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Nice Work Shoes That Won't Get Messed up in Toe-Clips I'm a commuter and I'm looking for shoes that won't get totally messed up by my pedal toe clips. I've been using something similar to these . Any other suggestions? <Q> Don't change the shoes, change the pedal. <S> A hybrid pedal would satisfy both needs. <S> It features a clip and a flat "normal shoes" side. <S> Because for commuting sport-like conditions are probably not so important. <S> http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/products/pedals/mountain/product.-code-PD-A530.-type-.pd_mountain.html <S> greets Josef <A> Check out Chrome Industries , they make a lot of commuter apparel and have a whole line of clip and non-clip shoes. <S> I'm not sure how dressy you need, but these might work for you. <S> Plus if you ever decided to go with clipless pedals you'll have shoes! <A> This should stop your toe clips from scuffing up your shoes. <A> I would suggest just using a cheap pair of rubber "over shoes" designed for wearing in the rain to protect shoes. <S> These are inexpensive and if it does rain, you're ready for inclement weather. <S> These should keep your work shoes from getting marked up by the toe clips. <A> They're fabric rather than metal or resin, so should do less damage to your work shoes.
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If you want foot retention without switching to clipless shoes, you could use pedal straps (like these , or these , or just search for "pedal straps"). If keeping a 2nd pair of shoes at work isn't an option your best bet would probably be to get overshoes.
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Helmets with dedicated mounting system for lights, cameras etc.? I have came to the conclusion that headlights work much better for me for cycling than handlebar-mounted lights. This is because: A headlamp illuminates where one is looking, not where the bike is turning towards. The angle under which the light falls on the trail is much improved. When handlebar-mounted light illuminates the trail, the holes and irregularities look bottomless, making it difficult to select a safe line. Suppose I am considering buying a full-face helmet. Are there models, that are explicitly designed to have a light attached to them. I imagine some kind of rails on the side or in front or on the top. Bonus question 1: recommended way to mount a conventional headlamp (one which people put on their heads) to a conventional helmet (skateboard-type or full-face)? Bonus question 2: any lights, that are supposed to be mounted on the helmet, but their power supply to reside in the backpack? <Q> The only helmets with built-in light mounts I know of are by Bell, which can mount the Blackburn Flea. <S> I don't know if any of them are full-face. <S> The Flea is pretty useless for offroad riding, it's too dim. <S> Lights usually mount up with velcro straps through the vents. <S> When I was racing my MTB after dark <S> Ay-Ups were common - small, extremely bright, and a remote battery pack that can be put somewhere comfortable. <S> Not cheap though. <S> Check out Bikeradar or something for options. <A> Pretty much all bike-related lights for helmets are mounted with velcro straps. <S> My mate was riding in full-face helmet with lights on helmet. <S> He had vents on top of the helmet and mounted the lights through the vents. <S> Worked just fine. <S> We use Light and Motion for "battery in the pack, light on the head" set up. <S> If you are planning a DH in the dark, I highly recommend have 2 lights - one on your helmet to shine where you are looking at. <S> And another on your handlebars - to put light just in front of the wheel. <S> You can never have too much light for DH, and even with all the lights you can get, it does not give you the same confidence as with day-light. <S> So take care when you are trying to do that drop you usually nail daytime. <S> In the dark it'll be a whole new territory. <A> In addition to Velcro mounting, some lights attach with rubber, such as the two Night Rider lights I use (one is removed to show the attachment): <S> The battery pack goes in my road shirt back pocket, using an extension lead. <S> I have used helmet mounted lights since I started building my own 20 <S> + years ago (had these ones for a couple of years). <S> As said in the question, they illuminate where you look. <S> But in addition, I found that car drivers really knew I was there once I had looked at them. <S> I found the best helmet for lights <S> et al was my old Bell with it's flat front-to-back ribs. <S> The main issue is getting them to point where you want. <S> PS Always use a light on the handlebar as backup.
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Most lights with separate battery packs should be able to mount to a helmet.
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How can I develop my abs while I ride my bicycle? I have a mountain bike, and I wonder if I can develop my abs if I take my bike to work everyday. <Q> Since cycling doesn't put your abs through a large range of motion, you're not likely to develop your abs by only biking to work. <S> However, depending on how in shape you are, you will probably notice that your overall fitness level increases. <A> Cycling up hill will do this. <S> Although it's not too intense <S> a work out. <S> Since you're sitting symmetrically this will also give you an 'even' work out. <S> So just modify your route to take in a couple of small hills. <S> Fartlek is best (basically - alternating intensity during exercise to stress your body), so flat then hill <S> then flat then hill. <A> As others have pointed out cycling is an inefficient way to exercise the muscles in your core. <S> Cycling will utilize those muscles and your cycling performance will likely benefit from strengthening them - but cycling specifically won't really build strength in those muscles, you have to work them off the bike. <S> This article from Bicycling covers the topic pretty nicely and has links to some great core workouts for cyclists. <S> Personally, I've used the exercises described on here and they're pretty good. <A> You could always opt for a rowing bike . <S> That would probably work your abs more than a regular bike. <A> What most people mean by developing their abs is that they want their abdominal muscles to show through their skin, commonly referred to as a six pack. <S> The common misconception that you will lose fat in the trained area is a myth . <S> Of course you still need at least some abdominal muscle mass for it to show, but losing the fat that covers them is harder than training the core. <S> And while I think that cycling is a good idea to get rid of some fat, a healthy diet can have an even bigger effect on your overall body fat percentage. <S> Adding to that there is a debate in the fitness community if specific training (aka isolation exercises) for the abs - such as crunches - is a good idea at all. <S> The current trend prefers exercises that engage the whole core, reducing the negative effects of muscle imbalances. <S> For example: My main exercise for the abdominal area currently are chin-ups and pull-ups. <S> While the movement doesn't seems to have a lot of core-engagement in the first place, I am not the only one who is convinced that they are a good core exercise. <S> On T-Nation is an article comparing different ab exercises , chin-ups were one of the top exercises. <S> Probably the most shocking result of this entire experiment was the level of rectus abdominis activity elicited by a bodyweight chin-up! <S> It beat out any other abdominal exercise, weighted exercises and all, in mean and peak rectus abdominis activity. <S> […] If you're aiming to get a great core workout via chin ups, I recommend performing slow, controlled repetitions while focusing on keeping the hips and spine perfectly neutral throughout the set. <A> I would suggest a two fold approach! <S> Firstly ride your bike in a fat burning zone. <S> Your going to need to have a relatively low body fat percentage if you want to have decent muscle definition. <S> So I'd take the long route into work! <S> The second phase is once you arrive at work jump off your bike and do some sit-ups, once your strong enough you could use your bike as additional weight whilst performing some crunches.. <S> Alternatively a structured weight routine in the gym would work. <S> Your not going develop a killer six pack by just riding a bike though I'm afraid!
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While you probably wont engage your abdominals in cycling very much, cycling as an endurance activity will increase your caloric needs and make it easier for you to reduce the amount of body fat covering your abs. Ride standing up and you'll use the required muscle group for balance (as a person standing is harder to balance than one sitting, and thus uses more muscles).
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Tightening torque: 5Nm, 40Nm... how do I tell? I have wonderful new manuals everywhere, of brakes, wheels...In these manuals I see "tighten up to 5Nm", "tighten up to 40Nm". There must probably be tools with such measurements on them, but I don't have any.Is there a way, an equivalent I can use to know the approximate torque I'm putting on my tools? <Q> You do this with a tool called torque (sometimes called dynamometric) wrench. <S> Without a tool you can estimate it this way: <S> Make yourself familiar with a weight of 1 kg <S> Apply the force with your simple wrench 10 cm from the bolt in question <S> This will give you 1 Nm of force. <S> To get 5 Nm, use 5 kgs of weight or increase length to 50 cm. <S> The math is simple: τ = r <S> * F <S> Where τ is torque, r is radius and F is force (1kg has 10 Newtons of force) <S> If your bike is expensive racing machine, this tool is a must. <S> By applying too much force you risk making cracks in lightweight materials. <A> Even if your bike isn't expensive, you need a torque wrench, particularly in two places: <S> Cranks: <S> If you overtorque your crank bolts, you risk damaging or deforming the cranks or bottom bracket. <S> Brakes: <S> Brake rotors bolts in particular need to be torqued to the same value. <S> Otherwise you can warp the brake rotor by torquing one side more than the other. <S> And of course if you have a carbon frame or seatpost, you MUST HAVE a torque wrench. <S> Since torque wrenches are so cheap (20-40 euro-dollars for a beam-type), it's worth having them in your toolset -- or borrowing them from a local bike coop, for those times they are required. <A> It is, in theory, possible to be vaguely accurate torquing bolts without an actual torque wrench. <S> Torque is measured in applied force multiplied times the length of the lever arm. <S> You achieve the same torque applying a 10 pound force to the end of a 6-inch lever as you do applying a 5 pound force to the end of a 12-inch lever. <S> In both cases the torque is pounds times inches -- 60 inch-pounds. <S> (And you can easily do the conversion to foot-pounds or newton-meters or whatever.) <S> Measuring the length of the lever is fairly easy, of course (though you do need to take note of where on the lever you apply the force -- the "length" is from that point to the pivot point). <S> Getting a good estimate of force, however, is trickier. <S> Skilled bike mechanics tend to develop a "calibrated arm", and can feel, within an acceptable margin, how much force they are applying. <S> (Understand that being within a factor of 2 is generally adequate.) <S> The Saturday afternoon mechanic, on the other hand, may not be so skilled. <S> One could presumably dig out a spring balance and use that to apply the force to the lever (socket wrench handle), but if you're going to that much trouble you might as well get a torque wrench. <S> One can even be "sorta" accurate scaling by half or by 2x (though beyond that is questionable). <S> Note that I'm not saying that such "shade tree" techniques are to be preferred over having the proper tools, just that there is the option, if you are caught in a bind.
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But, if you have some objects for which you know the weight, it is possible to lift the "reference" weight, getting a "feel" for it, and then apply the same force to the lever.
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Can I leave a suspension fork upside down? I currently have my mountain bike disassembled, I broke a tire and needed some space in my room. The frame is resting upside down on the saddle and handlebar. The fork itself is a Rock Shox SID Dual Air (pretty old model, I guess 2001). As this fork relies - to my best knowledge - only on air, storing it upside down shouldn't be a problem. Am I correct, what about other types of suspension forks? <Q> Although the fork is air sprung it also uses oil for dampening in one of the legs. <S> The seals in suspension forks are made to ensure they don't react with the suspension oil. <S> The oil will actually help lubricate the seals. <S> This is the same for coil (spring based) forks. <S> Once you refit your fork it will take time to settle back to its original state. <A> Most bike shops hang a substantial portion of their inventory and repairs upside down to save space. <S> I'm not aware of a fork that cannot be stored upside down. <S> As pointed out by DWGKNZ, forks with degraded seals and wipers may be more prone to leaking since the oil is up against them and gravity + capillary action are at work. <S> Some forks with fancy valving may take a little while to get back to normal, for instance some of the Specialized Brain shocks take a while for the platform to behave properly again after being stored inverted. <A> Rock Shox <S> Dual Airs do actually have a small amount of oil in them. <S> You have to keep the fork upside down for a minute or so before adding air to the lower leg. <S> If you don't do this, some oil will spray out of the valve and make a mess when you attach the pump.
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You will not damage a suspension fork by hanging it upside down. Oil may leak if your seals are degraded.
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Should I oil new cable housings? When installing new cables and housing, is is wise to oil the housing? If so, how? Here Hicks recommends spraying (but for re-newing old cables). On the other hand, I have found it intuitive to put a drop of oil onto the entrance of the housing, then thread the cable through it. My rationale is that oil reduces friction, and cables and housings enjoy lack of friction. So does oiling new housing help, or is it reserved for servicing old housing systems? <Q> From my experience with riding MTB bikes in different conditions, lubing them only attracts more dust. <S> I suggest regular cleaning and using oil only for short term reviving. <S> These cables need to be replaced once in a while anyway. <A> No, you shouldn't apply to additional lube to new cables and housing. <S> These come pre-coated (cables) and pre-greased (outers) <S> so adding anything additional is not required and could possibly degrade the factory lube. <A> I tend to buy the cheap cables and housing. <S> My experience is that the cost isn't worth the difference for my bikes. <S> Customers, they want to see 'JagWire' on their cables. <S> If you must lube, I'd recommend Rock n' Roll Cable Magic. <S> It's a solvent that carries ptfe/wax. <S> Couple of drops in the cable housing before installing the cable and your good to go. <S> Personally, I can't notice the difference. <S> My solution is that I change housing/cables every 6 months. <S> Basically, the rainy season gets one set and the dry season gets the other set. <S> I use white bar tape, so it also keeps things clean.
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I would suggest leaving new cable housings as they are.
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Benefits and drawbacks of Dropper posts? From what I've seen, the last couple of years saw a new product type come into light, and since its inception it has started to appear on bikes (such as this one , this one , or this one ) as a stock item. I'm talking about the "drop seatpost". For the un-initiated, these are seatposts that are adjustable "on-the-fly", either by remote or a lever under the sadle. The idea is to allow the rider to find an optimal seat height to suit the conditions. This seems like a great idea, but what suffers as a result? I believe there is an inevitable weight penalty that would burden the gram-conscious amongst us, but what else might sway a decision for or against the purchase of one of these items? I assume the potential problems will include weight, mechanical failure and cost, but what else might there be to the equation? From what I have gathered these nifty looking contraptions come in a plethora of variations, and notable brands have created their own versions. I've seen them made by Fox , Rockshox , Crank Brothers , Specialized , KS and Gravity Dropper . Perhaps there are others as well. So in addition, what differentiates each of these models and brands? What are the pros and cons of each? Is there one that stands out as a clear winner in the field? Any help or insight is warmly welcomed, so thank you in advance! <Q> There are generally two types of dropper seatposts, mechanical (e.g. GravityDropper) and hydraulic (e.g. RockShox Reverb). <S> Mechanical dropper seatposts use a spring to move the seatpost and a bolt to keep it in place. <S> This is a very simple design and there are few things that can break or jam, and the weight is also kept very reasonable since there are few parts needed to make it work. <S> The drawbacks are that you only have a fixed number of height settings, i.e. fully extended, halfway extended, and fully lowered. <S> This is because the seatpost is being held in place by a pin that goes through a hole in the seatpost. <S> The drawbacks are that they are more complicated, usually weigh more, costs a lot more and requires more maintenance. <S> The advantages are the ability to lock the post at any height you like. <S> Mechanical dropper posts: + <S> Hydraulic dropper posts: <S> + <S> Freely adjustable to any height- <S> Complicated- Requires more maintenance- <S> Expensive Static QR seat posts: + Requires no maintenance+ <S> Cheap+ <S> Low weight+ Can be adjusted to any height- <S> Rider must dismount to lower and raise seat <A> The only disadvantage I can think of (that you haven't already listed) is the remote control: <S> It's yet another control sat on the handlebars. <S> This is fine if you're running a single chain ring (1×10 or similar), because it can sit where the front shifter would normally go. <S> Less than ideal if you're running 2 or 3×10, have remote lockouts, a bell and so on. <S> Advantages <S> : You can adjust your seat height according to the terrain you're riding. <S> Riding down something steep and scary? <S> Doing some jumps? <S> Push the button, drop the saddle. <S> Hauling up a big climb? <S> Spinning along the road between trails? <S> Push the button, raise the saddle. <S> Until I had one, I couldn't appreciate just what a big difference it can make. <S> I occasionally drop the post just for a couple of corners, or raise it just for a quick sprint before dropping again for the rest of the descent. <S> There isn't really a clear winner, yet. <S> The Gravity Dropper design has been around for years ; it's simple, proven and dependable. <A> I thought, "no way am I spending that much money. <S> It's not worth it. <S> I can't raise and lower my seat by hand. <S> " <S> Then I rode with a friend who had one. <S> He was raising it up and dropping it every where. <S> Adjusting his saddle depending on the ride. <S> I was standing on every up hill. <S> I broke down and dropped the cash on a "Reverb". <S> I couldn't be more stoked. <S> I use this feature more than any other. <S> My ride has been made better. <S> They're a little temperamental. <S> I haven't had to rebuild yet. <S> Like any other moving part, it breaks. <S> But after the first ride, I was sold.
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A hydraulic seatpost on the other hand uses hydraulics to move the seatpost and thus allows you to place the seatpost at any height you like. Mechanically simple and easy to maintain + Low weight + Of the current crop, the consensus seems to be that the Rockshox Reverb is "the one" (and comes specced on a lot of new bikes), although the more recent KS Lev and Thomson Elite Dropper are getting good reviews too. Cheap - Only a fixed number of positions for height adjustment
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Why does cable routing utilize alternation of sections of shielded and unshielded cable? Why do manufacturers do this? What's even more interesting, many a bike have the middle cable fully housed, while the other two are "interrupted" as shown above. IMHO those are the pros and cons of interrupting cable housing: Advantages: lighter Disadvantages: more complicated to cut to length and install more friction as there are a lot of enter/exit points for the cable into the housing far more susceptible to dirt and water more expensive, because of end caps and labor cost. As is evident, in my opinion, all cables should have uninterrupted housing. However, all kinds of bikes in all price ranges have these intermissions - on the top tube, bottom tube, seatstay (for the RD). And it is not a factor of weight, as 10-year old massive steel frames also utilize it. There must be an explanation. But what is it? <Q> It's not a given that the full-length housing is lower friction. <S> I suspect that a well-done exposed cable scheme is lower friction than a full housing. <S> Especially for indexed shifters, the cable housing changes effective length with tension and temperature changes. <S> The exposed cable scheme has much less flex and hence more precision shifting. <S> The full-length housing is ugly ! <S> I haven't looked at new bikes much in about 5 years, but prior to that the full-length housing was almost exclusively seen on inexpensive bikes, while the exposed cable was common on the more expensive ones. <S> This strongly suggests that cost is not a reason for exposed cables. <S> (And reason also suggests this -- the housing is cheaper than the housing ends, eg.) <S> Of course, full-length housings are more compatible with suspension bikes, and probably have some advantages on true off-road bikes. <S> So you'll see full-length housings more and more on bikes in that spectrum. <A> I believe one reason is more "stiffness" in the cable. <S> Cable housing typically contracts when the cable is contracted. <S> That's why Nokon also builds bicycle cable housing now. <S> With The frame attachments, you get almost half a meter less housing that may contract. <A> The installation is actually much easier for the interrupted housing. <S> Keep in mind that the cable is housed for the bent sections, and unhoused for for the straight sections. <S> In a bended section, housing will keep itself in place through tension, and pretty much any round shape will do the job. <S> In a straight section, you'd have to bend the housing exactly straight, and fixate it to avoid bending under stress. <S> I don't think that there is much friction at the entry/exit points of the housing, and you have more points to apply lubrication. <A> I think you've got most of the reasons already. <S> lighter easier to route cables <S> (no need to feed outer through tubes or bend it into twist holders <S> - look at how hydraulic tubing is routed as a comparison point) less friction when clean and new (ie, in the bike shop when you're buying it) ease of servicing (releasing a cable is much easier as you can pop it out of a frame attachment rather than having to undo the end bolt) <S> Cons for the owner, more frequent servicing and replacement <S> Note that almost no-one does entirely outer sheathed on derailleur geared bikes because the bend under the bottom bracket to the front derailleur is too awkward. <S> I suspect cost to manufacture <S> is the main driver of this, with weight a secondary consideration. <S> On cheap bikes, it will be purely cost. <S> That's why I'm sure it's cheaper, because on cheap bikes there is almost nothing that could be done more cheaply. <S> Suspension and other sale gimmicks are the exception, obviously, but I've never seen "exposed gear cables" advertised as a feature on a cheap bike.
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It's much easier to just have the cable running straight under tension. This could lead to crisper shift and brake feel. quieter (much less slapping against frame tubes) for the maker and seller, more frequent servicing, more frequent replacement (due to water getting in) A couple of others: Pros cheaper to manufacture (less outer meaning less metal, same amount of inner)
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Daily Adjusted Seatpost for Trainer Bike I just got Nashbar's Ascent Fluid trainer and put an old big-box store bike on it that nobody was using, so now I've got kind of a permanent trainer bike which is nice. The problem: me and my partner are different heights/sizes, though close enough that all I really want to do is raise the seatpost when I ride, then adjust back down when I'm done. Of course I need a new seatpost for this b/c it's too short to go any higher. My question: is there a risk of damaging/wearing out the seatpost/tube quickly by adjusting it twice daily (once when I get on, then again when I get off)? If so, what kind of lube (if that's suggested) should I use that won't have toxic/smelly fumes and be excessively messy/require wipedown every time I lower the seatpost? I use park anti-sieze for my main ride, but that stuff is nasty/toxic so I don't leave any exposed (on the rare occasion I adjust height). Should I just resign myself to eventually wearing out the seat tube and/or buying new cheapo seatposts once in a while? <Q> Just buy an inexpensive metal seat post, and if eventually it wears out it wears out. <S> That seems to be your least expensive option. <S> Especially if it's just a trainer bike. <S> Just lube it up with either a little bit of oil or odorless teflon grease. <A> If the bike is a cheap one, then a really cheap seatpost must exist for it. <S> Cheap Seatposts are usually made of steel or mild steel, which should withstand the wear from repeatedly adjusting the seat height, so my advise here is, don't worry that much. <S> Some bikes use a type of seatpost that doesn't have an integrated seat clamp. <S> If this is your case, it is likely that you can even fit a piece of common steel pipe to it, which will result really cheap if you obtain it from a scrapyard. <S> This may make a quicker adjustment every time, you'll save just a few seconds. <S> This sugestion is particularly suited if you can use plain pipe for a seatpost. <S> Regarding lubricant <S> If the seatpost slides easily, the friction is virtually non existent <S> so there is no need to worry for it. <S> Covering seatposts with grease is advised to prevent seizure of the post to the frame due to galvanic corrosion, but this only happens if the two pieces are left together long enough. <S> So, again, if you are moving it daily and are concerned about fumes from the lube, you are probably fine without it. <A> I'd consider finding two seats and posts, one each. <S> Put a clamp or block around the pole <S> so you cn simply drop it into the bike and it will be the right height for that rider. <S> Still need to do up the QR to hold it though.
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Another suggestion is, instead of using the quick release clamp, you may like to make a few side to side perforations in the seatpost and using a pin to keep it from going down. : If it is really being changed/regulated daily, and the post slides really easily into the seat tube, there is no need for lubricant.
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Reverse center pull cantilever brakes (how to set up and issues) Questions Q1. For rear cantilever brakes, are there any off-the-shelf parts or brake designs that route a rear brake cable from underneath the saddle cable instead of above? Q2. If not, then can anyone suggest an improvised, but proven setup using existing, readily-available parts? Q3. What concerns should I have with a reverse-pull cantilever brake setup (e.g. safety, maintenance)? Background I have a mixte frame with standard rear cantilever brake bosses on the seat stays, with standard cantilever brakes such as these: Since the frame is a mixte, the rear brakes are higher than the "top tube" of the mixte, along which runs my rear brake cable. I've seen that some mixtes use a reverse cable attachment to side-pull caliper brakes so that the cable makes a single arc from the top tube to the brakes. My goal is to roughly mimic this cable routing, but with cantilever brakes instead. Here is an example (but mine does not have a rack to work around): The original build is pictured below (not the actual bike, but same model, etc.) and has the rear brake cable running along the "top tube", curving along the back of the seat tube, and then going over a pulley that is attached to the seat tube clamp bolt. That pulley acts as a housing stop and so it's a center-pull from the top. I am looking to improve the rear brake responsiveness, put less stress and wear on the cable, and have fun engineering a more elegant solution. <Q> You can't do this with traditional cantilever brakes, because the straddle wire has to be pulled from above to tension it - attempting to pull it from below would pull into the wheel. <S> You could pull from the side by using direct pull cantlievers, a.k.a. v-brakes. <S> A Problem Solvers "Travel Agent" could probably be hacked up to work, and a clean implementation could probably be done with one of the no-longer-produced World Class "V-Daptor" adapters, if you could find one. <S> That said, both of those approaches are probably less elegant than the already-existing pulley method that it sounds like already works on the frame. <A> I did a similar modification once, for a slightly different objective. <S> I solved the tire-cable clearance issue by using the original cable stop to install a hanger that would keep the cable from interfering with the tire. <S> The cantilever side that has a screw to tighten the cable was left as is, the other one has a shape to hold a cable nut. <S> I modified it to hold a ferrule for the cable hose. <S> The results were a very powerful cantilever brake installation where the cable from them is routed the other way (this was unintended for me). <S> Reliability was as good as normal linear pull brakes. <S> I performed several tests, particularly to assess that no component fell out of place when the bike was subjected to heavy shock, shaking, etc. <S> This testing was done in a selected environment to reduce the possibility of injury in case of failure. <S> The downside was that to remove the wheel I had to remove the cable from the hanger, and then it interfered with the tire, so the whole operation was more fiddly than with other setups. <S> I trusted the setup enough to do short downhill trail riding (like in DH riding) <S> Disclaimer: I share my experience, but it is not recommended to modify brake systems unless you have good knowledge about its working principles and experience installing, maintaining or repairing normal or standard set ups. <S> Good tooling skills are also a must. <S> I no longer own the bike <S> and I never took a picture of the setup. <S> Here is a drawing of what I remember. <A> As always ask Sheldon Brown ! <S> I don't know if it will work because he's talking about centre pulls, <S> but anyway, you need to attach the cable housing to the yoke, and the cable is then attached where the pulley is in your picture. <S> The cable housing will then push the yoke up towards the seat tube instead of the cable pulling up the yoke! <A> I would use the pulley but route the cable housing up the seat tube. <S> Rotate the pulley so that the stop is horizontal <S> then the bare inner cable uses the pulley almost as a guide rather than as a traditional top friction wheel. <S> This is because the pulling force is downwards.
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I installed cantilever brakes with a cable route that simulated the direct-pull cable routing.
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what will happen if I change gears on a mountain bike at a standstill? Will it break? My boyfriend just bought a brand new bike and was trying to teach me to ride it, and (I, being a complete noob) when I was standing with it I messed with the gears using the handle at a standstill. Changed the rear one from 3 to 1. He then started riding it and the the plastic part that helps it shift (I think) broke. You could hear a sudden crunching when he started riding it and the whole back part just snapped and broke. I assume it was that I just moved that, but was it? And why? <Q> The changing of gears itself is unlikely to cause any damage, you're just going to move the derailleurs back and forth until the chain prevents them moving further. <S> If you really forced it you might break a shift lever or something. <S> However, bad stuff is likely to happen if you heavily load the drivetrain while in the wrong gear. <S> I.e. <S> There's a good chance then of the chain falling off or of it getting jammed somewhere, either leading to you falling off the bike, or potentially to some damage to the bike. <S> With regards to your missing plastic bike: I don't know exactly what it was, but if the bike still works fine I wouldn't worry about it. <S> Also, your boyfriend. <S> not you, is the fool in this situation. <S> Changing gears while stationary isn't that crazy. <S> Taking the bike and cranking heavily in the wrong gear is. <S> If you find yourself stationary on the wrong cog you just need to lift up the rear wheel and turn the crank forward a full revolution or two: that should get it into the right gear. <S> With a little practice you can do this standing over the bike with your foot on the right pedal: <S> lift the rear wheel off the ground slightly using your right hand on the saddle and push the crank with your right foot. <S> Handy if you find yourself in the wrong gear at some traffic lights. <A> I would say, the gears weren't adjusted well, and chain drop out and brake the plastic that actually not very important. <S> So it isn't your fault. <S> The real damage caused by changing gears while standing still is rub the cogwheels. <S> So don't do it again. <A> Unless the bike was very cheap, there's nothing that would break from that. <S> The crunch of the chain on the rear gears and even the chain coming off are possible. <S> You can just pop the chain back on the gears in the back. <S> Mountain bikes especially are meant to be tough. <S> If his brand new bike's gears broke he ought to be headed back to that shop for a refund. <S> And in the meantime, don't stop from messing! <S> Get on that bike and ride around, mess around with it! <S> If he did buy a very expensive new bike ask to ride his old one, or get yourself one for $50 on craigslist. <S> You'll learn fastest by doing, and you'll make some mistakes, but the bike will forgive you. <S> If you do something that makes a lot of noise, don't do it again :). <S> Just keep yourself safe and have fun!
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if you change gears while standing still then forcefully push down on the pedals when getting started, since the chain isn't on the right cog. Over time this can cause issues, but unless you ride a lot and do this frequently, it would be a very long time.
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My front deraileur needs adjustment after every ride I have a Cannondale Women's Adventure 1 that I got this spring and have been riding on local (paved) trails every weekend. I started off riding about 6 miles a weekend and recently have progressed to 20-25 miles in a day. About halfway through a ride, my front derailleur seems to need adjusting, I have to wiggle the shift knob to get the chain to change gears. For example, if I'm in 1 and go to 2, I have to pull the knob slightly ahead of 2 (between 2 and 3) to get it to change. To go from 2 to 1, I have to adjust the back gears a few times, or sometimes backpedalling will get it to change (but that's hard to do on a hill). I keep taking it to my LBS (where I bought the bike) and they adjust it so it works fine in their parking lot, but again after riding for a few miles it's messed up again. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong in technique or if there's something wrong with some piece of the bike, nor do I know enough about what's wrong to find anything that's helpful. It can be adjusted to shift correctly, but that adjustment doesn't stay for very long. What should I be looking for? Or, could I be somehow doing something when riding to cause this problem? Some specs on my bike that might be relevant: ShiftersShimano Revo Twist Type Cog SetSunrace CSM66, 11-32, 8-speed ChainKMC 8-speed Front DerailleurShimano M191 Rear DerailleurShimano Alivio <Q> Sounds like you are getting slack during the ride. <S> This will happen with new cables but if you get it every ride something then else is going on. <S> My thought is that your barrel adjuster is not holding. <S> Does it look like this? <S> Mark the position with tape or a marker and see if it moves during the ride. <S> The M 191 is a lower end <S> Shimano <S> but you should certainly expect much better performance than this. <S> And congratulations with getting up to 20-25 miles a day. <A> Depending on how many times this has happened, it could be a couple of different things. <S> One possibility is that the clamp on the derailleur is loose and allowing the cable to lose tension over time and stop shifting properly. <S> However, the break in period for new cables is usually relatively short and they should stop stretching and stay adjusted. <S> This all goes out the window if the LBS has replaced the cable multiple times, however. <S> You end up replaying the break in period and associated period of a stretched cable and no adjustment. <S> There is also the smaller possibility that you have both going on, however, I'd hope the LBS had checked the cable clamp on your first visit. <S> I'd try politely asking for clarification from the shop what they have done. <S> Shift cables are very inexpensive (for a shop) <S> and I know several mechanics who will replace ANY less expensive shift cable out of hand to rule that out as a problem. <S> Many shops will attach old/replaced parts to a repair bike so when you pick it up, you know what has been done/replaced. <S> If you are just dropping it off and saying it doesn't shift right, different mechanics (or even the same mechanic who doesn't remember) may be replacing the cable and you may be replaying the break in. <A> Make sure cables are properly attached. <S> Make sure that the housing has ferrules on each end. <S> If they don't , they will start to "cave in" to the inside of the gear lever <S> switch mechanism and you will feel as the cable gets play when its not exactly that the problem.
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Another is that if at some point the LBS replaced the cable and adjusted it properly, the cable will naturally stretch, also causing it to lose tension and stop shifting properly. The barrel adjuster should have a lock nut or something to hold it in place.
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Rear wheel odd shape (goes up and down) fixit or buy new? I have what I think is Specialized Hardrock mountain bike. Recently, when riding on a flat surface the back wheel has a noticeable up-and-down movement with each spin. It is like ridding a horse in the merry-go-round. When inspecting the wheel spin, I don't see a side movement and can't visibly see the up/down movement, but I can easily feel it to the point that I do not want to ride the bike. What are the options and costs? Consider I am not a fix-it-yourself bike person. <Q> Your description sounds like the wheel is out of true, out of round, or some of the spokes are so loose that they're flexing as the wheel rotates. <S> However, for it to be as severe as you describe I would expect it to be visible on spinning the wheel and watching it, even to a novice mechanic. <S> Whatever the case, you should take your bike to a qualified mechanic. <S> The problem may be fixable, possibly as simple as tightening and loosening the appropriate spokes. <S> This is a relatively difficult job for a novice mechanic though. <S> If it's a simple fix, it could be as low as $15 US. <S> I would also recommend checking with a couple mechanics. <S> Some are quick to sell new parts when an older part is serviceable. <A> Check to see if the tire is going up and down or the rim, or both. <S> If the rim, then all the advice from others holds and you need to have someone start checking spoke tension, etc. <S> If it is the tire that is out of round and not the rim, it could either be that the tire is not seated well (perhaps it went slowly flat and when it was re-inflated <S> it was not seated correctly), or it could be an internal failure of the tire. <S> Particularly with mountain bike tires that have some age on them <S> I have seen the tire start to come apart - on the inside <S> it kind of looks like a tear and on the outside it just looks like a bump or bulge. <S> if the tire is not seated correctly, you need to let the air out, seat it evenly and re-inflate. <S> If the tire is failing, you just need a new tire. <S> You may be able to do either of these yourself - depending on your skills. <A> You could also have bent the rear axle. <S> That is also not expensive, $10 maybe, but the rim will need to be trued as well.
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It is also perfectly possible that you need a new wheel. An experienced mechanic would have to visibly inspect the wheel to be sure. Provided that you are "not a fix-it-yourself bike person", you should have a LBS that you trust, to turn to in such cases. If you need a new wheel, I would expect it to be around $75-125 for a bike that age depending on what quality you would like to get.
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Should I fear cows? I know that sounds like a silly question, but I really need an advise. Recently a herd appeared at my local trail. Often they block the trail, and I (being a city boy) don't know how to behave toward them. I don't feel comfortable to shout at someone who can easily brake half of my bones with a single shot, especially when there are little ones with moms. What is the right way to ask them politely to free the way? <Q> To answer your question title in very short: You don't have to fear them but some healthy portion of respect won't be wrong. <S> Going right through the herd isn't a good idea in any case unless you know what you're doing. <S> But there are two situations where some more caution is appropriate: mother cows that want to protect their calves as well as bulls can be somewhat aggressive. <S> If those are present in a herd you should better keep a good distance and maybe avoid the herd by some more amount to prevent coming too close to them. <S> Depending on the size of their meadow it may be the easiest to just avoid their meadow <S> at all or at least forgo them by some 50 to 100 meters. <A> Something that has not been mentioned so far. <S> Be aware of the herding dog . <S> In the area where I bike (South Italy), herds are usually left with a couple of herding dogs by the shepherd. <S> The only bad experience I had with a herd was not with cows itself, but with a dog. <S> Since then, I pass through if there is no dog, or I wait/turn around if there is a herding dog. <A> When I read your question I had a vague recollection of reading something not so long ago about this. <S> Have a look at this article from a UK newspaper (check out also the related articles on the page): <S> Cow Attacks <S> So you are absolutely right <S> to be cautious - people have been killed by cows. <S> Personally, I live in a rural area ( <S> the New Forest in southern UK - ponies, cattle, donkeys and even pigs roam pretty much freely) and have done a bit of walking myself. <S> I've never seen what you might call aggression, but cows can get boisterous especially, for example, if they think you're bringing them food. <S> Bearing in mind that a cow could weigh several hundred kilos or more, if one were to bump into you, even if not particularly intentionally, you'd certainly know about it. <S> The article is right in that when we see them at a distance we think nothing of it, but meet them close up - they are enormous and you can quite easily imagine how people get trampled and crushed. <S> Now, as regards what you should do <S> , I think you probably need to play every scenario by ear, but most of the time they won't be interested in you <S> so as long as you proceed with caution and give them as wide a berth as possible you should be fine. <S> Don't necessarily expect them to move for you, it'll probably be you who needs to take action to avoid them, but you should be fine.
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The longer version: normally cow herds aren't really aggressive so it is quite safe to just go around the herd (if it blocks the trail) or pass them if they're close to the trail.
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Is it possible to mount a disk brake hub to a rim-brake rim? Suppose I have a disk-compatible hub and frame, but want build a wheel based around a very specific touring rim, which is labelled as being for rim brakes. My understanding is that you cannot attach a rim brake to a disk-compatible rim, since the sidewalls are not designed to withstand the stresses. However, it is not obvious to me whether there would be any problem attaching a disk brake to a wheel with a non-disk rim (assuming that it's been built around a disk-compatible hub, and is attached to a disk-compatible frame). Is there some problem with this configuration? The obvious drawback would be carrying around the extra weight of a reinforced rim, but that doesn't seem to prevent the wheel from actually functioning. <Q> There's no problem mounting a disc-compatible hub to rim-brake compatible rim. <S> Just make sure they've got the same number of spokes and you're good to go. <S> You're absolutely right about the opposite though, disc brake rims generally do not have a braking surface on them, the rim profile is round there, so it wouldn't work. <S> And if you did try to brake on it, it a) wouldn't work well and b) would probably cause excessive rim wear. <S> What you could do, if you want to be flexible and switch back and forth is to get a dual-duty rim that supports both, such as the WTB <S> Dual Duty FR rims (probably a bit beefy, but you get the idea). <A> If you build up the wheel with 3x and anything but super silly light spokes, it should be no problem at all. <A> Disc brake hubs are dished <S> almost equally left/right. <S> This Ritchey Girder is an example:
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The one thing to be aware of is that disk brakes put more force on the spokes during breaking than rim brakes. You will want to make sure your road/touring rim is not an asymmetric rim, designed for dishing on one side and not the other. Mostly this is not an issue as long as you do not use radial spoking.
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Is it normal for a fixed gear bicycle's rear wheel to slip forward in its dropouts from time to time? My fixed gear bike has a track fork with a chain tensioner, and uses Pitlock's solid axle nuts to secure the wheel in the dropout, though I had similar issues with the stock nuts. After tightening the nuts with a torque wrench to the 260-390 inch-pounds recommended by Park Tools, the wheel appears secure, and will typically be fine for weeks at a time. Inevitably however, the rear wheel slips forward on the drive side, perhaps by 0.5-1cm. This produces considerable slack in the chain, though it's usually still ridable in the short term. My guess is that this is happening under sudden braking, which I've heard can cause slippage when the nuts are insufficiently tight. Indeed, I usually notice it after having to stop sharply somewhere along the ride. Is this normal, or an indication that the torque specification I'm following is incorrect? If normal, is this preventable with some maintenance (for instance, is it caused by gradual slippage?). If it's not normal, what's the cause? Are there perhaps different torque specs for a fixed gear bike? <Q> This can be a fairly common occurrence with a fixed wheel bike. <S> It may depend on a few different things, ie what sort of nuts you are using, how tight they are, what style of dropouts, and what the dropouts are made of. <S> A different sort of nuts may help. <S> eg something with serrated nuts or washers could grip better. <S> Also you may be able to tighten the nuts more, maybe a bit higher than what Park recommend. <S> Probably the best option is to use chaintugs. <S> These fit on the dropouts, and have some sort of screw to hold them in place. <S> So this stops the axle from moving forward. <S> Usually you only need one, on the drive-side dropout, though you can use one on each side if you want. <S> One example is the Surly Tuggnut . <S> (source: surlybikes.com ) <A> I suggest that you recheck the torque at regular intervals. <S> This could be due to vibration, dropout material expanding/contracting with heat/cold, meddlesome kids, etc. <S> One solution might be to use a threadlocker - a weak glue to stop parts from vibrating loose. <S> The recommended type for bicycle use is blue. <S> I believe you can also get a red type which is stronger, but it might mean you need power tools or heat to undo the thing. <A> Another potential cause of your problem might be your axle being wider than your frame. <S> I had that with an old steel framed road bike and a new wheel <S> and it was subtle enough that I didn't notice, but my LBS pointed it out when I complained of a similar phenomenon. <S> If that's the case you may be able to cut the axle down to fit. <S> I actually avoided that and simply found a different skewer since this was a QR axle that seemed to be able to cope better with the frame/axle.
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If the torque is less than it should be then the nut is working loose somehow.
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Chain really quite stretched, should I change cassette at the same time? I measured my chain last night - 10 links were 25.8-25.9 cm. So I ordered a new one, tools and spare link pins (Shimano 8-speed HG). I'm thinking this amount of wear might explain why my least favourite gears feel and sound not quite right, while the ones I use the most are fine (i.e. the favourites are worn with the chain). A new cassette isn't much money, but changing the cassette makes for a much bigger job, and I'd have to buy the tools. As it is, it's the first time I'll have fitted a new chain. The bike probably has 2000-2500 miles of mostly tarmac, just enough dirty stuff to get grit everywhere, taking ~100kg up some reasonably steep hills. EDIT: The difference between my question and this one is that the old question doesn't say anything about amount of stretch (though the answers there would tend to suggest the bigger job) EDIT2: I finally got the chance to get a photo in daylight. I don't like the way the chain is sitting (at the top) on the sprocket it's meshed with, though the 11 and the 32 are better than I thought -- I overlaid the image of the teeth of the 28 (little used) on the 32 (works quite hard sometimes). <Q> The easiest way to tell is simply to install the new chain on the cassette. <S> If the cassette is worn from the old chain, it will skip when you apply a decent amount of pressure (standing up will usually do this in your big ring and half way down your cassette). <S> If it does jump, you'll need a new cassette. <S> It's really as simple as that. <S> I would be surprised if you need a cassette. <S> The lower model cassettes are made of steel and don't wear easily. <S> (My current cassette, a Shimano 6700 is now 12,000 miles. <S> I change chains about as often as you did <S> and I do keep it well lubed). <S> You may notice a bit of noise when you change chains. <S> I notice this also and it usually goes away after some mileage. <S> If not, you can always try adjusting your rear derailleur a bit to see if that helps. <A> The cassette looks worn to me. <S> The best indicator that a cassette is worn is that the teeth are asymmetrical. <S> Check out Sheldon Brown's site for a detailed discussion about chain stretch and sprocket wear . <S> There are too many factors involved, the material that the cassette is made out of, whether you're a masher or a spinner, what gears you ride in the most (smaller rings wear more easily), etc. <S> As you have guessed, it is likely that your favorite gears have stretched with the chain and <S> that's why you're noticing some problems on the gears that you use less. <S> As Rich mentioned, you can install a new chain and see if it skips. <S> If it does, you definitely need a new cassette. <S> If it doesn't, you might be able to get away with that one for a little while longer. <S> And as Pete mentioned, replacing the cassette is not a large job. <S> I personally find replacing the chain to be more frustrating because the dang thing wants to fall off. <S> As far as the tools go, I'd buy a cheap tool kit similar to this one . <S> I didn't dig too much. <S> Whatever you find, it's not going to have the best tools, but they'll certainly be good enough to get you started and keep you going for a long time. <S> I bought a similar one about 15 years ago and still use many of the tools. <S> In fact, it contains the only chain whip and cassette tool that I own to this day. <A> To me, the smallest cog looks worn and the 2-3 only a little. <S> This could be a nice way/moment to teach yourself to ride in high cadence (by avoiding those gears, which you have been obviously abusing)!
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There's no magic ratio that if a chain is worn x amount, the cassette will be worn too. But shop around, you may be able to find a better deal.
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What are the consequences of riding a bicycle tire backwards? When putting a new tire on a bicycle, there is usually a note somewhere on the sidewall showing the direction the tire is supposed to rotate when you are on the bicycle. However, the last time I changed my tire I already had the tire mounted on the rim and inflated before I remembered to check for this marking, and it turned out I had it backwards. Rather than take the tire off and do the whole thing over again - or leave the tire to rotate "backwards", I opted simply to put the wheel on backwards, as it was the front tire and there did not seem to be anything dictating which side of the bike the quick release had to be on. I have ridden about 20 miles so far without any issues, but I am wondering, what, if any, are the long term consequences of either this approach (riding with the tire backwards from the standpoint of the rim being backwards with respect to the quick release being on the opposite side from the back tire), or simply riding the tire in the opposite direction as labelled on the tire. For the latter, I am wondering if it really makes any difference, because in my case I had to really search for the direction indicator as it was barely discernable. I'm riding a road bike (touring geometry) and the tire itself is a long-life, hard casing type, as opposed to soft "performance tire" types which get flats more easily but are supposed to handle better. <Q> If it's a road tire, i.e. a slick, it makes no difference. <S> The tire direction marks are usually printed on road tires because mechanics are so used to looking for them, that the makers may as well put them on there so as not to confuse or waste the time of the installer. <S> http://sheldonbrown.com/tires.html#direction <A> I've seen some nearly-slick tires with small grooves designed to channel the water. <S> If you put them on the right way, the water tends to spray in a low arc. <S> It turns out if you put them on the wrong way, the water tends to spray up more. <S> I found this out the hard way: I was sprayed in the face continually during a commute after it rained. <S> This is irritating but only an issue if you ride on wet roads without fenders. <S> Other slick tires don't seem to have grooves like this. <S> I assume they put the direction indicator on the tires regardless for people who like to be sure they're putting the tire on the "right way". <S> You are right that you can flip the front wheel either way on the front without issue (unless you have disc brakes, obviously). <S> The convention is to have the quick-release on the left to match the rear, but there's no functional reason to do that. <S> You can also flip the front wheel without flipping the quick release by removing the QR skewer and inserting it the other way. <A> Long term consequences are doubtful. <S> From my mountain biking experience, mounting a tire directionally backward just hurt your traction as it wouldn't clear mud/operate as designed, but once it was returned it worked properly, and it didn't hurt the tire any. <A> Sometimes it matters and sometimes it doesn't. <S> Some tyres are designed to be mounted in either direction, some tyres are designed to be mounted one direction only and some tyres have opposite directional arrows depending on if the tyre is on the front or the rear wheel. <S> image from https://www.sefiles.net/merchant/1267/images/site/tires_tires_tires.jpg <S> Any tread on a tyre is there to clear water, mud, debris etc and will work best when mounted the way the manufacturer suggests. <S> As a rule of thumb, the wider the tyre and the more of a deep tread pattern there is on a tyre, the more it is going to matter which way it is mounted. <S> 'Mud' tyres need to clear lots of mud off the tyre and bite into the soft ground and can lose traction if they get gummed up. <S> Slick and semi-slick narrow tyres are normally designed to roll fast on smooth roads/timbers so the tread hardly matters. <S> There is an answer on this site with a great quote from Schwalbe tyres about <S> when it does and doesn't matter which way a tyre is mounted: https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/a/52074/38558 <S> You can earn style points though if the wheel is dressed neatly, i.e. any writing on the hubs facing forwards or to the drive side, tyres mounted according to directional arrows and tyre logos aligned with the valve stem. <S> Meanwhile, most rims do not care if they are facing one way or another, but of course rear wheels care about which way round they go, and front disc brake wheels must be in the right way around too. <S> Some carbon rims <S> do have a texture on them to enhance braking performance, see image below, so must be built and fitted the right way round. <S> image credit https://www.bike-components.de <A> I can't think of an actual physical problem this would cause. <S> Most folks run the lever on the QR on the left, but that's just convention as far as I know. <S> If you want you could just unscrew the nut end of the QR and flip it around, then your tire would be going the 'right' way and the QR lever would be on the correct side as well. <A> Regarding the question "from the standpoint of the rim being backwards" (not tire) <S> the answer is none that I am aware of. <S> Clearly on the rear with drive train or disk brakes <S> this is not an option. <S> I have never seen a rotation indication on a (non drive) rim or hub. <S> I have bought new wheels and in the box the skewer was separate with no directions regarding which direction to install it. <S> According to vclaw a dynamo hub can have a direction and it is marked. <S> Doubt <S> it is a factor on a bike but in a car with radial tires typically they tell you not to switch direction <S> (rotate some side only) as it breaks down the belts. <A> Let's start at the outside and work our way inwards. <S> Most tyres don't care which way they rotate, although as others have said it may be beneficial to keep it going the same way for its lifetime. <S> It might be slightly better for the fatigue-life of the spoke holes in the rim, the nipples, the hub flanges and the spokes if they are always put through the same load cycle as the wheel rotates; but my strong suspicion is that with correct (high) spoke tension the difference will be minuscule. <S> On a rim-braked bike the the braking surface will fail first; on a disc-braked bike you'll destroy the wheel on potholes/cobbles/rock gardens before these are a problem. <S> I can't see any issue at all with the hub shell, bearings, axle, or QR.
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So there will be no damage done if a tyre is on 'backwards', but depending on the design, the tyre can work optimally if it is fitted the way the designer intended.
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Can bicycling cause runner's knee? I'm a longtime runner who has never, I mean NEVER, had any running-related injury before. About 2 1/2 months ago, I started bicycling to my new job, about 5 very up-and-down, stop-and-go urban miles each way, a significant increase over my previous job where it was 1 mile each way, flat, and no traffic lights. I took a couple of weeks off of running to let my body adjust to the increased bicycling and then started up again. Now, I've started having such bad knee pain that I can't run more than a mile. It only hurts when I run, and starts about 5-10 minutes into the run - it is a painful stiffness on the outside of my right knee. When I stop running or do other exercise, the pain goes away. I talked to my brother (who at one point studied to become a PT) and he said it sounds like runner's knee. So I got a foam roller and started rolling out my IT band 2-3 times a day, and it doesn't seem to be making much of a difference. So here's my question: it seems like this is related to my new bicycling routine, since that's the only lifestyle change I've made. I am eager to hear if anyone else has dealt with a situation like this and how they were able to start running again. I do wonder if it could be related to my bicycle technique, or just in general the fact that my ride is so hilly and traffic-y. Or anything else that I haven't thought of. People who don't bicycle just don't get this one - so I'd really love to know if anyone has some thoughts on this. I'm supposed to be running a marathon in March! <Q> The Wikipedia entry for Iliotibial band syndrome suggests that some of possible causes may be Inadequate warm-up or cool-down Excessive up-hill and down-hill running Positioning the feet " <S> toed-in" to an excessive angle when cycling <S> This IT Band Pain Stretches, Treatment And Prevention article suggests "Having a properly fitted bike can help triathletes who suffer from ITB impingement while riding", and gives other advice. <S> Edit: This old answer may be useful also. <S> I suspect <S> because it's such a short ride, maybe you are not warming up enough before you start. <S> the bike fit, despite your confidence that it's ok. <S> gearing: if you have to stand on the hills for long periods, then you need lower gears. <S> I recommend <S> stop riding now while you find the cause and find the correct treatment. <S> go to a specialist bike shop and get you, your bike, and your position (including foot position) checked, so that the fit is confirmed to be good. <S> get lower gears. <S> get medical advice . <S> I like to see a physiotherapist for this kind of thing. <S> Find one who is really into sports injuries. <S> depending on the medical advice, do some strength work. <S> when you resume riding, make sure you warm up thoroughly. <S> when riding hills, use the lower gears so that you spin more. <S> Edit: <S> and I should add <S> I am not a medically trained person . <A> If your commute is as up and down / stop and go as you say then I would suspect your knee problems are similar to mine. <S> I've found through practice, and a few quick minute of research just now, that keeping your cadence (crank rotations per minute) high will help you keep from straining your knees on your ride; especially where you are making many stops, and always heading up hills, you should try to be conscious of how fast you are pedaling. <S> I had the opposite issues previously as well. <S> I had a utility bicycle with three relatively high(ie. <S> easy) speeds. <S> I am not one to coast along, so on that bicycle I found I would be pedaling faster and faster. <S> If you have anything to measure your cadence then I'd recommend trying to stay between 75-90rpms. <S> If not then just be mindful, and make sure you aren't on a gear that you need to pedal hard opposed to fast; try and balance the two. <S> Edit: I should note that I do not run, I only cycle. <S> If I walk for maybe an hour or so with a load on my back, I tend to get some pain in my knee. <S> The longer I go the worse it gets. <S> I had spoken with my Doctor about it, he told me to cycle more often and for just slightly shorter periods. <S> To work up the strength of the tendon that was causing pain. <A> A couple of thoughts: <S> Firstly, ITB problems can sometimes come from too much of an increase in weekly distance. <S> A 5-10% increase per week seems to be the usual rule of thumb. <S> It may be that adding your commute to your usual running was too much of an increase, and cutting back, and then gradually increasing could help. <S> Secondly, you mentioned in comments that you're using clipless pedals, so it's important to get the angles right. <S> You should be able to adjust the cleat left/right to get closer to or further away from the frame. <S> And also the angle of your foot on the pedal. <S> When I first got mine, I loosened the clips until I had a lot of float, rode for a bit, then stopped pedalling and made a note of where my feet naturally angled themselves. <S> Do this at various positions through the pedal stroke, and repeat, reducing the float as you do. <S> Some people will be happy reducing the float to zero, others will still need some as the angle of their foot changes through the stroke. <S> You'll need to work out which one you are. <A> Similar case from my personal experience- <S> I hope it is helpful. <S> Your post didn't mention what type of pedals and shoes you wear while cycling, but I found that if I used platform pedals and running shoes while I road, I ended up having a runner's knee condition with one knee. <S> When I switched to wearing cycling shoes and SPD cleats the problem went away. <S> My theory was that the running shoes and platform pedals combination prevented the minute rotation of my foot through the pedal. <S> Wearing bike shoes on clipless pedals, my heels can swing a degree or two as I pedal, thus sparing my knees from the torsion.
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Going down hills I'd be spinning my legs so fast that I would hurt my knees, so there is that to consider as well. As Andy mentioned however, you should definitely speak with your own Doctor about the matter. Also if I ride for more than 50km I tend to also get the same sort of pain.
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Sunglasses anti-fog solutions safe for cycling I wear full sun protection when I ride, including sunglasses and a tube wrap around the lower half of my face. The issue I have is that in cool weather the wrap tends to channel air from my lungs up through my sunglasses which then fog up. This is mainly a problem only when climbing hills, as at all other times there is sufficient air flow from my speed to keep my lenses free of fog. Fog obviously obscures my vision and is a safety problem. At bit of research shows many different anti-fog solutions, including soap, shaving lotion, and special liquids made just for anti-fog. The problem is, I have not been able to get a clear answer as to whether any of these are safe or suitable for cycling. The anti-fog liquids seem geared towards things like swimming and diving, as do most of the reviews. Some of these products list sunglasses as a possible application, but do not say whether they are safe to use given the many sensitive types of coatings some sunglasses already have applied. In fact, several places I have read claim one should not use certain types of anti-fog coatings as they can affect the plastics in the sunglasses or the anti-reflective coating - it is hardly worthwhile to reduce fog if creates a new problem of reflective glare or the glasses falling apart. Note that I'm not asking for a recommendation on eye wear as this post is doing . I already have eyewear I am committed to using, and just want to know what anti-fog solutions (if any) are safe in terms of not degrading anti-reflective coatings, polycarbonates in the glasses, or the plastic in the frames. I also already know the trick of breathing out through my mouth and don't want to use this as a long term solution as it makes my throat very dry in a short period of time. Update: After extensive additional research I have come across a product called "FogTech". The company claims that the product "contains proprietary self spreading water absorbers dissolved in a very special carrier that can wet plastics... The unique carrier evaporates immediately leaving a transparent micro-thin coating of Fogtech..." and further claims that it is completely safe to use even if the lenses have special coatings . The only downside is that it is very expensive - as much as $3 for a single application. Any first hand experiences with this product would be welcome - how well does it work, and more importantly, how long does an application last? <Q> The answer is "they are probably safe" and "they don't work for spit". <S> Skiers have exactly this same problem with ski goggles and what I have learned in 50 years of skiing is that if the goggle has an built in anti-fog coating, cleaning it with anything but a mild soap will ruin what minimal anti fog coating it has. <S> Sunglasses generally don't have much in the way of anti fog coating. <S> I tried everything I could find and it was all a huge waste of money. <S> What I have found that has largely fixed the problem for me in skiing is two things. <S> Wear a helmet. <S> ( this probably doesn't apply to bike helmets, but ski helmets do a lot to keep the moist warm air from your head away from the goggles. ) <S> Change your jacket. <S> When I switched from skiing in a Goretex jacket to a jacket that actually breathes (soft shell) <S> 99% of the goggle fogging problem disappeared. <S> Anything that is a vapor barrier just funnels all the warm moist air from your body directly up into your face. <S> The only WB fabric I've found that comes anywhere close to venting well enough to use with aerobic sports is eVent. <S> Applying this to your situation, you need a face mask that breathes better. <S> Either that or one <S> that some how seals to your face at the top. <S> There is no magic goop that will prevent fogging, the only solution is to keep the moist air away from the glasses. <S> After you give up attempting to keep your current sunglasses from fogging, you might try a pair of these. <S> http://www.xcskistore.com/casco-nordic-spirit-ii-white-nordic-ski-eyewear.html <S> They are very expensive, wierd looking, but they are by far and away the most fog resistant eyewear available. <S> I've used them biking and for all kinds of skiing and they just don't fog up ever. <A> You may also consider cutting small holes in your neck tube just front of your nose. <S> This will provide an easier channel for the air to follow, forcing it down instead of up into your eyes. <S> They might not be quite to your taste, but check out these ( http://www.skimaskcity.com/neodanna-ski-masks/ ) <S> I don't know if it applies to you, but <S> I know I need a hair cut! <A> There are several commercial products that may or may not help: <S> Cat Crap, Jaws Quick Spit, McNett Sea Drops, Clarity Defog <S> It <S> As DIY Goes: <S> Spit, baby shampoo, bar soap or dish soap wiped over the lens and buffed mostly off the inside of the lens. <S> Some folks report success with all of these methods. <S> Do they work better than nothing? <S> Probably. <S> Will they Work for your style of riding? <S> Maybe.
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Another thing that I've noticed lately in my own riding is that long-ish hair that covers over the top of the glasses increases fogging. There is a breed of ski masks that do the same thing, and one that comes to mind is made from neoprene, so it is quite warm.
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What tire should I put on my road/commuter bike to prepare for a New York winter? I have a road/commuter bike (Specialized Tricross) I use for commuting daily in New York City. The roads here can be quite harsh, with everything from leaves and branches to glass and potholes. The roads here gave me plenty of flats on the stock tires, so I replaced them with 28mm Continental Ultra Gators, and haven't had a flat since. I already have full coverage fenders with mudflaps on, and they've been very helpful on rainy days. Now winter is approaching and I'm wondering whether to swap out the tires. I rode in winter here last year, so I'm familiar with the challenges, but I'm not perfectly satisfied with how my current setup performed. The issues are: About 60% of the time it's really no different from the rest of the year, just colder. A significantly heavier or knobbier tire would slow me down on these days. About 10% of the time you get flurries or light snow that doesn't stick, and the smooth tread on my tires makes turning a bit dicey, but otherwise manageable. About 10% of the time there is some fresh snow on the ground, and turning can be very challenging, but going straight is fine. About 10-15% of the time there is older snow on the ground, mixed with patches of ice. I am able to proceed in a straight line at a slow and steady pace, about 10-12 MPH, occasionally getting off for steep hills and sharp turns. 5% of the time conditions are such that it is completely unrideable, and I end up walking the bike home if I happen to have ridden it to work in the morning. I will often avoid riding in the 10-15% conditions mentioned above to avoid being faced with these conditions later in the day. Do I need a completely new bike for the winter (or should I just take transit 20% of the time), or will putting on different tires help? Another possibility would be to buy a new front wheel with a very wide tire, and switch out wheels on bad weather days. Has anybody tried this out? Would I be OK with a smooth tread on the back? <Q> You say you've got a small apartment that can't accommodate two bikes, but how about two sets of wheels? <S> The only thing that can deal with ice is studded tires, so for those 20% of the days that include ice, you need studded tires. <S> Your Tricross should be able to accommodate such wheels, so it would simply be a matter of changing wheels rather than buying a whole new bike or using transit. <S> As for those days it seems okay in the morning but turns into an icy day in the evening, all I can suggest is paying careful attention to the weather guessers and guessing conservatively. <A> I personally find that skinny (e.g., 700x23) tires cut through light snow really well, and actually have better traction than thicker tires that can sit on top of the snow. <S> You do have to be careful on turns, but it's just like driving in the snow: <S> you go a bit slower. <S> Basically, the thicker the snow, the bigger and knobbier you want your tires to be. <S> That's an overgeneralization , but it cuts to the heart of the matter. <S> Unless you buy a whole new bike with frame clearance for larger tires (possibly much larger ), there will always be a point at which the snow is simply too much for your bike to handle. <S> That's actually something that's worth considering since winter weather is hard on bikes. <S> And the salt, sand, and cinders that cities tend to treat roads with is even harder on them. <S> Another thing that you might consider is buying a second wheelset and installing your snow tires on those. <S> It is much easier (provided that your rim widths are the same or you have discs <S> so you don't have to adjust the brakes) to swap out a wheelset than it is to change your tires. <S> Especially if you find yourself needing to do it at the last minute, as I often do. <S> Also note that the only tire that will give you traction on ice is a studded tire. <S> It's probably not practical though given that you wouldn't be using it a significant amount of time since you shouldn't use them when it's not icy. <A> I would get a spare front wheel and a studded Schwalbe winter tyre, pref 30-622 <S> since it the smallest I know of <S> and it got a quite low rolling resistance. <S> Just leave it on for the winter period or swap it out for the icy days. <S> I've been commuting daily year round in northern Sweden for the past 5 years and 3-4 years more prior to that. <S> Up here we have around -10 to -30 <S> ° C during 3-4 months and some really shitty weather in fall and autumn when it periodically is rainy with frozen ground. <S> My daily ride has a 40-622 tyre with 240 spikes <S> and I never even slipped with it. <S> Actually I also have a spare one for the back wheel but haven't come around to mounting it yet since the need weren't so big. <S> Good luck! <A> Continental makes road-specific tires for winter commuters. <S> They rely on rubber compounds formulated for cold, slick conditions as well as specially shaped treads designed to get a grip on icy and slushy pavement without extreme lugs. <S> They also offer a lugged tire with traction studs, though the tread may be too aggressive for your taste. <S> Schwalbe and Nokian also make studded tires, Schwalbe's Winter and Marathon Winter have a much less aggressive tread than the Nokians, and comes in a variety of road and MTB sizes.
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Bigger tires with knobbies on them work better with thicker snow.
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does anyone sell bicycle trailers with brakes? I recently was involved in a wreck, because I was unable to slow my trailer. I am thinking about building a refit kit to install brakes on a trailer, but I don't want to reinvent the wheel. <Q> I'm not aware of a commerically made one, I suspect the barrier is liability issues (and possible legal issues in some places). <S> FWIW, the limits in Australia and New Zealand are the same as for any other vehicle, so the main restriction is that the trailer can't weigh more than the towing vehicle (note below). <S> Other jurisdictions may have different rules. <S> Similar questions have been asked here before: Hitch for a cart for braking How to make a cargo trailer? <S> There are two basic ways to do this. <S> Either have brakes on the trailer activated by a lever on the bike, or make some kind of inertia brake. <S> Having a direct lever is very simple and intuitive for the rider, but you may find yourself limited by the length of brake cables you can buy (it's possible to buy the wire on a roll and fix the endcap yourself, but annoying). <S> An inertia brake is somewhat harder to build, but very effective. <S> You need the towing arm to telescope somehow, so as the trailer pushes forward on the towing vehicle you have a small movement that you can use to apply brakes. <S> I built a four wheel trailer that worked like this, and just used cheap V brakes on the trailer. <S> That was sufficiently effective that I didn't bother with anything more complex. <S> The drawbar was square tubing, with a bracket at the overlap holding one end of the brake cables. <S> The major caveat is that neither of those solves the real problem. <S> Once you're sliding along the ground in front of the moving trailer, neither of those will help slow it down. <S> In theory you could grab the brake lever and use that, but in practice you're likely to focus more on getting out from under the trailer. <S> My preferred solution is to use a bike with two rear wheels, either a four wheel bike or a delta trike. <S> That way you're less likely to fall off it and you can have the trailer apply downforce between the rear wheels to help with traction. <S> (edit: note that the default limit is actually the unloaded mass of the towing vehicle that the total trailer mass has to be under, so most bike trailers fall well outside that limit. <S> Here's a PDF . <S> What saves the situation is that if the manufacturer specifies a limit that applies instead). <A> According to Google Translate, http://www.weber-products.de/products/kargo/ offers an overrun brake as an option. <S> Beim Bremsvorgang erhöht sich das Gewicht des Anhängers um ein vielfaches. <S> Deshalb empfiehlt sich für einen größeren Anhänger mit schwerer Ladung eine Auflaufbremse. <S> Diese verstärkt beim Bremsvorgang die Bremswirkung und sorgt damit für viel mehr Sicherheit. <S> And having found that, an image search for "auflaufbremse fahrradanhänger" finds several more, but I don't know how many are commercially available. <S> http://viadukt.eu/produkt/PT6_Bike_Trailer-2-65-111.htm was the only commercial example I could find at the time of first answering. <S> Dead link as of December 2015, still at http://web.archive.org/web/20150922174819/http://viadukt.eu/produkt/PT6_Bike_Trailer-2-65-111.htm Excerpt from page: <S> Two disc brakes, which act as overrun brakes, ensure a high degree of safety when cycling and braking, even at full loading. <S> The PT 6 is fitted with two large balloon tyres for extra cushioning. <S> DIY: <S> http://fahrradzukunft.de/4/lastenanhaenger/ <S> German page about overrun brakes on a two-wheel trailer. <S> http://a2011.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/auflaufbremse-fur-fahrradanhanger/ German page using bowen cables instead of exposed inner cables. <A> What I do for my bicycle trailer is pretty simple: <S> I made a rider-controlled trailer brake lever as part of the trailer unit. <S> This makes connecting and disconnecting the trailer from the bicycle easy, since the brake cable(s) do not have to be detached and re-attached. <S> The bicyclist can activate the brake by pushing the paddle backwards with his buttocks. <S> An additional advantage of this system is that both the rider's hands are free to use the caliper brakes on the handlebars of the bicycle for additional stopping power, and the cyclist can control the relative degree of braking between the front bicycle wheel, rear bicycle wheel and trailer for the safest possible operation. <S> Furthermore, this design protocol is economical and easy to repair as needed. <S> (I never needed to repair my system ever since I built it almost two years ago.) <S> I posted a YouTube video showing how effective my paddle brake lever, which is completely independent of the bicycle set up, works. <S> I may be using a road bicycle in the video, but the problem is applicable to any bicycle type. <S> The link is below: <A> The Carla Cargo trailer ( https://www.carlacargo.de/en/ ) has automatic overrun brakes. <S> The trailer is attached to the seatpost and when it pushes the bike, the brakes get triggered automatically. <S> It's also extremely stable because unlike all other bicycle trailers it has 3 wheels.
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The point is that using a brake on the trailer does help us ride our bicycles without worrying about the heavy trailer affecting any kind of slowing and stopping distance.
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Rear Rack for Cannondale Trail 6 with Disc brakes I was having a real trouble finding a suitable rear rack for my bike, a Cannondale Trail 6, with disc brakes. My usual bike use is to the office (bag containing laptop, lunch, rain jacket, etc. with approx 7-8 kg. weight), but sometimes I do take my bike outdoors, which may or may not require a rear rack. So, my expectations from the rack are: Easy to remove them when not needed. Something that goes in the rear wheel hub (in the quick release notch), not something attached to the frame. To take on 12 kg. weight. Easily installable and serviceable by me. :) Please suggest some options. TIA. <Q> Another option could be the Blackburn EX-1 rack. <S> I've used it on my cross bike due to it not having rack mounts and it carried my bike camping supplies quite well. <S> It also comes with the long skewer. <S> Also compared to a lot of racks it is fairly cheap. <S> Blackburn EX-1 @ <S> Nashbar <A> You want an old man mountain Sherpa rack. <S> It can be attached at the hub level and can be installed via hose clamps or fender mounts on rear seatstays. <S> It is made to even accommodate most disc brake equipped bikes. <S> http://www.oldmanmountain.com/ <A> Tubus logo is a great rear rack and I used it on my touring bike with magura louise disk brakes for around 13,000m. <S> More information and my experience on my websites at Cycle touring across Europe Caucasus to India <S> The alternative would be to go for a seatpost mount or one of the other options mentioned here.
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Might not be quite as easy to remove/install if you don't have rack mounts.
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Pedaling causes rear wheel/pedals to slip When I start to pedal, say up hill or have to move quickly, my pedals slip and I can't get any movement except for a really bad slip. When I'm on a flat straightaway and have to pedal I hear an awful clanking. <Q> There could be several possible reasons for this behaviour - Derailleur could be out of adjustment - can be fixed by barrel adjuster/adjusting the tautness of the shifter cable. <S> You can shift into a cog in the middle of range and visually inspect if derailleur is in line vertically under the cog that chain rests on. <S> When derailleur is properly adjusted, one should be able to spin the pedals backwards freely without the derailleur arm getting stretched/extended. <S> Your chain could be stretched and/or rear cogs worn. <S> Use chain wear indicator tool to see if chain is stretched and visual inspection should indicate wear on the cogs. <S> Worn out cogs may look sharp and pointy/ like a shark fin. <S> If you replace the cogs, make sure to replace the chain as well. <S> This helps avoiding undue cog wear due to stretched chain. <A> It could be that your derailleur is not aligned properly (ie it has got been or pushed out of straight in storage or when dropped put away) <S> Best way to tell is to move it onto middle cog of cassette and see if the cage with the 2 jockey wheels is straight down, if not then the hanger or derailleur itself is bent and no manner of fiddling with cables will sort it. <S> You can find a number of videos on the net on how to align the derailleur hanger aka dropout. <A> Your chain is stretched. <S> But also due to that stretching, you have likely wore out that freewheel/cassette. <S> It will also need to be replace. <S> Expect to play $80-$100 with parts and labor.
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Because your chain is stretch it no longer fits the teeth of your freewheel/cassette. You will have to replace it.
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How can I remove a stuck rear cassette? I've been trying in vain to remove a rear cassette that I myself installed about a year ago. I may have over-tightened the lock ring and now I can't remove it no matter what position I hold the wheel-chain whip-wrench combination. Any advice on what to do to get this cassette off (short of going to my LBS)? The wheel is relatively new and the cassette is very new, and the reason I want to remove the cassette is to replace a broken spoke. <Q> Have you tried holding your tool like this: <S> I have just discovered it (instead of the classical "one tool per hand" technique) and it helped a lot. <A> I used a domestic hairdryer for 2/3 minutes , applied the extension and it finally gave. <S> Would also advise against using a blowtorch as may damage components. <A> Did you yourself grease the threads before installing? <S> This is especially important when the lock ring is aluminum. <S> I'll assume your free hub body is either steel or titanium <S> and there's no grease. <S> If force alone won't move it, it's time to try leverage or impact or both. <S> In the shop they'll ask you the above question before putting the wheel on the ground with the right (or cassette holding) chain whip in a position where it cannot move (under a table or something solid and heavy). <S> The lock ring tool or wrench can have a longer lever attached to it and push straight down. <S> If that doesn't work, get a plastic hammer and try impact. <S> Good luck, and always grease your threads.. <A> Try engaging the chain whip on different cogs of the cassette. <S> Overlap the chain on the chain whip so that it binds itself in place if necessary. <A> I'm an engineer and encountered many stuck bolts, nuts and threads in my time. <S> I just tried to remove my rear shimaneo cassette off a 3 year old bike. <S> I used the correct tools and really put all my weight and force into it, but it wouldn't budge. <S> So i decided to apply a little heat from a blow torch. <S> Being careful not to overheat the whole wheel hub, i gently heated it up and then i tried the sprocket socket, and it turned without even needing a spanner. <S> I should have tried that before i applied all my weight and what might have happened, if it suddenly gave way. <S> Even though I've done this before, i was amazed what a difference it made, much safer than jumping up and down on a 5ft scaffold tube! <A> Wow... <S> I pretty much gave it everything that I could find in my garage tonight, but <S> like most... <S> I have no vice. <S> I even tried a pry-bar between the whip and the wrench, but the whip (Park Tool) is not real rigid and it started to bend. <S> Before I shamefully gave up to go into the LBS, as a last resort, I clamped the chain whip to my workbench table thinking that maybe I can get enough clamping force to simulate a vice before it slips. <S> Voila. <S> I couldn't believe how easy it was by comparison. <S> While I still needed a breaker bar, this was the most effective thing to do. <A> You should secure the cassette lockring removal tool with the quick release skewer or axle bolt, just enough to hold it in place (although some removal tools don't have a hole in the middle for you to do this). <S> This means you can use more force without fear of the tool slipping. <S> Then use a long handled wrench (spanner) and chain whip. <S> A box-end wrench (ring spanner) will give you more purchase. <S> When using the wrench and chain whip, if you can't push the two tools toward each other to remove the cassette, you can inflate the tire fully, and go for the most mechanical advantage by having the spanner and whip handles forming a v with angles of about 120-150 degrees. <S> Then push down on both handles. <S> This does run some risk of damaging your wheel though, so only try this as a last resort. <S> You can also try putting the chain whip on the larger sprockets for more purchase.
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Otherwise use a vice in place of the wrench (spanner) and just turn the chain whip counterclockwise when looking from the side of the wheel not fixed in the vice.
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New headset cups loose against the frame Trying to replace the headset cups and race faces on a steel frame for 1" fork. Removed the old cups by gently knocking them in a circle with a steel pipe of the correct diameter. However, the new cup are a hair too small - although no wobble, they are freely inserted and removed from the head tube. The slack is much less than a mm. The LBS said that this is normal, and that they can fix it, by inserting something in between the head tube and cups. So is it normal? The headset is this one and the fork is a cheap Zoom 1 inch threaded fork. What should be inserted, so that the cups can be correctly installed? (I was planning on using the hummer and piece of wood technique) EDIT: I purchased a calliper. 30.0mm cup, 30.2mm frame. Тhe cup is really easy to insert while pinching it with fingers, although it does not wobble. EDIT: I purchased 2-component glue and nailed the thing in place. <Q> What the LBS may intend to do is add some Loctite or similar chemical retaining compound. <S> The compound is going to glue the cups into the headset. <S> The material will fill in the very small space between the two pieces. <A> You can buy these off the shelf for mismatched seat tubes/posts <S> but I've never seen a headset specific one. <A> Sheldon Brown, has a page with headset dimensions. <S> According to him, some Austrian frames have slightly larger headset cup size 30.8 compared to standard one 30.2. <S> So maybe you have old Austrian frame? <S> http://sheldonbrown.com/cribsheet-headsets.html <A> I've encountered the same issue, and have tried a 'quicksteel' type metal repair putty. <S> I'll se how it goes. <S> If it's no good, I'll buy some feeler gauges and make shims from the thinnest strips.
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They are most likely going to try and shim it with a small piece of metal, a bit of old beer tin or similar. Once everything is assembled and clamped down it should be as good as new. The space may be due to machine tolerances with the frame being on the large side of the spec and the headset on the small end of the spec or previous damage to the frame.
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Is it normal for disc brakes to smell of burnt plastic? So, a new bike, Avid Elixir 5 180mm front and rear. My second ride was on a short dirt road, 340m denivelation. I held the brakes (mainly the front) more than 50% of the time, as the road was too steep for my skills. At the end of the descent, there was slight smell of burnt plastic, coming from the front calliper. What has caused this and is it at reason for concern? On another account, a couple of Tektro Augura smelled severely of burnt plastic at the middle of the descent (another bike, another rider). She finished the descent and has not seen ill effect since (well, the front braking is not as good as before, but no idea if this is since that happening or later). <Q> Sounds like you may have "glazed" your pads and rotors. <S> New brake pads require a break-in period before you subject them to hard long braking. <S> http://www.bikeradar.com/us/gear/article/workshop-how-to-bed-in-disc-brake-pads-31337/ <S> Even when you already have your disks broken in, long drag braking can cause them to overheat and fade. <S> This leads to a kind of vicious cycle in which the brake is less effective and you start using it even more. <S> Brakes are designed to cool themselves with the available airflow, even a few seconds every minute can make a difference. <S> Of course, that's easier said than done when you feel like you are over your head. <S> Braking effectively is a skill that takes practice. <S> If you are dragging the brakes constantly to control your speed, you'll be better off coming to a complete stop and regrouping. <S> Sometimes, you just need to walk stuff when you are over your head. <S> http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-training/how-to-brake-your-mountain-bike/ <A> Be sure that before riding on new brakes you are "bedding" them. <S> This process allows for residue from your pads to contact the new resign-less rotors, creating an effective braking surface. <S> Without doing this, you are likely to introduce pad residue in a feathered pattern that will produce squeals. <S> Also the bedding smooths out your pad surface (they start a little rough). <S> Do this before you get on the trail. <S> When I build a bike up to sell, I immediately take it to the parking lot to check suspension, shifting, and to bed the pads on the rotors. <S> Get up to speed and pull both front a rear levers while shifting your weight behind the saddle! <S> With all that said you are getting that smell because the high amount of heat generated by the fiction caused by braking. <S> The smell is fine. <S> Just make sure you break them in consistently. <S> Proper bedding will reduce heat (and smell) by creating more consistent and powerful braking. <A> At the shop, they said this was normal (duhhhhh!). <S> In the end of any DH the brakes will smell of burnt plastic, they said. <S> If there is a problem with pad glazing, it will be felt on the levers, making them noticeably stiffer, and the braking force reduced, they said. <S> If the was air on the system, the levers are again the part to look at - a sudden lack of braking, followed by gradual (temporary) recovery, they said. <S> So, bed your pads carefully. <S> Feel your brakes and levers. <S> Learn how to brake properly. <S> And have fun.
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You bed your pads simply by consistent, hard braking.
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How to minimize wear on pants I commute on bike and I wear jeans (which I work in). I find that after about 500 miles of bike commuting in a single pair of jeans I've got holes in my pants from the saddle-jean rubbing. My problem is probably accelerated by the fact that I have a fabric seat, the "Jamis Aurora Sport" saddle which comes stock with the Jamis Aurora. However, I'm told that people experience similar issues with non-fabric seats. Having said that, I'm trying to figure out whether I should get a new saddle (something smoother like leather or plastic), or alternatively wear a pair of athletic shorts over my jeans (easily/quickly removeable at work/ in public). At my current rate I will need to replace and/or repair a pair of jeans every 2 months. My question is, what measures can be taken to minimize the rate at which my pants wear through when commuting (without the obvious solution of having dedicated pants for cycling)? <Q> The obvious answer would be to get some Cycling Jeans , i.e. jeans specifically designed for cycling in. <S> These have reinforcement and stretch in the right places and often have other features such as deep pockets, a loop to carry a small lock and reflective strips. <S> Levi , Rapha , Muxu and Swrve all make cycling jeans, so there's a fair amount of choice. <A> Overall riding style probably dictates the type of saddle you should choose. <S> Another contributor to fabric wear is machine washing. <S> Something to consider. <S> For comparison, I wear Levi 501 shrink to fit jeans, usually hand washed as needed. <S> My estimate is that I have spent over 1000 miles commuting to work wearing them. <S> If I look carefully, I can see where the saddle has worn the fabric. <S> But the fabric is still quite strong, showing no signs of thinning. <S> I object to the idea of wearing athletic shorts over a pair of jeans on a purely aesthetic level. <S> But that's just me. <A> While there are jeans specifically for cycling (see Tom77's answer), they are still a compromise (and can be expensive). <S> I found the best option for longer rides (> <S> 2 km or so) is to change trousers . <S> That way you can wear bike trousers when biking, and nice trousers when you want to look nice. <S> This also avoids problems when you get dirty or wet during the ride, and lets you adapt your bike trousers to the weather (insulated in the winter, shorts in summer). <S> At most destinations, there is a washroom where you can slip in to quickly change trousers; I did this for years every day before and after work. <S> If that is not practical, you can get slightly bigger cycling trousers and wear them over your regular trousers, so you can put them on and take them off without any indecent exposure. <S> Or just change trousers in a quiet corner... <A> I had the same problem but then started putting a plastic carrier bag over the saddle and this helped <A> One of the "ergonomic" saddles might go some way towards solving the problem. <S> There's a style that just have pads for your buttocks with no "nose". <S> This will reduce the extra wear to just that from your thighs rubbing together. <S> Or you could go the whole hog and buy a recumbent :) <S> This one via http://www.amazon.com/Hobson-Easyseat-Ergonomical-Bicycle-Saddle/dp/B000GBK4Z4 <A> <A> And all the same, I would replace the saddle with a leather or synthetic one. <S> So the adhesion will be less and the pants will be less wiped. <S> Well, I’ll add that there are Levis Commuter 511 jeans, which are additionally stitched between the legs <S> , they are specially for cycling. <S> Very comfortable and practical. <S> I would advise you test them.
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So, my advice is to change the saddle only if you don't particularly care for the one you have now, and consider buying tougher jeans. I do think that a cushy, fabric covered gel saddle would be more conducive to wearing out a piece of fabric than a smoother plastic or leather saddle. In addition to the other answers, if you perspire at all in the trousers you are wearing while riding, be sure to wash them before you ride in them again. Among other issues, when perspiration dries it leaves the salt behind, which forms crystals that act like an abrasive.
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How to clean a rear derailleur? This has always bugged me. At the end of the season I'm breaking down my bikes and cleaning every inch of them and I get to the derailleur and can't seem to ever get all the junk out of the middle of it! Anyone have any good strategies for getting in by the springs and around the moving parts? I'm fine with removing the cage and doing jockey wheels, etc., but would prefer to keep the main body together. <Q> Lean the bike slightly against something with the derailer facing out. <S> Slide <S> a section of newspaper up behind the derailer and large cog <S> and let it drape down over the tire and onto the ground. <S> (This protects the tire and absorbs most of the solvent.) <S> Get an old toothbrush and a spray <S> can of (no shouting now!) <S> WD40 or some other similar solvent. <S> Alternately spray the derailer (and cluster, if you're so inclined) with WD40 and work it with the toothbrush. <S> When it's sufficiently clean (ie, no longer caked with congealed crud) <S> wipe it dry and lubricate with chain oil. <S> (Since this is usually done in tandem with a chain cleaning, simply oiling the chain will usually oil the derailer sufficiently.) <S> You may want to hit it with another shot of oil after a day or two, since the small amount of remaining solvent may prevent the oil from reaching all surfaces at first. <A> For a complete clean and overhaul, which works wonders for shifting performance, the Park Tool dérailleur overhaul instructions cannot be beaten. <S> See http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/rear-derailleur-overhaul <A> Wash it with mild soap and water. <S> Put in the sun to dry. <S> There are very few things on bikes that will actually rust any more. <S> As long as you avoid high pressure sprays[1] and make sure its' dry before you store it, there's almost nothing on the bike that will be affected by soap and water. <S> [1]- High pressure sprays can get water past bearing seals and that is not good.
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Use an old toothbrush to clean and low pressure water to rinse.
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How do I clean my bike in winter? How or where do I clean my bike in winter? I live in Michigan, USA and winter can be very harsh, along with the added salt used for ice removal. I am not commuting or anything, just occasionally riding for fun. Not cleaning my bike after a ride does not really seem like a good idea, so I would assume this would be a common issue. I tried just using hot water, but it is punishingly cold and difficult. Maybe it just one of those "suck it up" type things? Here is a somewhat related question , but more about chain cleaning. <Q> Rain doesn't get into your bearings and chain, while water from a waterhose sometimes does get in nasty places. <S> I sometimes see chains or even a bearing which is rusted because the oil/grease is 'hosed away'. <S> You can safely use water out of a bucket, with a sponge. <S> But do not use a hose. <S> Especially not a high-presure hose! <S> The best thing to do is clean the bicycle entirely with some cleaner without grease. <S> Based on silicon for instance. <S> Spray it on the bicycle, and clean the bicycle with an old cloth. <S> Grease your chain again. <S> And grease all metal parts (bolts and stuff) with some thick grease such as vasaline. <A> I've found the simplest way is to get it rinsed off outside if you can, buckets of warm/hot water work well, then bring it inside and wash in the tub. <S> If you've got a garage or laundry room, this becomes even easier by basically sponge-bathing your bike with a rag. <S> Another alternative, but sometimes less worth it, is to take the bike to a self-wash car wash and spray it down on the low pressure setting and scrub it down there. <S> Some washes have doors you can close to keep it a little warmer. <A> I clean my bike in the winter almost the same way as in the summer. <S> I usually just use water (add a little soap if it is really dirty) and a brush or cloth to agitate the dirt. <S> In the winter this is going to suck no matter what you do, unless you bring your bike indoors. <S> The key thing that I find when washing my bike (in the summer or winter), is the preparation beforehand. <S> Always keep all of the bearings and contact surfaces nicely greased. <S> Another tip in winter washing is to choose where you ride in order to avoid riding on salt or chemicals that can be found on the roads or sidewalks. <S> Avoiding the road and sidewalks where there is salt and chemicals will allow you to not have to wash your bike after every ride. <S> Just brush off the snow and wet slush. <A> If there was not too much mud that day, spraying the brakes and drivetrain with the water bottle, then, once indoors, re-greasing the chain, should be enough (otherwise it rusts). <S> Now if things are more messy, a rag and the shower portable head, set to maximum pressure, should do it. <S> I use cold water, to save electricity. <A> I spent years in Canadian prairie winters (-40ºC not an uncommon occurrence) without access to a garage or anything, so my winter-cleaning method of choice involved bringing my bike inside and scrubbing her down in the bathtub. <S> It's kind of double-work because you're left with a sparkling clean bike and a bathtub that looks like a garbage dump, but better than letting road salt and gravel decompose your bike into a pile of rust. <A> I second the sponge batch method from a bucket of warm water. <S> It's what I do in Minnesota during the winter <S> and it's a good idea to rinse the deicing salt off your bike if you can. <S> I'd also suggest that a few times during the winter you do a light service in your bike. <S> You should disassemble your bottom bracket and make sure water isn't trapped in there. <S> You're definitely riding in a harsher climate and salt and water can play havoc with bearings quickly. <S> Make sure to clean and lube your derailleur pivot points, <S> keep your chain well lubed and make sure that the threads of the screws used on your bike have grease on them to prevent corrosion or worse galvanic bonding. <A> I do not always clean my bike as often in the winter as I do in the summer. <S> I usaully wait until its a warm day (high 30s low 40s) and clean it in my garage. <S> I take an empty bottle of wind shield washer fluid and fill it up with very hot soapy water. <S> I take an old kitchen sponge too. <S> I then just pour a little bit of the soapy water onto the sponge and scrub the dirt off. <S> I always take the front tire off, but rarely do I take the back tire off during the winter. <S> I just scrub all the muck off. <S> I then just slowly pour the soapy water onto the chain (like what you would do when lubing it) and all over the rest of the drivetrain. <S> I scrub the hard to reach places down with a drive train cleaner. <S> I then rinse out the bucket and fill it with just hot water. <S> Wash everything down, dry, and then lube. <S> Right it up and down the block once or twice just to make sure everything is working. <S> and thats it. <S> Hope that helps.
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Cleaning and then lubing the chain before washing it will help a great deal too. As a bicycle mechanic in the Netherlands, I always advice not to use a waterhose.
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Is cornering in snow any different? The general advice about cornering is to lean the bike, not the body , to put pressure on the outside foot, and not to brake or brake only with the rear brake if absolutely needed. Well, does this advice hold for snowy terrain? Today is my second day riding in snow this winter and still have the feeling that if I lean the bike, it will simply slide out under me. The tires are Schwalbe Land Cruiser. So I actually lean my body, keeping the bike as straight as possible through the turns. Exactly opposite to the general advice. I am talking about 10km/h riding, and I already managed to fall a couple of times (luckily at those speeds falls are harmless, when outside traffic). "On snow" for the purpose of this answer means autumn leaves, over which there are several cm of frozen, hard or melting snow. I am fortunate that 1/3 of my commute is through a non-paved park, where I can practice funny things without the danger of being hit by a car. There are even some small (30cm) and other not so small ramps, but I haven't summoned the courage to jump those ... yet. <Q> It's different insofar as walking on ice is different from walking on concrete. <S> Traction is reduced anywhere from somewhat to greatly. <S> It takes a much smaller change in direction, much smaller amount of braking, and much shallower lean angle in a turn to cause you to break traction. <A> In my experience of riding on snow both with a fully loaded touring bike and with a mountain bike. <S> With the touring bike do your best to keep the bike upright and turn in short stages. <S> As previously mentioned brake early and turn gently. <S> If you ride on snow you will get some bite with normal tyres but it will wash out intermittently. <S> You can go for some studded or spike tyres and these can allow you to ride happily on snow at any speed. <S> I once saw a guide riding up a piste like this. <A> Cornering is cornering. <S> There really isn't any difference in the physics. <S> What is different is the unpredictable friction of the surface you are cornering on. <S> There are a few things you can do. <S> Improve the predicability of the friction of your tires. <S> Lowering the tire pressure will also help a little as this increases the contact patch and lets the tire conform better to uneven surfaces. <S> Don't push the limits of what friction you have. <S> These means generally riding slower, braking more gently and turning at slower speeds. <S> Learn to react quickly and correctly when the friction does disappear. <S> Find someplace safe and experiment with the limits of friction on snow. <S> Make slow speed turns and try braking with both front and back wheels. <S> Be very cautious with the front wheel, even at slow speeds loosing the front wheel traction can be a very hard fall. <S> With practice you can learn to use your momentum to reestablish traction. <S> If you're going to spend a lot of time on snow, studded bike tires are well worth the investment. <A> Brake early and gently. <S> lean softly. <A> To add to the answers above: <S> Whenever possible lower the angle of your turn, make it as wide as possible. <S> Although each turn has an 'actual radius', which can be quite tight, you can always increase your 'effective radius' by pulling away from the turn before and after the corner, but cutting close to the corner at the midpoint of the turn. <S> The larger the effective radius of your turn the less sideways force your tires' friction needs combat and the less you will need to lean, the two culprits for having your bike go sliding sideways from under you. <S> Hit the far side of the path going into the turn, turn gradually but aim to pass close to the corner, and follow that arc through to end at the correct angle after the turn on the far side of the path as well, where you can leisurely adjust yourself. <S> You'll find many bike paths are planned for this and are already widened around the turns (or unplanned but use has increased them there). <S> If you're on a road just shift to the far side of the traffic lane before the turn, as a bike you've plenty of space. <S> Although it may be more important here to note where car traffic has been heaviest and avoid the compacted icy parts.
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However, if you are cornering at speed the best idea would be to stick a dabbing leg out if you feel the tyres are slipping away. Studded bike snow tires will help the most with this, but even switching to a tire with a more robust tread and wider profile can help. In terms of the physics and techniques involved, they're the same, though mountain bike techniques come in handy as you are likely to spend much more of your time without traction compared to typical riding on paved surfaces. If you're on a path just cut as close as you can, assuming no one else is in the way.
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What is a good bike for college? I'm looking for a good bike for college. I need to be able to go across paved roads, brick roads, cut across grass- and possibly jump down 5-6 stairs. This video is from the school I plan to attend: Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. My price range is $400-$600 Do I need a road bike? Dual sport? Mountain bike? <Q> Old and scuffed up bikes are best for this. <S> I think an old mountain bike or flat bar hybrid (like a 80s/ <S> early 90s specialized hardrock/rockhopper or an old giant boulder is ideal) with a rack attached are pretty good options, along with some slick tires and lights and a helmet. <S> The total for this should be around 210 dollars (lets say 150 for the bike + any work it needs done like derailleur adjustments, possibly new tires, etc., <S> a helmet for 30 and lights for 30). <S> Add 30 if you want a cheap rack, and another 40 or so for a decent lock (say, a Kryptonite evo mini, or if you're paranoid spend a bit more and get a Kryptonitefahgettiboutit). <S> A U-lock is recommended - chain locks give you a bit more diversity for locking things, but they're too heavy to carry around for good ones (and most campuses which are bike friendly have plenty of places where you can ulock to). <S> Fenders/mudguards may also be a decent investment for rain (though college students are a mess anyway, so I don't think it makes much difference). <S> I don't think a road bike is necessarily a great idea given the short distances involved and the not necessarily useful geometry for commuting on most of them. <S> However, if you do find one which you like, take it out for a spin and see how it does. <S> - you'll also probably get some help on fit there as well. <S> Jumping down stairs depends highly on the type of stairs, but it is too reckless behavior for most college campuses. <S> If you are hitting a lot of bumps while commuting, a rigid bike with fat smooth tires or one with front suspension may be helpful (though, I think for 99.99% of commuters, rigid is the way to go). <S> Stay away from full suspension (which you will only find on the Walmart level of bikes). <S> Also, it is good to have non-quick release wheels + seat post. <A> A quick note on pannier racks: I switched from a rucksack to panniers in my second undergrad year, and I must admit that it wasn't incredibly useful at first. <S> Carrying a few books and lecture notes, a rucksack is only inconvenient on the bike if you're cycling more than a few miles. <S> But then when you arrive and get off, you're probably spending a few hours carting that bag around lecture halls and libraries, which is much easier with a rucksack than a pannier bag. <S> In short, there's a trade-off. <S> While you're on the bike, if you've heavy cargo (such as groceries) or a long distance to travel, it's much easier to make the bike carry the load in panniers. <S> But when you get off, if you're walking around, a rucksack is easier to carry. <S> Some pannier bags have shoulder straps to make that easier, but I find with my Ortlieb Back Rollers <S> the straps are too much faff. <S> You can also find pannier bags that transform into rucksacks, but I've no experience with those. <S> Having a rack on the bike means that even if you think a rucksack is the best option, you can change your mind later, or have both and use them at different times (e.g. panniers for shopping, rucksack for lectures). <S> Also, you might want to stuff a plastic bag under your saddle, so it's handy to keep that dry when it rains. <S> You don't want a damp bum distracting you in lectures, or inviting speculation on your nights out. <A> Ride like that video, and you won't make it to sophomore year. <S> As for protecting the bike, you might consider a fixie - most people wouldn't be able to ride it away.
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The most important thing for a college campus (and commuting in general in places where there are a lot of potentially not nice people) is to have a cheap bike and locking it properly - in particular, one that doesn't attract attention. Ask around the community and see whats there for used bike shops and try to find a decent bike there A last quick note: if you can't afford to invest in a fully waterproof rucksack or panniers (they're a good investment when you can!), keep a plastic bin bag in them to stop your books getting wet in the rain.
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Will mounting a camera on the handlebar instead of the helmet make the picture more shaky? I do a short commute in Paris (about 7 km / 30 minutes each way) and I am seriously considering adding a camera (maybe 2) to my bike to be able to report dangerous behaviour and also generally because it's fun and interesting. I've seen a lot of great footage on the web but I wonder how they get such a stable picture. I guess that helmet mounted cameras produce an inherently more stable picture but I also heard of stabilizing software. The thing is I don't wear a helmet and I would like to fix my camera to the handlebar. My bike ( Cross Areal CR ) has suspension in the front, however I'm not sure it's enough to dampen the road shake, though my route is mostly on smooth asphalt (some potholes, some old paved passages). Does mounting a camera on the handlebar mean that I must invest in a more expensive stabilized camera or do you find that most cameras work just a well? Are there any tricks to getting a stable picture with such a setup? <Q> Cameras on bikes are a trade-off. <S> I run my camera from the handlebars, but it can be very shaky particularly depending on the road surface: on a newly paved road it can be almost perfect, but on cobbles it's almost useless. <S> Certainly you can helmet mount, but then you can look quite silly. <S> (The cuboid Go Pros on top of a helmet just look ridiculous.) <S> There are some advantages though, it's definitely more stable (as @cherouvim correctly points out - your neck and body are great shock absorbers) and it means that you are getting the camera to record (more or less) <S> what you are looking at. <S> If you're planning on being able to use the footage to report problems, then it is going to be much more flexible to be able to point the camera dynamically. <S> The lack of a helmet isn't the end of the road though, I use a Contour camera and they've got headband, cap and helmet mounts - <S> so while you'll need some form of headwear, it needn't be a helmet. <S> is not to mount it on the bike. <A> Will mounting a camera on the handlebar instead of the helmet <S> make the picture more shaky? <S> Yes. <S> ... <S> to be able to report dangerous behaviour ... <S> A more important reason to mount it to you head is that you'll most probably end up with the correct footage. <S> The handlebars do not always point to where we are looking. <S> Examples: <S> while cornering you look at where you want to go <S> but the handlebars do not (yet) pointing your head elsewhere while riding straight is obviously very common when you want to make a safe lane change, pass a green light etc <S> Does mounting a camera on the handlebar <S> mean that I must invest in a more expensive stabilized camera You can stabilize later with software. <S> Although it needs a bit of experimentation. <S> Are there any tricks to getting a stable picture with such a setup? <S> No <S> but you can try mounting on the head tube. <S> It'll provide a pretty solid video, but always pointing straight. <A> More shaky: yes. <S> I run a fairly cheap "kaiser baas" camera mounted on my handlebars. <S> It took a bit of work to get a stable video - after some experiments I put a layer of rubber around the handlebars (very large rubber bands) then tightened the mounting as much as possible. <S> The result is acceptable for me. <S> Certainly big potholes and very rough sections cause poor video. <S> The rough sections can also transmit noise to the audio pickip. <S> Contrary to another reply, I find that small steering movements are almost undetectable in the video, because of the angle of view of the camera. <S> Unrelated to your question, I find that when I run the camera I am a safer rider: somebody is watching me!
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The helmet mount provides the most stable video because any terrain roughness has already been absorbed by your body. In addition to shakeness the handlebars mount will provide a not so pleasant video because it will constantly be panning left and right due to the automatic microadjustments you do to keep you riding straight. Some of the shake can be mitigated with a fast frame rate and post-production, but it'll be easier if it wasn't there in the first place and the best way for that
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Can I put a road bike tyre on a mountain bike? I am finding it difficult to ride a Mountain bike, I feel that it may be more comfortable to change the tyre to that of a road bike, which are thinner in size. Please advise if I can do so. <Q> They make slick tires for mountain bikes used as commuters (and fat slick tires which the air provides a lot of cushioning). <S> Some examples are Schwalbe's fat franks or big apple's (these are more baloonbike) or Marathons . <S> Thinner doesn't necessarily mean more comfortable - in fact, the smaller the tire, the less comfortable it will typically be (this is a function of the bike's geometry and setup as well as the terrain and tires and tire pressures though). <S> Go to your LBS and ask them for tires for road use or commuting and they will probably point you towards something similar to the Schwalbe big apples. <S> Currently on my mountain bike which i use for commuting, I use Geax Evolution tires since I got them very very very cheap (though something like their street runner or some of the Kenda Kwick tires are probably something better for just road use if you're cheap). <S> You can't just take a mountain bike wheel and put it on a road bike and vice versa - the brake mounts and what not have to match up (this has been discussed a few times on these forums, whcih you can find with search) which is difficult if they're running different sizes. <A> The long answer is that your choice is very limited (and depends on your definition of road tyre - do you mean road-bike tyre or road-use tyre)?. <S> I would strongly suggest a kevlar anti-puncture belt. <S> The thinnest of the popular kevlar slicks available in 26" appears to be the Schwalbe marathon , but you could also try the Schwalbe road cruiser (I use these on my hybrid) or continental's comfort-contact <A> The short answer is no. <S> Now for the long answer... <S> Mountain bike and road bike wheels are different diameters and use tires that are different diameters. <S> Specifically, mountain bikes use 26" tires and road tires use the ridiculously meaningless 700c sizing. <S> I won't get into what these sizes mean here, but you can find more info on this site or, if you really want to dork out for a bit, read Sheldon Brown's page on tire sizing . <S> As Batman mentioned, you can purchase slicks and semi-slicks for 26" rims. <S> They're not technically "road" tires - they're a bit wider and run lower pressures - but they still reduce rolling resistance. <S> There are lots of options . <S> Just shop around All that said <S> , I'm not sure what you find uncomfortable about your mountain bike tires. <S> One thing you may consider is simply lowering the pressure in your tires. <S> The maximum pressure listed on the side is very often much higher than you want or need. <S> You can read more about finding the correct pressure here .
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Mountain bike tires are typically more comfortable than road bike tires. You'll need to look at http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html#width or similar for what widths are compatible, and for urban riding (debris) or light off-road tracks (thorns) The short answer is yes (with apologies to jimrings).
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Why is my freewheel slipping? My freewheel tarted slipping this week. It slips most from a stop with no pressure snapping to significant pressure on the pedals. Slipping may be the wrong term as it really isn't engaging. Once it "hooks up" and pressure is continuously applied there is no slippage. Bike is a 3 years old, kona humu-humu, and used for daily commutes in Montana. Stored in an unheated shed at night, left out in the elements during work M-F 9-6, a couple times a month year round while out on the town. Past couple months I've been hearing a banging sound out of the rear cog which I assumed was the chain slipping on the cog, but now I'm wondering if it the ratcheting mechanism in the freewheel. Recent weather included a large snow storm which caked the bike in snow/ice followed by a week of sub 0F weather, so the snow stayed caked on. Two days ago riding it home after dark in like roughly -20F temps the issue first occurred. Thinking it was a chain slippage and being very intermittent I brought it inside got the bike warmed up/dry tighted the chain and did some other routine maintenance. Next day, same issue occurs but easier to recreate while off the bike and I can see the chain is fine and the freewheel just isn't hooking up. I have a couple theories but not how likely each is. I'm also not sure how serviceable the freewheel is. Theories:- Water worked it's way into the freewheel and is now frozen inside the freewheel. This is changing how the moving parts operate.- The banging sound was the freewheel and is a sign of or the cause of major wear. The mechanism providing traction now has a loose fit and the extreme low temperatures are enough to further loosen the connection to unusable.- It's too cold for the springs/oil in the mechanism to perform adequately for normal usage- Something else? I need to swing by the local shop anyways as I'm swapping out some parts shortly, but if there are some simple fix ideas I'd love to hear them. EDIT: Freehub not freewheel + Single speed cog. <Q> Since this was mentioned in a comment, freewheels are not the same as freehubs+cassettes (see http://sheldonbrown.com/free-k7.html ) for details. <S> The rest of the discussion should hold if freewheel is replaced with cassette+freehub though with minor modifications - I don't know if this bike has a freewheel or a cassette+freehub since I can't load the product page. <S> In 3 years, you may have exceeded it in commuting depending on weather and mileage - Last freewheel <S> I had lasted about 3500-5000 miles (some cheap sunrace freewheel) since I ran a while with a worn chain. <S> You don't fix a freewheel unless you have to - theres a lot of bearings and <S> what not which makes the complexity high. <S> Buy a replacement freewheel and have it installed, and throw the old one away (and usually, thats a good time to replace your chain as well, though you should get at least 2-3 chains / freewheel). <S> I wouldn't call it a banging noise <S> (I haven't thought of what a good description of what the noise would be), but hubs which need repacking or axle damage also do make noise, so you may want to check that too. <S> You can also get a banging-clunking noise from a failing bottom bracket as well (which can lead to a slipping sensation), so checking the bottom bracket area is another thing to do (in doing this, you'll also have to check the cranks and pedals, so this is a bit of work). <A> Freewheel skipping is a very common occurrence when the temperature drops below -25c. <S> Just bring it inside for a few minutes and you will be able to catch a cog on the freewheel or whatever it needs to catch inside. <S> Once pedaling never let up on the pressure of each stroke. <S> Never coast. <S> Pedal as you brake to a stop. <S> Then it will stay engaged. <S> I found pouring baby oil into the middle of the freewheel with the bike on its side <S> worked very well <S> but that may not have been ideal. <S> It then did not skip up to about -35c. <S> One accident <S> and you can freeze to death very fast if incapacitated. <S> Ride around a few people ... take care. <A> Yes water might got in the freewheel and partially removed the grease, therefore causing the sprawls to wore out and weaken the spring inside. <S> The source of the noise might be the worn out bearings going out of place jamming the sprawls. <S> Relubing it after a year or if you want it to be silent, you can clean and relube it using Grade 3 lithium grease. <A> I had this chain slipping problem mainly on the smallest cog <S> so assumed it was a worn chain <S> but the worn chain had totally damaged the sprocket teeth <S> so was still slipping even with a new chain & ended up having to replace the whole freewheel which resolved the problem
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Freewheels and chains (which needs to be measured with a ruler, due to some issues with most chain checking tools according to Sheldon Brown), (and less frequently, the chain rings) are wear items - they don't last forever (and the ratcheting mechanism can go and make a lot of noise). Not too many people ride when its that cold.
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How do I know if there is water in my fork I have a SunTour XCR fork. Not wanting to ruin it I am worried that a significant amount of water has penetrated beyond the seals. I have recently ridden the bike in rain, snow, and washed it in a bathroom with a showerhead. The symptom that I am observing is the following. I just cleaned the stanchions, oiled them, compressed them rapidly to get oil beyond the seals, then wiped off excess oil and dirt, from the seals. But unlike usually, when compressing the fork, there was a "whum" sound of air leaving the fork boots and passing throught some liquid at the seals. On one hand, I had just put oil just there. On the other hand, I have never heared this sound (with a brand-new fork), when applying this procedure. Should the fork be disassebled and dried? What other tell-tales are there that there is water in the a (spring-operated) suspension form? <Q> The XCRs are very simple forks and unless specified don't have an oil or air damper so very user friendly. <S> It is possible that water has got below the dust wipers but this is generally unlikely. <S> The mechanism for a XCR is a sealed lock out unit and a coil. <S> You should simply be able to drop the lowers off the fork without disrupting anything else to check them out for water and to ensure there's plenty of grease to protect the spring and other internals. <S> The 'whum' could be the stanchions being a bit sticky moving through the wipers but not much else I can think off. <A> The only way to know for sure what happens with your fork is to take it apart and have a look. <S> Any other suggested procedure will be a guess. <S> So if that noise bothers you, get your tools out and open the fork. <S> Apart from checking the internal condition, you will gain a better understanding of the fork structure and operations, and you'll know what to expect from it. <S> And next time you face with strange sound, you'll know what's happening there. <A> To answer my own question: Flip the bike upside down onto something soft as not to damage the cockpit components and the saddle. <S> Compress the fork several times. <S> If water has entered the lowers, now it has perfect conditions to leave it. <S> Please not that this answer applies to SunTour XCR 2013 and earlier. <S> With the constant advances of the XCR series (rebound, tapered steer tube etc.) <S> it is entirely possible those forks no longer use plastic bushings, thus the question and all answers becoming irrelevant. <A> lock out the fork when washing it or going into the rain, i used to always do this on my XC bike cos <S> it has a cheaper fork than my trail bike. <S> i recently washed it without locking the fork and dropped thee bike to dry it off. <S> this compressed the forks driving water inside, i did a lower leg service to sort it
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If after this procedure water droplets have appeared on the stanchions, then there is some water inside the lowers and they need service as described by other answers.
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Gap between lower headset cup and fork. Is this likely to be a problem? Yesterday I had a headset and fork fitted by my LBS. Lacking the specific tools or knowledge, I thought it better to leave this job to a professional; as a consequence of my inexperience, however, I have no idea whether they've actually done a good job. As far as I can tell, the crown race fits snug against the base of the steerer tube. When the fork is inserted, however, there is a gap of about two millimetres between the base of the steerer and the bottom headset cup, leaving the crown race exposed. My expectation was that the bottom cup would instead sit flush with the fork. Scouring bike forums for answers suggests this situation isn't all that uncommon, with some offering makeshift solutions, like a strip of inner tube to keep out grime. Still, if someone wouldn't mind taking a look at my headset specifically, it might ease my mind somewhat. I've included a couple of close-ups below. I've checked the orientation of the bearings, and they're definitely the right way up. The slight chamfer on the inside edge of the lower bearing fits nice and tight against the crown race. The headset is a Tange Seiki RDC-82 . I don't appear to be missing any pieces. Thank you for your help. Update: Ok, so I gave the company I originally purchased the headset from (the same place I bought my frameset at the same time — not the LBS that installed it) a call; they instantly knew what I was talking about, and assured me it was normal for this particular model. In hindsight, ringing them should really have been the first thing I did. Still seems like a poor design in my opinion. Not only does it look somewhat unsightly, but the gap risks exposing the lower bearing to grime and dirt. A simple seal could have solved both these issues. Perhaps when I eventually come to replace the headset, I'll invest in something pricer/better quality. <Q> Simple answer, the gap is not uncommon, but commonly the gap is filled with a simple plastic ring which works ok as a seal. <S> Either this wasn’t supplied with the headset, or was lost by someone before it could be installed. <S> If I had a headset without this seal, I wouldn’t be surprised if it wore prematurely. <S> Seen in the bottom <S> left of a photo of the current model is the missing ring which would seal the gap. <A> When the headset is properly adjusted the bar move effortlessly from side to side? <S> Is the any fore/aft movement of the fork if you hold the front brake and push the front end back and forth with some force? <S> If the answers are yes/ <S> no then you're probably fine. <S> It wouldn't hurt anything for you to return to the bike shop where it was installed and ask them about it. <S> They may very well have installed that headset on another bike in the past and know that what you're seeing is normal. <A> While it is difficult to see through the grease it appears that you may have two crown races installed on the steerer tube.
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That seems like a big gap, but it may be normal, especially if you've inspected how the bearings seat against the crown race and all seems well.
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Vintage Peugeot pulls towards left when riding I've bought a second hand old Peugeot, I really enjoy the bike, but I'm having a balance problem with it, pulls to the left when riding. Could it be related with the handlebars? They are crooked. <Q> Straighten your seat. <S> It's pointed a bit to the right, causing your body to slightly slant to the left to compensate, moving center of the mass a bit to the left, causing whole bike to lean and turn left. <A> Although they have their advantages it also means you must be careful to align the rear wheel properly when putting it back on the bike. <S> If you look carefully from above the wheel should be exactly central between the chainstays and the seatstays. <S> Although hard to see, in your 2nd photo it looks as though it's off to the left a bit. <S> Just loosen the QR and carefully adjust the axle's position in each dropout until you have the wheel central. <S> This is most likely the cause of your problem. <A> http://marksbikes.wordpress.com/2011/01/09/bike-mysteries/ might be a useful link to start with - <S> It says Anjou on it, so its reasonable to guess its a Peugeot Anjou of some year. <S> In that link, they do link to some old Peugeot catalogues and what not (for example: http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp271/qeugeot/1989fr/1989fr_27.jpg is a 1989 Peugeot Anjou). <S> Depending on what parts of the bike are original, you may be able to figure out what year it is from the catalogues.
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I have a vintage peugeot and one characteristic of older steel frames like them is horizontal dropouts.
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Do merino wool base layers need to be skin tight? I have bought a Merino wool base layer for all the obvious reasons, they're raved about and have been sworn by by many a rider, and I was getting not only chilly in the winter weather but also wearing a cotton t-shirt and getting caught in the rain caused it to very quickly go cold, damp and heavy. So I bought small and medium and settled for the small but even that is quite loose on me and a baggy fit. It certainly keeps me warm, no complaints there, but then I very quickly get too warm. They're supposed to be magic - keep you warm in winter and cool in the heat - but if it can't stop me from overheating when its cold outside, I struggle to believe it being any better in the summer. My theory is that it needs to be a skin fit in order to achieve its wicking capabilities, and because it's loose, it isn't able to wick the heat direct from my skin, but rather heats up the air between my skin and the base layer causing a reserve of hot air which keeps getting hotter and thus causing my own mini personal sauna effect. Am I right or totally wrong? I don't mind being wrong, but just want to understand the reasons I seem to be too hot and what I can do to resolve it. I am also wearing a waterproof jacket over it which isn't very breathable. This could just as much be the problem, but I don't want to leave the jacket in case it rains as I don't know how Merino wool base layers - especially when baggy - cope when wet? (Another question maybe?) Thanks. <Q> I am also wearing a waterproof jacket over it which isn't very breathable <S> Well there's your problem. <S> The most wickable, breathable material in the world isn't going to achieve those properties if you put a plastic bag over it. <S> If you don't want to be caught out in the rain, keep the raincoat in a backpack/messengerbag/pannier/whatever until it's needed. <S> Regarding how tight the base layer should be, I would say it should be pretty tight, especially when you first put it on because it will shrink up in the wash and loosen up considerably when you sweat in it. <S> However, if it's a little baggy it's not the end of the world, it just wont wick moisture away as well. <S> Also keep in mind that everyone has different heat/cold tolerances. <S> Two different people may require entirely different layers at the same temperature based on exertion, weight, preference, etc. <S> If you're a hot blooded type, it might need to get a little colder before you put on a wool jersey. <S> I know I'd catch on fire for anything above around 55°F <A> Merino is not magic, if you get it soaked it's uncomfortable and in hot weather <S> it's probably more insulation that you need. <S> It's just better than most other alternatives when the weather gets bad, ( cotton for instance, which can be deadly when soaked in hypothermic conditions. <S> Merino also doesn't get as clammy as some synthetics ). <S> Waterproof and moderate to heavy levels of exercise mean you are going to get soaked no matter what base layer you have on. <S> The key to staying comfortable is to not get wet in the first place and the only way to do that <S> is effective layering with breathable garments. <S> Despite all the marketing there is no such thing as a waterproof breathable fabric that will be breathable enough for moderate exercise.[1] <S> When it's raining hard, you don't have much choice. <S> Merino is good for that. <S> In this case I actually prefer to use it as a mid-layer with a very breathable synthetic knit underneath. <S> Your body heat can dry the inner layer and the merino will absorb some of the moisture before it condenses on the waterproof layer. <S> The problem with merino as a single layer is that it is not at all windproof. <S> When biking in cold weather you really need at least some windblocking. <S> A light nylon vest or windshirt works pretty well for that. <S> Bike specific vests with windblock fronts and breathable mesh backs are really nice layering pieces. <S> Softshell jackets with some wind blocking and good breathablity will also stand up to light to moderate rain for much longer than you might expect. <S> [1]- <S> Well that's been my experience in the last 45 years, for some people it works I guess. <S> Of all the one's I've tried eVent comes the closest to actually working as advertised. <A> Merino definitely won't work as well to wick away sweat if it's not touching much of your skin, but the rain jacket trapping all of that moisture in also doesn't help. <S> It's hard to say which is the biggest contributing factor. <S> Perhaps try the merino on without the rain jacket once in fair weather, and see if it performs better than just a cotton shirt.
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So you want the base layers to retain some insulation when they get wet.
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Why would tube patch sometimes peel off with backing? Sometimes, when patching a tube, the newly placed patch will peel off when removing the backing. Sometimes I have this problem and sometime I don't and I'm not sure what the difference is. Is it the age of the glue/solvent? Not sanding enough? The temperature? The amount of time I'm waiting for the glue to dry? <Q> I've found that the amount of time I let the glue dry makes the biggest difference. <S> It really needs to get from "wet" to "tacky" to work best. <S> Scraping the tube and the glue brand make a bit of difference too. <S> If the patch seems relatively well stuck, but comes up when you try to take the backing off, just leave the backing on; it won't hurt anything. <A> One critical step that's often missed is thoroughly bedding the patch. <S> After installing it (I prefer the glue to not be totally dry but with a few specks of "damp" yet) but before removing the plastic backing you take something like a smooth-ended tire iron and rub it slowly back and forth across the patch, pressing hard. <S> This assures that the patch, tube, and glue have fused together. <S> Then leave the plastic backing on, as it helps prevent the patch from sticking to the inside of the tire. <A> It almost never happens to me when I patch at home and not being on a rush, but when I patch during a ride, particularly on humid cold weather and if trying to do it quickly, So I guess that not allowing the glue to chemically act on the tube and not allowing it to dry is part of the key. <S> But also, I learned a trick after observing that when I take car tires to repair, they apply a patch and use a roller tool to really press the patch into the tire. <S> The tool is actually a little wheel on a handle that allows to apply great pressure into a small area of the patch. <S> I use a somewhat similar approach: After allowing the glue to dry or become tacky and applying the patch, I place the area being patched over a curved part of the bike (top tube for example) and roll the bike pump or another cylindrical object over it. <S> Think of what a baker does with a rolling pin. <S> In that case the bike pump would be perpendicular to the top tube <S> and I'd roll it back an forth applying pressure and leaning the pump left to right a little bit with each stroke. <S> The point of this action is to apply a lot of pressure over a tiny area of the patch, until all of the patch has been pressed down. <S> That is obviously for repairs while on the go, at home you may have the roller tool or another substitute, or something else besides your bike to place under the tube. <S> When At home, I usually check the repair after letting the glue dry for a long time (a day or a couple of hours). <S> This check is to inflate the tube and submerge it in water, watching for bubbles. <S> This wets the paper backing, letting me remove it by rubbing with my thumb. <S> Here is a picture of the tool if you'd like to acquire one:
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Regarding the backing of the patch, when on the go I just leave it in there, as it prevents glue from sticking to the tire an it does not affect anything in any way.
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What type of bicycle is closest to European city bike? I am looking for a bicycle that would be closest to the design that was popular in Russia , something with a high handlebar, relatively large wheels, and relatively short distance from the saddle to the handlebar. Which types of American bicycles should I look for? <Q> "Dutch bike" is a good answer, but it won't necessarily find you all the possibilities; "transpo(rtation) bike" tends toward the Dutch. <S> Besides what you already mentioned in your question, these bikes typically have: mixte or other step-through geometry internally-geared hubs for ease of maintenance simple shifting, typically 3 or 7-8 gears (though with today's internal-hub selection, 11 can be found) clothing protection, from chain guards and fenders to (less commonly) skirt/coat guards on the rear wheel racks or rack braze-ons, minimally in the rear but sometimes front <S> as well <S> US bicycle brands that offer bikes of this sort include Electra <S> (Amsterdam, perhaps the Townie), Civia (Twin City), Linus (Dutchi, perhaps the Mixte), Breezer , and Public (mixte and step-through models). <S> Trek made one called the Belleville that was discontinued (it was a heavy and inflexible beast; I considered buying one) but might still be available used. <S> In the UK, Pashley makes several models of Dutch bike (e.g. the Princess and Roadster models). <S> A few US distributors will import a Pashley, I believe. <A> Look for a Gazelle or Batavus bike. <S> I know <S> at least Gazelle can be bought in both the UK and the US. <S> Alternatively, look up what it would cost to ship such a bicycle and buy one in the Netherlands. <S> They are widely available both new and used. <S> If you are looking for a old one: You will find that old Dutch city-bikes have a better build quality then many other European brands. <S> However, this does not go for more sports bicycles. <A> I guess, "Popular in Russia" mean "produced in Russia". <S> Russia have never imported European bicycles. <S> This is type of simplified utilitarian bicycle with single speed, kick back brake, fenders and rear rack. <S> The rider position is upright and relaxed.
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In the US, such bicycles have the name "Dutch" bike.
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What are the advantages of filling tires with Nitrogen instead of air? I am completely new to riding bikes and know that are usually filled with air but nowadays some people fill them with Nitrogen instead. I don't know why they prefer to fill their tires with nitrogen as it is more costly than filling them with air. What are the benefits of filling tires with Nitrogen? <Q> There are some compelling reasons for filling vehicle tires with pure nitrogen in performance situations, but for bike tires it's just snake oil. <S> There aren't substantial enough temperature fluctuations in a bike tire to justify the pressure consistency argument. <S> It's also worth noting that the air you breathe and fill your tires with is more than three-quarters Nitrogen, so this isn't as special as it may sound. <A> There are several advantages, most of which apply only marginally to bicycles. <S> A nitrogen seller lists all of them, other sites list pros and cons . <S> The key thing is that it's not about adding nitrogen so much as reducing oxygen, water and other gases. <S> Nitrogen molecules are larger than water, oxygen and most others, so they percolate through tyres more slowly. <S> This means tyres stay at a usable pressure longer. <S> This is the main benefit that a cyclist will see. <S> Nitrogen changes pressure with temperature slightly less than water does. <S> But bicycle tyres stay close to ambient temperature almost always. <S> Nitrogen is less reactive than oxygen, so your tubes will last a little longer. <S> But since tubes normally fail due to punctures rather than oxygen embrittlement it's going to be tricky to measure. <S> Note that the nitrogen in a bicycle tube will not be in contact with the rim, so the silly motorist argument about less rim corrosion doesn't apply to bicycles at all. <S> In compensation bicycles get a much simpler change-over: just deflate the tube, squeeze all the air out of it, then inflate it with nitrogen. <S> No need for repeated inflate-purge cycles. <S> But remember that the difference is only in the 20% of the molecules that you've changed from "other" to nitrogen, 80% are nitrogen in both cases. <S> Also, due to the difference in percolation rates, over time the air in your tyres will slowly become more nitrogen-rich (the other gases percolate out faster than the nitrogen). <S> If you get no punctures, after a few years your tyre might contain over 80% nitrogen! <A> Absolutely none. <S> Filling tyres with nitrogen matters in Formula One car, not in bicycle. <S> In bicycle, difference between air and nitrogen filled tyres is hardly measurable. <S> All advantages of nitrogen in bicycle tyres are no more than placebo. <A> The biggest advantage to filling your tires with Nitrogen is consistency . <S> Air pressure fluctuates based on temperature, whereas Nitrogen fluctuates to a much much lower degree. <S> http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/repair-questions/4302788 <S> While this article is talking about car tires, the principle is the same. <S> People who ride competitively can have an advantage with Nitrogen simply because the pressure is always where they want it. <A> On the morning of triathlon competition, when sun comes up and air became hotter, you'll hear blowing tire every several minutes over racks with couple thousand bikes. <S> So, if you don't want surprise in the race day, you can use dry nitrogen or even dry air for tires. <S> Last year my tire blew up on the hot intersection on red light also. <S> I don't think if there any performance advantage using it.
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Also, if you ride your bike a lot in many different weather conditions, Nitrogen can save you money in the long run since your tires wear slower (assuming you always keep the tires at the ideal pressure).
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Is it harmful for a hydraulic brakes bike to be put upside down I have heard that bikes with hydraulic brakes should not be left upside down. If they are, 15 minutes should be allowed before the bike is used. Is there any truth in this? What process could be happening? I am asking this because I sometimes leave my bike upside-down overnight, to remove any water from inside the frame. Today I noticed some oil on the inside of the lever of my BR-M445L. <Q> There are two risks to turning your hydraulic brakes upside-down. <S> The brake system isn't filled to overflowing with hydraulic fluid: there's likely to be a small air bubble. <S> Normally, this sits at the highest point of the system: the oil reservoir at the brake lever. <S> There, it's not compressed by the piston when you brake, so it can't interfere with braking. <S> If you up-end your bike, air bubbles might travel through the system to the brake pads. <S> If they don't manage to make it back up to the reservoir before you want to brake, you might find your brakes are squishier than usual. <S> The other potential problem is if the seals in the oil reservoir aren't quite tight. <S> You might not notice in normal use, because they're at the top, but when they're at the bottom of the system, the pressure might let some brake fluid seep out. <S> If you notice this happening, stop turning your bike upside-down, and make sure to check that you still have enough fluid to brake properly. <S> If it keeps happening after you've re-tightened the seal, you may need to change the rubber grommet(s). <S> Often rubber seals are dissolved over time by the oil, and stop doing their job properly. <S> As others have said in the comments, you'd be better off avoiding the need to turn your bike upside-down. <S> Find where the water is getting into the frame and seal any gaps. <S> Some bikes already come with holes in the bottom in case they need to drain, and you might consider adding your own. <A> Only if the brakes have been poorly bled or maintained, in which case you can run into the problems that Dan pointed out. <S> If everything is as it should be, it should not cause any problems. <S> Air in the system is never a good thing. <A> In Dorenaz (CH), to go to the top of the mountain you must take a cable car for 5 min and the bike is upside down ... <S> and then you ride a downhill trail where you need to brake really hard sometimes ... <S> but I never have had a problem. <S> Why? <S> Because if you have bled your brakes well when you service them there should be no air in the system :)
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If your brakes become squishy then they need to be bled. 15 minutes is perhaps a pessimistic estimate, and it's not that much of a risk unless you get on your bike and right away need to brake very hard.
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How are the wheels spokes laced in the bikes you buy at shops? Is there a machine that does the lacing or does it have to be manual work?And in the first case, what does it look like and how does it work? <Q> So in summary. <S> New bike - wheel was most likeley build by machine. <S> Repairs - wheel was almsot certainley built by hand. <S> As @arne said. <S> You can search youtube for "cycle wheel building machine" <A> If you buy your wheel from a bike shop and they lace it up for you, it's almost certainly laced by hand as the cost and calibration of the machines are not practical for one-off wheelsets. <S> This is the preferred method and you arguably get a better wheel. <S> Most less expensive wheelsets that are ordered from distributors are machine built, although that is not always the case. <S> For instance, J&B Importers is a wholesaler that has a large selection of inexpensive wheelsets, most of which are purportedly hand laced. <S> On the flipside, nearly all more expensive wheelsets are going to be built by hand, and while I'm sure that somewhere out there a nice/expensive pair of machine built wheels exists, I don't personally know of any examples. <A> its wheel building machines in action https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu7WXwdDxbGO39vre3_xLTw
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Manufacturers will use machines to build the wheels, however on top end bikes the manufacturer will build the wheels by hand (a skilled wheel builder's work is considered better than that of a machine).Your LBS will unlikeley have a machine to build wheels and this will be done by hand.
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How to ride under obstacles Commuting by an MTB, there is a trail at the local park, that is partially blocked by a tree. It has fallen over the trail, forming a triangle with the living trees on the sides. The highest point is maybe 10cm higher than my saddle height. How can I ride under the tree (at speed), without dismounting? My best try has been tilting the bike severely to the side, and crouching onto the outside pedal. Still, I hit my backpack and fell. Other attempts have been even more miserable. What is the correct technique? <Q> 10 cm from the saddle would be possible if you are talking about XC saddle height and the handlebars are lower than the seat. <S> One way is to do this: <S> Another way is to bend and go very deep: <S> knees bend pointing outside hands totally straight to the bars so your body moves backwards back <S> totally straight position your body <S> so the saddle goes exactly between your head and your left or right bicep (whatever works best for you) look ahead <A> I totally agree with cherouvim's answer, but I want to add another couple possibilities: Trials Style - <S> If the base of the tree is near to the trail or any part of the tree is a little lower, you can try to treat it like a trials obstacle and get your front wheel up on it, then push off and raise the rear wheel up. <S> This is pretty advanced, but it's an option. <S> Once on the other side, turn back into the trail and keep pedaling. <S> Again, not the easiest maneuver, but doable. <S> Other than that <A> If you are sure that your backback caused the problem remove it. <S> You can always try more you know. <S> I do not think there is a better way to do such thing. <S> Try lowering the saddle?
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Drift/Dab - While generally not recommended on most trails and dirt types, you could try turning the bike sideways (with the bike towards the tree), hanging your far foot out (away from the tree) and sliding under it. , I strongly recommend alerting whatever trail maintenance person/body is responsible to have the tree removed.
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Down tube and seat stay I've noticed that in a lot of bikes (though certainly not all), the seat stay and the down tube are parallel or nearly so. Is there any structural reason why a manufacturer might make that choice or is it a more or less arbitrary choice? <Q> The two are not directly related. <S> On a conventional diamond frame the downtube angle is dependent on the length of the top tube and seat tube, and, of course, the seat tube angle. <S> The length of the seat stay is dependent on the seat tube length and angle, and the length of the chain stay. <S> Obviously, the two "share" the seat tube length and angle (which is related in part to the overall bike "size"), but the length of the top tube is determined by the desired "reach" of the bike, while the length of the chain stay is determined by the desired overall wheelbase (longer for road bikes, eg), and the wheel size and desired clearance (eg, for fenders) between wheel and seat tube. <S> If you look at Google images for bikes you will see a wide variation in relative angles. <S> Usually the seat stay is at a steeper angle than the downtube. <A> While I'm not a frame builder or any type of engineer, I can point a couple reasons: <S> Geometry : <S> The seat stay angle is directly related to the length of the chain stays, which play an important role in the "feel" of a bike. <S> Also the chain stay length changes proportionately with the down tube as the bike size changes; therefore, all frame sizes will retain roughly the same shape. <S> Aesthetics : Parallel lines are held to be more visually appealing. <S> Look an any example of classic architecture or engineering and you'll see the lines. <A> (Though the usefulness of my answer depends a bit on my interpretation of your phrase "nearly so.") <S> I think the similar angles of the tubes you mention has most to do with the strength of triangles and the design of the classic and ubiquitous "diamond" bike frame design which utilizes those triangles such that they accommodate the wheel size that is currently popular in a structurally sound configuration. <S> The diamond frame also has some economy of materials - aiming to draw straight lines from point to point, creating those triangles efficiently. <S> There is novelty and utility in other designs (step-through frames, folding bikes) but there are trade-offs and considerations that prevents the geometry choices from being arbitrary.
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I'm sure there's also some structural reasons about balancing forces and stresses on nthe bike (which probably explains why the seat stays usually meet the seat tube around the same spot as the top tube). Yes, I'd say there are structural reasons for those lines being roughly parallel and it is not arbitrary.
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Can I pedal my bicycle backwards to move it backwards? Is there any changes I could do to my cycle so that I can make it move backwards?Just a question out of eagerness. <Q> To sum up all the comment answers, which provide you with a wealth of options: <S> The backwards bike Retro-direct gearing <S> The Tri Via gearing system <S> Some parts of these look rather easy to fabricate such as the idler arms or connecting two forks together. <S> The rear hub is going to be the most difficult part since you have to build two sets of engagement together and fit it in the space of a regular hub. <A> A British gentleman by the name of Drew Buck actually rode the 2007 Paris-Brest-Paris (a mere 770 miles (approx.) <S> in 90 hours) on a 2-speed 1913 Hirondelle, with a low gear engaged by pedalling backwards in the Retro-Direct style. <S> Links to articles on the ride are here , which has a diagram explaining how the gearing works, and here , which is a link to a BBC article on the ride. <A> There's a nice article by Kent Peterson on a retro-direct bicycle <A> You can watch it here on 0:35 and on 1:05 <A> There are several questions about fixed gear conversions, here's a starting point: Planning on building a fixed-gear/single-speed from an old Schwinn World. <S> What new parts will I need?
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Just to actually answer the question, even though it's not as interesting as some of the comments: yes, you can probably convert your bike to a fixed gear, and then if you can learn to steer backwards and not fall over, you will be able to pedal it backwards.
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Does tire pressure matter when the bicycle is in the trainer? I keep my bicycle on a trainer in a 'cool' room during the winter months. The tires don't seem to maintain pressure after days of non use. Does this matter, and should I be checking/filling the tires often? What pressure would be recommended? <Q> Like car tires, bike tires can lose some pressure at colder temps (see: Why do tires "lose" air during the winter? ) <S> although I'd be surprised if your 'cool' room is cold enough for this to be a significant factor. <S> More likely, you are just seeing the normal slow loss of air pressure that bike tires experience all the time. <S> Since your trainer is a relatively "controlled" environment compared to a road, tire pressure is of less importance than it is on the road. <S> If your tire is under-inflated you really don't need to worry about a pinch flat or the tire coming off the rim as you corner. <S> Conversely, if it's a little over-inflated, you won't suffer bone jarring bumps or benefit from lower rolling resistance. <S> At worst, I think you might experience some accelerated tire wear. <S> Of course, my trainer seems to eat tires no matter what pressure I run my tires at... <S> Sheldon Brown has a nice write-up about Tire Width and Pressure which you might find interesting even though it doesn't specifically discuss tire pressure when using a trainer. <S> Edit : <S> I overlooked the <S> What pressure would be recommended? <S> part of the original question... <S> To me, the answer to this depends on what tires you are using. <S> My current tires have a maximum pressure of 120psi <S> and I run them at around 100-110psi. <S> In the summer I check my tires and re-inflate before every ride due to the various reasons I've listed above. <S> In the winter, I only check the tires occasionally as there is minimal drawback to riding a trainer with under-inflated tires. <A> While the other answers talk about using your current tires for use on a trainer, I'll take a bit of a different route. <S> Tire manufacturers make special tires for specifically trainer use, such as the Continental Hometrainer (plenty of other manufacturers make similar ones, but the pricing locally for this one isn't bad - they typically run 25-35 dollars each if you shop around). <S> These prevent you from wearing out your road tires prematurely (especially since only your rear tire wears on a trainer), are quieter and are more durable on trainers than most road tires (but are NOT suitable for off trainer use). <S> See the link from Sheldon Brown in the other answers. <S> I'd recommend buying a tire designed for trainer use, putting it on the rear, running it for the winter months, then swap it out for the usual tire when spring comes along. <S> This should reduce your tire expenses over a few seasons. <A> I would recommend the normal tire pressure, because lower pressure cause unneeded vibrations, noise, tire slips over the trainer, tire excessive wear, and also different resistance if you using speedometer as a powermeter. <A> Interestingly my road tyre has a small imperfection (possibly from being sat on the trainer in the cold?) <S> that manifests itself as a vibration at 17mph- <S> > causing a significant 'wall'. <S> I could see the roller (Kurt Kinetic) vibrating. <S> I played around, first checking the trueness of the rim and then reseating the tyre (tread is near perfect as it's that new), but then I found that dropping the PSI from 100 down to 85 and slightly tightening the roller made a significant difference - a bit less PSI <S> and it got better still. <S> I guess that the tyre is now deforming more readily and causing the roller to move in/out less. <S> I do have a spare wheel (needs a bit of a rebuild) and I'm tempted to go for a trainer tyre myself.
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You can run them up to the pressures suggested by the manufacturer on the sidewall or how much your rim can bear or possibly a bit more (though these are not necessarily optimal - play with them) - since there are no bumps or terrain on a trainer, you don't need to worry about overly bouncy tires or pinch flats or other hazards.
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Lighter bike slower than a heavier bike, possible reasons? I have access to two mountain bikes, a lighter one (lapierre) and a Giant. The maintenance I do to both is really similar, just tires and oiling the chain every few weeks. I always though that the lapierre was harder to ride but the other day I did an actual test. Before I set off I checked the tires and oiled the chain and did the same distance, at the same time and similar weather and the lapierre was much more work and did a slower top speed and average speed, can anyone suggest any reasons for this and how can I fix it? I took a bunch of pictures of both bikes first the slower Lapierre then the two bikes and then the giant here http://imgur.com/a/G1MST#7 Tyre pressure is for both bikes on the 30s I think tyre size is 26" (not sure) tho, as you can probably see from the pictures, they are the same size Edit: very similar tires (if anything the giant has more grip), suspension exists and set to as stiff as possible on both (the test was performed on road), As for different gearing I have no idea how to check rider position feels very similarWill take pics today and these tests are done on roads (ie while commuting) My measurement was done using strava but also I felt it was harder to ride and thought I might have been slower Cheers <Q> Unless you're averaging many rides over time on each of those bikes, thing like wind, clothing, what you ate, etc, can all play in to the time you post to Strava. <A> it might be the tire tread, the lapierre tire seems to be knobbier in the section which contacts the road, while the giant has a fairly constant height section which is used when going straight. :) <A> There's a lot of possible explanations for why one might be quicker than the other. <S> One factor is: you, for a whole range of potential reasons, <S> Maybe you pedalled harder (e.g because of fatigue)? <S> A power meter on each bike would help isolate this, but.. a bit expensive (unless you could, say, borrow a Stages or Polar power-meter from a friend for the day?) <S> Maybe you could are comfortable one one bike (e.g better fit, or just more familiar with the handling of one bike) <S> If you believe one bike is faster than the other, you may subconsciously ride it faster - these sort of issues come up in scientific studies all the time (e.g observer bias , the placebo effect ) <S> Another factor is how you compared the bikes: <S> A single run over the same course is unlikely to give meaningful results. <S> It would be useful to ride the course several times on each bike - the more times the better. <S> If you are calculating speed from GPS, any positional error will skew the average speed. <S> In addition to the wheel related differences (rolling resistance via tread, pressure etc), there's countless other mechanical reasons one bike might just be faster.. <S> I guess the main thing is to consider all the places where friction could occur. <S> E.g unlikely <S> but maybe the brakes are rubbing a bit on one bike? <S> Or maybe the wheel-hubs or bottom-bracket are a bit gummed up? <S> Maybe one chain is more worn and in need of lubrication? <S> etc etc
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The variation of a single bike is an important factor - e.g if bikeB was slower, but GPS isn't perfect. If you're measuring via Strava, keep in mind there are a lot of factors that can play into your time.
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Any issues with wearing leg warmers over tights? I want to add a layer over my bike tights for warmth. Leg or knee warmers seem like a nice versatile option. I am just wondering if there is any issue with wearing these over tights as opposed to over bare skin with shorts. <Q> I've worn my knee warmers under my tights, it worked well to keep me warm and they stayed in place well. <S> However, the tights were the kind that went over top of my standard bib shorts, not the kind of tights with integrated chamois. <S> If you want to try and wear them over your tights, you might need to get a larger size kneee warmer, depending on the thickness of our tights. <S> You might also have trouble with them staying put, since they tend to be held up partially by the bottom of your cycling shorts. <A> I do this. <S> It works well enough. <S> Warmers do tend to slip a bit over the knees, but honestly they do anyway. <S> Go for it. <A> The only thing that I could expect to be different may be that the rubber like band that is included in their ends to prevent them from slipping might work not so well on your tights than on skin. <S> But this surely will depend on the materials involved, so just give it a try. <S> Everything else should not change, besides the fact, that you have two layers of fabric, i.e. more isolation, less heat transport, a bit less breatheability... <S> but that is the reason why you want to wear two layers, right? <A> I'm surprised no one's mentioned slipperiness. <S> I wear an elastic knee brace because my knees are the first thing to complain on a long ride. <S> I wear the brace over my tights for comfort. <S> The repeated action of pedaling slowly works them down, so after a couple of hours the brace is around the top of the calf muscle and my knee is complaining. <S> So your warmers might slip down easier, which is good if you're pushing them down intentionally. <A> They might feel too tight, possibly giving the slightest resistance against pedaling.
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Personally, If it's colder than my comfort zone with just tights, I'll usually wear a pair of stretchy synthetic knickers on warmer days (like chrome telegraph knickers) or some breathable shell pants (north face resolve) on colder days over top of my tights to help kill the wind and retain more heat.
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'Best' Gear inch to start with on a fixed gear? Moderatley hilly area For a starting fixie rider, what is there a 'best' Gear inch to start with? Moderatley hilly area. <Q> Then change your rear cog by one tooth at a time till you figure out what works for you. <S> I would stay within 65 to 75 gear inches for most on-road riding. <S> You could get away with 75+ gear inches if you lived In a flat area or were just a beast of a masher. <S> The problem with fixed gears in hilly areas is that you'll have to spin very quickly when going downhill. <S> Keep that chain tight and your momentum will help on the climbs. <S> Also, consider the skid patches with your setup. <S> You don't want to have a setup with only 2 skid patches and wear down your tires too quickly. <S> http://www.Bikecalc.com <S> has a good gear inch and skid patch calculator to help figure it out. <A> There's no one answer: do you prefer to spin the cadence higher or grind out with a big gear? <S> Are your hills sprintable? <S> When you switch to fixed you'll not only have to deal with working hard up the hill, but descents can be tricky as gravity tries to push the cadence up higher than your legs are used to taking it. <S> Pay special attention to which gear you're in and then try to do a whole journey without changing. <S> After a few experiments you'll have got a good feel for your situation. <S> You can also run a rear wheel with different cogs to allow for a change of heart - many people run with a slightly easier cog on one side for winter, the other side being slightly harder for the better weather months. <S> (I do that, but then generally tend to forget to change and stick with the harder one (48x16, ~80 gear inches) the year around ...) <A> I prefer something between 65-70 on my 700x23 with 175's. <S> Running a 67.11 right now. <S> This is a hilly area <S> and I tend spin higher cadence on big cranks. <S> Yes, it is a challenge downhill, but too many inches and <S> the uphills aren't fun either. <S> When we do a group fixie ride <S> I will sometimes unclip and put my feet on the high end of the downtube to let the cranks run out on a hill... <S> and yes, I have brakes. <A> I have 52x16 on my bike and it works great <S> but apparently it's about 85 gear inches <S> so I don't really agree with your statement that sticking to 65-75 is best. <S> I don't have any brakes either but skidding is possible, with and without straps. <S> I'm going to test out how 52x14 works <S> , that's about 97 gear inches. <S> I didn't find anything on the internet about the everyday usability of gears as high as that so if anyone would like to hear about it just ask.
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I prefer to ride slightly higher (about 74 gear inches) since I live in a hilly area and want to be safer when spinning on decents. I'd start with a 70 gear inch ratio for a while and adjust from there. It may take a few weeks to get used to riding fixed, but your legs will adjust quickly, so don't be too hasty to switch things up. I would suggest that you use a geared bike and experiment with which seem to be the best compromise gears for all of your likely scenarios.
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Is this a puncture protection thing? I got a vintage bike to commute with (I wanted a heavy one for the exercise) and I was hoping for a flat so I would have an excuse to spend money on a puncture resistant street tire to replace the knobby tire. After more than a year of hoping for a flat, I got one. While inspecting it I noticed I had two small pieces of glass in the knobs, but the flat turned out to be on the valve neck. Also, when I took the old tube out, it had what I guess is a Kevlar layer protecting it. I'm not really sure what it is; it is just a brown layer on top of the tube. It is "glued" to the tube thanks to the amount of time they were together, but it peels off easily. Also, you can see the flat where the valve meets the tube on last pic. If it is a puncture protection, I must say it was doing a very good job. And I will probably buy regular cheap slick tires and reuse that and be happy with not wasting expensive material every time the rubber wears out. In fact I will continue wondering why tire manufacturers even insert that layer on the tires at all! Unless someone with more knowledge here has an argument against that layer and in favor of modern puncture resistant tires. <Q> That is a tire liner. <S> I think <S> http://sheldonbrown.com/flats.html is good reading on the topic of liners / flats in general <S> - in particular, he generally doesn't recommend them (and I don't either). <S> He also claims that if they're improperly installed, they can increase the frequency of flats. <S> If you are prone to flats and you've eliminated improper installation, maintenance and riding (pinching the tube, improper inflation, bad rim tape, going down curbs the wrong way, etc.) <S> - by this, I mean the environment forces the flats (such as certain types of thorns, etc.), you may want to invest in a tire with additional puncture protection (like the Bontrager hard-case tires) which eliminates the improper installation issue or thornproof tubes (these are thicker tubes, so thorns only go in partway, and you can pluck them out of the tires), but these all add unnecessary weight (and a bit of expense, and often some more noise) for most people (i.e. people who live outside areas such road hazards exist in reasonable frequency). <S> Otherwise, just get a normal tire and tube and maintain it properly (install rim tape properly, inflate properly). <S> And you should always have a patch kit on hand anyway ( <S> and/or a way to get home). <S> There are also products like Slime - a sealant that goes in your tube and is supposed to patch up punctures. <S> Some mountain bikers swear by it <S> , I think it just causes a mess. <A> Apparently those are "Stop Flat Liners"... and the consensus at bikeforums is that they work well (as i inadvertently learned) <S> Think i will keep them and get cheap sleeks. <S> may also get a pair for the other bike. <A> Your options to prevent/reduce flats are: Solid rubber tires. <S> Heavy and very hard riding. <S> Belted tires. <S> These contain a Kevlar belt under the tread. <S> Pretty good puncture resistance, without seriously affecting flexibility and rolling resistance. <S> Tires with a slab of hard rubber under the tread (tires that advertise "puncture resistant" without claiming a belt). <S> Supposedly good puncture resistance but heavier and not as flexible. <S> Extra-thick "thorn resistant" tubes. <S> The outside diameter of the tube is about 4x thicker than the rest, providing pretty good puncture resistance. <S> "Slime". <S> A liquid rubber-like compound injected into the tube (or present in a tube as purchased) which claims to seal small leaks. <S> Tire liners. <S> In addition to the purchased ones it's not unheard of people to fashion them out of an old tire, cut down and with the tread ground off, or some other (vaguely) suitable material. <S> No doubt something else I missed. <S> (I've no experience with tubeless bike tires.) <S> I've had good luck with the Kevlar-belted tires.
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In addition, many claim that tubeless tires are more puncture-resistant, but this may be because they're often loaded with a Slime-like sealant.
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Discouraging motorists from stopping at an intersection when they have the right-of-way Where I live, bicycles are widely accepted in traffic; motorists are on balance considerate and careful around us. But on an almost daily basis, I run into motorists who are too "polite" at intersections. They stop and try to wave me through when I have no right to be in the intersection and, in some cases, when it would actually be dangerous for me to enter. Two examples come up most frequently: At a four-way side street intersection, where I am at a stop sign and the motorist has no sign or signal of any kind. Usually the only vehicles visible are myself and the car. I usually try to wave them through instead, and give them a friendly "thank you, anyways" wave and a smile. Crossing a busy three-lane one-way road, where I have a stop sign and am not moving, feet on the ground. Motorists in the lane closest to me like to stop -- with traffic now stopping behind them and streaming along beside -- and try to wave me past. Here I often pretend to not be paying attention, but usually have to resort to a vigorous "keep on going" wave, with the same "thanks" as they eventually give up. I run into other configurations as well, * but the core issue remains the same: it's far easier, and often much safer, for them to just continue and allow me to move through the intersection after them. † When I'm stopped and the car is moving, it will be out of my way a lot faster than I can get moving and past. I really do appreciate their consideration, but in the broader picture, I'd prefer they just continue in their right of way as if I were another motorist. Ignoring the stopped car has only mixed results. Are there any other tactics I can employ to indicate that I'm perfectly happy waiting, and keep these well-intentioned people from stopping in the first place , moving on their way and out of mine? * One that causes genuine confusion is dual-purpose marked crossings, where the same sign indicates the presence of bikes and pedestrians. The latter should be yielded to here. † In some cases I think they're even committing traffic violations. <Q> This is not strictly a bicycling issue. <S> Do-gooders who ignore the rules and want to give the right of way all the time are also irritating to other drivers. <S> They are not necessarily safer drivers, because "scared" is not exactly the same thing as "safe". <S> There isn't anything you can do; just take cautious advantage of the right of way and keep going. <S> The most aggravating of the lot are those who act as enablers aggressive drivers, like those who cut in to get ahead of dozens of cars in a traffic jam. <S> It's not really appropriate to enter into anecdotes, but I'm compelled to give one anyway. <S> Once (while driving, not cycling), I stopped at a stop sign in the middle of a residential neighborhood (properly, I might add; a full stop behind the painted line). <S> Another driver was going cross-wise, not herself facing any stop sign and thus having the right of way. <S> This driver stopped, motioning me to proceed. <S> I shook my head and pointed at the stop sign to indicate that I'm simply following the rules and expect everyone to do the same. <S> She simply refused to budge, so I turned off my engine and engaged the parking brake. <S> I cannot remember who first yielded (or should we say, "unyielded", if you will), but I do remember that minutes passed. <S> I remained calm and maintained an amused smile while she appeared to become angry. <S> Some of these do-gooders are, evidently, quite vehement about pushing their viewpoint that the rules of the road are not entirely satisfactory and should entirely be ignored in their entirety (and perhaps not even known at all) in favor of some inefficient ad-hoc social protocol. <S> In my experience as a driver with several hundred thousand km under my belt, you better just do what they want you to do, otherwise minutes will be wasted like in the above social experiment that I don't care to repeat. <S> However, make eye contact with a driver before jumping in front of their car, and do not waffle; if you're given the right away, take it swiftly. <A> Two suggestions Stop further back from the intersection. <S> This helps by not making you look to be in a hurry to cross, and that it will take you longer to take advantage of their "help". <S> It has the disadvantage that you can't see the traffic as well, and cars that stop closer to the cross road can block your view. <S> Choose a route that doesn't have such dangers. <S> I think the approach you're taking is good already though. <A> While the "wave" is the accepted an polite form of denying their kindness, I have found it ineffective. <S> Part of the problem is that it is a passive, kind gesture similar to what they are doing. <S> It leads to the ridiculous "no you first, please" situation and then the awkward simultaneous starts. <S> Don't do this. <S> YOU ARE A CYCLIST <S> AND YOU KNOW THE RULES. <S> Take charge, be your own traffic cop. <S> Firmly, but politely point at the driver, then point in the direction they are indicating for travel. <S> I have found that this works 95% of the time, the motorist will obey and you can go on about your way without all that "who is more polite" awkwardness and delay. <A> It may be that these drivers have become accustomed to cyclists (and perhaps pedestrians) who cross without right of way and are wary that you might do the same. <S> I think you're doing the right thing by waiting and politely waving them on. <S> This and educating casual cyclists about the rules of the road might slowly improve the situation. <S> If you wish to discourage them from waiting then stronger gestures might be: Looking down at a map or phone. <S> Actually getting off your bike and standing next to it. <S> However, both of these mean it takes you longer to get going again, so you might miss the gap in the traffic you're waiting for. <A> It may be worth bringing up the problem with the local government. <S> If you can see a way to rework the intersection to avoid those problems, and they are inexpensive (usually a bike-bridge is going to be way over budget), there is a good chance you can get something done about it. <S> I have seen intersections in my town reworked to improve safety. <S> I was not involved, but from what I understand the trail users (cyclists and pedestrians) and the road users were considered. <S> I can attest that the situation was much improved. <S> We have all altered our bike routes to avoid dangerous bits, we just are used to the cars being too aggressive instead of too nice. <A> Similar things happen to me also when I walk. <S> I just make eye contact, thank <S> and and wave them to proceed. <S> Even before they came to full stop. <S> Usually they pass faster than me, and I can start moving to cross when it is safe with minimal delay.
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In the mean time, since explaining the situation rationally to every driver that makes this error (good-intentioned as it may be) is likely impractical, you may want to consider avoiding the situation in the first place if at all possible.
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Suggestions for winter cycling glasses? I'm looking to get another pair of glasses for winter commuting. I currently use simple ski googles with my snowboard helmet...the problem is they are tinted. Since it's quite dark for the return, i would like to find some clear googles. Also, the temperature is around -15 to -30 degree celsius...I need something to prevent my eyes from crying and freezing or the other way around ;) any suggestion? <Q> Look for downhill MTB goggles. <S> These will be made to fit with a standard bike helmet and will have sticky plastic on the straps so that they will stay in place on your helmet. <S> I rode with a pair last winter and was very happy with them. <S> Kept my eyes warm and didn't fog even under heavy riding. <S> Many also come standard with clear lens so visibility won't be an issue. <S> Link <S> - Note <S> these arn't the pair I have - just did a quick search and posted the first pair I found. <S> I am not endorsing these goggles or the company selling them. <A> You should augment them with a helmet mounted mirror. <S> These work well with balaclavas (which are nice in the winter, depending on where you live). <S> Regular old clear safety glasses like you use in high school chemistry such as the 3M 91252-80025T are another good option especially if you wear glasses. <S> They don't impair your peripheral vision, but they do leave an imprint under your eyes due to the band tension. <S> Sometimes you have problems with the nose area if you're wearing a balaclava. <S> There are a bit more stylish ones like the Uvex Ignite series, but those don't work well for people who wear glasses (You may want something bigger than these in area as well, but in the same style). <S> These are similar in style to the cycling glasses Fox and other companies sell, but cost a fraction of the price. <S> I've found in general safety glasses to fog less than ski goggles at the tradeoff of slightly less isolation. <S> At -30C, I'd probably be inclined to use the ski goggles, especially if there was significant wind. <S> You may also want to consider a full face cycling helmet with visor but these have the most severe peripheral vision penalties and you may get hot. <S> Mirrors are a must with this. <S> Note that you may want tinted lenses at times as well as clear lenses due to the same reasons as skiers (glare, etc.). <S> As for fogging, you can try things like cat crap, depending your lens material. <A> I use regular "safety" glasses for my clear riding pair (anytime it isn't sunny): <S> They work really well since they cover a large area and keep the wind out of my eyes. <S> Great for myself with my contacts. <S> The only downside I have with these are that they will fog up when I'm sitting still, but moving clears them off. <S> If it is at a light, not enough to be a problem, but a longer break might be a concern. <S> I don't wear a baklava, but I do wear a toboggan hat and helmet, but still no interference. <S> Best part is that they tend to be cheap. <S> I bought these for less than 5 bucks at a local fair. <A> Sorry, I only discovered this great site and i am very late for answering that, but here are my thoughts if anybody comes across that question. <S> I had the exact problem described here. <S> Did you ever ask yourself why often the tint of a skiing goggle will not be only a shade of grey but color? <S> That is not just a matter of fashion but very important. <S> Goggles with greyscale tint will reduce vision dramatically at night. <S> The right color hue will almost not affect your vision when it gets dark. <S> Good goggles have a tint similar to orange. <S> Get one of those. <S> They are almost as good as clear ones. <S> I know it is hard to believe, I was amazed when I found out by chance. <A> When it's really cold and especially blustery and blowing snow <S> I throw on a pair of Spoggles. <S> They come in clear and most tint and mirrored lenses. <S> They are our company standard for safety glasses on site <S> so I have a ready supply. <S> Great for commuting as they have a vented foam inner ring for each eye socket. <S> Bolle and Uvex also make their versions. <S> Although they are safety glasses they fit like sport specific shades. <S> Some are definitely more stylish if that's part of your selection criteria. <S> I work in an industrial area and commute 30km daily in traffic mixed with cars to transports, heavy equipment and gravel trucks. <S> These Spoggles do a fantastic job of keeping debris out of my eyes offer great visibility and end up being a great alternative to a ski goggle for winter riding.
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Ski goggles are a good option, but the main problem with ski goggles is that they block your peripheral vision, even if you have clear lenses.
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Would learning to ride a unicycle boost biking skills? Unicycles are not particularly expensive, seem to be light and portable, also fun. This gets me wondering if spending a couple of months to learn riding such a thing would boost a mountain biker's coordination, balance, timing, reaction, fall handling, etc. Or would just riding the intended type of trails be more educational? EDIT: To clarify, I am sure that doing something is the best way to get good at it. However, I am also aware of the law of diminishing returns. That is, if one's idea is to be good at mtb, maybe after a lot of riding, they should consider other activities, hat are only somewhat beneficial in the same direction. <Q> Here's my contribution: There is one bicycling skill that improved a lot after I learned unicycling: Riding the bicycle with no hands. <S> Before unicycling I could ride the bike with no hands in a straight line and do wide turns. <S> After unicycling I was a lot more confident to go over obstacles and do narrow turns. <S> Now when riding some long distance biking, I often leave the handlebar for a while to straighten by back and relax. <S> Even in uneven or difficult tracks. <S> Apart form that, it contributes to your leg strength and general balance. <A> The following is a subjective argument based on my personal opinion. <S> I'm sure some people will disagree with me. <S> Here is my argument: <S> Riding a unicycle will improve your coordinate and balance, sure, and are great for those two things. <S> However, there are a myriad of of mountain bike skills that you're going to miss out on, such as: Navigation of terrain including off-camber turns roots, dips, climbing, accelerating, etc. <S> Important things like log-over technique, can only be learned on a mountain bike Cornering, counter-steering Maintenance of speed/conservation of energy. <S> When to brake, how much to brake, when to stop breaking Limitation of grip, learning how to ride a slide, etc. <S> If it were my money, I'd buy a unicycle and learn how to ride that too. <S> Who knows, maybe you're on to something! <A> Unicycling is such a niche thing that I doubt you're going to get much in the way of scientific results saying any improvement in riding skills, but I'll give it a shot. <S> Since there are such things as mountain unicycles, you can certainly improve your skills! <S> Balance, cornering, and trail sense (knowing what to do on what terrain) are common skills <S> no matter how you ride. <S> Things will be a little different in regards to bike handling, managing the front wheel, and jumps. <S> If you're looking to do it expressly to improve on your mountain bike skills, I would recommend sticking to the two-wheel variety. <S> Now, if you've got an arm injury or something like that, then it would be a good alternative to at least do something. <S> *Personal note: most folks think unicycling/cyclists look ridiculous and you will get laughed at more often than not (if not always to your face). <S> So if you can handle that too, then go for it! <A> spending a couple of months to learn riding such a thing ... <S> The average person can learn to ride it in just 4-16 hours . <S> It's a super fun and possibly mind expanding activity but <S> it didn't improve me as a bicycle rider (bmx or mtb).
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So while unicycle will improve your balance, actually mountain biking will improve your mountain biking. I would think that riding the intended type of trails on a mountain bike would make you better at mountain biking.
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Which rack top bag fits an 11" MacBook Air with space for a little padding? The goal is to carry a change of clothes and the MacBook Air (1.7 cm high, 29.95 cm wide, 19.2 cm deep and 1.06 kg) on a 14km commute. I've used Ortlieb panniers (on a Tubus rack) but I don't like the way my heels can hit them, they way they stick out on the sides or the way they add drag. Nicely made though! Also I don't want all the weight on one side and I don't want to carry two of them. A backpack is way too sweaty. The best rack top solution so far is a Rixen & Kaul Rackpack 1 mounted on a matching Rixen & Kaul Freerack (sorry, can't find a link for that one). A MacBook Air 11" (bare - no sleeve), a pair of jeans and a T-shirt are a tight fit. Other stuff goes in the side and it's workable. But I can see that it isn't a great solution because the laptop has to be placed in diagonally with the thin edge sticking up. Over time the sharp edge of the laptop is definitely going to wear through the bag, and any crash is going to cause a lot of damage to the laptop. I have also tried a Deuter 10l rack top pack - it is also too small, not quite as good as the Rixen & Kaul and the velcro attachment is much slower and less secure. I've got a lot of nice things to say about Rixen & Kaul. It is a very well made bag and when I had a problem with the clip they sorted it out right away. This bag is just a little bit too small to be perfect. The click fix system is great. I have thought of removing the click fix mount and assign it to some other bag but it's a last resort and chances are my home-made solution is not going to be as nice as the ideal bag I'm wanting. Update: I looked at the Topeak Office MTX and it isn't for me. Inside it has a big divider/pocket thing that takes a lot of space and can't be removed. It doesn't appear to be particularly sturdy, especially the attachment mechanism. Their beam rack product has a quick release fastener rather than bolts so anyone could just unclip and walk away with it. The rack is just not finished as well as the Tubus/Rixen-Kaul racks I already have, it feels chunky and heavy. The solution looks like it is the Ortlieb Office High Visibility QL3 - 30x40x17cm, 21l (unfortunately it's more expensive than the Topeak bag and rack system). While it is still side-mounted the QL3 system attaches to my existing rack so I can still use my current rack top bag with it's special mount when I don't need so much space. Position on the bike is widely adjustable so heel strike isn't an issue. It's rectangular so folded clothes will hopefully stay folded rather than falling down into the pointy bit of my older tapered Ortlieb panniers. It is waterproof without needing a rain cover. It's eerily reflective over its whole surface. <Q> Topeak has a laptop bag called an MTX Office Bag that attaches to the MTX racks and lays flat. <S> It is said to accept a 17" laptop so yours should fit in great and given how thin they are, you should have room for a change of clothes. <S> You might be able to use a padded sleeve. <S> I tried to put my older 15.6" Dell 131L in my Topeak DXP pannier <S> and it fit, but not much room for other things. <S> However, I recommend getting a padded sleeve, and with mine it would stick out an inch or two and really no room for anything else. <S> These bags are pretty good about keeping stuff dry on short commutes (30 min) unless it rains really heavy <S> (and then it was the bottoms of the pannier due to tire spray), but a large locking freezer bag will do the trick nicely. <A> I think a top bag for even a small laptop will be tricky - a shame really because the top section of the all-in-one touring pannier towers would be plenty big enough <S> so it's not impossible. <S> I use an Altura laptop pannier <S> set well back <S> (there's some adjustment). <S> I've got big feet (and a big bike) <S> and my heel doesn't hit it (platform pedals). <S> The cheap big pannier (something like £8 on ebay including postage) does get in the way of my other foot if I'm not very careful how I fit it. <S> Because this is meant for big laptops <S> my 11" netbook fits <S> sideways leaving lots of room for other stuff (a full change of clothes is easy, smart shoes rather more awkward to get in) <S> The rack is a topeak, and there's a little bit of tilt adjustment when you fit the rack to the bike, allowing you to gain another tiny bit of margin if you're worried <S> I went through a puddle that was almost up to my bb the other day,feet were wet, pannier contents dry. <A> I'm using Timbuk2 messenger bag for couple years now in DC area sweaty climate and very happy with it. <S> It built for last and have lot of special commuter features making it best commuter bug I can find for myself. <S> You can order custom colors and features also. <A> It was kinda life changing. <S> Suddenly my bike was well balanced and I felt more in control. <S> Until recently, I had been using an incredibly heavy System 76 laptop (6.8 lbs), so being able to center <S> that weight was probably a little more important to me than the average person. <S> Though it was a big laptop, but I could still fit in a change of clothes without much of a problem. <S> There's not a ton of extra room in the bag, so you may need extra bags if you have lots of stuff to carry. <S> I ended up getting some cheap small panniers so I could carry clothes, lunch and running gear if necessary. <S> I highly recommend you get the accompanying rack with the drop rails ( Super Tourist DX ) so that you can add panniers if you want. <S> Anyway, I was surprised to see some lukewarm responses to this bag in this thread. <S> It could be bigger, but <S> it's well made, very secure when mounted and makes for a way more comfortable, balanced ride than you get with panniers. <S> I've encouraged a couple of coworkers to get this bag and they've been happy with it as well.
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I changed from using a pretty nice laptop pannier to the Topeak Office bag about 2 years ago.
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How to nail clipping into race pedals without looking? I was persuaded to switch to race SPD-SL pedals after losing the old MTB pedals to theft (along with the bike!). They're one-sided, though, unlike the MTB pedals, and I find that coming off of a red light full stop, I either pop my down foot right into the pedal, or I miss and have to toe it across the intersection while trying to get the cleat in. It's too dangerous to look down and watch the pedal when this happens. Is there a strategy that makes this easier and more consistent (and therefore safer)? <Q> When I was first starting with my road pedals (Keos, but they're pretty similar) <S> I would push my shin against them after setting off to steady them before trying to clip in. <A> Take some time when you're not in traffic to have a look at the way the pedal hangs naturally, when you're unclipped. <S> In my case, my one-sided Shimano SPD-road pedals always hang cleat-side down. <S> This doesn't always work, but it's more reliable than guessing and stamping. <S> Take extra care in the rain as I find the (metal) non-cleat side of the pedal can be very slippery when wet. <S> I've learnt through painful experience that staying seated until cleated is best! <A> With one-sided road specific pedals there are a number of factors to nailing the one pedal stroke clip-in. <S> Depending on how the manufacture has weighted the pedal this differs from pedal-model to pedal model, so you will need to experiment. <S> (I personally use Time , which are weighted well, but have a pair of Shimano SPD road pedals on my commuter where the the weighting makes this more difficult). <S> Typically, most single sided road pedals will flip up (aka clip surface to the rear) when not engaged to a shoe. <S> The key is to spin the crank at a fast enough speed so that the clip-in surface presents its self at top of the pedal stroke. <S> At this point you have one chance to hit the clip-in target with your unclipped foot. <S> The force from the ensuing down stroke will engage the cleat. <S> Nailing the starting crank speed is easy to figure out with some experimentation and ensuring you start in a low enough gear. <S> Hitting the target needs to be become an automatic/learned response. <S> If you are thinking about it, it is not automatic and you will likely mess it up. <S> This takes a while to master, so I suggest practicing in low risk environments so you can relax and not over think it. <A> Practice is pretty much all you can do. <S> If you had regular SPD, they make two sided pedals, which solves some problems (this is probably what I'd use if I wasn't on Look [because I got the pedals for free...] <S> already), but this may require changing your shoes (or Shimano SM-SH40 like adapters) and will require new pedals. <S> I don't see the point in SPD-SL over SPD for most riders. <S> There are SPD+SPD-SL compatible shoes though, but typically these aren't good for walking in, so if you have to walk a decent amount in the shoes, switching to SPD may be a good idea. <S> In any case, you'll need to practice if you aren't used to clipless pedals. <S> Note that the adapters for 3 hole to 2 hole will make it harder to walk, so if you choose to switch to regular SPD with a 2 sided pedal (or a 1 side platform, 1 side SPD which is OK for transitional periods <S> but you do end up with the wrong side to some extent a decent amount of time). <S> Also, are you racing, or did you just buy race pedals? <S> If you're not racing, I don't see the point to owning the SPD-SL in the first place (much like owning a race bike for commuting). <A> When stopped, you'll tend to always put the same foot down and leave one clipped. <S> For me, I unclip my left foot. <S> And in preparation to take off, my right foot and pedal are just over the top of the pedal stroke to get the maximum push when I launch. <S> The catch, at least for me, is to get my left foot off the ground ASAP and get in contact with the pedal before the left pedal comes up over the top of the pedal stroke. <S> Up until that point, the heavier back end of the pedal should be hanging below and slightly behind the spindle. <S> And if you can get your foot up to the left pedal before the down-stroke, where the heavier back end of the pedal starts wanting to swing over the top, and around and around, it's just a matter of sliding your cleat over the spindle and down into clip position. <S> All of this obviously means gear choice is a big deal when stopping. <S> If you have it in too easy of a gear, there's no way you'll be able to get your foot off the ground onto the pedal before it's on the down-stroke. <S> On the other side, if you're in too hard of a gear, you may not get enough momentum with the first push to go anywhere. <A> If you're using LOOK Keo pedals or something similar <S> it's obviously down to practice, <S> but I also found this little tip useful: <S> Don't just push your foot down onto them, you have to slide it forward to engage the nose then press the back down. <S> The act of sliding forward also puts the pedals the right way up <S> so you don't try to engage them upside-down!
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If you spin the crank to slow at the start of the pedal stroke, the unclipped pedal may remain with the clip surface down making it impossible to clip-in. So to clip in without looking, I put my toe underneath and roll up from the back, staying in contact with the pedal the whole time. The best way is to practice, practice, practice! Do it enough times and it'll become second nature.
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Planting a foot when cornering: when and how? Recently I have noticed the following. When doing extremely tight turns e.g. 90 degree trail turn, I tend to: Get out of my high saddle, position in front of it and low over the top tube Stick the inside foot out, a couple of inches over the ground (easier on concrete, because it is smooth). I have always thought of cornering as a trade-off between speed and safety. So doing the above, I feel safer, and am thus able to pass at a little more than walking speed. One of two things can happen: Because my center of gravity is now lower, the bike is tilted, and virtually all my weight is on the outside pedal, I make the turn. Because I have entered the turn at too high speed, one or both tires begin slipping. I "fall" onto my foot, stepping firmly. As now all my weight is on the foot, I can "pick up" the bike and swing it around me in a crazy tight turn, then jump on it, while still moving. My questions: When is this appropriate technique and when would it be disaster? What is the correct procedure for executing a planned foot plant? Conclusion: After I tried this on the trail a couple of times, my opinion is that planting foot is very different on smooth pavement and in rough terrain. On smooth, but slippery pavement/ice, I can plant the foot momentarily, knowing that I will fall/slide out. The resulting acrobatic maneuver seems to increase the maximum possible speed in situations where no other technique would be appropriate. It's a pity that I don't have a picture of the place this thing is helping me. Basically, it is a part of my commute, and is a steep-ish ramp, with two 90 degree turns, which in winter is wet, snowy or icy. As I need to stay upright , this technique is pretty much all that can be done on those corners. On the other hand, planting a foot while going down the trail is radically different. This is because on smooth surface, on can put their foot out, parallel to the ground, and very close to it, so as to anticipate slide-off. On an off-road terrain this is not possible and dabbing seems to be confined to "free get out of jail" functionality when you realize the "oh shit!". Thanks Tyler Jandreau and Aaron ! <Q> While a "dab" isn't exactly the most graceful of techniques <S> it's useful to save yourself from a spill or wipeout. <S> What you need to ask yourself though is whether you leave a foot out because you're not sure what's going to happen when you turn or because you plan on going fast enough to slide around the turn. <S> Sometimes the slide is unexpected and should just quick plant a foot and move on. <S> On the other hand, you're going to get a bunch of trail builders and riders who say that any slide is unwarranted and damages the trail. <S> Generally this is true, but hardpack trails with dust on top or a little gravel are very easy to slide on and don't damage the trail at all. <S> Mud, loam, and other loose soils are more prone to being disturbed by excessive sliding. <S> As for the proper technique for a dab, it's very dependent on your riding style. <S> Here's a general breakdown of the timeline for a turn: <S> See the turn <S> : Look ahead and see a tight/loose corner. <S> Begin evaluating how you want to take it <S> (eg. <S> at speed, slow and upright, or sliding). <S> Begin the turn : <S> Keep your inside foot relatively light. <S> Back tire breaks loose : <S> Knowing when this will happen requires experience with your tires, so practice sliding in a parking lot or gravel road. <S> Plant foot <S> : Remove your inside foot and place it slightly ahead of where you currently are, in the direction your moving. <S> Push through the turn: Push a bit with the inside foot, kind of a cross between a kick and step. <S> This should keep your bike position or possibly move you a little more upright. <S> Re-engage and continue: Plant your foot back on the pedal and pedal out of the corner. <S> And that's more-or-less how it's done. <S> Watch a bunch of <S> Trail/AM/DH riders do it <S> and you'll get a sense of where in the turn you should expect a plant. <S> Last bit, as you get more confident riding push more speed into the corner. <S> You'll find that some spots where you previously needed to dab, you'll clear no problem due to the added force keeping your tires in place. <A> The inside foot is your "get out of jail free" card when it comes to the limit of traction. <S> You'll see a lot of racers do this when they're riding at the limit of their grip. <S> You can use the inside foot if the front of your bike starts sliding out to "prop yourself up". <S> If the rear starts sliding you can use the inside foot to push yourself back to put more weight over the rear tire. <S> This approach can be used <S> if the corner is really tight as well, which it seems like you're doing. <S> It's not the most efficient way to corner, but in mud/rain/gravel/snow you can actually ride faster with a foot dragging. <A> Just a quick suggestion. <S> I ride mtb and after I get back into the swing of riding I learn to push the bike ahead of me more. <S> This allows the bike to do more of the trail work. <S> If you dab you lose some of your flow.
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Lean the bike towards the inside of the turn, pushing your weight to the outside pedal. There are different styles of riding and some riders won't put to the limit of needing to dab. So the long and the short: use a foot whenever you need it.
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Do rubber bike pedals or rubber pedal covers exist? I'm in a position where bringing my bike into the apartment is my best option at the moment. However, it is possible for metal edges of the bike pedals to catch the wooden edges of doorways. To prevent damage, I'm looking for some sort of rubber bumper to put on the bike pedals, or else find bike pedals with rubberised outer surfaces to avoid damaging things they bump into. Has anyone found such pedals or bumpers? <Q> It's cheap, will fit into your pocket, and you can get it at any hardware store or plumbing supply shop. <S> You could also slide it onto your top, down, or seat tube for storage. <S> It looks like this: Choose the size based on the type of pedals you use. <S> Platform pedals will require a larger diameter and clipless pedals a smaller diameter. <S> You want it big enough <S> so you can easily slide it over the pedal but small enough that it stays put. <A> A lot of platform pedals are made of plastics which won't scratch things, like this one. <S> They're pretty much available everywhere for about 10 dollars, though a clear one will pretty much just transfer dirt if it hits. <S> You can also put some duct tape or electrical tape or something over the edges of the pedal (this should essentially be free). <S> Note that certain tapes may leave some residue if they do rub. <S> There are also slightly odd platform pedals which seem to be promising like the Ergon PC2 , though I haven't used one . <S> Another option is folding pedals, such as this one, by Sunlite (these are the cheapest ones available AFAIK, at around 20 dollars). <S> Typically, you push/pull some tabs, pull the pedal out a bit and can fold the pedal up. <S> These are often used for folding bicycles, and should essentially eliminate the problem (provided you buy a quality folding pedal, as if somethings going to go on the pedal, it will be the folding mechanism). <S> Yet another option is to use a small clipless pedal, such as the Crank Brothers Eggbeaters (the cheapest clipless pedals are around 50 dollars). <S> They're small but you'll need to get special shoes - <S> some SPD shoes (probably another 75 dollars or so) are okay for walking in. <S> Of course, if the platform is too big, it doesn't really cure the problem. <A> In short. <S> Yes they do. <S> Finding them may be hard. <S> See the end of this answer <A> You could try a few coats of plasti-dip on metal pedals. <S> If you degrease the metal properly before you apply it it sticks really well and provides a grippy rubbery plastic surface, much thicker than paint. <S> I've used it to stop metal clamps scratching campervan bodywork and improve grip. <S> It might even work on hard plastic pedals (which are harder than typical household paint or plaster). <A> I'm adding an answer of my own (but not accepting it), which is the method I'm using as a stop-gap measure in addition to Batman's duct tape. <S> I have cut out cardboard and glued and taped it into a rectangular shape just wide and high enough to slide over the pedal, with a 1 centimetre overhang. <S> A cardboard rectangular tube folds flat for stashing, similar to how Carey Gregory's foam tube can be stashed on the frame. <S> However, cardboard will not survive heavy rain. <S> Still, cardboard is readily available to me and does the job. <A> It will help to prevent / reduce the damages that your bicycle pedals can cause, when transporting or storing you bike. <S> I have even seen people use then when riding their bikes. <S> The material that it is made of is flexible with some shock absorbing properties. <S> They seem simply to use and can withstand a good deal of punishment; which make them durable. <S> For the purpose they serve and there durability, they are not expensive. <S> I first found them surfing the internet (pedalsock.com), since then I have seen them in use. <A> You can mail order good ol' fashioned rubber pedals: <S> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012TIUTG/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1535523722&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000V2RQ7W&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1SQX7R97MRKKDCE8Z77B Since they're Pyramid brand, American bike stores probably can order them too.
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A short length of foam pipe insulation should do the job. Other pedals have a bit of platform, which you may or may not like, such as the Crank Brothers Candy . There is a product called “Pedal Sock.”
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How to carry sunglasses, so that I can easily put them on or off? Has someone discovered a way to carry sunglasses, so that they can be put on or removed while riding? I have tried two approaches, and both have drawbacks. Carrying in a pouch, attached to the shoulder ring of the backpack results in scratched lens, because of the vibrations. Carrying in the chest pocket of a jacket is possible only when it is sufficiently cold to wear a jacket. My backpack is large and with a lot of options for hanging equipment on it, so maybe some kind of attachable box or external pocket? <Q> <A> Find a style of "Flip Up" sunglasses that appeals to you ( see link for examples ). <S> Then you just put on the sunglasses at the beginning of the ride and you can flip them up or down as needed. http://www.amazon.com/Old-School-Steampunk-Circle-Glasses-Sunglasses/dp/B005P1KY8M/ref=sr_1_3?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1390267751&sr=1-3&keywords=retro+flip+up+sunglasses <A> If you're riding in race kit, then you can use one of your jersey's rear pockets for this purpose. <S> Putting the sunglasses away is really easy, but when getting them out again it can be a little fiddly to open the arms with one hand, the first few times you do it. <S> You can even share the same pocket with something else, as long as it's not keys or a water bottle. <S> For race kit or light everyday clothes, you can hook one arm into the front of your T-shirt, shirt, jersey, jumper, etc. <S> like a tourist does when walking around. <S> You need to be confident of how stiff the arms are, but unless the sunglasses are wont to swing open on their own, it's perfectly safe. <S> I wouldn't recommend trying it on a heavy jacket with a zip front or metal buttons, mind. <S> This is probably not a useful suggestion for you, but some rucksacks have chest straps to keep them stable on the move: it's usually possible to stick one arm of the glasses vertically through part of this assembly, such as the loop where the fastening is attached. <S> If it's a snug fit, you can safely keep your glasses there even if the arm swings freely.
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If you are lucky/careful with your combination of sunglasses and helmet, you can store them quite securely in helmet's vents , which makes it easy to put them on/off with a single hand: (quite hard to find a decent picture of this, screen-capture is from the Vuelta a España 2013, stage 14)
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restoring the finish of an oxidized polished aluminum frame? In the context of restoring the finish of an oxidized once-polished aluminum finish, is there anything better (easier) than 0000 steel wool with Marvel Mystery Oil? I am restoring an old Cannondale aluminum frame. Over the years, the environment has taken its toll. After renewing the driveline, I would now like to improve its appearance. <Q> If the result is not good enough, at least you will be sure that you didn't do any damage to the surface like you can do with wrong sand paper or metal wool. <S> Last time I used bathroom cleaner Comet first which made the whole surface evenly gray, light and clean, I guess oxidation free. <S> It was very matte but very evenly. <S> Then I used Mother's Mag and it became shiny, not luster but nice. <A> Yes and no, it depends on how much elbow grease you want to put into it. <S> If you just want to get the oxidation off, then you can use a grinder with a wire brush and go to town. <S> Alternatively, you can use sand paper and do it by hand, with a coarse grain for the major stuff. <S> After that, it's all about details. <S> You can work with successively finer grain to achieve a smoother, more uniform finish. <S> And if you are feeling particularly picky, this is when you pick up some 00, 000, and 0000 steel wool and go at it. <S> From there, you'll want to seal the frame with something to prevent future oxidation. <A> I found this article to be particularly informative. <S> I'll be using this method for my own bare aluminum frame. <S> It requires purchasing a couple small items, but uses proven methods. <S> http://www.blackmtncycles.com/2014/02/care-for-your-bare-aluminum-frame.html <A> In my efforts to restore a Vitus 979 frame, I found that a combination of coarse and then fine grain bronze wool will eliminate the oxidation and restore the finish of the aluminum. <S> Follow up with Mothers Aluminum Polish. <S> If the anodized portions contain oxidation and pitting, the bronze wool will finish it out but obviously the look will be less than aesthetically pleasing. <S> In my case, I will be painting over the anodized areas which are the tubes in the triangle. <S> I have polished the head tube, BB casing, drops, forks and stays which are all non-anodized. <S> Once finished, with restored Campy components, I hope to have a nice looking machine
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I think that polishing paste like Mother's Magnesium and Aluminum should be your first choice. I would use sanding of any kind only when some scraping of the surface is necessary, to remove nicks and dents for example.
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Does a hybrid pannier / backpack exist? From reading around on the internet I understand that pannier bags are comfortable to ride long distances with on a bicycle. In my current rough travel plan I decided I also want to (hitch)hike a large part of the journey, so I would need a regular backpack (±70L). To keep the costs down I wondered if there's some sort of hybrid pannier bag that not only can be hooked on to a bike, but also to a "body harness" in practice becoming a backpack.I found some hybrids but these are small and have far less volume than a hiking backpack. So does a system where I can carry multiple pannier bags on my back exist? <Q> Yes. <S> I own a north st bags convertible pannier and think it works great. <S> It hangs a bit low, so don't try and use it on low rider racks. <S> http://northstbags.com/products/woodward <S> Also see Richard Jones Convertible Backpack <S> http://www.convertiblebackpacks.us/ <S> Also try WOHO bags "NINJA NINJA" <S> convertible backpack: http://www.wohobike.com/product.php?linkid=133 <A> If you want to carry a full-sized hiking backpack, your best option might be securing it into a BOB-type trailer. <S> A big backpack would be hard to mount to one side of a bicycling without doing terrible things to weight distribution. <S> I have a 25L Timbuk2 <S> The plastic pannier hardware also isn't super rugged— I broke one of the hooks and had to send for a replacement after a minor fall while taking a short tour. <S> edit:Actually, though, I haven't heard about the Richard Jones Convertible in another answer before. <S> It looks like the real best answer to this question, and appears to be designed for exactly this purpose. <A> Another option is to modify a rack so you can attach a backpack to it. <S> I've seen this done , but unfortunately we didn't have a common language to discuss how well it worked. <S> This guy had built the whole rack himself <S> so it included a stand as well as the pack. <S> This is how I would approach your problem, simply because panniers are all smaller than even a small backpack. <S> It wouldn't be too hard to make a shelf at the bottom of the rack (probably below axle height) <S> that would support the bottom of the backpack. <S> It would be easier to use a travel pack to get the cover over the straps (straps and spoked wheels <S> are a bad combination), but you could attach a sheet of ripstop nylon to the rack to get the same effect, or just put the worst of the straps facing out like this guy did. <S> My oversize panniers (bigger than an Ortleib rear pannier) are still only 60 litres or so, and they're ridiculously large by bicycle standards. <S> For comparison, my ultralight backpack is also 60 litres <S> and it's explicitly "extreme" and designed for people willing to spend their way out of size and weight problems. <S> For real walks I use an 80+ litre pack and often strap extra stuff to the outside. <A> Such a thing does exist and it's the best! <S> I own an Arkel Sherpack and Randonneur rack . <S> The rack is great because I don't have any mounting points on my frame for traditional panniers. <S> The rack hold very tight. <S> I have commuted with two hefty laptops, lunch, and a change of clothes on it. <S> I've been doing that kind of thing for well over a year. <S> Everything has held up. <S> The pack has a sleeve on the back into which the rack slides. <S> You can secure, with a buckle that comes on the pack, the pack to your seat post. <S> If the bag is full it doesn't move. <S> If the bag is kind of empty and things can slide around I notice when I get off that things can be drooped to one side <S> but I never notice while riding. <S> The pack's sleeve on the back unzips and can be tucked away in a velcro compartment on the bottom (inside of which you can also keep a rain fly). <S> It turns into a hiking day pack with hip and chest strap in like 10 seconds. <S> I have hiked with a 3 litre bladder in the interior pouch too. <S> The pack is by no means <S> 70 L <S> ( I think it is 22) <S> but it is still a great compromise. <S> Light commuter, easy access, fully functioning regular backpack. <S> I've really enjoyed mine. <A> I rode with a nice Arkel pannier during my first year of bike commuting, but attaching and removing became tedious. <S> Now, I have two rear-mount Wald folding basket panniers. <S> I use a large messenger backpack for my daily commute that slides easily in and out one of the baskets. <S> Likewise, my reusable grocery bags become my panniers when shopping. <S> They may not be stylish, but they're sure convenient. <A> I really like my "Shoulder it" pannier bag by Ortlieb, it was very convenient for commuting to and carrying inside the university. <S> I even carry it sometimes when I'm not on a bike, though it's not so comfortable on clip-on side. <S> Check out their Racktime series , there are other convertibles there, including backpacks. <A> Two more. <S> Detours Ballard market bag pannier. <S> This is what I carry. <S> It can be used as either a backpack or shoulder bag. <S> One of its advantages is that it's a bit more fashionable and less "bike-bag" in appearance for those looking for such a thing. <S> http://www.detours.us/panniers/ballard-market-pannier.html <S> http://www.bontrager.com/model/09573 <A> I can recommend Dutch brand New Looxs. <S> They currently have two backpack panniers in their line-up (12.5L & 37L). <S> I haven't used these, but I have used their Mondi Single Pannier every day for >2 years <S> and I think it's great. <S> It's withstood very heavy rain and it still looks like a normal shoulder bag. <S> http://www.newlooxs.nl/en/producten/rugzakken/
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Especial Viaje backpack/pannier for commuting, and it works well for that but is already pretty heavy on one side of the bike when loaded up. Bontrager market bag pannier.
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Snow Tire Wraps for Bicycles In some areas of the world, cars are allowed to use snow chains (or cables) in order to increase traction on ice and snow. This is slightly complicated on bicycles , but has been done. The main problems seem to be the chain being fixed to the tire while avoiding the rims (for brakes; presumably this can be relaxed for bikes with disc brakes to grab around the rims). As an alternative to installing tire chains, various manufacturers have been selling snow socks (wraps) for car tires, which are temporary stretchable covers for your tires designed to increase traction in winter driving conditions without having to install chains or specific winter tires. While I haven't used them, they seem to be helpful for occasional cases where all season tires are not comfortably enough. It seems like some of them work on changing texture due to water absorption due to tire heating (which I don't think will happen on a bicycle, but depending on absorption rate, could be pre-treated with warm water before riding), while others start textured. Does anybody offer snow socks for bicycles? (I was not able to find them, but I'm guessing you could stitch together a set for both tires from one car snow sock, possibly with some additional fastenings to prevent the cover from rolling off. I also did not see a similar product for motorcycles.). If they exist: Has anyone tried to use snow socks on bicycles? If so, did they offer a significant advantage over running a smooth road tire or a non-smooth commuter tire such as this (or alternatively, some knobby variety of tire) without the sock? If they do not exist: Does anyone have some theoretical insights to the last problem? I realize there are two issues here - snow and ice, which are related but somewhat distinct due to the types of snow and ice, so characterizations in both cases would be useful. Snow socks are useful for on-road use, so lets restrict the answers to the case for on-road use. This question is primarily of theoretical interest, given the installation times for snow chains being longer than a tire swap, but snow socks should be quicker if they can be fastened to the tire around the rim as in the disc brake case. <Q> You can avoid this problem altogether with studded tires <S> The pattern is deep enough so that it grabs quite well on the snow, and the studs give you a very good grip on ice and hard snow. <S> On uniformly flat ice, the grip is almost as good as asphalt. <S> If the tires are good, you can wear them for all winter season, even if there is no ice. <S> The studs are not very prominent, so the whole tire is still in contact with the road. <S> This solves the problem of having to adapt to weather conditions. <S> At my local bike store they assured me they would last for at least 5 years. <S> Source: I have tires like the one in the image in the Swedish winter. <S> PS: here, I have never seen cars them using chains or socks, they have winter tires instead, pretty much a car version of the image. <S> Not all have studs, though. <A> While they aren't reusable if you remove them, it's a fairly cheap method. <S> Here's a brief overview/guide . <S> And then I went and found these too. <S> They are supposed to work with all brake systems. <S> As far as the socks go, I couldn't find anything smaller than automotive tires. <S> You could get one with a lot more tread/studded etc. <S> Another alternative would be sewing some tubes together, but I don't think tube material is going to do anything. <S> Last resort would be to buy an automotive wheel snow sock and cut it down to bicycle sized dimensions. <S> Probably a lot of work, but until they make a specialized one that's about all you can do. <A> When I lived in Ithaca New York, I used tire chains for my RockHopper mountain bike. <S> It made going down the steep slope of Buffalo Street in the dead of winter a bit less terrifying. <S> This brand is called SlipNot but there are others on the market as well. <S> The advantage of chains is that they can be taken off in the Spring. <S> The disadvantage is that you have to make sure that your brake/fork clearance is ok.
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It's kind of goofy and requires a bit of time to do, but you can zip tie your wheels to make snow wheels. However, I've got an idea that might work: place a larger volume tire over the current tire.
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Why don't race bikes have solid front triangles? I know that cutting material out makes a bike lighter, but at some point there must be a crossover between weight and aerodynamics. Since tri-bikes and track bikes have more oval/flat shaped tubes, you'd think that closing off the entire front triangle would improve aerodynamics even more. And making it out of carbon fiber wouldn't add too much weight. See also the use of enclosed wheels. So, outside of the obvious reasons of weight and the loss of a bottle cage, why wouldn't you want to do this? <Q> Much of this is due to UCI regulations. <S> They specify what shape and size of frame can be used. <S> It is not allowed to add extra parts just for improving aerodynamics. <S> See the UCI document Technical Regulations For Bicycles - A Practical Guide To Implementation <S> (PDF) which covers most of this. <S> As it says for Article 1.3.020, the frame elements must be tubular, with a maximum transverse dimension of 8 cm and a minimum transverse dimension of 2.5 cm, in a maximum ratio of 1:3. <S> Also Article 1.3.024 "Protective screens, aerodynamic shapes, fairings or any other device that is added or forms part of the structure, and that is destined or has the effect of reducing wind resistance, are prohibited. <S> " <S> It could be possible to make a more aerodynamic bike that was not allowed by the UCI. <S> But you would be restricted by what races it could be ridden in. <S> eg <S> some versions of the Specialized Transition or Shiv, which have extra aerodynamic tubes etc. <A> Round tubes are very strength to weight efficient. <S> Putting a lot of material where no strength is needed is not efficient. <S> Also for most Tour de France road riding aero is not as important as weight. <S> Full disc wheels while popular once are less common for this reason. <A> The aerodynamic is not the only the issue in the road race bike. <S> The most of the time in the road race the racers ride inside the peloton protected from head wind and have no aerodynamic problem at all. <S> You can find the TdF racers used light low profile non-aerodynamic rims on the mountain stages. <S> The road race bike is a compromise of the many problems, where aerodynamics is not the most important. <A> I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned the Lotus Type 108 . <S> This was a bike made with a carbon monocoque frame instead of the traditional tubular double diamond frame. <S> The bike was very successful, breaking several records and earning Gold in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. <S> This type of frame is no longer allowed by the UCI.
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Moreover, at the mountain parts of the race aerodynamic plays no role in the race, but weight and stiffness of the frame do. A few brands have mode non-UCI compliant race bikes, mostly designed for triathlon. The primary reason is weight. The other factor is a large flat panel can be affected by cross-winds, very dangerous in a peleton.
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Thru Axle and Quick Release Fork/Frame Compatability? Without using manufacturer specific parts: Can I use a wheel with a thru-axle hub on a standard quick release fork or frame dropouts (with an adapter)? Can I use a wheel with a quick release hub on a thru-axle fork or frame dropouts (with an adapter)? We may also want to consider that there are also different thru axle sizes, commonly 12mm, 15mm and 20mm. I think the most common size of thru-axle currently is 15mm. <Q> Simply for your two points: For a front wheel you can buy or machine a part that will allow you to run a smaller axle on the front than the hub is equipped with. <S> This an adapter to run a 15mm TA hub in 9mm drop outs. <S> The rear is more difficult as hub sizes get wider with larger diameter thru axles. <S> In terms of frame/ fork design, the design form for through axles offers no backwards compatibility with QR drop out design. <S> That being said it could be possible to engineer something that created the required tension to hold the hub in place, but I wouldn't trust a home made solution. <A> Only with manufacturer-specific parts, and only with hubs that were designed to be adapted (e.g. you could probably adapt a 15mm bolt-thru hub to 9mm, but not the other way around). <S> For example, Hope will sell you adaptors to let you use Pro 2 Evo hubs with these drop-outs: <S> Front QR <S> Front 9mm <S> Front 20mm <S> Front 15mm Front Maverick fork <S> Rear QR <S> Rear 10mm <S> Saint Rear 12mm (135) <S> Rear 10mm Bolt in (135) <S> Syntace X12 142 <S> mm <A> Can I use a wheel with a thru-axle hub on a standard quick release fork or frame dropouts (with an adapter)? <S> (QR usually have a 5mm spindle and fit a 9/10mm dropout). <S> For example Hope have conversion kits for their hubs that allow you to use their hubs with an older quick release (QR) fork <S> http://www.hopetech.com/product/axle-conversion-kit/ <S> Can I use a wheel with a quick release hub on a thru-axle fork or frame dropouts (with an adapter)? <S> If the quick release hub is truly a 9 or 10mm quick release hub <S> then no. <S> The diameter of the internal hole where the spindle goes through on these hubs will not accept anything larger than about a 5mm spindle, which means it is not possible to use them with a 15mm spindle that threads into the fork or frame.
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Through-axle hubs have a larger inner diameter to accept a 15mm or in some cases 20mm spindle, so many of them can be purchased with adapters that accept a 5mm spindle and fit in a 9/10mm dropout I haven't seen and can find no evidence online of an adapter that allows you to run a 9mm hub in 15mm TA drop outs. You couldn't make a 12x142 thru axle hub fit in a 10x135 QR dropout even if you shimmed the space at the end as the chain line would be off. You might get lucky and find adaptors from one brand of hub will work in another, but in general that isn't the case.
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Are deep V wheels only for fixed gear bikes? I'm in the market for a new set of wheels. I've been noticing a style which I think is called "Deep V". I plan on adding gears to my currently single-speed bike (not a fixed gear). However, searching online, the majority (if not all) are advertised as being for fixed gear bikes. Are deep V wheels intended for fixed gear bikes? Is there any reason I would want to avoid them for a normal geared bike? <Q> Deep-sectioned rims -- particularly Velocity Deep Vs -- became popular among fixed gear riders because they came in a variety of colors (bling) and the larger section made that bling all the more prominent. <S> However, deep-sectioned rims have many applications beyond urban fixed gear bikes. <S> They're typically heavier and don't do well in cross winds, but in straight-ahead road riding, they are thought to be more aerodynamic. <S> As long as the rims come with machined sidewalls, they'll work fine for your purposes. <S> The machining greatly improves braking by making the contact point for the brake pads more consistent. <S> All that said, if you're riding around town or even doing more recreational road riding <S> , I think you'll be better served by a smaller sectioned rim like the Velocity Aerohead. <A> I can't help but elaborate on some of the previous excellent answers: As indicated in the comment above by psycling, a deep section wheel has increased lateral strength; that is, side-to-side. <S> Depending on spoke count and pattern, the built wheel will also have a reduced vertical compliance; it's less likely to absorb head on/up-down impact as well as torque applied to the drive wheel by the rider. <S> Lateral stiffness is apparent to me when grinding along on a tall gear, throwing the bike side to side, as typical with a fixed gear (or singlespeed). <S> An average wheelset makes this movement feel 'spongy,' like every time you stomp on a pedal with the bike leaned over the front wheel is springing sideways a little bit. <S> This flex is reduced with a deep section wheel, resulting in a more solid feel. <S> More fun. <S> The weight added by the rim around the circumference of the wheel is a factor to pay attention to; it will result in a cycle which feels noticeably slower to accelerate, depending on the weight cost vs. another wheelset. <S> Some folks don't think this matters, but I'm not particularly perceptive and even I can tell the difference a few hundred grams makes here. <S> These characteristics are valuable when you're a velodrome track star, as acceleration from a stop isn't as important as cruising efficiency and there aren't any potholes. <S> I have ridden the Velocity aero rim as previously mentioned and it made a very nice, durable wheel, a good compromise. <S> Of course, there's also the style points to consider... <A> Old thread, but here's my take on the question: the answer is an emphatic <S> NO. <S> My LBS suggested deep-vs (32 spoke) for my Giant Defy Advanced 1 two years ago when I kept breaking spokes on the stock Giant wheels. <S> I was just too heavy (260 lbs.) <S> for those wheels. <S> The deep-vs have been bombproof. <S> No deflection in 2 years and 3,000 miles of riding. <S> I was praising them to one of the mechanics the other day, and he said, "Yep. <S> You're going to be riding those wheels a long, long time."
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There's no strong argument why you shouldn't use a deep-v wheel on a geared bike, but if you examine the way you ride a bike with multiple ratios (fewer forehead-vein-popping climbs) you may find that it makes more sense to use a lighter rim with a more conventional cross section. I don't know about the detail of the physics on this, but my perception of riding a laterally stiff wheelset when I'm limited to one gear ratio is that less of my effort is 'wasted'.
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Are there any manufacturers of steel road bikes today? Is there any major bike manufacturer that still makes steel road bikes today? The frame of my old Bridgestone got cracked and the crack is too close to the alloy BB lug for me to be able to weld it. I need a new training bike and it has to be steel because aluminium goes bad too quickly on local roads and I've seen way too many carbon horror stories. Also, it needs to a major manufacturer because I won't get other stuff here in my country. PS There is a supply-demand problem with second-hand steel bikes. Only lower end steel frames are sold second-hand and then too at the cost of aluminium frames. PPS I've already checked the websites of most major manufacturers, nothing there. Edit : Seems that I forgot to mention that I need something that feels similar to my racer. Judging from some internet trawling, both touring and CX frames feel different and wouldn't make good training bikes. <Q> If I were going this route, I'd look to some of the brands that focus on the steel frames, rather than complete bikes. <S> The list below should get you started. <S> While they aren't the biggest names in the industry, they do have good distribution so you should ask about availability at your local bike shop. <S> Or order a frame online. <S> Good luck! <S> http://www.somafab.com/ <S> http://surlybikes.com/ <S> http://salsacycles.com/ <S> http://gunnarbikes.com/ <A> Very few bicycle brands manufacture their own bicycles, other than perhaps top-end racing bikes. <S> One exception is Giant, which is one of the largest bicycle manufacturers, but they don't make steel bikes anymore so far as I know. <S> One of the major manufacturers of steel bikes these days is a company in Taiwan called Maxway: http://www.maxway.com.tw/ <S> They sell steel bicycle frames of all types, including racing bikes, to many bike brands, likely including one in your country. <S> One American brand that uses Maxway frames <S> , well-reputed for durability, is Surly. <S> Their road model is the Pacer: http://surlybikes.com/bikes/pacer <S> They have dealers in India, though apparently not in your state: http://surlybikes.com/dealers/#India Surlys are often a couple pounds heavier than competitively-priced bikes, in exchange for being much harder to break. <A> Trek still makes a steal touring bike, the 520 . <S> Should make a great, heavy duty road bike. <S> Note: <S> the shifters are on the bar ends and the gearing is that of a mountain bike. <S> May be a problem depending on your preferences. <S> Another option is the Specialized AWOL , for which just the frameset can also be ordered (thanks @mikes). <A> They are available from the major brands. <S> Most shops don't stock them as the aura of aluminum and carbon overshadow them. <S> In most riders mind steel is heavy and old school. <S> To a point they are right, in that cheap steel bikes are heavy. <S> If you check the major manufacturers web sites and search for "road steel frame" you will get some results. <S> If the roads are as bad as you suggest you may want to consider a cyclocross bike as it will be a more durable on unimproved roads. <A> A lot of manufacturers (or reasonably common manufacturers) make steel road bikes (usually, they are touring bikes but Jamis, Bianchi, Surly and some others do all sorts of bikes which are steel). <S> There are also a lot of smaller manufacturers who do this as well as house labels/low cost labels <S> (Planet X has the Kaffenback among others, Novara from REI has some, BikesDirect has some steel bikes as well). <S> I don't really buy the roads wrecking decent aluminum frames though - certainly, it should be much worse than the Paris-Roubaix terrain... and not avoiding obstacles... <S> If you're looking at just framesets instead of complete bikes, a lot of the smaller brands do that (Soma, Surly, etc.) <S> quite well. <A> I'm replying from the UK. <S> I don't know if that makes things easier or harder for you. <S> Evans Cycles , who I believe ship overseas come up with these results if you search for steel road bikes. <S> It might help. <A> considering you had a bridgestone. <S> The main builder of bikes grant pederson started his own steel frame bike company calledrivendell bikes. <S> rivbike.com <S> they might even be able to fix your current bike. <S> email them and ask :) <A> Specialized makes a Double Allex Steel as of last year. <S> Not exactly sure if it is still being manufactured, but I own the 2010 model, and it's a really good ride for a solid price (if you're into downtube shifters that is).
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Depending on what you consider a "major brand", there really are a lot of nice steel bikes around these days. Taiwanese sellers also often sell bikes and frames directly via eBay, if there isn't a local brand. Jamis (lots), Bianchi (lots), Surly (everything), Trek (520), Specialized (AWOL/Tricross steel/allez steel/etc. are still on shelves), Raleigh (lots), GT (some), Kona (some), Soma. A quality steel frame can easily be lighter than bargain aluminum frame and cost much more.
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Should cheap suspension forks be oiled often? Should a cheap fork be oiled / lubricated from time to time? If yes, how? <Q> Lubricating the forks wont affect performance by may increase life and preserve cosmetic looks. <S> Cheap forks typically have a coil spring and a sealed damper unit, neither will perform any better with lubrication. <S> Oiling the stanchions and dust seals (by Vorac's method above) will prevent dust and water from entering the lower, which over time would cause the fork to stop working, and will help keep the stanchions from rusting. <S> The oil can become contaminated (different viscosity = different performance) and leak oil. <S> Also any metal on metal could cause scratches which would allow to leak through. <A> Best is to try. <S> Apply cheep oil form the hardware store (fine machine oil, $1) on both stanchions near the dust seals, compress several times, then wipe off the excess. <S> See if the fork performs any better. <S> My XCR fork does really begin acting like a fork, after I disassemble it, clean and grease. <S> On the other hand, servicing a similarly-priced fork provided no benefit at all. <A> It defiantly helps (on coil spring forks). <S> Way back when, I fryed the RST forks that came on my GF Tarpon on a hot July day in Florida. <S> The fork literally seized. <S> When I got home <S> I pulled the dirt seals off and sprayed a healthy dose of lube (not WD 40 or KY..). <S> The forks started working again but never quite the same, that is to say, they were crapier than just new crap. <S> Regular lubing will keep them going long enough you purchase a plush of fork. <A> Cheap suspension forks can have difference attributes to more expensive ones. <S> If you put extra oil on fork stanchion it can mix with the internal oil. <S> If it was a more expensive fork and the performance had reduced I would suggest properly servicing them: changing the oil and seals. <S> Cheaper forks often have elastomers that provides the damping instead of oil which wears out and means you have to replace them.
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More expensive forks are different where oil dampers can get damaged if seals are not well maintained.
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How to mark a tire I've got a few sets of tires for my road bike, some of which are the same type of varying ages, others have been used on the turbo trainer, or have a suspected sharp object in them which I could never find. I'd like a way of marking the tires themselves so that I can keep track of their age and what they've been used for. Just a couple of letters or numbers would probably do. The question is what pen or paint could I use for this? As most tires are black, a normal permanent marker is no good. It would have to stay on the side wall through winter conditions without damaging the rubber. Is there anything which would do the job? <Q> Metallic marker would probably work with periodic reapplication. <S> I'd also suspect spray paint would work as well (even on the outside). <S> For car tires, they sell tire paint pens (such as these ) which I think would work on a bicycle as well. <S> /detach them when you want to use that particular tire. <S> If you have multiple ones in use, just keep track of the tires based on which rims they're on or something in a notebook and update the notebook when you're done. <A> You use a reusable zip tie instead of marking the tire itself. <S> Write the details on that, and put it on the bike frame or brake cable etc when the tire is on the bike and around the tire when its in storage. <S> I would suggest a simple numbering or letter system and a notebook for details would mean fewer letters and less chance of them being unreadable, while allowing as much detail as you can be bothered with being recorded. <A> Why not just use a simple paper inspection tag? <S> The kinds with the string where you just write on the tag the info you need, thread it to the tire, and done. <S> It is easy to remove and hang on the hook while the tire/wheel is in use so that you don't loose it.
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Alternatively, you could just hang tags (like repair tags) on the tires and attach
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Why would each patch produce a new leak before resintalling tube? I got a puncture in my tube (size 700c x 23c, Kendra, came with bike) and applied a vulcanizing glue and patch, then checked it. Before reinstalling the tube, there was now a new leak right next to the patch, but the air is definitely not escaping from the lip of the patch, just very close to it. So, I added another patch. Now the same thing happened again: a new small leak right near the patch but not from the lip of the patch. I noticed these new leaks before reinstalling the tube, so the problem is not anything on the rim or in the tire. I am relatively new at this so wanted to see if this has happened to others and what might be causing it. Following the patch kit instructions, I applied pressure using the kit box from the center of the patch out. Would this potentially rip a new hole? Do I need to be very gentle with this step? <Q> It may not be easy to find the causing material unless the tire is flexed under load though, which is why you might just not see it. <S> Either that, or you're consistently not applying the patch right (which you just need to follow the directions in the patch kit). <A> I'm answering because I can't comment yet, but the previous answer nailed it. <S> I just wanted to add. <S> You need to really inspect the tire around where the punctures are happening. <S> The worst thing is small bits of metal wire from decaying car tires that litter roads. <S> They get stuck in the rubber in your bike tires and are really hard to spot. <S> But when you put the new tube in and pump it up, the wire inevitably makes a new pinprick hole. <S> Could be something else, but this is the most likely culprit. <A> You may be doing everything right but have done something to get a series of small punctures. <S> For example, I have had the misfortune of riding across an empty lot littered with small cactus plants (I didn't known it at the time as I was visiting the area). <S> This left my tube littered with small punctures clustered together. <S> As I patched one hole I would find another when re-inflating the tube. <S> In my case the tube was basically a write-off <S> and it took for ever to ensure the tire was usable again. <S> I do not know where you live or ride so the cactus example may or may not be applicable. <S> That said it is still possible that you have simply acquired a number of punctures due to an unfortunate incident. <S> Something like this is supported by the fact you notice new punctures even before you put the tube back into place.
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You may have a sort of systematic effect, such as debris (puncture causing material) near the patch site, or missing rim tape or something depending on where the patch is. This kind of thing is common.
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Front suspension on a cyclocross bike? Is there a reason why no companies are manufacturing front suspension for cx bikes? Is it limited by the UCI rules? Would weight mean it would offer no additional value? I would like to know if a light weight, low travel (<80mm), skinny stanchion (<28mm) would make any difference to speed when off-roading. Comfort wise I imagine the difference would be huge. I have seen a picture of Lemond racing with a Rockshox fork so definitely been thought of in the past for road bikes. <Q> Cyclocross courses are (generally) too smooth and relatively fast to warrant the use of suspension. <S> Sure, it might be more comfortable, but the added weight would only slow you down and leave you behind your competitors on a typical muddy course. <A> Note: I don't do cyclocross, so this is mostly speculation. <S> I'd guess its primarily a weight issue, as well as the culture of the people who do cyclocross. <S> I did find a manufacturer doing rear suspension though. <S> This link is also interesting reading. <S> The author first notes that suspension would make the ground contact better, but the weight or geometry changes seem to be problems. <S> From that link, I'd like to quote from that article <S> "UCI rules make no prohibition against suspension in cyclocross or road bikes, and road bikes with suspension forks have been used in UCI-sanctioned events before. <S> " <S> In particular, it references this article on how suspension was used in the Paris-Roubaix and how the culture didn't appreciate suspension at first. <S> They also note that current bike design focuses more on tube shaping and carbon fiber. <A> You could probably find a short travel fork designed for a hybrid bike and put that on your cross bike. <S> However, I havn't seen this happen at any races that I've been to. <S> It's more typical for non-pro riders to use a mountain bike instead of a cyclocross bike to compete in cyclocross races. <S> The shocks do soak up a bit of pedaling effort, which is why they tend to be less desirable. <S> Most modern MTB shocks can be locked out, and that's probably preferrable for the terrain of most cyclocross courses. <S> Your best bet to reduce the effect of bumpy terrain is to adjust the tire pressure according to the conditions. <S> You may want to consider tubeless tire systems to prevent pinch flats at lower pressures. <S> Smooth tracks will warrant high pressures, but rough courses may be more optimal riding at lower pressure. <S> Pro races set tire size limit to around 33mm, however most non-pro events have very loose restrictions on actual tire size. <A> Besides weight, suspension robs you off energy when pedaling, by compressing when you push on the pedal (and rebounding between strokes so the energy spent compressing is wasted).
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So consider running larger tires at lower pressure if you are concerned about the jarring effects of the ride without suspension. Pedaling is obviously more important in cyclocross than MTB, hence no suspension.
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How can I prevent or mitigate the front wheel coming off the ground when climbing steep hills? On one of my bicycles (a 2012 Trek Madone 4.7), when climbing very steep hills, I have had problems with the front wheel coming off the ground. This creates an extremely dangerous situation because when this happens one loses all steering control. Do I have any recourse beyond choosing a less steep route, getting less fat (catch 22), or using a different bicycle? <Q> Move your weight further forward to keep the front wheel weighted. <S> Standing can help for the steepest parts, but can cause your rear wheel to slip on loose surfaces. <A> I would suggest that your bike is not set up correctly and your centre of gravity is too far back. <S> The first thing to consider is what is the predominant terrain you are riding? <S> If its mostly flat consider using a technique such as alex hassuggested in his answer to cover pinch climbs and small hills. <S> If your doing a lot of climbing (sitting on the front of your seatis uncomfortable and more suited to mtb) <S> the second thing is tochange the set up of your bike to fit you better. <S> One of the biggestmisconceptions made by bike stores when they set a bike up forpeople seems to be that they believe the rider is going to spendtheir life riding around parking lots. <S> Thankfully this isn't true,but it does mean that many people have their bike fitted for flatland rather than climbing. <S> There are things you can try at home <S> but I would recommend talking to a professional to get their expert advice on the correct fit for your style and terrain . <S> You can: slide your seat forward in the rails (you may need to adjust theheight also for your leg length) reconfigure the spacers on your stem (move the spacers above the stemand see if that has an effect) <S> experiment with different stem lengths <S> (this usually requires you tobuy or borrow many stems to get the right one). <S> Many people spend thousands on a bike then scrimp on a $100 fitting. <A> You can work on a pedal stroke that applies pressure for a larger portion of the rotation of the pedals. <S> That will reduce the peak force that is causing the wheel to lift. <A> Because of a herniated disc in my lower back, I was forced to NOT PULL with my hands on steeps. <S> Surprisingly, I found that by concentrating all of my energy below my belt, I could climb much better and faster. <S> This was definitely a "lemonade from lemons" kind of discovery. <S> Try this and see if it helps.
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The front wheel is lifting as when your bike is on a slope the wheelbase is effectively shortened, bringing your weight closer to the rear axle, and the most vertical part of the wheelie is already done. Shuffle forwards on your seat and bring your chest closer to the bars.
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Physical limits for a fixie rider As fixie-biking is really trendy at the moment, i often see fixie riders 'skidding' and stopping their bike by blocking their backwheel. As this only works by shifting the riders weight to the front of the wheel i recently wondered if there is a physical limit (like weight) where this braking method will not work anymore because the pressure on the back wheel is still to big to skid? <Q> There are more factors involved. <S> Gearing being a major one - it is much easier to skid on a 38x18 compared to a 50x14 which is more like a track ratio. <S> Other major factors include road surface, rider strength, dry/wet, tyre width, tread pattern, rubber compound and inflation. <S> Indeed, as others have mentioned additional weight might actually make it easier to skid given increased momentum and pedal resistance <S> provided they shift their weight appropriately. <S> I would say there is no practical upper limit for rider weight but gearing and tyre characteristics (a really fat slick tyre with a big contact patch on dry tarmac) could prevent it. <S> Nevertheless, skidding the rear wheel is an ineffective way to slow or stop your bike even if it is good fun. <A> They are also going to be more able to hold the wheel stationary. <S> Any time the bike slows dramatically, the weight will be shifted forwards even further, so good grip on the rear wheel will then reduce leading to a skid. <A> The accepted answer fails to point out that skidding is less effective at slowing the bike than not skidding. <S> To stop a brakeless fixie quickly, the rider must shift their weight backwards as far as possible (to help prevent loss of traction, as weight moves forwards under braking), while resisting the pedals' rotation as hard as they can, without locking up the rear wheel. <S> Rolling friction <S> > sliding friction. <S> The heavier the rider, the more difficult it is to stop - there is more momentum to resist. <S> Also, the longer the gearing, the less mechanical advantage your legs have to resist the pedals; again it is more difficult to stop. <S> However, with manageable gearing (i.e. NOT track ratios!), and good leg muscles and technique, the limiting factor becomes tyre adhesion. <S> Where I live there are hills on which I can only stop with brand-new racing tyres. <S> Worn tyres or harder compounds just give up and skid!
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I would assume that rider weight wouldn't prevent this as a heavier rider is going to have more momentum to maintain the skid.
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Can I swap a shimano free hub body for a campag one and be able to attach it to the existing Deore hub? I want to convert my Surly Cross Check into a Campagnolo set up. The problem I am having is i have Shimano Deore Hubs on Mavic rims at present. I would rather not buy new wheels, so I am looking at the possibility of swapping the free hub body to a campag splined one free hub body. I am finding it difficult to get answers to the question if I can swap a shimano free hub body for a campag one and be able to attach it to the existing Deore hub or if I need to replace the complete hub for a campag one? <Q> I haven't found any campy replacement freehub for a deore... <S> esp since shimano uses different incompatible freehub bodies for its different hubs, and Deore being a mountain group, campy being mostly road <S> , I don't see there being any market for such a conversion. <S> That being said, if you find a replacement campy rear hub with a similar flange size, you could just swap the hubs. <S> YOu would need a spoke wrench and truing stand, and some general wheelbuilding knowledge. <S> EDIT: <S> not sure how much of a perfectionist you are, but you could just run a campy rd and shifters on a shimano cassette. <S> See: http://sheldonbrown.com/drivetrain-mixing.shtml <A> This one from ambrosio would probably do the trick - http://www.probikekit.com.au/bicycle-cassettes-sprockets/ambrosio-cassette-shimano-fit-for-campagnolo-10-speed/10768425.html <S> Things will probably be harder if you want to go 11 speed though. <A> I guess it's unlikely you're using 11-speed in this set up, but if you are, then none other than Lennard Zinn has discovered that 11-speed Shimano, SRAM and Campag are near enough in spacing to be compatible . <S> Had I just gotten a wheel change in a race with any of those wheels <S> , I could have raced as hard as I wanted with nary a shift hesitation or skip and essentially perfect shifting.
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Simplest 'good' solution is probably getting a conversion cassette - campagnolo spacing but with a shimano spline so it'll fit on your existing hub.
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Garmin Edge Touring - Quality of the maps I currently have a Garmin Edge 200, which I like quite a bit. But I would like a GPS that has mapping capabilities. I don't need the training features. I'm curious about the quality of the maps in the Garmin Touring. It looks like they are based on some sort of open source maps. Does anyone have this unit and can comment on the quality and accuracy of the maps? <Q> The Edge Touring comes with a preloaded "Garmin Cycle Map". <S> This is based on OpenStreetMap , so you can check the OSM website to see how good coverage is for the areas you are interested in. <S> In general, OSM is rather good for roads in most of Western Europe, and much of the USA. <S> Many areas also have lots of cycle paths and trails mapped. <S> It is often more accurate and up to date than other maps. <S> Plus if something is wrong or missing, you can edit the map to fix it. <S> The Garmin Cycle Map is designed specifically for cycling, so highlights relevant features, eg cycle paths. <S> If using the navigation, it is designed to route you along paths or minor roads where possible. <S> And it contains height data, so it can show elevation profiles or route to avoid hills. <S> Note you can download other OSM based maps in Garmin format for free, then put these on the Edge instead. <S> These are available in a variety of different styles, which you may prefer. <S> Also they may be more up to date, which is useful if you are adding of editing things on OpenStreetMap. <S> Or you can buy other maps from Garmin, eg City Navigator, then use these on the Edge. <S> These can be expensive, depending on how large an area you want. <S> And City Navigator only contains roads, not paths etc. <A> Granted the maps that come with are good for a point of reference, I wouldn't recommend Garmin's maps for any substantial route finding. <S> If you're trying to find a safe bicycle route around town, use google maps. <S> If you're heading off road or out into the woods, make sure you print out the maps you're using so that you're not stranded when batteries die. <A> I got the Garmin Oregon 450 and it works great as a cycling GPS. <S> Garmin sells a very good GPS mount for this model as well. <S> It's a little bulkier than most of the cycling specific GPS Units, but for the price you pay, the features are way better then what you would get from one of the cycling models. <S> It also supports loading on maps from OpenStreetMap which will provide quite good maps (may vary by your location). <S> The batteries are standard AAs which will allow you to easily carry extra batteries if you need to.
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The map-capable Garmin cycling units come with a solid basemap with the ability to add additional maps, and the Touring unit has a micro SD slot to make this even easier.
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Using a series of hub gears I have an idea and I'm wondering if it's feasible. For an upcoming recumbent cargo touring build, I wonder if I could say use an 8-speed hub gear connected directly to an identical 8-speed hub gear, or three hub gears 4*4*4, to get logically 64 gears. What sorts of problems might there be?I don't have any particular parts in mind regarding ratios, but does anyone do this? Are there any good examples of how to do a high number of gears right? The whole point of this would be to be able to drive the bike up anything from a long ridiculous 30% grade at walking pace to an easy 100km/h on a straightaway with fairing. Is that feasible using a large number of gears? <Q> The HP Velotechnik Scorpion is available with three front chain rings, three-gear internal hub, 8-speed rear derailleur setup. <S> This has the additional advantage that you can shift while stopped, e.g. after emergency stops or similar. <S> I found it rather tedious to keep the overview over which gear I'm currently in. <S> Walking pace is not a problem and I spin out at about 70km/h, which is already pretty hard to keep up, even with race fairing. <S> Depending on where you live, riding 70km/h is already pretty dangerous taking into account that trikes cannot brake too well because the rear wheel will lift off pretty quickly. <A> You will likely be using at least one of the hubs outside of its maximum torque specification when riding in a low gear. <S> Here's a random thread about a guy breaking a NuVinci by overtorquing it with a gas motor assist: http://forums.mtbr.com/internal-gear-hubs/how-much-power-will-alfine-handle-551706.html#5 <A> A friend of mine has 2 wheel recumbent with 8 speed shimano in the wheel and <S> a 5 speed sturmey locked in 1-3-5 as an intermediate box, like they do on pashley trikes. <S> He says its not draggy and gives a good range with 8 speed multiplied by -33% and +50% <S> With his permish I'll post a picture of an earlier attempt he made. <S> I've been wondering about it for A Brox 4 wheel recumbent that has a dicky 7 speed fichtel/sachs. <S> On his advice I'll probably try the 1-3-5 and and AW 4 speed. <S> 12 gears and a span of 4.2 to 1.
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My Velomobiel Quest has triple front, 9-speed rear derailleur and that covers enough ground for me.
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What happens when a bike has not had maintenance for a long time? I recently traded my Kent BMX bike I got from Wal-Mart: for a Ross road bike ). My friend tells me the bike sat in his back yard collecting rust, I see it has rust on the chain, the gears, brake lines and the chrome handlebars. The bike rides ok but the gear shifts need a good push and pull with my thumb to work. I know the bike has had no maintenance in a very long time so I was wondering what should I do? <Q> When I was doing bike rehab for Christmas Anonymous <S> I saw many bikes like this. <S> It can be good or it can be bad, depending on how much weather it's seen. <S> First thing is to do the obvious -- wash it (we used a power washer), clean & oil the chain, clean and oil the derailers. <S> If it's been in the weather enough then the cables will rusted solid and will need to be replaced. <S> Otherwise, squirt spray lube (not WD-40, but something that's more of a lube) into the ends of the cables and work them well. <S> Also lube the brake lever pivots and put a dash of lube on the brake caliper pivots (but take care to keep oil away from the brake pads). <S> The bearings are the biggie. <S> From the sound of it yours may be OK, but exposure to the weather for years contaminates the lube and washes some of it away, so it's best to repack all the bearings, starting with the wheel bearings. <S> (I've seen bearings where all the lube was washed out <S> and there was nothing but bare (and rusted) metal.) <S> If you've never done this before, start with the front wheel, after studying instructions on the Park Tool site . <S> And if, when you open up the front hub, the bearings look good and the grease appears reasonably fresh (it will always be dirty) then you can defer work on the other bearings. <S> Another thing to look for would be dry-rot with the tires and tubes. <S> Cracking in the tires is a bad sign. <S> Be ready to replace the rim tape if you have to change tubes. <A> A bit of very fine wire wool with spray oil on the rusty handlebars should clean them up a bit. <S> Regarding the gear cables - new inners and housings are very cheap, so you'd be better replacing them rather than trying to make old corroded ones work. <A> Usually with old bikes like this - the drivetrain (chain, gears, cogs) can be rusted up. <S> You can free these with WD40 to an extent. <S> Inside the hubs may be corroded / rusted. <S> If you can dismantle and regrease these it would help. <S> The cables might be rusted inside- <S> you can use WD40 again or replace them. <S> there isn't any knocking there- <S> depending on how much use <S> it has had it might need new bearing or at least a rebuild of the headset bearing. <S> Check the spokes aren't loose. <S> Hope that helps. <S> You can also check for movement in the bottom bracket which may indicate needing a new one.
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Check the tyres aren't perishing as the old ones tend to - you can see this by cracks in the surface which appear when you pinch the material. Check for movement in the headset - check
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How to use a vapor barrier with cycling shoes for cold weather riding? I've heard many people like to use plastic newspaper bags or grocery bags as a vapor barrier when cold weather cycling. I'm already wearing winter cycling boots which prevent outside water infiltration, but I've been considering this for really cold days or longer rides below freezing since my insoles eventually get soaked with sweat eventually and become very good at transferring the cold from the bottoms of my shoe to my feet. What is the most effective way to use vapor barriers inside shoes to keep warm? Should I wear the vapor barrier over my socks, under my socks, or between two layers? What is the theory behind it? <Q> I rode a couple winters as a bike messenger in the northeastern US, and this is a classic messenger trick for the worst cold wet days. <S> While your feet may still become somewhat wet, at least they will be warm and wet. <S> I liked wearing a thin sock on the inside, the plastic bag, another pair of socks, then shoes. <S> This is not really a dry-day technique. <S> Then, as @hillsons said, you will just have wet feet for no reason. <S> When it's dry and really cold, put flat pedals on your bike and wear normal civilian winter footwear. <S> Hiking boots, for example. <S> But when it's 35 degrees and raining and you are silly enough to be on your bike, the plastic bags trick is the way to go. <S> One place to search advice on vapor barriers is in the camping/backpacking world, there's been plenty of experimentation with them since at least the 60s in that community. <A> I have used this technique in emergencies while hiking, but never thought of deliberately using it day-to-day. <S> When the weather unexpectedly turns foul <S> (and this is before I had the money to buy quality waterproof hiking shoes), my feet would soak. <S> So I would takeout a thick plastic bag from the backpack. <S> Put dry socks on. <S> Put the plastic bag over them, but leave a lot of space in front of the fingers. <S> Otherwise when putting on the shoe, and when walking, the toes tear the plastic bag. <S> Put the wet sock over. <S> This will prevent the plastic bag of sliding against the shoe and tearing. <S> Put the shoe on. <S> So this works for several hours (with increasing levels of discomfort) and keeps the feet dry-ish in an emergency. <S> However, the feel is slippery (on every step, the socks slip a bit). <S> Really not my idea of "fun". <A> A rehash of a previously posted answer, but I wear socks with SPD sandals in the wintertime. <S> I can pile up as many layers of wool socks as I need for the day's temperature conditions, and just adjust the straps on the sandals to make room for the extra bulk. <S> The plastic grocery bag I put between the outermost and next inner layer of sock. <S> I've done this, had my feet soaking wet yet still toasty warm in temperatures as low as -20F. <S> They key though is that you need to select your footwear to target about 20-30 degrees warmer than the ambient air, so that you are not sweating when biking. <S> If you are standing around doing nothing, your feet should be cold. <A> It's not actually that cold, so a decent pair of old-fashioned non-breathable leather boots or hiking shoes with 2 pairs of socks should be enough, 3 pairs at the very lowest temperatures you mention. <S> Hiking trainers + 1 pair of warm socks is fine down to -6C <S> (21F) for me in the dry, so long as I keep the wind off my ankles . <S> A grippier option may be replacement latex socks for a drysuit - with only thin socks underneath and thick on top if needed, plus they're generally quite long. <A> For maximum effectiveness, a vapor barrier should be worn as close to the skin as possible. <S> A vapor barrier works to keep your warm two main ways. <S> The first is that is stops your sweat from carrying heat away from your body (stops evaporative cooling). <S> The second is that because your sweat doesn't move away from you, your insulation stays dry and is more effective. <S> Many people dislike the slick, wet clammy feel of a vapor barrier against their skin, which is why many people recommend putting it on after a liner style garment, however, this technically isn't the most effective method of using one. <S> RBH Designs , which manufactures a variety of vapor barrier clothing bonds a cloth layer to the inside of their barriers to reduce that "sandwich bag" feel. <S> Their site has some good data on vapor barrier reasoning and use. <A> I've been experimenting with the whole cold/sweat/wool/plastic bag dilemma <S> and I think that I may have found another way to go about it. <S> Yesterday, I put one of those toe warmers that you stick to the toe part of your insole. <S> I put on a pair of medium weight wool socks. <S> My feet sweat like crazy like always <S> but they were pretty warm, even when I'd stop. <S> I would recommend wearing a thick wool sock however: one of my feet started to get too hot because of the sweat combining with the insert.
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If you do go for a vapour barrier, you need enough packing (in the form of socks) in there that your feet don't move around - another reason for boots over shoes, even if just ankle boots.
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Wheel bust after 10 months, is this normal / usually covered by warranty? Not sure if this is the right place to ask... I bought new bike about 10 months ago. The past few weeks I've had no end of trouble with the rear wheel (Mavic Aksium) in regards to spokes. About 4-5 spokes on the non-drive side consistently come loose. I tighten them, then after riding for about 15 meters I hear the "twang" as they work themselves loose. One of them snapped right off at the nipple, looks a bit brittle where the break was. Questions: Is this normal for a wheel to wear out so fast? I've done about2500km on it. I'm missing 1 spoke, and loose on about 4 now. Is the wheel ready for the bin, or is it worth fixing? Is this something that is normally covered in bike manufacturerwarranties, or is it a case of "sorry mate, its just general wear" <Q> 1) It's hard to say what's normal - what sort of riding have you been doing on it, as in, have you been going over a lot of curbs and potholes? <S> The more you bounce on it, the more strain it'll have. <S> Have you hit one particular pothole hard recently? <S> How heavy are you? <S> The heavier you are, the more likely you are to damage the wheel. <S> 2) <S> You should take it to your LBS, they'll be able to tell you the answer to this, but most likely they'll be able to repair it and re-true the wheel. <S> 3) Depends on who you got it from.. <S> and what warrantee you have I guess. <S> Probably going to be a general wear though I'd suspect. <A> Wheels eventually do simply wear out, but we're usually talking tens of thousands of kilometers or at least several years for the average user. <S> If it's been less than a year, you shouldn't expect to have to dish out any money for this repair. <S> I believe those wheels typically have a two year warranty. <S> If you bought the wheels at a shop, the shop should handle the warranty repair or replacement for you ( or else it's about time to find a different shop ). <S> Sometimes they're a little grumpy about it since there's a small possibility you didn't take good care of the wheel, but you shouldn't have too much trouble if you're polite. <S> tl;dr: Wheels should not wear out this fast, these should be replaced or repaired under warranty. <A> You've probably permanently deformed the rim by riding it with loose and broken spokes for so long. <S> When you get a wheel, you should check the wheel and make sure the spoke tension is set evenly and the wheel is true. <S> Did you buy the wheels at a bike shop? <S> If so, they should have taken the wheels out of the box (if not custom built) and checked the spoke tension and trued the wheel before they gave it to you. <S> If you got them off the internet, then that's up to you to do. <S> Usually, You can replace a single broken spoke. <S> When one spoke breaks, it affects the tension of the spokes near it and on the opposite side of the wheel as well. <S> If you had addressed the issue when you first noticed the broken spokes, your wheel would have probably been fine and just required some wheel truing. <S> However, not dealing with the issue properly probably killed the rim. <S> I'd probably recommend taking it to a shop and have them assess whether the wheel is worth trying to fix at this point. <S> It may not be able to be trued again, even after replacing the spoke if the rim is warped.
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If you notice the wheel go out of true, break spokes, or has loose spokes, you need to STOP riding on the wheel and have it trued before riding on it again, otherwise it will degrade rapidly. Spokes generally break when the spoke tension is not evenly distributed or by a sharp impact.
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Will using a pannier rack mounting kit damage a carbon frame Axiom vs Tubus I am hoping to buy one of these in the next few weeks: Specialized Roubaix SL4 Expert Disc Di2 2014 Road Bike But I will be using it for commuting and need some luggage so I need to fit a pannier rack (I'm going to ignore all the shouts of horror about using this bike for commuting or putting a rack on it). Initially I thought that this was not possible and I was looking at getting a custom Titanium frame made with the same components. I have now found a couple of options though. There is the Tubus set of pannier racks. I have used a Tubus rack before on a bike with no eyelets and it seemed to work very well. If I use the Tubus Clamp Set For Seat Stay Mounting and the Tubus Adapter Set For QR-Axle Mounting I think that'll work won't it? I am unsure if the rack will clear the disc brakes though... There is also the Axiom set of racks as shown in the video . They specifically make a rack for road bikes with disc brakes which sounds very promising. I can't see how the rack will attach to the frame at the top with no eyelets and no caliper brakes. I could use the Tubus Clamp set though (which I have on my current bike) So, Will mounting this to my bike damage the carbon frame?Any recommendations about which rack / mounting system I should go for? Thanks <Q> I would recommend getting a second bike for commuting. <S> It would also be foolish to leave it <S> locked outside a shop (in case you considered doing that). <S> Most likely you will void the warranty by using clamps on seat stays. <S> To get that low weight, carbon frames are strong only in certain directions and may be relatively weak in others. <A> Cool bike <S> but that is a race bike. <S> Look at the seat stay on the Roubaix. <S> That bike is not designed to take a load behind the seat. <S> Putting a rack on Roubaix is like putting a trailer hitch on a Ferrari - it has the horsepower <S> but it was not designed for the load. <S> If you are set on a race bike for commuting then consider a front rack. <S> Front fork is more beefy and can be replaced. <S> This is carbon fork with eyelets. <S> With panniers. <S> I know you are looking for a faster bike <S> but I have carried a case of wine on that bike many times and up front and <S> it rides fine. <S> A benefit of up front is you don't have the weight swinging behind you when you accelerate. <S> Down side is with bags attached it is hard to ride no hands. <S> It is hard to find a bike with eyelets that is not a full touring bike. <S> I also have a full touring bike (Vaya) and loaded it is great but with a light load it is stiff. <S> But you can find some faster bikes that are designed for light racks. <S> This is a titanium La Cruz. <S> Notice there are 4 eyelets. <S> Four points of contact makes a world of difference. <S> Not only is the Roubaix not designed for it but even with a light load the rack will swing. <A> You could change out the carbon seat post for an alloy seat post, to negate the issues of clamping on carbon and use a beam rack + bag such as a Topeak RX Beam Rack with various compatible Topeak bags.
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Consider a bike that is designed for a load. The Specialized Roubaix is a racing machine.
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How to relate wind chill, temperature, and cycling I'm interested in how wind chill and temperature come into play while cycling. If I rode on one day with the temperature at 15°F (-9°C), but the wind chill was 1F (-17°C), how would that relate to a day where the temperature is 10°F (-12°C) or 20°F (-6°C) with the same wind chill? <Q> Ok, let's start with wind chill. <S> The faster the wind, the more chill <S> Wind Chill chart from the National Weather Service <S> Read along the top for the temperature without wind, then down for wind chill at different speeds. <S> So, for example, at 15 degrees <S> Fahrenheit (-9°C) <S> in a 15mph (6.7 m/s) wind, effective temperature is 0 degrees <S> Fahrenheit <S> (-18°C). <S> (chilly!) <S> That chart only works up to 40 degrees F (4°C), but it gives the idea! <S> This Wind chill Calculator allows you to put in any value, and speed of air <S> Of course, that's if you're standing still. <S> If you're cycling you almost always have a headwind, <S> Here is a link to a page with masses of detailed information about headwinds. <S> The faster you go, the faster the effective windspeed, and the lower the temperature felt. <S> This can be really helpful on a hot summer day, or really chilly in a cold winter! <S> When cycling you have to take this into account - in the winter, layer up (and find a wind proof jacket if possible.) <S> In the summer, it means that you can actually go up that big hill without totally overheating! <S> I remember one hot day, on a steep incline, I rounded a bend, and came straight into the lee (wind shielded) <S> side of the hill - in seconds <S> I was feeling way too hot, without the cooling breeze. <A> A wind chill of 1 is a wind chill of 1, regardless of the air temperature you start with ( Granted, to make matters more complex, there's not really a standard for calculating wind chill ). <S> The wind chill you experience personally while on your bicycle depends entirely on your speed / the wind speed, and your direction vs wind direction, and <S> those variables are typically changing constantly and often on a bicycle. <S> If you are traveling at the same speed and direction as the wind, then you won't experience a wind chill. <S> If you go for a ride on a particularly windy day, the best thing you can do is bring the appropriate extra clothes you'll need to make yourself warmer or colder. <A> I live in a very cold, very windy place, and I ride all year. <S> In my experience, wind chill as provided by weather reports is not very useful when biking, because it assumes you're stationary (or walking). <S> It's much more useful to know the temperature and the wind speed and direction, and have some experience to judge what that means to you. <S> If the wind is 15 MPH, but you're going to be traveling directly with it or against it, then the wind chill as quoted by the weather report is not going to mean much, is it? <S> First of all, dress such that there is a minimum of exposed skin. <S> The wind is far less of a factor when you have a good windproof outer layer, after which you can focus on the air temperature. <S> This winter I tried using a raincoat as my outer layer, and it has been remarkably effective because it completely blocks the wind even though it is not insulating at all. <S> Wear whatever sorts of googles, hats, balaclava, etc. <S> to block the wind but still be able to see and breathe. <S> Second, wear layers so you can adjust how much insulation you have. <S> With experience, you will just pick the right layers for the ride and weather. <S> If it's going to be windy <S> (maybe like 20+ MPH, where I live <S> it's almost always at least 10 MPH), I'll think about an extra layer, the warmer gloves, etc. <S> One thing that the wind definitely influences is my choice of eyewear. <S> If it's really windy <S> and/or really cold, I'll wear ski goggles, otherwise maybe I'll just wear sunglasses or nothing. <S> Of course it's easy to just bring such things along no matter what, and use them if necessary. <A> Wind speed to temp table: 9 km/h <S> 18 km <S> /h 27 km <S> /h 37 km <S> /h <S> 46 km <S> /h <S> 55 km/h 65 km <S> /h <S> 74 km/h 83 km <S> /h-29° <S> C -32 <S> °C -43 <S> ° <S> C -50 <S> °C -55 <S> °C -58 <S> °C -61 <S> °C -63 <S> °C -64 <S> °C -65 <S> ° <S> C-26°C -29 <S> °C -40° <S> C -46 <S> °C -51 <S> ° <S> C -54 <S> ° <S> C -57 <S> °C -59 <S> °C -60 <S> ° <S> C -61 <S> ° <S> C-23° <S> C -26 <S> °C -36 <S> ° <S> C -42 <S> °C <S> -47 <S> ° <S> C -50 <S> °C -53 <S> ° <S> C -55 <S> ° <S> C -56°C -56°C-20° <S> C -23 <S> °C -32 <S> ° <S> C -38° <S> C -43 <S> °C -46 <S> °C -49 <S> °C -50 <S> °C -51 <S> °C -52 <S> ° <S> C-18° <S> C -20 <S> °C -30 <S> ° <S> C -35° <S> C -39 <S> °C -42 <S> °C <S> -45 <S> ° <S> C -46 <S> °C <S> -47 <S> °C -47 <S> ° <S> C-15°C <S> -17 <S> °C -26 <S> ° <S> C -31 <S> ° <S> C -35° <S> C -37 <S> °C -40 <S> °C -41 <S> °C -43 <S> ° <S> C -43° <S> C-12°C -14 <S> °C -22 <S> °C -27 <S> ° <S> C -31 <S> °C -34 <S> ° <S> C -36 <S> ° <S> C -37 <S> °C -38 <S> °C -39 <S> °C -9°C -11 <S> °C -16 <S> °C -23 <S> ° <S> C -27 <S> ° <S> C -30°C -31 <S> °C -32 <S> °C -34 <S> °C -34 <S> °C -7 <S> °C -8 <S> ° <S> C -16 <S> °C -20 <S> °C -23 <S> ° <S> C -26 <S> °C -28 <S> °C -28 <S> °C -29 <S> °C -30 <S> °C -4 <S> °C -5 <S> ° <S> C <S> -12 <S> ° <S> C -16 <S> °C -19 <S> °C -21°C -23 <S> ° <S> C -24 <S> ° <S> C -25° <S> C -25°C -1°C -2 <S> °C -8 <S> ° <S> C -12 <S> °C -15 <S> °C -17 <S> ° <S> C -19 <S> °C -20 <S> °C -20 <S> °C -21 <S> ° <S> C 2 <S> °C 0° <S> C -5 <S> °C -8 <S> °C -11 <S> ° <S> C -13 <S> °C -14 <S> °C -15 <S> °C -16 <S> °C -17 <S> ° <S> C 4°C 3°C -3 <S> °C -5 <S> °C -7 <S> ° <S> C -9 <S> °C -10 <S> °C -11 <S> °C -11 <S> ° <S> C <S> -12 <S> ° <S> C 7 <S> °C 6 <S> ° <S> C 1 <S> °C -1 <S> °C -3 <S> °C -5 <S> ° <S> C -6 <S> ° <S> C -6°C -7 <S> °C -8 <S> °C 10 <S> °C 7 <S> °C 2 <S> °C 1 <S> °C -1 <S> °C -2 <S> °C -3 <S> °C -4 <S> °C -4 <S> °C -5 <S> ° <S> C Print it <S> and you will always know what to put on.
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I think it will help the most to simply having a better understanding of wind chill .
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Camera alternatives for commuting (2014 version) After a few near misses by cars and two mates actually being hit I want to start using a camera for taping video footage . These are my requirements: Long battery life (3h+) Inconspicuous (absolutely no fancy GoPro-stuff on top of my helmet) Small & lightweight Reasonably priced (< 200AUS / 150EUR / 200US) Reasonable easy to use (with gloves, in the rain, ...) Good enough quality / angle for footage, but no further HD++ requirements Stylish I'm aware of these questions ( Recommendations for inconspicuous helmet-mounted video camera , What is a good camera arrangement for city riding? ) from 2010 & 2012, but with camera technology advancing rapidly, most recommendations and discussions are outdated as of 2014. I thought about adding to them, but think starting from a clean slate it beneficial for everyone. After a lot of internet research I think I boiled it down to a handlebar-based setup with one of following cameras (for people with a larger budget, this looks like an interesting comparison of mostly more expensive models): Tachion MicroHD : 1: 2.5h - 3: 96g - 4: 200US - 6: HD/125° - 7: :( Liquid Image Ego : 1: 2.0h - 3: 70g - 4: 200US - 6: HD/135° - 7: :/ DogCam HD2 : 1: 1.5h - 3: 62g - 4: 250AUS - 6: HD/135° - 7: :) Contour Roam2 : 1: 2.5h - 3: 144g - 4: 275AUS - 6: HD/170° - 7: :) Contour +2 : 1: ???h - 3: 155g - 4: 450AUS - 6: HD/170° - 7: :) Polaroid XS 100 (identical to cheaper Easypix xtasy ?): 1: 3.0h - 3: 136g - 4: 170AUS - 6: HD/170° - 7: :/ Kaiser Baas X80 Action Cam 1: 2.5h - 3: ???g - 4: 150AUS - 6: HD/???° - 7: :/ To finally come to my questions: Does anyone have experience in that problem domain / with one these models ? know about further alternatives ? Will try to update the question with further information... <Q> A few years ago we bought a pile of the sub-$20 "mini dv" <S> cams off ebay and they work fine as safety cams. <S> Finding a waterproof enclosure is effectively impossible, so I used a plastic bag. <S> At ~$10 each losing one is no the end of the world. <S> Sample video: vimeo.com/15050277 . <S> If you're experimenting, buying a couple of those might be a worthwhile start to see how much hassle they are and how much use you get out of the camera. <S> (I no longer bother, but then I ride to Cooks River cycleway every day and only ~5km of actual roads) <S> One thing that I've become more aware of/irritated by recently is the difference between 60fps and slower frame rates. <S> For a safety cam 15fps is fine, but if you want to use the video for anything, 30fps is hard to watch. <S> And a lot of the 1080p cameras don't even do 720p60. <S> So if you're going to spend $200+ on an "HD" camera, try to get one that does a decent frame rate. <S> That way when you start playing with the video you wan't get too grumpy. <S> If you shoot at 1080p60 you can usually get software-stabilised 720p60 out of it, or you can pay a bit extra and get the stabilised Sony action cam instead. <A> I use one of <S> these for kayaking <S> - I didn't want a gopro sticking out of the top of my helmet and snagging in trees, and I didn't want to spend a lot. <S> It has a handlebar mount <S> but I haven't tried it. <S> The battery life seems decent but it appears (and this may be an issue with more expensive models as well) to run down faster than I would like when switched "off". <S> Check <S> that you get some form of quick release method unless you're taking the bike right in to a secure location - some of the good quality ones I've seen are fiddly to remove. <S> Also check that it's simple to operate and flexible to get the data off - e.g. SD card rather than internal storage only. <S> It looks like there are more cheap options now than when I bought mine. <A> As my commute involves off road/on road, I only record the road elements. <S> So although the battery lasts about 2/2.5hours, I can record almost an entire week (10hours) of rides on 1 battery/memory card. <S> Good tip: <S> At the end of each bit of recording, I record my hand with 1/2/3/4 fingers to show how many incidents are within that clip. <S> If it's zero, then I make a simple fist <S> so when I could to review the footage, I don't spend hours watching. <A> Rideye is coming out with a camera specifically designed as a bicycle black box: http://www.rideye.com/ <S> In your format: <S> 1: <S> 15hr - 3. <S> No weight listed - 4. <S> $149US - 6. <S> 1080p/170 <S> ° - 7: <S> :) <S> It's not out yet, but at least spec-wise <S> it seems like a winner. <S> It's Kickstarted and a bit delayed, but I'm considering getting one when it's actually for sale. <A> For me a decent commuting camera is Drift Stealth 2 . <S> It's small and light and doesn't distract you when you ride, has long battery life (about 3 hours) and can record footage in a continuous loop, <S> so you will never lack memory to keep a video. <S> And it's cheap.
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I use a contour roam 2 & found the on/off button brilliant, can use with any gloves.
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if my height is 5'9" what mtb should I buy? I am rookie and I want to know about mountain bike and want to know that if my height is 5.9 which mountain bike works for me. So guys please help to know about mountain bike. <Q> This is impossible to determine via the internet - the fit of a bike depends on inseam, arm length, and a multitude of other physical measurements as well as personal preference and the type of bike (there are large variations in types of mountain bikes even) and riding style. <S> Read this article and this article for more details on what goes into bike fitting. <S> Note that its really more of an art than a science. <A> You need to have a bike pro fit you, but you have some options. <S> Test ride:drive some around in the parking lot to get a feel for the bike. <S> A good shop will work with you and not just try to take your money. <S> Demo a bike: find a dealer that will let you demo a bike - that is actually take a bike (or 2) on your local trails to ride. <S> See this video by REI on bike fit: <S> http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/bike-fit.html <S> I'm 5'10 and was riding medium for a longtime, the last bike I purchased (a 29er) <S> , I actually felt much more comfortable on the large frame . <S> This goes against conventional wisdom that says you might want a slightly smaller frame on a 29er. <S> With that being said, the bike geometry can be different depending on the bike, which will require different seat height and stem lenght (to name a couple) just to make you feel comfortable. <S> Go in to a local shop and ask lots of questions. <S> Also, you may be tempted to buy online to save a couple hundred dollars. <S> Honestly, having the option to go into the shop you bought is so much better, they usually work with you and will give you a free tune up. <S> My local shop is awesome! <A> You most probably need a medium but that can depend on the brand and riding style. <S> For example my previous 2 MTBs (trek, commencal) where medium but my current one (canyon) is small. <S> Have a go at canyon's interactive tool: http://www.canyon.com/_en/tools/pps.html <A> Go to a bike shop and try them out. <S> I'm 5'9" and usually ride a 'medium' in surly sizes, which is about 16-18 top tube. <S> However, your body proportions are likely a bit different, so the only way is to ride a few and get a feel. <S> Keep in mind, what feels good cruising on the road, might be different from what feels good on singletrack. <S> What you really want to do is find a bike that has the right sized frame that fits well and refine the fit from there. <S> You can always swap out your stem and adjust your seatpost to get the fit right. <S> After having a couple bike fits done, I recommend finding a bike shop that can do a fit for you (a lot of shops might consider giving you a discount fit if you're buying the bike from them). <S> It's not mandatory, but it can yeild big improvements in some cases. <S> I don't even know how long I rode on my cross bike with a stem that was too long and caused pain in my wrists and discomfort in my back. <S> Fitting a bit different than the technique for road bikes. <S> Here's a good guide to bike fit suited for mountain bikes that will give you a bit more info for details of a good fit. <S> http://www.bikeradar.com/us/gear/article/technique-perfect-mountain-bike-fit-29498/
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Go to your local bike shop and ask for a bike fit and try out lots of bikes in realistic riding conditions and find one that works for you.
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Can Shimano 600 front derailleur handle 3 chain wheels? I have a 48-38-28 chainwheel and I wonder if Shimano 600EX Arabesque has enough leeway to accommodate it. If you know another derailleur from the same era that could do it that would be also useful to me. <Q> Usually racing front derailleurs like an arabesque will not allow the extra tolerance for a third ring. <S> With that being said, the only way to know for sure is to try it. <S> One thing to keep in mind is that the spindle length on your bottom bracket affects this as well. <S> To try it, just throw the crank and fd on. <S> Take some bare cable and attach to the fd so that you can pull it with your hand. <S> Take the two limit screws all the way out and manually induce pull so that the cage moves all the way out, to check for the large ring. <S> Then just see if letting go all the way will shift back down into the small ring. <S> Generally, I'd say it won't work... <S> trust me <S> , I've thought of the same thing before. <S> I always end up finding another 28.6mm clamp fd that was meant to support three rings. <A> A road triple will work. <S> I run a shimano 600 arabesque drive train, chainrings 52-45-38 .28-13 7 speed cassette,double front der,short cage rear der.to make it work I use a 117.5x68 bb spindle and set the chainline up using the middle chainring and the middle cassette cog this setup works very nicely in the coast mtns where I live. <S> When I ride in the Sierra mtns I switch the cassette to a 32-14 7 speed with a long cage rear der. <S> I limit the cassette setup to a 7 speed as any more cogs on the rear you are limited in gear selection by chain crossover. <A> Normally, it doesn't <S> but there are some rare pieces that do support three wheels. <S> I just bought one (Shimano 600 Arabesque) <S> , I haven't installed it yet, but it seems to fit. <S> Thanks to Booker for his input.
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While your derailleur may have the extra tolerance to fudge it in some cases, if your spindle is longer than shorter, then it may push your crank too far out for your fd to reach, even with the limit screws taken completely out.
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Does 1.2cm of additional frame stack make a large difference to the ride of a bike? I don't like the amount of handlebar drop on my current road bike. I am looking at a new bike that has an additional 1.2cm of frame stack (height). Would this 1.2cm make much difference in the ride of the bike? <Q> I've found that the most critical measurement in a frame is the Effective Top Tube. <S> If that is "right" for you then with enough bodging you can get the handlebars in the right place. <S> For a road bike that means a stem in roughly the 90-120cm range for most people. <S> If you aren't over 6 feet and you find you need a stem outside that range, then I would seriously consider a new frame. <S> My advice is to spend some time and money on the current bike to find out where the right place is. <S> You might end up with an ugly heavy bodge based on a stem extender , but then you will know exactly what you need in the next bike. <S> If the stem extender works, then you might just need a new fork with an uncut steerer so you can get the stack height you want. <S> Forks with carbon steerers have a stack height limit, but even there most bikes come out of the shop with the steerer cut at the minimum rather than the maximum. <S> ( Because it looks better on the shop room floor that way... ) <A> Sure! <S> Especially on the long distances. <A> Small changes can certainly make a big difference... <S> but it may not or there may be other things you can change. <S> As such, buying a new bike to make this sort of adjustment seems like overkill. <S> You can swap the stem, handlebars, add spacers, adjust the angle of the handlebar, and so on.
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My own personal experience is that small changes can make a big difference, but you should be able to get the bars 1.2 cm higher a lot cheaper than a new frame. If you have a bike a little big or small for your stature, you can try to adjust the seat or you can also try a stem of the handlebar with a different lenght
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Are bikes more prone to punctures after a spell of rainfall/flooding? We've had an unusually wet winter and flooding has been a problem in my area. Now that the weather has improved and cycling is possible/pleasurable again I'm finding I'm getting many more punctures than I would normally. The kids too, on their bikes. Is this just a run of bad luck or is there a connection with the wet winter? Has the flooding washed more debris onto the road? Perhaps this is a well known problem but I haven't noticed it before. <Q> The wet tyres are also easier to damage (couldn't find out why <S> but I guess because it softens the rubber) <S> Source: Bicycle by Helen Pidd <A> When the tires are wet the debris sticks to it. <S> A lot gets thrown off as the wheel rotates but any that is sharp and that survives one turn of the wheel gets hammered in when it hits the road. <S> As @mattnz said, the water also lubricates the sharp object as it goes in. <S> In another answer, I have recommended to brush your tires , but that it not really feasible in the wet because the debris is mostly invisible. <A> It is possible. <S> But also mind that your tires are perhaps more worn down than a year ago and/or they are not sufficiently pumped up (or whatever it is called in english)? <S> A good new tire with 2-6 Bar (or 6-9 Bar with racing-bikes) of air pressure has less chance of being punctured than an older tire or an tire with less than 2 bar of air pressure.
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Yes, it's because the rain washes more debris onto the road which can then cause punctures.
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Regulations regarding Braking redundancy on single speed bikes. Recently there have been an increase in the number of fixed gear bikes in my (U.S.) city. Increasingly they tend to have one or zero brake levers, justified by their ability to stop with pedal power alone. Even more recently, I've noticed even larger numbers of single speed (non-fixed gear) bikes --- outnumbering the fixed gear bikes. And they often have only a single brake lever (for simplicity or fashion?). I understand the justification for having only a single brake on the fixed gear bikes because their braking redundancy lies within the drivetrain. I do not understand why this is acceptable on single speed bikes. Is there something I am missing or is that indeed ridiculously dangerous? Are manufacturers allowed to sell bicycles with non-redundant brakes? Is this regulated in the U.S. or anywhere else? This seems like a recipe for disaster (having experienced brake failure on my bike). <Q> No, you're not missing something, it is unsafe to have less than two brakes. <S> If you only have one brake and it fails, you're going to have a bad time. <S> Mostly, it's just cool to have one brake, or even zero lever brakes on your fixie. <S> This style is probably just bleeding over into single speed bikes as well. <S> The law in most states here in the U.S. only requires you to have one brake, and even still there are some rebellious people that challenge how the law defines a brake and how many you should have. <S> There have been court cases in my town that have tried to define whether or not a fixed gear system counts as the one brake, but the judge usually wins these arguments. <S> Many European countries require road-going bikes to have a brake on each wheel. <S> Manufacturers that sell bikes with only one brake could very well be at risk of being entangled in a legal battle if someone is injured when that one brake fails. <A> Interestingly enough, in Ontario <S> you technically are only required to have 1 brake, and as far as it states on the MTO site, it must be on the rear wheel. <S> I couldn't find any reliable information about whether a fixed gear drive train qualifies as a rear wheel braking system. <S> It does fit the criteria of <S> When you put on the brakes, you should be able to skid on dry, level pavement , providing you have strong enough legs and the right gearing. <S> I think only requiring 1 brake is done so that you can have children's bikes with only a coaster brake. <S> Of course you could have a coaster brake and a front hand brake, but most kids lack the hand strength to use them anyway, so they turn out to be pointless. <S> On my fixie I have both front and rear brakes. <S> The gearing is high enough that I don't feel that I can stop the bike in a short enough distance without brakes. <S> I would recommend that you have at least 1 brake, for redundancies sake. <A> Bike regulations are typically regional things in the US (and I suspect in other countries as well). <S> Also, it is hard if not impossible to enforce these regulations on bikes (and are typically far less serious than car / truck enforcement), since its trivial to take the brake levers and what not off at home. <S> From my perspective, it is indeed ridiculously dangerous - even on a fixie, your legs may be too weak to stop using just the drive train, or you may need to do an emergency stop which would be quicker if you used another brake like a front brake or just run out of skill one day. <S> With a single speed non-fixie (i.e. freewheeling is allowed), you don't have a way to stop other than your feet (or face) <S> if you don't have at least one brake. <S> On a fixie however, the resisting of pedaling does make a rear brake considerably less useful than a front brake. <S> As for the requirement of only a rear brake, the front brake is often viewed as a dangerous brake by most people who haven't cycled a decent amount, because they believe it will lock up the front wheel automatically and send you flying over the handlebars. <S> Hence, the requirement being on the rear. <S> The fact that it works for little kids bikes with coaster brakes as well is mostly a convenience. <S> The main thing is that it looks "cool" to have no brakes, ride your bike with no handlebars, etc. <S> If they plow into someone else or hurt themselves because of it, its not really skin off my back (much like if they get hit by cars for riding at night with only reflectors). <S> Theres only so much you can do to protect people from themselves, especially with something that can be so easily tweaked at home like a bicycle for this purpose. <S> As for people manufacturing bikes (for road use) with only one brake, I think bikesdirect sells some that way. <S> The only bikes which should have no brakes on them are possibly those used in a velodrome (i.e. track bicycles which are actually used ONLY on a track). <S> [Here, it is actually dangerous to have brakes.] <A> In the UK, bikes operated on public roads must have two independent braking systems, one for each wheel, in "efficient working order". <A> In the Netherlands , a very common type of bike is single speed with just a coaster brake. <S> I haven't looked up the law regarding bike brakes, but it is common enough that I can't imagine it being illegal. <S> Having looked it up, the law states (in Dutch) that Bikes should have a properly functioning brake. <S> Bikes with nothing but rim brakes have to have two properly functioning separate brakes, that brake both wheels. <S> It goes on to say that this is to be inspected visually.
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Fixed gearing counts as a braking system, so a fixie is only required to have a front brake, but a single-speed with only one brake (or a bike with only a rear coaster brake) would not meet the regulations .
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Why do full suspension bikes seem to be on average £1000 more expensive than hardtails? I was just looking at the new On One Codeine full suss mountain bike and 45650B hardtail (£2599 vs £899) respectively. However, what is the great difference apart from the shock? A fox rear shock goes for about £300 max. What causes the giant price difference? <Q> I don't think you are matching like for like and actually the price differential is quite small. <S> The only fair way to compare two bikes is by looking at the frame only price. <S> In this case I've been unable to find the frame only price for the Codeine (SingleTrack forum suggested £599 with Monarch R vs £225 for 456) so have used Santa Cruz instead: <S> The frame only price for: <S> The hardtail Highball is $750USD RRP <S> The full suspension Superlight 29 is $1,099USD RRP with a Fox CTD <S> Both are XC bikes, 29" and alloy. <S> So the price difference between the two bikes is $349, this would include: the shock the pivot bearings bolts etc additional welds for the FS additional strengthening for the FS more complex manufacturing of the pivots additional design costs <S> There are other factors that influence the price of a complete bike that may explain the difference between the 456 and the Codeine. <S> The £899 45650B is an intermediate level specification whilst everything I have seen on the Codeine <S> indicate it will have a high performance build. <S> The differences from what I've seen include: <S> the 45650B has a Deore groupset, a XT or X9 groupset would be £300 cheaper but the Codeine prototype had an XX1 groupset which would be at least £500 more. <S> the Codeine may come with a dropper post which would be £200 more. <S> the 45650B has a Sektor fork vs the Revelation on the Codeine which would be £100 - £200 Comparing the two bikes side by side there would be more examples where the specification levels are different and would justify additional costs (brakes, wheels, tyres, bars, saddle etc.). <A> That's like comparing apples to oranges, every model of bike is unique and comes with different components. <S> Components are going to account for big ranges in price. <S> That said, generally, full suspension frames are more complex, require more parts, and are more costly to design and manufacture. <S> http://www.bikeexchange.com.au/article/frames-mountain-bike <A> because: it has a shock <S> it has pivots <S> it has extra parts (e.g shock rocker) <S> it sometimes has carbon chainstays <S> it sometimes has internal cable routing ports to deal with moving cables <S> it cannot aford to we heavy, so it has to be as light as possible <S> it needs to withstand lateral flex <S> it has a lot of technology and r&d in order to sometimes custom tune <S> the shock for the specific leverage ratio of the frame address pedaling bob increase pedaling efficiency minimize brake jack provide easy maintenance features (pivot grease ports, bushings vs bearings etc) properly place the water bottle (some frames don't have room for one) <S> it aims customers who are willing to pay more sometimes companies have to pay for the linkage design to the patent owner. <S> For example frames with "Split Pivot rear suspension" (e.g http://www.devinci.com/ ) pay money to mr Dave Weagle
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There are a lot of variables to consider here, you can't really compare two bikes and declare that all full suspension bikes are £1000 more. A full suspension frame is in all respects more complex (thus expensive)
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Sunglasses for cycling - what features to look for? I need some new sunglasses for cycling - what features will actually be helpful - I've seen ones with vents, polarized lens, rubberised frame, replaceable lens . I just need the best value model that looks good. <Q> Definitely something plastic, as that's going to be both safer and lighter than glass. <S> I'd look for something that was polarizing, as that will reduce glare, and <S> something that offers UV protection. <S> You also should be aware that different colour lenses suit different light conditions, so you might need to make a decision based upon when you normally ride. <S> Here's a colour chart <S> I found a couple of years ago, to give you an idea. <S> As for replaceable lenses, they're a great idea but make sure you have an idea of the costs involved first. <S> I got some glasses a couple of years ago and found that the cost of the spare lenses was disproportionate to the cost of the glasses themselves. <S> (But still cheaper than 2 pairs of glasses.) <S> Another thing would be fit. <S> You don't want them moving around as you cycle - I made the mistake once of buying some nice glasses mail order, when they arrived they were too loose on my head. <S> Lastly, if you come the the same conclusion as I did about using clear lenses, consider safety glasses such as these . <S> They hit the same quality standards as bike glasses but are a fraction of the price. <S> They are more fragile than cycling glasses but if I go through three pairs a year, its still cheaper. <S> Aside from that, how much do you want to spend? <S> The pros seem to ride Oakley Radarlocks at the moment but, for what they are, the price is staggering. <A> I prefer yellow lenses to clear, for night riding. <S> I was very annoyed when Serfas changed their Hunter lens shape without renaming. <S> When I bought a second pair online the new lenses come further down my face and make enough of a seal that the lens fogs until I have some airflow. <S> This is a safety issue - if I'm riding hard in cold weather and stop at lights I have to lift my glasses to see clearly. <S> Here in Perth, Western Australia, I use a rose lens for the part of the year where I'm riding in mixed light in the morning. <S> I dislike changing lenses frequently so have used two pairs of glasses in the past - keeping my yellow ones for night or early-morning commute and a much darker pair for afternoon ride home. <A> A stupid owner of a bike shop said to me, "See these glasses - they cost $300 a pair and they weigh XX grams. <S> " <S> I said holding up my glasses, "See these, they are industrial safety glasses, they protect my eyes from ultraviolet, stones from cars and trucks, everyone stocks them, they are nearly impossible to break and they cost $7 a pair." <S> This was my way of inferring that can have excellent eye protection in clear and tinted <S> and I don't look like a wanker who has more money than brains. <A> From my experience, you need to make sure that the top rims of the glasses above the lenses don't get in your line of sight while you have your head pointed downward <S> otherwise you'll suffer neck ache from craning your neck upwards to see out of your glasses. <S> I found that was the case with non-cycling specific glasses <S> but my Shimano's are just fine. <S> Worth keeping in mind as it's not obvious <S> and nobody seems to talk about it.
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I note that you live in London - I'm in the UK too and given our frequently poor light conditions, for the majority of the year I ride with clear (but high contrast) lenses. Another important aspect of fit is if they are too tight a seal around your cheekbones then they will tend to fog.
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Solar charger for iPhone whilst on a bike tour - is it worth it? Are there any feasible solar chargers for iPhone / or with a usb slot that will work or is a backup battery available. Best value (and something that works) is my priority. I found this brilliant link on crazy guy on a bike- http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?doc_id=9258 However, since then I came accross 'portopow' http://www.portablepowersupplies.co.uk/ - which look great but I can barely find any reviews. <Q> I have actually used both 2 different sized solar panels and a lithium backup battery on Ragbrai. <S> Whether any of these will work for you depends on: <S> How many days long is your ride? <S> How sunny will it be and how much time will you have to do a solar charge? <S> How many devices you need to charge. <S> For solar charging. <S> The first lesson is you can not charge your device with a solar panel while you are riding . <S> Solar panels need to be pointed directly at the sun to provide any kind of real power. <S> The little solar chargers you see advertised are utterly useless. <S> They might charge a phone if they were pointed directly at the sun for an entire day (15 hours) . <S> The larger solar charger I have is 14" x 12" with an adjustable mount <S> so you can keep it aimed at the sun. <S> I could recharge my phone (when off) in 4 - 5 hours. <S> Small charger <S> (useless) 10 watt panel (works) <S> What worked the best was a large backup battery. <S> They are not physically large- just large capacity. <S> (15,000mAh or more). <S> I used this for an entire Ragbrai. <S> It charged my phone once a day for 9 days with power to spare. <S> Note you turn your phone off at night, plug it into the charger, and the charger automatically turns off when the phone is charged. <S> The phone saves power by being off all night. <S> Wake up, turn the phone on and it's good for the entire day and evening. <S> Sample 15,000mAh battery <S> You can fly with these batteries in your luggage and probably in your carry on luggage. <S> But the TSA often makes up its own rules on the fly and might decide to confiscate one in your carry on. <S> I would keep it in checked bags. <S> TSA rules Note that it takes about 2 full days to charge one of these batteries. <S> You should probably test charging all your devices at home to see whether you can make it on your trip. <S> You do not want to puncture it or expose it to high heat. <S> If all that information is confusing, I only take my backup battery on Ragbrai now. <A> Check out GoalZero , they make a bunch of portable solar products. <S> While it's a little bit pricy they are quality products that will last. <S> My buddy uses one when we are gone racing and have no access to electricity, and it works quite well for phones and other small electronics. <S> I have also seen, but don't really know much about, people putting these on their hydration pack while they ride (just don't crash). <A> If you're going to be camping each night, try the biolite camp stove. <S> I haven't found anything that can charge my iPhone faster <S> and it's relatively cheap, much cheaper than a good solar charger. <S> http://www.biolitestove.com/campstove/camp-overview/features/ <A> To weigh in my experience, I did the US Southern Tier last summer and did not need solar chargers. <S> I did consider them, though. <S> My requirements were to keep my Nexus4 on 24x7, while GPS tracking my route. <S> This is a pretty power intensive application, and I was able to do it by just buying a big 15,000mAh backup battery and charging it whenever I had access to power. <S> I could go for about 4 day in between without any power before I had to plug in, and even going through the desert <S> this was not a problem. <S> YMMV.
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At the time of this posting, the solar chargers out there aren't very robust, unless money isn't a factor. You also need to remember that your battery is just as dangerous as an equivalent sized container of gasoline.
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Specialized bike store or general sports shop I plan to buy a new bicycle. Is it better to buy it at a specialized bike store or at a general sports shop? In case it matters, I live in Vienna, Austria. I know very little about bicycles in general. The bicycle is intended to be used in the city to get me to and from work, and so does not need to be fancy or sophisticated at all. Better can mean cheaper, better quality, more reliable, more likely to find what I need, and/or other aspects that may be relevant. <Q> I'm not sure about Austria, but here in the UK <S> many general sports shops are no more than outlets for Nike and Adidas clothing. <S> If you are someone who knows very little about bikes, I'd suggest that this would be riskier than going to a specialised bike shop. <S> The only thing that would possibly make the general sports shop more attractive would be price. <S> But you live in a capital city, so surely there are enough outlets to keep prices competitive? <S> People also place value in building a relationship with their lbs - this may or may not be important to you, but certainly it can't harm. <S> If you are tempted to go to a general store, for price or any other reason, maybe you should at least apply some due diligence. <S> What should you do if there's an aftersale problem? <S> What do they offer when its time for a service? <S> for example. <S> Some "general sports shops" (such as Decathlon, do you have them?) <S> will also have in-store bike mechanics, which would at the very least give you some confidence that they are able to maintain what they sell. <A> I concur with PeteH's answer, with the caveat that local bike cultures, and certainly individual bike shops, can sometimes skew heavily in the direction of a specific kind of riding or a specific kind of rider... who may not be you. <S> So it's completely fine to walk out of a local bike shop that treats you like something you'd scrape off the bottom of your shoe, and also completely fine to go to a larger store if that's where they'll actually listen to you and honestly try to help. <S> One way to find the right place to shop is to ask a rider you know who does the same sort of riding you want to do <S> where s/he buys gear locally. <S> I don't know any cyclist who would refuse to answer! <A> A specialized bike shop is a good idea, but so are bike co-ops and related things. <S> A dealer who specializes in used bikes is a good bet as well - it will be cheaper probably and they will probably have a selection of good commuters.
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So I would say that if prices are similar between general shops and bike shops, then its a no-brainer to pick the bike shop because they'll (likely) have a higher level of expertise, in terms of listening to your requirements and proposing a suitable bike.
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Should my foot be able to step flat on the ground, when I sit on a bike seat? I was wondering, for a correctly sized mountain bike, or hybrid, should I be able to place my foot flat on the ground, when I sit on the bike seat? <Q> For a standard bike in normal use you should not, from the seat, be able to touch the ground (without leaning, or except, perhaps, on extreme tip-toe). <S> A standard diamond frame (with horizontal top bar), for road use, should be sized so that you can stand flat-footed over the top bar with a "comfortable" margin (but no more) between the bar and the stuff above the bar. <S> (A bike used off-road will generally be a bit more compact, and, of course, the top bar is often not horizontal.) <S> The seat should be positioned so that your leg is almost fully extended at the bottom of the stroke (the knee should not go perfectly straight). <S> One way to fit the seat height is to have someone hold the bike while you pedal backwards with your heels on the pedals. <S> With your heels on the pedals the knees should go perfectly straight at the bottom of the stroke, but with no need to rock side-to-side to maintain contact with the pedals. <S> (Once you switch to using your toes on the pedals in a normal fashion the proper almost-straight leg extension is obtained.) <S> Off-road, and for stunt riding, generally the seat will be a bit lower, and some may find it convenient to lower the seat a bit for city riding. <S> But be aware that a too-low seat puts significant strain on the knees and can lead to knee injury (especially when combined with riding in a too-difficult gear). <A> Typically your feet should not be able to touch the ground flat when you're on the seat - it is a sign that your seat is too low (you may be able to touch the ground with your toes depending on your shoe size - I wear US 13 and this is possible for me). <S> See this link for some guidelines, but typically you get a good starting position either by experience or asking for a bike fit. <S> (which is why people do bike fits). <A> You should not be able to. <S> Generally you want your leg fully extended and your foot parallel to the ground at the bottom of your stroke. <S> One of the strategies to adjusting your saddle is that you ride for about 5 minutes, then raise your saddle about an inch. <S> According to Sheldon Brown, if your bike feels lighter and faster, then that's a good adjustment for you. <S> I raise it by inch or half inch increments, then when it feels like you're over reaching, lower it by only a quarter inch at a time. <S> Give yourself time to adjust. <A> Daniel already gave the right answer. <S> But I have one addition, which might be interesting: <S> There are actually bicycles, that are built placing your foot flat on the ground. <S> They are from a company called Electra and use patented Flat Foot Technology . <S> They are great for all around town riding.
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As others have mentioned, there are allowances to that rule to increase maneuverability, which comes with having a lower saddle, but if you can touch the ground flat footed, and your pedal is 15-30 cm off the ground at the bottom of your stroke, then you can't possibly have an efficient stroke, and you're hurting your knees in the process. Note that while saddle height is the "easiest" measurement you can setup, you also need to set the forwards/backwards position of the saddle, tilt, handlebar height and reach, etc.
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Transition between hybrid bike and endurance road bike What are the different skills I need to develop when transitioning between a hybrid bike and an endurance road bike? <Q> efficiently and comfortably for the type of riding you're doing. <S> Also, you should be more aware of road hazards, since most endurance road bikes have weaker wheels than a hybrid, to save weight - bunny hopping can be useful for this. <S> Also, if you're using clipless pedals (or clipped pedals) on the road bike and not on the hybrid, make sure to practice clipping in and out before you hit the road (unless you like your face hitting the ground...) <A> Having made this transition myself, you may need to get used to the following things. <S> Gear shifters . <S> The action will be unfamiliar, so you may need to think before a change, so try to change in advance of stops at junctions and avoid shifting whilst out of the saddle. <S> Body position , especially in the drops. <S> It can help to physically train so that your body can deal with this easily. <S> For example, try the plank . <S> As mentioned, bike fit can also help. <S> Handling . <S> An endurance bike often has a longer trail, meaning it it stable and holds its course well, but may be less manoeuvrable, especially at low speeds. <S> So take care in traffic. <S> Maintenance . <S> Make sure you understand how to adjust the brakes, etc and have appropriate spare parts which may be different from the hybrid. <A> Make sure you are properly fitted to the bike, and just ride it. <S> It does not have to be an elaborate formal fitting but a competent bike shop (or very knowledgable biking friend) <S> should look at your posture on the bike and adjust accordingly. <S> The best way to get used to a bike is to go out and ride it.
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You probably just have to get used to the geometry of the endurance road bike (since most hybrids are closer to MTB hardtail geometry), which can be helped with bike fit, so the drop bar and saddle are positioned in a way where you can use all the hand positions of the bike (hoods, drops, middle of the bar, sides, etc.)
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Best 9 speed cassette for fast & flat I have a road bike with a 26/11 9 speed SRAM rear cassette. I cycle in Cambridgeshire on a daily basis and it's very flat. I find that I never use the hardest cog, leave the chainring on the biggest cog and generally find that the jump between gears is a little too much. My chainring is a compact 50/34 110mm. Sometimes it gets very windy and I'm forced to have to change to the smaller chainring cog - I guess that means I don't want the big cassette cog to be any less than 26 or so. I'm not a fan of changing between my chainring cog much as it kind of changes everything. Ideally if it exists, I guess a 27/14 (do they exist?) or something similar would suit me better... not sure if 27/15 would cut my top speed down too much though.. I find with my current 28/12 I can get over 30mph without spinning out (with lots of room to play). I never go this fast unless I get an amazingly lucky tailwind :) There's no downhill here either! Basically I have no experience of different cassettes so any guidance from an experienced cyclist would be of great help. I'd like to avoid buying something stupid. ---- UPDATE ----In the end I replaced my 9 speed drivetrain with a tiagra 10 speed.. this was fairly involved as I needed quite a few new components: new shifters, cables, derailleur, cassette, also got new chainrings, crank arms, bottom bracket (and pedals as I just couldn't get them off!) One of my reasons for replacing all the old stuff was that it was worn, another was that I recently got a tax rebate! The 'feel' of this change is apparent and it does seem to help a bit.. however speed wise my new wheels made the biggest difference! <Q> My guess is that if you have 12-28, you might not have a Shimano 9 spd hub. <S> Generally Shimano road clusters top out at 27t. <S> That sounds more campy-like to me. <S> That's the first thing to figure out. <S> Shimano and SRAM clusters are interchangable, Campy are not. <S> If you have a shimano hub, it's very easy to build 'custom' cassettes with Shimano 9spd parts. <S> It's just not cheap. <S> If you've got the tools to remove the cassette, you can get an 14-25 http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/shimano-tiagra-hg50-9-speed-road-cassette/rp-prod387 and mix and match with your current cassette to get the gears you want. <S> It may be possible to do the same kind of mix/match with campy 9spd cogs, it's just more expensive. <S> You can get 14-28 campy cassettes. <S> http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=5047&category=40 <S> If you can find them, junior racing cassettes are a good solution. <S> Junior racers have gear limitations so they tend to have clustered but lower gears. <S> Currently they only seem to be available for 10 speed cassettes, but you can get 16-27cassettes. <S> If you poke around enough on the web, you can find small companies like IRD that will make all kinds of custom cassettes. <S> They aren't cheap though. http://interlocracing.com/cassettes_steel.html <A> The first thing to note is that depending on the range of the cassette, you may need a different derailleur. <S> Derailleurs come in different cages (short, medium and long - these are marked SS, GS, SGS respectively). <S> These set your chain wrap capacity (and usually tell you what the largest sprocket you can run in the back is), and you can use a longer cage derailleur with a larger cassette <S> (there is no harm in running a longer cage derailleur than you need, other than looking less cool). <S> Luckily, if your derailleur can't take a larger cog in the back, you can just drop in another derailleur from either the road or mountain group of the same manufacturer (for example, if you're running Shimano, you can put a nice Deore SGS 9 speed rear derailleur on if you need a larger cog in the back and your current can't take it). <S> As for the smallest cog in the back, most people don't use it. <S> It would be good if you specify what kind of spacing your current cassette has. <S> I think for most people who aren't racing, the spacing of cassette that comes on touring bikes is probably adequate (e.g. Shimano HG-50 11-32), and just dealing with it. <S> However, the spacing is probably too big for your liking. <S> Here is a list of cassettes - I think the "Harris Century Special" (a custom cassette) looks good, but it is pricey. <S> Also, Sheldon has a gearing calculator <S> so you can put in some cadence you try to maintain and see what kind of speeds you hit at that cadence - <S> the drop down has a set of standard cassettes. <S> As one of the comments says though, you may want to try changing your chainring spacing instead. <A> The simplest change you can make is to swap your big front ring for a smaller one. <S> If you currently have 34/50 on the front, change it to 34/44. <S> Your easiest gear on the big ring would go from 47 gear inches down to 42 (and the hardest from 110 to 97). <S> For the rear cassette... <S> It is compatible with SRAM 9 speed, and is available from Chain Reaction for less than $20 US. <S> (SRAM does not offer a comparable close-spaced cassette.) <S> If you pick the 14-25 cassette you will probably want to go much smaller with your big front ring, maybe 40 or 42 depending on how big a top gear you need. <S> I rode this cassette for a year with a 40t big ring (in my flat, windy area), and I never missed having bigger gears. <S> As always, Sheldon Brown's Gear Calculator is a great help in making these decisions. <S> One last note is that none of the changes above would force you to change your rear derailleur, although you would need to shorten your chain (or get a new one).
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If you want optimum gear choice for easy spinning, choose a rear cassette with close gear ratios, like the Shimano Tiagra 9-speed 14-25. If your front shifter is indexed it might not shift as quickly, but it should be OK because it will be a smaller difference between the two rings.
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Can I enter an enduro race on a hardtail mountain bike? I really like the idea of enduro racing but I cant currently afford an enduro specific bike.Is it acceptable to enter an enduro event on an aggressive XC/trail hardtail mountain bike? Are there any rules against it or would it not be recommended due to the terrain? <Q> The "Spirit of Enduro" is to include all riders, of all abilities, on all bikes. <S> Since there are guys who can ride crazy fast on a hardtail down a downhill trail, you can certainly ride yours in an Enduro race. <S> However, you might be putting yourself at a disadvantage compared to the pro's or if you are looking to be competitive. <S> That said, if you take a carbon-fiber XC race bike to an enduro race, crash, and break the frame, that's your own fault. <S> There is such a thing as having the right tool for the job. <S> Taking an AM hardtail with a more raked-out head angle and med/long travel fork would be the best thing. <S> There's also the trail itself and this can vary widly. <S> Within one race I rode trails that were fairly tame, but fast and flowy, to trails that were super steep and loose with a lot square edge rocks and whatnot. <S> An all around trail bike will be a happy medium here. <S> Plus, look at how much climbing you will be doing. <S> A 2 hour pedal to the race start on a mushy 150mm FR bike <S> isn't that fun <S> (trust me, I did it), where as on a hardtail you'll just think of it as a nice warmup! <A> Yes, no*, yes. <S> Enduro racing is a hybrid sport, but the timed aspects of it are almost all downhill. <S> As such, you're going to want a bike that can handle that the best, which would most likely be a full suspension frame. <S> There aren't any specific rules (yet) against hard tails, although a few events may dictate no hardtails for their race specifically. <S> One thing that I would consider essential is an adjustable seatpost with a remote, to lower your seat for downhill sections. <S> This would be both for comfort and safety, as well as the speed of not having to climb off, lower/raise seat, get back on and go. <S> I don't know if you currently have a bike, or are shopping, but the newer rear shocks are designed to help with pedaling, especially on uphill sections without needing a lockout, so even if a majority of your pedaling is on easy trails, it won't hurt to have a full suspension for everyday use, and then be able to use it for enduro as well. <S> Added: <A> I've raced several Super D events on an aggressive hardtail and did just fine. <S> I'm usually middle of the road on my time, of course these are not pro races. <S> I'm doing several more Super D and Enduro races this spring and summer, I say have a blast on the hardtail!!!
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So, yes, you can probably use a hardtail for enduro, however it may not be the best fit, and you run an increased risk of injury and/or frame damage depending on the course, technicality and skill of the rider. Yes, unless they say no.
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Why do some triathlon seatposts go straight up and down instead of at an angle? Why is it that some triathlon bikes have a seat post that adjusts straight up and down instead of the more standard axis that aims at the bottom bracket? This means that if you raise (or lower) the seat on the special triathlon bikes, the torso/leg angle would change more than for a normal bike, right? Doesn't this also mean that the straight-up vertical adjustment of these special triathlon bikes do not fit as wide a range of riders as if the seatpost adjusted in a way that kept the same torso/leg angle along the axis? This question is not about triathlon bike geometry or efficiency of peddling. Rather it asks about why the displayed vertical seatpost adjustment axis is used instead of a more standard adjustment axis for seatpost. Here is a tri bike with the vertical seatpost: Here is a more standard bike: <Q> To crudely simplify things, a triathlon/TT bike position is much the same as a road position, but basically "rotated forward", so your arms rest atop the very-low-set bars. <S> A consequence of this is, the seat ends up further forward. <S> ( source ) Using Chris Froome's TT position as an example, noting the hip position versus the bottom-bracket position: <S> ( source 1 and source 2 - I couldn't find a good side-on picture for the road-position, so it has quite a lot of skewing to align to the TT-position picture) <S> This "Proper Bike Fit for Triathletes" article has a vastly more detailed explanation (and is the source of the first diagram!) <S> Doesn't this also mean that the straight-up vertical adjustment of these special triathalon bikes do not fit as wide a range of riders as if the seatpost adjusted in a way that kept the same torso/leg angle along the axis? <S> As long as the frame is roughly the correct size, the tri bike should be just as adjustable as a road-bike, if not more.. <S> Look at the tri bike image in your question - the saddle rails cover around 3/4 of the length of the saddle, allowing a greater range of movement forward/ <S> backwards (compared to the road bike, where the rail often covers less than half of the saddle) <S> Additionally, the aero-bars are much more adjustable than standard drop-bars (which are mostly limited to stem-length adjustments). <S> Aero-bars can potentially be moved quite far forward or backwards (although at some point you will hinder steering/stability) <A> Triathlon bikes are about one thing, and one thing only. <S> Aerodynamics. <S> Dan Empfield, the creator of the Quintana Roo brand, recognized this early on. <S> Cervelo came along soon after, and their designs basically changed how time trial bikes are viewed, with their breakthrough design of the P3 in 2001 ( Company history here .) <S> This P3 design evolved, and there are a few models such as your pictured Giant that have completely vertical seatposts. <S> Many other bikes don't have this, but do approach vertical, as the frame geometry is completely different than a road bike with the purpose of allowing a rider to ride more forward on the bike, bent over with arms in the aerobars. <S> You will also see much different clothing (esp for road racers) as time trial suits are also designed with aerodynamic considerations. <S> Time trial fit is very much a science as well as an art form. <S> These include the F.I.S.T. method (Also developed by Dan Empfield), Retul , which are two of the most popular, but there are a couple others as well. <S> They look at such things as upper body angle, hip angle, leg angles at top dead center and bottom dead center (TDC, BDC), forearm to bike angles, etc etc. <S> A very minor change in seat position can have profound effects on aerodynamics, comfort and power. <S> You will also see some different frames and components in the triathlon world than you will in the road race world, because as always, the UCI (governing body for cycling) has very strict rules for time trial bikes and components, and some of the items used in triathlons are not allowed for road time trial events. <S> For example, Cervelo's latest model, the P5, has two different forks, one which is legal and one which is not. <A> In addition to aerodynamics, not yet mentioned is the benefit to your running off the bike. <S> As noted in this article , test subjects were about 5 minutes faster in a 40k/10k Brick (stationary bike/treadmill run). <S> There was some time savings in the bike (even indoors on a trainer), but the biggest time savings was the first half of the 10k.
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By changing the seat angle, you use your muscles differently and can run faster off the bike than a more traditional seat post angle.
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Cycle tyre and tube burst I pumped my cycle front tyre to 105 psi (700*23c) 5 days back and cycled some 60 km on the same day without any punctures. Afterwards I parked the cycle in my bedroom for the last 5 days (due to security reasons I always park them in my bedroom). Today in the evening the cycle tyre burst and I don't know for what reason. The burst occurred on the middle of the tyre and since not only the tube but also the tyre burst it couldn't be a slow puncture. The temperature in the room would have hardly reached 30 degree Celsius. I have ridden a total of about 4000 km and the tube-tyre set is from the manufacturer. Does anyone know the reason for this and how to prevent this? <Q> While sitting in your room, the pressure of the tube has gradually stretched the damaged area, and then burst. <S> Inspect the other tire to check for cuts or severe wear. <A> I'll second that this was probably just not your lucky day and you probably couldn't have done anything reasonable to prevent it (assuming the wheel, <S> tube itself is in good condition and the tire was properly inflated to begin with). <S> In the case of the ferry that PeteH mentions, the ambient temperature may have been much higher than the outside temperature . <S> Lets consider cars. <S> In 90 F (32 C) weather, the interior of a car can be easily 120F (49 C) - 140F (60 C). <S> Using the ideal gas law, PV = n RT <S> , we see that if we fix the number of air molecules (n) and volume of the tire (V) [Obviously, the tire gets a little bigger when it gets hotter, but lets neglect that], and move from pressure and temperature (P1,T1) to (P2,T2) where temperature is in Kelvin, P2 = P1 (T2/T1). <S> So, assuming that the tire was pumped at 32 C and was left in a car and reached 60 C, its pressure would go up about 9% ( <S> so a 105 PSI tire at 32 C would be at around 115 PSI at around 60C). <S> Note that tires also heat up while riding, though, but the testing is likely for significantly higher temperatures anyway. <S> Here is a nice piece from the NY times which seems to indicate it might be tube conditioning or a jarring temperature effect if you pump and ride at drastically different temperatures <S> [70F <S> inside -> 150F roads (if the tire reached 150F, <S> thats around a 15% increase according to ideal gas predictions]. <S> I don't have a figure for how much a tire heats up in "typical" riding, but clearly, there is likely a significant design margin for pressure and material properties for that. <A> A 700x23 bicycle tire has a finite life span dependent on: <S> The surface damage done to the tire <S> The distance the tire has been ridden The age of the tire <S> The initial quality of the tire <S> The tires supplied on bicycles straight from the manufacturer are generally at the lower end of quality of bike tires. <S> From my experience I expect to get 2,500 miles from a rear tire and 3,000 miles from a front tire, assuming I avoid damaging the tire with cuts from road debris.
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Since the actual tire has burst, I think the most likely cause is that over the course of the 4000km you have ridden, the tire has suffered a cut or other damage that you did not previously notice. Still, in the ferry case (where the temperatures would likely be lower than in a closed car), most likely a case of bad luck since you can often exceed the marked maximum tire pressure (which is likely ~120 PSI for a 700x23c tire).
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Do I need to be concerned about a carbon frame if I attach a bike trailer? We have a bike trailer with the hitch attached to the rear axle. The frame of my wife's bike frame is part carbon (right around the rear axle), which I understand is more brittle than other materials. I would think most forces associated with accelerating and braking go through the wheel and would not affect the frame much. Do I need to be concerned anyways? Does anybody have experience with a carbon frame and a trailer? <Q> I'm not sure of the type of bicycle you have, the trailer you're using, or how much you plan to tow. <S> However, I have a BOB Yak that I tow behind a 2007 Specialized Allez Expert (with carbon fiber seat stays, but not chain stays), and I have not had any problems carrying groceries, textbooks, and other paraphernalia. <S> If your wife's bike has a similar setup (carbon seat stays but aluminum/steel elsewhere) <S> (my trailer is single-wheeled, so it leans with the bike) by not standing in the saddle and rocking from side to side for hill climbs. <S> You're also right about the wheel taking most of the acceleration and braking forces, as well as weight. <S> On that note, you may want to consider how beefy her rear wheel is, <S> if she has a lightly spoked rear-wheel, you may want to consider a heavier wheel to avoid destroying a 'lighter' racing tire. <A> You're fine. <S> The dropouts are metal and the quick release equally supports with no twisting moment. <A> I have pulled a bob once on my cf road bike 100 miles 35 ish lbs. <S> On the burleys they attach either classic hitch which is on the bottom of the rear triangle or the burley nomad uses what I just read as a steel hitch that connect to the axle area of the wheel much more similar to the bob setup. <S> One post mentions constant use with cf road bike and a bob trailer a rear skewer connection. <S> The same link comments that nomads should work but makes no mention of actually using it or the two different burley connections. <S> I appoligize if facts r not correct posting from phone. <S> Difficult
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We haul a BoB behind carbon bikes all the time. it should be okay as long as you are careful about weighting the trailer and try to reduce the rotational forces
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Are road bikes capable of being ridden on gravel? I am new to road bikes and was wondering if these bikes are capable of riding on light gravel or whether I will get flats? Does it depend on the tire material or are generally all road bike tires for road only? <Q> Google 'cyclocross'. <S> The primary difference between a road bike and a CX bike is the size of the tires. <S> You can ride your road bike anywhere your skills will allow. <S> There are some gotcha's though. <S> Skinny tires only have so much traction. <S> Gravel flats won't be an issue for all but the lightest of race tires, but pinch flats from hitting larger rocks at high speed are a problem. <S> Dirt and high end road components don't mix well. <S> But seeing exactly how far you can take a road bike has a long history and many local clubs have "grasshopper" rides that link up old gravel roads. <S> Your bike is capable of much more than you might think. <S> Look up the races Paris-Roubaix and Strada Bianca. <A> As other answers and comments have indicated, you can successfully ride a road bike on loose gravel. <S> There are five main factors, and they are all interconnected: <S> The depth of the gravel. <S> The key to riding in gravel is smooth lines . <S> Avoid sharp turns: the deeper the gravel, the more your front wheel digs in and accentuates any steering movement you make. <S> This is what causes most falls in gravel. <S> OTOH very shallow gravel, doesn't "grab" your wheel. <S> It acts like ball bearings and when you try to turn your wheels just slip out from under you. <S> So rule 1: smooth lines . <S> The speed you attack it. <S> It takes experience to guage how fast to approach gravel; it's hard to explain. <S> Approach a new patch of gravel cautiously. <S> Then maintain a constant speed, even if it means getting out of the saddle to keep the power and speed up in deeper gravel. <S> Rule 2: constant speed . <S> The width of your tires. <S> The thinner your tires <S> the more you sink into gravel. <S> Tires on a hybrid or touring bike are generally ok for gravel with practice. <S> So for each bike you ride, rule 3: <S> learn how it handles . <S> The geometry of your bike. <S> A racing frame has steeper angles than a touring frame or a hybrid. <S> The steeper angles accentuate the issues. <S> So repeat rule 3: <S> learn how it handles . <S> The kind of gravel. <S> From light sand with grains of 1mm to coarse gravel with 1cm (.5 in) grains, to 5 and 10 cm (2 and 4 in) rocks. <S> Basically, when the grains are near the width of your tires, it's time to slow down. <S> When the rocks are bigger than your tires you are running serious risks of cutting your road tires: they're just not designed for this. <S> Rule 4: <S> The larger the gravel <S> the slower you should go . <S> Many falls by gravel novices are due to not knowing the first two rules: smooth lines and constant speed. <S> They are the key. <S> After mastering those, you can step up to gravel on uphill and downhill slopes, and corners. <S> The same rules apply, but with downhill you have to add smooth even handed braking. <S> On uphill you have to add smooth pedaling. <S> Enjoy. <S> It's a great skill to have. <A> You are asking two questions, one about the bike and one about the tires. <S> Road bikes can easily go on gravel, or even off road. <S> However, the ride quality and handling will be compromised the more "off road" you go. <S> As far as the tires, the more you have "road" tires, the more flats you will have. <S> This is due to the thin nature of road tires for less rolling resistance combined with higher pressure. <S> Road tires have PSI (Pounds per square inch, a measure of air pressure) in the 100-120 range, with very thin tires (and tubes, if you use something like a latex tube) to reduce resistance. <S> Cyclocross tires are thicker, will sometimes have treads to handle grass, mud, water, etc. <S> They will run anywhere from 24-40 PSI depending on type of tire and conditions. <S> Once you go to mountain tires, then you are also putting on lower pressure, and you have much thicker tire and tube material.
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So gravel that's not deep for MTB tires is trickier for skinny road tires.
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Air suspension unit for relatively low mass Let's assume I have an object with a mass of 3 kg. I want this object to isolate from vertical shocks and vibrations when I'm riding approximately 30 km/u on my bike. Let's also assume I have an air suspension front fork modified and mounted on top of the bike's frame. This suspension unit carries the object I just mentioned (see figure below). What should be the air pressure from the suspension unit to isolate most of the shocks? Is it even possible to dial down the air pressure from an air suspension unit in order to isolate shocks for a relatively low mass (3 kg)? My initial thoughts were to calculate the relation between mass and required air spring pressure level based on values in a product's manual. But the exponential decrease seems just too much for the fork to adjust. Thanks in advance for any feedback. Note: I read questions about specific products are mainly downvoted, but just for reference I included the RockShox manual with Air Spring Pressure levels with respect to a rider's weight. I'll edit the post if this isn't appreciated. <Q> I don't think (like the other answers) <S> a suspension fork will do it. <S> There's another reason as well - suspension forks only isolate vibrations in one linear dimension, as you go over bumps, as well as up and down you will accelerate and decelerate, and pitch up and down. <S> So here are some other thoughts. <S> We might be able to offer more help if you give some idea of what the object is. <S> It's not unknown to use an underinflated inner tube as a shock absorber for light loads - <S> but that's generally a flat object on a flat surface. <S> Providing suspension for a light object can be done by hanging it in a frame using bungee cords (shock cords). <S> The rubber provides some damping <S> so it's better than just springs. <S> Might be hard to fit between you and the bars - but then if I was doing 30km/h over rough ground <S> I wouldn't want a set of forks pointing at my chest as you've shown. <S> Either on a modified rack behind or in a modified front basket would be better. <S> Whatever means you use, for best performance you need to tune the system - with some means of sensing the vibration (smartphone app these days?) <S> and adjusting either the thickness of the cords or the mass. <A> I think using a suspension fork won't work - 3 kg is way lower than the usual loads a suspension fork is designed to isolate shocks at any meaningful level <S> (the mass on the fork would be at least an order of magnitude below the usual on a bike, so it would be hard to have enough deflection to do something useful at 3 kg without bottoming out all the time on a regular load - its just too far from the operating regime of the fork normally). <S> In any case, if it were possible, it would likely be a very sensitive adjustment that would need to be made and maintained. <S> The movie industry way of stabilizing a camera while it is moving is with a steadicam . <S> Some photography enthusiasts have made home made steadicam type things which you may want to start with and modify to mount on a bicycle. <S> Unlike a real steadicam unit, these probably need to be toughened up a bit for 3 kg since my guess for the weight of a DSLR with a small lens is closer to 1 kg - 1.5 kg. <S> This thread also suggests a vibration plate. <A> It's fairly easy to compute (or at least estimate) <S> the surface area of the piston and divide that into the weight of the object suspended to obtain the pressure needed to keep it "levitated". <S> Let's assume a piston with a diameter of 2" (5.1cm) -- <S> that's (conveniently) 3.14 square inches. <S> Divide that into 3 KG or 6.6 pounds (ignoring the weight of the piston itself) <S> and you get about 2.1 PSI or 0.14 ATM. <S> Of course, if you use a piston rated at a significantly higher pressure than the above the friction in the cylinder is apt to require a pound or so to overcome, so it's unlikely that you can use a standard suspension fork effectively for this duty. <S> Something along the line of a "gas strut" might work, though.
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This problem has been studied to some extent in cameras for image stabilization on bicycles, where it is suggested to directly mount a camera on a bicycle and having soft tires with some suspension (on the bicycle).
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