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Is it normal to wear out the rear tire with in a few months when using a trainer? Early this year I attached my bicycle to a trainer, around the December time frame of 2011. The rear tire and inner tuber where shot by March of 2012. Riding about 24 Miles per week. Is this normal with the use of a trainer? I have had the bicycle since 2004, and the tires were in good condition prior to attaching to the trainer. I have never had a flat, and the tread wear was good, probably had about 3000 Miles on the rear tire. After 3-4 months on the trainer the rear tire was bald, and the nylon belting was stringing on the inside of the tire, and the inner tube could not hold pressure long even with patching. I ended up just order a new tire and inner tube for the front wheel and rotated the old tire and tube set to the rear wheel. Should I plan to do this every time I hook up the trainer for the season? <Q> This is common and is a result of the constant friction and increased heat of the small roller on the trainer. <S> Larger diameter rollers will see lower degradation of the tire, but it will still be a problem. <S> Most riders <A> Trainers are notorious for chewing up regular tires. <S> They do sell trainer tires that are built to take the rubbing and wear that a trainer dishes out. <S> What a lot of people do is buy a cheap wheel (Such as a neuvation or similar), throw a trainer tire on it and use that when they mount their bike to the trainer. <A> As @GaryRay has stated trainers are tough on tires. <S> Many riders would not think of going for a ride without checking tire pressure but forget about checking the trainer tire. <S> The low pressure on the tire and high roller pressure generates heat from the deflection of the sidewall as the wheel spins. <S> the heat damages the tire. <S> Also verify that the tire /wheel is as perpendicular to the roller as possible.
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One condition that accelerates the wear is low pressure in the tire and high pressure on the roller. I know use less expensive tires, or older tires that they no longer trust for use on the road when they switch to the trainer.
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Maximum weight an average bicycle can carry? A few years ago, I've bought this (see edit) bike. At that time I was around 90 kgs and I didn't have any problems. Today I'm around 120 kgs and I was considering (among other things) starting cycling again. Is this bike "good" enough to carry me? What should I expect? Any tips? EDIT! Apparently, Drag have renamed some of their bikes in the last few years, so the above information is a bit wrong. This seems to be my bike. At first I didn't recognize much difference, but this one has suspension on the front which mine also has. Does this change anything <Q> On a road surface you will be fine - try not to jump any kerbs ;-) <S> You might want to check the spoke tension <S> reglarly - those are the parts that will suffer most. <A> I'd say no sweat -- the bike can handle you and another 100kg, so long as you don't go off-roading with it or some such. <S> The wheels appear to be 36-spoke and plenty wide, so they can easily handle the weight. <S> The frame is a standard diamond, the strongest design you'll find. <S> No fancy suspension to bottom out or break. <S> Barring a manufacturing defect or incredibly poor materials probably the seat will be the first thing to wear out. <S> Do get it an annual checkup at your local bike shop, though, if you end up using it regularly. <S> Update: <S> The changes to the original post affect what I said above to some degree. <S> The "new" bike has an aluminum frame and front suspension. <S> The Al frame is a bit more apt to fatigue over time, especially if overloaded (though a 120kg rider is not really "overloading"). <S> Of slightly more concern would be how well the front suspension handles the load, something that is hard to judge. <S> The bike is most probably OK for a 120kg rider, but questionable for, say, a 180kg rider. <A> 120 kg is not that heavy, especially for a bike that is meant for a rider and panniers. <S> You don't have any carbon bits that have trouble with periodic flexing which really leaves the wheels as the potentially weak link. <S> Am I too heavy for my road bike tires? <S> addresses tires and as Daniel R. Hicks points out, you've got fairly robust wheels -- there're tandems that have similar wheels.
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Compared to the force when a bike with even a light rider goes over say a pothole or a jump the static load from a 120Kg rider is small.
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Can I soak my helmet in water? I have a lot of sweat in all straps and padding in my helmet. When i ride in heavy rain the salt from my sweat starts dripping down my face. Its very unpleasant especially if it goes in my mouth. How can I get rid of this salt? <Q> The helmet itself is (probably) polysterene foam inner and a harder plastic shell, it's fine to wash this in water and some mild detergent (eg dish soap) <S> You can try and wash the straps in hot soapy water. <S> The problem is the pads. <S> Usually washing the pads means that they come unglued, the surface layers separate from the inner cushion part. <S> All you can do is keep the extra ones you get to size a new helmet and swap them. <S> I don't know if pro racing type helmets come with multiple sets of replaceable straps and pads - but they should. <A> You should refer to the manual for the helmet for cleaning instructions. <S> Usually it will say to use mild soap and water. <S> A helmet will not be damaged by water, but don't use heat to dry it afterwards as this can destroy your helmet. <S> Also, if the padding is removable then you might be able to get replacement pads. <A> You should be able to wash, even submerge, your helmet in water, with perhaps a dash of mild detergent. <S> Use no other solvents or additives. <S> If submerging, agitate very slowly, since the force of water against pads or other loosely-attached elements can be quite strong. <S> Dry by draining thoroughly and placing in a slightly warm place (not somewhere where you could not sit comfortably for at least a few minutes -- high heat can kill a helmet). <S> Expect it to take 2-3 days to completely dry if submerged. <S> DO NOT put the helmet "away" (in a bag or box, in an enclosed area, etc) before it is thoroughly dry.
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If pads are removable, remove them and wash separately, but washing with the helmet should not harm the pads (or their adhesive) any more than riding in the rain or sweating in the helmet.
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What is causing phantom shifting on front chainring? I have a steel cyclocross bike which doubles as my weekend bike and my daily commuter. About a month ago I got in a wreck and bent the rear derailleur hanger and the rear derailleur. Got the hanger re-aligned and put on a new derailleur. Chain was not all that worn (checked it) so didn't replace it. Fast-forward about three weeks. I was noticing significant "phantom shifting" which was primarily when putting a lot of torque on the pedals (I have 220mm cranks and go up a 10% grade on the way to work). Everything seemed to be lined up on the stand, but on inspection the chain had multiple links with cracks in them. New chain=problem solved... for about 3 days. Now it's started acting the same way. It frequently "skips" and occasionally tries to shift from the middle chainring to the small chainring if I'm riding uphill, which threatened to unhorse me once. It can also do this on the large chainring. I checked visually and there's no snaggletooth. The chainring does seem to have a very minor wobble -- less than 1mm left/right, but I've noticed that the phantom shift/skip is indepenendent of where my feet are (ie can happen with left foot up, right foot up, etc) Any ideas on what else could be causing this / what should I check? <Q> One thing to check is whether the crank integrity is intact -- the shaft could be bent, there could be a cracked cup, or the axle/cartridge could simply be loose. <S> Also, the crank arm may be bent or loose. <S> If the crank shifts under load (due either to the axle shifting or a loose arm) <S> it could easily account for your phantom shifts. <S> Next is the rings. <S> You imply that one ring has a "slight wobble", which may indicate a bent arm or may indicate the ring needs replacing. <S> Also, the rings may simply be worn to end of life -- from experience this can cause phantom shifting. <S> Another possibility is a "galloping" rear derailer. <S> If for some reason the rear derailer is not taking up chain smoothly it can cause front ring phantom shifts. <A> I've had this happen before too. " <S> Skipping" while putting lots of torque down, although it wasn't skipping left <S> /right <S> it was skipping up/down on the sprocket. <S> It turned out that replacing the chain without replacing the gears was a waste. <S> Because the chain had been so old and thus deformed/stretched <S> this caused the all the teeth on the sprockets to be deformed as well. <S> Normally when a chain gets old you replace it before it's deformation influences the rest of the drivetrain <S> but it will if you let it go. <S> By replacing the chain and not the gears your new chain was aged almost instantly to the state of the old chain by the already deformed gears. <S> the gears are much stronger than the chain and try to force the chain to conform to their shape. <S> Before their deformations are in sync you will feel skipping. <S> The answer for me was to either deal with the skipping until the new chain was just as bad as the old chain <S> but at least there was no skipping because then the gears and chain would be in sync (this is at the cost of needing to replace the chain sooner because the wear is greater and faster and then deal with the skipping all over again) or replace everything and start over fresh. <S> the start over fresh option means you'll get more life from a new chain <S> and you can pay better attention to it's wear and replace it in a more timely manner. <A> You didn't mention the bike's age or what it's made from. <S> Older bikes will flex a lot more in general, but it would be more noticeable in the bottom bracket area. <S> Steel frames will flex more than aluminum, which will flex more than carbon fiber. <S> If you're putting a lot of torque on a bike with an old steel frame, maybe it's time to look at a new frame. <A> These are all good ideas <S> but I like the idea of frame flexing due to a damaged frame. <S> Phantom shifting can often be cause by poor chainline. <S> I'm guessing that as you pedal hard it causes the frame to flex more now that it did before the accident causing a poor chainline and the chain to drop to the smaller ring. <S> Besides the annoying phantom shifting, you may also have a safety issue with the frame.
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Since you didn't have this problem before the accident I'd suspect something tweaked or cracked in the frame, especially in the bottom bracket or chainstays (this is where most torque is transmitted to the rear wheel).
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Can you reverse the sprockets on a cassette to lengthen its lifespan? I know my bike's rear cassette needs replacing, but before I do that, is it feasible to dismantle the 8 sprockets to reverse their spin? Can you increase the lifespan of a cassette by letting the cogs wear and tear the other way? <Q> Assuming you have Shimano-compatiple Hyperglide cogs: No, you can't. <S> The cassette body is not symmetric, the cassette fits in only one position. <S> You could resort to adapt the cogs with a file, though. <S> But shifting will be problematic at least, the cogs have certain indents to make shifting smoother. <A> The problem is that any rear cluster designed for indexed shifting has directional cogs. <S> There are ramps embossed on the sides of the cogs to catch the chain pins and lever the chain up to the next larger cog when the chain is shifted. <S> If you somehow reverse the cogs these ramps will be on the wrong side of the cogs and will be running the wrong direction. <A> Yes you can, at least with some old cassettes. <S> Disassembling the cassette was a pain though... <S> and I accidentally broke one of the plastic spacers <S> so I replaced that with some copper ring I had lying around. <A> Yes, this is possible,I have done this on a modern 9-speed cassette. <S> This takes me about 1 hour. <S> I do this to my new cassettes so I am ready to flip the cogs when needed. <S> You will need a new chain to match the new surface of the teeth on the reverse cogs. <S> The shifting ramps do not matter, I do not even notice the difference. <S> Since you are knocking the pins out of the cassette which hold it together the torque from pedaling goes on a single cog. <S> It is a good idea to have a steel hub body and really tightened down the tightening ring on the cassette. <S> In doing this I have no wear marks on my Hub body. <S> I am able to sufficiently tighten and loosen the cassette with my little touring travel tool. <S> No need to carry a chain wrench and cassette removal tool. <S> It is also possible to reverse the chain Rings up front too. <S> Go with all Steel chainrings. <S> You can get steel chainrings from China for $4 each,the quality of the steel is good. <S> I have found I can get roughly 6,000 to 6500 miles on a drivetrain before the chain starts slipping. <S> By using two chains and swapping them in and out every Thousand Miles I can get two thousand more miles out of the drivetrain thus bringing the drivetrain up to 8000, 8500 miles. <S> By using three chains I can bring the drivetrain up to around 10,000 miles. <S> Then flip all the cogs and chain rings and start over. <S> Another strategy is to take a cassette apart and get rid of the spacers then only carry the cogs. <S> You do not even need all of them since you typically just wear out three or four. <S> This is my drivetrain strategy for touring.
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You do have to knock the pins out of the cassette which hold it together and file down the small index slot on each Cog to reverse the Cog on the cassette and it will work. Get rings which are not recessed on one side for the screws that hold them together, then when you flip them the spacing between the chain Rings will not change . I have done this myself on a old racing bike from the 80s and it worked like a charm.
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Rear wheel sliding/slipping on turns? When I take turns, my rear wheel is sliding to the outside of the turn. I'm riding a 2012 Norco Heart, brand new stock tires, single-speed. I'm not carrying much weight, or taking turns too tightly. Any ideas? <Q> Try adjusting the tire pressure you may be to high or to low. <A> You may want to check that the rear wheel isn't coming loose on the axle. <S> If the nuts that hold the bearings in have come a bit loose, the wheel might slip a little in the corners. <S> If they are very loose, the wheel will wobble even when you're riding in a straight line. <A> Your body position may be an issue. <S> When the terrein is loose, you need more weight on top of the bike. <S> Essentially leaning your body less, and shifting weight to still provide downward pressure vs all lateral pressure relying too much on grip and inertia. <S> And tire pressure for the right terrain is key. <S> If its loose, 32psi and above will break loose faster than say 28psi. <S> If you have to go by feel, you need it to press in a bit if you squeezed it with your thumb, or if you are on it, guess 20% compression squish would be a best guess for your weight.
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If it is low the sidewall can squirm inturns making handling inconsistant, too high and the tire can be so hard it bounces off the surface when hitting any imperfection. So as you lean and carve into the corner, you may need to lean the bike, and your body at different angles.
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How does a two wheel drive bike work? A two wheel drive bike is a bike without a motor that can still turn. The front and back wheel both get power. How does a bike with this type of drivetrain work? <Q> The obvious answer is a linkage up to the head set, and down to the wheels. <S> Hydraulics would be viable as well. <S> However any power transfer system will lose power, which cyclists do not have in excess, which is probably why it has not been done. <A> It has been done,is being done and is wildly accepted by the few who feel the need for and have the wallet for, a two wheel drive bicycle. <S> A google search for two wheel drive bicycle will yield enough hits to keep you busy for a few hours. <S> Every one I have seen is flexible shaft drive. <S> The shaft is driven by a gear mounted where the rear disc would be and a similar arrangement on the front. <S> A flexible drive shaft connects the two gears. <S> Maybe someday it will be the norm but for now it is more of a curiosity, hey people thought 29ers were a fad. <A> My friend Chad Harrington out of Chula Vista made one back in 1993. <S> It didn't really catch on, but it will give you an idea of how to make one. <S> I doubt that phone number is still active, but I wonder if "Turner Drive Systems" is still in existence for some input. <S> You can also read a little about it at BMXMuseum.com <A> Offhand, I can't think of a way this could work; the reason you can have all-wheel drive on a car is because of the differential gear . <S> With one wheel in front of the other and the drive mechanism placed between them along the axis of travel there's no simple way to do it and still have a turnable front wheel. <S> The penny farthing was able to apply the drive force to the front wheel by having the user sit almost completely on top of it, but the rear wheel still remained fixed. <S> The large front wheel is a function of not being able to use gearing to increase the torque / rotation speed; in other words, every time the center of the wheel (with the pedals) spun once, the outside of the wheel spun once . <S> This wasn't very efficient, however. <S> The only other method I could think of would be to have some kind of flexible shaft driving the turnable wheel, but the loss in torque / speed would be huge. <S> Technically the trike below has two-wheel drive, but it's also technically not a "bicycle" in that it's got more than two wheels. <S> It's an interesting thought exercise. <S> If you don't mind me asking, what would be the benefit of a two-wheel (front and back) drive bike? <S> the power output would remain the same - one dude, pushing as hard as he can, will still only output one "dude-power" ("dude-power" is the amount of energy you get by burning Jeff Bridges. <S> It's equivalent to about one-third of a "Walter-hour"). <S> The small footprint of a bike won't gain anything appreciable from being able to apply torque to a different wheel (just lean back to get more traction). <A> Somehow power needs to be transmitted to the front wheel without creating torque on the steering axis. <S> There are various differential (coaxial shaft) schemes that would sorta work (hard to believe, though, that they'd not have so much friction as to generate unacceptable steering torque), or one could use a belt drive with a belt that could twist on itself. <S> A flat belt running through the steering tube (perhaps with guides inside the tube where it would tend to twist on itself when turning) and attached to a drive pulley at the top would probably work, though it would be exceedingly awkward. <S> Also exceedingly awkward but worth <S> a mention is "windmill" drive. <S> This is the inverse of your standard windmill water pump where the reciprocating shaft from the windmill drives a water pump below. <S> The other option is electric drive. <S> In fact, most electric-assist bikes already have, in effect, 2-wheel drive. <S> One could add a generator to the back wheel to supply power to the front (in place of a battery), similar to the electric drive of submarines, diesel locomotives, and large military trucks. <A> We did this in 1996 with a differential mechanism and by nullifying the torque at the steering. <S> It was quite successful with various advantages like easy drive the sandy road / muddy / loose gravel without skidding, and no skidding of bike by turning the steering at max of 90 degree even at high speed. <S> The bike was designed to take different speed automatically at both rear and front while turning and the speed can be doubled without at having gears at rear wheel. <S> But it was heavy because of metal gears. <S> It was tested by TI cycles of India, a commercial Bicycle manufacturer in India.
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Have a reciprocating shaft running down the steering tube, operating a crank on the front wheel, and driven by a crank axle above.
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Will a change from 26x2.10 to 26x1.95 tires improve speed? If I change my 26x2.10 MTB knobbies by 26x1.95 slick tires, will I feel any difference on my speed on paved roads? or is it going to be the same? I am kind of confused about how much I should change the width of my tires to notice an improvement in my speed. The reason: I will be using my MTB to commute. <Q> I run some pretty aggressive knobbies on my MTB (Panaracer Fire XC Pros) and with <35 PSI in them, that makes for some noticeable rolling resistance. <S> On my vintage no-suspension MTB, I run slicks with 60-65 PSI in them, and those are halfway to being road-bike-like. <S> Even with the MTB gearing, I can hold 15-16 mph on that bike for a decent amount of time. <S> You did not indicate what kind of suspension your MTB has. <S> With any suspension, you're probably going to get a little pedal bob, which will rob you of some energy. <S> That, combined with the upright riding position, will hold you back a little. <S> But the engine (your strength) is more of a factor than tires, suspension, and bike weight. <S> Once upon a time a friend of mine-- road bike rider, likes Italian bikes, pretty fit at the time-- used to regularly get passed on a local muni trail by this little guy on a vintage mountain bike who was dressed in street clothes and riding to/from work. <S> These roadies would be doing a paceline at a good speed, and the little guy on the mountain bike would just roll right past them, comfortably holding 2-3 mph faster. <S> I wasn't there, so I can't tell you if the mountain bike guy had modified his bike or what. <S> But he used to say "good morning" or something similar, every time he passed them, with a big smile. <A> I've made this change myself. <S> You'll notice that you don't slow down as fast when coasting, meaning it takes a tiny bit less power to maintain speed when pedalling. <S> But not enough to go noticably faster. <S> The biggest improvement will be the noise reduction :-) <S> And fast cornering (on the road) will feel more secure. <A> I think you will notice a difference, but if/when you go back to knobbly mountain bike tyres, you will notice a huge difference. <S> It will be much more noisy, going round corners at any speed will feel strange and insecure and you will not coast anything like as far when you stop pedalling. <S> From all this, I think you can conclude that the effort for the same speed is reduced with slicks. <S> You will also start to think that mountain bikes with 2.1 inch tyres look like they have doughnuts for wheels. <S> You will also probably notice that your tyres last longer too. <S> Long distance commuting on knobbly types wears out the central knobs, leaving them unsuitable for much at all. <S> If you commute in the wet, the knobs also throw up more water from the sides that lands on you. <S> I have used unbranded back street bike shop 26x1 and Specialized 26x1.5 road tyres (with tread, not slicks) on my mountain bike for all weather commuting and both lasted for ages. <S> Good commuting. <A> I did this a few years ago on an old mtb when I started to use it for commuting. <S> However going to 1.95 hardly seems worth it - I bought a pair of Conti Gatorskins at 1.25. <S> You'll need new innertubes with these too, but you'll find your ride a lot easier and faster.
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If you run your knobbies at typical MTB pressures, and you run your slicks at higher pressures, you should experience less rolling resistance, which could translate to higher speed. You won't notice a speed improvement, but there will be a very slight effort reduction that might lead to a tiny bit more speed. I don't know what tires you're talking about exactly, so it's hard to say how much of a difference it will make. Make sure you pump the tyres up to their recommended pressure.
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Can a (relative) beginner adjust spacing on a 501 cromo road frame? Have acquired a cheap old Peugeot road bike from ebay; nice cromo frame, but it needs a new rear wheel and unfortunately I didn't check the dropout size before buying. It has an OLD of ~120mm, but I am finding it very hard to source any new or second hand wheels that would fit that, and most of those that do seem designed for fixed sprockets. There are plenty of seemingly 'cheap and cheerful' wheels with 135mm hubs that would otherwise be perfect. Sheldon Brown's article on frame cold-setting makes it sound easy, but I'm worried it'll be hard to adjust each side to be exactly 7.5mm further out and keep the wheel central, even using the string method. Has anyone got practical experience of this? In addition, will there be any other effects on the running of the bike I've missed? <Q> If you're going to be respacing, I'd suggest an alternative method from sheldon's 2x4 method. <S> Use a threaded rod with washers and nuts. <S> It's far more controlled and easier to keep your frame aligned, plus you can keep it in the stand as you work. <S> See here <S> If you need to adjust the dropout alignment, you can adjust thusly <A> Sheldon Brown has another article on dropout spacing which you may want to read. <S> 135mm is usually found on mountain bikes. <S> If you're planning to use MTB wheels on a road frame, you'll have other concerns besides spreading the dropouts. <S> So far as I understand it, the rule of thumb says that going up one "size" when it comes to older steel road frames is OK. <S> In other words, go ahead and use 126mm hubs on a steel frame with 120mm dropouts, but maybe not 130mm hubs. <S> Most steel frames have a little flex, which permit the rear dropouts to be spread a few millimeters in order to accept a newer (wider) hub, but going from 120mm to 130mm may cause problems with the dropouts coming out of alignment. <S> Your mileage may vary. <S> There are other possible solutions. <S> A recent thread on BF mentions off-center rims . <A> Another possibility:Change the width of the hub. <S> Many hubs have spacers that can be removed so you can convert them to 126 mm or even less. <S> You would have to change/shorten the axle though. <S> I have done that often enough, it is less obtrusive than bending the dropouts.
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The rear dropouts on road bikes are typically 120mm, 126mm, and 130mm.
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Does the inner tube affect the maximum PSI? If I have road tires that have a recommended pressure of 110 PSI and maximum of 120 PSI can I safely pump my tires up to that level or does the inner tube effect the maximum? I currently have the tires pumped up to 90 PSI however the question What Pressure Should I Run My Road Bike Tyres At seems to indicate I should go for the full 110. It feels when I'm pumping that it would be very hard to pump above the 90 mark and I am wondering if the quality of the inner tube (or a inner tube max PSI) could be the reason. Should I just go for it and try to pump it up to 110 PSI or am I best off leaving my tires at 90 PSI? <Q> The inner tube has no significant effect on max pressure. <S> The valve stem area is the only area sensitive to pressure, and in general the valve can withstand 200 PSI or better. <S> (And if you exceed whatever limit there is the result is "catastrophic" failure, not simply the inability to pump in more air.) <S> What it sounds like you're noticing is the geometry of the pump. <S> A piston pump has a compression ratio, just like a cylinder in an engine, and the max pressure that the pump can generate is that compression ratio multiplied times the 14 PSI of atmospheric pressure. <S> In general, pumps are designed either to move a lot of air at low compression ratio to fill low pressure tires quickly, or to move less air at a higher compression ratio to be able to fill high pressure tires at all (though more slowly). <S> Good quality pumps will be advertised with a stated maximum pressure, and you can fill tires reasonably fast to 80-90% of that max pressure, after which progress will slow to a crawl. <S> So when you shop for a pump you need to pay attention to that number. <A> The most likely cause of the increase in difficulty at higher pressure is the mechanics of the pump. <S> You have to work harder to squeeze more air in the tube. <S> The tire rating is the controlling factor in constraining the tube. <S> The tire construction supports the tube to allow it hold the air at high pressure. <S> Pressures higher than the tire rating cause the tire to fail. <S> Without the tire to support the tube it would pop like a balloon. <A> In addition to the tire limiting PSI, rim tape is also a factor. <S> Over time, this can cause the tube to fail. <A> The ride will be more comfortable and maybe more efficient five or ten pounds lower.
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Cheap rim tape can prevent higher pressures since they, and the tube, will dimple into the spoke holes of the wheel. But most riders would probably think 110 pounds as excessive unless they are very heavy.
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Protocol for slipstreaming another cyclist? I have a nice 12 km commute where lots of different bicyclers travel. The entire stretch is only for pedestrians&bicycles, no cars to worry about. I ride a regular old 5-speed bike (not a racing bicycle or mountain bike), but I'm a very fast biker compared to the general bike traffic I see (average 25-30 km/h). I'm only overtaken by people on electrobikes, and by fanatics (all the right gear, but no bell because it weighs 12 grams?). It might be interesting to ride closely behind someone whose speed matches mine, but what's the protocol for doing this, apart from road safety concerns? Should I address people first, ask their permission? Or do I just approach from behind and stay close to them, without specifically indicating that I'm there? At my speed, I won't be stalking a granny -- it would probably only ever be a lone hobby race cyclist here or there. Note that I am steering clear of team bicyclists; they probably have their own patterns that I don't want to interfere with. I've noted someone following me a few times (without any indication) but it doesn't bother me because people who can keep up with me usually overtake me after a while anyway, so at best I've given them a moment's pause. As long as they don't crash me, they're welcome. Add-on question: It's clearly more polite to take turns leading, but does it cost you more energy when someone is following you, compared to cycling alone? <Q> I've found it courteous to come up beside the person and ask permission. <S> I usually say "how far you going?" or "mind if I join you?". <S> If the person says yes, I usually take the first pull in front just to show them I'm not a wheel sucker. <S> As an avid cyclist, I've found very few things more annoying than riding for a good chunk of time, only to look back and find someone just sitting on your wheel with no announcement or indication that they are there. <A> It might be interesting to ride closely behind someone whose speed matches mine, but what's the protocol for doing this, apart from road safety concerns? <S> In my experience, if you can keep up then you can draft someone. <S> At the speeds you're talking, with the exception of those on electric bikes, most of those cyclists will be involved in some form of cycling (track or road, mountain less so) <S> so they aren't as bothered as others might be. <S> Some will get "cat 6" on you, and try to drop you if they notice. <S> Drafting really close <S> (wheels are close -- within 1 inch/2.5 cm, or far worse - overlapping) gets more dangerous at the higher speeds because as the person drafting, you don't have the time to react to quick braking/etc. <S> As the person drafting, you should not be relying on the leader/person ahead to point stuff out - you should be looking ahead and around to anticipate as much as you can for yourself. <S> does it cost you more energy when someone is following you, compared to cycling alone? <S> No. <S> The leader is working harder, breaking the wind for those behind them. <S> Having people behind you doesn't change that. <A> There is more to consider than just whether you're slowing down the lead rider. <S> I find someone drafting on me annoying, because it forces me to consider them and their actions. <S> Particularly when I'm on my commute home <S> I find it selfish that they're imposing that on me. <S> For example when I approach a slower bike to overtake, I do a head check to make sure the coast is clear behind me. <S> However, then I see the drafting bike and have to assess whether they're attempting to overtake me or just sitting on my wheel. <S> If I knew them and trusted them I'd probably be safe in assuming they're going to stay on the wheel, but for a random person I can't trust that they won't be trying to overtake me. <S> When it's safe <S> I use hand signals and call out changes, but it's not a responsibility I want or have asked for. <S> There are other examples, including turning corners and none of them are that serious, but put together they add up to a bunch of small inconveniences that aren't welcome. <S> In summary, on a commute I don't think it's okay to draft at all. <S> This all changes on a weekend blast, as I suspect more riders are willing to get in a line on a looooong stretch into a headwind :) <A> When people do this with me, I indicate after half a mile <S> or so that I'll let them take the lead for a while, and then without much further discussion we tend to rotate like that until one turns off - and generally we'll wave. <S> Never really formalised this though. <A> I would think that the safest approach would be join on behind for enough time to adequately work out the person's speed (30-60 seconds) then to pass them slowly and deliberately, slowly, move back in, offering your wheel in return (i.e. take your time, don't massively accelerate and then brake <S> - if you've a computer, you know the speed they were at, match it when you're in front as quickly as possible). <S> They would probably not have noticed you, but by deliberately swapping places, you're explicitly offering to share the work - and they can then show their answer: slackening their pace and letting you go <S> sticking to you and then passing you dropping the hammer and leaving you for dust (strictly an attempt to drop a perceived Fred ) <S> I think it's the safety angle that would most concern me; riding in a paceline, swapping the lead duties, but mostly the riding close to the lead rider's rear wheel is tricky and not everyone can do safely at speed. <S> An organised line will have signals and protocols borne from shared experience and these are important in avoiding obstacles and reacting to events - you'll be missing these, and you'll be in a potentially more target rich (i.e. many slower peers) environment. <S> As to the question of expense, there are some references, e.g. http://www.exploratorium.edu/cycling/aerodynamics2.html , http://www.bicyclesource.com/slipstreaming , suggesting that the lead rider could actively benefit from being drafted due to the effects of the air closing back around them. <A> Racers might call it "slipstreaming", but normal road users call it "tailgating". <S> Other than in controlled conditions (like a race, or a cycling club ride), you shouldn't attempt it. <S> It's dangerous, and no less rude than if you do it in a car. <S> If I catch you doing this behind me, I'll slow down until you back off, just like with any other tailgating vehicle.
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I've also had someone ride into the back of me because I've had to slow down due to foot traffic on the bike track. And if you "invite" me to tailgate you by overtaking and cutting me up, I'll probably respond with a rude gesture. There's no asking involved, but it is appreciated if you switch up to lead for a little while. The real key is to take turns drafting. The real issue is that the person leading needs to communicate their movement, like avoiding obstacles (glass, people, holes, etc).
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What are the side effects of blood doping? It has been in the news that endurance athletes such as cyclists sometimes increase their red blood cell count by blood doping. I don't understand how you can just pump more blood into yourself, there must be some bad side effects to doing this, right? <Q> Basically, the intended effect is to increase the number of red blood cells in your system, which in turn gives you increased oxygen carrying capacity to the working muscles. <S> This extra oxygen allows your muscles to work longer and harder. <S> In the early days of "blood packing", circa the 70's and 80's, it was basically taking a couple of pints of blood out of the body, storing it and letting the body naturally replace it, then transfusing it back into the athlete before their events. <S> Erythropoietin has actually been around since the early 1900's, and in the 60's, they found that it stimulated blood marrow to produce extra red blood cells. <S> In the late 80's, a synthetic EPO agent was created, and this is what led to the EPO use as an athletic enhancing agent, other than its legitimate medical uses (Anemia, and other diseases). <S> The biggest effect from extra blood cells (Other than the risk factors of homologous blood {Blood from an outside donor}) is that the blood becomes thicker and more viscous. <S> This can lead to blood clots, strokes, heart attacks and pulmonary embolism. <S> This becomes more likely at rest/sleep, as the heart rate slows quite a bit. <A> Here is an excellent article from Outside Magazine written by a journalist who rode brevets and decided to explore performance enhancing drugs (EPO & HGH) and write about it. <S> The really sad thing about these drugs is that they appeal to really talented and dedicated athletes who've reached the pinnacle of their abilities and who have only a very limited amount of time before age or injury degrades their physical performance. <S> I am sure that you'll be able to find plenty of references on the physical side effects of these substances (yes, they're dangerous and potentially fatal). <S> But the psychological "side-effect" is significant as well. <S> People who take these drugs become acutely aware that they are not themselves and that their performance is not entirely their own. <S> That, by itself, let-alone health consequences is a huge burden that must be carried in secret by athletes who've spend a decade or more developing their abilities using only their own talent and hard-work. <A> Blood doping isn't only pumping more blood into your body. <S> Your body increases hemoglobin (red blood cells) when you are in great altitude. <S> This is caused by lower air presure which doesn't allow the lungs to transport enough oxygen into the bloodstream. <S> Therefore the body can increase the ratio of red blood cells in your blood to compensate for the lower oxygen intake. <S> If you train hard in big height this compensation mechanism really kicks in, raising your hemoglobin level. <S> After doing the traing the high hemoglobin rate only lasts a few days(?)/weeks, therefore you can remove this blood from your body and freeze it for competition. <S> Before the competition starts you reinject the froozen blood (maybe remove some current blood?). <S> This gives you an higher oxygen binding rate and gives you more power on the bike. <S> You don't need EPO or anything. <S> EPO also increases hemoglobin but without the need of high altitude. <S> I wouldn't really concider that blood doping, but the link from the previous answer differs. <S> I think your question referens to "doping with your own blood" (not a native speaker, don't know the technical term) <S> If it harms you? <S> People in high altitude maybe live shorter, but that might be caused by missing health care system, poverty and missing education in countries with high mountains. <S> I think other factors such as increased radiation in heights might account for more deaths than some cardio-vascular stuff. <S> Therefore saying more hemogobin equals higher mortality might be a long shot and empirically wrong. <S> Are there any studies? <S> (not that I know of, but might be worth a search). <S> Injecting large amounts of blood may well be a hazzard if the blood starts to clot, or was contaminated during storage, but I guess that's a small risk. <S> I don't think enough cyclists died from injecting their own blood to make some profound statement. <A> From the World Anti-Doping Agency: http://www.wada-ama.org/en/Resources/Q-and-A/Blood-Doping/ <S> While proper use of EPO has an enormous therapeutic benefit in the treatment of anaemia related to kidney disease, its misuse can lead to serious health risks for athletes who use this substance simply to gain a competitive edge. <S> It is well known that EPO, by thickening the blood, leads to an increased risk of several deadly diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and cerebral or pulmonary embolism. <S> The misuse of recombinant human EPO may also lead to autoimmune diseases with serious health consequences. <A> If the blood is from other individuals then there are a number of hazards, from AIDS and hepatitis to malaria and Lyme disease. <S> Plus there's always a chance of a sort of allergic reaction to the blood due to mismatched antigens. <S> If the blood is "autologous" -- from your own body -- then the above risks are avoided (so long as someone doesn't mix up the blood). <S> But there are non-trivial risks of infection, blood clots, and iron overload. <S> On the "donating" side, since you're probably stressing your body in several ways, there are additional risks.
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Taking other peoples blood may well mess you up, if some unexspected immune reaction kicks in.
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Would silica gel inside my bike frame be effective in preventing corrosion? I ride my bike in all weathers, and I'm concerned over the possibility of rust forming inside the frame and going undetected. I can't easily obtain FrameSaver or the like, so I'm thinking of dropping a packet or two of silica gel desiccant inside the seat tube of my steel-framed bike. I'm concerned that its effect won't last as long, or that it will be rendered ineffective should a small amount of water pool inside my frame after riding in the rain, soaking the gel packet. Does anybody have any experience with using silica gel packets to prevent corrosion? Does it do a comparable job to corrosion-preventing sprays? <Q> No, it wouldn't work as long as the frame is not hermetically sealed to keep water from entering (I don't know why manufacturers don't do that). <S> The silica gel can only absorb a tiny quantity of water, a drop or so per packet, then it becomes ineffective. <S> It is only effective to absorb water vapor. <S> You can bake it in the oven to regenerate it. <S> If you want to play with it, there is a version with a water-sensitive dye (blue -> pink, now illegal because of cobalt content) and orange to a bit less orange. <S> If left open, it will change color quickly. <A> What the other Dan said, plus if you drop the stuff into your seat tube it will end up in the bottom bracket housing and muck up your BB bearings. <S> It is quite unusual for frames to rust through anyway <S> (I've only seen it on frames that have been left in the weather for years, if not decades), and if you're that concerned you can remove the BB and headset bearings and give the whole inside of the frame a good blast with WD-40 once or twice a year. <S> Someone who's really a fanatic could figure out how to coat the inside of the frame with auto undercoating, but that would add considerable weight. <A> It is not so easy for the water to get inside the frame, and fortunately in this case, the oposite is also true: it is easy to keep it out. <S> You can use hot glue to cover a bunch of tiny holes meant to let fumes out during the welding of the frame. <S> These holes are usually near the extremes of the seat stays or chainstays. <S> Hot glue won't stick too hard and wont damage paint. <S> Can be removed by just the fingernails. <S> The other tubes do not require these holes as they connect to some other. <S> Top Tube for example has ventilation trough a hole in the seat tube (remove the seat post to check if it's there) and the headtube. <S> The same for the downtube, it comunicates to the headtube and the bottom bracket shell. <S> This limmits the water entrance posibilities to the bb bearing, the headset bearing and the seat tube collar. <S> The lower end of the steer tube is most of the time open, you can seal it by using a cork or a similar rubber snap-in seal... <S> For the headset bearings there are comercially vailable neoprene or rubber sleeves, but you can make do with ol inner tube of an apropriate size that fits tight <S> (For the top bearing: just remove the stem, slide the rubber and replace stem.) <S> Similar thing can be done for the seatpost collar, the short cut usually towards the back of the bike collects water and debris thrown by the rear wheel. <S> It can be protected with either commercially available neoprene sleeves or with old inner tube. <S> If you can't find a tube that fits tight you can lessen it's diameter by cutting it and gluing with vulcanizing compound (a.k.a. patch glue). <S> Some frames have unused screw holes for accesories like water bottle or the like. <S> Cover these with correct boltls or hot glue. <S> There are also plastic plugs for this purpose (if you can get hands on them), some of wich resemble bolts.
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Good bearings correctly installed should have seals that avoid water getting inside them, and also keep it from geting into the frame.
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Why does my floor pump only fill a presta valve tire after a pop sound? I have had a generic floor pump from an online bike catalog company for years, and have filled many Schrader valve tires with it without any problems. I have recently started to use Presta valve tires. When I try and pump air into a Presta valve tire, the air doesn't seem to go into the tire. It takes me several trys at reseating the pump to get it to work, and every time it does work, there is a distinctive "pop" sound. How do I get it to work every time? <Q> What I find helps, is: tap the valve post a bit to let out a small blast of air (after loosening the captive nut all the way, of course). <S> That helps unstick things and lowers the pressure inside a bit to make it easier to start pumping air in. <S> Just takes a quick tap. <S> If you don't do that, you may need to pump slightly past the pressure of the tire to actually start pumping air in. <S> A Schrader valve is a spring-loaded valve that the pump head opens up by pushing down on a pin. <S> That means that once the head is engaged, pressure is equalized between the pump hose and the inner tube of the tire. <S> When you engage the head, some air comes out of the tube into the pump head and hose, and when you work the pump, you're immediately pumping air into the tube/tire. <S> A Presta valve doesn't have a spring. <S> The valve is kept closed with air pressure, and the captive nut helps ensure nothing bumps the valve open. <S> The pump head generally does not press down to force the valve open, and instead the valve is opened by increasing the pressure in the hose past the pressure inside the tube/tire. <S> You generally have to pump until the pressure in the pump/hose/head matches what's in the tube before any air actually flows into the tube/tire, and sometimes a bit past that. <S> I suspect that the "pop" you're hearing is when external (hose) pressure overcomes the Presta valve, it opens up, and pressure equalizes suddenly between the pump hose and the tube. <A> Yep, first, of course, unscrew the little knob all the way . <S> Also, when tightening the little knob tighten it only just barely finger tight -- don't try to get it super-tight. <S> If you overtighten the valve you distort the rubber seal in the valve and shorten its life (in addition to making it more likely to stick). <A> That's just how it works with Presta valves. <S> When you attach the pump head to the valve, it does not open the valve mechanically. <S> The valve remains closed. <S> In order to open the valve you have to start pumping the air. <S> That external air pressure that you create with the pump (i.e. pressure in the pump hose) has to force the valve open. <S> The moment it opens is when it makes that "pop" (or "tick") sound. <S> Once it opens, it stays open until you disconnect the pump. <S> How much pressure it will take to open the valve depends on how "sticky" your Presta valve is and on how much pressure you already have in your tire. <S> To make it easier, you should tap the valve head a few times with your finger before attaching the pump and, preferably, drain some air to reduce the inner pressure in the tube. <S> Some pump heads have a pin in them, which is there specifically to mechanically open the Presta valve when you attach the head (some Lezyne heads?). <S> Such pump heads usually don't exhibit this "sticky valve" issue. <S> However, such pump heads are relatively rare. <S> A typical pump head for Presta relies on air pressure to open the valve, as I described above.
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Then, before installing the pump chuck, press the knob in briefly to let out of burst of air and assure that the valve is not stuck closed.
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Is a self cleaning lube enough for chain maintenance? I've been trying to figure out what I should use when cleaning my bicycle chain. When I first purchased my bike, I knew I needed to lube my chain when i did regular maintenance. I purchased some White Lightning Self Cleaning Bicycle lube, which suggested to me that I only needed to put that lube on the chain and everything would be fine. I recently purchased another brand of lube, and it didn't say anything about self cleaning. I've read in several places that a degreaser is needed and a cloth and some soap to clean a chain properly, and then lubing takes place afterwards. If I buy White Lighting self cleaning lube (or another Wax based lubricant), do I need to go through the regular chain cleaning steps(of de-greasing, soaping, greasing/lubing again)? or can i just lube my chain and go? <Q> It depends -- on the lube you use, the type of riding you do, and how much of a maintenance nut you are. <S> The "drier" the lube you use, the cleaner the chain will stay (though "dry" lube does not protect as well against moisture). <S> If you ride on roads, and rarely ride in the rain or slop, you need less chain maintenance. <S> Some people have to have their chains spotless, others can tolerate a bit of grime. <S> Keeping the chain spotless probably adds 5-10% (over "moderate" maintenance) to chain and sprocket life (though you can overdo it and actually make things worse). <S> But that extra 5-10% life is not that significant. <S> This removes a lot of grime and also removes excess lube that will attract more grime. <S> I generally use a chain washer system about once a season (and when I was commuting regularly I'd use it about once a month). <S> Others do more, less, or none at all. <S> (FWIT, I also generally use a Teflon or wax-based "dry" lube, though I used to switch to something heavier when I did winter riding.) <A> White lightning in particular is a waxy lube, not an oil based lube. <S> The idea is that as dirt gets embedded in the lube, the wax flakes off instead of trapping the dirt particles and leaving them in a position to work themselves in between the plates of the chain. <S> Most other lubes are oil based, so they don't have this property. <S> I don't have much personal experience with wax based lubes <S> so I can't comment, but I have met cyclo-tourists who carried a block of paraffin wax which they melted and dipped their chains in every night as part of their regular maintenance. <S> This never seemed to be a maintenance savings to me. <S> If I buy White Lighting self cleaning lube, do I need to go through the regular chain cleaning steps? <S> or can I just lube my chain and go? <S> When you buy a new chain, it comes greased, but that grease should be clean of grit. <S> If you don't keep reapplying white lightning as often as recommended or the chain looks visibly dirty, then you're running the chain effectively without any lube or grit protection, so you should clean fully before reapplying. <A> I've used white lightening and thought it was good. <S> I never use oil based lubes now - <S> they're just too messy and you end up paying double because you need to first buy the oil and then also buy expensive degreaser to wash them off again. <S> I do get through wax based lubes faster than oil <S> - you have to reapply more often. <S> Compared to the faff of oil based lubes though, it seems worth it. <S> You do have to still clean your chain and cogs off every so often. <S> How often depends on the weather, distance and type of terrain you've been cycling through. <S> But, it seems like far less mess and time is required than oil based lubes. <S> To clean I soak the chain in a mix of hot water, washing up liquid and something like kitchen/hob surface cleaner. <S> I think my girlfriend appreciates it too as I make less of a mess when doing any bike maintenance. <S> I forgot how nasty oil based lubes can be until recently when I stopped on a trail to help a guy with a broken chain. <S> His chain was gunked up nastily. <S> The oily emulsion looked like it held particles of grit in it well, so I'm sure he was grinding through his chain and transmission with it. <S> Also, I gave up trying to wash the stuff completely off my hands after I got home, and ended up with marks that lasted a few days until my body shed a layer of skin. <S> I wouldn't have had that problem if he'd used a wax based lube. <A> I apply the wax lube whenever my chain 'sounds' dry. <S> When I hear a bit more noise than usual <S> I know it is time. <S> Although with lubrication, the more frequent the better as increased wear occurs when there is not enough. <S> First, I use a rag (t-shirt, old sock, paper towel) to clean the dirty wax globs off the chain and chainrings. <S> Then I apply the wax lube to the top and bottom of the chain, spin the cranks a while, and then re-apply. <S> After several years I am nearing the end of my 12oz bottle and my chain (while clearly stretched out) is still nice and bright. <S> The best part of wax lube is that it does not stain my pants. <S> I was recently reminded of this when I went to get my wheels trued at a shop and the mechanic put some oil based lube on the chain. <S> My pant leg got a huge black stain. <S> Who wants to ruin their (relatively) expensive pants to prolong a (relatively) inexpensive chain?
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One important thing to do, after lubing, is to use a rag to wipe the outside of the chain. Since White lightning is not a grease, using a degreaser is probably not necessary except when you switch from an oil based lube to a wax one. For the last several years I've used wax on my daily, all-season, lives-outside, fixed-gear, commuter, salty winters and all.
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How does stiffness in carbon frames increase speed? I have a Specialized Roubaix with a 7r carbon frame; the Tarmac has 11r. Will I notice a speed change if I ride "exactly" under the same conditions? Does the additional 4r = more speed? I am thinking in upgrading but I dont want to make the investment without some good feedback. <Q> General rule of thumb, a stiffer frame will absorb less of the input energy and transfer more energy - hence more power from you legs means more power to the wheel. <S> But.... <S> The bikes have different designs, so the aerodynamics of the bikes and the rider on them will be different which will result in different speeds. <S> And then... A stiff frame will transmit the road imperfections into the rider causing fatigue and causing the rider to expend more energy because the bike/rider is being lifted up by road imperfections where as the more flexible bike will absorb them meaning the bulk of the mass is moving forwards. <S> An ideal bike is stiff where it needs to transmit peddling force, but has shock absorbent qualities to absorb bumps and road imperfections while being aerodynamic for both bike and rider. <A> For the sake of demonstration, say you have a carbon frame that under a load of 400 watts of pedaling power has 2" of flexion. <S> The actual power going to the wheels is 400 - Cost to flex. <S> Now you take a frame that only flexes 1". <S> The stiffer a frame, the harsher the ride in general, so it may not be quite as comfortable. <S> If you are familiar with cars at all, it's the same concept behind horsepower at the crank, versus horsepower at the wheels. <A> The notion that stiffness equals greater performance is more true in the lab than on the road. <S> Sean Kelly won hundreds of races - often in sprints - throughout the 80s and he won most of those on a Vitus 979 aluminum bike that was probably the most flexible bike used in professional racing in the past 50 years. <S> It's pretty unlikely <S> you'll notice much difference between the two frames. <S> Also keep in mind that for the comparison to be accurate every single other part on the bike would have to be identical. <S> Bars, stems, wheels, cranks all contribute to stiffness. <A> In real terms unless you are very top level cyclist it will make very little difference. <S> There's an awful lot of focus on bike in the road cycling world, when in reality its the person that makes the difference to how fast you are. <S> Ride what you are most comfortable on. <A> As with motoring, you can use stiffer engine mounts so as to help transfer more power from the engine to the wheels. <S> However, I'm told that it can make for a hideous ride quality in the vehicle. <S> Now Imagine that on an ultra stiff road bike. <S> Great on silky, smooth, new tarmac - but in the real world, wincing on every little bump in the road will affect your speed negatively. <S> I know I stop pedalling and wince as I roll over rough bits of road. <S> Mind you- <S> great for powering up the hills I expect.
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Less of your power goes into flexing the frame, so more power gets translated to the wheels, which results in a faster bike. The stiffer a frame is, the more it resists flexing under load.
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Why are there a large number of businesses that do not allow bicycles in the drive through? What are some reasons that business owners choose to prevent cyclists from using the drive-thru? Are there legal issues? <Q> Probably one of two camps: 1) <S> They just don't think it's proper to ride a bike through a drive through <S> , it's for cars they say. <S> 2) <A> Having cars in a drive-through is easy because they can only go by the ordering|payment|delivery windows one at a time. <S> Any bicycles or pedestrians in that funnel could overtake each other and make a big confusion out of the sequence. <S> That would ruin the process for the business because it's specifically meant to only handle an unchanging sequence of customers. <S> Plus, drive-though is faster than going in. <S> If lots of pedestrians walk through the drive-through then you'll end up having a long queue inside and outside which also ruins the business model for the drive-through. <A> When I tried it at McDonalds, they told me they were only insured for motorized vehicles coming through the drive through and would not serve me. <S> They had a campaign on at the time promoting something along the lines of how their food was healthy when enjoyed as part of a healthy life-style. <S> I pointed out that I was cycling as part of my healthy lifestyle, and they really ought to do everything they could to support me with that. <S> When I emailed them later to ask more about it and suggested they allow bikes through the drive through, they blatantly ignored my suggestion and replied restating that their insurance didn't cover them for bikes. <S> When I mentioned to the person at the window that I didn't have my bike lock, they told me I could take my bike inside! <S> I wish now that I'd taken them up on the offer <S> - I'm sure I would have struggled through their double set of doors, and my bike would have become an obstacle to other diners - but I was a bit annoyed at the time <S> so I went elsewhere to eat. :)
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They don't know if it's going to expose them liability if a cyclist is hurt or killed by a car pulling in to or out of the drive through.
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What is the "3 foot law" and which US states have it? Some states seem to have something called the 3 foot law to keep cars away from cyclists. Why 3 feet? Which states in the USA have it? <Q> This law is rarely enforced by itself. <S> Can anyone cite an instance where a motorist was ticketed for passing in under three feet (and not ticketed for anything else)? <S> The 3-foot law is, AFAIK, typically enforced as a supplement to some other violation such as failure to yield or reckless driving. <S> If motorists know it is a law, most will make an effort to abide by the law. <S> A quick google search reveals that, as of this year, 20 states in the USA have this law. <S> You can view a map depicting the status of this law in the United States here: http://www.3feetplease.com/important-stuff <S> It seems to me that in the last 10 years or so, motorists have been getting much better than in the past about getting along with bikes. <S> It could be the marked lanes/signage, or perhaps things like the 3-foot law, but I have noticed a LOT LESS "entitlement-to-the-road" behavior from motorists than in the 1990's and earlier. <A> Three feet just seems (to legislators) like a reasonable number (it's 1 meter in the UK <S> and I think most of Europe). <S> And I know it's the law in Minnesota. <S> Don't know about any other states. <S> Would a different number make more sense? <S> Probably not. <S> Less would be out-and-out dangerous, and more would create the situation where the bike (in theory) blocks traffic in too many cases (and hence would be ignored even more than the current law). <A> Pennsylvania's got a new four-foot law. <S> It was recently enforced after an attempted hit-and-run in Bethlehem, PA ( <S> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7AVC1YCcO0). <S> (I should clarify that it was a hit-and-attempted-run, as other motorists pinned the driver in to prevent him from running). <A> France has such a law (1 metre in cities, 1.5 metres in the country). <S> That safety margin is also applicable to passing pedestrians and animals. <S> France (and, "much of Europe") also has a "strict liability law" ( ref and ref ), IOW <S> if there's an accident then it's up to the car-driver to prove that they're not negligent. <A> I suspect that's because if you tell people five, maybe they will give three. <S> But five has the benefit of making it cleaer that the car needs to partially cross over to the other lane instead of trying to squeeze by without crossing the line. <A> The 3-Foot Law passed a few years back has brought much more awareness with motorists and cyclists alike here in CA. <S> I have noticed greater compliance here in Midtown Sacramento where one motorist will yield to a bicyclist and whoever is behind them in the following car will follow suit. <S> How other cities/neighborhoods have reacted is beyond my reach, since I only ride in Sacramento, however, my best guess would be motorists are much more aware of the need to "share the road" there as well. <S> It should be noted when the law passed, there was significant backlash from the "entitled motorists" among us. <S> This lasted for at least a year. <S> Gradually, however, at least here in Midtown, I've witnessed improvement in the relationship between cyclists and motorists alike. <S> A reduction in the speed of both is critical for this to work, and that has happened with the advent of protected bike lanes, bicycling education classes sponsored by the City of Sacramento and Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates (SABA), and a better appreciation of the role of bicyclists in the area. <S> We're hopeful for continued change.
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But more than anything else, the intent is to create some level of awareness in motorists about how to deal with cyclists. The 3 foot law is an example of a law that exists mostly to create awareness rather than having some direct practical function. Five feet seems to be a popular variant of the 3-feet law.
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Can I replace the 32 mm tires on a Trek 7.3 with 35 mm tires? When I bought a Trek FX 7.3 instead of the 7.2, the bike dealer told me that the tires were the same. They looked narrower, but I thought it was just that I was used to my other bike. I found out later that the FX 7.3 indeed has narrower 32 mm tires. Can I put 35 mm tires on my FX 7.3? <Q> 32mm to 35mm is a small change. <S> It's not going to make a huge difference in ride quality and because it's a small change, any bike that comes with 32mm tires is very likely to handle 35mm tires with no difficulties. <S> The 7.2FX and 7.3FX are the same frame, but a different fork. <S> It's hard to be sure from the online description, but probably also the same brakes. <S> The wheels are different, but it's a small enough tire size change that it's not a problem. <S> If the 7.2 works with a 35mm tire, the 7.3 will almost definitely work with the same 35mm tire on the rear, and very likely work with the same 35mm tire on the front. <S> A 35mm wide tire should be 1.5mm wider on each side than a 32mm tire, and will have a similar increased outer radius. <S> 1.5mm is the thickness of a US penny (or a smidge more than the thickness of a dime), so you can use a couple dimes to measure. <S> Is there at least 2mm of room on each side (and top) of the tire where it passes through the top of the fork? <S> Same amount of room or more where it passes through the brakes? <S> That's the most likely problem areas here. <S> Double-check the back if you're still worried: is there 2mm clearance around all sides of the tire where it goes through the brake, where it goes between the seatstays, where it goes through the chain stays and where it gets closest to the seat tube? <S> If all those check out, then you're in the clear. <S> If it's a close call, you'll just have to try it, or go into the shop and ask them to help you see if it'll work. <A> You may notice over time that if you switch manufacturers their profiles may change slightly and this may affect the effective clearance you have at your stays. <S> Having checked over the 7.2 frame it appears that there will be plenty of additionally available clearance to allow for a wider tire. <S> Best thing to do is buy from a retailer who will be happy for you to return the new tires if there is an issue. <A> yes, it works. <S> I've tried it before
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The difference between 32 mm and 35 mm tires will only really be seen if you're using exactly the same tire in a slightly larger format. All the geometric specs are identical for all sizes between the two models.
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Is there a good way to clean brake hoods? I just picked up an old bike with white brake hoods. They are pretty gnarsty, covered in a greyish brown layer of filth. I've tried a soapy rag and scrubber brush with elbow grease. It takes care of most of the issue, but they're not pure clean. Is there any trick to this? <Q> I have been using "Foaming Bathroom Cleaner" aka Scrubbing Bubbles and an old toothbruth for about two years with good results. <S> I can't say anything about the long term results as it's only been two years. <S> Your case might be tougher as I think the biggest tip is to clean them before the dirt gets really ground in. <A> I have white hoods on one bike and found that Armor-All, like I use for my car, worked pretty well. <S> They are a bit slick for a short time after application, but it does seem to lift the dirt. <A> It's a yellowish color and can be mixed at various strengths according to the job at hand. <S> Cost is about $1 or $2 depending on where you buy it. <S> You can get it in a spray bottle and a larger refill bottle. <S> It can be used for hundreds of cleaning projects, just choose the strength you need. <S> I buy it at Dollar General or Dollar Tree. <S> It doesn't seem to damage paint at all. <S> I've used Simple Green before due to its degreasing capabilities, but Totally Awesome does the same degreasing job at half the price. <S> I use about a 20 or 25 to 1 mixture of Awesome cleaner/degreaser to water. <S> Totally Awesome and a soft cloth gets the bike clean in less than an hour, including a cleaning/degreasing of the chain. <S> It seems unlikely that a product priced so economically could so effective cleaning so many things.
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One of the best cleaners I've found as far as both results and price, is a product called "Totally Awesome" liquid.
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Which foot to put forward when coasting or track-standing? I am mostly concerned about track-stand here, because it requires much balance, so the question on "which foot to put forward" seems important enough. This tutorial says "stand up with your strong foot on the forward pedal" (at time 0:46). This tutorial says "the lead foot, which is the foot you're most comfortable putting in front..." This strikes me very odd, because my right foot is stronger, but i feel much more comfortable with the left foot in front. When i am standing on my pedals, i mostly stand with my center of gravity behind the point where the cranks are attached. So it makes sense that my weight is mostly on the back foot, and it should be the stronger foot. However, other stuff i found in the Internet ( example ) invariably recommends putting your "strong", "good" or "dominant" foot in front. What am i missing here? Did i get used to a wrong technique, and should break my bad habits now? Or is it not important enough, and i worry too much? <Q> The real key to performing a good, solid trackstand is to find a balance of forward pressure with your front pedal and resistance with either your brakes or your rear pedal (if you're riding fixed gear). <S> Another key to help out that I've found particularly useful is to try to keep the balance of the bike so that you can turn your handlebars in the same direction as your lead foot. <S> This helps equalize the forward/backward pressures. <S> Additionally, it helps prevent a tumble due to toe overlap, which isn't as big a deal on mountain bikes as it is on track bikes and road bikes because the front wheel is further out in front of the bike. <S> If you're trackstanding on an actual track in track racing - like a match sprint race - you'll want to have your right foot forward and turn your bars to the right. <S> This allows you to use the banking of the track as your reverse resistance and your lead (right) foot as your forward pressure. <S> Doing the opposite will make it much harder to control as gravity will want to pull you down to the middle of the track. <S> This same school of thought can be applied to a hill or other grade when mountain biking. <A> Not directly relevant to your question, but it may provide some insight: <S> I have a medical condition (post-polio syndrome) which is causing me to lose muscle strength. <S> As a result, I'm starting to have difficulty sometimes starting out from a standing stop. <S> My left leg is about 30% weaker than my right leg, but my inclination is to stand on my right leg, clip in my left leg, and then start out, with my first downstroke on the left (weak) leg. <S> But I'm becoming convinced I'd do better if I can train myself to do it the opposite way (which I've just started working on). <S> The thing is, when standing on one leg, you tend to want to stand on your stronger leg, without thinking of what you'll be doing next, and whether you'll need that stronger leg for a different activity. <S> I suspect that you similarly are more comfortable with your weight on the stronger leg, even though you really need that stronger leg in the "awkward" position so that it's instantly available for power. <A> There is no rule or best, it's just whatever feels natural. <S> Similar to which foot you put forward on a (skate,snow,surf)board. <S> Some people can ride both ways but they are freaks of nature.
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I'm always left foot forward on bmx, but that was mainly because I didn't want to wreck my right hand drive sprocket when I was first learning how to do grinds on my left side. Just trackstanding on a flat road, mountain bike or other regular situation, just use the foot you feel most comfortable with in the forward position. If I try to do anything right foot forward it feels super awkward.
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How do I make a MTB shifter fit on a Road dropbar? I'm about to buy a MTB, since we don't have cyclocrosses here in my country. I'd like to have a road dropbar, but can't spend money on a road shifter like tiagra sti. I know the mtb handlebars are thinner than the road handlebars. Is there a way to make, say, a deore shifter on a road drop handlebar? <Q> I'd recommend trying out some bar end shifters. <S> You can get indexed ones for a few different gearing combinations. <S> There are some ultegra bar end shifters on amazon for around $75usd. <S> However, you could probably score some used ones cheaper via ebay. <S> These are like what come on the surly cross check in the stock configuration. <S> It might take some widening of the clamp to get it to work. <S> There is a thread on MTBR about an experience like this. <A> This is an older question but since no answer is marked "accepted" I'll add another. <S> If you are asking if you can move your shifters and brake levers to a road bar with no other change <S> Your question doesn't mention levers but I assume you want to move those too :-) <S> There are adapters, bar end and stem mount shifters and there are alternative brake levers <S> but they all amount to an expense that will start to approach the solution you want to avoid. <S> A simpler option might be to just choose an MTB with a flat bar and add Origin-8 drops. <A> You might try mounting them as close to the center of the bar as possible, where you can reach them easily with your hands on the top of the bar, or reach both of them easily with one hand off the bar. <S> I know this sounds clunky, but my first multi-speed bike was a Schwinn Varsity that had the shifters on the stem, and it was less difficult to use than you might expect without trying it. <S> True, you can't change gears when pumping hard, but if you expect to need to be able to, you probably wouldn't be switching to drop handlebar. <A> According to Sheldon Brown's handlebar dimension page , older steel drop bars have the same clamp and grip size measurements as most newer upright bars. <S> You should be able to find an old pair of steel drops that will be able to fit your shifters.
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You could mount regular rapidfire shifters on the top center part of the drop bars. the answer is no unless someone is making a drop bars with an MTB bar diameter (I don't know of any).
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How do I make a road brake lever work alongside a mtb brake lever If I manage to get a dropbar on my mtb and want to use both the MTB brake lever AND the road dropbar brake lever (like the Tiagra STI, but no gear shifting)... Is it possible? Can they use the same brake cable? I want something like <Q> What you're looking for are called Cross or Interrupter levers (i.e. they interrupt the brake cable housing--the cable passes through them. <S> It is worth noting that in the video the cables protruding from the sides of the brake hoods are shifter cables... <S> the brake cable is routed under the handlebar tape to the cross levers). <S> Most setups are designed to work around short pull brakes (cantilevers, side pulls, &tc.). <S> Long pull brakes (linear pull v-brakes, most mechanical disc brakes) require more cable to be pulled per motion of the brake levers, so it is generally not recommended to mix short and long pull components (though some report varying degrees of success). <S> If you have cantilever studs on your frame, you can easily find a set of cantilever brakes and a cross/drop lever combination that work well together. <S> For long pull drop levers, there are fewer options ( <S> the ones that stick out in my mind are Cane Creek Drop Vs, and Tektro RL520s). <S> For cross levers, there is only one that I've found that has a long pull option: Paul components makes a cross lever which can switch between short and long pull pivot location. <S> (Alternatively, there are a few "mini" v-brakes which are short pull brakes.) <S> Your best option, given the availability of long pull road/cross levers, is to invest in something called a Travel Agent--it mounts to your v-brakes and effectively makes them short pull so that you can use any kind of road brake levers. <S> They cost ~$20 each and are well worth it <S> considering the headache of procuring compatible components or setting up cantilevers for the first time. <S> If you have mechanical disc brakes (which are generally long pull), you can either invest in long pull levers or switch to the Avid BB-7 Road calipers which are short pull and work quite well. <S> Additionally, pay attention to the diameter of the drop bar <S> you'll be using and the levers you install! <S> Most mountain bars have an OD of 22.2mm where road bars have an OD of 23.8mm. <A> Get Cane Creek Drop V levers for the drops. <S> Then use your existing mtb brake levers for the tops of the bars, and get a pair of problem solvers cable doubler 2:1 to split the cables to work with two levers for a single brake. <S> OR <S> Find a pair of Tektro RL740 cross levers which can pull v-brakes (again, longer pull than for canti/caliper or road disc) and use those instead of your mtb brakes. <S> I'm not sure these are still available from tektro, but i saw a pair on ebay for about $25 USD. <S> OR Follow WTHarper's solution and use travel agents with short pull drop bar levers and regular cyclocross interrupter levers. <A> If you're interested in some custom work, you could put a Y-Connector in the lines for hydraulic brakes - assuming of course that you have hydraulic brakes and they make hydraulic road levers.
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Standard Drop Bar levers have a shorter pull and you'll want ones that are compatible with V brakes longer pull (same issue if you're running MTB Disc brakes).
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The pros and cons of crank self-extractors I'd like to know more about the reliability of self-extracting crank bolts, but haven't found much information on how they perform (or how they don't). My interest stems from touring and international travel, but also from practicality. It seems like a no-brainer to be able to remove your crankarms with a common allen key without having to carry around a separate crank puller (or using riskier emergency removal methods). Beyond concerns of not being able to remove the extractors themselves (for lack of a pin-spanner), I'd like to know whether these have a history of characteristic failure. I haven't found anything in the way of recommending them or condemning them. I know that FSA, Sugino, and TA manufacture these gadgets, but are they as good on a bike as they are on paper? Are they simply unnecessary? <Q> I have them on my Ultegra equipped nine speed bike and love them. <S> They are especially nice when cleaning up the bottom bracket and crank/chainrings. <S> Just a couple of quick turns with an allen key and off the the crank arm comes and goes directly into the cleaner. <S> I wipe down the bottom bracket area and reattach the crank arm <S> and it's ready to go. <S> Easy peasy, takes maybe ten minutes if that. <A> I have had cranks with built in extractors before and they generally work as advertised without issue. <S> These used to be common on square taper cranks (i.e., three piece cranks), and still exist on select two pieces designs that do not use pinch bolts to secure the non-drive side crank (e.g., Raceface cadence ). <S> Generally you should never need to extract the end cap, so I would not worry about not having a pin spanner. <S> About the only issue I have ever experienced is an end cap working itself lose, but this is something you would catch in typical maintenance. <S> Finally, I realize that most crank manufacturers have moved to two piece designs that do not require an extractor for removal, but square tapper three piece cranks still exist on the market and are still in use today (i.e., 2019), so the question still has relevance. <A> I'd say that they're unnecessary. <S> Given the prevalence of the modern two-piece crank/external bottom bracket combo, what's the point? <S> The crank can be removed with an allen wrench and maybe - if it's especially tight - a wooden club. <S> Additionally, the bottom bracket on a two-piece crankset is easier to work on. <S> The BB tool is heavy and bulky tool and you could probably limp along until you found a bike shop that would let you borrow one. <S> Barring that, it can probably removed with a strap wrench (super cheap at any hardware store) and maybe something to provide extra grip (e.g., twigs) in the grooves. <S> I've personally installed BBs with strap wrenches and they've lasted a month or two before requiring attention. <S> It's not ideal, but it's workable. <S> It's also worth mentioning that loose bottom bracket shell isn't likely to cause catastrophic failure over a few days or even weeks of riding. <S> Especially with a two-piece crankset where the very design limits it from loosening too much.
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In the end, you're talking about a much more reliable (and rapidly becoming more universal) crankset that only (maybe) requires a single specialized tool, and could most likely work well enough until you happen to stumble across that tool.
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Why are there almost no bikes with a single chainring? Bikes with two or three chainrings are the norm, and then there are singlespeeds, but except for kids' bikes, you see almost no stock bikes with a single chainring in front but a cassette and derailleur in the back. It seems like for a lot of people this would be a nice balance with respect to simplicity, weight, maintenance, so why are there so few? <Q> 1x9 setups are more common on a mountain bike or commuter bike setup with rapidfire shifters than a drop bar setup. <S> However, due to a lack of front derailleur they can have chain jump issues due to the effect of the rear derailleur on the chainline. <S> This has to be compensated for, often with a chain guard on the outer side and jump stop on the inner side of the front chainring. <S> It's also a bit weirder to have 2 STI brifters and only have one of them for shifting on a road / cross bike. <S> Especially when brifters cost a lot of money. <S> Most groupsets come with all the drivetrain and shifting gear for a 2x9 or 2x10 setup. <S> So, they install it on the bikes as a set, It would probably be cost prohibitive for manufacturers to break up the groupset and they would probably have to pay for extra parts (like a chain guard) to make it work. <S> These bikes don't suffer the downfalls of having to deal with chain jumps as much as bikes with derailleurs since the chainline stays consistent (and hopefully releativly straight). <S> UPDATE: <S> Modern mountain bikes and some cyclocross bikes have been switching to 1x drivetrains as a standard drivetrain option. <S> New technology, clutch rear derailleurs, narrow wide chainrings (there are several variations), and wider range rear cassettes (up to 44t) have made it so you can have a wider gear range and get rid of the extra chain retention gear that you used to need for this setup. <S> SRAM and Shimano both sell 1x drivetrain groupsets and now some frame manufacturers are dropping support for front derailleurs. <A> There are plenty of bikes available with a single chainring. <S> However, only certain types of bicycles come with single chainrings. <S> People generally buy according to their needs, and products are generally offered in accordance with demand. <S> The two main categories of bikes that often come with a single chainring are comfort/city bikes and track/single-speed bikes. <S> Comfort bikes such as beach cruisers often have coaster brakes, chain guards, and other features to minimize the amount of maintenance required. <S> Track bikes were originally designed for racing at velodromes, but they have developed a broader appeal due to trendiness and low maintenance requirements. <S> On the other hand, road bikes and mountain bikes generally have a wide range of gears to allow a wide range of speeds. <S> If they came with only a single chainring, they would not meet the needs of most cyclists, so they wouldn't be bought. <S> In short, there are plenty of bicycles with single chainrings, and they tend to be bikes that are designed to be low maintenance. <S> Bikes designed for performance usually come with a wide range of gears. <A> I suspect marketing. <S> More is always better. <S> If you were naive to bikes and you saw two derailleur bikes for $499: One with 9 gears (1 x 9) or one with 27 gears (3 x 9). <S> Which do you think they will choose? <S> In western society, more is always and without question better. <S> The single chainring bike might have better components (due to being simpler at the same price point), but people will fixate on the number of gears. <S> That said, I have noticed quite a few 8 speed hub internal hub bikes on the market now. <S> Single chain ring with essentially the same number of gears as a single chainring derailleur bike, but they can do a marketing end run around the issue of number of gears with a different sell, namely the reduced maintenance and simplicity associated with an internal hub. <S> Aside - I will avoid any discussion of whether or not internal hubs are simpler and lower maintenance, just that this is the common "knowledge" about internal hub bikes. <S> UPDATE <S> well the market forces have swung and now many high end bikes are switching to 1x (11 to 13 speed cassettes make this feasible), so more 1x are now finding their way to lower end bikes. <A> A wide range of gears on the rear is 11 T to 34 T which lets you vary your mechanical advantage by about 310% on a bike with only a rear derailleur . <S> The front derailleur is (compared to the rear derailleur) <S> a simple piece of equipment that greatly increases your ability to go fast on the flats while climbing comfortably. <S> Adding a front crankset that goes from 24 T to 52 T <S> lets you vary your mechanical advantage by ((52/11) / (24/34)) or 670% with both derailleurs between large-front/small-rear and small-front/large-rear. <S> (The actual mechanical advantage has to take into account the ratio between the pedal circle circumference and the drive-wheel circumference, but I'm dividing mechanical advantages here so that constant divides out.) <S> Bikes with only a front derailleur aren't made today because they don't pick up the slack in the chain, though I've heard that early model chained bikes were often ridden with slack chains. <A> In case of road bikes, back in 2012 (when question was asked), there was simply no option. <S> There was some cyclocross setup but didn't really sell in this market. <S> Road single chainring group set only available in 2015 by SRAM. <S> I just switched to their 1x11 (48t 11-36) from 2x10 (50/36 11-26). <S> Hardly miss the closer ratio of the 2x10 or top speed, which probably would be important if you race. <S> I really appreciate the easier effort needed to clean bottom bracket area. <S> I can see that 1x12 setup is coming, so expect to see more people switch from double chainrings. <S> And then we'll probably can have single chainring specific frames, i.e. without the extra cable stops, hole and routing for front derailleur.
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There are however several bikes on the market with a single front chainring and an internally geared rear hub.
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What can cause vibration and noise from the chain? I just replaced my front cogs and back sprockets with new ones (I didn't use a torque tool or replace the chain). I also replaced the sealed bearing bottom bracket on my pedals. The old bearings were 115 mm long and the new one is 117,5 mm long. Now I feel some sort of vibration, and there is a noise like the gear wants to change, but the rear derailleur is set correctly with one click per gear. What can cause vibration and noise from the chain? <Q> If you changed the crank length then the front derailer likely needs to be adjusted, and the rear may need a few tweaks. <S> Also, when you change the rear cluster there can be a difference of a mm or two between old cluster and new, requiring adjustment of the rear derailer. <S> Have you readjusted both derailers "by the book"? <S> (Whether or not you used a torque wrench would have little bearing on this issue, though you need to be sure to check that your crank bolts are tight every 200km or so for the next 1000km.) <A> Was the reason for the gear change because they were worn? <S> The general rule with chains is to replace it when the cassette is changed. <S> As the chain wears it gets longer and won't match your cassette. <S> Your old chain wore as the old cassette wore so they matched. <S> Slide the chain off the crank and spin it by hand just to verify that it spins easily, this will rule out a bad bearing (sometimes new isn't perfect). <A> a. sorry for my limited English cycling jargon b. by absence of a chain tool, I too replaced my cogs but not the chain. <S> And was surprised by the rattling sound. <S> c. <S> Everyone tells me to replace both at the same time. <S> That got me thinking: why? <S> The chain will wear (cfr. <S> wikipedia ). <S> The links will slack. <S> As a result, with new sprockets, the shackles will be 'squeezed' together to match the sprocket teeth. <S> Once a link leaves the sprocket, it will be allowed to stretch away to <S> it's full length. <S> This will cause a rattling of the same frequency as when it 'tries to shift gears'.
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If they were worn the chain most likely is also worn unless it was changed recently.
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Correct riding position on a road bike I've been riding my bike for a while it's a 55cm square frame. I recently used the online calculator on competitive cyclist. It told me I'd need a seat tube of 53 and top tube of 57cm. So I'm riding a bike essentially too small for me... It's not a massive amount out, so I'm sure I can tweak things for the correct position. Layback seatpost, slamming the stem etc. --But what is the natural position on the bike to ensure no stresses on the back or wrists? --What are the signs that something is too small? <Q> The "natural" riding position would be one with the following criteria: <S> You can sit mostly upright when on the flat part of bars. <S> You have a comfortable slight bend in your elbow when on the hoods. <S> You can reach the drops without your knees hitting your chest/stomach/elbows. <S> When in either the hoods or the drops there is little upward or downward bend in your back. <S> Its just in a neutral, comfortable, position. <S> You feel no uncomfortable pressure on your perineum <S> Your knees are (relatively close to) over the pedal spindle with the crank arm level. <S> Obviously there are millions of ways to get this position depending on frame size, geometry, seat post height, stem length, handle bar drop, etc. <S> Not to mention your personal flexibility and level of fitness. <S> To answer your second question, you generally know a fram is too small if you must extend your seatpost beyond the manufacturers limits or you must use a stem that is longer than about 130mm or with a rise of more than about 12 degrees. <S> Any of these things should signal that you are trying to make the bike "bigger" by adding length to parts. <S> edit: <S> In regards to your comment about a "set back" seatpost, I would add this to the list of "ways you know a bike <S> isn't the right size". <S> You are effectively trying to lengthen the seat tube. <S> Unfortunately, this will put your weight heavily on the back wheel and will effect steering/control. <A> This video may help you - Certainly made me more comfortable on my road bike. <S> Summary: <S> Comfort is rule #1 Adjust the seat height so that the knee makes a 10 or 20 degree angle at maximum extension Move the seat forward and back so that, when your foot is forward, your knee is above the pedal <S> Handle bars as wide as the shoulders (or wider for a more open diaphragm, or narrower for better aerodynamics) <S> Adjust cleats so they're under the ball of the foot <A> Two quick and easy points to remember as a rough rule of thumb which 80% of the people you see out there ride a bicycle don't seem to realise: a) put your heel square on the middle of the pedal <S> , your leg should be straight and only just able to touch the pedal. <S> Of course you don't cycle on your heel of your foot! <S> But the ball of it, which means a greater length and thus your knee would never actually lock in actual cycling unlike in this quick and easy little "test". b) while actually cycling don't lock your elbows! <S> Transmits too much road shock straight up your arms, leading to soreness.
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Your knee never fully extends (locks out) when the crank is at "dead bottom center"; basically in line with the seat tube Adjust the handle bars so that your back is at 45 degrees, and the bars obscure your view of the front axle (or higher for more comfort, or lower for better aerodynamics)
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Saddle bag for food container I have a ~2 mile/~20min cycle to work and currently take a rucksack with me that generally only contains my food for the day in a standard take-away container measuring about 17cm x 12cm x 4cm give or take. I end up with a sweaty back in the morning which is a little annoying; so I'm wondering if there are any good saddle bags or similar that I could fit my food container, wallet and phone in (so something with a depth of maybe 10cm) to relieve the issue of sweaty back. Does anyone have any good recommendations because at the moment my rucksack seems a little like overkill. <Q> It sounds like you need something like a handlebar bag or a rack trunk like these: rack trunk handlebar bag <S> The rack trunk would require adding either a seatpost mounted rack or a full rear rack. <S> Either one would allow you to move to panniers in the future if you needed to carry more goods like a laptop or a change of clothes, but a full rack would be able to handle more weight and is generally recommended for stability and versatility. <S> The handlebar bag may or may not require a front rack, depending on how big it is. <S> Some come with enough of a mount that you don't need anything additional to support the weight. <A> The suggestions by @Tha Riddla are great ones. <S> Look for a smaller one similar to this one . <S> The advantage is that you will have a little extra space when you need it, possibly for tools or when you need to stop by the store on the way home from work. <S> The weight will be uneven, but I haven't really found that it impedes my riding, and even seems to be of minimal inconvenience when stopped. <S> I've even carried home those 4 L milk bags without problems. <S> You also might be able to get away with a frame bag <S> but I would think that it would probably be too small. <S> UPDATE <S> I was also able to find this saddle trunk which seems like it might fit your needs. <A> Why not choose a handlebar bag? <S> That way you might even grab a banana or hear your phone ring while commuting. <S> And you will, surprisingly, have better aerodynamics .I <S> like the waterproof Ortlieb, but choices are many. <S> This one comes in 7 liters and 8,5 liter models. <S> And this one comes in a compact 2,7 liters:
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If you opt for a full rear rack you may also want to consider just going with a single pannier bag.
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You just had an accident, what's next? This question pretty well covers what to do when you collide with a vehicle. But how do you best handle the following situations: You are a biker and you hit a pedestrian You are a biker and you hit a biker You are a biker and you hit an inanimate object You are a pedestrian and a biker hits you You are driving a car and a biker hits you You are an inanimate object and a biker hits you You are a biker and you fall over in the middle of the road and everyone laughs at you Does the answer change if you are at fault vs. not at fault (assuming you can make an educated guess)? <Q> You are a biker and you hit a pedestrian <S> I've never done that, but in many places you are legally required to stop and render assistance. <S> Also, it's the non-a**hole thing to do. <S> You are a biker and you hit a biker <S> Again, stop, make sure the other person isn't hurt and doesn't have any mechanical trouble that'll stop them from riding. <S> You are a biker and you hit an inanimate object <S> If it's someone else's property, like a car or a mailbox, and there's damage, leave a note with your contact info. <S> As Johannes points out, in some jurisdictions, a note might not be enough. <S> You might be assumed to have fled if you don't make an attempt to contact the owner or file a report with the police. <S> You are a pedestrian and a biker hits you <S> Ask for contact info, and offer assistance if the cyclist is injured. <S> If the cyclist leaves the scene without stopping, remember details (what the cyclist looked like and was wearing, their frame color and design), and file a police report. <S> You are driving a car and a biker hits you <S> Same as in a car/car collision. <S> Stop, render assistance and give a report to any responding officer if either party is injured or thinks a report is necessary. <S> You are an inanimate object and a biker hits you Impotent rage. <S> You are a biker and you fall over in the middle of the road <S> and everyone laughs at you <S> I've done this. <S> Pick yourself up, and declare that you meant to do it. <S> Ride off pouting. <S> Realize your wheel is now out of true. <S> Stop. <S> True <S> it enough with the wrong size nipple wrench until it stop scraping against the fenders. <S> Ride off pouting again. <A> Stay calm. <S> It is very easy to get heated when something like this happens. <S> Stay cool and be nice. <S> Make sure that you and the other person involved are both OK. <S> Seek medical assistance if there are injuries that warrant that. <S> If there are no injuries, then make sure that any property damage is noted. <S> At your nearest convenience, write down as much information that you can remember regarding the incident. <S> The amount that we remember falls off dramatically after only a few hours after something happens. <S> It would be a shame to survive a collision, then totally wipe-out due to a weakness in a bent rim. <A> Be careful when / if you say sorry as it can be interpreted as admission of fault. <S> " <S> Sorry we had a prang" is OK, " <S> Sorry, I did not see you" is not. <S> The reason for this is most insurance policies have clauses that won't pay out if you admit fault. <S> You don't want a witness later telling the police <S> "He admitted he was in the wrong" etc. <A> It should be noted that in many/most US jurisdictions any "traffic accident" (basically, an accident on public property involving a "vehicle") that results in either personal injury (to any degree) or property damage over some dollar amount (which varies from $50 to several thousand) must be reported. <S> And in many cases it's best to summon the authorities rather than plan on reporting the accident at a later date. <S> Strictly interpreted, this rule could require reporting a skinned shin from a "forgot to unclip" fall at a stoplight, though reasonableness would suggest that reporting of such minor injuries only occur when there is a second party involved. <A> You are an inanimate object and a biker hits you <S> Happened last week. <S> Two bikes hit me from behind <S> and I took a dive into the tarmac. <S> Cuts, big bruises, grazes, and dented helmet, but no broken bones. <S> If you are insured, a case for your insurers so get witnesses. <S> But for me, it was with a cycling club. <S> I just staggered to my feet, gritted my teeth, said "forget it", and got back on the bike for a painful ride home.
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If there is an injury or either party thinks it necessary, exchange contact info and/or wait for a responding officer. Exchange contact information or leave a note if appropriate. Also, before you hop back on your bike give the rims a thorough going over. Both parties will assume that the other is at fault. In addition to the above answers, For most jurisdictions - Don't admit fault (insurance, legal etc). In many places, the cyclist is probably at fault since there are no highways for bikes where the pedestrian isn't assumed to have right-of-way.
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Why did the bike shop put grease on my seatpost? When I bought a new bike my LBS put grease on the part of the seatpost that inserts into the frame. Why is this? Surely it can't seize? <Q> On old steel bikes a good reason would be to prevent the seatpost from rusting onto the frame, thus preventing saddle height adjustment. <S> More recently I understand from my LBS that you do it to prevent water from seeping into the frame along the (imperfectly sealed) seatpost. <S> Depending on your frame you could end up carrying one or more kilo's of water with you if you have a lot of rainy rides. <A> I present you with evidence that seatposts can, in fact, seize ! <S> Alloy and steel seatposts are both perfectly capable of seizing to both alloy and steel frames. <S> IIRC, carbon seatpost/frame combinations may need carbon assembly paste for almost the opposite reason: to increase friction and reduce the torque required for a good grip. <A> In addition to the seizure problem that others have mentioned, greasing the seatpost also prevents another problem: creaks. <S> I once spent weeks chasing down a creak that I initially thought was coming from the crank or bottom bracket. <S> After disassembling and reassembling all that stuff, then tightening almost every single bolt on the bike, someone suggested that the creak could be coming from the seatpost rubbing inside of the seat tube <S> and I should grease it. <S> Bingo! <S> Problem solved. <A> Depends: <S> Frame and post material matters. <S> With metal, bonding or rust can occur Carbon posts can need the friction because they tend to be a smoother material <S> There can be imperfections that are too small for us to notice, so the grease can help to fill the gap for the seatpost retention to work <A> That bit of grease on the seat post into the seat tube will help "seal" the seat tube from getting any moisture into the bike frame. <S> It does happen if the seat isn't moved for years.
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It may also keep the seat post from seizing in the seat tube.
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How to clean white handlebar tape? I have bought not so long ago (about two month) brand new and the shiny white from my handle tap have become pretty dirty: I am tempted to just change the tape to another color - that would be problem solved for me - but that would basically be a dirty hack. How can I clean the white tape and remove the dirt? <Q> Grab some of the disinfecting wipes in the round containers that you normally use for kitchen counters, etc. <S> I like the Clorox brand in the yellow (Lemon Fresh!). <S> Wrap around bars and squeeze a bit as you twist <S> /rotate in the same direction as the wrap. <S> With cork based wrap this is fairly effective. <S> With some of the slicker surfaced wraps (Lizard, etc), it's downright awesome. <S> If you start cleaning with the wipes on a regular schedule your wrap will get even cleaner over time. <A> I clean my entire bike with it, but it gets the sweat and oils off the tape so the dirt stops sticking. <A> I use a cleaning product called Simple Green. <S> It's bio-degradable ( good for the environment ) and really does a complete cleaning job! <S> You can mix it at different strengths from a 1/2 gallon or 1 gallon refill size. <S> It comes in a spray bottle initially. <S> I use it to clean my bicycle rather than soap and water. <S> It is safe to use and doesn't harm the paint. <S> Just spray it on the bike or a soft cloth, and wipe the grease and dirt/dust off easily. <S> No need to rinse the bike. <S> It should gently remove the dirt/sweat from your handlebar tape. <S> If the grips are cork, use just a little Simple Green on a soft cloth and wipe gently and remove from the tape. <S> Don't allow the Simple Green to stay on the tape for an extended period ( which is determined by the strength you mix the Simple Green ). <S> Same goes for wiping the bike using Simple Green. <S> Don't allow it to dry on the paint. <S> Wipe it on and with a dampened second cloth, wipe it off. <S> You'll find more uses for Simple Green besides your bike! <S> If you're married, better buy two bottles so your spouse can have their own bottle! <A> Dishwashing liquid and a small amount of baking soda, warm water, on an old sock or rag. <S> Wipe with damp rag. <S> Clean and bright. <S> Most of the dirt on my handlebar tape is from cleaning debris from tires while cycling. <A> I've used Cif or Jif as it used to be called. <S> Its a cream bathroom and kitchen surface cleaner. <S> Works wonders. <A> I use an old bit of towel and dish soap. <S> This has done a great job cleaning up thoroughly bike-greased and sweat-upon wraps. <A> baby wipes all day son - best, cheapest option to rim to rim, and you can even get them in organic! <S> I've even used coconut oil as an on the spot bike lube.
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I've never gone wrong cleaning wraps using a soapy rag and elbow grease. I use a citrus degreaser and its great.
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Storing an inner tube I got a spare inner tube with my bike, which is good. I checked how it was packed and found it was sticking somewhat when I pulled it out of the box, which I can only imagine is bad. Would it be an idea to put someething on the tube for storage, talcum powder maybe? <Q> I always carry a tube with me in my backpack on longer tours. <S> I left it in the packet I bought it in, but only to protect it from being punctured by the other stuff I carry in the bag (eg a Leatherman and keys). <S> There never was talkum on the tube, and it is a pretty expensive tube, so do not worry about that. <A> Short answer: Unnecessary. <S> Longer answer: Talc would work. <A> I carry patched ones as spares. <S> I store them purged of air and roll <S> /folded up till the length is the same as my toolbag, then a wrap of masking tape to hold them together. <S> The toolbag is a flat grellow cloth bag about 140mm a side, with a velcro close, and I velcro-strap that to the top tube like this (end on view) <S> O <-- top tube(T\_MP_/ST) <S> <-- Tools / minipump / spare tube <S> The toolbag forms a figure 8 almost shape, and is held on with three velcro straps. <S> The tube is surrounded only by cloth <S> so no abrasion. <S> The pump is against the metal top tube. <S> I ride a road bike and a MTB so swap out the spare tube when changing bikes. <S> For some reason road tubes seem to puncture more often than MTB tubes.
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For a road trip, I carry a second new spare tube in its box, in the jersey pocket. I doubt that this is necessary but with or without the carton, the tube fits perfectly at the bottom of my Camelback, and the bit of added weight doesn't freak me out, too.
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What are the main differences between road saddles and mountain saddles? There are thousands of saddles out there. Some are designated as road saddles while others are mountain saddles. However, the marketing copy does not seem to describe the difference between the two types, even between two similar models (for example, Selle Italia seems to have an SLR for road bikes and an SLR XC for mountain bikes). In general, what are the main differences between road saddles and mountain saddles? What, if any, are the potential downsides of using a road saddle off-road or a mountain saddle on pavement? <Q> However, you'll find if you look at popular racing saddles that MTB saddles <S> tend to be shorter. <S> This is because in singletrack you're very frequently moving onto and off-of the saddle. <S> A longer saddle might interfere with the "body-english" that some MTB riders use. <S> That said, if a saddle fits, it fits. <S> That is the most important criteria. <S> Everything else is a distant secondary consideration. <A> Just from looking at the Selle Italia SLR Product Page <S> it seems that there is little difference between "road" and "offroad" saddles, as all the saddles listed seem to be recommended for both "road" and "offroad". <S> The same goes for Brooks <S> who group road and MTB in one category. <S> There are various models <S> and I can't see any labelled simple SLR. <S> But if we compare, for instance, the SLR Tekno and the SLR XC, you'll notice that the SLR XC is double the weight (170g vs 85g). <S> I can only guess that the increased weight would give it more strength, and it would probably be able to able to withstand a few more bumps. <S> It would probably also have thicker padding to be a little easier when going over bumps. <S> Personally I think it all comes down to what actually feels comfortable for you. <S> As well as what fits your riding style. <S> If you have a full suspension mountain bike, you may not need the saddle to absorb a lot of impact. <S> If you have a road bike, and the roads aren't that nice where you live, then you may need something a little sturdier, or with a little extra padding. <A> I don't know how saddles differ for any particular manufacturer (if at all), but I used to think that MB saddles should be bigger and softer than its road analogs with only one purpose: to save your family jewels and make your trip a bit easier. <A> I'm no expert on the subject but <S> a few months ago I put a road saddle I had on my hardtail mountain bike and within about 5 rides one of the rails busted. <S> So, it seems that a maker of road saddles may use lighter / less solid material for the rails to keep weight down - but obviously that's just something to investigate when considering a saddle for MTB use.
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There is a lot of variation across models of saddles even if you stay within one genre (eg only consider road or only consider MTB).
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Clacking noise as right crank goes 'over the top' once per revolution Every time the right pedal goes over the top I get a single clack noise with a little more 'travel', a point where the bottom bracket moves without any resistance, from that point in the rotation. I have only just noticed it recently and it seems to be more noticeable on the lower gears where the cogs are smaller. Any thoughts on what to do or what might be causing the problem? <Q> It's always difficult to diagnose noise descriptions, especially in the drivetrain. <S> But guessing by the: ... the bottom bracket moves without any resistance ... <S> more noticeable on the lower gears ... <S> I would say the rear hub's freehub is damaged. <S> Pop it off the hub body and inspect where the pawls are (mind the pawl springs don't ping out!), look for broken pawls and/or mashed ratchet teeth (the teeth which the pawls engage with). <S> Post some pictures of it if you are unsure. <A> The first thing to do is to tighten the cranks -- on both sides. <S> After that, my next suspicion would be a loose bottom bracket cartridge. <S> But even a bad pedal bearing can produce similar symptoms. <S> (And Joe's suggestion to check for something physically hitting something else is a good one.) <A> I've had this kind of noise and spent hours trying to find it. <S> Changed the pedals, changed the bottom bracket, fiddled with the headset/stem etc. <S> Eventually decided to put spare wheels on. <S> Changed the rear, still there, changed the front - silence :) <S> Put best front wheel back on and still silent. <S> To get my bike into the car without putting the seats down I have to take the front wheel off.
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If the problem is a loose crank (which you may not detect by simply shaking the crank), then riding with it loose will destroy the crank in short order. I've had this kind of click since and loosening the front quick release reseating the wheel and tightening it again always fixes the problem.
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Crate of beer as cargo I recently bought a two wheel cargo-trailer without suspension, and I am quite happy with it. My main issue is that it gets incredibly loud when carrying a crate of beer, especially an empty one. Is there a trick to keep the noise down? I tried to wrap the crate in towels, but it does not really help. Edit Cardboard-dividers did not change a lot, compared to my towels. They did look pretty cheap, there might be better ones. Tilting the crate 30 degrees in the trailer however, reduced the noise level substantially. <Q> You can then re-use the cardboard dividers in other cases of beer. <A> If the problem is the bottles clanking into each other, don't put the crate in flat but somehow tilt it at a 30 degree angle or so, so that gravity holds the bottles against each other. <S> Then wedge your towels into the high end of the crate to keep the bottles from bouncing. <A> Get some bottle sleeves like these mesh bottle sleeves that they use at liquor stores. <S> It'll quiet the noise and protect the bottles from breakage. <S> Plus they are reusable. <A> You can get Plastic bottle crates with dividers similar to the ones made of cardboard, but since it's plastic, and probably thicker, it might reduce the noise a bit more. <S> Also the ones in the link look like they are foldable <S> so would be easy to store when you don't need them. <S> A little on the expensive side, but you could probably shop around and find something cheaper. <S> You could also try building your own dividers out of corrugated plastic or even just corrugated cardboard.
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buy cases of beer with the cardboard dividers between the bottles.
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Do helmets go out of style and get discontinued by manufacturers? Issue: My head is on the smaller side, so all "universal adult" helmets don't fit me. I've been to a couple LBS's recently and tried on just about all their helmets, from most of the popular brands (excepting Specialized). Most Small sized helmets I tried on don't even fit very well, some of them are in fact too tight. Going into winter, I decided to go for a cheaper, warmer helmet. However, I am pretty sure next summer I will not be able to handle miles and miles in it. I have found two other helmets (with lots of venting) that I would say actually fit comfortably (my primary criterion), one in particular I really like the look too. Question: should I pick that other helmet up now (Bell Sequence) just in case it gets discontinued? I won't be wearing it for quite a few months, so it's kinda silly when you're on a tight budget to buy something before you need it, but I sure do like the fit (and venting). <Q> But, of course, if they sell the helmet, and the model changes next year, they will not get more of the old ones. <S> I would guess that helmet manufacturers turn over their product line about every three years, doing a little bit each year. <S> There's no good way to know if this year's model will be around next year -- <S> it might or it might not. <S> So you figure the odds. <A> Depending on how long it takes before you change helmets, possibly not. <S> Five years seems to be a common number, but I don't see any supporting evidence, so take that for the little it's worth. <A> During one single winter, most probably you'll still get the same model aftwerwards. <S> But experience suggests that these fashion-oriented goods are constantly "replaced" by "newer" (as in "better") ones, if not just for the sake of change (which, of course, makes me upset). <S> So it is with frames, suspension forks, derailers, tires, clipless shoes, you name it. <S> As a side note, I can remember a few times, regarding regular clothes, that make me think: "Oh, if I knew this thing was so good, I'd have bought more than one, for I can't find it again..." <S> Hope these thoughts help! <A> I personally would not factor warmth into my decision - or if I did it would probably be the opposite of what you did with the cheaper helmet. <S> My criteria would be "if I wear this helmet in the middle of summer will my head get too hot?" <S> If the answer is "yes" then I don't want the helmet, period. <S> For all of the cooler scenarios I am happy to wear something underneath the helmet. <S> For the most part this would probably be a cotton cap, although for the extreme winter I have a brilliant Assos balaclava which I've ridden as low as -5C. <S> I seem to remember the last lid I bought (a well-ventilated Giro) actually came with a skullcap in the box. <S> I'm just saying, there are options <S> are regards ventilation. <S> On the other hand, a well-fitting helmet seems absolutely crucial if you're going to spend hours at a time wearing it. <S> It appears I'm encouraging you to spend money.....sorry!
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In most bike shops, if they have a helmet in stock, they will sell it even if it's last year's model, rather than ship it off to a remainder seller or some such. My understanding is that even just lying around, the crash-resistant foam in helmets gradually degrades.
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How do I change my single-speed to a fixed gear? I've been biking on single-speed for a few months and would like to play around with a fixed gear. I've heard of a flip-flop hub, but I'm not sure exactly what it is. And without any fellow bikers - I'm completely lost. <Q> Benzo and Glenn Gervais are right on, but I thought I'd include a photo for any visual learners. <S> This is a typical fixed/free, high flange rear hub. <S> Quite often they're available in 120mm and 130mm OLD to fit different width dropouts. <S> These hubs generally have solid axles without quick releases to prevent the hub from slipping and slackening your chain. <S> The right side is for a fixed cog. <S> (The hub in the picture has a lockring installed already). <S> The left side is for a single speed freewheel. <S> Below is another example (a White Industries ENO Eccentric) with two big differences. <S> First, instead of two opposite-threaded areas for a cog and lockring, this hub has splines for a splined cog and threads for the lockring (left side of the picture). <S> The second difference is the eccentric axle which allows for chain tension adjustment on bicycles with vertical dropouts (single speed or track specific bikes have horizontal or rear-facing dropouts for chain tension adjustments). <A> If you have a singlespeed, you may already have a flip flop hub. <S> A flip flop hub has threads on both sides of the wheel. <S> Typically there is a side for a freewheel and a side for a fixed gear. <S> Take a look at the rear hub opposite the freewheel and chain. <S> You need to thread on the fixed cog clockwise, then thread on the lockring counterclockwise. <S> You do not want to attempt to put a fixed cog on the same side as the freewheel if it does not have the reverse threading for a lock ring. <S> This is known as a suicide fixed cog because you can't put a standard fixed cog lockring on and would have to use a lockring from a bottom bracket typically to prevent the fixed cog from loosening when backpedaling or skidding. <S> Over time this can come loose and cause you to loose the ability to brake with the back wheel as the cog will unthread as you backpedal. <S> You can however thread a freewheel on to the fixed side of a hub with no real issues. <S> This would thread on clockwise like the fixed cog. <S> No lockring would be used. <S> This can be common when using fixed / fixed hubs which are threaded for a fixed cog and lock ring on both sides. <A> Many SS bicycles come with this sort of wheel, if you have a sprocket on both sides of your hub, you already have a flip-flop hub/wheel. <S> If you only have a single sprocket (and it is a fixed gear hub, see note below), you can purchase a fixed sprocket and replace the SS freewheel with the fixed sprocket, since both singlespeed and fixed gear hubs use the same 1.37 x 24 tpi threading for the sprocket. <S> Note: @heltonbiker is correct, you will need a lockring with the fixed gear hub, they have a double thread, one for the sprocket and one for the lockring. <S> You can put a SS freewheel on a fixed gear hub, but you cannot put a Fixed sprocket onto a SS hub (it does not have the step down threading for the locking mechanism)
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The fixed gear side will have two tiers of threads, one larger diameter section for a fixed cog and a smaller diameter section for a lock ring which is reverse threaded. Flip-Flop hubs have freewheel thread on one side, fixed-gear threading on the other side.
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Must cyclist yield to car turning right across a bike lane into driveway? While riding in the bike lane on a four lane street in Northern California, a car passed me on my left, stopped in the right-hand lane twenty to thirty feet ahead of me, and signaled to turn right into a parking lot driveway. Who has the right of way in this situation? Am I required to stop in the bike lane and let the car turn across my lane, or is the car required to wait until it is safe to turn? Note: I'm specifically asking about California law but encourage answers for all jurisdictions. While safety and biking defensively is important, my question is only concerned with the law. There is a similar question regarding cars turning right at an intersection , but none of the answers address driveways. <Q> California Vehicle Code section 21717: Turning Across Bicycle Lane states that cars are required to enter the bike lane before turning. <S> Whenever it is necessary for the driver of a motor vehicle to cross a bicycle lane that is adjacent to his lane of travel to make a turn, the driver shall drive the motor vehicle into the bicycle lane prior to making the turn and shall make the turn pursuant to Section 22100. <A> Regardless of who has legal right of way, Toronto tells cyclists to avoid passing cars on the right, and especially when the car might turn right. <S> Car-bike collisions and tips to avoid them <A> In Australia at least, a cyclist in a bike lane has right of way over a car which is crossing the bike lane: <S> Coloured bicycle lanes at intersections are to remind motorists that this section of the roadway is a travel lane for bicycle riders. <S> The marking highlights the existence of the ‘bicycle lane’ to motorists and the ‘right of way’ legally provided to the cyclist by a ‘bicycle lane’ . <S> Therefore, where you see a bicycle lane and particularly a green coloured area at an intersection, be on the lookout for cyclists. <S> http://www.tams.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/64478/Road_Rules_2012_Part_C1.pdf - page 31 <S> I think this includes both cars turning on the intersection or entering driveways. <S> Also, <S> 75 <S> Giving way when entering a road-related area or adjacent land from a road ($114 fine) (1) <S> A driver entering a road-related area or adjacent land from a place on a road without traffic lights or a stop sign, stop line, give way sign or give way line must give way to: (a) <S> any pedestrian on the road; and (b) any vehicle or pedestrian on any road-related area that the driver crosses or enters; and (c) <S> if the driver is turning right from the road - any oncoming vehicle on the road that is going straight ahead or turning left; (d) if the road the driver is leaving ends at a T-intersection opposite the road-related area or adjacent land and the driver is crossing the continuing road - any vehicle on the continuing road. <S> Which means you'd have a right of way even if you were wheeling your bike on the footpath (or riding on the footpath where it is legal). <A> The question was specifically about legality. <S> The cyclist has the right of way in Oregon, whether there is a dedicated bike lane or not, as long as the cyclist is on the far right of the road. <S> I believe the same is true in California. <S> My answer is about a car turning into a driveway, residential or a business, not about turns at a light.
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If a cyclist is in the bicycle lane, motorists must give way.
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Does pedaling while standing damage my knees even if I don't feel pain? I am in my mid forties and ride a seven speed cruiser or maybe mountain bike. I enjoy pedaling while standing, and I don't really care about speed or efficiency. When there is even the slightest uphill grade and I stand. I get in a high gear and enjoy slowly swaying back and forth and using my arms. I've never really measured my cadence, but I'm sure it is sub 60. I am putting some longer rides in reasonably hilly country with smooth roads. My knees don't ache afterward. Sometimes my shoulders ache a bit after the ride but doesn't feel damaging. I have been doing hills/grades in top gear as my own "check off the list" challenge. If proper form (for standing at least) and in good shape, am I abusing my body/knees? Up to now they feel great, but I would hate to have "reality" crashing upon my knees someday. <Q> Standing to pedal won't damage your knees. <S> Supporting and propelling you when you are standing is exactly what knees are designed to do. <S> If anything standing is better for your knees than sitting. <S> When you stand your knees and hips can move freely which is a more natural movement. <S> Watch a child riding a bike and <S> you'll notice they naturally spend a lot of time standing up. <S> BikeJames.com <S> if you are interested in exercises help with that. <S> As an aside standing pedalling is less efficient than seated pedalling but it lets you put out more power. <S> If you compare top level riders in pretty much any form of competitive cycling you'll see that they spend a lot more time standing up than a comparable recreational rider. <A> Just an observation in my own experience. <S> I used to stand a lot when riding competitively some 20 years ago. <S> Over time (I'm now 60-years old), I've come to ride seated the vast majority of the time. <S> I live in the mountains and a typical training day averages 100 feet of climbing per mile with 40 to 60 miles on any single day. <S> What I've come to find these days is that standing does cause knee pain, mostly in my left knee in the area of the patellar tendon. <S> The more I stand, the more it gets aggravated. <S> This seems counter intuitive... <S> I am a retired surgeon and understand the biomechanics of joint function thoroughly, so I find it odd but figured worth sharing. <A> I don't think that there is a big problem with riding a bike while standing. <S> It won't be as damaging to your knees as for example running because you don't receive any shocks. <S> You only change the load of your body from one side to the other. <S> It might be strenuous though, riding a bike without sitting down will put more strain on the lower back and shoulders. <S> I had to ride my bike home for 8km when my saddle was stolen once (long time ago when I was a kid) and it really killed me. <S> There are stepper bikes though that are intended for standing while riding, maybe you like the idea. <S> They work a bit different of course, instead of a cyclic motion they make use of the motion you might be familiar with from the fitness studios cardio steppers.
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Standing pedalling does require more core and upper body strength than seated pedalling and maybe that's why your shoulders are aching check out When you are sitting down their motion is limited because the top and bottoms of your legs are 'fixed' in position.
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How to stop handlebar from creaking Ever since I bought my hybrid bike the handlebars creak. It is worse when torquing them such as climbing a hill, but just shifting my weight on the bars will make them creak. The problem gets much worse in hot weather. The bracket is as tight as I can make it. Is there any thing I can do to stop this annoying noise? <Q> Are you positive it's coming from the handlebar to stem interface? <S> Creaking sounds are notoriously hard to diagnose. <S> If you are unfamiliar with how hard to tighten bolts, you should consult your owner's manual, the part manufacturers technical documents or simply take your bike into a reputable mechanic to properly tighten everything. <A> It has consistently worked for me: <S> Disassemble everything around the zone of noise suspicion, namely remove the handlebar from the stem and separate every bolt and washer away from each other; Clean them with light solvent or oil <S> You'll find out that you get excelent tightening without too much torque when you use a recently cleaned and lubed bolt/washer pair). <S> My theory is that these creaking sounds are caused by micro-movements between dry, dust-affected, under-pressure surfaces. <S> The cleaning and lubing do fine. <S> But... DONT <S> DO IT if you're using carbon or any non-metal parts! <S> Silicon (or WAX) might work better in this case (after the disassembly and cleaning, of course). <S> Hope this helps! <A> From the fact that you say "Something seems slightly loose if I twist on the bar", there is also some chance that you have mismatched handlebar and stem. <S> There are 25.4mm and 26.0mm clamp area diameters for both handlebars and stems, so you might have a 25.4mm bar in a 26.0 stem, which might make it creaky and loose. <S> can shim around the clamping area of the bar and remounting it. <S> If you can't fit the bar into the stem's clamp with the shim, then this isn't the problem.
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It's highly possible that the noise could be from the stem to steer tube interface or your headset or the spacers on your steer tube or topcap or another source, while it may sound like it's coming from your handlebars. You could try removing the handlebar and sticking a Nitto or beer (the idea is not to degrease, but more to remove dust/rust/dirt and to allow a residual layer of lubrication to remain); Apply light oil to a cloth and polish every contacting surface with it (middle of handlebar, stem clamp); Apply GREASE to the threads, but not elsewere; Reassemble with proper torque (tight, but not strangled). Also, be cautious with making things "as tight as I can make it" as you may risk over-tightening the part and risking more damage to your bike and/or components.
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What's special about bicycle socks? I do understand why I'm wearing cycling pants all the time. I'm totally used to the pockets in my back of my jerseys and jackets. I understand where my gloves and helmet help. And I could continue going through my wardrobe but there's one more thing I'm seeing all the time: Socks. What's so special about road cycling socks compared to other socks? Ok, they have to make sure my feet don't swim in sweat, but that's no specialty over other kinds. What else? If it's about other riders laughing at me when I'm on my road bike, well, I can live with that. I simply laugh at them when they finish the track -- just when I'm done showering. ;-) <Q> Any high quality athletic sock marketed for another sport will be comparable. <A> This snugness usually doesn't go away with repeated washing; They are easily cleaned by washing, no matter how dirty, filthy or otherwise rotten they are (you know what I'm talking about); <S> They dry easily, even during a ride (unfortunately not all shoes behave the same...), or while hanging from the barends overnight, or while taking some sunlight over a lawn during a picnic; They are somewhat anatomic, that meaning mostly the areas around the heel and around the toes; They have the proper length: not so short to allow dirt infiltration and crank/chain bruises, not so long as to look like soccer socks or get tangled with said crank/chain; <S> They are clearly bike-related, usually because they have some bike-related logo (I only buy socks with logos from brands I like and/or use myself, and go to work wearing them occasionally); I'd rather leave my money at the LBS than at a soul-less department store; Why would a biker NOT use bike-specific socks if there ARE such socks being sold at all? <A> Just one thing I didn't see addressed in the other answers: Cycling shoes are very low-volume - which means they are supposed to fit very snugly and not have a lot of room for your foot to move around. <S> This is why cycling specific socks are so thin - they are designed to maximize moisture transfer off of your foot (to keep your feet comfortable) while not creating extra pressure due to extra material and/or padding. <S> Plus they're usually slathered with brand names and they match the rest of your kit. <S> So, they're totally necessary if you're going to look pro. <S> And as we all know, looking pro directly translates into going faster <S> ;-). <A> The only difference I can think of is that some running socks (for example) are thicker and slightly springier under the heel and the ball of the foot. <S> This may be useful when you're pounding the pavement, but probably doesn't add much if you don't have the impact (and would apply as much to elliptical machines as to cycling). <S> I doubt they would waste a significant amount of energy by compressing on the downstroke, it just wouldn't give any particular benefit. <A> I think it's thinner and more breathable to avoid getting wet while your feet sweating.
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The reasons why I stopped using regular cotton socks and started to ONLY use bike-specific socks for long rides (always wearing clipless cycling shoes): They are snug around the ankles and avoid dirt entering the sock. Other than wicking sweat and drying quickly, there's nothing special about them.
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What type of shoes should a commuter/road biker use? I have a hybrid bike that I use for commuting (8k round trip to work). Currently, I wear low-backed converse shoes when biking. I've been biking for about 5 months. After the first 2 months, I started getting Achilles tendon pain . I read about ankling and think that could be part of the problem. I'm also concerned it could be my shoes. So, what type of shoes should a commuter/hybrid biker look into getting? I'm willing to spend about $100-$150. <Q> I assume those shoes don't have cleats of any sort. <S> Do you currently ride without toe clips? <S> Adding toe clips might let you maintain a steadier foot position on the pedals. <S> But many regular commuters go in for cleated shoes of some sort, <S> very often the "mountain bike"/touring style with SPD cleats/pedals because they're "walkable". <S> Whatever, you want a shoe with a relatively stiff sole. <S> Basically this means a biking shoe of some sort, perhaps the afore-mentioned "mountain bike"/touring style. <A> For what I know from personal experience, experience from friends, and from discussion on forums and sites like this one, the shoes are one of the many things about bike equipment about what the answer to the question is "whatever suits you best". <S> It is very common for riders to use a lot of very different shoes: sandals for grocery, regular shoes for commuting to work, clipless for trails or long distance, fast rides, and so on. <S> From what you said, I'd suspect: <S> Your bike setup, specifically saddle height, saddle position (fore-aft and tilt), and/or handlebar reach could be "wrong" for you; You are riding too much, or too hard, or without proper rest, or in the wrong gear, or in a bad terrain CONSIDERING that you started to bike for just four months now. <S> Muscles and cardio usually get strong fast, but joints, bones and tendons take more time, so they can having been overused; <S> In any case, I'd suggest you assess the situation by yourself and alter some of these things before blaming the shoes. <S> If it doesn't solve the problem in some weeks, look for a doctor. <S> Hope this helps! <A> I ride the same distance. <S> And normally im a huge advocate for being clipped in both road biking and mountain biking. <S> But for commuting i really like just having flat steel pedals with some teeth. <S> I ride a hybrid bike as well and often wear flip flops, running shoes or dress shoes. <S> Proper riding position and a general level of cycling fitness should be more than enough to avoid leg pain. <S> Also making sure you pedal with the ball of your foot centered on the pedal. <S> I ride 200k a week between road cycling and mountain biking. <S> So my commute is a bit more leisurely as I dont want to be sweaty and tired by the time i get there. <A> As a female bike commuter, I find that shoes with a low chunky heel, something like this , work rather similarly to toe clips, keeping my foot on the pedal without me having to work at it. <S> That said, my next bike will probably have toe clips... <S> it's possible to find tallish ones that will take street shoes well. <A> The difference is AMAZING! <S> You get firm contact with the pedals when you're spinning (you are averaging 85+ RPM, right?) <S> plus the stiffness of the soles means much better efficiency in transmitting the energy from the leg to the crank. <S> If you only do a very tiny amount of walking and have a pair of work shoes at your workplace (or are bringing your own) <S> then road shoes are just fine, however if neither of those hold true then get MTB shoes (is what I used while I was a bicycle courier). <A> As others said, you really want something that allows you to walk. <S> Take a look at mountain biking shoes. <S> Regarding cleats or not, get both! <S> I have this: http://www.rei.com/product/764688/shimano-a530-spd-sport-road-pedals <S> and they are awesome. <A> There are various shoes which will really help you to ride your bike long time & among them few are common such as Road Shoe, Mountain Shoe, Triathlon Shoe, BMX Shoe, Track Shoe. <S> You also can find out the Orthaheel Tide shoes for your long comfort. <S> As I am using my shoes, give last one is very supporter for feet.
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I HIGHLY recommend cycling shoes with cleats and the appropriate pedals for them. I wear what ever shoe i feel like for the day.
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Is a pad spacer needed when installing disc brake pads? I need to replace my disc brake pads on my Shimano XT brakes. This seems like a pretty straight forward procedure, and I have all the tools needed except for the pad spacer. Do I need this to install the new pads correctly, and if I do, is there something else I can use? <Q> The pad spacer is intended to prevent you from accidentally closing the brake without the rotor in place. <S> If you do need to bleed the brake, it is convenient, but not required. <A> If you bump the lever and close the pistons while the pads are out, you can insert a clean flat blade screwdriver between the pistons and push them back into the caliper. <A> If you're worried you could substitute pretty much anything clean, solid and non-metallic. <S> The spacers are just wedges of plastic, they're not that magic. <S> A small strip of plywood does the job, that's what I used the first time I changed my pads when I was worried about the dire warnings I'd read. <S> But I've changed dozens of pads since then and don't bother any more. <S> The process of changing pads is pretty straightforward, you take the old ones off, and shove the new ones straight in. <S> Just don't muck around while the pads are out and don't squeeze the levers.
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It is not required, for any part of the adjustment or installation process, as long as you do not need to bleed the brakes, and as long as you refrain from squeezing the lever without a wheel in place.
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There is a lip on my brake pad from bad positioning. Can I remove the lip? One of my bikes had the brake pads positioned poorly and they developed a pretty pronounced lip where the pad hung off machined braking surface on one side. The bike is using cantilever brakes. These brakes have great stopping power, but It's hard to adjust the pads since one of them has an uneven surface due to the protruding lip. Is there any way to cut off, grind off, sand off, or otherwise remove the extra material from the brake pad to make it even again? <Q> You can trim off the lip with a sharp blade, if you do it carefully. <S> However, I normally recommend that the lip be filed off with the flat side of a 3/4" bastard file. <S> It's more accurate, the mechanic is less like to hurt the self if they slip, and it has the added benefit of roughing the surface of the pad to remove any heat glazing at the same time you are flattening the surface of the pad. <A> Then file the whole pad flat. <S> You want to remove glazing, uneven wear, and debris. <S> Pick out and deep metal chunks with a sharpened old metal spoke. <A> Brace either the tool or the work (in this case the work, i.e. the brake pad, being small, might be easier to brace). <S> Use consistent pressure to avoid undulation. <S> A few passes should do.
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I would be inclined to use a coarse wheel on a dremel tool. Re-surfacing the pad is part of normal brake pad maintenance. Slice it off with a sharp knife if it is really big because a file will take too long and sometimes the large mass of rubber gets stringy on the edge with a file.
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Saddle for beginner rider! I havent ridden a bike since I was a kid. And now I just purchased a second hand one to go to and from work and I found the seat like sitting on a block of wood. It was horrible! What is the best seat to get? I was going to get a large padded one but now after reading some posts saying they were no good, i dont know what to do. I know nothing about this. Please help me. Thanks! <Q> As @Kibbee stated give a little time. <S> Don't expect to be able to do a one hour ride and be painfree the next day. <S> Try to increase your saddle time gradually over a couple weeks. <S> You can do several short rides a day to toughen-up the sore spots. <S> The saddle may not be the only issue. <S> Did you consult with anyone about bikefit? <S> The bike may need some adjustments to fit you correctly. <S> If after a few weeks your body is still complaining take your bike to your local shop. <S> Have them look at your bike and the saddle. <S> Explain to them where the pain is and ask for help in choosing a saddle that fits your body. <S> Most shops will give a fit or comfort guarranty for a certain number of days. <S> ` <A> Big fat padded seats do work well and can be had rather cheaply. <S> I have recently fallen in love with a Brooks leather saddle. <S> It is basically a leather hammock built in the shape of a seat. <S> They are expensive, so see if you can find someone's you can try before you buy. <S> I stumbled into mine by accident <S> but I know I will never ride on anything else. <A> Do you ride with padded bike shorts? <S> This is a very worth while option to consider. <S> You can get "baggies" ( <S> like MTBers wear) <S> if the tight lycra look does not suit you fashion sense - don't worry - despite what roadies tell you it is NOT illegal to wear baggies while riding on the road :). <A> The answer depends on how much you ride and your position on the bike. <S> If you only take short trips and sit upright on the bike, then get a plush big comfy saddle. <S> If you intend to go on longer rides (1+h), you have a sportier (leaned forward) <S> position on the bike, and want to ride often, then give your current saddle another chance. <S> However, gradually you will build up more muscles in your bum and legs (taking weight off your bum) and the harder saddle will actually be more comfortable than the plushy one. <S> The reason is that the harder, more minimal saddle will only put pressure on your sitbones, where you contact the saddle. <S> The plushy saddle will deform under your weight and put pressure on your soft tissue. <S> Leather saddles (like Brooks) are very hard initially, but soften gradually only where your sitbones put pressure on them. <S> Thus, when they're broken in they give support for your sitbones without putting pressure on your soft tissue.
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If your bum is not used to sitting on a bike, it will get sore during the first few rides.
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For a complete beginner, what bike would you recommend? I live in a tiny apartment on the 4th floor, narrow stairs and no elevator. I'm looking to buy a bike, and planning to put in 50-60 miles a week at least. Could you recommend a bike in the 300-350$ range? It would be better if it is a foldable bike <Q> I'd recommend getting a cheap used aluminum frame bike (a beater), a good lock, and a bottle of oil. <S> Then, I recommend you lock it on the street most of the time. <S> I recommend cheap so that you won't worry about it while it's parked on the street. <S> It might take a beating getting stored outside, but if you ride it frequently that'll battle the effects of the weather (as will the bottle of oil). <S> One of my schools (in the midwest) had nearly 100% outside storage for student bicycles. <S> It snowed, rained, etc. <S> But, as long as the bikes were used and maintained regularly, they ran fine. <S> (The ones that sat for a long time eventually turned into piles of rust.) <S> If you spend, say $150 or so, you'll have enough left over for periodic tune-ups on your cheapo from your local mechanic. <S> Also, if you store it outside, you'll be more likely to ride it for quick trips than if you have to haul it up and down 4 flights of stairs. <A> How tall are you? <S> I am 6'1", but I have a boy's mountain bike with 24" wheels, which I got used six years ago for 80 dollars. <S> This is fine, because I raised the handle bars as far as they can go, and for eight dollars, I replaced the seat post with a much longer one. <S> In all regards except size, it's a normal mountain bike with a decent spring-loaded front fork, good wheels on aluminum rims, good V-brakes, good derailleurs. <S> A few incredibly cheap and easy modifications turned it into what is de-facto a small-form-factor adult bike. <S> Boy is this bicycle ever handy. <S> Though it doesn't fold, it fits everywhere <S> I need it to. <S> It does very well on crowded commuter trains, and inside small elevators, escalators and stairwells. <S> The 24" wheels are more than large enough for distance road use. <S> I go all over town on this thing. <S> Ten miles each way to work and back, plus evening and weekend outings. <S> Used bikes like this can be found in decent shape. <S> Kids can be rough on equipment, but not in the way that grownups are. <S> I mean, a kid's bike will not have been used 30 miles a day for commuting to work, in inclement weather. <S> Plus, one reason these bikes may be sold on the second hand market is simply that they were outgrown, not necessarily because there is anything wrong with them. <S> After my experience with this bike, I never want anything larger. <A> Dahon also has a few sub-400$ folding bikes: the Boardwalk S1 and the Speed Uno. <S> However, if you're planning on doing longer commutes, I would suggest folding bikes with larger wheels, like the Montague Crosstown. <S> These bikes are, however, a bit more expensive, but offer a much more comfortable and speedy ride.
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I recommend aluminum so that it is light enough to haul up to your apartment for those extended periods when you won't be riding it (also so it doesn't rust). Downtube has a a sub-400$ folding bike, the 7sp.
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for a single-speed conversion, is it always necesary to change bottom bracket? I want to convert my old raleigh, which has 3 chainrings on the front, into a single-speed. Do I have to replace the bottom bracket? I keep hearing conflicting things. Thankyou. <Q> You need one of four things: An eccentric bottom bracket. <S> Like these An eccentric hub. <S> Like these Horizontal dropouts. <S> Like these A chain tensioner. <S> There are a number of different types. <S> You only need one of the four, but these are the only ways to get the chain tension correct on a single speed. <S> (I should say "almost only. <S> " Blind luck works every so often.) <S> Additionally, as others have mentioned, a chain tensioner will not work with a fixie. <S> It's also possible that your spindle is too long or too short to get your chainline correct. <S> If that's the case, you'll have to get a new bottom bracket with the correct spindle length even if you already have an eccentric hub or horizontal dropouts. <A> It's almost never necessary, I don't know where you got this idea. <S> The only possible reason I can imagine for changing the BB during a single-speed conversion is if the chainline is way off, and you can't fix it by respacing the chainring. <S> You might be thinking of an eccentric bottom bracket. <S> This is indeed one way to adjust the chain tension on a single-speed; but an eccentric requires a special BB shell, so if your frame doesn't already have an eccentric, there's no way to install it. <A> An eccentric bottom bracket is one way of getting the chain tension correct, but it's not the only one. <S> I can't see any other reason why you'd need to change it, unless you can't get a useable chainline otherwise. <A> Not sure if you are talking bottom brackets or cranksets. <S> But the answer for both is "no". <S> If you have a singlespeed specific hub, this mainly depends on the chainstays of the bike and the size chainwheel you want to run. <S> For a conversion <S> I imagine you have a standard cassette hub though - this gives you some flexibility in positioning the rear sprocket. <S> You should be able to put your single chainwheel in the inside or middle and adjust position of rear sprocket if needed. <S> If you have vertical dropouts, some people might recommend an eccentric bottom bracket to tension the chain. <S> But you can also just use your rear derailleur, or a bolt-on tensioner like <S> this one for this.
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It's usually possible to position the chain rings on the inside or the outside of the crank's spider and get it correct, but not always.
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Front derailleur sticking, not shifting. Will soaking in solvent damage parts? I've got an older deore lx front derailleur for a mountain triple crankset. It wasn't shifting properly, and it seems that it's sticking and not returning back to a neutral position when I shift it. I've tried loosening both limit screws with no change in behavior. I took it off the bike and tried to move the derailler as if I was shifting, but doing that moves the cage, but it doesn't try to return to the original position. I'd like to soak the derailleur in a cleaning solvent (such as kerosene or paint thinner) to remove any gunk that may have built up on inner surfaces. Should I worry about the solvent damaging parts? Is there anything else to try to revive the stuck derailleur? <Q> In some derailleurs such as Shimano Tiagra, a small metal nub against which the spring presses is prone to breaking off. <S> In such case there won't be any tension on the spring which could explain the symptoms you're experiencing. <A> Kerosene, gasoline and diesel are fine, because I have used them extensively for years without any problem (I recommend only kerosene, much better than diesel or gasoline). <S> The symptoms you describe are a bit odd. <S> Does the spring have enough tension? <S> Is the cage bent in some way? <S> Try the soaking + toothbrushing + lube approach, most probably you'll solve the problem or get a better inside. <S> No fear of chemical damage, whatsoever, even if you leave it on the bike and brush the frame, too. <S> Hope this helps! <A> So long as it's a good-quality derailer, any common solvent (gasoline, kerosene, diesel, parts cleaner) should be fine (though obviously some are worse than others with regard to the fire/explosion potential).
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The danger (other than explosion) would be with a cheap derailer that contains plastic parts (eg, bushings) that are not resistant to petroleum solvents.
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Least worn tyre: front or back? Where should I put the least worn tyre? on the front or the back? This is for XC MTB. <Q> The Good or less worn tire should go on the front wheel as indicated in this Sheldon Brown Article on Tire Rotation <S> Although the article does hint to the fact that you should not be really rotating tires to the front wheel that may have been used on the rear wheel. <S> The only time tire rotation is appropriate on a bicycle is when you are replacing the rear tire. <S> If you feel like taking the trouble, and use the same type of tire front and rear, you should move the front tire to the rear wheel, and install the new tire in front. <S> The reason for this is that the front tire is much more critical for safety than the rear, so you should have the more reliable tire on the front. <S> If you have a blowout, if it is on the rear tire, you have a very good chance of bringing the bike to a controlled stop. <S> If your front tire blows, you can lose steering control, and a crash is a real possibility. <A> However, I tend to ride my tires until the cord nearly shows, and, given that flats are about 5x more common on rear tires than front tires (and front-tire flats are much easier to fix), I'd be tempted to put the better tire on the rear, to reduce flat potential. <A> @MrDaniel has a very good answer, however if the bike is used XC MTB <S> a blowout is less of a concern than handling when compared to a road bike, as MTB tires (in true off road conditions) loose performance as they loose tread, unlike a road tire. <S> If you have steep, slippery uphills and traction your most important problem, a better tread on the back helps. <S> If control is your problem and you find the front a bit sketchy - then the new one on the front would be better. <S> If in doubt, don't loose any sleep over it - put it on either the one you are replacing (easy - only one tire change) or the front. <S> Don't forget that with MTB tires they are all quite different characteristics, build for particular combinations of riding conditions and tradeoffs. <S> Some are designed specifically for back or front, or you change the rotation direction between front and back <S> - therefore it is not as simple as just considering tread wear. <A> Least worn tyre on the front, always. <S> I have pretty worn tyres, the back is completely smooth, and the front has maybe half a mm of tread in the middle. <S> Both have lugs on the shoulders. <S> We have been training hard for an upcoming 12-hour MTB endurance social event. <S> All my rear-wheel slips have been recoverable, (at least a dozen), while both front wheel slips were complete wipeouts resulting in skidding, blood and one smashed phone. <S> That said - "sufficient" tread on both is a really good idea. <S> You can get away with less tread on the road than off-road Except when the road is wet. <S> If you have low tread on a road bike on a wet road - you will probably go down. <A> Place the less worn tire on the front. <S> You need very little tread to achieve traction on the rear tire when climbing. <S> Though counter intuitive, tire tread has very little impact on keeping your rear tire from slipping and spinning out on a climb. <S> Maintaining traction is much more about torque, and weight and body positioning on the bike. <S> I intentionally use a rear tire with low worn out center tread to reduce drag and increase rolling efficiency. <S> Center tread on the rear tire may help keep the tail from bouncing and sliding around a bit, but this is not critical in maintaining control. <A> Very thoughtful considerations, especially directing the thinking towards MTB terrain given that so many folks drive to trails and might not worry about pavement wear and those safety concerns as much. <S> My knee-jerk reaction to the original question was a more superficial performance thought for a MTB: <S> If you rely on a knobby tread and encounter sloppy (muddy/wet) conditions with a worn-down rear tire and a newer front tire, you might be better served rotating the newer tire to the drive tire in the rear. <S> It would have to be a pretty bald rear tire to make the swap noticeable though. <S> If I have two bald tires and only enough money for one tire, I'd definitely replace the back one first if the conditions are sloppy.
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Generally you want the best tread on the front, as a front tire skid is much more dangerous than a rear tire skid. Your riding style and ground you ride will dictate to some extent what you do.
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Help needed identifying mystery screws on 1940s tandem My tandem has two small screws above each bottom bracket, one on each side (so four in total). I've not seen them on any other bike, and I can't figure out what they're for! Suggestions so far have been (a) letting water out (except that they're on the top) and (b) putting oil in (except that I didn't think that was how you're meant to service a bottom bracket - I thought you had to take it apart). I know they're not for an eccentric bracket, as there's other screws elsewhere for that. Picture of screws on rear bracket here: http://s8.postimage.org/z4evs6791/IMG_1950.jpg In case it's any help, original bike spec page is here: http://www.nkilgariff.com/CBcats/Cat_40/CB15.jpg All help much appreciated! <Q> Do they have the little ball bearing in the middle? <A> I know they're not for an elliptical bracket, as there's other screws elsewhere for that <S> Elliptical? <S> Do you mean eccentric ? <S> Are you sure that's not what they're for? <S> Maybe there's one set of bolts to adjust the orientation, and another to lock it in place. <S> But there's also this on the spec sheet: <S> LUBRICATION: "CB" twin force-feed to brackets and head, oilgun and instructions provided. <S> This would suggest that there are two grease fittings on the bottom bracket. <S> Modern bikes don't have them, but this ain't a modern bike. <S> The only way to be sure is to take it apart. <A> Grease fittings are still to be found on the Big Toys, but just about everything consumer-focused is of a sealed bearing design. <S> @heltonbiker is right... <S> the old stuff is just forced out by the new stuff. <S> What you've got there is the same head design for a fitting that's show in the Wikipedia article too. <S> Your crank isn't the sealed type and probably could use some new grease at least once a decade. <A> Though they sorta look like grease zerks, I doubt that. <S> I would guess that they were used for retaining/adjusting the eccentric, but you indicate that's elsewhere. <S> Note that what you see may be caps over smaller screws. <S> Have you tried removing one of them?
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It's hard to tell from your picture because they're out of focus, but they look a bit like grease nipples: i.e. like the ones in the top left of the picture. They could be used to somehow secure the crank bearings.
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could I mount a different manufacturer brand rotor to use with my brakes? I've a tektro draco hydraulic brakes on my mtb and I would like to know if it is possible to mount a different brand rotor to use with my brakes? <Q> The brand of brake doesn't matter. <S> The only variables you should care about are: Rotor diameter. <S> You should probably get the same size as the old one; for a different size, you'll need an adapter to reposition the brake calipers. <S> The way the rotor attaches to the hub. <S> Most of them are held on with 6 bolts, but a few use the "Centerlock" attachement which looks like this: <A> <A> This is a separate answer only because I can't vote or comment on other's answers yet. <S> Speaking directly to the original question... <S> yes - it is possible. <S> I have a winter set of wheels with a rotor by a different maker <S> and it is a center lock mount vs. a six-bolt mount of my regular wheels. <S> No problem at all <S> and it is one of the main things I like about disk brakes. <S> With rim brakes I would have to adjust the brakes each time I did the switch-a-roo unless both sets of wheels had exactly the same width. <S> Since the winter wheels have studded tires I make the switch on clear/dry days in the winter as well.
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As long as the bolt pattern is the same and the rotor is the same size, it should be fine.
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Do flat fenders work fine? There are some stylish flat fenders out there. I'm referring to those fenders that have no curvature across the width of the tire, though they do curve around the wheel. Some of these fenders seem to only be as wide as the tire. This question is posed to people who have used flat fenders: Do you ever find that you get some splash, say on your legs, or the outer edges of your butt/back? Or are they completely fine? When answering, please also tell me whether your flat fender was the same width as the tire, or a bit wider. <Q> I can't speak as a user of them, but I can as one who has followed them. <S> I would think that in this regard, wider would seem to be better <S> In this they are better than the horizontally flat guards you see, which do nothing to protect those following you. <S> If you're only worried about your back and legs, these seem fine - but if you're concerned for your fellow travelers, I'd be less keen on them. <A> There are two factors: 1) Since they don't "hug" the wheel as closely they aren't quite as effective for a given width. <S> 2) <S> They aren't as stiff, meaning they'll vibrate somewhat worse with a given mounting technique. <A> I have regular (curved around) full fenders in one commuter, and nothing on other, this one with skinny tires. <S> On the fenderless one, when water from the front tire hits the downtube, I feel like every drop of it is projected sidwards, and my feet quickly get wet. <S> On the other hand, on the fender-equiped one, only the water projected directly from puddles hit my feet, and every water that hits the fender is (or looks like it is) directed towards the middle of the fender and eventually goes out by its lower side. <S> So, although I have never used flat fenders like shown in the photo, I am afraid they protect much less than their more common curved counterparts. <S> Hope this helps!
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They seem to work reasonably well, but they aren't as good at protecting people behind you - the arc behind them is narrower than the traditional curved in guard.
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Adjusting disk brakes after taking off the wheel I recently took off the front wheel off of my mountain bike, and have been having considerably difficulty getting the front wheel on the right spot such that the wheel doesn't rub against the brake when I'm riding. I know there is clearance possible, because if I pull the quick release on my wheel and turn the wheel, it spins just fine. What can I do to align the brake properly? <Q> Tip of the day for how to adjust brakes so they dont rub when tightened: Use shims on either side of the disk! <S> Here's how to do it: <S> Get a beer can and cut a strip about an inch wide and 6 inches long (careful when using this, it's sharp) <S> Take the wheel off the bike, loosen up the hex cap bolts on top of the calliper , not the wheel, adaptor, etc <S> Put the shim over disk, in the position where the calliper will float over it, put the wheel back in so the shim is now jammed up into the loosened calliper and do up your quick release nice and tight Put the brake on a little (to centre the calliper) and tighten up the calliper bolts. <S> Remove the shim (you may have to remove the wheel) and you should have a really properly aligned brake (either cable or hydraulic). <S> Make sure your beer can strip is really clean (use soapy water and properly rinse) <S> so you don't contaminate the pads or disk. <S> I've got Avid Juicy brakes <S> and I had huge problems with getting them properly aligned so they didn't make little squealing sounds whenever I was riding (they never really rubbed) <S> and this made it so much more pleasant! <A> Assuming you mean that the disk caliper pads are rubbing on the rotor when the lever is not being used/ <S> squeezed: 1) <S> If it has been a while this bolt could require some effort to get moving. <S> On my brakes there is a detent such that I back off the bolt <S> one click at a time and see how the clearance is. <S> 2) <S> The moving pad/side in the caliper is adjusted by cable tension in the usual way, i.e. with the barrel adjuster at the lever or the pinch bolt at the caliper. <A> @Arbalest has the correct answer for one specific problem with brakes with just one cylinder, <S> If that is not it, the best way would be to reset the caliper alignment. <S> I am not expert, theres heaps of information on how to do it - <S> the owners manual is a good start - it's not hard, but a novice may need a couple of goes at it to get it spot on. <S> Essentially, loosen the bolts holding the caliper enough so it moves, but is not loose. <S> Pump the brakes gently a couple of times with the wheel spinning (in normal direction). <S> Then while applying the brakes "firmly but not hard" (i.e. enough to hold the caliper in place), slowly tighten the bolts, alternating between them 1/2 turn at a time (so it tightens evenly on each side). <A> I've had this problem with more than one bike, and risk factors for that are: <S> The problem is that, due to the very tight distance between the disk and the pads, a minimal amount of "shape changing" creates rub and noise. <S> This shape changing might occur between opening and closing the quick release, or because of more aggressive twisting forces while cornering on difficult terrain. <S> Usually, a little rubbing is not a real problem, but much more of a nuisance, and even very small rubs can cause an unpleasant noise. <S> If you do this gently, you'll notice that the fork twists (a tiny bit of course) enough to make the disk reposition itself inside the caliper, also showing the direction you should apply a greater force to reposition the disk/caliper "permanently", and this is enough to solve the problem, but only if the rubbing is minimal (otherwise it is necessary to properly adjust the brake). <S> Of course I am not suggesting to twist anything in a way that would cause damage, but I think some setups are so prone to misalignments that the same poison should cure the disease, and that's it. <S> Also, of course this problem has a WAY smaller chance to happen with non-quick-release. <S> 20mm thru-axle hubs/forks. <S> Hope this helps!
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The fixed/non-moving pad/side in the caliper on my brakes are adjusted with an allen key from that outer side of the caliper. One possible solution, and one that works for me when I'm in an "I need silence" mood, is to catch the front wheel of the bike in a corner, or even against a wall or a tree or a fence, and TWIST THE HANDLEBARS. Quick-release hubs (as opposed to 20 mm, thru-axle); Long travel forks; "Light" or otherwise delicate forks (even good quality ones); Mechanical brakes (one pad non-moving); Large-diameter (8 inch) disks.
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Six speed chain on an eight speed bike So in the shop they asked me "what chain do you need" and I said 7. They said "you could try this 6-speed, it is half the price of a 7, and we put it on 7-speeds all the time". I said "ok", only to determine later that my bike is 8-speed. (Excuse: I never use the several highest cogs). I know "higher-speed" means just that the chain is thinner, fitting the recommended chainring, plus any other with less cogs (because there is more space between the cogs). And, as expected, my bike now makes all kinds of clicking noises and skips. However, upon inspection, the chain does not rub the chainrings. It fits tight, but does not touch the other chainrings. I will probably replace the chain for a correct one, but before that I would like to know what is the cause of the problem (the skipping). EDIT: some more detail We are talking a $300, used regularly for three years. Of it, only the chain has been replaced - twice. If needed, I will post a photo tonight. Just ask in the comments! <Q> The skipping will always be because of the chain touching on the other cogs, or trying to slip back down from the pull of the rear derailleur. <S> The chain is too wide and, as you already know, is doing one or the other. <S> It might not be evident from looking at the cogs while riding as the chain is fed from underneath when you pedal, so the clicking from the chain moving may only be visible when the bike is upside down. <S> If you have a reasonable quality shifters/cables/mech then you should be able to just about get away with it with some really fine adjustment. <S> The difference between 6, 7, 8 and 9 speed is actually the spacing between the cogs, and not the width of the cogs themselves. <S> Hence the need for thinner chains. <S> Edit: I haven't got comment everywhere ability yet, but as suggested below, you should make sure your chain is the correct length. <S> The recognised method for this is to wrap the chain around the largest cog at the front, the largest cog at the back, pull tight and then add two links (or 3 if it ended up with two inner links). <S> This generally ends up being shorter than what you had originally, but is correct. <A> The clicking and skipping could be because of the mismatched chain/cog combo as you suspect. <S> However, it could also be that your rear sprockets are worn. <S> Chains "stretch. <S> " As they do, they also stretch the teeth on the rear sprockets, especially the highest gears (smallest sprockets). <S> The old stretched chain will work just fine since the sprockets have stretched to match. <S> However, if you replace it with a new chain, the teeth and the chain links no longer match up. <S> The result is a chain that skips and makes a bunch of noise. <S> You can read more on Sheldon Brown 's site. <A> As far as I know, 6, 7 and 8 speed cog groups, all share the same cog spacing and can use the same chain size. <S> If you lay flat on a table a sample of each, you'll see each one is "taller" than the one with less cogs. <S> However, they stop growing after that, as a 9 speed cassete has the same overall width as a 8 speed, thus, they had to reduce the cog spacing and need a narrower chain. <S> The same happens when you go up to 10 speed, the overall cassette width is the same as 9 speed, having even a smaller cog spacing and a narrower chain. <S> It seems to me that your problem is due to derailleur fine tuning. <S> To check that visually, examine the bike from its rearview. <S> In each shift position, the guide pulley should line almost perfectly with its correspondant cog. <S> It is easier to check this with the chain removed, but it's not mandatory. <S> Good lighting helps. <S> Inproper chain length can also be the cause, as other answers state. <S> Note: I speak for my experience with several mountain bikes, including "formal bikes" and crazy experiments. <S> I don't know if this is also valid for road or other types of bike. <A> Dumb question - I'm assuming you lined it up with the old one and got a rough length before you put it on? <S> Yes, width is usually the major issue when doing the 6 -> 7 -> 8 etc. <S> move, but it could be that it's too short (pulling the rear derailleur up too high) or too long <S> (they will often include a couple of extra links in these chains). <S> I usually lay the new one out next to the old one and make sure that the length is approximate (the old chain will, of course, have stretched from use to you want to keep that in mind). <S> If I'm feeling particularly anal retentive <S> I'll count the links out (which is, I believe, the recommended method). <A> http://www.ctc.org.uk/desktopdefault.aspx?tabid=3946 has a table of common sprocket spacings (and no, 6, 7, and 8 aren't all the same). <S> http://sheldonbrown.com/cribsheet-spacing.html has more extensive details.
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As 6-8 cog groups share the same spacing, it is usually possible to use, say a 7 speed indexed shifter on a 6 speed cog group, since the derailleur has to move the same distance to perform a gearshift. (As other people have said, the sprockets having worn to the old chain is also a likely problem, but the chain being slightly too wide won't help shifting.)
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Why do i have a cramp? I think Ive been getting a cramp in my right quad. I assume its a cramp, but ive never had one before. I bike 10 miles per day 5 days per week. I always ride the same way (to and from work). On one particular stretch (comm ave in boston) i usually try go about 25mph the whole way. This is where i get the cramp. It started happening last week and just assumed it was because of the colder weather. Is there anything i can to prevent it from happening? <Q> There are a number of reasons you could be cramping - if that is, in fact, what it is. <S> You are not properly warmed up before exerting yourself You are exceeding your limit of fitness <S> You are not properly hydrated <S> Without additional information it's really hard to diagnose something like this, but those are some common causes of cramping during a ride or any athletic activity. <S> You may also look at your technique to see if you are favoring one side over another or have a setup that is not ideal. <A> It might be due to your saddle not being high enough. <S> I had a similar problem with my left quad and found that making the saddle higher on my bike resolved the problem. <A> Make sure you are hydrated before you begin any ride in any weather and carry additional water, Gatorade or other favorite hydration drink. <S> A snack like an energy bar may also help. <S> Make sure you seat is adjusted properly! <S> Your saddle height should be high enough that your knees are directly over the ball of your foot at the bottom of the peddal stroke. <S> If your leg is nearly straight, then you're likely "reaching" on the pedal stroke and your hips will be "rocking" in the saddle. <S> This will cause stress on your quad muscles. <A> I have heard all of the reasons for getting cramps such as not enough electrolytes, not enough fluids, heat along with all of the fixes but the one that actually is the biggest cause and the hardest to swallow is not enough saddle time. <S> Back when I was riding a lot, I would get cramps on every long ride that I went with the fast group or when I attacked a hill at the end of a 60 mile ride. <S> More miles and harder miles fixed that problem.
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If you don't use either "peddal cages" or clip peddals so you can lift up with one leg as the other leg is pushing down on the opposite pedal, this can cause fatigue in your legs. You have not eaten enough food to fuel your ride You may have to experiment for awhile to see what works or doesn't work, so keep a record of possible "cures."
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MIG Welds vs Brazing for simple bike hacks Given that frames are generally brazed, not welded and given that MIG welding will work on simple bike hacks what are the downsides of MIG welding these hacks? For example, I would like to make a frame mounted front rack (rather than handlebar and/or fork mounted rack). I know for sure the welds will be uglier than a professionally brazed job, but are there other issues to be aware of? <Q> (The high temperatures associated with conventional welding would seriously damage the tubing.) <S> However, Cannondale, in their push to develop good aluminum bikes, invented the technique of rapid welding (since aluminum can't be brazed, and traditional welding worked poorly). <S> This technique was transferred to the manufacturer of steel bikes, which is why most modern steel bikes are welded (without lugs) rather than lugged and brazed. <S> The question is, can you do your MIG welding rapidly enough to not destroy the temper of the tubing? <A> If I'm not mistaken, MIG is used for lower end aluminum frames. <S> I have made a lot of hacks and fixes to steel frames (including building a recumbent frame from an old, already cracked, MTB frame), and always used TIG weld, with excelent results, either durability and aesthetics. <S> The main difference between TIG and MIG is that, with MIG, the electrode and the deposit material are the same (consumable electrode), while with TIG you have a non-consumable tungsten electrode and a consumable, handheld wire rod. <S> Not only the tungsten electrode has a sharper and more precise point, but also it is more probable to the shop to have wire rods from different (and more suitable to your bike) steels, than it is for them to have multiple large rolls of different MIG electrodes. <S> So, I recommend you to look for TIG welding instead of MIG welding, at least for steel. <S> Hope this helps! <A> I am an old-school welder, whose first job was torch welding tool steel. <S> So I am going to braze my frame. <S> I love both other processes and would TIG if I had one. <S> My reasons for choosing brazing are twofold. <S> Bronze is not as brittle as steel or moly <S> so it doesn't fatigue as fast. <S> Second, even perfect MIG and TIG welds concentrate the heat to such a small area that cracks just beyond the bead itself seem common in many applications, where a braze can be feathered out. <S> I have no scientific proof other than 35 years experience <S> But I am going to braze. <S> Besides, I like rat bike looks. <S> I'm not painting the frame just clear-coating. <S> Bronze is pretty.
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As far as I know, nowadays most bikes (not the extra cheap neither the extra fancy) are TIG welded. The reason that brazing is traditionally used on steel bikes is so that the temper of the chromoly tubes won't be wrecked.
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Good backpack for carrying groceries So, I need to be able to carry 3-4 days worth of groceries for one person, about a mile from the store to home. I'm not too keen on the idea of panniers or anything else that mounts to the frame. I don't want any extra junk burdening me during the 99% of rides that aren't grocery runs. So, I've been wearing a backpack but its a little small and not well suited to carrying groceries. Does anybody have a suggestion that will work in my use case? <Q> I don't want any extra junk burdening me during the 99% of rides that aren't grocery runs. <S> I use a Bontrager pannier (or two) like this one: http://bontrager.com/model/08102 <S> The rack on my bike is permanent, but you can clip the bag onto onto the rack, or detach it again, in a second or two: so put it on the bike only when you're going to the store. <S> I also take the bag into the store so I can fill it there, then bring it out already full and attach it to the bike and cycle off. <A> Get an ortleib messenger backpack classic . <S> It will hold a ton of stuff <S> and it's waterproof in case <S> something bursts inside <S> (it will stay inside). <S> It is a great multi-purpose bag and it expands to fit a lot of stuff. <S> Watch the video demo: Grocery Run - Vandal Roll-Top Backpack <S> You may also want to consider a quick release handlebar basket, depending on whether you have drop bars or not. <A> If you are carrying much weight panniers are much easier. <S> The bike balances better and they don't put strain on your back like <S> a heavy rucksack does. <S> I don't think that there is a proper rack that you can fit if you have rear suspension on your bike. <S> I wouldn't trust the ones that just bolt round the seat tube with very much weight. <A> I would suggest looking into Mission Workshop . <S> I have two of their bags, and they are great quality, made in America and lifetime warrantied. <A> I agree with the other answers suggesting a pannier - panniers are more suitable for transporting stuff than a backpack. <S> Groceries for 3-4 days is not really that much, and it's only for a mile, so ergonomics should not be such a big problem. <S> There are many special bike backpacks, but they are usually designed for bicycle tours, to hold a helmet, a bottle etc.. <S> For transporting groceries I'd just use a regular backpack. <A> I would go with pannier and a quick release rack. <S> Something like http://www.topeak.com/products/Racks/MTXBeamRackE-Type <A> but I wanted to throw out one more option-- a trailer. <S> Easy to hitch and unhitch, and it has much larger cargo capacity. <A> I fully understand your point about buying a rack and panniers set, possibly involving a new frame/bicycle, so the following is just a suggestion for the long run. <S> In the long run, it's no good for your back to carry heavy weights, especially when cycling as your back position is not optimal for carrying weights (depending also on how much do you lean on the handlebars). <S> Also, a backpack won't allow you to roll on the ground, happily dissipating excessive momentum during a fall (this is solely based on my own experience though, somebody might want to ask a dedicated question on this topic :) ). <A> I use those sackpacks: <S> http://www.adidas.com/us/product/rover-sackpack/LB750AB <S> In practice, they work very well. <S> And when not in use, you can fold it up and tie it to your top bar or something. <S> They are also very washable. <S> I sweat a lot when biking and I just simply throw it in with my laundry and comes out clean and dries very easily. <A> Here's a genetic answer for you: One that neither comes up too high nor is too wide at the top. <S> My camera rucksack is reasonably large, but because it narrows significantly at the top I can look over my shoulder with no problem. <S> The backpack <S> I'm more likely to use for riding to the shops <S> is not much bigger, but makes it much harder to look behind me (though it is a better shape for carrying (e.g.) bread at the top). <S> I suggest that you might like chest and waist straps to keep the bag tightly attached to you, and possibly compression straps to shrink the bag to the load. <S> These should all stop the bag swinging around. <S> Proper loading is important as I mentioned in my comment - keep the heavy stuff low for stability, with the benefit of not squashing other shopping.
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A quick release handlebar bag and a large backpack sound like the best answers Also (touch wood) a fall with a heavy backpack is in principle (more cyclist mass=less acceleration) better, but in practice much worse than a fall with panniers, when the extra weight rests on the bicycle. However, if you do not transport anything except for short shopping trips, you can just use any half-decent backpack. If you want to go real fancy get a mission workshops vandal .
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I unscrewed the lockring, and *both* BB cups rotated - what's going on? I'm fixing up an old tandem, and the cup-and-cone bottom bracket at the front sounds very gritty, so I picked up my c-spanner and applied it to the lockring. With a bit of effort, left cup and lockring both rotated together. Not hugely surprising that they're stuck together - both bits are quite old and grimy. But then I noticed that the right cup was rotating as well - as if it were rigidly attached to the left. The entire set (two cups and lockring) won't easily rotate more that about 20 degrees,and I didn't want to push any harder. How can this happen - aren't cups meant to be separate? Will I damage it if I keep rotating it? How should I unscrew it? Some more details:The tandem is a 1940s Claud Butler - spec here: http://www.nkilgariff.com/CBcats/Cat_40/CB15.jpg . The bracket is inside an eccentric casing. I can't shift this at all, so I don't know how it's all connected inside. BB make is Bayliss-Wiley. Photos are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/88429902@N04/ <Q> This a request for clarification rather than an answer <S> (sorry, I don't have enough rep to comment yet). <S> First thing to assess is the threading of the right cup. <S> I assume the BB is English threaded, <S> because it's a CB product; if this is correct then when you unscrew the right threaded left cup, the left threaded right cup would rotate in the same direction, hence would unscrew itself. <S> Can you see a gap developing between the frame and the right cup when you unscrew the left cup? <S> If my assumption were correct, the fact that they do not rotate more than 20 degrees might indicate that there's some sort of connection (intended or not) between the two. <S> By unscrewing both sides simultaneously you are stretching the connection, hence the block at only 20 degrees. <S> Finally, sorry if the following comments sound offensive. <S> Depending on your experience in bicycle repairing: are you sure you are not rotating the whole eccentric when you rotate the cups? <S> I can see you have an eccentric in your pictures. <S> you might be surprised on how much strength one needs to unscrew old BBs, so <S> when you say "won't easily rotate", what do you mean exactly? <S> Are you applying strength with the arm only or are you using your body weight? <S> Cheers <A> Have you tried undoing the fixed cup, or at least holding it it to stop it turning? <S> You will probably need a better spanner/wrench than he one in your photo, something like http://www.dotbike.com/p/6301 or http://www.awcycles.co.uk/park-tool-36mm-box-end-fixed-cup-wrench-bottom-bracket-pin-spanner.html <S> Alternatively, sometimes you can grip it in a bench vise - might be tricky with a tandem, but if you can get the eccentric out of the frame it might help get the bracket out of the eccentric. <S> If you can get one cup out, see <S> http://sheldonbrown.com/tooltips/bbcups.html for a tool to get the other one <S> unstuck - while Sheldon talks about using it on a stuck fixed cup once you've got the adjustable one out, I've had one bike where I could get the fixed cup out but not the adjustable, it works both ways. <S> Just remember that the threads are reversed. <S> (Since the eccentric looks like aluminium alloy, gentle heat might be more effective at unsticking the cups than it would be on steel in steel. <S> But unless you are prepared to strip paint off the frame, it probably won't help.) <A> So I finally got the eccentric out of the frame today (it turned out that I really did just need to mallet it harder). <S> The reason that both cups were turning was that they both screw into a cylindrical sleeve, and this sits in the eccentric casing. <S> The sleeve doesn't seem to have anything preventing it rotating (apart from rust and grime) <S> so when I tried to turn one cup the whole sleeve rotated. <S> I haven't yet managed to get the cups out of the sleeve, so I don't know what's in there. <S> I've put pictures of the eccentric here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/88429902@N04/sets/72157631852885547/ , just in case anyone's interested! <S> Thanks to everyone else that replied - lots of helpful people here!
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Unless the bracket is so corroded it's useless, both cups being stuck and the whole eccentric moving (as astabada suggests) is the only way I can see that the cups can be stiffly linked. I'd try doing the bolts that grip that back up first (assuming they are the ones on a saucer in your photo).
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Is it safe to ride on an unevenly bulging tyre? Most of the tyre looks fine, true and straight but the section photographed shows bulging. The rim itself is true, is this safe to ride on? <Q> Short answer, no <S> it is not safe. <S> The other, less likely, possibility is a weak area on the tire. <S> This is usually accompanied by a scrape or other damage to the sidewall of the tire... <S> can't really tell in this picture, but I suspect you would have mentioned such. <S> In either case, riding on this can lead to a blowout. <S> As it's a rear tire, this is not quite the horror it is with a front tire, but it still is not a lot of fun. <S> Happy Riding. <A> In general, no -- not safe. <S> Some tire/rim combos don't center up well and can produce a version of the above even when reasonably well seated, but generally the effect isn't as extreme as what I see in the picture. <S> First inspect the tire for actual bulges, suggesting torn cord in the tire (which means the tire must be replaced). <S> If you don't find those, let all the air out of the tire, wiggle it around until it's evenly centered, then re-inflate. <S> If it looks OK after refilling, ride it around the block once and then recheck, and check again every 10-15 miles for the first 50. <S> Sometimes, for tires that refuse to center well, it works to inflate the tire to about half pressure and ride it slowly a hundred feet or so, to make the tire seat itself. <S> (Then fully inflate, of course.) <S> It may be that you have the wrong size tire for the rim. <A> Do not ride until you have inspected it. <S> If there are no areas of dryrot or damage you're ok to use it providing the bead is fully seated. <S> Also check to see if a twist or kink in the wire bead may be the cause of the bubble. <S> As long as the bead seats correctly on the rim a little kink won't hurt anything.
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This looks like the tire bead is not correctly seated (not clinching the clincher) in which case deflating and reseating will likely fix the issue (check the bead...if it's damaged, the tire is done). Be safe, fix or replace. I would suggest that you remove the tire and inspect the inside in the area in question.
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Resources for finding dirt roads for planning gravel grinding rides What are good resources to use to find dirt roads, fire roads, gravel roads, or disused paved roads for planning a gravel grinder or ultracross style ride. Any particular atlases, online mapping resources, government departments to check? <Q> Good quality road maps will differentiate between paved and unpaved roads. <S> I really like my Gazetteer State Maps <A> For those still interested, there's a pretty solid map site available now covering the US. <S> Not everything is on there, and you can add more gravel roads as you find them. <S> https://gravelmap.com/#9.57/36.2029/-86.7234 <A> Not aware of similar projects <S> but I imagine/hope they are out there. <A> Without knowing your location I can't give specifics. <S> If you check for a local or regional mountain bike assoc. <S> they should have some trail guides. <S> In the northeast we have the new england mountain bike assoc. <S> Most of these groups have websites with trail reviews. <S> Not all of the trails are singletrack or <S> downhill many are cartroads and firebreaks. <S> Many trails are accessed via fireroads with descriptions and difficulty ratings. <S> I use MTBR.com <S> they have a state by state listings and reviews from users. <S> Some will have maps or links to get them. <S> Some have gps coordinates to locate key areas.
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I found this map of Pennsylvania with dirt roads overlaid a while back.
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How do I prevent neck and back pain, and recover physically/mentally on a multi-day ride? I'm nervous about the ride and looking for some motivation, support and answers to a couple of questions. I'm a 53 year old female and I've done 75, 80 and 100 miles before but never a two day ride for a total of 180 miles. I've put quite a few hours in on my bike but I'm getting nervous now. I know I can do the first day but I'm concerned about the second day and how I will feel. I tend to feel a lot of burning across my shoulders and neck after about 50 or 60 miles. Question 1: What can I do to prevent this? Also, what should I eat the night before the ride and is there anything I can do to prepare myself mentally and physically after the first day? Can I do this? I won't back out now............I told my family I was crossing the finish line even if someone has to drag me across. Please help! I'm not even sure I can sleep tonight! <Q> Take a break every hour or so. <S> Shake out your legs, shake out your arms. <S> Stetch your muscles. <S> When on the bike, try to remember to switch hand positions often set a timer on your watch every 10 minutes if you have to to remind you to switch things up a bit. <S> Eat before you are hungry, at regular intervals. <S> Don't wait until you feel hungry to start eating. <S> It's already too late at that point. <S> Don't drink too much on the night between the rides. <S> I don't know about the ride you are going on, but a lot of these two day rides have "refreshments" available at the end of the first day. <S> A cold beer can be nice to relax you, but don't overindulge. <S> You'll regret it the next day. <A> Adding to the Supurb answer by @kibbee <S> The second day you may find the start hard - muscles are a bit tied and sore. <S> Legs are not working like the did at the start of the first day etc, they are stiff and sore.... <S> If this is the case - take it easy, and get warmed up slowly and before you know it, that sore and stiff feeling will be gone, and you will be feeling good again. <S> At the end of the first day - you need to get the glycogen stores replensihed - this is best done with a decent quality carbo feed within an hour of stopping. <S> It's nice to have a rest and cold brew and socialise - but make sure you get a carbo meal in. <S> Now is not the time to be on the latest anticarbo fad diet - or shy about going back for seconds either (not the wine/beer). <S> You need to replensih the calories you used. <S> It's also important to recover lost fluid - We used a rule of thumb when climbing moutains - if you have got dehydrated- drink until you pee, then drink another litre before bed. <S> As you have already riden 100 mile in a day - you can do a second day <S> -it's your head that will stop the legs turning, not the otehr way round. <S> "If you think you can or think you can't, you will probably be right" (paraphasing Henry Ford.) <S> I am saying you can do it <S> - I am not promising it will be easy - good luck...... <A> I have ridden RAGBRAI 3 times and ask myself the same question each time. <S> (and I am 62). <S> Aside from what everyone else here has said, I find training to be essential. <S> For a 2 day 180 mile ride I would recommend that: You have riddent at least 700, preferably 1000 miles that season prior to the ride. <S> You have riddent at least 2 back to back training rides. <S> Say the 2 weekends before your ride ride <S> 40 - 50 miles Sat and 40 - 50 miles again on Sun. <S> Do that 2 weekends in a row and you will have the confidence (and miles) to finish your 180 mile ride. <S> Hydration- everyone has mentioned eating (which is very important), but make sure to drink!
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If you don't have to pee during the first days ride you aren't drinking enough. When it's a training schedule, you (well me anyway) would normally say "Best to rest and recover" - so it's not something you will have dealt with much before. Don't be afraid to get off the bike.
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Unscrewing a rounded allen bolt I need to take out my rear shock but one of the 2 allen bolts that is holding it (the upper one) has been rounded. I've been told about various ways that such a bolt can be taken out including: hammer a torx in and unscrew drill a line using a dremel and unscrew with a screwdriver (I don't think the latter will work, the bold is too tight) hammer a larger allen key in and unscrew drill the hell out of the bolt (I don't want this because I'm afraid I'll damage other parts of the link (bushings etc) What do you propose for this case? <Q> I'd try a screw remover like these . <S> You'll need to either get a set or bring the bolt in to make sure you get the right size (Sears sells their own version that's supposed to be excellent). <S> The good ones have a left-hand thread and a small cutting head to bite into the bead of the bolt; this looks like a really good candidate for a screw remover since the head is nice and large and has enough material for the remover to be able to grab. <A> There are special screw extrators for this purpose. <S> Every well equipped car or bike repair should have such, maybe you will also find them in a DIY store. <S> The only question is, if it is worth the money to buy an own one if you have only one screw to remove. <S> Maybe also this link will help. <A> I'll post the results as an answer although I've already accepted a solution. <S> The bolt extractor did not help me. <S> That's because the bolt was so tight on its nut. <S> I think that the bolt had made a bond with the nut. <S> Initially any attempt to hook the extractor resulted in more alumenium material from the bolt to be extracted. <S> Then I drilled a smaller whole in the center of the bolt and tried with a smaller extractor. <S> It broke. <S> I also drilled a torx pattern on the bolt's head but the torx also melted the aluminium of the bolt. <S> I ended up drilling the hell out of the bolts back end where it binds to the nut. <A> Yes, normally if a bolt get stuck there are 2 possibilities. <S> 1) in shops often they have bolt extractors; they rip firmly on the bolt and then should be possible to unscrew it.2)another solution I have found to remove bolts has been using glue. <S> So put the bike of its side, so that you can drop the glue in and stuck the hex key in too, to bond. <S> Leave it to rest and if the glue is strong enough try unscrewing it, to remove it. <S> It worked for me a few times. <A> Cut a slit/slot in it and pull it out with flat-head screw driver.
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When I've drilled a complete circle around the threads of the bolt and nut, I could hammer the bolt out. It was impossible to unscrew it.
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Removing bottom bracket from 79 peugeot frame I would like to remove the bottom bracket from an old french peugeot race frame. I believe the frame was built in 79 judging by the decals and stamp on the bb. The bottom bracket and spindle at the moment will spin, but feel very dirty and sounds gritting so I want to take it apart to clean/regrease. I'm almost certain its a french bb and not swiss based on the info on from cyclespeugeot.com. I'm about ready to start this but have a few questions. From what I have read, I only need to remove the left adjustable cup to service the BB? The left adjustable cup will be left threaded so will need to turn clockwise to undo? Is the lock ring also left threaded? It has an outer diameter of 47mm and i'm currently struggling to find a locking ring tool to fit. I'm trying todo this properly as it seems getting a new or used french bb is not going to be worth it and I might as well get another frame. If it helps, here are a couple of pictures: <Q> Usually one only needs to remove the left cup to service the bottom bracket. <S> With Fench/Italian BBs the right cup is usually so tight <S> it's not worth even trying <S> (I personally attempted two times but never succeded EDIT. <S> I also managed to damage a Park Tool BB remover, worth 15 quids...) <S> The left cup is always right threaded, in any case the lockring must have the same thread orientation of the cup. <S> As for the oversized lockring, I have had a good rate of success using adjustable pliers, just hold them tight enough so to avoid losing grip. <S> Finally, it's always worth repairing, or at least trying to! <A> I just recently wrangled with a very difficult bottom bracket on a '73-'74 era Puegot. <S> There was no way that lockring was coming off, <S> until of course I tried a few things. <S> After lots of "PB Blaster" and no success, then a mix of acetone and light oil (I used power steering fluid) <S> I finally used an old trick I've learned long ago: brake fluid. <S> I placed the bike frame on the floor laying down and placed a rag underneath and poured a liberal amount of brake fluid over the lockring. <S> I then allowed this to sit about two weeks and did one more pour-over in that time. <S> I was working a lot of hours <S> so my temptation to touch the thing was minimal. <S> Then my final stage of the plan: I got a pair of Stilsons (ie, a Stilson wrench, monkey wrench, plumber's wrench) and went to work. <S> I placed the bike back in the stand, if you don't have a stand, have an assistant to help with holding the bike frame steady against the force of your turning efforts. <S> The Stilson was large and so I could adjust the opening of the top and bottom large enough to get a grip on the lock ring. <S> With the long handles and also the heft of the tool helping, I was able to turn the lockring with little effort! <S> This will contribute to your problem if done and this is where chemistry (solvents and such) comes in handy as well. <A> I had the same issues with my "72 and '75 Peugeots, although I'm sure this isn't related to just them. <S> The second answer is about what I did and worked better for me. <S> I liberally used WD40 and a cheater on my wrench.
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Might I add that after I removed the lock-ring and then finally the cup, it was apparent after I started cleaning both up that someone might have used a thread-lock to keep the assembly from coming undone.
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Spokes keep breaking - bad hub or bad build? Background information A bit of background information (I'll try keep it brief): Last year I bought an old but unused bike, 5 speeds with internal gearing . Apparently the shop bought a lot of bikes somewhere in the 90's (not sure), but never got around to selling them. When I bought it, it was wrapped in plastic, had been stored in the shop's stock house for about 20 years and free of corrosion. I'm about 95 kilos, thread quite hard but rides exclusive to paved bike paths. The original, 20(?) year-old wheel lasted me a year with no problems. The front wheel is still fine and true. Spokes breaking - and getting replaced After a little under a year, I suddenly noticed that a few spokes had broken. On closer inspection, quite a few were too loose. Should have noticed sooner but didn't. I took it to a shop, where they advised me to have the wheel rebuilt which I paid them to do. The gearing being internal, the new rims and spokes were built on the existing hub. After just two weeks, the back wheel suddenly began to feel wobbly on my way to work. As careful as I could, I drove the bike back to the shop. Almost all spokes were terribly loose. They retensioned the wheel free of charge (of course) and sent me on my way. The following weeks, I periodically checked that all spokes were still tensioned. 2,5 months later, I noticed three of the spokes were broken close to the hub. Went back to the shop and had the spokes replaced (free or charge). 1 month later I noticed 2 broken spokes and had those replaced as well. They seemed less eager to keep fixing the wheel free of charge, and when I asked why the spokes kept breaking, the guy muttered something about the hub holes maybe had burrs due to wear. Now, a few weeks later, I find another spoke broken. My gut tells me this all stems from a bad build, that quickly lost tension and thus damaged the spokes. I find the explanation about a worn hub a bit far fetched, but I don't have the knowledge to dismiss the theory. Questions Is there any way this is not the shop's fault? - A bad build? Cheap spokes? Improperly tensioned? Given the wheel's history, is there any point in keep replacing spokes, a couple at a time, or should I get the wheel rebuilt (preferably at the shop's expense)? Could the hub in any way be to blame for this? Thank you! Update Oct 24th I've been trying to get in touch with the manager of the shop throughout the week. Failed again to reach him this morning, so I figured I'd have a chat about my problem with one of the guys on the floor. Tried to get him to provide at least a theory of why my spokes keep breaking, but not much came out of it really. He mentioned that he've seen, on rare occasaions, that a worn hub could cut the spokes (could be the same guy as I spoke to last time). I'll check the hubs as soon as possible, as @Daniel R Hicks suggested. Due to plumbing work in our appartment, I haven't been home or able to check my bike all week. If I don't see any indicatations that the spokes were put in the wrong way, I'm going to follow the advice most of you have, and take my bike to another shop for advice and repair. Thanks so far! - I'll update you after I've payed the other shop a visit. Update Nov 3rd Took the bike to the other shop, told them the story. Let them decide to replace the broken spoke or them all. They decided to replace just the broken spoke with a DT spoke (what ever that means). They also trued the wheel, which had gotten a slight "eggy" shape. My fingers are crossed that this wheel will last now. Once again, thank you all for your input! Anecdotal Update In case anyone follows... Since the last repair at the other shop, the wheel kept being in good shape. Finally, my spokes stayed tensioned, wheels stiff and true - the long struggle was finally over. Alas, the joy didn't even last a month... Going home from a company party, I returned to my bike I parked at the train station, only to find out that some punk kids had apparently tossed it to the ground, and jumped both wheels badly out of shape. Front wheel had to be replaced and back wheel was in desperate need for a trueing. sigh Sorry for the melodrama, just thought I'd update you the faith of my bike ;-). <Q> A wheel is only as strong as the tension on the spokes. <S> If the wheel was loose for any significant length of time before you noticed it, the spokes will fatigue very quickly, because they are flexing through a range of motion which is not intended. <S> You are a big guy at 95 Kg, so this type of problem is not unusual (as am I). <S> That means that you need to be especially wary of loose spokes and rapid detensioning of your wheels. <S> Most "system" wheels have an 85-100 Kg bike and rider weight limit. <S> It would be difficult to conclude that it is the the sole responsibility of the shop. <S> However, this is a recognized problem, and one your shop should have discussed with you prior to rebuilding the wheels. <S> In addition, they should have prepared you to check and tune the wheels with greater frequency. <S> A break in "tune up" is normal and expected on a new wheel, after about 1 months riding, but it can come much faster for a heavy rider. <S> This is not quite the fault of the shop, but it sounds as if they did not take the care and time to explain the necessities of the new wheels, and certainly, blaming "burrs in the spoke holes" is not a valid excuse, as any competent mechanic must check the hub condition before using it in a new build. <S> Spoke holes, if there were burrs (unlikely, on a wheel you rode for a year without problems) can be deburred easily. <S> My recommendation: discuss these things with the owner or manager of the shop (not the mechanic who did the work, unless that is the manager), and ask him to rebuild the wheels again, properly, with new spokes and rims. <S> If he agrees, and does it, then well and good. <S> If not, cut your losses, and move on to a shop with a higher level of competence. <A> "Burrs on the hub" sounds bogus to me. <S> Could be the case with a new hub, but burrs would be worn away with use. <S> It seems most likely that the hub was reassembled by "unskilled labor" (the new/careless guy in the shop) and he didn't notice that the hub holes are directional -- there is a countersink on one side of the hole and not the other -- or didn't understand how you put spokes in such a hub. <S> When the holes are directional, you put the head of the spoke on the non-countersunk side, so that the curve of the spoke mates with the smooth countersink. <S> Placing spokes the opposite way will result in the curve of the spoke being against the sharp corner of the hole (and a broken spoke). <S> To check this, look at any hole where a spoke is broken. <S> If the two sides the hole are different, the side with the smooth rounded countersunk shape should be matched with the bend in the spoke, and the head should be on the other side. <S> Another possibility is that machine spokes were used. <S> These spokes have a longer distance between the head and the bend, to simplify things for lacing machines. <S> But these are bad for hand lacing, as there is too much "lever arm" unsupported by the spoke hole, and the heads will tend to pop off. <S> If such spokes are used one must use small spacer washers on the head side to pull the bend tightly to the curve of the spoke hole. <S> Or, of course, they could be lousy spokes. <S> (If they were breaking at the rim end this would be due to the way the rim is drilled and possible missassembly placing left-facing drilled holes with a right-facing spoke, or simply spokes that aren't strong enough to stand up to the stress of being slightly bent at the nipple.) <A> You should be able to investigate the hub yourself particular after the next spoke breaks. <S> Think of the breaks as a series where the first breaks followed by others after the wheel has lost true. <S> The first in each series of breaks will be at the flange if the hub has issues. <S> Otherwise look to have the wheel rebuilt elsewhere. <S> Why risk your safety on a job they are repeatedly doing wrong, even if it is "free". <A> If the wheel keeps on failing - for some unidentified reason - you have to review the variables: - the rim - the hub - the spokes - the construction <S> you're being fobbed off with. <S> It certainly sounds like the spokes are failing to do the job the wheel builder is expecting of them. <S> I'm a similar size and when I had some wheels made recently the builder used tandem spokes for their extra strength. <S> Every little helps. <A> I would say you got a terrible wheel build, but you might also have some slight gradual bulging around the nipple holes which would cause the wheel to loosen up. <S> It is still a terrible build because the builder of your wheel should have noticed that. <S> It would probably be best for you to buy a new wheel unless you need to keep the hub for some reason or the wheel is an odd size. <S> One more thing, are you really hammering the wheel? <S> Are you riding off curbs with a skinny road wheel? <S> You need a much better builder.
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If the wheel is ridden loose, the fatigue damage to the spokes can be permanent, and require rebuilding the wheels again. That said, it sounds like, unless you've a particular reason to keep with them, finding another shop might keep you safe and sane - and a second opinion is rarely a bad thing in this sort of situation. From your description it's probably not the rim and, like @Daniel says, 'burrs on the hub' sounds like some fake techno-jargon
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How should I store inner tubes to maximize their shelf life? The LBS's in my area tend to have major sales around the same time once or twice a year. During this time, I can get replacement tubes at about half their normal price. I can buy several tubes, enough to last a year or more. What is the best way to store the tubes so they last as long as possible? <Q> Dry and cool place is the way to go. <S> But also play attention to other items stored near the tubes. <S> Do not store them near paint or solvent containers. <S> Many chemical products can damage tubes, even just the vapours. <S> Anything like gasoline or other fuels should be avoided. <S> They chemically degrade rubber and can easily render them useless. <S> Gasoline vapour for example, over a year can turn a tube into a black paste stain... <S> Other factors that affect rubber on the long term are UV light and oxigen or ozone. <S> Thus you should also avoid storing them exposed to direct or strong sunlight. <S> UV light degrades rubber <S> so it becomes dull looking and less flexible. <S> When it happens to a tube, it does't show until you inflate them, and it looks as cracked or notoriously porous surface. <S> (Ziploc type would be overkill there) specially if they come packaged in plain cardboard boxes. <S> Some high powered electric motors, generators or dynamos produce sparks in their brush and collector parts (i.e. electrical connection between moving parts). <S> These sparks are known to produce ozone, so, if by any chance you have such equipment, do not store the tubes near it. <S> (High speed lathe, electric grinders, etc.) <S> Personally I have had sucess storing used tubes for very long periods (some more than 3 years) by puting them in a thick plastic bag in my closet. <S> I usually apply talcum between the tire and the tube, so these tubes where stored all covered with talcum. <S> I think it helps because previous attempts, I washed the tubes before storing, and they ended stuck with each other and where damaged when I tried to separate them; they where otherwise in similar conditions. <S> However, in my tropical country, temperatures are almost all year between 15 and 30 ºC (60-87 ºF) <S> so I have no clue on extreme temperature effects. <A> In addition to the cool dark place, I would also suggest keeping them in their retail box/container to minimise the chance that something could brush against them and puncture them. <S> (This is from experience - I left some on a shelf in a shed and some garden implement or other ripped a hole in the side!) <S> N.B. <S> this is the main reason for having the little cap on the valve - to avoid accidental self-puncturing. <A> Rubber doesn't like to change temperatures too often, so when you pick a (dry) place to store your tires, try to determine where the temperature is going to be most consistent. <A> Store in a cool dry and dark place. <S> In my other life as a whitewater kayaker I own a drysuit with latex gaskets. <S> The latex is very similar to the rubber on the tire. <S> We use seal saver a silicon gel to lubricate and moisturize the gaskets for longer life. <S> The gaskets go through way more abuse than a typical tire <S> does but the silicon gel works miracles. <S> I think if I was going to store inner tubes for more than a 2 years I would think about applying some before packing the tubes away.
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It also helps to store them in a somewhat thick plastic bag and tuck them tight
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Route mapping tool - INSERTING a point I'm kind of frustrated by this, because after long time of internet searching, I found none that would satisfy my needs. The problem is that I want to HAND-DRAW my route by first clicking it's endpoints, then refining the route in between. So, I need a tool that will have ONE feature that all other tools lack - INSERTING a point between two points already in place. Of course, it has to work ON google maps in satellite mode, so I can map across the fields and so on. I don't care for an algorithm, since it is useless - I'm not following charted roads. BTW: HAND-DRAW above means to draw it by hand on a computer, not on a paper :) <Q> You could use ridewithgps to build your map. <S> It allows you to drag waypoints off the main route and re-routes (can be used without auto routing as well if you prefer). <S> You'll have to pay if you want to print from their site. <S> However, you can print a cue sheet free or export the saved map in GPX or TCX format to print with another application or website that accepts these uploads. <A> Correct me if I'm wrong, but Google Maps ALREADY allows for point insertion, by means of "breaking" one segment in two. <S> Instead of using the navigation directions, click the "My places" button in the sidebar, then "Create Map". <S> The drawing tools appear on the map: <S> While editing a path, if you hover over a segment, the midpoints of each segment appear as dim knots. <S> If you click and drag, they become "actual" node points that can be dreagged around. <S> Besides that, each of both newborn segments now show their midpoint, allowing for further breakdown: <S> By the way, one MAJOR problem of Google Maps is that it doesn't allow (as far as I know) for connecting two separate paths into a single one (that can be done only by manually editing KML, very cumbersome). <S> By the way, if you have interest, an excelent track editor is GPSTrackmaker , the non-PRO version is free, doesn't expire and is very powerful and robust. <A> You can create an account and save your routes, export them to alternative gps devices, etc. <S> It's very handy <S> and there are folks that use it for mapping cyclocross races among other things. <S> Here is an example map with manual route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5707827 <A> BikeRouteToaster can be a bit fiddly, but can do exactly this: Uncheck "auto routing" Click "course point" <S> Add your main points (start and end, or multiple) Select one of the markers by clicking on it <S> Press the "Insert Before" or "Insert After" button Click to add points <S> (you can change to "track points" and they have more subtle markers) <S> In the "Summary" tab you can get distance/elevation info, and export to various files (gpx/tcx)
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It sounds like you need to use gmap-pedometer.com , which allows you to either automatically or manually connect point on google maps to create your own routes regardless of road, trail, or anything.
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Dahon handle post hinge loosens too quickly I noticed that the handle post hinge on my Dahon Speed D7 now requires attention much more often than it used before. Unlike main frame hinge which remains tight for long after adjustment, this one now requires tightening at least once week, otherwise handle post becomes shaky. Red arrow on the image below shows the 10mm nut I have to tighten to move that metal "foot" above a bit closer to the edge to the to secure the handle post when bike is unfolded. (don't know if I managed to explain the process clearly enough, but Dahon bike owners should get the idea, I believe) This is an old bike, but until last 4 or 5 months I only had to tighten that nut once a month or even less often. Now it's much worse and getting worse with time. I have marked one of nut's sides to determine if the metal "foot" started to wear out quickly or the nut is somehow loosened moving down the screw. Turned out it is, something forces the nut to rotate at 60 deg or so every week, so I'm not actually tightening it but returning it where it belongs. To be honest I don't understand the mechanics of this process (what makes it to unscrew) and wonder if this is something I can fix or I'll need a new handle post soon. Thanks! <Q> As with any critical fastener on a bike, the vibration and flexing forces from riding will eventually work threaded parts loose. <S> Normally this is the sort of thing that occurs over a few months--not every week. <S> Fortunately, there are a few options that are applicable to this and any other situation where threads work themselves loose. <S> (Before you do anything, though, make sure that the rest of your steering components are safely adjusted.) <S> It is cheap and easy to find. <S> You'll want to get a formula that isn't permanent so that you can make adjustments down the road. <S> Back the nut off until you see some threads and add one or two drops those threads. <S> Adjust the tension where it needs to be and let it sit for a little while. <S> (Loctite is safe for threads mostly everywhere on a bike!) <S> In less critical applications, beeswax is a great natural compound for securing threads and preventing corrosion. <S> A second option would be to replace your 10mm nut with a lock nut. <S> Similarly, you could procure a lock washer which will prevent the nut from backing out when tightened properly. <S> (It doesn't look like you have enough space for it, but a second nut behind your primary nut (called a jam nut) will keep the adjustment stable as well. <S> Jam nuts are typically narrower than a standard nut so they use less threaded area.) <S> Any well-stocked hardware store will have suitable metric hardware. <S> If those options fail you, you may need to take more permanent action. <S> Either chemically (with a permanent thread locking solution), or mechanically by installing a castle nut. <S> A castle nut has notches along one side to mesh with wire or a cotter pin that is drilled through the threaded bolt. <S> The wire prevents the nut from backing off, but the downside is that this requires drilling a tiny hole straight through the bolt (which would require you use a drill press and lots of diligence). <S> I really don't think you'll have to resort to this last option, but it works. <A> hi I think I found a solution to the problem. <S> my handlepost on my MUXL would get loose after 2 commutes so what I did was <S> I unscrewed the two bolts halfway that fix up to the stem and put loctitie on the threads and tightened them up and then loosened them an eight or a quarter (cant have them tight or <S> you wont be able to open the latch) <S> then I tightened the screw beside the little white block a half turn and tried the latch if still loose turn another bit and try until right. <S> Sometimes that does the trick. <S> Mine became progressively loose and wouldn't stay tight so in the gap I filed down a washer to that size and cut it in half so it would fit in. <S> I dipped a little super glue before placing it in and so far has worked!!! <A> that tension adjuster bolt .... <S> red loctite works wonders, and while you're at it, check the plastic block. <S> If it has worn or has cracks it needs to be replaced. <S> Don't tighten the two parallel big bolts in the slots, the bracket needs to be able to move ...
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These are nuts with a nylon (or similar) insert in the aft part of the threads which prevents it from working loose. In any case, continue to be vigilant in inspecting those parts for wear and adjustment. The easiest thing would be to buy a tube of Loctite (or comparable) thread locking compound. A good cleaning won't hurt either :-)
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Any way to transport kids on a folding bike? I LOVE my Strida, but have noticed that the only way to transport kids with it is in a trailer, which seems to defeat the purpose of a compact bike. I've seen a crazy expensive Brompton bar attachment that becomes an extra kid seat in front of your seat (Here's a thorough review of it: http://documentally.com/2011/08/20/a-child-seat-for-a-brompton-folding-bike-review/ ) but it doesn't seem to be available any more. Any other options that combine any folding bike with a child seat? <Q> In my opinion, this should NOT be done. <S> Bicycles are very versatile, and one can not only use a single all-purpose bike for many purposes, but also to have/design specialty bikes, as it is the case of a Strida. <S> And, by the way, is the case with a lot of child-carrying specific bikes and/or equipment. <S> But, as it seems to me, a Strida is a SPECIALTY BIKE <S> NOT SUITABLE TO CARRY CHILDREN! <S> It has its purpose (portability and compactness), and this purpose is not compatible with child-carrying, unfortunately. <S> My suggestion would be to increase your fleet, just in case you really WANT to carry your child on a bicycle, which by the way is an EXCELENT EXPERIENCE with no age limit! <S> (only size/weight limit) <S> Hope this helps, and I didn't mean to be rude or disappointing, but concerned with the child's comfort and safety. <S> (by the way, transporting kids ALWAYS defeats the purpose of compactness, whatever "compactness" might mean...) <A> If you go with one of the bigger, more solid folding bikes you can use a standard child seat. <S> With most smaller-folding bikes you'll run into weight limits even if you can get one to fit - they're often only rated for 90kg or so, which means that even a light 60kg adult and a 10kg child doesn't leave a lot of margin for "it wasn't designed for this" stresses. <S> Bike Friday officially note that it's possible <S> but they recommend a trailer, and they also sell the "Haul-a-day" stuff which looks like a longtail setup for the Friday. <S> I suspect adding the longtail turns a Bike Friday from something that can be dismantled in half an hour into a small package into something that takes longer to dismantle <S> and afterwards you have a bit pile of bike parts. <S> Pere make an accessory for mounting a second seat between the riders legs on a Brompton, and on AliExpress I found the one below that should fit most bikes and take a standard child seat: <S> Any seat that mounts to a rear rack can probably be attached to a folding bike that has a rear rack, but a lot of them will render the bike non-foldable. <S> The cunning Birdy folding rack, for example, won't fold properly with the footrests of a couple of child seats that we tried. <S> The BoBike seat that sits over the rear wheel but mounts to the seatpost will work on many folding bikes. <S> This blog post from Chicagobike has more discussion ("Carrying Kids on Folding Bikes") and some useful advice and experience. <A> The page you linked to has indicated that the Pere is now available again for 199 euro: http://www.milianparts.com/en/products/pere/ <S> The new/re-release version unfortunately doesn't have folding pedals, which some people have noted causes some difficulty in folding.
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Montague is probably the most obvious, they make full size bikes that pivot to fold.
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What effect does head tube angle have on a bicycle? My girlfriend and I are looking at a new bike for her. The one we're looking at has a 70 degree head tube angle while her current bike has a 70.5 degree head tube angle. Unfortunately, none of the local shops has one in stock for her to try out. So my question is: How much does the head tube angle affect the fit and feel of a bicycle? I'm sure that it has at least some effect over the fit of the bicycle, but how much? And I'm guessing it has an even bigger effect on the steering, but again, how much? <Q> there's a good write-up about this here: <S> http://www.calfeedesign.com/tech-papers/geometry-of-bike-handling/ <S> In general the steeper the angle the more agile the steering. <S> If you like steeper you might say "quicker, more response", if you didn't like steeper you might say "twitchier". <S> A 1/2 degree difference is probably not going to make that much difference by itself. <S> The other factors, which headset, installation of headset, stem length, handlebar type and setup, etc., will mask the differences here. <S> As the Calfee page mentions, people will adjust very quickly. <S> Happy Riding! <A> When the head angle is steeper, the bike becomes more nimble and twitchy. <S> The bike reacts faster to steering input making it prone to oversteer. <S> Road bikes tend to have "steep" head angles in the 72 to 74 degree range. <S> A half degree is more noticeable on bikes with steeper head angles, especially at higher speeds. <S> Insofar making half-degree increments almost indiscernible. <S> These angles are commonly associated with mountain bikes and beach cruisers. <S> Slacker angles are sometimes associated with longer wheel bases as well; Boutique bike manufacturers commonly offer 'chopper' style bikes with long wheel bases and super slack head angles. <S> This makes the bike fun to cruise <S> but it's not very nimble. <S> Mountain bikes tend to have a wider range of head angles available depending on the type of riding you're interested in. <S> XC (Cross Country) tend to be steeper, measuring in the 70 to 71.5 range, and on the other end are DH (Downhill) bikes raking back as much as 64 degrees on popular models. <S> In between those model types are Trail and AM (All Mountain) bikes that have respective head angles. <S> Another thing to understand is that bikes with rear suspensions have a noticeable affect on the head angle when the rear suspension activates. <S> When the rear suspension squashes, the head angle slackens. <S> It gives the rider more stability while also increasing ride comfort, which is why full-suspension bikes are so popular. <S> There are other benefits <S> but that's another topic :) <A> Head tube angle is one of 3 factors that together determine bicycle tendency to stay in the same direction. <S> The other two are wheel size and fork rake, and with head tube angle they give value named trail . <S> Bicycles with larger trail tend to be stable and hold direction, while bicycles with smaller trail react faster and with smaller input. <S> Given the wheel size and same fork rake, smaller head tube angle will give larger trail. <S> While most of the bicycles with smaller head tube angels tend to have matching forks such that they have larger trail, true answer can be found only by inspecting all elements. <S> Or even better by trying out the bicycle. <A> As you already suppose, the angle does make a difference. <S> To your first question: If you take the distance between the wheel axles as a constant measure, the handle bar will get further away from the saddle the higher the head tube angle gets, therefore the geometry gets "longer". <S> This can for a certain amount be compensated by a shorter stem. <S> The bigger effect is - you guessed it - on the steering behaviour. <S> A flat head tube causes the steering to get more stable, so its tendency to go straight is higher. <S> This means that if you compare a bike with a flat head tube to one with a steep one, the flat one will feel like driving on rails, meaning you feel like you have to "force" it into curves as it tends to go on straight. <S> The most interesting question is if the difference of half a degree really would make a difference <S> but I think it won't. <S> I can remember that when I bought my last bike some time ago that the different bikes that made it to the final decision had some spread over some 1 or 2 degrees in head tube angle, but they were all from the same price and purpose class. <S> So I would say that such a small difference will be more due to technical decisions of the manufacturer than due to better or different handling.
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When the head angle is shallower/ slack, the bike becomes smoother and more stable, but prone to understeer. However, if you're a casual rider than a half-degree probably won't make a difference.
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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. <Q> So, chains aren't very different from tires in the sense that, they have to be replaced regularly, especially when you are commuting regularly. <S> During summer and fall when I commute and race the most <S> it's not unusual for me to replace my chain every other month. <S> Chains get worn out, they stretch, they start to skip and behave poorly. <S> 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. <S> A new axle couldn't hurt either if you're axle is looking worn and starting to slip. <S> You might have to trust the word of the repairman that pointed out the worn axle. <A> It sounds like your Rear wheel is sliding around in the rear dropouts and you wind up loosing tension on the chain. <S> It's really a common thing on single speed and fixed gear bikes, you should make sure the tension is set properly when you ride. <S> If you have rear facing horizontal dropouts (track dropouts) that go straight back, then the axle can slide in the dropouts sometimes. <S> One solution is to get a Chain Tensioner or Surly Tugnut <S> which will help prevent axle slips in the dropouts. <S> Unfortunately, if your bike has front facing horizontal dropouts, then you can't use a chain tensioner like this. <S> Really, you should just get a wrench and learn how to set the proper tension on your chain and center it between the dropouts <S> and then you won't have to go to your bike guy every time this happens. <S> Why would the mechanic ask you to change your axle? <S> If this is the case, then changing the axle and getting new axle bolts may help a bit with the frequency of adjustment. <A> Because you said you have changed the chain a couple of times, I guess the problem is not again in the chain, because you would have it replaced. <S> The drive train wears in all its parts, but because of different mechanical functions and characteristics, some parts wear faster than others. <S> After the chain, the next in the list of a single speed bicycle is the sprocket. <S> Because of it size it wears faster than its front brother the crankset. <S> A good tip would be to look at the shape of the sprocket teeth. <S> If they look very asymmetrical, it's probably time to change it. <S> I am not sure what the rear wheel axle would have to do with a chain slipping, and still have you ride the bicycle. <A> Possible causes: <S> Worn, "stiff" or bent chain <S> Too much slack in chain <S> Worn sprockets or missing teeth, front or rear <S> Bent sprocket (more likely on front than rear) Chain line misalignment -- frame is bent or something <S> (misplaced spacers, etc) has caused the crank or rear axle to move "sideways". <S> Vaguely possible <S> that the axle could get cocked sideways (due to loose nuts) <S> and cause this, but usually tire rub would become intolerable first. <S> Some object (heel, shoestring, fender, etc) getting in the way of the chain.
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Maybe the threads on your axle are warped, making the bolts on the rear axle come loose faster, causing the wheel to slide in the dropouts more easily. Hence my guess is that you have to replace the rear sprocket.
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How to properly clean and lube the bearings on a sram apex bottom bracket (GXP)? For this bottom bracket type I am not sure you can take the bearings out to lube them. How do I get grease in there. Also how do I get the old grease out? Does it even matter? I found this video ( External Bottom Bracket Cup Bearing Removal ) where someone removes the bottom bracket bearing cup, but they never showed the bearings. <Q> SRAM GXP bottom brackets can be user serviced, but it is usually unnecessary. <S> To service your BB bearings, first remove the crank arms. <S> Then place your thumb in the BB spindle hole, and bend the joint enough that your knuckle makes firm contact around the entire ring surface of the spindle hole. <S> Pull outward using fairly firm pressure, and if necessary, rock your thumb side to side. <S> This will pull free the outer, plastic shield, and expose the inner rubber bearing seals. <S> Then take a scalpel, or a sharp awl, and use the tip to gently pry up the edge of the bearing seal. <S> You may need to lift it at more than one area around the edge, but it should pop free with a little force. <S> Repeat on the bearing on the opposite side of the BB. <S> One word of warning: while this is possible, and not likely to cause any issues, it is not intended by the manufacturer, and will not be covered under warranty <S> , should you damage the BB in the process. <A> These bottom brackets use sealed bearings, which are in a metal casing. <S> Unlike cartridge bearings, the bearings are not exposed and are sealed from the outside environment. <S> There are some bottom brackets that are are meant to be user serviced, like the chris king bottom bracket, but others may be much more difficult without specialized tools, while lower end ones may be expected to simply be replaced. <A> Official SRAM <S> manual describes the cleaning process well. <S> An excerpt from it: <A> I have press fit road GXP SRAM bottom bracket. <S> I found out it's worth greasing rubber seals (red on the picture) <S> covering bearings <S> every 2000 km or at least before wet season. <S> I don't take bearings seals out, just put some grease under red seals to keep as much water away from bearings. <S> Without lubrication this BB lasts 8000 km for me.
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Once the seal is removed, clean and degrease the exposed bearings, replace the grease with fresh grease, then replace the seals.
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Is it better to breathe through your nose or mouth when cycling? I just watched the 'Road to Glory' documentary about Team Sky. I noticed when they were warming up on their Turbos, some of them had cotton wool up their noses. Is this because it's better to breathe through your mouth than nose? If so, why don't they have cotton wool up their noses during the actual race? <Q> Breathe however you need to in order to get oxygen in. <S> This goes for your mouth, nose or a combination of both. <S> Riders warming up on their trainers have cotton in their noses that contains something like vapor rub that helps open up the nasal passages. <S> They don't have it in their noses during the race itself. <A> Not so much for direct intake of oxygen, but because repeated inhalation of cold, dry air directly through the mouth can cause significantly more irritation of the airways and lungs , triggering asthma symptoms. <S> Breathing through the nose warms and slightly moistens the air before it goes to your windpipe and lungs and can decrease this effect. <S> Nose-breathing has the added benefit of filtering out particulate matter. <A> Breathing through the nose will optimize the temperature, humidity of the air you breath in and also makes any pollution reach your lungs a bit less probable. <S> There are also some other subtle effects, but since I'm no expert, I won't go into that. <S> You might want to research that if you are very interested. <S> During an intense effort, I would say deep (diaphragm) breathing through the nose and <S> the mouth is the most effective way to fill your lungs with fresh air. <S> You might want to practice diaphragm breathing off the bike as well to get used to it. <S> It isn't very natural for the first time. <S> So the tldr version is: Nose when not intense effort Nose and mouth when intense effort <S> Also try to keep your mouth humid <S> when you breath through it (drink very small sips of water frequently). <S> A dry mouth is very unpleasant and also unhealthy (gums, throat). <S> On the cotton wool <S> (it's pure speculation): <S> maybe something is put on them, probably to clean up the upper respiratory tract from mucus. <A> I think it kinda depends on what type of ride you are going for. <S> Generally, breathing from mouth provides more amount of oxygen compared to from nose. <S> So it comes down to this IMO (& Experience): <S> Nose: <S> You have to respire quickly to get enough oxygen to lungs <S> Mouth: <S> You can breath slowly but you can still get enough oxygen into lungs very quickly. <S> So, breath depending on how you are riding . <S> If you are sprinting you will want to get as more oxygen as you can into the lungs, but if you are going on a casual ride, breathing from nose is enough and safe (from bugs etc). <A> Some people get "Exercise-induced asthma" -- a.k.. <S> a. <S> exercise-induced bronchoconstriction <S> -- they say it's from breathing ( <S> air that's cold, dry, and/or polluted) through your mouth. <S> It's especially true of/among cyclists (who exercise for a relatively long time). <S> If that's you, you might it's worth it to breath in only through your nose. <S> It may not be easy to tell whether you get (mild) <S> asthma -- <S> given that the symptom is, like, "shortness of breath while exercising". <S> I think it may be "unable to breathe as deeply as normal, either in or out" -- but don't take my word for it. <S> Youtube: <S> Why Do So Many Pro Cyclists Have Asthma?
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As far as I know, breathing through the nose might be the healthier option if you don't need the extra oxygen (for say, intense uphill efforts). For some people, weather conditions (specifically: temperature and humidity) make a big difference.
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Exercises to Counter act muscluar imbalances I have overdeveloped quads, which has affected my knees, what are some exercises that will help counteract this imbalance? <Q> Patellofemoral pain syndrome is a fairly common complaint from cyclists. <S> (Lay on back, hold leg straight, lift without bending knee.) <A> First, you should really consult with a sports medicine doctor. <S> That's the only way to truly diagnose and evaluate the best way to correct the specific problem that you're having. <S> That said, this problem is usually a result of a combination of over developed quads, as you suspect, and also a lack of flexibility in your hamstrings. <S> Any hamstring stretch will most likely help, over time . <S> Try seated and standing toe touches, downward facing dog, and those seated one legged stretches where you reach for one foot while the other is folded in. <S> You'll find plenty of other stretches if you do a search for "hamstring stretches." <S> Most importantly, don't push it. <S> Gaining flexibility takes time more than effort. <S> Pushing is actually counter productive. <S> Just do the stretches gently and trust in time to do the real work for you. <A> Like the other two state, consulting a specialist first is a good idea. <S> If there truly is something wrong (not just minor inflamation) you'll save yourself a lot of time and headache by getting an early diagnosis. <S> That said, tTreatment largely depends on the factors that have caused the pain. <S> Are you a power lifter or someone who runs 80 miles a week? <S> Do you lift heavy things at work all day? <S> Are you arthritic? <S> The first step is to identity the activity\ailment that has caused the pain and either stop the acdtivity completely or cut back drastically. <S> After that, begin strengthening and stretching the hamstrings and quadriceps by way of low weight high rep exercises. <S> Here's a link to some hamstring exercieses that I swear by: http://www.trainwithmeonline.com/Exercises/Fitness/Videos/Hamstring/Medicine-Ball
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You really should consult with a medically-trained therapist, but straight leg lifts, oddly, are a good place to start.
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Failing to unscrew BB - what now? I have an external bearing BB, that I need replaced (It is quite badly rusted). I opt to do the repair myself. The bike is a Specialized Hardrock, the crank arms are SR Suntour. Having removed the crank arms, I proceed to unscrew the plastic sealing rings of the BB. I removed the non drive side one. However, with all my strength, and a 30cm arm wrench I fail to produce any progress on the drive side cup. I am trying to turn the cup clockwise . What is going on here? Am I doing something wrong? If I go to my LBS, is it probable that they will have a larger wrench? <Q> I tried both techniques proposed here, but to no avail (I might have damaged the BB with the hammering). <S> The LBS had the tool for the job - experience . <S> The guys put the wrench in a vice , calculated the direction to unscrew carefully, then put the frame on and just unscrewed the damn thing. <S> The frame was providing large leverage. <A> You could try hammering your wrench, see photo 4b of http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/workshop-replacing-shimano-truvativ-or-fsa-bottom-brackets-27046/ <S> (or search for "Cheat 3:") <S> Or, as it also says, a longer cheater bar if your tool allows (see the photo above the "Cheat"s, though that's the tool for internal cartridge brackets). <S> Either way, try and make sure that the tool can't slip off the bracket (e.g. use a bolt though the bracket holding large washers overlapping the tool), and that even if it does, your knuckles won't hit anything. <S> (When you say "wrench", you are using a tool designed for the bracket cup, not a pipe wrench or similar, yes?) <S> But yes, there's a good chance LBS will have stronger tools if you can't shift it. <A> I would try and use differential heating, or one of the other methods suggested by Sheldon Brown's . <S> I had very good luck with cooling the components, but in your case the aluminum is outside, so you have to heat the whole thing. <S> You can adapt my experience as follows. <S> 0 - gather all wrenches/pipes/friends/vice/explosives you areplanning to use to uscrew. <S> Keep them at arm's reach. <S> 0.1 - <S> [optional] <S> In your case this would be along the BB axis. <S> Should you do so, put the frame on a flat surface,making sure only the non drive side of the BB touches. <S> Then, makingsure it touches wholly, hammer the cup 5-6 times. <S> This is(supposedly) meant to break oxide bounds in the threads. <S> 1 - put the frame inside the container, making sure the BB is fully under thecontainer edges. <S> 2 - now put hot water init, until BB is about 1cm under. <S> 2.1 <S> [optional] <S> I don't think the mass of the frame will be able to cool the hot water too much, but it really depends on the volume ratio betweenframe and water. <S> If you think the water has been cooled significantlyin contact with the frame (and the container) you might change it. <S> 2.2 <S> [optional] <S> Depending on whether you had success or not, you might want to put the stuck cup in contact with an ice bag without thelatter touching the aluminum. <S> 3 - Take the thing out of the water andrapidly apply unscrewing force. <S> I'd go with 0,1,2,3. <S> If you don't have success try adding the optional steps. <S> In 1 you will find additional ideas (e.g. using ammonia, soaking in ice - I had a hard times with pedals vs cranks before learning to let them sit overnight in the freezer!).I have never tried most of them though.
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I usually hammer energically the part that is stuck, perpendicular to the screwing direction. Because heating too much will definitely ruin the paintwork, I suggest that you use some sort of large container (I'd say 40 cm long, but it depends precisely on the frame geometry). Removing the front wheel and/or placing thecontainer on a small chair/box will help.
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How can I warm up/cook food while cycling? I've been doing lots of long-distance cycling this year (150+ kilometers). With that much riding, there's obviously a need for some sustenance, and I'd rather not stop just to eat. The protein/carb bars have been getting incredibly boring... especially for my second meal on the road, so I've been experimenting with different foods like sandwiches and soups in a thermos. That's worked just fine, but it got me thinking... is there any system that I could use to cook or heat-up food while I cycle? It's crazy, I know, but when I was a kid, my father would cook food on the engine block while we drove... and I was thinking, that's almost a reason to start driving again :). Any thoughts on what I could do to heat-while-I-ride? Chemical heat? Electrical? Propane? The latter (propane) seems dangerous and not so environmental friendly, but I suppose it couldn't be that bad? <Q> I don't think it would be convenient or practical to use any kind of stove or hotplate while you are actually riding. <S> To cook/warm while you are actually riding I think your best bet would be to use a Flameless Ration Heater like you find included in many military-style Meals Ready to Eat (MREs). <S> I think you would still want to assemble the FRH and MRE into a packet and attach them to a rack while you ride because the packaging can get pretty warm. <A> Carbo loading" before the ride and taking in more carbs during the ride from the multitude of energy bars available would be a better choice. <S> Staying hydrated using your favorite drink is also important. <S> The only "hot" meals I can think of are some of the MRE's that are chemically heated, but this would likely still require a short break off of the bike for safety reasons. <A> Your most practical solution here would be to cook almost anything you wanted ahead of time and carry it in a stanley thermos or a similarly durable insulated carrier. <S> There is a good reason that you have never seen anyone cooking food while riding a bike before, it's not safe or practical. <A> Allen Lim, one of the most sought after nutritionists in professional cycling, made the concept of "eating your calories, not drinking them" popular in the pro peloton over the last decade. <S> He basically found that when riders in say the Tour de France would eat real food during the day instead of eating processed pho food, they would perform better (and be happier). <S> Essentially he says that instead of drinking caloric crap laden sports drinks (and gels, and bars) you should drink to stay hydrated, and eat real food to get calories. <S> As an ultra endurance athlete I found that revolutionary for my training and racing. <S> Allen Lim's Rice Cakes . <S> There are many varietes of the rice cakes from egg\sausage savory cakes to apple cinnoman sweet rice cakes. <S> Basically all you have to do is load up a couple of zip locks full of food, stuff it in your jersey pocket, and off you go. <S> Do some googling to find the other rice cake recipes and get the FeedZone cookbook . <S> EDIT Disclaimer <S> , I do personally know Allen Lim or Biju Thomas and in no way stand to profit from the purchasing of the above mentioned cook book. <S> The simple fact is that my racing\training has changed drastically for the better thanks to following some of the simple guidelines that he lays out. <A> You might be able to rig something up with a USB hot plate and a battery powered USB Charger . <S> This probably wouldn't work for cooking, as it only gets to 50-60 degrees but might work pretty well for heating food which has already been cooked. <S> You could also use the battery pack for other things too, like charging USB bike lights.
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If you are carrying a backpack or have things on a rack a propane backpacking stove can be very fast for creating a hot meal on a break. Cooking while riding doesn't seem practical or safe! " Now, instead of drinking gatorade\similar and eating gels\bars\gummy things, I drink water and water + electolyte mix and eat things like boiled potatoes with salt, sweet potatoes with salt, bananas, pb + j, dried fruit, etc, and my favorite:
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Does a three foot passing law actually require drivers to give three feet? Utah has a three foot passing law that states: Title 41 Chapter 6a Section 706.5 Operation of motor vehicle near bicycle prohibited. An operator of a motor vehicle may not knowingly, intentionally, or recklessly operate a motor vehicle within three feet of a moving bicycle, unless the operator of the motor vehicle operates the motor vehicle within a reasonable and safe distance of the bicycle. Are three foot passing laws in other states worded similarly to this? This particular phrasing seems to legitimize excuses such "I didn't know you were there" or "I didn't mean to pass so close" or even "three inches seemed like a reasonable and safe distance to me." Is there something about the specific legal meaning of the words that makes this law more concrete than it seems? See also: What is the 3 foot law and which states have it? <Q> This may not seem very concrete to you, but if you think about it, it is very powerful indeed. <S> Imagine a collision between a car and a bike. <S> With no such law in place you might expect there to be some argument about whose fault it was etc. <S> etc. <S> and as cyclists we all know from experience who's likely to come off worst... <S> However you put such a law in place and when you have a collision, the motorist has broken the law by default because they couldn't have been the required distance. <S> I'm sure there would be circumstances where the motorist could argue that the cyclist was riding like a dick, but they would be forced to make that argument, you wouldn't start from a 50/50 position. <S> People have been talking about this kind of thing in the UK for years in order to make cycling safer, but nothing has ever been done. <S> In fact I think this is the first form of words I've seen that achieves this goal. <A> Minnesota : the operator of a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle or individual proceeding in the same direction on the roadway shall leave a safe distance, but in no case less than three feet clearance, when passing the bicycle or individual and shall maintain clearance until safely past the overtaken bicycle or individual. <S> Seems fairly clear, and I read it to mean that 3 feet is the minimum . <S> Keep in mind that several western states (dunno about Utah) have "safe and reasonable" escape clauses for many of their traffic laws. <S> Eg, you can drive 100mph if it's "safe and reasonable under the circumstances", regardless of posted speed limits. <S> That just the way the "wild west" is. <A> It's more concrete than it seems, I assure you. <S> It's you're responsibility to be aware of your own vehicle. <S> Unless within a reasonable distance, this part sort of leaves the end open so that each individual scenario can be evaluated.
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The operator can't do it knowingly or recklessly: so whether you the operator are aware of your position or unaware, you're in violation of the law if you are within 3 feet of the bicycle. So the bottom line is keep a reasonable and safe distance. Less than 3 feet probably isn't reasonable unless you're going under 5 mph.
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Where can I find a 9mm x 26thread axle nut? I have a Gravity Swift 2 that I got off Bikesdirect. Somehow I lost the left front axle nut. I have been to two LBSs and neither of them have (or have even seen) an axle nut this size. I e-mailed the company and searched on Google but haven't gotten a response back yet. Is there anywhere to find a nut with these specs? If I can't find this nut, will I have to replace the wheel(s)? <Q> You might want to check out are your local hardware store. <S> They tend to have much more exotic parts and have huge catalogs of parts they can order from. <A> Here they sell "Formula" hubs, which are the ones you should have. <S> Dropping a message and asking for replacement nuts won't do any harm. <S> Otherwise you could buy a whole new hub and cannibalize the nut from it. <S> It is certainly cheaper and easier than either buying a whole new wheel or (Holy spanner spare us) replacing the whole hub. <S> Answering to your second point. <S> Let's assume you cannot find the correct nut. <S> If you have (or you want ) <S> experience in replacing wheels' axles <S> AND if you have the correct tools (cone spanners 13, 15 and 17mm, spanners 15mm and 17mm, a vice, grease) <S> then it is certainly worth looking for a replacement axle. <S> You should be able to find one quite easily. <S> Good luck anyways! <A> It's hard to tell whether you are talking about the nut that sits on the outside of the forks or on the inside (that locks against the cones to keep the hub together). <S> If you absolutely must order online, amazon probably has something for both: Track Nut or Lock Nut
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If you can make it to any bike shop they should be able to hook you up with the missing nut.
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Trek Domane and undamped motion with Isospeed? Being a car guy and autocrosser, I'm familiar with suspension systems and the necessity to find a balanced spring/shock combination to create the best possible compliance, ride quality and performance in the suspension. So I can't help but think that the Isospeed technology on the new Trek Domane is a little odd as it's essentially all spring and no damper. Aren't you going to essentially have undamped motion while riding? For example, you can see the bounce in this video... I haven't ridden one of these bikes yet, but I'm not sure if a short test ride would be enough to make a proper assessment. And I know this isn't exactly a conventional spring. So I suppose my question is if there's anything about Isospeed that gives it some sort of damping characteristics to minimize excessive bounce? <Q> As you already suggest the behaviour is not that of a conventional spring. <S> Compared to a conventional spring I would expect it to have some quite high internal damping so it may have characteristics similar to a spring/shock combination. <A> I just found this from a carbon fiber leaf spring manufacturer... <S> In comparison with steel leaf springs they have significantly greater spring action, higher internal damping and a more balanced springing behaviour, with a many times greater retention capacity of elastic energy than spring steel. <S> http://www.prause-durotec.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=59&lang=en <S> I don't know how much of an influence this internal damping of carbon fiber really has. <S> But it does make more sense to me now. <S> I can see how the Domane could work well. <A> I'd be willing to bet that whatever characteristics Trek gave that frame, those are exactly the characteristics that Trek wanted the bike to have. <S> That man appears to be flexing the frame as hard as he can to get it to bounce. <S> A video of a guy on a trainer isn't going to reveal much of anything useful in the real world. <S> I'd take the bouncing motion in the video with a grain of salt. <S> The Domane is said to be very well designed and road worthy. <A> I'd say the rider is the damper, since that few milimeters of travel can easily be "swallowed" by rider's action/body after he got used to it. <S> (I ride very rough streets with an old steel road bike, and for sure, based on what rough streets feel like to me while on the bike, I would love to ride a bike behaving as the one shown in this video.)
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If you want to know how the bike does, you really do have to take it for your own test drive.
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How do I use retro drop down handlebars with no hoods? The preface this, I am just going to say that I am awful on a bicycle. I have recently gotten a bike that I love , it's beautiful, and I love riding it, however the drop handlebars have no hoods so the brakes are on the tops, and I have no idea where to put my hands. I want to keep them as close to the brakes as possible because of the heavy traffic in London, and because I am not quite confident enough to be able to move my hands back in to position quickly. The problem with this is that because my hands are so close together I have less control of my bike, and I'm worried that I'm going to fall off. Does anyone have any recommendations about what I should be doing, or am I going to need to get some new handlebars? The Bike is a Cooper Revival 2012 . <Q> You have the option of purchasing a product such as this : <S> These are secured to your drop bar where your brake hoods would normally reside. <S> They provide a hand position on the ramp of the bar without having to use drop bar brake levers. <S> They also can install directly over your tape (but it will eventually ruin the tape, so ideally you'd install them and re-tape everything.) <S> While it would be the cheapest and easiest option, it doesn't address the issue of your hands being away from your brake levers (which is a very important feature when riding in traffic!) <S> The existing brake levers are Tektro RL720s. <S> They're known as "interrupter" levers because they are generally installed in tandem with drop bar brake levers and they interrupt the housing, creating two sets of brake levers at two different hand positions. <S> You could purchase any aero levers and install them on the bar along with the 720s (they need to be aero levers where the housing runs under the handlebar tape). <S> This would require some housing and new brake cables, but it would solve both the hand position and brake access issues you've posed for ~$40. <A> The brake hoods are part of the brake not part of the handlebar. <S> You should be able to visit your local bike shop and get hood style brakes put in rather than your existing bar top style brakes. <A> This bike seems to be geared more towards the fixed gear crowd, who don't need brakes all the time and instead use the rear wheel and drivetrain to slow / stop. <S> If you're not comfortable on this bike as is, that's understandable. <S> Riding on the tops of the drop bars is less stable than riding in the drops (which puts your hands far from the brakes) or hanging on the hoods on your drop bars (which currently isn't an option). <S> If you do add new levers to the existing bars, you will probably also have to tilt the bars quite a bit so that the the top of the bars are at less of a downward angle.
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I'd recommend either swapping you bars to a riser bars (or for a more vintage cruiser look maybe moustache bars or albatross bars) with different brake levers suited to those bars or adding drop bar brake levers which you can use on the hoods (which is a bit more stable in city traffic) or from the drops.
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What is the purpose of suspension lockout? I'm trying to decide which 29er bike I want to purchase and one of them has lockout. I know what lockout does but I'm not sure what it is used for and if I will need it. Thanks Update: We're good now. It's been 6 years (Holy crap) since I've posted this. I'm definitely fully aware of lockout. I've also realized my Rockshox Recon Silver lockout is actually 100% lockout since there's a buffer. <Q> You turn it on when riding on smooth surfaces or going up hill to improve pedal efficiency. <S> It's hard to know if you will need it in advance because without riding the bike you won't know how well the suspension design handles pedal bob (the energy lost by the bike suspension compressing under pedal forces), try and get a test ride. <A> When you're riding on roads you, generally, have close to no need of suspension, but because you've got it you'll be wasting lots of energy which will be going into the shocks and not into the pedals and cranks. <S> If you don't need the suspension, it's going to be much more efficient to be able to disable it. <S> If you know that you're never (or close to never) going to be riding the bike on paved surfaces <S> then you probably won't need the lockout, but if that's not the case, then you almost certainly should favour the lockout. <A> I disagree with all this talk of "wasting a lot of energy". <S> When I am riding with constant pedal force, the suspension compresses very little, if any. <S> The severe loss of efficiency occurs when power peaks to the pedals occur - sprinting or hill climbing. <S> IMO the effect is very roughly up to 30% when sprinting. <S> With climbing it depends on the terrain and your willingness to adjust gears. <S> Keep a stable, high cadence* (as if riding on a road) and there will be no unnecessary compression at all. <S> Now, locking the fork is useful for road biking, right? <S> If you ride at a constant, high, boring cadence on the flat, boring road - no unnecessary compression. <S> In my country, even in the capital, most roads have mean distance between road holes in the order of tens of meters. <S> So I do not lock my fork. <S> I suffer in sprints (sprints are bad for your knees), but ride more comfortable through road defects. <S> Note: <S> I have not used high quality forks with suspension lockout(nothing over a hundred bucks) <S> - so it could be that my answer is irrelevant. <S> * high cadence == <S> low pedal force (for the same power output) <A> High end forks have abilities to lock out/adjust blow off, also adjust travel on the fly while riding, like a swiss army knife for ALL conditions, and gives the rider advantages for racing, all mountain, casual non competitive riding too. <S> Non-lockout forks are either for DH (200mm travel), or cheaper alternatives where efficiency in pedaling isn't important. <A> If my bike didn't have suspension lockout, I could live with it. <S> On single track, I never use the lockout. <S> When on pavement, or, on relatively smooth fire/service roads, I use the lockout. <S> Under these conditions, locked out, or not, there isn't much difference while pedaling seated. <S> However, I believe there is a big improvement in performance when standing on a climb with the suspension locked out. <S> Some riders never lock the shock out, others, only occasionally. <A> Back to the part of the question : What it is used for and if I will need it. <S> The answer depends on the types of roads to ride. <S> For a 29er, the tyre itself has provided some level of the suspension function. <S> Since that, for paved or unpaved roads, you might just need a hardtail. <S> Suspensions with/without lockout is not so necessary. <S> A hardtail 29er mtb will also be lighter and thus suitable for uphill riding, too. <S> But, for gravel or x-trial, suspension with remote lockout is still good to choose. <S> It provides flexible riding experience just like the description in other answers.
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Lockout gives the rider blow-off valve adjustment options (how loose or stiff the compression force is on bike) not only helps pedaling efficiency while climbing/flat trail mode, but also gives the rider options to unlock when riding DH. The decision to lock out, or not, depends on terrain, riding style & ability, as well as simply personal preference.
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Schrader tubes in Presta configured Rims? My 26" mtb rims support presta sized tube stems, however can I drill the diameter of the holes in the rims bigger in order to support Schrader stemmed tubes? what is the proper way to do this, is there a kit? <Q> It is true that the rim gets weaker, and very narrow rims should not be drilled, but I have performed this enlargement a couple of times and rode the wheels some honest hundreds of km in every kind of terrain, with no problem. <S> I did this because I like the ease to get at any gas pump to top tire pressure after trails, and also because schraeder tubes are more avaliable and less expensive where I live. <A> Drilling out your rims will reduce the strength of the rim and increase the likelihood of cutting the valve stem on your tube. <S> For a few dollars you can buy two of these: <S> This adapter threads onto a Presta valve and effectively turns it into a Schrader valve. <S> Presta valve tubes are the same price and are as widely available as Schrader valve tubes, so you shouldn't need to drill out your rims. <S> (Also, depending on how deep your rims are, finding Schrader valve tubes with valve stems long enough could be a challenge.) <S> For a discussion of the virtues of Presta v. Schrader valves, check here . <A> With MTB tires, there's really no issue in drilling out the valve hole to a larger size since the rims are so wide to begin with. <S> You can do it yourself with a drill bit (3/8" or 10mm) or have your LBS do it. <S> Sanding or reaming the hole afterwards is important, as well as making sure there aren't any sharp metal bits floating around afterwards that might puncture your tubes. <S> If you ever want to go back again (after having blown through your 10-pack of schraders), you'll find that you have the opposite problem -- the hole is now too large and the presta valve will fit loosely. <S> https://www.google.com/search?q=schrader+presta+rim+adapter <A> It depends on the width of the rim, and how it's constructed. <S> If the rim is over about 32mm (about 1.25", measured from inside to inside) then it probably has sufficient "meat" in the rim that drilling will not significantly weaken it. <S> But of course it would be silly to do this simply because you have a Scharader tube -- tubes are cheap. <A> Tubes may be cheap, but good luck filling a presta valve when you are on the road in the USA. <S> NO gas station has presta chucks. <S> And if you are living in the USA, it's a 3/8 inch drill bit to convert to schrader valve. <S> The bike shops warn against it because they gotta sell those presta tubes they have in stock. <S> Only reason I can see for NOT converting is there may not be a schrader tube available in your size rim. <S> That's when you use the adapter shown above. <S> Look on YouTube and you will find videos on how to change from presta to schrader valves. <A> Actually, correct drill bit size is 21/64", not 3/8" http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_sa-o.html - search for Schrader <A> 21/64" is the proper size drill bit. <S> I found one of this size at Autozone. <S> If you drill from the tire-side in toward the hub, most of the sharp edges will end up on the outside of the rim and will never even impact the tube. <S> Just scrape off the worst of it <S> so you don't cut yourself on the edges. <S> In my case, sanding was not even required. <S> I have ridden on a drilled out rear wheel for the past six months and treated it to some rough cross country sections including small jumps (at most six feet of distance spent airborne), tree roots and steep rock gardens <S> and there is no sign of metal fatigue around the drill site. <S> I am not sure how this sort of modification would impact a bike used for downhill biking. <S> I am so happy with my results that I just drilled out my brand new set of wheels because I appreciate the convenience of the schrader valve.
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You can get "presta schrader rim adapters" that fill in this gap and prevent the tube from bulging through or the valve rattling: search term: In case you really want to drill, the only thing you need is a 10mm drill bit, and a sandpaper to give a smooth finish. I have yet to see anyone have a wheel collapse due to converting to schrader valves.
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Should I fight a ticket I got for riding my bicycle in a crosswalk? I was riding my bicycle home. I live on a one way and was waiting in the crosswalk while oncoming traffic down the one-way was green. This was at a 4 way intersection. There was no oncoming traffic and all other lights were red. I rode into the crosswalk and was nearly through when the light turned green for the oncoming right side traffic. A man flew through the crosswalk, not seeing me, and we collided. I hit his mirror off, made impact with his door, and fell down. I was then treated by the EMT and taken to the ER for further evaluation. I am suffering no broken bones, but a painful hand contusion, cuts and bruises, as well as enhanced neck pain from a previous neck injury. The cop found me still very frazzled in the ER and told me I was getting issued a citation for going the wrong way on a one way (while the man who hit me got off scot-free). The cop also said she could be giving me 3 other tickets but was trying to be "nice." I thought you didn't have to do that if it was a traffic infraction... I understand that local bike laws in Santa Barbara say you are treated as a car. However, I was in the crosswalk (which is parallel to the one way street) when I was hit. I need help understanding the laws regarding these specific circumstances. Is this worth fighting in court? <Q> According to Santa Barbara City Ordinances : 10.52.130 <S> No Bicycles on Sidewalk. <S> No person shall ride a bicycle on any sidewalk except at a driveway; provided, that a person may ride a bicycle on any area designated by the City Council as a bikeway. <S> So, unless this was a designated "bikeway," you were clearly in violation of at least one law. <S> I'm a little unclear on your story, but it also sounds like you crossed against the signal. <S> That would, of course, be a second infraction. <S> You mention that you live on a one-way street but were crossing at a four-way intersection. <S> This doesn't make sense. <S> A two-way street crossing <S> a one-way street is a three-way intersection. <S> But I'll do my best to make sense of it. <S> If you were riding on the sidewalk on the left side of a two-way street, or if you were riding the sidewalk against traffic on a one-way street; the ticket for riding against traffic also sort of makes sense. <S> It may or may not be entirely correct, but a case could be made. <S> In short, you were clearly in violation of some law, probably several. <S> If you try to fight it, you may get out of the ticket you were specifically given but you may also end up with several others. <S> I would also encourage you to read all of section 10.52 in the attached city ordinances as well as the California Vehicle Code Sections 21200-21212 , all of which pertain to bicycling in California. <S> For the best understanding, read the state laws first and the local laws second and look at the local laws as an addendum to the state laws. <A> Consider for a moment that you walked away with your life, instead of being killed by that car, and call it a victory. <S> Some people don't walk away with theirs. <S> From what you said, you crossed the street without a walk signal, that right their is worth a citation, so it's reasonable that you ended up with 1 citation. <S> It also sounds ordinary that you'll have to show up to court to pay it, that's how a lot of cities handle all traffic fines. <S> Try not to get discouraged though. <S> Stay safe out there. <A> The usual disclaimer: none of us are lawyers. <S> But you may well have been technically breaking another law; I don't know enough about your local laws (or law in general) to say for sure. <S> So fighting one citation could just turn it into another, and this means that as usual, the best advice would be to talk to a lawyer who'd know details about this sort of thing. <S> Now for the safety bit. <S> The general spirit of "bicycles are vehicles" laws is that cyclists should behave like vehicles, and drivers should similarly treat cyclists like vehicles. <S> As you discovered, this can be pretty dangerous. <S> It's not a license to just ride <S> however's convenient. <S> Most cyclists think it's pretty much always a bad idea to ride on a sidewalk - it can be dangerous for both you and pedestrians. <S> I will admit that sometimes it may be safer than the road, though. <S> But if you're going to ride on a sidewalk, it's important to behave like a pedestrian. <S> Sidewalks are designed for pedestrians. <S> This means you need to ride slowly, maybe even walking your bike at some points, and cross streets the way pedestrians would. <S> Drivers have more time to see you if you're not sprinting across a street. <S> Now, along with the safety, perhaps you can see how this is less clear than you might think. <S> Cyclists are expected to act like vehicles, and a car doing what you were doing would've been cited, especially if it led to an accident. <S> A pedestrian wouldn't really have been doing what you were doing either. <S> But it may not be cut and dry. <S> So good luck with your recovery, <S> and I hope you're back on the road soon. <S> Stay safe!
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If you're riding in a crosswalk or on a sidewalk, you're not following the laws for vehicles. It does sound possible that what you were doing doesn't meet the definition for the citation you were given, depending on the details. By all means, talk to a lawyer if you want to pursue it.
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Why does my bike make a noise when I pedal hard? When I pedal forcing a little with my right leg, the bike makes a noise that I don't know how to describe. I'll try to do it. It's like: a short "ting" a tiny bell if a small rock hits the down tube I don't know what is causing this noise, but I think that it could be any of this things: pedal crank arm/pedal connection crankset I think the material of all these things is alluminium. I don't feel anything (like a bad shifted chain) when I hear the noise. It happens when there is movement and when there is NO movement (I use the brake, so the bike doesn'e move, stand using all weight on right pedal, and it makes the noise) The pedals could be in any position, It is not in a particular position. Just pressing the right pedal. Has someone else has this "problem"? Any ideas of where this comes from? Update: Yesterday I took out the chain and stood on the right pedal, and made the noise. Then is not the chain, nor the transmission system. I put oil in the pedal axis, but had no luck. Also tried to loose the pedal, but the juncture point is too tight, and I couldn't. Today I will try to use oil in the bottom bracket. Update: here is a link to info on the bike http://www.diamondback.com/2012-sorrento maybe it helps to know the model of all the components. <Q> Could be any number of things. <S> The first thing to check (because ignoring it can rapidly cause expensive damage) is that the crank arms are tight. <S> Even if they don't seem loose it doesn't hurt to put a wrench on the fixing bolts and torque them a bit. <S> (If one moves more than a small amount, get a torque wrench and do them up right.) <S> Likewise with the pedals. <S> No big emergency here, but you need to tighten them to see if that's the problem. <S> Spokes can make a "ting" sound, especially if the wheel is relatively new. <S> Unless there are loose spokes, though, there's not much you can do about this and it will usually go away on its own after the wheel breaks in. <S> It's unlikely to be that the BB needs lube, unless it's been sorely neglected for years (or submerged in Sandy's tidal waters). <S> If the bike is relatively new (a few months old), you should take it back to the shop where you bought it and ask for a "tuneup" where they would tighten the crank arms, adjust the brakes and shifters, and true up the wheels. <S> On a new bike they should do this for free or for a nominal sum. <A> It could very easily be that the bottom bracket needs to be lubricated, as freiheit pointed out. <S> Lubricate the bottom bracket and tighten it to the torque specifications, and tighten the pedals and crank arm to see if the noise changes. <S> One of the first things I would suspect is your frame, especially if it's an aluminum frame. <S> It might be worth it to have an expert personally inspect your frame and crank for any cracks. <S> I've had cracks cause me that ping before as well. <A> Check the threading hasn't deteriorated and that tensions are appropriate for the pedal/crank crank/chain ring, crank/bottom bracket, bottom bracket/frame interfaces. <S> If all of the above fail to fix the issue the bottom bracket may need to be services or replaced. <A> Loose chain-ring bolts are an oft overlooked culprit. <S> They're also the easiest to tighten, since you don't have to remove the crank or pedals, so it's worth a shot. <S> Check that they are tightened to the proper torque. <A> Remove the Crank Arms from the spindle, apply a thin film of grease and retighten. <S> If the aluminum crank arm binds on the steel spindle and doesn't seat cleanly it will make a popping sound as it try's to equalize the stress. <A> check everything that has human contact because there is a force exerted on all thes eparts when stomping on pedals pedals, cranks, BB, chain, cassette, spokes the seat post and seat rails bars and the stem connection Also check the frame for cracks, especially if it is a full suspension bike. <S> It might be worth saying which bike frame it is and see whether it has a history of cracks. <A> It's most likely is a loose pedal bolt. <S> Check it first. <S> Worst case you have a problem in the bottom bracket. <S> Check this vieo. <S> It's very educational. <A> What I discovered on my Giant Reign is that it's the chainring bolts. <S> They will place pressure from the crank to the rings and the only thing holding them together is the bolts and if they are loose, can turn in the holes. <S> Sometimes they just dry out, or get debris and will make that "ticking" or even sound like a short creak if they come from more than one bolt. <S> I now grease mine but it starts again after 10 to 20 hard uphill miles, pending on dust and stuff. <S> I'm in the process of using Teflon plumbers tape on them, but I think the grease is better.
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when stomping on the pedal you may be exercising a small crack in the frame that is pinging -- check all the welds first - particularly round the BB area. If the bike's older a tuneup won't hurt, but expect to pay more. Grease the bottom bracket/frame interface thoroughly. You can also get noise from a cartridge BB if the cups are not totally tight.
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Is a 100mm travel hardtail ok for light downhill and a few jumps? I bought a haro flightline two dx and i want to upgrade it (fork,brakes,derraulliers,...)iam scared that if i do this with this bike that my fork is going to fail or something like that so could i do this with a 100mm sr suntour xct v2 or could i upgrade it to a fork with more travel. I dont know if a fork with more travel can go on this bike.Will my fork fail?and can I upgrade my bikes travel? <Q> Not a great bike, at the right price tag, none the less suitable for off road use. <S> I wouldn't take if off a 2 meter drops all day, but it should be OK over less than about 300mm (1 foot) and more if you know how to land. <S> If you keep the wheels on the ground it will handle most tracks. <S> Upgrading the fork to more travel will change the geometry. <S> Too much is a bad thing, but 20mm or so should be OK. <S> Be careful about trying to make a silk purse from a sours <S> ear though - an entry level XC hard tail will never be a great down hill machine. <S> Looking at the list of upgrades, it would be better to start with a bike closer to what you really want. <S> Riding style and skill , as well as your weight, plays a part. <S> A skilled rider controls the bike over the bumps and landings, and rides "lightly" and unskilled rider can land very "heavy" on the smallest bumps and jumps. <S> memories... <S> the early 90's, just like life, MTB's were so much simpler - 2 wheels, 18 gears, choice of steel or steel frames and one size nearly fits all..... ), <S> Although this one would not be my choice, if it's all you have got, get out there and have fun. <A> Yes it is OK. <S> And generally focus on having fun. <S> Don't waste too much money on that bike. <S> Just use it a lot and maybe switch to a better bike in a year or so. <A> Not so long ago, 80mm would be a DH suspension already. <S> Then the 100mm ones came and the whole DH community was stunned by so much travel. <S> So, considering travel alone, 100mm is enough to do what you want. <S> BUT you have to consider two more things: <S> Fork design: forks can be designed to jump (as some very tough Marzocchi Dirt Jump forks with 100mm of travel) or to eat up bumps with 'on-ground', XC use (for example, Rock Shox SID and Reba forks, with which wouldn't be a good idea to go around jumping everything). <S> At last, the frame should be compatible with longer forks. <S> I've seen people installing double-crown, long travel forks in "regular" frames and go downhill, and eventually the head tube was torn off the bike due to excessive lever from the front wheel while braking and landing. <S> Hope this helps!
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As for breaking the bike etc - it will probably not fail catastrophically from normal riding, but it's not a 20kg downhill tank, and parts breakable if abused. Since you are just starting out you need to focus on the basics of riding (proper stance, cornering, braking etc) which will allow you to ride better, faster and safer. Theres nothing wrong with a hard-tail for down hilling - not that many years ago people rode no suspension on what we now consider "Light" down hill tracks (I used to land 2 meter jumps with no suspension, .... It looks to me that the bike is an entry level XC mountian bike. Fork quality: if the fork is not good quality, jumpin around (and sometimes just riding around) can slowly tear down its internals, creating play, leakages, etc.
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Touching the front wheel with my foot when turning My girlfriend got a new city bike today and she touches the front wheel every time she has to make a hard turn. Is there anyway to avoid this besides replacing the whole bike? LATER EDIT: I think I found my answer here . <Q> This is a common problem, but really not a big deal. <S> I've usually heard it called "toe overlap". <S> I have it on all my bikes. <S> Basically, it's a bit shocking the first time it happens, but you get used to it . <S> It's no big deal. <S> If you're simply aware that it can happen at slow speeds, you'll avoid it easily enough. <S> It's most common on racing-style road bikes due to their short wheelbase or on smaller frame bikes. <S> Big feet and shoes that stick forward of your toes very far also make it more likely. <S> Possible solutions include: Try not to worry about it. <S> It's usually just an annoyance and you get used to it pretty quickly. <S> Don't go slow <S> (can't turn the wheel far enough for it to be a problem unless you're going slow). <S> When going slow and making a sharp turn, pay attention to where your feet are. <S> Also pay attention when starting from a stop. <S> Pedal with the ball of your foot over the spindle of the pedal. <S> This is generally considered the "correct" place, and leaves your foot only going a little forward of the pedal. <S> Some beginners put the arch of their foot on the pedal, which is likely to be uncomfortable on platform pedals, and puts your foot more forward. <S> Maybe slide your foot back a bit as you're making a slow turn, so that you pedal with your toes instead. <S> I find this uncomfortable, but it's tolerable for a few seconds. <S> When you're shopping for bikes, look at how much toe overlap there is. <S> You don't even need to ride the bike, you can tell by putting the pedal forward, putting a foot on the pedal at about the right position, and turning the handlebars. <S> Smaller riders may find that bikes with smaller wheels give them less toe overlap. <S> 650b or 26" instead of 700c? <S> Really, don't worry about it too much. <A> My son had an toe-overlap issue, and it turned out the forks were on backwards. <S> I looked up how to take the forks out, and after I turned them around, the bike is perfect. <S> No toe-overlap! <S> Thanks for the suggestion. <A> I was fuming as I had purchased it from Halfords? <S> So, I turned the bike wheel around and it was fine! <A> There is one other option mentioned in the link and one that I thought of should the new technique be no solution. <S> change the fork rake - by replacing the front fork for the one providing larger wheelbase <S> you increase the distance between the front axle and the bottom bracket <S> thus you decrease the toe overlap, probably to the measure that it is not occurring. <S> On the other hand you also decrease the patch <S> trail of the bike making it more agile when it comes to steering stability (it will be more difficult to ride "no hands") and you increase the wheelbase making the bike slightly more difficult to manoeuvre in slow tight corners. <S> Hence, solving one problem you create another. <S> change the cranks to one size shorter <S> - changing from e.g. 170mm cranks to 165mm will decrease the toe overlap slightly. <S> This may be beneficial if the rider's inseam is on the shorter size - they won't need to stretch their legs that much. <S> On the downside is that shorter cranks require more power needed to maintain the same cadence. <S> The rider will need to increase their cadence but riding will feel like it requires less effort . <S> And a biker riding with higher cadence appears to be riding faster, let alone that lower load and faster repetitions (at the gym) allow for more fat burn and muscle tone up, opposed to high load and less repetitions <S> cause mainly muscle build up. <A> Just make sure your fork is oriented the correct direction. <S> I bought a Spot bike, and when it arrived to my house the factory had put the fork on the wrong direction. <S> Actually, they put the handle bars on the wrong direction, and when they oriented the handle bars correctly it turns the fork 180 degrees in the wrong direction. <S> This isn’t immediately obvious, and all you may notice is that the pedal hits the front tire.
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Don't pedal while turning Pump the pedals instead of normal pedaling, so that only your inside foot goes forward Get your feet into a good position (outside foot just below where the pedal overlap happens) as you start to turn. Since it can only happen at slow speeds, it's not particularly dangerous. But since you are replacing the cranks, replace the chainring for a size smaller. Big tires and/or fenders can make it more likely. As in the link that OP posted and the suggestions here most of the actions focus on changing the riding technique. This exact same thing happened to me, I realised my front bike wheel was the wrong way round!!
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How do I figure out which size chain my fixed gear bike has My fixed gear bike is going to want a new chain soon, how do I figure out which width I should use? <Q> There two sizes of chains that can be used on a fixed wheel bicycle 1/8" and 3/32". <S> It all depends on the width of the teeth on the cog and the chain ring. <S> On bikes that have been converted from gears to fix are more likely to be 3/32". <S> My Son's bike has a 3/32" cog, chain ring and chain. <A> Get a pair of calipers and measure the width of both the chainring and the cog. <S> If the width is much larger than 3/32" then use 1/8". <S> If you have a 3/32" chain instead, then put it on both cog and chainring, if the teeth fit through the holes in the chain and the chain rests evenly on the cogs, you're probably fine with a 3/32" chain, if it sits unevenly at all, you probably need 1/8". <S> If you don't have a chain, then you could check for width markings on your chainrings and fixed cog, if they are single speed chainrings they tend to have a width marking on them (to distinguish between 1/8" and 3/32" sizes). <S> Keep in mind, If either the rear cog or front chainring is larger than the other in width, you need a larger 1/8" chain (which really won't run poorly on a smaller chainring, but a smaller 3/32" chain just won't fit on a 1/8" cog or chainring). <S> Also, If you're buying a 3/32" chain, you'll probably find that as a 6/7/8 speed chain at most bike shops. <S> You probably don't want to try to use a 9 or 10 speed chain on a single speed bike. <S> 1/8" chains are used exclusively for single speed setups. <A> In addition to the other answers, I found it helpful to read that the nominal width of a chain (1/8 or 3/32) actually refers to the width of the sprocket. <S> Quote: <S> There is some confusion in these numbers because the actual width of a 1/8" sprocket is typically 1/8"(3.175 mm) and the gap between the inner side plates of the chain must be slightly wider to fit over the teeth. <S> The width of the teeth on derailer-equipped bicycles with 5 or 6 rear sprockets was traditionally 2 mm, and the 3/32" (2.30 mm) chain would fit over those teeth -- but the smaller widths with larger number of sprockets are not as well standardized.
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If you don't have calipers, but have a piece of 1/8" chain, then put the chain on the cog and the chainring and see if there is a large visible gap between the plates of the chain and the teeth, if so then can probably use a 3/32" chain, if it's pretty snug you probably need a 1/8" chain. The most common one is 1/8" as that is what is used on the track and BMX.
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Spray new bike with teflon to repel dirt and moisture? I'm getting a new road bike. Would a light spritz of teflon spray help in repelling dirt and moisture? I wouldn't coat it completely, just focus on those dirt collecting areas, the undersides of the frame, the crevices on the brakes and derailleurs, etc. and of course not the brake surfaces. It's an "internet bike" I'll assemble myself, so I don't have the guidance of an LBS for these things. <Q> Back when I had a shiny new bike, I used to use car wax on the frame to keep the paint shiny, and at the time I thought it made cleanup easier because I could simply rinse the frame with a little light rubbing to get the dirt off. <S> But I've never waxed my 3 year old commute bike <S> and it's the same - rinse and a light rub gets the dirt off (unless it's greasy). <S> I haven't tried Teflon spray, but I'd be worried about it getting on the brake pads and rims, no matter how careful you are. <A> After that it's back to the usual dirt and moisture build up, what seems like more than you can tolerate when you stil want your bike to feel shiny and new. <S> I wouldn't say it's worth the trouble if you're already going to spend the time to rinse the frame with water and a towel. <S> It will help, but don't rely solely on the teflon spray to keep moisture out of those hard to reach places, cable housings and other such crevices where you don't want water to hang out. <A> I recently started using Pledge Wipes and find that the bike looks shiny and clean, and cleans up very easily after my cyclocross races, simple light water and dry and is back to being shiny and clean. <S> Dirt does still 'stick' but comes off so easily, and with the shine, I do think it is applying a small layer of something to the surface of the frame. <S> As with the other answers, I don't apply this to brakes, brake surface (wheels), tires, rubber, drive train... <S> just the frame and fork. <S> The wipes come in a container that you can get at the grocery store <S> and I find one wipe does the bicycle <S> and then I toss it, <S> I have re-applied with a new wipe every couple months.
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I've used the teflon spray on my cross bike before, especially when it was new, it seems to keep the dirt away for a short period of time, but only a few days.
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Why are BMX saddles so low? I've seen a lot of teenagers riding BMX bikes recently. It seems that most if not all of the guys I've seen riding their BMX bikes around the streets, car parks, local parks, etc have a frame that's really small, and a saddle that's as low as possible. It looks like the rider's knees are above their waists for much if not most of their stroke. One of the local parks has a dedicated BMX track with actual racing taking place on it. When I watch those guys they never seem to have their saddles all the way to the bottom. The thought occurred that it might have something to do with trick riding but none of the kids with bikes set up like this seemed to actually be doing tricks. They'd just be riding the bikes normally or even just sitting on them outside shops. Their bikes also didn't seem to be set up with trick riding in mind, most of them didn't have those bar things projecting from the wheel hubs for the riders to stand on. Is this really low saddle something they're doing to be cool? Or are there some real tangible advantages to this seating position? <Q> Low seats provide clearance for more acrobatic body movements. <S> This is essential for bunny hops and nearly every other trick which builds off of this skill. <S> If you look at trials bikes they similarly have lots of clearance for the rider over the frame and the saddle. <S> Since speeds are relatively low, and long distance riding is not the goal, pedaling efficiencies gained by a higher seat position are much less of a priority than vertical maneuverability. <S> As per Daniel R Hick's comment BMX bikes are also commonly used for children's bike's as they are easy to learn on because of the low seat. <S> In this case fashion follows function. <S> Just because the particular riders you see aren't tricking doesn't mean there isn't a valid functional reason for this kind of setup. <A> I ride a pro racer XL BMX. <S> They are built for speed. <S> I keep my seat down for 2 reasons. <S> all my pedaling is done standing up -- power is everything for a racer. <S> My saddle is made of one material only -- composite material -- its like sitting on a steel plate. <S> I only use it to coast on and relax -- and that is only after the race. <S> However, If I have to go a long ways when I am just out riding it around on the roads, I will raise my post to a more comfortable position. <S> And of course, a race BMX is not a trick bike. <S> Tricks break racing BMXs. <A> It makes it a lot easier to bust off tricks and just feel comfortable sitting down waiting for your turn in the bowls. <A> If the seat is low its easier to use your shoes as a brake by pressing it behind the saddle against the tire. <S> When -riding a brakeless BMX. <S> If You don't, it's just the cool style of a "brakeless". <A> If the seat is low, you can use your feet as a brake by squealing it against the ground when your bmx is brakeless.
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It protects your balls from being smashed and when you ride if bike it feels nice to just sit down and be low to he ground with a low center of gravity.
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Are shifters compatible with different derailleurs? Can I simply choose one shifter without taking into consideration the derailleur that will be used with it and vice-versa? <Q> <A> Derailers differ in the amount of "pull" needed to get from one gear to the next, and, for front derailers, whether they are "spring in" or "spring out". <S> Neither of these mattered much before indexing, but with indexing a mismatched shifter will mean that you can never get shifting to work cleanly over the entire cog range. <S> As imel96 says, though, generally a shifter of the same brand and number of gears should be compatible with a given derailer. <A> If you don't already have something in mind, first find a shifter you like, and it should be easy to go from there because whoever you buy the shifter from should be able to tell you which derailleur is going to work with it. <S> Or vice versa, start with the derailleur <S> and then there will be a specific set of compatible shifters.
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No, different maker or different model with different number of "speed" shifters have different pull ratio (i.e. the length of cable pulled by a single shift).Usually it's safe to use different model with same number of gears from the same maker.
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Which MTB Inner Tubes I have tried a few brands of inner tubes for off road riding, mainly slime and dr. sludge but recently I have suffered more punctures than I'd care for despite the 'green goo'. My question is what are people's recommendations for good off road inner tubes or tubeless systems. <Q> Maxxis DH or Freeride tubes. <S> They're not light <S> but I've only ever once punctured the DH model - a 6inch nail through both side walls, so <S> I won't hold it against them! <A> Try using Continental Trail King tires or Continental Mountain King tires and you will surely see a decrease in punctures. <S> Most tubes will hold up the same, if I had to pick one I'd say go with a continental tube or stick with the slime tubes. <A> You need to understand why you are puncturing- <S> are you getting "snake bites", or is it being caused by object penetration. <S> Looks at the punctured tube - if the holes looks like its been bit by a snake, (surprise) <S> its a snake bite..... <S> Snake bites - aka <S> Pinch Flats <S> - cause by low tire pressure - when you hit an object hard the tube gets pinched and punctures - tire choice wont help much, meaty tubes will help only a little, but more air pressure in the tire is the real answer. <S> If you don't want more air pressure, then tubeless completely solves this problem (and replaces it with "burping" the air out of it <S> 's not a good system. <S> I know you have said that you are inflating them properly, but you have not said what "properly" is, (pressure is not enough as we do not know you riding style, weight, speeds you hit etc). <S> Penetration Punctures - if you are getting these regularly, its good to understand why. <S> Do you ride an area with problems such a plants with sharp spikes, trails made with nails etc. <S> Do you make absolute certain that the object is no longer in the tire after fixing a puncture. <S> In that case, Kevlar Armour is required. <S> Again - heavy tubes help, but the tire should be stopping sharp pointy things getting to the tube. <S> If you are using good quality tubes and your MK's are puncturing, I suspect there little you can do about it - maybe add some gator skins and see if it helps - or there are Puncture proof tires available, although I have never used them. <S> One hint is to always mount the tire in exactly the same place on the rim after a puncture repair. <S> If you re-puncture in the same place as last time, its likely the tire still has something stuck in it. <S> Another option to try is cheap department store tyres - these tend to be excessively heavy and have thick casing - making them surprisingly resistant to all sorts of problems - perhaps its more to do with the speeds you (cannot) obtain when riding on them more than there robustness. <A> If the tubes you're using have removable valve cores, you can put some Stan's or equivalent in the tubes. <S> I'm not a huge fan of Bontrager products, but I've used their sealant-filled tubes around Southern CA, where we have goat-head thorns among other things, and they work well for small punctures.
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Alternatively, you can buy tubes that come pre-filled with sealant. Some tubes (Continental is one brand) have removable Presta valve cores. Kibbee is on to something, your tire is your best defense against punctures no matter the terrain.
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What options do I have to charge my GPS and Phone using a dynamo hub? I'm planning to purchase a supernova infinity-8 dynamo hub and wanted to use this during daylight hours to charge my Phone and GPS during bike tours. What products are available that will work with hub dynamos to charge iphone and Garmin GPS units? <Q> You might want to look at the Biologic ReeCharge by Dahon . <S> It says it hooks up to any standard dynamo hub. <S> The nice thing about this is that it has its own battery. <S> So the dynamo charges the internal battery and the battery charges your phone/gps/device. <S> This allows you to charge while you are resting, as well as provide added protection against sending bad current to your device. <S> I don't have any experience with it, but the idea is sound, and Dahon has many good products. <S> It sells for $100 which isn't too bad considering it has its own battery. <A> SUPERNOVA <S> The Plug II Plus USB power supply <S> Transforms dynamo AC to exact USB spec. <S> DC 5V, 500 mA <S> E‐Bike compatible for 12‐ 48V DC with optional cable Works with Garmin, Ipod&Iphone 3GS & 4G & 4GS Seems pretty expensive at €159, but since it's from SuperNova, it should work perfectly with your hub. <S> It's only rated at 500mA, so it'll only do "slow charging" of your phone - most smart phones <S> these days use a 1000mA (or higher) fast charger. <S> For those in the USA, here's a domestic source: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA6V22K44405&cm_re=SUPERNOVA_dynamo- -9SIA6V22K44405- -Product <S> $156 + shipping. <S> Still seems expensive given that they sell the hub itself for only $216. <A> I have been. <S> Using the Biologic Reecharge for 4 years... <S> It charges my Samung Galaxy Express with no problem.... <S> It works best if you start with the battery on the unit charged AND <S> the battery on your phone charged...then just leave it on while ridng and it will actually. <S> OVERCHARGE..... <S> so let the phone drop to 80% and then start the charging...it will charge back up and turn it off and do it again and again and it will stay charged indefinitely!!
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Here's one option: http://h1987995.stratoserver.net/magento/supernova-the-plug-ii-plus-usb-dynamolader.html
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I know there are better rain-forecast sources than "hourly forecast" websites. What's the best such source? When biking, I'm not so concerned about how the temperature will fluctuate. I'm much more concerned about whether or not it will rain. I sometimes wonder about two things: Will it rain in my city? If so, when? Please teach me the best way to find answers. Note: Please don't point me to the local weather services' "hourly forecasts". They're too vague for me to completely understand, as detailed in the small print below. My government's weather service is called Environment Canada. They publish a probability of precipitation (POP) when the likelihood of rain or snow is "maybe" . They say it's the " chance that measurable precipitation [...] will fall on 'any random point of the forecast region' during the forecast period ". This is confusing. But, taken together with the relevant Wikipedia article , it's understandable. Some other weather services offer "hourly forecasts" for my city. But I don't understand their stated POPs. I did a Google search which led me to a post by Trigonal Planar . Here's a Trigonal Planar quote which I have modified to reflect my current guess at what hourly POPs mean. "The chance of rain [during] a particular [period] is 20%. But during the [period], certain hours are more or less prone towards producing said rain." This is still too confusing. So, if you point me to a weather-forecast website, please point me to one where I can find a clear definition of each included element. <Q> http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/radar/index_e.html <S> If you take the time to familiarize yourself with it you'll start to get a feel for how different types of rain look on the radar and where it's going to hit. <A> My city contains a large airport. <S> I've discovered that some weather services provide terminal aerodrome forecasts (TAFs) for that airport, and that TAFs are well-defined. <S> Some websites that provide TAFs include: CheckWX . <S> The easiest to use. <S> (For a demonstration, go here and click the "Forecast" tab.) <S> The US NOAA Aviation Weather Center . <S> My favorite. <S> Enter an aerodrome code, click "Translated", then click "Get TAFs". <S> (For a demonstration, go here .) <S> Notes: <S> The demonstration links I provided are for London Heathrow airport. <S> It's very rainy there, so the forecasts can be confusing. <S> Alternatively, try checking the forecast for a less-rainy aerodrome: e.g. KDEN, KBOS, or KORD. <S> A "Temporary" or "Probable" group can modify the group that precedes it. <S> All times mentioned in TAFs are UTC , not local time. <S> Mist is a type of fog, not a type of rain. <S> All the elements in an American TAF are defined in an article entitled "TAF Decoder" . <A> If you use an iOS device, I use an app called Aero Weather (there is a free version, but I liked it enough to show support for the developer and paid for the Pro version). <S> This shows the various feeds available from many airports, runways, aerodromes and other similar sites. <S> You can show the summary of 4-5 airports on an iPhone screen - more than enough to get a quick overview of local conditions. <S> It shows current readings, but you're able to drill in to their forecasts. <S> As others have said, the airport analyses tend to be written by experts so is credible, but <S> the readings are also frequently updated. <S> For my commute/training rides, I have a local list of various airports within 20-30 miles of home <S> so I can get an instant picture of how the wind/temperature/cloud and so on is differing in the various directions.
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Use the moisture radar, it's your best tool to see when the rain is coming and when it's going with great detail.
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What can I do to keep my knees warm? It's getting chilly out there and my knees are starting to hurt from my short commute. I tried layered trousers (thick jeans + windstopper on top), but to no avail - my knees still get cold, while my whole legs sweat. I am thinking of some kind of kneepads. If a product could provide (listed in decreasing order of priority): (1)warmth (2)comfortable to wear all day, under baggy trousers (3)knee joint support, as this is the joint I (ab)use the most (4)knee protection during falls it would be perfect! I tried two types: volleyball sports soft pads, and medical support pads (from the pharmacy, very cheep). The volleyball are wonderfully warm; however both begin to come loose after maybe half an hour of riding. <Q> You can get explicit cycling knee warmers - I have a pair of these which see a lot of use (and sometimes go under jeans, very comfortably, if I'm out of an evening too). <S> They are great for the morning commutes where it is cold but likely to be warmer by the time of the return journey, but also for the longer rides where you start colder than you'll finish <S> and you need the flexibility to remove bits of kit. <S> You can get fleece lined versions which are even warmer. <S> They're not cheap - but there are other cheaper alternatives designed to a similar style. <S> They don't offer explicit knee support, but if you need support for your knees when going about your day, then I doubt a cycling Q-and-A site is the best place for your question. <S> Similarly, if you think your cycling is causing your knee pain, I'd recommend a visit to your local bike shop and ask them about whether your bike is fit and adjusted properly. <A> I wear MEC Roubaix Tights down to about -10c and haven't had any problems with my legs or knees getting cold. <S> The front and backs are made of different materials so the front of your legs stay warm because they stop the wind, and you legs stay cool (not sweating hot) because the backs are breathable and let the heat generated by your muscles out. <S> I'm on my third season with them and they are still holding up quite well. <S> Defintely worth the money. <S> They might be a little warm to wear under trousers but they are close fitting enough that they would fit under baggy trousers. <S> Although I just change at work when I get there. <S> If you don't have actual change rooms and showers, the handicapped stall in the bathroom usually provides plenty of room for changing. <S> the bike tights. <A> You could modify a pair of thermal socks. <S> Snip off the toe region and slide the thermal tubes over your knees with the heel pit over your knee cap, should be a good fit. <A> I use knee support bandages (tubes) from the pharmacy, to wear under trousers.
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As far as knee joint support goes, you should probably just get a proper knee support from the pharmacy, and wear it under (or over, depending on fit) You might also want to try a wind resistant material as it is likely to be the cold air rushing past that is causing the symptoms.
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Comparing gear ratios on different bike types How can I compare gear ratios on different wheel sizes? How can I compare gear ratios on MTB with tracking bikes with bigger wheels? How can I compare gear ratios with gear hubs? <Q> Typically you quote gear sizes in gear inches , very basically this is the drive wheel diameter multiplied by the ratio between the two gear cogs, traditionally quoted in inches. <S> Also sometimes mentioned is development <S> which is the amount of distance travelled by one revolution of the cranks (the astute will notice that is going to be proportional to gear inches and possibly a more meaningful quantity). <S> The more complex alternative, but one which is an absolute number, rather than measured in distance is Sheldon Brown's gain ratio which tries to include the crank length in the equation to get some sort of appreciation for the extra work for the smaller cranks found on, e.g., road bikes in comparison to ATBs. <S> So for every unit travelled by the pedal on its circular journey, the bike will travel x units along the ground. <S> Hubs will still have an absolute number of sprockets, even if it is just an equivalence to a real cog <S> so can still contribute to these equations. <A> Whilst this doesn't expand further on the answers already given another site probably worth noting as it covers all of your examples with addition of direct comparisons, it's also very easy to understand is: http://www.gear-calculator.com/# <A> Unless you consider the crankarm length (which usually is NOT done for the sake of simplicity), you have one (or two, in the case of gear hubs) "multipliers" to get the ratio of speed (and torque) between the crank and the wheel, and one final conversion between angular speed and forward speed. <S> That would either allow you to calculate forward speed for a given RPM, which is one of the best parameters to judge how a given gears "feels" on any bike. <S> First you have to calculate the gear ratio between chainring and cog. <S> As an example from one of my bikes, if you have a 46t chainring and a 16t cog, dividing 46 by 16 gives you 2.875 which is a first multiplier. <S> Then, if I am in the 6th gear of my hub, the table from the manufacturer says it gives me a 0.528 REDUCTION ratio. <S> So, for every crank turn I have 2.875 times 0.528 = 1.518 wheel turns. <S> If I know that my wheel has a circumference of 2.115 meters, then for each crank turn <S> I'll go 3.21 meters forward. <S> Now if I take any other similar sized and similar weight bike and ride any other combination which gives me 3.21 meters per crank revolution, these gears most probably will feel very similar, and both bikes could be ridden side by side with the same cadence, even if one bike had a 20 inch wheel (that would mean the gear and hub ratio would have to be higher to compensate. <S> Although it is possible to calculate wheel circumference from wheel radius <S> (radius * 2 * PI), the best way is to measure - with a tape - the actual distance travelled by the bike as you push it forward until the tire gives a whole turn. <S> Hope this helps! <A> The standard scheme is to convert gear ratio into "gear inches" (or, I suppose, in Europe "gear centimeters"). <S> This goes back to the old "penny-farthing" bikes where to get a larger "gear ratio" <S> you'd get a bike with a larger front wheel. <S> "Gear inches" is the diameter of a "direct drive" wheel that will travel, in one turn of the pedals, the same distance that a geared bike in a given gear will travel in one turn of the pedals. <S> (Look up actual tire diameter on Sheldon Brown's web site, since rim "diameter" doesn't really measure anything.) <S> (Or there are no doubt several web sites that will do all this for you.) <S> To calculate gear inches for an internal geared hub you'd start with the fact that the vast majority of such hubs have their "fastest" gear be a "lock-up" where the wheel turns once for each turn of the sprocket. <S> Then you calculate gear inches for that. <S> If you then have the ratios of the other gears you can multiply/divide (as appropriate for the presentation of the ratios) to get gear inches for the other gears.
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You first calculate gear ratio, which is the number of front teeth divided by the number of rear teeth, then multiply that by wheel diameter.
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Effective use of heart rate monitor I have a Garmin Edge 500 with hear rate monitor, which I use while riding. Now I have all this hear rate data which I don't know how to apply. Can anyone point out how I should use this data for training, with the intention of racing? <Q> As others have pointed, heart-rate alone is not enough to organize a comprehensive training program, and some preliminary steps (fitness tests, mostly) are necessary so that you can properly train guided by heart rate zones. <S> The main idea is the following: <S> heart rate is one of the best measures of your physical effort. <S> Each person have an individual maximum heart rate, depending on a lot of factors, mostly age. <S> Below a given zone there is no training, inside a given zone <S> you keep the conditioning you already have, above a given zone you are improving your aerobic level, and so on. <S> This can also be used to actively rest during an interval training, when you apply the next effort cycle only after some time below some threshold. <S> Of course, this talk applies specifically for TRAINING. <S> If you ride only for fun, then you can use the heart rate just to compare efforts, more "informally" speaking. <S> For example, if you ride the same route at the same speed many times, you can look for the higher heart rates and know during which rides you were more tired. <S> Also, there are some ways to measure POWER with GPS devices (STRAVA does so if you provide your weight and the bike's weight). <S> When you relate power and heart rate, you can obtain a measure of your fitness and/or efficiency at a given stretch. <S> With this flood of data nowadays, the possibilities are almost endless! <S> Hope this helps! <A> In addition to Google/books ("Total Heart Rate Training" by Joel Friel is a worthwhile read, IMO) have an Active Metabolic Rate test, VO2Max test, or something similar performed at a sports lab to measure exactly where your zones are. <S> Don't waste time with "214-(age*0.8)" or other faith-based calculations. <A> I would also recommend Friel's book. <S> There are three ways of doing this: 1) <S> Based on an estimated maximum heart rate. <S> This is better than nothing, but not by a lot, as it is an average. <S> If you have a big heart, this may result in zones that are too high, while if you have a small heart, it may result in zones that are too low. <S> 2) <S> Based on a measured maximum. <S> This is better than an estimated maximum, but isn't great because zones are better set using your anaerobic threshold, which changes based on your fitness level. <S> As you get better trained, you want your zones to move up. <S> 3) <S> Based on a test, generally a field test that you perform on your bike. <S> IIRC <S> , Carmichael uses two 3-mile time trial efforts, while Friel uses one 20-minute effort. <S> Both give decent numbers. <S> I would recommend the field test approach since you are just getting started. <S> If you get serious, you may want to switch to using a power meter, which is better than using a HRM.
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When you know your maximum rate, then it is possible to calculate the HEART RATE ZONES, as percent ranges of that maximum, which are directly related to training levels. Basically, to train with a HRM, you need to set up your zones.
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"wound" on the tire side The other day I was stopped at a traffic light when I felt my bike moving slowly forward. Did not pay really attention, thought there was a slight slope, so hit the brake and voila.But it did not stop moving and I realized an idiot in his car was pushing me!!I should have gone and yell at the guy but I freaked out: he is enough of a psycho to push a cyclist, who know what he can do...So I deflected to the sidewalk to check the bike...He was pushing on the rear mudguard and on the rack... the mudguard was bent just behind the crankset so I straightened it and it looked like the bike was fine so hopped on and finished the ride. Only later I noticed that the contact of the mudguard on the tyre while being deformed left a "wound" on the side of the tire.Cannot post a picture, sorry, but it looks like the integrity of the side of the tyre was compromised and one can see the fibers inside.It does not "leak", the tube cannot be seen or anything but I hate it...Is the tyre fragilized enough to increase significantly puncture risks? could it "explode" and cause a more serious accident?Does it need replacing? I hardly think so,... but well... <Q> I would ask myself the question: "Even if it looks like the tyre is ok, do I really want the hassle of the thing blowing 10 miles from home - even if there's only one chance in a hundred - and then having to change the tube, hoping it doesn't re-puncture, all the while freezing your <S> * * off? <S> And probably in the dark too. <S> And even then, when you get home, having to replace the tyre in any case." <S> Compared to the price of a new tyre <S> I know what my answer would be. <S> (I should probaby add that tyres in general are more susceptible in thev walls, which would sway me even more.) <S> Congratulations for keeping your cool by the way. <S> Your logic seems totally sound in terms of this guy being a psycho but very often adrenaline wins hands-down over rationality. <A> Even if they're not, it's still a good idea. <S> Those fibers are what give your tire its strength. <S> If any of them tear, your tube is likely to push through the tire. <S> If this happens, it will pop because the tube is not strong enough to contain the air pressure inside of it without the reinforcement of the tire. <S> If all of that happens and you get a flat, you'll have a hard time repairing it on the road since a new tube will just push through the hole and pop again. <S> You could boot it , but I've never had a whole lot of luck with that. <S> Since it's the rear tire, it's not likely to cause a serious accident. <S> But it's always a possible, e.g., if it pops while you're cornering hard. <A> I would probably replace it. <S> most tire walls are not made to withstand a lot of stress. <S> I had a wheel with quite a wobble in it (maybe 4mm to the side) and kept riding it. <S> this stressed the tire wall constantly until it disolved and the tire blew out quite explosivly. <S> So keeping in mind that tires does not nedd to be that expensive, I would not risk it.
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If any of the fibers are torn or frayed, you should definitely replace it.
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Were these bearings defective? A couple of days ago my girlfriend's bicycle broke. The rear wheel was stuck. Tonight I had finally some spare time to have a look. The bearings had failed, so much so that the wheel must have spun for some time piecewise with the axle. As a consequence, if you are picturing this right, the left nuts had tighten as that very hot place, whereas the nuts and cup on the drive side were completely loose (the axle had screwed itself to the left). I don't know what caused this. I had replaced the bearings in the past, something I've done many many times with no problems. What I'm asking here is whether this level of damage is normal or the bearings are cheap.I mean: the rightmost bearing in the picture can be separated into a smaller (about 3/16) inner ball and an outer 1/4" shell! This is the first time I used bearings from ebay, and would like to have your opinions. <Q> I've also never seen a bearing ball fail like that. <S> In Jahaziel's answer to this question: When do bearings need to be replaced? <S> he notes that in Honduras where he lives they sometimes could only get cheap Chinese bearings that "used to 'peel off' like an onion". <S> Perhaps you got some of those? <S> See also the response of "Mike" in this thread [1], who had a similar (albeit worse) experience with cheap bearings. <S> I've never actually over-tightened a hub and tried to ride on it to see how it fails when it seizes <S> (and I'm not saying you did that, but it's the only other explanation I can think of other than cheap bearings), but based on both the SKF paper linked above and this paper [2] and this analysis [3] it seems like ball bearings delaminating or fragmenting is not the most common failure mode, because none of them discuss it. <S> Particularly in [3] you can see that the balls in seized bearings polished off a contact patch against the race rather than disintegrating. <S> [1] <S> http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-23340.html <S> [2] http://www.elongo.com/pdfs/BearingFailures990519.pdf <S> [3] http://met-tech.com/failure-analysis-of-ball-bearings.html <A> You want quality graded bearings. <S> Settle for no less than grade 25. <S> Lower number = <S> better/more precise. <S> Skip generic grade 300. <A> Unfortunately I have seen this all too many times working as a workshop manager in a performance bike shop, Cheaper wheels and in certain cases some expensive japanese made ones use a cup and cone system which when correctly adjusted and maintained will give the same minimal rolling resistance and smoothness as ceramic catridge bearing wheel sets. <S> Unfortunately if the wheel is not maintained or correctly adjusted the cones work loose allowing dirt ingress and pitting of the bearings. <S> This in turn if the wheel is continually used will produce the kind of bearing failure that you see in the image. <S> Whether this has been increased by the bearing quality I can't advise <S> but I would say the only way to truly have a low maintenance wheelset is to move to catridge bearing hubs. <S> My personal favourite are a british company called "hope" but these are performance wheels and therefore you will pay a higher price.
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Good properly tightened bearings should last for many thousands of miles/kms, and usually races tend to show the damage more clearly before the balls do.
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How to break reinforced Shimano pin? Sorry if my technical English is a bit imprecise. I just put on new Shimano CN-HG53 chain. I joined the ends not with regular pin, but with provided reinforced one (like one of those below). The problem is the tip (end) of that pin is entirely outside the link now, and I should break it off. But it is so well made, that I cannot do this. With bare hands -- not possible at all. With pliers I move the pin tip up-down, but entire chain is rotating (even if I grab it with my hand). I could hold still chain with another pliers but I am afraid of damaging the link I would hold with pliers. So what tool is required to break it off, and how to do it? <Q> Ok, I did it! <S> :-D <S> I took two plates of steel, drilled a little hole in one of them (for the pin), then put the chain between them (pin goes through the hole of course). <S> This served as vice, but because it was not mechanically clamped I could control the force. <S> Then I used pair of pliers, and without a sweat, pin snapped. <S> I used the same chain before, but I used regular pin, after a year it came out of the chain (partially), thus this time I used reinforced one. <S> We'll see how good it is... <A> I've done it a few times on Shimano nine speed chains (for road bikes and mountain bikes) with no problems. <S> Are you sure it's the correct pin?Are <S> you sure it's inserted fully? <S> If it's correct and fully inserted, then the gap cut into the pin should be fully visible outside the link. <S> Here's how I do it: <S> Hold the chain in one hand so that a few links are exposed as a small loop. <S> One of these links should hold the newly-inserted pin. <S> The portion of the pin to be removed should be facing towards you. <S> Grab the pin with the pliers so that the pin & pliers are perpendicular. <S> A quick, sharp, opposite direction twist of both wrists should snap the pin. <S> There will be resistance, but it will snap. <S> If all goes well, the pin will break so that the remaining portion is flush with the outer edge of the chain. <A> Two points not made in other answers. <S> 1) Made sure the pin has gone through the chain first. <S> This is the bit which gets snapped off.
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2) I have used sidecutters or pliers to cut the pokey bit, or I've also used bullnosed pliers, but pulled them back toward the chain in the horizontal plane rather than trying to pull the pliers around the chain. The pointy end goes right through and out the other side.
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Why do my tires keep losing air, even after having the tubes replaced? I had a problem a few weeks ago where my tires were flat and needed air every time I took my bike out of the garage. I brought it to the local bike shop, and they replaced my tubes. This made a difference for a little while, but unfortunately, I seem to be back where I started. I have to fill up the tires before each ride, and then the wheels are flat after just a few minutes. The bike is about seven years old, but I like it and this is the only problem it's ever had. Do I need a new bike, or is there something other than a bad tube that could cause this to happen? <Q> It's not unusual for narrower tires to need pumping up every day or two, but if they really are losing air after "a few minutes" then the tubes have been holed somehow. <S> Did anyone check the tires for small pieces of wire, etc, sticking in them? <S> A tiny piece of wire can puncture a new tube within minutes. <S> Did anyone check the rims to make sure that the rim strips were intact, and no spoke ends were sticking out? <S> At seven years old your bike is a mere adolescent, and there's no need to replace it on account of this problem. <A> I had this problem, and I found that there was a small piece of glass in the tire that was puncturing every inner tube I put on the bike as soon as I inflated it. <S> Don't just run your finger inside the tire you will cut your hand. <A> You don't mention the type of bicycle you're referring to, but if you look at your wheels with the tube out and the tires off, you can probably see what the root cause is. <S> Bicycle wheels should have rim tape or a rim strip that protects the tube from the spoke holes in the rim. <S> Of the two approaches, the rim strip is the more modern. <S> The rim strip can be rubber, or plastic, or a slightly stretchable woven material (polyester fabric, for example). <S> Usually if you have an undamaged rim strip of the correct size for your wheel, it is highly unlikely that your tube is being punctured by contact with the spoke holes/spoke nipples. <S> It might be cut by the hole where the valve stem goes through the rim, but if so it should be obvious. <S> However if you have rim tape, even if it is the correct width, it's possible the rim tape is not adhering to the rim in one or more locations, and could be moving around under the tube, thus exposing the spoke holes, and causing your tubes to pop. <S> The leak you describe-- taking a few minutes to become flat-- suggests a small hole, and this is not inconsistent with a tube cut by a spoke hole, but usually such a cut is big enough to let the air out almost immediately. <S> To find out, inspect your leaky tube. <S> Remove it from the wheel, and pump a bit of air into it. <S> Where is the hole? <S> If it is on the valve side of the tube-- <S> the portion which comes into contact with rim tape/rim strip/spoke holes-- then this may be your problem. <S> Hold the tube under water, if necessary, to see where bubbles emerge. <S> If the hole is on the outside of the tube, where the tube is in contact with your tire, you need to check the tire carefully. <S> One might expect the bike shop did this, but you never know. <S> Run your fingers over the inside of the tire . <S> As the other responder suggested, you can get a small hole from a piece of wire (a "michelin thorn") that has punctured your tire casing, or a goat-head thorn, or a piece of glass. <S> You need to remove that from the tire casing, or it will puncture every new tube you put in. <A> As well as the good advice given by others, sometimes the valve leaks. <S> This should show up on the water test. <S> I have this problem on one of my wheels but not on the other. <S> At the moment, I can get away with pumping up once or twice a week. <A> Try using a different pump. <S> I had the same problem and couldn't find a leak, replaced the tube and still had the same problem. <S> Eventually I tried a different pump and no problems. <S> The pump I had must have been damaging the valve. <A> One thing I've read is that if you ever ride on under-inflated or flat tires, doing that can give you a pinch flat . <A> Make sure your valve core is tight. <S> You can buy a valve tool at your local auto parts store. <S> If the valve core is tight, you have a hole if it goes flat in a few minutes. <S> Replace the tube and check your rim strip to make sure it is covering all the spoke ends. <S> I prefer thorn resistant tubes. <S> They last about 10 times longer between flats and hold air longer. <S> They are heavier and more expensive but it beats changing flats all the time. <A> The idea is you buy good stuff and can take it easy, or you buy cheaply and suffer. <S> Unable to accept that modern marketing could be so manipulative, I rode on cheaper (department store bought) tyres for many years. <S> No fun. <S> Since switching to high-quality touring tires a year or so ago, I find they remain rock-hard for months at a time <S> AND I have yet to have a puncture (that includes 4 week's cycling in the thorny Extremadura in Spain). <S> My wife uses a similar tyre (different brand), and claims to have been cycling on the same tyres for two years without a single puncture.
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A missing or miss-positioned rim strip can cause a tube to puncture in short order. The most likely cause is a poor quality valve, one variant of built-in obsolescence.
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Can I buy handlebar tape in bulk I have a couple of commuter bikes with bullhorn handlebars . When I replace the tape on them, I always have heaps left over, since the bars are much shorter overall than standard drop bars. There's never enough to do both sides of the bar with a single roll though, so I end up throwing out a lot of tape. Can I get tape in a continuous roll, rather than pre-cut sections? I assume workshops would buy their tape in longer lengths, but I can't find any sources for it. <Q> I manage the workshop in one of the busier shops in the world. <S> There is not, to my knowledge, any way to obtain cork or neoprene bar tape which is not pre-cut to length. <S> Usually, in my experience, though, one roll is enough to do both sides of a bullhorn bar. <A> With some Googling, I was able to find this bulk bar tape . <S> However, at $156 for about 10 bars worth, it doesn't seem like you get much of a deal. <S> Plus the site looks really shady. <S> But if you aren't wasting so much, it might end up as a net positive for you. <S> But it does confirm that such a product does exist. <S> Try to look for a reputable retailer to sell you bulk tape. <A> Personally I use cheap $2 foam bar tape and either overlap it enough to use the whole roll, or I use half a roll per side and don't tape right up to the stem. <S> This hides the joints, holds the bartape down, and is highly waterproof. <S> Can even use bartape scraps of different colours under the heatshrink which is opaque black.
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Or my other technique is to use up leftover pieces of bartape, tape them down temporarily and then slip a piece of 35mm heatshrink over the top and compress that with hot air.
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