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How hard is it to remove a European-style rear-wheel ring lock? I have an old Breezer Uptown 8 with a European-style ring lock on the rear wheel. I am thinking of removing it. Does anyone have experience doing this? Is it as easy as unscrewing a bolt? It looks like maybe it is bolted on with the fender mount. I am worried that this may be very difficult because if it was not, the lock would not be very useful. <Q> Performed the operation today and it was, as suggested, very easy. <S> Simply unscrewed a bolt on each side affixing the lock to the seat stays. <S> For mine, the lock did not obstruct these bolts. <S> I was then able to twist the ring lock and pull off the wheel, around the fenders, without any more fuss. <A> If you can unlock it, it's very easy as the mounting bolts are uncovered when it's unlocked. <S> If it is locked, then it's a bit more difficult but not much more. <S> The lock housing you can see in the image below is just stamped metal riveted together. <S> It takes about 10-20 seconds with the right tools. <S> Because ring locks only lock the rear wheel to the frame, they are very low security. <S> They're fine for low-theft environments and for heavy steel utility bikes or mommy-bikes, but if you have a nice, light bike, it's easy for thief to just pick up the bike and throw it over their shoulder or throw it in a truck. <S> Essentially, ring locks keep people honest in honest communities. <S> Source: I've lived in Japan for several years where ring locks are the main style used, and had to replace locks for family members who have lost keys. <A> If it's like the one I've used, when the lock is unlocked you only need to remove 2 bolts. <S> They're covered when the lock goes through the wheel (actually i think only 1 of them is <S> but I'm not near the bike now). <S> I don't think the mudguard is affected by taking the lock off but of course yours may be different and you may need to improvise something. <S> In the end you'll just have to try it and see <S> but you could add some pictures if you're worried.
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Some ring locks are so weak that a good whack on the locking lever will spring it open. Otherwise, the easiest way to remove it is the same way thieves would do it: use an angle grinder or bolt cutters.
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Would "fat" tires help me learn skinnies/log rides? I'm relatively new to mountain biking, and am considering purchasing a new, less expensive bike to help me learn to ride wooden obstacles (skinnies, curved bridges, etc.) without fear of damaging my "good" mountain bike in a hard fall. I've also wanted to pick up a snow bike (or "fat bike"), but can't really justify the cost considering my area gets, at most, 3 or so snowstorms per year. But looking at these two issues together makes me wonder: would the wider, lower-pressure tires on a snow bike make it easier to learn correct technique & feel for riding on slick, wooden obstacles? What would be the benefits/drawbacks of very wide vs. standard-width MTB tires in this scenario? <Q> From my experience, no they would not. <S> Have you ever watched anyone ride a fatbike? <S> Their front tire wobbles all over the place, the extra weight from the heavy tires makes fine-adjustments much more difficult, putting extra fatigue on your body. <S> Tires don't help you balance on a bike as much as <S> frame geometry does, particularly head-tube angle. <S> I've found that down hill bikes with a more aggressive head-tube angle are actually more difficult to balance on skinnys. <S> You don't need a fancy bike to ride skinnys unless you're doing big drops, if you're worried about wrecking your bike while learning, then get a cheap yardsale bike that you can trash and practice with. <S> Also, wide low-pressure tires make it easier to slip off the sides of the especially narrow skinnys, I've got scars on my face to prove it. <S> When I was a kid we would practice our balance in our backyards, riding on 2x4's just laying on the ground or across a couple logs, or by trying to stay on the painted lines on the roads, or riding on the curb of the sidewalk. <S> Slow races are great for balance too. <S> We'd race like 10 feet, and the last one across the line won. <S> Basically, whoever was the best at brake stands had the advantage. <A> I like fixed as the front end is lighter <S> and it does not move around. <S> Carbon if you are willing to spend the money. <S> Single speed means no derailleur to break. <S> And smaller chain ring and bash guard gives you more clearance. <S> I would think like a 2.1 - preferably tubeless. <S> If you start riding 2" pipe you may even drop down to like a 40mm and for that you buy a CX tire. <S> I don't practice skinnies <S> but I do know that a low pressure is better for crawling over wet roots and rocks. <S> As for winter bike it does not snow where I live now <S> but I think this would make a good snow bike. <S> And if they salt you don't have expensive components getting eaten up. <S> The bike below only takes a 2.1 in the rear but you can find them up to a 2.4. <S> As for buy cheap new my advice is no. <S> Cheap new you are going to get wheels that flex and bend on the first crash. <S> You need a bike that is going to be solid under you. <S> Nice wheels alone are $400. <S> I would budget $800. <S> This is the bike I bought for learning technique. <S> More to learn to bunny hop than ride skinniness. <S> This was $850 used but that fork is worth $300. <S> Not a cheap bike <S> but it is a bike that would be hard to break. <S> And I ended up riding that bike for a lot more than learning technique <S> - it is fun to ride. <A> Like all good answers: yes and no. <S> Having ridden several "fatties," I can say that the wider contact patch and added grip certainly makes for a more confident feeling, but the lower air pressure and subsequent squishy-ness can sometimes make steering a touch...different. <S> There's also the question of how skinny are the skinnies you want to ride? <S> A fat tire might be too fat! <S> Start small with "wide" skinnies that are low to the ground so that the consequences are smaller. <S> But if you want a fatty to ride in the winter, then all means ride with that.
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That being said, training with a bike that's not suited for skinnys will make riding them easier when you hop on a bike that is suited for skinnys. I would say, learn on whatever bike you want to ride them on more often as you'll build more comfort. I don't think you want a real wide tire. You get racers that upgrade every few years and have worn out the front fork - replace it with a rigid.
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My back wheel isn't connected to the gears I have an old bike it says Via Montega on the body if that helps. I was riding it earlier when the pedaling stopped resulting in forward motion. I thought the chain might have come loose but it is definitely where it is supposed to be. The chain is attached and will shift gears but the back wheel doesn't turn. The wheel does spin freely if pushed. It seems like the gears and the wheel aren't connected but there is some sort of plastic guard between the gears and wheel so I can't see the problem. Is this something I can fix myself with limited to know bike repair knowledge or do I need to take it in? If so how expensive is it likely to be? <Q> The bike is made by Univega and probably has a freewheel. <S> If the pedaling motion still works, I'd guess your freewheel is shot (the thing that the gears are on in the back). <S> You have to remove it with a freewheel remover and put on a new one. <S> This requires a freewheel remover tool and a large wrench or vise, so you might want to take it to a shop and let them check it over and swap the freewheel out. <A> Here are a couple of links you can check out and gauge for yourself if it's something you want to tackle. <S> This is kinda towards the deep end of the pool. <S> http://sheldonbrown.com/freewheels.html <A> The freewheel may not be completely bad, it's typical for older ones to get gummed up inside and <S> the ratchet pawls inside to be stuck open. <S> Sounds like what you've got. <S> If you look at the link above to Sheldon Brown's site in Kennah's answer above, check the section on Lubricating Freewheels . <S> It's pretty simple to do this, no special tools or disassembly required. <S> But it is easier with the wheel off and held horizontal. <S> You can get a new Shimano freewheel pretty cheap <S> and it will have more modern "ramped" teeth that will make shifting much smoother. <S> If the old one is 5-speed <S> but you have older shifters that don't "click" into gears you can replace it with a 6-speed like MF-TZ20
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That said, you should consider replacing the freewheel.
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Medium size cargo solution for road-bike for commuting Currently I use a touring bike with rear rack and a single panier on my 15km commute. In my panier I carry a full set of clothes including shoes, a small coat and a towel. I want to start using my road bike on my commute because it is a better bike in almost all ways except for the cargo situation.The panier I use is an ortlieb back-roller classic . It is huge, it is completely waterproof, and I fix it to my bike in one quick motion. I'm looking for something that matches or improves on most of those characteristics but fits on a road bike.More specifically, I'd like to find a cargo solution for my road bike that: is at least 15-20 litres. is waterproof in standard setup (no rain-covers). does not interfere with my biking. attaches and detaches with minimal effort. (bonus points) is aerodynamic. (bonus points) looks good I've tried a backpack, but that violates point 3 and (somewhat) 5. Also, it is sweaty and bad for my back. I've been looking into the various bags that attach on top of a rear-rack such as the ortlieb trunk bag and the topeak trunk drybag but they are too small. Topeak has bigger models but those have a strange compartmentalisation, and they are not waterproof (since you can buy separate rain covers).I'd like to avoid the asymmetry of a single panier, and I'd also like to avoid attaching a full rear-rack to my roadbike. Seatpost-mounted rack is fine though. Edit (2014-12-01): In the end I decided to go for a backpack, the ortlieb packman pro 2 to be exact. Reasons: 100% waterproof some bike-friendly features (notably, some ventilation on the back) Exactly the size I need. Quicker and better ease of use than all rack-mounted or seatpost-mounted solutions I could find. <Q> I would really recommend re-looking at a backpack. <S> There are a large variety of packs out there and the drybag styles ones seem to get better every year. <S> You might look for one with better airflow built into the padding section. <S> I find that if I dress just a little more lightly and have a pack with good airflow, "sweaty back" is a bit less of a problem. <S> If you can't find a drybag style pack that works for you, you could always look for a base pack that fits all your requirements and then just stuff a uber-light drybag in it. <S> Along those lines, you might also look at Revelate Designs new holster bag. <S> Essentially it sits under your seat and provides a secure place to stuff a drysack with ease of on/off for the drysack. <S> Your personal opinion will dictate whether it meets requirement 6 or not. <A> I agree with commenter Blam that leaving the shoes at work will drastically reduce the needed volume. <S> (Much depends on your brake setup; it's easy to get a front rack off my bike because its disc brakes don't get in the way.) <S> Linus and Velo Orange have nice porteurs. <A> Very large old-fashioned saddlebags might be a go. <S> They exist. <S> Brooks stock ones up to 10L in canvas. <S> Revelate has a more modern underseat "holster" that can take a 14L drybag. <S> Carradice make up to 24L traditional saddlebags in "100%" waterproofed duck.
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You might be able to get away with a handlebar bag (Ortlieb has a waterproof one that claims to hold 7l) plus a messenger bag or light backpack, or the underseat stuff sack mentioned by Chris in AK. I have found that a backpack is a more dynamic way to carry weight. A porteur rack in front might do the job too, and perhaps be a bit easier to remove than a rear rack.
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Cyclocross touring, studs for SPD shoes? I just bought my first bicycle shoes (Specialized, SPD) and got four mountable studs. I'm planning on touring for about a month. Mostly on roads, perhaps occasionally on dirt tracks and larger trails. I'm not too concerned about weight, so I started thinking of whether it would be a good idea to mount them before going or not. I'm thinking either of mounting them permanently or not mounting them at all, as I don't want to bring extra tools/stuff with me on the trip that I might not end up using. What do you guys think? <Q> SPD is great for touring since you can easily walk around in the shoes, the studs detract from that without adding much benefit. <S> You can get small "set screws" to fill the holes where the studs would go. <S> This preventsthe threads getting filled with dirt in case you decide to use them later. <S> https://www.boltdepot.com/Metric_set_screws_Allen_Cup_point_Stainless_steel_18-8.aspx <A> I would suggest removing them. <S> Studs are only useful for steep hike a bike scenarios on loose dirt or clay (something that the spikes can bite). <S> These were really intended for XC race situations, where some climbs are too steep to ride so you need to throw the XC bike on your shoulder and run like you stole it! <S> The bikes are often too heavy to push up inclines steep enough to require studs. <S> Walking on the asphalt, studs are slippery and could cause you to slip at an inopportune time. <S> For example, when you put a foot down while on the saddle, you will be on your toes. <S> Pushing off on the studs when on pavement could be difficult. <S> About the only situation where I think you might find them handy is if you encounter a ruby scrummage. <S> Here toe cleats are a must! <A> I'd say mount them. <S> Make sure you use some LocTite or similar on the threads. <S> If you don't and the rattle out during your trip, you'll wish you had. <S> That being said, I been through a few pairs of MTB shoes and I have never found the studs useful for anything I have done. <S> I spend a lot of time riding on ice, and they are too blunt to provide traction on compacted snow or ice. <S> Sidi makes spikes that are quite a bit sharper and longer than normal. <S> I used them for awhile as they offered good purchase on ice, but found they had a tendency to stick in floor grates and snap off.
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Unless you plan to do a lot of sprinting up muddy hills to jump barriers, the studs are just extra weight that makes annoying noises when you're walking around. The weight is negligible and if you are a person that finds them useful, they'll be there. In all the tours I have never done, including dirt road tours, I have never found a need for studs.
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Suspension seat post is loose Is it ok that a suspension seat post like the one shown below (source: cyclande.com) is actually a bit loose (moves a bit left-right and probably also up-down). The vendor told that for such seats it's OK, but I'm not totally sure. <Q> For the side movement it's a bit more complicated. <S> A suspension seat post is basically two tubes sliding into each other with some suspension mechanism. <S> This requires two things: the tubes need a little clearance to move within each other and they need a mechanism that prevents the tubes from rotating towards each other – let's call it anti-rotation machanism . <S> The latter can be for example something like a bolt sliding in a notch or tubes with a non-circular cross-section. <S> The bad thing is, those two elements are somewhat conflicting. <S> An effective anti-rotation mechanism requires the least possible clearance, which may inhibit the original purpose of the suspension seat post, which is to allow for up-down motion of the tubes. <S> Therefore, the manufacturers have to find a trade-off between suspension performance and precision. <S> Such precision is expensive and would quite surely also make the seat post heavier. <S> Especially the products from the lower end of the price range might quite surely sacrifice some of the precision for a more "reliable" suspension performance. <A> I have used a couple of these seats over the years - <S> the ones I had did have some movement - noticeable when riding. <S> Although not ideal, you do get used to it. <S> It comes down to cost - it would be more expensive to precision <S> manufacture them with no movement, but at some point people would stop buying, and another point, might as well buy a full suspension bike. <A> Yes, it's ok and to be expected. <S> Even expensive dropper posts, which work via the same basic principles as telescoping suspension seatposts, have a bit of side to side movement. <S> For the suspension seatposts, just ensure that the collar at the top of the stationary (outer) portion of the seatpost is firmly hand tight.
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An up-down movement is perfectly fine – that's what suspension seat posts are designed for! So to answer the question: yes, some side rotation or wiggle (something like +-2-3 degrees) should be quite common.
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Does a high MTB seat post risk frame breaking On a full suspension MTB, does a high seat post (extending from frame by 25cm, 10" or more) contribute to frame weakness, should one look to have a bike with a tall seat tube, or are MTB's designed like this and shouldn't break? <Q> The frame manufacturer might also specify a minimum insertion depth for the frame. <S> It is not recommended to run the seat post <S> inserted any less than the greater of these two this as it can put the frame under stress and you risk cracking the frame at the top of the seat tube <S> (I've seen this happen first hand). <S> Having said that with a 400mm seat post I think you'd be able to have 250mm extending from the frame and <S> the 150mm remaining in the seat tube would be sufficient. <S> You'd have to check the seatpost/frame recommendations <S> but if I remember correctly the Rockshox Reverb dropper posts have an 80mm minimum insertion depth, so 150mm is certainly not extreme. <A> Mountain bike have a sloped top tube and road bike flat or slightly sloped. <S> If you are using the bicycle as designed then it should not be a problem. <S> Don't buy a small frame if you are 6 foot and put a monster seat post on it. <S> Mountain bike also have bigger diameter seat tubes - typically 31.6 versus 27.2. <S> As stated by chored there is a minimum insertion distance. <A> There are also a few rules of the thumb to know how much of the seatpost to leave in the frame. <S> If the limit line is not visible on the seatpost, te safe way is to keep 1/3 of its length in the frame. <S> Although it's more than enough for most models (it's around 10-15cm depending on the length of your seatpost), some more expensive ones tend to have thinner walls towards the bottom, which is why going below minimum is a risk. <S> Also the seatpost should be inserted so that the bottom of the seatpost is below the top tube of a frame (if a given frame has a physical top tube), so the top tube acta against the loads on the seatpost.
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There is usually a minimum insertion marker on the seat post to indicate the minimum amount of the seat post which should remain in the seat tube. Mountain bikes in general are going to have a more seat post out compared to a road bike as that is the frame design.
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Do "trailer bikes" help kids learn to ride a bike on their own? I'm considering getting a trailer bike for my 3 year old (image below) but want to know if it will help or hurt progression toward him riding independently. He's amazingly fast on his Strider no-pedal balance bike but hasn't shown much interest in riding his 12" "real" bike with training wheels. I'm hoping a trailer bike might help him bridge the gap but in the interest of getting him to ride his real bike independently, would the trailer bike help or hurt the cause? Thanks <Q> He is 3..... <S> he will do what he wants to, when and how he wants. <S> I had a lot of trouble getting my boy off trainers <S> (We did not go don the balance bike path). <S> After many attempts involving removing them and putting them back on, I gave up and decided when he is ready (or old enough his peers laugh at him), he will want them removed. <S> One day he just came up to me and asked me to take them off. <S> Choose <S> you battles carefully - only pick ones you will win, and only fight those that must be won. <S> This is not one of those battles. <S> So should you get a trail along bike? <S> If its to get him riding quicker/better/faster absolutely not. <S> if its because its a fun way to spend time together going at pace you can both enjoy then its a great idea. <S> There are towbar attachments that clip to a standard bike, lift the front wheel and give a similar effect to the tow along - <S> but if you boy wants to go solo for a bit, unclip and away he goes. <S> When/if he get to tired to do more riding, clip him back in and you do the work. <S> refer <S> What should I look for in a "trailer bike"/"tag-along" bike for a child? <A> When my daughter was around three, we started out with the trailer bike and then graduated to a tandem with the pedals adapted. <S> She had been on training wheels on her own little bike since she was two and was doing just fine; being on the trailer bike gave her an opportunity to go places, to feel like a big kid and to develop an appreciation for what cycling can offer. <S> For me, I saw it as an opportunity to be exposed to cycling but even better, it was lots of fun for us both. <S> Sometimes she would pedal, other times not so much. <S> It didn't really matter. <S> In short order, she was riding her own bike but we continued to use the trailer bike until she was eight when we graduated to the tandem. <S> She would pedal along, talking the whole way, and of course, on the hills, I was on my own. <S> Again, the bottom line was that we had tons of fun and traveled many miles in that way. <S> Now at 27, she lives in the Boston area. <S> She sold her car and uses her bike as her primary mode of transportation. <S> I seriously doubt that she would have even considered selling her car if she hadn't had that kind of exposure and had developed such positive feelings about cycling. <S> So, the moral of the story is that perhaps you could see the trailer bike primarily as a way of showing your kid the possibilities as opposed to a way to learn. <S> Much less anxiety for both of you! <A> Discussions of parenting is always dangerous, but what is the hurry? <S> Children don't understand work motifs (i.e., do A, so you can accomplish B) and seem to learn best in play motifs (or that is at least what my partner keeps hammering into my thick scull). <S> I am in the opposite position, I wish my 3-year-old would rider her strider bike more as we used to blaze trails together, but she is obsessed with pedals now and being like daddy, so we awkwardly ride along on flat paths. <S> I do it because she loves it. <S> He finds the trail-a-bike concept interesting, then maybe give it a go, if not then I would suggest letting it go. <S> I have never seen a 20 year old on a strider yet! <S> Eventually, he will outgrow it and need to transition to a pedal bike if he wants to keep riding. <A> When my 4 year old transitioned from her run bike to her first pedal bike, the one thing she struggled with was negotiating her pedals. <S> She would try to 'run' on her pedal bike, and got frustrated real quick trying to figure out how to negotiate her pedals and cycle her feet. <S> I think a trailer bike would be a good transition from a run bike to their first pedal bike. <S> They already have all the balance they need from the run bike—they don't need training wheels—they just need to learn how to cycle the pedals (and brake/backwards pedal). <S> Trailer bikes don't give them an opportunity to do anything else but cycle. <S> The trailer bike will give him an opportunity to develop some muscle memory as well as give you a little feel for how strong he's getting at pedaling and braking.
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I think a bit of riding on the trailer will give your kid the confidence he needs to hop on his own pedal bike without the training wheels. I think as the comments suggest (including your own), keeping things fun should be the objective rather than any explicit goal.
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What could cause the bicycle chain to break? I'm on an old Muji 3-speed commuter bicycle which uses an internal Shimano gear hub, and I recently (3 months ago) got my bike chain changed by my LBS. For about 2 weeks I felt the chain would "catch", the way it feels when you're trying to change gears on a bike with derailleurs, and last night on my way home, the chain broke. Is this because the chain didn't fit well? <Q> 3-speed drive trains should naturally have a straight chain line and lots of room for the chain, which is typically wider. <S> So I doubt that the chain is too wide. <S> I suspect the LBS did not correctly insert the chain pin, when reassembling. <S> If this was the case the pin could be protrude on one side and potentially catch on various drivetrain components. <S> Continually catching will stress the chain. <S> If the protrusion is significant enough to catch, on the opposite side of the protrusion the pin may not be sufficiently inserted into the outer link plate. <S> Check where the chain broke to see if the pin at the break point is reasonably flush to the outer link plate or protruding by a large amount on the side where the pin is still in place. <S> Speculation Warning <S> This is of course rampant speculation, as I have no pictures to go off of, but is the only logical mechanism that comes to mind. <S> (And it is something I have actually done and can verify can happen!) <A> When you change the chain you have to change the sprocket also. <S> They wear at an equal rate and a new chain will not fit an old sprocket. <S> The front sprocket is usually ok because the load and wear is spread over a greater area. <A> Chains usually only break when lateral force is applied to them. <S> To have one break on a single speed drivetrain is fairly rare. <S> I'm <S> gunna give your LBS the benefit of a doubt and assume they installed the chain correctly. <S> The problem with changing just your chain is that it's only one piece of a system that wears as a unit. <S> As your chain wears it actually gets longer, this is a result of the friction from the pins taking metal off of the inside of the bushing in each link, which lengthens the measurable distance between each pin. <S> As a result, the cog starts to wear on the pull side of each tooth. <S> An example of an excessively worn cog: <S> When you put a new chain on a worn cog they won't necessarily mesh. <S> The new chain will have some "wiggle room" to slide around in and possibly even slide laterally enough that one of the sharpened teeth can pick up a link, which on a single speed can put enough force on the one side of the link to pop the pin out. <S> My question for you would be, how worn was the cog? <S> If the cog is fine, then how loose was your chain? <S> A loose chain can just as easily jump the teeth and break.
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Eventually the catching could cause the partially inserted pin to pop out of place, breaking the chain, leaving you stranded.
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Adjustment to road bike brakes for high grade downhill I have a road bike with a front brake that wears a lot of brake pad when I ride downhill every day. I lose 900ft in elevation on steep grades with lots of stop signs and traffic lights. On top of that, it rains a decent amount and the rim brakes are terrible in that weather. I don't trust them downhill in the rain. Sometimes I just walk. I feather the brakes going downhill, because otherwise I'm too fast to stop quickly for an errant car. It'd be nice to not constantly replace pads, and have powerful stopping. How can I make this constant downhill more pleasant? Thanks. <Q> Have a look at installing <S> Cantilever brakes- <S> larger pads <S> so you can retain the same stopping power and increase life, at the expense of a few grams of weight. <S> Cantilever brakes will also help in the wet due large pad (more surface area). <S> These are the preferred brakes for tandems and tourers - you may have trouble getting decent quality ones these days. <S> As I understand, V brakes are not compatible with road bikes without adapters and are not always as successful as you would think. <S> Discs would be the ultimate wet weather improvement and provide the stopping power you want, but I would caution against hydraulics for such big downhills. <S> They have been known overheat and boil the fluid - you get instant total failure when it happens. <S> Apart form this, you need new forks and wheel (minimum of a hub), and probably new levers, so the cost may be prohibitive. <A> Make sure to clean your rims for rim brakes as well. <S> (2) Use your brakes less and get more comfortable with higher speeds. <S> (3) Change your brakes (some brake models brake better than others, even if you're using the same type of brakes, e.g. caliper brakes). <A> There are a lot of variations in pad material, and a faster-wearing pad is not necessarily a better braking pad. <S> Unfortunately, it's hard to find a good selection of pads, and even harder to get good info on which is suitable to which conditions. <S> You can use your rear brake more, especially for speed control, and save the front for more "serious" efforts. <S> When I'm on a downhill (rarely as steep/long as yours, though) I like to alternate between front and rear brakes for speed control, and I do it more in bursts rather than with steady pressure. <S> I'm not sure if this is "approved" technique, but it's what makes sense to me. <S> You can install a second set of calipers. <S> This is often done on tandems, and can be done simply on some bikes/with great difficulty on others. <S> (Of course, you'd need to figure out how to operate the extra set, without growing a third hand, and you do have to worry a little about the rim overheating.) <S> You can get disk brakes <S> (though from the war stories I hear here it's not clear that they are really any better in such a situation).
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There are several solutions: (1) Switch your brake pads - a harder compound will wear less, but be less effective at braking. You can replace the pads (as stated elsewhere).
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Which usually wears faster - wheel rims or brake blocks? I was wondering which you'd expect to wear faster: wheel rims or brake blocks. The reason I ask is that my mileage has shot up the last couple of years so I'm seeing a lot of wear on things I never knew could wear. I'm told that chain, cassette and front chain rings should generally be replaced together. As per comments and answers I won't be using that cycle shop again. Luckily it didn't cost me too much cash. I was wondering if the same applied wheel rims or if or if wheel rims are expected to last much longer than brake blocks? Edit So here's what prompted the question... I have some "Mavic Open Pro" rims bought two years ago. I've burned through less than 2 sets of brake blocks since. This last month I've started hearing about rims wearing and the existence of markers. Here's where I get stuck. I can't find any markers . So although the above seems a stupid question I'm trying to figure out if it ever had them? I'm presuming not because I would have thought I'd notice and I shouldn't have worn them smooth yet judging from comments. I'm also trying to figure out if I don't have them what the sign would be if they need replacing. By the sound of it I wont need to worry for a while, I've got a few brake pad changes left in them yet... but for piece of mind I wonder if there's a way to know if they're out of tolerance without markers? <Q> Rims <S> last a lot longer than brake pads. <S> It's difficult to put a number, as it depends on so many parameters, but personally I change brake pads roughly once a year (2-3'000km), and I haven't ever changed a rim due to it wearing out. <S> (There has always been other reasons to change them.) <S> On many rims there's a tiny groove in the middle of the braking surface. <S> You're supposed to change the rim when the bulk of the rim has worn down to that level. <S> (But as I said, it hasn't happened to me yet.) <S> Regarding your other advice, 'replacing cassette, chain ring and chain together', it's not the most common of advice, to put it bluntly. <S> The advice you're likely to get is to change the chain when it's starting to wear <S> (you have to measure the length of it, either with a special chain-tool, or with a tape measure. <S> If it's increased by 1% it's time to change.) <S> If you don't change the chain it will start to wear down the cassette, and eventually the chain ring - <S> but that takes a lot longer.) <A> However, under certain (but rather special) conditions it can be the other way round. <S> If you ride in an area where there's lots of dust from hard and sharp materials in the air (something like granite dust or dust from volcanic rock) and it is in addition often rainy, you might get some grinding paste like debris onto your brake pads that could grind down your rims in no time. <S> But luckily that is a rather rare occasion and normally rims should last for several sets of brake pads. <S> Also both have normally indicators that tell you when they need replacement. <S> For the brake pads you should replace them by the latest when they are worn down so much that the notches – that are to better remove water and debris from their surface – are no longer existent. <S> Rims have for some years now also a notch (often differently colored) in their braking surface. <S> If the surface is worn down so much that the notch is gone, they should be also be replaced. <S> In this case it's also a safety thing as the structural integrity of the rim might get affected if you use it above that point. <A> I would expect brake blocks to wear out, to the point of needing replacement, much faster than rims. <S> However, the rims may look gouged or a little rough, long before that. <S> Both will wear out faster if you are riding in dirty/gritty conditions. <S> The rate of wear can also depend on the kind of rim blocks you use. <S> In my experience it's worth investing in good brake blocks to preserve your much more expensive rims. <S> When choosing blocks, there is also a bit of a trade-off between braking power and wear on the rims. <S> Several people I know who do very high mileage recommend <S> Swisstop Green , which are apparently kind to the rims and provide reasonable stopping power in all conditions. <S> Others swear by Koolstop Salmon for their stopping power, although they may wear the rims a bit more. <S> Whatever you use <S> it's a good idea to remove any bits of grit/metal from the blocks regularly as this will wear the rims much faster than any block. <A> Checking Mavics for wear: Not all Mavic rims have the wear indicating groove along the rim. <S> Some rims, including a pair of Mavic Ksyrium I currently ride, have a small circular wear indicator on each side, located on the rim brake surface exactly opposite to the valve location. <S> Such wear indicators do not wear away, like the groove, but rather a small hole will appear as the rim is almost worn out. <S> I cannot find if your OpenPro's have this, but if they lack a wear indicating groove chances are they do. <S> Please check the Mavic documentation to make sure. <S> Note that it is possible under strong light to see the indicators, even if the rim is not worn out. <S> You will only need to replace the rim as soon as you can clearly see the hole (unfortunately I don't have a photo but it is pretty obvious) <A> Rims last much longer than brake blocks. <S> If you are biking in gritty conditions (in my case slushy snow with sand mixed in) then you will wear out rims a little faster. <S> I've had two rims wear out, and the failure mode was not catastrophic, but it showed up as a thump wile braking. <S> Don't worry about lack of wear markers. <A> I takes a lot of miles to wear out rims. <S> A cheap bike with really cheap rims will wear out faster. <S> Often there will be wear bar and when you wear through that the rim is at the end of its life. <S> If not you could use calipers. <S> If you don't have a wear bar what will typically fail first is the seam where rim joins. <S> When you see it start to separate then it is time for a new rim. <S> You take it to the shop to have it straightened <S> and they tell you the rim will just not true <S> and you need a new one. <S> Then the choice is to put new rim and spokes on the existing hub or buy a new complete wheel. <S> Unless you have a high end hub that is designed to last multiple rims you should get a complete wheel. <S> If it is a bike you plan to keep then consider getting a new wheel before it is gone all the way to have spare. <S> Also is it a wheel that would work as a spare if you bought a new bike. <S> Like a 26" on a mountain bike then don't spend much as the new bikes are 29" disc.
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Typically it's the brake pads that wear faster as they are the softer material.
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Should a saddle hurt? We recently brought a road bike for my sister in law and we took her out on a quick test ride (only about 1km and SLOW). The next day she complained (a bit, mostly my brother being over protective maybe) about her rear. Question is, how do I know it's normal and she just needs to get used to the saddle, or if it will cause discomfort in future. The bike path in question isn't well maintained so had a fair few pot holes. Also my brother informs me that my sister in law is a woman (never checked myself, and evidence supports this), so I am aware that she would need a lady's saddle, which I hope came with the bike. <Q> I bought a bike last year and after a few rides, I found the saddle very painful. <S> I resisted on riding it, assuming that I'll get used to it, but it never happened, and I was even concerned that I haven't got the right size of a bike. <S> However I got a silicon gel saddle cover and since then the pain stopped. <S> I didn't need cycling shorts or pants either. <S> Over time I was thinking that it probably is not the gel cover, but just me getting used to the saddle, till the cover got stolen a couple of months ago, and since then, every time I want to cycle, the pain is back, and I can remain painful even for a few days after an hour of cycling. <S> As I had read various articles about choosing the right saddles, and based on my own experience riding different city and mountain bikes, the bigger, wider and softer (ladies') saddles work better for me, and possibly for most of the women; (Tip #3 from 7 tips to find the perfect saddle also mentions this), but if she's not willing to spend money on the saddle, you can just get one of those silicon covers to fix the problem, and it's less hassle than wearing the pants/shorts if you're using your bike as a means of transportation in different outfits, rather than just cycling. <A> Was the bike from a shop and did the shop staff help with bike fit and saddle comfort? <S> If the answer is yes, then it's a matter of building up those bottom muscles by having a similar ride every couple of days. <S> After three or four rides she should be ok. <S> If not, go back to the shop and seek their assistance. <S> If you already spent money there, then fixing the seat problem should be free. <S> If the answer is no, try the same approach, but if it doesn't improve your next option would be to visit you local bike shop and see if they can sell her a more comfortable seat. <A> Time matters more than distance, but 1 km is a very short ride. <S> Either she was wearing poor clothing, the saddle shape, or bike fit are really bad for her, or she hit a bump hard, or some combination of those things. <S> Or she doesn't really want to ride. <S> First find out if she WANTS to ride. <S> If she does, make sure the bike fits her. <S> Saddle fore/aft position should not be used to adjust the reach to the bars. <S> Get her some padded shorts and chamois cream and instruct her how to wear them; i.e. no underwear. <S> Possibly try a cushier saddle. <S> Problems with cushier saddles generally don't manifest until one starts doing longer rides. <S> Make adjustments she requests. <S> These may be pretty frequent at first. <S> Until she's riding at least 10 miles a few times a week don't worry about trying to find the perfect saddle for her. <S> Also note, bigger, wider, softer saddles are NOT better for all women. <S> Nor is woman's saddle always best. <S> Myself and a friend are two who are most comfortable on narrow, hard, "men's" saddles. <S> Many women <S> I know who ride <S> regularly prefer men's saddles. <S> Some women are most comfortable with a cut-out. <S> Others find cut-outs extremely painful. <S> I've also known women who weren't comfortable until the nose of their saddle was tilted down significantly. <S> Shorts/saddle combination can also make a huge difference. <S> There isn't one style of saddle that's best for all of us. <S> If you don't have a shop nearby with a good saddle try-out policy, eBay can be a way to try out different saddles for an extended time.
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The Team Estrogen forums are a great resource to help women find saddles that might be comfortable for them, but ultimately saddles need to be tested for awhile. It comes down to differences in individual anatomy, as well as shorts and riding styles. Unless she has been very inactive up to now, the fact that her arms hurt after only 1k would lead me to suspect the bars are too low or too wide, saddle nose is tilted down too much, the stem too long, or the frame is too big. She shouldn't have a lot of pain the next day. Fore/aft adjustments are to position the rider's lower body properly in relation to the crank.
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I am 6ft and riding a firefox kompac. My speed never crosses 18kmph What is the difference of having larger no of teeth in the front derailleur? does it help in speed and distance covered? Suggest a good hybrid on which I can achieve faster speeds? My budget is $700. <Q> What is your "cadence" (number of pedal revolutions per minute)? <S> A healthy young cyclist should be able to "cruise" at 80-90 rpm, and that would be considered your top speed. <S> If at 80 rpm you're only getting 18kmph (11mph) in your fastest gear then your bike gearing is quite low and you probably need to change something. <S> But many novice cyclists simply pedal too slowly. <S> With a multi-speed bike you should focus first on getting a "reasonable" cadence (maybe 60 rpm when "taking it easy", 80-90 when trying to go fast). <S> "Gear down" into an easier gear until you learn to maintain cadence, then slowly increase gear difficulty to gain strength and stamina. <A> From the web site that bike comes with 40T chainring and a 14-28T Freewheel.17.94 kmph is a cadence of only 50. <S> bikecalc.com <S> You should be up at 80 <S> +. <S> On a sprint you should go over 100.A folding bike is not as efficient as most full size bike but gearing is not what is holding you back at 18 kmph. <S> Not going to give specific hybrids <S> but there are many at that price point. <S> Some are more road like (smaller diameter tires). <S> If you are looking for road speed go for more of a road style hybrid. <S> KOMPAC <A> One common problem with people who are new to cycling is that they tend to under-inflate the tyres. <S> Too low tyre pressure means increased rolling friction which is likely to be quite noticeable. <S> (At higher speeds the air resistance is dominant, but not really at these speeds.) <S> Exactly how high pressure is a hotly debated question, but as a rule it should be near the 'maximum recommended tyre pressure' indicated on the sidewall.
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By the look of it, that bike comes with some knobbly off-road style tyres, but if you intend to stay on paved roads you could replace them with smoother (and narrower) tyres which would also improve the top speed.
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Is the Specialized Sectour Double 2014 a men's bike. Can a women ride a men's bike? I am looking for a woman's bike. And I found a 2014 Specialized Sectour double . Is this a men's bike? If so what are the disadvantages of a women riding it ? <Q> I sold Specialized bikes for a lot of years, they do make gender specific frames, women's bikes have shorter top tubes relative to the seat tubes, this is because women on average have shorter backs and longer legs than men do, they also come with womens saddles, and sometimes women specific grips (for feminine hands). <S> The Sectour is considered a men's frame. <S> Not everyone is built the same though, my wife rides a men's frame because she is really tall in the body. <S> The only other difference between men and women's Specialized frames is that women's frames sometimes have "girlier" colours and paint details. <A> I would say that whether a bike is Unisex (men's) or women's specific it is of fairly little relevance. <S> What matters more is an individual's fit on an individual bike. <S> Tall people need big bikes, short people need smaller bikes, regardless of gender. <S> The punchline is this: try the bike out before you buy it, if it fits.. <S> it fits! <S> NOTE: <S> The photographed frame is a compact frame so you are expected to have a lot of seat-post exposed. <S> If you have to lower the seat way down below the handlebars to reach the pedals, that's not a good fit. <A> Naturally you would want to put a women's seat on it. <S> A shop will typically switch our for free. <S> This is a comparable women's in Specialized. <S> DOLCE
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As it says here: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/h/option/bikesizeguide#women-bike A women's bike is built to fit the average woman but a lot people aren't average.
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Can I fit 3 x9 speed crankset to 3 x 8 speed cartridge I have a Merida hybrid cycle fitted with Shimano XT Deore 3 x 8 speed (42/32/24T). The crank has a few worn teeth and I would like to replace with Shimano XT Deore (48/36/26T). The seller states this is for 3 x 9 speed gear set, can I fit to my cycle? <Q> Yes, there are no complications with running a 9 speed crankset on an 8 speed drivetrain. <S> You can see image below that some 9 speed cranks are even listed as being 9/8 speed cranks. <A> That is basically the difference between the two. <S> The external widths of an 8-speed chain and a 9-speed chain differ by something like a few tenths of a millimetre. <S> It is arguable whether this amount makes any practical difference to your shifting experience. <S> On the one hand, the bike companies will say that it does. <S> Everything that is part of the chainset will have been manufactured precisely, based upon a certain chain width, and anything different will give you an "imperfect" experience. <S> But then the bike companies also have a vested interest in selling you components. <S> On the other hand, the difference is so small that many people happily run this setup without reporting any ill-effects. <S> Aside from this, I agree entirely with @ShemSeger's answer, but I did think it was important to emphasise to you that there will be a difference, albeit slight, between the two cranksets. <A> The front is effectively independent of the back - a triple which is "9 speed" should work fine if you replace it with a triple "8 speed" and vice versa (the speeds for the rear when marketing front cranksets are marketing). <S> Similar with derailleurs in the front <S> vs whats going on in the back. <S> You will probably need a new chain, and you need to see if the front derailleur is even rated to take a 48t (which I suspect it probably isn't). <S> This can be done by checking the spec sheet for the front derailleur. <S> If not, you need a FD which has the same cable pull as your shifters which has the capacity. <S> Also, on a Deore XT crankset, you can buy replacement chainrings and install them, so you could save a decent amount of money this way.
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Strictly speaking, one crankset will have been manufactured for an 8-speed chain, the other will have been manufactured for a 9-speed chain. You shouldn't encounter any problems, but you will have you readjust your front dérailleur to make room for the larger ring, and double check your chain length on big rings after it's installed.
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is a 29er a good fit for a 5'9 height? I'm a 5'9.5 and I use a 26er gt and I don't feel that comfortable as it feels so small. I've also tried a 27.5 merida, it was an improvement but I can't still quite grasp that same feeling when you were a kid and bikes were huge. I feel a 29er would be better for what I'm craving for, but since I've been hearing about 29ers being sluggish, for a guy who loves single tracks, would buying a 29er which is slightly more expensive a choice to regret? BTW I live in a city where there are limited bike shops, and they don't give test rides. So please help me. I don't want to spend my budget on something I really want and then regret it. An answer from someone who already had or have a 29er would be great, but anyone would be appreciated. <Q> 29'r is definitely not to big for you <S> (I am 5'10" and my 29'rs are just fine). <S> However, there are reasons that a lot of all mountain, freeride and almost all downhill rigs are still 26". <S> 29'rs are less suited for highly technical riding, but much better suited for cross country and trail riding. <S> As always, tailor your bicycle choice to your riding style. <S> If you are into flowy single track and aren't hitting drops, ripping through rock gardens and generally abusing the landscape with your rig, then 29" is probably a better choice for you (with the right size frame). <A> Here is my experience with 29'er - just one persons view point in an evangelical war.... <S> I am around 5'9", moved from multiple 26" 's (soft and hard tails) to 29er (hard tail) and ride XC. <S> Recently we got my wife a 650B Merida. <S> The 650 is slightly lower price than the 29er - and <S> my favourite 26er I was riding most is an old/classic from <S> Mid 1990's weighing under 10kg On non-technical ground and fast flowing single track <S> Once the corners get tight <S> the 29er is, "a difficult child". <S> It takes effort to initiate turns and get it do what it should do. <S> Maintaining precise lines though corners next to impossible and even on straights I have to concentrate on holding the line. <S> I initially put it down to geometry differences rather than wheel size (but I have ridden many 26" and never had this problem) as everyone was telling me how great 29er's were <S> , how could it be the wheels. <S> Then I rode my wifes 650B on those tighter technical trails. <S> I will never again buy another 29'er. <S> I now ride my wifes 650B when I head out on technical stuff if she not coming with me. <S> So is the difference wheel size, or geometry - my guess, 50/50. <S> The way I see it <S> the 29er was a failed experiment in bigger MTB wheels that made the industry a fortune with people doing upgrades. <S> The 650B is a much better wheel size of a majority of riders, hence the move by the industry towards it. <S> In a few years 650B will be nearly as ubiquitous as 26 <S> " was - for good reason - and only very specialised and custom builds will have 29er. <S> I will keep my 29'er for non technical XC and unpaved road riding, but will not take it out for serious XC. <S> As @Batman suggested - rent a 29er and see if you like it. <S> My guess is its a love it or hate it kind of thing, not something you sit on the fence on. <A> 26 or 29 is the tire size. <S> You need to buy a frame size that fits you. <S> At 5'9" you are tall enough for 29er tire size but not an XL frame. <S> You would be a medium in most frames. <S> I have moved from 26 to 29 and 29 is a big step up. <S> 29 tubeless is even better. <A> I have rented a medium frame hard tail 29er silverback with deore drive train and was not surprised. <S> You guys were right, tight corners were really hard to handle at first, gut some bruises to realize it as well. <S> But later on it became much easier. <S> I was clumsy at first (it was a huge transition from 26"), and I could feel an added weight compared to 26ers. <S> In drops, there were not much of a problem, it was basically the same, just apply the same techniques. <S> In my whole 1day experience, I would say a little more practice <S> and I would surely get used to it as my cornering with the 29er rapidly improved during several runs. <S> I have made my decision and will take the 29er giant revel 1 next week. <S> Thank you guys! <S> Tell you all about it next week <A> A 29er will definitely fit you. <S> I know shorter people who ride 29ers. <S> If the most intricate riding you'll be doing is single track, then I don't think you'll find a 29er to be "sluggish". <S> As Chris said, dh/freeride bikes have smaller wheels, but that's really about your ability to muscle the bike around, and having the wheels be able to withstand more lateral pressure. <S> It sounds like that's not an issue for you.
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, the 29er is not a bad bike. I would say it depends on your riding style and the geometry of the specific bike you are looking at. Smaller frames may come with 26" just like youth bikes have 24".
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Croozer bike trailer optimalisation for less tire detoriation We love to travel by bike. Last summer we did a trip of about 650km on mostly asphalted roads (with quite some medium long climbs and descends) with our son in a bike trailer (type Croozer, see picture below). During this trip we had to change the outer tires of the cart two times. The first change could be related to previous use (intensively used for commuting), but after another 400km we had to change them again due to wear (all rubber deteriorated on the outer tires). As you can see on the picture above the cart has wheels that are a bit tilted, making it more stable. We noticed that the wear appeared not in the middle of the tires but more towards the inside (due to this tilting). The cart is coupled to our bikes with a kind of spring mechanism, which allows free rotation in all directions and some vertical and horizontal movement. The spring has some negative effects. You notice the effect of that when braking (the cart itself has no brakes). Going downhill the cart tries to break out. Would changing this to a ball hitch contribute in solving my problem? The wheels each have their own axle that makes it easier to remove the wheels. This is handy when taking it on a train or parking it somewhere (you can lock the cart to a post and remove one wheel so nobody can ride away with it). However, due to this system there is a little bit of play on the axles. The tires are size 20 x 1.75 . The wear on the outer tires makes it difficult to take longer trips because you need to take spare outer tires for every 400km you plan to do. I was wondering if I could make adjustments to this trailer in order to improve the lifetime of the outer tires. The wear was a lot slower when using it for commuting (no steep descends on the road) compared to our holiday trip (climbs and descends of 5%, load at 80% of the max load allowed by the manufacturer). What I found on sheldonbrown.com already helps a bit in determining the tire pressure. I think I will inflate them a little bit less. I always used maximum pressure (4 bar, 60 Psi) so I would need less force to pull the cart. However this can contribute to faster wear apparently: Trikes and two-wheel trailers are very different from bikes, because they don't lean in corners. Most tire wear comes from cornering forces. On a bike, these forces act on different parts of the tread, according to how far one leans into various corners at various speeds. With a trailer or trike, all of the wear is concentrated on the middle of the tread. If you overinflate the tires, you'll be riding on only the very center of the tread, and it will wear rapidly. In addition, wheel alignment is never going to be perfect. As a result, the paired tires will always "scrub" a bit. If the tires are rock-hard, this will cause rapid wear. If the tires are softer, they can flex slightly sideways to accommodate the scrub, without wearing the tread off. However I want to improve lifetime further. Which steps can I take next? <Q> That is not scrub a bit - that is scrub a lot. <S> I don't agree a softer tire will not scrub. <S> Yes a softer tire will give bit <S> but then it has no option but to scrub. <S> With no load I suspect the wheels are not aligned perfectly <S> and then those short short axles play. <S> A little play on that short radius is a lot of alignment. <S> I get you like the portability of the short axles but for long trips go with a trailer with a solid single axle. <S> This diagram is the trailer being pull toward this line of text. <S> When you brake it is like pushing the trailer and the play would go opposite. <S> This play is exaggerated but the purpose is to show how much play affects alignment. <A> In addition to the alignment of the wheels, one needs to consider the alignment of the tongue. <S> If the tongue (at the pivot point) is not centered then you are dragging the trailer sideways. <A> 400 km on asphalt seems ridiculously low on any bicycle tire. <S> Try some tough and very durable touring/commuter tires, like the Schwalbe Marathon line. <S> On a bicycle, you should be getting well over 10k miles on those, though due to the smaller wheels on a trailer, you will likely get something less (a friend of mine who uses a recumbent trike gets approximately 2.5k miles on a set). <S> Also, try to ride smoothly - if for example you're skidding the wheels, then you'll also wear the tires out unnecessarily. <S> It would also be good if you posted how the tires were getting worn down. <A> My first suspicion would be the alignment on the wheels, if they are not properly aligned then they will wear, but I'm not certain what you can do to adjust the alignment on that trailer. <S> Check the dish of the rims and also make sure that they are true, this may affect how the alignment and how the wheels roll and wear. <S> If the tires are only wearing on the insides, then rotating them is definitely an option. <A> Often the tires included with the trailers are low quality and will wear quite quickly especially with heavier loads (personal experience). <S> If you simply bought the same tires as the manufacturer included with your trailer as the replacements your problem will persist. <S> As an alternative, you may want to consider determining the tire size (should be printed on the side of the tire) and purchasing some higher quality tires from a manufacture known for reasonably good quality tires. <S> For example, Schwalbe sell a variety of tire sizes for their big apple tire which wears reasonably well.
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Swap the tire around on the rims so that the unworn side is on the inside, this may affect how the tires grip the road if they are directional, but you might lengthen their life a bit longer by evenly wearing out the tire. The pivot point where the tongue attaches to the bike should be exactly along the centerline of the trailer (even if the tongue is not attached to the center of the trailer), not off to one side.
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What Turbo Tyre On CX Bike I have a CX bike that i would like to put on a turbo trainer. The bike is Boardman CX Comp. The question i have is what turbo training tire could i put on my wheels Mavic XM319? My current tires are Schwalbe Tyrago Kevlar Guard 700 x 37c what tires could replace these? What tire options do i have and am i limited to what turbo trainer i can use? I have yet to try any tire and i have tried to google to get an answer but dont fully understand the reply. <Q> Generally, you can use any 700c trainer tire like the Continental Hometrainer , Vittoria Zaffiro Pro Home Trainer , Kurt Kinetic's Trainer tire , etc. <S> Most come in 700x23, but some come in larger sizes (700x32 for example for the Continental Hometrainer). <S> On a road, you don't want to go too far from a particular range of widths due to either flats or handling issues, but since you're bolted into a trainer, theres not a problem in using a smaller 700c tire on the wheel. <A> There are turbo trainer specific tires but you can train on a regular tire. <S> Just google "bicycle tire for turbo trainer". <S> You have 700 rim = 622 iso. <S> At CX races I see riders warming up on turbo trainers with the knobby tires they are going to race with. <A> Another approach is to fit an older part-worn rear tyre if you're going to keep the bike in the trainer all winter. <S> You can buy a new good tyre come spring. <S> If your trainer doesn't spin the front wheel like rollers do, consider using up the front tyre by install it on the rear wheel and shout yourself a pair of new ones when it warms up.
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As for trainers you can use, pretty much any trainer supports 700c, but as always, check the specifications for the one you're going to buy. You can also just use a regular tire on a trainer, but the tire will wear out faster due to the additional heat versus the road. Look at the turbo trainer for the size wheels they support.
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Why is a tandem harder to ride uphill than a single rider bike? With equal power to weight ratio, why is a tandem bike harder to ride uphill? I have friends whose Cannondale tandem bike weighs the same as their single rider bikes combined. But they find it easier to climb hills (compared to the bunch) on single rider bikes than on the tandem. They are experienced tandem riders. <Q> Everyone climbs at their own best rate and cadence. <S> On a tandem, both riders have to ride at the same rate and cadence, which will be closest to those of the strongest rider. <S> So neither of them are climbing at their best rate and cadence. <S> On the other hand, if the hill is so steep that the riders would have to stand, it becomes a matter of rider skills. <S> Many tandem riders struggle to master the two-person coordination of efforts required to make the transition to the standing position. <A> When climbing a hill on single it is normal to rock the bike side-to-side as you climb. <S> This rarely matches exactly for both riders. <S> It's similar to the way people run slower in a three legged race. <A> Coordination: <S> It depends on so many factors, weight, gear ratios, preferred cadence, getting out of the saddle when it feels comfortable and so on. <S> Being forced to climb faster or even slower than you'd like to can upset a rider's rhythm. <S> On a tandem it's more likely that your hill-climbing rhythm will be awkward. <S> If the captain wants to stand up, the cadence becomes more "stompy", leaving the stoker feeling they're not able to put much power in. <S> If the stoker stands, they can end up rubbing their face on the captain's back. <S> Power-to-weight ratio: <S> A tandem with two light riders feels similar in pace to a single with a heavy rider. <S> Most heavier riders are slower on climbs. <S> Lack of aerodynamic advantage: <S> The Coordination factor above is more than compensated for on the flat by a tandem's aerodynamic advantage: 195% power for perhaps 120% aerodynamic drag. <S> However, air resistance is negligible on a climb. <S> It may be that other sources of drag are not reduced so much. <S> For example: Rolling resistance may be similar to two singles due to the similar weight. <A> The more people work together on a task, the less each individuals' effort unconsciously (even if everyone thinks he does his best) becomes. <S> This was first observed on rope pulling and the decrease in performance it is not explainable by synchronisation inefficiency alone. <S> This effect applies even for groups of only two people: <S> (Ingham, Levinger, Graves, & Peckman, 1974) attempted to repeat this experiment in 1974 because they were unsure of the early methodology and descriptions of Ringelmann's earlier study. <S> Had groups of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 perform the rope pulling task. <S> Groups of 2 performed at 91% of potential, 3 at 82%, 4 at 78%, 5 at 78%, 6 at 78%. <S> Source <A> It is not harder to ride uphill if your captain and stoker are in perfect unity . <S> I ride a tandem with my wife a lot, and I find it way easier to climb hills with a stoker than riding single. <S> If you have the proper communication, then it's literally two people riding one bike, which is double the power of one person riding one bike. <S> The real disadvantage of riding tandem, is drag , two people and a bigger bike don't cut though the air like one person on a compact frame does. <S> Which is why tandem track-racing times are typically a couple seconds slower than single rider times. <S> Well, that and the fact that tandem track races are typically for disabled people, like at the paralympics, where the stoker is disabled, and the captain isn't allowed to be a pro racer. <S> But on hill climbs, where aerodynamics isn't a factor, tandem racers annihilate single racers on the hill climbs. <S> Some pairs of people may struggle on a tandem because their riding styles are different, as others have mentioned already this only matters if you're doing something like riding out of the saddle, on a tandem bike you can't be two minds, you have to ride as one mind.
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When riding in a group of singles, it can be hard to stay together on a hill climb, because everyone climbs at different paces. On a tandem with very well matched riders , they are in fact quicker, largely due to the draughting effect of the two riders being so close together. If they both stand, then the tandem can be hard to control unless the captain is much heavier and stronger than the stoker. In addition to the stated answers there is also a psychological reason: the Ringelmann effect .
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Are there any reasons why you would avoid going disc (other than cost) for racing cyclo cross? Why (if you had the choice) would you stay with cantilever brakes and forgo the opportunity to change to a disc set up for racing cyclo cross? <Q> One good reason to stick with cantilever is easier wheel swaps. <S> Last weekend races, my son flatted and we did not put spare wheels in the pits. <S> Neutral support had spare wheels and if my son had a disc based bike he would not of been able to use them. <S> Even if neutral support had disc wheels, with differences in rotor size they may not work for your bike. <S> Full Disclosure: my next CX will be disc based <S> , I've been through too many rims with brake surface getting dished from grit and grime. <A> On fast tracks or tracks with a lot of climbs they prefer cantilevers. <S> On muddy tracks you see a lot of disk brakes. <S> I remember there was a huge discussion about this when they first showed up in the world cup (November 2013). <S> Below some quotes from the leading riders in the UCI ranking at that time on the choice between disk brakes (hydraulic system) and cantilevers. <S> Lars van der <S> Haar <S> (current Dutch national champion) <S> "Schijfremmen blijven in alle omstandigheden praktisch even goed remmen, terwijl dat bij cantilevers in slechte omstandigheden toch vermindert." <S> (Translation: <S> Disk brakes keep working in all circumstances while cantilevers lose performance in bad conditions). <S> Niels <S> Albert <S> (Two time world champion) <S> "Met schijfremmen kun je kort voor de bocht snel afremmen, terwijl je met de klassieke cantilever-remmen al eerder moet beginnen remmen." <S> (Translation: with disk brakes you can brake right before the corners, while with cantilevers you need a larger stopping distance). <S> Verstraeten, coach of Sven Nys (Two time world champion, current Belgian national champion) <S> "Mijn persoonlijk gevoel is dat schijfremmen ook een voordeel kunnen bieden in de modder. <S> Met remblokjes wordt de remkracht toch beïnvloed <S> door het vuil, bij schijfremmen niet. <S> Maar het hele systeem weegt toch een halve kilogram extra. <S> Het wordt dus afwegen." <S> (Translation: I personally feel that disk brakes have an advantage in mud. <S> With cantilevers the braking power is influenced by dirt. <S> The disk brake system is about 0.500 kg heavier, so you have to make a check-balance). <S> On the highest level, the extra weight of the disk brakes will have impact on the performance of the athletes. <S> I think however that on a recreational level, when there is still a lot of improvement possible on your own weight, overall fitness, .. I would go for disk brakes if cost is not an issue. <A> The superior modulation that most disc systems have is due to the hydraulic actuation not the fact that they are discs. <S> Traditional Bowden cables have a lot of inherent friction. <S> Hydraulic rim brakes such as the Magura brakes (for many years the first choice for trials riders) and the more recent Sram hydraulic rim brakes have better modulation than any of the top end disc setups I have used. <S> Here's hoping the road disc fad dies quickly. <A> Hydraulic discs self adjust as the pads wear, which may wear significantly during a single race. <S> I have heard that some pros have avoided switching for this reason, however I believe that the main reason they do not is that they are used to caliper brakes. <S> I would not upgrade to mechanical (cable-actuated) discs since they will not self-adjust, and you may find yourself pulling the levers a lot before the pads engage. <S> I have not ridden a mechanical-caliper bike (cross, MTB or road), so I cannot confirm how they wear. <S> The improvement in braking performance with discs is too great to ignore. <S> Hydraulic discs have unmatched control, so just go for those.
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Unless deep mud is part of your ride or you need rim flex such as in mountain biking, hydraulic rim brakes are superior to discs in every way. Professional cyclo-cross racers choose depending on the type of cross they are riding.
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Are these SIS Mountain/City Bike Derailleurs compatible with drop-bar shifting? I'm considering the conversion of my flat-bar hybrid bike ( GIANT Escape 3 ) in to a makeshift road bike, complete with drop bars. However, if the derailleurs have to go, it may not be cost-effective to do so. The Escape comes fitted with Shimano Tourney derailleurs on front and back. They've got white logos on them which say "SIS Index", as seen in this photo of the front derailleur. I've been led to believe that Shimano drop-bar shifters will be compatible with these. Please corroborate? <Q> That being said, the bigger problem is the bike fit with these conversions -- the geometry for drop bars is not the same geometry you use for a bike with flat bars for the same person. <S> We've got some good answers on this here (particularly the one by sixtyfooterdude). <S> You'll also need Problem Solvers Travel Agents or special brake levers for the linear pull brakes, so in all likelihood you'll spend significantly more than the bike is worth on doing this upgrade (which might not give you good fit) <S> -- you're better off just buying a road bike (in fact, on such a cheap bike like the Escape 3, you're almost surely better off selling the bike and buying a road bike unless all the parts and labor are free and the result fits you). <A> You can probably find some 7 speed bar end shifters on ebay or elsewhere. <S> You can use any speed of bar end shifter if you switch them to friction. <A> There should be no problem. <S> Just make sure your rear-derailleur shifter is 7-speed . <S> I have use this setup in the past Shimano Exage 300X 7 speed SIS DT shiftersShimano <S> RD-5501 GS 105 9 speed long cage RDSunRace 7 speed <S> HG freewheel 13-28t <S> and it works <A> it will work with a wide variety of shifters. <S> I've mixed many derraileurs within the Shimano brand across various product generations (usually from 7 speed to 10 speed). <S> My limitation would be I've not used 11 speed equipment. <S> There are some exceptions. <S> For example the Shimano AX series derraileurs from the 80's will only work with friction shifters. <S> .For <S> the fronts, there is some information on Sheldon that indicates that there may be issues with brifters and your derraileur. <S> I've used brifters with a very similar derrailuer to to the Tourney and it works ok. <S> My only concern would be the triple cranks that you have and its compatibility to a triple front shifter indexing. <S> That I cannot comment on
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The rear derailleur shifter needs to be Shimano compatible (and 7 speed) if you want to use indexing (as always, friction always works), while the front derailleur will need to be replaced with a Shimano road FD or you will need to use friction shifters (bar ends most likely) for the front. You should not have any problem with regards to your rear derraileur.
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Is there any rule of thumb for comparing lights rated in lux and lumens? Currently, I'm using a front light rated at 35 lux on my bike. This is just about bright enough for my riding, but I'd like something a bit brighter. However, most of the lights which might be brighter are rated in lumens, rather than lux. I'm a physicist by training, so I know the difference between 1 lux and 1 lumen and that you can't compare them directly - but that doesn't help me as I do need to compare them somehow. Is there any rule of thumb or something that I can use to work out which lights are actually brighter than my current light, or does the beam pattern of lights vary too much for this to be a sensible comparision in any way at all? <Q> It's likely that the manufacturer has picked lux specifically to make it sound impressive, or possibly even to make it hard to compare. <S> Here's a nice description of the (optional) standard: http://www.led-resource.com/ansi-fl1-standard/ . <S> One of the possible measures in that standard is the distance at which the light is 0.25 lux. <S> Another is the candela (peak beam intensity). <S> And, of course, there's always lumens (total output). <S> Lumens seem to be the favorite. <S> In particular, the beamshot photos on that site are super-useful. <S> There can be big differences between lights that use the same measurement (usually lumens) and being able to look at what that looks like on a stretch of road is amazingly helpful. <A> Assuming it is intended to throw a 1 m^2 patch in front of your bike suggests it may be a ~35 lumen or so light. <S> I think you'd be safe in looking for 100 lumen (or greater) light to replace with. <S> Looking at that price range, I'd think those were reasonable assumptions to make. <S> Unfortunately, without knowing how large a patch it it intending to throw, you'll never be able to make a direct comparison. <A> [ All credit for this answer goes to nhinkle , hence the community wiki ] <S> In this specific case, it's actually fairly easy. <S> The light which you've linked to, the Smart Lunar 35 lux, is actually just a rebranded Planet Bike Blaze 2W Micro <S> which has a claimed 139 lumens. <S> (A number of Smart products are actually just rebranded from other manufacturers, particularly Planet Bike and Portland Design Works). <S> As others have commented, there's not a general way of doing this and you're probably best off concentrating on reviews rather than technical specifications. <A> That is an inexpensive light that runs on 2 AA batteries. <S> And has a narrow beam. <S> Rather than focus on getting something just a "little" brighter if you want to stay cheap just buy a second AA light and use both. <S> Or get a second of the same. <S> Or step up to more expensive rechargeable lithium ion light. <S> It will be brighter. <S> Focus on reviews. <A> Best bet is to look at them - if you can't do it in person, look for reviews with pictures of the beam and illumination. <S> For example, road.cc have a comparison tool . <S> I couldn't immediately see anything putting 35 lux in the centre, where I assume yours is measured. <S> The Topeak Whitelite <S> HP Beamer <S> (who names these things?) <S> is closeish at about 30 lux, <S> so maybe see if that looks similar to yours.
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Instead of trying to compare the brightness of your current light, I recommend visiting this great light comparison site (which originally started from some posts on our blog): https://www.bikelightdatabase.com/ I don't think you're going to be able to do any reasonable conversion, since lux without a distance is meaningless.
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Are fatbikes capable riding in mud? Fatbikes are traditionally used for sand and snow which are surfaces which are loose and liable to break away under the weight of the bike and rider. They are also materials that don't generally stick to the tyre. A muddy surface such as a peaty or poor-condition dirt track after rainstorms would also provide some likelihood that the material will break away under the tread. However, mud is often sticky and likely to stick to a tyre. Therefore is mud more or less likely to stick to a fatbike wide with and diameter tyre than a small skinny ( < 2.5 inch ) mountain bike tyre where more pressure is being exerted over a small surface area, or more extreme a cyclocross tyre (these guys seem to ride and corner in muddy conditions successfully)? <Q> Depends on how viscous and deep the mud is. <S> But with normal mud and less than 6 inches deep then a thinner tire that will sink to the bottom for traction and might do better. <S> I was in a cyclocross race recently where we had a few inches of rain over the prior 2 days. <S> There were both mountain bikes with 2+" tires and cyclocross with 33-35mm. <S> The cyclocross were more effective. <S> Even muddy grass the smaller tires did better. <S> The bigger tires got pushed around and still did not get good surface traction. <S> The other factor is the amount of mud you are going to carry. <S> A fat tire is going to hold a lot more mud and get heavy. <A> Fatbikes are traditionally used for sand and snow, but what about mud? <S> Yes. <S> Would a wide tyre with a mud-specific tread work better or worse than a narrow one in mud? <S> Better. <S> A larger footprint with lower pressure has better traction on surfaces with low shear strength. <S> I have an On-One Fatty which is a joy to ride on technical ascents (despite the weight penalty) and descents. <S> The bike is not a limiting factor. <S> The limit is me. <A> Generally mud you want a skinny tire with very good clearing capability and depending on the mix of rocks and roots the hight of the knobs should be short. <S> In situations where there is little rocks and roots, tall spikes work best. <S> We ran mud spikes but typically I had two pair of spikes, one with tall spikes and one cut with shorter spikes for more rocky conditions. <S> Mud spikes also have a large fillet radius to the spikes to allow them to shed mud easily. <S> One factor that holds true for all situations with mud, the tire must clean well!
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If the mud is viscous like clay and maybe leaves mixed and a fat tire can float and still get traction then the bigger tire is better. I have raced downhill for several years on the east coast of the US which is notorious for being muddy races.
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Is it safe to mount fender stays and disc brakes on the same bolt? I bought these fenders recently: The rear fender works fine — there are enough mount points to support my brake, kickstand, rack, and fender. But when the salesperson sold me the fenders, we both failed to realize that my bike's front brake uses both of the mounting holes available on the left side of the fork: I went back to the bike shop, talked to a tech and he gave me a longer bolt, recommending that I just mount the fender stay on the outside of the front brake (with some washers surrounding it). But when I asked at another bike shop, someone told me to definitely not try mounting them on the same bolt. Could mounting them together cause any problems with brake alignment or reliability, or is it fairly safe? <Q> Do not do that. <S> That's dangerous because those stays are often made of soft steel and it's easy to bend or damage them, which means they'll pull out from under the bolt head. <S> In that case you end up with a loose bolt on your brake caliper. <S> Which is bad. <S> Two alternatives spring to mind: fenders that mount directly to the fork via clips or bands (or hose clamps if you're DIY), or the short fenders that only attach to the fork crown (I think the latter are decorative rather than functional, but enough people disagree that you can still buy them). <S> I would just use cable ties to attach the fenders to the fork and see what happens. <S> I think that will work, but if it doesn't I'd use hose clamps instead. <S> Careful not to overtighten the clamps - you can crush the fork tube which will damage the suspension. <S> If you're committed to attaching to the brake the safer way is to make a plate that links both bolts and has a tab to bolt the mudguard onto. <S> That way the plate can't rotate and is fairly solid so it's not likely to shift or deform and leave to with a loose front brake mount. <S> The failure mode will be that extra tab bending or breaking, and with a little thought to the design that will be annoying rather than dangerous. <A> I can't comment on whether using the same bolt is safe or not, but one possible workaround would be clip-on fenders. <S> These just attach to the frame of the bike and don't need to be attached to the fork at all. <S> They're not as sturdy/durable as fully installed fenders but will avoid any issues with a lack of mounting space on the fork. <S> For example, Planet Bike sells some clip-on fenders for $20 , and you could probably find them cheaper online or at your LBS. <A> http://problemsolversbike.com/products/sheldon_fender_nuts <S> I would definitely not mount the fender between the bolt and the brake mount.
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I'm not sure it would work in this case, but you can get brake nuts with a thread inside the cap. P-Clips are cheap and will allow you to mount the fender on the fork.
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Burping v/s bleeding hydraulic disc brakes: is it safe? I found a method for burping (get the air out of the circuit) hydraulic disc brakes in YouTube (see here ). The method is: 1) Rotate/move the hand lever assembly until the reservoir cap is facing up and at level. 2) Take off the reservoir cap. 3) Slowly squeeze the lever repeatedly, until no more air bubbles come off. 4) Refill the reservoir with brake fluid. 5) Put the cap back on and return the lever assembly to his normal position. To me it looks far more simpler than the standard procedure, and can be used in an emergency on the road (Obviously, it doesn't apply for replacing old fluid). What problems can you see with this method? <Q> You aren't assured of getting all the air out of the system. <S> If your bubbles are further down and this doesn't remove them, you may actually introduce more air than you remove when you replace the cap. <S> You won't effect a fluid change this way. <S> If something happens and you bump/spill some fluid, you are SOL for replacing it. <S> Not to say this isn't a decent method to try for a home mechanic as an initial troubleshooting step if you are into it. <S> It may be done faster, with little to no cost, and may help some issues. <S> However, you are correct, it does have several shortcomings. <A> I have some entrance level Shimano hydraulic brakes (bl-m445; br-m445) <S> and while trying to bleed them, I accidentally overtightened the bleed nipple thus resulting in the threads being busted. <S> I put some teflon tape on it and reinstalled it in the caliper, then resorted to burping the system. <S> Although it took a while (max 15 mins) I managed to get from something where the lever could easily touch the handlebar to a firm, airless system that feels like a brand new, quality bled brake. <S> I'd say that by removing the brakes from the bike, putting in a bleed spacer and attaching the lever to something so that the reservoir oil is leveled (with the caliper hanging down), using a bit of tapping on the line, caliper and lever can give just as good a result as a bleed. <A> I fixed my brake using burping, and didn't even add additional oil. <S> I accidentally got a lot of air into the caliper and my brake didn't work at all. <S> Without opening anything, I leveled the system so that air bubbles will travel only upwards towards the handle, and started pumping the handle. <S> Press the handle gently so <S> bubbles won't move down, then release it quickly so they'll be pushed up. <S> Keep doing it a few minutes. <S> The reservoir at the handle is designed to have some air trapped inside, it's OK for the bubbles to collect there. <S> Of course it's better to add some oil if you have any. <S> I had to disconnect the caliper from the frame to keep it below the pipe, so after some pumping my pistons were extended all the way. <S> I used a screwdriver to push them back, they are held in extended position by friction. <A> This kid has much bigger problems than air in his brakes, did you notice his hose fitting? <S> His "burping" hack isn't going to last long because he's sucking air straight into the master cylinder by riding with a broken hose. <S> It's seriously just dangling off the caliper with the sheath almost completely cut, one hard stop and that line is going to blow right off the fitting. <S> Dot oil is dirt cheap, you use very little to bleed Juicy brakes, and you can get a cheap bleed kit from your local pharmacy for $2 (ask for a disposable oral syringe with a luer lock tip). <S> I know of one pharmacy that even stocks extra syringes because it's across the street from a couple bike shops. <S> Bleeding your brakes is way faster and more effective than burping your brakes.
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If you have a leak that has introduced air, this may not help any. This is a quick fix, having brakes is safer than not having brakes, but I would not use this as an alternative to properly bleeding brakes, you're not guaranteed to get all the air out. You won't replace the crush bolts and other pieces swapped at the true bleed that are potential sources of failure.
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Are road bike seats interchangeable? I am a beginner to riding on road bikes. A friend has lent me his road bike (Giant) for about 1 month and I want to use it as much as possible before I think about buying my own. The current seat is absolutely killing me though (I have padded bike shorts already) so I'm thinking of fitting it with a seat more suited for me. If I get a new seat, is it likely that I will be able to use it on another bike? <Q> Almost all saddles will be exchangeable -- there are a few rare (and very expensive ones) <S> you wouldn't encounter unless you were looking for them which can't be exchanged. <S> So yes, almost surely if you buy a new saddle you can use it on another bike. <S> Note that some saddles are marketed as "road" or "mtb" - the mtb ones are possibly more durable, but this is a marketing distinction -- they are not separate standards. <S> That being said, there are a few things to note in your question: 1) <S> Some discomfort when starting to ride road bikes is normal - the saddles are often harder than what most people are used to, so they need to get used to using their sit bones. <S> 2) <S> Some seatposts don't have much adjustability for saddle angle and position. <S> Thus, a poor seatpost in this respect may make a good saddle for you not feel good. <S> Brooks saddles, for example, are somewhat notorious for needing a decent amount of adjustability in the seatpost. <S> 3) Make sure your bike is fit to you - if the saddle is in the wrong place (or other aspects of the fit are wrong), it won't feel good. <S> 4) You may need a different saddle (as you assume). <A> There are maybe 3-4 different schemes for mating seats with seatposts. <S> Most "real" bikes use the scheme where two "rails" under the seat are held by a clamp atop the post, but there are a few other schemes, mainly used with less expensive bikes. <S> If both seats use the 2-rail scheme you're almost certainly OK, otherwise you need to compare the two carefully. <A> There is likely much more variability at the point where the seatpost and frame meet as compared to the point where the seatpost and seat meet. <S> http://sheldonbrown.com/seatpost-sizes.html <A> Something else to consider is that many bike shops will offer a seat trial program. <S> You can pay a fee to use multiple seats and find the one that is right for you. <S> The initial fee you paid will be applied to the purchase price of the saddle that you choose.
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A couple of things to be aware of: Seatposts come in a bizarre array of diameters, so the odds of a seatpost from one bike fitting another is not great.
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Removing spray paint to reveal frame's factory paint job I have a frame that I'd like to sell. To avoid it being stolen, I covered it in tape and spray paint. I rode it for 5 years in London and this worked very successfully. However, I'd like to make it look nice again. The original glossy paintwork seems to be well preserved under the matte paint I put on. Is there a way for me to strip off this layer while leaving what's underneath? <Q> Here is the best-case scenario: <S> the finish you applied is a single-component lacquer or enamel of some type which dries purely by evaporation of the solvents, not by a chemical reaction. <S> No "hardener" was added to this when applying, and it's not a type which reacts with humidity or oxygen in order to further harden. <S> Whereas, the factory finish underneath is a reactive finish which hardens by "cross linking of the polymer": it is a two component polyurethane, powder-coated epoxy, "UV cured" stuff or some such. <S> In this situation, a solvent (e.g. acetone + toluene/xylene lacquer thinner) should take off your paint, while not attacking the factory paint. <S> Try it in an inconspicuous area of the frame like the bottom of the bottom bracket (if you painted there) or chainstays. <S> Do not use anything abrasive: soft cotton cloth only, soaked in solvent. <S> Use rubber gloves and work outside. <S> Situate the work piece downwind relative to yourself, or wear a respirator. <A> Even if the two paints used different bases (say one oil and the other latex) they are bonded together so well that they will not come apart. <S> Your best option is to strip all the paint, then repaint the entire frame nicely. <A> Chances are it's a paint with a layer of clear coat underneath the paint you applied. <S> Clean it often with a rag and some soapy water to make sure as soon as you get to the clear coat you have stopped. <S> If that works then do the rest, and finish off the job with some 400-800 grit sandpaper to take out the sanding marks and then hit it with some rubbing compound or polish <S> (stuff designed for cars will be cheap and will work well) <S> You will be there all day with rubbing compound... <A> To my mind the one recommendation for using sand paper is ill-advised, even if it is a high grit wet/dry sandpaper. <S> However, I haven't tried it <S> so maybe it works like a charm. <S> What I have done for a bike that I bought used and someone "ruined" the gorgeous original paint job, was used acetone and it worked like a charm. <S> Keep in mind that the clear coat paint quality is a "buffer" zone to the coloured paint underneath the clear coat. <S> Typically the higher priced bikes have better quality clear coats. <S> Anyway, another thing is that the longer acetone comes into contact, the deeper it seems to "melt" the paint away. <S> Worked for me! <A> I have removed vandal spray paint from a cars with rubbing compound. <S> If you just misted it and bike had nice baked paint <S> then there is a good chance. <S> It might not work but it is sure worth a try. <S> Also search on overspray removal. <S> I used to take my truck inside the gate at a refinery and it got over <S> sprayed badly a couple time <S> and they managed to remove it without repainting. <S> Don't know how they did it <S> but somehow they did. <S> But I would start with rubbing compound. <A> I purchased a framed art piece & the frame was sticky . <S> I started to clean it because I wanted it another color <S> , I discovered the color I was going to paint it underneath .It <S> was shiny , so I carefully used liquid detergent & water with a toothbrush & all the paint <S> came off without damaging the paint underneath .Beautiful frame <S> , I don't know why anyone painted would have painted it in the first place .
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I used a rag and did kind of a two step process of doing small sections and using a clean rag for the second pass to take away the residual offending spray paint. If you spray painted directly onto the original finish and that paint has stayed in place for 5 years, it's not coming off without removing at least most of the original paint. I'd get some wet & dry sandpaper (black stuff) - about 80-120 grit to start with - and scuff up a portion of the frame.
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Why are wheels so important for racing? I hear/read everywhere that if you can spend some extra money on the bike, buy better wheels. can someone explain for me why? Is it because they are rotating or are there other comfort factors?thanks <Q> Wheels and tires are the interface between the bike and the road; and are the parts that take the most stress (wear and tear) along with the bottom bracket. <S> (IMO) <S> lighter wheels will reduce the rotating mass (rotational inertia); you will need less energy to make the wheels accelerate/decelerate. <S> higher quality bearings in the hub will reduce friction. <S> better aerodynamics in the rim and spokes (less energy needed to cut through air) <S> IMO, In the end it all matters to weight. <S> If you are doing serious cycling (i.e. keeping time, strava segments, ... ) <S> it might be a good upgrade; but if you are a little less serious about it, maybe just an expensive christmas gift to self. :-) <A> Wheels are an easy upgrade to make as you can put them on your bike immediately with little mechanical hassle. <S> There are many factors related to a wheel's performance, but the one that makes the greatest difference to energy/power demand, speed and accelerations is aerodynamics. <S> Hence why one of the most popular upgrades is to wheels with better aerodynamic properties. <S> Wheel weight is generally way over rated as a factor in performance, and I'll come back to that later. <S> durability <S> ability to stay round and true lateral stiffness cost repair-ability and service cost suitability for the purpose/race/riding situation braking demands <S> handling characteristics <S> available tyre choices <S> bearing and freehub quality rules of competition suitability for the bike (e.g. will it fit?) <S> sex appeal / bling factor <S> and so on..... <S> Even adding weight to a wheel rim in order to improve aerodynamics is a good trade off. <S> However don't get sucked into thinking that the performance improvement will turn you into a racing star. <S> The performance improvement is incremental, not revolutionary, and other factors are important when training or rolling around town. <S> A heavier but more aero wheel will still accelerate faster (or require less power to accelerate at the same rate), and it will attain higher speeds (or require less power to sustain any given speed). <S> This is also true even when climbing, except when the climb gets very steep (how steep depends on your individual power, mass and aero properties). <S> Here is a blog post with more detailed example of the small impact to performance of adding mass to your wheel's rims, and how that extra mass is worth it if it results in better aerodynamics, even for the hardest acceleration scenario there is on a bike, a standing start: <S> The sum of the parts II <A> [My knowledge is not racing-specific, but as they say, any time two bicycles are moving in the same direction, it’s a race.] <S> Hand-built wheels will tend to be stronger and more reliable than machine-built wheels . <S> That is only very loosely true, but the way it was explained to me by an experienced wheelbuilder in a large local shop was that wheelbuilding machines can turn out wheels just as good as hand-built, but to do so the output speed has to be turned way down. <S> This brings up the finished cost of the wheel to a point where the insanely expensive machine has no cost advantage over the human, so is rarely if ever done. <S> A more rigid wheel will transmit more energy to the ground because any deformation is inherently a loss of energy, or least a diversion of energy away from your goal of going forward quickly. <S> Lighter wheels give you a large advantage, as rolling weight matters much more than static weight. <S> How much is a matter of some debate, and I find the 2x value given here to be overly pessimistic, but it’s still definitely more than 1x. <S> Better spokes matter, too. <S> Spoked wheels are an aerodynamic cluste— well, they’re extremely sub-optimal . <S> So more aerodynamic spokes will help considerably. <S> As will lacing patterns with lower spoke count (which also help with weight), although those sacrifice some durability. <S> Now as to whether all those improvements will help? <S> I am of the opinion that even for those of us who aren’t competing (but see qualifier statement above), anything that makes us feel like we are riding faster and/or with less effort is helpful in that it increases effective endurance. <S> In other words, if you make a cyclist feel faster and/or more powerful, they will tend to ride more, which will, over time, make them faster and/or more powerful. <A> You win non-TT bike races by being able to accelerate just that little bit much more than your competition. <S> 99.9% of the time you are riding exactly the same speed as everyone else, what makes the difference between winning and losing is your ability to accelerate just a bit better than your competitors. <S> Humans are very low power engines. <S> Since F = MA, one of the easiest ways to increase A is to decrease M. Low weight, low drag wheels will help you accelerate faster. <S> Since wheels are rotational mass, you get a bigger bang for your buck in reducing their weight. <S> Bike racers obsess over the weight of gear to improve their ability to get to speed, reducing weight generally doesn't help your average speed much ( except when climbing a long hill).
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While reducing a wheel rim's mass does give you very slight advantage during accelerations (it has no impact on steady state riding), improving the wheel's aerodynamics is by far more important. Factors other than aerodynamics and weight include: strength
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How to decelerate effectively with a rear brake? My front brake is not operational and it will be a couple of days before the replacement Shimano Deore arrives. There are probably other use cases for braking with a rear brake. For example, pad glazing or boiling fluid due to excessive use of front brake downhill. Or sudden brake cable failure (has happened to me - the cable got cut at the caliper). I have determined that my stopping distance is about 3 times that of both brakes operational. Because the center of gravity of the rider is not located on the line between the two contact "points" of the bicycle with the ground, when decelerating an overturning moment is generated. The result is more weight on the front wheel and less on the rear wheel. More weight equals more traction or more stopping power. Are there any techniques for effectively stopping with only a rear brake? Some way to put more weight on the rear wheel? Brakes: basic Shimano hydraulic discs Tires: Schwalbe Land Cruiser Use: commuting and local autumn trails <Q> Yes, there's a technique, however I strongly recommend you to fix the front brake. <S> Rear only is dangerous. <S> The rear wheel tends to block much sooner than the front one because of reasons you mentioned in the question so the obvious way is to avoid blocking as much as possible. <S> First, you can emulate ABS on the car by quickly pressing and releasing brakes in series, this way the wheel will likely block, but with less tendency to slide sideways. <S> Another is moving your mass center towards back while braking - not cool, but it helps, actually. <S> And again - fix the brakes, repairing them is not a hard job. <A> As someone who uses their rear brake far more than their front, I feel qualified to answer this. <S> My normal riding style (for better or worse) is rear brake heavy on my winter bikes. <S> I have a tendency to allow my front wheel to track and lock/drag/skid my rear wheel when cornering on snow. <S> I am very comfortable with my rear wheel sliding and to some extent, riding sideways. <S> Sheldon Brown has a section on when rear braking is appropriate . <S> Basically, slippery surfaces (8 months of the year here in the beautiful sub arctic desert that is Fairbanks, Alaska), front flats, during bumpy sections, and front brake failure. <S> That being said rear wheel braking is really only effective (in my opinion) if you are going to take advantage of breaking the tire loose. <S> And if you aren't comfortable with that, it's probably not for you. <A> Quickly move your weight back first and then low. <S> The momentum and force put in this movement should exactly match the force you put on the lever. <S> If you do it well enough then the rear wheel will not skid and you'll have achieved maximum stopping power with the rear only. <S> I do this often when I'm bedding new brake pads on the rear brake. <S> p.s fix your front brake <A> Riding without a front brake puts excess strain on your rear brake. <S> You are very dependant on your front brake for the majority of your stopping power, especially when trying to stop quickly, as momentum will load your front wheel while decelerating and lift weight off of your rear. <S> Rules for stopping effectively with only a rear rim/disc brake: <S> Ride slower <S> Give yourself more time to stop <S> Get your weight as far back on the bike as you can to try and weight your rear tire in emergencies. <S> The sooner you fix your front brake, the less likely you will be to have to replace other parts due to excess wear. <S> The only bikes that have rear braking only, are kids bikes and coasters/cruisers, which sometimes have hub brakes. <S> These are designed to take the full force of stopping the bike, but they work better than rim brakes on the rear because when you brake with your pedals you're forced to use proper body mechanics and leverage on the back pedal which puts your weight behind the bottom bracket, ergo more effectively weighting the back wheel.
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Riding with a rear brake only is a good way to wear out brake pads, rotors, and tires. The first thing you need to recognize is that you literally have less than half of your original stopping power .
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Which is the safest side to place a foldable rack-attaching bike basket? I recently received a foldable bike basket which attaches to my back rack as a gift, which I am really excited about - it will make my commute a lot easier. However, I am not sure which side of the bike to attach it to. It seems like putting it on the right side makes sense but when I add groceries or other things to carry it will put the balance out of whack, since the gearing is also on that side. I suppose this is going to happen either way with a single bike basket. Having two would allow me to keep weight and balance even. But with this in mind, should I specifically place the basket on the left side to keep weight more even? <Q> I'm speaking from personal experience here. <S> Looking at the bicycle from the back. <S> The drive train is on the right side, and when you use the kickstand it leans to the left. <S> When I commute to work, I tend to put my messenger bag with rear rack attachments on the left side. <S> Mostly because the bike is already leaning that way. <S> Once, when I was getting ready to leave work. <S> I placed the bag on the right, and proceed to begin to tie my pants so they wouldn't get caught in the chain. <S> The whole bike, bag and all, fell right on top of me. <S> The incline of that particular part of the parking lot and the weight of the bag were enough to throw the whole bike of balance and rendered the kickstand useless. <S> Since then, I've always put my bag on the left side. <S> The idea of my bike falling on the right side and bending or breaking a derailleur just freaks me out since I've yet to learn how to fix them or adjust them. <A> The difference in weight between the sides is quite small. <S> Looking on Weight Weenies <S> a cassette is about 300 grams, a crankset is <S> lets say 800 grams, a chain is another 250 grams, and lets say a freehub is an 400 grams. <S> This means the right side has about 2 kg more stuff on it than the left for the drivetrain stuff (which is quite a small weight relative to the total weight of the bike and rider). <S> This isn't going to make a difference either way you put the basket on the bike (since the unbalancing weight will be enough to unbalance the bike on either side). <S> If you are loading to the point that the bike is going to be unbalanced with the basket, get two baskets and fill them up equally. <S> That being said, I'd probably put the basket on the side opposite <S> you normally get on the bike in case my foot hits it while getting on. <S> But this is purely personal preference. <A> The most practical mechanical effect I can think of is that placing a bag on the right side may protect the rear derailleur in the event of a tip-over. <S> This may make it slightly safer to have the extra load on the right (because the sideways force from bumps will tend to tension the left side spokes rather than de-tension them.) <S> I think that you will have to carry enough load for the bicycle to become unpleasantly unbalanced before this consideration would have any real effect though. <S> A more practical consideration is riding in traffic. <S> I usually place panniers on the left for that reason.
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On the other hand, it can sometimes be tricky to install bags on the right because they can interfere with the loop of derailleur cable. The only other mechanical consideration that hasn't been mentioned is that the rear wheel is built asymetrically, with spokes on the left angled out further than spokes on the right. Both sides will be essentially equally safe. A large pannier sticking out to the left (in a country that drives on the right) is a great place for reflectors, and may encourage passing cars to give more room.
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Can I use Kerosene for lubing the cogs and the chain I recently went to a bike mechanic and he dropped some kerosene on the cog and chain for lubing them. He said that it keeps the dirt off and is quite volatile so will evaporate after sometime leaving some part behind which acts as a good lube. He said that he knows this by experience. Is it good to use kerosene as lubricant? <Q> No, Kerosene won't leave behind enough of a layer to protect the chain. <S> It might be useful as a solvent to clean the chain before applying a proper lubricant. <A> Kerosene is good as a cleaner for your chain, but never as a lubricant. <S> In fact, kerosene will clean all the lubricant remaining, increasing friction. <A> Kerosene is used as a fuel and a solvent. <S> A waxy solid extracted from petroleum is called paraffin wax. <S> Kerosene is not a good choice as a solvent as it is flammable. <S> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wax <A> It would only be effective if the chain was wet lubed, and clean. <S> As a solvent Kerosene thin and redistributed the lubricant already on the chain. <S> It will therefore have an effect at lubricating the chain as the pressure points will get lube migrating to them, provided small enough amounts were use that the lubricant was not washed off the chain. <S> Using kero this way would be better than not lubing the chain, however it would be better to use a lube and do it properly. <S> Where I might use it is a chain that has been lubed then stored for a while to get things moving again - but in all cases it has no benefit over using a proper lube as a lubricant. <A> There is actually very little value in lubricating the chain, all you really need is to keep it clean and rust free. <S> Kerosene seems about as good as anything for doing that. <S> The primary reason to lubricate a chain is to keep water out of the rollers and just generally keep the chain rust free. <S> Most of the things people put on chains actually shorten the life of the gears by attracting dirt and dust. <S> This grit combines with the grease to create a grinding paste that can wear gears in a relatively short time. <S> But how you take care of your bike chain is one of the great religious debates in the cycling world, everybody has a theory. <S> For just about any grease/oil/wax out there <S> you'll find somebody that swears by it as a bike chain lube. <S> Lube or don't lube, use the magic wonder fluid, all that really matters is that you check your chain for wear at regular intervals and replace it when it starts to show any signs of wear. <S> Compared to all the other parts on your bike, chains are cheap, replace them often and your expensive cassettes and chainwheels will last a very long time. <A> Kerosene is not a good lubricant, but it's good for dissolving the greaser in a chain, and has long been used for cleaning chains. <S> (Gasoline can also be used, but poses some safety issues!) <S> In the UK, kerosene is called paraffin, so British bike maitenance books recommend cleaning the chain in paraffin. <S> In the US, "paraffin" means candle wax. <S> I suspect the curious trend of washing a bicycle chain in hot wax comes from this transatlantic mistranslation.
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Pouring a liquid kerosene on a chain is not going to leave much if any waxy lubricant behind. Kerosene is technically a paraffin which comes from the greek word wax.
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Advice on Folding Bicycle I am planning to buy a folding bicycle (brand doesn't matter). Intent is commuting to work inside the city (5-6 kms one side run). Reason for folding bicycle is space constraint in my apartment. I never rode a folding bicycle before I am curious to know how different it is from normal bikes riding wise and any additional maintenance is involved and durability compared to normal bikes Please advise. <Q> A good folding bike should ride just as well and last just long as a traditional bike. <S> BikeFriday has a reputation for bikes that feel "normal." <S> From my experience the only thing that needs more frequent maintenance are the cable housings. <S> This is because cables usually have to make more complex cable bends on a compact folding frame. <S> This causes the housing wear out a bit faster. <S> From my experience about 33% faster than my traditional bikes. <A> There is not really difference in maintenance. <S> You have the same brakes, gears (rear), shocks, wheels, bearings. <S> The only addition is the bolts where you fold the bike. <S> About the commute - folding bikes have smaller wheels, which ends up in: Decreased speed (for people like me who loves high speed it's significant). <S> At some point you can see yourself pedaling like a crazy to get a just a little bit faster. <S> Significant sensitivity to road roughness. <S> Any bump in the road becomes much more serious. <A> Small frame and small wheels. <S> You are going to pay more for a folding bike. <A> After trying to live with a folding bike, here are my observations. <S> Most, (all) foldy bikes have a feel different from a regular road or MTB. <S> so the feeling is never going to be the same. <S> There might be some flex from the handlebars, they could be slow or feel as though they are going to fall over.... <S> So I think to a large extent it would be best to put their handling characteristics out of the way. <S> I think a true measure of a folding bike is: how it folds,how easy it is to walk up the stairs with it,how easy it is to put it in the boot of the car,how easy to walk 10 meters with the bike in its completely folded state. <S> (or how easy it is to fulfil your portability needs) <S> Similarly a downhill mtb with 7" of suspension is not going to work so well as a regular street commuter, but in the right environment its horses for courses <A> Folding bikes are great. <S> Many higher-end folding bikes have derailleurs or geared hubs, which means that they can be just as fast as a regular bicycle. <S> The only things that you lose are: Stability because of the smaller wheels. <S> This can be a positive as a city bicycle as they are more nimble (i.e., less stable) at slower speeds. <S> Harder ride. <S> The frames are not as rigid and are arguably less strong. <S> So you won't be able to jump off curbs and do as many bunny hops. <A> I own a cheap "metro" folder, and it is quite different riding to a normal sized bike. <S> The steering is a lot more reactive than a bike with a larger wheel, so it wants to wander a bit more. <S> This is due to the smaller front wheel, shorter forks and reduced trail. <S> I can't ride this one hands-free for long, regardless of gear. <S> Rider Position is much more upright, so you're more visible but more of a sail too to catch the wind. <S> Overall gearing is narrower because most folders are single front chainring. <S> This is mostly okay on the flat, but grades over 10% are no fun. <S> You'll also spin out sooner on the downhill or with a tailwind. <S> Cranks and seatposts tend to be short too - if you're over 6 foot a normal folder will likely be too small. <S> Mine is.
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A folding bike just does ride as well and is not as efficient. Because the wheels are smaller and the spokes smaller, the ride will be rougher. As far as maintenance goes there is very little difference. Brand does matter - some of the high end ride nicely and some low end ride badly.
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How to carry a MTB on one's backpack? Sometimes I want to ascend a steep (say, 50%) slope, where is impossible to ride and awkward to push/pull the bike. I tried various ways of carrying the bike: Lifting it just 10 cm above the ground - good for very short sections Lifting it with one hand to shoulder height - good for short sections; the arm gets tired quicky Holding it above my neck with two hands; the arms get numb quickly Putting it on my backpack; the back starts to ache at random places, as if warped I imagine the last idea, with resting the bike on the backpack, is the only usable one for long sections (say, 30-60 minutes walking). Am I right? Which way can I secure my bike on my backpack, so the back ache (and supposedly damage) is minimized? Update: I had a half-full 35-litre backpack at the day I had this problem. I am willing to fill my pack with light bulky stuff if needed, but I don't want a bigger pack: 35 L seems enough for maximal journeys I want to do; any bigger and it starts to be annoying. <Q> My friends and I have hiked a lot while carrying our bikes. <S> drop the non drive side pedal down left hand on the left fork <S> lower <S> right hand on the non drive side crank arm lift whole bike and place <S> bottom tube behind your neck <S> This works because: bike is central on top of you and you can easily remove one or both hands whenever necessary <S> you don't get dirty because the drive side is away from you <S> To lift the bike, your hands should go to the two red spots: <S> Also see How to shoulder a bike? <A> This is not really a question we can answer for you. <S> You have front wheel up, front wheel down, and sideways. <S> A climbing style pack will have more lash points. <S> Put the weight high <S> so you can lean forward and get the weight over your hips without bending a lot. <A> Different method - don't carry it at all. <S> Instead use the bike as a glorified walking stick. <S> Rotate the seat <S> so its pointing about 45 degrees off to the right. <S> Stand on the left side of the bike. <S> Lean the bike towards you <S> so its about 5 degrees off vertical and rest your right hip/butt cheek on the side of the saddle. <S> This keeps the left-side pedal clear of your right ankle/shin. <S> Hold the handlebars like you're riding normally, and use the brakes to hold the bike still while you step. <S> If things go wrong, you can simply release your hands and the bike will be free of you, not tied on. <S> I feel that this will be fine for any angle from 20 up to ~35 degrees of climb. <S> Less than 20 degrees <S> and you could be riding it. <S> More than 40 degrees is not really walking, its climbing. <S> Finally, your bike is for riding not carrying. <S> Can you find an easier, albeit longer way around?
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What I've found that works best is: go to the non drive side of the bike Practice lashing the bike to the pack until you get something balanced.
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Shimano Sora 9-speed shifters "missing a speed" First time posting, hope I can get some suggestions on this weird issue I've noticed with my shifting. I have a fairly decent understanding of how to maintain gears myself, and have made quite a few attempts at trouble shooting this, so unless I've missed something it seems to be something beyond the obvious 'reindex, replace cable-housing, lube chain' sort of thing. The Problem So basically, my 9-speed shifters which are a few years old, seem to only click through 8 speeds, both ways. This manifests in the chain always 'skipping' a cog on the 9-speed cassette no matter how I index, although I think the cog it skips varies depending on whether I'm shifting up or down. Notes I have recently replaced the chain, the cassette, the cables (lubed) AND the housing, so I am fairly certain it is none of these. The deraileur seems to be indexed correctly: transmission is quick and crisp and and both extermes of the cassette can be reached when shifting through all the speeds . I have come off the bike on the the derailleur side before, but the fact both extremes can be reached seems to suggest a bent mount isn't the problem? The shifter seems to physically only click through 8 speeds, despite most definitely being 9 speed. Chain is 9 speed For all I know it could be a common problem, but not one I'm familiar with. Is there some sort of adjustment needed on the shifters themselves? Any informed suggestions greatly appearciated! Thanks <Q> I'm kind of confused here. <S> You say you can only click 8 times. <S> On a 9 speed bike, there would only be 8 clicks for shifting. <S> Let's say you start on the largest gear, and we'll call that 1. <S> Clicking 1 time with bring you to gear 2. <S> Clicking 2 times will bring you to 3. <S> Clicking 3 times with bring you to 4. <S> Continuing on with the pattern will bring you on to clicking 8 times to bring you to 9. <S> If you bike was skipping a gear somewhere in the middle, you would shift 7 times, and already be on the smallest gear, and shifting one more time would bring you nowhere, as you would already be at the bottom. <S> The limit screw would keep it in it's place, and the cable would go a bit slack. <S> Going up the cassette you would notice a problem where you still had 1 click left, but would be unable to move the shifter because you would be pushing against the limit screw. <A> A bent derailleur can still be a problem <S> even if you can reach the extremes of the cassette -- since you said you don't think it is a problem, it sounds like you haven't actually checked it, so check it. <S> Park Tool has an excellent page on checking derailleur adjustment. <S> You also said you replaced the cables + housing -- if these have been routed improperly, this can also affect shifting. <S> Also, modern cables are not recommended to be lubed by their manufacturers. <S> As PeteH said in the comments, try clicking the shifters to see if you can shift through the entire range without cable tension. <S> Shifters do wear out over time and sometimes don't catch on the shifting pawls if they have worn out. <S> If the shifter is indeed not hitting all the gears, I'd probably just live with it -- some people have some luck blasting the shifter with WD-40 if its just gumming preventing the thing from catching but taking apart a brifter, repairing it and putting it back together again is a non-trivial task. <A> Thanks for the answers, guys. <S> I falsely assumed, with my limited experience, that this problem would have prevented extremes of the cassette being reached. <S> What actually happened is the bent angle caused the outermost 'speed' to point out, beyond the range of the cassette and into an area prohibited by the limit screws (as diagnosed by several answers), giving the impression (with cable tension applied) that the shifter couldn't physically acheive this final speed. <S> I (unknowingly) compensated for this by setting an eccentric range with a lot of movement towards the large sprocket, and a severe limit at the small sprocket (this was evident just by looking at the screws). <S> So both extremes could be reached despite the bend. <S> So yes, bent derailleur was the issue <S> and I know the suspect this straight away in future :)
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For the benefit of anyone who's come across this with the same issue: As you both suggested, a bent derailleur hanger was indeed the problem, and bending it back out with a spanner and re-indexing resolved the issue (although shifting isn't quite perfect).
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best ride to burn tummy fat what type of ride should I choose? I own kross k10 bike. Currently I am doing 7.7 km lap with combination of slow-fast-slow (40%-20%-40%) of total path. Am I doing it correct? <Q> You can't really burn "tummy fat." <S> You can lose bodyfat, but it goes away in the reverse order that you put it on. <S> You can make it appear that you've proportionally lost more weight in your tummy by building up the muscles there. <A> When you say "to burn tummy fat", presumable you're talking about weight loss and general toning? <S> What worked for me was a short, 10-minute / 2-point-something km commute, twice a day, five days a week, over two or three years. <S> Because the ride was so short <S> I was able to give pretty much 100% for the whole ride, with natural stops at red lights. <S> I went from maybe 110kg down to about 80kg in this time. <S> It was kinda counter-intuitive - in that if you just think about calories I burned during the ride, the shortness of the ride should not have made too much difference. <S> But I lost weight. <S> I'm now lighter still, but that loss has happened over a far longer period and is more regulated. <S> The way I knew I was losing weight was by clothes (including weird stuff like shoes, hats and my wedding ring) becoming looser. <S> I did not weigh myself at first - I do these days and with hindsight I should have got some scales sooner. <S> So, for my money, you need some degree of intensity there. <S> I'm not sure that cycling anywhere without much effort (which I suspect is what you mean when you say "slow") will do much to help weight loss. <S> But by the same token you don't necessarily need to be in the saddle for hours. <S> Also it is a gradual effect and takes time. <S> On top of all that, if you want to specifically develop tummy muscles, I'd recommend some other form of training as well. <S> Cycling is great for aerobic exercise and for developing your legs, but leaves something to be desired as regards upper body muscles. <S> Some professional cyclists, for example, will work with weights a couple of times a week, especially in the off-season, to keep themselves at peak fitness. <A> I'll second Eric's answer, but with a little more detail. <S> There is no way to exercise that will produce "spot removal" of fat. <S> The only way to do that is via liposuction. <S> Each person's body will deposit fat differently. <S> For instance, my body starts with deposits on my lower back, then on my belly, and then my upper arms and face. <S> Other people start on their belly or upper arms. <S> If you reduce or increase your body fat percentage slowly over time, you can easily observe the pattern your body uses. <S> You can also see it in videos of the morbidly obese, who have massive variety in how their fat gets stored. <S> this will cause the burning of fat. <S> Energy expenditure is just time * intensity, and there are lots of good calculators for this floating around online. <S> For the untrained cyclist, I think they're pretty accurate (trained cyclists can be more efficient). <S> Short, hard rides are probably a good choice if you want to lose weight, because they take less time per calorie spent. <S> 60 minutes as fast as you can maintain it is a good choice, because it's a nice length of time where you shouldn't need a snack, even at maximum effort. <S> At first you may not be able to go fast if you lack cardiovascular strength, but even at a walking-level effort you should be able to cover about 12-15km in that time, about twice the distance you're doing now. <S> For a typical person, this would burn maybe 500 kcals. <S> Then just work on going faster (and therefore further) each time you go. <S> Doing that level of exercise daily should result in the loss of a 1lb of fat/week, provided you don't eat more to make up for it.
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Your body has an order that it will store fat in and it will lose fat in the reverse order. If you want to lose tummy fat, the best bike ride is the one that burns the most calories, since (provided you don't eat to make up for the lost energy) Without measurement, it is certainly possible to convince yourself that nothing you are doing is making any difference.
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Is it necessary to buy a special tool to open the chain lock I've installed a chain lock to my chain. It looks like this (mine is not KMC): Now I need to unlink the chain to clean it, but I can't do it: the lock is too tight. I found a special tool on ebay to open such locks: http://www.ebay.com/itm/KMC-Missing-Link-Removal-Tool-Fast-and-Effective-Black-/171101004843?pt=AU_Sport_Cycling_Parts&hash=item27d66a242b Is it the correct tool to open the chain lock? Is it possible to open it using home tools? <Q> That is the appropriate tool to open KMC (and similar) <S> style missing links. <S> and you are less likely to damage the chain (or yourself.) <A> I have yet to find a quicklink that I couldn't separate just using my hands, but it is an acquired skill. <S> I did struggle a bit with the first few attempts. <S> Step one is to put the chain into a Z formation with the quicklink forming the downward slash of the Z. <S> Then you need to both squeeze and slide. <S> The quicklink won't slide into the removal slot until you squeeze the plates together just a bit. <S> You can squeeze with one hand and use the other hand to pull on the excess chain to create the sliding force. <S> You don't need a lot of force to accomplish this once you've mastered the trick, but I remember taking more than a few trys to figure it all out. <S> If you have needle nose sizedvice grips those can help with the squeezing part while you figure out the slide part. <A> If you need a special tool, you are probably doing it wrong. <S> Originally the whole point of using a link is so you can service the chain without a chain tool, and there was no need to carry a chain breaker in the field because you could carry a spare link or two to repair a chain if needed. <S> They could also make more money selling (one time use) links than tools - so it was a win win. <S> Marketing guys have now worked out they can now make more money by selling special tools for the special links that don't need a special tool. <S> I would invest in a chain breaker and not use links if you need a tool to undo the link. <S> As far as getting links undone - they do need to clean and free of grit. <S> Press the plates together with figures, and push the link pins towards each other. <S> It will open easily with virtually no pressure. <S> If you need to apply pressure, wiggle it around, till it pops open. <S> If it won't release in 30 seconds, clean it some more. <S> In this case there various techniques (Pliers, point pliers, loop of wire around link pins and twist till they pop.) which may damage the link, but if you can't open with figures, its stuffed anyway, so go ahead with brute force and replace it.
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It is possible to open them with some needle nose pliers but is much easier with a missing link removal tool Sometimes the link is damaged or faulty, and won't easily open.
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What do I do if my bike won't pump with an air pump at all? My bike tires will not pump up at all. I tried forever. I had this bike for a year and then it won't pump at all. I have a pump you stand on and use your 2 hands to pump. At first it was pumping air a little but now I it's not pumping. What do I do I'm confused. Do I need a new inner tube or I do I have a bad a tire? <Q> What kind of valve do you have? <S> If you have Presta valves then you need to unscrew that little knobbie thing on top until the knobbie is all the way unscrewed against the bump on the end of the shaft it rides on. <S> Especially with Schrader there is a pin in the chuck that needs to depress a pin inside the valve to open it up. <S> And sometimes you need to adjust the chuck by screwing the collar on the business end of the chuck on or off a turn or two, so that the chuck will go on and seat tightly. <S> (When you're finished inflating a Presta valve, don't forget to turn the knobbie the other way, so that it helps hold the valve closed. <S> Don't wrench it tight, but just get it snug.) <A> Another possiblity is that the valve is clogged up from Slime (or other brand of puncture prevention fluid). <S> Remove the valve core and inspect for debris clogging the valve opening. <A> Think you need to unscrew the valve on the tyre sounds as though its not allowing air into the tyre
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With either Presta or Schrader you can have a problem with the pump if you do not press the pump chuck all the way onto the valve.
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Indoor bicycle tray to preclude the rug from getting wet When I take my bicycle indoors, and there's snow, ice, etc on it, the snow melts and the water runs onto the floor. Long-term water damage to rugs is an issue, and I don't want to leave the bicycle outside, due to fear of it being stolen. Are there any trays or the like that will collect the melted water and preclude it from getting onto my rug? Extra points if they're cheap. <Q> Try a Garden Centre, they usually sell a range of trays and they should have something suitable. <A> I use a few cardboard boxes taped together with gaffer's tape. <S> The tape is waterproof. <S> 2 layers of cardboard (staggered at edges if you're using small boxes) is plenty to make it through a season. <S> If you have uneven floors and the water rolls off of the boxes, fold an edge over to cause it to be shimmed up a bit, keeping the water on top of the cardboard. <S> My heavily used cardboard is due for replacing now that we've had quite a bit of snow. <S> No leakage on the hardwood underneath it though, for a few years now. <S> If I could find one again... <S> I used to have a plastic shipping pallet that was rectangular with a solid bottom and a decent lip on it (3" or so). <S> I would put cardboard inside (like those cat cardboard circle things) to soak up water, and then the bike on top. <S> That way there is a guaranteed solid base, and you can still throw away the cardboard layer taking all the road gunk with it. <S> This might work with Tom's idea if you can find a tray that's deep enough. <A> On the cheaper side, a tarp or a vinyl tablecloth should do the trick, and be more easily tidied away and stored. <S> Even a decent-weight shower curtain! <A> My grandparents used to cover their entry way carpets with a vinyl carpet protector in the winter. <S> The nice thing about this is that you can roll it up for storage when you aren't using it.
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Use the box edges up against a wall to prevent splatter. An example would be this " Giant Plus Garden Tray " which at 120cm x 55cm should be big enough to place a bike on.
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What is the meaning of 11-32 cassette and 12-25 cassette? I'm willing to buy a 2015 Shimano 105 groupset and i have got 2 options in choosing the cassette, the first is 11-32 and the other is 12-25. I have no idea what these numbers indicate and which one would be more suitable for me knowing that i'am still a beginner. <Q> If you imagine a cassette, will have a bunch of sprockets on it. <S> The current 105 range (which came out last year) will have 11 sprockets, the earlier 105 had 10 sprockets. <S> The notation you've noticed simply means that for one of these cassettes, the smallest sprocket has 11 teeth, the largest has 32 teeth. <S> And the second cassette has smallest sprocket 12 teeth, largest sprocket 25 teeth. <S> So these numbers are basically the "range" of gears covered by a cassette. <S> You might imagine that a large range (e.g. 11-32) is good, as it would give you lots of teeth to climb steep hills, but also a small cog which you can use to power downhill. <S> And this is correct, but there is also a flip-side. <S> A larger range of sprockets means that there can sometimes be a jump of a few teeth between each sprocket, which can be less smooth when changing gear. <S> Hence, if you don't actually need the large range, a smaller range would give you a smoother ride. <S> As regards which one you should choose, it's not really down to whether you're a beginner or not, more to do with how good a climber you are. <S> If you feel you might struggle going uphill, a 32-tooth sprocket is probably going to be a good choice for you. <S> The other thing to remember is that, when you're thinking about gears, the cassette is only half of the story, the other half being the cranks. <S> But that's probably a different question... <A> 11-32 gives you larger range of transmission ratios while 12-25 gives you smoother steps between the speeds. <S> When calculating which one to choose also take into account number of teeth you have in front, and the kind of terrain you would like to drive. <S> Also make sure your rear derailleur has capacity to consume chain slack for your given combination <A> Smoother steps between the gears is a nice to have - but if the gearing is not suitable to you - it becomes irrelevant. <S> It's mentioned in the answer above "rear derailleur has capacity". <S> This refers to the the length of the cage on the rear derrailleur. <S> They come in three varieties (with Shimano anyway) - short, medium and long. <S> Each length has a specified teeth capacity. <S> The teeth capacity required is calculated as the total difference between smallest and largest sprockets on both chainset and cassette.ie. <S> 50/34 <S> with a 28/11 is 33t - check with the manufacturer but <S> iirc this is a medium cage. <S> (to complicate things - you can always squeeze a few extra teeth beyond the manufacturer's suggestion).
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Numbers denote number of teeth on smallest cog i.e. 11-32 has smallest cog with 11 teeth, and largest with 32 teeth. The number of chainrings, and the number of teeth on each chainring, will also affect the gear range and smoothness.
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Removing key from kryptonite lock I can't remove the key, or open, my brand new Kryptonite lock. I can twiddle the key with about 60 degrees of movement from current position; and have attempted every movement I can think of. Have tried putting a drop of lubricant in to see if it would help. Any advice? UPDATE: was impossible to remove the key, so it got sent back to the retailer for a refund. I would never buy a Kryptonite lock again, if it had been on my bike this would have been a complete disaster. <Q> I don't know if this helps, but I lost keys to krypto lock (in 2010) and was offered free of charge replacement keys by the manufacturer, sent to me inclusive of postage.... <S> / maybe they could fix at the factory and give you a new key set for minimal cost while extracting the faulty key?? <A> I hate to sound like a caveman but in addition to the lubricant-props to you for doing that on your own- <S> I know my Kryptonite cable lock has become rusted from being in the elements and bound up a couple times before I could soak it with WD-40. <S> Jimmying it and tapping were what helped there. <S> Lucky for you your lock isn't on the bike. <S> Hope that helps. <A> Community poked this. <S> Take the blunt end and strike it on concrete. <S> Really I have done this to free keys. <S> Don't go for the hammer first but some times a hammer is what you end up with.
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you might want to get a hammer and try to tap it-the key or the lock- just to see if it'll help.
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Which winter road cycling shoes are rated for sub-15° F weather? Most of the road shoes I've found only seem to be rated to around 25° or so. Living in New England I'd like something colder. Does anyone know of road shoes rated for colder temps? (They'll be used for commuting and weekend road rides) Update: I have new Neoprene booties (Pearl Izumi Elite Barrier Shoe Cover) but find that they're only comfortable down to about 25°F or so. <Q> The vast majority of cycling shoes (road and mountain) are well ventilated and not suitable for cold weather riding. <S> Lake makes an excellent winter boot (I have several pairs). <S> 45NRTH makes the Wolvhammer, which I haven't tried, but have heard good things about. <S> There isn't a market for cold weather "road" shoes since generally road bikes become unsafe/unuseable after there is ice/snow on the road. <S> As far as getting the most out of the footwear you are using, I recommend NOT putting thick socks in your summer shoes. <S> Most people's summer riding shoes are close fitting, and adding extra thicker socks make keeping your feet warm harder since it compresses your blood vessels and restricts circulation. <S> My summer shoes are all 44s. <S> For winter, my shoes/boots are all 46s and 48s. <S> The 48s allow me room for two thick pairs of socks comfortably. <S> If you are going to using chemical heater packs, I suggest sticking them to the top toe of your shoe under the bootie. <S> The won't compress your toes that way and will get better air circulation <S> / stay warmer. <A> Back when I did winter riding in Minnesota (in temps down to 0F), I used neoprene booties over my regular cycling shoes. <S> These kept the feet warm and also kept out moisture. <S> At the time I was using regular "toe clip" pedals, so no shoe cleats, but reputedly one could use the things with cleats by cutting out the bottom around the cleat (though obviously losing some moisture resistance in the process). <S> Another useful thing is "toe warmers" -- small chemical packs kind of like drug desiccant packs which produce heat in response to oxygen and moisture. <S> These are available at stores selling hunting and camping goods, and some stores selling to folks who work outside a lot. <A> 15 F and even moderate bike speeds means a wind chill that is at best 0 F, and in any ambient wind ( and there is always wind in the winter ) and it gets to -10 <S> F. <S> The problem may not be enough insulation in the shoes, but not enough insulation altogether. <S> Due to the way the body reacts to cold temps the feet and hands are the first to feel the cold. <S> Sometimes the right way to keep your feet warm is to put on a jacket. <S> Insulation on your hands and feet can help, but if core is not warm enough, they don't do much good. <S> Hard exercise in those temps is difficult because it's very easy to overdress and sweat out your layers. <S> Too much insulation can eventually make you colder and <S> not enough means you can't keep your hands and feet warm. <S> Having said all that, overboots seem like a good idea to me. <S> 40 <S> Below makes overboots that are generally well regarded and they even have a pair that can be easily adapted to bike shoes. <S> Fourty <S> Below Overboots <A> I have several friends who have been using them on to ride their fat bikes on cold snowy days and love them.
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If you can't stay warm with normal socks and booties / chem packs, you may need to look at purchasing a set of winter shoes with extra room for thicker socks. Check out the 45Nrth Wolvhammer
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How long between spoke adjustments on a mountain bike? I have a mountain bike that's now about 18 months old. At the 12 month mark I took it for its first annual service. Since then there's been a problem with the front wheel coming out of alignment. I've had the wheel re-trued a couple of times since the service now, it seems to need doing about once every 2 months. Obviously this regular attention is not a normal requirement for a wheel. What is the normal period of time that you'd expect to pass between wheel alignment/spoke adjustment work? I'm riding the bike probably 20 miles a week on average on the road, with occasional weekend trips off-road. The wheel's gone out of true at least once without an off-road trip since the previous truing. <Q> A well built wheel should go years without needed truing. <S> If you are truing the wheel every 2 months something is wrong with the build. <S> There's no way to know via the internet, but my guess is that it's one of two things. <S> The rim is bent slightly and requires significantly uneven tension in the spokes to get the rim true. <S> There isn't enough tension in the wheel overall to keep the wheel true. <S> The way to diagnose this is to get a spoke tensiometer and measure the tension in the spokes, since the wheel is slightly offset to compensate for the braking disk, one side will have slightly higher tension than the other, but the spokes on any given side should be roughly equal. <S> Most rims are rated to at least 100kg of tension. <S> A good wheelbuilder will have the spoke tension meter in his toolkit. <S> They are relatively expensive and require some practice to get accurate readings. <A> You should wash and inspect the rim for cracks. <S> I had a rear wheel that would not stay true, the problem was small cracks around the nipple holes in the rim. <S> The nipples were slowly cracking through over a period of weeks. <S> only a few were doing this so the tension was held by neighboring spokes. <S> thus the only symptom was going out of true. <S> pluck the spokes to listen for a loose one. <S> front wheels are lightly loaded, I have a front wheel with 7000 miles on it in 3 years and have only trued it once at around 2k miles. <A> Machine-built wheels are known to need re-truing after the first several rides, but not after that. <S> This is because machines don't do stress-relief of the wheel. <S> On a mountain bike of medium quality, I would expect spoke re-truing to be needed at most once per year. <S> As far I know, tension of the spokes is the only thing, that is responsible to keep the wheel together. <S> Some people put 'spokeprep' on nipples when building, but others advise for plain grease! <S> Consequently, the first thing I would expect is that the wheel spokes are under-tightened. <S> There is a simple way to check this. <S> Go to a bike shop and squeeze together parallel spokes of some high-quality bikes. <S> You will notice that front wheel spokes have a certain tension, and rear-wheel spokes have different tension on the two sides of the wheel. <S> Compare roughly the feel of those spokes to the ones on your bike. <S> Thus you will know if yours are loose. <S> Sources of all the claim in this answer: <S> http://miketechinfo.com/new-tech-wheels-tires.htm <S> http://sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html
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The rim should have a maximum spoke tension rating and the closer you can get the wheel to that the stronger and more stable the build will be.
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Problem with inside of shoe clipping crank arm Crankset Shimano FC-S125, 105 Golden Arrow and I know I'm using the right bottom bracket (119mm) The pedals Shimano Clipless SPD M505 My shoes Broken link, please fix I've got a problem with my shoe scuffing the crank arm when I turn. Potential issues I'm using mtb shoes on a road bike Old crank (not a smooth moldedform) Pedals positioning of cleat? Any ideas or advice appreciated. The bike (excuse the weird cinelli decals, I bought it like that. I am not sure if it is a real cinelli). <Q> The proximate answer is that your shoes at the closest point, are too close to the crank arm, but that hardly solves your problem! <S> This distance is affected by a large number of factors: your cleat position, pedal axel length, pedal float, bottom bracket length, and crank arm construction. <S> Pedal float becomes a factor if you heel-in during your pedal stroke (some peoples hips naturally make them " duck-footed ." <S> In this case a longer pedal axel or shifting the cleats to a more inboard position can help. <S> However shifting the cleats too far can also cause hot spots in some situations as the pedal platform will not be supporting the shoe as evenly as a more centred position. <S> Too add to the confusion <S> people may also take a duck footed position to compensate for pedal stance (often referred to as the Q Factor ), the distance between the pedal attachment point and the centre of the bicycle. <S> Q Factor is a function of both the bottom bracket width (axle length) and the crank arms construction. <S> Different cranks have a different nominal Q Factor measurements. <S> If your bike has a wide Q Factor and your body prefers a more narrow stance, and your pedals have enough float to accommodate, you may pedal heel-in to reduce the realized stance, which can also cause the shoe/crank rubbing. <S> Finally, you may be pedalling in a mostly neutral heel position and simply have wide feet and short pedal axels and/or an outboard cleat position. <S> Without more information it is impossible to diagnose which factors are applicable to your situation. <A> Where are your shoes scuffing the crank arm? <S> I had a similar issue. <S> I was scuffing just below and slightly in front of the knob on my ankle joint. <S> I adjusted the cleat on my shoes so that my feet are pointing ever so slightly inwards and this solved it because this moved the contact point away from the crank arm. <S> Two caveats: Suddenly adjusting your foot position by too much is a bad thing. <S> It can lead to all kinds of injuries and issues in the various joints and ligaments in your legs. <S> If you need to move your feet by too much do it in small steps or don't do it! <S> There still is some flex in the cleats on most pedals. <S> That is: you can twist your feet a bit, from pointing inwards to pointing outwards when you are clipped in. <S> You may need to exaggerate the adjustment of your cleats to make sure you account for this movement otherwise you'll still be scuffing the crank arm after you make the adjustment. <A> While adjusting your cleats may be a valid answer if you have room to adjust the width, but not the angle, <S> pedal spacers may also be an option. <S> They essentially lengthen the spindle of your pedal and move you pedal contact point out away from your crank arm. <S> Several different companies make them, those are just an example.
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In this case a more neutral cleat position (inboard vs outboard) or longer pedal axel may solve the problem.
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No non-sus 29er mtbs? So I sat down and said "what kind of a bike do I want?". I ride mostly in the city, but I wanted something that I could take out to the trails. I don't do anything crazy... maybe a 2' drop at the most. Since I'm looking at bikes in the 1-1.5k price range, full-sus bikes are absolutely out. It seemed like a hardtail 29er was the way to go. But then I got to doubting that I needed the front suspension either. Why not save money, weight, and maintenance? All I'm sacrificing is a little bit of off-road capacity. So I went hunting for a non-sus 29er in the 1-1.5k price range. The only ones I can find are single-speeds. Really? I'm a spinner, and there's no way I'm doing that. What do I do? (feel free to shoot down the theory that I don't need a front suspension) <Q> The 29ers without front suspension exist, but they are a bit pricey since they come from niche manufacturers. <S> Many people want SS drivetrains since they want pure simplicity. <S> There are some other options though. <S> One common option is the Kona Unit which has a derailleur hanger which you can order from Kona as seen here : Or an internal gear hub as seen here : <S> Note that both these options require at a minimum a new rear wheel for the Unit. <S> Also, note that Surly sells their rigid forks as well as do companies like On-one and what not, so you can get one installed after market. <A> Typicall fixed fork only come with single speed. <S> So you are stuck with: <S> Replace a suspension for a fixed Add gears to a single speed <S> Don't do it unless you are going to get a good carbon fork and that is $300+. <S> It is nice for weight and does not wear out <S> but it is not cheaper than low to mid range shock. <S> I think it is more economical to add gears to a single speed. <S> If you can keep the wheel. <S> SS with an eccentric bb they typically use a standard wheel and free hub. <S> I think the Salsa alternate dropout also take a a standard wheel and free hub. <S> With most ss you can can add gears. <S> You can get some used gears from someone that upgraded for decent price. <S> Or ride a hard tail until you wear out the shock and then decide. <S> How about shoot down the theory you need gears? <S> A single speed is more versatile than you would think. <S> I would not go single speed to cheap it. <S> If you do, go with nice carbon fork. <S> And some nice tubeless wheels. <S> With a suspension the tubeless gives you a bit more give. <S> And you can go 2.4 in and still be less weight than a shock. <S> You get more ground clearance. <S> And go with clip (e.g. spd) for more hop and two leg pull for when you stall out. <S> You can change out the rear cog from ride to ride. <S> Typical gearing is 2:1 (32 16) and I have 18 and 20. <S> It climbs OK - where you have trouble is if you stall out on like rock or root. <S> It forces you to be a better rider. <S> The solid frame and low weight is an efficient climber. <S> And you can add gears. <S> They typically come with a regular wheel with a conversion kit and a derailleur hanger. <S> I got one used cheap to learn technique and found I really enjoy it. <S> This is a bike I picked up used for $850 - I bought it basically for the fork. <S> There is some discussion on conversion: <S> This is multi speed that was converted to SS <S> This is a mountain bike purchase as a SS As you can see the wheel hub is the same. <S> The difference is the conversion has the chain tensioner. <S> This designed SS has an eccentric bb to adjust chain tension. <A> The Surly Ogre has the same geometry as one of the original rigid 29ers, the Karate Monkey. <S> The complete version with 3x9 drivetrain is at the top end of your $1000-$1500 price range.
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Surly ships some of their complete bikes such as the Ogre as rigid 29'ers (the Karate Monkey can also take gears). Finally, yet another option: Get 2 bikes (something cheap and not likely to be stolen for city use, one for trail use).
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Converting my old mountain bike to a cyclocross I have a 1992 Bridgestone MB-4 that I am converting to a cyclocross bike. It is a 3 x 7 (21 gears). I am going to put down bars on it and to change the older over shifters and brake levers. As it is an old bike, I am looking to keep the cost down on parts. Does anyone have a recommendation of combined brake/shift levers that will work with 3 x 7? I have Deore XT rear and front derailleur. Any other suggestions/recommendations for this conversion are also welcome. <Q> Integrated drop bar shift levers are inherently expensive, so I'm not sure how much you will be able to keep the cost down. <S> Also, you will probably have a hard time finding 7 speed integrated levers. <S> They would either have to be old, or low end . <S> And even the low end stuff is quite highly priced. <S> Based on the searching I've done around the web , it doesn't appear Shimano ever did 7 speed intergrated shifters above the Sora Level. <S> When Dura-Ace and Ultegra were in 7 speed, they were still using down tube shifters. <A> Look up Shimano RSX brifters, 3x7 and compatible with your current derailleurs (any Shimano 7 speed should be). <S> As @mattnz mentioned, they are often gummed up or jammed at this point in their life. <S> If they are gummed up blasting them out with degreaser is a pretty simple process. <S> Your LBS should know how to do this for you if you don;t feel comfortable. <S> Another option is new tourney 7 speed drop bar shifters but those are junk. <S> You'll have to stick to cantilever brakes. <S> There's plenty of inexpensive high rise stems you can source from your LBS made by dimension or kalloy. <S> Additionally: as others have said, this is usually not really worth the time/effort/money. <S> In addition to the new shifters, you will often need a new front derailleur, shift and brake cables, housing, handlebars, bar tape, and stem. <S> Also, drop bars will change the fit of the bike, which could be accommodated to a degree with a shorter stem <S> but you're sort of 'cheating' the fit of the bike. <S> All that said, if you're looking for a project, learning opportunities abound. <S> drop bar mountain bikes can end up working out well. <S> Just don't expect it to be much cheaper or easier than finding something on craigslist or saving up for a new bike. <A> With 7 speeds you can use bar-end shifters, that can be found used. <S> The stem will need to be steep so it provides a big rise. <S> Google for photos of drop-bar mountain bikes to see what I mean. <S> Otherwise your weight will be too far forward and the bike will be hard to ride. <S> I have a Spot Longboard 29" bike that I use drops on from time to time to change things up. <S> Also, if the racing involves much portaging (carrying) the bike, that MB-4 might get heavy sooner instead of later. <S> It is not and never was a high-priced bike, and allowances made to meet a price point equate to increased weight. <S> Good luck, have fun. <A> Converting a mountain bike to a drop bar bike isn't a process that is likely to save money unless you are very careful with parts selection so you don't make mistakes, and spend a lot of time hunting for just-right used parts at bargain prices. <S> Moreover, generally one would desire a larger MTB frame for drop bar use than for a standard MTB setup. <S> However, people have had good results with such a project. <S> Note that you can buy a decent-quality 8-speed cyclocross bike for $400 from Bikesdirect, and you can probably sell your MB-4 for $150, which would make the net cost of getting purpose-built 700c cyclocross bike $250. <S> That should be your max budget if you're trying to save money, as opposed to build a cool bike on a frame that has sentimental value to you. <S> If you're committed to this project, watch eBay and Craigslist for cheap 7-speed brifters & drop bars. <S> But be prepared for the bike to fit oddly, and potentially to have a heck of a lot of seat-to-bar drop unless you have a really upright stem: <S> http://www.cyclofiend.com/cc/2007/cc337-chriscullum0707.html <S> (Note that bike has relatively little seatpost exposed for an MTB— you probably only want to attempt the conversion if you have a similar amount or less seatpost exposed) <A> I did this with an old '92 steel Univega frame. <S> I then found an old Giant Kronos on craigslist and got it for 50 bucks. <S> Harvested the brifters, 7 speed and put those on, leaving the left friction to take care of trim. <S> Added 26 x 1.5 road tires and new pads for the brakes. <S> Works great and rides great.
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At first I put really cheap friction shifters on the ends of the bars, worked well for 7 bucks or so.
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What to do with the white plastic tube in Dahon city vybe c7a? Just got a Dahon city vybe c7a: It has a white plastic tube at the bottom, what should I do with it? It seems to prevent the seat pole from sliding down. <Q> The seat clamp prevents the seat from sliding down. <S> Not a plastic tube of any kind. <S> My hunch is that it's meant to be taken away. <S> It's there only for some packaging purpose. <A> When they shipped the bike, they included the protector so that the seat tube wouldn't puncture the bottom of the box. <S> if you have wood flooring, you'll note that you can damage the floor with the seat tube. <S> You can protect both your flooring and the bottom of the seat tube from scuffs by using the plastic protector. <S> You can safely lose it with no loss of function. <A> I just dripped some oil and pulled it out.
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When you lower the seat all the way down for folding it up, the bottom of the seat tube will rest on the ground. You can safely throw it away, or ....
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Disc brakes better for rainy days? Are disc brakes more effective on rainy weather? I had a close call riding my road bike during a morning rain and almost collided with a parked car. My road bike is steel and has tektro branded caliper brakes. Should I get a disc brake commuter bike? <Q> Disc brakes are generally more effective in the rain than rim brakes, but using rim brakes properly in the rain has served people well for many years. <S> You need to feather the brakes to remove the water+crud from the rims. <S> Softer brake pad compounds can also help you brake more easily. <S> Also, having good quality brakes that are well adjusted is always a good thing too. <S> Remember that you also need to brake earilier in the rain, regardless of the type of brake, and be more careful than in the dry. <S> If you have small hands, make sure also the small hand inserts are in for your brake levers (if it has them). <A> I've done my motorcycle test and know all about defensive riding techniques - and you apply it no matter what bike you are riding. <S> I ride both rim and disc brake bicycles on my winter training and on my commuter bike. <S> On the winter bike I have swapped out the pads to a softer compound for better braking performance (but not so good for longevity). <S> Even with this change - I often find wanting for more power on descents or rapid & predictable braking in wet conditions. <S> The downside is the weight - it doesn't sound like much <S> but it doesn't translate into a performance ride. <S> Which is why I have to maintain a winter training bike for club and group rides and a commuter for solo rides to work. <S> And remember - your brakes are only as good as the rubber contact patch under your wheels. <S> So decent tyres and a half-decent width - I'd say 25mm minimum or better still 28mm if you have the clearance. <A> The delay period you normally experience with caliper brakes is much less noticeable with disc brakes, especially a good quality pair. <S> Even more noticeable is that on much steeper inclines and especially in damp conditions caliper brakes, as I'm sure you've noticed, tend to have an all or nothing attitude when it comes to applying pressure. <S> Disc brakes on the other hand will let you finesse the braking power and keep your wheels from locking up. <S> The only downside really is that you won't be able to swap your wheels between your disc-brake commuter and your caliper-equipped road bike. <A> Yes disc brakes are more effective in rain (and dry). <S> If you should spend the money for a disc brake commuter bike is something for you to decide. <S> In the rain I ride more defensively. <A> If you want really weather-proof brakes you should consider drum or roller brakes. <S> I use roller brakes in my commuter bike and they're working flawlessly for over 5 years in mud, snow and salt (I'm doing about 5k km/year).
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My commuter bike has discs (Avid BB5) - and the braking in the wet is significantly better - I also feel safer in that I know I can stop reliably in any conditions.
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What is the cause of "speed wobbles"? Update As mentioned, The speed wobbles were symptomatic of a harmonic interaction. The wobbles have not returned after adjusting the weight distribution on the bike. Recently encountered speed wobbles going down a bridge at 40 mph. I am interested in understanding what triggers the wobbling . My first thought was that this may have occurred from unevenly tightened spokes. Any information regarding this frightening phenomenon is appreciated. <Q> There is a lot of material online about the causes of speed wobbles, but I haven't seen spoke tension as a common cause. <S> It usually something created by, and stopped by, rider position rather than anything on the bike <S> (I know you didn't want to read that). <S> Just a thought though: wouldn't uneven spoke tension show up in the wheel not being "true"? <S> In any case, look up Jobst Brandt's book "The bicycle wheel". <S> It's the definitive text about this subject, written by a very meticulous engineer and cyclist. <S> http://www.amazon.com/Bicycle-Wheel-3rd-Jobst-Brandt/dp/0960723668 <S> http://sheldonbrown.com/brandt/ <A> Everyone that rides a light road bike long enough eventually has this happen to them regardless of the bike. <S> It is terrifying and many people never trust their bike againafter that, but it's not the bike. <S> Speed wobbles on a bike are always blamed on the components or frame, but are almost always caused by a harmonic interaction between the rider and bicycle. <S> It is certainly possible for there to be a mechanical problem, but if there were it would show up at slow speeds as well. <S> This article explains the mechanism http://sheldonbrown.com/brandt/shimmy.html <S> The natural reaction when this starts to happen is to grip the bars tighter and that almost always makes the problem worse. <S> If you play around, you can get any reasonably light road bike to shimmy at lower speeds by "shaking" the handlebars. <S> FWIW, I feel like this is much easier on steel alloy bikes than either aluminum or carbon bikes. <S> I think this is due to the better spring response of steel compared to other materials. <S> This is something that is worthwhile to mess around because you'll learn to recognize the initial oscillation and how to damp it out before it becomes dangerous. <A> A stronger and better riding wheel is gained from a more even spoke tension. <S> Might be an idea to take the wheel to a get it re-tensioned. <S> ie. <S> slacking off the tension on the wheel and then re-tensioning and truing. <S> High speed wobble is a bit of an enigma. <S> Given the speed you were travelling - 40mph - the wheel would be spinning at about 500RPM. <S> The slightest deformation or imbalance in the wheel or tyre could easily cause a "wobble". <S> Hypothesis... <S> As the wheel spins - it is the top-most spokes at the 12'O clock position which are under most load. <S> Those are the 6'O clock position are in least loaded position. <S> If you have uneven spoke tension - I imagine the rim at 6'O clock will be flexing a little more than normal - ie. <S> deformation. <A> I've never had a wobble on a bicycle, but have experienced it on a motorcycle a few times. <S> The first thing I'd check is if your headset is really loose. <S> On a motorcycle, it's usually a problem on the BACK that causes a wobble. <S> Maybe a REALLY loose rear hub, a cracked seat stay. <S> Were you coasting or pedaling?
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Given your mention of uneven tension - it could be this with the combination of speed and rider could introduce deformations in the wheel as it spins. I wouldn't expect uneven spoke tension to cause it, unless you have multiple spokes with near zero tension.
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How do I make my frame water tight? I am trying to remove the rust from inside my steel frame. There are, however, a few small holes in various places along the frame. Any tips on how I can make these water tight so that I can fill it with vaporust and leave it overnight? <Q> Don't make your frame water tight. <S> That will only make your problem worse. <S> It's unfortunate to see a frame go bad due to internal rust, but it needs to remain unsealed. <S> The reason for this is that moisture will find its way in and needs a way out. <S> Most frames (I believe) have small drain holes near the bottom bracket for this reason alone. <S> Here's a nice little post from Gunnar about why their frames have drain holes: http://gunnarbikes.com/site/2012/06/draining-your-bike/ <A> Here is what I would do. <S> Identify all the openings Strip <S> the frame of everything (including headset) <S> Start covering all of the obvious holes with ducktape and leave one open (BB or headtube) <S> Use something to pressurize the frame (air compressor or bike pump) in one opening that you left on the frame, use ducktape to seal around. <S> Just one method to find the holes. <S> You could use water to find the holes as well. <S> For the sealing of the holes: Blocking the holes for the Evapo-rust, I would take an old inner tube and start cutting it up into small pieces. <S> Using a big fist full of zip ties I would start replacing the small pieces of ducktape that is covering the holes with a gasket seal made with the cut pieces of inner tube and the zip ties. <S> The zip ties will be used to provide compression against the inner tube sort of like a band-aid. <S> You can plug holes in areas that are not uniform by folding up the inner tube to compress into the areas. <S> For the head tube and bottom bracket you could use small square pieces of wood with a piece of inner tube cut and flattend out on the wood to put on both sides of the opening (you will need 4 square pieces of wood and 4 square cut pieces of inner tube). <S> You can use the zip ties to pull the two pieces of wood together compressing against the top and bottom of the head tube and both sides of the bottom bracket. <S> This will create a water tight seal and you will not have to deal with tape all over the place that might not hold the liquid. <S> I have used this method to repair transmission cooling lines on a truck broke down on the side of the road on the way to a bike race! <A> If you can, take more than one day to soak your frame in vaporust/framesaver/etc. <S> Set your frame up in one orientation, then roll it to another axis every 12hrs or so <S> (it's not an exact science, don't bother setting a timer). <S> Electrical tape over the smaller drain points on your stays and your bottom bracket, but tape a good pad of paper towel over the larger points (seat tube, head tube, bottom bracket shell points). <S> This will save your flooring in the long run instead of worrying about a watertight seal. <S> I roll on steel myself and try to hit my frame with framesaver once a year.
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Start blocking all the holes you find with small portions of ducktape till you find all holes. Even if you never ride in the rain, condensation of water vapor alone will allow liquid water to accumulate inside the frame.
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Bike lights with beam cut-off to avoid dazzling drivers? Are there any bike headlights available that have a cut-off similar to a car's low beams, designed to avoid glare for other drivers? I am using the Light in Motion Urban 400 and while it's plenty bright, it blinds oncoming drivers if aimed normally. In traffic I have to aim the hotspot very low, basically defeating the purpose of having a pricy, bright LED light. Are there modifications that can be done to the existing light, like blocking part of the reflector that is responsible for sending light upwards? (It's a single LED with a simple paraboloid reflector) Reading about the complexity of the design and regulations for car headlights, this seems unlikely, but I'd love to be wrong. Alternatively, I am looking for recommendations for a better headlight. The Specialized Flux and the older Phillips SafeRide 80 seem to fit the bill. Not sure how bright the Phillips is with 220 lumens, but it meets German regulations so surely it has a great beam shape. <Q> On road I run it on minimum brightness (guessing about 1/4 -- 1/3 power). <S> Super-speedy sketch (go inkscape!) <S> : <S> The light body is about 60mm long, and the reflector is in approximately the right proportions. <S> I mocked it up with cardboard first, before using some 1mm plate - it's tucked away under the bars, under a front bag mount and all edge and corners are nicely rounded off. <S> The mounting underneath the handlebar is another issue -- overly reflective silver-grey brake and gear cables right in front of the light if it sat on top of the bars. <S> It's not quite as good as it was before I tweaked the handlebar angle. <S> On (slight) riser bars using the riser as intended I had it tipped up on the left to illuminate roadside signs (UK). <S> I've twisted the bars so the rise points forwards at about 45° and the aim isn't quite what I'd like. <S> I promised pictures: <S> Side view <S> Front view Illumination pattern (high ambient light levels) <A> So, if you do not want to kludge your existing headlight get a german one <S> , e.G. Busch und <S> Mueller Headlights always have a low beam feature, which they especially advertise. <S> Here is their english web page. <S> http://en.bumm.de/ <A> Lights that are road-legal in Germany have this cut off. <S> The Trelock LS 950 is a good example. <A> I use Busch and Mueller Ixon IQ Speed - very pronounced cut-off at top. <S> These have a low-light mode - good for street-lamp-lit roads as well as a very high-level mode which is great for unlit roads. <A> I found a ZHISHUNJIA DG666 on Deal Extreme with both a cutoff beam and a user replaceable 18650 battery that lets me carry a spare battery so that I don't have to ride home in the dark if I forget to charge the light. <S> The other reason that I wanted a user-replaceable battery is that I hate replacing lights because the sealed battery has failed. <S> I stole the idea from another rider after noticing that his light was visible from both the back and the side. <S> I can also use a low power setting while riding in a group so that I don't blind the rider behind me. <A> Yes they definitely exist - but control of the beam may be done in several different ways. <S> Mechanical interruptor to cut the beam's upper edge and make it a harder edge. <S> Well shaped reflector <S> Two separate LEDs with constructed optics to control the beam pattern. <S> I have two lights which are 2 and 3. <S> Type 2 <S> This is a 375L lifeline front light that is no longer available. <S> But the shape and angles of the reflector throw light down far more than upward. <S> (TBC) needs a better photo. <S> Type 3 Also own a Ravemen PR1200 light which has two modes each with multiple brightnesses. <S> Runtime is from 2 hours at 1200L all the way up to 21 hours at 100L. <S> But the unit has two front LEDs, one that runs for all modes and one that only runs in off-road mode. <S> Manufacturer's images: Ths is the low-beam mode. <S> And this is the high beam mode. <S> It has a remote button which is kinda nice but turned out to be quite flimsy wire. <S> It also has a ~5Ah USB Power bank function, but the unit cannot charge a thing and also run the light, so its not that useful. <S> As a light, its really good, totally worth the price. <S> One last manufacturer photo, showing beam pattern from behind.
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In Germany, all bicycle lights above a certain lumen value have to have a low beam feature, so it's pretty standard here. I have actually dramatically improved the cutoff on my 1200 lumen dual LED (just for reference) with a sort of brim made out of aluminium plate. On pitch dark bike paths I do change the angle a little as well as turning up the brightness. My tail light is a rechargeable LED road flare with a user replaceable RCR123 battery fastened to a velcro water bottle bracket for the same reason.
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Hamstring pain while cycling I am getting serious pain in my hamstrings for the past couple of months while cycling. I warm up before I get on the bike and once I go back the road a bit the pain starts in both hamstrings. I got physio on lower back, a bike fit, foam rolls every night still no good. If I stand up while cycling I get relief until I sit down again and once I get off the bike no pain what so ever in my hamstrings, nothing feels tender. Could anyone help people are starting to think it is all in my head. Thanks <Q> Have you been fitted on you bike ? <S> It might be that your saddle is not a the appropriate height. <S> More so if you have lower bike pain while cycling. <S> Some websites will provide bike fit measurement based on your body measurements ( this one for example ), you can start there. <S> In general, when the pedal is at 6 o'clock you want a slight bend in you knee (not fully extended, but not bent very much) <S> If that looks OK, I would check you pedaling technique, maybe you're doing something wrong there that creates pain. <A> It is probably worth looking for a potential change in your set-up which may have caused new stresses on your body. <S> I have been suffering with chronic knee pain for the past 18 months, and it was mainly due to increase in intensity in too short of a period. <S> This damaged my ligaments/tendons which continue to flare up through exercise. <S> Is there anything that you may have changed such as a new saddle, new shoes etc? <S> It's always worth remembering that changing items likes shoes/cleats/saddles will have a knock-on effect with your height, even if it's minuscule. <S> You say you have had a bike fit, although from what I have heard these can be somewhat of a personal affair (vastly-differing opinions from shop to shop). <S> I've never had a 'professional' bike fit, but managed to find my own comfort zone by adjusting my set-up in tiny amounts to see what differences it made. <S> It could well be that your cleats (providing you have them) are positioned incorrectly, or alternatively your saddle is too low. <S> Try small adjustments, even such as raising your saddle 5mm at a time and seeing if this helps. <S> I've learnt from experience after making some changes in terms of saddle and cleat choices prior to a 1400 miles cross-Europe cycle ride for charity. <S> I needed to get it right in time, but not rush my set-up. <S> I cannot emphasise how important small, gradual changes are as your body needs time to adjust. <A> If you can - try riding on a static trainer (turbo). <S> Not to say your bike-fit is wrong ... <S> but there are different levels of bike-fit <S> and I have also seen examples of where a rider has gone in for a bike fit and measurements not work in the "real" world ie. <S> on the road. <S> You will be able to make adjustments and gauge your comfort more safely. <S> Also ride in and out of the saddle on the trainer as you would on the road too.
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Unless the saddle is exactly the same model, it may sit higher or lower than the one previous and cause discomfort when riding.
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Why is this guy blocking the rear wheel? In this video the guy has clearly blocked his rear brake, as we can see the rear wheel is not rolling, but sliding. In this particular context, what has been his intent? Could have he done it for stopping, control/steering, look-cool-move? <Q> No reason at all. <S> NWD10 is a classic old school movie. <S> Kirt Voreis (the guy in that scene - legendary rider) is probably doing this for no reason, just for fun, or at least what used to be fun in these old times. <A> In my estimation, the initial section was just lockup during heaving brake application during the descent (stopping as much as possible, and desiring more stopping force than the friction of the tire has to offer causing lockup). <S> The lockup during the slide looks to have been done for more of a cool move, similar to using the parking brake to slide in a car. <S> More cornering force can be applied from a non-locked wheel, so if his desire was to corner better <S> then he wouldn't lock (intentionally). <S> However, this could also just be the rider's 'style', or by contrast, completely unintentional, as motives are hard to discern from actions. <S> I'm just basing this on my own trail riding; I do occasionally lock up unintentionally on descents, but sliding sideways is typically intentional. <A> There are times when using the front brake is more likely to cause a crash (like when your front wheel is digging back and forth through a trench) and rear wheel braking is more appropriate. <S> It appears at the very end of the section, he is taking a turn. <S> I'd guess between the uneven trenches and loose, dry dirt, he decided to dump some speed. <S> There are actually at least two wheel locks in the video. <S> One early and the second where the trench keeps the wheel from sliding out and he tracks the front wheel along the high trail between the two trenches. <S> Despite what others have answered here, power sliding or drifting is often the most efficient way to corner on loose surfaces, which is why the parking brake is used so liberally in car rally racing. <S> On a bike it can be difficult because the front wheel is nearly impossible to control in a slide. <S> The rear wheel is much more manageable, however, and rear wheel slides to maintain control of speed, or cornering are used by many top riders in more technical mountain bike disciplines.
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Between the uneven surfacing and the loose dusty dirt, I'd say this was purposeful use of the rear brake for control . You don't see purposeless skidding like that in today's MTB movies nor do you see it in real life MTB riding.
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Is it safe to ride a steel bike with a dented/buckled frame? I just noticed, to my great sadness, a small-ish buckle/dent in my diagonal lower tube. (I'm riding a Cooper T200 single speed .) I just moved house; I hope I didn't do it. I probably did. It's about half way up and looks like it's been bent against something, or crushed between something - the tube itself is still straight, it just has a bit of a ding. It's probably only dented in a fraction of an inch. A fraction of an inch is no longer a perfect circle, though, and it'll inevitably weaken it. Question is, enough for me to worry about? Or should I just keep riding and forget it? I ride on roads, to work, nothing strenuous, but want to be able to hit the occasional pothole or what have you without constantly thinking that my frame is going to collapse under me. Does anyone have any actual experience with this sort of "injury"? Any suggestions how I might fix it, short of replacing the tube? I don't care if it looks a bit rough, we're through the honeymoon period, it's just a functional machine now. :-) Thanks all. Edit: added pictures, even though this is answered. Note that the other side of the tube to the visible dent is still perfect. (These are the same dent, from slightly different angles.) <Q> All steel frames of any age get a few dings from serious use. <S> The failure point for steel frames is usually the highest stress points: the joins. <S> That is why we used to have fancy tubing sets likes Reynolds 351 double butted, and I notice that your frame does too. <S> So, if the dent is away from the joins I say the frame is ok for general use. <S> Steel is quite a forgiving material, but I wouldn't be doing bunny hops on it :-) <S> If the dent is within 25% of the tube length, but more than 10cm (4 in) from a join, then I would be using it, but cautiously. <S> I would add that I've ridden high-end bikes for decades after their first (heart breaking) dents. <S> One of them has just died, but a fork failed (at the join), not the dented frame. <A> Imagine you had a sheet of tinfoil, and you took a pin and poked a hole in the center of a 12x12 square. <S> Now if you bend/warp the tinfoil many times, you'll see cracks/tears/stresses forming around that point. <S> The same goes for frames, however, it takes a pretty serious dent to cause accelerate fatigue to the point where it would be dangerous. <S> As with any bike: inspect it regularly for cracks . <S> That is something that should be done regularly anyhow. <S> Otherwise, ride on! <A> That actually can be repaired to a reasonable extent. <S> There is a process using wooden forms that reshapes the tubes. <S> It is not beyond the abilities of the home mechanic. <S> As far as ridability in its current state, I wouldn't sweat it. <S> Here's the process for rolling out a dent. <S> If the bike is that dear to you, go for it. <S> Rolling Out Tube Dents
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Dents in frames cause what is called a stress concentration point. If it's closer than 10cm from a join then I would get a shop to look at it.
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Can I install caliper or cantilever brakes on a frame and set of wheels designed for disc brakes? I have a 2008 Giant XTC 01 that came with disc brakes. Those brakes have been difficult to service throughout my time with the bike, now the pads on the back are worn out the fluid lines on the front has ruptured. As such, I'm ready to consider replacing the disc brakes with more easily serviced calipers or cantilevers. The problem is, I'm not sure whether my frame and wheels will support this style of brake. Attached are images of the fork, wheels, and frame. <Q> You would need a new fork in the front to add v-brake bosses and the frame does not support this either. <S> I don't think it's worth the effort on this bike. <S> It's sure not going to be easy without replacing both fork and frame. <S> I think for your situation, what may be a better solution is to switch to Mechanical Disc Brakes. <S> They are much more field serviceable than hydraulics. <S> I'm going to recommend avid BB7 brakes since they are easy to adjust <S> (you can adjust pad position on either side of the brake) and very easy to find parts for (most shops are going to have pads). <A> The particular model of brakes on that bike are known to be a maintenance headache, and generally have a poor reputation. <S> Hayes Stroker Ryder <S> w/160mm rotor brakes, Hayes Stroker Ryder levers <S> - See more at: http://www.bikepedia.com/quickbike/BikeSpecs.aspx?year=2008&brand=Giant&model=XtC+1#sthash.hhqp6sSq.dpuf <S> Shimano's current XT brakes have a great reputation and are often on sale. <S> I upgraded the brakes on my 2009 Giant and it has made a significant difference. <S> Switching to Avid BB7's would be about the same cost since you'd need to buy new levers and housing. <S> BB7's are fine, but all in all I prefer my XT brakes. <S> For mountain biking, I think you would really regret switching from disk brakes. <A> Frame, fork, and wheels are not compatible. <S> Most (actually all that I have seen) disc wheels don't support rim braking. <A> You cannot install canti or v-brakes on that bicycle frame. <S> Furthermore, if you could, the disc wheels do not have a brake track for canti pads. <S> As others have mentioned, my opinion is that you should change to a different brand/model of disc brakes. <S> That way you can continue to use your existing frame and wheels. <S> The Avid BB7 are an excellent choice. <S> They are a highly regarded mechanical (no hydro fluid) disc brake, and easy for the home mechanic to adjust. <S> Two small dials on the brake itself fine tune the position of the pads. <S> Shimano hydro disc brakes are also highly regarded and would be a fine choice.
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If you like the bike otherwise, upgrading the brakes to a newer model might help a lot. Also your frame and fork do not have mounts for rim brakes. It is money and weight for the rim surface to accept a rim brake.
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Unlock cleat from clipless pedal I bought this week my first clipless pedals ( Shimano A530 ) as well as some shoes to go with it. After installing one cleat on one shoe, I "locked" the shoe on the pedal, but I do not manage to "unlock". The problem is that I did not tighten enough the cleat to the shoe (thinking that I'd do it afterwards to adjust the position of the clear), meaning that when I try to unlock, the cleat also moves. Does anyone has an idea of I could unlock the cleat from the pedal without damaging anything? <Q> Assuming that the shoe is still attached to the cleat.... <S> Can you not just keep turning the shoe to a wider and wider angle until it forces the cleat to disengage from the pedal? <S> You'll scratch the sole of the shoe, and possibly slightly widen the screw holes in the shoe, but it shouldn't break anything. <S> Note that it's quite hard to get a shoe & cleat out of SPD pedals using your hands - even when the cleat is screwed on correctly. <S> It's much easier to do when you are wearing the shoe. <S> I'd recommend trying this whilst wearing the shoe, sitting on the bike, but leaning against a wall or fence (or having someone hold you upright). <A> I removed the insole of the shoe, placed the Allen wrench in the hole left by the loosened bolt. <S> I then aligned it with the hole the bolt goes in to the cleat AND THEN turned the shoe and it popped off... <A> I had a (improperly tightened) bolt drop out of a SPD cleat while riding which left me in the same predicament (also ended up eating asphalt), I ended up being able to wedge my shoe against the frame to get the appropriate leverage to kick the shoe/cleat combo out of the pedal. <S> I would try attaching the pedal to a bike (and foot in shoe) and attempting the same move. <S> You can always unscrew the pedal and take off the shoe to get back to where you are today. <A> You can use a pipe wrench -- the tool you use for plumbing pipes -- to clamp the cleat and turn it. <S> Just be careful not to break anything. <A> EDIT : <S> I misunderstood your situation hence my original answer. <S> In the case that your shoe is still stuck to the cleat, remove the pedal from the bike first. <S> Keeping the pedal on the bike will just restrict your motion as the crank arm and frame will get the in way. <S> Put the pedal in a vice grip or between two solid objects which allow you to keep the pedal still. <S> Having the pedal off the bike will allow you to turn the shoe a whole lot further and allow you to unclip. <S> I don't suspect you would cause any damage this way. <S> Removal <S> if it's just the cleat stuck (not on shoe) <S> Firstly make sure that the spring tension on the pedal is all the way down. <S> This is lowered by turning the little hex / Allen screw to the left as much as it will go. <S> Releasing this tension on the spring will make the job a whole lot easier. <S> Then use a set of needle-nose pliers to twist the cleat, simulating the twisting of your foot as you would when it's attached to a shoe. <S> If this doesn't work, you can try and use screwdrivers to pry the tensioned 'catch' away from the cleat, hopefully releasing enough pressure to twist it and remove it. <S> In terms of damaged caused, you may scratch the cleat and/or pedal, but I guess no more than you would by clipping in and out and walking around.
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Then simply twist the shoe in the normal unlocking direction until it disengages from the pedal.
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How to align a chain on a single speed My bicycle currently has poor chainring/rear sprocket alignment (as in the chain at the front is more than a chain's width from the chain at the rear). I'm wondering what the procedure is to correct this alignment, because currently riding the bike damages the chain. (I have already moved the wheel as far across as i can using washers) <Q> To adjust chainline, you can: <S> At the back <S> use spacers between the hub and cog <S> At the front use a longer/shorter bb spindle (as Kibbee says) use spacers on the bb cups (as Mark W says) use chainring washers (and likely different bolts) to adjust the position of the chainring on the crank <S> I'm struggling to think of any more options. <S> The only other thing I could think of is that if you do end up with an imperfect chainline, despite your every effort, then a 3/32" chain will be more forgiving than a 1/8" chain. <S> 3/32" chains are designed to be able to traverse cassettes so have a little more flexibility in them. <A> You won't like the price tag on this solution, but to get my single speed bike with a perfect chainline, I used the Surly Single-Speed Kit which has 6 spacers of different widths that let you get things exactly right. <S> The kits run about $40, but you also need a rear hub with the Shimano style cassette mount, such as for a 5-cog cassette on a 10-speed bike. <A> This is because I was having a hard time to ballpark the chainline. <S> I then found out that the manufacturer of the crankset I use provides a specification document which describes the recommended spindle length of the BB and the chainline measurement. <S> The table isn't really specific for Surly spacers but it only works with Shimano hubs. <S> Surly SS kits are expensive, so I recommend to purchase ones from a Taiwanese company which can be found on Ebay. <A> Rather than eyeballing, ballparking, or relying on tables, I have found that a ruler is the simplest and most accurate tool for this job. <S> Put the ruler with the zero mark in the middle of the seat tube, and measure the distance to the teeth on the chainring. <S> Then measure the inside diameter of the frame at the rear dropouts where the rear axle goes. <S> Divide that by two, and put a piece of tape on the rear hub right at that distance from the inside of the rear drop out. <S> That's the midline. <S> Now measure from that line to the chain on the rear cog. <S> That's how I used the Single Speed Kit to get the rear cog right on the chain line.
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To get the spacers adjustment correct, I use a table provided by Surly: surlybikes.com/files/SS_Spacer_Kit.pdf . Based on my experience, determining the chainline based on specifications of the components (BB and Crankset) and a simple math calculation is the best approach.
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How to thank motorists? Often motorist do something that makes me wish they had stayed at home, but they also frequently do nice things too. Like slowing down to let me in to the lane, or making sure that they overtake with plenty of room etc... Is there an unambiguous gesture that means "thank you"? I don't want to confuse people about my intentions (by using a gesture that could be interpreted as something else) but it would be nice to show appreciation. <Q> A polite nod, wave or smile usually suffices. <S> It doesn't need to be much, where I live in the UK raising one or two fingers from the steering wheel is plenty when driving. <S> Not sure about down south , I've heard it's a fairly local thing, but I don't imagine it being too different. <A> I use a sort of wave, raising my hand but with no movement in it (so not a 'Hey buddy' or 'I need help' side to side movement).... <S> it works on my bicycle, on my motorcycle, and while driving a vehicle. <S> It's got somewhat of a dual purpose: <S> acknowledgement that I did something wrong, <S> and/or 'thanks for letting me in' gratitude gesture. <S> This is the same gesture I seem to get from many other people. <S> There's no side/side or waving motion (would be more like "Hi!"), just a hand up, fingers together, " <S> Thanks/Sorry". <A> This would generally come down to you locality as some cultures would consider certain gestures rude. <S> I tend to vary between a wave of the hand or a thumbs up followed by a wave of the hand. <S> A smile always tends to convey gratitude, but that depends on whether you can be seen clearly or not. <A> Motorists (I'm both a cyclist and motorist) use to salute with each other making a "V" sign with the index and middle fingers of the hand with the palm forward. <S> At least it's that way in southern Europe, don't know in other parts of the world. <S> They would understand that with as a symbol of empathy to them. <A> One thing we do in France is to take off one of your legs from the pedal and put it on the side (usually your leg on the side of the motorist you want to thank). <S> Which looks a little like this : <S> The fact that you take the time to do it and stop a little your effort by taking off your feet from the pedal is usually well considered by motorists.
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I guess there isn't a universal sign for thank you, but in most cultures I think a wave of the hand (more of a raise the hand and show the palm slightly) with a courteous smile or nod would do the trick.
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What type of shoes should I get with regular pedals I have never been more than a casual rider, maybe 5 miles at a time. I signed up for a 500 mile multi-day bike event that i need to train for and was thinking about getting real bike shoes due to more energy transfer to the pedals. I just have regular simple platform pedals now. so would it even make sense to get special shoes with hard soles if I don't have regular pedals? Thanks! <Q> I like downhill larger platform pedals with what is commonly referred to as street shoes. <S> I don' like advertising a brand but an example is the best answer. <S> All Mountain Flats <S> You have people advising clipless (spd) <S> and I don't agree. <S> Ironically clipless means the ski boot type clip in. <S> But I don't agree with spd. <S> I would do a 500 mile multi day ride on some big platform <S> downhill pedals with the little spike and some and some nice street shoes. <S> There is enough traction to hold your foot in position. <S> You can move your foot around a little bit to change how you hit muscles. <S> I will ride an uphill <S> is a little different foot position. <S> When you get off you can walk around and loosen up you legs. <S> You don't have to carry another pair of shoes or sandals. <S> Now a one day 100 mile ride - then I would ride spd. <A> Even with platform pedals, a stiffer shoe will help. <S> If you're riding in squishy running shoes, switching to a shoe that is stiffer with less cushion will improve your riding. <S> Those all mountain flats would be fine, or even skate shoes. <S> However, unless multi-day refers to a month or more, I would really encourage you to look into getting clipless pedals and bike specific shoes. <S> 500 miles is a long ways on a bike, everything you can do to improve efficiency and comfort will help. <S> Having said that, you don't need to invest in new pedals right away and any reasonably stiff shoe will help. <S> ( Some people like riding in dress shoes. ) <S> Once you've gotten some miles under your belt, you can look at the issue of pedals again. <A> Please note that contrary to popular belief, there's no scientific proof that clipless pedals and/or stiffer shoes are more efficient. <S> The few experiments that have been done actually seem to point in the opposite direction! <S> Having said that, clipless pedals and stiffer shoes may help you feel more confident and powerful on your bike, which is a great reason to get them. <A> I used Nike clipless cleats for most of my first two years in road biking, but have moved to normal Adidas running shoes and replaced clipless pedals with flat (with spikes) pedal. <S> No plan on going back yet, as I enjoy the combination, plus I don't have to carry two pairs of shoes since I run before and after my 30K ride. <S> So there. <S> I know clipless turns me to automaton and never even have to bother my feet moving here and about <S> but since I have used to riding it, my pedaling habit hinge on my clipless shoes habits, and so I am not bothered at all with the movement etc. <S> my two cents worth. <S> cheers! <A> I strongly recommend that you combine the cycling shoes idea with "clipless" pedals. <S> The key advantage of such shoes is that they give good support for cycling and you can comfortably walk in them. <S> And the advantage of the clipless pedals is that because the shoes attach to them, you can drive the pedal all the way around the stroke. <S> Your pedal will be about 3 times more efficient! <S> There are different kinds of clipless pedals; look for pedals that are SPD on one side and flat on the other, so you have the choice while you're learning. <S> SPD were originally made by Shimano, but now there are many clones. <S> If you Google spd cycling shoes <S> you will find a heap of brands, styles, and price levels. <S> Often the shoes are called MTB (Mountain Bike) shoes. <S> My daughter started this way (single sided SPD pedals) some years ago. <S> And I used my MTB shoes for a whole 5 week holiday once, so that I didn't have to take a second pair of shoes. <S> Another answer <S> I wrote may also help you. <S> The question was How long does it take to be ready for a multi day ride as a newbie? . <A> There is no problem riding with ordinary shoes and platform pedals. <S> It is a myth that clipless pedals make you more effective, so if you don't race you are probably just as well off with using the equipment you already have. <S> Using clipless shoes for flat pedals would be the worst solution since road clipless shoes usually have hard and stiff soles that does not get a good grip on the pins on flat pedals. <S> My personal opinion is that skate shoes, tennis sneakers, and other flat soled rubber shoes are good alternatives for flat pedals. <S> You also have flat pedal specific shoes, such as Five Ten, with very sticky rubber compounds that are designed to increase grip on flat pedals. <S> If you are interested in seeing more good arguments for using flat pedals (i.e. why you can safely ride with the equipment you already have) you can check out the links below: http://www.bikejames.com/strength/the-flat-pedal-revolution-manifesto-how-to-improve-your-riding-with-flat-pedals/ http://www.bikejames.com/strength/two-more-ways-that-clipless-pedals-can-unknowingly-screw-up-your-pedal-stroke/
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But if you're just trying to be fast and/or comfortable, you should be just fine with regular shoes on flat pedals.
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What can I do about a cracked frame? I noticed the other day that my frame has a crack in it! I believe that it's my seat post causing the problem. A couple of questions really, a) how serious is this? and b) can it be repaired? Edit: I've added a picture of the height of the seat-post to give some extra context on whether or not the frame is too small for me. I've never thought that the seat was crazy high or anything; is it? <Q> It's hard to tell from the photo ( is that large vertical streak said crack? ), but if your frame is cracked, don't use it. <S> Riding on a cracked frame is risky as it could result in a catastrophic failure / injury / death. <S> It looks like that's probably a steel frame, so find a local frame builder ( not your buddy who's handy with a welder ), and depending on the damage they may be able to repair it for you. <A> I am going to get beat up for this but steel frames don't fail catastrophically. <S> Pull that post. <S> Get a seat post that extends at least 2" below the bottom of the crack and ideally 4". <S> The post reinforces the frame. <S> Mark the two ends of the crack. <S> If the crack grows stop riding. <S> I know this is kind of ghetto but put a couple hose clamps on the crack. <S> But you may be able to get a couple more years out of it. <A> Honestly, how much did this bike cost? <S> It looks to be at least 30 years old, judging by the tire and brakes we see in this picture, and even when it was new, I doubt it was worth repairing this kind of damage. <S> The cost of repairing it would be far in excess of buying a new bike. <S> Now, if you'd spent $1500 on it, even 30 years ago, well, maybe it's worth it. <S> But probably not. <S> My guess is that $300 would have been an excessive amount when it was new, and the bill to repair this crack would be larger than that. <A> Dawes Galaxy? <S> Looks like an older model - so a good quality touring frameset - possibly Reynolds tubing. <S> Anyway, what price do you put on sentimentality? <S> I'm not sure where the idea of long seatpost comes from as the picture doesn't show it. <S> But if you are UK based a company like Argos cycles can easily fix that frame for you. <S> On their website they quote £120 for a seat tube repair but <S> this is a complete replacement of the seat tube. <S> So yours may be different. <S> A full respray is £135. <A> A couple of years ago we had a new seat tube fitted to my wifes bike (a 20 year old Claud Butler Lady Dale) after it sheared where it joined the top tube - this was on a step through frame. <S> Fortunately we live close enough to Roberts, one of the few frame builders in the UK, to be able to deliver it. <S> I had to strip the frame for them and it cost about £150. <S> They completely stripped the paint off the frame so we had it powder coated - approx £100. <S> We did this as she really likes the bike and finds it comfortable for long rides. <S> I don't think that we could get something similar for the price. <S> If you want to get a new seat tube, you will probably have to send it away. <S> None of the local bike shops would consider it - they make money selling new bikes after all. <S> I think that only Mercian and Roberts offered a quote. <S> Hopefully this has given you an idea of the costs and what is involved. <S> If you like your bike as it is then it can be a viable option. <S> I suspect that the longer seat post may be the cheaper alternative. <A> I just fixed mine, I took it to a local welding shop in London, they charged me only £8, <S> it's not pretty <S> but it works fine. <S> I made this little video
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That old frame is not really worth a professional repair. Its a welding job - so the frame could be resprayed and Dawes decals reapplied. If the end of the post is in the middle of the crack then look for a longer post. If that was an aluminum frame I would tell you to throw it away.
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How to seamlessly upload to Strava after a ride using a Garmin Edge 500? I have a Garmin Edge 500. Records everything I need, but the pain is uploading and managing the data into Strava. I just want to walk in from my ride, have a shower, have breakfast and see my ride stats straight away in my iPad or PC. In other words, I don't want to touch the device until the battery is about to run out. I don't want to plug in my device to anything either (usb, etc). I know the Edge 500 cannot do this automatically as it does not have Bluetooth or Wifi, but it can connect without cables to the Cadence Sensor, etc. So why can't there be a hack or something to be able to "force" it to download the FIT file once within range of your internet at home? The reason I ask this here is because I usually ride with my partners very early in the morning, and when I come home I have a lot to do before I go to work - have breakfast, get ready, kids to school, etc. By the time I get to work, and if I have time, I then upload the ride's stats into Strava usually around noon. By then it's "too late" as my ride buddies have already given Kudos to each other and I hardly get any, plus the ones I do get are days later from other people I don't even ride with. I know this sounds egoistic, but that's beside the point of the question and subjective to each one's needs of why we ride, etc. Thanks <Q> I personally use a Garmin Edge 810 which can connect via Bluetooth to your smartphone and then automatically upload rides to Garmin Connect. <S> The auto-transfer from Garmin Connect then allows your ride to appear in Strava almost immediately, however, this isn't without it's short-comings. <S> As per my comment on Mac's answer, I have found the auto-upload functionality very hit and miss ever since owning my 810 in April last year. <S> Recent firmware updates have significantly improved the reliability, but it's still not perfect. <S> Saying that, the fact it doesn't hit my phone's battery life is the winner for me. <S> Without a connection to your smart phone, the Wahoo is essentially useless. <S> However, it would appear to be quite good as it allows a direct connection with your Strava app (displaying data that the app outputs), only costs $99 and then you have the piece of mind that your data will ultimately end up in Strava as soon as you finish your ride. <S> This again has it's own cons as you need to use your phone as the main cycle computer, ultimately draining your battery quite rapidly. <S> It then really comes down to an argument of which appears more useful. <S> A standalone bike computer with the ability to auto-upload when paired with a mobile phone, or a computer which simply displays data outputted by the Strava app at the sacrifice of your phone's battery life. <S> Wahoo RFLKT on the Strava store Other alternatives on the Strava store <A> The Garmin Edge 510 can use bluetooth to pair with your smartphone. <S> Then when you save a ride on the garmin, it'll automatically upload immediately. <A> But the simplest solution is to use your phone? <S> - however this has the disadvantage of draining the battery on it. <S> So probably best used for those shorter training rides. <A> I'm not sure how to set it up on a PC, but you can upload the files directly to Strava and skip Garmin Connect altogether. <S> The Garmin 500 is just a usb drive like any other drive and you can upload the filesusing the Strava website. <S> This is not automatic, but it's a lot less painful than using any Garmin software.
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Garmin Connect Edge 1000 has Wi-Fi which can auto-upload to Connect - and subsequently to Strava. There are lots of different devices on the market, but a quick look on Strava's own store has highlighted the Wahoo RFLKT which connects to your smart phone.
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Special hub requirements for an 11-speed group In a question earlier today ( Changing cassette from 8 to 10 or 11 to meet the Shimano 105 5800 groupset ) the Op asserts that they would need to change their hub, if they wanted to go from a 10- to 11- speed cassette. I'm not very clued up on 11-speed systems, was wondering why this is the case? And, presumably, when they say "hub", they mean just the freehub body? Or do they mean something else/more? <Q> Shimano/SRAM 11 speed cassettes are wider than 8/9/10 speed ones. <S> People with non-Shimano brand hubs are less likely to find replacement freehub bodies, it seems, leading to replacement of the whole hub, or even the whole wheel if the old rim isn't worth relacing. <S> For more on this, read the last question and answer here: http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/09/bikes-and-tech/technical-faq/technical-faq-drivetrain-compatibility-for-10-and-11-speed_301392 <S> There's also a compatibility chart here: <S> http://www.slowtwitch.com/Tech/Cassette_Spacers_2013_3978.html <S> Campagnolo cassettes are the same width for 9, 10, and 11 speeds, so you don't need to do anything in most cases. <A> As you're not clear on road vs mtb, there's two answers. <S> For 11 spd road drivetrains <S> Shimano uses a 1.85mm wider hub with the drive side flange closer to the centerline to compensate for the additional width. <S> Using a spacer allows the wheel to be backwards compatible to fit a 10 spd cassette. <S> You can't fit a 11spd freehub in place of a 10spd freehub unless the wheel has been built to accommodate it. <S> Some hubs are, usually 2012 or later hubs from better brands, are able to be converted. <S> Others are not. <S> It is different for each brand. <S> For 1x11 MTB drive trains SRAM has designed the XD driver which fits a 11 speed cassette but is a different shape and not backwards compatible with 8/9/10 speed cassettes. <A> I work in a bike shop. <S> Precise machining is done on a lathe with a special jig. <S> A tiny amount of material is carefully removed from the back of the cassette so that it will fit the 10 speed hub perfectly. <S> All 11 speed are usable and shifting is as is should be... <S> Flawless!!! <A> You can machine a road cassette in your own bike shop without a lathe. <S> You need a head tube reamer/facer with just the facer tool attached.
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So yes, you need a new, wider freehub body, unless your old one was not very old and used a spacer to fit a 10-speed cassette. We found a simple way to modify 11 speed cassettes (105' Ultegra, Force, Rival) to fit 9-10 speed hubs.
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Are flip saddle posts available When trying out the baby seat on my wife's e-bike, it was really easy to fit and remove because her saddle flips up to access the battery. It's a real pain threading the baby seat over the top of my pannier(s) and under the saddle to fit it on my bike. FWIW the baby seat is a hamax siesta, seat tube mounted, and slightly fiddly to fit even with rack but no panniers. I can't fit the seat then the panniers - there's no access to fasten the panniers. So is there a flip-up seat post available to fit to a normal bike? Google finds nothing relevant, only ancient forum threads. Edit: Pics Here it is flipped up: And in riding position: Detail of the mechanism: As you can see the standard QR height adjustment is unaffected, and the saddle rails are typical. I've found out a bit more - apparently there's quite a bit of extra weight (looks like it, plenty of steel in there) and older versions had a tendency to work loose around the hinge. <Q> Answering for completeness: Such saddles are available but only as spares for E-bikes, from the bike manufacturers. <S> They aren't necessarily compatible with a normal saddle as they use unusual mountings, and the saddle post diameter isn't specified (instead they list which bikes it's a spare for). <S> They're heavy and not necessarily designed for hard use. <A> Remove the seat and seat post from the bike, install the baby seat, reinsert the seat post, done If the seat post does not have a quick release, go to the local bike shop and buy one for $5. <A> No, flip up bicycle seats are not common. <S> For (probably) less than $10US, you could get a quick-release seatpost collar so that it's easy to move the seat up or down. <S> Just make sure to mark on the seat post what height you like it at. <S> That would be a lot faster than quick-release option, and do much better at getting back to the same seat height setting, but it's a lot more expensive. <S> Alternately, you could look into other seat and/or rack options. <S> A trailer made for hauling a kid? <S> A baby seat that goes in front of the rider instead of behind? <S> A longer rack? <S> A rack that sits further back or up or down or something in a way that isn't such a pain? <S> A cargo bike with a really long rack (so there's still room for panniers)? <A> There are two standard saddle attachment mechanisms: A single hex key tightens a clamp that hold the saddle rails. <S> Two bolts tighten a clamp that hold the saddle rails. <S> I've seen a couple other configurations, but the intent of the mechanism is always that the saddle is mounted firmly to the seat post.
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No, there are no saddles that flip up. For over $100US, you could get a "dropper" seatpost (intended for mountain biking) and set one of the lower positions to be the comfortable one.
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Bike is slightly too large, shorten the stem? I feel that my bike frame is slightly too large because I'm stretching out quite a bit even when on the hoods. I'm considering swapping out my 90mm stem for a 35mm or 40mm stem It seems like these aren't designed for road bikes, but would they still be okay to use considering the clamp diameter is identical to that of my roadie's? <Q> A relatively cheap way to make the reach shorter without compromising handling is to move grips little closer to you. <S> Applicable on most drop bar handles. <S> Most bicycles have grips set far forward and moving them back 2 centimeters is safe and won't move them up too much. <S> Expenses - new duct tape to fix cables onto place if they are not internal and a screwdriver if you don't have one. <A> I have a slightly large road bike, which I made a good fit by shortening the stem. <S> You say you have a road bike, yet I don't recognise the image you've posted. <S> I would expect a stem on a road bike to look more like: <S> Aside from that, you're proposing quite a large change - I think I shortened mine by about an inch. <S> The only other thing to point out <S> (caught me!) <S> is that any computer you might have mounted to the stem.... <S> it might all get a bit cramped. <S> But don't let that change your mind if the shorter stem works, its just that you might end up buying a new computer mount as well. <A> Swapping the stem may make the riding more comfortable, but you may want to look at other things too Horizontal position of the seat - most seats will be able to be adjusted forwards or backwards. <S> But if you change the position of the seat, relative to the cranks, you need to think about how this will affect your stroke. <S> Handlebar width - if the handlebars are too wide you may feel like you are reaching too far forward, <S> when in fact you are reaching too far out. <S> A simple check is to stand across your bike in front of a mirror, put your hands on the hoods, and see how closely your handlebars match the width of your shoulders. <S> Frame size - it's possible you have a bike that's too big for you. <S> Although this is the most expensive thing to change, after riding a bike like that for a couple of years before finally spending the money on a properly fitted frame, I believe it's worth the money for the extra enjoyment you get from riding. <A> You can get also get a significant change in position by getting a different set of bars. <S> I would look for various handlebars labeled "short reach or compact". <S> Almost all bars these days have listed the drop and reach. <S> If your current bars are on the long end of the scale, switching bars might solve your problem. <S> Going to a stem that short is going to have lot's of odd effects on the handling of the bike. <S> For a road bike with drop bars, my experience is that 80mm or so is about the shorteststem you want to use.
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I don't suggest there's any great technical issue here, but just be aware that a small change in length can make a big difference in terms of the feel of the bike.
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Road bike frame for offroad/cx wheels I'll be moving in the near future from a wide open rural area with open, expansive country roads to a more suburban area with traffic issues but a few offroad trails available for riding. My question -- and probably a silly one -- is: is it at all recommended to outfit a separate set of wheels with CX tires for my road frame for trail riding at a fraction of the cost of a new CX bike or am I putting my road frame at unnecessary risk trying to save some money? I'm not imagining I'm going to be getting into legit mountain biking (just yet) and only ride for personal fitness and the enjoyment of it. I've seen threads here asking the opposite (CX for Road), but nothing this way. Thanks! <Q> Personally, if your road frame is an out-and-out road bike - I would say you will be faced with several issues. <S> strength of your frame <S> Not only will this stress your frame - it may also fatigue the frame. <S> And may cause sudden and catastrophic failure. <S> tyre clearance <S> Most road frames will not take a tyre greater than 28mm. <S> Some no more than 25mm. <S> comfort <S> The seating position and reach could be altered to make more comfortable - but it will always be a compromise. <S> Geometry Road bikes have different geometry to CX bikes. <S> Lower bottom bracket offers lower clearance, steeper head angle makes the ride more twitchy. <A> You might be better off with one of the new bikes coming out with "gravel" or "all-road" geometry and clearance for ~40c tires. <S> They're intended for the type of riding you describe. <S> Current examples include the Raleigh Tamland and Willard, Salsa Warbird, All-City Space Horse, and Kona Rove. <S> These bikes tend to have lower bottom brackets and longer wheelbases, giving them better comfort and handling on and off pavement. <A> Based on frame and brakes you are probably limited to 28mm or 30mm. <S> Still a lot better than 25mm. <S> If you are dealing with sand and/or big sharp rocks then 30mm is not enough. <S> Mud need excess clearance. <S> So you might as well just go with touring type tire and give yourself a bigger footprint to deal with traffic issues. <S> It is not going to be CX bike - <S> the best you can do is beef it up. <S> What I am saying is you probably can't beef it up so much that stops being a valid road bike. <S> Ride it and get a feel for if you want to get a second bike. <S> You may decide you want to leave your road road and get a second mountain bike. <S> I would not go with a separate set of wheels. <S> Your brakes will probably not take a wider CX rim so you are just going to get a beefier road wheel. <S> A beefy set of wheels is going to be $400 <S> and you should not be riding a road frame that hard. <S> Look for a used CX. <S> Season just ended and you can find some good deals. <S> And CX varies a bit - a pure race may only take 35mm tires. <S> Get one that will take 38mm or larger. <S> And don't rule out a mtn bike - you can find some decent used mtn bikes for $400. <S> You can throw $400 into your road bike and it is still not going to be a good trail bike.
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Depends on the trails and the type of riding and how big of tires you can put on the road bike. As for mud just don't ride mud.
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Is the Park Tool Allen Wrench going to strip out bolts? I am fed up with cheap allen keys. I've bought a few from local hardware stores, but a 5mm is usually way off, and I end up rounding off the key, or the bolt. I've thought about buying this parks allen key: http://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-Allen-Wrench-4-5mm/dp/B005R638TC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1423706361&sr=8-2&keywords=parks+allen+key It has 5 star review from 5 customers at the moment, but I'm still wary. Anyone have any experience with it? Or is it just junk that they slapped a parks tool sticker on? Also, if anyone has any advice on allen keys from their experience I'd love to hear. Is it worth paying for Snap-on keys, or something similar? I'd love to hear others have this problem too, and it's not just me that can't loosen or tighten a brake lever without rounding something off. <Q> I have never had a problem with Allen keys rounding. <S> Using the correct size, using them correctly (Inserting them fully and not letting them slip out the bolt) and not using too much torque for the bolt size means even cheap Allen keys will last a lifetime. <S> If the bolt head has rusted or has gunk in it, you sometimes cannot easily get the Allen key in all the way. <S> In this case cleaning the hole is required. <S> Abusing the bolt/allen key by only inserting it part way is the most likely cause of problems. <S> Workshop quality tools will survive abuse such as this (although it's more likely the bolt won't). <S> If you are having problems rounding the Allen keys, workshop quality tools to likely just move this problem to the bolt, making it a much bigger problem. <A> If you are referring to getting to the brake lever bolt from an angle because it is behind the cable then that is when the ball end comes in handy <S> If the bolt is dirty the ball end also penetrates a little better but cleaning the bolt is the better path <S> Use the regular end when you can come in straight for more contact area Even straight on I will use the round end when the bolt is loose as it is faster - <S> you don't have to be perfectly straight on <A> All other things being equal, T-shaped Allen wrenches will work better than L-shaped Allen wrenches. <S> When I say T-shaped Allen wrenches, I'm talking about wrenches like these: as well as the 3-way hex wrenches like the one you mention: <S> This is because the shape of these tools allows you to exert pressure from directly above the bolt rather than from the side. <S> Exerting pressure from the side adds a lever element which can cause the tool to slip. <S> Pressure from directly above the bolt keeps the tool held fast without that side leverage. <S> That's not to say that L-shaped wrenches don't have their place. <S> They're typically much easier to get into tighter places. <S> It seems counter-intuitive, but these rounded heads actually hold a bolt very well. <S> I can't recall ever having one slip (with the exceptions of already stripped bolts and/or user stupidity). <S> As far as Park Tools go, they are well respected in the bicycle industry as offering the highest quality tools available. <S> That's not to say they're the only game in town. <S> There are lots of companies that offer high quality Allen wrenches. <S> If you don't trust Park Tools for whatever reason, buy your Allen wrenches from any high quality source that you do trust. <A> FWIW, I have found allen wrenches that have a ball end to generally be of higher quality and less likely to round off. <S> My experience is that generally the wrench fails long before the bolt. <S> If the wrench gets rounded off, you need to stop using it ASAP. <S> If you are doing lot's of your own bike work, it's worth investing in a set of T-handled allen wrenches.
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As others have mentioned, high quality L-shaped Allen wrenches will often have a rounded head at one end, which makes it easier to get at bolts from an angle.
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Why no wheels with rope instead of spokes? Spokes in a wheel are (shall) be loaded always in tension. Seems like a simple rope of steel strings would do. Furthermore, uneven spoke tension can lead to lots of problems (among which loose spokes, broken spokes, cracked rim holes). A single strand of thread, passing through all spoke holes in a star-like fashion would eliminate uneven tension. And even if such a wheel isn't technically superior to current designs, it would be interesting. People throw thousands at purchasing 3-spoke wheels, grouped spoke wheels and whatnot. <Q> Mavic has made some wheels like you describe, more or less. <S> They're called "R-Sys" and they have aramid (Kevlar) spokes surrounded by carbon fiber sheaths. <S> Here's an exploded view: <S> For more details about that, see the page the image is from: http://www.pardo.net/bike/pic/fail-001/FAIL-105.html <S> More seriously, yes, you could make wheels with "rope" spokes only. <S> Why do the Mavic ones have the carbon sheaths then? <S> I would speculate that the carbon acts as armor for the aramid fibers, which must never be nicked or they will fail. <S> The carbon also stabilizes the whole arrangement, reducing lateral flex. <S> As for your notion that spoke tension would always be <S> even if continuous fibers were used, I'm not so sure. <S> The problem is that to achieve self-evening tension you would need to allow the fibers to run freely through some turning points. <S> And if they run freely they will abrade rather quickly if they actually move at all. <S> Finally, consider that spokes are thin and behave not like rods or struts so much as wire. <S> So in a way we are already riding your wheels of the future today. <A> Getting the tension equal on all of the spokes made from a single length of a flexible string would be very difficult due to friction. <S> And because no rim is perfect, spokes have to be adjusted to moderately different tensions to bring a wheel into true. <S> Threaded spoke nipples work amazingly well on single-strand steel spokes. <S> A spoke material or construction which cannot be threaded requires fittings on one end which can, or unusual and complicated construction as with the helicopter spool in a photo in another comment -- <S> also can't be re-trued like a wheel with threaded spokes. <A> A single cable as you suggest would mean bad things happening for a single failure. <S> Although lightweight bikes will always push the spoke count as low as possible they can still handle a broken spoke without automatically crashing. <S> You also don't have enough degrees of freedom to dish a rear wheel even if you assume the wheel is self truing. <S> If instead you consider replacing each spoke of a conventional setup with a cable you add the weight and part count of the fasteners (offsetting any saving in the spokes themselves). <S> You still need the same tensile strength and there's no need for them to be flexible so a single thick strand is no worse than a cable of thinner strands <S> so you're back to the same weight assuming steel. <S> Plus fasteners. <S> You might shave a little weight off in total using something like spectra rope <S> but you would have to ensure no risk of fraying at the fixing points. <S> To overcome all this optimally you'd need to redesign the hub and rim. <S> That's expensive and reduces your market. <S> There are always titanium spokes for those worried about weight. <S> These would retrofit easily on a standard wheel. <S> It would be nice to see an old set of wheels rebuilt with cable for demonstration purposes -- you wouldn't want to go fast <S> but you could probably ride on strong fishing line with one piece for each side of the wheel. <A> Compare this, the drive spool for a human powered helicopter with Kevlar "spokes": <A> Spinergy has something like that - though not with a single rope. <S> http://www.spinergy.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=20&products_id=84 <S> Actually it's not extra light.
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So you're at an impasse: either the fibers move and wear out prematurely (and perhaps lead to collapse of the wheel even sooner because of unstable geometry), or the fibers in fact do not move and you have the same tensioning concerns as with conventional wheels. You could argue that some carbon fibre disk wheels meet that description...
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Front wheel requires weight for traction: is this applicable to icy conditions? How is cornering on the road different than cornering on dirt? Is cornering in snow any different? I usually attempt to keep at least half my weight on the front wheel for stability when cornering and braking. However, with all the ice this winter, I discovered that front tire slips are quite ordinary. Thus, I find it beneficial to keep my weight back, maybe only 20% on front wheel, and stay ready to dab in the event of front tire slip. Is this reasonable behaviour on ice or am I being too scared and actually decreasing my stability by pulling back? Tires are Land Cruiser, saddle height is lower than typical XC to facilitate ... falling from not so high. <Q> I'd look at which situations you are encountering tire slips in. <S> If you are having trouble while you are braking, you may consider adjusting your technique to be much more rear brake heavy or rear brake alone. <S> I find that no matter what I do my pedal stroke is so sloppy and unbalanced that I almost never pedal on ice. <S> Generally I just try to coast over ice sections keeping my body as relaxed and centered as possible. <S> Major direction changes (without studs) are pretty much out as well. <S> I try to keep my weight off my handle bars so that I am not tempted to move the front wheel quickly or with any real force. <S> If you are going to try and turn the front wheel, it should be a feathered movement. <S> More than anything it takes practice and watching out for icy spots. <S> I probably fall (on ice) <S> less than once a year now. <S> When I started riding in the winter (even with studs) <S> years back it was probably closer to every other week. <A> Tires with a soft compound and a lot of siping help somewhat, but the best solution is a tire with metal studs. <A> As others have pointed out studded tires are most effective against ice. <S> As for weight on front wheel, yes it is important to have some. <S> But you do not want to lean heavy and make your hands heavy and stiff. <S> You want them to be light, quick to react and precise. <S> You also want your upper body to be flexible and quick to react.
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If you are encountering tire slips in cornering, studs are probably the way to go (or much more conservative riding). The real issue with ice is that it has a very low coefficient of friction, and weight distribution won't change that enough to make a difference.
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Clothing: when should we wear what, are there any guidelines/conventions? I regularly cycle to work in London, at the moment the weather is between 5-9 degrees Celsius. I'm finding it difficult to decide what to wear in these conditions as I either get too much windchill (when I don't wear leggings) or sweat too much that it's uncomfortable or I look too disheveled when I arrive. It seems to be about striking a balance between not being too cold when I leave and not too hot once I'm in full flight. It's obviously much easier to decide what to wear when it's either really cold or very warm. My question is, are there any guidelines or conventions governing what pro cycling teams / serious riders wear according to the temperature/wind conditions? Are these things decided by each rider or do teams decide? <Q> For the question you actually ask, about team riders, the answer is that its a personal thing. <S> Keep in mind, though, with a pro rider (any sponsored rider, in fact) that there may be contractual things which require/prevent them from wearing certain things. <S> The range of kit available to them will depend on the depth of the sponsor's pockets. <S> Someone like Santini, for example, produce lots of different clothing products ( they have a catalogue online ) and so getting each and every product made up in team colours will be prohibitive for the smaller teams. <S> (I suspect non-team clothing is not an option for the riders, and you do hear stories from way back about riders sewing their sponsor's labels into their preferred clothing, so as to "appear" compliant - a bit like footballers and their boots.) <S> As for the rest of us.... <S> the general rules are (a) to wear your layers many, thin and wicking, so as to prevent getting sweaty (and therefore damp); (b) not to allow yourself to overheat during the ride - in practise this can mean starting off cold and relying on the exercise to get you warmed up. <S> Those two are good for the dry. <S> In the wet, bear in mind that the more waterproof you go, the less you will wick, so it is a sliding scale. <S> But this rule doesn't work very well though for e.g. winter socks (and shoes for that matter) - the combination of cold and wet is always difficult to overcome. <A> I think pro riders wear jerseys. <S> That being said, I usually think about ventilation . <S> The core of the body - which produces a lot of heat - (chest, back)is well ventilated via airflow from the neck of my anorak to the wide opening on the bottom i.e. I don't tighten the lower end. <S> In colder than that weather a bacalva or an elastic scarf can cover the face and ears. <S> My anorak is similar to this one, but with larger opening at the neck. <S> Notice the large opening at the bottom. <S> If I am cold, I tuck my t-shirt into my pants. <S> If I am sill cold, tightening of the string at the bottom of the anorak is useless , because then the cold is due to frost wind at the chest. <S> This is a quick answer. <S> The question has been asked and there are good answers somewhere around. <S> btw in Bulgaria <S> now it's the same weather (obviously) <A> The last thing a pro-rider wants is to have to wear a jacket which flaps in the wind as this will only serve to slow them down. <S> So not only must the garment be functional - it must be race-cut to a close fitting with no excess material. <S> When the weather turns foul - the favourite of the peloton is the Castelli Gabba. <S> It is known in the past for teams to use this garment - even though they were sponsored by other clothing manufacturers. <S> A lot of clothing for racing in cold and wet weather is designed using a water-proof soft-shell material but without the taped seams to increase breathability. <S> The Gabba is a perfect example which other brands have followed ie. <S> Sportful - no rain or Capo Lombardia <S> etc. <S> , New rules to the UCI this year mean teams must wear jackets, gilets which do not cover their sponsors logos. <S> No more Gabba. <S> When I commute (UK) by bike - I check the weather forecast and also have a thermometer outside the back door. <S> I wear race gear and do not wear waterproofs - as they are too hot in use - but have a pretty water resistant jacket should it downpour. <S> Everything else is water-repellent but not waterproof. <S> My commute is 1hr and its about the limit for the clothing before it is really drenched in heavy rain. <S> Versatile clothing options are the key. <S> Arm warmers, Knee warmers, leg warmers, gilets are all very versatile bits of kit. <A> I am a minimalist, non-Lycra advocate and also a cross country skier. <S> What I've learned over 30+ years is that people tend to initially overdress when starting out on aerobic activity. <S> Or, If I'm a little chilled or uncomfortable to start out, I figure I'm dressed just right. <S> At 5 to 9 degrees C, all you need are decent gloves, a light windbreaker that zips up full around the neck and maybe a nice wool cycling cap that covers the ears. <S> You don't say how far you are riding. <S> It takes a good mile or two to get warmed up to your "running temperature". <S> By your description I'd say your commute is long enough to get sweaty, so that's what my advice is based on.
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My personal preference is to accept that you're going to get wet, but to concentrate on wearing clothing that will dry quickly once the rain stops. Pro-teams wear high performance race garments. Throat and the joints like fingers, knees - get high insulation via scarf, gloves, soft kneepads. I decide what to wear by what is comfortable for the weather at hand, and then remove one layer.
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Can a 7 speed Derailleur work on a 8 speed cassette Can a 7 speed Derailleur work on a 8 speed cassette I have a extra 8 speed shifters? and a wheel that has a 8 speed cassette. <Q> 8 speed shifter and cassette, 7 speed derailleur? <S> You'll be fine. <S> There's no "probably" about it. <S> The only time you'd hit a problem is if the shifter and the cassette weren't made for the same number of gears, for example you could imagine a scenario (e.g. 7-speed cassette, 8-speed shifter) where you might click past the edge of the cassette. <S> That would negatively impact your day. <A> yes it will work. <S> I tested it already. <S> 6/7/8 speed chains are all the same width. <S> so meaning. <S> the cassette's width is the same too. <A> Probably. <S> You'll have to adjust the limit screws and barrel adjuster, but you would have to do that any time you install a different derailleur.
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Depends somewhat on whether the shifter is compatible with the derailleur (Shimano 8-speed shifters generally will work okay with 7-speed derailleurs, but you can't usually do a Gripshift with a Shimano derailleur, to name a couple of examples.) 6-, 7- and 8-speed gear is all cross-compatible in terms of chain width.
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I sit real far back on my saddle Asked this on diaspora, but was urged to come here, so, here's my question: I tend to slide BACK on my saddle really far, to the point where my sit bones are very near to the edge. If I try to scoot forward, it's markedly more uncomfortable for the soft tissues and the angle of my legs doesn't feel right. The bike frame itself is the right size-- the shop helped me with that. So I don't know if I just have a big ass, a weirdly long torso, or what? I was told that I should never, under any circumstance, adjust the seat further back on the post, but I'm somewhat at a loss of what I should do to fit my body's dimensions. Also, I need a new saddle anyways, so any suggestions would be helpful. (Assuming they won't cost me an arm and a leg. I'm unemployed, after all.) <Q> As others have said, just because the bike shop says it's a good fit, doesn't make it so. <S> Their incentive is to sell a bike off the floor so they'll find the one that fits best and sell it to you. <S> I got a custom fit <S> and I have longer thighs than most people. <S> This meant that to get the seat position right, I had to have my saddle further back from the pedals than is typical. <S> I ended up getting a frame built to my measurements. <S> It's possible you have the same setup. <S> If you can't afford a bike fit, then look for a "setback seatpost" and you can do some trial and error. <S> Here's an article that talks about the benefits of unweighting your arms and how far back to set your seat to achieve this. <A> You probably just have the wrong saddle. <S> The width of the saddle has to match the width of your sit bones. <S> My reading of your question is that only the very far back of the saddle is wide enough to comfortably support your sit bones. <S> The first thing to do is determine the width of your sit bones. <S> This article has some good suggestions. <S> Is it possible to measure your sit bones at home? <S> Once you know that distance you have a much better chance of getting a saddle that works for you. <S> Some bike shops have saddle demo programs that allow you to try a saddle for a week or so. <S> Unfortunately, there's no quick way to know if a saddle will work for you or not. <S> A few long rides is the only way to know for sure. <A> You may want to actually try adjusting your saddle up instead of back. <S> Adjusting your seat up will push it back a little anyway, but it's something worth trying. <A> I do the same thing on my bicycle seats and always have since I started riding seriously 35 years ago. <S> For your reference, I am a man, 5'11" and about 150lbs, so I have a relatively small frame. <S> I have ridden numerous centuries and double centuries (100 miles and 200 mile rides), commuted 15 miles each way for 30 years. <S> My two most used bikes are a road bike and a town bike, both fitted with leather Brooks saddles that I ride for different purposes. <S> I use a men's B-17 on the road bike which is a narrow, stiffer, harder saddle. <S> The town bike is a converted '80s <S> TREK touring frame that is now a one-speed with upright style bars with a women's B-67s. <S> The difference between mens' and womens' saddles, interestingly enough seems to be the length, not the width. <S> I find myself moving back on both saddles to get my "butt bones" over the rail because it takes pressure of the softer tissues. <S> I don't necessarily stay in that position, but I do it now and then because it just feels better to change positions. <S> I shift around more on the B-17 than the B-67. <S> I have not tried the B-67s on a road bike with the drop bars. <S> I'm just enjoying it too much on the upright town bike to want to experiment. <S> It is comfortable enough that I have ridden it on some 25 mile rides with less butt fatigue than the B-17. <S> The funny thing about seats is that even though the B-17 is stiffer and harder, it is my preferred seat when I'm trying to ride fast as in a 10-15 mile commute run where I want to put my head down and get there as fast as possible. <S> The only saddle I don't move around on is the cheap, original mattress style saddle on my 50lb. <S> Schwinn Cyclone one-speed. <S> But I wouldn't want that saddle on a road bike or even my favorite town bike. <S> Why? <S> Because a very soft saddle seems to absorb more energy and feels less efficient. <A> You can add on offset seat post but that is more money. <S> A decent is $60. <S> A saddle has forward and back design points. <S> If you take it way back and sit back then you put a lot of stress on the rails. <S> I had one fail, when out the back, and landed on the tire on my butt <S> - you don't want that. <S> Tilt the seat down will move you forward. <S> If the bike size actually is correct consider your riding position may not be optimal. <S> What your bike is telling you may be the best position. <A> Try using a layback style of seat post from Thomson.. can then use any of your current saddles, otherwise use a downhill style of seat ...that is usually longer than the "wheenie" std saddle.
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If your saddle is too low, you may be compensating by rolling back on the seat as you pedal. I believe that bicycle seat comfort is more about adjusting your expectations for your style of riding than an objective measure of comfort. The goal of having the seat in the right position for you is to allow your legs to cantilever your torso and "unweight" your hands, arms and shoulders. It's still a matter of trial and error though, finding the exact shape that works for you can take a long time.
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When truing a wheel, is it enough to only use a tension meter, and not a truing stand? I presume that if you get all spoke tensions equal, and at the recommended tension for the spoke thickness, then the wheel will be true. My intention is to get a wheel reasonably true (laterally) by seeing where it rubs against the break blocks in situ, and then use the tension meter to fine tune it. Just means I don't have to purchase an expensive stand to measure that the hub is centred, or the rim is over the centre of the axyl. Are these last two measurements unecessary if the tensions are equal? <Q> The reality is that there are minute differences and that tolerances are not all that tight. <S> Not to mention that ultimately the wheel has to go into a frame that also may not be perfect (dishing). <S> The short answer is no. <S> I've had many sets of hand built wheels that were beautifully crafted and never saw a tension meter because the tension was hand checked. <S> But, they were built in a truing stand and were incredibly close to perfect. <A> In short no . <S> I actually took a true wheel that I had built and carefully equalized all the spokes on each side with a spoke meter. <S> This actually put the wheel slightly out of true. <S> Rims, spoke nipple rim interactions, hubs, etc., are all imperfect. <S> How you place the tension meter on the spoke will be imperfect. <S> All of these little errors can add up to put the wheel out if true. <S> Use the tension meter to check that you are at a good starting point, then finish the true by hand with a truing stand. <A> A functional truing stand is a lot cheaper than a tension meter. <S> But you don't need either to build a wheel. <S> A bicycle makes a reasonably good truing stand all by itself. <S> You can use zip ties to get good markers for getting the wheel properly centered and round. <S> The problem with using the bike as a truing stand are largely ergonomic. <S> Building a wheel takes time ( especially the first few ) and having it in an easy to use spot, where you can work on it in a comfortable position makes it much simpler. <S> Hanging the bike or supporting it in some way so you can stand up straight and work on truing the wheel will help a lot.
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A wheel could theoretically be trued by tension alone if you started with a perfectly manufactured rim, hub, spokes and nipples and you were building a perfectly symmetric wheel. Your initial presumption is incorrect.
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SRAM xx1 1 x 11 drive train very noisy I have a 1 x 11 drivetrain setup on my mountain bike. This is stock from the factory, it wasn't a conversion. When I'm in the low gear climbing, there is a lot of chain/derailleur noise. It gets more noticeable when the drive is under more tension. Being in the low gear, the chain angle is fairly minimal, so I am really perplexed. The sound almost mimics when the chain rubs against a front derailleur when the chain is at a drastic angle rubbing against the side. I'm afraid I am wearing out my drive train too quickly because something is not adjusted correctly. My old 2 x 10 was virtually silent. Addition, when going downhill and pedaling, the chain was slipping teeth quite often. Does anyone have any ideas? UPDATE: After replacing the bottom bracket and spending the rest of the season fighting the noise, I have decided it's coming from the SRAM X style teeth on the front chain ring. When the drive train is squeaky clean the noise is minimal. However after a ride or two the noise starts to come back. It's only there when the drive train is under heavy load. It sounds awful, like my chain and teeth are grinding together. I can only assume it's the X teeth, anyone else confirm this on their 1 X 11? <Q> Even though you mentioned in a comment that the high and low seemed to be adjusted properly, it still sounds to me like <S> the 'L' limit of the rear derailleur is improperly set and does not allow the upper guide pulley to fully move the chain onto your largest cog. <S> If this is indeed the case, shift into the largest cog and adjust the 'L' limit screw (the outermost 3mm adjusting screw) until the center of the upper guide pulley is aligned with the center of the largest cog. <S> The chain gap for the XX1 groupset should be between 12 and 16mm and should be set while the chain is shifted onto the largest cog. <S> You adjust this with the single 3mm adjusting screw located by the derailleur mounting point. <S> Make sure the limit screws are properly adjusted before checking or changing this setting. <S> The chain gap is the distance between the top of the teeth on the upper guide pulley and the top of the teeth of the largest cog as shown in the following illustration from the User Manual for SRAM 1x11 rear derailleurs : <S> In the picture above 15 is High set screw and 14 is Low set screw <S> If these adjustments do not resolve the issue, bring the bike to the bike shop you purchased it from and have them check it out. <S> My LBS has had several customers (including me) experience issues with the 1x11 cassettes for which the ultimate solution was SRAM sending out replacement cassettes and chains. <S> (Although I think in all of these cases the issue was the chain unexpectedly derailing onto smaller cogs while back pedaling on the largest couple of cogs.) <A> Here are a couple of ideas: <S> Also, the chain could be too short, causing this. <S> How old is your drivetrain? <S> Maybe some of the parts are worn out. <S> The front chainring could be flexing. <S> I don't think this is it, but it's worth checking to make sure the bolts are tight. <S> See if the rear derailleur parts are spinning freely. <A> I had a similar noise issue with my Santa Cruz Tallboy Carbon with a SRAM XX1 drive train. <S> I was getting the terrible noise going up hills and found after replacing both bottom bracket and top pivot bearings <S> the noise went away. <S> In the meantime I replace the derailleur, cable, bearings, X-dome in the rear (1 X 11)and front 32 tooth sprocket. <A> I know I have that issue. <S> Change the cassette and it may go away. <S> (I know expensive) <S> This post explains what I means. <S> Sometimes it's improper installation of the cassette. <S> https://www.pinkbike.com/u/Nate-at-BikeCo-com/blog/xx1-cassette-install--creak-check.html <S> To summarise the link, "The number one issue for creaks on these cassettes is FALSE TORQUE. <S> The XD driver interface has substantial contact friction in the system, which leads riders to feel that they have torqued the assembly correctly when in fact the cassette is still loose on the driver. <S> The lube and grease steps shown here are not to mask creaks - they are to reduce contact friction during assembly to allow a proper torque of your system."
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Another possibility is the chain gap is not properly set. The rear derailleur is maladjusted and is hitting the cassette/freewheel when it's in the lowest gear. The SRAM 1X11 cassettes rivets can start to make noise under tension.
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Can't shift to gear one or two I had an issue where every time I put my bike in gear 3, it would just keep "skipping". By this I mean that it wouldn't stay in gear 3; the chain would go onto it, then fall onto gear 4, then go back onto it, then back on 4. Some Googling showed me that I might need to adjust the rear derailleur. So I set about doing this today by first putting my bike onto the biggest cog and adjusting it so the derailleur was in line with the cog. Then I shifted it down to the smallest one and did the same thing (I think I got a bit confused between this and changing the screws to line these two up with something). Anyway, as luck would have it, this fixed the problem of the skipping however I now can't shift into gears one or two (the two biggest cogs). Like I literally can't flick down the gear lever to put it into these gears. What could be the issue? I would love some advice. Thanks <Q> It sound like you you have adjusted it too far outboard. <S> I would take it in significantly so that when in 1st gear position on the shifter you are on the largest cog. <S> From there you can make fine adjustments for shifting between gears. <A> There are several reasons for bad shifting to happen: 1. <S> cable is rusted or dirty or bent inside the housing. - need cable replace 2. <S> housing is damaged or low quality. <S> - need to replace housing 3. <S> different number of gears on the shifter and the cogs like @Chris wrote. <S> (doesn't apply if you have 6-7-8 gears). <S> 4. <S> cassette is worn out. <S> - need to replace cogs 5. <S> chain stretched or not the right length. <S> 6. <S> derailleur is weak and shakes.- should replace it 7. <S> derailleur <S> or it's <S> hanger is bent. <S> - commonly hanger can be repaired. <S> the derailleur is harder to repair. <S> 8. <S> axle is bent and the cassette is shakes. <S> 9. cable and derailleur aren't adjusted properly as @PeTeH wrote. <S> - you can find on youtube videos how to adjust it. <S> The most common are 1, 4, 7, 6. <S> The 3, 6, 7, 8 are easy to see - the derailleur must be in strait line with the cogs. <S> You can also easily check for cable condition. <S> Cassette condition you probably will not identify, but in LBS they will easily tell you. <A> I had something similar happen, after hours of calibrating, I realized I was using a 7 speed shifter on a 5 speed cassette. <S> This might not at all be the case for you, but if it is, it would be worth checking.
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Chain and housing sometimes need some expert to check. If you were able to shift into all of the gears prior to your adjustments then it would make sense that you need to readjust.
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Air Pressure on wheels Does the perfect air pressure is related to the performance of bikes? If yes, what is the exact amount of pressure required on MTB, Hybrid, City Bikes and BMX? <Q> The optimum pressure for any kind of bike is going to depend on a lot more factors than just the type of bike. <S> You have to look at many other things such as rider weight, terrain, and tire size. <S> It also depends on how you qualify something as optimum. <S> Higher pressures might be optimum in some situations, but may not be very comfortable to the rider, making long rides very hard on their body. <A> Air pressre in your tyres is very significant in terms of performance; in case of slick tyres it's even more important than width. <S> However it's impossible to arbitrally put any value of tyre pressure as perfect for a given bike. <S> the pressure of this patch on the ground is higher meaning it's easier to have a flat tyre width - again wider tyres have larger volume so they are harder to deform allowing for lower pressure rider and bike weight <S> - if you're heavier you need higher pressure <S> tyre weight - it's not always the case, but quite often lighter tyres have just thinner walls so need higher pressure to avoid flats <S> rubber type and thread density <S> - these can make a difference and make it possible for a light tyre to be ridden in low pressure required grip, terrain type, weather - lower pressure means higher grip and in really rough terrain <S> can actually mean lower rolling resistance. <S> But in such terrain you need not only grip, but alsoresistance to flats, which requires higher pressure rider experience, personal preferences <S> tubeless, tubulars, clincher - tubeless tyres allow for lower pressure, <S> as do tubulars rolling resistance vs grip - especially in road cycling higher pressure means significant decrease of rolling resistance, but can also mean lower grip (this can be made up for with softer rubber). <S> I could have forgotten something, but these are the most important. <S> So to conclude, some of these are really hard to be put in a fixed formula and given numerical values, and therefore it's impossible to say that a given pressure is perfect for a given bike. <S> Even in professional cycling this is usually defined with trial and error method. <A> Of course it's related: more pressure -> <S> less contact with surface which gives less friction. <S> But for the the exact pressure I think you should refer to the tire. <S> Usually it's written on the tire.
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The tyre pressure adjustments can depend on: wheel size - smaller wheels need higher pressure because the overall volume of tyres and their contact patch is smaller thus You may have to choose basing on your experience and requirements what you prefer.
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How are these plastic rings used on my Shimano disk brake mount adapter? I boughtt a Shimano SM-MA-R160 Disc Brake Mount Adaptor for my bike. It came with these black plastic things in the lower right corner of the photo below. I have a bunch and don't know what are they used for: What are those plastic thingies called? What are they used for? How are they applied? How important are they? <Q> The stop rings go over the head of the bolt. <S> They are simply snapped or pushed over the head of the bolt once it is tightened in place. <S> I suspect that in some country, they may be a requirement for manufacturers. <S> However, I haven't ever actually used them on any of my rigs. <S> Some loctite and regular maintenance are what I tend to rely on. <S> But, if you have had a bolt rattle out on you before, perhaps they could make you sleep easier at night. <A> Be sure to attach the caps when attaching the brake caliper fixing bolts. <A> They're called stop rings, and are intended to stop caliper bolts from loosening off due to vibration. <S> I've never actually tried to use one - I just apply a medium strength (blue) threadlocker to the caliper bolts instead. <A> Stop ring. <S> Should have been in the instructions. <S> Hopefully not very important if you have a lot. <S> Search on part # Y-8C5 11000
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The grooves on the ring line up with grooves on the bolt head and encourage it to keep from rattling loose.
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Preventing red eyes after biking When biking, my eyes get red. Guessing due to dryness. Usually, people wear sunglasses or glasses to block out the wind. Wearing them didn't help. Still red. Maybe more red if I wasn't wearing them. This was at nighttime. It was cold. What suggestions do you have to prevent this problem? <Q> helps hide the appearance of red eyes, e.g. Visine) Liquid tears with antihistamine (helps with allergies, e.g. Visine-A) <S> An oral anti-histamine <S> (assuming it's because of allergies) <S> I have no connection with companies selling liquid tears. <S> I should note that many optometrists recommend against regular application of anything except pure saline drops because your eyes become habituated to the chemicals (especially vasoconstrictors) and this can make the situation worse. <A> I have several pairs of sunglasses and find some work much better than others. <S> If your glasses weren't tight to your face, you may just need to look for a different pair. <S> When I wear my looser, farther-from-the-face glasses, my eyes go totally bloodshot. <S> Completely cured when wearing close glasses. <A> Answer Try a visor/brim on your helmet. <S> I get dry eyes a lot more than I used to. <S> I attribute this to loosing the visor off my helmet, allowing more turbulent air in the region of the eyes. <S> If you don't have a visor that suits, try a cycling cap, or at last resort a baseball cap underneath your helmet. <S> In my experience, I'm okay riding on cold frosty mornings until I stop at a red light where my glasses fog up. <S> That requires me to pull the glasses down the nose a little to allow air movement to reduce the condensation/fog.
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Several solutions: Clear cycling glasses (which you've tried) A helmet with a windscreen / windshield / visor that'll help keep the wind and the light from streetlamps and cars out of your eyes Saline or "liquid tears" eyedrops (helps with dry eyes, in the "Eye Care" section of your pharmacy) Liquid tears with a vasoconstrictor (
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Face gets extremely red when biking in the cold ~5c, and then going indoors, due to temperature change maybe Face gets extremely red when biking in the cold ~5c, and then going indoors, due to temperature change maybe. What can you wear when biking to prevent this problem, and could you link to a site? Thanks a lot. <Q> You can't really wear anything to solve the problem you are describing. <S> If your face was cold, I'd recommend you purchase some sort of mask, however, that isn't your stated problem. <S> When you exercise you generate heat, your body tries to channel that away by dilating blood vessels and sending that heat to the surface (your cheeks) where it can radiate away. <S> If you are cycling when it is cold, it can reinforce that effect since your body would be sending extra blood to try to heat your cold cheeks. <S> Again, flushed cheeks. <S> I regularly bike to work in cold temperatures. <S> I start wearing a mask at 0F to protect both my lungs and face. <S> It's a very normal occurrence for me to have red cheeks up to an hour or so after arriving at work. <S> People sometimes comment, but I know it's normal for me. <S> I only start to worry if I get white patches (frost nip or no blood flow to areas that were over exposed). <A> I bike year round in Minnesota where it is often below 0 <S> Fahrenheit (-18 Celsius). <S> A balaclava is a must. <S> Use Shea butter on your nose. <S> If it is very sunny, you can get sunburned. <S> If you are a male, don't shave so much. <S> By the way, I consider 0 degrees Celsius quite warm. <A> I use Mixa (facial cream) for winter sports (not just biking in winter). <S> It's great every way -- for general protection of the skin in cold temperatures, as well as reducing the occasional red effect. <S> I wear a thin cap under the helmet also, clear glasses shaped to the face, and a generous neckscarf. <S> That way, exposure to the elements is minimal. <S> (I'd go mad with a mask though.)
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Wear goggles or safety glasses to protect your eyes from the cold wind. If you have generated a lot of heat cycling, then go indoors, you may also feel extra warm now that you have a lot of generated heat, are dressed for cold weather and in a warm room.
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What kind of brake pads for Dia Compe centre pull brakes I have some Dia Compe center pull brakes shown below. I was wondering what the best type of brake pads are to use for these brakes. Looking around at pictures on the internet, many people use standard road caliper pads, while others use old style pads rectangular block pads (as in the picture) to preserve the authenticity. I've also seen a few examples of people using v-brake pads. are there any advantages to using a specific type of pad on brakes like this? I really don't care about esthetics, and I'm really just looking for what will provide the best braking experience. <Q> You can use V-brake pads, but they tend to be longer and can create clearance issues. <S> On the bike I currently have set up with those pads on Dia-Compe centerpulls, the shoes hit the fork when the brake is open, making wheel removal difficult. <S> edit: <S> As ojs notes below, road caliper pads are probably your best bet. <S> They also tend to be on shorter posts, so they don't limit tire clearance as much as V-brake pads. <A> The compound was soft, reminiscent of a pink pencil eraser. <S> While no longer made, there are several brands that offer similar compound: Yokozuna and Kool-Stop come to mind. <S> You will likely have to order pads to fit those calipers. <S> It does appear as if Yokozuna actually still sells the blocks that are installed in the pair of Dia-Compe Gran Compe calipers that sit untouched since the late 80s in my parts bin. <S> http://www.yokozunausa.com/screbl.html <S> That pad style is similar to Campagnolo, so if you have an LBS that stocks Campy stuff, you might be able to get something similar and install them. <A> Koolstop makes a bunch of different shoes and shoe assemblies. <S> I'm pretty sure the Weinmann shoes will slip right into the shoe holders. <S> Or you could replace the whole assembly with something else. <S> Just about anything with a threaded post should fit those brakes.
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Back when those were The Brake, the pad to use was the Scott Mathauser pad.
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Does a Sturmey Archer 2 speed kick shift hub let you backpedal? Does a Sturmey Archer 2 speed kick shift hub let you backpedal? A backpedal / coaster brake changes riding technique so much it drives me nuts; I am wondering if you can backpedal at least enough to reposition your pedals for starting (or while doing a track stand using your front brakes). <Q> The original Sturmey-Archer 2 speed kick-back hubs are coaster brake hubs and do not allow much movement backwards before the braking happens. <S> Track standing on a coaster brake would be tricky because the pedal position would always rotate in the direction of travel and you would eventually end up at the dreaded 12 o'clock position. <S> The new versions have two models; ◎ Type S2 2-speed freewheel hub ,without brake ◎ Type S2C, B2C 2-speed <S> hubs ,with coaster brake. <A> While using IGH hub it's good to learn pedal repositioning technique different from freewheel hub. <S> You may observed that when bike is pushed backwards, the pedals also go backwards. <S> Of course, at junction there is not enough distance to go back enough to lift your favourite pedal to position convenient for start. <S> But you really need centimetres-long distance to adjust your pedal as needed, taking advantage of engagement mechanism inside. <S> do:Push back your bike a bit, that pedal lifts a bit. <S> Keep pedal with your feet from below, move few centimetres forward. <S> Repeat. <S> It can be done without coming off the bike. <S> But best practice is to learn positioning your pedals as you wish before you stop :) <A> can backpedal at least enough to reposition your pedals for starting? <S> I can confirm that with a current version of the Type S2 you can back pedal to re-position your pedals for startup and that if done 'gently' it won't change to the other gear setting.
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I have just fitted a type S2, without the coaster brake, to an ebike/pedelec conversion of a single speed folding bike so that I can ride pedal-assisted with a lower cadence once I'm 'up to speed'.
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Steel rims responsible for slicing tubes? I have an old Giant dutch bike and it has steel rims. Since I'm a big boy I felt that the 60PSI on the tyres is not enough and pumped my tyres to the maximum of 85PSI which is what my Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres were supposed to be able to take in. It was great, riding was so much easier all of a sudden! Not the slowest guy on the road anymore, really fast if I wanted to in fact! I loved it. Unfortunately a few days after I came to find one of the tubes neatly sliced. The tyre untouched. I wasn't sure what had happened but walked to work that day and planned to bring it to the workshop asap. When the day came I exited my house and found the other tube sliced in the exact same way. I have meanwhile talked to lots of people. Some say it has to do with the steel rims even though I can't make any sense of that. I have also encountered people that said I just need the right tubes and tyres and it shouldn't happen anymore. I'm now thinking of either buying a new bike, exchanging the wheels(which would be more expensive than the initial price tag of the bike) or give new tubes/new rimband and maybe different tyres a shot? Does anyone have experience with this sort of thing or any sort of input? this didn't help: Tire popping out of rim when inflating tube <Q> OK if the tire was blown off the rim then I highly suspect that is the whole story. <S> When the tube leaks out the because tire bead has come out <S> the tube will burst and you will see a slit. <S> A tube outside a tire cannot take much pressure. <S> Most likely when you went from 60 to 85 psi <S> it was enough pressure to push the tire off the rim (bead). <S> I have seen this with some older bikes. <S> The rim is a little small. <S> Look for tires that run small and run at lower pressures. <S> You might also have a mismatch like a 27 on a 700c. <S> A Schwalbe Marathon Plus is a pretty hefty tire and tend to fit a little tight so this is kind of strange. <S> But it did happen after you went to 85 PSI. <S> Maybe give it a try again at 60 PSI. <S> Even if you get a new bike you would have this as a backup. <A> You had the tyres inflated to their maximum pressure and, in a comment , you say you'd left the bike outside in the summer sun. <S> I'd say it's very likely that the tyres got hot, which increased their pressure beyond maximum and blew the tyres off the rim. <S> As that happened, it would have exposed a gap between the tyre and the rim through which the tube would have burst. <S> Keep the bike indoors if possible or, at least, in the shade. <A> Find what caused the flats. <S> Search that area of the tire or rim to find the offending object or hole. <S> One of your spokes could be over tightened and sticking past the nipple. <S> You could have a piece of glass (or other sharp object) embedded in your tires. <S> Steel rims in and of themselves are not bad. <S> They don't magically make flat tires any more than any other rim material. <S> However, steel rims tend to be older, and old wheels tend to have issues (like maladjusted spokes or rotted rim strips). <S> From you additional info, it's highly possible the beads on your tires are weak and/or the rim surface isn't providing good purchase for them. <S> It's possible that the bead "let go" from the rim and <S> the tube simply blew out the exposed are (much more likely at higher pressures). <S> Generally this is accompanied with a loud bang similar to a gunshot. <A> Overinflation blowout is a possibility; I had that happen with Schwalbe Marathons, don't recall the exact PSI <S> but it was the tire's rated max. <S> Try 10 under the max; if that does okay, then maybe push it a little further.
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If that's the case, there was probably nothing wrong with the tyres, tubes or rims per se , but circumstances conspired against you. There are a great many possibilities, your rim strips could have gone bad and rotted away, leaving your nipples or spokes exposed. Take the tube out, keep it relative to the tire and find out where the hole is.
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After fall bicycle feels really slippery I fell pretty bad this winter, and after that (even now without a trace of snow where I live) I feel the bike really slippery, mostly the front wheel. Riding on slightly uneven surfaces makes me feel I'm going to slide to the side, and side wind also feels I'm losing control of the bike. Bike is less than a year old and I only commute with it, no long distances. Could it be a technical problem or a confidence issue? <Q> For the most part, whenever the front wheel on a bike skids or slides at speed, the rider wipes out. <S> The only people that manage to stay up right are either very lucky or have reflexes that Jedi warriors would be envious of. <S> If you are riding after a recent fall and feel like your front wheel is sliding , but you are still upright, then you have some sort of post-crash confidence hit, and are interpreting any motion as being an imminent crash. <A> I fell and broke my ankle in 2011 <S> and it took me a year to get back in the grove. <S> I rode for another year and fell again this time requiring brain surgery. <S> Both accidents happened getting on or off a good trail system. <S> I'm just getting back into it again and like some said above, the only cure is riding again. <S> You could have nothing wrong at all or a bent/warped something as has already been suggested. <S> Your bike should not feel squirmy or have any wiggle in it unless you are riding on soft or loose roadbed. <S> Good luck. <A> I ride bike in Minnesota winters in ice and snow. <S> The key is to have proper equipment. <S> With my carbide studded tires, glare ice feels like concrete. <S> Also if you have your tires overinflated, you'll have less traction in the winter. <S> In the winter or slippery conditions always use less front brakes. <S> Always do the M check on your bike. <S> Pick up your front and spin the tire. <S> Is it wobbly? <S> Then check the head bearings, then handle bars, then seat and finally rear wheel. <S> I am sure you are a bit shell shocked, but I also suspect your rig isn't dialed in...
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Any lose bearings or quick releases will make the bike handle badly. Check that your fork isn't damaged, handlebars are aligned, and that your wheels are true, but otherwise just keep riding and rebuild your confidence. As for your bike, take it to a good bike shop and tell them what's happening and tell them to check it out thoroughly.
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Shifter Options for 105 3x9 upgrade I am in the process of upgrading my road bike from 3x9 Sora FD/Tiagra RD with Sora shifters to 3x9 105 FD/RD. Any suggestions on shifter upgrades? Derailleurs have been replaced, have new SRAM 9spd cassette and chain, all work OK, but would like different shifters to finish improvements. Would any newer 105/Ultegra/Dura-Ace be compatible, or should I focus on a hunt for a decent used set? <Q> Current 105/Ultegra/Dura-ace are more than 9 speed, so you can't use them. <S> Plus, the old 105 or tiagra 9 speed shifters you'll get are probably the same as the current Sora shifters anyway, due to trickle down technology (just with tiny modifications and a price premium). <A> The current generation is 5800, so that's 3 generations old. <S> I agree with @Batman, that it probably makes sense to go with current generation 9 speed shifters. <S> Even the 5500 shifters have the cable going out the side, which is the major complaint with sub-105 level components. <S> The current 3400 level 9 speed Sora looks to have the thumb actuated downshift, which some people don't like, and the 5500 looks like it uses the extra lever behind the brake lever. <S> The 3500 level 9 speed <S> Sora uses a lever for downshifting. <S> If this is a big concern for you, choose appropriately. <A> If it were me, part of any upgrade would involve addressing the question of future-proofing the bike, for example so that parts going forward are easier to obtain. <S> I'm afraid that, in your case, this means I would be looking at going beyond <S> 9-speed. <S> You mention 105/Ultegra and Dura Ace - well <S> , these are all now 11-speed setups <S> so straight away you're looking at hunting through back catalogues to source 9-speed parts in these groups. <S> Unfortunately in Shimano's world, anything currently 9-speed is at the lower end of the spectrum, in terms of quality. <S> You will still find plenty of 10-speed parts at the moment, but again, and with the exception of Tiagra, these are "old" in terms of Shimano's current range. <S> Another observation is that triples seem to be nowhere near as common as they used to be, lots of groups bypassing them in favour of compact doubles. <S> For what it's worth, I have a 3x9 bike (Tiagra mostly, from around 5 years ago) and every time I think of upgrading it, I put that project on the back burner. <S> Quite simply it would be too much faff for not enough gain. <S> I think my favoured upgrade path would be to go for a 3x10 105 group, with a view to then swapping in 6600 or 6700 (10-speed Ultegra) parts as things wore out. <S> But that;s just a personal thing and, as I say, I have no appetite for that project just yet.
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All newer 105/Ultegra/Dura-Ace are 11 speed, so they would not be compatible with your 9 speed derailleur. So, in short, if you're sticking with 9 speed, don't bother -- you'll just pay more for a different sticker on the shifters. I believe you'll have to find some old ST-5500 levers if you want 9 speed 105.
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Getting local businesses to install bicycle parking I live in the far southern community of Nashville, Tn. If any of you know Nashville, it is very late to the bicycling movement. They have some good efforts currently but they are focused in the high rent downtown areas and super cool East-Nashville. The fact is cycling is much better where I live but there are a lot of older people who would not think of cycling the half mile to the store. I have this idea that if we could get all the retail and mall owners to switch out the parking benches for smokers to bicycle parking, it might make the prospect of cycling more inviting.Anyone have the experience int heir community where bicycle parking was soundly embraced? How did you do it? <Q> I wanted to update contributors and thank you for the input. <S> The biggest grocer stores, namely Publix and Kroger has Media Relations staff that gobbled up the idea. <S> Bike parking is low investment and has a big payback in PR!It helped ripping this image from the latest NACTO Bicycle Design Guide and emailing it with my communications (email, phone call followed with a letter) and copying my councilwoman for endorsement. <A> Bicycle parking is a convenience but it is never a factor in my decision on if a ride my bike. <S> Worse case I lock my bike to the smoking bench. <S> At my gym I have a secure bike room so I will ride my nice bike. <S> But if I did not have the room I would still ride my beater. <S> Now a good bike route is a factor. <S> If you want to encourage biking then work with the city on bike routes/lanes. <A> You might consider sharing bike parking information from other cities of similar sizes. <S> Here's one to check <S> http://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/article/99190 <S> Maybe showing them something would help.
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Another idea is to contact bike advocacy groups in nearby towns and ask them their strategies.
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What would be the best gearing for mountain climbing? I'm 59, 5'11", 210,and have had a triple bypass. I moved from the flats to the hills, and I want to ride again, but I can't with the gearing I have now. 50/34 chain ring and an 11 speed 10-25 cassette. These hills are really steep, I'm talking "Climb to Kaiser" steep, and I do not like having to get off my bike and finish walking to the top of the hill. Keeping it a double, what groupset would give me the best range and lowest gears for climbing? <Q> What parts are you willing to replace? <S> You can't get smaller than 34 in the front w/o replacing the crankset with some kind of MTB crank. <S> You'll likely need to replace your front derailleur as well, and there are issues with indexed shifting that you'll need to figure out. <S> You can't get larger than at most 32t in the back w/o replacing the rear derailleur with an MTB version. <S> There are also indexing issues between road/MTB derailleurs. <S> If you get a road extended cage or triple rear derailluer, you can probably make an MTB 11-32 cluster work with your current shifters. <S> However, in the long run it's probably cheaper just to get a triple chainring on the front. <S> You'll have a much easier time getting the gears that work for you. <A> At some point it becomes quicker to push a bike up the hill than ride. <S> Don't let ego override common sense. <S> If at some stage the lower gear is no longer needed, you can always go back to you original gear set, or a set between them. <S> What you can fit is limited by you dérailleur which has a maximum capacity (Difference in number of teeth from Big Big to Small-Small gears). <S> Typically road bikes will have a short or medium cage - anything from 30 to 37 tooth capacity. <S> We know you have at capacity of at least 31. <S> (50-34) + (25-10) A new cassette with a larger big cog is readily available - up to the insane range of 10-42. <S> In your case good size to look at would be 11-32 - as its a very common size available at all price points and a big enough range to make a difference. <S> This would need a dérailleur with a capacity of 37. <S> A 11-29 might work as well, won't give quite as lower gear but needs a capacity of only 34, so may fit you existing dérailleur. <S> Going single will sacrifice top speed if you drop the chain ring size and have the change in gearing increased between cogs. <S> Have a look at Sheldon Browns gear calculator to help decide what you need. <A> I had the same issue. <S> I think you can try with ultegra 11spd with 11-32t. <S> After changing mine to that, I can climb hills without too much trouble. <A> I've thought of a different way to approach this problem. <S> Use an online bike power calculator to get some idea of the wattage you can sustain. <S> http://bikecalculator.com <S> It would be best to do this for a climb that you can do with your current gearsand that you know the stats for. <S> Now put in the stats for the kind of grades you want to climb, and in my experiencethe maximum sustained grade is the limiting factor. <S> It only takes a hundred metersor so of 18% grade to completely blow up. <S> You'll get an average speed out of the available power. <S> Now that you know the speed you'll be going, you need to find a gear that is as efficient as possible at that speed. <S> http://www.bikecalc.com/speed_at_cadence <S> If the calculator says that you need to ride at 30 rpm or less for the gear you have, thats near the point where the bicycle will be unrideable. <S> IMHO, 60 rpm would be a good place for the average cyclist. <S> Play around with these two calculators to get some idea of what gears would actually work for you. <S> This kind of approach will save a lot of fiddling around and if you need to make a big change in components, you'll know that at the start. <A> Combined with an 11/32 cassette, that would make climbing really easy. <S> For the last 3 years, my only bike has been a 29er MTB with a 2x10 drive train and a top gear of 36-11. <S> That's enough for me even on road rides, even when riding in a group where everyone else is on road bikes. <S> (I use slick tires for those rides). <S> I can pedal up to 25 mph and rarely even use the top gear. <S> I love it on 15% grades where everyone else struggles <S> and I'm calmly spinning the 22t chainring. <A> I faced a similar problem last year . <S> I live near the Alps and frequently (although not as frequently as I'd like) go up climbs like La Barillette (1000m @ 8%). <S> I ended up getting a 34-50 compact crank and an 11-32 cassette. <S> 34-32 makes it possible to climb most hills without standing up, but I must admit that I spend more time in the lowest gear than I would like. <S> Do you have any good reason not to get a triple? <S> (I can't honestly say that I did...)
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You could, go to a single on the front (50) and 10-42 on the back using your existing dérailleur (Roughly same as 34F/29R), or drop to a smaller chain ring for lower gearing. If your frame and bottom bracket allow it, you could install a mountain bike crank with 42/28 chainrings (maybe Shimano XT). Go to a handy gear calculator and put in your current gears and see what rpm you would need to ride to match the speed calcutated above. However, in your specific case where its a hilly circuit, a lower gear makes a lot of sense and will help you build fitness and climbing strength (and save your knees).
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Shifting 1>2 does nothing, shifting 2>3 puts me into 2nd. What's wrong? I'll be in first gear on my front derailleur, and shift up to 2nd. Nothing will happen at all. Then I'll shift up to 3rd, and I'll finally switch into second. 3rd gear is inaccessible. What could be the cause of this issue? Cable too slack? Limit screws in wrong positions? What should I adjust to try and fix this? I've been trying different things but I'm clueless here so I thought I'd ask for advice from people who actually know. <Q> If it was me, I'd release the gear cable <S> so there is no tension at all on the front mech. <S> Then move the gear lever / changer to the position the changer would be in if you weere in the 1st chainring. <S> Then make sure that the adjusting screws are set correctly, so that when you look at front mech from above, it is centred over the 1st, smallest chainring. <S> You might need to tweak the screws to get it to line up properly. <S> I can't remember which screw does what but trial and error will tell you. <S> Then I'd get some pliers and put lots of tension on the gear cable, and clamp it tight in the front mech. <S> Now you have a nice tight gear cable. <S> Try again with changing and see if it works any better. <S> If it goes up to the 3d, biggest chainring, make sure you can't overshoot on the changer, you might need to adjust those screws again - but don't touch the one you used to set the position on the 1st, smallest chainring. <S> It can take a bit of testing, but usually this approach works for me. <A> It sounds like an alignment issue, possibly with your limit screw for the lowest gear being "too low". <S> Your best bet might be to follow a guide to realign the derailleur. <S> Something like this <A> It can also be that the cable is too tight. <S> Or is can’t loosen up to the appropriate length because it is breaking up inside the tubes or the cable can’t move properly inside the tube. <S> First just try to loosen a little if it doesn’t work take the cable completely off and check for loose strands. <S> If those two don’t work then you try to see if it is misaligned and either bend the derailleur back to place or buy a new one.(Btw, I’m not native <S> so my speech may sound a bit strange) <A> Probably all that is needed is a re-adjustment of the front derailleur cable. <S> The cable is pulled by the shifter lever to swing it outwards to the bigger rings, so slightly too much cable between the shifter and derailleur prevents the cage from being swung out enough to get to the biggest ring. <S> There are many guides to derailleur adjustment out there. <S> My favorite is available on the Park Tool Company YouTube channel (link below), but googling will yield several to choose from. <S> Basic procedure is: To tighten the cable, find the front derailleur barrel adjuster , it will be at the shift lever if you have mountain bike shift levers or on the frame somewhere along the cable run if you have a road bike. <S> Unscrew the barrel to tighten the cable, you may have to go several turns to get the cable tight enough. <S> Start with the shifter in the lowest gear / innermost position. <S> If the cable is visibly loose, tighten until the slack is just taken out. <S> Experiment with shifting and making 1/2 turn adjustments until you can reliably get onto all three front rings and shift back down as well. <S> If you run out of adjustment in the barrel adjuster you will have to re-clamp the cable on the derailleur. <S> While you have the cable un-clamped, you may choose to check the inner and outer limit screw settings. <S> See a guide on derailleur adjustment for how to do that.
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Undo the cable clamp on the derailleur until the cable can be pulled through (be careful to note how the cable runs through the clamped), Wind the barrel adjuster all the way in then back out a couple of turns Put some tension on the cable using some pliers (but don't crush it too much), and re-tighten the clamp. Shift to the lowest gear / innermost position.
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inferior/weaker rims vs superior/stronger rims with an underweight cyclist I want to ask a physics-related question, I'm a male, 162cm, height 50kg/110lbs (I'm healthy, but too light!). Right now I'm building a Surly Cross Check and I'm confused what wheels I should purchase. So I have two options: Alex DM18 (cheap) and Alex DH19(more expensive). They have similar inner rim width (17.9mm an 18mm). I really want DH19 but I'm little bit overbudget on other parts. I plan to use my bike for commuting and a little bit offroad. If I use the bike for offroad, do DH19 rims will stay true longer? Or because I'm thin, would using DM18 have insignificant difference? Edit: the plan is to build an ss cx bike, no consideration of cassette/drivertrain <Q> You get what you pay for. <S> The DM18 is a cheap rim with good enough reviews rating it good value for money. <S> The DH19 is a better rim - only you know if you can or want to stretch your budget, however "Quality is remembered long after price forgotten" comes to mind. <S> Are you prepared to regret not spending that extra money every time you go for a ride? <S> Provided <S> The DH19 has eyelets for the spokes - meaning the rim will handle more abuse and last longer (without eyelets the spoke holes tend to fatigue and crack). <S> However, as you are only 50kg, I expect the cheaper rim will easily handle the riding you are suggesting. <S> If you were 150kg, I would steer you to the DH19. <A> I have a hardtail MTB with much older Alexrims AD-something (the numbers on the decal are gone now) <S> They are doublewall, 32h, but have no eyelets on the spoke holes. <S> I have had them for at least five years of moderate XC, and road use. <S> Since they where laced somewhere near 2010 they never went out of true, and I know because I use V-brakes. <S> My weight ranges from 150 to 175 lbs (68 - 80 Kg) and add to that roughly 8 lb (4 Kg) of gear, water and tools. <S> I'm an aggresive descender (for XC) and even perform jumps and drops on this bike. <S> What I'm trying to say is that even though there are quality diference between the two rims that you are comparing, the "lower" one is not bad at all, so, if budget is a limitation, rest assured that in this case, the low priced one will perform well. <S> I agree with Mattnz in that the quality of the wheel depends way more on the quality of the workmanshipwhen lacing and truing the rims, and that providing the adecuate maintenance is key. <A> As for the secondary question of building a SS CX bike. <S> I am going to assume you don't CX race now. <S> If you do race and really want to race this bike SS then just let me know <S> and I will delete this answer. <S> Most CX racers use clincher or tubeless for lower pressure. <S> Be aware the SS heat is brutal. <S> SS on sand, flat, and uphill takes a lot of power. <S> The single speed heat will also have all categories of riders (cat 1 - 5). <S> Typically it will only have cat 3 and better riders. <S> The Cross Check is true CX design <S> but you don't see it in races as it is heavy. <S> It is a great commuter bike. <S> Since you are light a heavy frame effects you more than someone that weighs more. <S> And extra weight is more penalty in SS. <S> Yes <S> the Cross Check is a commuter you can race CX <S> but if your end goal is a race bike then that is not a good project frame.
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the wheel is built well and maintained, the cheaper rim will stay true (its the spokes that keep the rim true, not the rim). As for the primary question - yes if you are lighter you put less stress on the wheels.
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Why should I prioritize top tube length over stand over height on a CX bike? I purchased a 50cm CX style bike from an online retailer. After assembling the bike and filling the tires, I found only had around 1" of stand over in bike shorts. Since I will be commuting on the bike and using it for transportation around town, my preference would be for something with greater clearance over the top tube for the following reasons: Saftey - being able to dismount quickly in an emergency situation Clothing choice - I won't be wearing bike shorts when commuting or riding around town Cyclocross - I do plan on riding the bike off-road, so more clearance would be better on uneven ground. Now to my question: I emailed the retailer asking for assistance selecting a smaller size, but they "strongly recommend" sticking with the 50cm frame stating it would be "perfect" and that the top tube length is more important than stand over height. What is the thinking behind this advice? UPDATE I kept the bike and am overall pretty happy with the fit. I've used it for commuting, long distance rides and a few races. It's also survived a collision with a bus and lived to tell the tale. Luckily, I wasn't seriously hurt. I can also attest that the stand over height didn't make a difference in that scenario. <Q> Why should you prioritize top tube length over stand over? <S> Because top tube length affects fit and stand over does not affect fit. <S> When you are riding the bike stand over does not affect fit. <S> My CX only has 1" of stand over. <S> A big triangle is good for stiffness and shoulder carry. <S> A tall top tube means faster transition to shoulder carry. <S> I don't get your reasons <S> 1 <S> " versus 4" should not affect your ability to dismount quickly. <S> You ride on the seat - not the top tube. <S> In a controlled dismount the bike is stopped - 1" is a quick and safe stand over dismount. <S> If you have to bail because a truck pulled in front of you then lay the bike down - don't stand up. <S> So your clothes touch the tube? <S> What is the harm? <S> How is more clearance better on uneven ground? <S> When you stop then don't stop over a hole. <S> you are going to be moving. <S> Even with 2" of clearance falling on the top tube should always be your last choice. <A> Cyclocross bikes are race bikes intended for courses that are mixed terrain with a number of dismount and carry points. <S> They typically have a larger front triangle so you can easily do a shoulder carry. <S> Theses bikes will also have clearance for at minimum 32 mm wide tires plus some mud clearance. <S> There is a design trade-off here between stand-over and the ability to carry. <S> The geometry is also set up for quick turn ins and pedal clearance as these features are key for most cyclocross courses. <S> And because it is raced focused they will typically have a longish top tubes relative, although not as long as a race road bike. <S> As such, with a cyclocross bike you will always be starting from point of limited stand-over height by design. <S> While new riders worry about stand over, and it has been used by many as a cheap and easy way to assess fit, rarely is it actually an issue. <S> History: CX vs Gravel <S> In the past, because of the off-road capabilities, many manufacturers would add fender and rack mounting points so that they could also market the bikes for other uses such as commuting or light touring. <S> The bikes were not designed per se for this, but could do the job. <S> Recently the trend of “gravel” riding specific bikes have freed up manufacturers to actually tune grave bikes to how most people were actually using cyclocross bikes (i.e., not for racing - but a variety of terrain and purposes). <S> This includes a higher stack (i.e., more upright riding position), slacker geometry with a lower bottom bracket (i.e., more stable) and clearance for larger tires as cyclocross tire clearance directly relates to race regulations. <S> This has also let many manufacturers focus their cyclocross bikes to be only competition focused now. <A> An inch is plenty. <S> When I stand over my bike on casual pants without shoes, the pants actually touch my top tube. <S> When I stand over my bike on cycling shorts and cycling shoes, I find the height of the frame perfect. <S> A good bicycle is designed to have minimal clearance between your pants and the top tube when standing over it. <S> The reason for this is that frames are stronger that way. <S> So, the algorithm to select a frame is: <S> Consider the length, selecting the frame by length. <S> Verify you can at least barely stand over the frame in shoes and whatever pants/shorts you have for cycling. <S> Remember to do this test with the tire size you're planning to use. <S> e.g. by installing a longer stem). <A> I kept the bike and am overall pretty happy with the fit. <S> Prioritizing the fit over the stand over height was the right decision. <S> Having used the bike for commuting, long distance road rides, gravel rides, single track trail and a few CX and road races I can say the bike was adequate at everything <S> and I didn't have any issues with the stand over height. <S> Commuting: <S> The 1" height is plenty. <S> I can unclip both feet and stand at a traffic light or stop sign if I need to. <S> Keeping one foot clipped in works as well. <S> Good brakes, not stand over height will help keep you safe on the road. <S> Mounting/Dismounting: <S> There are no issues here because you mount the bike from the side, not the top tube. <S> If you do decide to prioritize the stand over height over the top tube height, you may find the bike isn't comfortable to ride. <S> I purchased a used mountain bike and thought it felt too small. <S> I checked the size guidelines and determined that the recommended size was one larger. <S> The guidelines are there for a reason, and probably will work for most riders.
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Therefore, in fitting a cyclocross bike you should expect a tighter stand over fit than other styles of bike. Most people who get comfortable riding a bike will naturally lean it over when dismounting and starting, which lowers the effective stand over. Rarely does anyone stand over the the top tube with be bike perpendicular to the ground. If you fall on the top tube an extra inch of clearance is not going to save you as your feet are not going to be under and If you cannot stand over the frame, then and only then should you consider a smaller size and have some sort of strategy for ensuring length is ok (
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9-speed system to 11-speed drivetrain upgrade? I am currently upgrading my bike from a 9 speed to an 11 speed system. I am currently using shimano 105 components and will continue to use them within the new system. Current bike has a shimano 105 rear derailleur but does not specify if it is unique to a 9 speed system. Will I need to buy a new rear derailleur? <Q> This page has the best answer I've found so far <S> http://blog.artscyclery.com/science-behind-the-magic/science-behind-the-magic-drivetrain-compatibility/ <S> 1.4 vs 1.7. <S> This meansthat the 11 spd indexing in your new shifters will not work correctly with your oldderailleur. <A> The rear wheel probably has an older hub <S> but then if you're lucky and the hub is designed for 10-speed as well it will also take 11. <S> The brakes won't need changing but then the newer ones are designed for less friction in moving parts. <S> Technology trickle-down from Ultegra. <A> There are numerous top end bike companies selling their bikes with part 105 11sp builds . <S> You need obviously the 5800 shifters, front/rear mech and chain. <S> But you typically see money being saved by using non 105 brakes and chainset. <A> To specifically answer your question, you will have to change the rear mech (derailleur). <S> If for nothing other than 11sp chain will not fit onto the jockey wheels correctly. <S> You could change the jockey wheels, but they are thinner on 11sp vs 9sp. <S> To take this a step further, you will need to replace all of the groupset components, including the brakes as 5800 has a slightly different action/cable pull. <S> Having tried this before with customers bikes, it causes major issues and very poor brake performance ( <S> not somewhere you want poor performance). <S> On a positive note, 5800 brakes are leaps and bounds better than their predecessors!
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You'll need to change the chainwheels and the cranks, the rear derailleur, the brake-shift levers, the cassette and the chain of course. Reading between the lines, the cable pulls from 9spd to 11spd are probably close enough, but the derailleur ratios are significantly different.
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Persistent front wheel squealing: Replace the fork? Switch to disk? I have a Cannondale touring bike from the early 2000s that I use as my daily commuter. With the stock cantilever brakes and original front wheel, I had a lot of front brake squealing. I did the standard maintenance to try and make it stop (toeing, sanding, etc), and it returned persistently. I've even replaced the front wheel (independent reason: got a dynamo) and the brake calipers (Avid Shorty), all to have the squealing come back. This isn't just any minor squeal, this is "audible from 100 yards, plug your ears, the bike is screaming in pain" kind of embarrassing noise. Would it be possible that it's the canti mounts on the forks that are causing the squealing? Would replacing the fork be a possibility for fixing this? I've been thinking that I might try switching to disk brakes, but I don't want to just have a different kind of squealing. I already have a disk-compatible front hub (Shimano Alfine dynamo hub with CenterLock), but I'd need to get a new fork to get the tabs and calipers. I don't want to throw away $200 (fork + brakes) if I'm just going to be squealing again or subject to a different annoying noise. Would it make sense to do this in stages? I.e. get a fork with disk and canti tabs and try that, and if the squeal returns try the disk option? <Q> I switched from an aluminum fork to carbon and the brakes howled like crazy. <S> I went the usual route of cleaning, adjusting etc. <S> What worked is counterintuitive, but I toed the shoes out. <S> The noise went away immediately. <S> I read somewhere that it can have something to do with the harmonics of the carbon fork. <S> So I have the rears toed in <S> and the front toed out <S> and there is no noise. <A> I have a bike with cantilevers and I can understand the frustration. <S> I spent a lot of time last summer getting my brake pads aligned properly so they didn't squeal. <S> In the end I got it to work with the brakes I had, but it took quite a lot of futzing around to get the angle just right. <S> Some people recommend getting a fork crown mounted cable stop to eliminate squealing. <S> I didn't try this myself, but it would be something relatively inexpensive to try before going the route of disc brakes. <A> I would try something less expensive first. <A> I tried doing a "cross" toe-in/toe-out with my brakes (really just adjusted the right-front to be toe-out and left the left one alone with its "toe-in" ). <S> They have been virtually silent for 3 short rides so far. <S> I'll update if this changes with wear. <A> I had a persistent problem with squealing Shimano LX V-brakes years ago. <S> Switching to XT V-brakes and trying 5 different kinds of brake pads didn't help. <S> Toe in, toe out, no toe, mistletoe - nothing made any difference. <S> Eventually I got a new fork with disk brake mounting tabs and installed an inexpensive mechanical disk brake (Avid) and never had to worry about any part of the brake ever again. <S> It was easy to install and 100% trouble free for over 5 years.
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For me, switching to Kool Stop brake pads has worked even better than toeing in when in resolving this type of vibration. I'm not surprised that replacing the front wheel didn't affect the problem since it's not likely to be the cause of the vibration.
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How to evaluate used bicycle price? Hey I am about to buy a used bicycle and recently I got offer for Peugeot bicycle. We both do not know the price to agree on... The question is how to evaluate price of an used bicycle? (where to put the most focus) The bike: Age: around 10 years Gears (front and back): Shimano 105 (seems allfine) Frame: used but still in very good shape Brand: Peugeot Pic: I guess no more info. <Q> This is a link to all the models for Peugeot: http://www.bicyclebluebook.com/BicycleDatabase.aspx?make=718 <A> That bike is much older than 10 years. <S> Probably somewhere in the '80s <S> The bike pictured below is quite similar to yours, and was built in 1985. <S> [Source: Peugeot 1985 product folder] <S> Note however that these frames are generally of good quality, and if not terribly rusty can be used for many more years <S> (and of course are very cool and retro looking). <S> These old racers still make for great touring/commuting bikes! <S> (Not entirely unbiased as I have multiple bikes like this and love them a lot!) <S> The price of such a bike, given that the frame is OK, is mostly determined by the state of all other components (wheels, gears, seat etc.) <S> By the looks of it, most of the stuff on your bike is original, and looks like it's in good shape (definitely check this for yourself, photos are deceiving). <S> If everything is ok, I would probably pay around 100 - 150 € for this. <S> Don't be fooled because of the supposed retro-coolness, these bikes are quite abundant and not rare at all. <S> If everything is not ok, drop the price below 100€ and do some work yourself, very rewarding and fun! <A> You could: <S> measure the chain stretch sight if the chainrings and cogs are worn out <S> check <S> the wear of the tires remove the seatpost and peak inside the frame for rust pull the brakes and inspect closely the cables for rust check the wheels for trueness <S> Then select a modern bike of similar weight and number of gears. <S> I would ask for 1/2 the price if all of the above points turn out OK, or less if some are obviously bad. <S> Another point to consider is if the bike is fit for upgrading with modern components at some point. <S> For example, current standards are oversized (1 1/8") or tapered forks, removable derailleur hanger, 8-9-10 speed frame (I believe those use the same 135mm rear spacing). <A> With shimano 105 it must be from the 90s. <S> Are gears indexed? <S> I paid 140 € for a similar bike, and the 105 works like charm. <S> See what steel the frame is made of too, and look it up con internet to get more refetences. <S> But those are great bikes for the money. <S> Not actually retro, I' d say; most retro races allow bikes up until 1987, a bike from say 1994 is too new to be retro, and too heavy to compare to new bikes, but they are still light and from my experience <S> , shimano 105 ages <S> really well. <S> Really good commuter that you can leave on the street, but also can take you on long road routes. <S> I've kept up with mine on 100 km route with modern bikes, so, good for initiate in road biking. <S> I'd say go for it, if it works well, and I suppose you could resell for around the price you pay <A> Definitely an 80's frame and <S> this was the best character of these bikes. <S> Since that manufacture era, gears and brakes, even seats have evolved and you can buy better tech. <S> These frames were steel and they are great commuters (for streets not so friendly). <S> For me the price is directly related to how much stuff I do not need to replace or upgrade. <S> The wheels look newish (that is where I would start). <S> I might pay $275 to $325 for it and replace the seat. <S> Grips look okay.
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If you know the model and exact year Bicycle Blue Book is a good place to start. measure the weight of the bike with an electronic scale rock the handlebars gently to check for drag in the headset rock the rear derailleur sideways to check for play
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Is my cassette or chain worn out? I bought this road bike as my first road bike in 2011. I have not changed the chain or any parts on it since then and I bike on it almost daily. It's been running great, but sometimes I have trouble changing gears and I feel like the issues are getting more frequent. I had a major accident on this bike in 2012 learning how to use the clipless pedals but the bike landed on the opposite side of the cassette. Are the scratches in the picture below "normal" for a bike this old? Do I have to replace any parts? Is it safe to ride as-is? Here are some pictures: <Q> Use a chain wear gauge to see if the chain needs replacement (e.g. Park Tool CC-3.2).Generally, these err on the side of replacing a bit early, but if you want to be pedantic about it, you can use the Sheldon Brown link below to measure with a ruler. <S> As for the sprockets or chainrings, I'll defer to this page by Sheldon Brown. <S> The upshot is that worn teeth look like ramps and a non-stretched wont sit properly in the sprockets as shown in the image below (from Sheldon Brown) <A> That is a picture of the chain ring not the cassette. <S> If the cassette is worn out then the chain is worn out. <S> Cannot tell anything about the larger chain ring but the small chain ring is not in bad shape. <S> This is the order they wear out: chain, cassette, then chain ring. <S> You get 2-3 chain per cassette. <S> And typically 2 cassette per chain ring. <S> If you have ridden the bike daily since 2011 then safe to assume you need a new chain. <S> Easy to check with a chain wear tool - they are relatively cheap. <S> It looks like you lube the chain which is a good thing. <S> But you need to clean the chain every few lubes also. <A> Those scratches are due to the chain rubbing as it shifts between chainrings. <S> They are more noticeable on your bike than most because you have black chain rings. <S> A Park chain wear gauge is a good way to tell if your chain is worn. <S> Alternatively, you can measure with a ruler as described, but it's much easier if you remove it from the bike. <S> The figure I use was 1/8" of chain stretch per foot was too much. <S> If you let the chain stretch too much it will wear out your cassette as well.
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If you continue to ride on a worn chain the problem is that you wear cassette and chain ring faster.
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When is a wheel considered true? Generally speaking, how much runout can a bicycle wheel have and still be considered true? <Q> A perfectly true wheel, in the mechanical sense, may not be attainable. <S> Roundness and lateral runout are measurable to .001 millimeters using commonly available shop tools. <S> Most mechanics do not consider that tolerance necessary, but as that is the limit of the tools, that is what I would consider perfectly true. <S> However it requires 4 things: Perfect roundness, measured by placing a gauge under the edge of the rim, and spinning the wheel. <S> Perfect lateral runout, or rather a lack of runout. <S> This is measured by placing a gauge at the brake track of the wheel, and rotating the wheel to track the runout. <S> Perfect Dish. <S> Dish refers to the centering of the rim on the axle, or in some cases between the dropouts of the frame. <S> This is measured using a truing stand or a dishing tool. <S> Perfectly even and balanced spoke tension. <S> Measure using a tensiometer, the value here will vary significantly based on the type of spoke, the size of the rim, the material of the spoke nipple. <S> I am well aware that the description here is of a mechanically perfect wheel, and that such a thing does not exist. <S> It would require a perfectly formed rim, a perfectly machined hub, which perfectly drilled and finished spoke holes, and that each spoke be drawn from a perfectly pure metal at exactly equal and even dimensions. <S> The beauty and simplicity of the bicycle wheel is that while our manufacturing tolerances are not up to that standard, the design of a spoked wheel allow you to offset the tolerances in one area with spoke tension. <S> So a "perfectly" true wheel might not exist, but a functionally true wheel is relatively easy. <S> And "perfectly" true isn't necessary. <A> Wheelbuilding machines can be configured for a .1mm precision. <S> But the choice of tolerance is up to the wheel factory. <S> Best machine-built wheels are trued to this maximum of .1mm precision, which is pretty good. <S> Most man-built wheels have a run-out around .5 <S> mm when new. <S> But when you are building your own wheel, or you are fixing it, a tolerance of around 1 mm is acceptable imho. <S> More than 2mm <S> and you will have problems with brake pads or you may feel some shaking while riding. <A> If your wheel is trued (lateral movement) to within 0.5mm it is considered good. <S> Same 0.5mm tolerance for the roundness of the wheel. <S> Just remember that you may need to take the "stress" out of the wheel as the spokes can wind up with the torque applied to the nipple. <S> It is that pinging sound that happens when a freshly built wheel is ridden for first time. <S> Simply squeeze the spokes together, as though you were playing it like a harp. <S> You should hear some pings then check if it is true and round, adjust as needed. <S> You mentioned <S> it was your front wheel so you can flip it round to check if you have it dished equally (lateral offset) as is the norm for most front wheels. <S> A blob of blutac and a pin on the fork blade can be used as a guide. <S> And finally the wheel will go out of true with use especially during the first few rides, so check it after a couple of months. <S> Hope this helps. <S> Mark
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If a rim is not perfectly true and round, more or less spoke tension can be used to pull it true and round. The standard for what "true" means varies by mechanic and the intended use of the wheel. But the constant here is that all the spokes should have exactly equal tension.
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Tube puncture over spoke, but rim tape fine I have a puncture in my tube on a bump in the tube that coincides with a dip in the spoke hole, and am not sure if I need to replace the rim tape or not. I have seen numerous posts about spoke induced punctures recommending either new rim tape if broken or filing the spoke down. However, over the spoke hole where my puncture occurred, the rim tape (which appears to be cloth tape, I did not install) seems fine, although a little off center but still covers the holes. There is nothing sharp, no holes in the tape, or any visible damage to the tape. Is the puncture simply unlucky, or is there an issue with the tape, even though I cannot see any problems? I am not sure if the dips in the rim tape, which cause bumps in the tube, is an issue. From what I've seen, this is a common occurrence. Of note, the bicycle has not been used for a couple months over the winter. <Q> I would recommend replacing rim tape with a modern plastic one. <S> Cloth tapes often don't survive removal. <S> When the tape is off, inspect the spoke ends and the nipples. <S> Do not use a file: a single filing always avoids removal and causes another puncture. <S> Repair <S> the tube and do whatever you think will bring luck - punctures like this can be tricky to solve. <S> It's possible that the cause was grit that happened to work <S> it's way in under the tube, and subsequently fell out, but the hole looks like a spoke puncture to me. <A> It appears to be over-stretching of the material the inner-tube is made from. <S> Excessive stretching causes the material to thin out and fail. <S> I've experienced this type of puncture on my mountain bike (Mongoose Blackcomb). <S> My tires are at least twice as wide as the rims and I imagine a cross-section of the tire-tube-rim assembly would look a lot like an antique keyhole or a "keyhole" mounting slot in the back of a wall-mounted item meant to be secured to the wall with screws. <S> I put talc (baby powder) inside the tire in an attempt to lubricate the inner tube and allow it to stretch more evenly around its cross-section and I doubled-up on the rim liner. <S> So far my flats are greatly reduced. <A> Low tube pressure and similar dips <S> , I have had it, and it caused cut, sometimes double cut, when hitting a curb or other crush on the pneumatic. <S> Those made the air in the tube go out really fast. <S> I changed rim tape and now keep pressure high, <S> i e pump the wheel more often. <A> A bit late getting onto this, but I am looking at exactly the same problem. <S> It is like under high pressure (110psi in my case) the inner tube is pressed out through the spoke hole <S> and I guess becomes so thin it bursts. <S> It cannot be a spoke puncture as the tape is still ok with no signs of being punctured. <S> I have ordered high pressure 120psi rim tapes and will re-try.
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It seems that the inner tube stretched (in my case) down into the rim and eventually punctured spontaneously. If one is sharp, use emery paper to remove the burr. You could inspect the existing cloth one, but then you would need to remove it to inspect the spoke ends.
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New to bicycles; Bad setup, bad bike, or too heavy? I purchased a Schwinn Meridian adult tricycle hoping to have a flexible means of exercise. After giving it a close look, I tried it with disappointing results. When pedaling from a stop, the chain sems to click and skip, and I can't get a full rotation wihout this happening. Am I too heavy for this trike (350+) unmodified or is something wrong with it either from manufacturing or my assembly of it? Some pictures: The amount of slack I can get pulling the secondary chain upwards: Overview of the chains: EDIT: I can't add comments but thanks guys... I will try this and come back and confirm that it works if it does. I suspect it will. All it takes is a solid lean for the chain to fall off. I should've thought of it before, but having the frame slid out some seemed a bit sketchy to me so I ignored the chain part of it. Edit 2: Ok, that fixes that specific problem. Thank you all. I unfortunately have other issues with this bike though. I may ask them later. <Q> In your first picture, where you're holding the chain, it looks like there is a lateral movement available on what appears to be the axle shaft, to the right. <S> Since you have a trike, you'll have to move both sides of the axle evenly backwards to keep the wheels parallel to your direction of travel, or you'll end up with the tires scrubbing as you roll forward. <S> From the scratch marks on the frame, it looks like you may have played with this already, and if the axle is at its furthest rearward setting, you may have to move the intermediate axle (the left one in your two pictures) forward. <S> Of course, doing so will introduce slack in the other chain. <S> Since the other chain is likely connected to the cranks, which won't have any fore-aft adjustment, this may not work for you. <S> That leaves you with option 3 which would be to remove some links from that intermediate chain (the one you're holding in picture 1), then readjust the rear axle forward to accommodate the now shortened chain. <S> To do this, you'll need a chain tool that will push the link pin out of the chain, then push it back in when you've taken out a couple of links. <S> You can buy one (bring the trike with you, as different chains may need different size tools), borrow one from a friend, or take the trike into a shop which will have a stock of them in their shop. <S> They probably wouldn't charge much to make a small adjustment like this. <S> After a second look , it looks like the slotted frame that holds the secondary chain is a separate piece that can be pushed backwards to tighten up that chain. <S> Loosen the bolts holding the intermediate axle (on the left), then push that slotted frame backwards to tighten the chain (again, make sure it's even to keep your rear wheels parallel to the direction of travel), then tighten. <S> Confirm this with the link to manual in Blam's answer. <A> If it did not come with a manual you can get one online MERIDIAN OWNER'S MANUAL <S> Page 12 states how to install the secondary chain <S> It states the secondary chain should have less than 5 mm of play up or down <A> Agreed, secondary chain tension was too loose. <S> Weight design capacity of Schwinn Meridians is 250 lbs, rider + load. <S> Over-capacity <S> weight is going to be more of a problem with other components (wheel bearings, rims, spokes, and to a lesser degree with frame welds, axles and brakes) than it is with chains and drive chains.
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I'd loosen those bolts and try to slide the rear axle backwards to tighten up the chain. I would venture to say (and Blam confirmed with his link to the manual) that you have some excessive slack in that chain, and removing it would help.
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Pain in the toes while cycling using clipless shoes I am not sure why I get a pain in my toes. After some 75 km of cycling, I don't find it right. The blood starts to clot in the tip of the toes. After I lift my legs while lying down, it gets alright. I am not new to cycling. I have done a lot of cycling but not much with my clipless shoes. I feel that the shoes are sharp in front end to add to the aerodynamics. Should I change my shoes? What should I check for while buying clipless shoes? <Q> In addition to getting the right size shoes. <S> It sounds like you're getting something similar to "black toe" experienced by hikers and runners. <S> It's usually caused by their toes getting jammed to the front of their shoes <S> (imagine walking down a steep incline). <S> If your cleats are too far back people tend to point their toes down while pedaling. <S> The cleats should be centered under the ball of your foot, depending on riding style/ experience, they can be moved forward or back by a few millimeters. <S> in a perfect world every shop would have professional fitment analysis to take the guess work out of all this. <S> This also happens if the saddle is too high, people don't realize this when making the switch to clipless pedals. <S> What I use to tell clients when buying new clipless shoes is to make sure they are snug around your arch and heel, but you're able to wiggle your toes comfortably. <A> Ensure your shoes are the correct size. <S> When I first started serious riding, I got cycling shoes in a size 42, and they were fine. <S> As I continued through high school and college, I continued to get size 42, even though my feet would be sore by the end of a ride. <S> Finally, my last year of school, I got a new pair in a size 43, and it made all the difference in the world. <A> I have this - <S> but I know my shoes are on the small side. <S> wear thin socks. <S> Gives that extra bit of space. <S> before riding, push your heel all the way back to the rear of the shoe and then tighten the top strap/buckle quite tightly. <S> Leave the front strap or straps quite loose. <S> You can also help by trying to pedal with your feet a bit more level and avoid pointing them downward.
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Make sure the cleats are adjusted correctly.
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Sun Tour Cyclone brake levers and brake cable housing I have a vintage road bike with Sun Tour Cyclone single-pivot calipers, with Cyclone levers. I recently had the front brake cable housing "detach" from the brake lever. It appears to have a large 'ferrule'-type piece on the end of the housing. (what's the name of this part?) The right lever appears to have the housing head straight into the lever, and appears crimped in. It's not visible in the photo either way but I don't believe there is a similar cable housing ferrule. What is the correct method for me to get the rear-brake cable housing back into the brake lever, and secure it in place? <Q> Generally, if you were to roll the shroud back, remove the cable, squeeze the lever all the way, and then look, you would see that, with the lever squeezed, there is a sort of hole in the lever arm exposed where the barrel-shaped cable end fits. <S> You need several inches of slack in the cable to get it into/out of that hole. <S> If this is the case, that housing is held in place by "habit" -- there's no crimp or anything that holds it there, except that tension from the brake cable keeps it in place. <S> If the tension is gone, either because the cable has been loosened at the other end, or because the cable has developed too much friction inside, then the housing end will be pushed from its resting point as you operate the lever. <A> I am assuming that the cable has come out of the fixed non moving part of the brake lever but is still attached to the actual moving part of the lever. <S> You can try to remove the wheel and close the brake caliper by hand. <S> This may require a third hand or a wire tie to hold it closed. <S> This will generate enough slack in the cable to reinstall it in the lever. <S> Many vintage levers use a small ferrule on the cable end (possibly factory crimped) and a second larger ferrule to retain the cable end in the fixed part of the brake lever. <A> I guess the ferrule popped out on its own, under braking? <S> Sounds like either the ferrule has deformed to fit through the gap in the brake lever, or the brake lever has deformed to allow the ferrule through. <S> In the interests of stopping when you want to, I'd fit brand new brake cables. <S> If they're tired, consider all-new housings too. <S> Fit the ferrule into the lever first, then thread the wire through to the brake, fasten and adjust tension. <S> Re-tension a couple times in the next week for cable stretch.
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On re-reading the question: It sounds as if your complaint may be that the ferrule on the end of the cable housing has slipped out of the hole on the end of the brake lever assembly (vs the cable inside coming loose from the moving lever).
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Is it fine to clean bearings with gasoline? I've been searching all over the web about washing bearings with Gasoline (and other gas products like desiel and kerosene). I've found some mixed answers. Some say it's good some say it isn't.I want to remove dirt inside my bearings. (we don't have roads so it would always get dirty even it is shielded) And I know soaking it in a container filled with gasoline with remove those. But is it alright? Won't it damage my bearing in some way? I don't have access to any cleaning substance because I live in the forests of the Philippines. <Q> Gasoline was used for many years as an inexpensive readily available solvent. <S> There are a couple of real life issues with using gasoline for a solvent. <S> It is very flammable thus a fire hazard. <S> It is absorbed through the skin and it is toxic when inhaled in high concentrations. <S> You have to find a way of disposing of the remaining dirty solvent. <S> If you have no other means of cleaning the bearings you can wipe them with clean rags. <S> That still leaves the issue of disposing of the dirty rags . <A> Using gasoline as a solvent won't harm your bearings. <S> It may dissolve some plastic components though. <S> Diesel is a bit better in those regards. <S> I would recommend trying to source a lubricant that is not as toxic, but if gasoline or diesel is all you've got, it will do the job. <A> If kerosene is an option, then go with kerosene. <S> It's much safer than gasoline. <S> Accidents happen. <S> Be safe.
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The drawbacks of using gasoline are mainly due to its properties other than as a solvent: it's volatility, flammability, and that it is toxic, as it will harm your skin if exposed to it for long periods of time, and that it requires careful disposal. Pouring it on the ground can contaminate drinking water.
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What are the good ways to maintain the bicycle while raining season? I have a bicycle. I ride it everyday because it was my primary vehicle. When I was going to campus or another places, I used it. Currently, the raining season is on my country. I would like to keep my bicycle healthy, for example case, preventing a bicycle chains from the corrosion. Also, another use cases which can be happened while raining season. Any good suggestion for that cases? <Q> Use fenders with good coverage! <S> They will keep most of the dirty spray water off your bike. <S> You'll be surprised how much less oiling your chain needs with proper fenders. <A> Store your bike in a dry place if possible. <S> This is probably the most important thing - even if you ride every day, your bike spends more time parked than it does on the road. <S> Clean and oil the chain regularly. <S> If it's squeaking or showing rust, you're not doing it often enough. <S> If you have loose bearings anywhere on your bike (hubs, pedals, bottom bracket, or headset) then take them apart and pack with fresh grease at least once a year. <S> Not applicable if you have sealed bearings - you can just ignore those. <A> According to your own account, this isn't possible. <S> So: Wipe dry the frame, bottom bracket, hubs, chain, crankset, etc. <S> If possible, use an air blower to keep them dry. <S> Use water-proof parts, like some hubs with a rubber ring to prevent water from getting inside them. <S> Also using waterproof grease in hub area is a choice. <S> Choose chain lubricant that contains some wax, this will keep water running off your chain, crankset and cassette instead of staying on them and getting into them. <S> Spread a thin film of oil on metal parts that is prone to corrosion.
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Proper fenders means: a front fender with a mud flap that reaches within a few centimeters of the road a rear fender that starts some centimeters below the chain stays, so that water dripping off does not end up on the chain The best way is not to ride your bike on rainy days at all.
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How difficult is the switch from flat to drop bar? I've ridden with flat bars for more than 10 years, both freeride and commuting. Now I'm considering switching to a road bike with a drop bar for commuting. I went to a shop and tried a couple of such bikes, and the feeling was awful: a very bent neck and lack of control, esp. in changing the grip to brake. My question is: (1) what are the typical problems (or striking novelties) in moving to a drop bar, and (2) what can be done to alleviate them? Some problems are highlighted in these useful discussions: neck , and wrists 1 , 2 . Is may seem that one should better not consider switching from flat to drop without a professional fitting (with an exception of this answer ). <Q> I have never had professional fitting - just adjusted until it felt right. <S> I am sure a professional fitting would be nice <S> but I just did not want to spend my money on one. <S> A road bike might not be the best bike for you. <S> In a drop bar consider cyclocoss or light touring. <S> Some companies have a drop bar "commuter". <S> They are going to have bigger tires and a bit more upright position. <S> If no other bike feels comfortable then stay with you flat bars. <S> As far as get used to it just ride. <S> Brakes and gears are different but clearly you have figured that out. <S> More hand position. <S> Most riding is up on the brakes/hoods. <S> If you get on the bike and go straight down in the drops it will feel low - that is for high speed and into the wind. <A> I have a 28-mile round-trip commute that I do from 3-5 days per week. <S> The trip is a combination of suburban streets, paved bike path and city streets. <S> I used to do this on a hybrid with a flat bar. <S> Last fall I swapped for a road-bike with drops and haven't looked back. <S> One of the biggest advantages <S> drop-bars give you over flats (aerodynamic considerations aside) is lots of different hand/body positions available to you. <S> The benefit here is avoiding fatigue and repetitive stress injuries. <S> I typically go between "riding on the hoods" (most of the time) to riding in the upright position on the flat bar (when going slower, or feeling fatigued), to occasionally riding "in the drops" when really speeding or fighting a headwind. <S> There are a number of factors here ... <S> frame fit, height of the handlebars, etc... but also fitness. <S> But you also will build up stronger neck muscles, and also learn how to position your head. <S> I typically am not taking "the long view" most of the time. <S> I typically look at the ground maybe 20-30 feet in front of me, and lift my head to shift my gaze longer to keep abreast of what lies ahead every so often. <S> This contributes to a better neck angle most of the time. <S> It also helps to use that ability to change your hand positions around the drop bars give you! <S> Changing your hand position will also alter your neck/ <S> back angles. <S> As far as finding the brakes awkward, lack of control, etc ... <S> you'll adjust to these very quickly. <S> That's just a matter of getting used to something different. <S> I felt a little funny my first few rides out, but now I'm as confident in my control as I've ever been. <S> The bottom line is that the road bike has shaved several minutes off my commute and is overall much more efficient than my hybrid. <S> Lower rolling resistance, lighter bike, more aerodynamic riding position. <S> It's taken some adjustment of the equipment and my body, but it's well worth it in the end. <A> Compare the relative position of the flat bar and the saddle on your current bike. <S> (ie. is the flat bar higher/lower than the saddle ? <S> How long is the stem? ) <S> When you demo road bikes, check that the top of the drop bar is at least close to the sameheight wrt to the saddle as your current flat bars. <S> Drop bars aren't that big a change, but you have to be able to get the fit roughly close. <A> It may be trial and error but you can get a fit that works. <S> What I did for a starting point is to measure my flat bar bike that I found comfortable. <S> With the bikes sitting on the wheels, I measured the saddle height and the handlebar height. <S> I then measured the length from the saddle to the bar center. <S> With those measurements I set up the drop bar bike as close as I could using headset spacers and an adjustable stem. <S> After a test ride and a few more adjustments I ordered an non adjustable stem. <S> I ordered one in the closest size to the dimensions the adjustable stem was set at. <S> You could just use the adjustable stem <S> however most are really heavy. <S> Looking at the bike now it doesn't have a "standard fit" appearance. <S> I have 75mm of spacers under the stem and a stem that is 120mm long and about a 34 degree angle. <A> As others have said, I think you would adjust to a drop bar with a little practice. <S> Most of the time you will ride with hands on the top bar anyway <S> (make sure the brakes are positioned so you can still reach them from this position). <S> That sensation of speed/efficiency is what makes for a great riding experience. <S> It's not just the drop of the bars <S> BTW <S> it's also that they are shorter so that your hands and arms are not stuck out as far <S> and you present less of an obstacle to the wind. <S> If you are not bothered about efficiency or speed then by all means stick with flat bars. <S> I was told by a semi-pro cyclist that once you are going over 20mph an upright pencil in the wind has more slowing effect than 1kg of weight. <S> That is how important aerodynamic drag is on a bike.
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In my experience drop bars come into their own when you are going fast and/or into the wind, you will quickly realise that you can go faster - or use less effort for the same speed. When I first switched, I had to play around with my handlebar positions quite a bit (never got a 'pro' fit), but eventually found a comfy position. I will agree that you may encounter some neck soreness at first.
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Do I need to chase a thread before installing a bottom bracket on a new frame? Currently I'm building a new Surly Cross Check, and it needs a 68mm BB (english threaded). Furthermore, I plan to use a cheap $15 shimano BB with JIS square tapered interface, nothing special. Do I need to bring my frame to a LBS and ask them to chase the thread? or I can just use a toothbrush and some soap to clean the thread? EDIT 1: Is Chasing necessary? or is it an optional process to allow the BB fits better? EDIT 2: picture: The ink splat is because there's a hole for dérailleur cable hanger. <Q> If you don't chase when you need to, you'll have a very tough time threading the bottom bracket in, and as a result, it may creak or wear out somewhat faster than it would otherwise. <S> The same goes for facing the bottom bracket shell. <S> This is what I would do (and have done) if I were in your position, only for square taper, cartridge bottom brackets <S> * : Since you are using a square taper bottom bracket, your BB will likely have one fixed and one free cup (or whatever its called). <S> Take the free cup, and thread just that into the shell without using any tool besides the driver ( example ), only finger tightening it. <S> If you can thread that all the way in until its outer flange is flush with the shell, then your frame is "good enough" as it is. <S> Unthread the free cup, and install the BB properly <S> and you should be good to go. <S> I used this method on my Surly Cross-check frame in 2007, and the threads were good enough then, and I haven't had any bottom bracket troubles whatsoever. <S> And cough up the extra cash to get the better bottom bracket, it will last longer, and every time you have to take square taper cranks off, you wear them out much quicker. <S> *Hollowtech and other outboard bearing systems are more sensitive to the threading, and especially the facing of the shell. <S> If using those systems, always have the bottom bracket faced, and at that point you might as well chase out the threads. <A> No, usually you don't. <S> That's something that should have been done at the factory. <S> If the threads do need chasing, then you'll have to take it to a shop. <S> The point of chasing is to remove paint over-spray - you can't do that with a toothbrush. <S> A chasing tool probably costs more than a Surly frame, so doing it yourself isn't practical. <A> I find that after painting a bicycle frame, and after removing the masking tape over the bottom bracket, that some after spray enters the bottom bracket. <S> I clean the overspray with acetone and lacquer thinner with a q-tip, then wipe off; repeat several times. <S> This usually cleans to the point that thread chasing is not required.
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If you can't get the free cup all the way in without using tools, then I would have the threads chased out.
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