ride in traffic. However, if you feel unsafe, in my opinion for short distances like crossing a bridge, you should use the sidewalk and proceed very carefully around pedestrians. If it's a tight squeeze, get off and walk your bike when you get close to a pedestrian, or stop while they pass. I also find that very car-oriented bridges like that tend not to get much foot traffic so it's usually not too bad riding the sidewalks for the short distance.

Per the comment below, checking a route in Google Maps, it may suggest a more bike friendly river crossing if one is available. If it does not, you can also zoom out a little and turn on bike lanes to see what other options are around. In the case of your bridge, zooming out we see:

(your bridge in red, two bike friendly bridges in purple)

Zooming in on the right hand option, and going to streetview, it has a separated two way bike lane which is quite pleasant:

That's about a 1 mile detour on a short commute across Maple Street bridge:

Depending on your actual commute length that may feel negligible or may be a deal breaker. If your commute is much longer than that, you may also be able to rejig other parts of the commute so you take that other bridge without adding the full mile difference.

Hopefully some of this helps.


Reliable Bike Computer This summer I have already bought two bike computers but both have failed to meet my expectations:

Computer #1

The Filzer had poor reviews but I thought I would give it a try anyways.  Should have listened to the reviews the computer stopped receiving data after about two weeks.  (Luckily Mec has a good return policy so I exchanged the computer).

Computer #2

Next I bought a computer from China.

The computer is wireless which is a nice perk (no wires snaking across your bike => more beautiful).  Unfortunately the computer was in poor shape upon arrival.  It seems like something was loose inside the computer.  The computer appeared to work fine but I never put it on my bike (the rattling would drive me crazy).  Because of the low price of ~$6 I actually ordered two computers.  Both had the same issue.  (Site).

Question

Are there any good quality bike computers for a reasonable price?  Here are my requirements:

Under $100
Provides Functions:

Speed
Ave. Speed
Distance
Time riding
Distance for the season
Time

Wireless (optional)

Bonus Functionality (would pay a little bit extra):

Heart beat monitor
Cadence (Pedal rotations)
GPS

I use a Cateye Strada Wireless on my mountain bike. It's taken quite a bit of abuse and hasn't let me down yet. My only complaint is that it's easy to reset your trip info by accidentally leaning on the computer for a few seconds. This can be seen as a benefit as well, as it's easy to reset your distance if you're navigating and need to know how far until your next turn even if you're wearing winter gloves. It's a basic computer, no cadence, GPS, HRM, or anything like that. That stuff just takes the fun out of riding anyway.

I'd recommend that you loctite the wheel magnet, they'll come loose over rough terrain.

They get good reviews at Amazon too.


What is the reason for starting before the traffic light turns green? I've noticed that a lot of commuters come to a complete stop at traffic lights but go before the light turns green. They start riding as soon as the light in the intersecting direction turns red. I usually get annoyed and assume that this could only reinforce negative opinions held by motorists, but I've suspected that there must be some valid reason for the early start.

This is a separate issue from taking an Idaho stop at a quiet intersection or blatantly running a red light. For rolling stops and blatant running, there is a significant saving in effort from not completely stopping, and there is an understandable, if not necessarily justifiable, tradeoff between efficiency and legality.

There doesn't seem to be the same tradeoff for early starts at traffic lights. In this case, the saved time is only two seconds, and there is no saved effort (since they have already come to a complete stop).

I've seen enough people do this that I'm sure there must be some logic behind the early start. Are commuters really desperate to save two seconds, or is there (as I suspect) some deeper reason for taking an early start at traffic lights? Does this behavior just hurt relations with motorists, or are there safety benefits that make this something that should be pushed for legalization (as with Idaho stops)?

The "early start" allows cyclists to clear the junction ahead of motorists, this is useful for cyclists making off-side turns (right in the UK, left in the US). It also helps cyclists going straight on avoid conflict with motorists making near-side turns (left in the UK, right in the US).

The UK and many places in Europe have Advanced Stop Lines (Highway Code rule 178) at traffic lights:

These allow cyclists to get ahead of motorists without jumping the red light.

For junctions without an Advanced Stop Line you'd have to weigh any benefits of clearing the junction against the potential legal consequences, the likelihood of increased driver hostility and the risk of colliding with a vehicle jumping the lights from another direction.

Personally, I don't jump red lights. On the roads I cycle on I think it would be more dangerous than waiting for them to change.


Will two spacers between the cassette and the hub effect the chain line? So I have a set of custom wheels (White Industries T11 hubs) and when the cassette is correctly fastened to the hub with the single spacer provided the cassette cogs can be moved in the direction around the cassette (not laterally) ever so slightly. This causes an audible klank when the cogs are engaged and is generally not good. The solution from the wheel builder was to add an additional spacer between the hub and the cassette. Both spacers used were shipped with the White industry hub.

Using two spacers completely fixes the cassette slip issue but I'm wondering if it is effecting the chain line in some way? I have used the set of wheels on two different frames both with Ultegra group sets.

It could be me but there seems to be slightly more chain rub with the White Industry wheels than other wheels I have used like Mavics. Keep in mind that I am resetting both the front and rear derailers to accommodate the shift. Is it possible the spacers are just too wide? And are there different sizes for these spacers. Thanks in advance, any experience or advice would be appriciated.

I'm using a 10 speed setup, first bike is a Ridley X-fire (54) second bike is a Sworks Tarmac(58).

You're thinking about this from the wrong side of the cassette. All cassettes end at roughly the same point or the lockring wouldn't engage correctly. The spacers are to make sure there is significant compression, but because the cassette is still in the same spot relative to the drive side of the wheel the chainline shouldn't change.

That said you might want to pick up some different size spacers and see if you can change from 2mm (assuming two 1mm spacers) to 1.5mm. My guess is the amount you'd be able to move the cassette inward is very small, but might be significant. Most bike shops have a few spacer sizes on hand will sell them for $.5-$1 each IIRC.


23, 25 or 28mm tyres for very smooth, flat road - what's fastest? One of the runs I do on my roadbike is a very straight, flat, very smooth strip of road. Everything I read recommends wider tyres because of less rolling resistance.

Where does tyre weight come in? How much do the aerodynamics make a difference? Because the road is so smooth does that make a difference?

I've recently been trying some (admittedly not great) 28's in place of my 23s and they have seemed quite a bit slower on this road.

I'm getting up to speeds of between 30 and 50kph (if the tail wind is right..) to give you an idea of wind resistance..

Perhaps it's all in my mind?

The key problem in this kind of analysis is holding all of the possible variables equal while you change only one factor. Weight, construction materials, tread pattern and inflation pressure are all at least as important if not more important that tire width when it comes to rolling resistance. That said, VeloNews has an interesting article where they tested various tires at different pressures.

From Resistance is futile: How tire pressure and width affect rolling resistance

  Tire rolling resistance on the road is caused by (1) internal friction and hysteresis (deformation over time) within the tire’s materials, and (2) on rough roads, small bumps lifting the bike and rider slightly (uphill) on each little impact.

AND

  If a wider tire is made of the same materials in the same thickness as a narrower one, it will roll faster, because (1) the internal friction and hysteresis within the tire’s materials will be lower, and (2) because the surface imperfections in the road will be absorbed into the tire more easily (since it has more deflection available), thus lifting the bike and rider slightly less with each little impact.

The key in these tests was that they compared the tires at different widths but at the same pressure. What you are experiencing is likely that you are running the 28mm tires at a lower pressure than the 23mm ones. On a smooth road, minimizing the area of the contact patch becomes more important to rolling resistance, so the narrower tire at the high end of pressure will be fastest. That's why you will see velodrome riders using specialized tires that have a max psi of 185 or more.

  On rough surfaces, however, a tire at lower pressure is able to absorb more of the bumps than a tire at higher pressure, with less deflection of the bike and its rider. This is the same “sprung vs. un-sprung weight” argument that demonstrates why suspension makes a bicycle faster on rough terrain — it takes less energy to keep the bike rolling if only a small amount of weight is lifted (like a small section of the tire) than if the entire bike and rider is lifted by the bump.

In addition, it's unlikely that your 28mm tires weigh the same as your 23mm tires, so the additional weight is going to increase your resistance. In all, it looks like if you are trying to minimize your rolling resistance on this smooth section of road, experiment with the narrower tires at different pressures. Just be aware that wind resistance is far more important at any significant speed. Wearing a slightly flappy shirt may make a bigger difference than the 5-10psi change, or the 5mm of extra rubber.


Is it worth it to reverse the wrap direction of handlebar tape at the brake levers? The Park Tool Handlebar Tape Installation guide suggests that the direction of wrapping can be either self tightening or prone to loosening. Its basic instructions make the tape self-tightening on the tops. The guide also describes how to start wrapping in a direction that makes the tape self-tightening in the drops, and then at the brake levers to switch to a direction that makes the tape self-tightening on the tops.

How much of a difference does the direction of wrapping make in practice? Is loosening of handlebar wrap a common problem? Are there any downsides to reversing the direction of handlebar tape at the brake levers, and if so, is it worth it?

Yes, it is worth it, because it adds to the longevity of the useful period of utility for your tape, and is more likely to be comfortable and stable in the bargain.

Ideally, you wrap to the outside of the drops, figure 8 around the hoods, which will leave you wrapping from back to front on the tops.

In other words, starting your wrap from the bar end at the bottom of the drop, you wrap the tape so that it crosses from the frame side to the outside of the bar. This direction will necessarily be opposite on the other side of the bar.

So counter-clockwise from the rear of the drop on the non drive side of the bike, and clockwise on the drive side. On the tops of the bars, the tape should pass under the bar toward the bike, and over the bar away from the bike.

That fits the rotation direction of your grip, and will hold the tape in place, rather than forcing it looser (or off).


What use does a Heart Rate Monitor have if you have a Powermeter? When should you be riding by HR instead of Power and what can you learn from a HRM when you're riding by Power?

You can tell when you are knackered.

Power indicates your actual output.  With a baseline of previous power and HR data, you can establish a model for what you should be able to do.  When your numbers start to fall way outside your model/baseline (you normally produce 250W at 80% of your max heartrate, but now you are only producing 200W at 85% or 90% of your max heart rate) it might be time to do something about it (check hydration, calories or just end training for the day).  Additionally in off training times your resting heart rate can be looked at as an indicator for how well recovered you are.

Power output is a finite number that is extremely useful because comparisons can be made directly across riders.  However, your own stats bio metrics are more useful to you as an individual because they can help guide your training and prevent you from overtraining, help show your individual improvement, and let you know when you are recovered and can accept an increased training load.


Tektro HTC 300 hydraulic fluid leakage I made the mistake of pulling my brake leaver whilst the wheel was off, so the piston came out, and I lost quite a bit of oil.

I pushed the piston back in, and proceeded to follow the bleed procedure for these brakes but I am having problems.

When I loosen off this bolt, about 1/4 turn, and inject the oil, all the injected oil appears to flow out of the thread shown within the red circle in the picture attached.

I've also tried sucking oil out of the top with a syringe but it doesn't seem like the system is open.

Could the loss of fluid be causing some kind of air blockage?

Could I have pushed the piston in too far,  as there is no oil behind it now.

Should I try and force oil from the top down?

I havn't got loads of oil to spare,  so I don't know what to do.

Please advise on refilling entire system, and if this is same procedure.

Thanks.

If you watch the Tektro video you will see that some fluid leaks from the bottom bleed port threads as the new fluid is injected.

If all the fluid is leaking out, then that might indicate a blockage. You may just be getting more leakage than expected because you have to refill the entire system.

The fully retracted piston should not be blocking the system.


Will it be a problem to bike uphill with a rear pannier with books (~2lbs) I've been biking to work ~11 mi and my back hurts from carrying books. I was thinking of buying a pannier and putting my books in it. But I'm not sure if it'll be harder to bike, as I live in San Diego, so there are a few hilly/uphill parts (not like SF though!).

Does anyone have experience biking uphill with full panniers?

Since the weight will be the same, you won't even notice the change in terms of climbing. You will notice that your back will ache less and be less sweaty. Depending on your bike, it may even balance better with the weight lower to the ground.

Biking up a hill with a few extra pounds won't make much of a difference; you only really notice a difference in climbing or handling when you're carrying groceries or camping equipment or passengers. (Or if your bike is not suited to carrying cargo.)

I suggest you either get two panniers to distribute the weight, or get something like a trunk rack bag so you don't need more than one bag. (You could even get a a basket and toss your existing backpack in it.)

You'll find more general info about the various cargo systems under the cargo tag, or in this article.


Loading front wheel in a sharp turn? When turning sharp at high speed, does it make sense to shift the weight to reduce risk of skidding?

I do not see the point of doing so. Both wheels are leaned at the same angle against the ground no matter how the weight is distributed. Whether the wheel starts to skid depends only on tire/road properties and on this angle, not on the force acting along. But a friend of mine, who is experienced more than me in cycling (and less than me in elementary physics) insists that it's better to "balance the weight" by loading the front wheel more.

Is there any argument for the latter statement, assuming identical front and rear tires?

He is right.

1) in cycling, weight is distributed more on the rear wheel (70 rear-30front approx.). So even assume that both wheel is at the same leaning angle, the front would lose traction first (friction proportional to reaction force). This is because the front wheel has less 'grip' limit than the rear wheel.

2) When rider starts to corner/or correct the cornering, the two wheel are not exactly leaning at the same angle. The front wheel both leans and steers the bike (see Figure). In simplified model, you can think that the front wheel is the only component of your bicycle that 'correct' the centrifugal force for the turn. In order to correct the cornering, the front wheel needs to 1) counter-steer, to balance the leaning, and then 2) change the steering appropriately. The whole process means front wheel lose grip more easily (rear wheel change direction less than the front).

You can see the video from Criggie's answer that the front wheel lost grip, just after he tried to correct the 'leaning' and the 'cornering radius'.

3) front wheel also has less contact patch (due to load distribution again). This can be verified when you are on normal cycling position, the rear tyre usually being 'flattened' a little more.

Video:

Partial momentum: momentum that is being shared between the Front and Rear wheel (from rider and bike itself)

Rider momentum: when cornering, the bicycle generally yawns at an angle to the 'original' momentum (in order to turn). That is why we need to lean, in order to balance the 'original' momentum that causes torque in rolling direction.


Shimano Alfine lever does not seem to pump oil into the hose even with reservoir full I am trying to refill a Shimano Alfine BR-S500 disk brake system with oil. I have filled the reservoir with mineral oil...

And am repeatedly squeezing the lever, but it feels like no oil is getting pushed into the hose line.

(Note that it is hard to see the clear oil in this photo, but the reservoir is full and the intake hole is submerged).

I have the bleeder at the bottom open 1/8 turn. I have also tried cracking the caliper apart just to see if any oil is coming down the line when I squeeze the lever, but none does.

The brakes were working fine before I drained it.

What am I doing wrong? How can I get the oil into the lines and into the caliper and pistons?

NOTES:

According to the manual, this system is not filled from the bottom like most oil-based bike brakes. Instead it says to open the bleeder at the caliper and then fill the reservoir up at the lever and pump the oil down.

(BTW: It is empty because I had opened the calipers to replace the o-ring in between the two halves.)

It turns out I just needed more patience. To fill the brake line, you need to:

Make sure reservoir is full of oil.
Open the bleeder port
Squeeze the lever in
Close the bleeder port
Release the lever
Wait about 10 mins for the oil to s.l.o.w.l.y. get sucked down into the line.
Repeat until oil is coming out of the port.

There must be a very small bypass port inside the lever assembly to let the pressure equalize over minutes.


Dual crown fork or not? I currently own a 2015 GT Verb Expert. And after watching a Red Bull rampage video I started wondering can I put a 200mm fork on my Verb Expert. Or does my head tube need to be more angled. And is it possible that it could snap my frame if I install one?

Putting a longer travel fork on a bike not designed for it will alter the geometry of the bike, and usually the handling.  Depending on the amount of change, it might be barely noticeable, or it could also appreciably degrade the ability of the bike to be ridden.  You could put a 200mm travel fork on a road frame, but the resulting geometry would render the bike unfit for anything serious.

The change you are talking about will likely result in a rideable but slightly awkward ride.  It's unlikely you'll snap your frame (highly unlikely).  However, it's far more likely that if you use the front fork (a 200mm dual crown monster) to it's full potential, you blow out/prematurely wear the rear shock which is not designed for that kind of abuse.  Considering what a fork like that (or a replacement rear shock) costs, you'd probably be better off selling that bike as is and trying to by a bike more suited to the type of riding you are planning.


Buying a car with the bike rack in mind I am in the process of buying a new car and I want to fit a rack on it for my bikes. Are there any issues that I need to be aware of for fitting a rack to a car, or rather are their any factors that would make it impossible to fit a rack to a car? That would be a deal breaker for me.

Sharing own experience with several racks, either used as bought and even homemade.

I can divide them in three categories:

Roof
Trailer Hitch
Trunk/Reardoor.

Roof:

More adequate for small cars (i.e. not so tall) for reach issues. Also, they work better with lighter bikes (Road bikes, XC bikes or the like). I wouldn't fit a heavy DH bike in a roof rack, it's heavy to lift up to the roof. Also if the car is too tall, the operation is likely to get difficult. In My experience, the roof rack would work fine if the car's roof is at your shoulder's height, above that, it gets too difficult.

There are two kinds: the ones that hold the whole bike or the ones that hold the bike by its fork. Either one has the advantage of easily accepting odd shaped bikes, as they usually have a rail in which the rear wheel fits.

If the whole bike type, they have a rail for the front wheel and a post that holds the bike upright. When sturdy enough they can handle heavy bikes like the DH ones.

The fork type requires you to remove the front wheel completely and put the fork in a hitch that has the same shape and dimensions as your wheel's axle. This of course works better if you have a quick release front axle, and along having to take your bike apart every time, you risk loosing axle nuts or springs. Also, you need the rack to have the adecuate hitch for your bike's front axle: road and XC hubs are different, All Mountain or DH bikes usually have thru axle type. However, they hold the bike very secure.

A useful advantage of the roof rack is that it is unobtrusive for most doors, so you have full access to your car without having to remove bikes. Also, they can be left on vehicle as it doesn't increase overall length, so is not a problem for tight parking and other slow maneuver. (Unless under a low garage or bridge).

Other advantage is that they usually can accommodate more bikes than other types. For example, I used to fit 3 XC bikes on top of a small car without protruding outside the roof. Another example: the support cars in Tour d France...

Trailer Hitch:

Better for bigger cars that are more likely to have adequate mounting points for the towing bar (what the hitch is bolted to), as this is the only mounting point unlike other rack types that have several mounting points.

This type is more likely to hold the bike by it's tires and have a post that holds the bike upright, so you don't have to disassemble the bike anytime just to transport it.

They are usually limited to three or four bikes.

Consider that they increase overall car length but can be left on vehicle. Also, in order to be sturdy enough they usually are heavy therefore difficult to install/remove by just one person. If they are too low they can hit the ground in certain situations. In some cars it will block the rear door, even when the bikes are not in the rack. Some can be folded up to be left in the vehicle when not in use.

These are very goo options for DH or AM bikes that use to be heavy, because this kind of rack does not require you to lift the bike too high. They are also useful for oddly shaped bikes, as most DH or XC frames can be.

Trunk/Reardoor:

Therese light racks are easy to install/remove by one person, and are specially adequate for lighter bikes. Every maker of these will claim they are universally compatible with any car, however, this is not true, some are better for sedans, some for hatchbacks. For sedans they can interfere or damage a spoiler. For Hatchbacks they can interfere with rear window wiper.

This rack type is better suited for straight top tube bikes and  they can be hardly fitted with some full suspension bikes or any other bike that doesn't have a diamond shaped frame (there are temporary addaptors that are fitted between the seatpost and the stem post for this purpose.).
They also grab the bike by its frame, so they can damage paint and can also be an issue for carbon frames.

They are usually limited to two or three bikes, and they better be light ones. Some people mount them in the hood too. (it funny to see a car with two bikes attached a each end)

They don't add too much to the overall length of the vehicle and can be left on when not in use. Most designs allow access to the trunk/rear door when bikes are not on them.

If they fit too low can let bike hit the ground in certain circumstances.

There are a variety that fits attached to the rear mounted spare wheel, these are not compatible with harcovers for the spare.

Other Options:

Other options you may consider are pickup trucks which exist in many different sizes and you may find one that fit all your needs (besides bike transport) They offer huge flexibility and carry capacity. Personally this happens to be my most recent circumstance (did not acquire the pickup because of the bikes) but is also the most comfortable one. I can carry from just one bike up to seven plus driver, riders and gear (my pickup is medium sized, not one of the biggest).

Another option can be a small trailer for bike carrying. This can be fitted to almost any vehicle, as a bike towing trailer will not bear too much weight. However it may need to be custom made /installed and it is more complicated to drive a car with a trailer attached. Nonetheless, a custom made bike carrying trailer, if well designed, can be very comfortable to use.

Finally: Consider the type of bike you are going to carry, and your other needs (Me for example, use the car for bike carrying just 2 days a week). Ease of use of course will make your biking journeys more enjoyable, so, congratulations for considering it! ;)


Will my rear wheel with an internally-geared hub shift forward when pedalling steep uphill? (I'm not a bicycle mechanic. Please excuse the incorrect terminology.)

I would like to have an internal hub gear (Shimano Alfine 11) installed on my bicycle. My bicycle has a horizontal rearward-facing track fork end.

Situation 1: no chain tensioner

I was told that to keep the chain tense the rear wheel needs to be pull backwards and then the lock nuts tightened.

I am concerned that on a steep uphill the rear wheel will shift forward, e.g. if I have a bad puncture and I need to replace the tube, then I need to make sure to tighten the lock nuts to prevent the wheel shifting forwards.
Question: Is my concern valid or will the wheel never shift?

Assuming the chain is worn out and starts slipping and there is no new chain available. I could re-tense the chain by loosing the lock nuts and shifting the wheel back to tense the chain. Question: Is this correct?

Situation 2: with a chain tensioner

In this case, I could install the rear wheel right against the front of the fork end. The chain tensioner takes care of the tension. Question: Is this correct ?

Assume the chain is worn out and is slipping and there is no new chain. Question Can I adjust the chain tensioner to increase the tension on the chain, i.e. does the chain tensioner only "have one tension" or is it possible to adjust the tension of the chain tensioner?

Wheels in horizontal dropouts have been reported to shift. You may or may not have a problem depending on how strong you are and how well your wheel clamps in your frame.

There are devices that fit in horizontal dropouts that hold the wheel in place and remove the need for re-adjustment after removing the wheel, such as Surly Tugnuts (example only, not a product recommendation).

There is no need to use a chain tensioner if you have dropouts suitable for adjusting the chain tension. It will only add friction and will not stop nor deal with the the wheel moving in the dropouts.

Worn chains can not slip on non-derailleur drivetrains. A worn chain only elongates by 0.5-0.75%. When your chain becomes worn you should replace it as it will accelerate wear on the sprocket and chainring, as we'll as becoming inefficient.


spoke end poking out of rim, thinking it may be reason why Im getting flats When I run my hand on the inside of the rim, I can feel a protrusion of the spoke end going into the rim. Is that normal?

I have been getting about 5 or 6 flats, and they sometimes occur on the same place, but sometime on totally different place of the tube. I went to my local bike store, and he said to replace the inside rim tape. I had a black rubbery rim tape, and he made me replace it with a white, almost looks like its made out of cloth, rim tape. I put the new rim tape and a new tube but still got a flat.

Then I got frustrated that I needed to patch the tube again and put electrical tape two times over the inside rim, after which I wrapped the new rim tape around again. I finally got another flat in a totally different place and am not sure what to do any more. When I try to match the location on the rim to the hole, I can see that it roughly corresponds to a spoke end sticking out, and there is nothing on the tire when I run my fingers through it. The wheel is pretty old, I got it from a bike restoration shop. The holes in the tube are very small, the only way that I can find them is by filling a container with water and running an inflated tube through it. The tire I have is a Panasonic I got maybe 2 or 3 months ago.

What kind of rim should you have to put the black rubber rim tape and what kind of rim tape should you have when using the white cloth-like rim tape?

If you can see the end of spoke going out of the nipple, you should polish it with a rasp. If you do not see it, but feel with your hand, the tape will be enough (if it put right, as Batman wrote).


Can I install/convert a Giant Quick-e+ 2019 to use an Alfine 11 speed IGH? I have a Giant Quick-e+ 2019 and would like to install either a Alfine 11 speed di2 IGH. My first question is, is it compatible? I've been looking at the measurements and it seems all ok. But when I ask different bike shops I get different responses from ones like "why do you want to do that?" to it will break because it's an e-bike. One shop had a look and said it looks like it would work and thought that a bike like that being a commuter type bike would have been a good match, which I agreed and why I want it.

From the whole e-bike breaking the hub thing, Shimano list a version the SG-S7051-11 being revised with "Improved internal structure for better gear engagement" and "Improved performance for both E-BIKE and non-E-BIKE usage"
So I think for a 250w - 500w e-bike it should be ok, especially for my type of riding which is all on road/pavement and almost all flat?

What do people think about this project? Is it suitable? Will I have issues? What other components do I need? One bike shop said I might need a torque arm for it. I didn't know about this as I thought all I need was the correct washers for a vertical drop out.

Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

edit: I would be running the hub with either a 42T or 44T chainring and a 18T sprocket. Not sure if those ratios would be ok?

Seems like a perfectly reasonable project, but there is possibly a technical implementation issue.

The SG-S7051-11 hub is part of Shimano e-bike series that includes a motor, and as you pointed out Shimano says the hub is designed for an e-bike, so it obviously is fine to use it on your Giant.

The dropout spacing offered 135mm only, I would expect the Giant to have that spacing as it has a disc brake. You will need to run a chain tensioner obviously, but that's no big deal.

The difficulty I see is the compatibility of the anti-turn washers with your dropouts. The installation manual here shows quite deep vertical dropouts which the Giant does not look like it has. I believe that is why you were told you need a torque arm. Finding one compatible with the Alfine hub may be a problem, as I believe Shimano does not make such a thing for that hub.


Do the benefits from Cycling outweigh the harm of pollution So in riding to work on a daily basis, do the physiological benefits gained from cycling to work get outweighed by the harm that pollution does to the body? I.e. does it cause more harm that it prevents.

My concern is that when riding to work, I am breathing harder and riding with the daily traffic, so exposing myself potentially to higher levels of pollution than I would riding on a weekend day or away from heavy traffic.  This has the potential for causing respiratory issues, especially in Arizona where dust particles can cause irritation.  Does this concern negate the positive benefits such as increased respiratory capacity, reduced blood pressure, etc.?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2920084/ - "On average, the estimated health benefits of cycling were substantially larger than the risks relative to car driving for individuals shifting their mode of transport."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22124913 - "We estimate that beneficial effects of increased physical activity are substantially larger (3-14 months gained) than the potential mortality effect of increased inhaled air pollution doses (0.8-40 days lost) and the increase in traffic accidents (5-9 days lost)."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21816732 - "Public bicycle sharing initiatives such as Bicing in Barcelona have greater benefits than risks to health"

(Maybe your Arizona dust is an exception though. And dust masks do make it harder to breathe hard comfortably.)


Is there a practical gain from elliptical/oval chainrings? I have seen competitive (amateur) cyclists with oval chainrings (front). What is the deal? Are they just for showing off, or is there a practical gain from it (different force transfer).

In theory they are more efficient.

Throughout the pedal stroke your leg doesn't give an equal amount of force - ideally you want to spend most of the time pushing down with the big thigh muscles and a minimum time in the horizontal movements at the top and bottom of the stroke.

Elliptical front cogs give you a more up-down leg motion, so more time with the big muscles and more power - not sure how much it actually works in practice, or how much practice it takes to make it work.


Maintenance Schedule There are many questions that deal with routine/ preventative maintenance (including this one which is probably the most comprehensive Optimal Maintenance Schedule) but none deal with issues related specifically to mountain bikes.

Not all of us have access to a team of mechanics who rebuild our bikes for each weekend/ race but still want to get the optimal performance out of the components on our bikes.

Performance degradation is a continual process, I'm not going to notice a marginal decrease in performance over the sort term, but over a couple of months my brakes won't feel as good, my gear changes won't be as crisp and my suspension won't ride the same. I check over my bike after each ride and lubricate, tighten and clean as required to keep it running well and safe (I will rebleed the brakes if required) but know there's stuff I can't afford/ be bothered to do each week or month.

What I would like to know is when I should be anticipate carrying out more intensive servicing such as:

Suspension - oil and seal replacement (I have been told anecdotally that it should be every 35 - 50 hours)
Brakes - rebuild
Pivots - bearing/ bushing replacement
Rear derailler - rebuild, replace bearings/ bushings
Wheels - bearing replacement

Working on a premise of waiting until there was a definite failure or significant loss of performance would mean that I wasn't getting the most out of my bike overall and may in fact lead to my bike being out of service when I want to ride it!!

I think the maintenance periods for MTB are the hardest to predict, because conditions vary greatly.  If you ride in wet, muddy conditions you'll have to replace your drivetrain and brake components far more frequently than if you ride mostly in dry conditions.

You seem to be mostly concerned about bearing systems so I'm guessing you're riding in the slop a lot..  I'd plan on rebuilding the suspension after every season (or 6 months of solid riding), replace the disc brake pads and probably drivetrain components on the same schedule, but test this assumption - use a chain wear indicator and calipers to measure chain and brake pad wear respectively.  I wouldn't worry so much about wheel bearings, derailleur and frame pivots - they'll let you know when they're shot..


Upgrading rear derailer and cassette I recently got what most people would consider a cheap and toy road bike as a gift. It came with very primitive RD and cassette (shimano SIS? I think). I enjoy upgrading my stuff, my question is, would upgrading to a RD such as shimano tourney and another slightly more expensive shimano cassette yield better shifting performance and durability? After adjusting my RD it shifts fairly ok, however I feel that it is very cheap and flimsy.

If its a low quality bike, you're probably best off just selling it and buying a decent bike to begin with -- there are good used road bikes for reasonably low prices.

The first problem is that cheap road bikes likely don't even have cassette+freehub systems -- they have freewheels. High quality freewheels aren't cheap, and you do need a freewheel remover of the appropriate type. It also won't really affect the shifting performance unless your rear cogs are not actually ramped for shifting.

The rear derailleur upgrade may make it stay in adjustment better, but the rear derailleur is really a "yes man" to the shifters - the shifters tell how much cable to pull and the derailleur does that subject to the limit screws not letting you shift into the spokes or out of the rear cluster,the B screw's body angle and the cable tension being good. To get good performance out of this, you'd need good shifters and a good derailleur.

Unfortunately, shifters are not cheap and have to be matched to the number of speeds in the back (unless you run friction shifters where the shifting is a continuous motion which you trim), and will likely cost more than the bike itself.

Your best option in terms of performance is to just adjust everything as well as you can and run the bike as is. When things start failing, get a new bike. If the things are so low quality that Tourney is an upgrade, pretty much anything you do will be an improvement in performance and durability but it will also cost more than the bike is worth (and you will likely to be able to buy a used bike with better quality components once you take into account the component costs (possibly even excluding tools+labor costs)).


Combining Shimano RS500 crankset with Stages Shimano 105 5800 I've been thinking about getting a power meter for a while now. I finally decided I would get one, but now I realise that Stages only starts at the Shimano 105 level.

I currently have a Shimano RS500 Crankset ( 50 x 34 ) and I'm very pleased with it, so I don't feel a need to replace the whole crankset with a 105 5800.

I also have no plans to upgrade anytime soon to Dura Ace or something like that (the rest of my bike has the 105 5800 set), so I don't think I should buy a higher lever crank arm from Stages.

Now, I know something about bikes, but not a lot. It seems that what I have (RS500) looks compatible with the 105 crank arm (just judging by the looks), but I would like to be certain before I spend this amount of money.

My set: http://www.bikester.be/398351.html
Stages I would like to get: http://www.powermetershop.de/en/stages-power-meter-shimano-105-5800

Kind regards and thanks in advance,

Many individuals are running non matching hollowtech II stages crank arms with no ill effects.

Stages themselves cites this as OK.

Note the Dura-Ace crank below.

Crank Compatibility: All Shimano Hollowtech II road cranks

Go ahead and purchase with confidence and enjoy cycling with power.

I run an Ultegra 6800 Stages on a 6700 Crankset personally.


Multimodal - Packing a bike for a trip with several different transport stages In few months we are going to visit Japan to cycle the 88 Temples pilgrimage there, and therefore we want to take our bikes with us.

Neglecting the transport from home to the airport, I will need to carry the bikes first on the plane, and then from the airport to the starting point, either via train or bus, with the constraints that the bikes must be covered and shall not exceed certain dimensions, else they won't be ammitted on the transport (and the train/bus crew is very strict on the size fitting).

I booked a direct flight to minimize handling at airport, but still I am not able to decide among the various options for packing them (taking for granted that the bikes will have the wheels removed and tightened to the frame before packing):

Use two hard bags:

Plus: good protection of the bike during the flight

Minus: hard to store for the flight back, rather expensive, won't allow usage in-between in case we decide to take train or bus
Use two soft bags covered with Fragile labels

Plus: lightweight and easy to carry along, less expensive than hard bags, can be used also for taking the bikes on the train or bus no matter when it happens during the trip

Minus: do airport operators care about "fragile" bags?
Use cardboard boxes

Plus: they come for free, good protection

Minus: likely single use only, where to find a new pair of boxes in Japan (both bikes are XL, not really the common Japanese size),  won't allow usage inbetween in case we decide to take train or bus.

Talking with a friend who is often travelling on airplanes with his bike along, he always used a simple home-made soft bag with no labels, which led only to a bent derailleur gears after several trips. In my case the derailleur gears will be protected by the dissasmbled rear wheel, but I am still concerned about the carbon fork, which is not really keen to take strange impacts.
Another one told me he found a kind local who accepted to keep his cardboard box at his place for the entire lenght of the trip, but I'd rather not count on lucky meetings to plan this trip.

This is how I travelled with budget Wizzair from Malmoe to Warsaw:

Three bikes were wrapped with stretch foil, with almost no disassembly, just handlebar turned by 90 deg.

One bike was totally disassembled, including derailleur removal, and put in soft bicycle-bag.

No damages were observed.


Is it practical to replace two sprockets on a cassette? My bike has 53/39T chainrings and a cassette with 12,13,14,15,17,19,21,23,25 sprockets, but I like to ride up steep mountain roads. Is it possible (without great expense) to replace two sprockets to make it a little easier to spin instead of mash?

My rear derailleur is a Shimano RD-6500. I tried checking online, but I couldn't find a clear description of what the maximum sprocket size it supports is. Would it be practical to replace, say, the 23T sprocket with a 24T and the 25T with a 27T?

Or is there something else I should be considering to make the gearing a little more friendly for spinning on steep roads?

No, you will need to get a whole new cassette, the largest 3 rings are connected to each other, you cannot just purchase individual cogs. You may want to get a new chain as you will probably need to make a chain length change with jumping from a 25T to 27T or 28T largest cog.

Do you know if you have the SS or the GS?

With the SS (short cage) you can go as big as 28T, Shimano sells a 12-28 cassette.
With the GS (long cage) you can go as big as 27T, look for a 12-27 cassette.

Another option for easier spinning is a new compact crankset, Shimano comes as a 34/50, but you give up high end speed.

EDIT:

Added screenshot of the relevant tech info for the RD-6500. Hope it's helpful.

Although the derailleur has the capacity for 28t as an SS derailleur, Shimano never produced a 9 speed 28t cog. Therefore, as a practical matter, the 27t is the largest option available for the RD-6500 Ultegra 9 speed derailleur from Shimano. There are cassettes available from Interloc Racing Design which fill this missed niche.


I want an old road bike to fix up that goes fast. Where do I start? I would like to get into road biking with some co-workers who have fancy new road bikes. However, I prefer to buy an older bike from the 70s, 80s, or 90s because I like fixing up  older stuff and I'm a little cheap.

Will I have a chance of keeping up with these people on an older bike if we have the same fitness level?
I'm looking to buy from Craigslist. What components/brands/features should I look for on an older road bike to know its of good pedigree and capable of keeping up with my co-workers?

Am I setting myself up for failure by buying an older road bike and expecting to go fast? Not sure if it matters, but I'm a fit 195lb 6 ft. 2 in. male.

Thanks!

I have a similar outlook on bike purchasing - something nice enough to ride but cheap enough to afford.

First question - do you have a chance of keeping up with an expensive bike assuming equal ability?
There are lots of variables - but assuming this won't be an all out race you will do fine on a good quality older bike.

Generally extra costs equals reduced weight.
Here is an article that compares weight with speed.
The bottom line is that a heavier bike does effect speed - but not very much. One extra kilogram on a 100 kilometer ride with mild hills = 30 seconds slower.

There are other factors - bearing quality, wheel quality, tire type and inflation, etc. that come into play. The truth is - it's the rider that makes the biggest difference in performance.

Second question
The three key indicators when I look at a bike in that age range are brand, crank and condition.

I'm looking for a brand I recognize.
It's a long list and it boils down to - look at bike store bikes and not department store bikes. Bike shops back then sold cheap bikes but generally the worst bike store bike was better than the best department store bike (I'm sure there are exceptions but it's guide)
I'm looking for a forged aluminum crank.
Low end bike shop bikes had cranks with cotter pins or cranks that look like this:

The arm and the chain rings are actually two separate parts. In this case the chain rings are steel and the arm is aluminum. The arm is held to the rings with a type of rivet that allows flex while pedaling.

Medium to high end bike shop bikes have a crank that looks something like this:

The arm and the spider - part that holds the chain rings is all one part - solid. This means less flex.

Generally a bike shop bike with a forged crank will have a pretty good frame, aluminum rims and solid components. This will filter your selection into the medium to high range so you can focus on the other aspects of the bike.

Condition

the obvious visual check for dings, rust, etc.
Front tire is has tread and is not cracked/weathered
Front wheel is straight
front brake works well
Headset is correctly adjusted and smooth
Rear tire has tread and is not cracked/weathered
Rear wheel is straight
Rear brake works well
Chain ring is not worn
Chain is not stretched
Cogs are not worn front
Rear derailleurs shift well
Slip the chain off the crank and check for correct bearing adjustment
Remove the front and rear wheels and check for bearing adjustment

An issue with any of these things is not instant disqualification from purchasing - they are all factors in how much effort you will have to put into the bike and how much you should pay.

I'm sure there are other tips for finding the right bike but this is the broad brush I use to focus in on bikes of interest.


One-sided axle vs regular axle I’m planning to build a pedal car for kids (which I would love to use too), and many of the samples I saw on the web use one-sided axles. I know wheel chairs and some brands like Cannondale use them but I can’t find any clear information, so my question is: Can any regular axle be used as a one-sided axle (ending it with a washer and nut) or it should be something specific for that? This question is from the axle strength perspective, considering that the weight will be distributed onto four wheels.

Consider the design of a conventional axle.  This is a cutaway of a rear hub, so just look at the right-side and imagine that reversed on the other end.

In the middle is an axle of threadded rod.  A bicycle has maybe 15mm of this poking out on either side, and it is supported on the dropouts of the fork or frame.

If you replace this axle with a much longer one and only support it on one side, then you risk bending the axle just outside the locknut.

By comparison a wheelchair axle (aka a stub axle) has a short shaft but its much meatier.  In this image, #38 seems to be a collar or similar to spread the load.

Drive

Also consider that bicycle wheels do not take drive through their axle.  THe axle is fixed and the wheel rotates around that.

So your pedal car won't drive through the axle very well.  Instead you want the bearings to be on the body of the pedal car, and the whole axle and wheel should be locked up, something like this:

So the rear wheels are direct drive.

Safety avoid the temptation to make a three-wheel pedal car.  They are inherently tippy, and not recommended.

Steering A four wheel pedal car will probably need ackerman steering else its hard to turn.  Depending on your kid's weight this may not be an issue.


Unpatchable hole on rim side Well, I am new to road biking and I got my first flat yesterday. I was going to go for a ride and the front tire was completely flat, so I popped it off and went to patch it. I found the hole, it was on the rim-side, and I noticed that the rim tape had slipped off a little and the spoke hole was slightly exposed, so I pushed the tape back to position, patched the hole, and pumped the tire back up.

As I was pumping it up the patch blew out. So I went back and tried to stick another patch on, and it blew out too. I ended up going through about six patches before I got one that 'worked.' I let it sit a couple hours and it was holding pressure just fine. After about 4 hours I was going to go for a bike ride and it was completely flat again.

I took the tube off again and there was a wrinkle that formed in the patch where the air is coming out. I checked the rim tape and it was fine, none of the spoke hole where sticking out. My current theory is that the tube is conforming to the shape of the rim on the inside, right where the patch is, and forcing the patch to wrinkle and inevitably blow out.

I am completely at a loss as to what to do here. I've patched tires on my mountain bikes many times and have never had this much trouble. I don't want to get a new tube, I have only like 60 miles on this tube. Should I just try slapping another patch over this patch's wrinkle and hope for the best or should I just start from scratch with a new tube and rim tape?

Thanks.

I'm not sure why this question needed four paragraphs to explain, but I'll indulge it. However, I want to point out that the most effective decision is whatever results in a reliable tube using the least amount of time, money, and effort to accomplish. That should be obvious and not need to be pointed out.

That said, I would personally buy a new tube and rim tape. I might even buy a new tire while I'm at it. If a tube keeps going flat, there are only two or three possible explanations.

The patch isn't taking
The rim or something in the tire (e.g. small, short piece of metal)
keeps puncturing the tube
The tire is worn through/weak in a specific area

There is a certain level of convenience in patching a tube. If you're having to patch the same spot on a tube multiple times or keep getting multiple flats on the same tube in a day, or even a week, is it really worth your time to diagnose when you can spend ~$5 on a new tube and rule possibility out (unless you're extremely unlucky and get a defective tube, which has happened to me once)?

If you feel it is really worth your time, you can rule out the first potential cause by pumping up the patched tube outside of the tire, and putting it in a tub full of water. Watch for air bubbles.

You can try ruling out the second by running your finger through the rim and through the inside of the tire, but BE CAREFUL! You can slice your finger open if there's something sharp and big enough poking through.

The latter is something you can only determine through visual inspection. I know one of the most confounding flats I've ever had was caused by a small cut in the tire, big enough for the inflated tube to poke out of, embolize, and eventually blow out.


Chain slipping off a non geared bike I have a normal ranger bike without gears, I've had this bike for quite a while now, been 8 years. But recently it's chain has started slipping off. I have maintained it well, changed the chain a couple of times and got new tyres twice.

What could be the reason of the chain slipping? I always tell my bike guy to fix it permanently, on which he bluntly says, "there ain't a permanent fix". I ride it to work everyday so I can't afford these intermittent slip offs. Recently I went to a new repair shop where he told me I should get the rear wheel axle changed. Could it be the axle or the hub?
Is there any way to find out. Coz everytime I go to the guy complaining that the chain is slipping off, he just aligns the wheel and says it won't happen now. LOL

I have used SO for a lot of other queries related to other walks of life. Hoping for a positive response.

So, chains aren't very different from tires in the sense that, they have to be replaced regularly, especially when you are commuting regularly. During summer and fall when I commute and race the most it's not unusual for me to replace my chain every other month. Chains get worn out, they stretch, they start to skip and behave poorly. If you haven't replaced that chain in two years, I'll bet my hat that it's falling off because it needs a replacement.

A new axle couldn't hurt either if you're axle is looking worn and starting to slip. You might have to trust the word of the repairman that pointed out the worn axle.


Hydro disk brakes only work when pumped I live in a very wasteful student neighborhood, and just found a lightly-used Kona Lisa DS (ca 2007ish) with Hayes Sole hydraulic disc brakes in the garbage. After a thorough dusting, it's in great shape, and I'm ecstatic.

The brakes, however, fail to stop (or even slow) the bicycle unless pumped repeatedly. I can depress both levers fully and wheel the bike around with little to no resistance. If I pump the levers repeatedly, both front and rear brakes seem to gain the pressure they need, and begin to function as expected. I'm not sure they're working well, as I'm terrified to ride the thing in this condition, but they are working much better. Release the levers, wait a few seconds, and I'm back at square one.

Notes: This is occurring after giving the brakes a full bleed. (Both brakes were also useless prior to the bleed.) I am new to teching hydro brakes, but know my way around a wrench and think I did a reasonably good job. This is a pressure issue, not a pad/rotor surface issue.

Why is this happening?
Is this repairable? If so, how?
Given the age of the brakes, and my very limited student budget, is this worth repairing?

Thanks for your help and experience,
Chris

Probably air in the lines. Assuming that's the case, yes, worth repairing. You'll need to bleed the brakes. To do that, you'll need the appropriate bleed kit. Probably $20 or so. Here's the service doc. Do not use the wrong kind of brake fluid, as that can damage the seals.


Can I put a rack on a carbon road bike? I got a carbon-framed Kestrel Talon Road Bike recently but I also want to use it for commuting to and from work and I want a place to put my lock and other stuff on the bike. Is it possible to have a rack on this kinda bike.

It is (strongly) not advisable to put a rack on carbon.

You could probably put a lock mount on the handlebar stem (I do).

You could get an over-sized seat bag.

Possibly a handlebar bag.

Bottle cage bag but they don't have much capacity.  They are good for like wallet, cell phone, and keys.

Don't like to do product recommendations but Revelatedesigns have a lot of bags.

Not easy to find but there are carbon forks with rack eyelets. But I would not do that to that bike.

Not a typical commuter bike.


Pros and cons of single-sided forks (Cannondale Lefty)? Looks like they save some weight, but how do they have a better strength/weight ratio than a traditional two legged fork?

With the single-legged fork the fork and axle must resist huge bending all the time, producing even more of a problem than with the 2-legged fork under uneven compression.

So how is this fork constructed and what advantages and disadvantages does this bring?

The single-legged fork must truly withstand heavier bending forces than conventional forks, simply due to physics and asymmetricity. But because of its different construction, the fork is actually stiffer than most 2-legged.

Pros

The top is attached like a dual crown downhill fork, which is much stiffer than a single-crown.
The wheel axle is one-piece with the bottom part, which is stiffer than a quick-release axle (which is not solid at all) and on same level as a 15 thru-axle or 20 thru-axle. This design is used also on cars where the wheel doesn't have support from the other side.
The biggest difference is inside. While normal forks have round tubes that slide on oil film, the Lefty uses needle bearings on a square profile (same as the front leg of Boeing airliners.):

Such solution works with almost same friction under heavy side-loads, whereas sliding tubes, when side-loaded (uneven compression of legs), do get friction losses (rolling resistance wins).
Having conventional fork with one leg wouldn't work, such a fork would get stuck. Having bearing-fitted 2-legged fork is an overkill and unnecessary weight.
The heaviest Lefty is still lighter than lightest carbon 2-legged.
You can replace the tire without removing the wheel.

Cons

If you need to remove the front wheel, you need to remove the brake caliper also.
The axle works only with Cannondale hubs.
The front of bike will look unbalanced until you get used to it.
Pre-2013 models of Lefty are not sealed, having the bearings track just under a rubber sleeve. This required almost constant maintenance. Post-2013 models have a rubber-sealed leg with bearings further inside and with one plain bearing at the bottom which allows for service intervals as normal forks:

Previous models, as some bikers on forums complained, had more linear action: they were easier to bottom than normal forks. So now the newer ones should have more progressive compression. (This is opinion based, but quite a lot of it online, there are no measurements.)
A Lefty is much harder to service than a normal fork. You need a couple of special tools, and the assembly is complicated.


Why not have the bearings in the forks themselves with through-axles? Given that we're moving away from QRs to through-axles - partly driven by the torque needs of disc brakes, why not follow the natural progression and move the wheel bearings from the hub to the forks themselves.

Generally you want bearings as close to the load as possible. Having them in the fork is as close as one could hope. It'd also allow the axle to be very thick, which would add strength.

Given that every idea in bicycling has been tried at least once, has this been done before? What are the demerits of such an idea?

Interesting idea but the front axle (whether is be a 15mm through-axle or a 9mm QR axle) does not rotate, the hub-body and by extension the rest of the wheel rotates about the axel via the bearings. Making such a system where the axel does rotate (e.g. unicycle fork) would require creating a capture system (which is the current function of the QR) to secure the wheel to the fork that would likely be less user-friendly that the quick-release based systems we have come to expect.


My fork stem is rusted - should I replace the forks? This is my first post on here. I will try to be as specific as possible, but I'm also new to bike maintenance, so apologies for any wrong terminology.

I have a Giant ATX 2 from 2017, bought second-hand quite recently:

I'm in the process of servicing the headset, but it turned out the stem was pretty well rusted on. It took quite a lot of whacking (with a rubber mallet) and twisting the lock nut etc. to get it free. I'm now looking at the stem on the forks and wondering whether it's worth trying to sand it down and regrease it etc. or if I'm just better off getting new forks. I know they're not great forks (SR Suntour XTC that come with the bike), but I'm trying not to shell out too much if possible (hence getting the bike second-hand).

This is the state of the stem/forks:

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance,
Jamie

The corrosion can be removed from the steerer with no problems.

If the corrosion was bad and extended into where the top headset bearing sits, there might be a problem as the steerer would not fit into the inner bearing race properly. I can see that is not the case here. (Interestingly you can see where the stem and spacers are positioned on the steerer from the corrosion patterns.)

Clean the corrosion of with a coarse steel wool or high grit emery cloth. Get some decent assembly grease and put a light coat on the steerer, and the stem bolts, interface between stem and handlebar etc.


Steering in pivoting boom front wheel drive recumbent bike I am a student pursuing BTech from new delhi. I am undertaking a project in which I am required to build a recumbent racer bike and then compete in a race.

Last year, I built a rear wheel drive short wheelbase recumbent bike but I found that it had an inefficient drivetrain due to which I could not win the speed event of the competition.

This year I am planning on building a front wheel drive short wheelbase recumbent bike. Since there is a problem known as heel strike in the case of fixed boom front wheel drive, I am more favoured in building a pivoting boom type front wheel drive bike.

With this type of a bike, I am concerned about its slow speed stability. I will be required to clear slalom sections in the race for which I need easy steering at slow speeds.

Will it be difficult to steer at slow speeds given the crank rotates while steering?

I've built one and ridden a couple of commercially made ones (Cruzbike and a European one) and I have not been very impressed. That design has never done very well at our local races, for example.

That's the prototype we built that convinced me it wasn't a design I wanted to go further with. It was quite rideable but there wasn't enough great about it to make it worth choosing that design over something more conventional.

As far as slalom racing goes, you'll obviously be trying to build something lower and more reclined than I did, possibly like the CruzBike RAAM bike. I think it will be worse in the slalom than a fixed bottom bracket bike because pedalling while turning is harder, and at sharp turning angles is impossible. The main problem is not so much the funny angles between the pedal and your ankle, but that the inside leg is pushing out on the steering, while the outside leg is wrapped around the bike and pushing in. That makes pedalling in circles basically impossible so it is very hard on your arms (and the handlebars have to be beefed up to take the extra forces).

There are a lot of recumbent designs out there, even if you limit yourself to two wheels. I suggest looking around the homebuilder sites and maybe going to a traditional highracer style SWB bike. The RAAM CruzBike is effectively a highracer, but a steep seat one rather than laid back. Those are pretty easy to build and do better in slaloms than the really low lowracers do (higher CoG means there's less mass moving around the slalom cones).


Which type of bike is the right for these conditions? I want a bike that is fast on the road but can also go offroad. By offroad I mean mostly gravel and a little dirt but no mud or very little. Cyclocross bikes caught my interest but they seem expensive. Can I buy a road bike and change a few components to make it more suitable for offroad? About 100km is as far as I'll probably ever go. I'm not a cyclist but I am a runner. I'm worried that the gears are too big or how should I say it, I'm afraid I won't be able to go uphill with a road/cyclocross/gravel bike.

It sounds like what you want is a gravel or adventure bike.

There is not a distinct category, and different manufacturers use different names, but the basic attributes you are looking for are:

Road bike style frame, ISO 622 rims, drop bars
Clearance for up to about 40mm tires
Disc, linear pull (V) or cantilever brakes
Slacker steering geometry
More relaxed body position

There is a blurry line between this type of bike and a cyclocross bike. True cyclocross bikes have recently moved to 1x11 drivetrains. Unless you live in a very flat area you should opt for a bike with a double front chainring.

There are offerings from many manufacturers with aluminum and carbon fiber frames (and some steel) at a variety of prices. You can also look for a used bike.


What is the safest and most courteous way to ride on a two-lane road? There is a one-mile two-lane road close to my home with no bike lane, but with a large sidewalk. I ride this road every day, and it got me curious what I should be doing. The speed limit is 35 and the roads are pretty empty except during rush hour.

Most riders either stay close to the curb like below.

And I have noticed that cars pass them on the left, and it seems very unsafe to me when there is another lane.

Other riders use the sidewalk like the below. But since there is a lot of foot traffic and trees and such you would be very slow.

And I do the below.

I hog the whole lane so no cars pass me on the left. I average around 16-18 mph on this road, and it's only a mile long. Most of the time it's fine, but during traffic I feel like am not courteous.

And once in a while there are cars parked although very rare like the below. Which I really like because the whole lane is for me, and I can go around the cars.

I use the method in your 3rd picture - I take the middle of the lane when there are no bike lanes. I am helped in these cases by the fact that these roads in my city usually specify the right-most lane as a shared car and bike lane.

Besides the speed issue you state when riding on the sidewalk, it is also hazardous for both the cyclist and pedestrians.

I feel that riding far to the right, while still in the lane, just invites cars to pass you even when there isn't enough room.

Taking the middle of the lane is my way of encouraging them to overtake the proper way by fully moving into the left lane.


How to haul 3 recumbent trikes by car There are 3 of us with recumbent Terra trikes and need to purchase a trailer or rack to hold them. There are a lot of different trails in Florida and we want to ride them. The trikes don't fold. So how can we do it without taking 2 or 3 cars.

My first thought was just to pile them all onto a roof rack. Even with a smallish car you should be able to get a platform rack that will take two trikes, one facing forward and one backward. Then stack the third (smallest) trike on top of the rear-facing trike. That will likely put the highest point of the trike more than a metre above the roof of the car, but that should be fine. I would run a strap from the trikes to the front bumper of the car, partly for security but also to remind you that they're there. There are a lot of stories of cyclists driving into garages with bikes on the roof (the bikes are often destroyed).

I couldn't find a picture of three trikes on a roof rack, so here's one with four trikes on a small car :)

I searched online for "recumbent trike car carrier". There's at least one company making a hitch rack that will take two trikes, the "Truckee". Add a roof rack and you should easily fit three trikes on even a smallish car.

A lot depends on how strong you are, as trikes are not particularly light and those carriers require you to life the trike some distance onto the car. With a roof rack you can (carefully) roll the trike up over the windscreen.

If you have a station wagon with split rear seats you can very likely fit a trike in there with the rear wheel poking through one of the folded down seats, but you'll probably have to pull the "bottom bracket" out of the trike to close the rear door, which is a bit of a hassle (but since that's where you adjust the trike for size, it's something that's designed to be easy-ish to do). If the car is slightly larger you can probably stack two trikes then roll them into the car this way. With something like a Suburb you could probably remove the rear row of seats and stack three trikes across the back on their sides.


Why does a 28 1/3 tyre fit, when a 27 1/4 tyre is too big? I've just bought these rims off eBay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercian-built-Wolber-rims-Shimano-hubs-vintage-27-inch-good-condition-/270921291817?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item3f142ad829#ht_500wt_1401

I've fitted a 27 1/4 tyre to the front, no problem.

But the rear only accepts a 28in Tyre, and the 27 is too big...

Why is this? And what size would this make the rim?

Many thanks

From what I've gathered here: http://www.ctc.org.uk/desktopdefault.aspx?tabid=3802

It would appear that some 28 tyres fit onto rims with smaller diameters.

Now, that raises a new question, why would Mercian sell a pair of wheels with different size rims? - Or wouldn't they?

European ISO 622mm (AKA 700c) tires are often labeled as 28" tires.  Confusingly, the very rare 635mm tire is also labeled 28".  This is unfortunate and leads to much confusion.  The common 27" tires are ISO 630mm, which means that you will almost always find that tires labeled as 28" are actually smaller in diameter than those labeled as 27".

The sizing system for bicycle tires is a confusing mixture of "standards" from different companies and nations.  The definitive Sheldon Brown tire sizing article has more detail than you'll likely ever need.

If your 27" (630mm) tire is slightly too big for your rim, it's likely that the rim is 622mm.  It's probably worthwhile to visit your LBS; there are lots of standards and when it comes to tires you definitely want to make sure they are properly fitted.  Having a tire come off the rim while riding is an unpleasant experience.

As commented above, the difference in sizes between the wheels is probably because the wheelset didn't originate as a pair and came from different sources.


Chain Splitter vs. Chain Tool vs. Chain Breaker What is the difference between a Chain Splitter and a Chain Tool and a Chain Breaker?

Are they the same thing?

Most likely the same.

I think there are only really two "chain" tools (i.e. tools with "chain" in their name). One is used to break a chain, and goes by names such as chain splitter or chain breaker. So you'd use this for removing a chain completely off the bike, for example to replace it. You might also want to look at Power Links in this context, as using a Power Link means you can sometimes avoid using a chain splitter altogether (which requires a degree of precision).

The other is used to hold a freewheel/cassette in place, and is called a chain whip. You'd typically use this in conjunction with a lockring, when you want to remove the freewheel/cassette.

Unfortunately I've heard both called a "chain tool".


Are tow-hitch bike racks legal? I am considering buying a tow hitch and bike rack for my minivan to transport a few bikes for an upcoming vacation.  I've read a few reviews of these bike racks, and many folks have said that their license plate is not visible with these racks.

In the US, is there anything I need to get with my bike rack (license plate frame, extra tail lights, etc.) to make hauling my bikes legal?

This will be state depended, and the law enforcement response is likely very localized (down to individual officer responses).

Where I live (outside US) it is illegal to have the numberplate obscured. We have a choice to either temporarily relocate the plate, or we can buy a Supplementary plate. In both cases we have no obligation for number plate lighting provided the main plate is in it's correct place when that is not obscured. As far as local law enforcement - the only problem is you will get pinged rarely - usually a cop who has not got his ticket quota this month.

Many people print there numberplate onto a piece of card and use that - whilst not legal I have not heard of anyone being ticketed for doing it, but i have heard of people being ticketed for not having anything.

Best option is talk to a local bike shop - the one you are buying the rack from - and ask them.


Switching from a dérailleur to a gear hub I'm upgrading an old bike with a five speed dérailleur system which I'm trying to convert to use a three speed gearhub from Shimano. I have assembled the wheel, I know how to set up the gearhub itself, but there's one question that bothers me: the chain.

Currently, the dérailleur pulls the chain and keeps it in tension. When I install the gearhub wheel, the dérailleur itself is ought to go away, but as I understand I need to keep the chain tight. Should I make it shorter or install another pulley? Is it possible to somehow reconfigure the dérailleur to pull the chain as a temporary solution until I do it properly?

"Old" bikes – those from before the '80s or so – usually have horizontal dropouts that allow maybe 2 or 3 cm of fore and aft movement. That should give you enough room to tension the chain. I would think that a 5-speed bike would date from this era and be built with horizontal dropouts.

If that's the case then you can probably don't need a chain tensioner, just adjust the chain length so that it is long enough that you can get the wheel into the dropouts and short enough that you can get the tension right before you hit the back of the dropout.

Failing that, you could set up the existing dérailleur as a chain tensioner – either by leaving the shifter in place (and remembering to leave it alone) or by removing the shifter and cable and setting the limit screws to hold the  dérailleur in place. You can also buy chain tensioners that are just "unshiftable" dérailleurs.


Bike Balancing, How is it done? When riding hands free, I am noticing my bike is more oriented towards a particular direction (In my case: left). I tried to check of what my problems might be:

I check the handles, if they were of equal lengths on both side
I also check, if my saddle was not straight.

I can't find out what is causing them. Please tell me, What are things, steps and techniques needed to balance a bike.

More Info:

The problem started after my last servicing.
I do use multiple bikes, and the orientation is not the same for both of them. So, my personal balance and weight does not affect this case.

Check also that your headset is correctly installed - my bike pulled to one side until I checked the bottom race and saw that it wasn't flush with the head tube.