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What cleaner and oil should I use on my bike chain Hope everyone is well. I need to clean and oil my chain as its getting a little clunky when I’m changing gears. I have no idea what I should be cleaning it with and then what I should oil with. Any help would be great. It’s a road bike that is used every day no matter the weather. <Q> For the casual rider the simplest approach is to go to a bike shop and get a bottle of "chain oil". <S> Apply the chain oil fairly liberally (drizzle it on while cranking the chain backwards, if the bike has a freewheel), then wipe the chain with a rag (while cranking backwards). <S> If the chain is REALLY dirty, repeat. <S> Fill the washer and clamp it on, crank backwards for 30-60 seconds. <S> Wipe with a rag. <S> Apply chain oil. <S> Wipe. <S> If you're riding daily this is probably what you should use, every week or two. <S> There are the obsessive types who still remove their chains and boil them in kerosene or whatnot to clean then, but that's kind of silly (and dangerous), since chain washers have become available. <S> Note that chain oil comes in "wet" and "dry" varieties. <S> "Wet" is for wet weather, and helps prevent corrosion in the wet, while "dry" is for dry weather and doesn't pick up dust nearly as fast as "wet" (and hence keeps the chain cleaner). <S> And there are "do-all" and "in-between" varieties. <S> Just pick what seems to fit your riding conditions best. <S> Do note that, even if properly lubricated, chains wear out. <S> You should get a "chain stretch gauge" to measure the wear of your chain, and replace it when worn to about 0.8. <S> Running a worn chain damages the sprockets. <A> After some tinkering with dedicated bike products, my cleaning/lubing routine settled with very straightforward and cheap strategy: <S> When needed (usually chain too black/stainy or too dry/squeaking) <S> I take it off the bike, put it inside a plastic bottle, and shake violently with about 100ml kerosene, repeating as needed until the kerosene comes out reasonably clean. <S> I let the kerosene rest so that dirt goes down, you can use a bottle of kerosene like forever this way; With the first more-or-less clean doses of kerosene coming from the chain bottle <S> , I clean the gears, front and rear; The last rinsing is with new, pure kerosene, so that residual dirt comes off. <S> I then reassemble everything and go out for a ride. <S> As soon as the chain gets noisy enough, I stop and apply the oil, which I always have along. <S> Now for the oil, I use something that is very similar to Finish-Line "Wet" oil: gearbox oil, which you buy by the liter and also last forever. <S> It is recommended for chain lubing of motorcycles, and the end result when compared with dedicated bike oil is, in my experience, indistinguishable. <S> I apply it "half" drop per link, since I don't let the drop fall, but rather touch the chain roller while the drop is still forming in the oil bottle nozzle. <S> I found out I don't have excess to wipe out if I use this "half drop" measure. <S> I stress the fact that "I do it like this" instead of "this is the right way to do it" because this is a somewhat religious issue amongst riders. <S> What I can assure you is that I have tried other methods, and kept this one because it is cheap, easy, makes sense, and works (lubrication lasts a lot, chain lasts a lot). <S> Hope this helps! <A> I use Simple Green. <S> Any degreaser will work. <S> I come from an industry where cleaning dirty greasy parts is part of our daily routine. <S> The best degreasers were Dawn and Simple Green. <S> I think a lot of people in similar industries will tell you the same. <S> For one thing, people who buy the little drip bottles of degreaser treat it like it is liquid gold and use it so sparingly it is ineffective. <S> I squirt the hell out of my chain and cassette. <S> I have a chain cleaner that straps over the chain and allows me to run the chain through a series of brushes. <S> Those cleaners are popular enough. <S> When I upgrade I am going to get the one that connects to the deraileur and holds steady. <S> I also save my old toothbrushes and finish the job right. <S> I rinse and repeat until my drive train is oil-free. <S> I also work the links to feel for any grit in there. <S> BTW, perfect time to inspect everything. <S> I use a simple lube, Tri-Flo. <S> All the wet and dry stuff is part of the cycling fad and gimmicks. <S> I clean my drive train at least weekly if not after each ride. <S> The whole process takes me about : <S> 15 <S> and I have to schlep the gear up and down steps. <S> Our bikes are expensive and important to us. <S> I don't want to just go out and buy new stuff for my bike because they were neglected. <S> Nor do I want to get stranded on the trail over a chain that I didn't take care of. <S> A clean chain ( and drivetrain) is the difference between someone who loves riding and someone who says they love riding. <A> and I scrub the spokets aswell as the chain and wipe with a rag <S> I do this several times and once clean <S> I really lube with chain oil and for that your welcome
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For slightly more aggressive cleaning (on a derailleur bike), get a "chain washer" and the associated solvent. I would use Dawn if I could squirt it out of a spray bottle. Well I take a soft bristal brush and some dish soap
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What should I expect from a bicycle service? I'm thinking about getting my bicycle serviced for the first time to make sure it's entirely roadworthy. My question is what should I expect from a bike service from a professional? i.e. what checks are carried out, what maintenance is done, to what price level will parts be replaced within the service price? And finally what price should I be paying for a service? (London UK) EDIT: I'll further add there might be a minor problem with my back dérailleur, no parts needed to fix, just the know how... <Q> These services vary wildly from shop to shop. <S> My local shop will look at any bike and tell the owner if it's safe to ride. <S> And of course, they'll tell the owner how much it would cost to make it safe if it's not already. <S> They're pretty honest about it, but of course I can't guarantee that other places are. <S> This usually includes minor maintenance and inspections such as tightening bolts, airing up tires, adjusting brake and derailleur cable tightness, checking that the wheels are true, etc., but no parts replacement. <S> If the bike was not purchased from the shop in question, they will usually offer the same tune-up service for a relatively low fee, $25 (~£16) US where I live. <S> Many shops offer additional service levels beyond this. <S> They may include replacing cables and/or cable housing, bar tape, brake pads, actually truing the wheels (this can be a more time consuming job and may not be included in a basic tune-up), and perhaps even a bike wash. <S> These tune-ups can get fairly expensive, $100-$150 (£67-£100 <S> ) US. <S> Exactly how much you pay for any tune-up will depend on exactly what combination of services a shop offers and the amount of local competition, so you should really shop around. <A> For instance, at my LBS, they charge $50 for brake, gears, minor wheel true, light cleaning (no disassembly), lube, air in the tires, safety inspection, and minor parts/accessories installation. <S> Which might be good if I just picked up a used bike and needed all those things, but at lot of it is stuff I could do on my own. <S> For instance, they charge $25 for a wheel truing, so if the wheels are already true, most of the price of the service package is wasted. <S> Even people without any mechanical aptitude can do things like oiling their chain, filling up the tires, and putting on a water bottle cage. <S> I would pay for exactly what you need, which might just be a safety inspection to make sure it's all safe, <S> and maybe some simple adjustments like brakes and gears. <A> In London? <S> Check out Evans Cycles, they have a gozillion shops and do Bronze, Silver and Gold services. <S> Their web site tells you what you get at each level, looks like their stores price separately but to give you and idea the pricing from one of their stores can be found here . <S> Have generally found Evans a little more expensive than other shops for parts, but those numbers will put you in the ball park as regards what you can expect to pay in general. <S> Presumably once they've seen the bike they are able to advise what level of service you need, and for "bespoke" work like straightening your derailleur <S> I guess they'll just charge by the hour. <S> Never used them myself tho' so not a personal recommendation.
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Most shops offer a free "tune-up" with the purchase of a new bike. Personally, I wouldn't go for the tune-up service package unless I needed to have everything done that was in the package.
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Rattling of a Shimano Nexave roller brake In a suspended fork I use a Shimano Nexave BR-IM75-F roller brake and the cooling disc of the brake is not tighly fixed on the hub and it was like that since I got the roller-brake installed. I'm not sure whether this is "by design" or a fault. Opening the brrake side of the hub didn'r reveal nay way to make the fit tigher. Anyway, It works fine for stoppping, but when I go over rough terrain the disc seems to rattles a lot, which creates quite a bit of noise. - Not nice! Any idea what I can do? Here is a picture of the Brake (I hope it helps understanding the situation!): <Q> I have these fitted to my Carrera Subway 8. <S> They seem to work well, <S> but yes they rattle quite a bit when going over rough ground. <S> The cooling fin becomes tight when the brakes are applied <S> so must be a direct connection to one of the friction <S> faces. <S> I might have a go a dabbing a bit of silicone at three points around the interface of the cooling fin to see if it subdues the rattling :-) <A> I have a front brake similar to yours (BR-IM70-F) and had the same problem. <S> It turned out that I had not tightened the "brake unit fixing nut" properly which is the item number 2 in this document . <S> According to another document the nut should be tightened with a torque of 15-20 nm. <A> I was irritated buy the rattling cooling disc as well. <A> 1) Check brake unit fixing nut torque. <S> It's the shiny hex nut holding the roller brake to the hub.2) <S> Ensure sufficient lubrication of the roller brake moving parts. <S> I found the following page with photos and a youtube video very helpful in putting the brake together. <S> http://sandyfoto.ru/printsip_raboty_rollernogo_tormoza_i_yego_ustroystvo.html <S> I had a similar issue with my BR-IM81-F (front) roller brake. <S> The rattle has gotten progressively worse until it was always rattling, unless I was applying the brake. <S> Upon disassembly of the roller brake I discovered that the fixing nut was barely finger tight and that there was very little grease on the moving parts. <S> Upon remedying these two issues, the rattle is completely gone.
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I pressed small pieces of rubber between the disc and the spokes and it stopped the rattling without impairing the brake's function.
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Are road bikes durable for use on roads full of cracks and potholes? I live in Reading UK and commute between home and workplace 5-6 days a week (round trip about 6-7 miles). I know that hybrids are good enough for pretty much anything, but I find road bikes really light and good for the job, especially to go around curbs and very high slopes (about 45 degrees). However, most of the roads in Reading are quite broken and full of potholes and cracks. I wonder if it is a good idea for me to use road bikes in general for my daily commute? How badly will it affect me? A specific example of cracks and potholes I am referring to can be found here or here . I am really frustrated and want to know how badly will I damage a road bike if ridden on these kinds of roads. <Q> I know the roads around Reading very well. <S> I commute 10 miles into Reading every day. <S> I also ride a lot at lunchtime. <S> I probably ride 5,000 miles a year in Berkshire. <S> I ride a Bianchi C2C road bike which has an aluminium frame and carbon fork. <S> The roads around Reading aren't that bad. <S> I've never had a problem with the roads damaging my bike. <S> That said, I do take reasonable care, including: Avoiding the really bad bits by looking ahead and steering around them. <S> Be aware and cautious of traffic when you do this. <S> Hitting rough bits lightly. <S> Bend at your elbows and knees, and absorb the shock. <S> Don't let the shock transmit up to your body as the weight puts stress on the frame and wheels. <S> Not riding up and down raised kerbs. <S> If you have to cross a kerb, get off and lift your bike. <S> Only riding asphalt surfaces (i.e. roads or good cycle tracks). <S> Don't ride dirt or gravel routes, such as the one alongside the river. <S> If you want to check out some bikes, I'd suggest AW Cycles in Caversham <S> (I have no affiliation with them other than as a customer). <S> They have a good range and are knowledgable and friendly. <A> I live in a city with very bad asphalt conditions. <S> My fellow riders and I used to ride with 700x23c wheels (road bikes, fixed-gear bikes, and hybrids) for training at night and commuting. <S> We were hard on the bikes, and avoided only the big potholes. <S> Our bikes did not become damaged although the ride was uncomfortable. <S> In conclusion, you can use a good road bike without problems in the conditions you describe. <S> It is important, though, that your bike have good quality components, especially the structural components that could break: rims, spokes, frame, fork, and handlebars. <S> Hope this helps! <A> Fit 25mm (or 28mm if possible <S> ) tyres: rolling resistance will be reduced for the same pressure as your 23s, or reduce pressure by a few psi for more comfort. <S> Bigger tyres will reduce the chance of pinch punctures and give more confidence in bad conditions. <S> I live near Reading too: the big problem is tiny sharp flints - I pick them out with a pointed knife between every ride to stop them working their way into the tyre. <A> Any bike can be ridden anywhere, for the most part. <S> It's mostly a matter of how you ride it. <S> As a rider, you are an active part of the equation. <S> You cannot sit passively and just move your legs. <S> Your arms and knees are part of your body's suspension and you must use them as such. <S> Go into a good shop and talk to them about what equipment they would recommend for training. <S> That is the stuff that is durable and designed to last. <S> I'm thinking particularly about tires and wheels. <S> No carbon, and unless you're a pretty lightweight person, tires 25mm or 28mm. <S> More spokes are better--28-32 spokes. <S> A good handbuilt wheel will be better than a machine built unit. <A> I agree with most comments, your style of riding and your tire size make a big difference, and any bike should hold with proper care. <S> However, if you are concerned with the road quality being extremely bad you can always buy a cyclocross bike, which have similar characteristics to a road or endurance bike but tougher frame/components. <S> Also, you can perfectly go carbon, just make sure they were designed for your type of riding (there are carbon bike frames/components for extreme riding). <A> I ride a road bike in Seattle with 700x25 tires and find that you can ride on anything so long as you pay close attention to the road and are willing to put more thought into handling the bike. <S> I find that there's an inverse relationship between the size/width of tire and the level of attention/handling when you ride. <S> A touring bike is a great option because it has the same set-up as a road bike with the larger tires of a hybrid.
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Any modern road bike of reasonable quality will be fine. Mind that you'll likely have to change thin tires more often compared to a hybrid tire if you ride through the rough stuff. Ask around for a builder with good reputation and have him/her build up a wheelset suited to your purpose.
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What to do with old tires? I recently upgraded to puncture resistant tires on my road bike. The previous tires are old, but still usable. Is there any value to doing anything other than throwing them out? For instance, is there any reason to keep them? Is it possible to sell used tires? If no one wants them, can/should they be recycled? <Q> I usually gift them to people who need them. <S> Edit : To expand more on my answer, I use rather expensive tyres <S> and I want them in mint condition. <S> So after a couple of months I'll most probably change them. <S> The old tyres can still give 6-12 months of quality riding time to someone. <S> So I'll post on local riding forums with closeup photos of the tread and usually people will get them. <A> You could use your old tires for when you are on the trainer and your new tires for road riding. <S> That way your trainer wont wear out your new tires. <A> New tires are puncture resistance, not proof. <S> It is possible to cut them so they can not be used. <S> Also I frequently go to the cottage house with bicycle (cca 60km). <S> So I keep one old spare tire there. <A> Tyres have steel or aramid beads in the edge. <S> If you cut that off with workshop snips or similar (not dressmaking scissors!) <S> then it becomes a ~2 metre long fairly flat length as opposed to a hoop. <S> This flattened tread can be cable-tied or screwed onto things that need a bumper or buffer. <S> I've used dead tyres for packing/padding things, and protecting things. <S> Have also tried to make some rubber tyres for our council wheelie bins because they're horribly loud when rolled. <S> That kind-of worked but simply plating the outside of the plastic wheel with tyre tread was of minimal gain. <S> The underside of your bike's downtube might benefit from stone protection, and the right chainstay could get some defense from chain slap. <S> Some tread patterns can suit costumes or simulate other textures. <S> MTB tyres have much more material, so can cover more area per tyre. <S> Skinny road tyres are a lot less surface area and also tend to be thinner <S> so can fit closer to a corner <S> Finally, if you used slime or stan's inside a tubeless setup, be aware that it will still be inside the tube and can interfere with glues and paint, and possibly stain whatever you mount the tyre. <A> In case your idea of tire reuse goes beyond reusing them on a bike, this or that can help. <S> Main points from links that pertain to tyres and tubes: tyre liners "handy things around the house" like rubber bands. <S> fashion accessories (belts, bags, wallets, elbow patches) Resurrect them (patch the tubes and reuse them) Recycle at the local bike shop / car tyre shop (maybe) waterproof cover for a book <S> creative jewellery Bike tube purse <S> waterproof Tool roll <S> cover a chain <S> make sandals for your feet (modern variant of the huarache or other name)
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I keep old tires, as a quick fix for such situations until I can buy new ones.
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lacing Alfine wheel, trailing spokes inside or outside hub flange I am about to lace an Alvine hub wheel. Reading Sheldon Browns article there is a suggestion that the trailing, and so key, spokes might be better laced the opposite of what would be done for a deraillieur wheel. Meaning that the trailing spokes would go on the outside of the flange of the hub, thus the flat end of the spoke is on the inside of the flange. Is this advisable and correct or does it not really matter? Or have I misunderstood completely. Thanks for reading. <Q> If I remember correctly Shimano recommends lacing with trailing spoke heads in (flat part out) for rear drive-side whereas Sheldon Brown recommends the opposite, so take the reasoning that sounds best to you and run with it. <S> Ultimately it probably doesn't matter much, especially if your chain doesn't fall off to the inside which <S> it shouldn't if everything is in proper adjustment. <S> I just looked at two sets of wheels that I have built which are nearly identical. <S> On the older set I have drive-side trailing spokes with heads facing out, on the other set they are facing in. <S> I have no recollection of why I made the change. <S> I do not notice a difference and I haven't had problems out of either set. <S> If I were going to build another set right now <S> I would probably do trailing heads facing out, but <S> as Sheldon Brown pointed out : <S> Note: <A> http://sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html#side suggests changing for fixed gear and coaster brake hubs, which isn't quite the same thing as single speed or internally geared wheels. <S> (All fixed gear and coaster brake hubs are single speed or internally geared, but the opposite isn't true.) <S> The Nexus hubs have coaster brake versions, but as far as I know the Alfine doesn't. <S> So for the Alfine, it doesn't matter. <A> Admittedly, I really don't know what I'm doing, but on my second IGH wheel build, drive side, trailing spokes are on outside; whereas, on disc side trailing spokes are on inside. <S> Wasn't intentional and have had no problems with either wheel.(front is same).
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This is not an important issue! There is a sizable minority of good wheelbuilders who prefer to go the other way around, and good wheels can be built either way.
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How can I repair a swollen tire allowing visibility on the inner tube (picture provided)? I have a new problem on my bike which occured after patching my inner tube. Since I put the patch on, my tire is pushed out away from the rim near the intake valve (not near the patch). In the picture below, you can see the inner tube between the rim and the tire (partially hidden from view by snow). This is the case only on that spot, and only on that side. I can still ride the bike (I've been riding it like this for two days) but I can feel a small bump every time my wheel make a full rotation. Mostly, I'm afraid it will break soon. The question: What's causing this problem and how can I solve it? <Q> The picture does not make the situation totally clear, but it appears that tube is not centered in the tire, and the tire is not centered over the rim. <S> This tends to happen especially near the stem, because the thicker part of the tube gets caught between tire and rim and prevents the tire from sliding into place. <S> Deflate the tire, then press the valve stem in about 1/2 or 3/4 inch while you wiggle the tire to get it around and under tube. <S> Inflate slowly, and if you see the same thing again, repeat the process. <S> It may take two or three tries to get things lined up.. <S> (If, on the other hand, what we're seeing is the sidewall failing and the tube pressing through the sidewall then the tire's toast.) <A> As I already wrote in the comment, the tire looks ripped to me (as Rider_X suggests, that the bead has torn away). <S> It would be helpful if the camera's focus was on the tire instead on the house behind. <S> :) <S> As you are in a city, you can buy a new tire and replace it. <S> Easy. <S> But these kind of things sometimes happen when you are on the road, away from bike shops and services. <S> If you don't have spare tire in that case, you may perform an emergency repair so that the tire and tube can hold for some time: http://voices.yahoo.com/bike-skills-repair-torn-open-tire-8524921.html <S> The idea is to place something (the article suggest denim, but I've heard people using pieces of old worn out tire, without the bead of course) between the ripped tire and the tube, and then wrap them both tightly, using a duct tape, rope, wire, whatever comes in handy. <S> Riding will not be pleasant, but it's better than pushing your bike with a flat. <A> It really looks like the bead has torn away from the tire. <S> You can verify by taking the tire off and looking for a metal wire (like a big loop) <S> is exposed in the corresponding area. <S> If it is bad you will even be able to insert your finger between the beed and tire. <S> If this is the case, it is not repairable and is dangerous to ride on. <S> As @Daniel R Hicks stated if you ride on this <S> and it blows it can be disastrous (e.g., a blow out on a corner where the tire is under more pressure). <A> I've thrown away tires that were no where near as frightful as this one looks. <S> ANY attempt at salvaging the tire or tube is ill advised. <S> I'd also carefully inspect the wheel rim as well to see if there is any deformation, warping or splitting. <S> Loss of a tire while moving is a potential visit to the emergency room or the morgue.
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Without an intact bead, the tire will not properly adhere to the rim when inflated (consistent with your description).
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Recovering confidence after a fall One month has passed since I fell on a mountain bike trip. The accident wasn't critical, it just left a huge scratch. The accident happened during a fast descent when my front tire hit a little crack. My problem is that I don't feel confident riding descents anymore. My mind gets afraid and it impacts my riding. What should I do? <Q> Keep riding. <S> It will take a little while to come back, but it will come back. <S> Just don't push yourself too hard, as you will be tense and stiff and those things can lead to another accident. <S> For all practical purposes your skill limit has decreased, so riding at your old limit is riding beyond your limit until you get past the mental block caused by the crash. <S> Try to analyze what happened in the crash and learn from it. <S> Were you riding too fast for the trail or your skill level? <S> Did you pick a bad line? <S> Did you use your front brake at the wrong time? <S> Replay it in slow motion in your head. <S> Pick it apart and learn from the mistake. <S> Once again, just take your time and ease your way back into riding at the level you were at prior to the crash. <S> Eventually the fear will dissipate, and if you've learned from the incident you will be a more skillful rider than you were before. <A> Virtually every mountain biker with more than a few years under there belt has exactly the same story. <S> In my case, a sideways fall down a bank put me in hospital with a fractured wrist, after putting my arm out to break the fall... - not as bad as some, but still required a bit of titanium scaffolding to fix. <S> The other option I had was a head-plant into a tree, so the wrist damage was, in hind site, the better outcome... <S> Thats was 15 years ago <S> - I still sh$ <S> # myself when riding along a narrow track with a big drop, but have no problems worrying about an "over the bars" falls and such things... <S> As your prang was not too bad, you should be able to get over it - your subconscious mind has decided you might get hurt if you do that again, and is fighting against you doing it... <S> You need to teach it that what you are doing is OK. <S> The only way is to progressively build up from nearly identical, but easier situations. <S> It will take time and effort. <S> In my case, it now knows I am in charge, but still reminds me..... <S> As always, when riding, theres no middle ground <S> - you are doing it, or not. <S> Give you subconscious mind any wiggle room, and it will make you back out. <S> "I need to ride the right track line" - not "Avoid the rut on the left" The subconscious does not understand negatives. <S> Words like "Avoid", "Don't" and "Not" are ignored - A conscious thought "I must not hit that rock" becomes "I must hit that rock" to the subconscious- and guess what happens <S> (Note: Some people don't agree how I separate out conscious and subconscious, and don't accept that subconscious has as much influence on what we do, however, it works for me to understand what going on in my head.....) <A> Try riding within your level, wearing more body amour, and using well-maintained bikes with shock absorbers. <S> Read the research about mountain bike injuries here: http://bmb.oxfordjournals.org/content/85/1/101.full <A> Falling is part of mountain biking. <S> That is what makes it thrilling. <S> Another often overlooked aspect of MTB is the mental concentration it takes. <S> You should be mentally fatigued after a cool ride, too. <S> Everyone falls, sometimes it is a bad one. <S> Get back up. <S> Try it again. <S> Remember why you think it is fun in the first place. <A> I recently went riding on the Kokopelli Trail and experienced the pucker factor. <S> I will say that it was better this year than last year, so familiarity with the trails helps. <S> I rode them all this year and walked quite a bit last year, but in Fruita I got to the top of Zippity Do Dah and pulled out again this year. <S> I just couldn't look past the drops! <S> But that's this year; confidence, just like in skiing, grows a little each year and my motto is always:"walk today, ride tomorrow". <S> Have fun, ride with friends, practice sections like you fell on with ruts at slower speeds perfecting your decision making ability. <S> Imagine the spot again and again, what will you do next time? <S> You should absolutely know and have prepared for it. <S> I had trouble riding switchbacks <S> so i set up a route riding 27 switchbacks up and down my daily route. <S> I ROCK switchbacks these days but remember when I didn't. <S> Go forth, realize balls are earned, and prepare on solo rides for your moments of decision :) <S> That's my 2 cents.
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If you can find what the limiting factor was that caused the crash you can become a better rider because of it. Once you have decided you are going to ride a section, only think positive thoughts about how to do it.
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Can I replace chainrings without replacing the rest of the drive train? I now ride a 60cm SurlyLHT with chain rings at 26/36/48t. Can I replace with a smaller set at 22/32/46t (or similar combination) without having to replace the entire drive train - cassette, rear derailleur, front deraileur etc.? <Q> The simple answer is yes, you can just change the crankset without replacing the entire drive train <S> however there are other considerations. <S> Depends on if your changing rings out or replacing the set and cranks. <S> Other considerations if doing a full replacement are: Chain line When selecting a new crank set you need to ensure it aligns with the current chainline of your bike. <S> If you change the chain line you may not be able to use all of the gears on your rear cassette in all gears up front. <S> Bottom bracket <S> You need to ensure that a new crankset will be compatible with your current BB spindle length and interface. <S> (square, octo, isis, hollowtech etc.) <S> If your BB has a lot of wear once you have the cranks off its not a bad idea to change the BB at the same time as they're not that big a cost. <S> Chain length <S> You may need to shorten the chain going to smaller rings if the derailleur doesn't provide enough tension. <S> Rear derailleur capacity <S> Not a problem when shifting to a smaller crankset but if going larger you would need to ensure that the rear derailleur would handle the additional cogs. <S> There are tools online to help calculate this. <S> Wear <S> If the chain and rear cassette are showing signs of wear it's often wise to replace these at the same time as they will wear a new crankset faster. <S> Chain width <S> The rest of the drive train is sized to fit the chain width. <A> Your biggest concern will be the front derailleur. <S> Any front derailleur will have a maximum and minimum size for each chainring. <S> You should be able to find what those minimums and maximums are in the manual for your derailleur. <S> That said, the change you're making is relatively small and it's not likely that you'll have a problem. <S> Your second biggest concern will be the chain. <S> The smaller rings will mean that there's more slack in your chain. <S> You may be able to get away with it just fine, but you'll most likely have to remove a link or two for optimal performance. <S> Determining the correct chain length has been covered at length in multiple places on this site , so I won't go into it here. <S> If you were going bigger, it could be a different story since there would be a chance that the derailleur wouldn't be able to take up the extra slack of the longer chain required for bigger rings. <S> But again, not likely going from bigger rings to smaller ones. <S> Especially with the relatively small change you're making. <A> You should be able to go to 24/34/46 without having to do much other than maybe remove a link from the chain and maybe slide the front derailer down a smidge. <S> You won't be able to do 22/34/46 without replacing the cranks, though. <S> Surly LHT specs: <S> http://surlybikes.com/bikes/long_haul_trucker <S> Crank specs: <S> http://www.andel.com.tw/products/products_show.php?language=_eng&pid=38&cid=18 <S> Not all LHT model years used the same crank, but they used similar 5-arm 110/74 <S> mm bcd cranks in the other years. <S> Nice chart of the smallest size chainring possible with each 5-arm bcd size: <S> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/chainrings.html Sheldon Brown has 33mm as the smallest middle-chainring, not 34, so maybe it's possible to find a 33mm middle chainring... <S> Seems to be rare. <S> Note that it's also possible to the cogset from 11/34t to a 12/36t cogset to get your gear range lower. <S> I can't find good specs on that rear derailer to be sure the 36t would work,though... <S> For any gear changes like this, work out what the extremes will be. <S> How many teeth in the small/small gear combo, how many teeth in the big/big gear combo, and how big is that difference? <S> Front derailer specs: http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/products/road/sora/product.-code-FD-3403-F.-type-.fd_road.html
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If you are buying a new crankset it has to be appropriate for the number of gears on your bike, this is because chains are different widths to accommodate more gears on the rear cassette. Going from a bigger front chainring set to a smaller one isn't very likely to cause you problems in the rear. Also it's sometimes if you get a good deal on a crankset to get a matching BB as they're the cheaper item.
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How to lubricate noisy joint on Dahon foldable bike? My Dahon foldable bike makes a huge noise whenever I fold the frame and unfold it. I tried spraying a lubricant into the joint. I do not know if the problem is continuing because the lubricant went around the joint and didn't enter it, or because I used the wrong lubricant. Has anyone else had problems with the fold across the frame with their Dahon bikes? How did you lubricate this fold? <Q> For similar things on cars I use white lithium grease (e.g. this stuff on Amazon )—it is a good lubricant and sticks around the joint that you apply it to. <S> Taking the joint apart and applying grease to the mating surfaces is the best bet. <A> My bike is Dahon Mu D8 and I have creaking noises coming from the frame (hinge lock) <S> This is an embarrassing sound when other people hear it. <S> So I solved the creaking noise with 3M electrical vinyl tape which has good quality adhesives. <S> I cut four pieces and put 2 in the notch and 2 in the latch. <A> Whether or not you used the wrong lubricant depends a lot on just which lubricant you used... <S> A large load bearing joint like that deserves some teflon grease or some pedro's grease , I don't think regular lubricant is going to cut it here. <S> Head to your LBS and ask what type of grease they have for you and how much to apply ( it shouldn't take much ). <A> I took my bike to two different bikeshops, to hear what the professionals had to say. <S> They both said that the joint was out of alignment. <S> No lubricant will fix the problem. <S> Furthermore, because the joint was welded to each half of the bicycle, I cannot install a new one. <S> The bicycle will break if I continue to fold it and unfold it. <S> They recommended that I leave the bicycle unfolded.
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Any similar thick grease should work for this joint, but the crucial thing is getting it into the right place.
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How to: Sram 2x10 to 1x10 I'm thinking on converting my Sram transmission 2x10 to 1x10, this is with a single chain ring. My biggest doubt is how to prevent cross chaining, do I need to get a special chain or how do I prevent the excessive wear out and grainy feeling when I'm in the biggest cassette ring. <Q> If it's a mountain bike, you could use a chain guide like this one . <S> The rollers keep the chain aligned on the chain ring at all times and the rear provides tension as it normally would. <S> NB: <S> I'm not necessarily recommending this one in particular, just it or something like it. <S> I have no experience with this particular model. <S> I'm not sure if they make anything comparable for road setups. <S> I wasn't able to find anything with a quick Googling. <A> To keep the chainline as central as possible, it might be best to go with a tripple crank and use the center position for your chain ring and the outer for a bash guard. <S> A single speed crank has a wider chainline and is biased towards the outside/smallest cog in the casette. <S> That said, I've just built a 1x9 with Stylo 1.1 cranks and SRAM X0 casette / derailler. <S> No dropped chains yet, with just the bash guard, <S> and it's very smooth. <A> There's not really a special chain for this, and probably not much you can do about it anyway, apart from the usual drivetrain maintenance and monitoring. <S> Having only a single ring will remove one component of cross-chain wear (rubbing on the inside of the outer ring when the chain is in the inner ring and an outer rear cog). <S> That will optimally position the chain between the extremes and reduce the chain angle, thus reducing wear.
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If you're able, use a crankset that is specifically designed for a single chainring as opposed to simply dropping rings from a double or triple.
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How to keep my manbag in place If I'm going out in the evening and don't want to carry a big pannier bag or rucksack, I keep my lights and whatever else in a small 'man-bag'. It's like a smaller version of a messenger bag: about 20 x 15 cm on a shoulder strap. I try to keep it towards my back rather than under my arm, to stop it swinging around, but invariably it slides out (especially on right-hand bends) and towards my front. If I leave it, it dangles under my chest and rubs on my knees as I pedal. What can I do to keep it in place? I've tried shortening and lengthening the strap, and I've used it nearly empty or quite heavy, and it doesn't seem to make a difference. <Q> At the beginning of this video: http://vimeo.com/41982043 <S> it looks like this bike messenger has an extra strap for his bag that comes up under his left arm to stabilize his load. <S> Looks pretty neat, like it can be easily unsnapped to get the normal messenger bag access, and possibly be DIY-able. <A> Another late answer, but posting because I don't see it posted as a solution. <S> With a bag this small, I will wear a jacket over the bag and zip up the jacket, the bag may slide around a little, but not much and never to the front and no dangling. <A> Leave it at home. <S> Those bags are such a pain and not worth the effort. <S> There are plenty of cool looking backpacks out there. <A> I'm a big fan of this solution, and I proudly sport my fanny pack (or waist bag/ hip bag) on the regular. <S> In addition to solving your over-the-shoulder-sliding dilemma, it also has the added advantages of 1) no sweaty back, and 2) no uneven wait distribution on your shoulders. <A> If it's an over the shoulder bag with no stabilizing strap coming up from under your other arm, it's not a suitable bag for carrying while riding a bike. <S> You could always go the DIY approach and attach such a strap yourself, but if you'd rather not then use a different bag that's more suitable.
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Instead of adding an additional stabilizing strap as suggested by @obelia, you could wear the bag like a fanny pack, around your waist.
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Minor hamstring pull, can I keep going at easy pace? I'm 53 and for the past year have been pushing it slightly. Have always been careful to not push it too hard, but yesterday I got a mild pull in my right hamstring. Just a slight soreness right behind the knee. Can I keep riding, 5-10 miles a day, at an easier pace without worsening it, or should I stop riding until I can't feel it? <Q> Probably best to see a doc. <S> If your pain level stays low then SLOWLY work up, otherwise back off or stop (and see the doc). <S> You should probably find some stretches (from a PT or maybe on the web) to "balance" the muscles in the area. <A> In short, your body will tell you the answer to this. <S> But what I can say is that I had a problem with one of my knees, right where you say, for a couple of years all told. <S> I cycled all the while, and did nothing about it for a long time (put it down to getting old). <S> However I eventually went to see a physio and was very happy with the results - she prescribed a bunch of exercises to keep the muscles loose. <S> Result was that the pain was relieved and that I didn't need to stop cycling at all. <S> Still comes back from time to time <S> but I know how to deal with it now. <S> I know physio can be expensive but in my experience it was very worthwhile - and it only took two visits. <S> I ended up feeling a bit of a fool for waiting so long to make an appointment. <S> And let's face it 10 miles is not a lot. <S> I'm making a slight assumption about your fitness here, but you shouldn't be feeling anything after that kind of distance. <A> I would take some Motrin. <S> Lay off riding for a few days. <S> Go for gental walks around home. <S> Eat right, drink plenty of water. <S> Then get back on my bike and make a conscious effort to NOT push it for a week or so. <S> I would not go to the doctor. <S> This injury is common enough to see how others have treated it. <A> According to my physical therapist, putting ice packs on the muscle area in pain is the recommended treatment. <S> A large bag of frozen corn or peas secured with an Ace bandage does the trick. <S> Do it for 15 minutes every hour for a couple of hours, be careful about longer times as frostbite is possible. <S> Stay off the leg as much as possible for a couple of days <S> (length of time depending upon whether you have a class 1, 2 or 3 pull). <S> Google Hamstring stretches and find a U-Tube showing how to do them properly. <S> Stretches are the recommended way to recover and regain your mobility. <S> If it hurts don't do it, muscle pulls need rest (time), ice and stretches to heal properly. <S> It has been my experience that treating a muscle pull like a charley horse can make things much worse. <S> Ice and stretching <S> and you should be able to ride flat land in a week or so unless you have a class 3 and you won't even think about your bike.
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But it would probably work to lay off for 3-4 days (at least until you can gently cycle without immediate pain), then start up again, being careful to limit the stress on the area. You will be following your doctors orders.
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Packaging a bike for flying with a bike bag I am doing a cycle tour of Japan starting from Fukuoka and ending in Tokyo. I will be flying with the bike and as my start and end points differ I will not have the opportunity to use a box (unless anyone has any ideas?). I will most likely use one of these bags and I have been told by the airline that nothing is necessary by way of packing the bike but I would naturally like to see my bike in one piece at the other end. The bike is a Specialized Tricross with disc brakes. Does anyone have any pointers as to the safest way to package something like this. I think I will definitely take the rear dérailleur off and wrap bubble wrap along the length of the bike to protect the wheels, pedals etc but other than that I'm not sure what lengths to go to. Does anybody have any experience or ideas? <Q> What?? <S> No! <S> Hardcase, hardcase, hardcase!!! <S> Your bike is not going to fare well going most of half way around the world in nothing more than a plastic bag. <S> Please believe me. <S> Don't ruin your tour. <S> Some shops rent hard cases. <S> Call around and see what you can find. <S> Ask your friends. <S> Ask local clubs. <S> Look for a new or used one, buy it, and sell it when you're done. <S> Ship the empty case to your endpoint. <S> For that matter, you'll probably be better off- <S> both in terms of how the bike is treated and how much it costs you- if you pack the bike and ship it ahead of time. <S> Just make arrangements with family/friends/local shop to receive it. <S> Get it insured. <S> Whatever you do, don't ship your bike in a plastic bag. <S> If you don't heed my warning, please post pics. <A> I had a similar long-range trip. <S> I was a member of a local bike group and asked them if they, as a part of our membership, owned and lent bike luggage to members. <S> They said they didn't have any but that it was a good idea. <S> Maybe other bike clubs around your town might have luggage that you could rent. <S> I get boxes from my LBS to ship eBay parts. <S> Have you explored shipping it to yourself or to your hotel or a friend? <S> There is something scary about shipping a super expensive bike in a soft bag. <S> My advice would be not to do it. <S> I don't think bubble wrap would help. <S> I imagine a suit case sitting on spokes and it makes me cringe. <A> I flew from UK to USA with my bike in one of these http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-elsted-wheeled-bike-bag/ As you can see it is much more padded than your option which, by the way, is a terrible idea. <S> My bag had padding around the front and back and the way it was packed meant that you could use the bike wheels as extra protection. <S> They still managed to completely destroy the rear mech. <S> *Pack as much clothes as you can through the frame. <S> *Place a helmet between the front forks <S> *Remove the rear mech and hangar that connects it and place a wooden block or spare hub between the rear frame stays. <S> <<< dont even think about not doing this. <A> A Local Bike Shop will be able to disassemble your bike and properly pack it into one of the same cardboard boxes that brand new bikes get shipped to them in. <S> When you reach your destination, another bike shop will be able to re-assemble it (if you aren't comfortable doing this yourself) and throw away the cardboard box. <S> At the end of your ride, have another LBS disassemble it and pack it into another cardboard bike box to ship home. <S> Expect to pay somewhere between $50 and $75 to have it packed and somewhere between $75 and $150 to have it reassembled by qualified mechanics. <S> Also, I recommend contacting all of the bike shops ahead of time to make sure they'll be able to work with your schedule. <S> Finally, I recommend having the bike shipped ahead and not bringing it with you to the airport. <S> Airport baggage handler are much tougher on your luggage than UPS, also, <S> if you ship it before you go, the shop can have it assembled by the time you get there. <S> Good luck, and enjoy your trip.
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My advice is to use a proper box http://www.wiggle.co.uk/b-w-bike-box/ or if you are to use a bag like mine do this: You might want to try bike shops and see if they have any shipping boxes. Travelling with a bag such as this has one unexpected advantage: you can get round weight restrictions on most airlines; they dont weigh the bag because it is 'outsized' so you can pretty much pack everything into it and have no other luggage!
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Painful Feet: Might be related to pedal-foot positioning Sometimes when I set out on a ride I will get the absolute worst foot pain. It is like a cramp in my arches on both feet. I am wondering where exactly the center of the pedal should fall in relation to my foot. <Q> Definitely open to debate. <S> Steve Hogg has some good information about cleat position. <S> http://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/blog/2011/04/power-to-the-pedal-cleat-position/ and arch supports. <S> https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/blog/2011/02/foot-correction-part-1-arch-support/ <S> I suffered from something called hot foot and using corrective insoles <S> relieved me of all pain. <A> <A> It sounds to me like you either have very high or collapsed arches and the arch support in your shoes is not enough or too much. <S> In other words you're on an extreme end of the spectrum in terms of arch height. <S> Depending on how much support is built into the last (the lower portion) of the shoe, you may be able to alleviate the problem by replacing the inserts that came with the shoes. <S> Some companies make moldable supports that will set you back quite a few dollars/pounds/whateveryourcurrency- <S> I think they're a bunch of crap, but that's a different conversation. <S> You can also get non-moldable inserts with varying degrees of arch support that are considerably less expensive and more likely to correct the issue at hand. <S> Specialized makes some very nice ones, as do other companies. <S> A dealer should be able to fit you to the appropriate pair. <S> If the last of your shoe is just built really high in the arch and you have collapsed arches, there's not much you can do except buy new shoes. <S> Once again, a dealer worth its salt should be able to help you along. <S> Regarding cleat position, that's a factor that tends to play into foot and toe numbness more than arch pain. <S> That doesn't mean it's not worth playing with a little though. <S> Lining up the ball of your foot with the pedal spindle is a good starting point. <S> Moving the cleat forward on the shoe is very rarely a good idea for normal cycling activities. <S> Typically you'll want to move the cleat back (towards your heel) if you're having pain or numbness issues. <S> Once again, I think it's unlikely that you'll get much benefit from playing with cleat position if you're having arch problems, unless perhaps you've got your cleats slammed all the way forward. <A> If you have stiff-soled cycling shoes, you give up the ability to flex the shoe at the metatarsals: you need this stiffness to transfer the power to your pedals. <S> This isn't a happy behavior for the health of your feet. <S> Regardless of where the cleat is positioned -- and you should get a professional fit to address that interface -- your feet are trapped in a non-flexing container, and they really really want to flex and move. <S> If your pain is centered on your metatarsals, or if your pain is like a "hot foot" in front of your arch, then the first thing to do is swap out the stock footbed, which is likely a cheap flattish cardboardy thing, with a more expensive "engineered" footbed. <S> This button allows your toes to flex around the bump. <S> Speaking from 10+ years of using stiff Sidis, going with the aftermarket footbeds (I use Specialized body geometry footbeds) makes a big difference. <S> When my feet start to hurt, I can tell it's time to replace the footbed.
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Specifically, you want a better arch support, but more importantly you want a metatarsal "button", which is a little bump positioned underneath where your foot "knuckles would be. Everyone I've ever known and everything I've ever read has stated that the ball of your foot should be right on the pedal spindle.
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Is there any kind of adapter to mount v-brakes or cantilevers to a frame that's not designed to accommodate them? I have an aluminum single-speed frame that was marketed as a fixie. I'm wanting to convert it to a single-speed commuter. (I'm getting older and the fixie doesn't agree with my knees anymore.) It has enough clearance in the rear for 700x35 tires. It has a brake bridge but it doesn't have posts to mount v-brakes or cantilevers. Is there any kind of adapter that could make that work? <Q> Adapters like this do exist, e.g. http://www.danscomp.com/489051.php?cat=PARTS or http://www.bentechbikes.com/vbrakes.htm <S> (Edit: Links are now dead, but they were basically the same as the one in the photo below. <S> Sourcing one might be even harder now though.) <S> In fact I used one on my old folding bike - but you can see it looks a bit of a mess, and when I tried it on the front fork, it really wasn't up to the job (I ended up using a chunky long reach caliper brake taken off a BMX bike). <S> (I'd changed wheel size and was using much fatter tyres, so the original brakes wouldn't fit.) <S> There are also adaptors that bolt around a chainstay: http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33168&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=30 <S> I'm not saying I'd recommend you use them, but the option is there (if sometimes hard to find - the one I used was the last the local store had in stock of a discontinued line). <A> There used to be castings that were designed to fit over existing brake studs and stiffen frames that had too much side-to-side flex for the cantis to be effective. <S> Don't know if they could be adapted to your purpose, though, and don't know if they're still available. <A> I do not think anything bolted on could be good enough. <S> Since it is aluminum frame, brazing or welding the bosses would also be complicated. <S> But instead of replacing the whole frame, you might just change front fork with one that has bosses. <S> That way on front where it makes more difference you would have V-brake, and on the rear you could have long reach caliper brake. <A> They are not cheap ($130 front & rear), but Campagnolo makes a lateral pull TT brake that mounts on the center post: <S> http://www.amazon.com/Campagnolo-TT-Brake-Front-Lateral/dp/B0057P8SFM/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_1 <S> But, wouldn't it be easier to mount side-pull caliper brakes?
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You can buy a pair of good-quality dual pivot side-pull calipers for $40-$60, and they will just mount on the single-bolt brake bridge you already have.
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I live in a place where it frequently floods. How can I keep my chain from rusting? My poor bike's chain lasted all of three months before it gave in to the winter floods where I live. Storing it indoors is not an option, and despite my maintenance efforts, the knee-deep floods that come once a month or so, rain every other day, and ocean only a quarter of a mile away has made it pretty much impossible to keep my chain dry. It's deteriorated beyond a useable point, so I have to buy a new one now. I'm new to bike maintenance on this level so I'd really like some advice on how to avoid replacing it again in three months. <Q> If you're getting knee-deep floods <S> it's destroying the bearings along with the chain. <S> You need to hang the bike up somehow. <A> While I agree with cherouvim that wet lube is a good thing for rust prevention, I would also ask if it's possible to store the bike higher up, perhaps with some kind of simple cover to prevent the rain and salt-spray from getting to it. <S> Whatever magical product you treat it with, all parts of a bike are going to suffer from being repeatedly immersed in salt-water. <A> You need to start using a "wet" chain lube. <S> “Wet” chain lubes are recommended for wet riding conditions. <S> They are generally made from oils and are not easily washed off by water. <S> Have a look at http://www.pinkbike.com/news/To-the-Point-Chain-Lube-2013.html for detailed chain maintenance information. <A> You can get stainless steel chains, but that won't stop the other components from failing, and they are typically not all stainless so will still rust a bit. <S> Have a read of This answer as it has useful information on rust resistant chains. <A> If you have quick release wheels removing it and putting it back on should take no longer than 5 minutes. <S> Removed the back wheel, disengage the chain, and wrap it up around the seat post. <S> If you have a single speed or fixed gear bike, this will be easy but it gets more complicated with derailleurs, but depending on their design it still might be possible with about 10 minutes of work. <S> But it probably doesn't flood every day, so you should watch your weather forecast and only do this if you think there's a chance of a flood. <S> I would second @Daniel's recommendation of getting the bike up off the ground. <S> If you have a derrailleur, yoo will at least have part of that sitting in the water along with the chain, and depending on the depth of the water, your bottom bracket and wheel hubs also. <S> If your spokes and wheels aren't rusted out then a stainless chain might be an easy solution.
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You can also purchase a stainless steel or nickel plated chain which might hold up to the water a bit better. Perhaps a couple of hooks on the wall and some rope or a simple bench or couple of large stones to stand the bike on. You could remove the chain from the sprockets while it's not being used.
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Sizing guide for road bikes vs mountain bikes i usually take a 21 inch size in mountain bike, but I want to buy a road bike. I'm 6'2'' and have a 34 inch inner leg. How do the sizes translate from mountain bike to road bike? Thanks <Q> There does not seem to be a universal standard for bike sizing. <S> Due to the variety of designs and geometry size will vary between manufacturers and intended use, touring, racing, commuting are all slightly different. <S> You often hear about the importance of fit <S> and it's relation to performance and comfort <S> and this is where a good relationship with your LBS is key. <S> Most brands will have a guideline to get you in a range. <S> One brand may place you solidly on a 58cm frame a different brand might place you between a 58 and a 60. <S> A proper fitting will take into account your geometry and the bike geometry and try to get a match. <S> It may involve swapping stems, adding headset spacers adjusting saddle setback. <S> These adjustments make the frame feel bigger or smaller to get you comfortable. <A> The old traditional scheme for sizing a road frame was "standover height". <S> You'd stand with your feet flat on the ground, straddling the bike. <S> I've found in practice that this scheme maybe leads one to select a bike that is slightly too large, but it's a good first approximation. <S> Of course, these days many bikes are not traditional diamond frames, so you kind of have to extrapolate to apply the technique. <S> And there are other aspects of fit, such as "reach", that usually follow overall fit, but not always. <A> When I got my bike the shop did a really good fit, and when I went back complaining of pain here <S> and there, they changed things around to make sure I was ok. <S> My brother didn't have such good service as he bought his bike from a bigger and busier bike store in London. <S> He rode it for more than six months before getting a professional bikefit for 120 pounds. <S> Not cheap <S> but he said the improvement was immediately obvious almost like he was a different (and better) bike. <S> This is especially useful if you have non standard body geometry. <S> You can also adjust the fit to your specifications, racing, endurance, comfort etc. <S> I cannot specifically recommend one, but a Google search revealed a number of options: http://www.freespeed.co.uk/ http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/bike-fitting-in-london/
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You really have to test ride several sizes and brands to see what fits. If you had "comfortable" (for a male) clearance of the (traditionally-positioned) top tube then the bike was the right size.
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Tires for 28' city bike (622x19C) to reduce rolling resistance? I've got a simple city bike that needs some new tires. The bike has been fairly hard to ride lately, and I would like to speed it up a bit. The rims are 28' 622x19C, the current tires are 47mm or 1.75' according to the imprint (although 47mm = 1.85'). It feels like the rolling resistance is too high, compared to similar bikes with thinner tires. Now I've read that thinner tires should have a higher resistance in theory (because there is a larger contact area in rolling direction). But my feeling from comparing several bikes (not MTB or racing, but very similar ones with differnt tires) is that thinner tires feel faster and seem to have less resistance (probably because thick tires have a larger contact area perpendicular to the rolling direction - think of a car tire as the extreme case). Note when I say "thinner", I don't mean like a racing bike, but 37 or 40 mm instead of 47. So, how to decide what tires to put on the bike? Will thinner tires (optimally inflated) reduce or increase the percieved resistance? Or do you think I've just been riding with too low pressure all the time, and the current tire size is fine? If thicker really = faster at optimal pressure as they say, maybe the thicker tires also tempt people to use not enough pressure? Otherwise I can't explain my gut experience that the thick tires feel slow. <Q> I have replaced 2.0 (50mm) <S> Schwalbe Marathons for 1.35 ones, and that made an ABSURD difference in my roling resistence. <S> I was feeling burnt out by commuting, and since then I started to feel "exercised", getting to destination much faster and/or with less effort. <S> Then I got a bike with 700x23 tires, and THAT is good, concerning speed and low effort. <S> If you take a more upright citybike (the first bike I described), the extra speed gained from thinner (not skinny) tires can make the bike too uncomfortable if road condition is not good. <S> I have also heard those theories about "balloon is the new fast", but that seems very non-scientific, since the "studies" never describe the parameters that varied versus those that remained constant, not to say other methodologic steps. <S> As for me, narrower is obviously always faster (which doesn't mean always better). <S> Hope this helps! <S> (by the way, I think 32mm is a good number to try) <A> You don't indicate what pressure you're carrying, or what sort of tread you have. <S> For a given pressure, a tire will have essentially the same "footprint" area, regardless of its width. <S> And, to a first approximation (and ignoring tread), rolling resistance is proportional to footprint area. <S> For a given tire width there is a range of feasible pressures, but that range generally spans about a factor of two, and a narrower tire will have a higher max pressure. <S> Additionally, the heavier/knobbier the tread on the tire, the higher the rolling resistance. <S> Your current tire is probably limited (sidewall rating) to about 50psi. <S> Dropping down to a 35mm tire you can get <S> up to 80-110psi <S> (depending on the tire). <S> In addition, you likely have a fairly knobby tire. <S> You don't need a "slick", but look for tires that have a "bald spot" down the middle with tread on either side. <A> There's been some very helpful research done for the Dutch cyclist union in 2012. <S> The way it was measured was quite scientific, with G-meters to measure comfort, rolling resistance was measured in Watts and anti-puncture strength in both N and Nm, etc. <S> One of the cons of the test is that all measurement are done at 4.0 bar, where balloon tires are more likely to be used at +/- <S> 3.0 bar and narrower tires at 5.0+ bar. <S> With pressures around 2.5 bar, all tested tires scored approx. <S> 25%-30% worse on rolling resistance, however that would result in only 1 km/h difference at <S> 20 km/h.! <S> The newer test from 2013 declared the same winner <S> , the Vittoria Voyager Hyper Folding 37-622 B <S> /B-SK+RT <S> Triple Shielding, but a new runner up, the Schwalbe Big Apple 55-622 B <S> /B-SK+RT <S> HS430 Performance Line, Race Guard, Lite Skin, as seen here: http://www.fietsersbond.nl/node/5907 . <S> With some online shopping, these tyres can be bought for less than $ 20 each.
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Pressure and tread are a bigger factor in rolling resistance than tire width. The only thing I think is very important: these skinny tires work fine, even with not-ideal road condition, if the bike has a more performance-oriented position (a firmer grasp on the handlebar - which is lower - , less weight on the saddle).
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Which is the most stringent bicycle helmet certification? There are numerous safety standards for bicycle helmets available, but which certification is the most stringent one in terms of safety? <Q> To test a bicycle helmet you attach it to dummy head and drop it from a height onto a solid object. <S> The acceleration experienced by the head is measured, if the acceleration is too high the helmet fails. <S> Stringency of the impact test depends on how high you drop the helmet from and the maximum acceleration you allow for a pass. <S> There's a comparison of the various standards here . <S> Snell <S> B95 uses the largest drop (2.2m) and is the most stringent on that count, although it allows acceleration of 300g. <S> Other tests (e.g. Canada, Europe) have a lower limit on acceleration, but the drop heights for these standards are also lower. <S> If you can find a helmet that is Snell certified and also Canadian or European <S> certified then go with that. <S> If not, then just Snell certified is probably the best bet. <A> From a little Googling <S> this site has the opinion that Sneel has the toughest standards. <S> This forces manufacturers to have good quality control standards, as they might have to recall a helmet model if it is found to be non-compliant. <S> Although the article states that they do not know of any such cases. <A> Snell is touted as having the most stringent standards, but they apparently cost the most/require the most samples for testing as well so many manufacturers simply pass.
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To elaborate some more, the Snell standard specifies higher drop heights, but the really interesting thing I found out from reading is that the Snell standard is the only one that takes helmets purchased at retail and tests those.
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Are there electronic/active theft deterrents for bicycles? In addition to mechanical/passive deterrents (locks, chains, etc.), what electronic/active bicycle theft deterrents exist? * My dear bicycle was stolen two weeks ago and I then vowed to dedicate my life to the eradication of cycle theft. I calmed down since, but am still interested in knowing what's out there. <Q> The good ones warn you immediately when your bike starts moving (eg via text message to your phone) and you can see where it is on a map for recovery <S> (you might want to call the police rather than tackle thieves yourself). <S> Of course the downside to GPS trackers is than they stop working if the bike is put in the back of a van. <S> A google search should give you plenty of results. <A> The commonest appears to be that pictured in the first image below, which makes a loud noise if your bike is messed with, but other vibration-sensitive alarms are out there. <S> I also saw the chain-lock with built-in alarm in the second image below. <S> So sorry about your bike loss! <A> I'm not familiar with this site and can't vouch for them, but these guys have a bunch of them. <S> And so does Amazon , which I can vouch for. <A> There is a kickstarter for BikeSpike , which is a gps beacon that attaches to your bottle cage mounts. <S> It seems like a good way to track your bike if it goes missing.
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You can get GPS trackers for bikes, just like cars and motorbikes.
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How can I determine whether rust has made my bike unsafe? I ride a 1972 steel frame bike year round through Canadian winters. When I got the bike it was in good shape, but after putting a few thousand km worth of commuting on it, it has a lot of scratches in the paint - mostly from things like road salt getting kicked up at speed. In the course of the last winter, despite my best efforts, many of these spots started to rust. I can remove most of the rust spots with careful application of steel wool, but I'm now a little worried about the structural integrity of the bike. I notice some creaking when I shift more of my weight to the bars for instance. How can I tell whether a bike with some rust damage is still safe to ride on? <Q> Sounds like you have only surface rust. <S> The frame would have to rust through to cause any integrity problems and that would take many years of damp conditions. <S> The creaking you hear when shifting your weight to the bars may be the headset. <S> It may be worth getting it serviced. <S> As its likely the grease has escaped/become clogged with dirt causing the creaking. <S> It would be wise to check all the joints and welds for signs of fatigue or cracks. <A> It sounds like it's only superficial damage if it's only happened since the frame's paint got damaged. <S> If you can get it all off with steel wool then you should be fine, though you may want to look into getting the frame repainted with a good waterproof/anti-rust paint. <S> As for the creeking, verify that the bolts holding the front fork and handlebar assembly are nice and tight. <S> It's probably just something working loose with use. <A> It's the moving parts you should be looking at: <S> derailleurs, chain, bearings, brakes... Since it's an old bike, it probably has non-sealed bearings, so you should clean and repack them <S> (if you ride regularly, you should do this once a year). <S> Replace the chain if it looks rusty or if it's stiff. <S> As for the creaking: who the hell knows? <S> It could be coming from a hundred different places, and it's usually the last place you look. <S> The best you can do is keep everything maintained.
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Rust on the frame is the least of your worries. Ensure they are all solid.
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Tubeless fatbike setup, does valve choice matter? I've got a pugsly setup as tubeless, running endomorph tires, typically I run between 8 and 12 PSI in the tires depending on the conditions. Is there a significant difference between performance of presta vs schrader valves at these low pressures? <Q> As far as I'm aware, at these pressures, there'll be no difference in performance. <S> A bigger issue might be the rim. <S> The value hole will be either Shrader or Presta sized and will either not fit a Shrader or be hard work to seal with a Presta. <A> That means that for a large volume tire, to be used at low pressure, almost any pump or even a low powered compressor will be a little bit faster. <S> For that reason in particular, I use schreaders in my DH bike (2.5 tires) and prestas in my XC bikes (2.3, 2.1 and even 1.8). <S> I once used presta on my DH, but it took forever to inflate with a hand pump. <A> The biggest difference will be that schrader valves are more susceptible to dirt and debris. <S> You don't need to leave a plastic cap on the presta valve, but you will definitely want to keep the plastic cap on a schrader.
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As far as for the tubes I have used, schrader valves offer a less restrictive air passage, that is they create less resistance (less pressure) on the pump side. Since this is a fat bike, you're hopefully riding through some dirt and mud, so I'd go with the presta myself.
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greasing closed bearings on the outside Assume I have a couple of closed bearings on some pivots on my bicycle. These bearings: are fitted on a housing have an axle going through them are tightened by bolts which also have cups to "protect" the black plastic part of the closed bearing My question is, would you use grease between that black plastic part and the axle cup to protect the bearing from water and dust? I'm talking about a lot of waterproof grease which upon bolt tightening will overflow. Of course I will wipe out any excess after tightening. I'm asking because even if the bearings are of high quality, I will sometimes find that dust or other small particles have entered its inside area making the bearing lose its smoothness and eventually making it wear faster. So, could that extra grease on the outside act as protection? Edit : This question doesn't regard greasing inside the bearing. I'm asking whether puting grease on the bearing, covering the metal and the black part, will prevent water and dust from entering. <Q> Generally speaking, that style of bearing ("sealed cartridge bearing") is "permanently lubricated". <S> You do not lubricate them and you replace the entire assembly if anything goes wrong with them. <S> A few people have claimed success by gently prying back the flexible gasket and injecting grease with a syringe, but these claims are subject to legitimate skepticism. <S> Note that the inside diameter and the outside diameter are not supposed to move relative to the external parts that hold them. <S> If they are slipping it indicates that the "holders" are not tight enough or the bearing is failing and needs to be replaced. <A> In addition to other answers, shagging around with the plastic cap is also likely to deform it, letting in more dust and water. <S> This is likely to counter any benefit of getting extra grease into it, therefore doing more damage than leaving it alone. <S> These bearings are (should be) cheap - they are designed as long life, no maintenance but throw away item - use them how they were designed. <S> Shop around <S> - you don't need to get them from the LBS at Bike Shop prices - its not uncommon to go to bearing specialist and get an identical part for 10th of the price of the branded one. <S> I would be surprised if you went though one set, and stunned if you went though more than a couple of sets in the life of the bike. <A> The black plastic part that you are referring to is the dust cover. <S> It is there to protect the bearing from dust and contaminants. <S> You do not need to protect the dust cover from dust :-) <S> In general, you will not need to do anything to a cartridge style bearing. <S> In fact, a high viscosity grease on the outside of the bearing will likely cause more dust to stick, shortening the life of your bearings. <S> If you do remove the dustcap, you probably won't get it back on perfectly, again making it more susceptible to dust. <S> If it feels like it is getting gritty, it's time to replace it. <S> As some other users have already pointed out, you will find the best prices and selection of cartridge bearings at a bearing supplier. <S> If you like to kick it old-skool, look for "bearing supply" in the yellow pages. <S> If you are hip with the new-fangled tech gizmos, then log onto maps.google.com and search for "bearing supply." <S> Whatever butters your muffin. <A> I spent many years skateboarding before jumping on a bike and bearing maintenance (for identical bearings) was pretty key to making expensive bearings last much longer. <S> I never used anything to waterproof the bearings from the outside (or heard of anyone who did) but took time to do regular maintenance. <S> Guys with far lower mechanical skills than those who wrench bikes could do this stuff easily. <S> You can remove the dust shield quite easily (some are held in by a split ring <S> others just prise out) but you need to be careful. <S> Once open remove the balls and retainer and clean them with a solvent based cleaner that doesn't leave a residue (so not WD40). <S> Clean up the races and put all back together. <S> Re-lube with a decent non dust attracting oil, I used to use sewing machine oil but now would just use a decent chain lube. <S> Wipe down the shield replace it carefully and clean the outside of the bearing up to remove any lube residue. <S> Place back on the axle dry and let the balls do their work. <S> One problem with buying generic bearings to replace OEM ones is ensuring that they have similar properties to withstand impact and side loading forces. <S> Most industrial bearings are designed and manufactured to spin in place at very high speeds with consistent external forces. <S> You may get a good deal on the bearing <S> but you'll likely have to replace them more often as they could fail significantly faster. <A> I would not use a grease for this type of bearing. <S> The grease will stick to the sides and will attract dust and dirt. <S> Instead, I'd use a regular bearing oil to oil it. <S> Usually it is somewhat liquid and the excess of it would just go away after the "greasing". <S> In Europe one can get the oil from Bosch (for example). <S> I suppose in other parts of the world there are other types of companies specializing in this. <S> But oiling is not your question, is it?
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You can try injecting some low viscosity oil, but you're unlikely to get much into the bearing without removing the dust cap. If you really feel compelled to maintain them, the best option is go down to a local bearing supplier, and get identical size open bearings which to can be easily striped and cleaned whenever you feel the inclination, (but at least once a month).
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Smartphone mounted on handlebar: Will vibrations during cycling damage it? I would like to mount my smartphone on my bike's handlebar. However, I am worried about that the vibrations when cycling will damage my smartphone's internal electronics. I am using a trekking bicycle in a city and sometimes travel longer trips with it. The surface I usually ride on is: Asphalt (including rough and bumby asphalt streets) Cobblestones Gravel roads I am not doing mountainbiking with it and I am aware of that having an accident with my bike will probably damage my smartphone as well. I also know that a dedicated bike computer is doing better under different weather conditions . But that are not the things I am concerned about. My smartphone is a Samsung Galaxy S Plus, so not a special "outdoor" smartphone. Will the vibrations during cycling damage my smartphone? <Q> The vibrations will be hard on it. <S> The result will not be instantaneous failure, but an increasing likelihood of failure after perhaps several hundred hours of riding. <S> The likelihood of damage can be greatly reduced with a resilient, shock-absorbing mount of some sort (I assume most commercial mounts include some shock-absorbing function). <S> Most important is to avoid mounting in a way that the device will bang against the handlebar, or rattle in its mount. <S> A mount that is too flexible can actually increase the G force the phone is subjected to. <A> and it's been good for a few years (I've replaced the sleeve thingy a few times as it disintegrated). <S> For protection it's got a strip of high density foam at the back of it so that it doesn't clunk on the gooseneck when I go over bumps. <S> The phone is smashed to crap, but that's from me dropping it on the ground. <S> I've fixed the glass a couple of times and I can tell you, the innards of those wee things are packed in so tight that vibration is not going to do anything - the'yre not made of clockwork. <S> The rain and mud might be a problem; hitting the road might too, so make sure whatever you use is secure and waterproof. <A> Yes, it can. <S> I had my HTC <S> One (M8) mounted to my handlebars and <S> after only ONE RIDE the camera broke. <S> The focus element of the camera was a moving part that just couldn't stand up to the shock. <S> The phone still worked fine, but phones w/o cameras suck so I had to get a new one. <A> and I had the phone attached to the handlebars. <S> The vibrations ruined the screen is permanently cloudy. <S> I have done this for many rides before but nothing like this ride. <S> I have learned my hard lesson. <A> I got a RAM mount and put my new iPhoneXR into it on my Honda <S> VTX1300 (sorry not a pedal bike). <S> Did about 600 miles through Colorado and Wyoming... and my optical stabilization was done. <S> The phone has always been in a case since the day I bought it and was never dropped. <S> But after the ride the front facing camera would focus in and out like 100x second.... <S> and you could hear something rattling around in the camera if you shook it gently. <S> Took it to Apple Genius Bar. <S> The Apple guy immediately asked me if I had mounted it on a motorobike. <S> I said yes. <S> He was nice and said that it was considered "accidental damage" but that it would be our secret and he repaired it under warranty (replaced the camera). <S> He said the vibrations damage the optical stabilization in the front facing camera. <S> Might have to get an old TomTom or a Garmin or something for visual GPS while riding. <S> I have a bluetooth headset and can carry my iPhone in my pocket <S> but I like having a physical map in front of me. <S> So be warned. <S> Maybe older phones (with less camera tech) won't be affected or will take longer to break. <S> Safe riding. <S> -wb <A> I used cheap eBay cases and a expensive Quad Lock. <S> I have wrecked to phones now. <S> Pixel 2 and HTC one m8 previously, basically it was camera issues. <S> The one m8 started to vibrate the lens non stop. <S> And the Pixel2 forgot it had a camera..... <A> I use mine filming in my Velocity Clip, and I have not had any problems yet. <S> I have at least 40 hours of Downhill Mountain biking video. <S> I'm using a Motorola Droid 4. <A> I have been motorcycling with my iphone attached with a Ram Mount. <S> No problems ever, and that's constant vibration. <S> I wouldn't worry. <A> If you have any HTC phone with a "dual camera" at the back <S> (HTC M8 e.g.) <S> , then don't do this - this is a known issue. <S> It has sth. <S> to do with the two cameras misaligning due to the vibration. <S> The camera will then be unable to focus, and you won't be able to use it at all anymore. <S> Learned this the hard way as well :) <A> I believe that my iPhone 6 got damaged after several rides with it attached to my handlebar. <S> The "believe" part is there because it could have just started malfunctioning as any other digital device, however it functioned very well, until I made these few rides. <S> I ride a road "Specialized bike. <S> The Torontonian streets are chipped quite a bit. <S> And you can have few bumps while fast riding. <S> The phone was attached to the handlebar with this device From https://www.amazon.ca/Mpow-Universal-Rotatable-Slide-Proof-One-button/dp/B01LT0W8HW <S> And it was in a sturdy Otter case. <S> So the phone is being repaired for a 120 CAD. <S> Charger port and some inside chip were damaged. <S> And I'm thinking maybe "Top tube bag" would be a bit safer since they are less rigid and therefore transmit less impact on the phone. <A> How come no has mentioned damage to the gyroscope important for. <S> GPS and maps!?
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Basically any constant vibrations will damage your phone. I have had my phone attached to the handlebars in a little sleeve made of gaffer tape and some clear plastic I got out of the recycle bin I just ruined my iphone6+ after a hard mountain bike ride (much harder than I have ever done before)
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Is it OK to use coffee or other drinks to clean road rash? This may seem like an odd question, but I was wondering if it's safe or a good idea to rinse road rash with iced coffee or other drinks? My usual strategy for road rash is to clean the fresh wound as soon as possible as thoroughly as possible, but normally I'd use water (and soap if available). However, on my commute to work today I came across a fellow cyclist who'd just wiped out (biking fast around a wet corner, wheels slipped out from under him when he hit a slippery patch). He had some nasty road rash on his leg and elbow. He slid half on pavement, half on wet dirt, so the wound was pretty dirty. The only liquid I had with me on my commute is iced coffee (with milk and sugar). I offered him the coffee to rinse his leg and he declined, but he did use the packet of neosporin I gave him (which seemed of limited usefulness given how dirty the wound was). His bike was ok and he was able to ride on to work and said he'd have someone look at his leg later. So anyway, I was wondering if cleaning a wound immediately with coffee (or other drinks, like tea, Gatorade, Coke, etc) is a good idea or if it would be better to just wait until I get to home/work to clean it with soap and water? I'd do a thorough cleaning at home regardless, but is there any benefit to cleaning immediately after the crash even if I don't have any water available? Also, is the answer different if I'm facing a 2 or 3 hour walk to better facilities rather than a 20 - 30 minute ride? And a related question, what else could I carry in my commute bag that would be useful for situations like this -- wet wipes? I did come across this related post on treating road rash, but it doesn't address what to do at the time of the accident: What do you do to cure road rash more quickly after a crash? <Q> However, I would definitely avoid coffee that contains milk, sugar or other additives that can support bacteria growth. <S> Now, this is going to come as a bit of a surprise, but what is an excellent wound cleanser is urine. <S> Yeah, <S> yeah, <S> I know. <S> But other than the ewwww factor, it's nearly perfect. <S> It's warm, sterile*, and near isotonic. <S> Naturally, the guy's not likely to agree to let you urinate on him, but he can do it himself. <S> * <S> Assuming the person is healthy. <A> I would say that any drinkable liquid is better than nothing at all. <S> Given a choice, one would pick a beverage without sugar or dairy in it, and acidic drinks (especially carbonated) are apt to sting quite a bit. <S> But cleaning the wound reasonably quickly is fairly important for promoting healing, and there's nothing inherently harmful in any standard beverage -- if you can drink it, it should be good for wound cleaning. <S> (Though with sugar/dairy beverages one should probably wash with pure water ASAP.) <S> (I try to make sure I always have some pure water, for first aid use.) <A> My advice is not to clean with anything else but clean water (or desinfection aid, of course). <S> Why? <S> Because you do not know the effect and if it is save to clean this way. <S> Assume that the person with a wound maybe has allergies - what will happen if you clean the wound with milk or apple juice, and a allergic reaction occurs? <S> This will make things even worse! <S> If you are in a city (like mentioned in your question) when such a crash occurs, and you do not have any water with you, you can go in the next pub, store, whatever, and ask for some water to clean the wound. <S> You may find it disgusting, but if it is a real emergency situation, you will not care about that.
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If you are travelling longer trips or outside a city (where you should have some water with you anyway), you can use urine as wound cleaner . Plain black coffee would be okay; it's just water and it should be nearly sterile.
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What is the advantage of a reverse arch suspension fork? There are a couple of suspension fork manufacturers that have adopted a fork design where the lowers have a reversed arch. I can't see that they claim any particular performance advantages for it, although there are some people on mountain biking forums saying they have improved torsional stiffness. Why would that be the case? Also, how do they compare in muddy conditions, more/less resistance to clogging? <Q> Looks like nobody has taken the geometry into account yet... <S> In the image below I have drawn the situation with highly exaggerated proportions. <S> All not-lowest-end suspension forks (at least the ones I know of) have a rake that is created by shifting the axle in front of the lower tubes. <S> Let's take a wheel of radius r (solid blue circle) and add some clearance for the tire (dashed blue circle). <S> Above that, the upper edge of the lower tubes shall be of equal height with respect to the upper tube's axis. <S> Here we can already see, that the wheel passes the front side of the lowers at a "higher" position than its back side. <S> As the arches (green rectangles) have to span from one lower tube to the other over the clearance radius, we can see that the arch in the front side (the right one in the image) has to reach higher (higher green rectangle) above the lower tube's body than the one on the back side. <S> Technically speaking this means, that to build an arch with the same stiffness, less material (i.e. less weight) is needed on a reversed arch or at the same weight, the reversed arch can be built more massive and therefore stiffer. <S> Unfortunately I don't have any measurement values about how much influence that really has. <S> And obviously there are (or at least were, cf. <S> heltonbike's answer ) <S> other drawbacks to be taken into account. <A> I have a Manitou Black with reverse arch (an old model) and it seems to me that the posts get dirtier than if it was a front arch model. <S> Specifically, the grime that comes "in the air" hits the posts directly (without the arch acting as a sort of protection), and the mud that comes with the tire ends up getting everything dirty anyway, sooner or later. <S> Also, since the O-ring around the posts is tilted backwards due to steering angle, mud actually tends to form a deposit behind the post. <S> Incidentally, I have rim brakes attached to the brake posts, and due to the arch being behind, I am forced to use a brake booster, otherwise the blades of the fork flex A LOT while braking, with poor performance. <S> In the end, I agree with the ones that think it's more marketing than engineering. <S> Besides, if you Google "dual arch suspension fork" there are already some models around, and I have seen at least one "middle arch" fork, though I can't remember the brand. <A> That possibility depends on brace design, height of the upper, frame geometry, etc. <S> But, putting it in front eliminates it as a possibility. <S> From a purely aesthetic standpoint, the brace replaces the area that rim brakes used to occupy on a fork. <S> To some people (me included) placing the brace in the back just looks wrong, making the front of the fork look naked. <A> Can find references to anything, however I recall reading its pretty much a marketing gimmick. <S> The engineer in me thinks I am sure you could probably do a middle or 2 arches shock if you wanted... <S> As far as resistance to clogging in mud, I expect the only dimension that counts is the tire to arch and tire to post distances. <S> Bigger is better.
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One of the few things I can think of is that if the fork fails, or is improperly adjusted, having the brace in the back means there is some possibility that the brace will slam into the downtube or back of the headtube rather than the just the upper and lower of the fork meeting violently.
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What factors influence the maximum tire pressure other than the tire itself? On the tires of a bike, there is a label which shows the maximum allowed pressure for it. However, I am wondering if there are any other factors that affect the maximum allowed pressure in a tire? Does the innertube also has a "maximum allowed pressure"? I need a rim tape to cover the spoke holes in my rim. Does this lower the allowed pressure? Any other factors? Background: In the last week, two innertubes on two different bikes exploded. They were both under the maximum allowed pressure. I suppose one was old and the other had a manufacturing error. One was exploding during cycling, the other one during inflating the tire. I am now quite afraid of inflating tires, so I want to make sure that this will not happen again. <Q> The usual cause of inner tubes exploding while being inflated is that part of the tube is pinched under the rim, or was damaged by a tyre lever while you were fitting the tyre (but manufacturing flaws can happen - I once had a puncture in a tube next the stem where it was difficult to patch, and my spare tube failed at the same place as soon as I inflated it (and there wasn't a sharp edge on the hole in the rim)). <S> But apart from that, if the tube and tyre are properly seated, and the tube is the right size, the tube shouldn't limit the pressure. <S> Rim tape can make a difference if the wrong sort is used, but shouldn't otherwise, see http://www.schwalbe.co.uk/_webedit/uploaded-files/All%20Files/Technical%20Info.pdf and search for "Which rim tape should I use". <S> Tyre sizes and rim sizes vary slightly, and a combination that is a slightly loose fit will let the tyre blow off at a lower pressure. <S> The label allows for that, at least to a certain extent (see http://sheldonbrown.com/tires.html#pressure and scroll down to "Pressure Recommendations"). <S> Using a tyre on a rim much narrower than it is intended for can make the rim fail and let a tyre blow off: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html#width . <S> So can using a badly worn rim, of course. <A> Innertube failure can be caused by a variety of factors, and it is usually possible to determine the cause by examining the failed innertube. <S> You mentioned: "In the last week, two innertubes on two different bikes exploded". <S> If it literally exploded into many small pieces, then you were probably the target of a saboteur. <S> :) <S> More likely, the innertube has a single tear or puncture, and its size and location will help you track down the problem: <S> A small puncture along the outer side is usually caused by road debris. <S> Since you ask about tire pressure, it's worth mentioning that high pressure can increase the chance of puncture. <S> A tear at the valve can be caused by the age of the innertube or by poor inflating technique--using a hand pump without holding the valve steady can easily tear an innertube. <S> This problem is not directly affected by tire pressure (but trying to reach a really high pressure with a hand pump could increase the risk). <S> A tear on the inner side of the tube can be caused by spokes and may indicate a problem with rim tape or low-quality rims. <S> Note that low-quality rims can limit the maximum tire pressure. <S> I had a mountain bike (used for city riding) which had high-quality tires with a maximum pressure around 90 psi. <S> However, the rim left the spokes very exposed, and inflating above about 45 psi would cause the innertube to stretch near each spoke and eventually lead to a tear. <S> There's only so much rim tape can do. <S> Two small holes in the tube are usually pinch flats, which are caused by tire pressure being too low. <A> The limiting factor for tire pressure is the tire . <S> The manufacturer designs the tire with a maximun pressure the tire case will be able to safely control. <S> Exceeding the reccomended pressure can result in the bead being forced of the rim or the the tire case itself could fail.
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The main factor limiting tire pressure is the tire itself, but some problems can be caused or exacerbated by tire pressure.
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How can I increase the highest gear ratio? I am looking for some higher cog front gears for an old bike I am considering. I've been away from it for some time and don't know the current number of cogs on the front ring, but I am looking to maybe put a really large ring on it. I just find that there are times I need one or two more gears to shift up to. I don't always ride in the highest gear, but I have way too much in the lower range. Is it possible to switch to a larger front ring to boost my higher end range? <Q> Some background on the front chainrings: Lots of bikes have a front derailleur, allowing more than one chainring. <S> Some bikes have a single front chainring and no derailleur. <S> They're called chainrings rather than cogs (which are at the back). <S> There are typically either 3 or 2 chainrings on the front crankset. <S> If there are 2 chainrings, there are two 'flavours': Compact (with smaller rings, eg: 50 tooth and 34 tooth) or Standard (with larger rings eg: 53 tooth and 39 tooth) <S> Another important stat is the BCD (Bolt Circle Diameter) . <S> This is the diameter of the circle described by the bolts attaching the chainring to the crankset. <S> A common figure is 130mm. <S> So you have a few factors to consider, and there's more information we need. <S> Do you have a front derailleur? <S> How many chainrings are in the front? <S> What make and model do you currently have? <S> How many teeth are on each chainring? <S> How many cogs are you your rear cassette? <S> How many teeth are on the smallest and the largest cog on the cassette? <S> With this information we can give you some advice. <A> The simplest way is to take the bike to your LBS and ask them what the options are. <S> The answer may be limited by what they have in stock and might cost more than buying parts on the Internet, but they'll do the work for you <S> and you'll be sure that the parts they supply will work together or they'll be obliged to fix it. <S> To do it yourself, start by counting the number of teeth on the chainrings at the front and the cogs at the back (aka the cassette). <S> Then you can plug the numbers into a gear calculator . <S> That gives you a table of either gain ratios or gear inches which can easily be compared to other cobinations of rings/cogs you might consider. <S> Bear in mind that not all drivechain parts are compatible and <S> it's safest to stick within the same brand/model. <A> Usually there are three types of road gearing <S> Compact Double (50 / 34) <S> Traditional Double (53 / 39) <S> Triple <S> Where the numbers is the number of teeth on each ring. <S> Very old racers (pre-90s) tended to be very different, so it depends on what you mean by old. <S> Most modern road bikes come with a Compact Double chainset these days, older bikes normally have closer groupings because the derailleurs at the time couldn't deal with the range. <S> If you largest chainring on the front is larger than 53 <S> , I doubt you would need larger gearing <S> and maybe you might think about riding at a higher cadence instead. <S> Most rear cassettes have 12-26 teeth on the back for systems that 7 speed or higher in my experience. <S> If you feel you need to change the front chainrings, you need to know the number of arms the crank arm has and the BCD . <S> It usually says on the chainring, or as others had said ask your local bike shop.
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Just as an alternative, you can also replace the cassette at the back to change your gear ratios. Also, if you significantly change the size of the cogs/rings, your existing deraileur and chain may not have enough scope to take up the slack.
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How can I mitigate the risk of public urination charges on long rides? Qualifying offenses for the sex offender registry can include public urination . Though the chance may be small, the potential consequences are severe. Unfortunately, bladders are apparently designed in ignorance of these laws. A few obvious solutions, such as intentionally becoming dehydrated or only riding in urban settings, are impractical. How can cyclists avoid becoming sex offenders when nature calls on long rides? <Q> Plan your route accordingly. <S> Make sure there's a couple gas stations or restaurants along the way that you could stop at if the need arises. <S> It's probably a good idea to be somewhat close to civilization not only for urination purposes, but also <S> in case you have some major mechanical problem with your bike, or you fall and get hurt. <S> This doesn't mean your route has to be urban, but you should be able to plan a route such that you pass by some kind of civilization every 40-60 minutes. <S> If you're so far from civilization that you can't make it to a gas station, odds are that there won't be many cops around to prosecute you either. <A> If you know that you are going on a particularly long ride, try and figure out and plan ahead where you will take care of business. <S> Of course this isn't always possible, since sometimes nature calls at rather inopportune times... <S> This guy * outlines a few techniques include the piss cup, the newspaper tube, and others. <S> The best is probably the piss cup, in which you discretely place a cup where it matters, making sure to cover all the relevant bits, and answer both nature's call, and a "call" on your cell phone (for distraction). <S> The newspaper roll works similarly, except that the observant passerby may notice an odd yellow stream coming from the end of the rolled up newspaper... <S> If you find yourself in a more rural area, you may be able to use your local surroundings to your advantage. <S> Perhaps there is a bush or a tree which can block the view from the road. <S> In this rural area, you are unlikely to see a cop. <S> *Warning: the second half of the youtube video (about 5:27) shows a man's rump, which you (or others around you) may not want to see <A> I use an external catheter for on-the-road urination while riding the recumbent. <S> For upright and other bikes you might make some changes. <S> Here is what, how and why I do it. <S> http://psychling1.blogspot.com/2010/12/use-of-external-catheter-for-racing-or.html <S> I also use this device in work meetings, on long car trips or when I go to lectures or the symphony. <S> In these situations I simply strap a very small Camelbak bladder to my calf, just under the knee. <S> Discreet. <S> Civilized.
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Alas, if you are that far out, you could always go off a side road or into the bush and relieve yourself there. Assuming you aren't willing to go for the obvious catheter based solutions , there are ways you can urinate in public which do not attract much attention. Obviously the best solution is planning.
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Why are higher-end freewheels so much louder when coasting? I tend to ride relatively modest gear (Tiagra/Ultegra), but when I'm riding near higher-end bikes, I sometimes notice that the clicking sound that comes from their cassette/free-wheel while coasting seems to be much louder and more distinct than on my bike. Why is this? Intuitively, one would expect that a quieter drive-train would be an indicator of greater efficiency, but that doesn't seem to be the case here. Is it something to do with different construction, or materials? Can you get 'quiet' high-end cassettes, or is being noisy while coasting the price you must pay for being efficient while pedaling? <Q> Most of the noise comes from pawls on the freewheel hitting against the splines on the engagment surfaces which makes up the racheting unit. <S> Some reasons for the noise between freewheels? <S> The reason this is desirable is that more pawls and engagement points means faster engagement when you start pedaling. <S> Different grease (or less grease) could also be used inside higher end freewheels that is less viscous and provides less resistance, allowing the spring action of the pawls to cause more noise as they float over the the splines on the engagement surface since they are less restricted by the grease. <S> Of course there are exceptions to these. <S> Some hubs don't use your standard racheting mechanism and use a 'roller clutch' instead. <S> The roller clutches tend to be very quiet, but are more prone to failure. <S> Here's a good description of how those work. <S> http://pardo.net/bike/pic/mobi/d.winners-hub/index.html <A> I noticed this as well. <S> In my experience, on higher end road bikes, the cassette that you put on the freehub body makes the most audible difference, versus the actual inner-workings of the freehub itself in most cases, i.e. normal, ratchet style freehub body. <S> Example: I went from a Sram PG-1130 cassette to a PG-1170 recently. <S> The lower end cassette (1130) construction is different, specifically the dome and spacers (which are plastic). <S> On the higher end cassette (1170) <S> the dome is lighter and stiffer, and the spacers are steel and attached to the cogs. <S> Thus, a cassette like the aforementioned 1170, with a very resonant dome and body, casts way more sound than the 1130, which is expected as it has plastic construction with deadens the sound considerably and a thicker dome, which also hinders resonance. <S> I noticed immediately after the switch that the sound coming from my bike went from: click, click, <S> click... to: ting!, ting! <S> , ting!... <S> Personally, I like the 'ping/ting' sound better and associate it with higher quality. <A> I think loudness is not a good indication of efficiency, since loudness (and pitch as well) can be affected by many more factors at same or similar total energy consumption. <A> Recently I replaced my 6800 groupset with a Chorus one. <S> I am using a Mavic Ksyrium SLS wheel; that means I had to change my freehub body to a Campagnolo compatible one. <S> Surprisingly, the new freehub has a different sound when coasting, and the noise is so much more reduced. <S> I supposed the difference in the two freehub bodies is to accommodate different brands of cassettes. <S> I had never like my Mavic wheels, but now they are so much more lovely. <S> Not my knowledge to explain why, but it proves that the noise is not a matter of high- or low-end hubs. <A> Louder means more force has been used to make the noise. <S> More contact points does not automatically result in more noise - if the sound was generated at the same time it would not increase the volume. <S> If a noise gets louder then it is likely that an amplifier in the system - depending on the design, the space in the axel might act as an amplifier. <S> The gear rings could act as an amplifier - this is not likely as the tension generated by the chain would act as a damper. <S> Going back to the first point: if more force has been used that has resulted in a louder sound I would point to an increase in force being applied at the contact points - one obvious reason for a stronger force would be stronger springs in the freehub. <A> I had deore xt hubs on my mtn bike, they were silent. <S> I have rebranded Formula on my 2008 Bontrager Race Lites which have a nice clicky sound. <S> Upon servicing I must have put too much grease in and it muted the sound. <S> So perhaps there is a relationship between sound and pawl wear. <S> I have DT Swiss star ratchet on my mtn bike now and they have an excellent sound IMO. <S> Chris king hubs have a legendary sound, describe by customer quote <S> "It rolls good with angry bee sound" <A> I've got multiple sets of Campy Record freehubs and they are all quiet and no one has ever failed. <S> Chris Kings on my old Klein winter mtb are louder but still somewhat quiet. <S> The DT rear hub internals on my Lightweights are super noisy but the first one failed after only 3K miles (lots of mountain passes). <S> They've been upgraded from the 18T original star ratched to the 36T design so the sound has changed but is still just as loud. <S> So far, they have now been reliable. <S> I don't notice any performance difference between the three systems <S> and I would rate all high as far as quality is concerned.
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Tension on pawls could be higher causing more noise as they glide over the engagment surfaces High end freewheels have more pawls and engagement points than lower end freewheels, so there are more ridges in the engagement surface and more pawls hitting the splines on the engagement surface. The cassette acts like an amplifier for the sounds coming from the freehub. A change in tone means that different materials have been used to make the noise.
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How to repair shifter housing I have shifter with damaged housing. It shifts well, but I guess if housing is not repaied, rain and elements will quickly put an end to it. Which material would be suitable to fix this hole? Epoxy glues? Maybe ones with metal filler? Are there some sensitive parts in the damaged area that I should be carefull not to glue? <Q> Seems like you have two options. <S> I'm not sure <S> this is your exact model but the broken piece should just unscrew. <S> Unscrew <S> what's left and epoxy it together apart from the internal workings. <S> Buy a replacement cover. <S> I couldn't find any online shops selling replacement covers, but a call to Shimano* will probably net you the exact piece you need. <S> You'll need to know the model number which should be displayed somewhere and look like SL-xxxx. <S> I can't imagine a new one will be more than $20. <S> * <S> Shimano American Corp. (949) 951-5003 <A> Unless you're seriously skilled with epoxy, I'd say there's a risk of glueing some of the moving parts together. <S> Instead I'd suggest gaffer tape, also known as duct tape or duck tape. <S> It has threads running through it for strength and is pretty weatherproof. <S> If you get it in the wrong place or it wears out it's cheap to try again. <S> The tricky bit will be covering the hole properly. <S> I suggest cutting it to size with scissors as it will end up neater. <S> Also, I wouldn't worry too much about a small amount of water getting in. <S> I doubt they're completely waterproof anyway. <S> If you can keep any mud/grit out that should be enough. <A> It's great for repairs, and you can get it in small packs. <S> You can find more info at http://sugru.com/
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Try some sugru, a moldable rubber like putty, it should provide a seal against water and cover the opening.
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Training fasted: just about weight loss? Preparing for a 100mile ride in August I was thinking of following a training plan which came in a "Sportive Guide" given away with Cycling Plus magazine this month. Some of the days on the plan mention training for an hour before breakfast in order to burn fat. Is this just about losing weight? (If so, I'm pretty sure I don't need to since I'm 6ft tall and weigh about 67kg) Or is there some reason that training before breakfast is somehow better? <Q> Advice in book <S> Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald goes something like this <S> , paraphrased: <S> Yes, training without carbohydrates will train your body to use stored fat better. <S> But your capacity to train will go down (not enough fuel!), and net result will be less improvement. <S> It references this study , which compares two groups of athletes on hi-carb and low-carb diet during a hard training block. <S> One of the general themes of the book is, you want to improve your performance and body composition, not your weight per se. <A> Exercise is fuelled by a combination of carbohydrate and fat. <S> Any carbohydrates ingested will be used by the body for fuel, and we don't want this. <S> We want to deny the body carbohydrates in these runs so that the muscles will become better at sparing the carbohydrate stores, more efficient at burning fat and used to running with lowered blood glucose levels. <S> Now, many people think I'm crazy when I say this, but it works. <S> Personally, I wouldn't do it. <S> It's a lot of pain for what is probably a very small gain. <S> If you're looking to wring every last bit of performance out of your body it's worth trying though. <A> The short answer is "No". <S> Intermittent fasting is not all about weight loss, although it can help with that, apparently without compromising performance . <S> For example Adaptations to skeletal muscle with endurance exercise training in the acutely fed versus overnight-fasted state. <S> The FAST group showed a significantly greater training-induced increase in VO(2max) and resting muscle glycogen concentration than FED (P=0.014 and P=0.047 respectively), but there was no gender interaction. <S> This blog post is a few years old, but discussed the detail of a study comparing fasting or fed regimes in training. <S> There are also claims of long-term health improvements , I think these are less well-studied, but there is some relevant research . <S> It does also help to lose weight, or improve power-to-weight ratio , although that may not be of interest to the OP. <S> If you're actually thinking of doing it, one of the essential points is to have a good recovery meal after training. <A> I ride mornings in a fasted state <S> and i believe it has helped, not just in terms of weight but also endurance. <S> This type of exercise should not be high intensity just moderate. <S> There is a scientific study that looked into this it was referenced in this NY Times blog article: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/15/phys-ed-the-benefits-of-exercising-before-breakfast/ <A> It's not just fat utilization but also glycogen, a chemical resembling starch that is stored in the liver and also directly in the muscles. <S> I don't know the ideal conditions for doing so, but the muscles can be "trained" to store more glycogen. <S> (In part this is what causes muscles to "bulk up".) <S> Presumably training in conditions where the blood glucose level is low would help to "train" the muscles to store glycogen, though this would be a long-term thing, over months, not something to work on a few days before a big ride. <S> And glycogen is important not only because it can help to fuel muscles several hours into a long ride, after blood glucose is exhausted, but also because it can help provide "peak energy" even when one is well-fed. <S> (Note that burning fat directly in the muscles is quite inefficient and can lead to "ketosis", causing a sense of fatigue and loss of mental acuity. <S> Fat is more efficiently "burned" in the liver, but the rate of fat processing by the liver is insufficient to support a sustained high-energy effort.) <S> It needs to be remembered that there is a lot of really crappy advice out there, often from "experts", re nutrition. <S> Probably 80% is bogus. <S> In particular, many "experts" who talk about "burning fat" have probably never even heard of glycogen. <S> My "expert" opinion is informed by having a genetic disorder (myoadenylate deaminase deficiency) that affects how muscles use energy, so I've taken interest in these topics for decades. <A> I believe the intensity level of training should be further considered; it's ok to take a walk first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, but an interval training session would probably be counter-productive.
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In theory, if you exercise while your body is deprived of carbohydrate it will become better at utilising fat for energy. I know some running coaches advocate this approach for marathon training: There's research showing that this approach can increase the effect of training, in particular VO2 Max , which is often of interest to cyclists.
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Is it possible to transport many (up to 12) bikes using some sort of auto-trailer? I would like to be able to use a trailer, either open-air or enclosed to transport multiple bicycles at the same time. When I google hitch racks the maximum is 5...I am looking for a towable option...do these exist? Where can I find one? Could I make one? <Q> Where I live it is common for commercial operator to purpose build trailers for carrying bikes such as these . <S> The other option I have seen is custom bike racks for back of any flatdeck trailer or trucks. <S> One event here has over 1000 entrants to a relay - they need to transport 1500 bikes on the day, up to 100km..... <S> So it's certainly doable.... <S> I am glad I don't do their logistics planning... <A> I once constructed a trailer that could in theory handle 8 bikes. <S> Used it for family biking and for Boy Scout activities. <S> I used a standard 4x8 utility trailer as the base, and added removable uprights that the bikes could be strapped to. <S> The hard part is finding some sort of mounting scheme that can accommodate bikes of different sizes and styles (and do so reasonably cheaply). <A> Absolutely. <S> With a trailer, you can do just about anything you want. <S> With a powerful enough vehicle, you could tow 120 bikes if you felt like it and had the money to build the trailer. <S> You can use parts like these: http://yakima.com/shop/bike/truck-bed/blockhead to provide fork mounts for your bikes. <S> Otherwise, you can fabricate fixtures that can hold the bikes with front wheels attached.
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Go to a northern tool, fleet farm, or some similar store that sells trailer parts, and you can build up a trailer as big as you need.
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Can oil/grease damage tires? I've noticed a small puddle of light oil beneath the rear wheel of our Rohloff-equipped tandem. I'm told that a small amount of leakage is normal and I'm not worried about that. The issue is that a lot of it falls on the rim and the tire. Obviously it's bad news on the rim for braking, so I'll be wiping it off and possibly cleaning with diluted degreaser. My question is: is exposure to light oil likely to damage the tire? I know some rubbers can be sensitive to certain chemicals, so is hub oil/bike tires (in this case Schwalbe Marathons) such a combination? I would've thought someone else would have had this problem if so, but I'd like to check. More generally, are there any products/chemicals should I keep away from tires for fear of degrading the rubber? <Q> Like Daniel said, a good rule of thumb is to keep oils off rubber and plastics. <S> Some will damage them, some will preserve them, but you don't want either type on your tires. <S> You should be more worried about the fact that the oily spot on your rear tire can cause it to break traction much more easily, especially while braking or cornering. <S> If you're going to be storing the bike for any period of time, just stuff a rag between the spokes up next to the hub to catch and absorb the oil. <A> Answering the More General line - you should keep your tyres/tubes away from Sources of Ozone Ultra Violet light <S> Sunlight <S> Smoke Sources of Heat Petroleum product fumes and vapours Paint fumes - or any volatile fumes that may come from a workshop. <S> Cat Pee. <S> Some exposure is inevitable in the course of using your bike, but there's a difference between storing your tyres in a hot glass-house vs a dark shed, for example. <S> Also, the way you store tyres affects their life. <S> Hanging a naked tyre on a hook or rod or nail will deform the bead and make it less likely to securely connect with the rims. <S> An extreme case will stretch the top of the tyre. <S> Notice brand new tyres in a shop often have a very wide cardboard label which somewhat spreads the pressures out while tyre is hung. <A> I use transmission fluid to soften the sidewalls of polyurethane tires and never use armor all, Sun is your #1 worst enemy which causes it to dry up then crack, if cracked already, tranny fluid in the cracks will slow the process down, it has the right stuff in tranny fluid. <S> Oil on your tires, especially a bike is never good and even worse on rainy days for traction, as for harming polyurethane, no, oil products cannot harm oil products, harsh solvents like methyl ethyl ketone, methylene chloride or acids can destroy polyurethanes.
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Now, as for rubber, not an oil based product, it can be damaged by prolonged oil coverage as it softens and expands the rubber far too much (over polyurethane with a light softening once in a while with tranny fluid) and oil in one spot alone on rubber, can create a bump, and a soft spot on a tubeless tire is a weak point for a bubble to form. So store tyres lying flat, or mounted on a rim which is on a hook.
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Getting the right cockpit position. Sliding forward. What should I adjust to keep my sit bones on the seat? I am experienced rider and I'm looking for some advice on how to adjust my cockpit position. I am a daily commuter, and do regular 40-50k rides on the weekends, and with the warmer weather will work on some 100-200km rides. On my current bike, I continue to have a problem sliding forward in my seating position. I have short arms and legs compared to my body length (32 inch / 81cm inseam at 6'1"/185 cm tall) and my bike is fairly comfortable if not one size too small. The bars are currently about 2"/5cm below the hieght of the seat. I find that I am consistently sliding forward my seat and pushing back with my arms to stay in a decent position. My saddle is currently pushed as far forward as the current post will allow, and the stem that came with the bike is quite long. The seat post off-set is not large at about 1". The Brook saddle (B17 Special) is dead level as measured at the rails. I have no knee or back pain. What should I adjust to keep my sit bones on the seat? I think my options are: Shorten the threadless stem to xx cm or so from the current 120ish? Buy a new seat post that will allow the saddle to come forward more? Buy a new bike that fits better (Probably not going to happen this year)? Other? Seat height? Seat angle? Stretch more? and get a flatter back, better hip position? <Q> Try changing the seat angle. <S> I'm tall as you, and had the same problem. <S> Seat and handlebar are at same height. <S> No more sliding. <A> I know I'm late on this thread but try sliding your saddle backwards and not forwards. <S> Likely too far forwards over your bottom bracket and is causing your pelvis to pull forwards. <S> If you have your pelvis further back the pressure from just your pedaling alone will help to keep you seated further back on the saddle. <A> As suggested in other answers your saddle angle may be key. <S> I don't know what your experience with Brooks saddles has been, but the set up tends to differ a little from more modern saddles, especially if you wear modern cycling clothing. <S> Brook saddles tend to work like a sling and depending on how well you have broken your saddle in and the tension you have on your saddle <S> you may find yourself sliding forward even when the saddle is perfectly level. <S> If you haven't nailed your setup synthetic clothing may highlight this fact making it easier for you to slide forward. <S> By comparison modern saddles often have textures that grip synthetics which may help offset any inaccuracies in setup. <S> This problem is relatively easy to solve. <S> On many models of Brooks I found that you generally need to keep the nose up ever so slightly higher than the back to keep your position. <S> Once I have the put the Brooks <S> slightly nose up <S> I found I remained firmly in place. <S> If you do try this, make sure to take your time with small incremental adjustments. <S> Setting the nose too high will eventually cause discomfort. <S> Depending on how extreme you this may only show up on longer rides. <S> So start for with a small change <S> ride it for a while to see if it works for you, then adjust as apporpriate. <S> I also found that as the saddle warms up I sink into the saddle a bit and find that it acts like a shelf for my sit bones, keeping me in place. <S> I currently have my Brooks (Professional) set up such that I just creep forward at the start of the ride (when the leather is cold), but after a few minutes the leather warms up, becomes more compliant <S> and I settle into position. <S> After that point I don't slide forward for the remainder of the ride. <S> I have never found a modern saddle that equals a Brooks in comfort on all day rides. <A> I would try some different shaped saddles. <S> Possible your Brooks is too wide which would encourage you to slide forward. <S> You might try pushing the seat back on the rails a couple of cm and shortening your stem to 100mm. <S> Try different saddles first.
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Because the saddles act like a sling you can can have the nose higher than more modern saddles without sacrificing comfort. I changed to a bigger frame, but the real solution was to set my seat a bit off the horizontal (back is lower than front). Your KOPS (knee over pedal spindle) may be too far forward as well which won't help your situation. Don't give up on your Brooks yet!
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walkable clipless pedal shoe to replace normal shoe? I have a touring bike which I use almost exclusively for commuting. I am thinking about getting a clipless pedal with walkable shoes. At the same time, my normal shoes which I wear when not cycling need to be replaced, and am thinking that to save money and avoid the need for carrying extra shoes back and forth, instead of buying two shoes I would like to buy a shoe that can both be used as a normal shoe as well as for cycling. While I see that some clipless pedal shoes are "walkable" I don't see much if any data regarding wearing it as a normal shoe all the time. Preferably I would like to get about the same amount of wear as a regular shoe out of it. Just for normal everyday walking around the office, out to lunch, and that sort of thing. Is there some specific model recommendations or something specific in terms of feature I can look for, or is using the same shoe for both things out of the question? I think it will be required - and I'm definitely open to - using MTB shoes on a road bike (as I think the increased pedaling efficiency will outweigh the weight drawbacks considering my usage pattern), but if it can't be done I would prefer to not get clipless and just buy some inexpensive shoes and continue to use pedal clips. <Q> I just leave a pair of shoes at the office and change shoes when I get there <S> so I don't have to take them back and forth. <S> It's amazing how much space shoes take up in a backpack/pannier. <S> I think that even the "walkable" shoes aren't that comfortable to be in all day. <S> And any cycling shoes that you did want to walk around in all day would lose a lot of the advantages for having a dedicated cycling shoe, such as a stiff sole. <S> My office shoes are just cheap ones I picked up at Walmart. <S> This also has the added advantage that if my cycling shoes get wet from the rain that I always have a dry pair to change in to. <A> Given a choice of clips or "walkable" clipless, I would strongly recommend "walkable" clipless unless you are also attempting to run/walk large distances. <S> I have 2 sets of MTB shoes. <S> One is comfortable for all day walking - not as good as running shoes, as the sole is stiffer. <S> The other is a better show on the bike - but too stiff for a lot of off bike work - great for the odd 100 meter portage..... <S> Depending on the ride and whats happening at each end of it, depends on the shoes. <S> What is clear to me is the compromise - <S> whats best on the bike is a very stiff sole. <S> Off the bike is something more flexible. <S> You need to decide where the priority sits, but I would go for a flexible shoe if all you are doing is commuting - especially if you commute less than an hour a day. <S> Edit: <S> Heres a review of a couple of steet shoes <A> I use a pair of MTB SPD's on my road bike when I cycle to work - mostly so I can walk in them, but there is no way I would recommend them for wearing at work. <S> The cleat will damage flooring at work. <S> It is as recessed as they can make it, but it still catches on anything raised <S> so you need to be careful where you walk. <S> It is also not good on smooth polished floors - being designed for rough off road use. <S> It is not a very flexible shoe , and I shopped around to find the most flexible one in a range of local and large shops. <S> Leaving a pair of black slip on office shoes at work is just easier - it also means <S> I don't need to spend the day in a sweaty pair of shoes if my commute in was hard/hot work. <S> YMMV, but I think my solution is simplest and gives the best benefits. <A> You seem to have misunderstood something here. <S> " <S> These special shoes have a solid plate in them so they do not flex like normal shoes. <S> You can "walk" in them, but you can't run, and you have to be careful while you walk. <S> There is no way you can use them as a normal shoe. <S> Go to any bike shop and try on a pair. <S> Then walk a bit in them. <S> You will see their limitations immediately. <A> For the last 5 years I've been too lazy to change spd shoes to normal shoes. <S> So I picked my SPD shoes to be a bit more comfortable for walking. <S> Usual scenario for me - commute to destination. <S> Walk there most of the day. <S> Commute back. <S> When I was in Uni, I have done a lot of waking on campus in SPD shoes. <S> Here are my observations: <S> Usually SPD shoes are getting destroyed from walking on hard surfaces within a 18 months. <S> (My MTB spd shoes already counting 4 years - I don't walk in them) <S> If cleats are well hidden so they don't clack - they are usually hard to clip in. <S> Soft metal cleats (Crank Brothers) wear out really quick - three months and you need to replace them. <S> Shimano cleats are steel and last a year of walking in them. <S> By the end of the day you want to throw away the shoes, as they are not very good for your feet. <S> Forget about running. <S> Given all the above, plus possibility to keep normal shoes in the office, I cycle to work and change shoes there.
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As far as pedal systems - SPD style cleats are the way to go - theres a huge range of MTB shoes that take these - everything from dedicated cycle though to comfortable street shoes.... Walkable" clipless pedal shoes are not designed to be used as a replacement for normal shoes.
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bike racks for outdoor use at a school We're looking for some bike racks for our school, but we're unsure as to the styles of bike racks and what's best. What features should we be looking for? Are there styles of racks that work well for schools? At the moment, it's looking like these for price, capacity and design: If anyone else has found something better, then please let me know as we're looking to get some sorted fairly quickly! <Q> Those don't look that great. <S> Students would need a long cable lock in order to lock their bikes. <S> There's no way that they could do it with a U-lock. <S> And the weight of the bike is resting on the spokes, which is not good for them. <S> Also, I'm not sure what level of school you're talking about, but I imagine an elementary school child might have a hard time lifting their bike that high. <S> Here are some features you should look for: <S> The bike rack should be firmly attached. <S> Ideally, it would be planted in cement. <S> If this isn't an option, it should at least be bolted down and the bolts should not be easily accessible or removable. <S> The rack should either have loops to put locks through or be completely enclosed at the top. <S> A pole with a bulbous protuberance at the top, like a parking meter, is not sufficient. <S> If a person uses a longish cable lock, the bike could easily be lifted over the top. <S> You should be able to park a bike next to it in such a manner that a person could easily get a U-lock around both the frame and at least one wheel, both if the front wheel is removed, like this . <S> People shouldn't have to lift their bikes up to get them into a rack. <S> Requiring a person to lift a bike to get it into a rack makes them extremely difficult to use for the elderly, children, and people with disabilities. <S> This design has become pretty standard where I live and works wonderfully. <S> It's certainly not the only option though. <A> Depends a lot on the situation. <S> At urban public (ie, tax-supported) schools in the US one would generally want something quite rugged and able to stand up to abuse, and also something securely anchored. <S> Quite often you see simple inverted U shapes of heavy pipe with the bottom ends set in concrete, with multiple copies spaced 1/2 to 3/4 meters apart -- the bikes would be leaned against these and locked. <S> In locations where vandalism and security are not as big an issue you might see racks similar to "The Claw" rack that you linked (though I've never seen that specific style). <S> A problem with this style, though, is that many bikes will not fit the rack, because the tires are wider or it's a BMX bike with a smallish frame or whatever. <S> And that specific style makes it hard to securely lock the bike <S> -- you need a long chain or cable to reach from the rack to the frame or back wheel. <A> There are many styles of bicycle racks available. <S> If you are concerned with space they use, you could check Vertical bike rack which can provide high density of parked bicycles in small space. <A> What I can recommend for a school is either this or this , and I prefer the first. <S> It is a very simple construction, which is very space efficient and easily scalable. <S> The other one can be used when you think that hanging your steer up isn't stable, plus it has a nice big loop for a chain lock, but it is probably more expensive, some people are afraid of bending their wheels and it's probably also less efficient in space. <S> If you really need your space, you could also consider this , which is often used at train stations, but it is less much convenient (for the one on top at least). <A> For school bike racks You should consider two reason What will you use for and if the space is enough If the space not enough i think double bike racks will be more helpful <S> If just for looks good i think normal bike racks will be ok <S> Although i think you have already know how to do :)
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You definitely should look at the mix of bikes in your situation, and the need (or not) to securely lock them to "inform" your rack decision.
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Hybrid or Road Bike? I was given a Raleigh Venture comfort bike as a gift a few months ago, and took to riding very well. I am overweight, but dropping quickly. I started at 275 and sit around 250 now after two months of regular riding and a changed diet. I'm quite certain I've outgrown this bike. I struggle to maintain a good speed, usually managing just 11 or 12 mph, and the bike dealer I've been talking to says upgrading will be a tremendous difference, between better tires, lighter frame and a lower riding position. The speed is frustrating, as this past weekend I took a 30 mile trip, which took over 2 1/2 hours. I stick to the roads, and in S. Florida they are in pretty good shape. So it would appear to me that a road bike is the way to go, but I'm still overweight, and not overly young anymore (37), so I worry maybe my back will hurt? As a frame of reference, a dealer recommended the Trek FX series as being a little lower than a normal hybrid bike, and I'm looking specifically at the 7.3 FX. With my budget, if I went road bike, it'd half to be the 1.1 from Trek. My main question is road versus hybrid, but I'm also certainly open to manufacturer suggestions. I am very new, and not about to customize anything, so it has to be a bike that I can buy, not a bike I buy and then change a bunch of stuff. That's not me (yet). <Q> Firstly, 11 or 12 mph isn't that slow, especially if you're still working on improving your fitness. <S> Try measuring speed in kph instead of mph, as it feels better. <S> You can laugh, but we all do it! <S> The main thing you should look for in a new bike, IMO is that it fits you. <S> This will improve your comfort. <S> Drop handlebars will help with aerodynamics, but probably still less than wearing a less baggy jacket. <S> That said you can still go pretty fast on a hybrid. <S> Some of my personal records are set on my hybrid rather than my road bike, just because I happened to feel fitter the day I took the hybrid out. <S> So get a bike that fits and is comfortable. <S> Obviously that means trying them out and making notes. <S> If you are really serious you can go for an independent bike sizing/fitting or follow an online measurement guide rather than relying on the guy in the shop who will want to sell the bike in front of you. <S> If you're comfortable on your bike you'll enjoy riding and ride more often. <S> This will make you faster. <S> Have fun! <A> What is your main ambition here? <S> Is it primarily weight loss? <S> If so, then it sounds like you're doing pretty well on your existing bike. <S> (I'm not necessarily saying "don't get a new bike", <S> I'm more saying "don't get one until you're sure of what you want".) <S> Or building up the stamina to be able to ride all day? <S> Again, your current bike will do. <S> Or are you looking at riding faster/further? <S> Well, maybe you've got an argument in that case for getting a new bike. <S> But again, the type of bike to buy should probably be driven by the type of riding you intend doing. <S> You say you ride on roads, so possibly at face value a road bike would suit. <S> But on the other hand, a hybrid would open up more terrains to you, if that would appeal. <S> Or the length of your rides? <S> Can you ever see yourself going on multi-day tours? <S> If not, then again a road bike may suit, but if so maybe you should consider a bike that could more easily carry luggage? <S> I don't necessarily mean a hybrid here, check out touring bikes perhaps? <S> As regards comfort, a lot of bike manufacturers (not sure about Trek) make two flavours of road bike, in terms of the geometry of the frames. <S> The first flavour will be your out-and-out racer. <S> These bikes will be built for performance over comfort. <S> The second flavour places more emphasis on being able to ride all day, the geometry is a little more relaxed and the ride a little more comfortable. <S> It may be worth researching this aspect. <S> But most definitely there are choices even within the "road bike" genre. <S> Lastly a word of encouragement to keep going. <S> I was in roughly your situation a few years ago, and got back into cycling to lose weight. <S> Totally love it and my biggest regret is that I ever stopped cycling (in my late teens) in the first place. <S> (When I got to the point you're at now, btw, for me it was a no-brainer - I wanted tarmac and speed and went down the road bike route - and <S> in fact just last weekend I did my first century ride.) <S> But there's no better feeling than watching yourself go down the clothes sizes. <S> And you've got 8 years advantage over me. <S> Well done and good luck! <A> I am 62 and ride a hybrid bike. <S> My back is fine. <S> I have a road bike <S> but since I got the hybrid I don't ride it any more. <S> I put conventional handlebars on the road bike because the drop handlebars made my neck hurt. <S> I've been commuting for about 7 years. <S> When I started I lost 30 lbs. <S> then gained back 10 as I adjusted. <S> I was only moderately overweight however <S> so I'm still OK. <A> I recently went through a similar situation -- outgrowing of the hybrid bike. <S> I started riding my bike in the city again in September. <S> Around November, I started going on more, longer rides with friends, and was held back by the gearing, weight, and speed limitations of my very comfortable hybrid. <S> I upgraded to a road bike, and love it. <S> I love being able to take on more challenging climbs and descents, and I ride way more (went from mostly commuting to/from work to 150+ miles a week). <S> However, I can only attest to the satisfaction I've had in my road bike upgrade experience. <S> I have a very different physical situation from you: mid-twenties, former athlete, was out of shape when I first started riding again, but not overweight. <A> I guess cyclocross is the best bet - Actually totally depeds on: a) What you are trying to do (e.g. ride 2 work, or adventurous riding)2) <S> Where you are going to do it (e.g. rough terrain, roads with lots of potholes, fine US-rocky road type of thing) <S> Take a look at Paris Roubaix on Google. <S> You can get away with those bikes anywhere. <S> I hope this helps :)
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If a road bike fits you properly and doesn't have the handlebars too low compared to the saddle, you ought to be able to get comfortable. If you're comfortable you'll be able to go faster. The weight of the bike is likely to be negligible compared to the weight you've already lost, so don't blow the bank for the sake of a few pounds/grams.
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Can Garmin Edge 500/510 and 800/810 be charged while riding? Extended battery life is very neccesary for using the device on long brevets and multi-day endurance racing. Can Garmin Edge cycling GPS units 500/510 and 800/810 be charged while riding via external battery pack like or USB dynamo charger? Can you plug in while riding? Are only certain devices able to charge the unit while it's recording / navigating? <Q> It continues to operate. <S> When the external power source is removed, it will give a message to that effect, but does not power down (like the nuvi/car versions do). <S> Note that you (obviously) have to open the weather seal to plug in power. <S> Unsure if it will continue to record, but the screen shows the computer attached so suspect not. <S> For long trips like you describe, a device like these http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=phone+battery+backup should do the trick. <A> Garmin Edge 800, 810 and 1000 can be charged when exercise is active. <S> You can use for example power bank or usb dynamo charger (ie. <S> Busch&Muller E-werk, Luxos U light or Supernova The Plug). <S> It is not recommended to charge anything with usb when it is raining. <S> Also note that Garmin 1000's plug is in the bottom so cable might not fit when device is mounted on handlebar. <A> I use the Garmin 800 and an external battery with USB output. <S> The Garmin will keep running for days like that, with no backlight BUT the data recordingcannot cope with a 24 hour bike ride. <S> On my last two 24 hour cycle events, the Garmin corrupted the activity file at around 23 hours which was somewhat 'annoying'. <S> I have tested it on distance, with car journeys, and it can cope with 650km in 12 hours. <S> But cycling 560km in 24 hours is not feasible, it seems. <S> Probably too many data points. <S> You should stop the timing at 12 hours, reset, and start a new 12 hour session. <A> I just completed a 300K brevet last weekend and my Garmin 500 ran out of juice about 2 miles from the end of the 190 miles. <S> 18 hours. <S> Note this is the Garmin 500, not the 510. <S> A friend used an 810 on the ride charging through an external battery on the same ride. <A> Yes you can charge the Edge 500 whilst riding at the same time, and record your ride as well. <S> http://www.joewein.net/blog/2013/03/04/garmin-edge-usb-power-hack/ <A> A generic USB cable will have the Edge switch to storage mode <S> but I've found the Garmin cables allow charging whilst using. <S> Arguably I didn't need to <S> but it does mean that when I get a USB dynamo hub I have the cable ready to go. <A> basically the cable needs to have pins 4 and 5 grounded to earth <S> not just pin 4, so <S> obviously this requires very good soldering skills to achieve the other option <S> is <S> link pins 4 and 5 together on the back of the garmin with a small bit of cable, i found a small length of the copper wire from an ethernet cable worked best, but is a pain to get in and out and <S> you have ot <S> take it out to sync with computer <S> or it just doesnt recognise the computer. <A> I can confirm that the garmin 910XT watch is also able to be recharged while recording an activity, the display changes to charging & its % <S> so no information, the Garmin 500 cant be recharge as it will reset any activity unless there is a setting that I haven't seen. <A> I charge mine when on very long bike rides - but when the external power source also dies the Garmin automatically powers down unless you tap the X on the screen. <S> Really wish that Garmin would use bigger batteries!!! <A> Yes, it can. <S> I just did 200 mile ride and <S> my Garmin Edge 800 charged fine when I plugged in my power brick after about 9 hours while riding. <S> Charged it right up <S> and I lost no data.
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I just tried to plug it into an external battery that will charge phones and the Garmin 500, but the Garmin will not operate while plugged in and charging. Just verified that the 510 can be attached to power while on/in use. Also worth noting, the 510 will go into a different mode when you plug it into a computer. I have an external battery pack which I used on day-long back-country rides in the alps and could plug it in whilst on a chairlift or at a bar without interrupting the tracking. a normal sync cable will not work you need a special charge cable, not content with paying the £12 for a usb cable for this particular use, i made my own by cutting the head off a normal lead and attaching a new head on it readily available off ebay for a few £. as far as i understand it all garmins will charge off any cable/charger combination except for the Edge 500...
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Worth it carrying spare spokes? Truing a wheel and lacing spokes is a big deal, requires a truing stand and everything. I know some do it without tool just with the spoke wrench and the naked eye, but feels like a big deal to me. When one breaks a spoke, I believe it is safe to say the wheel is out of true within a few meters. The question therefore is: is it worth it carrying spare spokes when touring longer distances (200+ km)? <Q> It's pretty easy/light to carry around a couple extra spokes per wheel and a pretty good idea for a long tour. <S> You'll probably need a few different lengths though for the front, rear left, and rear right sides. <S> Another good option is to carry an emergency fiberfix spoke that can be used with most wheels, which will help in an emergency. <S> http://www.amazon.com/FiberFix-Emergency-Spoke-Replacement-Kit/dp/B001GSMQZC <S> You may want to work on your skills with truing a wheel without a stand as well. <S> You can use a couple zip ties on your seat stays in place of a truing stand. <S> Just make sure you are comfortable with this process before you go on the road, and don't forget your spoke wrench. <S> You may need a cassette tool / chain whip as well if you need to replace a spoke on that side of the rear wheel. <A> Truing a wheel and lacing spokes is a big deal, but even a novice like me can replace a spoke and get it good enough to ride if a single spoke breaks. <S> Spokes are light and can be slipped down the edge of a bag or taped to a tube. <S> Things are made a little more complicated if the broken spoke is next to your disc or cassette. <S> If so you may not have space to lace the new one in. <S> In that case you'll need the tools and expertise to remove the disc or cassette too. <S> I've heard you can often get away without a spoke or two if you adjust the adjacent ones (loosen on opposite side to broken one, tighten on same side). <S> This isn't a long-term solution, but may be good enough to get you home. <A> You want definitely want to be able to replace a broken spoke or nipple while on tour, as riding a wheel missing a spoke any significant distance, especially with the bike fully loaded, can stress other spokes and lead to cascading failures. <S> By Murphy's law, any such failure is guaranteed to happen at the maximum possible distance from a bike store. <S> You don't need to get the wheel perfectly trued, just in decent enough shape that it isn't interfering with your brake pads. <S> Just tighter or loosen the new spoke until the wheel's aligned. <S> You can keep a few spokes and nipples jammed up your seatpost with a ball of tape or the like. <A> When I was a student, I used to re-lace and true wheels using the bike upside-down as the truing stand. <S> When touring, I carry a few spare spokes, and true by eye. <S> It's better than riding a loaded bike on a twisted wheel. <A> It depends on the tour length. <S> It seems worthless to me to take them for three hours of riding in local park/forest (as pretty much anything beside multitool, purse and hydropack), but good idea for whole day length trip trough the desert.
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Unless you have a really low spoke count (which seems unlikely on a tour), breaking a single spoke shouldn't make the wheel unrideable and replacing the spoke can improve things and prevent them from getting worse.
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Are there pedals that are both flat and cleated on each side? I use the same bike for commuting, fast lunch-time rides, and not-very-fast weekend touring. I recently switched from flat pedals to clipless (Shimano PD-M520) but am finding them impractical on my commute - too much clipping in and out, for no obvious gain. I figure a good compromise would be pedals that are part-clipless, part-flat, but all the options I have come across so far (such as the Shimano M324) seem to be flat strictly on the one side and SPD strictly on the other, meaning I'll have to flip the pedal over even when wearing ordinary shoes. Is there a pedal that can be used as a flat pedal on both sides, and as an SPD ideally on both sides too but otherwise on just the one? <Q> I have been using these on MTB and commuting since year 2000 <S> and I think they would fit your needs. <S> The are easy to Clip In an out, but the cage provides very good support when used with regular shoes. <S> I have commuted with those kind of pedals using Tennis shoes, flip-flops and even Office Shoes (with rubber soles). <S> I have used hiking shoes to MTB with them and with good performance. <S> There are other similar like the Shimano PD-M647. <S> My father used them too with regular running shoes in light XC riding for years until I convinced him that platforms would be cheaper and more comfortable (He would never use clips). <S> Another Solution for you are these platforms that attach to the clipless mechanism, converting your regular clipless pedals into platforms. <S> http://problemsolversbike.com/products/deckster_clipless_pedal_adapter . <S> You need to buy extra cleats because the platform adapter dos not include it. <S> This kind of solution would be a little cumbersome as you would have to install the platforms for commuting days and remove them for performance riding. <S> I'm pretty sure that a skilled machinist with the right tools can craft a DIY version of these, that has a cleat-like shape incorporated <S> so it has a flatter profile. <S> (I have this project in my bucket list) <S> Finally a tip: <S> your complaint about too much clipping/unclipping makes me think that it is (still) kind of difficult for you to do so, but it shouldn't. <S> As you get more practice, clipping in and out becomes so natural that you won't be counting how many times you do it. <S> Second, adjusting the mechanism tension to a lower setting makes it easier to pull out of it. <S> Personally, I use mine in the lowest possible setting but I don't have unexpected release issues, and I constantly lift the bike by pulling both pedals up. <A> I had a pair of Shimano PD-M545 s. <S> They were OK, but not very comfy in flip flops. <S> There's also the PD-M424 & PD-M647 <A> I'm a total convert when it comes to clipless pedals now to the extent that riding without my feet clipped in feels unnatural. <S> The clipping in and out will become second nature before long and you won't notice it. <S> If you are wanting to have the option either way though I would definitely recommend the single sided pedals over the caged SPDs (like the m545s mentioned). <S> The cleat is raised in the centre of the cage and is uncomfortable to ride any distance with normal shoes. <A> I use Shimano M324 pedals on my commuter <S> so I can clip in or ride without special shoes. <S> It works great on 4 different pairs of shoes with SPD cleats. <S> One side has a cleat, the other side is flat. <S> Product Link: <S> http://www.amazon.com/Shimano-PD-M324-Clipless-Clip-Pedals/dp/B001AT33CW/ <S> I prefer the 2 separate sides vs dual sided for the reason that dual sided pedals tend to be uncomfortable on longer distances due to the cleat mechanism being present when riding with non-clipless shoes. <S> This model also doesn't seem to have the issue of the cleat mechanism being too recessed and causing trouble clipping in with some shoes, since it does not have to accommodate both types of footwear on each side. <A> Perhaps not the answer you want, <S> but I vote to persevere with the flip pedals. <S> If you can accustom yourself to the flipping, you'll have a better platform for ordinary shoes and no restrictions on what bike shoes you can use. <S> I like my Time All-Road Grippers <S> and now I'm properly used to them, I can hop on and ride without thinking.
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The only care you must take for serious riding is that the shoe must have good sole texture, so it kind of grabs the center of the pedal and has good grip to the cage, because they are less safe than plain platform pedals. I think the most approximate thing, at least on Shimano is the Shimano PD-M424, which is a clipless pedal with a resin cage, or the Shimano PD-M545 which is the same but with an alluminum cage.
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What can I do to help me sustain frequent long-ish rides? After nearly a year of commuting by bicycle to and from work 2-3 days per week, I have recently started cycling to work every day, 5 days a week, rain or shine. My commute is about 11-15 miles each way (depending which route I take), including some steep hills (followed by stop signs, so I don't even get the benefit of coasting down-hill). I obtained a new road bike of decent quality along with reasonable quality clipless shoes, gloves, shorts, a jersey, and a heart rate monitor. I am not very physically fit (5'9" 200 lbs), but improving. Now 2 weeks into daily commuting plus occasional weekend riding, I am feeling very sore and fatigued and can barely sustain 80% of the effort I was achieving at the start. What should I eat (and when should I eat it) to help me sustain this effort, yet also help me lose weight and improve my physical fitness? Is it important to ride at a relatively low effort level, keeping my heart rate in the base zone, or should I occasionally push it into aerobic endurance or even anaerobic zones? What heart rate(s) should I aim for? What cadence should I try to maintain? Any advice from experienced commuters in a similar position would be greatly appreciated. <Q> Just keep at it. <S> The human body is very adaptable and you'll soon get fitter. <S> Don't worry too much about food and nutrition at the moment, that only matters when you're cycling at a competitive level, you just need to make sure you've had breakfast before you ride in the morning. <S> Regardless of cycling/weight loss you should try and eat a healthy balanced diet anyway. <S> Don't worry about heart rate and zones. <S> At the moment you just need to get to the level where you can comfortably manage 5 days riding. <S> This will come naturally. <S> Its hard at the start (as you are experiencing) <S> but it will get easier every week. <S> In a month or two you will be able to manage the ride no problems and only then should you think about pushing your performance. <S> That's when the heart monitor is useful. <A> I think you need more rest. <S> It's easy to forget that you don't get fitter and stronger during exercise, but when your body recovers after exercise. <S> By rest <S> I mean whatever ordinary daily activity that you're already accustomed to. <S> Maybe a short walk to shops, daily chores whatever is normal for you. <S> If you're especially worn out, then a bit of extra sleep can work wonders in my experience. <S> It will depend on the rest of your lifestyle, but aim to take at least one, but ideally 3, days off between cycling. <S> YMMV, <S> but I find this is how long it takes for the aches to subside after some unusual exercise. <S> If you absolutely must get fit super-fast, then at least switch to another form of exercise on "rest" days. <S> Swimming for example should give your legs a rest. <A> My commute is also ~15 miles. <S> Certainly don't worry about that heart monitor (not for commuting at least). <S> Try not to eat any processed flours (including bread!) <S> . <S> My breakfast is whole oats soaked in milk with nuts, berries, and whatever else you fancy. <S> For the ride home <S> it's important to get that same carb boost before you ride home <S> (I eat 300-400 calories worth about 20-30 minutes before I ride). <S> That's where I personally eat the most. <S> It's easy to down plenty of unchecked calories. <S> You're suppose to be hungry sometimes. <S> Don't eat at the first pang of hunger.
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I admire your motivation and the effort you're putting in, if you don't get enough rest in between exercise, it may actually take longer to get fit (and be more painful). I don't eat during these rides (no need, if you fuel up beforehand). To lose weight you'll need to control what you eat during the day at work and after work once you get home.
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Can fresh hot asphalt damage slicks? Today I was riding with my road bike when I suddenly hit a patch of hot asphalt. The day before the one side of the road was already filled with a hard first load, so I didn't think much of riding along there again. Also there was traffic on the other side, so I didn't think about going to the left. After maybe 50 meters I felt that there was a sluggish kind of noise and there was steam rising from the ground. The wheels looked fine as I checked them after the ride, but may they have suffered some substantial damage (security risk)? <Q> I don't think so - I've ridden over 1/4 mile stretches of freshly poured asphalt with no apparent damage to my tires. <S> The asphalt is around 300 degrees F when it leaves the plant, but it will have cooled to 200 degrees or less by the time it's open to traffic (water will stand on the surface without boiling, so it's definitely below 212F) <S> Further, unless you're stopped, your tire has a very short contact period with the hot road. <S> A typical road bike tire has a circumference of around 80 inches, and at 5mph, it will be rotating at about 1 revolution per second. <S> If your contact patch is 2 inches long, that means each part of the tire is in contact with the hot road for only 2/80 = 25 milliseconds before having almost a second to cool off in the airflow. <S> 25 milliseconds is about 1/10th the duration of a typical blink of the eye. <S> Or, to look at it another way, each part of the tread only spends about 2.5% of the time in contact with the pavement and 97.5% of the time exposed to air. <S> The hot asphalt definitely has more "give" than cooled asphalt, so it will feel a bit spongy under your tires, but that's not because your tires are melting. <S> it's super slippery if you hit a wet patch or ride over an iron plate before the oil wears off the tire's surface. <A> Hot asphalt can be in the neighborhood of 200F, and contains some fairly volatile oils. <S> It's probably safe to ride a few hundred feet on the stuff, but I'd avoid anything longer, especially with lightweight tires. <A> I don't think the heat will damage your tires much <S> but there is another problem that I experienced a few times. <S> On hot patches of asphalt (either newly placed, or just on a hot day in full sunlight) your wheels can pick up a bit of sticky asphalt. <S> This asphalt patch in turn picks up small pieces of debris from the road and that is where the trouble starts. <S> Sharp rocks or pieces of glass stuck in one place on the riding surface of your tire will slowly bore their way through the outer tube and into the inner tube causing a hard to fix flat. <S> Removing sticky asphalt from your tires is difficult when you are on the road though unless you carry paint solvents with you. <S> What I usually do is scrape as much of the asphalt off and then press some fine sand or dirt that I checked for sharper bits on the patch. <S> Usually the sand/asphalt mixture wears off quickly without lasting damage. <A> Racing slicks are delicate depending on your brand/quality, but I wouldn't throw them up against any type of weird surface or material. <S> When in doubt, walk it out. <A> I would be much more worried about something like the famous Beloki crash in the TdF ten years ago.
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I'd be a little more worried about the fresh oils on the surface of the asphalt, the oil might degrade your tires if in contact for a long time, and
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Are single-speed bikes better equipped to handle cog/chain wear? I need to decide between a single-speed and multiple-speed bike. I usually ride multiple-speed mountain/city bikes in the highest gear anyway (around town). They're not intended for that, and doing so will wear out those cogs faster than the other unused ones. But I assume that single-speed parts are designed with this more in mind? Ignoring the other pros and cons of single-speed bikes : Is it better for the long-term to get a single-speed bike; or is there no significant difference in the longevity of the cogs, chain, and so on? (Of course it will depend on the quality of the actual parts and how they're used, but let's assume that all parts are from a good, original equipment manufacturer , and are used for daily commuting, ~30min.) <Q> I'd transform the comparison between single-speed vs. multi-speed (derailer) to SINGLE-CHAINLINE (single, fixed, or internal-geared-hub) <S> vs derailed (assumed always multi-speed). <S> Then, there are ONLY advantages for the single-chainline bike: <S> Overall material is thicker. <S> Chainline is usually away from the rear wheel. <S> On the other hand, the lower gears of a derailed bike make the chain get very close to the rear tire and get more dirt ( <S> MUCH more dirt in case of a fat-tired knobby mountain bike slowly building up mud during an off-road climb in the granny gear). <S> The chain doesn't catch so much road grime, (because) in the other hand, derailed bikes literally rub the chain against cogs in order to shift. <S> Also, the cogs that ARE NOT being used keep exposing their oiled surface to the elements, gathering dust and putting it in contact with the chain as soon as it is shifted to that gear again. <S> The chain is always in line, so theoretically there is an even stress on the pin/inner-plate working surface <S> , that's where the wearing happens after all. <S> It takes at least double the time, work and cleaning materials to clean a derailer drivetrain compared to single. <S> As already said, a single-chainline drivetrain can be enclosed. <S> Single-chainline usually won't skip when you install a new chain. <S> So, I would say that for COMMUTING or for utility use in general, a single-geared or internally-geared bike are excelent choices. <S> I have both setups and don't regret. <S> I don't regret giving up gears in my fixie because it is lightweight and efficient, and I can go fast if I want, and go up most hills if I want (of course not at high speed then). <S> And I don't regret throwing some serious money for an internally geared hub, because the original cog lasted for at least 20 thousand kilometers, and I saved A LOT of tinkering with the drivetrain (such as cleaning, adjusting, and replacing parts). <S> Hope this helps! <A> I am not sure if you fancy that, but with single speed setup, you can potentially better shield chain from dust and elements, which can prolong the life of drive train significantly. <S> Also, single speed sprockets and chain rings can potentially be made of more solid material than multispeed variants, which are now days mostly done out of Aluminium to make them lighter but also to allow for more complicated shapes and machining required to ease shifting. <A> I can't really debate whether your drivetrain will have less wear. <S> However, the symptoms of wear are much less pronounced on a single speed drivetrain (assuming you are not using a tensioner). <S> You're just not going to get the same chain skipping / jumping issues you would on a derailleur system. <S> The same thing is applicable to internally geared hubs. <S> It's still important to check your chain for wear and replace as needed. <S> Keep in mind, a worn chain is going to keep wearing down your drivetrain. <S> However, it's not going to really suffer much in terms of performance degradation until everything is really worn. <S> Also, see Sheldon's comments on extending single speed chain land sprocket life by using even numbered cogs and chainrings. <A> I used to have single-speed commute bike. <S> Then switched to 9-speed setup for commuting. <S> I find no significant difference in lifespan of chains and chainrings. <S> This means your chain is never bent. <S> But most of the times chains die by getting stretched. <S> And equally good chains will get stretched the same way on a single-speed or multi-gear setup. <A> TBH, I don't think it matters much anymore, modern geared equipment is soo good <S> it just keeps working regardless. <S> My work commuter bike has done 3 years on the same 7 speed setup. <S> It doesn't change as smoothly as my weekend road bike, but I don't need it to. <S> If you want longevity from a Fixed Drive Chain I would say get a decent Stainless Sprockets for both front and rear, and get larger sprockets as this spreads the wear. <S> I got some surly kit and it done about 3 winters with it <S> and it isn't massively worn.
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On the other hand, the need to pack a lot of gears in a cassette requires that the cogs are relatively thin, and so the chain, and that means wearing out faster. As already been noted, I would not take into account chain-wear when choosing between single or multi-speeded bikes. The obvious advantage of single-speeder is constant nearly perfect chainline.
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What does "claiming the lane" mean? If one is "claiming the lane" does that mean: a) they simply ride on the street (i.e. on the left side of the lane in the US, Germany, France, ..) or b) they are riding in the middle of the lane, with someone else side by side, or some other way that they take over most of the lane width? or C) Another definition? <Q> b) is most correct, except that you don't need anyone else by your side. <S> Taking the lane is riding pretty much right in the middle of the lane, and asserting control of the entire lane. <S> Riding in the middle makes it obvious to motorists that they'll have to change lanes, or wait for a safe opportunity, in order to pass you. <A> Yep, I'll agree. <S> To "claim your lane" you ride roughly in the middle of the lane, though precisely where depends on the situation. <S> And vice-versa when in a left-hand turn lane. <S> The idea is to not give the motorist any impression that you are intending to share the lane with an automobile. <S> Of course, there are many more times when it's safe to "share" the lane to a degree, such that the motorist does not need to completely change lanes to pass you. <S> This is the polite thing to do when conditions permit. <S> It requires some judgment. <A> References - Effective Traffic Riding (British Cycling), Cyclecraft <S> There are two cycling positions - primary position ("taking the lane") and secondary position. <S> These positions are relative to the moving traffic lane : a moving traffic lane - that part of the carriageway along which through traffic is moving at the present time . <S> It is a dynamic concept, changing continually with place and traffic conditions. <S> A moving traffic lane meanders past parked vehicles and other obstructions, and does not necessarily coincide with any markings on the surface. <S> The primary position ("taking the lane") is in the centre of the moving traffic lane (the blue arrow in the picture below). <S> It should be your normal riding position. <S> The secondary position is about 1 metre to the left (right in the US, etc) of the moving traffic lane but no closer than 0.5 metres to the edge of the road. <S> The secondary position should be used when it will help others without impairing your own safety (e.g. wide roads where it is safe for drivers behind to overtake you).
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Eg, if you're in a right-hand turn lane, "claiming your lane" is best accomplished by riding near the left-hand edge of the lane. Adopting the primary position makes it easier for drivers to see you and also prevents drivers from overtaking you.
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How do I tighten up my headset? I've got an old bike with a quill stem, and the headset arrangement has a nut, and a textured lock ring. I presume I should tighten with a combination of a spanner and mole grip. Is a mole grip the right tool for the job? <Q> I believe this style is meant to be tightened by hand. <S> To tighten, start by tightening the knurled/textured upper race a little harder than you intend it to be once you're done. <S> Next, add the washer and screw on the locknut as hard as you can without tightening the race any more than it already is. <S> Too tight and you may damage the races and need a new headset. <S> Then whilst holding the locknut still with a spanner, unscrew the race by hand as hard as you can. <S> The idea is to be it clamped against the locknut so neither can move. <S> You may need to experiment with how tight you start to get the right tightness at the end. <S> PS. <A> Daniel is right. <S> You might need to back off and try again a few times to get the load right <S> so it turns freely but without play. <A> I'll add that anything hand tight will come loose fairly soon. <S> As the knurled race loosens it will start to damage itself an/or the ball bearings and cause sloppy handling and steering. <S> I'm not saying that you want to torque the race down to the fork, but up against the lock nut as @alex suggests: <S> Then whilst holding the locknut still with a spanner, unscrew the race by hand as hard as you can. <S> The idea is to be it clamped against the locknut so neither can move. <S> My point is that "by hand as hard as you can" won't be good enough. <S> You will need a tool that can grip the knurled race evenly. <S> A pair of slip-joint adjustable pliers which are the right size will work. <S> You want to be able to get both sides of the pliers parallel with each other when gripping the race. <S> Anything less will potentially slip and cause damage to the knurled surface. <S> You might even be able to get a pair with plastic covers over the teeth to protect whatever you are gripping. <S> About mole grips or locking pliers for us in the US ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locking_pliers ) <S> I've never found a pair that were large enough to do this. <S> Also, you lose the hand feedback that regular pliers give you. <S> You won't know when the race is about to slip until its too late. <A> I just had some success by using an old innertube to get a MUCH better grip on the "knurled ring"-on my bike this ring is not knurled, it just has a bunch of straight edges but nothing really wrenchable.
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If you tighten the knurled ring by hand, but not quite as hard as it will go, then use a large spanner to tighten the locknut down against it, which will tighten the race slightly more, you won't need any sort of pliers (or, less likely to damage anything, a strap wrench). Mole grips are almost always the wrong tool.
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Will a bike stand that holds one wheel damage my bike? I have a similar bike stand to this at home: I'm happy putting my wife's and my commuter in it but worried that it will damage the wheels of my XC bike if left in there for long periods. Can wheels get damaged if there is prolonged pressure on a group of spokes? <Q> I'm guessing from the way you worded this "pressure on a group of spokes" that there is in fact pressure on spokes when you put your CX bike in this rack. <S> Assuming that, then yes, this rack can cause damage to the wheel. <S> The most likely issue you would have is that the wheel would go out of true <S> and you'd have to true it up. <S> My bigger concern would be your CX bike getting bumped when another bike is being put in/taken out. <S> With the spokes already hitting, you could now bend one or more spokes and the truing process just got a lot harder. <S> That said, I've racked my bikes in racks where there was a bit of pressure on the spokes for short periods without issue. <S> Long term, you may want to find a better spot for the CX. <S> it just needs to be wide enough. <A> I'd be concerned if you you were hooking your trusty XC bike up to a public rack that looked like that, not only would it be nearly impossible to secure your frame to it <S> but I'd fear someone would come along and indeed damage something, even unintentionally while wrestling their bike free from the same rack. <S> But at home? <S> It depends on how long you plan to leave it there or whether or not it's actually leaning on just a spoke or two. <S> One night at a time? <S> Probably not worth worrying about. <S> Leaving it there for an entire season or two? <S> I probably would skip the risk by leaning it against a wall in a safe spot. <A> In my experience, these kind of racks do get the wheel out of true, especially if a) there is too much clearance between the wheel and the supports b) <S> your frame is heavy.
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Directly answering your question though, a stand that only holds one wheel can do so without damaging the bike... I would avoid using them particularly in outside windy environments.
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A bike for city commute - disc brakes, bar-end shifters, tires I'm planning on buying a bike for city commute. My commute to work is approximately 12km (7.5 miles) one way. I live in Vancouver which means: I'll be riding in rainy weather frequently. I'll be going up and down hills. I'll be going through lots of intersections (meaning lots of stopping and starting again). And I'll be commuting mostly during the rush hour. Here are a few questions: Since I'll be riding in rainy weather: a) should I get a bike that has disc brakes? I read somewhere that they behave better than rim brakes. b) should I get a bike that has hydraulic vs wire brakes? Since I'll be going up and down hills, I'll be changing gears. Are bar-end shifters the best choice for this type of riding? Or are they meant for rides where the gears don't change often. What kind of tires should I be looking for? I figure (intuitively) thinner tires are faster, but since I'll be riding in rainy weather should I opt for thicker tires (more surface area)? Is there any other thing I should be looking into? <Q> For a city commuter bike, don't bother with disk brakes - go for simple rim brakes. <S> You'll want the reliability over all else. <S> You don't need disks for most types of road cycling, as the limiting factor for grip is likely to be your tyre anyway. <S> As regards shifters, go with whatever is comfortable for you. <S> I like the combination of brakes and gear levers in the same unit, as you don't need to take your hands off the brakes to change gear. <S> This is very useful in traffic. <S> I would also recommend <S> touring tyres - offroad tyres lose too much power through rolling resistance, but you want tyres wide enough that you have some comfort and puncture resistance. <S> You could also look into self sealing tyres. <A> Disc brakes perform better in wet weather. <S> If you choose rim brakes, aluminum rims offer a better braking surface than carbon rims. <S> Hydraulic brakes adjust for pad wear and both pads move inwards to press against the disc surface. <S> Mechanical brakes push one pad (usually the outer one) onto the disc, and the disc has to flex to touch the other pad. <S> "Brifters" (brake and shifters) are easier to use. <S> I've ridden with bar-end shifters and like its simplicity. <S> More surface on wet roads = <S> less grip. <S> Choose a wide tire that offers some cushion, but also offers little rolling resistance. <S> Some kind of protection against punctures is welcomed. <A> Generally you should try the bike, and see if how it feels, including using the components feels good to you, if not look for something else. <S> If you will be riding no matter what the weather is, I would recommend looking for bike that has internal hub brakes, a full chain-case (which with gearing would normally require hub gears too), and full mud guards (fenders). <S> With a setup like this, the weather will cause few problems to your bike and it requires a lot less cleaning and maintenance. <S> Normally a set up like this is found on the classic roadster/dutch style bikes, you will not normally get as fast on a bike like this, but if you take your time you are not going to get sweaty and wont need to change clothes at the end of your commute. <S> Over 7 miles the slower ride will add very little time to your commute. <S> The problem with a heavier bike like this could be the hills. <S> There are lighter bike with more "sporty" geometry that are available, with the features I mentioned earlier. <S> The hard part may be finding a shop that sells this type of bike near you to try it and see if feels good for you. <S> Another thing to consider would be lighting, for the type of bike you mention, I am presuming you would use detachable lights which run on batteries for cycling when dark. <S> For a simple day to day bike a hub driven dynamo which power both front and back lights is a good consideration. <A> You might find more general commuter bike buying, and bicycle commuting advise in these questions: <S> What do you wish someone had told you before your first commute? <S> Bicycle for 2 <S> x 30mins commute <S> My general advise for your specific points would be: <S> Rain IMHO means you want fenders, unless you enjoy turning up at work with mud (or worse) all over your face. <S> If you can afford them, and you can park your bike somewhere safe both at home and at work <S> then go for it. <S> Otherwise, V-brakes are almost as good wrt stopping power and durability. <S> Maintenance wise you might consider an internally geared hub rather than a derailler. <S> Any shifter that will at least allow you to keep your hands on the steering wheel will do. <S> A little wider and some threading is enough in most commute situations. <A> If you mean Vancouver, BC, I live to the south of you between Tacoma and Seattle and commute 7 miles one-way up and down hills year-round. <S> I use a steel touring bike with a front triple and wide gearing on the rear, though I really only use the granny for hills on longer touring rides. <S> No bar-ends for me in commuting. <S> I need to change gears too often and in traffic. <S> I like drop bars with brifters where I have my hands in position to make any speed/gear adjustment without taking my hands off the bar or my eyes off the road. <S> Bar-end shifters are cheaper and easier to repair/replace, so I guess that why some touring riders like them. <S> I've got cartridge pad cantilevers, but would probably have bought discs if I could have found them on the right bike (fit and price). <S> But... the cantilevers are a breeze to maintain. <S> Wet weather commuting takes a toll on them, even if you have the time and place to clean the bike. <S> With cartridge pads, replacing pads is usually a 10 minute job and requires no cable adjustment. <S> So I replace chains 2-3 times a year and a cassette every other year. <S> I wouldn't commute on anything narrower than the 28's, unless all your roads are smooth. <S> Fenders? <S> Yes, full fenders to keep some of the crud off you and your bike.
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Disc brakes usually mean more expensive bikes and slightly less maintenance. Internal hub would be nice, but I wasn't willing to pay for wide enough gearing for the hills. I ride 700x28 or 700x32 puncture-guard tires, but I'm looking at a Conti' 700x37 winter tire for the next cold, rainy season.
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BMX gearing - for road / commuting I have a 2010 Haro Pro Race, which I bought for commuting and general tomfoolery. I commute on it 2 miles a day, and I want to be able to go faster by changing the current single-speed gearing ratio. It currently has no modifications from the standard gearing: Crankset: 3-pc Alloy 175mm, Euro Sealed Bearing BB Gearing: 39/14 I find that I can go quite fast with this gearing ratio, but when it comes to going down hill it is just too easy and I no longer get any drive. Can someone suggest a better gear ratio / crankset that is more aimed for top speed, rather than acceleration, yet still allow me to accelerate from a standstill quite quickly? <Q> what spacing is the is the rear hub? <S> I bought an s2c recently to commute on my track bike, two speed internal geared hub with a gain of 38% but it might be over kill for yourself. <S> Given your setup you have a gearing of about 55inches, if you were to switch out the rear cog to a 12 tooth you would gain 5inches, bring you to around 60 which is considered a fairly spinny ratio on a track bike. <S> Easiest way is to switch is the back free wheel. <S> However it seems the lowest freewheel available is 13 tooth <S> so you are limited. <S> You could get a new chainring up front which would achieve the same but may need to buy a new chain too. <A> This question isn't as straight forward as you might think. <S> A larger front ring and/or smaller rear cog will get you a larger gear ratio <S> and you'll have higher top speed. <S> Furthermore, the highest gear at which you can accelerate from a standstill is going to depend greatly on your physical fitness. <S> If you do replace something, you don't necessarily have to replace the whole crankset. <S> You can just replace the chainring with a bigger one. <S> That'll be a lot cheaper. <S> You might also be able to swap out the freewheel, which may be even cheaper. <A> Here is an easy gear ratio chart, it will give you a calculation and you can compare it to other sizes that will give you a good gauge to see what you might want to try: bmxultra.com Gear Ratio Chart . <S> I grew up with the 16t rear so my calculations always go relative to that row. <S> Usually BMX racing starts at 45:16, which is really close to what you have at 39:14, and goes up from there. <S> I raced with a 46:16 and never wished for a larger front. <S> This would be about a 40 for you with a 14t rear. <S> If I remember correctly, Fuzzy Hall used a 48:16, and I have seen 53, but that was for a guy on a half pipe to pedal in the flats. <S> Freestyle gears are set about 44:16, which is just between 38 and 39 on a 14t and then go down, I ride 36:14 on my street bike, and although it pedal more to go the same speed, I go as fast as I need to go, but with the advantage of shorter strokes to get up on rails in tight spots. <S> The moral of the story is, you will need to learn what you like for different purposes. <S> This will reduce the overall weight due to less metal, it will also reduce the chances of busting your sprocket or chain since you will have smaller parts making them harder to hit. <S> You will find more parts are being made for the 9t rear, which is another incentive to go smaller. <S> You might also want to keep different chains with each sprocket so you dont need to remove or add links. <S> You might even want to swap the gears out on a daily basis depending on what you are riding that day, cross town? <S> use the 41, skatepark? <S> swap out to the 39.
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Get a 40t front, maybe even try a 41, and since you have a chain-ring rather than a sprocket, you can replace them pretty quick and cheaper. However, the larger your gear ratio is, the slower you'll be able to accelerate from a standstill. My son has 9t rear cassette, and if you are willing to spend the money, you might consider going smaller front AND rear. Find what you like and keep your old parts so that if you go too big, you can always go back.
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Is there anything I can do to prevent snakebites (pinch flats)? Riding in an urban setting, I've lost two tubes in the last week to snakebites, and it's easily the most common way for me to get a flat. I've got Gatorskin treads, which help prevent standard punctures, but don't seem to do much (read: anything) for snakebites. Wheel set is extremely similar to the Mavic Ellipse , i.e., very thin. Other than avoiding potholes/curbs/edges*, is there anything that I can do to cut down on this? Some more information for those interested: Wheel set is the Mavic Ellipse, whoops - previous owner removed all identifying labels, probably as a theft deterrent. Here's the only tag left on the tire: Tubes are 700x23, sometimes I cram a 700x25 in there I inflate "until it feels good," usually ~110/115 psi, tire feels hard and there's no give if I push on it, usually bounces almost as high as the height I drop it from Rider weight ~190lbs *Yesterday I got bit by a patch of gravel. Seriously. Also, no chance in hell I'm trading these rims out. They cost more than a month's rent. Update: Yesterday's ride home So when I left work yesterday, I pumped my tires up to 145 psi as suggested by @freiheit, and it's embarrassingly obvious that I have not been putting enough air in my tires (as in, "holy crap, this is awesome, why didn't somebody tell me this sooner?"). The ride was a little bouncier, but my acceleration and top speed were significantly increased. That being said, I still got a flat about mile 7. Good news, it wasn't a snakebite, so that's nice for a change. Got home, put a new tube in and tried pumping to 150 psi, and the tire blew up*, and it failed suspiciously near the first flat. I didn't find anything in the tread (glass/nails/whatever) or any glaring defects/breaches, but the tread is pretty old and worn out at this point, so I ordered a new one. This of course, was before @amcnabb pointed out that those tires are slightly larger than the max recommended tire size for the wheelset. I'll update this once I get my new tire, but it looks like not enough air + old tire might have been the source of my troubles. *Especially embarrassing living in Watertown, MA, where my neighbors are pretty suspicious of loud noises right now. I got a few dirty looks. <Q> Use a pump with a pressure gauge instead of going by "feel". <S> Check the pressure more often. <S> The max pressure listed on the sidewall is a good starting point, but if you're already inflating to max psi, you may want to exceed it a bit. <S> It's likely you have a slow leak, and you're at a low inflation pressure by the time you get the snakebite. <S> Check the tires and rims very thoroughly for sharp bits, and use water submersion to check the tube for leaks, including the valve. <S> A fresh tube wouldn't hurt. <S> If your roadside inflation is with CO2 cartridges, be aware that CO2 leaks out faster, so you'll need to top off with air the next few days. <S> You may want to seriously consider buying a second wheelset with wider rims for urban riding with wider tires, and keep the narrow rims and tires for races and weekend rides. <A> The problem may be that your tires (700x23) are too wide for such narrow rims. <S> According to the manufacturer, on the "Features" tab for the Mavic Ellipse : Recommended tyre sizes: 18 to 22 mm <A> Already suggested is trying narrower tires. <S> Another theory I put forward is moving up to 25mm ( <S> According to Sheldon Brown Ok on this rims) would help - more volume means more load capability (for the same pressure). <S> Surely the same mechnaics is at play here - bigger tyre same pressure = <S> less snakebites. <S> Another thing to try is cheap tubes. <S> Sounds dumb till you consider they are made thick and heavy = more pinch resistance - it does defeat the purpose of running "1 month salary" rims tough. <S> Edit:.... <A> My experience tells me that if you are a commuter then you should consider wider rims/tires. <S> That said, I found Bontrager Hard Case were effective against pinch flats when I was using my road bike to commute: 23c rear, & 25c front. <S> (Don't say it.) <S> I used to be plagued by other types of flats on my road bike, but only in the rear. <S> I got so desperate I tried Airless tires, which btw suck - don't bother. <S> Also tried Slime tubes which were reasonably effective. <S> In part to test my wider-is-better-for-commuting theory I recently bought a crossover that uses <S> (hang on <S> while I go look) <S> Had it for oh at least 3 months. <S> I commute every day; take longer rides on the weekends, no flats yet! <S> My commute starts suburban & goes to urban <S> so I've had some teeth-jarring pothole bangs. <A> I never have "snake bites" in my road or ATB tubes <S> and I've been riding for over 40 years. <S> When you install a new tube, make sure the rim strip is centered. <S> Coat the new tube and the inside of the tire with baby powder (talc, not cornstarch). <S> Inflate the tube to about 30 psi. <S> Deflate. <S> (This removes any pinches.) <S> Inflate to the max and ride.
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Talcum powerder - I always rub a little on my tubes before installing - it lubricates the inetrface bettween the tire and tube. Inflate your tires to a higher pressure. You may find better success with narrower tires (or alternatively, wider rims), and as suggested by Daniel R Hicks, "the narrowest tube you can find that claims to fit your tire." I am not a roadie, but MTBer's go to bigger tires so they can run lower pressures without snakebites. Nimbus Flakjacket 28c tires front & rear which I mounted with liners & inflate to 120psi, 5psi under the recommended limit.
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Can a 10-speed mountain bike chain be used on a 10-speed road bike? I would like to use a Shimano Deore XT Chain CN-HG94 on my road bike. Are there any differences between roadbike chains versus mountain bike chains that prohibit this? Sample Road Bike Chains: Dura Ace CN-9000 Ultegra CN 6701 Sample Mountain Bike Chains: Deore XT CN-HG94 <Q> If you already have the mountain-specific chain, there's no harm in trying it. <S> And if the mountain-specific chain is far cheaper and you aren't picky about shifting performance, it will probably be adequate (but no guarantees). <S> The "mountain bike specific construction" of the HG-X chains seems to be as follows (quotes from Performance Bike , High on Bikes , Amazon , and Competitive Cyclist ): <S> "Dyna-Sys chains have 4 different types of outer plates that facilitate shifting up & down on the cassette or between chainrings." <S> "HG-X Chain uses a directional design with specifically shaped inner and outer plates to optimise shifting over the chainset and cassette. <S> Outer plate design has been developed to reduce the chance of chain suck. <S> The inner plate has been developed for better contact with gears providing smoother shifting under high load, giving efficient pedalling, increased rigidity and near silent running." <S> "Open design of inner links increase mud shedding ability." <S> "Mushrooming of the pins gives unsurpassed side-plate retention, enabling the chain to far exceed the BS/ISO standard for breaking force. <S> " <S> "Chain is optimised for Shimano 10-speed <S> HG-X MTB drivetrains only. <S> " <S> "Advanced pin riveting technology yields same strength as 9-speed Hollow-pin technology for lightweight Mud-shedding, off-road-specific design." <S> "Since the action of climbing up the ramps and pins from one chainring to another is slightly different from climbing up one cog to the next, Shimano chose to shape the left and right side plates differently to optimize the chain for each specific purpose." <S> Given the prevelance of the words "optimized performance" in product descriptions, I would conclude that using the "wrong" chain may affect performance, but it wouldn't cause failure. <S> This conclusion is bolstered by this report from a user who switched from HG-X to a non-Shimano chain (the opposite direction of what you're intending): <S> "Shifting under load up hills with the Connex is slightly less smooth than with Shimano's HGX chain, but it works just fine. <S> I'd say it's the same as Shimano's non-HGX chains or any other good top end chain. <S> This is for sure a nit-picky difference." <S> ( Cris LaBossiere ) <S> Of course, you'll never know for sure until you try it on your own bike and judge it by your own standards. <A> I am running a Roadbike with 105 set up 30 speed, a MTB XT RD 9 speed and a Deore 10 speed cassette along with 10 speed Ultegra chain. <S> All parts fairly new and brand new. <S> Even if the chain is perfectly aligned with the cassette and good clearance cassette/ RD, it runs noisy. <S> I suspect <S> the Brand new Roadbike Ultegra Chain 10 speed does not match perfectly the Brand new MTB Deore cassette 10 speed. <S> It works but its noisy. <S> (btw, the Ultegra Chain is for 3 chainrings syst, there is also a model optimized for two chainrings syst) <A> The chain compatibility will depend on your cassette. <S> I have two road bikes, one is a 9-speed Shimano, the other a 10 speed shimano. <S> I also have an MTB. <S> The MTB chain is considerably thicker and the cassette on the MTB considerably more spaced out allowing room for it. <S> My MTB chain would not fit either of my road bikes for that reason, it could not sit on a single cog on the cassette.
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Using the "approved" chain is probably better if all else is equal, and it may be worth a slightly increased cost for more peace of mind. I would not buy a chain unless it was specifically compatible with my cassette.
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Is a Racing-Bike making creaking noises a sign of equipment damage? Last Sunday I noticed that my bike makes creaking noises (similar the hull of a ship, but on bicycle scale - imagine a rat making the sound "creak"). It seems to me that this is related to stressing the bike frame, but I can't generate the creaking in a ready manner, and sometimes it goes away. It also isn't connected to pedaling or bike movement. I can't pin-point a source(like a screw or bolt, or shaft).It sometimes creaks when I just get on it, then I can ride 10 minutes without a sound.Still, this is a new sound to me, and I've and I wouldn't want something in my frame to crack when I'm doing 50 down hill and going into a curve.I've gained 6kg since I bought the bike, might the extra weight be a problem? Should I worry, or has someone experienced something similar before? <Q> I'm not gonna ding you with a "duplicate question", but see, eg, <S> Creaking from cranks/spindle. <S> How to fix? . <S> And there are several others. <S> Creaking is a fairly common problem and can be due to a number of causes: <S> The crank arms shifting on the crank axle. <S> (This is by far the most serious of the conditions, since, left untreated, it can result in expensive damage.) <S> The pedal threads creaking in the crank arms. <S> The bottom bracket cartridge shifting between the cups. <S> (Though this is more apt to make ticking or "ping!" noises than creaks.) <S> The handlebar. <S> The bar proper can shift in the tube and creak. <S> Wheels/spokes. <S> Very often "crossed" spokes will creak or go "ting" where they cross. <S> Seat/saddle. <S> Springs may creak, or any of several parts may move relative to each other. <S> Frame. <S> This is rare for a steel or aluminum frame, but may be more common with carbon. <S> Generally creaking from a steel frame would suggest imminent failure, but it's harder to say about the others. <S> The rider. <S> I know I creak more and more as I get older. <S> (And I actually do have a trick ankle that will audibly "tick" at times when I walk (loud enough for others to hear), though generally not when I'm riding.) <S> Stem in the headset. <S> Other than the frame and the crank arms, creaking is generally not a serious concern. <S> But it can drive you crazy. <A> My guess: Dirt between the rim and the spoke nipple . <S> My story: <S> My road bike began to crack last winter when I rode slower than usual because of the ice sheet on the streets. <S> I could locate to cracking to come from the rear of the bike and determined it to originate from the rear wheel , because it appeared with almost constant frequency while coasting, too . <S> I got my bike to the do-it-yourself bike repair shop of my university and stated my cause. <S> With this small scale motion , dirt may get in between the rim and the spoke nipple, causing loud cracking under the high tension and torsion . <S> This explains, why the dirt got in there in the cold season (temperature induced play), why it appeared at low speeds (more load on the individual spoke) and especially when cornering sharply (high torsion especially on the rear wheel). <S> My solution <S> : Some lubricant capable of creep (like WD40) applied to the spoke nipple and into the rim will allow the dirt to be pushed aside from the spoke nipple and into the rim where it does not bother anymore. <A> No dirt or damage was be found. <A> I had a similar issue and spend 2 months trying to pinpoint the issue. <S> The main places I would suggest checking are your cleats (assuming you are using them since you mentioned it was a race bike), Bolts on all connection points (handlebars, seat, etc) and then finally if none of those are out of place check the rear hub to see if it needs rebuilding. <A> When I had this problem, I pulled the cranks and bottom bracket off, cleaned them, then greased them liberally while putting it all back together. <S> This fixed my problem.
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If there is some play/looseness in the stem's insertion in a threaded headset, then the shifting weight/pull/push on the handlebars can cause vibrations that make it creak. All answers above were interesting - in the end I couldn't pinpoint the source of the creaking, but I gave my bike to a shop for a check-up, and they re-calibrated the spokes on both wheels, after which the creaking went away. My theory: One fellow road bike owner gave me the tip that because of the low temperatures and differing thermal expansion of the rim and the spoke, some play may appear at the spoke nipple. With lightweight bars there is a short tube-like stiffener glued over the center portion of the bar, to create a more robust mounting point for the stem clamp.
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Is cycling better than walking to lose weight? I want to lose weight. I commute to my office daily by walking 3 kilometers. If I buy a bicycle and use it for commuting (total 3 km daily), would it be better than walking? <Q> This research claims around walking 334 kilojoules of energy expended for a 1.6km walk Using the same 1.6km distance, if you cycled at 20km/h at 70watts (arbitrary but vaguely-plausible numbers), you would be involve around 20 kilojoules being "sent to the pedals". <S> Assuming you are about 20% efficient , that would be 100kilojoules burned For that distance, at a relatively leisurely pace, walking uses more energy. <S> However, there is more to it than that: <S> Cycling is a more efficient means of transport. <S> This means you could cycle a longer route to work, "burn more calories", and still get to work at the same time. <S> Then again, cycling has <S> it's drawbacks - it requires more supporting equipment (a bike being the main part, also things like a helmet, puncture repair kit, maybe lights, and of course somewhere to securely park the bike) .. <S> but really, the most important factor is doing something . <S> Maybe choosing cycling would mean you would spend months saving up the money before you even start? <S> Or maybe you'll enjoy cycling, and start going on longer rides, for fun? <S> Finally, remember the natural reaction to more exercise is simply "eat more". <S> It is hard and requires conscious effort to go against this (to increase exercise without eating more) <A> The rational side of me says that over the short distance you're talking about, walking would cost more energy than cycling. <S> The caveat here of course is how fast you walk. <S> However when I first got back on my bike (and I was pretty overweight), I started off cycling between the train station and my office. <S> It was something like 2 miles each way, and used to take maybe 10 or 15 minutes. <S> I did this twice a day, five days a week, and really started shedding the pounds. <S> I found this incredible, with such a small amount of time spent in the saddle. <S> And at the same time, I was eating the same things I always had. <S> The only thing I can think of was that my heart rate got sufficiently high when I cycled (never that high when I walked) that it kick-started my metabolism and burned fat. <S> How likely this theory is I have no idea, but there was no mistake what I saw on the scales. <A> It depends on how vigorously you walk or bike. <S> Like, this article looking at long-term weight change said people did better with "increases in moderately intense exercise, including biking, brisk walking, jogging, swimming and hiking — but not to slow walking (less than 3 miles per hour). <S> " <S> So, if you walk slowly, biking or walking quickly would be better. <S> Like @Daniel R Hicks suggested, you could also think about adding some distance to your commute. <A> In considering the efficiency of exercise with regard to weight loss, the variable which should be optimized is time . <S> If we put in some hours walking versus cycling, which is better use of our time? <S> The answer is: whichever you put your gut-busting effort into! <S> Leisurely cycling on a flat course for an hour will use less energy than a one hour race-walk. <S> Conversely, all-out cycling for an hour to go as far as possible in that time will beat a leisurely one hour stroll. <S> Either activity will make you fit and lean if you treat it as a sport, and train progressively to bring down your times. <A> It is also with noting that there will be diminished returnson both . <S> As your body gets used to one exercise it will become more efficient at performing it. <S> So eventually one activity will be better than another. <S> You might consider cross training and doing both on different days so your body does not get used to one.
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Both methods may use similar amounts of energy, but cycling will be faster.
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When is a child ready to switch from scooting to pedaling? Last year, we bought a child-sized bike and removed the pedals. My three-year-old has been using it as a push bike (a.k.a. balance bike, run bike, or scooter) and learning how to balance. The plan is that once she's ready, I'll put the pedals back on, but I won't be adding training wheels. However, I don't want to put the pedals back on before she's really ready because it would be a pain to take them back off again. She's now at the point where she can coast for about five seconds at a time, but she doesn't ride in a particularly straight line. She often asks for pedals, though I'm sure she doesn't appreciate the effort that will be required. How do I know when she's ready and it's time to put the pedals back on the bike? What specific goal can I give her to work towards (i.e., "When you can do XYZ, then you can have pedals")? Related question: What is the best method to teach a young child to ride? <Q> I did the same thing for my son when he was 2. <S> After a year and a half, he just "looked" ready. <S> I knew he could ride so <S> I had him try pedaling. <S> I have a short hill in the front yard and put him near the bottom. <S> He was determined to NOT ride properly, so after about 25 feet he "fell" off and said "SEE!! <S> I can't do it! <S> " <S> I laughed and said, "You did it almost all the way across the yard!" <S> Just then his mom came out and asked him to show her, and he jumped up and rode for a few minuets all by himself. <S> I made sure that the seat was set so that he could easily touch the ground with both feet at the same time so that if he got nervous he could just stand up, but it never got to that point. <S> He was 3.5 years and my girl was 3.75 years when they both learned to ride (I was a few weeks short of being 8 when I learned) <S> I don't think there is any magic rule to guide yourself with <S> , just look at her confidence and let that be your guide. <S> (PS: If you do put the cranks on and she just can not do it, you can always just take the pedals off rather than the whole crank set, that will save a lot of time!) <S> You can see the video of him a few months after he learned to ride at youtube here: <S> http://youtube.com/watch?v=fnb7uhC1J2Q <S> A few months BEFORE he learned to ride: http://youtube.com/watch?v=jfrz0Q6I_rw at age 8 when he learned a "Nothing": http://youtube.com/watch?v=CdOfmWYt9FQ <S> My girl when she learned: http://youtube.com/watch?v=vP6qio6LS78 <A> I have no experience with kids in that age, but I think the most important skill she can have is to cover a large enough distance without stepping the ground. <S> How much is "enough" is debatable, but there is sort of a "qualitative" difference between running with the aid of a scooter (long, but predictable, consecutive steps), and giving the scooter some momentum and then "gliding" with it while the legs do nothing. <S> This "do-nothing" phase, where the scooter is going balanced and well-controlled, and the kid has to lift/spred her legs so that they do not interfere, is a sign (in my opinion, be noted!) <S> that she requires the pedals, either to rest her feet, or mostly to keep the bike going FOREVER! <S> Hope that helps. <A> I found this article particularly enlightening. <S> The short takeaway is that balance is the most important thing (before direction) <S> Keep going until the balance is good and everything else will follow. <S> My wife and I are discussing at the moment the best time to get our kids onto balance bikes. <A> To me, sounds like your kid is ready. <S> It can be more difficult to steer the bike straight without pedals <S> so I would not read too much into that. <S> So go ahead and try the pedals. <S> Try that a few times just coasting then gradually build up the speed. <S> My daughter does not like to lose so she pedals and forgets about fears. <S> As your child gets better, add cones that she must steer around and so forth. <S> Hope this helps!
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Make sure she can touch both feet on the ground at the same time, and it really shouldn't be much different than what she is doing now. If your child has to much trouble pedaling (intimidated, not having fun), then I'd suggest moving to a spot with a minor gradient and point the bike down hill to make the coasting easier. For my daughter, 5, it helps to do a 'race' where I would start next to her and say ready, set, go.
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Is this an abnormal rate of spoke breakage? I just broke a spoke and this is the fourth spoke I've broken in the last 12 months. This one was very puzzling because it came at the very end of an easy 30 mile (48 km) ride. I was pedaling very slowly into my driveway when it snapped. All four have been on the drive side of the rear wheel. This is a Specialized Allez, one year old, with factory wheels. I weigh 175 lbs (79 kg) and ride about 2000 miles (3218 km) per year. Just recreational riding on good road surfaces. Is this an abnormal rate of breakage? And if it is an abnormal rate of breakage, what should I do about it? EDIT: I took the wheel into the LBS today. They didn't seem surprised by 4 broken spokes in a year, but everyone else is, so I'm going with everyone else. The mechanic checked the tension and they were all correct with one slight exception, so that's not the issue. The wheels are factory wheels and not exactly top flight. The spokes are 1.2 mm rather than 2 mm, so pretty thin. And they're 28 spokes per wheel, so that's cutting it even thinner from what I can gather. Rebuilding the wheels is $125 each, so that's just not worth it. I can find much better wheels for not much more, so I'm on Amazon looking at wheels while trying not to deplete my life savings. (What some people will pay for wheels boggles the mind.) I'll have them fix the spoke and check the tensioning so I can sell them and ride until I get replacements. Gotta buy the tools and learn to replace spokes and true wheels.... <Q> Yes, as the comments pointed out, this is abnormal. <S> The might be able to work with Specialized and get the wheel replaced completely. <S> Once at the LBS, have the mechanic inspect for any external factors (derailleur strikes, etc). <S> If they can't get it replaced, then I would either: (1) have the wheel completely rebuilt replacing at a minimum the spokes but taking a good look at the rim once it's disassembled... <S> as noted in the comments, it might be warped; or (2) buy a new wheel. <S> Having it rebuilt can often be pretty pricey and you can get a decent wheel these days for a couple hundred. <A> Since this is happening on the drive side, it would leave me to believe the spokes are loose. <S> They shouldn't have to rebuild the whole wheel; they should be able to test and inspect the wheel rather easily. <S> Since it keeps happening, one of the connectors the spokes are linking to the rim with might be faulty causing a different spoke to hold the brunt of the drive force. <S> You could feel around on the spokes pushing of pinching to see if you notice an difference in tension. <A> I put 40,000 miles on my Ksyium Elite wheels without ever even needing to true them, much less suffer a broken spoke. <S> OTOH, my second pair of these cracked the rim on the rear wheel around the valve hole with about 7,000 miles. <S> Fortunately this happened two weeks before the warranty expired.
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Check the spoke tensioning and overall wheel dishing; the wheel might be out of true with the spoke tension out of whack. I would make the attempt to take the wheel back to the LBS where you bought the bike.
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What happened to pumps? I'm an old-time bike rider who commuted to grad school every day for 3 years on a bicycle. Then after a 20+-year-long hiatus, started riding again with my son. I cannot figure out the fitting on the modern pumps. I can get some air in, but after several cases of the thing flying off or making an embarrassing leaking, whoosh sound with every stroke. Q: Are pumps with the old-style, screw-on fittings available anywhere anymore? Q: Is there a good reason I should appreciate the new fitting? <Q> There are two main standards: Schrader and Presta. <S> Schrader is the standard auto tire valve, while Presta is thinner and has a little knurled knob on top. <S> Most newer "floor pump" valves are "agnostic" and will fit either style without conversion, but some require flipping a gasket over inside the chuck or some such. <S> Floor pumps generally have a flip-lever valve where you press the valve on, then flip the lever up to lock the valve on. <S> Sometimes, if the tire is flat, you may need to press your thumb into the tire on the back side of the valve to keep the valve from sliding into the rim as you push the chuck on -- <S> if you don't then the chuck doesn't get on far enough. <S> Plus on some valves you may need to adjust the chuck by tightening a knurled fitting on the chuck, to compensate for gasket wear, etc. <S> And of course there are cheap pumps that won't work regardless. <S> Presta can be a little tricky. <S> You need to unscrew the knurled knob ALL THE WAY, then press the chuck on. <S> And I like to tap the unscrewed knob once to free the internal seal from its seat -- sometimes they stick, making it hard to get air in. <S> When you're finished filling a Presta, just tighten the knob barely finger tight, so as to not unnecessarily deform the seal. <A> I had a similar problem, and I heard someone else in my LBS with the same problem. <S> Back in the day, we had a pump where you put the pump head on the valve, pushed a little tab down, and then pumped. <S> But my current pump is the reverse: You put the pump head on the valve with the tab down, and then pull it up and out to pump. <S> So this is one thing to check for if your pump won't stay; maybe you're doing it backwards. <A> A good quality pump will rarely have issues like this. <S> You may have a very cheap pump, or you may have a pump which is designed for one of the other valve styles available. <S> There are a few threaded valve fittings, mostly on fairly high end pumps. <S> Lezyne and Scott Sports (Syncros) both make good pumps with threaded fittings which fit the 2 main valve types on European and US bike styles. <A> Answers so far seem to concentrate on floor pumps, but what I haven't seen recently is a full length frame <S> pump that uses a hose connector. <S> But 20+ years ago, that was fairly standard. <S> I'd recommend getting a floor pump for regularly keeping tyres topped up, but you still need a pump to take on the bike in case of a flat. <S> In a more compact style, the Topeak RaceRocket has a hose connection that fits both main valve types. <S> Topeak also make some "mini-floor" style compact pumps with hoses, the Morph range . <S> For pumps without a hose : <S> As with the floor pumps, make sure the head is set for your valve type, which might mean unscrewing it, swapping some bits, and putting it back together, might mean picking the right one of two holes, or it might just always work with both. <S> (Or, worst case, it only works with one type, and it's not the type you have.) <S> (Some cheap nasty pumps have no lever and need the compressing ring tightened while the pump is in place. <S> Some heads without levers <S> you can get the grip just right to push on against a bit of resistance and stay on without adjusting.) <S> Keep the pump barrel at right angles to the valve while pumping. <S> Gripping some spokes of your wheel with the same hand that is holding the pump head can help.
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Adjust any rubber sealing washer in the head to lightly grip the valve when you push the head on, then grip firmly when you press the locking lever in the right direction. Schader is relatively straight-forward to use while Presta requires a little finesse. If you want an old style pump, Google finds me the Zefal Lapize , but a couple of reviews are unenthusiastic, and suggest that the retro style is the only real reason to consider it.
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Why is cycling on a road so much faster than cycling on a cycle path? I normally cycle on a cycle path and I struggle to go over 10Mph on my bike for any distance. My Daily commute took me 58 to 42 minutes depending on how much I push myself. This morning and yesterday evening I decided I'd try to cycle on the road rather than the path. The distance is only 0.2 miles shorter by road but it only took me 34 minutes because I was travelling at 10 to 14 Mph most of the time sometimes faster on hills. I had to stop at more traffic lights but it still took a heck of a lot less time. Any idea why this happens? I ride a mountain bike with Semi slick tyres if that makes any difference. <Q> Given the same day and the same rider and otherwise equal conditions, riding on a tarmac road vs riding on a gravel cycle path, the road will be faster. <S> Why? <S> It's about the rolling resistance of the surface. <S> This page gives a good breakdown of the physics involved in working out how much power you need based on various inputs. <S> But basically, a rougher surface offers more rolling resistance to your bike tyres, so you need to put more power in to sustain the same speed. <S> Given identical surface, then you have to look at what else is different in the route. <S> There's a 0.2 mile difference in distance, but, what's the ascent and average gradient of both routes? <S> Plot them on bikehike.co.uk (or the mapping tool of your choice) and see what the difference is. <S> A local route to me on the Trans-Penine Trail turns out to be a 2% gradient, though it looks flat, on gravel. <S> The road route near by has some sharp hills, but has downhill segments and a much smoother surface, so is faster on my MTB and far faster on my road bike. <S> Also, on the road are could be benefiting from the drafting effect of cars possibly, whereas on the cycle trail you might be cutting the air yourself, that can account for a 20% energy saving. <S> And finally, for now, there's always the right of way, <S> if you're having to slow on the cycle trail to negotiate slower cyclists or other route users, whereas on the road you're the slow thing people are moving round. <A> They seem to be arranged by planners more interested in meeting targets for miles of cycleway. <S> They are also aimed more at leisure cycling than for people who want to use their bike to go places. <S> One of the problems that I find in the South East of England is that the cycle paths often take away the normal rights of way that apply to road users. <S> In particular they share pavements so pedestrians are getting in the way <S> and you have to give way when you cross side roads (as opposed to having right of way as a road user). <A> Assuming you know your own body, the route and the climatic conditions very well we can try and rule out variations in these - however I would suggest that this sort of variation can be very dependent on conditions. <S> Think we have a few questions on this, even including air temperature and pressure effects. <S> Also, how close to the road route does the path follow? <S> This could cause a difference, depending on your optimum power output and the gradients of the road and path. <A> Traffic on the road gives you a pseudo-tail wind. <S> I have a road in my commute that has an on-road unprotected cycle lane of about 120 cm wide. <S> Its far too small for a car to park in, and difficult to pass another cyclist. <S> The lane is about as small as it can be and remain legal. <S> Its a 60 km/h speed limit though <S> with traffic it rarely gets that fast in my commute window. <S> I've done sustained efforts of 40 km/h on this road when other parts of my commute drop to 32-35 km <S> /h <S> You'll feel it more if a non-aero shape like a truck or bus passes; its like a gentle tailwind for a few seconds. <S> You can also visually see this effect on a still foggy day near a main road. <S> The fog can hang over surrounding areas but there's a "tunnel" of clarity in the fog that tracks the roadway. <S> That is cleared by the wind effect of passing vehicles, showing where the air is moving. <S> Downside - an unprotected cycle lane is 100% useless at protecting you from badness. <S> Being so close to moving traffic is reducing your overall safety.
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If we do rule them out, a contributing factor can be the surface - cycle paths are often a different, rougher, surface than roads, and this can increase your rolling resistance considerably. Given you're likely to put out a constant power (since we're assuming identical rider and conditions) on both track and road, since there is less resistance, you'll go faster on the road, the 'spare' power will come out as speed. There's an exceptional draughting / drafting effect from passing vehicles - even though you're not behind them, they generate a definite stream of air in the direction of travel. In the UK, cycle paths aren't really set up for cyclists!
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Thinking of quitting due to dangerous driving I used to cycle a lot, and decided to try taking it back up after last year's Olympics. But it feels like almost every time I try to go out for a ride I nearly get taken out by someone passing far too close and giving no warning. As I'm partially sighted this is particularly terrifying. I can spot things ahead of me with plenty of time to avoid nasty incidents if I keep my concentration up, but that leaves me less aware of what's going on behind me, and I can't see well enough to pick out number plates if I need to report someone. I also rely on hearing to detect cars coming up but when the traffic is heavier I can't pick out individual cars over the general background roar of traffic. I'm in a full time job and pay my taxes just like everyone else, I've every right to be on the road. But drivers, either through ignorance or malice are making me feel very unwelcome on the roads. The idea of quitting to me is galling because like I said, I have every right to be on the road, and I can see well enough to avoid getting into trouble provided the people coming up behind me don't act like morons. But I also don't want to end up dead. Have you got any advice for me? I live in the Greater Manchester area <Q> This will cover things like correct road positioning, which can make a big difference to how other road users interact with you. <S> Try quieter routes or cycling at different times of day when there is less traffic around. <S> This cycle route planner will help with routes. <S> Try to find other people to cycle with. <S> Cycling in a group is much less intimidating, but even one other person should make a difference. <S> I use a mirror which helps to keep track of what's behind me. <S> I don't know if that would work for someone who is partially sighted, but it's probably worth trying. <S> It's also worth remembering that the majority of cycling accidents occur at junctions. <S> It's relatively rare for a car to drive into the back of the cyclist. <A> All you say is absolutely true, the rest of us just put up with it <S> I suppose. <S> But here's a suggestion that's specific to where you live - if you want to get back on the bike, how about heading for the velodrome? <S> http://www.nationalcyclingcentre.com/t/velodrome-track <S> Obviously this would depend just how good your sight is, but this is something I've discovered over the last 6 months (not at Manchester but at Calshot on the south coast). <S> Very exhilarating and of course no traffic to contend with. <A> Have you explored corrective measures for the eyesight. <S> If you have and are still struggling to see what is straight ahead it may not just be moving traffic coming up behind you that could pose a risk. <S> The ability to read a number plate from around 30m is a fairly basic requirement and this might mean you are missing other risks and riding your luck a little. <S> Even on quiet country roads not being fully aware of other road users or failing to see hidden junctions and emerging traffic could pose a risk as well. <A> One tip I have picked up to avoid cars passing so close is to ride further away from the kerb (but not so far you're hogging the road and <S> then drivers get annoyed). <S> This seems to have some pycological effect on drivers to give you more room. <S> I can't explain it, but found it to work in most cases.
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Probably not the answer you are seeking but please cycle safe. I have also seen bikes with mirrors fitted and some sort of plastic distance keeper (a pole that sticks out with a reflector on, I would imagine this needs to break if a car hits it.) A few suggestions: Get some training .
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What are the possible upgrades to a 95' Cannondale M900? Everything is original except for saddle, tires and forks. I have a sentimental attachment to this bike but would like to bring it into the 21st century. I'm looking to make this a nice project bike but don't know much about the compatibility of new components on this model. Things I would like to upgrade are; Suspension forks, wheel set and tires, disc brakes, front and rear chainrings, shifter/derailer, crank arms, handlebar and any other related parts needed. Looking to create a real retro beast.The bike had the stock rigid forks that I upgraded myself to RockShox JudyXC back in the day but those elastomer pistons are toast. Since it's been a while that I traded serious riding for changing diapers I figure It's time to take the bike out of retirement and make it something worth riding and passing on to my son when he goes off to college in a couple of years. Any advice and/or guidance would be much appreciated.Thanks <Q> I had a similar era <S> KHS Alite3000 <S> - Most moving parts had been replaced from wear over its life, but pretty much original. <S> AT 10.5kg, RockShox Judy's, XT components etc, it is a light, fast and agile bike. <S> Like you, I gave up serious riding for kids, got back into it last year. <S> The KHS, despite my fondness for the bike, has been given away in favor of a new bike. <S> Like cars, bikes have moved a long way in 20 years, and the "practical" option is to replace it - especially if you ride off road. <S> back then 50mm was considered long travel, now 120 typical for XC. <S> If you really want to upgrade it, cheapest bet would probably be a "donor" bike. <S> Getting decent forks with V brake bosses is next to impossible, so disks on the front would be easiest. <S> Unless you got some second hand quality forks with V brake bosses. <A> I have a similar 1995 Cannondale M-900 in Vipper Red color version. <S> Some original parts have breen replaced but for original ones, trying to maintain muy bike in its optimal and original condition. <S> I am proud of that and like very much to ride on my old but pretty M-900. <S> To bring a very old bike onto a mew era is not only very expensive but thecnically almost impossibe. <S> I recomend to buy a new one for your kid. <S> Orlando <A> It seems like you're willing to buy all new componentry, so you have a lot of flexibility. <S> It doesn't look like there are many compatibility issues with it except the issue with disc brakes <S> (rear wheel spacing is 135, front fork should be 1 1/8", Just get a new bottom bracket with your cranks). <S> so you don't have to do some hack to retrofit discs in the rear. <S> After that, just grab a short travel front fork, a new wheelset, a 10 speed groupset with rapidfire shifters and should be pretty much up to modern spec for most parts. <S> Check out a vintage catalog for some original specs at http://www.vintagecannondale.com/year/1995/1995.pdf <S> I love keeping vintage gear on the road. <S> You'll probably wind up putting more money in to this than a decent entry level bike though.
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The main reasons for me to replace rather than upgrade were cost exceeding the total cost of a new bike, no disk mounts and the old frame geometry not suitable for modern forks- I'd personally just put a disc in the front and then a good set of V-Brakes in the rear What I would do is tune it up, replace any obviously worn out bits, and buy my son a new or 2-3 year old secondhand bike.
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Does never using the easy front gear give a better workout? I have a road bike with a 52/36 crankset. I make it a point to never use the easy gear because I think that it gives me a better workout when climbing hills. Another reason I don't use it is because the chain rubs on the front derailleur when going from the 36 on the front to the 12 on the back. Is my theory of getting a better workout correct? Is there any good reason for me to not do this other than putting more wear on the gear? There is only about 3 hills in my daily commute where I sometimes want to downshift into the easy gear. <Q> It is not necessarily "good" for your workout. <S> If you drop into the 'easy' gear, you obviously have to pedal faster to maintain your speed. <S> Going at a slower cadence in a higher gear will just trash your knees after awhile. <S> Select the gear that yields a similar cadence as when you are riding on the flats, while maintaining a similar energy expenditure. <S> Your chain rubbing problems should be solved by adjusting your derailuer and properly maintaining your bike. <A> It sounds like you're going for cross chaining when doing the 36/12 combo (Small in front and small in back) which is generally a really bad idea and should be avoided. <S> Also big in front and big in back. <S> Generally for me if the hills are above 5% or 6% I will shift down into the small ring and shift down in the back to keep me spinning <S> ~90 rpm up the hills. <A> It depends what kind of 'workout' you want. <S> If you want to work your cardiovascular then being in a gear that allows you to maintain a cadence of 90rpm (or comfortable spinning if you don' have a cadence sensor) will be great. <S> If you want to build some climbing muscles then the big ring is where it's at. <S> I have a hill that is about 5-6% on my way home <S> and I used to ride it in the small ring <S> , I've lately started pushing a little harder to stay in the big ring, and while it's harder work, at a slower cadence it is also great training to concentrate on pedalling in circles and working some other muscles out of the saddle. <S> Also don't forget the rules, in particular number 90 <A> thanks for inadvertently clearing up my own problem on my bike with what i now know to be cross chaining. <S> I just had my freewheel and chain swapped out and am finding that small/small is causing the chain to rub on the inside face of the big ring. <S> Funnily it isn't a combo <S> i ever use <S> but i just thought it a tad annoying when i noticed it and put it down to replacing a Shimano freewheel with a supposedly compatible Sunrace. <S> Back to the point, at times i like to put more torque into the bike by selecting a slightly stiffer gear whilst on the big ring. <S> It does give me something extra in terms of strength and stamina development on short to intermediate rides <S> but i imagine it ain't a good idea on longer rides where efficiency and endurance are desired. <S> i also imagine that the extra torque will stretch the chain quicker than if you ride more often in a more efficient gear.
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As for the getting a better workout, you are definitely having to put more force into the pedals with keeping it in the big ring, but depending on how big the hills are, shifting down into an easier gear wouldn't hurt.
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Why did I feel like crap after racing against a car? I raced against a car yesterday for fun , in doing this, I rode at about 25-29 mph (40-47kmh) for about 3 minutes. The temperature outside was in the mid to low 40s (5-8 Celsius). Afterwards I felt: Out of breath for at least 3 minutes Wanted to cough but didn't cough anything up. Inside of my throat felt cold and painful I got the feeling of wanting to puke a few times For the rest of my commute home, which was 15+ minutes I felt like shit. I think that the cold weather was big factor in this, am I correct? What can I do in the future to prevent this from happening to me? During the 3 minutes of the ride I had no idea that I was going to feel this way. I should add that I've been riding 10 miles per day for the 2 years (including most of the winter). I usually ride this same stretch going 21-26 mph. <Q> Breathing in the cold air probably didn't help, but what you describe happens to most people after doing hard intervals and only goes away with recovering. <S> As far as preventing it in the future, the only thing I can recommend is not maxing out and going anaerobic by chasing cars and going into zone 4/5 heart rate. <S> Edit for Clarification <S> When I refer to going anaerobic that means going above your Lactic Threshold . <S> During the sprint after the car you were in that zone for a long period of time. <S> This is also referred to as Heart Rate Zone 4 or 5 depending on intensity. <S> Those zones are used for high intensity training and can't be maintained for a long period of time. <S> When you are riding on your own, you aren't pushing as hard as you were when you were chasing the car (think dogs chasing after a rabbit) which is why you wouldn't have felt it before. <A> You've just become familiar with the feeling of exercise induced nausea . <S> Don't worry, you're not at all alone. <S> No matter your long distance endurance, it happens after a period of over exertion ( any amount of exertion more than your body is used to, regardless of your fitness level ), and is sometimes exacerbated by not enough or too much hydration. <A> In addition to the probably-familiar effects of exercising very hard, air pollution may be a factor in your discomfort. <S> When you exercise hard in an city with plenty of traffic nearby and at least one vehicle accelerating right in front of you, then you'll be breathing a lot of air pollution, especially if it's the evening rush hour on a hot day. <S> This study reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, concludes: Athletes and exercisers should avoid exercising by the road side even though levels of the more noxious air pollutants have been controlled in the United Kingdom. <S> O3 is particularly damaging to athletes; it reaches its highest concentrations on hot bright days in rural areas. <S> However, it's worth remembering that exercising in polluted areas is still better than not exercising at all . <S> Try the same sprint somewhere less polluted and see if there's a difference.
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Since your heart rate lags behind exertion you won't feel it right away, but you will after racing the car.
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Transmission (cassette/crankset) considerations for 1st road bike purchase I currently have a touring bike, with fenders, rack, panniers, and so on.I currently run a triple crankset 28/38/48 and 9sp 11-34 cassette.I mostly commute and tour with this bike. And with a fair load, I mostly ride on my 48 in front and 14-ish and around in the back.I can climb most climbs with the 38 and sometimes as high as the 26 (rarely the 30 and 34t) As I want to go more on the workout/sport/exercise type of riding I am considering the purchase of a road bike (more of a racing type). I prefer a compact 50/34 crankset but am wondering for the cassette, do I need to go as high as a 10sp 12-30 to climb all I need?Because I also like the idea of closer gears, so is 12-28 or 12-25 too tough? <Q> For some people it's not a big deal, for others, it's a major annoyance. <S> I don't think anyone else can make that kind of qualitative decision for you. <S> Using Sheldon Brown's Gear Calculator , I calculated some approximate ratios for the gears you use most commonly. <S> I don't have the exact wheelbase or BCD for your bike, but here are the approximate ratios for the gears you mentioned using most often: 48 / 14: 6.9 38 / 26: 2.9 38 / 34: 2.3 <S> There's some decent range that you use there. <S> FWIW, my 1970's Motobecane Nomade with a 52/40 crankset and a 14x28 rear cluster covers a range down from 7.5 down to 2.8. <S> That's good for your average commute, but leaves you without the bailout gear for when you have a really tough climb. <S> It's back to the problem you originally stated -- it's all about whether you want the bailout gears or not. <S> From a purely functional standpoint, however, the compact crank is not a bad idea. <S> If you're really interested in getting a bike with the gearing range that you have one your current touring model, you should run the numbers through the aforementioned gear calculator. <S> Note that the calculator also shows the percentage increase/decrease between gears (as stated earlier, lower % increase typically makes for a smoother riding experience). <A> If you're looking to expand into some workout/exercise riding, you don't necessarily need to go as high as 30 or 28. <S> When I run a 50/34 crankset with just a 12-23 cassette, I find that I can still make it up just about any hill, and you probably already put in more miles than I do on your touring bike. <S> So I think you'll find great success with a 12-25. <A> The difference between 28 and 30 is only about 8%. <S> If you climbed a hill at 70 RPM on a 28, you would only be riding at 75% on a 30, and your force would only go down a little bit. <A> If you can, find the approximate gradient of hills you want to climb/train on and estimate your power to weight ratio. <S> With less power, or more weight/load, just get the biggest cassette allowed by the rear derailleur. <S> This way you can maintain about 60 rpm or higher on long 7% climb and that's good for training. <S> Just upshift when you want to train at lower rpm. <S> http://cycle2max.com/ can help giving some ideas how a climb like. <A> I run a 50/34 with a 12-25 <S> and I absolutely love it. <S> My sweet spot for normal training on flats is around 20 mph and the 12-25 <S> gives me a 16 right where I need it, while an 11-25 or 11-28 omits the 16 leaving a big gap. <S> For example, 50 x 11 at 90 rpm on 700x23 tires = 31.6 mph, which I only do down a big hill or a huge tailwind. <S> So I gave up the 11 to get the 16, giving me a nice evenly spaced range. <S> To answer the original question, I have not yet encountered a hill where 34 x 25 wasn't low enough. <S> But... I mostly ride in central Illinois. <S> If I lived in Colorado <S> I'm sure it would be a different story!
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First, about the big steps between gears: you should really go on a test ride to see how you like shifting on a bike with such big steps between gears. For me, I care more about even gear spacing near my normal speed than I do about having a very high or very low gear that I will rarely use. For 7% climb 34/25 (front/back) is good combination if you have power weight ratio >= 4.
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upsweep and backsweep for mtb handlebars Characteristics of the following bars for MTB are: • 780mm wide• 30mm rise• 5˚ up-sweep • 7˚ back-sweep I know what effects do the width and rise have on the feel and riding. But what about upsweep and backsweep? For the last 2 years I've been using bars with 3x9 sweep (compared to the above's 5x7). What difference would it make? <Q> From my experience upsweep make you pull easier for drops, manuals and bunny hops, but the other side of the medal is shoulder width. <S> The wider your shoulders, the less comfortable will be upsweeped bars (you will feel your hands bent outwards). <S> In fact when chosing BMX bars every degree of upsweep considered as something about a quoter inch of rise (from the ease of pulling perspective). <A> Not sure if my math is correct here, but using a triangle solver, and assuming that the up-sweep and backsweep act over a distance of 250 mm, (390 is half the bar, minus a bit for the middle part) <S> the difference between 3 degrees and 5 degrees for the upsweep translates to 9 mm difference in rise, and the different between 7 degrees and 9 degrees for backsweep also translates to 9 mm difference (same difference in angles). <S> Since the backsweep is less on the new bars your reach will be 9 mm longer, and the upsweep is higher on the new bars so the bars will be 9 mm higher. <S> How this affects your ride I cannot say. <S> Probably won't make a whole lot of difference, since the longer reach will be cancelled out a bit by the higher bars. <A> Just one thing to add is that with more backsweep you use your Latissimus dorsi muscles more (lats) <S> this can be good for your core strength, your shoulders are more naturally positioned, and lastly it is more natural/comfort for your wrists too. <S> Once you go "too far <S> " you'll loose out on some control/performance on tricky descents. <S> 30-40 <S> mm rise is good going down. <S> But not so much going up. <S> Everyone is different of course, and it depends on stem length and angle too
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Rotating your bars for more upsweep coupled with the risewill give better control/performance on dencents as it brings your ballance point backwards on the bike.
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How can I avoid thigh chafing despite already wearing cycling shorts? About one year ago, when I first started cycling, I noticed that during long trips (60km or more) I get skin burns on the inside of my quads. That is when I decided to buy myself a nice pair of cycling shorts with nice padding. I read in several forums that in order to minimize the friction, one needs a very tight fit of the shorts and also underwear was a no-no. However this remedy has stopped working for me. Now I am going to try to put some Kinesio tape on the skin, when the most friction is applied. Is not wearing an underwear a bad idea? What can I do to prevent skin burn in that delicate area? Clarification:I have always been using my stock GIANT saddle, that I would categorize as a medium size. <Q> Since it's on the inside of your thighs, it's a good bet that our seat is too wide, or not properly adjusted. <S> A chamois crème will help, but I think the saddle change is a better idea. <A> 1) Check your shorts for seams, tags or chamois edges that could be causing chafing. <S> Try different brands of shorts. <S> 2) Check saddle edges and try a smoother/narrower nose saddle as others have suggested. <S> 3) Check your seat post saddle clamp. <S> Your thighs may be rubbing on it. <S> If so you can try a different one or try smoothing the edges with Sugru. <S> 4) <S> Shorts/saddle combination can make a difference. <S> They're are no rules as to what combinations work. <S> It's very individual since the rider's anatomy is the third part of that mix. <S> 5 <S> ) Try to determine if moisture is a big contributor to the chafing or if it's primarily caused by rubbing. <S> If it's moisture, a powder like "Monkey Butt" powder can help. <S> If not, chamois cream in liberal amounts may help. <S> Another option is Lantiseptic. <S> It's primary purpose is to prevent bedsores. <S> When applied to dry skin it creates a moisture barrier and serves as a skin protectant. <S> It's used by many randonneurs for chamois cream. <S> It can also be difficult to wash out of shorts <S> so it's generally something you don't want to use every ride, only if you're going to be out for several hours. <A> There are a number of changes you can make that can help, and I've found that it is a matter of personal preference what solution you ultimately choose. <S> Something as simple as Vaseline will work, though there are a number of other options out there. <S> It could be possible that you need to trade out your old seat, but this solution can tend to be hit-or-miss. <S> It might be better to look into some more versatile solutions instead of spending money on a new seat only to find that it wasn't your problem in the first place. <S> It can aid in the dissipation of moisture, and provide an extra layer to help reduce the friction on your leg. <S> I personally swear by the ExOfficio briefs, and have had no problems since switching over to them.
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If the seat is the problem, then replacing it will of course work, but there could be any number of potential issues that are causing it. I have shorts that chafe with one type of saddle, but don't chafe and are very comfortable on another. Creams and lubricants are very effective at preventing this rash, but they can be messy. Another option you can look into is synthetic underwear.
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What tools on a multi-tool do I actually need? I feel like there are almost as many bike multi-tools out there as there are bikers. In a single trip to REI, I found nine different bike tools each ranging from only four to over thirty individual tools! But how many of these tools do I actually need? I feel like some of the tools included in these multi-tools aren't really ever going to be necessary in the middle of a ride, but are actually better suited for at-home repair. So, what tools do you actually need to carry with you, that you might actually need while out riding, and what tools are you can safely leave at home? <Q> I would add a chain tool to the above list after being left in a state where I would have been much happier <S> were I so equipped. <S> For that reason, I bought a Crank Brothers Multi Tool 17 which features the requisite hex keys, screwdrivers, and a chain tool, in package that is smaller & lighter than most Leatherman tools. <S> Some of the hex key sizes don't fit anything on my bike, but it's nice to have a set that can help most other riders. <A> As others have indicated, it depends on both your bike and the type of riding you're doing. <S> If you're just tooling around town (get it, "tooling"?) <S> with no particular destination or schedule, you can probably get away with not much more than a set of tire levers. <S> A pump is handy too so that you don't have to walk your bike to a gas station if you get a flat. <S> If you're commuting, you may want a bit more. <S> I carry the Park Tools <S> MT-1 in my saddlebag along with a tube and a set of tire levers. <S> It has enough to get me from A to B with the ability to solve minor problems inbetween, but it's not bulky <S> and it's cheap enough that if somebody steals my saddle bag (which has happened to me three or four times) I'm not too distraught. <S> My commuter is a single-speed <S> so I also carry Surly's Jethro Tule for adjusting the rear wheel. <S> On longer rides, you'll want even more. <S> Like Drew Stephens, I'm a fan of the Crank Brothers Multi-17 . <S> You can do almost anything you're likely to need to do with this thing, albeit somewhat awkwardly in a few cases, but that's just the nature of multi-tools. <S> The above advice probably applies to a short, weekend tour as well. <S> There's really no substitute for a chain whip when you're stuck in the middle of nowhere. <S> Same goes for crank and bottom bracket tools. <A> For most modern bikes you will need a tool with at least 4, 5 and 6 hex wrenches and a phillips screwdriver. <S> Make sure that the various bolts on your bike can be tightened by the tool you got. <S> You will need a separate tire lever (usually two of them) to deal with flat tires. <A> With the exception of those you will be unable to repair/fix on the trail, such has hubs and bottom brackets. <S> They need not all be combined with one tool though (sometimes individual tools can be lighter) <A> What I carry: <S> 5 <S> mm <S> hex wrench - used for most bolts on most bikes I have seen <S> (only common exception is the seatpost) <S> a phillips and a standard screwdriver - for adjusting both derailers and both brakes <S> spoke tool patch kit <S> one spare tube, in case of a really bad puncture a pump and a couple of tire levers, obviously a piece of wire, some patches for myself and a tick <S> remover <S> Of those only the first two are actually contained in a multitool. <S> Consequently, my advice is not to carry such a bundle of unused and heavy pieces of steel. <S> Get individual tool and carry only what you need. <A> When choosing a tool consider: Is this tool applicable for my bike? <S> (If your bike doesn't have a 13mm nut then a 13mm wrench is pointless.) <S> Do I know how to use the tool and do the repair? <S> (A spoke wrench is pointless if you don't know how to change spokes and tune the wheel to some degree. <S> Also, you might need some supplies for repairs. <S> So without spokes the spoke wrench becomes useless.) <S> Does it make sense to do the repair on the road? <S> (It might be easier to take it to a shop or home for repairs.)
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Minimally, you want to be able to tighten all of the bolts on your bike (likely a few hex keys will do this) and an appropriate screwdriver for adjusting derailer & brake pulls. Separate from a multi-tool, a pair of tire levers are the other tool you should carry with you. One for every removeable or adjustable part on your bike (including tyres). However, if you're going to be straying too far from civilization or going longer than a night or two, you may want to consider carrying something beyond a multi-tool.
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Should I get a performance bike or an endurance bike for 180 km rides? I want to do the 180 km of cycling in general, that is the 2nd leg of Ironman. I don't have a bicycle, as of now. I am planning to buy a road bike (not the one used for triathlon). People ask me to choose between a bike for endurance and a bike for performance. I have ridden 200 km in a very cheap hybrid bike (twice the weight of an average road bike) in 11 hours. I would be using the bike mainly for triathlons and long distance brevet(but brevets at a later stage), so mainly concentrating in tri. Now my question is: Doing 180 km in 6-7 hours come under race or endurance? The speed involved here is 30 km/hr. This will help me in choosing an endurance bike(Fuji, in my mind) or a performance bike (Trek, in my mind). <Q> The terms "performance bike" and "endurance bike" aren't very well defined. <S> To many people, the term "endurance bike" describes touring bicycles, which are used for long-distance self-supported rides where you're carrying a lot of equipment and supplies. <S> However, Fuji (which you referred to), uses the term "endurance bike" to mean a road bike with a more relaxed geometry and "competition bike" to mean a road bike with more aggressive geometry. <S> The "endurance" and "competition" bikes are both high-performance road bikes, it's just that the "competition" bikes sacrifice a bit more comfort to eke out the highest possible performance (in theory, anyway). <S> Most bike manufacturers have multiple product lines that cover both categories, so the general category of geometry doesn't necessarily dictate a decision between manufacturers. <S> I suspect that for the length of ride you're considering, you'll feel more comfortable on an relaxed geometry bike (e.g., "endurance" at Fuji or "sport" at Trek). <S> But in the end, it's all about how you feel on the bike, <S> so you should really test ride a few different bikes and see what you like best. <S> No list of specifications, however long and detailed, can remove the need to try a bike and find out for yourself whether it works for you. <A> All Ironman events will have aid stations on the bike leg <S> so you don't need a heavy touring bike to carry panniers full of food, gear or other stuff you would take along on a very long ride. <S> In an Ironman race you would only need to carry some food in your cycling jersey and a couple bottles of liquid (water, electrolyte, or even something with more carbs and a little protein) and refill at the aid stations ( <S> the ones I've done had them about 10 - 12 miles apart). <S> In the race you don't even stop at these aid stations, you toss an old (empty) bottle and grab one from the volunteer as your ride past. <S> Most have water and electrolyte options plus some banana's or energy gels too. <S> Train on the bike <S> you plan to ride in the race as you will become comfortable and gain the endurance needed to finish the bike leg in the 6 to 7 hours you are planning. <S> Fuji makes many performance bikes and so does Trek, test ride and get the bike that fits you best. <A> Your answer to whether or not it is racing or endurance, it is both. <S> You are racing, because it is against the clock. <S> It is endurance, simply because of the distance. <S> 30km/hour is a decent pace, and considering that you are doing an ironman distance triathlon, I would want the best performing bike possible <S> THAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE RIDING. <S> Personally, I would get the best performance bike that you can/feel like affording. <S> Comfort on a bike is all about time in the saddle, and putting in the miles. <S> What may feel harsh and uncomfortable today will in all likelihood feel comfortable 6 months down the road after a couple thousand kms. <S> My fear is that you will pick comfort over performance in the short term, and have that hinder your performance in the long term. <S> However, there are a few people here and there that complete ironman triathlons on mountain bikes to fixies to cruisers to racers, and everything in between. <S> In the end, you need to pick the bike that you feel will give you the best chance to finish the bike portion in good enough shape to go run the marathon. <A> For 30 km/h average speed you need a performance bike and lot of training. <S> You need narrow tires (23-25 mm), good transmission, drop bar and some tight cycling clothes for aerodynamics. <S> For 180 km ride you also need water, maybe isotonical drinks and of course food.
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You will want a bike for performance, but you will need endurance to finish the bike leg of an Ironman. Trek (the other manufacturer you referred to), seems to use "sport bike" to refer to the relaxed geometry bikes, and "race performance bike" to refer to the aggressive geometry bikes. If you are simply riding the distance of an Ironman self supported, you can refill water bottles and purchase more food at gas stations, or mini food marts. It will do you no good to get what you call a performance bike, if after 100km you are too uncomfortable to ride.
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Cost of maintenance of a roadbike I am going to buy a bike and ride upto 1000 km or more in a month. Adding them, I think it will come to 12 k to 15 k per year on an average. I will be riding on highways, so there won't be any off-roads. Nevertheless, the roads in my country are not well maintained. Let us consider that initially the bike is comfortable and everything fine at the time of purchase. What are the different problems (repairs & maintenance) that occur? Among those which ones will cost me and which ones will be free of cost. Also if it is possible, answer them with 'high, medium, low' cost of maintenance. <Q> There are a few things that are going to cost you more, simply because you are not used to working on a bike and will have to have them done for you. <S> Tuneups - You generally get one free at about 30 days after you buy the bike. <S> Mostly this consists of readjusting the derailleurs (shifting mechanisms) and the brakes as the cables stretch. <S> Tuneups in my area (Phoenix, Az) cost between $50-75 depending on shop and any replacement parts. <S> Avg 2-3x per year <S> Tires/ <S> Tubes - Ongoing. <S> I recommend a tougher tire such as gatorskins ($50 each) for training, and then switching to a performance tire (Conti GP 4000 - <S> $65 per tire) for racing. <S> Tubes range from $7 to $15 each. <S> I would just stick with butyl, even latex for racing is a bit overkill to start. <S> Avg 6-8 tubes per year, 1-2 tires (per wheel). <S> 1-2x per year depending on maintenance and mileage. <S> Those are the major ones that I would consider regular expenses. <S> Other expenses such as new rings for the front crank happen, but they are much less often. <S> Same with changing out the seat. <S> Now, you have to start looking at your own personal maintenance habits. <S> Are you going to be cleaning and oiling your chain on a regular basis? <S> If so, then you can add cleaning/degreaser solution, and chain lubricant to your ongoing costs. <S> Poor maintenance/dirty drivetrain will cost you both power and lifespan of your components. <S> Now, you can get top of the line components and wheels, just realize that your ancillary costs will go up as well. <S> For example, if you get performance wheels with carbon brake tracks, then your brake pad cost goes up from $10 to in the neighborhood of $50. <S> Finally, the initial cost for tools and other items to be able to do your own work is high (A complete home type set of park tools can be assembled for $100 on the sparse side to $200 for almost everything needed), the payoff is that you save shop costs forever. <S> It's all a matter of what you personally feel comfortable taking on. <A> If you do most of your own maintenance then you just have to deal with the "wear" items -- chains, rings, clusters, brake pads, tires, and tubes. <S> Stuff like bar wrap needs occasional replacement, but you can always cheap it out with adhesive tape or whatever. <S> I generally figure 2000 miles to a chain, 5000 miles to a rear cluster, 10,000 miles to a front large chainring. <S> New brake pads at maybe 5000 miles, depending on your usage. <S> Tires are harder to guess, <S> maybe 5000 miles a set on good roads with conservative riding, but much faster in poor conditions or with aggressive riding. <S> For a bike with moderately-priced components I'd very roughly guess it works out to $300-500 in parts per 10,000 miles. <S> Of course, if you don't do your own work you can multiply that by a factor of 5 or so. <A> In my experience of maintaining multiple bikes the costs will come down to these major factors. <S> yearly <S> : Replacement of Chain/Cassette: <S> Medium <S> Yearly: Replacement of Tires: <S> High Yearly <S> : Tune Up of bike/Replacement of Cables/Housing/Pads: <S> High As Needed <S> : Tubes: Low <S> If something breaks though you would have to replace that as well, but those costs can't be predicted.
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Other incidental costs (Generally less than $10 for item cost, plus possible shop time for install) are brake pads, cables, bar tape, cable housing. Bearings wear out, but that takes a long time in most conditions. Chain/cassette - $50-100 per cassette, $20-50 per chain depending on quality, plus shop cost to install/change.
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How do you evaluate a chamois (padding in shorts) before buying? Stores only allow you try out shorts with an additional layer of underwear because of the hygiene issues. While this is great for public health, it seems to make it impossible to evaluate whether a pair of shorts is comfortable before buying. While it may be possible to return merchandise at some retailers, it would be nice to be able to compare different shorts before buying. The only usable advice I've heard is to always avoid gel padding. What can I do to "kick the tires" on a pair of bike shorts to get a sense of whether or not the chamois will be comfortable? What should I look for either when looking at a chamois in person or when reading the marketing techno-babble on manufacturer websites (e.g., what the heck is a four-dimensional chamois)? Do more expensive shorts always have better padding, or are there certain styles of chamois that work for some people but not others? Related questions: What should I look for in a good pair of cycling shorts? , Tights, Shorts, and Padding <Q> I have bought my last few shorts by direct experimentation at stores, and had the same doubts as yours. <S> Mostly, what has worked is: you dress the shorts, and stand right up with feet in the normal position. <S> In this position, the shorts should not produce a "bulk" between the thighs. <S> Shorts that produce the bulk tend to be too uncomfortable either while on the bike or while walking. <S> Also, raising each foot alternately while flexing the knees should not produce a rubbing sensation against the inner thighs, which would mean skin irritation. <S> That means you cannot easily fold the short to put it in a drawer, for example, and when you hold the shorts by the waist, the short keeps like "inflated". <S> At last, the overall compression of the fabric should feel "fine" and specifically the elastic bands around the waist and <S> the thighs must feel "right": a gentle compression, not a tight one. <S> I think that's it, <S> hope it helps! <A> The short answer is, ask friends for recommendations. <S> Unlike underwear, good bike shorts are a not-insignificant expense. <S> Some stores will let you try them on if you wear underwear, though. <S> I own some skin-tight no-seam underwear that works well for this. <S> Maybe you're a skinny racer who likes hard Italian saddles? <S> A utility cyclist who has a cushy saddle and generous "padding"? <S> A mountain biker with a bony butt? <S> There are still too many variables for this to be a sure thing, but it helps narrow things down. <S> A site like this is a terrible place to ask for recommendations, but discussion forums like Bikeforums or the Crazyguy forums are great places for this kind of inquiry. <S> For example, I'm a heavy guy who does a lot of touring on an unsprung Brooks saddle. <S> The name batted around for guys like me is Aerotech Designs; I bought a pair of their bib shorts and have never been more comfortable. <S> I now own two pairs I rotate between. <A> The only way to truly evaluate padding is by wearing the short/bibs for a few rides. <S> It depends on what you are looking for in a chamois, but padding in the right places should be up there on the list. <S> In addition putting on the chamois with thin underwear will help in evaluating. <S> It's all about preference and experience in different chamois to find ones that you like. <S> You can almost completely ignore the Marketing dribble that comes from the sites as it really doesn't mean anything in real life. <A> I'm not a professional <S> and I only ride 2500-3000 miles in a typical year. <S> I never pay full retail for bike clothing unless I have a compelling reason. <S> For example, some items are very rarely available for a discount. <S> Typically when I need clothes I prowl the Nashbar sales, the REI sales, Chainlove and so forth, and I am patient (slow to buy). <S> That said, you generally get what you pay for. <S> Online reviews can be helpful, but you have to weigh reviews carefully, as it is possible <S> some are shilled (paid) reviews. <S> There is no substitute for personal experience, as other responders have noted. <S> Neither of them is right or wrong in such circumstances. <S> You can research this kind of thing to death, and I believe you are better off riding. <S> Get some shorts or bibs, and ride with them. <S> If you like them, buy more. <S> If not, buy something different. <A> I like the find-a-brand-you-like-and-stick-with-that idea. <S> If the store let you try them on then they let someone else try them on, too. <S> Remember, chamois' are not padding. <S> They are for moisture management. <S> A proper saddle and fit is for comfort. <S> I have several brands of bibs <S> and I only use one. <S> My riding buddies are the same way but with their own brand. <S> Hopefully, you won't find that your brand is the expensive one. <S> I like Castelli. <S> I am also moving towards a thinner chamois. <S> I have had issues with all the added bulk in my crotch and a thinner chamois fits better. <S> I have heard others say the same thing.
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Bike shorts are, unfortunately, much like buying underwear: You need to try them on to know what'll work, and you pretty much can't return them after trying them on. Once you find a brand that you like the chamois in, stick with them. In regards to evaluating the chamois in the store, the only advice I can give is to look at what you already have and compare to that. I have noticed that the padding should not be flat, that is, it should have a saddle shape. However, your best bet is probably to ask for recommendations from other cyclists who both have the same body type as you and do the same kind of riding. Saddles and bibs/shorts/chamois are highly personal, and what one person likes may be disliked by another.
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Do tires with worn sidewalls need to be replaced? My bike needs a bit of a tune up, particularly the tires since the back tube has a hole in it. The rims on the bike are 26"x1.5" and the current tires are 26"x2" and both have great tread, but the sidewalls look like they're worn through in spots (I can actually see through the fibers in a few spots of the sidewalls). Should I replace the tires, too, or is replacing the tube sufficient? Also, is a 2" tire OK on a 1.5" rim? Here's what it looks like: <Q> Yep, that tire needs to be replaced. <S> (It appears that either it's been run underinflated or you've been using your foot on the side of the tire to brake a lot.) <A> You can see the fibers? <S> then it's a no-brainer, change the tires. <A> Change the tire before it blows-out, and see what might have caused the damage in the first place. <S> It's possible that the mis-matched tire size contributed to the wear. <S> Take a look at your brake pads, one at a time, and make sure they only touch the wheel rim as the tire spins. <S> Make sure they still only touch the wheel rim when they are engaged. <S> Adjust anything that hits the wheel wall at any point during the tire rotation. <S> Since it looks like it the damage occurred in only that spot on the wheel, it's possible that your wheel is out of true, and the proper adjustment needed may be to true the wheel. <S> This by itself may solve your problem, but would subsequently need a brake adjustment to account for the re-aligned wheel anyway.
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Assuming you're not purposefully rubbing something on the sidewall and that your tires are properly inflated, the most likely culprit would be a mis-aligned brake pad.
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Can I use a SRAM PC850 chain on a 6-speed bike? I want to buy a chain for a 6-speed bike. I know SRAM chains have the special link, meaning that no tools are needed. I've seen a very good deal on the SRAM PC850 chain, but their website lists this as an 8-speed chain (rather than 6/7/8). Does anyone know if this chain is suitable for a 6-speed bike? Would I be able to remove "spare" links with a bog-standard chain tool? Thanks! <Q> You may want to contact them to see if they have changed their design. <S> I am currently using a PG 850 on a six speed. <S> Perhaps they have made changes to make it a more popular 7,8,9. <A> I contacted SRAM (who, like Shimano, is extraordinarily reluctant to answer paying customers' questions online) and got the following response: Thanks for your email. <S> I apologize for the lack of response, but this is not a frequently checked email address. <S> Our website and your local bike shop are the quickest ways to find information on SRAM products. <S> The PC 850 is listed as an 8 speed chain on our website because it was developed for, and tested with, 8 speed drivetrains. <S> While it's not something we test, it's pretty common practice, as there are very few 6 and 7 speed chain options out there. <S> So it sounds like you should be fine using this chain with a 6 or 7 speed drivetrain. <A> Yes, you can. <S> You can go from higher speed chains (9 speed) down to lower number of gears (such as your 6 speed). <S> It isn't till you hit the 11 speed chains that it becomes a pain. <S> a 10 speed chain will fit down to a 7 (personal experience). <S> And a 11 will fit a 10 with no problem. <S> That said, the advantage to a 6,7,8 speed chain is that they are thicker and last a lot longer. <S> Much, much longer. <S> 10 and 11 speed chains wear quickly, and I take meticulous care of my drivetrains. <S> I'm lucky to get 1500 miles. <S> My old 9 speed will need a new chain every 3,000 miles or so.
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However, since it's only about a tenth of a millimeter thinner than many standard 6 and 7 speed chains, it tends to be sold as an effective 6 or 7 speed chain as well. I seem to remember when I bought it, that it was labeled as a 6,7,8 speed and at the time the 9 speed was unique. SRAM's website has no detail on its products, and online retailers give conflicting information about the PC-850.
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What is a good replacement for a cable end cap? I was adjusting the tension of my front derailleur cable and managed to pop off the cable end cap. The cable is now quite frayed at the end and I think it would be difficult to attach another cap. What would work as a suitable replacement for a cap? I've read that perhaps superglue or duct tape could work? <Q> Those end-caps are quite reusable. <S> If you take a pair of pliers and squeeze it gently so that the flattened portion opens up you can then slide it back onto the cable. <S> Using the pliers you can then re-crimp it on the cable. <S> Although it looks ugly and everyone will know that you are too cheap to buy a 10c end-cap. <S> A little bit of superglue placed at the end of the cut seems to help keep the individual wires from separating. <A> You could maybe cut it where it is not frayed and put a cap if the slack is long enough. <S> Or you could put a piece of duct tape just to avoid the fraying from reaching a place interfere with the derailleur. <S> Or you could try to gather the frayed-out strings and put a cap anyway <S> Or if you really don't like it, you can change the cable completely though it is overkill. <A> Remove the nipple from the spoke slide it over the cable and crimp with pliers. <A> I have successfully used A tiny bit of epoxy glue. <S> Another option is a bit of tin soldering wire: give it a couple of tight loops around the end of the cable then squash it with pliers. <S> Tin is soft enough to be defformed around the cable without deforming the cable. <S> Yet another option is to use an actual soldering iron to cover the very last centimeter of cable with tin. <S> It is quite difficult to solder the end of the already installed cable though. <S> Do it before applying the cap end substitute. <A> I've used a cable crimp. <S> It looked terrible but it prevent the cable from unravelling before I got to the bike shop to discover that a bike shop will usually give you those end caps if you buy something else from the store. <S> The shops have them in the thousands <S> and they probably paid about $3 for them. <A> I've used these cable connectors before... <S> you just break one off and screw it over the cable end. <S> They work great and look pretty "impressive". <A> You could use some heat shrink tubing ( example ) to keep the frayed cable together. <S> If you don't have a heat gun, most heat shrink tubing can be shrunk with a hot hair dryer. <A> In a pinch, use wirenuts . <S> They're available at hardware stores. <S> The smaller ones work better as a cable end-cap. <A> If you have slack in the cable, cut the frayed end and cap as usual. <S> If you don't have enough slack, use JB Weld to prevent further unraveling. <S> Work it into the fibers, and wrap with duct tape to hold tight while it cures. <A> Cut a bit of cable housing, peel the plastic, and squeeze as you would a conventional cap (using more force, though). <S> Doesn't look bad but is no substitute for actual end caps.
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If the cable is not too badly frayed it can be de-frayed with pliers, grabbing all the strands and twisting it in the right direction. If you have an unneeded old wheel laying around, use a spoke nipple.
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How can I run a dynamo wire from my front hub to my dynamo light? I have a Pashley Roadster Sovereign, and wanted to upgrade the dynamo driven headlight. Sadly, I didn't successfully use the old wire to pull the new wire through the front fork, and now I need to fish a wire through the fork without the aid of something to pull it through. Any tips for accomplishing this? When I try to fish the wire down the fork, it catches on something and I've never successfully located the end of the wire through the vent hole. <Q> I was finally able to do this by taping the end of the wire <S> so it extends about 1/2" past the end of a bent-straight coat hanger. <S> Using this, I was able to get the tip of the wire near the bottom vent hole, and wiggle it around enough that I could locate the wire ends. <A> Another way to do this is to use a vacuum cleaner and feed a piece of cotton or light thread through, with the vacuum sucking it out the other hole. <S> Once you've got that through, you can pull the wire through, or possibly a stronger thread/cord/line first. <A> I had a similar problem. <S> I just made a spiral with the wire around the fork.
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Then it was a bit of work to catch the wire and pull it through with fine needle-nose pliers, but I was able to get it twice within a minute or so after burning nearly an hour trying to fish it through using other methods.
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What is the reason for starting before the traffic light turns green? I've noticed that a lot of commuters come to a complete stop at traffic lights but go before the light turns green. They start riding as soon as the light in the intersecting direction turns red. I usually get annoyed and assume that this could only reinforce negative opinions held by motorists, but I've suspected that there must be some valid reason for the early start. This is a separate issue from taking an Idaho stop at a quiet intersection or blatantly running a red light. For rolling stops and blatant running, there is a significant saving in effort from not completely stopping, and there is an understandable, if not necessarily justifiable, tradeoff between efficiency and legality. There doesn't seem to be the same tradeoff for early starts at traffic lights. In this case, the saved time is only two seconds, and there is no saved effort (since they have already come to a complete stop). I've seen enough people do this that I'm sure there must be some logic behind the early start. Are commuters really desperate to save two seconds, or is there (as I suspect) some deeper reason for taking an early start at traffic lights? Does this behavior just hurt relations with motorists, or are there safety benefits that make this something that should be pushed for legalization (as with Idaho stops)? <Q> The "early start" allows cyclists to clear the junction ahead of motorists , this is useful for cyclists making off-side turns (right in the UK, left in the US). <S> It also helps cyclists going straight on avoid conflict with motorists making near-side turns (left in the UK, right in the US). <S> The UK and many places in Europe have Advanced Stop <S> Lines ( Highway Code rule 178 ) at traffic lights: <S> These allow cyclists to get ahead of motorists without jumping the red light. <S> For junctions without an Advanced Stop Line you'd have to weigh any benefits of clearing the junction against the potential legal consequences, the likelihood of increased driver hostility and the risk of colliding with a vehicle jumping the lights from another direction. <S> Personally, I don't jump red lights. <S> On the roads I cycle on <S> I think it would be more dangerous than waiting for them to change. <A> There is the practical reason that for the first 2-3 seconds of riding the bike is generally unstable, and the ability to hold a steady course is limited. <S> Trying to get the bike moving while cars are whizzing past within inches is definitely unnerving and possibly risky. <S> (And cars will tend to pass closer to a standing bike than a moving one.) <A> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_stop_line#Safety_aspects <A> I agree with k102 in response above . <S> I commute to work everyday on a two-lane county road. <S> I try to make myself as visible to motorists as possible. <S> At stop lights, I coast in front of the line of cars (maybe 5 feet if there is room. <S> Taking off at the other directions <S> red light gives me time to get my momentum up and hopefully a chance for the motorists to see me and possibly think to themselves ' <S> hey this guy has no bike lane <S> and I am speeding within a couple feet of him.' <S> By doing this, I've thought to myself, hey I'm running a red light, but safety is my number one priority. <A> Further to Tom77, many of the junctions round here don't have <S> a (usable*) advance stop area, and have pretty poor road surfaces in the junction itself. <S> Getting an early start (by which I mean using eyes and ears and going only when I personally feel it is safe) gives you time to clear the potholes in the junction - by going round them. <S> Starting on green (even with an advance stop box) can mean you're forced through the guts of the hole. <S> I say this as someone who doesn't run red lights <S> - I don't feel I have time to make a good judgement in that case - but sneaking them is a different matter, IMO it's often safer, and lets the cars get away quicker as well. <S> * <S> The stop box may be unreachable due to a bike lane that's always full of wing mirrors because it and the whole road are too narrow, or may always be full of cars so you can't even stick out of the front of it
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Basically for the same reasons that advanced stop lines exist - puts the bike where it can be seen by drivers setting off, rather than risk being sideswiped in a blind spot.
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Do Kevlar Belts really offer puncture protection? My local bicycle shop is offering "premium kevlar belt tyres" and are "extremely puncture proof" how much of this is true? Does this "kevlar belt" offer good puncture protection? What does this protect against? Shards of glass? Stones? <Q> Kevlar fibres do resist cutting, and the kevlar belts in my tyres have certainly stopped lots of sharps (mostly glass and flint). <S> What it won't protect against are pinch flats (which you can avoid anyway by keeping your tyres at the right pressure) and, if it's just a central belt, it may not protect against sidewall cuts either. <S> There's generally a tradeoff between ride quality and puncture resistance <S> FWIW: <S> my tyres are lighter and faster than Schwalbe Marathon Plus (for example), but also less tough. <S> If you want anything more than generalities, you'll need to name those tyres and ask about them specifically. <A> I have been using them for years and have not had a puncture flat with them. <S> I live in an area that gets these tiny little thorns, kind of like rose bush thorns, in the gutters. <S> I used to get a flat every two weeks from one of those thorns. <S> Now, I never get them. <S> Totally worth the price. <A> I change to this kind of tires because of a puncture every ride, yes, every time I went for a ride and it reduced my puncture record to one every three rides. <S> The kind of punctures were made by small wires generally left by exploted truck tires. <A> They may have just Kevlar particles blended into the tread compound to reduce wear. <S> Maxxis Refuse is a tyre that has K2 on the tyre sidewall and a statement on the packaging/material/label that comes with the tyre as stating a Kevlar Puncture resistant Belt. <S> I have been using Vittoria tyres for years and after trying to get some of the same quality tyres from Vittoria I have had to change to Maxxis Refuse.
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Beware of tyres claimed on-line as having a Kevlar Belt in them.
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how to convert my 21 speed mountain bike into a road/cycling bike? I was wondering if I could convert this https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/q71/s480x480/430156_461794267240029_1042500253_n.jpg to a cycling bike like what would i have to do to that bike to convert it ? tell where and what and how much the parts are i want it so i can have better cardio and endurance i live on gravel road but i can get to pavment from my house. i dont hav any money to spend on a new one so i was just wondering if i could do tires and pedals and maybe bars if it all come less then $100 iwas hoping to sped around $70 or less*** i race motocross and saving for racing so that is why i want the cheapest way lol ih and i dont have any cycling shoes i was just going to use regular training work out shoes.. so if u guys could help me out give me websites and prices and everything that would be great <Q> Start with your tyres. <S> Go for slicks, the narrower the better. <S> I used to run 1 1/4" tyres on my old mountain bike, at the time this was pretty much the lower limit on a 26" tyre. <S> This will be by far the biggest bang for your buck. <S> It will probably also blow your $70 budget if you get good tyres. <S> You may also need to invest in new tubes, depending on what you have currently. <S> But it will make a big difference. <S> The other thing that springs to mind is to improve your position. <S> Difficult to do this much given the geometry of the frame, although I have heard of people putting aero bars onto their MTBs. <S> Should improve things but its more cost. <S> As for pedals - remember you'll need shoes as well - and these on their own will probably blow your budget. <S> I'd stick with what you've got for now and think about upgrading as and when you have the cash. <A> For your price range and your goal, the best bang for the buck will likely be tires. <S> You should be able to get some economy road slicks that you can mount on your current bike for $10-30/tire <S> (check any of the "big" bike shops for economy tires). <S> Your bike is already rigid so no need to worry about changing the fork. <S> It appears that the stem and steer tube are one piece, so changing to drop bars (the "standard road bars") might not be a simple matter. <S> Additionally, this would require changing the shifting and brakes which probably couldn't be done within the budget specified. <S> You mention pedals, but within your budget, the cost of pedals and shoes would be a stretch. <S> You might consider adding a strap/basket but even this is not a huge payoff in performance. <S> They are designed to support you on your sit-bones and while uncomfortable for some at first, they are essential once you build up to multi-hour rides. <S> Cardio and endurance are less about the equipment and more about the duration. <S> Happy Riding. <A> Go on Craig's list and buy an old steel road bike from the '70s. <S> If you are patient, you will find something in the $100 range. <S> Unless you get free parts, it will be very difficult to get a road feel for under $100 by retro-fitting your bike.
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If you have extra money in the budget, you may want to consider getting a road saddle. Once you put some slicks on your current bike you should be able to ride it comfortably for long periods. Tires would help you go faster, but if you are really just looking for more cardio, use your mountain bike and push yourself harder!
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Which clothes to use in wet weather for long distances? When I want to do a longer ride (let's say 3 hours) in rainy weather, what are the best ways to keep dry? I already checked this question , but it does not address long rides and most answers only give information about rain coats and tips for short rides, like commuting. I want to know what clothes to use on long rides: shoes legwear (rain)coats face/helmet <Q> Short answer: <S> you won't stay dry. <S> Your best option is to maintain comfortable body temperature. <S> Longer answer: What to wear depends how cold it is, how hard it's raining, and whether your bike is equipped with fenders. <S> In the Pacific Northwe't, we have a lot of light rain and a moderate temperature band. <S> I keep the fenders on year-round (which makes me stick out a lot when I attend events in eastern Oregon ;-) and assume that I'll get wet one way or another. <S> How I dress depends on the anticipated temperature band: <S> Above 70 F (21 °C) <S> These things air out pretty quickly. <S> I'm usually working hard enough that staying warm is not a problem. <S> 50 - 70 F (10 - 21 °C): A Merino (non-itchy) wool jersey works very well in this band. <S> It holds water, but it'll keep you warm. <S> If it's especially windy or approaching the lower temperature range, I'll add a layer, wear wool/poly socks, a beanie, and a polyester light fleece set of tights. <S> The main purpose of these is to stay warm, especially if I stop (e.g., to change a flat). <S> Below 50 F (10 °C), it's cool enough that I'll definitely be wearing tights and a rain jacket. <S> I'll also have the closed-finger gloves. <S> For my feet, I'll cover the shoes with a neoprene bootie. <S> Shoes: <S> The neoprene booties don't ward off water as much as you'd think they would, but they do keep my feet warm. <S> They go on sale for ~$20 at various places. <S> I've been very tempted to wear sandals and wool socks. <S> Leg wear - <S> the polyester fleece tights tend to go on sale at Costco for ~$20 in the September timeframe. <S> They're great for this temperature range. <S> Rain jacket: I have a nice Showers Pass jacket with lots of zippered vents and pockets. <S> I find that I tend to keep the underarm zippers open to regulate heat except when it's really cold. <S> When I get warm enough, I'll roll it up and stuff it in the handlebar bag. <S> Head beanie <S> : is a polyester, light fleece cap that I picked up at REI (though many other places have them). <A> At a minimum, for cooler weather, I'd say you need to have at least the jacket part of a "sauna suit" -- a lightweight waterproof jacket. <S> In some situations you will appreciate the pants as well. <S> But, as the name implies, a "sauna suit" is incredibly uncomfortable when exert yourself in it, so it's nice to have something a bit less waterproof (but better breathing) for use in light rain or mist. <S> But the "sauna suit" is nice to have because it's very light and packs into maybe a 6" diameter ball (or almost any other shape with the same volume). <S> Otherwise, when you think you may get wet avoid cotton (especially cotton socks). <S> And I very much like Coolmax socks, in part because Coolmax doesn't soak up much water and <S> it maintains its loft and cushion even when wet. <A> For bike touring, I've had some good luck using a rain cape, a bike specific poncho that sits over your bars and is open on the bottom. <S> It provides a lot of ventilation and keeps a lot of the water off your legs without hot rain pants. <S> You can pair this with some shoe covers and/or gaiters to keep your lower legs dry (or just wear shorts in hot weather and don't worry about your legs). <S> Typically, you'll also want fenders as well to keep road spray from coming up under the cape. <S> Image via http://www.bicycleclothing.com/Rain-Capes.html <A> If the rain is light to moderate <S> and I'm only cycling <S> , I'd tend to choose: a light windproof jacket: these pack down to the size of an apple, most rain will just roll off them <S> but they're still more breathable than full water-proof fabrics, and whatever does get through won't make you cold because the jacket blocks wind chill normal cycling gear underneath (something wicking that won't hold significant water) <S> waterproof (or resistant) overshoes <S> If I'm not only cycling , ie I have to look presentable at the other end, the easiest option is to take a change of clothes (in a waterproof bag). <S> Otherwise it does get tricky.
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If the rain is heavy and I'm only cycling: a waterproof jacket, ideally with as many ventilation zips as possible same underneath again with the overshoes : dress as I would if it were dry, namely wicky polyester jersey & socks, spandex shorts.
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What supplies do riders cary on century sportives and how do they carry it? I'm planning to ride my first century sportive later this summer and am wondering what I should carry along on the ride, and how I should carry it. It's clear to me from my training rides that regardless of how frequently rest stops are available, I'll need to cary food for most of the ride, and at least some water. And since the ride spans the good part of a day, I expect that an additional layer of clothing might be needed, and of course tools, passport, and phone. Am I being unreasonable in expecting to carry this on the ride? How do people cary what they bring? <Q> I've ridden many sportives at this distance in the UK and here is my experience. <S> Food/Drink Looking at the route map there are 3 food stops and <S> 11 water stops so you don't need to carry loads with you. <S> I'd say a 750ml bottle will do. <S> If you find you drink a lot on your training rides then take a second bottle. <S> Find out what's going to be on offer (its usually bananas, jaffa cakes and cereal bars) and bring something different. <S> I tend to buy a tub/box of bite-size flapjack pieces from the supermarket and stuff about a dozen or so in a jersey pocket (can have unpleasant effects if its really wet). <S> Tools <S> A basic multi tool for adjustments while riding is useful. <S> Small pump. <S> If you get a puncture then just swap the tubes and pump with enough air to get you to the next service spot, where there will be a floor pump for you to attain proper pressure. <S> I never bother with a puncture repair kit. <S> Clothes <S> Unless you are confident about the weather I'd take a small waterproof. <S> It needs to be one of the small, lightweight ones so it can fit in a jersey pocket. <S> Other stuff keys (if you have a huge keyring with lots of keys, take off the ones you need) mobile phone <S> a £20 note <S> I definitely wouldn't be carrying my passport small tube of sun cream <S> tools, keys and spares go in a little bag under the saddle, like this ; other stuff in jersey pockets <S> Finally Use at least one or two food stops or <S> you'll run out of energy if its sunny, reapply sun cream when you stop <S> have fun <S> , I'm envious as I didn't get through the ballot <A> I carry: <S> Two water bottles (on accelerade, one Nuun) <S> Tail wedge, with multi-tool, patch kit, tire levers, spare tube, CO2 inflator, emergency food (sport beans), wallet, keys. <S> Bento box with cell phone, drugs (salt tablets, ibuprofen, sinus) <S> Pump mounted on one water bottle cage. <S> jersey pockets with powdered accelerate, Nuun tablets, real food. <S> I'll typically go a couple of hours between stops. <S> I like to have enough food <S> so I don't have to depend on food stops for anything ( <S> assuming it's an organized ride). <S> I try not to carry too much clothing; I'd rather be a little cold at the start than carry a lot of extra clothing. <A> I never carry anything special on Centuries. <S> but I carry that stuff anyway. <S> The one thing I do differently is eat and drink more. <S> It sounds like you have plenty of stops at good intervals. <S> Make sure to eat a lot at each one of those whether you're hungry or not. <S> You'll be fine. <S> We wear clothes all day and we're fine. <S> I certainly wouldn't take anything that I haven't been training with previously. <S> Don't run a race with new shoes. <S> Or whatever the bike equivalent is. <S> This is me. <S> If I were in this ride and there was help and food stations set up, I wouldn't take any of my own. <S> I wouldn't want the encumbermant of self-help products. <S> Plus, it would be pretty cool to go on a long ride without that stuff. <S> Let the volunteers do what they do. <S> Let them feed you, let them fix your tires, let them carry out the trash. <S> They want to do it. <S> You hardly never get help on the road so take advantage of it. <A> In addition to items listed in previous answers, I think it would be very beneficial to bring a couple of small (9 ml) packets of Chamois cream and re-apply as needed at the rest stops. <S> This will reduce a lot of chaffing.
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Spares Two inner tubes and a set of tyre levers. I may wear a thin vest that collapses into a small package so it can be stuffed into a jersey pocket. I wouldn't take any clothes. Food will be available at the stops but you should take some food with you. I carry water and Clif bars I generally don't take a wallet
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Is there a way to fill your tires with nitrogen? I know this is a rather controversial issue. I was skeptical as well before doing this on my car, and I have not refilled my car tires for several months. Before that I needed to adjust the pressure every couple of months at least. Now I think it is a good idea to try this for our bikes. Especially since, when I see I need to fill up my bike tires, I get too lazy and give up the ride altogether. Is there a way to do this at home? EDIT:I thought I'd update the question for people who come and read later: Thanks for all the comments, I drive a lot (30kmiles/year) and I saw (to my surprise) a significant difference with nitrogen. I understand the reasoning with losing oxygen over time and increasing the N2 concentration but in practice that does not happen fast enough. I think I'll look into Helium/Argon and I'll update you if I managed to do something interesting. And I live in a small place I don't like to have a large pump but that is exactly why pumping is such a chore for me, <Q> I am going to be presumptuous enough to ask what I believe is the question behind the OPs question, then answer that... <S> The problem is that you have to inflate the tires more often than you like. <S> The question then is what can I do to ensure my tires remain inflated for as long as possible. <S> The answersTubes - these keep the air molecules in. <S> Thicker is better, as is better material. <S> Dump the super thin light weight race tubes and get the thickest one you can find, I would even suggest giving cheap chain store tubes ago. <S> Tires - Bigger tires can carry the same weight at lower pressures. <S> Put in bigger tires and run at lower pressure. <S> This has two effects - lower pressure leaks molecules slower, and more volume means those leaked molecules are noticed less. <S> ExoticsLook at the no-tubes and 'no puncture' slime solutions - <S> these seal the holes the air molecules are escaping from. <S> As previously suggested - invest in a decent pump. <S> If you don't have room or desire for a floor pump by the door, get a pump that uses CO canisters (and wear the cost of canisters). <S> If it is still a pain to pump up your tires - discard the plastic valve caps, and get rims/tubes with presta valves - it will take less than 30 seconds to top up two tires. <S> You might have guessed all these solutions add weight and move away from the best of the best in terms of performance- <S> well, that is expected, nothing is <S> free and super light weight fast racing tires leak air, after all, as long as they stay inflated for the stage - up to 8 Hours, that's all that is needed and any longer is excess weight. <A> I can inflate my car tires to proper pressure by checking them once a month or so and inflating them as needed using free air. <S> It takes me maybe 5 minutes per month. <S> It takes me maybe 2 minutes per week. <S> There is no strategy of using alternative gasses that can even remotely compete with that in terms of economy, time or convenience. <A> There is and I have done it with the same setup. <S> I am a diver by trade <S> and I experimented with the same setup. <S> I used a SCUBA bottle and set the regulators with my calibration equipment. <S> I got it to work <S> but it the only value I got from it was knowing that it could be done. <S> The N₂ was expensive, at least compared to air. <S> The SCUBA regulators were expensive and they needed to be precisely set. <S> Calibration is usually not accurate to 1PSI, which you would need. <S> I also didn't want to haul the whole heavy potentially dangerous HP gas setup around with me. <S> I dove with He on several occasions. <S> That is even more of a hassle. <S> The whole system would leak no matter what. <S> It was because the Helium molecules are so small they can pass through cracks of pipe fittings <S> no matter how tight the fittings were. <A> Prestacycle markets a home nitrogen system. <S> Have never used this product. <S> Bit too pricey for me. <S> Personally a floor pump is a better value. <S> Different road conditions means different tire pressures for optimal ride.
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I can inflate my bike tires to proper pressure by checking them once a week or so and inflating them as needed using free air.
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Separate hex keys vs. combined multi-tool for bike adjustments? Are separate hex (Allen) keys better than a multi-tool for adjusting and maintaining a bike at home ? Some of the separated sets also have ball-ends for the 4/5/6mm keys: Apart from Torx T25 screws for the disc brakes*, my bike has hex screws mostly everywhere — so a small multi-tool would do the trick: In other words, if you had to pick one or the other: Does having each hex wrench separate offer any notable advantages? What about torque (e.g. for pedals)? For day-to-day purposes on a modern bike (where most screws are easily accessible), will the ball-ends be useful? * In my case, I only need the Torx T25 to adjust disc brake pads — little force required. <Q> For use at home , there's no question that separate keys are more useful and more economical. <S> A multi-tool has limitations that make it cumbersome to use in tight spots because all the keys are attached to the tool. <S> Separate keys suffer no such limitation. <S> Separate keys can be bought and replaced individually and very inexpensively -- not so with a multi-tool. <S> I wouldn't buy the ridiculously expensive set of keys you show in your post. <S> Just buy the keys you actually need. <S> Drop by any local hardware or automotive parts store and buy the hex keys you actually need. <S> They are inexpensive and should last a lifetime as long as you don't buy the cheapest thing they have. <S> Like all tools, it pays to buy quality. <S> Although you can buy them online, I prefer to buy tools where mechanics buy them. <S> Automotive supply shops such as NAPA in the US are usually your best bet. <S> They cater to mechanics so they won't sell cheap crap. <S> Torque: There's no way you'll ever produce correct torque with a multi-tool unless you're an experienced mechanic who "knows by feel" from thousands of repair jobs. <S> Individual wrenches are also longer and give you more torque than a multi-tool. <S> If you need even more torque in order to remove things like pedals, you just use a bit of pipe to add leverage. <S> I keep a narrow piece of steel pipe about 12 inches long in my toolbox just for this. <S> You just slip it over the long end of the Allen key and it gives you all the torque you'll ever need. <S> Some people prefer the wrenches with plastic handles attached such as those made by Park Tools, but that's purely a matter of personal preference. <S> I prefer plain wrenches with no handles on them since the handle means it can only be used in one orientation, not two like a wrench without a handle. <S> Losing them: My set of Allen wrenches dates to the 70s. <S> I don't understand how you lose tools from your own garage. <S> But on the road? <S> Yeah, sure, I carry a multi-tool like everyone else; but your question was about home use. <A> the individual keys give you more flexibility than the multitool, but if you're anything like me it won't take long before you lose one of the common ones such as a 5 or 6. <S> Personally I've evolved over the years to own a couple of multitools and a couple more key sets - that way I can generally find something when I need it. <S> That's at home - <S> on a ride the multitool is better for me, again for reasons of loss. <S> As regards flexibility, an example that springs to mind is fixing a bottle cage to your frame. <S> Sure, you can do it with a multitool (your photo has got maybe an inch stem?) <S> but it'd probably be easier (i.e. less awkward) with an individual key (with a three or four inch stem). <S> Also you mention torque - a good multitool can give quite a bit of torque, so I wouldn't get too stressed about that, but I would certainly suggest that a dedicated torque wrench is a good investment over and above what you're talking about here. <A> There are few cases where I really need separate Allen keys on the road. <S> However, I tend to keep a long 5mm Allen key for tightening Drop bar lever clamps, which can't be accessed easily by a stubby multi tool. <S> Ball ends can help when you can't got a straight shot at a bolt and have to try to mate the wrench at a gentle angle, it has more chance of stripping your bolt though. <S> I also recommend carrying a multi-tool that has a chain tool on it. <S> When you need it, it's a godsend. <S> If you're running a 9 or 10 speed bike, a spare quicklink is very good to have. <S> Additionally, depending on the bike, I like to carry a separate small crescent wrench with a 15mm capacity for track nuts, cantilever cable hanger yolks, and rack or brake nuts. <A> You definitely need the multi-tool to take it with you on your rides. <S> Most multi-tools also come with a flat- and cross-blade, which can come in handy. <S> I'd only look at the separated set as an addition to multi-tool. <S> Though, I don't see much of a reason to get them. <S> Unless maybe when you do a lot of bicycle work - but then you should know better and wouldn't be really asking this question.
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I find that separate keys can give you better torque, but I find that more useful for removing stuck bolts (or overtightened seatpost clamps) than tightening. You should always have a multi-tool. For many bike parts I'd be just as worried about over-tightening than under-tightening (especially if your bike is carbon).
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How to prevent the derailleur cable fibres getting all over the places? My bike is only 7 months old, but the front derailleur cable fibres are becoming loose i.e. the individual thin metal fibres twised together to form the cable are loosing out. I think I have lost the metal cap which was holding the twisted end of the cable so that those fibres stay twisted. How can I fix this? Could anyone suggest? TA <Q> You can buy cable caps separately, they're actually meant to be crimped on so you can fix them with a crimper or pliers. <S> I know Park tools do something which is basically a really sharp wire cutter, should prevent fraying in the first place. <S> This tool is showing on their site now <S> but I have one (bought many years ago) which looks a bit different. <S> You shouldn't need to resort to duct tape! <A> A lot of bike shops will give you a few if you ask and buy something else on your way out. <S> You <S> They are soft aluminum and are a dime a dozen. <S> You could bite them on or you can use pliers. <S> Just twist your cable strands back in place and then crimp away. <A> Work it into the fibers, and wrap with duct tape to hold tight while it cures. <A> I think I found the solution. <S> I lost my cable crimps and need to fix it probably by duct taping it and also using anti-fray caps. <A> I ran out of cable ends on day and used superglue. <S> Worked surprisingly well. <A> Heat shrink tubing is my favorite when I can't find any metal aglets, or end caps. <S> Twist the cable 'fibres' back into position if you can, cut the cable end cleanly with the proper tool, and slip on the tubing. <S> A quick zap with a butane lighter <S> and it seals right up clean. <A> Back in the day, cable ends were soldered. <S> You could easily do the same thing with standard pipe solder. <S> But the easiest solution is to roll past your LBS and ask them for a cable end which they will likely install for free.
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Even if the cable end is partially disarrayed, a slightly larger tube can seal up the ragged ends, too. You can use JB Weld to prevent further unraveling.
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What's the purpose of soft pedaling? Is there any advantage to soft pedaling over coasting? Does it provide any power to moving forward? Is there any aid it gives to your leg muscles recovering? <Q> By this do you mean pedalling when unnecessary (and without increasing the bike's speed), for example, on descents? <S> But I will mix it with coasting. <S> There is a theory that keeping the legs moving will keep your blood flowing and help pump lactic acid out of the muscles. <S> I can go along with this as I've felt the benefit, or at least I think I have. <S> I've also heard it argued that it's advantageous as regards making your technique smoother, but I don't think that's particularly proven. <S> But no personal experience, I've never really concentrated on my technique to that extent. <S> Again, no personal experience. <S> I know some of the regulars on here are either racers or ex-racers, maybe they can confirm? <S> In terms of speed (or power) surely it makes no difference, purely by the definition of "soft pedalling"? <A> In addition to the response provided by PeteH, I use "soft pedaling" when coasting to a stop on my downtube shifter/derailleur-equipped road bike in order to change gears before a stop. <S> Some bikes (such as those with internal hubs) do not need any chain motion to shift gears, but my bike does. <S> That's the only concrete reason why I would employ this technique, outside of the points outlined by PeteH. <A> When riding in a group you often find that small changes of speed can mean that you do not need to pedal when it slows down and have small bursts of power when it speeds up. <S> By soft pedaling when the group slows down your legs will already be spinning when its speeds up again. <A> The reason is that between muscular contractions the difference in pressure is such as to draw blood from the arterial side to the venous side. <S> It is a hypothesis and has not been conclusively proved. <S> That may be the reason why some athletes do it, and others don't. <S> Cassey, Darren; Hunt, Emma (2008) <S> , "Cardiovascular function in humans during exercise: role of the muscle pump" The muscle pump raises muscle blood flow during locomotion. <S> Clifford PS, Hamann JJ, Valic Z, Buckwalter JB. <S> Counterpoint: <S> The muscle pump is not an important determinant of muscle blood flow during exercise. <S> J Appl Physiol. <S> 2005 <S> Jul;99(1):372-4 <A> Although I'm sure it's not the same, in MTB I use a very brief lapse of smooth pedalling while downshifting in a difficult ascent, it helps reducing noise and wear in the gearset. <S> I accelerate a little before the shift, then, as I actuate the shifter I pedal without load relying on inertia. <S> When I feel the new gear is fully engaged I resume normal pedalling. <S> This is also used when after a fast descent comes a very steep ascent, as you would normally be in a very long (hard) gear, soft pedalling is used to make sure you have <S> the proper (selected) gear engaged when you need it. <S> It is specially useful when the bottom of this kind of transition has technical terrain that would make it impossible to keep all the momentum, forcing you to reduce speed a lot but not to stop nor dismount. <A> Just based on personal experience. <S> No to all your questions. <S> Jacques Anquetil, when time trialing, was rumored to incorporate a soft pedal stroke every few revolutions. <S> With his smooth pedaling and only archival vintage video <S> it's hard to tell. <S> Could be baloney like the special oxygenated recovery beverage the Soviet track cyclist used.
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Further, you can talk to racing cyclists who will often say that soft pedalling is preferred when riding in a peloton, purely because coasting implies to other people that you're about to hit the brakes. I will do this on long descents just to keep my legs turning over and to prevent them getting too cold. I have often heard, and I agree, that the "muscular pump" is partly responsible for higher blood flow to specific muscle regions during activity.
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Riding in nice office/casual clothes? I'm a little new to bike riding, I've only been a commuter for the past couple of years so maybe I'm only now observant of this sort of thing. So over the past few days I've noticed people commuting in what looks like stuff you would wear to the office. I literally saw a guy riding his bike in a shirt and tie today! Granted it's still not too hot out, I live in Manitoba and lately it's been around 20-25, but has it suddenly become a thing to look like a fashion model while commuting to work or are the Humans around me just denim-wearing demigods who can't break a sweat? As for me, I'm usually wearing crappy t-shirt and a thin pair of shorts and I still sweat like a pig on my 8km commute to work. I guess what I'm trying to ask is whether or not this is normal behavior, maybe I'm just out of shape? <Q> Those people you mentioned seeing in 'office clothing' most likely don't have a very long commute. <S> Depending on where you live it may be like here in Switzerland; it has become some kind of trend. <S> People show off their dutch style bicycles and feel awfully cool, which might explain why you perceive them as looking like fashion models. <S> I just pass by and smile at their confusion regarding bicycles. <S> For my part I ride ~ 10km to work on my old Batavus Champion, in every season. <S> A little perspiration is normal, but I don't really need to change clothes when I arrive. <S> I think the key to successful commuting over longer distance is having an exceptionally good deodorant. <A> I think everyone rides according to their preference and purpose. <S> If you ride to exercise and break a sweat, then you probably won't wear your work clothes. <S> But if you're like most commuters, you want to ride in comfort, for the most part, and appear presentable when your ride is finished. <S> And as was suggested in the comments, riders choose their clothing, in part, by the distance and time it takes to travel, then perhaps change when they get to the office. <S> There's a great related question here -- sometimes you can change and freshen up once you get to work. <S> Other times, it may not be as feasible. <S> Anyway, my ride is similar to yours, about 9.6 km (mostly flat), and I ride to an office in shorts and a T-shirt. <S> Since my ride to work is generally against a light wind, I shift down a notch and take it a little easier so the breeze cools me, even when it's toasty in the sun, and by the time I get to work, it's a matter of a little freshening up in the bathroom before getting started. <S> The question I linked to and some of the related ones to the right are pretty instructive. <A> Try to ride at 60% of your maximum heart-rate. <S> Watch out your cadence and use a lower gear. <S> Use light clothes just a shirt and a breathable windproof jacket in winter. <S> In the summer avoid the sun, try using the parks, the wind and the trees are your friends. <S> Avoid the backpacks they make you sweat more, use a rear rack and panniers. <A> It's not an option for me, since I tend to go down once in while as I ride so aggressively (not in traffic). <S> I also don't care for fenders, so I usually end up with a skunk stripe from all the lawn irrigation run-off. <S> As for you, I would humbly suggest get out of the shorts and T-shirt though and invest in some technical gear. <S> You don't have to, and it can be expensive, but here's why I ride in it: <S> Your gear will be dry when you have to change back into it to go home, technical fibers excel at this. <S> They will also smell much less than cotton. <S> Gloves are really a must, not for comfort but because they save your skin if you ditch. <A> My bike commute is less than 2 miles, and I ride a bike with a chainguard, so I wear my work clothes into the office. <S> Anything over 4-5 miles, and I wear shorts and a t-shirt and change when I get there. <S> So put me down as +1 for it being normal. :)
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It's normal in a lot of cities to commute wearing your work attire, but I can't recommend it if you ride actively enough to sweat. This actually doesn't relate to the weather as much as you might think, I find Winter riding to be much sweatier then Summer. You will also notice how many young and trendy guys ride a women's bike because they idealize the authentic dutch hippie bike. Some 3/4 pants (or knickers) in Cordura or something else strong are going to keep your skin where it belongs when you go down, which is bound to happen at some point depending on the aggressiveness of your riding and conditions.
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Worth it to touch up my bike? I have a Linus Roadster and it got scratched moving cross country. I love this bike and want to touch up the paint job. Has anyone had experience painting over scratches on bikes? Should I bother? Thanks! <Q> It's easy to apply, quick to dry, and will prevent rust and oxidation for quite a while. <S> It's not a perfect finish match, but there are quite a lot of colors that come close. <S> If you can't find an near-perfect match try mixing two or three colors. <S> Just remember the basics; with few exceptions all colors are derived from shades of the primary colors (red, yellow & blue) and black and/or white, e.g., orange can be derived by mixing red and yellow. <S> Then you've got glitters and iridescents (whole different ballgame). <S> But nail lacquers can be picked up at pretty low prices and if you're not good with mixing colors find a friend who is. <S> You should be able to get a near-perfect match! <S> One last thing, avoid mixing brand-to-brand if possible; otherwise you may have adhesion problems. <A> It would have been better if you could post some picture of the scratches on your bike to help us understand the depth of the problem. <S> Anyway, you can use either spray, nail-polish (quick and dirty), or actual wall paint (if you have any or nick it from the neighbours' :p ). <S> however, if you have a lot to paint on, do it a little bit at a time. <S> But if you use your bike once in a while, you can just do all the painting at one go. <S> The cheapest option is to get the nail polish. <S> However, the colour would go off soon enough depending on weather conditions. <S> Also, if you buy really cheap ones from Pound shop (or 99 cents stores if you are in the US), they won't last long. <S> But, as I said, they are the cheapest and quickest option. <S> See <S> this on Amazon. <S> They should work too. <S> The decision is yours. <A> Chips that are deep enough to show bare metal should be primered prior to paint. <S> Chips that are not treated can cause more paint to flake off. <S> While aluminum won't rust it can still corrode if exposed to road salt. <S> I have had success with Testors brand toy model paint. <S> I get a color as close as possible and custom mix to match my bike. <S> If the blue isn't dark enough I add some black, if it is too dark I add some white. <S> It is mixed in small amounts <S> say six drops of blue and two drops of black. <S> You can then dab it over the chips with a cotton swab or small artist brush.
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My trick is to find nail polish that roughly matches the finish. The frame can start to rust and loose even more paint.
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Thinking of upgrading my brakes to these, is there an issue with "mushy" braking? I want to get these in combination with new levers for my bike, but under the description it says: "Use of these calipers with standard SLR enabled STI and brake levers results in a "mushy" brake response" I've got a simple, single-speed bike, I'm not sure how this will be an issue? All of the reviews seem great, and they're the only reasonably priced shimano brake calipers that are black to match my gear. Maybe I'm missing the mark completely and these brakes aren't even meant for a bike like mine, if that's the case can anyone recommend some affordable brake calipers that I can upgrade to? <Q> It's counterintuitive but brakes with a mushy feel are actually going to have more power. <S> This is due to the difference in cable pull ratio. <S> It also means you'll have to run the pad a little closer to the rim, which can be an issue if your wheels are out of true. <S> Overall, I think this would be a great setup. <S> The new 105s are great brakes, and you'll have plenty of stopping power. <A> The Shimano Tech Doc for the Shimano BR-5700 <S> (SI-8JC0A-002-00) says "Use the ST-5700/5703, BL-TT79 with the BR-5700. <S> Do not use the BR-5700 in combination with previous STI levers for road riding or with the BL-R770/BL-R550 brake levers for flat handlebars, otherwise the braking performance provided will be much too strong". <S> You can try it, but I don't think it should be recommended -- since brakes are the most important safety equipment on your bike, its not really a place where you should be experimenting against the manufacturer too much <S> (if you value your face) IMO. <S> You may be able to adjust the cable pull of the levers appropriately with a travel agent though. <S> Even a great brake will perform poorly if you don't do this. <S> As for alternatives, try the SRAM Apex brakeset with the SRAM 500 brake levers. <S> Alternatively, buy some silver calipers and (carefully) paint them black. <A> Tektro road brakes will work just fine with those levers. <S> http://www.jensonusa.com/Road-Caliper-Brakes/Tektro-R539-Road-Caliper-Set <S> It's what I use on my road bike.
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Some other things you can do are make sure your current brakes have good quality pads and are set up properly.
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How to position a bike for work without a stand I want to tweak my gears, from time to time: Adjust my front and rear derailleur limits, see if the shifts are smooth, make small adjustments on the cable tension, and so on. Is there any way to get the bike in position without help of anyone? I don't want to spend money on a bike stand. <Q> In my experience, most light work can be done with the bike stored upside down (standing on the handlebars and seat). <S> Of course, I'm assuming that you're talking about a road bike. <S> Other bikes, like a mountainbike with a twist-shifters or trigger-shifting, might not be as well suited. <A> Before I bought a bike stand, I used the bike rack on my car. <S> I still use it in a pinch. <A> I have two large hooks attached to my basement ceiling. <S> I attach a 1 inch cargo strap (look for them in camping supplies) from the hook to my saddle and a second around the bars and stem. <S> This suspends the bike while allowing the wheels and crank to spin freely. <S> By adjusting the strap length I can position the bike so the area being worked on is close to eye level. <S> The hooks were less than $3 and the straps were $3 each. <A> I have double kickstand on the bike which can act as mini repair stand. <A> Here is a cheap ($20) bike stand that elevates the rear wheel: http://www.amazon.com/Sunlite-Bracket-Bicycle-Display-Stand/dp/B000C17HJ4 <S> Note that it works best with thinner-tubed steel bikes, and doesn't necessarily hold up a bike with a thick aluminum downtube optimally. <A> Turn the bike upside down and clamp the handle bar stem in the jaws of a WorkMate workbench and rest the seat on the opposite end of the WorkMate work surface. <S> Turning the seat around backwards on its stem may be helpful. <A> I use two high chairs (with straight backrest) With one or two broomsticks inbetween them to hold the bike up. <A> My solution for this is a kickstand. <S> It keeps the bicycle upright with both wheels on the ground. <S> If you need to adjust the gears, you can slightly tilt the bicycle to stand only on the kickstand and not on the rear wheel. <S> Then the rear wheel is free to rotate, but it requires continuously keeping the bicycle in the slightly tilted position. <S> It's a one-handed job though, so the other hand is free to rotate the cranks. <S> Don't put too high stress on the kickstand though or else you may be looking for a new frame, as you accidentally bent the chainstays of the old frame! <A> A cheap solution is a wall-mounted bike holding stand. <S> The simple ones are just a couple of prongs that stick out from the wall and support the top tube of your bike. <S> Something like this is $US40 <S> or you can get fancy with this (will work better with sloping top tubes) <S> I suspect you could build one out of a 1.5m length of timber and some screws quite easily, although attaching it to the wall would require a little care. <S> The rope-based hanging bike storage systems also work well for this if you can put up with the bike swinging round. <S> Those allow better access, but the bike moves. <S> A solid wall mount won't move but you have to take the bike down and flip it round to access the other side, and you can't turn the handlebars much.
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I pull the bike on the kickstand, and put some weight (u-lock and chain) on the front of the bike so it tilts forward and back wheel gets lifted in the air.
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Should the bike or the rider take the jolt from a bump, and how? The last part of my commute to work has some significant bumps in the road which are really quite jarring, since I'm on a road bike that, of course, has no shocks (but has a carbon fork). Most of the bumps are caused by cracks in the asphalt that have separated or curb corners that don't totally flatten to the road level at the crosswalk... or tree roots that have started to push up from beneath the pavement. Should the bike take most of the concussion from hitting bumps? If I lift myself off the seat only barely and just for a moment, I don't have to feel the brunt of the force, and my bike has more freedom to take the hit instead of me. (These aren't so large that I am at much risk of totally flying off the bike if I stand up slightly for those moments. I'm still holding on, but maybe more lightly.) Will the bike last longer if I kind of use my legs as springs, or should I stay firmly planted and take the jolt from the bump? What's the tradeoff, if any, between my health/safety and the longevity of the bike? <Q> Your bike is hitting the bumps and supporting your full weight (minus the very small proportion of weight that might be falling at that exact moment) regardless of how you stand when you hit the bumps. <S> The difference is whether you're going to let the additional damping effects of the down tube, seat tube, bottom bracket, cranks, and pedals absorb some of the shock before hitting your body, and whether you take that shock on your feet (which are protected by hard soles and socks and are connected to your springy ankles) or just take it right on the sit bones (which are hard and part of your skeleton). <S> Obviously one of those is going to feel a lot worse than the other. <S> It's helpful to imagine an analogous system: a very light car carrying a heavy load. <S> Our choice is whether the load is supported on a suspension system or not. <S> If we rigidly attach the load to the frame of the car, the load isn't "taking the hit" when the car hits a bump -- rather, the shock is worsened because there's nothing to absorb some of the energy of the shock. <S> If we suspend the load, the total weight the car is carrying remains the same (it has to), but we let the suspension system absorb some of the energy. <S> You and your bike are both better off if you get off the seat a bit and let your legs (and the frame, to some extent) act as a suspension system. <A> If I see a significant bump coming (on my touring bike -- no suspension), or just a stretch of fairly rough pavement, I'll generally raise my bum a few inches off the seat and flex my arms, so that my legs and arms are the "springs". <S> This in not only more pleasant than taking the hard bumps, it also helps the bike maintain contact with the road, reducing the chance of the wheels sliding out from under you. <S> And, of course, it's easier on the wheels. <S> Plus, I suspect the physics of it all makes it better from an energy expenditure standpoint -- less of your forward momentum is lost to the bump. <A> You should be light on your bike. <S> It's not really an either or thing. <S> If you've got your full weight on the bike, then it still takes the jolt, but can't move - <S> you're holding it down. <S> Roughly, the bike gets squeezed between you and the pavement. <S> There's force up on a wheel or two, and force down on the seat, and possibly the bars and pedals. <S> Having your weight on it is something like putting an object on a table and giving it a sharp whack with a hammer; letting the bike move under you is like hanging that same object from a string and whacking it. <A> You have it backwards. <S> When you stand up, your legs (bent at the knee) provide suspension, separating the unsprung mass (the bicycle) from the weight of your body. <S> This is easier on the bike, not harder. <S> Though the bike complies with the bumps, it does not have to deal with your mass in doing so. <S> (Well, strictly speaking, standing is harder on your pedals, cranks and bottom bracket, but overall it is easier on the frame.) <S> When you're seated, there is still some suspension from your butt and <S> whatever springiness is in the seat, but it's not as effective. <S> Your bike can't "take it instead of you" because if you're taking it, you're taking it through the bike, not directly from the road.
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If you're light on the bike (letting it jump under you), it takes the hit but then is able to move how it wants after that. This is not an either-or proposition. If it can move freely, it won't take as much damage. The jolts you're feeling are being transmitted through the wheels and frame.
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Bibs vs Shorts? I have so far used cycling shorts for my road cycling attire, but have noticed that bib shorts are prevalent with many road cyclists including many pros. What are advantages and disadvantages of using bibs vs cycling shorts? Any quirks, caveats or major pluses for each? <Q> Bibs Don't move. <S> Looks more pro . <S> Shorts Easier to put on. <S> Easier when the you hear the call of nature. <A> This isn't totally similar to regular shorts, given that cycling shorts need to be designed for a body that's probably bending over a little more than normal <S> so the top of the shorts at the back will be higher (hence also that cycle shirts have a longer back to help cover the inevitable gap that appears when you bend over). <S> So the bibs help with not needing loads of elastic that digs into your sides because they're being held up from your shoulders, but also the construction covers your lower back (including added insulation in winter/cold-weather varietals). <S> It's similar to comparing an open-top car against its roofed equivalent - all that extra strength that comes from the roof has to be pushed into the superstructure around the new top of the vehicle. <S> So it is with shorts. <S> Yes, the call of nature is trickier, but I'd rather be comfortable for hours and uncomfortable for a few minutes, than put up with shorts. <A> In addition to what Alex says, in cold weather I will ride in bibtights. <S> They are unpadded <S> so I wear shorts underneath. <S> I prefer shorts to bibs in that scenario because the bibtights themselves already come over my shoulders, and when I tried wearing bibs under them I just felt trussed up. <S> One other thing - <S> and I don't think I'm imagining this going by manufacturer's web sites <S> - is that shorts appear to be more difficult to get hold of than a few years ago. <S> My preferred clothing brand, Etxeondo, is currently offering six different pairs of bibshorts in its range but only one pair of shorts. <S> I wonder whether they are driving the trend, or whether they have responded to sales figures?
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The construction is different, shorts need to have the elastication around the top to keep them in place around your waist and on your hips, this has an obvious effect on the styling. To reinforce what Alex says, the "don't move" aspect of bibs should not be underrated. Not only are the shorts being held from above, they're being anchored in place so they won't rotate and ride around your sides - which is even more annoying than tight elastic.
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What does an expensive wheel have over a cheap wheel? I'm looking to get a new front wheel at the moment for what is (supposed to be) an inexpensive commuter bike. My question is what's so good about a £100 wheel vs a £25 wheel? The cheapest option my usual port of call had available was over £100. I appreciate that these guys only stock good quality stuff but I just don't have that kind of money to invest right now. I then found this on Amazon at a fraction of the cost. I have no doubt that it's a worse quality wheel but what practical difference does that actually make? Is it just the weight? Are there safety concerns? <Q> Brand name Materials (bearing / axle quality and rim material in particular) <S> Complexity (double butted spokes to save weight, rim construction) <S> Hand made (cheaper wheels are machine made automatically) <S> Wheels vary greatly because there are so many different styles of riding. <S> Cheap wheels are mass produced from softer materials with heavy spokes and axles and relatively soft bearings. <S> They should be straight but they usually aren't very strong <S> so they buckle out of shape when you hit obstacles (pot holes). <S> Expensive wheels are produced by hand using tougher materials that have been specially machined for the purpose, weight is trimmed from all components, bearings are hardened and usually sealed against dirt and water. <S> This produces strong wheels which are much better able to deal with abuse. <S> The weight savings go a long way to making you ride faster and turn easier because every time you accelerate you have to give the wheels rotational motion and inertia. <S> The less they (and tyres) weight, the easier that motion is to generate and the less the inertia is (inertia tends to keep the wheel straight on course when you try to turn it). <A> The Amazon wheel you linked is a solid axle, which means it has bolts (instead of a quick-release), so you'll need to carry a wrench that fits it. <S> If you have a flat and are not carrying a wrench, you'll be walking or finding some other means of transport. <S> Cheap wheels are, to a certain extent, false economy. <S> You'll find they may not stay true for long, because of careless assembly. <S> Spokes can break more frequently. <S> If you're in a position to handle such problems, then no worries. <S> But if you're not able to fix a broken spoke, your savings can quickly evaporate. <S> My local bike shop charges U$D 30.00 each to fix a broken spoke on a rear wheel. <S> You linked two different sizes of wheels, so I don't know what kind you really need. <S> I recently shelled out a few hundred U$D for some new wheels . <S> They were machine made and needed retensioning, which cost another U$D 100 at my LBS, but they are real true now and very, very strong. <S> Had I bought the hubs, spokes, and rims separately, I would have paid even more. <S> I anticipate many thousands of miles of life from them. <S> If you drop decent money on a set of wheels and get 20,000 km from them, I'd say you're better off than if you drop a small amount of money on a wheelset that gets built into a decent one, one broken spoke at a time. <A> There is an opinion, that in bikes there are three properties that you can choose only two of them <S> it's strength, price and weight, and if you go to extreme you will be able to choose only one. <S> That means the cheapest wheel will be weak (low quality bearings and axles) and heavy, as much as the lightest carbon wheel will be expensive and also weak. <S> It's up to you to decide what suits you best, but IMO these 50 bucks worth it.
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While some bicycle wheels can be quite expensive, you want to strike a balance between total crap wheels that achieve false economy, and too-expensive wheels (which may not be optimal for commuting use anyway). The difference in price could be made up of a number of factors:
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How to fix a stripped pedal crank The threads on my bike's pedal crank just became fully stripped and the pedal fell off, though the pedal itself is fine. Is there any way I can fix this without fully replacing the pedal crank? <Q> This is best left to your local bike shop. <S> To buy the tools that you will most likely only use once will exceed the labor fee they will charge. <S> They can also check to make sure the repair can be done safely. <A> I have done this to a bent/stripped derailer hanger of a steel frame, and it worked perfectly. <S> I think you could weight price, availability and safety of each alternative, but <S> very probable that replacing the crank is the wisest thing to do, unfortunately. <S> It might not be so in case of a very expensive (and high quality) crank, but if the crank is medium or low priced, replacing is the way to go. <A> This happened on my Trek Pilot. <S> The pedal was a bit loose and I didn't fix it in time before it bore itself out of its hole. <S> My LBS drilled out the threads and installed a new helicoil . <S> It's a simple task, I think I paid less than $30 for it (although I did get a friend-of-the-shop discount, you might pay more). <S> Park Tools has instructions on how to drill and then tap a new bushing: http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/pedal-bushing-repair-kit-procedure
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If the crank arm is wide enough it may be drilled and a thread repair insert installed or tapped to a larger size. I have seen people succesfully filling the the whole space of the crank thread with weld, then re-manufacturing the thread in a turning/lathing shop.
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Is it normal that the Abus Bordo folding lock rattles? I have the latest Abus Bordo Granite X-Plus 6500 folding lock: It is cased inside a rubberized pouch that attaches to one of the bottle-cage locations: Very convenient, but sadly, it rattles while riding on an uneven surface , which can get quite annoying, and does not make for a smooth ride. Firstly, is that normal, or is something wrong? (Has one of the bolts come looser than it should be?) Secondly, how do I prevent this from happening? <Q> This is a late answer I know, but I've found a solution to the rattling problem. <S> I've had an Abus 6500 for nearly 3 years now and the rattling always annoyed me. <S> I used to wrap a kind of nylon strap between the lock as I folded it and that partly solved it, although most of the rattle was coming from the joints themselves. <S> It was only just today <S> when I thought of this: I sprayed some chain oil, the type that comes in a spray can, into the joints, between the bars. <S> As you may know, this oil is very liquid when sprayed but soon solidifies as the solvent evaporates. <S> This allows it to get right into the joint and GREATLY reduce rattle. <S> There is inevitably some that runs onto the parts you need to touch so a bit of cleaning up afterwards is necessary but the result for me is just astounding. <S> I just wish I'd thought of it 3 years ago! <A> I complained about the noise to ABUS <S> and they told me they will substitute them, asap. <S> It's a design/factory problem. <A> I made judicious use of little 10mm o-rings on my Abus. <S> No more rattles. <A> Mine just arrived and I mounted it to my frame just like the picture above (though, my lock looks slightly different... <S> still the x-plus.) <S> It rattles just like every other attachment on my bicycle (including the chain when it's not taut). <S> I think it's quite normal... <S> it does have movable parts, after all. <S> I bet the rattling can be dampened by using a small felt pad wrapped around it or between the links, but I haven't tried this. <S> If you carry a bag, putting it in there would probably stifle much of the rattle. <S> Using a messenger bag would lower the load's center of gravity. <S> As for a bolt coming loose, if you can't fit anything of much strength (more than tweezers?) between the bolt and the link, it's probably not too loose. <S> I can't see these links just falling apart in my own lock anyway... <S> so unless you notice a significant separation, I bet the lock is fine. <S> Incidentally, did you mount it using the velcro straps or by screwing it into the frame using the mounting points? <S> If you try using the velcro to mount instead, perhaps the rattle will be reduced? <A> It's normal for the lock itself to rattle if you shake it, especially when it's folded up. <S> That said, I have an earlier model of the lock, and mine doesn't rattle audibly when it's in the rubber carrying case: the case is tight enough to stop it rattling. <S> Is it definitely the lock rattling, rather than the case itself? <S> The case has a metal plate that the bottle-cage bolts sit against, and if one of them is slightly loose, the weight of the lock would cause the case to rattle. <S> Try tightening the screws. <S> Alternatively, it could be that when inside the case, the lock is in contact with a bike component (such as the mounting for the front derailleur) and that's causing the rattle. <S> If you have a second mounting point, it might be worth trying that to avoid wear to the fouled component. <A> All Bordo locks rattle no matter what in the water bottle mount, what I do is put it in my under seat saddlebag and put my wallet and cell phone ontop of it. <S> It won't rattle that way.
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If you use the screws, it's possible that the lock is bumping against them causing the rattle, but then again, shaking the lock in my hand without other metal also produces a slight rattle. Personally, the rattling doesn't bother me because I'm so focused on the ride and just being out on the bike. It's possible that Abus have made the case a little looser in newer versions, to make it easier to insert and remove the lock.
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Concerns with different brake types for the front and the rear wheel I'm considering adding a disc fork to my surly cross check and using some avid bb7 road brakes for the front. I've got tektro road levers on drop bars (outfitted with retroshift shifters) I've got all the gear, so cost is negligible. The frame is not built for disc brakes, so I would leave my cantilever brakes on the rear. I know the modulation and grab will be different for the brakes. Should I be concerned about having different types of brakes on this bike? <Q> Quick answer: Don't worry. <S> Front and rear are already "functionally different" on two-wheeled vehicles, to the point that we have different tread patterns and even wheel sizes (at least in motorcycles this is common-practice). <S> So, having brakes with different "feels" is not a problem by itself, unless this bothers you, or makes you over/underestimate breaking power due to a possibly stark difference. <S> Hope this helps! <A> My older MTB that I ride to work on, has hydraulic disk Deore in front and Tektro V-Brakes for the rear, and it's totally OK. <S> Anyway, your brain will have no issues to adapt to such negliable changes, like the power you need to apply with each hand. <S> After a few rides you'll be OK. <A> A bunch of people have done "disc-checks" usually using something like a Kona Project 2 disc fork or Dimension fork or something similar <S> (Example: http://forums.mtbr.com/surly/steel-disc-fork-crosscheck-572029.html ) <S> So, you can do <S> it provided the geometry and fork quality <S> is OK (Alternatively, you can upgrade to the new Surly Straggler :3) <A> It's a great idea: Front brakes are often used. <S> You will enjoy the strength and control of disc brake. <S> Also, I believe, disc brake pads wear slower <S> then rubber pads - another win <S> Go for it!
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You will suffer weight penalty (as disc brakes are heavier), but the good news is that it will be small - you will retain the light rarely used rear brake. On some bikes, you can also install a bolt on conversion kit, such as http://2btherapy.com/bikes/brake-therapy-conversion-kit
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How can I prevent cars from passing me too closely? Recently, a driver buzzed by me, leaving just a couple of inches between my handlebars and his car. It was very scary. In general, how can I prevent cars from passing me too closely? Please cite sources. <Q> Use proper positioning. <S> This is most important. <S> Unless the outermost lane is as wide as two SUVs , ride in its center. <S> When it's safe, reasonable and necessary to let drivers pass, kindly move over; but always leave at least 18 inches (0.5 m) between you and the curb. <S> The driver behind you may have to wait a minute or two, but they'll survive. <S> If they've waited a few minutes, be nice and pull over. <S> (Adapted mainly from Wikipedia citing Cyclecraft .) <S> Paradoxically, correct positioning will stop most drivers from buzzing you. <S> Correct positioning can be scary, but does get easier . <S> There's more to vehicular cycling. <S> You must read more about lane release . <S> Also read "Street Smarts" online: either the American edition or left-hand-drive edition . <S> If you want, you can also read Cyclecraft , or take a class , or watch some videos. <S> (Can anyone recommend some videos?) <S> On rare occasions, drivers may still buzz you. <S> A spring-mounted one: e.g. a Flash Flag. <S> ( Source. ) <S> It must be spring-mounted, so that it can bend easily if hit. <S> (If you can't afford a flag: Maybe you could use a dollar-store pool noodle plus a washable marker pen. <S> See here. ) <S> Or use a doll. <S> Put a baby-sized doll in a trailer or rear-mounted carrier. <S> About attempted murder: If a driver ever intentionally endangers your life, note down the license plate number, location, time, and date. <S> If you value your safety, don't touch the driver's car. <S> Contact a cop : preferably immediately; but better later than never. <S> This post is marked as community wiki. <S> Please add to it. <A> Cars overtaking too closely is often down to the width of the road ( ref ): <S> For a cyclist to be safely overtaken, the width required depends upon the width of the overtaking vehicle but in general a lane width of 4m is needed. <S> For widths of between 3 and 4m the cyclist will be 'squeezed'. <S> Road widths less than 3m <S> ensure the overtaking vehicle must wait behind the cyclist. <S> There's a more detailed discussion of road width and overtaking on humantransport.org . <S> The diagram below shows distances in feet: <S> Roads with (at least) 2 lanes each way usually work well if the lanes are narrow enough that cars have to change lane to overtake you. <S> On narrower roads you can discourage dangerous overtaking by positioning yourself correctly (see this question on Claiming The Lane ). <S> If you position yourself at least 0.5m from the edge of the road you will have a little bit of room to manoeuvre if you are overtaken dangerously. <A> You can wobble strategically , or ride without a helmet and dress so as to appear as a woman from behind . <S> Sources <S> : Linked above, as you can see. <S> The summary from the British study, from the source . <A> You won't be able to stop this completely. <S> However, there are things you can do about this. <S> Most car drivers usually let enough space between you and the car, if possible. <S> So they will likely pass you closer when <S> : The road is narrow <S> There is oncoming traffic <S> Now, you have a few strategies to encounter this situations: <S> so the car behind you can't pass you unless there is more space or no oncoming traffic Riding very right ( <S> when right-side traffic, otherwise left) <S> so cars can pass you without problems Stop and let the car pass <S> Personally, I prefer option 1 in the cities, because cars will have enough time to see you and slow down. <S> You still have enough space to ride to the side in risky situations to increase the space between you and the car. <S> 2 is more risky in cities because it kind of invites cars to pass you close. <S> I usually to this on broad highways, because there most cars newer slow down to wait to pass you (at least in my experience). <S> I do option 3 on narrow roads with oncoming traffic. <S> These are usually side roads with few traffic anyway. <S> I don't like to stop, but in the end I will get hurt if a car hits me. <A> When I ride, I usually wear a little rearview mirror attachment on my glasses that allow me to see traffic behind me. <S> If I see a vehicle approaching <S> and I don't get the sense that they see me, I'll actually crane my head around <S> so it's very obvious that I've spotted them. <S> Most drivers will notice you if you do that. <S> (obviously not to take away from the very thorough and technical answer by @unforgettableld - just a trick a friend taught me).
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If you can choose a route with wide roads then you're unlikely to be overtaken in a dangerous manner. Riding more in the middle of the your lane To prevent this: Use a safety flag. There will be always car drivers how try to pass you, no matter what.
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What causes uneven wear on cleats? I find my right cleat is wearing a lot quicker than my left one. Usually I start with the left cleat in the pedal and then click the right one in while pushing off. Is the action of inserting the cleat that damaging? or is it the standing on the right foot while waiting? <Q> Of course the more the cleat interacts with other surfaces, the more it wears. <S> My experience with SPD-SL cleats is the "primary unclipping foot" wears down a bit quicker, although I usually replace both at the same time (partly for convenience, plus I find the yellow "walking grips" wearing out more evenly, so are worth replacing as a pair) <S> Similarly, the pedal on the primary-unclipping side will likely wear quicker - for example, after around 15,000km: <S> The SPD-SL pedals show wear nice and clearly; you can see I primarily unclip my left foot. <S> The left pedal had significant vertical movement, and was overdue for replacement. <S> Is the action of inserting the cleat that damaging? <S> or is it the standing on the right foot while waiting? <S> These will cause different kinds of wear, typically.. <S> What is causing the wear should be pretty obviously if you look closely at how the cleat attaches to the pedal, or what contacts the ground when you stand (easily done if you take of the shoe, and clip in with your hands!) <S> For example, with the SPD-SL cleat: <S> The yellow bits (1.) will wear from standing, whereas the area that rubs (2.) will wear from unclipping. <S> Different types of cleats will be different, e.g the SPD "mountain biking" shoes have a recessed cleat, so standing will not wear the cleat. <A> Maybe it is neither! <S> Could it not be the moment you hit the ground with your foot which, even when doing it gently, is more of an actual hit than just standing peacefully. <S> I would think that clipping in does some wear <S> and it also removes the micro-bits of cleat the standing and hitting has filed down. <S> What kind of cleats do you use? <S> and more important, what kind of shoes?MTB, SPD shoes have the sole surround the cleat it is quite protected when walking and standing (it does hit the ground, but evenly so with the rest of the sole)? <S> or more road shoes with the cleat protruding so that when you stand/walk, the cleat takes 100% of the hit at every step? <A> It's going to be highly variable. <S> If it is always the same foot that you use to unclip, then it may be as simple as being dragged/scraped on the ground at stops. <S> Also, as has been pointed out, the more you use a specific cleat the more that it will wear. <S> Another thing that could be contributing is leg length and improper fit. <S> If your leg does not track straight up and down, or if you have a large amount of float in your cleat, the motion/rubbing could be causing premature cleat wear. <S> This might be able to be corrected with shims under one or other of your cleats. <S> Lots of variables, probably not a real definitive answer unless there is something glaringly wrong with one of the above.
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Also, it could be that there is something wrong/worn in the pedal itself on that side, causing excessive wear to the cleats.
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When is using a suspension fork worth it? I've recently picked up biking again since my childhood years, so I'm quite the newbie. I've figured out most of the features I'd need so far but I'm at a loss at this one.Why would you pick front suspension? In my case, I'll be commuting 5 miles each way every day, 1/2 through paved road and 1/2 through gravel trails with a ~200m stretch of moderately bumpy off-road. <Q> Proviso - my advise presumes you are not looking at forking out $2K or more for a bike, and probably significantly less. <S> At a high price point I might suggest suspension. <S> I also presume the gravel section is well maintained with average (pea - grape) size gravel (Where I ride, we sometime use logging roads, the "gravel" is stones about 2"-3" across.), and straight rather than technical single track Advantages of suspension <S> - Softens the ride on the arms making the ride more comfortable, holds front wheel on the ground providing better handling, especially while cornering. <S> Allows you to ride a straighter line than you might otherwise be able to. <S> Disadvantages: <S> Heavy and very expensive for good shocks, need maintenance and cheap ones don't really work well. <S> Absorb energy <S> while riding slowing you down - can be mitigated with a lockout, but even ones with lockouts move a bit. <S> You only have 200m of rough ground to cover, so a suspension fork is probably overkill. <S> If I was buying a bike for that commute, for the same $$$ you will get a significantly better bike with no shocks, any loss of time over 200m of rough ground would be made up on the rest of the 5 miles because of the better quality bike. <S> Cheap shocks won't really help with the comfort, so unless you can get to at least a mid range in price, don't bother. <S> I would consider padded hand grips and gloves - cheap and easy to "tweak" if needed. <S> Also big tires will help with the rough ground and gravel - I would look at 1.75"-2" slicks, and probably a 29er MTB of cyclocross style wheels (depending on your height). <S> Consider a quality steel frame if you cannot afford carbon <S> - they absorb vibrations much better than aluminum. <S> The problem is many shops do not stock, and know nothing about steel and will tell you "stories". <A> They ride the paris roubaix on road bikes, and that is a lot of cobblestone. <S> You can get away with 2 miles of gravel without suspension. <S> Don't go overkill on this. <S> You can ride gravel on fat tires and no suspension. <S> You don't even need a mountain bike. <S> Get a touring, cyclocross, or hybrid bike with cantilever, disc, or mini-v brakes and put some 35mm or larger tires <S> and you'll probably feel like you are floating over it (unless you have seriously bad wrists). <S> Run your tires at the lower end of the recommended pressure and they will provide a lot of cushion. <S> Use puncture resistant tires or install tire liners to prevent flats. <S> If it gets muddy on the gravel, you may want to get some tires that are a bit knobby as opposed to slick. <S> It's pretty much overkill for anything less. <S> You probably won't really be digging hard in to corners on your commute. <S> If you get suspension, You're probably going to need a relatively heavy bike compared to a road bike (unless you spend big bucks on all carbon) and you'll likely be slowed down by the bounce introduced by the fork (even with it locked out) and your bike will likely have much lower gear ratios since they are meant to be used off road. <S> If you are really sold on suspension and plan on riding on the road (and a few gravel trails) <S> primarily, you probably want a hybrid with a short travel front fork. <A> It mostly depends on your riding style. <S> If you ride neat asphalt all the time there is no reason for it, on the other hand it helps to maintain control off the road, so the front wheel will stay in contact with the ground and helps to save your joints from the vibrations. <S> IMO in your specific case, it's better to save your wrists and get a short 80mm suspension fork with locking, so you could lock it on asphalt and open on gravel/off-road. <S> Just remember to unlock it off-road, else you'll ruin it.
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I also recommend a steel frame (or carbon if you want to spend a bit more) to take up some of the bumpiness on the ride since aluminum is much stiffer and will not feel so good on rough terrain. Suspension works great if you are riding a mountain bike on singletrack trails.
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What tools are required to replace a spoke? When out riding at the weekend, for the very first time, I managed to break a spoke on my wheel. Because I've not done it before, and I want to get back out on the bike soon, this time around I am minded just to hand the job over to my LBS. However, I do like to do my own maintenance where I can, so was thinking about what tools I would need to be able to do the job myself in future. I'm thinking I would need a spoke wrench, a truing stand and a spoke tension meter. But would I need anything else? Or are any of these items unnecessary? As a follow on question, this was a spoke on the drive side of a rear wheel that was bought just 9 months ago as part of a new (and expensive) wheelset , and has done something like 1500km so far. The roads I was riding on were far from perfect, but I don't particularly remember hitting any potholes. Was I just unlucky or should I be concerned? Update I've now replaced the spoke myself with no hassle whatsoever. Thanks to all three respondents, every answer was good - a spoke wrench was the only tool required. I estimated the correct tension by plucking the spokes and made sure the wheel was approximately true just using the frame. The only other thing to note was that, having decided to replace the spoke like-for-like, the particular spoke was very difficult to get hold of singly. In the end I ordered from an online shop in the US (I'm in the UK). I did approach my LBS but the best they could do was to order a box of 72 spokes for me which pushed the cost right up. I had a chat with the mechanic there who said that this was quite a common problem... <Q> A spoke wrench is required, the stand and tension meter are optional but can make your job easier. <S> You can use the frame of your bike and the brakes if you have rim brakes as your truing stand. <S> If you have disc brakes you can use wire/zip ties wrapped around your frame tubes and poking toward the rim then trimmed to measure true (assuming the wheel is aligned in the frame.) <S> If you are replacing a spoke on a rear wheel you will likely need a lock ring remover and chain whip to remove the rear cassette. <S> Note that each time you break a spoke, the others become a little more fatigued, and a little more likely to break. <S> Over time you may find yourself breaking spokes with more frequency. <S> My rule of thumb is that if I've broken 5 spokes on a wheel I get it rebuilt, or at the very least professionally trued and tensioned. <S> Like most things <S> the late Sheldon Brown is a great resource as is http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/wheel-and-rim-truing . <A> If its just one spoke, and you are after functional, not perfection, all you would need it a spoke wrench. <S> If its the right hand side of the rear wheel, you will need to remove the cluster so need tools for that. <S> Tourers often/usually carry spare spokes and can replace them on the side of the road if needed, so you don't need all the gear the LBS has (although it sure makes things easier)..... <S> The actual task for replacement is straight forward (in theory) <S> - replace the spoke, re-install the wheel on the bike and put the bike in a work stand or something so the wheel can spin (upside down is a last resort), use a zip tie on a frame member as a guide and tighten/loose spokes to true the rim. <S> In practice, being your first, it will take all day as every "tweak" you make will appear to do strange things elsewhere. <S> The trick is slow-slowly. <S> Take you time, no more than 1/4 turn then re-check. <S> You might need to tweak the spokes up to a few each side of the broken one - more than that and either the wheel was not true to begin with or something else is happening.. <S> I would look for reasons why the spoke failed, and consider a visit to the LBS if truing the wheel gives you a heap of trouble. <A> However, 3/4ths of broken spokes occur on the rear wheel and on the drive side, so you need the appropriate tools for removing your cassette. <S> Truing a wheel after replacing a single spoke is usually relatively easy, and does not demand fancy tools. <S> (Though of course if you're looking for an excuse to buy a tension meter and truing stand, have at it.)
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If the broken spoke is not behind the rear cassette, replacement requires only a spoke wrench.
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How do you make the handlebar stem straight? I adjusted my stem height the other day, and since then, the stem hasn't felt straight. I've attempted to straighten it a few times, but because I'm just eyeballing it, the handlebars don't quite seem right when I ride. (I have similar problems when I try to straighten my saddle or brifters; is this hard for other people, too, or do I just have some sort of alignment-blindness? :) Is there a simple way to make the stem objectively straight instead of relying on my subjective (and wrong) judgment? <Q> A degree or two isn't noticeable until you are riding <S> and then it really bothers you. <S> Instead of trying to align three things (bike, stem, wheel), turn the wheel about 45 degrees. <S> Now align the stem (I generally do it with the wheel trapped between my legs and the bike in front of me) to the wheel. <S> It's much easier to ignore the bike when it's not even close to in-line. <S> Happy riding. <A> After making sure your handlebar is properly centered in the stem clamp and it is not bent (from a crash for example) locate the bike over the lines of a straight and well installed tiled floor. <S> Use the crossed pattern as a guide: <S> Align the front wheel with lengthwise lines and compare the handlebar ends with a crossed line. <S> As the Handlebar halves are longer than most stems, any misalignment would be magnified at the ends, thus making it easier to "see" the error and correct it. <S> To further increase the "precision" of this technique, use only one eye, and try to align that eye with the vertical plane of the front wheel, that means shifting your head an approximately inch to one side. <A> This approach works well for rigid forks and might work well for suspension forks too. <S> You need a straightedge or aluminium profile. <S> Put the straightedge through the wheel and push it against the fork: <S> Ensure you do not stress the spokes, though it might help clamping the straightedge. <S> Look down from your handlebar and align the straightedge with the handlebar: <S> Move your head until you almost covered the straightedge with the handlebar. <S> If the handlebar is straight, you shall see the straightedge equally on both sides. <A> I sight down the middle of the bike and line up components on the bike centerline, like the stem, top tube, seat tube, BB shell, etc. <A> This works for me... <S> first eyeball it. <S> Then for the fine adjusments take a string and stick one end to the center of your wheel (right at the top of the wheel) then measure the distance to one end of the handlebar (just take the other end of the string to the end of the handlebar) and then compare it to the other end of the handlebar...if it is aligned it should be the same lenght on both sides. <S> After doing this you can go to bed at ease lol <A> Take off the front wheel Place the bike on flat ground. <S> Preferably inside the house where the ground is hard and flat. <S> Drop a plumb line from center of the stem to a length where it is just a millimeter off the ground. <S> Align the stem so that he plumb line is in the centre of the fork. <A> It is shocking that many bike mechanics does not know how to fit the stem properly, leaving me to do the work for myself. <S> I'm now writing this answer in hope that people never have an anguished scream in their head about this mis-alligned stem. <S> 1)Tie <S> a ribbon/cord or anything that hanging on the stem. <S> 2)Make sure the ribbon touches the wheel. <S> 3)Allign <S> the stem 4)Learn that after tightening, the stem generally move a few degrees depends on where the tightening bolts are. <S> 5)Once knowing which direction the tightening bolts causing the stem to rotate, offset the stem (remember to use the ribbon as indicator/marking) Repeat until you satisfy, but generally it wont be more than 3 times
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A problem many hit when trying to straighten the stem is that they end up aligning the stem with the bike while the wheel is almost straight. Use a ruler to determine the centre of the fork if you must
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Is there legal recourse to drivers passing too close? I'm a daily commuter on my road bike. I commute into Manchester NH. Over the years drivers seem to have gotten better and better at passing me safely. I attribute this to the following: Me learning how to influence the driver (body language, lane position, eye contact) Regular commuters on my route getting used to seeing me on the road Actually speaking to drivers and telling them the law. (Some people have slowed down after i shouted "3 feet" at them and I was able to tell the that NH is a 3 foot Law state However there are still drivers that pass much too close. I typically stop immediately and call the non emergency Manchester PD line to report it. At no time have I ever been followed up on a call. Also dispatch is not interested in actually filing a police report. I feel that filing a police report is important so that the city and state actually record when crimes occur. The worst scenario is when dispatch tells me I need to ride a far right as possible rather than as far right as safe . I could escalate with the PD but I am in no way interested in making a name for myself as someone who thinks the local PD isn't doing their job for something as 'small' as riding to close to a second class citizen cyclist. My question (finally) is what reasonable options do I have to help educate the few problem drivers that still exist. Thoughts of small claims court for 'damages' are some things that come to my mind. <Q> I can relate to your disdain for being passed to close. <S> Preferably, everyone would give you at least 3 feet. <S> But as you mentioned, as more and more people ride their bikes and drivers get used to your presence and others', it will get better. <S> The problem with your wish is, it's kind of like prosecuting someone for stealing five cents from you. <S> Sure, it's against the law to steal five cents from you, but no judge is going to hear the case. <S> It's small potatoes. <S> Too small. <S> You could get one of those shirts that has the 3 foot rule on the back though. <S> http://www.3footrule.com/ <A> The problem of drivers passing cyclists too close, while dangerous, is well below the threshold of being a serious road safety concern when considering other causes of death and injury on the road (at least in my country where drunk drivers, speeding and inattention kill 100s of people every year, vs between 0 and 2 cyclist being passed too close). <S> All you will do if you persist in involving the PD is annoy them, they really do have much more important things to deal with... <S> You have no claim in civil courts. <S> What damage have you suffered - the civil courts (rightly) cannot compensate you for something when you did not suffer a loss. <S> You might be able to prove mental hardship, not sure I would want to go down that path..... <S> Criminal investigation and criminal courts - unfortunately in most countries, its that outcome, not <S> the action itself that determines the laws response. <S> If the outcome is a slightly miffed cyclist, usually nothing will happen. <S> If its a dead cyclist, then the full force of law will swing into action and (in my country at least), the driver will slapped in the wrist with a wet sock. <S> In some countries you an bring a private criminal case - the significant sums of money involved that would make it an unreasonable response. <S> You ask 'what reasonable steps" and "educate problem drivers"... <A> In terms of your options for restitution for someone breaking that law by buzzing you with no additional laws broken (ie you didnt get creamed by the car) there are virtually none. <S> If you're really lucky <S> a sympathetic cop might witness the incident and write the driver a citation, but that's about it.
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The only reasonable response is accept you cannot "educate" everyone and continue to "educate" drivers open to it - or stop riding your bike. From a legal standpoint, 3 feet laws give cyclists a legal upper hand in the cases of being rear ended or sideswiped as the driver of the motorized vehicle is by default in violation of that law.
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How to repair sticky Ultegra shifter I have Ultegra 3x9 shifters and derailleurs that were installed just a couple months ago. I purchased them on eBay and although they were new, they had been sitting in inventory for a couple years so not "new" in that sense. New cabling was used when they were installed. Today my rear shifter suddenly stopped working for no apparent reason. When I attempt to shift up to a smaller cog, the entire brake lever moves with the trigger, so they basically cancel each other out. I inspected the cables and derailleur and everything seems fine. Shifting still works perfectly if I hold the brake lever so it doesn't move with the trigger, and downshifting to larger cogs works fine also. This tells me it's probably the shifter itself, not cabling or derailleur. Googling around I find many posts advising the use of WD-40 to free up a sticky shifter. The idea is that the grease Shimano uses hardens with age and WD-40 will clean it out. Two questions: Is this likely the problem? If so, how do I re-lubricate the shifter after the WD-40? To do it properly would require at least partially disassembling the shifter, which from what I've read and having seen the schematics, is something I really don't want to do. <Q> No improvement whatsoever. <S> So I took it to the LBS, which declared it DOA. <S> They say they've seen this before with Shimano shifters. <S> Some internal part gets even slightly bent and the shifter fails completely. <S> And they're not really serviceable, so that means replace it. <S> This was a one-month old high-end shifter. <S> It was never damaged or misused. <S> Next bike will sport SRAM or Campy components. <S> They use half as many parts, work just as well, and can be field serviced. <S> So thanks for the answers. <S> UPDATE: <S> Contrary to what I'd been told about eBay purchases, Shimano honored the warranty and replaced the shifter. <S> I spoke to a customer service rep about it first because I was told I needed an RMA to return it, but that's not true either. <S> Simply fill out the warranty form available on their web site and ship the item to them with the completed form. <A> There are 2 possible causes for this type of failure. <S> The first is a need to be cleaned and lubricated, as you have noted. <S> That is usually a gradual failure, an would usually not result in sticking both shift levers together like you describe. <S> On the STI lever, at the top where it joins the lever body, there is a small screw. <S> Good news is if this is the problem, its likely an easy fix. <S> Just tighten the screw. <S> I'll try to post a photo later. <A> 1) <S> Yes, it is likely the problem 2). <S> Aerosol Grease - comes out mixed with a volatile carrier that gets it in nearly as many places as the WD40 gets. <S> Not as good as pulling apart and targeted greasing with small amounts in the right places as to be certain you have enough <S> where its needed, you need a lot to go where it is not needed. <S> Options are to do it as described, or pull the Brifter apart. <S> What have you got to loose - <S> you need new brifters if you don't try, or you try and it doesn't work. <S> If you have a crack and it works, great. <A> For fear of repeating what others have said - I had this exact issue recently with a 2003 road bike I recently purchased which has 2x9 Ultegra. <S> I was initially fearful having read around <S> but I managed to completely fix the problem and my shifters now work flawlessly. <S> First, assuming the right shifter is the problem, loosen your front brake (the thing you flick open on the calliper to allow the wheel to come off). <S> Then squeeze the brake lever to open up the mechanism. <S> There should be a hole on the right of the mechanism where you would insert the inner gear cable if you were installing a new one. <S> Squirt a good amount of WD-40 or similar solvent in this hole. <S> This could get a bit messy and drippy but don't worry. <S> Then, with the rear wheel raised, pedal the bike and shift all the way through the gears several times, holding the brake lever as you do to enable upshifting to smaller cogs. <S> If it doesn't get any better, repeat the above process several times. <S> Once (if) you have improved the shifter allow the solvent to dry away by leaving it for a bit. <S> Then finish by squirting some decent bike lube (chain lube is fine) in the same hole on the shifter. <S> I used Finish Line dry lube, and repeat the process of shifter though the gears. <S> You don't need to disassemble anything or remove from the bike. <S> Re-degrease and relube periodically to maintain smooth working. <S> If this method fails it is probably an indication that the shifter mechanism itself is worn or bent in which case I believe you need to replace it as unfortunately Shimano shifter are non-serviceable. <A> Boeshield <S> T-9 is <S> what WD-40 wishes it could be when it grows up. <S> Open the brake quick release and spray it down with that stuff. <S> If that doesn't work, a rebuild may be required - good luck! <S> I wouldn't bother, personally, unless out of curiosity. <S> A light rebuild is usually more successful - underneath the brifters is a tiny allen set screw. <S> Unscrew that and push the hinge bolt through the lever and you should be able to take the whole assembly out of the hood, providing better access to the internals for lubrication purposes.
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If this screw has loosened enough to have the head stick out, it will also cuase the symptoms you are describing, and it is more likely to be an immediate change from working, to not working. Well, I tried soaking it with WD40 and then re-lubing it with spray lithium grease.
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What iOS / iphone app can give me turn by turn navigation of a pre-planned route? What iOS / iphone app can provide turn by turn navigation of a pre-planned (mostly on road) route (stored in GPX or TCX file)? Voice features are nice, but not mandatory. I've found many apps that will track my ride, or display a route and my position, but none that will direct me when to turn to follow the planned route. This would be very useful when training for an event where gpx files have been provided, or exploring new routes that I plan to ride in unfamiliar territory. I'm ideally looking for something like the android cue sheet app. <Q> The RideWithGPS Android and iPhone apps now also offers this with subscription payment. <S> http://ridewithgps.com/app <A> Also consider Co-Rider ( https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/co-rider/id538095358?mt=8 ). <S> I have used it for turn-by-turn successfully and it does allow for GPX import although I can't confirm that you'll find both features working together. <S> Good luck. <A> Try wikiloc.com. <S> You can download routes from others and follow them. <S> Me and my friend have used it with great success. <S> It is notturn by turn like a car's gps would be, instead it draws a line over a map that marks the route to be followed, a dot that marks your current position and another line in another colour that traces your actual path. <S> The map spins according to your travelling direction at the last few seconds, such as if the line-to-be-followed turns to the right <S> it means you actually have to turn to the right. <S> The app is designed to record trails in several sports from cycling to motoring, an after you upload a trail you can see it from a normal ween browser for a bigger map and elevation diagrams.
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As mentioned before, the RideWithGPS website is useful for trip planning, you can customize your cue sheets, save maps and route for offline use, etc.
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