Split (1)

train · 95.7k rows

source stringlengths 620 29.3k	target stringlengths 12 1.24k
Which traffic light do I have to follow? There is one situation in Bonn, Germany, where the buses have their own lane (right one) and the cars are separate (left lane). The cars have a regular traffic light (red, yellow, green) and the buses have their special kind (white bars, — and \| ). It looks like this: The i...	In my opinion, the most reasonable option is to comply to what "bus traffic lights".
How much air loss over time is considered normal / acceptable for a hybrid tire? I'm looking for a rule of thumb as to how much air loss over time is considered acceptable / normal for a hybrid tire. Surprisingly I have not been able to find much on this upon Googling. In this post: How long should a road tyre hold ...	Tyres will always lose pressure over time, I would say that for cycle tyres 1-2 psi is closer to the norm for most including me. About 5/10 psi loss per day in a high pressure road tube with 100 psi air is normal.
What does 'tire clearance' mean? What does 'tire clearance' mean? Can you please explain with an illustration? Does it mean the distance between the tire and the fender? <Q> Basically its the gap between the tyre and any non-wheel part of the bike frame. <S> Static clearance is almost exactly the same as the clearanc...	NOTE just to be clear - tyre clearance matters anywhere that the rotating tyre comes close to your bike frame.
Removing stuck front brake caliper from a modern road bike I'm trying to remove the front brake caliper from my Specialized Allez. It took me a long time, a lot of effort, and plenty of 3-in-1 to finally loosen and remove the recessed nut that screws onto the caliper bolt. I expected that the caliper would then come ...	The best way would be to use a small center hub puller on the bolt head, but without that I ended up slightly filing/grinding down the head of the post until I could use a screw driver and hammer to tap off the caliper. It could be the result of road salt or just general longterm exposure to the elements as well.
Uneven inner tube when inflated inside the tyre I have bought a new inner tube that, when I inflate it inside the tyre, it stands out in the part of the valve. In the beginning I didn't realize but riding the bike it felt OK with a small bump periodically every meter or so.I took it off to inspect it and you can see th...	First, make sure the tube is partly inflated ( almost fully "puffed out") when you insert it into the tire and mount the tire.
Why doesn't my (battery-powered) light work in the cold? I've got a cheap LED lamp running on three AAA NiMH batteries which stops working when exposed to near-freezing temperatures; is there a likely reason for this? The lamp has been dropped a number of times due to my incorrigible clumsiness and the batteries ar...	Batteries, especially most types of rechargeables don't work well in cold conditions. You could try with newer batteries, maybe yours are already a bit exhausted or you can try ones that are based on a different cell type.
Commuting daily with an Expensive Bike, tips? I have been commuting to work daily for years now. Sadly I just switched jobs and there is no bike parking, so I have to leave it in the street. My main problem is that I'm riding a Colnago Single Speed, so I'm not a fan of that solution in the long run. I just wanted to k...	Would also recommend going fixed for the ultimate in simplicity and weather-proofing as I don't suppose they'll be any shelter for it parking on the street. You can put fenders and racks on your commuting bike.
How do you lock up your bike trailer? Many of us pull bike trailers - whether one-wheeled or two-wheeled -- cargo or kids. What is the best way to lock up trailers - especially when you're commuting? Most trailers come with a quick-release attachment to the bike, which means they're also easy to steal. <Q> I loop the ...	Except treating trailer as a single unit with its own lock (capable of locking at least one wheel and the frame to bicycle stand) there is something more you can do as an additional protection. I have a Burley pet/cargo trailer and when I take it to the store, I use a long (~ 3 meter) cable with a loop on the ends.
Making the pedals on my kid's bike rotate when I push so he'll learn to pedal I bought a 12" bike with support wheels for my kid. He is 2.5 years old. He is not pedaling the bike, so I push the bike from the back. The bike moves forward, the wheels rotate, but the pedals do not move. Since the pedals do not move, my ki...	Essentially revert the bike to a balance bike until he gets the idea that he has to push. Wrap something -- rope, twine, some sort of rubber strip -- around the rear axle, between the wheel proper and the sprocket. The secret was to teach them only 1 thing at a time, in a funny way.
Snow and Ice tires for road bike? I have a road bike that have just enough clearance for 700x28c (continental pro4 endurance 28c). Obviously, this is not the best bike for winter conditions, but what are my best options for tackling ice and snow with that bike? <Q> There is one thing you can try, if you have disc brake...	What you want is larger tires and possibly studs. There are no companies I am aware of making studded or snow tires that will fit in a traditional brake arch on a road bike. It is possible to do a 650b wheel conversion if your road bike wheels are 700c.
SRAM X01 Eagle (12speed) in 11speed transmission: it work? Well, I intend to use an SRAM X01 Eagle (12speed) rear derailleur in a 1x11 transmission (with a SRAM X01 "non-Eagle" 11speed trigger, cassette SunRace 11s 11-46, SRAM PC XX1 chain).Will it work perfectly? <Q> No 11-speed products will work on Eagle." <A> Both ...	"SRAM will only make the Eagle chainring in the direct-mount style at first, and we were told it's the only Eagle component compatible with their 1x11 drivetrains. To quote Art's Cyclery : "Eagle drivetrains are not backwards compatible in any way (the exception being SRAM’s direct mount cranksets, which will still req...
How to mark pins that were once extracted on a chain? Like many cyclists, I rotate a set of chains (two chains every 1000 km in my case) to minimise gear wear and have an opportunity to do a deep chain wash every now and then. When the time comes, I replace both chains and the cassette, and the chainrings every second ...	Although you can get replacement pins for (many) chains, and I suggest you use them, I suspect that's not quite what you're looking for. If paint is your preferred solution there are touch up paint pens for cars that are small, cheap, hard wearing and long lasting.
Washing a vintage bike—special considerations? I've watched several tutorials on washing bikes, and the general gist seems to be to use a degreaser on the drivetrain, then wash the rest with soapy water, and don't spray hard when rinsing so water doesn't go into the bearings. My question is are there are any special c...	My advice would be to perform a very thorough inspection of all the rust areas to ensure the integrity of the tubing has not been compromised by corrosion (e.g. no holes in tubes). I wouldn't use water directly (from a hose) directly on a vintage bike but instead only use wet rags and wipes. Instead treat with an appro...
Pedals spin freely in cold conditions I recently bought a second hand Giant Upland SE and to be frank, it is my first bike with multiple gears. The bike functioned normally for the first day or two. I could use all the gears. When the bike is stored indoors, the pedal and wheel work fine but once I take it out in the ...	Your freehub needs to be overhauled and have the factory grease replaced with a winter weight grease. The unusable gears on the back could be a number of things, rear derailleur limit screws, lack of cable tension, bent hanger Either way, stop storing your bike outside where it can get rained on, and where condensation...
New wheel, why not go with disk hub? I'm getting a new rear wheel built for my commuter. My bike frame does not support disk brakes. I do not intend to use disk brakes in foreseeable future either . I checked the price for Hope rear hubs. The price for disk and non-disk are around the same. Is here a reason I s...	As we've discussed earlier, its fine to have a disc brake hub to work with a rim brake rim , but most disc wheels aren't built with rims that can use rim brakes
How comfortable is it to wear a u-lock holder this way? I have never used a bike lock holder or holster but this handmade one looks practical and cool: https://www.vespoe.com/contourandco/shop/u-lock-holder .I would like to know if it's practical to use on a daily basis. <Q> tw: extreme anti-hipster /snark <S> Ahh! ...	If I want to travel really light I leave the pouch and use the belt with my lock. So if you want that free craft beer from your fellow hipsters in admiration of your dedication to hipsterism, you need to carry two u-locks, one to lock your bike up outside the bar and other to carry on your hip properly holstered. An ob...
Would variable crank arm length be beneficial to a rider? I was thinking it would be cool to have a bike where the crank arms can be adjusted automatically "on the fly", depending on load. If that is not so safe then maybe a manual adjustment that the rider could make from a control mounted on the handlebars while ri...	There is a small increase in maximum power output with shorter cranks and and in efficiency with longer cranks, and racers who optimize to the last percent do use different crank lengths for event-specific bikes.
How do I achieve a lower gear on a Norco Bigfoot with a 9 speed cassette? I have 2015 Norco Bigfoot fat bike which has a Shimano HG-20 11-34T 9 sp cassette a with a Shimano Alivio RDM 4000 SGS 9 sp Rear Derailleur and a Shimano EZ-Fire EF 51 9 sp Rear Shifter. As I live in a particularly hilly area and intent to most...	The other idea is you could use one of the 42t cogs made for 10 speed and attempt to make the spacing play nice with 9 speed by using .4mm worth of shim spacers to adapt the 3.95 10spd pitch to 4.35mm 9spd. You can possibly buy a smaller front chainring too, that will leave the higher gears alone for faster/road usage,...
Drivetrain wear -- questions on chain elongation and skipping Pitch (i.e. the distance between two links/two cogs) is a major issue in drivetrain wear, which explains why waiting too long to replace a chain may lead to premature cassette replacement. This being said, three questions: 1) What is the maximum chain elon...	Regarding your second question about exactly how worn a chain has to be before it skips on sprockets that are also worn, I don't believe that a nice clean engineering analysis is possible, because you would need a specific wear model for both the sprocket and the chain. Sheldon Brown's site ( http://www.sheldonbrown.co...
Is there a work around to a presta valve not engaging a tire inflater pin? I believe that either the schrader adapter I'm using is too long or the pin for the presta core isn't long enough for me to be able to use an air compressor. It works fine with a floor pump since a pin doesn't need to be engaged for air to come ...	It requires the inner pin of the schrader valve of the tire to depress the inner pin of the chuck for the chuck to release air:
Multimodal - Packing a bike for a trip with several different transport stages In few months we are going to visit Japan to cycle the 88 Temples pilgrimage there, and therefore we want to take our bikes with us. Neglecting the transport from home to the airport, I will need to carry the bikes first on the plane, and ...	If you plan on multiple overseas bike trips, another option would be to get a quality folding bike that fits into a suitcase sized case.
(Serious): Male genital protection for mountain biking/BMX and for common falls I want to start using a protection like a helmet for is for the head, but for my penis and testicles. Why is important? It would give me much more confidence when triying new tricks and tecniques to not fear my genitals will be hurt, simp...	Genital protection is rarely (if ever) used in cycling because it generally means putting some kind of hard surface in play (or excessive padding).
what is the correct chain size for my bike I broke my chain and I am trying to find a new one to buy. I have tried looking though had no luck. I have a 2014 giant boulder with 3 at the front and 8 at the back. So all I need is a size. <Q> You need an 8 speed chain that is 3/32" wide. <S> This is a "normal" bicycle c...	With a three ring in front, your chain should barely be long enough to fit on the largest ring in the front and the largest ring in the back. It is important that you ask your retailer for an 8-speed chain.
What is an asymmetric wheel and why would you use it? Campagnolo advertises the Khamsin Asymmetric Wheel: What is an asymmetric wheel and (given that we expect wheels to be symmetrical), why would one want an asymmetrical one? How is it related to dish? <Q> The "asymmetric wheel" terminology is a little misleading. <...	The asymmetric in the title also refers to the spoke lacing of the wheel. In conclusion then, it's probably just another way for bike companies to sell expensive gear to people who prefer shopping to training.
Chain skipping despite new cassette and chain My chain keeps skipping loudly. Replacing the cassette and chain had no effect. I also zeroed the derailleur to the 5th gear of the cassette and it shifts smoothly. I have also replaced all ball-bearings and assorted fittings at suspension joints. The freehub seems to work ...	Well, contrary to the advice of 5 bike shops (who I guess were mostly interested in selling me another chain and cassette), i replaced the freewheel assembly and the problem was instantly solved.
What are the benefits of going from 25mm to 28mm tire? I went from a 23mm to 25mm tires on my '07 Tarmac Expert. The change was a blessing as I was able to do everything with more confidence. A part of it was for going from Gatorskins to Grand Prix 4000s II. Now that my Grand Prix are about to be worn out, I'm consider...	The wider softer tires help with shock absorption with the holes that start to form in the road. A couple of drawbacks of 28mm are the rolling resistance is a little more If you're climbing a lot than the other consideration is weight of tyre and tube.
Can the length of disc brake hose influence braking power? I recently installed new brakes (Shimano SLX 675), shortened hoses for front/rear brake, done bleeding but even after that rear brake lever feels much softer than front. (I had identical issue with old brakes (M446) which acted in the same way and that is parti...	There's a mechanical skill/judgment call involved sometimes in being able to differentiate between normal rear brake feel and slight air contamination, and sometimes brakes wind up being bled because someone decided to be on the safe side. Of course the front lever is going to provide more stopping power as it has grea...
How to fix a seized V-Brake arm? I was checking the brake pads on my bicycle and I noticed one of the arms seems to be seized: It's this arm (I hope that's the right technical term). It will move but it's very stiff and when I use the brakes the other arm is doing all the work. I did a search of the site and this se...	Use this opportunity to try to loosen it up by shooting in some WD-40 to flush the rust/grit and rotating it in and out a few dozen times until it's loose. The first thing you need to do is get new brake pads. The bolt should be tight.
New Park Tool truing stand doesn't seem to be calibrated, calibration seems off out of box I recently purchased a Park Tool TS-2.2 truing stand, however I feel that the calibration is off. I have a wheel that was recently trued at my LBS and there is a significant gap between the rim and the caliper on the right side. ...	The 2.2 is not for directly measuring dish, a shop will use a proper dish measuring tool(for time and repeatability) and there are techniques for the home gamer that lacks a dish tool that involve flipping the wheel over in the stand and noting the difference.
Mystery puncture -- caused by inner end of ice spike? I had to change my back tube yesterday and couldn't find anything by eye or by feel on the inside of the tyre, by eye on the outside (it's a schwalbe winter so you can't find anything except its own spikes by running it through your hands). The rim and rim tape were...	I plan to put my old inner tube between the new one and the studs hopefully this will protect the tube till its time for summer tyres
Does anyone know the age of this Legnano Bike? Does anyone know the age of this Legnano Bike? The frame number reads FC670 Thank you to everyone thats replied. I now nothing of the history of the bike or Legnanos in general tbh and certainty wouldn't know about originality of it. The crank is a double ring, whi...	Starting the serial number with FC, it is from 1963, according to this Blog All this suggest no newer than the 80s. That seat post is also not original.
Replace or patch inner tubing? I'm 16 this year and I commute to school on a regular basis on a second-hand Urata Avanteguarde (about 2-3 years old.) I kept getting flats on my rear tire, but by the time I has isolated the problem to a needle sized puncture in my inner tubing, I had already torn my tire beyond repair. ...	You can also get a more sturdy, somewhat less puncture prone tube if you'd like.
How does Google Maps estimate cycling times Google Maps has a bicycling routing option in beta. It does seem to do a good job routing in my town by using streets with bike lanes where possible and avoiding going up steep inclines directly. But I'm curious how it estimates travel time. For cars, it seems to use the spe...	But google's map/routing engine doesn't use it, instead its just an average speed of the average cyclist over all roads.
Center motor ebike costs more, is it worth it? I am 90% sure that I will buy an e-bike. Today one of my friends who owns an ebike strongly suggested that I should buy one with center motor, because they are more efficient and battery life will be longer. Where I live ebikes with center motor costs three times more ...	The more expensive bike should have better levels of componentry and will likely weigh less. Technically, mid-drive can be more efficient as they can take advantage of the rear derailleur or internal-gear hub to work at optimal speed.
Servicing a Vuelta XRP Disc Hub I can't for the life of me figure out how to get the freehub body off of this hub. Everything I can find online about the Vuelta hubs says that I should be able to stick a 5mm hex key into both sides of the axle and just loosen them, but this hub only has hex on the drive side. When I tr...	You put the 5mm allen in the drive side end and a cone wrench on the bit with the cone wrench flats next to it, figure out if it's a left or right thread, break that connection and unscrew it, and the hub comes apart that way.
Cycling into tunnels with claustrophobic person you are cycling in pair you may need to travel through tunnels (lenght can vary from few hundreds meter to about 7 kilometers) your travelmate is claustrophobic, therefore tunnels are a challenge for him avoiding the tunnel is not always a practical option (it may need...	While I am not claustrophobic, the thought of cycling through a 7km long tunnel is quite unpleasant. cyclist wear distinctive bright clothing, have a flag on the bicycle, or a steady red light (not flashing, which can cause seizures) on the back of their bicycle.
Can I fit a 26x3.5 tire on a 26x4.0 rim? i have a sondors bike that comes with a 4.0 fat tire. i am tring to find a street tire for my fat boy i only found one and its 3.5 not 4.0 STREET TIRE <Q> That is: <S> 60mm-70mm wide rims. <S> It might work on an 80mm rim depending on the actual width of the tire. <S> But wil...	A 26"x3.5 tire should work on any narrow 4" fat bike rim. The Apache Fatslick http://veetireco.com/listings/fat-tire-apache-fatty-slick/ is the only option I know of a "road" tire for a 5" rim. If you search for "narrow tyre" or "tyre width" here you will see quite a few questions about this, and the very general rule ...
Does a fat tire ride softer than a skinny one at the same pressure? Fat tires are associated with good bump absorption. Is this due to their fatness, or is it due to the low pressure with which they can be used? If I pump a fatbike tire to 120 psi (yes, that would be absurd), will it still absorb bumps better than a 2...	The real benefit of wider tyres is that you can run them at lower pressure, and if they have nice flexible sidewalls the ride is much softer because the tyre deforms over bumps rather than making the rider rise over them.
How to know you have tailwind? I think I missed a lot of opportunities to go faster when cruising and not taking advantage of tailwind. I find that if I put short effort in acceleration, the tailwind will take care most of the speed maintaining work. For big tailwind I can usually see leaves rolling on along my genera...	mostly the wind is as likely to be against you as with you, although checking the daily forecast can mean taking advantage of massive tailwinds to get some place very fast and then coming back in relative calm. If you are biking along and you encounter a terrible smell -- look around and realize that it's you yourself ...
Converting road hydraulic disc brakes to flat bar : Possible? I bought a road bike recently and find the road position too uncomfortable for commuting in the city, especially for reaching the brakes fast and slaloming between cars. Therefore, I would like to convert it to a flat bar. My only issue is with the hydrauli...	As no leading manufacturer has yet produced an affordable flat mount brake for flat barred bikes the solution is to use flat mount to post mount adaptors and use an mtb brake set-up.
Why do folding bikes usually have MTB components? Most of the folding bikes I've seen, which are used for urban commuting/recreation, usually have MTB components except for the big chainring. If they're going to be ridden most of the time on paved roads, why not use road bike components? <Q> Great question! <S> I thi...	Although folding bikes don't want to be heavy, they need to be tough, often getting knocked over onto drivetrain components, or bumped into doorframes, etc. Finally, related is that most adolescent-size BSOs are also mountainbikes - which further drives down price on those components with the added benefit that they fi...
Aero bike vs climbing bike for running in Crits I'm considering building a road bike and getting into running Crits this Summer and I'm unsure as to go with an Aero bike or a climbing (lightweight) bike. Based on my general understanding, when not going up steep hills (which of course is not done in Crits) as a genera...	Given that a crit requires a lot of hard accelerations out of corners and a lot of braking into corners, I would have thought a lightweight bike will give you more benefit than an aero bike.
Rack and fender on one eyelet spacing issue I just had fenders mounted on my bike, but there is a minor issue. Here is the picture of the situation: The two fender stays can be see going to the left of the image, and the rack stay is the middle of the image. Currently, the top fender stay and the rack hook where you ...	The more organised way that lets you deal with a fender with no adjustment is to pull the stay off the bike and bend it in specific places using a vice. The second photo suggests that even a tiny bend back away from the rack will solve your problem - you only need 5mm or so.
Removing Rust on Chrome Rims My wife has a 1980 Schwinn World Tourist that has a good frame and is mechanically sound. The rims have developed rust on the rims even though it is in the garage. Is there a good way to remove the rust or any rust remover that works well on chrome wheels? Please do not recommend Coke an...	Poke at the big rust spots, look for rust under the chrome. Send the rim hoop to a commercial shotblaster for cleanup, with whatever product they recommend. Disassemble the whole wheel, loosen all the spoke nipples, remove the bare rim hoop. A wire brush works too and helps with stubborn spots.
Is it appropriate to carry furniture with bike and suggestion for equipment I am coming from a culture where there are not many bike roads. But now I am moving to a place where bike roads are awesome and cool. Since I do not know the "bike culture" well in Denmark while I think this should be acceptable I wanted t...	I suggest not loading with the centre of gravity as high as your photo because it means you can't ride on roads where there's a side slope, and cornering is harder. I would build or modify a trailer that's as wide as I can get down the paths in the area, once you have somewhere to live.
Are there any 8-speed brifters with internal cabling? I have a situation where the bike has (OEM) 8-speed Shimano Claris shifters with the cables coming out the side which interferes with the handlebar bag.(Photo below). SRAM doesn't list any 8-speed brifters at all, and Campy 8speed ergos are only available (second ha...	The new Claris, called R2000, has internally routed brake and shifter cables, an improvement on a previous version, that still sported the externally routed shifting cables. You might be able to bodge a solution with their Dura-Ace wireless brifters but it'll be similarly expensive and may not work.
When installing a rear rack, should I attach the struts to the frame or the seat post on my small bike? For context, the bike is a small Giant Liv Alight and the rack is a Transit Rear Rack which carries up to 40 lbs. The distance between the mounting eyelets on the rack and the ones in the frame is about 8," whi...	One additional benefit of bracing to the seat post is that with some combinations of rack/bike (yours may be one of these as you have V-brakes) the left brace to the frame interferes with the brake noodle.
Re-learning how to corner aggressively at speed after bad experiences I'm not quite sure if this should somehow be broken up into two questions, but what can one do to take sharp corners at speed effectively, especially when you're nervous after having bad experiences riding? I'm already familiar with common techniqu...	It may take awhile to build confidence but repetition is key, after a while that fear should slowly start to shrink. You could even go as far to set up a small sprint course either in grass or a parking lot depending on how you feel, and start tracking you time. I have also found it helped my cornering a lot to concent...
How to reduce cramping in hands (mountain biking)? I am pretty new to mountain biking and I have noticed on longer rides my hands will start to cramp/ache to the point where it is not comfortable to wrap my thumb around the handle bars. Obviously putting my thumb on top on the grip is less safe because I have less of...	Some grips, mitts, bars or a changed position on the bike might help. Things that may help: Looser grip where possible Constant position changing so that the nerves mentioned above do not get pinch keeping inflation to a minimum. Pressure on the palms of your hands may also cause numbness and/or pain. Lastly, unless yo...
What is the origin of BSO - and is it internationally recognized? Who is the first person who came up with the appellation, "Bicycle Shaped Object" (BSO) referring to very inexpensive and very poorly built bicycles sold through mass-market department stores? Bonus question: And is it international? We use BSO in A...	Even hobbyists and serious cyclists are usually not aware of this term Most people buy bikes in the local bike shops, but shops tend to have a wide variety from cheap, simple, factory-built ones to high-end custom-built, so the fact that they are sold in LBSs isn't necessarily a criterium for quality or price. It's a v...
is it possible to go and install a suspension onto a bike that dosen't have any suspension? I have a huffy 3.0 fortress mountain bike, I have to ride on some bumpy roads and trails, I have a friend who has a bike that has suspension. I rode it once and it was very smooth when I went over a speed bump. So I wondered if ...	On such a low end bike though, only the suspension seatpost would make sense -- for the other options, you're more likely better off getting a new bike.
Why have suspension stems disappeared? I remember in the early 1990s contemplating getting a suspension stem for my 1989 non-suspended Rockhopper MTB. I'm surprised that suspension stems appear to have essentially disappeared. Why? They seemed a cheap and easy solution to give a bike front suspension. They could als...	In sort: suspension stems are ineffective for suspension, add weight and complexity, and potentially dangerous failure modes. Limited travel and rotating controls led to the demise of the competition long before Alsop succumbed to the suspension fork. I was thinking back to the 1990s when I was looking at these suspens...
What variables best determine bicycle fit for an individual without riding it? Trying to decide a bicycle purchase, not sure how to choose the best fit bike for my body type. Should I measure my leg length, torso length, arm length, body build, does my gender make a difference? <Q> One thing that does make a major dif...	Horizontal ETT - Effective Top Tube And Reach are the most critical - they are basically sizes for the cockpit of the bicycle. As a very general rule, the faster the bike is intended to be ridden, the more important the fit.
Rear hub freewheel and casette I am having some issues with my drive trainsystem. I have changed my chain after quite a while (shame on me) with a new one, that i sized exactly on the same number of links as the old one. When pedalling however, when putting a high pressure on the pedal the chain skips. My issue is, wh...	If the chain is skipping after replacing the chain, then it is almost certainly a matter of cassette wear.
Which will wear longer, a single chainring with 11-speed cassette, or triple chainring with 8-speed cassette? I am thinking of replacing the latter with the former. Someone said that the chain having to stretch 11 different ways would wear down the drive train faster. I think that the chain will last longer if it's not...	A 1x11 setup will in practice undergo more cross chaining than the 3x8 setup because there's only a single ring at the front that has to accommodate all the rear gears. Over a large number of samples there might (although I have doubts) be a very small but statistically significant difference. This means that assuming ...
Worried I damaged my fork fitting crown race I'm an idiot. I've been working on building up a Surly LHT frame and was all going fine until I got to fitting the crown race. I couldn't get it to fit properly and instead of making a cup of tea and watching some how-to videos like I normally would, I fitted a metal pipe o...	This would indicate some compression damage to the fork blades. Steel can fatigue, brazed dropout joints are strong but not infinitely strong, etc.
How can I stop an Adult trike when both front brakes fail? I have a lovely easy adult trike and I use it all the time.Now the thing is because it's a trike, it only has front brakes. Well on the 14th Feb I was riding to my local charity, got to the hill and was riding it down when Twang the brake wire snapped and I ...	If the chain coming off your cranks attaches to a modified conventional rear hub that then has another chain coming off it to drive the back axle, then that hub may be replaceable with a coaster brake hub. As everyone has said, it's true that basic maintenance should keep this situation from ever occurring. Drag your f...
Mounting light on handlebar with bag installed On my bike I have installed an handlebar bag (the Ortlieb Ultimate 5).Since I am also considering installing lights on the handlebar, I am afraid they will be simply shielded by the bag. The clerk of the bike shop where I asked for information assured me the handlebar bag...	There are lights that will mount on the crown of the front wheel fork (where the bolt for caliper brakes and mudguards attaches), but those might still hit the bottom of the bag -- although the Ortlieb bag shown in Christian Lundvig's photo is quite small and thus compatible with fork crown mount lights. I saw a produc...
Repair priorities, bike wheel or brakes Money's been a bit tight lately for a number of reasons and I commute 2 hours a day on my bike for work. Slowly, but surely my bike has taken a toll and I REALLY need to do some light maintenance on it. At the moment now, my bike wheels (rims?), due to a crash, are bent and it lo...	The wheels being out of true will impact on your ability to fix the brakes properly. Basic repairs, especially those concerned with bike safety, can be done with the help of other community members. But you don't need to shell out a huge amount of money.
Did I pay too much for repairs on road bike? Should I have bought new? I originally paid $250 for a Schwinn road bike on Amazon 5 years ago. It's been a really solid bike, even though I know it's just a mass produced brand. I didn't know any better and did no repairs or maintenance for 5 years and it made it through 3...	That being said, more expensive bikes are generally more expensive to maintain at the level you bought them at.
How to minimize wear on brakes? My daily commute consists of a quite steep last part (around 1 km with average 12% steepness). On my way back home when going downhill, I have to extensively use my brakes to (more or less) keep the speed limit of 30 km/h, and to avoid risks of course. Is there an optimal "brake strategy...	Hard braking will also cause excessive wear - so the approach would be to be as smooth as possible on the brakes.
How to make a derailleur work in opposite directions? I am making a bike for a school project that can switch between upright and pseudo-prone position. It has two sets of crank assembly; one on one side of the rear gear set and one on the other; the task is to be able to switch positions. However, the problem is that ...	A tandem rear crankset has chainring(s) on the right and another gear on the left for the timing chain.
Saddle height for toddler's balance bike My toddler (two and a half years old) has just started scooting around on her balance bike. I'd like to ensure that the saddle is at the best height for her to learn to balance. I know the rules of thumb for adjusting this on an adult bike with pedals, but they obviously don't a...	Others may be happy with their knees straight, but it's better to start too low than too high. Don't overthink this, just be an encouraging parent :)
Adapter for moving bottle cage up/down while using frame's bottle cage braze-ons Are there adapters available for moving a bottle cage up/down in the frame? I am trying to move my seat tube's bottle cage down 4-5 centimeters and I prefer using the braze-ons. Note: the question is about options using the frame's braze-...	There are numerous Water Bottle Cage Mount adapters. They're marketed as a Bottle Cage Relocator or Bottle Cage Adapter , but essentially they're all a flat piece of metal with holes drilled into it that may have some finishing work to make it look nicer.
How do you know if your wheel is correctly centered? I am from India and I have a one month old commuter bicycle. I have once tried adjusting front wheel using the quick release, but I haven't removed the tire. How do I know if the wheel is correctly centered? <Q> If your brakes are rubbing, or the wheel is rubbing on ...	If you do not have those tools, the brake pads can be used in a pinch to straighten a rim, and with at least the front wheel you can use your eye to see if they are centered in the fork. You can take it to a shop if the wheel needs to be trued. Use a ruler to measure the distance between the rim and the fork tube. Howe...
Best way to repair Neoprene gloves I have a pair of Castelli Neoprene gloves. They are just over a year old and one of them has a tear up one of the gauntlet sleeves and various smaller holes on the thumb, fingers and the palm. All of the tears / holes appear to be along seam lines, which appear to be stitched, but n...	The best stitch I've found is to use is a wide stitch to pull the edges of the material together rather than small tight stitches.
Rubber rings for attaching lights etc I have some lights and a cycle computer that attach using some sort of rubber or silicone bands (or O rings - don't know what they are called). I need some replacements, but I don't know what they are called! Best I can find on (say) Amazon are O rings that look the same but seem ...	They are usually referred to as O-Rings
How to narrow down choices when finding a new bike? I am about to buy a new bike. Not a second hand one; a brand new. I am looking at specifications and webshop prices to get an idea about what should and could buy, but the spectrum is too wide to check every single one in a shop. I noticed, that most brands have model...	you already have your intended use sorted, but that's a pretty big thing to nail downNext thing I would suggest is pick an pick a bike shop that seems to know what they are talking about Try to borrow a few bikes from friends and see how you like or dis like them and If you want to commute (and lock it outside) then a ...
Big tires are rubbing in certain conditions so how can I fix my rear wheel play issues? I have a 2007 Tarmac Expert Double with a Mavic Kysrium Equipe rim spoked to a Mavic Kysrium Equipe, 24 hole, Mavic QR rear hub. I recently upgraded to 28mm tires from 25mm and I had the rear wheel recently trued so rolls smoothly ...	Unfortunately 28mm nominal tire width can be too larger for many modern road bikes. My fix was to use a triangular rats-tail file and recut deeper grooves into the QR's serrated surface, leaving a more grippy surface to bite into the dropouts.
Cold causing squeak in disc brake system? I took my bike in recently for the usual periodic overhaul. One set of brake pads was replaced, brake cables (relatively new) were lubed, all that good stuff. Since then, both front and back brakes (so, one with brand-new pads, one with older) have developed a periodic once-a-...	The squeak can come from an on/off interaction that can happen if only one part of the rotor touches the pad.
Rock Shox Recon does not "completely" lock I recently bought the 29er CUBE ACID 2017 equipped with a RockShox Rrecon front fork (Silver TK AIR PopLock 100mm). I have noticed that even when the suspension is locked, there is still a movement (compression) of the stanchions of about 20mm. It is not completely rigid, not...	The amount of lockout is usually adjustable by changing just how closed this valve is.
MTB Sizing. Saddle at the very bottom to reach pedals perfectly. Go one size smaller? So im buying my first MTB. Its a Scott Scale 930. With the size M i get the perfect reach to the pedal with my heel. But only when the saddle is set to the very lowest/bottom. Should i get a size S instead? My height is 171 cm. Thnx ...	Try the small and feel the difference when the saddle is set right in relation to the pedals. Also, if you're on the short end of things, I wouldn't recommend a 29er.
Getting the right seat post I'm currently rebuilding an old steel frame. After measuring it I was sure it'd take a 27.2mm seat post (see picture) so that's what i bought. Sadly it doesn't fit (despite some "encouragement" with a mallet). So I'm now in the position of needing to buy another. Anyone got any suggestions...	I'd say your best bet is to try several sizes at your Local Bike Shop, there even used to be a tool to measure it, but it's rather hard to find these days.
Alternatives to Long Drop Calipers Anyone have a clue what type of brake I can fit to this front fork? The reach to a 700C wheel would need to be 80MM (do you even get calipers this long?) and the only brazing on the fork is this weird looking bottle opener thing so no option for canti's etc........stumped!! <Q> Publ...	A BMX caliper such as an Odyssey 1999, Dia-Compe Bulldog, ACS Boa, or any number of others would work. One other idea in addition to the other perfectly good answers is utilizing a drop bolt. My guess is that the bike was originally 27" but someone replaced with a 700c which is slightly smaller.
What position of saddle is best? Almost all cyclists who ride road bikes set the seat so high, and when they're in the drops their body can be almost parallel with the road, reducing air resistance. However,their legs can't reach the road from the saddle, and their head is pushed down and it could be dangerous in some ...	If you find that you can't comfortably reach the ground with the saddle at the optimum height for pedaling, you can always lower it a little.
Bicycle computers with nonvolatile memory The one thing that keeps me from pulling the trigger on some bike computer is the lack of information about the odometer, the lifetime mileage on the bicycle. When you change the battery in your car, your electronic dash odometer doesn't go to zero. It would be stupid. When my ...	According to VDO M Zero loses memory after battery change.
What type of grease to prevent seat post sticking? What type of grease should I buy specifically to prevent the seat post from getting stuck in the seat tube? I believe its aluminum. Is there all-purpose grease that I can use for other parts of the bike? This is an older, inexpensive bike that I need to last for anot...	A thin layer of grease will work in most cases. In the event that you're having problems with a seatpost slipping even when clamped, then go with an anti-slip compound, like Park's SAC-2.
answers for why the bike wobbles back and forth when standing on the pedals and working it So I read all these answers about the bike moving underneath the rider back and forth when standing on the pedals. So how much is actually effective and how much is for "show" (looks cool) I have a friend that ocassionally uses...	You could point out that all the effort spent pushing the bike from side to side is wasted; he could use he energy more effectively to push the bike forwards using the pedals.
How has hardtail MTB geometry changed in the past 10 years? So I have been sitting on my 2005 Specialized Rockhopper because it is such a good fit (23" bike I'm 6'6") however I probably haven't ridden it in 5 years as it needs a new front fork. I'm just wondering, is it worth keeping and replacing the fork or will I ge...	So if you need to change anything else and the fork you should get a new bike (and maybe a rigid fork to turn this into a sweet commuter). The biggest change in geometry has been the widespread adoption of 29" and 27.5" wheels. Carbon frames have advanced significantly in the last 10 years. Purchasing a new fork is sho...
Identify this Gitane road bike I yesterday bought this bike from Offer up for $100 and want to know more about the bicycle. Can someone please help me get the model, type and year of this bicycle from the picture below. <Q> I suspect it's a 1984 Gran Tour ( from page 5 of the french catalogue ) as this style of logo ap...	As @Paparazzi said it appears to be a Gitane bike, from looking through the product catalogues on the Gitane USA site
How to cross major road 3 way intersection I'm curious about the best way to get across this intersection. I will be traveling north (top of the picture is north), and want to turn left at this light. Path indicated by red arrows. As can be seen there is a bike lane on the far right. However since there is no road on t...	Be assertive and use the left turn lane but only if its a cycling friendly town.
Learning to listen to my body and stop over-exercise I have the tendency to push myself too much, resulting in exhaustion and 4+ days of required rest and more than a week before I can train normally again. Two weeks ago, I went on a 35 mile ride which includes several steep hills (7-15%) and I just wore myself out too...	Try not to push your self to the limit during the workout. My suggestion is to write out your exercise plan and journal how you do. If I ride with a group or even with one other person I'm less likely to overdo it. I also hydrate before a ride.
How close to the kerb should I cycle? I'm new here, and also pretty new to cycling as my main form of travel. Note that I'm from the UK, so we drive on the left. I always ride on the lane closest to the kerb. On one of my journeys I have to go over a dual carriageway, and I noticed that quite a lot of cars overtake me ...	There are so many things moving when entering and exiting roundabouts that I don't really expect drivers to also remember to look for bicycles squeezing by along the side. They don't expect tiny vehicles close to the kerb, so they won't be looking for them. I do recommend getting a strong taillight to alert even sleepy...
Can hubs last forever? In theory, could a bicycle hub last forever if you kept overhauling it (and getting new spokes and rims and etc.)? I'd like to know about all the hubs, but what really interests me is whether or not cassette hubs and front hubs can be overhauled over and over and last 'forever'. <Q> If the shell...	A front hub contains a few parts that wear out but can be replaced: balls, bearing cone, axle, and hub (more modern designs exist).
Front Shifter Won't Shift into 3rd The front shifter is a Shimano integrated brake-and-shift assembly. The front derailleur "groupo" is Shimano SIS. I can pull the cable to make the derailleur shift into third but the shifter doesn't have "enough throw" to do it via the shifter. Pulled the cover off and threw some lub...	From what it looks like, it can be the derailleur angle affecting the shifting to the third chainring or, it can be that your derailleur cage has suffered damage and is out of shape or shaved. Having had exactly the same problem I tracked it down to the shifter, and as a previous contributor stated it is the manufactur...
Tire Rubbing Against Chainstay The specifics: Have an older Litespeed Vortex (2005) frame. I think back in these days the super skinny 20mm tires were in vogue. Anyways it seems like the frame might be super optimized towards these skinnier sizes? I put 25mm tires on and now when I'm out of the saddle on the d...	Try moving to a different tire (possibly a smaller one, like a 700x23) if the wheel is good. I would not rub on even a cheap frame. Remember that you need some space between the tire and the frame, since the bicycle flexes under load Not all 25 are the same.
Will a threaded post rim brake pad fit my brakes which take a thread-less post pad? I found these pads on Amazon and I really like them, but they are a bit different than my current pads. They are threaded and the ones I have now are threadless. If I tighten them would it fit on my brake? Here are the brakes I like. ...	My personal recommendation would be to either stick with threadless post brakes, or switch your brake caliper to one that takes threaded if your dead set on those particular pads. Such as these: from Chain Reaction Or Origin 8 also offers decent affordable pads such as these that are intended for wet weather use, but t...
Can I partially upgrade from Shimano Sora to Ultegra 6800? I have a Shimano 9 speed groupset and I want to upgrade to something that's better on the climbs without shelling out and buying a whole new groupset which would be more money than my actual bike. Would it be possible to just buy a new 11 speed chain + 11 spee...	Front derailer cage gap to chain width compatibility is a real thing that matters and affects performance, and your 9-speed wheel won't take an 11-speed road cassette unless it's already an 11-speed wheel running a 1.8mm spacer, or it has a retrofit 11spd freehub available, or it's a Mavic road wheel (basically the sam...
Which brake should I use, on a full suspension bike, if I broke my brake lever I broke my back brake lever, and I want to use only one brake, which should I use the front or the back? <Q> If it's to get you home or to the bike shop, use the one that works and ride cautiously. <S> You may have to walk down some things...	On loose surfaces, the rear brake is usually better, and on ice definitely so, but on pavement the front brake is the only one that makes sense. If you're competent with tools then you can do this yourself, otherwise you're up for shop labour costs.
How many days does it take for an absolute newbie to bike 330km? I have no cycling experience but want to purchase a bike and do a 330km multi-day route by myself. Before getting into this somewhat risky business, I would like to run pros/cons by experts on this site. :) My pros: Physically fit. Should be OK in term...	How much training you would realistically want to do prior to the event would depend upon your age and your state of fitness, but I'd suggest at least a month of riding three days a week. If you rode gravel roads (or anything without asphalt really) without proper equipment (ie, fat tyres or front suspension) your wris...
How long does an unused helmet keep for? Will a helmet suffer in any way if it is kept in its original box indoors for some years before ever being used? For instance, I might keep it unused for 5 years and then use it for 5 years. I ask because I own a helmet that I find very comfortable, but the model has been disc...	A scientific study has found age makes not difference to the protection provided by a bicycle helmet.
Do mid-low end bike manufacturers only design their bikes to last 1000 miles? When exploring a braking system, I noticed with surprise that they tested their brake actuations to match the 1000 mile quality life expectation of a comfort bike. This seems to imply that this is the expected design life. Since the page i...	I think that those lifespans are more likely to be a "minimum aimed lifetime" rather than something else.
How should I remove a tyre that's stuck to the rim with old sealant? I have a wheel with a puncture. It seems to be a pinch flat (the air is shooting out in the direction of the rim) but I can't get the tyre off to investigate. This is an ex-tubeless tyre that I put a tube in once. Guess I should have cleaned up the s...	The trick is often to push the bead section more straight down in the direction of the rim well, with a slight scooping motion inward.
Inside of my full suspension bike pivots is cracked! Is this normal? I just noticed it when I was cleaning my bike after a long day downhill mtb. Are those screws? Thanks for any replies. <Q> Are you sure those hex bolts are cracked? <S> They could instead just have peeling chrome. <S> Hex bolts tend to accumulate...	Those are artifacts or chips resulting from broaching the hex into the bolt head. It could just be surface peeling of the chrome.
Multiplication of Cassette Ratios The title can not explain it more specifically, however, recently I watched a video where I guy explains a calculation and tells the result gives how easily you climb ramps. Here is the calculation: Rear cassette: Biggest sprocket size / smallest sprocket sizeCrank cassette: Biggest s...	That's not calculating your lowest gear (which would determine how easily you could ride up a ramp), but the total gear range.
Hybrid mountain bikes for the city? So I'm currently looking for a new bike and would like to get another mountain bike as it's most important to me that it's resilient and that I can ride all terrain. However most of the time I'd use it for the city. Are there mountain bikes (or are there ways for adjusting them) th...	The mountain bike takes bumps/potholes better, skids better and is basically more forgiving for a rough rider on the road and up and down curbs.
Disc brakes make a grinding sound I am completely new to cycling and purchased a road bike equipped with Tektro Lyra mechanical disc brakes. I have ridden an estimated 20 miles total so far and was unaware that there was a bedding in process for the brake system. My question is, how loud are the brakes supposed to be w...	You should get some slightly "textured" feedback as the pad bites down on the rotor as you use the brake, but it shouldn't shudder.
How long should I ride? I am 24/Male and I have been riding since a year. Recently endurance riding has interested me. I have done two rides of 20 km each. Now I am planning for a 46 km ride.l My question is, should I go for it? or should I do some more 20 km rides? <Q> Go for it - you're young and riding over the last...	However, if you've been doing these 20km rides for a year you probably are already coming home very fresh / not tired at all. If you had any pain on the short rides you need to deal with that first - probably by adjusting the bike. By going for longer distances you'll train your body in several ways and you will be abl...
Advice on replacing a Weinmann brake caliper when the cable is fed from the bottom, please I would like to replace a set of Weinmann brake calipers on a Raleigh ladies' bike with newer, modern and more efficient calipers like a dual-pivot one. The problem that I have is that the cable to the rear caliper is routed from...	You might be able to find some kind of pulley, but for a low-end steel MTB-BSO, new brake pads+cable will be a substantial braking improvement by themselves. To answer the question - consider using a dual pivot caliper with a travel agent like this, to get the cable around 90 degrees of the bend.
Buy a bycicle - total noob? I'm currently in Finland, I got a bit of cash and I want to buy a bicycle because the one I had blew up and it wasn't exactly mine anyway; now I have never in my life bought a bicycle, or anything similar, I don't know brands or anything. My question is, should I buy a new one or an used be...	You should know what size seat tube you like, watch craigslist/ebay for 80's steel road bikes, decent enough stuff is usually, $120-400. If snow and ice is a significant part of winter, then consider spending some of the difference on some studded snow tyres, and keep your smoother commuter road tyres for summer. Your ...

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.